4th Sep

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

30 dead as Kurdish rebels clash with Turkish forces

Armenia ‘ready for war’ after Azerbaijan killer pardon

10

Pistorius controversy ignites Paralympics

Ronaldo, Kaka mirror dysfunctional Madrid start

20

NO: 15558

18

Report of US-Iran ‘deal’ exposes US-Israel rifts

40 PAGES

150 FILS

7

www.kuwaittimes.net

SHAWWAL 17, 1433 AH

Iran completes 30% of missile defence system

Vodafone, Zain expand presence in Middle East LONDON: British mobile phone giant Vodafone has signed an agreement with Kuwaiti telecom company Zain to expand its footprint in the Middle East region, the pair announced yesterday. “Vodafone Group and Zain Group today jointly announce a partner market agreement that will significantly expand Vodafone’s partner market presence in the Middle East and provide Zain customers with greater support in Vodafone’s global footprint,” they said in a statement.

“Under the non-equity partnership agreement, Vodafone will work with Zain companies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq to provide customers with high quality communications services. The move will enhance both Zain and Vodafone’s ability to meet growing demand among multinational businesses for sophisticated voice and data communications solutions as well as advanced roaming services within the Middle East.”

Vodafone added that the deal would complement its own regional operations in Egypt and Qatar, and increase the number of countries in which it has partner market agreements to more than 50.

Financial details weren’t disclosed. The companies say they will not be taking equity stakes in one another. Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund owns nearly a quarter of Zain. — Agencies (See Page 26)

ALEPPO: A wounded Syrian boy receives treatment at a hospital near the frontline on Sunday. — AFP (See Page 8)

US car hit in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Pakistani officials and rescue workers gather at the site of bombing yesterday. (Inset) A rescuer holds up a burnt US passport found at the blast site. — AP/AFP

Young Iraqis facing fashion crackdown BAGHDAD: For much of Iraq’s youth, sporting blingy makeup, slicked-up hair and skintight jeans is just part of living the teenage dream. But for their elders, it’s a nightmare. A new culture rift is emerging in Iraq, as young women replace shapeless cover-ups with anklebaring skirts and tight blouses, while

men strut around in revealing slacks and spik y haircuts. The relatively skimpy styles have prompted Islamic clerics in at least two Iraqi cities to mobilize local security guards as a “fashion police” in the name of protecting religious values.

Continued on Page 13

BAGHDAD: Iraqi women look at jewellery at a marketplace in the Kazimiyah neighborhood on Sunday. — AP

PESHAWAR: A suicide car bomber rammed a US consulate vehicle in Pakistan yesterday, killing at least two people in the deadliest attack targeting Americans in the country in more than two years. Up to 19 people were wounded when the bomber struck during morning rush hour in the northwestern city of Peshawar near the office of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and residential quarters used by the US consulate.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but it was at least the third time since April 2010 that the consulate and its staff have been targeted by militants linked to the Taleban and Al-Qaeda.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the “cowardly” attack in the frontline state of the war on Al-Qaeda and praised the response of the local authorities, while refusing to speculate who might be behind the blast. There was some confusion over the death toll - two bodies were recovered from the scene but several Pakistani sources including a provincial minister insisted four people died, including two Americans.

The US embassy issued an initial statement quoting State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland as saying “no US Consulate personnel” were killed, though two Americans and two Pakistanis working for the mission were wounded. A spokeswoman later told AFP that the US embassy was “not aware” that any American citizens were killed. But Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister for Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said four people were killed in the attack on the two-vehicle convoy, two of them Americans.

Continued on Page 13

Max 44º Min 27º High Tide 01:35 & 14:28 Low Tide 07:46 & 19:56

TOLEDO, Ohio: The White House yesterday denied an Israeli newspaper report that accused Washington of secretly negotiating with Tehran to keep the United States out of a future Israel-Iran war. Israel also played down the front-page report in its biggest-selling daily, Yedioth Ahronoth, which followed unusually public disagreement between the allies about how to tackle Iran’s controversial nuclear program. “It’s incorrect, completely incorrect,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told Reuters while accompanying President Barack Obama on a campaign trip in Ohio. “The report is false and we don’t talk about hypotheticals.”

Without naming its sources, Yedioth said Washington had approached Tehran through two unidentified European countries to convey the message that the United States would not be dragged into fighting if Israel carried out threats to attack Iran. Yedioth said the United States told Iran it should in return refrain from retaliating against US interests, including its military in the Gulf. In Jerusalem, an Israeli official, who asked not to be identified, described the report as illogical. “It doesn’t make sense,” the official said. “There would be no need to make such a promise to the Iranians because they realize the last thing they need is to attack US targets and draw massive US bombing raids.”

In appearances on Sunday and yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged world powers to set a “clear red line” for Tehran’s atomic program that would convince Iran they were determined to prevent it from obtaining nuclear arms. Such remarks have been portrayed in Israel as criticism of Obama. Obama, who seeks re-election in November, is fighting accusations from his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, that he is lax in support for Israel.

Continued on Page 13

Woman makes history on Egyptian state TV CAIRO: A female Egyptian news presenter appeared on state television wearing a hijab for the first time yesterday after the Islamist-dominated government lifted an effective ban that had been in place for decades under secular-leaning regimes of the past. The ban on female news readers wearing the Islamic hijab had long been criticized even by liberals and human rights activists as an infringement on personal freedoms - particularly in a country where more than half of all adult women cover their heads.

However, it was the latest move by authorities under new Islamist President Mohamed Morsi to make sweeping changes in state-controlled media. Just a few weeks ago, the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament or Shura Council, shuffled editors of state-run media and most of the 50 new appointees were either Islamists or their sympathizers. Egypt’s journalists’ union has accused Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group of trying to make the media its mouthpiece.

Many Egyptians fear Morsi and the powerful Brotherhood, which was out-

CAIRO: In this image from video, Fatma Nabil reads out the headlines wearing a headscarf on the noon news bulletin on state television on Sunday. — AP lawed and persecuted under former regimes, will give priority to Islamist interests at the expense of deep reform of the bloated and inefficient bureaucracy or pressing needs such as widespread poverty and economic crisis. The ban on veils, enforced by state television for the half century it has been in existence, ended with the noon news bulletin when Fatma Nabil read out the headlines Continued on Page 13

Lebanon smoking ban sparks ire Man detained over unrest in Saudi Arabia RIYADH: Saudi security forces have arrested a man who figured on a list of 23 wanted people for causing trouble in the mostly-Shiite Qatif district, rights activists and an official said yesterday. A police squad arrested Hussein Hasan Ali Al-Rabie in the village of Awamiya late on Sunday, said activists who did not want to be named. Interior ministry spokesman General Mansur Al-Turki confirmed the arrest of Rabie. He said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency that Rabie was wounded in his feet in a gunfire exchange with security forces who caught him “while selling a large amount of drugs in Awamiya”.

Turki did not say if police arrested others involved in buying the drugs, but he said that a policeman was wounded in the clash. Rabie was fourth on a list of 23 wanted people announced by the interior ministry earlier this year. His arrest reduces the number of those remaining at large to 13, after five others were arrested.

Continued on Page 13

BEIRUT: A smoking ban in all closed public spaces, including coffee shops, restaurants and bars, went into force in Lebanon yesterday under new legislation that promises hefty fines for lawbreakers.

In a country considered a “smokers’ paradise,” the law took effect a year ago in air-

ports, hospitals and schools, but took hold on a wider basis yesterday, also banning tobacco advertisements criticised for luring youths into the habit.

Smokers caught lighting up in a closed public space face a $90 penalty, while Continued on Page 13

BEIRUT: Restaurant employees hold placards that read ‘We are Going Home’ (left) and ‘No to the Law that Cuts Means of Living’ (right) during a sit-in to protest the imposition of a smoking ban in closed public places yesterday. — AP

2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Bui Quoc Trung hosted a reception on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of the foundation of Vietnam at Regency Hotel on Sunday. High-ranking officials, diplomats and media people attended the reception. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Lot of lies, misleading actions in past elections

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Kuwait Bar Association (KBA) held a symposium titled ‘What’s after going to the Constitutional Court’ on Sunday at its premises. This symposium came after the Cabinet submitted the elections law last month to the Constitutional Court, which has yet to rule on this matter. Thus this issue was criticized by some former MPs. Attorney Riyadh Al-Sania noted that the last election to parliament 2012 increased seditious sentiments in the community.

“There were a lot of lies and misleading actions in the past elections, helping many fanatic and sect MPs succeed.

These MPs then started showing off, pretending to be busy with the issues of other countries rather than their own. Some went even to the extent of speculating on the honesty of the judges. The moderate candidates became victims of these elections, and the fanatics succeeded instead,” he said during the symposium.

“I hope that next elections will be held according to the lists system. This should improve the situation, as the sect and tribal classification will only make the country sink in the mire of problems.

“Attacking the judicial system is very

KBA holds symposium

dangerous,” he added. He also criticized the Parliament’s interference in appointing judges of the Constitutional Court. “It’s against justice when the Parliament demands appointing three judges from the Parliament as members of the Constitutional Court. It’s also not permissible to let the Parliament cancel the right of the Constitutional Court to nullify election results. So it’s prohibited to suspect the judges, even if a law was enacted allowing this, as it will still be in conflict with the constitution,” Al-Sania pointed out.

He also said that Kuwait is a civilian and not a religious country. “The fanatic MPs want to alter the principles of the constitution to change Kuwait from a civilian to a religious country. The court is obliged to control the laws. And nobody can control the country,” concluded Al-Sania.

Attorney Mohammed Al-Dallal stressed that we are living in a paralyzed situation where the laws and constitution are not clear. “The government and Parliament are not performing their role. The government exploited this situation to change the election system. The elections law in the democratic countries aims to let the citizens participate in decision making. In the earlier Parliament, there was no clear

News

in brief

‘No pork hotdogs found’ KUWAIT: The Municipality task forces were unable to find any pork hotdogs in all the six governorates during their widespread inspection campaigns covering restaurants and food stores.

Sources said that it is clear that the quantities sold were destroyed by some restaurants out of fear of legal consequences, as soon as they learned laboratory results were obtained.

Meanwhile, Acting Municipality Director General Mohammad Al-Otaibi said “employees in governorates are working hard to trace the hotdog that reached the market, adding that the store which violated the law will not be reopened as per rules and regulations.” He added that the Municipality continues will complete investigations to reveal all details before referring the issue to the public prosecution department.

KUWAIT: Riyadh Al-Sania and Mohammad Al-Dallal during the symposium held on Sunday at the KBA. — Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh vision,” he stated. “We don’t know the cizing the submission of the elections verdict of the Constitutional Court, law for Parliament to the Constitutional which may disallow the appealing of Court, leaving out the Municipal the five election constituencies. The Council. “This is a mistake made by the Kuwaiti people are free to choose their government, as the same rules regardcandidates, including the ‘Hadas’ ing election systems apply to both the movement and other parties,” he fur- Parliament and Municipal Council,” he ther said. Al-Dallal concluded by criti- concluded.

‘Submit list of donations’ KUWAIT: The Council of Ministers has asked the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) to submit a complete list of charity donations made to societies, committees and mabarraas (foundations) to take follow up action to uncover violations during donation collection during the month of Ramadan. A ministerial source said that the Council of Ministers has asked the legal committee to discuss this issue after learning about violations committed in donation collection method . He said that the legal committee will hold a meeting with officials to calculate the donations received during the month of Ramadan.

Two vehicles caught KUWAIT: Smart police patrol vehicles which work on express roads, caught two vehicles that were wanted by police after cases were filed against them. The two cars were apprehended and owners were referred to concerned police station to complete necessary formalities.

KPC on high alert KUWAIT: The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and all its subsidiary companies have been placed on high alert to protect their computer networks from a virus attack that has affected Saudi Arabia’s Aramco and Qatar’s RasGas. A virus called ‘shamoon’ reportedly inflicted damage to data stored in computers operated by the two companies, according to recent international reports. The source of the virus attack remains unknown. Speculations are rife about Iran or Israel perpetrating the attacks.

KUWAIT: Firefighters in action after a fire broke out in Amghara yesterday.

Fire breaks out in Amghara

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: Fire broke out in the Amghara area at noon on Sunday as the fire operation room received the report from the Amghara fire center. They were supported by Al Ardiya fire center, Al Shuhada, Meshref fire centers and the support center. Firemen found that fire had spread throughout a 2500 square meter area containing oil drums and grease. Officials

Instagram competition on KIB page ongoing

said winds helped the fire spread into other three areas of the same size containing timber, as well as oil drums and grease, and a third area with trailers and dump trucks.

Firemen used foam to control the fire in the oil drums, while teams fought the fire in other plots until the fire was brought under control. Two firemen were overcome by smoke and treated at the site.

Male dominance in private sector workforce KUWAIT: More than 92% of the expatriate labor force in Kuwait’s private sector is male, according to a government study published in June 2011, but only released recently.

The study by the Central Statistical Bureau and quoted by Al-Qabas daily yesterday, indicates that there are 103 million and 366 thousand expatriates working in the private sector in Kuwait; 96.06% of whom are male and only 7.94% are females. It also shows that 18.75% of workers as of June 30, 2011 were less than 30 years of age, while 65.1% belong to the age group between 30 and 49 years, while 83.85% are below the age of 50.

The statistics also revealed that only 11.68% of expatriates in the private sector have a university degree, while 71.75% have not finished high school. Regarding marital status, the statistics show that 82.885 of expatriates in the private sector are married.

Furthermore, the study details how production workers, public transportation operators and ordinary labor forces make up 53.45% of expatriates in the private sector, while

people working in sales reach around 11.33%. In the meantime, the statistics show that 62.16% of expatriates in the private sector make less than KD180 a month, while 22.7% make between KD180 and KD360, and 15.14% are paid more than KD360.

The study further shows that 41.45% make between KD60 to KD120, and 7.23% make less than KD60 per month, while 13.39% received between KD120 and KD180.

37.80% of expatriates in the private sectors are of Arab nationalities, as shown in the study, while 62.2% are of non-Arab nationalities. Asian nationalities come in first place with 59.55% of the total workforce in the private sector. The study further indicates that the majority of Arab workers are employed in scientific, technical, managerial or other posts that are relatively important for Kuwait’s economy, while Asian labor forces are mostly working as production workers and in low-wage jobs. (Qabas) In other news, a Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor official revealed recently that 7318 commercial visas

were transferred to work permits in the private sector from the beginning of the year until the end of last July.

Undersecretary Assistant for the Labor Department Affairs, Jamaal ADousary, also revealed that jewelry shop staff, residential building janitors, and employees for shareholding companies have now been exempted from an existing ban on transferring commercial visas to work permits, bringing the total number of exempted job fields to fifty.

Al-Dousary also indicated that, as of the end of July, 7185 domestic workers obtained work permits in the private sector this year.

Meanwhile, Al-Jarida daily quoted a government insider yesterday who revealed that the Supreme Council of Planning and Development is forming a joint team with the MSAL and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry “to carry out investigations at local companies to detect cases of fake employment”. Fake employment refers to the practice by which a private company hires Kuwaiti staff members who make little to no actual

contribution to a company. This is done to meet a minimum percentage in total staff that the government requires to be filled by Kuwaiti labor forces. The news comes following a recent report published by the same daily, suggesting that at least forty percent of Kuwaitis working in the private sector are considered part of the inactive labor forces, costing the country more than KD10 million a month in social support.

Separately, sources within the Civil Service Commission explained recently that applications from Kuwaiti job hopefuls to work in the public sector are given priority ahead of applications by Bedouin residents, which means that a Kuwaiti candidate is automatically given an advantage in employment ahead of a Bedouin candidate with similar qualifications.

The sources made these statements to Annahar daily in response to rumors that spread on social networks recently quoting an official letter from the CSC which rejects employment by Bedouins with diplomas at government posts.

KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank (KIB) has announced that its photography contest recently launched on the popular social media application, Instagram, under the name @Aldawlibank is still ongoing and has been receiving great feedback and interaction from customers.

From his end, Tareq Al Ajlan Marketing Manager at KIB confirmed the role this contest has played in encouraging customers to partake in using the social media application as well and has contributed to enhancing communication and staying in touch with the bank’s customers through different channels and during occasions.

In conclusion, Al Ajlan confirmed KIB’s commitment to provide the best quality of Shariah compliant services and products as well as to stay in line with the latest updates in social media since they have become an important element of daily communication.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

LOCAL

Nepal postpones implementation of ‘young domestic workers’ ban Envoy clarifies govt stance

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The implementation of the ban on Nepali young women working as domestic helpers in Kuwait has been postponed, according to an envoy yesterday. Speaking with the Kuwait Times over the telephone, Madhuban Prasad Paudel, Ambassador of Nepal to Kuwait, said the ban on working as domestic helpers for women under 30 years old was suspended by his government until the policy is formally offered to Kuwait and an agreement is circulated among recruitment agencies and people who will be dealing with these women workers.

“While the policy is in place, the government asked me to postpone the implementation in Kuwait until we set the ground ready for the ban,” Paudel said. He noted that the policy was not exclusively applied in Kuwait, as it will be implemented throughout the Gulf region. “The ban on women under 30 has been implemented not only by our country, but even by other countries sending their domestic labor force. The objective is clear, and it is very beneficial to women since some women under 30 are still vulnerable when it comes to decision making,” he explained.

“Since they are young, they decide abruptly without thinking for a second time; if they don’t want to work, they won’t work and cooperate, we cannot do anything about it.

That is why we do not want our young women to work as domestic help. I do not say that every young women is like this, but the truth is that we are subjected to the challenges and probably mistreatment, since young women are vulnerable, indeed, and cannot decide clearly,” added Paudel.

But that was the reason given by their envoy in Kuwait. Back in Nepal, however, according to reports, the decision to ban the employment of young women was deeply connected to the widespread abuses and exploitations of Nepali women, which were allegedly documented earlier.

Thousands of Nepali women—mostly aged 25 and under—leave the country every year to take up menial jobs, such as cleaners and domestic helpers, with many heading to Gulf countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar.

In fact, according to Nepal Information Minister Raj Kishor Yadav, “Young female workers are reported to have been exploited in the Gulf countries. So the cabinet decided to set the age bar for women migrant workers

MPW executes 46 road maintenance projects KUWAIT: The Road Maintenance Engineering Sector of the Ministry of Public Works is working on 46 contracts to maintain roads and sewage networks in all areas at a cost of nearly KD 105 million, said Chief Engineer Shareeda Al-Azmi.

He said there are 44 new contracts that will be awarded to contracting companies at a value of KD 85 million.

Al-Azmi said the sector also conducts general and periodical maintenance work, adding that the goal is to extend the projected age of the facilities.

He said that the most important contracts being executed now are Abdali and Salmi roads, adding that the value of Abdaly road maintenance stands at KD 7 million while Salmy road costs KD 6 million.

Tender to redesign hospitals KUWAIT: The Health Ministry plans to float a tender on several projects for redesigning Ibn Sina and Farwaniya hospital towers, said Sameer Al-Asfour Health Ministry ’s Assistant Undersecretar y for Services and Maintenance. Al-Asfour said that the projects that the ministry intends to

build will cost KD 1.25 billion, covering nine projects in various areas of Kuwait. There are major health projects that have already been awarded to contracting companies. Work on them will probably begin at the end of the year, including Kuwait Cancer Center, new Amiri and Razi hospitals.

in the Gulf.” Yadav was quoted by the Himalayan Times newspaper in early August.

Nepal has just recently set up their embassy in Kuwait, in 2010, after some complaints by Nepali citizens who said their population is continuously growing, even in the absence of a diplomatic mission. There are about 60,000 Nepali workers in Kuwait today, of whom about 40,000 are engaged in domestic labor.

Ambassador Paudel did not confirm the number of women under 30 years of age currently working in Kuwait but, according to him, it could be very few. “Our population is growing in Kuwait and unfortunately not all of them are registered at the embassy. Some remain unregistered, but we cannot say they are illegal since they came to Kuwait using legal means and they have residency, so they are not illegal, however, some are not yet registered,” he mentioned. Paudel mentioned that over the last two years there were about 1700 Nepali women sent back to Kathmandu after running away from their sponsors.

Nepalis in Kuwait are engaged in various jobs, such as domestic helpers, security guards, cleaners, drivers, laborers and in the food industries and hospitality business.

Schools introduced to fingerprint attendance system KUWAIT: The fingerprint attendance system is no longer limited to ministries and other establishments to keep track of employees’ attendance. Now schools are also using the system to monitor attendance and absence.

Mohammad Al-Kandari, Education Ministry’s Undersecretary for Public Education said that all classes have been provided with fingerprint systems so that students’ presence can be recorded.

The fingerprint machines are linked to a special system that enables school administration to follow each student individually.

In other news, the Health Ministry is preparing a comprehensive plan to hold several awareness gatherings at public schools starting in October.

The awareness campaigns will concentrate on the dangers of obesity and the importance of eating a healthy diet. The Health Ministry will organize training courses for teachers. Representatives from Education and Health ministries, as well as Kuwait Municipality held inspections at schools to inspect the type of foods sold in cafeterias.

KUWAIT: Army Chief of Staff Lt Gen Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah met yesterday with Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Alici, discussing with him issues pertaining bilateral relations. The two sides expressed desires to boost relations especially within the defense domain.The meeting was attended by Kuwaiti army personnel.

Food export discussed during GCC meeting

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Kuwait is set to host a ‘crucial meeting’ for the Federation of GCC Chambers (FGCCC) on September 12 to discuss multiple issues including holding talks with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council regarding the GCC Common Market. Meanwhile, FGCCC Secretary General Abdurraheem Naqqi revealed that GCC countries “are studying the possibility of making use of the joint food stock zone to be established in Salalah, Oman, in importing food to a number of countries in Africa and Asia.” “ We seek to benefit from Oman’s geographic position to establish a food stock zone that can provide food security to GCC countries, as well as the possibility of exporting GCC food products,” Naqqi said in a recent statement.

He named Southeast Asian and East African countries as early targets to export GCC food products ‘after GCC states achieve self-sufficiency.’

Al-Mulaifi approves decision Former education minister Ahmad AlMulaifi commended the Cabinet’s decision to refer the electoral law to the Constitutional Court; a step he said ‘jeopardizes future elections,’ further acknowledging their ability to avoid falling under pressure of holding the next elections as per the current system.

Furthermore, Al-Mulaifi said in a recent statement to comment on current political developments that MPs who refuse to take part in a session for the 2009 parliament “are corrupt as long as they continue to receive salaries without carrying out jobs.” He used the term ‘corrupt’ in reference to corruption allegations leveled against a number of progovernment members in the 2009 parliament, based on which the opposition demand that it do not convene.

Meanwhile, Al-Mualifi hoped that the next parliament will not have a majority similar to the oppositionist majority in the 2012 parliament, which he said was ‘disproportionate’ and ‘most often uses sectarian approach in speech.” He called for a team of specialists to discuss a new electoral law that can ensure that “decision making in Kuwait is not controlled solely by either the Cabinet or the parliament’s majority.”

Philanthropist returns Kuwaiti philanthropist and cleric Abdurrahman Al-Sumait returns to Kuwait today on board an Amiri airplane from Germany, where he was sent to receive treatment, paid for by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Al-Sumait will be referred to a medical facility following his arrival. He will remain under a doctor’s supervision for a period of time before being discharged.

4

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

LOCAL in my view

in my view

Misdiagnoses, mistreatment

America’s passive stance on Syria

By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed

By Abdullah Buair

lection year, Obama’s personality, the Iraqi nightmare, the attitude of the Russians and the phobia of jihadists are all reasons that might explain the protracted slackness of the Americans to support the popular uprising in Syria.

Thousands of Syrians carry arms and are bravely fighting a spectacular war with simple weapons.

Although they have been fighting for more than a year, they are not able to bring down the regime or to occupy a single important city. The reason is it is not a truly popular revolution, but an orphaned one fighting against one of the most oppressive regimes in the world.

Away from Damascus, the American president is busy in the presidential elections, which are only nine weeks away. He has a chance to win and so he is not willing to get involved in action in a foreign country for fear it may lead to his defeat and therefore the loss of his party. Then there is the personality of Obama himself.

It is obvious that he wants to distinguish himself and his administration from his predecessor President George W. Bush by not copying his acts.

He is against military intervention so he pulled his forces out of Iraq and is now working to pull out of Afghanistan. He does not want to send his forces to fight in Syria or anywhere else. Obama is different from Bush and even from other American presidents such as Bill Clinton, who took a risk in Yugoslavia and succeeded. Clinton also ordered limited operations against Saddam Hussein in Iraq, in Somalia, Sudan and Afghanistan.

Obama wants the Americans to go to the polls keeping in mind that it is he who eliminated their eternal enemy Osama Bin Laden. He does not want the widows of the dead American soldiers to demonstrate against him. His philosophy is not based on expanding influence or facing enemies in various parts of the world. He is less enthusiastic about foreign policy. Although the US State

’m writing again about the problems of the Ministry of Health, illustrating them this time with two incidents I recently came across, and which showcase the serious level that misdiagnoses has reached in public medical facilities.

The first incident concerns an Arab man living in Kuwait whose life turned into a living hell after his uvula was mistakenly removed instead of his tonsils during two routine operations carried out at the Zain and Al-Sabah hospitals.

The error happened in October 2010, resulting in the patient suffering serious complications including chronic dry throat and a persistent sensation of nausea. The man has eventually pressed charges against the Ministry of Health and the expatriate doctor who carried out the operation, after his miserable situation reached a point in which he seriously thought of ending his marriage to spare his wife and three children the pain of watching him suffer every day.

The second case concerns a Kuwaiti fashion designer who fell victim to both misdiagnosis and mistreatment at Adan Hospital where she was receiving treatment for years for hemolytic anemia, lupus and other diseases. The patient initially filed a complaint with Adan Hospital’s management against her doctor for mistreatment. When she arrived at the hospital the next day to take her regular injection, the doctor behaved angrily, having apparently learnt about the complaint against him. So he gave her the shot violently and stormed out of the room even before the injection was completed, while she cringed in pain. A nurse was then left to finish the job and stop the bleeding caused by the doctor’s behaviour.

After that fiasco, the patient decided to go to Mubarak Hospital where she was diagnosed with a blood clot in her foot. Medical staff at the Adan Hospital reportedly never gave her an explanation for the swelling in her foot, which she later discovered was caused by the clot.

That’s not all, as the patient explains that doctors at the Mubarak Hospital assigned a psychiatrist to evaluate her under the pretext that she was treating nurses aggressively. The evaluation report, however, showed that she did not suffer any psychiatric problem, but keeps yelling due to extreme pain. When is the Ministry of Health going to put an end to misdiagnoses, mistreatment and other problems that continue to take place every day in public medical facilities?

I

E

Obama wants the Americans to go to the polls keeping in mind that it is he who eliminated their eternal enemy Osama Bin Laden. He does not want the widows of the dead American soldiers to demonstrate against him. His philosophy is not based on expanding influence or facing enemies in various parts of the world.

Department is into a war of words against the Russians, there is a big difference between the two countries. The Russian government is very enthusiastic in its support of Bashar Assad. The main reason Assad’s regime is still surviving is the Russian military, financial and intelligence support.

This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that we see the US scared of Russian anger, despite the fact that the fall of the Syrian regime will be helpful for the US in the event of a possible war against Iran. There is also fear from jihadists.

Much has been written about them (jihadists), who reportedly poured into Syria from various parts of the world. No doubt these people include members of Al-Qaeda.

However, we will find the jihadists in any troubled area where there is chaos and lack of powerful central authority, such as Libya, Somalia, north Mali and Yemen. It is extremely wrong to leave the Syrian revolution to such people with terrorist agendas. These people have nothing to do with the revolution of the Syrian citizens who are longing for dignity and freedom and not for the destruction of the world.

I am aware that many Americans see stark contradictions in Arabs calling on the US to intervene militarily in Syria while previously they objected to any US military intervention abroad. I am of the opinion that the Americans may say to us: “We are not a brigade in the Arab army. One time you throw shoes at us and at another time you invite us to defend you.”

This contradiction can be explained citing the fact that the Arab region is a big area with conflicting views and ideas.

The region had oppressive regimes, some of which destroyed their relationship with the US including the regimes of Qaddafi in Libya, Saleh in Yemen and now Assad in Syria. In Syria, however, the interests are identical. The demand of the Syrian people for Assad’s ouster goes hand in hand with the American interests.

In my view, the Americans may lose out on the most important popular cause in the Arab world if they turn their backs on a revolution, which, if successful, may well narrow the gap between America and the Arab world, especially after the US failure in Iraq. The Syrians do not want American soldiers to come and fight alongside them. They are in need of advanced weapons to face the regime’s fighters and the tanks, which they now face with simple weapons at a time the regime is ferociously shelling its citizens and towns. The Syrians have been fighting for a year without any help from their neighbors or any valuable support from the big powers.

Despite all these shortages and the long road, the end seems to be clear: The downfall of the regime. The atrocities committed by the forces of the regime increased the peoples’ hatred against it.

It also increased the determination of the Syrian people to bring down the regime at all costs.

Whoever boards the Syrian revolution train, which will only stop in the heart of Damascus, will forever be remembered by the young generations in Syria.

This is the truth known to everyone who knows the sentiments of the region.

kuwait digest

Role of Dubai police chief

By Dr. Shamlan Y. Al-Essa e do not know the real reason why many MPs, is not interfering in the local affairs of the country, columnists and tweeters attack Dubai police rather he is attempting to reveal information about MPs chief Dhahi Al-Khalfan. I knew the man 20 in Kuwait who are supporting Brotherhood cells in the years ago, during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, when I UAE with money.

We do not exaggerate when we stress that most civwas a refugee in the UAE and teaching in a university there. I met Lt Gen Al-Khalfan during several TV shows il establishments, NGOs, cooperatives, voluntary comwhere we discussed security issues in the Gulf at that mittees, labor unions, student unions in the university time and the person as I knew him was a strict and and applied education are dominated by the Muslim credible military man. He is not a politician as some are Brotherhood...and they reached this stage because of trying to make him out to be. The man’s power thoughtless government support to all their establishemanates from the treasure of information he possess- ments. It is hard to believe that the government has es — all that he said and warned about the increasing asked Awqaf ministry, which is one of the state’s mininfluence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gulf in gen- istries, to form a centrism committee to study the reasons behind extremism and religious zealousness in eral, and Kuwait in particular, have come true.

Kuwait society.

We wrote, as other sincere This is a ministry that is people in this country did unable to control extremist about the increasing influThe question is why do Brothpreachers at mosques who ence of the Muslim erhood MPs and their supportattack some Arab countries Brotherhood in Kuwait. They ers get angry about the frank and criticize its leaders, and are a stronger and better accuse the government of organized Islamic party in the and clear statements of Alcorruption because it did not area, also very influential and Khalfan? The answer is simple implement Shariah. So how financially stronger. They conand clear. It is because the man can this ministry call for centrol the state’s ministries and trism and moderation? establishments, particularly is trying to warn Kuwait and its Finally, it seems that the Awqaf, Justice and Education people of the impending danger Muslim Brotherhood in and their members are found of the increasing influence of Kuwait and the Gulf in generin all government departal has become arrogant after ments — only the foreign the Muslim Brotherhood. the brotherhood took over ministry was spared. But now power in Egypt, and morewith the reining in of the Arab nationalists, the Brotherhood and the tribes’ influence over, they are calling for a Gulf-Egyptian alliance that will strengthen the organisation’s control over the is on the increase.

The question is why do Brotherhood MPs and their region - and this is what Lt. General Dhahi Al-Khalfan supporters get angry about the frank and clear state- warned against.

Brotherhood MP Jamaan Al-Harbash called for a ments of Al-Khalfan? The answer is simple and clear. It is because the man is trying to warn Kuwait and its Gulf-Egyptian alliance and considered it a strategic people of the impending danger of the increasing necessity in the face of Iran’s expansionist moves in the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, especially after region. This strange since the Brotherhood call aims at taking over power in more than one Arab country, distancing the Gulf countries from their traditional allies in the US and the West, as well as the minority including Egypt, Tunisia and maybe Syria in the future.

Former MPs who belong to the Muslim Brotherhood Shiite party in the Gulf, particularly in Bahrain, Saudi attack Al-Khalfan because he uncovers their plans and Arabia, Kuwait and others. Joining such alliance is reveals their faults in front of the Gulf public in general demeaning to the Gulf regimes and this is what brother and the Kuwaiti people in particular. Lt Gen Al-Khalfan Dhahi Al-Khalfan warned against. — Al-Watan

W

kuwait digest

The opposition’s feeling of guilt

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij The government has not out rightly violated the here is no doubt that the opposition has managed to take control in leading public and political Constitution or principles of democracy since the movement. There is also no doubt that the opposi- Liberation. Whereas MPs have continuously violated tion is the best fit to lead, nor can they be considered as public freedoms. They even attempted to force the govthe true representatives of the public’s opinion. This ernment to limit freedoms by threatening to file grilling happens as a result of the ‘culture of opposition,’ a con- motions should TV stations and newspapers not be cept which gives national loyalty to any person who prosecuted for publishing a point of view that is different than theirs. Lawmakers stands against the governpushed the government to ment following years in which take arbitrary procedures to the government failed to The opposition, or the majoriprosecute people for opinions accord priority to general ty of lawmakers, have been forcthey expressed, or disallowing interest. ing the country to keep going people from entering Kuwait This hypothesis is that the based on allegations that they government engaged in misbackwards; especially after the have “views that are destrucconduct for years starting Liberation. Since then, MPs have tive to the state’s religious and from the rigging of 1967 elecbeen violating the Constitution, cultural values.” tions until the Liberation in Since Liberation, lawmakers 1991. Since then, the governrestricting public freedom and have been pushing for more ment is no longer the sole wasting public funds; not the limited personal freedoms and party guilty of committing government as they have been violation to other public rights violations and bringing on a that are originally protected by state of political instability, claiming for years. the Constitution. Even the meaning that this hypothesis basic right of women to run for is no longer applicable.

The opposition, or the majority of lawmakers, have Parliament and elect MPs could have never been been forcing the country to keep going backwards; enforced if it were not for strong governmental support especially after the Liberation. Since then, MPs have against the opposition’s resilient campaign. The governbeen violating the Constitution, restricting public free- ment has several commendable achievements in rejectdom and wasting public funds; not the government as ing constitutional violations, whereas MPs did nothing they have been claiming for years. I am not trying to say but violate the Constitution while claiming that they are that the government is completely innocent, but com- defending it. In fact, slogans such as ‘anything but the paring its performance with that of the opposition constitution’ through which the opposition claims to clearly shows that the latter has been responsible for protect the Constitution from “the government’s tamthe political, social and economic setbacks the country pering,” are motivated by a feeling of guilt, or attempts to cover the real perpetrator. — Al-Qabas suffered from in recent years.

T

kuwait digest

No clear case to unify public

By Dr Adel Al Ibrahim he opinions supporting or opposing the gathering at the Irada Square differ concerning the number of those who attended the gathering. Some call it a large gathering while others called it limited.

Some of the supporters of this gathering gave different excuses for the small numbers attending, including the heat and vacation period, though regardless of those views, what is ignored is that the main reason for the lack of attendance was that “there is no case on which the Kuwaiti public agrees”. Even members of the political groups have different opinions, with some in favor and some against.

For sure, rousing the feelings of the public does not require only leadership or idols, but requires a clear case for its demands, but the reality in the last gathering at the square was that the public did not clearly agree and what was discussed and talked about before and during the gathering indicated that there is no case to unify the public. Memory might take us back to the unprecedented huge gathering about one year ago, as there was a case agreed upon by the public and most sectors of society, to the extent that there was no opposing voices speaking up against that gathering.

The case about the millions deposited in some MPs’ accounts, even while the majority in the 2012 council was a minority in the 2009 council, but they were able through that case to bring together a noticeable gathering, and I say not support for themselves, but in support of the case under question, which is fighting corruption and protecting public funds.

Yes, it was a fatal case for the Kuwaiti public and the demands on the table were new, unlike anything in the history of Kuwait, as the demands called for the departure of His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad, the prime minister at that time, in addition to the departure of the NA council and a call for new elections.

Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammad took the side of the supreme state’s interest, so he tendered his resignation for his belief that you cannot impose someone without public acceptance. This was appreciated by His Highness the Amir as a response to the demands.

But what has happened in the most recent gathering and raised the demand ceiling by demanding an elected government, this is not a case agreed to by the majority of the Kuwaiti people, who do not support those demands.

Consider that this is an assault on the authority of His Highness the Amir, as specified in the constitution.

Besides raising up the demand ceiling by protesters, this does not mean at all that their voters support them in those demands. Because that is not their case, and this is a failure by itself, and when I point to this it does not mean that I am the opposite to the majority of 2012 council members and not a supporter of the government, but this is a reality which we should explain to the public, since we have an opinion about this.

A majority that does not consider the public’s opinion is not a majority. Accordingly, whatever is said about the last gathering at the well square, we first must confess that success for any gathering does not come from confusing attitudes and talking about certain parts of the sectors of Kuwait society and the ruling family. Rather, success comes from clear attitudes and a case agreed upon by the majority of society’s members, and then we shall find the well square and other squares filled by the public, and then even authority shall support them. So why arouse the Kuwaiti people with secondary cases which have no popular support? —Al-Anbaa

T

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

local

Cabinet holds weekly meeting KUWAIT: The Cabinet held its weekly meeting yesterday at Seif Palace under the chairmanship of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud AlJaber Al-Sabah, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Following the meeting, Minister of Information and Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak AlSabah gave a briefing of the meeting’s deliberations and outcome.

The minister said that the Cabinet began by reviewing the letters addressed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah by several world leaders.

Firstly, it reviewed a letter addressed to HH the Amir from President of Gambia Yahya Jammeh. The letter focused on the fruitful talks held between him and HH the Amir in Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the African Union Summit last month.

The Cabinet also was briefed on a letter addressed to HH from French President Francois Hollande. The letter included an invitation to HH the Amir to attend the opening ceremony of the new Islamic Arts pavilion at Louvre Museum on Sept 18.

HH the Amir accepted the invitation and would delegate HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to represent him in the ceremony.

Then, the ministers reviewed a letter written to HH the Amir from President of Senegal Macky Sall, who invited HH the Amir to attend the 21st Dakar International Exhibition on November 9.

The Cabinet reviewed a third letter addressed to HH the Amir from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, including an invitation to HH the Amir to attend a high level meeting on the Sahel region in the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of 67th session of

the UN General Assembly on September 26.

The ministers were also informed of a letter addressed to HH the Amir from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay.

In their letter to HH the Amir, the two senior UN officials lauded the positive steps taken by Kuwait to resolve the problem of illegal residents. They also expressed UN support to the relentless efforts exerted by Kuwaiti government to move towards closing this file, reiterating the UN readiness to provide Kuwait with all the necessary technical support to solve this issue.

The Cabinet then discussed the outcome of the recent visit of German Minister of Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle to Kuwait.

The Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah acquainted the Cabinet with the efforts undertaken by his ministry to upgrade the performance of Kuwaiti media.

He also briefed the Cabinet on the changes in the timetable of the planned launching of seven Kuwaiti HD channels.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr Ali Saad Al-Obeidi made a presentation on the Ministry’s plans to ameliorate medical care services, particularly the emergency and quick rescue sector.

The minister revealed plans to launch air ambulance service for medical evacuations and transfer of critical cases to medical centers outside the country.

The Cabinet instructed Dr Al-Obeidi to take all necessary measures to execute the development plans as soon as possible.

Finally, the Cabinet reviewed the political affairs in light of the reports related to the overall political developments at the Arab and international levels. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Opposition members at the meeting at MP Ali Al-Deqbasi’s dewaniya on Saturday night.

—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Opposition undecided on boycotting NA elections Media center in the offing KUWAIT: The opposition failed to reach an agreement on two key topics pertaining to their future direction, and on matters discussed during a meeting held at MP Ali Al-Deqbasi’s dewaniya on Saturday night. According to sources familiar with the meeting, members of the Majority Bloc, a coalition of opposition groups who dominated majority seats in the 2012 parliament, voiced different opinions with regard to the formation and working of the national Front for the Protection of the Constitution, as well as over the decision to boycott future elections if the Cabinet issued emergency decrees to change the electoral system; a step that can be taken if the Constitutional Court finds the current system unconstitutional.

“Some parties believe that the formation of

the National Front must not affect the positions of the Majority Bloc and the Nahj group, which has so far been successful in gaining public support compared to other political groups”, the sources told Al-Rai on Sunday.

“On the other hand, there are parties who see that all opposition groups should be represented equally in the National Front”.

The meeting also discussed the possibility of establishing a media center for the opposition that can be used to “reject blatant attacks against the Majority Bloc members” according to the sources. They further said that the center will play a comprehensive role by providing material to the Press, TV stations, as well as be active on Twitter. Regarding the opposition group’s resig-

nation from the 2009 Parliament, Majority Bloc member Adel Al-Damkhi said following the meeting that members were divided over forwarding written resignations “in order to make a statement”, or wait until the 2009 Parliament is dissolved. (Rai) In other news, Al-Anbaa daily reported yesterday that the Cabinet was set to discuss during their weekly meeting “a recommendation to establish a public authority for elections with exclusive powers to hold and oversee parliamentary elections”. The proposal was provided by a committee formed earlier by the Cabinet to draw up proposals for resolving issues in the current electoral system, such as the imbalance in the distribution of constituencies.

UN-HABITAT holds banquet in honor of Sheikha Amthal NAPLES: The United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) held here late Sunday a dinner banquet in honor of Kuwait’s Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who is participating in the Sixth Session of the World Urban Forum here. UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr Joan Clos welcomed the Kuwaiti official and heads of the GCC delega-

tions attending the forum to the dinner banquet and lauded their efforts in aiding the UN program. Clos namely thanked Sheikha Amthal, Chairperson of Kuwait’s Volunteer Center and Honorary President of the Consultative Committee of (HABITAT), for her efforts in supporting sustainable development on a global scale.

Organized jointly by UN-Habitat, the

Government of Italy, the Campania Region, and the City of Naples, the theme for this year’s forum is The Urban Future. Over 3,000 participants from 114 countries will take part in the premier conference on cities and urban issues. The forum’s focus on areas of discussion are: Urban Planning: Institutions and Regulations, including the improvement of Quality of Life; Equity and Prosperity: Distribution of Wealth and Opportunities; Productive Cities: Competitive and Innovative Cities and Urban Mobility, Energy and Environment.

In parallel with these main dialogue sessions, there will also be an additional 160 networking, side and training events and the World Urban Forum exhibition will showcase some of the world’s leading cities and innovations in urban development.

The exhibition, which will be open to delegates and the general public, is an opportunity to share experiences, best practices and innovative ways from all over the globe to improve cities.

The World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing problems facing the world today: rapid

Kuwait got $3.66 bn in losses last year KUWAIT: Chairman of the Public Authority for Assessment of Compensation for Damages Resulting from the Iraqi Invasion Khaled Al-Mudhaf announced here yesterday that the amount of compensation received in 2011 amounted to $3.66 billion, the highest throughout the authorityís work period.

Al-Mudhaf said in a speech on the occasion of the release of the authority’s annual report for 2011 that last year had been excellent in terms of continuation to receive compensation amounts transferred from the United Nations Compensations Fund to Kuwait.

He added that the Authority is still implementing its orientations for the current and future phases on the axis of continuing to receive and disburse approved compensation and the creation of a database of claims and related statistics to be a reference for researchers both locally and internationally.

He added that turning the authority’s paper archives of the Kuwaiti claims files to an electronic archive within the egovernment portal is another axis.—- KUNA

urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.

The Forum is one of the most open and inclusive gatherings of its kind on the international stage. It brings together participants from all over the world representing governments, academia, civil society and the private sector as partners working for better cities. Previous meetings were held in Nairobi, Kenya in 2002, Barcelona in 2004, Vancouver 2006, Nanjing in 2008 and Rio de Janeiro in 2010. —KUNA

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

LOCAL

Chinese woman in net for running vice den in Jabriya Auto thieves arrested in Jahra KUWAIT: Hawally detectives rearrested a woman who reportedly ran a prostitution ring inside a massage parlour in Jabriya. The Chinese woman, who was earlier arrested with five other compatriots, managed to escape after jumping out of a window at the Hawally Investigations Department.

She was eventually arrested by detectives in a private hospital where she was receiving treatment for broken bones and bruises suffered during her escape. The suspects rented a house owned by a Kuwaiti in Jabriya, and used it to provide massage services and in turn as a cover for the prostitution ring they ran, according to investigations.

Work mishap A construction worker was killed in Sulaibiyia after accidentally falling from a height, according to witnesses. The Pakistani man was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Coworkers told officers that the victim lost his balance and fell to his death

while working at the site where a factory was being constructed.

Investigations are under way.

Duo in custody Jahra police recently arrested two male suspects responsible for many car thefts reported around the governorate. The two stole cars by towing them, investigations revealed. The suspects, a Saudi Arabian and Bedouin, were caught on the sixth ring road when they were found directing a crane that was towing a pickup truck to the Amghara Scrap Yard.

The crane driver told officers who approached him that it was a stolen truck and that two men had hired him to tow the vehicle to the scrap yard. The two men, who were noticed driving their car close to the crane, were followed by police till Saad AlAbdullah, where they were arrested. They have been taken into custody to face charges.

Policemen arrested A First Lieutenant is currently

held at the Criminal Investigations Department while four other police officers are being interrogated in a case in which they are accused of attacking a Kuwaiti man and his son inside a house they raided in Abu Al-Hassaniya a few days ago, while under the influence of alcohol.

The attack reportedly happened when the suspects noticed a boy writing down the licence number of one of their cars stopped outside a house they were staying in. The 10-year-old boy was asked by his father to check some noises coming from a house nearby, while he called the police.

Fire suspects Two workers arrested at the scene of a recent fire in Amghara Scrap Yard, were released on Sunday after investigations cleared them of any involvement.

The Iranian men reportedly explained during the interrogation that they ran away from police because they thought they

might be suspected of being illegal residents. Meanwhile, detectives found that a jerry can they were holding during the time of the arrest contained water and not inflammable liquid, as initially suspected. They were eventually released after their Kuwaiti employer arrived and provided documents to prove that they have valid residence permits.

Onlooker dies A Jordanian man died at the Fahaheel Highway near Sabah AlSalem from natural causes, according to preliminary investigations.

The man was among a crowd of onlookers watching a car accident that had happened on the highway, when he suddenly collapsed and fell unconscious.

Paramedics who arrived shortly after being summoned by police handling the traffic accident pronounced him dead at the scene.

The body was taken to the forensic department. — Al-Rai, AlAnbaa, Al-Watan

North Korea marks 64th anniversary of its founding

K

im Jong Un, First Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army, published a work titled ‘Let Us Effect Kim Jong Il’s Patriotism and Step Up the Building of a Prosperous Country.’

Kim Jong Un in his work said that leader Kim Jong Il was a peerless patriot who performed undying exploits to be recorded in the history of the country for all ages.

Kim Jong Il warmly loved the country and the people more than anything else and devoted all his life to the prosperity of the country and happiness of the people, he added. Kim Jong Il’s long journey of patriotic devotion undergoing arduous ordeals helped face-lift the country and laid the eternal foundation for a thriving nation.

His warm love for the socialist motherland and people and self-sacrificing devotion to the prosperity of the country and people’s happiness are derived from his absolute trust in his own people and steadfast confidence

in justice of the socialist system and victory of socialism. His warm love and devotion are also prompted by his noble awareness and sense of mission that he was responsible for the destiny of the country and people whom President Kim Il Sung entrusted to him.

Patriotism that he had displayed is the noblest one which can be called after him only in the light of its essence and its tremendous vitality.

This patriotism constitutes the height of socialist patriotism. Kim Jong Il’s patriotism is the warmest love for our socialist motherland and people and the most energetic and self-sacrificing devotion to the prosperity of the country and people’s happiness. It is genuine patriotism as he loved every tree and every blade of grass of the country.

Kim Jong Il’s patriotism is based on the noble outlook on the country, people and posterity. This patriotism is the precious mental legacy and practical example he left to the Korean people. All the officials, party members and other working people should actively learn from noble patriotism of Kim

Jong Il and embody it into practice just as it is. They should faithfully carry forward and complete all the work Kim Jong Il had planned and tried to realize in his lifetime in order to materialize his idea and wishes in this land. The greatest patriotism lies in defending the country. All the people should attach importance to the military affairs, sincerely learn them and devote their patriotism to the sacred war for defending the country if the enemy provokes.

Everyone should bravely turn out in the just struggle to achieve national reunification true to the noble patriotic idea of Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Un in the work set forth the tasks for party and working people’s organizations and all the state-run bodies and social organizations to fulfill their responsibility and role in the work for learning from Kim Jong Il’s patriotism and embodying it.

The country will emerge as a thriving socialist nation when the hot wind of learning from Kim Jong Il’s patriotism prevails in the country and all the people fully embody it into practice, he stressed.

KUWAIT: Pathetic condition of the Institute of Musical Studies building.

Music institute building in pathetic condition

By Mahmoud Abdul-Raheem KUWAIT: The abandoned and uninhabited building of the Institute of Musical Studies situated in Qibla, outskirt of Kuwait City, is suffering from years of neglect. The rundown and dilapidated building needs to refurbished, being a shining example of national heritage.

Mahmoud Zakaria Abdul-Raheem, a researcher in heritage, has urged Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to intervene.

She had previously commissioned the creative and impressive restoration of Mubarakia heritage markets.

He urged authorities to pay attention to this historic building by restoring the building to its old glory and ensure its safety. Founded in 1968, through the concerted efforts of late Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah, Saadoun Jasim, then undersecretary of the Ministry of Information, Kuwaiti musician Ahmad Baqer, the build-

ing consists of two floors and several rooms, with doors and windows reflecting a unique aesthetic style. Following its restoration and maintenance, a security guard should be appointed to keep a watch over the premises. It has been noticed that some of the doors have been opened several times, day and night, supposedly by those involved in illegal activities. They have exploited the building over the years. What is more dangerous is the fact that the building face the threat of a complete collapse.

Its foundations has eroded resulting from construction work of a modern tower in front of it. Construction materials that are too heavy have been stored on its side walls. This practice may cause cracks and fissures in the walls.

In addition, drilling operations continue, further damaging the building and deep excavation processed to install pipes is being done directly.

Boubyan Bank honors Ramadan volunteers KUWAIT: The Boubyan Bank felicitated a number of its staff members who took part in social activities that the bank organized during the holy month of Ramadan, including a Girgian party held for children with special needs.

The event was held at the bank’s head office, featuring General Manager of Administrative Affairs Group, Waleed Al-Yaqout, General Manager of Human Resources Group, Adel Al-Hammad, and other Boubyan Bank officials.

Boubyan Bank, Kuwait’s fastest growing bank, was the only institution in the banking field that organized more than ten celebrations within two weeks with several civil society organizations. — Al-Qabas

Co-ops union against egg price hike

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Red Crescent Society recently distributed food to around 200 Syrian families living in refugee camps in Jarash, Jordan. The operation was overseen by Kuwait’s ambassador to Jordan, Dr Hamad Al-Duaij. Leader of the KRCS field team, Nabeel Buftain, said that each family received enough food to meet their needs for a month.

KUWAIT: President of Co-operative Societies Union Abdelaziz Al-Samhan said the union will not accept a possible decision to increase prices by egg producing companies or other companies in general, which will be at the expense of the consumer.

He said the union and co-operatives have alternative plans in case some companies insist on hiking their prices, including direct import of eggs from neighboring and European countries, provided the produce match the quality of what is produced locally, or is even better.

Al-Samhan denied that the eggs producing companies had informed the cooperatives’ union about their intention to raise prices during September. He also said when the union faced such situa-

tions in the past, with produce such as eggs or frozen chicken, dates and others, they resorted to a direct import, while maintaining quality and reasonable prices.

He said the union will study the situation and hold meetings with the egg producing companies to discuss the problem and their reasons for planning to hike prices. “We will urge the government to take precautionary measures to face any such crises, otherwise we will import, with societies preparing to cancel the profit margin and bear import costs until the crisis is over.”

He said we will accept lower prices in neighboring countries than what we have and our responsibility is to protect consumers from the greed of some merchants.

GCC asserts need to support Syrian people RIYADH: The GCC foreign ministers on Sunday called for providing all types of support for the Syrian people and exerted possible effort to stop bloodletting. The foreign ministers, at the conclusion of their one-day meeting in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, asserted importance of providing urgent humanitarian aid for the needy Syrian people. They said it was of high importance to have a peaceful transition in Syria, which would preserve the country’s security, stability and unity as well as honor the aspirations of the Syrian people.

In a communique, they thanked former UNArab League special representative to Syria Kofi Annan for his endeavors, and welcomed appointment of his successor, Algerian veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi. — KUNA

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Unification Church founder dies at 92

Blackened by coal row, Indian govt tries to clean up Page 11

Page 8

BEYTUSSEBAP: Kurds are blocked by Turkish soldiers as they demonstrate in Beytussebap, about 40 kms from the Iraqi border yesterday. Kurdish rebels wielding rocket launchers and machine-guns attacked a security complex in Beytussebap, triggering a firefight that left 30 people dead. —AFP

30 killed as Turkish forces, PKK clash News

in brief

100 cattle thieves killed ANTANANARIVO: Madagascan villagers have killed more than 100 cattle thieves in separate attacks in four areas in the south of the island plagued by unrest over rustling, the gendarmerie said yesterday.

Authorities have stepped up security in the area to prevent any possible reprisal attacks by the thieves, who are known as dahalos, after 67 were killed in four villages on Friday night. “Security forces have been dispatched to deal with a possible revenge (attack) by the dahalos,” Lieutenant Colonel Tahina Rakotomalala, head of operations of the country’s gendarmerie said. Twelve villagers were also injured in the attacks and 98 out of 100 stolen zebu, the local breed of cattle, were recovered, Rakotomalala said.

The violence comes after authorities on Sunday said that nine people-two gendarmes, one policeman and six thieves-were killed in the southern Ihaborano region of the island. Theft of the humped cattle-a prized breed in parts of southern Madagascar-has surged and grown more violent in recent years.

India parliament passes sexual harassment bill NEW DELHI: India’s parliament, which has been deadlocked for days due to opposition protests yesterday used a brief break in the uproar to pass legislation protecting women from sexual harassment at work. The lower house passed the bill before business was again abandoned for the day as lawmakers from the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shouted, stood in the well of the assembly and waved their papers. Women’s rights activists say sexual harassment is a rampant problem in India, where an increasing number of women are joining the workforce. The legislation, which must still be passed by the upper house before becoming law, specifically includes protection for female domestic staff, one of the most vulnerable work groups in India. “I am glad that they cleared this crucial bill. Women have a right to feel safe wherever they are,” said Raghavi Behl, a professor of women’s studies at Delhi University. The anti-harassment bill, which improves women’s rights to take legal action against abuse at work, also means that all workplaces must have a formal complaints system for sexual harassment allegations.

Typhoon kills 48 SEOUL: A strong typhoon which hit North Korea last week killed 48 people and left more than 50 injured or missing, the country’s state news agency said yesterday. Typhoon Bolaven pounded the Korean peninsula last Tuesday, leaving a trail of death and damage in the two Koreas. In addition to the casualties, 21,180 people were left homeless by the storm, which destroyed or inundated 6,700 houses, toppled more than 16,730 trees and disabled 880 industrial and public buildings, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said. Bolaven also damaged at least 50,000 hectares of farmland, ravaging crops in 45,320 hectares of paddy and non-paddy fields, it said. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the death toll or damage estimates.

Attacks leave 10 soldiers dead DIYARBAKIR: Kurdish rebels wielding rocket launchers and machine-guns attacked a security base in southeast Turkey, triggering a firefight that left 30 people dead, local officials said yesterday. Ten soldiers were killed and seven wounded in the attack in the province of Sirnak, the local government said, while other sources said about 20 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were also killed.

Provincial governor Vahdettin Ozkan said the militants had attacked the security complex at Beytussebap, which lies about 40 kilometers from the Iraqi border, late Sunday. Police and soldiers returned fire, triggering some of the deadliest clashes with the rebels seen in months. “The fight against terrorism will continue in all its aspects,” Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said in televised remarks.

Last month, 10 people including civilians were killed in a car

bomb attack blamed on the separatist Kurds in the southeastern city of Gaziantep which caused national outrage. The government had launched a large-scale military offensive against the PKK on July 23 that it said early last month had killed a total of 115 Kurdish rebels. In one of the deadliest recent single incidents, fighting in June between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish rebels killed 28 people after an attack by PKK members on an army post near the Iraqi border. In another incident in the southeast late Sunday, clashes erupted when rebels refused to heed police calls to stop at a checkpoint on a highway in the province of Sanliurfa and instead shot at police, NTV television reported. Three members of the security forces and one civilian were wounded, along with one Kurdish rebel in the fighting in the province which borders Syria, according to the private television station. Rebels in the vehicle attempted to flee the scene

but were blocked by security forces, and one left the car and blew himself up, NTV said. It said police had received tip-offs that Kurdish suicide bombers had infiltrated from neighboring Syria for attacks inside Turkey. The PKK has stepped up its assaults against Turkish security forces in recent months, with Turkish officials and the local media linking the surge to the brutal conflict raging in neighboring Syria. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened military intervention if the Kurdish rebels set up bases in Syria. Some government officials believe that Damascus-once backed by Ankara-is helping the PKK in retaliation for Turkey’s support for rebels fighting President Bashar Al-Assad. The PKK, considered a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, took up arms in Kurdish-majority southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 45,000 lives.— AFP

‘Urgent need’ for Syria no-fly zone ALEPPO: Veteran war surgeon Jacques Beres has his own compelling reasons for urging that a no-fly zone be imposed over Syria one bomb dropped by the regime leaves more wounded than doctors can fix in a day.

Working under cover in the northern city of Aleppo, which has been pounded for weeks as President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces seek to overrun rebel bastions, Beres insists the death toll in the Syrian conflict is higher that what is reported. “At least 50,000 people have been killed without counting the disappeared,” Beres, a French surgeon who daily patches up dozens of people in a hospital near the front lines of Aleppo said in an interview.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists on the ground across Syria, has given a latest toll of at least 26,283 people killed in Syria since the revolt began in March last year — 18,695 civilians, 1,079 defectors and 6,509 troops.

But Beres said watchdogs such as the Britainbased Observatory are unable to paint a full

picture of the losses because many deaths are documented “only with ink and paper.” “I am sure that the dead that I have here are not tallied in London,” said Beres. In the past two weeks, he said, he has treated a daily average of 20 to 45 wounded people, the majority of them fighters with the opposition Free Syria Army, including “quite a few jihadists.”

Fatalities in rebel ranks range between two and six each day, he said. But those are just the figures collected in one small hospital within a massive commercial city which is now almost evenly divided between rebel and army-controlled areas. Many gray zones lie between both camps and the security situation remains fluid: shops open and pedestrian traffic has resumed in some neighborhoods while tank shells and mortar hit others.

“It is shameful that a no-fly zone hasn’t been set up,” said the co-founder of Doctors Without Borders, setting aside a cup of tea to review X-rays and offer a Syrian colleague advice on how best to dislodge a bullet from a man’s leg.

“It is an incredible massacre. Even if now it is a civil war, it is a very asymmetric conflict: light weapons against tanks and aerial bombardment,” said Beres, whose experience on the field covers almost every major war from Vietnam in the sixties to Libya last year. “All this because they asked for a little bit of freedom and said that they had enough of Bashar.” This is the third humanitarian mission that Beres has undertaken to Syria this year, backed variously by organizations such as France Syrie Democracie, UAM93, Doctors Without Borders, and AAVS (Association d’aide aux victimes en Syrie).—AFP

AL-BAB: Syrian civilians clear loose debris from a destroyed residential building following an air strike by the Syrian army in the northern province of Aleppo yesterday. — AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

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

Israeli ‘skunk’ fouls West Bank protests NABI SALEH: Imagine taking a chunk of rotting corpse from a stagnant sewer, placing it in a blender and spraying the filthy liquid in your face. Your gag reflex goes off the charts and you can’t escape, because the nauseating stench persists for days. This is “skunk”, a fearsome but nonlethal tool in Israel’s arsenal of weapons for crowd control. It comes in armored tanker trucks fitted with a cannon that can spray a jet of stinking fluid over crowds who know how to cope with plain old tear gas. While the army calls skunk an attempt to minimize casualties, rights groups dismiss it as a fig-leaf for the use of deadlier force against protesters in the occupied West Bank. For although recent years have been among the quietest of the 45-yearold occupation, Israel has been unable to stop an epidemic of local grassroots demonstrations that often turn into clashes. Skunk is certainly a repellent, but not a complete deterrent. The protesters are fouled but not foiled. On a Friday in the West Bank’s rugged hills, battle lines are drawn for another day of protest.

Gangly Palestinian youths in jeans are ready to let fly stones from homemade slings at Israeli soldiers down the main road of Nabi Saleh village, whose residents demand access to a local spring seized by Israeli settlers. The soldiers form a phalanx around their curious weapon of war. “We run away fast when it comes at us, but we don’t quit,” said a local boy clutching a rock, his dark eyes framed by the oval opening of a black tshirt wrapped around his face. “ They think they’re pretty smart for inventing it, but they still move on to the tear gas,

bullets, and breaking into our homes, just the same as usual,” he said. The skunk truck makes its charge, scattering the youths up into the town, where the armed Israelis follow.

Palestinians call it simply “shit.” “How can you describe this stuff?” said Muad Tamimi, whose gas station on the front line of Nabi Saleh’s standoffs is often bathed in it. “It’s beyond foul water, like a dead body and rotting food together, which no soap or perfume can take off I’m hit with it and nobody goes near me for days.” Developed by a private Israeli company and first deployed by the army in 2008, skunk is an organic brew of baking powder, yeast, and some ingredients kept secret. It is harmless to health and designed to reduce casualties, the Israelis say. “Every attempt is made to minimize the risk of casualties among the rioters, as well as minimizing the risk towards security forces,” the army said.

A skunk truck was spotted recently at a base high in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, ready to repel any assault on the fence along the disengagement line between Israel and Syria. A rush by Palestinians from Syria caught Israeli troops by surprise last year and they opened fire, killing a dozen people.

Withering Israeli military incursions into West Bank towns have become as much a memory as Palestinian suicide bombings in Israeli cities in recent years. But local protests have continued against land lost to Israel’s separation barrier and Israeli settlements on land seized in a 1967 war.

Seventeen Palestinians have been killed in protests since 2004, according to Israeli

human rights organization B’ Tselem.

Scores have been wounded.

The demonstrations play out to a predictable choreography. Many of the young protesters and Israeli soldiers have even come to know each other by name. They use the knowledge mostly to sharpen the taunts they trade about each others’ mothers. Each village has its own script. In Bil’in, where a court petition by locals reclaimed a portion of the village land from the wall, the fetid stream of skunk now sails at protesters from behind its concrete ramparts.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish settlers in black garb and curls watch the spectacle from atop their settlement homes. For the army, skunk, and a less-used, focused noise beam called “scream”, are proof of defense minister’s Ehud Barak’s claim that Israel’s is “the most moral army in the world”, pioneering non-lethal weapons.

“We don’t have any intention of harming these civilians,” said the army’s spokesperson Avital Leibovich. “However, the number of security personnel injured in these riots is actually increasing.”

Rights groups question the army’s motives, dismissing the rhetoric and the inventions as a public relations ploy to conceal the harsh means used in what they say is a campaign to stamp out legitimate opposition to the occupation. “Given the exaggerated, unlawful, and dangerous use of tear gas and bullets, we doubt the army’s characterization of these events,” said Sarit Michaeli of B’Tselem. Military “Order No 101,” issued the same year Israel seized the West Bank, required political gatherings of more than 10 people to

MIGRON: Israeli police officers evacuate a Jewish settler from the roof of a structure in the unauthorized West Bank Jewish settlement of Migron.

Israel completed evacuation of Migron, culminating years of legal wrangling in a case that has become a rallying cry for hardline settler groups opposed to any withdrawal from occupied land claimed by the Palestinians.—AP obtain an Israeli permit. It is used to prosecute organizers and proscribe protests before a stone is even thrown.

The legal leeway on the IDF’s actions, and its ability to bar and detain activists, are reinforced by the declaration of weekly protest sites as “closed military zones.”

“The target is the right to protest, and not much attention is paid to what they’re protesting about: the violation of their

rights and the taking over of their land and livelihoods,” Michaeli said. Better for the Israelis than using any degree of force would be talks that lead to Palestinian statehood, Palestinians say. “They should look to granting us our rights, negotiating with us, and paving the way for two states for two peoples,” said Shaher Arouri, a lawyer from the Al-Haq rights organization.—Reuters

Yemen warplane misses target, kills 10 civilians SANAA: Ten civilians including a 10year-old girl were killed in a Yemeni government air strike that had apparently missed its intended target, a car carrying Islamist militants, tribal officials and residents there said yesterday. The missile attack in a mountainous area in the centre of the country on Sunday prompted angry protests by relatives of the victims, residents said. The impoverished Arabian Peninsula state has become a key battleground for the United States in its war against Al-Qaeda militancy. The country has been in turmoil since an uprising against veteran ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh began in January last year. Saleh stepped down in February but militants managed to strengthen their foothold in remote regions during the unrest.

Officials initially said a US drone had killed five people in the attack on Sunday evening. But residents said yesterday a Yemeni warplane had hit a car, killing 10 people, including a 40-year-old woman and her 10-year-old daughter. “It seems Yemeni warplanes missed the vehicle

carrying the suspected militants and instead hit one carrying civilians, who were killed while four were injured,” an official from a clan in the mountainous Radaa region said. “The car that carried the Al-Qaeda militants happened to pass in the same place where the civilian car was,” he added.

Families of the victims marched on Sunday evening in protest against the deaths, a witness told Reuters. The incident could fuel already growing resentment over a US-Yemeni campaign against militants that has often claimed civilian lives. “There will be a meeting today with the heads of the tribes and government official. People are angry and want this to stop,” another tribal official said. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is based in Yemen. It has mounted operations in neighboring Saudi Arabia and tried to launch attacks against the United States. Washington, which fears the spread of Islamist militancy in Yemen, has stepped up drone attacks this year in response.— Reuters

GAPYEONG: Picture shows a general view of a gymnasium where an altar for the late Unification Church leader Sun Myung Moon (inset) will be set up in the church’s estate in Gapyeong east of Seoul. — AFP

Unification Church founder dies at 92 Moon leaves vast religious organization, business empire

BILAD AL-QADEEM, Bahrain: A Bahraini anti-government protester shouts at riot police on Sunday when an overwhelming police presence prevented a march in support of jailed opposition political leaders and human rights activists. Verdicts are expected today for numerous jailed leaders, medical workers and activists. — AP

GAPYEONG: Sun Myung Moon, a self-declared messiah who founded the controversial Unification Church which has millions of followers around the globe, died yesterday leaving a vast business empire and a legacy of mass weddings. Church officials said Moon, 92, who had suffered complications from pneumonia, was taken to hospital in Seoul in mid-August and was moved to a hospital in a rural retreat last week when his family believed there was little chance of recovery.

His body was lying in a vast building resembling the White House at the retreat in rugged hills about an hour outside the South Korean capital of Seoul. The funeral will be on Sept 15, after which he will be buried at the retreat. Moon had led an active public life until recently, officiating a mass wedding for 2,500 in March and leading a service of more than 15,000 followers in July. Critics have for years vilified the church as a heretical and dangerous cult and questioned

its murky finances and how it indoctrinates followers, described in derogatory terms as “Moonies.”

Moon is survived by his wife the pair are called “true parents” by followers - and 10 of their 13 children. Religious experts say Moon will remain at the centre of the church, keeping it together despite signs of previously unimaginable fissure among his sons, according to a creed that had been prepared since a helicopter crash four years ago that nearly killed Moon and his wife. Born in what is now North Korea in 1920, Moon founded the church soon after the Korean War that ended in 1953, rapidly expanding the ministry internationally and building a business at the same time that served as the backbone of the empire.

The Unification Church runs the Segye Times newspaper in South Korea and more than a dozen other firms along with overseas businesses, including the conservative Washington Times. “The Unification Church will continue to be in good

shape even after Sun Myung Moon’s death,” said Tark Ji-il, who teaches church history at the Busan Presbyterian University. “ The Unification Church is not simply a religious organization, but is a commercial organization built on religious conviction.”

Moon’s farming parents followed the Presbyterian Church, a branch of Protestant Christianity.

When he was 15, he said, he met Jesus, who appeared to him as he prayed in the hills and asked him to take on the work of building God’s kingdom on Earth. Moon refused twice, according to a biography by Mike Breen, former journalist for the Washington Times. “Jesus asked him a third time. ‘There is no one else who can do this work.’ ... From the comfort of his youthful ideals, he peered over the abyss of the difficulties that would lie ahead and decided. ‘I will do it,’ he promised.”

Moon had handed over day-today operations of the church, which has its headquarters in Seoul, to one of his sons and the

management of the Tongil Group with interests in construction, resorts, travel agencies and the newspaper to another son. Church officials and followers alike rejected the idea that the man who proclaimed himself a messiah would be reincarnated.

“The church teaches us, dust to dust, and it’s the soul that goes to heaven, and so is the law, the truth and order of things, which is why all humans come and go,” said Lee Sang-bo, a life-long follower of the church who said he was married at a mass wedding in 1982. “And a messiah is no exception.” Moon was known as a strident anti-communist and visited North Korea in 1991 to meet the reclusive state’s founder, Kim Il-sung, to discuss business ventures and unification, a visit condemned by South Korea which remains technically at war with the North. He also courted controversy in his business life and served prison term in New York after a 1982 conviction on tax evasion charges.—Reuters

Bombings, clashes as Syria opposition seeks arms DAMASCUS: A deadly car bomb tore through a mainly Christian Damascus suburb yesterday while Syrian warplanes pounded Aleppo province, killing dozens of people, as the opposition pleaded for arms and intervention.

The violence came as the chief of the Red Cross headed to Damascus on a humanitarian mission, his office said, and new UN-Arab League peace envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi admitted his task is “nearly impossible”. The high-profile visits come as violence escalates in Syrian flashpoints and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported more than 5,000 people, mainly civilians, were killed in August alone.

A government air strike on a home in the heart of Aleppo killed an entire family, including seven children, witnesses told an AFP correspondent in Syria’s second city. The bodies of the children were laid out under fly-ridden blankets in the back of a yellow pick-up truck outside the northern city’s main hospital

before a hurried funeral, the correspondent reported. “This is all one family,” said tailor Hassan Dalati, who survived the raid on AlSultan street in the city of 2.7 million people. A fighter jet also struck in the nearby town of AlBab, killing at least 10 men, six women and two children, with more unaccounted for beneath the rubble of levelled homes, said the Observatory.

The pre-dawn raid on a building being used as a shelter followed repeated overflights by military aircraft during the night, residents said. “We were sleeping at home when the first bomb struck. I made a run for the door when a second blast buried me,” said a barely conscious survivor, peppered with shrapnel from head to foot. The army also pounded several districts of Aleppo city, the Observatory said, more than six weeks after the start of what Assad’s regime warned would be “the mother of all battles” in the commercial hub.

The Observatory gave a preliminary toll of 84 people - 41 civilians, 26 soldiers and 17 rebel fighters - killed yesterday in Syria after 132 people were killed the previous day. The watchdog, which has a network of activists on the ground, also reported that a car bomb ripped through the mainly Christian and Druze suburb of Jaramana yesterday killing at least five people. Another 27 people were injured in the blast, it said, adding that the attack struck the area of Al-Wehdeh on the edges of Jaramana. The southeastern suburb was previously hit by a car bomb on Aug 28, when at least 27 people attending a funeral for two supporters of the Damascus regime were killed. “There is an increase of the use of car bombs in Syria,” the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. In Madrid, the main opposition Syrian National Council appealed to the international community for weapons and urgent military intervention to defend civilians from such

bombardments. “We need a humanitarian intervention and we are asking for military intervention for the Syrian civilians,” SNC chairman Abdel Basset Sayda said after meeting Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel GarciaMargallo. “I have the duty of asking for weapons that will allow us to defend against the Syrian armour and weapons that are killing civilians all the time,” he told a joint news conference.

Sayda said the Syrian conflict had now killed 30,000 people and forced millions from their homes, including more than three million internal refugees and 250,000 who had fled the country. Another 100,000 had been detained. The plight of refugees is expected to be among the top priorities of Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross who was travelling to Damascus yesterday for a three-day visit.

Maurer would “discuss pressing humanitarian issues” during meetings on Tuesday with

President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and other ministers, the ICRC said in a statement. “At a time when more and more civilians are being exposed to extreme violence, it is of the utmost importance that we and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent succeed in significantly scaling up our humanitarian response,” Maurer was quoted as saying.

Jihad Makdissi, a spokesman for Assad’s embattled government, announced late Sunday that newly appointed peace envoy Brahimi would “soon” travel to Damascus, expressing confidence “he will listen to us.” He gave no idea of when the visit would begin.

Brahimi however gave a deeply pessimistic view of the task ahead of him, in an interview with the BBC. “I know how difficult it is - how nearly impossible. I can’t say impossible - (it is) nearly impossible,” he said. He said he was “scared of the weight of responsibility. People are already saying people are dying and what are you doing?”—AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

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

As Isaac pushes north, Gulf Coast slowly recovers NEW ORLEANS: As the remnants of Hurricane Isaac pushed their way up the Mississippi valley on Saturday, spinning off severe thunderstorms and at least four tornadoes, some on the Gulf Coast were impatient with the pace of restoring power days after the storm dragged through the region. While New Orleans streets were bustling again and workers were returning to offshore oil rigs, thousands of evacuees couldn’t return home to flooded low-lying areas of Louisiana and more than 400,000 sweltering electricity customers in the state remained without power.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service said two tornadoes touched down in rural areas of north-central Illinois and at least two touched down in rural southeast Missouri. There were no reports of damage in Illinois, and Missouri officials said some power lines caught on fire. By midday Saturday, the storm had dumped up to 5 inches of rain in parts of Illinois. And the National Weather Service said it was bringing more rain and some drought relief to

parts of the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys.

In Louisiana, the number without power was down from more than 900,000. However, in heavily populated Jefferson Parish near New Orleans, parish president John Young said Entergy Corp. was too slow in restoring electricity. “I don’t see boots on the ground,” said Young, who complained that he has seen repair trucks sitting idle in a staging area and fielded calls from residents and business owners complaining about a lack of progress.

“We’ve restored about 45 percent of our customers in about a day and a half, Entergy spokesman Chanel Lagarde said Saturday. He added that crews have come in from 24 states. “In many situations, crews have driven all day and have worked their 16-hour day and have to rest for the day.”

As of Saturday night, the company was reporting about 270,000 outages, most in Jefferson and Orleans parishes.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said he too was eager to get power back on.

“Like everybody else, my patience is wearing thin,” he said. On Saturday afternoon, St Tammany Parish officials ordered a mandatory evacuation of areas south of the Pearl River diversion canal, for fear a lock on a canal will fail.

Parish authorities said the order could affect anywhere from several hundred to 2,000 residents in the rural area north of Slidell, which is across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans.

The US Army Corps of Engineers operates the lock. Parish spokeswoman Suzanne Parsons Stymiest said the parish got permission from the corps to relieve pressure on the structure by opening a valve that will allow a controlled flow of water through it. Parts of coastal Plaquemines Parish, where thousands were evacuated, remained under water. The National Weather Service has said Isaac dumped anywhere from 10 to 20 inches of rain on south Louisiana and south Mississippi.

In the water-logged town of Lafitte, Mayor Tim Kerner was allowing property owners and residents to return and

Young Democrats try to rekindle 2008 fire Bleak economy, unemployment weigh on Obama CHARLOTTE: Young Democrats have hailed Barack Obama’s record ahead of the party’s convention, vowing the president will again galvanize young voters despite the bleak economic backdrop. “President Obama has been extremely committed to young people since the first day that he took office,” Rod Snyder, head of the Young Democrats of America, said in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the three-day convention will officially kick off today.

Praising the president for extending college grants, Snyder said that under Obama’s health care reform, young people can stay on their parent’s medical insurance plan until aged 26.

“One of the top issues in 2008 was the war in Iraq. That’s one of the reasons why many young people sup-

ported Barack Obama from the beginning. He brought that war to a responsible end,” he added.

Alejandra Salinas, president of the College Democrats of America, recalled that Obama had vowed during the 2008 campaign to become an advocate for youths in the White House. “He has proven that every day,” she said. Four years ago, 66 percent of people under 30 voted for Obama over his Republican foe John McCain, according to exit polls.

Channeling a message of hope and change, the youthful candidate inspired large crowds on campuses all across the country.

But youngsters who helped make Obama president have grown up in an economy still suffering from the recession, struggling to find work and moving back in with their par-

COLOMBO: Supporters reaches out to shake President Barack Obama’s hand during a campaign event at University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder, Colo. — AP

ents. According to official figures, more than 17 percent of Americans aged 16 to 24 are currently unemployed. Within the same age group, unemployment in the black community stands at 29 percent. Research

by Generation Opportunity, a nonpartisan group working with Americans aged 18 to 29, shows the depth of pain among America’s youth. Eighty-nine percent of young people said the economy was having an impact in their daily lives, and many had cut the amount of money they spent on entertainment, vacations and groceries. Seventeen percent had put off a lifetime moment like a wedding or family reunion.

As Obama’s hair has turned gray during his time in the Oval Office, recent surveys suggest his support among young people is slipping. A CNN poll had him down 10 points compared to four years ago, but still leading his new Republican rival Mitt Romney by 56 to 37 percent.

“Looking at the polling and the data coming out, Barack Obama still has a sizable lead among voters under the age of 30,” Snyder said, stressing that the Republicans failed to give young voters an alternative at their convention last week in Tampa, Florida.

“There was not a single new idea that came out of Paul Ryan’s and Mitt Romney’s speech to address youth issues.”

The Democrats will try to reignite the “Yes, We Can” enthusiasm of Obama’s last presidential bid at the convention, organizing a host of events to get young people involved.

“We engaged young people across the country in this historic event like never before,” said Tori Taylor, youth engagement coordinator of the Democratic National Convention Committee. — AFP

Texas pilot killed in Iowa air show crash DALLAS: Glenn Smith left a lucrative job at a Dallasarea technology firm for an early retirement of restoring Soviet fighter jets and flying to exhibitions across the country. He died Saturday when his nearly 30-year-old training plane nosedived during an air show in eastern Iowa and crashed into a field, authorities said.

Spectators watched the 59-year-old Smith’s plane erupt into flames, followed by a cloud of gray smoke. Nobody on the ground was hurt.

Smith had been flying in formation with other members of the HopperFlight team at the Quad City Air Show in Davenport. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Senior air safety investigator Aaron Sauer said Sunday that a preliminary report on the crash is expected within a week, but a final

report will likely take several months. He said inspectors would examine the few remaining pieces of the plane, as well as Smith’s autopsy and toxicology reports. Smith did not make a mayday call or suggest any sign of distress before the crash, according to Sauer and Randy Ball, a good friend of Smith’s.

Ball said Smith was a meticulous flier who would map every step of a flight plan beforehand. “They practiced the day before and everything went fine,” Ball said.

Smith was a longtime technology entrepreneur whose company was acquired by Tyler Technologies, a Dallasbased company that develops software for local schools and government clients, in 1998. He remained an executive at Tyler until 2006, the company said in a statement. After retirement, Smith focused on collecting and flying vintage planes. He kept two rare Soviet MiG-17 fighter jets at the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum in Tyler, about 90 miles east of Dallas, museum president Carolyn Verver said.

Ball, who also owns a MiG-17, said he spent countless hours working on planes with Smith. Smith loved to preserve planes so others could see and appreciate them, Ball said. “Those guys are literally using their own money to save a part of history and share that history with everybody else,” he said. Smith was also the newest member of the “Hoppers,” according to the team’s website. The Hoppers are a group of pilots who privately maintain and fly L-39 fighter jets at air shows and other exhibitions. The L-39 Smith flew Saturday was made by a company in the former Czechoslovakia in 1984, according to a Federal Aviation Administration registry. “He kept it absolutely immaculate,” Ball said. Part of the Hoppers’ mission is to introduce American audiences to planes produced and used by the country’s former enemies, according to the website. “It is important for people to remember and for young kids to learn, so that history does not repeat itself,” the website said. According to the HopperFlight site, Smith had been a pilot for a quarter-century and has a commercial pilot’s license with an additional instrument rating certification. Details about Smith’s flight history from the FAA were not immediately available Sunday. A squadron of planes flew over the crash site Sunday in the “missing man” formation before the air show continued. — AP

begin cleaning up. Meanwhile, Gulf of Mexico oil platforms were being repopulated after Isaac forced shutdown of most Gulf oil production. People stuck inside stuffy, powerless homes were comparatively lucky.

The Louisiana governor’s office said more than 4,000 were in state, local or Red Cross shelters as of Saturday morning and that doesn’t count others who took refuge with friends, family or in hotels. LaPlace resident Roshonda Girrad was staying in a state-run shelter in Alexandria, 200 miles from her home.

She was waiting for the chest-deep waters in her neighborhood to recede.

“The showers are horrible. The food is horrible,” Girrad said.

“I’m not from around here. I don’t know what’s going on. We’re in the dark.” Isaac dumped as much as 16 inches of rain in some spots, and about 500 people had to be rescued by boat or high-water vehicles. In New Orleans, most of the downtown area and the French Quarter had power again Saturday. The annual Southern

Decadence festival, a celebration of gay culture, was underway. And the Superdome, which sustained minor damage, hosted a Saturday night football game between Tulane and Rutgers.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney visited flood-ravaged communities on Friday, and President Barack Obama said he would arrive Monday - appearances this part of the country is all too familiar with after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

To the east, officials pumped and released water from a reservoir, easing the pressure behind an Isaac-stressed dam in Mississippi on the Louisiana border. The threat for the earthen dam on Lake Tangipahoa prompted evacuations in small towns and rural areas.

Crews intentionally breached a levee that was strained by Isaac’s floodwaters in southeast Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish, which is outside the federal levee system. Parish President Billy Nungesser said the work was slowgoing. — AP

Mormons praise Romney for spotlighting the faith WOLFEBORO: Republican Mitt Romney, the first Mormon presidential nominee of a major political party, sat in the Wolfeboro Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday as, one by one, members of his congregation credited him for bringing the faith more into the public eye. “There has never been as much positive publicity about the church...thanks to the wonderful campaign of Mitt Romney and his family,” J.W. “Bill” Marriott, the chairman of Marriott International, said.

Marriott was the first in the congregation to take the podium to offer testimony - examples of his own life experience and how it’s affected his faith, a tradition on the first Sunday of every month in the Mormon church.

“Everybody is looking at us and saying, ‘Are you as good as the Romneys?’” Marriott said. “Today we see the church coming out of obscurity, and we see that 90 percent of what has been written and said ... 90 percent of it has been favorable,” he said. “And that’s a great tribute to Mitt and Ann.” Many Americans have long viewed Mormonism skeptically, and the Salt Lake City-based church has fought for decades for recognition and acceptance as a faith. In the eyes of Mormons gathered here Sunday, Romney winning the nomination has been overwhelmingly positive for their church. “He’s a marvelous ambassador of who we are,” said a member of the Archibald family, another large Mormon clan that, like the Marriotts and the Romneys, vacations in Wolfeboro. The Marriotts

FLORIDA: Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney (left) and his vice presidential running mate, Rep Paul Ryan greet supporters as they arrive at a campaign event in Jacksonville, Fla Romney’s wife Ann is at center. — AP and Romneys are close friends; the recent weeks, Romney has started to hotel magnate is a major campaign open up about his faith and directly donor and the candidate used to mentioned it during his Thursday serve on the board of Marriott night acceptance speech after memInternational. Although Romney has bers of his congregation took the long shied away from talking about a convention stage to praise his work faith that has shaped his life, from his in the church. Said Romney that childhood to his college years as well night: “We were Mormons and growas his marriage and business career. ing up in Michigan, that might have He occasionally has recounted his seemed unusual or out of place, but I time counseling families who were really don’t remember it that way. My struggling members of his Boston friends cared more about what congregation. He usually doesn’t sports teams we followed than what touch on his two years serving as a church we went to.” Mormonism missionary in France for the church. began in the mid-1800s when, And he typically doesn’t mention according to believers, an angel prethat he at one point rose to a rank sented another book of scripture to equivalent to a bishop and presided Joseph Smith, the church’s founder, over a group of congregations. In called the Book of Mormon. — AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

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

Russia’s far east - a bridge to Asia, or to nowhere?

Locals grumble over corruption, prestige projects VLADIVOSTOK: Vladimir Lenin’s vision of developing Russia’s far east would not be out of place in President Vladimir Putin’s talking points for the Asia-Pacific summit he is hosting this week in the Pacific port of Vladivostok.

“We will propose that capital from developed countries construct a superhighway between London, Moscow, Vladivostok and Beijing,” said the plan, endorsed in 1922 by the Soviet revolutionary leader. “We will tell them that it will open up the untold riches of Siberia.”

Ninety years on, the Kremlin has redecorated Russia’s window on the east in the hope of improving its image in the eyes of investors from the world’s fastest-growing region, and reviving its flagging popularity among hardpressed locals. Tsarist Russia completed a 9,300-km rail line to Vladivostok in record time, only to fall to the Bolsheviks a year later. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was inspired to develop the city by a visit to San Francisco, another Pacific city on a bay, in 1959. Now, Russia has pumped $21 billion into its eastern seaboard to attract investors, tourists and gamblers from Asia, and persuade locals to halt the drift away from a city that, for all the grand designs, remains largely isolated from the rest of the world’s largest country. Putin, 59, underscored a strategic pivot away from crisis-hit Europe to the rising economies of the Pacific rim by creating a government department for developing Russia’s far east after his return to the Kremlin for a third term in May. But in Vladivostok, a city of 600,000 where the clocks run seven hours ahead of Moscow, the injection of capital has done little to lift the low regard in which many locals hold the leader who has dominated Russia since 2000.

Although the city - whose name trans-

lates as ‘Ruler of the East’ - has received a makeover, with a new airport, bridges and highway intersections, residents say inflated contracts were won by insiders and the money would have been better spent on social services and housing. “I don’t associate it with Putin. They took ages to get round to building the bridge,” said 28-year-old biologist Yevgeny Skorkin, joining

Igor Pushkaryov, in a conversation with this reporter on the bridge, just as fog started to roll in.

The centre of Vladivostok is quiet of an evening, but is at least well lit - in contrast to the murk of the 1990s when the city was plagued by power cuts.

Laser cannons mounted atop the bridge pylons play against the night sky. But the foreign eateries and cafes

and-answer show in 2007 promised new investments to halt the depopulation of the Primorye region as people sought work elsewhere. Five years after Putin’s volley of promises, the young, educated people of Vladivostok are still leaving, while the city can boast another trophy of regional development - a second bridge built at a cost of $1 billion. Leaders will sweep in their limousines across the world’s biggest cablestayed bridge - its pylons nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris - to the summit venue on Russky Island. They will be put up at a newly-built university campus, with some delegates sleeping in student dormitories. “You start to think, how much did they spend on this bridge and who, at the end of the day, needs it?” said Samsonov, a 37year-old opposition activist. “There is no relationship between the costs and the benefits.”

RIGHT TO RIGHT-HAND DRIVE Samsonov’s civic initiative was VLADIVOSTOK: People spend time at the beach close to the venue of the among the first to organize protests upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will take place against the crisis measures launched by in Vladivostok yesterday. APEC leaders’ summit in Russia’s far eastern port Putin during the economic slump of 2009 that included imposing punitive city of Vladivostok will take place on September 8 and 9. — AFP tariffs on imports of second-hand forthousands of people on a mass stroll that dot cities in Russia’s European eign cars. The step helped save state last month over the new bridge across heartland, like McDonalds and car maker AvtoVAZ from collapse, but the Zolotoi Rog (Golden Horn) inlet Starbucks, are nowhere to be seen. infuriated many locals who had supplethat opens up a vista across the city’s Eyeing a second term, the 37-year-old mented their incomes by bringing in port and the ships of Russia’s Pacific former businessman hopes that the used, right-hand-drive cars from Japan. attention of Russia’s leaders will not They took to the streets. “The authoriFleet in the harbour. fade after the 21-member Asia-Pacific ties were absent in Vladivostok for a Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit number of hours,” recalls regional parCENTRE OF THE WORLD Local artists fantasized at the start of this weekend: “We really want this rela- liamentary deputy Vladimir Bespalov, the last century about a bridge that tionship to continue. We are happy an opposition communist.

“Police chiefs, regional administrawould connect two remote districts of people - we did it!”

Such positive sentiments are not tors, the mayor - none was able to deal Vladivostok, but the project remained a dream until Putin found $500 million in shared by all. “Nobody experiences par- with several thousand people who the budget to build it. “Only now are ticularly warm emotions,” regional law- were ready to destroy, wreck and overwe starting to live. We are creating a maker Artyom Samsonov says of his fel- turn,” he said. “The city was on the brink European city. The centre of the world low easterners’ attitude towards Putin, of chaos.” Putin dispatched elite OMON is here!” enthused Vladivostok’s mayor, who in a national television question- riot police from Moscow to put down

the protests, and paid with a loss of public support in last December’s parliamentary election, when his ruling party - dominant elsewhere - placed third. Even in Russia’s tightly controlled electoral system, Putin fell short of an outright regional majority in the presidential election in March. He polled 48 percent in Primorye, far below his national tally of 64 percent.

Konstantin Bovdik, a qualified Chinese teacher, long ago gave up his career in education and made good money - 60,000 roubles ($1,900) per month - working on the Zolotoi Rog bridge. Now the 34-year-old could lose his job. “Well, this is it. The bridge is built. The summit will end. And we feel the economic crisis breathing hard down our necks,” said the tanned anticorrosion specialist, wearing a blue boiler suit and orange hard hat as he shouldered two three-meter steel beams. “All the money goes back to Moscow, and then gets pumped out to London,” he said. “They steal everything and then hit us over the head with coshes ... This is a police state.” Primorye Governor Vladimir Miklushevsky, appointed this year to run the region of two million people after his predecessor was fired amid a slew of corruption allegations, said the authorities needed to work to restore public trust.

“There is a general lack of confidence among the people in the authorities. Power needs to be more open,” said the 44-year-old engineer, a native of Yekaterinburg originally brought in to run the new university on Russky Island. Former governor Sergei Darkin has, meanwhile, landed a job in Moscow as Russia’s deputy minister for regional development. “It’s spitting in the face of the masses,” says Alexander Latkin, the 65-year-old director of the city’s Institute of International Business and Economics. — Reuters

Armenia ‘ready for war’ Azerbaijan pardons, promotes axe-killer YEREVAN: Armenia warned Azerbaijan it was ready for war as tensions soared yesterday between the ex-Soviet foes after Baku pardoned and promoted an Azerbaijani officer who axed an Armenian soldier to death.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev last week immediately pardoned Ramil Safarov after he was extradited from Hungary, where he had been serving a life sentence for the 2004 killing.

Safarov was also promoted to the rank of major, given a house and eight years’ worth of back-pay after returning home to a hero’s welcome, in defiance of assurances from Baku to Budapest that he would serve out his term in Azerbaijan. “We don’t want a war, but if we have to, we will fight and win. We are not afraid of killers, even if they enjoy the protection of the head of state,” Armenian President

Serzh Sarkisian fumed in a statement late on Sunday. “ They (Azerbaijanis) have been warned,” he said, calling Azerbaijan a country where “illicit orders set free and publicly glorify ever y bastard who kills people only because they are Armenians”.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are locked in a long-running conflict over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh, where they fought a war in the 1990s. Safarov hacked Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian to death at a military academy in Budapest where the servicemen were attending English-language courses organized by NATO. His lawyers claimed in court that he was traumatized because some of his relatives had been killed during the war with Armenian forces, and alleged that Margarian had insulted his country. Yerevan on Friday cut diplomatic ties with

Hungary over the pardon, while US President Barack Obama said he was “deeply concerned” about the incident.

Hungary summoned Azerbaijan’s ambassador on Sunday to protest at Baku’s decision after earlier saying it had been assured Safarov would serve out his term. “Hungary finds it unacceptable and condemns the pardoning of Ramil Safarov,” foreign ministry state secretary Zsolt Nemeth told Ambassador Vilayat Guliyev, the national news agency MTI reported.

Armenia-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in the war that left some 30,000 people dead.

The two sides have not signed a final peace deal since the 1994 ceasefire and there are still regular firefights along the front line. Analysts warn the frozen conflict risks slipping again into full-scale war. — AFP

Royal high-ness: Prince abseils down the Shard

COLOGNE: Rescue vehicles stand next to a Turkish plane at the Cologne-Bonn airport in Germany yesterday. Authorities at the airport say 11 people have been injured after smoke filled the cabin of a Turkish airliner. Airport fire department spokesman Jens Mueller said the plane was evacuated midday at the airport. Seven people were treated on the scene for minor smoke inhalation and four others were taken to the hospital with slightly more severe injuries. He says it is not yet known what caused the smoke. — AP

Brooks appears in court over hacking LONDON: Former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks appeared in a London court yesterday to face charges related to alleged phone hacking. Brooks, 44, appeared in the dock accused of conspiring with others to illegally access voicemails, and spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth and address during the short hearing. Brooks is facing one general charge, which prosecutors claim could affect more than 600 alleged victims, and two other specific charges linked to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and former trade union boss Andy Gilchrist. She has been accused alongside six other News of the World staff and the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

The charges carry a maximum punishment of two years in prison. Brooks has yet

to enter a plea in court but has previously denied the charges. Brooks edited the nowdefunct News of the World tabloid from 2000 to 2003.

She was the chief executive of media baron Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper publishing arm News International from 2009 to 2011. Brooks was told to appear with her co-defendants at London’s Southwark Crown Court on September 26.

She is already due at the court on that date to face three charges of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Brooks was released on bail, with conditions including that she lives at her given address, does not contact her fellow accused and gives the police seven days’ notice should she wish to travel abroad. — AFP

LONDON: Britain’s Prince Andrew abseiled down Europe’s tallest skyscraper yesterday, admitting he was “pretty scared at the top” as he began his descent of the Shard in London.

The Duke of York, fourth in line to the throne, set off from the 87th floor just below the top of the 310-metre high tower-finishing half an hour later on level 20. Queen Elizabeth II’s second son made the descent in support of The Outward Bound Trust educational charity and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, which benefits serving and retired troops.

One of around 40 making a descentincluding 78-year-old British mountaineering great Chris Bonington-Andrew raised £290,000 ($460,000, 365,000 euros) in sponsorship.

“I was scared at the top,” the 52-year-old prince told reporters after making the 785foot descent. “The most difficult bit was walking up. You’ve actually got to walk the last 10 floors to the top. “And so you have a moment to realise where you are going and what you’re going to do. “The difficult bit was actually stepping out over the edge.

“The training I had done in the summer up with the Royal Marines at Arbroath (Scotland) gave me the confidence to be able to step over the edge without too much trepidation.”

He said there was condensation on the upper windows, meaning he slipped down most of the first section. Andrew is a Royal Navy commander who served in the 1982 Falklands War. He officially launched the Shard on July 5 along with Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani. The tower, close to London Bridge on the south bank of the River Thames, is designed to resemble a shard of glass. Costing £450 million to build, it was 95 percent funded by Qatar. — AFP

MUNICH: File photo shows a burnt out helicopter of the German border police (Bundesgrenzschutz, BGS) in which Israeli hostages died after a failed rescue operation. — AFP

Chastened Germany to mark Munich massacre 40 years on BERLIN: Germany will mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich Olympics massacre tomorrow amid fresh questions about how the 11 Israeli victims could have been killed on German soil. A tribute to the victims will be held at 1400 GMT at the Fuerstenfeldbruck air base, west of Munich, site of the tragic climax of the bloody hostage-taking by members of a radical Palestinian group known as “Black September”. Seven Israeli survivors as well as around a dozen relatives of the slain Olympic team members will join about 500 political and sport officials including German Interior Minister HansPeter Friedrich.

The southern state of Bavaria has ordered flags on public buildings to be flown at half-mast and pictures of the victims will be exhibited for the first time at the former air traffic control tower at Fuerstenfeldbruck. The ceremony marking the worst violence at any Olympics to date will culminate in an ecumenical memorial service in the presence of a rabbi. The somber anniversary has given rise to new research into the horrifying chain of events at the 1972 Games, which were meant to showcase the new face of Germany nearly three decades after World War II. Gunmen broke into the Israeli team’s flat at the Olympic village, immediately killing two of the athletes and taking nine others hostage to demand the release of 232 Palestinian prisoners. A bungled rescue operation resulted in all the hostages being killed along with a West German policeman and five of the eight hostage-takers. The news sent shockwaves through Germany just 27 years after the Holocaust and opened a deep rift with Israel. Last week, Israel released 45 official documents on the killings, including specially declassified material, which lambasted the performance of the German security services.

Included in the reports is an official account from the former Israeli intelligence head and his heavy criticism of the

German authorities for the failure of their rescue operation. The German police “didn’t make even a minimal effort to save human lives,” former Mossad head Zvi Zamir said at the time after returning from Munich. He said elite German snipers had been equipped only with pistols, and that personnel carriers meant for the rescue operation had arrived late. “They had no follow-up plan, nor any means of improvising an alternative,” he said. The files also show evidence of failures by the Israeli security forces.

Meanwhile in Germany, investigative news weekly Der Spiegel threw its spotlight on the violent proceedings of that late summer day, accusing the German government and Olympic organizers of covering up grave mistakes. Months before the hostage taking, the German interior ministry and the Bavarian state police warned federal authorities in vain of the possibility of “terrorist acts” at the Games, the magazine said. The Spiegel report recalled that the Olympic village was surrounded by a simple chain link fence without security reinforcements.

The head of the Munich police evidently feared that a robust security presence would revive ugly memories of the 1936 Games in Berlin, presided over by Adolf Hitler.

And even the head of the West German Olympic Committee, Willi Daume, snapped at his security chief that he had no intention of making the Olympic village look like a “concentration camp”. The 40th anniversary already gave rise to anger and recriminations this summer during the London Games. Two widows, Ankie Spitzer and Ilana Romano, had unsuccessfully campaigned for the anniversary to be marked with a minute’s silence at the opening ceremony in the British capital, a request rejected by IOC President Jacques Rogge. As a conciliatory gesture, a minute’s silence was held instead at the Olympic village in London for the signing of the Olympic truce on July 24. — AFP

11

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

international

Blackened by coal row, Singh tries to clean up Indian govt rejects call for independent inquiry

HERAT: Afghan women ride on the back of a cart in the city of Herat yesterday. —AFP

Afghans won’t heed US sanctions on Iran firms KABUL: Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce said yesterday it would not heed any calls from the United States to halt some business conducted with neighboring Iran, saying abiding by US sanctions would stifle its already suffering economy. A US Treasury delegation met officials from the Afghan central bank, private banks and other private businesses last week in Kabul, and urged them to not conduct business with Iranian firms with Western sanctions, the Afghan Chamber of Commerce said.

“There hasn’t been a direct warning from the US ... but if an official request comes from the US government I am sure the Afghan government will be clear in its quick reaction against it,” said the chamber ’s vice chairman, Khan Jan Alokozai. “If the US makes us stop business with Iran, we will face an economic crisis,” he said. Despite a shaky political relationship, impoverished Afghanistan relies heavily on its richer western neighbor for food, energy and other goods.

Trade with Iran is worth about $2 billion a year, including oil for 15 percent of Afghan needs. This could increase if foreign aid and spending falls off as expected with a 2014 deadline for Western countries to pull out most of their troops.

Three Iranian businesses operating in Afghanistan, or with Afghan interests, have US sanctions on them: Aryan Bank, National Iranian Oil Company and the operator of Iran’s Bandar-Abbas port, through which passes a large volume of goods bound for Afghanistan. Foreign

firms doing business with sanctioned Iranian companies can themselves be hit with sanctions.

UNPRECEDENTED PRESSURE US Treasury official Luke Bronin, deputy assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes, said he spoke to Afghan officials last week about “the importance of using great care not to do business with Aryan Bank”. Aryan Bank has branches in the capital, Kabul, and in Herat city in the west, capital of the province bordering Iran. Herat is emerging as an Afghan business success story, riding on the profits of business with Iran.

Iran maintains that US and European Union sanctions aimed at squeezing its oil income to curb its nuclear program are not affecting its energy exports.

But Bronin said Iran was looking outside its traditional centre of business to survive the crippling sanctions. “Iran at this point is under unprecedented pressure and they are looking at all potential avenues of (sanction) evasion,” Bronin told reporters in Kabul. “And that is one of reasons why we think it is so important to keep up the robust engagement that we have with the Afghan government and the strong cooperation we have,” he said.

Afghan Central Bank governor Noorullah Delawari said it had referred the issue of not doing business with Aryan Bank to the Foreign Ministry and Afghanistan’s Security Council. “We are waiting for their guidance and their decision,” Delawari said. —Reuters

NEW DELHI: The Indian government tried yesterday to defuse a political crisis over sweetheart coal deals that has deepened a perception of dysfunction in the world’s biggest democracy and derailed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s efforts to win back investors. In a shock forecast, Morgan Stanley warned there was a “very high risk” that growth in Asia’s third-largest economy could slow to just 4.3 percent in the 2013 fiscal year unless the government took urgent steps to cut the fiscal deficit and encourage private investment.

Singh’s government has struggled to defend itself against allegations that it awarded coalfields potentially worth billions of dollars to private and state power, cement and steel companies in a process that was corrupt at worst and lacked transparency or any element of competition at best.

Under pressure from the prime minister’s office, a government committee met on Monday to speed up the review of 58 coalfields whose owners have already been issued notices for missing deadlines to get them operational.

The coal ministry has until Sept 15 to decide whether to cancel the licenses. Among those that face possible cancellation of coal mining licenses are billionaire Lakshmi Mittal’s ArcelorMittal , GVK Power and Infrastructure, India’s top aluminum producer Hindalco Industries Ltd - part of the Aditya Birla Group - and Tata Power. The furor, dubbed “coalgate” by India’s media, has drowned out Singh’s efforts to show that his weak coalition government is serious about implementing reforms.

For months it has been under fire for dithering while the economy suffers from the impact of the euro-zone debt crisis and sluggish US growth. Morgan Stanley cut its growth forecast for India to 5.1 percent yesterday for the 2012/13 fiscal year. It had previously pro-

Australia, Afghanistan argue over rogue killer N Zealand confirms early Afghan exit CANBERRA: Australia contradicted Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday over a deadly weekend raid in Afghanistan in search of a “rogue” soldier who killed three Australian troops, adding new strains to an increasingly uneasy international coalition. Karzai’s office condemned the raid by NATO-led and Afghan troops, during which a 70-year-old Afghan man and his son were killed, describing it as a “unilateral military operation” in breach of an agreement between Kabul and its foreign allies covering such actions.

The raid was launched after three Australian soldiers were killed last week by a rogue Afghan army sergeant who turned his weapon on his trainers, the latest in a spike in “insider” shootings in which 45 foreign troops have been killed this year.

International patience is wearing thin with the increasingly unpopular and costly war that has dragged on with few obvious signs of success since US-backed foreign troops toppled the Taleban in late 2001. The dispute between Canberra and Kabul came on the same day that New Zealand, another long-serving member of the NATO-led force, announced an advanced timetable for the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan.

Under current plans, most combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014 but New Zealand decided to accelerate its withdrawal after three of its troops were killed by a roadside bomb last month. Australia has been one of the staunchest members of

the coalition but Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defense Minister Stephen Smith hit back at Karzai’s criticism of the raid. “Let me be very, very clear. This was an authorized operation, it was a partnered operation, and it was conducted in accordance with our rules of engagement,” Gillard said. She told reporters Australian diplomats had gone to Karzai’s palace to explain the raid.

PRESSURE BUILDING Two other Australian troops were killed in a helicopter crash on Thursday, marking Australia’s worst combat losses since the Vietnam War and prompting Gillard to return early from a South Pacific regional leaders’ summit. Smith also rejected Karzai’s complaints and said the raid involved 60 Australian troops and 80 Afghan soldiers. He said the two men killed were confirmed as insurgents

by Australian and Afghan forces.

“The statement which has been issued by President Karzai’s palace over the weekend in Kabul that this operation was not authorized is wrong,” Smith said. “This point has been made strongly by Australia’s ambassador to Afghanistan to palace and presidential officials.”

Pressure has been building over a long period, especially in Europe, to get troops out of Afghanistan quickly. The Netherlands became the first NATO country to withdraw the bulk of its troops after the Dutch government collapsed in early 2010.

Canada ended its unpopular mission last year. Opinion polls say Australians overwhelmingly want

their troops out of Afghanistan, although Gillard has repeatedly ruled out an early exit.

EARLY AFGHAN EXIT New Zealand confirmed yesterday that its troops would end a decadelong deployment in Afghanistan at the end of April next year, about six months earlier than originally planned. The withdrawal was flagged last month after the deaths of three soldiers, two men and a woman, in a roadside bomb attack in the central province of Bamiyan, where New Zealanders have been deployed since 2003. Defense Minister Jonathan Coleman said arrangements for New Zealand’s 145-member provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Bamiyan to return home had been now been finalized with the International Security Assistance Force.

Coleman said the New Zealanders’ efforts had helped ensure Bamiyan was one of the first provinces where responsibility for security was handed back to local control. “We should not underestimate the challenges Afghanistan will continue to face,” he said in a statement. “We should also acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of those who have lost their lives while on active service in the province.” A total of 10 New Zealand troops have died in Afghanistan, with five of the fatalities coming last month. The government has denied a link between the recent deaths and the PRT troops’ early exit, saying the withdrawal plan had been on the table for months. —Agencies

Still no bail for ‘blasphemy’ girl ISLAMABAD: A young Pakistani Christian girl accused of blasphemy in a case that has sparked international criticism must spend at least four more days in jail after a court adjourned a bail hearing yesterday. Judge Muhammad Azam Khan has repeatedly delayed bail proceedings for Rimsha Masih, who was arrested last month accused of burning papers containing verses from the Koran in breach of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

Khan yesterday again put back the hearing until September 7 following a request from a lawyer representing Rimsha’s original accuser, neighbor Hammad Malik.

Rao Abdur Raheem, the lawyer, said the case should not be heard to show solidarity with a strike being observed by the bar association in neighboring Punjab province, the largest organization of its type in the country. Rimsha’s lawyer said the case against his client had collapsed. “The prosecution has

completely failed. There is nothing left in this case now,” Raja Ikram, a lawyer representing Rimsha, told reporters after the adjournment. Rimsha is being held at the high-security Adiyala jail in Rawalpindi, Islamabad’s twin city, and by the time Friday’s hearing takes place she will have spent 22 days in custody.

On Saturday, police arrested the cleric who originally submitted the burnt papers after his deputy and two assistants said he tampered with the evidence. They said Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti planted pages from the Quran among the burnt pages brought to him by a witness to beef up the case against her. Campaigners have demanded Rimsha’s immediate release. “Rimsha must be released now. The evidence has been proved false so there is no reason to keep her behind bars any more,” Shamaun Alfred Gill, a spokesman for the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) said.—Agencies

jected the economy would grow at 5.8 percent in the year ending next March. But in its “bear case” scenario, growth could tumble to 4.3 percent if policy inaction persisted, it said.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which will challenge Singh’s ruling Congress party in elections due by 2014, has seized on a state auditor’s report that questioned licenses granted for 142 coalfields between 2004

feted by corruption scandals, most notably a $39 billion telecoms licenses scam that saw a former minister arrested.

CORRUPTION CENTRE-STAGE Crowding around the speaker’s seat in parliament, BJP members chanted “prime minister submit your resignation”. Amid the din, the Congress party and its allies managed to pass three bills. The BJP, which has struggled to capital-

the softly spoken prime minister’s rebuttal has been overshadowed by daily images of parliamentary chaos on cable television news channels.

It has been left to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who normally keeps a low profile, to take the fight to the opposition. She has surprised observers with her unusually aggressive response to the BJP’s corruption charges. With the monsoon session of parlia-

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (right) watches as Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon delivers his statement after the signing of agreements yesterday. The Tajikistan President is on a four-day official visit to India. —AFP and 2009. The concessions were awarded by a government committee without competitive bidding. The auditor said it was not clear from the minutes of the committee’s meetings how it arrived at decisions on coalfields that could be worth billions of dollars. The BJP has all but paralyzed parliament for two weeks, using the report to blacken the government, which has been buf-

ize on infighting within the Congress-led coalition, wants to keep alive an issue it believes resonates strongly with voters, political commentator Vinod Mehta said. “They feel it is striking a chord.

They are trying to keep the corruption issue at the centre of political discourse.” Singh has denied any wrongdoing and pointed out that it was his government that proposed competitive bidding, but

ment due to end on Friday, there was no sign of an end to the deadlock.

The BJP has signaled that it might be willing to drop its demand for Singh to quit if the government cancels coal licenses and agrees to an independent inquiry.

But the government has dismissed the demand, saying a Central Bureau of Investigation probe was already under way. —Reuters

12

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

international

Clinton seeks to defuse China Sea tension BRISBANE: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton headed yesterday to Indonesia in hopes of encouraging unity among Southeast Asian nations to manage increasingly tense disputes with China.

Clinton’s last trip to the region in July was marred by the failure of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to reach a consensus at talks in Cambodia, amid divisions in the 10member group on how to treat a rising China. The top US diplomat will meet Indonesian leaders including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and also visit the headquarters of ASEAN, part of her effort to promote ties with the economically dynamic and mostly USfriendly bloc.

She hopes “to get a sense of where we are and to get the Indonesians’ advice about how we can be supportive, how we can put more wind into the sails of a diplomatic effort, which is what we all very much want”, a senior US official said on her airplane on customary condition of anonymity. “The most important thing is that we end up in a diplomatic process where these issues are addressed in a strong diplomatic conversation between a unified ASEAN and China rather than through any kind of coercion,” the official said.

Clinton, who made a refueling stop in Brisbane, Australia, on her way from a

South Pacific summit in the Cook Islands, will head Tuesday to China for talks on the often uneasy relationship between the world’s two largest economies. The Philippines and Vietnam have both accused China of an intimidation campaign over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a waterway through which half of the world’s cargo sails.

Clinton, in a visit to Vietnam in 2010, buoyed Southeast Asian nations by declaring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea to be a US national interest, although she said that Washington would not take sides over disputes.

The United States recently issued an unusually strong warning to China after Beijing angered Southeast Asian nations by establishing a remote garrison in the South China Sea. China accused Clinton of seeking to “contain” its rise. The official on Clinton’s plane said the United States supported a recent statement of principles by ASEAN foreign ministers, who pledged unity and the early completion with China of a code of conduct for the South China Sea. The United States has strongly encouraged work on a code of conduct, believing it is vital to preventing flareups from escalating. But Beijing has preferred to negotiate separately with ASEAN nations instead of dealing with a united bloc.

Clinton will later in the week visit Brunei, making her the first US secretary of state to visit all 10 ASEAN nations. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in August visited Indonesia and

world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, seeing it as an ideal partner due to its embrace of democracy and historically moderate brand of Islam.

But momentum for closer relations

JAKARTA: Muslim women shout slogans during a protest against a visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton outside the US Embassy in Jakarta yesterday. —AP Brunei and took a conciliatory tone.

The administration of President Barack Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, took office with a mission to expand relations with the

has faltered, in part due to concern in the United States over recent mob violence by Indonesian Islamists against minorities.

The US official said Indonesia was

still considered a “model of tolerance” but voiced alarm over “disturbing incidents” in recent months. Clinton will “seek views with the Indonesian leadership on how they see things in the wake of those incidents and what the process is going forward to ensure that all communities feel safe and protected”, she said. Mobs have ransacked religious sites and attacked members of the Ahmadiyah Muslim sect along with Shiites and Christians. Human Rights Watch has called on Clinton to press Indonesia to take “concrete steps” to address religious intolerance, saying that government policies and inaction were fuelling the violence.

In Jakarta some 500 Islamists staged a rally outside the US embassy to protest against her visit, complaining its goal was to advance American business interests, such as US mining giant Freeport McMoran’s vast gold and copper mine in Papua province. “ The abundant minerals currently managed by Freeport are the property of the people. The state must manage them in the interests of the people,” said a statement by the radical Hizbut Tahrir (HTI) movement, which organized the protest. “Reject Hillary, reject America, reject the colonizer,” chanted HTI members, clad in the group’s black-and-white colors. —AFP

New scandal rocks China Key official sidelined over car crash

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev

Three Kyrgyz parties agree new coalition government BISHKEK: Three Kyrgyz political parties agreed yesterday to form a coalition to run the volatile Central Asian republic, two weeks after the government collapsed under the strain of a shrinking economy and graft allegations. The new coalition was made up of three of the four parties in the previous administration - the Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, Ata-Meken and Ar-Namys. It excluded the Respublika party of former Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov, who resigned on Saturday.

The last government collapsed on Aug. 22 after AtaMeken and Ar-Namys walked out, protesting against economic contraction and accusing Babanov of not doing enough to tackle widespread corruption. Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia’s only parliamentary democracy, is backed by the United States but viewed with suspicion by former imperial master Russia. Both countries have military air bases in the country. The divided and impoverished former Soviet republic lies along a major drug trafficking route from Afghanistan and has suffered periodic bouts of ethnic violence.

Coalition members said they had identified Zhantoro Satybaldiyev, head of the presidential administration and free from any party affiliation, as their chosen candidate for the premiership. A parliamentary vote on his candidacy is expected this week. The Social-Democratic Party has been a leading proponent of the parliamentary system that replaced two decades of failed authoritarian rule since independence from the Soviet Union. The coalition members did not outline any new policies yesterday, but have previously stated their ambition to stamp out corruption and attract investment.

Kyrgyzstan’s economy relies heavily on output from the Kumtor gold mine, owned by Canadian miner Centerra Gold, and remittances from migrant workers. Per capita GDP is less than a tenth of that in oil-rich neighbor Kazakhstan. When they withdrew from the previous coalition, deputies from Ata-Meken said Kyrgyzstan risked defaulting on its $2.8 billion foreign debt. The new three-party coalition will make up 67 of the country’s 120 parliamentary deputies. Ata-Meken leader Omurbek Tekebayev said he hoped another 15 deputies from the two opposition parties in parliament could be persuaded to join. —Reuters

Serial rapist on trial PARIS: Bruno Cholet, a serial rapist who operated an illegal taxi in central Paris, goes on trial today for the 2008 kidnapping and murder of Swedish student Susanna Zetterberg.

Cholet, 55, denies the charges in what was one of the most shocking murder cases in France in recent years. He faces spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted in a trial scheduled to run until September 14. Zetterberg, a 19year-old from Stockholm who was studying French and working part-time in a cafe in the French capital, was last seen leaving a nightclub at around 4:45 am on Saturday April 19, 2008.

Her partly burnt body was discovered in the Chantilly forest, about 50 kilometers north of Paris later the same day. She had been shot at least four times in the head, and had her hands tied behind her back with a brand of handcuffs sold in sex shops. The state of her body made it impossible to establish if she had suffered a sexual assault.

Zetterberg also had a bruise on her forehead, which prosecutors allege was the result of a blow inflicted by Cholet to force her to give him the PIN codes for her bank cards.

The blonde student had spent the latter part of the night at La Scala nightclub near the Louvre museum in central Paris. She decided to leave before her friends and her last contact with them was a mobile phone call to one of them in which she said she was on her way home in a “strange” taxi. Investigators established that her bank cards had been used to make withdrawals of 100 and 200 euros from two different cash machines between 6:00 and 7:00 am. —AFP

BEIJING: China’s once-in-a-decade leadership transition has been hit by reports of fresh scandal, with a senior ally of President Hu Jintao being demoted after sources said the ally’s son was involved in a deadly crash involving a luxury sports car. The car - a Ferrari according to some of the sources - crashed in Beijing on March 18 in an embarrassment for the ruling Communist Party, sensitive to perceptions that children of top party officials live rich, privileged lifestyles completely out of touch with the masses, the sources said.

The country has already been rocked by the biggest political scandal in two decades - the sacking of Bo Xilai, an ambitious senior politician whose wife recently received a suspended death sentence for the murder of a British businessman in a case that also involved a mix of money and power. The car crash, the details of which are still shrouded in mystery, reportedly involved the son of Ling Jihua, 55, who state media said was dropped at the weekend as head of the party’s General Office of the Central Committee.

It is a powerful post, similar to cabinet secretary in Westminster-style governments. Ling is very close to Hu. Ling could not be reached for comment on the matter. He had been eyeing a promotion to the Politburo - the party’s policymaking council - and to become head of the party’s Organization Department, which oversees the appointment and dismissal of senior officials, sources said.

“The central leadership decided that the scandal over the incident was too serious to allow Ling Jihua to be promoted, and Hu Jintao really couldn’t resist,” a retired party official said.

Sources close to the leadership, speaking on condition of anonymity, said three

young people were in the car at the time of the crash, including the ally’s son, aged in his 20s. At least one of the trio died in the crash, they added, but the victims’ identities were unclear. They did not know the son’s full name. One source and a journalist who once worked for a party publication - both speaking on condition of anonymity - said the son had died in the crash, and the source added that the son’s death certificate had been changed to disguise his identity.

as Ling Gu. A second source with ties to China’s leadership said the son had not died in the crash. The South China Morning Post said two women, one aged in her 20s and the other in her 30s, were seriously injured. The Beijing city government and police have declined to comment on the accident.

ANGER AT THE TOP A businesswoman with family ties to a senior leader said Ling had been criti-

BEIJING: The portrait of late leader Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square is surrounded by scaffolding as the city prepares for the upcoming 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing yesterday. Xi Jinping is widely expected to be named head of the ruling Communist Party and become president in the country’s once-in-a-decade leadership transition. —AFP The South China Morning Post first reported this alleged cover-up yesterday, saying the son’s surname had been changed to Jia”, which has the same pronunciation as the word “fake” in Chinese.

The newspaper gave the son’s real name

cized by other leaders, including former president Jiang Zemin, for attempting to hush up the accident. “Jiang has been adamantly opposed to Ling Jihua receiving a power ful position,” she said, requesting anonymity due to the sensi-

tivity of discussing elite politics. Over the weekend, Ling Jihua was appointed head of the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, a less influential position than his current post, in a move that was viewed as a setback for President Hu’s efforts to retain major influence in the next administration. He will retire as president at the next annual national parliament session, which usually takes place in March.

Calls to the United Front Department and Organization Department went unanswered yesterday. Ling has been among the officials who are nearly always at Hu’s side during visits at home and abroad over the past decade.

Chinese state media announced that he was replaced as head of the General Office by Li Zhanshu, 61, a close ally of Vice President Xi Jinping, a move that confirmed a July 18 Reuters report. Li cut his teeth in the Communist Youth League, Hu’s power base, but is not seen as being as close to the current president as Ling.

The General Office is the organizational cockpit of the party’s top leaders. It is responsible for shaping the policy agenda, deciding who those leaders meet, as well as their travel arrangements at home and abroad, and security details.

Its head is roughly equivalent to the White House chief of staff. The car crash first drew public interest in March when the Global Times, published by the official People’s Daily, reported that online information about the accident had been deleted. That triggered suspicions about the identity of the deceased and a storm online, but China’s government censors have deleted all microblog posts mentioning the car crash and blocked searches of the words “Ferrari”, “Little Ling” and “Prince Ling”. —Reuters

Pacific Island nations cash in on US-China aid rivalry CANBERRA: Small South Pacific island nations are cashing in on new aid rivalry between China and the United States as both powers vie to boost their influence in a vast region of mostly micro-nations. The recent visit to the tiny Cook Islands by United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton highlighted the growing significance of the region as the United States continues its “pivot” to the AsiaPacific, analysts said.

The Clinton visit also underlined a growing Chinese influence as it steps up its aid programs to enhance its standing among the smaller nations. “It is very significant. It just confirms that the Pacific is becoming of greater importance, not less,” Stephen Howes, professor of development policy at the Australian National University said. China’s aid program is difficult to measure, although a report by the Lowy Institute think tank in 2011 found China’s aid was worth around $200 million a year, with a heavy reliance on soft loans to finance public works.

In recent years, China’s aid

and soft loans have helped build sports stadiums in Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands, a swimming complex in Samoa, a new port in Tonga, as well as extensions to the Royal Palace in the Tongan capital Nuku’alofa.

China has also funded a new police station and court buildings in the Cook Islands capital Raratonga, and boosted aid to Fiji as western nations shunned its military government after the 2006 military coup. During her visit to the Cook Islands, Clinton announced an extra $32 million in US aid programs for the Pacific, ensuring the US maintains its role as the secondlargest aid donor to the region behind Australia.

Clinton also said the United States could work with China in the Pacific, and played down any new China-US rivalry. The United States spends about $300 million a year on Pacific nations, including round $100 million a year on military assistance, compared to around $1.2 billion a year from Australia. China says it is merely seeking to help the poor and remote nations in the region develop. “We are willing

to make a contribution, along with all other parties, to help with sustainable development in the South Pacific. We are looking for cooperation, not competition,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.

CHINA SHIFTS In the past, China’s aid flows into the Pacific have been designed to head off potential spending from Taiwan and to try to prevent tiny nations giving official recognition to Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province to be united with the mainland eventually, and by force if necessary. But in the past three years, China and Taiwan have agreed to stop trying to poach Pacific nations to their side. “At the moment, it is more to do with the United States than it is with Taiwan,” Lowy Institute South Pacific analyst Annemaree O’Keeffe said. She said China’s aid programs had undergone significant changes as it recognized deeper problems with its traditional monument projects, where China might construct a major build-

ing but then leave a country struggling to maintain it.

“It can work against them.

You can have a wonder ful sports stadium, but if it starts to fall down, you’ll remember that the Chinese built it,” O’Keeffe said. She said China had begun to work more closely with other countries and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on the effectiveness of its aid programs. That was evident at the Pacific Islands Forum in Raratonga, where China and New Zealand announced a joint aid program to improve water supplies in the Cook Islands. New Zealand will provide $12 million and China will provide a $26 million loan.

The ANU’s Howes said China’s growing aid influence in the Pacific was simply a reflection of its rising global influence and as more countries, including Indonesia and Brazil, start to spend more on aid. “It is a global phenomenon of China reaching out,” he said. “More broadly, it is China asserting itself as a global power and expanding its aid and investment from state owned companies.” He said

China was keen to project a positive image, which is why China’s aid focused on high-profile projects, although China could do more to ensure its aid programs were transparent. The downside, however, is that countries might struggle to repay China’s soft loans, leaving them worse off in the long run, he said.

Australia, a close US ally which counts China as its top trading partner, has welcomed China’s interest in the Pacific, and said China’s aid program was no cause for concern. “I don’t think Chinese influence in the South Pacific is anything to alarm us,” Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr told reporters in Perth in last week.

“The fact is, China’s rise to being a great power - China’s economic growth - will see that it develops relations around the world more vigorously than it ever has in the past and we Australians have just got to get used to it. “ The Chinese will learn that a heavy-handed aid program doesn’t get them the kudos that a better targeted more professional aid program does.” —Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

NEWS

A fiery piece of an L-39 jet plane catapults away from the main fireball after it crashed during the Quad-City Air Show Sept 1, 2012 in Mount Joy, Iowa. The pilot was killed. — AP

Man detained over unrest in Saudi Arabia

US car hit in Pakistan Continued from Page 1 “When the bombing occurred, people sitting in the rear vehicle removed the people from the front vehicle and took them back towards the American Club within a minute,” he said. The American Club is a high-security guesthouse run by the US consulate for its staff. A half-burnt US passport was recovered from one of the vehicles damaged in the blast, and local police station chief Shahjahan Afridi said investigators have found one of the suicide bomber’s legs. He said one of the bodies found at the scene has been identified as a local man while the other was burned beyond recognition. “I have

no information about foreigners because details have not been shared with us,” he said.

Peshawar police chief Imtiaz Altaf said 19 people were wounded in the blast and that the bomber’s vehicle had been packed with up to 110 kg of explosives, including more than 10 mortar shells. Witness Mohammad Sadid said he was driving to work at his pharmacy when he heard a deafening blast on the opposite side of the road in University Town neighbourhood. “It was so powerful that it jolted my car with a massive jerk. My head banged the steering wheel and the windshield. I couldn’t understand what had happened. I saw a car on fire. It became a large fireball,” he said. — AFP

Continued from Page 1 Four others turned themselves in when the list was announced in January and were later released.

The ministry had said those wanted were responsible for the trouble that hit Qatif, in the oil-rich Eastern Province, last year. The group is accused mainly of “possessing illegal firearms and opening fire on the public and police, in addition to using innocent people as shields,” the interior ministry had said at the time. They were suspected of taking part in “mobs, blocking traffic (and) damaging public and private property” during

sporadic confrontations between police and Shiite protesters.

Confrontations have intensified recently between police and protesters from the Sunni-dominated kingdom’s marginalised Shiites - estimated at about two million and mostly concentrated in Eastern Province. A policeman and an armed protester were killed in clashes in early August, as a security patrol came under heavy gunfire from four armed rioters on motorbike in Qatif, the interior ministry said. Two Shiite protesters were killed in July, triggering attacks on government buildings in Qatif. — AFP

Woman makes history on Egyptian state TV Young Iraqis facing fashion crackdown much time in nightclubs. The famiContinued from Page 1

wearing a cream-colored headscarf and a dark suit. Nabil worked for a year in the Muslim Brotherhood TV network Misr 25 after she was barred by state TV from appearing on air because of her hijab. With Morsi’s election and the appointment of the new Information Minister, Salah Abdel Maksoud of the Muslim Brotherhood, she said she was given the “green light” to come back to state TV. “Now the standards have nothing to do with the veil, which is a personal choice, but are all about professional skills and intellect,” she said.

State-owned television, which employees nearly 40,000 staff, is among the largest employers of public servants in the country. It has long been closely associated with the ruling elite and plagued by rampant corruption. It suffers from low viewership because of lack of professional standards and lackluster programming.

Under the former President Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian regime, ousted in last year’s uprising, female TV employees who wore the hijab would

be asked to take jobs off camera. Some sued against the policy and won, but a Ministry of Information run by staunch regime loyalists ignored the rulings, and enforced a de facto ban. Mubarak’s predecessors followed a similar line.

The end result was that the faces on state TV mirrored those of the wives of the ruling elite, where the style was set by women such as the well-coiffed First Lady Suzanne Mubarak.

Mubarak’s exit and the subsequent election of Morsi put a new face on power. Morsi wears an Islamic beard, and the new First Lady Naglaa Mahmoud covers not just her hair but the entire upper half of her body, minus her face - a veiling style associated with the working class and female members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The vast majority of Muslim Egyptian women wear some form of head covering - from stylish scarves to the full face-covering veil called the niqab.

Privately-owned television networks have long employed veiled presenters and a number of famous actresses wear veils and appear in

soap operas aired on state TV. Hotel and airline workers were also discouraged from covering their heads, working in industries where former governments apparently wanted to promote a vision of modernity considered incompatible with veiling. The changes on state television come against a backdrop of concern over a major reshuffling of the editors of state media last month.

In several incidents, journalists say, the new editors-in-chief have censored anti-Islamist columnists. In others they have fawned on Morsi as they once did on Mubarak. Stateowned October magazine ran a cover page last month depicting the president as a knight riding a horse and with a subtitle: “The revolution takes off.” “I want to see state media tell the truth and to stop serving the ruler, whoever the ruler is,” said Farida ElShoubashi, a media expert. “I don’t want the state media to tell me that the president weeps while he prays. I want to know how to the president is going to lift the country’s battered economy.” — AP

Report of US-Iran ‘deal’ exposes US-Israel...

Continued from Page 1 The Obama administration says it is strongly committed to Israel’s security and to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and has vowed far-ranging reprisals if attacked.

The United States and Israel both accuse Iran of secretly seeking the means to make nuclear arms and say they reserve the right to take military action to prevent Iran from getting them. However, the Obama administration has repeatedly made clear in public that it thinks diplomacy and tough new sanctions have not yet run their course, even as Israeli officials say the window for effective military action is rapidly closing.

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said he still believed Obama’s assurances that Washington was prepared to use force if needed to prevent Iran from developing a bomb. “I don’t know what kind of messages Yedioth Ahronoth heard,” Meridor said. “But I think the Iranians understand ... that if they cross a line towards a bomb, they could encounter very strong resistance, including all the options that are on the table - as the American president has said.”

Obama has had frosty relations with the right-wing Netanyahu, who is due to visit the United States this month.

The Nov 6 presidential election is seen hinging mostly on the US economy with foreign policy taking a back seat.

But support for Israel is an important issue for many US voters, including evangelical Christians as well as Jews who could prove critical in battleground states like Florida and Pennsylvania. Obama wants to shore up his advantage among Jewish voters.

He received 78 percent of the Jewish vote in the 2008 election, but a nationwide Gallup poll in June showed him

down to 64 percent backing versus Romney’s 29 percent.

Administration officials have also made clear they regard the prospect of an Israeli attack on Iran with alarm.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was quoted in Britain’s Guardian newspaper as saying of a prospective Israeli attack on Iran: “I don’t want to be complicit if they choose to do it.” The Obama administration and the European Union imposed harsh new sanctions on Iran in July. US officials say they hope that this will persuade Iran to curb its nuclear projects.

Of Dempsey’s comments, Meridor said: “I’m sorry we’ve reached the situation where Dempsey said what he said, but this campaign (against Iran) is continuing and it must be conducted very wisely.”

Netanyahu’s cabinet is divided over the wisdom of attacking Iran, and Israeli officials have dropped heavy hints of a retreat on their strategy, under which Netanyahu would shelve threats of an attack now in return for a stronger public pledge from Obama on conditions that would provoke US action in the future. “The greater the resolve and the clearer the red line, the less likely we’ll have conflict,” Netanyahu said yesterday.

Separately, Iran has built about 30 percent of a missile defence system it is developing in place of the Russian S300 system Moscow refused to sell it, and hopes to complete the system by next year, a senior military official said yesterday. Farzad Esmaili, commander of the army’s air defence force, also reiterated that Iran will hold a large-scale air defence exercise in the next two months covering the whole country, the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported. Iran, under mounting pressure from Israel and Western powers over its controversial nuclear program, has unveiled upgrades to weapons systems and held several mili-

tary exercises this year to demonstrate its ability to defend itself.

Israeli rhetoric has stoked speculation that Israel might attack Iran’s nuclear sites, some buried deep underground, before the US presidential election in November. Western powers suspect Iran of trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability and have imposed several rounds of sanctions on it, but Tehran says its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes and refuses to suspend it.

ISNA quoted Esmaili yesterday as saying Iran would test its air defence systems in mid-to-late October or early November. “We will use whatever we have in order to defend Iran,” Esmaili said. “Today the main threat is an air threat, because it achieves quick results, therefore it was felt it was necessary that air defences work independently. One of our missions is being vigilant over sensitive centres like refineries and nuclear sites,” Esmaili said. “A new, more advanced system with higher capabilities than the S-300 in detecting, identifying and destroying targets is pending,” ISNA quoted Esmaili as saying. “About 30 percent of the work related to building the Bavar-373 has been completed and we will make efforts so that we can announce the completion of this project by next year.”

Moscow refused to sell the sophisticated S-300 system to Iran on the ground that it would violate expanded UN sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran announced in November 2010 that it had adapted another Russian-made missile system to perform more like the S-300, a precision, mobile, long-range air defence system that can detect, track and destroy ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and low-flying aircraft. Military experts have cast doubt on Iran’s claims of weapons advances, especially regarding its missile program, saying they are often exaggerated. — Agencies

Continued from Page 1

“I see the way (older people) look at me - they don’t like it,” said Mayada Hamid, 32, wearing a pink leopard-print headscarf with jeans, a blue blouse and lots of sparkly eyeliner Sunday while shopping at the famous gold market in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Kazimiyah. She rolled her eyes. “It’s just suppression.” So far, though, there are no reports of the police actually taking action.

This is a conflict playing out across the Arab world, where conservative Islamic societies grapple with the effects of Western influence, especially the most obvious - the way their young choose to dress. The violations of old Iraqi norms have grown especially egregious, religious officials say, since the Aug 20 end of Ramadan. In the last two weeks, posters and banners have been hanging along the streets of Kazimiyah, sternly reminding women to wear an abaya - a long, loose black cloak that covers the body from shoulders to feet.

A similar warning came from Diwaniyah, a Shiite city about 130 km south of the capital, where some posters have painted a red X over pictures of women wearing pants.

Other banners praise women who keep their hair fully covered beneath a headscarf. Religious officials speculate young Iraqis got carried away in celebrating the end of Ramadan and now need to be reined in. “We support personal freedoms, but there are places that have a special status,” said Sheik Mazin Saadi, a Shiite cleric from Kazimiyah, home to the double gold-domed shrine that is one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites. He said the area’s residents lobbied Baghdad’s local government to ban unveiled women from walking around the

neighborhood, including its sprawling open-air market that attracts people from across Iraq. “The women started to follow to this order,” Saadi said.

Government leaders in Baghdad say they’ve issued no such ban and ordered some of the warning posters removed. The rule “is only for the female visitors who go inside the shrine itself ”, said Sabar Al-Saadi, chairman of the Baghdad provincial council’s legal committee. “We think that wearing a veil for women in Iraq is a personal decision.”

Muslim women generally wear headscarves or veils in public out of modesty, and female worshippers are required to wear an abaya or other loose robes in shrines and mosques. But over the last several years, following the 2003 US-led invasion and the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein, Western styles have crept into Iraq’s fashion palate.

Form-fitting clothing, stylish shoes and men’s edgy hairstyles are commonly seen on the street. Some younger women have even begun to forgo the hijab, or headscarf.

Their parents - and their parents’ parents - fear Western influence will drown out Iraq’s centuries of culture and respect for religion. “We as Iraqis do not respect our traditions,” said Fadhil Jawad, 65, a gold seller near the Kazimiyah shrine. He estimated his profits have dropped by 10 percent in the last two weeks since authorities posted warnings about improper dress codes at the entrance to the market. He called the financial loss worth the lesson being imposed.

“Legs can be seen, there are lowcut shirts,” Jawad lamented. “And all, very, very tight. I think these Iraqis who are wearing these things have come back from Syria, Dubai and Egypt. They probably spent too

lies in Kazimiyah are conservative.

These young people - nobody can control them. They should be given freedoms, but they should know their limits.”

Several young adults strolling the Kazimiyah gold market on Sunday accused the religious class of trying to pull Iraq back to the dark ages, a sentiment that human rights activist Hana Adwar echoed. “It is an aggression on the rights of not only religious minorities, but also on secular Muslim women who do not want to wear veils,” said Adwar, head of the Baghdad-based Iraqi Hope Association. Men, too, have been targeted in the fashion flap: Edgy haircuts, tattoos and body piercings have angered religious authorities.

But Hassan Mahdi, 22, said he does not care. “No, hell no, nobody can tell me what to do,” said Mahdi, sporting a tight turquoise Adidas tracksuit and a trendy moptop hairdo at the Kazimiyah market.

So far, it appears, the fashion police have stopped short of taking any real steps. Guards at two security checkpoints in Kazimiyah said they have not been ordered to stop daring dressers from entering the market, and 17-year-old Ali Sayeed Abdullah said his slicked-up pompadour didn’t prevent him from going into the shrine. “Nobody objected,” he said. “But if there is a ban on this, I will change it,” referring to his hairstyle. But some women have been handed tissues at Kazimiyah checkpoints and told to wipe off their makeup before entering the market, said resident Hak ima Mahdi, 59. “ This is ver y good,” she said, smiling broadly, sheathed in a black cloak with an extra abaya covering her head. “It’s respect to the imam, respect to this holy place.” — AP

Lebanon smoking ban sparks ire Continued from Page 1 restaurant or cafe owners who turn a blind eye to offenders could be fined anything from $900 to $2,700.

The number of smokers in Lebanon is among the highest in the region and cancer-related illnesses directly linked to tobacco are rising at a rapid rate, health professionals say. Still, there is speculation as to how far the new ban can actually hold in a country where cigarette, cigar and nargileh (water-pipe) smoking is so popular and widespread.

It was met with discontent among clients of the coffee shops of the central Hamra district of Beirut. “We have mountains of waste and minibuses spewing carbon dioxide. The government would have done better to address these issues before prohibiting smoking,” said Saad Fleifel, peering over a nargileh on a cafe terrace. Like the majority of people interviewed by AFP, he accused the authorities of depriving him of the right to “unwind” in Lebanon, a country plagued by years of war, instability and economic woes.

“Banning cigarettes is a European concept, but shishas are a way of life in eastern Lebanon and they want to deprive us of that!” said Saad, referring to nargileh.

“Hookah bars are the only things that work in Lebanon,” added his companion Firas Ghali, using another term for the water-pipes. The 30-year-old retailer questioned the application of the law, predicting that “within a week or

two, many cafes will close their doors”.

Some 46 percent of Lebanese men and 31 percent of women are regular cigarette smokers, according to World Health Organisation figures that date back to November 2010. Cigarettes in Lebanon cost little more than a dollar a pack, a price even many teenagers can afford. But rather than focus on the potential health benefits, many have focused on the potential economic cost of the new law. Restaurant and cafe owners have cried foul, warning that nargileh cafe owners especially will suffer.

Many owners of cafes and restaurants immediately organised a sit-in protest in Beirut to protest against the law, demanding that they be allowed to create smoking areas. One coffee shop owner in Hamra expressed concerns about the likely impact on his business. “Nearly 80 percent of our customers come here for the hookah. How will we do in winter when there won’t be any terraces?” he asked.

The new law was also met with derision in second city Tripoli, scene of recent fighting between pro- and antiSyrian factions. “It’s a weird country, Lebanon. It is forbidden to smoke, but kidnapping people is allowed,” said one Tripoli resident, referring to recent abductions claimed by known perpetrators who were not arrested.

Several other countries in the Middle East have adopted anti-tobacco laws, but their enforcement has proven often difficult as smoking, especially of the nargileh, is hugely popular. — AFP

14

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

opinion

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.

E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net

Issues

Violence dims hope of solution to Kurd conflict

By Daren Butler mages of smiling Kurdish MPs hugging rebels, rifles slung over their shoulders, at a remote roadblock in Turkey’s mountainous southeast hit a raw nerve. The embrace, depicted in Turkish newspapers as battles raged with government troops, fed a climate of animosity which is undermining hopes of a revival of secret talks to end a 28-year-old separatist conflict. Escalating violence could instead now entrench a primarily military response from Ankara to an insurgency that has killed more than 40,000 people. Nine Turkish police and soldiers were killed over the weekend in clashes with Kurdish rebels.

The roadside meeting came as Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels, inspired by the growing influence of an allied Kurdish group in Syria, laid siege to Turkey’s mountainous district of Semdinli bordering Iraq and Iran. “It is a vicious cycle,” said Soner Cagaptay from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Whenever there is a spike in violence, Turkey’s willingness to consider a political solution becomes weaker.” Ankara sees the hand of Damascus in the PKK’s new found energy, accusing it of arming the rebels and allowing a PKK-linked party to control parts of Syria to prevent locals joining the 17-month uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad. “The PKK has been excited by the developments in Syria and is trying to prove its worth and credibility by trying to take parts of Turkish territory, however temporarily,” Cagaptay said.

In a show of strength, the PKK has set up roadblocks and kidnapped Turkish officials and is believed to be behind recent deadly bomb attacks on the western coast of Turkey and in the city of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border. “The aim of these acts is to show that no place in Turkey is safe, that they are capable of spreading terrorism to every region...and prove their control and influence,” said retired major general Armagan Kuloglu, an analyst at a think-tank in Ankara. He said the attacks were aimed to sow discord between Kurds and Turks. The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union, had little prospect of drawing Ankara back to the negotiating table with such a strategy.

Talking to the PKK was long unpalatable to Turkish public opinion. While recordings leaked last year from secret meetings in Oslo between the intelligence service and the outlawed group suggested times may have changed, that window for negotiations may be closing. Erdogan, whose opening to the rebels was unprecedented, will be under pressure to adopt a harder line on the Kurdish problem as he seeks broad right-wing support ahead of his expected bid for a restyled, powerful executive presidency in 2014.

Those talks were a bold and risky move by Erdogan, with many Turks viewing them as a charade. The roadside embraces did little to bolster the image of Kurdish politicians as credible interlocutors, serving rather as fuel for those who oppose a negotiated end to the war.

Progress towards a political solution has also been stymied by mutual recriminations among political parties over the issue, which led the government to block a debate on the violence in parliament this month. In an apparent bid to revive political discussion, Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek issued a plan stressing the need for a more democratic and liberal constitution and measures to boost economic development in the southeast. “This problem is not one that can be solved purely by security measures,” Cicek wrote in an 11-point plan to end the insurgency. “It requires all political parties, NGOs and all sections of society to act responsibly together in harmony.”

Government spokesman Bulent Arinc swiftly dismissed Cicek’s plan while a deputy leader of Erdogan’s AK Party blamed opposition parties for the impasse, saying they had rejected government bids to work together on a solution. Besides the human toll, the conflict has hampered economic development in one of Turkey’s poorest corners and has added to instability in an already fragile region bordering Iran, Iraq and Syria. Turkey’s policy on the Kurdish problem also sits uneasily alongside its courting of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, from where Ankara imports oil and with whom it is increasingly a significant investment and trading partner. While the Syrian chaos has fed the violence, analysts say the PKK is also encouraged by the belief Kurds have been alienated by a nationwide crackdown on Kurdish activists in Turkey.

Police have arrested thousands of activists accused of involvement in the Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK), an alleged parallel state apparatus formed by the PKK. “The indiscriminate, wholesale detention of Kurdish activists has suffocated the Kurdish political movement and left little breathing room for it in the political arena,” said Sedat Ergin, columnist with the Hurriyet daily. — Reuters

I

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.

Growing fear for US Fed’s independence

By Pedro Nicolaci da Costa ncreasing political encroachment on the Federal Reserve, particularly from the Republican Party, could threaten the central bank’s hard-won independence and undermine confidence in the nearly 100year old institution. That was the pervasive sentiment among economists gathered at the Fed’s annual monetary policy symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Against the dramatic backdrop of the Grand Teton mountain, many said a closely-contested presidential race has turned the monetary authority into a political football.

“I do fear for it a bit if the election comes out that way, especially if some of the more radical voices, that happen to be Republican voices nowadays, get reelected,” said Alan Blinder, Princeton economics professor and a former Fed vice chairman, adding that historically opposition to the US central bank had come predominately from the left. “There’s a lot of hostility,” said Blinder, who was appointed to the Fed by former president Bill Clinton. The primary topic of conversation at the rustic mountainside resort was whether or not Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues would deliver another round of monetary stimulus soon.

But, when probed on the issue on the sidelines of the meeting, many participants voiced concern about the heated political rhetoric aimed at the Fed, including a bill that would audit the conduct of monetary policy that is gaining increasing traction among Republicans. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has said the Fed should be audited and that he would not reappoint Bernanke, himself a Republican who was originally picked for the job by George W Bush, to a third term when his

I

current one expires in early 2014. Still, he has pledged to respect central bank independence. The Fed is already subject to regular audits, but congressman Ron Paul’s bill would remove an exemption for monetary policy deliberations. For some observers, that pressure is already affecting the Fed’s behavior, preventing it from pushing more aggressively for stronger economic growth following the sharp blowback received back in 2010, when policymakers announced their last large scale bond purchase program.

Some analysts outside the Fed’s inner circle - the ones that weren’t invited to Jackson Hole - argue top central bank officials brought some of the political heat on themselves. By backing bank bailouts that came with few strings attached and allowing some of the chief culprits of the financial crisis to continue doing business as usual, these critics say, the Fed was seen as too close to Wall Street, making it an easy political target. Ironically, the complete political gridlock that characterizes US fiscal policy has left the Fed in the difficult position of being “the only game in town”.

Both the Fed and the independent Congressional Budget Office have said a looming “fiscal cliff” of spending cuts and expiring tax breaks at the end of this year could shove a fragile economy into a new recession. In response to the financial crisis and deep recession of 2007-2009, the Fed cut interest rates to effectively zero and bought some $2.3 trillion in government bonds and mortgage debt to keep borrowing costs down and stimulate investment.

Despite such aggressive efforts, growth remains subpar, registering an annual rate of just 1.7 percent in the second quarter, a level seen as too tame to bring down the country ’s 8.3 percent jobless rate.

Bernanke, during his keynote speech here on Friday, spent much time outlining the benefits of recent Fed policies, arguing they prevented a much deeper slump and helped put unemployment on a downward trajectory. But many Republicans in Washington have cried foul, berating the central bank for risking high inflation in the future - even if there has been little sign of substantial upward price pressures from the expansion of the Fed’s balance sheet five years after officials started cutting rates. Critics also contend the Fed’s loose monetary policy has made it easier for the government to run large deficits. “Central banks are under a lot of scrutiny right now,” said Karen Dynan, a former Fed economist now at Brookings Institution. “It’s partly because they are using these unconventional measures that people don’t really understand and don’t really trust.”

Romney ’s choice of Paul Ryan - an ardent Fed critic who supports “sound money” - as his running mate appeared to ratchet up the potential for a possible Romney administration to tighten the screws on the central bank. Such an attack would most likely come in two forms: support for Texas libertarian Ron Paul’s Audit the Fed bill, which Bernanke has said would be a “nightmare” for Fed independence, and an attempt to curtail the Fed’s mandate and force it to focus solely on inflation rather than giving equal weight to unemployment.

Fed officials including Bernanke have warned that monetary policy cannot go it alone in supporting the economy, and yet there is little prospect of any resolution to Washington’s long-running showdown over fiscal policy and the budget.

“Monetary policy cannot achieve by itself what a broader and more balanced set of

economic policies might achieve,” Bernanke said in his Jackson Hole remarks.

Historically, the notion of political interference in monetary affairs boiled down to fears that, if politicians with short-term horizons had their way, they would always have central bankers crank up the printing presses in order to juice up growth - leading, in extreme cases, to hyperinflation. In the current case, however, opposition has emerged against a proactive central bank that has been forced to widen its range of policy tools in a zero interest rate environment. Susan Collins, professor of economics at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy, stressed the dangers of political interference in monetary policy of either stripe. “Compromising that (independence), maybe not immediately but over the medium- to longer-term, would have some really unfortunate consequences,” said Collins.

These could include a loss of market confidence that perversely pushes borrowing costs higher and tarnishes the central bank’s credibility. “I absolutely hope that some wiser council would prevail should that issue come to the fore,” added Collins.

Comments from Romney advisor Martin Feldstein, also attending the Jackson Hole event, suggested a more Fed-friendly tone could yet reemerge from Republican side.

Feldstein, a Harvard professor who would likely be on Romney’s short-list to replace Bernanke at the Fed, downplayed the Republican push to strip the Fed of its dual mandate. “I don’t think that is a realistic idea,” he said, noting that even central banks with single mandates have to pay close attention to growth and employment. “I don’t think the dual mandate has handicapped them in their focus on keeping inflation down.” — Reuters

Iran may be pushing to nuke threshold

By Brian Murphy “big and unforgivable” sin. A Western falsehood. An attempt to deprive developing nations of peaceful nuclear technology. That’s how Iran’s supreme leader addresses allegations that the Islamic Republic seeks atomic weapons. Iran’s denials - while forceful and delivered from the pinnacle of its ruling Islamic system - can carry a distinctly hollow ring among its foes as the UN nuclear watchdog piles on worries: Complaining about limits on inspection access and reporting that Tehran is expanding its nuclear fuel labs in a virtually attack-proof underground site.

They are enriching uranium far beyond what’s needed for their lone energy reactor and preventing inspection, adding to the urgency while repeatedly predicting Israel will be destroyed and actively supporting militancy in the region. But, as Israel increasingly weighs the option of a military strike, Western leaders wary of another Middle East conflict may have to pay closer attention to the claims by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others. Quite possibly, they may be telling the truth. Or at least to a point.

Iran could be shaping its nuclear ambitions after Japan, which has the full scope of nuclear technology - including the presumed ability to produce warhead-grade material - but has stopped short of actually producing a weapon.

It creates, in effect, a de facto nuclear power with all the parts but just not pieced together.

More than two years ago, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani essentially embraced Tokyo’s nuclear model during a visit to Japan that included a stop in Nagasaki, of the two cities destroyed by American atomic bombs World War II. Larijani met with Japanese officials and praised the country’s nuclear program as a symbol of a third path that dates back to the 1970s, when then Japanese Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata told reporters that Japan “certainly” could possess nuclear arms “but has not made them.”

A

The major difference, however, is Israel and other US allies, such as Saudi Arabia. They would have to adapt to a huge balance-ofpower shift with Iran on the doorstep of having nuclear arms. Following Japan’s path would allow Iran to push their nuclear technology to the limit while being able to claim it has adhered to its international pledge not to develop a bomb. Yoel Guzansky, an Iranian affairs expert for Israel’s Institute of National Security Studies, believes Iran could be adopting a Japan-style policy to reach a “nuclear threshold”. “Israeli can’t live with the uncertainty of a nuclear threshold state,” he said. “Iran could push over (to weapons capability) at any given moment.”

The world, however, has absorbed the gamechanging nuclear arms development of states such as China and Pakistan.

Israel, too, is believed to have a nuclear arsenal although officials neither confirm nor deny its existence. This is where Iran might seek seams in the unity of the West and its allies: Could some live with an almost-armed Iran rather than risk a war that could send oil prices skyrocketing and risk spilling conflict across the region?

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would make his anti-Iran case “in a clear voice” later this month at the UN General Assembly, which is expected to include Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as head of the Iranian delegation.

In March, Netanyahu colorfully dismissed Iran’s claims of having peaceful nuclear aims: “If it looks like a duck. If it walks like a duck. If it

quacks like a duck, then what is it? That’s right, it’s a duck. But this duck is a nuclear duck.”

“We’ve heard all these stories from the Iranians,” said Paul Hirschson, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman. “Nobody believes (Khamenei) ... There is no other explanation other than a nuclear military program.”

Khamenei gives a wholly different portrayal which, if nothing else, adds to pressure on Israel to allow time for Western sanctions to possibly force concessions from Iran. “I declare that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never been after nuclear weapons and it will never abandon its right for peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Khamenei told a gathering of the 120member Nonaligned Movement in Tehran on Thursday.

The group, which includes mostly developing nations in Asia, Africa and South America, was an especially receptive audience. The summit’s final communique Friday said all countries had the right to development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. It notably cited Iran.

Khamenei and other Iranian officials strongly push the belief that nuclear technology should not just be in the hands of a few countries, but available to all under UN treaties. It’s part of Iran’s wider efforts to become a scientific leader to challenge the West in areas such as aerospace and military systems.

Iran on Saturday signed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement with North Korea, which is already believed to have assisted Iran in missile development. Khamenei earlier this week also repeated his view that

pursuit of nuclear weapons violates Islam and is a “big and unforgivable sin”. “Nuclear arms have neither provided security nor boosted political power,” Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on Iranian state TV. The US and allies seek to roll back Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, which they fear could eventually lead to atomic weapons. But Khamenei’s address suggested that Iran could push its enrichment beyond levels needs for medical applications and its lone energy-producing reactor. Already, military commanders have discussed plans for a nuclear-powered sub, which would need uranium at near weapons grade. A report Thursday by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that Iran now has 1,000 uranium-enrichment centrifuges at the subterranean Fordo site south of Tehran - more than double the number since May. Fordo is still small compared with Iran’s main enrichment facility, but it is considered to have more advanced equipment and is protected under 90 m of mountain rock.

The report also said Iran has effectively shut down inspections of a separate site - the Parchin military complex - suspected of being used for nuclear weapons-related experiments, by shrouding it from spy satellite view with a covering. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who attended the Tehran conference, said urged Iranian officials to “take concrete steps to build international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program.” Ban’s team in Tehran included Jeffrey Feltman, a former top US State Department official who now works at the UN. But a report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said the latest UN nuclear report raises the prospect of a deepening standoff. “The IAEA reports Iranian actions that raise growing questions about whether Iran will ever agree to meaningful disclosure, inspection and other verification measures covering its nuclear efforts,” wrote Anthony Cordesman, a Mideast expert at the center.— AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

sp orts Swedish player dies of suspected cardiac arrest

Glenn McGrath to head Indian pace academy

STOCKHOLM: A 29-year-old Swedish soccer player collapsed and died of a suspected cardiac arrest, minutes after giving his team the lead in a league match on Sunday.

Pitea player Victor Brannstrom had scored after just four minutes against Umedalen in their Division Two North clash on Sunday when he suddenly sat down and slumped over, according to local newspaper Norrlandska Socialdemokraten.

A kit man and nurse immediately administered CPR to the player until three ambulances arrived and Brannstrom was taken to Pitea hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 4 p.m.

(1400 GMT). “It is completely incomprehensible. It is so tragic. This is the hardest thing I have experienced,” Pitea vice-chariman Christer Berglund is quoted as saying.

Brannstrom, who had previously played for Helsingborg in Sweden’s top flight, had retired from the sport in January following a similar collapse but returned to action when tests indicated he had no serious heart problems.

“That also feels so damn tough but we didn’t persuade him to make a comeback - Victor wanted to play himself. He trained and it went well for him,” Berglund added. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: Australian fast bowling great Glenn McGrath says he hopes to fill shoes of compatriot Dennis Lillee after taking over as head of India’s top pace bowling academy. Lillee had headed the MRF Pace Foundation, which is operated by tire company the Madras Rubber Factory, since its inception in 1987. In that time he has helped contributed to the development of many fast bowlers including, most recently, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Zaheer Khan “I’d grown up in New South Wales watching and admiring Lillee,” The Hindu newspaper quoted McGrath as saying at a function organized to celebrate the academy’s 25th anniversary. “He was a great fast bowler. It will be a challenge for me to continue his legacy here.” McGrath, 42, said the academy has helped pacemen not only from India, but also from all over the world. “I came here in 1992 as a young paceman. It was just great learning from Lillee,” said McGrath, who is test cricket’s most successful pace bowler with 563 wickets in 124 games, as well as 381 wickets in 250 one-day internationals. — AP

Nadal to miss Davis Cup tie MADRID: Rafa Nadal’s injury lay off was extended by another two months yesterday, with the Spaniard saying his troublesome knee will not be ready for the Davis Cup semi-final against the United States. “I really want to be back competing and enjoying the tennis tour, but I have many years in front of me and my knee needs some rest,” Nadal said in a statement yesterday.

“I will be back when I have no pain and am able to compete without problems.” Nadal has been having treatment for a partial tear of the patella tendon and an inflammation of the Hoffa’s fat pad of his left knee.

The world number three has not played since suffering a shock secondround Wimbledon defeat to Czech Lukas Rosol in June. He missed the Olympic Games, where he was the defending champion, and was forced to withdraw from the US Open. “I feel better after the meeting with my doctors and happy knowing that the evolution of the past weeks has been positive and surgery has been avoided,” Nadal added. — Reuters

MLB results/standings Baltimore 8, NY Yankees 3; Texas 8, Cleveland 3; Tampa Bay 9, Toronto 4; NY Mets 5, Miami 1; Washington 4, St. Louis 3; Cincinnati 5, Houston 3; Milwaukee 12, Pittsburgh 8; Kansas City 6, Minnesota 4; San Francisco 7, Chicago Cubs 5; Colorado 11, San Diego 10; Oakland 6, Boston 2; Seattle 2, LA Angels 1; LA Dodgers 5, Arizona 4; Atlanta 8, Philadelphia 7; Detroit 4, Chicago White Sox 2.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT GB NY Yankees 76 57 .571 Baltimore 74 59 .556 2 Tampa Bay 73 61 .545 3.5 Boston 62 73 .459 15 Toronto 60 73 .451 16 Central Division Detroit 72 61 .541 72 61 .541 White Sox Kansas City 60 73 .451 12 Cleveland 56 78 .418 16.5 Minnesota 55 79 .410 17.5 Western Division Texas 79 54 .594 76 57 .571 3 Oakland LA Angels 71 63 .530 8.5 Seattle 65 70 .481 15

National League Eastern Division Washington 81 52 .609 75 59 .560 Atlanta Philadelphia 64 70 .478 NY Mets 64 70 .478 Miami 59 75 .440 Central Division Cincinnati 82 53 .607 St. Louis 72 62 .537 Pittsburgh 70 63 .526 Milwaukee 65 68 .489 Chicago Cubs 51 82 .383 Houston 41 93 .306 Western Division San Francisco 76 58 .567 LA Dodgers 72 63 .533 Arizona 66 69 .489 San Diego 62 73 .459 Colorado 55 77 .417

6.5 17.5 17.5 22.5 9.5 11 16 30 40.5 4.5 10.5 14.5 20

Braves edge Phillies ATLANTA: Chipper Jones hit a three-run homer off Jonathan Papelbon with two outs in the ninth inning, capping a fiverun rally that sent the Atlanta Braves over the Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 on Sunday.

The Phillies led 7-3 entering the ninth and seemed set to complete a three-game sweep.

Instead, the Braves boosted their wildcard position, coming back against Jeremy Horst and Papelbon (3-6). Reed Johnson singled off Horst with one out for his third hit and Paul Janish walked.

Papelbon struck out pinch hitter Lyle Overbay before walking Michael Bourn to load the bases. Martin Prado’s grounder skipped past third baseman Kevin Frandsen for a two-run double before Jones hit his 14th home run deep into the right-field seats. The blown save was the fourth in 35 chances for Papelbon. Peter Moylan (1-0) got one out for the win.

Nationals 4, Cardinals 3 In Washington, Stephen Strasburg allowed two hits over six scoreless innings, striking out nine before being pulled as the Washington Nationals beat St. Louis. The NL East-leading Nationals took three of four from St. Louis and passed their 80-win total from last season. Strasburg, rocked for seven runs last Tuesday at Miami, left with a 2-0 lead and a 2.94 ERA. He threw 97 pitches and wound up with a no-decision.

The 23-year-old Strasburg has struck out a league-leading 195 in 156 1-3 innings this season. The Nationals have repeatedly stated they intend on shutting him down in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2010.

After the game, manager Davey Johnson indicated Strasburg has two starts left.

Reds 5, Astros 3 In Houston, Jay Bruce’s three-run homer keyed Cincinnati’s five-run eighth inning and the NL Central-leading Reds rallied past Houston.

Bruce’s 29th homer came against Xavier Cedeno (0-1). Bruce, who is from nearby Beaumont, Texas, has three homers and 10 RBIs in nine games at Houston this season. Jose Arredondo (62) allowed two hits and two runs in the seventh and Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect ninth for his 34th save.

Angeles Dodgers over Arizona. Gonzalez lined an 0-2 pitch into the right-field corner off J.J. Putz (1-5) after Mark Ellis singled with one out and Shane Victorino walked. Ronald Belisario (4-1) pitched a scoreless ninth and struck out three while allowing a double to Chris Johnson. Matt Kemp ran up to Gonzalez and tossed a container of water on him during an onfield postgame interview. Gonzalez had struggled since being traded to the Dodgers from Boston on Aug. 25.

Brewers 12, Pirates 8 In Milwaukee, Ryan Braun hit his NLleading 37th home run, pitcher Yovani Gallardo also connected and the Milwaukee Brewers sent Pittsburgh to its 10th loss in 13 games. Jeff Bianchi, Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez also connected as Milwaukee tied a season high with five home runs. Garrett Jones, Michael McKenry and Gaby Sanchez homered for the wild card-contending Pirates, who got swept in the three-game series. Pirates starter James McDonald (12-7) was tagged for eight runs and six hits in 2 2-3 innings. He struck out six, but was tagged for four home runs. Milwaukee has won six in a row at home and 14 of its last 16 at Miller Park. Kameron Loe (5-4) picked up the victory in relief of Gallardo, who failed to complete the fifth inning. John Axford closed out the game to earn his 23rd save.

Mets 5, Marlins 1 In Miami, Jason Bay hit his fifth career grand slam in the Mets’ five-run first inning and New York earned a threegame sweep over Miami.

Chris Young (4-7) allowed one run and five hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three as the Mets won for the seventh time in eight games. The Mets wasted little time in getting to Mark Buehrle (12-12). — AP

Giants 7, Cubs 5 In Chicago, Angel Pagan hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the ninth inning and the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants closed out a successful road trip by beating the Cubs. Santiago Casilla (6-5) pitched an inning to get the victory and Javier Lopez got the final two outs for his sixth save in eight chances. The Giants went 5-1 on a swing through Houston and Chicago - the two worst teams in the NL Central. The Giants took advantage of a bout of wildness by Carlos Marmol (2-3) to grab the lead in the ninth.

Dodgers 5, D’backs 4 In Los Angeles, Adrian Gonzalez doubled in the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Los

ATLANTA: Braves left fielder Martin Prado throws to first for an out in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies. —AP

CLEVELAND: Cleveland Indians shortstop Brent Lillibridge makes a diving stop on an infield hit by Texas Rangers’ Elvis Andrus in the fourth inning of a baseball game. —AP

Rangers and Athletics advance CLEVELAND: Jurickson Profar made quite a debut at age 19, homering in his first major league at-bat and doubling his next time up as the Texas Rangers beat Cleveland 8-3 Sunday.

Profar opened the third inning with a drive over the right-field wall, connecting on a 2-1 pitch from Zach McAllister (5-6). The teen finished 2 for 4 as a late substitute after second baseman Ian Kinsler was scratched with a stiff back. Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre and David Murphy all hit solo home runs in the Texas fifth. Derek Holland (10-6) gave up two runs over seven innings as the AL West-leading Rangers took two of three in the series. Texas matched its best record through 133 games, having also gone 79-54 in 1999.

Profar is the first player to homer his first time up in a Rangers uniform. The last player to do it in franchise history was Brant Alyea for the Washington Senators in 1965. The Senators moved to Texas in 1972.

Athletics 6, Red Sox 2 In Oakland, Seth Smith hit a two-run homer, Stephen Drew hit his first home run since joining Oakland and the Athletics beat Boston for their season-best ninth straight win. Brett Anderson (3-0) won his third straight start since returning from a 14-month absence to recover from Tommy John surgery.

It was a big boost for the AL wild-card leading A’s down the stretch after losing Bartolo Colon to a 50-game suspension.

This is the club’s longest winning run since 10 in a row from June 8-18, 2006, the last year the A’s reached the playoffs. The A’s won their eighth in a row against the Red Sox to match their longest winning streak in the rivalry since the Philadelphia A’s did so May 2-28, 1932. Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-4) was tagged for six runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings.

Orioles 8, Yankees 3 In New York, Mark Reynolds hit a three-run shot in the sixth inning for his second twohomer game of the weekend series and the Baltimore Orioles closed in on the AL Eastleading New York Yankees.

Randy Wolf (1-0) made his first appearance for Baltimore when starter Chris Tillman left with right elbow stiffness after the third inning. He helped the Orioles pull within two games of the Yankees with 3 1-3 effective innings. Reynolds made the ballpark in the Bronx his personal launching pad in this key matchup between the top two teams in the division. He homered twice in Friday’s victory then got Baltimore on the scoreboard Sunday when he hit a mammoth drive leading off the fifth inning. Reynolds’ 16th homer with none out in the sixth finished Hughes (13-12) and put Baltimore ahead 5-3.

Rays 9, Blue Jays 4 In Toronto, David Price earned his AL-leading 17th victory by pitching 6 2-3 solid innings and Ben Francisco homered in his first start for Tampa Bay as the Rays beat Toronto.

Carlos Pena also homered as the Rays won for only the third time in nine games, pulling within 31/2 games of the AL East-leading New York Yankees. The Yankees begin a threegame series at Tampa Bay late yesterday.

Price (17-5) gave up two runs, six hits and four walks while striking out five in a rebound game after a rare bad outing in Texas, where he was tagged by the Rangers for six runs and 10 hits. Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero (8-13) lost his 12th straight decision. He allowed a run in the first inning, then faced seven batters in the second and all of them reached base.

Mariners 2, Angels 1 In Seattle, Jesus Montero hit another home run off Angels ace Jered Weaver, leading Hisashi Iwakuma and the Seattle Mariners

past Los Angeles. Carlos Peguero also homered against Weaver. Iwakuma (6-3) pitched 7 1-3 scoreless innings and helped end the Angels’ five-game winning streak. Montero singled early, then hit his 15th home run of the season in the fourth. He has four homers in nine career at-bats against Weaver (16-4).

Tom Wilhelmsen allowed a run in the ninth when Howie Kendrick singled home pinchrunner Vernon Wells, but retired Erick Aybar to convert his 22nd save in 25 tries.

Royals 6, Twins 4 In Kansas City, Tony Abreu drove in three runs and the Kansas City Royals beat Minnesota to avoid a three-game sweep.

Abreu’s three RBIs matched his career high, set on Sept. 18, 2007, while with Arizona at Colorado. Tim Collins (5-2) got a blown save and also got the win.

Esmerling Vasquez (0-1), who was making his first big league start after 141 relief appearances, allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 2-3 innings. Greg Holland struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth for his 10th save in 12 chances.

Tigers 4, White Sox 2 In Detroit, Justin Verlander shut down Chicago after the first inning and Delmon Young hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the sixth to lift the Tigers to a share of first place in the AL Central.

Alejandro De Aza hit Verlander’s second pitch of the night over the wall in right field, but the Detroit ace was outstanding after that. Verlander (13-7) allowed four hits in eight innings, striking out 11 with two walks.

The Tigers swept the three-game series to pull even with the White Sox atop the division.

Chris Sale (15-6) allowed four runs and five hits in six innings. Jose Valverde allowed a run in the ninth but held on for his 28th save in 32 chances. — AP

Shutting down Strasburg is curious plan NEW YORK: Stephen Strasburg sure didn’t look like a pitcher with issues Sunday afternoon in Washington. Quite the opposite, he looked like someone the St. Louis Cardinals or any other team wouldn’t want to face in the playoffs a month from now.

The fact that won’t be happening isn’t merely stupefying. It might be the worst decision for baseball in Washington since the Senators first fled to Minnesota a half-century ago.

Think about it. A Washington team is on the verge of playing a postseason game for the first time since the country was still in the grips of the Great Depression. But when the Nationals open the playoffs - almost surely at home they’ll do it with their best pitcher watching from the dugout, unavailable to help. All in the name of protecting an arm no one is even sure needs protecting.

Of all the crazy things done in the nation’s capital, this may be the craziest. The motive might be admirable - certainly no one wants to see Strasburg end up washed up early like Mark Prior, another recent phenom - but it’s based on theory and feel with no real basis in scientific study.

It also seems at least partly driven by Strasburg’s agent, Scott Boras, who by the nature of his job is more concerned with his client’s future earning potential than the possibility of a Washington team winning the World Series for the first time since 1924.

Surely, anyone watching Sunday as Strasburg hit the mid90s with his fastball would be hard-pressed to find any deterioration in his arm since the season began. He allowed just two hits in six shutout innings against a team the Nationals could be facing in the playoffs, striking out nine to regain the strikeout lead in the National League while lowering his ERA to 2.94.

For that, he gets two more starts, the last coming Sept. 12 against the Mets at Citi Field. Then general manager Mike Rizzo plans to shut him down for the season for fear of risking any more innings on a right arm a year removed from reconstructive elbow surgery.

For Strasburg, that means no playoffs. For Nationals fans, it means having to deal with the idea the best team in baseball will have a tougher time making the

World Series than it would have with its ace on the mound. For Rizzo, it’s the right move no matter who criticizes it.

“Stephen Strasburg is one of the most popular players in baseball and it is a good conversational piece,” Rizzo said after the game. “It is a debatable subject, but most of the people who have weighed in on this know about 10 percent of the information that we know, that we’ve made our opinion and based it on.”

If Nats fans have trouble swallowing that, it’s not because they wish any ill will to Strasburg or the right arm that has already made him quite rich. Surely they want to see him healthy and throwing 95 mph fastballs in Washington for years to come.

But they’d also like to win a World Series before another 88 years passes. And despite Rizzo claiming they have only 10 percent of the information he has, they have yet to be told just how a limit of between 160-170 innings on Strasburg this year guarantees anything for the future of the pitcher or the franchise.

It doesn’t, of course. There are no guarantees with the arms of

power pitchers, whether they can go into their 40s still throwing heat like Nolan Ryan or Roger Clemens, or flame out early like Prior did with the Cubs. Generally speaking, the more innings a pitcher throws the more chance is he could be injured, but there’s wide debate over what constitutes normal use versus overuse.

Indeed, the Cardinals own Adam Wainwright - who at 31 is eight years older than Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery last year like Strasburg and has pitched similar innings this season. But with St. Louis battling for a playoff spot, there are no plans to shut him down.

“We’re going to go full steam ahead with Adam until he feels anything not normal,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said before Sunday’s game. “He has had a great stretch here, except his last start, he’s been as good as anybody. As long as he is feeling good we’re going to keep going.”

The Nationals are taking the opposite approach. Though Strasburg hasn’t thrown more than six innings in 22 of his 27 starts and has only 156 1-3 innings on the year, he won’t be around for the postseason. — AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

sp orts

Fill-in refs raising concerns as NFL season looms NEW YORK: After a replay review last week, the announcement came that a call had been upheld so Tampa Bay and Washington prepared to play on. Wait.

The officials weren’t quite ready.

“We’ll look at it one more time,” replacement referee Jim Core told the crowd, the teams and the television audience. Delays could be a common theme for NFL games once the regular season begins this week, and there are bigger concerns than that.

With no agreement with its locked-out referee union in sight, the league is planning to use replacements for at least the first week of the season. The new crews have seemed to work hard, but a seamless adjustment is impossible in such a short time. Many of the replacements are going from supervising small college games to policing the sport’s best athletes in front of deafening 75,000-strong crowds. This all but promises more of the officiating mistakes that have punctuated otherwise-unimportant exhibition games. The questions - Can they keep the game safe?

Can they keep up with the speed? Will they avoid game-changing errors? - will keep coming until the NFL and the regular refs reach a new collective bargaining agreement.

“These crews have officiated our games many, many times. So I think you know and respect and trust their level of expertise and the type of game they are going to call,” New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees said of the familiar crews and the looming change. “It’s just like on a team if we say we’re going to put five rookies in front of you and a bunch of first-year players catching the ball and running the football around you: You just don’t have that same level of trust and confidence.” The NFL insists it does. “Officiating is an imperfect science,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said.

“They’re not going to be correct all the time, but we have systems in place to try to help.”

The replacements the league is using aren’t used to those systems. With major college refs staying loyal to their current responsibilities, the NFL had to recruit fill-ins from lower levels of the game where the rules are different, the crowds are small and the action unfolds at a slower pace.

“The replacement officials continue to improve

every week as we continue to work intensively on their training. Overall, they are doing a good job,” league spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Maybe so, but the gaffes have been glaring.

Penalties called on the wrong players. Spots of the ball several yards off. Incomplete or inaccurate explanations of on-field rulings.

In the very first exhibition game of 2012, referee Craig Ochoa announced that New Orleans won the coin toss. Except Arizona did. He immediately made the correction.

Buffalo fans booed when a punt by the Bills was downed at the 4-yard line and the back judge nevertheless ruled the play a touchback. Coach Chan Gailey challenged, and the spot was changed.

In Denver, officials misinterpreted Broncos coach John Fox’s attempt to challenge the spot of the ball after the 49ers recovered their own fumble. Fox was actually assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for challenging the recovery before an NFL rep talked with the crew for several minutes on the sideline. The flag was picked up without explanation.

San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh was hollering for the penalty. The refs, at least temporarily, bought his argument.

Playing at Minnesota, San Diego coach Norv Turner had to throw two challenge flags after turnovers forced by his team were disallowed on the field but contradicted by video replays.

Aiello said the league “cast a wide net and invited applications from experienced college football officials at all levels.” Ochoa’s crew at the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 6 included those with experience in the Arena League, the major college conferences and the NCAA Division II and Division III levels. Ochoa previously worked in the Big Ten - and, yes, the women’s Lingerie Football League.

So they know the sport, and they care enough about the profession to put themselves through the gauntlet that is a typical NFL game.

“My concern is that the replacement referees get too cautious. In other words, the easiest way for them to disappear is to keep the flag in their pocket,” said NBC television analyst Cris Collinsworth, a former

receiver with the Bengals. “I think that even the players are starting to get a little sense of that right now, that maybe they can push the envelope just a little bit more than what they’ve done in the past. And if that’s the case, then maybe we get players who get a little more aggressive than we would’ve seen otherwise.”

In 2011 with the regular officials, an average of 13 penalties for 109 yards was issued per preseason game. That number entering the finales last Thursday was up only slightly for 2012, an average of 13.4 penalties for 117.7 yards per exhibition game, according to research by STATS LLC. Teams are under orders not to criticize the officiating. Thus, much of the August analysis has been couched in diplomacy. “They’re trying their hearts out,” Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said.

Said St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher: “Even in games where you have your regular officials there are going to be penalties that are missed, OK?” Quipped Chicago coach Lovie Smith: “We complain. It doesn’t matter who’s over there.”

Players have been more outspoken. Bears kicker Robbie Gould called the replacement refs “clueless” on Twitter and rhetorically asked the NFL when it stopped “caring about the integrity of the game.”

Minnesota quarterback Sage Rosenfels tweeted about “watching lowlights” from the “overmatched” officials in preseason games and predicted a “PR mess” for the league if the regulars aren’t returned.

“We’re fortunate because we can look at the big screen and see the replays, but it’s tough for them,” Indianapolis safety Antoine Bethea said.

Vikings punter Chris Kluwe pointed to the fine line between success and failure in this ultra-competitive league. “Look at last year: The Giants, the eventual Super Bowl champions, they were one game out from not making the playoffs,” Kluwe said. “So if you get one bad call that takes a game the complete other way, the entire season’s different.”

The NFL and the NFL Referees Association, which covers more than 120 on-field officials, are at odds over salary, retirement benefits and operational issues. The NFL has said its offer includes annual pay increases that could earn an experienced official more

than $200,000 annually by 2018. The NFLRA has disputed the value of the proposal, insisting it would ultimately reduce their compensation.

Part of the league’s plan is also to begin hiring some full-time officials. Currently, they’re all parttimers who have other jobs during the week. The two sides met Saturday but came away with no agreement and no announced date to meet again.

On Sunday, the league sent teams a memo saying it upped its offer to the union and thought it was close to a deal, but the union said “there was no agreement ... to do anything other than to meet on Saturday. Any claim that numbers were agreed to before Saturday is absolutely false.”

In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL said that on Saturday “the officials immediately did an about-face and made clear that they had no intention of settling within the agreed-upon parameters.”

So Week 1 in 2012 probably will be like Week 1 in 2001. That year, the NFL used replacements for the first week of the regular season before a contract was finalized.

NFL policy generally prohibits officials from speaking to the media, and the replacements are no exception. Little is known about what they’ve seen, heard and felt over the past month. But those who have lived it before have a good idea.

Tom Perrault, the supervisor of officials for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, an NCAA Division III league, spent 40 years on the field refereeing games at all college levels including the Big Ten. As he worked his way up, he found the differences from division to division difficult to adjust to.

“Every transition for me was a big challenge. It took me three to five years before I really felt comfortable working with the speed and the size of those players,” Perrault said.

Plus, there’s the scrutiny that comes with the NFL game. “Just the atmosphere and the intensity and the electricity of those stadiums, they’ve never experienced that before on that field while trying to concentrate and having the best athletes in the world playing football,” Perrault said. — AP

Louisville romp over Kentucky

NORTON: Louis Oosthuizen, of South Africa, hits out of a bunker on the 15th hole during the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship PGA golf tournament. — AP

Oosthuizen takes control with record birdie blitz NORTON: South African Louis Oosthuizen produced a tournament record birdie blitz to take control of the Deutsche Bank Championship during Sunday’s third round, leaving the highly fancied Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods in his wake.

Oosthuizen reeled off nine birdies on his way to an eightunder 63, including a tournament record seven in a row from the fourth, to move to 19 under par for the tournament.It left the 2010 British Open champion three shots clear of McIlroy, who returned a tidy 67 to sit alone in second and in striking distance at 16-under. Woods managed a 68 to move into tie for third with fellow American and Ryder Cup hopeful Dustin Johnson (65) at 13-under.

“It was obviously probably the start anyone would dream of on that front nine,” Oosthuizen, who went out in a course record 29, told reporters. “I made everything, so you get those days where you just look at a putt and you hole it.”

Oosthuizen started his charge with a tap in birdie on the par five second hole before his game went white hot on the fourth. He coaxed in a seven-foot birdie putt on the drivable par four to start his blitz.

The 29-year-old drained back-to-back 20-foot birdies on five and six to take the outright lead and when he knocked in a five-footer on the seventh he led by three.

The 2012 Masters runner-up kept the streak alive with a 42-foot bomb on the eighth and impressed when a 23-footer went down on the ninth for an opening 29, a course record for TPC Boston. The seventh and final birdie of the streak came a hole later when a pinpoint approach left him with a short putt to move six clear of McIlroy.

The South African cooled off on the back nine stringing together six pars before collecting the only bogey of his day on the 17th thwarting any thoughts of a course record 61.

Oosthuizen finished off his spectacular round with a curling 12-foot birdie on the final hole putting him in position to claim his first victory on American soil.

“I’ve put myself in great spots this year, had a good chance at Houston, had a good chance at Augusta, a few other tournaments, WGC earlier,” Oosthuizen said. “I’m just going to keep on doing what I’m doing.

“The more I’m in the position on the back nine on Sunday, or in this case on a Monday, then it’s going to happen sooner or later.

“I’m just going to keep on plodding on.” McIlroy, who had increased his overnight lead from one to two with birdies on the opening two holes, found himself six back through 10 despite carding just one bogey. But the world number one clawed back into contention with four birdies and just one more bogey over the last eight holes.

“You think going out with a one-shot lead and shooting four-under par, that you might still be in the lead going into the last day but Louis put on a display out there,” McIlroy said. “It was great to watch. “Louis is the sort of player that can do that. He’s very explosive, and he didn’t really put a foot wrong today.”

Woods managed four birdies on Sunday with a lone bogey, leaving him six back with a mountain to climb in the final round to claim a fourth win of the year. “I’m going to have to put together one of those rounds,” Woods said. “It won’t surprise me if somebody shoots eight or nine under par tomorrow because of where the pin locations are.

“Somebody is going to go out there and do it. “It may be early, it may be late, who knows, but hopefully I am one of those guys.”— Reuters

LOUISVILLE: Not known for lavishing praise, Louisville coach Charlie Strong found himself acting out of character. He was happy to do it after his No. 25 Cardinals thoroughly beat instate rival Kentucky 32-14 in their opener.

Offense sparked much of his elation, as the Cardinals outgained the Wildcats 466-373 and scored on five of their first seven possessions.

Strong needed to see that from his offense after the unit struggled at times last season.

What he got was complete domination.

“It was just amazing to see how we just clicked on offense,” Strong said of a team that scored touchdowns on its first three drives. “(Quarterback Teddy) Bridgewater had an unbelievable day. We also had two running backs to rush for over 100 yards. I told our team I have to give credit to our offensive line because they did a great job of blocking up front. They don’t get enough credit.”

Juniors Jeremy Wright and Senorise Perry rushed for 105 and 108 yards respectively, which might be why Strong waited until just before kickoff to pick Wright as the starter in a three-way battle including Dominique Brown.

Wright was the workhorse, rushing 22 times and scoring three touchdowns.

Bridgewater enhanced his promising resume, completing 10 of his first 11 passes and 19 of 21 overall, setting a school percentage record while throwing for 232 yards. What surprised Strong most was scoring on drives of 99, 85 and 93 yards without blinking.

“I do not know if I expected the offense to perform as well as they did,” Strong said. “A lot of the time you just don’t know how well guys will play together and get in sync. They were able to get in sync, stay in sync and move the ball up and down the field.”

Bridgewater’s boost wasn’t surprising, considering the sophomore was last year’s Big East Rookie of the Year. What was startling was

that he did it with little room for error.

A third-down completion to Damian Copeland took Louisville 23 yards to its 25, and Andrell Smith followed with a 17-yarder.

Just like that, the Cardinals and their ground game had breathing room.

“That’s what we pride ourselves on, that’s why we work hard,” Bridgewater said. “We practice game-like situations, so (Sunday) was just like practice.” Do the Cardinals practice 99-

yard drives? “Yes.” No matter who was running, they each ended up outgaining Kentucky (93 rushing yards) all by themselves.

“It was a team effort and everybody pushed each other in practice,” Wright said, “and we got it done because of execution.”

Louisville’s reward for this domination was the Governor’s Cup for the second year in a row. The Cardinals also ended a three-game home losing streak to Kentucky. As for those

LOUISVILLE: Louisville running back Senorise Perry works off a block during action against Kentucky in the NCAA college football game at Cardinal Stadium. — AP

MMA thrills new fight fans in Manila MANILA: Indelibly linked with the ‘Thrilla in Manila’, where Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier laid their bitter boxing rivalry to rest some 37 years ago, the Araneta Coliseum welcomed “the future of fighting” on Friday in the Philippines’ biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) event.

A tied, yellowing banner marking the date of that brutal battle in 1975 reminded fans of the Araneta’s place in boxing history, but most of the 16,500 people packed into the domed venue were not even born when Ali met Frazier in that last great clash of heavyweight titans.

While the full contact sport of MMA has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years, boxing, and the heavyweight division in particular, has fallen on hard times.

Years of greed and self interest, and a lack of direction from the alphabet soup of governing bodies, has brought the once proud sport to its knees. Only a handful of superstars such as the Philippines’ own Manny Pacquiao stand between boxing and sporting irrelevance.

Victor Cui, the CEO of Asia’s biggest MMA promotion ONE Fighting Championship, told Reuters one of the keys to success was figuring out what the current generation of fight fans want.

Sitting at the edge of the cage, as South Korean Kim Soochul rained elbows and punches down on home hope Kevin Belington, Cui said part of boxing’s demise lay in its “old school” approach.

“Manny Pacquiao walks on water here, but the days of people buying tickets and being happy just to see two people fight are long gone,” he said.

“Where MMA has succeeded is recognising the overlap between sport and entertainment. Whether it’s MMA or the Olympics or football, you have to entertain, and sports that don’t do that are going to wither and die.”

Nodding to the five star generals and the heads of major Philippine banks and corporations watching the action from the VIP section, Cui said the ‘one size fits all’ approach to hosting live events was out of date.

“From those fans up there with the beer and the cheapest tickets, to the VIPs who walk down the red carpet and enjoy a glass of wine before the fights, I have to make sure I deliver to each and every one of them,” he added.

While boxing continues to bank on diehard fans shelling out for a main event and lacklustre undercard on pay per view, MMA has taken to the Internet to open up new revenue

streams and tries to give better value for money by stacking fight cards.

Through reality television shows and the canny utilisation of social media, MMA has also become much more accessible than boxing, helping fans connect with fighters and building brand loyalty.

But while boxing has always been considered the gentlemanly form of fighting, the raw violence and lack of regulation in the early years of MMA saw it shunned and scrapping for survival.

Only after evolving from bare-knuckle brawls in underground carparks to highly-regulated bouts between professional athletes has MMA become the mainstream moneyspinner it is today.

Alvin Aguilar, who helped bring MMA out of the shadows in the Philippines with his URCC promotion, said fans were frustrated by boxing - the unscrupulous promoters and overpaid fighters-and were increasingly turning to MMA. The gloves are smaller, a steel cage stands in place of a ring, and a fighter’s fists are not his only weapon. Knees, feet and elbows are used to gain victory, as are an array of grappling submissions.

Just like boxing, however, bodies are broken, blood splashes on the canvas and fans pay good money to watch.

Barely audible above the roar as local fighter Eric Kelly smashed Jens Pulver to the ground, Aguilar said his countrymen had a long-standing love affair with combat sport.

“There’s no such thing as a Filipino man who has never been in a fist fight,” he said. “But boxing these days, it doesn’t do much to entertain fans outside of the fight itself.

“MMA entertains. For my first event I expected 500 people to come, but 5,000 showed up. I keep saying it, the next Manny Pacquiao is going to come from MMA.” There was much to entertain the fans on Friday. American Phil Baroni, strode to the cage giving one-fingered salutes to the crowd. They cheered him harder.

The crowd roared when two Korean ring girls danced to the K-pop smash ‘Gangnam Style’, and went wild when a delirious photographer jumped up on the cage to join them.

Sitting in the front row, 24-year-old Arthur Navarro was loving every minute.

“I’m too young to know about Ali versus Frazier, but boxing is not enough for me,” he said. “The MMA is fast and all action.

It’s the future of fighting.” — Reuters

bragging rights, Strong suggested that they go beyond two schools just 70 miles apart.

“Anytime you play a rival game, you want to go win the football game and that is what our focus was,” Strong said. “Not only that game, but we want to win them all if we possibly can...

“I will say this: We still have a lot to learn and to improve upon. But, just seeing a Big East team beat an SEC team speaks volumes.”

The Wildcats’ biggest problem was not matching the Cardinals’ intensity when they had an early opportunity and then having to play from behind even when they seemed to be gaining some footing. But other than a 75yard scoring drive that briefly brought Kentucky within 8-7 in the first quarter, the Wildcats’ offense found little room against a defense that had sophomore quarterback Maxwell Smith contained in many facets.

Smith completed 35 of 50 passes for 280 yards but was sacked twice. The Wildcats also committed two turnovers. “I thought I played pretty well, a lot of improvements I need to make little small things I need to adjust on,” said Smith, whose three starts late last season led to him earning the job outright this year.

After Bridgewater and Wright rallied the Cardinals from that initial setback, they made it 15-7 on Perry’s run and 22-7 on Wright’s 14yarder. Freshman John Wallace added a 22yard field goal and Wright capped it with another 1-yard run. La’Rod King caught a 5yard TD pass from Smith in the third quarter to cut the lead, but the tone had been set and the Wildcats just tried to stay within sight of a Louisville team intent on distancing itself. “We beat ourselves,” King said. “We are much better than this. Saying this is the first game is a bunch of bull in my opinion. We prepared way too hard and way better than we showed out here today.” — AP

Dream roll past Sun ATLANTA: Angel McCoughtry returned from a two-game team suspension to score 18 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and lead the Atlanta Dream to an 87-80 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. The WNBA’s leading scorer made seven of eight shots as the Dream (14-13) pulled away from a third-quarter tie. Sancho Lyttle and Erika DeSouza each had double-doubles, with Lyttle getting 15 points and 13 rebounds and DeSouza contribution 14 and 12. Kara Lawson had 16 points and Danielle McCray scored a season-high 15 - 13 in the final quarter - for the Sun (19-7). Tina Charles had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

McCoughtry was suspended for a violation of unspecified team policy by coach Fred Williams on Monday after he replaced the fired Marynell Meadors.

Sky 85, Sparks 74 At Rosemont, Illinois, Epiphanny Prince scored 17 points and Courtney Vandersloot added 15 to help Chicago win for just the second time in 13 games. Sylvia Fowles, who played sparingly in a loss to Indiana on Saturday due to a leg injury, finished with 14 points and nine rebounds as the Sky (10-16) pulled into a tie with New York for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Swin Cash and Shay Murphy added 13 points and Tamera Young scored 11. — AP

Angel McCoughtry

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

sp orts

Hamlin wins in Atlanta

BALTIMORE: Ryan Hunter-Reay races his car during the IZOD IndyCar auto race for the Grand Prix of Baltimore.—AP

Hunter-Reay clinches Baltimore Grand Prix BALTIMORE: After a race that had a little bit of everything, Ryan Hunter-Reay celebrated his perfect timing and a much-needed victory. Will Power cursed the weather and his awful luck.

Hunter-Reay won the Grand Prix of Baltimore on Sunday, charging to the front on a controversial restart to keep alive his hopes of capturing the IndyCar Series championship. Power could have clinched the overall title with a second straight win in Baltimore on the 2.04-mile street course that winds through the heart of the city. But the pole-sitter finished sixth in a race that drew nine caution flags, was marred by rain and had eight drivers drop out before the finish. “I’m still trying to catch my breath,” Hunter-Reay said.

“Those restarts were crazy, crazy, crazy.”

The last restart came five laps from the conclusion of the 75-lap race. While front-runner Ryan Briscoe was waiting for the green flag, Hunter-Reay caught sight of it and took off, moving from second to first.

Briscoe claimed Hunter-Reay jumped the gun, but race officials ruled otherwise.

“Everyone had been going late,” Hunter-Reay explained. “The green flags were coming out before the leaders were accelerating, and I caught wind of that. So I just started to focus on the green flag instead of the guy next to me. Briscoe got jumped on that one, but the green flag was flying and he was sitting there in first gear.”

Briscoe was second, rookie Simon Pagenaud finished third and Scott Dixon came in fourth. The victory put Hunter-Reay within 17 points of Power, who failed to hold a late advantage in points in 2010 and 2011 and is in position for yet another collapse heading into the final race of the year, on the oval in Fontana, Calif., on Sept. 15.

Hunter-Reay leads the series with four victories. He won three straight races on ovals at Milwaukee and Iowa and the street course in Toronto.

Power fell out of the lead around the 20th lap to make a pit stop for a change to rain tires, a concession to the drizzle that pelted several sections of the track. The other top three cars opted to stay on slick tires, so

Hunter-Reay moved in front. The rain quickly subsided, so Power pitted on Lap 28 to change back to slicks. That pushed Power back to 17th, and although he eventually worked his way back into first, that advantage disappeared when he made his final pit stop.

“Every weekend, we are not just the quickest, but by a bunch,” Power said. “And circumstances seem to prevent us from winning.

Today, we lost it with the weather.”

Briscoe insisted that the rules require that the drivers pair off while waiting for the green flag, and he said Hunter-Reay was intentionally lagging behind.

“I was honestly just waiting for him to pair up because he came off the chicane and he was hanging back,” Briscoe said. “He accelerated from two car-lengths back before I accelerated, and that’s not how restarts work.”

That, however, is how they worked on this day. “Definitely I jumped out and I’m happy about it,” Hunter-Reay said. And now, the pressure is on Power heading to the finale in California.

Michael Andretti, owner of the Andretti Autosport Team of which Hunter-Reay is a member, said. “I think we got them worried, and we should have them worried if he’s not.

We did exactly what we needed to do coming into this weekend.” Power is up for the challenge.

“If we thought three races ago we would have a 17-point lead, we would actually be pretty happy, so that’s not bad,” he said.

Power even found a bit of humor in the situation. “Good news is, if I take Hunter-Reay out in the last race, we crash out together, I win,” he said.

Dario Franchitti’s disappointing season took another hit on Lap 21 when he spun to a stop after his car was clipped from behind by Simona de Silvestro. The collision damaged the front of Silvestro’s car, and he eventually dropped out of the race.

Franchitti finished 13th. Takuma Sato, who held the lead for a while, dropped out Lap 50 due to mechanical difficulties. Sebastien Bourdais exited on Lap 32 with mechanical failure in the suspension. Bourdais was fourth in qualifying.—AP

HAMPTON: Denny Hamlin celebrated his second straight triumph Sunday night, looking more and more like he’ll be the driver to beat heading into the Sprint Cup playoff. Jeff Gordon was kicking himself for letting a desperately needed win slip away, while Martin Truex Jr. couldn’t help but wonder just what it will take to get back to victory lane.

Hamlin took advantage of a fortuitous yellow flag with three laps to go, beating Truex off pit road and fending off Gordon on the final lap in a greenwhite-checkered finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“We have a lot of momentum now,” Hamlin said.

“I will try to take advantage of it.” After a largely uneventful race, all sorts of subplots developed on the harried dash to the finish.

Hamlin knew a series-leading fourth win of the season would put him in position to top the standings when the 12-driver Chase begins after next weekend’s race at Richmond. Also on his mind was keeping Gordon from getting to the line first, which would have given his playoff hopes a big boost - at the expense of Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, Hamlin’s teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to get as many (Gibbs) cars in there because it helps me,” Hamlin said. “We need Kyle in there, we need Joey in there, and if Jeff won that race, it was going to be all over. We had to do what we had to do.”

Gordon, it turned out, didn’t do what he needed to do. The four-time Cup champion was positioned to pull off a pass on Hamlin going through turns three and four, but he got too tentative making his move on the leader. Instead of getting right on his quarter-panel, which might have caused Hamlin’s car to wobble, Gordon went in with too much speed and drifted up near the wall going through the high-banked turn, allowing Hamlin to pull away.

Now, Gordon will almost surely have to win at Richmond to claim a wild card.

“I would like to have that one over again,” Gordon said. “I guess I’m getting soft in my old age.”

Truex appeared to be positioned for his first win since 2007 until Jamie McMurray smashed into the wall on the front straightaway, bringing out a caution with three laps to go. The leaders went to pit road, and Hamlin’s crew got him back on the track first, just ahead of Truex.

While Truex struggled to get up to speed on the restart, Hamlin pulled away with Gordon right on his bumper. It was still that way when the checkered flag came out.

“I wanted this one real bad,” Hamlin said. “The car faded a little bit, but the pit crew won me that race.

That’s what a championship team is all about. This year, I think we have it all.”

Brad Keselowski finished third, while Truex faded to fourth. He had struggled all night on restarts,

HAMPTON: Denny Hamlin celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.—AP usually needing about five laps to get up to speed.

In a desperate bid to stay with Hamlin, he spun his tires when the green flag waved.

“I sure didn’t want to see that caution,” said Truex, who has gone 192 races since his only Cup win at Dover five years ago. “We had it covered.

Such is life. That seems to be my kind of luck when we’re leading.” Along with Hamlin, eight other drivers have locked up their spot in the Chase based on points: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Truex, Keselowski, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. Defending Cup champion Tony Stewart, who has three wins this season, is assured of at least a wild card.

Kasey Kahne, with two wins, has all but locked up a spot in the playoff. That leaves a bunch of bigname drivers who know, in all likelihood, they must win at Richmond to have a shot at getting into the Chase - including Gordon, Busch and last year’s runner-up, Carl Edwards.

It was another tough night for Edwards, who has yet to win a race this season after nearly capturing the title in 2011. The No. 99 car started smoking on lap 264, apparently from a blown piston. He was done for the night, a devastating blow to his chances.

Edwards lost last year’s championship to Stewart on a tiebreaker in the final race of the season. Now, he absolutely must win at Richmond - and even that may not be enough to get him into the playoff.

“I’m not a real religious person, but it’s like somebody’s trying to reach me a lesson,” Edwards said.

“We’re going to Richmond, where anything can happen. Hopefully, whatever happens involves us winning the race and getting in the Chase.”

The race was a snoozer much of the night, the field spreading out all over the 1.54-mile tri-oval, with a handful of drivers running up front while everyone else just struggled to stay on the lead lap.

Busch dominated early on, leading a total of 66 laps. Then it was Harvick’s turn to set the pace, leading the field for 101 laps. Hamlin wound up leading the most laps, 105, but Truex appeared to have the strongest car at the end - until that final caution came out.

“It just wasn’t meant to be, I guess,” said Truex, who led 40 laps. The first big wreck occurred on lap 269, when Sam Hornish Jr. and Ryan Newman got pinched by Johnson on the backstretch after a restart. Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet spun head-first into the wall, leaving Newman with nowhere to go.

They were both damaged beyond repair, while Hornish managed to keep going in his banged-up car. “It looks like the 48 just ran everybody out of room,” said Newman, another driver who knows he must win at Richmond to have any shot at getting into the Chase. That’s not a concern for Hamlin.

He’s already got his sights on the bigger prize his first Sprint Cup title. “I don’t have to say anything,” Hamlin said. “Wins are all that matters.”—AP

Italy’s Cataldo bags Tour stage CUITU NEGRU: Italian cyclist Dario Cataldo won the 16th stage of the Tour of Spain yesterday, a punishing 183.5km mountain ride from Gijon to Cuitu Negru in northern Spain. Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez of the Katusha team kept the leader’s red jersey and stretched his lead over compatriot Alberto Contador, competing after a twoyear doping ban.

Cataldo, 27-year-old cyclist of the Omega team, was alone at the finishing line, ahead of second-placed Belgian Thomas de Gendt of the Omega team who had stuck with him in a breakaway through

most of the race.

In the final stretch, Rodriguez and main rival Contador of Saxo Bank battled for third position in the stage. Rodriguez, nicknamed “Purito”, withstood a Contador attack in the final kilometre of the climb to the peak of Cuitu Negru in the ski resort of Valgrande-Pajares of northern Spain’s Asturias region.

The 33-year-old Rodriguez came in third and consolidated his position as overall tour leader, 28 seconds ahead of Contador and 2min 4 sec ahead of Alejandro Valverde.—AFP

SPAIN: Italy’s Dario Cataldo of Omega-Pharma Quickstep celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the sixteenth stage of the Vuelta tour of Spain. —AFP

BELGIUM: Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso of Spain (left) crashes with McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain during the first lap of the Belgium Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday. —AP

Alonso crash renews focus on Formula One safety concerns SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: The Belgian Grand Prix crash that got Frenchman Romain Grosjean banned for a race has stoked ongoing debate about cockpit safety in Formula One without providing any clearer solution to the problem.

Grosjean’s Lotus lifted into the air and skimmed across the front of championship leader Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari in the first corner pile-up, wrecking his car but fortunately missing the Spaniard’s head.

The incident, blamed squarely on Grosjean’s aggressive driving, was a heart-stopping moment for Ferrari fans and senior team members watching from the pit wall as Alonso took his time getting out of the cockpit amid radio silence.

“We were lucky because nothing hit Fernando on the head,” team boss Stefano Domenicali told reporters in a discussion that also touched on the need for inexperienced young drivers to be punished heavily for failings in the junior categories to ensure they arrive in Formula One with more awareness.“It was a very risky situation and seeing one car fly over his, a few centimetres above his helmet, left us with our hearts in our mouths for a few tenths of a second,” Ferrari technical head Pat Fry said.Protecting the driver’s head in such incidents with flying cars and debris has long been a concern for Formula One, a sport where the dangers are evident and there is a constant push to improve safety in all areas.

There has not been a driver fatality in a race since Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna died at Imola in 1994 but everyone in Formula One knows there is a constant risk of a freak accident. Brazilian Felipe Massa’s near-fatal head injury at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, when the Ferrari driver was hit on the helmet by a bouncing metal spring shed from a car in front, was a reminder of that.

The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) has done tests with jet-fighter style closed cockpits and forward roll hoops, a metal structure placed right in front of the driver to guard against a frontal blow to the helmet, but all carry other risks.

“We are working with the Federation to try to work on the right system of protection. with what we have tested or are working on there are also

some problems that you may have,” said Domenicali.“We need to be very careful on all these devices. We are still working with the federation to find a possible solution...we are working very hard.”

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh agreed that there was a need for some sort of added protection but closed cockpits were not the solution.“I think people underestimate what a cockpit would have to be and how cockpits can make a situation worse,” he told reporters after celebrating McLaren driver Jenson Button’s untroubled cruise to

victory at Spa.“You can put this glass bubble over the drivers but you can’t assume that they are thereafter safe.” Whitmarsh pointed to the considerable amount of research carried out in aviation to counter the effect of bird strikes on aircraft and how difficult it had been to protect a pilot while allowing undistorted visibility.

In the case of motor racing there are the added problems of impeding sightlines, cars overturning or suffering electrical fires with cockpits filling up with smoke.—Reuters

Vettel: Schumacher is still a true fighter BELGIUM: The decades have dimmed none of Michael Schumacher’s fighting spirit as Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel discovered in his fellow German’s 300th grand prix around his Belgian ‘living room’ on Sunday.

The two tussled on track, and almost collided when Schumacher’s Mercedes suddenly swerved right into the pitlane across Vettel’s Red Bull that was turning into the left-hand corner.

The stewards took no further action, on an action-packed afternoon that kept them busy, and Vettel clearly considered that to be the right reaction. “It doesn’t matter where you get Michael on the circuit, whether you’re fighting for P1 (first place) or P15, he will fight like hell which is great to see,” Vettel told reporters after finishing second. “He hasn’t lost it. It obviously makes it hard for you but it’s always a great challenge. It’s very close with him but always fair.”

Schumacher, who had posed with Formula supremo Bernie Ecclestone and team bosses with a cake to mark his milestone after qualifying on Saturday, ended up seventh at his favourite circuit after starting 13th.

The seven times champion, the sport’s most successful driver with 91 race wins, was ham-

pered in the closing stages when he lost sixth gear after his second stop.

“I quite enjoyed my 300th race and it was good fun out there with all the battles,” he said.

“In the end, you have to be realistic and getting into the points from where I started is not too bad, even if you obviously hope for more when I was second at one stage.”

Schumacher made his F1 debut at Spa in 1991, with Jordan, and took his first race win there the following year with Benetton.

He has not won a race since 2006, with a third place in Valencia this year his only podium, and whether he returns next year is a matter of considerable speculation. The 43-year-old, who retired from Formula One in 2006 while with Ferrari and then came back with Mercedes in 2010, is out of contract at the end of the season and has said his future should become clearer next month. It could be that he has already decided. “I’ll be sad to see him go, I would’ve liked to see him win again,” Ecclestone told BBC television on the grid before Sunday’s race.

Pushed whether that meant he thought Schumacher would be retiring, the 81-year-old Briton said he did not know.—Reuters

18

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Pistorius moves to diffuse Paralympics blades row LONDON: After years as the poster boy of the Paralympics, a chastened Oscar Pistorius moved yesterday to defuse the row that threatens to blemish the clean-cut image he forged during a protracted struggle for acceptance within sport.

Throughout numerous legal fights to be allowed to compete alongside able-bodied rivals, Pistorius could at least always count on returning as the icon of the Paralympics and collecting gold medals.

But the era of Paralympic invincibility for the so-called “Blade Runner” appeared to end when his bid for a third straight gold in the 200 meters was thwarted Sunday night by another double amputee on carbon fiber prosthesis.

Victory seemed certain for Pistorius when he reached the bend on the London track, but Alan Oliveira of Brazil came storming down the home straight on his blades to overtake the defending champion.

Rather than hailing his rival, Pistorius accused the 20-year-old Brazilian of gaining an unfair edge by using lengthened blades. That’s despite spending years himself convincing authorities that he should be allowed to compete in the Olympics a feat he achieved last month - because his prosthesis did not influence his athletic capabilities. Having called on the world to focus on the abilities of athletes rather than their disabilities before the London Games, Pistorius has shifted the spotlight back onto the advantage technology might provide.

To many, the South African sounded like a sore loser by launching his tirade within minutes

of his first ever Paralympic loss in the 200, failing to defend the first of three titles from Beijing.

“I would never want to detract from another athlete’s moment of triumph,” he said in a statement yesterday. “And I want to apologize for the timing of my comments.”

However, Pistorius was unwavering in his determination to ensure

happy to work with the IPC, who obviously share these aims”.

The IPC insists the length of Oliveira’s blades were proportional to his body, with all the finalists measured before Sunday’s race. But the IPC knows it cannot ignore perhaps the only globally recognizable star of the Paralympics.

“Clearly we don’t want athletes

LONDON: South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius competes in the Men’s 200m T44 Final athletics event during the London 2012 Paralympic Games. —AFP the International Paralympic Committee tightens the formula used to calculate the acceptable length of blades.

“I do believe that there is an issue here and I welcome the opportunity to discuss it with the IPC, but I accept that raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track was wrong,” Pistorius said. “That was Alan’s moment and I would like to put on record the respect I have for him.

“I am a proud Paralympian and believe in the fairness of sport. I am

running on stilts,” IPC communications director Craig Spence said.

“What we need to do is have a formal meeting with all the experts in the room. He might propose some changes, but out of credit to the athlete, who has done so much for the Paralympic movement, those comments he has shouldn’t fall on deaf ears.”

The formula that determines the length of blades allowed calculates the predicted height of an athlete, plus 3.5 percent to account for the on-toes running position.

Pistorius’ maximum allowable height is 1.93 meters, yet he opts to stand at 1.84m in blades that were subjected to stringent testing in 2008 to show they provide no advantage when competing alongside able-bodied rivals.

Oliveira, whose limit is 1.85 meters, claimed yesterday that his blades gave him a race height of 1.81 the previous night. “The coaches and I decided to try a higher blade,” Oliveira was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “I tried the new height for the first time last year and it was difficult to get used to them. I decided to try them again earlier this year and it went a little bit better. Three weeks ago, we decided to really go for it.

“The prosthesis don’t run alone.

Of course they are good for an improvement, but there is not a significant time difference.”

While Pistorius claimed it was an unfair race because he couldn’t compete with Oliveira’s stride length, South African sports scientist Ross Tucker found that the loser in fact took six fewer steps than the winner. “The leg-length issue is an ‘advantage’ that Pistorius has always had, and we’ve been watching him compete for years not knowing if he’s done the exact same thing as he is now accusing Oliveira of,” Tucker wrote in an analysis of the race on his SportsScientists.com website. The row threatens to rumble on for the remainder of the Paralympics, with Oliveira potentially standing in the way of Pistorius repeating his trio of gold in Beijing.

Next up is the 4x100 relay on Wednesday, before Pistorius bids to defend his titles in the 100 on Thursday and 400 on Saturday if he reaches the finals. —AP

Shark attack victim aims for medals

LONDON: Ukraine’s Mariia Pomazan (center) who won the gold medal at the women’s discus throw F35/36 event, accompanied by China’s Qing Wu (left) who won the silver medal and China’s Jiongyu Bao (right), bronze, pose for the photographers during the event’s medal ceremony at the 2012 Paralympics. —AP

Discus thrower stripped of gold for second time LONDON: A Ukrainian discus thrower was stripped of her Paralympic title for a second time yesterday after being told a day earlier she could keep the medal.

Mariia Pomazan claimed gold on Friday in the F35/36 discus before organisers realised they had made a mistake due to a scoring error and promoted China’s Wu Qing from second.

On Sunday the Ukrainian was told she could keep the medal but it would not count towards her country’s medal tally.

“We have tried our hardest since Friday to find a solution with both the Chinese and the Ukrainians,” International Paralympic Committee director of communications Craig Spence said yesterday.

“There has been a lot of negotiation but we’ve struggled and failed to reach a conclusion that suits all parties. Therefore, we have to go with the rule book, and so today the Chinese athlete will take the gold medal and the Ukrainian the silver

medal.” The medals were originally to be handed out on Friday, but the ceremony was pushed back to Saturday, then Sunday and then yesterday. Pomazan, demoted to silver, did not turn up to the rearranged ceremony at the Olympic Stadium.

“All combined-class field events use a points scoring system where final positions are determined by points rather than distance,” Paralympic organisers said in a statement on Sunday.

“In the women’s combined-class discus event, incorrect medals were awarded following the use of inaccurate results data.

We sincerely apologise to the athletes affected. “The inaccurate data also affected the men’s shot put F42/44, although the final medal placing was not impacted.” In total, seven out of the 10 positions had to be changed. Pomazan put the fiasco behind her to win gold in the women’s shot put on Sunday. —Reuters

LONDON: Paralympic swimmer Achmat Hassiem uses special motivation to go fast: He imagines being chased by the great white shark that bit off his right leg.

The South African was attacked by a shark off the coast of Cape Town six years ago after he lured the great white away from his younger brother. Before then, Hassiem had competed in various sports including swimming, but wasn’t sure what to do after losing his leg.

It was South African Paralympic swimming champion Natalie du Toit who encouraged Hassiem to get back into the water. Before long, he started breaking his country’s Paralympic records.

“I took to the pool like a shark in the ocean,” he said with a laugh. The 30-year-old Hassiem came to the London Paralympics determined to do better than his ninth-place finish at the Beijing Paralympics four years ago. On Saturday, he won bronze in the men’s S10 100meter butterfly.

“My little secret is obviously that I just try and imagine I’m in the ocean and I’ve got a 4 1/2 meter great white shark at my feet,” Hassiem said. “It’s definitely good motivation to swim fast.”

In 2006, Hassiem was the first to spot the shark when he and his brother Taariq were on a lifeguard exercise off a popular beach in Cape Town. He shouted to colleagues in a nearby boat to get Taariq out of the water while Hassiem distracted the shark by slapping the water. The shark then bit Hassiem’s right leg and dragged him about 50 meters. “I gave one last enormous push and heard a great snapping sound,” Hassiem said of the moment he lost his leg. As he was being pulled onto the boat by his brother, Hassiem said he looked back and saw the shark chewing on what must have been his foot.

“I believe I lost my leg for a good reason,” he said. “Losing a leg is nothing compared to losing my brother, so I’m just trying to make the best of it.”

Du Toit, one of the most decorated Paralympians who was also the first amputee to compete against able-bodied swimmers at the Olympics in 2008, said Hassiem was an inspiration to others.“It’s been great to see Achmat do better and better in the last couple of years,” she said. “I think he’s become a role model because people look at him and wonder how they would cope in that situation. He’s just gotten on with it and kept going.” Later this week, Hassiem will swim in the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle events.

“That shark turned my life around for a reason,” he said, “and I’ve got to make the best of all my opportunities now.” —AP

Paralympics medals table LONDON: Medals table after the fourth day of competition at the 2012 Paralympic Games on Sunday: Turkey 1 3 2 6 Gold Silver Bronze Total Tunisia 1 2 1 4 China 35 24 28 87 Hong Kong 1 1 1 3 Great Britain 16 24 14 54 Belgium 1 1 0 2 Australia 14 11 18 43 Denmark 1 0 3 4 Ukraine 13 8 12 33 Hungary 1 0 1 2 Russia 12 13 9 34 Morocco 1 0 1 2 United States 9 8 16 33 Thailand 1 0 1 2 Brazil 7 3 3 13 Finland 1 0 0 1 Germany 5 8 8 21 Iceland 1 0 0 1 France 4 7 6 17 Latvia 1 0 0 1 Nigeria 4 4 0 8 Macedonia 1 0 0 1 New Zealand 4 3 4 11 Romania 1 0 0 1 Cuba 4 3 2 9 Switzerland 1 0 0 1 Ireland 4 2 1 7 Czech Republic 0 3 1 4 Spain 3 8 7 18 Sweden 0 2 2 4 Canada 3 7 1 11 Algeria 0 1 5 6 Poland 3 4 1 8 Austria 0 1 3 4 Iran 3 2 1 6 Argentina 0 1 2 3 South Korea 3 1 4 8 Croatia 0 1 1 2 South Africa 2 4 4 10 Namibia 0 1 0 1 Italy 2 2 2 6 Uzbekistan 0 1 0 1 Serbia 2 2 0 4 Slovenia 0 1 0 1 Belarus 2 1 2 5 Taiwan 0 1 0 1 Japan 2 1 1 4 Israel 0 0 3 3 Norway 2 1 0 3 Venezuela 0 0 2 2 Egypt 2 0 4 6 Bulgaria 0 0 1 1 Azerbaijan 2 0 1 3 Indonesia 0 0 1 1 Mexico 1 4 1 6 Singapore 0 0 1 1 Netherlands 1 3 9 13

LONDON: Great Britain’s Lee Pearson competes during the Individual Freestyle Test-Grade 1b Final equestrian event at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. —AP

Dressage rider wins 10th gold LONDON: Dressage rider Lee Pearson joined the elite band of Paralympians with 10 gold medals as Great Britain won the London 2012 dressage team test with a world record score on Sunday.

When the results were combined after four days of team and individual championship tests at Greenwich Park, Britain, with a score of 468.817, took their fifth consecutive team gold.

They have been unbeaten in the Paralympic team competition since equestrian events were introduced in Atlanta 1996 — and they have also never lost in a world or European championship.

Germany, with 440.970 points, took silver, and Ireland, appearing in their first Paralympic equestrian competition, won bronze with 428.313.

Sophie Christiansen, riding Janeiro 6, won her Grade Ia individual test, helping the team-comprising her, Pearson, Sophie Wells and Deb Criddle-to take the team gold by a landslide margin.

Pearson, already the most successful paralympic equestrian, completed his

individual and team performances on Saturday.

The flamboyant 38-year-old, who won a clean sweep of three medals at each of the last three Games, was surprisingly edged into the silver position by Australia’s Joann Formosa in the Grade Ib individual championship test dressage.

He has the chance to take his gold medal tally to 11 in the freestyle event late yesterday. That would make him joint second with wheelchair racer Tanni GreyThompson and swimmer David Roberts in the list of British Paralympic gold medal winners.

Swimmer Mike Kenny is Britain’s most successful Paralympic athlete ever, winning 16 golds between 1976 and 1988.

Pearson said: “We are all really, really proud. “I know the scores suggest there was a big gap between gold and silver, but this has been the best team effort I have known on any team. We fought very, very hard.

“I think this is the strongest team we’ve have ever had, but I also think it has been the toughest gold to get.” —AFP

Ellie smashes own record twice

LONDON: Finland’s Toni Piispanen (center) celebrates as he wins gold in the men’s 100m T51 event at the 2012 Paralympics. —AP

LONDON: British swim queen Ellie Simmonds broke her own world record twice yesterday, cementing her place as the host nation’s Paralympic poster girl in claiming her second gold of the London Games.

The 17-year-old won the SM6 200m individual medley in a record 3min 5.39sec, just hours after beating her own personal and world best in the heats with a time of 3min 6.97sec.

“I am just so chuffed,” she told Britain’s Channel 4 television. “I just

kicked for home and really went for it.

That was a tough race. I was just trying to go as fast as I can and to do a PB (personal best).” Verena Schott of Germany claimed the silver while Simmonds’ teammate Natalie Jones came in third. Simmonds, who was born with a form of dwarfism, had already set a world record in the S6 400 metres freestyle on Saturday. She became a double gold medallist at the Beijing Olympics four years ago, aged just 13. —AFP

Ellie Simmonds

19

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

SPORTS

Real back on track Barca win against Valencia

Dimitar Berbatov

Berbatov: Ferguson has lost my respect SOFIA: Dimitar Berbatov said yesterday he had lost respect for Alex Ferguson over the way his Manchester United career came to an end.

The Bulgarian striker, who moved to Fulham on transfer deadline day on Friday, said he was unhappy with the way the United manager had treated him in the final months of his four-year stay at Old Trafford.

“I don’t think I deserved such treatment at United-not playing (regularly) in the last year,” Berbatov told a news conference at Bulgaria’s Vasil Levski national stadium in Sofia.

“I went more than 10, probably 15, times to ask the coach if they need me. And every time I was told that I’m an important player and should not leave, but then again I was not in the team.

“Maybe I should’ve gone when he (Ferguson) left me out of the squad for the Champions League final (in 2011). I know he’s the boss, but he has lost, to some extent, my respect because of the way he treated me.”

Berbatov became United’s most expensive player when he joined from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 for 30.75 million pounds ($48.84 million), and was the Premier League’s joint top-scorer in the 2010-2011 season with 20 goals.

The player’s agent, Emil Danchev, said on Monday that Berbatov had received a late offer from Spurs at the end of the transfer window. “We were in touch with Tottenham at the last moment,” Danchev said, adding that 12 clubs wanted to sign the striker.

Berbatov, who on Monday confounded expectations in Bulgaria that he would come out of international retirement, said he fell victim to a change in United’s style of play.

“He (Ferguson) tried to explain to me that the team will be using a more direct style, with more speed,” he said. “But I’ve never been among the fastest players, I like to hold the ball, this is my style.

“I found it hard to accept his decision (not to play him) — I still have my dignity. I

scored many goals, I won the league two times, and I was the league top scorer, so it’s not bad.

“I’ll have no problems playing against United as this already happened in my career. But there’s no point to look back again. I said goodbye to the people, who deserve it. I couldn’t say goodbye to Ferguson.” Berbatov’s transfer to Fulham proved controversial in Italy, as he twice turned down offers from Serie A clubs at the last minute to stay in the Premier League.

Berbatov denied he had acted inappropriately in his dealings with Fiorentina and Juventus. “I’ve never personally told them, ‘Yes, I’ll play for you’,” he said. “It’s not my problem that someone is disappointed.

After all, I choose where to play and be happy.”

The 31-year-old angered Fiorentina when he turned his back on them last Thursday, one day before the end of the transfer window. The player then rejected the chance to move to Italian champions Juve.

“He did not deserve our city and our shirt and the values it represents,” Fiorentina said in a statement. Berbatov said: “It’s stressful. One club called, then another, and a third, and then another. A man can go crazy at one point. I’m a human being and it’s normal for me to hesitate.”

Berbatov was in Sofia ahead of Bulgaria’s 2014 World Cup qualifying game against Italy on Friday. He was called up for his country’s qualifiers against Italy and Armenia but insisted he would not return to the national side. “(Coach) Luboslav Penev was the only one who made everything possible to make me feel welcome, so that I can see that he wants me back,” he said.

“We met at least twice, as friends. We discussed it but at the end of the day, the choice I made in the past still stands.”

Berbatov, Bulgaria’s all-time leading scorer with 48 goals, quit the team in 2010 hinting that fatigue and family commitments were behind the decision.—Reuters

Liverpool owner asks for patience LONDON: Liverpool owner John W Henry has written an open letter to fans asking for their patience after Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat by Arsenal condemned the Anfield club to its worst start to a league season in 50 years.

Henry’s Fenway Sports Group (FSG) came under fire for the decision to loan England striker Andy Carroll to West Ham United without signing a replacement by Friday’s summer transfer window deadline day and the poor start has led to further complaints.

Responding to the criticism, the principal owner said it was “not through any lack of desire or effort” that the club had failed to sharpen their attack in a period which has garnered only one point from three league matches.

“I am as disappointed as anyone connected with Liverpool Football Club that we were unable to add further to our strike force in this summer transfer window,” he wrote in the letter published on the club website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

“It is unfortunate that on this occasion we were unable to conclude acceptable deals to bring those targets in. No one should doubt our commitment to the club.

“In Brendan Rodgers, we have a talented young manager and we have valued highly his judgement about the make-up of the squad. “This is a work in progress. It will take time for Brendan to instill his philosophy into the squad and build exactly what he needs for the long term.”

Henry added that Liverpool were continuing to pay the price for the failings of the previous regime after bringing to an end the acrimonious reign of fellow Americans Tom Hicks and George Giller with their Anfield takeover in Oct. 2010.

“We are still in the process of reversing the errors of previous regimes,” he said. “It will not happen overnight. It has been compounded by our own mistakes in a difficult first two years of ownership.

“It has been a harsh education, but make no mistake, the club is healthier today than when we took over.” Writing in Britain’s Daily Telegraph yesterday, former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen blamed FSG for the “debacle” which has left the side woefully short of attacking options.

“By sanctioning the departure of Andy Carroll and then failing to come up with the money to sign Clint Dempsey, Liverpool’s owners have left manager

Brendan Rodgers in the lurch,” Hansen said. “Liverpool are desperate, but they only have themselves to blame because they got rid of a striker - a £35 million England international at that - and failed to replace him.” Rodgers cut a forlorn figure at Anfield on Sunday after admitting he would not have let Carroll go if he had known there were no reinforcements on the way.

Despite FSG’s determination to reduce the club’s inflated wage bill, many fans and experts were dismayed at Liverpool’s ineptitude as the transfer deadline closed on Friday.

“It is all very well having a philosophy, but one of the golden rules in football is that you don’t let somebody go until you have brought somebody else in,” Hansen added. “Whether it was the right or wrong decision, Carroll was allowed to join West Ham last Thursday,” he added, suggesting it was also tactically wrong to let the big centre-forward go.

“Having let him go, Brendan Rodgers would have known that Dempsey wanted to move to Anfield, yet the owners let him down by not coming up with the money.

“I’m not sure it is something that can be put down to Brendan’s inexperience as a manager. He has obviously believed that getting Carroll out would enable him to bring Dempsey in. “Maybe he has taken somebody’s word and then been let down.”

Rodgers has been left with only Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini as recognised strikers, neither a target man, and little or no ability to vary their tactics when needed.

“Liverpool are obviously changing the style of play under their new manager,” added Hansen, who won eight league titles and three European Cups with the Merseyside club during their heydays in the late 1970s and 1980s.

“But if your philosophy is pass-passpass, what happens when you are playing against teams like Arsenal who have better passers than you?

“Liverpool needed to speculate to accumulate in order to close the gap from eighth to fourth in order to challenge for the Champions League,” argued Hansen.

“When Liverpool won the League Cup last season, the owners came out with a statement saying that the club could compete with anybody, but they look a long way from that.”—Reuters

MADRID: Real Madrid notched their first victory of the La Liga campaign at the third attempt when Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in a 3-0 win for the champions at home to 10-man Granada on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho’s side badly needed a good performance after taking only a point from their opening two games and Ronaldo stepped up with his 149th and 150th goals for the club on his 149th appearance in all competitions. The victory left Real five points adrift of arch- rivals Barcelona, who won 1-0 at home to Valencia thanks to a screamer from fullback Adriano and are the only team to have a perfect record after three games. Mourinho voiced rare public criticism of his Real players after last weekend’s shock 2-1 defeat at Getafe and he was still not satisfied after Sunday’s success.

The Portuguese said he had been hoping to see the same intensity they showed in the opening 20 minutes of Wednesday’s Spanish Super Cup against Barca, when they scored twice and held on for a 2-1 success.

“Today the team had little ambition, little rhythm, little intensity and I did not like it,” Mourinho told a news conference. “It’s not enough just to get the points, the team has to play more and work more,” he added.

Ronaldo’s opening goal came in the 26th minute when his deflected left-foot strike from a narrow angle arrowed between the legs of Granada goalkeeper Tono.

Tono saved Ronaldo’s first-time shot nine minutes into the second half and he tapped the rebound into an empty net before limping off after he was felled by Borja Gomez.

Gomez was booked for the challenge, a second yellow card for the Granada defender that left the Andalusians with 10 men.

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina (center) duels for the ball against Valencia’s Victor Ruiz (left) and Jonathan Viera during a Spanish La Liga soccer match.—AP Substitute Gonzalo Higuain added a third for Real 14 minutes from time when he was set up by strike partner Karim Benzema.

Barca saw off Valencia with a dominant but uninspired display at the Nou Camp distinguished by Adriano’s brilliant 23rd-minute strike. World Player of the Year Lionel Messi had a quiet night and Cesc Fabregas, who has failed to produce his best form this season, fluffed two chances either side of halftime.

“It was important to win this game as well before the international break,” midfielder Andres Iniesta, who replaced Fabregas midway through the second half, told Spanish television.

“We probably should have scored more goals given the chances we had but we’re happy

with the win and this is the path we have to follow,” added the Spain international, who presented the Best Player in Europe award he won on Thursday to fans before the game. In the earlier kickoffs, Athletic Bilbao ended a dreadful early-season run when Aritz Aduriz and Markel Susaeta scored in a 2-0 win at home to Real Valladolid that lifted the Basque club off the bottom of the table.

Aduriz pounced on a loose ball to fire Bilbao ahead in the 69th minute at a sun-drenched San Mames and Susaeta curled the ball into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area six minutes later. It was a morale-boosting victory for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who had struggled to reproduce the sparkling form that took them to the final of both the Europa League

and the King’s Cup last season and had conceded nine goals in losing their opening two La Liga matches to Real Betis and Atletico Madrid.

Rayo Vallecano, who won their opening two games, drew 0-0 at home to Sevilla but were lucky to escape with a point after goalkeeper Ruben was dismissed in the 69th minute.

Rayo are third on seven points, level with Real Mallorca and Malaga, who won 1-0 on Saturday against Real Sociedad and Real Zaragoza respectively. Valladolid have six points in fifth.

Levante shrugged off the 81stminute dismissal of Vicente Iborra to snatch an-added time winner in a 3-2 comeback win at home to Espanyol, leaving the Barcelonabased side, who were leading 2-0, without a point.—Reuters

Boca go top with help from River BUENOS AIRES: Striker Lucas Viatri headed two goals as Boca Juniors beat Atletico Rafaela 2-1 on Sunday to go top of the Argentine championship with a little help from their enemies, arch-rivals River Plate. River scored a late equaliser through central defender German Pezzella for a 1-1 draw away to Colon at the ‘Elephant’s Graveyard’ in Santa Fe that denied the home side the victory that would have put them top.

Viatri took his championship tally to three with goals in each half including the 69thminute winner at La Bombonera. In between, Sebastian Carrera had equalised for the visitors.

Boca have 12 points from four successive wins after losing their opening match of the season. They are one point ahead of title holders Arsenal, Newell’s Old Boys and Colon.

Striker Ruben Ramirez put Colon ahead with

a diving header midway through the second half but Pezzella ghosted in behind the defence in the 89th minute to equalise with a low shot from midfielder Leonardo Ponzio’s lobbed pass into the box.

Newell’s are also gunning for the title under their former midfielder Gerardo Martino, who has returned from steering Paraguay to the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals and 2011 Copa America final.

With winger Maxi Rodriguez and defender Gabriel Heinze also back at the club, unbeaten Newell’s have won three matches including Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Estudiantes.

Americo Gallego made a losing start in his third spell as Independiente coach, having taken over from Christian Diaz who resigned last weekend, and said he detected signs of a lack of proper fitness in his players.

Independiente, beaten 2-1 at Godoy Cruz, took the lead through defender Cristian Tula but conceded goals in the dying minutes of each half, both scored by midfielder David Ramirez, whose winner from the penalty spot came in the fourth minute of added time.

“As a player and coach, it’s always been clear to me that matches last 95 minutes, and they (Godoy Cruz) scored in the 46th minute of the first half and 49th of the second. We have to work to prevent that kind of thing,” Gallego told reporters.

The record seven-times Libertadores Cup winners remain in serious danger of relegation after taking two points from their five matches.

Union’s Frank Kudelka became the second coach to quit this season after Friday’s 3-1 defeat at All Boys, their fifth in five matches, left them rooted to the bottom of the standings.—Reuters

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard after India won the second and final test against New Zealand in Bangalore yesterday:

BANGALORE: Members and the support staff of Indian cricket team pose with the winner’s trophy after their victory over New Zealand on the fourth day of their second cricket Test match. —AP

Kohli, Dhoni lead India to victory BANGALORE: Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni bailed India out with an unbroken 96-run stand that took the hosts to a five-wicket victory in the second and final test for a clean sweep in the series against New Zealand yesterday.

Off-spinner Jeetan Patel picked up three wickets and India were reduced to 166 for five at one stage, chasing 261 for victory, before Kohli (51 not out) and Dhoni (48 not out) came together to guide their team home.

The 23-year-old Kohli, who made 103 in the first innings, defended resolutely at the start, became more fluent as his innings progressed and got to his half century with three boundaries in an over off paceman Tim Southee.

“It was a tricky situation when I went in to bat,” Kohli, voted man of the match, said during the presentation ceremony. “But we both decided that we will take it 10 runs at a time and try to see the team through and the plan worked for us.

“My natural game is to be positive.

But I need to control my shots every now and then. I thought through out the test match that I need to be more patient and I need to apply myself more.

“I had a plan in my mind and luck-

ily it worked for me.” Captain Dhoni was the more attacking of the two and finished the match with a boundary and a six in consecutive balls off Patel to spark the celebrations. Patel looked the most dangerous of the New Zealand bowlers and extracted sharp turn and bounce off the pitch at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

India, who won the first test in Hyderabad by an innings and 115 runs, lost the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar (27), Cheteshwar Pujara (48) and Suresh Raina (0) after tea.

Youngster Pujara and veteran Tendulkar survived some nervy moments after the loss of openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in quick succession and added 69 for the third wicket.

Tendulkar was once again bowled for the third time in as many innings in the series while Daniel Flynn ran backwards at short leg to pull off a superb bat-pad catch off Patel to dismiss Pujara.

Brendon McCullum, filling in for regular wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk who was hit on the forearm while batting on Sunday, missed an easy stumping opportunity to dismiss Pujara on 37 off Patel.

“We had our chances... we always

New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat.

New Zealand first innings 365 India first innings 353 New Zealand second innings (overnight 232-9) B. McCullum c Dhoni b Yadav 23 M. Guptill b Yadav 7 K. Williamson c Sehwag b Ashwin 13 R. Taylor lbw b Ojha 35 D. Flynn c Sehwag b Ashwin 31 J. Franklin st Dhoni b Ashwin 41 K. van Wyk lbw b Ashwin 31 D. Bracewell lbw b Ojha 22 T. Southee b Ashwin 2 J. Patel c Dhoni b Zaheer 22 T. Boult not out 4 Extras (b-4, lb-12, w-1) 17 Total (all out; 73.2 overs) 248 Fall of wickets: 1-30 2-31 3-69 4-111 5-140 6-195 7-216 8-222 9-222 10-248 Bowling: Zaheer 14.2-2-46-1, Yadav 15-0-68-2 (1w), Ojha 21-6-49-2, Ashwin 22-1-69-5, Raina 1-1-0-0.

India second innings G. Gambhir c Taylor b Boult 34 V. Sehwag b Patel 38 C. Pujara c Flynn b Patel 48 S. Tendulkar b Southee 27 V. Kohli not out 51 S. Raina b Patel 0 MS Dhoni not out 48 Extras (b-4, lb-6, w-5, nb-1) 16 Total (five wickets; 63.2 overs) 262 To bat: R. Ashwin, Z. Khan, P. Ojha, U. Yadav Fall of wickets: 1-77 2-83 3-152 4-158 5-166 Bowling: Boult 16-4-64-1, Southee 18-3-68-1 (1w), Bracewell 14-3-520 (1nb), Patel 15.2-3-68-3.

India won the two-match series 2-0. knew we were close,” New Zealand captain Ross Taylor said. “But the way Kohli and Dhoni went out and batted was outstanding and they took the game away from us. “We came here with some standards we wanted to maintain and we did that in patches.

“I am proud of the whole team of how they came back from a terrible test in Hyderabad and I am sure we will come out of this as a better team.”

Sehwag (38) and Gambhir (34) started India’s second innings with great purpose, swatting the New

Zealand pacemen around the ground to bring up a 50 partnership in eight overs.

The duo added 77 for the opening wicket before Sehwag, who hit seven boundaries and a six, was bowled by Patel when he danced down the wicket to the off-spinner but swiped inside the line of the ball, which went on to hit his off stump.

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor was forced to introduce his spinner in the 12th over after the quick bowlers had made no impact, and the move immediately bore fruit.— Reuters

Louisville romp over Kentucky

Glenn McGrath to head Indian pace academy

16

15

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Alonso crash renews focus on Formula One safety concerns

Page 17

NEW YORK: Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic serves to Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova in the fourth round of play at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament.—AP

Serena faces Ivanovic in q-finals NEW YORK: Three-time champion Serena Williams stormed to a double bagel 6-0, 6-0 rout of Czech Andrea Hlavackova to reach her 10th US Open quarter-final yesterday in a ruthless display of her title credentials. The 30-year-old American allowed the world number 82 just eight points on her serve and finished the last-16 clash with 31 winners against just seven unforced errors, backing up her 57-minute win with eight aces.

Williams, a 14-time Grand Slam title winner and the reigning Wimbledon and Olympic champion, has dropped just 12 games in four matches at the Open this year.

She hasn’t lost a game in her last three sets

played while yesterday’s mauling was the fifth time she had handed out a double bagel.

“Andrea played really well,” Williams told the Arthur Ashe Stadium of her outclassed opponent, who departed the singles tournament $120,000 richer for making the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

“She never gave up. She’s such a great fighter.

But I played really well today, I tried to stay relaxed and do what I do. I knew she would be a dangerous opponent.” Williams has now reached a 34th quarter-final at a major and next faces 12th seed Ana Ivanovic. The Serb reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final in four years-and first ever at the US

Open-when she defeated Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova 6-0, 6-4. Ivanovic has never taken a set off Williams in her three defeats against the American. Two of those lossess came at the US Open in 2006 and 2011. The 24-year-old Ivanovic, whose last major quarter-final came on the way to her one and only Grand Slam triumph at the 2008 French Open, swept through the first set in just 23 minutes on Monday.

Pironkova, the world number 55 who became the first Bulgarian to make a Grand Slam semi-final when she charged into the last four at Wimbledon in 2010, was the first woman from her country to make the last 16 in New York since 1994.

But her challenge was restricted by a neck injury and she twice needed treatment, including a medical time-out at the end of the first set. She battled gamely in the second set, breaking Ivanovic twice, including the ninth game when the former world number one was serving for the match.

But the Serb hit back immediately for victory in the 10th game with the match’s 10th break of serve in the 16 games played.

“I hardly made any mistakes in the first set but she is a tough opponent and I knew she would come back in the second set,” said Ivanovic after her 71-minute win, where she finished with 28 winners and 21 unforced errors. “It’s amazing to be in my

Federer walks into last eight

Ronaldo ‘sad’ at Real MADRID: If Real Madrid’s dysfunctional start to the season wasn’t bewildering enough, star players Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka have fans scratching their heads even more.

Ronaldo has four goals in five games and helped the defending league champion edge bitter rival Barcelona for the Spanish Super Cup. Kaka hasn’t played a single minute this season, even though Real only has one win in three league games.

Yet it’s Ronaldo who’s glum and Kaka who’s cheerful. Madrid fans were left bewildered by Ronaldo’s admission of feeling “sad” after a two-goal performance in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Granada. The Portugal forward called it a “professional” problem after refusing to celebrate his scores. “I am sad and the club knows it, that’s why I didn’t celebrate the goals. The people in the club know why,” said Ronaldo, who also scored two goals during the twolegged Super Cup triumph over Barcelona. “I’m not going to say anything else, people know why.”

Andres Iniesta edged out Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on Friday for the inaugural Best Player in Europe award. Asked if that had upset him, Ronaldo replied “no.”

There were Spanish reports suggesting Ronaldo had met with club president Florentino Perez on Saturday to discuss his problems, and his future.

Kaka, meanwhile, insisted yesterday he was happy at the club and enjoying the challenge of showing the form that won him the 2007 Ballon d’Or while at AC Milan. “I’m happy. Yes, happy. It’s a new chapter and I’m happy about it,” the grinning Kaka said at a publicity event. “It’s a psychological test to my patience. But the season is very long, so I’ll get my chance. I’ll be ready for when the moment comes.”

Coach Jose Mourinho said the Brazilian playmaker could still have an impact at Madrid.

“Kaka is not dead weight for the club. Nobody is,” Mourinho said. “The moment will arrive when Kaka will have to give it his all, so he will not be dead weight and be an option instead.”

Kaka is even dreaming of playing for Brazil when it hosts the 2014 World Cup. “I hope to, it’s my dream.

If I remain here at Madrid and show a consistent level, I can,” said Kaka, who joined Madrid in a ?65 million (then $92 million) transfer. Madrid trails Barcelona by five points in the standings after only

first quarter-final at the US Open.” German sixth seed Angelique Kerber, a semi-finalist in 2011, faces Italian 10th seed Sara Errani, the French Open runner-up. Errani defeated Kerber, who has a seasonleading 56 wins in 2012, in the quarter-finals in Paris on her way to the final in June.

The winner of that tie will face either Polish second seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who has equalled her best performance in New York of runs to the last-16 in 2007 and 2008, or Italian 19th seed Roberta Vinci.

Radwanska has won all of her four previous meetings with the 29-year-old Vinci, who had made the last-16 for the first time.—AFP

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo three games, with neither team particularly impressive so far.

“We have to play a lot better than we have,” Mourinho said. “The team showed little ambition, little intensity, little rhythm - and I did not like that.”

Madrid’s inability to raise its game against the modest talents of Getafe and Granada may prove detrimental to its league campaign, but the team has showed against Barcelona it can get up for crucial matches. Those will include Champions League group games against Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax. “The team played to the limit from the very first minute against Barcelona. It played a game it hasn’t on other occasions, and those are factors I still need to investigate and find

solutions to because it seems as if our ambition isn’t there,” Mourinho said.

Ronaldo joined Madrid from Manchester United in a transfer worth 80 million pounds (then $131 million) in 2009 to become one of the world’s top earning players.

Madrid fan Juan Carlos Jaramillo, 30, isn’t particularly impressed with Ronaldo as Spain stumbles through a financial crisis that has resulted in nearly a quarter of the population unemployed.

“I think he’s sad because he lost the award to Iniesta. That was the last straw for him, he can’t take losing again to Barca,” Jaramillo said. “For someone who makes a pretty good living, it’s no way to act.”—AP

NEW YORK: World No. 1 Roger Federer advanced into his 34th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final without touching a racquet yesterday when American Mardy Fish withdrew from their US Open match for health concerns.

The 31-year-old Swiss star, seeking his 18th Grand Slam title and sixth US Open crown, advanced into a last-eight matchup against Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych, who dispatched Spanish 11th seed Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-1.

“I probably need to have something more than 100 percent,” said Berdych, who has lost 11 of 15 career meetings to top seed Federer.

The walkover stretched Federer’s record for consecutive quarter-final Grand Slam appearances in the Open era to 38, three shy of the record 41 achieved by American Jimmy Connors.

Federer, who won his 17th Grand Slam title in July at Wimbledon, has not dropped a set in the Flushing Meadows fortnight.

“Maybe if I would be in his situation I would rather play a match and win it and keep the rhythm of one day a match, one day off,” Berdych said. “But probably he’s going to be fine with that.”

British third seed Andy Murray, who won Olympic gold last month, will face Canadian 15th seed Milos Raonic later with the winner booking a last-eight date against Slovakian Martin Klizan or Croatian 12th seed Marin Cilic.

Fish missed two months of the season earlier this year because of a heart problem, being hospitalized after the Miami Masters event in March when his heart rate increased to three times its normal resting pace. Fish, 30, then had a cardiac catheter ablation in Los Angeles on May 23 to address his heart condition. “I regret that I have to withdraw from the US Open for precautionary measures,” Fish said. “I was reluctant to do so, but am following medical advisement. “I had a good summer and look forward to resuming my tournament schedule in the fall.”

Berdych, who took only two hours to reach his first US Open quarter-final, has won three of his past six meetings with Federer, including a US Open tuneup last year at Cincinnati and a

2010 Wimbledon quarter-final.

Berdych finally reached the last eight after 10 tries with his 200th career hardcourt triumph. He joined Petr Korda and Ivan Lendl as the only Czech men in the Open era to have reached the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam events.

“I’m very happy that I can compete in all Grand Slams at least in quarter-finals. It helps my confidence,” Berdych said.

At last January’s Australian Open, Berdych was fuming at Almagro, accusing the Spaniard of hitting a ball at his face while he was at the net during a rally in a fourth-round match. The ball struck him in the arm. Spectators booed Berdych for refusing to shake hands with the Spaniard after the match, but the Czech said Almagro’s apology was not enough to satisfy him.

Berdych dismissed the acrimonious incident this week as “nothing at all”, noting they have since split two ATP matches, although this was their first Grand Slam meeting since.

They clasped hands after yesterday’s match at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Almagro flashing a quick smile at his conquerer as they met at the net.

Almagro, 27, figures to replace injured Rafael Nadal on the Spanish Davis Cup team that will host the United States next week in a semi-final tie. Almagro is unbeaten in four Cup singles matches so far this year. Berdych, whose best Grand Slam result was a 2010 Wimbledon final loss to Nadal, improved to 7-3 lifetime against Almagro and snapped a five-game losing streak to top-20 rivals dating to a Rome victory over Almagro last May. Berdych took three of the last four points to win the first-set tie-breaker, a forehand volley winner claiming the set after 48 minutes. “It was really close, especially in the first set,” Berdych said. “It was a fight for every point. It was a tough match.” Almagro had a break point in the fourth game of the second set but Berdych erased it with a 127 mph ace and then broke Almagro in the seventh game and held serve twice more to take the second set. Berdych broke at love to begin the third set and again in the third and final games.—AFP

Barclays sees Middle East driving investment bank Page 22

India pledges ‘friendly’ tax system to boost growth Page 23

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Asian markets rise on stimulus hopes Page 25

Zain Group, Vodafone unveil multi-country market deal Page 26

BEIJING: Unemployed Chinese graduates from British universities attend the LSE Beijing Career Fair as they search for jobs offered by foreign companies in Beijing yesterday.—AFP

Global factory gloom further deepens Euro-zone woes worsen, China, India suffer LONDON: A contraction in manufacturing business spread further around the world in August as the euro-zone’s troubles inflicted more damage on the global economy, business surveys showed yesterday. The three-year-old sovereign debt crisis has probably thrown the 17-nation euro zone back into recession in the current quarter. With no firm signs of any resolution, households and companies are wary of spending and demand for goods is drying up.

Worryingly for European Central Bank policymakers meeting this week, the downturn that began in smaller euro zone economies is now clearly sweeping through Germany and France. That, in turn, is damaging many of Asia’s exportreliant economies. “The general picture is one in which we are losing momentum,” said Peter Dixon, an economist at Commerzbank.

“Growth is going to struggle, not just in the euro-zone but everywhere, over the next few months until authorities find a way to inject some positive sentiment.”

Markit’s final Eurozone Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for manufacturing fell from an earlier flash reading of 45.3 to 45.1, above July’s three-year low of 44.0.

But that was its 13th month below the 50 mark separating growth from contraction.

Britain bucked the trend by posting a surprise rise in its PMI - although it still showed contraction - and similar data expected from the US Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday is forecast to show a reading of 50. In Sweden, which has consistently outperformed the rest of Europe, the PMI tumbled unexpectedly to a three-year low as exporters’ long-standing resilience began to erode.

China’s official PMI fell below 50 for the first time since November, while a similar survey from Markit, sponsored by HSBC, showed activity shrinking at its fastest pace since March 2009.

HSBC PMIs covering Asia’s other major exporters told a similar tale. South Korea’s reading was below 50 for the third month and Taiwan’s PMI fell to its lowest level since November.

The reports showed new orders under pressure as fears grow that the euro-zone is sliding into recession and the United States struggles to build up any economic steam. Even in India, where the manufacturing sector has expanded without a break for more than three years, new export orders fell in August at their steep-

est pace since October. Indonesia’s factory activity also expanded in August, but new export orders fell for the fifth month in a row. China’s PMIs reinforced expectations that the pace of growth in the world’s second-largest economy is weakening. Chief among manufacturers’ concerns are the softness in new orders as demand falters, particularly from the euro-zone.

Beijing is taking what it calls a “prudent” policy stance in supporting the economy for fear of re-igniting property and inflation risks. China cut interest rates in June and July and has been injecting cash into money markets to ease credit conditions. The latest data raises doubts as to whether Beijing has done enough to stop the slowdown from extending to a seventh quarter. “The authorities seem to be running a risky policy experiment to see how well the economy can hold up without any big dose of stimuli,” said Wei Yao, economist at Societe Generale.

“Although we think it is a good thing that the pain threshold of Beijing is quite high, this approach is prone to large downside risks in the short term.”

Having contracted 0.2 percent in the three months to June, the euro-zone

economy is likely to do the same again in the current quarter, with no growth expected until next year. The European Central Bank is now widely expected to cut interest rates to a new record low of 0.5 percent - either on Thursday or next month. “The picture for the euro-zone economy remains extremely sluggish. As such, a rate cut to 0.5 percent will be quite easy to justify,” said Annalisa Piazza at Newedge Strategy.

Inflation jumped more than expected in August, data showed on Friday, a factor that may discourage the ECB from acting this week, but the PMI survey showed factories had cut the prices of their products for the third straight month. Factories in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, and France - the second biggest - reported activity falling for the sixth consecutive month although the rate of decline eased.

In Italy, the main index has now been below the break-even point for over a year and was weaker than economists had predicted. In Spain, it has been below 50 since May 2011. These two countries are deep into austerity programs which are aimed at bringing their debt under control but appear to be pinning their economies in recession.—Agencies

Judgment day looms for euro FRANKFURT: When the history books come to be written about the euro, September 12, 2012 could well prove one of the most significant dates in the life of the embattled single currency.

At 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on that day, the eight scarlet-robed judges of Germany’s Verfassungsgericht or Constitutional Court will file into the courtroom in the southwest city of Karlsruhe to decide whether German President Joachim Gauck can sign into law the euro-zone’s key crisis-fighting tools.

German parliament already voted in favor of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the European fiscal pact with a two-thirds majority at the end of June.

But Gauck held off from completing the ratification process in face of a number of legal challenges filed by the far-left Die Linke party, a citizens’ initiative group called “more democracy” and a wellknown eurosceptic from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CSU Bavarian sister party, Peter Gauweiler.

They argued that the ESM-the EU’s permanent 500-billion-euro ($627-billion) rescue fund-and the fiscal pact were incompatible with Germany’s “Grundgesetz” or

Basic Law because they are effectively forcing Germany to surrender its budgetary sovereignty without the necessary democratic backing.

By committing Europe’s biggest economy-and already its effective paymasterto the ESM, parliament was essentially

debt crisis, they argued.

And that meant German voters’ basic democratic rights were being infringed upon. In addition, the critics argued the ESM breaches the “no bailout clause” of the EU’s Maastricht Treaty, under which Germany agreed to relinquish its revered

BRUSSELS: European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi leaves the meeting with members of Economic and monetary Affairs Committee at the EU headquarters in Brussels yesterday. — AFP exposing Germany’s public finances to unlimited risks should one eurozone country after another topple under the

Deutschmark on condition there would be no direct or indirect sharing of eurozone members’ debt. The ESM, which will

replace the temporary European Financial Stability Facility, should have been up and running by July 1. But it needs Germany’s share of the rescue money to function and has thus been held up pending the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

On September 12 the court will not yet rule on the constitutionality of either the ESM or the fiscal pact.

It will simply decide whether to grant temporary injunctions sought by the plaintiffs that will prevent President Gauck from signing the legislation into law until a final ruling can be made next year.

If the court dismisses the plaintiffs’ case, everything will be hunky dory: Gauck can sign the legislation and the ESM can at long last become operational, much to the relief of the financial markets.

But if it grants the injunctions, it could trigger fresh financial turmoil as markets will take this as a sign the court believes that the ESM and the fiscal pact are incompatible with Germany’s constitution, effectively killing off the ESM at birth. Expectations ahead of the ruling are correspondingly at fever pitch, with doomsday scenarios doing the rounds that the euro may immediately break up.—AFP

Gulf markets mixed as investors eye catalyst MIDEAST STOCK MARKET DUBAI: Gulf markets were mixed yesterday as investors adjusted positions after recent gains and retail investors continue to increase risk despite a general lack of catalyst in regional markets, while Egypt’s bourse hit a 14-month high.

Dubai’s index climbed 0.1 percent to finish at 1,548 points, up for a second session in the last seven.

“The market has been in a range for the past few sessions - retail (investors) perceive this level as an accumulation phase,” said Nabil AlRantisi, managing director of MENA Corp. “Retail investors won’t sell unless the market moves up or they see selling pressure.”

Some institutions are selling, however, as retail investors buy. The market could correct to 1,510 levels this week, Rantisi added. Regional catalysts will be hard to find until third-quarter earnings begin to trickle in from October.

This means investors will turn to international markets and the European Central Bank (ECB) policy meeting on Thursday for cues.

Markets have been expecting the bank to outline, and possibly offer, some details of its bond-buying scheme aimed at driving down borrowing costs for highly-indebted euro-zone members such as Spain and Italy. “Dubai is the best performing market in the Gulf. It’s toning back down a bit which puts it in a good position,” said Marwan Shurrab, vice-president and chief trader at Gulfmena Investments.

“The problem in the UAE is liquidity, which needs to be tackled. It’s not encouraging new money to enter the market.”

In Qatar, the measure edged up 0.09 percent, trimming year-to-date losses to 3.6 percent.

Banks gained with Qatar National Bank up 0.2 percent, Masraf Al Rayan climbing 0.2 percent and Al Khalij Commercial Bank adding 0.5 percent.

Ezdan Real Estate rose 3 percent, trimming its year-to-date losses to 7.2 percent.The developer asked shareholders to approve converting the company in a holding company

called Ezdan Holding Group, it said in a bourse statement on Sunday.

An extraordinary shareholders meeting is set for Sept. 17 to vote on changes to the company’s articles of association. Ezdan, the Gulf’s largest real estate firm with a market capitalization of $14 billion, has claimed heavy volumes recently, with cross-trades of about 46 million shares per day over 10 days.

“Ezdan appears to be reshuffling the number of owned shares between several local institutions,” said Ahmed Shehada, head of trading at Qatar National Bank Financial Services. “If the tranches are going out of the majority shareholder’s stake, then we may see a more liquid stock which is a great move especially due to the size of the stock on the exchange.”

In Saudi Arabia’s, the index slipped for a third session since Wednesday’s 16-week high, with petrochemical and cement stocks the biggest drags. Bellwether Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) slipped 0.8 percent, National Industrialization shed 0.6 percent and Southern Province Cement fell 1.9 percent.

Kingdom Holding shares dropped 5.6 percent, down for a second session from Saturday’s four-year high. It rallied sharply in three consecutive sessions and volumes spiked in a stock that traders often speculate in.

The insurance stock index eased 0.08 percent. Investors are selling small-cap stocks that drove a recent rally and analysts fear the pull-back could be sharp because blue-chips did not support the move higher.

Elsewhere, Egypt’s benchmark index climbed 0.7 percent, closing at its highest level since June 2011.

National Societe Generale Bank, unit of France’s Societe Generale, surged for a second session, closing 10 percent higher, since news that Qatar National Bank is in talks to buy a controlling stake.

The Paris-based bank, which owns 77.17 percent of Egypt’s said the talks on selling NSGB were preliminary. — Reuters

22

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

BUSINESS

Barclays sees Middle East driving investment bank European assets attractive to ME buyers DUBAI: The Middle East will be an important growth area in coming years for investment banks, including Barclays, as local wealth funds put their oil dollars to work buying European assets, a senior executive at the British bank said.

“If you look globally, the upside is in emerging markets and the Middle East is a key component of that,” Makram Azar, global vice-chairman for investment banking at Barclays, told Reuters.

“We are committed to the Middle East. I do not see why our strategy would change,” Azar said in an interview. Last week’s appointment of retail banker Antony Jenkins as Barclays group chief executive could see a shift from riskier investment banking, analysts said, as the lender tries to recover from an interest rate-rigging scandal that brought down former CEO Bob Diamond.

Barclays is also the subject of a British regulatory inquiry into payments to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund linked to its participation in an 11 billion pound ($17 billion) refinancing of the bank at the height of the financial

crisis in 2008. Azar would not comment on whether that inquiry might affect its business in the region.

While investment banking has been at the heart of recent troubles at Barclays, the unit delivered 54 percent of underlying first-half group profit.

Middle Eastern deal activity has been picking up after a subdued period. Cash-rich Gulf Arab sheikhs and governments are buying European assets, lured in part by attractive valuations due to weak markets. “There is a pick-up in M&A activity in the MENA (Middle East and north Africa) region, led to a large extent by Qatar and Abu Dhabi, pouring billions of dollars into Western companies which have been hard hit by massive writedowns,” Azar said.

“The environment in Europe is still challenging but there are names that were beaten up and are now trading at attractive levels. This presents an opportunity for Gulf investors.”

Barclays leads M&A advisory rankings in MENA, according to Dealogic, with $4.7 billion of deals this year, followed by Goldman Sachs at $3.7 billion

and Credit Suisse on $3.5 billion.

Gulf investment into Europe almost froze in 2010 and 2011 because of confusion over the euro zone debt crisis and losses suffered on previous overseas deals completed at the height of the 2008 crisis - most notably sovereign funds from Abu Dhabi and Kuwait investing in US banks.

Middle East funds are beginning to return and are making waves, led by cash-rich Qatar, which said last month it was buying a 20 percent stake in London Heathrow airport owner BAA. Also, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund became an unexpected kingmaker in the Glencore-Xstrata deal after spending more than 3 billion pounds raising its stake to 12.3 percent.

Other regional players are also involved, with Abu Dhabi fund Mubadala acquiring a 5.6 percent stake in Brazilian conglomerate EBX for $2 billion and Almarai, Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy company, buying Argentine farm operator Fondomonte S.A. for $83 million.

Gulf Arab investors are also targeting options closer to home as they look

for places to park their cash. “The oil price is at a high level, higher than the levels at which Gulf government budgets are based on, and this excess revenue needs to be invested,” Azar said.

“Some of it is being channelled indirectly into the region in the form of investments such as Qatar Telecom’s bid for Wataniya and the rest is invested outside the region.”

Barclays has been advising Qtel’s $2.2 billion bid for the 47.5 percent of Kuwaiti telecom player Wataniya it does not own. The Qatari group has also increased its stake in Iraqi firm Asiacell to 60 percent in a $1.47 billion deal in June. Gulf-based banks are also said to be keen to acquire stakes in Egyptian lenders being offloaded by French owners who want to divest assets to shore up capital positions at home.

Azar said further opportunities would emerge this year. “ The bank worked on several deals in the region worth around $4.7 billion and the year is not over yet. We are now looking at a number of additional deals in the pipeline.” — Reuters

Saudi to raise OSPs for light grades in Oct mium rising to over $21 a barrel at one point during the month, the highest since October 2011. Naphtha cracks also improved, with the discount narrowing to about $6.6 a barrel from $10.8 per barrel at the start of the month.

Complex refinery margins have narrowed slightly to $9.46 a barrel last week, from $10.62 at the beginning of the month. Heavier grades may be raised by a smaller margin or kept unchanged, because of continuing weakness in fuel oil cracks, traders said. The discount on fuel oil cracks has widened to $5.26 a barrel from $3.47 a barrel at the beginning of August. Still, some traders were of the view that Saudi Arabia may not raise prices, saying the improvement in cracks was not an indication of demand but of product shortages because of refinery outages.

SINGAPORE: Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia will probably raise its official selling prices for the lighter grades of crude that it sells to Asia in October because of a stronger Dubai market and narrowing product cracks, a Reuters poll showed yesterday.

The producer could raise the October official selling prices(OSPs) for Arab Light and Arab Extra Light by 50 cents a barrel from the previous month, according to the median estimates by five traders and refiners. The OSPs for Arab Medium and Arab Heavy could rise by 10-20 cents a barrel, the poll showed.

“The overall market direction is bullish, so I expect them to raise their prices,” said a trader at a refiner. “Product cracks are supportive, especially for the lighter grades, so they may raise them more.”

Gasoil cracks improved, with the pre-

PARIS: People walk out of a job center in Nanterre, outside Paris yesterday. The number of French unemployed has broken through the 3 million barrier, the country’s leaders say. The latest total adds pressure on President Francois Hollande, whose administration is under attack for not doing enough to fix the economy. Sign reads: Department of employment and information. —AP

Jordan king blocks fuel price hike AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah has ordered the government to freeze a hike in the price of the low-grade fuel used by the poor in the aid-dependent kingdom, which is struggling to absorb refugees from neighboring Syria.

The price hike, which sparked several scattered street protests by the government’s tribal and Islamist opponents, was the second this year under

IMF-guided measures to cut subsidies and ease budget strains. Palace officials said yesterday the king had asked Prime Minister Fayez Al-Tarawneh’s government to freeze the planned 10 percent rise in the price of lower-grade gasoline.

On Sunday, 89 of the 120 deputies in the country’s lower house of parliament signed a petition urging the king

to dismiss Tarawneh over the move, which took effect on Saturday.

The government, mindful of public fury that exploded into street clashes in the depressed south of the country after two price hikes in 1989 and 1996, has long been reluctant to raise fuel prices.

Street protests early last year, inspired by the wave of Arab unrest,

pushed the authorities to expand social spending and freeze fuel price hikes, including gasoline. But the government raised the price of premium petrol by 20 percent last May and a month later raised the price of lower grade gasoline used by lower-income Jordanians - the majority of the country’s seven million population - by 12.9 percent. — Reuters

Global multinationals act as safe investment

By Hayder Tawfik nvestors looking for a safe place for their money should look no further than investing in big multinational stocks. Nowadays, safe investment places for money are getting fewer by the day, even gold and bonds are no longer seen as safe havens. Last week was the 5th anniversary of the start of the financial crisis which started in the US and engulfed the rest of the world. Today, we are still living with its impacts.

Central bankers from US, Europe and the rest of the world have been busy using every tool at their disposable to generate economic growth with no luck at all.

These market developments have fundamentally changed investors’ perception of the safe investment assets. Most of the traditional safe assets have become very rare to find or have become very expensive for investors to risk investing in them. I think investors should accept the fact and should focus on balancing their assets properly to reflect, liquidity, diversification and obviously inflation. This is what we at Dimah Capital call a Balanced Portfolio of good quality assets. We think because of the global economic and financial crisis, equity investors should build exposure to top multinationals around the world. Most of these strong multinationals are to be found in US and Europe. Traditionally these companies perform very well in time of crisis.

We at Dimah Capital believe strongly that these big companies will carry on delivering reasonable profits for their investors. For investors who find it difficult to create a well diversified portfolio, investing in big multinationals does the job for them. A typical multinational company will have a wide range of products spread across big geographical area around the world. Also, fundamentally they have very good track record in delivering what shareholders and investors demand from them. They also pay handsome dividends far higher than what investors might get on cash nowadays. Indeed their income generating indeed is very reliable too. Companies such as Nestle, IBM, Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and so many more. They continue to grow their dividends even in bad times. Also, because they have very strong balance sheet and generate free cash balances they tend to have a policy of buying back their shares.

If investors bought a good selections of those stocks in the last 5 years and held on to them, they would have done very well indeed. We have to admit that some of their valuations are a bit expensive but we think they are justified. However, as long as there is global uncertainty, investors should carry on having exposure to these multinationals. We at Dimah capital do not believe that it is worth changing this strategy yet.

At present the only economy showing good growth and resilience is the US economy. We do not think this will change in the near future. All the US economic indicators have been much better apart from the employment numbers. We advise investors who are looking for safe havens in equities to have most of their exposure to US multinationals. The Feral Reserve is one of very few independent central banks around the world, which have unlimited resources to make sure that the US economy continue to grow and create employment. Last Friday, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke signalled that the bank may buy more bonds under further quantitative easing to lower unemployment, which is something very good for consumer spending.

We believe that at some time in the coming few weeks Europe will come up with some measure to alleviate the hardship suffered by the people of Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy. These measures will have to be longer lasting and more effective than the ones which were announced in the last few months. We think the markets will react positively and the big multinational will be the big winners again.

I

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 Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .4420000 .3510000 .2920000 .2820000 .2900000 .0040000 .0020000 .0763660 .7440070 .3870000 .0720000 .7293660 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2813000 GB Pound/KD .4448900 Euro .3532000 Swiss francs .2940930 Canadian dollars .2844570 Danish Kroner .0474150 Swedish Kroner .0424010 Australian dlr .2915530 Hong Kong dlr .0362670 Singapore dlr .2243760 Japanese yen .0035800 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0766170 Bahraini dinars .7464510 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0750330 Omani riyals .7309340 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 Malaysian Ringgit

3.553 5.072 3.053 2.141 3.173 220.090 36.173 3.425 6.439 8.876 89.338

.2860000 .4550000 .3610000 .3030000 .2950000 .3040000 .0067500 .0035000 .0771330 .7514840 .4100000 .0780000 .7366960 .0510000 .2834000 .4482110 .3558370 .2962890 .2865810 .0477690 .0427170 .2937300 .0365380 .2260510 .0036070 .0051240 .0021480 .0030010 .0035010 .0771890 .7520230 .4008490 .0755930 .7363910 .0067440

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.883 77.158 729.380 745.850 76.464

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.250 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.466 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.309 Tunisian Dinar 176.65 Jordanian Dinar 396.190 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.884 Syrian Lier 4.899 Morocco Dirham 32.64 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.700 Euro 354.52 Sterling Pound 441.820 Canadian dollar 274.79 Turkish lire 152.400 Swiss Franc 295.01 US Dollar Buying 279.500 GOLD 293.000 148.000 75.250

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

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

SELL CASH

293.700 751.150 3.720 290.000 554.700 46.000 48.700 167.800 48.530 359.200 37.100 5.370 0.032 0.161 0.236 3.700 400.260 0.191 93.530 44.400 4.340 230.400 1.830

49.800 733.670 3.080 6.960 78.130 75.410 227.830 36.460 2.690 452.100 43.600 299.100 4.300 9.390 198.263 77.010 282.800 1.360

10 Tola

GOLD 1,799.800

Sterling Pound US Dollar

733.490 3.002 6.720 77.700 75.410 227.830 36.460 2.132 450.100 297.600 4.300 9.240 76.910 282.400

COUNTRY

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 450.100 282.400

SELL DRAFT

292.200 751.150 3.450 288.500

227.800 46.309 357.700 36.950 5.095 0.031

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar 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

294.07 291.00 300.51 358.48 282.10 451.44 3.68 3.462 5.092 2.135 3.194 2.991 76.87 751.14 46.32 401.90 734.19 77.90 75.44

SELL CASH

310.000 289.000 297.500 357.000 283.150 449.000 3.630 3.560 5.350 2.310 3.650 3.150 77.400 750.000 48.600 400.000 736.000 78.000 75.850

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 400.230 0.190 93.530 3.200 228.200

Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

Selling Rate

282.600 288.830 443.975 348.970

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

290.575 748.180 76.920 77.570 75.325 398.365 46.498 2.138 5.081 3.002 3.454 6.702 693.220 4.580 9.060 4.385 3.285 90.285

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal 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

Currency

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 Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

282.500 2.983 5.107 2.139 3.450 6.760 77.020 75.490 751.000 46.303 453.800 2.990 1.550 361.200 292.500 3.200

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

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

282.400 357.350 449.750 288.700 3.615 5.077 46.315 2.135 3.450 6.700 2.994 751.300 76.900 75.410

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

BUSINESS

Spain sees $125bn as enough for banks MADRID: Spain’s ailing banks won’t likely need to tap all the euro 100 billion ($125.7 billion) that’s been made available by the country’s euro partners, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said yesterday.

In a further indication that Spain’s economic problems are not as acute as some in the markets have been fearing, De Guindos also insisted that no additional austerity measures will be needed to meet the Spanish government’s deficit-reduction target.

Spain is battling to avoid the same bailout fate as Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus.

However, De Guindos said Spain’s most troubled bank, Bankia, will get urgent aid, while two indebted Spanish regions appealed for emergency funding to deal with a crippling liquidity crunch.

Spain’s banks have an estimated

184 billion euros in problematic real estate loans and investments following the collapse of the country’s property market in 2008. The other 16 euro-zone countries have set aside the rescue package to help troubled Spanish lenders.

“In principle, it looks like not all of (the ?100 billion) will be used,” De Guindos told Onda Cero radio.

De Guindos said austerity policies being enacted by the government will be enough for Spain to meet its target of reducing the budget deficit to 6.3 percent of national income this year from 9 percent last. The government has already unveiled a ?65 billion package of tax hikes and spending cuts. “Spain has already set out a path which is sufficient for the problems we face,” De Guindos said. He said he didn’t expect other eurozone countries to demand more economic

reforms in Spain. Spain is in a doubledip recession with a near 25 percent unemployment rate. Investors fearing Spain may not be able to pay off its debts have charged high prices for loans to the country. That’s piled the pressure on Spain to reduce its swollen deficit, cut central and regional government spending and clean up its banking system.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to visit Madrid on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Monday that Spain must push through its reform plans to improve the long-term prospects of its economy and alleviate market concerns.

“We have said many times in the Spanish case ... that the path Spain has taken recently is remarkable. And that will - as in other countries - when the homework has been done, when the

structure of the economy and the labor market has been improved, lead to that being reflected in interest rates,” Seibert told reporters in Berlin. De Guindos predicted that the ?100 billion in bank rescue funds would become available by early November, once the banks’ restructuring plans are unveiled in the middle of this month. However, he said an emergency advance loan of up to ?5 billion for Bankia, a leading bank that was nationalized in May, could be announced later yesterday.

Bankia has called for a total of ?24 billion in public aid. Spain’s heavily indebted regions are another concern for the government.

The northeastern region of Catalonia, which announced last week it would seek 5.02 billion euros in aid from the central government, said Monday it urgently needs money and

won’t be able to wait until September, as planned, El Pais reported. Also, the regional government of Andalucia is asking for 1 billion euros in emergency funding, it said.

Though the Spanish government is reluctant to accept conditions that would likely be imposed as part of a wider bailout, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo signaled that his country is willing to surrender some degree of sovereignty as part of efforts to draw a line under the eurozone’s financial crisis.

He said Spain hoped to make progress toward greater European banking, fiscal and political union during the meeting with Merkel. “We need to move towards a United States of Europe,” he said.

Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this story. Hatton contributed from Lisbon, Portugal. — AP

India pledges ‘friendly’ tax system to boost growth Chidambaram assures clarity on tax laws

MUMBAI: Indian couples shelter under umbrellas as they enjoy heavy rain showers at the sea front in Mumbai yesterday. The monsoon rains, a key to India’s economy, covered the entire country on July 11 but it was 23 percent below average, officials said amid worries of its impact on two cereal-producing states. — AFP

NEW DELHI: India vowed yesterday to introduce a more “friendly” tax system and said it would decide soon whether to delay a controversial plan to fight tax evasion that has spooked foreign investors. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who was appointed in July and who is seen as more pro-investor than his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee, told reporters that India “will be friendly to taxpayers... Nobody should harbor any fear.”

He added India would have a “stable tax regime with clarity on tax laws” and authorities would have a “non-adversarial” approach to tax collection. His comments came after one of India’s top businessmen, software entrepreneur N R Narayana Murthy, slammed the government over its tax policies at the weekend.

Murthy said recent tax proposals had soured India sentiment

among foreign business leaders and were “like taking a pistol and shooting ourselves”. The General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR), introduced in this year’s budget, seek to curb tax evasion through tax havens, but have been criticized as a money-grabbing exercise by a government battling to curb a ballooning deficit.

The tax proposals have stirred unease among overseas investors, with foreign investment for the quarter to June sliding by 67 percent from a year earlier to $4.43 billion.

A government panel proposed that the rules to clamp down on tax avoidance should be delayed by three years. Data on Friday showed India’s growth remained stuck at three-year lows of 5.5 percent, a high figure by developed nations’ standards but far below the near double-digit growth of much of the past decade. — AFP

Egypt’s banks are ripe for picking DUBAI: Egypt’s banks are ripe for picking. Qatar National Bank is in talks to buy Societe Generale’s 77 percent stake in its local subsidiary, NSGB, the country’s second-largest private bank by market value. With a political transition in full swing and a pledge from the president not to devalue the pound, a number of banks could soon change hands as European owners retreat in a bid to shore up capital. The sellers are mostly forced. BNP Paribas is selling its retail banking business and Credit Agricole Egypt is seen as a takeover target. Last year, Standard Chartered walked away from talks to acquire the business of Piraeus Bank.

Egypt remains an attractive long-term market even though credit growth has almost ground to halt after the change or government, from around 25 percent year-on-year. Only 10 percent of the population has a bank account. Retail lending is less than 10 percent of GDP, compared to 50 percent or higher in developed markets.

Egypt, like Turkey, is a key market for any bank that wants to be a strong

regional player. QNB has excess capital to fund its ambition to become an “iconic ” brand. Yet the bank misjudged Dexia’s desperation to sell earlier this year when it put in a low ball bid for Turkey ’s Denizbank, only to lose to Russia’s Sberbank. The bank sold for 1.3 times book value. In Egypt, there are fewer assets on offer and the regulator isn’t handing out new licenses. So there will be more competition, with higher valuations.

An offer for the whole of NSGB, as per Egyptian market rules, would cost QNB around $2.8 billion at current prices, or around 2.2 times book value. That’s still below the 2.8 times of its pre-revolution days. The shares have risen 20 percent since talks were announced. With a 25 percent premium to the undisturbed price, QNB could make a return on investment of 8.6 percent in the first year, according to Arqaam Capital. That leaves some room for a slip in the pound if Egypt’s currency loses some of its value in spite of the president ’s promise. — Reuters

Greek unions see 29% jobless ATHENS: Greece’s largest labor union yesterday warned that the country’s unemployment will reach 29 percent in 2013 if the government carries out more planned austerity measures, expected to exceed 11.5 billion euros ($14.4 billion) for 2012-13.

“The course of the Greek economy is one of decline. In 2012, we are expecting a drop in gross domestic product of 7 percent. This will create unemployment of 24 percent level - 1.2 million people,” Savvas Rombolis, head of research at the GSEE labor union told the Associated Press in an interview.

“Our estimate is that in 2013, unemployment will be between 28 and 29 percent - more than 1.4 million people.

That’s because we expect the economy to remain in decline.”

The predictions are to be included in a report that will be published Thursday.

Unemployment in May reached 23.1 percent, with the under-25 jobless rate hitting 54.9 percent.

The report, Rombolis said, also found that Greeks on minimum wage have seen their spending power reduced to 1979 levels, while those earning an average salary have been pushed back to the equivalent of the early 1980s - after analyzing wage trends, the price of goods and services, and the impact of successive tax hikes since Greece’s major financial crisis began in late 2009.

Greece is relying on emergency loans from the other 16 countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund to avoid bankruptcy. It is likely to slash pensions and other benefits further in the new austerity package - which the government says is vital to keep on receiving loan payments and remain a member of the euro-zone.

European and IMF debt inspectors are due back in Athens at the end of the week, along with European Council President Herman van Rompuy, while Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras is traveling to Germany to meet Tuesday with counterpart Wolfgang Schaeuble. In Athens, meanwhile, private doctors working with the country’s largest staterun healthcare provider have started charging their patients, in protest at the organization’s unpaid bills.

A doctors’ association said the action against the provider EOPYY started yesterday and will last at least five days.

Pharmacists launched a similar protest at the weekend, refusing to hand out prescriptions from the state-backed insurer.

Police are planning a uniformed demonstration in Athens Thursday to protest likely new pay cuts, while an association representing public prosecutors and other court officials says it will slash operating hours at Greece’s backlogged courts if their pay is reduced. — AP

India’s Finance Minister P Chidambaram

Oil steady near $115 despite Chinese data

German Labor and Social Affairs Minister Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference in Berlin. — AFP

France car registrations slump by 11.4% in Aug PARIS: French car sales dropped by 11.4 percent in August, after a drop of seven percent the previous month, adding to the economic gloom hanging over the euro-zone’s second biggest economy.

Sales of new cars in France slipped by 11.4 percent on the basis of unadjusted data and a 12-month comparison to 96,115 vehicles, the manufacturers’ organization CCFA said.

Over the first eight months of this year, the fall was 13.4 percent, it said, noting that the French carmakers PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault suffered more last month than foreign competitors.

The key French sector has been weak for several months owing to the end of a cash-for-clunkers government bonus to support car sales at the height of the financial crisis.

The poor car sales came a day after French Labor Minister Michel Sapin said that the country’s unemployment had passed the symbolic number of three million registered jobseekers and would keep rising. President Francois Hollande’s Socialist government is struggling to tackle rising unemployment after he took office in May amid the debt crisis that is dragging down European economies.

The government last month announced that it will boost support for environmentally friendly cars as part of a rescue plan unveiled amid growing concern for top carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen.

PSA Peugeot Citroen posted a net loss of 819 million euros (nearly $1.0 billion) for the first half of this year, more than reversing a year-earlier net profit of 806 million euros. The company, which employs 100,000 people in France but had already announced 8,000 job cuts there, said it will implement a 1.5-billion-euro cost reduction plan through to 2015. — AFP

LONDON: Oil steadied yesterday, despite Chinese data showing a deepening slowdown in the world’s biggest energy consumer, as investors focused on the possibility of more stimulus measures and other moves to try to revive economic growth.

China’s factories have been hit by slowing orders, two major surveys showed yesterday, suggesting the slowdown in the world’s No 2 oil user could be worsening.

The figures prompted a new round of speculation that governments would act sooner rather than later to increase money market liquidity to encourage bank lending, a move that would almost certainly boost commodities and oil.

Trading volumes were limited, with US financial markets closed for the Labor Day holiday.

Brent October futures were up 17 cents at $114.74 per barrel by 1200 GMT after jumping nearly $2 on Friday. US crude futures eased 15 cents to $96.32.

Both contracts rose more than 9 percent in August, driven by supply concerns and hopes for stimulus from the Federal Reser ve. “ The Chinese data is very gloomy and suggests that the world economy is slowing,” said Carsten Fritsch, an oil analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

“But the market impact is rather limited as it raises hopes of more economic stimulus measures,” he said. “Hopeful of central bank measures, speculative financial investors are increasingly betting on rising prices.”

China’s official factory purchasing managers’ index (PMI), one of the early indicators of the state of the economy, fell to a lower-than-expected 49.2 in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Saturday.

It was the first time since November 2011 that the number has fallen below 50, which separates expansion from contraction, and followed last week ’s flash PMI for August, which hit a nine-month low.

Together, the two manufacturing surveys could strengthen the case for fur ther policy steps to bolster growth.

US and European data this week could throw light on central bank plans for monetary policy.

Traders are eyeing the European

Central Bank’s meeting on Thursday and US non-farm payrolls data due on Friday. Although the minutes of the last meeting of Fed policymakers suggested the central bank was leaning towards further stimulus to boost the economy, a keenly awaited speech on Aug. 31 by Chairman Ben Bernanke offered no specifics.

Hopes for easing remained intact as Bernanke said stagnation in the US labor market was a “grave concern”, leading investors to expect that unemployment data due on Friday may provide the Fed with a trigger.

US quantitative easing tends to be positive for commodities as it drives down the dollar and adds liquidity.

An ECB meeting on Thursday will be monitored closely as the magnitude of the euro zone’s problem gives it the ability to derail markets across the globe.

Expectations are high after ECB Chairman Mario Draghi in July pledged to do whatever was necessary to preserve the euro, sparking hopes the central bank may announce details of a bond-buying plan this week.

Investors were also monitoring a debate about the release of strategic oil reserves to cool prices, a plan mooted by the United States and supported by Britain and France, but opposed by Germany and Italy.

In Norway, a last-minute wage deal between oil drill workers and their employers helped keep prices subdued by averting what would have been the second strike in two months.

In July, a 16-day strike by Norway’s oil production workers shut 13 percent of production before the government stepped in.

Tension persisted between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, a critical source of crude supplies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday urged world powers to set a “clear red line” for Tehran’s atomic program that would convince Iran they were determined to prevent it from obtaining nuclear arms.

His remarks suggested a growing impatience with Israel’s main ally, the United States, and other countries that have been pressing him to give diplomacy and sanctions more time to work and hold off on any go-italone strike on Iran. — Reuters

24

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

business

London luxury home market risks price crash LONDON: Developers rushing to build top-quality London homes to cash in on strong overseas demand are in danger of being stung by a price crash as they flood the market, property consultancy EC Harris said. Over 15,000 homes in developments worth more than 38 billion pounds ($60 billion) are due for completion in London’s most expensive neighborhoods in the next ten years, a 70 percent jump on last year, an EC Harris report said yesterday.

The total floor area covers almost 20 million square feet equivalent to the size of the London Olympic park - and includes properties in upmarket Mayfair, the City of London financial district and the south bank of the river Thames.

“Developers are racing to get first to site because they don’t want to miss out on the boom that’s happening,” said Mark Farmer, head of residential at EC Harris. “There is a danger that if all these schemes happen that you’ll have a massive oversupply.”

Prices for luxury homes have surged in recent years after economic turmoil in Europe and political uprisings across North Africa drove investors to the relative safety of central London property. Signs of a slowdown appeared after the UK government said in March it would clamp down on tax avoidance by overseas buyers of homes costing more than 2 million pounds.

Prices for the best central London homes rose 1.8 percent in the three months to August, the weakest quarterly growth since November 2010, property consultant Knight Frank said on Monday.

About 4,000 high-end homes are scheduled to be built in 2016 alone, an eight-fold increase on the average number built in London each year. The risk of over-building may be tempered by a tight supply in development finance, Farmer said. Recent entrants to the market include offices and shops developer British Land, which said in July it would redevelop a block in Mayfair into luxury flats, and Malaysian developers SP Setia and Sime Darby, who plan to build over 3,000 homes at Battersea Power Station.Such developers have been described as “late to the party” by some residential players. — Reuters

Europe’s carmakers ready cuts to emulate Detroit Overdue push as US counterparts race ahead PARIS: Europe’s volume carmakers are returning from summer breaks with their sleeves rolled up, ready to shut plants and lay off staff in what many see as an overdue push to cut costs as their US counterparts did three years ago. In 2009, when the United States rescued General Motors and Chrysler from bankruptcy on condition they close plants and slash jobs to rebuild profits, European governments responded to a slump in vehicle sales by offering car firms aid to do the opposite maintain employment levels in the hope of a swift recovery.

Three years on, and with no sign of an end to a European economic crisis that has crushed demand for cars in core Mediterranean markets, French and Italian makers, along with GM’s German Opel unit and Ford’s regional division, faceless resistance from politicians and labor unions as they present cuts as an alternative to risking outright collapse.

Governments, including the newly elected Socialists in Paris, no longer have funds to bail companies out, and some union leaders are calculating that cuts now can save more jobs later - though few expect workforces, which have in some cases already been substantially eroded, to take plant closures quietly.

But American auto consultant David Cole said he expected major restructuring to get under way as Europeans faced the choice to “sacrifice a battalion in order to save a division”. “Everybody has decided this is the right time to make structural changes,” said Cole, a

former head of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“When they see that a company could disappear with all its jobs, they may realize it’s better to lose 20 percent.” Factory closures are no longer the “taboo subject” they were when the industry faced the first wave of crisis after 2008, said Laurent Petizon, a Paris-based director for consultancy AlixPartners, which advised GM on its state-aided turnaround.

“There seems to be a growing realization that overcapacity needs to be dealt with.”

Three years after the drastic cuts demanded by US President Barack Obama’s administration in return for public cash, GM and Chrysler are reporting strong earnings, even with the US market still below pre-crisis levels. Global No 1 GM, which shed four brands, 14 US plants and 21,000 jobs, posted a record profit of $7.6 billion last year, while Chrysler netted $183 million under new parent Fiat after a similar tightening of its belt.

In Europe, where the industry was barred from closing factories in return for billions in state loans, scrappage bonuses and other life support subsidies, most mass automakers now appear locked in a downward spiral. PSA Peugeot Citroen, Renault and Fiat - along with Ford in Europe and GM’s Opel - are struggling to stay profitable and in most cases failing. Peugeot is leading the losses, and the charge, with plans to cut more than 10,000 French jobs and carry out the country’s first car plant closure in two decades.

Fiat, which shuttered one Italian plant last

year, has warned it will close another unless it can build vehicles competitively for US export. “We reserve the right to deal with these issues, including the issue of closing plants, after the third quarter,” CEO Sergio Marchionne said last month.

Renault has been careful not to rule out cutting capacity. Four months before Peugeot’s announcement, Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn had predicted that any significant restructuring move in Europe would “force all carmakers to do it”.

GM may also order deeper cutbacks after ousting Opel chief Karl-Friedrich Stracke in July. Stracke had reached an outline union deal to extend a moratorium on firings until the likely closure of Opel’s Bochum plant in 2017. The politics have not stymied all change. European governments have often “looked the other way” as companies have shrunk plants and headcount by attrition, said Ron Harbor, a managing partner with consulting firm Oliver Wyman. Renault’s French headcount fell 9.6 percent in the three years to 2011, and Peugeot’s shrank 7.6 percent. Fiat, however, barely dented its domestic workforce of nearly 63,000 despite being the only European maker to close an assembly plant. In all cases, the softly-softly approach has failed to keep pace with a 13 percent Western European market decline over the period. “They’ve just been kicking the can down the road, but they’re getting to the end of the road,” Harbour said. From similar overcapacity levels in 2007, when auto

plants on both sides of the Atlantic were producing about 85 percent of maximum output, surviving US plants have stepped up to 90 percent while Europeans sagged to 74 percent, AlixPartners says. The averages mask contrasts: two in five European plants are running below 75 percent, deemed the minimum profitable rate, while Volkswagen’s factories are close to full tilt. The laggards are concentrated in Italy, France and Spain.

Divergent interests between the increasingly dominant German automaker and its struggling rivals may complicate capacity cuts, as well as the industry’s handling of issues from CO2 regulation to international trade pacts.

Higher restructuring hurdles, from bankruptcy law to labor protection, also mean European cutbacks will never match Detroit’s for depth or speed. Still, the US example is too recent and, so far, successful to ignore.

“Barack Obama said the federal government was ready to help (GM and Chrysler) on condition they carry out the necessary restructuring,” said Laurence Parisot, head of French employers’ organization Medef, days before Peugeot unveiled its cuts. “If we want our companies to be competitive market leaders again in five or 10 years, we have to accept some adjustments,” she said. That view is gaining traction across the political spectrum.

Francois Hollande, France’s new Socialist president, initially voiced “shock” at Peugeot’s plan to close the Aulnay plant near Paris, calling it “unacceptable”. — Reuters

Tycoon delays Russia’s first hybrid car launch MOSCOW: Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s auto division announced yesterday it was delaying until late 2014 this year’s planned launch of the petrolguzzling country’s first hybrid vehicle.

But it also insisted the “Yo Mobile” was never meant to be a publicity stunt to win the politically ambitious tycoon votes in this spring’s presidential elections, and promised the colorful new cars would still get built. “Many detractors will now say that this was just a Mikhail Prokhorov PR campaign,” project general director Andrei Biryukov told the Interfax news agency after tendering his resignation because of the delay.

“But this is not the case and he continues to fund the joint venture.”

Biryukov blamed the delay on a US supplier he did not name that was responsible for providing body parts.

The eye-catching little vehicles were designed to introduce a fresh new look to Russian streets now clogged with remnants of exhaust-fuming Soviet-era makes and huge SUVs and luxury sedans from the United States and Germany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin drove one of the cars to a government meeting while serving as prime minister in April 2011 and joked that it did not look very tough.

“The Yo-Mobile will not fall apart along the way, will it?” Putin asked with a grin at the time. But the project also supported Prokhorov’s bid to build a more modern image as an oligarch who

tries to connect with youth through his ownership of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets basketball team and occasional support for liberal Russian causes.

The 47-year-old-last estimated to be worth more than $12 billion by Forbes magazine-placed a strong third in the March presidential ballot with a surprising eight percent of the vote.

His campaign came during a wave of street protests against Putin’s impending return to the Kremlin and Prokhorov styled himself as a compromise figure

who would introduce more liberal economic ideas.

He has largely shunned politics since and is still in the process of forming his own political party while refusing to criticize Putin directly.

Business daily Kommersant said the joint venture between Prokhorov’s Oneximbank bank and a small truck manufacturer called Yarovit Motors had already invested 80 million euros ($100 million) in the vehicle’s Saint Petersburg production plant. — AFP

MOSCOW: A sport coupe version of the “Yo Mobile” hybrid car during the vehicle’s presentation in Moscow. Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s auto division announced yesterday it was delaying until late 2014 this year’s planned launch of the petrol-guzzling country’s first hybrid vehicle. — AFP

End of ‘obscene’ profits for HKng property firms HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s home builders are bidding cautiously on land to develop, wary of shrinking profit margins as the city’s new leader pushes for more affordable housing in the world’s most expensive residential real estate market. Property developer Cheung Kong Holdings, founded by Asia’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, bought only one new plot in the city in the first half of this year, an unusually quiet span for Asia’s No. 2 developer by market value.

On Aug. 10, Cheung Kong spent HK$9.6 billion ($1.24 billion) on a huge site above a subway station, but on condition set by subway operator MTR Corp that half of the 2,384 flats are small, affordable apartments of not more than 540 square feet. Suc h units tend to generate slimmer profit margins.

“We were in a situation where they (developers) were making extraordinary, if not obscene, profits,” Nicholas Brooke, the chairman of the real-estate consulting company Professional Property Services, said. “Now we’ll return to where markets are a little bit more acceptable.”

The property brokerage Savills last year rated Hong Kong’s residential real estate the most expensive worldwide, topping other financial centers such as London and New York.

Hong Kong’s new “chief executive” Leung Chun-ying, a former property surveyor who was elected without the backing of the city’s powerful real estate tycoons, unveiled his housing policy in a surprise address on Thursday. He introduced 10 measures aimed at cooling the property market and promised

65,000 new private apartments and 75,000 government-rental apartments.

The greater supply will likely eat into developers’ margins. Cheung Kong earned HK$15.5 billion in the first half of this year, a huge sum but down 54 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Its gross margin was 44 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Rival Sun Hung Kai Property, Asia’s biggest property company, generated net income of HK$21.1 billion for the six months ended Dec. 31, with a gross margin of 39 percent. Results for the June period are due later this month.

“Developers have already signalled that they believe prices will come down given the way they are bidding on land,” Andrew Lawrence, Hong Kong property analyst with Barclays Capital, said.

“Margins of 35 to 40 percent may not be sustainable.”

As of early August, developers had spent only HK$17.8 billion on land since the start of the new tax year in March, although that doesn’t include Cheung Kong’s latest buy. Still, if that pace is sustained, spending would fall short of the prior tax year’s tally of HK$67 billion.

Tenders on the two MTR sites including the one eventually won by Li’s Cheung Kong - were initially withdrawn when developers failed to match the price that the MTR was seeking for development above its train stations. Ot h er land sales have come in towards the bottom end of surveyor expectations or have also been withdrawn.

Hong Kong home prices are up 12.3 percent so far this year, according to data from Centaline Property Agency,

and have shot up 89 percent since the end of 2008, making it hard for lowerincome households to get on the property ladder. Singapore has had more success curbing its housing market.

Prices there are up 48 percent since 2008, but they stabilized after the government introduced cooling measures in December, including a tax on foreign buyers who are not permanent residents. Prices rose just 0.3 percent in the first half of 2012, according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

The most effective measures in Hong Kong have been a stamp duty on quick re-sales, and reducing borrowing ability on apartments. Buyers are now required to put down half the value of any home worth more than HK$10 million, and 40 percent of any home above HK$7 million. Leung faces a difficult task, however, with no control over a currency pegged to the US dollar that has brought super-low mortgage rates of just over 2 percent. David Faulkner, the executive director of valuation and advisory services for Asia at the brokerage Colliers International, expects Leung to boost the supply of private housing to 20,000 to 25,000 homes per year.

Developers have produced just over half that in recent years, with Knight Frank estimating they will introduce only 11,888 new homes in 2012.

“In the old days, we used to build 35,000 units a year,” Faulkner said. “We need to be at more than 20,000 and we haven’t been getting close to that for the last few years. That should be enough to slow the rate in growth in prices.”— Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

BUSINESS

Asian markets mostly rise on stimulus hopes HONG KONG: Asian markets mostly rose yesterday after more weak Chinese manufacturing data fuelled hopes for a fresh round of monetary easing by Beijing.

The downbeat figures out of China added to expectations of more stimulus measures in the United States following strong hints from Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke on Friday. Hong Kong added 0.39 percent, or 76.64 points, to 19,559.21 and Shanghai ended 0.57 percent higher, adding 11.63 points to 2,059.15 while Sydney gained 0.31 percent, or 13.6 points, to end at 4,329.7.

Seoul put on 0.40 percent, or 7.59 points, to 1,912.71 but Tokyo slipped 0.63 percent, or 56.02 points, to 8,783.89. Fears over growth in China were stoked again on Saturday when the official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) of manufacturing activity fell to a ninemonth low of 49.2 in August from 50.1 in July, owing to slumping demand in the key export markets of Europe and the United States.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below 50 points to contraction.

News

in brief

Austrian jobless rate edges up to 6.2% VIENNA: Austria’s unemployment rate rose to 6.2 percent in August from 6.0 percent the previous month, according to preliminary data released yesterday by the labor ministry. A total of 289,223 people, including those undergoing training, were registered as seeking a job, up from 285,899 in July. According to the EU’s statistics agency Eurostat, Austria’s jobless rate in July was 4.5 percent-the only country in the bloc with an unemployment rate below five percent. Austria, unlike Eurostat, includes in its unemployment calculations under-employed people who worked just a few hours during the given period, which explains the different figures.

Turkish official inflation slows to 8.88% ANKARA: Turkish inflation slowed to 8.88 percent in August, the national statistics institute TUIK said yesterday. On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased by 0.56 percent, TUIK also said on its website, which brings annual consumer price inflation down to 8.88 percent from 9.07 percent in July. The monthly producer price inflation dropped to 4.56 percent, from 6.13 percent the previous month, TUIK added. Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan predicted yesterday that the Turkish inflation would not be higher than the government’s expectations. “I estimate Turkey will finalize the year with a six percent inflation rate,” he was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

Japan’s Nomura eyes $1 billion in cost cuts TOKYO: Nomura Holdings said yesterday it would cut $1.0 billion in costs as part of a bid to repair its balance sheet as Japan’s biggest brokerage recovers from an embarrassing insider trading scandal. The firm said it planned to usher in the cuts by March 2014, chopping expenses from its wholesale division, which includes investment banking, equities and fixed-income businesses. In July, Nomura said its fiscal first quarter profit to June shrank almost 90 percent owing to weakness in its retail and wholesale trading business. Like many investment banks, Nomura has struggled with yo-yoing stock and bond prices, poor merger prospects and tightening regulation in the wake of the global financial crisis. The firm held a meeting with about 450 managers in Tokyo on Friday to outline the plan, which is to be presented to shareholders this week. Nomura shares traded 4.26 percent higher at 269 yen yesterday afternoon. The company confirmed that job cuts were part of the planned reductions, but declined to elaborate.

And yesterday a PMI reading from HSBC showed activity fell to its lowest level since March 2009 in August. The final reading of the British banking giant’s index slid to 47.6 from 49.3 in July.

The results add to rising concerns over China’s economic growth and come despite Beijing cutting interest rates and lowering the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve as it looks to boost activity.

China’s economy grew just 7.6 percent in the three months to June, the worst performance in three years and the sixth straight slowdown, while figures for trade, industrial output and retail sales in July were also weak.

The latest results will boost expectations of another cut to banks’ reserve requirements or even interest rates.

“The pace of growth has slowed much more than the authorities (in Beijing) expected,” Stephen Halmarick, head of investment markets research at First State Investments, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Global markets posted gains at the start of last month as dealers bet that central banks in China, Europe and the United States would announce fresh

yen from 78.31 yen. Oil eased, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in October, shedding 17 cents to $96.30 a barrel in the late afternoon and Brent North Sea crude for October falling 19 cents to $114.38.

Gold was at $1,689.60 at 0810 GMT compared with $1,658.80 on Friday.

In other markets • Taipei gained 0.72 percent, or 53.47 points, to 7,450.53.

Hon Hai Precision surged 6.13 percent to Tw$90.0 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.72 percent higher at Tw$83.9.

• Manila closed 0.44 percent higher, adding 22.89 points to 5,219.08.

Metropolitan Bank and Trust gained 1.86 percent to 92.75 pesos while Alliance Global Group rose 1.87 percent to 12 pesos.

• Wellington closed flat, edging up 2.35 points to 3,669.03. - AFP

China leads gloom for Asia manufacturing Leaders face calls for action to stem slowdown SHANGHAI: Manufacturing in Asia further weakened last month, data showed yesterday, with activity in China hitting a more than three-year-low, as leaders faced calls for action to avoid a sharper slowdown.

The latest gloomy readings come as export-dependent nations feel the pinch from collapsing demand caused by the long-running debt crisis gripping Europe and the stuttering recovery in the United

States. In China, the purchasing managers’ index (PMI) compiled by British bank HSBC slid to 47.6 last month, the lowest since March 2009, from 49.3 in July. A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion, while one below 50 points to contraction.

The figures came just two days after Beijing said its official PMI reading was 49.2 in August, down from 50.1 in July, and the first contraction in nine months.

“China’s economic growth is still declin-

BEIJING: A view of the Central Business District is reflected on a window in Beijing yesterday. China’s economy has seen a marked easing over the past year, expanding 7.6 percent in the second quarter of 2012, the worst performance in three years and the sixth straight quarter of easing. — AFP

Chinese-built planes to be sold only in China: Airbus PARIS: Airbus planes built in a Chinese factory will be sold only to Chinese clients, the European plane maker said yesterday, although a leasing exception could see aircraft end up with foreign airlines.

Airbus sought to clarify its China operations after the Chinese press described a deal with a leasing firm as evidence the Airbus factory in Tianjin was shipping its planes overseas. “Chinese purchases will fuel the factory in Tianjin, but when a Chinese airline-leasing firm has operating clients elsewhere in the world, it can deliver to those customers,” an Airbus spokesman said, adding that such purchases would be “marginal”. Under the terms of a 2005 agreement on the creation of a Chinese assembly line, Chinese-built planes are supposed to be sold exclusively into a domestic market.

stimulus and easing policies, but the lack of action has led to selling pressure in the past few weeks. In the United States, Bernanke on Friday told central bankers that stagnation in the labor market was “a grave concern” and signalled he would be pushing for more help for the economy. His comments led to speculation that the Fed would undertake a third round of bond-buying, or quantitative easing, lifting US shares.

The Dow added 0.69 percent, the S&P 500 rose 0.51 percent and the Nasdaq climbed 0.60 percent.

However, Mizuho Securities senior technical analyst Yutaka Miura told Dow Jones Newswires: “Although Bernanke’s comments left hopes in markets, we still find it difficult to foresee when and whether the Fed will really take action. “The external environment looks uncertain, with the Chinese economy deteriorating.

Any aggressive bids may be limited.” On currency markets the euro bought $1.2575 in late afternoon Tokyo trade from 1.2576 in New York late Friday.

The European currency was also trading at 98.52 yen compared with 98.51 late Friday. The dollar was at 78.35

Airbus agreed to the leasing exemption before signing a tentative agreement last week with its Chinese partner, Aviation Industry Corporation of China, that would extend the life of the Tianjin line by at least 10 years to 2026 and assemble the newer A320neo model.

Airbus chief Fabrice Bregier told French financial newspaper Les Echoes that the leasing firm ICBC would soon provide an A320 to Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia.

On August 30, China signed a $3.5 billion deal to buy 50 A320 Airbus jets.

Airbus planes are built in Toulouse in France, Hamburg in Germany, and Tianjin, with parts made in France, Germany, Spain and Britain. Airbus announced in July it would open its second aircraft assembly plant outside of Europe in the US state of Alabama. — AFP

ROME: A man walks past banners posted by the Italian Communist party depicting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in uniform wearing an armband with the euro symbol and reading: “You pay tax for your house, banks do not thanks to the EU. Against the EU for Socialism”, in Rome yesterday. —AP

New Saab cars to be rolled out in 2014 STOCKHOLM: The buyers of bankrupt Swedish carmaker Saab said yesterday they would launch their first model in early 2014 using the Saab name, after concluding the purchase of the iconic brand for an undisclosed sum.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), a joint venture between China’s National Modern Energy Holdings and the Japanese fund Sun Investment, said the vehicle would be an electric car using the Saab brand but not the logo, for which it did not obtain the rights. “The efforts to implement our business plan can now be multiplied, focused on the development of a world-class electric vehicle in Trollhaettan,” where Saab is based, the chairman of NEVS, Karl-Erling Trogen, said in a statement.

“In approximately 18 months, we plan to introduce our first electric vehicle based on Saab 9-3 technologies and a new technology electric powertrain,” he added.

The new Saabs will primarily be aimed at the Chinese market. “The Chinese can increasingly afford cars; however, the global oil supply would not suffice if they all buy petroleumfueled vehicles,” NEVS founder and main owner Kai Johan Jiang said.

“Chinese customers demand a premium electric vehicle, which we will be able to offer by acquiring Saab Automobile in Trollhaettan,” he added. Saab filed for bankruptcy last December after teetering on the edge of the abyss for almost two years.

In June, bankruptcy administrators announced an agreement with NEVS. “The acquisition includes intellectual property rights for the Saab 9-3, intellectual property rights for the Phoenix platform, tools, the manufacturing plant, and test and laboratory facilities,” NEVS said.

“The acquisition also comprises all outstanding shares in the property company which owned the Saab facilities in Trollhaettan, Sweden.” — AFP

ing, putting the government under more pressure to loosen its monetary policy,” said Zhang Zhiwei, chief China economist at Nomura Securities in Hong Kong.

“China’s economic slowdown has a great influence on its trading partners as declining demand from China certainly has an impact on exports of other countries,” he told AFP. China’s economy has seen a marked easing over the past year, expanding 7.6 percent in the second quarter of 2012, the worst performance in three years and the sixth straight quarter of easing. A slowdown in China, a key driver of Asian growth, has had a knock-on effect around the region, with Australia-a major supplier of the country’s energy commoditiesheavily impacted.

The Australian Industry GroupPricewaterhouseCoopers Australian Performance of Manufacturing Index in August reaching 45.3, up 5.0 points but still well within the zone of contraction.

“Manufacturing conditions continue to be very challenging across the sector with the high (Australian) dollar and weakness in demand in the domestic and export markets weighing on growth,” Innes Willox, chief executive of Australian Industry Group, told Dow Jones Newswires.

In South Korea, HSBC’s PMI measure rose slightly to 47.5 from 47.2 in July but well below 50 for a third straight month, while in Taiwan the HSBC PMI fell to 46.1 from 47.5. South Korea’s inflation rate was the lowest for more than 12 years in August, rising just 1.2 percent year-onyear official figures showed Monday, increasing prospects of an imminent interest rate cut.

Manufacturing in India, another Asian giant suffering with an economic slowdown, fell to a nine-month low low hit by global weakness and output disruptions.

HSBC’s India PMI slipped to 52.8 in August from 52.9 in July, in part due to disruptions from power outages.

One investment bank responded to the latest manufacturing data yesterday by slashing its forecast for Chinese growth this year and warning there was a possibility of a hard landing unless Beijing acts.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group said it now expects annual growth of 7.8 percent, down from a previous estimate of 8.2 percent but well down from actual growth of 9.2 percent last year.

Beijing has set a target of 7.5 percent.

HSBC also highlighted worrisome signs including a rapid contraction in export orders, a record high in stocks of finished goods and the fastest job shedding in more than three years.

“Beijing must step up policy easing to stabilize growth and foster job market conditions,” HSBC economist Qu Hongbin said. China has already cut interest rates twice this year in June and July and trimmed the amount of funds banks must place in reserve three times since last December, but analysts are calling for more. However, in an editorial yesterday in the People’s Daily-mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist party-indicated Beijing was eager to avoid knee-jerk reactions to the current slowdown.

“We must implement current policies and measures well but also build up the inventory of ammunitions,” it said. “We must tackle short-term and urgent issues, but also grasp the opportunity to cure long-standing ills.” — AFP

Direct Line will be more profitable after spin-off LONDON: Direct Line Insurance Group, Britain’s largest motor insurer, said it expects to become more profitable, as it stepped up its effort to appeal to investors ahead of a planned stock market listing next month.

Direct Line, an autonomous unit of Royal Bank of Scotland , is on track to be listed in October, RBS said last month.

Analysts say it could be worth about 3 billion pounds, making it one of London’s biggest listing for years. RBS, 82 percent state-owned, has been ordered by European regulators to sell Direct Line as a condition of taking a government rescue. Direct Line paid a 200 million pound ($318 million) dividend to RBS yesterday, having paid 800 million earlier this year.

“Other than some transitional services provided by RBS Group, we have essentially achieved the goal of operating as a standalone insurance company,” chief executive Paul Geddes said.

The insurer, whose brands include Churchill and Green Flag as well as Direct

Line, said it was setting a 15 percent target for return on tangible equity. That is up from 10.2 percent annualized ROTE reported for the first half of this year, although the insurer said its underlying ROTE would have been 12.1 percent after its raised 500 million pounds in a debt issuance.

It is also aiming to deliver 100 million pounds in cost savings by the end of 2014. Direct Line’s headline results for the six months to June had already been reported by RBS. Separate statutory results released yesterday showed an operating profit from ongoing operations of 224 million pounds, up 7 percent, with pretax profit down 43 percent to 106.5 million because of restructuring and other one-off costs relating to its separation from RBS. The sale of a minority stake in Direct Line is being run by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and UBS, who are acting as joint bookrunners, sources have said. — Reuters

DHAKA: Chief executive officer of the Swedish multinational retail-clothing company H & M, Karl-Johan Persson addresses a press conference in Dhaka yesterday. Three officials from H & M, including the chief financial officer and chief of global marketing, accompany Persson on the two-day visit. — AFP

26

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

BUSINESS

Zain Group, Vodafone unveil multi-country market deal Zain gets greater access to Vodafone’s global footprint KUWAIT: Zain Group (Zain) and Vodafone Group (Vodafone) yesterday jointly announced a Partner Market agreement that will provide Zain customers with greater support in Vodafone’s global footprint and significantly expand Vodafone’s Partner Market presence in the Middle East.

Under the non-equity partnership agreement, Vodafone will work with Zain companies in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq to provide customers with high quality communications services. The move will enhance both Zain and Vodafone’s ability to meet growing demand among multinational businesses for sophisticated voice and data communications solutions as well as advanced roaming services within the Middle East. This will complement Vodafone’s own regional operations in Egypt and Qatar and increase the number of countries in which Vodafone has Partner Market agreements to more than 50.

Zain will have access to Vodafone’s devices and services in its home markets and become the preferred partner of Vodafone in respect of the agreed areas of cooperation. Zain and Vodafone

will work together to provide customers with enhanced network coverage, harmonized roaming rates across multiple countries with greater cost efficiencies and Zain will be able to use the Vodafone brand.

tional managed services, while continuing to be serviced via a single point of contact. Zain will similarly benefit from Vodafone’s footprint. In addition, Vodafone plans to support multinational corporations by providing communica-

Zain Group Deputy CEO and COO Hisham Akbar

Vittorio Colao, CEO Vodafone Group Plc

Vodafone’s multinational customers served by Vodafone Global Enterprise will benefit by being able to add the Zain countries to their existing contracts for interna-

tions expenditure tracking and procurement services while introducing innovative mobile price plans across the two organizations’ shared area of operations.

“The partnership with Vodafone will allow Zain to bring tangible benefits to both its customers and employees,” said Zain Group Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer Hisham Akbar. He added, “This groundbreaking agreement will give our customers innovative products and services from around the world.

At the same time, Vodafone’s commercial insights and technical expertise will translate into significant operational efficiencies for Zain over the long-term as we transition our networks to next generation networks and beyond.”

RavinderTakkar, CEO, Vodafone Partner Markets, commented: “Our agreement with Zain provides an opportunity for Vodafone to build its presence and work with a leading operator in the Middle East. By combining the geographical reach of our companies’ respective networks, we can strengthen and deepen the benefits to our customers operating in these large and dynamic markets. We are delighted that Zain has joined our successful Partner Market community, which increases to more than 50 markets worldwide with the addition of Zain’s Middle Eastern countries.”

Etihad Airways increases stake in Virgin Australia ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways yesterday confirmed its equity stake in Virgin Australia Holdings has now reached 10 per cent. This represents 221 million shares which have been bought on the open market over recent months. Six weeks ago Etihad Airways received Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approval to increase its holding from 5 per cent to 10 per cent.

Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, said: “We are very pleased to have reached this threshold.

“We support the management strategy of Virgin Australia and will continue to work closely with them on ways to improve our business. Hogan again reiterated that Etihad

Airways wasn’t interested in becoming a majority shareholder or taking control of Virgin Australia. “Our small equity stake reflects the strong working relationship of

both airlines and again demonstrates our enduring commitment to the Australian market,” he said. Etihad Airways and Virgin Australia have developed a highly successful, multi-tiered partnership that includes code-sharing on flights, joint marketing initiatives and reciprocal earn-and-burn on their respective frequent flier programs.

Hogan said he was confident the equity stake would lead to more revenue generating opportunities.

“This further cements our commercial partnership as we continue to explore areas of even closer co-operation such as operational synergies, shared IT infrastructure and other forms of cost sharing efficiency.”

Red dot: Design team of the year GROHE passes the baton Last year a dream came true for Paul Flowers, Grohe AG’s Senior Vice President Design, and his team, when they were named “red dot: design team of the year”.

Having held this award for one year, the company ’s head of design passed the trophy on to Michael Mauer & Style Porsche at the red dot gala held on July 2, thereby inducting another renowned company in the illustrious list of winners of this prestigious award. “We look back on a highly successful design year,” says Paul Flowers. “Being named Design Team of the Year motivated and inspired us to continue doing our utmost to live up to the high expectations of our customers. The list of award winners comprises a highly exclusive circle of companies. We feel honored to be part of it and I am very happy to pass on the baton to a distinguished designer of Michael Mauer’s calibre.”

Coveted award One of the most coveted awards in the international design community, the “red dot: design team of the year” accolade is unique in the world in that the award organizers do not invite submissions or entries from designers or companies. Rather, prospective award winners have

to attract the expert jurors’ attention through the consistency and excellence of their design work as well as their entrepreneurial vision. Given that this award can significantly enhance a compa-

bestowed on GROHE in the area of product design, but this award has taken it all to a higher level.

Our project partners, in particular, have increasingly come to perceive us as a manufacturer of

house design studio. The team based at the company’s corporate centre in D¸sseldorf not only creates the company’s products but also makes sure that anything from packaging to web content

Countdown starts to win astonishing 2012 McLaren by using NBK cards KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) announced 15 September as the last day of its summer campaign that offers its Cardholders the chance to win the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C as well as up to KD 180,000 in cash prizes.

NBK Cardholders can earn unlimited chances throughout the summer to enter the three draws and stand the chance to win up to KD 180,000 in cash prizes in addition to the grand prize draw for the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C. 12 winners in the first two draws of the campaign had their spending on their NBK Cards reimbursed up to a value of KD 10,000. Another six winners will be announced in the third and last draw at the end of the campaign. For every KD 20 spent in Kuwait with NBK Credit or Prepaid Cards, Cardholders will earn one

chance to enter the draw. Cardholders can triple their chances by using their NBK Credit, Prepaid and Debit Card abroad or by shopping on international sites.

NBK Cards are accepted worldwide and are the safest, most convenient and rewarding way to pay. For more information log onto nbk.com, contact Hala Watani on 1801801 or follow NBK on Twitter @NBKPage, and on Instagram @NBKPage.

The new McLaren MP4-12C is one of the world’s most critically acclaimed luxurious supercars with its astonishing design that combines elegance and exquisiteness. Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive is the sole dealer of McLaren Automotive Ltd. and the exclusive impor ter of BMW Group vehicles in Kuwait.

Barbie

Batman

Back to School 2012 with MAX KUWAIT: MAX has passionately planned and prepared the Back to School merchandise to make your young ones excited for return to school. Collections this year are handpicked from world over to make students feel excited, trendy and in sync with fashion. Guys go and express yourself, who you are!

The Back to School collection is well coordinated; one can pick up all the necessities in one particular design or color like backpacks, lunch kits, pencil cases, water bottles etc.

Focus of this year’s Back to School range is on new movies like ‘ The Amazing Spiderman’,’ The Dark Knight Rises ‘(Batman). Also we have included Ben10, Beyblade, Disney Cars and Ferrari themed licensed merchandise; these characters are the hottest and most popular this year so far in the boy’s category.

For girls it is always a pride to be called as the prettiest and trendiest of the lot, collections focus is on new Disney/ Pixar movie called ‘Brave’, also spot light is on evergreen Disney Princess, Hello Kitty, Barbie, Strawberry Shortcake, Lulu Caty etc.

Spine Pressure Free School Bags are available and very essential for health conscious parents, please pick up before they fly off the shelves. Then there are lots of colorful school accessories such as funky water bottles, sandwich boxes, wallets, messenger bags, trendy backpacks, fashionable writing instruments and Promotional goodies such as 5 in 1 trolley sets etc. The collections are exclusive designs specially designed and can be purchased across all MAX stores - Hawally, Fahaheel, Al Rai, Salmiya, Khaitan, The Avenues, Jahra, Kuwait City and Fintas.

BLME provides £12m sharia-compliant loan to ‘Signature Senior Lifestyle’

ny’s design reputation, it is coveted by professionals across all industries.

Says Paul Flowers: “In recent years our company ’s design expertise has already been highlighted by numerous awards

designer products, resulting in our faucets and showers being specified for a growing number of unique architectural projects around the globe.”

In designing its products, GROHE exclusively relies on its in-

shares the brand’s unique look and feel. Leading and inspiring the worldwide sanitary industry with is unique collections, GROHE has garnered a string of internationally renowned design awards in recent years.

GBM appoints Piero Corsini as Country GM for Kuwait KUWAIT: Gulf Business Machines (GBM), the region’s leading IT solutions provider, yesterday announced the appointment of Piero Corsini as Country General Manager for Khorafi Business Machines, GBM’s Kuwait branch. In his new role, Corsini will be responsible for handling client relations in Kuwait, further developing the skill levels of employees as well as focusing on business growth. Cesare Cardone, chief executive officer of GBM said: “Kuwait remains a high priority market for GBM. We are positive that with Piero’s 35 years of experience, he will be able to transform our business opportunities and deliver strong sustainable growth by implementing fresh strategies aimed at further expanding our presence in the market.”

Corsini has 11 years of regional experience as well as over 30 years of experience working for IBM in roles such as General Manager for

IBM Central, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMA) and IBM Vice President of Public Sector for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Commenting on his appointment, Corsini said: “I have been working in the MEA region from a distance for over 10 years and I am delighted to be able to lead GBM’s office in Kuwait. I aim to leverage on the opportunities and the potential offered by emerging markets such as Kuwait while always keeping in mind KBM’s goal to provide IT infrastructure optimization to our customers.”

Prior to joining GBM, Corsini worked for Value Partners Company as General Manager for Latin America for over two years where his direction was crucial to increasing the company’s market share in the region. He holds as Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cagliari, Italy.

LONDON: Bank of London and The Middle East (BLME), the largest Islamic wholesale investment bank in Europe whose main shareholders are Boubyan Bank and the Kuwaiti Public Institution for Social Security, has agreed a £12 million shariacompliant loan to care home specialist, Signature Senior Lifestyle, as part of a wider £22m development project.

The Murabaha financing facility is for five years and is structured to fund the development and operation of a new 83bed residential and nursing care home in Epsom, Surrey, which will include a dedicated 24 unit dementia care provision.

Massoud Janekeh, Head of Islamic Capital Markets at BLME, said: “There’s an increasing need to meet demand for premium retirement facilities, particularly in the South East of England. The current proper ty cycle allows strong investors like Signature to acquire and develop well-located plots. We are

pleased to be supporting Signature’s continued growth in the provision of quality senior care through BLME’s combined exper tise in Healthcare and Property Finance.”

This project in Epsom will be the fifth community operated by Signature Senior Lifestyle. Signature communities offer a range of apartment sizes, a fully catered service, activity programs and person centred care “as and when required”. Signature currently employs over 300 people who care for over 230 elderly residents. Aidan Roche, Chief Financial Officer at Signature Senior Lifestyle, said: “BLME has provided Signature with an additional line of funding that is essential as we work to open new homes and meet the growing need for quality care provision in the UK. We are delighted to have agreed the Epsom funding and look forward to successfully completing the project and welcoming residents to their new home at Signature”.

9 to bid for Oman $155m rail project

Piero Corsini

MUSCAT: Nine international companies or groups plan to bid for a contract that could be worth as much as 60 million rials ($155 million) to design and consult o n t h e co n s t r u c t i o n o f O m a n’s f i r s t major railway, a tender board official said yesterday.

“The companies have been asked to submit new bids to give the process more time. The new deadline is on Oct. 5, for what we expect will be a contract worth between 45 and 60 million rials,” the offi-

cial told Reuters, declining to be named under briefing rules.

He identified bidders as a consortium comprising Denmark’s COWI, DBI and AECOM of the United States; SYSTRA of France; US-based Parsons Corp; Mott MacDonald of Britain; a consortium comprising Italy’s Italferr and Worsely Parsons of Australia; a China Railway company; France’s Egis Rail; the Pointec group; and a consortium of Korea Rail and the Hyundai group. —Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Samsung’s crisis culture - a driver and a drawback SEOUL: In his 1997 book, Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee wrote that a successful company needs a “heightened sense of crisis”, so that it always looks ahead even when it’s doing well, and needs to be able to respond to change.

It’s a credo that has driven Samsung Electronics to become the world’s biggest technology firm by revenue - it sells more televisions, smartphones and memory chips than anyone else - and makes the group a must-visit case study for a stream of Chinese firms seeking to tap the secrets of Korean success.

But, in the wake of last month’s damaging U.S. patent ruling, which Samsung has said it will appeal - the Korean group was fined more than $1 billion after a jury found it had copied key features of Apple Inc’s iPhone - the group’s topdown command structure and decisionmaking process are blamed for stifling creativity.

What’s been good for getting things done quickly, such as making bold decisions on big investments in chips and display screens, may not now best suit a company that needs to shift from being a ‘fast follower’ - quick to match others’ products - to an innovator.

Within Samsung, where some designers feel overlooked and undermined, there are calls for a change of tack.

The ‘constant crisis’ has worked well, helping Samsung overtake Japanese technology brands Sony, Sharp and Panasonic in chips, TVs and displays, end Nokia’s decade-long supremacy in handsets and overtake Apple in smartphones.

But that has come with a big reputational hit - that Samsung makes knockoff products. “It’s a crisis of design,” JK Shin, head of Samsung’s mobile division told staff in February 2010 as Samsung worked on its first Galaxy phone in a panicky response to the iPhone’s smashhit debut, according to an internal memo filed to a US court as part of Apple’s lawsuit.

“Influential figures outside the company come across the iPhone, and they point out that ‘Samsung is dozing off.’ “All this time, we’ve been paying all our attention to Nokia, and concentrated our efforts on things like ‘folder’, ‘bar’, ‘slide,’ yet when our UX (user experience) is compared to the unexpected competitor Apple’s iPhone, the difference is truly that of Heaven and Earth.”

The sense of crisis and urgency to catch Apple drove Samsung designers and engineers to opt for a concept that best matched the look and feel of the iPhone, according to one Samsung designer, who isn’t authorized to talk to the media and didn’t want to be identified. “Designers have lots of unique and creative ideas, but these have to be loved by the top decision-makers. The problem was, because they were so fascinated by the Apple design, these ideas weren’t really satisfactory to please the top level,” said the designer.

“I think elsewhere top managers respect their chief designer’s decision, but at Samsung, they overrule designers and have the final say about what design we go with. That limits our capability. To

Kaspersky Lab publishes new research about Wiper DUBAI: In April 2012 a series of incidents were publicly reported about a destructive malware program, codenamed Wiper, which was attacking computer systems related to a number of oil facilities in Western Asia. In May 2012, Kaspersky Lab’s research team conducted a search prompted by the International Telecommunications Union to investigate the incidents and determine the potential threat from this new malware as it related to global sustainability and security. Kaspersky Lab’s experts published the research that resulted from the digital forensic analysis of the hard disk images obtained from the machines attacked

by Wiper.

The analysis provides insights into Wiper’s highly effective method of destroying computer systems, including its unique data wiping pattern and destructive behavior. Even though the search for Wiper resulted in the inadvertent discovery of Flame, Wiper itself was not discovered during the search and is still unidentified. In the meantime, Wiper’s effective way of destroying machines may have encouraged copycats to create destructive malware such as Shamoon, which appeared in August 2012.

Summary Findings • Kaspersky Lab confirms that Wiper was responsible for the attacks launched on computer systems in Western Asia in April 21 - 30, 2012.

• The analysis of the hard disk images of the computers that were destroyed by Wiper revealed a specific data wiping pattern together with a certain malware component name, which started with ~D. These findings are reminiscent of Duqu and Stuxnet, which also used filenames beginning with ~D, and were both built on the same attack platform - known as Tilded.

• Kaspersky Lab began searching for other files starting with ~D via the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) to try and find additional files of Wiper based on the connection with the Tilded platform.

• During this process Kaspersky Lab identified a significant number of files in Western Asia named ~DEB93D.tmp.

Further analysis showed this file was actually part of a different type of malware: Flame. This is how Kaspersky Lab discovered Flame.

• Despite Flame being discovered during the search for Wiper, Kaspersky Lab’s research team believes Wiper and Flame are two separate and distinct malicious programs.

• Although Kaspersky Lab analyzed traces of the Wiper infection, the malware is still unknown because no additional wiping incidents that followed the same pattern occurred, and no detections of the malware have appeared in Kaspersky Lab’s proactive protection.

• Wiper was extremely effective and could spark others to create new, “copycat” types of destructive malware, such as Shamoon.

Forensic Analysis of Wiped Computers Kaspersky Lab’s analysis of the hard disk images taken by the machines destroyed by Wiper showed that the malicious program wiped the hard disks of the targeted systems and destroyed all of the data that could be used to identify the malware. The file

system corrupted by Wiper prevented computers from rebooting and caused improper general functioning.

Therefore, in every machine that was analyzed, almost nothing was left after the activation of Wiper, including the chance of recovering or restoring any data. However, Kaspersky Lab’s research revealed some valuable insight including the specific wiping pattern used by the malware along with certain malware component names and, in some instances, registry keys that revealed previous file names that were wiped from the hard disk.

These registry keys all pointed to filenames that began with ~D. Unique Wiping Pattern Analysis of the wiping pattern showed a consistent method that was conducted on each machine that Wiper was activated on. Wiper’s algorithm was designed to quickly destroy as many files as effectively as possible, which can include multiple gigabytes at a time. About three of four targeted machines had their data completely wiped, with the operation focusing on destroying the first half of the disk then systematically wiping the remaining files that allowed the disk to function properly, resulting in the system finally crashing. In addition, we are aware of Wiper attacks that targeted PNF files, which would be meaningless if not related to removal of additional malware components. This was also an interesting finding, since Duqu and Stuxnet kept their main body encrypted in PNF files.

How the Search for Wiper Led to the Discovery of Flame Temporary files (TMP) beginning with ~D were also used by Duqu, which was built on the same attack platform as Stuxnet: the Tilded platform. Based on this clue, the research team started looking for other potentially unknown filenames related to Wiper based on the Tilded platform using KSN, which is the cloud infrastructure used by Kaspersky Lab products to report telemetry and to deliver instant protection in the forms of blacklists and heuristic rules designed to catch the newest threats. During this process Kaspersky Lab’s research team found that several computers in Western Asia contained the filename “~DEF983D.tmp”. This is how Kaspersky Lab discovered Flame; however, Wiper was not found using this method and is still unidentified.

Alexander Gostev, Chief Security Expert of Kaspersky Lab, said: “Based on our analysis of the patterns Wiper left on examined hard disk images, there is no doubt that the malware existed and was used to attack computer systems in Western Asia in April of 2012, and probably even earlier - in December of 2011. Even though we discovered Flame during the search for Wiper, we believe that Wiper was not Flame but a separate and different type of malware. Wiper’s destructive behavior combined with the filenames that were left on wiped systems strongly resembles a program that used the Tilded platform. Flame’s modular architecture was completely different and was designed to execute a sustained and thorough cyber-espionage campaign. We also did not identify any identical destructive behavior that was used by Wiper during our analysis of Flame.”

be better than a good fast follower, Samsung needs a more horizontal culture and to empower designers.”

A Samsung executive, who didn’t want to be named, countered that the group had started out with little innovation - it struggled even to make simple black and white TVs - but now drives new ideas internally through incentives and bonuses, with Lee himself very interested in new technology and design.

One recent example of that topheavy command structure came less than a fortnight before the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S III smartphone in May, when vice chairman Choi Gee-sung ordered half a million blue phone cases to be thrown away as the design, with thin, silver stripes, was unsatisfactory, according to a person familiar with the matter. After a number of tweaks, Choi approved the final design on a Sunday just 10 days before launch, triggering an initial supply bottleneck and delaying shipments of some 2 million units, according to some analysts.

Similarly, when Choi visited Samsung’s US telecoms operation a year ago, internal documents filed to the court during the US patent battle with Apple showed managers there were worried about a lack of initiatives to impress him.

“Overall plan is OK, but we are lacking a WOW idea to share with GS (Choi).

Generally, lacking confidence in our plan to ‘beat Apple’.” The react-fast philosophy is a far cry from how Apple worked.

Christopher Stringer, a 17-year Apple

design veteran, told the U.S. court that around 16 “maniacal” individuals from all over the world used to brainstorm around a kitchen table to come up with the company’s mobile products.

By contrast, Samsung’s design sanctum looks much like any other Samsung department, a Dilbert sprawl of desks and cubicles with framed aphorisms from the founding family on the walls: “Be with Customers”, “Create Products that Contribute to Humanity ” and “Challenge the World, Create the Future.”

“It’s pretty much a top-down, hierarchical culture that doesn’t do any good in inspiring creativity,” the designer added. “I don’t think it’s a unique Samsung problem, but one that plagues South Korean society as a whole.

Samsung is making efforts to change it, but it’s still very much top-down.”

“Probably what we need now is the creative environment that Silicon Valley boasts.” Living up to its reputation for moving swiftly and nimbly in an increasingly competitive market, Samsung’s mobile product life cycle is getting shorter - it introduces a new product around every six months. In a surprise last Wednesday, Samsung unveiled a smartphone using Microsoft’s latest mobile software, rushing the announcement just days before the highly anticipated launch of Nokia’s version.

“Regardless of any hindrance, Samsung will continue to provide outstanding, innovating and unique products that stand out in the industry,” Samsung’s mobile chief Shin said at

Europe’s biggest electronics show in Berlin. Shin has also praised the company’s “diligent and exemplary” elite workforce, the so-called “Samsung men” trained in the 1990s with a textbook called “New Samsung Management” that summarised chairman Lee’s remarks and his sense of crisis.

Lee, who took over as chairman from his father and group founder in 1987, stepped down in 2008 after he was convicted of embezzlement and tax evasion, but returned within two years following a presidential pardon. He marked his return with his familiar refrain.

“We’re in a real crisis. Top global companies are reeling and (I’m) not sure what will happen to Samsung. Most products and businesses that represent Samsung today will be gone in 10 years time. We should start again. There’s no time to waste.”

That summer, Samsung saw its telecoms profit halved as Apple captured consumers’ hearts and wallets. But it swiftly rebounded with its Galaxy lineup and has posted record profits each year since. Annual profit this year is likely to top $22 billion, up 45 percent from 2010. But the crisis culture is wearing thin for some. “It does keep people agile and alert, but people joke that once you work more than five years at Samsung you’ve probably heard it more than enough and think it more of a repetitive cycle,” said a Samsung chip developer, who wasn’t authorised to talk publicly about the company. “You just get used to these things.” — AP

Your old monitor might have some life in it yet New models have high-definition resolution FRANKFURT: As people migrate to laptops, desktops are fading in importance amd many are wondering what one does with an old monitor. There are all kinds of options... from a backup display for a laptop to a replacement for your TV. As an extra display for a laptop, a monitor delivers some clear health benefits. One no longer has to look down at a laptop screen, meaning, in the long run, benefits both for the back and eyes. This is especially important for people who have to spend long hours in front of their laptops.

Those with original monitors that have small displays, or those wanting to upgrade to a flat screen monitor, could also benefit. “The prices have, on average, sunk to about 170 euros (210 dollars),” says Roland Stehle of the German Society for Entertainment and Communications Technology (gfu).

Most new models usually have high-definition (HD) resolution. full HD - 1,920 X 1,080 pixels - is almost standard. There is a choice between TN, IPS and PVA/MVA models.

Twisted Nematic (TN) is the oldest technology, offering fast reactions and only limited blurring during movement. But contrast can be a problem, especially with a limited viewing angle.

In-Plane-Switching (IPS) models are more expensive, but offer solid contrast and colour. An updated SIPS version provides reaction times that are good for gaming, as well as good visibility at angles.

MVA (multi-domain vertical)

models offer the best contrast from all viewing angles, an aspect that’s even improved upon with patterned vertical alignment (PVA).

However, neither has reaction times that match TN models.

Always consider what you plan to use the monitor for before making a purchase. “If you just want a monitor for data crunching, then you don’t need to worry so much about reaction time,” says Stehle.

But for gamers and those who want to watch HD films reaction times of more than three or four milliseconds are important. These models will come with higher reso-

lutions, which, in turn, means they need a more powerful graphics card. And bear in mind that not every game can manage these resolutions.

Make sure to get a monitor that fits on your desk. You should also be able to rotate it and set its height. “Anyone who can’t set the display optimally is going to be dealing with neck pain before long,” according to a test in the German computer magazine Chip Test & Kauf.

HDMI, a standard port for televisions, is becoming the way to go with monitors, and more common

than other ports like DVI and DisplayPort. But most manufacturers do not deliver an HDMI cable along with the monitor.

Some come with two HDMI ports, while others offer a variety to make sure users won’t need an adapter to hook up their monitor.

The differences continue to melt away between monitors and televisions. Some flat screens already come with a tuner for digital television or a built-in media player. That lets them pick up video from external hard drives without a computer.

Of course, such features mean more energy consumption. — dpa

Digitalize your analog media MUNICH: Just about everyone has an old collection of vinyl albums, photo albums or old cassettes. All of them are fading with time: If you want to save them, it’s time to digitalize them and store them on a CD, DVD or hard drive.

One key problem is old audio or video tapes. If they sit around too long, the film will being to stick together. At this point the only person who has a shot at saving them is an expert.

“You can improve the lifespan of audio tapes by winding them completely forward and backward once a year,” says Christian Keitel of the archives of the German state of Baden-

Wuerttemberg. “But who does that?”

The simplest solution is finding an analog playback device with a USB connection. These can usually be found for about 80 euros (100 dollars), says Thomas Schirmer, an author on the subject. “That’s more than adequate for home use.”

Older devices without USB ports can be connected with cinch or S-Video cables. But using those can result in unpleasant background noise, which is why Schirmer recommends buying a digital-analog conver ter before transfer.

“Quality actually does get better,” he says.

Packed with multiple connections for various

YesVideo digitizes your old film photos and videos and puts them online.

devices, the adapters usually sell for about 40 euros. Whatever method you choose, digitalization will take a lot of time. That’s because data needs to be transferred in real time.

Editing out image and sound glitches means even more time.

USB-equipped devices often come with the appropriate software, which filters out some problems automatically. There are also open source options, like Audacity for audio files.

“But they don’t catch every mistake,” warns Schirmer, which means time spent editing.

However, a digitalized, painstakingly-edited video will still never reach the quality of a DVD and digitalized vinyl often sounds muted.

“I would only ever digitalize the most precious treasures,” advises Schirmer. That means family movies, for example. With old movies or music albums, it’s easier to just buy a new DVD or CD. Digitalization is also not a cure-all, warns Keitel. “There is no 100-per-cent safe digital medium that endures forever,” he notes. CDs and DVDs might degrade within two years if handled improperly. Most experts advise opting for magnetic storage, like hard drives. They last longer and have safety backups built in.

Safest, Keitel says, is saving anything important in three different locations.

And there’s no guarantee digitalization will mean more space in your home, since many people can’t bring themselves to throw out their old albums and tapes after they’re gotten them onto a computer.

“Nobody would think about throwing away a scroll from the Middle Ages after digitalization,” notes Keitel. And personal media have their own value, even if it’s just emotional.

Some people need physical objects upon which they hang their hearts.” Which usually means an old vinyl album and not a hard drive ... at least not for now. — dpa

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

US, Canadian zoos use apps to teach apes TORONTO: Humans aren’t the only species on the planet with a penchant for electronic gadgets. Zookeepers across the United States and Canada are discovering that apes also get excited about apps.

As part of a program called Apps for Apes, 12 zoos across the two countries have been incorporating iPads into the enrichment time allotted for orangutans, the giant furry red primates native to Indonesia and Malaysia.

“We’re finding that, similar to people, they like touching the tablet, watching short videos of David Attenborough for instance, and looking at other animals and orangutans,” said Richard Zimmerman,

founding director of Orangutan Outreach, the New York City-based non-profit that runs the program.

Twice weekly, orangutans are provided with access to the tablets. The animals spend from 15 minutes to a half hour using different apps depending on their attention span. Apps geared towards children that stimulate activities such as painting, music and memory games are among the most popular apps with the apes. At the Toronto Zoo, zookeeper Matthew Berridge uses apps such as Doodle Buddy for drawing, Montessori Counting Board and Activity Memo Pocket, a memory game, in addition to

playing YouTube videos for the apes.

“It’s a lot like when we’re showing children pop-up books,” said Zimmerman, adding that the orangutans are among the most intelligent primates, with the intelligence level of a young child.

Zookeepers are also investigating how communication apps, such as those for the autistic, can help the animals to express themselves better, according to Zimmerman. “Let’s say an orangutan has a toothache. He or she would be able to then tap on the iPad on a picture of a tooth and communicate it that way,” he explained.

One very intelligent, but armless,

orangutan at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida is so intent on using the device that she uses her feet to navigate through the touchscreens.

“When you see the enjoyment and focus on their faces it’s special, especially for orangutans who are in an enclosure all day and you’re providing enrichment for them,” said Zimmerman. Because the tablets are so fragile the zookeepers handle the apps while the animals navigate the touchscreen, but the organization is investigating creating larger, more rugged casings.

The program, which is not meant to replace physical stimulation or climbing,

also aims to raise awareness about the threats orangutans face in the wild. “ We’re hoping that in that moment we can make a breakthrough with (zoo visitors] and say, ‘Listen, these are beautiful animals that are obviously curious and intelligent and not too far from us and this is what they’re dealing with in the wild,’” said Zimmerman. Orangutans are critically endangered because of the rapid deforestation and expansion of palm oil plantations into their rainforest homes, he added. The program, which relies on donated iPads, will soon be expanding to zoos across Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Europe. — AP

Ex-Obama advisers seek health care cost control Health costs lie at the heart of budget problems

A child doing yoga exercise in a gym class.

Yoga, zumba for children aim to make fitness fun NEW YORK: Children still skip rope and play pickup ballgames, but today’s parents also organize playdates, fitness lessons and gym classes to keep their kids active and safe. Almost 17 percent of US children and adolescents were obese in 2009-10, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many adults willingly suffer to banish love handles, but children insist on having a good time. So making fitness fun is key, experts say, along with starting early.

“We used to simply play outside,” said Dr. Avery Faigenbaum, a pediatric exercise scientist, professor and researcher at the College of New Jersey. “Some parks and playgrounds are too unsafe. We need programs but we need to be sure they’re developmentally appropriate.”

Just as learning a language is easier when it is started as a child, the same is true for movement, according to Faigenbaum. Total body movements, as in dance and martial arts are ideally suited to young children, he added, especially when per formed under the guidance of an instructor who can connect with children.

“Those are skills children can carry over for life,” he said. Jodi B. Komitor, a former elementary school teacher and the founder of “Next Generation Yoga,” teaches yoga to children starting at 18 months.

“Children learn through movement and yoga is a movement-based science that’s been around for over 5,000 years,” said Komitor. “A lot of parents tell us their kids start doing downward dog naturally,” she added, referring to the yoga pose.

Komitor designed her first studio for kids’ yoga, in New York, after the Wizard of Oz. Unlike adult yoga sessions, which cultivate quietness, her children’s classes are often noisy and always age -specific.

Classes have a foundation of yoga poses and incorporate playfulness and selfexpression.

Much as Zumba, the Latin-based

dance/fitness craze, purported to hide the fitness in the party, Zumba CEO Alberto Perlman likes to say that Zumbatomic, the dance classes designed for kids ages four to 12, hides the medicine in the candy.

“With younger kids class is not only about fitness but also about developing motor skills,” said Perlman. Ashley Walters runs the Kid Action program at Streb in Brooklyn, New York. The program, based on the choreography of founder Elizabeth Streb, intertwines dance, athletics, boxing, rodeo and circus skills.

“For five-to-seven-year-olds we teach a lot of beginner gymnastic skills. Kids love slamming and falling and we teach them how to fall,” said Walters, adding they tumble onto thick mats. “Kids are always trying to do things like this on their beds.”

Faigenbaum believes that movement training should begin at the preschool level. At seven or eight the child is usually ready for sport and some strength conditioning. He added that research shows that children who have developed their motor skills, such as throwing, running, kicking, hopping, twisting, are more likely to be remain active as adults.

“The obese child is likely to become the obese adolescent,” he added. Although children may not want to follow mom and dad to the gym, experts say youngstgers still need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, every day. “TV is nothing more than an obesity machine,” said Faigenbaum. “ The best treatment is prevention. As soon as a child can walk we should engage them in activity breaks — 10 to 15 minutes when they are up and moving.”

He urged parents to take an activity history of their child. “Ask them every day: how active were you today? Were you breathing hard?” he said. “Anyone can make a child tired. What’s challenging is to keep them engaged, teach them something new.” — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Some of President Barack Obama’s former advisers are proposing major changes aimed at controlling health care costs as political uncertainty hovers over his health law. Call it Health Care Overhaul, Version 2.0.

Their biggest idea is a first-ever budget for the nation’s $2.8-trillion health care system, through negotiated limits on public and private spending in each state.

The approach broadly resembles a Massachusetts law signed this summer by Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick that puts pressure on hospitals, insurers, and other major players to keep rising costs within manageable limits. It could become the Democratic counterpoint to private market strategies favored by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan. Health costs lie at the heart of budget problems confronting the next president. Health care accounts for 18 percent of the economy and about one-fourth of the federal budget, and many experts believe it can’t grow unchecked without harming other priorities. Because the United States spends much more than other advanced countries, there’s a consensus that savings from cutting waste and duplication won’t harm quality.

“We think of these as the next generation of ideas,” said Neera Tanden, who was a senior member of the White House team that helped pass the health law. Tanden is now president of the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank close to the administration.

Under the proposal, the major public and private players in each state would negotiate payment rates with service providers such as hospitals. The idea is to get away from paying for each individual test and procedure.

Negotiated rates could be based on an entire course of treatment. Payments would have to fit within an overall budget that could grow no faster than the average rise in wages.

The spending limits would be enforced by an independent council, but crucial details need to be spelled out. In Massachusetts, for example, budget-busting providers will be required to file plans with the state laying out how they’ll amend their spendthrift ways.

The federal government would provide grants to states interested in developing their plans. Tanden joined a brain trust of former administration officials floating the proposal recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. The group included Peter Orszag (former budget director), John Podesta (transition director), Donald Berwick (first Medicare chief ), Ezekiel Emanuel (Orszag’s health policy guru), and Joshua Sharfstein (former No. 2 at the Food and Drug Administration). Also on board was former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, DS.D., Obama’s first pick to shepherd his health care overhaul.

Their proposal includes other ideas, such as a malpractice liability shield for doctors who fol-

low best clinical practices, and competitive bidding for all Medicare supplies and lab tests, not just home health equipment. All of the signers support Obama’s health care law, but see cost control as unfinished business. Republicans are already scoffing at the budgeting proposal.

“Politically, it is really tone deaf,” said economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, a free-market think tank. “There is no way Americans are going to trust any government entity to say how much the nation should spend on (health care). It is at odds with our values and our history and has zero chance of happening.” But neither party has a monopoly on trust when it comes to changing health care. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 55 percent of Republicans would prefer to keep Medicare the way it is instead of nudging future retirees toward private insurance plans, as Romney and Ryan propose.

Republican leaders generally want to reshape the health care system along the lines of the changes that 401(k) plans have brought to pensions. Instead of open-ended benefits, individuals would get a fixed payment for health insurance and pick coverage from private plans competing to drive down costs and improve quality.

Republicans also believe government has no business telling private individuals and employers how much they can budget for health care.

“The aim of public policy should not be to stop people spending their own money on their health care,” said Stuart Butler, a top health policy expert with the conservative Heritage Foundation. (While the new Massachusetts plan limits what public programs spend, it does

not require private payers to do the same.)

Tanden, the former White House aide, says she thinks budgets and negotiated payments will be less threatening and more politically acceptable than giving people a voucher-like payment and sending them into the marketplace. Medicare would share in the benefit if costs can be checked for the country as a whole. “We think of this as the answer to ‘premium support’,” said Tanden, referring to the term Republicans prefer for the Romney-Ryan Medicare plan. “What this is really enabling is a private sector negotiation.

Under premium support what will happen is consumers will pay more.” In Massachusetts, the new cost control law has its share of skeptics, but it doesn’t seem to have provoked a backlash. “These global budgets are going to be negotiated between health insurers and providers,” said Jay Gonzalez, the state’s secretary of administration and finance. “They are agreeing to pay for services in a different way. It isn’t rationing. It isn’t capping.”

Massachusetts enacted its original health care overhaul under then-Gov. Romney in 2006, expanding coverage to an estimated 98 percent of state residents. Obama’s law covering the uninsured could still be repealed if Romney wins the White House. The main cost controls in the president’s plan - a board to restrain Medicare spending and a tax on high-cost private health insurance - wouldn’t start to bite for another few years. The White House has had little to say about the new ideas from Obama’s former advisers. That could change if Obama is re-elected and plunges into budget negotiations with Congress. — AP

WARSAW: A Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), formerly known as the Baywinged Hawk or Dusky Hawk, a medium-large bird of prey, lands on a falconer’s glove yesterday during a show in a countryside near Warsaw. — AFP

Surgeon, officials review Ohio transplant error

Inhaling steroids stunts growth, but not much CHICAGO: Adults who took inhaled steroids as children to control their asthma may be shorter than they otherwise would have been, but only by a little, US researchers said yesterday.

Results of a long-term asthma study found that children who used an inhaled steroid before they entered puberty were about a half-inch (1.27 cm) shorter as adults than those who did not take the drugs.

Doc tors have k nown since the 1990s that inhaled steroids taken for asthma can delay growth, but researchers had believed these children would eventually catch up. “This is mostly good news,” said Dr. Gail Weinmann of National Heart, Lung, and Blood I nstitute, a par t of the National Institutes of Health, which supported the study.

Weinmann said the drug has been proven over and over to be the most effec tive for the most people, but there had been this lingering question about its effect on height. “Now we know what it is. It is a half an inch,” she said in a telephone interview.

The study, led by William Kelly of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, is the first to follow inhaled steroid users until they reached their adult height. Kelly and

colleagues studied more than 1,000 children aged 5 to 12 who were treated for mild to moderate asthma as part of a comprehensive asthma study.

The researchers divided the children into three groups: one got twicedaily treatment with AstraZeneca’s Pulmicor t, k nown generically as budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid medication; a second group got nedocromil, an older inhaled nonsteroid medication; and a third got a placebo.

The team followed nearly 950 of the children until they reached adult height. They found adults who took the inhaled steroids were slightly shorter than either of the two other groups.

Those most affected had started on steroids before they reached puberty, and the height effect varied depending on dose, with those taking higher daily doses experiencing the biggest effect on height. “This suggests that finding the minimum dose required to control each child’s asthma could help mitigate any potential effects on height,” Kelly said in a statement.

The findings will be presented on Monday at the European Respiratory Society meeting in Vienna, and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine. — Reuters

COLUMBUS: Health officials and a consulting surgeon are reviewing a living-donor kidney transplant program that’s been temporarily suspended by a northwest Ohio hospital, where a donated kidney apparently was put with medical waste instead of going to the intended recipient in what medical experts describe as a rare accident.

The University of Toledo Medical Center apologized and put two nurses and an administrator of surgical services on paid leave without public explanation following the Aug 10 error. It also sent letters notifying 975 patients and potential organ donors and recipients that they may need to make other arrangements for services typically provided through the program under review. UTMC is “committed to ensuring safeguards are put in place to prevent such an incident from ever happening again,” Dr Jeffrey Gold, the vice president for health affairs, said in a statement. The review is expected to take several weeks.

State health officials say they’re looking into the error on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and UTMC hired a Texas surgeon to evaluate its transplant procedures. Dr. Marlon Levy, surgical director for transplantation at Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, was expected to visit Toledo on Thursday and Friday.

The hospital has refused to publicly share much detail about how the kidney was rendered unusable during the transplant, which typically is an hourslong surgery involving a five-person

medical team removing the organ from a donor, transferring it to a steel container and transplanting it to a patient in close proximity.

“Somehow, some way, an inexplicable human error made someone think that the kidney apparently was already in the recipient body when it was not,” the UTMC president, Dr Lloyd Jacobs, told The Blade in Toledo. The local health commissioner, Dr. David Grossman, told the newspaper that a doctor who was involved said a nurse

accidentally disposed of the kidney.

Grossman did not respond to phone messages from The Associated Press.

The man who donated the kidney and the intended recipient, his sister, have been released from the medical center. The hospital hasn’t identified the family, and it can’t say whether the sister has received a different kidney, UTMC spokesman Tobin Klinger said.

There was a “good chance” of finding another compatible donor, the facility has said. Kidneys are the most com-

BOSTON: In this Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012 photo Leana Wen, of Boston, who is doing her medical residency in emergency medicine at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, stands in front of a bed in the emergency department at Brigham and Women’s in Boston. — AP

monly transplanted organ. More than 5,700 kidney transplants involving living donors and 11,000 with deceased donors were performed last year in the United States, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, which maintains the national patient waiting list and is administered by the United Network for Organ Sharing. UTMC performed 16 of those living-donor kidney transplants and 37 deceased-donor transplants in 2011.

The types of problems that lead to unsuccessful transplants - and occasionally program suspension or termination - are uncommon but can include an unexpected donor disease transmission or the death of a living donor, said Joel Newman, a spokesman for UNOS, the private, nonprofit, government-contracted organization that manages the organ transplant system in the US. “The occurrence of such events is rare, but in those instances it is a very common procedure for the program to inactivate for a period of time, do some root cause analysis and really try to address any sort of issues that can be corrected,” Newman said.

As UTMC takes such steps, three workers are suspended. The administrator of surgical services, Edwin Hall, isn’t commenting, according to a woman who answered the phone at his Michigan home on Wednesday. The two suspended nurses, Melanie Lemay and Judith Moore, could not be reached for comment. The surgeon involved in the transplant has not been suspended. — AP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

New York’s new environmental ‘hero’ — the oyster Pod of pilot whales comes ashore on Florida beach FORT PIERCE: More than 20 pilot whales came ashore on a South Florida beach, triggering a daylong effort by state and national officials, nearby residents and others to save them.

By evening, five pilot whales - two calves and three juveniles - had been transported to Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Institute for rehabilitation.

The rest had died of natural causes or had to be humanely euthanized, said Allison Garrett, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries service.

“It was not possible to rehabilitate them,” she told the Associated Press. The pod of 22 whales came ashore Saturday morning at Avalon Beach State Park in St. Lucie County. They ranged from calves and juveniles to adult whales.

Garrett said it was unclear why the whales became stranded. “Pilot whales are very social animals,” she added. “One scenario could be one of the animals was sick. They won’t leave (a sick whale).

They’ll stay together.” For this reason, it’s useless to push pilot whales back into the ocean, Blair Mase, stranding coordinator for NOAA’s Southeast Region, told TCPalm.com .

“If you push them into the water, they’ll just keep coming back and stranding themselves again,” said Mase, who was

surfing in the area when he noticed people running toward the beached whales.

TCPalm.com reports that hundreds of residents came to the beach to assist with the rescue, helping the animals turn upright so they could breathe better.

Volunteers covered the whales with moist towels and poured water over them. Red Cross volunteers helped ensure that volunteers stayed hydrated in the hot sun.

“I think that people want to help animals,” said Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisth, a Harbor Branch volunteer who worked with others to tend to juveniles in a shaded inflatable pool. “Especially whales and dolphins, because they are our counterparts in the seas. They’re mammals, they’re intelligent, they’re social. They’re a lot like us.”Still, there was a sad undercurrent to the efforts, with rescuers aware that most of the whales were dying.

Garrett said there was no obvious sign of trauma or injury to the whales, but that necropsies would be performed on them.

She said officials and volunteers spent the day assessing the health of the whales to see which could be rehabilitated, and then making the others comfortable.

She said the last such beaching in the area came in May 2011, on the Florida Keys. Associated Press writers Kelli Kennedy in Miami and Norman Gomlak in Atlanta contributed to this report.— AP

NEW YORK: On a summer morning, marine biologist Ray Grizzle reaches into the waters of the Bronx River estuary and pulls up an oyster. The 2year-old female is “good and healthy.”

He grabs another handful and gets more good news. “This is a really dynamic area: Live oysters, reproducing!” the University of New Hampshire scientist says. Grizzle holds up a glistening mollusk. He is standing waist-deep in the murky estuary littered with old tires, bottles, shopping carts and rank debris. A gun was once found.

Marine scientists like him, planners and government officials say millions of mollusks planted in waters off New York and other cities could go a long way toward cleaning up America’s polluted urban environment. The oyster and other shellfish can slurp up toxins and eliminate decades of dirt.

Landscape architect Kate Orff has a name for the work she does at her Scape firm: Oyster-tecture. Orff is designing a park and a living reef for the mouth of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, where oysters could take hold and help filter one of the nation’s most polluted waterways.

“My new hero is the oyster, with its biological power,” Orff says. Oyster-tecture is a 21st-century approach to creating new waterfront infrastructures where long-gone shellfish can be brought back. Construction has begun on a new pier area that is to host Orff’s reef.

In her Manhattan office, she holds up a tangle of fuzzy black ropes that will be attached to the Brooklyn pier and filled with shellfish, which need to latch onto something to survive - whether a rock, dead shell or synthetic object.

The Oyster Restoration Research Project, a New York-based nonprofit umbrella group, partners with the NY/NJ Baykeeper ecology advocate working at the Bronx site, and the US Army Corps of Engineers that built an oyster reef on Governors Island off Manhattan.

While oysters are cultivated around the world,

the United States has some of the best regeneration programs, says Bill Goldsborough, director of fisheries program at Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, Maryland. The bay is a center of natural oyster growth, and regeneration is thriving just outside urban Annapolis and in Baltimore harbor.

Scientists also are trying to rejuvenate the oyster population in the Hudson River near Yonkers, north of New York, where explorer Henry Hudson spotted oysters in 1609. “Having oysters improves the whole aquatic habitat, attracting fish and other marine life to the area,” says Dennis Suszkowski, the science director of the nonprofit Hudson River Foundation.

The story of the black bivalve in New York is key to the history of America’s biggest city. When the Dutch arrived in Manhattan in the 1600s, the island was surrounded by mammoth oyster beds that fed the Lenape Indians. They covered hundreds of square miles underwater - so important as a major export that today’s Ellis and Liberty islands were called Little Oyster Island and Great Oyster Island in colonial times.

Rich and poor New Yorkers and visitors dined on them in a maritime metropolis filled with vessels and street vendors hawking roasted oysters, long before hot dogs. But they slowly died out by the turn of the 19th century, overwhelmed by industrial waste, sewage, diseases and the dredging of the harbor to make room for shipping and development.

Now, new beds of oysters for New York’s broken-down ecosystem are budding in more than a half dozen locations in the area. If the water temperature, currents, chemistry and other conditions are right, the bivalve can break down the pollution and thrive.

But while suitable for cleanup work, they should not be eaten and poachers should not harvest polluted oysters and sell them for profit.

Under Gov. Chris Christie, New Jersey banned oyster restoration in 2010 in waters classified as contaminated for shellfish, citing public health. In New York City, oyster restoration projects were started about seven years ago, with the city Department of Parks initiating the one in the Bronx - a 30-foot (9.14-meter)-long artificial reef made of rubble, old shells and hundreds of mollusks. “It’s so shocking that we’re out there in the South Bronx and oysters are thriving - shocking to people who wouldn’t put their little toe in the water for fear of how polluted it is,” says Marit Larson, a water management expert at the department’s Natural Resources Group.

Larson says the aim of what she calls “ecological engineering” is to create hundreds of acres of reefs in the next decades, populated with mollusks that form naturally spawning colonies.

Funding for the projects comes from private and government sources. A 1-acre (0.4-hectare) bed with up to 1 million oysters costs at least $50,000 to plant and manage.

Some new plantings in New York Harbor failed because the oysters were swept away by currents and boat wakes. So close attention must be paid to the beds that have succeeded. “The question is ‘how can we use the natural processes of organisms that were once here in abundance,’” she says.

If oyster regeneration can be sustained and expanded, “it’s the ultimate success story for one of the most urban and heavily used harbors in the world.” Grizzle says the oyster is the perfect aquatic engineer for the job. It pumps water to feed, retains any polluted particles and releases the rest - purified. Each one filters about 50 gallons (189.26 liters) of water a day. “There’s no human engineering substitute for these living things that clean the water,” he says as he wades hundreds of feet back to the South Bronx shore. Behind him, a plane takes off from LaGuardia Airport, low over Rikers Island jail. — AP

30

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

WHAT’S ON

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

Lulu Hypermarket celebrates Harvest Festival of Onam

hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! This summer, let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

W

UPCOMING EVENTS Onam celebration onni Nivasi Sangamam celebrates Onam on Friday, 21st September 2012 from 10 am to 4 pm at Abbassiya United Indian School. Public meeting honored with presence of prominent dignitaries from social-cultural-political sectors, maveli, athapookalam, chendamelam, ganamela, mimicry and other cultural events will be conducted as part of the program. Ccome and enjoy! Feel the experience of traditional tastes! Have lots of fun & frenzy! rock with music! For more information & onasadhya coupons Email : knskwi@gmail.com

K

Free Arabic course PC and all its branches is opening free Arabic language course for non Arab ladies accessible in beginners and advance levels. Class will commence in September 14. Islamic and Quran courses are also presented in different languages. Registration is on!

I

Calling all Ten-pin Bowlers, he Indian Bowling League (IBL) Season 3 will be held at Cozmo Entertainment, Salmiya commencing on Friday the 28th of September at 3 pm.

Kindly reserve your team in advance to avoid disappointment, on a first come first serve.

T

ulu Hypermarket, the region’s retail major, celebrated Kerala’s harvest festival of Onam with a flurry of activities in Kuwait. As part of its ten-day Onam festivities, Lulu Hypermarket, in association with Al Bustan al Khaleej, dealer for the prestigious Nirapara food products, held a ‘Pookallum’ (Floral carpet) competition.

Winners of the competition were felicitated on Saturday, September

L Onam flower design circular formation of flower decoration arranged

by KERA (Kuwait Ernakulam District Association) as part of their an Onam flower design competition. Keralites across the world celebrated Onam, their harvest festival last week.

A

01, at a function held at the Al Rai venue of Lulu Hypermarket.

Sreejith, Regional Manager of Lulu Hypermarket and Gokul Thottikamath, Deputy General Manager of Al Bustan Al Khaleej, were on hand to give away the prizes to the winners.

The first prize winner, Shameer Ahmed and team, took home a Lulu Gift voucher worth KD 150 as well as a Nirapara gift hamper. The second prize winner Sibi John Jacob

and team, and the third prize winner, Hannah Sarah Zachariah and team, were awarded Lulu gift vouchers worth KD 75 and KD 50 respectively, along with Nirapara gift hampers. In keeping with the spirit of Onam celebrations, all contestants in the competition were awarded with Nirapara gift hampers.

Study in Canada exhibition rganized by the Embassy of Canada, the seventh annual Middle East Education Initiative (MEEI) will be visiting Kuwait from Oct 2-4, 2012.

Representatives of 20 leading Canadian universities and colleges will be available to meet students, parents, teachers and guidance counsellors to present the advantages of studying in Canada. On Wednesday, Oct 3, 2012 a Study in Canada exhibition will be held at the Marina Hotel, Salmiya from 6:00 - 9:00 pm for potential students and their parents to attend. The Canadian institutions will also be visiting local schools to speak to interested students about opportunities to study in Canada. For more information: www.kuwait.gc.ca.

O

Focus office bearers meet Indian ambassador ocus (Forum of Cadd Users) office bearers visited the Indian Embassy and met the Indian Ambassador Sathish C. Mehta, at his office on 20th August 2012. The meeting was in connection with the forthcoming anniversary celebrations ‘Focus Fest-2012’, which is scheduled to be on 12th October 2012.

The delegation headed by the President Sasi Thompson briefly explained various activities of Focus such as conducting zonal and centralized training workshops on the latest versions of Computer Aided

will provide all possible assistance and will interfere promptly in the matters represented.

Focus delegation requested the ambassador for his continued patronage, guidance and support for all the activities of Focus Kuwait. The delegation was consisted of M. N. Salim (General Secretary), Mathew Thomas (Treasurer), Manoj George (Vice President), Thomas Itty (Jt. Treasurer) & Roy Abraham, the General Convener of Focus Fest2012.

he 1st place winner of the 4th Poetry Slam Contest in Kuwait Skywalker (John Nicholson) will be defending his 1st place title during the Taste of Jamaica’s 5th Poetry Slam Contest on the Saturday, 8th September 2012. The event which is sponsored by Taste of Jamaica (Ayana Ashanti) will be held at Rotana Hotel in Fahaheel by 7:30 pm. Nada Faris (Kuwait’s Finest) is the first and only Kuwaiti to participate in Taste of Jamaica’s Poetry Slam Contest since 2010. The first contest was held inside the Embassy of Jamaica in Kuwait on 22nd October 2010. Nada is the first female, first winner and first Kuwaiti to hold the title of the First Place in the Taste of Jamaica’s first Poetry Slam Contest. Will Nada regain her title back from Skywalker? Find out at our 5th Poetry Slam Contest on 8th September 2012. BE THERE..... and watch us perform. Doors open at 7:30 PM. There will be dinner will art show.

T

he AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “Participants of the Middle East Partnership Initiative Share Their Exciting Experiences,” by Farah Al-Shamali and her friends on Tuesday September 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm. For years, Kuwaiti youth have been engaging with the outside world whether to share their culture, customs and traditions or learn about those in these countries they venture to engage with. As a result of this exposure, they become very cosmopolitan in outlook and have far better reach, coming back very ambitious to effect positive changes in their society, be it politically or economically, engaging more closely with civil society and what have you. A prominent group from this pool of young people is those that participated in the Middle East Partnership Initiative, a program initiated by the Department of State in December 2002. As local chapters come into existence across the region, come listen to a selection of these motivated individuals as they share their experiences and how they plan to make the valuable knowledge they learned applicable in Kuwaiti society.

T

‘Leniency of Islam’ n unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to- 97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

A

appy birthday to you Abubakar Abba Ibrahim. May the Almighty Allah guide you as you grow to be the blessing to your family.

Greetings from dad, mom, brothers, sister, friends and well-wishers.

H

Greetings

F

Design and Drafting technology (CADD), Socio-Welfare activities aimed to support the unprivileged community members in Kuwait, Arts-Cultural & Sports activities for the recreation of members and their families, Kids Day-Out programs, family get-together events etc.

They have exchanged different views and matters faced by the Indian community in Kuwait including many key long pending issues.

The ambassador gave a patient hearing on the issues and assured the delegation that the Embassy

Taste of Jamaica’s 5th Poetry Slam Contest

Aware Diwaniya

BEC Exchange launches unique promotion with MoneyGram he promotion offers a guaranteed gift including cricket gear, t-shirts, caps, travel bags, key chains for all MoneyGram transactions to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Nepal. In addition, every customer gets a chance to win an all expense paid trip to this year’s ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka.

MoneyGram, the official money transfer partner of ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 are offering several paid trips as the main prizes in this promotion which is currently valid from 19th August to 5th October.

A launch of the promotion was held at the BEC Exchange premises on the 19th of August by Mohamed Sukkari, Business Development Manager, MoneyGram and E.D. Titus, Director & General Manager of BEC Exchange. Also present at the function was Mohammad Farbes, Corridor Manager for South Asia from MoneyGram and Jose Thomas, Marketing Manager from BEC Exchange.

BEC Exchange. Is one of the lead-

T

ing Money Exchanges in Kuwait with a leading position in remittances to South east Asia. It also is a premier Money exchange company having been the first exchange company to introduce online transfers in state of Kuwait as well as in the Middle East.

Speaking at the function, Farbes elaborated on the promotion and said that this was part of MoneyGram’s initiative in promot-

ing its services with consumers who are not fully served by traditional financial institutions to meet their financial needs. MoneyGram offers bill payment services in the United States and Canada and money transfer services worldwide through a global network of more than 284,000 agent locations - including retailers, international post offices and financial institutions - in 196 countries and territories.

Premier GOAL Academy, Everton hold Open Day he Premier GOAL Academy in association with Everton FC are holding their Open Day at Shaab Park GOAL Football Centre on Saturday 8th September from 0900-1200 and 1500-1700.

Sponsored by Porshe Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company and under the patronage of HE the British Ambassador to Kuwait, Frank Baker, everyone is invited to attend.

There will be football matches, penalty shoot-outs, diving headers, shooting and coaching drills organized by the team of fully qualified UK coaches and coaching assistants. The 2012-13 schedule and program will be available, along with the new playing strips. The PGA offers organized football coaching for boys and girls aged from 3 to 19 years with players grouped according to age and ability. There are also Girls only groups from 11 years and above, specialist Goalkeeping coaching and Freestyle sessions.

Tours to Dubai and England are planned during this season along with Festivals of Football, tournaments, competitions and regular fixtures for selected players. For the real English Premier League experience come along and discover what the P.G.A. has to offer - the biggest and best football academy in Kuwait with fully qualified coaches delivering the proven Evertonway coaching program. For further details contact Academy Director Mike Finn Executive Director Baker.

T

Winter 2012 AMIE examination

T

he AMIE Winter 2012 examinations will be held between Dec 01-07, 2012 as follows:

Section A (Diploma) - December 1-4, 2012 Section A (Non-Diploma) - December 1-7, 2012 Section B - December 1-7, 2012 The last date for submission of examination application forms are given hereunder: Candidates not appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Aug 21 - Sept 21, 2012 Candidates appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Sept 21 - Oct 19, 2012 Candidates who intend to appear for the Winter 2012 examination must apply directly to Kolkata by filling the prescribed application form along with requisite amount of demand draft in favour of The Institution of Engineers (India), payable at Kolkata.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

31

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information

Kala Kuwait holds Keraleeyam ala (Art) Kuwait celebrated Keraleeyam 2012, its annual Onam celebration on Aug 31 at Khaitan Indian School. Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta inaugurated the function which also held the Sambasivan award to noted Malayalam critic MN Karassery. Kala president Samkutty Thomas presided over the function. Jaison Joseph, Secretary welcomed the audience. Program convener K Sadiq presented the report. A concert led by popular singer KG Markose was also organized.

K

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office).

In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF ARGENTINE

The Embassy of Argentina requests all Argentinean citizens in Kuwait to proceed to our official email ekuwa@mrecic.gov.ar in order to register or update contact information.

The embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the embassy. The registration process helps the Argentinean Government to contact and assist Argentineans living abroad in case of any emergency.

■■■■■■■

Audition for ZEE Antakshari or the first time Indian Cultural Society brings you live excitement of ZEE - International antakshari in Kuwait. Audition & first round will be held in Kuwait, there after followed by semi finals in India & Grand Finale in Dubai.

Complete team of Carnival films & Zee TV

F

will be in Kuwait for the final round of selection on Friday 5th October with Jaaved Jaaferi: Celebrity Judge, Akriti Kakkar: Female Bollywood Singer & Host of Antakshari, Manish Paul: Host for Auditions, Sarfaraz Khan: Actor, Director

and Producer, Michael Amin: Producer & Director Carnival films world. Musicians, Male Singer & many more for live performances......

Final audition at 10 am & music show at 7.30 pm at AIS-Hawally.

First phase audition will be on Friday 21st September at KMA -Jabaria.

Audition commences at 10am sharp & music show at 7.30 pm with renowned playback singer Madhushree Bhattacharya and live orchestra from Bollywood.

Criteria for audition entry 1. Age - 15 years & above 2. Ability to sing 3. Bollywood trivia knowledge 4. Registrations are open to all nationalities residing in GCC countries.

Participant should be present on audition date as per given time frame.

Carnival films & ICS Executive members or family members are not allowed to participate in this competition.

APAK meets ambassador ngamaly Pravasi Association, Kuwait (APAK) office bearers visited the Indian Embassy and met the Indian Ambassador Sathish C Metha, in the office.

The leaders briefed their forthcoming program ‘APAK-Onam Fest-2012’ celebrations, which is scheduled to be on 28th September 2012. They have exchanged different views and matters faced by the Indian Community in

A

Kuwait. The ambassador assured the delegation that the embassy will provide all possible assistance and will interfere promptly in the matters. The mission was consisted of Angamaly Pravasi Association (APAK) President Saju G. Thachil, Advisory Board Chairman Jacob Pynadath, Vice President Prabhullakumar, General Secretary Martin Kurian, Joint Treasurer Lijesh Paul.

Science & Natural History Museum A wealth of education awaits the visitor to the Science and Natural History Museum on Abdulla Al Mubarak Street. Each gallery contains either a collection or an exhibit covering a wide range of themes. Collections on display Include fossils, stuffed animals, skeletons, and dried flowers. There are exhibits on health, petroleum, space travel, and electronics, among others. Forming part of the National Museum complex, the wonderful, modern Planetarium In the museum complex has shows at around 18:00 daily: local children, convinced the room is spinning, clap In syncopated beats every time the accompanying music begins. A museum planetarium shows: Mornings: 1st Show: 10:00 a.m; 2nd Show: 11:00 a. m; 3rd Show: 12:00 p.m Evenings: 1st Show: 5:00 p.m; 2nd Show: 5:45 p.m; 3rd Show : 6:00 p.m. Note: Friday & Saturday no morning shows. Admission is FREE. The Dickson House The house of the first British political agent In Kuwait is still standing. The Dickson House, located across from the dhow harbour east of Sief Palace, was originally a Kuwaiti home built in 1870, but was given to Britain to use as residential headquarters. The compound was expanded several times over the years, but stands as an excellent example of early Kuwaiti architectural styles.

Opening hours are from Saturday to Thursday

■■■■■■■

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. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. 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.

■■■■■■■

Places of interest Sadu House Al Sadu House stands on Arabian Gulf Street near the National Museum, representing one of the last preserved pre-oil -era dwellings in Kuwait. Al Sadu House became a centre for Bedouin art and the sale of traditional goods In 1979. Visitors can observe Bedouin women weaving at their looms, handmaking carpets, camel bags and tent screens.

Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 1:00 p.m and from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m daily except Friday. Admission is FREE.

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN Consular section at the British Embassy will be starting an online appointment booking system for our consular customers from Sunday, 01 July 2012. All information including how to make an appointment is now available on the embassy website. In addition, there is also a “Consular Appointment System” option under Quick links on the right hand side on the homepage, which should take you to the “Consular online booking appointment system” main page.

Please be aware that from 01 July 2012, we will no longer accept walk-in customers for legalisation, notarial services and certificates (birth, death and marriages). If you have problems accessing the system or need to make an appointment for nonnotarial consular issues or have a consular emergency, please call 2259 4355/7/8 or email us on consularenquirieskuwait@fco.gov.uk. If you require consular assistance out of office hours (working hours: 0730-l430 hrs), please contact the Embassy on 2259 4320.

8:30 a.m-12:30 p.m and 4:30 a.m-8:30 p.m Friday 4:30 a.m - 8:30 p.m. Admission is FREE. Al-Qurain Museum Located in the residential suburb of Qurain, This small museum is a memorial to a cell of young Kuwaiti patriots who tried to resist arrest in February 1991. Early In the morning, Iraqis bombarded the house for hours with machine guns, bombs and eventually a tank.

Monday to Saturday 8.30 a.m - 12.30 p.m; 4.30a.m -8.30 p.m Friday morning off. Afternoon: 4.30 a.m-8.30 pm. Winter Visiting hours: 4-8.30 pm.

1st Day of Eid off.

Al Hashemi Marine Museum The World’s largest wooden dhow, owned and build by Hussein Marafie,Al Hashemi is a ‘Baghalah’ of monumental proportions. Baghalah is a large wooden cargo vessel which sailed the seas in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Constructed next to Radisson SAS Hotel, the double-decked Al-Hashemi II is dry-docked next to preoil era Kuwaiti village and marine museum containing models of extinct and modern dhows The lower deck has the grand ballroom - one of the finest in Kuwait. Al-Hashemi II has earned the distinction of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. The museum is opened Sat. Thu. from 9 am till 5 pm. Admission is FREE. Oil Display Centre The Oil Display Centre at Kuwait is located 20 kilometers in the southern direction from main city of Kuwait. Oil display center In Kuwait is set In the Ahmadi area, which is the primary hub of Kuwait’s oil production where many oll-fields and oil wells are located. This center is a learning ground for all those who wonder how oil processing is done. It gives an opportunity to the tourists to know all about the history beginning from how oil was explored, drilled, produced and processed In Kuwait.

The Oil Display Center Is located 20 kilometers

away from Kuwait City, in the southern direction.

This small center throws an insight into Kuwait’s oil business and the work of the Kuwait Oil Company, which owns it. It is definitely worth a visit. Opening hours Sat - Wed 07:00 am -3:00 pm. It is open by appointment. KOC can also arrange for groups to tour the oil fields themselves.

Kuwait Memorial Museum Before the Iraqi invasion, the museum housed a collection that has been acclaimed by International art historians as one of the most comprehensive collection of Islamic arts. Located near the National Assembly, comprising of four buildings and a planetarium. In 1997, the Muhallab II, the replacement for the magnificent trading dhow from the 1930 that graced the front yard of the museum before it was burned by the Iraqis, was constructed on site and now is open to visitors.

Tareq Rajab Museum Tareq Rajab opened his private collection of Islamic art treasures to the general public in 1980.

The Tareq Rajab Museum in Jabriya features ceramics, silver and gold jewelry, and musical instruments. It also houses one of the finest collections of old Qurans and at her Arabic manuscripts in the world. All artifacts are of Arab or Muslim origin and are labeled for easy viewing. Visiting hours are from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Saturdays through Thursdays. On Fridays, the museum is open to the general public only in the mornings, with afternoons reserved for tours.

Opening hours 9:00 -12:00 noon; 4:00-7:00 pm; Ramadan open on weekdays: 09:00-12:00; noon 7:00 pm-10:00 pm; Fridays usual time.

Courtesy: Dispatches Magazine

EMBASSY OF FRANCE The Embassy would like to inform that starting September 2nd, 2012, visa demands for France will be handled by the outsourcing company “Capago - MENA Company”. Capago - MENA’S Call Center will be operational starting Sunday August 26 for setting appointments beginning September 2nd (+965 22270555). During a transitional period Al-Qabas will continue receiving visa applicants until August 27, then the visa section at the French Embassy (Mansouriah, Street 13, House 24, (+965 22582020) will handle those applications from August 28 until today.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

■■■■■■■

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.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:35 02:25 The...

03:15 04:55 05:20 05:45 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 Baker 08:15 08:40 09:10 10:05 11:00 11:25 11:55 12:50 13:15 13:45 14:40 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:25 17:50 18:20 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05 22:00 22:25 22:55 23:50

I Was Bitten Untamed & Uncut Jaws Comes Home: Return Of Shark Rampage 1916 Animal Kingdom Shamwari: A Wild Life Vet On The Loose Vet On The Loose Wildlife SOS International Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer Weird Creatures With Nick Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Breed All About It Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Great White Appetite Wildlife SOS International Orangutan Island Animal Cops Houston Wild Animal Orphans Wild Animal Orphans Animal Precinct Great White Appetite Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Baby Planet Cats Of Claw Hill Cats Of Claw Hill Dogs 101 Wildlife SOS International Orangutan Island Animal Kingdom Shamwari: A Wild Life White Shark, Red Triangle Animal Airport Animal Airport Wildlife SOS Animal Cops Houston

23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:20 Antiques Roadshow 01:15 MasterChef 02:05 MasterChef 02:55 Home Cooking Made Easy 03:20 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 03:50 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 04:15 MasterChef 04:45 Living In The Sun 05:35 James Martin’s Favourite Feasts 06:00 MasterChef 06:55 Home Cooking Made Easy 07:20 MasterChef Australia 08:10 MasterChef Australia 08:35 Open House 09:00 Open House 09:30 Bargain Hunt 10:15 Antiques Roadshow 11:10 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:30 10 Years Younger 13:20 Holmes On Homes 14:10 Holmes On Homes 15:00 Bargain Hunt 15:45 Antiques Roadshow 16:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:00 Rachel’s Favourite Food For Living 18:25 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 18:55 Rhodes Across Italy 19:40 Come Dine With Me 20:30 Open House 20:55 Open House 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 23:45 Holmes On Homes Edition 00:15 Deadliest Catch 01:10 Shocking Survival Videos 01:35 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 02:30 River Monsters 03:25 Robson Green’s Extreme Fishing Challenge 04:20 Border Security 04:50 Auction Hunters 05:15 How Do They Do It? 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 Deadliest Catch 07:00 American Chopper 07:50 Mythbusters 08:45 Ultimate Survival 09:40 Border Security 10:05 Auction Hunters 10:30 How Do They Do It? 10:55 How It’s Made 11:25 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 12:20 River Monsters 13:15 River Monsters 14:10 Border Security 14:35 Auction Hunters 15:05 Ultimate Survival 16:00 American Chopper 16:55 Fifth Gear 17:20 Deadliest Catch 18:15 Mythbusters 19:10 How Do They Do It? 19:40 How It’s Made 20:05 Border Security 20:35 Auction Hunters 21:00 Deconstruction 21:30 Life On A Wire 22:25 Finding Bigfoot 23:20 Moonshiners 23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:35 01:25 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:05 07:00 07:25 07:50 07:53 08:20 08:50 09:40 10:30 10:55 11:20 12:10 12:35 13:00 13:50 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:03 16:30 17:00 17:50 18:40

Kings Of Construction What’s That About?

Things That Move Things That Move The Gadget Show Smash Lab NASA’s Greatest Missions Kings Of Construction What’s That About?

Things That Move Things That Move Head Rush Weird Connections The X-Testers Sport Science Smash Lab The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Kings Of Construction Things That Move Things That Move Man Made Marvels China NASA’s Greatest Missions Smash Lab The Gadget Show Head Rush Weird Connections Test Case What’s That About?

Sport Science NASA’s Greatest Missions

19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:40

Catch It Keep It Scrapheap Challenge The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Stuck With Hackett Stuck With Hackett Scrapheap Challenge Sport Science

20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 00:15 00:40 00:55 01:10 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:05 03:20 03:40 03:55 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:15 05:30 05:50 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:45 07:00 07:15 07:45 08:10 08:20 08:35 08:50 09:05 09:15 Pooh 09:20 09:35 09:45 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:10 12:25 12:40 13:05 13:15 13:30 13:55 14:20 14:30 14:45 15:00 15:15 15:25 15:40 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:10 17:25 17:40 17:55 18:10 18:35 Fairies 19:00 Pooh 19:05 19:25 19:40 19:50 20:05 20:20 20:30 Pooh 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:00 21:25 21:40 21:55 22:20 22:30 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:35 23:50

A Poem Is...

Animated Stories Mouk Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Timmy Time Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown

00:25 00:50 01:20 02:15 03:10 04:05 04:30 05:00 05:55 07:00 07:25 07:55 08:50 09:45 10:40 11:05 11:35 12:30 12:55 13:25 14:20 15:15 15:40 16:10 17:05 18:00 18:25 18:55 19:50 20:45 21:40 22:05 22:35 23:30

Gotta Grudge Gotta Grudge Pro Bull Riders 2010 World Combat League TNA: Greatest Matches Ed’s Up Ed’s Up M1 Challenge Pro Bull Riders 2010 Ride Guide Snow 2009 Ride Guide Snow 2009 Alli Presents AMA Motocross 2011 Blood, Sweat And Gears Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2010 Transworld Sessions Transworld Sessions Mantracker World Combat League Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Alli Presents AMA Motocross 2011 Transworld Sessions Transworld Sessions Pro Bull Riders 2010 Mantracker World Combat League Ed’s Up Ed’s Up TNA: Greatest Matches M1 Challenge

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 06:10 06:35

Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Mouk Mouk The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Lazytown Art Attack Imagination Movers Lazytown The Hive Handy Manny Jungle Junction Imagination Movers The Hive Special Agent Oso Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Hive Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Mouk The Hive 101 Dalmatians 101 Dalmatians Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Lazytown Art Attack Handy Manny Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Little Einsteins The Adventures Of Disney Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 101 Dalmatians Mouk Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco Extra Virgin Extra Virgin Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Outrageous Food Unique Eats Chopped Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa

07:00 Iron Chef America 07:50 Barefoot Contessa 08:15 Barefoot Contessa 08:40 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:05 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:30 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 09:55 Cooking For Real 10:20 Cooking For Real 10:45 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 11:10 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 11:35 Hungry Girl 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Guy’s Big Bite 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Barefoot Contessa 14:30 Kid In A Candy Store 14:55 Kid In A Candy Store 15:20 Unique Sweets 15:45 Staten Island Cakes 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Guy’s Big Bite 18:40 Unique Sweets 19:05 Unique Sweets 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Guy’s Big Bite 21:35 Guy’s Big Bite 22:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 22:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 22:50 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 23:15 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 23:40 Guy’s Big Bite 00:30 01:20 02:05 02:30 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 Planet 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

The Haunted Mysterious Journeys Stalked: Someone’s Watching Stalked: Someone’s Watching Scorned: Crimes Of Passion Extreme Forensics The Haunted Mysterious Journeys Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Street Patrol Street Patrol Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Stalked: Someone’s Watching Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Fatal Encounters Killer Kids Dr G: Medical Examiner

Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Destination Extreme Destination Extreme The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Meet The Natives: USA Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Destination Extreme Destination Extreme The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Meet The Natives: USA Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Destination Extreme Destination Extreme Travel Oz Travel Oz Madventures Madventures Around The World For Free Travel Madness Travel Oz Food Lover’s Guide To The One Man & His Campervan David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Wheel2Wheel Graham’s World The Best Job In The World

23:00 Naked Science 00:00 Predator CSI 01:00 Monster Fish 01:55 Hidden Worlds 02:20 Hidden Worlds 02:50 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 03:45 World’s Creepiest Killers 04:40 Expedition Wild 05:35 Caught In The Act 06:30 Hidden Worlds 06:55 Hidden Worlds 07:25 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 08:20 World’s Creepiest Killers 09:15 Cameramen Who Dare 10:10 Animal Autopsy (AKA Inside Nature’s Giants) 11:05 Hunter Hunted 12:00 Hooked 13:00 Hidden Worlds 14:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 15:00 Freaks & Creeps 16:00 Cameramen Who Dare 17:00 Animal Impact 18:00 Philly Undercover 19:00 Hidden Worlds 19:30 Hidden Worlds 20:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 21:00 World’s Creepiest Killers 22:00 Cameramen Who Dare 23:00 Animal Autopsy (AKA Inside Nature’s Giants) 23:00 Hunter Hunted 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00

Deadtime Stories 2-PG15 Sleep Dealer-18 Across The Hall-PG15 Dad Savage-PG15 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World-18

10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 20:00 22:00

Last Breath-PG15 Largo Winch 2-PG15 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World-18 Fatal Secrets-PG15 Largo Winch 2-PG15 Full Metal Jacket-18 Judge Dredd-18 Fighting-PG15 Homecoming-18

00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Friends 02:30 Seinfeld 03:00 Whitney 03:30 Raising Hope 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 08:30 Whitney 09:30 Allen Gregory 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 14:00 Raising Hope 14:30 Allen Gregory 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 18:00 30 Rock 18:30 Community 19:00 The Cleveland Show 19:30 The Office 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The League 22:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:00 Hot In Cleveland 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 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 22:00 23:00

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00

Warehouse 13 Top Gear (UK) Grey’s Anatomy Grey’s Anatomy Switched At Birth Drop Dead Diva Warehouse 13 Emmerdale Coronation Street Private Practice The Ellen DeGeneres Show Switched At Birth Drop Dead Diva Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Private Practice Warehouse 13 Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Private Practice White Collar Royal Pains Homeland Perception Greek

Quarantine 2: Terminal-18 The Nun-18 Ip Man-PG15 Bangkok Adrenaline-PG15 Arctic Predator-PG15 Ip Man-PG15 Spider-Man-PG Arctic Predator-PG15 Alive-PG15 The Payback-18 Judge Dredd-18 They Wait-18

23:00 Luster-18 00:00 Nothing To Lose-PG15 02:00 The Prince And Me 4: The Elephant Adventure-PG15 04:00 How To Train Your Dragon-PG 06:00 Molly-PG15 08:00 The Prince And Me 4: The Elephant Adventure-PG15 10:00 Little Secrets-PG 12:00 That Old Feeling-PG15 14:00 Feed The Fish-PG15 16:00 Little Secrets-PG 18:00 Airheads-PG15 20:00 A Little Help-18 22:00 The Joneses-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:15 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 23:30

Alabama Moon-PG15 Broken Embraces-18 Romeo Is Bleeding-18 Ice Dreams-PG15 The Headless Woman-PG15 The Eclipse-PG15 The Thomas Crown Affair-PG15 The Headless Woman-PG15 The Greatest-PG15 Grace Of My Heart-PG15 Boy-PG15 Vanity Fair-PG15 Square Grouper-18

01:15 Attack The Block-PG15 03:00 Jane Eyre-PG15 05:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 06:45 Another Year-PG15 09:00 Zookeeper-PG15 11:00 Teen Spirit-PG15 13:00 Yona Yona Penguin-PG 15:00 Black Forest-PG15 16:45 Zookeeper-PG15 18:30 Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Pt.2-PG15 21:00 Certain Prey-PG15 23:15 A Single Man-R

00:00 Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas-FAM 01:45 The Adventures Of Don Quixote-FAM 03:45 Paws-PG 06:00 Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas-FAM 07:45 Alex & Alexis-FAM 09:45 Tommy & Oscar-FAM 11:45 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed-PG 14:00 D’fenders-PG 16:15 Tom And Jerry & The Wizard Of Oz-FAM 18:00 Tommy & Oscar-FAM 20:00 Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back-PG 22:00 D’fenders-PG

PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (30/08/2012 TO 05/09/2012) CINEMA SHARQIA-1 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) No SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-2 BRAVE (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3 THE EXPENDABLES 2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES THE EXPENDABLES 2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES THE EXPENDABLES 2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM Fri 1:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-1 BRAVE (2D-Digital) INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN BRAVE (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY(2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY(2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY(2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES = EK THA TIGER (Hindi) (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE DARK KNIGHT RISES THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 4:15PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 12:00 AM

MUHALAB-3 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-1 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-2 THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY(2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-3 INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN JOKER (Hindi) EK THA TIGER (Hindi) (2D-Digital) JOKER (Hindi) INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-4 TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL No SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-5 BRAVE THE DARK KNIGHT RISES BRAVE THE DARK KNIGHT RISES THE DARK KNIGHT RISES NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 11:45 PM

MARINA-1 INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES JUST CRAZY ENOUGH THE DARK KNIGHT RISES INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 1:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-4 THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-5 TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-6 TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-7 EK THA TIGER (Hindi) (2D-Digital) JOKER (Hindi) EK THA TIGER (Hindi) (2D-Digital) JOKER (Hindi) (2D-Digital) EK THA TIGER (Hindi) (2D-Digital) No SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

AVENUES-8 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-9 THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) No SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-10 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 2:30 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 5:45 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 9:00 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 2:57 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-11 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

360º- 1 THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360º- 2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 1:30 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 4:45 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 8:00 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 11:15 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED 360º- 3 BRAVE (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

360º- 4 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (3D-Digital) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (3D-Digital) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (3D-Digital) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (3D-Digital) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (3D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

MARINA-2 THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 12:30 PM THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) 2:30 PM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 5:15 PM THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) 7:30 PM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 10:15 PM THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital)12:30 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED

360º- 5 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

MARINA-3 BRAVE (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) 12:45 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED

360º- 7 INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360º- 8 THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

360º- 9(VIP-1) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-1 BRAVE (2D-Digital) BRAVE (2D-Digital) BRAVE (2D-Digital) BRAVE (2D-Digital) BRAVE (2D-Digital) JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-2 JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN ( INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-3 THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

1:30 PM

360º-10 (VIP-2) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital)

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM

TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED 360º- 11 TORAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 12 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) 360º- 13 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-IMAX) THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-IMAX) THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-IMAX) THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-IMAX) NO SUN+TUE+WED

9:15 PM 11:45 PM

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 2:30 PM 5:45 PM 9:00 PM 12:15 AM

360º- 14 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 12:30 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital)3:45 PM THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) 7:15 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 10:15 AM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 1:15 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED 360º- 15 JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

IMAX Cinema THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-IMAX) 5:45 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-IMAX) 9:00 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-IMAX) 12:15 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.1 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) 12:45 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.2 THE EXPENDABLES 2 BRAVE (2D-Digital) BRAVE (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 9:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.3 JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) 1:00 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 3:30 PM JUST CRAZY ENOUGH (2D-Digital) 6:45 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 9:00 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 12:15 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.4 INTERVIEWWITH A HITMAN (2D-Digital) 1:30 PM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 3:30 PM INTERVIEWWITH A HITMAN (2D-Digital) 5:45 PM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 7:45 PM INTERVIEWWITH A HITMAN 10:00 PM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 12:05 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED BAIRAQ-1 BRAVE (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES THE DARK KNIGHT RISES THE EXPENDABLES 2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES THE EXPENDABLES 2 NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 4:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 1:15 AM

BAIRAQ-3 TOTAL RECALL THE BOURNE LEGACY TOTAL RECALL THE BOURNE LEGACY TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

PLAZA TOTAL RECALL THE EXPENDABLES 2 TOTAL RECALL THE BOURNE LEGACY

3:45 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

LAILA THE EXPENDABLES 2 TOTAL RECALL THE BOURNE LEGACY TOTAL RECALL

3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 11:00 PM

AJIAL.1 MUGAMOODI (Tamil) MUGAMOODI (Tamil) MUGAMOODI (Tamil)

4:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM

AJIAL.2 MR. MARUMAKAN (Malayalam) 3:30 PM MR. MARUMAKAN (Malayalam)6:45 PM MR. MARUMAKAN (Malayalam)10:00 PM AJIAL.3 JOKER (Hindi) EK THA TIGER (Hindi) JOKER (Hindi) AJIAL.4 BRAVE (2D-Digital) THU SRIMANNARAYANA (Telugu) NO THU SRIMANNARAYANA (Telugu) SRIMANNARAYANA (Telugu)

4:00 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM

3:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM

Classifieds TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR RJA GFA UAE ETD OMA THY FDB MSR RBG QTR MSC JZR KAC THY JZR DHX JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD IRA GFA UAE MEA JZR MSR MSC JZR JZR MSR GFA KAC KAC FDB KNE JZR QTR SVA KAC RJA JZR KAC QTR ETD KAC JZR JZR UAE UAL GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY KAC KAC QTR SYR KAC KAC FDB KAC MSR MSC JZR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK KLM UAE JZR ETD ABY QTR QTR JZR AIC FDB KAC GFA UAL JZR DLH JZR MSR THY PIA

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 4/9/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 768 ISTANBUL 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 3553 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 2401 ALEXANDRIA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 1541 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA 526 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 301 ABU DHABI 619 LAR 213 BAHRAIN 871 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 401 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 201 DAMASCUS 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 514 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 535 CAIRO 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 562 AMMAN 640 AMMAN 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 303 ABU DHABI 1802 CAIRO 787 RIYADH 527 ASSIUT 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 502 BEIRUT 54 CAIRO 144 DOHA 341 DAMASCUS 786 JEDDAH 166 PARIS 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 624 SOHAG 403 ASSIUT 325 NAJAF 674 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 415 AMSTERDAM 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 6130 DOHA 539 CAIRO 981 CHENNAI 59 DUBAI 618 DOHA 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 513 SHARM EL SHEIKH 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 205 LAHORE

Time 0:15 0:20 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 2:50 3:10 3:20 3:20 3:25 3:30 3:55 4:10 4:35 4:55 5:00 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:35 7:15 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:20 9:20 9:30 9:40 10:00 10:45 10:55 11:05 11:25 12:00 12:25 12:30 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:15 16:35 16:40 16:40 16:40 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:50 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:30 23:35 23:40 23:59

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR KLM PIA THY THY UAE FDB OMA RBG ETD MSR MSC QTR QTR JZR RJA JZR JZR GFA THY JZR KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY KAC KAC KAC UAE JZR KAC QTR FDB KAC ETD IRA IRA GFA KAC KAC MEA KAC JZR UAE MSR MSC KAC JZR JZR GFA FDB MSR KAC JZR KNE SVA RJA JZR QTR KAC KAC KAC ETD JZR JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA JZR KAC QTR FDB SYR KAC MSR MSC JZR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA DHX ALK KLM JZR ABY ETD KAC UAE QTR KAC KAC JZR QTR AXB FDB QTR GFA KAC JZR

Depature Flights on Tuesday 4/9/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 411 AMSTERDAM 240 SIALKOT 773 ISTANBUL 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 3554 ALEXANDRIA 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 454 JEDDAH 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 200 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 534 CAIRO 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 561 AMMAN 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 671 DUBAI 856 DUBAI 526 ASSIUT 101 LONDON 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 1801 CAIRO 302 ABU DHABI 604 ISFAHAN 618 LAR 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 164 ROME 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 872 DUBAI 623 SOHAG 404 ASSIUT 785 JEDDAH 786 RIYADH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 673 DUBAI 538 CAIRO 473 JEDDAH 501 JEDDAH 641 AMMAN 324 AL NAJAF 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 741 DAMMAM 613 BAHRAIN 304 ABU DHABI 512 SHARM EL SHEIKH 238 AMMAN 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 617 DOHA 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 283 DHAKA 607 LUXOR 402 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 415 DAMMAM 1540 CAIRO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 381 DELHI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 147 DOHA 390 MANGALORE 60 DUBAI 6131 DOHA 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 0:55 1:00 2:15 3:40 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:05 4:20 4:25 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 7:30 8:10 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:15 9:20 9:40 9:50 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:15 10:20 10:40 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:20 12:25 13:00 13:10 13:15 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:15 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:30 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:05 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:20 23:30 23:40 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Available one bedroom for an Indian executive bachelor in a 2 B/R, 2 bathroom CA/C apartment /new building across Salmiya Garden block 10 from 1st September to stay with a couple, the person should be non-smoking with clean habits. Contact: 25653928 / 66015253. (C 4123) Fully furnished flat for rent for 3 to 4 months near Indian Public School, Salmiya. Good location.

Contact: 50166063.

(C 4124) 3-9-2012 A room available in a furnished two bedroom flat in Salmiya for a working class single lady- close to the bus stop. Please call 99702658 Required one room in a decent accommodation for one mature person in Khaitan/ Farwaniya/ Omeria.

Call 66773840.

(C 4120) Sharing accommodation available for decent bachelor non smoking, Amman street, one big room, opposite to Al Rashid hospital.

Contact 66232356. (C 4121) 2-9-2012

SITUATION VACANT Cook for Kuwaiti family, available in Kuwait with transferable residence, experience in houses, not restaurants. Call: 94088822.

(C 4116) Required English speaking maid / nanny. Please call 99824597. (C 4117) 1-9-2012 Sri Lankan lady looking for

a part time job, European or American house. Please call: 55680045. (C 4114) 30-8-2012

FOR SALE Jaguar XK8, 1998, good condition, KD 1,750/- and Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign, 4 door 1995, KD 750/-.

Contact: 99696299.

(C 4112) 30-8-2012

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation required for a lady from Salwa to AlRai and back, office hours 8 am to 5 pm. Contact 66751476. (C 4115) 1-9-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Megala Devi, holder of Indian Passport No: No: 15558

G1871523 converted to Islam do hereby change my name to Ayesha. (C 4119) I, Vadoulia Pauluse Mariamma, D/O Thomas Vadoulia Pouluse Fernandes, holder of Indian Passport No: G8814851 converted to Islam do hereby change my name

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

04:06 11:47 15:20 18:07 19:25

112

Mini

website:

34

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 786

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You feel lucky today. You could be performing in front of an audience in the morning. No matter the reason for the audience or the type of audience you speak with, they like having you speak. Whatever it is that you are doing the rest of this day, you enjoy accomplishing the task. You may tend to compete with yourself in order to complete your work in record speed. Also, you quickly discover a technique of working that is productive and if asked, you could take the lead and instruct others in your course of action. You have an interest in the motivations and desires of friends and family during this day and may find yourself on the phone or visiting in person. This is an excellent time to get to know someone better.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This day may mark a time of changing philosophies and mental states. External or internal pressures may force you to reevaluate your priorities and change your thinking. You show a tendency to engage in hard work and to obtain financial security. Relations with a spouse or business partner are on a solid ground and you may find yourself arranging some quality time later in the week for golf, tennis, soccer, horse riding, etc. Expressing affection is sweet and can do much for your disposition this day. You will find pleasant people and pleasant surroundings, whatever you decide to do after your work is completed for the day. Communal activities that take place now should be both well attended and successful.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. A health resort near a spring or at the seaside.

4. A battle in the Napoleonic campaigns (1809).

10. A legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body.

13. Airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc..

14. Large herbivorous tropical American arboreal lizards with a spiny crest along the back.

15. A long thin fluffy scarf of feathers or fur.

16. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

17. A percussion instrument consisting of vertical metal tubes of different lengths that are struck with a hammer.

19. The holy city of Shiite Muslims.

22. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

23. Generic term for inflammatory conditions of the skin.

26. An area in which something acts or operates or has power or control.

29. The lower house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland.

30. Tag the base runner to get him out.

33. Manufactured in standard sizes to be shipped and assembled elsewhere.

35. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

37. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

38. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

39. Any of various units of capacity.

42. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

43. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

45. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

48. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

53. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

57. Austrian physician who tried to treat diseases with a form of hypnotism (1734-1815).

59. An elaborate song for solo voice.

60. Largest known toad species.

63. Forbidden to profane use especially in South Pacific islands.

64. A transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images.

65. Harass with persistent criticism or carping.

66. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

67. A body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land.

68. Soft creamy white cheese.

69. A small cake leavened with yeast.

DOWN 1. A fraudulent business scheme.

2. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

3. Type genus of the Anatidae.

4. A member of the Caddo people formerly living between Kansas and central Texas.

5. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

6. Accompanied by a leader or guide.

7. The most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on.

8. Used of a single unit or thing.

9. Informal terms for a mother.

10. A port city in southwestern Iran.

11. The closing section of a musical composition.

12. A unit of weight used in east Asia approximately equal to 1.3 ounces.

18. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion.

20. A port in northwestern Israel on the Bay of Acre.

21. Goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld.

24. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

25. An angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions.

27. The template for protein synthesis.

28. A circular segment of a curve.

31. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

32. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

34. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

36. The cry made by sheep.

40. (computer science) A computer that is running software that allows users to leave messages and access information of general interest.

41. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

44. A master's degree in business.

46. The compass point that is one point east (clockwise) of due north.

47. Lower in esteem.

49. Affect with wonder.

50. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

51. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

52. A popular island resort in the Netherlands Antilles.

54. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

55. Utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs.

56. An aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect.

57. A doctor's degree in education.

58. A thrusting blow with a knife.

61. Primitive predaceous North American fish covered with hard scales and having long jaws with needle-like teeth.

62. A type of submachine gun that is designed and manufactured in Israel.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You could be slowed a bit today—this helps to create a more realistic you, particularly where your abilities and expectations are concerned. This is an excellent time to sit down and get many business matters accomplished. Making important phone calls, contacting customers and exercising your initiative are productive activities. You stay attentive to any unfinished projects or assignments and you work to clear your desk before quitting time. You look forward to time with your family later. This afternoon is the perfect time to add to the memory book—go with the family—take pictures. Activity with the family is supportive, healing, fun and important to future interactions. Other people may look to your family as a good example for their family.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Perhaps a long trip is planned just now. You could be working from home these days but you will still want to take a bit of time to plan for a vacation. It might be thoughtful to take votes so that everyone has a say.

You have a lot of discipline for whatever it is you decide to do in the near future. Your thought process is logical and if you are working with others, it will be easy to lead the way. A business associate plans an important event and you will benefit from any effort to lend a helping hand. Be wise not to scatter your energy too far. Concentrate and focus on one task at a time. A family member who has been at some distance believes in you. Neighbors want to gather for a bit of fun this evening. You may attract a new love interest today.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) Professionally and socially, you are very popular.

Additionally, this is a time when your powers of creativity are great. You have a great deal of interest in all family matters—particularly concerning the general living environment in the home. Maternal instincts may come to the surface—you make every effort to appease any discord in the home.

You may happily be in charge of several young people today. In addition, there is a strong wish to make your surroundings as pleasant as possible. There may be an ending to a relationship now. However, it is also a time when romance is strong. You may experience many situations in which a new relationship could be possible, particularly one of a physical, loving nature.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You have an increased self-confidence about trying new things that are daring, unusual and inventive to pursue your goals for greater independence. It is a time of change, stimulating friends and new acquaintances. You have an increased perception into the motives of others. You have an interest in some sort of research and may spend time editing your work. If there are secret manipulations, or conspiracies, they can surface where you can gain control.

This means that if you work as a detective, or in some other related profession, you will make a great deal of progress in your case working. Older people and those in positions of power tend to give you their approval and trust. This evening is playtime with young people.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

You have greater self-confidence now and may find that you can easily deal with those in authority. Others admire your eagerness, integrity and self-respect and will support your leadership and reasonable demands. Your thinking, talking and the way you communicate flow smoothly.

You may receive news that excites you into action. This afternoon is favorable for short trips. You may be called on to lend a helping hand in some future community activity. Later this day you may want to catch up on your letter writing and phone calls. This evening there is some consideration with the time element so that rest is not ignored. You appreciate your particular situation and enjoy the support of your friends and family.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) The co-workers around you bring much laughter today.

Some mistakes, some successes and just enough wit to get everyone through an important workday are important. You may be the one that organizes a project and people trust you to know just what is needed. There is talk of getting an air purifier, good smells, virus protection and ways to eliminate trash or to recycle in the workplace. Make sure that the cleaning crew knows the changes or there will be no recycle process. A little volunteer research for the products that would accommodate your workplace would be beneficial when higher-ups review the report. You are fortunate to have good co-worker friends.

Everyone knows how to work together as a team.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You will be an interesting, stimulating person to be around as usual today—so communicate. This is an excellent time for you to make new contacts. These contacts might develop into intense or important business relationships later. Today is also a day for daydreams. Your imagination will focus on how things ought to be, rather than how they seem—creative ideas are cooking. You will be experiencing a high self-confidence. In communicating with others, you will most likely find greater clarity as you move through your ideas and give others the opportunity to do the same . . . a sort of brainstorming. After work you and a neighbor could enjoy throwing a ball back and forth. You take pleasure in physical activity, such as sports, games and dancing.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You will be interested in service to others. This involves your profession as much as it does the time you spend in helping others away from the workplace. There are opportunities to conduct tours, give directions, research, perform tasks, fill in the details on some worrisome chart and proof the work of people that, fortunately, know how to work a computer.

Handwriting is difficult but the computer has really helped to correct spelling automatically and to fix ungrammatical phrases. Some of your work may involve a bit of acting and you may wonder if there is an award somewhere. After work you and your family members help each other with homework, cooking, car problems, etc. Life is good.

To

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You may want to review your appointment book for this week—there could be some change of plans you will want to make note of at this time. Your schedule is very full—you may look for a little time to yourself—especially around the noon hour. Stomach or skin troubles of long duration may suddenly find relief today. This could be an indication that an occasional timeout may be a good remedy for stressful symptoms. Look into learning some stress relief techniques. There could be time later this afternoon to play with your new computer or just enjoy some time with loved ones. It may be the last chance for a backyard, homemade ice cream party this year and you may decide to plan a party. Make a wish; there are positive planetary aspects.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You are dynamic and self-assertive in professional, social and romantic activities. It’s a good time for creating new projects or bringing old ones to an end. Communication is your strong suit—you can say what you think in very clear terms. You may find yourself teaching your methods to others.

Your dreams or ideals can now begin to take practical form and application. Old situations are fading away and opportunities present themselves for new adventures. With self-respect and realism, you can be supportive of others and begin to achieve concrete results from your ideas. Your community involvement this evening can make considerable progress. Your vision and psychological insight can be inspiring and therapeutic to yourself and others.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

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

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TATE T OF K KUW WAIT A

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A

262 - 2630 Ext.: 2627

WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

Hot with light to moderate freshening at times north westerly to northerly wind, with speed of 15 - 40 km/h with a chance for blowing dust over open areas

BY Y NIGHT:

Relatively hot with light to moderate northerly to north westerly wind, with speed of 10 - 32 km/h

No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A

22459381

45 °C

34 °C

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

44 °C

27 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WAISEEB A

44 °C

28 °C

WA AFRA

ST TAT TION

44 °C

27 °C

SALMI

43 °C

26 °C

ABDAL LY

44 °C

26 °C

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

44 °C

28 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

43 °C

28 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

43 °C

33 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

40 °C

34 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

45 °C

23 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

SFC. CHART

03/09/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

New Jahra

24575755 Tuesday

04/09

hot

44 °C

29 °C

NW-N

15 - 35 km/h

West Jahra

24772608

Weednesday

05/09

hot

43 °C

30 °C

NW

15 - 38 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

Thursday

06/09

hot

43 °C

29 °C

NW-N

15 - 38 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

Friday

07/09

hot

44 °C

30 °C

NW-VRB

08 - 30 km/h

North Jleeb

24311795

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:05

MAX. Temp.

43 °C

Sunrise

05:27

MIN. Temp.

29 °C

Zuhr

11:47

MAX. RH

25 %

Asr

15:20

MIN. RH

07 %

Sunset

18:08

MAX. Wind i

N 53 km/h

Isha

19:27

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

.03 mm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

23900322

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

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

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

BY Y DA AY:

KUW WAIT A CITY

Firdous

Al-Shohada’a

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

MIN. REC.

24884079

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

Al-Ardhiya

Al-Madena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

lifest yle G o s s i p

op star Rihanna let rip in a series of foul-mouthed Twitter posts, saying she had to fight her way out of a Paris train station after a crowd of French fans gathered to greet her. The singer from Barbados had earlier posted a photo showing herself at London’s St Pancras station-and the time of her train’s departure for Paris marked on a station sign. She has 25 million followers on her Twitter account. She arrived at the Gare du Nord in Paris on the Eurostar late Saturday to find an enthusiastic crowd waiting to greet her. The station’s security team and her own bodyguards struggled to protect her from the crush as she

P

tried to leave the station. “The French are highly insane!!!” she tweeted a little later. “FYI, if u push me, you WILL get pushed back!” she added. “I just had to fight my way out of a damn train station!!!” she exclaimed. Rihanna later appeared as special guest of British band Coldplay for their sold-out concert in front of 80,000 fans at the Stade de France.

he 37-year-old actress forces herself to work out early in the morning while she is still “on autopilot” as she can never find the motivation otherwise. She said: “I work out in the mornings when I get up. I have to do it then - if it’s after 11am it just doesn’t happen. “I have to get it done while I’m still on autopilot because I hate exercising. “I have a gym in my house and a personal trainer who comes over. I tried Pilates, but I couldn’t deal with it. “Dancing is also a great way to stay fit - I wish I could do that every day.” Eva tries to watch what she eats but admits to a

T

weakness for French fries. She told LOOK magazine: “I do have confidence in my self-image. It’s all about food and exercise - I don’t really eat a lot of carbs. “I did two months recently without sugar too. And once you start paying attention, everything seems to contain it. It’s like, ‘Oh my god, even this banana is sugary.’ “[But] I do love French fries.”

he 48-year-old actor and a friend were stranded on Saturday when they lost their way in the waters off New York’s Long Island and had to be ferried to a harbor by a rescue boat.

US Coast Guard Petty Officer Robert Swieciki said the pair got lost as the sky darkened and beached their kayaks in Huntington Bay, almost 10 miles east from where they had set out. The US Coast Guard was patrolling the area, and heard the ‘Noah’ star all out to them from the shore around 10pm and paddled over to the boat.

The coast guard said: “He just needed a little bit of help, he just got a little lost. It wasn’t really a rescue, really, more of just giving someone a lift.”

Russell - who was described as “grateful and friendly” - later thanked his rescuers on twitter. He wrote: “Thanks to Seth and the boys from the US Coast Guard for guiding the way ... 4 hrs 30 mins, 7m. (sic)”

T

enny Ortega - who had known Michael for over 20 years before his death from a Propofol overdose in June 2009 - emailed tour promoters AEG voicing his concerns about the singer’s “paranoia, anxiety and obsessive behavior” but was ignored. In emails obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Kenny wrote to Randy Phillips, the chief executive of concert division AEG Live: “There are strong signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-like behavior. I think the best thing we can do is to get a top psychiatrist in to evaluate him ASAP. “It is like there are two people in there. One [deep inside] trying to hold on to what he was and still can be and not wanting us to quit on him, the other in this weakened and troubled state. I believe we need professional guidance in this matter.” The ‘Thriller’ hitmaker’s musical director and production manager had also warned the star was a “basket case” who was unable to sing and dance at the same time. Musical director Michael Bearden wrote in an email: “MJ

K

is not in shape enough yet to sing this stuff live and dance at the same time.”

His production manager added: “He was a basket case. Doubt is pervasive.”

However, AEG Live executive Paul Gongaware warned his colleagues that Michael would try to get out of his contract because he was “lazy” and insisted they reminded him of what it would cost him to cancel the 50 London concerts.

He wrote in an email to Randy Phillips, the chief executive of concert division AEG Live: “We are holding all the risk. We let Mikey know just what it will cost him in terms of making money. We cannot be forced into stopping this, which MJ will try to do because he is lazy and constantly changes his mind to fit his immediate wants. “He is locked. He has no choice. He signed a contract.”

he 27-year-old singer tied the knot with former World Superbike champion James Toseland in a lavish ceremony at the Nash Conservatory at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London on Saturday. Among the 200 wedding guests were music producer William Orbit and composer Mike Batt as well as Prince Pieter-Christiaan Michiel of the Netherlands. The ‘Nine Million Bicycles’ singer wore an off-white beaded dress by bridal designer Claire Pettibone, her spokeswoman has confirmed.

Katie and James have been together since April 2011 after meeting at one of her concerts in Sheffield, North England. The pair got engaged in January after the former MotoGP star - who quit the sport in September 2011 after breaking both his wrists - proposed. He wrote on his Facebook page at the time: “I asked Katie to marry me and she said yes. As you can imagine, I am a very happy man right now!” Katie is one of the biggest-selling British female artists of all time after being discovered in 2002 while studying at the Brit School for Performing Arts, which counts Adele, Jessie J and Amy Winehouse among its former pupils. The singer - who suffered a nervous breakdown two years ago recently confessed that she hasn’t always believed in marriage, but meeting James changed her mind. She said: “Marriage seemed so scary then. But once you have met the right person...”

T

Willis considering legal action against Apple he 57-year-old actor wants to leave to his huge digital music collection to his daughters - Rumer, 24, Scout, 20, and 18-yearold Tallulah, who he has with ex-wife Demi Moore - after he dies but iTunes customers are only allowed to “borrow” tracks rather than own them outright. Digital campaigners Open Rights Group are backing Bruce in his challenge. Jim Killock, of the organization, said: “You can’t resell downloads to friends - and are not allowed to leave them in your will. “It’s great that Bruce Willis is challenging it.”

Bruce - who also has five-month-old daughter Mabel with wife Emma Heming - has spent thousands on his music collection, which reportedly includes songs by The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, and downloaded his tunes onto “many, many iPods”. The ‘Sixth Sense’ actor is thought to be thinking of asking his legal team to suggest to Apple that family trusts could be the “holders” of his downloaded music. Apple is able to freeze the iTunes accounts of anyone it believes is passing on music to other people and it doesn’t allow them to transfer songs to mp3 players other than the company’s iPods.

T

he former Westlife singer tied the knot with Irish DJ Vogue Williams in a romantic ceremony at the Castello of Vincigliata in Florence, Italy, on Sunday. While the details of the nuptials have been kept quiet, Brian’s daughters from his first marriage to Kerry Katona - Molly, 11, and nine-year-old Lilly-Sue - acted as bridesmaids. The ceremony in Florence comes days after the couple

T

reportedly made their union official at a Dublin registry office in front of a small crowd of friends and family.

Guests at the Italian wedding included Brian’s ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ cojudge Dannii Minogue and they were treated to a five-course meal, followed by a band, guest DJ and a fireworks display. Brian - who was previously engaged to singer Delta Goodrem - was very excited about the wedding and had been tweeting about the nuptials all week long. Last week, he wrote: “Look out Italy the Irish and the Aussies are coming in hot!!!!!!!! (sic)” Yesterday he tweeted: “I’m getting married today. #justsayin. (sic)” Brian, 32, and 26-year-old Vogue have been dating since May 2011, and their engagement was announced in January. — Agencies

he 40-year-old actor spotted a group of youths breaking into a warehouse in Hackney, East London while filming ‘The Fast and the Furious 6’ and stormed off the set mid-scene - dressed in full FBI agent costume - to chase the burglars away. A source told The Sun newspaper: “It was so funny. The Rock looked like an action hero because he had his flak jacket on and an FBI badge in his hand. “All of a sudden there was loads of gunfire and this giant dressed as a copper was about to mow them down. “The lads jumped out of their skin and scarpered down the canal path and left the crew in peace. They must have thought they were in the middle of a real-life action movie. “Now the crew are joking that they should drop security and just have The Rock do it.”

The former wrestler managed to prevent the theft of expensive equipment thanks to his quick thinking and his impressive 6’5” frame. ‘The Fast and the Furious 6’ also stars Vin Diesel and singer Rihanna, who is set to play a villain in the popular film franchise.

T

37

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Hollywood’s summer tudio executives expected their biggest summer ever this year as they loaded their lineup with huge action movies and superhero franchises. What they got were two colossal blockbusters, a handful of backup hits and plenty of duds that just didn’t deliver, resulting in what may prove the lowest summer movie attendance in 20 years. While domestic revenues are projected to come in as the second-best ever, the number of tickets sold shrank to about 532 million from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, down 4 percent from summer 2011, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com. If that holds by the time final ticket sales are counted through Monday, that would be the smallest audiences Hollywood has packed in for its busiest season dating back to 1993, the earliest summer revenue data maintained by Hollywood.com.

Revenues should finish at $4.27 billion from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, down 3 percent from the record of $4.4 billion set last summer, said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “On paper, the summer of 2012 looked like a clear record-breaker. I think a lot of us were expecting we could beat last summer just based on the titles, the sheer number of blockbuster titles that were in the mix,” Dergarabedian said. “But the audience is what makes and breaks the summer, and they didn’t come out in the numbers we expected for a lot of these films.”

Summer was ending quietly over Labor Day weekend, with overall revenues through Sunday down slightly compared to the same period a year ago. Domestic sales totaled $102 million, off 4.6 percent from last year’s Labor Day weekend, according to Hollywood.com. The horror tale “The Possession” debuted as the No. 1 movie with $17.7 million from Friday to Sunday, compared to $14.6 million for the top draw a year ago, “The Help,” which joined “Rise of the Planet of the

S

Apes” to give Hollywood a strong seasonal finish that made summer 2011 a record-breaker.

Before this summer arrived, Hollywood was on a box-office tear, with revenues up as much as 20 percent over 2011’s. Studio executives hoped that would continue into summer, when they had what looked like the

heads south as films fizzle

“The Avengers” launched with a record $207.4 million debut over the first weekend in May. “The beginning of summer is like the first day of spring training or the opening of football camp. You have to hope your summer’s going to be great,” said Dave Hollis, head of distribution at Disney, which released “The Avengers.”

This film publicity image released by Universal Pictures shows Tadanobu Asano, left, and Taylor Kitsch in a scene from “Battleship.”

In this undated photo released by Disney, Samuel L Jackson portrays Nick Fury in a scene from Marvel’s “The Avengers.” —AP photos best lineup they’ve ever offered. Instead of beating last summer’s record, though, revenues for the season fell for the first time in seven years.

The picture gets worse factoring in higher admission prices. While revenues this time were well above the $3.6 billion haul in 2005, the last time summer dollars dipped, this season’s estimated 532 million admissions is well below the 563 million tickets sold in summer 2005.

In the 20-year span since 1993, Dergarabedian said the only year that comes close to this season’s attendance was summer 2010, when 534 million tickets were sold. A strong Labor Day weekend could put this summer on par with 2010 attendance, but it’s still a soft season considering expectations at the start, when the superhero sensation

“But it’s hard to say what’s going to connect or click.”“The Avengers” took in $618 million domestically and the Batman finale “The Dark Knight Rises” so far has added about $430 million, their $1.05 billion total amounting to nearly one-fourth of Hollywood’s overall summer haul. Worldwide, “The Avengers” has pulled in $1.5 billion, while “The Dark Knight Rises” soon will cross the $1 billion mark.

Summer’s third superhero saga, “The Amazing Spider-Man,” climbed to $258 million domestically, while the animated adventures “Brave” and “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” both were $200 million hits. The raunchy talking teddy bear comedy “Ted” also topped $200 million, and summer produced solid successes with “Men in Black 3,”

This undated image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, left, and Michael Caine as Alfred in a scene from the “The Dark Knight Rises.”

“Snow White and the Huntsman” and a few other $100 million movies. Yet a lot of duds accompanied the hits, with flops such as “Battleship” and “Total Recall” leaving audiences cold. Star power could not pack theaters, either, as fans generally ignored movies featuring A-listers (“That’s My Boy” with Adam Sandler, “Rock of Ages” with Tom Cruise, “Dark Shadows” with Johnny Depp, “The

Watch” with Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn).

The international box office has been Hollywood’s growth area as overseas audiences become more eager for big studio flicks. “The Avengers” did nearly 60 percent of its business overseas. “The Dark Knight Rises” has taken in well over half of its revenues internationally, the reverse of 2008’s “The Dark

Knight,” which pulled in most of its cash from domestic crowds.

Domestic summer movie attendance hit a modern high of 653 million in 2002, when “Spider- Man” opened with a then-record $114.8 million.

Hollywood has continually climbed to new dollar highs since, but actual attendance has steadily declined as entertainment options expanded with home theater systems, streaming video and endless portable gadgets. This season, the Summer Olympics siphoned off movie audiences a bit, and the shootings that killed 12 people at a midnight debut screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Colorado jolted the industry.

Studio executives say the shootings probably cut into business by no more than a fraction. The tragedy did prompt some moviegoers to think twice about heading to theaters when they have so many entertainment options right at home, though. The upside for Hollywood is that revenue and attendance for the year is 4 percent ahead of 2011’s, while attendance is up 3 percent. Hollywood hopes to build on that with a strong fall and holiday lineup that includes the James Bond thriller “Skyfall,” the “Twilight” finale and part one of “The Lord of the Rings” prelude, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

Of course, studio bosses had the same hopes for summer before business took a downturn. “We had a couple of movies ourselves that didn’t meet expectations,” said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner Bros., which released “The Dark Knight Rises” and the surprise hit “Magic Mike” but also stumbled with “Rock of Ages” and “Dark Shadows.”“There’s the old cliche, nobody starts out to make bad movies.

But we are looking at a very strong fall and Christmas ahead.” Online: http://www.hollywood.com—AP

Japanese director Kitano defends grisly gangster flick apan’s Takeshi Kitano yesterday defended the explicit violence in his new gangster flick “Outrage Beyond” and said it felt right to include references to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Kitano also conceded that his film-a complex tale of warring yakuza families that is a sequel to his 2009 film “Outrage”-was aimed at a wider foreign audience since his Japan fan base was dwindling. “I’m not a director who is appreciated in Japan a great deal, but I thought abroad I could get greater visibility with a sequel,” he said at the Venice film festival where his entry is among 18 vying for the Golden Lion.

Kitano stars in the slickly-shot film as Otomo, the rumored-dead boss of a family once crushed by the Sanno crime clan, who gets out of prison and goes on a revenge spree through a world of guns, luxury cars and nighttime meets. Corruption in the police and the government-particularly in the environment ministry in the wake of the tsunami-is a central theme of the film, which has the feel of a Japanese Godfather movie. “The state is not doing enough. Everybody talks about this... I think I was right to get this across in the film,” he said, addressing the aftermath of the Japanese quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

“We have tried to describe a reallife situation.” The cult director, who won the Golden Lion in 1997 and has

J

People line up to enter the “Made In America” music festival, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Saturday, in Philadelphia. —AP photos

Jay-Z joins Pearl Jam on stage for ‘99 Problems’ ip-hop star Jay-Z joined Pearl Jam on stage for an encore at the end of a two-day festival Sunday with a rocking version of his signature hit “99 Problems.” While Jay closed out the first night of the Budweiser Made in America Festival, he handed the torch to the Seattle-based band grunge rockers and they did not disappoint.

Their 25-song set saw tens of thousands of fans jumping, dancing, and singing on the muggy September night to band’s wellknown tracks like “Alive,” “Better Man,” and “Jeremy.” For the song “Unemployable,” Vedder told the crowd it was about a hard-working family man who did all the right things in life, but became the victim of job cuts. He said sometimes the so-called job creators are creating jobs outside the United States.

“I want to see more things made in America” Vedder said, to thunderous applause. Vedder also urged people to get out and vote, before a rousing cover of the Clash’s “Know Your Rights.” Fittingly, the band ended the show with Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” But Pearl Jam wasn’t the only big story, as earlier in the day Run DMC performed for the first time in over a decade.

Taking the stage under a video banner that read “Jam Master Jay Forever,” the Queens, New York, natives were well received by fans who danced to the music and sang along, some better than others.

Beyonce and Jay-Z strolled through

H

the crowd flanked by security. Their 40-minute set included “It’s Tricky” to a sea of flailing arms, and “It’s Like That.” Run even put on a pair of namesake sneakers for “My Adidas.”

Jay-Z performs at the “Made In America” music festival.

But perhaps the most poignant moment came when Run talked about the breakup following the death of Jam Master Jay. “After his assassination ... we put a silence on the group,” Run said.

Jam Master Jay, Run DMC’s longtime DJ, was fatally shot in 2002.

The case was never solved.

Run introduced Jay’s sons T.J. Mizell and Jam Master J’Son who honored their father with “some beats.” Afterward, Run said, “Jay, I know you’re looking down from Heaven.” Other notable performances included Frank Ocean and his Odd Future gang, performing an alternative rap set. Drake played the main stage, aptly named the Rocky stage since it sat at the bottom of the steps where the classic “Rocky” movie scene was filmed.

The Canadian rapper, who apparently never met an expletive he didn’t like, energized the crowd with a 45-minute set. And if there was a roof over ‘70s punk band X, it would have blown it off. While the threat of rain loomed for most of the day, the only real precipitation was the Budweiser-soaked earth in front of the stages. The performances all ran on time and the sound was pretty amazing for an outdoor venue. Even the crowd was well behaved with enough space for them to roam.

In one funny moment, a large gentleman cut in the bathroom line in the VIP area and opened the door to a portable unit for a brief inspection. Holding back the crowd, he said: “Right here, Miss B.” Beyonce took a look, nodded her head, and the entourage continued on. Later, she walked with husband Jay-Z and Rita Ora to catch Drake’s performance. It was that kind of night. —AP

returned to gangster themes after a more art-house phase, said he was planning to complete the trilogy and had already written the final part’s

Japanese film director Takeshi Kitano poses during the photocall of “Outrage Beyond” during the 69th Venice Film Festival yesterday at Venice Lido. —AFP screenplay. He said “Outrage Beyond”, which has death scenes involving a drill and a baseball throwing machine, would have been even more violent if he had had his way.

“There are extreme things that I would like to do, but then I’m stopped. If we overdo it, we would

Spanish director wins YouTube online festival

panish filmmaker David Victori has won the inaugural edition of YouTube’s Your Film Festival for his short movie “The Guilt.” The winner was announced Sunday on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival after selection by a jury that included director Ridley Scott and actor Michael Fassbender.

Victori, whose movie focuses on a man obsessed with revenge after his wife’s murder, will receive $500,000 for his next project, with Scott and Fassbender acting as executive producers - giving the filmmaker key insider guidance.

Fassbender, who triumphed at the Venice Film Festival in 2011, taking home a Golden Lion for his role in “Shame,” described Victori’s film as “very mature and confident.”

“I was engaged from the top of the film,” Fassbender said at the award ceremony after a screening of the 10 finalist films. Victori said he has already presented his planned project to Scott and Fassbender. “We have a lot of work to do and, I don’t know - if I can start tomorrow it’s better for me,” he said. YouTube viewers chose the 10 finalists, who traveled to Venice for the final selection, after viewing the films on YouTube’s channel www.YouTube.com/yourfilmfestival.

The narrative-driven submissions could be no longer than 15 minutes in length. YouTube has held film contests in the past, but the global Your Film Festival is on a much larger scale. —AP

S

not have viewers,” he said. The former star comedian also said that some of the intensity of the dialogue and the violence had been amplified for com-

ic effect. “The more vehement a scene, often the greater the laugh.

That is what I wanted. Even I started laughing while filming!” —AFP

Winds of crisis blow through Venice film festival or all the glamorous seaside partying at the Venice film festival, there is a distinct air of austerity at this year’s edition for an industry that is questioning its economic future. The festival line-up has been slimmed and the star wattage toned down while even some of the movie plotlines reflect various forms of fallout from the financial crisis-from family and relationships to faith and spiritual values. “The main recurring theme is the crisis. The economic crisis, which is having devastating social effects, but also the crisis of values,” said Alberto Barbera, director of what is the world’s oldest international film festival.

“I wanted to give a voice to those who do not have one,” said Ivano De Matteo, the Italian director of “Gli Equilibristi” (“The Tightrope Walkers”) about a man whose perfect life falls apart when his wife leaves him.

“My film is about the economic balancing act,” he said, adding that it was about “people who are too rich to be helped and too poor to live.”“It’s not just a problem of one or two people, it’s a disease. There is a middle class that is becoming impoverished” in Italy, he added.

In South Korean director’s Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta” a loan shark lives a ruthless life until a woman claiming to be his mother comes into his life. “People today are obsessed with a fantasy that money can solve anything,” said Kim, who has become famous for films with strong messages. “We realise that we are accomplices to everything that occurs in our period. Money will ask sad questions until the people of this era die,” he said. —AFP

F

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

lifestyle T r a v e l

By Anne D’innocenzio

Photo shows the river ship Avalon Felicity passing a castle on the Rhine River in Marksburg.

I

’ve been a land-based traveler for most of my life. Motor coaches and cars have helped me explore everything from Italy’s Tuscany region to Ireland’s Rings of Kerry. But recently I discovered a love for river cruising. After returning from a cruise on the legendary Rhine, I’m happily considering trips to other iconic waterways such as the Danube for next year. Sure, there were a few wrinkles, but they didn’t take away from what I found was a charming, intimate experience - with not only the river but the people on the ship. Whether from the deck or the sliding glass door in my cabin, there was always something to see, from steep vineyard hills and medieval castles to industrial plants. I also got to know the eclectic group of 130 passengers on the ship, mostly baby boomers. They included a law firm partner, a teacher, a physics professor on a honeymoon and a priest.

The small scale of river ships - which typically carry no more than a couple hundred passengers - is a large part of their appeal, in contrast to ocean-going mega-ships that carry thousands. On a river ship, you don’t need a GPS device to figure out where the lobby or the dining room is.

And there’s a sense of intimacy, with plenty of cozy moments. On my trip, some passengers partook in movie night, with popcorn shared in paper bags while watching “Eat Pray Love” on a flat-screen TV in a lounge. I participated in an impromptu mini-Mass with five others in a corner of the ship officiated by the passenger priest. He improvised with that night’s dinner bread.

The idea for the trip started with my globe-trotting mother, who’d taken a trip on a barge on the Seine in the 1990s and had always raved about it. So for $3,100 (per person, double occupancy, excluding airfare), my mother, my sister, a friend and I booked an eight-day trip with Avalon Waterways on the Rhine, starting in Basel, Switzerland and ending in Amsterdam, with stops that included Strasbourg, France, and Heidelberg and Cologne, Germany. Typical of most river cruises, the price covered meals, wine with dinner and most shore excursions.

While river cruises carry just a fraction of the number of passengers that go on mainstream cruises, the industry has been exploding. The number of people taking river cruises has increased 57 percent since 2008, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. That compares with 23 percent growth for mainstream cruise during the same time frame. European river cruises are expected to carry about 400,000 people next year, according to Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon

The dining room on the river ship Avalon Felicity. — AP photos

Waterways, among the world’s five largest river cruise operators. “People love it. It’s convenient, and visually, you get to see more,” says Lanie Morgenstern, the trade group’s spokeswoman. The trips are geared to a more sophisticated traveler who wants to mix up the trips for a deeper understanding of the area, she added.

New river boats also have more amenities than in the past. The vessels must be narrow enough to fit through locks and low enough to pass under bridges that predate large cruise ships, so their cabins are traditionally smaller than on ocean-going ships, with less room for large recreational areas. But river cruise operators are finding ways to add features such as small pools, and they’re upgrading in other ways, too, improving menus and decor.

Still, ahead of my trip, I worried I would get a narrow sense of the region - after all, the itinerary is limited to destinations with river ports and what you can see during a few hours on a port call. I also thought I might get bored on a vessel that lacked the comforts of a big ship. In fact, the fitness room turned out to be the size of a large closet, and there was no swimming pool, just a whirlpool. And while the three-level Avalon Felicity was comfortable, it wasn’t luxurious.

Still, I was pleased with the trip and the at-your-service staff of 40 - a better than 3:1 ratio of crew to passengers.

Food was top-notch, with buffets for breakfast and lunch, and more formal sit-down dinners. The only downside: We had all of our meals on board with few opportunities to interact with locals. So whenever I got the chance, I had coffee or dessert in the towns. The good news: next year, Avalon Waterways will offer onshore dining options as part of its overall plan to personalize the experience.

My cabin, which I shared with my mother, was small but comfortable, with twin beds inches apart. Luggage had to

This undated image released by Avalon Waterways shows the interior of a suite, featuring a sliding glass door and French balcony on the river ship Avalon Felicity.

be stored under the beds but there was enough cabinet space to unload belongings. But I spent very little time in my room. Most of my waking hours onboard were on deck or in a lounge looking out.

The highlight was sitting on the deck with other passengers as we passed by the romantic middle of the Rhine: the 40 or so miles between Bingen and Koblenz, Germany that define our dreamy notion of the legendary waterway.

There, our cruise director Romanian-born Hans Beckert offered a narrative of the string of medieval castles, quaint villages, and fortresses we passed. Not to mention the towering Lorelei rock named after the siren whose beauty distracted sailors. It’s where the river is the narrowest and deepest.

We visited a different port every day, sometimes even two. Sightseeing included walking tours, canal rides and tours of museums and churches. Occasionally the schedule felt stressful, with some departures just a few hours after arrivals. On the day we visited the German town of Mainz, after checking out an original printed bible in the Guttenberg Museum, we ran up the cobbled streets to look at Marc Chagall’s stained glass windows in St. Stephen’s Church, then sprinted back to the vessel for lunch before we set sail in the afternoon for Rudesheim, known for its wine. But that’s the tradeoff with a cruise itinerary: You don’t need to worry about getting from place to place, but you have to do it on a set schedule.

Still, most of the ports were right in town, so once we landed, rarely did we have to take a bus to get to our destination. And most onshore activities were included in the cost of the cruise, though there were a few options for additional fees.

One of my favorite outings was wine-tasting in Obernai, France. And I fell in love with Rudesheim, where we visited

Photo shows mansions along the Neckar River in Heidelberg, Germany shown during a scenic waterway tour on the river ship Avalon Felicity.

By Bob Downing

T

he Estate Whim Museum provides a look at what life was like 250 years ago on a sugar-cane island.

It includes the plantation house, slave quarters, outlying buildings, a towering windmill and the remains of a factory where sugar cane was processed.

The restored Great House was built about 1760 and rebuilt several times. Its oval shape came about in 1793.

It is 95 feet long and 35 feet wide with 16-foot ceilings, and sits next to tamarind trees.

It contains three large rooms, an office gallery and a wing that was originally a separate kitchen. It is flanked by numerous outbuildings. The walls are 30 inches thick, made of cut brain coral, limestone and rubble, bonded by a mortar containing molasses.

The tall windows and doors that ring the house provide cross-ventilation, and the windows could be shuttered during hurricanes. The ground floor of the Great House consists of a dry moat that rings the cellars and was used to cool the building. No original furniture survives, but it is filled with period items from the Caribbean.

The Estate Whim on St Croix is filled with period items from the Caribbean. The walls are made from cut brain coral, limestone and rubble and bonded with a mortar containing molasses. The Great House is surrounded by a dry moat that cools the building.

It sits on 12 acres that remain of a once-thriving estate. Whim was occupied by 12 owner families from 1743 to 1932. It is the oldest sugar plantation museum in the Virgin Islands, typical of the agricultural plantations laid out in the 1730s by the Danish West India and Guinea Company. Whim is listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places and the UNís Slave Route Sites of Remembrance. It is one of more than 50 sites on St Croix where plantation remains may be found.

The plantation on the southwest corner of the island was surveyed in 1733-35 when it came under Danish rule. St Croix was one of the richest sugar islands in the West Indies from 1760 to 1820, when production was high and sugar prices were stable. In 1803, St Croixís population was 30,000, of whom 26,500 were slaves who planted, harvested and processed cane on 218 island plantations. More than 100 windmills and almost as many animal mills ran day and night in season, converting sugar into wealth.

Most plantations were small communities of up to 300 acres, with sugar cane growing on two-thirds of the land. They were not self-sufficient; food, clothing and equipment had to be imported. At first, Whim grew cotton, according to records from 1743. In 1754, sugar was introduced and that was grown until the 1920s.

Sugar cane is an Asian grass that was imported to the Caribbean by the Spanish as early as Columbusí second trip in 1493. It was a labor-intensive operation and the Danish brought in slaves to work the plantations. The local economy boomed from 1760 to 1820.

The golden age of sugar cane declined with the appearance of beet sugar in the United States and Europe. Slavery was abolished on St Croix in 1848.

At first, animals, including horses, oxen and mules, were used to crush juice from sugar cane. A rebuilt horse-powered replica stands on the grounds of the Estate Whim.

The plantation also features an imposing stone windmill built between 1768 and 1779. Men lifted and moved a long pole to make the dome turn and move the sails to catch the wind. Slaves fed sugar cane between three rollers, and the juice drained down a sluice to the adjoining factory. Foundations are all that remain of a large T-shaped, two-story structure that was built about 1797. Nearby is a lone chimney that dates to 1908.

The first steam engine was installed at Estate Whim

in 1865. That increased production by 15 percent and made it possible to handle 20 to 30 tons of sugar cane in 12 hours. In addition to the factory, there was a boiling house, curing houses for drying sugar and draining off molasses, warehouses and a distillery for turning molasses into rum.

Cane juice flowed from the wind mill to the boiling house, where it was reduced to a moist brown sugar called muscovado. That work was directed by a slave known as the boiling master. On a wall stood a receiving vat and battery of smaller cauldrons called coppers over furnaces fueled by bagasse, or dried crushed cane stalks. On the opposite wall were shallow cooling pans.

After skimming off impurities and adding lime, workers ladled the juice from copper to copper, stirring and skimming.

At the last and hottest copper, the rapidly thickening liquid was carefully watched. If the boiling master could produce a sugary thread between his fingers, the cooking was done. Workers then turned the moist crystals into wooden pans to cool. This sugar was packed in 1,600-pound barrels, put on racks and the molasses was drained off.

After a few weeks, when the sugar was dry, the barrels were topped off with fresh sugar, sealed and loaded on oxcarts for transport to the wharf. Molasses was a lucrative by-product; rum was made by fermenting water and molasses with skimmings, oranges and herbs.

In 1932, Whim was purchased by the U.S. government. It had purchased the Virgin Islands in 1917 from Denmark. It became a federal Homestead site and the land was resold to residents who promised to raise sugar cane for the central factory. That effort failed. In 1954, Whim was deeded to the St Croix Landmarks Society for preservation. It was in bad shape but restoration efforts got under way.

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $4 for children 7 to 12. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays, extended when cruise ships are in port. For information, contact the St. Croix Landmarks Society at 52 Estate Whim, Frederiksted, Virgin Islands, 00840, 340-772-0598, www.stcroixlandmarks.com. Not far from Whim is the 16-acre St George Village Botanical Garden, built around the ruins of another old plantation: the Estate St. George. It, too, is on the National Register of Historic Places.—MCT

the enchanting Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet Museum that featured self-playing instruments dating back to the 18th century. I also took a cable car to the top of the steep, grapevine-covered hills and enjoyed a magnificent view of vineyards and the Rhine River.

Activities in Amsterdam included a tour of the Van Gogh museum and a canal boat ride. But we also took an optional, 26-euro two-hour chaperoned tour of the city’s famous Red Light district. Imagine three dozen tourists many of them gray-haired retirees - gawking at the bikiniclad young women in the windows. A couple of times we were heckled by rowdy revelers.

Amsterdam was the cruise’s final port. We decided to stay a few days in the Dutch capital for more sightseeing, so we checked into a hotel near the port. I could see the ship from my hotel room’s window. Later the next day, I noticed the ship was gone, off with a new group of passengers on another adventure. I felt a twinge of sadness, but knew I would come back to the river again.— AP

If you go River cruises: Prices vary by time of year, itinerary and level of luxury with fares typically per person, double occupancy, covering meals and most shore excursions.

European river cruise season generally runs until October but there are also Christmas market cruises in Austria and Germany in late November and December. Companies that offer European river cruises include Avalon Waterways, AmaWaterways, American Cruise Line, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, Vantage, Viking, Regent, Seabourn and Silversea.

The stone windmill at Estate Whim on St Croix was built between 1768 and 1779. — MCT photos

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

Beto Silva, who works as a salesman at a luxury clothing store, poses for a photo with his art piece by artist Waltercio Caldas, titled ‘Fim Fim,’ or ‘End End,’ inside his apartment in Rio de Janeiro.

A

s a salesman at a luxury clothing store, Beto Silva has seen his earnings jump over the past decade as Brazil’s economy has boomed. That doesn’t mean he’s moved out of his cramped, 600-square-foot apartment, but it’s now filled with the spoils of his new wealth: paintings, lithographs, collages and sculptures, many of the purchases still shrouded in protective bubble wrap and stacked a dozen deep in his study.

Like other thriving middle-class Brazilians, Silva has bought his way into the growing ranks of collectors who are helping to put Rio de Janeiro on the international art map. Art collecting was long considered the exclusive domain of a tiny cadre of enthusiasts from the country’s ruling elite, but Rio’s middle class is jumping in and investing, and international dealers are scrambling for a toehold in this promising market. “I used to feel a bit out of place going into a gallery,” Silva said. “But now, people know me and appreciate my eye and what I know about art.”

In what collectors here interpret as a sign that their laidback beach city has finally arrived, Larry Gagosian, one of the world’s foremost gallerists, announced this year he’ll take part in the second edition of the city’s new international art fair, ArtRio, a four-day event that opens Sept. 13. His is only one of

A plate by Brazilian artist Vik Muniz that features his recreation of Caravaggio’s Medusa hangs on the kitchen wall at the home of Beto Silva, a luxury clothing store salesman, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

a flock of famed galleries taking part. “There’s been a paradigm shift. Art has become an object of desire here,” said Katia Mindlin Leite-Barbosa, president of Sotheby’s Brazil. “It’s becoming something of a marker of status, like a nice car or a fancy vacation.

“It used to be that you couldn’t even find listings for gallery exhibitions in the paper. Now there’s a whole weekly section devoted to it,” she said. “The interest is palpable.” Though Sao Paulo, the richer, more sophisticated megalopolis to the south, has had its own international art fair for the better part of a decade, Rio had no major art market event until ArtRio got its start last year. Its debut was a spectacular success. More than 80 galleries from across Brazil and around the world recorded sales totaling $60 million. Turnout for the four-day show was twice as high as expected, with more than 40,000 people flooding through the fair.

For many visitors, it was their first real exposure to a gallery, said artist Brenda Valansi, who co-founded the fair along with gallerist Elisangela Valadares. “It used to be that we Brazilians were just worrying about inflation, security, making ends meet. But the country has changed so much and so quickly that now people have the luxury of focusing on other things, including art,” Valansi said. “With ArtRio, we’re trying to

Brazilian sculptor Raul Mourao poses for a photo next to his work, as it moves while hanging on exhibit at the Lurixs contemporary art gallery. — AP photos

debunk this notion that art is just for a few and show that you don’t have to be a millionaire to be a collector.”

She added that prices at last year’s fair ranged from $500 to $5 million. “Now, any working class person who’s interested can enter the art market,” she said. ArtRio mushroomed this year and is slated to take up twice as much space as last year’s staging at the refurbished Porto Maua port area, with its stunning views of Guanabara Bay. Some 120 galleries, 50 percent more than last year, are expected to participate. Half of them are international, hailing from New York, London, Zurich, Berlin and other more traditional art capitals. Organizers said the split between local and international galleries reflected the mix of Brazilian and foreign art being bought.

But the jewel in the crown will undoubtedly be the Gagosian Gallery, widely considered the world’s top. Gagosian is known for having his finger on the pulse of promising new markets and has opened 11 locations worldwide. The gallery’s stand at ArtRio, which is expected to feature a 1937 Picasso as well as an extensive sculpture wing, is Gagosian’s first foray into South America. Rio’s art community was abuzz with rumors that he was planning on setting up permanent shop in the city, but the Los Angeles-born dealer called the ArtRio

stand “a test of the appetite” there.

“We’ve had some success in recent years selling to Brazilian collectors at other galleries that we have in London and Paris, but honestly we don’t really know what to expect,” Gagosian said in a telephone interview. “Hopefully that’s just the tip of the iceberg and there are a lot of other collectors there in Rio.” Artists themselves welcome the attention, and say it’s based on more than just an increase in Brazilians’ wealth.

Sculptor Raul Mourao has watched Rio’s art scene establish itself in the last two decades. When he started, there weren’t more than a dozen books out on Brazilian art in general. The opening of a single exhibit in Rio was a novelty that made news.

Now, dozens of exhibits show in Rio at any given time, and an established culture of publicly financed displays has taken root. Mourao has two openings in the coming month: one in a private gallery and one in a public square, where he’ll show six massive outdoor sculptures. — AP

P

hilly’s getting a new fan in the pages of Marvel Comics, but whether the City of Brotherly Shove takes to anti-hero Venom remains to be seen. Marvel Entertainment LLC says that Venom - a brute with big teeth and an elongated tongue who’s made a habit of sparring with SpiderMan - is leaving New York City to start fresh, and maybe learn to be a hero on the streets of Philadelphia. Writer Cullen Bunn and Editor Tom Brennan, an alum of Philadelphia’s Drexel University, said it’s time Philly had a hero of its own, putting it in the same league as Los Angeles and New York, among other real-life cities that populate the fictional world of Marvel.

But is Venom - an alien symbiote bonded to Peter Parker’s one-time high school rival Eugene “Flash” Thompson - the hero that Philly wants or needs?

It depends, said Bunn. Flash, who lost his legs in Iraq, has taken control of Venom to be able to walk again and work as a super-powered soldier and spy for the US government. But his alcoholism and habit of lying to his teammates has him at the bottom of a deep hole. “Now, he’s trying to do the right thing. He’s reassessing what it means to be a hero. And he’s looking for a fresh start,” said Bunn. “This means a lot of things for Flash. He’s surrounding himself with new people - such as tabloid journalist Katy Kiernan and his new love interest, the Asgardian Valkyrie. He’s changing his approach to being a superhero. And he’s looking for a change of scenery.”

That’s where Philly comes in, said Brennan, starting Dec 19 in “Venom” No. 28 in comic shops and digitally, too. “I worked in public schools in gritty Kensington and tough West Philly. I spent way too many hours in the Constitution Center and historical sites of Old City. I lived on Race Street in a less-than-stellar apartment in a creaky old town house,” he said. “All the while that I lived there, I wanted a superhero for the city of Philadelphia, a town full of heart, hustle and hope - and I don’t care what anyone says some of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” he said. “Sure, they don’t suffer fools, and you’ve got to be mindful if you cross against the light, but I found the City of Brotherly Love to be a character in and of itself that I thought more fiction should explore.”

Bunn said the city will be part of Venom’s growth, expanding as he does, too. “I’ve always liked that Marvel superheroes are adventuring in the ‘real’ world. Certainly, there will be some fictional elements popping up in stories, but I’ll try to keep it as grounded in the actual city as possible,” he said. “It’s time Philly gets a little Marvel Universe face-time. Local landmarks, neighborhoods, legends, and history will play a role in the book.” — AP

A worker holds a picture of late Yugoslavian communist dictator Josip Broz Tito at the Yugoland theme park, in the northern Serbian town of Subotica. — AP photos

B

lasko Gabric and his friends found it hard to cope with the collapse of Yugoslavia, so they made a miniature one of their own. Now, they could lose this one too. The Yugoland theme park, for years a gathering spot for the admirers of the former communist state, faces closure because Gabric put up part of the property as collateral in a bank loan that went bad. “I will try to save Yugoslavia,” said Gabric, a 70-year-old retired Serbian printer. “It would be truly sad if this Yugoslavia disappeared as well.”

File photo shows Blasko Gabric, the owner of the Yugoland theme park, looks at a bust of late Yugoslavian communist dictator Josip Broz Tito.

This comic book image released by Marvel Comics shows the Marvel anti-hero Venom. Venom, long a nemesis of Spider-Man but most recently a sanctioned operative of the US government, is pulling up stakes and looking for a fresh start, in Philadelphia of all places. — AP

Gabric’s mini-Yugoslavia is squeezed on 3.5 acres (1.5 hectares) of land featuring a fake mountain, a ditch meant to represent the Adriatic Sea, Yugoslav flags and communist red stars. It all symbolizes the despair of a people whose country dissolved in brutal wars of the 1990s, leaving thousands dead and millions homeless. Facing a new reality of shrunken lands and free market chaos, many exYugoslavs have started to look back at the former communist dictatorship as a dreamland that offered equality and job security.

The trend became known as “Yugo-nostalgia.”And Gabric is a main proponent. “No Bible

Blasko Gabric places the coat of arms of Yugoslavia next to a photograph of late communist dictator Josip Broz Tito.

can describe a more beautiful heaven than the one we had in our Yugoslavia,” he exclaims.

“We had the most wonderful country in the world.”

During the communist years, Gabric spent many years in Canada, where he owned a printing press. He returned in 1983 and set up a business in Subotica, a town near Hungarian border.

Then, in the early 1990s’, Gabric witnessed Yugoslavia torn to pieces by nationalists: First Slovenia, then Croatia, Bosnia and Macedonia left the federation in a series of bloody ethnic conflicts. What finally spurred Gabric to action was the decision in 2003 by Serbia and Montenegro - the two republics that had remained together - to abolish the name of Yugoslavia altogether.

Gabric registered a “mini-Yugoslavia” on his land in February 2003. He and his friends put up border stones and a bronze bust of the late Communist dictator Josip Broz Tito. They recreated Triglav, Yugoslavia’s highest mountain, by piling up several tons of soil they dug out to create a miniature Adriatic Sea. They even started issuing virtual mini-Yugoslavia passports.

“We wanted to preserve a piece of our lives here,” he explains. Mini-Yugoslavia today has over 8,000 “citizens.” A sign at the theme park gate reads: “Yugoslavia will live as long as we live.” Over the years, thousands have visited the park, mostly to mark Tito’s birthday on May 25, or other former Yugoslav holidays. On such occasions, the theme park organizes picnics, music and dance. Thousands more, from all the former Yugoslavia, have gathered each year at Tito’s grave in the capital Belgrade, or in his birthplace Kumrovec, in Croatia.

Tito’s admirers say the former leader was a skillful politician who split from the Soviet Union and steered the country successfully through the turbulent Cold War era. They say Tito’s leadership was softer than the communism in the rest of Eastern Europe, noting that Yugoslavs were able to travel abroad and enjoy relative freedom, if not democracy.

Miroslav Andrijevic, a 62-year-old retired photographer from Subotica, became a citizen of mini-Yugoslavia seven years ago. Andrijevic

tearfully says mini-Yugoslavia has offered consolation to the people who felt lost without the country they had lived in for most of their lives.

But, with Socialism gone, mini-Yugoslavs have encountered one major obstacle to making their dream come true: money. The miniature country is shabby and dusty, the Adriatic Sea has bushes growing at its bottom and Mt. Triglav bears no resemblance to the Alpine original in today’s Slovenia. But Gabric won’t give up. He hopes to organize a charity concert to gather funds to pay off the bank. The stakes are high. If I don’t succeed, Gabric says: “we will lose Serbia and Macedonia.”—AP

A worker clears brush at the Yugoland theme park next to a sculpture of a globe.

Hollywood’s summer heads south as films fizzle

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

37

Visitors of the hair and cosmetic fair in Erfurt, eastern Germany show their designed haircuts. The annual fair gives an overview of coming tendencies in hair fashion. — AFP

M

arshmallows roasted over a campfire may be a staple of American childhood, but few realize the pillowy treats were invented in 19th-century France, where they are bouncing back into foodie fashion. Sweet or salty, flavored with fruit, flowers, vegetables-even fish-classic versions and novel takes on the puffy pastel-colored cubes are winning a new fan base.

“Sales have been booming of late. And we are not selling just to kids!” said Julien Merceron, pastry chef at the 250-year-old Parisian confectionary “La Mere de Famille” whose best-seller is a pale green pear-flavored marshmallow. Star French chef Alain Ducasse recently dug out the traditional recipe for “guimauve”-as the cottony sweet is known in France-promptly declaring his own marshmallows “the best in the capital”.

The cottony sweet is known as guimauve in France. — AFP At the Fauchon luxury confectioner’s in Paris a young sales attendant said she was selling bucket loads of the treats, priced at nine euros (11 dollars) for a packet of a dozen. “Our customers are mostly elderly people and children-and among them there are a lot of Japanese.

They love that it melts in the mouth and that it feels so home-made.” “ They are more and more in fashion,” agreed Merceron, who dates the start of the craze to around two years ago. “When times are hard, people tend to look to the past. Marshmallow is linked to childhood, and that’s clearly part of the explanation.” When it comes to marshmallows as comfort food, France’s answer to the campfire experience is a chocolate-coated pink teddy bear-bite off the head first, then wolf down the body-a staple of every French childhood.

That is certainly true of Parisian schoolteacher Nicole Bermann. “When I was a little girl, my grandmother would always give me marshmallow bears. Nowadays, whenever I feel down, I eat a whole packet,” she told AFP. Sign of its enduring appeal, the little teddy-born 50 years ago in a factory in northern France-has a cult following and its own Facebook page.

The very first marshmallows date back as far as ancient Egypt whose people boiled up an extract of the marshmallow plant, Althaea officinalis, into a chewy medicinal paste sweetened with honey and used to soothe sore throats. Cut to 19th-century France, where the country’s confectioners developed a version of the recipe intended purely for pleasure-called “pate de guimauve” or “guimauve” for short.

Made with egg white meringue and often flavored with rose water, guimauve was a direct ancestor of today’s marshmallows-which get their gooey texture from gelatin instead of the marshmallow plant.

Industrial marshmallows made their appearance in 1948, when Alex Doumak, the founder of the US confectionary giant Doumak Inc, patented a process allowing long cylinders of the sweet to be mass-produced at low cost.—AFP

A

s far back as 25 years ago, US investor Jim Rogers already believed China would be the next economic superpower and young people the world over should prepare for the future by learning Mandarin. Now 69, the billionaire had a chance to practice what he preached when he moved in 2007 to Singapore with his wife Paige Parker, 43, after visiting Hong Kong and Shanghai in search of an ideal place to bring up his children.

Their daughters Happy, now nine, and Baby Bee, four, are studying in public schools in Singapore, which promotes mastery of Mandarin as part of its own ethnic Chinese heritage and, more pragmatically, to give its people economic opportunities. “Singapore has the best education in the world, the best healthcare, the best everything. I think that the best gift that I can give two children born in 2003 and 2008 is to know Asia and to speak Mandarin,” Rogers told AFP. Rogers, who is also an author and financial commentator, is among the growing ranks of Western parents keen to prepare their children for the “Chinese Century”. Singapore has been a major beneficiary, welcoming foreign professionals and investors attracted by its rapid economic progress and expatriate-friendly lifestyle. English is the main language of instruction in Singapore, a former British colony, but students in public schools are required to study a second language. Mandarin is mandatory for the ethnic Chinese majority and optional for the rest.

A number of foreign parents who are not on expat packages cannot afford international schools in Singapore and have to send their children to local schools. But for a wealthy man like Rogers, who co-founded the Quantum Fund with legendary investor George Soros and now runs his own firm out of Singapore, sending his children to public schools is a matter of choice. He and his wife even hired a governess from China to make sure the girls continue speaking Mandarin at home.

French expatriate Emmanuelle Bizard, 32, who moved to Singapore in August 2011, enrolled her four sons in local schools to help them integrate into Singapore society and take advantage of the low school fees. “Singapore welcomes us, so it is important for us to make an effort to meet Singaporeans and live a ‘Singaporean experience’. It makes our experience more real,” she said. Her only disappointment with local schools is their lack of feedback sessions for parents.

“In France, we can see the teachers of our kids very easily, even every day if we want, so we have a lot of feedback. But here, we have marks and a feedback session every term,” she added. Another criticism of local schools is the focus on rote learning and their highly competitive environment, but Rogers has no problem with it. “When they grow up, they

This photo taken on May 15, 2012 shows Happy Rogers (center), the daughter of US investor Jim Rogers, listening attentively to her Chinese teacher in her Mandarin class at Nanyang Primary School in Singapore. have to compete with the Asians, and they should have the same demands, the same rigorous education that the Asians have, and that’s why we are here,” Rogers said. He believes critics of Asian education systems have not experienced them closely enough.

“The US has been in decline for a few decades now as its education has deteriorated. Asia has risen in that time. The results speak for themselves.” Singapore’s public schools are renowned for producing students who excel in maths and science competitions, and other Asian countries consider the city-state’s curriculum and teaching methods a benchmark to aim for. Singapore ranked seventh out of 100 participating countries at an annual mathematics competition for high school students held in Argentina in July.

In the same month, the Singapore team clinched third position in a field of 28 countries at the International Young Physicists’ Tournament in Germany. Despite the effusive praise from Rogers, not all expatriates are convinced of the Singapore way. There is also a growing clamor from Singaporean parents to reform the education system towards greater creativity, with less emphasis on rote learning and exam marks. American-born expatriate Rachel Kraut, 49, moved her four children from public schools to the German school in Singapore after several unpleasant

encounters. “The main problem was many of the teachers’ attitudes, and their teaching methods are fear-based,” said Kraut, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Biological Sciences, who is married to a German. She said her children worried about exams when on holiday and feared making mistakes because some teachers would humiliate students in class.

Kraut said she was shocked when one of her daughters told her that she saw a boy being caned in class in fourth grade. “The idea was not to make learning fun and interesting, it was, ‘if you don’t do this, your future is ruined,’” Kraut said. — AFP

Photo shows Happy Rogers, the daughter of US investor Jim Rogers, reading a book while her mother Paige Parker, younger sister Baby Bee Rogers look on, in their Singapore home.

Happy Rogers, at Mandarin class at Nanyang Primary School in Singapore. — AFP photos