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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Prime minister inaugurates phase II of Avenues Mall

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THUL HIJJAH 20, 1433 AH

Abbas: I did not give up on the right of return

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Gulf squeeze on dissent raises alarm with allies

Raikkonen wins Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

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Police choke protests with force, firepower Amir meets oppn leaders • FMs: No Jordan troops in Kuwait

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from the editor’s desk

No ‘irada’ for Irada Square?

By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan

myopinion@kuwaittimes.net

I

rada (Will) Square has always been the hotspot for demonstrations in Kuwait. Whatever the issue, thousands of people have used that particular square to air their disapproval and the police has always maintained the safety of every demonstrator in that square. Why has it now fallen out of favor, especially since it was that square that hosted demonstrations that forced the resignation of the former prime minister? And why does the opposition insist on planning demonstrations in areas that guarantee chaos?

Last night, banks and many companies sent their employees home early, many shops and malls closed down during the busy evening part of business and many people stayed at home, all in precaution. I would like the opposition who are claiming that they represent the interests of Kuwaitis to tell me how beneficial was that to private businesses that are already struggling with the global crisis.

Kuwait City was looking like a ghost town and a few more nights like that can prove crippling to smalland medium-size private businesses.

OK, maybe they are all selfish and don’t care about business because we should all just ask for grants from the government and raises for being an unproductive bunch just like their followers who rely a lot on milking public funds and wasta to make a living. Still, their choice of locations to demonstrate has caused other annoyances to the Kuwaiti public. People where held up in queues of traffic as roads got blocked by demonstrators, many weekly diwaniyas were cancelled, a wedding in Sabah AlSalem area got crashed into and the list goes on.

I could understand that they are against the new one-vote-per-person system and they have every right to express their opinion and maybe even change the whole voting system, but please stick to Irada Square or any other square that doesn’t cripple our country socially and economically. After all we are not struggling for civil rights nor are we victims of a regime that terrorizes its citizens. Is it worth destroying our country and shedding blood over the number of votes we are allowed to cast? What if these demonstrations are hijacked by looters, troublemakers and vandals who break into private properties, shops, banks etc? Who’s responsibility will it be?

I’m beginning to believe that Irada Square is no longer good enough because it does not serve the real agenda behind these demonstrations, which is to cause chaos. Seems like the popular bloc was not popular enough to rally hundreds of thousands as they always claimed, so Irada Square might be a bit of a disheartening embarrassment. However, you only need a gang of people to cause chaos as we have witnessed in the past two weeks and that’s much easier for them to rally and make some noise at the expense of the Kuwaiti public.

KUWAIT: (Clockwise from top) HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (right) meets former opposition MPs Khaled Sultan (center) and Mohammad Hayef at Dar Salwa yesterday; The Arabian Gulf St near the Kuwait Towers is blocked by police; Opposition demonstrators block the Sixth Ring Road off Mishref as tear gas clouds swirl. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat, AP and KUNA

By B Izzak, Hanan Al-Saadoun and Agencies

Hollande talks Syria, Iran with Saudi king JEDDAH: French President Francois Hollande voiced support yesterday for a transitional Syrian opposition government and called Iran’s nuclear ambitions a “threat” to the region and the world. “France is very keen on the formation by the opposition of a transitional government that would give it full legitimacy and ensure democratic transition in Syria,” he told reporters after meeting Saudi King Abdullah. It is “absolutely necessary for the opposition to restructure,” he said, as the Syrian National Council began meetings aimed at broadening its membership which has been criticised by the US. Details have emerged of plans to JEDDAH: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia applauds French President Francois Hollande after presenting him with the Order of Merit reshape the SNC into a representative Continued on Page 15 yesterday. — AP

Egypt Coptics pick new pope CAIRO: Bishop Tawadros was chosen as new pope of Egypt’s Coptic Christians yesterday when a blindfolded altar boy picked his name from a chalice in a ceremony invoking divine guidance for the beleaguered minority.

Acting head of the church Bishop Pachomius took the ballot from the boy’s hand and, showing it to the throng inside St Mark’s Cathedral, announced: “Bishop Tawadros.” The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as church bells tolled in celebration across the country.

The new Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa in the Holy See of St Mark the Apostle succeeds pope Shenouda III, who died in March leaving behind a community anxious about its future under an Islamist-led government. Tawadros, 60, a bishop in the Nile Delta province of Beheira, was among three candidates - the other two being Bishop Rafael, 54, a medical doctor and current assistant bishop for central Cairo, and Father Rafael Ava Mina, 70.

Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: Thousands of opposition supporters staged a protest in Mishref yesterday after a cat-and-mouse chase with police that forced them to change the venue of the procession after police sealed off the original site in Kuwait City. Riot police used stun grenades, smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse the banned demonstration. Meanwhile, HH the Amir yesterday held talks with four opposition figures including two former Islamist MPs over the controversial amendment to the electoral constituency law in the first such meeting with the opposition in over two months. Former MP Khaled AlSultan said after the meeting that the Amir said he was convinced about the amendment of the law which reduced the number of candidates a voter can choose from four to one. However, Sultan and Mohammad Hayef said that the Amir will accept any verdict from the constitutional court on the amendment. They gave no further details.

The opposition have insisted that the only way to defuse rising tension in the country and stop protests is by withdrawing the amendment and holding the election on the basis of the previous law. Sultan said that the delegation “informed the Amir that the situation in the country is dangerous and proposed that he withdraw the amendment”.

Continued on Page 15

Iran sets up new base near disputed islands Tehran builds ‘advanced’ drone

CAIRO: Acting Coptic Pope Pachomios (left) displays the name of the new Pope Tawadros II, depicted in the large poster, during the papal election ceremony at the Coptic Cathedral yesterday. — AP

TEHRAN: Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards inaugurated a new naval base yesterday to reinforce Tehran’s authority over three Arabian Gulf islands also claimed by the neighboring United Arab Emirates, Iranian state TV reported. The base near the Iranian mainland’s southern port of Bandar-e Lengeh some 1,100 km south of Tehran is the Guards’ fifth in the Gulf. The Guards’ navy chief Gen Ali Fadavi said missile and marine units have been deployed there. It lies north of the Iranian-controlled islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb that dominate

the approach to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.

The Revolutionary Guard and the US Navy both patrol the narrow waterway, which Iran had threatened to choke off in retaliation for tougher Western sanctions over its suspect nuclear program.

Iran took control of the Gulf islands in 1971, after British forces left the region.

Since 1992, the UAE has repeatedly claimed the islands and last month at the UN General Assembly, it said Iran’s Continued on Page 15

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

LOCAL

Iraqi Ambassador Mohammad Bahr Al-Oloum (center), Jawad Bukhamseen, Information Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah, in joint picture with the visiting Iraqi delegation.

Iraqi Ambassador, Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan, Jawad Bukhamseen, Information Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah, Emad Bukhamseen, Redha Al-Faily.

Annahar newspaper Editor-in-Chief, Information Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Abdullah, Jawad Bukhamseen and Redha Al-Faily share a light moment.

Bukhamseen, Annahar welcome Iraqi journalists KUWAIT: A number of Kuwaiti media and public figures attended a recent special reception organized by Kuwait’s Annahar newspaper at the Bukhamseen Diwan in honor of a delegation from the Iraqi Journalists Association (IJA), which is currently in the country for a week-long visit at the invitation of their counterparts, KJA. Participants at the reception stressed the crucial and positive role played by what they described as ‘public diplomacy’ being practiced by both countries through exchange of visits and delegations that helps bridge any existing gaps and resolve issues hitherto left unaddressed.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed AlAbdullah hailed the role of the media and said as per history and media principles followed worldwide, it can be either ‘leading’ or ‘reflective’.

“The current circumstances require the more aware and responsible media to lead the public opinion to settle any disagreements between us and our brothers in Iraq in order to steer our ships on to the shores of economic stability. This can only be

achieved through economic cooperation between our countries,” Al-Abdullah said.

On his part, the host Jawad Bukhamseen welcomed the IJA delegation expressing hope that such exchange of visits would help boost cooperation and develop better bilateral relations between the two countries. He also said that such visits can help overcome many of the awful consequences of Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait.

“Iraq has a deep-rooted history and culture,” Bukhamseen stressed, hoping that media figures and journalists in both countries would effectively play a vital role in solving all convoluted issues and pointed out that top leaders in both the countries want to solve such problems and develop economic, political, media and other kinds of cooperation.

Also speaking on the occasion, Iraq’s ambassador to Kuwait, Mohammad Bahr AlOloum thanked the KJA for its invitation and for arranging the visit of IJA’s delegation.

“This visit is one among many others that will hopefully wipe away the bad feelings that were left by the wrong-doings committed by the former Iraqi regime against Kuwait,” he said.

Bahr Al-Oloum also thanked Annahar newspaper, Jawad Bukhamseen, his sons and his Diwan stressing that they have played a vital role in enhancing and strengthening relations between both the countries.

On his part, IJA chairman Moayyad AlLami thanked the organizers of these visits between both countries since the fall of the previous regime, namely KUNA chairman Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij and his predecessors bridging the gaps between both countries ever since 2003, publicly and in the media. The reception was also attended by minister of state for planning, development and minister of state for NA affairs Dr. Rola Dashti, Information ministry undersecretary Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud, KUNA chairman Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij, former info minister Mohammad Al-Sanousi, Media figure Dr. Ayed Al-Mannai, former education minister Ahmed Al-Mulaifi, political science professor Dr. Haila Al-Mukaimi, writer Zayed Al-Zayed, Hassan Al-Sayegh and Dr. Wael Al-Hasawi.

The visiting delegation was escorted by KJA chairman, Ahmad Yousif Behbehani, KJA secretary Faisal Al-Qena’e and KJA manager Adnan Al-Rashid.

Information Ministry Undersecretary Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah with Emad Bukhamseen.

Emad Bukhamseen receiving Al-Anbaa Editor-in-Chief Yousuf Khalid Al-Marzouq.

KUNA Chairman Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij, Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait, Jawad Bukhamseen, Moayyad Al-Lami and Ahmad Al-Mulaifi.

Jawad Bukhamseen hands Moayyad Al-Lami a memento while KJA Chairman Ahmad Behbehani looks on.

Jawad Bukhamseen with Adnan Al-Rashid.

Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait being received by Emad Bukhamseen.

Yousuf Al-Marzouq, Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan and Ayed Al-Mannai.

Mohammad Al-Sanousi and Dr Rola Dashti.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

local

Iran denies spying on Kuwait during Invasion Israel ‘biggest gainer’ from Lebanese assassination

Safaa Al-Hashem

Manea’ Al-Ajmi

16 candidates submit papers on fifth day of nomination KUWAIT: Up to 16 candidates for the upcoming National Assembly elections submitted their nomination papers at the electoral affairs department of the Ministry of Interior yesterday, the fifth day of registration for the polls due on Dec 1.

The nominees, 14 males and two females, are running for seats in the parliament for its 14th legislative term.

There was no registration from the first constituency. Meanwhile, number of nominees who have withdrawn their papers since opening the record-

Fahad Al-Amir

Abdul Samad Dashti

ing reached four, bringing the total number of those who opted to pull out of the race to 71 — 68 males and three women.

Yesterday’s nominees as per district were distributed as following: Second district: Ali Fahad Rashed Ali Al-Rashed and Meshaal Abdullah Omar Al-Asfour.

Third: Anwar Ghazi Issa Salman AlAttar, Safaa Abdul Rahman Abdul Aziz Saud Al-Hashem and Ghassan Suliman Mohammed Suliman Al-Otaibi.

Fourth: Fahad Othman Mohammed Fahad Al-Amir.

Fifth: Anwar Kamel Reden Mannaa Al-Munei’a Al-Kahtani, Salman Saleh Salman Hussein Al-Attar, Abbas Qambar Salman Jaber Fahad AlShemmari, Abdul Samad Salem Mohammed Mesbeh Dashti, Fareh Munnawar Homoud Ayed Al-Rashidi, Manea’ Mohammed Mubarak Mesfer Al-Ajmi, Mohammed Sharayan Hassan Ali, Mohammed Fahad Khamis Jumaa Al-Busairi, Mohammed Lamaan Nashi Abdullah Ruhail Al-Ajmi, Mansour Abdul Rasoul Ahmad Mohammed Ali Al-Shawwaf. —KUNA

Anwar Al-Kahtani

KUWAIT: A top Iranian official denied accusations of his country spying on Kuwait and other Gulf countries, insisting that the Islamic Republic “does not need” to create espionage networks in its neighboring states. Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi’s statements came in an interview published yesterday by Kuwait’s Al-Rai simultaneously with Qatar’s Al-Watan. “Kuwait reached its weakest point when it was invaded by [former Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein... If we ever wanted to intervene or spy on Kuwait, we would have done it when the country was at its weakest point,” Salehi said.

One of the highlights of the interview was Salehi’s statement that Israel would be “the top gainer” from the assassination of head of intelligence at the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, Brigadier General Wissam Al-Hassan “after he exposed espionage networks in Lebanon.”

Moreover, he said that Hezbollah “has the right” to send a reconnaissance aircraft to Israel “to know about what was happening there and prepare accordingly.”

Meanwhile, Salehi insisted during the interview conducted by Al-Watan’s reporter in AlDoha that the Strait of Hormuz “is owned by all overlooking countries” as he described state-

By A Saleh KUWAIT: News reports hinting at an arrangement under which thousands of Jordanian gendarmerie troops are being sent to help the police in Kuwait control protests were completely untrue, a Jordanian security insider said yesterday.

“The total number of Jordan’s gendarmerie forces barely reaches 21,000,” sources said, ridiculing the talk of 16,000 troops being sent to Kuwait in exchange of $6 billion, and called these a “baseless media fabrication.”

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Nasser Al-Joudah also denied in a statement yesterday presence of any Jordanian troops in Kuwait as suggested by some media outlets.

Meanwhile, a large media team from Al-Jazeera TV reportedly arrived in Kuwait on a Qatar Airways flight before last night’s mass protest to cover the event.

Maimouni’s case The Appeals Court adjourned the case involving the death of a citizen, Mohammad Al-Maimouni,

KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh exchange documents after signing the agreement.

Kuwaiti-Jordanian Committee, by Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh. The agreements aim to bolster cooperation between the two nations in several key domains including education,

vocational training, culture, health, industry, customs and security in addition to the coordination between Kuwaiti and Jordanian foreign ministries. An agreement was also signed to enhance cooperation between Kuwait and Jordanian diplomatic institutes. — KUNA

Outdoor complex to showcase oil, gas technologies at ADIPEC ABU DHABI: The 2012 edition of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) will for the first time showcase oil and gas technologies in a large 10,500 square metre outdoor complex in response to the unprecedented demand from industry exhibitors.

The grandstand area of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre will be split into three: a 4,000-square-metre marquee housing specialist products and services for the offshore and marine oil and gas sectors, an open-air section for heavy-duty machinery, equipment and vehicles, and a VIP area for industry decision makers and local dignitaries.

Altogether the outdoor exhibition space at ADIPEC 2012 will exceed 10,500 square metres, more than ten times the outdoor space allocated to the 2010 show, according to organisers dmg::events.

The vast Offshore and Marine Hall, located within walking distance from ADNEC’s main atrium, will host over 90

companies involved in exploration and production offshore, including ADNOC Group, Drydocks World LLC, National Marine Dredging Company, Rigmarine FZC and Thuraya Telecommunications Company.

The purpose-built tent will also contain the first ever UAE Oil and Gas Museum, complete with rare artefacts, historical documents and decommissioned equipment donated by companies involved in the country’s oil and gas sector over the last 70 years. “ADIPEC has been growing and evolving since the first event in 1984,” said Kimon Alexandrou, Commercial Director of dmg::events. “The 15th ADIPEC will be the first to have a large-scale outdoor complex serving both the onshore and offshore sectors, developed in response to the considered feedback we’ve received from exhibitors and visitors.”

“The technical sophistication and specific character of offshore exploration and production and marine engineering demanded a unique space for

about inspection of Iranian planes heading to Syria, and insisted that allegations about an Iranian influence on its western neighbor “was an insult to the government of an independent Iraqi state.” Salehi also applauded the recent visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to Gaza, calling it a step that was “appropriate”. “Qatar proved in recent years that it is capable of playing a major role in the region,” he said, confirming news that he had indeed asked Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem to “intervene to ensure the release of Iranian hostages in Syria.”

Salehi also insisted that his country’s nuclear program was peaceful, using a fatwa for the Islamic Republic supreme leader “that prohibits use of atomic bombs or any other weapons of mass destruction” to back up statements that Iran does not own “nor need” a nuclear bomb.

He also said that if Israel had the capability to carry out a military strike against Iran “it would have happened a long time ago.” At the same time, he pointed out that “Israeli aircraft flew over five countries I do not want to mention before bombing Sudan,” in reference to a recent attack against warehouses believed to be containing weapons intended for Hamas.

Jordan denies sending troops to control Kuwait’s protests

Kuwait, Jordan sign cooperation pacts

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti and Jordanian governments signed here yesterday eight agreements, memorandums of understanding and programs for cooperation in different domains.

The pac ts were signed at the Foreign Ministry headquarters, following the third meeting of the higher

ments about its closure to be “unofficial” while insisting that the row with the United Arab Emirates over three disputed islands can be resolved through dialogue. He further denied allegations of his country sending troops to Syria in order to support the regime’s troops in its crackdown against anti-government rebels. “Is it logical to say that the Syrian army which includes nearly half a million fighters needs the help of a handful of Iranian snipers?” he questioned.

Salehi insisted that Iran’s stance towards the Syrian crisis “is the same one taken regarding Bahrain.” “We never called for the removal of Bahraini government,” he said and then elaborated that “the Syrian government is required to meet the demands of the Syrian people, and the same goes for Bahrain.”

Describing allegations of Iran’s involvement in the failed assassination attempt of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in Washington as being part of the “Iranophobia” campaign to damage his country’s international image, Salehi also rejected allegations of an Iranian intervention in Yemen where he says his country cannot reach “unlike others who can travel there by car.”

On Iraq, Salehi expressed Tehran’s “frustration”

the industry, while the open-air section allows visitors to inspect first-hand cutting-edge solutions much too large for typical exhibition venues,” Alexandrou said. The outdoor zone in front of the ADNEC grandstand will have more than 20 exhibitors displaying the heavy duty vehicles and hardware used in modernday oil and gas E&P, both onshore and offshore, such as Caterpillar, HB Rentals, National Oil Well Varco, Top Oilfield Industries Limited, and Weatherford Bin Hamoodah.

Also outside, away from the visitors visiting the indoor halls, will be the Middle East Petroleum Club, a discreet venue for ADIPEC’s most distinguished guests, complete with uniformed attendants and five-star cuisine from Etihad Airways. “Deals valued at more than US$4 billion were secured at ADIPEC 2010. With even more exhibition space in 2012, and more opportunities for quality networking,the 15th edition of the show has even greater business potential,” added Alexandrou.

during a hearing yesterday and set the date for the final hearing as November 25th. The Criminal Court had sentenced a number of policemen to jail terms ranging between one and 15 years for their involvement in the case in which Al-Maimouni died as a result of torture inside the Ahmadi Investigations

building.

Separately, the Criminal Court sentenced a Kuwaiti man to five years in prison for saying offensive words about HH the Amir during a phone conversation with the Kuwait Fire Department’s operator while being under the influence of alcohol.

85,000 on travel ban list KUWAIT: Nearly 85,000 people in Kuwait are listed on the Interior Ministry’s travel ban list for unpaid dues to the state, according to statistics provided by security sources as of last week and quoted by a local newspaper yesterday.

The list includes around 43,000 Kuwaitis and 42,000 nationals of nine nationalities, namely India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nepal and Ethiopia, according to the sources who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of

anonymity.

Indebtedness, which in some cases involves sums as little as KD 50, is the main reason behind travel bans issued against people including those facing legal charges.

The sources indicated in the meantime that debtors who do not face any legal action can pay their debts to the state department they owe money to, at offices located on the land border checkpoints and the Kuwait International Airport in order to get their travel ban lifted instantly.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

In my view

Step in right direction

Shiites need a new strategy In my view

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

balance of power resembles a kaleidoscope in which different colors are positioned in relation with one another. Turn it and you reposition all the colors in a new combination, excluding some in the process.

In that context, the Lebanese faction most likely to be affected by the outcome of the struggle in Syria is Hezbollah. It is the one most dependent on Syria for political support and as a conduit for military and financial aid from Iran. Thus it is no surprise that, slowly but surely, voices within the Lebanese Shiite community are beginning to demand a review of the movement’s strategy shaped by its dependence on Iran and Syria. Under its present leadership, Hezbollah suffers from three contradictions.

The first is the contradiction between its political persona as a people-based movement and the reality of its decision-making mechanisms. While it claims that its policies are shaped by internal debate, everyone knows that a telephone call from Tehran could produce an about-turn on almost any issue.

The second contradiction is between its championing pan-Islamic causes while operating as a strictly sectarian organization. This is illustrated by the claim that Iran’s “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenei is the “leader of all Muslims”, whether they like it or not.

The third contradiction is caused by the party’s attempt at playing the political game according to Lebanese rules, which emphasize compromise, and the Mafia-style politics of the Syrian regime in which force and terror are dominant features.

Despite these contradictions a combination of factors had helped Hezbollah built a position at the heart of several concentric circles of support.

Recently, the party has either lost or is in the process of losing some of those circles.

The first to go is the outer circle of support from nostalgics of pan-Arabism, the remnants of the Arab left and anti-despotic forces in the region. By associating itself with the Assad regime Hezbollah has all but lost that circle. The second circle of support consisted of those Lebanese who, cutting across sectarian boundaries, saw Hezbollah as an expression of their nationhood. That circle, too, has all but evaporated. Today, many Lebanese fear that Hezbollah may be leading them into conflicts that have nothing to do with their national interests and aspirations — conflicts too large in scope for Lebanon to handle.

The third circle of Hezbollah support consists of the Shiite community, the largest in demographic terms in Lebanon. Hezbollah never succeeded in winning a straight majority, a fact illustrated by its relatively modest scores in parliamentary elections.

Nevertheless, almost all Lebanese Shiites were prepared to acknowledge Hezbollah as an important element in their community. Hezbollah was admired for its ability to assert Shiite power through propaganda, political maneuvering, and, when necessary, use of force. It also managed to bring in vast resources used to rebuild the south and create employment opportunities for Shiite.

That circle is fading as more and more Shiites realize that what Hezbollah has built, mostly with money from Iran, could also be destroyed by an adventurist policy imposed by Tehran. Worse still, Hezbollah’s largesse has created jealousies among Shiites. A Shiite who suddenly builds an imposing house or drives an expensive car instantly labeled a “Hezbollah parasite”.

It is the loss of the third circle that most concerns the party’ leadership. One sign of that is the gradual but no less perceptible efforts by Amal leader Nabih Berri to distance himself from Hezbollah. Although allied with Iran and Syria, Berri is essentially a Lebanese politician in the “Lebanon First” tradition.

He is not ready to risk Lebanon’s national interests, in fact its very existence, in the interest either of Assad or Khamenei. The traditional Lebanese politician may get involved in all manner of chicanery to receive foreign financial and political support. Deep down, however, he remains Lebanese, always ready to jettison a paymaster to protect Lebanese interests.

In contrast, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah describes himself as “a proud foot soldier of Khamenei.” In that, Nasrallah represents some Communist leaders during the heyday of the Comintern. They regarded themselves as “proud foot soldiers” of Stalin and were prepared to sacrifice their own nation’s interests in the service of the Soviet Union. In 1939, Stalin told them to praise Hitler because Moscow had signed an alliance with Nazi Germany to partition Poland. In 1941, the same Stalin ordered them to fight Hitler who had invaded the Soviet Union.

There are other signs that Nasrallah may be losing support among the Shiites. Until recently, the proHezbollah media never referred to Nasrallah without the deferential titles. Now, he is plain Hassan Nasrallah. Again until recently, whenever Nasrallah emerged from his hideout to broadcast a speech through the TV networks he owns, his appearance would be greeted with Shiites firing celebratory bullets in the skies across Lebanon. Now, however, Shiites are saving their bullets, responding to Nasrallah’s diatribes with dismissive yawns.

The self-styled hero has become a TV personality and, like other TV personalities, he is subject to a rise and decline cycle. Some Lebanese Shiites are pondering some crucial questions. What if Assad falls? What if Khamenei loses the power struggle, paving the way for an end to his adventurism? What if Iran is dragged into a war that could lead to regime change in Tehran?

Some Lebanese Shiites are looking to Iraq as a potential source of support in the future. According to Iraqi sources, prominent Lebanese Shiites have visited Iraq to establish communication with the Shiite clerical leadership in Najaf and the government of Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki in Baghdad.

Though concerned about the possibility of a Middle East dominated by Muslim Brotherhood, allied with the United States, Iraq, has managed to hedge its bets. In Baghdad the emphasis is on Iraqi interests not pan-sectarian dreams.

The regional kaleidoscope is changing, making Nasrallah’s conservatism all the more risky for Lebanon and its Shiite community. The growing debate about a new strategy for Lebanese Shiites must be welcomed. But, without leadership change, no new strategy is possible.

or some reason, a few people maintain that we should forget the long period of recession and the loss that Kuwait went through when it was under the dominance of an alliance between the ruling family and the tribal-religious coalition. This period started particularly after the parliament’s dissolution in 1976 and lasted till the country was occupied by [Former Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein’s army.

A

F

What concerns us today is the fact that efforts to ensure a dominant role for the religious-tribal alliance have been on since 1960s.

Earlier, elections were used as an easy tactic to cobble up a majority.

In my view

Key role for social media

By Thaar Al Rashidi

A

nyone who wants to supervise Twitter is actually making solemnly serious plans to post a security guard for every single citizen who has an account on Twitter. I do not think that the Ministry of Interior has enough security men to implement this impossible idea.

Therefore, the Ministry of Interior was certainly not doing the right thing when it declared that it will be supervising the Twitter. Particularly, if it plans to bring charges against any one who violates the law “through speech” or “writing” on Twitter, then it will have to open accusations’ files against at least 2,000 people everyday since that is the number of those who Tweet daily. Clearly, this is another of those impossible ideas which are not applicable in reality.

When I was covering the 10th European Asian Conference which was held in Kazakhstan last month, I participated in a seminar titled “Effects of social media net.” All the speakers in that seminar were of the opinion that it was impossible for any government in the world to control the flow of information on the social media nets. They were also of the opinion that social media like Twitter, for exam-

ple, have become part of the culture, very much like part of the people’s lifestyle.

An American journalist mentioned that Twitter is more like a person’s daily bread. Restricting the social media, or closing it down will be akin to asking people to stay away from water. Therefore, our government, or our Ministry of Interior in particular, must be aware that Twitter has become part of the natural daily life of the people, and any attempt to intervene by imposing any kind of supervision, or its closure or issuing threats about its use will amount to nothing but another doomed-for-failure attempt on the ministry’s part.

Anyone who is formulating these kinds of declarations for the ministry seems blissfully unaware that the times of “official media” got over five years back and now the flow of information is available to every one. Therefore, it is not suitable to threaten us with such “declarations” that date back to the sixties era, when there was only one newspaper, one singlechannel TV station and one radio with a short and a medium wave frequency. Is that clear, dear writer of official “declarations”? — Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

kuwait digest

A world marred by conflicts

Is this a coup or a revolution?

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

A

mid all the conflicts taking place in the region, countries are forced to attend to their internal problems even as they face an unknown future resulting in response to insurgencies and changes which could be in the form of economic collapse, political and sectarian struggles as well as more poverty. The political scenes across Arab countries reflect cases of panic, indecisiveness or instability either in the limited or broad sense.

In a world marred by conflicts, each party seeks to muster up a buffer of peace and protection to quell the threats that surround it, either by improving its capability to defend itself or by allying with stronger entities. A party seeking to protect itself from an imminent danger would not hesitate to ally with whoever it believes can protect it, even if it were to be the devil.

Weaker countries have the right to form alliances with each other or with stronger countries. This becomes a necessity when circumstances require them to seek protection from imminent threats, especially when there is a possibility of a military onslaught.

That can happen when a stronger country wants to impose its will on a weaker one, particularly when acting in breach of well-settled international law is no longer an unknown practice in contemporary times.

Human history is full of stories about tragedies that resulted when aggressive powers attempted to deprive other countries of their rights, leaving a tale of inhuman crimes and conduct that the world still remembers and learns from.

The destruction left in the wake of Nazi crimes, or the ones committed by Saddam Hussein in Iraq or Stalin in Russia are just a few examples of such tragedies.

The world of dictatorships and tragedies of the yesteryears has changed little despite the astonishing changes in people’s lives and the progress towards more freedom, justice and development.

Injustice, poverty and misery are aspects that the world is still suffering from.

There are many countries in Africa which still live below poverty line, and are engaged in armed struggles to obtain their daily bread. Many nations are suffering today under tyrant regimes who do not hesitate to murder their own people in order to stay in power.

Despite advancement in culture and civilization, madness remains a power that knows no limits since it usually emerges from a subconscious that leads people to their own demise. — Al-Rai

By Eng Nassar Alabduljalil

I

did not agree much with the commander of the Dubai Police, Dhahi Khalfan, when he called what is going on in Arab spring countries coups d’Ètat against governments and accused the Muslim Brotherhood of leading these upheavals. I say this because the current definition of a coup is taking over power to achieve a self ambition to benefit financially by grabbing the ruling chair. The coup is either military, or peaceful from within the regime. The truth is that what took place in the Arab world was not from within the Arab regimes.

Rather, these were revolutions accompanied by all that the word means, because the classical definition of the revolution right from the French Revolution is the one that talks of a people led by its educated elite change the regime by force.

That is why I find myself in agreement with Musallam Al-Barrak on the eve of his arrest when he asked whether it was realistic that if there was to be a coup against the regime, as the media was portraying, HH the Amir would travel abroad during the Eid break. Therefore, I maintain that what is going on in Kuwait is not a coup, but a revolution and a satanic call for a change and take over of the regime by force by the political elite.

What I mean by change or take over of power by force is to impose an elected government. It is like having a so-called popular government but imposed by force.

Even if we agree that there is economic, political and social corruption, and we all want reforms in all sectors do not doubt the intentions of the political elite, our differences with the majority are on the idea of employing non-peaceful methods of ushering in such a change. Demonstrations and rallies that the opposition is calling for are exactly such methods. I stress that they are not peaceful because the experience says all demonstrations in the Arab spring countries with the leadership of the political elite, who took their children, women and youth, did not end peacefully. Rather, these ended in confrontation, most of them bloody. I pray to Allah that the Kuwait political elite revolution does not lead to any bloody revolution, nor should the police be forced to fight their compatriots.

I pray that this strife is not an extension of the Arab spring, and I hope that this strife is not steered by the hidden hand which has an interest, along with other countries, because we will hold the majority responsible for each drop of blood spilled in Kuwait. The political and security situation warrants utmost caution, and I swear that whoever says that the constitution and Kuwaiti law allows unauthorized demonstrations and sit-ins is not telling the truth. — Al-Watan

All the constitutional violations, lack of development and spread of outdated beliefs that happened during these years are being ignored. Not only that, but the invasion period and the reasons behind Kuwait’s humiliating defeat are also being ignored.

When serious attempts were made to make up for the lost years and re-build what was ruined by the ruling-tribal-religious coalition, insurgency started and the new opposition came into operation, mainly to thwart the progress.

Since HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah, during his tenure as prime minister, began pushing for sustained efforts to collect unpaid electricity bills, the coalition started resisting. And when demands for writing off defaulters’ loans were rejected, this resistance turned into a proactive ‘opposition’ and hostility.

The situation took a turn for the worse when productive projects were introduced, such as privatization of state sectors and the Dow-Chemical deal. These meant an investment in money and human resources where there would be no place for slack, unproductiveness, undue leaves and jobs on the basis of fake degrees, things that were identifiable with the functioning of the tribal-religious coalition.

Demands for salary increases and allowances for public sector employees came later to push some members of the new opposition to back any labor strike or sit-in aimed at forcing the government into fulfilling these demands.

And with foreign factors contributing to the formation and dominance of the tripartite alliance (as explained in my article last Thursday), the same factors also played a role in the alliance’s dissolution after the ruling system stopped being a party to it. When the government ignored demands of the tribal-religious groups for Kuwait to interfere in Bahrain against the insurgencies, they threatened to grill the then prime minister, Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah, on allegations of favoring Iran. When sectarian insurgencies started in Syria, the same groups demanded an intervention from the Kuwaiti government, but this time against the Syrian government and in support of the people.

The government showed hesitation in supporting the rebels in Syria at first, which further fueled the hostility of the tribal-religious groups towards it.

Maybe the Silk City project, which was not in line with the alliance’s mindset, was the last straw that broke the camel’s back and led the religioustribal groups to declare war against the government.

What concerns us today is the fact that efforts to ensure a dominant role for the religious-tribal alliance have been on since 1960s. Earlier, elections were used as an easy tactic to cobble up a majority. The parliament elections were rigged in 1967, marking the first explicit incident in which the electoral system was tampered with. This was followed by random naturalization operations, something I know many people tend to forget, including myself, as I believe that children and grandchildren of people covered by these operations are today an integral part of the Kuwaiti society. However, it is important to mention facts about the government’s deliberate vandalism whose results we are suffering currently. Random naturalization was not practiced with the citizenry in mind but to alter the electoral balance and improve the position of anti-democratic groups in power.

That is why it resulted in ‘tribalizing’ the Kuwaiti society instead of ‘Kuwaitizing’ it. Tribalizing, coupled with the religious surge following the 1976 parliamentary dissolution and the national groups’ decision to boycott the elections, collectively allowed the election process to become a weapon in the hands of the tripartite alliance to control the democratic system.

Following the death of the late Sheikh Saad AlAbdullah Al-Sabah, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah attempted to rectify the situation after assuming power as the state’s Amir. He started by first encouraging the civil society and then creating a joint national formula under which all Kuwaitis are governed under a fair democratic system. This formula is represented by an electoral law that divides Kuwait into five constituencies and entitles each citizen to a single vote. It meant only one vote for each Kuwaiti, regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs. A four-votes-per-voter system allowed citizens with tribal and sectarian motivations to select four candidates representing his particular social group.

A single vote system that keeps the constituencies’ distribution is not the best, but it is a first step in the right direction to guard against the real tampering that anti-democratic forces want to continue.

The five constituencies with four votes for each voter system is the result of those long years when the government tampered with the electoral process. It is the result of forgery, vote trading, voting in exchange of benefits and unfair distribution of constituencies in 1981. The single vote system is a serious attempt to apply the corrective. — Al-Qabas

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Mohammad Abdelaziz Al-Shayaa and other dignitaries at the inauguration ceremony.

Premier inaugurates phase II of Avenues Mall KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, accompanied by several ministers and senior officials, inaugurated yesterday the second phase of the Avenues, mega shopping mall.

HH the Prime Minister toured the project and Chairman of Al-Mabanee Company, the project contractor, Mohammad Abdelaziz AlShayaa made a detailed presentation on the project and its economic feasibility.

During the inauguration ceremony, Sheikh Jaber lauded the great contribution of private sector to the state development and national economy.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak also underscored that his government is totally committed to support private sector to help increase its share in the national economy, adding that the government will spare no effort to facilitate and expand private sector’s participation in the implementation of the state development plan.

Meanwhile, the Board of Directors of Mabanee Real Estate Co. have approved the company’s financial statements for the third quarter (Q3) of the current financial year, ended Sept 30, 2012. The company posted KD 21.4 million in profits, at earning per share 34.4fils. This represents an increase of 29% from the KD 16.5 million and 27 fils per share posted by Mabanee for the same period last year.

Mabanee also registered a noticeable increase in shareholder equity and total assets by the end of Q3 2012. Shareholder equity came to KD 181.8 million after an increase of 27.4% from the same period in 2011, while the value of assets increased 27.3% from the same period in 2011 and came to KD 370.7 million.

KD 2,000 stolen from office

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: The owner of a company in Shuwaikh industrial area reported at the local police station that thieves broke into his office building over the weekend and decamped with money after breaking open the safe. He said an amount in excess of KD 2,000 was stolen. A case was filed against the unidentified thieves.

House burglary Another citizen reported a burglary to the police, claiming that he was out with his family on a picnic over the weekend when someone broke into his house and stole household equipments and cash.

Material worth more than KD 1000 was stolen. A case was filed against the unidentified burglar.

Illegal calls In Farwaniya, police arrested three Asian expats on charges of making illegal international calls, and have confiscated the computers used in hacking international calls.

Road accidents A car accident on the Sixth Ring Road, opposite Jleeb Al Shoyoukh, left a 45-year-

Kuwaiti man with a twisted right foot and also injured another 25-year-old Kuwaiti man. Both were taken to the Farwaniya Hospital.

A car accident on the King Fahad road opposite Sabah Al Salem towards Kuwait City left two people injured, and a third complaining of pain in the head. A 70-yearold Kuwaiti was injured along with a 29year-old Egyptian expat who suffered head injury. A 23-year-old Egyptian expat complained of pain in the head. All were taken to the Mubarak Hospital.

A car accident between Granada and Andalus towards Jahra resulted in a head injury for two Kuwaiti youth, one 21 and the other 19 years of age. Both were taken to the Sabah Hospital.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti ministers visiting the burning oil well in the northern region of Rawdatain yesterday.

Market scuffle A 43-year-old Bangladeshi expat was injured yesterday morning in a scuffle at the fish market at Mubarakiya. He was rushed to the Amiri Hospital.

Body found A new born was found dead in Mahboula, behind Alya and Ghalya towers.

The deceased infant was a female and her body was sent to the medical examiner.

Three ministers inspect burning well KUWAIT: Three ministers inspected yesterday the burning oil well in the northern region of Rawdatain examining in particular procedures that have been taken to “restore conditions to normal,” announced Kuwait Oil Company.

The senior officials are Hani Hussein, the Minister of Oil and Acting Minister of Awqaf, Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf and Minister of Electricity and Water and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim.

KOC Chairman Sami Al-Rushaid and company officials received the three ministers upon their arrival at the site of the burning well, (technically known as RA-484).

Ayyad Al-Kanderi, the head of the team tasked with putting out the fire, informed the ministers about the process to extinguish the blazes since start of the leakage.

He declared that production at the oil sites in northern Kuwait restored the pre-accident level of output, 670,000 barrels per day.

Monitoring devices for gas leakage, installed at the well and other oil installations in the country, “continue to read zero,” the KOC statement said, citing Al-Kanderi as saying during the inspection visit.

The team involved in the operation has reached “a spot close to the head of the burning well after removal of most of the debris and ending the cooling process,” Al-Kanderi explained. — KUNA

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

LOCAL

Shop owner in custody on suspicion of human trade Flat tire leads to drunk driver’s arrest KUWAIT: A woman who runs a tailoring shop and was found to have registered a much larger number of workers compared to the required staff strength was detained on suspicion of indulging in human trade practices after a man, arrested for failing to produce a valid residency proof, claimed he had paid her KD450 for a new one, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

After the disclosure by the Asian man, officers tracked down the female suspect and summoned her. They initially asked her about 15 workers registered at her business even though it required a maximum of three staff members, according to labor authorities’ estimates. She claimed that she had to bring in more workers after the earlier staff disappeared. When asked why she did not report the missing workers, she claimed ignorance of state laws and claimed she never collected any money from her workers.

Detectives are now looking to arrest a Migration Department employee whose signatures were found on the visa transactions of all the 15 workers as they suspect that the two are hand in glove in a major residency trade case.

Driver killed A male driver was killed while his father was seriously injured in

a car collision reported recently at the Matrabah Road. The 32-yearold Kuwaiti man was pronounced dead on the scene while paramedics rushed his father to the hospital. The Kuwaiti driver of the other car involved in the crash sustained minor injuries. A case was filed for investigations.

Rapist at large Police are looking for a man who sexually abused a 14-yearold Egyptian boy after kidnapping him in Nugra. The boy reportedly got into the suspect’s car after he claimed to be a police detective. Instead of going to the police station as the boy was led to believe, the suspect drove to a secluded place where he sexually assaulted the boy before escaping. The boy’s father approached the police after coming to know about the incident and a case was filed for investigations. Detectives are trying to track down the suspect on the basis of descriptions of his car.

Body found Investigations are on to determine the circumstances leading to the death of a man whose body was found inside his apartment in Kuwait City recently.

Neighbors of the Pakistani man called the police to report a foul odor emanating from the apartment, after which security officers

arrived with a warrant. Crime scene investigators reportedly found evidence of foul play while a preliminary medical test suggested that the man died five days before the body was discovered. An autopsy will now determine the exact time and cause of death. In the meantime, police are looking to summon the people who last called the victim before his death.

Drunk driver A middle aged woman was arrested when a policeman who came to help her deal with a flat tire found her in an inebriated state. The incident took place in Salmiya on late Friday night when the officer stopped to help the woman waving by the roadside asking for help. While replacing the tire, the man noticed that the woman seemed under the influence of liquor, and then came across three liquor bottles inside her vehicle. She was arrested and taken to the area’s police station for investigations.

Illicit behavior A woman approached the Salmiya police recently to file a case accusing her female friend of inviting her to “take part in illicit behavior.” The Kuwaiti woman reportedly headed to the police station after her friend called her while seemingly drunk, and invit-

ed her to “join the fun” at a party she was attending. The woman further accused her friend of giving her number to other people at the party who later called her to invite her. All the callers also seemed to be under the influence of liquor. A warrant to arrest the suspect was issued and police were also planning to arrest the other callers.

‘Dedicated’ maid A domestic worker facing theft charges filed by her female employer heaved a sign of relief after the complainant’s husband admitted during investigations that the accusations were false and filed merely because the maid had won his and his children’s trust by the sheer dint of her dedication.

The Kuwaiti man told officers at the Salmiya police station that his wife had framed the housemaid “out of jealousy.” He said the maid’s good behavior and dedication had “earned her” his and his children’s respect. He further indicated that his wife did not even own jewelry worth KD15,000 that she accused the maid of stealing, adding at the same time that he had to intervene many times in the past to stop his wife from forcing the maid to leave the country. The maid remains in custody pending ongoing investigations.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality continued its drive across different governorates to clear all garbage, scrap and leftovers from the streets, public squares and residential areas. The campaign is being carried out under the slogan Keep Kuwait Clean. The Ahmadi governorate municipality branch carried out several drives in the governorate areas, particularly in the coastal areas roads number 240, 250 and 290. As part of campaign, seven truck loads of used tires, which were dumped in the area to reserve camping sites, were removed.

This is in addition to lifting four truck loads of garbage. Eight trucks and wheel loaders were used in this operation. The Municipality called upon the citizens and expats to keep the city clean, requesting them to call the hot line 139 in case of any complaint.

Cuba to submit draft resolution to end UN blockade KUWAIT: For the 21st consecutive occasion, on Nov 13, 2012, Cuba will submit to the consideration of the UN General Assembly the draft resolution entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”, according to a Cuban embassy press release here yesterday.

Last year, 186 member states voted in favor of this resolution, which is an irrefutable proof that the battle for the lifting of the blockade has the recognition and support of the vast majority of the International Community, the press release added.

“The economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba remains in place and is further intensified despite the repeated and almost unanimous demand by the International Community, particularly the United Nations General Assembly, for its elimination.

“The measures taken by President Obama on the travel and remittances by Cuban emigrants do not change the complex framework of laws, regulations and provisions of the blockade policy against Cuba. Besides, US citizens are still prohibited from travelling to Cuba, save very few exceptions and through very strict regulations. “The extra-territorial application of the blockade has been extraordinarily reinforced, as proven by the strengthening of the sanctions and persecution against third countries’ citizens, institutions and companies that establish or intend to establish economic, commercial, and financial relations with Cuba.

“The increased persecution of Cuba’s international financial transactions included those coming from multilateral organizations for the cooperation with the island, has been one of the distinctive features in the implementation

of the blockade policy under the current US administration.

“This year the US government imposed a $619 million fine to the Dutch bank ING for making transactions with Cuba in dollars. This is the highest fine that has been imposed to a foreign bank for doing business with Cuba. Adam Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), used the occasion to warn foreign firms that have relations with Cuba that this fine “should serve as a clear warning to anyone considering taking advantage of avoiding US sanctions.”

“The blockade against Cuba remains the most unjust, far-reaching, severe and prolonged system of unilateral coercive sanctions ever applied to any country in the world for half a century. This policy may be defined as an act of genocide by virtue of item C of Article II of the 1948 Geneva Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

“Although international humanitarian law prohibits any embargo on raw materials for food and medicine, even in wartime, Cuba continues unable to trade even food and medicine, with subsidiaries of US companies in third countries. “The blockade violates the International Law and is against the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. It is a transgression to the right of a sovereign State to peace, development and security and, in its essence and objectives, an act of unilateral aggression and a permanent threat against the stability of a country.

“The blockade is a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of a whole people. It infringes on the constitutional rights of the US people by violating its freedom to travel to Cuba. Given its extraterritorial nature, it

violates the sovereign rights of many other States. “The direct economic damage to the Cuban people by the implementation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba until December 2011 based on the current prices and calculated in a very conservative way, amount to over $108 billion.

“Taking into consideration the depreciation of the US dollar against the price of gold in the international financial market, the damages cost to the Cuban economy would exceed one trillion $66,000.

“The blockade continues to be a criminal, inhumane and morally unsustainable policy that has not succeeded and will never succeed in fulfilling the purpose of breaking the political will of the Cuban people to preserve its sovereignty, independence and right to self-determination. However, it causes shortages and needless suffering to the Cuban population, limits and restrains the development of the country and seriously damages the Cuban economy. It is the main hindrance to Cuba’s economic and social development.

“The blockade policy is increasingly rejected both within the United States and by the international community. The United States must lift it immediately and unconditionally.

“Cuba kindly requests all governments committed to the norms of the multilateral trading system, to the freedom of trade and navigation, to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, to the International Law and to the rejection of the extraterritorial application of a national law, to vote again on Nov 13, 2012, in favor of the draft resolution at the United Nations General Assembly, which demands the lifting of the Blockade.”

National Day for Solidarity with the disabled KUWAIT: The Eighth National Day for Solidarity with the disabled will be launched today, with the participation of a large number of sponsors for the disabled in Kuwait, which will run until Nov 15.

Secretary General of Kuwait Sports Club for the Disabled Shafi Al-Hajri said that this year’s festival will be themed “We love you Kuwait” and will include many sport, cultural and social activities, as well as holding several conferences and seminars related to sports for the disabled.

Al-Hajri added that the club will hold an international basketball tournament during the festival with eight teams from Japan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen, in addition to

Kuwait participating.

He also pointed out that the opening ceremony will be held at the club’s headquarters and will include an Operetta (Secrets of our Powers) in addition to an international exhibition with participation of 19 Arab and foreign embassies to Kuwait.

Al-Hajri stressed that the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheik h Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of this festival is the main reason for its success. He also praised the support and the great efforts by the honorary President of the club Sheik ha Sheik ha Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, expressing gratitude to the General Authority for Youth and Sports for sponsoring the club’s championships and activities. —KUNA

Kuwait to host supply chain, logistics conference KUWAIT: ProMedia International is organizing the 2nd Kuwait Supply Chain & Logistics Conference and Exhibition which will be held under the patronage of Salem AlAthayna, the minister of communication, on Dec 5 and 6 at Radisson Blu Hotel.

ProMedia International Executive Manager and Public Relation Head Adel Adel Al-Allatti Al-Allatti had announced Salem Al-Athayna that the 2nd Kuwait Supply to a list of other speakers which will be Chain and Logistics Conference and announced shortly .

Exhibition is an outstanding two days Al-Allatti added that along with the event that will bring together local and conference there will be two pre-conferinternational Supply Chain, Logistics, ence workshops the first workshop is Transport and Procurement professionals “Developing Decision Models For Oil & and practitioners to share best practices, Gas Industry Supply Chain” by Dr. Raed discuss innovative solutions and net- Al-Husain from College of Administrative Sciences, Kuwait University. The purpose work.

The conference will give an excellent of this workshop is to expose the attenchance to explore new research areas in dees to management science methods Supply Chain and Logistics and know and to give them experience in modeling various issues and challenges in relation logistics problems in the Excel to supply chain, logistics and transporta- Spreadsheet Solver package. The second tion for that the conference agenda will workshop is “Inventory Management, be including a list of expert speaker such Warehousing and Forecasting with as Mohamed Al-Mazeedi Vice President Computer Application” by Prof Reza for the Middle East Region at United Abdi, from Kuwait Maastricht Business Arab Shipping Co. - UAE, Shekhar Oak School. The purpose of this workshop is Vice President & Group Chief Supply to develop knowledge, understanding Chain Officer at A. Abunayyan Group and skills in the concept and application (AAG) - Saudi Arabia, Stuart Johnston of conventional methods for inventory Business Development Executive at BST management and demand forecasting Solutions - UAE, Kirit Goyal Chairman of along with computerized simulation and Gazelle Information Technologies - India, decision making. Both workshops will be Capt. Monther Al- Kandari The Director on Dec 3 and 4 and it will be held in Assistant of The Higher Institute of Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait.

Finally Al-Allatti encouraged both Telecommunication and Navigation Kuwait, Eng. Omar Muassess the Supply governmental and private sectors to Chain Manager at Nestle Kuwait General attend each of the workshops and the Trading - Kuwait, Shan Senthil the conference which will be for a period of Marketing Manager at Integrated four days from Dec 3 to 6 in Al Hashemi II Logistics Company - Kuwait, In addition Grand Ballroom at Radisson Blu Hotel.

UK education experts to visit Kuwait KUWAIT: The British Council is hosting its major annual UK education exhibition (EDUKEX- Nov 2012) at the Sheraton Hotel on Nov 7 and 8. The exhibition will be opened by Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf, the minister of education and higher education and British Ambassador Frank Baker at Sheraton hotel’s Diamond Ballroom.

The exhibition promises to be more vibrant than ever, with representatives from 45 British Universities and Colleges.

Exhibitors will provide the latest information on study opportunities in the UK, including the wide range of subject fields and levels of study that are available.

Potential students will have the opportunity to find out all they need to know about GCSE’s, A-levels, foundation courses, English Language courses, careerbased diplomas, first degree and postgraduate degree courses.

As well as the exhibitors, the British Council will have highly trained staff on hand to answer any enquiries on application and admissions procedures, accommodation, course fees and duration, as well as general information on living and studying in the UK. There will also be presentations by the UK Border Agency on visa requirements for the UK and an opportunity to learn more about how to gain English language skills or take UK qualifications in Kuwait with the British Council.

This is an excellent opportunity to obtain information and discuss matters related to a wide range of subject fields and levels of study, their duration - fulltime/part-time/distance-learning, online or tailor-made to suit your own needs and requirements.

HMA to Kuwait said at a press conference Sunday that ‘the high academic quality of education in the UK is widely recognised and as a result, UK qualifications are sought all over the world and

offer unparalleled value to those wanting to build their careers or continue their personal development. A UK education is an investment for life for students, as well as for those who seek to employ them.’

British Council Director in Kuwait, Andrew Glass, said that ‘EDUKEX 2012 brings together a large number of prestigious UK institutions which offer everything from academic and vocational programmes to summer English language courses and A-levels. It is the perfect opportunity to meet a wide variety of UK institutions and compare what’s on offer - all with the guarantee of quality that comes with selecting the UK as an overseas study destination.

Glass also added ‘There are many other advantages to studying in the UK. You can make your UK experience work even harder for your future by getting some valuable work experience, improving your language skills and enhancing your CV. With a study visa to the UK, international students are able to work parttime up to 20 hours a week during term time and work full-time during holidays and work full-time at the end of their studies after their course has finished up until their immigration permission to be in the UK expires.

The British Council works in 110 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide. We do this through work in the arts, education and training, science and technology, sport, good governance and human rights. We are a non-political organisation, registered as a charity in England and Scotland, which operates at arm’s length from government. The British Council has operated in Kuwait since 1955 and is located in Mansouriya.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Ultra-nationalists vow to drive Putin out of Kremlin Page 10

Obama focuses on turnout, Romney on Pennsylvania Page 9

NEW YORK: A woman sifts through her mother’s damaged home for items to save yesterday in the Breezy Point neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. With the death toll currently over 100 and millions of homes and businesses without power, the US east coast is attempting to recover from the effects of floods, fires and power outages brought on by Superstorm Sandy.— AFP

Cold hits US storm victims 30,000 to 40,000 will need shelter: New York mayor NEW YORK: A housing crisis loomed in New York City as victims of superstorm Sandy struggled yesterday against near-freezing temperatures and officials fretted that displaced voters would not be able to cast ballots in tomorrow’s presidential election.

Fuel shortages and power outages lingered nearly a week after one of the worst storms in US history flooded homes in coastal neighborhoods, leaving many without heat and in need of shelter. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said 30,000 to 40,000 people in New York City alone would need housing.

Overnight, at least two more bodies were found in New Jersey as the overall US death toll from Sandy climbed to at least 111.

“People are in homes that are uninhabitable,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said alongside Bloomberg at a news conference.

“People don’t like to leave their home, but the reality is going to be in the temperature.”

Officials were figuring out how to provide short- and long-term housing for tens of thousands of people, Cuomo said, without giving details about where the displaced would be housed.

Temperatures dipped to 39 Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) early yesterday morning in New York City, the lowest in days, with freezing

temperatures expected on Monday. An earlyseason “Nor’easter” storm was expected to hit the battered New England coast this week with strong winds and heavy rain.

Fuel supplies continued to rumble toward disaster zones and electricity was slowly returning to darkened neighborhoods, after the storm hit the coast last Monday. It would be days before power is fully restored and fuel shortages end, Bloomberg said. Cuomo said fuel shortages are improving but problems will persist for “a number of days.”

Bloomberg on Friday abruptly called off the city’s marathon, which was set for Sunday, bowing to criticism that the event would divert resources from flood-ravaged neighborhoods. Instead, hundreds of runners set off on informal runs to deliver food and clothes to the borough of Staten Island and other hardhit areas.

Power restorations over the weekend relit the skyline in Lower Manhattan for the first time in nearly a week and allowed 80 percent of the New York City subway service to resume. Some 1.9 million homes and business still lacked power across the Northeast on Sunday, down from 2.5 million on Saturday.

President Barack Obama, neck-and-neck in opinion polls with Republican challenger Mitt

Romney, ordered emergency response officials to cut through government “red tape” and work without delay to help affected areas return to normal.

Officials have expressed concern about getting voters displaced by Sandy to polling stations for Tuesday’s election. Scores of voting centers were rendered useless by the record surge of seawater in New York and New Jersey.

Bloomberg said the Board of Elections has “real problems,” and that the city will do “anything we can” to get people to the polls.Some voters in New York could be casting their ballots in tents. New Jersey is allowing voters displaced by Sandy to vote by email.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released on Sunday found that 68 percent of those surveyed approved of how Obama handled Sandy and just 15 percent disapproved. The post-storm chaos in the region has overshadowed the final days of campaigning.

“I’m not thinking about the election too much right now,” said Frank Carrol, 59, a retired New York City transit worker who lives in Staten Island. He planned to vote, but did not know if his local polling station would even be open. “We’ll stop by and see what happens,” Carrol said.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered

county clerks to open on Saturday and Sunday to accommodate early voters and ensure a “full, fair and transparent open voting process.”

New Jersey authorities also took the uncommon step of declaring that any voter displaced from their home by Sandy would be designated an overseas voter, which allows them to submit an absentee vote by fax or email. The two new deaths in New Jersey where the storm came ashore last Monday night - included a 71-year-old man who suffered from hypothermia and a 55-year-old man who died from smoke inhalation in a house fire, police said on Sunday.

That raised New Jersey’s death toll to 24 while the New York City death count was 40.

Sandy killed 69 people in the Caribbean before turning north and hammering the US Eastern Seaboard on Monday with 80 mileper-hour (130-kph) winds and a record surge of seawater that swallowed oceanside communities in New Jersey and New York, and flooded streets and subway tunnels in New York City. Subway-system electronics are damaged from sea water and some stations remained underwater, a spokeswoman said.

New York City’s overstretched police got a break with the cancellation of Sunday ’s marathon, a popular annual race expected to

draw more than 40,000 runners to the city.

More than 1,000 people, many of whom had planned to run the race, crowded onto two Staten Island Ferry boats early on Sunday, headed to the stricken borough with relief supplies including food and plastic bags to help residents store belongings from damaged or destroyed homes.

Lara Duerrschmid, 27, was among the marathon runners boarding a ferry to help residents of Staten Island. “I know it’s going to be tough to see (the damage), but I just wanted to do something good,” she said.

New York’s Central Park also was crowded with runners near what would have been the marathon’s finish line, scores of them shivering in the cold. A group called run4allcauses was collecting donations for Sandy victims. Tight gasoline supplies have tested the patience of drivers fistfights have broken out in mile-long (1.6 km) lines of cars but a reopened New York Harbor meant fuel was reaching terminals.

Despite the slow return of power across the region, a quarter of New Jersey and almost a tenth of New York remained in the dark, the Department of Energy said. Just after Sandy tore across the densely populated area, more than 8.5 million customers were without power. — Reuters

Somalia forms new government, woman named foreign minister MOGADISHU: Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Said announced the members of his new government yesterday, noting that a woman has been named as foreign minister for the first time in the country’s history.

“After long discussions and consultations, I have named my cabinet which consists of only 10 members. Among them is a female foreign affairs minister for the first time in Somali history,” the prime minister said.

The new foreign minister, Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Adan, hails from the self-declared inde-

pendent state of Somaliland and lived in Britain for a long time. “My nomination as the foreign minister is historic for the Somali countr y and par ticularly for the women of Somalia, it turns a new page for the political situation of our country and will lead to success and prosperity,” she said.

Another woman named to the new government, Maryan Qasim Ahmed, will take the role of minister of development and social affairs. She had previously served as women’s minister. Abdihakin Haji Mohamud Fiqi was named defence minister. He had previously held the same post.

Somalia has been in political chaos and deprived of a central government since the fall of President Siad Barre in 1991. The new administration brings eight years of transitional rule by the corruption-riddled and Western-backed government to an end.

Said himself was appointed in October by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

His new cabinet will now have to be a p p rove d by t h e S o m a l i p a r l i a m e n t .

Several Somali clans were excluded from the new government, a potential issue in a country where clan balance is vital in political life. — AFP

MOGADISHU: New Somali Developing Public Service Minister Maryan Qasim Ahmed (L) and Foreign Minister Fowsiyo Yusuf Haji Adan smile yesterday after Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Said announced the members of his new government in Mogadishu. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

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

Iraq’s Sunni VP receives new death sentence AMMAN: The fragmented Syrian opposition will attempt once again this weekend to forge a common policy to gain international respect, obtain weapons and, most importantly, topple Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, a formerly imprisoned dissident said. “An alternative to the regime is dearly needed,” said Riad Seif, a liberal politician who is battling cancer and managed to leave Syria only a few months ago after having been imprisoned.

“We are talking about a temporary period that begins with forming a political leadership until a national assembly that represents all Syrians meets in Damascus, once Assad falls,” Seif said in an interview with Reuters in Amman. He spoke after talking to opposition figures in advance of a of a meeting of the wider opposition movement in Doha this weekend to form a united front to help end the 19-month uprising against Assad that has claimed more than 32,000 lives, left many parts of the country in ruins and threatens to widen into a regional conflict.

Divisions between Islamists and secu-

larists as well as between those inside Syria and opposition figures based abroad have thwarted prior attempts to forge a united opposition. On Wednesday, the United States called for an overhaul of the Syrian opposition’s leadership, saying it was time to move beyond the Syrian National Council (SNC), the largest of the groupings abroad, and bring in those “in the front lines fighting and dying”. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, signaling a more active stance by Washington in attempts to form a credible political opposition to Assad, said the meeting in Qatar would be an opportunity to broaden the coalition against him.

Unlike previous efforts that failed to come up with a unified leadership, Seif said the Doha assembly will be more inclusive, representing a myriad of religious and activists’ groupings as well as more members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect and Kurdish political leaders. Among those Seif met in Amman was former Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab, who defected to Jordan three months ago and is playing a major role

in the new effort led by Seif. He also met with Suhair Al-Atassi, an organizer of peaceful street demonstrations early in the revolt, and physician Kamal AlLabwani, a long-time political prisoner who is now an outspoken advocate for armed struggle.

“We have 10 million Syrians who need everything from housing to security to public services, and a regime we have to take every possible measure to remove to avoid more losses,” Seif said, referring to inhabitants of areas under rebel control or where central authority had collapsed. The charismatic 66-year old, who has been suffering from cancer for years, is one of Syria’s most prominent dissidents. Having been assaulted

by Assad’s security forces at a prodemocracy demonstration early in the revolt, he commands respect on the ground as well from opposition figures, whose bickering has undermined the rebellion and made Western and regional powers wary of recognizing the opposition. While still in Syria, Seif was secretly chosen as a member of the Syrian National Council, which has come in for

domestic and international criticism as being under-representative of activists on the ground and dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. After leaving Syria early this summer, Seif spent weeks receiving medical treatment in Germany before his condition improved and he began a concerted effort to bring together the disparate opposition groups.

An initiative bearing his name will form the basis of discussions at meetings starting in Doha on Sunday. A previous large gathering in Cairo in July failed to appoint a committee that would have acted as the opposition’s face to the world. But most delegates agreed that Assad had to be toppled and replaced by multi-party democracy. Seif said the Cairo documents remain the opposition’s political manifesto. He proposes the formation of a new, 50-member civilian group that will later chose a temporary government and coordinate with the military wing of the revolt.

He said the 50-member assembly will represent the “effective powers in the revolution” and “be convincing to the

Syrian people”, adding that efforts were being made to bring the rebels under a unified military command. Western, Turkish and Arab recognition of the new opposition structure, Seif said, will help channel anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to the rebels and “decide the battle”.

Seif said independent figures, such as Syrian intellectual Sadeq Jalal Al-Azm, will be in the group to lend credibility.

Representatives of opposition local councils that are providing services in Syria’s 14 governates also will be on board. Opposition sources said the success of Seif’s initiative would depend on how much he can resist pressure from the SNC to put more of its members in the new assembly, and reach a consensus on how respond to international initiative to deal with what is increasingly becoming a Syrian civil war. “There is already talk that most of the members of the new assembly will be from the SNC. If this turns out to be true then Seif’s initiative may be doomed to failure,” said an SNC member who has been advocating a more representative opposition.—Reuters

Raids, blasts in Damascus, as Syria opposition meets Videos show bodies being mutilated

BEIRUT: French President Francois Hollande (3R) leaves the airport with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius (5R) and French Minister for Foreign Trade Nicole Bricq (2R) following a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sleiman, yesterday. Hollande, who is on a brief visit to Beirut, pledged to “protect” Lebanon against threats of destabilisation caused by the deadly conflict in neighbouring Syria. —AFP

France will stand against instability in Lebanon BEIRUT: France’s president pledged yesterday that his country will stand against instability in Lebanon, two weeks after the assassination of a senior Lebanese intelligence official sparked clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian groups.

Francois Hollande also promised that Paris and the European Union will help Lebanon deal with an influx of more than 100,000 refugees who have fled the civil war in neighboring Syria.

“We are committed to give you guarantees regarding security, stability and unity of Lebanon,” Hollande told reporters after meeting President Michel Suleiman. The Oct. 19 car bomb that killed Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan, a powerful anti-Syrian intelligence official, stirred up deadly sectarian tensions in Lebanon, where Sunnis and Shiites are deeply divided over the civil war in Syria, which has killed at least 36,000 people since it began in March 2011.

Lebanon’s two largest political coalitions have lined up on opposite sides of the conflict. The powerful Shiite group Hezbollah and its partners who dominate the Lebanese government have stood by Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Lebanon’s Sunni-led opposition backs the rebels seeking to topple the Damascus regime.

Assad and many in his inner circle are Alawites - an offshoot of Shiite Islam and a minority in Syria - while the rebels come mostly from the country’s Sunni majority.

Syria dominated Lebanon for 29 years after it first sent troops into its smaller neighbor in 1976, during Lebanon’s 15-year civil war.

Damascus’ three -decade hold on Lebanon began to slip in 2005, after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Still, for years after Syrian troops pulled out, there were frequent assassinations of anti-Syrian figures in Lebanon, and the perpetrators have yet to be tracked down.

Despite the Syrian military’s withdrawal

from Lebanon, Assad has managed to maintain his influence in the country through allies, such as Hezbollah. Hollande made a three-hour stop in Beirut en route to Saudi Arabia for talks with senior officials there that are expected to focus on the Syria conflict and Iran’s disputed nuclear program.

Saudi officials said Hollande arrived in the Red Sea port of Jiddah, accompanied by a high-level delegation that included French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and a senior trade official. France’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia said in comments published in the Al-Riyadh newspaper that Paris and Riyadh share views on both issues. The newspaper quoted Bertrand Besancenot as saying France backs tighter sanctions on Iran and calls on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

Saudi Arabia is Iran’s main regional rival and is a key backer of Syria’s rebels. While in Beirut, Hollande said France will give “full assistance” in the investigation of alHassan’s assassination, saying “the Lebanese and the world want this. There will be no escape from justice.” Al-Hassan was killed a day after he returned home from Paris, where his family has been living for years.

“Even though Lebanon is very close, it should not be the victim of this crisis,” Hollande said referring to Syria’s civil war.

“We renew France’s full support to the stability, unity, independence and safety of the territory of Lebanon.”

France, the onetime colonial ruler of both Syria and Lebanon, has been one of the most outspoken Western critics of the Assad regime. France announced in September that it had begun sending direct aid and money to five rebel-held Syrian cities as part of its intensified efforts to weaken Assad. It was the first such move by a Western power amid mounting calls for the international community to do more to prevent bloodshed.— AP

EL-ARISH: Protesters sit in a road blocked by burning tires in front of the North Sinai governorate headquarters in el-Arish, Egypt, yesterday. Egypt’s interior minister has fired the security chief of Northern Sinai governorate after suspected Islamic militants killed three policemen in the regional capital on Saturday. — AP

DAMASCUS: Syrian warplanes hit targets around Damascus and a blast shook the heart of the capital yesterday, state media and a watchdog said, as the main opposition gathered in Qatar under US pressure for a makeover.

Security forces fanned out across northwestern parts of Damascus and roads were cut after fierce battles at dawn between rebels and troops near a political intelligence office, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

As the fighting raged, warplanes carried out three raids on the Ghuta region that lies about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of the capital, the Britain-based watchdog said.

State media meanwhile reported that a blast shook the area near the Dama Rose hotel in the heart of Damascus Sunday morning, wounding seven civilians. It blamed the explosion on “terrorists”-the regime’s term for armed rebels. The area is close to several security centres and Syrian military headquarters. The fresh fighting comes a day after 194 people were killed in bombings, shellings and clashes across the country, according to an Observatory toll.

The escalating conflict and everrising death toll added urgency to a meeting of the opposition Syrian National Council in the Qatari capital Doha, with the United States reportedly pressing for a new umbrella organisation to unite the country’s fractured regime opponents. According to the reports, which emerged after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton charged that the SNC was not representative, long-time dissident Riad Seif is touted as the potential head of a new government-in-exile dubbed the Syrian National Initiative.

The SNC lashed out at alleged US interference with the opposition on Friday, accusing Washington of undermining the country’s revolt and “sowing the seeds of division” by seeking the overhaul. Of those killed on Saturday, 36 people died in fighting in the northwestern province of Idlib, where rebels said they had launched a major assault

AL-BAB: Syrian civilians carry a dead body following an air strike by government forces on the northern Syrian town of Al-Bab, 40 kilometers north-east of Aleppo, yesterday. An AFP correspondent reported three air strikes in close succession on Al-Bab. — AFP on an airbase used to deploy regime air power.

The attack on the Taftanaz base, from where helicopter gunships raid opposition positions and rebelheld areas, comes after troops launched an unprecedented wave of air strikes this week in a bid to reverse rebel gains.

A video posted on the Internet said eight battalions were taking part in the attack, including the radical Islamist Al-Nusra Front, and showed a missile launcher mounted on the back of a pick-up truck firing on regime positions.

Analysts said the assault came as rebel forces clearly have the momentum in the battle for Syria’s northwest. “The rebels’ gains in the north seem irreversible,” said Thomas Pierret, a Syria expert at the University of Edinburgh’s Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies department.

He said regime forces appeared

to be concentrating their efforts in the region on defending embattled commercial hub Aleppo, which rebel advances in the past month have cut off from Damascus and the Mediterranean coast.

“The problem with this strategy is that the Aleppo garrisons are now largely isolated. It is likely they will fall in the months to come,” he said.

The Observatory, meanwhile, released new videos of pro-regime fighters apparently killing prisoners and cutting ears from bodies, after footage showing rebels executing soldiers raised international concerns. The purported video of the rebels-also released by the Observatory-showed about 10 soldiers being beaten, then lined up on the ground and executed with automatic rifles.

The UN human rights body said the video appeared to show a war crime and warned that “accountability will follow” for those who

commit atrocities, while London, Paris and Washington raised concerns. One of the two new videos released on Saturday, reportedly filmed in July in the northwestern Latakia region, shows a man in military fatigues brandishing a severed ear and a knife, laughing at the camera.

“Here is the ear of a dog-we will teach them a lesson,” he says, referring to the rebels. The other, reportedly filmed in February in the southern Daraa province, shows fighters using automatic weapons to execute a group of rebels lying on the ground. The authenticity of the videos could not be verified.

The Observatory says more than 36,000 who have died since the uprising against Assad’s rule broke out in March 2011, first as a protest movement inspired by the Arab Spring and then as an armed rebellion after brutal repression by the regime. —AFP

Abbas: I did not give up on the right of return RAMALLAH: Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas has denied giving up on the refugees’ right of return, saying remarks about not returning to his home town, which is now in Israel, was a “personal position.”

“I have never and will never give up the right of return,” he told Egypt’s Al-Hayatt Egyptian satellite channel late on Saturday, according to a transcript released yesterday. In the interview, Abbas sought to explain remarks he made in an interview with Israel’s Channel 2 television on Friday in which he appeared to renege on the right of Palestinian refugees to return to homes they either fled from or were forced out of during the 1948 war which attended Israel’s creation.

“I want to see Safed,” he told Channel 2, referring to the town where he grew up which is now in northern Israel. “It’s my right to see it but not to live there.” His remarks were hailed as “courageous” by Israeli President Shimon Peres but sparked fury in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip where thousands poured onto the streets in protest.

“Talking about Safed is a personal position and does not mean giving up the right of return,” he told Al-Hayatt. “No-one can give up the right of return as all international texts and Arab and Islamic decisions refer to a just and agreed solution to the refugee issue, according to UN Resolution 194, with the term ‘agreed on’ meaning agreed with the Israeli side,” he said.

“I do not change my position-what I say to

the Palestinians is no different from what I say to the Israelis or the Americans or anyone.” The issue of the refugees would only be resolved in final status negotiations with Israel, he insisted.

“The six main issues, including that of the refugees, will be put on the table for discussion in the final phase,” he clarified. “The refugee issue, based on UN Resolution 194, will be subjected to a popular referendum and people will either accept it or reject it.”

Commenting on the Friday night interview, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that the Palestinian leader had quickly gone back on his comments, and said Abbas’s real stance on the refugees would only become clear in direct peace talks.

“I watched the interview with President Abbas at the weekend. I heard that since then, he has gone back on his words,” he said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in remarks his relayed by his office.

“Only through direct negotiations can we clarify what the real positions are. If Abu Mazen (Abbas) is really serious about advancing peace, then from my perspective we can sit down together immediately,” he said.

There are more than four million Palestinian refugees scattered across the region-those who fled or were expelled in 1948, and their descendants.

The Palestinians have always demanded that the Jewish state recognise their right of return to

homes in modern-day Israel in keeping with UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

Israel categorically rejects the right of return, which would end its Jewish majority, but is prepared to accept them living in the promised Palestinian state.

Abbas’s remarks were immediately welcomed as “courageous” by Israeli President Shimon Peres, and Defence Minister Ehud Barak also hailed his stance as “very important because of its clarity” in an interview with the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper.

Israel’s top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper also hailed the move as a “realistic and very courageous look” at the issue, but said his outlook was not shared by the Palestinian people.

Giving up the right of return would be “tantamount to giving up on the dream of greater Palestine,” the paper said. “ That disparity between the leadership and the general public is enormous.”

The rival Maariv newspaper said that if Abbas was serious, it was an opportunity that Israel should not miss. “Israel ought to take Abu Mazen’s statement seriously. It even ought to leverage it. Mainly, Israel ought to put it to the test,” wrote commentator Ben-Dror Yemini.

“Abu Mazen took a small step, one that might prove to be meaningless. But that is a step that must not be ignored. The ball is now in Netanyahu’s court. He should do something with it,” he wrote. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

i n t e r n at i o n a l

Newspaper discloses new Cameron text messages LONDON: A British lawmaker called yesterday for the country’s media ethics inquiry to publish all the text messages it has between Prime Minister David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks, the exchief executive of Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper division, who now faces charges over the country’s tabloid phone hacking scandal.

The Mail on Sunday newspaper printed two previously unseen messages the pair had exchanged in 2009 yesterday, prompting a call from opposition Labour Party lawmaker Chris Bryant for Judge Brian Leveson’s ethics inquiry to disclose the texts.

Some messages sent between Cameron and Brooks have already been studied by the national panel and

released to the public, provoking embarrassment for the British leader. However, other texts - which the inquiry says were not relevant to its work - have been kept private. Bryant claims the messages have been withheld only because they are “salacious and embarrassing.”

Cameron, a school friend of Brooks’ husband, traded text messages with the senior media figure at least once a week and offered her support after she stepped down in 2010 during the hacking scandal. The leader was also forced to acknowledge that he had occasionally gone horse riding with the couple, an image that appeared to reinforce claims by opponents that Cameron is part of a remote elite.

In one new message disclosed by the

Mail on Sunday, Cameron wrote to Brooks: “The horse CB (Charlie Brooks) put me on. Fast, unpredictable and hard to control but fun. DC.” Another message, written by Brooks to Cameron after his speech to his party’s 2009 convention, read: “Brilliant speech. I cried twice.

Will love ‘working together ’.” In the speech, Cameron had referred to the death of his 6-year-old son Ivan, who suffered from cerebral palsy and a rare and severe epilepsy condition.

Bryant on Sunday urged Cameron to voluntarily release all messages he had traded with Brooks. “You can get over being embarrassed, what you can’t get over is deliberately hiding things from the British public,” the lawmaker told BBC television.

“We all recognize that that relationship between politicians as a group and newspapers and the media as a group had become too close,” Universities Minister David Willetts, a member of Cameron’s Conservative Party, said.

Cameron’s office said that the leader had met all requests made by the media ethics inquiry. “The Prime Minister has always been happy to comply with whatever Lord Justice Leveson has asked of him,” his office said in a statement, referring to the judge running the inquiry.

Giving evidence to the media inquiry in May, Brooks revealed that Cameron struggled to understand text message terminology. “Occasionally he would sign them off LOL, ‘lots of love’, until I

told him it meant ‘laugh out loud’,” she told the panel. Brooks is facing trial next year on conspiracy charges linked to Britain’s phone hacking scandal, which saw Murdoch close down The News of The World in 2010. She is also charged along with her husband and five other people with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice over allegations she tried to hide information from police investigating the scandal.

The News of The World and other newspapers are alleged to have illegally accessed the cell phone voicemail messages of scores of victims, including celebrities, politicians and - in the most notorious case - Milly Dowler, a 13-yearold girl who was abducted and murdered. — AP

Obama focuses on turnout, Romney on Pennsylvania ‘The power is not with us anymore’

GARISSA: A woman injured in a grenade attack at the Utawala Interdenominational church is treated at a hospital in Garissa, northern Kenya, yesterday. The Kenya Red Cross says at least 10 people were wounded in a grenade attack on a church service at a police camp in northern Kenya. — AP

Blast in Kenya kills one GARISSA: A suspected grenade attack on a church in the eastern Kenyan town of Garissa killed one and injured at least 11 people yesterday, the Kenya Red Cross and a local official said. Militants have staged several attacks since Kenya sent troops into Somalia a year ago to fight al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels following raids and kidnappings in the border region that threatened tourism and wider regional instability.

Three of the 11 injured people at Garissa’s district hospital needed to be evacuated by air and the hospital urgently needed blood, the Kenya Red Cross said. Garissa County Commissioner Mohamud Maalim said one of those injured, a police chaplain, had later died from his wounds.

“Those who carried out these attacks are people living in this town. We urge the public to cooperate with security officers. There is no justification for an attack on a worship centre,” Maalim said.

Two television channels said the Utawala Interdenominational Church - which is in a police compound - had been attacked and that for some time after the blast, gunfire could be heard at the scene of the attack. No one from the police was immediately available to comment.

In September, a grenade attack on a church in Nairobi by suspected al Shabaab sympathisers killed a nine-year-old boy. In July, attacks on two churches in Garissa killed 17. —Reuters

BERLIN: Picture taken on November 18, 2011 shows German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich (L), Justice Minister Sabine LeutheusserSchnarrenberger (Front C) and then Director of the domestic intelligence erfassungsschutz Heinz Fromm (Far right) as they arrive for a conference of German federal interior and justice ministers in Berlin following revelations of at least 10 murders by a far-right cell. Twelve months after these revelations Germany has sought to mend security flaws but the trauma still reverberates. — AFP

New York nanny arrested in slayings of two children NEW YORK: A New York nanny suspected of slaying two young children of a Manhattan couple last month in their luxury apartment was arrested on Saturday and charged with murder in their stabbing deaths, New York’s deputy police commissioner said.

The nanny, Yoselyn Ortega, was arrested over the deaths of 6-year-old Lucia Krim and her toddler brother Leo, who had been days shy of his second birthday, following a bedside interview at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The children’s mother, Marina Krim, found her son and older daughter stabbed to death in the bathtub as she returned home on Oct. 25 from a swimming lesson with a third child, 3-year-old Nessie, who was unharmed, police have said.

The nanny, who remains hospitalized and under guard, then began stabbing herself in front of the children’s mother in the apartment on Manhattan’s affluent Upper West Side.

“No longer intubated and recuperating from what appeared to be wounds she inflicted on herself at the crime scene, Ortega agreed to talk to New York City detectives this afternoon,” Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said in a statement.

“After the interview, at 6:06 p.m. today,

Ortega was formally arrested and charged with murdering both children.” He said that Ortega, 50, was charged with two counts of first degree murder and two counts of second degree murder over the killings, which sent shock waves through the city.

Ortega, who had been employed by the Krim family for two years before the killings, lived with her son and sister near the Krims’ apartment off Central Park and has been a naturalized US citizen for a decade, police said.

She was apparently referred to the Krims by another family, police have said.

On the evening of the killings, Marina Krim had entered the apartment with her middle child after Ortega failed to meet them as planned at a local dance studio with the two other children.

Krim saw that the apartment was dark and returned to the lobby to ask the doorman if the nanny and kids had gone out, police said. The doorman said no, and she returned to the apartment and went into the bathroom, where she found the children.

Kevin Krim, the children’s father and an executive with CNBC, had been heading home from a business trip, He was met by police at the airport and notified of the killings, police said. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Just two days from the finish, President Barack Obama’s campaign is mobilizing a massive get-out-the-vote effort aimed at carrying the Democrat to victory, as Republican Mitt Romney makes a late play for votes in Democratic-leaning Pennsylvania.

Both campaigns were predicting wins in tomorrow’s election.

Obama was closing out the campaign with an apparent edge in some key battleground states, including Ohio. But Romney’s campaign was projecting momentum and banking on latebreaking voters to propel him to victory in the exceedingly close race. “ Words are cheap and a record is real and it’s earned with effort,” Romney said Saturday, making a final appeal to voters in Colorado. The Republican was cutting away briefly yesterday from the nine or so competitive states that have dominated the candidates’ travel itineraries.

Romney, along with running mate Paul Ryan, had an early evening event planned in Morrisville, Pa., his first rally in the state this fall.

Romney ’s visit follows the decision by his campaign and its Republican allies to put millions of dollars in television advertising in Pennsylvania during the race’s final weeks. Obama’s team followed suit, making a late advertising buy of its own.

“You saw the differences when President Obama and I were side to side in our debates,” Romney says in a new TV ad filmed at an Ohio rally and released yesterday.

“He says it has to be this way. I say it can’t stay this way. He’s offering excuses. I’ve got a plan. I can’t wait for us to get started.” The campaign did not say where the ad would run. The Republican ticket cast the late push into the Keystone State as a sign that Romney had momentum and a chance to pull away states that Obama’s campaign assumed it

would win handily. The president’s team called the move a “Hail Mary” and a sign Romney still doesn’t have a clear pathway to reaching the required 270 Electoral College votes.

Democrats have a million-voter registration advantage in Pennsylvania. Obama senior adviser David Plouffe said that means Romney would have to win two-thirds of the state’s independents, a prospect he called “an impossibility.” The president caught a few hours of sleep back at the White House Saturday night before hitting the campaign trail again yesterday. After Marine One lifts off from the South Lawn yesterday morning, Obama won’t return to the executive mansion again until after Election Day. Obama had a full schedule, with campaign stops yesterday in New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio and Colorado.

The president’s rallies are

aimed at boosting Democratic enthusiasm and motivating as many supporters as possible to cast their votes, either in the final hours of early voting or tomorrow, Election Day. Persuading undecided voters, now just a tiny sliver of the electorate in battleground states, has become a secondary priority.

Obama and former President Bill Clinton drew 24,000 people to an outdoor rally in Bristow, Va., on a cold Saturday night. Clinton, his voice hoarse after a week of campaigning, said he had “given my voice in the service of my president.” But that didn’t stop him from launching into a 30-minute defense of Obama and his economic policies.

He also slammed Romney for his shifting positions, saying “He could be the chief contortionist for Cirque de Soleil.” Obama, who spoke second, embraced Clinton as he walked on stage. The presi-

dent said at this stage of the campaign, he was largely “a prop” and the race was in the voters’ hands.

“The power is not with us anymore,” he said. “It’s all up to you.”

Obama’s campaign said it had registered 1.8 million voters in key battleground states, nearly double the number of voters they registered in 2008. Campaign officials said volunteers had made 125 million personal phone calls or door knocks with voters.

Romney has also attracted large crowds in the final weekend of campaigning. His rally in Ohio on Friday drew more than 20,000 people. The Republican nominee has been using teleprompters to deliver his final campaign speeches. He’s claiming the mantle of change - and highlighting what he says was a bipartisan record as governor of Massachusetts. In addition to Pennsylvania, Romney will campaign Sunday in Iowa, Ohio and Virginia. — AP

BRISTOW: In the final hours of a four-state campaign day, President Barack Obama is joined by former President Bill Clinton, left, and Democratic candidate for the US Senate from Virginia, former Gov. Tim Kaine, right, at a rally at Jiffy Lube Live arena, late Saturday night, in Bristow, Va. — AP

Atlanta police helicopter crash kills two officers ATLANTA: A police helicopter flying low over Atlanta on a nighttime search for a missing 9-year-old boy plunged to the ground in a neighborhood of shops and apartments, killing the two officers aboard, authorities said yesterday.

Both officers died on impact in the crash about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, but no one was hurt on the ground, police spokesman Carlos Campos said. The crash occurred in a district near heavily traveled Interstate 20 filled with fast food restaurants, shopping plazas and apartments where utility lines bristle overhead.

A photograph aired on a local TV newscast showed what appeared to be flaming debris in a roadway. The helicopter fell in an area roughly 4 miles west of downtown Atlanta. Power was blacked out to a pharmacy and other nearby businesses, and a utility crew was seen apparently working to restore electricity.

“It appeared to hit the utility wire on the way down,” Campos told The Associated Press, citing preliminary information. But he emphasized: “ We don’t k now what caused it” and referred all queries to the Federal Aviation Administration, which was just opening its investigation. Bystander Darryl James, 42, told the AP that he had gone with a companion to a check-cashing store Saturday night when he heard the

helicopter flying overhead and thought it was rather low.

“The tail end went down and then there was an explosion,” James said. He said he tried to get close to the wreckage. “As soon as I got close enough to it, poom! I t exploded.” He added of the helicopter’s occupants: “ They could not survive it.”

James said people are often waiting at a normally busy bus stop near the crash site, adding, “Thank God nobody was out there.”

After the crash, fire trucks and police cars with lights flashing converged on the area, blocking surrounding roads. Police put up yellow crime scene tape and kept bystanders so far back they were unable to see the crash site behind a small rise. The names of the dead were withheld early Sunday while relatives were notified, police said.

Meanwhile, Atlanta’s police force was mourning. “Losing an officer is the most difficult thing a police chief can face,” Atlanta Police Chief George Turner said in a news release. “Losing two is an unthinkable tragedy. Our hearts go out to the families of these officers and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

He called it a difficult day for the Atlanta force and “a reminder of their bravery and the sacrifices made by our officers every day.” Police said the helicopter was called in

to join the search after police received a report shortly after 9 p.m. of a missing child. Campos said the boy was later found unharmed, but he had no further details on that search.

Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, told AP by email that the FAA was investigating and the National Transportation Safety Board would also be involved, seeking to determine the cause. She didn’t know the type of helicopter involved yet.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed also said early Sunday that he was saddened by what he called a “terrible accident.” “We mourn these two brave men and offer our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones,” Reed said in a statement.

Early yesterday, about 20 people still watched the investigation hours after the crash near the intersec tion of Mar tin Luther King Jr. and Hamilton E. Holmes drives, near I-20. Rodney Christian, 22, stood by, lamenting the loss of lives.

“It’s sad. It’s tragic ... for someone to lose their lives trying to find a kid, trying to keep another family together,” Christian told the AP. He added that he has a 1month-old baby at home and was shaken just by the thought of the tragic events. “It makes me want to rush home and get back to my kid.” — AP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

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

Czech PM retains party chair ahead of key vote PRAGUE: Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas got a boost yesterday as his right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS) party re-elected him chairman ahead of a key parliamentary vote threatening to topple his cabinet and trigger snap elections.

Necas got 351 votes from party members at a congress in the southern city of Brno, while his rival Ivan Fuksa got only 178. But Necas still faced the challenge of drumming up support for the parliamentary vote scheduled for next week, after the centre-right government in office since 2010 lost majority backing in parliament.

Necas, a strict budget disciplinarian, said the vote on the bill-which would raise the value-added tax and slap taxes on the rich-was tantamount to a confidence motion.

But the vote may cost him dearly, as his once solid backing in the 200-seat parliament has shrunk to just 94 votes.

Necas, who has so far survived six confidence motions, now has to persuade six rebel lawmakers from his own party-including rival Fuksa-or former allies sitting as independents to back the bill.

At the party congress, Necas said the problem was not in the taxes. “I am deeply convinced the problem is elsewhere, that it’s an attempt to use this issue to battle for power within the ODS,” he said. Necas has seen his popularity slide as austerity cuts hit taxpayers hard, while corruption scandals and party infighting have eaten away his once comfortable parliamentary majority.

Moreover, the ex-communist country of 10.5 million, which is an EU

member but is yet to join the eurozone, sank into recession early this year after growing by 1.7 percent in 2011. The ODS was badly beaten in recent senate by-elections which handed victory to the left-wing Social Democrats, also tipped in surveys as the clear winners of a possible snap election.

Necas, a 47-year-old physicist, was first elected to parliament in 1992 and steadily climbed his party’s ranks until he became prime minister in July 2010. His proposed tax hike is aimed at slashing the public deficit to less than the European Union’s threshold of three percent of gross domestic product in 2013, from the 3.2 percent expected this year. Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek is redrafting the 2013 budget amid uncertainty over the tax bill. — AFP

BRNO: Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas speaks after being re-elected chairman of his Civic Democratic Party (ODS) at the party congress in Brno, yesterday. Necas received the votes of 351 of the 592 delegates yesterday to beat former Agriculture Minister Ivan Fuksa. — AP

Ultra-nationalists vow to drive Putin out of Kremlin ‘We will chase out the occupiers from Kremlin’

ISTANBUL: People face Turkish riot police firing water cannon and tear gas during a Kurdish demonstration in support of a widespread hunger strike by Kurdish prisoners, yesterday in Istanbul. Around 400 protesters were gathered outside the Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) building, chanting “Evacuate prisons” and “Freedom to inmates”, when police fired the tear gas and water cannon without warning. — AFP

Ukraine opposition calls protest rally over count KIEV: Ukraine opposition parties called a public rally for today to protest against what they said was fraud by President Viktor Yanukovich’s ruling party in the final stages of the vote-count from the Oct. 28 parliamentary election.

The united opposition, which includes the Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party of jailed ex-prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, issued its protest call with a handful of seats to the 450-seat parliament still in dispute between candidates favourable to Yanukovich’s Party of the Regions or to opposition forces.

Over the weekend, nerves were at breaking point in several of nine disputed districts with election officials who were conducting the vote-count besieged by supporters from both camps, demanding a re-count or threatening court action.

In one district in southern Ukraine, black helmeted riot police used tear gas when tensions boiled over between representatives backing a Regions candidate and those supporting a Batkivshchyna member.

The Regions, seen as representing the interests of big business, still seem set to retain a majority of more than 225 seats in the assembly, assuming support from their traditional communist allies and some independents.

But Batkivshchyna has made a strong showing and the opposition will be reenergised by the arrival in parliament of the UDAR (Punch) party of world heavyweight boxing champion Vitaly Klitschko and the far-right nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party.

An overall Regions victory is likely to be seen by Yanukovich as a mandate to continue policies which opponents say favour

the big business industrialists who back him. Equally, the leadership will continue to be cold-shouldered by the United States and the European Union over the imprisonment of Tymoshenko. The EU has already to refused to settle a major free trade pact because of her case.

Calls by the opposition for a protest rally in central Kiev over alleged vote-rigging evoke memories of the “Orange revolution” street protests of 2004-5 which overturned an election of Yanukovich as president, dooming his first bid for power.

“The authorities are carrying out barefaced fraud in districts where opposition candidates are winning. The wishes of tens of thousands of citizens are being changed into a forged result in favour of pro-ruling party candidates,” a united opposition statement said yesterday.

“The united opposition is appealing to all opposition forces, to all those who are not indifferent to fate of the country, to come to the building of the central electoral commission and defend their vote,” it said.

The Regions have denied allegations of vote-rigging. International monitors, the day after voting, criticised the authorities over aspects of the run-up to the election, mentioning specifically Tymoshenko’s imprisonment and biased media coverage.

They said the election marked a “step back wards” for Uk raine under Yanukovich’s leadership, though they were largely positive about the way voting had been conducted. External monitors have since been sharply critical of the way the counting of ballots was manually carried out across the former Soviet republic of 46 million. —Reuters

Nigeria gunmen attack police station, school in north KANO: Gunmen armed with explosives attacked a police station, a primary school and two cellphone towers in a town in Nigeria’s restive northeast yesterday, setting them ablaze, the military and residents said.

“We heard that there were some attacks in Fika by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

They attacked two telecommunication masts, a police station and a primary school,” Lazarus Eli, military spokesman in Yobe State, told AFP. A resident said he had seen the bodies of two policemen being brought out of the razed police station, but Eli said he could not immediately confirm any casualties. Eli said troops had deployed to the town to contain the violence. Fika lies some 170 kilometres (110 miles) from Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State and a hotbed of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.

Residents said the gunmen attacked their targets with explosives before dawn at around 4:30 am.

“They threw explosives and fired gunshots at their targets, setting them ablaze, and fled after the attack,” Tanimu Mani told AFP. “Soldiers who arrived in the town went inside the burnt police station and brought out the bodies of two policemen killed in the attack,” he said.

Another resident, student Hassan Gaji,

said he had heard blasts and gunshots during early morning prayers. “ They were shooting seriously for about one hour,” he said, adding that the town had been taken over by police and soldiers.

He said the attackers had entered Fika on the road leading from Potiskum to the north “and went straight to the police station, bombed it and proceeded to the primary school in the town”. A police source said the attackers looted the armoury before setting the police station ablaze.

“They emptied the armoury during the attack and took away some 20 guns and some rounds of ammunition,” the officer, who did not want to be named, told AFP. Witnesses said panicked residents were fleeing Fika for nearby Potiskum on Sunday following the attack. “A lot of people are now leaving for Potiskum which has been relatively calm in recent weeks,” the witness said.

Some towns in Yobe state, including Damaturu, Potiskum and Fika have been hard hit by deadly attacks by Boko Haram in recent months, leaving hundreds of people dead and prompting a heavy army deployment.

Violence linked to the Boko Haram insurgency is believed to have left more than 2,800 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.—AFP

MOSCOW: Thousands of Russian ultra-nationalists marched through central Moscow yesterday vowing to drive Vladimir Putin out of the Kremlin and accusing him of ignoring the rights of ethnic Slavs.

Armed with anti-Putin slogans, Orthodox banners and black-andyellow flags of pre-revolutionary Russia, the black-clad participants joined in the “Russian March” as Putin faces the most vocal opposition to his rule since coming to power 12 years ago.

The march followed by a rally was timed to coincide with the Day of Popular Unity, a national holiday which this year marks the 400th anniversary of the 1612 expulsion of Polish occupiers from the Kremlin.

“Putin’s clique to trial,” some participants shouted during the annual march that brings together nationalist movements of all hues. “We beat Hitler, we will beat Putin.” The Russian president has been facing a nascent protest movement against his rule since he was elected to an unprecedented third term as president in May, and the anti-Putin cause has become popular with ultranationalists.

Alexander Belov, one of the march’s organisers, said an increasing number of people were growing disillusioned with the veteran leader. “Putin is afraid of us,” he told the rally. “He feels his time is ending because the future belongs to us. We will chase out the occupiers from the Kremlin.”

He shouted to the crowd: “Putin is a ...”, and the rally participants answered “thief and scum,” charging his place should be “in prison.” Belov estimated the turnout at the march at around 20,000, while Moscow police put the number of participants at up to 6,000 and 2,500 in the rally.

The nationalists have accused

KRASNODAR: Russian ultra-nationalists wave Russian Empire’s black-yellow-white flags and a banner as they take part in the so-called “Russian March” in southern Russian town of Krasnodar yesterday, marking the National Unity Day. The annual Russian March is timed to coincide with the Day of Popular Unity, a national holiday which this year marks the 400th anniversary of the 1612 expulsion of Polish occupiers from the Kremlin in Moscow. —AFP Putin of neglecting the rights of the multi-ethnic country’s Slavic majority and turning a blind eye to illegal immigration. “If Putin had a drop of reason and conscience what would he do? He would stop the wave of migration,” said another high-profile activist, Vladimir Tor. Many Muscovites complain of a heavy influx of poorly educated migrants from impoverished exSoviet Central Asia, saying the affluent capital is already bursting at the seams. “I am against the lack of a visa regime with Central Asian countries,” said Andrei Goldin, a 38-year-old university teacher. Many observers fear Russia may plunge into chaos if nationalist forces come to power, and some liberal analysts say that compared to ultra-nationalists,

Putin may be the lesser of two evils. Putin himself has slammed attempts to inflame nationalist sentiments, evoking the country’s multi-ethnic, multi-confessional history. Accompanied by top representatives of the country’s main religions, Putin on Sunday laid red carnations at the Red Square monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky who helped rid Moscow of Poles in 1612.

During the march police detained 25 people wearing black military overcoats in the city centre. Many participants in the march covered their faces with scarves and surgical masks, defying a new law banning masks during rallies.

Some critics have accused Alexei Navalny-arguably the most charismatic leader of the anti-

Putin movement-of openly flirting with ultra-nationalism. He spoke at the Russian March last year but said on the eve of Sunday’s event that he had come down with the flu.

The authorities have allowed the nationalists to march through the capital despite pleas from the Federation of Migrants of Russia to either cancel or postpone the event.

The federation argued the march could sow discord in the multi-ethnic capital, especially on a day meant to promote unity. It is the first time in several years that the authorities have allowed the march to take place in central Moscow instead of its fringes.

Smaller nationalist rallies were held in several big cities across the country. — AFP

S Africa opposition denied inspection of Zuma’s home NKANDLA: South African opposition leader Hellen Zille was prevented yesterday from visiting President Jacob Zuma’s private rural residence, at the centre of a row over a $29-million state-funded upgrade. Police cited safety reasons for denying Zille and her sixmember delegation passage to Zuma’s homestead, where they

wanted to inspect how public money was used to fund the president’s private property.

Supporters of the ruling African National Congress formed a barricade near the home, which is a cluster of modern thatched-roof Zulu huts. The opposition Democratic Alliance had raised alarm over the public funding of

NKANDLA: South African opposition leader Hellen Zille is blocked by members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) on her way to President Jacob Zuma’s private rural residence, at the centre of a row over a $29-million state-funded upgrade in Nkandla some 178 kilometres north of Durban on November 4, 2012. — AFP

the development, and said their visit was for oversight purposes.

Police had to prevent a group of some 500 ANC supporters from charging towards Zille’s delegation, while others laid on the road to prevent them from driving through. Zille took to Twitter to vent her anger and post pictures of the property, located in KwaNxamalala village, north of the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. “ The police line blocking us from proceeding after they let ANC buses through,” read one of her tweets, accompanied by a picture.

“A small ANC group of protestors moves closer brandishing branches and traditional weapons,” said another.

She later tweeted that she was at a police station to file a complaint, without specifying the nature of the charge. Zuma’s office had called the visit “mischievous” and said that “the DA’s conduct smacks of a disingenuous publicity gimmick”.

The ruling ANC also slammed the visit as a violation of Zuma’s privacy, saying the DA should have raised their grievances with his office. The development on Zuma’s compound, which stands among nondescript mud houses in the impoverished village, has stirred a political storm, with several opposition parties questioning the legality

of spending state funds on the president’s private property.

According to media reports, the upgrades include underground bunkers, a helipad, a clinic and a tarred road leading to the village.

“We felt it was important for us to see the compound for ourselves before we embark on court action against the president for this blatant abuse of power,” the DA said in a statement.

“This is state-sponsored corruption on an unprecedented scale.”

Police in riot gear patrolled the area with a helicopter hovering above the vast village where Zuma was born. The ANC supporters, clad in yellow ANC shirts emblazoned with Zuma’s face, chanted pro-Zuma slogans and held placards reading: “Zuma president of the people”, “Zuma has right to privacy” and “Where was DA during apartheid”.

They stood some 500 metres (yards) away from the property. In a statement, an ANC-aligned trade union, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, warned the DA “not to push their luck too far” by travelling to the village.

Zuma mostly spends his time at his official residences in the capital Pretoria and legislative seat Cape Town. He also occasionally uses another official residence in the eastern port city of Durban. —AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

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US soldier due in court over Afghan massacre LOS ANGELES: A US soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers is due in court today for the first time since the March massacre, in a pre-trial hearing to decide if he should face a full court martial.

Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is expected to attend throughout the Nov 5-16 Article 32 hearing at Fort Lewis-McChord in the western state of Washington, base spokesman Gary Dangerfield told AFP. Relatives of the victims and witnesses could testify via videolink from a US air base in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, according to media reports, although the spokesman could not confirm that.

Bales, 39, is accused of leaving his base in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province on the night of March 11 to commit the killings, which included nine children. He allegedly set several of their bod-

ies on fire. The killings are thought to be the deadliest crime by a US soldier during the decade-long conflict and tested Washington and Kabul’s already tense relationship to the limit. Bales was transferred from Afghanistan back to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas shortly after the massacre, before being moved back to Fort Lewis-McChord recently, home base of the US 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment.

His wife and two children were moved to the sprawling military base south of Seattle for their own security, and to shield them from the glare of the media in the wake of the killings.

Bales’ Seattle-based lawyer, John Browne, said more than 10 Afghans could be called to testify, adding that some witnesses have been “difficult to round up,” according to the Seattle Times.

Browne was expected to travel to Afghanistan to question the witnesses for himself, while other staff from his law office would remain at the proceedings in Fort Lewis-McChord, the newspaper reported.

“This may be our only shot at them, if they don’t show up for the trial,” he was quoted as saying, adding: “So this (hearing) becomes more important.” Browne’s office did not immediately return calls for comment or confirmation of the plans.

He has previously said that Bales cannot remember anything of the killings.

Reports suggest he may have been drinking before the massacre, and been traumatized when a colleague was seriously injured next to him.

The decision to whisk him back to the US triggered anger from locals, many of

whom called for him to be tried in Afghanistan for the rampage. Relatives and victims have since been paid tens of thousands of dollars in compensation-families of the dead got 2.3 million Afghanis ($46,000) each while the injured received 500,000 Afghanis, Afghan officials said.

Bales-who prosecutors say returned to his base and turned himself in after the shooting rampage-has been described as “a likeable guy,” always laughing and quick with a joke.

A decorated veteran who did three tours in Iraq and deployed to Afghanistan in December, Bales was raised in Norwood, Ohio, outside of Cincinnati. People remember him there as a leader and a good American football player.

After studying economics he worked as a financial advisor, and news reports have

said he owes $1.5 million from a 2003 arbitration ruling in which he was found guilty of securities fraud.

Bales joined the army two months after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and more than a year after the fraud complaint was filed.

He has also had minor scrapes with the law-fined for an assault on a girlfriend and cited for a hit-and-run accident-but his finances seemed a greater problem.

Bales was also disappointed last year when he was passed over for promotion and a pay raise by the army.

His wife Karilyn wrote about it in what appeared to be her blog’s last entry, calling it a disappointment “after all the work Bob has done and all the sacrifices he has made for his love of his country, family and friends.” — AFP

Rahul Gandhi uses rally to take centre stage Congress party holds massive rally

KABUL: Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, center, inspects Afghan guards of honor with President Hamid Karzai after his arrival at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, yesterday. Italy’s prime minister has pledged not to abandon Afghanistan in 2014, saying his country will “transform” its support but not leave altogether as foreign troops draw down. —AP

Italian PM on surprise visit to Afghanistan KABUL: Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti made a surprise visit to Afghanistan yesterday to see his country’s troops and hold talks with President Hamid Karzai. Monti visited the NATO-led Italian contingent at their base in the western province of Herat to mark Italian armed forces day before heading to Kabul to meet Karzai.

“They are doing a really great job, transferring the responsibilty of the region to the authorities, national and local,” he told a joint news conference with the president. “We are very proud of our 3,500 men spending a part of their lives in the interest of global peace and in the interest of civic and economic development of a peaceful Afghanistan,” he said.

Fifty-two Italian soldiers have so far died in the 11-year conflict against Taliban insurgents, according to an AFP count. Italy, along with the rest of the NATO-led countries which have some 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, plans to pull out its combat troops by the end of 2014.

“We look forward to 2014 as a year of change but not as a year of rupture,” Monti

said. “Italy, like most other countries will transform its support for AFghanistan but will by no means leave Afghanistan alone.”

Donor nations have pledged $16 billion in civilian aid for Afghanistan through 2015 to prevent the country from sliding back into turmoil when foreign combat troops depart.

There are several pre-conditions for the aid, including the holding of presidential elections in 2014.

Afghanistan annnounced last week the election would be held on April 5, 2014, but Karzai reiterated Sunday that the two foreign members of the election watchdog, the Election Complaints Commission, would be removed. “ There is no need for them, and our national sovereignty does not allow that,” he said. The last election in 2009, in which Karzai was re-elected for a second term, was marred by widespread allegations of fraud.

The credibility of the 2014 vote, in which Karzai is constitutionally barred from standing for a third term, is seen as crucial to the country’s stability after the withdrawal of NATO troops.—AFP

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi, scion of India’s Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, addressed tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in New Delhi yesterday, raising his profile before a possible bid to become prime minister.

Gandhi, 42, whose father, grandmother and great-grandfather all led India, vowed to fight to modernise the country through reforms that he said would help the poor and provide jobs for the rapidly growing population.

“We need economic reforms because only when businesses operate well will there be progress, and then we can run programmes to benefit the poor,” he told the major Congress party gathering in the capital.

Gandhi vowed to help push through policy changes that will transform India’s retail sector by allowing global supermarket chains such as Walmart and Tesco to open in India and tap into its burgeoning consumer market.

“The world is saying that India is standing up,” he said. “The youth here will show not just India but also the whole world the way forward.”

General elections are not due in India until 2014, but the Congress-led government has suffered a difficult few years in power and its leaders are eager to revive momentum in the long run-up to polls.

Manmohan Singh, the current prime minister, has been buffeted by falling economic growth, a parliamentary deadlock that has scuppered his legislative plans and a damaging series of corruption scandals. Singh, 80, who also spoke at the event, is expected to step down before the election, with pressure on Gandhi to take a shot at the premiership in an effort to continue his family’s long domination of Indian public life.

The dynasty is descended through Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister after independence in 1947, his daughter Indira Gandhi, who was twice premier, and Indira’s son Rajiv.

But Rahul Gandhi’s appetite for India’s turbulent political scene has often be questioned by crit-

ics. He has declined to take on any ministerial responsibilities, concentrating instead on leading the Congress youth wing.

One foray he made into electoral politics earlier this year was a bruising experience, when he organised the Congress’s campaign in the key state of Uttar Pradesh but failed to capture many of the seats that the party targeted.

Gandhi told the crowd in Delhi that, despite coming from within India’s ruling elite, he was determined to break open the country’s “closed political system”.

“Young MPs tell me that you all want to change the system, and together we can,” he told the rally. “The biggest problem is that our

reported that four Japanese and one other foreigner were trapped in snow at the Great Wall of China in Hebei province Sunday morning. Three remained trapped in the afternoon, it said.

“We are in close contact with our embassy officials in Beijing and the local government of China’s Hebei province,” said a Japanese foreign ministry official in charge of safety information for Japanese nationals overseas.

Authorities in nearby Shanxi province temporarily shut 10 highways to avoid accidents, while in I nner Mongolia more than 400 trucks became stuck en route and traffic clogged multiple highways, Xinhua reported. The ruling Communist Party Thursday begins its 18th congress, a major political event which will appoint a new leadership for the nex t decade. — AFP

run body began monitoring sermons at the countr y ’s more than 200,000 mosques to ensure clerics did not promote violence.

The Muslim-majority country also plans to integrate hundreds of Islamic religious schools into the mainstream secular education system. Bangladesh has escaped serious Islamist attacks, though a series of blasts by militants in 2004-2005 killed dozens of people and prompted fears that the country would become a hotspot for extremism.

Last month, a young Bangladeshi man was arrested in a sting operation in the United States on charges of plotting to blow up the New York Federal Reserve. — AFP

BEIJING: A family make their way on a overpass after a heavy snow-fall in Beijing yesterday. Beijing issued its second-highest blizzard alert yesterday after the Chinese capital saw an unusually early snowstorm and its heaviest day of cold-season precipitation in 61 years, state media said. — AFP

Tibetan artist burns himself in protest

Bangladesh schools to warn of extremism DHAKA: Bangladesh’s schools and universities have been asked to warn pupils about the dangers of religious militancy as part of a campaign to tackle Islamist extremism, an official said yesterday.

The government last week sent guidelines to the country ’s 114,000 schools, seminaries and universities, A.Z.M. Nurul Hoque, a senior official at the education ministr y, told AFP. “Militancy in the name of religion is a major problem. We hope such programme will help raise social awareness against the menace,” he said.

“We have asked the institutions to hold regular open talks with students to discuss militancy and its dangers.” In August, an autonomous government-

political system is shut for the common man.”

Gandhi’s mother Sonia, who is president of the Congress party, followed his speech with a spirited attack on the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has launched repeated attacks on the government for alleged corruption.

Italian-born Gandhi, considered the most powerful politician in India, described corruption as “an illness, a cancer which kills the poor” and insisted that Congress was cracking down on all forms of graft.

“If anything is proven, there will be no saving the corrupt,” she said, accusing the BJP of being “steeped in the mud of corruption”. — AFP

Early heavy snowstorm hits Beijing BEIJING: Beijing issued its second-highest blizzard alert yesterday after the Chinese capital was hit by an unusually early snowstorm four days before the start of a key political meeting. In the 24 hours until yesterday morning the city saw 5.8 centimetres (2.3 inches) of precipitation (rain and snow combined), the highest daily total for any cold season since 1951, the Xinhua news agency said.

The weather prompted city and national authorities to issue an “orange alert”-the second of four warning levels. Authorities would activate the capital’s public heating ahead of the planned November 15 date, Xinhua said.

The national meteorological body yesterday warned of blizzards in the northern provinces surrounding the capital, which do not normally see snow till the end of the month. State television

SRINAGAR: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers participate in a passing out parade ceremony in Humhama, on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, yesterday. A total 540 recruits formally inducted into the BSF, will join Indian soldiers fighting separatist Islamic guerrillas in Kashmir to help end an insurgency that started in 1989. — AP

NEW DELHI: Congress party leaders, from second left, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and Congress party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi are garlanded by party supporters during a public rally, in New Delhi, India, yesterday. —AP

DHARMSALA: An exile Tibetan carries a portrait of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama during a candlelit vigil Dharmsala, India, yesterday. The vigil was held to express solidarity with a young Tibetan Dorjee Lhundrup who allegedly immolated himself in protest against Chinese rule in Amdo Rebkong, Qinghai, yesterday morning. — AP

BEIJING: A young Tibetan set himself on fire in northwestern China yesterday, two overseas rights groups said, continuing a series of self-immolations by Tibetans apparently protesting Chinese rule. About 60 others have set themselves alight since 2009, including seven within one week late last month in a significant escalation. Dorjee Lhundrup died soon after setting himself ablaze in Qinghai province, said the US-based International Campaign for Tibet, citing photographs of the body and Tibetans outside China in touch with those inside. Security forces deployed on the streets after the incident and restricted residents’ movements, said the UK-based Free Tibet, citing local Tibetans. Free Tibet used a different spelling, Dorje Lungdup, for the man’s name and said he was 25, while International Campaign for Tibet said he was in his mid-twenties.

Many Tibetans in China accuse the government of repressing their religion and undermining their culture, as China’s majority Han ethnic group

increasingly relocates into historically Tibetan areas. China says Tibetans enjoy religious freedom as well as improved standards of living thanks to government investment. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay on Friday urged China to address the many grievances in Tibetan areas that have given rise to the protests. “I recognise Tibetans’ intense sense of frustration and despair which has led them to resort to such extreme means,” she said, noting reports of “continuing allegations of violence against Tibetans”.

Also last week, the US ambassador to China Gary Locke urged Beijing to re-examine policies toward Tibetans as he acknowledged that he had quietly visited monasteries during the spate of self-immolation protests.

“We have very serious concerns about the violence, of the self-immolations, that have occurred over the last several years,” he said from Beijing to an online forum in the US, calling the incidents “very deplorable”. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

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Malaysian arrested over royal ‘Facebook insults’ KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested a 27-year-old quantity surveyor for allegedly posting seditious remarks on Facebook about the royal family of a southern Malaysian state, his brother said yesterday.

Ahmad Abd Jalil was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night but handed to police in Johor where he may have to beg forgiveness from the sultan,

his brother said. The government has announced plans to repeal the controversial Sedition Act, which has previously been justified as necessary to curb racial conflict in the multicultural nation.

But authorities have continued to invoke the act, under which those found guilty can be jailed, and Ahmad’s arrest is at least the third in two years related to the Johor royal house.

“They said the sultan was angry over Facebook posts and that it was being investigated under the Sedition Act. But they could not tell us which posts were being investigated,” said Ahmad’s brother, who asked not to be named.

Ahmad’s lawyer, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, told AFP he had not been allowed to meet any family members or lawyers since being brought to Johor. “The

alleged crime happened here so there is no reason to take him to Johor. They should just take his statement and let him go, this is not a violent crime,” she said.

“Police told the family they may take Ahmad to the palace to beg the Sultan’s pardon and then they can drop the case but that is highly unconstitutional.”

Police refused to confirm details of the

arrest. “I cannot comment on this as it is extremely sensitive,” Johor Baru (North) district police chief Ruslan Hassan told AFP, referring to the state’s royal house.

Each state’s royal family is given limited powers in the federation of Malaysia.

They are widely revered by the majority Malay Muslim population as the rulers are heads of Islam in their respective areas. — AFP

Bo Xilai expelled from Communist Party China’s ex-railways minister also expelled

NAYPYIDAW: Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (L) shakes hands with Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi upon arriving for a meeting at Suu Kyi’s residence in Naypyidaw yesterday. Aung San Suu Kyi has declined to speak out on behalf of Rohingya Muslims and insisted she will not use “moral leadership” to back either side in deadly communal unrest in west Myanmar, reports said. — AFP

EU urges end to Myanmar unrest YANGON: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has called for an end to communal killings in Myanmar following talks with President Thein Sein, while pledging aid to the former pariah state.

More than 100,000 people have been displaced since June in two major outbreaks of violence in western Rakhine state, about 30,000 of them in the latest clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims which began last month.

Dozens have been killed in the latest violence and thousands of homes torched. “We are deeply concerned by these events and by the consequences for the reforms and democratisation of the country. We hope that all religious leaders will call for restraint,” Barroso said in a speech on Saturday.

“The EU stands ready to mobilise four million euros ($5 million) for immediate humanitarian needs, provided access to the affected areas is guaranteed,” he said, according to a copy of his speech released in Brussels.

Barroso, the latest in a series of Western officials to visit Myanmar after a quasi-civilian government led by Thein Sein took charge last year, was speaking at a newly established peace centre in Yangon. The EU has contributed 700,000 euros to set up the peace centre, which is designed to ease “dialogue between all those concerned by Myanmar’s ethnic peace processes”, a separate European Commission statement said.

Civil war has gripped parts of Myanmar since independence from British colonial rule in 1948, with many of the country’s ethnic minority groups

demanding varying levels of autonomy.

Tentative ceasefires have been agreed with many major rebel groups as part of sweeping reform in the former junta-run nation, but fierce fighting between the army and Kachin rebels continues in the north of the country.

Barroso said initial funding for the peace centre would be followed by a “sizable package later this year, also benefitting ethnic communities”, according to the statement, which added that the EU will contribute a total of 30 million euros to the ethnic peace process in 2013.

Earlier this year the EU pledged to provide 150 million euros in additional aid to Myanmar over the next two years.

Andreas List, head of the EU office in Myanmar, told AFP that Barroso had indicated aid was likely to be “significantly increased” in a new package from 2014, although he stressed that this had not yet been agreed.

Barroso’s comments came after he met Myanmar’s president and held talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Nobel laureate told the BBC on Saturday that she would not use “moral leadership” to back either side in the Rakhine unrest, which has mainly pitted ethnic Rakhine Buddhists against stateless Rohingya Muslims.

Her comments are likely to disappoint rights groups hopeful that she would speak up on behalf of the Rohingya, who make up the majority of those displaced by the fighting.

Violence in Rakhine is seen as a serious challenge to Myanmar’s reforms, which have included Suu Kyi’s election to parliament and the release of hundreds of political prisoners. — AFP

BANGKOK: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, left, and Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra pose for photographers during their meeting at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.

Barroso is on a one-day stopover enroute to ASEM summit in Laos. — AP

BEIJING: Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has been formally expelled from the ruling Communist Party, state media said yesterday, in a decision made at a meeting of top party officials that ended just days ahead of a broader once-a-decade power handover.

The ouster, which clears the way for Bo to face criminal trial, came at a gathering of 500 top party officials that wrapped up in Beijing.

The ten-yearly leadership transition, scheduled for a party congress that opens Thursday, had been dogged by the Bo scandal.

The party’s Central Committee “endorsed a decision by the Political Bureau ... to expel Bo Xilai”, Xinhua news agency said-referring to the party’s top 25-member policy-making body-adding it had taken the decision last month.

The months-long controversy surrounding Bo had exposed deep divisions in the top leadership, as he had influential patrons and a following among left-leaning members, ahead of the sensitive power transition.

The former party boss in the central megacity of Chongqing was once seen as a candidate for promotion to the party’s top echelons but was brought down earlier this year by murder allegations against his wife that came to light after his police chief sought refuge in a US consulate.

Gu Kailai, Bo’s wife, was later given a suspended death sentence a judgment commonly commuted to a life sentence for fatally poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood.

Xinhua said previously that Bo had “borne major responsibility” in connection with the murder of Heywood and would “face justice” for alleged abuse of power, taking “massive” bribes and having inappropriate sexual relations. Late last month he was expelled from the country’s parliament and stripped of his legal immunity. The committee during its four-day meeting also agreed to expel former railways minister Liu Zhijun, who was sacked last year for allegedly taking more than 800 million yuan ($128 million) in bribes and awaits trial.

Appointed in 2003, Liu was accused of taking the payouts while doling out contracts for the rapid expansion of China’s high-speed railway system, which has been plagued by graft and safety scandals. Separately, the commit-

tee named generals Fan Changlong and Xu Qiliang as vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission, following recent leadership reshuffles including a new air force chief and army deputy chief of staff.

The committee also approved a draft amendment to the party constitution, Xinhua reported without giving details.

China analyst Joseph Cheng said more critical but non-publicised decisions at the gathering likely had to do with finalising leadership positions, whose appointments the congress of about 2,000 party members will approve. Vice President Xi Jinping is set to succeed outgoing President Hu Jintao, while Vice Premier Li Keqiang is expected to replace outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao.

But little else is known about who will fill the supporting cast, including in the Politburo and its Standing Committee, the nation’s top decision-making body, which is expected to have five to seven members besides Xi and Li. Observers have said that Bo’s fate served as

a bargaining chip for rival factions seeking their preferred candidates for top spots.

“The situation has certainly not been very satisfactory in that the bargaining goes on till the very end,” said Cheng, a professor at Hong Kong City University. “It should be finalised by now.” Authorities had hoped for a smooth build-up to a congress that is tightly scripted to underline the party’s claim to be the only legitimate force capable of ruling the world’s most populous nation.

But the party has instead been rocked by the Bo case and the details of murder, bribery and the affluent lifestyles of the party power elite that it laid bare.

In the days leading up to the gathering, which typically lasts one week, already strict censorship of the media and Internet has been further tightened while security personnel have flooded cities.

More than 1.4 million people in Beijing have volunteered to help police “maintain stability”, Xinhua reported. — AFP

BEIJING: In a file picture taken on March 5, 2012, Chongqing mayor Bo Xilai (bottom C) attends the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has been expelled from the ruling Communist party, state media said yesterday clearing the way for him to face criminal trial. — AFP

Australia, Philippines to augment military drills MANILA: Australia and the Philippines will discuss greater security cooperation and visits by Australian forces for exercises with Filipino troops under a newly approved pact, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said yesterday.

The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, ratified by the Philippine Senate in July, allows Australian troops to hold combat exercises with Filipino forces in the Philippines. It had been pending for four years but received backing this year from previously reluctant senators alarmed by recent territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. Australia earlier approved the agreement, which both sides signed in 2007. Gazmin said Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith plans to visit early next year to discuss joint field exercises that would include training in natural disasters, terrorism and other threats. The Philippines has a similar 1999 pact with the United States, which is also a treaty ally.

American and Philippine forces hold large-scale combat exercises every year. Hundreds of American counterterrorism troops have been allowed to stay in the south since 2002 to train Filipino soldiers battling alQaida-linked militants.

“It would be good if Australia will also become a strategic partner,” Gazmin said. The presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former American colony. The Philippine Constitution forbids foreign troops from being permanently based in the country and the Senate must ratify agreements governing temporary visits by outside forces.

Meanwhile, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said yesterday his country would raise overlapping claims to the South China Sea during a summit of Asian and European leaders in Laos this week.

Aquino said he expects to hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of the European Union, Poland, Switzerland, Norway and Italy during the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting beginning in Laos on Monday.

“At a time when parts of Asia and Europe are facing crisis and uncertainty, it is important for leaders of the two regions to discuss issues they are burdened with,” he said in his departure speech. Among other issues, he said, the leaders were expected to talk about increasing economic cooperation and seek ways to limit the impact of fiscal crises hobbling some European nations. Aquino said the Philippines meanwhile would seek “suggestions on ways to craft a just and peaceful agreement on the West Philippine Sea”.

Manila refers to the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines has since April been engaged in a stand-off with China over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. — Agencies

Four Chinese ships enter disputed waters: Japan TOKYO: Four Chinese government ships temporarily sailed into the territorial waters of disputed Tokyo-controlled islands in the East China Sea yesterday, Japan’s coastguard said. The maritime surveillance vessels entered the 12-nautical-mile zone around Uotsurijima, the main islet in the disputed chain called the Senkaku Islands in Japan and the Diaoyu Islands in China at about noon (0300 GMT).

The four ships left the zone at about 3:00 pm (0600 GMT) and remained within 24-nautical-mile “contiguous” waters off Uotsurijima at 3:30 pm ( 0630 GMT), a coastguard official said.

Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Chikao Kawai “strongly protested to the Chinese ambassador Cheng Yonghua about the Chinese ships’ intrusion into Japan’s territorial waters, and the growing frequency of such moves” by telephone, the foreign ministry in Tokyo said in a statement.

Kawai said the “repeated provocative action” would undermine communication between the countries aimed at calming the situation, according to the statement. The Chinese envoy repeated Beijing’s own view on the issue but added he was seeking to resolve the dispute through dialogue, it said.

Chinese vessels have moved in and out of what Japan says is its sovereign territory over the past two months since Tokyo nationalised some of the islands in the group. It was the third consecutive day that Chinese vessels have entered the territorial waters of the disputed islets.

On Friday, six Chinese government ships temporarily entered the territorial waters around the same islet, while on Saturday, one Chinese government ship temporarily entered the same area, according to the coastguard.

As well as the potential mineral reserves, national pride is at stake in the decades-old spat, which has recently spiked and hit the huge trade relationship between the two biggest economies in the region.

Japan and China are readying for a

third round of talks on the issue, but Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is not likely to hold bilateral talks with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of an Asia-Europe summit in Laos opening on Monday, reports have said.

Noda will mention the importance of observing international laws to resolve territorial issues at the Asia-Europe summit, the premier told local media Sunday, adding how to improve “the ties with China and South Korea all comes down to level-headed discussions,” Jiji Press reported.

Japan is also embroiled in a separate row with South Korea over a different set of disputed islands in the Sea of Japan, known as the East Sea by Koreans.

Meanwhile, Japan is planning to develop an unmanned drone that could help detect a North Korean nuclear missile attack and to counter China’s military buildup, a report said yesterday.

The defence ministry has demanded 3 billion yen ($372 million) over the next four years to develop the aircraft, which would come into operation in 2020, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported without citing sources.

The development of the drone, which will be equipped with an infrared sensor to seek out low-altitude missiles, comes after Japan failed to detect North Korea’s failed rocket launch in April.

The launch, described by Pyongyang as an attempt go put a satellite into orbit but condemned by world leaders as a disguised ballistic missile test, saw the rocket disintegrate over the Yellow Sea just two minutes after launch.

But Japan was forced to rely on information from the United States and media reports after its own detection systems failed.

Japanese officials later said its alert system could not detect the rocket because of its low-altitude flight path.

Japan is also embroiled in a tense territorial dispute with China over a group of islands known as the Senkakus in Japan and Diaoyus in China. — AFP

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

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Masgoof back on the menu: Iraq’s signature dish returns BAGHDAD: Abu Shahad digs his fingers into a flame-grilled carp, stuffs them into his mouth and relishes a taste of what is perhaps Iraq’s most beloved dish - masgoof. Thanks to a drop in the once-rampant levels of violence across the nation ravaged by years of war, sales of the national meal are soaring. Seated with four of his friends and dressed in an immaculate dishdasha, the traditional Arab full-length male gown, Abu Shahad enthuses about his dinner. “This fish is part of Baghdad’s heritage, part of the heritage of the south, the west of Iraq,” he says.

While violence is still high, it has declined to levels that make it increasingly possible for Abu Shahad and others to visit cafes and restaurants.

“When we come here, we feel relaxed,” he said. As a result, the fishing industry and restaurants serving the cut-open carp, best eaten in groups, are seeing a boom. “During the sectarian tensions, we would hardly sell 10 fishes a day,” said Hashim Murshid, the owner of the Khadra restaurant in the north Baghdad neighbourhood of Adhamiyah, where Abu Shahad and his friends were eating. “But now, we serve around 100 fishes a day,” he said.

More and more Iraqis are venturing out to restaurants like his, on the banks of the Tigris river snaking through Baghdad, where the smell of cooked fish mixes with that of the flavoured water pipes customers puff as they eat their meals. A gathering like Abu Shahad’s would have been inconceivable between 2006 to 2008, when the worst of Iraq’s communal bloodshed claimed tens of thousands of lives and Iraqis would only leave their homes after dark for essential work.

But the situation has changed. Abu Shahad said that evening’s meal was in honour of a friend who had been sick. “He recovered, so we forced him to invite us to eat masgoof,” Abu Shahad said as the restaurant sank into darkness, victim to one of the Iraqi capital’s frequent power cuts. When customers arrive at Khadra, they select their carp from a restaurant pond. The fish is killed with a sharp blow to the head, cut in half, and then seasoned with a combination of onions, spices, and tomato sauce. It is then set on a rack and grilled in front of an ember-filled pit.

Khadra customers are charged around 40,000 dinars ($33) for each masgoof, expensive by the

standards of Iraqi restaurants, meaning many choose instead to buy the fish at markets and cook it at home. Umm Ahmed is one of those. At the fish market in Shawka, in the heart of Baghdad, she selects carp. “I cook masgoof in the memory of my son and my husband,” she said with a sad smile.

“They were killed in an attack three years ago, during Friday prayers.” Umm Ahmed was cooking for her family and friends, noting that she frequented the Shawka market because the fish is cheaper.

Harith Faraj, who runs a market stall selling fish, agreed, pointing out that fish costs less in Iraq than meat. “A kilo costs 6,500 dinars ($5),” he said, as he swatted away flies clustered on a carp. “Today, carp is within reach of everyone. A few years ago, it cost much more.”

Prices at markets have fallen as fish farms have developed, partly to counter the effects of dwindling flows along Iraq’s two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. Levels have fallen after Turkey constructed dams upstream, and also because of the draining of marshes by former leader Saddam Hussein.

The Euphrates Fish Farm is located near the ruins of Babylon, around 100 km south of Baghdad. Its own-

er Khudayr Abbas Al-Imarah trumpets the facility as the biggest fish farm in the Middle East.

The farm produced around 1,250 tonnes of common carp, grass carp and silver carp in 2011, up from 800 tonnes during the fall of Saddam’s regime in 2003 which, Imarah said, is what “put masgoof back on the tables of Iraqi families”. With help from USAID, the US government’s development agency, which invested an unspecified amount in the farm, and a decline in violence, Imarah has seen rising sales. But during the worst of Iraq’s violence, “we spent a lot of money on security,” Imarah recalled. “It meant we had less money for investment. On the roads, our trucks were exposed to terrorism, but the situation began to stabilise in 2008.”

The farm now sells to fish markets, and directly to customers - carp swim in three ponds, waiting to be selected by individual clients. Ahmed and his young son were at the Euphrates Fish Farm’s store, looking for one such carp. “We have this tradition, every Wednesday, we cook masgoof,” Ahmed said.

“Thank God, Iraq is better now ... We are serving masgoof for 12 guests tonight.” — AFP

14

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

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Issues

Jordan mulls carpooling, blackouts

By Taylor Luck rom restricting the number of vehicles on the kingdom’s roads to electricity blackouts, Jordanian officials are scrambling for solutions to an energy crunch which experts say is tipping the country into a financial crisis. Fuel and energy have long been an issue of national security for Jordan, which unlike its oil-rich Gulf neighbours is blessed with few natural resources and imports 98 per cent of its energy needs. Experts say recent energy woes stem from a dramatic drop in its Egyptian natural gas supplies. As recently as 2010 Egypt provided 80 per cent of the country’s electricity - a number that now stands at less than 16 per cent.

Due to a series of acts of sabotage and technical delays dropping Jordan’s gas supplies from 240 million cubic feet (mcf) to less than 40 mcf per day, Amman has been forced to rely on a more volatile international oil market. When Cairo completely suspended supplies last month in order to meet a rise in domestic demand, officials say Jordan’s energy woes went from a “concern” to a national “emergency”. “We have learned that we cannot rely on Egyptian gas alone, and that we have to focus on several oil shale and renewable energy projects that will help secure Jordan’s energy independence,” Energy Minister Allaa Batayneh told journalists recently. “But in the meantime we are facing a very difficult situation.”

Amman’s national energy bill has reached $4 billion and is projected to push the 2012 state budget deficit to a record $2.8 billion. “It is this government’s priority to reduce the burden the national energy bill is placing on the budget,” government spokesman Smaih Maaytah told dpa. “This is perhaps the greatest challenge facing Jordan.” With Jordan’s state-run power company still providing electricity to citizens at prices 60 per cent less than generation costs and diesel reserves running low, energy officials say they will struggle to “keep the lights on” through November.

“We simply do not have oil or fuel and we have no idea how we are going to purchase fuel beyond next week,” cautioned Malek Kabiriti, chairman of the statebacked National Electric Power Company (NEPCO).

“Unless we arrive at real solutions real soon, we are going to reach the point of no return,” Kabiriti said.

One of the solutions touted by Finance Minister Suleim Hafeth is a so-called “alternate-day road system,” under which the country’s roads would be limited to vehicles bearing licence plates ending in even or odd numbers on alternating days. Government sources expect the controversial measure - which was previously imposed by Amman during the 1991 Gulf War after its oil supplies from Iraq were cut - to shave some 20 per cent off the national fuel bill. “This is seen as a cost-effective, immediate way to reduce the country’s fuel consumption,” a cabinet source said.

According to Hafeth, Amman is also leaning towards cutting back on energy use in the public sector, with plans to black out road lights on non-essential streets and reduce electricity use in public institutions. Amman has prepared more “controversial” measures should its fuel conservation campaign fail to rein in the national energy bill. Among the more “difficult” proposals on the table is a 10 per cent average rise in electricity rates in a bid to help NEPCO close its growing 3.47 billion dollar budget deficit, according to a government source.

“Nobody wants to raise prices at a time of economic hardships, but sometimes there just is no other way,” said the source.

Yet even a modest rise in electricity rates may not be enough to prevent what officials are calling the “worst case scenario”: programmed blackouts. Under a currently planned scheme, Amman would cut electricity to select neighbourhoods for up to three hours per day to keep up with demand projected to surpass 3,000 megawatts by early 2013. Officials privately express concern that the more controversial measures will spark a backlash in the streets, where anti-government protestors have gathered on a near daily basis since the launch of the Arab Spring demanding political and economic reform.

Yet with Jordan’s treasury haemorrhaging millions of dollars per day on oil imports, officials say time is running out for “painless solutions”. “For years the energy sector in Jordan has been a ticking time bomb,” Kabiriti cautioned.

“If we do not act now, that bomb is set to explode in our face.” — dpa

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

How the media figure out who won

By Stephen Ohlemacher ver hear about national elections where the winners aren’t known for days as government officials count votes and double-check results? Thank goodness we don’t have to wait that long for election results in the US, right? Not so fast. In the United States, most states don’t announce official election results until weeks after Election Day. Florida is scheduled to certify its results Nov 20 - two weeks after the polls close. Ohio’s deadline is Nov 27. The public can get unofficial results in some states from government websites on election night or early the next day. But how can you be sure who won? In close contests, how do you know whether there are enough remaining votes to change the outcome?

Most Americans are pretty certain they know who won from news media, which play a large role in not only reporting election results but figuring out who won - usually long before the last votes are counted and certified. It works like this: The United States has a decentralized system for counting votes in national elections. No single government authority oversees the process. Instead, officials in more than 4,000 counties, townships and parishes across the nation tally votes for president, Congress, governor, state legislature and a host of state and local offices.

The AP will deploy more than 5,000 workers on Nov 6 to collect vote results from government agencies and report them to news organizations - and the public around the world. In all, the AP will report results for nearly 7,000 races. Government officials get the final say on who wins elections - Congress verifies the Electoral College votes for president and vice president, while state and county officials certify election results in their juris-

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dictions. But the media get the first word on election night, an important role in the democratic process of a nation that demands fast and accurate information.

Analysts at the AP and other news organizations will use several tools to determine election winners, sometimes with very few votes actually counted. In elections for Congress and local offices, analysts will rely mainly on the AP vote count to determine the winners. In statewide races for president, Senate and governor, analysts also will use exit polls, which are interviews with voters as they leave the polls on Election Day, and in some states, vote tallies from a randomly selected sample of precincts.

About 35 percent of the electorate is expected to vote before Election Day, either by mail or in person. To gauge how those people voted, analysts will use telephone polls of absentee voters in states where large numbers of people vote early.

For landslide elections, exit polls sometimes provide enough data to determine the winners before any votes are counted. Workers stand outside polling places throughout the day, asking voters to fill out confidential questionnaires about how they voted. The AP and other news organizations have agreed to wait until poll closing time in any race before projecting a winner. Once the polls close, news organizations can declare winners in some landslide elections immediately, or shortly thereafter. Spoiler alert: It won’t take many - if any - votes to determine which presidential candidate wins Utah or Rhode Island. Obama is not contesting Utah, where Republicans have won every presidential election since 1964, and Romney is making little effort in Rhode Island, traditionally a Democratic stronghold. For races that are more competitive, analysts may use vote tallies from the randomly selected voting precincts to supplement data

from the exit polls. The voting precincts are chosen at random, based on the same statistical models that pollsters use when they randomly choose people to answer surveys. Workers report these vote totals soon after the polls close, giving analysts a relatively quick look at how the election is shaping up in that state. For races that are even more competitive, news organizations rely on the AP vote count, the only national source of election results in all US counties and other vote-reporting jurisdictions.

As votes are tallied, analysts use statistical models to help project the winners. The models compare current votes in a race with results from previous elections. Is Obama doing as well in central Ohio as he did on 2008? Is Romney doing better than John McCain did in the Cleveland area?

The closest races will come down to a county-by-county analysis of the remaining votes. If Romney is ahead in Ohio, are there enough votes left to be counted in Democratic-leaning counties for Obama to catch him?

And what about the votes that don’t get counted until after Election Day? In 2008, nearly 12 percent of the votes in Ohio were counted after Election Day. Among them were 207,000 provisional ballots cast by people who weren’t allowed to cast regular ballots because their names didn’t show up on voter rolls or they had moved without updating their voter registrations. Ultimately, 81 percent of the provisional ballots in Ohio were counted in 2008. Ohio’s provisional ballots didn’t affect the outcome of the presidential election in 2008 because Obama beat McCain by a relatively comfortable margin. But what if this year’s presidential election comes down to Ohio again - and there are fewer than 200,000 votes separating Obama and Romney? It might take a few weeks to figure out who won the White House, after all.— AP

What comes after intervention in Mali?

By Eszter Farkas

n African-led military intervention in Mali might have grave consequences, including possible human rights violations, if its aims and long-term plans are not laid out more clearly, analysts warn. Current plans are superficial and the intended deployment has not been clarified, said Roland Marchal, a Paris-based specialist on conflict in sub-Saharan Africa. “What is the ambition of the intervention, what is the political motivation? The technicalities of the planned action have to be refined,” Marchal told dpa.

He was voicing concerns ahead of an African Union-led conference set to start today in Bamako. The AU has until Nov 15 to submit to the UN Security Council a plan aimed at resolving the crisis miring Africa’s once model democracy. Under the plan, African soldiers will receive training and technical support from France, Mali’s former colonial power, as well as the United States, the United Nations and the European Union. “The conference will determine practical arrangements for the involvement of different forces: who will do what and where,” Colonel Diaran Kone, Mali’s Ministry of Defence spokesperson told dpa. The meeting, drawing about 50 participants, will be led by the head of the AU Standby Militar y Force, General Sekouba Konate. The regional block ECOWAS has had 3,300 troops on hand to deploy to the country, pending a UN resolution. But to avoid more harm, the aims of an intervention should be immediately spelled out to the Malians,

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Marchal said. “What are you (the international actors) going to rebuild, the status quo or something new? If it’s something new, you have to start explaining it to the local population,” Marchal said. “What is going to happen economically, how will you replace the criminal economy, including human trafficking?”

Other issues that need to be addressed include whether the Malian army or an international force will take over the liberated areas, he said. The roots of the conflict can be traced back to the 1980s, when many pastoralist Tuareg left the country to escape a drought. When they returned in the 1990s, they staged a rebellion and after

long negotiations, many were integrated into the army. Scores of Tuareg were also recruited by Libya’s late dictator, Moamer Gaddafi. Returning to Mali after Gaddafi’s capture and death a year ago, many joined separatist rebels in the arid north.

In January the Tuareg, who currently number some 300,000 in a country with of 14.5 million, launched attacks against army garrisons in the north.

A military coup in March, allegedly staged over grievances that the government failed the army in the Tuareg rebellion, created a power vacuum, which Islamist insurgents used to take control over the entire north. In May, Ansar Dine, an Islamist group thought to be linked to

Photo taken on Aug 7, 2012 shows fighters of the Islamic group Ansar Dine standing guard at Kidal airport in northern Mali. — AFP

Al-Qaeda, with the Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) declared an Islamic republic in northern Mali. Since the Islamist takeover, at least 330,000 people have fled the region to neighbouring countries, including Algeria, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Residents of northern Mali recently told dpa they had seen increasing numbers of foreign jihadists arriving. The Islamists have imposed sharia law, including punishments such as stoning and amputations. People in the north are “obliged to change their way of living; they are forbidden to smoke, drink, and women are obliged to cover themselves ... sacred mausoleums have been destroyed,” noted Salvatore Sagues, West Africa researcher for the rights group Amnesty International. “We are very worried that if there is a military intervention, there might be very serious human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law,” he told dpa by phone from France.

This could include “indiscriminate shelling” in the north, since “there is no clear distinction between the armed groups and the population. “We can anticipate a lot of civilian casualties,” Sagues said. Earlier this week, the Red Cross warned about the possibility of a worsening humanitarian situation in Mali and the Sahel. “In the event of military deployments and renewed hostilities in the north of Mali, there would inevitably be consequences for the population, and we have to be ready to respond,” said Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. —dpa

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

NEWS

KUWAIT: Opposition supporters block the Sixth Ring Road near Mishref during a demonstration against a decision by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to amend the electoral law despite it having been confirmed by a court last month. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Gulf squeeze on dissent raises alarm with allies DUBAI: The Gulf has been the slow burn of the Arab uprisings. The fraternity of rulers in the oil-rich region has remained intact with tactics ranging from withering force in Bahrain to arrests of perceived dissenters in the United Arab Emirates.

And it’s been done without too much serious blowback from their Western allies, which count on the region’s reliability as an energy supplier and military partner against Iran. But that now could be put to the test as Gulf states attempt to muzzle voice of opposition by adopt sweeping measures, such as protest bans and clampdowns on social media. “The Western governments have taken essentially ‘do what it takes’ policies with the Gulf regimes,” said Christopher Davidson, an expert on Gulf affairs at Britain’s Durham University. “That requires a certain level of silence and a practice of looking the other way from the West.”

Last week, however, State Department spokesman Mark Toner issued unusually blunt criticism of a decision by Bahrain - a strategically located island country that is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet - to temporarily outlaw all anti-government protests amid rising violence in the nearly 21-month-old uprising against the Western-backed monarchy. Early yesterday, protesters rained homemade firebombs on at least three police stations in yet another sign of the deepening tensions.

Kuwait also could bring further questions from the West

over its widening clampdowns on an Islamist-led opposition ahead of Dec 1 parliamentary elections, including bans on public gatherings of more than 20 people. Protesters, however, have defied the order and yesterday, thousands staged a march in Mishref as security forces countered with tear gas and stun grenades.

The UAE, meanwhile, has angrily challenged a European Parliament resolution last week that denounced “assaults, repression and intimidation” against rights activists and suspected members of an Islamist group that officials consider a threat to the state. More than 60 people have been detained in the past year in one of the quietest ongoing crackdowns of the Arab Spring, rights groups say. And Saudi Arabia said last month it was “insulted” by a British parliament inquiry into possible Saudi human rights violations and its military assistance to Bahrain’s embattled monarchy. Saudi forces also have waged an ongoing battle against groups from the kingdom’s Shiite majority that claim they face systematic discrimination.

Across the region, bloggers and social media activists also are facing increasing pressures for violating laws against direct criticism of the sheikhs and monarchs that control the Gulf. Last week, a Bahraini man was sentenced to six months in prison after being charged with insulting the king. “The Gulf is a delicate dance for the West,” said Ali Al-Ahmed, director of

Egypt Coptics pick new pope Continued from Page 1 On Nov 18, Tawadros will assume his new position as spiritual head of the largest Christian minority in the Middle East, becoming the 118th pope in a line dating back to the origins of Christianity and to Saint Mark, the apostle and author of one of the four Gospels, who brought the new faith to Egypt. “The pope is a servant,” Tawadros told Egyptian state television after his appointment, adding that he bore “the responsibility of love and peace”.

Tawadros, whose given name is Wagih Sobhy Baqi Suleiman, had come second in a vote last week for three final candidates. Nearly 2,500 Coptic public officials, MPs, journalists and local councillors had voted to select the three from an original group of five to succeed Shenouda, who died at the age of 88 after four decades on the papal throne. Tawadros is said to have had the support of the interim head of the church, Bishop Pachomius.

Bishoy Girgis Masaad, the altar boy who picked Tawadros’ name from a chalice, was chosen from among 12 children and later told state television he had wanted Tawadros to win. Pachomius later said in an interview with state television that the new pope had yet to be rati-

fied by President Mohamed Morsi. But this is a formality, and Morsi sent Tawadros a congratulatory message, the official MENA news agency reported.

Strict measures were taken to ensure there was no foul play during the entire process. The three pieces of paper were all the same size, tied up the same way and placed in the chalice. Shenouda, a careful, pragmatic leader, died at a critical time for the increasingly beleaguered minority, which has faced a surge in sectarian attacks after a popular uprising overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in Feb 2011. The pope serves as the spiritual leader of Egypt’s Coptic Christians, who make up between six and 10 percent of its 83-million-strong population.

Amid increased fears about the community’s future after Mubarak’s overthrow, the new pope will be its main contact with Morsi, Egypt’s first Islamist president. The rise of Islamists after the revolution has sparked fears among Copts of further persecution at home, despite Morsi’s repeated promises to be a president “for all Egyptians”. In the most recent incident, five Copts were injured in clashes with Muslims at a church in a village south of Cairo on Oct 28, security sources said. The violence broke out when Muslim villagers tried to block access to the church as the Coptic faithful arrived for Sunday mass. — AFP

the Washington-based Institute of Gulf Affairs. “The Gulf leaders know they are insulated. There could be rising complaints from Washington or London about various hardline measures, but no one realistically thinks the West will do anything more than complain.”

That’s because the likely price would be too high for anything else. The Gulf states host perhaps the highest concentration of Western military might outside NATO, including about 15,000 US ground forces in Kuwait and airbases dotting the desert down to Oman. The arrangement works for both sides because of a shared concern: Iran. The West gets firepower right at Iran’s doorstep and the Gulf leaders have resident protectors.

The West also cannot ignore the rising political ambitions of the Gulf as the wider Middle East is reshaped by the Arab Spring. Qatar, a leading backer of Libyan rebels last year and now a key supporter of the Syrian rebellion, is hosting a critical meeting this week of Syrian opposition officials. The US hopes to use the gathering to overhaul the anti-Damascus forces into a new leadership with fewer Syrian exiles and more rebels commanders. At the same time, Syria’s civil war and Iran’s nuclear program will be high on the agenda for Gulf stops this week by British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande. Those visits will also be

opportunities for Gulf leaders to restate their views on the internal threats.

They fall in two directions: Suspected Iranian plots and fears about Islamists emboldened by Arab Spring victories in Egypt and elsewhere. Authorities in Bahrain - facing nonstop clashes and unrest since Feb 2011 - have increasingly blamed Shiite power Iran or its proxies for encouraging the protests by the island nation’s Shiite majority. No clear evidence has emerged to back up the claims - and Iran denies any direct role - but it has become a central narrative of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council anchored by regional Sunni power Saudi Arabia.

It’s also one that boxes Washington and other Western allies into a corner. The US has urged dialogue in Bahrain, where more than 50 people have died in the unrest. But any clear support for the Shiite-led opposition could seriously disrupt relations with Gulf nations and possibly complicate the future of US bases in the region. In the UAE, the main target is an Islamist group, Al-Islah, that authorities worry could try to undermine the control of the ruling clans in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other emirates. Al-Islah says it only seeks a wider public voice in the country’s affairs - but even that is considered dangerous territory in a nation that allows no political parties and swiftly stamps out any signs of public protests. — AP

Iran sets up new base near disputed islands Continued from Page 1 “occupation” violates international law. In April, a visit

by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the islands inflamed the dispute over the territories and prompted an outcry by UAE and its Arab allies. Tehran later vowed to develop the islands through tourism and other industries, though little has been reported on that since the visit.

During the inauguration of the base, Guards chief Gen Mohammad Ali Jafari expressed the hope that new base could support economic development of the islands.

Tehran says the islands have been part of states that existed on the Iranian mainland from antiquity until the British occupied them in the early 20th century. Tehran also maintains that an agreement signed eight years before its 1979 Islamic Revolution between Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the ruler of one of the UAE’s seven emirates, Sharjah, gives it the right to administer Abu Musa and station troops there. There

was no agreement on the other two islands. The UAE insists they belonged to the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah until Iran captured them by force days before the UAE statehood in 1971.

Yesterday, Iranian newspapers reported that the country has produced a domestically-made drone capable of hovering in midair. The conservative Resalat said an advanced vertical take-off and landing or VTOL drone will be displayed in February. It quoted Abbas Jam, who is director of the project, as saying that the drone can also fly in silence. Earlier in October Iran said it obtained images of sensitive Israeli bases taken by a drone that was launched by Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement that month and downed by Israel. Iran says other drones made dozens of apparently undetected flights into Israeli airspace from Lebanon in recent years. Israel has rejected that. Iran frequently claims breakthroughs in military technology and other achievements. Most are impossible to independently confirm. — AP

Police choke protests with force...

Continued from Page 1 The former lawmaker said that he does not know how the youth activists will react when they know there is no intention to withdraw the amendment. Earlier in the day, the Amir received a number of Salafist clerics who also discussed the situation.

Hundreds of the special forces and police were deployed around the Arabian Gulf Road where the demonstration was planned to be staged and sealed off almost all roads leading to two sites specified by the organisers. Police strongly dealt with dozens of protesters who arrived at the two sites early and asked them to leave as traffic on the Gulf Road was cut off for several hours. The police’s heavy presence forced the organisers to change the location to Mishref near the international fairgrounds. The message was sent to supporters of the opposition through their Twitter account.

Despite the long distance, tens of thousands managed to reach the site and started the march. Police quickly closed the main entrances to the new site but protesters who were arriving in droves managed to join the procession. Riot police arrived quickly to the scene and began firing tear gas and stun grenades at the crowd who quickly moved south and blocked the Sixth Ring Road, one of the key motorways in Kuwait for around 30 minutes.

The Information Ministry had cleared its car park on the command of the National Guard, while a major shopping mall and meeting point along the march route closed early. Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah told official news agency KUNA that security guards would maintain public order and curb any illegal activities. Security forces used tear gas to break up two protests by tens of thousands of demonstrators in the past two weeks in which more than 130 protesters and 16 policemen were injured. But opposition activists were undeterred. “We will continue. The opposition no longer cares about government statements,” said an activist who declined to be named.

Barely an hour after it started, organisers called off the demonstration, saying that their message for safeguarding the constitution had been expressed. The move came apparently to prevent police from intensifying its con-

frontation which could have resulted in casualties. While dispersing, organisers reported that riot police continued to fire tear gas at the protesters, thousands of whom moved to the nearby Sabah Al-Salem area. Riot police units were called to deal with the demonstrators in Sabah Al-Salem but they also dispersed without any incident. Activists said dozens have been arrested while there were no reports about any one wounded. The organisers have not announced plans for new protests.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Jordan and Kuwait yesterday categorically denied reports that Jordan had dispatched thousands of riot police to the state to help quell protests. Reports of Jordanian special forces deployed in Kuwait are “utterly baseless”, both the ministers stressed yesterday. “The Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior has issued a clear press release on this matter, in which it clearly defined the situation,” Kuwait’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah said. His remarks came during the joint press conference he held alongside his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh after the conclusion of the third meeting of the higher Kuwaiti-Jordanian Committee.

“The Interior Ministry represents the Kuwaiti government, in which I am the foreign minister,” Sheikh Sabah underlined.

On his part, Judeh labeled as “groundless” all what is being said on social networking websites about tens of thousands of Jordanian troops in Kuwait. “I came here to head my country’s delegation to the third meeting of the higher Kuwaiti-Jordanian Committee, a meeting scheduled months beforehand. To those circulating such reports, please look at my delegation - are there any generals in it?”

Describing his country’s relations with Kuwait as “distinguished”, Judeh said a meeting he held with HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah touched upon deep-seated bilateral relations, during which the minister handed the Amir a letter from King Abdullah II. On the security agreement inked with Jordan earlier yesterday, Sheikh Sabah said “cooperation between the two countries is not a recent one... It goes back since Kuwait’s independence in 1961. It (the agreement) deals with holding training courses and issues of mutual concern of both interior ministries.”

BANDAR-E LENGEH, Iran: Speedboats of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are seen yesterday at a naval base in the Arabian Gulf near this southern port. — AP

Hollande talks Syria, Iran with Saudi king Continued from Page 1 government-in-exile, after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton charged that the opposition bloc, in its current structure, was not representative. Asked about military aid to the Syrian rebels, Hollande said that only if “a temporary government is formed... we could only then ensure where the arms that could one day be provided go.”

On Iran’s controversial nuclear program which he discussed with the Saudi monarch, Hollande stressed that Tehran’s will to “access nuclear weapons” is seen as “a threat to the entire region and for the world”. Paris and Riyadh “agree” on toughening sanctions against Iran to “prevent it from moving forward” with its nuclear program, he said. But both countries stressed negotiations with Iran as a way to resolve the matter. Iran denies Israeli and Western suspicions that its nuclear program is a cover for efforts to build an atomic bomb, but has been hit by several rounds of UN and Western sanctions. Hollande’s stop in Jeddah came after a brief visit to Beirut during which he pledged to protect Lebanon against threats of destabilisation caused by the conflict in neighbouring Syria. In Jeddah, he spoke of a “common position” between France and the kingdom over Lebanon: “We once again warn all those who would destabilise this country which needs to regain its unity through dialogue.” Both leaders also discussed the Middle East peace process, according to spokesman Romain Nadal.

Hollande earlier told reporters that “this visit to Saudi Arabia is primarily political”. “France plays an active role

in the Middle East. We are the most active country on issues concerning Syria, Lebanon, and the peace process” between Israel and the Palestinians, he said. He later added that his stopover aims at “establishing a personal relationship” with the monarch, whose country “is France’s first trade partner”. “I welcome Saudi Arabia’s attitude in increasing its (OPEC) production quotas, allowing (oil) prices to remain under control,” he said, adding that the kingdom will contribute “to the recovery of” the world economy.

A French minister who requested anonymity said Hollande’s visit was aimed at improving relations with the kingdom which chilled under France’s former head of state, Nicolas Sarkozy. “Things weren’t working well.

They weren’t so good and now we are trying to have something else,” he said. During his brief visit, Hollande also met three civil society representatives with whom he discussed reform in the absolute monarchy as well the rights of women in the only country where they are banned from driving, a French diplomatic source said.

“Since 2005 (when King Abdullah came to power), steps have been completed and hopes are for more to be done on human rights and the situation of women” in the ultraconservative kingdom, Hollande told reporters. His trips to Lebanon and Saudi Arabia came as he headed for an Asia-Europe (ASEM) summit in Laos today against the backdrop of the eurozone economic crisis and lower growth forecast in Asia. The two-day summit gathers all 27 EU member states and 21 from Asia, including China and India, growth engines which have both come under pressure as the eurozone debt crisis has undercut demand for their exports. — AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

sp orts Quiney to replace Watson GABBA: Australia have added left-handed batsman Rob Quiney to their squad as cover for all-rounder Shane Watson for the first test against South Africa.

Watson injured his calf playing for New South Wales against Queensland on Saturday and is a doubt for the Test, which begins on Friday at the Gabba in Brisbane.

“A decision on Shane is likely to be made earlier rather than later,” national selector John Inverarity said in a statement yesterday. Former skipper Ricky Ponting is also recovering from a hamstring niggle.

Victorian opener Quiney scored 85 in a practice match against South Africa to stay on course for a potential test debut against the world’s top-ranked side.

“His 85 from 113 balls against the strong South African attack demonstrated a good range of shots and a sound technique,” Inverarity said. “He is in good shape at the moment and he is ready to grasp his opportunity should he get the nod for Friday.”—Reuters

Bowler misses father’s funeral to face England MUMBAI: Javed Khan’s team mates celebrated as he picked up the prized England wickets of Jonathan Trott and Jonny Bairstow on Saturday but the 22-year-old struggled to raise a smile, knowing that his father was being laid to rest while he played.

While most of his Mumbai A team mates spent Friday evening planning how to use the match against England to push for state selection, Khan had been at a city hospital where his father had undergone open heart surgery.

Khan’s long-time coach, Raju Pathak, said the young bowler had

been inconsolable when his father passed away around midnight but decided the best way to honour him would be to play against England. “He was crying the whole night and was in a state of shock,” Pathak told Sunday’s Indian Express newspaper. “But this match against England was a big opportunity for him. “His father was keen to see him bowl against England.

So he did what his father would have wanted him to do.” Khan played two Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai in 2010 before falling off radar and he is trying to make a comeback.—Reuters

Chinese teen earns ticket to US Masters THAILAND: Guan Tianlang is poised to become the youngest golfer to play at the US Masters after the Chinese 14-year-old won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand yesterday.

Teenage hot-shot Guan earned an invitation to the 2013 Masters at Augusta after firing an even-par 71 to win by one stroke from Taiwan’s Pan Chung-Tseng at Amata Spring Country Club.

Pan shot a final-round 65 but Guan hung on to claim a memorable victory with a 15-under total of 269. Australia’s Oliver Goss, who finished third a further shot adrift, told AAP that Guan was “too young to be intimidated.”

When Guan tees it up at Augusta in April he will beat the previous record set

by Italy’s Matteo Manassero, who was 16 when he played at the year’s first major in 2010.—Reuters

Disappointed NYC marathoners to run in aid of Sandy victims NEW YORK: Hundreds of runners in New York City are refusing to let a canceled marathon spoil their late yesterday plans and are channeling months of preparation into informal runs intended to benefit victims of superstorm Sandy.

Amid criticism from victims of Monday’s storm that the race would divert resources from efforts to help flood-ravaged parts of the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday canceled late yesterday’s marathon. The event was expected to draw more than 40,000 runners to the city.

Early yesterday, more than 1,000 people, many of whom had planned to run the race, crowded onto two Staten Island Ferry boats, headed to the stricken borough with relief supplies ranging from food to plastic bags to help residents store belongings from damaged or destroyed homes.

Central Park also was crowded with runners near what would have been the marathon’s finish line, scores of them shivering in the lingering overnight cold. A group called run4allcauses was collecting donations for Sandy victims.

Kelly Rooney, a 31-year-old stay-at-home mother from Florida, was at first irked that Bloomberg called off the marathon after insisting earlier in the week that it would go ahead in spite of Sandy, whose 80 mile-perhour (130-kph) winds and record surge of seawater devastated coastal communities and killed at least 110 people in the United States.

Rooney traveled with her husband and 6year-old daughter in tow, while her parents flew in from Mexico to cheer her on. By Saturday afternoon Rooney was over her disappointment and looking forward to a charity run on hard-hit Staten Island that she had found advertised on the Internet.

Late yesterday, Rooney planned to run with a backpack full of dog food, cat food, batteries and some water donated by her hotel, the Ritz-Carlton across from Central Park. “I truthfully at this point don’t care if I run. I just want to give this stuff out,” she said.

The idea for the Staten Island run came to 46-year-old Jordan Metzl, a doctor of sports medicine, and his running friends just as the debate was heating up last week about whether storm-battered New York City should hold a marathon.

He was discouraged that the running community was being perceived so negatively when it holds so many races to raise money for a variety of causes.

Metzl expected hundreds of runners to show up for the Staten Island run, including participants from Germany and Italy. U.S. rower Alison Cox, who won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, also was expected to participate.

Lara Duerrschmid, 27, was among those boarding a ferry. “I know it’s going to be tough to see (the damage) but I just wanted to do something good,” said Duerrschmid, a resident of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which was spared the worst of the storm.

The runners will take different routes across Staten Island and distribute supplies along the way. Other informal runs will be held late yesterday that loop around Central Park - the original 1970 route of the New York City marathon.

Mindy Solkin, a running coach, already organized a 5-mile run on Saturday that started at the marathon’s finish line in Central Park. She also was planning a 26.2-mile (42.1 km) run called The Ad Hoc Marathon. Solkin and fellow coaches from The Running Center in Manhattan planned to be there with water and “power gels” to pass to runners.

Since Friday night, Solkin also had been scrambling to get some of the 50 runners she coaches registered in upcoming marathons in places such as Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Metzl, who has run 29 marathons in his life, said it would be pointless to let welltrained bodies go to waste. “Initially we were just going to do a run to raise some money and then we thought, hey, we’ve got these legs that are ready to run 26 miles, why don’t we actually run in Staten Island and get things that people need?” he said.—Reuters

Stacy wins Mizuno Classic SHIMA: Stacy Lewis of the United States shot an 8-under 64 yesterday to win the Mizuno Classic for her fourth LPGA title of the season.

Lewis, who carded 10 birdies against two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club, started the final round seven strokes back of overnight leader Lee Bo-mee of South Korea but birdied the last three holes to finish at 11under 205 to win by one stroke.

“I don’t think I’ve ever come back from this far,” Lewis said. “I didn’t think the low numbers

JAPAN: Stacy Lewis of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the Mizuno Classic.—AP

were out there until someone shot an 8under yesterday. I just went out there today trying to make birdies and got 10 of them which is pretty good.” Lee had three bogeys and three birdies for a 72 to finish in second place. Lewis made a 25-foot birdie putt on 16 then moved into a tie with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. She took sole possession of the lead with another 25-foot birdie putt on the last hole then claimed the $180,000 winner’s prize when Lee’s long birdie putt on 18 went long.

“I knew I was a ways back,” Lewis said. “I thought if I got to 10-under it would be close.

To shoot a 64 on the final day is always good.”

Japan’s Ayako Uehara shot a 67 to finish two strokes back while Taiwanese star Yani Tseng had a 68 to finish in fourth place at 7under 209.

Lewis has also won this season at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic in April, the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June and the Navistar LPGA Classic in September.

Yesterday’s win allowed Lewis to move 58 points ahead of South Korea’s Inbee Park in the LPGA player of the year standings with two events left. Each win is worth 30 points.

An American has not won the award since Beth Daniel in 1994. Lewis trails Park on the money list but said player of the year is more important to her. “The money list for me is pretty much out of reach with two tournaments left,” Lewis said. “My goal for this year is player of the year which forces Inbee to win the last two tournaments so to have that pretty much locked up is pretty cool.”—AP

Huck retains WBO cruiser belt HALLE: German cruiserweight Marco Huck successfully retained the WBO title for the 10th time with a unanimous decision win over compatriot Firat Arslan on Saturday.

The decision was greeted by a chorus of boos, as the crowd felt the 42-year-old Arslan had done more than enough to beat a man 15 years younger.

“This fight was the biggest scam that I’ve ever seen. It’s a disgrace,” Arslan’s coach Dieter Wittmann said. Arslan, a southpaw, forced the initiative throughout, and rocked the defending champion with a left uppercut to leave him with a bloody nose in the second round.

Huck finished the third with a flurry of punches to rouse the crowd, and he responded again in rounds seven and eighth, but the elusive Arslan appeared unbothered, even raising his arms in triumph after the ninth. Arslan’s intensity dropped slightly then, and Huck was com-

pelled to finish strongly before the judges awarded it 115-113, 115-113 and 117-111.

“It was hard work, he fought like a lion, worked very hard,” said Huck, who improved to 35-2-1 (25 KOs). “I’m not a judge. I think I landed more punches.”

Former WBA cruiserweight title holder Arslan, who dropped to 32-6-2 (21 KOs), was furious. “I’ve never experienced anything like this decision. I’ve seldom landed so many clean punches and he only scuffed me,” Arslan said. “How can such a thing happen? This kind of thing is ruining boxing. I landed so many punches. I think the whole crowd believes I’m the winner.

I’ve been robbed of my win. I would have been the new world champion today, I would have written history.” Huck next faces mandatory challenger Ola Afolabi for the third time. He fought the Briton to a draw by majority decision in his previous defense in May.—AP

ARCADIA: Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr (second right) on Fort Larned wins at the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.—AP

Wise Dan, Fort Larned shine at Breeders’ Cup ARCADIA: Wise Dan cemented his credentials as America’s top-ranked race horse while Game On Dude spectacularly failed as the 2012 Breeders’ Cup ended in glorious sunshine at Santa Anita Park on Saturday. Game on Dude, the overwhelming favourite for the marquee Breeders’ Classic, finished a surprising seventh out of 12 runners after making a poor start, effectively ending his chance of securing Horse of the Year honours.

That accolade now seems certain to fall to Wise Dan after the five-year-old gelding bolted to a sizzling victory in the $2 million Mile, posting a track record on the way to his fourth consecutive win.

Also taking advantage of Game on Dude’s unexpected fall from grace was Fort Larned, who stormed to a stunning upset win by half a length over Mucho Macho Man in the Classic, America’s richest horse race.

A crowd of 55,123 was enthralled by the card on the second and final day of the Breeders’ Cup, billed as the world championship of thoroughbred racing, as only three favourites triumphed in nine events. In addition to Wise Dan’s expected dominance over the mile, Groupie Doll stretched her unbeaten run to five races with victor y in the Filly and Mare Sprint while Shanghai Bobby also made it a perfect five-offive by winning the Juvenile.

The star of the day for most fans, however, was Wise Dan who broke from the pack on the home straight and held off 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom by a length and a half.

The gelding covered the mile in 1:31.78 to beat the track record set in 1997 by Atticus by

.11 seconds, all the more impressive given that Atticus carried nine fewer pounds at 117.

“I just wanted to get him in the right position,” jockey John Velazquez said after Wise Dan’s ninth victory in his last 11 races. “When I was able to do that, and you’ve got a horse as good as this, you can expect a result like this.”

Fort Larned, a 9-1 shot, stole the limelight in the $5 million Classic, leading all the way after making a storming start and holding off a late surge by Mucho Macho Man with a strong finish.

“When you got a horse that keeps getting better and better every time you take him over there, it makes my job easier,” said Fort Larned’s jubilant trainer Ian Wilkes.

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr, like Wilkes, celebrated his first Breeders’ Cup win but heaped most of the plaudits on the four-year-old colt.

“When he left the gate, he knew it was business time and he left there as well as he did,” said Hernandez, who also celebrated his 27th birthday on Saturday. “He’s going to be naturally fast and that’s what we let him do.”

Outsider Little Mike stole the show from the heavily fancied Point of Entry and last year’s champion St Nicholas Abbey to win the Turf in one of the biggest upsets of the day.

A 17-1 long shot, Little Mike was expertly ridden by jockey Ramon Dominguez and held off a late challenge by Point of Entry to seal victory by half a length with a commanding burst down the stretch.

Point of Entry, a 2-1 favourite after winning his previous five races and widely regarded as the one of best US runners on turf in recent years, closed fast to finish second.

In one of horse racing’s most spectacular settings with the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, odds-on favorite Groupie Doll obliterated the field to win the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint by four and one-half lengths from Dust and Diamonds.

Unbeaten in her four previous races, the William Bradley-trained filly stayed wide throughout and pulled away from the pack with a blistering.

“You’re the big favourite and expected to win, but you still have to get there,” said jockey Rajiv Maragh, who has ridden Groupie Doll to all five of her consecutive wins. “It’s never easy until you pass the wire.” Kentucky bred colt Shanghai Bobby, expertly ridden by Rosie Napravnik, maintained his perfect record by winning the $2 million Juvenile in a thrilling finish after fending off a late surge by He’s Had Enough.

The 6-5 favourite with four wins from as many starts, Shanghai Bobby appeared to have bolted to the lead too early on the final turn and was being swamped by challengers.

But Napravnik summoned another surge from the Todd Pletcher-trained colt and he kicked again to win by a head from He’s Had Enough, a 19-1 long shot.

“This is all part of the goal, to be on this level,” said Napravnik, having become only the second female jockey, after Julie Krone, to win a Breeders’ Cup race.

“Shanghai Bobby is a cool horse to be around. He’s talented and that’s all part of what my dream has been-to be able to ride this type of athlete and compete in the World Championships.”—Reuters

IKEA International Squash Tournament 2012 IKEA Kuwait expands horizons in community outreach initiatives KUWAIT: As a firm believer in nurturing local talents and promoting community welfare, IKEA Kuwait recently announced the launching of the upcoming IKEA International Squash Tournament 2012 in collaboration with Kuwait Squash Federation (KSF) and Professional Squash Association (PSA).

The IKEA International Squash tournament is scheduled to take place from Nov 6-10 at the KSF Head Office and courts in South Surra.

The one of a kind tournament brings together many internationally ranked professional squash players from 15 different countries, some of whom proudly represent Kuwait as well.

Abdullah Al Muzain, a national squash champion, currently ranking 51st among the top world champions said: “My passion for the game drives me to challenge myself and compete with other professional players around the world. This tournament will showcase Kuwait’s determination to inspire the youth of today that hold so much potential in various fields.”

Speaking on behalf of IKEA Kuwait, General Manager Adel Al Shamali said “We wanted to embark on a road that would develop the

national sports culture and unite local and global squash players to compete on a common platform. IKEA maintains its belief in empowering the mental and physical sustainability through innovative initiatives as a means to give back to the community it holds dear”.

“We are proud to host this event in partnership with IKEA Kuwait as it embodies their

brand mission in continuing the overall development of the local community. The IKEA international squash tournament proudly places Kuwait on the global map for sports enthusiasts”, added Hussain A. Maqseed, Chairman of Kuwait Squash Federation. For more information on the tournament and its daily scores, log onto http://www.psaworldtour.com/ or stay tuned to www.IKEA.com.kw

Waqar A Bhutta IKEA Marketing Manager, George Abu Haider, Store Manager, Hussain A Maqseed, KSF Chairman and Abdullah Al Muzain, Squash Champion.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

sp orts

Nets top Raptors Toyota Hybrid seals commanding win in China FIA World Endurance Championship race KUWAIT: Toyota Racing completed a remarkable debut season with a commanding victory from pole position in the Six Hours of Shanghai, the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The winning margin of almost a minute highlighted the impressive speed of the Toyota TS030 Hybrid and its innovative Toyota Hybrid System Racing. It was the third victory this year for the #7 TS030 Hybrid from just six races in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The hybrid system, using unique super-capacitor energy storage technology, also propelled the hybrid race car to three pole positions and four fastest laps during the season. Maximum points from the weekend elevated Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre to third place in the drivers’ world championship, despite contesting only six of the eight rounds.

Delighted with the victory and the overall success during the season, Pascal Vasselon, Technical Director of Toyota Racing said, “Today was a great performance from the whole team, with the right strategy, some excellent pit stops and fantastic driving by Alex and Nicolas. At the end of a rewarding season, I would like to thank all involved for their tremendous effort. Three wins and three pole positions in our first season exceeds our expectations so we are very satisfied.”

An ecstatic Alex Wurz, Toyota Racing

Team Driver said, “It was a good race for us and a 100 per cent perfect race weekend; from Friday onwards every step we have taken has been correct. That was the absolute maximum and it was good enough to win. It has been a terrific season for us. At the beginning we had some emotional and performance ups and downs but we improved every day and with every step. That is what counts and that’s why we ended the season as race winners.”

The Toyota hybrid stamped its grip on the race from the outset with Lapierre pulling away from his Audi rivals at the rate of one second per lap. Lapierre handed over a half-minute lead to Wurz who kept up the relentless speed. The strategy of fitting new tyres at each pitstop helped maximise the TS030 Hybrid’s pace and enabled the team to seize control of the race.

Both drivers completed further double stints each, with Wurz crossing the line to take victory and secure a winning climax to Toyota Racing’s first season of competition. The final margin was 58.57 seconds, during 191 laps, 7 pit stops, and the fastest lap is 1min 48.815secs The win in China marks the first time a Toyota team has recorded consecutive victories in an FIA World Championship event since 1994, and follows victories earlier in October at Fuji Speedway in Japan and in September at Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Zain to host soccer tourney KUWAIT: Zain, the largest communications company in Kuwait, announced that it will launch one of the largest ‘Zain Cup’ soccer tournament in Kuwait in cooperation with “Malazibna” Sports Company.

The company said in a press release that this huge tournament will include all age groups that love soccer, and matches will be played in three governorates after registration is complete.

The company said this tournament will be an opportunity to discover new talent, and give youth a chance to practice their favorite hobby in a professional fashion. Zain said that the United Sports Company “Malazibna” will carry out all organizational proce-

dures for this major tournament.

Communications and Relations Director at Zain, Waleed Al-Khashti said “we all know that such tournaments always provide the opportunity to bring happiness and enjoyment to Kuwaiti fans who love soccer very much.” He added “Zain knows very well that such tournaments are the source of pleasure for Kuwait’s fans who have an affection for the magic of soccer.” He said this prompted Zain to organize the tournament.

Khashti said “this tournament proves Zain’s continued support of the sports movement in Kuwait, as Zain has a clear strategy towards achieving its social responsibility in this regard.”

NEW YORK: Brooklyn made a winning return to major pro sports on Saturday night, with the Nets topping the Toronto Raptors 107-100 in the first game at Barclays Center.

After a 55-year wait that was extended a couple of extra days by Superstorm Sandy, the borough finally has a team of its own again, and the Nets think it’s going to be a good one.

Brook Lopez scored 27 points and Deron Williams added 19 points and nine assists for the Nets. C.J. Watson finished with 15 points and Joe Johnson had 14.

A sold-out crowd of 17,732 that included entertainers Jay-Z, a part-owner, and wife Beyonce chanted “Brooklyn! Brooklyn!” a few times during the game and loudly at the end, celebrating the name on the front of the shirt much more than the back.

And with good reason. Brooklyn hasn’t had a team to cheer since the Dodgers left for Los Angeles in 1957. Kyle Lowry had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Raptors, who fell to 0-2. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points.

Heat 119, Nuggets 116 In Miami, Ray Allen had a four-point play with 6.7 seconds left that put Miami ahead for good, and Chris Bosh scored 40 points for the Heat. LeBron James finished with 20 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and Allen scored 23 for Miami (2-1), which escaped when Danilo Gallinari’s 3-point try with 2 seconds left bounced off the rim. Kenneth Faried and Andre Iguodala each scored 22 for Denver, which fell to 0-3.

Andre Miller made his first eight shots and finished with 17 for the Nuggets, who also got 16 points from JaVale McGee and outrebounded Miami 47-32. The 40 points were a Heathigh for Bosh, and they needed every one of them.

Trail Blazers 95, Rockets 85 In Houston, rookie Damian Lillard scored 20 points, including eight in overtime, and the Trail Blazers slowed down James Harden.

Lillard and Nicolas Batum each made a 3 to help Portland open an 87-81 lead in the extra session. Harden then made a pair of free throws before Lillard converted a reverse layup. His second 3 of overtime pushed Portland’s lead to 9385 with 1:25 remaining.

Harden led the Rockets with 24 points in his home debut, but he wasn’t as dominant as he was in the first two games. He scored 37 and a career-high 45 points in his first two games after he was acquired in a deal with Oklahoma City last week.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Jeremy Lin collected 13 points and seven assists in his home debut for the Rockets, who lost for the first time this season.

Spurs 110, Jazz 100 In San Antonio, Tony Parker had 24 points and 10 assists to lift the Spurs to the victory. Tim Duncan added 19 points and 11 rebounds for San Antonio (3-0). Danny Green had 21 points and Kawhi Leonard 13. Duncan and Parker combined to score seven points in the final 4 minutes to preserve the victory and give the Spurs their best start since the 2007-2008 season.

Mo Williams scored 29 points for Utah (1-2), leading the team’s rally in the third quarter. Paul Millsap added 17 points, Al Jefferson had 16 and Gordon Hayward 15. San Antonio squandered a 19-point lead in the third quarter when Utah went on a 24-5 run to tie the game.

Warriors 114, Clippers 110 In Los Angeles, Stephen Curry and reserve Carl Landry had 23 points apiece and the Warriors held on for the victory.

Klay Thompson had 17 points and eight rebounds for Golden State, which handed the Clippers their first loss of the season. The narrow win came after the Warriors learned reserve small forward Brandon Rush, their best perimeter defender, will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the first quarter of Friday night’s 104-94 home loss to Memphis.

Chris Paul scored 27 points for Los Angeles, going 19 for 20 at the free-throw line. Reserve Jamal Crawford also had 27 points, and Blake

NEW YORK: MarShon Brooks No. 9 of the Brooklyn Nets heads to the net as Jose Calderon No. 8 of the Toronto Raptors defends in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. —AFP Griffin finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Mavericks 126, Bobcats 99 In Dallas, OJ Mayo scored 30 points and the Mavericks remained unbeaten against the Bobcats. Mayo made a career-high seven 3pointers, including one that put the Mavericks ahead for good late in the second quarter and another that capped a 24-8 run that made it 7661 in the third.

Dallas improved to 16-0 all-time against Charlotte. Chris Kaman made his Mavericks debut as a reserve, but the spark off the bench came from Vince Carter. The 14-year veteran got the crowd going with a powerful dunk and did it again later with a spectacular blocked shot.

Ramon Sessions led Charlotte with 22 points.

Hornets 89, Bulls 82 In Chicago, Greivis Vasquez scored 18 points and the Hornets got the win with top overall draft pick Anthony Davis sidelined by a mild concussion.

Robin Lopez and Jason Smith scored 16 apiece. Ryan Anderson added 12 points and 13 rebounds, and the Hornets hit 20 of 23 free throws. Luol Deng had 19 points and eight rebounds for Chicago. Nate Robinson scored 15 and Marco Belinelli added 13 against his former team, but the Bulls shot 33 percent.

Davis, a Chicago product, was being examined in New Orleans after taking an inadvertent elbow to the head from teammate Austin Rivers in the first half of Friday’s win over Utah.

Hornets coach Monty Williams blasted the NBA’s protocols for determining when a player can return from a concussion, saying: “Now, they treat everybody like they have white gloves and pink drawers and it’s getting old. It’s just the way the league is now.”

Celtics 89, Wizards 86 In Washington, Paul Pierce scored 27 points to lead the Celtics to their first victory of the

season. A night after what their coach called a “flat game,” the Celtics held the Wizards to 1-for14 shooting at the start, then were barely better at the end.

Washington’s only scoring in the first 8 minutes came on Kevin Garnett’s goaltending call, and Pierce hit a key 3 down the stretch to help Boston improve to 1-2.

Washington dropped to 0-2 after its home opener in front of a sellout crowd of 20,308 that occasionally included folks chanting “Let’s go, Celtics!” Bradley Beal, the No. 3 overall pick this year, missed all five of his shots and scored two points for the Wizards, while backup Jordan Crawford led the hosts with 21 points.

Pacers 106, Kings 98 In Indianapolis, George Hill scored 18 points and Indiana used its staunch defense to close out the double-overtime win.

David West also had 18 points for the Pacers (2-1), including the clinching free throws in the second overtime, and 18 rebounds. Paul George added 16 points and 17 rebounds, and Gerald Green scored 17 points. Marcus Thornton scored 26 for Sacramento (0-3), and DeMarcus Cousins collected 21 points and 13 rebounds. It was Indiana’s first double-overtime game since Dec. 19, 2008.

Bucks 105, Cavaliers 102 In Milwaukee, Brandon Jennings hit a 3pointer at the buzzer to give the Bucks the victory. The referees used video replay to confirm the shot left Jennings’ hand with one-tenth of a second left on the clock. Mike Dunleavy had 29 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for Milwaukee.

Kyrie Irving scored 27 points for Cleveland, tying the game with seven-tenths of a second remaining on a driving layin over Ersan Ilyasova.

The Bucks (2-0) used a late 12-2 run to take overtake Cleveland (1-2), which was opening a six-game road trip. —AP

Don Bosco Oratory lift Eslinda Alemao Memorial Trophy KUWAIT: UAE Exchange-sponsored Kuwait Goan Association (KGA) held the 4th Eslinda Alemao Memorial 7-a-side football tournament under the auspices of KIFF with twenty teams participating at the MOH GroundsShuwaikh on the first day of Eid. The popular tournament was graced by chief guest, Siemens CEO Carl Otto Klermund, guest of honor Air India Country Manager Ajay Sinha, KIFF president Fidelis Fernandes, KIFF committee members, officials and players of participating teams, football lovers and spectators.

A number of sponsored prizes were given away including an Air India ticket KuwaitGoa-Kuwait, UAE Exchange, Gulf Cable & Electrical Industries Co., Mughal Mahal Restaurants, Eureka, Al-Othman & Al-Bisher Co., Lulu Hypermarkets, Bhasin Co., Fitwell Tailor, Lays, Dana Optics, Lipton Tea, Indian Delights Restaurant, Almaria, and Al Sallal Intl. Co. Comperes Merwyn Pereira and Penny Rebello kept the crowd entertained throughout the matches between the 20 teams.

The tournament progressed competitively and at the semi-finals stage. Kerala Challengers, Curtorcares, Don Bosco Oratory and KGA teams fought for the coveted final

spots. Three time consecutive finalists, organizer KGA with DBO ended with a fine display scoring 3-1 to take home the trophy as well as awards for DBO players: Micheal Dias (first goal scorer of finals and Man of the Match), Vicky Waghmare (Best striker), the match was ably supported by DBO’s Lloyd Mascarenhas.

Winners trophy was donated by Brazil Deniz (NYC) in remembrance of Late Fr. Thomas Fernandes. The Chief guest praised the KGA president on the seventh anniversary and handed over the tropies to the winners, DBO and runners-up KGA respectively.

Among others who earned special awards were John Mora -Best Defender, Mar tin Gomes - best midfielder of Curtorcares United and they also took the Best Disciplined Team trophy, Teddy Pinto (oldest KIFF registered player — Real Betalbatim FC). Visiting Goan priest Fr. Xavier Pinto and Tony Rodrigues were special guests.

Kerala Challengers and Curtorcares United were given semi-final trophies, and Riwon Gomes (for photography); Special Mementos were presented to the Chief guest, KGA’s Augustine Fernandes, Eduardo Dias, Christovam Colaco (Best player of tour-

nament award winner), and Russell Rodrigues (ex-KGA) who will bid farewell soon. The matches were officiated by Indian Football Referees Federation (lFRA). Earlier

Sinatra Dias and Olesya Dias welcomed the guests with flower bouquets, KGA President Salvador Dias thanked all affiliated all for their support and cooperation. KGA team

since inception in 2005 has been in the forefront in both organizing as well as toppers in claiming top sports both in KIFF League as well as individual football tournaments.

18

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

S P ORT S

Raikkonen wins Abu Dhabi thriller ABU DHABI: Kimi Raikkonen lived up to his ‘ice man’ sobriquet by claiming his first win for three years as Sebastian Vettel clung on to his championship lead in a drama-laden

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix yesterday.

Raikkonen, the 2007 champion who returned to Formula One this season after a two-year absence, grabbed his triumph

ABU DHABI: Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland waves after he wins the final race at the Yas Marina racetrack. —AP

after early leader Lewis Hamilton was forced into retirement after 20 laps by a power failure on his McLaren car.

The Finn won convincingly ahead of Fernando Alonso of Ferrari who pushed hard for victory in the closing laps of an extraordinary contest that included two prolonged safety car periods and a rash of major accidents.

Defending champion and current leader Vettel started from the pit lane in his Red Bull car and produced one of the greatest drives of his career to finish third.

Vettel’s phenomenal drive, including clocking fastest lap, kept him 10 points ahead of Alonso in the title race with two races remaining.

Vettel leads on 255 points with Alonso on 245 and Raikkonen on 198. This was Raikkonen’s first win since the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix and his 19th career win. He is the eighth different victor of the season and gave the Lotus name a victory for the first time since Ayrton Senna won for the original Lotus team in the United States in 1987. The 33-year-old was his usual calm place after the race and betrayed few emotions.

Asked how he felt, he said: “Last time you guys were giving me grief because I didn’t smile enough, but I’m happy for the team. It’s been a hard season and not easy

times lately.

“Hopefully this will give everyone belief and turn the tables so we can win more races, if not this year then next year.” His Lotus team chief Eric Boullier said: “This is just a great one. It’s a final reward for the team. We’ve deserved this for a long time.

We had a little bit of luck. Kimi is good for everyone at Enstone and good for the the fans in F1.

“I am proud of this and we did well.”

Alonso, who cut Vettel’s lead from 13 points to 10, said: “I’m very happy as I think we were not super competitive this weekend.

We had to fight throughout the race, but we had a very good strategy and wanted victory.

“But we think it was a perfect Sunday as we kept fighting right until the end.” Vettel’s performance justified his confidence in claiming before the race that he could deliver a strong points finish despite starting at the back of the field. “I told you guys, don’t stop believing,” he said over the team radio. “Never lift!”

Hamilton, who had reigned supreme throughout the weekend, was left to reflect on more ill luck in his bid to give McLaren a result to savour before his move to Mercedes next season.

He said: “I hadn’t been faultless in this race because I did have a ver y wide

moment at one stage, but after that it was going really well and the car was a dream to drive.

“I was cruising and pulling away so it was a shame the engine just died. It was some kind of fuel problem, but it was an incredible race, good to watch.

“We hadn’t brought any upgrades and hopefully we’ll have some for the next race.

I hope the car performs over the next two races to finish up the front for the last time.

I’m happy with the job I did, I couldn’t have done any more.”

Vettel’s biggest previous improvement from the grid was 14 places from 19th to fifth at the 2008 Monaco GP. Red Bull were unable to confirm their third straight constructors championship, but with a lead of 82 points ahead of Ferrari, look certain to do that at the United States Grand Prix at Austin next month.

Among the retirements were Nico Rosberg, who had a spectacular airborne crash in the ninth lap in his Mercedes following a collision with Indian Narain Karthikeyan’s Hispania car.

He walked away unscathed. Mark Webber in the second Red Bull and Frenchman Romain Grosjean in the second Lotus were involved in multiple collisions, the final of which ended both of their races after 39 laps. —AFP

Notre Dame off to best start SOUTH BEND: It looked as if Pittsburgh was going to help sort out the national championship race, until Notre Dame made a huge comeback.

The fourth-ranked Fighting Irish rallied from a two-touchdown deficit on the fourth quarter, and beat Pitt 29-26 in three overtimes Saturday. Everett Golson scored on a quarterback sneak in the third overtime to end it.

Notre Dame (9-0) is off to its best start since 1993. Pitt (4-5) missed a potential game-winning field goal in overtime.

The Fighting Irish were among four unbeaten teams atop the BCS standings coming into the weekend. Notre Dame was supposed to have the easiest game of the three. No. 2

the winning TD. Oregon 62, Southern California 51 At Los Angeles, Kenjon Barner rushed for a school-record 321 yards and five touchdowns, Marcus Mariota threw four TD passes, and No. 2 Oregon produced another landmark offensive performance in a 62-51 victory over No. 18 Southern California. Josh Huff caught two touchdowns, and De’Anthony Thomas and Daryl Hawkins also caught scoring passes for the Ducks.

Kansas State 44, Oklahoma State 30 At Manhattan, Kansas, Collin Klein piled up more than 300 yards of offense before leaving

swered points and can clinch the SEC East title and second straight trip to the conference championship game with a win at Auburn next week.

Florida 14, Missouri 7 At Gainesville, Florida, Mike Gillislee took a screen pass and went 45 yards for a touchdown, and Florida survived a scare to beat Southeastern Conference newcomer Missouri to keep alive their hopes of winning the SEC’s Eastern Division.

Clemson 56, Duke 20 At Durham, North Carolina, Tajh Boyd threw for 344 yards and tied a school record with five touchdown passes for the second straight week for Clemson. DeAndre Hopkins caught three of those TD tosses in an opening quarter blitz for the Tigers.

Louisville 45, Temple 17 At Louisville, Kentucky, Teddy Bridgewater threw a career-high five touchdowns and completed 19 of 28 passes for 324 yards as Louisville rallied again to beat Temple.

Oregon State 36, Arizona State 26 At Corvallis, Oregon, Cody Vaz recovered from a shaky start to throw for 267 yards and three touchdowns, and Terron Ward rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown as Oregon State toppled Arizona State.

Oklahoma 35, Iowa St. 20 At Ames, Iowa, Landry Jones threw for 405 yards and a season-best four touchdowns and Oklahoma beat Iowa State to move coach Bob Stoops into a second-place tie with Bud Wilkinson on the Sooners’ career win list with 145 victories.

Stanford 48, Colorado 0 At Boulder, Colorado, Kevin Hogan ignited Stanford’s sputtering offense and helped the Cardinal hand Colorado its first shutout at home in 26 years.

Texas A&M 38, Mississippi St. 13 At Starkville, Mississippi, Johnny Manziel threw for 311 yards and ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns, leading Texas A&M to a win over Mississippi State.

San Diego 21, Boise State 19 At Boise, Idaho, Adam Muema rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown and San Diego State’s special teams had a hand in two other scores in an upset win over Boise State.

BATON ROUGE: LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry (80) catches a touchdown pass over Alabama defensive back Deion Belue (13) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game. —AP Oregon stayed undefeated with a wild 62-51 victory at No. 18 Southern California.

No. 1 Alabama came from behind with a late touchdown to beat No. 5 LSU 21-17 in Death Valley, and No. 3 Kansas State beat Oklahoma State 44-30.

Alabama 21, LSU 17 TJ Yeldon took a swing pass from A.J. McCarron and went 28 yards for a touchdown with 51 seconds remaining, giving top-ranked Alabama a stunning 21-17 victory over No. 5 LSU on a raucous Saturday night in Death Valley. The Crimson Tide (9-0, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) showed it could come from behind after Zach Mettenberger rallied the Tigers (7-2, 3-2) from a 14-3 halftime deficit.

LSU had a chance to put the game away in the closing minutes, driving into Alabama territory and forcing the Tide to use its timeouts.

But Drew Alleman missed a field goal, and McCarron took over. He completed three straight passes before reading an LSU blitz, flipping a pass to Yeldon. The freshman broke one tackle and faked out another defender for

in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury, and Kansas State remained unbeaten.

Klein had thrown for 245 yards and run for 64 more before sneaking in for his 50th career rushing touchdown with 9:47 left in the third quarter. The Heisman Trophy front-runner didn’t return to the field on the Wildcats’ next offensive series.

Ohio St. 52, Illinois 22 At Columbus, Ohio, Carlos Hyde rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns, and Braxton Miller passed for two scores and ran for another to lead Ohio State past Illinois. Miller, considered a Heisman Trophy hopeful, had 18 carries for 73 yards and completed 12 of 20 passes for 226 yards.

Georgia 37, Mississippi 10 At Athens, Georgia, Aaron Murray threw four touchdown passes and Georgia overcame a slow start to beat Mississippi and move one win away from a spot in the SEC championship game.

Georgia trailed 10-0 before scoring 37 unan-

Texas 31, No. 20 Texas Tech 21 At Lubbock, Texas, David Ash threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns to lead Texas past Texas Tech for its third straight win.

Nebraska 28, Michigan St. 24 At East Lansing, Michigan, Taylor Martinez threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Turner with 6 seconds lef t as Nebrask a remained level with Michigan atop the Big Ten Legends Division.

Louisiana Tech 51, UTSA 27 At Ruston, Louisiana, Kenneth Dixon scored three touchdowns and Louisiana Tech pulled away from Texas-San Antonio in the fourth quarter for an easy win.

Tcu 39, West Virginia 38 At Morgantown, West Virginia , Corey Fuller caught a 25-yard touchdown pass and Trevone Boykin threw to Josh Boyce for the 2-point conversion, lifting TCU over West Virginia.

Ucla 66, No. 24 Arizona 10 At Pasadena, California, Johnathan Franklin had 162 yards in becoming UCLA’s career rushing leader and the Bruins over whelmed Arizona to move into first place in the Pac-12 South. —AP

PRAGUE: Czech Republic’s team (left to right) Andrea Hlavackova, Lucie Hradecka, Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova celebrate with trophy after defeating Serbia in the final of the Fed Cup tennis tournament. —AP

Czechs retain Fed Cup PRAGUE: The Czech Republic retained its Fed Cup title yesterday when Lucie Safarova routed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-1 for an unassailable 3-1 lead against the first-time finalists.

Safarova won the second reverse singles in the best-of-five series. She captured the match against a former No. 1ranked player with a forehand on her second match point before an ecstatic sell-out home crowd on the hard court at O2 Arena. The Czech players danced on the court while fans celebrated with Mexican waves.

“It’s hard to describe how I feel. I played an unbelievable game,” Safarova said. “I desperately wanted to win and I’m really delighted. It’s fantastic to win at home, in Prague. I played one of the best matches of my career.”

The Czechs are the third country in a row to successfully defend the Fed Cup title. Russia won in 2007-08 and Italy 2009-10.

The Czechs took a 2-0 lead after the opening singles Saturday, but Ana Ivanovic made it 2-1 Sunday by beating Petra Kvitova 6-3, 7-5. It was the first loss for Kvitova after 11 straight Fed Cup singles wins.

“To win the Fed Cup at home in front of the home crowd, that’s the best you can experience in your tennis career,” Kvitova said. “It’s something special. To celebrate with the Czech fans, it’s something money can’t buy.”

The 17th-ranked Safarova hit 32 winners. She saved two break points before racing to a 4-0 lead in the first set, and

broke Jankovic twice in the second to open up a 5-1 advantage.

Jankovic had to be treated between the sets for a back injury. “I’m really very sorry for my team that I wasn’t able to be at 100 percent today,” Jankovic said, unable to hold back tears. “I tried my best on the court but it wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t able to move properly.

Throughout the match, it was getting worse and worse.”

The Czechs won their first title last year since Czechoslovakia’s split in 1993.

Czechoslovakia won five times, including three straight from 1983-85.

Despite the loss, Serbia has enjoyed its best Fed Cup season as an independent nation, winning away against Belgium and Russia to reach the final.

“It’s a big success for the Serbian team to be in the final, to be second in the world. I’m ver y proud of my team,” Jankovic said.

In the first reverse singles, Ivanovic beat Kvitova, who recovered just in time from the bronchitis that forced her to withdraw from last week’s W TA Championships.

The Czech player struggled with her serve and was broken in the fifth game of the opening set. Ivanovic dominated with her strong returning and broke her opponent again in the ninth game, converting her seventh set point with a drop shot at the net.

Kvitova came back in the second set with her only break of serve in the ninth game but was unable to hold her serve in the final game. —AP

Ferrer ends Spanish drought in Paris PARIS: David Ferrer became the first Spanish winner of the Paris Masters tournament here yesterday as he beat unseeded Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 6-3.

It was the in-form 30-year-old Ferrer’s seventh ATP title of the season - his first ever Masters win in his fourth appearance in a final - and set him up ideally for this week’s season ending World Tour finals in London. “It is a dream realised to win a Masters event,” said Ferrer, who was succeeding where his more celebrated compatriot Rafael Nadal failed to do in the 2007 final.

“There was Rome, Monte-Carlo and Shanghai...(the three finals defeats).

This time it is a happy ending and the ultimate reward of the best season of my career.”

For Janowicz it was a disappointing end to his fairytale run in what was his first appearance in such a prestigious event after mainly plugging his way round the second tier Challenger circuit.

However, while he had claimed among other scalps US Open champion Andy Murray on his way to the final, Ferrer never allowed him a look in as he tried to emulate the last qualifier to win a Masters event, Albert Porta in Hamburg in 2001.

For once the 21-year-old’s service let him down as he had six double faults and only got 57% of his first serves in.

Ferrer broke the Pole at 5-4 in the first set and had little problem in the second to wrap up the match and his 17th career title in just under an hour-and-ahalf. —AFP

19

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

SPORTS

Man United flying with Wayne and Robin LONDON: Two minutes, 34 seconds.

That’s all it took for Robin van Persie to score in his first match against Arsenal and, in doing so, prove how ridiculous it is to imagine that his former team somehow struck a canny deal in selling him.

Arsenal is said to have got 24 million pounds ($38 million) from Manchester United for its former captain this August.

At the time, it seemed like potentially good business for the London club, given Van Persie’s age, 29, and history of injury that meant only the last of his eight seasons at Arsenal was truly superlative. But now, all that money looks like fool’s gold, certainly not enough to compensate for Arsenal’s loss.

Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Alex Song, Van Persie - the list of former Arsenal players sold off to teams that can deliver trophies, which Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hasn’t done since 2005, has grown so long that it now reads like a guilty verdict. Guilty, your honor, of arrogantly believing that it’s possible for a team to habitually cash-in its best assets and still be a contender in the English Premier League.

Arsenal’s early season promise, when Gervinho was scoring and the defense appeared to have papered over its cracks, was a mere mirage. After just 10 games, it is clear that Arsenal again won’t be competing for the Premier League title this year, not if it produces many more aimless performances like Saturday’s 2-1 loss at United. The Arsenal attack, if it can be called that, was as toothless as a grandparent who misplaced their dentures.

Proving that devotion is blind, the fans who traveled from the capital to England’s surprisingly sunny northwest repeatedly sang, “We love you Arsenal, we do.” But some of them traveled back perhaps wondering why.

Olivier Giroud, the new Arsenal striker brought from France’s Ligue 1 to replace Van Persie, still doesn’t look as though he believes that he actually deserves to be playing in England’s faster, more physical top division.

In the 38th minute, the France international made space for himself to pounce on Santi Cazorla’s neatly delivered corner kick. But Giroud ballooned his header into the crowd, nowhere near the United

goal. That squandered chance to cancel out Van Persie’s opening goal for United suggested Giroud isn’t yet worthy of shining his predecessor’s boots, let alone filling them.

How sorely do the Gunners miss Van Persie? So much that Arsenal left back Andre Santos got his former teammate to give him his United jersey as a keep-sake after just 45 minutes, instead of waiting for fulltime. Only more embarrassing would have been if Santos had asked Van Persie to autograph it for him, too. How bad was Arsenal? Bad enough to surely make Van Persie thankful that he left and that he listened to the voice of “that little boy inside of me” he said told him he must move to United.

In buying Van Persie, manager Alex Ferguson didn’t just acquire a seasoned campaigner who has slotted seamlessly into his team. He didn’t just get a foxy, gifted scorer who has already given him 10 goals in 13 games, including Van Persie’s quick strike against Arsenal, scored with his weaker right foot, the one he has called his “chocolate” leg.

In Van Persie, Ferguson also got a part-

with Van Persie leading the attack somehow offends Rooney, then, to his credit, he doesn’t show it.

Rooney missed a penalty that would have given United a 2-0 lead after 45 minutes. But for the full 90 minutes, he was utterly devoted to United’s cause, not his own. Importantly, Rooney smothered Mikel Arteta to the point where one had to actually check whether Arsenal’s Spanish midfielder was still on the pitch.

He was but, largely obscured and frustrated by Rooney’s shadow, Arteta made no significant impact. For old time’s sake, Van Persie gave his former Arsenal chums handshakes and hugs before they ran out onto the pitch at Old Trafford.

Then, 2:34 after referee Mike Dean got the game started, in went Van Persie’s goal. Patrice Evra scored United’s second.

Cazorla’s injury-time consolation for Arsenal made the score look better than its performance deserved. Van Persie’s departure from Arsenal was just football business. Players come, players go, money changes hands. All those millions in August seemed like a hefty pile. But only United got a good deal.—AP

ner for Wayne Rooney. Wayne-man and Robin. They are quickly becoming a dynamic duo, developing a penetrating understanding of each other’s complementary styles and skills.

When Rooney has the ball, Van Persie runs into space. Rooney looks up, searching for him. Then he delivers the pass that allows Van Persie to create a scoring opportunity. That happened in the 17th minute and again three minutes later. In this match, neither of those link-ups produced a goal. But they will in future.

They’re bound to, given the almost telepathic way the forwards are finding each other and reading each other’s intentions.

“It seems to work very well,” Van Persie said post-match of their partnership, looking Rooney in the eye and getting a nod and a grin in return. “I’m very happy with this man,” Van Persie added, giving his new teammate a hearty slap on the shoulder.

With Van Persie up front, Rooney is dropping back, playing more from the midfield against Arsenal. If having more of a supporting role than a starring one

Leverkusen down Fortuna

FRANCE: Lyon’s Steed Malbranque (right) challenges for the ball with Bastia’s Anthony Modeste (left) during their French Division One soccer match.—AP

Marseille snap winless streak PARIS: Brothers Andre and Jordan Ayew were on target as Marseille snapped a three-match winless streak yesterday with a 2-0 win at Ajaccio to draw level on points with Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, while Lyon also closed the gap at the top beating Bastia 5-2.

Marseille move to 22 points from 10 matches, and although their inferior goal difference sees them still trail PSG, Elie Baup’s side have a game in hand on their arch-rivals. Lyon are third on 21 points having also played 10 games, but Toulouse could leapfrog all three clubs if they beat Bordeaux by a two-goal margin in Sunday’s late kick-off.

PSG saw their unbeaten start to the domestic campaign come to a halt on Saturday, as they were beaten 2-1 at home

by Saint-Etienne in a game that also saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic dismissed for a dangerous challenge on goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.

Marseille were far from their best against an Ajaccio outfit that had been unbeaten in Corsica since last December, but the result will undoubtedly have provided them with some comfort after taking just one point from a possible nine.

Andre Ayew accounted for Marseille’s first league goal since October 7, as he nodded Charles Kabore’s looping header beyond Guillermo Ochoa on 55 minutes after the hosts failed to clear their lines.

Jordan Ayew, who replaced the ineffective Loic Remy midway through the second half, then secured the points two minutes

from time when he slotted low into the corner following Mathieu Valbuena’s cutback. Lyon meanwhile were the victors in a seven-goal thriller at a saturated Stade Gerland. Goals from Maxime Gonalons and Alexandre Lacazette gave the home side a two-goal advantage after 26 minutes, but Bastia were back on level terms shortly after. Wahbi Khazri’s precise finish pulled Frederic Hantz’s newly promoted side to within one before Lyon suffered a double blow as Dejan Lovren was dismissed for hauling down Florian Thauvin in the box with the evergreen Jerome Rothen converting the resulting penalty.

Bastia then found themselves reduced to 10 men on 55 minutes as Fethi Harek conceded a penalty and collected a second yellow card in the process for a foul on Lacazette. Lisandro Lopez slotted home from the spot to put back Lyon back in front before stoppage-time strikes from Jimmy Briand and Steed Malbranque, the latter another penalty, gave the scoreline a somewhat flattering look.—AFP

Match on TV (Local Timing)

English Premier League West Brom v Southampton 23:00 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

Sri Lanka beat NZ in rain-hit ODI SCOREBOARD PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Complete scoreboard of the second one-day international between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at Pallekele yesterday: New Zealand: R. Nicol c Sangakkara b Perera 46 T. Latham b Malinga 2 BJ Watling c Jayawardene b Herath 55 R. Taylor c Mathews b Kulasekara 72 J. Franklin not out 35 N. McCullum c Perera b Mathews 16 A. Ellis b Malinga 4 Extras (b1, lb8, w11) 20 Total (for six wickets; 50 overs) 250 Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Latham), 2-100 (Nicol), 3-130 (Watling), 4-221 (Taylor), 5-242 (McCullum), 6-250 (Ellis).

Bowling: Malinga 10-0-39-2 (w2), Kulasekara 10-1-50-1 (w4), Mathews 7-0-381 (w1), Perera 7-0-52-1, Herath 10-0-28-1 (w3), Mendis 6-0-34-0 (w1).

Sri Lanka: U. Tharanga c Watling b Mills 6 T. Dilshan c Williamson b McCullum37 K. Sangakkara c Nicol b Boult 11 M. Jayawardene not out 43 A. Mathews not out 7 Extras (lb8, w6) 14 Total (for three wickets; 22.5 overs)118 Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Tharanga), 2-39 (Sangakkara), 3-98 (Dilshan).

Bowling: Mills 5-0-33-1, Boult 6-0-26-1 (w3), Southee 4-0-16-0 (w2), Franklin 3-0-16-0, McCullum 2.5-0-12-1, Nicol 2-0-7-0 (w1).

Result: Sri Lanka win by 14 runs (D/L method)

PALLEKELE: Sri Lanka scored a 14-run win over New Zealand by Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method in the rain-hit second oneday international yesterday to gain a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Sri Lanka were 118-3 off 22.5 overs chasing a 251-run target when play was called off due to rain in Pallekele. They were ahead of the D/L par score of 104 at that stage. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene was unbeaten on 43 with Angelo Mathews (seven not out). Captain Ross Taylor (72), Bradley-John Watling (55), opener Rob Nicol (46) and James Franklin (35 not out) were the main scorers for New Zealand, while fast bowler Lasith Malinga bagged two wickets for Sri Lanka. The opening onedayer was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain at the same venue on Thursday.—AFP

PALLEKELE: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene (left) plays a shot as New Zealand wicketkeeper Bj Watling watches during the second one-day international cricket match. —AP

BERLIN: Ten-man Bayer Leverkusen moved up to fourth in the Bundesliga yesterday with a 3-2 win over Fortuna Duesseldorf while Bayern Munich have opened a seven-point lead at the top of the league. Despite having midfielder Simon Rolfes sent off for a dangerous tackle just 75 seconds after he came off the bench, Leverkusen took the three points to knock defending champions Dortmund down to fifth.

“I put the ball too far in front of me and then committed a foul, but it was no more than yellow,” fumed Rolfes whose red card was the second fastest in the Bundesliga’s history after his rash tackle on Fortuna’s Adam Bodzek.

“It’s incredibly annoying that I can’t play next week and it was completely unnecessary, but the important thing is that we won.”

Leverkusen took the lead on 16 minutes through a goal by midfielder Sidney Sam, but Leverkusen levelled on 40 minutes after a header by Angola striker Nando Rafael.

Fortuna stayed level for barely a minute as Germany forward Andre Schuerrle put the hosts ahead at half-time after he followed up Sam’s superb cross.

Leverkusen then lost Rolfes, who came on for Sam on 63 minutes when the ex-Germany star threw himself into a reckless tackle on Bodzek and the referee had no hesitation in showing him red.

Bayer responded immediately as Spanish right-back Daniel Carvajal charged down a pass, sprinted clear of the defence and squared to give Gonzalo Castro the simplest of tap ins on 67 minutes. Bodzek pulled one back for the visitors with a superb strike from outside the penalty area on 86 minutes, but it was too little, too late.

Werder Bremen rocketed from 12th up to seventh on Sunday night with a 2-1 win at home to Mainz with 26-year-old midfielder Aaron Hunt, the oldest man in the Werder team, scoring both goals.

Hunt gave his side an early lead, but Mainz’s Hungary midfielder Adam Szalai equalised for his side in the second-half to claim his eighth goal in 10 games to go level with Bayern’s Mario Mandzukic as the league’s joint top scorer.

After second-placed Schalke 04 suffered a shock 3-2 defeat at Hoffenheim on Saturday, while Eintracht Frankfurt and Dortmund lost, both Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win at Hamburg means the Bavarians have a clear cushion at the top. “It’s been a very good round of matches for us. Naturally, we knew the other scores before kick-off and we were even more motivated,” said Bayern goal-scorer Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Germany midfielders Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos also got on the scoresheet to end Hamburg’s previous run of four wins in six games while Munich warmed up for Wednesday’s Champions League clash at home

GERMANY: Leverkusen’ s Hajime Hosogai (left) and Andre Schuerrle (back) challenge for the ball with Duesseldorf’s Dani Schahin (center) during a German Bundesliga soccer match.—AP to Lille. Frankfurt remain third after their 1-1 draw with Guerth Fuerth on Friday. Defending champions Borussia Dortmund are fourth after they were held to a goalless draw by VfB Stuttgart.

Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl will play with a mask in Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Real Madrid after he broke his nose. The 32-year-old has to be replaced with 20 minutes gone after taking a stray elbow in the face while challenging for a ball with Stuttgart’s Raphael Holzhauser, who was given a yellow card.

Nuremberg won the battle of the basement teams as midfielder Timo Gebhart scored the winner with a 76th-minute header to move up to 14th and take some of the pressure off coach Dieter Hecking with their first win in seven games.

Hanover are sixth after their 2-0 win at home to Augsburg while Borussia Moenchengladbach were held to a 1-1 draw at their own ground by Freiburg. Late yesterday, mid-table Werder Bremen are home to seventh-placed Mainz 05.—AFP

German League results/standings Bayer Leverkusen 3 (Sam 16, Schuerrle 41, Castro 67) Fortuna Duesseldorf 2 (Rafael 40, Bodzek 86); Werder Bremen 2 (Hunt 10, 86) Mainz 05 1 (Szalai 64).

German league table after yesterday’s match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Bayern Munich Schalke Eintracht Leverkusen Dortmund Hanover Werder Bremen Mainz Hamburg

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

9 6 6 5 4 4 4 4 4

0 2 2 3 4 2 2 2 1

1 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 5

30 20 21 18 20 20 17 13 11

4 11 14 14 11 16 15 12 14

27 20 20 18 16 14 14 14 13

Stuttgart Borussia Freiburg Hoffenheim Nuremberg Duesseldorf Wolfsburg Greuther Fuerth Augsburg

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

3 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1

4 4 3 2 2 4 2 4 3

3 3 4 5 5 4 6 5 6

10 13 14 16 8 9 6 7 5

15 19 13 22 15 15 17 16 15

13 13 12 11 11 10 8 7 6

Napoli, Lazio stunned MILAN: Second half substitute Gianluca Sansone scored a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw yesterday with Napoli which put the brakes on the early season titles hopes of Walter Mazzarri’s side.

Uruguayan international Edinson Cavani made his return for Napoli following his absence for the shock 1-0 defeat in midweek to Atalanta. And it took ‘Il Matador’ only six minutes to put Napoli ahead at the San Paolo, slotting home from close range after Torino ‘keeper Jean-Francois Gillet had pushed Marek Hamsik’s cross-goal pass into his path.

Napoli were stunned, however, when Sansone, who replaced Alessandro Sgrigna in the 70th minute, pounced in injury time to secure a share of the points.

Napoli’s second draw of the season still leaves them in third, three points behind Inter Milan and four behind Juventus, who suffered a 3-1 defeat to Inter, their first in 49 games, in Saturday’s ‘Derby d’Italia’. The real goal action, however, was going on elsewhere as Catania turned on the style to hammer Lazio 4-0 and Fiorentina secured a 4-1 win at home to Cagliari to move up to fourth.

Lazio’s second straight defeat, following their midweek reverse at Fiorentina, means they drop to fifth and are now nine points shy of Juve.

Earlier, Pescara secured a precious 2-0 win at home to Parma, while Atalanta stunned Sampdoria 2-1 away and Genoa succumbed 1-0 at Siena.

Catania made their intentions clear from the start, Alejandro Gomez breaking down the left to smash a left-foot shot under Albano Bizzarri’s crossbar in the eighth minute.

Lazio were struggling to find their rhythm and their task became more difficult when the

hosts were awarded a penalty for handball and Francesco Lodi converted to double their lead in the 25th minute. Three minutes Gomez stunned Lazio again when he arrived late at the back post to send a lob from deep on the left just over the goalline as Lazio’s players protested. Gomez played a pivotal role in Catania’s fourth, running down the left flank to leave his marker behind before setting up Pablo Barrientos for an easy tap-in past Bizzarri.

At the Artemio Franchi stadium Gonzalo Rodriguez gave Fiorentina a 14th minute lead when he rose to meet a corner from the right to send a bouncing header past Michael Agazzi.

Cagliari equalised three minutes before the interval when Federico Casarini’s first-time volley, following a freekick from the left, took a deflection before beating Emiliano Viviani in the

Viola goal.

The goal was initially ruled offside, but after consultation with his linesman the referee pointed to the centre circle.

Any hope of a Cagliari fightback was extinguished early in the second half when Montenegrin international Stevan Jovetic restored Fiorentina’s lead after coolly slotting a left-foot volley into the net from a corner.

Having then survived a potential equaliser, Fiorentina broke on the counter to score their third, Luca Toni turning Jovetic’s cross-goal pass into the corner of the net. Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado made it four for Fiorentina six minutes from time.

In yesterday’s late match Roma have a chance to move up to sixth when they host Palermo at the Olympic Stadium.—AFP

Italian Serie A results/standings Pescara 2 (Abbruscato 48, Weiss 90+3) Parma 0; Sampdoria 1 (Maresca 53) Atalanta 2 (Bonaventura 2, De Luca 76); Siena 1 (Paci 55) Genoa 0; Napoli 1 (Cavani 6) Torino 1 (Sansone 90+1); Bologna 1 (Diamanti 46) Udinese 1 (Di Natale 73); Catania 4 (Gomez 8, 28, Lodi 25-pen, Barrientos 69) Lazio 0; Fiorentina 4 (Gonzalo 14, Jovetic 50, Toni 54, Cuadrado 84) Cagliari 1 (Casarini 42).

Italian Serie A table after yester afternoon matches points): Juventus 11 9 1 1 23 8 28 Inter Milan 11 9 0 2 22 1027 Napoli 11 7 2 2 16 7 23 Fiorentina 11 6 3 2 16 8 21 Lazio 11 6 1 4 16 1519 Catania 11 4 3 4 15 1615 Parma 11 4 3 4 14 1615 Atalanta 11 5 2 4 10 1315 AC Milan 11 4 2 5 17 1314 Roma 10 4 2 4 22 1914 Udinese 11 3 5 3 14 1614 Cagliari 11 4 2 5 11 1714

(played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, Torino 11 2 6 3 12 1011 Pescara 11 3 2 6 8 1711 Sampdoria 11 3 2 6 13 1610 Chievo 11 3 1 7 10 2110 Genoa 11 2 3 6 10 159 Bologna 11 2 2 7 12 178 Palermo 10 1 5 4 8 138 Siena 11 3 3 5 12 146 Note: Sampdoria (one point), Torino (one point), Atalanta (two points) and Siena (six points) all docked points for involvement in ‘Calcioscommesse’ illegal betting scandal.

Leverkusen down Fortuna

Czechs retain Fed Cup

19

18

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Man United flying with Wayne and Robin

Page 19

LONDON: Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez (right) beats Newcastle United’s Argentinian defender Fabricio Coloccini (left) on his way to scoring their equalizing goal during the English Premier League football match. —AFP

Liverpool salvage draw with Newcastle Liverpool 1

Newcastle 1

LIVERPOOL: Luis Suarez’s 11th goal of the season earned Liverpool a 1-1 draw with Newcastle in the Premier League at Anfield yesterday.

The hosts’ point was the result of an impressive second half recovery inspired entirely by the Uruguay forward. Much criticised for his alleged ‘diving’, Suarez cancelled out a first half opening goal from Yohan Cabaye.

And an indication of the problems he caused Newcastle came in the 83rd minute when Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini was shown a straight red card for a late foul on Suarez.

Cabaye struck in the dying minutes of

the first half, a stunning finish that summed up the weaknesses at the back for Liverpool.

Demba Ba broke through the middle and fed Hatem Ben Arfa down the right.

The winger beat Jose Enrique far too easily as he made his way to the by-line and pulled over a far post cross which the unmarked Cabaye had time to control before lashing it into the roof of the goal past Brad Jones.

It was just reward for Newcastle’s patience and game plan which had seen the visitors weather a strong opening from Liverpool before growing increasingly threatening on the counter-attack.

Indeed, even in the two minutes that remained of the first half after their opener, Newcastle twice produced promising attacks.

First, Cabaye was gifted the ball by Steven Gerrard within seconds of his goal and sent a 20-yard shot just off target and then defender Steven Taylor almost capitalised on indecision from Joe Allen and

Gerrard at a set-piece, hooking the loose ball just wide.

The game had started far more brightly for Liverpool, who celebrated Gerrard’s 600th appearance for the club by making a presentation to him on the field before kick-off.

Young winger Raheem Sterling inspired a couple of early forays and had a promising shot. James Perch brought down Suarez on the edge of the Newcastle area after 19 minutes and presented the Liverpool forward with a freekick which he planted just above the right-hand upright.

Newcastle started threatening on the break but still Liverpool looked in control when Nuri Sahin played in Suarez whose strong run ended in a shot which Tim Krul kept out with his legs.

In the second half Newcastle were hampered by the early loss of Ba, who limped off with an injury suffered in the opening period.

A much-improved Liverpool saw a

Suarez shot from the edge of the area turned around the post by the diving Krul.

But there was nothing Krul could do about Suarez’s 67th-minute equaliser.

Enrique’s long ball was controlled superbly by Suarez, a step ahead of marker Coloccini and using the top of his chest, and the forward calmly rounded Krul before tapping into an unguarded net.

Suarez showed even greater skill and presence two minutes later when he again tortured Coloccini, easing past him to the line and pulling the ball back for substitute Jonjo Shelvey, who missed a glorious opening. Newcastle counteredgoing close with a Ben Arfa free-kick before Papiss Cisse shot wide on the turn.

But, unlike the first half, Liverpool now appeared a more powerful attacking threat-or at least Suarez did. The forward broke and slipped in Sterling, whose shot was well blocked by Taylor and Suarez, in a rare error, just missed connecting with an Enrique cross.

A frustrating second half was summed

QPR off bottom after Reading draw QPR 1

Reading 1

LONDON: Queens Park Rangers and Reading were still both left searching for their first Premier League win of the season after sharing the points in a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road yesterday.

However, the result did see QPR at least climb off the bottom o f t h e t a b l e, l e a p fro g ging Southampton on goal difference ahead of the Saints’ match against West Brom today.

Former QPR defender Kaspars Gorkss (attn eds: both correct) opened the scoring for visitors Reading, who remained a point in front of his old club, in the 16th minute.

But Djibril Cisse eased the press u re o n Q P R m a n a g e r M ar k Hughes, who co ntinues to be backed by the west London club’s Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes, with a 66th minute equaliser.

QPR twice went close to a winn e r, R e a d i n g k e e p e r A l e x McCarthy saving when one-onone with Adel Taarabt before French striker Cisse saw a shot fade just wide of the left post with the last kick of the match in stoppage time. Afterwards Cisse insist-

ed QPR, who spent heavily in preseason, were in a false position.

“You see the quality we have in the team, we don’t belong at the bottom,” he told Sky Sports. “No disrespect to the other teams-we don’t belong there but football is on the pitch, it is not by talking. “ We create chances but we don’t score, or we don’t score enough as the other team get m o re.” R e f l e c t i n g o n S u n d ay ’s match, he added: “At least it’s a draw but to be fair we wanted to win this game, we had the opportunity to win it.

“When we have clear chances we have to score. “That is what we are lacking at the moment but we are going to keep trying.” Reading came into this match reeling from the shock of their extraordinary 75 League Cup defeat by Arsenal in midweek, where they let slip a 4-0 lead.

R oy a l s manager Brian McDermott was pleased with yesterday’s result, saying: “It’s a good point. We we re unfor tunate because at 1-0 we could have gone 2-0 up. But at 1-1 Alex McCarthy made a fantastic save from Taarabt.

“Our performance was a really good away-from-home performance. We will take the point and move on. “We were excellent at times and really dug in This is a difficult place to come - Everton have drawn here and Chelsea have drawn here -so it’s a good

up for Coloccini seven minutes from time when he was shown a straight red card for a late and high jump at Suarez which saw his studs connect with the Liverpool play-

er’s leg. Suarez almost had the last word when an injury-time free-kick bounced high in the area and clipped the Newcastle crossbar.—AFP

EPL results/standings Liverpool 1 (Suarez 67) Newcastle 1 (Cabaye 43); QPR 1 (Cisse 66) Reading 1 (Gorkss 16).

Playing today West Brom v Southampton.

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd Chelsea Man City Everton Tottenham Arsenal Fulham West Ham West Brom Newcastle

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 10

8 7 6 4 5 4 4 4 4 3

0 2 4 5 2 3 3 3 2 5

2 1 0 1 3 3 3 3 3 2

26 22 18 19 17 15 21 13 13 12

14 10 9 13 14 8 16 11 11 14

24 23 22 17 17 15 15 15 14 14

Swansea 10 Liverpool 10 Wigan 10 Norwich 10 Stoke 10 Sunderland 9 Aston Villa 10 Reading 9 QPR 10 S’hampton 9

3 2 3 2 1 1 2 0 0 1

3 5 2 4 6 6 3 5 4 1

4 3 5 4 3 2 5 4 6 7

15 13 11 8 8 6 8 12 8 14

14 15 16 18 10 9 14 18 19 26

12 11 11 10 9 9 9 5 4 4

Dundee come from behind to hold Celtic

LONDON: Reading’s English defender Sean Morrison heads the ball clear from Queens Park Rangers’ French striker Djibril Cisse (right) during the English Premier League football match.—AFP

point,” McDermott insisted.

Reading made the running early on and went ahead from a N i c k y S h o re y cor n e r. S e a n Morrison headed the ball against the bar before Latvia’s Gorkss, sh owin g good tech n ique, volleyed in h is fir st Premier League goal with QPR goalkeeper Julio Cesar getting a hand to the shot before it found its way into the net.

Gorkss declined to celebrate h is goal, h avin g also scored against Rangers in the League Cup earlier this season after leav-

ing QPR at the end of last term.

QPR though got back into the game but wasted several promisin g op p or t uni t i e s b e fore McCarthy saved superbly to tip Esteban Granero’s free-kick from the edge of the box onto the crossbar in the 38th minute.

Hughes’s men continued to pile on the pressure in the second half and the Reading defence finally cracked when Cisse took one touch to control a cross from Jose Bosingwa before finding the botto m co r n e r w i t h a we l l - s t r u c k shot.—AFP

DUNDEE: An Efe Ambrose own goal in stoppage time sealed a remarkable Dundee United comeback as the home side came from two goals down to seal a 2-2 draw with champions Celtic at Tannadice here yesterday in their Premier League clash.

Despite the draw Celtic returned to the top on goal difference from Hibernian ahead of their crucial Champions League clash against Barcelona at Parkhead on Wednesday.

Neil Lennon felt his side didn’t get the result they deserved. “It was very frustrating because we were brilliant today,” the Celtic manager said.

“We dominated the game and we got the two goals which we thoroughly deserved and then we didn’t deal with a couple of balls into our box. “I just think we were unfortunate today. I don’t think anyone could take away from the fact we were excellent.”

His United counterpart had a different view. “I think we were well worth the result if you look at the game. We put a lot of work into the game,” Peter Houston said. “Great credit to our players today they showed the character that I know they’ve got. Our form hasn’t been brilliant but that result today could maybe kickstart our season.

Celtic started on the front foot and Adam Matthews and Scott Brown combined to send Commons scampering into the box but sent his shot straight to Radoslaw Cierzniak.

Charlie Mulgrew picked out Brown with a deep cross from the left but the Celtic captain arrowed his header wide from six yards.

Celtic had a chance straight from kickoff in the second half when Tony Watt

slipped a pass through for Emilio Izaguirre but the left-back blasted his shot wide of the near post before falling on the turf.

The Honduran international needed treatment following the fall and eventually trudged off to be replaced by Miku.

Dundee United were next to miss a golden chance to take the lead in the 50th minute. John Rankin teed up Willo Flood for a powerful drive that Fraser Forster could only parry into the path of Johnny Russell but, with the goal gaping, the striker blazed his strike over the bar from 10 yards. In a period of sustained pressure from United they came close again in the 58th minute when Douglas sent a superb ball into the six-yard box from a free-kick but Gavin Gunning failed to connect properly with the ball and stabbed it wide. However, after weathering the storm it was Celtic who made the breakthrough in the 69th minute. Miku received a flick on from Watt and the Venezuelan took two touches to set himself up before he lifted the ball high over Cierzniak and into the net.

Watt doubled Celtic’s advantage in the 80th minute when a terrible goal kick from Cierzniak landed at his feet and he drove at Rankin before unleashing an unstoppable shot low past the keeper.

Gary Mackay-Steven gave United some hope late on when he guided a shot beyond Forster in the 89th minute after Rudi Skacel’s initial effort was blocked.

The home side pushed forward for an equaliser and after Russell had stabbed a shot wide United grabbed an equaliser when sub Ambrose sent a looping header over his own keeper and into the net after connecting with a dangerous cross from Barry Douglas.—AFP

Business

EU states squabble over contentious budget Page 25

Crude-by-rail carves out North American niche

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Page 26

Workers strike at Raley’s supermarket chain in US

ECB checking status of loans made to Spanish banks Page 22

Page 23

BAGHDAD: Iraqi investors watch monitors at the Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) in Baghdad yesterday. Iraq opened on November 1, its biggest trade fair, the latest step in Baghdad’s efforts to rebuild an economy battered by decades of conflict and sanctions. — AFP

Kuwait bourse hits 8-year low on turmoil Gulf stocks edge lower, Saudi gains DUBAI: Gulf bourses were mostly lower yesterday with political tension weighing on Kuwait, while Saudi Arabia’s measure gained in thin trade.

Kuwait’s index slumped to a new eight-year closing low ahead of a major demonstration planned by the opposition later in the day. The market finished 0.1 percent lower.

The opposition said it would press ahead with the march to protest against new voting rules, while the government warned it would not tolerate unsanctioned demonstrations.

Some protests in recent weeks have seen clashes between police and demonstrators.

“Retail investors were nervous today - we have another protest tonight. But I don’t think too much will happen because a lot of security forces have been sent out,” said a Kuwait-based trader who asked not to be identified.

Nine of the 10 largest stocks by market value closed flat, with smaller stocks facing the brunt of the selling pressure. Governmentlinked funds were seen buying larger blue

chips to support the market during some periods of market weak ness last month and investors think they may do so again, though there was little if any such buying noted yesterday. National Ranges was the most active stock, falling 2.8 percent. Ithmaar Bank shed 1.1 percent.“Not many people are selling, trading values are low - people are scared to leave or to enter the market,” said Fouad Darwish, head of brokerage services at Global Investment House.

In contrast to other Gulf countries, few Kuwait companies have so far reported thirdquarter earnings, apparently because they want to limit the negative impact from the political tensions on their stocks, he added.

They seem to be calculating that politics-related selling is less likely if investors are still hoping for positive third-quarter earnings surprises.

QATAR SLIPS In Qatar, the bourse slipped from its sixweek high as investors booked recent gains,

with Industries Qatar the main drag.

Industries Qatar fell 2.4 percent to 150.9 riyals, down from Thursday’s four-year high - suggesting it has not cleanly broken major technical resistance at the January 2011 intra-day high of 154.50.

If the stock falls today, that will create a bearish engulfing pattern on the daily candlestick chart, a classic sign of the end of an uptrend for the short term.

“IQ’s price is on the upper end, but they are also getting into a lot of projects so the bar will be raised,” said Yassir Mckee, wealth manager at Al Rayan Financial Brokerage.

“They have the potential to break the 52week high but trading is a little bit speculative - materialisation of the projects will take some time.” Doha’s index ended 0.5 percent lower at 8,565 points in its largest one-day decline since Sept 26.

The market’s year-end target is near the 8,600 level, Mckee added. “Everybody is waiting for the big-ticket projects and new con-

struction but I don’t see that happening this year. People will try to cash in on the (yearend) dividends, so there won’t be a lot of selling.” Qatar Electricity and Water shed 0.7 percent and Qatar National Bank slipped 0.3 percent.

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia bucked the regional trend. The index rose 0.2 percent, up for a third straight session, but trading volumes were low as investors stayed cautious.

The insurance sector rose 2.4 percent, accounting for a third of all trading volume on the bourse. Short-term retail investors often target insurance stocks because they are plays on domestic demand, avoiding petrochemical and banking shares which are more affected by global trends.

“Right now it’s a wait and see period there’s more cautious behaviour from investors right now because of global events like the US elections,” said Muhammad Faisal Potrik, research analyst at Riyad Capital.

“We could see some improvement since

Awaiting the winner: Job woes, debt, war and more WASHINGTON: The next president will be under fire to get millions of people back to work, shrink a soaring federal debt, end America’s longest war, unite a divided country and prevent Iran from building a bomb that could unnerve the world.

And that’s just what comes after the inauguration. The work that begins right after Tuesday’s election could determine

whether the White House and Congress can keep the country from plunging back into recession in the new year. That’s because without action by the nation’s leaders, a battery of tax increases and spending cuts will kick in come January, making life harder for families and endangering the economic recovery.

Win or lose, President Barack Obama will

Gloria Bambrick counts and stacks T-shirt components at FesslerUSA apparel manufacture in Orwigsburg. Family-owned FesslerUSA has survived war and depression, free trade and foreign imports to produce millions of knitted garments from its base in eastern Pennsylvania. — AP

be in charge until Jan. 20, which means dealing with this “fiscal cliff” is his problem. But Republican Mitt Romney wants to have a significant stamp on the matter as president-elect if he wins.

The economy, stable but struggling, will drive the agenda in the next term. It touches all the core issues that the election has been about - middle-class security, job creation, home values, taxes, basic opportunity for a better life. The next president will not be dealing with the combined chaos of a financial sector, an employment picture and a stock market in free-fall, all of which started to consume Obama even before he was sworn in on Jan 20, 2009.

Yet the public will expect results soon.

More than 23 million people are unemployed, working part time when they want full-time jobs or out of patience looking for work. Obama and Romney have both promised a more robust rebound, but they’re deeply divided over the best ways to get there. The new president probably will get to nominate at least one Supreme Court justice, if not up to three, as Vice President Joe Biden has suggested. Even one such lifetime appointment could tip the ideological balance of the high court. And the world will not wait to test the next president, either.

Iran’s yearslong standoff with the West over its nuclear program is intensifying.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that allies have until next summer to stop Iran from having the capability to build a nuclear bomb. Whatever the time-

line, the US president will be under pressure to rally partners, enforce already crippling penalties and deepen the threat of military intervention to keep Iran in check, or risk seeing the United States pulled into another war. Other international crises demanding American leadership are everywhere. Syria’s civil war has left more than 30,000 dead and counting. Israelis and Palestinians are nowhere near peace. Europe’s financial troubles threaten America’s economic stability.

Mexico’s fight against guns and drugs is on the US door step. The Arab Spring has faded into fears of instability and, in one case, left four dead Americans in Libya.

The threat of terrorism may no longer hang over daily life in the United States, but it will for the president, whose most sacred job is protecting America. And that prison for suspected terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba? Still open. The US-led war in Afghanistan is still going, too, after more than 11 years. The United States and its partners plan to end the war at the close of 2014. The president must decide when and how to pull home the 68,000 US troops who remain and whether to cut a deal with the Afghan government to leave some lasting US military presence after that.At home, the presidential winner is likely to find struggles Congress. Obama, the Democrat, is almost certain to be contending again with a Republican-led House. Even if voters choose Romney, they may well keep the Senate in control of Democrats, which would limit his legislative agenda. —AP

the market did get bogged down. Petchem prices have improved on average since the last quarter and Q4 is likely to be better.”

Petrochemical stocks edged higher, with Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), the Gulf’s largest listed company, adding 0.3 percent. In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi’s measure dipped 0.2 percent, easing away from a 15-month high.

Heavyweight Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank fell 1.5 percent. The lender posted a quarterly profit decline, missing by a considerable margin the forecasts of analysts who had predicted, on average, a 23-percent increase in quarterly earnings.

Dubai’s benchmark closed 0.3 percent lower, trading within a 20-point range since last Monday.

Dubai Financial Market, the only listed Gulf bourse, fell 1.0 percent. It said its third-quarter net loss narrowed to 1.7 million dirhams ($463,000) from 9.3 million in the same period last year. — Reuters

Ahmadinejad summoned

by MPs over fiscal woes TEHRAN: Iran’s parliament yesterday summoned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a grilling over his handling of last month’s currency crisis which saw the rial plunge 40 percent against the dollar, state media said.

A total of 77 deputies in the 290-seat conservative-dominated parliament submitted a petition requiring Ahmadinejad to explain the “government’s procrastination in managing the forex market,” official IRNA news agency said. According to the constitution, a petition demanding that the president come to the majlis, or parliament, to answer questions must be signed by a minimum of 74 deputies.

The president now has one month to appear before the deputies with his replies. The petition submitted yesterday says that rial fell from 22,000 to 40,000 against the dollar in the space of 20 days last month, “due to Central Bank inaction ... which caused inflation along with economic slowdown, disrupting the activities of the economic players.” The collapse of rial is being seen by economists as one of the consequences of banking and oil sanctions slapped on Iran by the United States and the European Union for its refusal to give up its uranium enrichment program. Tehran is also under four sets of UN Security Council sanctions over its disputed nuclear drive, which world powers believe has a military dimension despite repeated denials by the Islamic republic.

The sanctions have seen Iran’s oil exports tumble and at the same time have made it more difficult for Tehran to receive petrodollars, leading to a shortage of foreign currency in the market.

The embargoes have also made it more difficult and expensive to import goods, while causing a rise in inflation and a slowdown in industry and commerce. After long denying the impact of these measures, Iranian leaders are now beginning to acknowledge the extent of the damage and denouncing what they say is an “economic war” against the Islamic republic.

The parliament, critical of Ahmdinejad’s policies and his handling of the economy, had also summoned him in March, the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution that it had resorted to such action.

The summoning for questioning has no political consequences for the president. — AFP

22

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

BUSINESS

Workers strike at Raley’s supermarket chain in US Last-ditch bid to reach contract deal fails WEST SACRAMENTO, California: Union workers at Raley’s supermarket chain, which operates more than 100 stores in California and Nevada, went on strike yesterday after last-ditch efforts to reach a new contract failed. The announcement by union leaders came a few hours after a midnight deadline passed and both sides said the existing labor contract was being extended on an hour-by-hour basis at the request of a federal mediator.

The union said in a statement that “by late on Saturday evening it had become obvious Raley’s offer to extend the contract for an additional three days and return to the bargaining table” was a delaying tactic.

Picket lines will begin early Sunday, said Ellen Anreder, a spokeswoman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

Ralye’s spokesman John Segale said that “it is unfortunate that after 15 months of talks and nearly 60 nego-

tiation sessions, we were not able to agree on a new contract since it is clearly understood that we must reduce our operating costs to become more competitive against non-union retailers.”

He said the chain has “plans in place to deal with any job actions to keep our stores open and operating to meet the needs of our customers.”

On Saturday, the two sides held a third day of bargaining aimed at heading off the first strike in Raley’s 77-year history. The grocer has 128 stores in Northern California and Nevada.

The two sides have been at odds over a proposed wage freeze, elimination of premium pay for Sunday shifts and health care benefits. “Raley’s has tried to dictate a laundry list of takeaways including devastating members’ and retirees’ health and welfare plan and nothing has changed. It’s clear from their actions it’s time to teach them the meaning of respect,” the union

statement said. Raley’s management had threatened to impose a contract with its terms on Thursday, but when a federal mediator became involved in the talks, the company said it would hold off until midnight Saturday.

Raley’s says it needs to cut costs in the face of a weak economy and competition from nonunionized companies that also sell groceries, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Union officials say the chain has not agreed to a full audit of its finances, failing to make the case for the concessions.

West Sacramento-based Raley’s is a privately owned company that employs 13,000 people at 115 stores in California and 13 in Nevada operating under the Raley’s name, as well as Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, Food Source and Aisle 1 Fuel Stations, according to its website. The United Food and Commercial Workers says it represents 7,400 of the chain’s employees. — AP

UAE’s ADCB, Banco Santander in tie-up ABU DHABI: The UAE’s Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Europe’s largest lender by market capitalization, Banco Santander, have agreed to cooperate in trade and project finance as the Spanish bank broadens its reach in the Gulf.

The two banks signed a partnership agreement that will draw together their expertise in investment banking, trade finance and consumer banking in their respective markets, a statement from ADCB said yesterday. “ With banks in the Middle East emerging as important sources of financing for global clients, we recognize that there is an increasing need for stronger collaboration with strong

financial institutions in the region,” Emilio Botin, chairman of Banco Santander said in the statement.

“This is an exciting alliance which will help clients of both the banks trade together through the provision of combined exper tise, financial strength and connectivity in the market,” said Colin Fraser, executive vice president and head of wholesale banking group at ADCB. ADCB, a majority state-owned bank and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, last week posted a 3 per cent decline in third quarter profit. The lender is heavily focused on the domestic market with two branches in India. — Reuters

South Korea’s total debt soars to $2.75tn SEOUL: South Korea’s total public and private-sector debt soared to $2.75 trillion this summer due to greater spending to stimulate growth and growing household borrowing, a report said yesterday.

As of June, combined debt held by the government, companies and households rose to 2,962 trillion won from 1,966 trillion won in 2007 and 2,859 trillion won at the end of last year, Yonhap news agency said.

The ratio of such debt to nominal gross domestic product was 201.7 percent in 2007, 231.1 percent last December and 233.8 percent at the end of June, it said, citing bank data.

The ratio has been on the rise since the 2008 financial crisis as the

government expanded spending to spur growth and low borrowing costs prompted more households to rely on bank lending, Yonhap said.

In June Moody’s Investors Service said the country’s household loans have grown “at an alarming rate” and are vulnerable to financial shocks arising from the global economic downturn.

Many households rely on borrowing to buy a home and pay only the interest every month, repaying the principal when they sell the property.

But a weak property market often means they cannot make enough to repay the principal when the loan falls due. — AFP

HERAT: An Afghan worker weaves a silk shawl in Herat yesterday. In Herat, once an important stop on the famous Silk Route, a few families are struggling to keep a once-splendid silk industry alive amid competition from cheaper synthetic silk from China and Pakistan. — AFP

DIB Q3 net profit flat despite provisions impairments worth 309 million dirhams against 217 million dirhams in the same period a year ago.

“The performance of DIB in the third quarter of 2012 was notable for delivering strong results while continuing with its conservative approach to provisioning,” Mohammed Al-Shaibani, chairman of DIB, said in a separate statement.

Net profit for the first nine months of 2012 was also flat to the corresponding period of last year at 854 million dirhams versus 850 million dirhams. The bank’s shares didn’t trade yesterday but have risen 4.1 percent year-to-date, underperforming the Dubai bourse which has advanced 19.6 percent. — Reuters

DUBAI: Dubai Islamic Bank, the emirate’s largest sharia-compliant lender, reported a flat third-quarter net profit yesterday, beating analysts’ forecasts, despite a big jump in provisioning.

The bank made 298.5 million dirhams ($81.3 million) in the three months to Sept. 30, it said in a filing to the Dubai bourse. This compares with a profit of 298 million dirhams in the corresponding period last year.

Two analysts polled by Reuters forecast DIB would make a quarterly net profit of 229 million and 296 million dirhams, respectively.

Quarterly profits were steady despite a 43 percent jump in provisions, with

Big change in consumer behavior toward spending!

By Hayder Tawfik o one can doubt that the global economic growth is very week and could get weaker if all the actions taken by the main central bankers fail to deliver growth. I personally think they will succeed in lifting economic growth in the next few years. Quantitative easing ultimately will work. Quantitative easing literally translates into printing money without limit and supplying them cheaply or free. This can do the trick in an environment of very low inflation that we are experiencing now. Quantitative easing will take time but it will work.

I have talked in the past about how consumer spending will lead the upcoming economic growth.

This is something different from the past. I think there are two elements to the resurgence of consumer spending. First one is that the cheap money environment we live in has encouraged those who are still in employment to spend more because they have reduced their personal debts over the last few years and now they feel comfortable to spend more or because it is just a long delayed purchases that they feel comfortable to do now. The second elements which is very exciting is the emergence of what they call the middle class in the world’s most populated economies such as China, India, Russia, Brazil and I would like to add some countries which have huge oil, gas and mining resources in Africa. I am not sure if we can classify consumers in those economies as the middle class we know in the developed world.

However, they have indeed been a sort of driving force in the world retail and consumers services industries. This emerging middle class in the emerging economies has seen a great expansion in the last 10 years and is still growing. There has been a lot of discussion about the emerging markets middle class and their impact on the world economic growth. The debate can go on forever because it is the fascination with its potential size of these consumers. Adding the population of those countries together one will be talking about over 3 billion people and a simple calculation of assuming that only 5% of them could develop into middle class consumers then we are talking about a potential of 150 million new consumers. Remember these are young consumers.

Obviously this not going to happen overnight but it is there and it will happen. This is very good news for the retail and consumers services industries.

Some of the world top retailers are eyeing this new development very seriously and have taken business steps to be part of such new development.

INDITEX the parent company of ZARA the giant Spanish clothing retailer has moved into China and South Africa very recently. Also, Starbucks has just opened its few branches in India to serve the growing Indian middle class fresh coffee. Unilever has recently shifted its focus into emerging Asia and it has taken a clever step of educating the emerging class in Asia about the benefits of being clean and fresh everyday, this is obviously a strategy of growing up their business with the kids of the middle class.

Very Clever indeed and its latest financial results have proven the point about its business activities in Brazil.

There are also other world brands that will benefit too, names such as Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Google etc. For long term investors the focus should be on those companies that are headquarter in the developed world but have big or growing business exposure to the emerging middle class consumers in the emerging economies.

— Hayder Tawfik - Executive Vice President of Asset Management, at Dimah Capital.

N

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 .4480000 .3600000 .2980000 .2780000 .2880000 .0040000 .0020000 .0762300 .7426870 .3870000 .0720000 .7280720 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2808000 GB Pound/KD .4502350 Euro .36622880 Swiss francs .2998240 Canadian dollars .2804630 Danish Kroner .0485640 Swedish Kroner .0419890 Australian dlr .2904030 Hong Kong dlr .0362310 Singapore dlr .2297680 Japanese yen .0035140 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0764810 Bahraini dinars .7451240 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0749000 Omani riyals .7296350 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

3.523 5.250 2.940 2.158 3.289 231.830 3.675 3.440 6.859 9.176 0.271 273

.2845000 .4610000 .3720000 .3080000 .2900000 .2980000 .0067500 .0035000 .0769960 .7501510 .4060000 .0780000 .7353900 .0510000 .2829000 .4536020 .3649980 .3020660 .2825610 .0489270 .0423030 .2925750 .0365020 .2314870 .0035400 .0052810 .0021860 .0029640 .0034970 .0770530 .7506970 .4001410 .0754600 .7350920 .0069040

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.203 77.488 732.490 749.040 76.791

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.200 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.129 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.316 Tunisian Dinar 179.780 Jordanian Dinar 397.800 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.892 Syrian Lier 3.856 Morocco Dirham 33.243 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 281.900 Euro 366.050 Sterling Pound 456.110 Canadian dollar 285.900 Turkish lire 157.490 Swiss Franc 303.120 Australian dollar 294.300 US Dollar Buying 280.700 GOLD 332.000 167.000 86.500

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

50.400 733.540 3.080 7.060 78.110 75.400 232.240 36.460 2.690 457.200 43.100 304.100 4.200 9.560 198.263 77.000 282.800 1.360

10 Tola

GOLD 1,776.360

Sterling Pound US Dollar

733.360 2.960 6.861 77.680 75.400 232.240 36.460 2.165 455.200 302.600 4.200 9.380 76.900 282.400

COUNTRY

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 455.200 282.400

SELL CASH

SELL DRAFT

295.800 751.010 3.710 287.300 554.000 46.000 49.500 167.800 48.520 366.700 37.130 5.500 0.032 0.161 0.248 3.610 400.190 0.191 95.670 45.400 4.340 236.400 1.829

294.300 751.010 3.455 285.800

232.200 46.244 365.200 36.980 5.250 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

296.10 287.96 305.10 365.62 281.95 455.60 3.58 3.470 5.249 2.168 3.286 2.950 76.83 750.74 46.22 401.68 733.80 77.86 75.40

SELL CASH

297.000 285.000 306.000 370.000 282.350 458.000 3.690 3.600 5.550 2.320 3.750 3.150 77.350 749.600 48.200 399.000 740.000 77.850 75.750

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 400.160 0.190 95.670 3.310 234.900

Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

282.300 284.020 453.790 363.115

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

302.330 747.385 76.835 77.490 75.245 397.945 46.239 2.163 5.250 2.943 3.454 6.841 692.485 4.505 9.285 4.380 3.375 92.465

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

282.000 2.955 5.265 2.175 3.450 6.860 76.880 75.355 749.700 46.180 457.500 2.990 1.550 371.700 289.900 3.345

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

281.850 365.050 455.050 285.600 3.535 5.258 46.220 2.162 3.450 6.832 2.938 751.000 76.800 75.300

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

BUSINESS

Markets want ECB to activate bond-buying ‘bazooka’ FRANKFURT: Two months after the European Central Bank unveiled its latest anti-crisis weapon, markets are looking to the ECB’s meeting this week for a sign as to when it may finally be put to use, analysts say.

The ECB’s OMT bond-purchase programannounced by president Mario Draghi in September-has been credited with marking a turning point in financial market sentiment towards the crisis-wracked euro even though it has not actually been used.

The mere announcement of the program was enough to bring borrowing costs of countries such Spain sharply down from previous dangerous highs. But the feel-good effects could fade unless the ECB follows up with concrete action. And financial markets are waiting to see whether Draghi gives any indication of such plans at the

bank’s policy meeting next week, analysts said. “If the ECB fails to back its words with actual purchases soon, then the positive market response that we have seen so far is very likely to be reversed,” said Capital Economics economist Jennifer McKeown.

But the regular meeting on Thursday looks unlikely to bring any policy changes, ECB watchers said. Euro-zone interest rates, already at a record low of 0.75 percent, are set to remain unchanged, even if additional monetary easing may be on the cards early next year as the region’s economy slips deeper into recession.

Last month, the International Monetary Fund said it sees the euro-zone economy shrinking by 0.4 percent this year and cut the outlook for next year by two thirds to growth of a mere 0.2 percent.

“Further rate cuts would be fully justified by the current economic scenario. However, the ECB

doesn’t see it as a priority at the current juncture,” said Newedge Strategy analyst Annalisa Piazza.

Commerzbank economist Michael Schubert agreed. “It is not essential to cut interest rates, as the transmission of monetary policy has priority,” as a number of top ECB officials have pointed out recently, Schubert said. In fact, he said he no longer expected a further rate cut at all.

McKeown at Capital Economics said she was projecting one more quarter-point reduction in the ECB’s refinancing rate to 0.5 percent “probably in the first quarter of 2013.” But she also suggested that the ECB may decide “that further interest rate cuts are not the way to go.

“Effective market interest rates are already near zero, implying that another rate cut would make very little difference to the economy anyway,” the expert said. “Indeed, such low interest rates might

even deter some types of banking activity.”

Commerzbank’s Schubert said he expected the OMT bond program to be the focus of the meeting once again, with Draghi likely to reiterate his call for the governments to pull their weight now that the ECB has done all it can to solve the crisis.

Newedge Strategy analyst Piazza said the ECB “is in wait-and-see mode, looking at political developments before activating its OMTs.” Last month, Draghi insisted the ball was firmly now in the court of the governments to press ahead with necessary structural reforms.

“Our decisions... have helped to alleviate tensions over the past few weeks. It is now essential that governments continue to implement the necessary steps to reduce both fiscal and structural imbalances and proceed with financial sector restructuring measures,” Draghi stressed. — AFP

Ahead of key votes, Greek PM warns of euro exit Samaras wants parliament to okay austerity measures

Chief Executive Officer Walter Meck poses for a portrait surrounded by idled sewing machines set aside for sale at FesslerUSA apparel manufacture in Orwigsburg.

Family-owned FesslerUSA has survived war and depression, free trade and foreign imports to produce millions of knitted garments from its base in eastern Pennsylvania. — AP

Berkshire Hathaway Quarterly profit up

B

erkshire Hathaway Inc, the conglomerate run by billionaire Warren Buffett, on Friday said its third-quarter profit rose as strength in the railroad and utility businesses, as well as investment gains, offset weaker results in the insurance units.

Berkshire earned $3.92 billion, or $2,373 per Class A share, compared with $2.28 billion, or $1,380 per share, a year earlier. Book value, Buffett’s preferred measure of the company’s worth, rose to $111,718 per Class A share, up 11.9 percent since year end. The ice-cream-to-insurance conglomerate, which employs more than a quartermillion people worldwide, reported its cash pile grew to $47.78 billion, up $10 billion from the start of the year.

Buffett told CNBC last week that he was “salivating” for a major acquisition after two deals of more than $20 billion each fell through in the last few months.

Buffett knocked off a bit of that cash on Friday with a deal to buy toy and party supply company Oriental Trading Co, though at $500 million it has little chance of “moving the needle,” as Buffett has said he would like to do.

Berkshire said in a quarterly filing with

securities regulators late Friday that it spent $1.8 billion in total on smaller “bolton” acquisitions in the first nine months of the year. Many of those deals, made by Berkshire units around the world, are never announced.

Berkshire said underwriting profits in its insurance unit fell sharply in the third quarter compared with a year ago when the business had a one-time gain. One bright spot was the auto insurer Geico, whose underwriting gain nearly quadrupled on a higher policy count and better pricing.

The company’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad reported a gain in revenue on higher volumes, leading to stronger earnings. Meanwhile, the utilities business was able to charge higher prices, and a real estate brokerage housed within the energy business grew by acquisition, adding to results.

Earnings in the manufacturing and retailing segment also rose sharply, boosted primarily by the chemical company Lubrizol, which was Berkshire’s major acquisition of 2011.

Berkshire said in its quarterly filing that it did not repurchase any shares during the first nine months of the year. — Reuters

ECB checking status of loans made to Spanish banks BERLIN: The European Central Bank (ECB) is checking whether it may have contravened its own strict rules by lending to Spanish banks on overly generous terms, an ECB spokeswoman said yesterday.

German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag, citing the results of its own research, said that banks had borrowed funds from the ECB and taken a haircut of 0.5 percent even though the creditworthiness of the Spanish T-bills they provided as collateral should have required the ECB to apply a haircut of 5.5 percent. The rating of some paper should have made them completely ineligible as collateral for the ECB, the newspaper added.

“The ECB is investigating the matter,” the bank spokeswoman said. At issue is nearly 80 billion euros ($102.8 billion) worth of 18-month T-bills the newspaper said had been wrongly classified as carry-

ing a top-notch A rating whereas many are rated only as B by leading rating agencies Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.

“Dealings with certain Spanish government bonds casts doubt on the quality of the ECB’s risk management... because the bonds pledged by the banks as security meet the central bank’s requirements only in part,” Die Welt am Sonntag said. If the bonds were downgraded, the affected banks could have to produce other collateral amounting to as much as 16.6 billion euros in value, Die Welt said.

Like other conser vative German media outlets, the newspaper has been critical of the ECB’s efforts to combat the euro zone crisis, especially its offer to buy unlimited amounts of debt from struggling countries such as Spain under certain conditions to help reduce down their borrowing costs. — Reuters

FRANKFURT: A general view of a structure of the Euro currency sign is seen in front of the European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt. (File photo)

ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warned again yesterday that the debt-crippled country could be forced out of the euro if parliament fails to approve a new round of austerity measures needed for a lifeline from creditors.

“We must save the country from catastrophe... if we fail to stay in the euro nothing will make sense,” he told lawmakers from his conservative party. Parliament is due to vote Wednesday on a bill outlining 18 billion euros ($23 billion) of cuts and other reforms, followed by a vote yesterday on the 2013 budget as Greece battles to secure a new tranche of aid from its troika of international creditors.

Samaras said the votes were vital to “put an end once and for all” to the risk that Greece, faced with a crushing debt mountain, could return to the drachma. He called on coalition partners, the socialist Pasok and the moderate left-wing Dimar (Democratic Left) parties, which have raised concerns about the scope of the measures, to act in the “supreme interests of the nation”.

Greek unions however are planning a twoday strike from Tuesday to coincide with the austerity vote amid seething public anger over further painful cuts in a country that is heading for its sixth year of recession. Greece has been negotiating with the European Union, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank to unlock a 31.5 billion euro tranche of a bailout package or risk bankruptcy in mid-November.

But the IMF said last week that the talks were stalled over the conditions for financing Greece,

which has been seeking a two-year extension to meet its fiscal goals, sending stocks crashing.

The Dimar party, which has 16 deputies, has suggested it would vote against the bill Wednesday because of its objections to labor market deregulation proposals, while up to five

socialist lawmakers could also defy Samaras. The dissenters would leave the government with a narrow majority, with just 154-159 seats in the 300-member assembly, the Greek press said on Sunday, while predicting the measures would nevertheless go through. — AFP

HONG KONG: Shoppers look at products at a market in Hong Kong yesterday. Hong Kong’s exports grew 15.2 percent year-on-year in September, the government said on October 25, while warning of an economic outlook fraught with challenges. — AFP

Foreign investors dip toes back into euro-zone PARIS: Reassured by ECB anti-crisis moves, major international investors have begun dipping their toes back into the euro-zone, even though they don’t believe the crisis is over.

“The worst-case scenarios of those who had feared the euro-zone would disappear has receded a bit,” said Jean-Louis Mourier, an economist at Aurel BGC brokerage.

Many foreign banks and investment and pension funds pulled their placements out of the euro-zone after Greece, Ireland and Portugal were forced to seek bailouts and the crisis threatened to engulf Italy and Spain, the bloc’s third- and fourth-largest economies.

However the European Central Bank has since pumped a trillion euros into banks to ensure liquidity and outlined a plan to buy-up unlimited amounts of debt of governments pursuing bailout plans.

And investors are again buying shares in French, Italian and Spanish banks, as well as bonds of the most fragile euro-zone states, which has contributed to a rebound in stock markets since this summer and sent Spanish and Italian government borrowing rates lower. Jean-Francois Bay, director of the Morningstar France independent market research firm, said he noticed in September that foreign investment funds had returned buying euro-zone shares “for the first time since February 2011”.

There has also been a return to purchasing Italian and Spanish debt.

The September pledge by the ECB to buy up short term debt of governments which seek a bailout and agree fiscal adjustment terms has reassured investors, even no country has yet to sign up for the newly available program.

PIMCO, the world’s largest investment manager, cited that security blanket when it said in October that Italy and Spain now “offer relatively attractive sources of credit risk”.

While PIMCO said it would continue to take a cautious approach, it had steered clear of Italian and Spanish debt for three years, and also said it would continue to avoid Greek, Portuguese and Irish debt. The biggest independent French fund manager, Carmignac, has indicated that it has again begun buying Italian and Spanish short-term debt.

Carmignac moved out of most euro-zone bonds in July 2011, and said this June that it no longer held any euro-zone sovereign debt.

For their part, US prime money market funds, which manage hundreds of millions of dollars, increased their exposure to euro-zone banks for the third consecutive month in September, according to Fitch Ratings.

The increase was 16 percent in dollar terms over the month to stand at 10.6 percent of total holdings.

“Many investors may have overestimated the risk in the euro-zone, but it hasn’t disappeared either,” said Rene Defossez, a fixedincome strategist at Natixis investment bank.

The flow back to the euro-zone may represent more a correction than a vote of confidence however. “This return of investors is extremely fragile,” said Patrick Jacq, an analyst at France’s BNP Paribas bank.

He warned foreign investors could be tempted to book profits and pull back out just as quickly. “It is too early to say if this movement that started recently will continue,” said Bay. For certain investors the return to the euro-zone may also be simply a default option to hedge the growing risks linked to a political stalemate leading to a sharp retrenchment in US fiscal policy, the so-called fiscal cliff. “According to the latest survey of funds by Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, the risks related to the fiscal cliff in the United States are seen as greater than those of the

euro-zone,” noted Mourier.

Fitch noted US money market fund exposure to euro-zone banks was still down by 70 percent from May 2011, and unlikely to ever fully recover due to fundamental changes in the market.

Euro-zone banks had depended on US money market funds for access to dollars to carry out business denominated in the US currency, but when this access dried up European banks largely moved out of dollar denominated activity.

Pressure to meet higher core capital ratios have also encouraged euro-zone banks to sell off assets and retrench their activities.

Foreign investors also remain concerned about the dim near-term economic outlook in the euro-zone. “The euro-zone will be in recession next year in contrast to the United States,” said Defossez, adding that 2013 is full of political risk given elections in Germany and Italy. — AFP

US fiscal cliff, Europe’s debt woes worry G20 MEXICO CITY: Finance chiefs of the world’s leading economies are ringing alarm bells over the US fiscal cliff and Europe’s debt woes at a meeting in Mexico this weekend as they look to push back deficit reduction targets to help boost growth. Unless a fractious US Congress can reach a deal, about $600 billion in government spending cuts and higher taxes are set to kick in on Jan 1, threatening to push the American economy back into recession and hit world growth.

But with the US presidential election looming on Tuesday, dealing with the fiscal cliff has been delayed. “The Americans themselves acknowledge that this is a problem,” a G20 official said on condition of anonymity. “The US administration says it doesn’t want to fall off the fiscal cliff, but right now it can’t tell us how exactly it will address it because that issue is on ice ahead of the election.” Tax cuts, including those enacted under President George W Bush, are set to expire in January, when automatic spending cuts designed to put pressure on lawmakers to strike a long-term budget deal are also set to kick in.

“What remains a sort of key aspect is that the United States is not respecting the current commitments (to reduce its deficits) and does not have a credible fiscal consolidation plan,” one European official said. Germany has come to the meeting calling on the United States and Japan to shoulder with Europe responsibility for ensuring global economic stability.

“The United States and Japan bear as great a responsibility for (ensuring stability) as we Europeans,” German Finance Minister Wolfgang

Schaeuble told Reuters ahead of the meeting.

The US Congress will also soon have to raise the nation’s debt limit to avoid a default.

Policy makers are scrambling to stem a new global slowdown as the economy is still limping after the 2008/9 financial crisis. An initial consensus around the need for urgent action to prevent a new depression has given way to deep differences over issues such as spending to boost growth and the right pace of belt-tightening to tackle high debt levels. The International Monetary Fund last month cut its forecast for global growth to 3.6 percent for 2013, citing “familiar” forces dragging on advanced economies: fiscal consolidation and a weak financial system. Even Germany, which powered through the first two years of the euro zone debt crisis, has cut its growth forecast to just 1 percent for next year and countries such as Spain and Italy are already back in recession.

Jose Angel Gurria, head of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, said on Saturday the G20 should appeal to the United States to avoid the’ fiscal cliff, but added he was optimistic that Congress would strike a deal. “I still believe it is not going to be applied,” Gurria said in an interview before the meeting of G20 finance chiefs, which formally starts on Sunday. Officials are also concerned about Japan’s own version of the fiscal cliff, a crippling funding shortfall just as it risks sliding into recession, and recognize that previous commitments made by developed countries to cut their budget deficits in half by 2013 look unfeasible. — Reuters

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Sandy sends US crude prices higher GLOBAL INVESTMENT HOUSE REPORT

Ukraine facing economic woe after elections KIEV: Ukraine’s parliamentary elections may have passed without unrest but the country is facing a spell of economic trouble that may include a devaluation of its currency and a new recession. Reliant on Russia for its energy needs and paying Moscow around a billion dollars a month in gas bills, Ukraine is increasingly using debt markets for its financing as the current account deficit grows ever wider.

Meanwhile, the global economic downturn is again exposing Ukraine’s dangerous dependence on exports of steel, a highly cyclical commodity which is now suffering a slump in demand.

The country remains scarred by the experience of the 2008-2009 economic crisis when its gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 15 percent, the currency fell by 60 percent in value and fears resurfaced about the creditworthiness of the strategic state that bridges the European Union and Russia.

The Regions Party of President Viktor Yanukovych appears set to have a wafer-thin majority in parliament after the elections but even with this analysts question his stomach to

implement unpopular economic reforms. While growth was 5.2 percent in 2011 and 2.5 percent in the first half of 2012 in annualized terms, GDP contracted 1.2 percent in third quarter this year and some banks fear the country will see zero growth for 2012.

Meanwhile, the current account deficit is set to put further pressure on the embattled currency the hryvnia, with rumors of a devaluation already prompting Ukrainians in September to buy up dollars and euros.

“Ukraine’s gaping current account deficit-over 6 percent in the first halfand large external debt obligations mean that currency devaluation still looks inevitable,” said analyst Liza Ermolenko of Capital Economics.

She added in a note to clients: “Worryingly, it looks like the economy is already on the brink of slipping into recession even without a re-escalation of the euro crisis.”

Analysts at Fitch Ratings described Ukraine’s external financing gap as “precarious”, with pressure on the exchange rate increasing due to domestic demand for foreign currency rising and forex reserves falling.

Back to the IMF?Ukraine was helped out of the last crisis by a $15.3 billion IMF standby credit package. Kiev has received $3.4 billion in two disbursements but since December 2010 the credit has been frozen partly due to the unwillingness of the Yanukovych government to implement reform.

But with external financing needs projected to grow in 2013 — not least because of repayments to the IMF itself-analysts believe the government will have to call on the world lender again.

“Getting the IMF deal back on track would reduce refinancing risk, boost investor confidence and so underpin continuing market access,” Fitch Ratings said.

“It would also force the government to resume fiscal consolidation and address underlying structural economic and financial weaknesses.”

Olena Bilan of Dragon Capital in Kiev said that Ukraine’s cooperation with the IMF was “very important” as it would need disbursements of $9 billion in the year ahead to finance its domestic debts and foreign obligations in foreign currency debt.—AFP

KUWAIT: US crude futures rose after a fierce super storm caused havoc across the northeastern US and was threatening to inflict more damage inland. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude oil settled at $84.86 a barrel, dropping by $1.42 for the week. In London, Brent crude, settled at $105.68, down by $3.87. NYMEX RBOB gasoline settled at $2.5736 a gallon, for the week, the contract fell by 1.25 cents.

NYMEX heating oil closed down at $2.9474. For the week, it fell by 1.50 cents.

OPEC crude oil output has risen slightly in October as extra supplies from Iraq, Angola and Libya offset a further decline in Iran and export disruptions in Nigeria, a Reuters survey found.

Supply from the 12-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has averaged 31.15mn barrels per day (bpd), up from 31.09mn bpd in September, the survey of sources at oil companies, OPEC officials and analysts found.

Hurricane Sandy cut power to more than 8 million homes, shut down 70 percent of East Coast oil refineries and inflicted worse-than-expected damage in the New York metropolitan area. That area produces about 10 percent of US economic output. US crude stocks fell unexpectedly last week as imports dropped sharply, while oil product inventories were mixed as refinery utilization rose, the US Energy Information Administration reported. Crude stocks dropped by 2.05mn barrels in the week, the government figures showed. That compared with analyst forecasts in a Reuters poll for a rise of 1.5mn barrels.

US crude imports during the week fell sharply, by 901,000 barrels per day to 7.88mn barrels per day. Deliveries could have been crimped by approaching Hurricane Sandy last week. US stocks of refined products were mixed as refinery utilization rose by 0.5 percentage point to 87.7 percent of capacity. Crude stocks at the futures delivery hub of Cushing, Oklahoma fell by 671,000 barrels to 43.39mn barrels, the EIA data showed. US natural gas futures ended lower as widespread power outages from Hurricane Sandy slowed demand and weather forecasts for late next week turned milder despite the outlook for some near-term cold that should stir more heating load. Front-month February natural gas futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange settled up at $3.554 per million British thermal units (mmbtu). Baker Hughes data on Friday showed that the gas-directed rig count rose this week by eight to 424 after posting a 13-year low the previous week.

While the gas rig count has gained only 10 times this year, four of those gains have occurred in the last seven weeks, stirring concerns that the recent uptick in gas prices might be encouraging producers to hook up more wells.

Data from the EIA on Thursday showed domestic gas inventories rose last week by 65 billion cubic feet to 3.908 trillion cubic feet, easily eclipsing the previous record high of 3.852 tcf hit last November. The weekly build, which fell 2 bcf shy of the Reuters poll estimate, trimmed the surplus relative to last year by 17 bcf to 136 bcf, or 4 percent above the same week in 2011. The pound strengthened against the euro for a second week, touching a one-month high, as signs of improvement in the UK economy damped expectations for more monetary stimulus.

US US consumer spending rose solidly in September, putting the economy on a firmer footing heading into the fourth quarter even though households had

to pull back on saving to fund purchases. The Commerce Department said that consumer spending rose 0.8 percent after an unrevised 0.5 percent gain in August. The rise beat economist’s expectations for a 0.6 percent increase last month. When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending rose 0.4 percent after edging up 0.1 percent in August.

American employers hired more workers than forecast in October while an influx of people joining the labor force pushed the jobless rate higher, according to the last job market report before the presidential election.

Payrolls expanded by 171,000 workers following a 148,000 gain in September that was bigger than first estimated, figures from the Labor Department showed. October’s increase exceeded the highest forecast in a Bloomberg survey with a median projection of 125,000. Unemployment rose to 7.9 percent.

Economic damages inflicted by Hurricane Sandy could reach $50 billion, according to new estimates that are more than double a previous forecast. Some economists warned that the storm could shave a half percentage point off the nation’s economic growth in the current quarter. Losses from the storm could total $30bn to $50bn, according to Eqecat, which tracks hurricanes and analyzes the damage they cause. The flooding of New York’s subways and roadway tunnels and the extensive loss of business as a result of utility failures across the region were behind the sharp increase in the estimate.

Europe Euro-zone economic sentiment fell less than expected in October, thanks to small improvements in optimism among consumers and in the retail sector, which helped limit the downward pull from industry, services and construction. The European Commission’s monthly business and consumer survey showed the economic sentiment indicator for the 17 countries using the euro fell to 84.5 points this month from a revised 85.2 points in September.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected a decline to 84.0 points from the previously reported 85 points.

Euro-zone inflation eased as expected in October thanks to slower growth of energy prices, but unemployment rose to new record highs in September, data from the European statistics office Eurostat showed. Eurostat estimated consumer inflation in the 17 countries sharing the Euro was 2.5 percent YoY, down from 2.6 percent in September, though still above the European Central Bank target of below, but close to 2 percent. Inflation pressures in the eurozone are low because unemployment is a record levels, rising to 11.6 percent of the workforce in September - the highest level for the 17 countries that now make up the Euro-zone since 1995.

Eurostat said 18.49mn people were without jobs in the euro area, up by 146,000 from the month before.

German inflation stayed at 2 percent in October, just above the European Central Bank’s target ceiling, but economists said it would have fallen were it not for one-off effects in the country’s most populous state. Preliminary data from the Federal Statistics Office, closely watched for clues on overall Eurozone inflation, showed annual inflation matched the consensus forecast in a Reuters poll of 34 economists.

German joblessness rose for a seventh month in a row in October, highlighting the vulnerability of Europe’s biggest economy to the euro-zone crisis, but economists expect the trend to reverse as growth revives in the new

year. Labor Office data showed the number of people out of a job rose to 2.937mn in October, up 20,000 from the previous month.

The consensus forecast in a Reuters poll of 31 economists was for unemployment to rise by 10,000. The unemployment rate stood at 6.9 percent, unchanged from a revised figure for September. British consumer confidence fell to its lowest in six months in October, highlighting the fragility of Britain’s recovery from recession, a survey by researchers GfK NOP showed.

The poll’s headline index dipped to -30, the lowest since April when the country was in the middle of an economic slump. Analysts had forecast a steady reading of -28. The latest figure contrasts with the official end of recession between July and September, when the economy grew 1 percent, partly helped by the London Olympics.

Japan Japan’s jobless rate was steady in September and the availability of jobs dropped for the first time in more than three years. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged from August at 4.2 percent, figures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed, matching economists’ median forecast. The number of new job offers declined 1.5 percent in September from the previous month. Japan’s industrial output dropped 4.1 percent in September, marking the biggest decline since the aftermath of last year’s earthquake, in a sign the global slowdown and territorial rows with China dampened factory activity. The fall compared with a median market forecast for a 3.3 percent decline, and was the sharpest fall since a record drop of 16.2 percent in March 2011 after the devastating quake and tsunami, the data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed. It followed a 1.6 percent fall in the previous month.

China China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index rose to 50.2 in October from 49.8 in September, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

Economists polled by Reuters this week had expected the October official PMI to rise to 50.3, confirming a trend toward recovering growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

China’s non-manufacturing industries rebounded from the slowest expansion in at least 19 months, adding to signs the world’s second-biggest economy is recovering after a seven-quarter slowdown. The purchasing managers’ index rose to 55.5 in October from 53.7 the previous month, the National Bureau of Statistics and China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said.

September’s reading was the weakest since a new seasonally adjusted series of the gauge began in March 2011.

India India’s manufacturing growth inched up in October from September’s 10-month low, supported by a pickup in new orders and an easing of price pressures. The HSBC manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), which gauges the business activity of India’s factories but not its utilities, nudged up to 52.9 in October from 52.8 in September. The index has remained above 50, which divides growth and contraction, for over three and a half years. The new orders sub-index, an indicator of future output, edged up to 54.9 last month from 54.4 in September while export orders grew for the second straight month albeit at a slightly slower pace.

N-power or shale gas? Poland may have to choose soon WARSAW: Poland has set its sights on building its first nuclear power station and developing shale gas, but experts believe it may soon have to choose one or the other as investing in both could prove too costly. An EU nation of 38.2 million, Poland currently relies on its vast coal reserves to produce about 90 percent of the electricity it consumes. Warsaw is scrambling to find alternatives to meet EU targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The government also believes that tapping its own shale gas deposits could assure strategic energy independence from Soviet-era master Moscow. Krzysztof Kilian, the chief executive of the state-owned PGE, Poland’s largest utility involved in the developing both the nuclear and shale gas sectors from scratch, recently insisted “one rules out the other.”

“Pursuing these two programs at the same time cannot be crowned with success,” he told delegates at a debate on Poland’s energy future in Warsaw.

But centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk was quick to respond, insisting “nuclear power and of course investments in shale gas, remain priorities.”

“We’ll be continuing the nuclear program and working on developing shale gas very intensively,” he said, adding that Kilian had been speaking as a company chief, not a minister or

the head of government. But his treasury minister, Mikolaj Budzanowski, recently told parliament that for now, Poland would focus on meeting its energy needs with fossil fuels.

“Regarding nuclear energy, the final decision will be made (...) in late 2014 or in early 2015,” he said.

Some analysts in Warsaw believe Polish leaders are deliberately sending mixed messages to the public.

“If shale gas reserves prove sufficient, Poland will have enough energy and won’t have to spend 12 billion euros on nuclear power,” a recent editorial in the Rzeczpospolita broadsheet daily noted. Others see the wisdom in Poland pursuing both atomic power and shale gas, but they warn against state companies spreading themselves too thin by investing in both sectors.— AFP

POLAND: A drilling rig exploring for shale gas in the eastern Polish village of Grzebowilk. Poland has set it sights on building its first nuclear power station and developing shale gas, but experts believe it may soon have to choose one or the other as investing in both could prove too costly. — AFP

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Businesses step up to aid victims of Sandy NEW YORK: Duracell’s “Power Forward” centers give Hurricane Sandy’s electricity-less victims the chance to charge phones, as well as to grab free batteries for flashlights. Anheuser-Busch switched a line at its Cartersville, Ga., brewery from beer to potable water to produce more than a million cans of emergency drinking water for those in need.

Lakeside Fitness Club in Oakland, New Jersey, offered everyone in the community warm showers, hot coffee and the ability to get some stress relief with a workout.

Businesses big and small have rallied to help East Coast residents cope with the loss of heat, light, water and even their patience in the wake of Superstorm Sandy’s wrath.

Retailers have let scores of squatters use their wireless service and electrical outlets. Gyms opened their doors-and their shower stalls-to non-members.

Banks will refund late fees and ATM use charges. And big corporations, as well as small mom-and-pop shops, have pledged millions to relief causes.

Making the gym amenities available to all was “about doing whatever little thing we could to help people get through this disaster,” says Lakeside

Fitness Club co-owner Peter Costello.

“We are a family-owned club and we see everyone as part of our family whether they are a member or not.”

In Manhattan, small dessert business Chloe’s Soft Serve Fruit Co. handed out free hot apple cider to residents and others rattled by the storm. “It was a no brainer in terms of offering help,” says Chloe’s co-founder Chloe Epstein. “We just had to put our heads together to figure out the quickest, most effective way to have an impact in even a small way.”

The company didn’t have power in their flagship store, so they prepared the cider at an uptown store and shipped it out in a company-branded food truck to an area where there was no power. “We sent it down to warm up and cheer up our Union Square neighbors,” Epsetin says.

Anheuser-Busch, albeit it on a much larger level, also responded to its community’s needs, says Margarita Flores, the brewer’s vice president of community affairs. The company keeps some canned water in supply for emergency situations, but quickly ramped up production late last week to help the scores of people who needed clean drinking water. It sent truckloads of that emer-

gency water to disaster recovery areas in West Virginia, New York and New Jersey.

Anheuser-Busch not only wants to support customers affected by the storm, but it also wants to help company employees in hard-hit areas, says Flores. “It’s good business and it’s good to give back to the community,” she says. Another business behemoth, Procter & Gamble, also jumped in to help Sandy victims. Its Duracell brand set up power stations that let folks charge their devices. And P&G’s Tide Loads of Hope truck, which provides laundry services for residents and recovery workers, arrived in Eatontown, NJ, Saturday morning. The Tide team collected more than 300 loads of laundry in the first two hours alone.

Many companies across the country see this post-Storm recovery time as “an opportunity to be flexible and (show) values that go beyond what they deliver every day,” says Allen Adamson, managing director at branding firm Landor Associates . “It provides an opportunity (for companies) to stand up and say ‘I can do good.’” The trick, he says, is to do it in an authentic way.

“Lot of brands are stepping up and trying to show that they are good citi-

zens and willing to help,” he says, but it has to be “relevant and meaningful.”

The Tide Loads of Hope truck, which provides laundry services for residents and recovery workers, arrived Saturday morning at the Lowe’s in Eatontown, N.J. The team collected more than 300 loads of laundry in the first two hours.

And it doesn’t take million-dollar donations to make a difference. Word of many small, but significant good deeds from businesses spread fast on social media after the storm. Staten Island resident Diane DiResta raved on Facebook about the generosity of a local spa and yoga studio. “I’m at a Staten Island business Relax on Cloud Nine,” DiResta posted on Friday. “The CEO, Doreen Zayer, is offering Internet, tea, phone charging and a shower to residents. It’s a blessing to have an Internet connection for a few hours. Thank you Doreen for your gift to the community.”

Businesses that don’t come across as sincere in their aid efforts-and appear to be capitalizing on a tragic situationcan raise consumer ire, warns branding expert Jeff Swystun.

“If it seems forced, they’ll pay the price,” he says. “There will be backlash (from) existing customers as well as though social media.” Already, there

have been some “head-scratching moves” by brands in response to Hurricane Sandy, which left at least 105 people dead, destroyed homes and left millions without power.

For instance, an ad from decorating retailer Jonathan Adler that said “storm our site” and invited consumers to enter the discount code “Sandy” for a sale price could come across as insensitive, says Swystun, who saw that ad in a roundup called “brand fails exploiting Hurricane Sandy ” on the Business Insider website.

American Apparel and Gap were also criticized on social media for Sandyrelated promotions, says ad trade publication Adweek. American Apparel sent an email blast Monday night offering discounts for those “bored during the storm.” The Gap tweeted that it wanted folks to stay safe during the storm-and at the same time, promoted its shopping website. “Any brand that responds to a natural disaster has to examine its own motivations,” Swystun says. “If they are authentic but make a mistake in how they help, there is a better chance they will be forgiven. If it is self serving, then people will react negatively and share that information with lightning speed and far reach.” — MCT

EU states squabble over contentious budget Major contributors dig heels in

ECB chief Mario Draghi

A year on, Draghi remains ECB’s ‘Super Mario’ FRANKFURT: Mario Draghi certainly seems to have hit the ground running when he took over as head of the European Central Bank 12 months ago.

Just two days after taking the reins of the world’s second most important central bank on November 1, 2011, the Italian surprised everyone by reversing the interest rate hikes prescribed by predecessor Jean-Claude Trichet.

Since then he has gone on to bring euro-zone borrowing costs down even further to historic lows, pumped more than 1.0 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) into the financial markets and devised a program of controversial bond purchases that many see as marking a turning point in the euro-zone’s long-running debt crisis.

Draghi is currently busy drawing up plans to entrust the ECB with supervision of Europe’s banks in a new super watchdog to be housed within the central bank. And he is also one of a group of four top European officials-alongside EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, European Council head Herman Van Rompuy and Eurogroup president JeanClaude Juncker-who are drawing up a blue-print on the future of the euro. It has been a tough year, even for someone of Draghi’s experience and pedigree-he trained as an economist in the United States where he also worked for the World Bank before becoming director general of the Italian Treasury and subsequently governor of the Italian central bank. And, of course, he is not without his critics, notably the head of the power ful German central bank or Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, who believes Draghi’s anti-crisis measures have taken the ECB well beyond its mandate, which is to safeguard price stability in the 17 countries that share the euro.

While many see the ECB as the only European institution capable of acting quickly enough to extinguish the crisis

fires, Draghi has insisted from the very beginning that the solution to the eurozone’s woes lies with the governments.

Any action the ECB takes will simply buy governments more time.

But with politicians still unable to come up with a coherent rescue strategy, the task seems to have fallen to Draghi and the Financial Times saw him as a “commanding general in the battle to rescue the euro.” ECB watchers believe Draghi-who appears a lot more suave and at ease with the press and more approachable than his predecessor Trichet-has indeed risen to the challenge and lived up to the nickname of “Super Mario”.

“Draghi has done a great job, providing effective backstops to the banking sector first in the form of the LTROs and then the sovereigns in the form of the OMT,” UniCredit analyst Marco Valli told AFP. The LTROs or long-term refinancing operations were the means for injecting unprecedented amounts of liquidity into the banking system to avert a credit crunch and the OMT or Outright Monetary Transactions is a scheme for buying up the sovereign bonds of debtwracked countries.

The Italian had proven to be “both politically smart,” in winning over German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the overwhelming majority of the ECB’s governing council for the OMT, the expert said. And he has also proven “very pragmatic” in arguing that if markets did not reward countries for their reform efforts, the ECB had to provide the firewall, Valli said.

The analyst suggested that one of Draghi’s main assets when he was running for the ECB presidency was his indepth knowledge of the banking sector and financial markets. He was, after all, a managing director of Goldman Sachs International. — AFP

HONG KONG: Shoppers walk through a market in Hong Kong yesterday. Hong Kong’s exports grew 15.2 percent year-on-year in September, the government said on October 25, while warning of an economic outlook fraught with challenges. — AFP

BRUSSELS: The run-up to this month’s EU 2014-20 budget summit is proving even more fractious than usual as the major contributors dig their heels in, demanding cuts and concessions while the Commission insists on a 5.0 percent spending hike.

Britain has threatened to veto a deal which offers anything less than a freeze at the November 22-23 meeting, while France, resentful of being the largest contributor to London’s jealously guarded budget rebate, will hear nothing against its sacred cowthe Common Agricultural Policy.

The CAP accounts for about 44 percent of the budget and France remains its biggest beneficiary, much to the dismay of some of its EU partners. “France cannot accept a budget which would not maintain CAP spending,” French European Affairs Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Wednesday.

“Other areas for savings should be looked at,” Cazeneuve said, pointing at the British rebate, worth 3.5 billion euros ($4.55 billion) in 2011, of which Paris had to pay 965 million euros. The net budget contributors led by France, Germany and Britain have baulked at the prospect of paying more at a time when government spending is under pressure on all sides and they are having to adopt tough austerity measures.

Against this backdrop, Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, proposed during the week cuts of 50 billion euros as a “starting point” for talks on the Commission’s budget of 1.03 trillion euros. Some 11 billion euros of the cuts would be in the

CAP, including 3.4 billion euros in direct aid for farmers, one of the most sensitive topics for France since such funds are crucial in disadvantaged rural areas.

As for the contentious rebatesGermany, the Netherlands and Sweden have them as well as Britain-Cyprus offered options for everyone, suggesting tentatively

for a real cut in the 2014-20 budget, having attempted to stave off the move by promising to veto any above -inflation increase. The net effect was to lock him into an even more hardline position.

Britain is counted with Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden in the ‘Taleban’ radical camp on the

ATHENS: Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras arrives at the headquarters of conservative “New Democracy” party, to attend a meeting of the parliamentary group of lawmakers about the upcoming vote on the new round of austerity measures next week, in Athens yesterday. — AP that they be replaced with a sys- budget, to use the phrase of one tem of lump sum payments, be EU official, while France and eliminated or allowed to continue Germany have at least suggested as is. British Prime Minister David there is some room for manoeuCameron has made clear he will vre. “The French have become not accept any change to more reasonable and one can London’s rebate, negotiated by negotiate with them again,” one his Conservative Party predeces- EU source involved in the negotisor Margaret Thatcher in 1984 as ations said.

Germany meanwhile wants to a great triumph over Brussels.

On Wednesday, Cameron lost a ensure that the budget “is propernon-binding vote in Britain’s ly spent on necessary projects” to Parliament insisting that he push boost the single market so as to

drive growth and jobs, the source said, with Austria on a similar line “It is normal that positions are set out ahead of negotiations,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday. “Germany will do everything in its power to try to achieve a solution ... It is too early and I don’t want to throw any more vetoes into the ring-that doesn’t help find a solution,” Merkel added.

Berlin and Paris are both looking at cuts of 70-100 billion euros, with savings to come from cohesion funds, the money spent helping new member states improve infrastructure and governance to match EU standards.

Cohesion spending accounts for some 43 percent of the budget but since it mostly goes to the new states it is more vulnerable because the big contributors do not risk offending their own domestic interests if it is cut.

“Everything is possible at November’s summit, even miracles,” said one senior European official.

“Failure would have a disastrous effect on market and investor confidence because it would show that the EU cannot agree on how to distribute resources at a time of crisis,” the official said.

Should the summit fail to produce an agreement, the most likely outcome would be further negotiations, horse-trading until a solution is found.

If that fails, then come 2014, the 2013 budget would be rolled over on a monthly basis plus an increase to cover inflation, put at around 2.0 percent. — AFP

Burundi’s economic reform at snail’s pace BUJUMBURA: The central African nation of Burundi may be winning plaudits for its economic reforms and relative peace after nearly two decades of civil war, but shopowners like Niyonzima Alimasi have little to cheer.

“Purchasing power is low,” said Alimasi, 31, who runs a hardware shop on a crowded street in the capital Bujumbura, nestled on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

“Business is very shaky. There are few buyers,” he said, standing in his shop crammed with tins of paint, door locks and nails imported from China.

The tiny country targets economic growth of around 4 percent this year, supported by booming exports of tea and coffee, but high oil prices, drought and lower aid assistance have eroded the Burundi franc’s value against the dollar by nearly half in the past three years, driving up consumer prices and causing widespread hardship for its citizens.

Inflation soared to 25 percent in April this year, forcing the government to remove taxes on essential imported commodities such as beans, rice and potatoes, after surging prices prompted many in the capital to stay away from work in protest. Inflation remains high at just above 14 percent. The tea and coffee producer’s Achilles heel is its heavy reliance on external aid to fund a budget that pays for free education and healthcare for pregnant women and children under the age of five.

Export earnings, mainly from coffee and tea, grew 17 percent to $86 million in the first nine months of this year, but they were outpaced by imports which jumped by close to a quarter to $533 million, creating a precarious

balance of payments situation.

Foreign donors prop up state spending, expected to provide over 50 percent of the 2012 budget for the country, landlocked between Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While streets in the capital are busy, in shops like Alimasi’s there is little sign of the consumerism seen in many fast-growing African economies.

Only 5 percent of the entire population of 8 million has a bank account. Many live from hand to mouth. The World Bank has ranked Burundi, a member of the five-nation East African Community (EAC) common market, among the most improved economies worldwide for regulatory reforms, highlighting its new tax collection agency set up to help the government self-finance its budget.

Such reforms are leading to a much-needed pick-up in aid, which the government has pledged to plough into roads and energy-generation projects, to create jobs and kick-start the mining sector that could boost exports.

At a donor conference in Geneva last week, Burundi secured critical financial support to fund a rebuilding plan in a bid to rise above the status of a least-developed country and be able to self-finance its budget by 2025.

Donors pledged more than $2 billion over the next five years, well above the $1.5 billion sought by the government, reflecting growing confidence in the country.

Still, further reform is badly needed.

Shopkeepers said it takes up to two months to clear a container from the port due to red tape, exposing traders to costs that are compounded by the Burundi franc’s rapid depreci-

ation against the dollar.

“The biggest bottleneck is energy,” Finance Minister Tabu Abdallah told Reuters in Bujumbura. The country produces only 32 megawatts of electricity a year, and imports 20 MW from neighbouring Congo but that is still not enough, leading to frequent power blackouts. There are plans to generate an extra 100 MW of electricity an n ually in five years.

Only Kiriri, the leafy, affluent Bujumbura suburb where President Pierre Nkurunziza, foreign diplomats and other top officials live, is guaranteed power supply at all times, residents said.

More electricity could help Burundi plug its trade gap by enabling it to exploit nickel reserves near its border with Tanzania. The government estimates it could produce 50,000 tonnes of nickel a year for 150 years.

It says the economy needs sustained growth of 5-7 percent annually to lift the country out of poverty.

On the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid AlAdha, Hakizimana Sonia, a mother of two, huddles on a mattress laid out on the patio of a ward of the Prince Regent Charles Hospital in the capital, sharing a supper of two plates of cooked cassava and beans with members of her extended family.

She is visiting her sister, who is grateful for the free medical care for new mothers. But families find it hard to get by, she said. “We have no money and there are no jobs so sometimes you eat and sometimes you go hungry,” she said. “Three years ago, 5,000 francs was enough to feed my family of four for a day. It now takes 15,000 francs.” — Reuters

26

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

business

Strong US dollar, albeit Hurricane Sandy NBK weekly money markets report KUWAIT: Markets started the week relatively slow, as Hurricane Sandy devastated the Northern East Coast of the United States. The storm disrupted transportation and electricity, pressuring the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, to close the markets for two days for safety reasons. On the other hand, the disagreement over austerity in Greece is overshadowing recent signs of stability. European governments pressured Greece to make deeper spending cuts to keep aid flowing as they pushed to resolve the region’s three-year-old sovereign-debt crisis.

The Euro started the week on a negative note at 1.2938, as the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Monti, and Spanish counterpart, Mariano Rajoy, diverged their interests as to whether they should ask for assistance together, pushing the Euro to 1.2887. The single currency advanced against the US dollar to 1.3020, after data showed that the Spanish economy contracted less than expected, followed by a successful Italian bond auction. The euro then eased towards the end of the week after Greek fears resurfaced with heightened volatility, renewed tension, and after Hurricane Sandy did less damage than expected. The euro plunged on Friday after a strong US Jobs report, pushing the single currency to break below the 1.2900 level. The euro closed the week at 1.2834. The sterling pound endured a volatile week.

Cable opened the week at 1.6106, only to plunge on Monday to the week’s low of 1.6006 after fears that the UK economy will require further stimulus. The sterling pound then rebounded for two consecutive days to reach a high of 1.6175 after a report showed that UK house prices bounced back in October. Cable followed suit with the Euro, plunging on Friday to close at 1.6020. The Japanese yen opened the week at 79.65, weakening against the US dollar throughout the week, to touch a high of 80.67 on Friday. The Swiss franc opened the week at 0.9347, only to strengthen during the middle of the week to a low of 0.9277. The Swiss franc then weakened against the US dollar towards the end of the week, following the market, to reach a low of 0.9412. The Swiss franc closed the week at 0.9398.

Consumer Confidence US consumer climbed in October more than a four year high, which may help drive bigger gains in consumer spending, which counts for 70% of the US economy, as Americas became more upbeat about the job prospects towards the end of the year. The index rose to 72.2 last month, the highest since February 2008, from 68.4 in September. Sentiment

among US consumers have climbed due to a pickup in the housing market, and declining prices of fuel.

ISM Manufacturing PMI Manufacturing industry in the United States expanded last month at a faster pace than forecasted, after orders and production rose, signaling that the industry is steadying as the world’s biggest economy lost momentum in the first half of the year. The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index rose the most in three months to 51.7 in October, from September’s figure of 51.5. As the number above 50 signals expansion, the index surpassed the expected 51.0. A continuous hike in the manufacturing indus-

tries will make-up for three straight months of contraction, and will create more jobs.

Unemployment Fewer Americans than forecasted filed for firsttime claims for unemployment last week, indicating that demand is still resilient enough to maintain current employment levels. The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell by 9,000 to 363,000, below the expected 370,000. Data for certain cities in the US were estimates, as businesses were closed due to Hurricane Sandy that devastated the Northern East Coast. The pace of dismissals may indicate that companies are poised to boost hiring should the economy avert damage

should US lawmakers find a way to resolve the fiscal cliff of tax increase and spending cuts at the beginning of next year.

The US economy generated 171,000 jobs in October, surpassing the expected 125,000 by far after a revised 148,000 gain in September. The Unemployment rate ticked up to 7.9% this month from 7.8% the previous month. The jobless rate rose as more Americans entered labor force.

Greece back in picture Greece returned center stage with the 2013 budget, and fears that the nation might not be granted the November EUR 31.2 billion tranche, and

might be forced to bankruptcy as the government struggles to pass needed austerity measures by the EU and the IMF. The Greek constitutional court ruled that the reform to the pension fund is unconstitutional reviving the political risks and fears, adding more pressure on the market. Moreover, Greek Prime Minister Samaras faces more challenges to please lenders and to pass the EUR 13.5 billion austerity package.

International lenders have so far pledged funds totaling EUR 240 billion to Greece, which also had EUR 100 billion written off its debt by private-sector investors this year in the biggest restructuring in history. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel’s government is willing to consider an ECB proposal for a buy-

back of Greece’s debt. The Frankfurt-based institution, which holds about EUR 45 billion of the country’s sovereign bonds, views any voluntary haircut as monetary state financing, which is prohibited by its founding treaty.

Italy’s five and 10-year borrowing costs fell to their lowest level since May 2011 at an auction last week, as big redemptions helped offset concerns about domestic political instability. Borrowing costs for the five-year paper came in at 3.8%, down from 4.09% at a similar sale one month ago. The treasury placed the maximum-targeted amount of EUR 4 billion of its bonds maturing November 2017. At the same time Rome sold EUR 3 billion, also the top amount planned, of a 10-year bond with a yield of 4.92%, down from 5.24% a month ago.

UK PM under pressure The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, endured a surprise political battle over Britain’s role in Europe. A large group of Euro-skeptic conservatives rebelled against the Conservative Party Leader, Cameron. The rebels joined hands with the opposing Labor Party to defeat a proposal backed by the prime minister on the European Union’s pending EUR 1 trillion budget.

The manufacturing sector shrank more than expected in October, as companies received fewer orders and costs rose at a faster pace, ending a run of more hopeful data on the economy. The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index’s (PMI) dropped to 47.5 from a downwardly revised 48.1 in September, dipping further below the 50 mark, which separates growth from contraction. The PMI plunged below economists’ expectation of 48.0, after positive surprises from third quarter growth numbers and retail and credit figures. The UK economy is still struggling to break a cycle of poor growth and recession, plagued by the biggest budget cuts in half a century and the debt turmoil, which has hammered its trading partners in the euro-zone.

Oil drops Oil fell towards the end of the week on speculation that the shutdown of refineries on the US east coast due to Hurricane Sandy will add to already sufficient supplies. Crude fell 2.2% to $85.21 a barrel, while Brent fell to $105.82 a barrel.

Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.28170. The USDKWD opened at 0.28170 yesterday morning.

Crude-by-rail carves out North American niche Volume could top 400,000bpd

Jose Gil, 27, of Hell’s Kitchen, shows his gasoline containers before lining up for fuel at a gas station on 10th Avenue in New York on Saturday. Damage from Superstorm Sandy prevented fuel shipments throughout the metropolitan area for days, leading to shortages and long lines expected to continue into the weekend. —AP

Winners of Burgan Bank’s Yawmi account KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the three winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000.

Winner’s names will also be announced through Marina FM on a daily basis during their prime shows.

The lucky winners for the three daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1. Yasseen Ahmed Taher Bou Khamseen 2. Heirs of Humoud Sulaiman Almudhaiyan 3. Rabea Qatran Shamkhi Yousef The newly re-launched Yawmi Account is better, easier and faster than any day before.

With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account.

Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and

the coupon value to enter the draw stands at KD 10. The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services, or log on to Burgan Bank’s www.burgan.com for further information.

Over 50 firms get ‘The Bizz 2012” Award for business excellence he ceremony for the world’s most important business award, THE BIZZ, was held on Sept 16 at the Sharq Village Hotel & Spa in Doha, Qatar. THE BIZZ ARABIC 2012 was the third ceremony of the year recognizing companies for their outstanding management performance, following up the two previous ceremonies in April and June, which took place in Barcelona and a cruise from Miami to the Bahamas, respectively.

The World Confederation of Businesses (WORLDCOB) is a business organization with over 3,000 member companies in 75 countries, and is based out of Houston, Texas. WORLDCOB gives out this award to the world’s leading businessmen for their business excellence, demonstrated in the areas of business leadership, management systems, the quality of their goods and

T

services, innovation and creativity, corporate social responsibility, and results obtained.

In keeping with WORLDCOB’s philosophy that those responsible for a successful enterprise must be recognized, diplomas in Business Excellence will also be presented to some of the managers and directors of the winning companies.

This major ceremony was attended by the ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates, Juma Rashid Saif Al Dhaheri; Robert Rostek, Ambassador of Poland; Syed Noureddin, Charge d’Affaires & Head of Mission, Ambassador of Singapore; Julio Flori.n Alegre, ambassador of Peru, Mohamed bin Hamad Al-Nasser Wihaibi, Ambassador of Oman; who handed out the award onstage to companies from their respective countries.

VANCOUVER: In this era of pipelines spanning thousands of miles, the idea of shipping crude across North America in railway cars might seem a quaint throwback to the oil pioneering days of the West.

Yet it’s a booming business for North America’s railroads, and should remain an important niche market for years to come. Shipments of crude by rail in the United States have surged from around 11,000 barrels per day in 2007 to an estimated 340,000 bpd in 2012, according to data from the Association of American Railroads. If rail shipments in Canada are added, the volume could top 400,000 bpd, more than 4 percent of Nor th American crude production and equal to a new, large pipeline.

Crude shipments are now the fastest-growing product for several big US and Canadian Class 1 railroads after oil output expanded more quickly than pipeline capacity, particularly in the oil-rich Bakken area of North Dakota. Railroads allow producers to take advantage of a temporary oil price differential by moving crude from inland oil fields to coastal refineries that pay higher prices linked to Brent crude. Pipelines are either full, or don’t reach these refineries.

“We don’t expect for the long term that you’re going to see a 300 percent growth in crude oil trends,” Union Pacific Corp’s Jack Koraleski, chief executive of the biggest US publicly traded railroad, said in an interview. “We think we’re going to continue to grow the oil business. The rate of growth will slow from its current over-excited pace, but we still think it will continue to be a good business for us.”

The planned expansions of pipelines like the mid-continent Seaway line in the first quarter of 2013 should displace some rail capacity, as pipelines are a cheaper option than rail. But experts say railways have proved that they can have a lasting role as crude shippers, especially when major pipeline projects such as Keystone XL and Northern Gateway are snarled in politics in the United States and Canada.

“Even if the large growth that we have seen over the last few years does subside, rail will continue to be an important part of the total distribution capacity out there, particularly on a flex basis or a peaking capacity basis, because the model has been proven,” said Steve Hansen, a transportation analyst with Raymond James in Vancouver.

In the Bakken, where hydraulic fracturing has ignited an oil boom, more than half of the 700,000 bpd produced in August was railed, according to the North Dakota Pipeline Authority. BNSF Railway, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc, is by far the biggest rail shipper in the Bakken, transporting some 40-45 percent of each month’s output, according to company estimates.

BNSF expects to haul close to 90 million barrels of oil this year, and can maintain, or expand this over time, said John Lanigan, BNSF’s chief marketing officer. The prospect of big pipeline expansions doesn’t scare him. “Over time they are not going to have a pipeline going to every segment of the Bakken... So we believe there is always going to be opportunity to rail as long as there is production in the Bakken,” Lanigan said.

The Bakken extends from North Dakota into Montana and across the Canadian border into southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Even if Bakken crude-by-rail cools, analysts see opportuni-

ties elsewhere-the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, the Permian Basin in West Texas, the Utica shale of Ohio and the Canadian oil sands regions in Alberta.

Canadian Pacific Railway, which also has tracks in the US Bakken, in July moved up by a year to 2013 its forecast for reaching 70,000 carloads of crude, or 46 million barrels.

Using North American railway tracks to ship oil is nothing new. Before 1900, in the days of John D. Rockefeller and his Standard Oil Company, railroads were the chief transport mode for oil before pipelines took over.

“You look at what pipelines can do in terms of their ability to carry large volumes over such long distances. There is really no alternative to that,” said Philippe Reicher, a spokesman for the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association.

Depending on the origin and destination of crude, shipping by rail can cost nearly four times as much as shipping by pipeline. For example, it will cost Southern Pacific Resource Corp, a small Alber ta producer, $31 a barrel to move its Canadian oil sands-mined heavy crude by rail to the US Gulf Coast, according to company estimates. The comparative pipeline cost would be around $8 a barrel. With the recent near-record premium of Brent prices over the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI), it is worth it for producers such as Southern Pacific to use rail to ship crude to coastal refineries, while a dearth of pipeline capacity traps oil at the inland storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma.

Some analysts predict the Brent-WTI spread will narrow next year, from 2012 highs around $24, when the jointly-owned Enbridge Inc and Enterprise Product Partners LP Seaway pipeline triples capacity to 400,000 bpd.

“It might close the differential to a point where we might not want a rail car,” said Brian Ector, a spokesman for Calgary, Alberta-based oil producer and marketer Baytex Energy. Rail boosters also say that railroads can access more refineries than

pipelines and adjust volumes more easily. Rail companies usually don’t require commitments, while contractual payments are needed to guarantee pipeline capacity.

Railroads are loathe to disclose their crude oil revenues, but it is still small, possibly 1-3 percent of total revenue. It is rising, however, and has helped to offset a slump in US coal shipments.

“We reached the point in the second half of 2012 where it is becoming material in dollars,” Canadian National Railway Chief Marketing Officer Jean-Jacques Ruest said in an interview.

Railways are also transporting oil-field materials such as frac sand, clays, rock and pipe, another strong growth area. The rail market is developing more slowly in Alberta than in the Bakken, but some believe the region, the world’s third biggest crude deposit, could become the premier crudeby-rail market.

“I think Canadian crudes are going to have a much more difficult time in getting to market than we may expect and that’s because of the delays in (Northern) Gateway and Keystone,” said Byron Lutes, president and chief executive of Southern Pacific, the small Alberta producer.

Enbridge’s Northern Gateway aims to move oil from the oil sands to the Pacific coast while TransCanada Corp’s Keystone XL will link the oil sands to refineries in Texas. Both face stiff political and environmental opposition.

Southern Pacific plans to rail its entire output from its northern Alberta-based McKay project to the Gulf Coast. Despite the hefty $31 a barrel transportation cost, Lutes said his company can make a decent return because of Brent-related prices and savings on diluent, which allow the oil sands’ sticky, tar-like bitumen to flow in a pipeline. Rail cars can transport bitumen without added diluent.

Southern Pacific also sees a new business opportunity sprouting from its choice of rail: it is exploring using the empty rail cars returning from the Gulf to haul diluent back to Alberta, which it could sell to other producers at a profit. — Reuters

Al-Tijari announces winners of mega draw, daily draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma Account mega and daily draw yesterday at Marina FM Radio Station.

The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

The winner of the mega draw: Aziza Mahdi Ahmad Ibrahim -KD 100,000 The winners of the Najma daily draw are:Sajeda AbdulRahman Hassan Al-Khulaif KD 7000, Khalid Abdullah Ibrahem Al-Failakaw - KD 7000, Zainab Ali Ghuloum Ashkanani - KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account.

Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid AlAdha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

27

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Surface mostly bridges work-play divide

By Ryan Nakashima LOS ANGELES: I’ve been conditioned just like any other consumer to expect certain things from certain companies.

When it comes to tablets, I expect Apple’s to look and feel amazing, Google’s to seamlessly blend online services such as Gmail and search, and Amazon’s to have easy access to its online store. So when Microsoft came out with its first tablet computer, the Sur face, I wanted and expected a machine that is good for work. After all, its Windows operating system runs most of the world’s computers, particularly in corporate environments.

The Sur face is Microsoft’s first attempt at a general-purpose computer. In the past, it made the software and left it to other companies to make the machines. But to catch the tablet wave led by Apple’s iPad, Microsoft felt it needed to make its own device. The Surface’s price tag starts at $499, the same as the latest full-screen iPad, but if you are going to buy one, you’ll want to spend the extra $100 or more for an optional cover that comes with a working keyboard. After several days with it, I felt that Surface comes close to becoming a replacement for my work computer, but it doesn’t make it all the way. Some elements designed for “play” make Surface surprisingly good, while others verge on being frustrating.

Interface There’s no doubt that Surface has a split personality, steeped in its very physical design. It’s a tablet, but transforms into a personal computer with the keyboard cover, snapped on using its magnetic spine. Trying hard to be both means compromises. For instance, a kickstand lets you prop up the screen on a flat surface so that it feels more like a laptop with the keyboard attached, but the setup is clumsy for typing on your lap. On the other hand, you can flip the keyboard cover upside down and use the kickstand to form a supportive triangle for the screen. In this position, the device is a comfy companion while watching TV on the couch.

A big aspect of the split personality comes in the software. Surface’s start screen has a bunch of square tiles that represent apps - akin to the round icons on iPhones, iPads and Android devices. One touch, and an app opens full screen. But there’s also a tile that takes you to a very different operating system called the desktop.

Presumably, this is where the “work” begins.

Because the desktop interface takes

on the old Windows style of boxes and icons, your suddenly big-seeming fingers become less well-suited to navigating. I had to give up on touch and use the keyboard cover with its trackpad (The pricier Type Cover with real keys is far easier for typing than the soft, flat Touch Cover, by the way).

Swiping around on the cover’s built-in trackpad quickly brings up the mouse pointer, whose precision you’ll both need and appreciate in the desktop world.

Work The Surface that went on sale Oct 26 comes with Windows RT, the slimmed-

idea of holding the tablet with one hand and touching it with the other, which Apple’s iPad seems to favor.

Swiping down from the top lets you either discard an app completely (by swiping through the bottom of the screen) or create a split screen for multitasking (by pushing the app to the left or right until it snaps in place). Swiping up from the bottom brings up app-specific options. The problem is swiping in from the left. When you do so, it takes you back to the previous app you had open. I was impressed with how snappy the tablet was flipping between programs.

But I got confused sometimes with

REDMOND, Washington: In this Oct 31, 2012 photo, visitors try out Microsoft Corp’s “Surface” touchscreen tablet computers at “Build”, Microsoft Corp’s developers conference. —AP down version of Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 8. While I understand the need for a slimmer OS to run on low-power chips that extend battery life, RT makes the device clearly not a PC. Although the device has Microsoft’s latest browser, Internet Explorer 10, third-party plug-ins that have helped power the Web for years don’t work correctly. I couldn’t get behind my company’s firewall because a Juniper Networks plug-in couldn’t be installed. IE 10 is meant to be plug-in free, but the Web hasn’t caught up to it yet. Devices with the full version of Windows 8 won’t have the same plug-in problem, Microsoft says. But a Surface with Windows 8 Pro isn’t due out for a few months.

Surface gives you free copies of the

‘Twitter bombs’ may deliver late surprise WASHINGTON: As US election day approaches, “Twitter bombs” are expected to fly as part of efforts to swing votes in a close race. The “bombs,” a form of spam, are unsolicited Twitter responses which are retweeted with the help of automated computer programs, or “bots”, to get maximum distribution. These are examples of cyber tricks which could surface in the final days of the US election campaign from candidates or, more likely, outside groups supporting a candidate or cause. The “bomb” technique is as old as Twitter, and is similar to e-mail spam.

Both can be used for commercial or political causes. Experts say it leads those receiving the messages to believe there is a groundswell, when in fact, the trend is being manipulated by those generating the message. “This is a new way of propagating information or misinformation,” said Panagiotis Metaxas, a Wellesley College computer scientist who studies social media. “I suspect this will happen close to the final days of the election. With social media you can propagate information or misinformation fast.”

Metaxas, who co-authored a report on the subject in Science Magazine, said that even though falsehoods can be debunked, “if you launch it close enough to the election you can keep enough confusion to last a couple of days.” Mexatas studied a case in the 2010 race for US Senate in Massachusetts, in which a “tweet factory” created in the final days of the campaign produced 1,000 tweets, which ended up being retweeted 60,000 times. The campaign came from a conservative group in Iowa, in support of Republican Scott Brown, who eventually won the race. “I cannot tell if it made a measurable difference in the election,” Metaxas said. “But in a close race decided by a few hundred or a few thousand votes, this could be a factor. In times of political elections, the stakes are high, and advocates may try to support their cause by active manipulation of social media,” Metaxas added.

In politics, Twitter manipulation can multiply messages from one person or group, making it appear to be a grassroots movements, a phenomenon known as “astroturfing”. “ These are nefarious tactics,” said Jeanette Castillo, a professor of communication at Florida State University who follows new media. But Castillo said that over the long run, these efforts may be misguided, because it can hurt a candidate’s “social

Office programs Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, which is a big bonus. The RT versions of Office operate much like the full versions, but lack some meaningful conveniences such as the ability to email files as attachments with a couple of clicks.

Microsoft says that’s because Outlook isn’t included in the package. Instead, Surface uses a program called Windows Mail, but it makes little sense to me why it can’t be integrated with Office. Still, in my testing I was able to save and access Word and OneNote documents on Microsoft’s Internet-storage system, SkyDrive. As a result, I could access those files back on my office computer

media capital”. “These kind of tactics may be able to influence trends on Twitter, but I think they represent a basic miscalculation,” she said. “Bots can’t vote... or volunteer, or talk to their co-workers, family and friends.”

Filippo Menczer, head of Indiana University’s Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research, has set up a research project called “Truthy” in an effort to separate real groundswells from fake ones. “We try to find out how it is that some information goes viral and some does not,” he said.

“Fake accounts can give the impression of a grassroots movement when in fact it is just the coordinated effort of one person or one group.” Menczer’s team uncovered a case in 2010 in which 20,000 tweets originated from two Twitter accounts in an effort to drum up support for Republican congressional candidates, and frequently mentioned House GOP leader John Boehner. This effort likely used “bots” to get the messages out to a wider audience, he noted.

These efforts violate Twitter’s terms of service, but spammers often disguise their messages by tweaking hashtags or other parts of the messages. Twitter did not respond to an AFP query. But Menczer said Twitter would maintain a confidential algorithm in order to block efforts like “bombs” and “astroturfing.”

Twitter bombs are not the only dirty tricks one can expect in cyberspace. Another is the “Google bomb” or “search engine bomb” which can manipulate search results.

Earlier this year, people searching Google for “completely wrong” got pictures of Mitt Romney. Another showed pictures of former president George W Bush in a search for “miserable failure” in 2003, until Google modified its algorithms. A barrage of text messages in the past few days with anti-gay and false claims about Obama also came to light, drawing complaint from some groups.

These tactics are likely to grow as candidates and their supporters try desperation moves.

“It is an arms race,” said Menczer. “There are political or commercial reasons people have an incentive to build better systems (to get a message out) and Twitter has an incentive to build better countermeasures.”

Menczer said the same techniques could be used to support, or thwart, political movements such as the Arab Spring uprisings.

“We have seen in Russia an attempt by a protest movement to use social media thwarted by junk” which drowned out the message, he said. “I think it’s something to worry about.” —AFP

without the hassles of USB and other storage drives.

Play Part of the “play” element of Surface should have been the joy of just getting around using the touch screen, but some things made it confusing. At first, I didn’t have a problem with the need to swipe in from the edges to make certain options appear. Swiping in from the right brings up several buttons including ones for searching, changing settings or returning to the start screen.

When you first set up the device, an explanatory graphic pops up to walk you through it. You hold the device with both hands and the screen lengthwise, and you do the swiping with your thumbs. This is very different from the

websites. I wanted to go back a page, not leave the app completely. The difference between these two functions is swiping in from beyond the edge or swiping in from just near it. I often found myself in places in applications without knowing how to return easily.

Also, if you swipe back through apps quickly, you can zip past the one you want, but you can’t swipe forward to return to it. As a stopgap, you can swipe in slightly and then back out of the left side to get a list of previous apps. But this is not really intuitive and you have to be careful to touch the one you want when the list comes up. This painstaking learning takes some of the fun out of having a tablet and makes it maddening to use at times.

Another quirk: The standard font was

quite small, forcing me to hunch close to the screen to get a good look. You can scale up the size of everything in the desktop world, but not elsewhere. A function called Magnifier helps make small parts of the screen bigger, but at low resolution. And certain apps let you spread and pinch with your fingers to zoom in and out, but other apps don’t.

The lack of consistency makes the touch interface less enjoyable.

One other niggling complaint: Even though the screen size should make for perfect widescreen viewing in the 16:9 aspect ratio common for widescreen television, some Netflix movies with wider ratios continued to be shown with big black bars on top and bottom of the screen, wasting valuable screen space.

One big thing Microsoft got right was music. Xbox Music gives you a really clean interface, with beautiful moving graphics, and a “Smart DJ” feature, which plays entire songs in rotation in a genre - much like Pandora. You can also play songs or albums from a catalog of millions; it’s free, with ads. In rare cases, you may get only 30-second previews because of licensing reasons, but those songs are also available for purchase from the app. I liked how Xbox Music plays in the background. When you toggle the physical volume rocker, a little box with pause, forward and back buttons pops up in a corner and fades away quickly. That works with whatever happens to be using the speakers, including iHeart Radio. It allowed me to easily catch up on the morning’s news and my email inbox at the same time.

Smart Glass, a feature that allows the Surface and other Windows devices to interact with the Xbox, was interesting but at times confusing. For instance, when I tried swiping through a menu of available videos, games and Xbox apps, I swiped right to left, but the menu on my TV screen went left to right. Same with up and down. Microsoft says this configuration was intentional based on user research. But for me, it gave the impression that this was not, as CEO Steve Ballmer promised, a delightful product “right out of the box.”

Conclusion The software is far from flawless, but I’m hopeful it will get better over time as apps are developed and software bugs are discovered and fixed. What’s important is that Microsoft got the hardware right - creating a light portable computer that has an ample number of fun features and a decent work environment.

That combination could make Surface as addicting and as useful for extending the work day as the BlackBerry once was. —AP

Twitter, Facebook used to push Americans to polls Social networks can influence voter turnout WASHINGTON: Nani Teruya does not vote because she believes the United States is illegally occupying her home state of Hawaii, but people are trying to convince her to go to the polls next week via Google+ and Twitter. She is one of six non-voters taking part in a CNN project that uses social networks to try and persuade people in Hawaii to cast their ballot in tomorrow’s presidential poll, one of many ‘get-out-the-vote’ initiatives on social media.

The project encourages people to send compelling voting arguments to the six via Facebook, Twitter and Google+ and by doing so reach other election-skeptics in Hawaii which has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the US. “Hawaii in a lot of ways is detached from the rest of the US, it feels that way,” said John Sutter, a reporter at CNN.com who set up the ‘Change the List’ project. “But this can forge a connection. Even though geography really separates that state from the rest, on the Internet, everything is much closer.” As the election nears, social networks are being used extensively to try and persuade people of the importance of voting and even beat the record 2008 turnout, when two-thirds of US voters cast a ballot in the election.

A project endorsed by First Lady Michelle Obama, for instance, encourages people to take photos with their kids when they vote and post them on social networks, to teach the younger generation about the workings of democracy. On Foursquare, the locationbased social network, users can connect an app to their account and find the nearest polling station. Tomorrow, they will be able to see who voted across the United States on an online map. And Facebook will reportedly post get-out-the-vote messages tomorrow to millions of voting-age Americans on the social network.

So far, dozens have sent comments to the six in the CNN project. “If you don’t vote, you can’t change Hawaii’s statehood status.

Scotland nationalists got them their own Parliament... by voting,” @Deporodh told Teruya on Twitter. Whether they will cast their ballot will only become apparent tomorrow, and it is still unclear how effective social media is in getting concrete results.

One study conducted on Facebook by University of California researchers during the 2010 US midterm elections indicates the social network could have an influence in voter turnout. The study targeted 61 million Facebook users. People in one group received a big message at the top of their

own,” he said - a fact campaigns and others are trying to capitalize on. Fight for the Future, a non-profit organization that promotes Internet freedom, has created a Facebook app called ‘Vote with Friends’ that enables users to see which of their virtual comrades are registered to vote.

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado: US Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s supporters attend a rally on Saturday. —AFP news feed encouraging them to vote with a link to data about polling places and a clickable ‘I voted’ button. Another group got a ‘social’ message that contained the same information, as well as the profile pictures of six friends who had already pressed the button. Results found this post increased turnout by some 340,000 voters.

Robert Bond, a political science graduate student who was one of the authors of the study, said sharing personal information was a strong social media asset. “A message sent by friends is much more powerful than a message being sent by a campaign on its

Users can invite friends to register, pledge to vote and eventually see whether they did cast their ballot. “This creates some social accountability. Friends say ‘I want you to promise you’ll vote and I will hold you accountable’,” said Josh Segall, spokesman for the organization. Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney have also rolled out similar apps. But Bond cautioned that the impact from social media was still likely to be small. “As we demonstrated with our study, even something like a big message on Facebook has a really small impact on real-world voting,” he said. —AFP

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

health & science

King Richard III’s bones cause political tug-of-war LONDON: A skeleton dug up in a car park has triggered a tug-of-war between two English cities, with the royals, the government and the Church involved-because the bones are thought to be those of King Richard III. In September, archaeologists acting on historical records unearthed a skeleton which has clear similarities to descriptions of Richard, who ruled England from 1483 until his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

It has a curved spine, with an arrowhead embedded in it, and a wound to the back of the skull. While everyone must wait till at least December for DNA evidence, the discovery has had officials everywhere scratching their heads-what exactly should one do when you find a crowned monarch under a provincial car park?

The debate is raging as to whether he should be reburied nearby, reinterred in his northern stronghold or placed among the other kings and queens of England. Killed on the battlefield aged 32, Richard was swiftly buried at Greyfriars monastery in near-

by Leicester, central England.

Bosworth was the last major battle in the Wars of the Roses and Richard’s defeat saw the crown pass from the Plantagenets to the Tudors.

Greyfriars was demolished in the 1530s during Tudor king Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. Richard was the last king of the house of York and there is a campaign rumbling to have him reburied in the northern English city. However, Leicester’s local authority and university put in the work to find him and the city is voicing its claim to keep him where he has been for more than 500 years. Some lawmakers have called for Richard to be afforded a state funeral, given his status. Various petitions to the government call for Richard to be reinterred in York Minster, Leicester Cathedral, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey in London where his wife queen Anne is, and for him to be reburied in line with his Catholic faith.

‘Warring factions’ Richard Van Allen, spokesman for the Richard III Society which has more

than 2,500 members, told AFP that the discovery had opened up “an awful lot of possibilities”.

“Once the remains have been identified, then the real discussions will start,” he said, warning that this was just the pre-show entertainment. He said anything approaching precedent may get thrown out the window in such a unique case. The society had a hand in locating the bones, but takes no position on where their final resting place should be.

A House of Commons debate saw lawmakers from York and Leicester branded “warring factions” as MPs from both cities made their pitch. York Central lawmaker Hugh Bayley said that arguing in parliament “like medieval cathedrals fighting over saints’ relics” was downright inappropriate.

The Ministry of Justice issued the licence to dig, and minister Helen Grant told MPs that if the remains are Richard’s, “the current plan is for them to be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral”.

However, a ministry spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that the decision is

not rigid, saying: “We will await the (DNA) results before any burial arrangements are made.”

A spokesman from the Church of England told AFP that with human remains from any Christian site, “the normal practice is to reinter remains in the nearest consecrated ground or parish church”. That would be Leicester Cathedral, across the way. However, “Given the potential for the remains to be of a former king of England, the palace may wish to express a preference for interment.” Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

State funeral The Richard III Foundation, Inc educational organisation says he should be interred in York Minster.

Spokesman Andy Smith said that was Richard’s clear intention and it would be “the most appropriate place”. “I can’t see any compelling arguments for it to be Leicester, or where their argument is other than the general proximity of the battlefield,” he told AFP. “It certainly should be a state funeral: he’s a former king of England,” he added. Smith

said the whole situation was “a bit of a mess”. “What’s bad is that it looks as if it’s a squabble between Leicester and York about tourism and creating a visitor attraction.

“Trading his body in this way leaves a slightly bad feeling. This is not the way to treat a former king of England.”

He hopes the whole debate will at least encourage people to look again at Richard’s record of social reform, rather than rely on William Shakespeare’s Tudor-era portrayal of him as a villainous murderer.

Once the row about where the remains end up is resolved, the next headache begins over what to do with them then: has he already had his funeral service, and should any service in an Anglican cathedral reflect his Catholic faith? DNA from the remains is being compared with that of Michael Ibsen, a Canadian-born carpenter thought to be a descendent of Anne of York, Richard’s eldest sister.

The experts may yet have the last laugh by proving the two are not related at all. In which case, the right royal row rumbles on. — AFP

Fighting drug resistance on Asia’s malaria frontline Fears over wonder drug losing potency

DALLAS: Professional bodybuilder Branch Warren (center) of Argyle holds his infant daughter Faith as he hangs out backstage at the Dallas Europa bodybuilding competition held at the Dallas Convention Center. — MCT

Flexing muscles all the way to the top ARLINGTON, Texas: Branch Warren stands 5-feet-7 and weighs 255 pounds. His hulking frame exhibits broad shoulders and rippling muscles, every vein on his body seeming to pulsate as he lifts a 250-pound dumbbell with a single hand. He poses in front of the gym’s floor-to-ceiling mirror, sweat dripping down his back and a small mob of photographers and cameramen clustered around him.

Warren, 37, is a professional bodybuilder who lives in Argyle with his wife and 6-month-old daughter. Often called a blue-collar underdog by his competitors and fans, his scrappy rise in the world of bodybuilding has attracted the attention of a documentary film crew hoping to revisit the 1977 hit, “Pumping Iron,” which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“Generation Iron,” the film’s working title, takes viewers across the US for a peek into the demanding and highly competitive sport of bodybuilding. Director Vlad Yudin and production manager Kevin Arbouet selected seven men ranging in skill and experience. Filmmakers will follow them through the end of September as

they prepare for the Mr. Olympia contest in Las Vegas, the largest international competition of the bodybuilding world. A week of filming in Dallas wrapped recently, and the creators hope to release the project next spring.

Bodybuilding is not just a pageant of muscle and strength, Warren says: “It’s an art form. Your body is a sculpture, and you want to build the perfect sculpture.” Warren trains at Metroflex, a rugged two-room Arlington gym flanked by a parking lot and an auto repair shop. The walls are lined with muscleman posters and framed magazine covers, many of them featuring local heroes. On this particular Thursday, GASP, a Swedish fitness company, has flown into Dallas to shoot Warren for a promotional ad. Bodybuilding is also a lifestyle, Warren says. “It’s not something where you go to the gym for a couple of hours every day.

You live it all day long, from the time you get up in the morning till the moment you go to bed.” Warren says he began weightlifting at age 15. A local bodybuilder took him under his wing and allowed him to train alongside him. — MCT

On-the-ball workout takes more energy t’s small but packs a big punch. A medicine ball is a weighted ball used to whip your body into shape, without taking up much space. It’s similar to standard weights, but with the medicine ball you only need one in order to get in a full workout. If you’re a fitness newbie, start with a 4-pounder (sold at most sports stores). Advanced fitness junkies may choose to use a 20pound ball. Dr Rick Kattouf, author of “Forever Fit,” is a triathlon and conditioning coach based in South Carolina.

Below, he shares his favorite medicine ball exercises. Do each exercise 10 times. Gradually work up to doing each one 25 times.

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SQUAT TO SHOULDER PRESS Beginning in a standing position, hold the medicine ball at chest level.

Squat, trying to drop your buttocks as low as possible, keeping your heels on the ground. Then, stand up and raise the medicine ball directly over your heat. Bring the medicine ball back to your chest and repeat. Muscles worked: Quadriceps, glutes, triceps and shoulders.

JUMP SQUATS Stand and hold the medicine ball at chest level. Squat as low as possible while keeping your heels on the ground. Jump off the ground as high

as you can. When you land, you want to immediately drop back into the squat position. This is designed to be a very fast-paced, rapid-fire exercise.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps and glutes.

STRAIGHT-LEG DEAD LIFT In a standing position, lift the medicine ball above your head, keeping your arms extended. Bend forward from your waist as if you are trying to touch your toes. As you bend forward, keep your arms extended while holding the medicine ball and bringing the ball toward your feet. Keep your knees slightly bent the entire time. When the ball hits your feet or the floor, return to your original standing position, maintaining the full extension of your arms overhead. Muscles worked: Hamstrings and shoulders.

SIT-UP CHEST PRESS Lying on a mat or a rug on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hold the medicine ball on your chest. Perform a sit-up. As you get toward the top of your sit-up position, extend the medicine ball in front of you. Then, bring the ball back toward your chest and lower your upper body down to the starting position. Muscles worked: Abdominals, pectorals, triceps and shoulders. — MCT

SAI YOK: At a remote medical outpost near the jungle-blanketed Thai-Myanmar border, a villager pricks the finger of a feverish baby living on the frontline of the war on drug-resistant malaria. The tiny walk-in clinic-and hundreds more like it scattered along Thailand’s porous frontiers-are a key part of efforts to stop the spread of the lethal new strain from Southeast Asia to the Indian subcontinent and Africa. For more than a decade, the fast-acting treatment artemisinin has been Thailand’s most potent weapon in the long-running battle against malaria, contributing to a sharp drop in the number of deaths.

It is the most commonly used drug worldwide against a mosquito-borne disease that infects 216 million people and claims 655,000 lives around the globe each year. But after artemisinin-defying parasites emerged on the Thai-Cambodian border about eight years ago-and were later discovered in western Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam-fears are growing that the wonder drug is losing its potency. And so far there is no other treatment that packs the same punch.

“If the resistance spreads there will be a surge in cases,” warned Fatoumata NafoTraore, director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, which coordinates the global fight against the disease. At a meeting in Sydney last week, leading scientists and health experts flagged the need for tougher political leadership and regional coordination in Asia to combat malaria, with the drug-resistant strain a particular worry.

For people living in the Thai-Myanmar border villages, malaria is a daily risk. “When people in this area start shivering and become ill, they hurry here,” said health worker Laksanara Kaewlere, a former rice farmer who runs one of the outposts in western Kanchanaburi

province. In the local subdistrict, of about 190 cases of malaria in the past year, 40 people still had the parasite one month after initial treatment-double the number in the previous year, said disease control official Wittaya Saiphomsud.

“In the past, when we gave patients the drugs they recovered completely in three days. But now when they take them, they have malaria again within less than a month,” he said. The authorities have begun monitoring patients taking their daily doses to ensure they complete the prescribed regimen in order to completely kill the parasite and reduce the risk of drug resistance. Sales of counterfeit or poorquality medicine without enough quantity of the active ingredient are also part of the problem.

On the other side of the border in Win Kan village in Myanmar’s Mon State, volunteer Than Nwet tests patients for malaria and distributes medicine provided by the Christian humanitarian organisation World Concern.

In the past, most villagers bought drugs from local shops, she told AFP. “They took medicine without a doctor’s prescription so the malaria became resistant to the drugs.

About one-third of people still buy medicine from a nearby shop,” she said.

Fears of a surge in cases Nobody knows for sure if artemisinin-resistant malaria was spread by migrant workers or developed independently in areas hundreds of kilometres (miles) apart. For now the drug remains effective in most cases, and secondline treatments-albeit less potent-ensure deaths are still relatively rare in Thailand, which reported about 30,000 cases and 12 fatalities in 2011. But experts fear that if the resistance becomes more prevalent, and

creeps further westwards, years of progress will unravel.

Billions of dollars of investment and a decade of progress “will probably be hijacked” if the resistance spreads to malaria-ridden Africa, said World Health Organisation regional expert Charles Delacollette. While Thai campaigns to encourage people to sleep under mosquito nets have helped reduce infection rates, not everybody heeds the advice.

Sitting in his home in Kanchanaburi province as he recovers from a bout of malaria, villager Chong said he is afflicted with the disease every year, and lost his son to the illness several decades ago. “Every month I go to the forest,” said the 57-year-old, who goes by one name, admitting that he does not use a sleeping net when he ventures across the border to cut bamboo shoots. Decades of military rule and ethnic conflicts have left Myanmar’s health system in tatters, and malaria is endemic in much of the country.

The government reported about 420,000 confirmed cases and 788 deaths in 2010, but that is believed to be a small fraction of the actual total. Drug-resistant cases are estimated to account for about 15 percent of the total in certain areas, according to Saw Lwin, deputy director general of Myanmar’s health ministry.

As the country now opens up after decades of isolation, increased migration flows pose a new challenge. When previous generations of medicines lost their efficacy, infections spiked and resistance rippled out from the region through Myanmar and eventually to Africa, which sees 90 percent of worldwide malaria deaths. “Our country is the gateway for the spread of drug-resistant parasites westwards and to Africa,” Saw Lwin warned. Experts say time may be running out to prevent history repeating itself. — AFP

The right way around push-ups CHICAGO: April Calderon recently pumped out 61 push-ups in 60 seconds while balancing precariously on three medicine balls, a feat that has been submitted to Guinness World Records. The key is “great balance, mental toughness, and lots and lots of practice,” said Calderon, a general manager for three Anytime Fitness gyms in central Florida. “But I’m really sick of push-ups right now.”

Push-ups, one of the best measures of upper-body fitness, are worth the pain. Traditionally, they’re done while in a horizontal position - hands and feet on the floor. Beginners can drop their knees to the floor to reduce the load they have to lift back up. But push-ups, like many bodyweight exercises, can also be made more or less challenging. They’re functional; they stabilize the body and prevent injury. And push-ups can be done anywhere.

“They’re a true resistance and core exercise,” said Michele Olson, research director of the Auburn University Human Performance Laboratory in Montgomery, Ala, who incorporates push-ups into every class she teaches.

“They work every single muscle that you can name in your upper body.” In addition to the triceps and chest, research shows push-ups also recruit the shoulder muscles, biceps and abdominals, Olson said.

Offshoots of the push-up such as the plank, or holding the body in the “up” position - also depend on the abs. “If they didn’t, the back would collapse and sag,” Olson said. In addition to resistance training, push-ups are used to rehabilitate the upper body after injuries because they can activate the muscles that stabilize the shoulder blade and the shoulder joint, said David Suprak, an assistant

professor of kinesiology at Western Washington University.

Calderon started with traditional push-ups, progressed to an unstable surface - a rubber dome mounted on a platform called a BOSU - and then learned to balance on the three balls.

Unless you’re trying to break a record, do push-ups slowly and with control.

More benefits come from fewer reps with good form than from cranking out as many as possible.

Also, balance the push-up with an exercise that recruits opposing muscles. Push-ups rely on the chest muscles and triceps. Rowing exercises work the opposite muscles, the biceps and lats. Or try a modified pullup type of exercise, with your feet on the ground and face up. Then pull your upper body upward by pulling on a bar or bench, Suprak said.

WALL PUSH-UP Place your palms against a wall, slightly wider than your shoulders

with the fingertips pointing up. Back your feet away from the wall, about 20 inches. Lean forward, bending your elbows until your nose nearly touches the wall. Push back out to start. That’s one. To make it harder, place your hands on a lower surface such as the edge of a desk. Used extensively in rehabilitation, wall push-ups can decrease the amount of stress on the lumbar spine, Suprak said. But even these can irritate the shoulder for those who have a previous injury. “Makes sure your hands are low enough so the arm is not elevating above the shoulder level,” he said.

INCLINE PUSH-UP Find a weight bench, or if you’re outside, use a park bench. Place your hands on the bench and your feet on the ground. Lower your chest to the bench and push back up.

The more parallel your body is to the ground, the harder this exercise is.

Beginners can start on their hands and knees; this position trains important shoulder stabilizers and lowers the stress on the lower back and the joints themselves, Suprak said.

TRADITIONAL PUSH-UP Start in a plank position, or the “up” position of the push-up, with your body in a straight line and your hands just slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Tighten the abs as if bracing for a punch and slowly lower the chest toward the ground. Aiming at a target can help get the chest close to the floor, Olson said. Simply lay a water bottle or hand weight vertically on the ground. Slowly lower until the sternum touches the object.

Keep the stomach off the mat and the back straight. Narrower hand placement benefits the triceps and the chest, Olson said.

PUSH-UP WITH KNEES DOWN DECLINE PUSH-UP Elevating the feet makes the pushup harder. Use a low bench or a stair, which is about 5 inches tall, Olson said.

FLORIDA: April Calderon, manager of Anytime Fitness gym in Clearwater, Florida, and a push up champion, demonstrates a decline push up.— MCT

MINUS A LIMB Using a single limb - one hand or foot - instead of two, can increase the difficulty. Ground your right foot, stack the left foot on top of the right and lower down. Or, keep both feet on the ground and just use one hand.

Be cautious. “A one-handed type of push-up causes a tendency to rotate around the lumbar spine,” Suprak said. “There’s a torque causing rotation of the body, and you’re trying to stabilize. That can cause increased stress in the disks between the vertebra, he said. — MCT

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Walking’s benefits go beyond exercise M

ore Americans are going for a walk, a promising trend to help fight obesity and improve overall health, according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall in the United States, 62 percent of people reported walking at least once for 10 minutes or more during the previous week in 2010. That’s up from 56 percent in 2005.

And while the percentage of walkers in the South still lags behind other parts of the country, it saw the largest jump in walking, according to the CDC. In the region that includes Georgia, 15 other states and Washington, DC, 57 percent of people walked in 2010, up from 49 percent in 2005, according to the CDC. People in the West are most likely to walk, with more than two-thirds of people there regularly walking.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, said walking for as little as 10 minutes a week is a great first step toward meeting the recommended amount of 150 minutes per week of physical activity. “Physical activity really is a wonder drug,” Frieden said during a recent news conference. “It makes you healthier and happier; you live longer.” Frieden listed a slew of health benefits from walking and other forms of aerobic exercise. They included lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, and helping get a better night’s sleep.

Even if you don’t lose weight from walking, walkers can still reap health benefits from this low-impact form of exercise. Walking, he said, has a lot going for it: It doesn’t cost anything, you don’t have to join a gym, and walking is something that most people are able to do their whole lives. The CDC study found walkers are nearly three times more likely to meet exercise recommendations than those who don’t walk at all.

Still, more steps are needed. A third of Americans still don’t get any physical activity, according to recent National Health Interview Surveys. Judi Mason of Atlanta walks for exercise - as well as to help fight stress and “clear her head.” Up until recently, Mason used to work out at a gym and only walked on her “off” days.

But during the past year, back issues forced Mason to settle on low-impact walking as her go-to form of exercise. Mason said she’s been pleasantly surprised by the benefits of walking at Piedmont Park. She now walks about 2 miles five or six days a week.

She said she feels like she’s getting a decent workout from her brisk walks, and she’s considering walking with 1- or 2-pound weights. “I’ve also found that I really like being outdoors and I am a people person,” said Mason, who is 45 and works as a writer. “It’s easier to strike up a conversation with someone at the park than at the gym.” In Duluth, Karla Moore, a dating coach, believes walking can help people find mates.

“It is a known fact that being fit is one of those universal lifestyle qualities that initiates attraction. ... I tell my clients that they do not have to be a size 6, just commit to a goal that is within reason and use walking as a way to get there,” Moore said.

She said the idea of going to the gym for a complete overhaul can be daunting.

Meanwhile, walking, she said, is a “very benign way to exercise.” Moore used to run in college, but now she walks regularly with her husband, Michael, along a 200-acre park near their subdivision. Walking, she said, helps keep the spark of their marriage alive. Said Moore, “It’s really nice to have that time together.” — MCT

ATLANTA: Judi Mason walks for exercise in Piedmont Park in Georgia. — MCT

TIPS FOR WALKING 1. Get out the leash and walk your dog. It’s a great activity for both man and man’s best friend.

2. Take your child for a brisk walk. It’s an excellent way to get some one-on-one time.

Spice up your routine by exploring new neighborhoods or turning your walk into a scavenger hunt.

3. Mall walk. Are you sweating at the idea of walking outside? Take a brisk stroll around your local mall instead. Window shop, people watch and give your heart a workout in a climate-controlled environment.

4. Walk and talk. Even if you’re glued to your phone for work calls, you don’t have to be glued to your seat. Make it a habit to talk and walk. Some workplaces have paths to make it easier to burn while you earn.

5. Park and walk. How many times have you circled the parking lot to find “the” spot? Spare yourself the stress and gain more energy by parking far away and walking farther to your destination.

6. Take the stairs. The elevator may go up but it doesn’t make your heart rate climb. Take the stairs instead.

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WHAT’S ON

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS 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

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Greetings

ILF celebrates Keralapiravi ndian Lawyers’ Forum’, the association of Indian Lawyers & Law Graduates in Kuwait celebrated Keralpiravi 2012, the 56th Kerala day at United Indian School Abbassiya on November 1, 2012. The function began

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with a prayer song by Priyah, Twinkle, Jaseena and Mini. The President of Indian Lawyers’ Forum Thomas Panicker in his address described the history of Kerala and highlighted the importance of celebrating Kerala day by remember-

ing Kerala culture.

President along with Vidhay, Rema Sudhir and children inauguarated the function by lighting the traditional lamp.

Mohammed Bashir, Sudhir Nambiar also spoke on the occasion. Children and all

lawyers present together sang traditional “Deshabhakti Gaanangal” (songs) praising Kerala and India. Function concluded with vote of thanks by Vinod Kumar.

appy birthday to Jessica Vallejo, Vhikita Alam and Yhel Tumulak of Friends in Kuwait. May good health and more birthdays come your way. Best wishes from FIKS members.

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Indian Embassy Announcements Indian Embassy passport and visa Passports and visa applications can be deposited at the two outsourced centers of M/S BLS Ltd at Sharq and Fahaheel. Details are available at www.blsinternational.com and www.indembkwt.org.

Consular Open House Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall at the Embassy. For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) can be contacted. Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances.

Indian workers helpline/helpdesk Indian workers helpline is accessible by toll free telephone number 25674163 from all over Kuwait. It provides information and advice to Indian workers as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters.

The help desk at the Embassy (Open from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4:30PM, Sunday to Thursday) provides guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal and other issues. It also provides workers assistance in filling up labour complaint forms.

For any unaddressed issues, the concerned attachÈ in the Labour section and the head of the Labour Wing can be contacted.

Legal Advice Clinic Free legal advice is provided on matters pertaining to labour disputes, terms of contracts with employers, death/accident compensation, withholding of dues by employers, etc. by lawyers on our panel, to Indian nationals on all working days between 1500hrs to 1600hrs.

GWS drawing competition s a part of the Goa Day 2012, organized by the Goan Welfare Society (GWS), in association with other Goan clubs and groups, a drawing competition and a collage competition, for children, will be held prior to the main event, as detailed here: date of competitions: November 14, (children’s day). Venue: Salmiya Indian Model School(SIMS), Salmiya, Kuwait. Time: 6 pm to 8 pm.

The competitions are open to students, enrolled in Indian schools, from ages 4 - 17 years, who will be grouped as follows: Drawing and coloring competitions: Group A ages 4 - 6 years, Group B ages 7 - 9 years, Group C ages 10 - 12 years. Collage competition: Group D ages 13 - 15 years, Group E ages 16 - 17 years.

The theme for drawing and collage competitions will pertain to the State of Goa and will be announced on the spot for each Group, separately.

The winners will be announced and prize distributions will be held on Friday, November 30, at the Goa Day 2012 function, to be held at the same venue, Salmiya Indian Model School (SIMS), Salmiya, Kuwait, between 12:00 noon to 8 pm.

Online Entries, if desired, may be emailed to GWS email before November 7, with details of participant, as follows: participant’s name, date of birth, school, Std or Class, name of parent or guardian, Tel contact, mobile and email. Please note that entries will not be accepted after November 7.

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Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait holds Fun Run Competition veryone can take small and easy steps to stay fit, combat sickness and promote friendship within the community. That is what Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait emphasizes during the biannual Fun Run Competition. Amid the cool and sunny weather, members of the hotel’s Viking Club and staff, representatives from our sister hotel, members of the diplomatic team as well as fitness instructors participated in the Autumn Fun Run, held end of October 2012.

Enthusiastic runners of all ages tried to be the first to conquer the 3 km distance.

To mark the occasion the hotel organized a reception on the swimming pool terrace where the winners were presented with their prizes and all other participants received a souvenir gift. The fun run was capped with a sumptuous buffet exclusively prepared for the occasion; by the hotel’s professional chefs.

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GUST’s journey in the educational sector distinct he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) held a press conference with Dr Joel Glassman, Associate Provost and Director of the International Studies Center at the University of Missouri - St Louis (UMSL) GUST’s affiliate university - and Prof Thomas George, Chancellor of UMSL on their partnership for the chance to talk about their growing partnership.

Dr Glassman noted: “The academic cooperation between us and GUST is seeking to continue the development of the programs of the University, as well as seek to pay more attention to the faculty research aspect at both universities which we hope will include, in the future, a training program which the

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faculty can benefit from.”

Dr Glassman also commended the marking of 10 years since the establishment of GUST and its celebration of the 7th batch of undergraduates and 3rd MBA graduates. He also praised the many other developments accomplished by GUST during the course of the past 10 years,

which exceeded all expectations expressing pride in participating in this progress. Dr Glassman emphasized on the importance of recent steps taken by the university, particularly in establishing Student Success Center, which contributed significantly to the development of student skills, particularly in

overcoming any academic difficulties which helps to increase the productivity of the student.

Professor Thomas George, touched on the academic partnership with GUST; noting that it seeks to develop programs especially in business management software and disciplines of Arts and Sciences. “We also

aspire in the future to establish the engineering program at the university.”

Prof George pointed out that a great similarity between UMSL and GUST is that both universities achieved rapid growth in the educational process.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Inauguration his picture taken during OICC Kuwait Indira function shows inauguration by P Moosa, Member KPCC, Malapuram and others seen are MA Hilal Chairman OICC, Krishnan Kadalundi, Vijayabhanu and Hamid Keloth.

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31

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information 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.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Canadian Embassy in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 7:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 13:00. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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Jordan ambassador welcomes Eid Al-Adha well-wishers ordan’s Ambassador to Kuwait welcomed Eid Al-Adha well-wishers during the second day of the holiday. Deputy Ambassador Essam Al-Budour, Charge d’affaires Mohammad Al-Khaldhi, and other ministry officials were present at the event attended by members of the Jordanian community in Kuwait. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

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65 art pieces selected for JAMM’s 3rd annual auction AMM international exhibitions and auctions selected 65 different works for contemporary Arab, Iranian and international artists that will be auctioned during its 3rd annual auction to be hosted in Kuwait on November 29, 2012, announced President Sheihka Lulu Mubarak Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Sheikha Al-Sabah also expressed gratitude for the partnership reached with TAG Heuer, one of the most desired brands in the luxury watch industry, who will be the exclusive sponsor for the auction which takes place at the Live Center Compound in Shuwaikh. “This sponsorship allowed us to ensure that the auction features top quality art, and establishes the basis for long-term cooperation for future projects”, she said in a statement released recently to the press.

The auction highlights include Amira Behbehani’s recent oil painting Study of Francis Bacon (Men in Blue), 2012, estimated at $9,000-$10,500.

Inspired by a series of seven deep-blue canvases that the British artist painted

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in 1954, this work seeks to engage a debate on the political and religious views of wearing the abaya.

The highest value lot in the sale is Garden Party, 2011, by the acclaimed Iranian painter, musician and performance artist Reza Derakshani, a large (182 x 304 cm) oil painting in vibrant shades of red and pink executed in 2011 and estimated at $65,000$95,000.

The three wall-mounted sculptures and suspended installations by Pakistani artist Simeen Farhat (b. 1968) aim to translate the dynamism of Rumi’s poems into visual energy.

Twisted Melody, 2010, Intent, 2011, and Red Spill, 2012, are estimated at $12,000-$13,500 and $8,500-$10,000 respectively.

International artists include Rachel Lee Hovnanian’s large-format photograph Fake Flowers, Living Room, 2012, estimated at $13,500-$15,000, and a unique print of Bert Stern’s Marilyn in Red Scarf, 2012, a photograph of Marilyn Monroe from the famous Last Sitting with hand-applied jewels

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on the following days during the month of November 2012: Nov 13, 2012 - Tuesday - Deepawali Nov 25, 2012 - Sunday - Muharram ■■■■■■■

($16,500-$18,000). And finally, Mashrabia Cabana, 2011, a 4 x 4 x 4 meter cabana inspired by traditional mashrabiyas, by Swiss architect and designer Andre C Meyerhans blurs the boundaries between art, design and architecture and is estimated at $61,000- $62,500.

Meanwhile, Sheikha Al-Sabah indicated that a number of “veteran and young Kuwaiti artists” were selected to take part in the event. “The auction gives an opportunity for young Kuwaiti artists to engage in a professional experience that motivates them into taking extra efforts to reach the inter-

national stage”, she said.

Bahrain’s Faisal Samara, Egypt’s Yousuf Nabeel, Iraq’s Mohammad Sami, Jordan’s Mohammad Al-Shemmari, Lebanon’s Nermeen Humam, Morocco’s La’alie Asiyadi and Fatima Al-Mazrou’ie of the United Arab Emirates are among Arab artists selected to take part in the event. Alexander Gilkes, former global marketing director and auctioneer for Phillips de Pury and co-founder of Paddle8, will conduct the auction.

EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located in Sharq, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Al Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor. Working days / hours: SundayThursday /9 am - 4 pm. Residents in Kuwait interested in getting a visa to travel to Peru and companies attracted to invest in Peru are invited to visit the permanent exposition room located in the Embassy. For more information, please contact: (+965) 22267250/1.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE

The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to remind that the external polling station No 90046 was created in the Embassy’s premises at the following address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str. 6, build. 5. The working hours of the polling station: Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Monday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Tuesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Wednesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Thursday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Friday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm; Saturday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm On October 28, 2012 the working hours of the polling station from 8.00 am to 20.00 pm. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your data in the Electoral Register as well as to pick up your personal invitation from the polling station if you did not receive this document by post.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 05:05 05:55 06:45 07:35 08:00 08:25 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:20 13:50 14:15 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:00 17:30 18:25 19:20 20:15 20:40 21:10 21:35 22:05 23:00 23:55

I’m Alive Animal Cops Phoenix Into The Dragon’s Lair Swarm Chasers The Magic Of The Big Blue Wild France Animal Cops Phoenix Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Wildlife SOS Talk To The Animals Penguin Safari Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Your Very First Puppy Wildest Africa World Wild Vet Safari Vet School Safari Vet School Wildlife SOS Shamwari: A Wild Life Animal Cops Phoenix Wildest Africa Escape To Chimp Eden The Really Wild Show Must Love Cats Baby Planet Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Monkey Life Shamwari: A Wild Life Predator’s Prey Orangutan Island Wildest Africa Baboons With Bill Bailey Bad Dog

23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:20 Come Dine With Me 01:10 Bargain Hunt 02:40 MasterChef Australia 09:35 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 11:05 Bargain Hunt 11:50 Antiques Roadshow 12:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 13:25 Come Dine With Me 14:15 Gok’s Fashion Fix 15:00 Gok’s Fashion Fix 15:50 Bargain Hunt 16:35 Antiques Roadshow 17:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:10 Come Dine With Me 19:00 Baking Made Easy 19:30 The Hairy Bakers 19:55 Rhodes Across China 20:45 Come Dine With Me 21:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt EditionEdition 00:40 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:05 15:30 16:25 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Finding Bigfoot Street Customs Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Dirty Money How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Dirty Great Machines World’s Top 5 Wheeler Dealers Border Security Dirty Money Auction Kings Ultimate Survival Street Customs Extreme Fishing Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Border Security Dirty Money Auction Kings Around The World In 80 Ways Deadliest Catch An Idiot Abroad

23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:40 Moon Machines 01:35 Futurecar 02:25 Weird Or What?

03:15 Things That Move 04:35 Moon Machines 05:25 Weird Or What?

06:15 Space Pioneer 07:05 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 08:00 Bad Universe 08:50 Bad Universe 09:40 Head Rush 09:43 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 10:10 How Stuff’s Made 10:40 Tank On The Moon 11:30 The Gadget Show 12:20 Man-Made Marvels China 13:10 Large Dangerous Rocket Ships 2011 14:00 Building The Future 14:50 Sport Science 15:45 How Do They Do It? 16:35 Weird Connections 17:00 Head Rush 17:03 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 17:30 How Stuff’s Made 18:00 The Gadget Show 18:50 Nyc: Inside Out 19:40 Meteorite Men 20:30 Things That Move 20:55 Things That Move 21:20 Da Vinci’s Machines 22:10 Gadget Show - World Tour 22:35 How Tech Works 23:00 Things That Move 23:50 Meteorite Men 20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 00:20 00:50 01:15 01:40 02:10 02:30 02:55 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:20 04:30 04:40 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:30 06:50 07:15 07:45

Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Lazytown Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Animated Stories Lazytown Special Agent Oso Imagination Movers Handy Manny Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Handy Manny

08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Little Einsteins 08:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:10 The Hive 09:20 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:50 Handy Manny 10:05 The Hive 10:15 Animated Stories 10:20 Mouk 10:45 The Hive 10:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 11:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 11:45 Art Attack 12:10 Imagination Movers 12:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 13:10 Handy Manny 13:25 Jungle Junction 13:40 Imagination Movers 14:05 The Hive 14:15 Special Agent Oso 14:30 Lazytown 14:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 15:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:00 Mouk 16:15 The Hive 16:25 Art Attack 16:50 Doc McStuffins 17:05 Art Attack 17:30 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:45 Art Attack 18:10 Mouk 18:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:00 Animated Stories 20:05 Timmy Time 20:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 The Hive 21:20 Timmy Time 21:30 Mouk 21:45 Handy Manny 22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 The Hive 22:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 23:00 Timmy Time 23:10 Animated Stories 23:15 A Poem Is...

23:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:30 Jungle Junction 23:45 Handy Manny 23:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ecial Agent Oso 23:50 Lazytown 00:30 01:25 02:20 03:15 04:10 Ride 06:00 08:00 08:55 09:50 10:45 11:40 12:35 13:30 14:25 15:20 16:15 16:40 17:10 18:05 19:00 19:55 20:50 21:45 22:40 23:35

Mengejar Ombak TNA: Greatest Matches M1 Selection 2010 The Cool Guy Files Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your AMA Motocross 2011 Ride Guide Snow 2009 Tread BMX The Alli Show Winter Dew Tour 10/11 Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2011 Mantracker I’ll Do Anything World Combat League Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Tread BMX The Alli Show Mantracker Pro Bull Riders 2011 I’ll Do Anything World Combat League Dragrace High Enfusion

00:40 Guy’s Big Bite 01:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:55 Food Network Challenge 02:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:35 Food(Ography) 04:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 05:15 Guy’s Big Bite 05:40 Outrageous Food 06:05 Unique Sweets 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Barefoot Contessa 08:00 Food Network Challenge 08:50 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:40 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:30 Kelsey’s Essentials 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:45 Food Crafters 12:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:35 Heat Seekers 13:00 The Next Iron Chef 13:50 Guy’s Big Bite 14:15 Cooking For Real 14:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:30 Food Crafters 15:55 Charly’s Cake Angels 16:20 Unique Eats 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 Heat Seekers 19:15 Guy’s Big Bite 19:40 Unique Eats 20:05 Unique Eats 20:30 Chopped 21:20 The Next Iron Chef 22:10 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 23:00 Andy Bates Street Feasts 23:25 Andy Bates Street Feasts 23:50 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam

00:15 00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 05:45 06:15 06:40 07:10 07:35 08:05 09:00 09:55 10:50

Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Nomads Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Banged Up Abroad Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Food School Food School Kimchi Chronicles Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Nomads Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy

11:45 12:40 13:35 14:30 15:25 16:20 17:15 17:40 18:10 19:05 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:55 23:20 23:50

Banged Up Abroad Bondi Rescue David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Street Food Around The World Market Values Travel Madness Weird & Wonderful Hotels Kimchi Chronicles David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Bondi Rescue Food School David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway One Man & His Campervan

23:00 Naked Science 00:00 Cheetah: Against All Odds 01:00 Deadly Summer 01:55 California’s Wild Coast 02:50 Dolphin Army 03:45 Caught In The Act 04:40 Triumph of Life 05:35 Catching Giants 06:30 California’s Wild Coast 07:25 Dolphin Army 08:20 Caught In The Act 09:15 Sumatra’s Last Tiger 10:10 Rhino Rescue 11:05 Ultimate Predator 12:00 Planet Carnivore 13:00 Built For The Kill 14:00 Mother Croc 15:00 Caught In The Act 16:00 How Big Can It Get 17:00 Ultimate Vipers 18:00 Animal Autopsy (AKA Inside Nature’s Giants) 19:00 California’s Wild Coast 20:00 Dolphin Army 21:00 Caught In The Act 22:00 Sumatra’s Last Tiger 23:00 Rhino Rescue Zoo Confidential 23:00 Dangerous Encounters 00:00 Circle Of Eight-18 02:00 Alien-18 04:00 True Justice: Blood Alley-PG15 06:00 Rocky-PG15 08:00 True Justice: Dark VengeancePG15 10:00 Wild Bill-PG15 12:00 Go Fast-PG15 14:00 True Justice: Dark VengeancePG15 16:00 The Warlords-PG15 18:00 Go Fast-PG15 20:00 Gridlock’d-18 22:00 Saw VII: The Final ChapterR22:00 The Rite-18hting-PG15 22:00 Homecoming-18 00:00 Melissa & Joey 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Angry Boys 02:00 Angry Boys 02:30 Louie 03:00 Happy Endings 03:30 Hot In Cleveland 04:00 Two And A Half Men 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Two And A Half Men 08:30 Happy Endings 09:00 Seinfeld 09:30 Seinfeld 10:00 Whitney 10:30 Parks And Recreation 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Two And A Half Men 13:00 Seinfeld 13:30 Seinfeld 14:00 Hot In Cleveland 14:30 Parks And Recreation 15:00 Whitney 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Happy Endings 18:30 Hot In Cleveland 19:00 Modern Family 19:30 New Girl 20:00 The Cleveland Show 20:30 Melissa & Joey 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 How To Make It In America 22:30 How To Make It In America 23:00 Louie 23:30 The Cleveland Show Fall on 00:00 Parenthood 01:00 The Killing 02:00 True Blood 03:00 Luck 04:00 House 05:00 The Killing 06:00 Parenthood 07:00 Emmerdale 07:30 Coronation Street 08:00 Royal Pains 09:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:00 The River 11:00 House 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:00 Royal Pains 15:00 Parenthood 16:00 Emmerdale 16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 18:00 Royal Pains 19:00 Bones 20:00 Revenge 21:00 The Newsroom 22:00 Boardwalk Empire 23:00 Luck Grimm23:00 Grimm 01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00

And Soon The Darkness-PG15 True Justice: Blood Alley-PG15 Drunken Master-PG15 Largo Winch 2-PG15 The Rocketeer-PG15 Drunken Master-PG15 Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?-PG15 The Rocketeer-PG15 Ip Man-PG15 Double Impact-18 Army Of Darkness-18

23:00 Luster-18

KUWAIT 00:00 The Trotsky-PG15 02:00 Defendor-PG15 04:00 How The Grinch Stole Christmas-PG 06:00 The Ladykillers-PG15 08:00 Airheads-PG15 10:00 Letters To Juliet-PG15 12:00 Joe Dirt-PG15 14:00 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son-PG15 16:00 Letters To Juliet-PG15 18:00 28 Days-PG15 20:00 Analyze This-PG15 22:00 The Royal Tenenbaums-18 22:00 Frenemy-18 01:15 PG15 03:30 06:00 07:45 09:30 11:15 13:30 15:15 17:15 19:00 PG15 21:00 23:15

When A Man Loves A WomanAny Given Sunday-18 West Is West-PG15 Le Syndrome Du Titanic-PG15 Espions-PG15 The Social Network-PG15 Greener Mountains-PG Espions-PG15 Relative Stranger-PG15 The Deep End Of The OceanThe Alamo-PG15 I Capture The Castle-18 Square Grouper-18

01:00 A Separation-PG15 03:15 Spy Kids: All The Time In The World-PG 05:00 Certain Prey-PG15 06:45 Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides-PG15 09:00 The Conspirator-PG15 11:15 Quest For Zhu-PG 13:00 Oranges And Sunshine-PG15 14:45 Henry’s Crime-PG15 16:45 The Conspirator-PG15 19:00 The Tree Of Life-PG15 21:15 Red Riding Hood-PG15 23:00 Hall Pass-18

01:00 Alex & Alexis-FAM 02:45 Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas-FAM 04:15 The Wind In The Willows-PG 06:00 Hop-PG 08:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-FAM 09:45 Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl-PG 11:30 Alex & Alexis-FAM 13:00 The Fantastic Adventure Of The Ugly Duckling-FAM 14:15 Hop-PG 16:00 Emilie Jolie-PG 18:00 Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl-PG 20:00 Scooby-Doo! Curse Of The Lake Monster-PG 22:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-FAM 23:30 The Fantastic Adventure Of The Ugly Duckling-FAM 22:15 Resident Evil 4: Afterlife-18 01:30 Premier League Snooker 05:00 Darts Grand Prix 07:00 Top 14 09:00 Top 14 11:00 WWE Bottom Line 12:00 Trans World Sport 13:00 Extreme Sailing Series 13:30 Extreme Sailing Series 14:00 European Challenge Tour Golf Highlights 14:30 Futbol Mundial 15:00 Top 14 17:00 Trans World Sport 18:00 International Rugby League 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 The Ryder Cup Official Film 22:30 Extreme Sailing Series 23:00 Extreme Sailing Series 23:30 Futbol Mundial

02:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 12:30 15:30 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 20:30 23:00 23:30

Trans World Sport Top 14 Top 14 PGA European Tour Prizefighter Futbol Mundial Trans World Sport Extreme Sailing Series Extreme Sailing Series NFL NFL WWE This Week PGA European Tour Highlights

21:00 NHL 23:00 Trans World Sport 00:00 Pro 12 02:00 Beijing Marathon 05:00 AFL Highlights 06:00 Asian Tour Golf Show 06:30 MENA Golf Tour Highlights 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Pro 12 10:00 Modern Penthalon 11:00 Modern Penthalon 12:00 Sea Master Sailing 12:30 Show Jumping La Baule 13:30 Top 14 Highlights 14:00 Trans World Sport 15:00 Golfing World 16:00 Pro 12 18:00 Beijing Marathon 21:00 Golfing World 22:00 Top 14 Highlights 22:30 Pro 12 Highlights 23:00 AFL Highlights 01:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 02:00 V8 Supercars 04:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 WWE Experience 09:00 V8 Supercars 11:00 V8 Supercars 13:00 European Le Mans Series Preview 13:30 European Le Mans Series 14:30 European Le Mans Series 15:00 WWE SmackDown 17:00 UFC Prelims 19:00 UFC 22:00 V8 Supercars

KNCC PROGRAM FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (1/11/2012 TO 7/11/2012) SHARQIA-1 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-2 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-3 MISS MOMMY (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D MISS MOMMY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-1 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-2 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-3 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-1 LOOPER (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-2 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) SAMMY 2 (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-3 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) AJAB GAZABB LOVE(DIG) (Hindi) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-4 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-5 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA HERE COMES THE BOOM HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA HERE COMES THE BOOM HERE COMES THE BOOM HERE COMES THE BOOM NO SUN+TUE+WED MARINA-1 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED MARINA-2 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

AVENUES-4 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-2 LOOPER (DIG) TWILIGHT (Re-Release) LOOPER (DIG) TWILIGHT (Re-Release) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

12:45 PM

360 º- 9(VIP-1) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

360 º-10(VIP-2) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 11 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 12 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-7 CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 13 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 4:00 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-8 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-9 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

1:00 AM

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-11 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-6 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) SAMMY 2 (DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-10 THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-5 MISS MOMMY (DIG) 1:45 PM NO SAT (03.11.2012) MISS MOMMY (DIG) 4:00 PM NO SAT (03.11.2012) Live Broadcast of Football Match “ Arsinal & Manchester United” 3:30 PM SAT (03.11.2012) MISS MOMMY (DIG) 6:15 PM MISS MOMMY (DIG) 8:30 PM MISS MOMMY (DIG) 10:45 PM MISS MOMMY (DIG) 1:00 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-3 MISS MOMMY (DIG) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-3 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG)

HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

1:15 PM 3:45 PM 6:15 PM 8:45 PM 11:15 PM 12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 14 CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 11:00 PM

360 º- 15 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.1 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.2 CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) CHASING MAVERICKS (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.3 THE SWEENEY (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 1 THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 2 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.4 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 3 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

BAIRAQ-1 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

360 º- 4 SAMMY 2 (DIG-3D) SAMMY 2 (DIG-3D) SAMMY 2 (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-2 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 5 THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) 1:15 PM FRI+SAT TWILIGHT: NEW MOON (Re-Release) 3:45 PM THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) 6:15 PM TWILIGHT: NEW MOON (Re-Release) 8:45 PM TWILIGHT: NEW MOON (Re-Release) 11:15 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-3 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 6 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

PLAZA MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG)

4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM

LAILA MISS MOMMY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG)

4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM

AJIAL.1 THE SWEENEY (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 THE SWEENEY (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4

4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM

AJIAL.2 CHAKRAVYUH (DIG)(Hindi) RUSH (DIG)(Hindi) AJAB GAZABB LOVE(DIG) (Hindi)

4:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 7 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

360 º- 8 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG)

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

Classifieds MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines PIA JAI THY JZR JZR QTR ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR QTR QTR DHX THY JZR JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC UAE KAC GFA ABY QTR FDB ETD KAC GFA BAB KAC KAC FDB TMA IRC JZR MSC MEA UAE MSR GFA FDB KAC KNE KAC SVA QTR JZR KAC JZR QTR OMA JZR KAC UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR KAC BAB FDB MSC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY QTR MSC ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR JAI FDB DHX AIC TAR JZR GFA JZR UAL BBC DLH

Flt 205 574 772 267 539 148 620 211 853 305 67 612 6130 138 170 770 503 555 157 412 206 53 302 855 284 223 121 132 55 301 352 213 436 5107 344 69 213 6521 165 403 404 871 610 219 57 672 472 546 500 140 561 788 257 134 645 535 118 857 303 640 215 510 144 127 982 542 177 786 438 63 405 618 742 674 104 774 647 61 572 389 618 129 146 401 229 402 136 221 307 859 135 576 59 372 975 327 239 217 185 981 43 636

Arrival Flights on Monday 5/11/2012 Route LAHORE MUMBAI ISTANBUL BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA ADDIS ABABA BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI CAIRO DOHA DOHA BAHRAIN ISTANBUL LUXOR ALEXANDRIA LONDON MANILA ISLAMABAD DUBAI MUMBAI DUBAI DHAKA BAHRAIN SHARJAH DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI COCHIN BAHRAIN BAHRAIN LONDON CHENNAI DUBAI BEIRUT LAMERD DUBAI ASSIUT BEIRUT DUBAI CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH DOHA SOHAG JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA MUSCAT CAIRO NEW YORK DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI SOHAG DOHA DAMMAM DUBAI LONDON RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI MANGALORE ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH DOHA ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN COCHIN DUBAI BAHRAIN CHENNAI TUNIS AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

Time 0:15 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 3:05 3:10 3:30 3:45 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:00 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:40 8:45 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:50 9:55 10:05 10:20 10:40 10:45 11:00 11:10 11:20 11:30 11:55 12:50 13:05 13:35 13:50 14:10 14:10 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:50 14:55 15:05 15:30 15:40 16:25 16:35 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:15 19:20 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:30 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:05 23:25 23:45 23:55

Airlines AIC AFG UAL DLH JAI PIA ETH THY FDB UAE ETD MSR QTR QTR QTR JZR GFA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW JZR JZR KAC GFA KAC ABY UAE FDB ETD QTR GFA BAB FDB KAC KAC IRC KAC MSC TMA MEA KAC JZR MSR UAE GFA FDB KAC KNE SVA KAC QTR KAC KAC OMA JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY QTR JZR UAL FDB BAB MSC KAC FDB KAC OMA KAC JAI ABY MSR MSC DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC KAC FDB UAE JAI DHX KAC QTR JZR TAR GFA KAC

Depature Flights on Monday 5/11/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 406 KABUL 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 206 PESHAWAR 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 6131 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 256 BEIRUT 534 CAIRO 787 JEDDAH 224 BAHRAIN 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 437 BAHRAIN 70 DUBAI 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 6522 LAMERD 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 214 DUBAI 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 501 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 141 DOHA 773 RIYADH 741 DAMMAM 646 MUSCAT 238 AMMAN 304 ABU DHABI 538 CAIRO 135 DOHA 858 DUBAI 641 AMMAN 216 BAHRAIN 184 DUBAI 511 RIYADH 128 SHARJAH 145 DOHA 134 BAHRAIN 982 BAHRAIN 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 404 ASSIUT 283 DHAKA 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 648 MUSCAT 351 KOCHI 571 MUMBAI 120 SHARJAH 619 ALEXANDRIA 402 ALEXANDRIA 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 403 BEIRUT 308 ABU DHABI 137 DOHA 222 BAHRAIN 301 MUMBAI 361 MUSCAT 60 DUBAI 860 DUBAI 575 KOCHI 373 BAHRAIN 205 ISLAMABAD 147 DOHA 502 LUXOR 328 DUBAI 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK

Time 0:05 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:35 2:45 2:55 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:20 6:55 7:00 7:35 7:45 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:05 9:15 9:25 9:30 9:35 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:40 10:50 11:25 11:30 11:50 12:10 12:20 12:30 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:20 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:45 15:45 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:15 20:30 20:40 20:55 20:55 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:25 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:35 23:45 23:50 23:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for couple/ decent working ladies with Keralite family in a 2 BHK, 2 bathroom, C-AC building in Sharq near Amiri Hospital from 1st December onwards.

Contact: 99854670. (C 4193) 1-11-2012 One room available in a furnished 2-bedroom flat in Salmiya for a working class lady near the bus stop Call 99702658 30-10-2012 Single bedroom flat for family near Salmiya garden. Rent KD 200 includes water electricity and internet.

Furniture/ appliances avail-

grey color (CC 1600). KD 2300. Tel: 66729295.

(C 4200) Offer for photo studios, Fuji Frontier 340 Machine for sale in a very reasonable price. For inquiries please call 55127477. (C 4198) 5-11-2012 Toyota Land Cruiser, white color, 2009 model, V8, full option, excellent condition, 86,000 km only. Call 66026259, 66158602.

SITUATION VACANT House driver, 20-30 years old, 3-5 years experience driving in Kuwait, speak and read English, transferable residency.

Call 99747679. (C 4194) 1-11-2012

SITUATION WANTED Western educated “Project Manager ” with 2 Engineering-Degrees (Civil/Elec.), 4-Master Degrees (Project Mgmt/ Engineering/ Education & Training/ MBA), plus 17years experience in Middle East/ Australia, seeking Executive Position. Contact: 65695468 email: rav@engineer.com (C 4195) 4-11-2012

No:

15618

FOR SALE Lancer 2009 outlander 2009. Ph: 99481300. Lancer Ex GLS 2011 model, silver color, km 21,000 only, original paint, under warranty, KD 3,900. Ph: 66052331.

(C 4197) Toyota Corolla 2008, dark

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 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

22459381

Ayoun 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 TAT TE OF K KUW WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY: Y Sunday

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

04/11/2012

Issue Time

Mostly sunny with light variable wind, with speed of 06 - 22 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Fair with light variable wind changing to light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 06 - 26 km/h and some scattered clouds will appear No Current Warnings arnin a

WA ARNING

34 °C

21 °C

22451082

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

35 °C

16 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WAISEEB A

30 °C

18 °C

Sharq

22465401

WAFRA A

33 °C

16 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

33 °C

19 °C

ABDAL LY

35 °C

18 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

34 °C

17 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

33 °C

19 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

30 °C

23 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

30 °C

25 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WARBA A A - BUBY YAN A

30 °C

16 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

ST TAT TION

SFC. CHART

04/11/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

Monday

05/11

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

Tuesday

South Jahra

24775066

Wednesday e

North Jahra

24775992

Thursday

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

sunny

36 °C

18 °C

VRB-NW

06 - 28 km/h

06/11

partly cloudy

32 °C

18 °C

NW-N

08 - 30 km/h

07/11

sunny

33 °C

18 °C

NW

06 - 26 km/h

08/11

sunny

34 °C

17 °C

NW-VRB

06 - 26 km/h

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:42

MAX. Temp.

34 °C

Sunrise

06:03

MIN. Temp.

14 °C 48 %

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

11:32

MAX. RH

Al-Omariya

24719048

Asr

14:38

MIN. RH

11 %

Sunset

17:00

MAX. Wind

S 25 km/h

Isha

18:18

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

23900322

00 mm

04/11/12 03:08 UTC

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

V1.00

T1.06

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36

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Slim stole a music stand from McCartney’s dustbin atboy Slim stole a music stand from Sir Paul McCartney’s dustbin. The ‘Right Here, Right Now’ hit-maker - real name is Norman Cook - and his wife Zoe Ball used to live two houses away from The Beatles legend and his then-wife Heather Mills in Brighton, Southern England, and when the ‘Hey Jude’ hit-maker moved out, the DJ couldn’t resist helping himself to a souvenir from the items he had thrown out. Explaining how he acquired Paul’s music stand, he said: “He was my neighbor and when he moved out, it was in a skip with his other possessions, so I thought it was worth keeping.” The ‘Rockafeller Skank’ producer says Paul was a “fantastic” neighbor, though he found it surreal whenever he called round to visit. He added to Q magazine: “He was a fantastic neighbor actually. During the summer, everyone’s on the beach and our doors are always open. “It would never cease to freak me out when he would nip into our kitchen and go, ‘Only me, just wanna say I’m down for the weekend, how you doing?’ He was great fun to have a laugh with.”

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Cooper: The key is being ‘loving’

Prince Harry will see his

radley Cooper says the key to a good relationship is being “loving”. The ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ actor has dated several famous beauties - including Renee Zellweger, Jennifer Aniston and current girlfriend Zoe Saldana - and while he won’t speak much about his love life publicly, he knows it’s important to treat a woman well. He told Glamour magazine: “I try to be loving. I think that’s the key. I try to be as honest as I can. And caring, I try to be caring.”

Bradley also revealed he still looks himself up on the internet. The Hollywood heartthrob insists a thorough look on what information there is about him on Google helps keep him “grounded”. He said: “This is a business that humbles you daily, just hop on the internet and you can get humbled in two seconds. “I’ve gone online. If anything, you have to stay grounded by not believing all the negativity.

“But I don’t look at reviews of my work. Once you give over to what reviewers think, that’s tricky. It’s so subjective. You have to stay true to the movie you wanted to make - you’ll never please everybody.”

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family on Christmas Day rince Harry will get to see his family on Christmas Day, by appearing over a video link. The third in line to the British throne is currently serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan and won’t be home until the new year, but it is being organized for him to talk to his family on December 25 by a special Skype video link up. The video will reportedly be beamed directly into the billiards room at Sandringham, Eastern England, where the royal family spend Christmas, and was set up by his brother, Prince William. A source told The Sun newspaper: “The family are very anxious for Harry. It was William who came up with the idea so Harry could exchange greetings. “He is putting his life on the line, like all servicemen out there, and the family share the same anxieties as everyone with a loved one in Afghanistan.” The call will reportedly only last a few minutes, giving Harry, 28, time to say hello to William, his wife Duchess Catherine, father Prince Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as his grandparents Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Harry is currently on a second tour of duty, and also missed Christmas day on his first, when he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007.

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Minogue feels depressed ylie Minogue feels depressed when she isn’t being a pop star. The ‘Wow’ singer finds it hard to adjust to regular life when she finishes an album and a tour, because creating and performing her music gives her such an adrenaline rush. Speaking about life on the road, she told PopJustice site: “I think it’s a little bittersweet. Let me put it this way: There’s a middle ground which I’m sure is a better, healthier, more balanced place to be.

But instead of that I tend to do ‘busy busy busy’, then adrenaline gets you going, and you’re firing on all cylinders, and then you have to stop because you get ill, or you catch a cold and you’re out for a week. And then all you can do is rest. And then that creates a little depression.

It’s the classic performer’s quandary. That middle ground is hard to find, or settle in.” The 44-year-old singer believes it is the difficulty some artists have with ‘normal’ life which leads them to take drugs or become dependent on alcohol. When asked if boredom leads some musicians to experiment with substances, she answered: “Yes! Exactly.” Kylie’s best advice for younger pop stars is to stay true to themselves and keep their close friends around them, in order to avoid the pitfalls of fame. She added: “‘Be yourself’ is a good start for any artist.”

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One Direction protected by armed guards ne Direction’s management want them protected by armed guards when they tour North America. Minders for the British boy band - Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson - have been told to apply for gun licenses when they go to the US and Mexico next year, so no-one can compromise their safety. A source close to the group told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “They are the biggest boy band in the world. If their bosses say we need guns, then we have to

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get guns. They will be travelling to some dangerous areas in the world.” Perhaps the most tricky part of their North American tour will be when the ‘Live While We’re Young’ group play in Mexico City on June 9 next year, as it is a common place for kidnappings and gang activity. The source added: “There are lots of threats - the worst possibility is a gang will want to kidnap them. But that won’t be allowed to happen. “The group’s security guards have all had to get social security cards and ID cards for America and Canada. And

Brown, Rihanna to spend thousands on phone hris Brown and Rihanna are planning to spend thousands on phone-bills while he is on tour. The 23-yearold ‘Turn Up The Music’ singer - who will begin performing overseas for several weeks later this month as part of his new tour - is reportedly prepared to spend whatever it takes to keep his 24-year-old girlfriend feel special while he is away. A source close to Chris told HollywoodLife.com: “Chris will miss Rihanna. I know they will talk all day and text back and forth. Then, he’s going to get back home and have a $5,000 cell bill. It’s cool though. To him, Ri’s worth a whole lot more, so he ain’t tripping.” But the couple - who recently reunited despite the fact he is still on probation for beating her in 2009 and recently celebrate Halloween together are planning to spend as much time together as possible before he leaves. The insider said: “That’s his girl and they’re talking and trying to squeeze in as much time together as possible before he jets out of here.” Chris who is still under supervised probation for his assault on the ‘Diamonds’ singer - is scheduled to begin a large tour that spans several countries in Europe and South Africa on November 14.

—Bang showbiz

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they may bring in armed guards who they have worked with before in Mexico.” A spokesperson for the group said the social security cards were not gained in an attempt to get gun licenses in the US, but added: “I have no idea about Mexico.”

The band had to have their security boosted last time they appeared in Mexico City in June, as their hotel was mobbed by screaming fans desperate to catch a glimpse of their idols.

Spears was a nervous wreck during ‘The X Factor’ ritney Spears was a nervous wreck during her first live show of ‘The X Factor’ USA. The 30-year-old singer - who sits on the judging panel alongside Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato and LA Reid - was very nervous during last week’s debut live shows because she is out of her element but her father Jamie believes she will improve. He told gossip website TMZ.com: “You know Britney is not one for talking in public like that. I think she was very nervous the first night. “Last night (01.11.12) she was a lot better and on top of her game and I would say by next week, it’s just something new, it’s not a microphone, it’s not talking on stage, so she is out of her element and it’s same as when we were doing auditions, we had a slow start and a very strong finish. Next week is going to be better and we’re getting better and better every week.” The ‘Toxic’ singer’s father also opened up about their recent victory against Sam Lutfi, who attempted to sue the mother-of-two and her parents for breach of contract, defamation and battery but his case was thrown out of court on Thursday (01.11.12), and Jamie said he hopes they can now move on with their lives. He said: “Yes I hope it’s good riddance of that but I’m going to take one day at a time.”

Britney’s protective father declined to go into further details about Sam Lutfi’s influence on his daughter at the time of her public meltdown in 2008, during which she was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital and lost custody of her two sons, but said “maybe one day I will”.

He added: “I am so relieved this is over with for our family and we can put this behind us and move forward.

I am just very grateful this thing is over with.”

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Affleck had to take a break from Damon en Affleck had to take a break from working with Matt Damon. The pair got their break in Hollywood writing and starring in ‘Good Will Hunting’ and subsequently worked on a number of films together, but he felt they needed some time apart so they could both develop their respective careers. Ben, 40, said: “We wanted to have our own identities; this whole Matt and Ben thing was so strong it kind of upstaged whatever the movie was. “I think it’s been long enough now, so we’re about to do this movie together called Whitey, about this famous gangster [Whitey Bulger] in America. Matt’s going to play him and I’m going to direct.” Ben has directed three films to date - ‘Gone Baby Gone’, ‘The Town’ and new spy thriller ‘Argo’ - which have all been critically acclaimed, and he says he’s still terrified by the process of making them. He added to ShortList magazine: “It’s probably anxiety, the terror that it’s not going to be good - that keeps me worrying and working and staying up late and obsessing about it all night. “It’s not particularly healthy, but I think it’s helped make the movies better.”

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37

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

Singer Emeli Sande poses with her awards for ‘Best Female Act’, ‘Best R&B/Soul Act’ and ‘Best Album’ in the press room for the 2012 MOBO Awards at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, Saturday. —AP photos

Ben Drew, aka Plan B, poses with his award for ‘Best Male Act’.

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M o v i e s

Singer Rita Ora

Singer Misha B

Singer Labrinth

Emeli Sande wins treble at Britain’s MOBO Awards meli Sande was a triple winner at Britain’s MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards on Saturday, collecting the gongs for best female, best album and best R and B/Soul. The 25-year-old singer-songwriter, who performed at the London 2012 Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies, said she was “over the moon” with her awards haul at Liverpool’s

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Echo Arena. “I really didn’t expect to win three and getting the album of the year was a big thing for me, so I feel like all the hard work pays off when you get acknowledgement like that,” she said.

While Sande scooped the best album title for “Our Version of Events”, Labrinth won the best song award for “Earthquake”. US soul

singer Dionne Warwick, the guest of honor, was presented with a lifetime achievement award to celebrate her 50 years in the music business. London artist Plan B won the best male act and best hip hop/grime prizes.

Trinidadian-born US rapper Nicki Minaj won the best international act award, while Jamaica’s Sean Paul was awarded the best reg-

gae title. The MOBO Awards, co-founded by Kanya King, are now in their 17th year.

“Each year we’re staggered by the calibre of the talent on display,” King said. “Tonight has been a night for not only homegrown talent such as Emeli Sande and Plan B, who we’ve championed from the beginning of their careers, but also less represented genres of

music such as gospel, jazz and African which are equally important for MOBO.” —AFP

Russia TV remakes British hit with Soviet twist fter a car crash, a tough Moscow cop is mysteriously transported back to 1979, with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev on the television, red-kerchiefed Young Pioneers still active and a far lower tolerance of police violence. Russia’s most popular television channel has remade the BBC’s cult time-travel drama “Life on Mars”, moving the action from the gritty streets of 1970s Manchester to the sleepy era of late leader Brezhnev in Moscow. It is not the first time Russian television has remade a popular Western show, though this remake is more unusual in taking on a darker drama with a complex concept.

A Russian channel had a huge hit with its remake of the originally Colombian show “Ugly Betty”, while the US sitcom “Married ... With Children” has been successfully transported to the city of Yekaterinburg. Russia has also bought in light entertainment formats such as the quiz show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” for its prime-time slot. The new Russian show is called “The Dark Side of the Moon”. “Life on Mars”, which aired in Britain in 2006-2007, has also been remade in the United States, where it ran for only one series, and in Spain. It tells the story of a detective who after a car crash finds himself mysteriously back in 1973 and working at the same police station.

The British show riffs on the sexist, hard-drinking and violent police culture of the 1970s versus the more politically correct ways of today, but the Russian makers admitted they had to reflect a very different situation. “In the British series, he goes from our time to that one and sees a harshness that does not work ... he is a decent guy and opposes it,” said producer Alexander Tsekalo.

“In our story it is all absolutely the other way round.

He finds himself in the 1970s and behaves with a harshness that is not appropriate for a policeman of the Soviet period.” “He can push his way into an apartment without a search order, break down the doors, twist people’s arms and ask one-sided questions.” “They keep telling him: ‘Have you gone mad? You’re unbalanced. You mustn’t do that. We don’t do stuff like that.’” “We worked with the reality that we live in, because today the organs are harsher in some ways than they were then.”

The Soviet police had a fairly minor role in a tightly controlled country with little violent or organized crime.

They were not nearly as powerful as the security forces.

By contrast, today’s bloated and underfunded force is widely feared and implicated in bribe-taking as well as headline-grabbing drunken shootings and the torture of suspects.

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Katy Perry performs before President Barack Obama arrives at a campaign event Saturday in Milwaukee. —AP

Perry wears dress with Obama slogan at rally op star Katy Perry is sporting a skin-tight minidress with President Barack Obama’s campaign slogan “Forward” emblazoned across it at the president’s rally in Milwaukee. Perry came on stage at Saturday’s event initially wearing a red, white and blue dress and holding a

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microphone shaped like the Statue of Liberty’s torch.

But after her first song, a cover of Al Green’s soul hit “Let’s Stay Together,” she tossed aside the dress to reveal the bright blue minidress. Obama’s slogan “Forward” is also Wisconsin’s state motto. Perry paused midway

through her set to make a pitch for donations to victims of Superstorm Sandy. Obama’s rally with Perry comes before he’s set to be in Madison on Monday with rocker Bruce Springsteen. —AP

Ellie Goulding revels in new-found honesty as ‘Halcyon’ hits charts

ucking her pale-pink hair behind her ears, Ellie Goulding explained recently that her new record reflects a blur of experiences over the last two years-a period in which she became such a star in England that Prince William and Kate Middleton asked her to sing at their wedding reception. “It’s definitely opened me up,” she said of the whirlwind stretch since she released her debut album, “Lights,” in 2010. The singer was curled up on a sofa in her dressing room at the site of Conan O’Brien’s show, preparing to perform her current single, “Anything Could Happen.” “It’s given me more intensity and a keenness to be very, very honest.”

That intensity resounds throughout Goulding’s strong sophomore set, “Halcyon,” which entered the U.S. charts inside the top 10 after it was released two weeks ago. It’s a more daring, personal effort than “Lights,” with a greater emphasis on her singing than on the blippy synthesizer tones that drove the debut’s title track to No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 this summer. “Only you can see the emptiness I feel when you’re with me,” she sings in the soulful “Only You,” one of several new tunes Goulding performed last Tuesday during a sold-out concert at the Troubadour.

Yet early signs suggest the fresh

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approach is paying off: Next month she’ll have a song on the final “Twilight Saga” soundtrack alongside Green Day and Feist.

(Not coincidentally, perhaps, “Twilight” star Kristen Stewart was photographed entering the Troubadour gig.) “Ellie’s sound is really unique,” said Michelle Boros, music director

English pop singer Ellie Goulding performs at Amoeba Music in Los Angeles, California. —MCT at LA pop radio station KAMP-FM. “And it’s not just the music-it’s the quality of her voice. That’s what cuts through and makes you say, ‘What is this?’”

As befits the album’s intimate vibe, Goulding, 25, recorded much of “Halcyon” not in some state-of-the-art London studio,

but at the family home of her co-producer, Jim Eliot, in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. “It’s quite a rural place,” the singer said of the bookish burg not far from where she grew up in Herefordshire. To demonstrate the atmosphere she picked up her phone and played a video of Eliot’s young daughters jumping around their living room to the album’s title track.

“There’d be times when she’d say, ‘This has to be on my record,’ and I’d almost go, ‘Are you sure?’” recalled Eliot, who has also worked with Kylie Minogue. “She was so liberated creatively.”

In the studio-with no cellphone signal and “no contact with anybody in the outside world,” Goulding explained with a laughrisk-taking was the goal. “The whole experience was really beautiful,” she continued.

“And I think if I’d worked in a studio (in LA) or in London, it would’ve been such a different story.”

However open she may feel in an artistic sense, Goulding admitted that public interest in her personal life-specifically, in her relationship with dubstep superstar Skrillexhas been harder to negotiate.

“I’ve never said this to another journalist, but it’s got to the point now where I don’t really want people to ask me about it,” she

said. “I don’t want to disclose certain things anymore. I did it for a bit because it made sense to me; I wanted people to understand what I wrote about. But now I feel like people are talking about aspects of me that I don’t want to be a focus.”

Goulding said she’d prefer if fans look for meaning in the songs on “Halcyon,” which she plans to spend as much time supporting-particularly in America-as she did “Lights.” The single from that album took nearly 18 months to become a hit.

“I’m not afraid of spending a year singing ‘Anything Could Happen,’” she insisted. (“Sounds good to me,” said her US label head, Martin Kierszenbaum, who compared “Halcyon” to “Hounds of Love” by Kate Bush.)

“Other people would be afraid: ‘It’s been a year, we should probably give it up,’” Goulding went on. “But we never gave up on ‘Lights,’ and look what happened.” She pointed to the monitor in her dressing room, which glowed with a shot of the “Conan” set. “I’m here and I get to perform my new song,” she said with a grin. “And it’s still so close to me that I’ll perform it with every piece of energy I can muster.” —MCT

‘Relevant for a Russian audience’ The show, which opens Monday on Channel One, is an unusually ambitious remake for Russian television. It painstakingly recreates the Soviet atmosphere by filming in Minsk in ex-Soviet Belarus. “We didn’t even have to build any scenery,” said Tsekalo, who at 51 remembers the period well. The most spectacular scenes use hi-tech graphics to show present-day Moscow melting into that of the late 1970s. The hero is knocked down by a car outside the Church of Christ the Savior, which was rebuilt in the 1990s. The cathedral vanishes, to be replaced by a giant outdoor swimming pool, which was built by the atheist Soviet authorities after they blew up the original cathedral. In hospital with concussion, the hero only gradually realizes he is in a different era, unsurprisingly given the unmodernised state of most Russian hospitals.

But talking to a doctor with horn-rimmed glasses and a dial phone on his desk, he spots medal-decked Soviet leader Brezhnev giving one of his endless speeches on the black-and-white television. “Why is everything around so old?” the series protagonist wonders aloud. “Oh I wouldn’t say so” the doctor says, misunderstanding the question. “At 67, a politician is right at his peak.” BBC Worldwide’s Executive Producer of formats and local productions, Duncan Cooper, told journalists in Moscow via a video link that he welcomed the free style of the adaptation. “I think the most important thing is that it has to be relevant to a Russian audience ... You have such a rich history and it’s really exciting that your version had to enquire into the world of the Soviet Union.” “The idea is obviously always in adapting series to keep the very best of the original, but to embrace the local culture and history, and I think that is exactly what this adaptation has done.” —AFP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

George Lucas’ filmmaking rooted in rebellion T

here’s no mistaking the similarities. A childhood on a dusty farm, a love of fast vehicles, a rebel who battles an overpowering empire - George Lucas is the hero he created, Luke Skywalker. His filmmaking outpost, Skywalker Ranch, is so far removed from the Hollywood moviemaking machine he once despised, that it may as well be on the forest moon of Endor. That’s why last week’s announcement that Lucas is selling the “Star Wars” franchise and the entire Lucasfilm business to The Walt Disney Co. for more than $4 billion is like a laser blast from outer space.

Lucas built his film operation in Marin County near San Francisco largely to avoid the meddling of Los Angeles-based studios. His aim was to finish the “Star Wars” series- his way. Today the enterprise has far surpassed

In this March 1976 publicity photo released by Lucasfilm Ltd & TM, director, George Lucas, and actor, Mark Hamill, who portrays young Luke Skywalker, are shown on the salt flats of Tunisia during principal photography of the original “Star Wars.” — AP photos the 68-year-old filmmaker’s original goals. The ranch covers 6,100 acres (2,470 hectares) and houses one of the industry’s most acclaimed visual effects companies, Industrial Light & Magic. Lucasfilm, with its headquarters now in San Francisco proper, has ventured into books, video games, merchandise, special effects and marketing. Just as Anakin Skywalker became the villain Darth Vader, Lucas -once the outsider- had grown to become the leader of an empire.

“What I was trying to do was stay independent so that I could make the movies I

wanted to make,” Lucas says in the 2004 documentary “Empire of Dreams.” “But now I’ve found myself being the head of a corporation ... I have become the very thing that I was trying to avoid.” After the blockbuster sale announcement Tuesday, Lucas expressed a desire to give away much of his fortune, donate to educational causes and return to the experimental filmmaking of his youth.

Still, the move stunned those who’ve followed him. He’d contemplated retirement for years and said he’d never make another “Star Wars” film.

Dale Pollock, the author of the 1999 biography “Skywalking,” said Lucas disdained the Disney culture in interviews he gave in the 1980s, even though he admired the company’s founder. “He felt the corporate ‘Disneyization’ had destroyed the spirit of Walt,” Pollock said. Lucas said through a spokeswoman on Saturday that he never said such a thing. But his anti corporate streak is renowned. In the Lucasfilm-sanctioned documentary “Empire of Dreams,” Lucas says on camera that he is “not happy that corporations have taken over the film industry.”

The independent streak was strong in the young Lucas who grew up in the central California town of Modesto. The family lived on a walnut ranch and Lucas’ father owned a stationery store. But, like his fictional protege Luke, George had no interest in taking over the family business. Lucas and his father fought when George made it clear that he’d rather go to college to study art than follow in his father’s footsteps. Lucas loved fast cars, and dreamed that racing them would be his ticket out. A near-fatal car crash the day before his high school graduation convinced him otherwise.

“I decided I’d better settle down and go to school,” he told sci-fi magazine Starlog in 1981. As a film student at the University of Southern California, he experimented with “cinema verite,” a provocative form of documentary, and “tone poems” that visualized a piece of music or other artistic work.

The style is reflected in some of the short films he made at USC: “1:42:08” focused on the sound of a Lotus race car’s engine driving at full speed and “Anyone Who Lived in a Pretty How Town,” inspired by an e.e. Cummings poem. In later interviews, Lucas described his early films as “visual exercises.” Lucas’ intellectual explorations led to an interest in anthropology, especially the work of American mythologist Joseph Campbell, who studied the common thread linking the myths of disparate cultures. This inspired Lucas to explore archetypal storylines that resonated across the ages and around the world.

Lucas’ epic battle with the movie industry began after Warner Bros. forced him to make unwanted changes to an early film, “THX 1138.” Later, Universal Pictures insisted on

In this undated publicity photo released by Lucasfilm Ltd & TM, director George Lucas directs actor Anthony Daniels, who plays the robot C-3PO, in “Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones,” on location in the Tunisian desert.

In this May 4, 2005 file photo, George Lucas, director of “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” poses at Skywalker Ranch in San Rafael, Calif. revisions to “American Graffiti” that Lucas felt impinged on his creative freedom. The experience led Lucas to insist on having total control of all his work, just like Charlie Chaplin and Walt Disney in their heyday. “In order to get my vision out there, I really needed to learn how to manipulate the system because the system is designed to tear you down and destroy everything you are doing,” Lucas said in an interview with Charlie Rose.

He shopped his outline for “Star Wars” to several studios before finding a friend in Alan Ladd Jr, an executive at 20th Century Fox. Despite budget and deadline overruns, and pressure from the studio, the movie was a huge success when it was released in 1977. It

grossed $798 million in theaters worldwide and caused Fox’s stock price at the time to double. In one of the wisest business moves in Hollywood history, Lucas cut a deal with distributor Fox before the film’s release so that he could retain ownership of the sequels and rights for merchandise. He figured in the 1970s that might mean peddling a few Tshirts and posters to fans to help market the movie. Over the decades, merchandising has formed the bedrock of his multi-billion-dollar enterprise, resulting in a bonanza for Lucas from action figures, toys, spinoff books and other products.

Industrial Light & Magic, the unit he started in a makeshift space in the Los Angeles

suburb of Van Nuys, moved to the ranch in northern California and lent its prowess to other movies. It broke ground using computers, motion-controlled cameras, models and masks. Its reach is breathtaking, notably among the biggest science fiction movies of the 1980s: “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Poltergeist,” “Back to the Future,” “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” and more.

“Between him and (Steven) Spielberg, they changed how movies got made,” said Matt Atchity, editor-in-chief of movie review website Rotten Tomatoes. These days, the talent at ILM has spread around the globe, and many former employees have become top executives at other special effects companies, said Chris DeFaria, executive vice president of digital production at Warner Bros. “You meet anybody who’s a significant executive or artist at a company, they’ve spent their time at ILM or got their start there. That’s probably one of George’s greatest gifts to the business,” DeFaria said.

Lucas helped make the tools that were needed for his films. ILM developed the world’s first computerized film editing and music mixing technology, revolutionizing what had been a cut-and-splice affair. Pixar, the imaging computer he founded as a division of Lucasfilm, became a world-famous animated movie company. Apple’s Steve Jobs bought and later sold it to Disney in 2006. But the goliath Lucas created began to weigh on him. Fans-turned-critics felt the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy he directed fell short of the first films. Others believed his revisions to the re-released classics undid some of what made the first movies great.

Giving up his role at the head of Lucasfilm may shield him from the fury of rebellious fans and critics. He said in a video released

by Disney that the sale would allow him to “do other things, things in philanthropy and doing more experimental kind of films.” “I couldn’t really drag my company into that.”

Still, Lucas is not planning on going to a galaxy far, far away. Speaking on Friday night at Ebony magazine’s Power 100 event in New York, Lucas said: “It’s 40 years of work and it’s been my life, but I’m ready to move on to bigger and better things. I have a foundation, an educational foundation. I do a lot of work with education, and I’m very excited about doing that.” This week he assured the incoming president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy that he’d be around to advise her on future “Star Wars” movies -just like the apparition of Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi helps Luke through his adventures. “They’re finishing the hologram now,” he told Kennedy. “Don’t worry.” — AP

‘Life of Pi’ teen star lives out his own fairy tale S

uraj Sharma went from being a regular teenager growing up in New Delhi to starring in AngLee’s big-screen adaptation of the bestselling novel “Life of Pi”. The 17-year-old Sharma was picked from more than 3,000 hopefuls to play Pi, an Indian boy who finds himself stranded on a lifeboat for 227 days with a Bengal Tiger. Now 19, Sharma spoke to Reuters about the film, which opens in cinemas next month, acting with a computer-generated tiger and why “Life of Pi” may well be his first and last role.

Suraj Sharma Q: How did this film came about?

A: “I have been born and brought up in Delhi and my brother has acted in a couple of films. The auditions happened and the casting director was my brother’s friend and he’s been close to my family for a while. I went for the auditions with my brother for moral support ... I didn’t really want to act, but I don’t know, it happened. They kept calling me back. And then they called and said you have to come to Mumbai to meet ‘Dao Yan’. I call Mr Lee Dao Yan.” Q: Yes, I noticed that. What does it mean?

A: “It means Mr Director in Chinese. I don’t like calling him Ang, there is something not respectful about that ... Two weeks later, they said ‘hey, Suraj you have to come to Taiwan’. Funnily enough even then I didn’t believe I had got the role. It’s very dif-

ficult to believe. You don’t think things like that can happen to you.”

Q: What was shooting in Taiwan like?

A: “I did three months of training-learnt swimming, sea skills, raft work-I even learnt how to fillet fish. I also ate raw fish, but let’s not talk about that. There was weight gain and eventually weight loss. I came in very skinny, like a weak little runt (laughs).

“Somehow we all went through Pi’s journey together. There were many times where I felt that all of (us) together were Pi. I don’t know what normal movies are like when they are made, but this can’t be it.”

Q: What changed from the time you went for the audition to the moment when you got the role?

A: “I had never acted before, but I knew I would like it.

My brother and I would act to ourselves. We would walk down streets being different people and that is the only acting I have ever done. I got exposed to real movie-making and how things are done. It’s a lot of people who come together, a lot of dreams that come together. For me, I just want to be on set. I don’t care what I would be. If it’s acting, directing, if it is props, I don’t care ... Things might get better or worse, but this will always be there. A part of me will always be stuck in Taiwan, on that boat.”

Q: You had to shoot with a ‘fake’ tiger for the most part. How do you emote in front of something that isn’t there?

A: “Don’t call him fake. He was real to me (laughs). No, but for the most part, we were shooting in a big blue tank with big blue walls around it and the blue sky above you. Everything was blue except for me and the raft. We had four tigers being trained as reference. I would watch them everyday-how they would react to the water, the atmosphere, how they moved. I watched videos of tigers, I talked to the tiger trainer, etc and so you assemble this huge picture in your head. Initially it was a very conscious attempt to imagine the tiger on the boat. But later, it became real to me. By the end of it I didn’t need to imagine him. For me it was real.”

Q: What next? Roles for Asian actors are limited in Hollywood, aren’t they?

A: “I don’t know whether I want to act. I might, I might not, depends on what comes my way. I want to be on set. I want to tell stories. I was really, truly possessed b y being on set. I cannot get over that feeling. It was more than an adrenaline rush, that fire. That collaborative feeling-different people come together, and they all have their own storiesso many strings are pulled and they come together to create something which goes on to touch a million hearts. I can’t get over that. I don’t care what I do. It still hasn’t sunk in actually. Sometimes I think about the whole thing from the third person and it seems like a blur.” — Reuters

This film image released by Disney shows Ralph, left, voiced by John C Reilly in a scene from “Wreck-It Ralph.” — AP

‘Wreck-It’ casts a wide and beguiling net G uided by executive producer John Lasseter, Walt Disney Animation Studios has clearly devoted significant resources and talent to “Wreck-It Ralph,” recruiting a topnotch cast and a diverse array of animation, visual effects and lighting artists to contribute to the distinct and varied vid-game styles. With a mix of retro eye-candy for grown-ups and a thrilling, approachable storyline for the tykes, the film casts a wide and beguiling net. Emulating a lores ‘80s video game, “Wreck-It Ralph” envisions the titular character as the short-tempered, sledgehammer-fisted, 600-pound bad guy competing against goody-good nemesis Felix in a game located in Mr Litwak’s (Ed O’Neill) video arcade that’s known as “Fix-It Felix Jr” As Ralph (John C Reilly) tells some fellow evildoers at his first “Bad-Anon” meeting, he’s a reluctant villain, tired of always being the culprit who tears down the apartment building inhabited by the Nicelanders who worship Felix (Jack McBrayer) for his superior repair skills.

After 30 years of taking the blame, Ralph’s ready for a change - he thinks maybe if he can earn a medal, the Nicelanders might give him some respect and invite them to one of their frequent cocktail parties. Traveling through the arcade’s power cords and surge protectors, Ralph journeys to Game Central Station, the gateway to every game in the store. Hearing that first-person shooter challenge “Hero’s Duty” awards a medal for bravery, Ralph suits up to join no-nonsense Sergeant Calhoun’s (Jane Lynch) platoon to battle the Cy-Bugs, a nasty computer virus in the form of cyber spiders.

Escaping hi-def “Hero’s Duty” with the coveted service medal, Ralph crash-lands one of Calhoun’s spaceships into “Sugar Rush,” a Candy Land-styled race-car game, after he’s attacked onboard by a massive Cy-Bug. He quickly loses

his citation to pint-sized Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), a little girl determined to compete in one of “Sugar Rush’s” prestigious races. Her bratty attitude and refusal to return the medal, which she can use to stake her spot in an upcoming competition, enrage Ralph, but he’s powerless to force the girl to do his bidding.

Following an unpleasant encounter with “Sugar Rush” dictator King Candy (Alan Tudyk), Ralph allies himself with Vanellope in a plan to recover his medal and help the kid win a spot in the race. But first they’ll have to in break into the King’s specialized factory and build a competitive race car and it might be a good idea for Vanellope to actually learn to drive it.

Meanwhile, Felix has abandoned the “Wreck-It Ralph” game and the Nicelanders, joining up with Calhoun on a quest to retrieve his friend and protect “Sugar Rush” from the Cy-Bugs before the game gets flat lined. Although the script is an original by Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee, with its tortured toy characters facing obsolescence and searching for freedom and meaning, it bears a distinct Pixar DNA signature.

Johnston and Lee don’t stray too far from the Disney template, however, and although the characters are digital, their emotions are very recognizably human. Since Ralph and Vanellope are both outcasts, their struggles for acceptance are comfortably similar and familiar. Making his feature film debut, Emmy-award winning director Rich Moore (“The Simpsons”) ably manipulates the action by tantalizingly shifting the characters between game worlds. Effortlessly orchestrating a dizzying variety of visual elements, Moore consistently manages to keep the focus on Ralph and his comrade’s multiplying perils.

Visually, Pixar’s influence is also evident in the level of detail lavished on the wide range of quirky characters and nearly every setting and

background scene.

Fortunately the more sugar-coated sentiments are mostly dialed back in favor of genuine character development and rousing, digitally realistic 3D action. The audience’s POV is occasionally represented by a girl who frequents the “real world” of Mr Litwak’s video arcade, where she interacts with all of the games depicted in the film. Game-play visual elements are used to enhance the impression of actually playing the arcade consoles, which can sometimes get distractingly disorienting as the narrative slips in and out of the video arcade setting.

An enthusiastic cast lends voice to the characters, led by Reilly, capably evincing the role of Wreck-It Ralph. His sad-sack sentiments, however, are frequently overshadowed by the hyperactive and super-snarky Vanellope. Silverman fully inhabits the character, marvelously calibrating her voice’s volume, insinuating tone and emotional impact to match the character’s antic facial expressions and unpredictable behavior.

Tudyk is ridiculously over the top as the punning Mad-Hatter meets Wizard of Oz-like King Candy, while McBrayer and Lynch add surprising dimensionality to the increasingly smitten pair of Felix and Calhoun.

Editor Tim Mertens modulates the sometimes frenetic pace with brief interludes of introspection and camaraderie that help fill in the characters. Henry Jackman’s lively score is supplemented by musical selections from R&B star Rihanna, electronica artist Skrillex and classic Kool & the Gang, among others. “Wreck-It Ralph,” a Disney release, is rated PG for some rude humor and mild action/violence. Running time: 93 minutes. Motion Picture Association of America rating definition for PG: Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. — AP

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

lifestyle

Fashion Week

China

F A S H I O N

These photos show models parading with a creation designed by Chinafashion house Wu Xuekai / Wu Xuewei / Zhang Zhaoda during the bi-annual China Fashion Week in Beijing. The seven-day fashionextravaganza highlights works of hundreds of designers from both domestic and international fashion houses. —AFP

Joyalukkas announces bigger, better Diwali offers J

oyalukkas, the world’s favorite jeweller, has announced its much awaited Diwali promotion. The festival of Diwali always witnesses a huge demand for gold and diamond jewellery and to cater to this demand Joyalukkas has planned some exciting offers and winnings to make the celebrations special for jewellery buyers.

This festival of lights season Joyalukkas will feature a range of festive designs crafted in diamond, gold, pearl, precious stones and platinum.

The latest festive collections will be available in

generic and branded forms. The branded collections of festive designs will be available under the renowned Joyalukkas brands like Eleganza, DiRoyale, Bouquet, Sumangal, Tyohaar, Mirage, Masaaki, Navaratna, Ratna, Zenina, Trisha and Akshaya. A range of exquisite watch designs for men and women under the popular brand Lugano has also been exclusively designed for

the Diwali celebrations.

The grand Diwali offers and festivities at Joyalukkas will be mix of popular gifts and offers, the very popular offer of a free gold coin on purchase of KD 400 from eight to 13 of November, 2012 will continue this year. This is because gold is considered as very auspicious during this festival and Joyalukkas has continued this tradition based on the popular response of jewellery shoppers. The list of exciting offers include an incredible 50% off on diamond and polki jewellery plus free 4grammes gold coin on every KD 1000 purchase. In addition to this Joyalukkas will offer customers the chance to win up to 2 kilos gold in 24 k gold bars during the entire festive period. Some of the exciting prices and creations that will be offered by Joyalukkas during Diwali will include: An exclusively beautiful multi-purpose 4-in-1Tyohaar necklace which can be worn in 4 different ways for an incredible price of KD 1,449 .with free 4gram Gold coin. This exquisite Tyohaar necklace set can be worn as a Mangalsutra, regular necklace, Classic necklace

or a bracelet.

A range of festival special Eleganza Polki diamond set designs starting from a special price of KD 2,419 (with free 4gram gold coin) up to KD 649. The range of Eleganza Polki collection, will include necklace sets and pendant sets.

A specially crafted DiRoyale diamond necklace set specially designed for the festive season will be available for at an exclusively discounted price of KD 1,299.with free 4gram gold coin Under Sumangal one of the Joyalukkas branded collections for weddings, customers can buy a diamond mangalsutra set for only KD 389.

Under the Bouquet brand Joyalukkas has crafted a exquisite diamond ring which offers a 1ct outlook for KD 229, a mirage diamond bangle for KD 549.

In Precious Stone jeweler designs, customers can pick a beautiful Ratna necklace set for approximately KD 569 and the world renowned Navaratna pendant set for KD 319.

In gold jewellery collections the choice available to customers will be Zenina necklace sets, Trisha Necklace and Bangle sets at very special prices.

Since Pearl jewellery is currently a craze internationally, Joyalukkas has created three exquisite sets under their renowned Masaaki brand. These exciting designs have been created in a mix of pearl and diamonds and will be available to customers for KD 435, KD 220 and KD 120 respectively. Joyalukkas will also be offering 0 percent interest easy payment plans to its customers for up to 12 month in association with renowned bank in the Kuwait, this is to offer customers the flexibility of purchasing jewellery in easy and convenient installments during the festive period. Joy Alukkas, Chairman and MD, Joyalukkas

Group Executive Director, John Paul Joyalukkas said, “On behalf of Joyalukkas, I wish all our patrons a happy and prosperous Diwali The festival of lights is a great occasion to spread and share happiness. We are delighted to add a touch to the festivities by offering them dazzling offers and make our customers celebration grand.”

In addition to the special offers and prices all the exciting range of Jewellery at Joyalukkas will continue to remain available to its patrons.

Customers can choose from a range of over 1 million designs at Joyalukkas in Gold, Diamond, Precious Stone, Platinum and Pearl.

Brand Joyalukkas stands for choice, value, convenience, service and trust. We are committed to deliver the finest and best in jewellery to our customers. This Diwali we have announced a host of offers and a big winning opportunity to make our customers celebrations special at Joyalukkas. Our Diwali offers are tailored to enhance the auspiciousness and joy of this festive period and give them customers the opportunity to win big”, said John Paul Joy Alukkas, Executive Director, Joyalukkas Group.

Emeli Sande wins treble at Britain’s MOBO Awards

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012

37

This painting “Al Boom at Sunset”, oil on canvas 150 x 100 cm was painted by the Lebanese artist Nazih Sankari, influenced by the romantic sea of Kuwait where this iconic ship rest at her final destination.

India’s effigy sculptors turn to human memorial statues n a busy sculpture workshop in west India, there is one unfamiliar face alongside the images of divine figures such as Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Hindu goddess Parvati. This is Ivy, the late beloved wife of 82-year-old Peter Pereira, and she is being commemorated in a life-size bust. The fibreglass figure is the latest example of a growing trend: commissioning memorial sculptures of the dead. For when a photograph is not enough, the Sequeiras-a third-generation family of religious effigy makers-operate a successful sideline to bereaved relatives who want a three-dimensional tribute to their lost loved ones.

Using old photographs to capture a likeness, the statues and busts are made of wood or fibreglass, colored with paint and completed with realistic glass eyes. In Ivy’s case, they plan to finish the look with spectacles. “I will feel she is still here because of the statue,” said bereft Pereira, a retired cinematographer who will keep the bust in his Mumbai apartment to remember Ivy, who died aged 77 almost four years ago. “Some people don’t like to remember people who have died and gone, but not me,” said the widower. He has even commissioned a second marble-effect bust, for the garden of another family home. The Sequeira business is based north of Mumbai in Small Giriz village, nestled in the coconut trees and banana plantations of Vasai, once a stronghold of Portuguese colonials who brought with them Catholicism and carpentry skills.

I

The family name itself echoes the Portuguese connection, and Benzoni Sequeira says that it was his grandfather who started the religious woodcarving business in 1920. After several decades of producing altars and effigies, they completed their first personal memorial about 20 years ago, and demand has surged in recent times. “It was one or two orders, but now it’s continuous,” Benzoni told AFP. The Sequeiras’ work draws comparisons to the Madame Tussauds waxwork museum in London, but Benzoni believes he has a far more difficult challenge in creating a convincing lookalike. “They get all the photographs they need from every angle, they get all the measurements they need,” he said.

“Normally our clients provide only an old black and white photograph. There’s a lot of trial and error.”

Lifelong sculptors Relatives of the late Andrew Machado, a dairy farmer, commissioned the Sequeiras to complete a full-length statue that now stands proudly at the entrance to his family home in Vasai. The figure has garlands around his neck and is wearing a distinctive outfit of just shorts and a simple shirt. “We didn’t want any drapery; it’s just like the clothes he would wear. We wanted it to feel like real-life,” said his 75-year-old widow Santan. The process begins with a clay modeling, checked several times by a family member to ensure the likeness. It is then

This photo taken on September 3, 2012 shows third generation Indian statue maker Minglesh Sequeira instructing a workman to select a particular type of tree trunk from a pile at the courtyard in their home and workshop in Small Giriz, some 70 kms north of Mumbai. —AFP photos

An Indian carpenter operating a wood carving duplicating machine to make a statue. recreated in wood, costing 85,000 rupees ($1,600) for a bust, or in fibreglass for a cheaper 50,000 rupees.

“We have to have a lot of patience. It’s not a fast-paced job,” said Benzoni’s older brother Mingleshwar in their workshop, where body parts lie around like the limbs of giant dolls. The brothers have carved wood since they were youngsters, learning from their father Renold and uncle Roque, a mustachioed 71-year-old who still sits carving on the porch steps despite the loss of sight in one eye. Renold, 68, also remains an active

woodworker and a keen amateur astronomer, especially proud of his selfmade celestial globe that shows the position of constellations in the sky. Building a good local reputation, the Sequeiras don’t advertise: word-of-mouth has helped their commissions to increase both at home and abroad. In their house sit two dozen crucifixes, with flashing red bulbs depicting dripping blood, which are destined for the Middle East. A full-size sari-clad woman in the hallway is to be shipped to an Indian-run hotel in Britain. The family’s gilding work has

Indian carpenters working on statues at the Sequeria brothers’ home and workshop.

The Indian family members of Andrew Machado reacting on being photographed near his statue made by the Sequeria brothers. also won them accolades: their painstaking restoration of Mumbai’s 140-year-old Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum helped it win a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award in 2005 for cultural heritage conservation.

“Our work is very special. We’re very satisfied at the end of the day,” said Benzoni.

The business came from humble beginnings. In their grandfather Michael’s youth, the local church was so poor that it had to borrow statues of Jesus and Mary from another parish on Good Friday. The Easter service was held early in order to return the

effigies to the lending church for the feast day-a situation that spurred Michael to start making his own religious figures. “He did the face of Jesus, it’s still in the church. Then slowly he did other statues and altars,” said Mingleshwar. The Sequeiras say they have planned for years to make their own sculptural memorial to Michael, the founder of the family business, but they are always too busy doing client work. “We have a saying: a carpenter doesn’t have a bench in his house,” said Benzoni with a laugh. —AFP

Third generation Indian brothers and statue makers Benzony and Minglesh Sequeira working on statues.