8th Oct

CR IP TI ON BS SU

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Qatar urges Arabs to take action on Syria

Philippines and Muslim rebels seal peace deal

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New iPhone is popular - but with crooks

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Messi, Ronaldo trade blows in 2-2 Clasico draw

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Election looms; Amir dissolves parliament

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NO: 15592

THULQADA 22, 1433 AH

Sixth dissolution IN SIX YEARS

Max 41º Min 21º High Tide 02:49 & 17:12 Low Tide 10:00 & 21:27

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Parliament-fatigued

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

N

umber 6. What a lucky number! I am not talking about a lottery number, so do not get carried away. This is the number of times that our glorious parliament has been dissolved in the span of six years. Actually, no tears are shed. In Kuwait we are used to the argument - ‘Dissolved or not dissolved’ since 2006. We are used to hearing slogans: No confidence in parliament and in cabinet; lack of quorum during serious sessions.

There have been threats to grill everybody with or without reason. Dissolving parliament, reappointing parliament - we got used to these headlines on the front pages of newspapers on daily basis. We are parliament-fatigued. The current parliament was reinstated by the Constitutional Court in June. The parliament preceding it was elected only in February. It hardly held few sessions and was suspended. Since then there have been no serious sessions as the opposition boycotted them and never showed up. In parliament language having no quorum means no sessions.

In simple mathematics the country was put on a standstill. Imagine a rich oil country like Kuwait stays in a stagnant position for so long.

Continued on Page 13

13 killed as jet crashes KHARTOUM: Thirteen Sudanese military personnel died and nine others were injured when their transport plane crashed west of Khartoum yesterday on its way to conflict-plagued Darfur, state media reported.

“Thirteen were killed instantly, and nine were taken to hospital,” Sawarmi Khaled Saad, the Sudanese army spokesman, was quoted as saying by the state SUNA news agency.

It is the worst toll in a series of Sudanese military aviation incidents since early last year, and follows a recent surge of unrest in Darfur, the far-west region where a rebellion began nearly a decade ago. Saad said the plane carried six crew and 16 other members of the armed forces. “The pilot informed the airport that he had a problem with one of his engines,” before the plane went down in the desert west of Jebel Aulia, Saad said earlier. Saad added that the Antonov was carrying military equipment from Khartoum to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

A witness said a helicopter ferried the dead and injured from the crash scene, which had been sealed off by soldiers, about 70 kilometers west of the capital. Jebel Aulia is a popular recreational site about one hour’s drive south of the Khartoum area.

Sudan’s armed forces, which rely on Russian-made planes and helicopters, have experienced a number of aircraft losses in recent years. In July, Darfur rebels said they shot down an Mi17 helicopter, killing seven personnel from the military which blamed a Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Picture shows a general view of Kuwait’s National Assembly (left) in Kuwait City. Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday issued a decree dissolving the 2009 parliament, just over three months after it was reinstated by the constitutional court. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah yesterday issued the much-expected decree to dissolve the 2009 National Assembly for a second time less than four months after it was given a new life by the constitutional court. Former opposition MPs welcomed the decision but called for issuing another decree to set the date for the new elections which must be held within two months or before December 7 in this case.

The opposition figures also warned the government against issuing another decree to amend the electoral constituency law and demanded that elections must be held on the basis of the existing law which was confirmed by the Constitutional Court on September 25. No reason was given for not issuing the decree to set the election date but the opposition has suspected that it could be to give more time to the government to amend the voting system which could spark protests.

The 2009 Assembly was dissolved in December last year following youth-led street protests amid allegations of corruption against at least 13 members of the 50-seat Assembly that they received bribes. The protests also led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and the appointment of current premier Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

General elections were then held on February 2 and the opposition scored a big victory to control more than 35 seats. On June 20 however, the Constitutional Court nullified the legislative polls and scrapped the Assembly because an Amiri decree that dissolved the 2009 Assembly and another that invited voters to elect a new Assembly were found to be flawed. The court also revived the 2009 Assembly which was dominated by pro-government members.

The revived Assembly failed to meet although it was invited to convene on two occasions on July 31 and August 7 because it was boycotted by both the opposition and pro-government MPs who sensed that the government was planning to dissolve the house.

Opposition groups have pressed for the quick Continued on Page 13

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

LOCAL

Bedoon activists arrested for ‘provoking demonstrations’ Hajj visas by the end of this week KUWAIT: A number of bedoon activists were arrested on Saturday for allegedly instigating stateless residents’ demonstrations that took place recently in the Tama and Sulaibiya districts of Al-Jahra, local newspapers reported yesterday, quoting Ministry of Interior insiders. “The detainees face charges of provoking residents to demonstrate, threatening security personnel, assaulting police officers on duty, damaging state and private properties, and conspiring with foreign parties,” sources told Al-Rai daily on condition of anonymity.

They further indicated that police were on the look out for other suspects. “Whoever police can prove as being involved in provoking stateless residents and exploiting the fact of their living conditions, will be prosecuted,” the sources added.

In another piece of news, Al-Qabas reported yesterday, quoting a Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs insider, that Hajj visas for bedoon pilgrims were expected to be issued

by the end of the week “at the very least”.

Kuwait allows a group of stateless residents to perform Hajj each year using temporary Kuwaiti passports.

Kuwait has a large community of stateless residents who demand citizenship as well as civil and social rights that they are deprived of, given their illegal residence status.

Meanwhile, the government maintains that some of them are Arabs or descendent of Arab people who deliberately disposed of their original passports after coming to Kuwait and are now seeking citizenship in the oil-rich country.

About two years ago, the Kuwaiti government established a Central Agency for Illegal Residents with the aim of categorizing the stateless residents’ community and identifying those who meet conditions of naturalization, including residents whose Bedoon ancestors failed to register for citizenship following Kuwait’s independence more than

Kuwait studying GCC joint project for nuke energy KUWAIT: Kuwait has begun its role, amid a unified GCC framework, a critical research and study phase for the execution of a joint nuclear energy and water desalination project, said a Ministry of Electricity and Water official yesterday.

Plans on revising the project are going forward steadily and according to well thought-out extensive research, in order to ensure no mistakes occur while implementing the project, said the ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Training and Planning Mishaan Al-Otaibi, speaking at the launch of a training course on the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in energy planning.

The official added that demand for energy through traditional sources reamains vital for development projects, noting that the increasing demand for alternative energy sources, namely nuclear energy, comes with a heavy financial burden on the country’s resources, including environmental hazards that require planning and efficient development. —KUNA

fifty years ago.

Last year, the agency adopted certain yardsticks to grant Bedoons several rights that included obtaining marriage, birth and death certificates. The agency was given a five-year ultimatum to resolve the decadesold issue.

Two weeks ago, the Cabinet approved during its weekly meeting a new form of security IDs given to stateless residents. The new cards, used by stateless residents as their main form of identification, contain colorcoded tags referring to the category under which a particular holder was recognized in state records, including those eligible for naturalization and others about whom the government claimed to have proof that they belonged to other countries.

The term ‘bedoon’ is Arabic for ‘without’, and is used as a loose reference to the fact that stateless residents have been living without a nationality since birth.

Top official denies Iranian boats’ infiltration rumors KUWAIT: Rumors about gunboats from Iran infiltrating Kuwait’s territorial waters were just that - rumors, said Ministry of Interior’s Undersecretary Assistant for Borders Security, Major General Sheikh Mohammad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah.

The senior official made this observation in response to Al-Rai reports during a recent trip across Kuwait’s waters to check security preparations and coast guards activities. “ The Coastguards Department operates 13 stations in which 2,000 officers from different ranks are deployed,” Al-Sabah said, revealing plans to open new stations in the Failakah, Boubyan and Ohah islands.

Opening new stations comes as part

of the ministry’s plans to improve control over Kuwait’s territorial waters, according to Al-Sabah. “ They also improve our capability to respond to emergenc y calls,” he said, and also referred to better information exchange and improved cooperation with coastguard officials in Gulf Cooperation Council countries in addition to Iran and Iraq.

Describing the department’s control system as “very advanced with radars monitoring all targets within or outside Kuwaiti waters,” Al-Sabah noted that the most notable smuggling case busted this year was an attempt to smuggle 300 kilograms of hashish.

KUWAIT: In order to raise children’s awareness about fire safety issues, Lt Mohammad Fairuz from Farwaniya fire center and Lt Hameed Al Awadhi from public relations department visited ABS school in Khaitan to deliver an informative lecture to the students. The fire men also carried out a mock drill by creating smoke and fighting off an imaginary blaze with imaginary fire hoses. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Gulf group urges release of Saudi liberal activist KUWAIT: A Gulf civil society organisation called yesterday for the release of a Saudi activist arrested four months ago in the kingdom on charges of setting up a liberal website.

“We call for the immediate release of Raef Badawi because the charges against him are unfounded,” the secretary general of the Gulf Forum for Civil Societies (GFCS), a body of liberal activists in the region, said.

Anwar Al-Rasheed said Badawi, who has been in jail since his arrest in June, was tried in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Saturday and that one of the two charges against him was dropped and his next hearing set for one month’s time.

Badawi, 35, was accused of “disobeying parents” and setting up a liberal website on the internet. The disobedience charge was dropped in Saturday’s

trial, Rasheed said. Al-Rasheed urged international and Arab human rights bodies to pressure the Saudi government to free Badawi, who is married and has two children.

The GFCS head also called on the Saudi government to compensate Badawi for detaining him illegally for several months. Badawi, a Saudi national, is among the founders of the liberal website along with female rights activist Suad al-Shammari and other activists.

The website had announced on May 7 a “day of liberalism” in Saudi Arabia, calling for an end to the influence of religion on public life.

A news conference which was set to be held in Jeddah for the occasion was however cancelled after organisers said they had been “advised” by authorities not to hold it. —AFP

Warning sirens test KUWAIT: The Assistant Undersecretary in the Ministry of Interior, Lt Genl Abdullah Yousuf Al Muhanna, has said that civil defence administration shall put on a warning siren at 10 am tomorrow morning.

He pointed out that early warning has been updated and all mechanical sirens have been replaced with electronic sirens with technical specifications that meet new technology standards and link it with digital communication system which can connect early warning system with the electronic placards available on the main roads.

He said the new sirens have a better sound quality as they use fixed frequency and the sound can be heard in

a radius of 1.5 km. The siren has seven different tones and can be used in direct call mode or prerecorded and can send SMS messages to the mobiles.

All 157 mechanical sirens have been replaced by 237 electronic sirens. The siren has three kinds of sounds: a single tone which is not continuous indicates possible danger, a wave sound that indicates of something that has already happened, and a continuous tone that means that danger is over.

Al Muhanna urged all citizens and expats that in case the siren sound was not heard during the test, they may call civil defence operations at telephone 1804000.

GCC states approve Kuwaiti proposal KUWAIT: GCC states have agreed to a Kuwaiti proposal to hold a joint Gulf media forum for boosting inter-GCC cooperation, and the first round of the planned event will be held in Bahrain, said Kuwait’s Information Undersecretary yesterday. Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Homoud Al-Sabah said the proposal was one of two made by the Kuwaiti delegation taking part in a preparatory meeting for the upcoming meeting of the GCC ministers of information, due in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The Kuwaiti delegation also suggested production of documentaries and cultural programs to shed light on Gulf affairs, economic, tourist, cultural and sports landmarks and towns, Sheikh Salman said.

The two proposals are intended to cement further the solid ties bounding member states of the GCC, he said, noting that they were forwarded, in line with the Kuwaiti national media policy of shedding light on unity of the council countries.

The undersecretary expressed satisfaction at the GCC countries’ backing for the Kuwaiti proposals, affirming keenness of Gulf states on activating role of the media, and indicated at the joint desire to adopt latest electronic media means and social media networks. He expressed gratitude to the chairman of the meeting, Saudi Undersecretary for Cultural and Media affairs, Dr. Riad kamal, and the GCC Secretariat-General, for organizing the “successful meeting.” —KUNA

KUWAIT: Drug enforcement agents arrested two Asian nationals on charges of possessing drugs for use and sale.

After receiving information from an undercover agent about an Asian expat trading in heroin, police verified the information and obtained legal permission to arrest him. After his arrest, police recovered 10 grams of heroin from him which the man confessed was meant for sale. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

LOCAL

Opposition garners support against ‘votes reduction’ A provocative step KUWAIT: With the issue of parliament’s dissolution already resolved, focus now shifts to the number of votes each voter can cast amid demands that it be reduced from four to two, or even one. The opposition continued to garner support against any move to effect a change in the election system through an emergency decree before elections were held in two months. Over the weekend, the two liberal groups, the National Democratic Alliance and the Democratic Forum, released statements rejecting any suggestions to reduce the votes per voter, with both describing such a step as “provocative”.

On Saturday, liberal MP Marzouq Al-Ghanim said that an emergency decree to reduce the number of votes would be “a huge mistake and the government will lose integrity, and end up creating an otherwise avoidable crisis.”

The Majority Bloc, a coalition of 34 oppositionists who dominated the majority seats in the parliament elected last February and annulled by a Constitutional Court ruling four months later, was working as per a plan to garner support for

their cause, first by hosting seminars three times a week, second by staging demonstrations at the Iradah Square, and third through media statements.

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah issued a decree yesterday (Sunday) to dissolve the 2009 parliament - which was reinstated by last June’s ruling - based on a motion for warded by the Cabinet in this regard last Tuesday.

The electoral law dividing Kuwait into five constituencies was upheld two weeks ago by the Constitutional Court which rejected the cabinet’s challenge to its constitutionality on the basis that it breached equality with regards to demographic distribution within constituencies.

Article 71 of the Kuwaiti Constitution gives HH the Amir the authority to issue emergency decrees while the parliament is inactive, addressing subjects considered to be of high importance.

Such laws are considered by the elected parliament during its first session, and MPs have the authority to overrule them.

The opposition believed that the Cabinet wanted to change the electoral law and come up with a sys-

tem that favored pro-government candidates in order to prevent the oppositionists from taking control of majority seats.

Pro-government MPs, who felt marginalized in the 2012 parliament, pushed for an amended electoral law in which the number of votes per voter was to be reduced, which in their opinion would have more accurately reflected the citizens’ political preferences.

To solidify their position, the Majority Bloc opted for a nationwide petition seeking signatures of political activists, groups and people, rejecting any proposal for a change in the electoral system effected outside the parliament.

The bloc had announced plans to boycott the elections if the system was changed via an emergency decree, as reiterated by member Nayef Al-Merdas in statements made to Al-Rai Saturday.

The newspaper further reported, quoting sources close to the opposition, that representatives of several labor unions and non-government organizations agreed with the Majority Bloc about any action “if the Cabinet tampers with the constitution.”

Higher Education Ministry launches e-system KUWAIT: The Ministry of Higher Education announced yesterday the launch of a new electronic system for the accreditation of certificates of Kuwaiti students studying abroad, and for expatriates applying for such an approval for scientific certificates.

Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf said at a news conference that the new system was installed, in line with the ministry’s approach to operate modern systems for most functions, for facilitating and speeding up the operations, as well as saving efforts of both students and personnel.

He indicated at efforts, exerted

by staff of the Data Systems Department, for inserting paper applications into the electronic system, affirming will to simplify work processes and shift to electronic operations.

For his part, Sami al-Ahmad, the Ministry Undersecretary, said this step was part of the State planning strategy, envisaging activation of the e-government and expanding diverse electronic applications in various sectors of the state.

The electronic accreditation and certificates’ equation will ease off burden, borne by the employees, and enable them focus on developing work, instead of spending too much time for

receiving paper applications and documenting them..

Students can use the system for certificates’ equation as of Oct 7, according to Tareq Al-Marzoug, the director of the department of the information systems center.

The system can be used for other purposes, such as registering data about students with scholarships.

It is a “flexible system,” where the student can make amendments on the application paper and add documents. For aid, they can seek technical help on telephone number 22257374 or through the e-mail. Staff can also contact the students via the internet and other electronic and communication means. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Capital Governor Sheikh Ali Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Al-Yarmouk Mayor Abdul-Aziz Al-Meshary open the branch.

Boubyan Bank opens branch no. 23 in Yarmouk

T

he five year plan of Boubyan Bank under which it aimed to operate 30 branches around Kuwait by 2014 was going on as per schedule, Adel Al-Majid, the Chairman of the Board and Managing Director said while inaugurating branch number 23 in Yarmouk recently. The event was attended by Capital Governor Sheikh Ali Al-Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Yarmouk Mayor Abdul-Aziz Al-

Meshary, as well as other state officials and bank managers.

“The Yarmouk’s branch is a significant addition to the bank since it is located in one of the most important residential areas of Kuwait and serves the residents of many key surrounding areas,” Al-Yarmouk said, adding that “five to six branches” would be opened next year. The branch was equipped with latest technologies in

banking and provided clients multiple benefits that included a special section to serve the Platinum Account clients, in addition to exclusive offers such as a chance to win a valuable prize for every new account opened, a delayed first payment for a new car for six months (without interest), and winning back an amount equivalent to 5 percent of the value of purchases made through credit card.

KUWAIT: Governor Al-Sabah, Mayor Al-Meshary, and other guests with the branch’s staff.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

local Justice installs K-net system to facilitate fees payment

KUWAIT: The marines unit of British Royal Marine Forces and the Kuwait Coast Guards jointly carried out an exercise that included disembarking and inspections operations. Both parties performed successfully at the exercise which was carried out with high skills and top performance levels. The Assistant Undersecretary Lt Gen Sheikh Mohammad Al Yousuf Al Sabah deputed the head of marines operations, Maj Sheikh Mubarak Ali Al Sabah, to receive the marine unit.

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Justice has installed the K-net pre-paid system with the aim of facilitating work and payment of fees, following suit with other state departments operating the local payment network.

Undersecretary Abdul-Aziz Al-Majed, who launched the K-net payment system at the ministry’s services centers and departments of the General Directorate for Execution of Verdicts, indicated that the first and second stages of the project were already in effect; which is payment at the Department of Real-Estate Registration and Documentation, the courts’ chambers, the ministry’s services stations and the Ministry of Justice Office at Kuwait International Airport.

The new system relieves the ministry of total dependence on cash payments, which is costly because the State makes contracts with special companies for money transfer, Al-Majed said.

General Manager of Knet Abdullah AlAjmi indicated that the new system was linked with the electronic payment system of the Ministry of Interior, noting that the expansion of the state electronic payment networks reached its 20th

anniversary. Elaborating, Al-Ajmi said up to KD 100 million worth of fees were paid to the State through the electronic system this year. Collected money for up to 21 government departments was paid in 500,000 processes. Up to KD 55 million were paid for the Ministry of Justice alone.

Nabil Al-Rubaiaa, the advisor of the bureau of the justice undersecretary, said returns of the ministry increased as a result of installment of the high-tech system, predicting that the department would collect up to KD two-four million via the network per year, eventually.

The K-net machines have been installed at all service centers of the Ministry of Interior, he added.

K-net, over the past year, expanded operations, reaching 100 million ones, at an estimated fund of KD seven billion.

For his part Badr Al-Sultaiteen, in charge of the department of planning and corporate resources and the director of the government electronic payment project, indicated that his ministry was also operating the Knet payment system, indicating that citizens could also use the internet to pay the fees. — KUNA

Missing teen found in boyfriend’s apartment KUWAIT: A teenager reported missing at the Sabah Al-Salem police station was found inside her Fintas apartment rented by her boyfriend who was taken into custody to face charges of sexually assaulting a minor. The 17-year-old’s family sought the help of the police when she disappeared following a quarrel with her brother who had come to know about the relationship between her and the young man.

When the girl did not answer the calls made by the police from different numbers, a detective thought of using a phone belonging to a Bangladeshi man present at that time at the police station. The girl answered the phone, gave the officer the name of the number’s owner, and asked him to stop trying to contact her. The brief conversation was enough to allow the detectives to detect her phone’s signal, and helped them locate her inside a Fintas apartment.

Armed with warrants, the detectives raided the apartment and found both the girl and her boyfriend there.

It was found that the man was already married, and had allowed his girlfriend to stay at his apartment after she insisted that she would return to her family.

Investigations further revealed that the two had spent an entire week at the apartment and all this while, the man’s family believed that he was with his friends at their chalet.

Meanwhile, it was found that the girl used a smart phone app that helped her know the identity of her callers and, thus, enabled her to avoid calls from her family or the police. The girl maintained during her interrogation that her boyfriend protected her from potential kid-

nappers by providing her a place to stay in.

Next day, the man was arrested from his house in Al-Jahra after a forensic examination confirmed that the girl had a sexual relationship with him during the time she was missing.

Mystery behind youngster’s death Investigations are on to find the circumstances in which a man died inside his family’s house in Al-Khaldiya. The man, who was in his twenties, was declared dead by paramedics who responded to an emergency call from the family which had found him in an unconscious state. The body was taken for an autopsy to know the cause of death.

Pedestrian hurt A pedestrian was hospitalized in a critical condition after being hit by a car. The driver of the car fled from the scene immediately afterwards. The accident occurred at the Airport Road where paramedics and police rushed following an emergenc y call. The victim, an Indian, was rushed to the Farwaniya Hospital with serious injuries. Eyewitness gave the police descriptions of a white Japanese car they said had hit the victim. Investigations are on to trace and arrest the driver.

Jet ski accident A middle-aged woman was hospitalized following a jet ski accident reported recently at the Nuwaiseeb chalets beach. The woman, a Kuwaiti in her fifties, was rushed in an ambulance to the Al-Adan Hospital after she suffered some injuries, including a wound at her back. The incident happened when she was jet

skiing with her sisters, and accidently hit another jet ski whose rider, however, escaped unhurt.

Stealing from a colleague A woman was arrested for stealing money from her colleague’s bank account with the help of her brother who, too, was arrested.

Investigations were launched after a Kuwaiti woman told the police that someone withdrew KD2900 from her bank account. The detectives viewed the sur veillance tapes which showed a man withdrawing money from the complainant’s bank account and driving away. They were able to identify the suspect through his car’s license plate number, and arrested him. The expatriate man later admitted that it was his sister who gave him her colleague’s credit card, which he used to withdraw the money. The police later arrested the woman who repor tedly used a close friendship she had established with her coworker to monitor her activity, and was thus able to steal her credit card from her bag and also return it before she could notice.

Six rescued after losing way back from Kubbar Six people were escorted to safety after they lost their way back to the mainland from a trip to the Kubbar Island. The rescue was made possible by joint search operations between the Kuwait Coastguard Department and the US Navy personnel. The six Kuwaiti men were found early Saturday morning after five hours of search which was launched after a midnight emergency call. —Al-Rai, Al-Watan

A snippet of Gulf Bank’s Ramadan TV commercial.

Gulf Bank receives ‘Best Integrated Commercial’ Award Ebtihaj Al-Roumi, Assistant General KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yesterday that it won the ‘Best Integrated Manager, Marketing at Gulf Bank said: Commercial’ Award, received during the “Receiving this award is truly an honour. At Media Creativity Awards ceremony which Gulf Bank we take great pride in all our was held on Sept 25 under the patronage advertising campaigns. It is even more rewarding to know that the of Undersecretary of the awards committee consisted Ministr y of Information of media officials who chose Sheikh Salman Hamoud Althe winners based on a preSabah, at the Crowne Plaza set criteria and specific stanHotel. The event was dards after extensive evaluaorganized by the Arab tion. Ramadan is a special Media Forum to recognize time of the year and we and shed light on the existalways work at being creative ing creativity and innovawhile simultaneously relaying tion within the marketing warm greetings to our cusand advertising sector in tomers and the community.

Kuwait.

We would like to thank the The theme of Gulf awards committee as well as Bank’s Ramadan TV comEbtihaj Al-Roumi our advertising agency, mercial communicated the Impact & Echo, who worked anticipation and excitement of the approaching of Iftar timing with us to achieve this recognition. On and breaking the fast — sending warm behalf of the management of Gulf Bank we say thank you. “ greetings to the bank’s loyal customers.

Riyadh to host GCC culture ministers’ meeting

Meshari Al-Sanousi

Fun City winter timings KUWAT: The Entertainment City has announced a shift to winter timings with effect from yesterday, Sunday October 7, 2012. It will now be open from 4:00 pm until midnight on weekdays, and from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekends.

This was announced by Deputy Managing Director for Entertainment City Affairs at the Touristic Enterprises Company, Meshari Al-San’ousi, who also said that on Mondays, the facility stays open exclusively for female visitors.

Al-San’ousi also announced that the management has prepared special programs and activities for visitors, and has ensured that all necessary maintenance was carried out for all the rides at the Entertainment City.

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah will be heading the Kuwaiti delegation, scheduled to participate at the GCC Culture Ministers meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The meeting will discuss common cultural topics between the GCC countries in order to promote cultural activity in the Gulf, including the activities that took place during 20112012, in addition to scheduling activities until 2016, National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) said in a press statement here yesterday. The meeting will also discuss axis of cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the European Union (EU), Russia, China, Arab World Institute in Paris as well as reviewing the visions of the Gulf states for common festivals, especially the Gulf Festival, which will be held in Turkey.

Other issues include developing a mechanism for an electronic link between cultural institutions and national libraries in the GCC

states as well as discussing ways of how to set up a database for the cultural institutions and their employees, in addition to other topics of cultural affairs. Three creative Kuwaitis will be honored among a distinct creative group from the GCC countries who have offered a lot for the development of cultural affairs, arts and literary studies and they are Abdulaziz AlSurayie in the field of theater, Dr Mursel AlAjmi in literary studies and Abdulwahab AlAwadhi in visual arts, NCCAL added.

In addition, NCCAL said that the Culture Ministers meeting will be preceded by a preparatory meeting for the agents responsible for culture on Monday, and will be headed

by NCCAL Secretary General Ali Al-Youha.

Last November, Kuwait hosted the first session of the Gulf Musical Festival as part of its commitment to support the GCC countries’ activities, during which a group of music creators were honored, in addition to holding a series of seminars that highlighted the artistic heritage of the Gulf.— KUNA

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

local

Gas cylinder expolsion in Riggae

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: Fire fighters fought and brought under control a blaze in Riggae that was caused by a gas cylinder explosion. The operations room received a report about a gas cylinder exploding at the third floor of a seven storey building in Riggae.

The Ardiya fire center, supported

by Shuwaikh industrial center, responded to the call. Once on the scene, director of Farwaniya fire department, Colonel Abdullah Karkooh, got the residents to evacuate the building and fire fighting operations went underway.

The fire was soon brought under control, but one maid was affected and was sent to the hospital.

The fire department called upon the residents to ensure that gas cylinders were locked when they were not in use as they are like time bombs ticking in the kitchens. It also stressed the importance of having fire extinguishers in every house to control any possible fire before it spreads.

Early detection best way to reduce breast cancer risk Kuwait host awareness campaign

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Hayatt Ruqayah Abdulwahab Alqatami Breast Cancer Foundation, in collaboration with the International Diplomatic Club, hosted the Dr Nael al Naqeeb and Dr Youssef Omar Memorial Lecture to mark the beginning of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Sheraton Hotel on Wednesday. The key speaker, Dr Luis T. Campos, president of Oncology Consultants in Houston, Texas and President of Hayatt Scientific Advisory board, offered an insightful lecture titled ‘What you should know about breast cancer’.

Dr Luis Campos’s lecture held out great hope for women who detect the breast cancer early, as in that case they can avoid the need to get the entire breast amputated to remove the tumor.

The lecture shed light on the importance of early detection of cancer as this helps reduce the mortality rate. He also explained the factors that may increase the risk of breast cancer such as history of cancer in the family or smoking. He said exercising three times a week decreases the risk of breast cancer by 40 percent.

He also spoke about the diagnosis, conservative surgery and different forms of treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation and adjuvant therapy.

“Radiation therapy helps in breast preserving surgery, as well in the treatment of more advanced tumor when the lymph nodes of the axilla are involved. Adjuvant therapy, on the other hand, is the therapy given after surgery.”

Dr. Campos also highlighted the new drugs called biological, or target therapies, that are playing an increasing role in cancer treatment. “These drugs, along with new technologies in early diagnosis and new modalities of radiotherapy, have made the treatment of breast cancer an exciting field,” he pointed out.

On her part, Dr. Labiba Temmim, Executive Director ofMedical Affairs at the Ruqayah Abdulwahab Alqatami Breast Cancer Foundation, was proud to receive Dr Campos, the President of Hayatt Scientific Advisory Board in Kuwait. She greeted the attendees and recalled with emotion her experiences with the late Dr Nael Al Naqeeb and Dr Youssef Omar, the fathers of oncology in Kuwait, with whom she worked for more than ten years. “I was honored to be one of the staff members assisting Dr Nael Al Naqeeb when he performed the first surgery in the cancer center on its

opening day in October 1982.”

Dr. Mahmoud Al Bader, the pioneer of pediatric surgery in Kuwait and a life time friend of Dr Nael Al Naqeeb and Dr. Youssef Omar, read out the eulogies of both the deceased experts.

The lecture was followed by a question and answer session with the audience, after which Sheikha Hanouf Al Sabah presented a gift to Dr Luis Campos. The lecture was attended by family

KUWAIT: Dr Luis Campos (left) with Dr Labiba Temmim and other guests during the lecture held on Wednesday at the Sheraton Hotel. members and friends of the late Dr Nael Al Naqeeb and Dr Youssef Omar apart from Laila Alghanim, Hayatt president and Hayatt board members; Sheikha Hanouf Bader Al Sabah, president of the International Diplomatic club; Bassam Hannoun, Wataniya CEO and Wataniya Executive management; Cecilia Campos and Abeer Saqer, Director International Patients Services Memorial Hermann; Houston Texas ambassadors, donors, sponsors, doctors and international diplomatic club members.

Breast cancer overview: Breast cancer is a common form of cancer with more than 232,000 new cases diagnosed in the

Al-Tabtabaei: Iran seeks to ‘swallow’ Kuwait KUWAIT: An Islamist lawmaker in Kuwait believes that Iran is still targeting his country, albeit not through military action, but through sectarian influence similar to, in his opinion, what happened in Lebanon. “[Iran] isn’t stupid to invade Kuwait as [former Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein did in 1990, but that doesn’t mean that their intentions are good,” MP Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said on Saturday. “Instead, they seek to swallow Kuwait through similarly smooth tactics by which they assumed control over Lebanon.”

Al-Tabtabaei further alleged in posts he made on Twitter that Iran controlled

United States each year. The disease occurs most frequently in women but can also occur in men.

The suspicion of breast cancer often first arises when a lump is detected in the breast during breast examination or suspicious areas identified during screening mammography. There are many types of breast tumors. Some are not cancerous, while other tumors are malignant (cancerous). The most common type of breast cancer is called duc-

Lebanon by “supporting and strengthening a certain sectarian group, as well as buying the allegiance of press and media outlets.” He also claimed that Tehran backed a “certain majority to control the majority seats” in the Lebanese parliament, and also the appointment of Lebanese president and prime minister who are loyal to Iran.

According to Al-Tabtabaei, Iran also “plants intelligence personnel in Lebanon to control the situation up close.” “As a result, we saw Lebanon turn into a country controlled by Iran, and the same scenario is being plotted for Kuwait,” he added. — Al-Rai

tal carcinoma and begins in the lining of the ducts.

Another type of cancer is called lobular carcinoma, which arises in the lobules.

About Hayatt Cancer Foundation The Hayatt Association is performing a noble service for the community. Hayatt was founded by an insightful grandmother who was touched by her grandson’s short life to positively impact and serve underprivileged persons afflicted by cancer.

Significantly, this great woman wanted to give them hope and to enlighten their life. As a nonprofit organization, Hayatt employees graciously and voluntarily give their time and make efforts to fulfill our mission to serve these people.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

LOCAL In my view

In my view

Arab Spring and Israeli enemy

Urban farming, food security

By Dr Naji Al-Zaid

T

hirty-nine years ago, on Oct. 6, 1973, the third major war between the Arabs and Israel broke out. The war lasted only 20 days. The two sides were engaged in two other major wars, in 1948 and 1967.

The 1967 war lasted only six days. But, these three wars were not the only Arab-Israel confrontations. From the period of 1948 and to this day many confrontations have taken place. Some of them were small clashes and many of them were full-scale battles, but there were no major wars apart from the ones mentioned above. The Arab-Israeli conflict is the most complicated conflict the world ever experienced. On the anniversary of the 1973 War between the Arab and the Israelis, many people in the Arab world are beginning to ask many questions about the past, present and the future with regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The questions now are: What was the real cost of these wars to the Arab world and its people.

And the harder question that no Arab national wants to ask is: What was the real cost for not recognizing Israel in 1948 and why didn’t the Arab states spend their assets on education, health care and the infrastructures instead of wars? But, the hardest question that no Arab national wants to hear is whether Israel is the real enemy of the Arab world and the Arab people.

I decided to write this article after I saw photos and reports about a starving child in Yemen, a burned ancient Aleppo souk in Syria, the under developed Sinai in Egypt, car bombs in Iraq and the destroyed buildings in Libya. The photos and the reports were shown on the Al-Arabiya network, which is the most watched and respected news outlet in the Middle East.

The common thing among all what I saw is that the destruction and the atrocities are not done by an outside enemy. The starvation, the killings and the destruction in these Arab countries are done by the same hands that are supposed to protect and build the unity of these countries and safeguard the people of these countries. So, the question now is that who is the real enemy of the Arab world?

The Arab world wasted hundreds of billions of dollars and lost tens of thousands of innocent lives fighting Israel, which they considered is their sworn enemy, an enemy whose existence they never recognized. The Arab world has many enemies and Israel should have been at the bottom of the list. The real enemies of the Arab world are corruption, lack of good education, lack of good health care, lack of freedom, lack of respect for the human lives and finally, the Arab world had many dictators who used the Arab-Israeli conflict to suppress their own people. These dictators’ atrocities against their own people are far worse than all the full-scale Arab-Israeli wars.

In the past, we have talked about why some Israeli soldiers attack and mistreat Palestinians.

Also, we saw Israeli planes and tanks attack various Arab countries. But, do these attacks match the current atrocities being committed by some Arab states against their own people.

In Syria, the atrocities are beyond anybody’s imaginations? And, isn’t the Iraqis are the ones who are destroying their own country? Wasn’t it Tunisia’s dictator who was able to steal 13 billion dollars from the poor Tunisians? And how can a child starve in Yemen if their land is the most fertile land in the world? Why would Iraqi brains leave Iraq in a country that makes 110 billion dollars from oil export? Why do the Lebanese fail to govern one of the tiniest countries in the world? And what made the Arab states start sinking into chaos?

On May 14, 1948 the state of Israel was declared.

And just one day after that, on May 15, 1948 the Arabs declared war on Israel to get back Palestine.

The war ended on March 10, 1949. It lasted for nine months, three weeks and two days. The Arabs lost the war and called this war Nakbah (catastrophic war). The Arabs gained nothing and thousands of Palestinians became refugees.

And on 1967, the Arabs led by Egypt under the rule of Gamal Abdul Nasser, went in war with Israel and lost more Palestinian land and made more Palestinian refugees who are now on the mercy of the countries that host them. The Arabs called this war Naksah (upset).

The Arabs never admitted defeat in both wars and the Palestinian cause got more complicated.

And now, with the never ending Arab Spring, the Arab world has no time for the Palestinians refugees or Palestinian cause, because many Arabs are refugees themselves and under constant attacks from their own forces. Syrians are leaving their own country, not because of the Israeli planes dropping bombs on them. It is the Syrian Air Force which is dropping the bombs.

And now, Iraqi Arab Muslims, most intelligent brains, are leaving Iraq for the est. In Yemen, the world’s saddest human tragedy play is being written by the Yemenis. In Egypt, the people in Sinai are forgotten.

Finally, if many of the Arab states are in such disarray, then what happened to the Arabs’ sworn enemy (Israel)? Israel now has the most advanced research facilities, top universities and advanced infrastructure.

Many Arabs don’t know that the life expectancy of the Palestinians living in Israel is far longer than many Arab states and they enjoy far better political and social freedom than many of their Arab brothers. Even the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip enjoy more political and social rights than some places in the Arab World. Wasn’t one of the judges who sent a former Israeli president to jail is an IsraeliPalestinian?

The Arab Spring showed the world that the Palestinians are happier and in better situation than their Arab brothers who fought to liberate them from the Israelis. Now, it is time to stop the hatred and wars and start to create better living conditions for the future Arab generations.

By Fouad Al-Obaid

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

I

kuwait digest

Endless conflict of human beings

By Dr Hassan Abbas

D

uring a recent family gathering at my father’s house, we were watching the news when the T V showed footage of the USS Enterprise entering the Arabian Gulf to join the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Letting out his frustration at what he was watching, my father muttered, “They are beating the war drums once again. When will it ever end?” Or words to that effect.

“Did it ever come to an end?” I asked my father whose wrinkled face tells the story of last eighty years that pass through his memory in the blink of an eye.

“Do you remember a single year in your entire life that passed by without bitterness? Have you ever felt completely at peace? Did you ever feel that all fear has vanished for good?”

If we travel back in history, it shows us that Arabs and Muslims rarely experienced stability. As early as the beginning of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) journeys to spread the message of Islam, the new believers had revolted against injustices subjected by the Jahiliyyah (age of ignorance) tribes and Quraysh in specific.

From the battles during the early years of Islam such as Badr, Uhud and Hunayn, to infightings that brought about Muslim dynasties, records show that the Arab and Muslim worlds never saw real stability ever since they came into being.

Conflicts are not exclusive to Muslims’ history only.

The history of human beings is full of numerous war stories including the Persian-Roman wars, the Dutch Revolt and how the Netherlands and Belgium came into being following the Protestant revolt against Spain, the French and English revolutions against the Church and other wars that paved the way for the formation of modern-day Europe.

From the black man’s struggle against whites’ racism in America and South Africa, to the Vietnam war, the Korean war, and wars started by the Japanese and Chinese empires (there is also evidence of ancient wars such as the battle that happened nearly seven thousand years ago at the banks of the Nile river), history shows that humans have been involved in an endless struggle that is not limited to wars between any two combating armies.

There has always been a conflict - between men and women, Protestants and Catholics, Shiites and Sunnis, Arabs and Ajams (Persians), Kurds and Turks, etc.

It is human nature. One thing that stands out all through the history of mankind is the evolution of tools that could kill. Human beings’ interest in killing

Conflicts are not exclusive to Muslimsí history only. The history of human beings is full of numerous war stories including the Persian-Roman wars, the Dutch Revolt and how the Netherlands and Belgium came into being following the Protestant revolt against Spain, the French and English revolutions against the Church and other wars that paved the way for the formation of modern-day Europe overcame everything. Weapons have evolved at an impressive speed in human history, from swords, spears and shields to gunpowder, explosives, mechanical weapons, warships, submarines, warplanes, and atomic, nuclear, hydrogen, biological and chemical bombs.

Human beings are in a constant state of conflict.

They have always been, and always will be. If anyone claims that he or she is feeling safe and secure, then this person lacks true understanding of the human reality. —Al-Rai

t is no secret that Kuwait has very little arable lands, let alone sufficient natural fresh water to develop farming at commercial levels. The little farms we have in the country at best contribute to our food diversity, and are not nearly sufficient to cover the local demand of the inhabitants of Kuwait.

With the constant danger looming from the Iranian conflict which is predicted at best to create potential disturbances in the Arabian Gulf’s shipping lanessource for all of our foodstuff and other needs - we ought to start finding ways and means to reduce our reliance on imported food.

Officially, the government has silos with enough food to last months. Nevertheless, more strategic undertakings need to be envisioned to help supplement the food structure and offering in Kuwait over the long haul. Though the climate is not kind to us most of the year, with many trials and errors, various projects were undertaken to assess the plants that are most likely to survive in our harsh environment. It is not a far stretch to start thinking outside of the box, to seek novel means to address the national food shortage issue.

One of such means that has been slowly growing in importance in many cities across the world is the integration of vegetation within the urban landscape. Urban farms provide food, activities for the locals to immerse themselves with the products we as human consume and create micro-food silos that come handy in times of trouble. With the billions of daily gallons of water produced for homes and industry in Kuwait we should find means of putting this water once treated to good use. Water and plants are highly prized in desert environment for their rarity, now that some of our cities are starting to mature, once basic services are established, life enhancing activities need to be developed in our various areas throughout Kuwait to add value to our cities.

One mean by which such added value could be achieved is through the development of micro-farms in urban settings between house and apartment complexes that would maximize land utility leading to more stable grounds that would combat desertification and creating mini-silos that could reduce the need to import foodstuff especially in times of national emergencies when the supply of such foodstuff could be compromised or delayed.

In a structured program that would come under an ‘edutainment’ agenda - education along with entertainment - the municipality would earmark various plots that would be transferred to the local coops who would then allocate them to desiring citizens and expatriates in a system that would ensure maximization of benefit. The produce would then be sold back to the Coop’s and re-sold through their distribution system. The derived benefits are multiple, it would allow for the generation of small revenue for the hobby farmers. It would allow the development of social activities around such venues while creating awareness about foodstuff to the wider population.

Positively, it would enhance the greening of Kuwait all the long ensuring a conscious attempt at securing food supplies to the local market.

kuwait digest

NA dissolution

By Sami Al Nisf

W kuwait digest

Pushing youths to the frontline

By Dr Moudhi Al-Hmoud

E

ven as the owners of Al-Watan TV last week dropped charges against nine Kuwaitis sentenced to prison for gate crashing into the channel’s building, thus taking an initiative to help save these young men’s future, another group of Kuwaiti youth would be standing trial in the parliament storming case amid concerns about what fate awaits them.

What and who is responsible for our society reaching a stage where our youth resort to violence and uncivilized actions against a media outlet and the house of Kuwaiti people’s representatives? It is a pressing question that educationists, parents and politicians must ask themselves today.

This question leads to other similar questions. Why are only youth being pushed to the frontline, while others hide behind democratic or public immunities?

Why many of us have been stunned into becoming mere spectators? Why only a few individuals are claiming to speak on behalf of all the people even though their actions hardly meet the people’s demands or aspirations?

There are many confusing questions that beg for answers and make it necessary that we look for the true causes and diagnose the problems that perhaps started when we allowed our freedom to be violated in the name of democracy and our rights to be confiscated through constitutional tools.

At the same time, we have failed to put an end to the mismanagement of the wealth that belongs to our future generations.

Even as new ways emerged to violate the law, and more opportunities were taken away from qualified young people, we remained silent.

Eventually, we have reached a situation in which the democratic space has been replaced by public squares and social networks that engage in any debate using foul language, and that too in front of all our youth. After all of that, can we blame our youth for shunning the facilities for education and instead choosing the public squares and committing violations?

There is a long list of duties that we must undertake before our wish to instill all the democratic values is fulfilled. We need to adopt the path of democratic dialogue to settle our differences, and allow each other to express their opinion without looking for any alleged hidden motives. We need to bring grace back to Kuwait’s democracy, something our ancestors would want to see.

We need to see how different views are expressed and debated in the developed world, and how top politicians in the world’s strongest countries argue in a civilized manner.

No one can claim to know the entire truth, or have a monopoly over the correct vision. But we can all agree to love our country and take a vow to maintain its reputation, as well as underline the importance to guide our young citizens towards the right path. Let us start with ourselves, especially politicians, and ask whether we are, indeed, a true role model for our young citizens or not. —Al-Qabas

e hope that the decision to dissolve the 2009 council is issued today rather than tomorrow for various reasons. While it will end the state of waiting that prevails now, it is also preferable that the election process starts before December 18, 2012 which is when the private schools close for mid term vacation and parents will be traveling with their children only to return after the New Year holidays. It is also required that that the necessity decrees be issued since it is an urgent matter as these decrees cannot be issued while the 2009 council still exists. In fact, the 2009 council is more like the son of a divorced couple whom neither the father wants, nor the mother.

We hope to see in the necessity decrees a reduction in the number of votes allowed to a voter to one from the current four as that is a tradition all over the world. In other democracies, the principle of one man one vote is followed and no one has ever complained about it since it achieves justice for all strata of society, be they political or social, and prevents monopoly of any particular group.

The current system of four votes for each voter, which has been tried since 2006, has never yielded any benefit. A person can win an election with just 2000 votes, while another with 7,000 votes can be a loser, all because the man with lesser votes would have allies.

This system helps the sectarians prevail over the rest of the society and has been the reason behind frequent political crises, hurting Kuwait’s march to progress. There would be little harm if some political powers decide to boycott the elections since one doubts their honesty as they merely wait and then invest the millions that they earned through their political stance and public claims of fighting corruption merely through speeches in town squares and the media but not in the parliament, as should ideally happen.

There is a well-known English saying that goes: “You can mislead some of the people for sometime but you cannot mislead all the people all the time.”

You can bet on the Kuwaiti public’s and its youth’s smartness that they will prove this saying valid.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Philippines, Muslim rebels agree landmark peace deal

Obama, Democrats raise record funds Page 9

Page 12

AKCAKALE: Turkish military station at the border gate with Syria, across from Syrian rebel-controlled Tel Abyad town, in Akcakale, Turkey, yesterday. — AP

Arabs urged to take action on Syria Don’t kill Iranian prisoners, Qatar tells rebels DUBAI: Qatar, a major supporter of Syrian rebels, urged them yesterday not to kill Iranians seized two months ago near Damascus, after the captors threatened to start killing their 48 prisoners. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim Al-Thani made the appeal following a request from Iran, an ally of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, to secure a release of the captives.

The Syrian rebel Al-Baraa brigade said on Thursday it would start killing the Iranians unless Assad, battling an 18month-old uprising, freed Syrian opposition detainees and stopped shelling civilian areas. A statement on the brigade’s Facebook page yesterday said it had extended its deadline by 24 hours at the request of mediators. The rebels say the captives are members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Tehran says they were pilgrims visiting Shiite Muslim shrines.

“As a general policy in the state of Qatar, we don’t accept the killing of prisoners,” Sheikh Hamad told Al Jazeera television. “We also don’t accept further escalation of the situation in Syria. We agree that all parties have their demands, but the basic principle is not to kill prisoners.”

The Baraa Brigade, which initially threatened to kill the Iranians after seizing them in early August, said in a video released on Thursday that negotiations over their fate “failed as a result of the betrayal of the Iranian and Syrian regimes”.

“We give the Syrian and Iranian regimes 48 hours to release prisoners, stop the shelling against unarmed civilians and the random killing of innocents or we will kill an Iranian prisoner for each martyr,” said a rebel wearing camouflage fatigues. He was standing in front of three lines of mostly bearded men who appeared to be the Iranian prisoners. The brigade said at the time of the men’s capture it had documents showing their involvement in the Revolutionary Guards. Insurgents fighting to topple Assad accuse Iran of sending fighters from the Revolutionary Guards to help Assad’s forces crush the revolt.

Nearly 50 soldiers and rebels were killed on Saturday in clashes near Syria’s northern border, as Turkey hit back against what it said was new mortar fire from inside Syria.

Damascus, for its part, said four Turks were among a convoy of “terrorists” killed in the heart of Aleppo, just hours after UN condemnation of deadly jihadist bombings in the country’s commercial capital. Forty government soldiers and nine rebels were killed when rebels took a town in the northwestern province of Idlib near the border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

“The clashes at Khirbat Al-Joz... ended when fighters of the rebel brigades took control of the area,” said the Britainbased watchdog. “The fighting lasted more than 12 hours and resulted in at least 40 dead among the regular forces, including five officers, and nine (rebel) fighters,” it added after earlier reporting 25 soldiers and three rebels dead.

Turkish officials said they were sure a mortar round that struck on Saturday morning was fired by pro-government forces in Syria, and not rebels who have been fighting for nearly 19 months to oust President Bashar Al-Assad.

It prompted fresh retaliatory fire after reprisals on Wednesday and Thursday for the previous shelling, the Hatay provincial governor’s office said. “A mortar round struck today (Saturday) at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) about 50 meters inside Turkish territory in an open space about 700 meters from the village of Guvecci and about 300 meters from a police station.” No casualties were reported. The Turkish army responded with four mortar rounds, the governor’s office said, adding that the Syrian fire had come from loyalists who were firing at rebels near the border.

The cross-border exchanges came despite unanimous condemnation from the UN Security Council on Thursday of deadly shelling from the Syrian side further east in Sanliurfa province that killed five people. Following that incident, the Turkish parliament authorized further military action but Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was not seeking a mandate for war. In a new statement on

Bashir orders S Sudan borders reopened KHARTOUM: Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir yesterday ordered land and river border crossings with South Sudan reopened, official radio said, after agreements signed last month that eased tensions between the neighbours.

Bashir “ordered the opening of all the highway or river gates on the border,” Radio Omdurman reported in a brief alert sent by text message. It said Bashir made the request after a meeting with Sudan’s new ambassador to South Sudan. The announcement comes after Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart, Salva Kiir, on September 27 signed deals on security and cooperation that they hailed as ending their countries’ conflict.

A 22-year north-south civil war led to a 2005 peace deal and South Sudan’s independence in July last year, but tensions over oil and other issues lingered. The two countries fought along their undemarcated frontier in March and April, sparking fears of wider war and leading to a UN Security Council resolution ordering a ceasefire and the settlement of unresolved issues, under African Union medi-

ation. In September last year, South Sudan accused Khartoum of closing its trade routes. “Khartoum has suddenly blocked our borders” from where “we used to get most of our manufactured goods,” Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told reporters at the time.

The South’s government halted oil production in January after accusing Khartoum of theft in a long-running dispute over how much the impoverished South should pay for sending its oil through northern infrastructure for export.

The deals signed last month included agreements to ensure the resumption of oil exports, as well as progress on a financial package of about $3 billion that Juba offered Khartoum as compensation for Sudan’s loss of most of its oil fields when South Sudan separated.

They also reached a key agreement on a demilitarised border buffer zone, where troops must withdraw 10 kilometres (six miles) from the de facto line of control along the undemarcated frontier. —AFP

Friday, the Security Council condemned bombings Wednesday claimed by a jihadist group that killed nearly 50 people in Aleppo, expressing condolences to families of the victims “of these heinous acts.”

State television, meanwhile, said four Turks were among foreign fighters the army had killed in the Bustan Al-Qasr district of the battleground city of Aleppo. ‘Victory near,’ says defense minister-”Our valiant forces destroyed two

vehicles fitted with Dushka (anti-aircraft heavy) machineguns and seven Mercedes with the terrorists inside, including four Turks,” it said. Syria has repeatedly complained that it is fighting armed terrorists supported from abroad. Iran’s foreign ministry on Saturday appealed for Turkish help in securing the release of 48 of its citizens held by rebels in Syria and threatened with execution unless the army withdraws from an area in Damascus province. — Agencies

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

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

Israel leaders confront rift as election looms JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned his defense minister, Ehud Barak, on Saturday to discuss allegations he had undermined the premier during recent trips to the United States, raising further speculation of an early election.

The rift between Netanyahu and Barak, once close allies who have largely presented a united front when it comes to dealing with what they see as an Iranian

drive to obtain a nuclear bomb, could grow into an issue that brings down the government. Cabinet ministers from Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party have publicly accused Barak-who heads a small, left-leaning party-of undermining the prime minister with US officials by espousing his own opinions.

In one repor t this week, Israel’s Channel 2 television quoted Netanyahu as saying: “Do you know what Barak has

done on diplomatic matters? He went to the United States to stir up the argument between us and (President Barack) Obama and come across as a moderate savior.” During the meeting, which was to take place late on Saturday, Netanyahu would demand clarifications from Barak on his actions and make clear that total coordination between them was a must, an official from the prime minister’s office said.

“Netanyahu is expected to demand from Barak a commitment that such things will not happen again,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Before the meeting, an official from Barak’s office said the defense minister only took into consideration Israel’s security and “will continue to act according to his sense and consideration at home and abroad”.

In addition to the friction with Barak, Netanyahu faces challenges in drafting a state budget and could call a snap election in an attempt to build new alliances rather than battle with his current coalition partners. By law a national election must be held no later than about year from now, but coalition members have said that Netanyahu could call for a vote in Januar y or February.— Reuters

Morsi seeks to assuage critics Egyptian leader falls short of goals

BANI WALID: Libyan protesters from the city of Bani Walid hold slogans during a protest outside the National Congress in Tripoli yesterday against the decision of the National Congress besieging their city. Libyan efforts to arrest the killers of a man credited with capturing late leader Muammar Gaddafi have turned into a siege of the city of Bani Walid. — AFP

Jordan King sets up constitutional court AMMAN: King Abdullah II of Jordan has as part of his reform initiatives set up a constitutional court comprising nine members, according to a royal decree published yesterday. The court, the first of its kind in the kingdom, will be the only one authorized to verify that laws comply with the constitution, the decree states. It is chaired by Taher Hekmat, a legal expert who heads the board of directors of the National Centre for Human Rights.

He and other members of the new court were sworn in before the king on Saturday. In a letter to members of the court, Abdullah stressed that the institution “offers an important guarantee of the separation of powers and respect for the rights and freedoms of citizens.” Hekmat for his part said a constitutional court had been demanded by a “good number of Jordanians,” referring to the Islamist opposition. The setting up of the

court comes after the king on Thursday dissolved parliament and called early elections.

Those measures however did not prevent the staging of a demonstration on Friday by thousands of people demanding further reforms. The dissolution of parliament also failed to convince the Islamist opposition led by the Muslim Brotherhood to reverse its boycott of the electoral process, which it says favors government loyalist rural areas at the expense of urban areas seen as Islamist strongholds. The opposition has also demanded a parliamentary system in which the prime minister would be elected rather than appointed by the king. Jordan has seen a series of protests since January 2011 to call for political and economic reforms and to demand an end to corruption. The king had previously said he wants polls to be held by the end of 2012.— AFP

CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said yesterday he had fallen short of goals he promised to fulfill in his first 100 days in office, but aimed to assuage critics by highlighting his most prominent achievements. Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, was handed power in June by the army council that ruled Egypt for 16 months following Hosni Mubarak’s ouster in a popular uprising in 2011 and after a presidential election.

He spoke on Saturday before tens of thousands of Egyptians gathered at the Cairo stadium to mark the anniversary of Egypt’s successful crossing of the Suez Canal in its October 1973 war against Israel. “ When election results were announced and I took up responsibility on June 30, I announced a clear program,” Morsi told the crowds, referring to a 100day plan that broadly focused on issues of security, supply of energy and bread, street cleanliness, and traffic decongestion. “What has been achieved is not enough of course, but what has been achieved by professional standards is about 70 percent of what we targeted during those 100 days.”

Morsi said that among his government’s main shortcomings was the ability to supply butane gas cylinders to Egyptians. Millions of home do not have natural gas piped into their homes. The state currently sells butane cylinders at

about 5 Egyptian pounds ($0.82) each as part of its energy subsidy program. The actual cost of the cylinders is about 65 pounds.

“There is a 15 percent supply shortage that pains us all but there are reasons for this. We are not trying to escape responsibility,” Morsi said, citing deep-rooted corruption

in the country as one of the reasons for insufficient supplies.

Amongst his top achievements, however, Morsi stressed the interior ministry’s work to step up security in the country, which had deteriorated after last year’s uprising.

Seeking to ward off criticisms that he had placed foreign policy

CAIRO: In this image released by the Egyptian Presidency taken on Saturday, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, waves to the crowd gathered in a stadium upon his arrival for a speech on the 6th of October national holiday marking the 1973 war with Israel in Cairo, Egypt. — AP

49 police injured in Djerba clashes

PARIS: French policewomen stand outside the Nazareth Synagogue in Paris yesterday as security measures are reinforced ahead of the “Hoshaana Raba” ritual to take place at night at the end of the week-long religious Sukkoth festival. —AFP

France tightens security amid terror crackdown PARIS: French President Francois Hollande vowed to beef up security as police yesterday pressed on with sweeping anti-terror raids that saw one man killed and 11 arrested over an attack on a Jewish store. “Security will be reinforced in the coming days,” Hollande said after meeting Jewish leaders at the Elysee palace, vowing that the state was ready “to fight all terror threats”. Hollande also said that France, which has Western Europe’s largest Muslim population,” should not “stigmatize” the estimated four million adherents. “The Muslims of France are not all Islamist fanatics,” he said. “They are also victims.”

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault also pledged to leave “nothing to chance” in the fight against terror as leading Jewish and anti-racism groups voiced concern over mounting intolerance in the country. “The police are continuing investigations, to leave nothing in the dark and to take no risks,” Ayrault said in an interview on RTL radio.

Jeremy-Louis Sidney, a 33-year-old convert to Islam, was shot dead by police Saturday during a raid over a September 19 attack on a kosher grocery store in the gritty northern Paris suburb of Sarcelles which left one person injured.

Eleven other people were arrested across the country on Saturday. “Some might think that what happened in a grocery in Sarcelles is not that serious,” Ayrault said, underscoring the need to let “nothing be overlooked”.

Police yesterday raided an apartment in the French Riviera city of Cannes and searched a vehicle following the arrests of two men there who had at one time given refuge to Sidney, a source close to the investigation said. Sidney had been at the home of “one of his two religious wives”, a woman of 22 who has a girl of six and a one-month-old baby, during the

early morning shootout in the eastern city of Strasbourg. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins described Sidney as “a delinquent who had converted to radical Islam” and said his fingerprints were found on the remains of an explosive device lobbed at the kosher grocery. He said the sweep had uncovered a list of Jewish associations, adding that “the inquiry will determine what were the next targets of this cell”. Interior Minister Manuel Valls meanwhile warned of a surge in homegrown Islamist radicals. “There is a terrorist threat in France”, Valls said in a radio interview. “It does not appear to come from foreigners, it appears to be French converts.”

The 11 arrested suspects were born in the 1980s and 1990s, the Paris prosecutor said, adding that some were “common criminals who set out on a path of radicalization toward Islamist jihadism”. Three of the suspects had criminal records for cases involving drug trafficking, theft and violence. Sidney himself had been sentenced to two years in prison in 2008 for drug trafficking. Jewish groups yesterday complained of increasing hate attacks. “The facts speak for themselves.

Anti-Semitic acts are increasing rapidly,” Alain Jakubowitz, the head of the International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism told the Journal du Dimanche.

“The worst enemies of Muslims are not the ‘Islamophobes’ but the radical Islamists,” he said. “They have to understand that they will be the first victims” as a result of this growing trend. Richard Prasquier, who heads the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, added: “The intrinsic hatred against Jews is being more and more trivialized. “There will be no progress if barriers are not put on the national and international levels,” he added.— AFP

TUNIS: Forty-nine policemen were injured in clashes with demonstrators protesting against the reopening of a rubbish dump on Tunisia’s tourist island of Djerba on Saturday, an interior ministry spokesman said. “A large number of protesters in the centre of Guellala attacked a police post with rocks and petrol bombs,” Khaled Tarrouche said. “There were 49 police injured, with fractures and other injuries caused by rocks and petrol bombs.”

He said six police vehicles were burned, no arrests were made and just two demonstrators were hurt, “which shows the violence came from the protesters, not the police.”

Tarrouche said reinforcements have been sent from the capital to Guellala, a town of some 13,000 people in southern Djerba, a popular tourist destination, and that by early evening calm had returned. The spokesman said the trouble was sparked when the local authorities decided to reopen a rubbish dump until 2013. In the morning, around 40 protesters blocked access to the site, and after negotiations with the authorities failed, security forces fired tear gas to disperse them.

During the afternoon, a much larger crowd took to the streets in the centre of Guellala, where they attacked the police, Tarrouche said. “The law will be applied to everyone who participated in this violence,” he said. Since last year’s revolution that ousted former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the southern holiday island has been spared the kind of violence afflicting other parts of Tunisia where clashes between police and

protesters are common. On Friday in the central town of Sidi Bouzid, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters who tried to break into the regional government headquarters.

Such protests have multiplied in recent weeks, amid rising discontent over poor living conditions, including unemployment, regular water cuts and the state’s failure to collect rubbish, as well as other social grievances.

There is also anger over the arrest of protesters at recent demonstrations. Sidi Bouzid is where Tunisia’s mass uprising first began that touched off the Arab Spring when a street vendor immolated himself in December 2010 in protest over his own precarious livelihood.

Poor living conditions were a driving factor behind the revolution.

The Islamist-led government, despite coming to power just a year ago after the first free elections in decades, is frequently accused of having failed to improve the living standards of ordinary Tunisians. As the authorities have acknowledged, improved security is critical to the revival of the tourism sector, a key driver of the economy, contributing to around 7.0 percent of GDP and employing 400,000 people directly or indirectly. Tunisia has witnessed a rise in tourism this year, of about 30 percent in the first six months compared with the same period last year, when the Arab Spring turmoil across the region kept many foreigners away. But the number of visitors has yet to return to prerevolution levels.— AFP

BEIRUT: Lebanese activists bang on cooking pots and lids during a protest to promote the legalization of civil marriage in Lebanon in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. —AP

ahead of domestic affairs, Morsi said his travels to Addis Abbaba, Beijing, and New York among other destinations since his election were targeted at boosting the economy. “We conducted 9 trips in 11 days. They brought the economy around $10 billion in the form of direct support as well as investment projects during a brief period,” Morsi said. Egypt is seeking to secure a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to plug an unmanageable budget deficit. Reducing state expenditure by targeting subsidies more toward the needy is seen as vital for receiving the loan.

Morsi told the crowds that he was not veering away from his Islamist principles by accepting the loan since Islamic law normally forbids paying of interest. “Some are asking whether the loan is considered usury or not. I do not accept at all that Egyptians get fed off usury,” Morsi said. “1.1 percent (interest rate), is this usur y?”

Though the crowds cheered him, some criticized what they said was a populist speech aimed at concealing shortcomings. “ The government overpromised,” said Sherif ElGhatrifi, head of an insurance firm. “There is little substance in what Morsi said, no clear messages he wants to give except excuses for not delivering. I do not feel any change on the streets.” — Reuters

News

in brief

Algeria ex-president dies ALGIERS: Algeria’s former long-time president Chadli Bendjedid, acclaimed for having introduced democracy to government institutions, died of cancer on Saturday aged 83, the APS news agency reported. Eight days of national morning have been declared. Bendjedid had been admitted to the Ain Naajda military hospital in Algiers more than a week ago.

He was hospitalized in Paris last January for cancer treatment and returned to hospital for brief spells in May and October.

The former head of state will be buried on Monday in Algiers, at the El-Alia cemetery in Martyrs’ Square, according to the president’s office. Bendjedid was one of Algeria’s longest-serving presidents, holding office from 1979 to 1992, when he was forced from power when the army stepped in to stop Islamists from winning the country’s first multi-party legislative elections. The military intervention sparked a civil war which left an estimated 200,000 people dead. Bendjedid joined the underground for the duration of the war of liberation against colonial power France between November 1954 and 1962, when he was named military commander of the Oran region of western Algeria for 14 years.

Bus overturns; 23 hurt WAYNE: A tour bus from Canada carrying about 60 people bound for New York City overturned on a highway exit ramp in northern New Jersey early Saturday, slid down an embankment and landed on its side, injuring 23 people on board, authorities said. The driver, who suffered a gash in his arm, told state police that he was cut off by another vehicle, though it was not immediately clear whether that caused the crash around 7:30 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 80 in Wayne.

Some windows burst during the crash and their frames pinned three people, but they were quickly freed and taken to hospitals with the other injured. The bus had been chartered by a church group. Eight of the injured passengers were admitted in critical condition, hospital spokeswoman Liz Asani said. Burther details on their injuries were not disclosed.

The rest of the injured, including two young children, were being treated for minor injuries at two other hospitals. State police have said none of the injuries are considered life-threatening. “It was terrifying,” Norma Cumberbatch, 66, of Toronto, told The Star-Ledger of Newark. Cumberbatch, who was travelling with her 68-year-old sister, Marjorie, said she struggled to free her legs from fallen luggage and other debris before trying to find her sister.

US officers in Israel JERUSALEM: US army officers have begun arriving in Israel ahead of joint military maneuvers between the countries’ armed forces, an Israeli newspaper said yesterday. The officers will supervise the arrival of hundreds of US troops on October 14 for joint maneuvers that will take place the following week and last for three weeks, according to Yediot Aharonot. The US-Israeli exercises will be the most important yet between the two countries, the paper said. Time magazine reported on September 1 that Washington had significantly reduced the number of its joint military exercises with Israel, probably because of disagreement between them over how best to deal with Iran’s nuclear program. Yediot said Israel’s air defenses will be tested on this occasion, including its Hetz missile-tomissile batteries and its “Iron Dome” rocket interception system. Israel, the US and much of the international community accuses Iran of seeking to develop atomic weapons capability under the guise of a peaceful program for civilian use, charges that Tehran has repeatedly rejected.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

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

One-eyed radical Islamist cleric appears in US court Egyptian-born Hamza fought extradition for 8 years

BAYAMO: Ofelia Acevedo, widow of Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya, accompanied by their children Reinaldo (left), Rosa Maria (second left) and Oswaldo Jr, stand in front of the tree into which the car of Paya crashed near Bayamo, Cuba. — AFP

Cuban dissident family blames govt for death BAYAMO: The Cuban government is to blame for the death of human rights activist Oswaldo Paya, family members said Saturday as they called for the acquittal of the Spaniard charged in the case. At a trial that began Friday, prosecutors have requested a seven-year jail term for Angel Carromero over the July 22 car crash that killed Paya, an ‘ award-winning prodemocracy dissident. “I think (Spaniard Angel) Carromero should be acquitted. I don’t believe the charges brought against him, nor do I believe the government’s story,” Paya’s widow Ofelia Acevedo told AFP as she visited the site where her husband lost his life. “He is innocent,” Acevedo said of Carromero, who was driving when her husband’s car hit a tree in an accident that killed the activist but not Carromero, 26, or Swedish activist Jens Aron Modig, 27. Another Cuban dissident Harold Cepero, 31, was also killed in the crash.

Paya’s daughter Rosa Maria Paya, and her brothers Osvaldo and Reinaldo are seeking an international investigation into the death of their father. He had won the European Parliament’s top human rights award, the 2002 Sakharov prize, for opposing the Americas’ only one-party Communist regime. “My impression from this poorly run circus (of a trial) is that they (the government) have a lot to hide,” charged an emotional Rosa Maria Paya.

The Paya family said they wanted to speak with Carromero but were barred from doing so.

Cuban authorities say the Spaniard was behind the wheel, driving above the speed limit, when his rental car hit an

unpaved section of road outside Bayamo, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a tree, claiming the life of one of the government’s leading foes.

President Raul Castro’s government has drawn intense criticism from dissidents about the high-profile Paya case, and it has not taken the jibes lightly. Shortly before the start of the trial, Cuban authorities detained celebrated dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez and her husband, who had traveled to Bayamo to write about the proceedings, for about 30 hours. All media in Cuba are state-controlled.

“We are grateful to everybody who has raised their voices and their tweets so that we could return home,” Sanchez said in a tweet after she was set free. Sanchez, 37, began commenting on daily life in Cuba on her Generacion Y blog in 2007, but ran foul of the regime for criticizing Fidel and Raul Castro. Last week, Sanchez filed a complaint against Cuba with the InterAmerican Human Rights Commission for repeatedly refusing her permission to leave the country, according to her attorney, who said she has been unable to leave Cuba since 2007 although she has requested permission to do so on some 20 occasions.

At the trial here Friday, Isabel Barzaga of the Interior Ministry said Carromero, who was at the wheel of the car at the moment of the crash, was “frankly a reckless person.” “It was not an isolated lapse,” Barzaga continued. “It is normal behavior for him.

He behaves like a rule breaker.” Earlier, Carromero denied that he was speeding at the time of the accident.— AFP

NEW YORK: One-eyed radical Islamist cleric Abu Hamza Al-Masri made his first appearance in federal court in New York on Saturday after Britain extradited him to the United States to face trial and a potential life sentence on terrorism charges. The Egyptian-born Hamza, 54, entered US District Court in Manhattan after being refused the prosthetics - including his signature metal hook - that he wears because of his missing forearms.

Hamza is accused by Washington of supporting Al-Qaeda, aiding a kidnapping in Yemen and plotting to open a training camp for militants in the United States. He was flown late on Friday to the United States along with four other men also wanted on US terrorism charges. Hamza is missing both his hands and an eye, injuries he says he sustained while living in Afghanistan in the 1980s and carrying out humanitarian work.

Authorities say he was fighting for the Mujahideen against the Soviet Union.

Dressed in blue prison garb, Hamza spoke only once during Saturday’s 10-minute court hearing before Magistrate Judge Frank Maas.

Through his court-appointed lawyer, Hamza asked that his prosthetics be returned to him and that he receive proper medical attention. It was not clear why authorities did not allow him the prosthetics in court. He will not be asked to enter a plea until he returns to court on Tuesday.

Under the terms of British and European court rulings authorizing the extradition, the five suspects must be tried in US civilian courts and fed-

eral prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty.

US officials said they were pleased Hamza and the other men would finally answer to the longstanding charges.

The extradition “is a watershed moment in our nation’s efforts to eradicate terrorism,” Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. Saudi native Khalid al-Fawwaz, 50, and Egyptian Adel Abdul Bary, 52, also appeared in federal court in New York on Saturday. Both pleaded not guilty to charges they and others were involved in the 1998 Al-Qaeda bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people. Also on Saturday, British citizens Babar Ahmad, 38, and Syed Talha Ahsan, 33, charged with supporting Al-Qaeda and other militant groups by operating various websites promoting Islamic holy war, pleaded not guilty before a federal judge in New Haven, Connecticut, court records showed.

Born Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, Hamza moved to Britain as an engineering student in the 1970s, married a British woman and once worked as a doorman at discos in London. A fiery anti-Western speaker, he is said to have inspired some of the world’s most high-profile militants, including Zacarias Moussaoui, one of the accused Sept 11 conspirators. The cleric was once a preacher at the Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, but was later jailed in Britain for inciting murder and racial hatred. After being held on the US extradition warrant, he was jailed by a British court in 2006 for inciting Muslims to

kill Jews and non-believers, based on extracts of speeches he had given years earlier.

Hamza was indicted by a federal grand jury in New York in April 2004. He is accused of involvement in a 1998 hostage-taking in Yemen that resulted in the deaths of four hostages three Britons and one Australian. He was also accused of providing material support to AlQaeda by trying to set up a training camp for fighters in Oregon in the United States and of trying to organize support for the Taleban in Afghanistan. If convicted, Hamza could face up to life in prison. He lost his eight-year battle to avoid deportation on Friday after two London High Court judges refused a last bid to delay his departure. The European Court of Human Rights refused to stop London from extraditing Hamza and the four others.

While all five defendants made initial court appearances on Saturday before judges in New York and Connecticut, there is little likelihood a full trial will begin soon. Some US officials are concerned their trials could ignite politically charged debate about security threats and whether militants are being coddled by being tried in civilian courts. Many experts note that US civilian courts have handled many highprofile cases that involved Islamist militants.

Following a closely watched trial in Manhattan federal court, Tanzanian national Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani was sentenced to life in prison in January 2011 for his role in the 1998 bombings. — Reuters

Obama, Democrats raise record funds WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama’s campaign and its Democratic allies raised $181 million in September for his re-election effort, the largest total that either side has announced yet in the 2012 campaign. The big September number and a good jobs report on Friday that showed unemployment dipping to 7.8 percent from 8.1 percent shifted some attention from Obama’s lackluster debate performance on Wednesday against Republican Mitt Romney.

Helping buoy Obama’s fundraising in September was his party’s convention and a modest lead in the polls over Romney,

whose campaign was plagued by his remark that the 47 percent of the population who receive government funds are “victims.”

Obama’s campaign said on Saturday that more than 1.8 million people donated to it last month. Of that, 567,000 were new donors. A vast majority of the donations - 98 percent - were $250 or less. The average contribution was $53. “That’s by far our biggest month yet,” campaign manager Jim Messina said in an email to supporters, urging them to chip in even more as the Nov. 6 election draws near.

Obama needs a lift after a surprisingly tame performance at the

debate shook his campaign’s sense that it was closing in on election victory. However, Romney’s strong showing in Denver did little to convince more voters he understands them or is a “good person,” according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey released on Saturday. The Democratic president is ahead of his challenger on character attributes that can win over undecided voters who have not been swayed on tangible policy points, according to the online poll. On the broad question of who they will vote for in November, Obama kept his 2 percentage point lead among likely voters - 47 percent to 45 percent -

in the online survey. The gap was unchanged from Friday, when Obama led 46 percent to 44 percent in the tracking poll. His lead was 6 percentage points before the two men first went head-tohead in Denver. “We haven’t seen additional gains from Romney.

This suggests to me that this is more of a bounce than a permanent shift,” Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said. Romney, enjoying a boost of support in many polls after his debate performance, addressed a boisterous crowd of 6,500 in the city of Apopka in central Florida, a state that will be critical in whether he wins the White House. — Reuters

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

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

Catholic leaders gather to counter decline of faith VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI yesterday opened a meeting of Roman Catholic Church leaders from around the world to debate how to counter rising secularism on the 50th anniversary of the momentous Second Vatican Council. The synod of 262 archbishops, bishops and other senior clerics heard a call from the pope for a “new evangelism” for the Catholic Church, which is fast losing followers in Europe and feels increasingly discriminated against in many parts of the world.

The three-week synod coincides with the announcement on October 11 of a “Year of Faith” to mark the anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which changed the face of Catholicism. In Saint Peter’s Square yesterday, Benedict said the Council had been “the most universal expression” of the spiritual dynamic of the 20th century. He shunned any reference to the latest scandal to rock the 2,000-year-old institution, the trial of his butler Paolo Gabriele who was convicted on Saturday of stealing secret papers from the papal palace.

The 85-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church, who was an expert at the Council known as “Vatican II” and

one of its most reformist voices, has made the new evangelism a centrepiece of his papacy since being elected in 2005. At the start of the synod a tired-looking, pale Benedict stressed that marriage and family must be at the centre of the new evangelism, as there was “an obvious link between the crisis of the faith and the crisis of marriage”.

The meeting will also look at the discrimination of Christians in parts of the world including on the part of radical Islamists, as well as increasing competition from evangelical churches, particularly in the developing world. The last synod on evangelism was called by Paul VI in 1974 but the crisis of faith in traditionally Christian countries was not as strong then. The Vatican earlier this year revealed the answers given by bishops to a questionnaire asking them to identify obstacles in spreading the Gospel.

Some talked about the problem of “excessive bureaucracy in Church structures”, others said “liturgical celebrations were devoid of deep spiritual experience” or that the problem was “an insufficient number of clergy”. A 35year-old German priest at the time of Vatican II, the then Joseph Ratzinger

became more conservative after witnessing the perceived excesses of the 1960s and now aims to correct interpretations of the Council that he sees as deeply erroneous. Ratzinger in those years was a theologian bursting with new ideas who took an active part in discussions on the possibility of allowing divorcees who re-marry a place in the Catholic Church and even allowing priests to marry.

He was committed to allowing masses to be celebrated in the vernacular instead of Latin and criticized the Vatican for being stuck in the past. But then came 1968 - a traumatic year for Ratzinger when students at his faculty interrupted professors and mocked dogma in the name of revolution. When he was called by the late pope John Paul II in 1981 to lead the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the main enforcer of Church dogma, Ratzinger started to crack down on left-leaning theologians and priests. Since being elected pope, he has called for evangelism through an increase in prayer communities and a bigger spotlight to be put on women in the context of their families and parishes as crucial protagonists.

But Vatican expert Marco Politi said:

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI leaves after a mass he celebrated for the opening of the Synod of bishops at St Peter’s Square at the Vatican yesterday. — AP “Vatican II is still the only foundation on Church”, Spain’s 16th-century Saint which the Church can base its relations John of Avila, a priest and religious mystic, and Germany’s 12th-century with modern society.”

Progressive clerical circles share this Hildegard of Bingen who did not hesiview and blame the Vatican for taking tate to criticize the Church and society the Church backward by refusing to of their times. The title recognizes their adapt to the times. Yesterday Benedict holders’ importance in contributing to named two new “doctors of the theology or doctrine. — AFP

Chavez’s socialist rule at risk as Venezuelans vote Long-serving president faces youthful state governor

BIRMINGHAM: British Prime Minister David Cameron arrives with his wife Samantha at the ICC in Birmingham, central England yesterday for the opening day of the annual Conservative Party Conference. — AFP

UK’s Cameron defiant as Conservatives meet LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron talked tough on Europe and the economy yesterday as he headed to his Conservative party’s annual conference, where he faces a major test of his leadership. A poll published yesterday showed the Conservatives trailing the Labor opposition by 14 points going into the meeting in Birmingham, central England, while rightwingers are growing increasingly dissatisfied with Cameron.

Cameron looked to appease them by threatening to veto the European Union budget in November, telling The Sunday Telegraph he would not stand for “outrageous” attempts to hike it. He angered other European leaders by keeping Britain out of the EU fiscal pact last year.

He said voters would get a say on Britain’s place in the 27-member bloc amid concerns over the impact of the euro-zone debt crisis, although he refused to say there would definitely be a referendum.

The Conservative leader insisted that the British economy, currently in a double-dip recession, was “rebalancing” towards the private sector with a million new jobs since he took power. Cameron meanwhile set up a clash with the Liberal Democrats, the junior partners in the governing coalition that is halfway through its five-year mandate, by ruling out their calls for a “mansion tax” on expensive properties. In a further attempt to reach out to voters ahead of the next elections, due in 2015, Cameron also launched his own Twitter account on Saturday night.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati

was the first to welcome him to the social networking site.

But the YouGov poll published in the Sunday Times was bad news for the prime minister, indicating that a barnstorming speech by Labor leader Ed Miliband at his party’s conference last week had made an impact. Speaking without notes while walking around the stage, Miliband said he wanted to rebuild Britain as “one nation”-stealing a slogan traditionally used by the Conservatives.

There are challengers within Cameron’s own party too: Boris Johnson, the ebullient mayor of London, is widely believed to be building a base for a possible leadership bid. Johnson, a crowd-pleasing orator who is due to take the stage at the conference on Tuesday, has capitalized on his exposure during the London 2012 Olympic Games in July and August.

Cameron praised Johnson, telling the BBC he had a “huge amount to offer”.

Foreign Secretary William Hague, a former party leader, is due to speak and finance minister George Osborne today.

British media have widely reported that Cameron’s popularity is at an all-time low among his own lawmakers, with rightwing political magazine The Spectator saying last week he was “heading for a crash”. The Conservatives have meanwhile been dogged by a series of gaffes and failures of governance. New Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt sparked a furious row by admitting in The Times newspaper on Saturday that he backs a reduction in the time limit for abortions from 24 weeks to 12. — AFP

Regional leaders meet on chronic unrest in E Congo KAMPALA: Regional delegations were gathering yesterday ahead of a summit on the chronic unrest in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the latest attempt to end the violence there. Today’s meeting of leaders and ministers, hosted

by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, will consider recommendations drawn up at earlier meetings to set up an “international neutral force” to intervene in the area, but which have so far made little headway. Tensions remain high between DR Congo President Joseph Kabila and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, who are both expected to attend the meeting, with Kinshasa accusing Kigali of stoking violence by aiding rebel forces.

The meeting is the fourth in four months organized by the 11-nation International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and follows talks held last month on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. “The presidents of Rwanda and DR Congo are expected because the meeting is about the situation in eastern DRC,” said Uganda’s minister for foreign affairs Henry

Okello-Oryem. Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete is also expected because the country could potentially “provide troops for deployment in DRC”, Okello-Oryem added.

Eastern DR Congo has been hit hard by a rebellion by army defectors who have formed a group called the M23, whose members are former fighters in an ethnic Tutsi rebel movement integrated into the military under a 2009 peace deal. Bosco Ntaganda, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on war crimes charges, is accused of leading the M23. A UN report in June accused Rwanda of backing the rebels, causing a surge in tensions with neighboring DR Congo. Kigali denies the charge, and has been in talks with Kinshasa to set up a neutral force to tackle the unrest. “This international neutral force is aimed at eradicating all the negative forces operating in eastern DRC,” the ICGLR said in a statement.

Earlier meetings set up a committee of seven defense ministers, led by Uganda, to help Kinshasa restore peace and security in the region. — AFP

CARACAS: Venezuelans voted yesterday with President Hugo Chavez facing the biggest electoral challenge yet to his socialist rule from a young rival tapping into discontent over crime and cronyism. Henrique Capriles, a centrist state governor, edged toward the stillpopular Chavez in final polls thanks to a vigorous campaign that united the opposition and made him its best chance of ending Chavez’s 14-year rule.

Chavez has used record oil revenue to support ideological allies around the world while preaching a fiercely anti-US line, so the election will be watched eagerly from the United States to Belarus and Iran. Opposition supporters banged pots and pans in a protest against the president late on Saturday in some parts of Caracas. Chavez loyalists in poor neighborhoods, where the flamboyant former soldier draws his most fervent following, then blew bugles and trumpets in a pre-dawn wake-up call for voters. Long queues formed at some polling centers before they opened.

“I ask political actors from the left, right and center to prepare emotionally to accept tomorrow’s results. It’s not going to be the end of the world for anyone,” Chavez said during a last-minute news conference at the presidential palace. The 58-year-old president staged a remarkable comeback from cancer this year.

But he could not match the energy of past campaigns - or the pace set by his 40-year-old basketball-loving opponent. Most well-known pollsters put Chavez in front. But two have Capriles just ahead, and his numbers have crept up in others.

There is a risk of violence if the result is contested. There are no formal international observers, although Venezuela has invited a delegation from the UNASUR group of South American nations to “accompany” the vote.

Local groups will be monitoring and both sides say they trust the electronic, fingerprint

vote system. The opposition says it will have witnesses at all of the 13,810 polling centers, from tiny Amazon villages to tough Caracas slums. Capriles geared up on Saturday for the vote by hiking a mountain trail on the edge of the capital, donning sports gear and mirrored sunglasses and posing for pictures with supporters.

Chavez spent about half an hour in the evening speaking to reporters alongside members of the UNASUR delegation, which is headed by an Argentine politician. Asked if he wanted to stay in office beyond 2018, he glibly replied: “Twenty years is nothing,” in reference to a popular Argentine tango song. Capriles shot back via Twitter. “Right now some people continue with the same nonsense and the same stories as always, the difference is this time they’re on their way out!” In a politically polarized country where firearms are common and the murder rate is one of the highest in the world, tensions have risen alongside weeks of tough campaign rhetoric, and both camps are vowing to “defend” their votes.

BIG CHALLENGES Chavez accuses the opposition of plotting violence and planning to “reject the people’s triumph” when he wins, but says that effort will be defeated. Some opposition activists fear he could refuse to step down if the result goes against him. Victory for Capriles would remove the most vocal critic of the United States in Latin America, and could lead to new deals for oil companies in an OPEC nation that pumps about 3 million barrels a day and boasts the world’s biggest crude reserves.

Capriles wants to copy Brazil’s model of respect for private enterprise with strong social welfare programs if he is elected - but he would face enormous challenges from day one. For a start, he would not take office until Jan. 2013, meaning Chavez loyalists could

throw obstacles in the way of the transition.

He would also have to develop a plan to tackle entrenched high inflation, price distortions and an over-valued currency, while surely butting heads with the National Assembly, judiciary and state oil company PDVSA - all dominated by “Chavistas.” Another big task would be to figure out the real level of state finances. Last month, a Reuters investigation found that half of public investment went into a secretive off-budget fund that is controlled

by Chavez and has no oversight by Congress.

The president has denounced his foes as traitors and told voters they plan to cancel his signature social “missions,” which range from subsidized food stores to programs that build houses and pay cash stipends to poor women with children. Tens of thousands of new homes have been handed over this year, often to tearful Chavez supporters at televised events. If Chavez wins, he can consolidate his control over Venezuela’s economy and continue his support for leftist governments across Latin America, as well as allies farther afield such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus.

Any recurrence of Chavez’s cancer would be a big blow to his plan, however, and could give the opposition another chance. The election will be watched closely in more than a dozen countries, including communist-led Cuba, which benefit from discounted Venezuelan oil sales under Chavez. Investors who have made Venezuela’s bonds some of the most widely traded emerging market debt are also on tenterhooks.

“There is a perception that a tight electoral outcome may trigger social and political unrest and market volatility,” Goldman Sachs said in a research note. Voting runs from 6 am to 6 pm, although polls will stay open later if there are lines. — Reuters

Putin marks 60th birthday MOSCOW: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin turned 60 yesterday, the official retirement age in the country he has dominated for the past 12 years, as his supporters celebrated his leadership and machismo.

Putin flew to his native northwestern city of Saint Petersburg to spend the day with “friends and family”, according to his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

However his supporters went out of their way to wish him the best and his birthday figured prominently in each newscast of the day on Russia’s state television channels.

“Your name is a symbol of a wise politician and a strong leader in Russia and the world,” Saint Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko wrote to the president in an open letter. “You returned to Russians their confidence in tomorrow.” An exhibition dedicated to Putin, called “A Man of the Kindest Soul”, was opening Sunday in a Moscow art centre.

Black Labradors, the same breed of dog as Putin’s pet Connie, were expected at the show. Molodaya Gvardiya, a pro-Kremlin youth movement, posted a video on their website of young women assembling to greet an arriving Putin with a cake after participating in various activities associated with the Russian leader.

One, wearing a “Putin” hockey jersey, is shown scoring a goal in a USA-Putin match before receiving a text message saying, “I’m on my way,” presumably from the president. She then winks at the camera, smiling seductively.

Putin’s sports hobbies are also featured in a rare up-close-and-personal special made by the NTV channel, to air Sunday during prime time. The filmmakers trailed Putin for a week, even taking the camera to a swimming pool.

Putin has famously styled himself as a macho sportsman, swimming the butterfly in wild Siberian rivers, fly-fishing shirtless and riding on horseback for the cameras.

Russian bloggers snickered that Putin’s image of a young and energetic leader no longer corresponded with his age. — AFP

SARAJEVO: Bosnian voters casting their votes for local election in the EasternBosnian town of Srebrenica yesterday. — AP

Srebrenica under spotlight in Bosnia’s municipal vote SREBRENICA: Bosnia voted in local polls yesterday with all eyes turned towards the eastern town of Srebrenica, site of the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men, amid fears that Serbs could take control of the once Muslim-majority municipality.

New electoral rules have paved the way for the Serb community to win office in Srebrenica, a move that has fuelled interethnic disputes in the town that became a gruesome symbol of Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war.

Local Muslim politicians complained that they have been abandoned by the international community, while their Serb opponents continued to deny that the events of 1995 constituted genocide, despite the rulings of two international courts. Incumbent Srebrenica mayor

Camil Durakovic, himself a massacre survivor, said yesterday’s vote in which he is running for re-election would be “the most important one since the end of the war”.

In his tiny campaign office in the centre of the once flourishing mining town, the 33-year-old Muslim said the vote “is not a fight for my personal victory”. “This is a fight between two politics that dominate our country: those denying genocide and those who do not, between good and evil.” Although Bosnian President Milorad Dodik and other top Serb officials who visited Srebrenica during the election campaign, have denied genocide, Serb mayoral candidate Vesna Kocevic avoided using the term while acknowledging that war crimes had been committed. — AFP

12

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

international

US, S Korea agree on longer range ballistic missiles

Chun Young-woo

SEOUL: South Korea has reached a landmark agreement with the United States to extend the range of Seoul’s ballistic missiles by more than twice the current limit to counter the threat from North Korea, the government said yesterday.

The move to significantly boost the South’s missile capabilities along with development of advanced aerial reconnaissance vehicles is likely to rattle the communist North, which has remained at odds since the 1950-53 Korean War left the peninsula divided.

It may also stoke concern in China, Japan and Russia, parts of which would be within range of the new missiles.

Under the agreement, South Korea can develop missiles up to a range of 800 kms (497 mile) from the current ceiling of 300 kms (186 mile), Chun Young-woo, top secretary to President Lee Myung-bak for foreign and security affairs, told reporters.

He said the United States and South Korea also agreed to maintain the maximum payload for a South Korean-developed ballistic missile at the current level of 500 kilograms (1,102 lbs).

However, if Seoul chose to develop a missile with shorter ranges, it could increase the payload accordingly. South Korea has also been allowed to develop unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, with

an unlimited payload weight if the flying distance is within 300 kilometres.

Seoul has for years sought to extend its missile range to deter the North, which it said had developed missiles that could reach every corner of the country.

It also wanted to increase the payload for the UAVs and develop not only reconnaissance UAVs but also combat drones.

“The most important goal for our government to revise the missile guidelines is deterring North Korea’s military provocations,” Chun said. Currently, all of South Korea as well as US military installations in Japan and Guam, are within the range of North Korean missile attacks, accord-

ing to South Korean government data.

In April, North Korea was condemned by the UN Security Council after a failed long-range rocket launch. US allies including South Korea deemed it a disguised test for the North to upgrade its ballistic missile technology despite Pyongyang’s claim that it was aimed to put a satellite into orbit for peaceful purpose.

Washington had sought to discourage South Korea from developing longerrange ballistic missiles in keeping with a voluntary international arms-control pact known as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). —Reuters

Philippines, Muslim rebels agree landmark peace deal Roadmap to create new autonomous region by 2016 MANILA/KUALA LUMPUR: The Philippine government and Muslim rebels agreed a deal to end a 40-year conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people, President Benigno Aquino said yesterday, paving the way for a political and economic revival of the country’s troubled south.

The agreement begins a roadmap to create a new autonomous region in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic country before the end of Aquino’s term in 2016, giving the Muslimdominated area greater political powers and more control over resources.

Expectations are high that after nearly 15 years of violence-interrupted talks, both the government and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group will keep their pledges in the agreement, to be signed on Oct. 15 in Manila and witnessed by Aquino and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“This framework agreement is about rising above our prejudices. It is about casting aside

with al Qaeda militants. Shortly after the announcement, a breakaway group said it would continue to fight for an independent Islamic state. “We do not care if the government and the MILF reached an agreement. We do not want the Bangsamoro entity or whatever they may call it,” said Abu Misry Mama, spokesman of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, in the southern city of Davao.

The group launched attacks on army positions in the south in August as government and rebel negotiators held talks in Kuala Lumpur, but were repulsed by government troops.

Another threat comes from powerful clans who control some areas in the region and may fear a loss of political influence. The MILF and the government still need to thrash out details of their broad agreement in the months ahead as a 15-member commission drafts a law by 2015 to send to Congress.

The two sides agreed only that there would

MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III makes an announcement on national television at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines yesterday. Aquino said yesterday that his government has reached a preliminary peace agreement with the nation’s largest Muslim rebel group in a major breakthrough toward ending a decades-long insurgency in the country’s south. —AP the distrust and myopia that has the plagued efforts of the past,” Aquino said via a live broadcast from the presidential palace.

The new entity, whose exact size will decided by plebiscites ahead of elections in 2016, will be called Bangsamoro-the term for those who are native to the region and which Aquino said honoured “the struggles of our forebears in Mindanao”.

The south’s volatile and often violent politics could still hamper the plans. There is a risk that radical Islamic factions could split off from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and carry on fighting in a region that has a history of links

be “just and equitable” sharing of resources, which are believed to include large reserves of natural gas. Determining how much power the area will have over law, such as its scope to administer sharia justice, is another remaining challenge for negotiators.

Philippine chief negotiator Marvic Leonen told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, where the talks were held, that many hurdles remain and that the agreement was just the beginning.

“Peace processes are not easy. The agreement only heralds a change of the status of the parties vis-a-vis each other, from enemies perhaps to partners,” he said, following the talks

that have been brokered by Muslim majority Malaysia.

Hopes of peace have been raised in the past only to be dashed, most recently in 2008 when the Supreme Court declared a deal unconstitutional in a decision that set off rebel attacks and a fierce military offensive that displaced 750,000 people.

The prospects seem brighter now, analysts say, because Aquino commands strong political capital and has committed to a final settlement by the end of his term. A spokesman for the armed forces, Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, said a successful implementation of the deal would now allow the military to focus their resources on defending the country’s territorial rights in a row with China over the South China Sea. The deal could also reap economic benefits as the Philippines defies its reputation as a laggard with strong growth and a resurgence in investor interest. After four decades of conflict, the MILF leaders are ageing and, analysts say, eager to see some fruit from the years of peace negotiations.

They said the leadership may be motivated by the prospect of royalties from huge untapped deposits of oil, gas and mineral resources in rebel areas, part of an estimated total of $312 billion in mineral wealth in Mindanao. France’s Total has partnered with Malaysia’s Mitra Energy Ltd. to explore oil and gas fields in the Sulu Sea off Mindanao.

The deal is unlikely to have much immediate impact on the economy of Mindanao, said Steve Rood of the Asia Foundation, citing concerns about the region’s poor infrastructure, education and health services.

He said investors should take a longer view in the tourism and agricultural sectors, where Mindanao could become a hub for certification of halal products, those prepared under Islamic guidelines. The global halal industry is valued at around $2.1 trillion.

The new entity and its jurisdiction, expected to cover five provinces under the existing autonomous region plus parts of Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato provinces, will be determined through a plebiscite after the passage of the organic law.

Presidential peace adviser Teresita QuintosDeles said the areas to be added had previously voted to be part of the autonomous region. She added the southern cities of Isabela and Cotabato may also be covered by the new entity. The Muslim area will gain powers such as the right to impose taxes to cut central government subsidies, a bigger share in revenues from natural resources and a more active role in internal security.

But the Philippine government will continue to hold exclusive powers of defence and security, foreign policy, monetary policy, and citizenship and naturalisation. “This framework agreement paves the way for a final, enduring peace in Mindanao,” Aquino said. “This means that hands that once held rifles will be put to use tilling land, selling produce, manning work stations, and opening doorways of opportunity for other citizens.” —Reuters

Controversy over Cambodia premier’s land titling plan PHNOM PENH: Cambodian students have fanned out across the impoverished nation to help grant land titles to villagers in an ambitious but contentious new scheme spearheaded by the prime minister. When Hun Sen announced his titling plan in June, apparently without first consulting local authorities and communities, it was billed as a way to clamp down on land conflicts, seen as Cambodia’s most pressing human rights issue. But the strongman premier later backtracked, saying the more than 1,600 student volunteers recruited would not be measuring land in disputed areas at all, baffling campaigners who already lamented a lack of detail about the plan.

“For those in non-conflict areas it’s very good, but it doesn’t address the major problem. People who are most in need of land titles won’t receive them,” said Nicolas Agostini of local rights group ADHOC. The university students are now tasked with demarcating 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres) of uncontested territory so officials can issue titles to

470,000 families within the next few months. In the project’s first major milestone last month, Hun Sen personally delivered more than 500 property titles to families in Kratie, the same eastern province where security forces shot dead a 14-year-old girl during a land battle with villagers in May, in a case that shocked the nation.

Land ownership is a highly controversial issue in Cambodia, where the communist Khmer Rouge regime banned private property in the late 1970s and many legal documents were lost. Many observers have welcomed the land tenure security offered by the new scheme, which the premier says will encourage owners to invest in their property and boost the rural economy.

But Agostini said serious questions remained and attempts to silence or sideline independent observers were “not acceptable”. Hun Sen, 61, who has been in power since 1985 and is seeking reelection next year, has boasted of paying the students a monthly salary of some $220 out of his own pocket-double of

what the country’s garment workers earn. Rights groups say privately the scheme reeks of an election ploy by one of the world’s longest-serving leaders who has vowed to stay in power until he is 90. But campaigners face “a significant risk” if they go public with their concerns, a Western diplomat who did not want to be named told AFP. When a well-known land rights advocate expressed reservations about using inexperienced students and suggested the scheme was an attempt to boost Hun Sen’s image, he was threatened by a government-affiliated youth group. “They told me if I continue to criticise government policy, they are not responsible for what happens to me,” Sia Phearum said.

Local rights organisations voiced dismay at the threat, though long-time Cambodia watchers say it is not uncommon in a country where activists routinely face intimidation and criminalisation.

The government, in its haste to develop the impoverished nation, has in recent years come under fire from rights groups and the UN for granting swathes of land

to well-connected firms, prompting a spate of evictions and increasingly violent protests pitting villagers against developers.

In some of the strongest comments yet on the new land titling scheme, UN human rights envoy Surya Subedi said in a report last month that non-governmental groups had been warned “not to intervene” with the project. “Harassment and intimidation of individuals involved have been widely reported. The absence of civil society organisations has left many communities, families and individuals unaware of their rights,” he wrote.

Subedi also pointed out that the titling project fails to address “the crux of the problem” by avoiding disputed land, and echoed concerns about the deployment of volunteers who often get just two days of training and are confusingly clad in military fatigues. Land ministry spokesman Beng Hong Socheat Khemro dismissed Subedi’s comments as having “no value”, saying the students’ role was to prevent future land conflicts and not to solve existing conflicts. —AFP

ISLAMABAD: Clive Stafford Smith (2L), the British head of the legal lobby group Reprieveat and US nationals gather after a peace rally reached Tank yesterday, the last town before the semi-autonomous area of Pakistan.

Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan and his followers were yesterday stopped from entering Pakistan’s tribal region after they bypassed road blocks to press towards the region to protest against US drone strikes. —AFP

Pakistan convoy heads to protest US drone strikes ISLAMABAD: A convoy carrying thousands of Pakistani protesters and a small contingent of US anti-war activists rolled toward Pakistan’s volatile tribal region for a second day yesterday, planning to stage a demonstration against American drone strikes despite Taliban threats to attack the gathering. The rally is led by cricket star turned politician Imran Khan and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf. Khan has harshly criticized the Pakistani government’s cooperation with Washington in the fight against Islamist militants. He has been especially outspoken against US drone strikes targeting militants and has argued that the country’s alliance with Washington is the main reason Pakistan is facing a homegrown Taleban insurgency. He has suggested before that militant activity in Pakistan’s tribal areas will dissipate when the US ends the war across the border in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s tribal regions, such as North and South Waziristan, border Afghanistan and serve as bases for militant groups such as the Taliban to stage raids across the border into Afghanistan. The protest convoy of about 150 cars set out on Saturday from the capital Islamabad, traveled 400 kilometers (250 miles) and then stopped overnight in the city of Dera Ismail Khan. The plan for the second and final day was to travel another 120 km (70 miles) to reach Kotkai in South Waziristan by early afternoon and stage a rally there. But the motorcade was running hours behind schedule.

Thousands of supporters have turned out along the route to cheer on the convoy, which stretches about 15 kilometers (9 miles) including accompanying media. Some of those packed into the vehicles waved flags for Khan’s political group and chanted: “We want peace.” Video on Pakistani media showed barricades with hundreds of police in riot gear, a sign of concerns that the motorcade would be attacked or become unruly.

Around three dozen Americans from the US-based anti-war group CODEPINK joined Khan for the march. Because foreigners are normally forbidden from entering Pakistan’s tribal regions, it was unclear whether they would be allowed in. The American protesters say the US drone strikes, contrary to the claims of American officials, have terrorized peaceful tribes living along the border and killed many innocent civilians - not just Taleban and alQaeda fighters.

In a televised speech before the convoy got

under way yesterday morning, Khan thanked his supporters and the US group. “We have achieved the goal of this march. Our message of peace has reached the world. I am thankful especially to the American group that came a long way here to join this protest against drone attacks,” he said.

The convoy aims to throw a spotlight on the drone attacks, which many Pakistanis oppose as violations of the country’s sovereignty that often kill civilians. The rally is planned for South Waziristan, a tribal region where the Pakistani military has been battling a violent uprising by the Taleban, and factions of the Taliban have threatened to attack the march. On Saturday, a statement from a Taliban faction said to be based in eastern Punjab province warned that militants would target the protesters with suicide bombings.

The main faction of the Pakistani Taleban, which is based in South Waziristan, issued a statement Friday calling Khan a “slave of the West” and saying that the militants “don’t need any sympathy” from such “a secular and liberal person.” The former cricket star long had a reputation as a playboy, but in recent years he has said he has grown stronger in his Muslim faith.

He also has used attacks on the US drone program as a means of gaining attention and esteem in Pakistan. His popularity surged in recent years in Pakistan, where the government, led by the Pakistan People’s Party of Asif Ali Zardari, has disappointed many.

The key test will be whether Pakistani officials allow Khan and his supporters to enter South Waziristan. After three years of military operations in the area, the Pakistani military is still struggling to suppress militants in South Waziristan. Demonstrators yesterday pushed aside shipping containers blocking their way in two cities on the way to South Waziristan. A senior official in the South Waziristan administration, Hameedullah Khattak, vowed that the motorcade would not be allowed to enter the tribal area, citing security concerns.

“We will not let them in South Waziristan for security reasons. Here is major security situation and we cannot provide them security,” he said. Khan brushed aside the criticism on Saturday but has indicated that if the group is not allowed into South Waziristan, they will simply hold a rally wherever they end up. The US says its drone strikes are necessary to battle militants that Pakistan has been unable or unwilling to control. —AP

AHMADABAD: Indian women in traditional attire participate in a practice session of Garba, a traditional dance of Gujarat ahead of Navratri festival in Ahmadabad, India, yesterday. Navratri, or the festival of nine nights will begin from Oct 16. —AP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

NEWS

Election looms; Amir...

Parliament-fatigued Continued from Page 1 Time was lost between elections, dissolving parliament, lack of quorum and no sessions. This meant there were no projects at all. It meant not even solving the existing problems which the country is facing and which have been accumulating. Starting from the lack of electricity to street maintenance and safe food.

We live in a country which has a rough annual income of $134 billion, according to parliamentarians’ statistics. The economic situation resembles the one in a countr y which has no oil and no income. Anyone who has money is not courageous enough to revive the market because they are waiting to see what will happen with parliament and government. The only ones who did not lose in this situation are the government employees. The private sector faced an appalling situation.

Everyone has heard of companies closing down and slashing stuffs.

Now the situation will get worse. We have to wait for the new parliament, which means we will wait for nothing. We will vote the same faces, the same behavior and the same mentality. I guess it will be like last February. Elections will be over in two months and we will enter the new 2013 in limbo.

So, I have been doing some thinking.

After calculations: Isn’t it better for Kuwait to run without parliament? If parliament is a showoff case to show the world that there is democracy, then is no need for that. We prefer if the country was run by the government alone and if they mean business and have plans to develop the country. The parliament so far has taken us 50 years backwards. I think if His Highness the Amir makes a referendum the people will opt for the no-parliament option.

Continued from Page 1

OMDURMAN: Photo shows the wreckage of a plane that crashed near the Sudanese capital’s twin city of Omdurman yesterday. —AFP

13 killed as jet crashes Continued from Page 1 malfunction for the incident. Last December, all six crewmen aboard another military helicopter died when it crash-landed and burned in North Kordofan state. The army blamed a technical problem, as it did in April last year when a helicopter went down in Darfur killing all five soldiers aboard. The United States on Thursday voiced concern that security in western Darfur was worsening and threatening the implementation of peace accords there. “The United States is deeply concerned by the sharp deterioration in security in North Darfur and adjacent parts of Jebel Marra, Sudan,” State Department spokes-

woman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.

More than 70 civilians were killed in Hashaba, north Darfur, between September 25 and 27 in fighting and aerial bombardments between rebels and the Sudanese government forces, she said. The US was also “appalled” by Tuesday’s attack on a UN patrol in which four Nigerian peacekeepers were killed and eight injured, she added. Rebels from black African tribes rose up against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government in 2003. Clashes with government troops, banditry and inter-ethnic fighting continue, but the levels of violence have fallen compared to nearly a decade ago. — AFP

dissolution of the Assembly while the government took its time and decided to refer the electoral constituency law to the Constitutional Court challenging that the first two provisions of the law were unconstitutional.

The court however rejected the government appeal and held that the law was in line of the constitution.

More than a week later, the cabinet finally approved the Amiri decree calling to dissolve the National Assembly, paving the way for fresh polls. The 2009 Assembly was the first assembly to be dissolved twice in Kuwait’s 50years democracy and it is the sixth assembly to be dissolved since May 2006 and the ninth since democracy was introduced in Kuwait in 1962.

The next elections will be the second to be held in one year for the first time in Kuwait and it will be the fifth polls since mid-2006. Former opposition MPs welcomed the decree but warned against issuing what is known as emergency decrees to

amend the electoral constituency law. Former opposition MP Mussallam Al-Barrak said that after the decree, Kuwait is before two ways: the first which is in line with the constitution and calls for holding the new election on the basis of the existing law while the second represents a coup against the constitution which is to amend the law. Former MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun warned that Kuwait is passing through a turning point and called for ignoring calls by forces of corruption to amend the law.

In another development, the court will today hear the case of storming the National Assembly in which 68 opposition activists including nine former MPs are involved. Al-Humaidi Al-Subaie, one of the defense lawyers, said the defense will demand the postponement of the session till another date because we have will make several demands, without details. Since the Assembly has been dissolved, the former MPs will no longer enjoy parliamentary immunity and can be tried and questioned.

14

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

opinion

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Washington Watch

US election isn’t about a debate

By Dr James J Zogby ong before this week’s Presidential debate, the contours of this election had already been set. Despite the near hysterical and, at times, irritatingly silly reactions from pundits, right and left, the debate itself added very little that will impact the ultimate outcome of the contest. It was like watching a Yankees/Red Sox series game. Both sides watched and cheered for their team. One side came away a bit more excited, the other a bit deflated, but no one changed the side they are on.

Putting aside the exaggerated reactions of media commentators “Romney triumphed” or “Obama blew it”-the debate, itself, was quite boring. Like the impact of former President Bill Clinton’s convention address that boosted Democrat’s morale, Romney’s performance might provide a “shot in the arm” to depressed Republicans, many of whom have been troubled by their candidate and his lackluster campaign. Mood changer, yes; but not a “game changer.” More important than the debate are several factors that have defined the political landscape in 2012. First and foremost among these, are the basic demographics of the electorate.

On the Democratic side, there is the dramatic increase in “minority voters”. Two decades ago, this group comprised less than 20% of all voters. Today, they may be as high as 29%.

Estimates are that 80% will vote for President Obama. Add to this group, young voters, educated professional women, and, as my brother John notes, “the creative class”-and you have the Democratic coalition-not exactly the dependent “takers” of Mitt Romney’s imagined 47%. The core of the Republican coalition is increasingly white, middle aged and older, and male - with many within this group over-lapping with “Born Again” Christians. It was from within this demographic that the Tea Party was born, and the impact they have had on this year’s contest has been substantial.

After flexing their muscles delivering a Republican takeover of Congress in 2010, the emboldened Tea Party helped shape the field of 2012 GOP presidential aspirants.

More moderate Republicans were discouraged from entering the contest and the positions of those who did run bordered on the extreme in order not to alienate this aggressive hard line movement. Many of the statements made by Romney during the first Presidential debate would have had him booed off the stage during the Republican primary.

Two other landscape definers in the 2012 election resulted from Supreme Court decisions. The “Citizens United” case opened the door for the obscene amounts of money-much of it unreported-that is allowing the so-called Super PACs and 501(c)(4) organizations to fill the airways with mostly negative ads. Likewise, the decision by the Court to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act has meant that the President’s signature legislative accomplishment, though still a point of contention, is not the central issue being contested/defended in this year’s debate.

Three additional events have played a significant role in defining this election. Latinos had been frustrated by the failure of the Administration to make a priority of immigration reform. The White House has argued that they lacked the support in Congress to pass the measure. But this past summer, President Obama unilaterally acted to provide temporary relief to the group of undocumented young people who had been brought into the US illegally as children and who now find that through no fault of their own they are at risk of deportation. This reprieve, while initially criticized by Republicans, has impacted the election in two ways. It has energized the all-important Latino vote for Obama.

And as the GOP has realized that it was about to be swamped by this growing bloc, they have muted their criticism-with Mitt Romney now, for all intents and purposes, saying that he will uphold the President’s action. Much the same can be said of President Obama’s decision to end the policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell”, which discriminated against gays serving in the US military and his late recognition of equal marriage rights for gays. It is not just that gays comprise a substantial part of the liberal electorate. It is also clear that respect for their equal rights has become a litmus test of sorts among young voters.

The final “landscape setter” for this year’s contest was Mitt Romney’s now-infamous “47%” video. For months Democrats had been working to define Romney as an elitist who was “out of touch with working class Americans”. The recording of Romney’s off the cuff remarks before an audience of wellheeled donors has been played over and over with Romney, in effect, defining himself as an “out of touch” elitist.

These are the major factors that set the stage for this election, not the debate. Though they may try, the “group think” feeding frenzy of the pundits will shape headlines for a night or two, but will not alter the landscape. Clinton’s clear articulation of Obama’s agenda may have inspired already supportive Obama voters, just as Romney’s breathlessly desperate performance in the first debate proved a shot in the arm to his supporters. But I doubt that in the long term either of these substantially alter the size or composition of the either candidate’s support base.

L

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.

Salafism and Arab democratization

By Kamran Bokhari he outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2011 brought significant attention to groupsknown as Islamists-seeking to establish Islamic states in countries once ruled by secular autocrats. The bulk of this attention went to already established political groups such as the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which caused consternation in the West when its Freedom and Justice Party won control of both Egypt’s parliament and its presidency.

Much less attention was paid to the Brotherhood’s principal Islamist competitors, members of the ultraconservative Salafist movement, despite their second-place finish in Egypt’s parliamentary elections. This changed in late September when certain Salafists played a key role in the unrest in reaction to an anti-Islamic video posted on the Internet. Since then, Salafism has become the subject of much public discourse-though as is often the case with unfamiliar subjects, questions are vastly more numerous than answers. This is compounded by the rapidity of its rise from a relatively minor, apolitical movement to an influential Islamist phenomenon.

T

ORIGINS, GOALS OF SALAFISM Modern Salafism is based on an austere reinterpretation of Islam, calling for Muslims to return to the original teachings outlined in the Koran and the practices of the Prophet Mohammed as understood by the earliest generation, i.e., the Companions of the Prophet. From the Salafist perspective, nonIslamic thought has contaminated the message of “true” Islam for centuries, and this excess must be jettisoned from the Islamic way of life.

Salafists are a minority among the global Muslim population and even among Islamists. Unlike members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafists do not belong to a singular organization. Instead, the movement comprises a diffuse agglomeration of neighborhood preachers, societal groups and-only very recently-political parties, none of which are necessarily united in ideology.

In many ways, Salafism can be seen as a rejection of the political ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. For most of the movement’s existence, it shunned politics-and thus Islamism-in favor of a focus on personal morality and individual piety, arguing that an Islamic state could not exist without Muslims first returning to the tenets of “true” Islam.

This means Salafism also was at odds with the concept of jihadism-itself a violent offshoot of Salafism-as practiced by groups such as al

Qaeda that sought to use force to manifest their Islamist ideology.

The Salafist movement could also afford to stay away from political activism in large part because it had a political backer in the government of Saudi Arabia. While many Salafists didn’t agree with some of Riyadh’s policies, its historical role as the birthplace of Salafism and role as the patron underwriting the global spread of Salafist thought kept the movement within the Saudi orbit.

This remained the case until the 1991 Gulf War, in which Saudi Arabia was forced to allow some 500,000 U.S. troops into the kingdom to protect itself from Baathist Iraq, after the latter’s brief occupation of Kuwait. The move caused an uproar over the religious legitimacy of allowing non-Muslim soldiers on what many consider to be holy grounds, and it also gave way to a wider debate about the political state of affairs of the Saudi kingdom. Prominent scholars began publicly calling for reform, which led to Salafists in general engaging in political discourse and, eventually, to the concept of Salafism as an Islamist philosophy. Nevertheless, Salafists would not become a political force for another two decades, simply because it takes time for an apolitical religious movement to develop a political philosophy. At the same time, the Saudi leadership was rallying the country’s religious establishment to contain these newly politicized Salafists. The 9/11 attacks and subsequent U.S. actions against jihadism further advanced Salafist thought as the sect tried to hold on to its core values amid US-led international pressure for reform, distinguish itself from jihadists and come up with a viable political alternative to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Arab Spring By the end of the 2000s, Salafism had spread across the Arab world, most notably to Egypt and Tunisia, expanding both the number of its adherents and its institutional scope, which now included social organizations engaged in charity, relief and community work. They stopped short of formal political groups, largely because of the autocratic regimes under which they lived, but they quietly developed the infrastructure for such groups. It was under these circumstances that the Salafists found themselves at the beginning of the Arab Spring.

The case of Egypt’s Salafists is the most telling. Like the Muslim Brotherhood, they were caught unprepared when the popular agitation largely led by liberal youth groups broke out and began to consume decadesold secular autocratic regimes. While they

eventually were able to overshadow the largely non-Islamist forces that played a key role in forcing the ouster of then-President Hosni Mubarak, they lacked the political machine that the Brotherhood had developed over the course of some 80 years. The result was the rise of various Salafist forces haphazardly trying to assert themselves in a post-authoritarian Egypt. Several Egyptian Salafist groups applied for licenses to form political parties. Two prominent parties-AlNour and Al-Asala-emerged along with a host of individuals, such as Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, who ran as an independent candidate for president. The two Salafist parties banded together with the newly formed political wing of the former jihadist group Gamaa AlIslamiya-the Building and Development Party-to form the Islamist Bloc. The alliance was able to garner more than a quarter of ballots cast in the parliamentary polls late last year, coming in second place behind the Brotherhood.

What was most important about these Salafists participating in mainstream politics is that they embraced the electoral process after decades of having denounced democracy as un-Islamic. In other words, they ultimately adopted the approach of the Muslim Brotherhood, which they had hitherto vehemently rejected. This transformation has been more a rushed affair stemming from expediency rather than a natural ideological evolution.

There is an expectation that radical forces joining the political mainstream could, over time, lead to their de-radicalization. That may be true in the case of states with strong democratic systems, but in most Arab countrieswhich are just now beginning their journey away from authoritarianism-the Salafist embrace of electoral politics is likely to delay and perhaps even disrupt the democratization process and destabilize Egypt and by extension the region. Much of this chaos will stem from the fact that the move to accept democratic politics has led to further fragmentation of the Salafist landscape. Many Salafists still are not comfortable with democracy, and those who have cautiously adopted it are divided into many factions. The result is that no one Salafist entity can speak for the bulk of the sect.

WHAT LIES AHEAD Clearly, the Salafists are bereft of any tradition of civil dissent. That said, they have exhibited a strong sense of urgency to exercise their nascent freedom and engage in political activism. The outcome of this was the rioting that took place in reaction to the

anti-Islamic film. The Salafists are not just suffering from arrested political development; they face an intellectual discrepancy. On one hand, they wish to be part of the new democratic order and a mainstream player. On the other, they subscribe to a radical agenda that dictates the imposition of their stern interpretation of Islamic law across the Arab and Muslim world.

Their envisioned order is not just a problem for secularists, Christians, Jews and other minorities but also for more moderate Islamists such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood lost its monopoly on Islamism close to four decades ago but back then it didn’t matter because the Brotherhood was an opposition movement.

Now that the group has won political power in Egypt, the Salafists represent a threat to its political interests.

Some of the more politically savvy Salafists, especially the political parties, are willing to work with the Muslim Brotherhood toward the common goals of furthering the democratic transition and containing radical and militant tendencies. Ultimately, however, they seek to exploit the Brotherhood’s pragmatism in order to undermine the mainstream Islamist movement’s support among religious voters. Additionally, the Salafists are also trying to make use of their role as mediators between the Brotherhood-led government and the jihadists active in the Sinai region to enhance their bargaining power and lessen the Brotherhood’s.

Salafists-whether they operate through legal means or through raw street power-can be expected to create problems for Egypt’s new government led by President Mohammed Morsi, especially when it comes to foreign policy matters. A prime example is the recent case of the film-related violence, during which Morsi had a difficult time balancing the need to placate the masses at home and maintain a working relationship with the United States, upon which Egypt relies for its economic well-being. While the anger over the film is a passing phenomenon, the underlying dynamic persists.

There is also no shortage of issues for right-wing Islamists to exploit. US imperatives in the region will continue to place the Morsi government in a tight spot and provide reasons for the Salafists to oppose Cairo’s policies. Even more volatile than the dealings between the Morsi administration and Washington will be Israeli-Egyptian relations.

So far, Morsi has managed to avoid dealing too directly with Israel. But the Egyptian president and the Brotherhood cannot avoid this for too long. —Stratfor

Iran currency crisis not enough to threaten regime

By Catherine Rama he protests that have rocked Tehran over Iran’s plunging currency expose an undercurrent of tension and the effects of sanctions, analysts say, but do not yet signal a real threat to the regime. Despite hopeful talk from Israel of a “Persian Spring”, experts said the regime remains firmly in power and the majority of Iranians continue to support its nuclear ambitions despite sanctions. “People are not happy with the economic sanctions but will that push them to overthrow the regime? I don’t think so,” said Thierr y Coville of the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Relations. The protests erupted on Wednesday after the rial hit an all-time low against the dollar and shed around 40 percent of its value, as Western sanctions worsen Iran’s underlying economic problems.

Money changers said virtually no transactions were taking place in the market, making any valuation unreliable, but the rate was estimated to be around 36,000 to the

T

dollar.The fall has made it more difficult for ordinary Iranians to afford basic goods and seen import businesses lose millions of dollars. On Wednesday, hundreds of police and security personnel flooded central Tehran, closing foreign currency exchanges and rounding up unlicensed money-changers.

Scuffles broke out with stone-throwing men, trash dumpsters were set alight and 16 people were arrested.

The rare display of public anger prompted Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to suggest: “The Arab Spring will be followed by a Persian Spring, instability is spreading in Iran, and not just in Tehran.”

Western officials said the protest was a sign that pressure is having an effect. “The sanctions are biting,” said a senior European official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The goal, the official said, is “to bring the (Iranian) economy to its knees” and European officials are working on a new set of sanctions that may be approved later this month. But experts were cautious. “After the protests were violently crushed following

the fixed elections in 2009, Iranians do not want to go back to the streets. They’re in a holding position,” said Francois Nicoullaud, a former French ambassador to Iran. Western strategy ‘dubious’- Coville said Iranians “largely agree” with the nuclear program and are willing to resist sanctions. “The Western strategy of trying to make Iran boil over-in the hope that there will be a political change that will make Iran stop its nuclear program is highly dubious,” he said.

“Historically Iran is a country that has always wanted to resist Western pressure.

We have to stop believing that the system of sanctions can be effective, except in impoverishing the worst-off a little more.” The United States and the European Union have ratcheted up their sanctions on Iran this year to force it to curb its nuclear program, which they suspect includes a drive to develop atomic weapons capability.

Iran, which says its nuclear activities are purely peaceful, has had its vital oil exports severely cut as a result, and is struggling to repatriate the billions of dollars its crude

sales generate. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the crisis a “psychological war on the exchange market” imposed by the West, but critics pointed fingers at Iran’s monetary policies, which discourage bank deposits and have failed to reverse sky-high inflation and unemployment.

Paul Sullivan, an adjunct professor at Washington’s Georgetown University, said an extended currency crisis would put pressure on the regime, which may not have the dollar reserves needed to prop up the rial while suppor ting the economy. “ The exchange rate has been in a tumble for the last year or so,” he said, adding that it “may fall to 50,000 or lower before this is over. If they had the financial muscle to prop it up they would have done it already.” Sullivan said the cumulative effects of sanctions may yet spark real public anger. “Sooner or later the people will decide that it’s not going well for them,” he said. “The economy is essentially surviving on smuggling. One would expect inflation, one would expect potential instability.— AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

sp orts Solemia win thrilling Arc

Mineiro keep Flu in check

Cole faces tweet sanctions

PARIS: Outsider Solemia gave jockey Olivier Peslier a fourth Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe triumph yesterday when the French filly’s late burst denied Japan raider Orfevre in a thrilling finish.

Solemia, trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, came with a sweeping run down the home straight at Longchamp and wore down Japanese Triple Crown winner Orfevre close to the finish line in Europe’s premier race.

It was Frenchman Peslier’s first Arc triumph since Sagamix in 1998, having won the race the previous two years on Peinte Celebre (1997) and Helissio (1996).

English 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot was sent off favorite but finished out of the places.

Defending champion Danedream was not allowed to compete because Cologne racecourse, where the German filly is based, has been under quarantine following the detection of a case of swamp fever. —Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO: Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick as Atletico Mineiro crushed Figueirense 6-0 to keep Brazilian Championship leaders Fluminense in their sights on Saturday.

Fluminense remain six points ahead of second-placed Mineiro after Brazil striker Fred settled his second Rio derby in a row with the only goal in a 1-0 win over Botago.

Former FIFA player of the year Ronaldinho opened the scoring for Mineiro, who had not won in their previous four matches, with a shot from outside the box into the top corner that looked at first like a cross. Ronaldinho, who joined Mineiro from Flamengo this year, added a free kick and completed his treble with a penalty. He also laid on goals for defender Rever and striker Bernard before Carlos Cesar completed the rout. Fred, whose goal won the derby against Flamengo last weekend, scored in the 72nd minute at the Engenhao in Rio, beginning a counter-attack in midfield, taking a return pass from winger Wellington Nem and slotting home.

Both goalkeepers made brilliant saves with Flu’s Diego Cavalieri stopping shots from midfielders Fellype Gabriel and Elkeson after they had been set up by Dutchman Clarence Seedorf.

Botafogo’s Brazil keeper Jefferson made a spectacular save to keep out a header by defender Digao from playmaker Deco’s cross three minutes before being beaten by Fred. — Reuters

LONDON: Ashley Cole’s vulgar criticism of the Football Association has left him facing disciplinary action, and cast a cloud over his expected 100th England appearance this month.

England coach Roy Hodgson, though, sees the defender as “excellent professional” who remains integral to the team as he prepares to join an elite group of English centurions. Goalkeeper Peter Shilton made a record 125 appearances, while David Beckham, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Billy Wright are also members of the 100-cap club.

“We don’t have that Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in England like they do in America but in those terms these people are our Hall of Famers and Ashley will join that group,” Hodgson said.

But Cole’s controversial tweet on Friday will have ended any prospect of him being made captain for his landmark match, which could come in the World Cup qualifier in Poland on Oct. 16 if he features first against San Marino on Friday at Wembley Stadium. — AP

Reds win first playoff game in 17 years SAN FRANCISCO: Brandon Phillips still sees the highlights of his weak grounder for the final out in Roy Halladay’s no-hitter of the Cincinnati Reds in an embarrassing playoff opener two years ago.

Now, Phillips and the Reds have their own memorable winning playoff moment.

After losing their ace, no less. Sam LeCure, Mat Latos and three other pitchers shut down San Francisco after Johnny Cueto went out in the first inning with a back injury, and Cincinnati was powered by home runs from Phillips and Jay Bruce to beat the Giants 5-2 in Game 1 of the NL division series Saturday night.

Phillips hit a two-run homer in the third, and Bruce added a solo drive leading off the fourth as the Reds overcame the departure of their 19-game winner after just eight pitches.

Phillips added an RBI single in the ninth for his third hit and the Reds scored another on a passed ball. This one takes some of the sting out of that short-lived 2010 run.

“I still see it now. They always show it on TV. They show me on TV making the last out, and it kind of (stinks),” Phillips said.

“But honestly I’m glad it did happen.”

Aroldis Chapman gave up a run in the ninth on a wild pitch but struck out Buster Posey with a 100 mph fastball to end it with runners on second and third.

San Francisco’s Matt Cain allowed his first career postseason earned runs after going untouched during the Giants’ improbable World Series season of 2010.

That same year, Cincinnati was swept out of the first round by the Phillies after getting no-hit by Halladay. This time, the Reds clobbered Cain and played on with poise when Cueto got hurt.

“The pitch to Bruce wasn’t too terrible but the hanging breaking ball to Phillips is just something that you don’t want to happen in a big-game situation like this,” Cain said.

Reds skipper Dusty Baker earned an emotional win in his return to AT&T Park for the playoffs 10 years after managing the Giants within six outs of a World Series title before losing to the wild-card Angels.

He’s also back on the top step of the dugout after rejoining the team this week following an 11-game absence while recovering from a mini-stroke and irregular heartbeat.

Game 2 is Sunday night, with right-hander Bronson Arroyo (12-10) taking the ball for the Reds against San Francisco lefty Madison Bumgarner (16-11). LeCure did his part to calm the team.

The right-hander earned the win with 1

2-3 innings before Baker turned to 14game winner Mat Latos, who appeared unfazed at being forced into early duty on three days’ rest. He allowed a home run to Posey during his four innings, but San Francisco managed little else against one of baseball’s best bullpens. “We were just fortunate to win that game, like the way we did tonight, and you got to give big props to Latos,” Baker said. “Here is a guy

Other Cincinnati clubs might not have had it in them to withstand losing a starter like Cueto. The Reds have had a tough go come playoff time.

But Baker has long been confident in the “fight” of this bunch, which already dealt with losing Ryan Madson and two other relievers before the season started.

The 63-year-old Baker was greeted by a rousing ovation during pregame introduc-

SAN FRANCISCO: Cincinnati Reds’ Brandon Phillips swings on a two-run home run in the third inning of Game 1 of the National League division baseball series against the San Francisco Giants. —AP sitting back, relaxed, thinking he was tions from an orange-towel-waving sellout going to pitch next week at home and crowd of 43,492. The main center field now all of the sudden, boom, this is his scoreboard read “WELCOME BACK DUSTY first playoff game. It was a great feat by GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK IN THE DUGOUT.” Baker has vowed this team is somehim.” Latos - a longtime Giants nemesis during his Padres days - threw a 20-pitch thing special - “They love each other and bullpen session before the game. When they hang together,” he said. The Reds had pitching coach Bryan Price checked with dropped seven straight playoff games datLatos, he made it clear he could go, then ing to 1995, when now-Nationals manager went up to the clubhouse to grab his Davey Johnson and Cincinnati were swept spikes. He came in to boos from all direc- in the NL championship series by Atlanta.

“I swear, I don’t know any of these numtions.

“I felt real comfortable. It’s a team I’ve bers,” Baker said when it came up before pitched well against and I’ve pitched the game. “You can’t do anything about against a lot,” Latos said. “I’m glad I got the the last 17 years, whatever it is.”

Latos began the third, working in relief loudest boo. It’s been weak for the last for the first time since the minors, after couple years.”

The Reds set a club record this year as pitching five innings Tuesday at St. Louis. all five starters made it through the season While he had been set to go Game 3 on without getting injured - and they used Tuesday in Cincinnati, the Reds said Cueto is day to day and certainly are hoping he’ll their sixth starter for a doubleheader.

be ready later this series.

“He didn’t give us any sense of doubt he could do it,” Price said of Latos. Posey homered to left leading off the sixth for San Francisco, drawing cheers of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” for the NL batting champion. It was his second career postseason home run and gave him a six-game postseason hitting streak dating to his 2010 Rookie of the Year season.

Cain was left to watch at that point, and he hardly looked happy visiting with manager Bruce Bochy in the dugout after being pulled before the bottom of the fifth for George Kontos.

The right-hander went 23 1-3 postseason innings without allowing an earned run, fifth-longest in major league history.

But two of Cain’s five defeats this season were lopsided losses against the Reds - 9-2 and 5-0 - in which he allowed a total of four home runs, eight earned runs and 16 hits in 13 innings.

He had everything in his favor, pitching from the very mound where he tossed the first perfect game in franchise history June 13 against the Astros. He won his final six decisions of the regular season dating to a loss at St. Louis on Aug. 6.

The Reds survived third baseman Scott Rolen’s throwing error that allowed Hunter Pence to reach starting the fourth.

Brandon Belt lined into a double play moments later and Latos got out unscathed.

Chapman put runners on first and second in the ninth and Baker paid him a visit.

One out later he walked Marco Scutaro before the Giants scored on a wild pitch.

Posey struck out to end it.

Now, the Reds hope to get Cueto back later this series. The right-hander threw a second strike to No. 2 hitter Scutaro and walked off the mound in obvious pain. A trainer and Baker rushed out to check on him, and Cueto came out moments later.

He retired leadoff man Angel Pagan on a strikeout. During the at-bat, Pagan stepped out of the batter’s box and was granted time. Cueto apparently didn’t see it and continued his motion. But Baker said Cueto had felt some discomfort before the game and was alerted by Price.

He threw eight pitches and six strikes for the earliest postseason exit by a starter since Atlanta’s John Thomson lasted onethird of an inning in Game 3 of a 2004 NL division series against Houston. Thomson came out with a sore muscle in his left side. “You hated to see anybody lose their starter, but they brought in a good one, too,” Bochy said. —AP

Kligerman clinches at Talladega TALLADEGA: Parker Kligerman thought his NASCAR career was coming to an end two months ago when he was released by Brad Keselowski Racing 11 races into the season. Snapped up by Red Horse Racing, Kligerman is now a NASCAR winner.

Kligerman picked up his first career victory Saturday in the Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, where he used a push from Johnny Sauter take the lead and hung on as a multi-vehicle wreck ended the race under caution.

“When you get so close to something so many times and don’t achieve it, you can take two paths,” Kligerman said. “You can doubt yourself, doubt the situation you are in, doubt the people around you. Or, you can keep your self-belief and self-confidence and look at the positives. I feel like switching times, all the things that happened, this team gave me a ton of confidence.

“Halfway through the season it looked like my career was not on the upward slope I had hoped it would be on. I felt like my career was looking at a position was I was probably not going to be a part of NASCAR much longer.”

But Red Horse Racing wanted the 22-year-old Kligerman, and he celebrated the team’s 300th start by taking owner Tom DeLoach to Victory Lane.

“There is a vindication, because we won. Winning fixes everything,” said Kligerman, who inhaled so much exhaust during his victory burnout he “wasn’t on solid footing” during the Victory Lane celebration.

It was Kligerman’s first win in 44 career Truck Series races. Sauter, who pushed Kligerman into the lead, finished second and was followed by championship contenders James Buescher and Ty Dillon. Dillon took a one point lead into the race over Buescher, and the margin didn’t change. Buescher was content with the points situation, even though Dillon had pushed him into the lead after the final restart.

A spin by Ron Hornaday brought out a late caution, and Jason White was leading with six laps to go on the restart. White was pushed by Kurt Busch into a breakaway

lead, but the tandem of Buescher and Dillon caught up and went sailing by on the outside.

That’s when it “all kind of fell apart,” Buescher said. “Ty hooked up with me and pushed me up to the front, but I think we got there too early.”

Kligerman, with help from Sauter, came charging along and raced into the lead, and Buescher could do nothing as he tried to back up to Dillon so the two could hook bumpers and try to push back into the lead. Then Buescher said he nearly spun in the trioval, and didn’t get another chance as drivers jockeying for position started a multi-truck wreck that brought out the caution.

“A third-place run for us in the thick of the championship battle is a good day at Talladega,” Buescher said.

“Everybody wants to win here, but third place is a lot better than being caught up in one of the big wrecks.”

One of those wrecks collected Nelson Piquet Jr., last week’s winner at Las Vegas, who thought his result was more about the nuances of Talladega and his attitude than anything else.

“These superspeedways are just complicated,” said the Brazilian. “Maybe it’s my fault and I was too pessimistic when I got here. I don’t like this place, I don’t like the way it happens.” —AP

TALLADEGA: Parker Kligerman celebrates in victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway after winning the NASCAR Truck Series auto race. —AP

Bad call, bad idea for one-game playoff NEW YORK: There was something a bit artificial about it to begin with, and not just because the worst team in the National League playoffs became the first beneficiary of the expanded wild card.

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly celebrated as if it was real, even if they had to wait until they were off the field to go wild about their wild-card win. No sense antagonizing the fans in Atlanta any more, in case they still had a few more beer bottles in reserve.

Baseball is not supposed to be decided in one game. Never was, no matter how much extra money it brings Bud Selig and his owners.

That a 94-win season can end because of a few ill-timed errors is hard enough to digest for Atlanta fans who kept the faith through a long season. That a call an umpire had no business making thwarted a possible comeback will make the offseason seem even longer.

Actually, left field umpire Sam Holbrook may have done everybody but Braves fans a favor by raising his arm and calling an infield fly in the eighth inning Friday. His call highlighted the absurdity of a sudden-death playoff system thrown together quickly and without a great deal of careful thought.

The idea was sound, much like the original plan to add a wild-card team back in 1994.

More teams in contention in August and September means more fans in the stands, which means more money to the owners. The original wild card - instituted when baseball went to three divisions from two - has worked well, even if purists grumble that the best-offive opening series should be best-of-seven. It has added excitement to baseball races, and given teams that might never beat a juggernaut in their division something to play for.

The expanded wild card is more of a gimmick that punishes the wild-card entry with the best record and makes the 162-game regular season even less meaningful. There’s too much emphasis put on one game, too many chances that something weird - like a bizarre infield fly rule call - causes an entire season to suddenly go bad.

And let there be no mistake about it. The infield rule call was bizarre, beginning with the fact it was made in the outfield.

It might not have cost the Braves the game, but it surely cost them a chance to get back in the game. And while it may have been the technically correct call to make under the broad interpretation of the rule, it was the wrong call to make under the rule of common sense.

It was a call made by an umpire looking at the play from an angle he never sees during the regular season, when there are no outfield umps. The last time Holbrook was that far down the left- field line during the regular season, he probably was trying to get away from the bratwurst and hot dog racing between innings in Milwaukee.

It was also a judgment call, meaning no amount of instant replay could change it.

Indeed, even after watching the video after the game, the umpires were unanimous in their opinion that the call was the right one.

Joe Torre, the former player and manager who now acts as MLB’s executive vice president of baseball operations, said he was sorry the controversy overshadowed the first game under the new format. But Torre said he found the game exciting, and liked the idea of the sudden- death playoff.

Not surprisingly, losing manager Fredi Gonzalez didn’t quite agree. “Maybe they need to tweak the rules a little bit as you go forward,” Gonzalez said. “But it was one game for both teams. So, that part was fair.” The best tweak would be to expand the wild-card elimination to a best-of-three series, and play all games on the home field of the team with the best record. That would provide an incentive for having the best regular-season record of the two wild-card teams and eliminate a travel day that would push the postseason further into November.

That doesn’t guarantee the best team will win, but playing a minimum of two games takes some of the randomness out of it. Teams will play looser, managers will be able to set up their pitching staffs better, and umpires will have a few more games to get used to making calls down the outfield lines.

More importantly, fans won’t have to live with the idea of an entire season being wiped out by a fluke play or a bad call. It’s a simple fix that will make September more competitive, and October even more interesting. —AP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

sp orts

Champion All Blacks tell rest of world ‘catch up’ WELLINGTON: New Zealand took time to put together the complete performance they had been threatening, but their last two matches in the inaugural Rugby Championship firmly showed they had moved the game on from last year’s successful World Cup campaign.

The All Blacks, unlike previous Webb Ellis trophy winners, avoided a World Cup hangover, sweeping through the Rugby Championship’s six matches unbeaten after defeating Ireland 3-0 in their June series. They have now won 16 successive tests, one short of the record amongst Tier One rugby nations, which is held jointly by the New Zealand side of the late 1960s and South Africa in the late 1990s.

Steve Hansen’s team can match that in Brisbane on Oct. 20 with another test against Australia before both sides embark on season-ending northern hemisphere tours.

If the All Blacks win at Lang Park, the European sides will be hard pressed to prevent them breaking, and extending, the world record of 18 successive wins held by Lithuania. Under Hansen, the All Blacks have tried to play the game at a much faster pace than they had done in the past, with forwards and backs combining at high intensity to change angles, get wide and stretch defences across the park.

It took them until their 54-15 victory over Argentina in their penultimate game to achieve that goal, which they were able to repeat in the second half of their 32-16 win over South Africa in

Johannesburg on Saturday. Despite their attack finally clicking in their last two matches, it was, ironically, Israel Dagg’s yellow card late in the match against the Springboks that demonstrated the All Blacks’ resolve in their run to the title. Composure under pressure, allied with an aggressive defensive line stopped the Springboks’ attack and the forwards forced a turnover that allowed Dan Carter and his tactical nous to move them down field, where they spent the majority of the undermanned 10 minutes in attack and were rewarded with a penalty goal to extend their lead. Such was the effectiveness of the All Blacks’ defence, they conceded six tries across the entire Championship and scored 18, 17 of which were by the backs. Of those 18 tries, 13 were scored in their three away games in Sydney, La Plata and Johannesburg, emphasising the team’s ability to win anywhere and in style. Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer will not be as satisfied as his All Blacks counterpart, with just two victories and a lucky away draw against the Pumas, to finish third in the tournament.

South Africa squandered a big lead against the runner-up Wallabies to lose in Perth and left several points on the field against the All Blacks in Dunedin with poor goal kicking.

Meyer, however, introduced several younger players including lock Eben Etzebeth, flanker Marcell Coetzee and flyhalf Johan Goosen to test rugby this season as they look to build for the 2015 World Cup in England. While Meyer intially stuck with misfiring

flyhalf Morne Steyn, whose kick-oriented game had pressured the All Blacks in Dunedin, the spark provided by Goosen in their penultimate game against the Wallabies showed their attacking potential.

Despite not winning a game in the competition, the Pumas might be satisfied with their performances, where they pushed the All Blacks for 60 minutes in Wellington and should have beaten the Wallabies on the Gold Coast a week later.

Led superbly by number eight Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and veteran lock Patricio Albacete, the Pumas provided an immense challenge in the forwards while their defensive pattern was superb for much of the competition, only cracking when the All Blacks ran riot in La Plata.

Such was their impact on the competition, proving more competitive than Italy have been in 12 years of the Six Nations, pundits expect them to challenge for the title sooner rather than later and transfer that experience into greater consistency at World Cups.Australia’s gallant, if error-strewn, win over Argentina in the closing match in Rosario on Saturday was enough to snatch second place in the championship and the world number two ranking back from the Springboks.

But the Wallabies endured a largely miserable campaign, blighted by injuries and lashed by media criticism at home.

Already robbed of skipper James Horwill, the team lost flanker David Pocock for the tournament

due to a serious knee injury in the opener against New Zealand and lost scrumhalf Will Genia two matches later in a horror run dubbed the ‘captain’s curse’. Further injuries exposed a worrying lack of depth in the Wallabies’ lineup, and forced embattled coach Robbie Deans to introduce 11 new caps to international rugby.

Deans, already under intense media pressure, was further undermined by one of his own players, with injured flyhalf Quade Cooper publicly criticising his coaching from the sidelines.

In an extraordinary attack, Cooper ruled himself out of playing another game for the Wallabies under Deans’s charge and labelled the team as a “toxic environment”.

Deans’s biggest problem, however, remains one that has hampered the Wallabies for the best part of a decade and one he must fix quickly, if he still has the job next year, of establishing a consistently competitive scrum.

Several of his props appeared overweight and unfit for international rugby, while Deans was forced to ask Nathan Sharpe to postpone his retirement in the absence of a settled locking combination.

Deans has two weeks to try to lift his side to face New Zealand in Brisbane, and take a step to catching up to the world champions in the final dead rubber match of the Bledisloe Cup, which the All Blacks wrapped up in August to retain the trans-Tasman trophy for a 10th successive season. — Reuters

Loeb bags ninth world rally title

LAS VEGAS: Ryan Moore tees off the sixth hole during the third round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tournament. — AP

De Jonge and Blixt share lead LAS VEGAS: Swede Jonas Blixt birdied six of the last seven holes to regain a share of the lead with Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge after Saturday’s third round of the $4.5 million Las Vegas Open.

Co-leader with the burly de Jonge overnight, PGA Tour rookie Blixt took advantage of another near-perfect day for scoring in the Nevada desert as he fired a sizzling five-under-par 66 to post a 19under total of 194.

De Jonge finished with four birdies in his last five holes to card a matching 66 while first-round pacesetter Ryan Moore of the United States made it a three-way tie at the top after returning a flawless 65. With Americans Jimmy Walker (66) and Tim Herron (68) next best at 14-under, the first of four events in the PGA Tour’s Fall Series seems set for a late shoot-out between the lead trio in the final round at the TPC Summerlin.“I enjoy it. It’s nice playing next to guys that are playing well and making putts,” Moore, who played in the company of de Jonge and Blixt on Saturday and will do so again late yesterday, told reporters.

“Sometimes it makes that hole look even bigger when you see them (putts) just keep dropping. That’s what was happening, especially on the back nine today.

“Both of them got rolling and made a bunch of birdies in a row and I kind of threw in a couple here and there and kind of stayed there with them.” De Jonge, who like Blixt is bidding for his first victory on the PGA Tour, also relished the scoring frenzy. “When everyone is playing well you can feed off each other, and I think we did a

good job of that today,” the 32-year-old said. “Everyone played well, and hopefully we’ll have more of the same tomorrow.”

Moore, who won his only PGA Tour title at the 2009 Wyndham Championship, does not rule out the chance of a fourth contender bursting from the chasing pack late yesterday.

“I’ve got two guys that I am playing against that are playing great golf and then a course that’s playing very scorable,” said the 29-year-old Las Vegas resident, who has played the TPC Summerlin layout countless times. “Somebody that’s a handful of shots behind us can go out and shoot seven, eight, nine, 10-under. You’ve seen those scores this week.”

Moore, who recorded six birdies in a bogey-free display on Saturday, equaled the course record when he fired a scintillating 61 in Thursday’s opening round.

American world number 21 Nick Watney, the highest-ranked player in the field, was at 10-under after carding a 71, level with Fijian former world number one Vijay Singh (71).

US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III, whose 12-man team stunningly lost to a resurgent Europe after being outplayed in the concluding singles at Medinah late yesterday, was a further five shots back after battling to a 73.

Twice major winner John Daly, who had been just four strokes off the pace overnight, spectacularly imploded as he carded a 15-over 86 to plummet from a tie for sixth into 72nd spot, last place among those players who made the cut. — Reuters

Nishikori rips Raonic to lift Japan Open TOKYO: Kei Nishikori stunned big-serving Milos Raonic 7-6 3-6 6-0 with an electrifying display of attacking tennis to become the host country’s first Japan Open champion yesterday.

It was the eighth seed’s second career title after winning in Delray Beach in 2008 and will elevate the 22-year-old from 17th to 15th in the world rankings.

“I’m partying tonight!” Nishikori said in a courtside interview as a sellout Tokyo crowd went wild. “I’d thought the Gods were against me at this event in the past.

“To win the title is amazing. I’m overwhelmed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with a year’s worth of Corona beer,” added Nishikori, sheepishly referring to a bonus gift from tournament sponsors. “I don’t even like beer.”

Nishikori took the first set tiebreak 7-5 after a jaw-dropping running backhand pass, clenching his fist to salute the roars of the crowd.

Sixth seed Raonic took the second, drilling a bullet serve at Nishikori’s body as the cheers of the majority among the 13,000 centre court fans turned to groans.

However, Nishikori stormed back in the decider, ripping another fierce backhand pass down the line to open a 4-0 lead, leaving his Canadian opponent

gaping in disbelief.

He delivered the coup de grace moments later, a lofted return forcing Raonic to smash a drive volley into the net after two hours, eight minutes to complete a final set ‘bagel’.

“It’s absolutely unbelievable to win in Japan,” added Nishikori, $308,000 richer.

“To win an ATP 500 event will give me more confidence in the future.

“I’d never played well in Japan but since beating (second seed) Tomas Berdych (in the quarter-finals), I felt I’d broken that wall down. To reach the top 10 is my target now,” He told reporters.

Both players were presented with flowers by Australian Ken Rosewall, who won the title in 1973, the first year the Japan Open became an official tournament. “Kei is a superstar in Japan,” said Raonic, who shocked last year’s winner and U.S. champion Andy Murray in the semi-finals and fired down 14 aces against Nishikori.

“I don’t think I had a letdown after beating Murray,” added Raonic, projected to rise one spot to 14th in the rankings.

“Kei is so quick and he was reading my serves well, which doesn’t usually happen. I love coming to Japan and thanks Japan for inventing sushi. I love it.” — Reuters

STRASBOURG: Sebastien Loeb clinched his ninth consecutive world rally title on home soil after winning Rally France yesterday.

The French driver needed only to finish ahead of his Citroen teammate Mikko Hirvonen of Finland to guarantee another world crown.

“I don’t know what to say, it’s a great moment, I’m really happy,” Loeb said. “We won everything here, the rally and the championship.

It’s our last (full) season together with (co-driver) Daniel (Elena), but I’m trying hard not to think about it.

“I want to savor the moment,” Loeb added.

“It’s been a perfect season, we’ve won the championship with two races left.” Although Loeb drove cautiously over the day’s six stages, he had already established a comfortable lead and Hirvonen hardly made up any ground, finishing third overall behind Jari-Matti Latvala of Finland.

Latvala finshed the race 15.4 seconds adrift of Loeb, while Hirvonen trailed him by 44 seconds.

“I’m satisfied to finish 15 seconds behind, that’s good, even though I’m aware of the difference there is between us,” Latvala said. “Sebastien is the most incredible talent in the history of rally driving.” Loeb was 54 seconds clear of Hirvonen overnight and appeared happy just to protect his advantage. Loeb had won four stages on Friday and Saturday, but failed to win any yesterday. “What a phenomenal driver. I’m delighted to be his teammate,” Hirvonen said. “Will it be my turn next year after Seb’s retirement? I don’t know yet, I prefer to make the most of being by

FRANCE: Citroen driver Sebastien Loeb of France (right) gestures on the podium with his codriver Daniel Elena of Monaco (left) after winning the Rally de France. — AP his side this season.” The 38-year-old Loeb and the third in sixth. Hirvonen cut the gap to 44 expects to race in no more than five rallies next seconds but was unable to make up enough season as he prepares to make the transition to a time on Loeb during the day.

Belgian driver Thierry Neuville won five of the new career with Citroen in World Touring Cars.

Loeb’s day got off to a slow start when he fin- day’s six stages in his Citroen, with Estonia’s Ott ished the first two stages down in seventh place, Tanak winning the other one for Ford. — AP

Djokovic defeats Tsonga for third China Open title BEIJING: Top-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 6-2 yesterday to win his third China Open tennis title in Beijing then celebrated by dancing with the ball boys and girls on court.

World number two Djokovic dug deep in the first set after an early trade of breaks to win a close tie-breaker and then broke the third-seeded Tsonga twice in the second set.

After receiving his trophy, Djokovic delighted the crowd by joining the ball girls and boys in doing the “horse dance” made popular by Billboard chart-topping South Korean rapper Psy in his “Gangnam Style” hit. Yesterday’s victory gave Djokovic, who also won the China Open in 2009 and 2010, his fourth title of the year.

“I think the first set was really even and maybe a couple of points decided the winner there,” Djokovic told reporters.

“We both had our chances aside from those breaks that we converted... I managed to hold my nerve in the end. “I made that early break in the second (and) I felt much more comfortable on the court.” The Australian Open champion will remain in the hunt to take back the world number one ranking from Roger Federer at the end of the year.

“That’s the target,” Djokovic said. “This will definitely help me in that race but it’s still quite open. There are still tournaments to come, big ones.” Tsonga said he needed to raise his game to beat top players such as Djokovic after his sixth straight loss to the Serbian.

“I think it was a good match,” Tsonga said. “I

BEIJING: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic receives the trophy and a soft toy from the Chinese officials after he won the men’s singles final match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the China Open tennis tournament. —AP missed maybe something in the middle of the first set. I was a break up and I was playing well but then he played solid. It was really difficult to control him.

“I just tried to play my game, to be aggressive, but against a player like this, for the moment, my level is not high enough and it’s

not enough to beat him.”

Earlier, Mike Bryan overtook Australian Todd Woodbridge’s mark of 83 career doubles titles when he, along with brother Bob, beat Carlos Berlocq and Denis Istomin 6-3 6-2 for their third China Open title in four years. It was the seventh title of the year for the American pair. —Reuters

Azarenka thrashes Sharapova in final

BEIJING: Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka lifts up the trophy after she won the women’s singles final match against Maria Sharapova of Russia at the China Open tennis tournament.— AP

BEIJING: World number one Victoria Azarenka thrashed second seed Maria Sharapova of Russia in straight sets yesterday to win the $4.8 million China Open.

The Belarusian dispatched Sharapova, ranked number two in the world, 6-3, 6-1, in the final of the Beijing tournament-the last Premier Mandatory event of the women’s calendar. Azarenka collected the winner’s prize of $848,000 and became the first player ever to win two Premier Mandatory tournaments in one year. Azarenka, 23, sped to a 4-0 lead in the first set against the French Open champion, breaking her opponent’s serve twice and holding her own on both occasions.

Sharapova, 25, won her first game in the fifth, before Australian Open champion Azarenka continued her 100 percent service game in the sixth.

The Russian responded by upping her serving and return shots, winning two games in a row, but it was too little too late as Azarenka broke Sharapova in the final game to win the set 6-3 in 43 minutes.

Azarenka continued her momentum into the second set, again winning the first four games with ease. The tennis star from Belarus then came from behind to hold her serve in a lengthy fifth game to make it 5-0 before Sharapova scraped a game, following an 18shot rally. With Azarenka serving for the match Sharapova had two break points at advantage but the Russian was unable to convert. Azarenka then squandered a match point before finally taking the game and set to record a big win.

It was Azarenka’s first China Open title in four attempts and her fifth tournament triumph of the season. “I’m really happy to have a good result because I’ve been coming here the last four years,” Azarenka said, praising the “incredible atmosphere” inside the capital’s National Tennis Stadium.

“I think I started the match really well, and I felt like I was doing the right things to make sure that I didn’t let Maria play her game as she likes always to be in control and dominate,” Azarenka added. —AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

sp orts

Gators beat LSU 14-6 win over Georgia. No. 7 Kansas State had a 56-16 win over rival Kansas, with John Hubert running for 101 yards and four touchdowns on just 10 carries.

West Virginia, ranked No. 8, was a 48-11 win-

NEW YORK: The Florida Gators got their biggest victory yet under second-year coach Will Muschamp, beating Louisiana State Tigers 14-6 in college football on Saturday.

For the third time this season, No.10-ranked Florida trailed at halftime against a Southeastern Conference rival and came back to win.

The Gators trailed 6-0 at the break, but scored on consecutive drives by running on 17 of 18 plays. Mike Gillislee ended both of them with 12yard touchdown runs, one in the third quarter and another early in the fourth.

LSU and top-ranked Alabama played twice last season as the Nos. 1 and 2-ranked teams, and their upcoming clash on Nov. 3 was widely expected to have the same rankings, but the Tigers’ loss put paid to that. LSU was just one of seven undefeated teams to fall Saturday, including Texas, Georgia and Florida State.

Iowa State also handed No. 15 Texas Christian its first loss, 37-23, to stop the Horned Frogs’ 12game winning streak, which had been the longest in major college football.

Penn State made it four straight victories by beating No. 24 Northwestern 39-28. The Wildcats were trying to go to 6-0.

There was no such slip-up for No. 2 Oregon, which had a 52-21 win over Washington. Marcus Mariota threw for 198 yards and four touchdowns, including two TD strikes to tight end Colt Lyerla.

Florida State lost 17-16 at North Carolina State despite leading 16-0 at halftime. Mike Glennon found Bryan Underwood for a touchdown pass with 16 seconds left.

South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, while Ace Sanders had a dazzling 70-yard punt return touchdown in the Gamecocks 35-7

SUZUKA: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany holds his trophy aloft after winning the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit.—AP

Vettel wins Japan GP SUZUKA: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won the Japanese Grand Prix yesterday and blew the Formula One championship wide open with five races remaining after Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso spun out at the start. Alonso’s pre-race lead over reigning champion Vettel, chalking up his second win in a row and third of the season, was cut to four points from 29 with the Spaniard in danger of falling behind in South Korea next weekend.

“It was an important step today but there’s still a long way,” said Vettel after holding aloft the winner’s trophy and making the familiar raised forefinger gesture as number one.

“These things happen and obviously you don’t hope for those things to happen to yourself,” he added of Alonso’s exit into the gravel following contact with former Ferrari champion Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus. “We have so many races, it could happen. We don’t know what happens in the next race, it’s good to take the points today.”

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa came second, 20.6 seconds behind Vettel, for the Brazilian’s first podium finish since October 2010 with Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi delighting his home crowd with third place for Sauber. Only the third Japanese to stand on a Formula One podium, he was the first since Takuma Sato at Indianapolis in 2004. Only Aguri Suzuki, in 1990, had previously finished in the top three at Suzuka. “Fantastic, unbelievable,” he said, sharing a podium with Vettel for the first time since their Formula Three days and addressing the fans in Japanese.

Massa seemed so out of practice at being on the podium that he knocked over his bottle of champagne, spilling some of it on the stage before he had a chance to shake the bottle as he collected his trophy.

The victory was Vettel’s third from pole in Suzuka in the past four years and he also set the fastest lap after leading from start to fin-

ish in the Suzuka sunshine with the team warning him to be careful.

In truth, he had nothing to worry about with Massa far behind and Kobayashi fighting to keep McLaren’s Jenson Button behind him right to the finish. Button, last year’s winner, crossed the line 0.5 adrift of the Sauber.

McLaren’s 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton was fifth ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the Lotus and Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg for Force India.

Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado scored his first points since he won the Spanish Grand Prix, ending a run of nine races without scoring for Williams.

Australian Mark Webber was ninth for Red Bull after starting on the front row following Red Bull’s first one-two of the season in qualifying, and then having to fight back from last place after a collision with Frenchman Romain Grosjean’s Lotus at the start.

Grosjean, banned for the Italian Grand Prix in September, was handed a stop-go penalty for the incident. Webber branded him a “first lap nutcase” and suggested it might be time for him to take another “holiday”. Australian Daniel Ricciardo took the final point for Toro Rosso, denying Michael Schumacher a top 10 placing in what was the German’s final Japanese appearance before retirement at the end of the season. The safety car was deployed after the first lap with Alonso trudging back to the paddock after his Ferrari went spinning onto the gravel and then back on to the track facing the oncoming cars.

“Five great races coming! If the enemy thinks in the mountains, attack by sea, if they think in the sea, attack by the mountains,” the Spaniard’s official Twitter feed declared.

Schumacher’s team mate Nico Rosberg also retired at the start after a collision with Williams’ Brazilian Bruno Senna, who was given a drive-through penalty.—Reuters

Armstrong competes in triathlon ELLICOTT CITY: Lance Armstrong, branded a dope cheat and stripped of his seven Tour de France cycling titles, took part in a triathlon yesterday in suburban Baltimore that raises money to fight cancer. Organizers of the Revolution3 Half-Full Triathlon dropped USA Triathlon sanctions so Armstrong could compete in the event. He is banned from events that must follow World Anti-Doping Agency rules because of his cycling punishment. “ This was a race that was built and designed to race money for (the fight against) cancer, so it was an easy decision,” said Brock Yetso, president of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

Two triathletes dropped out as a result of the decision but 300 others said they wanted to compete, including 50 cancer survivors who joined Armstrong, himself a cancer con-

queror, for the 70-mile swim-cycling-running event. Armstrong completed the event in four hours and 16 minutes. The triathlon raised money for the Ulman Cancer Foundation that was created by Doug Ulman, the chief executive of the Livestrong charity that has long been supported by Armstrong, who has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing.

Armstrong said in August that he would not fight US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) charges that he took part in a doping scheme during his run of Tour de France success, now voided, from 1999 through 2005.

USADA said the next day that Armstrong was banned for life and his results since 1998 would be voided. Armstrong has called USADA’s case against him a witch hunt while USADA says it has 10 witnesses of wrongdoing by Armstrong.—AFP

ner over Texas. Geno Smith passed for four touchdowns. No. 9 Notre Dame cruised past Miami 41-3. Cierre Wood and George Atkinson III gave the Fighting Irish their first 100-yard rushing duo in a decade.—AP

BATON ROUGE: Idaho running back Ryan Bass (5) is stopped for a 2-yard loss on a fourth down carry in the first half of an NCAA college football game against LSU.—AP

Hosszu steals the show at Doha DOHA: Hungar y ’s K atink a Hosszu took her Dubai form into Doha as she replicated her seven individual gold medals, one bronze and one mixed team gold effort, stamping her authority on the 2012 FINA Swimming World Cup. At the Hamad Aquatic Centre, the 23-year-old Hosszu, considered by many as a potential star of the future, won another four individual golds on Sunday in the 400m individual medley, 200m butterfly, 400m freestyle and 100m individual medley. She then anchored Hungary to a narrow win over Hong Kong in the mixed 200m freestyle relay.

As expected, Olympic gold medalist Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa won the 100m breaststroke with a stunning per formance of 57.22s, while compatriot Chad Le Clos won the 100m butterfly with a lifetime best of 49.60s.

Hosszu, who could only finish

fourth in the 400m individual medley at the London Olympics, is taking out her frustrations at the World Cup. Even though her first two

wins of the day came against small fields - just three in the 400m medley, where she clocked 4:30.03 to finish ahead of teammate Zsuzsanna Jakabos, and

Katinka Hosszu in action in this file photo

four swimmers in the 200m butterfly - there was no doubting her talent as she returned immediately after her second race.

After winning the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:09.31, she shook off a full field in the 400m freestytle in 4:04.24, more than a second ahead of New Zealand’s Melissa Ingram (4:05.62).

In her final individual race of the day, Hosszu cut almost a second off her Dubai time to win in 59.74secs, with Jakabos second again in 1:00.41. Japan’s Daiya Seto, with three golds, a silver and a bronze in Doha, leads the men’s tally. Van der Burgh kept his unbeaten record intact, winning four out of four so far while Le Clos is third just behind Robert Hurley.

In the women’s section, Swedish legend, the 35-year-old Therese Alshammar, also won her three events in Doha to be six-for-six so far and is tied for second with Jakabos. —AFP

Ethiopians Kebede and Baysa in Chicago double CHICAGO: Tsegaye Kebede became the first Ethiopian man to win the Chicago Marathon by capturing yesterday’s 35th running in a course record with compatriot Atsede Baysa taking the women’s title by a stride. Kebede surged in the final mile to win in 2 hrs 04 mins 38 secs and defeat countryman Feyisa Lilesa by 14 seconds with Tilahun Regassa third in 2:05:26 in his marathon debut to complete an Ethiopian men’s podium sweep.

Kebede’s victory snapped a run of consecutive Chicago victories by Kenyan men at nine. The former men’s course mark was 2:05:37 last year by Kenyan Moses Mosop.

In a women’s duel in doubt until the last second, Ethiopia’s Baysa edged Kenya’s Rita

Jeptoo, the 2006 Boston Marathon winner, at the finish line.

Baysa was given an official time of 2:22:03, a personal best by one second, with Jeptoo second at 2:22:04 and Kenya’s Lucy Kabuu third, 38 seconds adrift.

Liliya Shobukhova failed in her bid for a fourth Chicago Marathon title in a row, the 24-year-old Russian settling for fourth, 56 seconds off the pace. Russia’s Maria Konovolova led early and Shobukhova led halfway but the lead pack began to surge after 20 miles and Shobukhova fell off the pace.

Shobukhova was unable to finish the London Olympic marathon because of stomach cramps and has been nagged by

injuries this year but last year won the event in 2:18:20.

Kebede, third at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, moved to the front of the lead pack after 30 kilometers and by the 35km mark he was out with Regassa and Lilesa, who was third at last year’s world championships. Once Regassa slowed in the 23rd mile, it was a two-man show.

Both leaders ran under 2:05:00 for the first time in their careers, but 2010 Chicago runner-up Kebede pulled away from Lilesa in the last half mile for the victory.

Kenya’s Sammy Kitwara was fourth with countryman Wesley Korir, last year’s Chicago runner-up and this year’s Boston Marathon champion, in fifth.—AFP

Grace triumphs at Dunhill Links ST ANDREWS: Branden Grace of South Africa won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews yesterday, holding off a late challenge from Dane Thorbjorn Olesen.

Grace, who won for the fifth time on tour this year, closed with a two-under 70 over the Old Course, with the fast-rising Olesen coming in with a 68.

The 24-year-old from Pretoria began the week with a European Tour record-equalling 60 at the Kingsbarns course - the European Tour’s pro-celebrity event is staged over three links courses - and was never overtaken after

that. Olesen did make a move in the final round, drawing level with seven holes to go, but the South African birdied the next three holes and with another on the last finished with a tournament record-equalling 22under-par total. Alone in third place, four strokes off the pace was Alexander Noren of Sweden, while another Swede, Joel Sjoholm, was fourth a further two strokes back.

Scotland’ Stephen Gallacher, winner in 2004, finished in a tie for fifth after incurring a two-stroke penalty for playing the wrong ball at the 16th.—AFP

CHICAGO: Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia (right) edges out Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo (left) to win the 2012 Chicago Marathon.—AP

CHICAGO: Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia, crosses the finish line to win the 2012 Chicago Marathon.—AP

18

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

S P ORT S

Officials and Shooters group photo

Sheikh Nawaf shooting tourney ushers in new season Handicapped club shooters take part for the first time

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The tournament of HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah concluded Saturday at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex. Hawally Governor Lt General (Rt) Abdallah Al-Fares represented HH the Crown Prince in the closing ceremony which was attended

by President of the Arab Shooting Federation, Vice-president of Kuwait Shooting Federation Engineer Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi, Deputy Director General of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports Dr Humoud Fulaiteh, Secretary General of Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations Obaid Munahi Al-Osaimi and board members.

The tournament witnessed strong competition between more than 200 shooters over three days, representing the club, military and police sports associations. This year’s tournament witnessed the participation of shooters from the handicapped club for the first time in the 10m rifle and pistol.

Kuwait Shooting Sports Club was instrumental in building the shooting ranges at the handicapped club with the support of President of the Asian and Kuwait Sports Federations and Vice-president of ISSF Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

Officials of KSSC believe that HH the Crown Prince Shooting Tournament is a strong start for the local season and it is a prelude to regional, Arab and

international participations.

Representative of HH the Crown Prince Lt General (Rt) Abdallah Al-Fares said he was happy to be at KSSC representing HH the Crown Prince at the closing ceremony. He said he was content with the shooters’ high standards and their ability to compete at world level. He thanked KSSC board of directors for their efforts to enable the shooters represent Kuwait at the Olympic, international, continental and Arab levels.

Meanwhile, president of the Arab Shooting Federation, Vice-president of KSF Eng Duaij Al-Otaibi said “we are happy to organize this tournament as we open the season with a major event carrying the name of HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad. He said we at the KSSC thank HH the Crown Prince for his care of the shooters.

He said Kuwait shooting is doing very well, as evident with achievements of Fuhaid Al-Daihani who took third place at the World Cup in Slovenia, and before that the bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic.

Al-Otaibi concluded by saying “we are honored to have shooters from the handicapped club with us, and a special event for them, and they are always welcome.

Results of the tournament are as follows: Skeet men: Zaid Al-Mutairi, Saud

Lt. General Abdallah Al-Fares hands a Al-Fares hands the trophy to a special needs shooter winner his trophy

Officials with the special needs shooters Habeeb, Hazaa Al-Daihani.

Trap men: Abdelrahman Al-Feihan, Nasser Al-Miqlid, Irshaid Al-Rashidi.

Double trap men: Fuhaid AlDaihani, Mishfi Al-Mutairi, Hamad AlAfasi.

Skeet women: Afrah Adel, Sheikha Al-Rashidi, Futooh Abdelrahman.

Trap women: Sarah Al-Hawal, Fatima Abdelmalik, Rasha Al-Fares.

10 meter air pistol (men): Mishal Al-Mutairi, Mideth Al-Sahli, Khalid AlSubaie.

10 meter air rifle (men): Borislav Mazinjanin, Abdallah Al-Harby, Khalid Al-Subaie.

50 meter rifle (men): Mishaal AlTahoos, Borislav Mazinjanin , Majid Al Osaimi.

50 meter pistol (men): Khalid AlSubaie, Zaid Al-Dhafiri, Mishaal AlMutairi.

10 meter rifle (women): Mariam Erzouqi, Ayat Al-Duwaikhi, Heba Erzouqi.

10 meter air pistol (women): Ghizlan Hussein, Huthama Al-Baghli, Israa Bahman.

25 meter pistol (women): Iman Bouland, Huthama Al-Baghli.

Archery (men): Fahad Al-Rashidi, Ahmad Al-Tamimi, Abdelaziz Bushehri.

Archery (women): Sanaa AlKhudari, Maali Al-Failkawi.

The Handicapped Category: 10m air pistol - Tawfiq Askanani. 10m air rifle - Mohammad Al-Shimmari, Atif AlDousari, Nizar Ramadhan.

Dortmund held in Hanover BERLIN: Defending champions Borussia Dortmund stayed fourth in the Bundesliga yesterday after Hanover’s Mame Diouf hit a late equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw and a share of the points.

Hanover have not lost at home in the Bundesliga for nearly 18 months and ex-Manchester United striker Diouf preserved their proud record at the AWD-Arena with an 86th-minute equaliser as the hosts finished with a flurry.

With Bayern Munich five points clear at the top of the table after their 2-0 win over Hoffenheim on Saturday gave them a Bundesliga record-equalling seventh straight victory, Dortmund are now nine points behind the Bavarians.

Their point also came at a price as midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski came off after 39 minutes with a leg injury, while defender Mats Hummels aggravated his hip problem and midfielder Ilkey Gundogan missed the game with a back strain.

“We have three injured players in the dressing room and conceded a late equaliser,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp.

“We should have finished our chances. We will play our own season. We have two games against Bayern Munich. These games inter-

GERMANY: Stuttgart’s Ibrahima Traore (right) gestures after he was fouled by Leverkusen’s Simon Rolfes during the German Bundesliga soccer match. —AP est us greatly, but not the (points) deficit after only seven matches.”

Dortmund took an early lead that was made in Poland as defender Lukasz Piszczek found some space in the Hanover penalty area and squared to his Polish team-mate Robert Lewandowski, who fired home on 26 minutes.

Hanover had their chances to equalise, with Ivory Coast striker Didier Ya Konan then second-half replacement Diouf only being

denied by good work from the solid Dortmund defence.

The equaliser finally arrived when Ya Konan fired in a shot that Diouf managed to latch onto before stabbing the ball past despairing Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller. Bayer Leverkusen finish the weekend sixth in the table after a 2-2 draw at Stuttgart, with ex-Germany striker Stefan Kiessling scoring twice for the guests while Vedad Ibisevic

German League results/standings Borussia M’gladbach 2 (de Jong 24, Arango 8) Eintracht Frankfurt 0; VfB Stuttgart 2 (Ibisevic 19-pen, 55) Bayer

Leverkusen 2 (Kiessling 13, 59); Hanover 96 1 (Diouf 86) Borussia Dortmund 1 (Lewandowski 26).

German Bundesliga table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Bayern Munich Eintracht Frankfurt Schalke Dortmund Hanover Leverkusen Duesseldorf Hamburg Mainz

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

7 5 4 3 3 3 2 3 3

0 1 2 3 2 2 4 1 1

0 1 1 1 2 2 1 3 3

21 16 15 17 15 11 6 9 7

2 10 7 9 10 9 3 10 8

21 16 14 12 11 11 10 10 10

Borussia Freiburg Werder Bremen Hoffenheim Nuremberg Stuttgart Augsburg Wolfsburg Greuther Fuerth

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1

3 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 1

2 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 5

9 11 10 10 7 7 5 2 2

12 10 13 14 14 14 11 13 11

9 8 7 7 7 6 5 5 4

netted both goals for Hoffenheim.

Earlier, second-place Eintracht Frankfurt suffered their first league defeat of the season after going down to a shock 2-0 loss at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Having won promotion from the second division in May, Armin Veh-coached Frankfurt had previously won six of their seven games since coming up, while this was only Gladbach’s second league win of the season. The victory moved Gladbach up to 10th in the table, while Frankfurt stayed second after goals by Venezuela veteran Juan Arango and Dutch striker Luuk de Jong put the hosts 2-0 up after only 24 minutes.

On Saturday, there was no happy return to Gelsenkirchen for Wolfsburg’s ex-Schalke coach Felix Magath as the Royal Blues enjoyed a 3-0 win.

Magath spent two years at Schalke before he was sacked in February 2011, when he returned to Wolfsburg. Magath’s team were well beaten at Veltins Arena thanks to goals by Peru striker Jefferson Farfan, Dutch forward Ibrahim Afellay, and midfielder Roman Neustaedter.

It was Wolves’ sixth game without a win and their third straight defeat, leaving Magath’s team second from bottom, while Schalke moved up to third.

Hamburg continued their rise up the table to eighth with a 1-0 win at Bavarian side Greuther Fuerth thanks to South Korean striker Son Heung-Min’s first-half goal.

Mainz enjoyed a 1-0 win at home to Fortuna Duesseldorf, while Freiburg recorded their first win in four games with a 3-0 victory at home to Nuremberg. On Friday, Werder Bremen lost 3-1 at Augsburg as the hosts enjoyed their first win of the season. —AFP

FRANCE: Paris Saint-Germain’s Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) vies with Marseille’s Burkinabe midfielder Charles Kabore (right) during the French L1 football match. —AFP

Gignac matches Ibra as Marseille hold PSG PARIS: Andre-Pierre Gignac matched Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal for goal to earn Marseille a 2-2 draw at home to Paris Saint-Germain yesterday and keep OM three points clear of their arch rivals at the top of Ligue 1. All the goals came in the first half at Stade Velodrome, with Gignac scoring either side of a stunning quick-fire double from Ibrahimovic, whose eye-catching contribution masked a listless performance from his side. PSG remain unbeaten in the French top flight this season, but Marseille showed enough to suggest that their storming start to the campaign is not about to fizzle out.

Having seen their perfect Ligue 1 record destroyed by a 4-1 defeat at Valenciennes last weekend, Marseille righted the ship by thrashing AEL Limassol 5-1 in the Europa League on Thursday, and they began in positive fashion against PSG. Gignac fired over after deftly eluding Thiago Silva in the fourth minute but 13 minutes later he found the target, wriggling away from Christophe Jallet and planting a low drive into the bottom-left corner.

PSG’s lethargy evoked unwelcome reminders of their 3-0 capitulation at the Velodrome last season, but they were quickly shaken out of their slumber by the brilliant Ibrahimovic, who took his tally for the season to nine league goals.

The giant Swede scored twice in the space of two minutes to turn the game in PSG’s favour, equalising with an audacious volleyed back-heel from Maxwell’s corner in the 23rd

minute and then ripping a ferocious free-kick past Steve Mandanda from 25 yards.

Ibrahimovic’s breath-taking intervention was a stark reminder to OM of the new financial dimension in which their foes now operate, but Gignac headed home his second from a Mathieu Valbuena corner to ensure parity at half-time. Tempers flared at the interval, with Morgan Amalfitano fortunate to escape sanction for a slap on Blaise Matuidi, while PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti opted to introduce Kevin Gameiro in place of the disappointing Javier Pastore. Gameiro and Andre Ayew spurned chances at either end early in the second period, but the game dipped in intensity thereafter as both sides seemed to settle for a point.

Earlier, Lyon were held to a 1-1 draw at Lorient in an open and entertaining game at Stade du Moustoir that left Remi Garde’s side in third place. Lyon hit the woodwork twice before Bafetimbi Gomis volleyed them ahead in the 23rd minute, with Jeremie Aliadiere equalising early in the second half when he converted Benjamin Corgnet’s low cross following a slick move down the Lorient right.

Lyon finished the weekend one point below PSG, while the impressive Lorient are a point further back in fourth, having extended their run of games without defeat to eight matches.

In the lunch-time game, Bordeaux preserved their own unbeaten record in Ligue 1 with a 1-1 draw at Brest that left Francis Gillot’s side in sixth place. — AFP

19

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

S P ORT S

Cleverley stunner caps United romp Newcastle 0

Man United 3

ITALY: Inter Milan Argentine forward Diego Milito (left) challenges for the ball with AC Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivo during a Serie A soccer match at the San Siro stadium. — AP

Ten-man Inter claim 50th derby victory in Serie A MILAN: Ten-man Inter Milan survived a second-half assault by city rivals AC Milan to win 1-0 at the San Siro yesterday and claim their 50th Milan derby win in Serie A. Inter and Milan began the match, the 157th to be played between the sides in Serie A, with 49 wins apiece. However it was Inter who emerged with the bragging rights after Argentinian Walter Samuel stunned a large majority of the 73,000 crowd with a fourthminute opener.

Inter striker Antonio Cassano, who moved to Inter in the close season and was the subject of boos and jeers throughout the match, won a freekick for an innocuous challenge on the left wing. Esteban Cambiasso stepped up and sent in a deep cross that evaded the entire Milan defence, including ‘keeper Christian Abbiati, and was met at the far post by a diving Samuel. Five minutes later Inter spurned a golden chance to double their lead when Abbiati somehow gave the ball away to Diego Milito but the Argentine striker fluffed two chances to beat the Milan ‘keeper.

Inter’s early lead injected some urgency into Milan and they went on to dominate the opening half, albeit creating only one real scoring chance.

Stephan El Shaarawy’s effort was blocked under pressure after a good assist by Kevin Prince Boateng and then El Shaarawy did well to set up Urby Emanuelson to the right of goal only for the Dutchman to fail to make contact. On 33 minutes Inter were even gifted another chance when El Shaarawy lost the ball to Uruguayan Walter Gargano and the ball found its way to Milito, with an alert Mario Yepes coming to Milan’s rescue. Three minutes later Emanuelson maintained possession and set up Boateng, who spurned the

chance to level when he sent his shot wide of Slovenian Samir Handanovic from only 15 yards. Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni replaced Coutinho with Colombian midfielder Fredy Guarin for the start of the second half but was soon reshuffling when Yuto Nagatomo was sent off for handball, having been cautioned in the first half.

Cassano was then replaced by Alvaro Pereira and Allegri signalled his desire to capitalise on their advantage by sending midfielder Robinho on for wingback De Sciglio.

With Inter content to soak up the pressure and launch counter-attacks, Milan were soon dominating and the trio of Boateng, Robinho and Bojan brought promise.

However the goal Milan were searching for remained elusive. Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo finally managed to keep one of his drives down and when Handanovic could only parry, Bojan picked up the rebound and delivered a cross which Boateng, at the far post, bicycle kicked over the crossbar.

Moments later another Montolivo missile was saved by Handanovic but when an alert Bojan got to the ball he lost his footing.

Allegri replaced El Shaarawy with Pazzini but the Italy striker was found wanting when Robinho’s long cross found him unmarked at the far post. Emanuelson then sent an angled drive just a foot past Handanovic’s post and 10 minutes before the whistle Pazzini missed another chance when Robinho headed Boateng’s ball back towards goal.

Milan had appeals for a penalty rejected late on after Pazzini had slipped the ball through to Robinho, who tumbled in the area. And in a final flurry Handanovic saved from the feet of Robinho, only for the referee to whistle for an earlier foul. — AFP

Italian Serie A results/standings Roma 2 (Lamela 30, Bradley 62) Atalanta 0; Catania 2 (Gomez 2, Bergessio 80) Parma 0; Torino 0 Cagliari 1 (Nene 74); Fiorentina 1 (Jovetic 7) Bologna 0; Pescara 0 Lazio 3 (Klose 25, 35, Hernanes 5); Siena 1 (Calaio 47) Juventus 2 (Pirlo 14, Marchisio 85).

Italian Serie A table after yesterday’s afternoon matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Pescara 7 2 1 4 6 14 7 Juventus 7 6 1 0 17 4 19 Udinese 6 1 3 2 6 9 6 Napoli 6 5 1 0 12 2 16 Parma 7 1 3 3 6 10 6 Lazio 7 5 0 2 12 6 15 Chievo 7 2 0 5 6 14 6 Inter Milan 6 4 0 2 10 6 12 Palermo 7 1 2 4 6 11 5 Roma 7 3 2 2 14 11 11 Atalanta 7 2 1 4 5 11 5 Fiorentina 7 3 2 2 8 6 11 Cagliari 7 1 2 4 4 11 5 Catania 7 3 2 2 9 11 11 Siena 7 2 2 3 8 8 2 Sampdoria 7 3 2 2 9 8 10 Note: Sampdoria (one point), Torino (one Genoa 7 2 3 2 8 8 9 point), Atalanta (two points) and Siena (six Torino 7 2 3 2 9 5 8 points) all docked points for involvement in AC Milan 6 2 1 3 7 6 7 ‘Calcioscommesse’ illegal betting scandal Bologna 7 2 1 4 9 10 7

Fonte’s late leveller frustrates Fulham Southampton 2

Fulham 2

SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton defender Jose Fonte headed a late equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw against Fulham in a dramatic finish at St Mary’s yesterday.

Nigel Adkins’ side looked set for their sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches this season when Kieran Richardson put Fulham 2-1 ahead with just two minutes to go.

But Portuguese centre-back Fonte, who had earlier given Saints the lead before a Jos Hooiveld own goal drew Fulham level, came to the rescue as he popped up at the far post to nod home a free-kick in stoppage-time.

Fonte’s goal lifted Southampton out of the relegation zone at Reading’s expense, while Fulham remain in ninth place.

Southampton made a fast start and striker Rickie Lambert headed into the side-net-

ting after connecting with a Danny Fox corner. In the fifth minute the hosts went in front when Adam Lallana floated a corner in from the left and Fonte’s glanced header at the near post looped over Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Jason Puncheon was next to threaten for the hosts. He was denied on the goal-line by Sascha Riether and then, from the following corner, had the ball in the net only to see his goal disallowed for a foul on Schwarzer.

However, Fulham were more dangerous in the second half and Steve Sidwell hit a post before Hugo Rodallega’s close-range effort was well saved by Paulo Gazzaniga.

Martin Jol’s side drew level in the 70th minute when John Arne Riise drilled a low shot and centre-back Hooiveld deflected it in for his second own goal of the season.

Hooiveld was involved again when Fulham looked to have snatched the win in the 88th minute. Former Manchester United midfielder Richardson hit a goalbound shot that clipped off Hooiveld’s leg and past the wrong-footed Gazzaniga.

But Richardson went from hero to zero in stoppage-time. He gave away a free-kick with a rash foul and Fonte headed home from Fox’s delivery to steal a point. — AFP

NEWCASTLE: Tom Cleverley scored a stunning goal to cap Manchester United’s emphatic 3-0 win over Newcastle at St James’ Park yesterday.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s attacking ‘gamble’ paid off as his side moved up to second in the table, climbing above defending champions Manchester City to sit four points behind leaders Chelsea, after early goals from Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra - both opening their account for the season - paved the way to victory. United were humbled 3-0 on their previous visit to Tyneside in January, but there was little danger of a repeat once they cruised into a deserved two-goal advantage early in the first half.

They had to withstand a spirited Newcastle fightback as the hosts eventually recovered from the shock of conceding twice in the first 15 minutes, and they were thankful to goalkeeper David De Gea, who produced a stunning save early in the second-half to deny Papiss Cisse, when a goal at that point would have altered the whole complexion of the contest.

Cleverley made the points safe when the England midfielder curled a spectacular effort into the top corner past goalkeeper Steve Harper. Alan Pardew insisted shortly before kick-off that his United counterpart Ferguson had taken a gamble with the attacking nature of his line-up, Danny Welbeck spearheading a front five also boasting the talents of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Cleverley and the outstanding Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa. Those words came back to haunt the Newcastle manager, who saw his side ripped apart as they suffered only a second defeat in 12 games this season.

Such was United’s utter early dominance, the main surprise was that the visitors scored just twice as they dictated play for the opening half an hour.

They settled for two set-piece goals, the first arriving in the eighth minute. Defender Evans stole in between his markers Mike Williamson and Cisse to to head home van Persie’s in-swinging corner from six yards despite Harper getting a hand to the powerful effort. The lead was doubled eight minutes later, Newcastle again found wanting at a corner, this time swung in by Rooney.

Evra showed a speed of thought and deed lacking by his marker Demba Ba to steal in at the near post to connect with a close range header which left Harper with little chance as the Frenchman scored for the first time since November 2010. The pressure continued almost relentlessly, and after the labouring Ba fouled Cleverley, Harper did well to claw away Rooney’s 20yard free-kick which was destined for the top corner.

Newcastle recovered from their awful start and finally began asking questions of Ferguson’s side as the firsthalf wore on. Jonas Guiterriez came closest to providing a way back, the Argentinian midfielder narrowly off target from the edge of the area after good work from Hatem Ben Arfa.

Newcastle enjoyed their best spell of pressure in the 15 minutes before the interval. Despite De Gea looking suspect to the aerial threat, the hosts were unable to take advantage of their dominance.

De Gea atoned for his first-half hesitancy with a stunning save immediately after the restart, denying Cisse’s close-range follow-up header with a desperate stop on the line - replays suggested the ball hadn’t fully crossed the line - after Ba’s initial effort from a Shane Ferguson cross had bounced down off the bar.

United remained a danger, and Harper’s hurried save prevented Rooney from stretching the lead after the England forward was given space to run into the area and fire off a shot from 15 yards. The third eventually came in memorable style from Cleverley, who struck in the 71st minute with a sublime curler. — AFP

Struggling Liverpool held by Stoke

LONDON: Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (right) vies for the ball with Newcastle United’s Hatem Ben Arfa (left) during their English Premier League soccer match. — AP

EPL results/standings Liverpool 0 Stoke 0; Newcastle 0 Man Utd 3 (Evans 8, Evra 15, Cleverley 71); Southampton 2 (Fonte 4, 90) Fulham 2 (Hooiveld 70-og, Richardson 88); Tottenham 2 (Caulker 58, Lennon 67) Aston Villa 0.

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Chelsea Man Utd Man City Everton Tottenham West Brom Arsenal West Ham Fulham Newcastle

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

6 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2

1 0 3 2 2 2 3 2 1 3

0 2 0 1 1 1 1 2 3 2

15 17 15 14 13 11 13 8 15 8

4 9 8 8 8 7 5 8 11 11

19 15 15 14 14 14 12 11 10 9

Swansea Stoke Sunderland Liverpool Wigan Aston Villa Southampton Reading Norwich QPR

7 7 6 7 7 7 7 6 7 7

2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

2 5 4 3 2 2 1 3 3 2

3 1 1 3 4 4 5 3 4 5

12 6 5 9 7 6 12 8 5 6

11 5 7 12 13 12 20 13 17 16

8 8 7 6 5 5 4 3 3 2

Stylish Spurs sink Villa Tottenham 2

Aston Villa 0

LONDON: Tottenham piled the pressure on Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert as the hosts swept to a stylish 2-0 win at White Hart Lane yesterday.

Andre Villas-Boas’s side climbed to fifth in the table after second half goals from Steven Caulker and Aaron Lennon gave Tottenham their fourth successive Premier League win.

Tottenham played some of their best football of the season and such was their dominance over Villa that French goalkeeper Hugh Lloris, finally making his league debut, had little to do.

It was another chastening experience for former Norwich boss Lambert, who has managed just one win from his first seven league matches since taking charge in pre-season, and Villa have dropped to a lowly 16th place. Villas-Boas sprang a surprise before kick-off when he ended American goalkeeper Brad Friedel’s run of 310 consecutive Premier League starts by giving Lloris his top-flight debut. Lloris, signed from Lyon for £8 million on

deadline day, helped Spurs to their first Premier League cleansheet of the season.

But most of the action was at the other end of the pitch and, with less than 30 seconds gone Jermain Defoe laid the ball off to Gareth Bale, who flashed a curling shot just wide. Jan Vertonghen then burst down the left flank and cut the ball back but Defoe blazed the ball over from 12 yards. Lloris’ first piece of action came after 20 minutes when he saved from Christian Benteke, but Spurs were soon back on the attack and Defoe shot just wide.

Villa intercepted a sloppy Lloris throw to Vertonghen and Gabriel Agbonlahor found the unmarked Benteke at the back post but he headed wide. That proved Villa’s last serious chance to win the match as Spurs took the lead in the 58th minute. Defoe got on the end of Bale’s cross and took a touch before firing a low shot that was going wide until it clipped Caulker’s heel and flew past Brad Guzan. It was 2-0 nine minutes later as Lennon scored his first goal of the season. Villa defender Joe Bennett failed to close down Clint Dempsey, who squared for Lennon and he swept a precise shot past Guzan in to the far corner.

Dempsey should have put the game beyond doubt 15 minutes from the end, but he somehow missed a free header from eight yards. To make matters worse for Villa, Bennett was carried off on a stretcher with 12 minutes left after clattering in to the advertising boards. — AFP

Liverpool 0

Stoke 0

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is still waiting for his first Premier League win at Anfield after his struggling side were held to a 0-0 draw by Stoke yesterday.

Rodgers has yet to oversee a Premier League home win in four attempts since taking charge of Liverpool in the close-season and the Reds’ barren run in front of their own supporters has now stretched to six matches in all competitions.

The hosts hit the woodwork three times, but Liverpool were unable to break down Stoke’s stubborn defence and Rodgers’ side remain in 14th place after just one win in their first seven league matches. Liverpool, whose only home success under Rodgers came in the Europa League against Gomel of Belarus, are already eight points off the top four and more worryingly for their manager, they lie only three points above the relegation zone. Stoke have now drawn five times in seven matches and Tony Pulis’ men sit 12th in the table.

Rodgers made eight changes from the side beaten by Udinese in the Europa League on Thursday, after which he called his players “lazy”, and Stewart Downing was not even on the bench after hitting back at his manager, who had questioned his character earlier this month.

Liverpool were out of rhythm right from the start and Nuri Sahin conceded possession to Charlie Adam, who advanced before drawing a fine save from Jose Reina.

The Reds were in trouble again when Steven Nzonzi teed up Michael Kightly and the winger tried to flight the ball into the goal, but Reina recovered to turn it over at full stretch.

Liverpool’s frustration increased, while the away fans chanted ‘You’re not famous any more’, and all that there was to give the Reds fans some hope before the break was a sweeping shot by Steven Gerrard turned aside by Asmir Begovic. —AFP

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s players celebrate their goal against Aston Villa during a Premier League soccer match at White Hart Lane ground. — AP

Djokovic defeats Tsonga for third China Open title

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

16

Vettel wins Japan GP

17

Cleverley stunner caps United romp

Page 19

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (center) vies with Real Madrid’s midfielder Xabi Alonso (left) and Real Madrid’s defender Sergio Ramos during the Spanish League Clasico football match. —AFP

Messi, Ronaldo ensure Clasico draw BARCELONA: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored twice as Barcelona and Real Madrid drew 2-2 in a politically-charged Clasico yesterday which kept the Catalan giants eight points ahead of their bitter rivals.

Ronaldo put Madrid ahead after 23 minutes but Messi responded just after the half hour mark with Barca having shown little going forward. The 98,000 capacity crowd of vociferous Catalans glimpsed the possibility of going 11 points clear after Messi struck a free-kick to put them ahead after the break but Ronaldo responded five minutes later.

In the dying stages, Barca had the chance to win it with Martin Montoya hitting the woodwork. On a tense night at Camp Nou, fans created a mosaic of the Catalan flag, “The Senyera”, in

a clear demonstration of the nationalist fervor in the region where many want independence from Spain.

In a surprise move, Barca lined up with Adriano Correia in the centre of defence alongside Javier Mascherano with Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique both injured.

Real coach Jose Mourinho put his confidence in the side which won the league last season with Mesut Ozil returning to the starting line-up despite a poor start to the campaign where Luka Modric appeared to have moved above him in the pecking order.

In a cautious opening, Barca had possession but were generally too deep and the Madrid players were happy to sit on the halfway line, looking to pounce when their moves broke

down. Despite their impressive winning streak, which had yielded six victories in the opening six La Liga matches, Barca have lacked their usual silky passing and their hesitation was made worse by a lack of confidence in their defence.

Angel Di Maria had an early shot wide and Adriano was forced into a last ditch clearance but the first clear opportunity fell to Karim Benzema after 12 minutes. However, volleying the ball on the full from a Ronaldo cross, he blazed wide.

The general air of nationalism was again demonstrated after 17 minutes and 14 seconds when fans raised their Senyera flags and chanted for freedom for Catalonia.

The moment was chosen as a reference to the fall of Barcelona in 1714 during the War of Spanish Succession when Catalonia came under

centralised rule from Madrid.

Sergio Ramos had the chance to put Madrid in the driving seat after 20 minutes but allowed a clear header from a corner he was unable to hit the target.

Madrid looked the more incisive side going forward and they got their reward when Ronaldo beat keeper Victor Valdes at his near post with a low left-foot drive after being played in by Benzema. The Frenchman then failed to double the advantage, leaning back with his shot from 12 yards, and the ball came back off the post while Di Maria hit the follow-up wide. It got worse for Barca with Dani Alves limping off to be replaced by youth product Montoya.

But forced out of their shells, the game opened up and they equalised with their first

Windies crowned T20 champions COLOMBO: Darren Sammy’s West Indies were crowned the new World Twenty20 champions yesterday after a 36-run victory over hosts Sri Lanka in a dramatic final in Colombo yesterday.

The West Indies, restricted to 137-6 after electing to bat, hit back to bowl Sri Lanka out for 101 and silence a sell-out crowd of 35,000 at the Premadasa stadium that included President Mahinda Rajapakse.

It was the first world title for the West Indies since the 50-over World Cup triumph under Clive Lloyd in 1979, and handed Sri Lanka their fourth defeat in a major final since 2007.

Spinner Sunil Narine grabbed three wickets for nine runs and Sammy took two as the hosts, who had excelled in the field in the first session, undid the good work with irresponsible batting in the second. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene survived two dropped catches to top-score with 33, while tailender Nuwan Kulasekara hit 26 off 13 balls, including three fours and a six in the 16th over of seamer Ravi Rampaul. Sri Lanka’s unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis had taken four wickets for 12 runs as the West Indies collapsed once Chris Gayle was removed in the sixth over for only three runs. Marlon Samuels was the only batsman to defy the spot-on Sri Lankan bowling, making 78 off 56 balls with the help of six sixes and three boundaries.

His brilliant strokeplay, which earned him the man of the match award, helped the West Indies add 105 runs in the last 10 overs after they were reduced to 32-2 from the first 10. “It is hard to explain what this victory means to me and my team,” said Samuels, as the West Indies celebrated wildly with energetic ‘Gangnam Style’ dancing. “Sri Lanka beat us twice in a practice match and in the Super Eights. But I told Chris (Gayle) that we can’t lose to them thrice. All the hard work paid off today. The West Indies are finally going well again, we have a great future.” Jayawardene said it was tough to lose before the home crowd, but wanted his team to learn from the mistakes and prepare for the future.

“The way we started the game was fantastic, but a couple of mistakes in the field and a few bad overs shifted the momentum,” the Sri Lankan captain said. “We are disappointed for the huge crowd that came to support us. We need to sit together, have a chat on what went wrong and then move on.” Sri Lanka have now lost two successive 50-over World Cup finals in 2007 and 2011 and two World Twenty20 finals in 2009 and 2012.

Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara added 42 for the second wicket after Tillakaratne Dilshan had fallen in the second over. The hosts were cruising at 48-1 in the 10th over when the West Indies bounced back by claiming four wickets for 13 runs. Sangakkara holed out in the deep off Samuel Badree for 22, Angelo Mathews was bowled by Darren Sammy, Jayawardene was caught off a reverse sweep and Jeevan Mendis ran himself out. Sri Lanka had taken an early grip on the match by keeping the West Indies down to 14-2 in the first six powerplay overs after Johnson Charles had been dismissed off the fifth ball of the match. —AFP

COLOMBO: West Indies’ cricketer Chris Gayle (front) performs as teammates watch after their win over Sri Lanka in the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup final match. — AP

SCOREBOARD COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Scoreboard of the World Twenty20 final between Sri Lanka and the West Indies at Premadasa stadium yesterday: West Indies J. Charles c Kulasekara b Mathews 0 C. Gayle lbw b A. Mendis 3 M. Samuels c J. Mendis b Dananjaya 78 D. Bravo lbw b A. Mendis 19 K. Pollard c Dananjaya b A. Mendis 2 A. Russell lbw b A. Mendis 0 D. Sammy not out 26 D. Ramdin not out 4 Extras: (lb2, w3) 5 Total: (for six wickets, 20 overs) 137 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Charles), 2-14 (Gayle), 3-73 (Bravo), 4-87 (Pollard), 5-87 (Russell), 6-108 (Samuels).

Bowling: Mathews 4-1-11-1 (w1), Kulasekara 3-0-220 (w1), Malinga 4-0-54-0, A. Mendis 4-0-12-4 (w1), Dananjaya 3-0-16-1, J. Mendis 2-0-20-0 Sri Lanka M. Jayawardene c Sammy b Narine 33

T. Dilshan b Rampaul 0 K. Sangakkara c Pollard b Badree 22 A. Mathews b Sammy 1 J. Mendis run out 3 T. Perera run out 3 L. Thirimanne c Charles b Sammy 4 N. Kulasekara c Badree b Narine 26 L. Malinga c Bravo b Narine 5 A. Mendis c Bravo b Samuels 1 A. Dananjaya not out 0 Extras: (lb2, nb1) 3 Total: (all out, 18.4 overs) 101 Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Dilshan), 2-48 (Sangakkara), 3-51 (Mathews), 4-60 (Jayawardene), 5-61 (J. Mendis), 664 (Perera), 7-69 (Thirimanne), 8-96 (Kulasekara), 9100 (A. Mendis).

Bowling: Badree 4-0-24-1, Rampaul 3-0-31-1 (nb1), Samuels 4-0-15-1, Gayle 2-0-14-0, Narine 3.4-0-9-3, Sammy 2-0-6-2 Result: West Indies win by 36 runs.

opening. Pepe jumped and failed to connect with the ball which dropped at the feet of Messi in front of goal and he slotted home.

The match lost its cageyness, but after the break neither side was able to take control with imprecise passing and niggly fouls creating few clear cut chances.

It was at this moment that Barcelona received a moment of inspiration from Messi with a 25yard free-kick into the top corner after he himself had been fouled. The goal was Messi’s 17th in Clasico matches.

Ronaldo though was not to be outdone and, latching onto an Ozil pass in the area he finished clinically. Barca finished the stronger with Montoya seeing a curling 25 yard shot crash against the upright. — AFP

Australia women retain World Twenty 20 crown COLOMBO: Jess Cameron’s show with the bat and Lisa Sthalekar’s all-round skills helped Australia retain the Women’s World Twenty20 title with a close fourrun victory over England in the final yesterday. Put in to bat, the defending champions, who won the last edition of the tournament in West Indies, made 142 for four from their 20 overs, riding on a strong opening partnership. England lost wickets at regular intervals during their chase and required 16 off the last over but managed 11 to reach 138 for nine.

Danielle Hazel needed to hit a six off the last ball for a victory but she could just get a single sparking widespread celebrations in the Australian camp.

“So proud of this team,” an emotional Australian captain Jodie Fields said during the prize distribution ceremony. “I love this jersey, whenever you put this jersey on, you have to fight hard. England played a really good match, but we had the belief in our team.”

Jess Jonassen picked up three wickets for 25 while Sthalekar and Julie Hunter shared four wickets between them as Australia dropped a number of catches.

Skipper Charlotte Edwards (28) topscored for England and kept the team in the hunt with four boundaries and a six but the 2009 champions lost their way after her dismissal.

“Last 18 months we have worked towards this. It didn’t go our way, but congratulations to Australia,” Edwards, who was adjudged the player of the tournament, said.

“We didn’t bowl well up front, and just couldn’t pin them. I wouldn’t change the decision to bowl first. Our bowling is

good, the wicket is still good.

“It still came down to six off the last ball. It wasn’t to be a fairy tale, but hope we have done the country proud.” Meg Lanning (25) and Alyssa Healy (26) notched up 51 for the opening wicket for Australia to build a solid platform and then Cameron (45) and Sthalekar (23 not out) added another 51 for the third to set England 143 for a win. —Reuters

COLOMBO: Australia’s captain Jodie Fields hold up the ICC Women’s Twenty20 Cricket World Cup trophy. — AP

Business

Gulf economies eye 6% GDP growth Page 24

Netherlands’ mothball ships tell tale of Europe’s woes

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Page 25

Qatar National Bank Q3 net profit rises 10.5%

Britain must cut more to reduce deficit: Cameron Page 23

Page 22

HONG KONG: Pedestrians walk past a money exchange outlet in Hong Kong. First the IMF warned developing Asia to brace for shocks from the West. Then the Asian Development Bank slashed its regional growth forecasts. Now analysts are asking, has Asia lost its mojo? — AFP

Growth falters: Has Asia lost its mojo?

Euro-zone crisis, weakness in US economy have drags on Asia HONG KONG: First the IMF warned developing Asia to brace for shocks from the West. Then the Asian Development Bank slashed its regional growth forecasts. Now analysts are asking, has Asia lost its mojo?

The European debt crisis and weakness in the United States have long been drags on Asian growth, but throw in China’s difficult leadership transition and the outlook is grim. “It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. Growth in recent months has faltered again, confounding expectations of a gradual recovery,” HSBC economists Qu Hongbin and Frederic Neumann wrote in a report released last week. “China is one culprit, though a wobbly West is equally to blame.” As Asia’s powerhouses China and India slow faster than many had expected, the ADB last Wednesday revised down its growth estimates for the region’s emerging economies to the lowest level since 2009.

Echoing assessments from the International Monetary Fund, the bank also warned of signifi-

cant risks arising from the euro-zone and the uncertain recovery in America, both of which are major export markets for Asian manufacturers.

“Developing Asia is slowing down much more than we expected,” ADB chief economist Changyong Rhee told reporters in Hong Kong.

“The years of two-digit growth in Asia are coming to an end.” The bank cut its 2012 growth forecast for developing Asia, which comprises 45 nations, from 6.9 percent in April to 6.1 percent-the lowest since 2009 when the region expanded 6.0 percent. It also revised downward the 7.3 percent growth outlook for 2013 to 6.7 percent. The region expanded 7.2 percent in 2011.

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) was seen expanding 7.7 percent this year-slow by the country’s recent standards-before bouncing back to 8.1 percent in 2013, still well below the 9.3 percent achieved last year. The Manila-based lender said India would see GDP growth slow to 5.6 percent in 2012 before picking up to 6.7 percent

next year.

Analysts are wondering when will China crack the whip and provide the policy stimulus its economy needs to avoid a hard landing. HSBC economists Qu and Neumann said they had expected Beijing to act sooner. “China has held back in providing a determined stimulus, with obvious implications for economic growth regionally,” the economists wrote.

Domestic politics may be one reason Beijing seems unwilling or unable to use its fiscal reserves to boost growth, with the Communist Party leadership on the verge of a once-a-decade power shift that has been clouded by controversy. “Given that growth is highly investment driven, supported especially by the public sector, any leadership change is bound to have a large impact on activity,” Qu and Neumann said.

“This year, more so than during other transitions, political uncertainty may have had an especially restraining effect on investment decisions.”

Asia’s worsening outlook is likely to be underlined when the IMF provides an update on the global economy in a twice-yearly report on Tuesday, in the run-up to weekend meetings of finance ministers from around the world in Tokyo. But is it time to hit the panic buttons? Has Asia really lost its economic vim? Some analysts say no. “Asia hasn’t quite lost its mojo yet, but patience is needed before growth accelerates to more accustomed speed,” Qu and Neumann said, predicting China would loosen policy early next year when the new leadership is in place. Rhee agreed that there is no need for panic.

“This is a natural adjustment to a more sustainable growth pace,” he said of the outlook for developing Asia. Of all the regions in the world that are struggling to cope with the fallout from Europe and the United States, Asia has the most ammunition in its policy armoury to respond, research consultancy Capital Economics said Friday. “Asia has significant scope to loosen both

Dubai hits 23-week high, Saudi down MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Dubai’s benchmark index extended its rally to hit a 23-week high yesterday, with real estate stocks attracting buyers amid renewed momentum in the once-troubled sector. Other Gulf markets were mixed ahead of third-quarter corporate earnings. In Dubai, Emaar Properties rose nearly 2 percent, while Union Properties advanced 3.1 percent and Deyaar climbed 0.5 percent. Dubai’s index rose 1 percent to 1,644 points, its highest close since April 26.

“The real estate sector in Dubai has been picking up

and investors are expecting this to be reflected on the real estate sector shares,” says Nabil Al-Rantisi, managing director at MENA Corp.

“Markets look in good condition. The only thing at the moment that could stop this is more instability in the geopolitical situation in the region.” Developers unveiled billion-dollar projects and new high-end residential developments at Dubai’s annual Cityscape property show last week, with the mood at the event at its most upbeat since 2008. Markets in Qatar and Kuwait

Global refining industry shifts to Middle East JUBAIL: As high oil prices and improved efficiency force refineries in the US and Europe towards closure, the industry is shifting toward the Middle East and Asia in a move fuelled by a thirst for energy among emerging economies.

China and India in par ticular are driving the demand, with multiple refineries cropping up in China and the Gulf and Indian energy group Reliance, for example, running two giant refineries capable of processing a total of 1.2 million barrels of crude oil per day. In eastern Saudi Arabia, state oil group Aramcothe world’s largest-and French counterpart Total are putting the final touches on their Jubail site, which will open next year as one of the world’s biggest refineries.

The refinery, located in the desert about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Gulf, will be able to process 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day and will be fully operational by the end of 2013.

For Total, the project “is very important for our future, because we were everywhere in the Middle East, except here, and it’s a way of paving the way for the company,” Total’s head of the refining and chemicals division, Patrick Pouyanne, said on a tour of the site this week. Total’s expansion to Saudi Arabia comes

as the energy group and others reduce their presence in Europe, with Total closing its Flanders plant in northern France in 2010 and Swiss refiner Petroplus shuttering its Reichstett plant last year.

Since 2003, Total has slashed its refining capacity on the continent by 24 percent, while Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell and British energy group BP have reduced theirs by 40 percent. Driving the phenomenon is an increase in oil prices that has dampened fuel sales and made fuel oil a less competitive option for heating than gas.

“The problem is present everywhere in Europe, it’s a strong trend that won’t abate,” refining exper t Constancio Silva from the French institute for oil and new energies (IFPEN) told AFP. “We’ll consume less oil and in a more efficient manner, and that leads to a reduction in refining capacity,” he added, saying the situation was mirrored across the Atlantic. “In the United States as well, there are shutdowns and key changes among refineries, and this year we witnessed the largest reduction in capacity,” he said. He added that the cropping up of new refineries in the Middle East is only aggravating the problem, as the sites compete with their European counterparts. —AFP

also rose. Qatar Telecom advanced 0.1 percent, paring back gains from early in the session after the operator said it had raised its stake in Kuwait’s Wataniya to 92.1 percent in a $1.8 bn deal. “Wataniya’s shares have done well over the past six months, but more broadly have been undervalued for around four years,” said Marc Hammoud, Deutsche Bank telecoms analyst. Wataniya shares were suspended from trading pending further details on the deal. Qatar National Bank ended 0.3 percent higher before it released third quarter results. The lender posted a 10.5 percent rise in quarterly profit after markets closed. In Kuwait, logistics firm Agility ended flat after it said it had no news to explain a surge in its share price, which have risen 40 percent since Aug. 1.

Daily trading volumes in Agility stock has fluctuated wildly over the same period, varying from less than 40,000 shares to 8.4 million.“Agility sees the movement on its shares in terms of value of the stock or the volume of trades as normal and has no news or data that may justify any extraordinary movement on the stock,” it said in a bourse statement on Sunday.

“However, the company believes its second-quarter financial results along with a general positive view on the Kuwait stock market could be driving the stock higher.” In Saudi Arabia, petrochemical stocks weighed on the index , coming under selling pressure ahead of earnings announcements. Heavyweight Saudi Basic Industries Corp ended 1.1 percent lower as did Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co . The petrochemical index declined 0.7 percent. “Selling pressure on the petrochemical stocks are dragging the index lower, due to fears over third-quarter earnings,” said a Saudi-based trader, declining to be identified. Advanced Petrochemical fell 0.4 percent after reporting preliminary third-quarter earnings. The firm reported a 26-percent fall in net income due to lower polypropylene prices. The index declined 0.4 percent to 6,863 points.

Abu Dhabi’s index ended 0.08 percent lower and Bahrain’s measure also fell, ending 0.7 percent lower.

Oman’s benchmark ended slightly higher. Egypt’s market was shut for a public holiday yesterday. — Reuters

monetary and fiscal policy,” it said.

“Unlike in most of the developed world, interest rates are well above zero across Asia, meaning there is room for interest rates to be cut in most countries.” ANZ bank said in an analysis last week that while growth in China and India was on the slide, the core economies of Southeast Asia were proving remarkably resilient.

It noted that while the rest of Asia had “relinked” with the West-with domestic demand tracking weak external demand for exports-this was not the case in Southeast Asia’s biggest developing economies. “This has broken down entirely in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) over the past few quarters with domestic demand and foreign demand now largely uncorrelated,” the ANZ report said.

This meant that Asian economies such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam would “likely hold up well” if the global economy slowed further. — AFP

UK threatens to veto EADS-BAE merger BIRMINGHAM: The proposed $45 billion merger between EADS and BAE Systems must ensure British security and jobs are preserved, finance minister George Osborne said yesterday, just three days before a deadline for detailing the deal. Tensions over the supermerger have spilled into the open in recent days as France, Britain and Germany jockey over the role of the state in what would be the world’s largest aerospace and arms group. “Our approach to this has been to make it very clear that our priorities are of course the national security of the United Kingdom, second: jobs and investment in the UK,” finance minister George Osborne told Sky television.

“Those are the tests against which we are judging the proposal brought to us by these two companies,” Osborne said. EADS and BAE announced plans for a merger last month, but their efforts have become snagged on differences over control between France and Germany, while there are also political concerns about jobs.

British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said Britain would veto the deal if its “red line” conditions were not met. The merged aerospace-defense group had to be free from the control of any one government, he told BBC radio. “It is not necessary to have no French or German government interest in the company. It is necessary to reduce that stake below the level at which it can control or direct the way the company acts,” Hammond said. EADS is controlled by a pact between the French state and two core industrial shareholders, Lagardere and German carmaker Daimler. The trio collectively own 45 percent.

France wants to keep a stake but will not rule out adding more, while Germany wants to match France’s role.

Britain’s stake in BAE Systems is limited to a “golden share” that gives it the power of veto over the merger. A person familiar with the negotiations said one of the points in dispute was where the new group would be based. The German government would like an important part of the company, or indeed possibly its headquarters, to be based in Germany, the source said, adding: “It’s like a round of collective bargaining”. Time is running out before a UK regulatory deadline of Oct. 10 for a blueprint of the deal, which affects national security interests on both sides of the Atlantic. — Reuters

22

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

BUSINESS

Qatar National Bank Q3 net profit rises 10.5%

Bayt.com report

Eight ways to avoid overtime at work

By Lama Ataya

Q3 net profit 2.1bn riyals vs 1.9bn year ago DOHA: Qatar National Bank (QNB), the Gulf lender in talks to buy Societe Generale’s Egyptian arm, posted a 10.5 increase in third-quarter net profit, driven by increased interest income and a drop in loan impairments. The acquisitive bank, which has been snapping up stakes in small regional lenders, reported a net profit of 2.1 billion riyals ($577 million) for the third quarter, compared with 1.9 billion riyals a year ago, a bourse statement showed.

The results fell slightly short of analysts’ average forecast of 2.2 billion riyals in a Reuters poll.

Banks in Qatar are expected to benefit

as the country is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and set to spend more on infrastructure as it prepares to host the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament. QNB, whose results are generally seen as an indicator for the sector’s performance in the region, reported a nine-month net profit of 6.2 billion riyals, up 15 percent from a year earlier, it said in the statement.

Interest income rose to 3.1 billion riyals in the quarter from 2.6 billion riyals for the year earlier period. Impairment losses on loans and advances fell to 238 million riyals, compared with 250 million riyals the year before.

Russia’s Sberbank, in a deal worth 3.09 billion euros.

In February, QNB issued a $1 billion five-year bond which was five times oversubscribed and received orders from more than 270 investors globally. The bank raised $3.5 billion from a rights issue last year. QNB is 50-percent owned by sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority and has operations in Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland.

Shares in QNB closed up 0.3 percent on the Doha bourse before the results were announced. They have dropped 1.9 percent year-to-date. — Reuters

Total assets grew 25.3 percent during the nine-month period to 351 billion riyals, the highest ever achieved by the group, as a result of a 41.9 percent increase in loans and advances, the statement said.

QNB has been on an acquisition spree recently, buying stakes in regional lenders as it seeks to expand its footprint. It is in talks with France’s Societe Generale to buy its controlling stake in Egyptian unit National Societe Generale Bank. QNB had been in the running earlier this year to acquire Denizbank, the Turkish unit of embattled Belgian lender Dexia, but in early June lost out to

QFIB, Kuwait Energy sign strategic agreement DOHA: Qatar First Investment Bank (QFIB), Qatar’s first independent Sharia compliant investment bank authorized by the QFC Regulatory Authority, and Kuwait Energy, one of the fastest growing independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the Middle East, announced today the signing of a $150 million strategic investment agreement .

The deal is structured in the form of a Convertible Murabaha which will be utilized to support Kuwait Energy’s ongoing expansion and growth plans and facilitate its continuous emergence as a leading independent player in the oil and gas exploration and production sector.

Back in June 2011, QFIB acquired a stake valued at $16 million in Kuwait Energy. Building on its track record of profitability, Kuwait Energy recorded a net profit of $34.8 million in 2011, a yearon-year rise of 59%. The company also registered a 43% rise in average annual growth in daily average production from

2007-2011. Kuwait Energy’s working interest proven and probable reserves at end of 2011 were 235.3 million barrels of oil equivalent and its current production is approximately 17,750 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Abdulla bin Fahad Al-Marri, Chairman of QFIB said, “We are pleased to further fund Kuwait Energy’s growth and expansion plans. The E&P sector in the MENA region is undergoing a period of unprecedented growth and there is no doubt that Kuwait Energy is well positioned to capitalize on this opportunity.

We will continue to work alongside Kuwait Energy’s strong management team and provide all the necessary support to facilitate their emergence as a leading regional independent player.”

Established in 2005, Kuwait Energy is specialized in exploration, development and production of oil and gas assets. The company operates in Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Oman, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia and Pakistan.

Dubai’s Arqaam to buy Libya financial services firm DUBAI: Arqaam Capital, a Dubai-based emerging market investment bank, has agreed to buy a financial services firm in Libya to tap into economic growth as the country rebuilds after its civil war. The acquisition of Al-Rashad Finance and Management Advisory will give Arqaam a presence in the country and the potential to buy and sell securities and manage portfolios there, Arqaam said in a statement yesterday.

Al-Rashad Finance, founded in February, has received initial approval for a financial services license in Libya,

Arqaam said. No financial details of the transaction were provided. Libya’s economy is expected to rebound sharply this year from a deep contraction in 2011 as the country rebuilds and oil production recovers to levels last seen during Muammar Gaddafi’s rule, the International Monetary Fund said in July. Arqaam offers corporate finance, asset management and brokerage services through its main office in Dubai. It also has presences in Beirut, London and Cairo. The firm bought Egyptian brokerage firm El Rashad Securities in January. — Reuters

JAKARTA: A construction worker works on the renovation of the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta yesterday. Inflation in Indonesia eased to 4.31 percent in September as food prices fell after Eid-Al Fitr celebrations, the Central Statistics Agency said. —AFP

Barwa to sell $4.4bn in assets to repay loans Executive Abdulla al-Subaie said costs had been reduced as a result of restructuring, and the company was now focused on improving the operational side of the business.

Earlier this month, Barwa’s deputy group chief executive said it was looking to invest in the London property market before the end of the year, without giving details on potential targets or how much it was willing to invest.

Barwa, Qatar’s largest listed property developer, is 45-percent-owned by Qatari Diar, the property arm of the country’s acquisitive sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. Shares of Barwa are up 0.7 percent on the Doha bourse at 0845 GMT. — Reuters

DOHA/DUBAI: Barwa Real Estate plans to sell assets worth 16 billion riyals ($4.4 billion) in Qatar and Egypt to pay down loans, the Qatari property firm said yesterday. The assets being sold include land in the Gulf Arab state as well as the Barwa New Cairo project in Egypt. The sale will be reflected in fourth-quarter results, Barwa said in a statement.

Qatar’s property market is still recovering from oversupply that saw prices slump in the aftermath of the global economic crisis in 2008. Investors are hoping its successful bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup will reignite a boom in the sector. Last year, Barwa laid off approximately 90 employees in a restructuring move, sources said. In May, group Chief

s the demand for multiskilled professionals rises, so do the expectations of employers who would like their existing teams to go further and beyond their tasks.

With more and more demands placed on the existing workforce, overtime at work has unfortunately become the norm of the day. The staggering statistics on Bayt.com’s ‘Work Life Balance in the MENA’ poll indicates that a majority (35%) usually work outside work hours by choice, 28% say they work overtime out of necessity and 20% say they sometimes end up working outside work hours.

With technology, today’s workforce is mobile and on-call 24/7, so it seems that most professionals end up working outside work hours. Every job might require spending some extra hours at work occasionally, but it shouldn’t become second nature!

When one has a lot on their plate they tend to lose focus of the target and the objective becomes “doing” more instead of “achieving” more. Bayt.com’s ‘Employee Motivation at the workplace’ poll shows that 57% of Middle East professionals tend to suffer from excessive work pressure in the workplace, 32% of whom state the pressure they endure is almost on a daily basis. Work pressure more often than not stems out of a combination of factors that include extended working hours, newly increased responsibilities, very tight deadlines and a lack of clarity on expected procedures or outcomes.

The career experts at Bayt.com, the leading job sire in the Middle East have listed below some tips to help you boost your productive and avoid working overtime: 1. Plan, plan, plan: To be productive, you must get into the habit of planning in advance. You can create a short to-do list for the next day before you leave the office. You will be surprised at how much of a difference that will make!

2. Do the most important thing first: Do the most challenging or most urgent item in your list; even before you check your email if possible.

3. Take short breaks: Having a short break is a great way to release tension, clear your mind, and restore your energy. Use it to reward yourself when you’ve accomplished a certain task and it will keep your productivity up.

4. Delegate: Delegating efficiently will help you get things get done within a limited time frame without stress or pressure.

5. Prioritize: Multi-tasking is not for everyone. In fact, focusing on one thing at a time might prove to be much more effective and productive in your case.

6. Say ‘No’ when needed: The workplace today is probably more hectic than ever before, and as much as you would want to please your colleague/boss/upper management, you should first make sure your important deliverables would not be adversely affected.

7. Incorporating Stress Busters into daily Routine: Incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine, follow a healthy lifestyle, put your hobby into practice, and listen to the music that makes you happy and relaxed. And if all this doesn’t help than a holiday definitely will!

8. Speak with your manager: Always remember that clear communication is essential for happiness, especially at work. If you are being overworked, speak to your manager on the option of hiring someone to help you.

A

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 .4490000 .3630000 .2980000 .2820000 .2830000 .0040000 .0020000 .0760400 .7408400 .3870000 .0720000 .7262610 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2801000 GB Pound/KD .4519550 Euro .3650960 Swiss francs .3013770 Canadian dollars .2862400 Danish Kroner .0489850 Swedish Kroner .0424430 Australian dlr .2852960 Hong Kong dlr .0361310 Singapore dlr .2278630 Japanese yen .0035600 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0762900 Bahraini dinars .7432670 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0747130 Omani riyals .7278160 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

3.616 5.358 2.968 2.184 3.340 230.290 36.384 3.438 6.757 9.170 92.220

.2860000 .4610000 .3670000 .3070000 .2940000 .2980000 .0058500 .0035000 .0768050 .7482850 .4100000 .0780000 .7335600 .0510000 .2822000 .4553440 .3678340 .3036370 .2883860 .0493520 .0427610 .2874350 .0364020 .2295710 .0035870 .0054690 .0022050 .0029670 .0034750 .0768620 .7488390 .3991510 .0752730 .7332730 .0068600

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.257 77.543 733.010 749.570 76.846

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.550 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.211 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.317 Tunisian Dinar 180.250 Jordanian Dinar 398.140 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.893 Syrian Lier 4.923 Morocco Dirham 33.543 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.100 Euro 365.600 Sterling Pound 456.720 Canadian dollar 288.150 Turkish lire 157.400 Swiss Franc 302.260 US Dollar Buying 280.900 GOLD 331.000 167.000 86.000

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

50.500 730.810 3.090 6.970 77.820 75.120 230.350 36.330 2.680 458.300 43.500 306.200 4.100 9.510 198.263 76.710 281.700 1.350

10 Tola

GOLD 1,887.460

Sterling Pound US Dollar

730.630 2.971 6.795 77.390 75.210 230.350 36.330 2.192 456.300 304.700 4.100 9.410 76.610 281.300

COUNTRY

SELL CASH

SELL DRAFT

289.900 748.230 3.730 291.100 552.600 45.800 50.100 167.800 47.920 370.600 36.980 5.530 0.032 0.161 0.246 3.680 398.710 0.190 94.370 45.100 4.330 233.600 1.823

288.400 748.230 3.431 289.600

230.400 46.128 369.100 36.830 5.440 0.031

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

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 456.300 281.300

SELL DRAFT

SELL CASH

290.82 291.84 307.40 369.80 280.90 457.14 3.65 3.445 5.436 2.197 3.396 2.957 76.55 747.94 46.10 400.19 731.07 77.57 75.12

294.50 291.50 307.00 369.50 282.00 457.50 3.69 3.620 5.500 2.290 3.530 3.150 77.25 748.50 48.00 398.50 735.000 78.00 75.65

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 398.670 0.189 94.370 3.430 232.100

Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

Selling Rate

281.250 287.860 455.055 366.960

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

302.980 744.600 76.550 77.200 74.965 396.460 46.124 2.188 5.428 2.943 3.437 6.782 689.905 4.570 9.285 4.360 3.495 92.015

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

281.300 2.944 5.452 2.180 3.449 6.830 76.665 75.170 747.800 46.124 459.400 2.990 1.550 372.300 293.300 3.395

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

281.250 368.900 456.050 289.300 3.620 5.444 46.124 2.181 3.440 6.795 2.950 748.150 76.600 75.080

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

BUSINESS

Britain must cut more to reduce deficit: Cameron EU must live within means or face UK veto BIRMINGHAM: Britain must find more spending cuts to reduce the budget deficit, Prime Minister David Cameron said yesterday, after a return recession this year raised speculation the government was set to miss its own deficit reduction targets.

Cameron, in an interview with the BBC, also said he would use Britain’s veto to scupper European Union budget talks if necessary, warning the 27-nation bloc it needed to learn to live within its means.

The prime minister said his Conservativeled coalition government was determined to stick to its plan to erase what was a record budget deficit when he came to power in 2010.

Asked if Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was correct to say that whoever won the 2015 election would have to introduce another tranche of austerity because of the size of the problem, Cameron said: “Yes, he is right and actually it happens before that because we have to find 16 billion pounds of spending reductions for the year 2015-16. It starts before the general election and we need to do that,” Cameron said.

“I want us to be the party that absolutely levels with the British public and talks very plainly and straightly about what needs to be

done because the fact is we have to find those spending reductions.”

The government delivers new economic and borrowing forecasts on Dec. 5. Finance minister George Osborne said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday that Britain faced further cuts after a weaker than expected performance by the economy this year.

Cameron said Britain had cuts its deficit by a quarter in two years but it was too early to say what the figures for 2012 would be. Asked whether Britain would have to reduce welfare spending, he said: “We have to look at things like the welfare budget... We have capped welfare but we need to go further.”

Cameron suggested the EU should at some point split its budget into two - one for the euro zone and one for the countries outside the single currency, including Britain.

Cameron, much to the delight of a powerful anti-EU wing of his Conservative Party, used the veto last year to keep Britain out of a European fiscal and economic pact aimed at resolving the euro zone debt crisis. “People in Europe know I mean what I say.

I sat round that table, 27 countries, 26 of them signing up to a treaty, and I said this is not in Britain’s interest, I don’t care how much pressure you put on, I’m not signing, we are

not having it. They know what I am capable of saying, no, and If I don’t get a good deal I’ll say no again. —Reuters

David Cameron

COMMODITIES WEEKLY UPDATE

Global bond investors are in for a rude awakening!

By Hayder Tawfik

B

KABUL: An Afghan man works on his agricultural land on the outskirts of Kabul yesterday. —AFP

Brash ex-Bloomberg exec jolts Dow Jones as new CEO NEW YORK: He’s tearing down walls. He’s tossing out old business models. And he’s dressing down people, publicly and profanely, in the once-buttoned-down halls of Dow Jones & Co, publisher of the august Wall Street Journal.

Lex Fenwick (pronounced FEN-nick), a long-time Bloomberg LP executive, is making his mark on Dow Jones, the News Corp subsidiary where he became chief executive officer earlier this year.

Fenwick quickly dismantled the offices in the executive suite, emulating the open-floor plan of his previous employer.

He works from a desk in a corner of the seventh floor of News Corp’s headquarters in midtown Manhattan, and his conversations - often expletive-laced - can be widely heard.

“This is not what I wanted! Are you an idiot?” one employee heard Fenwick screaming at a colleague not long ago.

Others inside the company say they have often heard Fenwick yelling profanities and shouting at underlings. Fenwick has been called a master salesman and business builder whose hard-charging style often runs roughshod over colleagues and subordinates. His makeover of Dow Jones comes at a crucial time for Rupert Murdoch’s media empire as News Corp prepares to split off its global publishing assets from its entertainment businesses.

Murdoch needs Fenwick’s shock treatment to succeed so that Dow Jones, with

about $2 billion in annual revenue, can be the growth engine for the new publishing company, analysts said.

Most of News Corp’s newspapers are grappling with industry-wide problems of declining readership and print advertising sales, plus the fallout from the hacking scandal at its British publications.

One bright spot is Dow Jones’ Wall Street Journal, the top US newspaper by circulation, which also boasts one of publishing’s most successful digital strategies.

For Dow Jones, Fenwick’s arrival in February has been more of a jolt than when News Corp bought the company in 2007. The executives Murdoch brought in, including seasoned newspaperman Les Hinton as CEO, were seen as evolutionary and, mostly, respectful of colleagues.

Former Bloomberg colleagues say Fenwick, 53, has superb sales skills.

During his seven years as chief executive at the financial information and news company, revenue doubled to $6 billion.

But the British executive is erratic charming and smooth one minute but loud and belligerent the next, according to interviews with more than 20 people who have worked with him.

Fenwick’s aggressive approach helped him rise to the top of Bloomberg, but also led to his downfall just a few years later, said these people, who spoke on condition of anonymity. — Reuters

ond issuances by governments and corporates have been rising quite significantly in recent months.

Some of these bond issuers have a genuine demand for the money the raise, others have been opportunistic. Latest figures show that foreign companies are heading in their droves to the US to issue bonds in US$ at record low of interest rates. Some US companies have huge cash balances, but they are still borrowing big money in the bond market. Some of this money has been used for share buyback and some to pay higher dividends. Sounds very good news for equity investors, but bad news for bond investors.

If bond investors are buying these bonds to make money, they better think again. As I have been saying in the last few months, the record low interest rates combined with quantitative easing i.e. printing unlimited amount of money will ultimately trigger economic recovery. Economic recovery at a time of very low interest rates is not something good for bond investors. My biggest fear is that there may be a bubble brewing in the global bond market.

The volume of bonds issued by overseas companies in the US this year has passed a staggering figure of US$700 billion and this is only bonds issued in the US. Adding governments and corporates issuance in the rest of the world, then we are talking about few trillions of dollars. The biggest worry is that recently, the amount of junk bonds issued has risen dramatically too. Sooner or later the shape of the yield curve will start moving up and this will cost bond investors billions of dollar. My advice to bond investors is very simple and straightforward. If you have to invest in bonds, stick to very top quality issues and have a maximum maturity of two years till the economic environment and monetary policies get much clearer. Bond investors should read the small prints in the prospectus very carefully, as the new European banking rules make bond investors shoulder more losses if a bank collapses. The recent correction in the price of government and corporate bonds and the big rush by all type of bond issuers to borrow money, may indicate that something nasty could be happening soon. Bond investors be aware!! — Hayder Tawfik is- Executive Vice President of Asset Management, at Dimah Capital

Ground shaking offer on Chevrolet cars back in Oct KUWAIT: In the strongest offer of the season, Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons, the exclusive dealer of Chevrolet in Kuwait, has announced its ground shaking offer is back, which gives the customers the chance to trade in their vehicle for a new Chevrolet and get the best trade-in value for their car and an additional KD 650 over the trade-in value. This irresistible offer is the ultimate opportunity for individuals who wish to drive one of the best vehicles in the world that enjoys uniquely rich specifications and features.

Chevrolet’s fleet includes vehicles for ever needs and tastes, including the Traverse, a strong drive with 3.6L, V6 engine and 281 hp. With its spacious interior seating eight passengers, the Traverse is considered as one of the most ideal family cars that combines comfortable luxury and world standards in the field of safety and security.

The Tahoe, Kuwait’s most reliable SUV that is known for its refined raw power and element of fun it adds to its rich driving experience. The Tahoe comes with a powerful 5.3L V8 engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission that pumps out 320 hp once its engine reaches 5,400 rpm with a torque of 505 Nm at 4,600 rpm.

Despite the large size of its engine, the Tahoe is smartly designed to have economic fuel consumption. The Tahoe remains as the ideal car for all needs, it is fully equipped with safety and security measures including eight airbags, ABS, Stabilitrack, cruise control and remote engine starter. Speed lovers and adrenaline fanatics have the chance to own a brand new Camaro

that is available in two engine variants: a powerful 6.2L V8 automatic transmission that pumps our 426 hp and an impressive 3.6L direct injection V6 engine that sports a 6-speed automatic transmission that pumps out an amazing 323 hp.

For those seeking a chic and modern sedan vehicle, the glamorous 2012 Chevrolet Cruze brings alluring options that include style, power and performance with a coupe-style exterior and spacious, world-class interior. The Chevrolet Cruze is powered with a 1.8L, 4-cylinder engine that generates 140hp and boasts a 6-speed transmission that is exclusive in its class. The Cruze is equipped with a CD/MP3 player and available with cruise control and 16” aluminum wheels. As for its safety features, the Cruze comes with standard dual airbags and anti-lock brakes (ABS) and rear parking assistance.

This offer is a golden oppor tunity for Chevrolet fans who will also benefit from having their newly purchased Chevrolet serviced at the world’s largest and most advanced service center that seeks every customer’s satisfaction with its excellent after-sales service, maintenance center that is designed and operates up to world standards with the usage of the latest technology and equipment in the market and expert team of professionals and engineers. Equipped with the positively overwhelming features and added values that Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons’ service center brings, this irresistible offer is not to be missed as everyone can value and trade in their current car and enjoy the best trade in Value and an extra KD 650.

Single euro-zone budget gains momentum ahead of summit BRUSSELS: Debate about the idea of creating a separate budget for eurozone countries is intensifying in the run up to an EU summit later this month, with less opposition to the proposal than many officials first expected, diplomats say.

At a private dinner held last week among the EU ambassadors of several northern European countries, including Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands and Finland, those present were surprised to find a fair degree of consensus on the proposal.

“I wouldn’t say that there was strong support for it, but there was certainly a feeling that this is an idea that should be explored in more detail,” said one diplomat briefed on the discussion that took place at the gathering. The single budget proposal was first sketched out by Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, in a paper circulated in September as part of an effort to stimulate debate about how Europe’s monetary union should be improved.

In the paper, Van Rompuy said a “fully fledged fiscal union” among the 17 countries that share the euro could involve the creation of a single treasury office and “a central budget whose role and functions would need to be defined”. —Reuters

COMMODITIES WEEKLY UPDATE

Improved data halts Gold, supporting oil

By Ole Hansen

T

he first week of the last quarter brought a host of important economic data culminating with the US unemployment report which turned out to be better than expected with the unemployment rate dropping below eight percent for the first time since January 2009. This helped the general level of risk sentiment in the market and resulted in a weaker dollar and rising stock markets, while commodities were mixed.

The DJ-UBS commodity index was flat on the week with gains in energy and metals being off-set by losses in agriculture, primarily the grain sector which was led by wheat.

Physical buying Gold spent the week consolidating further while trying to take a couple of stabs at the important 1,800 USD/oz. level which so far stands in the way of further upside momentum. Resistance came from a better than expected US employment report and signs that producer selling was present during the week. We believe this selling will cease if and once the 1,800 level is broken as producers will then be looking for an opportunity to hedge production at higher levels.

Support was provided by a weaker dollar following news from the European Central Bank that it is ready to begin purchasing bonds, thereby providing the stimulus it promised. This continues to be one of the major drivers behind rising metal prices.

The physical market gave gold a boost with several sources talking about a long awaited pickup in demand from India, the world’s largest consumer, together with China, the second-largest. During the last month the price of gold measured in rupees has fallen by five percent and this combined with the upcoming Diwali or “festival of lights” beginning November 13, has led to a pick-up in physical sales, thereby further reassuring financial investors who have provided most of the support in recent weeks.

Investment flows into gold continue with holdings in exchange traded funds having risen by 95 metric tons (MT) during the last month to a new record of 2.565 MT according to Bloomberg. Hedge funds and other leverage investors have seen their net long exposure to gold through futures rise to 730 MT, a four-week increase of 210 MT.

Platinum provides support Additional support to precious metals, especially platinum, comes from South Africa where wild cat strikes continue to spread across the country with production of both platinum and gold now being affected. As a result, platinum has been the best performing metal over the last week as the production surplus continues to dwindle while it rightfully so continues to attract a risk premium.

This has resulted in the discount to gold narrowing to a low of just 3.7 percent from a pre-strike peak of 16

percent.

Both Brent and WTI crude oils experienced huge swings over the last week as the battle between weak fundamentals and geo-political worries continued to pull the price in opposite directions.

As we ended the week, the price of Brent was almost unchanged but had travelled almost $10 in between. The price of WTI crude at one stage moved back below the psychological level of $90 per barrel on news from the US Energy Department that domestic crude production had risen to the highest level in more than 15 years while fuel consumption is declining. Brent crude moved back below its key pivot point of $112 but found support ahead of the recent low at 107.10 on the November futures contract and managed to outperform WTI once again, with the premium rising to a new record above $21/barrel.

The sell-off was quickly reversed on Thursday when Brent crude surged the most in two months as focus returned to geo-political worries due to rising tensions between Syria and Turkey following a Syrian mortar attack which triggered a Turkish retaliation. Prices got a further boost as the dollar weakened against the euro following the biweekly ECB meeting where President Draghi announced that the bank was ready to commence buying the bonds of troubled euro-zone countries such as Spain under its Outright Monetary Transactions (OMT) program.

A surge in the price of US gasoline also lent support to the oil market following a refinery fire in Texas and pipeline outages which have increased concerns about the availability of supplies, just as demand for heating oil is about to pick up.

This above mentioned struggle between those believing that the global oil market is well supplied with stable demand outlook and those worried about escalating tensions in the Middle East look set to continue to set the tone over the coming weeks. In terms of price movements the most likely outcome of this will be continued range trading with support on Brent crude at $107.10/barrel and resistance at 113.80. Investors are still holding a predominantly net long position and will be keen to protect their positions, something which can be seen in the options market where volatility remains stubbornly high.

The grain sector continued to suffer from selling pressure with especially wheat and soybean prices continuing to look for support.

Wheat especially lost some support as Russia began selling grains from state stockpiles in order to contain recent domestic price rises and to a certain extent to assure its international buyers that restrictions or an outright export ban of wheat would not occur. Soybeans lost ground on expectations for a late pickup in US yields following the just-in-time arrival of rain back in August, while farmers in Argentina are expected to increase planting to a record in order to take advantage of current high prices. — saxo bank

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

business

Gulf economies eye 6% GDP growth Catalan companies fear independence drive MADRID: A push for independence in the rich Spanish region of Catalonia has companies there worried that a break from the rest of Spain could also fracture their businesses.

Regional president Artur Mas called early elections there for November 25 after the central government rejected his call for Catalonia to raise and spend its own taxes, saying it has a right to “self-determination”. Businesses big and small in Catalonia fear they might lose access to the Spanish market and investment and their ties to the rest of Europe would be threatened if the region broke away. “Independence would be a tragedy for Catalonia and Spain,” Josep Pique, a former foreign minister of Spain and now chairman of Vueling, a major airline based in Barcelona, said in a television interview.

Javier Baratech, boss of a small publisher, Ediciones Rondas, told AFP: “It could ruin the Catalan economy for the small and medium businesses.”

Fiercely proud of their distinct language and culture, Catalans feel they are getting a raw deal from Madrid-a long-standing complaint inflamed by

the recession. The northeastern region, whose economy is bigger than Portugal’s, accounts for a fifth of Spanish output but is being squeezed by austerity cuts and an economic crisis that has put one in four workers out of a job across Spain. Another publishing group, Planeta-Catalonia’s ninthbiggest company by turnover-embodies the economic contradictions of the region, independence-minded yet with important ties to the rest of Spain. “If Catalonia were independent, Grupo Planeta would have to leave,” its chairman Jose Manuel Lara said on the radio.

“No publishing company is based in a foreign country that speaks a different language.” An estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million people flooded the streets of the regional capital Barcelona on September 11 calling for independence for Catalonia, whose population is around seven million. But worried businesses are keeping quieter on the whole. Catalan companies “are showing a great deal of worry, a great deal of concern and a great deal of silence” on the sensitive issue, said Joan Rosell, president of the CEOE, the Spanish

business federation. Xavier Mendoza, an economist at Barcelona’s ESADE business school, said the biggest problem of independence for Catalan businesses would be losing its grip on the Spanish market.

“Suddenly your market would be no longer 45 million inhabitants but seven million,” he said.

“The size of your market helps you achieve economies of scale, plus specialization. It makes you more competitive and helps you export.”

Catalonia’s economy-whose international aspect Mas proudly highlightsaccounts for more than a quarter of Spain’s goods exports, though the region only has 16 percent of the country’s population, Mendoza said.

But he warned that breaking away from Spain would likely cause a simultaneous rift with the European Union.

“There would be a period, it could be a few years or quite a few years depending on political factors, during which it would have to negotiate treaties, make deals with the European Union and have the blessing of all the member states.”—AFP

GULF INVESTMENT CORPORATION REPORT

GCC Macro The economic performance of the GCC countries is robust with an expected growth of 6% for the region.

Two forces are helping the GCC to shoulder the weight of the global sluggishness.

First, is the continued expansive fiscal policy on an assortment of investment projects as well as current expenditure that act as safety nets for consumers and wage earners.

Secondly, firm oil prices and increased oil and natural gas exports are helping the economies achieve sustained economic growth and achieve robust surpluses in trade and fiscal accounts.

The most recent OAPEC report revealed that the combined income earned from oil exports for the Arab economies reached $625bn in 2011, from $450bn in 2010, with expectations of another 10% increase for 2012, on account of larger export volumes at fairly firm oil prices.

Domestically, energy consumption is rising rapidly in the GCC economies, with demand for electric power growing at around 9% per year in Saudi Arabia. Energy use by the industrial sectors is also driven by the state of health in the global economy, as the most energy-intensive industries in the GCC, such as Aluminum and Petrochemical producers are largely export-oriented. This explains why the global recession dampened energy use in the GCC especially during 2009.

economic activity. Accordingly, MSCI EM index posted a growth of +5.84% during the period under consideration.

Overall GCC equity markets, did not track global performance during the period as S&P GCC Composite Index lost -1.29% for the month mainly driven by significant decline in Saudi Arabia. Kuwait was the top performer with significant improvement in overall trading activity as the government announced measures to increase economic activity.

Brent Crude was down by -1.46% while WTI slipped -4.72% on the back of weaker Global demand forecasts.

Weakness in oil prices coupled with lack of optimism in Q3 earnings, likely resulted in Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul to close -4.19% during the month of September. Major sectors including Banks and Petrochemicals lost -5.14% and -3.85% respectively.

Kuwait’s Weighted Index edged ahead in September after continued losses during the year, rising +4.45%, making it the best performing market in the GCC. Blue Chip companies fared better as the recently introduced Kuwait 15 Index rose +4.91% after the Emir called for immediate steps to be taken to support the economy while the government launched a program to support the stock market.

In the UAE, both Abu Dhabi’s ADI and Dubai’s DFM gained +1.71% and +2.00% respectively. ADI performance was contributed mostly by Real Estate and Banks as fundaments improved for the sector. In Dubai, Financial and Services sectors ended the month higher returning +6.39% and +4.92% respectively.

In Qatar, the QE index was up marginally by +0.31% for the month following. The Industrial sector was the top performer, adding +0.95%, while the Services sector gained +0.32%.

Qatar lags behind the overall region on YTD with total return of -3.06% compared to S&P GCC of +3.34%.

Oman’s MSM index also lagged the GCC markets growing at merely +0.99%. Performance was impacted

by Financial Sector which slipped 1.47% during the month. However, Industrial and Services Sectors rose by +3.67% and +3.93% supporting the overall index.

Bahrain’s BSE Index remain relatively flat adding only +0.09% to the index. Industrial Sector was the only major positive contributor to the index and increased by +4.31%. Investment Sector and Banks continued to decline pulling the index lower.

GCC Stock Markets have largely ignored the global buoyancy regarding the US asset purchase program mainly due to concerns about, the slowdown in China and, the European debt crisis. In addition, the market seems to be waiting for Q3 results announcements due in October.

Banks are likely to remain in the limelight as asset size continue to increase in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Less than encouraging signs in oil demand from emerging economies and expectations of weaker Q3 earnings will continue to weigh down on petrochemicals. In UAE, improvement in Real Estate Sector will support the market as fundamentals for the segment continue to show signs of improvement.

In Kuwait, the Government plans to support the Kuwait stock market directly and indirectly is likely to continue to support the local index in the coming month mainly through blue chip companies.

GCC Equity Markets in global investor confidence after the US announced its asset buyback program. MSCI World Index extended gains by +2.52% MTD with most of the major markets in green. Emerging markets were buoyant under confidence that the major economies are taking the required measure to spur

GCC Credit Markets The month was marked by expansionary monetary policies by central banks across the globe. The month began with Fed announcing plans to purchase mortgage backed securities at a rate of $40bn per month. It also extended the period of exceptionally low federal funds rates to mid 2015.

KUWAIT: During September, major central banks around the world created headlines, with the US Fed, the ECB, Bank of Japan responding actively to the global slowdown through announcing further monetary stimulus programs. The Fed’s QE3 should boost asset prices, especially risky assets, and the ‘wealth effect’ will help raise consumer spending. However, it could raise Oil and Commodity prices, particularly Gold prices, on rising demand for Gold as a hedge against inflation.

Weakness in the USD and diminishing systemic risks in the Euro-area caused by stimulus measures from the ECB and the Fed, could push the EUR/USD sharply higher along with GBP/USD in the near term and increase investors’ risk appetite.

The global growth forecast for 2012 was revised down from 3.7% to 2.5% by the WTO, while the EIU expects global GDP (at PPP) to grow by 3.1% in 2012, to reflect the continuing slowdown in major economies. European manufacturers have been impacted negatively by the sovereign debt crisis and tougher austerity measures that have undermined export and consumer demand. In Emerging economies, a combination of sluggish demand in the US and recession in Europe, along with a spike in global risk aversion are headwinds to EM economic growth.

While it is not clear whether the ECB plan is sufficient enough to curtail the Euro-area debt crisis, the decision by the German constitutional court to clear the way for Germany to endorse Europe’s new bailout fund, has eased financial stresses in the region.

Risks to the global economy continue to remain on the downside, and include rising anti-austerity sentiments and renewed disagreements between Greece and its creditors.

Other risks include the electoral cycle in the US, where the Congress has only a narrow window to steer the economy away from the fiscal cliff at end2012.

ECB announced bond buying program to ease the euro debt crisis. The plan called “Outright Monetary Transactions scheme”, sees the ECB commit to buying unlimited quantities of debt of up to three years in maturity subject to strict economic conditionality.

Bank of Japan also eased monetary policy by boosting asset purchases by double the usual amount. The central bank increased its asset buying and loan program by JPY 10trn ($127bn) to 80trn yen. Spain is also keeping the market guessing on timing of approaching the European rescue fund for bailout.

Regional markets traded in a narrow range, managing to close with moderate gains. The HSBC NasdaqDubai GCC USD Sukuk/Bond TR Index (GCCB) rose m-o-m, to close at 153.73 from 152.36 and spreads widened by 4bps, yielding 3.61%. The HSBC Nasdaq-Dubai USD Sukuk TR Index (SKBI) increased m-o-m from 142.96 to 143.69, while the HSBC Nasdaq-Dubai GCC Conventional USD Bond TR Index (GCBI) traded in a range of 155-157.

HSBC Nasdaq-Dubai GCC Conventional USD Bond TR Index underperformed the EM. In the CDS Sovereign space, tightening of spreads was witnessed across the space.

Bahrain was the best performer with spreads tightening by 76bps (23.3%) followed by Saudi 13bps (13.7%). Abu Dhabi (-5.5%) , Dubai (5.1%) and Qatar (- 4.6%) were other winners.

The Primary market was surprisingly muted given a strong pipeline.

However, we expect the primary market to be very strong during coming month. Banks are expected to be prominent issuers primarily to meet refinancing and growth requirements.

Qatar Islamic Bank (“QIB”) has already announced investors meeting and First Gulf Bank is going to hit the market soon.

The GCC market had a sharp run up during YTD’12 supported by strong fundamentals and technicals.

However, now the market is looking bit stretched with rich valuations.

Therefore, in ST, we expect the market to consolidate with technicals gaining upper hand. The primary market is also expected to play a spoil sport with slew of issuances, resulting in accounts being net sellers in secondary markets. Overall, there might be overhang on credit spreads in the near term.

However, in the MT-LT, we continue to believe that the regional market will perform well given the supportive macro-fundamentals and positive news flow from international space primarily return to growth trajectory.

GCC credit still continues to trade cheaply when compared to its rating class. It also benefit from a very supportive investor base, with Middle East investors having acquired around 50% of the total issuance out of the GCC so far this year.

We continue to prefer Investment Grade over High Volatility names, till the global uncertainty recedes. We also recommend more defensive credits, primarily out of Qatar, Saudi and Abu Dhabi. We continue to like Quasi Sovereign names especially in Abu Dhabi, given the attractive spread pick up over sovereign. Given the sharp run up in the longer end of the curve and global uncertainty, we suggest remaining on the ST-MT end of the curve. Spread curves for some of the Investment grade names are trading flat, providing an opportunity for long short strategies to take advantage of possible curve steepening. We also suggest to selectively look at High Volatility space with strong franchise value, profitable business model and stable cash flow. Due to technical and fundamental reasons, we continue to like Dubai names in the High Volatility.

However, in ST, we might see volatility, given a very sharp run up.

KABUL: Illuminated buildings are pictured in Kabul yesterday. Reports state that Kabul now gets uninterrupted power supply as it imports the electricity from neighboring Tajikistan.— AFP

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

business

Officials reject conspiracies on jobless rate WASHINGTON: When conspiracies suggested Friday that the Obama administration had engineered a sharp drop in unemployment to aid President Barack Obama’s re-election, the response was swift.

Career government officials, economists and even some Mitt Romney supporters issued a collective sigh. The staffers who compute the US unemployment rate work in an agency of the Labor Department. Officials who have overseen the work say it’s prepared under tight security with no White House input or supervision.

“To think that these numbers could be manipulated. ... It’s impossible to do it and get away with it,” said Keith Hall, a former commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the agency that calculates the unemployment rate.

“These numbers are very trustworthy,” said Hall, who was appointed by President George W Bush and whose four-year term ended in January. The figures that produce the unemploy-

ment rate are crunched by several dozen people at the bureau. The only BLS employee appointed by the White House is the commissioner, who operates independently of the White House.

The job is now vacant but is being handled by Acting Commissioner John Galvin, who has worked at the BLS for 34 years. Yet conspiracy theorists came out in force Friday after the government reported a sudden drop in unemployment a month before Election Day - to 7.8 percent for September from 8.1 percent in August.

Their message: The Obama administration would do anything to ensure a November victory, including manipulating unemployment data. Labor Department officials, joined by Democrats and some Republicans, called the charges implausible.

That didn’t stop the chatter. The allegations were a measure of how politicized the monthly unemployment report has become near the end

GCC: What crisis?

By Francisco Quintana n the current context of global economic deceleration and high instability, how will the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) fare in the coming months? The European Union is years away from a recovery.

The United States faces a political dead end that might spark a massive reduction in spending, further hampering its low growth. The reconstruction process that led Japan’s growth in 2012 is coming to an end. Emerging Asia kept the global economy and oil prices at sustained levels during the crisis, but is now showing signs of slacking growth. In the first half of 2012 China’s growth eased from 9.2 to 7.6%, its lowest growth rate in three years. The rest of Asia is following a similar trend.

Is it possible for GCC countries to thrive in this context? The short answer is: yes. At least for the next six months. Long term growth in the GCC is far from granted, but, in the coming months only two factors can seriously prevent the GCC countries from doing well and both of them are improbable.

The first would be a major collapse in oil revenues (that could happen with high oil prices: a closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran would make prices soar but GCC countries, unable to get their oil out of the region, would not benefit from it) and, second, a surge in the level of social unrest inside the region. While both events could take place independently, they are in fact strongly linked.

Why will oil revenues remain high?

Oil is a commodity particularly sensitive to changes in the political and economic landscape. Economic fundamentals suggest that prices should come down. Global supply is expanding, pushing prices down. Libya is almost back to its pre-war level of production of 1.8 million barrels. Iraq is rapidly expanding production; it is estimated to have overtaken Kuwait’s 2.8 million and Iran’s 3 million barrels per day this summer. More importantly, economic deceleration will eventually reduce demand for oil, bringing its price down. But these price pressures will probably be more than offset by opposite forces. In terms of supply, Iraqi exports are subject to volatility due to sabotages in their pipelines in Turkey, poor infrastructure and internal disputes among its authorities. In addition, the embargo on Iran is

I

reducing its exports rapidly, decreasing from 2.7 million of barrels a day one year ago to 1 million now. In terms of demand, during the last three months of the year policy actions in Europe, the US and China will inject additional liquidity that will provide a floor to, or even increase, the price of oil. However, if prices still decrease below the regional breakeven price, OPEC can cut production to boost prices back near the $100 level. Only a conflict between Israel and Iran could put the flow of oil revenues for the Gulf countries in danger. Such a conflict, although possible, is not the base case scenario. In summary: expect high prices.

The steady inflow of oil revenues, will allow GCC countries to extend the ongoing policy of buying social peace via rapid increases in current expenditure. Kuwait saw a 25% across-theboard salary increase in 2012 in the public sector, which employs 90% of the Kuwaiti workforce. Fuel subsidies alone account for 7% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Saudi increased total spending by 25% in 2011 and all other countries in the GCC did similarly, including Bahrain, which is already running a deficit. This trend is boosting consumption, a key driver of GDP, while the rest of the world suffers sluggish credit and retail sales growth.

The bad news for the region is that a) this trend can’t be sustained in the long term. Kuwait is expected to start running a deficit by 2017 according to the IMF. A sizeable reduction in oil revenues could still be handled by using their reserves of foreign currency, but it would bring forward the fiscal deficit problem by a few years, b) in the event of fiscal constraints, it is far more difficult to eliminate salary entitlements and subsidies than any other type of expenditure, and c) the rapid increase in current expenditure (wages and subsidies) is not compatible with a much needed large level of investment in infrastructures, which would increase the long-term competitiveness of the region. The problems that are being solved now will eventually reappear, and probably on a larger scale. In this sense, policy in the region is not that different from the “kick the can down the road” approach that has characterized Europe for the last few years.

—Francisco Quintana, Economist at Kuwait China Investment Company.

HONG KONG: Pedestrians walk through a shopping district in Hong Kong. First the IMF warned developing Asia to brace for shocks from the West. Then the Asian Development Bank slashed its regional growth forecasts. — AFP

of a campaign that’s focused on the economy and jobs. The conspiracy erupted after former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, a Republican, tweeted his skepticism five minutes after the BLS announced the unemployment rate at 8:30 am Eastern time.

“Unbelievable jobs numbers..these Chicago guys will do anything..can’t debate so change numbers,” Welch tweeted, referring to the site of the Obama campaign headquarters.

The drop in unemployment was announced two days after Obama’s lackluster performance in his first debate with Romney. Republican Rep Allen West of Florida soon announced via Facebook that he agreed with Welch. “Somehow by manipulation of data we are all of a sudden below 8 percent unemployment, a month from the presidential election,” West wrote.

“This is Orwellian to say the least.”

The Obama administration was forced to defend Labor’s statisticians and economists against accusations

that came without supporting evidence. “No serious person ... would make claims like that,” said Alan Krueger, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

The monthly jobs report is prepared with raw data collected by Census workers. The workers interview Americans in about 60,000 households or visit them door-to-door.

People are asked whether they’re employed and, if so, whether their jobs are full or part time. The Census workers gather other information about the respondents’ education, age and gender and ask whether they’re self-employed.

Most of the interviews are done in the week that includes the 19th day of the month. The resulting pile of data is transferred securely by Census to BLS about a week before the jobs report is due. The office suites where the report is prepared and compiled goes on lockdown. Employees can’t access the area without a hard pass. Staffers

working on a paper copy of the report are expected to keep it under lock and key if they aren’t at their desk - even when they go to lunch.

The security isn’t just about keeping the data free of political pressure.

The unemployment figures, if leaked early, could improperly move financial markets.

Tom Nardone, a 36-year veteran of the BLS, oversees the report’s preparation. The goal, Nardone said, is to make the report as accurate and “apolitical” as possible. “We strive to be like Joe Friday, just presenting the facts,” he said. A draft of the report is completed by early Wednesday before the Friday when it’s released.

Several groups of staffers review it.

That Wednesday is usually the earliest that the commissioner of the BLS gets involved. On Thursday afternoon, the report is sent to the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors.

Krueger provides a copy to the president. — AP

Netherlands’ mothball ships tell tale of European woes Weak growth in US, China impact DORDRECHT, Netherlands: Just outside the inland southern Dutch city of Dordrecht a strange scene meets the eye: steel superstructures of dozens of big and small ships rise like buildings from behind a line of trees.

Anchored in rows up to four deep, cargo carriers, tankers and barges registered in ports such as Gibraltar, Malta and Limassol quietly sway in Dutch Harbor, a mothball yard for ships waiting for a bargain buyer.

Nowhere is the evidence starker that global shipping has sailed into turbulent waters resulting from Europe’s debt crisis than here along a 400-metre (1,300 feet) pier-essentially cheap parking space for ships too expensive to run or formerly owned by shipping firms that have gone insolvent. “In the last few years our business has picked up substantially,” said Gerard Heuvelman, manager of the family-run port on the Dordtsche Kil, a tributary connecting two main southern Dutch arterial waterways.

In sharp contrast with Rotterdam, Europe’s busiest port, a mere 60 kilometers (37 miles) downstream, the 25 laid-up ships at Dutch Harbor-some as much as 10,000 tons in weight-lay silent, “crewed” by one or two watchmen to keep an eye on operations and security. “At least half the ships here belong to firms that have gone bankrupt. The other half belong to companies that have no work for them,” Heuvelman told AFP. “It has never been as bad as this,” added Carel van Lynden, an expert lawyer in the ship-brokering industry in Rotterdam.

“Until 2008 things had been going welleverybody wanted a slice of the shipping industry pie during the boom times. Lots of orders were placed.” “But because of first the financial crisis and now the euro crisis, less goods are being shipped and less ships are required. Many of the ships ordered when things were still going well are only being delivered now-basically there is a huge overcapacity,” Van Lynden told AFP. The World Trade Organization in September slashed its 2012 global trade growth outlook to 2.5 percent from a previous 3.7 percent, citing the

euro-zone crisis and weak growth in the US and China as key factors. With the International Monetary Fund this week likely to lower its own growth estimates for the global economy, also fingering the eurocrisis as a major contributor, the global shipping industry has been hard hit. In Germany, which controls 40 percent of the global container

units (ships) that have been displaced due to a cascade effect it is highly likely that this figure (from Lloyd’s) will increase in the coming weeks,” the Germany-based ISL added.

The Netherlands has always been seen as a haven for those quickly wanting to sell a ship to cover costs, because of the country’s unique maritime laws. Public sales of ships are so pop-

shipping market, over 100 shipping businesses have shut down and a further 800 are threatened with insolvency, Britain’s Daily Telegraph said in August.

Analysts at the London-based global shipping industry tracker Lloyd’s List Intelligence told AFP the number of idle container ships around the world has grown from 254 in August to 268 by the start of October. A report last month by the authoritative Institute for Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) in Bremen, Germany, said second-hand ships are being sold off at bargain prices because there are now so many on the market. “Due to the continuing difficult market situation, especially for smaller

ular here they are even called “Dutch auctions”.

So far 12 foreign-flagged sea-going ships have been sold this way since the start of 2012, Van Lynden said, but sales of ships are drying up.

Such is the glut of unused vessels that banks no longer consider it worth their while to sell ships to recover money from bankrupt companies. “Many banks now put shipping companies in what we refer to as their ‘intensive care units’ where they keep the companies afloat rather that foreclosing on them,” as it is more cost-effective, said Van Lynden. Back at Dordrecht’s Dutch Harbour, Heuvelman waved his arm in a wide arc a the abandoned, rain-swept vessels. “None of these ships have a happy tale to tell,” he concluded. — AFP

Greek banking sector braces for ‘super deal’ ATHENS: Greece’s banking sector is bracing for what local media on Saturday called a super deal, following the announcement of the National Bank’s offer to purchase the third-largest lender Eurobank.

Late on Friday, the National Bank of Greece (NBG), the country’s top lender, announced a voluntary offer for “all outstanding common registered shares” of Eurobank.

If an agreement is reached, “current NBG and Eurobank shareholders will be represented by 75 percent and 25 percent respectively,” according to the statement, with NBG offering “58 new shares for each 100 shares of Eurobank.”

The group will become the country’s new top lender, with combined assets of nearly 177.7 billion euros ($231.7 billion), approximately 104 billion from the NBG and 73.6 billion from Eurobank.

It will be followed by Alpha Bank in second place and Piraeus Bank in third. Greek financial newspaper Naftemporiki on Saturday claimed that NBG and Eurobank were “changing the (banking) map” while Ta Nea talked of a “marriage that will give birth to a giant.”

The new group will create an “expanded banking group in Greece, that will act as the main pillar of stability for the country’s financial system and will provide the necessary capital to back the country’s economic recovery,” said NBG head George Zannias in a statement. “The exchange offer falls within the context of the ongoing

consolidation of the Greek banking system,” said Eurobank’s CEO Nicholas Nanopoulos in another statement also released late on Friday.

Press reports regarding the merger that had been circulating since early on Friday prompted the Capital Market Commission to temporarily suspend the trading of the shares of the two banks at the Athens stock exchange.

The Greek banking sector has been urged to consolidate to bolster its defenses and help liquidity, but several attempts to do so have failed, in a country that is heading for a sixth year of continuous recession.

As the country’s economic crisis continues for a third year, its banks are now facing a liquidity crisis and are unable to lend to businesses, which in turn face bankruptcy even when they are sound, say local economists. Earlier this week, French banking giant Credit Agricole announced it was in exclusive talks with Alpha Bank to sell its freshly recapitalized Greek subsidiary Emporiki.

Credit Agricole, one of the biggest banks in Europe by capitalization, decided to put Emporiki up for sale after reporting in May a 75-percent drop in first quarter earnings because of its exposure to the Greek debt crisis. Another French banking giant, Societe Generale, is in talks with Greece’s fourth lender Piraeus Bank over the sale of its local subsidiary Geniki. — AFP

CHICAGO: An Amtrak commuter train moves through a crossing gate in Springfield, Illinois, on its way to Chicago. From bridges to broadband, America’s infrastructure is supposed to be speeding along commerce, delivering us to work and piping energy and water into our homes and businesses. — AP

Rich businessmen pulling out of France as tax-hit looms PARIS: A flood of top-end properties are hitting the market as businessmen seek to leave France before stiff tax hikes hit, real estate agents and financial advisors say.

“It’s nearly a general panic. Some 400 to 500 residences worth more than one million euros ($1.3 million) have come onto the Paris market,” said managers at Daniel Feau, a real-estate broker that specializes in high-end property.

While it is not yet on the scale of the exodus of rich French after the election of Socialist president Francois Mitterrand in 1981, real estate agents said, the tax plans of France’s new Socialist President Francois Hollande are having a noticeable effect.

While the Socialists’ plan to raise the tax rate to 75 percent on income above 1.0 million euros

per year has generated the most headlines, a sharp increase in taxes on capital gains from the sales of stock and company stakes is pushing most people to leave, according Didier Bugeon, head of the wealth manager Equance.

French entrepreneurs have complained vociferously against a proposal in the Socialist’s 2013 budget to increase the capital gains tax on sales of company stakes, which they argue will kill the market for innovative start-up companies in France.

Entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector in particular often invest their own money and take low salaries in the hope they can later sell the company for a large sum.

They say a stiff increase in capital gains tax would remove incentives to do this in France. — AFP

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

BUSINESS Zain Group to establish regional data network

Al-Babtain launches Renault offer with special prices KUWAIT: Abdulmohsen Albdulaziz Al Babtain Co, the exclusive dealer of Renault cars in Kuwait has announced the launch of its new offer on three of the best cars, The all new Safrane, Fluence and Megane Hatch, at incredible prices for a limited time period.

The all new “Renault Safrane” starting from KD 4,666 is distinguished by its superior spacious interior design. It combines unique facilities for a complete sense of well-being where the drivers seat provides multiple settings for optimal comfort. The Safrane provides the highest standers of luxury, quality and innovation, with enhanced safety features including “ABS”the brake system , airbags, side sensors for tight spots, sensor tire pressure “TPMS”, andfog lamps for extra visibility.

Every feature about the new “RenaultSafrane” is about luxury and bliss. It’s innovative system of air quality management includes a Samsung Super Plasma bimode ioniser, which ensures clean and calming air, as well as a fragrance diffuser for a touch of subtle ambiance. The Safrane comes with two different engines,2.5 liter with 140 horse powerand a higher version of3.5 liter with 240 horse power, allowing passengers to reach their des-

tination easily and efficiency.

The new “Safrane” reflects Renault’s devotion to buyers enjoyment and relaxation equipped with ample leg room space in front and rear passenger seating. It’s spacious back seats combined with its large cabin

space provide room for family and friends.

The new 2013 model year Renault Fluence with a price tag starting at KD 3,999, provides a new contemporary and electric lifestyle with the exterior design of the Fluence combines laws of

aerodynamics, melding purity and poise, dynamics and smoothness. It provides the largest cabin space of its category, the front two seats offer excellent support and posture to the body, ample passenger legroom in the rear seats while folding 27 degree to give the passenger unparallel comfort. The all new Fluence comes with a strong response and fuel saving engine standard 1.6 liter with 112 horse power as well as 2.0 liter capacity, 143 horse power. The X-Tronic CVT box gear shift developed exclusively by Renault- Nissan provides an unparelled driving experience that prevents sudden jerks while accelerating. The 2013 Fluence was developed with the highest safety driving standards of its time complete with ABS Break System, supporting Emergency Brake system EBA Assist, airbags, adjustable seat belts with three points and weight indicator, in addition to the speed control and Speed Fixture System.

The Renault Fluence comes equipped with the latest technologies to date; Central automatic locking system, push button engine start, sound system collection as well as 3D Developed Sound System from Arkamis for an incredible surround sound experience. Additionally the

Etihad Airways Q3 revenues up 19% to record $ 1.3bn Airline registers 23% passenger growth ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, yesterday reported third quarter revenues of $1.3 billion, up 19 per cent on 2011 ($1.1 billion). The record revenues reflected passenger numbers up 23 per cent, with 2.79 million travellers in the quarter (2.27 million).

Seat factors of 81.2 per cent mark the best ever quarterly performance by the airline, with pas-

senger numbers on track to pass the 10 million milestone in 2012.

The rise in revenues continues to outperform the airline’s growth in capacity and Etihad Airways remains confident of achieving full year profitability for the second year running. Passenger revenues were boosted by codeshare and partner revenues, which jumped 51 per cent to $182 million ($121 million).

The airline’s 38 partners helped to create a total network of 315 destinations, more than any other Middle Eastern carrier.

A significant contribution came

from Airberlin, in which Etihad Airways holds a 29.21 per cent equity stake. The two airlines’ extensive codeshare and joint marketing agreements have delivered US$ 51 million in revenues to Etihad Airways year-to-date, surpassing the initial full year estimates.

Etihad Airways and Airberlin have delivered a combined total of more than 150,000 passengers into each other’s networks so far this year.

Etihad Airways and Airberlin have established a foundation for further cost synergies through mutual maintenance programs, the integrated 787 Dreamliner program and international sales representation. Air Seychelles, in which Etihad holds a 40 per cent stake, continues to grow revenues through increased frequencies and codeshares, with four flights to Abu Dhabi now offering 375 sub-four hour onward connections a week.

Air Seychelles is also reducing costs as it leverages synergies, sharing economies of scale and integra-

tion of back office functions with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi.

Air Seychelles remains on track to break even in 2012, in the first year of Etihad Airways’ five-year management contract, confirming a dramatic turnaround in the airline’s economic fortunes after several years of heavy losses.

Virgin Australia, in which Etihad Airways now holds a 10 per cent stake, continued to deliver a strong contribution, with codeshare revenues to Etihad Airways up 16 per cent year-on-year.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our third quarter saw continued progress across the business, with all key indicators showing strong performance and we remain confident of delivering full year profitability based on current market conditions.

“We are particularly pleased with the contribution from our codeshare and equity partners. This component of our strategy is delivering a strong and growing revenue stream, complementing our own double-digit organic growth.”

Revenue from codeshare partners represented 18 per cent of Etihad Airways’ total passenger revenue in the quarter. During the quarter, Etihad Airways signed interline and codeshare agreements with Aer Lingus, China Eastern Airlines and RAK Airways, further expanding the network’s footprint.

Etihad Airways continued to drive down costs, with costs per available seat kilometre (CASK), excluding fuel, falling to their lowest levels this year. An independent benchmarking study by aviation consultants Seabury shows that Etihad Airways is in the lowest cost quartile for CASK, when compared to major international full service airlines.

Renault Fluence provides hands free Bluetooth connection and music connectors for ease and safety of driving.

The Renault Megane Hatch the most desirable inclass car of its kind provides unparalleled features giving the driver an unforgettable experience. The elegant catching design combined with its technological featuresc is available with 2.0 liter with 143 horse power engine, double fog lamps for easy driving visibility,bilateral air conditioning for optimal comfort, casted 17 inch alloy wheel, and electric sunroof. The Megan Hatch also has the highest safety stamdard features of its kind from front and side air bags ABS break system, supporting emergency brake system ESP and 3D sound system from Arkames. Its price is KD 4,888 only.

Renault Al-Babtain continually satisfies customers year after year by offering a series of unbeatable promotions allowing Renault lovers to enjoy having and driving the cars they love. The special offers available are valid for a limited time at “Renault Al-Babtain” showrooms. This offer includes 3 years warranty or 100,000 kilometer (whichever comes first). Visit Renault Al-Babtain Showroom at Al-Rai to get benefit from this exclusive offers!!

KUWAIT: Zain Group, a pioneer in mobile communications across eight markets in the Middle East and North Africa, today revealed that it is currently working on establishing a regional data network.

Participating as a keynote speaker at the annual Telecoms World Middle East conference in Dubai, Zain Group Deputy CEO and COO, Hisham Akbar introduced the strategy behind the formation of Zain Group’s latest operation, which is set to offer wholesale voice and data services, leveraging Zain’s facilities based license in addition to its Internet Service Provider (ISP) credentials and access to spectrum. He pointed out that a newly owned subsidiary company, Zain Group Wholesale has been established for this purpose. Akbar spoke of how Zain has decided to exploit its wireless technology leadership, coverage and licensed countries of operation to their maximum potential and that Zain Group Wholesale will enjoy a quick start given the presence of already significant organic traffic from existing Zain customers.

Speaking at the conference in Dubai, Akbar commented: “The launch of this new initiative is another example of Zain Group’s pioneering efforts in the telecom sector. Zain Group Wholesale allows us to leverage our existing competencies and assets while at the same time giving our customer base access to additional voice and data services.”

Akbar continued: “From being a user of third-party fiber, Zain is moving to acquire and participate in fiber facilities construction, which will further bolster the services and products that can be offered by Zain Group Wholesale. Zain Group has also started concluding arrangements by which it will be able to deliver overthe-top (OTT )-type services to consumers on their mobile devices.”

He said the fast paced developments in technology have increased the demand in mobile technology and Zain is prepared to meet those needs in the most optimal way. As broadband traffic continues to grow at exponential rates across the region Zain Group believes its wholesale strategy will help answer and cater to this market trend, complementing and enhancing the operator’s existing strategy.

Akbar concluded by saying; “the customer is and will remain our top priority; the main focus of our 2013 operations is the customer.”

Iran’s gasoline capacity to rise in Nov: Shazand DUBAI: Gasoline production capacity at Iran’s Shazand oil refinery is set to double to around 16 million liters per day in late 2012, making it the largest in the country, Iran’s oil ministry news website reported yesterday.

The expansion project to increase gasoline production capacity by 8 million liters a day should be complete in about six weeks, project director Rashid Seyedian told Shana. “The main part of gasoline making unit will be completed in next 45 days,” he said Iran has been increasing its refining capacity over the last few years in response to Western efforts to prevent it from importing fuel needed to meet rising demand for vehicle fuels. The refinery project at Shazand, near Arak, aims to raise processing capacity from 170,000 to 250,000 bpd of crude, while dramatically increasing gasoline production and reducing fuel oil output.

According to the website of the National Iranian Oil Refining and distribution company, Shazand Arak will be able to produce about 3.55 million liters per day of premium gasoline and 12.31 million liters per day of standard gasoline once the project is completed.

Shana also reported on Sunday that the development plans of the Sarvestan and Saadat Abad oilfields would soon be complete, raising Iran’s oil production capacity by around 15,000 bpd.

Oil from Sarvestan and Saadat Abad will be pumped to the Shiraz oil refinery, Shana reported. —Reuters

Burgan Bank announces names of daily winners of Yawmi Account KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the five lucky 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 five daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1. Kubara Siyaahek Mhd Khani 2. Ibrahim Ali Hussain Abdali 3. Bashar Salah Alddn Arafah 4. Nabil Kamel Siddiq Mustafa 5. Manayer Adel Meshri Almarshoud 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.

Qtel raises stake in Wataniya Telecom Kuwait to 92.1% DOHA: Qatar Telecom (Qtel) QSC (Qtel or Qtel Group) is pleased to announce that as of the closing of the tender offer period on 4 October 2012, Qtel will be acquiring199,649,694 shares of National Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC (Wataniya Telecom Kuwait), representing 39.61% of the total shares in issue for a total consideration of KD 519.1 million ($1.8 billion) at a price of KD 2.600 per share.

Qtel originally made the offer to all other shareholders of Wataniya Telecom Kuwait on 4 September 2012.As a result of the tender offer, Qtel will be increasing its shareholding in Wataniya Telecom Kuwait from 52.5% to 92.1%. Wataniya Telecom Kuwait’s shareholders who have tendered their shares will receive payment within approximately three weeks, subject to approval by the Kuwait Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) under Article 271 of the Executive Regulations to Law No. 7 of 2010 Establishing the Capital Markets Authority and Regulating the Securities Activities in Kuwait (the “Executive Regulations”). Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud AlThani, Chairman of the Qtel Group said: “We are delighted with the level of acceptances received from Wataniya Telecom Kuwait’s shareholders. This demonstrates that our offer was attractive and gave the opportunity for shareholders to capitalize on their investment in Wataniya Telecom Kuwait at a fair price and at an appropriate stage in the company’s investment cycle.

We have consulted with the Algerian authorities regarding this transaction and we have received their kind permission to proceed, for which we are grateful.

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.

Al-Tijari announces winners of Najma Account winners KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma Account draw yesterday.

The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Saquer Al-Manaie.

The winners of the Al Najma Daily Draw are: Laila Abbas Jeraidan — KD 7000, Sawsan Abdul Afu Mohammed Shalabi — KD 7000, Suad Ibrahim Al Marzooq — KD 7000, Rodra Delip Shashanka — KD 7000, Esam Mohammed Al-Qaddah— 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 Al Adha 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.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

technology

Lenovo bucks trend with decision to manufacture in US MORRISVILLE: Lenovo is portraying its relatively modest plans to manufacture personal computers in North Carolina - creating 115 jobs and investing $2 million - as a first step that could lead to much more. But even such a small manufacturing footprint represents a gamble for the Chinese-based company given that virtually all of the PCs sold in this country, including those made

by US companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Dell, are now made elsewhere.

“Lenovo is kind of pushing the envelope here in terms of bringing manufacturing back to the US,” said technology analyst Rob Enderle of The Enderle Group. The company’s decision, formally announced during a news conference at its Morrisville offices, reflects Lenovo’s confidence in being able to make further inroads into the US PC market. The company also believes that some consumers and businesses will be drawn to PCs that are made in America. “We’re very bullish,” said David Schmoock, president of the No 2 computer maker’s North American business. “I’m expecting I’ll be able to stand up here on a future day and talk about expansion.”

Lenovo’s strategy of starting with a small production line is in stark contrast with the

last PC company that chose North Carolina as a manufacturing site. In 2005 Dell opened, with great fanfare, a PC factory in Winston-Salem, NC, that was expected to eventually employ more than 1,500 workers. But slumping sales triggered the company’s decision to shut down the plant just four years later. The chances of a similar fate befalling Lenovo’s plant in Whitsett, NC, are undercut by its smaller scale, said technology analyst Roger Kay of Endpoint Technologies Associates. “Lenovo is still pinching its pennies a bit even as it expands,” Kay said. “Therefore, the likelihood of Lenovo having the same consequences as Dell is lower.”

Schmoock declined to say what the manufacturing capacity will be at the Whitsett plant. Steve Kleynhans, research vice president with the Gartner Group, said based on the employee count and the amount being invested, the number of PCs being produced won’t be huge. “We’re not talking millions of machines,” he said. “We’re talking thousands of machines.” Another major difference between Lenovo and Dell is that Dell was lured by a pledge of up to $280 million in state and local incentives, which at the time was a record for North

Carolina. Lenovo sought no incentives and received none, said state Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco, who was among the host of dignitaries who attended Tuesday’s news conference.

Some industry experts speculate the company is doing some toe-dipping before deciding whether to take the plunge. “This mostly looks like it is an experiment, a hedge against the future,” Kleynhans said. “I think it’s always good to have a diversified selection of manufacturing facilities around the world to help you if you run into supply chain hiccups or natural disasters or whatever.” And although Lenovo says politics were a non-factor in its decision, Kleynhans also sees the move as a hedge against a change in the political climate.

“It has always been something that they have been concerned about that, as a Chinese company, their products may not always be accepted in the US and some other places,” he said. Lenovo expects to begin manufacturing in Whitsett early next year.

Hiring is expected to get under way later this year. Schmoock declined to disclose the wages the company intends to pay. Crisco said Lenovo also considered expanding its manufacturing operations elsewhere, espe-

cially in Mexico, before choosing Whitsett.

Overall the company has more than 28,000 workers worldwide and generated $29.6 billion in revenue in its latest fiscal year.

Lenovo is riding a wave of surging sales that has put it on the verge of becoming the No 1 PC maker worldwide. It has benefited from aggressive pricing and attractive and innovative products, and from acquisitions in overseas markets. Its US sales also have been outpacing the market for more than two years, but here it’s still the fourthselling brand behind HP, Dell and Apple, according to research firm IDC. To make up ground, Lenovo has upped its marketing efforts - this summer it became a “proud sponsor of the NFL” - and has ramped up its distribution. Lenovo PCs were available in 400 stores 18 months ago; today its products are in 4,000 stores.

Lenovo’s Achilles heel right now - one it shares with competitors - is the lack of a hit tablet device to compete with Apple’s iPad. “That’s where the sales are,” Enderle said.

“Having a successful tablet would make a huge difference. Right now Apple kind of owns the tablet market ... and none of the PC makers are doing well.” Lenovo and other PC makers are hoping to change that

dynamic with a new generation of tablets that run on the new Windows 8 operating system, which is being unveiled at the end of the month. Windows 8 enables users to run the popular Microsoft Office suite of products, including spreadsheets and wordprocessing software, which are beyond the capabilities of today’s tablets. “There is certainly a lot of opportunity for a lot of them to be sold, but it is up to the consumer, whether consumers are going to adopt a new interface,” Enderle said. “Consumers often don’t like things that are different, even if they are better.” Lenovo is planning to offer “convertible” tablets, hybrids that combine the virtues of a tablet and an ultralight laptop, which the industry calls ultrabooks. Its upcoming ThinkPad Tablet 2 features a tablet that can be inserted into a keyboard to become an ultrabook.

Although analysts don’t see anything on the near-term horizon that would derail Lenovo’s impressive momentum, history isn’t on Lenovo’s side over the long-term. “It must be understood that, in the PC industry, champions have come and gone over the years,” Kay said. “If you look at it, you will see that none has reigned for greater than a five-year stretch.”— MCT

Apple’s new iPhone is popular - with crooks Protect your info from identity theft

MICHIGAN: These screenshots show Apple’s maps app on an iPhone (left) and Google’s on an Android device during a drive in Dearborn, Mich.

Both have voices guiding motorists to upcoming turns, in this case onto Southfield Road in about two miles. An AP review finds the Google app, on the right, having more features, though Apple’s app does a good job for the most part getting people to their destination. —AP

Curiosity to scoop up the Martian soil LOS ANGELES: For the Mars Curiosity rover, it’s one “first-ever” after another. The 1,982-pound explorer is now at a spot in Mars’ Gale Crater called Rocknest, ready to use its robotic scoop for soil samples. Scientists hope the samples will provide information crucial to the project’s central mission - determining whether there were conditions on the planet at some time that could have fostered life. That’s microbial life, to be exact, but still - alien life. Four scoops of Martian dirt should be about right to provide new data to help solve this mystery.

“What makes Curiosity different from all other rovers is her ability to acquire samples of Mars soil and rock, and to analyze them in her onboard laboratories,” said Ashwin Vasavada in an interview Friday morning with the Los Angeles Times. “This is an exciting week for us,” said the deputy project scientist for the Curiosity mission, “since we’re just days away from doing just those things for the first time.”

Rocknest, says NASA, is a patch of windblown sand and dust, about 8 feet by 16 feet, a great site for scooping because the rover will be able to dig several times. The first two scoops that the rover collects are just for cleaning out any last remnants of the home planet that might be clinging to the scoop.

“We’ve found a nice, thick pile of typical Mars sand,” Vasavada said, “chosen because of

its familiar properties and its ability to clean out the hardware. Even in our cleanest assembly buildings, it was not possible to keep minute amounts of oils and other chemicals off of Curiosity. The sand and some vigorous shaking should remove the last bits of Earth from the tools and get them ready to study Mars like we’ve never studied it before.”

According to NASA, the rover will scoop twice, shake the dirt “thoroughly ... to scrub the internal surfaces” and then dump the soil. The fourth sample of soil from the scoop - which isn’t that big, at 1.8 inches wide and 2.8 inches long - will be analyzed by Curiosity’s instruments that identify chemical ingredients, NASA said. “Our X-ray diffraction experiment shines X-rays through the sample’s rock crystals and can uniquely sense the fingerprint of each mineral,” Vasavada said. “Even this typical Mars sand will be seen in a new light, and could yield some surprises.” Curiosity continues to send back photos and information to thrill the scientific community. Recently, the rover sent back images from an outcrop of rocks known as Link that showed evidence of an ancient riverbed on Mars. After its work is done at Rocknest, Curiosity is to drive about 100 yards to the east into Glenelg for the first-ever use of its drill to burrow into a rock for even more samples.— MCT

MARS: This image released by NASA shows NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity as it cut a wheel scuff mark into a wind-formed ripple at the “Rocknest” site to give researchers a better opportunity to examine the particle-size distribution of the material forming the ripple. — AFP

NEW YORK: In Apple’s biggest-ever unintended product launch, a minicrime wave is rolling out across the nation as crooks, just like the rest of us, clamor to get their hands on the tech giant’s latest gadgets. And the recently debuted iPhone 5, it appears, has quickly become the smartphone de rigueur for thieves and robbers throughout the land, with the island of Manhattan perhaps the most fertile spot of all.

“When news came out that sales of the iPhone 5 were going to be huge, we thought, ‘Great, there goes our crime rate,’ “ said New York City police spokesman Paul Browne. If it weren’t for the 40 percent spike so far this year in thefts and robberies of Apple products, he said, the city’s crime would actually have dropped a bit compared with 2011.

Browne’s comments came as his boss, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, was addressing fellow chiefs of police for a national meeting in San Diego, filling them in on a growing problem in cities around the country. And, Browne said, it’s getting worse. “Just before the new iPhone came out, we had a record low in thefts for the year. It’s as if the criminals were waiting for the new version. After all, why steal an iPhone 4S when they can steal an iPhone 5?”

But Apple thievery is by no means confined to the Big Apple.

“We’re seeing robberies daily of all smartphones,” said San Francisco police spokesman Albie Esparza, adding that victims are losing iPhones, iPads and MP3 players as well as Android devices. “And whether it’s simple thefts, or robberies with force using a gun or a knife, nine times out of 10 it

involves mobile devices. “And,” said Esparza, “it’s increasing every day with people getting hit all over the city.”

Despite public-information campaigns to educate citizens about the importance of staying alert in public places, especially when

using mass transit, the number of incidents shows little sign of abatement. Esparza said that through the end of August, there were 2,374 robberies, and of those, 1,199 involved cellphones. “And the bad guys are violent, too,” he said.

“They’re whipping out guns and

SAN FRANCISCO: This photo shows Apple’s new iPhone 5 in San Francisco, California. — AFP

assaulting people for their phones.

Then basically they do a quick turnaround and sell it on the black market somewhere in the city, where they make a profit and then go rob more people.”

Not all departments have not begun to break down mobile device thefts by brand as New York City has done. But other agencies agree that the iPhone’s snatchable size and growing popularity ensure it will remain among the criminal’s most sought-after booty. “IPhones are more popular than Android devices,” said Officer Era Jenkins with Bay Area Rapid Transit police in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“They’re also grabbing iPads, but it’s mostly the iPhone that people want to get their hands on.” Jenkins said that in 2010, there was a total of 165 thefts or robberies of “electronic devices” on BART property; in 2011, that number climbed to 206, an increase of 25 percent; and as of the end of August this year, the number already stood at 235, with four months still to go.

TIPS TO HELP YOU Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you. - Don’t allow your attention to become distracted from your property. - If you are using an iPhone, don’t use the standard issue white headphones as these are identified with the devices. - Use the security features, such as a security code login, to protect your information from identity theft. - If you are a victim of a crime, do not resist. Work with police and use a “find-your-phone” app to track down your missing device, lock it, or remotely delete any data it contains. - If you see a theft in progress, call 911.— MCT

Biorefining: The new green wave PARIS: Biorefineries and “green chemistry” seem to have a credible future built on a wide range of applications such as cosmetics, plastics and detergents. The rise of the price of oil and increasingly restrictive health legislation covering dangerous products are giving a boost to green refining. Some “green chemistry” factories, a few of which exist in France, break down organic molecules found in wood, grain, and oil seeds, instead of using molecules derived from refined oil. “The regulatory constraints are such that, together with the current cost of oil, it is already interesting for lubricants, resins and paints,” said professor Daniel Thomas, vice president of the IAR competitivity centre in Picardie and Champagne in northwestern France. He was referring to the use of vegetable material in the refining process.

The European Commission directive known as Reach, which is due to result in a ban or drastic regulation of some chemical products such as phthalates, also opens the way to economically viable options for the use of other molecules derived from vegetable matter, leaders in the field meeting in Paris underlined. In Europe 34 production facilities are considered to be biorefineries. There are five big centres in France, and the tally does not include laboratories or test laboratories.

Thomas said that “green chemistry is not a theoretical concept but is already a reality.” He continued: “But it is true that this reality covers also the fact that the market is dependent on the price of oil, and that this border line is going to shift and so more and more molecules are going to become worthwhile.” For example, in the 1950s the price of a ton of oil was one sixth of the price of a ton of wheat. In 2011, oil was three times the price of wheat. A study by consultants McKinsey has suggested that half of the inputs used by the chemicals industry could be in the form of vegetable matter by 2030, with the development of biocarburants such as lubricants, solvents and a concrete-like material made from

wood for the construction industry, or plastic for bottles. But this switch towards a chemical industry based on products from agriculture or forestry raises other problems: the use of land for purposes other than producing food could be a factor behind a rise of the prices of grains and vegetable oils and therefore of a large slice of what people eat. These concerns recently put the brakes on the trend in France and possibly even more so throughout Europe concerning the first generation of products using the eatable part of plants. Industrialists in the biorefining sector say that they are aware of this problem. Their development model is based on a doubling of agricultural production by 2050. But they hold that the impact of their activities on prices is minimal and that on the other hand they offer solution to

dependence on oil. “Without the first generation of biocarburants, we wouldn’t be where we are today, talking about the second generation and about biorefineries,” the head of the leading French organization representing farmers FNSEA, Xavier Beulin said.

He said that France was developing a model based on supplies of raw materials from fields and forests close to the biorefinery in contrast to a model requiring the refinery to be close to a port. In the second case, “the raw materials are imported with all sorts of implications,” he said.

The president of the IAR, Dominique Dutarte, observed that only 4.0 percent of land cultivated in France was being used for biocarburants, and that “not so long ago, farmers had leave 10 percent of their land fallow.” — AFP

Exclusive back-to-school offers on canon products KUWAIT: To welcome the ‘Back-to-School’ season, Canon Middle East has announced its latest exclusive promotion on Canon products across all channels. Customers across Kuwait will now have the chance to get more value from their purchases in the form of bundle products when buying back to school supplies such as Canon’s innovative and eco friendly printers and calculators.

The initiative is testament to Canon’s ongoing commitment to providing the highest standards of value added benefits to consumers in Kuwait.

Venkatasubramanian Hariharan, Sales Director, Canon Middle East, said: “Canon has a very strong product line up in terms of technology, performance and range and is one of the key players in the consumer electronics industry. With the onset of the back-

to-school season there is strong demand for school supplies from both consumers and school procurement departments. Having that being said, we at Canon have decided to offer our customers with value added offers to express our gratitude to the customers in Kuwait for supporting the Canon brand over the past few years.”

Through this initiative every customer while buying a Canon laser or inkjet printer within a specific range which includes the iSENSYS (LBP6000B, MF4430, LBP5050 and MF3010) and the PIXMA range (MP280, MG3140, MG4140 and MG5340) will receive vouchers of value up to 5 KD, as well as free accessories such as Mosculators and USB cables. This promotion is available across all Canon reseller outlets and retailers in Kuwait until 20th October.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Change your workouts to reap real benefits ‘You’re missing the equation if you only run’

MADRID: A picture shows balloons reading “The right to live” during an anti-abortion march entitled “For the right to life, zero abortion” in Madrid.— AFP

US abortion rates plummet with free birth control CHICAGO: Providing free birth control to women and teens in Missouri at high risk of unplanned pregnancies led to a drastic drop in abortion rates and teenage mothers, a study published Thursday found. If the same results were replicated across the United States, free birth control could prevent 1,060,370 unplanned pregnancies and 873,250 abortions a year. “The impact of providing no-cost birth control was far greater than we expected in terms of unintended pregnancies,” said lead author Jeff Peipert of the Washington University School of Medicine.

A lack of access to reliable birth control is a major factor behind the three million unplanned pregnancies in the United States every year. Previous studies have found that 49 percent of US pregnancies are unintended. Half result from a failure to use birth control while the other half are due to inconsistent or incorrect use of birth control and contraceptive failure. President Barack Obama’s landmark health reform expanded access by requiring insurance companies to eliminate ‘co-pays’ on birth control and other health services beginning in August.

But millions of women without insurance still have to pay for their birth control out of pocket. The Contraceptive CHOICE Project, which was funded by the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, provided counseling and free birth control to 9,256 teenage girls and women in the St. Louis area from 2007 until 2011. Abortion rates among those women were less than half the regional and national averages: just six per 1,000 participants compared with 20 per 1,000 women nationwide. The rate of teenage birth among study participants was just 6.3 per 1,000 compared to 34.1 per 1,000 teenagers nationwide.

One reason for the significant improvement is because 75 percent of the women chose to use long-acting methods such as implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs), Peipert said. These methods are more than 20 times more effective than birth control pills, patches or rings but have a significantly higher up-front cost. Some doctors are also “overly restrictive,” Peipert said, and will not provide IUDs or implants to young women or women who plan to have children at a later date. The study found women who chose the long acting methods were happier and much more likely to stick with them.

Some 85 percent of the women who chose long acting methods were still using them a year later, while only 55 percent of the study participants who chose birth control pills did so. “Contraception only works when you keep using it,” Peipert said.

“There are gaps in people’s contraceptive use and that’s when they get pregnant.”

Expanding the program to provide free birth control nationwide would be costly, but Peipert said it would cost far less than dealing with the consequences. “We’re already paying for unintended pregnancies,” he said, noting that US taxpayers pay about $11 billion in costs associated with one million unplanned births every year.

The study was published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. It comes a couple weeks after the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued new guidelines recommending that doctors offer implants and IUDs to sexually active teenagers. “These long-acting methods eliminate the problem of inconsistent use common with other contraceptives that can lead to unintended pregnancy,” the college said, noting that complications from IUDs and implants are rare.— AFP

To prove a point once, fitness trainer Thomas Holland did a little experiment. “I had one client who loves weights and body work, jumping jacks and push-ups and all that stuff,” says Holland, who works at a Richardson, Texas, gym. “I have another who runs. I made them come into a room and gave them the same workout. The runner who thought she was in outstanding shape almost threw up before she was finished.”

By the same token, could the gym hound have been able to run a mile or two? Or a die-hard cyclist jump into a pool and swim a halfmile for the first time? Probably with the same amount of finesse as a swimmer would show in her first yoga class. “Complementary exercises, in my mind, are mandatory,” Holland says. “Exercise ought to be a situation of balance where you don’t get carried away with just one.”

Doing any sort of exercise is commendable, and infinitely better than never breaking a sweat or lifting nothing heavier than a Frito. If you stick with one form of exercise, though, other parts of your body upper, lower, core - will suffer. Sam Cole learned that lesson when his only exercise was running and he developed issues with his iliotibial (IT) band. From everything he read, he says, “they were caused by not having a strong enough core.”

He started going to hot-yoga classes. When they became too expensive, he joined a less costly gym, and now he participates in a fast-moving body pump class. The high-intensity, low-weight workout twice a week has helped his running, he says. He doesn’t get as tired. Nor do his shoulders slump as they used to do.

“You’re missing half the equation if all you do is run,” he says.

Nancy DiMarco of Texas Woman’s University says we should exercise the same way we eat - keeping variety and moderation in mind.

“Doing so will train all the muscles in our body, help strengthen us, and help us maintain independence for a long time,” says DiMarco, professor of nutrition and food sciences at TWU and director of the Institute for Women’s Health.

“So many of the guys in the gym are strong but have no endurance,”

she says. “Runners are very purposeful. When they want to run, they want to run. They don’t mess with this other stuff. But to be wellrounded, to be fit, you need to focus on other areas because they are just as important.” Those areas include cardio-respiratory (swimming, Zumba, walking); resistance training (free weights, machines, medicine balls); flexibility (stretching and range of motion); and neuromuscular (tai chi, yoga).

“Interesting new studies show cyclists losing a lot of bone density because they don’t have that impact with the ground like runners do,” says Gina Garcia, assistant director of fitness at SMU. “Cyclists

are suggestions from experts to have a more well-rounded, and thus healthier, workout routine.

Branch out. When Thomas Holland has clients who only want to run, he asks, “Are you where you want to be?” If they answer no, he tells them they need to change their routines. “They say, ‘What do I need yoga for?’ But I’ve had more people come out of it and they say running is so much easier. They’re not fighting tightness in their glutes or quads.” Swap one workout for another. Lack of time tends to be a reason for not exercising. So instead of being over whelmed thinking you need to add flexibility, strength training and other forms

TEXAS: Gina Garcia, the assistant fitness director at SMU, works with a pull down cable during a workout out at SMU’s Dedman Center in University Park, Texas. — MCT should do impact training as well as strength.” Strength training benefits everyone, experts agree. For swimmers, “you have to have great muscle mass to propel your body fast through the water,” DiMarco says.

Garcia says some people get addicted to strength training.

Although beneficial for your bones, students at the fitness center tend to be more interested in how toned it makes them look. Holland remembers seeing a man at his workout facility who was late for a training session.

“He was running up the stairs and I thought he was going to have a heart attack,” he says. “But oh yeah, he looked really good.”

Although exercise is inherently good, limiting it to one type - cardiovascular or strength, for example - will also limit benefits. Here

of exercise to your already busy schedule, maybe substitute a 30minute yoga DVD for a bike ride once or twice a week.

Strength-train no matter what.

Swimming, bike riding and similar workouts only challenge the cardiovascular system, says Gina Garcia of SMU. Running, for instance, utilizes quads and hamstrings, but “your core will get weak,” she says. Lifting weights or using machines will round out your workout.

You don’t have to go to a gym, says TWU’s Nancy DiMarco. “Use free weights while watching TV or between loads of laundry.” Try a variation of your type workout. If you’re a runner, swim, Garcia says.

Or jog in the pool. If you take yoga, try Pilates. Challenge yourself. “I have clients all the time who say, ‘I don’t want to do such-and-such

because I’m no good at it,’” Holland says. “I look at them and say, ‘That’s exactly why you’re doing it.’” If you (blank), you should (blanketyblank) Tyler Herrin, certified strength and conditioning specialist at Sweat Dallas in Inwood Village, trained for a half marathon a year or so ago. He did nothing but run, to which he attributes the knee injury that thwarted his training.

“I could almost certainly say if I had done some sort of resistance training along with running that I could have prevented that injury,” says Herrin, 33. We asked him for tips on how athletes in one sport can benefit from incorporating another into their workout. Here’s what he said: If you’re a runner ...

You need to: Do strength and resistance training.

How? By adding basic exercises like squats and traveling lunges, and working quads as well as ligaments and tendons around the knees. Plus, core exercises will strengthen your abs, lower back and hips.

Why? To help manage posture, strengthen bones and help improve performance.

If you’re a yogi...

You need to: Strength-train.

How? By adding resistance exercises using weights, elastic bands or machines in a gym.

Why? To allow you to become stronger and hold poses for longer periods of time.

If you’re a swimmer...

You need to: Get out of the pool and do dry-land training.

How? By doing such weightbearing workouts as running, jumping, rowing, stair climbing.

“Core strength, upper-body strength is key,” Herrin says.

Why? They’ll help increase your bone density as well as build up endurance, “which will help in the pool.”

If you’re a weightlifter...

You need to: Incorporate a cardiovascular routine; increase flexibility.

How? Add some running or swimming. Or take a yoga class.

Why? “Just doing weights won’t strengthen your cardiovascular or respiratory system,” he says. “Yoga is beneficial for flexibility and respiratory strength.” — MCT

Dar Al-Shifa Hospital welcomes Neuroradiosurgery consultant

Dr Hassan Khajah KUWAIT: Dar Al-Shifa Hospital is proud to announce and to welcome Dr Hassan Khajah as a permanent member of the neuro surgery team. Dr Hasan Khajah is one of Kuwait’s most renowned

neurosurgeons and a solo consultant in Neuroradiosurger y across the GCC, a recipient of the Swedish board in Neurosurgery from the Royal Swedish Academy - Uppsala University Hospital Sweden, and member of the European society of pediatric neurosurger y, as well as the American society for Neurospine surgery.

Dr Khajah is famous in the field of developing and implanting medical batteries in Kuwait through the use of the world’s latest technological advances to relief patients suffering from chronic muscle strains resulting from either the deterioration of the spinal cord, major strokes, lack of oxygen in the brain during birth, traffic accidents, and other common diseases such as

multiple sclerosis.

Dr Khajah is a pioneer in nonsurgical approaches; he was the first physician to use the 3D sterotatic technology to remove brain tumors. Dr Khajah has exceptional surgical skills. His expertise helped him excel in a cosmetic based procedure to repair a fractured skull through implanting an artificial bone and shaping it like a normal skull.

“The latest medical technological equipment is constantly changing, which provides a strong platform for medical professionals to provide high quality medical services to their patients and ease the pain of malformations as well as those resulting from spinal cord,” said Dr Khajah.

Dr Khajah is optimistic about his move to Dar Al-Shifa Hospital,

a hospital that is committed to serving their own people (nationals and residents) through the attraction of the most qualified healthcare professionals and through utilizing state of the art equipments. This commitment is founded on a set of values some of which are excellence, quality and transparency with others.

“Dar Al-Shifa Hospital is amongst Kuwait’s top medical institutions, that is known for introducing the latest medical equipment. I am optimistic about my new career move to the hospital’s medical team, especially its strong neuroscience department, and I hope to add my extensive experience in the field to the benefit of the patients and the future of the hospital,” added Dr Khajah.

Outbreak spotlights risks from drugs WASHINGTON: Two people blinded in Washington, DC, in 2005. Three dead in Virginia in 2006 and three more in Oregon the following year. Twentyone dead polo horses in Florida in 2009. Earlier this year, 33 people in seven states with fungal eye infections. And now, at least five people dead and 35 sickened with fungal meningitis that has been linked to steroid shots for back pain. All these disasters involved medicines that had been custommixed at what are called “compounding pharmacies” - laboratories that supply hospitals, clinics and doctors to a much wider degree in the US than many people realize.

These pharmacies mix solutions, creams and other medicines used to treat everything from menopause symptoms and back pain to vision loss and cancer. Unlike manufactured drugs, these products are not subject to approval by the Food and Drug Administration. And some have turned out to be dangerously contaminated. Compounding pharmacies often obtain drugs from manufacturers and then split them into smaller doses, or mix ingredients sold in bulk. Any of those steps can easily lead to contamination if sterile conditions aren’t maintained. For example, the fungus suspected in the current meningitis outbreak can spread in the air.

The risks from these products have long been known but are being amplified now by a national shortage of many drugs that has forced doctors to seek custom-made alternatives to the usual firstchoice treatments. “Because of the incredible number of drugs that are out of stock or back-ordered, compounding pharmacies are working with local hospitals, clinics and physicians to fill that gap,” said

David Miller, executive vice president of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists, a trade organization.

These products have had remarkable growth.

More than 7,500 compounding pharmacies operate in the US, up from 5,000 in 2009, Miller said. They account for a $3 billion segment of the drug market and 3 percent of all prescriptions filled. Some say this industry needs more regulation. “There’s not a lot of oversight of compounding pharmacies” compared with drug manufacturers, said Allen Vaida, executive vice president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a suburban Philadelphia advocacy group that tracks medication errors. Dr William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, agreed.

“They fall into this gray area and no one supervises in a rigorous fashion their manufacturing processes. The state pharmacy boards don’t have the resources or the knowledge or experience,” and the FDA does not get involved unless a problem occurs, he said. The FDA has said the steroid in the current meningitis outbreak came from the New England Compounding Center, based in Framingham, Mass. The company recalled three lots of the drug last week and has said it has voluntarily suspended operations and is working with regulators to identify the source of the infection.

Investigators also are looking into the antiseptic and anesthetic used during the injections.

On Thursday, investigators urged doctors nationwide to avoid all products from the New England company. At least 23 states have received vials from the three recalled lots. Compounding

pharmacies are supposed to supply products to meet unique patient needs, and to prepare drug products that are not available commercially, based on an individual prescription. They may cross a line if they supply a product on a large scale to a clinic or hospital without individual prescriptions, Miller and other experts said. “They, in effect, since they do this on a large scale, have become mini-pharmaceutical companies,” Schaffner said.

That appears to be the basis for an FDA warning to the New England company and four other firms in December 2006. The FDA told them to stop compounding and distributing anesthetic creams “marketed for general distribution rather than responding to the unique medical needs of individual patients.” Too much anesthetic in a rubbed-on cream can cause seizures and irregular heartbeats, and at least two deaths have resulted, the FDA said.

Miller, of the pharmacy trade group, said that in the current outbreak, it appears that the New England company was dispensing drugs widely to clinics and hospitals instead of filling individual prescriptions.

Some compounding pharmacies have had more than one troubling episode. And some products seem to have problems over and over again. In May, officials reported 33 cases in seven states of a fungal eye infection stemming from products mixed in a Florida pharmacy that also prepared supplements that killed 21 elite polo horses in 2009. The same steroid in the current outbreak was also tied to five cases of a different type of fungal infection in North Carolina in September 2002. Those patients also had shots from pain clinics, and one died.—AP

FLORIDA: (From left) Jacksonville Zoo veterinarian Adrian Atkins checks Torra the Cheetah’s status as MRI technicians Laura Woods, Carolina LeBert, a veterinarian from the National Marine Mammal Foundation and MRI Technician Sharon Vizcaino use a stretcher to bring the animal to the MRI room at the Baptist Medical Center Nassau in Fernandina Beach. — AP

Planned Parenthood to lose Oklahoma funding OKLAHOMA CITY: Oklahoma is withdrawing federal funding to three Planned Parenthood clinics in Tulsa that for 18 years has allowed them to provide food and nutritional counseling to low-income mothers - a decision that mirrors efforts in other conservative states to defund the group and one its director described as a “short-sighted political maneuver.” The State Department of Health notified Planned Parenthood of the Heartland CEO Jill June in a letter last week that it would be terminating its contracts with the Tulsa facilities at the end of December. The contracts are federally funded through the Women, Infants and Children program.

This year, the Planned Parenthood clinics received $454,000, combined. The Tulsa World first reported on the plan to terminate the agency’s contract on Thursday. The head of the health department’s WIC Services division said the decision was based in part on the uncertainty of future federal funds and that Planned Parenthood’s cost per participant exceeded those of other Tulsa-area clinics. “There were performance factors included in this decision,” said Terry Bryce, the chief of the health department’s WIC Services division.

Oklahoma is among the most conservative states, with Republicans currently in control of both legislative chambers and every statewide elected office. But Bryce denied there was any political motive behind the move, which he described as a “business decision.” “The decision was a collective decision within the agency

based on the agency’s need, the contractor’s performance and funding availability.” June questioned whether a business decision was in the best interest of the women and children who receive services at the Tulsa clinics. “I thought the program was about the needs of women and children,” she said. “We’re going to stand and fight to continue providing these services.” The closure affects Planned Parenthood facilities in west Tulsa, midtown and Broken Arrow that average about 3,000 client visits per month, nearly 18 percent of all client visits in Tulsa County, according to health department data. “It’s hard enough right now for young mothers and children to deal with economic hardships,” June said. “To have this kind of heartless disruption of services for reasons that don’t add up - I do fear that this is politically motivated. Women should not be the target of political gamesmanship.” Bryce said there are no plans to close any of the other 14 clinics in Tulsa County that provide WIC services, and that the remaining clinics will be adequate to accommodate the additional clients. “We have existing WIC clinics in close proximity to all three of these locations,” Bryce said. Planned Parenthood is a major provider of abortion and contraception nationwide, but June said none of the facilities in Tulsa offer abortion services.

The nonprofit agency has been at the middle of a hot-button national debate over abortion and contraceptives, and has come under fire in a number of conservative states that have sought to eliminate its funding.—AP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

health & science

Keep young gymnasts safe with these tips from experts

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bigail Moriearty was 5 when she watched Nastia Liukin win allaround Olympic gold in 2008 and decided that’s what she had to do, too.

Now 9 and the winner of a gold, silver and fifth-place finish in national championships, Abigail, of Allen, Texas, is more driven than ever. “I feel like I’m flying,” she says after an impressive gymnastic flip at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano, Texas, where Liukin once trained under the watchful eyes of her father, Valeri Liukin, the facility’s owner. Abigail likes to linger on the sidewalk outside the building after practice and look up at the large posters of Liukin and fellow champion Carly Patterson that don the entrance doors.

“That will be me up there,” she says softly on a warm September afternoon, grasping her wooden practice blocks as she extends into a handstand before returning to earth and wrapping her arms tightly around the blocks as she heads to her car.

Gymnastics can help inspire a child to stay fit. It’s great exercise, as long as parents understand the risks, according to experts at Stop Sports Injuries, a Rosemont, Ill.-based campaign launched by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and other medical organizations in 2010.

More than 425,000 kids ages 6-17 were hurt while participating in gymnastics from 1990 to 2005, with 67,810 in 2011, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The average age of those injured was 11, and 82 percent of the injured were girls. Even so, for children, gymnastics ranks well behind bicycling, basketball, football, baseball and soccer among the leading causes of sports injuries, according to the National Safe Kids Campaign and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Abigail’s doctor, Richard Rhodes, orthopedic and sports medicine doctor for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine, says he sees interest in gymnastics peak in his patients around the Olympics and expects sign-ups to be particularly strong with a new team of American gymnasts winning the gold.

PLANO, Texas: Abigal Moriearty, 9, is tossed in the air by partner Raquel Mejia-Trujillo, 12, during practice for their acrobatic gymnastics routine. — MCT “Any time the American teams do well, it gets a lot of youngsters excited,” he says.

Some experts worry about traumatic injuries, such as head and spinal damage.

Dr Sabatino Bianco, a neurosurgeon at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, says he’s treated athletes who have attempted unfortunate flips and somersaults, particularly on trampolines. ( The Consumer Product Safety Commission lists trampolines as seventh among the top activities that send kids to emergency rooms, behind basketball, bicycling, football, soccer, baseball and skateboarding.) Many injuries can be prevented with careful conditioning, training and safety measures, including those trained as spotters to catch athletes before they fall, experts say. Some injuries, however, are hard to prevent even with the best care, Rhodes notes.

Abigail sprained a wrist on a bad landing in June that took more than three months to heal. Olympic champion McKayla Maroney fractured her left tibia Sept 9 when she fell on her uneven bars dismount during the second stop of the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastic Champions.

Abigail practices three times a week, which is about as much as kids should do, Rhodes and Bianco agree. Overuse and simple stress leave gymnasts vulnerable to injuries in the ankles, feet, lower back, knees, wrists and hands, they say. These injuries are rarely severe at the outset, but if untreated they can lead to chronic pain and bone fractures.

They can be of particular concern for growing children who run the risk of damaging growth plates with prolonged exercise that requires lifting or impact in the critical years before puberty when bones mature, Bianco says. Engaging in multiple sports is not only better for the body in preventing overuse, but can generate additional pathways in the brain that lead to a more complete cerebellum, Bianco says. Abigail follows that advice; her mother was driving her to her other passion, ballet, after gymnastics. Here’s more safety advice from Abigail’s doctor Dr. Richard Rhodes, mother, coach and Abigail herself.

Pick your facility with care. You want the highest possible ratio of experienced spotters to students who are knowledge-

able about preventing injury.

Prepare. Improve your core strength before you try new moves - your abdominals, lower back muscles and hip muscles as well as overall conditioning.

When in doubt, check it out. Small overuse stress injuries can become fractures or sources of chronic pain if not properly evaluated, treated and rested right away. Observe. When you have a child who won’t tell you when she’s in pain, look for subtle signs of injury, such as being extra quiet or holding a pen or pencil, fork or spoon strangely or transferring things into the other hand. Put your best food forward. Kids should limit sweets and carbohydrates, as they can slow reflexes and make them tired.

Moriearty gives Abigail an apple and water before practice. Make the dreamers sleep. Abigail goes to bed by 7:30 except for the nights that practice ends at 8:30; she goes to bed right after practice on those nights. Show up. Kids get injured when they don’t keep up with their conditioning and are not at classes consistently enough to learn the techniques.

Practice makes perfect. Never do a

move on the floor that you haven’t done at least 100 times successfully with a spotter. Listen. I always tell them, “If at first you don’t succeed, then do what Coach says.” Be disciplined. Keep your body tight and not loosey-goosey. Bond with teammates. You have to trust your base - your partner who is catching you. Listen to your coach. Coach says, “If at first you don’t succeed, then do what Coach says,” but I say, “Just do what coach says and you’ll succeed the first time.”

Gym safety Dr Grant L Jones and Dr Brian R Wolf of Stop Sports Injuries (stopsportsinjuries.org) say parents should make sure that coaches: Have gymnasts wear safety gear, including wrist guards, hand grips, footwear, ankle or elbow braces, and pads. Make first aid available at competitions and practices.

Inspect equipment to ensure it’s in good condition, including padded floors, secured mats under every apparatus and safety harnesses for learning difficult moves. Insist on spotters when learning new skills. — MCT

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

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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GUST hosts debate for Political Science students

Greetings

he A M Al-Refai Library and Professor Nuruzzaman in coordination with US Embassy, Kuwait arranged a lecture titled, “Presidential elections and the American electoral system.” The lecture was presented for students of Political Science in the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) auditorium, and was well-attended by students, faculty, and staff.

The event hosted a panel of two US election speakers, Jay Footlik and Rick Smotkin who were on a short visit to Kuwait. The Democratic position was represented by Jay Footlik CEO and founding president, Global Policy initiatives and former Special Assistant to President, Clinton, while the Republican position was represented by Rick Smotkin VP, Government Affairs, Comsat Cable Corporation and former International

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Republican Institute Program Officer.

The event witnessed an interesting debate as Footlik spoke in favor of Democratic President Barack Obama while Smotkin in favor of Republican challenger Mitt Romney respectively. The debate focused on issues in the US concerning jobs, economy, and tax and how the two contestants intended to address them.

The attendees found the lecture to be informative as it offered a real-world outlookand was interactive too.

The students were seen to be enthusiastically asking questions in the end, which the speakershappily answered. The lecture was part of the ongoing lectureseries that are frequently held at GUST, and represents the association GUST shares with the Public Affairs section at US Embassy.

Soorya Fest

any many happy returns of the day to Malek! May Allah shower upon you the choicest blessings throughout your life! With utmost love from the bottom of the heart, Malek’s parents.

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UPCOMING EVENTS ‘Leniency of Islam’ n unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait.

The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

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Focus Kuwait 6th annual day s a part of the 6th anniversary celebrations, Forum of Cadd Users (FOCUS Kuwait), a non-political, non-religious organization is set to stage a mega cultural event “Focus Fest2012”. This mega event will be a blend of traditional and contemporary dance and musical extravaganza by renowned South Indian playback singers Jyotsna and Sudeesh. Scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, October 12, 2012, at the AlJeel Al-Jadeed School Auditorium, Hawally, the mega musical show, is expected to be a super-hit in Kuwait.

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Audition for ZEE Antakshari or the first time Indian Cultural Society brings you live excitement of ZEE - International Antakshari in Kuwait. Audition & first round will be held in Kuwait, there after followed by semi finals in India & Grand Finale in Dubai. Complete team of Carnival films & Zee TV will be in Kuwait for the final round of selection on Friday 5th October with Jaaved Jaaferi: Celebrity Judge, Akriti Kakkar: Female Bollywood Singer & Host of Antakshari, Manish Paul: Host for Auditions, Sarfaraz Khan: Actor, Director and Producer, Michael Amin: Producer & Director Carnival films world. Musicians, Male Singer & many more for live performances. Final audition at 10 am & music show at 7:30 pm at AIS-Hawally.

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Tulukoota Kuwait ‘Merit Scholarship’ pplications are now being invited for “Tulukoota Kuwait Merit Cum Means Scholarship” to be awarded during Tuluparba 2012 scheduled to be held on October 11 and 12, 2012. The objective of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance and support to deserving meritorious students, to enable them to pursue their higher studies. Applications are accepted from minimum one year valid Tulukoota Kuwait member’s children studying either in the State of Kuwait or in India and scoring high grades in Xth and XIIth standard Board Examination held for Academic year 2011-2012.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

oorya Kuwait Chapter in association with UAE Exchange Centre is all set to stage “Soorya Fest 2012” on Thursday, October 11, 2012, at the Marina Hall, Abbassiya, Kuwait, according to officials.

The Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta will inaugurate the festival, aiming to promote International integration through culture.

The program, “An Evening of Classical Dances of India”, a combination of Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam and an Odissi, will be a special cultural feast to all art lovers of Kuwait, officials added. Priyadarshini Govind, India’s most talented classical dancer of Bharatanatyam has been giving recitals from the age of 16. Recipient of the: Yuva Kala Bharathi” Bharat Kalachar, Madras, for the year 2000, she has performed in numerous sabhas and academies in India and abroad.

Sunanda Nair, a leading exponent of Mohinyattam and one of the few performers of this style of dance form. An internally recognized dancer in Mohiniyattam, she has the proud privilege of being the first student to earn a Master’s degree in Mohiniyattam from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidhyalay, affiliated to University of Mumbai.

Odissi (an Akshay Parija Presentation - Ananya, Shivangi and Isha) is one of the eight classical dance forms and the oldest surviving dance form of India.

This dance is characterized by various Bhangas (stance) which involves stamping of the foot and striking various postures as seen in India’s sculptures. Soorya India, led by versatile mastermind Soorya Krishnamurthy, is present in 19 countries. It has been propagating the art of India’s outside the country for the 12 years with active support of its chief patron Dr B R Shetty, Managing Director, NMC Group of Companies.

KKK Badminton Tournament 2012 uwait Kannada Koota (KKK) held a badminton tournament on Friday, October 5, 2012 in Ajial School Badminton Court in Al-Reggai.

It was a grand success with many Koota members participating with great gusto. After a few exciting and challenging rounds, Muralidhar S J and Yogesh J’s proud partnership won the doubles and they bagged the coveted Winners’ trophy. Albert Sequeira and Shekar Shetty walked away with the Runners Up trophy. KKK would like to thank Convener and Co-Convener of Sports Committee Anil Prabhu and Ramesh P for planning and conducting the games as per the time schedule and in the best manner possible.

Special thanks also go out to members of sports committee Chandrashekar and Karthik for their support for organizing and conducting of events for the day and Sudhir Shenoy, Bhasker

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Oriental Wednesdays at Radisson Blu

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Kulkarni, Arun Kumar, Ramesh Chandra, Yogeesh, Santosh Rai and Swara for playing the role of match officials. No KKK event is complete without a fantastic dinner and the win-

ners and attendees enjoyed a scrumptious meal before calling it a day.

Re discover value at City Centre Dajeej ince 1999, when City Centre first opened in Shuwaikh, the Group has correctly evaluated the rapidly expanding retail scenario in the country and opened, at the right time, strategically located branches in Kuwait. With the third branch of City Centre now open in Dajeej, Kuwait’s premier megamarket has taken a significant step in positioning the brand as the leading retailer of competitively priced products in the country.

The new City Centre Dajeej, with a total area of over 9,000 sq meters of retail shopping space spread over three floors, has easy access from the Sixth Ring Road, Ghazali Motorway and located next to the Farwaniya traffic department.

Providing customers with an opportunity to re-discover value, City Centre Dajeej is offering a host of attractive value options aimed at people who value the quality and worth of products they buy. A special ‘Shop and Win’ promotion starting from October 4, 2012 gives customers the chance to win seven Mercedes cars along with a host of other prizes, when they shop at City Centre during the promotion period.

In addition to their regular mega-promotions, City Centre Dajeej has now taken an innovative approach to the concept of competitiveness by offering their customers over 900 products every day at 900 fils each, as part of the extensive range across the store.

The merchandize assortment, product offerings and store layout at the new branch in Dajeej are specifically designed to complement the spacious shopping area, the dedicated free car parking and safe children’s play-area. These features, along with fact that the Hypermarket is open 24-hours and has large food-court of 2,000 sqm with seating for 240 people and free wi-fi access make shopping at City Centre Dajeej a convenient and leisurely experience. The food-court outlets in City Centre include among others, Nizam’s Grill offering curries and kebabs, Peppes Pizza, The Cafe Beanz and Shakeolait. The Food court is an ideal location for birthday parties and other social events. Being a value-focused retailer, City Centre provides customers with an engaging proposition that is a combination of good quality merchandise in a convenient shopping environment at very competitive prices.

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uffet treats from Kuwait to Beijing.

Starting October 3 at the Rangoli Restaurant. Rangoli will serve you amazing Oriental flavors from India, China, South East Asia and the Middle East. Our live music performers will add zest to your evening every Wednesday from 06:30 pm to 11:00 pm.

Patriotic songs competitions ndo-Kuwait Friendship Society, Kuwait (www.indo-kuwaitfriendshipsociety.com) is planning to conduct competitions in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. This is the first time in Kuwait, an Indian Association is organizing contests in “Patriotic Songs” for both Indian and Kuwaiti School students.

The first 3 places will be declared separately by Judges who are experts in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. Several prizes and awards will be handed over for the winning schools.

Pradeep Rajkumar and A K S Abdul Nazar said that IKFS wants let our children learn what they mean as a “Patriotic” to their home country. 4 pages of spot Essay competition related to “Patriotism” also will be held in the same day as a spot registration. 1 girl and 1 boy student from each school can participate in the essay contest. Dr Mohamed Tareq, Chairman of the First Indian Model School in Kuwait “ Salmiya Indian Model School (SIMS) already confirmed as a Co-Sponsor of the Program.

Conditions apply 1) The competitions are meant for all the Schools located in Kuwait and should be nominated by school authority 2) Each school can select group of 7 students for the ‘patriotic songs’ (Indian and Kuwaiti)” and nominate separately 3) Children of above 12 years till 17 years (VII classes to XII classes) are eligible for the contest. But if School is permitted 4) Musical instruments or KARAOKE mixer should be accompanied by the participating students/Children and the school team should operate and select the mixers 5) Time frame: 7 minutes - Names will be called as “First come” in the Registration The event will be held at the auditorium of “Salmiya Indian Model School” on Saturday, 27th October 2012 from 9:30 am onwards. It will be a full day program with fun and full of entertainments. Food-stalls of different Kuwaiti and Indian tastes will installed.

Dr. Ghalib Al-Mashoor said in a press release that Invitations for all schools located in various parts of Kuwait are already been sent. Schools under one management but from different locations can also participate in the contest individually. As per the school directory, there 23 Indian schools in Kuwait. The last date of receiving names of the participants was on 2nd of October, 2012 Gandhi Jayanti day. The entry is free to all and due to 2nd day of Eid Al-Adha holidays, a large crowd is expected to attend in addition to, Senior Kuwaiti and Indian citizens will also grace the function.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information

Indian music and dance concert to mark first ACD Summit concludes he Indian cultural extravaganza to mark the First Asian Cooperation Dialogue Summit concluded with its second performance on October 4.

Maestro Salil Bhatt on Satvik Veena along with his prodigal son on synthesizer and Himanshu Mahant on Tabla (Indian drums) drew huge rounds of applause from the audience for their rendition of “Alaap” and Raga “Vishwakauns” a tribute to Salil Bhatt’s guru and father Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Himanshu Mahant on Tabla provided able support and enhanced the musical output with his sheer brilliance.

Parwati Dutta and her troupe presented master pieces from the Classical Indian dance form “Odissi”. They paid a

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tribute to the Sun and its radiance visualized as a thousand golden locks of hair and its journey of day and night while

Courtyard by Marriott Hotel revives Al-Bahar Seafood Nights wing to the past popularity of the Al-Bahar Seafood Nights at its Atrium Restaurant, Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait City Hotel has reintroduced the theme night every Monday and Wednesday for dinner from 7 pm to 11 pm.

The Atrium restaurant serves an international buffet that many frequent and now, with the sea food buffet starting at attractive prices of KD 11.5 has the eager diners looking forward to a wide selection of hot and cold foods ranging from salads to main courses such as grilled hammour with lemon with their tea and coffee.

Lastly, a selection of authentic Arabic sweets and exciting European delicacies are available to ensure the night ends with a scrumptious dessert.

Guests can also choose from a live display of fresh fish and seafood featuring shrimps, calamari, fresh tuna and salmon cooked to perfection and preference by a team of international chefs. “It gives us pleasure in hosting our loyal guests to this popular offer again. The specialties are novel not only in the recipes but also in the way they are prepared and served,” said Ziad Watfi, Director of Events and Restaurants at the modern business Courtyard by

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Marriott Kuwait hotel.

In addition, on other days, the Atrium restaurant has introduced “Fresh Food Cooked To Your Taste” - an interesting addition to the international buffet where guests are presented with a magnificent selection of fresh meat cuts that can be cooked to order as per the guests taste while feasting on the gourmet variety of delicacies already on offer. Guests can enjoy this new experience every evening from 7 pm to 11 pm every day except Monday and Wednesday. Guests looking for a delightful lunch experience could also visit the restaurant from 12:30 pm to 3 pm and enjoy exciting live pasta cooking stations and beverages, all for only KD 12.5.

Courtyard by Marriott offers a refreshing environment that helps guests stay connected, productive and balanced. Intuitive services and design accommodate guests’ needs for choice and control. With more than 860 locations in 30 countries, Courtyard is Marriott’s largest brand. All Courtyard by Marriott hotels participate in the awardwinning Marriott Rewards frequent travel program that allows members to earn hotel points or airline miles for every dollar spent during each stay.

riding a chariot of seven horses. This was followed by “Shilpaakriti” which showcases various sculpture like poses

and fluid lyrical dance movements along with rhythmic and melodic patterns.

“Vasant Yoddhaa” the next rendition signifying the arrival of the spring season marked by blossoming of flower-buds which brings new hope and joy in our lives was a real treat to watch. Parwati Dutta concluded with “Bharti” - a tribute to the motherland which is a composition of renowed Hindi poet Nirala.

A large number of Kuwaiti dignitaries, distinguished ambassadors, members of the Indian community in Kuwait as well as art lovers of Kuwait attended the concert. The spell-bound audience spontaneously applauded the performance of the artists time and again.

Consular Open House onsular 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.

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Indian workers helpline/helpdesk: Indian workers helpline is accessible by toll free tele-

phone 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 attache in the Labour section and the head of the Labour Wing can be contacted.

Spoken Sanskrit workshop amskrita, or Sanskrit as we call it, is the core of our Bharatiya culture and tradition. To enable the large expat Indian population in the MiddleEast to benefit from this endeavour, Samskrita Bharathi will be coming to our doorsteps soon. In the month of October, a Samskrita Camp will be conducted in Kuwait jointly by Samskrita Bharathi, Vichar Bharati and the

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Department of Sanskrit, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kuwait. This is a golden opportunity for everyone to dip into the vast ocean of the treasures we Indians have inherited in the form of the ancient language of Samskrita. The courses will be held from 12OCT - 20OCT. From 4PM - 6 PM - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Abbasiya and from 7PM - 9 PM - Indian Community School (Junior), Salmiya.

Winter 2012 AMIE examination he AMIE Winter 2012 examinations will be held between Dec 01-07, 2012 as follows: Section A (Diploma) - December 1-4, 2012 Section A (Non-Diploma) - December 1-7, 2012 Section B - December 1-7, 2012 The last date for submission of examination application forms are given hereunder:

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Candidates not appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Aug 21 - Sept 21, 2012 Candidates appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Sept 21 - Oct 19, 2012.

Candidates who intend to appear for the Winter 2012 examination must apply directly to Kolkata by filling the prescribed application form along with requisite amount of demand draft in favour of The Institution of Engineers (India), payable at Kolkata.

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 ARGENTINE The Embassy of Argentina requests all Argentinean citizens in Kuwait to proceed to our official email ekuwa@mrecic.gov.ar in order to register or update contact information. The embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the embassy.

The registration process helps the Argentinean Government to contact and assist Argentineans living abroad in case of any emergency.

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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 FRANCE The Embassy would like to inform that starting September 2nd, 2012, visa demands for France will be handled by the outsourcing company “Capago - MENA Company”. Capago - MENA’S Call Center will be operational starting Sunday August 26 for setting appointments beginning September 2nd (+965 22270555).

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TEMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on OCT 24, 2012 -Wednesday-Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

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McDonald’s campaign sees Kuwaiti families reconnecting cDonald’s Kuwait today announced the overwhelming success of its A Day Offline campaign, reporting that hundreds of families from across the country last Friday September 28 turned off mobile phones, computers and television sets to instead spend the day with family.

In the lead-up to last Friday’s event, McDonald’s Kuwait distributed more than 140,000 phone vaults phone-sized containers with adhesive closures offering parents a handy place to store their devices during family time. All 65 McDonald’s branches across Kuwait hosted hundreds of customers and their families who participated in a number of fun activities and games that helped the children and their parents make the most of their time and reconnect with one another.

Based on the incredible success of the campaign,

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McDonald’s has committed to make A Day Offline an annual initiative whereby the organization will devote one day every September to celebrating the

importance of uninterrupted family time.

George Khawam, Marketing Director, McDonald’s Kuwait commented: “When we first conceived of this initiative - a campaign designed to reconnect mums, dads, children and loved ones without technological distractions - we suspected it would be well received.

However, to witness such an overwhelmingly positive response from hundreds of families across Kuwait has been incredibly moving.”

“We at McDonald’s believe in cultivating family relationships and are in a fortunate position to lend our voice and support to this great cause. We feel privileged to have been a part of this initiative, and we are hopeful that families across the country and throughout the remainder of the region will feel inspired to carry this concept forward in the weeks and months that follow.”

EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located in Sharq, Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, Al-Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor. Working days/hours: Sunday-Thursday/09:00 am - 04:00 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 We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:35 02:25 03:15 04:05 04:55 05:45 06:35 07:00 07:25 08:15 09:10 10:05 11:00 11:55 12:20 12:50 13:15 13:45 14:40 15:35 16:00 16:30 17:25 18:20 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Animal Cops Phoenix Into The Pride Speed Of Life The Magic Of The Big Blue Wildest Arctic Animal Cops Phoenix Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Wildlife SOS Talk To The Animals Penguin Safari Dogs 101 Your Pet Wants This The Animals’ Guide To Survival World Wild Vet Safari Vet School Safari Vet School Wildlife SOS Rescue Vet Animal Cops Houston The Animals’ Guide To Survival Dark Days In Monkey City Talk To The Animals Must Love Cats Baby Planet Dogs 101 Wildlife SOS Rescue Vet Animal Battlegrounds Dark Days In Monkey City The Animals’ Guide To Survival Cats 101 Bad Dog Animal Cops Miami

23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:15 DIY SOS 00:45 Holmes On Homes 01:35 Bargain Hunt 02:20 Bargain Hunt 03:05 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 03:50 DIY SOS 04:20 MasterChef Australia 08:20 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 09:05 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 09:50 Open House 10:15 Bargain Hunt 11:00 Antiques Roadshow 11:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:30 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 13:20 Gok’s Fashion Fix 14:05 Gok’s Fashion Fix 14:55 Bargain Hunt 15:40 Antiques Roadshow 16:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:10 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 18:00 MasterChef 18:55 MasterChef 19:50 Coastal Kitchen 20:10 Antiques Roadshow 21:00 Open House 21:25 Holmes On Homes 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 23:45 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow Edition 00:40 04:20 05:15 06:05 07:00 Junior 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:55 11:25 12:20 12:45 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:30 16:25 Junior 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:30 22:25 23:20

Life On A Wire Daredevils Daredevils Daredevils American Chopper: Senior vs Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Dealers How It’s Made X-Machines Crash Course Fifth Gear One Car Too Far Border Security Dealers Ultimate Survival American Chopper: Senior vs Extreme Fishing Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Border Security Dealers Around The World In 80 Ways Deadliest Catch An Idiot Abroad

23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:35 Tech Toys 360 01:25 Weird Or What?

02:15 Things That Move 03:35 Moon Machines 04:25 Weird Or What?

05:15 Space Pioneer 06:05 Catch It Keep It 07:00 How The Universe Works 07:55 Trek Nation 09:35 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 10:30 The Gadget Show 11:20 Mega Builders 12:10 Scrapheap Challenge 13:00 Futurecar 13:50 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 14:45 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 15:35 The Gadget Show 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 Weird Connections 16:32 How Does That Work?

17:00 Mega Builders 17:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 18:40 Scrapheap Challenge 19:30 Things That Move 20:20 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 21:10 The Gadget Show 22:00 Things That Move 22:50 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 23:40 Dark Matters 20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 00:15 00:40 00:55 01:10 01:30 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:20 03:40 04:10

Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Lazytown

04:35 05:00 05:15 05:30 05:50 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:45 07:00 07:15 07:45 08:10 08:20 08:35 08:50 09:05 09:15 Pooh 09:20 09:35 09:45 09:55 10:20 Pooh 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 Pooh 12:10 12:25 12:40 13:05 13:15 13:30 13:55 14:20 Pooh 14:45 15:00 15:15 15:25 15:55 16:20 16:30 16:45 17:10 17:40 17:55 18:10 18:20 18:35 19:00 19:05 19:25 19:40 Pooh 20:05 20:20 20:30 Pooh 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:00 21:25 21:40 21:55 Pooh 22:20 22:30 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:35 23:50

Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Mouk Mouk The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse New Adventures Of Winnie The Art Attack Imagination Movers Lazytown Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Handy Manny Jungle Junction Imagination Movers The Hive Special Agent Oso Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse New Adventures Of Winnie The Jake & The Neverland Pirates Mouk The Hive Imagination Movers Lazytown Jungle Junction Handy Manny Art Attack Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mouk Imagination Movers A Poem Is...

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jungle Junction New Adventures Of Winnie The Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The A Poem Is...

A Poem Is...

Mouk Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Special Agent Oso New Adventures Of Winnie The Timmy Time Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown

23:50 Lazytown 00:25 01:20 02:15 03:10 Ride 05:00 05:55 07:00 07:55 08:50 09:15 09:45 10:40 11:05 11:35 12:30 13:25 14:20 15:15 15:40 16:10 17:05 17:30 18:00 18:55 19:50 20:45 21:40 22:35 23:30

TNA: Greatest Matches M1 Selection 2010 Gumball 3000: 2010 Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Blood, Sweat And Gears Blood, Sweat And Gears Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 Winter Dew Tour 10/11 X-Traordinary X-Traordinary Alli Presents Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2010 Mantracker Fight Girls World Combat League Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Winter Dew Tour 10/11 X-Traordinary X-Traordinary Mantracker Pro Bull Riders 2010 Fight Girls World Combat League Re-Evolution Of Sports TNA: Greatest Matches Enfusion

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Food Network Challenge 01:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:35 Unwrapped 03:00 Unwrapped 03:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Guy’s Big Bite 04:40 Outrageous Food 05:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 05:30 Chopped 06:10 Barefoot Contessa 06:35 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Iron Chef America 07:50 Barefoot Contessa 08:15 Barefoot Contessa 08:40 Crave 09:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 09:30 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 09:55 Cooking For Real 10:20 Cooking For Real 10:45 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 United Tastes Of America 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Guy’s Big Bite 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Barefoot Contessa 14:30 Crave 14:55 Charly’s Cake Angels 15:20 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 15:45 Food(Ography) 16:10 Unwrapped 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Guy’s Big Bite 18:40 Unique Sweets

19:05 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40 23:40

Charly’s Cake Angels Chopped Iron Chef America Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco World Cafe Asia World Cafe Asia Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Guy’s Big Bite Guy’s Big Bite

00:30 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 00:55 I Was Murdered 01:20 Deadly Women 02:05 Evil, I 02:30 Evil, I 02:55 I Was Murdered 03:20 I Was Murdered 03:45 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 04:10 I Was Murdered 04:30 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 06:10 Disappeared 07:00 Killer Outbreaks 07:50 Street Patrol 08:15 Street Patrol 08:40 Real Emergency Calls 09:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

09:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 10:20 Undercover 11:10 Disappeared 12:00 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 12:50 Street Patrol 13:15 Street Patrol 13:40 Forensic Detectives 14:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 15:20 Real Emergency Calls 15:45 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

16:10 Undercover 17:00 Disappeared 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 Mall Cops– Mall Of America 19:05 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 19:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

20:20 Nightmare Next Door 21:10 Couples Who Kill 22:00 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 22:25 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 22:50 Scorned: Crimes Of Passion 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:15 00:45 01:40 02:05 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 05:45 06:15 Planet 06:40 Planet 07:10 07:35 08:05 09:00 09:25 09:55 10:50 11:45 12:40 13:05 13:35 Planet 14:00 Planet 14:30 14:55 15:25 16:20 16:45 17:15 18:10 19:05 20:00 20:30 21:00 Planet 21:30 Planet 22:00 22:25 22:55 Planet 23:20 Planet 23:50

Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Don’t Tell My Mother Nomads Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Banged Up Abroad Bondi Rescue: Bali Bondi Rescue: Bali Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The Kimchi Chronicles Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Don’t Tell My Mother Nomads Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Banged Up Abroad Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The Kimchi Chronicles Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Don’t Tell My Mother Nomads Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Banged Up Abroad Kimchi Chronicles Kimchi Chronicles Food Lover’s Guide To The

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:00

White Collar The Killing True Blood Grimm House Unforgettable White Collar Emmerdale Coronation Street Castle The Ellen DeGeneres Show Unforgettable House Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle White Collar Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle House Revenge The Newsroom Boardwalk Empire Grimm Grimm

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:15 21:00 23:00

Sniper: Reloaded-18 Go Fast-PG15 Four Brothers-PG15 Hackers-PG15 Fantastic Four-PG15 Four Brothers-PG15 Last Breath-PG15 Fantastic Four-PG15 Hidalgo-PG15 The Daisy Chain-PG15 The Shining-R Deadtime Stories 2-18

23:00 Luster-18 00:00 Beavis And Butt-Head Do America-PG15 02:00 Due Date-PG15 04:00 Prom-PG15 06:00 The American President-PG15 08:00 Joe Dirt-PG15 10:00 Just Go With It-PG15 12:00 Austin Powers In GoldmemberPG15 14:00 That’s What I Am-PG15 16:00 Just Go With It-PG15 18:00 The Trip-PG15 20:00 Loser-PG15 22:00 Mardi Gras: Spring Break-18

Food Lover’s Guide To The Bondi Rescue: Bali Bondi Rescue: Bali Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The One Man & His Campervan

23:00 Naked Science 00:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:00

03:30 Hot In Cleveland 04:00 Two And A Half Men 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:00 Friends 06:30 Til Death 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Two And A Half Men 08:30 Happy Endings 10:00 The Office 10:30 Til Death 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Two And A Half Men 13:30 Til Death 14:00 Hot In Cleveland 14:30 The Office 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Happy Endings 18:30 Hot In Cleveland 19:00 Cougar Town 19:30 New Girl 20:30 Melissa & Joey 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Veep 22:30 The Big C 23:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia

The Last Lions Kingdom of The Oceans I, Predator Built for the Kill The Living Edens Lost Sharks of Easter Island Kingdom of The Oceans I, Predator Built for the Kill Jaguar: Catching the Cat Grizzly Cauldron Zambezi Hooked Kingdom of The Oceans Planet Carnivore Built for the Kill Bears Of Fear Island Bonecrusher Queens Ultimate Predators GPU Kingdom of The Oceans I, Predator Built for the Kill Jaguar: Catching the Cat Grizzly Cauldron Hunter Hunted

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 10:45 13:00 15:00 17:00 PG15 19:00 21:00 23:00

00:00 Luster-18 02:00 Devil-PG15 04:00 Go Fast-PG15 06:00 The Eagle-PG15 08:00 Odysseus: Voyage To The Underworld-PG15 10:00 Arlington Road-PG15 12:00 Star Trek: First Contact-PG 14:00 Odysseus: Voyage To The Underworld-PG15 16:00 True Justice: Dark Vengeance 18:00 Star Trek: First Contact-PG 20:00 Blood Out-18 22:00 Resident Evil 4: Afterlife-18 20:00 Fighting-PG15 22:00 Homecoming-18 00:00 Melissa & Joey 02:30 It’s Always Philadelphia 03:00 Happy Endings

Sunny

01:15 Get Low-PG15 03:00 Biutiful-18 05:30 The King’s Speech-PG15 07:30 Pina-PG15 09:15 Oceans-PG15 11:00 The Natural-PG 13:15 Sunny And The Elephant-PG15 15:00 Oceans-PG15 16:45 Evita-PG 19:00 Never Let Me Go-PG15 21:00 Black Swan-18 23:00 Skirt Day-PG1523:30 Square Grouper-18

In

Manolete-18 Black Swan-18 Never Let Me Go-PG15 Sunny And The Elephant-PG15 Mademoiselle Chambon-PG15 Evita-PG Soldier Love Story-PG15 Mademoiselle Chambon-PG15 Justice For Natalee HollowaySeparate Lies-PG15 Chasing 3000-PG15 Blue Valentine-18

00:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-FAM 02:00 Turtle Hero: Part I-FAM 04:00 Marco Macaco-FAM 06:00 The Nutty Professor-FAM 08:00 Turtle Hero: Part II-FAM 10:00 Freddy Frogface-PG 12:00 Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader-PG 14:00 Turandot-PG 16:00 Looney Tunes: Back In ActionFAM 18:00 Freddy Frogface-PG 20:00 Megamind-FAM 22:00 Turandot-PG

01:00 Downtown Showdown 01:30 PGA European Tour 07:00 NFL 09:30 NFL 12:00 Rugby Union Currie Cup 14:00 America’s Cup Highlights 14:30 ICC Cricket 360 15:00 Super League 17:00 The Rugby Championship 19:00 Senior European Tour Highlights

KNCC PROGRAM FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (04/10/2012 TO 10/10/2012) SHARQIA-1 THE APPARITION :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) DARLING COMPANION :2D THE WORDS :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D THE WORDS :2D THE APPARITION :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-2 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-3 ARBITRAGE :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D SILENT HOUSE (2D- Digital) SUN+TUE+WED WON’T BACK DOWN :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D ARBITRAGE :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-1 ARBITRAGE :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D THE WORDS :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D THE WORDS :2D THE APPARITION :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-2 PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) FRI AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM 1:30 AM

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

2:00 PM 1:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-3 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D DREDD :3D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-1 DARLING COMPANION :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-2 WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D BAIT (3D- Digital) WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D DREDD :3D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

FANAR-3 ARBITRAGE :2D ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) ARBITRAGE :2D ARBITRAGE :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:30 PM 7:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-4 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-5 PREMIUM RUSH THE WORDS THE APPARITION THE WORDS THE WORDS THE APPARITION THE APPARITION NO SUN+TUE+WED MARINA-1 THE APPARITION :2D ARBITRAGE :2D THE WORDS :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D THE WORDS :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D THE APPARITION :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED MARINA-2 PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) FRI WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED MARINA-3 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D DREDD :3D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-1 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D

1:15 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 1:30 AM

1:30 PM 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM

AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

11:30 PM

AVENUES-2 ARBITRAGE :2D THE APPARITION :2D ARBITRAGE :2D THE APPARITION :2D ARBITRAGE :2D THE APPARITION :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-3 WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-4 WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-5 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-6 BAIT (3D- Digital) DREDD :3D BAIT (3D- Digital) DREDD :3D DREDD :3D BAIT (3D- Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-7 WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-8 ROBOT & FRANK (2D- Digital) SILENT HOUSE (2D- Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) ROBOT & FRANK (2D- Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) SILENT HOUSE (2D- Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-9 DARLING COMPANION :2D 1:30 PM RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION (3D-Digital)3 : 4 5 PM DARLING COMPANION :2D 6:00 PM DARLING COMPANION :2D 8:15 PM DARLING COMPANION :2D 10:30 PM DARLING COMPANION :2D 12:45 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-10 PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE WORDS :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-11 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

360 º- 6 DREDD :3D DREDD :3D DREDD :3D DREDD :3D DREDD :3D DREDD :3D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 7 THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

360 º- 8 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 9(VIP-1) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

360 º-10(VIP-2) TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 11 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 12 WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D SILENT HOUSE (2D- Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 11:00 PM 1:30 AM

360 º- 13 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-IMAX) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 14 TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

360 º- 15 THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.1 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 1 ROBOT & FRANK (2D- Digital) ROBOT & FRANK (2D- Digital) BAIT (3D- Digital) ROBOT & FRANK (2D- Digital) BAIT (3D- Digital) ROBOT & FRANK (2D- Digital) BAIT (3D- Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

360 º- 2 DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.3 DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D THE APPARITION :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

360º- 3 ARBITRAGE :2D THE APPARITION :2D ARBITRAGE :2D THE APPARITION :2D ARBITRAGE :2D THE APPARITION :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.4 THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D THE WORDS :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D THE WORDS :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360º- 4 PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) 12:45 PM PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) 2:45 PM RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION (3D-Digital)4 : 4 5 PM PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) 6:45 PM PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) 9:00 PM PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) 11:15 PM PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) 1:15 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-1 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D DREDD :3D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D BAIT (3D- Digital) TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 5 ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) FRI+SAT ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) NO SUN+TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-2 DARLING COMPANION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D THE APPARITION :2D DARLING COMPANION :2D THE APPARITION :2D THE APPARITION :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

2:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:30 PM 11:30 PM

AL-KOUT.2 WON’T BACK DOWN :2D ARBITRAGE :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D

1:15 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 11:00 PM

Classifieds MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

FOR RENT

URGENTLY REQUIRED

Style home real estate services. Available for rent 3/4 bedroom deluxe aparts in Salwa, Al Salmiya, Mishref, Al Shaab, Surra, and south Surra for foreigners and diplomatic persons.

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Sales Executives (2 Nos.) For a Reputed Building Materials Company in Kuwait

• Valid Kuwait Driving License is essential with transferable visa No.18 • Knowledge of English is must and Arabic speaking will be an advantage.

Interested candidates please send your CV to Email: aluglass@aluglasskuwait.com Fax No: 24725248

Phone: 22457757 - 94091155 Email: stylehome_kwt@yahoo.com

Airlines JZR QTR JZR ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR QTR JZR THY DHX QTR KAC BAW KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY KAC QTR FDB ETD BAB KAC GFA UAE MEA JZR IRC MSR MSC JZR MSR GFA KAC FDB OMA KNE QTR SVA RJA KAC JZR KAC QTR SYR KAC JZR ETD UAE UAL SVA GFA JZR JZR ABY KAC QTR BAB KAC FDB KAC MSC MSR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC FDB MEA QTR GFA FDB ALK TMA UAE JZR ETD ABY QTR AIC GFA UAL TAR JZR DLH THY KLM PIA

Arrival Flights on Monday 8/10/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 539 CAIRO 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 6130 DOHA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 284 DHAKA 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 344 CHENNAI 213 BAHRAIN 871 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 6521 LAMERD 618 ALEXANDRIA 401 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 645 MUSCAT 472 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 341 DAMASCUS 118 NEW YORK 535 CAIRO 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 510 RIYADH 215 BAHRAIN 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 438 BAHRAIN 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 405 SOHAG 620 ASSIUT 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 61 DUBAI 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 59 DUBAI 229 COLOMBO 213 BEIRUT 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 975 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 327 TUNIS 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 772 ISTANBUL 411 AMSTERDAM 239 SIALKOT

Time 0:15 0:20 0:30 1:45 2:20 2:25 2:30 3:10 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:35 5:00 5:25 6:15 6:30 7:15 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:45 9:00 9:20 9:30 9:35 9:45 10:00 10:45 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:25 12:00 12:25 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:00 14:15 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 22:55 23:10 23:40 23:40 23:45

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR JAI PIA THY ETH UAE FDB ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA QTR THY KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY JZR KAC KAC UAE QTR FDB ETD BAB GFA KAC KAC MEA IRC JZR UAE MSR KAC MSC KAC JZR GFA FDB MSR OMA KAC KNE SVA KAC RJA QTR KAC KAC SYR ETD JZR JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA QTR FDB BAB MSC JZR MSR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC MEA FDB KAC GFA JZR DHX ALK ABY ETD UAE QTR KAC TMA KAC JZR QTR GFA KAC TAR

Depature Flights on Monday 8/10/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 573 MUMBAI 206 PESHAWAR 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 6131 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 437 BAHRAIN 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 6522 LAMERD 776 JEDDAH 872 DUBAI 619 ASSIUT 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 646 MUSCAT 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 501 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 641 AMMAN 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 741 DAMMAM 342 DAMASCUS 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 538 CAIRO 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 402 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 621 ALEXANDRIA 283 DHAKA 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 351 KOCHI 403 BEIRUT 60 DUBAI 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 214 BEIRUT 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 147 DOHA 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 328 DUBAI

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 0:50 1:10 2:15 2:45 3:45 3:50 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:55 7:05 7:05 7:10 8:10 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:20 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:25 12:30 13:00 13:10 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:55 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 19:20 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:30 23:40 23:45

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation in Khaifan bloc 4 from Nov 1st in one room, KD 70 only for one working lady. Contact: 60413536.

8-10-2012 Apartment to share decent working ladies, Salmiyah, restaurant street, exactly behind Platinum. Contact 66920590. (C 4161) 7-10-2012 Sharing accommodation available, near Jabriya Indian School, Jabriya, central A/C flat. Decent Muslim couple or two working ladies only. Call 66795253.

(C 4156) 3-10-2012

SITUATION WANTED Australian Engineer with two-Engineering (Civil/Elect) & four Master Degrees (Engg/Prog Mgmt/ Education/MBA). 23 years experience in Dubai/ Qatar/ Australia, looking project Mgr / QHSE Mgr job.

Contact: 65695468.

(C 4160) 7-10-2012 PMP certified, IT Project Management, Software Testing Professional with 7 year experience including 3 year in UK, Postgraduate.

Looking for executive level job. Call 69905419.

(C 4158) 3-10-2012

Sourcane, holder of Indian Passport No: E2780618 hereby change my name to Mohamad Saircane Mouhamad Hadja.

(C 4159) 3-10-2012 SITUATION VACANT Need driver to work or houseboy, visa 18 or 20 ok.

Contact: 55400994.

(C 4155) 2-10-2012

FOR RENT New residential floors in Salmiya and Dasman. Super Deluxe in new building, with balcony, sea view, other features.

For more details call 97878129

Prayer timings

TUITION A 22 years (moderator and examiner) highly experienced Math, teacher in IB, SAT ’s, IGCSE available.

Contact: 66920590.

(C 4162) 7-10-2012

CHANGE OF NAME FOR SALE

Box delivery van Nissan high roof, 2008 model.

Lancer 2009 GLX. Phone: 66052331. (C 4166) 8-10-2012 Used 2 sofa bed, color brown, good condition, in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. Price each KD 15. Call 66762737.

(C 4163) 6-10-2012

I, Koripelli Laxmi, Indian Passport No: G7568742, wife of Abdulkhader residing at D. No: 40-34-12, Dharmanagar, Kancharapalam, Visakhapatanam, has changed my name as NASIMBANU. (4165) 7-10-2012 I, Mohamed Haja Mohamed

No:

LOST Indian Passport, name: Shaikh Ali, No: F3606335, date of issue: 10/05/2005, date of birth: 20/06/1981, has been lost, finder please contact: 69694619/ (C 4164) 7-10-2012

Fajr:

04:26

Duhr:

11:36

Asr:

14:56

Maghrib:

17:26

Isha:

18:42

15592

Galant 1997 model, blue color, good condition, A/C, price KD 400, passing valid for one year. Contact: 96975726.

Kawai Piano, Yamaha electric organ, Yamaha keyboard, household furniture.

Please contact: 22661316.

(C 4157) 3-10-2012 For immediate sale Toyota Corolla (2011), 1.8 white, done only 22,000 km, expecting KD 3,900 (only cash) real buyers only contact mobile: 97473028 between 10 am - 6:30 pm).

(C 4154) 1-10-2012

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, OCTOBER 8, 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 KUW K WA AIT

el.: 161 Te

DIRECTORA AT TE GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AV VIA ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

Hot and relatively humid weather especially over coastal areas with light to moderate variable wind changing to light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 06 - 26 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Humid weather especially over coastal areas with light to moderate south easterly to southerly wind, with speed of 06 - 28 km/h No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A

41 °C

27 °C

22451082

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

41 °C

23 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WA AISEEB

39 °C

23 °C

Sharq

22465401

WAFRA A

42 °C

22 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

40 °C

25 °C

ABDAL LY

Jabriya

25316254

41 °C

24 °C

JAL ALIY YA AH

42 °C

24 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

40 °C

24 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

35 °C

30 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

35 °C

30 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WARBA A A - BUBY YA AN

39 °C

20 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

ST TATION T

SFC. CHART

07/10/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA AT THER

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

Monday

08/10

Tuesday

09/10

Hot and R. humid over coastal areas

41 °C

23 °C

S-SE

08 - 28 km/h

Hot and R.humid + high clouds

39 °C

23 °C

SE-S

15 - 38 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

Wednesday e

10/10

Hot and R.humid + high clouds

39 °C

24 °C

SE

15 - 38 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

Thursday

11/10

Hot and R.humid + scattered clouds

38 °C

23 °C

SE-S

12 - 35 km/h

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

RA AY YER TIMES PRA

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:26

MAX. Temp.

43 °C

Sunrise

05:45

MIN. Temp.

22 °C

Zuhr

11:36

MAX. RH

57 %

Asr

14:57

MIN. RH

08 %

Sunset

17:27

MAX. Wiind

S 39 km/h

Isha

18:44

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

00 mm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

BY Y DA AY:

KUW WA AIT CITY

Al-Omariya

Al-Shohada’a

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours

MIN. REC.

24892674

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

Firdous

Al-Madena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Cheryl Cole hated Simon Cowell for axing her from ‘X Factor’ he ‘Call my Name’ hitmaker was stunned to be told by Richard Holloway, the show’s executive producer, that the music mogul - who had criticised her “big hair” and the orange shirt and purple trousers she wore for the first day of auditions - wanted her off the US version of the programme, and she was particularly angry that her friend didn’t break the news himself. In her autobiography ‘Cheryl: My Story’ - which is being serialised

by The Sun newspaper - she wrote: “I was furious with Simon for letting it happen like this.

I believed we had a good friendship and couldn’t understand why he hadn’t been straight with me. “I wrote the longest text ever. I hate you. I understand you’re a businessman, and what I’ve learned from this is business means more to you than friendship. I’m sad it’s got like this and I wish you the best of luck, but count me out.’ Simon texted back, ‘Can I talk to you?’ I ignored him.” Cheryl - who rejected an offer to return to the UK version of the show finally agreed to speak to Simon months later and he admitted firing her from the US programme was the “worst mistake” he ever made. She added: [He said], ‘I wasn’t in the right frame of mind in LA because of all the expectation on the American show... Taking you off it was the worst mistake I ever made and if I could have my time back, I wouldn’t do it again. I’m sorry.’”

T

Hayden Panettiere shocked by

Tom Cruise he ‘Nashville’ actress is a huge fan of the ‘Rock of Ages’ star and was thrilled when he gave her a hug at the Golden Globe Awards a few years ago. She said: “When I was on [TV show] ‘Heroes’, I was at the Golden Globe Awards and Tom Cruise, whom I’d never met before, got up out of his seat, turned to me and said, ‘Hey Hayden’. He gave me a hug like I knew him and then he introduced me to his mom. I was so caught off guard.”

Hayden also revealed she loves reading and is obsessed with raunchy trilogy ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ at the moment.

She told People magazine: “Right now I’m reading the last book in the ‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy. I’m a big reader when I find a book that keeps my attention and this is definitely one of them.”

T

Milla Jovovich relates to her ‘Resident Evil’ alter-ego he 36-year-old star - who has five-year-old daughter Ever with her director husband Paul WS Anderson - finds it easy to compare herself to Alice, the gun-toting protagonist of the film franchise, because her character is a mother, which is what the brunette beauty “likes most” about the movie series. She said: “I think women here in the US maybe feel like she’s dressed sexy and with a gun and that’s just so obvious. The thing I’ve always liked most about ‘Resident Evil’ is the fact that Alice is a mother and, apart from the chaos and the violence and the bloodbath, the essence of the story is about a woman trying to save a child, which everybody can relate to especially women.” Milla also sees a number of Alice’s personality traits in herself, such as her alter-ego’s ability to promise herself that is going to get a job done and then seeing that pledge through. She added: “I relate to Alice in the sense that she keeps her promises. When she says she’s going to do something she does it. I’m also a very loyal person.”

T

Rebecca Ferguson is happy being single he ‘Nothing’s Real But Love’ singer who previously dated One Direction hunk Zayn Malik and has two children from a previous relationship - is happy to spend time by herself because she would get distracted from her career if she was always with a man. She said: “I’m single and happy. When I’m in a relationship I fall hard and it distracts me. Like right now, I’d just be sitting here texting them when I should be working.” However, that does not mean Rebecca does not know what she wants in a man, and she has a big crush on ‘Drive’ actor Ryan Gosling. She said: “My ideal man would be Ryan Gosling - that body! I like the athletic look. But it’s not about looks for me, really. I always go for someone with a good heart.” Rebecca is no longer in touch with Zayn, who she met while they were both on ‘X Factor’, but continues to wish him the best. She said: “I don’t ever speak to Zayn. But I wish him well.”

T

Brooklyn Decker thinks men find her scary he model-turned-actress - who is married to tennis player Andy Roddick - says she was never really approached by guys before she tied the knot as she thinks she’s too tall for most of them. She said: “I am very tall and I feel like it is actually quite scary to boys.

And I really mean that. I never get approached by people - I think they are scared because they think I will crush them or something.” However, she says Andy wasn’t put off by her height and his persistence paid off, revealing: “He was resilient. He called a lot, which deterred me at first, and then for some reason it worked when I called him back. And yeah, it worked.” Brooklyn also says when it comes to men, a sense of humour is very important. She told Britain’s OK! magazine: “I think fearlessness is incredibly attractive. At times troubled, because it can be risky, but incredibly attractive. I think humour is important. Someone who can make you laugh that’s the upmost thing in a man.”

T

Tim Burton

Ellie Goulding inspired by own break-up llie Goulding’s ex-boyfriend likes the break-up record she wrote about him.

The singer is releasing ‘Halcyon’, which she has described as “dark” and admitted was inspired by her split from radio DJ Greg James in January this year, but despite its subject matter, he is still a fan. She said: “Greg and I are still friends. Yes, I was worried about what he’d think about these songs but he’s heard them and is fine. “He’s always been a fan of my music, that’s how we met. I don’t think he takes it too seriously. That period in our lives has passed now. We’ve moved on. He texted me the other day to say that he really liked ‘Figure 8’.” Ellie is now dating electronic musician Skrillex, but despite them having worked together she says he’s not affected the sound of ‘Halcyon’.

She added: “People ask me that but no. They ask if I’ve copied his hair too but I had mine first! I just met someone, fell in love with them and that’s it. He’s my guy and he influences me but only in the way that any boyfriend would influence a girl. “As for me influencing him, I read somewhere that I made him feel more secure. That was really nice. I felt a little bit like, ‘Ah’ because he’s never said that to me. “I think we’ve just been really good for each other and we motivate each other.” —Bangshowbiz

E

likes making scary films im Burton thinks it is fine to make his family movies scary - because he wasn’t easily frightened as a child. The acclaimed director whose latest animated adventure ‘Frankenweenie’ has some frightening scenes - insisted watching “monster” films when he was young never harmed him. He said: “I grew up on horror. I loved monster movies, films they don’t show on television nowadays. It never bothered me. I was three, four, five years old watching these movies.” However, Tim who has children Billy, eight, and Nell, four, with partner Helena Bonham Carter - admits he is sometimes shocked by the content of children’s stories when he reads with his kids. He added to Time Out magazine: “I’ve always felt kids are their own best barometer of what they can take. My little girl is four and when we read fairytales, even I’m a bit shocked. “Fairytales are pretty hardcore, but they’re also a way of kids exploring things like death without it being too traumatic. What fascinates me more is that parents forget all that.”

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South Korean fans take photos of the casts of the movie “The Thieves” during outdoor greeting event at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in Busan yesterday. —AFP photos

Asia ‘not supporting independent films’ sian Filmmaker of the Year Koji Wakamatsu has said a lack of government support for young directors in the region is stifling artistic freedom. “Only commercial films are being supported by government funds in Asia so young filmmakers are only making commercial films,” said Wakamatsu, who received the Busan International Film Festival honor for his contribution to independent cinema. “It comes back to the power of the multiplexes which will not screen smaller films,” the Japanese director told AFP late Saturday, adding that young filmmakers “should be given the freedom to make the films they choose”.

Maverick Wakamatsu’s own career spans six decades and more than 100 productions. He started out making Japan’s notorious ‘pink’ or soft passionate films such as “Go, Go Second Time Virgin” (1968) and entered the mainstream through his involvement in

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the likes of the acclaimed erotic drama “In the Realm of the Senses” (1976). “Caterpillar” (2010), a savage critique of Japan in the 1930s, was nominated for the prestigious Silver Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival. In the past year, the 76year-old has directed three productions - “11.25 The Day He Chose His Own Fate”, “Kaien Hotel in Blue”, and “The Millennial Rapture”.

The Busan festival handed Wakamatsu its Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award on Thursday to “honor his spirit of independent film as a rebellious auteur and his never-ending passion for cinema”. Past recipients of the award include Taiwan’s Tsai Ming-liang (2010) and Hong Kong’s Tsui Hark (2011). “I think my films are undervalued in Japan so this is a great honor for me,” said Wakamatsu. “I am an independent filmmaker and this goes against the system in Japan. But

you have to make the films that are in your heart not films other people want you to make.”

Wakamatsu held a ‘master class’ for young filmmakers and film enthusiasts on Saturday night. “I wanted to tell them that I have not changed since I started in cinema,” said Wakamatsu. “My intention was to talk to the people of Japan. Cinema is freedom and this must never change.” The 17th edition of the Busan festival, which is this year screening more than 300 films over 10 days, comes to a close on October 13.-AFP

This picture taken on October 6, 2012 shows Japanese movie director Koji Wakamatsu speaking during an interview with AFP on the sidelines of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in Busan. —AFP

‘Lawless’: Clear moonshine,

Review

slick music, messy film

awless” looks great and sounds even better, which would be terrific if this, were a coffee table book with a companion soundtrack CD. But it’s a movie, unfortunately, which means we’re forced to endure an uninvolving script made no better by two often-charismatic leading men whose performances are as muddled as their garbled Appalachian accents.

The tale of the three Bondurant brothers and their adventures as moonshine-running bootleggers in Prohibition-era America is no

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big-city mobster Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman), but his involvement with the goings-on feels so sketchy that it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that there’s half an hour of footage about his character on a cutting-room floor somewhere.

Given that Oldman gives one of the film’s best performances in just a few scenes, his absence is felt all the more.

What passes for plot occurs when the local sheriffs stop amiably looking the other way at the Bondurants’ business after Special Deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) comes to town. And

doubt a compelling one, but you’d never know it from this listless screen treatment; “Lawless” is the kind of movie with so little narrative drive that far too many scenes feels like they could be the finale.

Forrest (Tom Hardy) is the middle sibling, and he mainly communicates through long stares and a series of intent-filled sighs and moans. Impetuous youngest brother Jack (Shia LaBeouf) is itching to prove himself worthy of the family business. There’s some mention of

lest we miss the point that Rakes is bad news, director John Hillcoat (“The Road”) presents him as a creepy dandy who seems to have teleported in from “Blade Runner” or Warren Beatty’s “Dick Tracy” - Pearce’s hair is always marcelled, his eyebrows are barely there, and he’s almost never seen without a bow tie. The sexually-frustrated character (it’s implied he’s a deeply self-loathing homosexual) is so joltingly cartoonish that he almost single-handedly undoes the film’s low-key naturalism.

‘The Possession’ tops N America holiday box office orror flick “The Possession” exorcised A-list action romp “The Expendables 2” from the top slot at the North American box office over the holiday weekend, industry figures released Tuesday showed. The newly-released supernatural thriller, starring Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as divorcing parents trying to rid their daughter of an evil spirit, raked in $17.7 million, or $21.1 million including Labor Day on Monday.

Another new release, Depression-era Western “Lawless,” took second place, generating $10 million on the slow, late summer weekend, or $12.9 million including the extra day, said movie tracker Exhibitor Relations. “ The Expendables 2” and “ The Bourne Legacy” fell to third and fourth places, with $9 million and $7.2 million in ticket sales respectively, or $11.5 million and $9.3 million including Monday. “ParaNorman,” an animated movie about a boy who can speak to the dead, held onto its spot just behind the two action blockbusters, earning $6.9 million in

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Forrest and Jack fall in love along the way with waitress Maggie (Jessica Chastain) and preacher’s daughter Bertha (Mia Wasikowska), respectively. (Oldest brother Howard, played by Jason Clarke, barely registers, although maybe his role also got chopped to bits.) It’s a testament to these two actresses that they’re able to build characters seemingly out of thin air; “Lawless” gets interesting when its heroes go acourting, but it’s the women who make it all work.

They also, it should be noted, don’t embarrass themselves with the dialect the way that Hardy and LaBeouf do. (Granted, Maggie is a Chicago transplant, so she doesn’t have to sound like a backwoods Virginian, but surely Chastain could have made it work if she’d had to.) Hardy’s an exceptional actor, and LaBeouf has a certain fizzy charisma, but they each twang embarrassingly every time they have a sentence or two to utter, and not even in a way that matches. They barely sound like guys who went to the same vocal coach, much less came out of the same womb.

Veteran musician Nick Cave earns the blame for the meandering script (based on Matt Bondurant’s fictionalized account of his family tale, “The Wettest County in the World”), but Cave does a much better job composing the film’s score (with Warren Ellis), along with several new (but period-appropriate) songs. They also throw in two different bluegrass-infused covers of the Velvet Underground’s “White Light/White Heat” that would sound completely natural coming out of an old radio on the front porch of a country store.

The musicians, along with cinematographer Benoit Delhomme, art director Gershon Ginsburg and production designer Chris Kennedy bring the period alive and provide “Lawless” with its finest features. But with plotting and acting this scattershot, there’s only so much they can do. Like spoiled rotgut in a shiny new jug, “Lawless” has a surface gleam that starts to fade once you pull the cork and start sipping. —Reuters

box office receipts by Sunday, and $9 million over four days.

And quirky fantasy-comedy “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” held steady at sixth place, bringing in $6.3 million, or $8.6 million including Monday. In seventh was “The Dark Knight Rises,” the latest Batman film, with $6.1 million or $8 million over four days. The final installment in the Christopher Nolandirected trilogy has so far raked in over $433 million.

Political spoof “The Campaign,” starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, dropped to eighth place, with box office receipts of $5.7 million or $7.2 million. A more serious political movie, “2016: Obama’s America,” a documentary by conservative writer and commentator Dinesh D’Souza, came in ninth, with $5.1 million, or $7.5 million including Monday. And rounding out the top 10 was Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones’s romantic comedy “Hope Springs,” with $4.7 million in ticket sales, or $6.1 over the full holiday weekend. — AFP

Railroad Revival Tour featuring Nelson canceled he Railroad Revival Tour has run off the tracks. The cross-country tour featuring Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Band of Horses and John C Reilly has been canceled by organizers. A note on the tour’s website says “certain complications would not permit us to host the shows in the manner intended,” but gave no further details.

The eight-stop tour in vintage railcars was

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expected to start Oct. 20 in Duluth, Ga, and conclude Oct 28 in Oakland, Calif. Full ticket refunds are being given. Emails sent to organizers were not immediately answered. This would have been the second Railroad Revival Tour. The first, featuring Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, was chronicled in the documentary “Big Easy Express.” —AP

Chazz Palminteri brings his advice to radio n his autobiographical movie and subsequent play, “A Bronx Tale,” Chazz Palminteri doles out lots of advice as a young man learns from two father figures. Now the writeractor-director is taking his advice skills to the airwaves with “Ask Chazz,” a four-week series of live, call-in shows on SiriusXM Radio, where callers will get Palminteri’s thoughts on a variety of topics, including entertainment business and relationships.

“It’s like life lessons told in a streetsavvy way,” the actor said. “People say I have my own Chazz-isms. That’s why I started the web site, Ask Chazz.”

The online advice site caught the attention of SiriusXM President Scott Greenstein, who suggested

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This Aug 27, 2012 photo shows actor Chazz Palminteri posing during an interview in New York. —AP

Palminteri try his hand at a live call-in show. It airs every Wednesday in October. Don’t except someone along the lines of Dear Abby or Ann Landers. Instead, the 60-year-old actor feels he’s more like the young hero of “A Bronx Tale,” navigating between his father and the gangster he admires. “Everybody has a dilemma between right and wrong and good and evil, and not knowing what evil looks like sometimes,” Palminteri said. He added that giving advice comes naturally to him: “One time I wanted to be a shrink. I’m very honest in my opinion.”

Palminteri said he’ll be offering advice, insight and perspective on everything from show business to

the business of life. There’s a scene in “Bronx Tale” where Palminteri’s character suggests a test to find out if a girl is a good match. He tells a young man to lock the car doors when he picks her up, and to open the passenger door for her. After that he should walk around the car. Palminteri’s character advises: “If she doesn’t reach over and lift up the button, that means she’s selfish and all you’re seeing is the tip of the iceberg.” Though not in the movie, Palminteri suggests a similar test for women. “When a guy drops the woman off at her door, he should wait for her to go inside. And if he leaves before her door closes, then he’s out,” Palminteri said.

As for his need to want to share

information with people, Palminteri remembered the person that helped him finally become a star in his late 30s. “Robert De Niro helped me. He gave me my first big break, and I never forgot it,” Palminteri said, referring to De Niro seeing him perform his one-man show, “A Bronx Tale,” in an off-Broadway theater. In the spirit of “paying back,” Palminteri wants young actors to send him a oneminute monologue via his web site, which he will keep on file and pass on to potential producers. “I love helping young talent,” Palminteri said. —AP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

lifestyle T R A V E L

Mauna Kea’s observatories:

Hawaii Big science at the top of

By Brian J Cantwell

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f you count from sea level, we were 13,796 feet up, almost as high as Mount Rainier.

Plenty high enough. But if you count from the ocean floor? My Big Island tour group was shivering in thin air atop the Earth’s highest mountain —33,500 feet from its waterlogged base to pumice-laden peak. And that measure seemed the more meaningful, because this place seemed to have far more to do with outer space than with anything terrestrial.

As the sunset painted clouds tropical hues of mango and papaya-this was still Hawaii, after all-the nightly crowd of parka-clad, camera-snapping tourists looked like so many geckos swarming around a dozen enormous observatories dotting the top of Hawaii’s highest peak.

Amid tomato-red cinder cones, about the only thing that grows is the rare silver sword plant. The big crop atop Mauna Kea is telescopes, including the world’s two largest functional telescopes, with mirrors 33 feet across, at the W.M. Keck Observatory. (By way of comparison, the Hubble Space Telescope comes in at a measly 8 feet.) Being here is much more than a chance to see a pretty sunset-though those can be amazing. It’s a bit like going to Cape Canaveral for a rocket launch. Every visitor to the summit of this dormant volcano is giddy, and not just from thin air.

“It’s a very high-powered, high-level group of astronomers here,” tour guide Greg Brown told our van full of visitors. “It’s big science!”

Hundreds of scientists and engineers support the Mauna Kea observatories, while data from the telescopes are transmitted worldwide to astronomers. One night’s use of a Keck telescope is valued at $50,000. The Keck Observatory alone is credited with detecting more planets outside our solar system than any other observation post, and helped in discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe, for which astronomers earned the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics. Just seeing this place makes you feel smarter.

Other observatories at the top represent partners such as NASA, the Smithsonian, governments from Japan to the United Kingdom, and universities such as Cal Tech. The high altitude-above 40 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere-along with dark skies and dry, clean air attracted astronomers to Mauna Kea starting in 1964 when the state of Hawaii spent

$42,000 to build the cliff-climbing road, the third highest in the United States “Usually it’s so dry up here you can’t see your breath in the cold!” Brown told our group as our van headed up like a plane taking off. A strong island-wide ordinance restricting outdoor lighting helps keep astronomers happy.

In case you’ve wondered why the Big Island has strange yellow-hued streetlights, it’s because their light spectrum interferes less with the telescopes.

One interpretation of Mauna Kea’s name is “white mountain,” since it’s the only place in Hawaii to regularly get winter snow. “Here you’ll see the only example of snow-removal equipment in the state of Hawaii!” Brown quipped as we drove past a road-crew barn.

But snow clouds, or any clouds, don’t often cover the summit. The proportion of clear nights is among the highest in the world, and astronomers continue to pledge their allegiance to Mauna Kea: The next big thing coming here is the Thirty Meter Telescope, three times larger than any on Earth, so powerful that it will bring in to view galaxies forming at the edge of the observable universe, near the beginning of time. (Chew on that along with your macadamia-nut fudge.)

Construction may begin by year’s end at a cost of up to $1.2 billion. Backers include Japan, India, China and universities across Canada and California.

Visiting Mauna Kea is a special thrill for science buffs, but don’t expect to peek through one of the big telescopes (see the price tag, above). And while most tour operators go up for sunset, the few observatories that welcome visitors close at 4 pm, so unless you go up on your own you won’t get inside. Even in a comfortable tour van specially built for the steep road, it’s no drive to the beach. As we climbed, Brown warned us of the hazards of altitude sickness. “You might be short of breath, you might feel a little dizzy,” he warned. “Yee-ha!” crowed a woman in the rear.

If those symptoms, or headache, are severe, he said, “I have a little bottle of oxygen and I hook you up to Greg’s Oxygen Bar and get you down the hill.” To acclimate to the elevation change, we’d stopped for a picnic dinner in cypress woods near the 7,000-foot level. Other tour groups and visitors typically stop at the 9,300-foot level at the visitor-information station at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, named for Ellison Onizuka, a A summit visitor looks eastward to the shadow of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea cast against clouds at sunset.

hometown Kona astronaut who died in the Challenger space shuttle explosion in 1986.

Authorities urge summit visitors to use four-wheel drive vehicles because of the steep, rough road, and to respect the altitude at the summit, where temperatures often get down to freezing. Kids younger than 16 and anybody with health problems are strongly discouraged from going higher than the visitor center. The cautions don’t convince all, though. “Here’s one of those four-wheel drive Mustangs coming down, and this one’s a con-

Atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, receivers from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Submillimeter Array explore the universe by detecting light of colors not visible to the human eye.

If you go Tours: I took the Mauna Kea Summit and Stars Adventure ($200, including picnic dinner and one-hour stargazing party) with Hawaii Forest & Trail (800-464-1993 or www.hawaii-forest.com).

The 14-passenger van left the town of KailuaKona at 3 pm and returned around 10:30 pm, with about 45 minutes to watch sunset at the summit. A guide provided details on natural, cultural and geologic history; fellow passengers agreed it was worth the price.

A sampling of other tour operators: Mauna Kea Summit Adventures offers a 15 percent discount off the $200 fee for early bookings in off-peak times; 888-322-2366 or www.maunakea.com.

Jack’s Tours, 800-442-5557 or www.jackshawaii.com.

Traveler’s tips: • For the best stargazing, plan to visit on a night with little or no moon visible.

• It is possible to visit the summit of Mauna Kea without paying for a private tour, but the challenges are significant. See the “Going on your own” sidebar online with this story at www.seattletimes.com/travel.

More information: Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station: 808-961-2180 or www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis/ Going on your own It’s possible to visit Mauna Kea’s summit on your own-without a guided tour-during daylight hours, and some observatories offer tours (Subaru Telescope: www.naoj.org/Information/Tour/Summit) or visitor galleries (Keck Observatory: www.keckobservatory.org/education/visiting).

There are no opportunities to “look through” the telescopes at the summit, and visitors are not allowed at the summit after dark. (Since observatory visiting hours end at 4 pm, you’ll have a long wait to see sunset, if that’s a goal.)

The challenge is getting to the top. Only one carrental firm permits patrons to drive up Mauna Kea: Harper Car and Truck Rental (www.harpershawaii.com/maunakea or 800-852-9993). Based on availability, a one-day rental of a four-wheel drive SUV (required for Mauna Kea) can cost almost as much as the commercial tour rate for one person. (An inquiry in late spring found a rate of $170, another in early fall, $119.)

If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, you can join a free escorted summit tour, offered 1-4:30 pm Saturday and Sunday, from the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station (Onizuka Center).

Tours go into at least one of the Mauna Kea

observatories. There are high-quality telescopes set up at the Onizuka Center, at the mountain’s 9,300-foot level, for free, nightly stargazing programs, 6-10 pm.

While there’s no checkpoint to stop you from driving a regular rental car to the summit (and people do), it voids your rental contract, with potentially nasty consequences should you have an accident or breakdown. You can hike to the summit from the visitor center, a distance of 7 miles with 4,600 feet of elevation gain.

Conditions are very challenging, and hikers should allow up to 8 hours for the round-trip. See www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis/visiting-maunakea/hiking.

Traveler’s tips: • There are no stores, restaurants or gas stations on Mauna Kea, and few public restrooms.

• Most Saturday evenings at 6, the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station hosts free public events, including music nights. The first Saturday of each month, “The Universe Tonight” is a special presentation on the current research and discoveries occurring on Mauna Kea. • If you drive to the top, start with a full fuel tank; engines use extra fuel on the steep grade and in the thin air.

Mauna Kea is sacred to Hawaiians To the outside world, Mauna Kea may be a famous center for astronomy. To native Hawaiians, it is a sacred place ancestors visited for centuries in a quest to understand spiritual connections between earth and the heavens.

To this day, a humble stone and wood lele, or altar, overlooks the observatories from the very summit of Mauna Kea. Continued expansion of the mountain’s use by astronomers is a subject of controversy.

In Hawaiian culture, Poliahu, the icy goddess of Mauna Kea, is the antithesis of her fiery archrival, Pele, the goddess of volcanoes. Many say the name Mauna Kea is a shortened version of Mauna a Wakea, meaning “the mountain of Wakea.” Wakea is the sky father in the Hawaiian creation story, in which the earth mother gives birth to the island of Hawaii, and this volcanic peak is the child’s navel.

To learn more, attend a free presentation at 6 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month when speakers from the community address the mountain from a cultural perspective. It happens at the visitor center of the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy (808-961-2180), on the Mauna Kea summit road. — MCT

Visitors bundled against the cold watch sunset from in front of the Gemini Northern Telescope at the summit of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea. Beyond is the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. vertible,” Brown noted with sarcasm on our way up. At the summit, we donned parkas provided by our guide. For my early-June visit, the temperature was in the upper 30s, with winds to 20 mph. Fingers quickly numbed. The wind was 83 mph a few days earlier.

The combination of excitement and low oxygen seemed to transform the tour group into giggly schoolkids, gawking at the summit’s moonlike landscape dotted with gleaming observatory domes. I ran to get a photo of the mountain’s sunset shadow against clouds below, but quickly stopped when my heart pounded and breath ran short. But just stopping to gaze was rewarding.

“Oh, wow! Look at the clouds, and the clouds above the clouds!” said Shelley Burr, a Boeing employee visiting from Seattle. “You don’t have words for this. It’s the top of the world!” After a half-hour of wild photo snapping, Brown called out, “Look, Gemini Northern (observatory) is rotating, and Keck has their doors open!” The observatories were opening for the night. It felt like a sci-fi movie set.

It would be a shame to get up in that clear air and not wait for stars to come out. So we drove back to the visitor center where Brown set up an 11-inch-wide telescope for our own star party, which included both the Northern Star and Southern Cross in one swivel of the head. Saturn’s rings drew “oh, wows!” and at least one OMG, and hot chocolate and homemade brownies revived us. On the dark road back to the Kona hotel strip, Brown suddenly braked the van to point out the Big Island’s active volcano. “Look, over near the base of Mauna Loa, see that red glow? That’s Kilauea!”

Whoa. The glow from lava from the planet’s bowels capped off the night, and brought us all back to earth.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

lifestyle T R A V E L

Old growth White Pine stumps left from strip logging back in the 1800’s, still dot the Kingston Flats like tombstones, reminders of the mighty forests that used to inhabit Upper Michigan south of Grand Marais.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located along Lake Superior from Munising east to Grand Marais.

Michigan’s

Upper Peninsula evokes Jim Harrison’s novels

By Gary Porter

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’m sitting in the Voyageurs Motel looking out over West Bay at Grand Marais, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The light is dwindling. Fresh from a meal of poached whitefish at the Dunes Saloon, it feels like the perfect time to begin this story. The breeze is gone, except for the fan in the corner, but the setting sun striking the clouds resonates with the evocative writing of one of my favorite authors, Jim Harrison.

Ever since Harrison’s novella “The Woman Lit by Fireflies” crossed my path about 25 years ago, I’ve read everything by him I can get my hands on. (He’s published

Sable Falls is created by the Sable River flowing out of Grand Sable Lake to Lake Superior in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, located along Lake Superior from Munising east to Grand Marais. more than 30 books of poetry, fiction and nonfiction.)

Harrison’s descriptions and insights cut to the bone with the sparseness of Hemingway, to whom he is often compared, although he professes not to be a fan.

He writes from the expansiveness of locations such as the Upper Peninsula, and the far southwestern desert near Patagonia, Ariz. Places as big and open as his vision.

Tomorrow, I’ll go out with an old hunting and fishing buddy of Harrison, Mike Ballard, a big, burly bear of a man, who lives on 40 acres outside of Grand Marais. Mike recalls with fondness the days when Harrison would stay at his little cabin near the Sucker River to retreat, often to write and enjoy the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula. Ballard

looked out for the place when Harrison was gone. I was privileged to visit the cabin, a location that is kept relatively quiet around here by the locals. Harrison sold the cabin in the early 2000s when he and his wife, Linda, moved to Livingston, Mont, to be closer to their daughters. Ballard says he knew Harrison before he became well known as an author and thinks of him as “just Jim, a real good human being, who would give you his last nickel if you needed it.”

Ballard is the inspiration for several characters in Harrison’s novels, although Ballard says he doesn’t really like that because he’s always the bad guy, which he doesn’t come across as to me. In one novel he is portrayed as a lousy ship captain who drowned his whole crew on Lake Superior, and threw a man through a plate-glass window. In “True North” he is transformed into the character of Mick, David Burkette’s hunting and fishing buddy, an honest, straightforward friend who owns the Dunes Saloon, although he doesn’t anymore.

Harrison lived for years on a farm with his family on the Leelenau Peninsula near Traverse City in northern Michigan, but he purchased his remote cabin near Grand Marais in the UP with an early royalty check. It reminded him of the cabin where he grew up as a child, with the love of fishing, hunting and roaming the expanses of forest.

After years of eking out a meager living as a writer, he was noticed by Hollywood and began writing screenplays from some of his novels and novellas, including “Legends of the Fall,” starring Brad Pitt; “Wolf,” with Jack Nicholson; and “A Good Day to Die.” Harrison spent a decade back and forth between Michigan and Hollywood, until he finally decided, as he puts it, that the greed wasn’t worth it. Many of his books come at the same characters from different directions. His descriptions of the Upper Peninsula made me want to come here and see some of the places that inhabit his writing for myself. “The Upper Peninsula has been pretty much ignored by the rest of the culture and consequently was free to evolve into its own,” Harrison wrote me in a note forwarded by his secretary.

“This is wonderful for a fiction writer, as most areas of the US have been flagged to death and are mere shreds of the dominant super-culture.” While visiting Marquette, Mich, recently, I got some insights into Harrison’s writing by talking with writer John Smolens, also a friend of the author.

“He writes the way he talks,” Smolens said. “He has such a vigorous mind, he can’t sit still.”

“His prose has a lot of jazz in it.” Then he ruminates, “Maybe that’s why he’s so big in France.” Smolens was partially responsible for having a suite at the Landmark Hotel (Harrison‘s favorite hotel in Marquette) named after Harrison. The Jim Harrison Suite is where Harrison stays when he’s in town and has copies of several of his books and other memorabilia. When Harrison learned of the suite’s name, Smolens said he asked, “How you gonna decorate it, with a bunch of empty wine bottles and cigarette butts?”

Ballard took me on a tour around the areas south of Grand Marais where he and Harrison used to roam. The Kingston Plains is an eerie stretch of land that used to be full of majestic old-growth pines, but was strip-logged in the 1800s, then ravaged by a massive forest fire. The weathered stumps, still visible, dot the landscape like tombstones in a cemetery. Very few new trees ever grew back. Harrison writes in many of his books about this devastation, coming at it through the viewpoint of different characters, but most famously the Burkettes, a fictitious family of six generations living in Marquette, whose first generations were greedy lumber and mining barons in the UP. Harrison loved to walk for hours on the Kingston Plains to clear his mind. Ballard also took me to an area

Au Train located where the Au Train River flows into Lake Superior between Marquette and Munising in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a location often mentioned in Jim Harrison’s books including True North and Returning to Earth.

Harrison saw him, he asked what the heck he was doing, and just plunged across the chest-deep river fully dressed, brought the bird back, and continued hunting soaking wet for the rest of the day. Ballard also tells a couple of funny one-eyed stories, about how Harrison would sometimes bump into trees on his left side while walking through the woods because he was blind on that side from a childhood injury. According to one account in “The Raw and the Cooked,” he was poked in the eye with a broken bottle by a 7-year-old girl while playing doctor as a young boy. — MCT

John Smolens, a historical novelist and professor at Northern Michigan University, is a good friend of Jim Harrisons who would sometimes stay with Smolens and his wife when passing through Marquette in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. — MCT known as the “Whitewash,” where an old whitewashed lumbering lodge used to stand. There he showed me the biggest old growth white pine stump I’ve ever seen, nestled in a gully. Big enough to crawl inside, like some of Harrison’s character do. Although Harrison’s writings cover the expanse of the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan, I concentrated on the stretch from Big Bay, a little west of Marquette where the Yellow Dog River flows into Lake Superior, and on along the Lake Superior shoreline east to Grand Marais, where Harrison’s beloved cabin is located. Seeing his cabin on the Sucker River was a rare privilege. I pictured him writing at his table by the window that looks out over a horseshoe bend of the pristine trout stream, where he used to fish and swim. Ballard said he would often find him there sitting in a chair, chest deep in the water, just thinking and enjoying.

Ballard tells the story of one time they were out hunting and Ballard shot a bird that fell on the other side of the river but the bird dog didn’t want to go across. Ballard began taking off his clothes to fetch it himself. When

The Dunes Saloon is a favorite watering hole of Jim Harrison’s and a place where he and many of his characters would go to drink and eat Whitefish in Grand Marais.

The view from a second floor window at Voyageurs Motel looks out across West Bay where a barge carries rocks to a breakwater project, and then out to Lake Superior at Grand Marais.

A family scrambles down a steep sandy cliff in the Grand Sable Dunes area in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore located along Lake Superior from Munising east to Grand Marais.

Asia ‘not supporting independent films’

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2012

Indian men and women in traditional attire pose for photographs after a practice session of Garba, a traditional dance of Gujarat ahead of Navratri festival in Ahmadabad, India, yesterday. Navratri, or the festival of nine nights will begin from Oct 16. (Inset) Indian women in traditional attire participate in a practice session of Garba. —AP

Book fair to look to future via today’s children T

he Frankfurt Book Fair will spotlight child and youth literature and its role at the avant-garde of the publishing world with playful apps for smartphones and tablet computers as well as interactive games. The media world for children and youngsters breaks new ground for publishers in the digital age by pushing the boundaries far beyond the printed book; say organizers of the world’s biggest book fair, which opens Wednesday. Electronics giant Sony and Nintendo, the titan in electronic games, will be among about 7,400 exhibitors at the five-day fair, reflecting innovations in an industry where “content is king”, the fair’s director said. “Children’s and youth media are a prototype for what is happening in the publishing industry but also for what is happening at the moment socially,” Juergen Boos told reporters. Sony will showcase its new Wonderbook device, which under the

guise of a classic book links up to a PlayStation console to display 3D images on screen for its young user. As well as homing in on which trends may evolve into universal standards, industry movers and shakers will ponder whether new technology limits the imagination, or encourages it to expand.

“In order to keep up with the changing reading and learning habits of future generations, we need to constantly create new formats and develop and expand popular topics and trends,” Boos said. He said around 1,500 publishers who deal exclusively with the children and youth market were due to attend the Frankfurt fair, describing the sector as a growth area. The fair not only acts as a kind of “scout” and “navigation system” but is also a forum for bringing together different multimedia representatives to get a project off the ground, Katja Boehne, the fair’s spokeswoman, said. “When someone

has a children’s book, they look for musicians, they look for technology companies, they also look for computer games experts and then together a children’s book is initiated,” she said.

Dealing with the development of offshoot products from a book has become a trend at the Frankfurt event, she added. Technological innovation however is not the only way in which children’s literature has changed, with content moving away from being either “moral” in style or purely entertaining. “Demanding children’s and youth literature, which we now have, has basically also become more entertaining,” Boos said highlighting a children’s book about a dysfunctional family by New Zealand writer Kate De Goldi. Education is another major theme at this year’s fair which will display a ‘classroom of the future’ offering an insight into how tomorrow’s students will learn with interactive or digitized

aids. While the book fair has long come to terms with the advent of electronic books and what they mean for their bound rivals, the share of ebooks in the entertainment literature market in Germany remains less than two percent. “It’s not to do with the range, the ebooks are there... it’s more a social phenomenon,” Boos said of a general attachment in Europe to the physical presence of the printed book as well as its value as a cultural object. New Zealand will this year be in the limelight as guest of honor, bringing around 68 authors and 100 artists to mix with the publishers, writers, agents and sellers from more than 100 countries. With several debtwracked eurozone countries feeling the pinch, Boehne said they had been pleasantly surprised that attendance figures had remained steady and saw it as a “symptom of the crisis” that exhibitors felt the need to keep in touch with business partners. — AFP

China art auctioneers eye slice of Hong Kong market

A Krisztina Poschenrieder-Molnar of Germany combs the hair of her setter dog during the dog-salon competition at the international dog grooming championship in Stadtroda, central Germany yesterday. —AP photos

Natascha Kolbe of Germany cuts the hair of a large poodle during the dog-salon competition.

Germany Dog Grooming Championship

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Julia Hyppenen of Finland presents her Schnauzer dog to the jury.

One-day photo project to be screened in 22 countries

photography exhibit featuring snapshots of daily life around the world opened simultaneously on publicity screens in 22 countries today, a Swedish organizer said. “A Day in the World” will be shown for just one day on more than 85,000 screens around the world as of Monday at midnight local time. The 45 snapshots

included in the exhibition were selected from 100,000 received by organizer aday.org. All of them were taken on the same day, May 15, by amateur and professional photographers in 165 countries.

A book featuring 1,000 photos will also be published, with a preface written by South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“The aim is to show that there are more things that unite us than divide us,” one of the promoters of the project, Swedish photographer Jeppe Wikstroem, told AFP. The exhibition is to be shown on some of the most famous screens in the world, including those in Times Square in New York and Europe’s biggest screen in Liverpool. — AFP

leading China auctioneer holds a debut sale in Hong Kong yesterday, lured by the city’s international buyers, low tax regime and stable regulatory framework in a trend that could bring more competition for global firms. China Guardian’s sale of Chinese art and classical furniture in the former British colony follows its rise as the world’s third largest auction house on the crest of China’s art market boom, with sales of $1.77 billion last year.

“We want to win over more overseas market and buyers,” said Wang Yannan, the president of China Guardian and the well-connected daughter of former Communist Party leader Zhao Ziyang.

The sale, though relatively small, is seen as a symbolic foray by China’s top auction firm into the turf of goliaths Christie’s and Sotheby’s who have long dominated international auction hubs like Hong Kong, New York and London. China Guardian’s key rival, Poly International is also planning an inaugural Hong Kong sale in late November, while A&F Auction and Beijing Rongbao Auction aim to enter Hong Kong in one or two years, according to art market reports.

China’s wave of millionaire buyers and investors have helped propel Hong Kong into the world’s fourth largest art auction hub, with nearly 7 percent of global art auction revenue in 2011, according to French art database Artprice.com<ARTF.PA >. “It’s great for competition,” Francois Curiel, Christie’s Asia president, told Reuters.

“Whenever I see more auction houses coming into the market, the pie became larger.”

Some, however, felt the field was getting crowded. “It’s like separating a bowl of rice into two,” said Tim Linof the Lin & Lin Gallery in Beijing and Taipei, referring to increased competition for Hong Kong’s multi-billion dollar art auction market. “How long will they last? It’s everyone’s guess.” Art dealers and experts say the Chinese expansion into

HongKong is also being driven by a tightening regulatory environment in China, that has grappled with widespread art crimes including tax evasion, a proliferation of fakes, money laundering and manipulative bidding practices.

Tax probe blow to china art market In April, a large-scale Chinese customs probe into tax evasion on art imports delivered a blow to the art market, with at least six prominent art dealers, collectors and artists being investigated, according to art dealers and Chinese media reports. “The tax probe had a huge impact on the spring auctions in China,” said the owner of an art gallery in Taipei who is a frequent buyer in the Chinese art market but who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

“Everyone finds himself in danger so the market is extremely cold.” According to market research firm ArtTactic, total auction sales this spring from the biggest four auction houses in the China market dropped to $1.5 billion, 32 percent lower than the autumn season in 2011 and 43 percent less than a year before. “The tax investigation has cast a shadow on the Chinese art market,” said David Lin of Taipei’s Lin & Lin Art Gallery. “It has a psychological effect on buyers and sellers in China ... The chain reaction are going to last for a while.” China Guardian’s 2012 auction sales tally dropped 46 percent to 2.14 billion yuan ($340 million) this spring season, from 3.98 billion yuan in the 2011 autumn auction, but Wang attributed this largely to a stuttering Chinese economy. “It also has something to do with the slowdown in the economy, but it has nothing to do with the tax,” Wang of China Guardian, told Reuters. Art market experts, however, say Hong Kong’s laissez-faire economy, solid regulatary framework and zero-tariffs on art imports, make it a secure and stable alternative for China’s auction firms. —Reuters