09 Nov

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Kuwait: No plans to host more US troops

Cain fights back after sex accuser goes public

‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier loses fight with cancer

Honda shows smarter robot, to help in nuclear crisis

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Row rages after ‘drunk’ official assaults woman

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www.kuwaittimes.net

THULHIJJA 13, 1432 AH

Barrak accuses MoI of cover-up

By A Saleh

Syria toll hits 3,500 DAMASCUS: The Arab League yesterday came under mounting pressure to act after Syria’s regime failed to implement its peace blueprint and tightened a bloody siege on the flashpoint city of Homs. The United Nations said meanwhile that the regime’s repression has left more than 3,500 people dead since protests against the autocratic rule of President Bashar AlAssad erupted mid-March. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 13 people were killed across the country yesterday alone, among them a girl who died in Homs, as soldiers pressed on a military campaign in the central industrial city.

“A civilian was killed during raids in the neighbourhood of Baba Amro,” where soldiers were searching for people wanted by the regime’s security services, the Britain-based rights group said in a statement. Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the situation in the embattled neighbourhood as “appalling,” with residents deprived of food, water and medical supplies for a week.

In another neighbourhood of Homs, “a girl was killed by the explosion of a rocket that hit her home,” said the Observatory.

And in Qusayr, near Homs, overnight clashes pitted soldiers against gunmen presumed to be defectors. “Eight gunmen and security agents were killed in an ambush by armed men, probably army defectors,” south of Maaret Al-Numan, a town in Idlib province near the border with Turkey, it added. Security forces, meanwhile, killed three civilians in the same province and “five people were wounded” when troops in armoured vehicles opened fire on the highway linking Damascus with the second city of Aleppo.

In a letter, the opposition Syrian National Council urged the Arab League “to take a strong and effective position against the Syrian regime commensurate Continued on Page 13

MINA, Saudi Arabia: A crowd of pilgrims make their way to throw cast stones at a pillar, symbolizing the stoning of Satan, in a ritual called ‘Jamarat’, the last rite of the annual hajj, yesterday. (Inset) A pilgrim wears a swimming goggles to protect her eyes from stones thrown by others as she casts stones yesterday. — AP

Pilgrims perform final rituals MINA, Saudi Arabia: Nearly three million Muslim pilgrims were performing the final rituals of the hajj yesterday as the world’s largest annual gathering neared its close without major incident. The most dangerous rite of the annual hajj proceeded peacefully as pilgrims rushed to throw 21 stones at pillars that symbolise the devil in the Saudi village of Mina, the last rite of the annual pilgrimage. “Once I’ve finished the stoning, I will go to the Grand Mosque in Makkah to say farewell,” said Abdallah Hamid Uglu, a 54-year-old Turk, in the mass of pilgrims rushing to complete the ritual before sunset.

In previous years, hundreds of people have been trampled to death in stampedes triggered by crowds trying to get close to the pillars to take their vengeance on the devil. To complete the ritual, which is carried out over three days, pilgrims must stone the three pillars said to symbolise the devil. The

Sarko tells Obama Netanyahu a ‘liar’

ritual is an emulation of Ibrahim’s (PBUH) stoning of the devil at the three spots where he is said to have appeared trying to dissuade the biblical patriarch from obeying God’s order to sacrifice his son, Ishmael.

Most pilgrims were to leave yesterday, after a farewell circumambulation of the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure in the Grand Mosque into which is set the Black Stone, Islam’s most sacred relic. Others stay for a further day. Saudi authorities have installed a multi-level walkway through the stonethrowing site in a bid to avoid the trampling that caused the deaths of 364 people in 2006, 251 in 2004 and 1,426 in 1990.

More than 12,000 security guards organised the movement of pilgrims on the walkway this year with around 400 CCTV security cameras placed there to help manage the crowds.

Continued on Page 13

taneous translation. “You’re fed up with him, but I have to deal with him even more often than you,” Obama replied, according to the French interpreter.

The technical gaffe is likely to cause great embarrassment to all three leaders as they look to work together to intensify international pressure on Iran over its nuclear ambitions. The conversation was not initially reported by the small group of journalists who Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: MP Musallam Al-Barrak yesterday ratcheted up pressure on Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, who is accused of ordering a cover-up of an incident in which an allegedly drunken senior Ministry of Interior official assaulted a Kuwaiti woman. Speaking after further revelations came out about the case involving Col Shukri Al-Najjar - who has denied the charges with some MPs insisting that the officer was drunk as well as abusive, Al-Barrak slammed the minister, suggesting that history appeared to be repeating itself and citing as an example a statement made by Sheikh Ahmad 20 years ago in which he claimed that he was a victim of false rumors. Now, said the MP, Sheikh Ahmad is the interior minister and responsible for national security, asking dryly if the minister still feels able to describe himself as a victim as he did 20 years ago.

“In every country of the world such practices are perpetrated here and there by corrupt leadership officials and this is expected,” said Al-Barrak. He added, however, that this case is particularly strange because there has been no reaction from the interior ministry after the accusations became public knowledge except to attempt to cover up the scandal to protect the “corrupt” official.

“Here we ask the Ministry of Interior and the minister; why didn’t you deal with this subject in the natural way?

There’s a victim here and the nature of her relationship with this official is irrelevant...there’s an eyewitness who acted with self-respect after seeing a disgusting scene in a public street at a late hour of the night and did his duty in the sense of the old saying, ‘Every citizen is a guard’.

This saying is apparently not included in the vocabulary of the Ministry of Interior, however,” the veteran opposition MP lamented.

The Kuwaiti passerby was aware that the MoI officer was in an inebriated state and took the battered victim to Bayan police station, Al-Barrak said, adding that at this point the officer stormed into the police station acting as if he were the aggrieved victim rather than the assailant. “Here we have to ask why an investigation wasn’t completed and no case number was issued for the case, especially when the eyewitness signed his witness statement and report. What are the reasons which prevented the Ministry of Interior from sending this official to the medical examiner to give a blood sample [to test for alcohol] to prove the official’s condition at that time?”

Al-Barrak suggested that this was a blatant attempt on the interior ministry’s behalf to cover up for the official and hide this important evidence against him, saying, “Let’s suppose that someone’s walking down the street and harms nobody, but he’s drunk or has taken Continued on Page 13

Jackson’s doctor found guilty

Israel warns Iran strike possible PARIS: French President Nicolas Sarkozy branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a liar” in a private conversation with US President Barack Obama that was accidentally broadcast to journalists during last week’s G20 summit in Cannes. “I cannot bear Netanyahu, he’s a liar,” Sarkozy told Obama, unaware that the microphones in their meeting room had been switched on, enabling reporters in a separate location to listen in to a simul-

Max 22º Min 09º Low Tide 05:27 & 17:10 High Tide 11:46 & 22:48

LOS ANGELES: Dr Conrad Murray is remanded into custody after the jury returns with a guilty verdict in his involuntary manslaughter trial Monday. — AP

LOS ANGELES: Fans rejoiced after Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray was found guilty over the King of Pop’s 2009 death, closing a trial that provided a troubling look at the star’s demise. Crowds of supporters outside erupted as the verdict was announced on Monday, while minutes later judge Michael Pastor ordered the 58-year-old medic handcuffed and remanded in custody, pending sentencing later this month.

Jackson’s mother Katherine cried and was hugged by one of his brothers after the jury convicted Murray of involuntary manslaughter for giving him an overdose of the anesthetic propofol on June 25, 2009.

Murray admitted to giving Jackson a small amount of propofol to help him sleep, but not the massive amount of the drug - which is normally only used as an in-hospital anesthetic-was found in his body. “Justice was served,” his brother Jermaine said as he and the rest of the family braved huge crowds to leave the Continued on Page 13

in the

news Berlusconi on ropes after vote humiliation

ROME: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi suffered a huge humiliation in parliament yesterday in a vote that indicated he no longer had a majority and ratcheted up pressure for him to resign. Berlusconi’s government won a key budget vote after the opposition abstained but obtained only 308 votes compared with an absolute majority in the lower house of 316 votes. Opposition leader Pier Luigi Bersani immediately called on Berlusconi to resign, saying Italy ran a real risk of losing access to financial markets after yields on government bonds had approached the red line of 7 percent. “I ask you, Mr Prime Minister, with all my strength, to finally take account of the situation ... and resign,” Bersani said immediately after the vote. Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said Berlusconi would consult head of state Giorgio Napolitano on his next move. Napolitano would be in charge of the crisis if Berlusconi stepped down. La Russa said all options were open after the vote and the government would decide its next move in coming hours. Berlusconi left parliament after the vote, looking angry, to consult with his senior aides.

UAE blogger’s family fear smear campaign DUBAI: The family of a jailed blogger on trial for advocating political change in the United Arab Emirates said yesterday he is a victim of an organized smear campaign, which has called for his execution. Ahmed Mansour and the others are charged with insulting the UAE’s rulers and endangering national security. The five activists, including an economics professor who has lectured at the Abu Dhabi branch of Paris’ Sorbonne University, were arrested in April after they signed an internet petition calling for reform in the Gulf federation. “Ahmed Mansour is innocent and has not been convicted of any crime,” the family said in a statement, adding they feared the campaign’s “impact on public opinion and the course of justice”. Since Mansour’s arrest on April 8, his wife, his four young children and his elderly parents have been “terrorized by insults” and “alarmed by threats” that are posted on social networking sites, yesterday’s statement said. It said the campaign against Mansour is also waged in the local media and by phone. The family urged authorities to “stop the continued abuse against our son”.

Crew of mock Mars trip healthy, joyful MOSCOW: Staying inside cramped, windowless modules for nearly a year-and-half was a tough challenge for an international crew of six researchers simulating a mission to Mars under 24-hour surveillance by scientists. They said yesterday they coped with the fatigue and stress of isolation with simple methods: doing exercises, reading books, trying to learn foreign languages - but above all keeping themselves busy with their work. The crew of three Russians, a Frenchman, an Italian-Colombian and a Chinese appeared energetic and joyful at their first news conference after leaving their claustrophobic quarters last Friday. The facility at Moscow’s Institute for Medical and Biological Problems, Russia’s premier space medicine center, included living compartments the size of a bus, connected with several other similarly sized modules for experiments and exercise. Scientists said that long confinement without daylight and fresh air put team members under stress as they grew increasingly tired of one another’s company. They warned that isolation challenges are actually stronger on a simulated mission because of the lack of euphoria and risk of a real space flight. (See Page 13)

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

LOCAL

Families throng recreational facilities during holidays Malls around Kuwait crowded

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The not-so-enthusiastic swear that getting some well-deserved sleep is the best way to spend holidays in Kuwait. But it also depends on the kind of neighborhood you’re in. If you happen to reside in Maidan Hawally, you’ll surely be welcomed by the sounds of sporadically bursting firecrackers. The ban on dangerous firecrackers is yet to be fully enforced and the smaller types are available in plenty. Many families thronged the malls, leisure parks, gardens and cinemas to spend special days with their loved ones. Esteban from the Philippines was spotted with his family at an amusement park in Maidan Hawally on the first day of Eid. “I promised them a treat during Eid. So we are here to celebrate and we plan to get on as many rides as we can today,” he said.

Another favorite holiday spot is the seaside along the Gulf Road. The location stretching from Salwa to Salmiya all the way to Kuwait City and Shuwaikh has been busy since day one. The

activities undertaken range from barbequing, fishing, chatting, walking, jogging, football, kite flying and biking. “We have perfect weather today. So my children are here enjoying the Eid today than they did last year,” said an Egyptian male teacher in his mid-40’s. He was spotted along the seaside playing football with kids.

“There is no high tide. So later in the night, we’re going fishing,” he added.

Like the seaside, malls around Kuwait are also crowded with holiday-goers, especially the section dedicated to children. At the 360 mall, cinemas were also crowded. Kids there also enjoyed a free magic show, cour tesy Zain Telecom. The group was invited to showcase magic tricks, dancing and magic painting, and even gave away some gifts and numerous freebies. “They are here to present a show for kids for three days. They are quite an amazing group of entertainers from the UK that inspire kids,” said Shirley Sales, Event Coordinator told the Kuwait Times.

Unfortunately not everyone shared the holi-

day spirit. For workers employed in restaurants, amusement parks and other shops, holiday is another day to earn extra money. “We are working more than 12 hours per day but additional an additional work-hour is free. The regular [normal] days are fine because it wasn’t too busy. The holidays like Eid are really hard because we are not paid for working overtime,” a Filipino fastfood staff complained. Another restaurant worker from India echoed the same sentiment but added they would receive an extra day-off. “We are not paid in double for working during the holiday period. They give us extra days off instead,” he revealed. “Given the choice, I still prefer cash. This is because I came to work and earn money. But no choice, it’s company’s policy and we just have to follow orders,” Interestingly, there are some casual dining restaurant workers who receive double the pay during holidays. “I enjoy holidays because there many generous people give us tips.

Sometime I get one or five dinars tip per table.

So, I am enjoying it,” he added.

Officer denies accusations, MPs demand intervention

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah performed Eid Al-Adha prayers at the Grand Mosque on Sunday. His Highness was accompanied by HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Speaker of the National Assembly Jassem Al-Khorafi, senior sheikhs, Deputy Chief of the National Guard Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Acting Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and senior state officials.

50 illegal butchers busted

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: During the Eid Al-Adha period, Municipality inspectors detained 50 butchers who were discovered illegally butchering sheep outside local butchers’ shops rather than at the abattoir, as well as arresting several unlicensed peddlers in the Capital area.

Municipality officials noted that most of the butchers detained were Christian and had not realized the ‘Oudhiya’ regulations which proscribe slaughtering and butchering sheep and lambs in any location other than slaughterhouses.

Municipal inspectors supported by security officials also supervised the dismantling of an unlicensed children’s play area in Qairawan, as well as confiscating a number of ice cream vendors’ vehicles which the vendors were selling from in areas other than those allocated for this activity. The municipality officials also oversaw the confiscation of a number of dune buggies in the Doha area.

The inspectors, who also removed 2,480 illegally erected advertising hoardings over the past few days, are continuing with their duties throughout the holiday period.

KUWAIT: The place from where the illegal butchers were arrested.

12 new ICU places at Al-Razi Hospital KUWAIT: Preparations are underway at Al-Razi Hospital for the inauguration of 12 new Intensive Care Unit beds, all fully outfitted with the latest high-tech medical equipment and to be supervised by specialist members of medical staff, said the hospital director, Dr. Omar Baroun, on Monday.

Dr. Baroun further revealed that the new ICU places are amongst a series of projects being launched by the specialist orthopedic hospital’s medical services department, which also include the construction of a covered passageway linking the parking lot with the trauma center to better serve patients.

Another major project underway at the hospital is the construction of a multistory high-tech 250-bed care facility, part of the ‘Medical Towers’ initiative, which will see a number of similar buildings being constructed in order to increase the bed capacity of several local state hospitals. The ‘Medical Towers’ project is one of the initiatives included in the state’s major development plan. —Al-Rai

KUWAIT: A senior Ministry of Interior official has denied involvement in a case in which a security officer has been accused of physically assaulting a woman in an drunken stupor.

The female petitioner in the case had pressed charges at the Bayan police station Sunday night. Rumors did the rounds stating that Assistant General Director for Operations Affairs Brigadier General Shukri AlNajjar faces charges in connection with attacking the woman, according to her statement.

Brig Gen Al-Najjar insisted in a comment given to Al-Rai on Monday that he is not involved in the case and offered to undergo blood tests to prove his innocence.

However, an eyewitness who helped the woman to the police station rejected his claim.

“At around 11:00 pm (Sunday night), I was near Mishref when I witnessed a woman being chased by an SUV,” said the eyewitness identified only by his first name, Hamad, to Al-Rai. He added that the

woman halted near his car and asked for help, at which point the SUV stopped and the driver at the helm stepped out. “I was able to identify him as (Brig Gen) Al-Najjar, who is a regular figure at public gatherings,” Hamad said. They added that Al-Najjar demanded that he take the woman into custody, but the woman insisted that he (Hamad) guide her to the police station to file a case.

“On the way to the police station, the woman explained to me that she had spent time with a group in which included Al-Najjar, a lawyer and two other women,” the eyewitness said. She told him that dispute took place at night which spilled over into a chase. Hamad further indicated that Al-Najjar was present at the police station soon after they arrived, and was released at 3:00 am.

However, according to Al-Najjar, the alleged physical assault that took place during a liquor party at a boat cruise is orchestrated. “It is not true that I attacked her. A dispute

took place and no charges were pressed,” Al-Najjar argued. He reiterated that he was never intoxicated and offered to undergo a toxicity test.

“I underwent a regular investigation after which I was sent home. If there was anything serious as the rumors claim, I would’ve still been in custody”, Al-Najjar said, explaining that the situation was only a small dispute that took place after the woman verbally assaulted him.

In the meantime, the Brig Gen argued that MPs are trying to trap him because he was among officers who engaged in a violent confrontation with gatherers who staged a demonstration outside MP Al-Harbash’s diwaniya last December. The gathering included several MPs who participate in a seminar held at the diwaniya.

MP Al-Harbash was quick to demand that Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah “hold accountable those who intervened to save the officer who is guilty of physical-

ly assaulting MPs and citizens is involved.” MP Falah Al-Sawwagh in the meantime held the minister responsible for “the process in which the officer’s involvement is being covered up,” arguing that he possesses information about “attempts made at the Bayan police station to destroy video evidence and stop performing blood tests.”

MPs Mubarak Al-Waalan, Mohammad Hayef and Musallam Al-Barrak also demanded action from the Interior Minister on the case, with the latter arguing that the ministry is losing public confidence. “What happened is sad and ironic,” Al-Barrak said, “instead of taking measures against an official who attacked citizens, MPs and university professors, the Interior Ministry is helping him escape punishment.”

Sources told Al-Rai that Brig Gen Al-Najjar was summoned again n Monday night by the Ministry’s Inspection and Monitoring Department to conduct further investigations. — Al-Rai

KUWAIT: The Operation Department at the Kuwait Fire Service Department received a report about an apartment that caught fire in Salmiya.

The Salmiya Fire Center responded to the emergency call made from a three-storey building. At least 22 persons were evacuated and no casualties were reported. The fire was tackled within a few hours. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Five hurt in fights

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 15-year-old Iranian boy was rushed to Mubarak Hospital yesterday after suffering a serious knife wound in a fight at the Marina Complex, which resulted in his hear t stopping for a few moments.

Thankfully paramedics were able to revive the boy. Another teenager involved in the same fight, an 18-year-old Egyptian boy, was also taken to the same hospital with stab wounds to his head and back. Meanwhile, another fight between a different group of teenagers at the Marina Complex resulted in a 16-year-old Kazak boy suffering head injuries, along with a 15-year-old Jordanian boy who also suffered injuries to his skull, as well as a broken nose. Both were taken to Mubarak Hospital. The Marina Complex’s Salwa Hall was also the scene of a third fight between teenagers, in which a 17-year-old Egyptian boy suffered head injuries. He was also taken to Mubarak Hospital.

Car accidents A 50-year-old Saudi man was rushed to Adan Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit yesterday after he suffered a heart attack following his involvement in a car accident near the Riqqa area. In a separate incident, a 49-year-old Syrian woman suffered multiple injuries whilst a two-year-old Egyptian toddler suffered a nose bleed in a collision between two vehicles at the junction between Beirut Street and Tunis Street. Meanwhile, a 53-year-old Jordanian man and a 49-year-old man whose nationality was unspecified were both taken to Sabah Hospital after suffering multiple injuries and a broken leg respectively in a crash on the main road in Sulaibikhat in the area between the two graveyards there. In a fourth incident, a 21-year-old Kuwaiti woman was taken to Amiri Hospital after suffering minor injuries in a car crash on the road between Mansouriya and Qadisiya. Two Kuwaiti men aged 21 and 22 also suffered minor injuries in the accident, but declined the chance to go to hospital and

received medical treatment at the scene.

Finally, a 13-year-old Kuwaiti boy suffered injuries to one leg and a nosebleed in a buggy accident near the security checkpoint in Julaie.

He was taken to Adan Hospital.

Salmiya fire Five people suffered slight breathing problems as a result of smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at an apartment in Street No. 5, Block 12 of Salmiya. Emergency personnel were quickly at the location, with all those affected declining paramedics’ offer of hospital treatment, instead receiving treatment at the scene.

Firefighters quickly put out the blaze, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.

Medical emergency The emergency services hotline received a total of 309 medical emergency reports on Monday, with 139 of these individuals being admitted to hospital, of whom 34 had been involved in road accidents.

Hajj pilgrims return home KUWAIT: As Hajj pilgrims began their return to Kuwait yesterday evening, a senior Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) official said that this year’s pilgrimage had been a great success for all the Kuwaiti convoys which participated.

Speaking to local daily Al-Rai from Saudi Arabia on Monday, MAIA Undersecretary Dr. Adel Al-Falah said that none of the Kuwaiti pilgrims had experienced serious medical prob-

lems, adding that all the convoy organizers had been extremely cooperative in working with the Kuwaiti authorities to avoid committing any serious violations. Dr. Al-Falah, the head of this year’s Hajj delegation, added that the flights carrying the returning pilgrims would begin arriving in Kuwait yesterday evening, with pilgrims returning to Kuwait overland expected to begin arriving this morning (Wednesday) depending

on traffic levels.

Meanwhile, an MAIA insider revealed that the ministry is set to launch investigations into complaints by some pilgrims of problems with their accommodation during the pilgrimage, with a number of pilgrims alleging that the Hajj agencies which organized their trips had failed to respond to their complaints of problems such as intermittent power cuts. — Al-Rai, Al-Watan

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

local

From Kuwait to Iraq and back CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait: Soldiers from the companies of Delta and Bravo were preparing Sunday afternoon for a quick mission into Iraq. These missions are short, usually lasting a few hours, but the length of the trip always varies depending on traffic and whether the convoys are ready for them when they get there. Soldiers on Sunday afternoon were preparing MRAPs, or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, to escort logistical convoys that were training south out of Iraq and into Kuwait. They head north to K-Crossing, a Kuwaiti installation that all United States military must pass through from Kuwait to Iraq, but they don’t go more than a hundred kilometers into Iraq on these shorter missions.

There are longer missions that go farther into Iraq that can last a few days or more.

Staff Sgt. Matt Moritz, who’s originally from Brownsdale, but lives with his wife in Austin, said his duty is to help the platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Michael LaDuke, get the soldiers ready. Moritz is deployed with Albert Lea’s Delta Company, which along with Bravo Company are part of the 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry, in the Minnesota National Guard.

Moritz planned to travel in the lead vehicle on the mission, where his duty is to call in checkpoints to let LaDuke and others track where the soldiers are. He said he wasn’t sure why the mission was being carried out in the evening, but guessed it was because of less traffic on the road they planned to use.

“It could be safer at night with less traffic jams,” Moritz said.

With the drawdown of troops from Iraq having a new deadline of Dec. 31, Moritz said he expected to keep making similar missions

depending on the need, but added the soldiers haven’t been told how their mission will change after troops and equipment are out of Iraq.

Moritz said he wasn’t too worried about his safety while in Iraq - though he noted it depends on how you look at it. “I feel I could die at home just as easily as I could die here,” Moritz said.

Spc. Joshua Merritt, of Austin and part of the Delta Company, said he was nervous at first to visit Iraq, but after completing missions, it seems more like routine now. He works as a driver and said it’s a lot like driving a bus. “It’s not really difficult,” Merritt said.

He said he enjoys heading out on missions because it beats sitting around Camp Buehring. It takes a few hours to prep for the missions, which includes packing all the necessary gear, testing communication and packing miscellaneous items like Gatorade and energy drinks.

The missions would be much different if the soldiers didn’t trust each other, but Moritz and Merritt both said they trust the other soldiers.

“We’ve got good leadership,” Moritz said. “I have full faith in the guys.”

Moritz added that he’s glad all he has to worry about is his mission, because his wife, Lynsie, back home in Austin is taking care of everything there.

Merritt was surprised Sunday afternoon when he was promoted to the specialist rank from private first class. The group of soldiers gathered in front of LaDuke and 1st Lt. Aaron McCarley, who presented the new badge for Merritt’s uniform. “It was kind of exciting,” Merritt said. — Austin Daily Herald

Sgt 1st Class Michael LaDuke speaks to soldiers from Albert Lea’s Delta Company and Rochester’s Bravo Company about the mission that took place late Sunday evening.

Spc. Jason Engelman, of Delta Company, loads an MRAP, or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, Sunday, before a mission into Iraq.

Soldiers pack MRAPs, or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, Sunday, before a short mission into Iraq. Soldiers from Albert Lea’s Delta Company and Rochester’s Bravo Company went on the mission.

No plans for Kuwait to host more US troops Military withdrawal from Iraq

KUWAIT: A top Kuwaiti official has thrown doubt on American proposals to station at least 4,000 additional soldiers in the Gulf nation following the US military withdrawal from Iraq at the end of the year. Sheik Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah, who is also defense minister, was quoted Sunday as saying there is no plan to increase US troop levels in the country. It was not immediately clear whether this was Kuwait’s final word to the Pentagon or a suggestion that nothing is yet resolved and negotiations are in progress. The reference to the issue of US troops was mentioned as part of a lengthy statement on a variety of issues.

A rebuff from Kuwait would be a significant blow to US efforts to boost the numbers of forces in

the Gulf, where the US and its Arab allies fear Iran’s expanding military reach. Earlier this month, US officials said the Pentagon hoped to shift at least 4,000 soldiers from Iraq to Kuwait at the end of the year, pending a final decision by military planners and Kuwaiti leaders.

The Pentagon said Monday that officials are still working on the issue of where troops will be arrayed in the region after the US departure from Iraq.

Sheikh Jaber was quoted by the official Kuwait News Agency as saying that Kuwait will be used only as a transit point for forces, including those leaving Iraq.

Kuwaiti officials could not be reached Monday to elaborate on the comments.

Thousands of US troops have

been in Kuwait since the 1991 war that drove Iraqi forces out of the oil-rich Gulf state. A decadeold agreement has governed the number of US troops in Kuwait, but it is believed to expire at the end of this year. That would open the possibility of talks on all provisions for US forces in Kuwait.

The proposed relocation of troops to Kuwait is part of a stilldeveloping Pentagon strategy that ends the Iraq war but positions a strong US force just across the border. It also fits with wider US attempts to challenge the growth of Iran’s ground and naval forces. The Pentagon said plans are still being made. “ There have been no final decisions made or inked about force posture in that part of the world-in the Gulf region and the

Middle East, post-Iraq,” Navy Capt.

John Kirby, a Defense Department spokesman, told reporters Monday.

“We’ve long said that there’s likely going to be a different posture as our troops come home out of Iraq, but we’re still working our way through all that right now,” Kirby said.

Asked if Sheik Jaber spoke prematurely or if he was surprised by the Kuwaiti statement, Kirby didn’t directly answer, but said: “Those are sovereign decisions that any state gets to make about whether there’s foreign troops on their soil and, like I said, we’re still working our way through what the posture in the Middle East, writ large, is going to look like after our troops come home.” — AP

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

LOCAL

kuwait digest

Local Spotlight

Stop political infighting

The Arab Spring and Change

By Dr Abdul Rahman Al-Awadhi

T

he oppositionist blocs create new problems and issues every day. They are never satisfied with any situation. The disrespectful words they use are an insult to a civilized society.

They tried to impose their opinion on others, defying His Highness the Amir’s warnings. We can’t help but doubt these people. Do they really wish for Kuwaitis’ good? Are they hurting everyone in Kuwait and portraying a Kuwait in a

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

This political instability in Kuwait is not acceptable.

Fighting with authorities has become a way of conducting political affairs — everyone working with executive authority becomes a thief overnight. My answer to our Lebanese friends is that our democratic practices are immature when demographics can be drastically altered thanks to the citizenship policy. dark light?

I was in Lebanon this week. It is a country marred by political chaos. You can never see a final solution to any problem. When I met with some youths and politicians in Lebanon, they were astonished to know Kuwait’s situation.

They said, “We in Lebanon have nothing to lose even if we fight. This has become the Lebanese people’s habit for many years.

But you in Kuwait, enjoy a good standard of living. Why do you want to destroy your country?” Of course, I did not have an answer.

This political instability in Kuwait is not acceptable. Fighting with authorities has become a way of conducting political affairs everyone working with executive authority becomes a thief overnight. My answer to our Lebanese friends is that our democratic practices are immature when demographics can be drastically altered thanks to the citizenship policy. We still hold on to our tribal and political affiliations.

One wonders what members of the opposition want? Are they encouraging the public to disobey the government? They forget that democracy can only be fully practiced only when people elect their representatives to Parliament with the aim of running political affairs. The public cannot use the streets to do anything ‘small or big.’ A shouting match is characteristic of those that do not believe in democracy. Once voting is performed, all disputes should be put an end to.

This is democracy, my brothers. If we know what they want, or their real intention, we will cooperate with you. If you have Kuwait’s best interest at heart, you will find every Kuwaiti supporting you. So come back to your senses and leave other games behind. Let us help His Highness the Amir in fulfilling his dreams. — Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

Eid Mubarak

By Terki Al-Azmi

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lot of things change as time flies by. These days, the voice of reason isn’t heard anymore, while people harboring sick ideologies continue to spread their poison through the media without anyone having the guts to hold them accountable for fragmenting the society.

There were times when we shared dreams and a vision to achieve reform in our country through perseverance. Today, citizens find themselves waiting to receive government housing 20 years after submitting applications. However, they observe that vast tracts of the country’s land remain unutilized. Meanwhile, our dream of having an advanced medical system has turned into a nightmare, while the Ministry of Education is still moving at a snail pace to implement e-learning procedures. We have also realized that the dream to have ‘smooth and easy traffic’ will remain just as that - a dream.

Politics was also not spared from facing the same fate Personal agendas have become the center of attention in political work, while rational thinking is almost extinct as citizens are being pursued by police. Those responsible for major violations are not harmed in any way.

Everything has been politicized. Even demands to make reforms are controlled by politics. People are being turned into tools that politicians can use exclusively for reasons that only God is aware of. I’m not sure if anyone remembers the Hadith in which the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) explains how a nation would be moving towards its end. Officials are let go whenever they commit crimes.

Though history has taught us that honesty and integrity are essential for success, we are living in a dark age during which these values are rarely honored. Corruption is allowed to flourish.

On this special occasion, I wish an Eid Mubarak to everyone. This will help us see an end to the chaos so that all our dreams can eventually be realized. We have the right to have aspirations, and we will continue to dream for a beautiful country where people live in harmony and the law is enforced equally on everyone. — Al-Rai

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kuwait digest

Out of control

By Khalifa Al-Khurafi

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n Nov 2, 2011, I went to the Iradah Square to participate in a demonstration held in protest against the arrest of two citizens who made Twitter post. I believe that social networking websites are like open diwaniyas where all opinions can freely be discussed.

The demonstrations featured participation of young activists who wished to announce their opinions and thoughts. A summary of the gathering was to be referred to higher authorities. Something strange happened during the demonstration. Several gatherers broke into a run before stopping briefly. At that point, I decided to head back home.

I learned later that altercations were exchanged between police officers and some of the protestors.

Several people tweeted that the dispute was first provoked by police.

This annoyed me because I realized what people at the demonstration were running away from. I felt sad that security officers failed to handle youth demonstrations properly.

The next day, I ran into Maj Gen Mustafa Al-Zaabi, a senior ministry official who has been accused of kicking a demonstrator at a public gathering. When I inquired with him about his behavior during the night before, the assistant undersecretary for traffic affairs asked me to check a video of the violent confrontation he is accused of. He compared it with footage of confrontations obtained between police and demonstrators in New York and Europe feature violence and arrests.

After viewing a YouTube video of Al-Zaabi’s incident, I noticed that he only tried to free himself after a young man grabbed his leg while staging a sit-in. “I am accused of kicking a protestor who was acting in a rude and provocative way.” These words came to my mind while watching the footage.

“I can honestly say from my long experience in the security field that the situation now is going out of control,” Al-Zaabi said. They explained how protestors are no longer cooperating with police trying to handle the demonstration with reason. Al-Zaabi also noted how

Young people have the right to express their opinion, which they currently do in their own way. Some people might find it hard to keep their emotions under control while expressing their opinions during mass gatherings.

This is so as to ensure that the situation remains under control. Police officers must maintain composure while dealing with youth activists who are frustrated, especially with the inability of executive and legislative authorities to curb corruption.

the lack of effective leadership among those that organize youth activists’ demonstrations makes the situation more dangerous. “We don’t have representatives to talk to to make sure the situation doesn’t go out of control. We are rapidly moving towards this as youth are confused between their rights of demonstration and chaos,” Al-Zaabi said.

“Imagine a situation in which a reckless youth attacks me as a senior security official. Then this would spark a reaction from the police. Do you see how vulnerable the situation is and how easy it is for the situation to go out of control?” he warned, drawing concern to the situation in the region.

And after talking about the verbal abuse that police receive while attending public demonstrations, AlZaabi asserted that the ministry doesn’t have an issue with people’s right to peaceful gathering, but wished that demonstrations would be organized by responsible individuals who lead youth activists’ movements.

I believe Maj Gen Al-Zaabi has made some interesting observations.

Young people have the right to express their opinion, which they currently do in their own way. Some people might find it hard to keep their emotions under control while expressing their opinions during mass gatherings. This is so as to ensure that the situation remains under control. Police officers must maintain composure while dealing with youth activists who are frustrated, especially with the inability of executive and legislative authorities to curb corruption.

Meanwhile, efforts should be made to educate young people on how demonstrations can be organized without creating disputes with police officers. — Al-Qabas

e can’t turn a blind eye to all the chaos, killing and confusion being wreaked in order to liberate nations and move one man from his old, creaky and unstable ivory tower. As we have seen recently during and after an uprising, there is massive destruction and all sense seems to be lost so that even those who succeed in overthrowing, capturing or killing a dictator never seem to rest and tend to face even bigger problems due to sharing only the goal of overthrowing the dictator rather than any common objectives thereafter, when the fight over leadership begins. Isn’t this what has taken place in many nations, such as Iraq, Libya and Egypt?

Why is this, though?

The facts here suggest that Arabs are unfamiliar with democracy and freedom. After living for many years under an autocratic system and learning about democracy through the medium of that system, when the dictatorship collapses they find themselves in confusion since they don’t know how to handle their heavily loaded heritage outside that system - all the previously forbidden things are suddenly accessible! Look for example at how most of the rebels ransack and vandalize the rulers’ palaces after overthrowing them; isn’t this a clear indication that the rebels are not organized groups but mostly individuals filled with anger, hatred and a burning desire for revenge? When they are done with this, they begin to fight over who will take power and end up even abusing some people caught up in the situation, even if these are innocent workers and poor individuals who didn’t get any direct benefits from the previous rulers and ruling systems.

In Egypt, many ordinary people who once worked with NGOs have lost their jobs. I think that these poor people have paid too high a price for something they had nothing to do with and did not benefit from. They still have families to support, however, and I’d guess that the same can be said of many others in other countries.

Change did not come easily and will not end or disappear with the collapse of the previous system. I believe that all new ruling authorities need to be wise and cautious when dealing with the peoples of their long-abused nations. They must not disregard or undermine the people’s calls and demands for a better standard of living, more jobs, better salaries, decent food the things that the people of most nations want - and above all, the calls for real freedom, which can never be a threat under a truly democratic system. This is something that the people of the Western world know, but many Arabs don’t and are apparently unable to confront the consequences.

I believe that all authorities need to heed and prioritize the calls for change, even in those nations whose systems are not republican; when people are ruled for many years by one person, one voice and one view they are understandably jaded and angered by listening to another series of statements repeated over and over again, especially when they still can’t see any sign of the great improvements they’ve been promised since birth being made. So, invariably, the people become poorer, unemployed, angry and more frustrated, with nothing to lose, trapped in a deathlike existence. Then, inevitably, more rebels rise up and the real deaths resume. The new powers must learn this lesson; if not, the turbulence will continue for far more than a few days.

kuwait digest

Equal treatment

By Aziza Al-Mufarrej

kuwait digest

We are blessed!

By Sherieda Al-Maosherji

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n order to realize whether you were leading a content or miserable life, you have to learn something about the lives of others who, some of us, dream of emulating. I’m writing this after reading a news story quoting the Iranian Jaras website stating the senior Iranian scholar in Qum, Ayatollah Mossa Ardbeali, known to be fond of imitating others, had asked the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to release political prisoners arrested during the recent public demonstrations. To his surprise, Khamenei reminded him that he himself had demanded the execution of all opposition members upon receiving his direct orders. ‘I did not demand their execution. How come you are objecting to me?,’ he asked.

Khamenei’s side of the story was verified by opposition sources who said that Khamenei had ordered the execution of 4,500 opposition leaders imprisoned during the holy month of Ramadan in the summer of 1988, which angered his deputy Montazari who resigned.

According to international human rights organizations, the Iranian regime has been, and is still, executing ten opposition leaders, adding up to 3,600 a year; a number that places Iran second after China in the number of capital punishments accorded.

I will say no more. Simply half of what I have written is enough to illustrate that we are living in paradise compared to the Iranians who should not, under any circumstance, be taken as role models to be imitated. There is no system like ours. Our rulers are so merciful and compassionate. We are partners in ruling Kuwait and are free to believe in whatever we wish.

We have been granted freedom of expression to say whatever we want without any fear as long as no laws are violated. Although we do have corruption and flaws in various government establishments, our freedom of expression and respect for human dignity form the basis on which reform can be achieved. So, aren’t we much better off than others?! — Aljarida

There is no system like ours.

Our rulers are so merciful and compassionate. We are partners in ruling Kuwait and are free to believe in whatever we wish. We have been granted freedom of expression to say whatever we want without any fear as long as no laws are violated. Although we do have corruption and flaws in various government establishments, our freedom of expression and respect for human dignity form the basis on which reform can be achieved.

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he wise saying ”treat others the way you would like them to treat you” does not register in the minds of legislators. Despite its veracity, fairness and the prestige associated with the saying, its wisdom simply doesn’t trickle down to their thought process.

There are many who preach principles and morals, but their behavior contradicts with empty rhetoric. Take the case of MP Musallam Al-Barrak. He is not ready to apply the saying to his everyday life. His ‘henchmen’ continuously monitor all columns published, interviews given on satellite channels. Even if there is a word said about him that is not to his liking, a court order is issued against the paper, writer and the TV channel. He is known to host dinner parties in case he wins the case.

Al-Barrak makes his presence felt everywhere. That is why we find him at every gathering and demonstration.

He’d normally be first to issue a statement, criticize and instigate people especially the youth. What angers him the most is negative criticism and differences in opinion.

Al-Barrak believes that no one has the right to criticize even if they are adolescents and youngsters or even members of the ruling family. Ironically, he cannot tolerate it if a ruling family member does the same. He exercises his right as a citizen and files a lawsuit!

Al-Barrak perceives it an attack against freedom of opinion and expression if the Interior Ministry arrests those who transgress limits and slanders the ruling family.

He is ready to ‘launch’ fiery statements against any interior minister that perform his duties.

The rest of the team forms an underground group that not even the former KGB could have rivaled!. The interior minister must remember that the chaos that took place in Egypt began with a widespread movement on Facebook and Twitter. These were sparks the government deemed insignificant. If Al-Barrak and his group account for 5,000, we, the other one million Kuwaitis, ask you not to take it easy and protect Kuwait. I cannot call someone who starts a fire at a place where it was put out as being patriotic. — Al-Watan

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Local

Aided by pleasant weather, hundreds enjoy Eid camping New steps to preserve environment

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait volunteers shared the joy of Eid Al-Adha with patients at the NBK Pediatrics Hospital, during visits to the medical facility that is located at the Sabah Medical.

NBK holds awareness campaign against breast cancer KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) is carrying on with its awareness campaign to fight breast cancer. NBK’s ‘Be aware... Get checked today’ campaign aims at encouraging women to protect themselves against breast cancer.

NBK offers all its female customers special discounts of up to 50 percent on mammogram, gynecologist consultation and other lab tests at Al-Omooma Hospital for early detection of breast can-

cer. NBK launched the ‘Be aware... Get checked today’ campaign throughout all its branches and channels as part of its continuous efforts to increase social awareness on breast cancer and promote ways of prevention.

NBK’s awareness campaign reflects NBK’s commitment toward social responsibility. NBK enjoys a long track record of initiatives and activities to support the society and all its members.

KUWAIT: Many residents and citizens chose to travel abroad to celebrate Eid Al-Adha holidays. Those who remained in the country, however, visited popular recreational facilities. Most shopping malls, restaurants and cafes were crowded with people. Apart from other activities, hundreds of people enjoyed desert camping, aided by pleasant weather. According to the Municipality, the camping season starts from November and ends in March. No camps are allowed to be pitched after this period, the violation of which will result in the owner being penalized. The Municipality has also proposed charging a fee for the camps, which will be reimbursed after the tent is removed. In case violations are detected, a penalty will be deducted from this fee.

According to Fatma Offtada, Operation Manager at one of the entertainment companies, the Municipality has not enforced the decision this year. “I think that the proposal was not approved so it wasn’t enforced. Although I think if it were, the move would have helped preserve the environment.

Many people leave heaps of waste behind, harming the environment.

This is especially the case if no cleaning services are available in far-flung areas,” she told Kuwait Times.

Some people especially citizens, prepare tents that can be

used throughout the camping season. The cost varies according to the furnishing and equipment

used. “I built two camps, one with friends in Juleia, and the second with my family in Abdali. The first

KUWAIT: Some of the tents used by residents during the Eid AlAdha holidays. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

one cost me about KD 2,300, while the second cost only KD 600,” said Abdulmuhsin, a 27-yearold citizen. “ The first camp is expensive because we chose to lay ceramic floors to put sofas. It consists of five tents, two toilets, and one kitchen.

Also there is a boiler, diesel generator and other equipment. The tents are new and I usually buy new ones every year. Also the electronic installations and wiring needs to be changed every year. While the furniture can be used the next year.

The second camp, for family, is smaller and much simpler. That is why it cost me only KD 600,” added Abdulmuhsin.

Expatriates are not frequent campers because of the expenses involved. They use the services of companies active in the field. “We set up or camp on the second day of Eid in Wafra. The families with their kids enjoyed a whole day as there are many games and entertainment provisions for them. We offered paintball games, horse riding, archery, volleyball and football. Some groups or families chose to stay overnight. The weather is nice and they enjoy outdoor activities here in this quiet place far away from crowded cities. The package costs KD 18 per person every day, and pay additional fees for an overnight stay. The kids enjoyed washing horses and combing their hair, as a stable is also part of the services offered,” said Offtada.

Al-Nomas praises Kuwaiti Hajj missions MAKKAH: Kuwaiti Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Mohammad Abbas Al-Nomas praised here yesterday Kuwaiti Hajj missions and services they provided to pilgrims during Hajj season.

Al-Nomas’s remark came during his inspection of Kuwaiti missions in Al-Naseem neighborhood in the Holy City of Makkah, as well as the ones in Mina.

During his visit, the minister met with the mission’s head Dr Adel Al-Falah and his assistant Dr Muttlag Al-Garawi.

He extended heartfelt congratulations for His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah on the advent of Eid Al-Adha.

The Kuwaiti minister also congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on distinguished services and facilitations provided for pilgrims during Hajj. Meanwhile, HH the Amir addressed a cable to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz congratulating the Monarch on successful conclusion of the Hajj rituals.

His Highness praised King Abdullah and the Saudi Government for exerting tremendous efforts, securing advanced services, communications and accommodations for the pilgrims.

HH the Amir beseeched His Almighty to bless the brotherly Kingdom and its people with further prosperity under the sagacious leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. —KUNA

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

local

42 arrested in security crackdown in Salmiya Callous car thief caught

KUWAIT: Police arrested 42 Kuwaiti and other Arab individuals during a security crackdown in Salmiya targeting individuals who took part in illegal gatherings during the Eid Al-Adha holiday. Teams of security officers went to a number of apartments in the area where violent parties were held, arresting 35 men and seven women, all of whom were under the influence of alcohol.

The detainees were referred to the relevant authorities to face charges.

Family tragedy A two-year-old Kuwaiti boy died in a tragic accident, choking to death on a sweet at his family’s home in Sulaibya. Although the toddler’s father desperately tried to resuscitate his son before rushing him to hospital, the boy was pronounced dead on arrival, with doctors revealing that the sweet had blocked the child’s windpipe. The body was removed for autopsy and an investigation is underway.

MP Jam’an Al-Harbash amongst the first returning pilgrims at Kuwait international airport. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

China oil complex guarantees Kuwait crude oil marketing KUWAIT: Two Kuwaiti oil experts commended Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s (KPC) partnership with China to build an oil complex which would house a refinery and a petrochemical factory, saying building oil projects abroad would guarantee Kuwait’s heavy crude oil marketing.

The strategic partnership with China should be applauded, the experts said, with the foundation stone for the oil complex scheduled to be laid in mid-this month.

“One of the key objectives of this project is to market Kuwait’s heavy and medium crude oil,” Dr. Talal Al-Bathali said, as most of the oil importing countries did not have refineries that could deal with this type of crude oil.

China will also benefit from this partnership, he said, because it would be co-owner of the oil complex which would thus honor its fuel needs. The yet-to-be-built refinery in the oil complex is projected to produce 300, 000 barrels per day (bpd), in addition to other products manufactured by the petrochemical factory, added Al-Bathali.

He called for establishing more partnerships with oil consuming countries.

“China is a very important country because it consumes between 7-8 percent of global oil, and such projects will guarantee long-term marketing of Kuwait oil,” he said.

Al-Bathali, talking about oil prices, said it was not strange anymore to talk about a three-US-dollar rise of an oil barrel in a single day or a $10 jump in a month. He attributed this increase to current political circumstances.

He said threats to wage a military action against Iran was causing panic in oil markets,

but noted that prices would stabilize in future because of US economic recovery and resolution of the European debt crisis.

Khaled Boodai, another oil expert, said the Sino-Kuwait oil complex would benefit both countries and would create new markets for Kuwaiti crude oil. Kuwait has enough petrochemical factories domestically, he said, and it should build others abroad because of the limited geographical size of the Arab Gulf country.A petrochemical factory should be 20 km away from residential areas to work in a safe environment, he explained, and Kuwait’s limited space of land would not allow this to happen specially amidst the growing population.

On the oil prices, however, Boodai said they were largely stable namely after the European Union (EU) boosted the stability fund from 290 billion euros to a trillion euros.

Greece’s decision to back down from its decision to hold a referendum on the EU’s rescue package had positive impacts on the markets, he noted, coupled with writing off 50 percent of Athens’ debts.

These solutions, he continued to say, were not ever lasting. “The solution will take time that might extend to 10 years as European officials have suggested.”

The EU countries are determined to end the debt crisis and supporting the euro, a matter that positively serve oil markets, he said.

OPEC believes that extraordinary high oil prices is not in the interest of its members, said Boodai, suggesting that oil prices would remain between the USD 90-110 per barrel until end of this year. —KUNA

Two fatal accidents A female citizen of another GCC nation died while her three children and her family’s chauffeur were unhurt in a car accident on the Fourth Ring Road during the Eid Al-Adha holiday. The family were reportedly visiting family and friends for Eid when the chauffeur lost control of the vehicle, which overturned. An investigation is underway into the incident.

In a separate incident, a 71-year-old Kuwaiti man died after he was hit by a car whilst crossing Airport Road. The Kuwaiti driver of the vehicle immediately stopped and called the emergency services hotline, with the elderly victim being rushed to hospital. Despite this, however, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The motorist told police that the man had stepped out into the road directly in front of his car, making it impossible for him to take action to avoid hitting him. An investigation has been opened into the case.

One suicide, two attempts An investigation is underway after the owner of a farm in Salim found an Ethiopian employee hanging from a ceiling beam in his (the employee’s) bedroom. On discovering the man’s body, the employer immediately called police to report the incident, with emergency services personnel rushing to the scene. The body was removed for autopsy and the investigation into the case is continuing.

In a separate incident, an Ethiopian woman was rushed to Mubarak Hospital after swallowing bleach in an attempt to kill herself at her expatriate Arab employer’s home. Medical staff managed to save her life and an investigation has been launched into what drove the woman to such an extreme measure.

Meanwhile, a 21-year-old Syrian woman was also rushed to Mubarak Hospital after taking an overdose of prescription medication when her boyfriend split up with her. Fortunately, members of the young woman’s family immediately called the emergency services hotline on finding her unconscious in her bedroom, with paramedics quickly at the scene. Speaking to police in the hospital after medical staff saved her life and her condition was stabilized, the young woman said she had attempted to kill herself when her boyfriend, who she met at the college

they both attend, split up with her and began dating another girl at the same college.

Senior security official dies The head of Jahra State Security Department died suddenly of a suspected heart attack on Sunday evening. Major General Dulaihi Al-Hajri reportedly called a family member to request a lift to the hospital earlier in the evening, complaining of severe chest pain. The relative immediately set out to pick Maj. Gen. Al-Hajri up but got stuck in a traffic jam, phoning for an ambulance to go and collect the senior official instead.

Although paramedics rushed to Maj. Gen. AlHajri’s home, however, they discovered that he had died before their arrival. The suspected heart attack has been attributed to high blood pressure and sugar levels, with an autopsy being carried out to exactly determine the cause of death.

Bad boyfriend Police in Jahra have arrested a man accused of raping, beating and robbing his girlfriend, with whom he was involved in an illicit relationship. The case came to light after a Kuwaiti householder in the area called police to report that a maid employed by his family had been raped and robbed of KD300 by an unidentified intruder, who broke into the family’s home whilst the maid was there alone. On being questioned, however, the maid admitted that the thief was her former boyfriend, who beat her after she attempted to prevent him stealing her savings, adding that she had let him into the house for a clandestine tryst. The man was subsequently caught hiding at a relative’s home nearby and taken into custody to face charges.

Car thief Police have arrested a callous car thief who last week allegedly threw a toddler sitting in a vehicle he was stealing into the street before driving off in the car, which he subsequently wrecked. The car owner, a Kuwaiti woman, had left her son in the car for a moment to pop into a shop, with the thief and his accomplice seizing the opportunity to throw the child into the street and steal the vehicle. Thankfully the child was not seriously hurt in the incident. The thief was arrested in Hawally with a friend a couple of days ago after the duo were caught in possession of an unlicensed AK47 assault rifle. The two were taken to Farwaniya police station where the car owner positively identified him in a lineup. It was subsequently revealed that the friend arrested with him over the gun possession charge was also the accomplice in the car theft.

Both are being held in custody whilst they await trial.

Salmiya stalker A hunt is underway for a man accused of sexually harassing a female florist in Salmiya as she went to work. The woman, an Arab expatriate, told police that she was about to enter her shop when a young man leaned out of his car window and began making lewd suggestions, asking her to get into his car and refusing to go away as she asked him to. She immediately went to the local police station, telling officers there about the incident and giving them details of the man’s license plate number. Detectives checking the

police database found that the car is registered to a Kuwaiti citizen and have issued a warrant for his arrest.

Travel trouble A Kuwaiti man is facing charges of assaulting a travel agency employee over a mistake in the registration of his flight date. Following the incident, the travel agency staff member immediately went to the local police station in Salmiya, telling officers there that the employee had physically assaulted him following an argument over the error, erroneously blaming the employee personally for the mix-up over flight details.

On being summoned for questioning, the accused man flatly denied the accusation of physical assault, insisting that the confrontation had been limited to a heated verbal exchange.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.

Dangerous driver A police driver was rushed to Adan Hospital after sustaining multiple injuries in a car crash caused intentionally by the reckless driver he was pursuing. The officer, a First Lieutenant, was apparently carrying out a routine patrol in Mubarak Al-Kabeer when he spotted the reckless motorist driving along a road there at high speed. He alerted other officers before taking off in pursuit of the driver. The callous fleeing motorist then dumped a container of diesel fuel on the road behind him to make the road slippery, leading to the pursuing officer losing control of his vehicle, which smashed into a concrete bollard at the roadside. The cruel driver fled the scene, leaving the seriously injured officer there. A hunt is underway for the driver.

Hawally mugging Police are hunting for a mugger who used a stolen vehicle to escape after robbing a man at knifepoint in Hawally, stealing his watch and a wallet containing KD150. The victim told officers that his ordeal began when the thief pulled up beside him in a gold-colored SUV before pulling out a knife and demanding that he hand over his watch and wallet. The terrified victim did so, with the attacker then getting back into the car before driving off. The traumatized victim managed to note the license plate number of the thief’s vehicle, giving the details to police, who discovered that the car which the license plates belonged to had been stolen earlier in the day and did not match the description of the thief’s vehicle. They surmised that the thief had switched the plates to another stolen vehicle before carrying out the mugging. The investigation into the incident is continuing.

Foolish fighters Five Lebanese people, including one woman, face multiple charges after violently resisting arrest when police were detaining them following a brawl at a leisure park in Hawally during the Eid Al-Adha break. The men apparently attempted to flee the scene when police appeared after passersby reported the melee, with one of the suspects hitting an officer hard enough to leave bruises, whilst the female suspect hit the same officer with her high-heeled shoe. All the suspects were restrained and taken to the area police station to face charges. — AlRai, Al-Qabas, Al-Anba, Al-Watan

Messila beach visitors share Eid joy KUWAIT: Messila Beach hosted a special entertainment program as part of activities organized by the Touristic Enterprises Company to celebrate Eid Al-Adha holidays. “The program featured activities held starting on the first day of Eid including popular competitions targeting people of all age groups,” said Messila Beach Supervisor Abdullah Shuaib. He further noted that special shows for children will be hosted from today to Nov11.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

US set to work with Arab Spring’s Islamist parties

Putin’s party in poster scandal ahead of polls Page 10

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WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: (Left) In this file photo, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is seen. (Right) Sharon Bialek, a Chicago-area woman, is pictured at a news conference. — AP

Fourth woman accuses Cain Candidate Cain vows to ‘set record straight’

ATLANTA: Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, confronted with a woman’s explosive claims of an unwanted sexual advance, planed a news conference yesterday to deal with the latest in a string of claims that have rocked his campaign. Cain has denied all the allegations as a smear campaign designed to upend his rise to the top of the polls. “There is not an ounce of truth to all these allegations” and the graphic, televised account from Sharon Bialek is “totally fabricated,” the former businessman told latenight TV talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

Cain vowed to “set the record straight.” He will answer reporters’ questions at an appearance in Phoenix, reversing course after saying on Saturday that he was done talking about the claims of sexual harassment that first became public with the airing of anonymous claims by two other women more than a week ago. Bialek went on television Monday and became the fourth woman to accuse

Cain, and the first to go public. Bialek’s accusations - that Cain groped her in a car after she asked for his help finding a job - spun his unorthodox campaign into an uncertain new territory. Cain, a novice politician and surprise entrant into the presidential race, has risen to the top of public opinion polls and emerged as the main conservative challenger to Mitt Romney. Tea party activists and conservatives unready to support the former Massachusetts governor have flocked to Cain’s tell-it-like-it-is style and self-styled outsider image in recent weeks. There were, however, growing signs of unease in conservative circles as, one by one, a handful of women claimed Cain acted inappropriately toward them while the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.

“He deser ves a fair chance. But that doesn’t mean he gets a pass. These are not anonymous allegations anymore unfortunately,” said New Hampshire conservative

activist Jennifer Horn, who last week had condemned media coverage of the allegations against Cain. “He does need to take another step and answer a few more questions.” Still, Cain backers remained solidly behind the former pizza company executive.

They pointed to the presence of Gloria Allred - a high-profile attorney with Democratic ties - alongside Bialek at a news conference on Monday in New York as proof that the latest claim was a partisan smear. At least two women who worked at the restaurant group under Cain filed sexual harassment complaints and received payouts to leave the association.

A third woman told The Associated Press last week that she considered filing a workplace complaint against Cain over what she deemed sexually suggestive remarks and gestures that included a private invitation to his corporate apartment. And a former pollster for the restaurant association has said he

witnessed yet another episode involving a different woman. In New York on Monday, Bialek said Cain - an acquaintance - made a sexual advance in 1997, when she had traveled to Washington to have dinner with him in hopes he could help her find work or get her job back at the National Restaurant Association after she had been fired from a job in the group’s education arm.

None of Cain’s other accusers has provided details as graphic as Bialek’s account. But Joel Bennett, an attorney who represents one of them, said her details were “similar in nature” to what his client encountered. In his only public appearance of the day, Cain told Kimmel during the late-night interview that he got angry and disgusted as he watched Bialek and Allred. He said his wife didn’t watch it but that he called her immediately afterward. Minutes after Bialek’s news conference, the Cain camp flatly denied the charges. “Mr Cain has never harassed any-

16 die in Indian festival stampede DEHRADUN: At least 16 people were crushed to death and dozens of others injured in a stampede at a religious ceremony close to the river Ganges in northern India yesterday, officials said. “So far 14 women and two men have died, and 46 others are seriously injured,” D Santhel Pandiyan, district magistrate in the nearby town of Haridwar, told AFP by telephone from the accident site.”More worshippers turned up than the place could accommodate and so the stampede occurred.”

Hemant Sahu, media contact for the event organizers, said that tens of thousands of Hindu devotees crowded towards a fire at the Shantikunj ashram to make offerings. “When the big ritual was going on, too many people rushed forward to make their offerings to the holy fire and the crowd got out of control,” he said. “A couple of people fell down and that is what happened. We think the death toll may still go up.”

The Press Trust of India news agency reported the stampede broke out when worshippers tried to enter the ashram to take part in ceremonies to celebrate 100 years since the birth of its revered founder Shreeram Sharma. The police chief of Uttarakand state said that 50,000 people had gathered for the festival, and that many had tried to congregate at the same time in an area where fires had been lit on ritual grounds.

“As a result there were suffocations and then a stampede,” Jyoti Swaroop Pandey told reporters, adding that the five-day celebrations had been cut short and an inquiry launched.

Haridwar, 107 miles (173 kilometers) north of New Delhi where the Ganges emerges from the Himalayan mountains, is one of Hinduism’s most sacred cities and among India’s most important pilgrim destinations.

Pilgrims visit Haridwar throughout the year to bathe in the Ganges, which they believe will cleanse them of their sins, while the vast Kumbh Mela festival is held around the city every 12 years. Stampedes are a regular risk in India where policing and crowd control are often inadequate at temples and on pilgrimage routes, where throngs of fervent devotees congregate on auspicious occasions.

The last major stampede was in January in the southern state of Kerala when more than 100 people died as panic spread among worshippers crossing mountainous terrain in the dark to visit a shrine. Stampedes in India are often triggered by rumors of a bomb blast, a collapsed wall or a car crash. In March last year, police in Uttar Pradesh blamed lax safety for the deaths of 63 people-all of them women and children-in a stampede outside another Hindu temple. At least another 10 people died in a stampede at a temple in the state of Bihar in October 2010. The worst recent incident was in October 2008 when around 220 people died near a temple inside Jodhpur’s famous Mehrangarh Fort. — AFP

one,” spokesman J D Gordon said in a statement. Aides insisted that the newest allegation changed nothing and said Cain would move forward with his plans to attend a private speech in Phoenix yesterday morning and a debate tonight in Michigan. Later that night, the campaign announced that Cain would appear at the Phoenix news conference. “The questions the media should be asking are who’s paying for Gloria Allred’s fee, how did Ms Bialek get introduced to Ms Allred, and was she paid to come forward with these false accusations or was she promised employment?” the news release said.

Allred has said Bialek approached her and that her client didn’t get compensated for stepping forward. Bialek stood by her accusation when asked about it yesterday morning in the wake of Cain’s denial, saying in a televised interview that she had “nothing to gain” by coming forward. She said “it’s not about me. I’m not running for president.” — AP

‘Pakistan schools teaching hatred’

HARIDWAR: A victim’s relative, center, breaks down after a stampede during a religious ceremony on the banks of the Ganges River yesterday. — AP

ISLAMABAD: Text books in Pakistani schools foster prejudice and intolerance of Hindus and Christians, while most teachers view religious minorities as “enemies of Islam”, according to a study by a US government commission released today. The findings indicate how deeply ingrained hardline Islam is in Pakistan and help explain why militancy is often supported, tolerated or excused in the country. “Teaching discrimination increases the likelihood that violent religious extremism in Pakistan will continue to grow, weakening religious freedom, national and regional stability, and global security,” said Leonard Leo, the chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Pakistan was created in 1947 as a homeland for the Muslims of South Asia and was initially envisaged as a moderate state where minorities would have full rights. But three wars with mostly Hindu India; state support for militants fighting Soviet-rule in Afghanistan in the 1980s; and the appeasement of hardline clerics by weak governments seeking legitimacy have led to a steady radicalization of society. Religious minorities and those brave enough to speak out against intolerance have often been killed, seemingly with impunity, by militant sympathizers. The commission warned that any significant efforts to combat religious discrimination, especially in education, would “likely face strong opposition” from hardliners. The study reviewed more than 100 textbooks from grades 1-10 from Pakistan’s four provinces. Researchers in February this year visited 37 public schools, interviewing 277 students and teachers, and 19 madrases, where they interviewed 226 students and teachers.

The Islamization of textbooks began under the US-backed rule of army dictator Gen Zia-ul Haq, who courted Islamists to support his rule. In 2006, the government announced plans to reform the curriculum to address the problematic content, but

that has not been done, the study said.

Pakistan’s Islamist and right-wing polity would likely oppose any efforts to change the curriculum, and the government has shown no desire to challenge them on the issue. The report found systematic negative portrayals of minorities, especially Hindus and, to a lesser extent, Christians. Hindus make up more than 1 percent of Pakistan’s 180 million people, while Christians represent around 2 percent. Some estimates put the numbers higher. There are also even smaller populations of Sikhs and Buddhists.

Attempts to reach Pakistan’s education minister were not successful. The textbooks make very little reference to the role played

by Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in the cultural, military and civic life of Pakistan, meaning a “a young minority student will thus not find many examples of educated religious minorities in their own textbooks,” the report said. The researchers also found that the books foster a sense that Pakistan’s Islamic identity is under constant threat.

“The anti-Islamic forces are always trying to finish the Islamic domination of the world,” read one passage from a social studies text being taught to Grade 4 students in Punjab province, the country’s most populated. “This can cause danger for the very existence of Islam. Today, the defense of Pakistan and Islam is very much in need.”

The report states that Islamic teachings and references were commonplace in compulsory text books, not just religious ones, meaning Pakistan’s Christians, Hindus and other minorities were being taught Islamic content. It said this appeared to violate Pakistan’s constitution, which states that students should not have to receive instruction in a religion other than their own. The attitudes of the teachers no doubt reflect the general intolerance in Pakistan - a 2011 Pew Research Center study found the country the third most intolerant in the world but because of the influence they have, they are especially worrisome. — AP

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US lawmakers lift hold on aid to Palestinians WASHINGTON: US lawmakers have lifted a hold on nearly $200 million in aid to the Palestinians that had been suspended in response to the Palestinian bid for full UN membership, officials said Monday. The US funds had been held back by Congress since August 18, according to the office of the Republican chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The influential congresswoman lifted objections to the release of a first $50 million tranche in a September 2 letter to the US Agency for International Development-ahead of the UN General Assembly at which Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas officially requested full state

membership for his people. A second tranche of nearly $148 million that was supposed to fund the Palestinian police forces was recently unblocked after the committee received assurances about the use of the funds and their importance to US national security. However a spokesman for RosLehtinen said late Monday that the committee was maintaining a block on some $192 million in aid for infrastructure projects in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, but added no details. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Congress on October 27 to preserve the aid to the Palestinian Authority, warning that otherwise Hamas militants, who run the Gaza Strip, could try to fill the void.

Some lawmakers have also argued that cutting

off security and development aid credited here with tamping down extremist violence against Israel would be counterproductive. A senior Israeli official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the block on aid had been a “signal” sent by Congress to the Palestinians over their UN statehood bid. They should “reconsider their policy, and focus on negotiation rather than confrontation,” added the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Even though they have unblocked the funds, Ros-Lehtinen and a number of other Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain vehemently opposed to UN recognition of a Palestinian state.

The United States insists that UN recognition of a

Palestinian state would be meaningless unless it first negotiates a peace agreement with Israel.

Meanwhile, the Mideast quartet-the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations-have called for a full peace accord by the end of 2012.

Several US lawmakers have raised the possibility of reviewing US aid to the Palestinians and even Washington’s financial contributions to the UN, after the Palestinians requested recognition of the United Nations in September. Last week, the United States announced it was cutting off funding to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization after it voted to admit the Palestinians as a full member. — AFP

Once-sensitive US sites to come under Iraqi control US forces set to close down Victory Base Complex CAMP VICTORY: What were once among the most sensitive US sites in Iraq, including a palace that housed top generals and a bombed-out villa that held Saddam Hussein, will soon be back in Iraqi hands. US forces are closing down the Victory Base Complex (VBC) on Baghdad’s outskirts, a small city that once featured American fast-food chains and was the main base from which the US war in Iraq was run, and are to finish handing it over to the Iraqi government in December. “The Victory Base Complex will transition over to the government of Iraq sometime in the first few weeks of December,” said Brigadier General Brad Becker, the deputy commanding general for support for the United States Division - Centre, who is responsible for the handover of bases.

There are currently about 8,500 personnel on VBC, with about 4,000 of them soldiers and the rest contractors, said Becker. That is down from an estimated peak of more than 100,000 — some 42,000 military personnel and more than 65,000 contractors, according to Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Brooks, the command historian for United States Forces - Iraq (USF-I). Some portions of VBC have already been handed over to Iraq. One that has not is known as Camp Victory, a sprawling collection of canals, man-made lakes, palm trees and palaces.

It was a secret, guarded area in which Saddam housed visiting dignitaries before his overthrow in 2003, and it has been no less guarded in the years since, when the palaces housed top US commanders and served as the

administrative nerve centre for US forces in Iraq.

The top US generals here have lived in the 25,000-square-foot (2,300-square-metre), 20room waterfront Al-Ez palace, which was completed in 1994 and is said to have been a favorite of the late King Hussein of Jordan.

“Since 2003, it has been used as the residence for the commanding general of the various task forces that have been here,” said Brooks. “First it was Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, and then General George Casey, and then General David Petraeus, General Ray Odierno, and the last occupant was the current USF-I commander, General Lloyd Austin,” he said. Austin moved to Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone in September 2011, and the palace has been empty since. The bedroom where the commanding generals stayed features the original bed, an over-the-top piece that has light green and gold trim and two doves with linked wings topping the headboard. But “this was not just a living quarters-this was also a working office,” Brooks said, noting that there is an office next door. AlEz is dwarfed by another waterfront palace, the 450,000-square-foot (41,800-square-metre), 62room, 29-bathroom Al-Faw, which features a multi-storey rotunda, swathes of marble, massive chandeliers and kitschy furniture.

Al-Faw was once the workplace of more than 3,000 US personnel, said Brooks. “This is where all the planning was done,” he said, although it was initially used as a barracks for troops and a dining facility. It once hosted the various Iraqwide commands-Combined Joint Task Force 7,

CAMP VICTORY: A view across a pond on November 7, 2011, leading to the Al-Faw palace formerly belonging to executed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and located in what is now the US military Camp Victory complex in Baghdad. — AFP

Multi-National Forces - Iraq, and most recently United States Forces - Iraq. But the palace, which was only completed in 2000, has been empty since September 2011, with the soldiers who once worked here having either left Iraq or moved to the Green Zone, he said.

“There are a total of nine palaces on the Victory Base Complex,” four of which have yet to be handed over, Brooks said. The Camp Victory area also holds two apparently-decrepit bombed-out villas on a small island, which is only accessible by a drawbridge. While their exteriors would seem to mark them as unimportant, one once held now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein, as well as his also-executed cousin Ali Hassan Majid, known as “Chemical Ali” for his involvement in poison gas attacks.

“The exterior was left bombed-out, so people wouldn’t know what was going on inside,” said Brooks. But “inside, we converted it to a maximum-security prison.” The multi-million-dollar modifications took several months and were “done with a great deal of secrecy,” he said. The prison was guarded by military police. “What you wanted to do was ensure that no attempts were made to break Chemical Ali or Saddam Hussein out of jail,” he said.

Saddam’s and Majid’s small cells featured concrete platforms that held their mattresses, stainless steel combination toilet-sinks and little else. But now even the dictator’s toilet and cell door are gone-both are bound for a military police museum in Missouri in the United States, Brooks said. The prison has been closed since 2009 and without power since 2010, Brooks said.

It will be handed over to the Iraqis along with the rest of Camp Victory. There is speculation it may be turned into a museum.

“The original plan was that we would turn over this entire, large base at the end of the mission,” Becker said of VBC. But it was later decided to hand it over in sections. Which Iraqi ministry would receive what posed problems for the process of handing over bases, especially at VBC, he said. “The biggest challenge in handing over the bases in some ways was getting the government of Iraq to commit to which government agency, which ministry, would sign for the base,” Becker said.

“There are so many ministries that would like to have this prime piece of property right next to the airport,” he said of VBC. US officers estimated that over $100 million in equipment at VBC will be left for the Iraqis. The handover date is fast approaching, but there are still substantial amounts of equipment to be shipped out. “We estimate right now there’s approximately 10,500 truckloads of equipment that still need to be shipped out of country, and that’s theatre-wide,” Becker said. The roughly 31,000 US soldiers still in Iraq are all to depart by year’s end. — AFP

Law may not be on Muslims’ side in NYPD intel case NEW YORK: Even before it showed up in a secret police report, everybody in Bay Ridge knew that Mousa Ahmad’s cafe was being watched. Strangers loitered across the street from the cafe in this Brooklyn neighborhood.

Quiet men would hang around for hours, listening to other customers. Once police raided the barber shop next door, searched through the shampoos and left. Customers started staying away for fear of ending up on a blacklist, and eventually Ahmad had to close the place. But when asked if he would consider legal action against the police, Ahmad just shrugs. “The police do what they want,” he said, standing in front of the empty storefront where his cafe used to be. “If I went to court to sue, what do you think would happen? Things would just get worse.”

It’s a common sentiment among those who are considering their legal options in the wake of an Associated Press investigation into a massive New York Police Department surveillance program targeting Muslims. Many of the targets feel they have little recourse - and because privacy laws have weakened dramatically since 9/11, they may be right, legal experts say. “It’s really not clear that people can do anything if they’ve been subjected to unlawful surveillance anymore,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

The AP investigation revealed that the NYPD built databases of everyday life in Muslim neighborhoods, cataloguing where people bought their groceries, ate dinner and prayed. Plainclothes officers known as “rakers” were dispatched into ethnic communities, where they eavesdropped on conversations and wrote daily reports on what they heard, often without any allegation of criminal wrongdoing.

The NYPD did not respond to repeated

requests for an interview, but it has insisted that it respects the rights of people it watches.

Commissioner Ray Kelly says each request for surveillance is thoroughly examined by the department’s lawyers. “The value we place on privacy rights and other constitutional protections is part of what motivates the work of counterterrorism,” Kelly told a city council committee. “It would be counterproductive in the extreme if we violated those freedoms in the course of our work to defend New York.”

But critics of the surveillance say the NYPD is taking advantage of a general weakening of

BROOKLYN: In this photo, Mousa Ahmad stands in front of an empty shop in New York. — AP

state and federal restraints, many of them forged during the 1960s and following the Watergate scandal: The USA PATRIOT Act, passed after the 9/11 attacks, reduced legal limits on wiretaps imposed by the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The same law also amended the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to allow banks to release records to intelligence agencies investigating terrorism. A 2007 law changed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, originally a reaction to former President Richard Nixon’s spying on political groups, to allow wiretaps of international phone calls.

In 2002 the Supreme Court decision ruled that students cannot sue universities under the 1974 Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act. That could make it harder for Muslim student groups to seek redress over infiltration by NYPD undercover officers. The US Department of Justice still has some tools it can use to discipline local police forces.

It can withhold federal money from any police agency that discriminates on the basis of race, color, sex or national origin. Another law allows the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to sue state and local police forces for any “pattern or practice” that deprives people of their Constitutional rights.

In September it cited the statutes in a scathing report about corruption and abuse within the Puerto Rico Police Department.

Democratic Rep. Rush Holt, has asked the Justice Department to investigate the NYPD surveillance program. But in Puerto Rico and elsewhere, the Justice Department has typically focused only on issues of excessive force, illegal traffic stops and other clear violations of police procedure. Since 9/11, the department has not used its civil rights authority against a police department in a national security case. —AP

WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton looks at the audience after addressing the National Democratic Institute’s 2011 Democracy Awards Dinner, Monday, Nov 7, 2011. — AP

US set to work with Arab Spring’s Islamist parties WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declared Monday that the Obama administration would work with ascendant Islamist parties of the Muslim world, answering one of the central US policy questions resulting from the Arab Spring. Delivering an address at the National Democratic Institute, Clinton offered a forthright embrace of the democratic changes enveloping North Africa and the Middle East at a time when the euphoria of the successful revolutions from Egypt to Libya is giving way to the hard and unprecedented work of creating stable democracies. After decades of partnering dictators throughout the region, her message was that the US would approach the new political landscape with an open mind and the understanding that long-term support for democracy trumps any short-term advantages through alliances with authoritarian regimes.

While she reached out to the religiousrooted parties expected to gain power in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere, she said nothing about changing U.S. policies toward Hezbollah and Hamas, which have performed well in Lebanese and Palestinian elections but are considered foreign terrorist organizations by the United States. “For years, dictators told their people they had to accept the autocrats they knew to avoid the extremists they feared,” Clinton told an audience that included former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. “Too often, we accepted that narrative ourselves.”

After almost a year of protests and crackdowns, armed rebellion and civil war, the Arab world’s upheaval has left a jumbled mosaic of liberals and Islamists, military rulers and loose coalitions of reformers. No country appears unalterably on a path toward democratic governance, and for the people of the region and the United States the stakes of long-term instability are high. US interests, including the security of oil supplies, military relations and Israel’s defense, have forced the Obama administration to engage in flexible diplomacy, with different messages for different countries.

The one-size-does-not-fit-all approach has meant US support for an imperfect military stewardship over Egypt ahead of elections for a new parliament and president, and largely overlooking ally Bahrain’s rough response to protests earlier this year.

Washington helped a military effort that ultimately deposed Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi. It also demanded that leaders in Syria and Yemen leave power, without any real means to make them do so. “There will be times when not all of our interests align,” Clinton said. “That is just reality.” Still, she moved to counter an increasingly common criticism from Republicans, including among presidential hopefuls, that the Obama administration’s boisterous support for the Arab Spring has foolishly opened the door to Islamist takeovers of once secular governments.

Clinton took a hardline, deriding the suggestion that faithful Muslims cannot thrive in a democracy as “insulting, dangerous and wrong.” She said the United States would work with any individuals and parties willing to uphold fundamental values.

Religious and secular parties alike “must reject violence. They must abide by the rule of law and respect the freedoms of speech, religion, association and assembly. They must respect the rights of women and minorities,” Clinton said. “They must let go of power if defeated at the polls.” “In other words,” Clinton added, “what parties call themselves is less important to us than what they actually do.” To underline her point, she welcomed the Islamist party Ennahda’s strong showing in “an open, competitive election” in Tunisia last month, and said America will work with the party’s leaders as they join secular groups in writing a new constitution and governing.

Tunisia, however, holds little strategic value for the US The story is different with Egypt, a bulwark of American influence in the Middle East under Hosni Mubarak’s three-decade rule. US officials have watched warily in recent months amid souring Egyptian-Israeli relations, violence against minority Copts and renewed popular frustration with a military leadership determined to maintain its grip on the future of the country, if not its governance. Since Mubarak’s February ouster, Clinton has gone out of her way to describe Egypt’s ruling military council as “an institution of stability and continuity,” even as the US has been frustrated by the council’s slow pace of democratic reforms and continuation of the emergency laws that were a mainstay of abuse during the Mubarak era. She took a tougher approach Monday, saying real power needed to be transferred in Egypt. —AP

USS Cole bomb suspect gets his day in court GUANTANAMO BAY: Nine years after his capture and a decade after the United States first authorized military tribunals for terrorist suspects, the alleged mastermind of the deadly bombing of the USS Cole will face a judge in the Guantanamo war crimes tribunal. Abd AlRahim Al-Nashiri, a 46-year-old Saudi of Yemeni descent, is to be arraigned today on charges that include murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and terrorism.

He is the first high-ranking Al-Qaeda figure to face charges at Guantanamo under the Obama administration and could face the death penalty if convicted. But attorneys expect it will be a year or two before the case goes to trial. Nashiri is accused of conspiring with Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders to bomb US targets, including embassies in Africa and ships in the Gulf of Aden.

In the attack on the Cole in October 2000, two suicide bombers in civilian garb waved at the crew and then drove their boat full of explosives into the side of the warship as it refueled in the Port of Aden. The blast tore a 30-foot (9 meter) hole in the ship, killing 17 US sailors and wounding three dozen more.

Nashiri, described by US investigators as Al-

Qaeda’s one-time head of operations in the Arabian Peninsula, is accused of planning and preparing the attack, choosing the suicide bombers and helping buy the boat and explosives. He is accused of plotting similar boatbomb attacks on another US warship and a French oil tanker off Yemen. The January 2000 attack on the other warship, the USS The Sullivans, failed when the would-be suicide bombers ran their boat aground. The October 2002 attack on the tanker, the MV Limburg, killed a crewman and dumped 90,000 barrels of oil into the Gulf of Aden.

Nashiri is also accused of providing a fake passport to a suspect in the 1998 US Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. An AlQaeda operative quoted in the 9-11 Commission report described Nashiri as widely known to be one of Al-Qaeda’s most committed terrorists, “extreme in ferocity in waging jihad.” Nashiri claimed to have become a millionaire as a merchant trader. He lived for a while with a Russian prostitute in Dubai, according to a former FBI agent who investigated the Cole bombing. Nashiri was captured in Dubai in 2002 and held in secret CIA prisons before being sent to Guantanamo in 2006. — Reuters

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Putin’s party in poster scandal ahead of polls Opponents slam ‘blatant attempt’ to brainwash voters

WARSAW: Anna Grodzka, the first transsexual Polish lawmaker from the Palikot’s is pictured yesterday. — AFP

Transsexual makes debut in new Polish parliament WARSAW: A transsexual woman and an openly gay man took seats in Poland’s newly elected parliament yesterday, historic firsts that reflect profound social change in this traditionally Roman Catholic country. Anna Grodzka, who was born a man but underwent a sex change, entered the assembly hall to warm greetings. Several men and women shook her hand, while one male lawmaker kissed her on the cheek. She was later introduced to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who also shook her hand.

Grodzka sat next to Robert Biedron, an activist who is the first openly gay person elected to Poland’s parliament. Both belong to Palikot’s Movement, a new progressive party that became the thirdlargest party in parliament in the Oct. 9 election.

Grodzka said she felt overwhelmed by emotion as the session opened with the national anthem and when she later took her oath of office. “It is a symbolic moment, but we owe this symbolism not to me but to the people of Poland because they made their choice,” Grodzka told The Associated Press. “They wanted a modern Poland, a Poland open to variety, a Poland where all people would feel good regardless of their differences. I cannot fail them in their expectations.”

Palikot’s Movement, led by outspoken entrepreneur-turned-politician Janusz Palikot, has vowed to push for liberal causes. It opposes the influence of the church in political life, promotes gay rights, and wants to challenge the country’s near-total ban on abortion.

Ewa Kopacz, the outgoing health minister, was then elected the new parliament speaker - the first time a woman was chosen for a post that the constitution defines as the second most powerful political position, after the prime minister. The seventh parliament since communism fell was opened by a former speaker, Jozef Zych, who invoked words

spoken by the late Polish pope, John Paul II, and acknowledged the presence of archbishops and other church leaders who observed from a balcony.

Zych also remembered the late President Lech Kaczynski and the lawmakers who died with him in a plane crash last year - words spoken as Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the late leader’s twin brother, sat solemnly with other conservative lawmakers. Kaczynski heads the country’s largest opposition party, the nationalist Law and Justice party, which is riven by deep divisions and internal turmoil after expelling three key leaders on Friday who had called for a more democratic leadership style from Kaczynski.

Last month’s election gave Tusk, of the center-right Civic Platform party, a mandate for a second term. It was the first time since the end of communism 22 years ago that a government won a second consecutive term. Tusk has remained popular thanks to an image he has cultivated of moderation and because the economy has grown impressively since Poland joined the European Union in 2004. It was the only EU country to avoid recession during the global crisis of 200809. President Bronislaw Komorowski addressed the newly elected lawmakers, urging them to work together to maintain Poland’s strong economic performance as Europe faces a new financial crisis. He called on lawmakers to trim bureaucracy, reform the judiciary and the health system and tackle state debt.

“We know that the state exists for the citizens, and not the other way around,” Komorowski said. Lech Walesa, the hero of Poland’s anti-communist revolution and a former president, watched the proceedings from a balcony in the assembly hall. Tusk, whose government formally resigned yesterday, plans to keep governing with his junior partner of the past four years, the conservative Polish People’s Party. — AP

Church-backed abortion bill sparks disapproval in Russia MOSCOW: Women of all ages used to fill gynecologist Lyubov Yerofeyeva’s Soviet state clinic, lined up by the dozen for back-to-back abortions. “It was more common to take sick days for an abortion than for a cold in those days,” she said. Two decades after the Soviet Union’s collapse, wider availability of contraception and a resurgence of religion have reduced the numbers of abortions overall, but termination remains the top method of birth control in Russia.

Its abortion rate — 1.3 million, or 73 per 100 births in 2009 — is the world’s highest. Backed by the Russian Orthodox Church, an influential antiabortion lobby is driving a moral crusade to tighten legislation and shift public attitudes that are largely a legacy of the Soviet era. Adding to the debate is the Russian government’s effort to reverse a population decline caused by low birth rates combined with ver y high death rates. With Russians dying nearly twice as fast as they are born, the United Nations predicts that by 2050 its population will shrink by almost one fifth to 116 million. Women’s rights groups voice outrage that the Church would play a role in shaping Russia’s secular laws and say abortion must remain a choice.

They acknowledge the statistics point to a public health travesty but suggest the problem would be better resolved by sex education. At the heart of the debate is an amendment to Russia’s law on health that is all but guaranteed to pass in the lower house after it was approved in a critical second of three readings on Oct. 21.

The law would cap abortions at 12 weeks, impose a waiting period of up to one week from initial consultations and require women over six weeks pregnant to see the embryo on ultrasound, hear its heartbeat and have counseling to determine how to proceed. “Our two main motives are the fact that Russia is dying out and our religious tradition. We cannot forget our faith,” Yelena Mizulina, chair of the

family issues committee that fielded the law, told Reuters. “Despite the long Communist period, it is seen as murder, as a violation of the ten commandments.” Russia’s sharp demographic crisis, she said, adds to the urgency. “America is not threatened with extinction, it can afford to be more lenient,” Mizulina said.

Dwindling population The government has worked hard to foster a baby boom, honoring big families at pomp-filled Kremlin events, offering subsidies to parents with more than one child and even raffling off cars to women who give birth on the national holiday. Experts say only migration can help plug the demographic black hole, but that is a solution with potentially explosive side effects given the country’s ethnic tensions.

Fear that mostly Muslim migrants from Central Asia and the Caucasus will replace a dwindling ethnic Russian populace have helped fuel the Orthodox Church’s newly vocal role on abortion and other issues since the demise of the atheist Soviet Union.

One of the prominent personalities promoting the Church’s position on the issue is Russia’s devout first lady Svetlana Medvedeva, whose Foundation for Social and Cultural Initiatives held a national week-long campaign in July dubbed “Give Me Life!” Such initiatives have sparked protests. More than 150 human rights and feminist groups signed a global petition against the measures last month, while others have staged rallies in Moscow. At one such demonstration, a handful of young activists unfurled banners with the slogans: “Fight Abortion, Not Women,” “My Body Is My Body,” and “Better Abortion than Bad Parenting.” “Why should a priest decide what I do with my body?” said one young feminist, Dina Orlova, 31, objecting to the inclusion of priests on an expert council that drafted the Russian bill. — Reuters

MOSCOW: Vladimir Putin’s ruling party yesterday faced accusations of breaking the law after its posters for Russia’s legislative polls turned out to be almost identical to those of the election watchdog. On December 4 Russia is holding key parliamentary elections which are seen as a dress rehearsal of March presidential polls in which Russian strongman and current Prime Minister Putin is expected to reclaim his old Kremlin job.

The Moscow City Election Commission overseeing the polls in the Russian capital has had scores of billboards installed around Moscow to encourage Russians to vote. But those of Putin’s ruling party United Russia which appeared this week on the Moscow streets are almost identical, in what opponents said was a blatant attempt to plant a subliminal message in the mind of voters.

The poll watchdog’s posters decked in Russia’s national colors of blue, red and white feature silhouettes of several generations of people including children, parents with a baby carriage and an elderly couple with a cane. “For life, for people,” read the red letters above a silhouette of the city.

The United Russia posters feature the very same silhouettes with the same city view in the background. The posters say in blue and red letters: “(We) develop/For life, for people”. They call on Russians to vote for number 6, the ruling party’s number on the ballot. “How everything coincided,” quipped independent broadsheet Vedomosti. But the spokesman for the Moscow Election Commission Dmitry Reut denied the existence of violations on the part of the watchdog.

“We are not urging people to vote for United Russia,” he told AFP. Senior United Russia party member Valery Ryazansky, speaking on Echo of Moscow radio, admitted that the billboards were indeed similar but insisted that a

“special commission” had approved the party’s posters.

Grygory Melkonyants, deputy executive director at Golos Association, an independent nonprofit organisation aiming to protect voters’ rights, said the nearly-

MOSCOW: A man passes two identical campaign billboards, of Vladimir Putin’s ruling United Russia party (top) and of Moscow City Election Commission (bottom) yesterday. — AFP

Polls open in Liberian run-off MONROVIA: Polling opened in Liberia’s disputed presidential run-off yesterday, the day after at least four opposition supporters were killed amid a boycott protest by the challenger. Early voting was slow in the tense capital following Monday’s violence, in marked contrast to long lines that greeted the opening of the polls in last month’s first round, won by incumbent president and joint Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

“I have come to vote but I am not happy for what happened yesterday, after all we are all Liberian and no one should be happy seeing other Liberians being killed,” said Rita Queegbay, 39, one of only about 30 people at the Duport Road polling station. Sirleaf, Africa’s first woman president, is poised for a second term after challenger Winston Tubman called on his supporters to abstain, claiming the process was fraudulent.

His call for a boycott has drawn wide international condemnation, and drews an 11th hour warning from US President Barack Obama to unnamed individuals not to “disrupt the political process” in a nation still recovering from civil war.

Shooting erupted on Monday as tensions soared between anti-riot police, UN peacekeepers and thousands of protesters gathering for an unauthorised march called by Tubman a day after the official end of campaigning.

Several schools which had served as polling stations in the first round where closed, fearing a repeat of Monday’s violence. “Some school buildings have denied us access to their premises. We are still negotiating with them to see if they will allow us,” National Elections Commission chair woman Elizabeth Nelson told the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) radio. “Because of the incident yesterday all the voting centres did not open on time.”

Several hundred people gathered at

Tubman’s Congress for Democratic Change headquarters yesterday morning, some having spent the night there.

“They have decided to kill us, we are ready to die, How can you shoot at people who are not armed and go justify by saying that we were armed?” said 21year old Albert Doe. One policeman at the scene of Monday’s violence said a protester fired the first shot, though other witnesses said the CDC supporters were not armed and were only throwing stones. Obama warned in a statement hours before the polls opened that Liberians should be able to vote free from fear. “This historic vote is an opportunity for Liberians to strengthen the country’s democracy, and to deepen its peace, prosperity and national unity,” Obama said in a statement issued after the election-eve violence.

Two television stations owned by Tubman’s running mate, former AC Milan footballer George Weah, were shut down overnight following the violence.

Three other pro-opposition radio stations were closed following a government order. “Right after our evening broadcast police came and asked us to leave the premises of the station and closed it down,” said Samukai Dukulay, senior broadcaster at Power television and Power FM. Weah’s King FM and Clarc TV were also shut down, as was Love FM, which had only just reopened after being torched after the first round. Sirleaf, who made history when she became Africa’s first elected female president in 2005 and jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize shortly before the first round, has accused her rival of violating the constitution.

“I know that nobody in this country, no matter what the talk or rhetoric, nobody really wants us to go back to war,” she said while campaigning Sunday. — AFP

MONROVIA: People wait in line for polls to open outside a polling station in the Paynesville neighborhood yesterday in Liberia. — AP

identical ruling party posters appeared after those of the poll watchdog and played into its hands.

“The principle of equality of all election participants is being violated,” he told AFP. Two of the ruling party’s competitors-Russia’s Communist Party and the leftleaning A Just Russia party-said they had filed complaints with the Central Election Commission, noting it was just one of many violations by the ruling party during the ongoing campaign.

“They have become so cheeky they think it is okay to fully merge with executive authorities,” Alexander Ageyev, head of A Just Russia’s Moscow branch, told AFP. Senior Communist Party member Andrei Klychkov, speaking on Echo of Moscow radio, added: “Essentially this means that budget funds, including taxpayers’ money, went into the United Russia’s election campaign.”

The controversy comes as approval ratings of the United Russia party, expected to win the most votes, show signs of crumbling just ahead of the polls. A poll of 1,600 by the independent Levada Center released yesterday showed Putin’s party lost nine percentage points in the span of one week and now stands at 51 percent, one of its lowest approval ratings in years.

Putin’s ratings have also slipped, falling to 61 percent by November 1 from 66 percent on October 11, the poll conducted between October 28 and November 1 showed. Ratings of outgoing President Dmitr y Medvedev, who in September agreed to step aside after just one term in office, fell to 57 percent from 62 percent over the same period. — AFP

Murdoch tabloid spied on hacking victims’ lawyers LONDON: Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper company spied on two lawyers who represent alleged victims of phone hacking by its tabloid News of the World, the firm acknowledged Monday. News International said lawyers Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris “were subject to surveillance,” a practice it called “inappropriate.” The BBC and The Guardian newspaper reported Monday that Lewis and Harris were followed and filmed last year by private investigator Derek Webb, who was hired by the now-defunct tabloid to gather evidence in a bid to discredit them.

Webb - who ran a company called Silent Shadow - told the BBC that the surveillance began in early 2010 and included following and filming Lewis’ ex-wife and daughter while they went shopping.Lewis told the BBC that spying on his teenage daughter was “nothing short of sick” and accused the newspaper of “Mafia-like” behavior. News International said surveillance was not illegal, but “was clearly deeply inappropriate in these circumstances.”

It said the action “was not condoned by any current executive at the company,” but the revelation increases the pressure on Rupert’s son James Murdoch, who heads the international division of his father’s media empire. Lewis represented the family of 13-year-old Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked after she disappeared in 2002. She was later found murdered. Harris’s clients have included actress Leslie Ash, politician Lembit Opik and soccer agent Sky Andrew, all of whom claim their cell phone voice mail messages were intercepted by the newspaper.

Murdoch shut down the News of the World in July after evidence emerged that the tabloid’s reporters had eavesdropped on Dowler’s phone messages while police were hunting for her, and that such illegal activity was widespread at the newspaper. That touched off a storm of public outrage that shook Murdoch’s media empire and sent tremors through Britain’s political, police and media establishments. Several senior executives of Murdoch’s News Corp. have resigned over the scandal, including former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks and ex-Wall Street Journal publisher Les Hinton.

More than a dozen journalists, most of them former News of the World employees, have been arrested and questioned about phone hacking, though none has yet been charged. Dozens of people - from celebrities and politicians to the families of crime victims - are suing Murdoch’s News Corp.

Rupert and James Murdoch both denied knowing hacking was endemic at the newspaper when they appeared before a panel of British lawmakers investigating phone hacking in July. Former News Corp. employees have cast doubt on their testimony, and James Murdoch has been recalled to give evidence to the lawmakers again on Thursday.

Opposition Labour Party legislator Tom Watson, a strong critic of News Corp. who sits on the committee, said James Murdoch had “some very serious questions to answer.” Watson told the BBC that the revelation lawyers were spied on “shows an utterly relentless and ruthless organization ... that would stop at nothing to cover this case up.” — AP

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Cold War fighters win polls in Central America

Guatemala gets first military president in 25 years

ZANESVILLE: In this file photo, carcasses lie on the ground at the Muskingum County Animal Farm in Ohio. — AP

5 accused of trying to steal dead lion TOLEDO: Five people were charged Monday with trying to steal the carcass of a lion that was among dozens of exotic animals released from a private compound by their suicidal owner and shot dead by sheriff’s deputies in a big-game hunt. Deputies said they stopped four men and a teenage boy who had loaded the lion into a Jeep several hours after the animals ran from their cages at the compound near Zanesville, in eastern Ohio. Deputies were forced to kill 48 wild animals including bears, lions and endangered Bengal tigers after their owner, Terry Thompson, threw open their cages late in the afternoon on Oct. 18 and then killed himself on his farm.

The four men and the teen, ranging in ages from 21 to 17, were each charged with a misdemeanor count of theft, Muskingum County prosecutor Michael Haddox told The Associated Press. Each faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. Deputies said they noticed the headlights of a vehicle near the farm and decided to stop it, according to reports released by the county sheriff’s office.

Inside the Jeep, they found a dead male lion, the deputies said. They then removed the carcass, belonging to one of nine lions that had been housed at the compound, and closed down a road to prevent anyone else from getting near the dead animals.

Prosecutors wouldn’t say what they believed the men and the boy planned to do with the lion’s body.

The four men charged were Cody Wilson, 21, of Byesville; Richard Weidlich, 19, of Cambridge; Brian Matthews, 21, of Kimbolton; and Joseph Jakubisin, 21, of Cambridge, Haddox said. The name and hometown of the boy weren’t released

because of his age. Wilson, Weidlich and Matthews didn’t have listed home telephone numbers. Jakubisin’s number was no longer in service. There was no indication the men had hired attorneys.

Deputies have said they had no choice but to shoot the lions and other animals after they charged at them and were dangerously close to neighboring homes and an interstate highway. Nearly all the cages had been unlocked, and holes were cut in the metal fencing. Thompson, 62, had told a farmhand a day earlier that he was upset about his marital problems and that he had a plan, according to a deputy who talked with the caretaker.

Just days before Thompson set the animals free, he told a deputy that he was having a tough time taking care of them after spending a year in prison on a gun conviction. He also was deep in debt to the Internal Revenue Ser vice. Thompson bought his first exotic animal, a lion cub named Simba, at an auction for his wife’s birthday about 14 years ago. He acquired other animals at auctions and from people who could no longer care for them.

Thompson’s widow tried to claim six wild animals that survived their release and were recaptured, but the state Department of Agriculture ordered they be kept under quarantine at a zoo for the time being. Gov. John Kasich, upon learning the widow planned to retrieve the animals, asked the agency to ensure they didn’t pose a health threat. Earlier this year, Kasich let expire an order that might have prevented the Thompsons from owning exotic animals.

He has signed a temporary order to use existing laws to crack down on such animals before new laws are proposed. — AP

MANAGUA/GUATEMALA CITY: Two veterans of Cold War conflicts that ravaged Central America in the 1980s won elections in Nicaragua and Guatemala on Sunday, highlighting the heavy footprint the wars left on the region. Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist revolutionary leader, won a second consecutive term as Nicaragua’s president by a landslide while hardline conservative and retired army general Otto Perez ended four years of leftist rule in Guatemala.

The victories for both Ortega and Perez had been widely expected, and underline the diverging paths the two largely agrarian nations have taken since the Cold War, whose ideological tensions forged a generation of politicians. While Guatemala, supported initially by the United States, ruthlessly crushed leftist guerrillas in a 36-year civil war, Ortega’s left-wing Sandinista party survived a USbacked rebellion in the 1980s only to be voted out in 1990. The poorest country in Central America, Nicaragua has been relatively stable since then and it has progressed economically under Ortega, who rode out 16 years in opposition to recapture the presidency five years ago, resolving to combat poverty. In wealthier Guatemala, wounds from the civil war still fester and its weak government has allowed brutal street gangs and Mexican drug cartels to run rampant. The country now boasts one of the highest murder rates in the Americas.

Slow progress has been made implementing Guatemala’s 1996 peace accords and rising violence has now brought an army man to power for the first time since democracy was returned in 1986, despite concerns about the army’s role in the conflict. “In Guatemala this is reaction against a failed state,” said George W. Grayson, a Latin America expert at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. “So it wants a strong law and order candidate to bring peace and tranquillity. Whereas Ortega is really quite popular. He has connected with the people.” Perez won with a pledge to cut in half homicide rates of more than 41 per 100,000 inhabitants, three times the rate in Nicaragua and eight times that of the United States. Yet whether he will also allow former comrades inside the army to face prosecution for wartime atrocities remains to be seen.

Unknown quantity Ortega, for years a pariah to the United

States, has allied himself closely with Hugo Chavez, the socialist president of Venezuela, whose oil wealth has helped to support welfare programs for the poor majority in Nicaragua. Ortega first took power as one of the leaders of the Sandinista revolution that toppled a right-wing dictatorship in 1979, and he then led the country against a US-backed Contra rebellion throughout the 1980s. But when he was voted out in 1990, Ortega agreed to stand aside.

He then spent 16 years in opposition

GUATEMALA: Patriotic Party presidential candidate, Otto Perez Molina, and vice president candidate Roxana Baldetti celebrate their victory, Monday, Nov 7, 2011. — AP before rebounding to win the 2006 election.

The democratic institutions overseen by the Sandinistas and a series of conservative governments have proven to be relatively robust, so there was concern when the Supreme Court which Ortega’s party controls overturned a ban on consecutive presidential terms in 2009. The 65-year-old Ortega dismissed claims the decision was meant to help him stay in office indefinitely.

Instead, he points to his record on battling poverty in Nicaragua, which since 2005 has

clients denied the charges and said they were innocent.

Akin to church scandals The campus newspaper, the Daily Collegian, said in an editorial: “The moral failure of every single person involved is appalling. No one did anything more than try to sweep this problem off-campus.”

Some details of the case are similar to the sweeping scandals involving sexual abuse by priests the Catholic Church tried to keep hidden for decades. In one of the incidents, Sandusky, 67, is alleged to have forced a boy as young as 10 to have sex with him in the shower at the football complex in 2002. At the Monday press conference, Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly begged for the boy to come forward, as authorities still do not know his identity.

A graduate assistant saw the encounter and reported it to Paterno, who relayed the information to Curley.

Sandusky is alleged to have recruited his victims from a charity he founded to help underprivileged children, called “Second Mile,” authorities said. The charity moved quickly on Monday to disassociate itself from Sandusky, saying in a statement that once the former coach informed them in 2008 that he was under investigation, they barred him from contact with children.

“From 2008 to present, Mr Sandusky has had no involvement with Second Mile programs involving children,” the charity said. The abuse by Sandusky took place as far back as 1996, according to a statement from investigators. “Through The Second Mile, Sandusky had access to hundreds of boys, many of whom were vulnerable due to their social situations,” the grand jury said in its report.

The report tells of an escalating series of predator y activities, star ting with Sandusky allegedly crawling in bed with boys to rub their backs, moving on to fondling and eventual sexual contact of varying kinds. It also included testimony by the assistant principal at a high school attended by one of Sandusky’s alleged victims, noting that the football coach developed a strong emotional attachment to the boys he is said to have abused. “(He) testified that Sandusky would be ‘clingy’ and even ‘needy’ when a young man broke off the relationship he had established with him and called the behavior ‘suspicious.’”

Sandusky was arraigned Saturday and released after posting $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for today. Bail for Curley and Schultz was set at $75,000 each and a preliminary hearing set for Nov 17. — Reuters

found that the vast majority of rights abuses were committed by the military. Supporters say Perez was a progressive officer during his service, although human rights groups have alleged that troops under his command carried out abuses during the conflict. Perez has never been charged and rejects the allegations. A key measure of his presidency will be whether he allows Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz to press ahead with her drive to investigate war-time atrocities committed by senior military officers. — Reuters

Congress sputters on spending bills

Police express shock at Penn State child abuse cover up STATE COLLEGE: Two former Penn State officials were charged on Monday with covering up alleged sexual assaults of young boys by a former coach, as authorities widely criticized the university for allowing the abuse to continue unchecked for more than a decade. The scandal has tarnished the reputation of the university, its football program and Joe Paterno, the revered head coach who reported the abuse up the athletic program chain of command. Paterno himself is not a target of the investigation, authorities said.

Pennsylvania’s top police officer ’s voice quivered when he said that in 40 years on the job he had never seen a case where someone was so clearly caught and yet not turned in to police. “This is not a case about football, it’s not a case about universities, it’s a case about children who’ve had their innocence stolen from them and a culture that did nothing to stop it or prevent it from happening to others,” Frank Noonan said.

“What happened here was ‘grooming,’ where these predators identify a child, become mentors ... then give them gifts, establish trust, initiate physical contact, which eventually leads to sexual contact,” Noonan said. Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator on the college’s storied football team, faces charges that he abused eight boys. A grand jur y ’s report details his alleged sexual assaults of children as young as 10 in his home and in the team’s locker room showers.

Sandusky’s attorney Joe Amendola has said his client, who left Penn State coaching in 1999, was shaken by the charges but knew they were coming. “He’s maintained his innocence,” Amendola said. The Sandusky case has shaken the college and its alumni, who see Paterno as a paragon of leadership for his 45 years as head coach, for winning the most games in big-time college football history and graduating players who went on to star in the National Football League.

The charges against Athletic Director Tim Curley and finance official G ar y Schultz, both of whom stepped down Monday, are over their failure to alert police after they learned through Paterno of the alleged abuse, as well as perjury in their statements to the grand jury. Curley went on administrative leave early Monday and Schultz returned to retirement, the university said. Later in the day, both men were formally charged and released on bail. They are due back in court late next week. “The charges at face value are disturbing to say the least,” Harrisburg District Judge William Wenner said. Lawyers for Curley and Schultz told repor ters after the arraignment their

fallen by 8.5 percentage points to 57 percent, World Bank data shows. “He is also a major shareholder in several large businesses, which seems to reassure the big business community that he is no socialist threat,” said John Booth, a political scientist at the University of North Texas.

Perez, 60, is more of an unknown quantity, having never held the top job in Guatemala, where nearly a quarter of a million people died or were disappeared during the civil war.

A United Nations-backed Truth Commission

WASHINGTON: A man reads “Back to Work” written by former US president Bill Clinton in this photo. — AFP

With book Bill Clinton wades into 2012 drive WASHINGTON: Bill Clinton will thrust himself into the 2012 election campaign Tuesday with a book that is deeply critical of Republican dogma and, implicitly, of his ally President Barack Obama. In the opening pages of “Back to Work: Why we need smart government for a strong economy,” the 42nd US president and former communicator in chief warns that Republicans and the Tea Party have reembraced a dangerous “30 year antigovernment obsession” with gusto.

Across nearly 200 pages Clinton offers his trademark above-the-fray rebuttal of policies that he says have caused rising inequality, high joblessness and a crippling debt burden.”The greatest accomplishment of the anti-government Republicans was not to reduce the size of the federal government but to stop paying for it,” he writes. Instead Clinton paints his vision in easy-to-understand primary colors of government that is just big enough to “smooth the edges” of capitalism, but not big enough to scare the kids.

He also offers a Democratic battle plan for the 2012 campaign, one that accuses Republicans of putting politics and special interests before the greater good. But running throughout the book is an unspoken corollary: Democrats, including Obama, are guilty of allowing spurious Republican arguments to gain traction. In one telling passage Clinton admits that he started and stopped writing the book several times because he did not want to just add “another stone to the Democratic side of the partisan scale.”

But in the end “I decided to go forward because I think it’s important that all Americans have a clear understanding of the basic economic facts.” Clinton complains that Democrats received a shellacking in the 2010 mid-term elections because they ran individual campaigns rather than taking up his suggestion of a common set of talking points.

“It was frustrating to work the crowds, right up to the night before the election and hear people shouting after our speeches, ‘why didn’t I know that.’”

Throughout the book Clinton gives a full throated defense of Obama’s policiesincluding much of the American Jobs Act, which Republicans are blocking in Congress. But whether intended or not, Clinton’s lucidity may also renew criticism that Obama has adopted too professorial a tone as the 44th president.

“Clinton is a natural American politician,” said Stephen Hess who worked in the administrations of Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

“He has a charm that not many of our recent presidents have had and he puts things in lay terms for voters.” Obama, on the other hand “was a community organizer but he really isn’t off the community, he is of the academy in many ways.” If the White House is offended, it is not communicating it. “The book is very helpful,” said spokesman Jay Carney on Monday, “it reinforces the positive steps that President Obama has taken and the positive steps he is now trying to take with Congress and is taking independently through his executive authority.” — AFP

WASHINGTON: A sputtering Congress enveloped in an atmosphere poisoned with politics and distrust enters its final weeks of the year struggling to complete a lengthy to-do list on the budget. The so-called deficit supercommittee is hung up over taxes, raising real doubts it will succeed in its assignment of cutting deficits by at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade.

The once all-powerful appropriators responsible for everything from funding the Pentagon to making sure the Agriculture Department has enough meat inspectors are struggling, too, victims of a tea party revolt and indifference among congressional leaders themselves. Together, the appropriators and supercommittee are responsible for filling in the details of last summer’s budget and debt ceiling agreement between President Barack Obama and Capitol Hill Republicans.

With little more than two weeks left for coming up with a plan to wring $1.2 trillion from the deficit, the supercommittee remains hung up over taxes. Democrats proposed a 10year, approximately $3 trillion deficit-cutting plan, which included $1.3 trillion in new tax revenues. Republicans countered with a $2.2 trillion plan without tax increases.

Without new revenues, Democrats are unwilling to cut Medicare or impose a new inflation measure to reduce annual cost-of-living increases for Social Security beneficiaries. “We have said we are very open to painful concessions and compromises if Republicans are, as well,” said Sen. Patty Murray, DWash., the co-chairman of the supercommittee. “But these concessions will only be made and only considered in the context of a balanced deal that doesn’t just fall on the middle class and most vulnerable Americans.”

Failure by the supercommittee to produce a plan would trigger automatic cuts a year from now to both domestic programs and the Pentagon’s budget, a prospect that has defense hawks up in arms and already working on legislation to undo the “sequester” mechanism that would force the cuts.

A sequester would reduce the Pentagon’s budget by another half-trillion dollars over the next decade. That would be in addition to a $450 billion cut as part of the summer deal between Obama and congressional Republicans.

“The results of a sequester will be a hollow military,” Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in a letter. Panetta himself has warned of “devastating” consequences if Pentagon spending is cut by the automatic sequester. The appropriators, meanwhile, are supposed to be working on a parallel track to complete the 12 annual spending bills for funding the day-to-day activities of federal agencies this year.

A month into the 2012 budget year, not one of them has been completed. The House has passed its versions of six of the bills, the Senate has approved its versions of four. Those versions have to be merged and passed again before the president can sign or reject them. A stopgap funding measure runs out on Nov 18. At a brief House-Senate negotiating meeting last week, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., promised a speedy resolution that could get three of the 12 bills to the White House for Obama’s signature before Thanksgiving. The three-bill measure will also be packaged with another stopgap funding bill funding the government into December, Rogers said.

But getting the remaining spending bills completed by year’s end might not happen. “I wouldn’t be that optimistic,” said Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., a veteran appropriator.

At the insistence of House Speaker John Boehner, a longtime opponent of so-called earmarks, the bills are free of such pet projects, which in the past have run the gamut from new roads and bridges, grants to local police departments and historic preservation projects. Earmarks have been criticized for creating a “pay-to-play” culture in which lobbyists and earmark recipients funnel campaign cash to lawmakers. But they also have helped build support behind appropriations bills, even from devout conservatives. —AP

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11 dead in roadside bomb in Afghanistan Taleban hit back at Mullah Omar’s words

BANGKOK: Residents wade through floodwaters in north-west Thailand yesterday. —AFP

Thai PM skips APEC to focus on Bangkok floods BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra pulled out of this weekend’s summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in Hawaii yesterday to concentrate on relief work at home as floodwater that has devastated her country threatened the capital, Bangkok. Starting in the north and northeast of the country in late July, the water has flowed slowly south, overwhelming industrial provinces and rice areas in the centre before moving into Bangkok over the past three weeks.

The government says more than 500 people have been killed and 25 of the country’s 77 provinces are currently affected. “I think right now all Thais need to help each other. I have asked (Deputy Prime Minister) Kittirat Na Ranong to go (for the APEC summit) instead,” Yingluck told reporters. Leaders of 21 countries in the economically dynamic Asia-Pacific region meet in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Nov. 12-13 for the annual APEC summit.

Yingluck, whose management of the crisis has been widely criticised, called a news conference yesterday but unveiled little more than a number of committees that will look at short-and longer-term restoration work. Later Yingluck was due to visit Ayutthaya province, the site of World Heritage-listed temples as well as five damaged industrial estates, where floodwater has started to recede after at least six weeks, allowing a clean-up to begin.

Yesterday, workers were trying to divert water from northern Bangkok into the Bang Sue canal running west to the Chao Phraya river, but the main northsouth Ratchadaphisek Road crossing over it was flooded in the area. The water has inundated banks, shopping malls and co rt buildings in the vicinity.

“We can’t fight the water. We can sell but no one’s around to buy,” said Songvarn Insartad, a food vendor by the canal. Many people have left the city of

12 million, fleeing to places to the south that look safe from flooding, such as the seaside resort of Pattaya. The Education Ministry has pushed back the new school term in Bangkok and surrounding areas for another week to Nov. 21 although Bangkok Metropolitan Area is sticking to Nov. 15 for the schools it controls. The term should have begun on Nov 1.

Sales slump The water is barely 7 km (4.5 miles) from the Silom business district and the Ratchaprasong intersection, whose swanky shopping malls and five-star hotels were closed for weeks by political protests in April-May last year. Retail sales in the Ratchaprasong area, with more than 1,200 operators, have dropped 80 percent due to the flooding, Channel 3 television said. Central World, Southeast Asia’s second-biggest shopping complex, is defended by sandbags, aluminum barriers and water pumps. Its owner, Central Pattana Pcl , has already had to close three big shopping centers in Bangkok.

Two industrial parks in eastern Bangkok were still fighting to escape the fate of seven estates in central provinces that were inundated last month, causing huge disruption to global supply chains, especially in the car and electronics sectors.

Television showed water seeping into parts of the Bang Chan industrial estate yesterday but kept out of the 93 factories, including those of Nestle SA and President Bakery Pcl , which makes buns for McDonald’s . It was a similar picture at the Lat Krabang estate nearby, which has 254 factories. Consumer goods giant Unilever Pcl , Johnson & Johnson , Isuzu Motors and Honda Motor Co all have plants there. It is about 10 km (6 miles) north of Bangkok’s main Suvarnabhumi airport, which is functioning normally inside a reinforced dike at least 3 meters (10 feet) high. —Reuters

ISHINOMAKI: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama hugs a kindergarten child who welcomed him at a temple. —AP

Dalai Lama makes low key visit to Mongolia ULAN BATOR: The Dalai Lama began a series of lectures to Buddhists in Mongolia yesterday in a low-key visit which nonetheless drew a protest from neighboring China. The Tibetan spiritual leader spoke at a Chinese-built sports stadium on the outskirts of Ulan Bator that underscored the economic sway that Beijing exercises over landlocked and largely poor Mongolia. In an attempt to allay Chinese concerns about the Buddhist leader, senior Mongolian lamas repeatedly said the visit was purely religious.

In Beijing, however, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China had made “a solemn representation” to Mongolia and was opposed to any country giving a platform to the Dalai Lama.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of wanting to split Tibet from China, a charge the Nobel Peace Prize laureate denies.

Mongolia’s people traditionally follow the Tibetan school of Buddhism, and the Dalai Lama has visited at least a half dozen times.

“This is a purely religious visit made at the request of Mongolian Buddhist

lay-believers and monks,” said Choijamts Demberel, head of the Mongolian Buddhist center and head abbot of Ganden Thekchen Choeling monastery. The Dalai Lama’s visit comes at time of renewed unrest in Tibetan areas of China, where at least 11 people have set themselves on fire since March to protest Chinese rule. At least five have died.

The Dalai Lama has said that China’s “ruthless policy” was behind the selfimmolations. China accuses the Dalai Lama and his supporters of stirring up trouble in ethnic Tibetan areas and encouraging followers to set themselves on fire. Many Tibetans consider the Dalai Lama to be their rightful leader. He fled from Tibet to India in 1959 during an unsuccessful anti-Beijing uprising and is reviled by China’s Communist government. When the Dalai Lama visited Mongolia in 2002, China held up trains at the border. There were no reports of that yesterday. China is Mongolia’s biggest trading partner. The two signed a strategic partnership deal in June during a visit by Premier Wen Jiabao. —AP

HEART: A roadside bomb killed 11 people mainly from one family in northwest Afghanistan, officials said yesterday, the latest civilians to die during the Muslim holiday Eid AlAdha. The blast struck a police vehicle in Badghis province Monday, killing two officers plus nine civilians from the same family including six children, two women and one man, the interior ministry said in a statement. It added that the police had been giving a lift to a “poor and needy family” in Qadis district but Badghis provincial council chairman Faizullah Azimi said the family’s vehicle had been following the police truck. “Their vehicle was struck by a Taleban-planted roadside bomb resulting in the death of 11 people including 6 children, two women, one man and two policemen,” the ministry’s statement said.

“Three others including one child and two

policemen were injured. Nine of the martyrs are members of the same family.” Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi in Kabul called the attack “cowardly”. The blast came days after Afghan Taleban leader Mullah Omar urged his fighters to avoid civilian casualties in the decade-long war. On Friday, the Taleban published a statement on their website attributed to Omar calling on fighters “to take every step to protect the lives and wealth of ordinary people”. The statement, issued to mark Eid Al-Adha, warned of punishments under Islamic Sharia law for fighters responsible for civilian deaths.

But Sediqqi said: “Despite their statement the other day about protecting civilian lives, the Taleban once again proved that they do not care about the lives of men, women and children.” The Taleban’s spokesman was not immediately reachable to comment on the

latest attack. Monday was the second day of Eid Al-Adha, when many Afghans celebrate by visiting friends and family.

It was not the first attack during Eid in Afghanistan. On Sunday, a Taleban suicide bomber killed seven people returning from prayers at a mosque in the northern city of Baghlan. The United Nations says the number of civilians killed in the Afghan war in the first half of this year rose 15 percent to 1,462, with insurgents responsible for 80 percent of the deaths. Around 140,000 international troops are serving in Afghanistan, mostly from the United States, helping Afghan government forces fight a bloody, Taleban-led insurgency. Limited withdrawals of foreign troops have already started, and all combat forces are due to leave by the end of 2014, although a sizeable training and mentoring mission is expected to remain. —AFP

New Myanmar’s changes are no revolution BANGKOK: Myanmar’s elections last year seemed like just another self-serving maneuver by the country’s generals to keep their thumbs on the scales of power.

Then some surprising things began to happen. The new government eased censorship, legalized labor unions, suspended an unpopular, China-backed dam project and began talks with Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her pro democracy movement. A revolution it isn’t, however. Political prisoners still languish in jails. The military still draws accusations of routine abuse against ethnic groups. And the country’s long-suffering citizens remain highly skeptical of their government, believing its reforms could be aimed at lifting Western sanctions or avoiding an Arab Spring.

“The government is never sincere, and they will backtrack any time once their wishes are fulfilled,” 45-year-old lawyer Myint Thein said in Rangon. So far, most of the optimism appears to be outside the country as it emerges from a long reliance on China, with Myanmar and the West both keen to reconcile after decades of frosty relations. US envoy Derek Mitchell told reporters in Yangon on Friday that Myanmar’s new government has taken a series of positive steps and that Washington would like to support its reforms.

“We would look to respond in kind,” he said. The international community’s hopes were not high after Myanmar’s carefully orchestrated Nov 7, 2010 election. As expected, the polls brought to power a proxy party for the military, which has run the country since a 1962 coup. But that perception has changed in recent months, said Asian Studies director David Steinberg of Georgetown University.

“You have a whole set of new things happening,” Steinberg said.

“I don’t know how far and how fast they can go on these things.

But they are moving and ... they are moving in a manner that we might not have predicted.” In one of the most closely watched aspects, however, the administration has so far fallen short: Largescale clemencies for convicts have included less than 300 of an estimated 2,000 political prisoners, with many of the more prominent ones remaining behind bars.

“It is too early to know whether the government’s change of tone and talk of reform is cynical window-dressing or evidence that significant change will come to the country,” New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement. In October, labor unions were legalized, along with the right to strike. Last week, the

government amended election regulations to encourage Suu Kyi’s party to re enter the political arena, after previously barring her from politics with rules that prompted her party to boycott last year’s elections.

President Thein Sein reopened a long-stalled dialogue with Suu Kyi, inviting her to the presidential mansion, where she was greeted by his wife and grandchild. The warm reception was a stark contrast to the cold loathing she reportedly received from Senior Gen. Than Shwe, head of the former ruling junta. Suu Kyi said she found Thein Sein genuine and sin-

But structurally the dice is in the military’s favor,” he said in an email interview. Disappointment has been part of Myanmar politics since independence hero Gen Aung San Suu Kyi’s father - was assassinated in 1947 by rivals on the eve of independence from Britain. After a 1962 coup, Gen. Ne Win took power with a despotic socialism that plunged the vibrant economy into misery. A massive democracy uprising in 1988 was smashed by the army.

The junta that took over from Ne Win staged an election in 1990, only to refuse to hand over power when Suu Kyi’s party won a

YANGON: In this file photo, Myanmar women prisoners walk outside Insein Prison after they were released in Myanmar. —AP cere, with a desire for reform.

Suu Kyi, who spent most of the past two decades detained by the ruling generals, has appeared more generous in her assessment of the new government than many of the people she represents. “It may be that she feels this is the time when she could have a longer range impact, maybe not short range, but in the long run a buildup of democratic forces,” Steinberg said. But Maung Zarni, a Myanmar exile who is a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics doubts Suu Kyi will be able to shake the military grip on institutional power.

“Maybe she is gambling here.

landslide victory. Democracy activists went to prison, and the country into international isolation, with Washington leading the backlash against the junta by cutting US aid and vetoing assistance from institutions such as the World Bank. There the deadlock stood, more or less, for the next two decades.

Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize, and moved in and out of house arrest. The military accepted some foreign investment in oil and gas, splurged on much-needed infrastructure and cobbled uneasy cease-fires with restive minority groups along the country’s borders. In September 2007,

Indonesian Bashir appeals for acquittal JAKARTA: Radical Indonesian Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, convicted of funding terrorism, lodged an appeal for acquittal yesterday after his jail term was slashed last month, his lawyer said.

The 73-year-old Bashir, who is regarded as a spiritual leader of militant Islam in Indonesia and is an outspoken supporter of Al-Qaeda-style jihad, had his jail sentence slashed last month from 15 years to nine. “We lodged an appeal at the cassation (supreme) court,” lawyer Achmad Michdan told reporters after registering the appeal. A lower court in June sentenced Bashir to 15 years in prison for deliberately inciting terrorism and funding a new terror cell in Aceh province, allegedly planning deadly attacks on Westerners and politicians. “We are convinced that the cleric was never involved in the Aceh” affair, Michdan said.

The Jakarta High Court ruled last month that Bashir had been involved in a less serious offence, and because of his advanced age his sentence should be reduced. Michdan said that in the appeal, the team of lawyers questioned testimony given by several key witnesses via Internet videophone. “They prepared it secretly without our knowledge. That was a violation of judicial procedures,” he said.

The bespectacled cleric served almost 26 months behind bars for conspiracy over the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 mainly Western tourists, including 88 Australians. But that conviction was overturned in the Supreme Court after his release in 2006 and other allegations of terrorism-including suspected roles in deadly bombings in 2000 and 2003 — have never been upheld in court. —AFP

a fuel price hike helped trigger widespread street protests of the so-called Saffron Rebellion. Once again, the military put down the uprising with violence. By 2010, junta moved to hold an election under a constitution of its own careful crafting, ensuring it would hold veto power in any future, nominally civilian government.

Then, Thein Sein started his tenure on March 30. The ex-general, a former prime minister in the previous junta, gave what Steinberg described as a “remarkable self-critical” inaugural speech, mentioning “good governance, clean government and the importance of the fourth estate.”

His government unblocked several banned websites, allowed Internet access for Suu Kyi and dropped its routine broadsides against foreign broadcasting stations.

In addition to wooing Suu Kyi, Thein Sein offered peace talks with the country’s ethnic minority groups, who were unhappy over a plan to disarm their militias. Most stunningly, Thein Sein’s government suspended a controversial China-built hydropower dam project in northern Kachin States on Sept. 30 because it was “against the will of the people.”

Ethnic activists and environmentalists had denounced the dam, and Suu Kyi’s party also had taken up the potentially hot issue.

The move signaled an important foreign policy shift. Isolated by the US and other Western nations, Myanmar has leaned heavily on neighboring China as its key ally, but also has been war y of its huge neighbor.

“Burma is not a client state of China, never has been; the Burmese are far too nationalistic and they fear China and they have from the very beginning, but at the same time they know they need to work with China,” Steinberg said.

An opening to the United States reduces dependence on Beijing, which is also a win for Washington, he said. The government also may hope to ensure that reforms come from the top down, rather than risk a bottomup revolution that spirals out of control as in the Middle East over the past year, Steinberg said.”Nearly everyone is more willing to compromise now because, after 20 years, nearly everyone knows that the Myanmar people deserve so much better than what they have,” said Thant MyintU, a historian from Myanmar and grandson of the late UN Secretary General U Thant. “The question should really be why has it taken so long to take the very simple and commonsense steps that we’ve seen over the past few months.” —AP

Philippines bars ill Arroyo from treatment abroad MANILA: The Philippine justice secretary yesterday barred former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from seeking medical treatment abroad while she faces complaints of electoral cheating. Two complaints of electoral sabotage have been filed against Arroyo and her husband alleging they rigged congressional polls in 2007 by tampering with results. While prosecutors decide whether to file formal charges, the 64-year-old former president sought permission to get treatment abroad after undergoing three surgeries on her cervical spine. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that Arroyo’s condition was not life threatening and that “she has been recuperating fairly well ... with treatment from local doctors and local facilities.” The Arroyos questioned the legality of the decision before the Supreme Court yesterday, saying they have not been proven guilty and their rights were violated. Arroyo stepped down last year and was then elected to Congress. Her aides deny the allegations against her and accuse her successor, President Benigno Aquino III, of political persecution.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Moscow’s Mars pioneers hail success MOSCOW: The all-male crew of a mock spaceship played a video action game to cool down when tensions rose during a 17-month isolation study simulating a voyage to Mars. In their cramped, windowless module at a Moscow research facility, the earthbound pioneers split into teams - three Russians against two Europeans and one Chinese - and put their trust in Counter-Strike, said Russian Alexander Smoleyevsky, 32. “We know that flies can turn into elephants in space so whatever conflict arose, we tried to nip it in the bud,” said Rustamovich Sukhrob, 37, his blue jumpsuit hanging loosely on his frame after months of food rations.

The six crew members, all of whom lost weight, looked weary but relieved yesterday when speaking to reporters for the first time. They had spent three days in quarantine since the end of their mission on Nov 4. The $15 million Mars500 experiment aimed to answer one of the big unknowns of deep-space travel: can people stay healthy and sane while spending 520 days rocketing to the Red Planet and back in a small spaceship?

The study volunteers were never weightless, but scientists tried to make their isolation mimic the mental and physical strain of a real flight to Mars as closely as possible.

They ate astronauts’ rations, rarely showered, took blood and urine samples and slept plastered with electrodes, all the while being under constant video surveillance - a touch that earned the study comparisons to a reality TV show.

Each man was paid 3 million roubles ($98,300), Mars500 project director Boris Morukov told Reuters.

“I was shaky when I came out, I hadn’t seen anybody else other than my five friends for so long my heart was beating like crazy, my legs were trembling... I was so excited,” ItalianColombian participant Diego Urbina told Reuters. “It was very hard, I am not going to lie,” he said. At his lowest ebb he dreamt of daily life “on Earth” only to “suddenly wake up in this dark chamber knowing you have so long to go”.

French crewmate Romain Charles said he missed a “good croissant” in the mornings. To break the monotony, he taught his crewmates to play “Home Sweet Home” and

MOSCOW: The six members of the Mars500 crew (from left), Russia Alexey Sitev, France’s Romain Charles, Russia’s Sukhrob Kamolov, Russia’s Alexander Smoleevskiy, Italy’s Diego Urbina and China’s Wang Yue, give the thumbs-up while posing for a photo during their press conference yesterday. — AFP “Rocket Man” on the guitar. The worst problem was the monotony, which reached its height on the “return trip”, after the excitement of a simulated landing on Mars, he said.

A previous 420-day experiment in 2000 ended in drunken disaster when two participants got into a fistfight and a third tried to forcibly kiss a female crew member. But

Pilgrims perform final rituals Continued from Page 1 No major incidents have been reported among the pilgrims, which the Saudi statistics office said numbered 2.93 million this year. The figure included 1.83 million foreigners. “Over 239,000 people have been working on ground” to serve the pilgrims and maintain order, Mecca governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal told reporters. In the coming years, Makkah will become a “smart” city, said Prince Khaled with Saudi authorities having this year called in the latest electronic aids to help control the vast crowds.

The ministry of religious affairs has

been sending 3.25 million text messages each day to the mobile phones of pilgrims to inform them of correct procedures for the hajj rites. Saudi authorities also managed the crowds with electronic monitors which tracked each and every pilgrim during the five-day hajj, Hajj Minister Fuad AlFarsi said. With motion sensors placed on surveillance cameras, “we are now able to report any excessive crowds” and to react in time, said the commander of the special emergency forces, Khaled Al-Mohammadi.

The religious police also posted videos and documents for the guidance of pilgrims on video-sharing website

YouTube. For the first time this year, the hajj was streamed live on YouTube in cooperation with the Saudi government. Before leaving, most pilgrims buy up religious souvenirs and Zamzam holy water from a spring inside the Grand Mosque complex. “I’m looking for gifts for my family back home in Jakarta,” said Mohammed Islam, a 56Indonesian, as he strolled among the market stalls scattered across the holy sites. “A gift from Makkah has a symbolic value because it represents the holiest place on earth,” he said. The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once in a lifetime by all those who are able to.— AFP

Jackson’s doctor found guilty Continued from Page 1 building, while sister Rebbie added: “Nothing will bring him back, but I’m happy (Murray) was found guilty.” “VICTORY!!!!!!” tweeted La Toya. “We’re Most Proud of The WALGREN team, U did a EXCELLENT JOB N UR quest 2 seek justice 4 Michael & my family,” she added, referring to prosecutor David Walgren.

A grim-faced Murray gave no reaction when the verdict was announced and judge Pastor ordered him held pending a sentencing hearing on Nov 29. The Los Angeles Times later reported that Murray had been placed on suicide watch. Murray faces up to four years in jail for his role in Jackson’s death, but there is speculation he could end up serving his sentence with an electronic tag because of California’s chronic jail overcrowding. He could also be banned from practicing medicine - California has already suspended his medical license, while Nevada and Texas said they would consider similar action once the trial was over. His defense lawyer Ed Chernoff declined to comment on whether Murray will appeal against the criminal conviction.

LA District Attorney Steve Cooley praised his deputy David Walgren, who was widely praised for his masterful prosecution of the case, against a defense which some observers thought ended the trial in tatters. “They put together a compelling case based upon competent evidence. Their presentation

of the evidence in the court was superb,” Cooley said. Walgren himself added: “Our sympathies go out to the Jackson family at this time, for the loss that they have suffered. Not a pop icon but a son and a brother. That’s most important to keep in mind today,” he told reporters. Outside the court vuvuzelas blared and fans danced to the thudding groove of “Beat It” after the verdict was handed down. LA local Lawrence Kolb was gathered with others around an iPad outside the courthouse, watching the verdict on live television. “Everyone just screamed,” he said.

“Everyone was jubilant.”

The trial had aired troubling new details about the pop star’s death, including a picture of his dead body on a hospital gurney, an audio-recording of an apparently heavily-drugged Jackson slurring his words weeks before his death, and testimony about the panicked moments after he stopped breathing. In his closing arguments last week, Walgren said Murray caused the star’s death through negligence and greed, depriving Jackson’s children of their father and the world of a “genius”.

The defense, meanwhile, argued that Jackson was a desperate drug addict who caused his own death by taking more medicines while Murray was out of the room at the star’s rented mansion in Los Angeles. Chernoff claimed that Murray was “a little fish in a big dirty pond”, alleging that key witnesses conspired to agree on a story

after Jackson died. Shortly before the verdict was announced, Jackson’s former dermatologist broke his silence to deny the singer was a drug addict or that he had given him massive doses of painkillers in the months before his death. “Michael was not a drug addict...

Michael Jackson did not have a problem with painkillers,” said Dr Arnold Klein, whose office Jackson visited several times a week in the months before his death. Back at the courthouse, La Toya Jackson thanked fans who had gathered over the last six weeks, adding that her brother loved them - and was watching over the trial. “He was in that courtroom and that’s why victory was served,” she said.

Murray’s departure from the courtroom in handcuffs was an abrupt end to the freedom he had kept since being charged with Jackson’s death nearly 21 months ago. After Murray changed into prison garb at the courthouse his elegantly tailored suit was returned to his mother, who had sat through every day of the trial. The other mother in the courtroom, Katherine, walked away slowly on the arm of her son, Randy. But even if Murray is sentenced to the maximum four years, legal experts said involuntary manslaughter is not considered a serious felony in California law and carries a stipulation that only 50 percent of any sentence must be served behind bars. Because of jail overcrowding, officials could release him after only months. — Agencies

Syria toll hits 3,500 Continued from Page 1 with the dangerous development of the situation in Syria, especially in... Homs”. It wants the League to freeze Syria’s membership, impose economic and diplomatic sanctions, and seek the referral of allegations of genocide and other human rights violations by the regime to the International Criminal Court.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague joined the chorus demanding the Arab League respond quickly and decisively to Syria’s failure to abide by its commitments. “It is deplorable that despite making a commitment to the Arab League to end the violence last week, the Syrian government has escalated the repression and many more people have died as a result,” said Hague. “I call on the Arab League to respond swiftly and decisively to the Syrian regime’s failure to implement the agreement so far,” he said. “The international community looks to these Arab nations to show decisive leadership to address this crisis in their midst.”

Hague urged the regime to end the siege of Homs and “allow in international and relief efforts (and) to withdraw all Syrian forces from the towns and cities of Syria in accordance with its agreement with the Arab League. The Syrian National Council, which groups the main opposition currents, has declared Homs a “humanitarian disaster area” in need of “international protection of civilians”. Homs is the only major city to remain outside the Assad regime’s control after deadly military operations in Hama further north, Deir Ezzor in the east and the coastal cities of Latakia and Banias.

The United Nations said Syrian security forces have killed 60 people since Assad’s regime signed up to the Arab League peace agreement on Wednesday last week.

Shamdasani of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that, nationwide, “the brutal crackdown on the dissent in Syria has so far claimed the lives of more than 3,500 Syrians”. “There was a peace plan by the league of Arab states that the Syrian government had engaged to, but since the peace plan was signed, there have been further killings, further sieges of towns and really shocking reports coming out from the ground,” she noted.

The Arab roadmap calls for an end to violence, the release of those detained, the withdrawal of the army from urban areas and free movement for observers and the media, as well as talks between the regime and opposition.

With NATO operations ruled out and sanctions from the UN Security Council unlikely because veto-holders Russia and China are allies to Assad’s regime, regional actors have come to represent the best avenue to pressure Damascus.

As a first step, Syria on Saturday said it had released more than 550 people who were arrested during antiregime protests, to mark the Eid Al-Adha Muslim feast.

However, Shamdasani noted that despite the release, “tens of thousands continue to remain in detention and dozens continue to be arbitrarily arrested every day”. “Syrian troops continue to use tanks and heavy weaponry to attack residential areas in the city of Homs,” where protests against Assad’s rule continue despite the crackdown, she said. The Cairo-based Arab League has called an emergency meeting on Saturday to address the crisis in Syria. — AFP

Mars500, the first fully-fledged simulation, is being hailed as a success and brought a welcome flood of publicity for the European Space Agency, struggling against waning interest in space exploration among crisis-hit tax payers. “We rarely finish these long-term experiments and we did it as a team,” said China’s Yue Wang, the youngest crew member at 27, flashing a wide grin. “We are family members, we built a very

close, solid relationship, We trust each other.” Morukov and others warned the crew may struggle to adapt to normal life outside their 550-cubic-meter module. “The hardest, riskiest part is over but the experiment is not. We will continue to study the crew ... we are responsible for the long-term consequences,” said Anatoly Grigoryev, of the Institute of Biomedical Problems, which ran the study. — Agencies

Sarko tells Obama Netanyahu a ‘liar’ Continued from Page 1 overheard it because it was considered private and offthe-record. But the comments have since emerged on French websites and can be confirmed by Reuters. White House press secretary Jay Carney declined to comment on the conversation when asked by reporters traveling with Obama to an event in Philadelphia.

Obama’s apparent failure to defend Netanyahu is likely to be leapt on by his Republican foes, who are looking to unseat him in next year’s presidential election and have portrayed him as hostile to Israel, Washington’s closest ally in the region. Pushing Netanyahu risks alienating Israel’s strong base of support among the US public and in Congress. Netanyahu’s office declined immediate comment. Obama and Netanyahu have had a rocky relationship as US efforts to broker a Middle East peace deal have foundered, with the U.S. president openly criticising Jewish settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It was unclear why exactly Sarkozy had criticised Netanyahu. However, European diplomats have largely blamed Israel for the breakdown in peace talks and have expressed anger over Netanyahu’s approval of large-scale settlement building. During their bilateral meeting on Nov 3, on the sidelines of the Cannes summit, Obama criticised Sarkoz y ’s surprise decision to vote in favour of a Palestinian request for membership of the UN cultural heritage agency UNESCO. “I didn’t appreciate your way of presenting things over the Palestinian membership of UNESCO. It weakened us. You should have consulted us, but that is now behind us,” Obama was quoted as saying.

The Oct 31 UNESCO vote marked a success for the Palestinians in their broader thrust for recognition as a sovereign state in the UN system - a unilateral initiative fiercely opposed by Israel and the United States. As a result of the vote, Washington was compelled to halt its funding for UNESCO under a 1990s law that prohibits Washington from giving money to any UN body that grants membership to groups that do not have full, legal statehood. Obama told Sarkozy that he was worried about the impact if Washington had to pull funding from other UN bodies such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and the IAEA nuclear watchdog if the Palestinians gained membership there. “You have to pass the message along to the Palestinians that they must stop this immediately,” Obama said.

The day the conversation took place, the Palestinians announced that they would not seek membership of any other UN agency. Sarkozy confirmed that France would not take any unilateral decisions when the UN Security Council discusses a Palestinian membership request, a debate expected later this month. “I am with you on that,” Obama replied.

Meanwhile, Israel’s defense minister warned yesterday of a possible Israeli military strike against Iran’s nuclear program and rejected suggestions the Jewish state would be devastated by an Iranian counterattack. Ehud Barak spoke a day before the United Nations’ nuclear agency was expected to release a critical report on the Iranian program. The report is expected to implicate Iran in bomb building and erase doubts about the nature of the program, which Iran says is designed to produce energy, not weapons. Barak told Israel Radio he didn’t expect the International Atomic Energy Agency report to persuade Russia and China to impose what he called “lethal” sanc-

tions on Iran to pressure Tehran to dismantle its nuclear installations. “As long as no such sanctions have been imposed and proven effective, we continue to recommend to our friends in the world and to ourselves, not to take any option off the table,” he said. He stressed that no decision to attack has been made. The “all options on the table” phrase is often used by Israeli politicians to mean a military assault.

The UN has imposed four rounds of sanctions on Tehran, but none has succeeded in curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In typically defiant style, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country “does not need an atomic bomb” and would instead “act thoughtfully” to confront US threats against it, according to state media.

However he warned: “If America wants to confront the Iranian nation, it will certainly regret the Iranian nation’s response.”

Yesterday, Barak suggested adding a naval blockade that would cut off Iran’s economic lifeline, oil. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat because of its nuclear program, its missiles, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s repeated references to the destruction of the Jewish state and Iran’s support for Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups. Israeli leaders have sent out signals recently that military action is on the agenda. An official told AP last week that the Israeli Cabinet has discussed the matter, with Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in favor of taking action. An Israeli missile test last week, combined with an announcement of a special air force drill in Italy, further raised speculation.

With the IAEA report approaching, it is unclear whether the leaks are true threats or merely a pressure tactic to push the international community to take decisive action - particularly given the risk that an Israeli attack on Iran would carry. With most of its population concentrated in a narrow corridor of land along the Mediterranean, Israel’s home front could be vulnerable to a counterattack if Israel were to strike. An Israeli attack would also likely spark retaliation from Iran and local Iranian proxies, the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip to Israel’s south and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon along Israel’s northern border. Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah all possess formidable rocket and missile arsenals.

Barak lashed out against the recent reports suggesting that he and Netanyahu were intent on attacking Iran, over the objection of Israeli defense chiefs. He also accused critics of fear mongering by warning of mass Israeli casualties in the case of an Iranian missile strike. “This outlandish depiction (by the media) of two people, the prime minister and the defense minister, sitting in a closed room and leading the entire country into an adventurist operation is baseless and divorced from reality,” he said.

A larger forum of Cabinet ministers would have to make that decision - if it is made at all, he said. “We haven’t decided yet to embark on any operation,” he said. “We don’t want war.” But if Israel is dragged into one, he said, “I tell you there won’t be 100,000 casualties, and not 10,000 casualties and not 1,000 casualties,” he said. “And Israel won’t be destroyed.”

In 1981, Israel stunned the world with an airstrike on an unfinished nuclear reactor in Iraq that destroyed Saddam Hussein’s nuclear program. Israeli warplanes also destroyed a site in Syria in 2007 that the UN nuclear watchdog deemed to be a secretly built nuclear reactor, though Israel never acknowledged responsibility for the attack. Iran’s program would be significantly more difficult to cripple because its facilities are scattered, and some are mobile and some built underground. — Agencies

Row rages after ‘drunk’ official assaults...

Continued from Page 1 some other sort of drugs; would you leave him alone or arrest him and send him to the medical examiner? So what if that person’s an official with the Ministry of Interior whose role is to provide security and protection and we find him actually threatening security and assaulting people in public streets, as if he believes that due to his police rank, the street has become his personal property!”

The MP said that after a day of time-wasting and procrastination by the Ministry of Interior, along with attempts to protect its staff, the case papers were still in the police department and still not referred to detectives for investigation, with the officer in question still not asked for a blood sample. However, he added, the Ministry of Interior did find time to issue a press release claiming that the fight was simply a normal dispute between the officer and the Kuwaiti woman which took place on Gulf Road. The MP expressed cynicism of the ministry’s statement, saying that so far it had failed to issue any press release about the formal action it was tak-

ing against the officer, and suggesting that it is clear that the interior ministry and Sheikh Ahmad wish to cover up the incident and the identity of the officer involved.

Al-Barrak added that rather than referring the accused officer to the medical examiner for a blood alcohol test, the ministry instead formed a committee to change the subject and to suggest that the physical abuse inflicted by the officer was actually just an argument and to limit the officer’s punishment to an administrative penalty.

The MP also noted that CCTV footage of the incident was somehow mislaid by police.

“Someone told me that the officer found himself in a mess and started crying and begging the girl in front of the eyewitness after he beat her, saying “No need for a scandal”, but the girl refused and insisted on going to the police station, despite this being late at night,” AlBarrak said. Even at this late time of night, however, the officer called a senior MoI official who immediately responded to his call, the MP charged, adding that this official immediately called an even higher-up ministry official who demanded that the truth of the event be covered up.

14

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

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Issues

Berlusconi exit no quick fix for Italy’s woes

By Gavin Jones rime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s departure would open a period of intense uncertainty for Italy that offers no speedy solution to a debt crisis threatening the whole euro zone. Italian assets rallied briefly on rumours Berlusconi was ready to quit, but there will be no sustained market reversal until he is replaced by a stable government seen as capable of shoring up public finances and tackling reforms. That may be a long time coming, and perhaps the biggest risk since its bond yields began to rise in the summer is how long Italy takes to deal with its problems.

Even with the exit of a man who came to symbolise scandal and empty promises, it will not be easy for Italy to convince markets it can cut its huge debt, liberalise the labour market, attack tax evasion and boost productivity - just for starters. In the meantime, Italy’s partners and financial markets will want to know what will become of the vague reform pledges made by Berlusconi to the European Union last month. None of the scenarios that may play out when the 75-year-old media tycoon goes are straightforward. “The current make-up of the Italian parliament and the intentions of the government coalition suggest that a rapid solution of the political crisis is unlikely,” said Mizuho’s Chief European Economist Riccardo Barbieri.

A worst-case scenario could see weeks or months of instability and continued reform inertia. Italy’s benchmark bond yields are at an unsustainable level well above 6 percent and would be far higher without support from the European Central Bank. Funding needs are modest for the next two months but will rise sharply going into the new year, as major debt redemptions are due in February and March. Analysts say the economy is already in yet another recession, will muster hardly any growth in 2012, and the government’s fiscal deficit targets will be missed.

Markets want an unelected technocrat government appointed to pass unpopular reforms needed to improve growth potential in one the world’s most chronically sluggish economies. This would be most likely to trigger “a favourable re-assessment of Italy in the minds of international investors”, said Nicholas Spiro, head of debt consultancy at Spiro Sovereign Strategy. Analysts said that technocrat governments led by Giulio Amato and central bankers Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Lamberto Dini in the 1990s passed important reforms and got Italy out of even more acute market crises than the present one.

Former European Commissioner Mario Monti is often tipped to lead such an administration, but it is far from clear if it could muster a majority in parliament.

Berlusconi would do all he can to boycott what he sees as a subversion of democracy, backed by his allies in the pro-devolution Northern League. Even after the defections that seem set to bring him down, Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party will probably still be the largest in parliament and it would require a huge mutiny against him for an unelected government to get the support it would need. So President Giorgio Napolitano is likely to have no option but to dissolve parliament and call elections, but not before he has consulted all the political parties and possibly asked Monti or someone else to verify themselves whether they can muster the backing to form a government, requiring more valuable time.

Elections could be held in January at the earliest, leaving Berlusconi to continue in the meantime as caretaker leader of a lame-duck government overseeing more policy inertia. Polls suggest an election would be won by the centre-left opposition, offering little prospect of decisive government from a broad grouping of parties with no obvious leader or any consensus on the policies needed to save Italy from its crisis.

Moreover, the election campaign would be unpredictable and fiercely contested, unlike the situation in Spain, where the opposition People’s Party seems headed for a landslide, making its leader Mariano Rajoy virtually a prime minister in waiting.

Berlusconi will not run for prime minister again, but will want to anoint a successor as centre-right leader, and recent comments suggest he will fight the campaign on a fiercely anti-euro platform, blaming the single currency for Italy’s woes. In two separate news conferences over the last few weeks he first called the euro “a peculiar currency that hasn’t convinced anyone”, and then said its introduction had “impoverished large sections of Italy’s population”. — Reuters

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Syrian attack mocks Arab peace plan

By Alistair Lyon yria’s assault on the recalcitrant city of Homs has shredded an Arab peace plan and exposed the failure of world outrage to force President Bashar Al-Assad to halt a violent crackdown on an eight-month popular uprising. Tanks and snipers have battled to cow protesters and hunt army defectors in Homs, killing more than 100, activists say, since the Arab League said on Nov 2 that Damascus had accepted a plan to pull the army out of cities and talk to its foes. “The Arab peace plan died on arrival,” said Murhaf Jouejati, a Syrian-born scholar in Washington.

“There has been no let-up in the violence. The Assad regime is in complete defiance mode.”

Arab foreign ministers will review the plan on Saturday, but Syrian opponents of Assad show no surprise at its fate. “I don’t think anyone in his right mind was expecting Assad to pull his troops out of the streets and allow peaceful protests,” Walid Al-Bunni, a lawyer and often-jailed dissident who left Syria for Paris two weeks ago, told Reuters. “Lack of even a threat of international intervention is viewed by the authorities as a licence to kill,” he said. Evident Arab impotence to deflect Assad from the path he has chosen for survival against what he calls Islamist militants and foreign-backed gangs throws the ball back to Western powers whose own rebukes the Syrian leader has ignored or denounced.

Assad has played on fears that without him Syria could slide into civil war, Islamic militancy or Iraq-style sectarian carnage, causing what he has called a regional “earthquake”.

Nadim Shehadi, of London’s Chatham House think-tank, said Assad had already lost power, in the sense of legitimacy, but argued that the outside world had effectively propped

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him up with unheeded calls for reform and dialogue. “The people who are protesting in Syria seem to have crossed the barrier of fear, but the international community hasn’t.”

Many Syrians have defied a feared security apparatus to keep up demands for change, despite bloodshed which the United Nations says has cost more than 3,500 lives - as well as those of 1,100 soldiers and police, according to the government. Armed with a U.N. Security Council mandate to protect civilians, Western powers lent air support to Libyan rebels who toppled Muammar Gaddafi, but have disavowed any intent to repeat the feat in Syria, in a far trickier area of the Middle East.

Russia and China, stung by the robust Western reading of the UN resolution on Libya, oppose even UN criticism of Syria, whose uprising was inspired by others in the Arab world. The Arab League, which had suspended Libya’s membership and backed a no-fly zone there, has treated Syria more leniently. Assad’s own doom-laden warnings have reinforced the fears of Syria’s neighbours - Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Turkey about the possibly seismic consequences of a power shift in a nation on the faultlines of several Middle Eastern conflicts.

Instability in Syria, Iran’s only Arab ally, could spread to Lebanon or Iraq, which have volatile sectarian divides. Israel, long used to a calm border with Syria, frets that Assad’s fall could herald less predictable rulers. Syrian refugees have already spilled into Lebanon and Turkey, which is also wary of any revived Syrian support for rebel Kurds in its southeast.

Assad still retains substantial support from his own Alawite minority, part of the business elite in Damascus and Aleppo, Christians and others who fear that Islamist radicals might

come to the fore, and, crucially, army and security force commanders.

“Until now there are segments of the Syrian population on the sidelines, afraid for their lives if they go out in the streets, or betting that Assad will survive,” said a leading dissident in Syria, who asked not to be named. He said the Arab League had embarrassed Assad with a plan he could not implement without inviting huge street protests. It could now suspend Syria and refer it to the United Nations, putting pressure on Russia and China to alter their stance.

An Arab League source said a ministerial committee might return to Damascus with a reprimand and perhaps a new deadline for compliance, or despatch Arab observers to identify violators of the deal. Sterner action, such as suspending Syria from the League or blaming it for the violence, was unlikely immediately. Waheed Abdel Maguid, at Cairo’s al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said the League was hamstrung by its own rifts, with Algeria, Lebanon and Yemen hostile to penalising Syria, and Iraq, Sudan and Mauritania hesitant. “This puts the League in an awkward situation,” he said. “It holds meetings but is unable to act.”

The big powers seem just as indecisive and divided, although seemingly agreed on ruling out military intervention. “In these conditions, it is not unlikely that Turkey will take some kind of action, with implicit support from Washington and major European capitals,” Jouejati said. But Turkey, now a bitter critic of its former friend, has yet to impose sanctions promised weeks ago, or to send clear signals on the idea of a safe haven or no-fly zone in Syria. “We hope there will be no need for these type of measures, but of course humanitarian issues are important,”

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the Financial Times this month.

Western countries, preoccupied with global economic woes, have sharpened their rhetoric, but otherwise seem at a loss. “Those leaders trying to hold back the future at the point of a gun should know their days are numbered,” US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday, referring to Syria, while acknowledging the difficulty of any Libya-style “liberation”. The same day, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Syria’s behaviour after the Arab peace plan was “absolutely unacceptable” and that it “could no longer be trusted”. But, like his British counterpart William Hague who deplored Syria’s policy, he offered no blueprint for action. The West has urged Assad’s foes to form a united, coherent front, but Chatham House’s Shehadi said this was absurd, given the diversity of opinion lurking beneath years of repression. “This is not really an opposition, this is the whole of Syrian society,” he said.

Without decisive outside moves or the growth of a more powerful insurgency at home, Assad could survive for years, said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma. “Today, the opposition remains weak and the Syrian military has the upper hand. That could change if the opposition begins to construct a real insurgency, if Turkey goes to war against Syria by supporting some sort of insurgency, or if a foreign intervention is launched, such as happened in Libya,” he said. “None of these possibilities is on the horizon,” Landis added, arguing that small guerrilla groups might begin to proliferate and harass the Syrian military and state. “If they gain traction, foreign funding and arms, they could transform into a real insurgency over time.” — Reuters

Emergence of Cain accuser could hurt bid

By Beth Fouhy epublican presidential hopeful Herman Cain successfully fought a week’s worth of sexual harassment allegations in part because his accusers stayed silent. That changed Monday, when a former employee described an encounter with Cain so tawdry and aggressive it greatly increased the challenge the businessman faces in winning the presidential nomination of a conservative, family-values party. “I am coming forward now to give a face and a voice to those women who cannot or do not wish to come forward,” Sharon Bialek said at a nationally televised news conference organized by her attorney, Gloria Allred. In vivid detail, the middle-aged single mother said Cain had put his hand up her skirt and pushed her head toward his crotch while she visited him seeking job advice in 1997 when he was head of the National Restaurant Association.

Cain’s campaign issued a statement calling any claim against him to be “completely false”. Later, in a fundraising email to supporters, Cain wrote: “I held various executive positions in corporate America for several decades.

I had thousands of employees working for me. I can’t even begin to recall how many conversations I had with people during that time, how many directives I gave, how much friendly banter might have taken place.”

The comment was similar to what he’s said - and what his supporters have seemed to accept - since the first decade-old allegations of sexual harassment surfaced on Oct 30. But now, facing a flesh and blood accuser with very specific and vulgar allegations, Cain could find himself with less room to maneuver as he seeks to overcome this controversy and win the White House. Cain’s unconventional candidacy had long seemed resistant to the normal laws of political gravity.

The motivational speaker and former chief executive of Godfather’s Pizza was dismissed as a gadfly at first, but his humor and strong conservative credentials charmed Republicans look ing for an alternative to former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney even as Cain continued to trail in fundraising and had no discernible campaign operation in key early states. When the sexual harassment allegations first surfaced, Cain took to the airwaves to defend himself but ended up giving conflicting answers to questions.

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He acknowledged the trade group had made a cash payout to one accuser after denying any money had changed hands. The trade association confirmed that it had reached a monetary settlement with a woman and had released her from a confidentiality agreement she had signed. The woman’s law yer, Joel Bennett, announced late last week his client had decided not to speak publicly.

Throughout the week, Cain and his allies blamed others for the controversy the news media, Republican rival Rick Perry and liberals supposedly threatened by a conservative black man’s success. The absence of names and specific allegations about what Cain was said to have done allowed him to cast himself a victim of an unfair “witch hunt”. His strategy seemed to work at first, with several polls suggesting Cain’s position atop the field of Republican presidential contenders remained strong. A new USA Today/Gallup poll taken before Bialek stepped forward showed Cain and top rival Romney tied at 21 percent support. The poll showed a 53 percent of Republicans thought the charges against Cain were not true.

Then came Bialek, a Chicago-area woman Allred said was a registered Republican with no political motive to bring Cain down.

Terminated from her job as a fundraiser for the NRA foundation, she said she reached out to Cain for help getting her job back or finding new work. Her encounter with Cain took place in a car, Bialek said. She said she was embarrassed by what happened and had never pressed charges. Bialek said she had decided to go public only after learning other women had had similar encounters with Cain. “We need a leader who can set an example which exemplifies the standard of a person of good moral character. Mr Cain, I implore you: Make this right,” Bialek said.

To be sure, not everyone was buying Bialek’s allegations. “I don’t believe that for a minute,” said Debbie Dooley, a leader of the Atlanta Tea Party Patriots and a Cain supporter. “I think it’s a case where someone has a scorched earth grudge against Herman Cain because they’re afraid of him.” Some have also cast doubts on Bialek’s association with Allred, a well-known celebrity feminist who has long sought the spotlight. The two

women are already booked on several television news programs to further discuss Bialek’s accusations. But Dave Welch, a Republican strategist unaligned with any candidate, said the prospects for Cain’s candidacy were bad and getting worse. “I think it’s a disqualifier, but people are saying, ‘This was so long ago’,” Welch said. “Yes, it was a decade ago and the base doesn’t want to believe it. But these are very serious.” — AP

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Warne returns to play SYDNEY: Shane Warne is bringing his short retirement to an end and returning to cricket in Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash competition next month, the leg-spinning great said yesterday.

Less than six months after retiring from all cricket, the 42-year-old said he would play in the revamped league for the Melbourne Stars this season and has not ruled out continuing beyond that.

“I’m a young 42 at the moment, so I’ll see how it goes this year,” he told a news conference in Melbourne yesterday. “This is something fresh, this is something new and we’re all learning straight away. Let’s see how it goes this year and we’ll take it from there.”

In May, Warne said he was bringing the curtain down on his professional career after his final match for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League to focus on media work and his business interests.

Warne last played in Australia during the 2006-2007 Ashes whitewash of England before ending his test career in triumph at the end of that series with 708 wickets to his name.

He remains one of his country’s most popular cricketers and his signing is a major boost to the Big Bash League, which begins in Sydney on Dec. 16. — Reuters

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Monday.

Boston 6, NY Islanders 2; San Jose 4, Los Angeles 2.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Pittsburgh 9 3 3 45 34 21 Philadelphia 8 4 2 56 44 18 NY Rangers 7 3 3 35 29 17 New Jersey 6 5 1 30 34 13 NY Islanders 4 6 2 25 35 10 Northeast Division Toronto 9 4 1 45 46 19 Buffalo 8 5 0 36 28 16 Ottawa 7 7 1 45 55 15 Boston 6 7 0 40 30 12 Montreal 5 6 2 34 36 12 Southeast Division Washington 9 3 0 48 33 18 Tampa Bay 7 5 2 44 46 16 Florida 6 4 3 34 36 15 Carolina 5 6 3 35 47 13 Winnipeg 5 7 2 35 45 12 Western Conference Central Division Chicago 8 3 3 46 42 19 Nashville 7 4 2 35 34 16 Detroit 6 5 1 29 29 13 St. Louis 6 7 0 32 35 12 Columbus 2 11 1 31 53 5 Northwest Division Edmonton 8 3 2 30 22 18 Minnesota 7 3 3 30 26 17 Colorado 7 6 1 40 42 15 Vancouver 7 7 1 45 44 15 Calgary 6 6 1 30 32 13 Pacific Division Dallas 10 3 0 40 31 20 San Jose 8 4 1 41 35 17 Phoenix 7 4 2 38 36 16 Los Angeles 6 5 3 30 32 15 Anaheim 5 6 3 27 40 13 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Former Soviet great dies MOSCOW: Former Soviet striker Valentin Ivanov died following a long illness yesterday, the Russian FA said. He was 76. Ivanov helped the Soviet Union to their first major international title at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics after edging out Yugoslavia 1-0 in the final. He was also a member of the team that won the first European championship in 1960 when they again beat Yugoslavia 2-1 in extra time in Paris, and finished runners-up in 1964, losing to Spain in the final.

The Moscow native, who would have turned 77 in two weeks, played in two World Cups and was the joint top scorer at the 1962 finals in Chile with four goals. He scored twice at the 1958 tournament in Sweden. “He was

suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He had been sick for a long time,” Nikita Siminyan, Ivanov’s team mate on the 1956 Olympic team, told reporters.

Ivanov, who was awarded the UEFA Order of Merit, spent his entire playing career with one club, Torpedo Moscow, winning two Soviet league titles in 1960 and 1965 and Soviet Cup in 1960.

He is still the club’s all-time leading scorer with 124 goals. He later coached Torpedo to the league title in 1976. Ivanov was married to famous gymnast Lidiya Kalinina after they first met during the 1956 Melbourne Games, where she also won gold as part of the Soviet women’s team. She repeated that feat at the Rome Olympics four years later. —Reuters

Terry might face Spain LONDON: England skipper John Terry could be on the bench or even play against world and European champions Spain on Saturday, while being investigated by the police and the English FA for alleged racist remarks in a Premier League match.

Terry, who has strongly denied the allegations, was named in the England squad by coach Fabio Capello on Sunday after originally being told he would not play because the Italian wanted to try out younger players in the friendlies against Spain and then Sweden next week.

However, an injury to Everton centre-back Phil Jagielka, who is suffering from a hairline fracture of the toe and is expected to be sent home later on Wednesday, means Terry may be required.

Capello also has central defenders Gary Cahill and Joleon Lescott in his squad but could call up replacements, including Rio Ferdinand, the brother of Anton, who Terry allegedly insulted when Chelsea played Queens Park Rangers two weeks ago.

Adrian Bevington, the managing director of Club England told reporters that it was entirely up to Capello who he now picked to play against Spain and Sweden in the second friendly on Nov.15. — Reuters

Sharks stop Kings march SAN JOSE: After blowing a two-goal lead in the third period of their previous game, the San Jose Sharks weren’t feeling overly comfortable with another one.

This time they added to their lead instead of squandering it, getting a goal from Logan Couture and then hanging on to beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 Monday night for their seventh win in nine games.

“When you give up a lead in the third like we did the other day, it’s always in the back of your mind,” coach Todd McLellan said.

Couture put those fears to rest when he backhanded a rebound of a shot by Marc-Edouard Vlasic past Jonathan Quick to make it 4-1 early in the third.

After allowing a power-play goal to Anze Kopitar midway through the period, the Sharks killed off two late penalties to earn the win in the first meeting between these teams since San Jose eliminated Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs last spring.

“We got that huge fourth goal which needs to be talked about a little bit more,” defenseman Dan Boyle said. “If we don’t get that goal, it makes for a pretty interesting finish. That fourth goal gave us that extra breathing room that we needed.”

Patrick Marleau scored once and assisted on San Jose’s other two secondperiod goals. Joe Thornton started the second-period outburst with his fourth goal and Boyle capped it by scoring his first of the season with San Jose on a two-man advantage as the Sharks picked up where they left off last postseason by once again beating the Kings.

This was the first meeting of the season between the two California rivals, who played a tense first-round series last spring won by San Jose in six games,

including three overtime wins for the Sharks. San Jose didn’t need extra time this game, doing more than enough

up and Los Angeles lost its fifth straight game.

“We’re all confident here,” Quick said.

SAN JOSE: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez (27) collides with San Jose Sharks left wing Jamie McGinn (64) as defenseman Matt Greene (2) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game. —AP damage in a dominant second period.

“It’s always nice to play against those guys,” Couture said. “There’s a different feeling in the building. Our fans get into it. It’s exciting to be a part of it, especially to come out with a win.”

Jack Johnson scored on a two-man advantage to give the Kings a 1-0 lead but Quick was unable to make that hold

“We know we’re not putting it to them the full 60 minutes, at least not through this little stretch. We’re outplaying teams but we can’t put them away. We have to dig down a little deeper and figure a way to get out of this.”

The Kings struck first just seconds into a two-man advantage. Torrey Mitchell was called for hooking with Colin White

already in the box, giving Los Angeles 15 seconds with a 5-on-3 edge. The Kings didn’t even need that long to score. Mike Richards beat Michal Handzus on the faceoff and the puck went to Johnson, who beat Antti Niemi with a blast from the point.

But the Sharks picked up their play after that and scored three times during a span of less than six minutes. Thornton started it when he skated out from behind the net, did a reverse pivot and sneaked a backhand past Quick for the equalizer.

Less than a minute later, Boyle carried the puck into the offensive zone and waited for a second before feeding a driving Marleau in front of the net for a perfectly executed tip play.

The Sharks then capitalized on their own two-man advantage to take a twogoal lead late in the second. Willie Mitchell got sent off for cross checking Couture with Matt Greene already in the box. Joe Pavelski lost control of the puck in front of the net but it went straight to Boyle, who beat Quick with a blast from the slot to make it 3-1.

“It’s hard to paint the perfect picture, but I thought we recovered when we were pushed,” McLellan said. “We found ways to get back in the game when we were behind, everyone got a chance to contribute. It was a complete game, or as close as we’ve come to one.”

The teams were scoreless after the first period despite two prime chances for Los Angeles forward Dustin Penner.

After the Sharks were unable to score on a scramble in front of the net, Penner got free on a breakaway but was turned aside by Niemi. Then in the final minute of the period, Niemi made a nifty glove save on a slap shot by Penner from the slot for the best of his 29 saves. — AP

London police make arrest in Olympic surveillance case

BOSTON: Frans Nielsen No. 51 of the New York Islanders looks to pass as Jordan Caron No. 38 of the Boston Bruins defends at TD Garden in Boston. —AFP

Bruins pound Islanders BOSTON: Tuukka Rask was getting frustrated that the season was a month old and he had yet to win a game. His teammates knew they were letting him down.

“He’s bailed us out a lot of times,” Bruins forward Nathan Horton said.

“We obviously want to give him confidence. He’s a great goaltender, and we’ve got to play better in front of him.” Rask stopped 24 shots and Horton had two goals and an assist on Monday night as the defending Stanley Cup champions beat the New York Islanders 6-2 to escape last place in the Eastern Conference.

It was the first win of the season for Rask, who was 0-3 as the backup to reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas.

“I was a little frustrated, but not too crazy,” Rask said. “I knew it would come. But we were playing badly as a team early in the season.”

The Bruins have three in a row for the first time this season, scoring 18 goals in victories over Ottawa, Toronto and the Islanders. David

Krejci, who had a hat trick in the 7-0 win over the Maple Leafs on Saturday, had a goal and two assists against New York - giving him backto-back three-point games after going scoreless in his previous six.

“I think the past few games is the way we’re supposed to play, and it shows in the outcome,” forward Patrice Bergeron said. “When we’re feeling good, playing well, we don’t want to stop.”

Evgeni Nabokov allowed three goals on 12 shots before he was pulled just 12:40 into the game. Al Montoya went the rest of the way and made 21 saves for the Islanders.

The Bruins scored a pair of goals 29 seconds apart in the first period to make it 3-1, and then had another pair just 49 seconds apart in the third to take a 5-2 lead. New York pulled the goalie with 4:02 left, and Krejci scored an empty-netter with 2:48 to play. “We just made a couple of mistakes you can’t make against a good team,” former Bruin Brian Rolston said. “And we paid for it.”

It was the third straight strong offensive performance by Boston, which beat Ottawa 5-3 on Tuesday.

For the Islanders, it was a seventh loss in eight game and a 13th loss in their last 17 games against the Bruins. “We just had some guys that didn’t show up tonight. I’m not going to name any names,” coach Jack Capuano said. “We had a couple of lines that played well.

Pandolfo hit a post. We had a couple of lines but not enough to sustain it against a team like that.”

The Bruins took the lead just 92 seconds into the game when Jordan Caron’s forechecking forced a turnover in the Islanders’ zone and he got the puck over to Benoit Pouliot. But the Islanders tied it when Steve Staios’ slapshot from the point was deflected into the net

by Matt Moulson. That’s when Boston broke it open.

With 6:22 left in the first, Zdeno Chara’s shot popped out to Horton at the circle and he put in the rebound to make it 2-1. — AP

LONDON: Britain’s latest spy scandal has nothing to do with the Cold War or the faintest hint of international espionage - it centers on the seemingly never-ending saga of London’s Olympic Stadium.

The wrangling over the future of the 486 million-pound ($781 million) stadium took a new twist yesterday with the arrest of a man in connection with allegations that Premier League football club Tottenham spied on officials during its failed bid to take over the venue after the 2012 Games.

“There has been all kinds of behavior that I had not anticipated which has not been pleasant over the last 12 months,” Olympic Park Legacy Company chair Margaret Ford said.

A month after the stadium was left without a tenant following the collapse of West Ham’s successful bid, Ford told the London Assembly’s economy, sport and culture committee that Tottenham had ordered surveillance on OPLC board members. A few hours later, police announced they had arrested an unidentified 29-year-old man on suspicion of fraud in relation to the illegal procurement of information. The police said they arrested the man in Sussex, southern England, following a search of two premises in the area and another two in London.

“The very idea of your board being put under surveillance is reprehensible,” assembly committee chair Dee Doocey said. “It almost beggars belief that this thing can happen. The idea of any board being put under surveillance is absolutely disgraceful.”

The Metropolitan Police’s Economic and Specialist Crime Command unit began investigating in August following allegations by West Ham and the OPLC about the illegal obtaining of information. “ The chairman of

Tottenham Hotspur felt confident enough to say that in the Sunday Times several months ago that all 14 members of my board were under surveillance,” Ford said. “The metropolitan police are conducting an investigation into that surveillance.” Tottenham denied Ford’s allegations.

“The club did not undertake, instruct or engage any party to conduct surveillance on any member of the OPLC committee and we consider the making of this baseless accusation to be wholly inappropriate and irresponsible,” Tottenham said in a statement released by law firm Russell Cooke. “We totally reject the accusation in the strongest possible terms.” Tottenham was unhappy in July when Dionne Knight, the OPLC’s director of corporate services, was discovered to have been paid by West Ham as a freelance consultant during the east London club’s successful bid. The OPLC had not been aware of the payments and Knight was suspended.

Tottenham and third-tier side Leyton Orient planned a legal challenge to the Hammers’ bid by

claiming that a 40 million-pound ($64 million) local government contribution constituted unfair state aid and prejudiced the process.

Ford said the OPLC scrapped West Ham’s bid last month before a hearing into the case after an anonymous complaint to the European Commission threatened to delay the hand over of the stadium. “I find it sickening that it was an anonymous complaint,” Ford said. “If someone has an issue, they should have the backbone to make it public.”

The OPLC’s revised plan is for the stadium to remain publicly owned after the 2012 Games and be rented out. UK Athletics is expected to be among multiple tenants to pay for the per use after a new bidding process.

The OPLC is still open to a football club being among the tenants, and West Ham has said it will be bidding again. The London Assembly committee requested the OPLC provide evidence that other stadiums across Europe combining football with athletics were profitable. — AP

LONDON: This March 24, 2011 file photo made by the Olympic Delivery Authority, London 2012, ODA, shows an aerial view of the Olympic Stadium with a newly turfed event field. —AP

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

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Magic Johnson still beating HIV 20 years later

NEW YORK: NBA Commissioner David Stern arrives for labor talks, in New York.

Facing deadline to reach a deal or have regular-season games canceled, NBA owners and players have resumed talks toward ending the lockout. —AP

Stern: ‘Rational thing’ for NBA union is to take deal NEW YORK: NBA players are facing a deadline today to accept the league’s current proposal or face a harsher one that calls for rolling back their salaries, and Commissioner David Stern said Monday “the only rational thing to do is for us to make that deal.”

“We think that there’s a great offer on the table and what we told the players is it’s getting late, the only rational thing to do is for us to make that deal because given what’s going on in our business and our industry, it’ll get worse from there,” Stern said during an interview on ESPN. That proposal calls for players to receive anywhere between 49 and 51 percent of basketball-related income, though players argue it would be nearly impossible for them to get anywhere above 50.2. Stern said the next one will call for a 53-47 split in the owners’ favor, along with essentially a hard salary cap.

The second proposal also calls for “existing contracts rolled back in proportion to system changes in order to ensure sufficient market for free agents,” a person who has been briefed on its contents told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contents were supposed to remain private.

The rollbacks were previously reported by CBSSports.com and The New York Times, which obtained a copy of the letter Stern sent to union executive director Billy Hunter on Sunday along with both documents.

The league had sought to roll back existing contracts to conform to a new collective bargaining agreement during an earlier proposal, but had since taken it off the table.

Stern set the deadline early Sunday morning after owners and players met for more than eight hours with federal mediator George Cohen. Owners have been insistent on not going beyond a 50-50 split of revenues, though some would prefer the league had already demanded the 53-47 split.

League officials said they lost $300 million last season, when players were guaranteed 57 percent of BRI. Stern said the league believes it can profit at 50-50

with expanded revenue sharing among its teams, though owners believe some teams would still lose money with a 5050 split.

The sides are also still divided over some issues related to the salary cap system, mostly related to spending rules for teams that are over the luxury tax level.

Players want those big-market teams to remain free agency options.

No bargaining session has been set before the deadline, though player representatives will be in New York late yesterday for a union planning meeting.

Players’ association president Derek Fisher said Sunday it was still too early to give members anything to vote on.

Stern downplayed the threat of decertification of the union, an option that could be more strongly considered if the backup proposal gets put on the table. A lengthy court fight would almost certainly wipe out the entire 2011-12 season. A month of games has already been canceled.

“We’re all really concerned. This is our livelihood. This is our job,” Charlotte point guard D.J. Augustin said Monday after playing a pickup game with other NBA players in Houston. “For ourselves, we want to get back playing. But we’re also not going to take just any deal. We’re going to stay united, stay strong and just be ready whenever they call us back.”

Though frustrations are high and nasty rhetoric remains - the league and union briefly argued about their proposals through Twitter feeds Monday - the reality is they’ve grown closer on paper.

Players offered Saturday to reduce their BRI take to 51 percent, with 1 percent going to a fund for retired players’ benefits, after previously saying they wouldn’t go below 52.5.

The question is whether they can erase the remaining issues before today’s deadline - and what happens if they don’t. “We just want a fair deal, and I believe the players’ union is just trying to get the fairest deal possible,” Washington forward Rashard Lewis said. “They gave us a deadline today, but our side is meeting today or tomorrow. So let’s just see what happens.” — AP

SYDNEY: Golfer Tiger Woods of the US takes part in a practice at The Lakes course, ahead of the Australian Open golf tournament. — AFP

Williams apologised in person for racist comment — Woods SYDNEY: American Tiger Woods had a face-to-face meeting with his former caddie Steve Williams in Sydney yesterday at which the New Zealander apologised for a racist comment he made last week.

Speaking about the comment for the first time, Woods told a news conference at the Lakes Golf Club that the once firm friends had shaken hands and he now wanted to move on from the incident.

Williams said: “It was my aim to shove it up that black arsehole” at an awards ceremony in Shanghai last Friday, explaining why he had celebrated Adam Scott’s Bridgestone Invitational win in August so enthusiastically.

“We talked about it this morning, we met face-to-face, we talked it through and we have agreed it was the wrong thing to say,” former world number one Woods. “He did apologise, it was hurtful, certainly, but life goes forward.” “Stevie’s certainly not

racist, there’s no doubt about that,” Woods added. “I think it was a commemt that shouldn’t have been made and certainly one that he wished he didn’t make.”

The New Zealander caddied for Woods from 1999 until he was sacked in acrimonius circumstances earlier this year after helping the American win 13 major titles.

“It was a tough decision to make to go in a different direction professionally,” Woods recalled. “I wasn’t playing, I was injured, and I was trying to come back but I missed most of the major championships and he didn’t want to miss them. That’s understandable, wish I could have played them too.”

Woods has slipped to number 58 in the world rankings and not bagged a title since winning the Australian Masters almost two years ago after being forced to deal with injuries and the fallout from revelations about his private life. —Reuters

LOS ANGELES: If Magic Johnson had known just how well he could live with HIV, he wouldn’t have retired from the Lakers on Nov. 7, 1991.

Johnson would never change what he did for the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic when he publicly revealed his diagnosis to a stunned world. His courage that day, along with two subsequent decades of vibrant living, forever altered attitudes about the virus and its effects.

Magic is simply glad the world knows such happy endings are possible with access to treatment and vigilance. “At that time, it was the right decision,” Johnson said Monday on the 20th anniversary of his stunning retirement.

“If I knew what I knew today, that I could still play basketball and do my thing, I probably wouldn’t have retired. But I’m a guy that doesn’t have regrets. I don’t look back. I’m happy, because I wanted to be here a long time. We made the right call at that time.”

Johnson recognized the occasion at Staples Center on Monday with an upbeat celebration and a message of steadfastness. Dozens of politicians, celebrities and Lakers greats from Jerry West and Pat Riley to James Worthy and Michael Cooper joined Johnson and AIDS researcher David Ho for a luncheon, and the Magic Johnson Foundation announced a $1 million gift to continue its mission for worldwide HIV awareness and testing.

Two decades after his shocking admission and quick retirement at 32, Johnson’s doctors say he’s a 52year-old specimen of health, comfortably managing HIV with a daily regimen of drugs and exercise.

While he once took upwards of 15 pills several times a day, he now requires just a few daily medications. He rises around 5 a.m. each day for a vigorous workout - everything from stretching and running to Tae Bo - before spending his days overseeing his large business empire.

Yet Johnson worries his strong health could encourage complacency, and he sees the anniversary of his historic announcement as a call to renew dedication to the cause. “I often say I’m good for the virus, and bad for it,” Johnson said.

“Good because I’m doing well, and that I can go out and try and raise

the awareness level, get people to go get tested ... but on the flip side of that, people see that I’m doing well, so they’ve kind of relaxed on HIV and AIDS. People think that now if they get the virus, they’ll do well, but a couple million will die this year.”

While Johnson mostly remembers a feeling of confidence derived from the unflinching support of his wife, Cookie, on the day of his announcement, his fellow Lakers have no trouble recalling the shock and confusion they felt 20 years ago. “It stunned me, and I think I was only semi-conscious,” Lakers owner Jerry Buss said. “The whole day is just like a blur in my mind. I remember Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) had to assist me. I don’t think I had enough blood in the brain.”

Worthy remembers the Lakers being sent from practice at Loyola Marymount to the Forum, with no idea why. The power forward wondered whether West was retiring from his executive job, or perhaps Johnson was seriously injured after missing the previous week of practice.

“When he announced, it was a reality check, because at that time, it could have been anybody,” Worthy said. “A lot of people started to wonder about themselves, especially people who had never been tested before. ... He’s taught us all a valuable lesson. Back in the early ‘90s, you thought it was a death (sentence). You thought it was over.

To see him put meaning on a disease that only had one meaning, that was great.”

LOS ANGELES: Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson listens to AIDS expert Dr. David Ho’s recount of Johnson’s 20 years of living with HIV, during a ceremony of The Magic Johnson Foundation. — AP

Ho, a pioneering researcher who grew up in Los Angeles idolizing West and Elgin Baylor, said he met Johnson “on one of his darkest days” after his diagnosis. Ho has always been impressed by Johnson’s upbeat willingness to acknowledge his condition, using himself to raise funds for research and treatment.

Ho also shot down the long-held suspicion that Johnson easily managed the virus because his wealth and celebrity gave him access to preferential treatment. Johnson’s condition is “quite typical” at this point in the virus’ treatment, he said.

“All of us working in the field are grateful to him and his foundation for doing so, because this is a plague that continues to rage,” Ho said. “Because of therapeutic success, there is too much complacency in this country about this pandemic. We still need to develop new and better drugs. We have drugs that control HIV, but we don’t have a cure, so research must continue.”

Johnson famously couldn’t stay away from basketball after his retirement, spreading the truth about HIV transmission to players and fans who sometimes balked at his participation. He was the MVP of the 1992 All-Star game and won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics before briefly coaching the Lakers in 1994 and returning to the court for 32 games in 1996, finally retiring in uniform.

Johnson is now a hugely successful businessman, a basketball commentator, a doting husband and a grandfather to his son Andre’s two children. Yet he’s still raising money and awareness, always working to create the same limitless future for others.

“The only problem is, I would be happier if the numbers in the black and brown communities would go down,” Johnson said, citing the majority of each year’s 60,000 new US cases of HIV in minority communities. “ There’s been millions of people that have died since I announced 20 years ago, and so this is a bittersweet day. Yes, I’m living, but people are still getting this virus even as we speak. We must change the mindset, and we must do a better job educating those who live in urban America about this disease.” —AP

St. John’s win over William & Mary NEW YORK: It took one of the nation’s least experienced teams 20 minutes to start looking like a team of veterans. Nurideen Lindsey scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half to lead St. John’s to a 74-59 victory over William & Mary on Monday night in the opening round of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer.

The Red Storm has only one player back from last season’s squad that went 21-12 and made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002. It looked that way as William & Mary took a 33-26 halftime lead.

St. John’s shot just 32.3 percent from the field (10 for 31), including 2 of 9 from 3-point range, in the first half and forced only nine turnovers, a staple of the pressure defense that allows the Red Storm to take advantage of its speed and athleticism.

The stats were decidedly different in the second half as the Red Storm forced 12 turnovers - turning them into 21 points - and shot 67.9 percent (19 of 28) from the field.

“I think in the first half the guys came out a little tight. We were definitely excited about the game but we weren’t ready to play,” said Lindsey, one of six newcomers on the roster.

“In the second half we turned it up a notch and got more intense.”

God’sgift Achiuwa and Moe Harkless both added 17 points for the Red Storm (1-0), who were without head coach Steve Lavin, who is recovering from prostate cancer surgery on Oct. 6. Assistant coach Mike Dunlap has been in charge of the program while Lavin recovers.

Quinn McDowell had 20 points for William & Mary (0-1), which made seven 3-pointers in taking the seven-point halftime lead.

McDowell scored to open the second half for a nine-point lead but the Red Storm went on a 22-5 run that saw them make 10 of 14 shots, all but two from inside. Sir’Dominic Pointer’s 3 gave St. John’s a 48-40 lead.

Julian Boatner hit a 3 for William & Mary, but the Red Storm scored the next nine points for a 57-43 lead with 9:30 to play.

“We were disappointed in the first half, then came out with intensity and the crowd got behind us,” said freshman D’Angelo Harrison, who had 14 points. “This brought us together. Almost every game will be an experience for us. We got the jitters out. That will carr y over to practice tomorrow and to Wednesday’s game, too.”

St. John’s, which didn’t commit a turnover in the second half, will host Lehigh today.

Lindsey said the difference in St. John’s defense was energy.

“The guys knew defensively our energy level wasn’t where it was supposed to be,” he said. “We put a lot of pressure on those guys in the second half. That was the reason the press turned out the way it did.”

William & Mary returned four starters and 12 letter winners from last season and it looked that way in the first half.

“Good 20 minutes and bad 20 minutes,” William & Mary coach Tony Shaver said. “We

were composed for the first 20, then they extended the pressure and we didn’t handle it very well. They made some good adjustments and we gave up too many layups.

“They may be young but they are also very talented. My concern was how we would play and for 22 minutes we were good at it. We just didn’t handle their higher level of intensity.”

Harkless, the most heralded member of St. John’s recruiting class, said there was no way to predict how the first game would go.

“But it’s a great feeling,” he said. “If we play

team basketball like that we’ll be fine this year.” Former Purdue coach Gene Keady serves as Lavin’s special assistant and adviser.

“I hope he’s happy with tonight,” said Keady, who gave Lavin his first coaching position. “He’s starting to get back to normal. He laughs a lot now. He walks a lot. He’s making some progress about getting back to a normal life. We’re anxious to get him back but Coach Dunlap has done a tremendous job of leading us. I can’t say enough about that.” — AP

Nurideen Lindsey (top) seen in action in this file photo.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

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Years

Giants passing the test as playoff contenders NEW YORK: The New York Giants silenced critics and bolstered their status as a legitimate National Football League playoff contender following their lastminute comeback victory on Sunday over the New England Patriots.

The team began the 2011 season with many question marks and quarterback Eli Manning, coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese had all come under fire, yet the Giants are 6-2 following Sunday’s 24-20 road win and lead the NFC East.

The Giants spell success with their fourth-quarter poise and efficiency, and Manning led successive touchdown drives of 85 and 80 yards on Sunday for New York’s fifth victory of the season claimed with a final-quarter comeback.

Manning took heat in the offseason for declaring himself an elite quarter-

back in the same class of New England’s Tom Brady. The younger brother of Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Peyton Manning was mocked for his assessment since it followed a season where he threw a career-high 25 interceptions.

This year, Manning has thrown 15 touchdown passes against just six interceptions and has the NFL’s best fourthquarter quarterback rating.

“You can’t spell elite without E-L-I,” Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck told reporters after the victory that ended New England’s regular season home winning streak at 20 games.

A string of injuries before the 2011 season weakened the Giants, as did the loss of tight end Kevin Boss and receiver Steve Smith as free agents.

General manager Reese was relatively quiet during the free-agent period, while

the division rival Eagles signed so many high-profiled free agents that back-up quarterback Vince Young referred to them as a “Dream Team.”

Reese faced criticism for failing to make splashy signings, but young players from within the ranks such as tight end Jake Ballard and receiver Victor Cruz have energised them.

Cruz has become an explosive bigplay threat, averaging 17.3 yards off 34 catches including four touchdowns, which he celebrates with a salsa dance in the end zone. Ballard has shaken his reputation as merely a useful blocker by making big receptions down field.

On the game-winning drive against the Pats, the big tight end made a difficult over-the-shoulder catch down the middle for 28 yards on a third-and-10, then grabbed the decisive one-yard TD

pass toward the end zone corner from Manning.

“It was definitely most exciting when we got into the locker room and everybody was jumping around,” he said Monday about the post-game reaction.

“Coach Coughlin was smiling and then (running back) Brandon Jacobs picked up Coach Coughlin.

“We knew what we could do but winning a game like that gives us all the confidence in the world.” The Patriots game marked the beginning of a challenging stretch for the Giants, who head to San Francisco to play the 49ers (7-1), then host the Eagles, go on the road against New Orleans, entertain Super Bowl champion Green Bay (8-0) and then travel to Dallas to meet the Cowboys.

Even before New England, the Giants sounded confident. “I don’t worry about

our schedule,” defensive back Antrel Rolle said. “Our schedule needs to worry about us.”

Coughlin, ripped for posting poor records in the second half of the season the last few campaigns, said his theme this year has been the importance of finishing strong.

Last year, the Giants were 10-6 but missed the playoffs due to a December collapse at home against the Eagles, who scored four touchdowns in the last 8:17 of the game to overcome a 21-point deficit for a 38-31 victory.

“It’s part of what we’ve talked about since the first day we arrived in camp. It has to do with winning the fourth quarter, being the stronger team in the fourth quarter,” said Coughlin. “It has to do with finishing better than we did a year ago.”—Reuters

Berdych closes in on London spot

SPAIN: In this photo provided by Volvo Ocean Race, Team Sanya, skippered by Mike Sanderson from New Zealand at the start of leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean race 2011-12 as they leave Alicante. —AP

Team Sanya pulls out with hull damage ALICANTE: Chinese team Sanya pulled out the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race on Monday because of damage to the boat’s hull. The team plans to ship the boat to Cape Town, South Africa, for repairs ahead of the second stage.

Skipper Mike Sanderson decided that a hole in the front of the boat would take too long to fix. The team is still unsure what caused the hole, which will need 6 meters (20 feet) of the hull to be replaced.

“It’s turned out to be a lot more serious than we first feared,” Sanderson said. “We’re now 100 percent focused on shipping the boat to Cape Town.”

Sanya will forfeit any points from the first leg, which started over the weekend with

boats leaving from Alicante on the 6,500-nautical mile trip to Cape Town.

In South Africa, Sanya will begin roundthe-clock repairs to get ready for the second in-port race on Dec. 10. The boats set sail the next day on the second leg for Abu Dhabi.

Sanya and the Abu Dhabi team were forced to suspend racing within the first 24 hours in winds as strong as 80 kph (50 mph).

The Abu Dhabi team, which brought in a group of boatbuilders on Monday to fit a new mast, hopes to resume sailing by Wednesday morning.

Camper led the fleet Monday through the Strait of Gibraltar, with Telefonica, Puma and Groupama close behind. The first leg is expected to last about three weeks.—AP

Squash pitches innovation in latest 2020 Olympic bid LONDON: Squash leaders say they have improved their sport and it deserves to be part of the 2020 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee rejected squash’s attempts to join the 2012 and 2016 Games, saying the sport wasn’t TV-friendly and the ball was hard to spot during play.

Squash is one of eight sports competing for inclusion in 2020. Thanks to a range of innovations, including glass floors and video replays, bid chiefs are confident of success this time.

“I can’t think of anything better we could do to improve the sport,” said N. Ramachandran, president of the World Squash Federation. “We have done these innovations to answer their queries. They have told us what the problems were and we have addressed them. We have changed the game completely.”

Squash is competing with baseball, karate, roller sports, softball, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu for a spot at the 2020 Games. A ninth sport - which will be removed from the Olympic program after next year’s London Games - will join the list of bidders in February 2013. The IOC will vote on the 2020 program in September 2013.

In addition to video-review technology, squash has adopted a “three-ref system” that adds two more officials to rule on disputed let-calls. The sport is experimenting with Hawk-Eye, the ball-tracking technology used in tennis and cricket.

The most eye-catching change, however, is the use of glass floors that can display advertisements between games, adding to the commercial appeal of the sport. During the Olympics, however, no advertisements are allowed at the venues. After a series of trial runs, the first use of glass floors in competition will come in the latter stages of the Under-21 World Cup in Chennai, India, in February.

The sport’s new campaign new slogan is “Squash - Sport at its Best.” Ramachandran said squash is played by 20 million men and women on more than 50,000 courts and 185 countries.” He cited the United States, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Germany as countries where squash is flourishing. Prize money is also growing on the men’s and women’s tours that are made up of 850 professionals, Ramachandran said. “It really is an exciting time for our sport,” he said.—AP

PARIS: Czech Tomas Berdych was just one win from securing a place in the season-ending ATP World Tour finals after he dismissed Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-3 7-5 in the Paris Masters second round yesterday.

The fifth-seeded Berdych, who will book his ticket for the Nov. 20-27 event at the 02 in London if he reaches the quarter-finals at Bercy, will next face either 11th seed Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia or American Alex Bogomolov Jr. Seven players are vying for one of the three remaining spots for the World Tour finals. World number one Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, who has pulled out of the Bercy tournament, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and David Ferrer have already qualified.

After an early trade of service breaks, world number 23 Verdasco netted a forehand to hand Berdych a 5-3 lead in the opening set, wrapping it up by holding serve to love.

He broke in the third and seventh games of the second set but Verdasco put up some resistance to claw it back to 5-5. Berdych broke again in the 11th game before wrapping it up on his sixth match point with a backhand winner.

Later yesterday, France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the sixth seed, will take on Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez as he also looks to snatch a spot for the World Tour finals.

Meanwhile, injured Novak Djokovic stands to lose $1.6 million in ATP bonus pool money if he fails to play at this week’s Paris Masters.

The top seed has until his opening match today against Croatian Ivan Dodig, a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 first-round winner over Fabio Fognini, to decide if fitnes or finances will prevail.

But fellow multi-millionaire and fourthranked rival Roger Federer hinted yesterday that the potential massive loss of income might actually mean little in the grand scheme to the most successful player of the season.

“It’s a good problem to have, right, he’s already made 10 million bucks (on court) this year,” said Federer, whose own earnings in what for him is a modest season total $3.8 million and counting from prize money.

“Look, it’s up to him, really. “Is money everything? Clearly not. Clearly helps, but I think he’s made so much this year it shouldn’t matter.”

Djokovic, winner of ten titles in 2011, is facing a shoulder injury dilemma after losing only his fourth match of 2011 in last weekend’s Basel semi-finals to Kei Nishikori, As the world number one, the Serb is entitled to $2 million from year-end bonus pool monies. But he has already lost $400,000 of that amount by failing to play Shanghai back injury - one of eight obligatory Masters

PARIS: Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic returns the ball to Fernando Verdasco of Spain during their match in the Paris Tennis Masters tournament. —AP 1000 events for top players.

And, under the rules, should he miss Paris his second Masters absence - his $1.6 million would shrink to nil. “It’s his decision if he wants to put the racquet on the line or not,” said Federer, who won Basel and is ultra-fit after autumn injury time off.

“It’s unfortunate that he would miss out on the bonus pool. “(On the) money: Would he deserve it? Maybe, yes, because he’s fulfilled a lot of commitments this year and it’s been wonderful for the tour.

“But unfortunately, we do have these rules in place, and they need to be followed for any

contained in the Tournament Disciplinary Rules which deal principally with mistaken identity and where further time is required to identify a player who may have committed an act of foul play.

“Both Unions have been advised of the outcome. “The IRB and Rugby World Cup Limited take all acts of foul play seriously.

“The ongoing review of Regulation 17 governing the disciplinary process will give consideration to Tournament Rules and IRB Regulations to consider either extending the citing periods or widening the remit of the exceptional circumstance provisions to deal with the emergence of evidential materials following the elapse of the citing period.”

Meanwhile, Southern Hemisphere rugby officials yesterday unveiled an expanded TriNations contest including Argentina, describing it as a top-level “best of the best” clash involving the world’s premier teams.

SANZAR, the body operating South Africa, Australia and New Zealand’s rugby contests, said Argentina’s Los Pumas would join a new four-nations tie called “ The Rugby Championship,” kicking off next August.

SANZAR chief Greg Peters said the tournament, which updates the 15-year-old TriNations series, would be the “ultimate contest”, bringing together the world’s first, second, fourth and seventh-ranked teams.—AFP

grand slam winner does not own a title, standing 10-8 at the venue with his last match a semi-final loss to Gael Monfils a year ago.

“No doubt I’d love to win here in indoors, I”ve attended this tournament many times by now, and it’s true I have never made it to the finals,” said Federer.

“I don’t want to say it’s a surprise, I play very good indoors. Indoors was always the surface where I thought I played best.“Not to make the finals here with all the success is almost a bit disappointing, to be quite honest.”—Agencies

Dakar 2012 goes coast-to-coast

Rugby chiefs mull rule change LONDON: The International Rugby Board said yesterday it was mulling a change to disciplinary procedures after being prevented from acting upon evidence of serious foul play during last month’s World Cup final.

A statement from the IRB said the body was considering increasing the length of the window in which individuals can be cited following an incident involving France’s Aurelien Rougerie and New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw. Television footage appeared to show France centre Rougerie raking his hand across McCaw’s face as the All Blacks captain lay trapped on the floor.

However because the footage only emerged more than 36 hours after the completion of the match, the IRB’s citing commissioner Scott Nowland was unable to act on the evidence.

The IRB said yesterday it was now considering increasing the 36-hour window. “The International Rugby Board can confirm that no action can be taken to initiate a citing case following an alleged act of foul play during the Rugby World Cup 2011 Final on 23 October,” the IRB statement said.

“Mr Nowland has determined that he cannot cite the alleged act of foul play as the footage emerged outside the citing period and he is unable to bring the matter within the exceptional circumstances provisions

player, also for world number one.

“I don’t know how that all works out, but he’s clearly been great for the game, especially this year with all his records. I hope it’s all gonna work out for all parties.”

Federer was getting in a training session yesterday prior to his start today against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. The event is one of the few where the Swiss 16-time

PARIS: This photo provided yesterday in Paris by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) shows the map of the 2012 Dakar Rally, that will start on Jan.1 to Jan.15, 2012 through Argentina, Chile and Peru.—AP

PARIS: The 2012 Dakar Rally is a coast-to-coast trek from the Argentine city of Mar del Plata on the Atlantic to the Peruvian capital Lima on the Pacific, organisers revealed yesterday.

The 33rd Dakar, which starts on January 1, is the fourth to be held in South America, the two-week event having moved to the continent after the 2008 edition was called off due to security issues.

Dakar director Etienne Lavigne said: “There will be five stages in Argentina, five more in Chile, and then four to finish with in Peru, making up 14 days of racing compared to 12 last year.

“With Peru and its fabled dunes added to the programme its going to be an extremely tough race that’s awaiting competitors. There’s a great variety of difficulties.”

Up to now the circuit for motorsport’s most gruelling of events in South America has begun and finished in Buenos Aires. A total of 465 competitors have entered the 2012 Dakar, comprising 171 cars, 185 motorbikes, 76 trucks and 33 quadbikes. The route is 8,500 kilometres long with 4,200km made up of special stages.

Two of the toughest specials will be the 12th, a 246km drive from Arequipa to Nasca and the 13th (276km from Nasco to Pisco) across the dunes. “It’s the route which will determine the quality of this edition,” commented Lavigne.

“But it’s obvious that we’re looking to increase the level of sporting interest.” Spain’s Marc Coma, who added the 2011 moto title to his wins in 2006 and 2009, aims to add a fourth victory with France’s three-time former winner Cyril Despres one of his main rivals.

Among the cars Stephane Peterhansel, who has won the Dakar a record nine times (six moto and three car titles) will once again be one of the main favourites, along with Carlo Sainz and Giniel De Villiers of South Africa.

In all there are 50 nationalities represented in the starting list. The 2012 Dakar is due to be screened to 190 countries with organisers hoping for an increase in the five million viewers who followed the action in 2011.

After the sucess of the rally in Argentina and Chile a host of countries including Brazil and Bolivia have applied to receive the event in 2013.

“We are studying the possibilities for 2013, we are ruling nothing out. The only thing that’s certain is that the finish will be in central region of Chile,” said Lavigne. After 29 editions in Africa between 1979 and 2007 the Dakar switched continents in 2009.—AFP

18

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

SPORTS

Joe Frazier, Ali’s greatest foe, dies

Asamoah Gyan

Gyan: I’ve no regrets leaving Sunderland LONDON: Asamoah Gyan has no regrets about leaving Sunderland and the Premier League and says his arrival in the United Arab Emirates can help boost football in the Middle East.

The self-assured 25-year-old Ghana international striker had an acrimonious parting from Sunderland in August when he went out on loan to Al Ain. Black Cats manager Steve Bruce was furious at the time, saying that 48 hours before saying he wanted to leave, Gyan had shaken his hand and told him he was staying at the club.

Bruce said “parasites” had turned his head over a big money move to the club in Abu Dhabi, but Gyan told Reuters in an interview he was delighted with the way things have turned out and does not know if he will return to the Premier League.

Sitting in a museum by the River Thames at the launch of new artistdesigned kits to be worn at the African Nations Cup in the New Year, Gyan, with a huge star shaved into his hair and a glittering diamond encrusted watch on his wrist told Reuters: “I’m really enjoying myself. “It’s really working out well for me and I’m really happy for now. I have no regrets at all about leaving Sunderland because everyone supported me, my family, everyone was positive so I moved without any doubt.”

Gyan cost Sunderland a club record fee of 13.2 million pounds ($20.98 million) when they signed him from Rennes in August 2010 after he came to prominence for Ghana during last year’s World Cup in South Africa.

He was Sunderland’s top scorer in his debut season with 10 league goals, but was continually linked with a move.

At the time Gyan responded to Bruce’s remarks that the offer was too good to turn down and that he did not have a choice of staying once Sunderland accepted Al-Ain’s offer.

Two months on, while admitting the obvious that the standard in the UAE is not as high as the Premier League, he says his reason for being there are more than just about the huge salary he is reportedly earning.

“Everybody knows the English Premiership is top in the world with

more exposure and everything but the UAE league is improving in terms of football,” he said.

“When I went there I thought to myself ‘this is not what people are talking about, they are playing good football.’ “People are looking up to me in Africa. I have more fans in Europe. After last season, who knows? Maybe I am getting more exposure in this league-it is improving, and I think I might be able to help that League improve.

“Football in England was not always what it is now, the league had to improve, well its the same all over the world.”

The UAE season has just started and Al Ain are second in the table behind Al Jazira after three games with Gyan having scored two of their six league goals, but he will be missing for a number of league games in the New Year when he returns to Africa for the Nations Cup finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

With a number of the traditional African powerhouses like holders Egypt missing, Ghana are among the favorites to win the title for the first time since 1982.

“It’s been a while since we won it and we want to win it. “Most of the big guys are out now-I’m talking about Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria-so now people are looking up to us.

“It’s good pressure for Ghana. We will go there and see what happens because the other countries will go there to win as well. It’s not going to be easy but we will see if we can do that.” And what of the future after the African Cup and the loan deal with Al Ain ends ?

“Yes, I am on loan for one season with options. I will decide at the end of the season whether I am coming back to the Premiership or going somewhere else,” he said.

“I am still a player with Sunderland, but I have four or five options on how things are going to be and then I will decide where my future lies.”

Gyan was speaking at an event at the Design Museum where Puma unveiled new kits designed by artists from each country. The kits and works by the artist are part of an exhibition at the museum.—Reuters

WASHINGTON: Joe Frazier, the relentless slugger who became the heavyweight champion of the world and earned boxing immortality with three epic battles against Muhammad Ali, died on Monday at age 67, his personal manager said.

“Smokin’ Joe” Frazier, who was the first boxer to beat Ali, died in Philadelphia a month after being diagnosed with liver cancer. Leslie Wolff, Frazier’s personal manager, confirmed his death.

Frazier won the Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medal for the United States in 1964 in Tokyo and held the world heavyweight boxing crown from 1970 to 1973.

He is eternally linked with Ali thanks to their trilogy of fights in the 1970s, among the most famous in the history of the sport. Frazier won the first and Ali took the next two.

“The world has lost a great champion,” Ali said in a statement on Monday. “I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration. My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones.” While both fighters were American blacks and Olympic gold medalists, their personalities could not have been more different. Ali was a charismatic self-promoter. Frazier was a proud, no-nonsense man who dropped out of school at age 13. Frazier won the world heavyweight title in 1970, knocking out champion Jimmy Ellis, after Ali had been stripped of the championship in 1967 for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War due to his Muslim beliefs.

Ali was reinstated in boxing and met Frazier on March 8, 1971 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, in a bout billed as “The Fight of the Century.” Frazier sent Ali to the canvas with a left hook in the 15th round. Ali got up but Frazier won by unanimous decision.

The brutal encounter left both men hospitalized. Frazier later lost his title in 1973 to hard-hitting George Foreman. “Good night Joe Frazier. I love you dear friend,” Foreman said on his twitter account (@GeorgeForeman).

The second Ali-Frazier fight on Jan. 28, 1974, again at Madison Square Garden, had no title at stake but whipped up huge interest after both had been fined for a TV studio confrontation in the build-up. Ali won his second fight against Frazier on a 12-round decision and then went on to beat Foreman to reclaim the heavyweight title. He defended it in the third Frazier fight on Oct. 1, 1975, in an encounter in the Philippines known as “The Thrilla in Manila”-one of the most famous sporting events of the 20th century.

After the fight the beaten Frazier said he had hit Ali with punches “that would have knocked a building down”.

The two punished each other for 14 rounds, then Frazier’s trainer and cornerman Eddie Futch stopped the fight before the 15th round, while Frazier fumed in the ring corner, one of his eyes swollen shut. Frazier never forgave Futch for giving Ali a victory by technical knockout.

Despite their differences Ali’s respect for Frazier grew after their third fight and he described his opponent as “the roughest and toughest” he had ever fought.

“If God ever calls me to a Holy War I want Joe

NEW YORK: In this March 8, 1971, file photo, Muhammad Ali (right) takes a left from Joe Frazier during the 15th round of their heavyweight title boxing bout. Frazier won a unanimous decision.—AP Frazier fighting beside me,” Ali was quoted as saying in his biography written by Thomas Hauser. Their rivalry was waged not only in a boxing ring. Ali ridiculed Frazier as a “gorilla” and an “Uncle Tom,” a deeply insulting term referring to a black who acts in a humiliatingly subservient way toward whites. For his part, Frazier insisted on calling his foe Cassius Clay, the birth name that Ali changed in 1964 for a Muslim name. Frazier remained bitter toward Ali for decades.

“I am who I am, and yes, I whipped Ali all three times,” Frazier told the New York Times in 2006. “Ali always said I would be nothing without him,” Frazier said. “But who would he have been without me?” Frazier will always be remembered for his role in a golden era for the heavyweight division.

“He was definitely one of boxing’s greats. He was legendary. He has made his mark in boxing, everyone knows his history,” former British world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis told the BBC. “Without him, other boxing heroes wouldn’t be great either because they really tested his talent against him. In a room filled of great men, he is definitely one of them.”

Asian stars struggle for European playing time

Qatar urged to scrap air conditioning in stadiums ZURICH: After all the talk of using stateof-the-art air conditioning to cool stadiums at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the architect in charge of one of the venues claimed yesterday that a more old-fashioned solution would be cheaper and better.

Leading firm Populous, which is designing the Sports City stadium in Doha, is trying to persuade Qatari organizers to scrap plans to have air conditioning at the venue.

Populous director John Barrow said the system is too expensive and “notoriously unsustainable” for the environment when used on a large scale.

“I think you can be more clever. It is about air movement, moisture in the air and it is about temperature at the right time of day,” Barrow told delegates at the International Football Arena conference. “If we get it right ... that is the way ahead.”

Air-conditioned stadiums to beat 50degree (122 Fahrenheit) desert heat in June were a defining theme of Qatar’s winning bid last year.

Qatar hired Populous to help its campaign, drawing on the firm’s experience in building signature projects such as the new Yankee Stadium, London’s 2012 Olympic Stadium and Arsenal’s Emirates arena.

The firm built a small prototype of an air-conditioned stadium in Doha to help persuade a FIFA inspection team that the tiny nation’s ambitious World Cup proj-

ect could succeed.

However, Barrow now believes the planned Sports City arena can be kept cool by shading seats and using traditional Arabic methods for ventilation.

“We are doing away with all the air conditioning kit that is going to cost a fortune to run,” Barrow said.

Instead, he is proposing wind towers that suck up hot air to create fan-like air movement inside the 47,000-capacity stadium.

“It is part of the building tradition in the Gulf to create wind towers which naturally ventilate. If you have got an air movement which keeps you cool like a fan that makes all the difference.”

Qatar promised FIFA that its 12 World Cup stadiums could be regulated at around 26 degrees (79 Fahrenheit).

Now, Barrow says spectators could be kept comfortable at 30 degrees (86 Fahrenheit) during evening matches. “It doesn’t need to be 26 degrees. Fan expectation needs to be a little more relaxed,” he said on the conference sidelines. Seating areas also need to be kept in shade during searing daytime temperatures, instead of allowing stadiums to “suck in” heat that is retained after dark.

“Suddenly you are sitting on a radiator. It is totally counter productive,” Barrow said. “The objective for me is to keep the (stadium) bowl sun-screened during the day, with natural ventilation and also encouraging a vortex by using all kinds of clever tricks.”—AP

Frazier was born in segregated South Carolina in 1944, the youngest of 12 children. He said his uncle told him when he was a boy he would become the next Joe Louis, the celebrated black heavyweight champion of the 1930s and 1940s. Moving to Philadelphia, he aimed to make good on that prediction.

Frazier amassed a career record of 32 wins four defeats and one draw. He retired after a second loss to Foreman in 1976, then came out of retirement for a fight in 1981 before ending his career for good. His only losses were to Ali and Foreman. Ali became a beloved sports legend but Frazier was never embraced in the same way. He also lost almost all of his money. He lived alone in an apartment above the gym where he trained young fighters in a run-down section of Philadelphia.

Frazier in the 1980s managed the boxing career of his eldest son, Marvis, who was best known for devastating knockout losses to champions Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson.

Frazier’s daughter Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde entered women’s boxing and fought Ali’s daughter Laila, losing on a decision in 2001.—Reuters

OSAKA: Japan forward Mike Havenaar (right top) heads the ball to put Japan in front of Tajikistan during their soccer World Cup Asian qualifier in this file photo. —AP

Shevchenko looks to crown career with Euro 2012 glory KIEV: Ukraine’s veteran star Andriy Shevchenko may have entered the final stage of a glorious career but he is hoping to overcome injuries for a final crowning achievement with success at Euro 2012.

The European championships, which Ukraine co-hosts with Poland, would be the perfect occasion for the 2004 Ballon d’Or winner and current Dynamo Kiev star to win honors for his country before hanging up his boots. Ukraine’s national manager Oleg Blokhin, himself a football icon in the Soviet era, has repeatedly said that Shevchenko remains an integral member of his team, whose skills and experience would be vital at the championships. “Andriy (Shevchenko) is not just another football player,” Blokhin said. “He is also a person of tremendous and indisputable authority, who is so necessary for our team.” “I hope he’ll be able to overcome his injuries and gain his form for the start of the European championship.

Meanwhile, we will do everything we can to help him.” Blokhin has called the Dynamo Kiev striker into his line-up to play friendlies against Germany at Kiev on November 11 and Austria at Lviv on November 15.

Shevchenko, who is suffering from chronic pain in his back, said he was undergoing courses of medical treatment in Germany and England and was hopeful he would be ready to join his country’s squad at the Euro2012. “I will join the national side at the European championships only if I feel myself good and ready to stand the competition for a place in the lineup,” Shevchenko told AFP. —AFP

SEOUL: A shortage of club playing time for Asia’s top players is causing headaches for the region’s national teams ahead of World Cup qualifiers in the coming week.

South Korea, Japan and Australia are three nations expecting to reach the 2014 World Cup, but their qualification campaigns are being hampered by many of their top players warming the bench with their club sides in Europe.

Sunderland’s Ji Dong-won and Arsenal’s Park Chu-young, who have both had limited game time in the Premier League, are likely to lead the attack in a vital qualifier in Lebanon on Friday as will attacking midfielder Koo Ja-cheol who has started just two matches for German club Wolfsburg.

“I am not worried about match sharpness,” South Korea coach Cho Kwang-rae said last month. “I was also a player who had a long career for club and country and when you have lots of experience and are in a good physical condition then you don’t lose your ability to switch on for competitive games.”

Park has scored seven goals in his past four appearances for the national team. Also, he found the net for Arsenal in a recent League Cup match against Bolton. Park signed for the London club from Monaco at the end of August but is still waiting for his first Premier League appearance.

“I will try my best to show that I am in the best condition and show that I am good enough to play there,” Park said last week.”My training and my lifestyle is helping me adjust to the English game. At the moment I don’t have any problems at all, I am in good condition.”

Ji has scored once for Sunderland and though he has yet to start a game, the young striker has made eight appearances off the bench and came on after just five minutes against Manchester United.

Ki Sung-yong at Celtic in Scotland and Son Heung-min at Hamburg are the only European-based Korea squad members who are regular starters with their clubs.

Japan’s Makoto Hasebe is in a similar situation at Wolfsburg. He has featured more on the right side of defense this season than his usual position as a defensive midfielder and was an

unused substitute during last weekend’s loss at Borussia Dortmund.

Also named in the Japan squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Tajikistan and Japan are German-based midfielder Hajime Hosogai and defender Tomoaki Makino. Hosogai has played at left-back this season for Augsburg while Makino has managed just one appearance for Cologne.

Teenage striker Takashi Usami was part of Japan’s squad in the summer but was not selected in the latest squad. Usami has played just 21 minutes of the Bundesliga season since joining Bayern Munich in August.

Usami is happy to be patient at one of Europe’s leading clubs.

“There is something to gain from continuing to be on this team,” Usami told Japanese media recently “I’m grateful to be playing at any level. I’ve been able to change my mindset and accept my situation in a positive way.”

Australia, the newest member of the Asian Football Confederation, can empathize with Japanese and Korean experiences. While Tim Cahill and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer are stalwarts in the English Premier League, others who have been named in the squad to take on Oman and Thailand are in and out of line-ups all over the continent.

Matt McKay was one of the Socceroos’ most impressive performers at the 2011 Asian Cup and was named the Australian Player of the Year in October but has also been short of playing time since leaving the ALeague for Glasgow Rangers in August.

He made his first league start least weekend.

“I’ve played a few reserve games but it’s not the same as playing first-team football,” McKay said last month.”It’s a massive club and I want to start playing. I’m a bit disappointed but I’ve got to get my head down. When my chance comes I’ll need to make sure I’m ready to take it and hopefully keep myself in the team.”

Young striker Robbie Kruse at Fortuna Dusseldorf in Germany’s second tier has been in and out of the team. Adam Sarota in the Netherlands has played just once, with James Troisi in Turkey and Chris Herd in England featuring in less than half of their club’s matches.—AP

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Ashwin, Tendulkar boost India’s hopes Anothermilestone forTendulkar

ABU DHABI: Pakistan’s batsman Azhar Ali looks at a ball off Sri Lankan bowler TM Dilshan in this file photo. —AP

Sri Lanka’s Malinga, Fernando expected to tip scale in ODIs DUBAI: Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan says savvy fast bowlers Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando could give his side the edge against Pakistan in the one-day cricket series beginning on Friday.

Sri Lanka fielded an inexperienced pace attack during the three-test series that ended on Monday with Pakistan 10 victors. “It’s a different team especially in the bowling. This (one-day) unit is really experienced,” Dilshan said. “I have Lasith, Dilhara, these two guys are really experienced and have played the last 10 years for Sri Lanka in one-day cricket.”

The 32-year-old Fernando is the fourth most prolific wicket-taker for Sri Lanka with 176 in 140 one-day matches but has been out of favor in the fiveday game.

Malinga, just 28, retired from test cricket this year, saying a chronic knee problem couldn’t take the strains of the longer version of the game. His scorching yorkers and well-disguised slower ball has helped him collect 149 wickets in 94 one-dayers.

Dilshan also said his side, runner-up in the World Cup in April, would carry good momentum following the spirited display in the final test at Sharjah, where they controlled the match but fell short of a series-leveling victory.

“We can carry positive things from this test match for the one-day series,” Dilshan said.

He was also banking on left-hander Kumar Sangakkara to maintain the hot streak that earned him 516 runs in the three tests. “The way Sanga is in form, if he carries that into the one-day series we have a better chance to win,” he said.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq acknowledged it would be a close battle for honors. “I think it’s a 50-50 game.

They are a good side,” Misbah said.

“They are a tough side, especially in these types of conditions. We know we will face some real good competition.”

But Misbah said the test series win and good recent one-day form would give his team confidence. Pakistan was a World Cup semifinalist in April and, since then, has reeled off series victories in West Indies, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

“We reached the semifinal, we really played very well in the World Cup,” Misbah said. “We are playing good one-day cricket for the last six-seven months or a year.”

Misbah also said the return of the hard-hitting legspinner Shahid Afridi would be a fillip for his team. Afridi, who captained the side in the World Cup, retired during the summer after a breakdown in relations with coach Waqar Younis and Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ijaz Butt.

Younis and Butt have both recently vacated their positions and Afridi has made himself available again and been welcomed back.

“Of course, he’s a very good allrounder. He’s really a threat to the opposing teams especially in the conditions like Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah,” Misbah said. “As a senior player, as a performer, it’s a good boost for the team.”

The first three matches are at Dubai International Stadium before the series shifts to Sharjah and Abu Dhabi for the final two contests. The teams finish off the tour with a one-off Twenty20, also at Abu Dhabi. —AP

Clarke: Australia has the edge CAPE TOWN: Australia captain Michael Clarke described his team’s preparations for the first Test against South Africa as outstanding yesterday and said the tourists have an important early edge in the twomatch series. Unusually, his counterpart agreed.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith conceded his men have not played enough in the run-in to the series-opener at Newlands, and their own buildup had not been ideal. “ We know that if we’re fair, Australia are better prepared than us. That’s the reality, there’s no point hiding away from that,” Smith said.

“But we’ve got to find a way ... to make sure we’re ready to compete come day one. And that’s our reality as a team.

“We’ve just got to front up,” Smith summed up as an out-of-practice South Africa faced a resurgent Australia and a poor home record against one if its great rivals.

Australia is seeking a fifth straight test series win in South Africa and has not lost a test contest in the country since 1970.

Smith’s honest assessment of his team’s early season challenge was welcomed later by Clarke, who said “it was great to hear.”

“If that’s the case, that’s a real tick in that first box for us that I know we’re 100 percent ready and if the test match was starting today, we’d be ready to play today,” Clarke said.

Already boosted by a recent series win in Sri Lanka, the promising captaincy of Clarke and a team settling in under its new leader, Australia is emerging as the favorite to continue its winning run in South Africa - despite the Proteas’ stronger lineup on paper.

“They’ve still got a lot of experience,” Clarke cautioned. “Just about all of their players have played a handful of test matches, they know the conditions very well.

“I’ll say we’ve got a little edge because we’ve played some test cricket together in Sri Lanka but for me our edge is more the confidence we can take from playing good cricket of late. The feeling around our group is a winning feeling.”

Australia’s selectors have just one decision to make before the Test starts today, Clarke said.

That’s whether to give teenager Pat Cummins his test debut ahead of Peter Siddle and Trent Copeland as the third seam bowler behind Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris.

Despite the 18-year-old Cummins’ enormous potential, Siddle is likely to nail down the last remaining spot in Australia’s first test lineup.

“I think our one selection is who our third fast bowler is,” Clarke said.

“He’s (Cummins) certainly in consideration. He’s got the talent. The talent’s right there. Is he ready? In my opinion you don’t know if he’s ready until you give him a crack.

“But is he in our best 11 for these conditions is what the selectors need to discuss. He’s up against two other very good fast bowlers (Siddle and Copeland) who have had success and made the most of their chances.”

Rain and strong winds blew across Newlands yesterday, denying both teams their last chance to practice on the pitch. The Cape Town weather meant the under-prepared South Africans had even less time to ready themselves for their first test in 10 months.

“With what we’ve had available we’ve done as best as possible and the guys have worked hard,” Smith said. “Come tomorrow, it’s the first day of a test match against Australia and I know the guys will mentally be in a good place and ready to go.

“We would have loved to have had more cricket but we didn’t so we have got to make sure we front up tomorrow and find a way.” —AP

NEW DELHI: Debutant R avichandran Ashwin grabbed six wickets and Sachin Tendulkar completed 15,000 Test runs to boost India’s hopes of winning the opening Test against the West Indies yesterday.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on 33 as India reached 152-2 in their second innings at stumps on the third day after being set a challenging 276-run target to win the match on a low, slow pitch.

India now need 124 more runs to win the match with eight wickets in hand. Tendulkar, needing just one more century to score an unprecedented 100 international hundreds, completed 15,000 runs during his unbeaten 87-ball knock when he took a single off legspinner Devendra Bishoo.

The master batsman, the world’s leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, looked at the sky and raised his bat before being congratulated by team-mate Rahul Dravid (30 not out) and the West Indies players.

The West Indies were bowled out for 180 in their second innings, with off-spinner Ashwin bagging 6-47. Ashwin, who took 381 in the first innings, finished the match with 9-128, the second-best match haul by an Indian debutant af ter leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani’s 16-136 against the West Indies at Chennai in 1988.

“I didn’t expect any number of wickets, but before the Test I was hoping to get a five-wicket haul,” said Ashwin. “I have never got wickets on such a pitch as I need spin and bounce. If the batsman is not patient enough you can get a wicket. Today I tried to bowl a bit quicker and onto the stumps and it paid off.

“I don’t think I had that many nerves (on debut). I never thought that I will be playing alongside so many Test cricketers.”

India got off to a brisk start as Virender Sehwag (55) and Gautam Gambhir (22) added 51 runs in 9.5 overs for the opening wicket before both were dismissed in the last session when looking well set.

Gambhir fell leg-before to part-time offspinner Marlon Samuels, but Sehwag continued to dominate the West Indies attack with aggressive shots before playing seamer Darren Sammy’s delivery on to his stumps.

Sehwag, dropped on 12 when paceman Ravi Rampaul failed to hold on to a return catch, hit two sixes and five fours in his runa-ball knock.

The West Indies were earlier reeling at 847 before managing to set a challenging target as they added 96 runs for their last three wickets, thanks to veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) and skipper Sammy (42).

Chanderpaul, who cracked an impressive century in the first innings, and Sammy both counter-attacked to add 40 useful runs for the eighth wicket before falling to Ashwin in the space of six overs.

“Ashwin bowled well and we know he is a quality bowler. He has done well in the oneday format and he brought that confidence into the Test format,” said West Indies coach Ottis Gibson.

“He (Ashwin) bowled wicket to wicket. It was just pure accuracy and some balls kept low, but he put the ball in the right areas.

“A lot of things have happened in the morning session and hopefully we can get a few wickets and put them under pressure.”

Chanderpaul was trapped leg-before after hitting seven fours in his 58-ball knock while Sammy was bowled off a delivery that

NEW DELHI: Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar celebrates after he completed 15,000 runs in Test cricket on the third day of the first of three Test match series between India and West Indies. —AP kept low. Sammy played some attractive shots during his 37-ball knock, once smashing fast bowler Ishant Sharma for a straight six.

The Indian bowlers called the shots in the

Scoreboard NEW DELHI: Scoreboard at the close on the third day of the first test between India and West Indies at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium yesterday: West Indies first innings 304 India first innings 209 West Indies second innings (overnight 21-2) K. Brathwaite lbw b Ojha 2 K. Powell c Gambhir b Ashwin 0 K. Edwards b Yadav 33 F. Edwards c Dhoni b Sharma 1 D. Bravolbw b Ashwin 12 S. Chanderpaul lbw b Ashwin 47 M. Samuels b Ashwin 0 C. Baugh C Dhoni b Yadav 7 D. Sammy b Ashwin 42 R. Rampaul c Ojha b Ashwin 18 D. Bishoo not out 9 Extras (b-1 lb-8) 9 Total (all out; 57.3 overs) 180 Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-17 3-26 4-53 5-63 6-63 7-84 8-124 9-157

Bowling: P. Ojha 14-4-37-1, R. Ashwin 21.3-547-6, Y. Singh 1-0-2-0, I. Sharma 14-2-49-1, U. Yadav 7-0-36-2.

India second innings G. Gambhir lbw b Samuels 22 V. Sehwag b Sammy 55 R. Dravid not out 30 S. Tendulkar not out 33 Extra (b-1 lb-10 nb-1) 12 Total (two wickets; 44 overs) 152 Fall of wickets: 1-51 2-95 To bat: V.V.S. Laxman, Y. Singh, M.S. Dhoni, R. Ashwin, I. Sharma, P. Ojha, U. Yadav.

Bowling: F. Edwards 9-2-32-0, R. Rampaul 80-19-0 (1nb), D. Sammy 9-0-32-1, M. Samuels 7-0-28-1, D. Bishoo 11-1-30-0.

Leading runscorers A list of the leading runscorers in Test match cricket after Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to reach 15,000 runs on the third day of the first test against the West Indies yesterday: Player 1. Sachin Tendulkar 2. Rahul Dravid 3. Ricky Ponting 4. Brian Lara 5. Jacques Kallis 6. Allan Border 7. Steve Waugh 8. Sunil Gavaskar 9. Mahela Jayawardene 10. Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Country (India) (India) (Australia) (West Indies) (South Africa) (Australia) (Australia) (India) (Sri Lanka) (West Indies)

Ex-F1 boss Mosley wins case over orgy photos PARIS: A French court ruled yesterday that Britain’s News of the World tabloid had violated the privacy of former world motorsport chief Max Mosley when it published photographs of him in a sadomasochistic orgy.

The court fined Rupert Murdoch’s News Group, which published the nowdefunct News of the World, 10,000 euros ($13,800) and ordered it to pay 7,000 euros in damages for violating Mosley’s privacy, but said there was no defamation. It also ordered News Group, a British subsidiary of Murdoch’s News Corp, to pay 15,000 euros in court costs. Mosley sued in France, where 672 copies of the newspaper had been distributed and where privacy laws are strict, seeking 200,000 euros in damages for defamation and violation of his private life.

Mosley, 71, previously won a case in a British court against News Group after the News of the World published a frontpage story in March 2008 entitled “F1 boss has sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers.”

The British tabloid story labelled Mosley “a sadomasochistic sex pervert” and posted a video of the episode, secretly recorded by one of the participants, on its website.

Mosley, whose father led the British fascist party in the 1930s, has acknowledged paying five women for sex, but said the event depicted in the paper was a prison fantasy and challenged the claim that the episode was Nazi-themed.

The British court awarded him 60,000 pounds (69,000 euros/$96,000) in damages. Mosley’s lawyer Philippe Ouakrat said the French penalty was “relatively heavy”. The court cleared the reporter

morning session when they captured five wickets for 88 runs after the West Indies had resumed at 21-2, with Ashwin and debutant seamer Umesh Yadav (2-36) doing the maximum damage. —AFP

who wrote the article, Neville Thurlbeck, of responsibility, saying he had not “personally participated” in distributing the article in France.

“It cannot be seriously maintained that the periodical, which is part of one of the biggest media groups in the world... was ignorant of the laws and applicable penalties” for publishing the photographs in France, the court said in its ruling. Privacy rights can be set aside in the public interest, the court said, but that was not the case here. “ The publication of photographs revealing sexual practices between consenting adults in a private place, whether or not they have Nazi connotations, does not answer the requirement... of being necessary information in a democratic society.”

News Group’s lawyer Jean-Frederic Gaultier had argued during the trial that it was inappropriate for a French court to be hearing the case, as a British court had already ruled on the matter and Mosley had “already been compensated for his global injury”. — AFP

Max Mosley

Span 1989 1996 1995 1990 - 2006 1995 1978 - 1994 1985 - 2004 1971 - 1987 1997 1994 -

Runs 15,005 12,859 12,487 11,953 11,947 11,174 10,927 10,122 9,954 9,658

FIFA warns Brazil again over WCup preparations BRASILIA: FIFA’s general secretary Jerome Valcke warned Brazil anew yesterday that it was running behind schedule in organizing the 2014 World Cup and urged it to speed up construction work.

“We are late, we cannot lose one more day,” he told a parliamentary committee examining legislation on the World Cup. “Travelling in Brazil is not easy. To drive in Sao Paulo, to go from one end to the other is a nightmare. To leave the airport takes half a day, this cannot happen (during the tournament),” he added.

He urged authorities to redouble efforts to accelerate construction work so as to be able to welcome the hundreds of thousands of tourists that will flock to Brazil for the World Cup. FIFA has constantly expressed concern over progress being made at the country’s 12 World Cup venues. In mid-September, the Brazilian government gave assurances that the arenas were on schedule in construction or renovation and will be ready by December 2012.

But the government also admitted that work had not started in five of 13 airports which will welcome millions of tourists. Brazil, which will also host the 2016 summer Olympics, needs to spend more than $11.4 billion to improve roads, boost security and the country ’s telecommunications infrastructure, according to a study by the Getulio Vargas foundation and Ernst & Young consultants.

Valcke said the FIFA Confederations Cup, which will be held in Brazil in 2013, “will be without any doubt a key test for us, but it will be rather late to make fundamental changes. So it is important to accelerate the work now.” And he conceded that FIFA was not keen on Brazil’s plans to charge cheaper World Cup ticket prices for Brazilians over the age of 60 and students.

“We do not want to interfere with (Brazilian) legislation. We want to see which articles from these laws can be applied to the World Cup and which can’t,” he added.

Valcke said FIFA, keen to prevent sales of tickets on the black market, accepts half price for seniors, but proposes a minimum entrance fee of 25 dollars for students. —AFP

Berdych closes in on London spot

Magic Johnson still beating HIV 20 years later

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Qatar urged to scrap air conditioning in stadiums Page 18 PHILADELPHIA: Eagles tight end Brent Celek (87) can’t make the catch as Chicago Bears safety Major Wright (27) defends in the first half of an NFL football game. —AP

Cutler rallies Bears past Eagles PHILADELPHIA: Chicago’s Matt Forte bounced back from two costly turnovers as the Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles 30-24 in the NFL on Monday.

Quarterback Jay Cutler threw a go -ahead 5-yard TD pass to Earl Bennett in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on the work of Forte, who ran for 133 yards.

I t was a crushing loss for the Eagles (3-5), who blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fourth time this season. Their last chance evaporated when Jeremy Maclin fell and was tackled at the Bears 30-yard line after a 9-yard catch on fourth-and-10 with just under two minutes left.

The defending NFC East champions trail the New York Giants (6-2) by three games. Chicago (5-3) won its third straight game, but remains third in the NFC North behind Green Bay (8-0) and Detroit (6-2).

Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy ’s went on a 33-yard touchdown run following Forte’s second fumble, giving the Eagles a 24-17 lead in the third quar ter, but the Bears answered with 13 straight points.

Giants 24, Patriots 20 On Sunday, the Giants won the ‘08 Super Bowl 17-14 on Manning’s 13yard scoring pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds remaining. This time, it looked like the Patriots would win with a comeback of their own when Tom Brady threw a 14yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, making it 20-17 with 1:36 to go.

But the visiting Giants (6-2) had enough time to move 80 yards on eight plays - helped by a 20-yard pass interference penalty against the Patriots (5-3) that put the ball at the 1 with 30 seconds to play. Three plays later, Manning found Ballard in the back left corner of the end zone.

“I knew we would win,” Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said.

“It definitely took me back to the Super Bowl.”

Cardinals 19, Rams 13 Peterson’s pass inter ference penalty moments earlier seemed to set up the Rams (1-7) for a winning field goal. Arizona’s Calais Campbell blocked Josh Brown’s 42-yard attempt as regulation ended.

Then Peterson lifted host Arizona (2-6) as he evaded and bounced off tacklers on his punt runback after catching the ball at the 1. “I was like ‘This team needs a play,’” Peterson said. “I decided to catch the ball and just run for my life.”

St. Louis is the only team to score exac tly four points in a quar ter, thanks to the two safeties against Skelton in the third period.

Broncos 38, Raiders 24 At Oakland, Calif., McGahee ran for 163 yards and Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes. Carson Palmer threw three interceptions in his first start for the Raiders, who are tied at 4-4 with Kansas City and San Diego atop the AFC West.

The Broncos (3-5) won for the second time in three games with Tebow as the starter. Tebow did much of his damage with his legs, rushing for a career-high 117 yards on 12 carries.

Dolphins 31, Chiefs 3 Matt Moore threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns, and Reggie Bush had 92 yards rushing for the visiting Dolphins (1-7). Two of Moore’s TD throws went to tight end Anthony Fasano and another to Brandon Marshall, who finished with eight catches for 106 yards.

Matt Cassel was 20 of 39 for 253 yards for Kansas City (4-4), which came into the game with a fourgame winning streak.

Falcons 31, Colts 7 Rookie Julio Jones caught touchdown passes of 50 and 80 yards. The Falcons (5-3) won their third straight and earned their first road victory in a series that dates to 1966. Jones caught three passes from Matt Ryan

for 131 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. The Colts have lost five straight home games for the first time since 2001. Indianapolis gave up 14 points off two turnovers, failed to score on offense and did not produce a first down during a span of nearly 30 minutes.

Packers 45, Chargers 38 Aaron Rodgers threw touchdown passes to four receivers, Green Bay returned two Philip Rivers interceptions for scores and withstood a wild finish.

The visiting Packers improved to 8-0 behind Rodgers, who completed 21 of 26 passes for 247 yards. He has an NFL-high 24 TD passes.

Green Bay led by 21 points before Rivers threw two TD passes to Vincent Jackson in the span of 1:07 midway through the fourth quarter.

Charlie Peprah and Tramon Williams had the interception TDs. Ravens 23, Steelers 20 Joe Flacco hit Torrey Smith for a

26-yard touchdown pass with 8 seconds to go, lifting Baltimore past host Pittsburgh.

Five plays af ter letting a sure touchdown toss tip off his hands, Smith capped Baltimore’s game-winning 92-yard drive by beating William Gay down the right sideline as the R avens (6-2) snapped Pittsburgh’s four- game winning streak.

Flacco finished with 300 yards passing and Baltimore swept the season series from the rival Steelers (6-3) for the first time since 2006.

The Steelers appeared to be in control after rallying from a 10-point deficit to take a 20-16 lead with less than 5 minutes to go when Ben Roethlisberger hit Mike Wallace for a 25-yard score.

improved to 7-1 and have their longest winning streak since 1997.

David Akers kicked four field goals.

The Redsk ins (3-5) lost their four th straight. They ended a drought of seven quarters without a touchdown when they scored with 1:10 to play.

least 3,000 yards through the first nine games of a season.

Despite losing cornerback Tracy Porter to a neck injury early in the game, New Orleans (6-3) held visiting Tampa Bay (4-4) without a touchdown until Josh Freeman hit Kellen Winslow with 5:33 left.

Jets 27, Bills 11 The Jets’ sturdy defense forced three turnovers and Mark Sanchez threw a touchdown to Santonio Holmes. New York, Buffalo and New England are tied atop the AFC East at 5-3. The Jets (5-3) won their third straight and first on the road.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions before adding a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 3:14 left in Buffalo’s first home loss.

49ers 19, Redskins 11 Frank Gore ran for 107 yards, and the NFL’s stingiest scoring defense forced three turnovers as San Francisco ran its winning streak to six games, 4-0 on the road. The 49ers

Saints 27, Buccaneers 16 Drew Brees passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns, and New Orleans running backs combined for 195 yards rushing. Brees is the first player in NFL history to pass for at

Texans 30, Browns 12 Arian Foster rushed for 124 yards, Ben Tate ran for 115 as host Houston set a franchise record with 261 yards on the ground.

The Texans (6-3), playing without injured receiver Andre Johnson for the fifth straight game, had a pair of 100-yard rushers for the second time in three weeks and moved three games over .500 for the first time.

The Browns (3-5) totaled 172 yards, the third straight opponent Houston has held under 200.

NFL /standings American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA NY Jets 5 3 0 0 199 163 New England 5 3 0 0 222 184 Buffalo 5 3 0 0 222 174 Miami 1 7 0 1 138 169 AFC North Cincinnati 6 2 0 0 195 140 Baltimore 6 2 0 0 205 130 Pittsburgh 6 3 0 0 196 162 Cleveland 3 5 0 0 119 170 AFC South Houston 6 3 0 0 236 154 Tennessee 4 4 0 0 156 169 Jacksonville 2 6 0 0 98 163 Indianapolis 0 9 0 0 128 283 AFC West Kansas City 4 4 0 0 131 201 San Diego 4 4 0 1 199 204 Oakland 4 4 0 0 184 216 Denver 3 5 0 0 171 224

PCT .625 .625 .625 .125 .750 .750 .667 .375

NY Giants Dallas Philadelphia Washington Green Bay Detroit Chicago Minnesota

.667 .500 .250 0

New Orleans Atlanta Tampa Bay Carolina

.500 .500 .500 .375

San Francisco Seattle Arizona St. Louis

National Football Conference NFC EAST 6 2 0 0 198 184 .750 4 4 0 0 179 175 .500 3 5 0 0 203 182 .375 3 5 0 0 127 158 .375 NFC North 8 0 0 0 275 179 1.000 6 2 0 0 239 147 .750 5 3 0 0 200 174 .625 2 6 0 1 172 199 .250 NFC South 6 3 0 0 287 202 .667 5 3 0 0 189 170 .625 4 4 0 0 144 196 .500 2 6 0 0 187 207 .250 NFC West 7 1 0 1 206 118 .875 2 6 0 0 122 185 .250 2 6 0 0 162 196 .250 1 7 0 1 100 211 .125

Cowboys 23, Seahawks 13 Tony Romo shook off an inefficient first half to throw for a pair of touchdowns. Tied at 6 coming out for the second half, Dallas (4-4) pulled away behind Romo’s touchdown passes of 33 yards to Jason Witten and 6 yards to Laurent Robinson. The host Cowboys held Seattle (2-6) without a touchdown until midway through the four th quarter.

Bengals 24, Titans 17 Rookie Andy Dalton threw for three touchdowns and 217 yards, and Cincinnati rallied from a 10point deficit for its fifth straight victory.

The Bengals (6-2) last won five in a row in 1988 when they won the AFC championship and went to their second Super Bowl. They also improved to 4-1 on the road.

Tennessee (4-4) lost two of three in a three-game homestand. Chris Johnson had 110 yards from scrimmage, but the Titans blew a 17-7 halftime lead when the offense shut down in the second half.—AP

Mercedes-Benz sales up 26% Page 22

Kuwait budget on track for KD9bn surplus Page 23 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

UK stores fret over Xmas as M&S profit plunges

Olympus admits hid losses for decades Page 24 Page 25

ROME: Italy’s Reforms Minister Umberto Bossi (left), Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (centre) and minister Giulio Tremonti at Rome’s Montecitorio palace. (Right) Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou arrives for a cabinet meeting at the parliament in Athens yesterday.—AP/AFP

Italy, Greece on the brink Ally asks Berlusconi to quit • Global markets hold breath

ROME/ATHENS: Financial markets held their breath yesterday as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s reform-shy government teetered on the brink and debt-crippled Greece’s leaders struggled to put together a national unity government.

Silvio Berlusconi’s main coalition ally urged the Italian premier to step aside yesterday as political uncertainty in the euro-zone’s thirdlargest economy rocked financial markets for yet another day.

Berlusconi did not immediately respond, but he has repeatedly resisted all calls for his resignation before his term ends in 2013.

Berlusconi’s government is under intense pressure to enact quick reforms to shore up Italy’s defenses against Europe’s raging debt crisis. However, a weak coalition and doubts over Berlusconi’s leadership abilities have markets fearing a looming financial disaster in Italy, which could bring down the 17-nation euro-zone and shock the global economy.

Rome has displaced Athens as the epicentre of the euro-zone’s sovereign debt crisis, with government bond yields nearing unsustainable levels that could force the bloc’s third largest economy to seek a bailout that Europe cannot afford. “We asked him to step aside,

take a step to the side,” Northern League leader Umberto Bossi told reporters as he arrived ahead of a key vote in Parliament that could force Berlusconi’s resignation. Bossi is the volatile ally who brought down Berlusconi’s first conservative government in 1994.

Italian 10-year borrowing costs touched a new record of 6.71 percent yesterday, raising the risk that Rome’s massive debt- the second highest in Europe at 120 percent of gross domestic product-could spiral out of control.

“Now we are really reaching very dangerous levels ... We are above yield levels in the 10year where Portugal and Greece and Ireland issued their last bonds,” said Alessandro Giansanti, a rate strategist at ING. Under massive pressure to resign, Berlusconi faced a crucial vote on public finances in parliament that could sink his centre-right coalition if enough party rebels desert him. Five lawmakers in his PDL party said they would abstain, putting Berlusconi’s majority in danger. The main opposition parties said they would also abstain, allowing last year’s budget to be approved while highlighting the government’s weakness. The 75-yearold billionaire premier, battered by a series of

trials and sex scandals, may face a tough confidence vote this week even if he survives. Eurozone finance ministers, meeting in Brussels, agreed on Monday on a roadmap for boosting the 17-nation currency bloc’s 440-billion-euro ($600 billion) rescue fund to shield larger economies like Italy and Spain from a possible Greek default.

But with bond investors increasingly on strike, there are doubts about the efficacy of those complex leveraging plans. Countries outside the euro area kept up a chorus of pressure for more decisive action to stop the crisis spreading.

“The euro-zone needs to show the world it can stand behind its currency, it cannot just wait on developments in Athens and in Rome,” British finance minister George Osborne said. “ We must also make progress here in Brussels. If we don’t, that will continue to have very damaging effects on the entire European economy.” Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg added: “Europe is running dry on credibility and a solution to a high debt crisis must be lower debt. The responsibility for that falls with the country with high debt and that is obviously Greece and Italy.”

Distress signals from the bond market and

the European Central Bank showed the crisis is gathering pace alarmingly. Shifts in the Italian yield curve and a widening gap between the prices bondholders demand for Italian debt and what potential buyers are prepared to pay are flashing warning signs similar to those seen in Portugal, Greece and Ireland before high borrowing costs froze them out of debt markets.

In a sign that they are increasingly cut out of money markets, the ECB reported that Italian banks needed 111.3 billion euros in central bank funding in October, up from 104.7 billion euros in September and a mere 41.3 billion euros in June. Even the European Financial Stability Facility, the euro-zone’s bailout fund, had difficulty finding buyers for its top-notch AAA-rated paper on Monday, drawing barely enough bids for 3 billion euros of 10-year bonds issued to support Ireland.

EFSF head Klaus Regling cited a “very difficult” market climate and uncertainty about the fund’s future profile as factors in the weak demand. In Athens, wrangling continued to try to form an interim administration to save Greece from bankruptcy by enacting a second international bailout plan before early elections, after Socialist Prime Minister George

Papandreou agreed to step down.

Early signs that a deal was within reach on a “100-day” government to push the 130 billion euro bailout, including a “voluntary” 50 percent writedown on Greece’s debt to private sector bondholders, through parliament by February appeared to be fading over the choice of prime minister. Former ECB vicepresident Lucas Papademos was in talks with ruling Socialist and conservative opposition leaders on heading the government, but one sticking point was whether members of the main opposition New Democracy party would join the cabinet. In Brussels, the 27 European Union finance ministers were debating how to strengthen Europe’s shaky banks to cope with the sovereign debt shock without halting lending to the “real economy”.

Options on the table included offering state guarantees to borrower banks or injecting cash into the European Investment Bank, the EU’s soft-loan project finance arm, so that it can lend them more. A bank recapitalization agreed at last month’s EU summit will cost about 100 billion euros, the European Banking Authority (EBA) said, and some countries wanted a more flexible definition of capital to reduce the overall cost. — Reuters

OPEC ups demand view, says risk to downside LONDON: Oil producer group OPEC is investing in new supplies to meet rising consumption, even as it sees the risk to the demand outlook is on the downside because of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and slowing global economy.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in its 2011 World Oil Outlook increased its estimate of supplies, saying the amount of unused oil production that the 12-member group holds in reserve in case of supply shocks would double by 2015. World oil demand is expected to rise to 92.9 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2015 in OPEC’s reference case presented in the report, up 1.9 million bpd from last year’s forecast. Actual oil demand averaged 86.8 million bpd in 2010.

But the report cited an array of challenges for the global economy such as waning monetary stimulus, the euro zone debt crisis and signs that emerging countries-expected to drive oil demandare not immune to worsening economic conditions. “All this has led to heightened downside risks for the world economy,” OPEC Secretary General Abdullah Al-Badri wrote in an introduction to the 287-page annual report published yesterday.

OPEC, which pumps more than a third of the world’s oil, is typically more conservative on oil demand than other forecasters such as the International Energy Agency. The IEA is due to issue

its own long-term energy outlook today.

“It is worth stressing that risks appear skewed towards the downside, especially since the sovereign debt crisis in some EU countries seems to be spreading and the world economy slowing down further, with potential consequences for the global financial system,” OPEC said.

Increased political uncertainty in Italy, where Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is under pressure to resign, has added to turmoil in Europe from the Greek crisis, which has hit markets in recent weeks.OPEC’s report looks out to 2035, when it expects world oil demand to reach almost 110 million bpd in the reference case. Last year’s report stopped at 2030, when it foresaw demand of 106 million bpd. The report assumes an oil price of $85$95 a barrel this decade, up from a $75-$85 assumption last year and below yesterday’s session high of more than $116 for Brent crude.

Oil reached a high so far in 2011 of $127 a barrel in April as the conflict in OPEC member Libya shut down its supplies. OPEC said speculators-whom it often blames for influencing the market-had exaggerated the impact of price moves earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf OPEC allies raised production unilaterally after failing at the group’s last meeting in June to convince other members to agree a coordinated increase to meet the Libyan

shortfall. As a result, OPEC’s unused production capacity declined to about 4 million bpd for part of this year, the report said.

OPEC estimated its spare capacity would double from that level and reach 8 million bpd in the medium term to 2015 as Libyan supply recovers and as a result of investments by other OPEC countries to expand output.

The report said member countries had provided details of 132 projects they were planning from 2011-2015, which would result in investment close to $300 billion in that period if all the ventures are developed. “Regardless of all the challenges and uncertainties, OPEC member countries continue to invest in additional capacities,” the report said.

The report reiterated OPEC’s view that Libyan output would return to pre-war levels relatively quickly-in 15 months or less. Libya produced 1.6 million bpd in January before the civil war.

Supply is also expected to rise from countries outside OPEC, and the report saw demand for OPEC crude climbing slowly to 31.3 million bpd in 2015, up 500,000 bpd from last year’s forecast.

OPEC has often made clear that carrying spare capacity can be a huge financial risk. The report stressed that producers were concerned about the impact on demand of consumer countries’ energy and climate policies. — Reuters

NEW YORK: A taxi drives past a Bank of America branch in New York. The US financial giant Bank of America is considering selling more of its shares in China’s China Construction Bank (CCB) in order to shore up its capital, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. — AFP

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787 Dreamliner, Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey to make Middle East debut at air show DUBAI: The Boeing Company’s presence at the 2011 Dubai Airshow will include the Middle East debut of the 787 Dreamliner, the world’s most advanced passenger jet, and the innovative Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The two aircraft will be part of a formidable lineup of defense and commercial products and services designed to meet the needs of Middle East customers. The show runs Nov. 13-17 at Dubai’s Airport Expo.

“The Middle East has demonstrated extraordinary resilience in the face of the global economic slowdown, and this is reflected in the significant growth experienced in both the commercial aviation and defense sectors,” said Jeffrey Johnson, president, Boeing Middle East. “As we look to the future, we see a high level of potential to further grow our regional capabilities, and we remain committed to working closely with our customers and partners here to help them achieve their goals.”

On the defense side, the range of Boeing platforms in service with the

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces that will be on display at the show includes a UAE Land Forces AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, a

UAE Air Force C-17 Globemaster III strategic transport aircraft, and a UAE Special Operations Command CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift transport

helicopter.

The V-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter and fly like an airplane, will

make demonstration flights to showcase its capabilities, as will the AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance helicopter. A Turkish Air Force Boeing 737

Mercedes-Benz sales up 26% New models, strong SUV performance boost new product sales DUBAI: Mercedes-Benz Middle East & Levant has carried the momentum from the start of its 125th Anniversary year

into Q3 with monthly sales reaching a high last experienced in 2008.

Mercedes-Benz’ impressive roster of

new models launched this year, including SLK Roadster, C-Coupe, CLS and CClass Facelift have contributed to very positive sales while Mercedes-Benz’ SUVs too have performed strongly, with sales up 18% across all models in the range.

In addition, the executive E-Class sedan and the world’s best selling luxury sedan, the S-Class have also come to the fore, driven mainly by the strong product offering of the Business Edition and AMG Sports Package options available.

Looking across the region, the threepointed star shines brightest in Qatar and Kuwait, where Mercedes-Benz is outperforming both markets, while Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi retain their strong market position with consistent sales performance. In spite of difficult market environments in Lebanon and Jordan, these have not hindered further solid sales figures for Mercedes-Benz in the Levant. Frank Bernthaler, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Middle East & Levant said: “As we head into the final quarter of our anniversary year, we are delighted to record our best month since 2008. We must congratulate our regional distributor network for achieving this and underline the importance of compliance in everything we do, which has further catalysed our sales success while supporting our long-term goal to achieve profitable growth and higher customer satisfaction.”

Iran October inflation rises to 19.1 percent TEHRAN: Iran’s annual inflation rate in the month to October 22 climbed to 19.1 percent from 18.3 percent a month earlier, state broadcaster IRIB quoted Central Bank Governor Mahmoud Bahmani as saying yesterday. Bahmani predicted inflation would fall in early 2012. Inflation has risen steadily since hitting a 25-year low of 8.8 percent in August 2010 and some economists say it could accelerate following government moves to slash subsidies on essential goods.

Iran’s economy is facing hardship because of sanctions imposed over its disputed nuclear program, which many countries fear is a cover for building bombs. Iran says its nuclear work is aimed at generating power to meet booming demand. Bahmani said in August that the country would see inflation fall in coming months, hoping that the figure would fall into single digits within one year.

Iran started to phase out subsidies on food and fuel in December 2010. The price of gasoline rose seven-fold overnight when the cuts were made. Electricity, gas, water and food have also shown sharp rises. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has denied the policy will fuel inflation and lead to economic hardship and says poorer Iranians will be net beneficiaries thanks to direct subsidy payments. —Reuters

Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Peace Eagle and an F-15 Strike Eagle will be on static display during the show.

On the commercial side, Boeing’s game-changing 787 Dreamliner will be showcased for the first time in the Middle East and will remain on static display during the show. Boeing has a backlog of 131 Dreamliners on order from customers in the region.

Boeing customer Qatar Airways will have a Boeing 777-200LR(Longer Range) on static display and flydubai will showcase its Next-Generation 737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior, while a privately owned Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) also will be present.

Boeing will hold a series of media briefings and activities during the show. The company also is co-sponsoring the Middle East Air Chiefs Conference and the Engineering Student of the Year Award - part of the Flight Global Awards - both of which take place on Saturday, Nov. 12.

Kuwait Energy reports $47.9 million revenues KUWAIT: Kuwait Energy Company, one of the fastest growing, independent, oil and gas exploration and production companies in the Middle East, announced unaudited revenues of $47.9 million for the third quarter of 2011, up 33.8% from Q3 2010 and up 3% from Q2 2011. Two gas and condensate discoveries in the KEC-operated GPZZ-4 and Al Ahmadi-1 wells in the Abu Sennan concession, Egyptian Western Desert. The two new discoveries bring the total number of discoveries in Egypt, by KEC, to 13.

In Iraq, KEC is currently evaluating the 12 exploration blocks that will be tendered in the upcoming petroleum licensing bid round, due to take place on March 7-8, 2012. Major milestone achieved in the development of the Lower Bahariya reservoir in the Shahd-2ST well located in the East Ras Qattara concession, Egypt. The current average gross production from the well is 4,400 barrels of oil per day.

The company statement also reported completion of partial divestment of 15% working interest in the Mesaha concession, Egypt to Beach Energy. Kuwait Energy retains a 15% working interest. The Company also announced daily average working interest production for Q3 2011 of 13,568 barrels of oil equivalent, a 5.2% increase from the previous quarter and up 3% from Q3 2010, primarily due to the return of production from the company’s oil producing asset in Russia, after construction of a new bridge for transportation purposes was completed, as well as an added 4,400 barrels of oil per day (gross) of production from Shahd-2ST well in the ERQ field, Egypt as of early September 2011.

“We’ve had new successes during the month of September 2011 with encouraging flow rates from our two Egyptian discoveries. We’ve also sustained production levels and completed our planned development and exploration activities for the quarter.

As we move forward, we will continue to focus on growth in the MENA region and within our existing operations, specifically in Egypt, Iraq and Yemen,” said KEC CEO Sara Akbar. Headquartered in Kuwait, Kuwait Energy Company is one of the few independent oil and gas exploration and production companies operating in the Middle East. Established in 2005, and profitable since inception, Kuwait Energy has oil and gas assets in eight countries namely: Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Oman, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia and Pakistan. Kuwait Energy’s proven and probable working interest reserves at year end 2010 were 48.8 million barrels of oil equivalent. —KUNA

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2720000 .4370000 .3760000 .3080000 .2680000 .2840000 .0040000 .0020000 .0745780 .7265880 .3810000 .0700000 .7122870 .0040000 .0430000

.2780000 .4500000 .3880000 .3190000 .2770000 .2930000 .0072500 .0035000 .0753270 .7338900 .4010000 .0760000 .7194450 .0072000 .0530000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2747000 .27680000 GB Pound/KD .4398910 .4432540 Euro .3784400 .3813340 Swiss francs .3108870 .3132640 Canadian dollars .2707200 .2727900 Danish Kroner .0508600 .0512490 Swedish Kroner .0417030 .0420220 Australian dlr .2861550 .2883430 Hong Kong dlr .0353550 .0356250 Singapore dlr .2164530 .2181070 Japanese yen .0035180 .0035450 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0056490 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0025200 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0032340 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0036520 UAE dirhams .0748200 .0753920 Bahraini dinars .7289370 .7345130 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3915130 Saudi Riyal/KD .0732730 .0738330 Omani riyals .7137850 .7192410 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0065050

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.587 5.983 3.196 2.502 3.501 217.340 35.553 3.616 6.423 8.993 0.271 0.273

GCC COUNTRIES 73.683 75.921 717.680 733.890 75.238

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 48.750 46.241 1.264 193.820 390.200 185.400 5.965 34.525

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 276.200 Euro 383.920 Sterling Pound 447.310 Canadian dollar 274.830 Turkish lire 155.540 Swiss Franc 310.690 Australian dollar 284.710 US Dollar Buying 275.000

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH 288.200 734.170 3.730 275.300 542.200 36.700 52.000 167.800 48.140 383.600 36.230 5.940 0.032 0.223 0.240 3.630 391.780 0.187 90.870 46.200 4.250 222.500 1.789

50.300 717.040 3.270 6.590 76.370 73.710 218.260 37.370 2.608 446.800 42.900 309.600 5.500 9.380 198.263 75.270 276.400 1.200

716.860 3.200 6.410 75.940 73.710 218.260 37.370 2.501 444.800 308.100 5.500 9.190 75.170 276.000

10 Tola

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 444.600 276.000

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL DRAFT 286.700 734.170 3.618 273.800

218.300 46.284 382.100 36.080 5.615 0.032

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro 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

287.21 275.23 316.55 381.23 442.15 3.59 3.632 5.584 2.505 3.501 3.208 75.13 734.15 46.28 392.66 717.30 76.11 73.70

288.00 275.00 317.00 385.00 446.00 3.62 3.705 5.900 2.608 4.250 3.350 75.50 735.00 48.10 392.00 717.00 76.50 74.00

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 391.170 0.186 90.870 3.520 221.000

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate 273.850 277.615 442.140 389.790 317.635 726.070

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

74.535 75.165 72.990 385.475 45.923 2.482 5.619 3.164 3.606 6.425 671.723 3.710 9.070 5.765 3.560 90.965

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,857.080

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

GOLD 316.500 160.000 82.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

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 275.900 Pak Rupees 3.205 Indian Rupees 5.600 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.515 Bangladesh Taka 3.630 Philippines Peso 6.475 UAE Dirhams 75.220 Saudi Riyals 73.730 Bahraini Dinars 733.500 Egyptian Pounds 46.290 Pound Sterling 446.300 Indonesian Rupiah 3.190 Yemeni Riyal 1.550 Jordanian Dinars 392.000 Syrian Pounds 5.750 Euro 384.100 Canadian Dollars 276.400 Nepali rupee 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 275.550 Euro 382.400 Pound Sterling 443.300 Canadian Dollar 273.900 Japanese Yen 3.555 Indian Rupee 5.608 Egyptian Pound 46.225 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.500 Bangladesh Taka 3.620 Philippines Peso 6.430 Pakistan Rupee 3.205 Bahraini Dinar 733.850 UAE Dirham 75.100 Saudi Riyal 73.550 *Rates are subject to change

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weekly commodities

Gold regaining its safe haven status

By Ole Hansen KUWAIT: The political shenanigans played out by the Greek Prime Minister this week renewed worries about the health of the European financial system.

Papandreou initially called for a referendum which could have led to Greece rejecting the debt plan agreed to just a few days ago. This could have triggered an unruly default which would have had serious consequences for the Euro area and beyond.

In the end the referendum was scrapped after other European leaders in no uncertain terms told Greece that it was not going to get any more money if the referendum passed and it would effectively amount to a decision on whether Greece would remain in the euro-zone.

In a spectacular resemblance to 2008 the European Central Bank under the new President Draghi slashed official rates by one quarter of a percent, just a few short months after having raised them. All previous rate changes in the ECB’s twelveyear history have all been “pre-announced” while this one came out of the blue highlighting the worries about downside risks to growth, which are now taking hold within the region.

Traders across all asset classes struggled to make heads or tails of all the headlines and events of the week with volatility staying at elevated levels making trading increasingly difficult. The decision to scrap the Greek referendum, the ongoing G20 meeting and the ECB rate cut however all helped risk sentiment ahead of the weekend with stocks and commodities winning back some of what was lost earlier.

Against this backdrop commodities gave back some of the gains from the previous couple of weeks with the Reuters Jeffries CRB index losing 0.9 percent. The dollar recovered sharply as euphoria turned to despair thereby removing the support commodities normally receive from this adverse relation. The soft sector, especially cotton, sugar and coffee, was knocked back while gold having fully recovered from the September onslaught regained some of its safe haven status, while some geopolitical tension supported oil.

Gold received a boost from renewed worries about the stability of the euro-zone and the euro.

Some analysts raised the possibility that the European Central Bank, much against the wish of some of its members, could begin some sort of quantitative easing in order to help pull the eurozone out of the deep freezer. Real bond yields (adjusted for inflation) remain negative in more than half of the G20 nations thereby supporting non interest/dividend paying assets like gold.

Having spent the last month recovering from the sell-off during September this week saw a move back above 1,700 dollars which pleased both technical and fundamental traders with most now believing the worst is behind us. During the previous two major corrections since 2008 it took 6 1/2 and 5 months respectively to climb back to a new high.

Considering the latest correction was the greatest of the three we would therefore be surprised to see a new high before year end. Further consolidation seems to be in order ahead of our year-end target of 1,900 with gold already showing an impressive 24 percent return on the year.

Crude oil consolidating The price of WTI crude oil reached the highest level in three months as it managed to hold onto recent gains above 90 dollars despite the strengthening dollar and renewed worries about Europe. The discount to Brent crude has stabilized around $17 from an October peak above $25 as the tightness in the European market continues to ease. Fundamentally we do not see much value above current levels given the uncertain economic climate but with speculative longs back to the highest level since June the completion of a technical move towards the 100-105 dollar area on WTI cannot be ruled out while a close below $90 would signal consolidation in between $85 and $95.

Iran posing a geopolitical risk With the Libyan conflict over attention has turned back to Iran and its nuclear program with Israel and US rhetoric rising ahead of a report next week from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Talks about a pre-emptive strike against its nuclear installations are being voiced again by Israel on concerns that Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons, something that Tehran has denied.

If the report from the IAEA should conclude that Iran is working on developing weapons the risk of an attack would increase thereby raising the potential for a spike in oil prices.

The price of US produced natural gas remains stuck near the lowest levels in nine years as the inventory levels ahead of the winter withdrawal season are close to last year’s record. The revolution in shale gas extraction which the market has witnessed over the last few years has increased production and lead to a year long decline in prices. Shale gas is natural gas that is trapped within shale formations and the US Energy Information Administration predicts that production will continue to grow over the coming decades.

With production continuing to increase demand will have to follow suit in order to avoid further price declines. Price bulls will therefore have to bet on a pick-up in industrial use combined with colder than expected weather in the coming winter in order to see higher prices. The chart below shows the average price over the next twelve months is trading near the October 2010 lows and could become entrenched unless the above mentioned demand picks up.

Global food prices ease Agricultural commodity prices continued the month-long decline in October with the UN FAO World Food Price Index falling 4 percent to an 11month low, with the year on year change now running at 5.5 percent. —Saxo Bank

Kuwait budget on track for KD 9 billion surplus Revenues well above target

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s 5-month August follow-up statements on fiscal year 2011/12 (FY11/12) reveal a 2.4% year on year (y/y) growth in total government spending. Growth in demandimpacting spending, the more vital spending categories, was marginally higher at 3%.

Meanwhile, total revenues grew a notable 44% mostly driven by higher oil prices and receipts. Five months into the year, Kuwait’s budget revealed a massive surplus of KD 8 billion.

We forecast the FY11/12 surplus (before RFFG) to be near KD 9 billion.

Total expenditures were KD 3.7 billion in the first 5 months of FY11/12, up 2.4%. The state

has spent 19% of its budget so far in the year, a spending pace well in line with the 5-year average.

Spending on chapter 1, wages and salaries, was KD 897 million, rising 7.7%. The government had approved a series of salary hikes that were on top of the usual annual salary increases. According to the budget, spending on this chapter is projected to grow 24%.

Total spending on chapter 2, goods and services, came at KD 435 million, down 34% y/y. The decline was mostly led by lower oil expenses for the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW ) which typically makes up more than two thirds of chapter 2

spending. MEW’s spending is projected to fall slightly in FY11/12 despite a higher oil price assumption in the budget.

Spending on chapter 3, vehicles and equipment, was only KD 8 million. This chapter remains a small (and volatile) spending category with minor impact on aggregate figures.

Spending on chapter 4, projects, maintenance and land purchases, totaled KD 435 million in the 5 months of the FY11/12, which marks the second year of the development plan. This chapter shows a slight y/y decline thus far, yet at 15% of budget remains in line with the historic average. We do know that spending (and reporting) should

generally pick up in the second half of the fiscal year. Chapter 5, transfers and miscellaneous expenditures, reached KD 2 billion, up 15.4% (+KD 225 million) compared to the same period of FY10/11. According to the budget, this chapter is projected to grow 25%.

Transfers to social security (PIFSS) accounted for most of the spending increase in this chapter but transfers abroad were up significantly as well.

Meanwhile, revenues reached almost KD 12 billion and already make up 88% of the projection for the whole year. The increase was largely driven by strong oil receipts. Oil revenues accounted for 95% of total revenues.

Merkel, Medvedev open strategic gas pipeline LUBMIN, Germany: The leaders of Germany and Russia are opening a 7.4 billion euros ($10.2 billion) natural gas pipeline that links western Europe directly with Siberia’s vast gas reserves.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Dmitry Medvedev met Tuesday in the village of Lubmin on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, where the 760-mile (1,200-k ilometer) Nord Stream underwater pipeline reaches land. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte also attended the ceremony in a sign of the political importance of Europe’s newest energy link, meant to strengthen the security of gas supplies.

The pipeline is to ferry the gas from Vyborg, near St. Petersburg in northern Russia, under the Baltic to Lubmin. That creates a direct link between the Russian and western European networks circumventing sometimes troublesome traditional overland transit routes through Ukraine, Belarus and Poland. Once the project is complete, gas will flow to Europe through two pipelines. The first line, being inaugurated Tuesday, will have an annual capacity of 27.5 billion cubic meters.

That volume will double once the second line is completed expected next year. Nord Stream says it’s the world’s longest underwater pipeline. Russia’s Gazprom OAO holds 51 percent of Nord Stream, while German energy companies E.ON Ruhrgas AG and Wintershall AG each hold 15.5 percent. Dutch company Nederlandse

LUBMIN: French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, CEO of German energy company E.on Johannes Teyssen, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Netherland’s Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and EU Commissioner for Energy Guenther Oettinger (from left) officially open the Nord Stream pipeline in Lubmin at the Baltic Sea, Germany, yesterday. —AP Gasunie NV and France’s GDF Suez hold 9 percent each.

Europe currently gets about 25 percent of its natural gas from Russia, which sits on the world’s largest reserves. The gas is mostly ferried through Soviet- era pipelines crossing the Baltic states, Poland and Ukraine. “Nord Stream improves the safety of our energy supply - not only for Germany but for Europe as a whole,” German Economy Minister Philip Roesler said before the opening. The new pipeline received high-level political backing in Germany, and former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder went on to work for the consortium building the pipeline after he left

office in 2005. But officials in Poland and Ukraine, bypassed by the pipeline, have given the project at best a lukewarm welcome. The new pipeline will undercut Ukraine’s leverage in a long-running dispute about Russia’s gas and transit fees.

When the long-simmering dispute between Moscow and Kiev escalated in 2009, Western Europe was taken by surprise as Ukraine cut off the pipelines, causing supply interruptions in the middle of the winter. Building of the Nord Stream pipeline was started in April 2010. Each of the two pipelines consists of 100,000 steel pipes laid on the seabed. — AP

Australia passes disputed carbon pollution tax SYDNEY: Australia’s parliament approved a controversial pollution tax yesterday, after years of bitter debate over the reform which is aimed at lowering carbon emissions blamed for climate change.

Cheers and applause broke out as the upper house Senate passed the Clean Energy Act, requiring Australia’s coal-fired power stations and other major emitters to “pay to pollute” from July 1 next year.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said it was the culmination of a “quarter of a century of scientific warnings, 37 parliamentary inquiries and years of bitter debate and division.” “Today Australia has a price on carbon as the law of our land,” she said as the tax, which scraped through the lower house last month, was approved by the Senate in a 36-32 vote. “Today we have made history-after all of these days of debate and division, our nation has got the job done.”

Gillard said the scheme-which will levy a price of Aus$23 ($23.80) per ton on carbon pollution before moving to an emissions trading scheme in 2015 would begin to address “the devastating impacts of climate change”. She said the reforms, which include investments in renewable energy sources, would result in Australia cutting its carbon emissions by 160

million tons in 2020 — equivalent to taking 45 million cars off the road. The government hopes the levy will create economic incentives for the biggest polluters to reduce their emissions but acknowledges that businesses will factor the carbon price into the cost of their goods and services.

To offset this, much of the revenue raised from the tax in the first three years will provide for higher family payments, pension boosts and income tax cuts to help pay for the higher cost of living. Only New Zealand and the European Union have taken comparable economy-wide action by introducing cap-andtrade schemes, and the tax will put mining-driven Australia at the forefront of efforts in the Asia-Pacific.

“This is a big achievement, coming at an opportune time,” said Professor John Quiggin, an economics and tax specialist from the University of Queensland.

“With South Korea planning to follow suit, momentum towards carbon emission reductions in the Asia Pacific is starting to build.” Yesterday’s senate vote caps a tumultuous period in Australian politics, largely centerd on how the vast nation, which is among the world’s worst per capita polluters, should tackle carbon emissions linked to global warming. — AFP

Kuwait export crude (KEC) averaged around $108 pb in the first 5 months of FY11/12 well above the average of the same period last year. Non-oil revenues totaled KD 546 million, up 11% (+KD 55 million) y/y. The increases were led by “miscellaneous revenues and fees” most likely due to compensation payments from the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC). Kuwait had received two large payments from the UNCC in recent months.

Meanwhile, “land sales” and “property fees”, though small categories, saw decent increases compared to last year. Other revenue categories were down or flat at best.

Bahrain Petroleum sets 2012 gasoil, jet term prices SINGAPORE: Bahrain Petroleum Co (Bapco) has finalized its term contracts for gasoil and jet lifting in 2012, with premiums higher than this year, industry sources said yesterday.

Term prices for 2012 were set at a premium of $3 a barrel for gasoil and a premium of $1.75 a barrel for jet fuel to benchmark Middle East quotes, they said. This is higher than this year’s term prices at $2.10 a barrel for gasoil and $1.25 a barrel for jet fuel, an increase of about 40 percent.

Volumes are consistent with 2011 contracts at about 700,000 to 1 million tons a year, one of the sources said.

Buyers are not known but include traders and oil majors, he said. Current term buyers include Trafigura, Vitol, Addax Petroleum, Independent Petroleum Group, Galana Oil, BB Energy, Shell and BP, a second source said. With term negotiations starting in the Middle East, this will likely set the tone for the prices, a trader said.

“The numbers look a bit higher, but credible and doable judging from the fact that Bapco gives an operation flexibility and buyers may be willing to pay slightly higher for that,” he said.

In the spot market in the Middle East, premiums for the 500 ppm sulfur gasoil which is used for power generation, are expected to ease as seasonal demand ebbs in the fourth quarter. Premiums for the grade were stable around $3.25 a barrel. — Reuters

Oil up over $115, Iran, Italy eyed LONDON: Oil prices rose over $115 yesterday on the back of strong seasonal fundamentals, as investors weighed the prospect of supply disruption from Iran against concerns over Italy’s sovereign debt risk. Brent crude futures were up $1.13 a barrel to $115.69 by 0851 GMT, after pushing up to $115.83 as London traders arrived at their desks.

Brent settled $2.59 higher on Monday at $114.56, its highest in more than seven weeks. US crude was up 76 cents at $96.28 a barrel.“There are several factors at play, some are offsetting each other but the general trend is to the upside,” said Carsten Fritsch, an energy analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.“ We have a temporary solution to the Greek political crisis, strong seasonal demand for heating oil, low gasoil stockpiles in Europe, low distillate stockpiles in the US, and China becoming a net diesel importer in November.

“There is also the geopolitical risk from the Iran nuclear program - all these factors are supporting oil prices.” Iran’s dispute with the West intensified ahead of a report from the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that is expected to show Iran’s nuclear program is being geared towards weapons manufacture. On the demand side, China’s top refineries plan to raise their crude oil throughput in November to the highest in a year, as state oil firms ramp up operations amid domestic diesel shortages and the restart of a key plant after maintenance.

Market participants are awaiting Chinese inflation data due out today to assess the chance of policy easing in the world’s second-biggest oil consumer. China’s annual inflation is expected to ease to 5.5 percent in October, the third straight month of decline from a three-year high of 6.5 percent in July, as food price rises cool. “It’s fundamentals that are driving us higher,” agreed Todd Gross, co-founder of Hudson Capital Group in the United States.

“Gasoil supplies are low in certain parts of the world, everything is now backdated from gasoline to crude and we’re heading into the biggest demand month of the year-global demand is 1-2 million barrels per day higher in December than it is in October...Oil is driving its own bus.” — Reuters

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UK stores fret over Xmas as M&S profit plunges UK Oct like-for-like retail sales down

LISBON: Trains sit idle outside Lisbon’s Santa Apolonia station, background left, during a strike by public transport workers yesterday in Lisbon. The strike shut down national train services and the Lisbon subway yesterday in the latest major protest against austerity measures designed to reduce the country’s crippling debt burden. —AP

Portuguese transport services hit after strike LISBON: Public transport services were severely disrupted across Portugal yesterday as workers went on strike over a government program of tough austerity measures to help Portugal survive the euro crisis. Not a single subway station in Lisbon was open at 0600 GMT and no trains were scheduled to run before 1000 GMT, transport authorities said.

Bus services in Lisbon and the northern city of Porto were due to stop running for six hours from 1000 GMT. Maritime transport services in Lisbon are also due to be affected between 1400 GMT and 1730 GMT. Most train services across the country were also heavily disrupted with “nearly 100 percent” of staff observing the strike, according to unions. Only one service linking Lisbon to Madrid was running.

Workers are protesting a severe aus-

terity program which Portugal’s centreright government has said it will implement in return for 78-billion-euro bailout it received in May from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

Proposed cuts include the temporary suspension of 13th and 14th month salary payments for civil servants and pensioners who earn more than 1,000 euros a month. Private sector employees will be requested to work half an hour more per day, VAT will rise, while the health and education budgets will be slashed. Both the opposition Socialist party and the Portuguese public have voiced loud objections to the reforms.

Demonstrations by civil servants and the military are expected to take place in Lisbon on Saturday and Portugal’s two main unions have called for a general strike on November 24. — AFP

Moody’s downgrades Cyprus’ top 3 banks NICOSIA: International ratings agency Moody ’s yesterday downgraded Cyprus’ three most Greece-exposed commercial banks because of the country’s diminished ability to back them up.

Moody ’s downgraded Mar fin Popular Bank by three notches to Ba2 and cut Bank of Cyprus and Hellenic Bank by one notch to Ba1. The agency added that the three banks, which are the island’s largest lenders, could be downgraded again. The downgrade illustrates how the Cypriot economy is caught in a vicious spiral - last week, Moody’s cut the Cyrpru’s sovereign credit rating by two notches, to Baa3, over what it said was the increased likelihood that its banks may need government support next year.

Another cut and Cyprus’ sovereign rating will be considered junk, raising fears that the small island may need to get a financial bailout from its partners in the euro-zone. Cyprus is trying to push through parliament a raft of spending cuts and tax increases worth euros 840 million ($1.2 billion) that aim to shrink the deficit - now around 6.5 percent of gross domestic product to under 3 percent of GDP next year.

Finance Minister Kikis Kazamias told state radio yesterday that more austerity measures are in the offing in light of the worsening economic outlook throughout the euro-zone, but he did not provide details.

To make matters worse, high interest rates on Cypriot sovereign bonds

have made it increasingly costly for the government to borrow from the markets to service its debt and cover costs. Cyprus, with GDP of around 18.74 billion euros ($25.75 billion), has turned to Russia for a 4 1/2-year, € 2.5 billion ($3.44 billion) loan agreement at a 4.5 percent annual interest rate which is much lower than markets are currently offering. Moody ’s said Marfin’s higher exposure to Greek government bonds compared with the other two banks makes it more likely that it would require a government cash infusion.

It said Marfin’s losses would more than double as a result of last month’s European debt deal for Greece which foresees a 50 percent write-off on money the countr y owes private bondholders. That means Mar fin would need more than € 1 billion ($1.37 billion) to meet minimum capital base requirements outlined by both the Cyprus Central Bank and the European Banking Authority. Moody’s said raising that amount of money could prove difficult given the anxiety now gripping markets.

Moody’s said the Bank of Cyprus and Hellenic Bank, which are both less exposed to Greece’s weak sovereign bonds than Marfin, could cover their losses from the proposed debt deal write-off without needing external help. But the agency warned that further haircuts on Greek bond holdings can’t be ruled out, piling on more pressure on banks. — AP

LONDON: Weak October sales and profit falls from top store groups Marks & Spencer Plc and Primark frayed British retailers’ nerves yesterday ahead of the key Christmas trading period.

Industry group the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said a 0.6 year-on-year fall in October sales from stores open more than a year augured badly for the festive season.

“This is evidence of the basic weakness of consumer confidence and demand and (is) worrying this close to Christmas,” BRC Director General Stephen Robertson said. He urged finance minister George Osborne to ease the pressure on shoppers and store groups alike by reining in planned increases in fuel duty and business rates.

While retailers are hopeful of stronger demand this Christmas than last, when sales were hit by heavy snow, analysts say recent weak trading has left stores with high stocks that could lead to a frenzy of discounting.

Britons have been curbing spending as disposable incomes are squeezed by rising prices, muted wages growth and government austerity measures, and as they worry about a stagnant housing market, job security and a fragile economic recovery.

Marks & Spencer (M&S), Britain’s biggest clothing retailer which also sells homewares and upmarket clothing, described the trading environment as “increasingly promotional” and said full-year gross profit margins would be flat as a result, at the bottom end of its guidance range.

“Our customers tell us they want to protect Christmas,” chief executive Marc Bolland said.

However, their feedback suggested they also plan to go out less, particularly around New Year’s Eve, he added. Analysts at brokerage Shore Capital said Christmas was shaping up to be a repeat of the past few years, with little growth and weaker players driven out of business. “Expect further failure from the weak; others will simply eat their market share,” they forecast. M&S, which serves 21 million Britons a week from around 700 stores and has over 350, mainly franchised, stores overseas, said profit before tax and one-off items fell 10 percent to 315.2 million pounds ($505 million) in the 26 weeks to Oct 1.

That was just ahead of analysts’ average forecast of 311 million, according to a company poll. Sales from British stores open more than a year fell 0.7 percent in the second quarter, the first quarterly decline for two years, with a 2.5 percent drop in general merchandise sales only partly offset by a 1 percent rise in food.

The 127-year-old group, which is revamping its stores and investing in both its online and overseas business, said it expected full-

LONDON: Marks & Spencer (M&S), Britain’s biggest clothing retailer which also sells home-wears and upmarket clothing, described the trading environment as “increasingly promotional.” year capital spending would reach between 700 million pounds and 750 million, down from its previous guidance of 900 million.

Analysts said the results were broadly in line with expectations, following recent profit downgrades, and M&S shares rose more than 4 percent in early trading.

“Whilst we are disappointed by the lacklus-

ECB’s Stark takes swipe at bond-buying program FRANKFURT: European Central Bank chief economist Juergen Stark appeared to hit out once more at the bank’s controversial bond-buying program yesterday, saying the crisis was no excuse for the bank to overstep its mandate.

“The intensity of the crisis must not be used as a pretext to throw principles overboard that guarantee the long-term economic stability in the euro area,” Stark said in a speech prepared for delivery at a European forum in Lucerne. A copy of the speech was made available by the ECB in Frankfurt. “This is true for governments as it is for central banks. Red lines must not be crossed, otherwise what is a solution to today’s crisis will lay the basis for a new crisis tomorrow,” the economist said. Stark, 63, did not explicitly mention the ECB’s controversial decision to help bail out debt-wracked euro-zone countries by buying up their sovereign bonds.

But his shock announcement in September that he is standing down at the end of the year is widely seen by analysts and ECB watchers as a consequence of his vocal opposition to the bond-buying program.

“Little is to be gained if we blindly act a European level to ease the pressure on the markets in the short-term, but in

doing this jeopardize the long-term stability and ultimately the very existence of economic and monetary union,” Stark said. “Or if in misjudging structural problems, we offer excessive liquidity as a solution,” he added. Stark, who is set to be replaced by the current number two at the German finance ministry Joerg Asmussen, insisted the ECB “must not go beyond its mandate.” He said: “Its sole democratic legitimacy is in the safeguarding of price stability and it is solely for this reason that it has been made independent from political influence.”

At the same time, Stark defended the ECB’s decision to make unlimited liquidity available to euro-zone banks in the current crisis. “Aside from its interest-rate instrument, the ECB has reached to liquidity measures, the extent and modality of which I would have not been able to imagine in the years before the crisis,” he said. “But the measures will fully in accord with our price stability mandate,” Stark said. Nevertheless, the measures were “limited and are only justified for as long as the extraordinary conditions require,” he said.

Ultimately, it was up to governments to get to the root of the crisis, Stark insisted. — AFP

SocGen waives dividend on Greek write-down

MUMBAI: Bombay Stock Exchange employees watch as firecrackers go off during celebrations outside the BSE headquarters in Mumbai yesterday. Brokers and BSE officials were celebrating the Derivatives trading crossing the 1,000 crore rupee ($204 million) mark. — AFP

PARIS: French bank Societe Generale said yesterday it was scrapping its 2011 dividend and making a “significant” cut to bonuses after a tough third quarter owing to a Greek debt write-down.

The market welcomed this clearing of the decks and SocGen shares surged 7.77 percent to 18.85 euros on Paris’s benchmark CAC 40 index at 1100 GMT. Thirdquarter net profits were down 30.6 percent to 622 million euros ($856 million), Societe Generale, France’s secondbiggest banking group, said in a statement. Faced with a European Union requirement to boost its core capital ratio to nine percent of overall assets by the end of June, the bank said its board would propose not distributing a dividend for 2011.

The move will allow SocGen to save about 500 million euros and will mark the first time the bank has not issued a dividend since its privatization in 1987. “ We are giving priority to the strengthening of the group’s capital,” CEO Frederic Oudea said in the statement, adding that this year would also see “a significant decline in performancelinked pay.”

“What we had to do this quarter was to show that we were able to move forward to prepare” to meet the recapitalization requirement, SocGen financial director Didier Valet said. Like larger French rival BNP Paribas, the bank said it

ter Q2 trading and a downgrade to earnings, we believe that self-help, new channels and effective marketing can yet lead to pleasant surprises on the upside,” the Shore Capital analysts said. Clothing chains have been feeling extra pressure from unseasonably warm weather, as well as from higher cotton prices and wage inflation in key manufacturing countries such as China.

Discount clothing chain Primark showed the pain from these costs with an 8 percent

had written down 60 percent of the amount of Greek sovereign debt it holds, the equivalent of 333 million euros before tax.

Under a deal reached with euro-zone leaders last month to tackle the ballooning Greek debt crisis, banks have agreed to write down at least 50 percent of the debt owed by Greece and to boost their capitalization. The bank said that it needed 2.1 billion euros, against an initial estimate of 3.3 billion euros, to meet the capitalization requirement by mid-2012.

It said it had sold 10 billion euros in toxic assets between July and November at a pre-tax cost of 121 million euros.

And it said it lowered its sovereign debt exposure to the troubled euro-zone countries of Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain (GIIPS) to a “particularly low level” of around 3.4 billion euros by the end of October. It said it had halved its exposure to GIIPS sovereigns since the start of the year. Given its moves, SocGen said it was “confident of being able to cover by June 30, 2012 the need to raise additional capital of 2.1 billion euros... through its own resources, without having to make a call on public funds.” Oudea said the bank hoped to further reduce its exposure to vulnerable sovereign debts. “A downward trend is inevitable,” he said of the longstanding tradition of European banks investing massively in public debts. — AFP

drop in adjusted operating profit to 309 million pounds for the year ended Sept. 17.

The chain, owned by Associated British Foods, said a recent fall in cotton prices should ease the pressure in the coming financial year, although that would take time to feed through. At 0810 GMT, AB Foods shares were up 0.5 percent. — Reuters

French official trade deficit up to $8.7bn PARIS: France reported yesterday an increased official trade deficit of 6.3 billion euros for September, up from 4.3 billion euros ($8.7 billion) in August, but noted a reduction in the deficit in the third quarter. The latest monthly data put France on track for a record trade deficit this year, in contrast to Germany which France is trying to match in economic performance but which has a big structural trade surplus. A surplus of exports over imports is one of the factors of growth in an economy, and the structural trade deficit in France is a big concern to policymakers.

In the 12 months to the end of September, France had a cumulative trade deficit of 67.655 billion euros compared with a deficit of 51.293 billion euros for the whole of last year. The draft budget for 2012 published at the end of September foresees a trade deficit this year of 73.1 billion euros, a record. The trade deficit dropped from 18.7 billion euros in the second quarter to 17 billion euros in the third, the French customs service said in a statement. “Aeronautical sales, which jumped in August, ebbed in September. After rising at the start of the summer, exports of other manufactured products also settled,” the statement said.

The third quarter saw “a general jump in exports, with the exception of pharmaceuticals and cars,” the statement said, noting that sales in industrial and agricultural equipment and in intermediary goods were “particularly dynamic”. But in September weak aerospace exports accounted for half of the fall in exports notably to other countries in the European Union, whereas exports to Asia and Africa were steady. The September deficit increase was in contrast to the performance by Germany, which reported yesterday that its trade surplus grew in September to 15.2 billion euros from 13.9 billion euros in August. — AFP

NEW YORK: Trader Anthony Cerar (right) works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stock markets advanced yesterday in the run-up to an Italian parliamentary vote that could determine whether Silvio Berlusconi remains the country’s premier — and if Rome is able to rein in its debts. — AP

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Asian shares mixed as fears for Italy intensify HONG KONG: Asian markets were mixed yesterday as Italy’s deepening debt and political crisis overshadowed progress by Greece, another stricken euro-zone member, towards installing a new government. Italy’s borrowing rates have soared to unsustainable levels with the yield on its 10-year government bonds hitting a record 6.676 percent on Monday, although it had eased slightly to 6.582 percent in Asia early yesterday.

“Politics are now keeping markets on edge,” said Khoon Goh, strategist at ANZ bank in Wellington. “Greece may still be hogging the headlines at present, but we could be moving from a

Greek crisis towards an Italian crisis if policymakers do not address the situation soon,” he told Dow Jones Newswires. The I taly situation weighed on the euro in Asian trade with the common currency dipping to $1.3737, compared with $1.3773 late Monday in New York and at 107.20 yen, from 107.52 yen.

The dollar was at 78.04 yen, from 78.03 yen. In Italy, the 17nation euro-zone’s third-largest economy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi came under mounting pressure to resign over his handling of the country’s economic troubles. In Greece however, the two main political parties were said to be on track to naming a new

premier and unity government as world leaders pressed for Athens to quickly agree to a bailout deal and avert a crippling default. Tokyo stocks fell 1.27 percent, or 111.58 points, to 8.655.51 while Seoul shed 0.83 percent, or 15.96 points, to 1,903.14.

But Sydney closed 0.48 percent, or 20.4 points, higher at 4,293.8 while Shanghai closed down 0.24 percent, or 5.96 points, at 2,503.84.

Hong Kong was flat, lifting 0.58 points, to 19,678.47.

Wall Street saw a late rally on the Greece progress, with the Dow ending 0.71 percent higher, the Nasdaq up 0.34 percent and the S&P 500 gaining 0.63 percent.

Under-pressure Berlusconi dismissed talk of his possible resignation as “baseless” and warned against calls for the creation of a national unity government like Greece, saying that it would be “the opposite of democracy”.

Berlusconi last week agreed to special oversight from the International Monetary Fund and European Union to ensure his government meets crucial targets to cut its $2.6 trillion debt. The country’s low growth rate and the debt mountain have stoked investor fears that Italy could be the next to fall in Europe’s ongoing crisis, which many fear could tip the world back into recession.

Eyes are also on a critical parliamentary budget vote scheduled for 1500 GMT as Europe pressures Rome to implement long-promised economic reforms to avert a debt blowup. In Tokyo the broader market was dragged down by a 29 percent slump for Olympus after the company said that a panel’s probe into some of its past deals found they were used to cover up huge losses on investments in the 1990s. The camera maker has now lost 70 percent of its value since its British former CEO raised questions about four takeovers and the payment of massive advisory fees.

On oil markets New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for deliv-

ery in December, dipped 13 cents to $95.39 per barrel.

Brent North Sea crude for December fell 21 cents to $114.35.

At 0810 GMT gold was higher at $1,785.75 an ounce against $1,763.55 late Monday.

Taipei fell 0.27 percent, or 20.93 points, to 7,600.79. Chunghwa Telecom rose 0.6 percent to Tw$100.5 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.67 percent lower at Tw$74.5.

Manila gained 1.00 percent, or 42.95 points, to 4,314.67. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co was up 1.87 percent at 3.27 pesos while San Miguel Corp. rose 1.01 percent to 119.20 pesos. —AP

Olympus admits hid losses for decades Gyrus and other M&A deals used to cover losses for years

BRUSSELS: Spain’s Finance Minister Elena Salgado (left) talks with European Commissioner for the Economy Olli Rehn at the start of an EU Finance Ministers meeting at the EU Council in Brussels yesterday. —AP

Italy too big to bail out: Austria BRUSSELS: Italy is too big to bail out, which is why Rome must make huge sacrifices, Austria’s finance minister said yesterday as IMF and EU inspectors start poring over the country’s books.

“Italy knows that given the size of the country, it can’t hope to get help from outside,” Maria Fekter told reporters as he arrived for a second day of talks among counterparts in Brussels. “That’s why these huge efforts are made in Italy at the moment.” Fekter was speaking just as the yield on Italian 10-year debt bonds rose to a new record of 6.73 percent in early trading and as embattled Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi faced a critical parliament vote on the country’s public finances.

The combination of Italy’s low growth rate and 1.9-trillion euro ($2.6-trillion) debt has fanned investor fears that Italy could be the next victim of Europe’s debt crisis even though its deficit is relatively low. EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said late Monday he wants immediate answers from the euro-zone’s third largest economy on its reform plans, and a first group of EU monitoring experts is expected in Italy yesterday or today. A defiant

Berlusconi Monday dismissed talk of his possible resignation as “baseless” and warned against calls for the creation of a unity government to steer a way out of the crisis, saying it would be “the opposite of democracy.” Lawmakers were expected to gather at 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) to approve last year’s budget-normally a procedural motion but one that has taken on extra significance in the current turmoil following a rebellion by some Berlusconi supporters. “Italy has put together a package of reforms, that now has to be approved by the parliament,” Fekter added of new measures promised to EU leaders at a summit last month but still to be fleshed out.

She said its industrial north means Italy “can do a lot through it own means,” but said it remained to be seen if a “problem of liquidity at the moment” would ultimately force it to “ask for” help from the EU’s European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).

The euro-zone rescue fund is capped at a lending capacity of 440 billion euros, although governments are studying ways to slice up its use and make it go further through fancy financial footwork called “leveraging.” —AFP

Loan guarantees pushing Bosnians to the brink SARAJEVO: Three years ago Suad Dzananovic signed on as a guarantor for a friend’s loan. Now he finds himself having to pay back not only his friend’s loan but also those of three other people he says he’s never met. The 46-year-old waiter explained that he had accepted to co-sign a loan as a guarantor for a friend who received 2,500 Bosnian marks (1,300 euros, $1,800) from a local small lender. He said his signature was later forged to hand out loans to three strangers who have now also defaulted, sending the lender to him to demand reimbursement. “One of those loans is 2,300 euros while my salary is 250 euros. I have nothing to give except my blood,” Dzananovic recounted in tears.

Desperate over his situation, he has sought advice from the association founded to help guarantors who have found themselves in such a similar situation.

The association’s president Joco Cvjetkovic said some 85,000 people in Bosnia have had to pay off loans incurred by people they helped get money as guarantors. Many complain of abuse by lenders, saying they are being forced

to pay back loans they never signed on for.

Following Bosnia’s 1992-95 war many lenders here demanded creditworthy guarantors as a condition for loans. It was easier legally to take money from a guarantor’s salary than seize a debtor’s assets.

Zedina, a 65-year-old teacher who did not want to give her last name, explained that she signed for a loan of 1,000 euros for a colleague but was later forced to pay back another loan of 10,000 euros for the daughter of that colleague.

She believes the contract was changed after she signed without her knowledge. As the financial crisis spread to the Balkans country and claimed Bosnian jobs many guarantors found themselves in a desperate situation and see no way out. Cvjetkovic said that since the association was founded in April 2010 at least 17 members have committed suicide. He blames lenders for being too lax in registering guarantors and handing out loans. “The laws are not bad if they were respected. The problem is that the banks gave credit to people who did not fulfill the conditions,” he explained. —AFP

TOKYO: Japan’s Olympus admitted yesterday it hid losses on securities investments dating back to the 1980s, bowing to weeks of pressure to explain a series of baffling transactions that have put the future of the firm in doubt. The revelations by the 92year-old maker of endoscopes and cameras appear to vindicate ex-CEO Michael Woodford, who has staged a campaign since being sacked on Oct. 14 to force the firm to come clean on nearly $1.5 billion in questionable payments.

Olympus President Shuichi Takayama blamed Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, who quit as president and chairman on Oct 26, VicePresident Hisashi Mori and internal auditor Hideo Yamada for the cover-up, saying he would consider criminal complaints against them.

“I was absolutely unaware of the facts I am now explaining to you,” a subdued Takayama, who had staunchly defended the deals when he took over from Kikukawa last month, told a news conference packed with some 200 journalists.

“The previous presentations were mistaken.” Olympus said it had found that funds related to its $2.2 billion purchase of British medical equipment maker Gyrus in 2008, which involved a huge advisory fee of $687 million, as well as payment of $773 million for three tiny domestic firms, were used to hide losses on the securities investments.

The investment in the three domestic firms was largely written off a few months after the deals closed. The disclosure leaves Olympus, its directors and its accountants open to possible criminal charges for suspected accounting fraud and shareholder suits, lawyers and analysts said, raising questions about the future of the firm, founded in 1919 as a microscope maker.

“This is very serious. Olympus admitted it has made false entries to cover its losses for 20 years. All people involved in this over 20 years would be responsible,” said Ryosuke Okazaki, chief investment officer at ITC Investment Partners. “There is a serious danger that Olympus shares will be delisted. The future of the company is extremely dark.”

Olympus’ announcement sent its shares tumbling 29 percent to a 16-year low yesterday. The company has lost 70 percent of its value, or $6 billion, since it fired Woodford, who had questioned the deals. The Briton had been

one of the few foreign CEOs of a Japanese blue chip. Olympus said it discovered the cover-up while working with an independent panel set up last week to investigate the deals. Kikukawa and Mori confessed to their roles on Monday night, Takayama said.

Mori was sacked earlier in the day while the internal auditor offered to resign. Olympus said it would decide whether others were responsible after further investigation. The independent panel’s head, retired Supreme Court justice Tatsuo Kainaka, told Reuters his team may recommend criminal charges in its report, to be completed early next month.

The Olympus affair-initially given little attention by most

concrete details, Takayama said he believed the company may have initiated the loss-postponing scheme when its earnings had taken a drastic turn for the worse, possibly during a period of yen strength.

Such a scheme may have involved creating a fund or special purpose vehicle to buy battered securities at book value, getting them off Olympus’ balance sheet. The cost to fund that scheme would have ballooned over time. Nippon Life Insurance, the biggest shareholder in Olympus, urged the company to be more transparent in its explanations.

“The members of the board appear to have breached their fiduciary duty owed to the com-

TOKYO: Olympus president Shuichi Takayama bows his head at a press conference in Tokyo yesterday. Olympus acknowledged wrongdoing for the first time in a scandal over fees paid in a series of deals. —AFP domestic media-is the biggest corporate scandal to hit Japan since a series of scandals at brokerages in the 1990s including one that led to the demise in 1997 of Yamaichi Securities, then the country’s fourth largest brokerage.

“It’s big. Olympus was supposed to be a paragon of corporate society,” said Darrel Whitten, managing director at Investor Networks Inc, an investor relations consultancy.

Takayama said he believed the loss-postponement scheme had started before the 1990s. The firm said it had funneled money related to the acquisitions through various funds and other measures to defer posting the unspecified losses, similar to practices seen after Japan’s bubble economy of soaring asset prices burst in 1990.

While Olympus did not offer

pany and to the shareholders,” said Keiji Isaji, an attorney with K&L Gates law firm in Tokyo.

A spokesman for the Tokyo Stock Exchange said the bourse needed more information before deciding whether to put Olympus shares under supervision, a step towards possible delisting.

The spokesman said Olympus needed to examine the size of the deferred losses and whether they had an impact on shareholder investment decisions before taking further action.

Lawyers said if Olympus had knowingly falsified its consolidated financial statements that were deemed material in nature, its representatives could face up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to 10 million yen. Legal experts also said outside auditors might be criminally liable. Reuters reported last week that Olympus

replaced its auditor, KPMG, in 2009 after a disagreement over how to account for the controversial acquisitions. In a confidential internal document obtained by Reuters, Kikukawa, the firm’s then president, wrote to Olympus executives in the United States and Europe, revealing there had been a disagreement with KPMG which he did not plan to disclose to the stock market.

In May 2009, Kikukawa announced the contract with KPMG had ended and that another global accounting firm, Ernst & Young, would take over. Ernst & Young said it had no comment on the Olympus disclosure.

Olympus has come under growing pressure to reveal more information to address shareholder concerns in the escalating scandal, which has prompted law enforcement agencies in Japan and the United States to investigate.

The company suddenly fired Woodford on Oct. 14, when he was just two weeks into the job, saying he failed to understand the company ’s management style or Japanese culture.

Woodford said he was forced out for questioning the $687 million paid for advice on the Gyrus acquisition, the biggest fee in M&A history and a departure from the 1-2 percent fee normally applied to the value of such deals.

He also questioned the acquisitions of the three small Japanese firms. Woodford told Reuters yesterday the Olympus board should resign. “The position of the board and non execs is untenable now,” Woodford said by phone from London. He added that it was his “desire” to return to manage the endoscope maker should shareholders wish to reinstate him.

Olympus, founded as a pioneering Japanese manufacturer of microscopes, branched into cameras in the 1930s and two decades later expanded into gastrocameras, which became its mainstay profit earner as its endoscopes captured 70 percent of the global market.

Some market players said yesterday’s disclosure could mean the worst of the news was over.

“But there are still investors who won’t take chances and will continue to sell their holdings so the company could fall to its book value, after which it could be a potential acquisition target,” said Fujio Ando, senior managing director at Chibagin Asset Management. —Reuters

India’s no-nonsense management guru Ram Charan NEW DELHI: Indian-born Ram Charan, known as one of the world’s most influential management gurus, has a simple take on the globe’s mounting financial troubles. “Until people face some constraints, they’ll keep pushing the boundaries and creating chaos,” the 72-year-old Charan said, shaking his head ruefully as he sits in an armchair at a five-star hotel in New Delhi.

“We’ve got to make the (financial) system more transparent,” he told AFP, after giving the keynote address at a global advertising conference. “Even the regulators don’t understand what’s going on,” he said. Described

by Fortune magazine in 2009 as “the most influential consultant alive,” US-

based Charan criss-crosses the world, dispensing his no-nonsense counsel to bosses and boards of some of the globe’s biggest firms.

Charan, who lives out of hotels and never takes a vacation, has advised among others GE, Microsoft, Ford, Bank of America and Dupont, and is author of 16 management tomes including “Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done.”

“I’m happy with what I do. I sometimes feel I’m the luckiest person around,” said the bachelor, whose nomadic life and desire to travel light means aides at his Dallas office courier clean clothes to whichever hotel he is staying in. What makes Charan-who by his own account flies around

800,000 kilometers (500,000 miles) a year-unhappy is what he sees as corporate irresponsibility.

He was outraged about the down-

fall of US securities firm MF Global Holdings, which went bankrupt last week after its chief, Wall Street star Jon Corzine, made multi-billion-dollar bets on risky euro-zone debt. “He (Corzine) should have known better,”

Charan said, his seamed brow furrowing in disapproval. “The company was leveraged to the hilt.”

One of seven children, Charan grew up in the poverty-hit northern state of Uttar Pradesh, helping his family run a small shoe store where he counted the takings at the end of the day. It taught him the basics of business and gave him a particular respect for cash flow-which he calls the “life blood of a company”-needed to meet day-to-day costs such as wages.

“You have to know the guts of the business to be successful,” explained Charan, who says he lives by the Hindu motto “Purpose before self”. He won a place to study engineering at

India’s prestigious Banaras Hindu University despite as a youngster being “thrown out of school for not having any books” and then went on to get a doctorate at Harvard Business School.

He taught at Harvard and the Kellogg School of Management before deciding advising companies was his real calling. Some critics consider his advice-such as “listen to others’ viewpoints”, “get the right talent” and “communicate, communicate, communicate” to be simplistic business bromides-but others value his practical counsel. Charan refuses to talk about what he does for his clients, except that he summarizes company strategy into a single page.

But his admirers do talk about him, praising his corporate diagnostic skills. “When it comes to strategy, he can quickly understand the context, the goal, the message and the steps to get there in a wink,” Lakshmi Narayanan, vice-chairman of Indian outsourcing giant Cognizant, told Business Line.

“He has the gift of identifying key issues very easily,” said Harsh Mariwala, chairman of leading Indian consumer goods player Marico Industries.

Charan believes global economic clout is clearly tilting in favour of developing nations and says companies in advanced economies will have to adjust rapidly. —AFP

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

business

Ailing Lloyds may miss targets after Q3 loss Shares rise sharply after company keeps margin outlook

BUDAPEST: A statue is seen at headquarter of Hungarian National Bank (Magyar Nemzeti Bank) in downtown Budapest. Hungary’s banks, many foreign-owned, are finding themselves squeezed from all sides, as a downgrade to junk status looms, the forint slides and as the government takes ever more desperate measures. — AFP

Hungarian banks squeezed on all sides BUDAPEST: Hungary’s banks, many foreign-owned, are finding themselves squeezed from all sides, as a sovereign downgrade to junk status looms, the forint slides and the government takes ever more desperate measures.

Non-euro-zone but EU member Hungary’s public debt pile is currently rated one notch above non-investment level at all three major credit rating agencies. Hungary’s Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy said recently a downgrade of the country’s sovereign debt was a “real danger.” A cut to junk status, the prospect of which has sent the Hungarian currency, the forint, to the lowest levels since March 2009, would make the financing of the sovereign debt even more expensive and difficult.

The country is already experiencing difficulty finding investors willing to buy its debt. Last month Hungary’s debt management agency failed to sell a stock of one-year treasury bonds because of a lack of offers, while last week it only managed to sell three-quarters of threemonth securities on offer.

Its currency woes meanwhile are twofold, with the economy hit not only by the fall in the forint against the euro single currency but also by the sharp rise of the Swiss franc in recent weeks.

The latter development is troublesome for banks as they provided many Hungarians mortgages denominated in Swiss francs, and the new-found strength of franc has pushed effective repayment rates for borrowers up to painful levels.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government has ridden to the rescue of homeowners by allowing them to repay banks at more than 20 percent below market rates. But this has left banks to pick up the difference, with losses for the sector estimated by the central bank at 207 billion forints (670 million euros, $940 million).

Compounding this, Orban, who is

pulling out all the stops in an attempt to bring Hungary’s budget deficit under control, has also saddled banks with a 187-billion forint annual tax.

Austria’s Erste Bank last quarter took a more than 750-million-euro hit on its Hungarian business, while rival Raiffeisen has said it will have to make “significant” writedowns.

Economy Minister Matolcsy indicated last week that from now on, the government would “cooperate” with the banks and would refrain from announcements without prior consultations with the sector. The centre-right Orban, 58, in officefor the second time-since May 2010, has also effectively nationalised 11 billion euros in private pension assets. In October 2010 he introduced a “crisis tax” on retail, energy and telecoms firmsBrussels declared the latter illegal in September-and has even imposed a “chips tax” on fatty foods. Zsigmond Jarai, an Orban loyalist, former finance minister and central bank governor, said recently Orban’s unorthodox economic policies had created investor uncertainty and that its room for manoeuvre was “extremely narrow.”

The Hungarian National Bank (MNB) for its part warned last week that due to the euro crisis and the increasing number of bad household and corporate loans, Hungarian banks had seen a massive decline in capital reserves. The result has been that banks are less willing to loan money, further hurting the economy, while their many foreign owners, struggling with the euro-zone crisis, are less than keen on stumping up fresh capital. Last month Moody ’s put seven Hungarian banks on review for a possible downgrade. Estimates for growth next year, meanwhile, vary considerably. The Orban government is confidently predicting a 1.5-percent expansion, the central bank 0.6 percent-and several economists a recession. — AFP

Bank of America may sell China’s CCB shares NEW YORK: The US financial giant Bank of America is considering selling more of its shares in China’s China Construction Bank (CCB) in order to shore up its capital, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In August the struggling banking giant sold roughly half of its 10 percent share in the company for $8.3 billion dollars, strengthening its capital base and better implementing tougher standards imposed by global regulators. The Journal, citing unnamed sources, said the latest decision to sell more CCB shares was not final and that the timing had yet to be determined.

Bank of America retains a five percent share in the Chinese construction giant. The bank is under pressure to reduce its investments in order to meet

the new international capital standards and better insulate itself from possible shocks to the world economy.

The Journal cited the same sources as saying that Bank of America had agreed to sell its stake in the biggest Pizza Hut franchisee in a $755 million deal with Olympus Partners, a private equity group. The newspaper said the deal would likely net Bank of America between $375 and $400 million.

The largest US bank in terms of deposits, Bank of America has struggled to recover from the 2008 financial meltdown. It posted a $9.1 billion loss for the second quarter, mostly caused by a huge $8.5 settlement to resolve claims stemming from its issuance of mortgage-backed securities that went sour during the crisis. — AFP

LONDON: Lloyds Banking Group, the part state-owned British lender which has been hit by its chief executive’s sick leave, posted a third-quarter loss and said it may miss financial targets due to the economic turmoil.

Lloyds, 40 percent owned by Britain after being bailed out during the 2008 credit crisis, slumped to a loss of 607 million pounds ($973 million) in the three months to September, adding to an interim loss of 3.25 billion.

Its earnings were hit by lower banking margins and higher funding costs and Lloyds said it may not meet some of its medium-term income targets until after 2014. However, it maintained its full-year guidance on margins and for a reduction in losses on loans that have turned sour. Lloyds shocked investors last week by announcing 47-year-old Chief Executive Antonio Horta-Osorio was taking a break due to stress-related illness, leaving a potential power vacuum at the top of Britain’s biggest retail bank. Tim Tookey, the finance director who is due to leave the bank in February for insurer Resolution , is serving as interim CEO, adding to worries that a major executive shake-up by Horta-Osorio has left Lloyds thin at the top at a time when it faces several headwinds.

Tookey said Horta-Osorio was still expected back before Christmas. “It’s very much business as usual. Nothing has stopped. The delivery of all our strategic initiatives continues... there’s nothing that’s being stopped or paused while we go through these few weeks before we expect Antonio to return,” Tookey told reporters on a conference call.

Lloyds shares-which fell 3 percent on Monday and have slumped nearly 60 percent over the last year-rebounded by 8.4 percent to 30 pence in mid-morning trade, as its margin outlook reassured analysts and investors.

Lloyds shares remain well below the 63 pence level at which the British taxpayer acquired its stake in the bank.

However, Cavendish Asset Management fund manager Paul Mumford said he had taken advantage of the stock’s recent slump in the wake of Horta-Osorio’s illness to buy up 2

million Lloyds shares at 28.50 pence on Nov 7.

“One’s hoping that Horta-Osorio will come back, although there must be some question marks over whether he will be replaced or not,” he said. “Lloyds is a high-risk stock, but it’s a very good recovery stock as well,” he added. Lloyds’ loss was worse than a 1.2 billion pound third-quarter net profit at partnationalized rival Royal Bank of Scotland and profits of 2.4 billion at Barclays.

All banks around the world have been hit

by Europe’s sovereign debt crisis, with France’s Societe Generale yesterday announcing a slump in profits, and Tookey said Lloyds was closely monitoring the economic turmoil in the euro-zone, with fears growing over Italy following Greece’s economic slump.

“We’re watching the general euro-zone situation with a lot of caution,” he said. Lloyds cut its exposure to Italian banks by a third to 1.2 billion pounds in the third-quarter. It also trimmed its exposure to banks in Spain, Portugal and Ireland. Its exposure to banks and asset-backed securities in Belgium,

Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain was 5.3 billion at the end of September, against 6.2 billion at the end of June. It had barely any sovereign debt of those countries.

Lloyds reiterated it hoped to make a decision over 632 retail branches which regulators have ordered it to dispose of by the end of the year, in a deal which Lloyds has code-named “Project Verde”.

Lloyds plans to sell the branches, attracting interest from new bank venture NBNK and CoOp Financial Services who have said they will bid, but Lloyds could also list them or spin them off if offers are too low. Britain ended up with its Lloyds stake and a holding of 83 percent in RBS after rescuing both in 2008 with state bailouts, and in return European regulators ordered RBS and Lloyds to sell off a string of assets.

Lloyds was saddled with billions of pounds of losses after buying troubled rival HBOS at the height of the 2008 crisis, in a deal that was brokered by the Labor government of the time. — Reuters

US handling of US-Canada pipeline study probed WASHINGTON: The State Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) is probing the department’s handling of a pending decision on whether to grant a permit for a US-Canada oil pipeline, according to documents released.

The State Department is handling public consultations on plans to build the 1,700-mile (2,700-kilometer) Keystone XL pipeline from the tar sands of Canada’s Alberta province to the Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States.

Many environmentalists fear a potential pipeline accident would spell disaster for aquifers in central US Great Plains states. That could disproportionately endanger rural towns and Native Americans, they say.

In a letter dated Friday, the OIG’s Harold Geisel wrote that the office was “initiating a special review of the Department of State’s handling of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and National Interest Determination” for the project. “The primary objective of the review is to determine to what extent the Department and all other parties involved complied with federal laws and regulations relating to the Keystone XL pipeline permit process,” it said.

The letter, released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said the decision was in response to a request from the US Congress.

The State Department gave no immediate response when asked about the letter. A letter signed by more than a dozen US lawmakers, which was also released by the NRDC, asked Geisel if TransCanada, the pipeline developer, improperly influenced the State Department’s selection of a contractor for the EIS. In its long-awaited environmental impact statement on the project, the State Department said in August that the pipeline would be safer than most current oil transportation systems.

Friends of the Earth last month alleged that emails it obtained through the Freedom of Information Act showed that department employees held a “pro-pipeline bias and complicit relationships with industry executives.” The State Department said last week it still aimed to issue a decision by year-end but cautioned the deadline could slip as the “first priority” is to ensure the pipeline’s potential environmental impact is carefully studied.

President Barack Obama told a Nebraska television station last week that he expected to get a recommendation from the State Department in the “next several months” and would then deliberate on economic and environmental concerns. “My general attitude is (to do) what is best for the American people, what is best for our economy both short term and long term, but also what is best for the health of the American people,” Obama said.

“We need to make sure we have energy security, but there is a way of doing that and still making sure that the health and safety of the American people ... is protected.”

The issue, pitting business interests against environmentalists, some of whom have been among his political base, could be a tough one, with his 2012 reelection year looming and with jobs the number one issue. —AFP

Webber with Michelin Tyres

Michelin announces sale of Hankook stake PARIS: French tyre maker Michelin said yesterday that it is to sell its 9.98-percent stake in rival South Korean tyre firm Hankook Tire and use the funds for investment in fast-growing markets.

On the basis of Hankook’s share price at the close of trading on Monday, the stake is worth 729.4 billion won (474 million euros, $653 million). Michelin said it would dispose of the shares via a private placement with institutional investors through US bank Citigroup and that

the process would begin immediately.

Hankook is the biggest tyre maker in South Korea. The two firms have been linked since 2003 by a cooperation agreement under which Michelin was to increase its holding to 10.0 percent, a level almost reached in 2008.

Michelin has a strategy for developing in emerging markets, and notably in China, India and in Brazil where it has increased its production capacity. — AFP

InterContinental profit at top of expectations LONDON: World No 1 hotelier InterContinental Hotels Group Plc reported a 33 percent increase in third-quarter operating profit, at the top end of expectations, driven by strong growth in China and the United States.

InterContinental, which owns the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands, said yesterday operating profit rose to $153 million in the quarter to end September, from $115 million the year before. Market expectations had ranged between $138 million and $153 million, according to a company-supplied poll of nine analysts.

“The economic environment continues to be uncertain, but we remain confident in our future due to our resilient business model, robust balance sheet and powerful brand portfolio, com-

bined with low medium supply growth in many markets,” Chief Executive Richard Solomons said in a statement.

Rival Accor said in October it had yet to see signs of an economic slowdown and expected steady growth to continue in the fourth quarter.

Revenue per available room (RevPAR), a key industry measure, rose by 6.4 percent, including a 2.8 percent rise in room rates, boosted by 10.8 percent growth in China and 8 percent in the United States, where the company said it benefited from the relaunch of its Holiday Inn brand.

Total revenue rose by 11 percent to $467 million. Shares in InterContinental Hotels closed on Monday at 1,095 pence, valuing the business at 3.18 billion pounds. — Reuters

Dynegy Holdings files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy NEW YORK: Dynegy Holdings, a unit of energy producer Dynegy Inc, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, according to court documents. Dynegy Inc, whose shareholders include billionaire investor Carl Icahn and investment firm Seneca Capital, and its other subsidiaries have not filed for bankruptcy, Dynegy Inc said.

Dynegy Inc also said on Monday it had reached an agreement with some of its investors to restructure Dynegy Holdings debt through bankruptcy court.

The company said investors representing more than $1.4 billion of Dynegy Holdings $3.4 billion in senior notes had agreed to the refinancing, which would include a $400 million cash payment and the issuance of two different kinds of notes. The agreement would allow the unit to restructure expensive leases on power plants and lighten its debt load. The parent company warned in March that it needed to restructure $5 billion in debt or face bankruptcy for the entire company. —Reuters

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TECHNOLOGY

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Honda shows smarter robot, to help in nuclear crisis ‘Asimo’: A dream close to a human being

CAMBRIDGE: In this photo provided by Harvard University Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg speaks to students outside Lamont Library on the campus of Harvard University. —AP

Facebook founder returns to Harvard to recruit CAMBRIDGE: Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg left Harvard University as a dropout with a novel idea. He returned Monday with a triumphant message: He’s hiring. The 27-year-old CEO received a rock-star welcome during his first official visit since he left for California’s Silicon Valley in 2004. He made his recruitment pitch to 250 students at Harvard after a similar meeting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “We’re just getting started,” he told reporters and a few hundred students who gathered at the Harvard campus to catch a glimpse of the Internet pioneer. “The next five or 10 years are going to be about all the different products and industries that can be rethought.”

So many students turned out to see the sweatshirted billionaire outside a university library that campus officials had to set up temporary barriers to separate him from his audience. Aaron Perez, an 18-year-old freshman from Poughkeepsie, NY, said Zuckerberg’s creation was one of the reasons he chose to study computer science. He said he’s encouraged to hear that companies are hiring computer programmers in today’s struggling economy.

“It’s an empowering story, especially these days,” said Perez, who risked being tardy to rowing practice to see Zuckerberg. “It makes it seem like I’ve got a chance.”

Harvard computing officials were working on their own university-wide online directory when Zuckerberg created Facebook as a campus-only social network. The then-sophomore told the campus newspaper, The Har vard Crimson, it was silly that the university needed years to create the site. “I can do it better than they can, and I can do it in a week,” he said. An earlier Zuckerberg creation, Facemash, almost led to his expulsion after he hacked university computers for student photos. But there were no hurt feelings Monday, as university officials and faculty welcomed Zuckerberg back to campus for the official visit. Zuckerberg has returned to Harvard before on informal recruiting trips.

“There are relatively few tech rock stars whose names are known by peo-

ple all over the world,” said Harvard computer science professor David Malan, who cited Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Apple’s Steve Jobs as two other examples. “He really is in that category.”

Zuckerberg said his company has plans to expand and needs talented workers to do it. “There’s a lot of really smart people here and a lot of them are making decisions about where they ’re going to work,” he said of his decision to recruit in Cambridge. The company’s base of operations moved to Palo Alto, Calif, in June 2004, just months after Facebook began to expand outside of Harvard.

By the end of the year, the site would have nearly 1 million users.

Facebook says it now has more than 800 million active users around the world and 3,000 employees. It could someday open an office in the Boston area, Zuckerberg said. The area’s status as a center for technological innovation has improved in the last several years, local entrepreneur Dharmesh Shah said. Shah is chief technology officer and co-founder of HubSpot, a marketing software company, and also runs a blog devoted to technology startups. Shah created HubSpot while an MIT student and said he considered basing his new company in San Francisco but wanted to stay close to MIT and the area’s growing talent pool.

“There’s a vibrant ecosystem here,” he said. “ There’s always been this stereotype that startups on the East Coast won’t take as much risk as the startups you see on the West Coast, and that held us back. But it’s changing. I’ve never seen it as vibrant as it is right now.” News that Zuckerberg was on campus spread Monday by word of mouth, Twitter and, of course, Facebook. Students held their smartphones aloft to snap photos as he walked through the campus.

Harvard student Madeline Halimi of Brooklyn, NY, said Zuckerberg’s story is encouraging, but also a little daunting.

The freshman student is still deciding her field of concentration. “What’s really weird is wondering whether the person next to you will be the next person to invent something that changes the world,” Halimi said.—AP

At least 34% of android malware is stealing your data The second half of 2011 has been an active one for cyber criminals, who have been increasingly looking for chances to set up new scams in the mobile device environment.

According to recent Kaspersky Lab internal data, the Android platform has finally established itself as the most popular for mobile malicious programs, overtaking other platforms as well as “generic” Java malware. In September 2011 alone, the number of newly discovered malware for Android-based devices increased by more than 30%.

Running parallel to this is another clearly visible trend in mobile malware: more and more often malicious mobile apps are targeting users’ personal data. And in October 2011 the share of par ticularly Android malicious apps trying to steal personal data went up to 34%.

This trend is of course alarming, especially if we take into account that such malicious mobile programs sometimes show up on Android Market.

An example of a malicious app distributed through the official store is Trojan-Spy.AndroidOS.Antammi.b.

This program, masquerading as a simple app for downloading ringtones, appeared on Android Market only to be removed after notification from Kaspersky Lab. The “cover” pro-

gram is designed for users in Russia, who use it to send text messages to a paid ser vice to receive back desired tunes. This activity is perfectly legitimate; however, the malicious payload activity is simultaneously going on in the background. Like traditional “desktop” malware, Antammi.b steals almost everything: contacts, texts, GPS coordinates and even photos. The activity log is then sent to the criminal behind the scam via a simple e-mail message, and the data is uploaded to a server.

The unrequited love-story being played out by the cybercriminal world and the Android platform is not surprising - due to the platform’s leading market share, flexibility and openness, yet at the same time lax control over its software distribution.

The result is a share of Androidbased malicious programs among all mobile malware currently being higher than 46%, and growing rapidly. More worrying is the fact that, apart from stealing personal data, sending texts, and making calls to premium numbers, mobile malware is also targeting banking services, which often send one-time passwords and confirmation codes to mobile phones. Detailed analysis of such a malicious program - the socalled Zeus-in-the-Mobile - can be found here at Securelist.com.

JAPAN: Honda’s human-shaped robot can now run faster, balance itself on uneven surfaces, hop on one foot and pour a drink.

Some of its technology may even be used to help out with clean-up operations at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant. Honda’s demonstration of the revamped “Asimo” yesterday at its Tokyo suburban research facility was not only to prove that the bubble-headed childlike machine was more limber and a bit smarter. It was a way to try to answer some critics that Asimo, first shown in 2000, had been of little practical use so far, proving to be nothing more than a glorified toy and cute showcase for the Honda Motor Co brand.

Honda President Takanobu Ito told reporters some of Asimo’s technology was used to develop a robotic arm in just six months with the intention of helping with the nuclear crisis in northeastern Japan. The mechanical arm can open and close valves at Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which went into meltdown after the March tsunami, according to Honda. The automaker is working with the utility behind the problem plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co, to try to meet demands to bring the plant under control. Ito acknowledged that the first idea was to send in Asimo to help out, but that was not possible because the robot cannot maneuver in rubble, and its delicate computer parts would malfunction in radiation. But in yesterday’s demonstration, Asimo was able to walk without falling over 2 centimeter (0.8 inch) padded bumps on the floor. It can also now jog faster than it did in 2005, at 9 kilometers per hour (5.6 mph), instead of the earlier 6 kph (3.7 mph), pushing better with its toes so its run was smoother and not as jerky.

Asimo was also able to distinguish the voices of three people spoken at once, using face recognition and analyzing sound, to figure out that one woman wanted hot coffee, another orange juice, and still another milk tea. The new Asimo got improved hands as well, allowing individual movement of each finger, so it could do sign language.

“My name is Asimo,” it said, making the signs of its words with stubby fingers. It also opened a thermos bottle and gracefully poured juice into a paper cup. Ito said Asimo had developed autonomous artificial intelligence so that it could potentially maneuver itself through crowds of people, without remote control or stopping each time to check on its programming.

But he acknowledged that making robotics into a practical business will take more time, meaning Asimo wasn’t about to show up in any home soon. “Maybe at the start this was a dream of engineers to make a machine that was close to a human being, like Astro Boy,” he said. “We think Asimo is good.” Other manufacturers are also developing robots, eager to cash in on the expected needs of Japan’s rapidly aging population. Toyota Motor Corp, Japan’s top

automaker which makes the Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models, is among those to have jumped on the robotics bandwagon.

TOKYO: A Honda robot named ‘Asimo’ performs during a demonstration of its new functions, at the company’s laboratory in Wako city, suburban Tokyo yesterday.

—AP/AFP photos

JAPAN: A robotic arm, being developed with Honda Motor Co’s human-shaped robot “Asimo” technology.

In the past, it has shown robots that can play the violin and talk like receptionists.

Last week, it showed a computerized device that latches on to the body to help old or sick people walk and keep balance.

Honda, which makes the Odyssey minivan and Accord sedan, has developed similar brace like gadgets to help people get about. Neither the Toyota nor Honda product is on sale yet. Still, experts say such research is important to keep up.

“Maybe it can’t be put to use right away, but it is definitely a technology that we should keep working on to advance,” Hiroshi Kobayashi, a mechanical engineering professor at Tokyo University of Science, said of the new Asimo. “It is common for what we achieve in research to turn out later to lead to many products,” said Kobayashi, who has developed experimental robots. —AP

Eric Schmidt defends Google, mourns Jobs’ death SEOUL: Google chairman Eric Schmidt yetserday defended his company as a great innovator despite allegations from late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that the Internet search giant stole ideas from Apple’s iPhone. Schmidt also told reporters that he is still “very sad and recovering from the sense of loss” from Jobs’ death last month and does not think it’s right to comment on Jobs’ words in Walter Issacson’s biography. The biography was released after Jobs’ death. In it, Jobs argues that Google Inc. stole from Apple’s iPhone to build many of the features in Google’s Android software for rival phones.

“I decided not to comment on comments that are written in the book after his death. I don’t think it’s right,” Schmidt said, describing Jobs as a “fantastic human being” who he “dearly” misses. Jobs died Oct 5, aged 56, after a battle with cancer.

Schmidt served on the Apple Inc. board from 2006 to 2009 but quit as Google and Apple went head-to-head in smartphones - Apple with its iPhone and Google with its Android software.

“Most people would agree that Google is a great innovator, and I would also point out that the Android efforts started before

‘Asimo’ kicks a ball during a demonstration.

the iPhone efforts. And that’s all I have to say,” Schmidt said. Schmidt has been meeting with senior government and business officials, including South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday, during his three-day trip here.

Marveling at South Korea’s Internet infrastructure, where 90 percent of households enjoy broadband access, Schmidt said he also told Lee that Seoul needs to trim down its Internet regulations. “It is my view and, I think, Google’s view that the regulation of Internet in Korea could be more open, more modern,” he said.

“Other countries had more liberal policies in some cases about the Internet, and they should examine them.”

Schmidt said he did not go into specifics with Lee. He also did not elaborate during the press conference. Since 2009, Google has banned users from South Korea from posting videos on YouTube in protest of Seoul’s policy mandating the use of real names for sign-ups on websites. The South Korean government stands by that policy, saying it improves accountability. Because of Google’s ban, many South Korean users fake their nationalities on YouTube to upload videos. — AP

SEOUL: Google chairman Eric Schmidt waits for a press conference at Google Korea office yesterday. —AP

JAPAN: ‘Asimo’ runs at 9kmh during a demonstration of its new functions.

India Internet users top 100 million NEW DELHI: India’s Internet users have topped 100 million, a study said yesterday, and its online population could overtake the United States’ within two years.

India’s Internet population stood at 112 million by September, making it the thirdbiggest globally after China and the United States, the Internet and Mobile Association of India said. “It’s good news that we’ve crossed the 100 million milestone, but it has taken us a long time to get here,” association president Subho Ray told AFP. “Internet use in India now is entering a critical growth phase,” he added.

India is adding 5 to 7 million Internet users every month, increasingly in smalltown India and among the less wealthy.

At the current pace, the country will overtake the United States in less than two years, the study projected. China’s online population is the world’s largest at 485 million while the United States has around 245 million users.

The Indian government expects the number of Internet users in the country to total around 600 million in the next five years, Ray noted. “The 600 million target is realistic if the government follows through with its ambitious plans to put in place the infrastructure for Internet usage,” he said.

Internet giant Google said last week it expects India’s Internet growth to be driven by mobile phone users, predicting they will form the majority of new online users in the country as low-priced smartphones become available. As Internet usage has grown, online shopping has climbed sharply with retail chains and consumer goods companies jumping on the Web bandwagon to lure new e-customers.

According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, the online retail industry is expected to grow by 35 percent annually to touch 70 billion rupees ($1.4 billion) by 2015, up from 20 billion rupees now. —AFP

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Antibiotics overprescribed for children SALT LAKE CITY: Pediatricians in the United States write more than 10 million unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions every year for conditions such as the flu and asthma, contributing to potentially dangerous drug resistance, a study said. Researchers looked at a nationally representative sample of almost 65,000 outpatient visits by children under 18 during 2006 to 2008, with findings reported in the journal Pediatrics. In total, doctors prescribed an antibiotic at one in every five visits, with most dispensed for children with

respiratory ailments such as sinus infections and pneumonia. Some of those infections were caused by bacteria, warranting antibiotics. But almost one-quarter of all antibiotic prescriptions were given to children with respiratory conditions that probably or definitely do not call for antibiotics, such as bronchitis, the flu, asthma and allergies. That translates to more than 10 million antibiotic prescriptions each year that likely won’t do any good but might do harm, said study leader Adam Hersh of the University of Utah

in Salt Lake City. “One reason overuse occurs is because the diagnosis is often unclear - this is common with ear infections. The decision is made to prescribe an antibiotic even though the diagnosis isn’t certain, just to be on the safe side,” he said. Half of all the antibiotics prescribed were “broad-spectrum” drugs, which act against a wide range of bacteria - killing more of the good bacteria in the bodies as well and perhaps setting the child up for more serious infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria later on.

“Antibiotics are wonderful. There are times when you really need them, the question is just being judicious about when we use them,” said Betsy Foxman, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, who was not involved in the research. In addition, giving antibiotics to children when they aren’t needed raises the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections in both the children themselves and society as a whole, she said. “We think of antibiotics as being wholly beneficial, but

they are not very specific, they hit everything in your body. By making our microbes that are supposed to be with us disappear, we can be causing other health problems we don’t know about.”

And to avoid over-prescription?

Hersh said that one way might simply be to wait several days and check the child again. “If the diagnosis is still a little unclear, ask if it would be safe to wait a day or two with close follow up rather than starting the antibiotic right away,” he added. — Reuters

Asteroid closes in on Earth fly-by No chance of a crash landing

This combo made from file images provided by the US Food and Drug Administration shows two of nine new warning labels. — AP

US judge blocks graphic warnings on cigarettes WASHINGTON: A US judge on Monday blocked the government’s attempt to place graphic warning labels on cigarette packs, saying big tobacco was likely to succeed in arguing it was a violation of free speech. The full-color warning labels, including diseased lungs and a cancerous mouth lesion, would serve as “mini billboards” for the US government’s “obvious anti-smoking agenda”, said the ruling by US District Judge Richard Leon.

The warnings would take up about half the space on the front of each cigarette pack, located on the upper portion so as to be visible in most store displays.

A lawsuit was filed by Lorillard, R J Reynolds Tobacco Co, Commonwealth Brands, Inc, Liggett Group LLC, and Sante Fe Natural Tobacco Company to prevent the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services from mandating the new labels in 2012. Their case was likely to succeed because of the First Amendment to the Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech, press, religion and assembly. Previous court cases have found that the First Amendment not only protects free speech of the individual but also protects consumers against “compelled commercial speech,” the judge said.

“The court concludes that plaintiffs have demonstrated a substantial likelihood that they will prevail on the merits of their position that these mandatory graphic images unconstitutionally compel speech, and that they will suffer irreparable harm,” said Leon in his ruling. “Accordingly, the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction is granted.” The label changes, announced by the US government last year, were called for in a 2009 law

signed by President Barack Obama that required new and larger warnings on cigarettes to depict the negative health consequences of smoking. The 2009 law gave the FDA the power to regulate manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. Nine images were picked from a group of 36 proposals after health authorities analyzed results on their effectiveness from an 18,000person study and took into account about 1,700 public comments, the FDA said.

The color images included a man exhaling cigarette smoke through a tracheotomy hole in his throat, a baby shrouded in cigarette smoke, and a bare-chested male cadaver lying on a table. Each warning label also contained a phone number to call for help in quitting. Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman called the district court’s decision “extremely regrettable”, and said the small, text-only warnings on most US cigarette packs are not effective and should be replaced.

“Congress carefully considered the First Amendment issues involved and carefully tailored the legislation to ensure the FDA could act as it has proposed with graphic warning labels for tobacco products,” Waxman said in a statement. “I believe that, on further judicial review, these public health protections will be affirmed and permitted to go into effect next year.”

The number of smokers in America has been declining in recent years. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19.3 percent of American adults - or 45.3 million people over the age of 18 - are smoking cigarettes, down from 20.9 percent in 2005. — AFP

Early trials of lupus therapy show promise WASHINGTON: A new vaccine-like therapy that summons a host of antibodies to fight lupus has shown promise in early European trials, researchers said at a US conference yesterday. There are very few options for treating the potentially fatal disease in which the body’s immune system is overactive and attacks healthy tissue, causing fatigue, swelling, ulcers, chest pain, organ and clotting problems. The new treatment, developed

by France-based biotechnology company Neovacs, neutralizes a protein called interferon alpha, which is seen in higher amounts in lupus patients and may be a driver of chronic inflammation and autoimmunity.

“Their data looks very interesting,” said Joan Merrill, medical director of the Lupus Foundation of America, who was not involved in the research. “It’s a fascinating idea to me, that you’re immunizing yourself against an element of your immune system that is overreacting,” she told AFP. “It’s totally exciting. It’s a novel mechanism, a novel approach to developing a new drug.” Injections of an immunotherapy called the Kinoid were shown to be safe in phase I/II trials on a small number of European patients, the company announced at the American College of Rheumatology Scientific Meeting in Chicago. Patients developed antibodies against interferon alpha, with more such antibodies appearing in those who received higher doses. “The injection of the Kinoid produces a reaction of the immune system, which results in the production of various antibodies which will neutralize the alpha interferon,” said chief executive Guy-Charles Fanneau de La Horie. “What we are proposing is a very simple treatment and very easy to follow by the patient,” he told AFP in a telephone interview ahead of the formal presentation of the results in Chicago.

The treatment consists of a trio of injections

in the first month, followed by a shot every three to four months afterward. The randomized trial was small - just 28 subjects - and it did not include any non-white participants, who will also need to be studied in case they show different responses to treatment. One patient in the trial developed a lupus flare during treatment, but was excluded from the results because it was determined she had stopped taking corticosteroid treatment and was in violation of the trial rules.

More clinical trials are on the way, and a phase IIb study could begin by the middle of next year, said Piers Whitehead, Neovacs vice president of corporate development. “We think a key advantage of our approach is we know that we can neutralize all 13 subtypes (of interferon alpha) with our product,” he said.

Researchers were also able to see changes in the gene expression profile in some patients who had too much interferon, which is a promising sign that the treatment is working, though it is far too early to call it a cure. “That expression profile trends back towards normal and in some patients becomes normal as a response to treatment,” Whitehead told AFP. In March, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug to treat lupus in 56 years. Benlysta, developed by the US firm Human Genome Sciences and Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline, targets a different protein than Neovacs’s Kinoid. Benlysta is an intravenous treatment, a monoclonal antibody, and is the first treatment to come on the US market since Plaquenil in 1955. Aspirin was approved to treat lupus in 1948. Lupus affects women of childbearing age more often than men, and is particularly common in women of color. Five million people worldwide have lupus, which usually develops between ages 15 and 44. Its origins are uncertain, and there is no known cure. — AFP

WASHINGTON: A big asteroid was set to make its closest flyby of Earth in 200 years yesterday, but there is no chance of a crash landing when it zips by our planet, NASA said. Astronomers have aimed their telescopes to catch a glimpse of the 2005 YU55 asteroid, which will not be visible to the naked eye, when it makes its closest approach to Earth at 6:28 pm (2328 GMT). The 400 m wide asteroid often travels in the vicinity of the Earth, Mars and Venus, but “the 2011 encounter with Earth is the closest it has come for at least the last 200 years,” the US space agency said.

Other asteroids of this size pass by Earth more frequently, though the last such event happened in 1976 and the next will not happen again until 2028 when as asteroid called 2001 WN5 will skim about halfway between the Moon and Earth. This asteroid is expected to pass a bit further away; about .85 times the distance of the Moon to the Earth, or a distance of 325,000 km. “2005 YU55 is one of the potentially hazardous asteroids that make close approaches from time to time because their orbits either approach or intersect the orbit of the Earth,” said Robert McMillan, an associate research scientist at the University of Arizona. McMillan discovered the asteroid in 2005 as part of the university’s Spacewatch Project, a solar-systemscanning group of scientists near Tucson, Arizona.

However, astronomers know from analyzing the trajectory of the asteroid that it will not hit Earth this time. The asteroid’s next closest pass is set to take place in 2094, at a distance of 269,000 km, according to forecasts. “The observations will give us a piece of the puzzle, one we don’t get many chances to see,” said Don

Yeomans of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“At one time, we thought these were the asteroids that delivered carbon and other elements to the early Earth, so they are pretty important.”

NASA said radar obser vations from the Arecibo Planetary Radar Facility in Puerto Rico have already begun as the asteroid closes in on

FT IRWIN, California: Lance Benner, research scientist at JPL, displays a recent image of asteroid 2005 YU55 near the 230-foot wide radio telescope at the Goldstone Deep Space facility Monday. — AP

Cancer tests not perfect WASHINGTON: It turns out that catching cancer early isn’t always as important as believed. Some tumors are too slow-growing to ever threaten your life.

Some are so aggressive that finding them early doesn’t make much difference. And today’s treatments are much better for those somewhere in the middle. Those complexities are changing the longtime mantra that cancer screening will save your life. In reality, it depends on the type of cancer, the test and who gets checked when. “We can find cancer early. We can reduce the burden of the disease. But along the way, we’re learning our tests are not as perfect as we’d like,” says the American Cancer Society’s Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, a longtime screening proponent. “We’re learning that we’re now finding cancer that would in fact never cause harm.”

Now cancer specialists are struggling to find a new balance: to quit overpromising the power of early detection and to help people understand that the tests themselves have risks - while not scaring away those who really need it.

Least controversial are cervical and colorectal cancer screenings. They can spot pre-cancerous growths that are fairly easy to remove, although even some of those tests can be used too frequently. More serious questions surround other cancers - like which men, if any, should get a PSA blood test to check for prostate cancer, and whether women should start mammograms in their 40s or wait until they’re 50. Also in question is whether doctors will be able to head off another looming controversy: Just which smokers and ex-smokers should get a pricey CT scan that can detect lung cancer but also is prone to false alarms? A recent study found the scans could save some lives. But guidelines aren’t due out until early next year that would decide who is at enough risk to outweigh the test’s potential harm such as a risky, invasive biopsy to tell if a suspicious spot is cancer or just an old smoking scar.

Today, guidelines for how to handle some of the most common cancer screenings conflict. And, they’re written for the average patient when many people may need a more customized decision, says Dr. Jeanne Mandelblatt of Georgetown University. She has studied breast cancer risk for a government panel that recommends most women not begin screening for the disease until age 50. Consider this, she says: The average woman has a 3 percent lifetime risk of dying of breast cancer, a low risk for a disease that women find so scary.

its approach. While the charcoal-colored, circular asteroid’s visit has scientists excited for the chance to get a closer look, most Earthlings probably will not notice a thing. “The gravitational influence of the asteroid will have no detectable effect on Earth, including tides and tectonic plates,” NASA said. — AFP

But the chances of getting breast cancer do gradually increase with age and other circumstances.

So if you’re 40 and have several risk factors - like dense breasts and close relatives with the disease - then you have the same risk as an average 50year-old, not an average 40-year-old, and might consider earlier mammograms, Mandelblatt says. Few primarycare doctors have the time to go into that kind of detail. Adding to the confusion are testimonials from cancer survivors that a screening saved their lives.

Dartmouth researchers recently studied how often that’s true for mammograms, and estimated that about 13 percent of women in their 50s whose breast cancer is detected by the tests survive as a result.

What else plays a role? Treatments have dramatically improved in recent years, saving more lives. Also, increasingly power ful mammograms are detecting more low-risk tumors, the k ind that probably wouldn’t have threatened a woman’s life in the first place. Still, mammograms are “not perfect, but they’re the best we have,” cautions Mandelblatt. She thinks the Dartmouth estimate is somewhat low.

PSA tests for prostate cancer are a much tougher call. Last month, a government panel recommended an end to routine PSA screenings, a step further than other major medical groups that urge men to weigh the pros and cons and decide for themselves. But the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found limited, if any, evidence that screening average men improves survival. That’s largely because so many men are diagnosed with slow-growing tumors that never would have killed them; still, they have treatments that can cause incontinence, impotence or even lead to death.

“We really - underline the word ‘really’ - have to pull back the messaging on prostate cancer,” says the cancer society’s Lichtenfeld, who himself isn’t sure of the test’s net worth. PSA testing took off on the basis of “blind faith” that they would work, not science, he says. What really worries Lichtenfeld is that ever more powerful cancer screenings are being developed, before doctors have a way to tell exactly which early tumors should be removed.

“We have cells in our body that are abnormal all the time, and our bodies deal with it,” he says. “Our technology takes us further and further down the early-detection path, and we need to sort through all this.” — AP

New drug fails depression test LONDON: An experimental antidepressant from AstraZeneca Plc and Targacept Inc failed to meet the goal of changing a key depression rating score in the first of a series of pivotal clinical trials, a setback for both firms. The initial Phase III European trial is a bellwether for the remaining studies on TC-5214, which was developed by Targacept following research into the effects of nicotine on the brain. TC-5214 - viewed by analysts as a high-risk, high-reward project - is designed to work in a novel way by modulating neuronal nicotinic receptors in the brain.

Over-stimulation of these receptors is thought to be associated with depression. AstraZeneca agreed in 2009 to pay as much as $1.24 billion for rights to the drug, including an upfront payment of $200 million, and TC-5214 has been one of the few potential bright spots in its pipeline. TC-5214 is being assessed as an add-on therapy for patients who do not do well on standard antidepressants. It would compete with drugs like AstraZeneca’s older Seroquel and could therefore help business once Seroquel loses patent cover.

The setback, announced by both companies yesterday, will dent confidence in AstraZeneca’s line-up of new drugs, although many analysts have avoided banking too much on the medicine’s success. Consensus forecasts for 2016 sales stand at a fairly modest $384 million, according to Thomson Reuters Pharma. AstraZeneca shares fell 3 percent by 1000 GMT, underperforming a flat European healthcare sector, as the TC-5214 setback offset positive news that the company’s heart drug Brilinta has been included in new US guidelines on drugs that can be used in patients receiving coronary stents.

Savvas Neophytou of Panmure Gordon said the setback for TC-5214 was not a big surprise. AstraZeneca’s share price, however, was “suppressed because of its perceived weakness in executing its pipeline delivery, so news of another failed Phase III trial will not help,” he said. He remains a buyer of the stock, which is trading at a discount of more than 26 percent to larger British rival GlaxoSmithKline Plc .

The success of TC-5214 is more critical for Targacept, whose share price performance is linked closely to the fate of the new medicine. The drug is the product of lengthy research at Targacept, a small US drugmaker that began life as part of R J Reynolds Tobacco Co and has for years been using its understanding of nicotine to develop experimental treatments for depression and other psychiatric disorders. The overall Phase III trial program for TC-5214 consists of four studies for which all results are expected by the first half of 2012. The European study, Renaissance 3, is the first of these four studies. There is also a fifth long-term safety study that will last longer.

An AstraZeneca spokeswoman said the two partners would have to look at the results from the other three shorter trials before finalising their intentions for TC-5214. Assuming the other data is favourable, the current plan is to file the medicine for approval in the United States in the second half of 2012, with a filing in Europe targeted for 2015. TC-5214 is a tweaked version of mecamylamine, a drug introduced in the 1950s to treat high blood pressure. Researchers at the University of South Florida later began testing mecamylamine in the hope it would help children with Tourette’s syndrome. It didn’t, but research showed that it seemed to lessen depression in those children.

Targacept acquired a license to the drug and began developing it as a treatment for depression. Initial results have shown promise, but many depression drugs fail in late-stage trials, especially those that address new molecular targets.

Most new depression drugs today work by increasing the chemical serotonin, or serotonin and norepinephrine, in the brain. TC-5214 targets a different set of receptors. — Reuters

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Babies on obesity path? New sign may offer answer CHICAGO: Researchers say there’s a new way to tell if infants are likely to become obese later on: Check to see if they’ve passed two key milestones on doctors’ growth charts by age 2.

Babies who grew that quickly face double the risk of being obese at age 5, compared with peers who grew more slowly, their study found. Rapid growers were also more likely to be obese at age 10, and infants whose chart numbers climbed that much during their first 6 months faced the greatest risks.

That kind of rapid growth should be a red flag to doctors, and a sign to parents that babies might be overfed or spending too much time in strollers and not enough crawling around, said pediatrician Dr Elsie Taveras, the study’s lead author and an obesity researcher at Har vard Medical School. Contrary to the idea that chubby babies are the picture of health, the study bolsters evidence that “bigger is not better” in infants, she said.

But skeptics say not so fast. Babies often grow in spurts and flagging the speediest growers could lead to putting infants on diets - a bad idea that could backfire in the long run, said Dr Michelle Lampl, director of Emory University’s Center for the Study of Human Health. “It reads like a very handy rule and sounds like it would be very useful - and that’s my concern,” Lampl said. The guide would be easy to use to justify feeding infants less and to unfairly label them as fat.

It could also prompt feeding patterns that could lead to obesity later, she said. Lampl noted that many infants studied crossed at least two key points on growth charts; yet only 12 percent were obese at age 5 and slightly more at age 10. Nationally, about 10 percent of preschool-aged children are obese, versus about 19

percent of those aged 6 to 11. Lampl and Edward Frongillo, an infant growth specialist at the University of South Carolina, voiced concern in an editorial accompanying the study in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, released online Monday. They argue that more research is needed to confirm whether the study’s recommendation is really a useful way to flag infants for obesity. “The potential to do more

harm than good is actually very high,” Frongillo said.

Taveras said the k ind of rapid growth noted in the study should be used to raise awareness about potential risks but is not a reason to put babies on a diet. The study involved 45,000 infants and children younger than age 11 who had routine growth measurements during doctor checkups in the Boston area from 1980 through 2008. Growth charts help

pediatricians plot weight, length in babies and height in older kids in relation to other children their same age and sex. Pediatricians sometimes combine an infant’s measures to calculate weight-for-length - the equivalent of body-mass index, or BMI, a height-to-weight ratio used in older children and adults.

The charts are organized into percentiles. For example, infants at the 75th percentile for weight are heavier

BOSTON: In this photo taken Oct 3, 2011, Dr Claire McCarthy looks down as an infant’s growth is measured during a check-up at Children’s Hospital. – AP

than 75 percent of their peers. The study authors used seven major cutoffs on the charts - the 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles - to calculate growth pace.

An infant whose weight-for-length jumped from the 19th percentile at 1 month to the 77th at 6 months crossed three major percentiles - the 25th, 50th and 75th - and would be at risk for obesity later in childhood, the authors said.

Larger infants were most at risk for obesity later on, but even smaller babies whose growth crossed at least two percentiles were at greater risk than those who grew more slowly.

About 40 percent of infants crossed at least two percentiles by age 6 months. An analysis of more than one-third of the study children found that 64 percent grew that rapidly by age 2. Dr Joanna Lewis, a pediatrician at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, said she supports the idea that infancy is not too young to start thinking about obesity. Still, she emphasized that rapid growth in infancy doesn’t mean babies are doomed to become obese.

“It’s not a life sentence,” and there are steps parents can take to keep their babies at a healthy weight without restrictive diets, she said. Lewis said many of her patients are large babies whose parents feed them juice or solid food despite guidelines recommending nothing but breast milk or formula in the first six months.

“The study reinforces what we try to tell parents already: Delay starting solids and don’t put juice in a bottle,” Lewis said. Lewis also advises parents that when starting infants on solid food, have the whole family sit down and eat together. Research has shown that obesity is less common in children raised in families that have frequent meals together at home.—AP

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Announcements Free medical camp MES conducts their 12th Free Medical Screening Camp on Friday 11th November at Central School Abbasiya in association with Kuwait Medical Association (KMA), Indian Doctors Forum (IDF), Kuwait Heart Foundation and Indian Dentists Alliance in Kuwait. The camp will be from 8 am to 2:30 pm. Around 50 specialized doctors from IDF will lead the examination. Thousands of poor and needy community members were benefited from the past 11 Medical Camps. Doctors specialized in Gynecology, Ortho, Cardiology, Surgical, Pediatrics, Diabetes, Ophthalmology, ENT, Skin, General Medicine and Dental are available in the camp.

Applicant should bring any medical records he/she have i.e. X-ray, Lab Test Report. Application forms are available at all the Branches of Gulf Mart, Tasty Restaurant, Al-Yaqza Book Shop (Kuwait City), Dress Mart (Fahaheel), Highland Supermarket (Abbasiya), Azizia Book Shop (Salmiya). Duly filled application will be acceptable maximum by 5th November 2011.

For details contact Zubair (99826195) & Hassan Managad (99131104).

Indian Lawyers’ Forum Onam Indian Lawyers’ Forum will celebrate Onam, the unique, secular, harvest festival of Kerala on 18th November, 2011 Friday 10.30 am at Hi-Dine Restaurant Auditorium, Abbassia. Celebrations will include traditional variety entertainments, with the grand ‘ONASADHYA’. All Indian Lawyers & Law graduates working here in Kuwait are invited with their families.

For details contact Panicker 97203939, Pulikkal 97260159. Email: advpanicker@gmail.com Tulukoota talent hunt Tulukoota Kuwait will hold a “Talent Hunt 2011” a chance to prove an inborn trait in you that confirms your individuality, uniqueness. For more information and registration form kindly log on to our Website: www.tulukootakuwait.org or visit our facebook page - Tulukoota Kuwait Talent Hunt 2011. You could also email your form request to: secretary@tulukootakuwait.org or contact our area coordinators mentioned below. Mangaf, Fahaheel, Abuhalifa : Ronald Dsouza- 60035824, Shalini Alva23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq: Rekha Sachu65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty- 67712409.

Class IV Fancy Dress Competition Reduce, recycle, reuse

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fancy dress competition was organized by Grade IV students at FAIPS auditorium, on the 18th of September. The event inspired awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment and highlighted the importance of environmental issues. The plea of all our participants, who were dressed as different types of flora and fauna, was to ‘Stop and Think’ as we diminish our future by exploiting the present.

ICS Lower primary wing holds Fancy Dress Competition

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he Indian Central School Lower Primary Wing organized a ‘Fancy Dress Competition’ for the students of Classes I and II on October 23rd, which marked as a day of fun and joy for the entire wing.

The day was colorful as the children were dressed up as freedom fighters, community helpers, Kings, Queens, clowns, grocer, fruits, vegetables etc. The children were enthusiastic to present themselves in their costumes and put on an excellent show. Teachers encouraged the children to participate in the event to boost their confidence.

The Lower Primary Wing encourages each and every child to participate in cocurricular activities which in turn will

ensure the harmonious growth of personality. It is a source of strength for streamlining the talents of the child. By participating in such events, children are able to strengthen the theme for the year “Every Child is a Star”.

The Supervisor of the wing, Amarjit Kaur addressed the gathering and thanked the teachers and the parents for the efforts they put in by encouraging the children and making the event a grand success. Last but not least, she extended her heartfelt gratitude to our dear Principal Shantha Maria James for the continuous encouragement and support for bringing in many such events for the overall development of the students.

Aware Center Arabic lessons The AWARE Management is glad to inform you that Winter 1 Arabic language courses will begin on November 20th, 2011 until January 12th, 2012. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed and courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector. Arabic classes at the AWARE Center are unique because students are provided with the chance to practice their Arabic through various social activities that aim at bringing Arabs and Westerners together.

AWARE Arabic courses highlight: lIntroductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics lBetter prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic lCombine language learning with cultural insights lTaught in multi-nationality group settings lProvide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs.

For more information or registration, call 25335260/80 ext 105/104/0 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw.

Aware center tour

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he Aware centre has organized a 1 1/2 tour of one of Kuwait’s most famous landmarks: The Grand Mosque. The tour will commence at 9.30am on Saturday the 12th of November, but those interested in taking part should meet at the Grande Mosque at 9.15.

The dress code is conservative, and cameras are allowed. Please note, women are kindly requested to wear long and loose fitting clothing and may take a scarf for covering their hair. The Mosque will be able to provide scarves for those without.

Angamaly Pravasi Association (APAK) celebrated Onam, anniversary and its general body at Indian Central School, Abbassiya.

K’S PATH to hold Annual Charity Ball and Art Auction

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’S PATH (Kuwait Society for the Protection of Animals and Their Habitat) - a non-profit organization committed to animal welfare and habitat conservation - will hold its annual ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ Ball and Art Auction under the patronage of Sheikha Lulu Mubarak Al Sabah on Friday, 18th November 2011 at 7.30pm at the British Embassy gardens. The fundraiser event will support K’S PATH’s many programs in benefit of animals, their habitat and the environment and bring special attention to the need of putting an end to the illegal trade, smuggling and hunting of wild animals.

“Our Charity Ball is a popular event on Kuwait’s social calendar, drawing interest of nationals and expats alike,” notes K’S PATH Chairman Ayeshah Al Humaidhi. “This year, we’re very happy to have Sheikha Lulu Mubarak Al Sabah endorsing our cause for the second consecutive year, and the support of the British Embassy and our generous prime sponsors Pet Providers and Easa Hussain Al Yousifi & Sons. We’ve also introduced a charity art auction featuring intriguing works of art, photography and couture by some of the most renowned artists and designers in Kuwait and international photographers. This is a great way to contribute to a worthy cause while having a memorable evening with family and friends.”

Special thanks also goes to Pet Zone and 10.Oh.8 for lending their support, she added.

In keeping with the Ball’s theme, guests are requested to don attire inspired by wild animals except fur. Switchback will entertain the guests with live music while Le Notre will dish out delectable vegetarian hors d’ouvres to promote animalfriendly lifestyle choices. Tickets to the Ball can be obtained by contacting events@kspath.org or dropping by Starbucks Al Bidaa on Wednesday, November 9th from 5pm to 7pm. For further inquiries about K’S PATH’s Ball and other fundraising events, please visit the website www.kspath.org or call the shelter line at (+965) 6700 1622.

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Embassy Information

Indian Islahi Center organizes Eid Gah Mohamed Aripra leading the Eid Gah organized by Indian Islahi Center.

Sri Lankans to gather at the Embassy

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ri Lankans across Kuwait will gather in the Sri Lankan Embassy premises on 11.11.2011 to express their solidarity with their President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government against the International pressure on them to take the issues of human rights violations at the last phase of war against most ruthless organizations called LTTE. A delegation comprising high ranking defense officials from Sri Lanka briefed the gathering on the actual facts on the last phase of war which ended in 2009.

The Sri Lankans suffered 30 years of war in the Indian Ocean Island and President Mahinda Rajapaksa liberated the country on

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form.

All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants.

Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed.

To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website. As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IM M5257E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5 256E.PDF. nnnnnnn

09 May 2009. The World Bank ranked Sri Lanka as most business friendly country in South Asia.

All Sri Lankans welcome.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Thrissur Mahotsavam 2011

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hrissur Association of Kuwait (TRASSK) is conducting its 5th annual celebration “MAHOTSAVAM 2011” on 11/11/2011 at 2:30pm at the American International School, Maidan Hawally. His excellency Satish C Mehta will be chief guest for the program. Cultural programs will be performed to demonstrate the true cultural heritage of the Thrissur district.

Renowned singers Vithu Prathab, Sangeeth and Liji will also perform. For more details, contact: 99916533 or 97551368.

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application.

Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed tomorrow, Thursday for - Guru Nanak’s birthday. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA

Upcoming events Annual holiday bazaar Bring the family and enjoy a festive day of shopping and socializing!! on Friday, November 18 from 10:30 am - 9 pm at The Salwa Sabah Al-Ahmed Theater and Hall, Gulf Road Entrance, just after the Hard Rock Café and before Marina Crescent. Santa will be there From 11 am - 2 pm & 5 - 7 pm.

SOS’s annual function Friends of SOS children’s villages Pakistan, Kuwait Chapter are in action once again. The much awaited ‘Annual-Function’ has been planned. It will be an evening of entertainment for a noble cause. ‘Friends’ are engaged with SOS children’s villages for the past many years. We have Alhadulillah done a lot to support the villages in Pakistan. Our regular ‘Friends’ are well aware of the hospitality and joyful environment at the function. We are also looking forward to welcoming new friends from all communities. The venue is at GUST Auditorium, Mishref on Thursday 24th November at 7:30 pm. For details contact: Aziz

Mamuji: 99837040 Ghazala Bano: 66385203.

Cynthia & Danny-99169310.

Gala concert Special gala concert celebrating the Polish presidency in the European Union on November 12 at 8pm at Al Hashemi Ballroom at Radisson Blu Hotel performed by Alicja Wegorzewska - Whiskerd (mezzosaprano) with participation of Bogdan Kierejsza (Violin).

KTAA events Nov. 15: “A Century of Color: Maya Weaving and Textiles from Guatemals.” Linda Fouke, KTAA Vice President, presenter Dec. 13: Mr. Hindi from Samovar Carpets. Location to be announced. For more info: 23903462 (English)/22432395 (Arabic) Email: wovenpieces@yahoo.com or ktaaworkshop@yahoo.com

Fitness program To All Filipinos In Kuwait ..”Tara Na, Mag-Excersice Na Tayo Tuwing Biernes!! The Filipino Cultural Club (FCC), coordially invites you to attend /participate in” FCC’s beach Clean-up and Physical Fitness” programme dubbed as “A Dance with the Sun by the Sea... Season -2” on 28 November, 7 am, McDonald’s Corniche, Gulf Road. Fitness program will run for four months evry Friday 7:00 am McDonald seaside.

Come, join us and tag along your family and friends in this very exciting and stimulating activity. For details contact Bong -99530665, Maria-99079341,

Konkani drama Kuwait Goan Association (KGA) after presenting popular Konkani tiatrs ‘Ghor Bandlem ghorabo Modlo’ and ‘Tujea Moga Passot’, now all set to present Tragedy King Mario Menezes most popular Konkani drama “Hatachim Panch Bottam” in Kuwait on Friday, 18th November 2011 with full troupe.

Await for more details or email: kgakuwait@gmail.com

K’s path weekly adoption alerts

The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy. We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SPAIN Embassy will re-open Wednesday 9/11/2011. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA Embassy will resume it s normal working hours on Tuesday, 8 November 2011, from Sunday to Thursday. Please note that the Working hours will be from 8h00 to 16h00 & the Consular Section operation hours will from 8h30 to 12h30. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax- 25387719.

Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk nnnnnnn

Lucky the Persian Mix cat

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ucky is a handsome 1.5 yearold male Persian mix that was rescued off the streets in Kuwait. This is a laid-back guy that likes to lounge around either on your lap or a piece of furniture close by. Lucky would be a great addition to a home with children over 12.

Rex the Shitzu dog

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ex is a super cute 7 yearold male Shitzu. Rex is social, friendly, likes other dogs and is a real cuddle bug! As easy-going of a guy as he is, he would be a great dog for an apartment and in most homes with children of all ages.

To Adopt Rex or Lucky, contact K’S PATH at +965 (67001622) or visit www.kspath.org

EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located at Al-Arablya Tower, Sharq, Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, on the 6th Floor. In the same place, as a part of the Chancellery of the Embassy of Peru in Kuwait, also is located the Showing Room of “PeruExpoTour, Trade & Invest.” nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

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00:50 01:45 02:40 03:35 04:30 05:25 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:25 19:20 20:15 20:40 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:55

Shark Feeding Frenzy Animal Cops Houston Galapagos Big Five Challenge Shark Feeding Frenzy Cats 101 Animal Cops Houston Wild Africa Rescue Wild Africa Rescue Monkey Life The Really Wild Show Natural Born Hunters Jeff Corwin Unleashed Breed All About It Your Pet Wants This, Too! Cats 101 Animal Cops Houston Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Animal Cops Specials 2009 Animal Cops Houston Galapagos Monkey Life The Really Wild Show Growing Up...

Cats 101 Dogs 101: Specials Monkey Life Breed All About It Cats 101 Galapagos Wildest Africa Untamed & Uncut

00:30 Blackadder The Third 01:00 2 Point 4 Children 02:05 The Weakest Link: S11: Set 02 02:50 Holby City: Set 1 03:40 Doctors: Set 2 04:10 2 Point 4 Children 04:40 3rd & Bird: set 01 04:50 Bobinogs 05:00 Boogie Beebies: Set 4 05:15 Spot’s Musical Adventures 05:20 Me Too: Set 1 05:40 Fimbles: Set 2 06:00 3rd & Bird: set 01 06:10 Bobinogs 06:20 Boogie Beebies: Set 4 06:35 Spot’s Musical Adventures 06:40 Me Too: Set 1 07:00 Charlie & Lola: Set 2 07:10 Fimbles: Set 2 07:30 3rd & Bird: set 01 07:40 Bobinogs 07:50 Boogie Beebies: Set 4 08:05 Spot’s Musical Adventures 08:10 Me Too: Set 1 08:30 Charlie & Lola: Set 2 08:40 Fimbles: Set 2 09:00 3rd & Bird: set 01 09:10 Bobinogs 09:20 Boogie Beebies: Set 4 09:35 Spot’s Musical Adventures 09:50 Me Too: Set 1 10:10 Charlie & Lola: Set 2 10:20 Fimbles: Set 2 10:40 2 Point 4 Children 11:35 The Weakest Link: S11: Set 02 12:25 The Planets (Revoiced & Updated) 13:15 Doctors: Set 2 13:45 Eastenders: set 253 14:15 Holby City: Set 1 15:10 2 Point 4 Children 16:40 The Planets (Revoiced & Updated) 17:30 The Weakest Link: S11: Set 02 18:15 Doctors: Set 2

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30

BBC World News America Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News America Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report

04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 Newsday 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 Sport Today 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 World Business Report 14:45 Sport Today 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 BBC World News 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:30 World Business Report

00:15 Samurai Jack 00:40 Megas XLR 01:05 Robotboy 01:30 Squirrel Boy 01:55 George Of The Jungle 02:20 Cramp Twins 02:45 Chop Socky Chooks 03:10 Best Ed 03:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Generator Rex 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 05:40 Chowder 05:55 Powerpuff Girls 06:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 06:55 I Am Weasel 07:20 Squirrel Boy 07:45 Cow & Chicken 08:00 Casper’s Scare School 08:04 Cow & Chicken 08:25 Angelo Rules 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 09:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 10:05 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 10:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 10:55 Cow & Chicken 11:20 I Am Weasel 11:35 Adventure Time 12:00 Ben 10 12:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 12:50 The Secret Saturdays 13:15 Samurai Jack 13:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 14:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:30 Skunk Fu! 14:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 15:40 Ed, Edd n Eddy 16:05 Camp Lazlo 16:30 Chowder 16:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 17:25 Cow & Chicken 17:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 18:15 I Am Weasel 18:40 George Of The Jungle 19:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 19:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 19:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 20:20 Generator Rex

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 20:45 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 21:10 Hero 108 21:35 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 22:00 Total Drama Action 22:25 Adventure Time 22:50 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 23:00 Ben 10

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:50 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:20 Cody 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:35 09:00 09:15 09:25 09:35 09:50 10:15 10:30 10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:00 16:10 16:35 Cody 17:00 18:15 18:45 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:28 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Emperor’s New School Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Emperor’s New School The Suite Life Of Zack And Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction The Hive Handy Manny Imagination Movers Phineas And Ferb Emperor’s New School Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Friends For Change Games Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up The Suite Life Of Zack And Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Emperor’s New School Fish Hooks Hannah Montana Friends For Change Games Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Glutton For Punishment 02:00 Secrets Of Ancient China 03:00 Glutton For Punishment 03:30 Life’s A Trip 04:00 Trabant Trek 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Glutton For Punishment 07:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Essential 09:30 Travel Today 10:00 The Blue Continent 11:00 Glutton For Punishment 12:00 Four Men And A Lady 12:30 Dream Destinations 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Sophie Grigson In The Home Counties 14:30 Journey Into Wine-South Africa 15:00 Secrets Of Ancient China 16:00 Glutton For Punishment 16:30 Life’s A Trip 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 19:00 Sophie Grigson In The Home Counties 19:30 Journey Into Wine-South Africa

HARRY BROWN ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

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Swamp Brothers Man vs Fish With Matt Watson Overhaulin’ Dirty Jobs Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How Do They Do It? Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Scrappers Science Of The Movies Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Man vs Fish With Matt Watson Swamp Brothers Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Scrappers How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Cash Cab Us James May’s Man Lab Mythbusters Science Of The Movies

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Tech Show 01:35 Mighty Ships 02:25 Green Wheels 02:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 03:40 Brainiac 04:35 The Gadget Show 05:25 How Stuff’s Made 05:50 Mighty Ships 06:40 Stuntdawgs 07:10 Powering The Future 08:00 Punkin Chunkin 2010 08:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 09:40 The Tech Show 10:10 Weird Connections 10:35 The Gadget Show 11:25 Powering The Future 12:20 Sci-Fi Science 12:45 How Stuff’s Made 13:15 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 14:55 Stuntdawgs 15:20 Green Wheels 15:50 Mighty Ships 16:40 Weird Connections 17:05 Punkin Chunkin 2010 18:00 Brainiac 18:50 Sci-Fi Science 19:15 The Tech Show 19:40 Weird Or What?

20:30 Moon Machines 21:20 Engineered 22:10 The Gadget Show 23:00 Weird Or What?

23:50 Moon Machines

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 05:40 06:05 06:30 06:50 07:35 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:20 11:45 12:10 12:35 13:25 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:35 18:00

Barefoot Contessa Grill It! With Bobby Flay World Cafe Asia Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite World Cafe Asia Food Network Challenge Barefoot Contessa Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Unwrapped Chef vs Britain Paula’s Best Dishes Paula’s Party Barefoot Contessa Chopped Guy’s Big Bite Everyday Italian Chef vs Britain Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Paula’s Best Dishes Barefoot Contessa Aarti Party Guy’s Big Bite Unwrapped Paula’s Party Everyday Italian Paula’s Best Dishes Mexican Made Easy World Cafe Asia Food Network Challenge Unwrapped Good Eats - Special Chopped Guy’s Big Bite Barefoot Contessa

00:20 Special Agent Oso 00:50 Jungle Junction 01:15 Little Einsteins 01:40 Higglytown Heroes 02:10 Jo Jo’s Circus 02:30 Special Agent Oso 03:00 Jungle Junction 03:25 Little Einsteins 03:50 Higglytown Heroes 04:20 Jo Jo’s Circus 04:40 Special Agent Oso 05:10 Jungle Junction 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Higglytown Heroes 06:30 Jo Jo’s Circus 06:50 Jungle Junction 07:15 Higglytown Heroes 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Jungle Junction 08:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:10 The Hive 09:20 Handy Manny 09:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:15 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 10:20 Timmy Time 10:30 Jungle Junction 10:45 The Hive 10:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 11:15 The Little Mermaid 11:45 Little Einsteins 12:10 Imagination Movers 12:30 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 12:45 Lazytown 13:10 Handy Manny 13:25 Jungle Junction 13:40 Imagination Movers 14:05 The Hive 14:15 Special Agent Oso 14:25 Little Einsteins

14:50 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 16:40 16:55 17:20 17:45 18:00 18:20 18:30 18:55 19:25 19:50 20:05 20:25 20:50 21:20 21:29 21:30 21:55 22:20 22:35 22:50 23:15 23:25 23:40 23:55

Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Lazytown Jungle Junction The Hive Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Little Mermaid Special Agent Oso Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 101 Dalmatians Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Animated Stories Imagination Movers Little Einsteins Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Handy Manny Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 THS 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Bridalplasty 10:15 15 Unforgettable Hollywood Tragedies 12:05 E! News 13:05 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 E! Investigates 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 17:55 E! News 18:55 E! Investigates 19:55 Ice Loves Coco 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami

00:00 00:50 01:40 02:30 03:20 04:10 05:00 05:50 06:40 07:30 09:00 09:25 10:15 11:55 12:45 13:35 14:25 15:15 16:05 16:55 17:45 18:10 19:00 20:40 21:30 22:20 23:10

Extreme Lives: My Right Foot The Sorsa Project Fight Girls World Combat League The Sorsa Project Extreme Lives: My Right Foot Quest For The Backflip Fight Girls World Combat League Ride Guide Snow 2009 X Games Heroes AMA Motocross 2011 Winter Dew Tour 10/11 Fantasy Factory Eds Up The Sorsa Project Fight Girls World Combat League Fantasy Factory Eds Up X Games Heroes AMA Motocross 2011 Winter Dew Tour 10/11 Fight Girls The Sorsa Project Cowboy U World Combat League

00:40 01:30 02:15 03:05 03:50 04:40 05:25 05:50 06:15 07:10 08:00 08:45 09:35 10:20 10:45 11:05 11:50 12:40 13:25 14:15 15:00 15:50 16:15 16:35 17:20 18:10 19:00 19:45 20:10 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Crime Scene Psychics Couples Who Kill Deadly Women Dr G: Medical Examiner Crime Scene Psychics Crime Scene Psychics Ghost Lab Mystery ER Murder Shift Forensic Detectives Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol The Prosecutors FBI Files Murder Shift On The Case With Paula Zahn Ghost Lab Mystery ER Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls The Prosecutors FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery ER Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Ghost Lab I Almost Got Away With It FBI Case Files

00:00 Adventure Wanted 01:00 Meet The Natives: USA 02:00 Banged Up Abroad 03:00 Graham’s World 03:30 Eccentric Uk 04:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody 04:30 Somewhere In China 05:30 Earth Tripping 06:00 Adventure Wanted 07:00 Meet The Natives: USA 08:00 Banged Up Abroad 09:00 Graham’s World 09:30 Eccentric Uk 10:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody 10:30 Somewhere In China 11:30 Earth Tripping 12:00 Adventure Wanted 13:00 Destination Extreme 13:30 First Ascent 14:00 City Chase Rome 15:00 City Chase Marrakech 16:00 Departures 17:00 Nomads

LARGO WINCH 2 ON OSN ACTION HD 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Best of Treks in a Wild World Destination Extreme First Ascent City Chase Rome City Chase Marrakech Departures Nomads

00:00 The Collector-18 02:00 Paranormal Activity-PG15 04:00 Largo Winch 2-PG15 06:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 07:45 You Got Served-PG15 09:30 The Bannen Way-PG15 11:15 Rocky-PG15 13:15 You Got Served-PG15 15:00 The Postman-PG15 18:00 Rocky-PG15 20:00 Nine Dead-PG15 22:00 Homecoming-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Winter Of Frozen Dreams-18 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 Stone Of Destiny-PG15 The Flyboys-PG15 Dean Spanley-PG Don’t Fade Away-PG15 Planet 51-PG The Eclipse-PG15 Make It Happen-PG15 Black Death-PG15 Homecoming-PG15 Little Ashes-R

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 South Park 02:00 Bored To Death 02:30 Entourage 03:00 Friends 04:00 According To Jim 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Dharma And Greg 06:00 Weird Science 06:30 Just Shoot Me 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 According To Jim 08:30 Friends 09:00 Dharma And Greg 09:30 The League 10:00 How I Met Your Mother 10:30 Just Shoot Me 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Weird Science 12:30 According To Jim 13:00 Friends 13:30 Dharma And Greg 14:00 Just Shoot Me 14:30 The League 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Weird Science 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 Parks And Recreation 19:30 The League 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 American Dad 22:30 Entourage 23:00 South Park 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

01:00 Mirrors 2-18 03:00 Largo Winch 2-PG15 05:00 Harry Brown-18 07:00 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course-PG15 09:00 I, Robot-PG15 11:00 Independence Day-PG15 13:30 Echelon Conspiracy-PG15 15:15 I, Robot-PG15 17:15 Avatar-PG 20:00 8 Mile-PG15 22:00 Mindhunters-18 23:45 Jason X-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Chasing Papi-PG The Dukes-PG15 Straight Talk-PG15 Hey Hey Its Esther Blueburger Tom And Huck-PG15 Babe-FAM Babe: Pig In The City-FAM Valentine’s Day-PG15 Chasing Papi-PG Stan Helsing-18 Bob Roberts-PG15 The Slammin’ Salmon-18

01:00 Head Over Heels-PG15 03:00 Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief-PG15 05:00 Secretariat-PG15 07:00 Fantastic Mr. Fox-FAM 09:00 The A-Team-PG15 11:15 How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days-PG 13:15 Iron Man 2-PG15 15:30 Bandslam-PG15 17:30 The A-Team-PG15 19:45 Calvin Marshall-PG15 21:45 Predators-18

00:00 Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Friends Forever-PG 02:00 The Three Musketeers (2008) 04:00 Turandot-PG 06:00 Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Friends Forever-PG 08:00 Ulysses-PG 10:00 Barney’s Great Adventure 12:00 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore-PG 14:00 The Three Musketeers (2008) 16:00 Zorro’s Secrets-PG 18:00 Barney’s Great Adventure 20:00 The Big Green-PG

00:00 03:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 15:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 22:30

UFC 138 Rugby League 4 Nations Trans World Sport Speedway Rugby League 4 Nations WWE Vintage Collection Premier League Snooker WWE SmackDown Trans World Sport Le Mans Cup UFC The Ultimate Fighter Rugby League 4 Nations Premier League Snooker

00:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 01:00 Rugby League 4 Nations 03:00 Futbol Mundial 03:30 Volvo Ocean Race 04:30 Spirit of Yachting 05:00 Beach Volley Ball 05:30 ICC Cricket World 06:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 07:00 Scottish Premier League 09:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 09:30 Futbol Mundial 10:00 Golfing World 11:00 Volvo Ocean Race 12:00 Spirit of Yachting 12:30 World Hockey 13:00 Scottish Premier League 15:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 15:30 Golfing World 16:30 European Challenge Tour Highlights 17:30 Trans World Sport 18:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 19:00 Scottish Premier League 21:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 22:00 Golfing World 23:00 Asian Tour Golf Show 23:30 Trans World Sport

02:00 Golfing World 03:00 Scottish Premier League 05:00 Pro 12 Celtic League

07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Premier League Snooker 11:30 Equestrian World 12:00 Golfing World 13:00 European Challenge Tour Highlights 14:00 Asian Tour Golf 14:30 European PGA Tour Highlights 15:30 Equestrain World 16:00 Futbol Mundial 16:30 Pro 12 Celtic League 18:30 European Challenge Tour Highlights 19:30 Asian Tour Golf 20:00 European Tour Weekly 20:30 Trans World Sport 21:30 SPL Highlights 22:00 Spirit of Yachting 22:30 Volvo Ocean Race 23:30 Beach Volley Ball

00:00 02:30 04:30 05:00 07:00 08:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00

Super League Formula Powerboats Powerboats Highlights UFC Unleashed WWE Tough Enough Super Formula V8 Supercars Speedway WWE Tough Enough WWE SmackDown Powerboats V8 Supercars WWE NXT WWE SmackDown UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Swamp People IRT: Deadliest Roads Engineering An Empire Pawn Stars American Pickers Swamp People IRT: Deadliest Roads Engineering An Empire Pawn Stars American Pickers Swamp People IRT: Deadliest Roads Engineering An Empire Pawn Stars American Pickers Life After People IRT: Deadliest Roads Engineering An Empire Dogfights Soviet Storm: Wwii In The East Nato’s Secret Armies

00:05 Big Rich Texas 01:00 Jerseylicious 02:00 Videofashion Daily 02:55 Videofashion News 03:25 How Do I Look?

04:20 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

06:10 Homes With Style 06:35 Area 07:05 Clean House 08:00 Videofashion News 09:00 Videofashion Daily 10:00 Open House 10:55 How Do I Look?

11:50 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

12:50 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

13:50 Clean House 14:45 Videofashion Daily

01:25 01:40 03:15 04:50 06:25 08:00 09:35 11:30 13:30 15:10 16:50 18:20 18:35

Mgm’s Big Screen Boost, The California Casanova Caged Fury Convict Cowboy Dirty Dozen: Deadly Mission Comes A Horseman Horse Soldiers, The Salt And Pepper Lawman Killing Mr. Griffin Mgm’s Big Screen Gaily, Gaily

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for Indian bachelors in old Riggae sector, St 1. Contact: 97525930.

(C 3728) Sharing accommodation available for Indian couple or bachelors with an Indian family in Hawally, fully furnished, central A/C room.

Contact: 97919485. (C3729) 6-11-2011

FOR SALE Toyota Corolla 2004, 1.8cc, km 101000, golden metallic, no accident, original paint and excellent condition, cash KD 2150. Contact: 66825635. (C 3724) PC Compaq P4, Intel original 2.4, Ram 512, HD 80 GB, with LCD monitor, excellent condition, price KD 45.

Contact: 99322585.

(C 3726) 3-11-2011

SITUATION VACANT Looking for American/ British family to host 15 years Kuwaiti boy from reputed Kuwaiti family. Daily for an hour to converse in English. References on request. 97524681. (C 3723) 3-11-2011

SITUATION WANTED Qualified and Experienced accountant needs job urgently.

Contact: 66825635. (C 3725) 3-11-2011

CHANGE OF NAME I, Vanki Reddy Sreelatha, holder of Indian Passport No. G6791519 converted to Islam do hereby change my name to Aasma Bano.

(C 3727) 5-11-2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR PIA RBG JZR JZR QTR ETH THY UAE QTR DHX MSR FDB ETD GFA KAC THY DHX FCX JZR JZR BAW KAC AFR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD SVA GFA IRC KAC FCX SVA IRA RBG KNE JZR IRM MEA SVA MSR JZR SVA SVA CLX GFA SVA MSR SYR FDB KAC UAL

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 9/11/2011 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 205 LAHORE/PESHAWER 3564 ASSIUT 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 6130 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 138 DOHA 370 BAHRAIN 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 211 BAHRAIN 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 6702 PARIS 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 284 DHAKA 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 5306 JEDDAH 213 BAHRAIN 6793 MASHAD 2974 JEDDAH 203 DUBAI 5318 JEDDAH 603 SHIRAZ 3555 ALEXANDRIA 839 JEDDAH 165 DUBAI 5066 MASHAD 404 BEIRUT 5340 JEDDAH 610 CAIRO 201 DAMASCUS 7806 JEDDAH 7808 JEDDAH 792 LUXEMBOURG 219 BAHRAIN 5344 JEDDAH 621 ASSIUT 341 DAMASCUS 57 DUBAI 790 MEDINAH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES

Time 0:20 0:25 0:40 0:45 0:50 1:15 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:15 4:40 4:50 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:20 6:40 6:45 7:00 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:55 8:15 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:55 10:00 10:30 10:30 10:35 10:40 11:05 11:05 11:20 11:50 11:55 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:05 13:15 13:25 13:30 13:30 13:45 13:50 14:00 14:05

KAC KAC QTR KNE SVA RJA ABY JZR KAC KAC QTR SVA SVA JZR KAC KAC IRC JZR SVA IYE JZR ETD UAE KAC GFA SVA SVA RBG ABY JZR ALK JZR FDB KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC AIC KAC KAC FDB JAI OMA DHX KAC VOS MEA GFA QTR UAE JZR JZR KAC SAI JZR UAL KAC AXB DLH PIA SVA

2918 2908 140 745 500 640 123 257 2906 546 134 5364 7807 561 2924 2910 6791 1535 5308 824 213 303 857 550 215 510 5320 3557 127 777 227 177 63 542 787 786 674 166 975 102 774 61 572 647 372 2928 81 402 217 136 859 179 135 2930 441 239 981 2914 393 636 215 5310

JEDDAH JEDDAH DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH BEIRUT JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH SOHAG JEDDAH JEDDAH MASHAD CAIRO JEDDAH SANAA/DOHA DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO ABU DHABI DUBAI SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH SOHAG SHARJAH JEDDAH COLOMBO/DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI CAIRO RIYADH JEDDAH DUBAI PARIS/ROME CHENNAI/GOA NEW YORK/LONDON RIYADH DUBAI MUMBAI MUSCAT BAHRAIN JEDDAH BAGHDAD BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN JEDDAH LAHORE AMMAN BAHRAIN JEDDAH KOZHIKODE/COCHIN FRANKFURT KARACHI JEDDAH

14:10 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 14:45 15:00 15:10 15:20 15:25 15:30 16:05 16:10 16:10 16:15 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:35 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:10 17:15 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:40 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:10 20:15 21:00 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:55 22:10 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:40 23:50 23:55 23:59

Airlines UAL AXB BBC AIC DLH PIA RBG QTR ETH THY VOS FDB UAE DHX MSR ETD KAC QTR THY JZR GFA JZR FDB KAC BAW AFR KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR UAE ABY KAC KAC FDB QTR ETD GFA SVA IRC KAC SVA IRA RBG FCX KNE KAC JZR KAC MEA IRM SVA KAC SVA SVA JZR MSR

Departure Flights on Wednesday 9/11/2011 Flt Route 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE 44 DHAKA 982 AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/CHENNAI 637 FRANKFURT 206 LAHORE 3562 ALEXANDRIA 6131 DOHA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 94 DUBAI/KANDAHAR 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 2973 JEDDAH 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 54 DUBAI 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 6702 DUBAI/HONG KONG 2905 JEDDAH 2907 JEDDAH 2917 JEDDAH 256 BEIRUT 1534 CAIRO 549 SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG 789 MEDINAH 560 SOHAG 212 ALEPPO/DEIREZZOR 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 117 NEW YORK 2909 JEDDAH 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 4306 JEDDAH 6794 MASHAD 2923 JEDDAH 4318 JEDDAH 602 SHIRAZ 3558 SOHAG 204 DUBAI 840 MEDINAH/JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 405 BEIRUT 5065 MASHAD 4340 JEDDAH 785 JEDDAH 7808 JEDDAH 7806 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO

Time 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:05 1:20 1:25 1:25 2:45 2:45 3:15 3:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:00 4:50 4:55 5:50 6:55 7:00 7:30 8:25 8:30 8:40 8:45 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:15 9:15 9:25 9:30 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:10 10:20 10:40 10:40 10:45 11:00 11:35 11:40 11:45 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:30 13:40 13:45 13:45 13:50 13:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

GFA MSR SVA FDB SYR CLX KAC KNE UAL ABY RJA KAC SVA JZR KAC SVA QTR KAC SVA IRC KAC JZR JZR SVA IYE ETD JZR QTR KAC UAE GFA RBG ABY SVA KAC SVA JZR KAC JZR ALK FDB JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC DHX JAI OMA DHX MEA GFA FCX KAC QTR JZR KAC KAC UAE KAC TSY JZR KAC SAI

220 622 4344 58 342 792 673 746 982 124 641 2927 503 786 773 4364 141 2929 7807 6792 2913 238 178 4308 824 304 538 135 2901 858 216 3556 128 4320 153 511 266 2933 134 228 64 184 283 361 62 2931 331 171 571 648 373 403 218 102 2935 137 554 301 2939 860 205 702 502 415 442

BAHRAIN ASSIUT JEDDAH DUBAI DAMASCUS VIETNAM DUBAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN SHARJAH AMMAN JEDDAH JEDDAH RIYADH RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH MASHAD JEDDAH AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH SANAA ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH JEDDAH ISTANBUL RIYADH BEIRUT JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI/COLOMBO DUBAI DUBAI DHAKA COLOMBO DUBAI JEDDAH TRIVANDRUM BAHRAIN MUMBAI MUSCAT BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN BAHRAIN JEDDAH DOHA ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI JEDDAH DUBAI ISLAMABAD BAHRAIN LUXOR KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA LAHORE

14:20 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:45 14:45 15:05 15:10 15:20 15:25 15:35 15:40 15:45 15:50 16:25 16:30 16:30 16:40 16:45 17:00 17:05 17:15 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:30 18:35 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:55 20:15 20:20 20:40 20:50 21:00 21:00 21:10 21:15 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 22:50 23:00 23:30 23:35 23:45 23:50

34

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 492

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You are able to cut through whatever problems present themselves and get at what is necessary to find, repair or substitute whatever it takes to make things work. You work well with those in authority who are independent. Clear decisions affecting others could be made today. You may be sought after by your co-workers for advice and direction regarding professional and perhaps, emotional issues. Be wise to keep any information you hear in confidence, under your hat. You could find yourself engaged in nonconformist causes, always ready to promote what is independent and innovative. You like radical approaches and find yourself in support of whatever is new or whatever breakthrough ideas are next in line. This may be a day of intellectual creativity. Expressing yourself with flair is fun and showy, which you enjoy.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a challenging day. You may, however, enjoy attending a lecture or business meeting on the technical level. Later, emotional considerations may block or oppose how you proceed with a plan.

Someone may get pushy or obscure the real choices and the right path. Give yourself time to think things through for now. Stay away from speculative ventures. It is not a good idea to squander your resources. You are practical and conscientious about your own personal choices and how you conduct your life. These attributes take on a special importance now as the young people in your family, and perhaps friends, depend on your thinking to help them make life choices: home, car, etc. You are good at helping when asked.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

4. A clergyman in many Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites.

10. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

13. The upper side of the thighs of a seated person.

14. (Jewish cookery) A loaf of white bread containing eggs and leavened with yeast.

15. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

16. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

17. Report or maintain.

18. A unit of length of thread or yarn.

19. Cereal grass widely cultivated for its grain.

21. (Bible) The archangel who was the messenger of God. 23. White crystalline compound used as a food additive to enhance flavor.

24. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

25. (Judaism) A period of seven days of mourning after the death of close relative.

28. Before noon.

30. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.

34. Powdery starch from certain sago palms.

37. Extremely pleasing.

38. An inflammatory complication of leprosy that results in painful skin lesions on the arms and legs and face.

40. The face or front of a building.

41. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.

42. Fiddler crabs.

44. Away from the mouth or oral region.

45. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

47. A public promotion of some product or service.

48. A unit of information equal to 1024 bytes.

50. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

53. The region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis.

58. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization.

61. An informal term for a father.

62. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

63. Surveying instrument consisting of the upper movable part of a theodolite including the telescope and its attachments.

65. Tag the base runner to get him out.

66. A member of an agricultural people of southern India.

67. The 19th letter of the Greek alphabet.

DOWN 1. By bad luck.

2. A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria.

3. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

4. Drought-resistant Asiatic treelike shrub bearing pleasantly acid small red edible fruits commonly used in sherbets.

5. English courtier (a favorite of Elizabeth I) who tried to colonize Virginia.

6. Not in good physical or mental health.

7. Resembling or characteristic of or appropriate to an elegy.

8. An narrative telling the adventures of a hero or a family.

9. 100 thebe equal 1 pula.

10. City in southwestern Colombia in a rich agricultural area.

11. American novelist (1909-1955).

12. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

20. A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it.

22. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

26. Imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time) from 206 BC to 221 and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy.

27. An Eskimo hut.

29. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

31. (old-fashioned) At or from or to a great distance.

32. A quantity of no importance.

33. In bed.

35. A bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases.

36. A light touch or stroke.

39. An interest followed with exaggerated zeal.

41. COmmon Business Oriented Language.

43. Someone who is morally reprehensible.

46. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

47. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

49. English monk and scholar (672-735).

50. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

51. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

52. A river that rises in western New Mexico and flows westward through southern Arizona to become a tributary of the Colorado River.

54. (informal) Exceptionally good.

55. An informal term for a father.

56. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal to about a bushel.

57. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

59. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

60. An authoritative direction or instruction to do something.

64. (astronomy) A measure of time defined by Earth's orbital motion.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Frustration, especially in getting things accomplished, may set today’s mood. You are, however, able to rise above any difficulty . . . seen or unseen. If possible, this is a better time to stay on the path and just keep moving forward. You can handle any glitch in the process and will eventually learn to be more patient with yourself. Sometimes the process of well-traveled steps points the way to the end result that is appreciated the most. This afternoon, exchanging information takes on more significance. Being more involved with neighbors or your sibling(s) is important after your workday has ended. A sense of belonging and nurturing are issues that are felt instinctively. You may be willing to go that extra mile for someone in order to continue pleasant connections.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You are a very forceful speaker and communicate with great enthusiasm. There are opportunities to speak to small and large groups today. This could be in a lecture, a work meeting, teaching, etc. Words just flow out and are always followed by a heartfelt concern that brings them home to your listeners. You have no trouble putting your feelings into words; in fact, you may have to exercise some control over your tongue, for you can be quick to say things. You may be sought after for your advice and counsel regarding very personal and emotional issues. You will be able to be understanding and cut through the red tape to get at what is behind a problem. If you have a quest, you will find joiners. A social event this evening will find you at your most elegant.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is a good time to buckle down and concentrate on your work. Your managerial abilities and sense of responsibility prove successful. Your career assumes a more solid form—a firm foundation. Preach or teach what is on your mind today. Your words contain a timely message that is good for all to hear. You may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation this afternoon as you visit with a friend or family member. You are learning to ask good questions and you can quickly get to the root of a matter that helps in understanding viewpoints.

Listening and adding your comments when asked is what makes you a favorite. You may find yourself on the phone later today as you busy yourself cooking or look for a special recipe to trade.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may be surprised when others express appreciation for your ability to know just what needs to be done and you contribute your expertise to whatever is needed. This could be in the workplace with a team that needs coaching, support or guiding. Real insight into your own inner workings could surface in a manageable form. Every day is different and you enjoy your work and the people you work with as each person is dedicated and enthusiastic. At home this afternoon you may realize that although much effort goes into your workday, the people at home also need your attention. You build your relationships so they will last a lifetime and you are willing to do what it takes to make family work. A young person takes the lead tonight.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

This is a good day to get things done. Good eye-hand coordination and a continuous effort make almost any task run well.

You are able to apply real discipline or organization. You find yourself in a very practical mood and working with, instead of against, yourself. You have a yearning to move toward the more challenging issues soon. Law, politics, education, travel and religion are some of the areas where drama could be enacted; careful.

You are in a good position to add your advice or guidance for those who ask.

Emotional security, a sense of belonging and nurturing turns your attention to the home front this afternoon. Making phone calls, paying bills and writing letters holds you close to home this evening.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Something you say or communicate may go against your own best interests. You could clash with an older person or one in authority at this time. Not perhaps a good time for you to try out new things or break away from an old routine. You might say this is not the day to do two things at once. Slow your pace at bit and you will find you will have accomplished much more than you thought possible by day’s end. Intense feelings and strong attachments make for hot times and you are fiercely loyal, if not sometimes possessive. You are not at all superficial but always get to the heart of things. This is good for business and politics, particularly at work. You have a sense for power, wealth and passion. Accept the changes that are being asked of you at this time.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You may be moved to appreciate and discover the beauty in your life and in those around you. At the same time, everything could take on added value. Be careful that you do not overspend or indulge too much just now. Travel and other contacts with faraway people come to your attention and have possibilities this winter. Such things bring love and gain in one way or another.

Higher education, philosophical or religious contacts could have a part in making good things happen. Family, home, relatives and real estate will all be a part of the positive changes in your life. You have a keen interest in what makes things tick and who or what pulls the strings. With your knowledge and skills, you figure out ways to make your nest egg grow.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental best. Your analytical abilities are at a high point. You can really get your thoughts and ideas across—good communication. It is time to put your plans to work and move forward with your career goals. You may find that a co-worker or partner will join in and take the elevator up the corporate ladder with you. A friend from long ago may contact you this afternoon. Much conversation over old times may find you looking through the scrapbook this evening. Emotional security and a sense of belonging and nurturing are the issues that are felt instinctively now. You may want what others have but you may also decide you like the way you have set up your own life to run.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is a time when ideas and communication of all kinds will assume increased importance. Your mind could be quite clear and natural just now. Ideas are flowing and could come with ease. You have a knack for putting the feelings of a group into words and may serve as a teacher or spokesperson. If you have ever considered a vocation in teaching, now may be the time to do something about it. You might even consider volunteering to teach an adult reading class. You may be able to encourage a friend to join you in this venture. Humanitarian efforts can affect your work and life-path. You have an opportunity to take control and become more disciplined. Friends, group projects and community concerns could play a key role in your career direction.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Good practical job-related thoughts and ideas are available as usual. Figuring things out is one of the things that take on special significance. You have a strong urge to organize things today. There is much mental busywork. The ability to communicate with superiors or describe what you see brings attention to what you say. Your timing should be perfect for just about any project you want to attempt. Push too hard and you could be too dominating, even oppressive.

You may feel the need to care for others or to have them care for you—perhaps on a public rather than a private level. You sense what is needed and you move forward to take care of the essentials or to lend a helpful hand. Spending quality time with your loved one is your main priority this evening.

A

y

e niv rsar n

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36

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

lifestyle G O S S I P

Winehouse dress to be sold for charity he dress worn by late British soul singer Amy Winehouse on the cover of her Grammy-award winning album “Back to Black” is being put up for sale for charity, a London auctioneer said yesterday. The printed chiffon dress, designed by young Thailandbased designer Disaya, is expected to raise between £10,000 and £20,000 (11,650 and 23,300 euros, $16,000 and $32,000) at the sale at Kerry Taylor Auctions on November 29. The money will be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity to help vulnerable young people that was set up by her family following the 27-year-old singer’s untimely death by alcohol poi-

T

soning on July 23. “What makes this particular dress so special is that it is an emblematic reminder of the magic voice and sublime talent of Amy Winehouse-a sound that resonates with an entire generation, and always will,” said Taylor. “Back to Black”, Winehouse’s second album released in 2006, became Britain’s highest-selling album of the 21st century after her death.

Emmy-winning TV - film writer

Kanter dies

Bieber

Spokesman says will take paternity test

eir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and record industry royalty paid tribute to pianist, bandleader and television presenter Jools Holland on Monday when he was awarded the 20th Music Industry Trusts Award. In a video message played at a swanky dinner in central London, Charles spoke of Holland’s “irresistible music” and “wonderful humanity.” “As you now know, there has been a long-running plot to promote you to the position of a full blown national treasure,” he joked. Holland rose to prominence in the 1970s as a founding member of the band Squeeze, famous for hits like “Cool For Cats” and “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell).” He has worked with a host of major music stars and is best known in Britain today for his long-running, famously eclectic music show “Later ... With Jools Holland” on which the quirky presenter regularly jams with his invited guests. The annual award is designed to honor a leading figure in the music business and raise money for its two chosen charities-music therapy organization Nordoff Robbins and The BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology. Nordoff Robbins uses music to help people with a range of conditions including autism, dementia, stroke, mental health problems, depression and terminal illness. The BRIT School is Britain’s only free performing arts school and has produced major recording stars including AmyWinehouse and Adele. “Thirty years of television, 25 of big band and probably 40 years since first playing the pubs ... that’s why I’m delighted to receive this, with all of those in mind,” Holland said. “But I think this award also helps to celebrate and draw people’s attention to Nordoff Robbins and the BRIT School, so it’s more about them than it is about me.” He later took to the stage with his Rhythm & BluesOrchestra featuring Ruby Turner on vocals, and Imelda May andPaul Weller also performed. Bob Geldof, concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith and rock guitarist Jeff Beck were among the crowd of nearly 1,000 who paid tribute to Holland. Also honored on the night was chairman of the Music Industry Trusts Awards committee David Munns, who has been at the helm for 15 years. Previous recipients of the annual award include George Martin, John Barry, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Kylie Minogue, Ahmet Ertegun, and last year, Tom Jones.

H

UK music industry, royalty honor Holland

Loggins, Shelton team up at CMA Awards lake Shelton and Kenny Loggins missed their calling. The two new friends are opening the Country Music Association Awards today with a version of Loggins’ hit film theme song “Footloose,” but they really should hit the road as a comedy team. Loggins stayed step for step with the notoriously funny singer and star of “The Voice” on Monday after rehearsals.

Asked how his experience has been so far, Loggins said: “I’m bored to death,” flooring everyone within earshot before adding, “It’s really fun to be part of the CMAs. I never thought I would be up on that stage, so I’m very pleased.

And, of course ... What’s your name again?”“Uh, Kenny Chesney,” Shelton replied.”Kenny is terrific,” Loggins quipped, “and will someday be a huge star.”

Shelton, whose version of “Footloose” leads the soundtrack of the recently released countrified “Footloose” remake, is up for a leading five awards Wednesday night when the show airs live on ABC at 8 pm EST (0100 GMT), including entertainer of the year. Loggins is here for that performance, but it’s not his first trip to the CMAs or Nashville. He’s attended the show before as a spectator and has formed a band with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Gary Burr and San Antonio singer Georgia Middleman. “I’m trying to get him to move to Nashville,” Shelton said. “He belongs here.”

B

P

prepared for motherhood

J

rolific screenwriter and producer Hal Kanter has died.

He was 92 years old. The cause was complications from pneumonia, his daughter Donna Kanter told the Los Angeles Times. In a career that spanned six decades, Kanter wrote the screenplays for a number of memorable films such as “Pocketful of Miracles” (1961), “Let’s Make Love” (1960) and the Elvis Presley vehicle “Blue Hawaii” (1961). Kanter worked on both comedies and dramas. He adapted Tennessee Williams’ play “The Rose Tattoo” (1955) into an acclaimed feature film and wrote one of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby’s signature “Road” pictures, “Road to Bali” (1952).

Though never nominated for an Oscar, Kanter won two of his three Emmy awards for his writing on Academy Awards broadcasts. He wrote for the awards show for decades. He won another Emmy in 1955 for his work on “The George Gobel Show.”

Kanter’s television career also included stints as a producer and writer on shows such as “All in the Family” and “Chico and the Man.” Among his directing credits are episodes of “The Jimmy Stewart Show” and “Julia,” as well as the TV movies “For the Love of It” and “Three Coins in the Fountain.”

Kanter is survived by his wife, writer Doris Kanter; his daughters, Donna Kanter, Lisa Kanter Shafer and Abigail Kanter Jaye; his sister, Saralea Emerson; and a granddaughter.

Morissette wasn’t

ustin Bieber will take a paternity test and then he plans to sue the woman who has filed a paternity suit against him, a representative for the teen pop star said Monday. Matthew Hiltzik said the 17-year-old singer will take a paternity test when he returns to the US. within the next two weeks.

He also said Bieber’s team plans to “vigorously pursue all available legal remedies to protect Justin.” Mariah Yeater filed the paternity suit last week in San Diego Superior Court. She said she had just turned 19 when she and Bieber, then 16, had a brief sexual encounter after one of the singer’s concerts last fall in a backstage bathroom at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. Bieber has said he’s never met Yeater and has denied allegations that he fathered Yeater’s 3month-old child. The singer was in London on Monday to switch on the Christmas lights at the city’s two biggest shopping malls. Thousands of young and mostly female fans waited hours for Bieber to appear. Bieber traveled the 12 miles between the malls by helicopter. The star, who won two prizes at Sunday’s MTV Europe Music Awards in Belfast, told fans that his favorite thing about London was “all the girls.”Bieber said backstage Monday that despite the ups and downs, he was grateful for his fans.”I take it with a grain of salt.

It’s been incredible, my fans are amazing and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.

lanis Morissette has confessed she wasn’t prepared for motherhood. The ‘You Oughta Know’ singer gave birth to her son Ever Imre last Christmas Day and despite doing everything she could to learn about the birth she didn’t do enough research on actual parenting. Writing in her blog for iVillage.com, she revealed: “I remain baffled at how little I was prepared for what was to come. I had used, as usual, the I’ll-riseto-that-occasion-when-I-get-there approach to the post-childbearing journey. So all my DVD-watching and focus went toward the birth experience itself, and how to prepare myself for that (as though I really could prepare for a Human. Being.

Coming. Out. Of. My. Body). (sic)” Despite the trials and tribulations of motherhood, the 37-year-old musician insists when her and her husband Mario ‘Souleye’ Treadway’s son was born, the individual she had always “dreamed of becoming” was brought to life as well. In her blog, the ‘Ironic’ singer added: “Life literally and figuratively moved through me that morning of Dec 25. Yet another example of life’s unsentimental and ruthless way of shaking me awake to the direct experience of being human . I had no idea the person I’d always dreamed of becoming was being born at the exact same time.”-Bang Showbiz

A

Jenner, Lavigne report assault in LA eality TV star Brody Jenner says he was hit with a bottle outside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and girlfriend singer Avril Lavigne tweeted that she was also attacked. Los Angeles police Sgt Keith Green said Monday that Jenner filed a police report of assault with a deadly weapon after being hit early Sunday outside the popular nightspot. Green says Jenner was not given medical help and no one was arrested. Green could not confirm Lavigne’s involvement, but on her Twitter account, she said she “got attacked by 5 people last night out of nowhere. Not cool.”

Jenner is the son of Olympian Bruce Jenner and a regular on MTV’s “The Hills.” He’s also a stepbrother of the Kardashian sisters and has appeared on their reality show.-Bang Showbiz

R

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

lifestyle Music & Movies

Key dates in life and death of Michael Jackson

B

LaToya Jackson arrives at the Criminal Justice Center.

Michael Jackson’s parents Joe and Katherine Jackson arrive at the Criminal Justice Center.

Highlights of Jackson doctor trial H

erewith highlights from the trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray, after the medic was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on Monday over the pop icon’s death in 2009: Sept 27: Trial opens with prosecutor David Walgren saying: “Michael Jackson literally put his life in the hands of Conrad Murray... That misplaced trust cost Michael Jackson his life.”

Defense lawyer Ed Chernoff retorted that “Michael Jackson self-administered a dose of propofol that, with the lorazepam, created a perfect storm in his body,” when Murray was out of the room and added that the cocktail “killed him instantly.”

Highlights of the first day include a harrowing picture of Jackson’s corpse on a hospital gurney, and a haunting recording of him speaking in a heavily slurred, apparently drugged state weeks before his death.

Sept 28: Jackson’s security chief Faheem Muhammad reports the shocked reaction of children Paris and Prince on seeing their lifeless father, saying: “Paris was on the ground balled up crying, and Prince was standing there, and he just had a real shocked (look), you know just slowly crying.”

Sept 30: Paramedics take the stand, saying Jackson may have died up to an hour before they arrived. Richard Senneff recounts how a “frantic” Murray failed to tell them about having given Jackson propofol. Murray is also described as looking like a “deer in the headlights.”

Oct 3: Emergency medic Richelle Cooper recounts how she was ready to declare Jackson dead at 12:57 pm, when paramedics’ efforts had failed. He was eventually pronounced dead at 2:26 pm.

Oct 4: A cocktail waitress who dated the physician and was on the phone with him while he was attending to the star recalls hearing “coughing” shortly before midday-in what lawyers assume could be the moment the doctor realized Jackson was not breathing.

Oct 5: A longer version of the drugged-up Jackson recording is played in court. Jackson says of his children: “I love them.

I love them because I didn’t have a childhood. I had no childhood. I feel their pain. I feel their hurt.”

Oct 7: A two-hour interview Murray gave to police is played in court. He gives a detailed account of his vain attempts to get Jackson to sleep, before giving him propofol at 10:40 am, and leaving him unattended for two minutes,

only to find the star lifeless.

Oct 11: Autopsy doctor Christopher Rogers rebuts the central defense claim, saying Jackson could not have caused his own death. “The circumstances from my point of view do not support self-administration of propofol,” he says.

Oct 12: Cardiologist Alon Steinberg blasts Murray for leaving Jackson unattended. “When you monitor a patient, you never leave their side, especially after giving propofol. It’s like leaving a baby that’s sleeping on your kitchen countertop,” he says.

Oct 12: Murray’s lawyers drop their claim that Jackson could have drunk propofol, in the first sign of a crumbling defense. They maintain he could have self-injected the powerful sedative.

Oct 19: Star prosecution witness Dr Steven Shafer says Murray acted like Jackson’s obedient “employee” and not his doctor, granting his every request including to give him massive doses of propofol.

Oct 24: The prosecution rests its case.

Oct 25: Nurse Cherilyn Lee, a holistic expert, tells how Jackson begged to be given a propofol drip to help him sleep two months before he died, saying other medics had assured him it was safe.

Oct 26: A string of former patients of Murray praise his “caring” attitude and denied he was greedy for his $150,000 a month salary.

Nov 1: Murray announces he will not testify in his own defense, as prosecution and defense lawyers rest their case.

Nov 3: In a powerful closing argument, Walgren says Murray deprived Jackson’s children of their father and the world of a “genius,” adding: “Conrad Murray in multiple instances deceived, lied, obscured, but more importantly Conrad Murray acted with criminal negligence.” For the defense, Chernoff said Murray was not to blame because Jackson, under heavy pressure from concert promoters, had become addicted to drugs and gave himself the fatal dose while the doctor was out of the room.

Nov 4: Jury begins deliberations.

Nov 7: The jury convicts Murray of involuntary manslaughter. There is a brief cry in the courtroom and cheers from Jackson fans outside.—AFP

A supporter of Michael Jackson holds a placard outside the courthouse reacting to the announcement of the verdict of his doctor’s trial in Los Angeles on November 7, 2011 in southern California.—AFP photos

Demonstrators stand outside the Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Lohan checks in and out of LA County jail

Aung San Suu Kyi thanks Besson for film of her life story

M

yanmar democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi has thanked Luc Besson for making a film of her life story and shedding light on her country, the French filmmaker said Monday. Besson sent a message to the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Winner ahead of the November 30 release in France of his film “The Lady,” he told a group of students in the northern French town of Lille.

“She replied saying thank you, it sheds light on my country,” he added during his comments at the EDHEC university. The Myanmar opposition figure, who remains under close supervision by the Myanmar regime, also asked if it would be possible for Besson to send her a copy of the film. She was held under almost unbroken house arrest for over 15 years before her release last November.

The pair’s “slightly bizarre” exchange of letters was made through secret channels over several months, Besson said. Besson did meet the subject of his film after her release last November, when filming on the project had already finished. He recalled finding himself outside the house which his team

had scrupulously recreated “practically to the centimeter” in Thailand, where most of the film was shot.

The French filmmaker, whose recent movies include the popular animated ‘Arthur’ series, did manage to film some scenes in Myanmar itself, with the help of a small camera, as a tourist. “I filmed 17 hours of rushes, sometimes with a soldier three meters away,” he recalled. The film’s actors when then super-imposed on the Myanmar scenes with the help of “green screen” technology.

Suu Kyi told Besson that she wasn’t yet ready to watch the film which covers the deaths of her father and her British husband.

“She told me ‘I’ll see it when I’m courageous enough,” Besson said. But one of her sons has seen it and “was very moved” the director added. Malaysian-born former James Bond girl Michelle Yeoh plays the role of Aung San Suu Kyi in the film. She too visited the Nobel prize winner last December ay at her crumbling lakeside mansion in Yangon.—AFP

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Director Luc Besson and cast member Michelle Yeoh arrives for the premiere of “The Lady,” part of AFI FEST 2011 at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.—AFP

Puss in Boots has ‘purrfect’ weekend in US, Canada

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nimated kids’ romp “Puss in Boots” was purring plenty after pulling in $33 million and holding onto the top spot at the North American box office at the weekend, industry data showed Monday. With the voice work of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis and Billy Bob Thornton, the flick took in $33.04 million in three days adding up to a total take of $75.5 million to date, monitor Exhibitor Relations reported.

“Tower Heist,” with an all-star cast led by Eddie Murphy, had a strong opening in the number two spot with a $25.08 million take in three days. It was trailed by another solid premiere: “A Very Harold and Kumar 3D

Christmas.” The comedy sequel brought in $13.06 million on its first weekend out. It knocked “Paranormal Activity 3” down to the number four spot with an $8.5 million take, and now an impressive $95.3 million overall haul. Futuristic thriller “In Time” starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried edged down to fifth place, earning $7.7 million in ticket sales between Friday and Sunday.

A remake of the hit 1980s dance romp “Footloose” slipped to the sixth spot, with a haul of $4.55 million, putting it ahead of the boxing robots of “Real Steel” in seventh, with the Disney hit for children starring Hugh Jackman taking in $3.4 million. “The Rum

elow are key dates in the life-and death-of pop icon Michael Jackson, whose doctor Conrad Murray on Monday was found guilty of his manslaughter.

• August 29, 1958: Michael Jackson born in Gary, Indiana.

• August 1962: Singing debut with his brothers, The Jackson Five.

• March 1969: First Jackson Five contract with Motown Records, Detroit’s black-owned record label.

• 1970: launch of solo career alongside that of the Jackson Five.

• December 1982: Release of “Thriller” album, whose seven hits included “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” pushing sales to 50 million copies worldwide.

• 1984: Jackson’s face gets burned during filming for a Pepsi ad.

• 1988: His autobiography “Moonwalk” is published.

• August 1993: A father accuses Jackson of molesting his 13-year-old son, but settles out of court.

• May 1994-February 1996: Marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis.

• November 1996-October 1999: Marriage to Debbie Rowe, a 37-year-old nurse with whom he has two children, Prince Michael and Paris Michael Katherine.

• November 19, 2002: Scandal after Jackson dangles his third son, nine-month-old Prince Michael II, from a Berlin hotel balcony.

• February 3, 2003: In British TV documentary “Living with Michael Jackson,” Jackson claims never to have abused a child, merely to have shared his bed.

• November 18, 2003: Police raid Jackson’s Neverland ranch in California.

• November 20, 2003: Jackson is arrested on several counts of child molestation. He is held briefly and then released on bail.

• January 16, 2004: Jackson pleads not guilty during his first appearance amid a media circus.

• June 13, 2005: Jackson is acquitted on all charges against him.

• March 5, 2009: Jackson announces a series of comeback concerts in London, his first major shows for more than a decade.

• May 20, 2009: Jackson delays comeback shows.

Concert organizers say the singer’s health is “fantastic.”

• June 25, 2009: Jackson dies in Los Angeles after an apparent cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles coroner says the next day that after an initial autopsy that there was “no indication... of foul play.”

• July 4, 2009: Reports surface saying investigators had found the powerful sedative propofol at Jackson’s home.

• August 28, 2009: Coroners rule Jackson’s death a homicide, saying “acute intoxication” from propofol was the primary cause of death.

• September 3, 2009: Jackson is buried during a sunset service in a mausoleum at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

• October 27, 2009: Jackson concert movie “This Is It” released.

• February 8, 2010: Doctor Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles. He pleads not guilty.

• December 2010: Release of posthumous album “Michael,” comprising 10 songs Jackson was at various stages of completing.

• September 8, 2011: Jury selection finally begins after several delays to the start of the trial.

• September 27, 2011: Murray goes on trial in Los Angeles. The jury is shown a picture of Jackson’s body on a gurney draped in a sheet, and played an audio recording of the star speaking, apparently heavily drugged.

• November 7: Murray is found guilty of Jackson’s manslaughter.—AFP

Diary,” starring Johnny Depp as a journalist facing an ethical conundrum in Puerto Rico, trailed in eighth place with $2.99 million.

Political thriller “The Ides of March,” starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosling, earned $2.0 million in ninth place. It was just ahead of “Moneyball,” a sports drama starring Brad Pitt as a baseball coach, in the 10th spot, taking in $1.9 million.—AFP

indsay Lohan was released from a Los Angeles County jail early Monday, less than five hours after she arrived at the crowded women’s lockup to serve a 30-day sentence for violating probation.

The “Mean Girls” actress was booked into the Century Regional Detention facility in Lynwood at 8:48 pm Sunday, in what was expected to be a short stay because of jail overcrowding.

She was released at 1:35 am, county sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

News crews staking out the jail said she left in a black Cadillac Escalade sport utility vehicle, and that she was in her Venice home by 2 am. Lohan did not get any favors, Whitmore said. “She’s treated like every other inmate who has gone through similar circumstances,” he said. Lohan had until Nov 9 to report to the jail. It’s Lohan’s fifth jail sentence since being arrested twice for drunken driving in 2007. Her brief return to jail came after Lohan completed an interview and photo shoot for Playboy magazine that will appear in the January/February issue, her spokesman Steve Honig wrote in an email Monday.

On Wednesday, a judge ordered jail time because Lohan recently violated court orders by getting booted from a community service assignment at a women’s shelter.

The judge imposed a complicated sentence, telling Lohan that she will now have to perform all of her community service at the county morgue or risk serving an additional 270 days in jail. Lohan will have to serve 423 hours at the county morgue, where for nearly two weeks she has been mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms and washing dirty sheets. The sentence also requires Lohan to undergo psychotherapy sessions and appear monthly at court hearings between December and March.

The judge also said Lohan can no longer leave the country and needs the permission of her new “no-nonsense” probation officer to travel outside California. Jail overcrowding has led to significantly shortened jail terms. In 2007, Lohan spent 84 minutes at the jail before being released, and in the past she has served about 20 percent of her sentence, which is roughly six days. “The longer the sentence, the longer you stay in jail,” Whitmore said. “As pathetic as it sounds, this is not necessarily special treat-

Lindsay Lohan poses at the Amfar charity event in Milan, Italy.—AP ment,” said Adam H Braun, a defense attorney who was not involved in the case. “It just depends how full the jail is when someone surrenders. If it is filled to capacity or nearly full, offenders like her are the first ones let go so more serious offenders can be held.” “Even so, she was not likely to do more than 20 percent of the 30 days under the jail crowding formulas being used because her offense was not a crime of violence,” he added in an email.—-AP

lifestyle

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

F E A T U R E S

Accompanied by their six children, US movie stars Brad Pitt and Angellina Jolie appear before photographers upon their arrival at Haneda Airport in Tokyo yesterday. Brad Pitt is here for the Japan premiere of his latest film ‘Moneyball’. — AFP

Yes it ‘can’:

Chicago museum’s lavatory is flush with fame

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f you’re heading to the Field Museum to check out its world-class exhibits, you may want to consider stopping at its latest award-winning spot-the restroom. This year’s 10th annual America’s Best Restroom contest, sponsored by Cintas Corp, named the Field Museum’s ground-floor restrooms as the top bathroom in America as chosen by online voters.

The Field’s bathrooms were lauded for its two large break rooms featuring artwork of the night sky, “a calming image that also absorbs sound,” according to Cintas, which designs and manufactures restroom supplies.

The bathrooms also have eco-friendly automated water faucets and hand dryers, are cleaned every hour, and were lauded for their family friendly touches, such as a “tot area” with smaller toilets and a nursing room with a sofa in the women’s restroom.

The Field Museum’s vice president of finance, Jim Croft, said in a release that the museum “strives to give visitors the best service and

Artwork of a cloudy sky is at the center of a bathroom at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, October 20, 2011. — MCT photos

Major art museum opens in unlikely place A The Field Museum’s bathrooms have been nominated for America’s Best Restroom Contest. exhibitions; we also feel this about the amenities.” Bathrooms at the Drake Hotel and the Signature Room at the 95th in the John Hancock Tower have been nominated in the past, but this is the first Chicago restroom to take the top prize.

The Field beat out the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Arizona, which features terrazzo floors in its restroom and lighting systems that shifd from blues to greens and golds, and the Presidential Luxury Restroom Trailer in Chantilly, Va, designed for President Barack Obama in 2009 for the inauguration. — MCT

s an heir to the Wal-Mart fortune, Alice Walton had the means to buy almost any piece of art on the market. So she scooped up one masterpiece after another: an iconic portrait of George Washington, romantic landscapes from the 19th century, a Norman Rockwell classic. She amassed an enviable collection of treasures spanning most of American history, and now it’s about to go on display in an unlikely place, a wooded ravine in a small city in northwest Arkansas.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is regarded as the nation’s most important new art museum in a generation, offering the type of exhibits more commonly found in New York or Los Angeles.

But this hall of paintings is taking shape in Bentonville, a community of 35,000 people best known as the home of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. headquarters. Walton’s collection provided a “sort of instant museum,” said Henry Adams, an art history professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Rather than starting with a small collection and slowly expanding, Crystal Bridges will be fully formed from day one.

“You usually don’t have a museum that appears out of nowhere,” said Adams, who ranked the new place “somewhere between the top and the middle” of American museums.

The inaugural exhibition, titled “Celebrating the American Spirit,” will take visitors on a tour of important moments in the nation’s development. Visitors first encounter portraits of Revolutionary War figures in the colonial-era gallery, then move on to renderings of early settlers and American Indians, followed by paintings from the Civil War period. Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter” from World War II is also there, as are paintings that reflect the civil rights era. —AP

Architect Moshe Safdie looks out of a window next to a large red untitled magnifying disk sculpture by artist Fred Eversley at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. — AP

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Poland Fashion Week

Models present creations from Polish fashion designer’s Maciej Zien spring 2012 collection entitled “Look At Me”, in Warsaw, Poland, Monday. — AP

Vivienne Tam puts ‘Made in China’ on catwalks L

ike the rags she turned into clothes for her siblings in Hong Kong, Chinese-American designer Vivienne Tam has lifted the Madein-China label out of the discount bins and onto the world’s catwalks. Many artists claim to blend Eastern and Western styles, but few have done it better than Tam. Her China-infused work has graced the likes of Julia Roberts, Beyonce and Madonna, and last year Forbes magazine named her among the 25 Top Chinese-Americans in Business. Looking back at the start of her career in the early 1980s-when she roamed Manhattan selling garments directly out of a bag-she said it was tough convincing US fashion houses to believe in her Chinese talents. “ When I first arrived in America, people thought there were no Chinese designers. You looked around and only saw American and European brands,” Tam told AFP. “They thought you wanted to sell cheap T-shirts, cheap things. I said ‘no’.” She set out to “change how people looked at China” and remind them of her homeland’s historic brilliance in design and craftsmanship. “Changing perspectives, people’s minds, is hard-it takes time but it can be done,” said Tam, wearing a lace dress, a quilted coat and black suede shoes.

“I really wanted to change how people looked

at China, to show that China is not only a manufacturer, that we too have designers... I had to prove that what was made in China was good.” Her determination paid off. Today her shops can be found in many major cities around the world and her East-meets-West style-featuring motifs such as fat-faced Chairman Maos and lotus flowers-has broken into the mainstream. Pieces of her work can be found in the archives of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Tam’s autumn 2011 collection is dappled with cascading sleeves, pagoda-shaped shoulder pads, high collars and embroidered dragons, themes the designer borrowed from ancient Chinese Kun opera. In 2006 she published “China Chic”, a glossy book examining how Chinese style has influenced the world not only in fashion but in cuisine and furniture as well. Moving from designer to celebrity in her own right, last year she starred as a judge on reality television series “Project Runway”, about up-and-coming designers.

It is all a far cry from her humble roots in southern China. Born in 1957, Tam started life under communist rule in Guangzhou, now one of the smog-filled industrial centers of the country’s factory-fuelled boom. But communism did not suit

Hong Kong designer Vivienne Tam poses for a picture at a press event prior to the opening of the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival on October 26, 2011. —AFP

her parents, so they fled to British-ruled Hong Kong when Tam was just three years old. Despite economic hardship, Tam said the next 22 years in Hong Kong were “happy times” as she went on to study fashion at a local university.

After moving to New York to pursue her dreams in 1982, Tam sold her first designs to Henri Bendelthe launcher of many a fashion career-and a handful of other Manhattan boutiques. Her first collection appeared in 1994. “I went (to America) with a dream. To this day I can’t believe it, that I developed a brand,” she said.

There is a Chinese saying that goes, “When you drink from the stream, remember the source”, and Tam likes to believe she has stayed true to her origins. “My mother had a great influence on me.

When I was young, during Chinese New Year, we didn’t have money to buy new clothes, so my mother suggested buying leftover bits and pieces of cloth to do patchwork-make new clothes for ourselves,” she said. “This inspired me to embrace individuality, to be unique, to have our own style.

What we wore-it was unique, the only piece in the world, special.” She encourages young artists, whatever their cultural backgrounds, to follow their hearts. “Do what you are passionate about.

Things can happen,” she said. “Life is a statementmake it a good one.” — AFP

Brioni, tailor to the glitterati, carries on despite recession

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rioni, the go-to couturier for the likes of Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince Andrew and former South African president Nelson Mandela, has soldiered on through the global recession doing what it does best, producing hand-sewn bespoke suits for men. Gaetano Savini, who cofounded the company with Nazareno Fonticoli in 1945, instilled “tenacity, and the vision that you have to dare to go beyond the rules of the game,” his grandson Andrea Perrone said.

Perrone, who became Brioni’s chief executive last year, said Savini was the first to stage a fashion show for menswear - in Florence in 1952 - and that Brioni was among the first to create fragrances for men.

“What I have maybe added is the idea of growing, with emerging markets like China, and to go beyond formal styles, the suit and tie,” Perrone said.

“With the crisis and customers who asked us for discounts or to pay in installments, we launched new categories of products with new fabrics,” he added, recalling an aboutface from late 2008, “when the market was demanding more expensive, more luxurious garments.”At first sight, the group’s main atelier in Penne di Pescara, on Italy’s Adriatic Coast, looks like a factory, but without machines. Some 1,100 technicians and seamstresses ply their trade, designing patterns, cutting cloth with enormous scissors, sewing on a sleeve here, finishing a buttonhole there, or a hem ... then pressing carefully and checking their work.

“It takes us 18 to 22 hours to make a man’s suit, sometimes up to 48 hours,” chief master tailor Angelo Petrucci, 39, said. By comparison, mass-produced suits take two to three hours to complete.

Each Brioni suitcoat counts between 5,000 and 7,000 stitches and is handled an average of 220 times - including 80 pressings. “Even though we work by hand, we have specific time standards. For example,

15 minutes to insert a shoulder pad,” said Clementina Litillo, who at 57 is about to retire after 40 years.

The work is more complicated than a decade ago, Petrucci said, because clients are always after softer and finer fabrics.

Pointing out a lining consisting of camel, goat and horse hair, he said each creation has a “soul.”

Holding up a huge jacket created for a

A file picture taken on March 31, 2010 in Pescara, shows Andrea Perrone, CEO of luxury clothes maker Brioni, posing for the photographer. —AFP photos

A file picture shows suits hanging at the luxury clothes maker Brioni in Pescara.

Japanese client, a former sumo wrestler, Petrucci said: “We can make obese people look thinner, short people look taller. We can even correct for bone defects by inserting all kinds of prostheses.” Over the years, Brioni has built up a database to keep track of its clients around the world, many from the Middle East and Asia.

To be a good tailor, “you have to have

sensitive hands, so you have to start very, very young,” Petrucci said. “After age 20, you can’t learn it.”

Petrucci himself started at age 13, when he began a four-year apprenticeship at Brioni. The breeding ground of skill and talent shared among the technicians and seamstresses has been the secret of Brioni’s success, allowing it to survive a wave of

retirements in the early 1990s just as sales were skyrocketing. The global recession has not led to smaller price tags at the family firm, even though its annual turnover of about 200 million euros (US$265 million) shrank by 15 percent last year - 20 percent in the US. A custom-made suit may cost up to 6,000 euros, while a fully personalized ensemble could cost as much as 30,000 euros. “It’s not an expensive product, but a costly one, reflecting the hours and hours of work, but it can last more than 40 years,” Petrucci said. In recent years, the group has diversified its range, offering lines for women and casual clothes, such as jeans and polo shirts, now nearly 40 percent of its sales. The downside?

Sometimes Petrucci’s Blackberry will wake him in the middle of the night with an e-mail from a faraway client needing an

emergency alteration. Asked to describe the Brioni tailor of today, Perrone said: “When you think of a tailor, you think of a balding old man with little glasses leaning over his work. At Brioni, we have real managers, who travel, use new technologies, they’re tailors with Blackberries.” Brioni has 65 stores around the world, with some new openings planned in the coming years.

The priority is China, “where we just opened a new store in Shanghai ahead of the Expo there, having opened a first store in Beijing a year ago,” Perrone said. One thing Brioni does not worry about, whatever the state of the world economy, is advertising. “Our best advertising is by word of mouth,” Perrone said. “Unlike other labels that try to make a new selling point out of an artisanal tradition, we don’t need to because it’s in our DNA.” —AP

Lohan checks in and out of LA County jail

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Photo shows Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s ‘Lute Player.

Photo released by the Prado Museum in Madrid shows Pablo Picasso’s Boy with a dog is pictured. —AP photos

Photo shows Rembrandt’s ‘The Fall of Haman’.

Spain’s Prado museum hosts large Hermitage exhibit S

pain’s Prado museum is hosting a large exhibition of European art lent by Russia’s Hermitage, a rare opportunity to see such work outside the vast St Petersburg museum. Among the close to 180 exhibits are two large paintings by Rembrandt, an imposing Caravaggio and a historic segment of early 20th-century art, an area in which the Hermitage’s collection excels. Works by Spanish artists Diego Velazquez, Pablo Picasso and Diego de Rivera temporarily return home, flanked by famous pieces by Henri

Matisse, Paul Cezanne and Wassily Kandinsky.

Rare items that once belonged to Russia’s czars and aristocracy include Faberge jewels and gold items dating from as early as the fifth century BC. “There has never been such an exhibition, of and about the Hermitage, outside Russia,” the Russian museum’s director, Mijail Piotrovski, said by video link.

In a foreword to the catalog, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the collection sent to Madrid represent-

ed “the pride and glory of civilization’s cultural heritage.”

Visitors accustomed to the Prado’s impressive Flemish collection will be able to contrast it with the Russian museum’s rich contribution by artists such as Jan Brueghel the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens and Anton van Dyck.

Four early Picassos describe the Malaga-born artist’s progress from the purely figurative “The Absinthe Drinker” from 1901 and “Boy with a Dog” from his 1905 study of circus life, through to the increasingly cubist Seated Woman

Landmark Da Vinci exhibition opens in London A

landmark exhibition of paintings

by Leonardo Da Vinci goes on show at London’s National Gallery today, the first time so many of his masterpieces have been displayed together.

Among the nine paintings are his two versions of the “Virgin of the Rocks”, which will hang face to face for the first time. Da Vinci is thought to have produced about 20 paintings during his lifetime, but just 15 have survived. Art fans will also be able to see “Salvator Mundi”, which was only recently authenticated as a Da Vinci, as well as three groundbreaking portraits: “The Portrait of a Musician”, “La Belle Ferronniere” and “The Lady with an Ermine”.

The exhibition, which also includes more than 50 drawings, focuses on Da Vinci’s observation, imagination and painting technique which developed while he was employed as the court painter in Milan in the 1480s and 1490s.

“Madonna of the Yarnwinder”, “Saint Jerome” and “ Virgin and Child” (“Madonna Litta”) make up the nine paintings, which are complemented by a full-scale contemporary copy of “The Last Supper” mural in Milan, shown in a room nearby.“The exhibition focuses for the very first time on Leonardo the painter, and we’ve been able to gather here the largest number of pictures that’s ever

been seen in one place,” said curator Luke Syson.

“What we see here is an extraordinary journey, one that takes Leonardo from an artist who believed that his responsibility was to record nature as precisely as possible, to an artist who believed that his creative skills were akin to those of God himself.” Most of the paintings have been loaned from European museums, a remarkable achievement for the National Gallery because curators are normally deeply reluctant to allow their Da Vinci treasures to be shown elsewhere.The result is still an extraordinary collection that is set to pull in the crowds-a gallery spokeswoman confirmed that it had sold an “unprecedented number” of advance tickets to the show, which runs until February 5, 2012.

Five hundred tickets will be held back for sale each day, but to avoid any overcrowding, the gallery has limited the numbers of visitors to 180 every 30 minutes, down from the usual 230. In a world first, a special opening night on Tuesday will be broadcast live to 40 cinemas across Britain. The main highlight is the two versions of the “Virgin on the Rocks”, which were commissioned at the beginning and the end of Da Vinci’s time in Milan. The first one is held in the Louvre in Paris, and the second at the National

Gallery, where it has recently been restored to reveal clearly one of the artist’s trademarks-his astonishing inability to finish his paintings.

“When you look closely you’ll see some parts of the picture are barely taken beyond the initial under drawing and modeling stage, for example the hand of the angel that supports that back of the Christ child,” said the gallery’s director of conservation, Larry Keith. He added: “All those things are indicative of a work still in many respects in progress, somehow provisional, and that is quite characteristic of Leonardo in the way he worked.”

Da Vinci’s revolutionary portraits are another highlight, particularly the painting of Cecilia Gallerani, his patron Ludovico Maria Sforza’s mistress. “The Lady with an Ermine”, which was stolen by the Nazis from Poland before being returned and displayed in Krakow, is proclaimed as the first truly modern portrait for the way it appears to convey Gallerani’s inner thoughts. The painting, as well as the portraits of the male musician and “Belle Ferronniere”, show Da Vinci “really revolutionizing the genre, giving his sitters an interior life which had never been seen before”, Syson said.

The best-known of Leonardo’s works, the “Mona Lisa”, will however be staying in Paris. — AFP

A woman poses for pictures beside a painting entitled ‘Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani’ (The Lady with an Ermine) by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci during a photocall at the National Gallery in London, on November 7, 2011. —AFP

(1908) and “Little table at a cafe - Bottle of Pernod” painted in 1912. Exhibition commissioner Gabriele Finaldi highlighted Rembrandt’s brooding and doom filled “The Fall of Haman (Haman is commanded to honor Mordecai)” while his Russian counterpart Sviatoslav Savvateev said Kazimir Malevich’s “Black Square” had been described as both “totally out of place” at the Hermitage and “the museum’s greatest work.” The exhibition opens to the public Tuesday and will run until March. — AP

Atlanta’s High features masterpieces of modern art

Pablo Picasso’s painting “Girl Before a Mirror”. —AP

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ith bright, bold colors, varying formats and iconic images, a new exhibition at Atlanta’s main art museum allows visitors to experience dozens of modern art masterpieces and to explore the relationships among the artists who created them. “Picasso to Warhol: Fourteen Modern Masters” at the High Museum of Art brings together more than 100 works by 14 influential 20th-century artists pulled from the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and shown together for the first time in the Southeast.

“We wanted to create 14 intimate, immersive situations for people so they could feel like they had both met these artists and walked through the history of modern art,” said High director Michael Shapiro. On display are examples of artists using traditional subjects - portraits, landscapes, still lifes - in ways that were new, innovative, and sometimes shocking, at the time. They used new styles, like Cubism, and experimented with a variety of media, including mobiles, collage, film and silkscreen.

True to its title, the exhibition opens with paintings and etchings by Pablo Picasso and finishes with pop art pieces and a film by Andy Warhol.

Works are clustered by artist, giving visitors a chance to see multiple works by a single artist together to get a more complete look at each artist’s career, said MoMA’s Jodi Hauptman, lead curator of the exhibition.

“The biggest revelation is the relationships between these works that you can’t see in our galleries” because the works aren’t displayed together at MoMA, Hauptman said. “Instead of being told about these connections, you actually see them.”

Arranged in long, open vistas, the exhibition allows visitors to focus on a single artist but also to get a glimpse of what’s to come and to consider the dialogue between the works, Hauptman said.

Standing in front of the opening piece - Picasso’s brightly colored, large-format 1932 painting “Girl Before a Mirror” - the visitor can look to the left and see “Two Acrobats with a Dog” from 1905, during Picasso’s Rose Period, and then turn to the

right to see Henri Matisse’s “Dance (I)” in the next part of the gallery. After considering familiar artists like Picasso and Matisse in the first two galleries, visitors move on to lesser-known but still impor tant ar tists. Sculptures by Constantin Brancusi and paintings and drawings by Piet Mondrian offer objects or settings stripped down to their bare essence - with Brancusi’s streamlined bronze sculpture evoking a bird and Mondrian using grids of horizontal and vertical lines to represent a seascape, a church or a busy city square.

In a side gallery are works by Marcel Duchamp, whom Shapiro describes as probably the most radical artist in the exhibition. Most striking, perhaps is a wood and galvanized iron snow shovel hanging from the ceiling that the artist bought in a hardware store in 1915, then signed, dated and titled it “In Advance of the Broken Arm.” In “Dutch Interior (I),” painted in 1928, Joan Miro uses a Baroque painting of the same name as a model but recreates it as an abstract work. Jackson Pollock’s “Number 1A” showcases the artist’s wellknown drip painting technique, his personal involvement with the painting stamped onto one edge in the form of handprints in paint. Mobiles

by Alexander Calder in a side gallery “defy one of the basic rules of sculpture, which is that gravity is in charge,” Shapiro said.

In “Map” from 1961, Jasper Johns, the only living artist in the exhibition, blurs the borders of the states in a giant, colorful map of the United States, using brushwork but also clearly identiying each one by name in bold, stenciled letters. Also by Johns are several works featuring numbers, which further illustrates his desire to present traditional, familiar subjects in a new way.

Across one wall of the final gallery are Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” painted canvases that correspond to the varieties of soup sold by the company in 1962. In the center of the room are more works inspired by commercial products, including “Heinz Tomato Ketchup Box ” (1963-64), “Campbell’s Tomato Juice Box” (1964) and “Brillo Box (Soap Pads)” (1964). —AP