12th Oct

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

Jleeb in focus... again?

40 PAGES

NO: 15237

150 FILS

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www.kuwaittimes.net

THULQADA 14, 1432 AH

Ukraine jails Tymoshenko for 7 years

Chicago street protests target financial industry

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Denmark reach Euros by beating Portugal 2-1

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US busts Iran-tied terror plot in DC FBI uncovers bid to kill Saudi envoy

Customs strike cripples oil exports, trade

By Nawara Fattahova and Agencies KUWAIT: The Kuwait government was headed on a collision course with labor unions yesterday as a strike by 3,000 customs officers entered its second day, paralyzing trade and crippling oil exports.

Tensions escalated after the government formed a special team headed by the interior minister to counter the effects of the strike and ensure the smooth delivery of public services. The team has been authorized to seek assistance from within Kuwait and abroad to fulfill its mandate, according to an official statement issued following a cabinet meeting.

The government also warned striking workers that it could recruit outside replacements to confront a wave of labor unrest that at least temporarily disrupted shipping traffic and spread to the nation’s critical oil sector.

In response, the Kuwait Trade Union Federation (KTUF) called for an emergency meeting today to “form a united front to face government repression of labor strikes,” according to a statement from the union.

Oil tankers were unable to leave Kuwait’s main port at Shuwaikh yesterday as the customs staff staged their second day of strike action at various locations across the country, with Kuwait International Airport and all other entry points also affected.

Customs workers decided on the strike action feeling that it would be the most directly effective and serious means of conveying their demand for improved pay and conditions, and it has certainly had the desired effect, leading to potentially massive losses for Kuwait’s almost wholly oil-dependent economy. At a press conference held at the General Administration for Customs’ (GAC) head office, Ahmad Al-Enezi, the head of the GAC Employees Union, showed that the union has no Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: The deserted entrance of the Air Customs Administration office at the Kuwait International airport as the customs officials continued their strike for the second day yesterday. (Inset) An official showing a notice pledging the strike will continue. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat and Fouad AlShaikh

Asians hail Amir’s summit initiative Kuwait Declaration urges closer ties

By B Izzak

Kuwait, Saudi, Iran to meet over sea border KUWAIT: A tripartite meeting between Gulf neighbors Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will be held to resolve a decades-old dispute over maritime borders, the Kuwaiti foreign minister said yesterday. “It’s basically a technical issue but it will need a political decision from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait,” Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah told a press conference following a meeting with his Iranian counterpart. “A proposal to hold a tripartite Iranian, Saudi and Kuwaiti meeting was made and Iran has agreed in principle,” Sheikh Mohammad said without announcing a date for the meeting.

The Kuwaiti minister said his meeting with Ali Akbar Salehi focused almost entirely on the maritime border issue known as the continental shelf “which is a thorn in the Iranian-Kuwaiti ties.”

The two nations have been locked in talks for several years over demarcating the sea border, which is also shared by Saudi Arabia, without any progress. The dispute over the shelf, which includes the Dorra gas field, dates back to the 1960s. Recoverable gas reserves from Dorra are estimated at some 200 billion cubic metres (seven trillion cubic feet). —AFP

KUWAIT: Foreign ministers and their representatives who yesterday concluded the 10th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) meeting welcomed His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s initiative to host the first-ever summit meeting for the member countries in Kuwait next year, the foreign minister

said. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah told a press conference at the end of the two-day conference that the proposed summit will focus on economic, development, environment and cultural issues to boost cooperation between the 31 member countries of ACD. “The initiative came to bridge an important vacuum in the cooperation between Continued on Page 13

Max 36º Min 25º Low Tide 06:22 & 18:25 High Tide 12:33 & 23:59

WASHINGTON: FBI and DEA agents have disrupted a plot to commit a “significant terrorist act in the United States” tied to Iran, federal officials said yesterday.

The officials said the plot included the assassination of the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir, with a bomb and subsequent bomb attacks on the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington, DC. Bombings of the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were also discussed, according to the US officials.

US Attorney General Eric Holder said in an announcement yesterday that the plan was “conceived, sponsored and was directed from Iran” and called it a “flagrant” Adel Al-Jubeir violation of US and international law. “The US is committed to holding Iran accountable for its actions,” Holder said. He said the White House will be meeting with federal agencies before announcing “further action” in regards to Iran.

FBI Director Robert Mueller said the arrest of a suspect in the plot shows the US will “bring the full weight of [the] law to bear on those responsible” and that “any attempts on American soil will not be tolerated.”

Continued on Page 13

in the

news

Agility denies military deal KUWAIT: Kuwaiti logistics firm Agility yesterday denied reports that it had won a military contract worth up to $700 million that had sparked a four-day rally in the group’s stock, before trading was suspended. “The firm wants to clarify that it is normal for it to compete on tenders and contracts within the context of its operations, and it always announces its deals according to the disclosures law,” Agility said in a statement on the Kuwaiti bourse website. Kuwaiti daily newspaper Al-Rai said in an unsourced report on Monday that information had been circulating that Agility won a military contract worth between $600 million and $700 million.

The firm said that it did not win a contract with such specifications, without elaborating further.

Bahrain editor fined for false reports

KUWAIT: Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah addressing the valedictory session of the 10th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

BlackBerry outage hits 4 continents LONDON: Disruptions to BlackBerry services spread to Latin America yesterday, more than a day after users in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India suffered extended outages.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd , which is losing share of the corporate email market it once took for granted, said it was working on the problem but gave no details of the cause. “Some users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), India, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina are experiencing messaging and browsing delays. We are working to restore normal service as quickly as possible,” it said in a statement.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused,” said RIM, which earlier yesterday said it had resolved problems disrupting its services in EMEA. RIM is already facing calls from some investors for a break-up, sale or change of management following dismal recent results and a lackluster reception of its PlayBook tablet computer, designed to challenge Apple Inc’s iPad. Its previous dominance of the corporate email market, in which it locked organizations into its proprietary, secure servers, is being BERLIN: A BlackBerry smartphone using the “Messenger” serv- challenged by other smartphone makers led by the Apple iPhone. ice, in Berlin. BlackBerry users were hit with service disruptions “The current situation with the BlackBerry outages couldn’t come at Continued on Page 13 to their smartphones for a second day yesterday. —AP

DUBAI: The editor-in-chief of a Bahraini daily newspaper said yesterday he has been fined by Bahrain’s High Criminal Court for publishing false reports during a crackdown on Shiite-led protests. In an email sent to reporters, Al-Wasat newspaper’s Mansur Al-Jamri said he and three of his colleagues were ordered to pay 1,000 dinars ($2,650/1,950 euros) each after being convicted on the charges. Bahraini authorities accused Al-Wasat, which has close ties to the Shiite opposition in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, of publishing “fabricated” reports and “false news.” The court also accused it of printing “fake names of people who claimed to have been abused by police,” during the government’s harsh crackdown on protesters in March. In an interview with AFP yesterday, Jamri said he and his colleagues “respect the decision of the court but we continue to insist on our innocence.”

Anti-Gaddafi fighters seize Sirte police HQ SIRTE, Libya: Fighters from Libya’s new regime seized the police headquarters in the centre of Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown Sirte yesterday as they moved in for the kill against the strongman’s remaining diehards.

Meanwhile, National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters were gearing for a fresh onslaught on the desert town of Bani Walid, another remaining bastion of forces loyal to the ousted dictator, prompting civilians to flee.

In Sirte, jubilant NTC combatants celebrated the takeover of the strategic police building, which they found to be deserted, by honking the horns of their vehicles and firing into the air.

They then proceeded to ransack the centre and destroy posters of the fugitive Gaddafi that they found inside. The cele-

brations came to an abrupt end when one of the fighters was accidentally shot in the head, an AFP reporter said.

In contrast to Monday, when NTC forces were pounded with rockets and gunfire as they battled Gaddafi loyalists street by street, they met no resistance at all yesterday as they edged into the centre of the Mediterranean city. An advance force of about 30 fighters checked each house as they moved forward from the city’s east early morning, kicking in doors and covering each other from possible snipers hidden on rooftops.

Clothing abandoned by soldiers and remains of meals were found in some of the buildings. The fighters became more cautious once they reached the city centre, sticking to its edges for fear that Continued on Page 13

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

local

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hosted several foreign dignitaries yesterday at the Seif Palace as part of the 10th Asian Cooperation Dialogue. In attendance at the palace were Indian State Minister for External Affairs E. Ahmed and Japanese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Hamada with their respective delegations.

Customs officials strike work

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti customs officers hold signs as they go on strike, demanding better pay and threatening to halt oil exports, at their office building near the airport in Kuwait City yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat & Fouad Al-Shaikh

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of South Africa, Delarey van Tonder presented a set of books on the country’s former president Nelson Mandela to the Editor-in-Chief of the Kuwait Times Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan during his visit to the Kuwait Times’ offices yesterday.

— Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Premier hopes for greater cooperation of govt depts KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah expressed his hope yesterday that government departments will rise to national development challenges by cooperating with the Supreme Council for Planning and Development. Addressing attendees as he chaired the first meeting of the fourth term of the council, Sheikh Nasser urged government bodies to legally and financially cooperate with the council in executing development projects and programs within the framework of sustainable development.

“We sense, today, satisfaction at the accomplishments to have resulted from your generous contributions, unique expertise and sagacious opinions and ideas and we thus press ahead together to implement the adopted ventures of the [development] plan through the tendering of four companies, out of seven, in the sectors of health, storage, power and housing,” Sheikh Nasser said during the meeting of the key strategy-formulating body.

The PM also praised the joint establishment, by the public and private sectors, of several companies, explaining that investors would be invited to finance the new establishments as a means to forge strong partnerships between the private and public sectors. “This accomplishment had coincided with the continuous progress in enacting legislation and regulating laws for the execution of such development programs and ventures,” he added.

Sheikh Nasser also praised cooperation between the council and the Cabinet aimed at tackling obstacles to the national development scheme. “Undoubtedly such an approach constitutes an example to be followed as real partnership between the departments of the state and the private sector,” he added.

Speaking on Kuwait’s desire to regain its status as a leader pioneer in commerce, finance and business, the Kuwaiti Premier explained that “This sample of advanced institutional government action constitutes the promising gateway toward a bright realistic future that could bring back to our country its distinguished historic status and secure, for the next generation, an independent, stable and prosperous country where development schemes would serve the citizens, individuals and groups.”

Sheikh Nasser further proposed that, “Undoubtedly, you agree with me that the volume of the responsibility and the commitment toward the development schemes is growing as a result of the hopes attached to our works. The government and citizens thus view the contributions of the Higher Council for Development and Planning as commanding the goodwill of citizens who should rally to realize the Amir’s vision to restore Kuwait as the number one commercial and financial center in our region.”

Following the PM’s statements the council reviewed topics on the agenda, approved minutes of the latest two sessions of the body and discussed executive measures regarding resolutions of the council that are pending submission to the Cabinet.

Council members were also briefed on preparations for drawing up the third annual development plan (2012-2013), including measures to report on human development. —KUNA

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Phone line maintenance operations planned KUWAIT: Ministry of Communication Assistant Undersecretary Abdullah AlAzemi has announced scheduled maintenance operations to address approximately 3,000 defects in telephone lines throughout Kuwait.

Al-Azemi explained that the ministry is seeking to address the faults via governorate exchanges, adding that no single defect will take more than 24 hours to fix.

Farwaniya Exchange is scheduled to

open over the next several days and will provide all maintenance services to Farwaniya, Omariya and Al-Rabia, according to Al-Azemi. While Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Exchange was previously the sole provider of these services, Farwaniya Exchange was opened at the instruction of Minister of Communication Salem Al-Othania. AlAzemi further stated that three new service centers, in Ahmadi Governorate, AlSabehia and Fitnas, will be opened in the coming period.— Al-Anbaa

KUWAIT: An unforgiving everyday scene at block 9 and 10 of Jleeb Al-Shuyouk.

Jleeb in focus... again?

KUWAIT: A building site which clearly disregards the safety of passersby. (Right) A student from one of Jleeb AlShuyoukh Indian schools tries to cross the water flowing from the drainage system.

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Uncollected garbage, unsanitary surrounding, drainage problems, heavy traffic and unsafe construction sites are just few of the many problems Jleeb AlShuyoukh residents are facing each day. And why not? Based on the official 2010 survey by the Kuwait’s Central Statistical Office and Public Authority for Civil Information, Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh has a total population of 265,984 making it the most populous city in Kuwait followed by Salmiya, which recorded 238,577 residents. Kuwait’s total population as of Dec 31, 2010 stands at 3,582,054, including citi-

zens and expatriates.

A concerned Indian expatriate once again expressed displeasure at the problems currently encountered by many Jleeb residents. “The problem has been there for months and with no solution,” stated Soumiya, a mother of two kids who talked with the Kuwait Times on Jleeb’s problems. “Our current predicament is that we don’t know where to complain,” she quipped.

Soumiya said her complaint may be a personal one as she has kids braving the condition each day, but her complaint didn’t concern just her children but the entire Jleeb population. “My children have to walk to and from school every day

and unfortunately they have to deal with these unforgiving surroundings, which are very unhygienic and unsafe,” she lamented.

“I hope once and for all they’ll do something about all this trouble here in Jleeb,” she said. The place in question is located at Blocks 9 and 10, a district home to four Indian and Arabic primary schools.

Another male resident who requested anonymity told this reporter, “I remember the drainage system. Last year there were about five pumping motors installed here.

Now, they have only one remaining and the problem has worsened.”

The same resident also commented on a complete disregard to safety

by some construction companies there. “If you notice the construction in here, they are exposing passersby to danger. The construction site is pretty close to the sidewalks but the owner did not even bother place a protective fence or shield on their worksite. Sometimes they intentionally block the streets, creating terrible traffic jams. Very unsafe, inconsiderate and the owner seems not to care,” he added.

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh is a thriving city near Kuwait International Airport. Kuwait Times has reported on similar conditions in Jleeb, including uncollected garbage and electricity and water problems, on numerous occasions.

Cabinet authorizes team to run state affairs if necessary KUWAIT: The government of Kuwait yesterday categorically rejected strikes organized by state employees and highlighted the subsequent harm caused to state interests and citizens. In a statement, the government added that it would not consider any of the demands while strikes or threats of strikes continued.

Meeting under the chairmanship HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmad AlSabah, the government underscored that any demand lodged by state employees may be discussed but through legal channels and via dialogue.

Minister of State and Cabinet Affairs Ali Al-Rashed said, in a statement after the Cabinet meeting, that state employees’ demands would be discussed through “calm

dialogue,” to achieve “fairness and justice.” The Cabinet has called on all government staff to act responsibly, placing the greater interest of the state above other considerations.

The Cabinet, Al-Rashed said, has formed a team headed by the Interior Minister, and has authorized it to take all measures needed to run the country and to fill gaps caused by the recent strikes. This team, he explained, is authorized to enlist the help of any service both within and outside of Kuwait that it deems suited to carrying out needed duties.

The team will be comprised of individuals from the Customs Department, Civil Ser vice Commission, Kuwait Ports Authority, Kuwait Petroleum Company, Ministry of Defense and

the National Guard.

In a related development Kuwait Fire Services Department (KFSD) Director General Major General Jassem Al-Mansouri briefed Cabinet members on “riots” launched by several firefighters “with the participation of others,” who remained anonymous. AlMansouri also detailed the sabotage acts and attacks on KFSD officials for the Cabinet and stated that these acts were contrary to the method of conveying a legitimate demand to department officials, and are illegal. Al-Mansouri further reported that KFSD has initiated legal proceedings against individuals responsible for the “disgraceful” acts, a step the Cabinet welcomed, according to Al-Rashed.

The Cabinet meanwhile also took note of a letter sent by Qatari

Amir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa AlThani to HH the Amir in which he invited Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed AlJaber Al-Sabah to the 4th Forum of Alliance of Civilizations, to be held in Doha on December 11-13.

The forum will launch initiatives aimed at improving understanding between peoples around the world and will also act as an inter-civilization dialogue. Also under examination by the Cabinet was invitation from Turkish President Abdullah Gul to his HH the Amir to attend the Organization of the Islamic Conference The cabinet also took note of an invitation from Turkish President Abdullah Gul to His Highness the Amir to attend the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Economic and Commercial Cooperation in Istanbul later this month. — KUNA

Study promotes influx to private sector KUWAIT: Fares Al-Enezi of the M a n p owe r a n d G ove r n m e n t Restructuring Program (MGRP) has disclosed that the program is currently conducting a study to i n c re a s e t h e n u mb er o f Kuwaitis working in the private sector. The Manpower Planning Depar tment manager added that the study will be submitted to the minister for state and

cab inet affairs with in th ree months.

“According to the new study, 20,000 jobs will be available for Kuwaitis in the private sector over the two coming years,” he stressed, noting that MGRP and the Ministr y of Social Affairs had held several meetings over the past few months to determine the new percentages of

national labor in the private sector, to be included in a new law.

Al-Enezi added that 17,000 citizens so far have registered with MGRP in search of jobs and that the new laws would help provide real and attrac tive opportunities for these applicants.

Further, Al-Enezi said that a

special committee comprising elements from Kuwait Universit y, the Civil S er vice Commission, the Social Security Establishment and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) are conducting a separate study, to be concluded in three months, on increasing Kuwaiti employees in the private sector. — Al-Jarida

Blaze engulfs Salmiya mall

By Hanaan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Firefighters rushed from three different fire stations to tackle a raging fire in a shopping mall on Salem Al-Mubarak street in Salmiya earlier this week. There were no

injuries reported following the incident, but considerable property damage was left in the aftermath. Firefighters rushed to the scene after an emergency call was made at dawn on Monday reporting that a fire was spreading through the upper part of the mall, which

included clothing stores and restaurants.

The fire was extinguished before spreading to nearby buildings, and preliminary investigations revealed that the fire was sparked by a short circuit in the building’s electric converter.

$30bn surplus projected for upcoming budget KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti government is expecting a sizeable surplus, of up to $30 million, in the State’s budget for the 2012/2013 fiscal year should oil prices remain at the current rates.

Sources revealed that the Ministry of Finance prepared the budget on the basis of a $65 per barrel rate for oil sale.

According to the source, the Ministry also took into account three key aspects that may hinder surplus: the increase in spending on public sector salaries, the cost of oil excavation and the projects planned for the next five years.

“The Government wants to take preemptive measures to avoid risks in case of a drop in oil prices. However they are also working on the issue of current flaws

flaw with regard to enforcing allowances [to state employees]” said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The rates used to outline the upcoming budged has sparked speculation that Kuwait may achieve a $30 billion surplus in the fiscal year 2012/2013, provided that oil prices face any sharp declines.

According to information released by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the price of crude oil reached $101.92 per barrel on Monday. Meanwhile, the expected surplus also depends on Kuwait’s ability to increase its oil production capacity.

However, experts have said this may be difficult given the limitations of oil facilities. — Al Rai

Kuwait to launch wasteto-energy project KUWAIT: Kuwait may soon inaugurate a project that will convert thermal energy produced by burning waste back into usable energy.

“An international consultant hired to study the project’s feasibility believes that the best way to handle waste is by using a large part of it for waste-to-energy projects and recycling the rest,” said Assistant Undersecretar y for Technical Services Sector of the Ministry of Electricity and Water Iyad Al-Falah, who further noted that the top-rated consultant also pointed to certain risks that the government must

avoid in order to ensure a productive project.

When implemented, the project is expected to use waste from three landfill sites in Kuwait that contain an annual average capacity of two million tones, a significant amount given Kuwait’s modest population.

Al-Falah further indicated that the Partnership Technical Bureau has formed a committee to study the project in cooperation with the World Bank. Elsewhere, the Ministry of Electricity and Water is planning to announce tenders for the project in the near future. — Al-Qabas

Safar signs five contracts KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar Ali Safar signed yesterday five contracts worth about KD 15.6 million.

The contracts include maintenance of roads, networks, study and implementation of buildings.

The contrac ts, which aim at the maintenance of roads and avenues in Ahmadi governorate, amount to KD 2.487 million, while the contract for the

Ahmadi governorate headquar ters costs KD 11.448 million.

Also, another contract on maintenance works in sewage is worth KD 1.237 million.

The fourth and fifth contracts included a study, design and follow up on implementation of a building located between the ministries of public works and electricity worth KD 25,000 and relevant execution costs reach KD 526,980.— KUNA

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

LOCAL

kuwait digest

in my view

A strange decision

Influence of social media

By Thaar Al Rashidi

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By Lisa Conrad

lisa@kuwaittimes.net

he influence of social media is undeniable.

Opinions, thoughts and feelings are instantly expressed via various outlets and read by interested parties. ‘Interested parties’ used to be friends, family, acquaintances and, if you’re particularly unlucky, maybe a few token stalkers. Now, however, businesses can easily utilize social media to find out what you’re thinking, what you want and what your habits are.

Many have their Facebook accounts open, the majority keep their Twitter pages unlocked and blogs offer endless insight into the world of their writers.

The benefit of this, of course, is that accessing the information is easy. The downfall, however, is that should a displeased consumer want to express his disappointment/anger/disgust with a company, service or product, the comment is there for all to see.

The world of social media is a double edged sword for businesses and can dictate how consumers see them, oftentimes in just 140 characters or less.

The difference with Kuwait, however, is the size of the country. The impact of social media here seems to be intensified because of the tiny size of the state.

There are options of where to go and what to do, of course, but they are relatively limited compared to larger countries with multiple large cities. This alone amplifies the power of social media considerably because if businesses manage to utilize it properly and gain the approval of certain members of society, they can gain immense popularity through the subsequent increase in awareness. The winding queues at certain openings are proof alone of how influential social media can really be.

Trends in Kuwait, it seems, are often set by those who have managed to utilize social media effectively.

Openings are covered in detail and streams of pictures pinpoint every achievement, or failure, of the new establishment. Even certain products suddenly see a surge in popularity after a positive review is posted online. Blogs are increasingly influential and beneficial for both businesses and bloggers alike.

Once a blogger gains popularity, they usually take on sponsors who take banner space on their pages and receive occasional entries dedicated to them. This has created a grey area where consumers wonder whether or not reviews are fuelled by ulterior motives alone, yet it doesn’t stop them from giving in to curiosity and checking for themselves.

Kuwait has utilized social media in its own way and, interestingly, spun it into an incredibly profitable endeavor for those involved. That’s only if you’re on the right side of things, of course.

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kuwait digest

Why so hopeless?!

kuwait digest

The Cabinet’s shortsightedness

By Dr Mohammad Al-Muqate’a bviously there’s a huge difference between the prime minister to the Constitutional Court, despite shortsightedness and immediate interests on the fact that this court issued two rulings in 1981 and one hand, and long-sightedness and national 2005 on the interpretation of constitutional articles interests on the other. The former is a shallow form of concerning interpellation which mean that it shouldn’t thinking, and can be regarded as a type of treason be involved in every political dispute raised whenever when national interests are put on the line. The latter a grilling is filed, because that affects the status of the on the other hand repjudicial system and its resents deep thought position as an independThe Cabinet submits interpellation and delicate balancing ent entity. This again of political responsibilireflects the Cabinet’s motions filed against the prime minister ty. Both aspects cannot shortsightedness and its to the Constitutional Court, despite the be adopted by the sacrifice of national fact that this court issued two rulings in same entity at the same interests in favor of pertime, simply because sonal ones.

1981 and 2005 on the interpretation of they are mutually conToday, the Cabinet constitutional articles concerning intertradictory. remains hesitant on pellation which mean that it shouldn’t be Analyzing the including wealth discloCabinet’s way of worksure legislation in the involved in every political dispute raised ing, whether in actions, anticorruption bill. This whenever a grilling is filed, because that decisions or stateregulation is found in affects the status of the judicial system ments, allows one to every democratic counrealize that they have, try where the constituand its position as an independent entity. unfortunately, adopted tion and law are respecta shortsighted standed, things that our govpoint, which seeks only to fulfill members’ personal ernment doesn’t seem to be committed to. interests. For example, the Cabinet has insisted on Instead, the Cabinet has included a brief clause debating all grilling motions filed against the prime that makes proper wealth disclosure inapplicable, perminister in confidential sessions, despite the fact that haps in order to protect those MPs amongst their the constitution states that the main goal of grillings is majority supporters in the parliament, or maybe even to allow the public to observe the debate in order to some ministers - even if this puts the country’s nationbe able to pass judgment, as the source of both the al interests on the line. authorities’ power.

These days, the Cabinet is staying silent and failing Insisting that every grilling motion against the pre- to take active measures concerning the accusations of mier be debated behind closed door reflects the suspicious multimillion-dinar deposits in MPs’ bank Cabinet’s shortsightedness and focus on personal account. The Cabinet’s adoption of this stance has led interests since this stance is incompatible with pursu- to suspicions that they might indeed be involved in ing national interests and respecting the constitution. the scandal, because an innocent party would have Another example is the deliberate involvement of immediately taken every possible legal measures to the judiciary in cases concerning political dispute. The assure that all suspicions against them were disCabinet submits interpellation motions filed against proved. — Al-Qabas

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By Dr Wael Al-Hasawi

kuwait digest

rustration and hopelessness are the biggest problems we face today in Kuwait. These two feelings dominate the thoughts of the majority of Kuwaitis, which makes it easier for any ill-intentioned individual to convince them of any malicious proposal.

When you go to diwaniyas or any other public venues, eventually you’ll hear someone saying depressing things about Kuwait’s current situation, suggesting that it has reached the verge of collapse and that there’s no longer any hope of reform. This situation has led people to become more self-critical, in addition to questioning everyone else’s integrity and failing to see the achievements that have been and are being accomplished. Desperation has become the general mood of society, with people generally regarding one another with suspicion, as guilty till proven innocent.

Despite our society being one of the most open and transparent in the region, conspiracy theories have become part of our lives, and rumors dominated the messages we receive and the issues we discuss in diwaniyas. Anyone can start a rumor then sit back and watch as people take it as an indisputable truth based on no evidence whatsoever.

Taking a look at the situation in another nation, Greece, a country with a great history and long and noble civilization, was not safe from falling into the debt trap as its debt reached 250 million Euros while its annual GDP reached 240 million Euros. The country teetered on the verge of bankruptcy as other European nations failed to save it. In the meantime, the Greeks found themselves facing tough austerity measures imposed by the government. This sparked some unrest in Athens, but the people eventually realized that they had to double production and remain patient until the crisis is over.

The story is very different in Kuwait, where we still enjoy having the world’s fourth largest reserve of oil and annual revenue surpluses. We do not have an economic crisis, while our educational, health and housing problems are negligible compared to what many other countries are suffering. The Kuwaiti citizen enjoys all the elements of decent living, including freedoms and democracy. However, there are people in Kuwait who can still see nothing but a gloomy present and future.

While I certainly understand that there are problems created by the tensions between the Cabinet and Parliament, there’s a difference between having that disturb the peace in our lives, and allowing ourselves to sink in a bottomless pit of despair. — Al-Rai

Political Islam and revolutions

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he morning of the meeting of political powers on Wednesday, Sept 21, was dubbed ‘ The Wednesday of the fall of both the bribe taker and the bribe giver.’ On even that morning the government issued a strange decision - a decision next to which you could place a thousand question marks.

As if to create greater administrative confusion, encourage corruption and to transform us from a state of organization into a banana republic ruled by the mood of the day, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) that morning issued a decision calling for timein-service to be the main criterion for promotion to supervisory posts. This exploded all understandings of administration and of employment procedures.

Yes, there are high school graduates who scientifically and practically understand more than seven undersecretaries together and 30 experts. But such cases are exceptions and not the rule. As per scientific and administrative rules and logic, the supervisory job is for the degree holder who specialized in a field relevant to the post.

An accounts manager will logically have a university degree in accounts as a first condition. As the main condition to head a hospital department of neurology one should hold a university degree in medicine with a neurology specialization. Opening the door for those with longer service is opening the door for ‘wasta’ and I think this is what some government parties and some MPs favor; it will enable individuals to bypass degree holders deserving of the posts in question. There is no explanation for this other than that it will allow MPs in turn to distribute, as they wish, posts to particular figures, relatives and followers.

Is there any other explanation? Of course not, as a decision like this cannot be considered a decision for development. Such a decision takes an axe to the state administrative structure. Were the government to bless this system of promotion then all public sector organizations will suffer setbacks. I am unaware as to whether the individual behind this latest decision is aware of the impending catastrophe. If there is anything worth striking for and worth your political protest, it is to stop this decision and put matters back in order before an intermediate school graduate performs surgery at Al-Razi Hospital. — Al-Anba

kuwait digest

A persistent question deserving of an answer

By Sharida Al-Mousherji he following question continues to pop up wherever we go: What is going on in the country? Everyone is asking this question and is indeed entitled to ask it, as no one appears to know what has befallen this secure and stable country and where the issues will end.

We are no longer guided by a compass that points us in the right direction. We no longer know where we are and what we want. We have become confused and directions have faded away. We have divided ourselves into parties and groups, with each group dragging the country in its own direction.

The major problem is that the government is unable to remain in touch with the people and explain to them the situation that the country currently finds itself in. It is unable to articulate its stance and win individuals round to its side. People in Kuwait currently hear nothing other than the sound of demonstrators in the streets and squares; the govern-

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By Dr Shamlan Yousif Al-Essa he successes of the Arab youth revolutions have one; their concept of a civil state is one committed to paved the way for diversity in political parties to the Sharia’. While Syria’s Islamic opposition has been sufthe extent that over 100 parties have now fering alongside the Syrian people lately, they retain a emerged in Tunisia. Some of these 100 parties are old strange attitude to a civil state, adopting the motto of ones, as its most important type, the Political Islam ‘Religion is for Allah and the Nation is for all.’ This Movements (PIM) that are starting to control large seg- became clear during their recent conference in Turkey. ments of Tunisian popular Can we trust PIM is opinion in the run-up to they make it to office When the Arab revolutions erupted, the Tunisian elections at through elections? It is the youths that launched them had no the end of this month. The hard to tell. Yet what is cercase is the same in Egypt, tain is that these groupspolitical affiliations; their movements where elections are schednamely the Muslim were spontaneous and included eleuled for November.

B ro t h e r h o o d - s t ro n g l y ments of all political affiliations united When the Arab revolubelieve that the ends justitions erupted, the youths fies the means. Thus, they under the same goals: freedom of that launched them had no do not strongly commit to expression, democracy and regaining political affiliations; their Islamic ideologies and human dignity. The revolutions did not movements were spontabelieve that the best way neous and included eleto attain power is to adapt adopt certain ideologies but, rather, ments of all political affiliamore moderate Islamic demanded change in the political tions united under the slogans, updating their regimes and did not call for applying same goals: freedom of sociopolitical speeches expression, democracy and and approaches and takthe Sharia’. regaining human dignity. ing the Turkish experience The revolutions did not as a model despite a lack adopt certain ideologies but, rather, demanded change of interest in Turkish-style secularism. in the political regimes and did not call for applying the A recent Al-Jarida article entitled ‘Challenges of a reliSharia’. gious state in modern times’ stressed that demanding By contrast, PIM joined the recent revolts late yet the establishment of a religious state in the Arab would managed to control public opinion quickly, owing large- be a fatal mistake. It was argues that this could possibly ly to their experience in politics, organization and the have been demanded immediately following the First weakness of their various national and liberal oppo- World War, when the international community was nents. What, then, do we have to fear from PIM gaining more ready to accept the notion in light of the collapse power? Other political movements’ fears are largely of the Ottoman Empire. stem from PIM’s undetermined attitudes towards PIM will not be able to impose their concepts on democracy, political diversity and freedom. The Muslim populaces, as our modern world is heading in the direcBrotherhood, be it Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Jordan, Kuwait tion of greater freedom, democracy, religious and ideoor Morocco, emphasize that they are against establish- logical diversity and the respect of human rights. We, as ing a ‘religious’ state and, rather, that they favor a civil a community or as a state, can therefore not regress to one. However, their concept of a civil state is a particular an oriental state in the 21st century! — Al-Watan

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People in Kuwait currently hear nothing other than the sound of demonstrators in the streets and squares; the government does not have a voice. It is as if team government has left the playing field to the opposition. The opposition can do what it likes with no competition from the government. The opposition’s voice becomes louder and sharper as it finds itself alone on the field and with spectators shouting in its support. ment does not have a voice. It is as if team government has left the playing field to the opposition. The opposition can do what it likes with no competition from the government. The opposition’s voice becomes louder and sharper as it finds itself alone on the field and with spectators shouting in its support.

Where is the official media for which the government pays millions? Why is this media no longer on the field? Did corruption penetrate and paralyze it, pushing it into darkness with no hope of reemergence? Why does the government appear to shirk influence? Where is its message? Why is the first decision of the Council of Ministers not to address and mend this defective apparatus, giving it a needed cleanup? Officials therein have grown old and no longer offer valid contributions. They have grown accustomed to laziness and in turn became professional profiteers, bringing us to our current state of affairs.

If the government cannot address the situation it is currently in and is unable to repair itself, then it should quickly dismantle itself and, in doing so, save vast sums of money that can be used for the benefit of the state and its citizens elsewhere. — Al-Jarida

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Kuwait anti-govt blocs plan multiple grillings Support of NAB ‘crucial’ KUWAIT: At least two anti-government blocs plan next week to submit a request to the National Assembly to file a grilling motion against the Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah. The latest grilling motion concerns the government’s failure to take action to investigate allegations of suspicious multimillion-dinar deposits in some MPs’ bank accounts. Initial plans called for the motion to be submitted tomorrow but MP Faisal Al-Mislem of the Development and Reform Bloc (DRB) announced yesterday that the process was set to be delayed for a week because the draft grilling motion was not yet ready, adding that next Thursday, Oct 20, would be the new date for submission of the motion.

In an interview with Al-Qabas, published yesterday, a source close to the DRB and the Popular Action Bloc (PAB) said that the two blocs had planned to jointly submit the grilling tomorrow in the belief that this would offer the best opportunity for the motion to be discussed .

According to an Al-Qabas article published yesterday quoting a source close to the Development and Reform Bloc and the Popular Action Bloc, the two had planned to submit the grilling tomorrow in the belief that this will give them the best chance of seeing it scheduled for debate during the first proper parliamentary session after the inaugural session of the upcoming new parliamentary term on October 25, 2011.

The two blocs decided to delay submitting the motion due to their wish to avoid further delays which could be caused by having to make changes to it after the Constitutional

Court issues its verdict next week on the constitutionality of the interpellation motion filed against the premier in June this year by MPs Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Abdurrahman AlAnjari.

The National Action Bloc (NAB), the third main parliamentary opposition group, is expected to announce its members’ decision regarding its deliberations on possibly co-presenting the grilling motion at a press conference today (Wednesday). The NAB’s support is crucial to ensure the success of the DRB’s and PAB’s plans as they are widely expected to request a vote of no confidence against the prime minister during the debate session. The ‘grillers’ currently claim to have the support of up to 20 MPs, therefore the support of the sixmember NAB would be crucial in securing a successful no-confidence vote since this requires at least 25 votes to pass.

In the meantime, a parliamentary insider indicated that the PAB is currently working on preparing three grilling motions to be filed against ruling family members in the Cabinet in case the Cabinet attempts to postpone the debate on the premier’s grilling by using delaying tactics such as referring it to the Constitutional Court.

Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, the insider suggested that the interpellation motions are being used as tactics “to confuse the Cabinet and [reduce the number of ] its supporters in the parliament”. For example, the PAB is reportedly counting on the support of Shiite MPs - who usually support the Cabinet in its grilling motion against the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh

‘Prices cannot be kept under control’ KUWAIT: Customs Department strikes resulted in huge losses for companies that impor t goods through Kuwait’s seaports, according to a statement released by Kuwait Ports Association Managing Director Sheikh Dr Sabah Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah.

“Since the early morning hours, mobility at the state’s three seaports had been paralyzed,” Dr Sabah revealed, explaining that, “Goods were offloaded from ships but were not allowed to enter Kuwait due to lack of customs inspections, while ships were not allowed to sail because there were no custom officials to search them.”

Dr Sabah also warned of impending “countless losses” if the strikes persist, saying that closing the ports — which he described as “Kuwait’s gate to the world,” — will result in the increase of goods’ prices in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, officials at the Furdha Central Fruit and Vegetable Market were able to stave off losses during the first day of strikes by storing two days’ worth of surplus goods. Several traders told Al-Rai on Monday that the Customs Department’s advance warning of its planned strikes allowed them to prepare so as to avoid subsequent prices hikes resulting from shortages of supplies.

Despite this, traders conceded that prices cannot be kept under control if work stoppages persist for more than two days. —Al-Rai

Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah and the Foreign Minister Dr Mohammad Al-Sabah - both of whom are at odds with Shiite lawmakers on certain issues.

The insider further claimed that the PAB has been attempting to persuade Shiite MP Dr. Hassan Al-Jouhar to support the grilling motion which it is currently preparing against the interior minister, adding that the MP has yet to make a decision on the matter.

The proposed interpellation motion would focus on a diverse range of issues, including the enrolment of recruits in the police academy despite their failure to meet the necessary criteria, and the imprisonment of bloggers and Twitter activists over their online statements.

Meanwhile, the PAB has reportedly almost completed its grilling motion against Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah, which is expected to be presented by MP Musallam Al-Barrak. The bloc is reportedly seeking the cooperation of independent MP Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri to copresent its planned grilling against First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

In another development, the parliament’s health and social affairs committee on Sunday completed its report on the proposed draft law on regulating the work of Cooperative Societies. Committee rapporteur MP Saleh Ashour announced that the draft law includes amendments to the current legislation, which include recommendations that the Co-ops’ management boards hold elections every three years, with all members to be fully elected, while voters have the right to vote for one quarter of the board members. — Al-Qabas

Kuwait asks UNCC to discharge $10m for environmental projects GENEVA: Kuwaiti Oil Minister Mohammed Al-Busairi said yesterday that representatives of the member states of the UN Security Council and members of the United Nations Compensation Commission praised during its meeting yesterday the projects undertaken by Kuwait in accordance with UN resolutions in this regard.

Al-Busairi expressed his confidence that Kuwait’s request for the discharge of $10 million owed for environmental projects and enforceable in 2012 will be accepted by the UN Commission on the basis of the Kuwait’s integrated report, which was submitted last August and reviewed by external arbitrators.

He explained that the discussion revolved around what has been achieved in the field of compensation in general and what has been achieved in environmental compensation in particular.

He added that the conferees also discussed the environmental projects as well as oil, environmental and agricultural sectors related to the UN damages. For his part, Chairman of the Public Authority for Assessment of Compensation for Damages resulting from Iraqi Aggression Khaled Al-Mudhaf said that the remaining funds owed to Kuwait at the UN Compensation Fund stands at about $19 billion that will be received on a quarterly installments. — KUNAA

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to Kuwait, Ho Jong, recently hosted a reception to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the establishment of the ruling Workers Party of Korea and the election of leader Kim Jong-Il as its General Secretary. The event, which took place at the ambassador’s house in Surra, was attended by several diplomats and other dignitaries. — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Gulf Bank ‘Platinum Sponsor’ of breast cancer campaign KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yesterday its good opportunity to increase the awareness of early ‘Platinum’ sponsorship of the ‘Life is Precious’ charity breast cancer detection and help increase the treatcampaign. The campaign, which has been organized ment of this deadly disease. As a responsible and

by Roqaya Abdul Wahab Al-Qatami Breast Cancer leading financial institution, we aim at strengthening Association, the Hayatt Foundation and the Ghalia our commitment not only for breast cancer conclub, intends to celebrate World sciousness, but to all aspects of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. health.”

Fawzy Al-Thunayan, General Studies have shown that Kuwait Manager-Board Affairs at Gulf Bank, has the highest mortality rate from said: “ We are ver y proud to have breast cancer in the World, and a that sponsored such an important camcontributing factor of this is the lack paign, one that tackles one of the awareness and delay in detection of major diseases in Kuwait and the the disease. world.”

The celebration of the World He further added, “Our support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month the cause is part of our continuous comes in line with the Bank’s efforts to contribute to the communiCorporate Social Responsibility proty and reflects our concerns for the gram, which aims at supporting variwellbeing of our society. This is a ous community related causes.

Fawzy Al-Thunayan

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Kuwaiti detains burglar using a replica rifle One fugitive escapes, another caught KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti detained and handed over to police a burglar who had entered his home, using a replica rifle to threaten the intruder. After sensing movement outside his home, the 33-year-old decided to investigate.

“I don’t know how I decided to use the rifle,” he explained to reporters, adding that “as I went to confront the thief, I saw it hanging there on the wall and took it with me as it resembles a real weapon.” His plan worked, as he managed to detain and handcuff the thief—a Sri Lankan national—until police arrived. Speaking to reporters, one officer conceded that while the plan was smart it could have ended differently if the burglar himself had been armed.

Fugitive escapes The suspect in a recent shooting successfully escaped custody for a second time after shooting at police officers. The individual, charged over the weekend with shooting at a neighbor’s house in Adan, initially eluded police officers when he shot at them and fled in a vehicle displaying license plates from a GCC state. When investigators tracked him down earlier this week the suspect replicated his escape and has since been blacklisted so as to prevent him fleeing Kuwait.

Elsewhere, a fugitive was taken into custody when new charges were filed against him. A woman, claiming to be a victim harassment by the individual, filed a report at Sulaibikhat Police Station and the suspect’s

identity as well as outstanding charges of robbery were subsequently revealed, leading to his arrest. The suspect has since been referred to the relevant authorities to face charges.

against Dr Al-Sahwali for assault at Shuwaikh Police Station. Police also revealed that the suspect was currently undergoing disciplinary measures at Adan Hospital.

Housemaid overdoses A woman was rushed to Jahra Hospital after accidentally overdosing on medication provided by her employer. An ambulance was called to a Jahra home where the Asian woman works as a housemaid after her employers found her unconscious. The victim was later admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital in a critical condition and has since lapsed into a coma. Preliminary investigations indicate that miscommunication between the victim and her sponsor regarding the medication led to the overdose.

Belligerent husband A law firm employee is the subject of a police search after his wife filed abuse charges against him at Salmiya Police Station. In her statement, the woman claimed that her husband repeatedly abused her verbally and physically and without reason. The suspect is expected to undergo investigations following his arrest.

Rampage at MoH A Ministry of Health (MoH) employee has pressed charges against a senior MoH official after reportedly rampaging through the ministry building. The individual in question is said to have stormed into the offices of Minister of Health Dr Helal Al-Sayer and Assistant Undersecretary for Technical Affairs Dr Khalid Al-Sahwali and assaulted employees, purportedly in response to unmet financial demands. Police arrived at the MoH following reports of the worker’s behavior but not in time to apprehend the suspect. Upon further investigation police officers found that the rampaging employee had filed charges

Deportee busted A Syrian national has been placed under house arrest after it was revealed that he entered Kuwait in 1999 on a forged passport following his deportation earlier that year. The suspect was stopped while driving in AlNugra despite initial attempts to evade a police patrol.

Jail laptop uncovered A laptop and 40 cell phones were seized during a recent impromptu search at the Central Prison. The five-hour operation targeted the ward housing inmates detained for drug-related offenses and included searches of personal belongings. The owner of the laptop explained during interrogation that he had bought the device for KD 1,700 from a Kuwaiti inmate prior to the latter’s release.

Minister Al-Shimali concludes successful visit to China tive office known as KIRO, which he described as “very successful launch.”

Located in the heart of business district in the Chinese capital and directed by Al-Shatti, KIRO serves as KIA’s on-the-ground presence in China to explore opportunities for the KIA head office to review. It is the fund’s first-ever overseas office since the establishment of the Kuwait Investment Office in London in 1953.

KIA, an investment arm of the Kuwaiti government, has a welldiversified investment portfolio with stakes in a wide range of companies and institutions around the globe.

While in Beijing, Al-Shimali held a series of talks with Chinese officials, including Finance Minister

Xie Xuren and Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China and administrator of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange Yi Gang, in which they exchanged views on their countries’ fiscal policies and other economic issues, and pledged closer and all-round bilateral cooperation.

The Chinese financial leaders welcomed the establishment of KIRO and assured their continued support and cooperation for further strengthening the fund’s ties with China and facilitating potential investment opportunities.

Al-Shimali also called on Chinese businesses to participate in Kuwait’s KD 37 billion five-year development plan through 2014 for various mega projects. “We discussed potential of several joint

Fair in Italy portrays positive image of Kuwait MILAN: A senior Ministry of Information official yesterday praised the success of the ‘Don’t Wait...Discover Kuwait’ exhibition organized by the Kuwaiti Consulate in Milan, which opened on Monday evening.

Ministry Undersecretary Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah underlined the ministry’s enthusiasm for supporting such events which promote a positive image of Kuwait, emphasizing its peaceful nature.

Speak ing to KUNA, Sheik h Salman expressed gratitude to the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ initiative in organizing the cultural event at the Duomo Piazza in the Italian economic and commercial capital.

The senior ministry official also praised the tangible efforts of the Kuwaiti General Consul to Italy, Sami Al-Hamad, as well as the other consulate staff, for organizing the exhibition.

The exhibition reflects a positive image of Kuwait, as well as providing an account of the history of its progress and development under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheik h Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheik h Nasser AlMohammed Al-Sabah, explained Sheikh Salman.

Speaking at the exhibition’s KUNA pavilion, the information ministry official expressed his gratitude to all the Kuwaiti

bodies and institutions which contributed to staging the event, which includes art displays and seminars on a wide range of issues in Kuwait, including women’s rights, environmentalism, heritage, development, and investment opportunities.

He stressed the information ministry’s enthusiasm for regular events of this nature in order to promote Kuwait ’s accomplishments and strengthen interaction with other nations.

Sheikh Salman and the Milanese Mayor Guilamo Pisapia jointly opened the fair at a ceremony held in a venue adjacent to the Duomo Piazza on Monday evening.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Italy Sheikh Jaber Duaij Al-Sabah and a large number of distinguished Italian figures, including political leaders, the Dean of Perugia University, senior police and army officials, businesspeople and media representatives.

The exhibition sheds light on Kuwait’s cultural and tourism landmarks, as well as providing a platform for interaction with Italian businesspeople wishing to explore business opportunities in Kuwait and the Gulf region.

Hussein Ismail, the board chairman of Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI), the main sponsor of the event, said yesterday that the exhibition constitutes “an open invitation” for interaction between Kuwaiti and Italian entrepreneurs. —KUNA

Breast cancer education campaign concludes

BEIJING: Minister Mustafa Al-Shimali with Kuwaiti officials in China.

BEIJING: Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shimali left Beijing yesterday to return home after concluding his successful official visit.

Seeing off Al-Shimali at the airport were Kuwaiti Ambassador to China Mohammad Al-Thuwaikh and other Kuwaiti diplomats, as well as Kuwait Investment Beijing Representative Office (KIRO) Chief Representative Fahad Al-Shatti.

Prior to his departure, the minister said that his visit was very practical and productive, showing expectations of pushing bilateral ties to a higher level.

In a reflection of Kuwait’s keen interest in the rapid growing Chinese investment market, AlShimali, who is also Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) Chairman, inaugurated on Monday KIA’s Beijing representa-

MILAN: Ministry of Information Undersecretary Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah pictured during his visit to Milan.

projects between the two countries, and I hope we can realize such joint projects in the near future. I also encouraged the Chinese companies to visit our country to explore investment opportunities,” he said.

The two sides also shed light on the smooth growth of SinoKuwaiti relations ever since they first forged diplomatic ties 40 years ago, saying that Kuwait and China have witnessed a sustainable and growing cooperation in various areas, and expressed confidence in the prospect of all-round cooperation in the future.

Kuwait was the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nation to extend diplomatic ties with China in 1971 in appreciation for China’s leading regional and world role. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The CAN campaign, designed to educate Kuwaitis on breast cancer, the Can Campaign, launched under the auspices of Minister of Education Ahmed AlMulaifi, concluded yesterday.

Under this campaign, 100 female teachers from the Ministry of Education (MoE) graduated with a World Health Organization-approved certificate according the individuals the status of ‘trainer.’

In the coming months 14,000 female high school students will be provided

with training in self-inspection to help with early detection of breast cancer tumors; studies show that early detection of breast cancer can increase the likelihood of successful treatment and recovery by a massive 85 percent.

The organizers of the CAN Campaign expressed their gratitude to all the participating parties, including the MoE, the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and the GCC Union for Fighting Cancer, expressing hope that this cooperation would continue.

Burgan Bank sponsors ‘Introduction to Kuwait’ KUWAIT: Burgan Bank has recently sponsored the British Business Forum’s (BBF) exhibition, “Introduction to Kuwait”, which was held on Oct 7 at the Hilton Kuwait Resort. The event was built on the success of Kuwait’s 50/20 celebrations, and served as a strong platform to showcase an extensive range of various services, businesses, as well as social activities. During the event, exhibitors were involved in live theatrical and musical performances, as well as displaying creative artwork and crafts.

TEC holds training program KUWAIT: The Touristic Enterprises Company held a training program earlier this month on mechanical and hydraulic system maintenance. 17 maintenance employees participated in the program, which was held in Entertainment City. The course was organized in cooperation with the Challenge Institute for Training and Consulting, and comes as part of the TEC’s plans to improve the performance and capabilities of its staff members.

Burgan Bank strategically utilized its presence at the event with a booth that aimed to showcase its diverse array of innovative banking products and services. The bank’s Personal Banking Executives were also present to answer customer queries.

The British Business Forum’s “Introduction to Kuwait” Exhibition is an excellent opportunity for individuals as well as businesses to network as well as get acquainted with the cultural offerings of both Kuwait, and the United Kingdom.

Law violation won’t be tolerated: Municipality KUWAIT: General Director of Kuwait Municipality Ahmad Al-Sebeeh affirmed yesterday that the authorities would enforce the laws against offenders without any exemptions and warned that the municipal inspectors would monitor and report any act harmful to the citizens and residents.

Staff current efforts are focusing on ensuring sound food for the citizens and residents and making sure that the specifications of the products in the market comply with safety terms, he said in a statement.

He praised relentless efforts of the special teams of inspectors who have been active round the clock to ensure food safety in the country.

Meanwhile, Usama Al-Duaij, the deputy director general of the municipal sector in the governorates of Hawally and Mubarak Al-Kabeer, said the municipal authorities have taken punitive measures against violators of health standards, licensing system, regulations of public safety and food supervision.

Nine stores in Hawally were shut down for such offenses, he said, adding that up to many stores were fined for breaching the laws. He also indicated that 17 neglected vehicles were removed.

Authorities have recently warned against leaving cars at public spots for a long period of time, out of negligence or for the purpose of selling the vehicles. —KUNA

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

Myanmar gives amnesty to over 6,300 prisoners

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Ukraine jails Tymoshenko for 7 years Ex-PM exceeded powers in 2009 gas deal KIEV: A Ukrainian court yesterday sentenced former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko to seven years in prison for abuse of office in relation to a 2009 gas deal with Russia that she brokered, a case regarded widely in the West as politically orchestrated.

Russia and the European Union-major trading partners of the ex-Soviet republic-both reacted sharply to the verdict and the sentence, the maximum sought by state prosecutors. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, speaking on a visit to Beijing, said it could jeopardise energy relations between the two former Soviet states, while the foreign ministry said it had detected an “obvious anti-Russian subtext” in the outcome.

The Tymoshenko affair seems certain to slow the Kiev government’s drive for European integration, a declared foreign policy priority for President Viktor Yanukovich. In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the trial smacked of “selective” justice. “The EU will reflect on its policies towards Ukraine,” she said in a statement on behalf of the EU, an apparent allusion to a planned association agreement that would entail a Ukrainian-EU free trade zone.

Tymoshenko’s supporters say the trial outcome reflected Yanukovich plans to eliminate her as the only real opposition to him. If she ends up serving a long prison term, she will be unable to contest a parliamentary election next year or run again for president in 2015. Judge Rodion Kireyev handed down the seven-year sentence at the end of a three-month trial that threw a spotlight on the key role the charismatic opposition leader played as prime minister in the signing of a 10-year contract with Russia.

The 2009 agreement ended a pricing dispute between Ukraine and Russia which had led to disruptions of gas supplies to some EU countries. It was greeted with relief by Europe at the time. But the government under Yanukovich, who beat Tymoshenko in a fight for the presidency in February 2010 and forced her out as prime minister, says the deal saddled Ukraine with an exorbitant price for Russian gas.

Taking the line argued by the prosecution, the judge said Tymoshenko had exceeded her authority “for criminal ends” by railroading the state energy firm Naftogaz into signing the agreement. Her actions had led to a loss for Naftogaz of 1.5 billion hryvnias ($188 million), he said. “The court has ... found Tymoshenko guilty ... and sentenced her to a prison term of seven years,” he said.

Justifying the seven-year sentence, he said he had not found any “extenuating circumstances” to reduce the prison term nor any signs of remorse from Tymoshenko.

Her lawyers said they would appeal.

Tymoshenko, who denied any wrongdoing, says the trial is a “lynching” by Yanukovich and by those whom she describes as the “criminal oligarchy” backing him. For Tymoshenko, the style-conscious heroine of the 2004 popular “Orange Revolution” that doomed Yanukovich’s first

KIEV: Police officers lead former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko out of the courtroom after a verdict in her case has been rendered at the Pecherskiy District Court in Kiev, Ukraine, yesterday. — AP bid for the presidency, her jailing was the latest chapter in a rollercoaster political career of highs and lows.

Once known as the “gas princess” because of her involvement in post-Soviet Ukraine’s gas industry in the mid-1990s, she was charged with forgery and gas smuggling in 2001 under then President Leonid Kuchma.

She spent a month in the Luky’anivska detention centre- ironically in the same cell where she has been held during her trial-before being cleared. After helping propel Viktor Yushchenko to the presidency in 2005, she twice served as his prime minister.—Reuters

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UN rights group urges Israel to stop settler attacks GENEVA: The UN human rights office called yesterday for Israel to stop Jewish settlers from attacking Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, accusing the army of failing to restrain settlers while being quick to use force against Palestinians.

Israeli diplomats expressed surprise at the statement, saying it was released without warning and made no mention of violence directed at settlers. The West Bank and Israel proper have experienced a spike in violence in recent weeks, with hundreds of olive trees uprooted, mosques attacked and Arab cemeteries vandalized. Extremist settlers are believed to be behind the vio-

lence, which they say is the “price tag” for army and government policies that they feel are unfair. Settlers have also clashed with Israeli soldiers in several instances.

Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Israel was legally obliged to protect Palestinian civilians and property. “There appears to be certainly a partial siding with the settlers, and perhaps not intervening strongly enough to protect the Palestinian villagers,” Colville told reporters in Geneva.

He cited the fatal shooting of a Palestinian by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank village of Qusra on Sept. 23, the beating of

two minors detained by troops the same day, and the uprooting of 200 olive trees in the village on Oct. 6.

“The accountability for settler violence against Palestinians is less than adquate, let’s say, and certainly not comparable to the reverse cases,” Colville said. “When Palestinians attack settlers there’s always very, very strong reaction.” Diplomats at Israel’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva rejected the claim.

“Anything can be reported to the Israeli authorities and there will be legal procedures if necessary,” Walid Abu-Haya, an Israeli diplomat who deals with human

rights matters, told The Associated Press.

He questioned why the U.N. statement failed to mention the death of an Israeli settler and his infant son in a car accident last month caused by Palestinian stone throwers.

In a statement, the Israeli army said it would not permit rioting or individuals taking the law into their own hands. It said soldiers are under orders to prevent, “actively if necessary,” attacks on security forces or Palestinian civilians by Israelis.

National police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told the AP that police, too, were committed to preventing crimes, whoever

the culprits. “In each incident that takes place, a thorough investigation is opened by officers who are trained and experienced to work in the different areas and with the different communities. The Israeli police will continue to emphasize solving and dealing with all types of crimes if and when they occur,” Rosenfeld said.

Colville said the rise in attacks since the beginning of September was “emblematic of the phenomenon of settler violence throughout the West Bank.” A UN report about the impact of Israeli settlement construction is being published later this week. — AP

Assad again promises Syria reforms as China presses ‘Govt must move faster to honour reform pledges’

RAFAH: Palestinian women take part in a protest calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and in support of inmates in hunger strike yesterday in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. — AFP

Egypt’s deputy premier quits over deadly clashes CAIRO: Egypt’s deputy prime minister resigned yesterday over clashes that killed 25 people, mainly Coptic Christians, amid mounting anger at the ruling military and calls for the premier to quit. Hazem al-Beblawi announced his resignation, saying that despite having no direct involvement in the clashes, the government ultimately bore responsibility for what happened.

“The current circumstances are very difficult and require a new and different way of thinking and working,” Beblawi was quoted as saying by the official MENA news agency. On Sunday, 25 people were killed and more than 300 injured when a protest demonstration by Coptic Christians was attacked by the army and thugs, sparking furious condemnation of the leadership’s handling of the transition from Hosni Mubarak’s rule.

Military prosecutors said they have remanded 28 people in custody-both Muslims and Christians-for 15 days pending investigations, MENA reported. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which took power when Mubarak was ousted in February, had tasked Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s government to immediately form a fact-finding panel to investigate the clashes.

The UN human rights office urged Egypt to ensure that any probes are conducted in an impartial and independent manner. Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed regret over the deaths, and urged the authorities “to ensure the impartiality and independence of any investigation undertaken into the incident.”

Political and religious leaders spent Monday in crisis talks, amid fears of widespread sectarian unrest threatening an already fragile transition.

Copts were protesting on Sunday against a recent attack, in which a recently renovated village church was attacked in the southern province of Aswan.

State television accused the demonstrators of firing shots that killed three soldiers, prompting fights between Christians and Muslims later that night. But furious Copts said the security forces attacked the demonstrators, driving vehicles into the crowd and crushing several people.

New York-based rights group Human Rights Watch has called for a “prompt, thorough and impartial” investigation, which “should specifically address the killing of at least 17 Coptic Christian demonstrators who appear to have been run over by military vehicles.” “It should also examine the role of the military and police

officers in the violence,” HRW said in a statement.

Thousands of people attended a service at the Coptic cathedral in Cairo late on Monday for the funerals of 17 demonstrators. Live television showed the coffins being brought in a procession from the Copt hospital in downtown Cairo where autopsies were carried out.

Earlier on Monday, hundreds had gathered outside the Coptic Hospital, chanting against the military council and its head Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

“SOS: Copts under attack from the army of Egypt,” read one banner. Copts complain of systematic discrimination, but since Mubarak’s fall, tensions have also mounted between the military-initially hailed for not siding with Mubarakand groups which spearheaded the revolt.

Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church led by Pope Shenuda III accused “infiltrators” of triggering the street battle on the Nile water front, while the country’s top Muslim official Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb urged the cabinet to swiftly issue a unified law on building places of worship. The cabinet vowed on Monday to look into amending religious laws which would give Copts more guarantees to freedom of worship.

But after months of tensions, unrest and clashes, some say the measure is too little too late.

Yesterday, leading independent daily AlMasry Al-Youm called for the resignation of the prime minister in a front page editorial. “The state has lost its stature, the regime is on the verge of collapse, and Sharaf’s government has run out of credit. All that is left to say is Sharaf, resign.”

The liberal Wafd party’s mouthpiece echoed the view. “After what has happened, we can say that he cannot serve as a prime minister and he must leave his post,” it said. International calls for restraint poured in, as the Arab world’s most populous nation teetered on the edge of widespread unrest, and activists feared their revolution was crumbling.

Saudi Arabia urged Egypt to exercise restraint. “Saudi Arabia calls on all our brothers in Egypt to exercise restraint...(and ensure) the unity, stability, and prosperity” of the country,” said a statement posted late Monday on the official Saudi news agency SPA. White House spokesman Jay Carney said US President Barack Obama was “deeply concerned” about the violence. A “deeply saddened” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Egyptian military authorities to defend “all faiths” in the country, while European leaders also expressed alarm. — AFP

American ‘supercop’ rejects closing social media in riots LONDON: US “supercop” Bill Bratton, visiting Britain to advise the government in the aftermath of riots earlier this year, said yesterday he was against the idea of shutting down social media services during times of civil unrest.

Police and politicians said rioters and looters had coordinated their actions and used services such as Blackberry Messenger and Twitter to incite trouble during the large-scale disorder which swept Britain in August. Prime Minister David Cameron said at the time Britain might consider disrupting online social networking during any future trouble, and senior figures from Twitter and Research in Motion, which owns Blackberry , were summoned by politicians last month to discuss the issue.

However Bratton, former police chief in New York, Los Angeles and Boston, where he oversaw dramatic falls in street crimes gaining him the “supercop” moniker, cautioned against such a move, saying it would badly impact on “good people”. “You have the potential to throw the whole community into even more critical shock,” he told a British parliamentary committee, referring to his own experiences of trying to contact family in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks.

He said social networking also helped the authorities warn people about where distur-

bances were occurring, while the police themselves often relied on the likes of Blackberry.

“There’s no denying in policing ... that we are attempting to play catch up with (technology’s) impact,” he said.

Bratton is due to meet Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary (interior minister) Theresa May during his UK visit, as well as attend a high-level conference on gangs to pass on his knowledge of helping to quell gang violence in Los Angeles. Cameron has blamed much of August’s rioting, the worst in Britain for decades, on street gangs.

Bratton, now chairman of Manhattanbased risk consultancy firm Kroll, said Britain had a “nascent” problem with street gangs compared with the situation he inherited in Los Angeles where there had been some 100,000 gang members and more entrenched violence.

“The approach to gangs is they will always be in existence,” he said. “What you can do is control their behaviour and seek to prevent their expansion.” He said the key was to stop young people being recruited or coerced into joining gangs, and that it was vital police worked in partnership with local communities and agencies to offer young people an alternative.—Reuters

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad plans to create a new constitution, a top ruling party official said yesterday, as China joined longtime ally Russia in pressing for prompt reforms in a country riven by a deadly crackdown on antiregime protesters.

The death toll, already topping 2,900, according to UN calculations, rose further yesterday, with three people shot dead in the central city of Homs and another man dying of wounds sustained there a day earlier, activists said.

Mohammed Said Bkheitan, a senior official in the ruling Baath party, said Assad will “decide within two days the creation of a committee to prepare a new constitution.”

The committee will complete its work by year end, with the new document requiring a twothirds approval of the Assad-dominated parliament and then being submitted to a referendum, Bkheitan was quoted by the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper as saying. China yesterday urged Syria to move faster to implement reforms, a week after Beijing and Moscow infuriated the West by blocking a proposed UN Security Council resolution against Assad’s deadly crackdown.

“We believe the Syrian government should move faster to honour its reform pledges and swiftly start to push forward the inclusive political process with the broad participation of all parties in Syria,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said. This was the first time that China has veered from its long-standing policy of noninterference in the affairs of Syria, which has been rocked by anti-government protests and violence since mid-March.

Liu’s comments came as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Beijing. On Friday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had told Assad either to reform or resign, while warning the West that Russia will fight outside attempts to oust him. Medvedev said he wanted to see an end to the crackdown as much as Europe and the United States.

“Russia wants as much as the other countries for Syria to end the bloodshed and demands that the Syrian leadership conduct the necessary reforms,” Medvedev said. “If the Syrian leadership is unable to undertake these reforms, it will have to go,” he said in one of his strongest public comments on the crisis.

But he quickly reasserted Russia’s earlier posi-

tion by saying that the best the West could do was support talks and not meddle. “This is something that has to be decided not by NATO or individual European countries but by the people and the leadership of Syria,” Medvedev said.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow and Beijing were ready to propose a new UN resolution on Syria that would condemn violence carried out both by Assad’s regime and the opposition. The Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Tuesday warned Syria, one of its 57 members, about the consequences of its continued use of force.

Secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said this would “only lead to more violence and bloodshed, thus exacerbating the crisis and making it more complex.” On Sunday, Assad again renewed a pledge of reforms, having made numerous promises since the unrest broke out.

“Syria is taking steps focused on two main fronts-political reform and the dismantling of armed groups” seeking to destabilise the country, he said. He said that the “Syrian people had

CAIRO: Syrian anti-government activists display wreathes and framed photos of slain Mashaal Tammo, a 53-year-old former political prisoner and a spokesman for the Kurdish Future Party who was the latest in a string of targeted killings in Syria, with Arabic text that reads “We will revenge you” during a protest next to Egyptian army soldiers securing the surrounding area of the Syrian embassy in Cairo, Egypt yesterday. — AP

Detained Yemeni journalist freed SANAA: A Yemeni journalist detained last week by dissident General Ali Mohsen alAhmar said yesterday that he had been freed.

Mohammed Sudam, a Reuters reporter who also works as an interpreter for President Ali Abdullah Saleh, was detained Friday night at a checkpoint manned by Ahmar’s troops on the way home from the airport after a trip to Cairo. Sudam told AFP he was released late Monday. A Yemeni security official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Sudam was freed in exchange for the release of five officers from Ahmar’s First Armoured Division, detained by security forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Dozens of Yemeni journalists held a sit-in

welcomed the reforms but that foreign attacks intensified just as the situation in the country began to make progress.”

On the ground, meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three people were shot dead by security forces in Homs yesterday. The Britain-based group said another man died in hospital after having been gravely wounded on Monday.

It said security forces refused to return his body to his family unless they signed a document saying that “armed bands” had killed him.

The regime routinely blames such unidentified groups and “terrorists” of being behind the violence.

Since Monday night, the Observatory added that the Al-Khalidiya district of Homs has been the scene of a “vast security operation” with electricity and telecommunications cut off and 115 arrests. It added that people had beaten and insulted in front of their families, and that heavy gunfire and caused injuries and damage to shops. — AFP

on Monday to demand Sudam’s release and appealed to Yemen’s new Nobel peace laureate, activist Tawakkul Karman, to intervene on his behalf. In a statement to the press Monday, Ahmar said he was unaware that Sudam was a journalist and promised to release him.

Ahmar’s First Armoured Division, which controls part of the capital Sanaa, defected in March in support of anti-regime protesters and has since set up checkpoints in areas under its control. Kidnappings of army officers and government officials have become increasingly common since Ahmar’s defection and the outbreak of clashes between his troops and Saleh loyalists in Sanaa. — AFP

SANAA: Yemeni anti-government protesters with their faces painted with the Egyptian, Tunisian, Libyan, Syrian and Yemeni flags chant slogans during a demonstration in Sanaa yesterday. — AFP

Tunisia to probe TV broadcast that sparked rioting TUNIS: Tunisian prosecutors are to investigate a television station for broadcasting an award-winning animated film “Persepolis” that sparked Islamist rioting two weeks before the country holds its first free election, a judicial source said yesterday.

In the biggest clashes over religion in years, hundreds of Islamist protesters on Sunday fought police in a suburb of the capital after the broadcast of “Persepolis.” “Persepolis” is based on an account of a woman growing up in Iran under strict religious rule following the 1979 Islamic revolution. Some Tunisians were upset about a scene which they said contravened a ban in Islam on depicting Allah.

The clashes added to the tension before an Oct. 23 election which will shape Tunisia’s political landscape after it ousted its president in a revolution earlier this year. The vote is pitting Islamists who are free to express their faith for the first time against secularists who say their liberal values are under threat.

Tunisia’s revolution inspired the “Arab Spring” uprisings, and other states in the region are now watching how it negotiates the tricky path towards building a democratic state. The judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the investigation was launched into the Nessma private television station after lawyers and members of the public filed complaints over its broadcast of “Persepolis.”

The prosecution appeared to be an attempt by the government to defuse the row and prevent it overshadowing the election, in which Tunisian’s will be voting for an assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution. A spokesman for the prime minister’s office told a news conference: “The government condemns violence and abuses of sacred religious tenets.... The government will make every effort to restore a good environment for the forthcoming elections.” The Nessma station’s owner, Nabil Karoui, said it was a mistake to show the film with the scene depicting Allah. “On behalf of Nessma, I apologise to the Tunisian people,” he said on local radio. “It was a mistake to broadcast the part where God is depicted ... We are Muslims, like the majority of Tunisians.” — Reuters

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Boston police arrest 50 from Occupy Boston BOSTON: More than 50 protesters from the Occupy Boston movement were arrested early yesterday after they ignored warnings to move from a downtown greenway near where they have been camped out for more than a week, police said. Police spokesman Jamie Kenneally said the arrests began about 1:30 a.m. yesterday and were mostly for trespassing.

The protesters, part of the national Occupy Wall Street movement, had tried to expand from their original site in Dewey Square to a second site across the street, along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. A local conservancy group recently planted

$150,000 worth of shrubs along the greenway and officials said they were concerned about damage.

Boston police had warned protesters for several hours that they would have to return to Dewey Square, where a tent city has been steadily growing, and issued leaflets saying protesters could not occupy the greenway. Early yesterday, about 10 police officers patrolled the greenway, some with dogs. Protesters who went to a nearby police station to bail people out did not find anyone there, and by 4 am they had returned to their encampment to discuss how to raise $4,000 in bail money.

Police did not report any arrests from an earlier standoff, where hundreds of students from 10 area colleges marched through downtown Monday, briefly confronting police while attempting to hang a banner on a Boston bridge. The protesters gathered on Boston Common and marched in front of the Massachusetts Statehouse carrying signs that read “Apathy isn’t working, Raise your voice,” and chanting slogans like “Fund education, not corporations” and “We got sold out. Rich got bailed out.

They later marched to a Charlestown bridge near the city’s

North End neighborhood hoping to hang a banner. Police blocked the bridge, which was closed for about an hour before the protesters dispersed. Two demonstrators appeared to scuffle with officers during the standoff. Police did not immediately report any arrests.

The protesters on Wall Street and in Boston and other cities have described themselves at the “99 percent” - referring to what they say are the vast number of Americans struggling to pay their bills while the income gap between the rich and middle class widens. —AP

BOSTON: A woman with a bullhorn addresses fellow demonstrators with “Occupy Boston” group as they briefly blocked Summer Street in Boston, Monday afternoon. —AP

Hurricane Jova targets Mexico’s Pacific coast Port of Manzanillo, tourist beaches in storm path

HOPKINTON: Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney asks the crowd to be seated as he receives a warm welcome during a campaign stop at Hopkinton Town Hall, in Hopkinton. —AP

Perry under pressure at US Republican debate HANOVER: Rick Perry hopes to end a string of poor performances and campaign rival Mitt Romney looks to consolidate his newly regained front-runner status at a US presidential debate for Republicans yesterday.

The debate also will be Herman Cain’s first moment in the political spotlight since gaining momentum with his surprise Florida straw poll win last month, and the former pizza executive is sure to face new scrutiny. Eight Republican contenders will participate in the debate in New Hampshire, the seventh this year in the party’s race for the nomination to face President Barack Obama in 2012.

Three months before Republican voting begins, the pressure will be on Perry to reverse a streak of wobbly debate showings that put his once high-flying campaign into a nosedive. “Perry will be in the spotlight because he has to put on a better performance,” said Fergus Cullen, former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. “The last few debates started to peel back the layers of the onion on Perry-and he really hasn’t held up well.”

Perry, the Texas governor, roared past Romney to take the lead in polls after getting in the race in August. But he foundered after several stumbling debate performances where he was hammered over his immigration policies and for ordering young girls be vaccinated for a sexually transmitted virus.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor whose 2008 White House bid failed, has retaken the lead in polls but has still not won over conservatives who remember his past support in Massachusetts for abortion rights and a healthcare mandate. A poll released yesterday by NBC News and Marist College showed Romney with a commanding 30point lead over his rivals in moderate New Hampshire and a small edge over Cain in Iowa, where social and religious conservatives play a big role. Those two states kick

off voting in the nominating race in January.

Romney has been a steady performer in the debates and has gone largely untouched by his rivals, particularly in the three debates last month that focused on Perry. But Romney’s strong poll numbers could make him a target this time.

Some of the other second-tier candidates, including former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, also could be trying to get noticed as time runs out for them to make a move.

“I’m expecting some of the secondand third-tier candidates to start finally taking some risks to distinguish themselves,” Cullen said. “If you’re Jon Huntsman or Rick Santorum, your opportunities are starting to become numbered.”

The debate begins at 8 pm EDT (midnight GMT) on the campus of Dartmouth College and will be carried by Bloomberg Television. It will focus on economic issues. Candidates will sit side-by-side with the moderators in a round-table format, surrounded by the audience, in a bid to generate more interaction, sponsors said.

It is the second debate this year in New Hampshire, which is expected to hold its influential nominating contest in early January. The exact date remains uncertain as other states jockey to gain influence by jumping ahead in the calendar.

Huntsman, who has staked his campaign on a strong showing in New Hampshire, has gained slightly there in recent polls and needs a good debate performance to maintain his momentum.

Staunch social conservatives like Cain, Perry, Santorum and US Representative Michele Bachmann might find New Hampshire’s more moderate voters a lessreceptive audience. Also participating in the debate will be US Representative Ron Paul and former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich. —Reuters

PUERTO VALLARTA: Hurricane Jova bore down on Mexico’s Pacific coast yesterday, threatening to hit one of the country’s busiest cargo ports and tourist resorts with destructive waves, heavy rainfall and flooding. In the popular resort town of Puerto Vallarta, it was not yet raining yesterday morning but people were bracing for the biggest storm in nine years by boarding up shops and staying at home.

The Category 3 storm, with top winds reaching 115 miles per hour (185 kph), was about 120 miles (190 km) southwest of the port city of Manzanillo at 11 a.m.

EDT (1500 GMT ), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The Miami-based hurricane center said Jova would slam into the Mexican coast later yesterday afternoon or evening, to the northwest of Manzanillo on a stretch of coast dotted with beaches south of Puerto Vallarta.

“People think it’s not going to do anything, but it’s moving slowly and it’s going to be dangerous,” said bank worker Jose Avila, who was watching the waves from

Puerto Vallarta’s boardwalk. “They thought that last time and it destroyed everything.” Puerto Vallarta’s last big hurricane was Kenna in 2002, which hit with winds of up to 144 mph (230 kph) and flooded streets close to the shore, causing damage that took authorities days to clear.

Avila, 55, who has lived in the tourist destination for 30 years, said the waves were unusually high. The city is bracing for waves up to 13 feet (4 meters) high.

Shops around Puerto Vallarta had boarded up their windows. It was not yet raining and some planned to open for a few hours before closing around midday.

Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have prepared shelters, although there are no evacuations yet. But south of the beach resort, people were evacuating from the towns of Zihuatlan and Melaque.

Manzanillo, Mexico’s main point of arrival for cargo containers, has been closed since late Sunday and about 13 container ships are stuck in the port. An official said shipments that were held up because of the lock-

down included 15,000 tonnes of sugar from Colombia, 16,000 tonnes of imported rolled steel and a shipment of iron pellets for domestic use.

Manzanillo handles about 750 containers of cargo a month and ships goods including cars, car parts, cattle, minerals and tequila to Asian and North American markets. Depending on conditions, the port will reopen Wednesday or Thursday, the official said. Puerto Vallarta’s port was also closed.

Mexico has no major oil installations in the Pacific.

The storm had slowed its advance and was moving toward the north-northeast near 5 miles per hour/7 kph), although the hurricane center said it could move slightly faster later yesterday.

The center expects Jova will turn toward the north, after reaching the coast in the afternoon or evening. Hurricanes weaken over land. A dangerous storm surge is likely to produce bad flooding along the coast when Jova makes landfall, the

center said.

Rainfall of up to 12 inches/(30.5 cm) is forecast in parts of the states of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco, possibly causing lifethreatening flash floods and mudslides. “A dangerous storm surge is expected to produce significant coastal flooding near and to the east of where the center makes landfall,” the hurricane advisory said.

“Near the coast ... the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves,” it said. Puerto Vallarta Mayor Salvador Gonzalez said the resort was preparing shelters for residents that would be evacuated.

“There will be a lot of constant rain, which could hit the mountainous region around Puerto Vallarta,” raising the danger of deadly landslides, Gonzalez said.

“But after a couple days of rain we’ll be ready for the PanAmerican Games,” he said.

The games bring together athletes from across the Americas in Guadalajara, and some sport competitions will be held in Puerto Vallarta. —Reuters

Trial of airline attacker opens DETROIT: The trial of a Nigerian man charged with trying to destroy a Detroit-bound airliner on behalf of al-Qaeda got under way yesterday with debate over the word “bomb.” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab entered federal court wearing an African gown and black skull cap. He was silent as he settled next to defense attorney Anthony Chambers.

In early discussion, the US federal judge hearing the case refused to prevent prosecutors from using the word “bomb.”

Chambers had asked the judge to ban the word “bomb” or “explosive” until final arguments. Abdulmutallab, 24, is charged with trying to detonate a bomb in his underwear aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas 2009.

Chambers said it’s up to the jury to decide what caused the smoke and fire. “I’m going to deny that motion. ... It makes no sense whatsoever,” US District Judge Nancy Edmunds said. She also told Detroit-area attorney Kurt Haskell to leave the courtroom before opening statements were to begin because he could be called as a defense witness. He was a passenger on Flight 253 and believes the US government conspired with Abdulmutallab to outfit him with a fake bomb.

Abdulmutallab is acting as his own lawyer. But in practice, he is relying on Chambers to handle the minute-by-minute work in the courtroom. Chambers will grill most of the government’s witnesses and recently persuaded Abdulmutallab to let him give yesterday’s opening statement. The result is likely to be a more focused defense and not a wild justification for trying to bring down the Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight.

Abdulmutallab has written a few court filings in his own hand, including a request to be judged by Islamic law. He has at times appeared agitated in court, declaring that Osama bin Laden and a radical Muslim cleric recently killed by the US are alive. He also has objected to trial testimony from experts who will talk about alQaida and martyrdom.

Chambers will be “more traditional in holding the government’s feet to the fire and making them prove the case,” said Lloyd Meyer, a Chicago lawyer and former federal prosecutor. Chambers told The Associated Press that he and Abdulmutallab will “challenge everything” offered by federal prosecutors, including the chemical mix that caused smoke and fire but didn’t explode inside the cabin of Flight 253.

The evidence is stacked high. Abdulmutallab was badly burned in a plane full of witnesses. The government says he told FBI agents he was working for al-Qaida and directed by Anwar alAlwaki, a radical, American-born Muslim cleric recently killed by the U.S. in Yemen. There are photos of his scorched shorts as well as video of Abdulmutallab explaining his suicide mission before departing for the US. Chambers, 50, came to the case a year ago after Abdulmutallab fired a four-member team from the Detroit Federal Defender Office and said he would represent himself. —AP

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

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Humanists, atheists drive for wider global impact GENEVA: When Switzerland goes to the polls to elect a new parliament later this month, voters in Zurich will for the first time in the country’s history have the chance to cast their ballot for a slate of Freethinkers.

“We decided we had to stand up and tell our politicians that it’s time they recognised that there are a lot of non-religious people in their electorate,” says 42-yearold Andreas Kyriacou, who heads the list. “We, and probably a lot of Swiss people who have never thought about humanism or atheism, are tired of the influence the churches and religion still exert in this country,” he said in an interview with Reuters.

Kyriacou, a management consultant, was speaking at a “Denkfest”, or “Think Festival,” that the Swiss Freethinkers Association held in Zurich last month, attracting scientists, philosophers and even comedians from around the world. The Swiss Freethinkers-a term that covers atheists, agnostics, secularists, rationalists, sceptics and just plain critics of religion-argue that the country’s political parties and leaders run scared of religious voters.

“There is a group for Bible study in our parliament, but no cross-party humanist group, though we know many of the deputies are non-believers,” he says. “On right and left, they prefer to keep their heads down.”

And Kyriacou points to the failure of politicians to take a stand on social issues like assisted suicide and abortion, where the Catholic church in particular has strong views, and on the powerful place of religion in education in parts of the country.

His stance-as measured by comments at other conferences around Europe over the summer-reflects growing determination among humanists and atheists on all five continents to make themselves more visible and their influence felt. At the World Humanist Congress in Oslo in August, delegates from India, Uganda, Nigeria, Argentina and Brazil-all countries where belief in a supreme deity or deities has a strong hold-reported mounting interest in their philosophy.

Like their counterparts in Europe and North America, they argue that morality is based in human nature and does not need a father-figure god to back it

up with punishment in an afterlife, in which they do not believe. “There are more godless groups in the world than ever before,” Sonja Eggerickx, a Belgian schools inspector who is president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, told the Congress.

US delegates, including a serving army major who has just established an organisation for atheists in the military, spoke of a surge of rejection of religion in all its forms among young Americans-a point some recent opinion surveys back up. In Manchester in May, British Humanists-one of the world’s oldest groupings-were told of a sharp rise in humanist birth, marriage and death ceremonies, and strong growth in their association’s four-year-old student wing.

In Ireland, a country where the influence of the Catholic Church was for decades dominant in all areas of life including politics and government decision-making, an optimistic national humanist association met in Carlingford in late August.

With the latest census showing that atheists, agnostics and humanists are the largest group in the country

after Catholics, association president Brian Whiteside said numbers were growing fast in the wake of the “pedophile priests” scandal.

In Nigeria, where the openly non-religious face Christian preacher-inspired public opprobrium as “immoral reprobates” or “Satanists” and in the Islamic north are treated as apostates, the humanist movement held its Congress in Abuja in September.

Its founder and chairman Leo Igwe, once a seminarist who set up the group 15 years ago and has helped form groups in Uganda and Malawi , called on delegates to work for “a new age of Reason and Enlightenment” across Africa. He has been campaigning hard against the persecution and often killing of socalled “child witches”-children perceived, often with the encouragement of Christian preachers, to be possessed by the devil. African humanists are also vocal-often, like Igwe, to their personal cost-in defence of gays and lesbians who are denounced as criminals by governments and religious leaders and demonised in the popular media. — Reuters

British, US forces free hijacked ship Piracy costs world economy billions of dollars

KRAKOW: Anna Grodzka, who became a woman after a sex change operation, is shown campaigning ahead of Poland’s elections in Krakow, Poland, in this Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 photo. Thanks to the third-place finish of her party, the new left-wing group Palikot’s Movement, Grodzka has won a seat in Poland’s new parliament, a sign of changing times in this traditionally conservative and mainly Catholic country. — AP

Polish PM rules out radical reforms after poll win WARSAW: Poland’s new government will avoid “costly” reforms at a time of global crisis, Prime Minister Donald Tusk was quoted as saying yesterday, in comments that may disappoint investors two days after his Civic Platform (PO) party won an election.

Tusk’s centre-right PO won 39 percent of the vote, becoming the first party to win a second consecutive term since Poland overthrew communism in 1989. Its main rival, the conservative-nationalist Law and Justice (PiS), won 30 percent. Tusk is now in talks with his current junior coalition partner, the Peasants’ Party (PSL), on renewing their alliance.

Together they would have 235 seats in the 460-member lower chamber or Sejm, according to final results published yesterday.

“It is not true that during the crisis, one of an unknown magnitude and effects, we can afford to undertake too costly reforms that only bear fruit in the distant future,” he told the Polityka weekly according to published interview excerpts. “When a storm is coming, we need to seek solutions that would safeguard our boat from strong turbulence. This is our most important goal,” he said.

Rating agencies have warned Poland it could face a downgrade if it fails to cut its public debt and budget deficit, which Warsaw expects to hit 53.8 percent and 5.6 percent of gross domestic product respectively this year. Tusk and Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski have repeatedly ruled out any far-reaching “big bang” of reforms after the election.

Economists say Poland must

overhaul its costly welfare system, eliminate pension privileges for some occupational groups, cut red tape for business and raise the retirement age.

In his interview, Tusk signalled that key ministers such as Rostowski and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski were likely to keep their jobs in the new government. Tusk, 54, a pragmatic liberal conservative from near Gdansk on the Baltic coast, also said he wanted to avoid changing any ministers until the end of Poland’s six-month presidency of the European Union on Dec. 31.

“On the eve of the new year, I will propose a big reconstruction of the government with (PSL leader) Deputy Prime Minister Pawlak,” he said. Liberal economists accuse Pawlak’s rural-based PSL of blocking some reforms during the coalition’s last four years.

But Tusk says their cautious approach to economic reform helped Poland to weather the 200809 global financial crisis without slipping into recession unlike all other EU members. Tusk said he may also seek support from the third biggest party in the new parliament, the ultra-liberal Palikot’s Movement, on some issues such as deregulation of the economy.

The party’s founder, Janusz Palikot, is a former PO lawmaker who wants to end the Catholic Church’s privileges and backs liberal social causes such as gay rights and abortion. Tusk’s arch-rival, PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said yesterday he would not resign over his party’s election defeat. — Reuters

PARIS: Former Socialist Party head Francois Hollande, center, campaigns at a street market, yesterday in Paris. Hollande came in first in round one of the party’s presidential primary last Sunday, with 39 percent of the vote. — AP

ROME: US and British forces stormed a hijacked Italian cargo ship in the Indian Ocean yesterday, freeing the 23-man crew and capturing all 11 Somali pirates, Italian officials said. The foreign ministry issued a statement welcoming the release which it said was carried out by forces from two naval vessels, one from the United States and one from Britain.

The Italian news agency Ansa said they were special forces.

The foreign ministry said the crew of the 55,675 bulk carrier Montecristo had taken refugee inside an armoured shelter on the ship when it was hijacked on Monday and had continued to control its movements, bringing it closer to an area where anti-piracy forces were patrolling.

The move into an armoured shelter appeared part of new measures agreed by seafaring nations to combat Somali piracy, which costs the world economy billions of dollars each year. The ship’s owners said the crew, from Italy, India and Ukraine had trained in anti-piracy drills.

Somali pirates, operating on small inflatables, normally use rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles, with no heavier armaments that would penetrate armour plating. The foreign ministry said the US and Britain had operated under the orders of Italian Admiral Gualtiero Mattesi, commander of the NATO Ocean Shield anti-piracy task force.

Earlier, Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said Italy would shortly deploy a special naval force on merchant vessels to protect them from Somali gunmen in an escalation of international efforts to combat the scourge of piracy.

Many ships already carry private security contractors to counter piracy, but deployment of military forces is a significant boost in measures that had

previously been hampered by disputes over the legality of using lethal force. La Russa said the new force of naval soldiers would be divided into 10 groups of six to protect vessels using the busy but highly vulnerable waterways in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden. It would be based in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

Somali pirates operate hundreds of miles off the coast in vast tracts of ocean by using mother ships from which small

forces was passed in parliament at the beginning of September. The defence ministry signed a protocol yesterday with Italian shipowners on deployment of the force, for which the owners will pay the costs. “The operating area of Somali pirates is a zone through which passes a third of the West’s oil and 20 percent of other cargo, it is a zone of primary economic importance,” said shipowners federation president Paolo d’Amico.

Undated photo of the Montecristo Italian cargo ship that was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, Monday. An Italian Defence ministry spokesman said the ship had been freed yesterday by British forces. — AP

boats are launched. The latest Italian vessel to be hijacked, the Montecristo, was attacked 620 miles off the Horn of Africa coast on Monday morning, its owners said. The commander of the Italian navy, Admiral Bruno Branciforte, told reporters in a joint news conference with La Russa that the new naval force would be deployed quickly, after its rules of engagement had been defined.

A decree law allowing the use of private security contractors and military

New arson attack on Berlin train tracks foiled BERLIN: An attempted arson attack on a railway link in Germany’s capital with three separate explosives devices was thwarted yesterday, police said. It was the third in two days targeting railway operations in and around Germany’s capital.

A railway employee found the explosive devices placed on cables along a railway track in eastern Berlin on Monday morning and alerted security, police spokesman Ivo Habedank said. The devices did not explode and were defused by police experts. It was not immediately clear how much damage they would have caused, but there are no houses or busy streets nearby, Habedank said. Parts of Berlin’s train services to and from the city’s southeast were halted for more than two hours due to the incident, he added.

An arson attempt Monday on Berlin’s central station using seven bottles filled with flammable liquid bundled together and linked to a fuse was thwarted at the last minute. A similar device exploded in a utility shaft next to a high-speed train line west of Berlin a few hours earlier, causing damage but no casualties, and halting train traffic there for the day.

It was still unclear whether the attacks were related, Habedank said. A previously unknown leftist group claimed responsibility for Monday’s attacks in a letter whose authenticity was being examined by police. In a message posted on a leftist website, a group calling itself Hekla Reception Committee - Initiative for more Eruptions in Society claimed responsibility, saying it was targeting railway operations to protest Germany’s roles in the Afghanistan war and as an arms exporter. The group’s name is an apparent reference to Iceland’s Hekla volcano.

Berlin has seen several recent arson attacks that police have blamed on leftist extremists. One of them in May targeted a utility shaft at an important railway hub in the city’s east, causing massive disruption that left thousands of passengers stranded. Germany is a large contributor to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, with about 5,000 soldiers stationed in the north of the country. — AP

Somali pirates, operating from the shores of the lawless state in the Horn of Africa, have raked in millions of dollars a year in ransoms from scores of hijacked ships from around the world, including oil super tankers. The Italian move was welcomed by Peter Hinchliffe, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) which represents more than 80 per cent of the world’s merchant fleet.

“We do indeed want more govern-

ments to deploy armed military guards on merchant ships whilst they are transiting the high risk piracy area,” he said.

“The Italian move is an example to other governments of the need to take this issue very seriously indeed. This year alone 400 seafarers have been held hostage by Somali pirates, and 15 have lost their lives.”

Some 24 Italian ships have been hijacked this year in the area compared to 31 last year but the high season for piracy is about to begin after the end of the monsoon. Last month the shipping industry called on the United Nations to create an armed military force to be deployed on vessels to counter the escalating menace from armed seaborne gangs.

While there has been a growing acceptance of using armed security guards, sovereign military forces are preferred by the shipping industry because they have clearer rules of engagement and the reduced risk of legal issues in the event of fatalities. Negotiations often take many months before hijacked ships and crews are released for ransom.

The Socotra 1, a Yemeni-owned ship, was seized on Christmas Day 2009 and is still being held.

The Montecristo left Liverpool on Sept. 20 heading for Vietnam, and passed through the Suez canal at the beginning of October. It was escorted by a Japanese warship-part of an international anti-piracy force in the area-as it crossed the Gulf of Aden. While naval patrols, including vessels from the European Union, the United States and other nations such as South Korea, Iran and Turkey, have curbed the number of attacks in the Gulf of Aden, piracy in the Indian Ocean has continued to rise due to the vast tracts of water involved, which represent a huge logistical challenge for foreign navies. — Reuters

Nobel winner seeks re-election in Liberia MONROVIA: Liberians lined up outside polling stations yesterday to vote as incumbent president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf sought a second term only days after jointly winning the Nobel Peace Prize. United Nations peacekeepers and police deployed in numbers around polling stations in the capital Monrovia and elsewhere as hundreds queued up under light rain to vote in presidential, senatorial and legislative elections.

Around 1.8 million people are eligible to vote in only the second election since the end of a 14-year civil war and seen as a litmus test of the west African nation’s fragile democracy. “All the voting places have been opened at eight o’clock, there are no reports of delays yet and no reports of incidents but the day is still long so we are waiting to hear from our stations in other parts of the country,” National Elections Commission spokesman Bobby Livingstone said.

John Plato, 60, was the first person to vote at the GW Gilbson High School in Monrovia, after waiting for four hours at the head of a line that stretched to 800 people.

“I feel very happy having cast my ballot. These elections are crucial in the eyes of Liberians and the international community and so it was important for me to vote to be

part of the history-making process of the country.” The vote is the first since Sirleaf became Africa’s first woman president in 2005, shortly after the country emerged from a savage war which left some 250,000 people dead.

She faced a stiff challenge from main opposition candidate Winston Tubman, 70, who has crowd-pleasing football star George Weah as his running mate. Eva Anderson, a 19-year-old student, voted for the first time after waiting in line since 4:00 am. “I feel magnificent to have demonstrated my patriotism to Mama Liberia ... as I leave here I am leaving with a clear concience of mind that I voted for social, economic and political transformation for Liberia.” Eight years after the end of a war fought by numerous rebel factions, some of whom armed drugged-up child soldiers, the country is rebuilding slowly. Sirleaf’s government has brought electricity and running water to some parts of the capital, and rebuilt roads. However, most of the country is still extremely poor and has no access to even the most basic services. Opposition parties say much of the population of four million has not seen change in their lives, while Sirleaf was out charming investors and getting creditors to write off billions of dollars in debt. —AFP

MONROVIA: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf casts her vote yesterday at her village an hour outside Monrovia. Liberians lined up in the pouring rain outside polling stations yesterday to vote as incumbent president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf sought a second term only days after jointly winning the Nobel Peace Prize. — AFP

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

China assails Dalai Lama over self-immolations BEIJING: China criticised the Dalai Lama yesterday for not denouncing a string of self-immolations by monks protesting for religious freedom in Tibetan parts of China, calling his stance a violation of Buddhist principles.

Seven young men in ethnically Tibetan parts of China’s southwestern Sichuan province have set themselves on fire since March in opposition to religious controls by Beijing, which labels their exiled spiritual leader a violent separatist. “After the incidents the Dalai Lama clique did not condemn this extreme behavior, and actually openly embellished and played it up, and even asked all kinds of people to follow the example,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters at a regular briefing.

“We believe adopting such means that harm monks to pursue separatist aims is masked violent terrorist behavior that violates moral norms and Buddhist doctrine, including Tibetan Buddhist teachings,” Liu said. The latest young men to set themselves on fire were Choepel, 19, and Khayang, 18, former Buddhist monks at the Kirti monastery in Sichuan’s Aba prefecture, the London-based advocacy group Free Tibet said on Friday, citing sources in the area.

Earlier last week, a Tibetan monk set himself alight in a market near the monastery in the province, which is next to what China calls the Tibet Autonomous Region. China in August jailed three monks for their involvement in the March self-immolation by another monk named

Phuntsog, which spurred a crackdown and the month-long detention of about 300 Tibetan monks.

At least three of the seven monks who set themselves on fire are believed to have died.

Monks from the Kirti monastery also participated in protests that hit Tibetan areas of China in March 2008, after demonstrations in Lhasa, the regional capital of Tibet, were suppressed and gave way to deadly violence aimed at nonTibetans.

Liu said religious activities in China’s Tibetan autonomous regions are being “conducted normally”, and reiterated China’s policy of managing religious activities “according to law to maintain normal social and religious order”. China has

ruled Tibet with an iron fist since Communist troops marched in in 1950. It says that rule has bought much needed development to a poor and backward region.

Beijing and the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama, who says he wants autonomy and not independence for Tibet, have argued lately about what should happen when he dies. Beijing says he has to reincarnate, but the Dalai Lama has questioned whether this tradition should continue.

Tibetans fear that China will use the thorny issue of the Dalai Lama’s religious succession to split the movement, with one new Lama named by exiles and one by China after his death. The Dalai Lama lives in exile in India. — Reuters

Myanmar gives amnesty to over 6,300 prisoners ‘Freeing detainees can help build a new nation’

BEIJING: Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, left, meets China’s Premier Wen Jiabao during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China yesterday. — AP

Putin in Beijing seeking closer ties BEIJING: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Chinese leaders opened two days of meetings yesterday aimed at boosting relations amid strains over declining military sales and stalled talks over energy deals.

Putin said after meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao that political relations between the countries were good, but hinted that tough negotiations over a massive natural gas deal still had a distance to go. “Those who sell always want to sell at a higher price, while those who buy want to buy at a lower price. We need to reach a compromise which will satisfy both sides,” Putin told reporters.

He is to meet President Hu Jintao today.

Besides a struggle to increase trade and agree on sales of Russian gas to fuel China’s booming economy, Moscow is also unhappy with China’s copying of Russian fighter jets and other military hardware and recently announced the arrest of a Chinese man accused of seeking to buy military secrets.

Putin’s two-day visit follows his recent announcement that he plans to swap jobs next year with President Dmitry Medvedev, returning him to the top position he held for eight years. Many observers say that transition could see Russia turn eastward after years of warming ties with the West under Medvedev.

One area of cooperation in which China and Russia appear closer is international policy. Last week, both vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Syria for its brutal crackdown on pro-reform protesters that has killed nearly 3,000 people since March. The vetoes drew heavy criticism from US Secretar y of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Russia and China are also seen as key to how the Group of 20 responds to renewed fears the global economy is headed toward a new recession.

Bilaterally, the two have worked to overcome mutual distrust from the Cold War and have increased two-way trade volume to $35.9 billion in the first half of the year, up 39.6 percent from the same period last year, according to official Chinese figures.

Efforts to finalize the natural gas deal

have stalled mainly because of pricing disagreements. Russia is eager to link gas prices to oil prices as it does in Europe, but China says that is too expensive. Wen told reporters China wanted to push ahead a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Russia that would safeguard world stability and development.

Russian and Chinese officials say deals worth $7 billion are to be signed during the visit in fields ranging from mining to biotechnology and space exploration.

The sides are looking for even more cross-border investment, and on the eve of Putin’s visit, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan called for more financial cooperation and accelerated construction of cross-border highways, railways, bridges, power grids, telecommunications links, and oil and gas pipelines.

But hanging over the visit is last week’s announcement in Moscow that Russia’s intelligence service had detained an alleged Chinese spy who tried to obtain designs of an advanced missile system as part of Beijing’s efforts to update its weaponry. The Chinese national, who worked as an interpreter for visiting Chinese officials, attempted to buy documentation for the S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile system, the Federal Security Service said. He faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

The truck-mounted S-300 is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of more than 90 miles (144 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters).

In recent years, Russia banned the sale of the S-300 systems to Iran and Syria following international pressure. China has bought an export version of the system considered less capable than that used

by Russia’s armed forces. Friction has also arisen from China’s copying of Russian military hardware, especially the Su 27 jet fighter and its aircraft carrier variant, the Su-33.

Such copying has contributed to a virtual collapse in Chinese arms sales from Russia, further exacerbating the trade imbalance between the sides and fueling a growing competition for export markets among developing nations. — AP

Pakistan’s governor escapes missile attack KALAYA: Militants fired two missiles at a rally led by the governor of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province yesterday, killing one person and wounding four, but the governor was not hurt, security officials said.

Governor Masood Kasur was to address ethnic Pashtun tribal leaders when the rally was attacked in Kalaya, a town in the Orakzai region, the officials said. “The governor was receiving a briefing before the start of the function when the rockets struck. He is safe,” senior government official Fazal Qadir told Reuters.

“One rocket fell near the helipad while the other landed inside the ground where the rally was being held.” Orakzai is one of the seven agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in the northwest. All but Orakzai shares a border with Afghanistan. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack but Pakistani Taleban, who have been fighting to topple the US-backed government for years,

operate in the area. The army has launched a series of offensives over recent years which it says have weakened the Taliban, although analysts question the effectiveness because the militants tend to melt away and set up strongholds elsewhere. The militants have stepped up attacks since the death of their ally, Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, in a secret US raid in a Pakistani town in May. They have vowed to avenge bin Laden’s death.

The United States sees Pakistan as a key, if difficult, ally essential to its attempts to root out militant forces in Afghanistan.

Pakistan is often accused of playing a double game, battling its home-grown militants while using others as proxies in Afghanistan to limit the influence of old rival India, despite vows to help the United States. US President Barack Obama said last week the United States would not be comfortable in a long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan if it felt that Pakistan was not mindful of US. —Reuters

YANGON: Myanmar announced yesterday a mass prisoner amnesty, raising hope for the imminent release of hundreds of political detainees in what would be a major sign of change in the authoritarian state. The fate of the country’s estimated 2,000 political prisoners, who include pro-democracy campaigners, journalists, monks and lawyers, has long been a top demand of Western nations that have imposed sanctions on Myanmar.

More than 6,300 elderly, sick, disabled or well-behaved prisoners will be pardoned from today “on humanitarian grounds”, state television announced, without saying whether political prisoners would be among them. It said freeing detainees would allow them “to become nationals who can help to build a new nation”.

“I cried when I heard the announcement.

I’m now praying for the release not only of my brother but everyone,” Ma Nyein, the sister-inlaw of comedian Zarganar, one of Myanmar’s best known political detainees, told AFP. The news came just hours after a governmentappointed human rights panel called for a pardon for what it described as the country’s “prisoners of conscience”, in a rare official acknowledgement of their existence.

On Monday a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that political prisoners were expected to be freed within days. Many were sentenced to decades in prison and have endured “torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” according to Amnesty International.

Their release would be arguably the clearest sign yet of change under a new leadership that has reached out to critics including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was freed last November after seven straight years of detention. A spokesman for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), Nyan Win, welcomed the amnesty but said the party had not been informed if any of its members would be included.

“We want to know how many political prisoners will be among them,” he said. President Thein Sein, a former general and senior junta figure, has surprised critics by signalling a

series of political reforms since taking power following a controversial election last November. He has been applauded by international observers for holding direct talks with Suu Kyi, who spent most of the past two decades locked up by the junta.

A top US official, Kurt Campbell, on Monday hailed “dramatic developments” in Myanmar, including what he described as “very consequential dialogue” between the Nobel Peace Prize winner and the leadership.

INSEIN: In this photo taken Tuesday, May, 17, 2011, Myanmar prisoners walk out of Insein Prison after they were granted amnesty from the government. Myanmar announced yesterday, it was releasing 6,300 prisoners in a widely expected amnesty by the newly elected government, but it was not clear how many of them were political detainees. — AP He hinted that concrete moves towards democracy by Myanmar could lead to an easing of sanctions. “We will match their steps with comparable steps,” he said. The new regime, which came to power after controversial elections held a few days before Suu Kyi’s release, appears keen to improve its image and in August held the first talks between her

Indian opposition leader on anti-graft road trip NEW DELHI: India’s 84-year-old opposition leader L.K. Advani set off on a five-week road trip across the country yesterday in a protest he said would put pressure on the government to tackle corruption.

The leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who began his 7,600-kilometre (4,700-mile) journey in the impoverished state of Bihar, plans to cover 27 of India’s 35 states and federal territories over 38 days.

Advani, who is travelling on a converted bus with an electronic power lift from which he gives speeches, has been coy over whether he still has ambitions to be prime minister. His party performed poorly in 2009 general elections, but he hopes for a BJP revival at state elections next year due to a weak Congress-led government that has been hit by a series of major corruption scandals.

“There is anarchy in the country

and Thein Sein.

Suu Kyi, whose party won 1990 elections but was never allowed to take power, has said she believes Thein Sein genuinely wants to make reforms, but cautioned it was too soon to say whether he would succeed. The NLD boycotted last year’s ballot, largely because of rules that would have forced it to expel imprisoned members. As a result it was delisted as a political party by the regime.

The government released about 20,000

today because of rampant corruption,” Advani said as he started his journey in Sitabdiara, the birthplace of Indian socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan.

“I want to awaken the consciousness of the common man through my campaign. The only agenda I have is to fight corruption,” he said. Corruption has become a hot issue in Indian politics, with huge nationwide anti-graft protests in August triggered by activist Anna Hazare’s hunger strike in New Delhi.

But Advani’s ability to tap into a similar vein of public support is uncertain, and the beginning of his journey attracted only limited media attention.

Advani shot to fame in 1991 by undertaking a road trip through northern India to promote the building of a Hindu temple on the site of a mosque.

The mosque was demolished by Hindu fanatics the next year, sparking deadly riots. Advani has always denied encouraging the demolition. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani addresses a press conference prior his all India anti-corruption yatra in New Delhi. — AFP

inmates under an earlier amnesty decreed in May, but the vast majority were common criminals, in a move that rights groups criticised as woefully insufficient. According to the pressure group ALTSEAN-Burma, in the past political detainees have typically accounted for less than one percent of the prisoners freed by the regime during mass amnesties. — AFP

Thailand races to defend Bangkok from worst floods PATHUM THANI: Thailand raced yesterday to build floodwalls on the outskirts of Bangkok to prevent the worst floods in half a century from inundating parts of the capital later this week when water flowing from the north reaches the low-lying city.

At least 269 people have been killed by heavy monsoon rains, floods and mudslides that have battered 27 of Thailand’s 77 provinces since late July, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Much of Thailand’s north, northeast and central plains are flooded, affecting 2.3 million people. Bangkok-only two metres (6.5 ft) above sea level-could be next if water overflowing from reservoirs in the north arrives at the same time as high estuary tides are due from Oct. 13.

Rescue workers hastily built a floodwall in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok, where strong currents burst a river embankment overnight, flooding homes in water at least two metres high. “I’ve never seen floods as bad as this year. The first floor of my house is all flooded and it’s coming up to the second floor,” said Wanpen Suanmakam, 62, a resident in Pathum Thani, a province intersected by canals that feed its rice paddies.

Another resident, Sukanna Saeieaw, 60, almost up to her neck in water, said a makeshift walkway briefly helped people avoid water when the road was flooded but it was quickly washed away. “The water came in very fast,” she said.

Lerpong Kaewsrichan, Pathum Thani deputy governor, said the water had mostly submerged farmland but two industrial estates in the area had been spared for now. “We’re trying our best to protect our economic zones,” he said.

About 2,000 people were packed into a Pathum Thani evacuation centre, most from the neighbouring province of Ayutthaya, one of the worst affected. Nearly 198 factories in a sprawling industrial estate there, including an assembly plant of Honda Motor Co Ltd , have closed after floodwater breached a wall of sandbags at the weekend. Nikon Corp said it has halted a digital SLR camera production site due to flooding.

Toyota Motor said it halted operations at all three Thai factories. Thailand is a major production centre for many of the world’s biggest car manufacturers. Their assembly plants are mostly in eastern Rayong province, which has not been badly hit, but there is bound to be disruption because car part makers elsewhere have been affected. About 3.4 million acres (1.38 million hectares) of farm land nationwide is under water-about 13 times the size of Hong Kong-and more then 700,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. — Reuters

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NEWS

Tymoshenko verdict will hit Ukraine ties, warns EU BRUSSELS: The EU warned Ukraine yesterday that a verdict against ex-premier Yulia Tymoshenko risked having “profound implications” in its bid to seal an accord with the bloc as Kiev came under fire for the trial.

“The EU is deeply disappointed with the verdict,” EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement. “ The EU will reflect on its policies towards Ukraine.”

As rights groups slammed the seven-year sentence against the opposition leader as a politically-motivated verdict delivered by a biased court, Ashton called for impartiality in a pending appeal.

Ukraine must “ensure a fair, transparent and impartial process in any appeal in the case of Ms Tymoshenko and in the other trials related to members of the former government.”

In Washington key US senators called the ruling “an alarming new low”. “The Ukrainian government under President (Viktor) Yanukovych has reached an alarming new low in the deterioration of democracy and rule of law,” said a joint statement by senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman. The United States and Europe must “make clear” to Ukraine it will not be embraced by the West “so long as it violates the values of freedom, political pluralism, and the rule of law”.

Ukraine’s neighbor and current EU president Poland, which supports Kiev ’s European aspirations said “Ukraine’s image as a country that is undertaking a fundamental pro-European transformation has been tarnished”. “Further proceedings will demonstrate whether or not Ukraine is moving towards or drifting away from the European integration-the goal its leaders declared to pursue and Ukrainian society keenly supports,” the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Amnesty International said the conduct of the threemonth abuse of power trial “casts doubts over the independence of the judiciary” and dubbed the prosecution of the Orange Revolution leader as “politically motivated”. “In a democracy, judgment about political decisions should be left to the parliament and to voters, not to courts,” said Council of Europe secretary general Thorbjoern Jagland.

In her statement, Ashton warned Ukraine that the handling of upcoming cases or any breach of the rule of law “risks having profound implications for the EUUkraine bilateral relationship, including for the conclusion of the association agreement.”

Ukraine has been negotiating an association accord with the 27-nation bloc it hoped would be signed off in December. —AFP

US busts Iran-tied terror plot in DC Continued from Page 1 The stunning allegations come against a backdrop of longstanding tensions between Iran and the United States and Saudi Arabia. In the last year, Saudi Arabia has attempted to build an anti-Iran alliance to push back against perceived aggression by Iran in the region.

The State Department has listed Iran as a “state sponsor” of terror since 1984. Officials in Argentina have said Iran was behind an attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992.

The new case, called Operation Red Coalition, began in May when an Iranian-American from Corpus Christi, Texas, approached a DEA informant seeking the help of a Mexican drug cartel to assassinate the Saudi ambassador, according to counter-terrorism officials.

The Iranian-American thought he was dealing with a member of the feared Zetas Mexican drug organization, according to agents.

The DEA office in Houston brought in FBI agents as the international terror implications of the case became apparent. The Iranian-American, identified by federal officials as Manssor Arbabsiar, 56, reportedly claimed he was being “directed by high-ranking members of the Iranian government,” including a cousin who was “a member of the Iranian army but did not wear a uniform,” according to a person briefed on the details of the case. Counter-terrorism officials said they believe the cousin may be part of the special operations unit of the Revolutionary Guard, the Quds force.

Arbabsiar and a second man, Gohlam Shakuri, an Iranian official, were named in a five-count criminal complaint filed yesterday afternoon in federal court in New York. They were charged with conspiracy to kill a

foreign official and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, a bomb, among other counts. Shakuri is still at large in Iran, Holder said.

The complaint also refers to another Iranian official but does not name him. US officials said Arbabsiar met twice in July with the DEA informant in the northern Mexico city of Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, Texas, and negotiated a $1.5 million payment for the assassination of the Saudi ambassador. As a down payment, officials said Arbabsiar wired two payments of $49,960 on Aug. 1 and Aug. 9 to an FBI undercover bank account after he had returned to Iran. Federal agents said the DEA and the FBI recorded a number of meetings and phone calls between the informant and Arbabsiar, some of them from Iran.

Officials said Arbabsiar flew from Iran through Frankfurt, Germany, to Mexico City Sept. 29 for a final planning session, but was refused entry to Mexico and put on a plane to New York, where he was arrested.

Arbabsiar, a naturalized US citizen, expressed “utter disregard for collateral damage” in the planned bomb attacks in Washington, according to officials.

He also reportedly told the undercover DEA informant that his contacts in the Iranian government could provide “tons of opium” for the Mexican cartels, according to officials who have reviewed the case file. Officials said Arbabsiar is now cooperating with prosecutors and federal agents in New York, where the case has been transferred.

“Though it reads like the pages of a Hollywood script, the impact would’ve been very real and many lives would’ve been lost,” Mueller said of the foiled plot. A spokesperson at the Saudi embassy in Washington, DC, said she was unaware of the alleged plot. — Agencies

Anti-Gaddafi fighters seize Sirte police HQ Continued from Page 1 snipers were lying in wait inside and on top of the many tall buildings. They then converged on the nearby police headquarters, expecting a battle but found it empty. Early afternoon, fighting erupted southwest of the central square, a vast esplanade that dominates the city, an AFP reporter said.

Fighters who had taken over the police headquarters regrouped and were seen heading in that direction. On Sunday, NTC troops captured Sirte’s showpiece conference centre, as well as its university campus and main hospital, AFP correspondents said.

The NTC fighters had besieged Sirte from September 15 before launching on Friday what they termed a “final assault” that has seen at least 70 of their number killed and hundreds wounded, according to medics.

Wissam bin Ahmid, commander of NTC forces on Sirte’s eastern front, said early yesterday his fighters were close to overrunning the entire city but still feared for the safety of many civilians too scared to flee the fighting. “There remains still two square kilometres (0.8 square mile) to take to free the city completely,” Ahmid told AFP. “There are still some snipers. But our main worry are the families still in the city who are too afraid to leave their houses as the snipers are using them as firing posts,” he said.

In Bani Walid, a desert oasis 170 kilometres (105 miles) southeast of Tripoli, the military said NTC fighters withdrew from forward positions in a “tactical pull back” after intense fighting on Sunday. “We lost 17 fighters in fierce clashes on Sunday and our forces have withdrawn from the airport where they had taken control,” said Salem Gheith, head of the NTC military command cen-

tre in the capital. “We’ve received reinforcements from Tripoli and the Nafusa mountains, and we will resume the offensive,” he said. Regional NTC commander Yunes Mussa announced the airport’s capture on Sunday, before the fightback by pro-Kadhafi forces.

Civilians fearing more clashes were fleeing Bani Walid on Tuesday, an AFP reporter on the edge of town said. According to fighters stationed at Shumayh checkpoint near the oasis, between 20 and 25 civilian vehicles had passed through by mid-morning. “We hear that there will be fighting. In the town, there is no doctor, no water, no electricity,” said a man in a white Mitsubishi that also carried four veiled women. He said there were “more than 20,000” civilians still holed up in Bani Walid. “There are mercenaries and militia in the streets,” said the man, who was taking his family to Nasmah, west of town, where there is a camp for those displaced by the fighting. A van loaded with mattresses and a pickup truck carrying sheep sat behind him in line. NTC fighters distributed fruit juice and sweets to the families fleeing the town. NATO said its warplanes struck three armed vehicles in Bani Walid on Sunday, and three stores containing ammunition and/or vehicles on Monday. Its secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said the alliance was close to terminating its mission in Libya. “We are pretty close to the very end of this operation,” Rasmussen said in Bucharest. Despite the NTC’s advances in Sirte, he said NATO “had no knowledge of the colonel’s whereabouts,” adding that Kadhafi “is not a target of our operation.”

NTC commanders believe one of Gaddafi’s sons, Mutassim, is in Sirte and that another, Seif Al-Islam, once seen as the former strongman’s successor, is hiding in Bani Walid, possibly with his father. — AFP

Asians hail Amir’s summit initiative Continued from Page 1 Asian nations,” he said. Addressing the conference at the opening ceremony on Monday, HH the Amir invited Asian nations for a summit meeting in Kuwait in 2012.

“We welcome the initiative of HH the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for hosting the first Asian summit in the State of Kuwait in 2012,” said the ministers in the Kuwait Declaration they issued at the end of the meeting.

Sheikh Mohammad also said that discussions will continue on a Kuwaiti proposal to activate the ACD by developing it into an organization or body with implementation mechanisms.

Kuwait Declaration included a large number of issues and called for boosting cooperation between member states which include powers like China, Japan, India and South Korea, in addition to major oil producers Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar, as well as Russia and Iran. “We have affirmed that exchanging expertise and holding various meetings between specialists in the member states have contributed to increasing such expertise between them and enhancing the concept of Asian cooperation,” said the Declaration.

Kuwait, which holds the forum’s current presidency, proposed to transform the dialogue into “an ‘institutional body’ that would regulate these meetings,” the

Declaration said, referring to the proposal for the ACD to emerge as a structural organization.

The Declaration highlighted Asia’s vast wealth in manpower and huge geographic size, calling to utilize the potential of skilled youth.

“We emphasized that economic development was the key to the peace and prosperity in the region and beyond,” said the Declaration.

“One of the ACD’s goals is to support the Asian countries when exposed to any economic crisis or natural disaster” adding this “requires a high-level of coordination between member states for the provision of the necessary quick relief and support of the ill-fated countries either on human, financial or technological levels.”

The Declaration furthermore expressed satisfaction on the role assumed by regional organizations already in existence within the ACD, such as the Shanghai Initiative, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which will collectively aid the ACD’s cause and objectives. The Declaration called for promoting cultural interaction, with a view to making a more extensive, in-depth and enduring exchange of ideas, and for adopting environmental measures on the national, regional and international scales and the need to address climate change.

WASHINGTON: Demonstrators from the Backbone Campaign, part of the Stop the Machine occupation of Freedom Plaza, unfurl banners in front of the US Capitol October yesterday. — AFP

As civilians flee Bani Walid, NTC forces gear up for battle NEAR BANI WALID, Libya: In the space of a few hours yesterday, a road used by Libyan families fleeing impending fighting was packed with tanks, trucks and ambulances: the NTC forces are gearing up for battle.

The final checkpoint operated by National Transitional Council fighters, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the pro-Gaddafi bastion of Bani Walid, served as both a junction for those leaving the town, and for those looking to capture it. “We are preparing for the big battle tomorrow,” said Jamal Tomzini, clothed in jeans and a white T-shirt with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder, voicing his determination to take revenge for the NTC forces’ failed assault on the town over the weekend.

“We tried to make a breakthrough on Sunday, but it was very difficult,” he continued, raising his voice to avoid being drowned out by a nearby mosque’s call to

prayer. On Sunday, NTC fighters paid a heavy price for their failed assault: poor coordination between brigades from the west of Libya meant they had to abandon control of Bani Walid airport, with 17 killed and more than 80 wounded in clashes with loyalists of ousted strongman Muammar Gaddafi. Combat in Bani Walid has been put on hold since then, with the interval being used to try to unify the ranks.

But the military command says that on Wednesday, it will resume its efforts to take control of the town, 170 kilometres (105 miles) southeast of Tripoli and where they believe Seif al-Islam, Kadhafi’s most prominent son, is staying. With control of Gaddafi’s coastal hometown of Sirte on the verge of transferring to NTC forces, Bani Walid looks set to be the final bastion of the deposed regime. —AFP

BlackBerry outage hits 4 continents Continued from Page 1 a worse time for RIM, following some harsh criticism in recent months,” Informa Telecoms & Media analyst Malik Saadi said in a statement. “Some businesses may see this as a good reason to re-evaluate their reliance on centralised servers and instead look to investing in more corporately controlled servers. “Not only would this enable IT departments to minimize the risk of unforeseen collapses, but it could also give employees more flexibility to use their own devices.”

Network operators and users in EMEA tweeted that

email and BlackBerry Messenger services were not working from around 1100 GMT. Reuters correspondents also reported problems with email and instant messenger services.

Network operator T-Mobile said on its website that the problems were due to a European-wide outage on the Blackberry network. It said: “RIM has apologized for the interruption to services and said it’s working to restore normal operations.” Earlier, RIM said it had restored BlackBerry services in the region, some 20 hours after users in EMEA and India first reported problems with email and BlackBerry Messenger. — Reuters

Customs strike cripples oil exports, trade Continued from Page 1 intention of backing down, warning that no transport system, whether road, air or sea, would be unaffected by the strike action, which he said would continue until all the union’s demands were met. He also denied the claims by senior officials that sea ports had been opened or that air transport had been unaffected.

“It’s not true that any of the sea ports was opened to shipping, and reports to the contrary spread by some media are rumors,” insisted the union chief, adding, “Also air transport has been shut down except for perishable foodstuffs, medicines, diplomatic postal, or humanitarian items.”

Al-Enezi was dismissive of the government committee established to discuss the union’s demands, calling the body “illegal and shameful,” and asserting that customs workers are unafraid of any threats, and are fully aware of their responsibilities.

“The committee formed by the cabinet is illegal and shameful,” he stated. “Instead of issuing threats, the committee should have met with the employees to approve the basic demands and negotiate the rest. The only work of this committee is repression. They are threatening that personnel from the Ministry of Interior, National Guard and defense forces will replace us, which is impossible as they can’t do our jobs as we do technical work, not just checking items.”

Another senior official with the GAC workers’ union, Fahad Al-Azmi, was equally determined, telling AFP, “The strike is still on and we will continue until our demands are fully met.”

Azmi said that movement at Kuwait’s four border exit points with Saudi Arabia and Iraq, as well as at its three commercial seaports and its only international airport, were “severely affected” and only humanitarian cases were allowed. The union official also warned that “oil exports will be hit severely within the coming few days and could lead to a halt in production” if the strike is not resolved. He claimed that about six to seven oil tankers have been barred from sailing out of Kuwait since Monday because customs officers refused to give them the necessary clearance to leave.

Also speaking at yesterday’s press conference, GAC Director General Ibrahim Al-Ghanim, who earlier called on the employees to end their strike, a call they rejected, was perhaps over-optimistic that the outstanding issues of disagreement between the GAC management and the workers’ union would be resolved later on Tuesday evening. “In case the strikes carry on in the same way, a report will be submitted to finance minister Mustafa Al-Shamali, but I’m optimistic that they’ll end by tonight,” he said, adding, “All the oil, gas and petrochemical materials were exported completely.”

Al-Ghanim revealed that he had met with the Cabinet on Monday evening to discuss the strike action, the demands of the strikers the possible impact and the predicted losses which continuing strike action could result in, adding, “The Cabinet promised that it would study the demands of the striking workers within a maximum of three months.”

The GAC head insisted that the ports had resumed worker, with ten fully laden oil tankers leaving yesterday. On other departure points from Kuwait, he said, “The cargo hall at Kuwait International Airport was working at its usual capacity, while the airport departures hall worked with one main counter and four subsidiary ones for departing and arriving passengers.

Doha Port also resumed work fully by exporting and importing foodstuffs and fish, and welcoming passengers. Also, Shuwaikh Port opened Gate 5 and Gate D, and 200 vehicles were let through, whilst two ships entered and four left Shuwaikh Port.”

On the tailback of cargo vehicles that built up during the strike action by customs officials at the border checkpoints, Al-Ghanim indicated that negotiations are still underway between management and employees to review the work being carried out there. “There are around 220 trucks queued at the Sulaibiya border customs checkpoint, in addition to more than 700 trucks in total at the Abdally, Salmi and Nuwaiseeb border checkpoints,” he explained. “All the land borders have only one counter where officials carry out transactions for both departures and arrivals, and we hope they’ll be fully operational by the evening.”

Al-Ghanim voiced hope that the strike action would conclude quickly. “The cabinet has the right to protect the state interest,” he said. “On the other hand the demands are part of the employee’s rights, especially that these demands were not political or directed against any particular person. I believe in the Customs employees and their concern for the wellbeing of the country, and I hope they will suspend their strike until the cabinet committee formed to study the salary increase proposals completes its work.”

Opposition MPs meanwhile lent their support to the striking workers and warned the government against intimidating those who are demanding their rights.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak warned the interior minister against using the army or the national guard to replace the striking workers, with fellow MP Ali Al-Deqbasi also backing the strike action, which he asserted is justified.

At a press conference also held yesterday, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed al-Sabah described the situation as “dangerous” and said the strike must be confronted “firmly and decisively.”

The oil-rich desert state, OPEC’s third largest producer, depends almost entirely on imports to meet consumer needs, especially in the fresh produce sector.

National oil conglomerate the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said yesterday that oil exports were unaffected by the strike, reassuring clients of continued supplies. “Exports of oil and petroleum products from Kuwaiti ports to international markets are proceeding normally,” the head of KPC’s media division, Sheikh Talal Al-Sabah, said in a statement sent to AFP. Kuwait pumps around 2.9 million barrels per day which generate an income that makes up around 94 percent of public revenues. Al-Azmi, meanwhile, claimed that the finance minister issued a fresh appeal to the strikers on Monday night, but the workers again rejected his offer.

“We will not end our strike until the government issues a clear statement accepting our demands in full,” the union official warned. Kuwait has been hit by a series of strikes by workers in the public sector, which employs almost 80 percent of the 360,000-strong workforce of Kuwaiti nationals.

The country has about 1.7 million foreign workers, mostly employed by the private sector. The Gulf state, with 1.2 million Kuwaiti citizens, is tax-free and offers an enviable cradle-to-grave welfare system with public services, food and fuel offered either free or at heavily subsidized prices to all citizens.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

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Newsmaker

Ukraine’s iron lady behind bars x-prime minister Yulia Ty m o s h e n k o, sentenced to seven years in jail yesterday, has combined feminine charisma with hard-edged pragmatism for over a decade in the macho world of Ukrainian politics.

But the woman known in Ukraine as the “Iron Lady” after her heroine Margaret Thatcher, Yulia Tymoshenko or as just “Vona” (“She”), now must draw on all her reserves of steel after her conviction on charges of abusing her powers while in office.

“We will fight and defend my good name in the European court,” she said defiantly after being sentenced.

“We have to be strong and defend Ukraine from this authoritarianism.”

The charges relate to a deal for gas imports she signed with Russia in 2009 which prosecutors say exceeded her powers and caused an almost $200 million loss to the Ukrainian budget.

The court had placed her under arrest on August 5, and ever since she has been held in the Lukyanovsky detention centre in Kiev, a far cry from the halcyon days when she headed the government and rubbed shoulders with world leaders. But even as a prisoner, she has still somehow managed to show up at her court hearings dressed immaculately, with her trademark golden hair braid, as ever, intricately knotted on her head.

She has portrayed her trial as a “political lynching” led by the man who defeated her in the 2010 presidential elections but who she helped humiliate in the proWestern 2004 Orange Revolution, President Viktor Yanukovych. She likes to cast herself as a firmly proWestern politician and the savior of Ukraine’s European future, compared with Yanukovych’s more pro-Russian leanings. In public she now always speaks in Ukrainian.

But she has repeatedly shown a capacity to shed her political skin according to changes in the political landscape, leading critics to accuse her of being above all interested in clinging onto power.

She built up good relations in office with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the nemesis of the Orange Revolution, and in 2009 seriously contemplated a political alliance with Yanukovych who is now her arch-foe.

Her last stint in office did little to endear her to Ukrainians as she seemed to revel in a sometimes farcical falling out with then president Viktor Yushchenko as the economy lurched from one disaster to another.

After helping lead the pro-democracy Orange Revolution and serving as prime minister, she set her sights in 2010 on the top job of president but lost out in a bitterly personal contest to Yanukovych.

She stayed uncharacteristically silent for days after losing in the final round vote in February 2010, apparently already sensing that the consequences of her defeat would be more than just political.

Within months of losing the election, prosecutors opened a criminal investigation and her current trial was just one of three criminal probes looming over her.

“All authoritarian regimes are built on fear. It is very important to be able to cope with fear,” Tymoshenko told AFP in an interview earlier this year. “I am not a monster without emotion. I have fear like any other person. But you can master it.” Born in the industrial city of Dnipropetrovsk in central Ukraine, Tymoshenko won prominence and allegedly huge wealth in the chaotic 1990s as head of United Energy Systems of Ukraine, which imported Russian gas. One of her mentors from that era was former prime minister Pavlo Lazarenko, who helped her build up the business and is now jailed in the United States for embezzlement and money laundering.

Tymoshenko became a deputy prime minister under the presidency of Leonid Kuchma in 1999 but was fired in 2001 after falling out with him. In a dramatic sequence of events, she was then briefly imprisoned on charges of forgery and gas smuggling. The charges, which she says were politically motivated, were quashed in 2005 in mysterious circumstances. Her businessman husband Olexander, whom she married as a teenager, was implicated in the same scandal and spent a year in jail and then two more years hiding from the authorities.— AFP Both Olexander and their daughter Yevgenia-who in

E

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Focus

Princes, clerics guide Saudi reforms

By Angus McDowall n the world’s leading oil exporter, princes and clerics wrangle behind closed doors over cautious but critical changes aimed at reconciling Saudi Arabia’s conservative traditions with the needs of a modern economynot least the role of women.

Reforms, such as King Abdullah’s decision last month to grant women more political rights in future, often follow months or years of tough negotiations in which conservatives warn of a dangerous backlash against toorapid change. “The conservative old guard will resist any new move,” said Mohsen alAwaji, a cleric in Riyadh who wants more democracy.

“The conservatives have significant power, but this slow move from the government (of giving women more rights) does not match the requirements of the Saudi people.” The king pledged to include women in the unelected Shura Council, which advises on legislation, and to let them run and vote in future municipal elections, the only public voting now held in the country. The next such polls are due in 2015, while the Shura council membership is to be set in 2013.

At stake is the future of a Western security ally which sees itself as the leader of the world’s Sunni Muslims due to its status as home to Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina. Abdullah’s power in a wealthy kingdom with a youthful, increasingly outwardlooking population, stems from a centuriesold alliance between his extensive family and clerics of the austere Wahhabi school of Islam.

A week after the king said women would have more rights, the former judiciary head,

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Sheikh Saleh Al-Lohaidan, warned him not to tug too hard on “the thread between a leader and his people” in case it snaps. A hardline cleric, Muhammad Al-Habdan, had already written on Twitter that allowing women to join the consultative Shura Council was “haram”, or religiously forbidden, explicitly challenging the king and the clerical establishment. Another conservative warning shot was fired two days after the reform was announced, when a Jeddah judge sentenced a woman who had defied the Saudi ban on female drivers to 10 lashes.

Yet for the most part, the Wahhabi establishment kept its views on the king’s move private, offering neither public praise nor condemnation of a step it had previously opposed. “Princes would like the world to think that they have this powerful constituency that rejects reforms,” said Madawi AlRasheed, author of A History of Saudi Arabia and frequent critic of Saudi policies.

“But clerics are subservient to princes and serve them by showing they are backward and conservative, while the princes look progressive by comparison.”

OASIS ALLIANCE The alliance between princes and clerics dates to a mid-18th century pact between Mohammed ibn Saud, the ruler of a small oasis town near modern Riyadh, and a preacher called Sheikh Mohammed ibn Abd Al-Wahhab, who together built a desert emirate around a vision of pure Islamic belief and force of arms.

King Abdullah is Mohammed ibn Saud’s great-great-great-great-grandson, while the preacher’s descendents, known today as the

Aal Al-Sheikh family, include the Islamic affairs minister, the Grand Mufti and two previous justice ministers.

The fruits of the alliance, which to this day include frequent intermarriage between the Al-Saud and Aal Al-Sheikh clans, have brought religious legitimacy to the ruling family and wealth and status to the clergy.

Key to Wahhabi political doctrine is the importance of absolute obedience to a rulerin this case King Abdullah- unless he tries to make his subjects break Islamic sharia law.

Saudi oil exports of roughly 6.5 million barrels a day fund a lavish religious infrastructure, including huge universities that teach Wahhabi doctrine, Quranic study institutions, Wahhabi satellite channels, a morality police force and the construction of mosques and Islamic seminaries across the globe.

Moreover, clerics have a big say in Saudi education and they provide the judiciary for a country that has no written legal code, allowing judges to interpret Islamic law themselves.

“Whenever push has come to shove, when the fundamental survival of the regime is at stake, the religious establishment always supports the al-Saud,” said Bernard Haykel, professor of Near Eastern studies at Princeton University. “Pragmatism always trumps religious righteousness.”

STRONG TIES Analysts say that persuading clerics to accept a greater future political role for women, a notion described not long ago by the Grand Mufti himself as “opening the door to evil”, shows Abdullah is winning some battles. However, they also point out that with

Abdullah in his late 80s, attention is turning to his likely successor Prince Nayef. The veteran interior minister, 77, is reputed to be conservative by instinct and to enjoy a strong affinity with anti-reform clerics, but he might show a different side as king.

“King Abdullah has developed this reputation for being a reformer and Nayef developed this reputation as an arch conservative,” said Haykel. “They may both be playing a certain role. There’s an element of shadow puppetry going on.”

Adding to the complexity, the Wahhabi clergy contains some relative liberals while the al-Saud family counts entrenched conservatives among its hundreds of princes. The gravest challenges to Saudi rule have always come from religious hardliners, including uprisings in 1929 and 1979, an Islamist opposition movement in the 1990s and al-Qaeda attacks.

But attempts to placate them have sometimes backfired, such as when King Khaled gave clerics control of education, reducing the role of technical subjects in favor of Islamic studies for a generation of Saudis who now struggle to find jobs.

Now, as young Saudis tune into myriad foreign sources of culture and debate beamed in by satellite television and the Internet, more liberal clerics believe the power of the establishment is fading. “The new player is society, which is intellectuals, women, youth, the new media,” said Abdulaziz Al-Qasimi, a former Wahhabi judge who now supports liberal reforms.

“And the major discussion now is between society and the state without needing to go through the religious elite.”—Reuters

Wall Street action part of global ‘Arab Spring’?

By Peter Apps fter the “Arab Spring” and unrest in Europe, New York’s “Occupy Wall Street” movement may be the latest sign of a global, popular backlash against elites with increasingly shared rhetoric and tactics.

On almost every continent, 2011 has seen an almost unprecedented rise in both peaceful and sometimes violent unrest and dissent.

Protesters in a lengthening list of countries including Israel, India, Chile, China, Britain, Spain and now the United States all increasingly link their actions explicitly to the popular revolutions that have shaken up the Middle East. The slogans on the streets of Manhattan and other US cities also show a host of other intermingling influences, from the British student protests last year to the “indignados” (indignant) anti-austerity demonstrations in Greece and Spain.

What they all share in common is a feeling that the youth and middle class are paying a high price for mismanagement and malfeasance by an out-of-touch corporate, financial and political elite.

When hundreds of protesters blocked London’s Westminster Bridge on Sunday in anger at upcoming changes to Britain’s National Health Service, they took on slogans from US protesters who describe themselves as the “99 percent” paying the price for mistakes by a tiny minority.

With the economic outlook darkening just as the growth of social media helps disparate groups around the world knit together a global narrative of anger, there may be more to come. “This is most definitely going to be a multi-year trend, perhaps even a decade,” says Tina Fordham, chief political analyst for US bank Citi. “What’s interesting is the way you’re increasingly seeing these ... strands come together. So far the policy impact has been minimal, but that could change. An extended period of low or no (economic) growth could galvanize these emerging movements into political forces.” While those largely leaderless groups taking to the streets might be getting better at articulating what they are against,

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they still struggle to define what they actually want. But they are still gaining traction.

Already, the tactic of occupying a locationbe it a park, the central square in an Arab city or a university common room-appears to be becoming commonplace, allowing debate and providing a focal point from which to engage the media and authority. So too are “days of rage”, a term first used during the

This didn’t stop the coalition government pushing through the reforms-part of a wider debt-reduction strategy-but now Riches feels she is seeing the beginnings of something more. “There’s definitely something in the air,” she says, now avidly following events in New York online and encouraging activists in the United States to “occupy everything”.

“In many ways, they remind me of us last

NEW YORK: A protester affiliated with the “Occupy Wall Street” protests holds up a sign reading “UK supports Occupy Wall St” in Zuccotti Park in New York on Monday. — AP Middle East risings, not to mention the use of social media and messaging systems to stay one step ahead of authorities.

When English student and occasional fashion blogger Jessica Riches, then 21, began posting twitter updates from a student sit-in at University College London late last year, her postings and online interactions inspired like-minded students elsewhere.That led to a string of other “occupations” across Britain and fuelled further protests against planned tuition fee rises.

year.” What the Internet revolution is doing, some experts suggest, is leading to perhaps a new internationalization of political discourse. If nothing else, different protest trends around the world-many motivated at least in part by perceived economic grievance-may be producing a common narrative.

Clay Shirky, a professor at New York University and author of a 2008 book entitled “Here Comes Everybody” on the social change wrought by the Internet, thinks something deep may be happening to the social

psychology of a generation.

“If you look at what’s happened everywhere, there is some kind of psychological synchronization,” he told a meeting in Washington last month at the United States Institute for Peace. “There is a sense among young people that their generation is different. If enough of them behave like that... you might be seeing some kind of generational shift as happened in 1967.”

With hindsight, many of the baby boomers who protested in the West and Communist blocs in 1967-68 did not prove notably radical in the rest of their lives. Most settled into mainstream jobs, raised families and moved in a more conservative direction.

But many wonder what might happen if the current economic downturn proves more profound and longer lasting.

Today’s protesters in the developed world tend to lack the ideological conviction of many of their predecessors. While they might declare themselves frustrated with mainstream politics, globalization and financial markets, there is little of the hankering of yesteryear for alternate ideologies.

MARXIST ANALYSIS IN, SOLUTIONS OUT “There’s enthusiasm for Marxist theory as a tool for analysis,” says Tim Hardy, author of UK-based blog “Beyond Clicktivism. “But I haven’t seen many calls for Marxist-style statist solutions. There is some interest in anarchist models, perhaps because they’re the only thing that hasn’t been tried and failed.

But there’s also just a lot of confusion.”

If anything, many of the new generation of protesters could be described more as “militant Keynesians” than anything else: favoring state stimulus, public works and controls to stem the unfettered movement of capital.

More often, they appear to be coalescing around individual issues or demands.

UKuncut, for example, an officially leaderless group of which Hardy describes himself as a leading cheerleader and which has formed a US offshoot, organizes flash mobs at businesses they accuse of avoiding tax through offshore dodges.—Reuters

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Olazabal to lead Europe

Boxer Haye poised to retire LONDON: Former world heavyweight champion David Haye is poised to retire from the sport after the British Boxing Board of Control said on Tuesday the Briton was not renewing his licence.

Haye, who has long maintained he would not fight beyond his 31st birthday, which falls on Thursday, lost his WBA world title on points to Vladimir Klitschko in a unification bout in his last fight in July.

“I can confirm that Haye is not renewing his professional boxer’s licence,” Board general secretary Robert Smith told Reuters.

The retirement plans were questioned by the Klitschko camp with promoter Bernd Boente saying Haye’s manager Adam Booth had told him “five minutes ago” the Briton would return to the ring if there was a fight against either of the Klitschko brothers.

“The option is still there. It really depends only on the business case,” he told Sky Sports News.

“We are in constant contact, we are still awaiting some numbers from British TV and then we’ll see if the business case is realistic.” He said Vladimir’s older brother Vitali, the WBC world heavyweight champion, was the most likely opponent and that if a fight was to take place it would be in February or March. —Reuters

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

sp orts

MUMBAI: Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal will aim for double glory in continental team golf in 2012 as he will also lead the European team at the Royal Trophy in Brunei against Asia.

The tiny Southeast Asian sultanate is the second country to hold the event after Thailand, the event’s home since it was created in 2005 by five-time major winner Seve Ballesteros.

The Royal Trophy will take place from Dec. 14-16 next year at the Empire Hotel and Country Club, close to capital Bandar Seri Begawan and overlooking the South China Sea. It will be held in tribute to Ballesteros, who died from cancer in May aged 54.

“It will be a great honour to lead the European Team at the Royal Trophy and I am looking forward to the competition with great enthusi-

asm,” Olazabal, who stood-in as Europe captain in place of Ballesteros in 2009, said in a statement.

Olazabal will also lead Europe against the United States in next September’s Ryder Cup in Medinah near Chicago before heading to Brunei.

“The fact that the Royal Trophy has been dedicated to the memory of Seve makes the next edition of the matches extremely meaningful to me,” Olazabal added.

“I know how special representing Europe and the Royal Trophy were to Seve and this will be a very important occasion.”

The event features two teams of eight players contesting foursomes, fourballs and singles competitions, with half of the available 16 points up for grabs on the final day. Europe has won four of the five tournaments held to date. —Reuters

Hamilton looks for answers SEOUL: The mysterious disappearance of Lewis Hamilton’s race pace has stumped the McLaren driver heading into Sunday’s Korean Grand Prix.

The 2008 Formula One world champion cut an unusually subdued figure after last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, struggling to understand where his pace had gone while team mate Jenson Button celebrated victory. He missed out on pole position after crossing the line too late to get in a second lap and then had another coming together in the race with Ferrari rival Felipe Massa. Even a visit to paddock neighbours Red Bull to congratulate Germany’s Sebastian Vettel on a second successive championship ended in failure when he was unable to find the 24-year-old.

Hamilton could have blamed some of his woes on a slow puncture but instead, talking to British reporters with little animation, he was hard on himself and also seemingly lost for an explanation.

“We’ve got far bigger problems than that to worry about the championship,” he said when asked whether it hurt to see Vettel, more than two years junior, win his second title. While he agreed that his car was ‘fantastically quick’, the 26-year-old said he was just “not fast enough.” “I think you’re all trying to come out solutions as to why I’m not going well, but there is no solution, there is no answer to it,” he said as reporters suggested possible reasons. —Reuters

Cardinals clobber Brewers

ARLINGTON: Texas Rangers’ Nelson Cruz reacts after hitting a grand slam home run off of Detroit Tigers Ryan Perry (rear) to win Game 2 of baseball’s American League championship series. —AP

Rangers take 2-0 ALCS lead ARLINGTON: Two innings after Nelson Cruz crumbled to the ground writhing in pain, the slugger provided a grand finish for the Texas Rangers.

Cruz hit the first game-ending grand slam in postseason history, sending the defending AL champions to Detroit with a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series after a 7-3 victory over the Tigers in 11 innings Monday.

“That’s the guy you want to see right now,” Elvis Andrus said. “He’s getting hot again. That’s what we’re looking for.”

The high drive to left off Ryan Perry was the second homer of the game for Cruz, and his third in the ALCS after struggling so badly in the first round of the playoffs (1 for 15 with only a single against Tampa Bay).

He now has the Rangers on Cruz control in the ALCS. They are two wins away from their second consecutive World Series after having never won a postseason series before last year.

“When Nellie gets going like he’s going, he’s tough to beat,” Ian Kinsler said. “Hopefully he can continue that and carry us.”

Game 3 is late yesterday in Detroit.

Colby Lewis, 4-0 in five career postseason starts, pitches for Texas against Doug Fister. Lewis was on a flight ahead of the team, and was probably already in Detroit before the 4-hour, 25-minute marathon ended in Texas. Fister flew home with the rest of the Tigers.

Cruz doubled early and chased Tigers starter Max Scherzer with a tying home run in the seventh. Then he was hit near the right wrist by a Jose Valverde fastball in the ninth, when the Rangers blew a bases-loaded chance - same as Detroit had done in the top half of the inning. “ When I got hit, I thought it was

worse,” Cruz said. “In that situation, you want to stay in the game. Thank God I got a chance to win the game.”

Manager Ron Washington said Cruz “was a little scared” because the area where he got hit was already black and blue.

“But after the doctor checked him and told him he was fine, then Nelson got up,” Washington said. “We certainly needed everything he gave us tonight.

He tied the ballgame, and he won it.”

Michael Young, the Rangers’ career hits leader, snapped an 0-for-15 postseason slide when he led off the 11th with a single off Perry, the fifth Detroit pitcher.

Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli followed with singles, the latter on a liner to rightcenter that looked as though it would be caught. Instead, right fielder Andy Dirks let the ball glance off his glove as center fielder Austin Jackson ran behind him.

“It was one of those balls that’s a little between us, should have been caught,” Dirks said, adding there was no miscommunication between him and Jackson.

The ball dropped for a single that loaded the bases. That brought up Cruz, who also homered in Texas’ 3-2 win in the series opener.

Just before his game-ending blast, Cruz fouled a ball deep into the stands near the pole. He stood briefly and watched when he connected again before a trip around the bases that ended with him getting mobbed at the plate by the Rangers.

“It was amazing,” said Cruz, who is 4 for 7 with three homers, a double and six RBIs in the ALCS. “First two pitches, I was too aggressive. I hit the ball - foul ball, foul ball. So after that, I told myself just slow down and try to hit a fly ball to the outfield.” —AP

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait sponsored a football tournament held by the Kuwait Shipping Companies & Agents Association, which featured competitions for men and women, as well as children. The sponsorship comes as part of the CBK’s efforts to support social and sports activities in Kuwait.

MILWAUKEE: Thanks to Albert Pujols’ monster night, the St. Louis Cardinals have done exactly what they set out to do in the NL championship series: Erase the Milwaukee Brewers’ home-field advantage.

After a 12-3 victory over the Brewers in Monday night’s Game 2, the Cardinals are headed home tied in the series with ace Chris Carpenter taking the mound in Game 3. Things are looking a lot brighter than they did after blowing a big lead in the first game of the series.

“If you want to make it a competitive series, winning a game here, that’s a big step in the right direction,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. Carpenter faces Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo tonight.

Sweep three games at home and the Cardinals move on to the World Series - but in a matchup of two intense NL Central rivals who have played each other evenly all season, nobody’s counting on that.

“It’s a pretty evenly matched series,” Cardinals slugger Lance Berkman said. “I would imagine that this thing is a long way from being over.”

It was a temporary setback for the Brewers, who remain confident despite some cracks developing in their starting pitching beyond Gallardo and Zack Greinke. “Sometimes, you’re going to get spanked a little bit,” center fielder Nyjer Morgan said.

Pujols certainly spanked the Brewers’ pitching in Game 2 - over and over and over. The three-time MVP went 4 for 5 with a home run, three doubles and five RBIs. His big hits came one night after Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder bashed the Brewers to a 96, come-from-behind victory in Game 1. This time, the big bats couldn’t bring Milwaukee back even at Miller Park. Milwaukee was the best home team in the majors all season and the Brewers had won all four home games in the playoffs until Monday.

“It wasn’t joyful,” Fielder said.

“You’ve just got to deal with it and move on.” Until Monday, Pujols hadn’t been producing runs in this year’s playoffs.

He was 1 for 4 in Sunday night’s loss, hitting into a double play with runners on first and third in the seventh inning. A run scored on the play, but it seemed to be an indication that Pujols wasn’t quite on his game. He came into Monday with only one RBI in the Cardinals’ first six postseason games.

“You learn from the mistakes

keep it down in the zone. He doesn’t miss too many mistakes.”

Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer in the fourth for Milwaukee, then was involved in a disputed play in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Weeks grounded into a double play, though replays showed he was safe.

Weeks - hobbled by the lingering effects of a midseason left ankle injury - appeared to beat the throw to first base and seemed upset when he was called out.

Milwaukee’s Shaun Marcum, who gave up five runs on seven hits in four innings and took the loss.

Marcum, obtained in an offseason trade with Toronto, struggled mightily in the final month of the season. After a rough outing in Game 3 of the NL division series against Arizona, his place in the postseason rotation might come into question.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Roenicke said, adding later: “As far as I’m concerned right now he’s pitching again.”

MILWAUKEE: St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Marc Rzepczynski throws during the seventh inning of Game 2 of baseball’s National League championship series against the Milwaukee Brewers. —AP that you made,” Pujols said.

“Yesterday was just so tough.

Going to bed, I was just thinking about some of the opportunities I had to help our ballclub win. I turned that page, knowing today was a new day.” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, of course, has seen such things from Pujols before.

“The last time we saw them at their place he was swinging the bat just like this,” Roenicke said.

“You can’t make mistakes to him.

You have to hit spots. You have to

“Big part in the game, whether he’s safe or out,” Roenicke said.

“You guys saw the replay. That was a big play.”

But it didn’t matter much after the Brewers gave up four runs in a backbreaking seventh inning.

Fielder homered in the eighth, well after the outcome had been decided. Cardinals starter Edwin Jackson went 4 1-3 innings, giving up Weeks’ home run. Lance Lynn got the win.

It was a short and ugly start by

Marcum says he feels fine physically. And despite the run totals he has given up lately, he doesn’t feel like opposing teams are hitting him that hard - and he isn’t getting discouraged.

“If I was giving up 15 home runs a game and getting hit all over the park, probably,” Marcum said. “When you make pitches and they make jam jobs and bloopers that fall in, nothing you can do about it if you’re still making pitches and locating.” —AP

B’desh win Windies thriller DHAKA: New captain Mushfiqur Rahim smashed a six off the penultimate ball to lead Bangladesh to a thrilling three-wicket victory over the West Indies in the one-off Twenty20 international yesterday.

Bangladesh needed six runs in the last over to achieve a modest 133-run target before wicketkeeper-batsman Rahim (41 not out) hit paceman Ravi Rampaul’s penultimate delivery over mid-wicket for a six.

The hosts were struggling at 93-6 before Rahim steadied the innings with a vital 35-run stand for the seventh wicket with debutant Nasir Hossain, who contributed a 15-ball 18.

Bangladesh required 20 runs in the last two overs, but Rahim and Hossain eased the pressure when they scored 14 in the 19th over bowled by debutant seamer Carlos Brathwaite.

Rahim, who hit two sixes in his 26ball knock, also upstaged Marlon Samuels, who put in an impressive allround performance for the West Indies. Samuels top-scored with a 42ball 58 and took two key wickets with his off-spin.

Samuels removed former skipper Shakib Al Hasan for no score and then had well-set Mohammad Ashraful (24) caught by debutant Anthony Martin to reduce the hosts to 71-5 in the 13th over. Left-arm spinners Shakib and Abdur Razzak earlier bagged two wickets apiece as Bangladesh restricted the West Indies.

Samuels was the lone batsman to defy Bangladesh’s spin attack, but received little support from the other

Scoreboard

DHAKA: Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim, holds the trophy after they defeated West Indies by three wickets in the one-off Twenty20 cricket match. —AP end. He hit four sixes and two fours before being dismissed in the last over.

Razzak, who opened the attack, finished with 2-27 while Shakib bagged 2-25. Seamer Shafiul Islam took two wickets in the final over to finish with 2-19 off four overs.

The West Indies, put in to bat, lost their way after being comfortably placed at 61-1 in the ninth over. Their slide began with the dismissal of opener Lendl Simmons (23), trapped legbefore by Razzak.

Off-spinner Naeem Islam and seamer Rubel Hossain each took one wicket. Bangladesh and the West Indies will now play a three-match one-day series, starting in Dhaka tomorrow. —AFP

DHAKA: Complete scoreboard of the one-off Twenty20 international between Bangladesh and the West Indies on yesterday: West Indies: L. Simmons lbw b Razzak 23 A. Barath c Tamim b Shakib 15 M. Samuels c Rahim b Shafiul 58 A. Russell c Naeem b Shakib 5 D. Bravo lbw b Razzak 7 D. Hyatt lbw b Rubel 2 D. Sammy c Nasir b Naeem 1 D. Ramdin not out 10 C. Brathwaite c Nasir b Shafiul 1 R. Rampaul not out 0 Extras (lb6, w4) 10 Total (for 8 wickets; 20 overs) 132 Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Barath), 2-61 (Simmons), 3-89 (Russell), 4-105 (Bravo), 5-110 (Hyatt), 6-111 (Sammy), 7-129 (Samuels), 8-131 (Brathwaite).

Bowling: Razzak 4-0-27-2 (w2), Shafiul 4-0-19-2 (w1), Rubel 4-0-32-1, Shakib 4-0-25-2, Naeem 4-0-23-1 (w1).

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal b Ramdin b Rampaul 11 Imrul Kayes c Hyatt b Martin 22 Mohammad Ashraful c Martin b Samuels 24 Shakib Al Hasan b Samuels 0 Alok Kapali c Martin b Brathwaite 2 Mushfiqur Rahim not out 41 Naeem Islam b Sammy 10 Nasir Hossain c Ramdin b Rampaul 18 Abdur Razzak not out 1 Extras (lb1, nb1, w4) 6 Total (for 7 wickets; 19.5 overs) 135 Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Tamim), 2-49 (Kayes), 3-49 (Shakib), 4-52 (Kapali), 571 (Ashraful), 6-93 (Naeem), 7-128 (Nasir).

Bowling: Rampaul 3.5-0-28-2 (w1), Sammy 4-0-30-1 (nb1, w2), Russell 2-017-0 (w1), Martin 3-0-20-1, Samuels 4-0-14-2, Brathwaite 3-0-25-1.

Result: Bangladesh win by three wickets

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Eagles ‘dream team’ becoming nightmare for Reid NEW YORK: The giddy pre-season talk of a ‘dream team’ seems long ago for the Philadelphia Eagles.

After four consecutive defeats, head coach Andy Reid is facing criticism from all quarters with pundits lambasting his team and fans calling for his head.

All that Reid could summon up in response on Monday after a turnover ridden 31 24 loss to the Buffalo Bills was to turn to the well-used coaching mantras of hard-work and perseverance.

“It’s my football team. I’ve got to get it right,” Reid told reporters. “We’ll do this thing as a football team...everybody is being accountable. “We’ve just to work through it and get it right. That’s the best thing about football, it is a team sport.”

The problem for Reid is the team simply isn’t functioning on the field. The ‘wide nine’ defensive front has been roundly criticized for being ineffective, against the run in particular.

Bills running back Fred Jackson ran 26 times for 111 yards and a touchdown and also caught six

passes for 85 yards on Sunday.

“Who didn’t know we were going to run the ball?” Bills wideout Stevie Johnson told reporters after the game. “They’ve been exposed in the run game the entire season.”

Reid said improved tackling in the second half indicated that was the key to getting things right, and he argued it takes time to implement a new strategy.

“It worked the second half very effectively,” he said. “Anything new, you have to work with and work out the wrinkles and get it right. The players have to learn it, the coaches have to learn it.”

Reid has been head coach of the Eagles since 1999 and took them to the Super Bowl in 2004 where they lost the New England Patriots. They have made the playoffs nine times including each of the past three seasons.

The ‘dream team’ phrase was uttered by back-up quarterback Vince Young in late July and has come back to haunt the team.

The key element to the ‘dream’ was to be quarterback Michael Vick who was rewarded for a great comeback season last year with a reported $100 million, six-year deal.

On Sunday Vick threw four interceptions, two of which the Bills turned into touchdowns. Those turnovers took his tally for the season to 10, seven interceptions and three lost fumbles in five games.

So far this season it has been the ‘old Vick’ that fans have seen. The player who looks brilliant one minute and then undoes it all with a rash mistake the next. The new version was supposed to have ironed out the mistakes.

But Vick is not alone in making crucial errors.

Untimely penalties and offsides have cost the Eagles plenty. “Sloppy teams do dumb things like that all the time, and the Eagles are right now both sloppy and dumb,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Peter King on Monday.

The local media have already gone a step further with Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Phil

Sheridan asking, “Is it time to bid Reid bye-bye?”

“Every major decision Reid has made in the last three years has blown up in his ever-redder face,” Sheridan wrote. “The seasons of consistent success, of double digit wins and deep playoff runs, feel like ancient history. They feel like the work of another coach.”

Reid said he had no problem with opinions.

“It’s America, everybody can do that,” he said, adding the players were listening to him and were ready to work hard to put right the problems.

The next three games will go a long way in determining whether this season really is the end of the road for Reid with the Eagles. Philadelphia travels to the Washington Redskins on Sunday and after a bye week the Eagles are at home to the Dallas Cowboys and then host the Chicago Bears.

Those are tough games but the kind that a playoff-bound team should be winning. More defeats and the dream will surely become a nightmare for Reid. — Reuters

NFL standings American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA Buffalo 4 1 0 0 164 120 New England 4 1 0 0 165 119 NY Jets 2 3 0 0 121 125 Miami 0 4 0 0 69 104 AFC North Baltimore 3 1 0 0 119 57 Pittsburgh 3 2 0 0 102 89 Cincinnati 3 2 0 0 110 94 Cleveland 2 2 0 0 74 93 AFC South Tennessee 3 2 0 0 105 94 Houston 3 2 0 0 127 95 Jacksonville 1 4 0 0 59 115 Indianapolis 0 5 0 0 87 136 AFC West San Diego 4 1 0 0 120 109 Oakland 3 2 0 0 136 133 Kansas City 2 3 0 0 77 150 Denver 1 4 0 0 105 140

Murray plays down his own talk of players’ strike

PCT .800 .800 .400 0 .750 .600 .600 .500 .600 .600 .200 0 .800 .600 .400 .200

National Football Conference NFC East Washington 3 1 0 0 83 63 .750 NY Giants 3 2 0 0 127 123 .600 Dallas 2 2 0 0 99 101 .500 Philadelphia 1 4 0 0 125 132 .200 NFC North Green Bay 5 0 0 0 173 111 1.000 Detroit 5 0 0 0 159 89 1.000 Chicago 2 3 0 0 107 122 .400 Minnesota 1 4 0 1 111 106 .200 NFC South New Orleans 4 1 0 0 157 125 .800 Tampa Bay 3 2 0 0 87 125 .600 Atlanta 2 3 0 0 104 130 .400 Carolina 1 4 0 0 116 132 .200 NFC West San Francisco 4 1 0 1 142 78 .800 Seattle 2 3 0 0 94 122 .400 Arizona 1 4 0 0 96 121 .200 St. Louis 0 4 0 0 46 113 0

DETROIT: Chicago Bears tight end Kellen Davis (87) makes a 9-yard reception for a touchdown as Detroit Lions outside linebacker Bobby Carpenter (59) defends in the second quarter of an NFL football game. — AP

Lions roar to best start NEW YORK: The resurgent Detroit Lions continued their perfect start to the season with a 24-13 home victory over the Chicago Bears on Monday to confirm their status as surprise contenders.

Jahvid Best ran rampant for 163 yards and a score, and Detroit’s defense harassed Bears quarterback Jay Cutler throughout the contest as they improved to 5-0 to mark their best start since 1956.

In front of a raucous Detroit crowd that has suffered through 10 straight losing seasons prior to this year, the Bears were rattled into several penalties while the Lions made a bold statement with a strong divisional win.

“It was a great night for the city and we need to get used to playing in games like this and having atmospheres like this,” Lions coach Jim Schwartz told reporters. “The fans did their part tonight. We took our cue from them.” The Lions had trailed 10-7 at halftime but seized control of the game with a decisive third quarter.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford drove the Lions downfield for an 18-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew with 9:55 to go in the third and on Detroit’s next posses-

sion, Best broke free for an 88-yard run that gave the home team a 21-10 advantage.

“It was an inside zone play, the (offensive line) made a little crease, I hit it and ran as fast as I could,” Best said.

“I feel if I get in the open field nobody should catch me.

There was electricity in the air and we were definitely feeling it.”

The Bears could not find much offense against Detroit and failed to mount a rally as they fell to 2-3, three games behind the NFC North-leading Lions and Green Bay Packers, the NFL’s only two remaining undefeated teams.

Stafford finished the game with two touchdown passes, finding favorite target Calvin Johnson for a 73-yard strike and a 7-0 lead in the second quarter to give the wide receiver his NFL-leading ninth scoring reception of the season.

Chicago responded with a field goal and a nine-yard touchdown pass from Cutler to Kellen Davis to take their only lead of the game shortly before halftime. Cutler ended the night with 249 yards passing and Matt Forte ran for 116 yards in the loss. — Reuters

Roddick dumps Dimitrov

SHANGHAI: Andy Roddick of the United States watches his shot as he plays Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during their men’s singles match of the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament. — AP

SHANGHAI: Andy Roddick fought off a set point in the second set and held on for a 76 (3), 7-5 victory over Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov yesterday to advance to the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

The 10th-seeded American came back from a break down in the second set to level the score at 4-4 when the big-hitting Dimitrov put a backhand into the net after slipping at the end of a 43-stroke rally.

The Bulgarian broke back in the next game, however, prompting an angry Roddick to slam his racket into his tennis bag during the changeover.

“I don’t know that I made a first serve that game, so that was frustrating for me,” Roddick said. “I felt like I was returning pretty well and hitting my forehand pretty well. Then all of a sudden, you know, I’m not putting a first serve in the court.”

Roddick then saved a set point on Dimitrov’s serve before breaking his opponent at love to close out the match. “He’s definitely got all the shots,” Roddick said.

“He should have closed me out in the second set.”

Dimitrov finished with 28 winners, nearly twice as many as Roddick, but also had 51 unforced errors. Roddick next plays seventh-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain,

who defeated countryman Tommy Robredo, 7-5, 6-3.

Almagro, who has won three titles this year, is trying to clinch one of the four remaining spots at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.

The only seeded players to fall yesterday were two Serbs - ninth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic and 11th-seeded Viktor Troicki.

Tipsarevic lost to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3), his second straight first-round defeat after capturing his first ATP title in Kuala Lumpur last month.

Troicki fell to 19-year-old qualifier Ryan Harrison of the United States, 6-3, 6-3.

Another American, Alex Bogomolov Jr., downed Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-3.

Germany’s Florian Mayer, seeded 15th, knocked out Argentina’s David Nalbandian, 6-3, 6-4, in another secondround match. Nalbandian, a former Wimbledon finalist, has struggled since returning from a hamstring injury this summer.

Other winners included Milos Raonic of Canada, who came back to defeat Michael Llodra of France, 6-7 (2), 6-2, 7-6 (5), and 12th-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine and 14th-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria. — AP

SHANGHAI: Andy Murray rowed back on suggestions that players could strike over the crowded tennis calendar, saying yesterday that he and his rivals had been unfairly portrayed as spoilt.

“Me, and not any of the players I know, want to strike,” the world number four told his pre-tournament news conference at the Shanghai Masters.

Murray, who is defending his title in Shanghai, said his suggestion last month that players would consider striking had been blown out of proportion.

“When I said it was a possibility, I didn’t expect that to be such a massive (media issue),” the Scot said. “It’s so far away from being at that level. The players haven’t even sat down and talked.”

In his remarks to the BBC last month, Murray had said the players, unhappy at being required to play so many tournaments, might discuss strike action when they met up in Shanghai.

However, yesterday, the Scot adopted a more measured tone. “I don’t really want to go into much detail. I have nothing really to say... The last time I did, it was turned into a massive hoopla,” he said.

“The players, I think, are maybe coming across as being spoilt when I don’t think that is the case.” He said the Players’ Council would try to organise a meeting “before the end of the year”. “Whether it happens or not... It’s quite a tough thing to do because there’s a lot of players to coordinate.”

Earlier, world number two Rafael Nadal was equally vague when asked if players would discuss the calendar this week. “I don’t think it is the right time to talk about this. Any information you need to know, you will know.

There is something there, but I don’t want to talk about it, especially when nothing is clear. (So) not talking is better than talking,” he said.

The Spaniard dismissed suggestions that talks could not go ahead without the presence of the Players Council’s president, world number three Roger Federer, who pulled out of the Shanghai tournament citing fatigue. “I am the vice president and I am here. That is not the problem in my opinion. I said maybe some things are happening, but I am not a hundred percent sure about what’s going on.

“I don’t want to say anything because if I say something right now, it might not happen later.” Nadal said he was in touch with “a lot of players” and that they had discussed changing the calendar.

“The important thing is that, yes, I can say most of us, almost everyone, is in the same way of thinking. So we have power. Now we’ll have to find what we really want for the future and make that happen if possible.”

Top players are required to compete in all four grand slams, eight Masters 1000 events, the season-ending World Tour Finals and a handful of lower-tier tournaments. Many also opt to play in the Davis Cup team competition.

Last year, the Shanghai event featured the world’s top 16 players but this year four of the top 10 are absent through injury, fatigue or illness, including Federer and world number one Novak Djokovic.

“I think if there were a few extra weeks off, a few less tournaments, then that would help,” said Murray, who is seeded second behind Nadal this week.

Murray, who will begin his Shanghai defence against Russian Dmitry Tursunov, was also unhappy that balls were not standardised at tournaments.

“The balls that we have played with over the last three weeks - every one of them is just completely different. I think that’s something that I would like to see changed, to have more consistency in the balls.

“It’s almost like playing a different game,” said Murray, who beat Nadal to win the Japan Open on Sunday, a week after winning in Bangkok.

“If you asked a golfer to change balls every single week, they’d be hitting balls 20 yards too far and hitting shots all over the place.”

A spokesman for the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) said the body was unsure if a players’ meeting would happen this week.

“We have had talks at the US Open and have such player discussions on a regular basis. We believe the players should have a big voice in the scheduling,” he added. — AP

Nike introduces the Tiempo Legend IV Elite football boot The Tiempo Legend IV Elite is part of N ike Football’s DNA and with that comes a responsibility to its tradition and heritage, but also a commitment to innovation.

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The light carbon plate remains flat, enhancing rigidity while avoiding stiffness, and a combination of rounded studs and two central blades offer critical and improved traction where players need it most. Nike Flywire technology has been added and offers superior midfoot lockdown, giving tremendous support while aiding the boot’s comfort and maneuverability.

The Tiempo Legend IV Elite is also the lightest Tiempo yet, coming in at 20g lighter than its predecessor.

Exclusively available at the Nike Store, in 360 Mall.

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French friction, fact or fiction at World Cup? AUCKLAND: Marc Lievremont’s selection for the semifinal against Wales looks exactly like the French lineup which rebounded from its worst ever World Cup defeat to beat England in the quarterfinals.

Even Lievremont concedes, though, that he can’t be sure which team will show up at game time on Saturday. The French are famous for following a brilliant win with a terrible loss at the Rugby World Cup. Evidence of the flawed genius is compelling: wins over Australia in the 1987 semifinals and the All Blacks in the 1999 semifinals and quarterfinals in 2007 were followed by losses.

“The danger is for the players to start thinking they’re too good,” Lievremont said as he announced an unchanged semifinal squad yesterday. “Once again, they’re the same players who played against Tonga and England. “But we are Latin, there’s always that risk ... I hope the prospect of playing in the final is enough.”

The French completed an unimpressive pool stage with an upset loss

to Tonga, rated as its worst ever performance at the tournament. The squad was in disarray amid reports of immense friction between Lievremont and his players. Yet they united and played with tremendous pride in the quarterfinals, taking a 160 lead before settling for a 19-12 win over England to open the knockout stage.

France has beaten Wales in three of the last four head-to-heads, and some of the players said the only danger to them winning again was in taking the Welsh too lightly. “If we start looking at it from that angle, it’s a recipe for disaster,” Lievremont said.

In terms of the physical side, his only concern was over scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili, who was replaced early in the second half of the 19-12 quarterfinal win over England last Saturday night.

Yachvili “will be rested until at least Thursday, but he will play,” Lievremont said. “I would not have hesitated to change the team if I thought another one was better.”

After last weekend’s win sent the

English team home, Lievremont said he immediately started preparing his squad for Wales.

“I warned the players about not getting carried away,” he said. “In ‘99 we spent too much time thinking about our semifinal win against New Zealand and we came up short against an Australian team that was programmed to win.”

Wales defense coach Shaun Edwards wasn’t buying into the myths surrounding the unpredictable French. “I heard their coach said that, that they have to overcome the obstacle of having only one big performance in them,” Edwards said.

“I heard their coach say that a few times but if you look at France over the Six Nations of the last five or six years, they’re the team that’s won it the most, so that shows they can consistently perform for four or five games.

“They do have the ability to be consistent.” As of yesterday, there were about 7,000 tickets available for Saturday’s quarterfinal at the 60,000 seat Eden Park. That meant organiz-

ers were 99 percent of the way to their projected ticket sales.

Rugby New Zealand 2011 said it had recouped 265.6 million New Zealand dollars ($207.7 million) from the sale of 1.35 million tickets.

“We now need to make sales of just NZ$2.9 million to meet our financial target and we fully expect to do so with big crowds expected for the final four matches,” RNZ 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said.

While the allocation for Sunday’s New Zealand vs. Australia semifinal has been exhausted, organizers said several hundred additional tickets may be released later this week.

The All Blacks are under immense pressure to break a World Cup drought that has stretched for 24 years since New Zealand hosted and won the inaugural tournament in 1987. Graham Henry’s team has gone back to the veterans of ‘87 for a few pointers.

“The ‘87 team has grown to be legendary and is held in very high esteem by this group,” All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith said.

“So to get them in, to have a lunch with them, to have a casual chat, to talk to them about how they felt in the quarters, how they felt in the semis. I think there were some good words there that the players will take a bit out of.”

Smith said one of the messages the All Blacks had already embraced was that World Cups were often won by acts of individual character or by inner strength, something exhibited by the veterans of ‘87.

“Any time you get to this stage in any tournament ... it’s about will, the strength of your will,” he said.

“Tournaments throw up all sort of things like injuries and selection issues and you can’t control any of that and it’s the same for the other team. It’s not who you’ve got in the team, it’s what you’ve got inside you that counts and that’s what will win it.”

And although the All Blacks are unbeaten at Eden Park in the last 25 years against the Wallabies, they’re wary of the threat posed by their archrivals. With good reason, too. The

Wallabies won the last head-to-head in August and have won both times the teams have met in World Cup semifinals.

“I don’t think you can make assumptions about (Australia),” Smith said. “We’ve got huge respect for them and I’m sure they’ve got huge respect for us. “We know them well, they know us well, we know it’s going to be a massive encounter.”

As for the Australians, scrumhalf Will Genia says going winless since 1986 at Eden Park is a meaningless stat for this team.

“One hundred percent confident. I don’t know if I could be more confident,” he said of ending the Eden Park streak. “I don’t want to sound arrogant, I’m not that sort of bloke. I really believe in the guys that we have in this group that we can do it.

“We back each other all the way and we showed on the weekend that we cannot only win through skill but also team spirit, wanting to do it for each other. For that fact alone I have every confidence going into this game.” —AP

Avalanche bury Bruins

TOKYO: USA’s gymnasts (from left) Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Sabrina Vega, Alexandra Raisman and Gabrielle Douglas, celebrate on the podium winning the women’s team final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships. —AP

US women win gymnastics gold TOKYO: Just imagine if the Americans were at full strength. Unfazed by the loss of Beijing Olympic captain Alicia Sacramone, the Americans won their third title at the world gymnastics championships late yesterday with a commanding performance that lets everyone know they’re the team to beat next summer in London.

Regardless of who’s on the roster. “Team USA is really strong,” Aly Raisman said, “and we’re just going to keep getting stronger.” The Americans scored 179.411 points, finishing a whopping 4 points ahead of Russia, last year’s champion. To get an idea of just how big the rout was, think of the pastings that college football powerhouses put on their nonconference opponents and you get the idea. Even the Russians had to applaud as the Americans finished on floor exercise, the gold medal already decided.

As the last notes of Aly Raisman’s music faded, the Americans jumped up and down and exchanged hugs. They gave a big cheer of “U-SA!” as they waited for Raisman’s score, then walked off the floor, index fingers held high in the air.

“I was hoping for it, but I could not be 100 percent sure because there were so many newcomers,” said national team coordinator Martha Karolyi, beaming. “These girls were standing up very confident, very powerful out there.”

The gold is the 10th medal at worlds for Sacramone, breaking the American record she’d shared Shannon Miller and Nastia Liukin.

Sacramone, who had surgery Monday to repair a torn Achilles tendon,sent a message to the team on Twitter afterward, saying, “Words can’t describe how proud I am of all of you!”

Alexander Alexandrov, Russia’s coach, insisted he was more than “satisfied” with the second-place finish. The Russians were without defending world champion Aliya Mustafina, who blew out her knee in April, and Alexandrov said Anna Dementyeva had been running a fever in recent days.

The Americans were dealt a huge blow when Sacramone tore her Achilles during training last Thursday. Not only did that leave Raisman as the only American who’d competed at a world championships - Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Sabrina Vega and Gabby Douglas are all first-year seniors - but Sacramone puts up huge scores on vault, where she’s the defending world champion, balance beam and floor exercise.

But the youngsters never faltered, cruising through qualifying without a single missed routine. However, team finals are a different type of pressure-cooker. Scoring starts from scratch and the format changes, with three gymnasts competing on each event and all three scores counting. There is zero room for error - or growing pains.

“I just told them, ‘We’re going to remember this night for the rest of our lives so let’s make it count,’” Raisman said.

They sure did, strutting onto the floor and turning the meet into their coming out party.

“There’s only one better way to follow a 20-for-20 performance (in qualifying), and that’s 12-for-12 in team finals,” U.S. coach John Geddert said. “I

think they’re oblivious. I didn’t see one ounce of nerves out there. It was ‘Let’s have fun and go do gymnastics.’” They started on vault where, even without Sacramone, they’re a fearsome bunch.

Raisman had the “weakest” vault - any other country would have been thrilled to count it for their highest score - and she executed it perfectly. Wieber and Maroney each do one of the hardest vaults in the world - a roundoff onto the takeoff board, back handspring onto the vault and then 2.5 twists before landing - yet make it look like child’s play. Wieber’s was possibly the best she’s done all year, soaring high above the vault and needing only a small step to the side to control her landing.

The Americans had barely finished slapping hands when Maroney did one even better. She got such great height the folks in the lower section had to crane their necks to see her, and her legs were pencil-straight in the air. Despite all that power, her feet hit the mat with a solid thud and stayed put, not budging a centimeter.

A bright smile spread across her face as she threw her hands in the air, and her teammates screamed.

The Americans scored a 46.816, and Russia couldn’t match it - either in difficulty or execution. All three of their gymnasts did less-difficult vaults, and Tatiana Nabieva was so low she was lucky not to land on her knees. By the time they moved to the second rotation, the Americans had built a 2.3-point lead.

Good thing, too, because uneven bars is Russia’s best event - and the Americans’ worst.

If Russia was going to catch the US anywhere, it would be there. Viktoria Komova looked like a ballerina as she pirouetted on the high bar, and flitted from one bar to the other with the lightness of a feather. She had a slight hop on her dismount, but her score - 15.566 - helped the Russians pare the American lead down to about 1.5 points midway through the meet.

But that was as close as they’d get. Raisman had to wait for what seemed like 10 minutes before she was given the signal to go, but the delay didn’t faze her a bit. She opened with a front aerial somersault, landing it easier than most folks do a cartwheel. On flat ground. She landed each element with precision and perfect control, and she trotted off the podium with a look like, “What? That’s what I expected to do.”

That brought up Wieber, who has only solidified herself as the favorite to win another gold medal in Thursday’s all-around final. The beam is a mere 4-inches wide and 4-feet in the air, yet Wieber makes it look as big and wide parking lot. She appeared to land one aerial series with one foot halfway off the beam, yet never even wobbled, and flows from one difficult element to the next as if to say, “Oh, you liked that? Well here’s another one.”

“It already was exciting,” Karolyi said. “But once balance beam was finished, in my mind, I said, ‘We have this.’”

The Russians ended all suspense moments later when Komova melted down. She couldn’t hang on after a series of back handsprings and fell off the balance beam, the stumbled backward after underrotating her opening pass on

BOSTON: Milan Hejduk scored with 12:03 left in the third period and Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots for his fifth NHL shutout to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 10 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday. The Stanley Cup champion Bruins have lost two of three to start the season.

Hejduk scored the Avalanche’s first goal of the season. They lost 3-0 at home to Detroit in their opener Saturday night. Varlamov had 36 saves in that defeat.

Hejduk collected a loose puck along the boards, cut to the right circle and sent a wrist shot that slipped inside the right post by Tuukka Rask, who appeared to be partially screened by teammate Zdeno Chara.

Rask stopped 35 shots in his first start of the season. Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas played the first two games for Boston.

Canucks 3, Blue Jackets 2 At Columbus, Ohio, Alexandre Burrows’ power-play goal midway through the third period capped Vancouver ’s comeback victor y that sent Columbus to its first 0-3 start in franchise history.

Chris Higgins and Cody Hodgson also scored for the Canucks. Cory Schneider had 23 saves, almost half of which came in the opening period.

Cam Atkinson scored his first NHL goal and Vinny Prospal also scored for Columbus, which had opened seasons 0-2 twice before in their 11 seasons.

Capitals 6, Lightning 5 At Washington, Matt Hendricks and Alexander Semin scored shootout goals to give Washington the victor y in the teams’ first meeting since Tampa Bay swept the Capitals in four games in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season. The Capitals have won their first two games — one in over time and the second in a shootout. Tampa Bay, which is playing its first five games on the road, has lost two of three.

Hendricks was the first shooter in the shootout and he beat Dwayne Roloson, and after Nate

Thompson and Dominic Moore failed to cover for the Lightning, Semin’s shot secured the win.

Jason Chimera scored two goals for Washington.

Stars 2, Coyotes 1 At Dallas, Mike Ribeiro beat Phoenix goalie Mike Smith with the final shot of the first shootout round to give Dallas the victory.

Loui Eriksson’s first goal of the season tied it with 28 seconds remaining in regulation and he

Johan Hedberg made 24 saves in New Jersey’s first victory this season.

Zach Parise had two goals, and Mark Fayne another for New Jersey, which beat Carolina for a six th straight time at home.

Hedberg, Martin Brodeur’s backup, drew an early start after not making his first start last year until the eighth game. He improved to 4-0 over the last two seasons against the Hurricanes. Alexei Ponikarovsky and Chad LaRose

od when Matt Cullen scored his second goal in two games. Minnesota lost its first road game of the season after opening with a 4-2 home win over Columbus on Saturday. New York managed to hold off the Wild despite being outshot 19-5 after their impressive first period.

Minnesota had chances to at least get even, but failed to connect on five power-play opportunities ‚Ä” including a 44-second, two-man advantage in the second period that didn’t generate a shot, and a

DALLAS: Stars center Mike Ribeiro (63) eyes the puck with Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) during the first period of their NHL hockey game. —AP scored on Dallas’ first shootout attempt.

The shootout remained 1-0 until the Coyotes’ last of three attempts, when Shane Doan’s shot deflec ted off Stars goalie K ari Lehtonen and into the top of the net. Ribeiro followed with a shot under Smith’s right arm. In the third period, Eriksson deflected Sheldon Souray’s drive from the left point over Smith’s left shoulder to tie it.

Devils 4, Hurricanes 2 At Newark, New Jersey, Ilya Kovalchuk scored the deciding goal and added two assists, and

scored for the Hurricanes (0-2-1).

Cam Ward made 22 saves.

Islanders 2, Wild 1 At Uniondale, New York, Andrew MacDonald and Frans Nielsen scored first-period goals as the New York Islanders hung on to beat Minnesota. Al Montoya made 20 saves in his second straight start over Rick DiPietro.

Unlike his outing in the seasonopening 2-0 loss to Florida on Saturday, Montoya got some offense and held off the Wild to give the Islanders their first win of the season. Montoya lost his shutout bid 1:13 into the third peri-

pair of third-period advantages.

Blues 5, Flames 2 At St. Louis, Alex Pietrangelo had a goal and an assist to lead St. Louis to its first win of the season.

Alex Steen, Chris Stewart, Kevin Shattenkirk and Jason Arnott also scored, and Andy M cDonald added a pair of assists for the Blues, who got 15 saves from Jaroslav Halak. Curtis Glencross a n d J a ro m e I g i n l a s c o re d fo r Calgary, which has dropped its first two games of the season.

Henrik Karlsson got the start instead of Miikka Kiprusoff and stopped 30 shots. —AP

Sheikh Nawaf shooting tourney concludes

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Shooting tournament, which marked the start of the new shooting sport season (2011-2012) concluded on Saturday evening. The closing ceremony which was held on Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex, was attended by Hawally Governor Lt. General Abdallah Al-Fares, who represented the Crown Prince.

The competition was very strong, from all shooters of all categories, skeet, trap, double trap, Airgun, 50m free gun and Olympic archery, for both men and women. The tournament is a prelude to upcoming Arab and International tournaments.

A film about HH the Crown Prince’s support to sports in general and shooting in particular was shown, reflecting his keen interest in caring for athletes and urging them to exert their utmost efforts

to ensure that the maintain they achievements they made. Lt. General Al-Fares said he was pleased to represent HH the Crown Prince in the closing ceremony, and was happy to see shooters of both genders at this international level, and their outstanding results. He thanked officials of the KSSC for their efforts to enable the shooters represent Kuwait at their best. President of the Arab Shooting Federation, Deputy Chairman of KSSC Eng. Duaij AlOtaibi said HH the Crown Prince tournament was outstanding and a large number of shooters participated, and made exceptional results. He said this is the start of the season, and there are many events coming up including that in Tangiers, and the Arab Games in Doha.

He said, “on behalf of Sheikh Salman AlHumoud, and board members, we thank HH the Crown Prince for his support to the sport of shooting, and organizing an annual championship in his name.

Results 8 Skeet men event was won by Abdallah AlRashidi, trap by Nasser Al-Miqlid, Double trap was won Fuhaid Al-Daihani, Trap women Shahed AlHawal, Skeet women Afrah Adel, Skeet Juniors Abdelaziz Al-Saad, Trap Juniors Talal Al-Rashidi, Double Trap men Osama Al-Faihan, Trap men (Shooting School) Mohammad Al-Bughaili, Skeet men (Shooting School) Hamad Al-Azmi, Airpistol Khalid Al-Subaie, Air rifle (men) Khalid Al-Subaie, Free Rifle 50m (men) Mishal Al-Tahoos, 50m (men) Mishal Al-Mutairi, 25m Pistol (women) Awatif Al-Qallaf, Air Rifle (women) Mariam Irzouqi, Air Pistol (women) Ghizlan Hussein, Air Rifle Junior (women) Duaa Al-Duwaithi, Air Rifle Juniors Ali Farhan, Air Pistol (Juniors) Mousa AlKhayat, 50m Free Rifle (Juniors) Mohammad Adel, Air Pistol (Juniors - women) Ghizlan Hussein. In Archery (men) Faleh Al-Askar, for women Sanaa Al-Khudari.

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Lebanon gift Kuwait late goal in WCup qualifier Iran thrash Bahrain 6-0, Japan rout Tajikistan 8-0

ISSF president praises shooting facilities in Kuwait

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: President of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) Olegario Vasquez Rana visited Kuwait recently, in recognition of the major role and the great effort being exerted by the President of Kuwait and Asian Shooting Federations, Vice President of (ISSF) Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah in the development of the sport in the international, regional, Arab and Gulf arenas.

The ISSF President attended the opening of the Worlds Clay Target Shooting Champions Championship that was held in Abu Dhabi, and made it a point to visit Kuwait and Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex.

Olegario was accompanied by ISSF secretary General Franz Schriber, President of the USA Shooting Federation Gary Anderson and a large number of European Shooting Federations officials.

The guest and his delegation were received at Kuwait Airport by Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah, President of the Arab Shooting Federation, Deputy Chairman of Kuwait Shooting Sport Federation,

member of ISSF Administrative Council Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi, secretary General of the Kuwait and Arab Shooting Federations Obeid Al-Osaimi, KSSF treasurer Essa Butaiban, Assistant treasurer Adnan Al-Ibrahim, and board members Mohammad Karam and Nidal Al-Sayed Omar.

The guest visited Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Olympic Shooting Complex, and was impressed at the facilities he saw at the airgun, shotgun, sporting and archery ranges.

Rana said that the facilities he saw are among the best of the world, and as far as the complex, he did not see one like it so far... “it is impressive and fantastic”, he added.

The ISSF President said the airgun and final halls are unique. He said Kuwait’s shooting is great and commended the support it receives from Kuwait’s leadership when asked about the upcoming 4th Asian Airgun Championships in Kuwait, Oligario said “all countries should be proud to participate at the complex with its outstanding facilities, besides the fact that the people in Kuwait are very friendly.

Sheikh Salman and Rana exchanged mementos at the end of the visit.

BEC T10 cricket tournament inaugurated KUWAIT: The BEC T10 cricket tournament was inaugurated on Oct 7, 2011 at the Abu Halifa Grounds by BEC Director & General Manager, ED Titus.

The tournament is being conducted by the Red & Black Cricket club and participation is restricted to 32 pre-registered teams. Inaugurating the tournament, Titus wished every team success

and, expressed the hope that the tournament will help in building interest in the game of cricket in Kuwait.

He exhorted all teams to play in a spirit of sportsmanship and to ensure that the name of cricket as ‘A Gentleman’s Game “ is maintained.

Titus also thanked the Red & Black Team, led by its president Melwin George and General Secretary Jiji Scaria & Remi for their untiring efforts and wished them success in conducting the tournament.

There are two trophies, (for the Champions & the Runner Up) apart from other prizes for the winners. The rules of the Tournament have already been distributed to the teams and it is expected to be a hard fought tournament with some of the best cricket players along with budding talents taking part.

Russia to use 12 stadiums for 2018 World Cup MOSCOW: The 2018 World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums located in 11 Russian cities, head of the local organising committee (LOC) Vitaly Mutko said yesterday.

He also revealed the announcement of the host cities has been brought forward several months, to October 2012, in order to give the world’s largest country more time to prepare for the 32-team soccer extravaganza.

“After the (outer) Moscow region dropped out last month we still have 13 candidate cities and a total of 15 stadiums,” Mutko, who is also a member of FIFA’s executive board, told reporters following a joint meeting of LOC and FIFA officials. “In the next few months we will choose 12 stadiums in 11 cities that would host the tournament.” Mutko declined to name the favorites.

“Every city, be it Moscow (the largest) or Saransk (the smallest) has an equal chance to be selected,” he said. “And no city is guaranteed a World Cup status if it’s not ready. Everything must be first class: the stadium, the airport, hotels, roads, all the infrastructure.”

FIFA’s secretary general Jerome Valcke was asked about specific problems facing the Russian organisers. “Honestly speaking, we are more concerned with

(2014 World Cup hosts) Brazil at the moment,” he said.

“I’ve only been to two Russian cities: Moscow and Saransk. The first issue in Moscow is traffic-it’s a nightmare. “But we’re talking about 2018 so we have time to try to solve all the problems.”

The Russians are building 11 of the 12 World Cup arenas from scratch but Mutko said several of the stadiums should be ready in a year or two.

“St Petersburg should have a brand new 69,000-seat stadium by the end of 2012 while Kazan will open its 45,000seat arena in early 2013,” he said. “And the Sochi stadium will host the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics so it should be ready on time.”

Mutko also disputed the cost of renovation at Moscow’s 84,000-seat Luzhniki Olympic stadium, which would likely host the World Cup final and one of the semi-finals.

Asked if the price of 40 billion roubles ($1.27 billion) was justified, he snapped back: “40 billion? It’s way too much, you could build two stadiums for that money.

“I think a new Wembley only cost 30 billion. I think whoever gave this figure must have had other things in mind,” said Mutko, who is also Russia’s Sports Minister. —Reuters

BEIRUT: Lebanon conceded a late own goal to draw 2-2 with Kuwait in the third-round of the Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup yesterday.

Lebanon started well when Hassan Maatouk scored after 15 minutes at the Sports City Stadium only for Kuwait’s Musaed Neda to level in the 50th minute.

The hosts took the lead again in the 86th after being awarded a penalty, which Maatouk converted for his second goal. But Mahmoud Younes allowed the Kuwaitis to come away with a point after scoring into his own net only two minutes later. Kuwait is second in Group B with five points and Lebanon has four points. UAE is winless through three games to sit last.

Iran 6 Bahrain 0 In Tehran, Iran thrashed 10-man Bahrain 60 yesterday to go top of Group E in third round Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Bahrain was reduced to 10 men after just 43 seconds when defender Rashid al-Hoti was shown a straight red card for his tackle on midfielder Andranik Teimourian.

Iran took advantage of the superior numbers from the 22nd minute when defender Jalal Hosseini scored from a rebound.

The hosts were ahead 3-0 by the break after midfielder Mojtaba Jabbari scored from a right-footed shot inside the box in the 34th.

Defender Hadi Aghili then headed home a corner in the 42nd. Midfielder Andranik Teimourian sent a 61st-minute shot from outside the area into the top corner of goal to open Iran’s second half burst. Striker Karim Ansarifard scored from close range in 75th before fellow substitute Gholamreza Rezaei headed in the last with seven minutes to play at the Azadi Stadium, where the match was played without incident after FIFA had appointed a security expert for the “high risk” game.

Iran leads Group E with seven points from three games. Qatar is second with five points after beating Indonesia 3-2. Bahrain has four points and winless Indonesia is last.

Japan 8 Tajikistan 0 In Osaka, Japan took their recent frustrations out on Tajikistan by thrashing the former Soviet republic 8-0 yesterday to seize top spot in their 2014 World Cup qualifying group.

Mike Havenaar, Shinji Okazaki and midfielder Shinji Kagawa scored two apiece in Osaka as hapless Tajikistan suffered a backlash from Japan’s recent dip in form.

“We knew we were expected to win but it felt good to win in such emphatic fashion,” Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said in a pitchside interview. “We expect goals from Shinji (Kagawa) and Okazaki but Havenaar deserves a mention too. All the players stepped up tonight and performed very well.”

Beanpole striker Havenaar opened the scoring after 11 minutes with a bullet header, his first goal for Japan throwing the floodgates open.

Okazaki and Yuichi Komano then found the net before an audacious flick from midfielder Kagawa made it 4-0 just before halftime.

Japan had struggled in their first two Asian Group C qualifiers, scraping past North Korea 1-0 at home after an injury-time goal and escaping with a lucky 1-1 draw inUzbekistan.

Jordan 3 Singapore 0 In Singapore, Jordan outclassed Singapore 3-0 yesterday to remain undefeated in thirdround Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Striker Abdallah Deeb opened the scoring for Jordan in the 11th minute when he headed in a cross from about 10 yards.

Anas Bani Yaseen and Ahmad Hayel added second-half goals for Jordan in front of about 4,000 fans at Jalan Besar Stadium. With its third victory in as many matches, Jordan leads Group A with nine points. Singapore has yet to earn a point in the third round of qualifiers, losing earlier to China and Iraq.

Thailand 0 Saudi Arabia 0 In Bangkok, Thailand held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw yesterday to maintain second place in Group D in the third round of Asian qualifying for the World Cup. Saudi Arabia had beat-

en Thailand in 11 of their 12 previous matches, but could find no way past a strong defense orchestrated by German coach Winfried Schaefer.

Thailand goalkeeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool made several sharp saves, while the hosts’ best chance fell to captain Datsakorn Thonglao, whose 73rd-minute freekick flew over the bar.

Thailand is two points ahead of Saudi Arabia after three games. Australia leads the

1-0 away win over China in Asian World Cup qualifying yesterday. The victory in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen gives Iraq six points in Group A, three points behind leader Jordan. China has three points while Singapore is last with zero points after Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Jordan.

Led by veteran captain Li Weifeng, China came out attacking in the first half, with two excellent chances in the 32nd minute. Iraq seized its chance on the counterattack, with

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hassan Maatouk (left) fights for the ball with Kuwait’s Fahed Awad (right) during their 2014 World Cup Asian qualifiers soccer match. —AP group by five points after three wins from three games and is already on the verge of qualification for the fourth round.

Australia 3 Oman 0 In Sydney, midfielder Brett Holman scored in the eighth minute yesterday to set Australia on the way to a 3-0 win over underdogs Oman that leaves the Socceroos in a strong position to advance to the fourth round of Asian qualifying for the World Cup. Josh Kennedy, with his eighth goal in his last five internationals, scored Australia’s second goal in the 65th minute and Mile Jedinak completed the scoring with five minutes left.

The win gives Australia maximum points from its first three matches and a six-point lead over second-place Thailand, which has played two matches. “That was the target, we had a good win on Friday and we wanted another,” Australia captain Lucas Neill said. “It will give us a lot of confidence with one foot in the next round.” Osieck said there was room for improvement. “I’m happy but not satisfied,” he said. The Socceroos play their next match in Muscat, Oman on Nov. 11, needing as little as one point from its final three matches to advance.

South Korea 2 UAE 1 In Suwon, Arsenal striker Park Chu-young scored his seventh goal in four games for South Korea as the hosts defeated the United Arab Emirates 2-1 yesterday in an Asian Group B qualifier for the 2014 World Cup. The Koreans have seven points from three games, while the UAE has lost three straight.

Seo Jung-jin, making his first full appearance for South Korea, threaded a pass through the middle of the UAE defense and Park rolled the ball past the goalkeeper from the edge of the area after 51 minutes. South Korea extended its lead after 64 minutes as Ismail Hamdan headed a Ki Sung-yung corner into his own net. Ismai Matar scored from close range in the 92nd minute for the visitors. South Korea travels to UAE for the next match in the group in November.

Iraq 1 China 0 In Beijing, Younis Mahmoud scored in the 45th minute to lead 10-man Iraq to a valuable

TEHRAN: Iran’s Anderanik Teymourrian (right) gets past Bahrain’s Hamad Rakea, during their soccer match in FIFA 2014 World Cup qualifier. —AP

Mahmoud passing to Mustafa Kareem before sprinting into the box to make the sliding shot.

China’s chances improved with the sending off of Basem Abbas for a second yellow card in the 64th minute, but it failed to convert its opportunities. It was China coach Jose Antonio Camacho’s second defeat in four matches since taking over in August as the Spaniard vies to qualify China for the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

With three qualifying matches still to play, Li called on players and fans to remain optimistic. “We won’t be giving up, we’ll be taking our opportunities as they come,” Li said.

Qatar 3 Indonesia 2 In Jakarta, Muhammed Razarak’s secondhalf goal led Qatar to a 3-2 victory at Indonesia yesterday in third-round Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Qatar went ahead in the 14th-minute through Abdulaziz Al Sulaiti before Cristian Gonzales canceled out the opener in the 26th.

Khalfan Ibrahim put the visitors ahead again in the 31st before Gonzales rallied the hosts again in the 35th with his second goal.

Razarak gave Qatar its first victory from three games in Group E after going clear to score the winner in the 59th at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Iran and Bahrain are ahead of Qatar, which now has three points.

Indonesia remains in last place without a victory from three games.

“If you defend like this it’s very hard to win a game,” Indonesia coach Wim Rijsbergen said.

“It’s good to see at least that we can score some goals.”

Uzbekistan 1 North Korea 0 In Pyongyang, Alexander Geynrikh scored the only goal of the game as Uzbekistan defeated North Korea 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier yesterday. The striker, who plays his club football for South Korea’s Suwon Bluewings, struck after 25 minutes to put Uzbekistan on top of Group C with seven points from three games.

With the top two teams progressing to the final round of qualification, North Korea, which qualified for the 2010 World Cup, is struggling on three points.

OSAKA: Tajikistan defender Davronjon Ergashev (6) battles with Japanese players during their soccer World Cup Asian qualifier. —AP

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Russia thrash Andorra, through to Euro 2012

PESCARA: Northern Ireland defender Ryan McGivern (left) and Italy forward Sebastian Giovinco challenge for the ball during their EURO 2012, Group C soccer match.—AP

Italy blank N Ireland PESCARA: Antonio Cassano scored twice and Italy defeated Northern Ireland 3-0 yesterday to conclude its European Championship qualifying campaign unbeaten.

Cassano put Italy ahead in the eighth minute with a splendid volley following a long pass from Daniele De Rossi, then doubled the lead with a well-placed low shot from the edge of the area in the 53rd. Northern Ireland defender Gareth McAuley then scored an own goal in the 74th by redirecting a pass from Federico Balzaretti. Italy, which had already qualified for next year’s tournament, finished with 26 points atop Group C. Northern Ireland, which was already eliminated, finished next to last in the group with nine points.

Nigel Worthington announced on Monday that this would be his final match as Northern Ireland coach, thus ending his 41/2-year stint with the national team.

Before kickoff, Italy honored its four players with more than 100 caps: current goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who was making his 110th appearance; retired goalkeeper Dino Zoff (112), former defender Paolo Maldini (126) and recordholder Fabio Cannavaro (136).

Italy will next face Euro 2012 co-host Poland and Copa America champion Uruguay in friendlies Nov. 11 and 15, while Northern Ireland isn’t slated to play again until February, giving the Irish FA plenty of time to find a replacement for Worthington.—AP

MOSCOW: Russia comfortably clinched their place at the Euro 2012 finals with a 6-0 win over qualifying Group B minnows Andorra here yesterday.

“I’m proud of my team as we were the better team today and in the entire qualifying campaign,” Russia’s manager Dick Advocaat said.

“It was a really impressive performance tonight.

Now we need to prepare the best possible way for the finals.” Alan Dzagoev netted a double, while Sergei Ignashevich, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Denis Glushakov and substitute Diniyar Bilyaletdinov also scored as Advocaat’s men sealed first place in the group with 23 points, two more than runners up the Republic of Ireland, who beat Armenia 2-1.

“We are happy as we fulfilled our promise and thrashed Andorra in the last qualifier,” the hero of the match Dzagoev said. “It was great, an unbelievable feeling to play in front of 55,000-crowd of our fans.” “We achieved our main goal so far winning the final stage berth automatically. I believe next year we will perform even better.”

Russia’s win in Slovakia on Friday meant they needed only a point at home to a side they had been beaten in all five previous meetings, and who had lost every single qualifier so far.

The hosts’ intent was clear from the start, and CSKA Moscow’s Dzagoev put them ahead in the fifth minute when he fired home a rebound from just inside the area after Andorran ‘keeper Jose Gomes had failed to fully clear an Arshavin corner.

Vasili Berezutski then saw an effort disallowed for handball before Ignashevich made it 2-0 with a header from six yards following an Arshavin freekick. Captain Arshavin was having a field-day, and he set up Topttenham striker Pavlyuchenko to make it 3-0 from close range just before the halfhour mark.

There was still time for Dzagoev to make it 4-0 before the interval with his second of the evening, and Glushakov, of Lokomotiv Moscow, headed in a Roman Shishkin cross to make it five in the secondhalf with his first international goal.

Bilyaletdinov then came off the bench to complete the scoring in the 78th minute with a powerful long-range strike as the Euro 2008 semi-finalists sealed their spot at next summer’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Skipper Arshavin also expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance yesterday. “Everything went well and our way tonight,” Arshavin said. “We scored an early opener and it was the decisive moment for today’s win.”

“In the later stages we experienced few problems and tried to score as many goals as possible.

No doubt it was Russia’s evening.”

Greece 2 Georgia 1 In Tiblisi, Greece reached its third straight European Championship yesterday after substitute Giorgos Fotakis and veteran Angelos Charisteas scored late goals to secure a 2-1 win over Georgia in their final qualifier.

Fotakis blasted a shot past Georgia goalkeeper Nukri Revishvili from outside the area in the 79th minute to equalize and Charisteas added the win-

ner six minutes later. A draw had been enough to put Greece through.

David Targamadze had put the Georgians ahead in the 19th minute with a pinpoint free kick that bounced past Greek goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas. Targamadze was then injured and carried off the pitch after coach Temuri Ketsbaia had made all three substitutions, leaving his team with 10 men for the last 20 minutes. The Greeks clung to their Group F lead, with second-placed Croatia beating Latvia 2-0 at home.

Macedonia 1 Slovakia 1 In Skopje, Nikolce Noveski scored a late equalizer for Macedonia to draw 1-1 with Slovakia yesterday in a matchup of teams already eliminated from

chest.

Ireland took full advantage, going ahead in the 42nd through Valeri Aleksanyan’s own goal before center back Richard Dunne added a second in the 59th.

Henrik Mkhitaryan replied two minutes later for Armenia, which would have finished runner-up in Group B with a win in Dublin, before Ireland striker Kevin Doyle was shown a second yellow card in the 80th.

The victory wasn’t enough for the Irish to top the group because Russia beat Andorra 6-0, maintaining its two-point lead.

Armenia was attempting to reach the finals of a major tournament for the first time but its hopes virtually disappeared when Spanish referee

MOSCOW: Russia’s Vasili Berezutski (right) heads a ball against Andorra’s Sebastian Gomez during their Euro 2012 Group B qualifying soccer match.—AP Euro 2012 qualifying.

Slovakia led after 54 minutes when Juraj Piroska took advantage of defender Aleksandar Lazevski’s error to score.

Macedonia captain Noveski headed Ivan Trickovski’s corner past Slovak goalkeeper Jan Mucha for the 79th minute equalizer/ Russia beat Andorra 6-0 on Tuesday to qualify automatically for next year’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine as Group B winner. Ireland beat Armenia 2-1 to secure the group’s playoff spot.

Ireland 2 Armenia 1 In Dublin, Ireland qualified for the playoffs for next year’s European Championship after capitalizing on Armenia goalkeeper Roman Berezovski’s disputed sending-off to win 2-1 at home yesterday.

Berezovski was red-carded in the 26th minute for handling an attempted lob by Ireland striker Simon Cox outside his area, although television replays suggested the ball hit the goalkeeper’s

Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez sent Berezovski off.

In addition to the fact that Berezovski may not have touched the ball with his arm, Gonzalez should have whistled moments earlier because Cox had controlled the long through ball from Glenn Whelan with his outstretched right arm.

Ireland was on the wrong end of a referee’s handball decision two years ago in a qualification playoff against France for the 2010 World Cup. Czechs 4 Lithuania 1 In Kaunas, the Czech Republic clinched a spot in the playoffs for the European Championship after Jan Razek and Michail Kadlec both scored twice Tuesday to secure a 4-1 over Lithuania in their final qualifier.

The victory means the Czechs finished second in Group I behind Spain to advance to a playoff for a spot in next year’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine. Scotland finished third in the group after losing 3-1 to Spain yesterday.—Agencies

Spain crush Scotland’s play-off hopes PARIS: France’s Jeremy Menez (left) and Bosnia’s Senad Lulic (right) challenge for the ball during a Euro 2012 Group D qualifying soccer match.—AP

Nasri rescues fragile France PARIS: A second-half penalty by Samir Nasri rescued a 1-1 draw for France at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina yesterday that sent Laurent Blanc’s side to Euro 2012 after a tense night at Stade de France.

France required just a point to top qualifying Group D, but they appeared paralysed by nerves in the first half and fell behind shortly before half-time to a fine goal from Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko.

Already assured of a play-off place, Bosnia had played with nerveless intent but their resistance finally buckled in the 78th minute when Dzeko’s City teammate Nasri scored from the spot after he had been felled by Emir Spahic.

The win allowed France to avoid the trap they fell into in 1993, when a 3-2 defeat by Bulgaria denied them a place at the 1994 World Cup, and means Blanc can continue his rebuilding work in Poland and Ukraine next summer.

“The match was difficult. It was what we expected,” admitted Blanc. “But it’s true that, even though we were poor for 45 minutes, Bosnia played very well. They were assured and showed good technical control. Their players caused us lots of problems. “It was tough and it was tense.

But in the end, it’s a huge satisfaction to be qualified for the Euro.”

Seeking to qualify for their first ever major tournament, Bosnia had pledged to take the game to France and they were true to their word in a first half that was the worst of Blanc’s tenure as France coach to date.

Careless in possession and inattentive in defence, France’s players seemed cowed by the occasion and allowed Bosnia to put them under pressure repeatedly.

Senad Lulic found the side netting after charging down an Anthony Reveillere clearance, while Dzeko tested Hugo Lloris at his near post before blazing wide after being sent clean through

by Miralem Pjanic.

France’s only opening of note saw Loic

Remy over-run the ball with the goal in sight but Bosnia were stroking the ball around with insouciant disregard for the hosts’ anxiety and in the 40th minute they took the lead.

Sasa Papac caught the French defence napping with a quick free-kick to Dzeko, who rolled his marker and bent an exquisite shot inside Lloris’ left-hand post from the edge of the penalty area.

Florent Malouda announced France’s second-half intent by marauding down the left flank and firing a cross across goal but there was no change in their fortunes and Blanc responded by introducing Kevin Gameiro and Mar vin Martin.

Martin drew a save from substitute Bosnia goalkeeper Asmir Begovic with a low free-kick before Nasri almost went one better from similar range, only for his arcing set-piece to be touched onto the crossbar by the Stoke keeper. The pressure was mounting on the Bosnian goal and with 12 minutes remaining it finally told.

Nasri showed dogged determination to rob Spahic inside the Bosnia box and when the former Montpellier defender brought him down, Scottish referee Craig Thomson had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

The City midfielder made no mistake from 12 yards, slamming a crisp strike into the bottom-left corner to a roar of delight and relief from the home support.

The hosts even came close to a winner in the last five minutes, but Gameiro could not get a touch to Jeremy Menez’s low cross from the left. Fortunately for France, it mattered not.

“I’m particularly sad for my players,” said Bosnia coach Safet Susic, whose side will learn their play-off opponents on Thursday. “I think they played a great match. They controlled the match for around 60 minutes before their physical level fell away. “I hope we’ll get more chance in the play-offs. I think my team deserves a place at Euro 2012.”—AFP

ALICANTE: A night that promised much drama ended in disappointment for Scotland as a 3-1 defeat in Spain left them third in Group I and denied them a chance of a place in the Euro 2012 play-offs.

Two first half goals from Manchester City’s David Silva and a David Villa strike were enough for Spain who top the group with a 100 percent record from eight matches.

Scotland’s consolation came from a David Goodwillie penalty on 64 minutes after Victor Valdes had tripped Steven Naismith.

With Scotland’s nearest rivals the Czech Republic winning 4-1 in Lithuania in a game played at the same time, Scotland needed an unlikely victory to keep their qualification hopes alive. The home team were determined to show why they are reigning European and World Champions and settled into their passing game straight from kick-off, indeed it was two minutes before a Scottish player touched the ball.

As early as five minutes Spain were ahead.

Valencia’s Jordi Alba, on his debut, found space on the left wing to centre for Silva who finished crisply first time inside the near post.

And by the 15th minute when the Czechs were two goals up in Lithuania, one a penalty awarded by a Spanish referee, it was clear Scotland were going to get little from their trip to Alicante.

Indeed so complete was Spain’s dominance, it wasn’t until the 19th minute that they conceded a foul.

On 34 minutes Darren Fletcher came close for Scotland with a left footed shot and when four minutes later James Morrison shot high from a wide left position Scottish hopes were momentarily revived.

The Spanish however continued to create and Allan McGregor in Scotland’s goal had to

make a great outstretched save on 41 minutes from Santi Cazorla.

Three minutes later he could do nothing when Silva cut in from the right wing, exchanged passes with Pedro Rodriguez, and shot into the left hand corner to send the Scots in needing a second half miracle.

On 53 minutes Cazorla, Silva and Xavi Hernandez linked up delightfully on the right to find Villa in space in the Scottish area and the Barcelona striker easily slotted away his 50th goal in international football.

Scotland continued to toil and created more in the second half with substitute Goodwillie in particular providing some much needed spark in attack.

A fine performance from McGregor at the other end meant Spain were not to add to their tally, but 3,000 Scottish fans in the stadium and thousands more who travelled to the Spanish coast were left to wonder when their team would qualify again for their first major tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France.

Kazakhstan 0 Austria 0 In Almaty, A disallowed goal in added time denied Austria victory over Kazakhstan as both sides fought out a 0-0 draw in their final Euro 2012 Group A qualifier yesterday.

Austrian captain Marc Janko was flagged offside as he forced the ball over the line in the first minute of added time in a second half shaded by hosts Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan came closest to breaking the stalemate when Sergei Ostapenko hit the crossbar with a close -range header in the 74th minute. Ten minutes later, Austrian goalkeeper Pascal Gruenwald turned a shot from Marat Khairullin around the post.

Marko Arnautovic squandered Austria’s best

ALICANTE: Spain’s Carles Puyol (left) duels for the ball with Scotland’s Craig Mackail-Smith (right) during their Group I, UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying soccer match. —AP

chance early in the second half, shooting wide of the near post after breaking through the inside left channel.

Austria finish in fourth place on 12 points with Kazakhstan bottom on four. Germany have qualified automatically and second spot is being contested by Belgium and Turkey.

Israel 2 Malta 0 In Ta’ qali, Israel ended their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign on a positive note with a 2-0 win over bottom side Malta 2-0 yesterday.

Only pride was at stake as neither team was in contention for a top-two finish in Group F and possible qualification for the finals but Israel put their disappointment aside to ensure a winning finale in what was probably Luis Fernandez’s final game in charge.

Victory secured Israel third place in the group with 16 points, behind Croatia and group winners Greece, with Malta propping up the table with one point. Malta made a good start but Israel halted the hosts’ momentum by taking 10th minute lead.

After going close with a rising effort, Lior Refaelov fired Israel ahead with a close-range finish after receiving from the overlapping Talb Tawatha.

Israel dominated and should have doubled their lead five minutes into the second half when Sahar, left completely unmarked, sped into the box but his effort was kept out by Hogg and he headed the rebound against the bar.

Gareth Sciberras headed against the bar for the visitors 18 minutes from time but Israel settled it in stoppage time with a Rami Gershon dipping backheader.

Wales 1 Bulgaria 0 In Sofia, Gareth Bale scored the only goal as improving Wales beat Bulgaria 1-0 in an almost deserted Vasil Levski stadium in Euro 2012 qualifying yesterday.

Bulgaria finished bottom of Group G with five points from eight games while Wales were one place higher on nine. Wales lost their first four matches but ended on a high by winning three times in 40 days.

The lively Bale, who also hit the bar after the break, was on target in the dying seconds of the first half when his low drive from the edge of the box deflected off Ivan Ivanov and wrong-footed goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov.

The home side came closest to scoring five minutes from time when substitute Valeri Bojinov embarrassingly missed from close range.

“The truth is we can’t score goals,” captain Stilian Petrov told Bulgarian state television. “We create chances but we can’t score.

“Look at the stands, you see no one there.

That explains everything,” he added referring to an attendance of around 1,000. Bulgaria, who last won on home soil in October 2009, failed to score a single goal at home in the qualifying campaign. Midfielder Blagoy Georgiev, capped 46 times by Bulgaria, announced his international retirement.—Agencies

B’desh win Windies thriller

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

Lebanon gift Kuwait late goal in WCup qualifier

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US women win gymnastics gold in Tokyo Page 17

COPENHAGEN: Portugal’s Christiano Ronalo (center) vies with Denmark’s Michael Silberbauer (left) and William Kvist Jorgensen during the Group H Euro 2012 qualifying football match. —AP

Denmark edge Portugal to reach Euro 2012 COPENHAGEN: Denmark qualified for next year’s European Championship with a 2-1 victory over Portugal 2-1 yesterday.

The win means Denmark leapfrogged Portugal to finish atop Group H, while the Portuguese will have to go through a playoff for a spot in next year’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Goals by Michael Krohn-Dehli and Nicklas Bendtner put Denmark up 2-0 by the 63rd minute before Cristiano Ronaldo pulled one back with a free kick in injury time.

“It was fantastic,” Denmark coach Morten Olsen said. “All we maybe missed were a couple of more goals.” Denmark won Group H with 19 points, three better than both Portugal and Norway. While Norway beat Cyprus 3-1, Portugal advanced to the two-legged playoff due to a better goal difference.

The Danes started strongly with Krohn-Dehli scoring from the edge of the box after converting Christian Eriksen’s pass.

Portugal was under heavy pressure and didn’t manage a good scoring opportunity until the 37th minute when Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, who made a diving save. Nani then capped a Portuguese attack in the 43rd by sending a shot over goal.Bendtner, Dennis Rommedahl and Krohn-Delhi all had chances early on after the

restart before Sorensen was again diving to save a powerful shot by Nani in the 55th.

But Bendtner provided some comfort at the rain-soaked Parkden Stadium by scoring from Rommedahl’s cross.

Ronaldo pulled one back in the second minute of injury time for the Portuguese, who lost for the first time since Paulo Bento took over as Portugal coach last year.

Switzerland 2 Montenegro 0 In Basel, Switzerland ended its disappointing 2012 European Championship campaign with a 2-0 win yesterday against Montenegro, which had already advanced to next month’s playoffs.

Eren Derdiyok scored a fortunate 51st-minute opener and defender Stephan Lichtsteiner got his first international goal with a powerful shot in the 65th. Switzerland made Montenegro goalkeeper Mladen Bozovic save well from first-half efforts by Valon Behrami and Granit Xhaka, and three times when Admir Mehmedi threatened later.

Montenegro coach Branko Brnovic made sweeping changes from the lineup which drew 2-2 with group winner England last Friday, resting some players to avoid getting yellow cards that would trigger a suspension in the first leg of the playoffs.

Playing in its first European qualifying campaign, the Balkan republic is unseeded in the eight-team draw being conducted on Thursday in Krakow, Poland. Montenegro created its best first-half chance in the 14th, when Dejan Damjanovic’s crossshot was blocked by ‘keeper Diego Benaglio as Radomir Djalovic lurked in the goalmouth.

Derdiyok went close with a curling shot in the 32nd, then scored almost unintentionally soon after the break. The Bayer Leverkusen forward flicked a pass into the penalty area toward the surging Xhaka, who distracted Bozovic as the ball drifted past both into the net.

Djalovic broke clear two minutes later but his shot was blocked by Benaglio. Lichtsteiner finally scored in his 42nd national team appearance, taking Gokhan Inler’s pass in his stride to shoot rightfooted across Bozovic into the far corner of the net.

Norway 3 Cyprus1 In Oslo, Norway’s 3-1 victory over Cyprus yesterday wasn’t enough as it failed to qualify for next year’s European Championship after finishing third in Group H. Denmark’s 2-1 victory over Portugal ensured it finished top of the group with the Portuguese claiming second place and the playoff spot for next year’s tournament in Poland and

Germany end Belgian Euro 2012 dreams DUSSELDORF: Germany beat Belgium 3-1 here to complete their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a perfect ten wins from ten games and end the visitors hopes of reaching next year’s finals.

Mesut Ozil, Andre Schuerrle and Mario Gomez all scored for Joachim Loew’s side,

who will be one of the favourites to win the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine after taking 30 points in group A. In contrast, a talented young Belgian team-for whom Marouane Fellaini netted a late consolation-must now focus on reaching the next World Cup in Brazil

GERMANY: Belgian goalie Simon Mignolet cannot save the shot by Germany’s Mesut Oezil (not in the picture) during a Group A Euro 2012 qualifying match. —AP

after this defeat saw them finish in third place. Guus Hiddink’s Turkey will go into next month’s playoffs after snatching second place with a 1-0 home win against Azerbaijan.

Belgium started well at the Esprit Arena but never troubled Manuel Neuer in the German goal in the early stages. The first chance of note fell to Schuerrle, who sent a curling shot just wide of the far post midway through the first-half.

Belgium goalkeeper Simon Mignolet then raced off his line to deny Gomez, before the hosts took the lead half an hour in thanks to a sensational strike.

The visiting defence failed to fully clear a corner, and Real Madrid’s Ozil was on hand to thump home a shot off the underside of the bar from the edge of the box.

Belgium barely had time to regroup before they fell further behind three minutes later at the end of a devastating counter-attack. A Belgian corner was cleared to Ozil on the edge of his own area, and he headed the ball into the path of Gomez, who drove at the visiting defence before slipping in Schuerrle. —AFP

Ukraine.

Portugal and Norway finished tied on 16 points but the Portuguese advanced due to a better goal difference. Morten Gamst Pedersen put the Norwegians ahead after 25 minutes after heading in Espen Ruud’s corner. John Carew doubled Norway’s lead nine minutes later.

Ioannis Okkas scored Cyprus’ lone goal before the half and Tom Hogli added the Norwegians third at the Ullevaal Stadion in the 65th.

Croatia 2 Latvia 0 Zagreb, Croatia clinched at least a spot in the playoffs for next year’s European Championship by beating Latvia 2-0 yesterday in their final qualifier thanks to goals from Eduardo da Silva and Mario Mandzukic.

Croatia finished second in Group F behind Greece, which rallied late for a 2-1 victory over Georgia, but could qualify as best runner-up depending on results in the later games.

Croatia dominated from the start but was held scoreless through the first half, and Latvia nearly took the lead in the 59th when Artjoms Rudnevs was one-on-one with Stipe Pletikosa after a long solo run, but the Croatian goalkeeper made a great save. Eduardo then put Croatia ahead in the 66th,

taking a pass from Ivan Strinic and scoring with a powerful header. Mandzukic secured the win with another header in the 72nd after converting a perfect pass from Darjo Srna.

“We were hoping to go directly to Euro 2012 but still feel we will be there,” Srna said. “It was a good game today, even though it was not easy to kick back after the setback in Greece last Friday,” when Croatia lost 2-0.

Turkey 1 Azerbaijan 0 In Istanbul, Turkey secured a playoff spot for next year’s European Championship after Burak Yilmaz scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Azerbaijan in their final qualifier yesterday.

Turkey took advantage of Belgium’s 3-1 loss against group winner Germany to finish second in Group A with 17 points, two points ahead of the Belgians.

Turkey dominated the first half but rarely threatened to score, except for a couple of efforts by Real Madrid midfielder Hamit Altintop and a drive by Kazim Kazim that went narrowly wide in the 14th minute. Yilmaz finally gave Turkey the goal it needed in 60th, converting a perfect through ball by Galatasaray midfielder Selcuk Inan, who came on as a substitute just a minute earlier.

Sweden qualify for Euros STOCKHOLM: Sweden rallied to beat the Netherlands 3-2 yesterday to qualify for the European Championship. The Dutch unbeaten in qualifying before the match in Stockholm - had already won Group E and are also through to Euro 2012. The Swedes advanced as the best runner-up in the nine qualifying groups.

The Netherlands controlled the start of the match but it was the home side that scored in the 14th minute when a foul on Johan Elmander set up a Swedish free kick five meters from the penalty box. Kim Kallstrom took three short steps and elegantly curled the ball over the wall and into goalkeeper Michel Vorm’s left corner. The goal energized the Swedish team and the sellout crowd at Rasunda stadium for about 10 minutes before Klaas-Jan Huntelaar equalized in the 23rd, breaking away from the Swedish defense to head in a cross from Erik Pieters.

Ola Toivonen squandered a chance to put Sweden back in the lead when he shot high over the bar from close range in the 31st. Robin van Persie shot wide from the right flank as the Dutch gradually regained control of the match but struggled to create scoring chances.

Dirk Kuyt put the Netherlands in the lead just four minutes after the break, heading in a rebound from Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson.

But the Dutch invited Sweden back into the match just a minute later as Joris Mathijsen handled the ball inside the area, and Sebastian Larsson calmly converted from the penalty spot.

Toivonen’s powerful shot made it 3-2 for Sweden in the 53rd after the Dutch defense failed to clear Elmander’s cross Isaksson made a spectacular foot save on Huntelaar’s header in the 64th and the Dutch never came close after that

despite a barrage of corner kicks. Sweden had not won a competitive match against the Netherlands since 1924.

Ireland 2 Armenia 1 In Dublin, Ireland qualified for the playoffs for next year’s European Championship after capitalizing on Armenia goalkeeper Roman Berezovski’s disputed sending-off to win 2-1 at home yesterday.

Berezovski was red-carded in the 26th minute for handling an attempted lob by Ireland striker Simon Cox outside his area, although television replays suggested the ball hit the goalkeeper’s chest.

Ireland took full advantage, going ahead in the 42nd through Valeri Aleksanyan’s own goal before center back Richard Dunne added a second in the 59th.

Henrik Mkhitaryan replied two minutes later for Armenia, which would have finished runner-up in Group B with a win in Dublin, before Ireland striker Kevin Doyle was shown a second yellow card in the 80th.

The victory wasn’t enough for the Irish to top the group because Russia beat Andorra 6-0, maintaining its two-point lead. Armenia was attempting to reach the finals of a major tournament for the first time but its hopes virtually disappeared when Spanish referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez sent Berezovski off. In addition to the fact that Berezovski may not have touched the ball with his arm, Gonzalez should have whistled moments earlier because Cox had controlled the long through ball from Glenn Whelan with his outstretched right arm. Ireland was on the wrong end of a referee’s handball decision two years ago in a qualification playoff against France for the 2010 World Cup. —AP

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Citigroup Qatar appoints new CEO

Years

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LG launches innovative mouse scanner in Kuwait Page 23

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

Toyota Fortuner 2012 gets fresh facelift

Stocks soar on European pledge

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RIYADH: Saudi men inspect a Lamborghini at a luxury auto show, late on October 10, 2011. — AFP

Brent near $109 on Europe optimism Eyes on possible supply disruption from Kuwait strike SINGAPORE: Brent crude held near $109 yesterday on cautious optimism that European banks may avert a financial crisis after leaders promised a plan to resolve the region’s debt woes while a strike in OPEC member Kuwait threatened exports. World stocks and commodities markets rebounded on Monday, buoyed by the pledge from German and French leaders to come up with a plan by the end of the month to tackle Greece’s debt woes and recapitalize European banks.

November Brent crude futures edged down 24 cents to $108.71 a barrel by 0505 GMT. Prices closed at $108.95 on Monday, their

highest in two weeks. US November crude inched down 12 cents to $85.29 a barrel. Both contracts jumped nearly 3 percent on Monday.

“The market is a little bit optimistic over the European banking issue, but we still need to watch the situation carefully,” said Ken Hasegawa, a commodity sales manager at Newedge Japan. “This problem is not so easy to fix as it’s not only about Greece but also other countries. It may take years.”

West Texas Intermediate crude futures may trade between $85 and $90 a barrel by year end while a more rosy economic outlook in 2012 will lift prices to above $100, according

to Hasegawa. Brent will maintain a premium of $20 to $25 a barrel to WTI this year while the spread could narrow to between $10 and $20 next year, he said.

Investors remain cautious due to the lack of detail about the Franco-German plan, and the risk that a solution may be derailed by an event such as political deadlock in Slovakia, the one euro country that has yet to approve the EFSF expansion. “That momentum may be growing in favor of a solution,” analysts from MF Global said in a note. “That should benefit energy markets as it suggests that economic demand for energy will improve.”

Kuwait strike Oil investors were closely watching for any supply disruption from Kuwait after a strike by a customs union shut ports and halted vessel traffic. Kuwait is one of the top five OPEC producers and accounted for about 7.7 percent of the group’s overall crude output in 2010, Reuters data showed. “This will be a supportive factor for oil, but I don’t think it will be serious because it is still easy to get crude from other parts of the world,” Newedge’s Hasegawa said. Investors are also keeping an eye on oil inventories in the United States for demand cues in the world’s largest consumer.

Gold retreats on Slovak vote

MARSEILLE: Workers of Fralib factory (Unilever group) take part in a demonstration yesterday during a national day of protest against the government’s austerity package. —AFP

LONDON: Gold eased 1 percent yesterday, giving up some of the previous day’s gains, as stocks and the euro were pressured by waning optimism over a new plan to tackle euro zone debt, and ahead of a vote in Slovakia to ratify changes to the bloc’s rescue fund. The precious metal is still seeing good physical demand at lower prices, particularly from Asia, but some selling has also been seen above $1,670 an ounce, analysts said. Spot gold was down 1 percent at $1,659.09 an ounce at 0928 GMT. The metal rose more than 2 percent on Monday, helped by a retreat in the dollar, weakness in which, among other things, makes gold cheaper for other currency holders.

“Intraday, gold most of the time tracks currency moves. We’re seeing the euro under a bit of pressure today, which is dragging down gold,” said Standard Bank analyst Walter de Wet. “But we think if you take a six to 12 month view, gold will continue to trade inversely with risk, especially if it is driven by credit issues. If the solution seems biased towards creating more liquidity, that should push gold higher.”

The euro fell 0.5 percent versus the dollar yesterday, extending losses after Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said she will tie a ratification vote on the expansion of the euro zone’s EFSF rescue fund slated for later in the day to a confidence vote on her government. Three of the four parties in the right-of-centre government want to push through the mechanism aimed at preventing the Greek debt crisis from spiralling out of control but a fourth has threatened to vote against it.

Slovakia is the last member the 17-member bloc yet to vote on a deal agreed by its leaders in July. Markets were also wary over a pledge by French and German leaders to unveil a multifaceted plan by early November to address the debt crisis, which lifted markets on Monday.

“Yesterday’s (rise) in the single currency has all the hallmarks of a helium-induced rally,” said Michael Hewson, an analyst at CMC Markets. “(Its) effects will soon wear off once the markets realize that, for all the optimism yesterday, Merkel and Sarkozy will more than likely be unable to deliver, as on so many previous occasions, what they promised they would.” US gold

futures for December delivery were down $9.60 an ounce at $1,661.20.

Physical demand lends support Demand for physical gold, which picked up considerably as prices fell more than 20 percent from last month’s record highs above $1,920 an ounce, is continuing to support the precious metal, with Asian buyers particularly active in the market. Premiums for gold bars in Hong Kong stood at around $3 an ounce, their highest level since at least February, while the premium in Tokyo held at 50 cents, dealers said. Seasonal buying, particularly in main consumer India ahead of the Diwali festival of lights on October 26, should underpin gold prices, Swiss bank UBS said in a note.

“Over the last couple of years, the two weeks leading to Diwali brought overall buying that was consistently above average - even twice the weekly average - despite rising prices,” it said.

“Although day-to-day volumes will naturally show some degree of price sensitivity, as they have in previous years, this seasonal demand is an important underlying support for gold, as any dip in prices will likely encourage a buying spree.”

Doubts remained over the metal’s ability to recreate the stellar gains recorded earlier in the year, however. Prices remain up 17 percent since the end of December despite September’s retracement, their sharpest monthly drop in nearly three years. Societe Generale said it remains broadly bullish on the outlook for gold despite the recent retrenchment in its prices, but lowered its 2012 price forecast for the metal.

The bank now expects the 2012 gold price to average $2,175 per ounce, down from its previous outlook of $2,275 per ounce. The precious metal has averaged around $1,540 an ounce so far this year, Reuters data showed. Among other precious metals, silver was down 1.5 percent at $31.60 an ounce. The gold-silver ratio-the number of silver ounces needed to buy an ounce of gold-steadied at around 52.5 yesterday, off last week’s high of 54.6. Spot platinum was down 0.3 percent at $1,512.50 an ounce, while spot palladium was down 2.2 percent at $596.97 an ounce. —Reuters

“The US economic outlook is more healthy than Europe but it’s still a very mild recovery,” Hasegawa said. US commercial crude stockpiles probably rose last week as imports rebounded and refinery runs fell, a preliminary Reuters poll of analysts found on Monday.

Refinery capacity utilization is forecast to have slipped for a third week, with analysts expecting runs to have fallen by 0.85 percentage point last week. The decline is expected to come as some plants take units offline for maintenance between the end of the summer driving season and the rise in winter demand for heating oil. — Reuters

Saudi approves rail connecting east, west coasts JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia approved plans to build a freight and passenger railway connecting its western port of Jeddah with the eastern ports of Dammam and Jubail, president of the Saudi Railway Organization said in an statement yesterday. The 950 kilometer railway project, which is estimated to cost $10 billion and will pass through Riyadh, was shelved after the financial crisis.

“This project will transport containers to the local and neighboring gulf markets as a main activity... which will lower the cost for transporting goods,” Saudi Railway Organization President Abdul Aziz Al-Hokail said, adding that it will also transport passengers.

The rail line will connect the Red Sea port city of Jeddah to the capital Riyadh, where it will connect to an existing network between Riyadh and Dammam. The Saudi cabinet approved the funding from the state-run Public Investment Fund and will solicit bids to build out infrastructure, according to a statement on the state news agency.

The land-bridge project was originally offered as a Build Operate Transfer tender in 2007 but it was shelved for further study. Kuwaiti logistics firm Agility entered a consortium in 2007 with US firm KBR Inc and General Electric to bid for the project, which was then estimated to be cost around $6 billion. Other firms that tendered bids in 2007 include Japan’s Mitsui & Co and Germany’s Siemens as well as Korea’s Samsung Engineering and Construction.

The rail project is one of three main projects Saudi Arabia is planning to upgrade its transportation infrastructure. A high-speed (Haramain) railway linking Islam’s holiest sites in Mecca and Medina to Jeddah is currently under construction. Saudi Railway Organization is studying bids for the second and final phase of the Haramain railway which includes construction of the railway tracks, installation of signal systems and telecommunications as well as procurement of rolling stock equipment. The third rail project is the 2,400km north-south railway, which would be the kingdom’s longest railway project, also financed

by PIF. — Reuters

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Emirates NBD takes over Dubai Bank Acquisition ‘to enhance banking sector’ DUBAI: Emirates NBD Bank, the largest lender in the United Arab Emirates, has taken over the troubled Islamic lender Dubai Bank on orders of the ruler of Dubai, a government statement said yesterday. “Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, in his capacity as the ruler of Dubai, has given orders that Emirates NBD take over Dubai Bank,” the state-

ment said. It said the acquisition is in “line with Dubai government efforts to enhance the banking sector in the Emirate (of Dubai),” which was hit hard by the global financial crisis. Dubai Bank was acquired in May by the debtladen government of Dubai, which pledged to inject capital into the troubled lender.

At the time, the government said the takeover would

ensure that Dubai Bank’s business continues uninterrupted. Dubai Bank posted a net loss of 290.6 million dirhams ($79.2 million) in 2009, the last financial results to be made public.

Before the takeover, Dubai Bank was jointly owned by Dubai Holding, with a 70 percent stake, and Emaar, Dubai’s main property corporation, with 30 percent. — AFP

Ford, Lincoln’s GCC sales shoot up 57% Izzat Dajani

Citigroup Qatar appoints new CEO DOHA: Citigroup announces the appointment of Izzat Dajani as the Chief Executive Officer for Citi Qatar, replacing Farhan Mahmood who has transferred within Citi as Head of Public Sector Group covering the Middle East. In his new capacity, Izzat will look after Citi’s operations in Qatar, which include diverse corporate and investment banking businesses covering top tier clients in Public and Private Sectors. He will also lead Citi’s push to deepen client coverage in the country.

Izzat is a seasoned banker with particular strength in Private Equity, Direct Investments, Advisory, private banking and Placements developed throughout twenty years with top financial and investment houses in the Middle East, Australia and East Asia.

He joins Citi from Goldman Sachs International where he had spent more than three years as Head of Key and Priority Clients in the Gulf, based in Dubai. Prior to this, Izzat held a number of senior positions with the Government of Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK) including Chief Executive of the Emirate’s Investment & Development Office, where he led most Investment, Corporate Finance, Advisory and Placement activities for the RAK Government.

A graduate of the Executive Management Program at Stanford University, Izzat also holds an MPA from Harvard University. He is a long-standing member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

“Citi’s footprint in Qatar is solid, and together with the Citi team on the ground, we will continue to provide the highest standards of banking service to our niche clients and to fulfill our role as an active member of the Qatari banking community,” remarked Izzat on his appointment.

Atiq Ur Rehman, Citi’s Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East, said: “Qatar is a key market for Citi, and we plan to further invest in the country. Izzat’s diverse experience and strong regional exposure positions him well for this important assignment.”

KUWAIT: Ford and Lincoln sales during the first nine months of the year posted a growth of 57 percent in the GCC over the same period last year. According to Ford Middle East’s managing director, more and more customers are choosing vehicles equipped with Ford’s latest technologies.

“Over the past few years, Ford has continuously set the industry benchmark, bringing high-end technologies to the mainstream market and raising the ownership experience to new levels,” said Larry Prein. “More and more customers are choosing Ford thanks to its strong new products, and this is helping us grow stronger and gain market share across the region.”

Speaking to the media during the company’s press conference at the opening of GITEX Technology Week, Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East’s director of Sales said: “Ford continues to grow in the GCC and this year the results have been outstanding.

Clearly, our customers realize the levels of quality, technology and value our new products offer and they are choosing Ford.” Ford is the official automotive partner of GITEX for the fourth consecutive year, this time featuring the all-new Ford Explorer. The mid-size SUV brings a new set of technologies to the scene, including the 4WD Terrain Management System, Active Park Assist, and the world’s first inflatable rear-seat belts and Curve Control.

“Ford set the tone on driver-assist technologies with the new Taurus two years ago, then the new Edge took driver connectivity to different dimensions last year, and now with the all-new Explorer, Ford takes customer expectations of a 4WD vehicle to different levels altogether. We are confident the new Explorer will capture the hearts and minds of GCC customers from day-one,” Murad added. In the sedans category, both Taurus and Fusion recorded tremendous

growth with the Ford flagship doubling its volume year to date, over the same period last year. The Fusion registered a 130 percent hike thanks to its growing appeal with the younger audiences, while the Ford Fiesta recorded a 120 percent increase in sales, followed by the Mustang with a 75 percent increase.

Sales of the new Edge crossover grew by 70 percent in the same period, while the F150 truck’s volume doubled. Both models were all-new for the 2011 model year featuring new powertrain and class exclusive technologies such as MyFord Touch and electric power assisted steering. On the capability side, Ford’s full-size SUV, the Expedition continued the growth momentum with a whopping 130 percent jump.

Two-digit growth was recorded across the GCC for Ford, with the UAE witnessing a 37 per cent increase year to date, while Saudi Arabia and Kuwait saw 74 per cent and 32 per cent increases, respectively.

Bahrain also saw a 53 per cent hike, while Qatar filed a 41 per cent increase, and Oman maintained an encouraging performance.

“Clearly Ford’s smart cars, crossovers and trucks continue winning over consumers in the marketplace,” said Prein. “Customers value the new technologies we’re bringing them. And this trend promises to continue well over the fourth quarter and beyond as our lineup gets richer with the introduction of innovative and dynamic products such as the all-new Ford Explorer which I trust customers will agree, sets the benchmark yet again for its category exactly as it did 20 years ago.”For those wanting to experience the all-new Explorer real-time, Ford will dedicate a special demo area in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre’s Plaza where visitors will have the opportunity to experience the intelligent four-wheel-drive and its innovative technologies.

DUBAI: Ford Middle East executives explain the all-new Ford Explorer to Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al-Maktoum.

Larry Prein, Managing Director (left) and Hussein Murad, Director of Sales, Ford, Middle East are pictured.

Qatar Airways committed to Scandinavia

OSLO: Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Al-Baker (centre) at a press conference in Oslo following the launch of the scheduled flights to Norway. He is flanked by the airline’s Vice President Commercial Europe Paul Johannes (left), and Country Manager Scandinavia, Finland and Baltic States, Gunter Saurwein.

OSLO: Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker has reinforced the strategic importance of the airline’s ongoing expansion in Scandinavia following its latest route launch to Oslo. The October 5 start-up of scheduled flights to Norway’s capital city complements the airline’s existing services to Stockholm and Copenhagen with the Gulf carrier now flying to three key points in Northern Europe. The new route promises to be a strong catalyst to enhance bilateral trade between Norway and the State of Qatar, and the Middle East in general.

There is significant Norwegian

private sector interest in Qatar. The world’s largest aluminium plant, Qatalum (Qatar Aluminium), is based in Qatar. The multi-million dollar joint venture is between Qatar Petroleum and the Norwegian company, Norsk Hydro.

“Public demand, huge tourism opportunities and our common trade interests in oil and gas played an important part in Qatar Airways’ decision to open up this new route between our Doha hub and Oslo,” said Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, speaking at a press conference in the Norwegian capital.

“Wiith many Norwegian companies having business interests in the

Gulf, we believe this new route will help fuel business even further.

More than 400 Norwegians reside in Qatar so now they have a great new direct route home. “Launching flights to Oslo is yet another example of our commitment to the Scandinavian market, boosting commercial and economic ties between the region and the Middle East and beyond. The route will clearly facilitate travel for Norwegian businessmen and holidaymakers who, for so long, have had very little travel options.

“We are confident that the Norwegian travelling public will welcome our new service, which

brings exciting holiday destinations such as Melbourne, Singapore, Bangkok, Cape Town, Bali, as well as vibrant business destinations such as Shanghai and Hong Kong closer to Norway through convenient and easy connections via Doha, avoiding the need to travel via congested European airports to get to their desired destination.” The expansion widens Qatar Airways’ reach in Scandinavia, cementing the carrier’s’ positioning in the Nordic countries. Doha - Oslo is served fivetimes-a-week by Qatar Airways, while Stockholm and Copenhagen are each operated daily non-stop from the Qatari capital.

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

.2730000 .4270000 .3720000 .3010000 .2650000 .2720000 .0040000 .0020000 .0746590 .7273790 .3810000 .0700000 .7130630 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2750000 GB Pound/KD .4294540 Euro .3747980 Swiss francs .3039510 Canadian dollars .2670680 Danish Kroner .0503580 Swedish Kroner .0412420 Australian dlr .2741480 Hong Kong dlr .0353390 Singapore dlr .2149280 Japanese yen .0035870 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0749010 Bahraini dinars .7297330 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0733530 Omani riyals .7145640 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.629 5.640 3.155 205.410 3.539 216.730 35.527 3.642 6.383 8.952 0.271 0.273

.2790000 .4380000 .3820000 .3130000 .2740000 .2810000 .0072500 .0035000 .0754090 .7346900 .4010000 .0760000 .7202300 .0072000 .0530000 .2771000 .4327330 .3776600 .3062720 .2691080 .0507420 .0415570 .2762410 .0356090 .2165690 .0036140 .0057020 .0025240 .0031810 .0036900 .0754730 .7353060 .3919380 .0739130 .7200210 .0064440

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 73.736 75.976 718.200 734.420 75.293

Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 49.500 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.286 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.265 Tunisian Dinar 194.920 Jordanian Dinar 390.480 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 185.500 Syrian Lier 5.969 Morocco Dirham 34.123 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 276.400 Euro 378.670 Sterling Pound 433.530 Canadian dollar 269.660 Turkish lire 151.290 Swiss Franc 307.110 Australian dollar 275.850 US Dollar Buying 275.200

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal

SELL CASH

278.900 734.700 3.870 272.200 542.600 36.700 50.800 167.800 48.310 381.000 36.190 5.850 0.032 0.238 0.240 3.700 392.200 0.187 90.940 46.100 4.250 220.200 1.700 48.600 717.560

308.000 5.600 9.140 75.220 276.200

Japanese Yen

3.66

3.62

Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee

3.683 5.606 2.507 3.528 3.166

3.705 5.930 2.600 4.200 3.220

UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

75.18 734.68 46.36 392.95 717.82 76.16 73.75

75.65 736.00 48.50 392.50 719.50 76.60 73.95

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 434.000 276.200

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

3.170 6.385 75.990 73.760 215.640 37.400 2.504 434.000

GOLD 1,724.170

10 Tola

GOLD 310.000 156.000 80.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

3.210 6.560 76.420 73.780 215.640 37.400 2.609 436.000 41.600 309.500 5.600 9.270 198.263 75.320 276.600 1.210

SELL DRAFT

277.400 734.700 3.663 270.700

215.600 46.356 379.500 36.040 5.640 0.032

390.480 0.186 90.940

717.380

276.150 269.460 432.895 378.990 305.790 732.170 75.160 75.800 73.600 388.715 46.348 2.502 5.657 3.164 3.668 6.379 677.373 3.695 9.030 5.815 3.620 91.730

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound

Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

278.18 271.63 309.65 378.90 434.50

276.200 3.170 5.660 2.520 3.675 6.420 75.300 73.810 734.300 46.285 437.100 3.190 1.550 392.400 5.750 382.400 273.900 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange

UAE Exchange Center WLL Currency

3.550 218.700

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

280.00 273.00 309.50 382.00 438.00

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

275.850 379.300 433.800 270.500 3.645 5.610 46.275 2.503 3.628 6.376 3.158 734.650 75.200 73.700

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EBRD to start Africa lending by mid-2012 Europe financial sector unlikely to help much

Jazeera Airways issues 2011 performance report FREEDOM TOWN: Jazeera Airways, the largest airline serving the Middle East from Kuwait, announced yesterday it has captured a higher market share on leading summer destinations in 2011 compared to its record performance of summer 2010. The results were part of the airline’s operational performance report for the 2011 summer season, which covered the months of June, July and August.

The report shows that the airline had grown its market share on the Beirut Route, the Luxor route, the Sharm El Sheikh route, the Jeddah route, and even the Damascus route despite the political unrest in Syria. The report highlights are as follows: Lebanon market share was 34%, up by 10% from summer 2010; Damascus market share was 49%, up by 20% from summer 2010; Luxor market share was 82%, up by 24% from summer 2010; Sharm El Sheikh market share was

68%, up by 17% from summer 2010; and Jeddah market share was 17%, up by 2% from summer 2010.

As for the newly launched Cairo route that was launched on May 18, the airline reported that it had captured a 30 percent market share by July. Jazeera Airways VP for Revenue Management and Network Planning, Martin Aeberli, said “We are glad to report higher market share on key summer routes. Even more so, we are especially excited about getting almost one third of the Cairo-Kuwait market with just 10 weeks of operation.

For that we have no one else to thank but our travelers for continuing to make Jazeera Airways part of their travel plans.”

The airline also reported it achieved an on-time performance of 90.2 percent and carried over 344,000 travelers during the summer season, bringing the total number of flown passengers for the year until August 31 to over 780,000 people.

LG launches innovative mouse scanner in Kuwait KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG) has announced the launch of a revolutionary product, the mouse with a built-in scanner. Incorporating technology specifically developed for the new device, the LSM-100 offers an array of unique functions that blend surprising innovation and user convenience.

Operating the LSM-100’s scanning function is far more convenient than on conventional scanners. While holding the Smart Scan button on the left side of the mouse, the user simply swipes the mouse over the material to be scanned. The scanned image can then be saved in a variety of file types - PNG, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PDF, XLS and DOC - or dragged and dropped into the desired application.

The LSM-100 is also equipped with LG’s Optical Character Recognition technology, which converts scanned text

into a Microsoft Word document that can then be edited and manipulated as the user sees fit. By eliminating the need to retype text from print media onto the screen, Optical Character Reader saves users a great deal of time.

The mouse’s compact size belies its big-sized capabilities. Because it’s not limited by a frame, the LSM-100 can scan page sizes up to A3, larger than most conventional portable scanners.

Additionally, the scanning technology itself has been upgraded to handle faster pass-over rates, meaning that scanning an A3 sheet can be done smoothly and quickly. The LSM-100 is also a top-end mouse. The laser sensor is accurate and durable, and the stylish design lends itself to easy, smooth motions as well as providing an ergonomic, comfortable grip. It is now available at all leading retail outlets.

UAE clears $11bn fed budget draft for 2012 DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates government approved a draft 2012 federal budget of 41.8 billion dirhams ($11.4 billion) yesterday, roughly the same as expected for this year, penciling in a tiny deficit, the state news agency WAM reported. Revenue is projected to reach 41.4 billion dirhams next year, WAM said.

That puts the budget shortfall of the world’s No. 4 oil exporter at 400 million dirhams, a mere 0.04 percent of its economic output, according to Reuters calculations.

Health, education and social services will be the key budget priorities, Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al-Maktoum said during yesterday’s cabinet meeting.

Some 1.6 billion dirhams should go on infrastructure projects next year, the WAM said. The federal budget accounts for roughly 11 percent of total government spending in the UAE, the world’s second largest Arab economy, with the most occurring at the level of individual emirates, mainly in oil-rich Abu Dhabi.

Oil receipts are not directly included in the federal budget but grants from Abu Dhabi made up almost a third of the total income in 2010, while enterprise profits and various fees accounted for 70

percent, finance ministry data show.

Fiscal policy is a key tool for UAE policymakers to steer the hydrocarbon-reliant economy. Its dirham currency is pegged to the US dollar.

The 2012 budget still needs to be discussed by the Federal National Council, a government advisory body with no legislative powers, before it is signed by the president. The cabinet also approved additional federal expenditures worth 698 million dirhams for 2011, including 144 million for the health ministry, the WAM said. The UAE, which has avoided social unrest rocking nearby Bahrain, Oman and Yemen this year, set its budget spending at 41 billion dirhams and revenue at 38 billion for 2011.

Analysts polled by Reuters in September forecast the UAE to book a consolidated fiscal surplus of 7.8 percent of GDP in 2011 thanks to robust crude prices of over $100 per barrel. The country does not publish consolidated fiscal data.

The Gulf Arab federation of seven emirates spent 39.6 billion dirhams from its federal budget in 2010, the least in three years, ending the year with a 207 million dirham surplus, or 0.02 percent of gross domestic product. — Reuters

ABU DHABI: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has started talks with North African governments and private firms on aiding the region, and aims to begin extending loans by the middle of next year, the bank’s chief economist said yesterday. The EBRD, an international lending institution which has focused on emerging European economies, announced last week that shareholder governments had backed the expansion of its mandate to North Africa. The bank is one of the tools the international community will use to supply aid to Arab governments and encourage them to pursue democratic reforms in the wake of this year’s Arab Spring political unrest.

“We hope to start investing by

the middle of next year,” Erik Berglof told Reuters in an interview. “This means we have to start building projects now.” He said the EBRD had up to 100 million euros ($135 million) to spend now on providing technical aid to Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan-for example, advice on establishing public-private partnerships to build infrastructure, or on increasing bank lending to smaller companies.

By next summer, the EBRD aims to have a fund in place to help finance projects in those countries, including privatizations and ventures to improve energy and water efficiency in the region. By 2014 or 2015, the EBRD expects to be providing about 2.5 billion euros of new lending from the fund each year, said Berglof, an academic by

training who has held his post at the bank for five years.

In contrast to its work in Eastern Europe after the fall of Communism, where unemployment was not so much of a problem, the EBRD will focus in North Africa on projects that create jobs for some of the millions of educated people who have been unable to enter the permanent workforce, he said. Berglof conceded that corruption in North Africa could prove a major obstacle to disbursing aid: “A lot of investors we couldn’t work with for integrity reasons.” But he said the EBRD’s experience with an explosion of corruption in postCommunist Eastern Europe would help it to handle this problem.

Outlook The EBRD plans in coming

weeks to publish its first forecasts for growth in North African economies. Berglof said the region was “very fragile”, because of the risk that national political tensions would continue for long periods, and also because of the weak global economy. “It can’t be ruled out” that a possible recession in Europe could cause North African economies to shrink, he said.

European banks helped to strengthen Eastern European economies with their investment and lending, but the euro zone financial crisis means this is unlikely to happen in North Africa, at least for now, Berglof said. “We thought of the financial sector in Europe as something which could play a role in the next few years.

We have to have more modest expectations.” — Reuters

Mazaya Qatar organizes blood drive As part of its corporate social responsibility program, Mazaya Qatar Real Estate Development Company (QSC) organized a blood donation drive for dozens of its own employees, as well as employees from neighboring companies, who responded positively to the blood donation call. The one-day drive, which was organized in collaboration with the Qatar Blood Donation Centre and the Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs: Development and Banking Department, and in cooperation with the Hamad Medical Corporation, took place from 10:30 am to 1:30pm on October 3, 2011 and experienced a good turnout.

A vehicle with the necessary medical equipment from the Qatar Centre for Blood Donation was used, and a professional medical team was on hand to offer assistance as well as medical advice to participants. Mazaya Qatar CEO Seraj Al-Baker, said, “The cultural dimension of Mazaya Qatar’s investment goes beyond conceptual profit, and is in line with the global trend to support humanitarian actions as it is the main foundation on which development requirements rely. As a leading real estate development company, and in light of Qatar’s commitment to supporting humanitarian initiatives, we are delighted to play an active role in activities such as this.”

“This campaign forms part of our efforts to support humanitarian activities that promote the principles of corporate social responsibility, and it received a tangible response from our staff, as well as employees of other companies in the building.

The turnout was good, and the assistance of the medical staff ensured a successful initiative. Mazaya Qatar will continue to organize, host and support initiatives that are in line with Qatar’s future humanitarian activities,” he concluded.

The campaign aimed to help reduce the burden laid on the shoulders of patients requiring blood transfusions, while at the same time encouraging blood donors to maintain healthy lifestyles. The volunteer donors from Mazaya Qatar employees and from the general public were eager to take part in this initiative and support such a worthy cause. The drive served not only to strengthen relationships between people, but also to forge and strengthen ties of friendship and solidarity between them.

Iran suspends China’s contract TEHRAN: Iran said yesterday it had suspended a contract with China’s National Petroleum Corporation International (CNPCI) for development of its North Pars gas field “until further notice,” an Iranian official told the semi-official Mehr news agency. “We will decide on the continuation of CNPCI activities in the North Pars gas field when they fulfil their commitments in Iran’s South Pars gas field, which is Iran’s first priority,” Mousa Souri, the managing director of Pars Oil and Gas Company, told Mehr.

Iran has the second biggest gas reserves in the world after Russia, but sanctions and other factors have slowed its development as a major exporter.

The offshore South Pars field, the world’s largest reservoir of gas, contains

about half of the estimated 28 trillion cubic meters of the countr y ’s gas reserves. South Pars is shared by Iran and Qatar. The Iranian part is divided into 24 phases.

Many foreign companies have been forced to pull out from the Islamic state’s energy sector due to the fear of sanctions. The Islamic state has previously warned the CNPCI that it will be replaced by domestic companies if it does not step up work on phase 11 of the giant South Pars gas field. Iran’s new Oil Minister, Rostam Qasemi, said earlier that the Islamic state had no need for foreign investment in its vital oil and gas industries. Tehran has recently excluded Russian energy giant Gazprom from a major oilfield project. —Reuters

Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co at KU KUWAIT: Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co, is pleased to be participating in the upcoming ‘German Week’ as part of the celebration of German Unification Day under the theme Germany: A leading World Player in Technology, Innovation, Science & Research. The German week activities will be from October 9-13, 2011.

This is an event which is being presented by German Embassy in Kuwait and Kuwait University. This project intends to present Germany as a leading world player in technology, innovation, science and research to the Kuwaiti academic sector and the Kuwaiti public in general. In addition, it will highlight the successful bilateral co-operation between Kuwait and Germany in various fields.

Through presentations, speeches, discussions and exhibitions, the ‘German Week’ will put the main focus not only on the economic and science sectors, but also on most recent regional aspects of political and social sciences.

Abdul R ahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co, is pleased to say that there will be a very special presentation by Prof Dr Bharat Balasubramanian, Vice President, Product Innovations & Process Technologies, Group Research & Advanced Engineering, Daimler AG, Stuttgart/Germany, on Monday October 10, 2011 about the ‘125 years Automotive I ndustr y in Germany - New developments in the German Automotive sector’.

Mercedes-Benz has always been on the forefront of automotive

innovations in the automotive industry. Some recent technologies which Mercedes-Benz has pioneered are: Pre-SAFE occupant safety system, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Distronic Plus and many others. The predominant focus of this technology has not only been in increasing safety of the driver and its occupants, but also of pedestrians and other vehicular traffic.

Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co, will be present at the Kuwait University Shuwaikh campus, near the main entrance to Sheik h Abdallah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Theatre.

Students from Kuwait University campus are welcome to visit the MercedesBenz car display and will have the opportunity to book a Test Drive of the latest sporty Mercedes-Benz Passenger cars. As Mercedes-Benz celebrates 125 years of innovation in the automotive industry, we welcome the future with exciting new products like MercedesBenz C- Coupe, the ground -breaking 4-door Coupe - The CLS with complete LED headlights technology , the stylish GLK and a perfect car for the Autumn season: The E-Class Cabriolet. For more information on MercedesBenz products and services in Kuwait, please visit us online at www.mercedes-benz.com.kw or become a friend on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MercedesBenzKuwait. You can also download the iPhone application for Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Company by searching for ‘MBKuwait’ in the Apple app store.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

business

KSE price index rises

Gulf markets mixed in muted trade

GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

MIDEAST STOCKS

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s stocks ended modestly higher yesterday. Sectors closed on mixed note with four out of the eight sectors gaining upward momentum. The market witnessed major gains in select stocks that helped major indices post marginal gains.

Market indices Global General Index (GGI) ended the day up by 0.19 percent, at 181.68 point. Market capitalization was also up for the day, reaching KD 29.62 billion. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,859 point, adding 11.40 points (0.19 percent) to its previous close.

P/E of 18.3x based on its 1H2010 annualized earnings, which is high compared to the sector’s P/E of 10.53x. Kuwait Cement Company and Equipment Holding Company were also up by 4.00 percent and 3.92 percent, respectively. On the other side of the spectrum, Metal & Recycling Company saw its share value depreciate by 6.45 percent, closing at KD 0.116.

International Financial Advisors (IFA) extended its gaining streak to four-sessions,

pany won a contract valued between $600 million to $700 million is not true. Global Services Index closed down by 0.31 percent as it did not get any suppor t from its other heavyweight telecom companies.

Food stocks spearheaded decliners yesterday, shedding 0.44 percent. Danah Al-Safat Foodstuff Company extended its losing streak for the second-session, losing 1.27 percent during the day. However, Kout Food Group slide was the steepest in the sector during the

Market breadth During the session, 109 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 45 equities advanced versus 29 that declined.

Daily trading activity Total volume traded was up by 23.57 percent with 237.94 million shares changing hands at a total value of KD 30.94 million (18.19 percent higher compared to Monday’s session). Investment sector was the volume leader, accounting for 34.80 percent of total shares exchanges. International Financial Advisors (IFA) was the session’s most traded stock with 21.44 million shares exchanged.

The same sector was the value leader, having 28.44 percent of total traded value.

Top gainers and biggest decliners In terms of top gainers, Kuwait Financial Center was the top gainer for the day, adding 9.09 percent to its share value and closing at KD 0.120. On the other hand, Kuwait National Cinema Company shed 8.93 percent and closed at KD 1.020, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors wise Sector wise, four out of the eight sectors managed to eke out gains. The Global Industrial Index led the pack of advancers, with a 1.92 percent climb. National Industries Group (Holding) was the biggest percentage advancer in the sector for the day, clocking 4.27 percent in gains. The scrip which closed the day at KD 0.244 is currently trading at a

with a 4.65 percent gain. The gain sent Global Investment Index higher, adding by 0.87 percent. Elsewhere in the investment sector, Kuwait Financial Center was the top gainer for the day, adding 9.09 percent to its share value and closing at KD 0.120. Earlier, the company announced the payment of $343.9 million coupon on its $100 million notes, due in 2012, representing the period commencing July 7, 2011 till October 7, 2011. The periodic distribution is based on a 3 Month Libor 0.24575 fixed on July 5, 2011.

Heavyweight Agility, which had performed robustly over the past four trading sessions, closed at KD 0.370, reporting a 3.90 percent slide after being suspended a day earlier for clarification reasons. The Kuwaiti storage and logistics provider, said a report that the com-

session. The scrip closed down by 6.25 percent at KD 0.375. Investors continued to shy away from insurance stocks. The sector did not witnessed any transaction.

Oil news Exportation of Kuwaiti crude oil and biproducts via the national ports to the international markets is proceeding as regular, the official spokesman of the oil sec tor announced yesterday. Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, also the Managing Director of the Government and Parliamentary Relations of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), assured the corporation clients about its keenness on securing their needs of the crude supplies and oil derivatives, according to the contracts.

DUBAI/CAIRO: Dubai-listed Emirates NBD’s shares slumped to a 25-week low yesterday after saying it will take over struggling Islamic lender Dubai Bank on orders by Dubai’s ruler, while Gulf markets were mixed in muted trade. ENBD fell 1.6 percent to its lowest close since April 20. “We need further information but it will definitely put some pressure on financial for Emirates NBD,” said Samer Al-Jaouni, General Manager of Middle East Financial Brokerage.

“Dubai Bank accumulated a lot of nonperforming loans. I couldn’t see advantages out of this acquisition, which is most likely a bailout,” he added. Dubai’s index slipped 0.1 percent to one point away from last week’s seven month low. In Kuwait, logistics firm Agility fell from Sunday’s four-month high after denying reports that it had won a military contract worth up to $700 million. Its shares, down 3.9 percent, resumed trading yesterday after a one-day suspension. The bourse halted trading in Agility after it rallying four straight sessions on rumors of a military contract. The main index rose 0.2 percent to close at its highest level since Sept 26. Mabanee Co gained 1.2 percent and National Industries Group rose 4.3 percent.

Elsewhere, Egypt’s benchmark index recouped some of Monday’s losses, pushed higher by Citadel Capital. Citadel jumped 6.3 percent as a foreign buyer bought more than 5 million shares in the private equity firm, traders said.

Analysts say the stock weakened after a 1 billion Egyptian pound ($167.6 million) rights issue was only partially subscribed.

Citadel launched a second-round rights issue on Monday. A roadshow by investment bank EFG-Hermes could have drummed up foreign interest in Citadel stock, traders said. “This roadshow may have resulted in some interest in the name.

Citadel’s been trading much lower than its enterprise value,” said a trader at CIBC brokerage. Among other gainers, Commercial International Bank climbed 1.5 percent and Orascom Construction jumped 6.4 percent.

Abu Dhabi’s property stocks weighed on the benchmark with Aldar Properties down 1.8 percent and Sorouh Real Estate slipping 2 percent. The benchmark shed 0.2 percent.

In Qatar, the index rose 0.8 percent at a 10day high with financial stocks the main support. Masraf Al-Rayan gained 1.2 percent, Doha Bank climbed 2.2 percent and Commercial Bank of Qatar advanced 1.3 percent. “Volumes are lower but still there is a belief of strong results coming from banks.

Institutionals are accumulating banks because of historic attractive cash dividends at year-end,” said Jaouni.

Petrochemical stock fell with Yanbu National Petrochemicals Company (YANSAB) down 1.3 percent after net profit more than doubled in the third quarter but still missed analyst expectations. Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Maaden) shed 1.8 percent as investors booked profits after the company swung to a third-quarter net profit of 27.4 million riyals ($7.3 million), but the results missed analyst forecasts.

Yesterday’s highlights Dubai The index slipped 0.1 percent to 1,388 points.

Kuwait The measure advanced 0.2 percent to 5,859 points.

Egypt The index rose 2 percent to 4,018 points.

Abu Dhabi The benchmark slipped 0.2 percent to 2,494 points.

Qatar The index advanced 0.8 percent to 8,353 points.

Saudi Arabia The index declined 0.3 percent to 6,118 points.

Oman The index fell 0.1 percent to 5,561 points.

Bahrain The measure climbed 0.2 percent to 1,156 points. — Reuters

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Stocks soar on European pledge NEW YORK: Just last week, a bear market seemed inevitable. Since then stocks have surged four out of the past five days, bringing the S&P 500 index up 8.7 percent. The latest jump came Monday after the leaders of France and Germany pledged to come up with a far-reaching solution to the region’s debt crisis by the end of the month. The Dow Jones industrial average soared 330 points, its biggest one-day gain since Aug 11. It has gained 7.3 percent over the past five days.

Bank of America Corp. jumped 6.4 percent, the most of the 30 stocks in the Dow. Sharp turnarounds in the market have become increasingly common. Starting in early August, the market entered a phase of extreme volatility as Europe’s debt crisis intensified and fears of another US recession emerged. Last Tuesday, the S&P 500 traded 20 percent below its recent peak in April. Had it closed

at or below that level, it would have met the definition of a bear market. Instead, the S&P began a rally that continued through Monday. The gains were extraordinarily broad; only 5 stocks in the S&P 500 index fell, and ten stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange.

As in many recent days, a good part of the increase came at the final minutes of trading. The Dow rose 100 points in the last half-hour. Analysts said the sudden moves aren’t likely to dissipate any time soon. “It’s probably going to continue to be a volatile period as people try to work things out and get some sense of where we’re heading in the future,” said Brian Lazorishak, a portfolio manager at Charlottesville, Va.based firm Chase Investment Council. “That volatility gets exacerbated by people trying to jump on positive news and negative news before anyone else.” “The

more we can put our arms around the problem with a little more detail, the better, and time frames usually help,” said Michael Sansoterra, a portfolio manager at Silvant Capital Management in Atlanta.

The Dow rose 330.06 points, or 3 percent, to close at 11,433.18. That’s the highest the index has been since Sept 16. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 39.43 or 3.4 percent, to 1,194.89. The Nasdaq composite index rose 86.70, or 3.4 percent, to 2,566.05.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Sunday they would finalize a comprehensive response to the debt crisis by the end of the month, including a plan to make sure European banks have adequate capital. Investors have been worried that European leaders weren’t moving quickly enough to contain the fallout from a default by Greece’s government. European markets rose and the

euro strengthened against the dollar. Investors were also relieved that troubled Franco-Belgian bank Dexia would be partially nationalized. Dexia needed to be rescued because it owns large amounts of government bonds of indebted countries like Greece and Italy.

European banks have become more reluctant to lend to each other, putting overextended banks like Dexia in danger. That prompted the European Central Bank last week to offer unlimited one year loans to the banks through 2013 to help give them access to credit.

Investors have been worried that a default by Greece could cause the value of Greek bonds held by those banks to plunge, hurting their balance sheets. US banks would also be affected if Greece goes through a messy default, since they own Greek bonds and also have close ties to European banks.—AP

Chicago street protests target financial industry Occupy Wall Street movement inspires protests CHICAGO: Thousands of protesters, including teachers and religious leaders, converged on downtown Chicago on Monday to rally against economic inequality, with two financial industry events in their crosshairs. Some demonstrators gathered outside a meeting of the Mortgage Bankers Association, while others came together near a luxury hotel where a US futures exchange trade association was holding a conference. The protests were inspired by, but not formally affiliated with, the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York last month.

Police estimated 3,000 protesters at the events organized by the “Stand Up Chicago” coalition, which includes teachers, trade union officials and religious leaders. The group said on its website that its goal was to reclaim “our jobs, our homes and our schools.”

Chanting “we are the 99 percent,” hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank.

They carried signs demanding “Liquidate the Fed” and “Repeal Bush tax cuts.” Another read: “I smell a general strike.” “We really want to highlight the role the financial industry has played,” said Adam Kader of “Arise Chicago,” an interfaith workers’ rights group that is part of the coalition. “They’re here in our backyard, so this is the time to send a message

chanted “Shame on you!” to members of the Futures Industry Association who peered out from a balcony of the Chicago Art Institute, where they attended a party.

NEW YORK: A protester affiliated with the “Occupy Wall Street” protests stands with a US dollar bill taped over his mouth in Zuccotti Park. — AP about how we’re really hurting.”

He said the demonstration would focus on foreclosures, unemployment and lack of municipal funding for key services. Police arrested 27 demonstrators, many wearing

Chicago Teachers Union T-shirts, who linked arms and sat down in the middle of the street as they chanted “Save our schools, save our homes!” One demonstrator faces a charge of battery on a police officer. Nearby, a crowd

More protests planned Several protesters each paid $2,245 to gain admission to the Mortgage Bankers Association event, organizers said. One protester got to a microphone during a panel discussion and asked Michael Heid, president of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, a top national mortgage lender: “How do you sleep at night?” MBA CEO David Stevens had warned Monday’s conference that protesters were expected at the hotel and advised attendees not to “engage or confront” the demonstrators. In a statement, the MBA said those attending its meeting in Chicago were focused on sustainable home ownership and ensuring access to affordable mortgage credit for qualified homeowners. “We all recognize that our industry faces a trust deficit with policymakers and the public, and that people in our industry contributed to the events that led to the financial crisis,” the Association said in a statement. More demonstrations were planned over the next three days. Other groups participating in the protests included the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.— Reuters

Leading Indians warn of threat to growth NEW DELHI: Leading Indian businessmen, economists and judges have warned that the country’s future prospects are threatened by “galloping corruption”, a stagnant legal system and lack of reform. In the latest sign of nervousness in India after years of rapid economic growth, the group of 14 influential figures wrote an open letter of complaint railing against the government’s inability to tackle major problems. The signatories, including the philanthropic founder of Wipro software giant Azim Premji, said that daily life in India was “vitiated by corruption in almost every sphere”.

“Several antiquated laws require urgent overhaul to reflect contemporary realities,” they said. “Land, judicial, electoral and police reforms are most urgently needed.” India has enjoyed an economic revolution since 1991 reforms, but recent signs suggest slowing growth amid high inflation, falling foreign investment and the uncertain global outlook.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Congress-led coalition government has been caught up in a series of graft scandals, and the culture of corruption among officials triggered angry nationwide protests in August. India’s Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has projected eight percent economic growth for this financial year, down from a forecast of nine percent, but many independent experts believe he may be overly optimistic. The letter, which was published in the press, warned that an anti-graft bill being drafted by parliament was “unlikely to have any significant impact on the day-to-day corruption which is insidious and demeaning”. It said bribes were demanded for every transaction from electricity connections to birth certificates, and added that Indian firms faced constant demands from officials for kickbacks and cash. Among the signatories were Keshub Mahindra, chairman of the eponymous carmaker, the former governor of India’s central bank Bimal Jalan, and senior retired judges. The letter said other key problems undermining India’s success are the courts, with a backlog of 31 million cases, and large investment projects being hit by delays or refused environmental clearance. — AFP

Toyota Fortuner 2012 gets fresh facelift KUWAIT: The luxurious, advanced and dynamic Toyota Fortuner has just received a facelift for 2012. The sevenseat SUV features the new front end that includes new headlights, bumper and grille, along with different tail lamps, rear bumper and wheels. The highly satisfying experience of driving the new Fortuner with two engine choices 4000cc - 6 Cylinder 4x4 - 235hp and 2700cc - 4 Cylinder - 158hp 4x2. Fortuner is also popular with car sales of the SUV market segment; it provides fresh leadership in SUV world.

Thoughtful rear design touches with newly designed rear end projector headlights are just stunning. The Fortuner 2012 is a genuine 4WD. Designed and built to deliver excellent driving performance both on and off road, added to that refined features that lets you fine-tune your quality of life. The roomy cabin is a multi-functional space that can be quickly rearranged

to accommodate changing combination of people and gear. Three rows of seats that accommodate up to seven adults. The powerful air-conditioning system gives control of the comfortable cabin climate, the rear cooler blower switch and vents for the second and third rows and they are integrated in the ceiling.

The sporty meter provides excellent visibility in varying light. The Toyota Fortuner 2012 is equipped with USB mini-jack enables a portable music player.

The Toyota Fortuner 2012 is designed with a luxurious wooden interior, New aluminum wheels and a spruced up interior with higher quality materials. A new instrument cluster and uprated equipment options also heighten its attractiveness.

Fortuner Specifications Available two engines: 4,000cc - 6 Cylinder - 235hp and 2700cc - 4 Cylinder - 158hp VVT-I (Variable Valve Timing - Intelligent) - Automatic transmission 5 Speed Fuel tank capacity = 80 Liters - ABS (Anti-lock brake system) - Remote Control - 2 SRS airbags - Fabric seats Fog Lamps - Side Step - Wooden dashboard - Alloy wheels 17 Inch - Rear spoiler - Automatic air-condition (Central) - Front & Rear Sensors - Cruise Control - 6 Speakers + CD player + AUX + USB

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Putin calls for compromise in China gas deal BEIJING: Russia’s prime minister called yesterday for compromise on a huge gas deal with China that has been mired in disagreements over pricing, after meeting his Chinese counterpart in Beijing. Vladimir Putin met Premier Wen Jiabao shortly after he arrived in Beijing for a two-day visit, his first foreign trip since he announced plans last month to reclaim the Russian presidency. Russia is the world’s largest energy producer, and plans to pump gas to China-the world’s top energy consumer-were expected to top the agenda for his visit, during which he will also meet President Hu Jintao. “As far as the as the economy and trade are concerned, issues of pragmatic nature are being resolved, and this is

good,” Putin told journalists after meeting Wen. “Those who sell always want to sell at a higher price, while those who buy, want to buy at a lower price. We need to reach a compromise which will satisfy both sides.” Russian gas giant Gazprom and China National Petroleum Company signed a framework agreement in 2009 that could eventually see almost 70 billion cubic metres of Russian gas sent to China annually for the next 30 years.

But talks have become bogged down in pricing disagreements, and Chinese state media has played down the prospect of any breakthrough on the long-delayed gas deal. Putin arrived in Beijing a day after Russia and

China signed 16 economic and trade deals worth over $7 billion, which China’s foreign ministry said were “in the fields of technology transfer, research and development and mineral development”.

It gave no further details of the agreements, which were signed at a summit Monday held ahead of Putin’s visit. China became Russia’s top trading partner for the first time last year and the two countries want to nearly double trade to $100 billion by 2015 and then to $200 billion by 2020. The Russian Prime Minister has paid frequent visits to China-where he is very well known-in his capacities as president and then prime minister since he took power in 1999. However, the

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says that China’s dependence on Russia for arms and energy imports has declined and Moscow’s position when dealing with Beijing has weakened as a result.

It pointed out in a report last week that China had found other partners in the oil and gas sectors in the Middle East, Africa or central Asia. Russia and China set much store by their bilateral ties and are often viewed as partners in international diplomacy. Both countries are veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council, and last week infuriated the West by blocking a UN resolution against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s deadly crackdown on protests. On

Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow and Beijing were ready to propose a new UN resolution on Syria that would condemn violence carried out both by al-Assad’s regime and the rebel opposition. But some experts say that in reality there is little trust between the two countries.

Russia’s security service the FSB revealed last week that it had been holding a Chinese national identified as Tong Shengyong for the past year on espionage charges linked to Russia’s S-300 surface-to-air missiles.

Neither the Kremlin nor Beijing, a major purchaser of Russian weapons, have issued any comment, in a possible attempt to sideline the issue ahead of Putin’s visit. — AFP

Economic downturn takes toll on oil demand: OPEC China, India curbing fuel consumption

NEW YORK: In this photo, specialist Joseph Dreyer (right) works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. — AP

Senate Republicans to kill Obama’s jobs bill WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama’s jobs bill, facing a critical test in the Senate, appears likely to die at the hands of Republicans opposed to stimulus spending and a tax surcharge on millionaires. Obama has been waging a campaign-style effort seeking to rally public support behind the $447 billion measure, which will be the subject of a Senate vote Tuesday. The plan combines payroll tax cuts for workers and businesses with $175 billion in spending on roads, school repairs and other infrastructure, as well as unemployment assistance and help to local governments to avoid layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police officers.

The key elements of the jobs package reprise parts of Obama’s $800 billion-plus 2009 stimulus measure and a Social Security payroll tax cut enacted last year. Unlike the controversial stimulus bill, the jobs measure would be financed by a 5.6 percent surcharge on income exceeding $1 million that raises more than $450 billion over a decade. In making the case for the bill, the White House cites economists like Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics, who predicts that the measure would add 2 percentage points of growth to the economy, add 1.9 million payroll jobs, and reduce unemployment by a percentage point.

But Republicans point to optimistic predictions about the 2009 measure that didn’t come to pass; unemployment hovers just above 9 percent nationwide.

Republicans say the 2009 stimulus measure was an expensive failure and that the current plan is just like it. The president has been struggling in opinion polls and his crusade for the measure has always been a long shot given that Republicans control the House and can filibuster at will in the Senate.

Obama has nonetheless pressed for the bitterly divided Congress to pass the measure in its entirety rather than seek compromise with his GOP rivals.

“This is not the time for the usual games or political gridlock in Washington,” Obama said in his weekend radio and Internet address. “Any senator out there who’s thinking about voting against this jobs bill needs to explain why they would oppose something that we know would improve our economic situation.” While Republicans backed the payroll tax cut last year and support elements like continued tax breaks for investments in business equipment, they’re adamantly opposed to further spending and say the tax surcharge would strike at small businesses, which, in total, employ more than 300,000 people.

“It’s not a jobs bill. In our view, it’s another stimulus bill,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Fox News last week. “I don’t think it’ll pass and I don’t think it should.” House GOP leaders say they won’t bring the measure to the floor.

Democratic unanimity is not assured.

Moderates like Sens. Ben Nelson, DNeb., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. - both are up for re-election next year in states where Obama figures to lose - may abandon the party, even as oil-state Democrats have been assuaged by a decision to get rid of an Obama proposal to have oil companies give up tax breaks Tuesday’s vote is on whether to cut off a GOP filibuster on a motion to simply begin debate on the measure.

Cutting off debate would require 60 votes. If Democrats fail as expected they control 53 votes in the 100-member Senate - it’ll start up a fresh wave of partisan finger-pointing. — AP

Philippines sees outsourcing boom MANILA: The Philippines outsourcing industry will grow strongly over the next five years despite global economic concerns and threats to its call centre sector, industry officials said yesterday. The industry is expecting to continue its rise from nothing 10 years ago to currently the world’s number-two player behind India with 600,000 workers, said Business Processing Association of the Philippines chief Alfredo Ayala. “It may slow down, but it’s still going to be double-digit growth,” Ayala told reporters at an outsourcing conference in Manila.

Blessed with an English-speaking work force, the industry expects outsourcing revenues to rise at least 15 percent each year to $20 billion by 2016, when it would employ 900,000 workers, Ayala said. He said the Philippines now accounted for 6-7 percent of the global market for all outsourced business services, second only to India’s 51 percent share. Business outsourcing covers a wide range of services, from call centers to accounting, legal work, health care and information technology.

In the call sector centre alone, the Philippines last year overtook India to have the world’s biggest industry in terms of revenues and workers, largely

on the back of catering to the United States and other English-speaking countries. Foreign experts told the conference call-centre jobs would eventually decline with computer software replacing humans in such things as attending to customer complaints over merchandise.

Gillian Joyce Virata, senior executive director for the business processing association, said call centers still accounted for about 65 percent of the overall outsourcing business in the Philippines. But she said the industry was preparing for the changes. “The trend will continue for non-voice (roles) to grow at a faster rate.

Back office, health care, creative services, and IT (information technology) are becoming quite attractive here,” she said.

Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo told the conference that the outsourcing sector was now one of the country’s economic pillars. He said the industry’s 2011 revenue target of 11 billion dollars would be equivalent to about 5.0 percent of the Philippines’ gross domestic product. “The contribution of this industry cannot be overstated. It’s really a very big help. It has provided a very big support to the economic environment of the Philippines in the past decade,” Domingo said. — AFP

LONDON: Oil producing group OPEC cut its global oil demand growth forecast for a fourth consecutive month yesterday, citing an economic downturn in developed countries and efforts by China and India to curb fuel consumption. “The economic downturn is taking its toll on the world oil demand,” OPEC said in its monthly report. “The decelerating US economy, high unemployment rate and feelings of uncertainty among consumers, has damped US oil demand. Similarly, debt problems in the euro zone are causing EU economies to lose some of their estimated growth this year.”

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut its forecast of global oil demand growth this year by 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) — enough to feed a mid-sized refinery.

OPEC, which pumps a third of the world’s oil, now sees 2011 demand growing by just 0.88 million bpd to 87.81 million bpd. It is the first time this year that OPEC has cut its oil demand growth estimate to below 1 million bpd. Next year, it sees oil demand growing slightly faster-by 1.19 million bpd, down 70,000 bpd from its previous estimate last month.

Speaking of its main economic concerns, OPEC said a default had become “the most likely scenario for Greece and cannot be ruled out anymore”, and added that the European oil demand was not expected to show any growth next year. “Growing uncertainties

regarding the sovereign debt issue in the euro zone and the sharp slowdown in US growth have substantially raised the risk of a contraction or at least deceleration of growth in global output,” it said.

Debt crises Deepening concerns over Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and slowing global growth are weighing on oil prices, which yesterday were trading around $108.50 per barrel, around $19 below their 2011 high reached in April. “The impacts of debt crises in the US and the euro zone will not disappear quickly.

For these reasons, many analysts consider the onset of another economic recession in the next couple of years a high possibility,” OPEC said. It said a worse-than-expected performance of the US economy might drag down world oil demand growth by as much as 200,000 bpd in 2012.

But it added that a likely third round of quantitative easing in the United States, combined with the latest positive US jobs data, suggested the world’s largest oil consumer might avoid a very deep slump. “It seems that while the (US) economy is feeling the stress of the global slow-down and the sluggish development in the domestic market, it is expected to continue growing and the likelihood of a double-dip-at least for now-seems to be off the table,” said OPEC, which expects the U.S. economy to grow by 1.6 percent this year and 1.8 percent in 2012.

China, India curb demand On the bullish side for oil prices, OPEC said non-OPEC supply would be lower than expected this year, but because demand was falling more quickly, OPEC faced no pressure to compensate for any supply loss. OPEC cut its 2011 non-OPEC supply growth forecast by 140,000 bpd to 360,000 bpd due to lower output in Canada, the UK, Brazil and Azerbaijan.

In 2012, non-OPEC producers would still be able to increase supply by 830,000 bpd, mostly unchanged from OPEC’s estimate last month, due to high output from Brazil, Canada, Colombia and the United States.

OPEC said its own output fell by 77,000 bpd in September to 29.90 million bpd and should average around the same level in 2012 to meet demand on OPEC’s crude. On the demand side, developing nations would remain the engine of growth, although OPEC added that Chinese oil demand was not expected to be as robust because of new government policies aimed at reducing transport fuel use. “It seems that China is trying to engineer a soft landing in 2011, with economic growth averaging around 9 percent for the year,” it said. China has removed incentives that have pushed new car registrations up for the past few years. Higher retail petroleum prices also slightly suppressed oil demand, mainly transport fuel, in the past three months, OPEC said. “India’s increase in retail prices is playing a major role in easing domestic oil consumption next year,” OPEC said. — Reuters

HK shares rise led by banks

ATHENS: Municipal workers protesting yesterday carry placards featuring a picture of the Greek government and reading: “Fire them now — they led the country to disaster.”. — AFP

EU concludes Greek review ATHENS: Protesters blocked Greek ministries and state workers went on strike yesterday while EU and IMF inspectors were wrapping up a visit that will decide whether to release a tranche of aid Greece needs to stave off imminent bankruptcy. With European Union leaders racing to put a comprehensive bailout deal together to try to prevent the Greek crisis from spreading out of control, Athens is expected to receive the 8 billion euro ($11 billion) loan tranche. A statement by the “troika” officials on their inspection review is expected later yesterday but final approval on the loan, which Greece needs to keep paying its bills past mid-November, will not come before the inspectors present a full report to euro zone finance ministers and the IMF board.

Yesterday, civil servants protesting against austerity blocked the general accounting office and the Interior Ministry, carrying banners reading “Broke and Fired” and “No to Layoffs, No to cutting wages”. Even if the latest aid tranche is agreed, it would only provide temporary relief. As the crisis worsens, the focus has shifted to a review of a second bailout plan agreed in July, with the debt-choked country is expected to need even more support as its economy keeps shrinking more than expected. Greece, in deep recession and struggling to contain a public debt expected to hit 162 percent of gross domestic product this

year, has promised sweeping austerity measures, including severe wage cuts for many public sector workers, mass layoffs and tax hikes that will hit middle class Greeks hard.

However European Union and International Monetary Fund officials have repeatedly criticized Athens for delays in implementing the reforms and euro zone ministers have postponed any release of the aid by a month to November to keep up pressure on the government. Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos, who has been meeting the inspectors in recent days, tried to strike a reassuring note yesterday, ruling out any suggestion that Greece could be forced out of the shared currency. “Greece is and will always be a member of the euro zone, a member of the euro,” he told a conference in Athens. In a television interview late on Monday, he said he expected the loan tranche to be approved but warned that Greece would have to be prepared to accept more belt-tightening. “The troika is looking at everything. The questions it asks should have been our own questions a long time ago,” he told Mega TV, adding that unpopular austerity measures were necessary to ensure that Greece does not “experience a catastrophe.” An uncontrolled Greek default on its debt would have unpredictable consequences, potentially unleashing a crisis which could destabilize the whole euro zone. — Reuters

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI: Hong Kong shares jumped yesterday with bank stocks leading the charge a day after China’s clearest intervention in equity markets since the financial crisis to bolster confidence, but the rally was on shaky ground. Market participants turned increasingly cautious after early gains on the Shanghai Composite Index faded, while turnover in Hong Kong did not show a sharp pick-up to accompany the rally, suggesting gains in banks were still coming from shortcovering rather than buying by long-only funds.

The Shanghai Composite finished up 0.2 percent barely managing to stay in positive territory as banks’ strength helped offset the weakness in coal-related names. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index closed up 2.4 percent. Among China’s biggest banks, Agricultural Bank of China was the winner, ending up 12.8 percent while China Construction Bank ended 5.8 percent higher. Central Huijin Investment Co, the domestic investment arm of China’s sovereign wealth fund, on Monday started adding to its controlling stakes in the top state lenders, the first explicit signal that the government is seeking to prop up a market that has struggled for the last two years.

The move spurred a rush to cover short positions on Chinese banks late on Monday and carried over to yesterday, lifting stocks across the sector and adding a combined $47.8 billion to the market value of the Hong Kong listings of the top four banks. “It is to send a signal, and apparently investors are responding to the signal,” said Jim Antos, Chinese banking analyst with Mizuho Securities. Banks, among the most liquid stocks in Hong Kong, have become one of the most popular ways for investors to express a bearish view on China or for those looking for a relatively cheap way to hedge long China portfolios. Short-selling as a percentage of overall turnover dropped off on Monday following the move with China Construction Bank Corp seeing only 6.3 percent of turnover shorted compared with 15 percent in the previous month. Yesterday saw another pick-up, however, with about a fifth of the turnover in AgBank shares shorted by the midday break in Hong Kong. — Reuters

TOKYO: People crossing a street are reflected on a glass window of the electronic stock board of a securities firm yesterday. — AP

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TECHNOLOGY

Daily Deal frenzy jolts local online ad market Groupon ‘spamming’ Google

YOKOHOMA: Kawada Industries’ humanoid robot Hiro drops a mock ice cube into a cup at a laboratory. Hasegawa has developed a system that allows robots to look around their environment and do research on the Internet, enabling them to “think” how best to solve a problem. — AFP

Review

‘NBA 2K12’ thrives with Greatest mode The National Basketball Association has canceled the first two weeks of its season, and there’s no sign the lockout is going to end anytime soon. That’s no reason for hoops-loving video-gamers to suffer, though. 2K Sports has come well-prepared for the league stoppage with “NBA 2K12” (for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, $59.99), which delivers enough upgrades and new features to keep fans happy until the real thing returns. This year’s edition of the bestselling basketball franchise introduces the new “Greatest” mode, an enhanced “My Player” mode and strong commentary, fluid gameplay and improved animation.

The Greatest features the league’s top 15 players of all time, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as 30 teams from some of the most famous rivalries. The presentation is flawless, capturing the true essence of how television broadcasts looked in different eras. For example, a Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers matchup from the mid-1960s, highlighting center Bill Russell, is presented in grainy black and white.

Once you win a game in the Greatest mode, both teams will be unlocked, allowing you to set up games between past and present stars.

You can create a head-to-head matchup between Magic Johnson and LeBron James, or pit the 1985 Boston Celtics against this year’s champion, the Dallas Mavericks. The most significant improvement in “NBA 2K12” is the revamped My Player mode, which lets you build a player from scratch. Rather than starting in the Development League, as in last year’s game, your player is placed in a rookie showcase game. After the showcase, your created player is interviewed by three different teams and then heads to the NBA draft, featuring the likeness and voice of league commissioner David Stern.

On the court, “NBA 2K12” delivers improved artificial intelligence on

defense and broader offensive skill sets, along with a precise play-calling system. The player models’ faces and bodies are more on point this year especially Kobe Bryant, who looked more like an alien in last year’s installment. The commentary is again impressive, with sportscasters Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg being joined by former NBA player and newcomer Steve Kerr. Unlike the sometimes repetitive commentary in other sports video games, the play-to-play from Harlan and Kerr provides a fresh outlook. For newcomers - or regulars who need to brush up on their skills - the game offers a training camp mode to practice all your moves. There are nine training session led by mentors Jordan, Bird, Pete Maravich and Hakeem Olajuwon. Thanks to the lockout, team rosters are frozen and you won’t be able to play with any of this season’s rookies. But you can simulate the season on your own in the Association mode - or go online with friends and create your own league. In all, “NBA 2K12” is the best basketball video game yet. Four stars out of four. — AP

SAN FRANCISCO: The daily deal industry has jolted a formerly sleepy corner of the $30 billion online advertising market as Groupon battles with rivals to attract new customers.

The customer-acquisition rush centers on the local part of the paid search marketing business, which is dominated by Google Inc in the United States. SEM, as it is known, lets companies bid in auctions to run ads above and beside the results of Internet searches, based on keywords.

Local search ads that included references to towns and cities were not in demand until daily deal companies started paying handsomely to track down people interested in neighborhood goods and services. “Living Social and Groupon have introduced a new element to local search,” said Dale Carr, chief executive of online and mobile advertising network Lead Bolt. “Previously this was dormant inventory that would have just sat there and anyone could have bought it cheaply.”

The new activity is increasing costs and crowding out other local advertisers. It has also raised the cost of acquiring customers for the daily deal industry itself, putting a potential break on rapid growth of the sector.

Competition is fiercest for local services such as restaurants, spas, gym memberships and yoga classes, according to Chris Wallace of digital marketing agency iCrossing.

Groupon is the most aggressive, according to Wallace, followed by Living Social and Google, which has its own daily deal business called Google Offers. When competition from daily deal companies is particularly intense, local advertisers can end up on page two of Google search results and that often means

no one clicks on their ads, Wallace explained.

“It’s scary for them,” Wallace said. “Once a daily deals aggregator enters a market they’re unlikely to leave. The number of services they offer will likely increase and the number of search terms they bid on will increase.”

‘Spamming Google’ San Francisco Comprehensive Tours sued Groupon in March saying the daily deal company caused a surge in the cost of its paid search advertising. Since 2005, Bilello’s company has used Google’s paid search system AdWords to promote its tours of the Bay Area.

The approach was “cost effective,” placing ads on one of the top three to four spots on Google results pages when users searched with phrases including “San Francisco Tours,” “Alcatraz tours” and “Napa Wine tours,” the suit said. Around September 2010, the cost of these ads began to “skyrocket” and its paid search ranking fell, while Groupon started to appear near the top for results based on the same phrases, the complaint said. Groupon used “bait and switch” advertising techniques because the company rarely offered discounted tours in the Bay Area, the suit said. “They’re spamming Google, throwing out all of these search terms that they have nothing to do with, paying more and crowding out other advertisers so they can suck more people into their Groupon world,” said Steven Williams, an attorney representing San Francisco Comprehensive Tours.

Deactivated Searches using the terms “San Francisco tours,” “Alcatraz tours” and “Napa wine tours”

Groupon costs The surging cost of local paid search ads has also made it more expensive for Groupon to acquire customers. In 2009, when Groupon was less than a year old, it cost the company about $1.50 or $2 to acquire each subscriber.

It now costs roughly $7.50 per subscriber.

Groupon has accumulated more than 100 million subscribers, so it may have an advantage over rivals that are still trying to build customer bases. However, that advantage depends on Groupon holding on to the customers it already has.

“Their cost to acquire customers appears very high and I don’t know whether they will keep all those customers,” said Michael Cuggino, who helps run about $15 billion at Permanent Portfolio Funds. “If the argument is that acquisition costs have gone up and you already have your customers and won’t have to spend to keep them, my answer is prove it to me.” — Reuters

Respiratory arrest, cancer cause Jobs’ death SAN JOSE: A copy of Steve Jobs’ death certificate made public Monday indicates that the Apple Inc co-founder died of respiratory arrest resulting from pancreatic cancer that had spread to other organs. Jobs died last Wednesday at age 56. Apple did not disclose his cause of death, but Jobs had been in poor health for a number of years. He battled pancreatic cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009 after taking a leave of absence for unspecified health problems. He took another leave of absence in January - his third since his health problems began - and resigned in August, handing the CEO job over to his handpicked successor, Tim Cook.

The death certificate, released by the Santa Clara County Public

Health Department and obtained

by The Associated Press, said Jobs had a metastatic pancreas neuroendocrine tumor for the past five years. It listed his immediate cause of death as respiratory arrest. He died at his home in Palo Alto. No autopsy was performed, and he was buried on Friday. Details of the certificate were reported earlier by Bloomberg News. The certificate listed Jobs’ occupation as a hightech entrepreneur. Jobs started Apple Inc. in his parents’ Silicon Valley garage with friend Steve Wozniak in 1976. Both men left Apple in 1985 - Jobs following a clash with then-CEO John Sculley.

Jobs returned in 1997 as interim CEO after Apple, then in dire financial dire straits, bought Next, a computer company he started.

tribute designer denies plagiarism HONG KONG: A Hong Kong design student whose sombre tribute to Steve Jobs became an overnight Internet sensation denied yesterday that he had copied another artist’s work. Jonathan Mak’s design, which featured the late Apple founder’s silhouette incorporated into the bite of a white Apple logo on a black background, went viral online after Jobs died at the age of 56 last week. But the 19-year-old student has been forced to fend off allegations of plagiarism after web users pointed out that a similar logo was first created by a UK-based designer, known as Raid71 online.

“I did my best to ensure that the idea hadn’t been done before by searching for terms such as ‘Apple, Steve Jobs, logo, silhouette’ before I came out with the design,” the second-year student told AFP. He said he was not aware of Raid71’s work until he was told by readers of his blog. “I don’t dispute he came out with the design before me, but we arrived at the same design independently,” he said. — AFP

Social media companies ‘friend’ politics NEW YORK: Social media companies have “friended” the 2012 US presidential contest at a level almost unimaginable just four years ago, hosting debates and sponsoring presidential town halls while remaining indispensable tools for candidates looking to connect with voters in the digital sphere. Social networking giants like Facebook and Google cast their involvement as civic engagement, saying they are eager to help facilitate the national political conversation and encourage people to vote.

But their stepped-up political presence comes as those companies and others hire lobbyists, form political action committees and nurture their relationships with lawmakers whose policy decisions affect the companies’ bottom line.

“The exposure - being branded as ‘the’ place to go for social media - has huge economic consequences for these companies,” says Heather LaMarre, a journalism professor at the University of Minnesota who studies politics and the Internet. “When they appear to be socially active and engaged in democracy, they develop a vast well of good will with the political elites who have the ability to make or break them in the future.” Facebook, by far the largest and most influential of the online social networks, formed a political action committee this month to make contributions to candidates.

The company also spent $550,000 for 21 lobbyists in the first half of this year to help it navigate potential legislative battles over privacy, patent and regulatory issues. That figure is small compared with other media companies of its size, but well on its way to double the $350,000 Facebook spent in all of 2010, accord-

on the afternoon of Oct 7 showed no Groupon paid ads. Williams said Google deactivated some Groupon ads because Groupon’s deals had little relevance to the ads. Bilello said Google removed Groupon from keyword auctions of “Alcatraz tours” and “Alcatraz Tickets” due to advertiser complaints. A Groupon spokeswoman declined to comment.

Google would not comment on the case, but a spokeswoman said it removes ads that do not “clearly include information for the particular promotion or price that is being advertised within one to two clicks of the ad’s landing page.”

ing to the Center for Responsive Politics, which studies political money and influence.

At the same time, Facebook has boosted its visibility in the presidential contest. The company is scheduled to co-host a Republican primary debate in New Hampshire with NBC’s “Meet the Press” days before that state’s first-inthe-nation primary. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg interviewed President Barack Obama at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters in April.

The company is stocked with political veterans. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, worked for then-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers under President Bill Clinton.

The company recently hired Joel Kaplan, a former domestic policy adviser to Republican President George W. Bush, to head its public policy office in Washington.

Showcasing both sides of the political divide has helped Facebook stress its neutrality. “The color of the site is blue, but the color of the company is definitely purple,” Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said. Google, the leading Internet search company, has spent $3.5 million on lobbying so far this year, while its action committee contributed $345,000 to candidates in 2010. It, too, has become a prominent player in the presidential race, cohosting a Republican primary debate with Fox News in September and planning another with public television and the Des Moines Register prior to the Iowa caucuses.

Paid political advertising on Google, already popular in 2008, surged in 2010 after Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown’s strate-

gic use of Google ads helped fuel his upset victory in a special election to replace the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. Google, like Facebook, does not want to be viewed as partisan. “Our products aren’t political. It’s about connecting voters to information,” spokesman Jake Parrillo said. YouTube, the popular video sharing site owned by Google, has also boosted its political profile. The company this week launched a dedicated politics channel where users can watch campaign-related videos and compare candidates’ statistics, like which one has the most video views, subscribers and shares.

Ramya Raghavan, news and politics manager at YouTube, said viewers can expect candidates to do more live streaming of campaign events on the site and posting episodic content, almost like a television series. Twitter, barely a player in the 2008 campaign, has become a go-to digital hub for political conversation in 140-character bursts.

Obama and all the Republican presidential candidates have Twitter accounts, as do 85 senators and at least 360 House members. Former New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner even saw his career unravel over Twitter after sending a sexually suggestive photo to a woman using the site. Twitter does not lobby yet or have a political action committee, but has begun to ramp up its political and policy presence in Washington. The company recently hired Colin Crowell, who recently worked as senior counsel to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, to run its global public policy division. — AFP

That was the start of Apple’s remarkable turnaround, which continues today with the popularity of products such as the iPhone, iPod and iPad. Jobs died the day after Apple announced its latest iPhone, the 4S, which will go on sale Friday. Some fans and investors were initially disappointed that Apple didn’t come out with a smartphone that is radically different from the existing iPhone 4. But Apple said first-day pre-orders of the device on Friday topped 1 million - higher than the record set by the iPhone 4 when it was released last year. Following Jobs’ death, Cook emailed a statement to Apple employees saying Jobs “leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.” — AP

SHENZHEN: A vendor shows an iPhone 4 cover with an image of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs, on sale yesterday. —AFP

Wal-Mart to localize offers for Facebook fans NEW YORK: Just in time for the crucial winter holidays, Wal-Mart Stores Inc aims to recreate the feel of a local store for its more than 9 million Facebook fans. The world’s largest retailer announced Tuesday a partnership with the social networking site that offers Facebook pages specifically tailored for each of its more than 3,500 locations. Those pages are designed to allow its customers to interact with its local stores as well as get information on new products, events and discount offers. The partnership marks the first of its kind for a merchant and underscores how companies are using Facebook to develop a deeper relationship with its shoppers by responding quickly to their demands with the goal of increasing sales. “This allows us to make our stores relevant on a local level,” said Stephen Quinn, executive vice president of Wal-Mart’s US division, during a media conference call late Monday. “ This addresses our ‘next-generation’ customers who are using a lot of social media. A national message is often not as relevant.”

Quinn added that the initiative was in response to its Facebook fans’ requests to see more localized messages, from the latest new T Vs and local produce to events like cooking demonstrations. But he added, “This is just scratching the surface. We are just getting started on a social media revolution.” Wal-Mart even-

tually wants to be able to personalize offers for its Facebook fans, based on the type of products they “like,” for example, he added.

The venture comes at a time when Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, is trying to reverse nine straight quarters of revenue declines at its namesake US stores open at least a year - a key measure of a retailer’s health. Carolyn Everson, vice president of global marketing solutions for Facebook.com, said the partnership with Wal-Mart goes beyond a “simple local tab.” “This is embedding the social media phenomenon into the core of the offering,” she added. She noted that WalMart has worked hard to engage its Facebook fans. Facebook isn’t currently working with other merchants to develop this localized approach because it doesn’t have enough resources, she added.

Wal-Mart and others are increasingly trying to harness the power of Facebook to drive customer counts and revenue. In April 2010, Facebook allowed brands and retailers to use the now ubiquitous “like” button on their websites, making it easier to share and connect with friends.

Everson noted that brands are starting to see a measurable sales impact on products that are “liked” on Facebook More than 50 percent of active adults on Facebook follow a brand, and there are 100 million “likes” on pages every single day, Everson said. — AP

MUMBAI: Amar Babu, Managing Director of Lenovo India, speaks during a news conference to announce new series of Tablet computers yesterday. Lenovo announced the launch of its IdeaPad K1 and ThinkPad as part of their strategy, over the next six months, to introduce tablets of varying sizes and platforms, to cater to the needs of their consumers. — AFP

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health & science

Swedish study links pollutants to hard arteries WASHINGTON: Chemical pollutants in the environment have been linked for the first time to hardening of the arteries, a condition which can lead to heart attack and stroke, said a Swedish study published yesterday.

Long-lasting environmental toxicants such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides have long been known to accumulate in fatty tissue and along vessel walls. But the study published in the US journal Environmental Health Perspectives is the first to probe the link between exposure to such pollutants and the likelihood of getting atherosclerosis.

The study measured the levels of these compounds in 1,000 Swedes living in the southeastern city of Uppsala, and measured for atherosclerosis in the carotid artery using ultrasound technology.

Researchers found that those with higher levels of the pollutants circulating in their blood were more likely to have hardening of the arteries and signs of fat accumulation in their vessel walls.

“These findings indicate that long-lived organic environmental toxicants may be involved in the occurrence of atherosclerosis and thereby lead to future death from cardiovascular diseases,” said Lars Lind, professor at the Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University.

Industrialized nations tend to have the most cases of cardiovascular disease, of which hardened arteries is a major cause. Risk factors include high fat diets, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure. Even though many pollutants are now regulated or banned worldwide, they can linger in the environment for decades, said co-author Monica Lind, associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet.

“In Sweden, and in many countries in the world, many of these substances are forbidden today, but since they are so long-lived they’re still out there in our environment,” Lind said.

“We ingest these environmental toxicants with the food we eat, and since they are stored in our bodies, the levels grow higher the older we get.”

The team plans to look next at whether there is any link between the presence of the pollutants and the incidence of stroke and heart attack. — AFP

CHAD: A child infected by cholera in a hospital in Chad. An outbreak of cholera in Chad has killed at least 41 people, according to medical sources.

West, central Africa face cholera epidemics: UN GENEVA: The west and central Africa region is facing one of the worst cholera epidemics in its history, with over 85,000 cases reported leading to 2,466 deaths this year, the UN children’s agency warned yesterday.

“The size and scale of the outbreaks means the region is facing one of the biggest epidemics in its history,” said a UNICEF spokeswoman.

“The most significant increases in 2011 are in Chad, where it is the largest outbreak recorded, in Cameroon where nine out of 10 districts are reporting cases and in western Democratic Republic of Congo where case fatality rate is above five percent,” she added.

In some districts, fatality rates are as high as 22 percent. UN agencies also noted that outbreaks were occurring in places where cholera was not endemic.

“You have cases happening outside of a typical cholera season, you also have them occurring in a wider geographical area.

“In central Africa, they just declared a cholera outbreak. They haven’t had cholera in years. This means that people are less aware of how to prevent or respond to an outbreak of cholera,” the UNICEF spokeswoman said. In addition, high fatality rates are being recorded in places where cholera is not endemic. “In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have this year outbreaks in provinces that we have not seen in the last 10 years,” said a WHO spokesman.

“There we see a case fatality ratio much higher than in provinces where cholera was endemic like north and south Kivu,” he added. — AFP

Spain health service chokes as austerity steps tighten Doctors lose jobs, clinics shut MADRID: Medical suppliers haven’t been paid for as much as two years, emergency rooms have been shut down and doctors in Catalonia have been told to accept a pay cut or 1,500 medical residents will lose their jobs.

Spain’s treasured public health care system has become the latest victim of the euro-zone debt crisis.

“We haven’t been paid, but there’s nothing we can do about it. We need the contracts, so we’re just going to have to wait it out,” said a representative for a cleaning company who did not want his or the firm’s name used for fear of a backlash.

The company, which says it is owed hundreds of millions of euros by the government of the Castilla-La Mancha region south of Madrid, is one of dozens of providers of everything from surgical swabs to disinfectants struggling to pay workers as Spain’s regions delay payments to meet tight deficit targets.

The debt-burdened autonomous regions’ spending cuts are a tangible sign of the present and future pain as Spain works to meet ambitious deficit reduction goals pledged to the European Union in the midst of an economic downturn.

Spain’s political parties have kept their positions on the issue vague ahead of Nov. 20 general elections, but even the most passionate defenders of the current system agree there is scope for cost savings and more efficiency. Spain’s conservative opposition, the People’s Party (PP), which is expected to win in November, will likely cut into social welfare programs the incumbent Socialists have left untouched. But even the Socialists now say they can find ways to reduce health spending without harming services. Examples include forcing car insurance firms to pay for the treatment of accident victims and sending foreign governments the bill when their citizens use Spanish hospitals.

900-DAY WAITS Multinational pharmaceutical firm Roche says the Castilla Leon region north of Madrid is more than 900 days behind on its bills, which has raised fears here that the company could start withholding drugs for some hospitals as it did in Greece, which is fighting off bankruptcy. Spain’s central government makes yearly transfers of income tax revenue to the country ’s 17 autonomous regions, which are in charge of administering health care and schools.

But the regions are being forced to make drastic budget cuts after piling up debt during Spain’s property boom, the collapse of which in 2008 sent the country into recession and unemployment soaring to more than 20 percent. As the regions squeeze spending wherever they can, what they owe to companies that provide health care services and products has risen 42 percent in a year to more than 4 billion euros, according to the Spanish Federation of Healthcare Technology, known as Fenin. AT Kearney consultancy calculates the system’s long-term deficit is 15 billion euros, a heavy burden for a government whose borrowing costs have soared in the euro zone debt crisis.

Margarita Alfonsel, secretary general of Fenin, says small companies in her federation “are suffering to an alarming extent due to the liquidity squeeze.” She said some will have to lay off staff or go into bankruptcy. The average number of days providers must wait for payment has risen in the past year to 415 days, from 285 days, she said.

“It was unacceptable before. Now it’s totally incomprehensible,” said Joaquin del Rincon, Spanish representative of Boston Scientific, which provides medical and surgical instruments to Spanish hospitals.

“We have to explain to our central offices that this is

LYON: Health workers take part in a demonstration, in Lyon, central eastern France, yesterday, during a national day of protest against the government’s austerity package. — AFP an ongoing problem in Spain made worse by the crisis,” he said. The government in Catalonia, Spain’s wealthiest region, has shut down some clinics and emergency rooms over the past few months and has said it will lay off 1,500 medical residents if doctors refuse to accept pay and bonus cuts. The residents in late September staged marches through the Catalan capital Barcelona and draped banners around hospitals, and doctors’ unions have threatened to walk off the job. But many senior doctors are afraid to make a fuss and possibly lose their jobs when one in five Spaniards are out of work. “All of this is because of years of mismanagement by the politicians. The money has run out,” said one Catalan doctor, who asked not to be named.

“We don’t know what is going on. We feel impotent to defend what we have. There is a huge fear of being sacked for doing so.” Budget pressures are not going away soon. Spain’s economy cannot create jobs until it has sustained growth of 2 percent a year, which could be a few years away, meaning sky-high unemployment will drag on, restricting growth in income taxes.

And, as in many other developed countries, Spain’s health system is burdened by an ageing population enjoying long retirements on state pensions, while smaller families fail to fill the funding gap.

Unlike other countries with public health care, complaints about long waits to see a doctor are rare in Spain. But now patients in Catalonia are starting to have to wait and doctors warn the quality of care will decline.

“There will be less available budget for patients’ needs because we may find ourselves in a situation where we have to spend a lot of money correcting residents’ errors that could result from not having had the proper training,” said Jose Blanco, head of hospital education at German Trias Hospital.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has almost certainly guaranteed humiliation for his Socialists at the polls by implementing a wide-range of budget cuts to avoid mass dumping of Spanish debt by international investors.

Chocolate lovers have fewer strokes: Study empted by a chocolate bar? Maybe indulging every so often is not a bad thing-especially if it’s dark chocolate. According to a Swedish study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that looked at more than 33,000 women, the more chocolate the women said they ate, the lower their risk of stroke.

The results add to a growing body of evidence linking cocoa consumption to heart health, but they aren’t a free pass to gorge on chocolate.

“Given the observational design of the study, findings of this study cannot prove that it’s chocolate that lowers the risk of stroke,” said Susanna Larsson from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, in an email to Reuters Health.

While she believes chocolate has health benefits, she also warned that eating too much of it could be counterproductive. “Chocolate should be consumed in moderation as it is high in calories, fat and sugar. As dark chocolate contains more cocoa and less sugar than milk chocolate, consumption of dark chocolate would be more beneficial.” Larsson and her colleagues tapped into data from a mammography study that included selfreports of how much chocolate women ate in 1997. The women ranged in age from 49 to 83 years. Over the next decade, there were 1,549 strokes among the group. The more chocolate women ate, the lower their risk. Among those with the highest weekly chocolate intake, more than 45 grams, there were 2.5 strokes per 1,000 women per year. That figure was 7.8 per 1,000 among women who at the least, less than 8.9 grams a week. Scientists speculate that substances known as flavonoids, in particular so-called flavanois, may be responsible for chocolate’s apparent impact on health.

According to Larsson, flavonoids have been shown to cut high blood pressure, a risk factor for strokes, and improve other blood factors linked to heart health. Whether that theoretical benefit translates to real-life benefits remains to be proven by rigorous studies, however. Nearly 800,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke every year, with about a sixth of them dying of it and many more left disabled. —Reuters

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TAURANGA: A temporary health warning sign is erected after oil washed ashore from the stricken Monroviaflagged container ship ‘Rena’, on Maunganui beach, near Tauranga, yesterday. A stranded container ship off New Zealand issued a mayday after rupturing a fuel tank in heavy seas, and spewing up to 350 tons of oil in a leak that dwarfed its initial spill. — AFP

HIV project in India averted 100,000 infections: Study PARIS: A scheme in six Indian states that concentrated safe-sex campaigns on a few niche groups prevented 100,000 HIV infections over five years, according to estimates published in The Lancet yesterday.

The so-called Avahan project was launched in 2003 in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, along with the northeastern states of Manipur and Nagaland, using a massive grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

These states, with a total population of 300 million, had the highest prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in India at the time. Avahan’s goal was to boost prevention among prostitutes and their customers, gays, injecting drug users and truck drivers to stop HIV from leaping from high-risk groups to the wider population.

In August he passed a bill to save the public system over 2 billion euros a year on drugs. Drug companies slammed the measure, which forces doctors to favour generic medicines over brand names, as inefficient, damaging to the system and badly thought out.

The PP, for its part, says the health sector must be reformed but are vague on details.

Economists at conservative think-tanks that advise the PP have floated the idea of co-payments-where patients pay some of the bill to discourage overuse of the system.

The system, which is common in many developed countries but anathema in Spain, is favoured by almost 60 percent of doctors, according to a study by the Spanish Society of Primary Care Doctors.

Spain’s health spending growth has slowed and what it spends on health care is in line with the average for developed nations at about 9.5 percent of GDP in 2009, according to figures from the OECD group of wealthy nations. The lion’s share, 73.6 percent, is funded by the state. The system is so good and so cheap that many people use their private health insurance for routine care but head to a public hospital if they are diagnosed with a serious disease or condition.

Cutbacks in the public health care system will force some people back into the private system, which many see as inadequate.

Silvia Sanz, a 31-year-old teacher with type 1 diabetes, is planning to give birth at a public hospital after she lost her first baby at a private clinic just a month before her due date. She has private health insurance but has been told the public system is best for a high-risk pregnancy and birth. “In private, if anything goes badly, they don’t have the means to deal with it properly and, when you go back to them, they tell you you’re best to go public because they know they are better equipped to deal with complications than they are,” Silvia said. Foreigners can walk into 24hour community clinics around Spain and get first-rate emergency care. — Reuters

Tactics included one-on-one safe-sex counseling, free condoms, exchanging used needles for sterilized ones, clinics to treat sexually-transmitted disease and advocacy work within the community. “Overall, we estimated that 100,178 HIV infections were averted at the population level from 2003 up to 2008 as a result of Avahan,” says the study.

Its estimate derives from HIV prevalence in key districts in the six states. The campaign was most effective in districts that received the most resources but also worked better in the heavily-populated southern states rather than in the remote northeastern ones, say the authors.

Overall, a targeted strategy-as opposed to a generalized effort spread across the population-was a big success and a useful lesson for other countries, they say.

Prevention has been in the doldrums in recent years, given the success of antiretroviral drugs that treat HIV but do not cure it. But experts caution that drugs alone are not enough to roll back the global pandemic. As the infection tally rises higher, so does the drugs bill, as the medication has to be taken daily for the rest of one’s life.

Avahan was launched at a time when India was gripped by fears that as many as 25 million of its people could be infected by HIV by 2010. These projections were eventually cut back sharply. In 2009, India had an estimated 2.4 million people with HIV in 2009.

Avahan gained Gates funding of 258 million dollars for 2003-2008, a sum that sparked criticism in some quarters that this was too lavish and poor value for money. —AFP

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California bans under-age tanning, public guns LOS ANGELES: California governor Jerry Brown won praise on Monday for banning under 18s from using tanning beds, the first US state to do so to protec t minors from increased skin cancer risks.

The move was approved amid a slew of new state laws, including one that bans people from openly carrying guns in public, while he vetoed a plan to let colleges take account of ethnic makeup in their admissions policies. Brown signed the tanning bill into law Sunday after dismissing arguments from the tanning industry that the current law-which requires children between age 14 and 18 to get parental consent-was sufficient.

“California’s decision to ban under 18 year olds from tanning beds is a welcome step in the right direction for a needless exercise that is a known and significant health threat,” Wendy K.D. Selig, head of the Melanoma Research Alliance.

“I t is well documented that indoor tanning contributes to skin cancer, including melanoma, which can have fatal conse quences,” she added.

The MRA cited studies compiled by the World Health Organization which said there was a 75% increased risk of melanoma-the most common cancer in US women age 25-29 — in indoor tanning bed use. The author of the new law in California-which enjoys yearround sunshine, in the south of the state at least-also praised Brown, saying the move was backed by doctors, nurses and the American Cancer Society.

“I praise Governor Brown for

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

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his courage in taking this muchneeded step to protect some of California’s most vulnerable residents-our kids.... If everyone knew the true dangers of tanning beds, they’d be shocked,” said Ted Lieu.

Meanwhile Brown also signed into law a bill banning handgun owners from openly carrying their weapons in public. Until now Californians have been able to carry unloaded guns in public, but police and sheriffs had sought to ban the practice because it makes people frightened.

“I listened to the California police chiefs,” Brown said in a statement, while deputy Anthony Portantino, the author of the bill, added: “ The bottom line is the streets will be safer for law enforcement and families.”

Brian Malte of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said: “This finally puts an end to the dangerous and intimidating practice of carrying openly displayed guns in public.

“California families will now be able to take their families to the park or out to eat without the worry of getting shot by some untrained, unscreened, selfappointed vigilante,” he added.

Among other legislative action, Brown vetoed a draft bill that would have let public universities in California consider race, gender or ethnicity in their admissions processes. The bill had been highlighted by Republican students at the elite US Berkeley college who organized a campus bake sale which charged students different prices depending for cook ies, depending on their minority status. —AFP

Sandblasting jeans comes under fire in Bangladesh DHAKA: Suman Howlader was thrilled to land a job in a Bangladeshi factory sandblasting new jeans to make them look old, but he now believes the diktats of fashion have exacted a heavy toll on his health.

After working for three years, he started vomiting blood, coughing badly and struggling to breathe before being admitted to a specialist respiratory hospital in Dhaka. Workers’ groups say Howlader and many others like him have been misdiagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis because of ignorance about silicosis-an incurable disease caused by inhalation of silica particles.

The minute, fast-moving particles are released during sandblasting, a process used to give new jeans the “worn” look that has been popular for many years around the world.

Sandblasting has long been banned in Europe and the United States, but Bangladesh’s cheaplabour garment factories still use it to condition jeans for top western brands. Gucci, Levi’s, H&M and Gap have all vowed to stop selling sandblasted products, while Dolce & Gabbana has been targeted in an Internet campaign to take a similar stance.

“One day, when I was working, blood started gushing out of my mouth and nose,” Howlader told AFP from his hospital bed. “They told me the work was safe. But the constant sandblasting made the room fill up with dust and sand. You end up swallowing and inhaling a lot of it.” Howlader fired highpressure sand at denim jeans with just a cloth mask for protection, treating 200-300 pairs in a ten-hour day.

Deadly denim “Sandblasting is booming here,” said Kalpana Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity, which records many silicosislike symptoms among workers in the sector.

“Doctors are not looking out for silicosis, so cases get diagnosed as tuberculosis instead,” she said.

As most Bangladeshi companies have no health insurance, many of those who become sick simply quit their jobs and return to their villages in dreadful health, she added. Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi workers are involved and at least 500 factories use sandblasting, said Khorshed Alam, who runs a labour rights group. “Workers hardly have any protective gear to prevent (silica) dust from entering their system,” he said.

leading pioneer in sinus surgery

DHAKA: A Bangladeshi garment laborers works in a sandblasting factory. — AFP According to Alam, many large factories are group Clean Clothes Campaign has run a successful aware of the health risks of sandblasting and to campaign to shame famous brand names into avoid potential liability they often subcontract out using other, safer, techniques but in Bangladesh it the work to small, standalone factories. “We used remains profitable and therefore common.

Gap told AFP that it halted all sandblasting at its home-made compressors and sand-guns, which are 20 times cheaper than the ones used by big Bangladeshi suppliers in August following a review jeans plants,” Delwar Hossain, supervisor at the last year, though for many local factory owners there is an acceptance that the needs of fashion small Meridian unit in Dhaka, said. overrule health concerns. “We are still a LDC (‘least “I swallow so much sand” Because of the high pay — 7,500 taka ($100) a developed country’), please don’t think that we are month or double the minimum wage-they have no Switzerland,” said Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, head of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturer and shortage of workers like Mohammad Ilias.

With only a thin cloth wrapped around his face, Exporters Association, explaining that a national the 21-year-old from a village in the country’s ban was unlikely.

Such attitudes mean a full-scale tragedy among remote north was blasting sand with a homemade Bangladeshi sandblasters may be going undetectpressure-gun onto a pair of new jeans.

“In some factories, they use masks and other ed, believes Ineke Zeldenrust, a spokeswoman for gear to keep sand off. But here we use cloth... there the Clean Clothes Campaign.

“We worry that we will see a similar scenario in is no escape from sand. But we’ve got used to it,” he said. “I swallow so much sand doing this work but Bangladesh as in Turkey,” she said, where dozens of enough water and a banana a day sort out the workers-some teenagers-developed acute silicosis health problems. I don’t mind inhaling sand as long and died, prompting public outcry before a ban as the wages are good,” he said. The labor rights was enacted in 2009. —AFP

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248 33 199 ads@kuwaittimes.net

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

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Congratulations

East and West art exhibition

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eneral Manager of the Ghadir Gallery Mohammed Al-Qadiri inaugurated on Monday the Paintings from East and West Art Exhibition, which is hosted until Sunday, October 23, featuring works of several Kuwaiti artists.

The event runs with a daily viewing from 5 pm to 9 pm every day except Friday, and that at the gallery’s location in Mishref, block 6, street 5, villa 40.

Congratulations to Jennifer Saleem who was awarded a gold medal in KG 1 - exam at the Al-Salam International Academy. Congratulations from parents, uncles and friends.

Announcements BEC T10 Cricket tournament The BEC T10 Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament will be organized & played from 7th October to 11th November, 2011. The Tournament being organized by RED N BLACK CRICKET CLUB and sponsored by BEC EXCHANGE will be played out in Abu Halifa cricket grounds. For registration and other queries please mail at mail@rednblack.org or call 66820148/ 66130940/ 66841653.

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. So step forward to grab this opportunity to show your caliber and entertain. Dance, music, art or any special talent- now is your chance to showcase it - and be part of this year’s Talent Hunt & Tulu Parba. Talent Hunt event is open to all Tuluvas.

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 Alva- 23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty- 66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq: Rekha Sachu- 65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty67712409.

Brain Bang Calling all students aged 11 and above, Support Group for Accelerated learning under the umbrella of FOCC (Friends of CRY Club, Kuwait), BRAIN-BANG invites you to join us in our fortnightly Friday Class from 11.45 am to 13.45 pm in Salmiya starting October 7th for the next 6 months. Successfully running for the seventh consecutive year.

Areas of development are : lMemory tools to Understand and Learn Better lTools and Techniques to empower your mind lActivity, fun, games and worksheet based assignments lPractical Experiments lMind Gymnastics lApplication of Learning Techniques to conventional study. Register before October 5th 2011.

Limited seats. Register early to avoid disappointment. Website: www.focckwt.org E-Mail: brainbang@focckwt.org Phone no: 25660835/25618471/97677820 Annual competition Tulu Koota Kuwait has great pleasure in inviting its valuable members to Tulukoota Kuwait annual competitions on 14th October 2011. It’s a unique opportunity to our members & their children to showcase their talent at the varied competitions. There will be singing, dance, fancy dress competitions for all age group, cute baby photo contest etc. Competitions will be held on Friday 14th October from 10 am onwards in Indian Community School (Senior Girls), Salmiya. For details, competition rules and registrations please contact 65044521, 65013887, 66958848, 97834578 Or visit our website www.tu1ukootakuwait.org or mail us at secretary@tulukootakuwait.org.

Marina Hotel employees outing to Failaka a ‘magical’ experience

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arina Hotel Kuwait took its staff to Failaka Island for a “magical” outing to thank them for their job well done. The employees met early in the morning on 7th October.

Transportation, meals and all expenses were paid by the hotel.

The day out at the island offered an excellent opportunity to promote better relationships among co-workers and lessen work environment stress that may have been building. The individuals par-

United Students Movement boycott AOU elections

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he United Students Movement announced that they are boycotting the first ever students elections to be held at the Arab Open University, and that in protest of the case pertaining with expelled students.

“If the AOU administration fails to come up with a quick and realistic solution for this problem, we find no

reason to take part in the students’ elections”, said secretary of the movement Abdulaziz AlOtaibi.

In the meantime, AlOtaibi congratulated students for “great achievement” that is the start of students’ elections, acknowledging at the same time AOU director Dr Nayef Al-Mutairi for this decision.

‘Most Beautiful Egyptian Child’ contest 99 finalists

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he ‘Bawabat Al-Masreyeen’ (Egyptians Gate) Facebook page in Kuwait launched a course in operating the Photoshop program which deals with editing pictures and preparing designs.

There is also a contest for the picture of the most beautiful child among Egyptian community children in Kuwait. The contest started on the 29th of September. The results will be announced on Saturday, October 15 wherein, Toqa Mustafa, superwiser of compitetion says the top three winners will grace the Kuwait Times office to be awarded for their prizes which include free lunch/dinner date at Swiss-Belhotel and a luxury wristwatch (First Prize), free lunch/dinner at Swiss-Belhotel and a food processor (Second Prize); free lunch/dinner at Swiss-Belhotel plus a coffeemaker (Third Prize). It is worth mentioning that the Gate began dealing with the community’s problems two weeks ago, as it presents them to concerned officials, and the most important problem is that of Egypt Air so far.

Photo album available on website: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.281930285159021.76191.19121369 7564014&type=3

Moment of pride for Dr Rubina

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his is a matter of great pleasure and pride to the parents, friends and relatives of Dr Rubina Chougle who was elected to the fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London, UK. Hearty congratulations Dr

KGA Alemao Memorial Football Tournament The 3rd edition of Eslinda Alemao Memorial Football 7-a-side tournament will be held on first day of Eid Al Adha Festival (6th November 2011) to be held at the MOH Grounds, Al-Sabah Hospital Premises, Shuwaikh under the auspices of Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF). All KIFF affiliated teams are requested to contact the organizers, Kuwait Goan Association (KGA).

For more info, Email: kgakuwait@gmail.com Tel: (+965) 94963677.

St Peter’s Mar Thoma Church harvest festival he Harvest Festival of Kuwait St Peter’s Mar Thoma church will be held on October 14 at the Integrated Indian School, Abbassiya Kuwait. The Hon. Indian Ambassador has kindly consented to inaugurate the function at 10.45 am and the Parish Vicar Rev Chacko Thomas would preside the meeting. A day-long program is arranged with a variety of entertainment programs including musical concert, food sales, Games etc. A souvenir will be released to commemorate the occasion. All are cordially invited.

ticipated in team building and fun activities which led to healthy competition.

“Our guests are constantly remarking about the amazing service at the hotel.

It’s because we have great staff. We care for our employees and it has been our continuous effort to further enhance the inter-department relations and build team spirit among staff members. Such activities strengthen the bonds between the management and the staff,” remarks the Marina Hotel Kuwait, General Manager Nabil Hammoud.

The hotel staff had a magnificent time at the island where they were taken on a guided tour, which covered historical, cultural and environment aspects of the island. The outing was noted by the great participation from the department heads and Nabil Hammoud, General Manager. During the course of the day everyone enjoyed the entertainment program, games, friendly competition followed by lunch.

Kuwait Times sponsors

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Rubina. May God bless you with successes in your all future endeavours. Dr Rubina Chougle, has all qualities of Ruby (a precious stone) - be it shine or colour or value. As a person, she is priceless to her friends and family. This achievement brings Dr Rubina at the highest point of academic credentials

in the United Kingdom- FRCOG. Admission ceremony of new fellows was held in the College on September 23, 2011. Dr Rubina attended this ceremony with her parents Mrs Maimuna Chougle and Ali Chougle, who have been her inspiration and strength.

Dr Rubina had been an extraordinary student from the beginning. Born and groomed in Kuwait, studied in India and United Kingdom. She completed her post graduate and higher training in the United Kingdom leading to the CCST. She continues to be fully registered and on the specialist register of the General Medical Council (UK).

She has had specialized training in Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecological Ultrasound including 3D scanning. She did this training with Professors in leading University Hospitals in the United Kingdom. She has several publications in peer reviewed journals both in General Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine.

Dr Rubina has worked as a Consultant for several years both in Kuwait and United Kingdom; she believes that the diligence and determination can make goals in life nearer and easier. With a strong mind & kind heart, Dr Rubina commands immense respect from all strata of the society.

Rubina is known to be kind caring and empathetic towards her patients. She is passionate about improving Women’s Health globally. Presently, she is working with Al Seef Hospital, Kuwait.

Movenpick Hotel Kuwait Free Trade Zone celebrates annual staff party

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ovenpick Kuwait Hotel’s Employees, exceeding more than 120, gathered inside the hotel’s Taiba Tent to celebrate their annual staff party.

Beat Peter, Movenpick General Manager, and the hotel’s leading executives were present at the event. In his welcoming speech, Peter praised the staff’s team spirit and their relentless efforts to maintain guest satisfaction and provide better service. Peter highlighted Movenpick’s policy that ensures a healthy working environment, where employees can enjoy stability, peace of mind and their full working rights.

Movenpick’s Human Resource Department prepared an interesting event program that included different competitions, a talent show and distributed gifts to mark the occasion.

Movenpick long term employees were honored at the event for their dedication, loyalty and hard work. In addition, they were offered appreciation certificates and valuable prizes.

In line with Movenpick Kuwait Hotel’s “Go Green” motto which reflects the

property’s major concern in applying an environmentally friendly approach, all the staff had a green uniform.

To wind up, the employees were treated to a lavish dinner buffet, prepared by Movenpick’s Executive Chef, rich in mouth-watering dishes from the hotel’s renowned restaurants and served with live music.

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Sunshine Kindergarten team celebrates new academic year

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he Sunshine Kindergarten Team celebrate the new academic year.

The Sunshine Kindergarten Teaching Team proudly display their new uniforms as they gather together to celebrate a successful start to the new academic year.

TSK teachers, assistants and volunteers, were all given a choice of 4 brightly coloured polo shirts to wear to school this year. Lilac, turquoise, raspberry and orange shirts, brightly embroidered with the TSK logo, create a rainbow of colour throughout the campus and now The Sunshine Kindergarten uniform reflects the bright, happy nature of the Teaching Team and their students.

TSK Principal Joanne Wild and Assistant Head Teacher Judith Anderson are delighted with their colourful team and with Nurse Eva and Physical Development teacher, Junior Walters seen here in the yellow t-shirt, joined the teaching team photograph. A full programme of events, trips and life at TSK is available on the website www.tsk.edu.kw.

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA In order to inform that 23rd of October 2011, will be Argentine national election where all Argentinean citizen residents permanently in Kuwait can vote only if they are registered at the Electoral Register of the Argentine Embassy. The procedure of inscription ended on 25 of April 2011. To register it is necessary that Argentinean citizens should come personally at the Argentinean Embassy (Block 6, street 42, villa 57, Mishref ) and present the DNI and four personal photos (size 4x4, face should be front on white background). For further information, contact us on 25379211. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN The Visa Application Centre (VAC) will be closed on the same dates above. The opening hours of the Visa Application Centre are 0930 - 1630 Application forms remain available online from the UKBAs’ website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or from the Visa Application Centre’s website: www.vfs-ukkw.com. And also, from the UK Visa Application Centre located at: 4B, First Floor, Al Banwan Building (Burgan Bank Branch Office Building), Al Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City. For any further inquiries, please contact the Visa Application Centre: Website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com E-mail:info@vfs-uk-kw.com Telephone:22971170. The Consular Section will also be closed on the same dates. For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk nnnnnnn

‘Mother’s Day’ a grand success

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avier & Manuel Production successfully organized ‘Mother’s Day’ a Goan drama on 30th of last month in Kuwait. The drama was written and directed by Milagres de Chandor with his troupe coming from Goa.

The main story was good in which Annie and Hazel performed well while in side show songs Kuwait based Lopes Bros stole the show by rendering a beautiful song on Anna Hazare. Marcus Vaz rendered a song on the late Rosary Ferns while Francis de Tuem was well

applauded by the hall packed audience for his song on Goan politicians.

One minute silence was observed in the hall in memory of late Rosary Ferns who died on 12th January this year while vacationing in Goa.

Great 6th form response to ESF centre

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he new 6th Sixth Form Centre at the English School Fahaheel is a wonderful addition to the excellent facilities already offered to years 12 and 13 students. The plush center offers the latest electronic amenities including wireless internet and computers.

The ESF center allows students to take control of their own learning environment within the supportive context of the school. This enhances students ability of understanding of time management which will ensure success at University.

ESF students responded magnificently to their new responsibilities and have developed their own set of rules and regulations for the use of the centre. Students are thoroughly enjoying the centre.

Egyptians in Kuwait launch charity project

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group of Egyptian youth residing and working in Kuwait recently launched a charity organization in Kuwait with the aim of collecting donations from members of the Egyptian community in the form of clothes, electronics and toys be them new or second hand to be sent to Egypt and distributed to the poor in various poor Egyptian villages.

The organization had already packed up the first shipment to be sent soon under the title ‘Eidiya and School Bag Campaign’ which will include a ton and half of clothes for the Eid, school bags, gifts and toys.

The organization could be reached on Facebook and at numbers: 99009355-9757470.

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. nnnnnnn

BSK students swim the English Channel to raise funds Breakthrough Breast Cancer UK

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he sport of Channel Swimming traces its origins to the latter part of the 19th century when Captain Matthew Webb made the first observed and unassisted swim across the Strait of Dover swimming from England to France on 24 August 1875 to 25 August 1875 in 21†hours and 45†minutes. The first woman to swim across the Channel was the American Gertrude Ederle on 23 August 1926. Five men had successfully swum the Channel before Ederle, but she beat their best time by two hours. Her record stood until 1950.

During The British School of Kuwait Health Week in October an all-female team of Sixth Form students will swim a distance equivalent to that of the English Channel, between Lyme Bay in England, and St Malo in France: 34km.

The team, who are currently in training 3 times a week with the BSK Swim Club, are coached by Miss Sally and Ms Kim. They will swim each day during Health Week, and cover 6.8km per day. The team of 5 girls will each swim 1360m per day: the

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on October 26, 2011 (Wednesday) Diwali. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA 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.

equivalent of 68 lengths. All the girls will be sponsored and funds raised will go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer UK which has been BSKís chosen charity for a number of years. Full details of the event are available on www.bsk.edu.kw.

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk nnnnnnn

Tulu Parba Merit scholarship

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ulu Koota Kuwait is pleased to announce its Merit Cum Means Scholarship Award to be awarded during Tulu Parba which will be held on 4th November 2011 at American International School Auditorium, Maidan Hawally.

Tulu Koota Kuwait firmly believes in the great value of education and is strongly committed to helping needy students to achieve their educational goals. Application accepted from minimum one year valid members children studying either in State of Kuwait or in India, scoring high grades

at X and XII standard Board Examination held during Academic year 2010-2011. Contact Tulukoota Kuwait Welfare officer Suresh Shyam Rao on 65976789 or email: shyamson@yahoo.com to submit the copies of marks sheet & proof of income with the application. Candidates obtaining high grades but not eligible for merit cum means scholarship shall be honored with Merit Certificate and Medal. For further information please contact: Harish Bhandary Tel. 50264416

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

EMBASSY OF SPAIN The Embassy of Spain will be closed on October 12 on the occasion of the Spanish National Day. On the occasion of the elections for the Congress and Senate in Spain on the 20th November, the Spanish Embassy encourages Spanish citizens resident in Kuwait to check the electoral list at the Embassy between 3-10 October. On the weekend (7-8 October) there will be a special consular service between 9:00am and 12:00am. All Spanish citizens interested in voting from abroad have to send to Spain the request for receiving the electoral documents in Kuwait. This application form can be downloaded from www.maec.es

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00:45 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 01:40 Planet Earth 02:35 Karina: Wild On Safari 03:30 Untamed & Uncut 04:25 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 05:20 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 06:10 Clinically Wild: Alaska 07:00 Monkey Life 07:25 The Really Wild Show 07:50 Natural Born Hunters 08:15 Jeff Corwin Unleashed 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 America’s Cutest...

10:05 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 11:00 Animal Cops Houston 11:55 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 12:50 Animal Cops Specials 2009 13:45 Planet Earth 14:40 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 15:30 Monkey Life 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Growing Up...

17:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 18:20 Bad Dog 19:15 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 20:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 21:05 Galapagos 22:00 Wildest Africa 22:55 Untamed & Uncut 23:50 Killer Crocs Of Costa Rica

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:50 02:40 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:50 05:05 05:25 05:35 05:45 06:05 06:20 06:40 06:55 07:05 07:25 07:40 08:00 08:10 08:20 08:40 08:55 09:15 09:25 09:40 10:40 11:25 12:15 12:45 13:15 14:10 15:40 16:30 17:15 17:45 18:15 19:10 20:00 20:45 21:15 21:45 22:40 23:30

Keeping Up Appearances Keeping Up Appearances The Weakest Link Holby City The Fixer Doctors Keeping Up Appearances Balamory Gigglebiz Me Too Charlie And Lola Buzz & Tell Balamory Gigglebiz Me Too Charlie And Lola Buzz & Tell Balamory Gigglebiz Me Too Charlie And Lola Buzz & Tell Balamory Gigglebiz Me Too Charlie And Lola Buzz & Tell Keeping Up Appearances The Weakest Link Full Circle With Michael Palin Doctors Eastenders Holby City Keeping Up Appearances Full Circle With Michael Palin The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Full Circle With Michael Palin The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Casualty Lark Rise To Candleford The Royle Family

00:25 Come Dine With Me 01:10 What Not To Wear 02:05 Antiques Roadshow 02:55 Antiques Roadshow 03:45 Design Star 04:30 Design Star 05:15 Come Dine With Me 06:05 What Not To Wear 07:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets

07:25 Daily Cooks Challenge 08:25 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 08:50 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 09:15 Rhodes Across Italy 10:00 Come Dine With Me 10:50 Antiques Roadshow 12:30 Bargain Hunt 13:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 14:40 Bargain Hunt 15:25 Antiques Roadshow 17:10 Come Dine With Me 18:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 18:25 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 18:50 Rhodes Across Italy 19:35 Come Dine With Me 20:25 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Masterchef Australia 23:25 Masterchef Australia

00:00 BBC World News 00:30 World Business Report 00:45 Sport Today 01:00 BBC World News America 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 Hardtalk

00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:35 05:00 05:10

Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:55 07:20 07:45 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:20 11:35 12:00 12:15 12:40 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:30 15:55 16:20 Doo 16:45 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:00 19:25 19:50 20:15 20:45 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:55 23:05 23:30 23:55

Yogi’s Treasure Hunt The Garfield Show New Yogi Bear Show Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald Mcboing Boing Jelly Jamm Pink Panther And Pals Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley The Flintstones Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals Top Cat New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom & Jerry The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show The Flintstones Pink Panther & Pals Gerald Mcboing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Top Cat Wacky Races Tom & Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop

00:05 Robotboy - Elements 00:30 Squirrel Boy 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Cramp Twins 01:45 Chop Socky Chooks 02:10 Best Ed 02:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 03:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:25 Generator Rex 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Flapjack 04:40 Chowder 05:05 Powerpuff Girls 05:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 05:55 I Am Weasel 06:20 Squirrel Boy 06:45 Cow & Chicken 07:00 Eliot Kid 07:04 Cow & Chicken 07:12 Eliot Kid 07:25 Angelo Rules 07:50 Best Ed 08:15 Flapjack 08:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 09:05 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 09:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:55 Cow & Chicken 10:20 I Am Weasel 10:35 Adventure Time 11:00 Ben 10 11:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 11:50 The Secret Saturdays 12:15 Samurai Jack 12:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 13:05 Codename Kids 13:30 Skunk Fu! 13:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:15 Flapjack 14:40 Ed, Edd n Eddy 15:05 Camp Lazlo 15:30 Chowder 15:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 16:25 Cow & Chicken 16:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 17:15 I Am Weasel 17:40 George Of The Jungle

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE ON OSN ACTION HD

18:05 Casper’s Scare School 18:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 18:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 19:20 Generator Rex 19:45 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 20:10 Hero 108 20:35 Bakugan: New Vestroia 21:00 Total Drama Action 21:25 Adventure Time 21:50 Billy And Mandy 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 22:50 The Secret Saturdays 23:15 Samurai Jack 23:40 Megas XLR

00:00 Backstory 00:30 World Sport 01:00 The Situation Room 02:00 World Report 03:00 World Business Today 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Anderson Cooper 360 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Inside Africa 07:00 World Report 07:30 Backstory 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Cnngo 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 American Morning: Wake-Up Call 12:30 Talk Asia 13:00 World One 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 The Brief 18:30 World Sport 19:00 Prism 20:00 International Desk 20:30 Cnngo 21:00 Quest Means Business 22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

00:15 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Swamp Brothers Extreme Fishing The Future Of...

Dirty Jobs Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How Stuff’s Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear The Future Of...

How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Science Of The Movies Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Extreme Fishing Swamp Brothers Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear The Future Of...

Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Cash Cab Us Stan Lee’s Superhumans Mythbusters Science Of The Movies

00:05 The Tech Show 00:30 Kings of Construction 01:20 Stunt Junkies 01:45 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 02:35 Brainiac 03:25 The Gadget Show 03:50 The Gadget Show 04:15 How Stuff’s Made 04:45 Kings of Construction 05:40 One Step Beyond 06:10 NYC: Inside Out 07:00 Scrapheap Challenge 07:55 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 08:50 The Tech Show 09:15 Weird Connections 09:40 The Gadget Show 10:05 The Gadget Show 10:35 NYC: Inside Out 11:30 Sci-Fi Science 11:55 How Stuff’s Made 12:25 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 13:15 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 14:05 One Step Beyond 14:30 Stunt Junkies 14:55 Kings of Construction 15:45 Weird Connections 16:10 Scrapheap Challenge 17:00 Brainiac 17:50 Sci-Fi Science 18:15 The Tech Show 18:40 Killer Outbreaks 19:30 Moon Machines 20:20 Engineered 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Gadget Show 22:00 Killer Outbreaks 22:50 Moon Machines 23:40 The Gadget Show

00:00 Kim Possible 00:25 Fairly Odd Parents 01:15 Stitch 02:00 Replacements 02:50 Emperor’s New School 03:35 Stitch 04:25 Replacements 05:15 Fairly Odd Parents06:00 Emperor’s New School 06:20 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 06:45 Phineas And Ferb 07:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 07:30 Suite Life On Deck 07:55 Good Luck Charlie 08:20 Fish Hooks 08:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

09:00 09:10 09:20 09:30 09:40 10:05 Cody 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 16:10 16:35 Cody 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:45 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 Cody 22:50 23:15 23:35

Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction The Hive Handy Manny Imagination Movers The Suite Life Of Zack And Phineas And Ferb 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 Fish Hooks Shake It Up The Suite Life Of Zack And Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Jake & Blake Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up The Suite Life Of Zack And Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas

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 E!es 12:05 E! News 13:05 E!es 13:35 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Keeping Up With Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kourtney & Kim Take York 17:25 Kourtney & Kim Take York 17:55 E! News 18:55 THS 19:55 Khloe And Lamar 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Keeping Up With Kardashians 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With Kardashians

00:30 01:15 02:05 02:50 03:40 04:25 05:15 06:10 07:00 07:45 08:35 09:20 09:45 10:05 10:50 11:40 12:25 13:15 14:00 14:50 15:15 15:35 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:45 19:10 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 23:40

STONE OF DESTINY ON OSN CINEMA

The

The Manchurian CandidateGhost Town (TV Movie)-PG15 No Time To Fear-PG15 The Manchurian CandidateDon’t Look Up-18 Lost Boys: The Thirst-PG15

New New

The

The

The Haunted A Haunting Couples Who Kill Couples Who Kill Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting The Haunted Mystery Diagnosis FBI Case Files Forensic Detectives Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol The Prosecutors FBI Files FBI Case Files On The Case With Paula Zahn Ghost Lab Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls The Prosecutors FBI Files Forensic Detectives FBI Case Files Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Ghost Lab I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 A World Apart 01:00 Meet The Amish 02:00 Banged Up Abroad 03:00 Graham’s World 03:30 Eccentric Uk 04:00 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 04:30 Somewhere In China 05:30 The Best Job In The World 06:00 A World Apart 07:00 Meet The Amish 08:00 Banged Up Abroad 09:00 Graham’s World 09:30 Eccentric Uk 10:00 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 10:30 Somewhere In China 11:30 The Best Job In The World 12:00 A World Apart 13:00 Destination Extreme 13:30 First Ascent 14:00 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 14:30 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 15:00 Endurance Traveller 16:00 Departures 17:00 Departures 18:00 Danger Men 19:00 Destination Extreme 19:30 First Ascent 20:00 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 20:30 Chasing Che: Latin America On A Motorcycle 21:00 Endurance Traveller 22:00 Departures 23:00 Departures

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00

11:45 PG15 14:00 16:00 17:45 PG15 20:00 22:00

Saw VI-R Luster-18 Kiss Of Death-PG15 Collateral-PG15 Ghost Town (TV Movie)-PG15 Altitude-PG15

00:45 Winter Of Frozen Dreams-18 02:30 Three Investigators-PG15 04:45 Stone Of Destiny-PG15 07:00 Easy Virtue-PG15 09:00 Three Investigators-PG15 11:00 Stone Of Destiny-PG15 13:00 Shrek Forever After-FAM 15:00 My Son, My Son, What Have You Done?-PG15 16:45 Love N’ Dancing-PG15 18:45 The Sorcerer’s ApprenticePG15 21:00 Lost Boys: The Thirst-PG15 23:00 Pete Smalls Is Dead-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Party Down 02:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 03:00 Friends 03:30 Friends 04:00 Two And A Half Men 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Malcolm In The Middle 06:00 Coach 06:30 Weird Science 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Two And A Half Men 08:30 Friends 09:00 Malcolm In The Middle 09:30 Raising Hope 10:00 8 Simple Rules ...

10:30 Coach 11:00 Weird Science 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Two And A Half Men 13:00 Friends 13:30 Malcolm In The Middle 14:00 Coach 14:30 Raising Hope 15:00 8 Simple Rules ...

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 Simpsons 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Louie 22:30 Entourage 23:00 Party Down 23:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Private Practice House Scoundrels Grey’s Anatomy Eureka Good Morning America The Good Guys Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Private Practice Grey’s Anatomy Live Good Morning America Eureka The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Warehouse 13 Terra Nova Supernatural Scoundrels The Good Guys

00:00 Psych 01:00 Any Human Heart 02:00 House

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Terriers Psych According To Jim Coronation Street Burn Notice Terriers Grey’s Anatomy House According To Jim Coronation Street Burn Notice Psych According To Jim Coronation Street Burn Notice Warehouse 13 Terra Nova Supernatural Any Human Heart Terriers

01:00 Long Weekend-PG15 03:00 Kiss Of Death-PG15 05:00 The Haunting Of Molly Hartley-PG15 07:00 Ballistica-PG15 09:00 Batman: Under The Red Hood-PG 11:00 Staten Island-PG15 13:00 Bad Girls-PG15 15:00 Batman: Under The Red Hood-PG 17:00 You Got Served-PG15 19:00 The Siege-PG15 21:00 The Nun-18 23:00 Talento De Barrio-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 PG15 22:00

Hanging Up-PG15 Away We Go-PG15 Coming & Going-PG15 For Love Or Money-PG Married To It-PG15 Head Of State-PG15 My Father The Hero-PG15 Bandslam-PG15 Hanging Up-PG15 Last Of The Living-PG15 I’ll Be Home For Christmas-

01:00 02:45 04:45 06:45 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 FAM 21:00 23:15

Proteger & Servir-18 American History X-18 Simon Birch-PG The Remains Of The Day-PG15 Simon Birch-PG The Cake Eaters-PG15 The Informant!-PG15 Astro Boy-FAM The Fantastic Water Babes-PG Searching For Bobby Fischer-

Funny People-18

The Blind Side-PG15 Fascination-18

01:00 Nowhere Boy-PG15 03:00 Preacher’s Kid-PG 05:00 Hurricane Season-PG15 07:00 Our Family Wedding-PG15 09:00 A Christmas Carol-PG 11:00 Gasland-PG15 13:00 Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement-FAM 15:00 Nativity!-PG 17:00 A Christmas Carol-PG 19:00 Date Night-PG15 21:00 Assassination Of A High School President-18 23:00 Drag Me To Hell-18

00:00 My Fair Madeline-FAM 02:00 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 04:00 Turtle Hero (2)-FAM 06:00 True Story Of Puss’n Boots-PG 08:00 The Thief Of Baghdad-PG 10:00 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie-PG 12:00 Babe: Pig In The City-FAM 14:15 Dennis The Menace: Cruise Control-FAM 16:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 18:00 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie-PG 20:00 Flicka 2-PG15 22:00 102 Dalmatians-PG

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 14:30 15:30 17:30 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00

RWC Weekly Highlights Speedway FIM World Aquabike World Rugby World Cup RWC Weekly Highlights Trans World Sport Speedway FIM World Rugby World Cup Speedway FIM World WWE SmackDown Trans World Sport Aquabike World The Ultimate Fighter RWC Weekly Highlights Rugby World Cup

02:00 Beach Volley Ball 02:30 Futbol Mundial 03:00 AFL Highlights 04:00 NRL Full Time 04:30 ICC Cricket World 05:00 Currie Cup 07:00 Darts Grand Prix 09:00 Futbol Mundial 09:30 Euro 2012 Qulaifiers 11:30 World Hockey 12:00 Beach Volley Ball 12:30 Futbol Mundial 13:00 Golfing World 14:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 15:00 European Challenge Cup 17:00 ICC Cricket World 17:30 Trans World Sport 18:30 Euro 2012 Qulaifiers 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Darts Grand Prix 23:00 Golfing World

00:00 European Challenge Cup 02:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 03:00 Beach Volley Ball 03:30 Trans World Sport 04:30 Super League 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Premier League Snooker 11:30 NRL Full Time 12:00 Super League 14:30 Darts Grand Prix 16:30 World Hockey 17:00 Golfing World 18:00 Ladies European Tour Highlights 19:00 The Challenge Series Golf 19:30 Asian Tour Golf Show 20:00 European Tour Weekly 20:30 Trans World Sport 21:30 Super League

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00

Power Boats F1 Highlights Le Mans Series Highlights Speedway FIM World V8 Supercars Championship Power Boats F1 UFC Unleashed WWE Tough Enough Speedway FIM World Super Formula Power Boats UIM WWE Tough Enough WWE SmackDown V8 Supercars Championship Le Mans Series Highlights Power Boats F1 WWE Bottom Line WWE SmackDown UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed

00:10 Mr. Ricco 01:45 The Seven Hills Of Rome-FAM 03:25 Butterfield 8-PG 05:10 Edward, My Son-PG 07:00 Crest Of The Wave-FAM 08:35 3 Godfathers-FAM 10:20 Across The Wide MissouriFAM 11:35 The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn-FAM 13:20 The Glass Bottom Boat-FAM 15:05 The Liquidator-PG 16:45 Where The Spies Are-PG 18:35 Come Fly With Me-FAM 20:25 My Favorite Year-PG 22:00 Coming Home-18

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Furnished sharing accommodation available for Indian families in a C-A/C flat having internet & satellite, rent KD 75, Hawally Shara Muthanna near Sultan Center & Hawally Stadium.

Contact: 97919485. (C 3679) Accommodation available for family near Kuwait City, Darwaza Abdul Razzak, Rabiya Building. Contact: 97560488 / 22440534.

(C 3681) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near Highway Center for couple (KD 80) or for bachelor men or lady (KD 55). Contact: 99645213.

(C 3684) 11-10-2011 Room for rent in Farwaniya behind Crowne Plaza Hotel near Dar Al-Quran, Pakistani and Indian bachelor. Contact: 66490857 / 50129393.

(C 3676) 10-10-2011

FOR SALE Galant-2008 model for sale, well maintained, semi super deluxe model, color: silver grey, engine: 2400 cc, automatic gear, accident free, sun roof, ABS, airbag, cruise control, 6 disc CD player, passing till June 2012.

Asking price: KD 3,100/only serious buyer contact: 65561277. (C 3680) 11-10-2011 Motor cycle Honda Africa V-Twin 750cc, 99 model, 20,000km only, American owned, with all spares, KD 850/-. Call: 99434036 / 66274034.

Email: jeevesej@yahoo.com (C 3675) 10-10-2011

MATRIMONIAL Inviting proposals for Orthodox girl 27/159 employed in MOH Kuwait

from parents of professionally qualified God-fearing boys. Contact Email: george421975@yahoo.com (C 3683) 11-10-2011 RC boy 27, Engineer in a reputed company, seeks alliance from similar or equivalent qualified girls working in Kuwait. Contact Email: elsyvarghese@hotmail.com (C 3677) 10-10-2011

CHANGE OF NAME I, SHABBEER holder of Indian Passport No. G5123333 son of AHMED BASHA do hereafter known my name as SHABBEER AHMED. (C 3678) 10-10-2011

I, HAZEEM MOHAMMAD ZAID S/O MOHAMMAD ZAID holder of Indian Passport No: Z1842542 hereby change my name to HAZEM MOHAMMAD ZIAD SHOASHAH. (C 3674) 8-10-2011

SITUATION WANTED Mechanical Engineering graduate, with immaculate English language skills, looking for a job in Kuwait, Transferable residency.

Contact: 67078742.

(C 3663) 12-10-2011

Tuberculosis cases drop worldwide: WHO WASHINGTON: Tuberculosis is declining for the first time worldwide, driven by improvements in China and Brazil, but more cash is needed to fight drugresistant forms of the disease, the World Health Organization said yesterday.

A total of 8.8 million people around the world fell ill with TB last year said the WHO’s 2011 Global Tuberculosis Control Report, down from 9.4 million people in its review of the ancient disease one year ago. Deaths from TB also fell globally to its lowest level in a decade, to 1.4 million in 2010, after peaking at 1.8 million in 2003.

However, efforts to combat multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) are underfunded, and the overall fight against TB is facing a $1 billion shortfall in 2012, the report said. “Fewer people are dying of tuberculosis, and fewer are falling ill. This is major progress. But it is no cause for complacency,” said a statement by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

“Too many millions still develop TB each year, and too many die. I urge serious and sustained support for TB prevention and care, especially for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people”. Progress over the past decade has been notable in Kenya and Tanzania, where TB cases have dropped following a peak linked to the HIV epidemic. Going back further, the report pointed to major gains since 1990 in Brazil, which has seen “a significant and sustained decline.” In China, TB deaths fell from 216,000 in 1990 to 55,000 in 2010 and TB prevalence was halved, from 215 cases to 108 cases per 100,000 people. “In many countries, strong leadership and domestic financing, with robust donor support, has started to make a real difference in the fight against TB,” said WHO’s Director-General Margaret Chan.

“The challenge now is to build on that commitment, to increase the global effort-and to pay particular attention to the growing threat of multidrugresistant TB.” The number of people treated for MDR-TB reached 46,000 in 2010, but that represented only 16 percent of the total estimated number of patients who needed treatment, the report said.

“Of the US $1 billion gap reported by countries for 2012, US $200 million is for the MDR-TB response,” added the report. Drug-resistant TB is caused by bacteria that do not respond to the standard six-month treatment with the most effective anti-TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin, the report said.

Instead, patients may be treated for up to two years with less potent drugs that cost more. —AFP

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR THY ETH UAE DHX FDB GFA QTR JZR THY JZR FCX KAC BAW KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA FCX MEA RBG IRM JZR KAC MSR UAL RJA MSR FDB KAC KAC IRC QTR SVA CLX JZR QTR

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 12/10/2011 Flt Route 267 BEIRUT 772 ISTANBUL 620 ADDIS ABABA 853 DUBAI 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 211 BAHRAIN 138 DOHA 529 ASSIUT 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 201 DUBAI 412 MANILA / BANGKOK 157 LONDON 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 284 DHAKA 302 MUMBAI 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 132 DOHA 125 SHARJAH 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 203 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 3555 ALEXANDRIA 5066 MASHAD 561 SOHAG 672 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 640 AMMAN 621 ASSIUT 57 DUBAI 802 CAIRO 790 MEDINAH 6791 MASHAD 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 792 LUXEMBOURG 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA

Time 0:35 1:15 1:45 2:25 2:55 3:10 3:15 3:20 3:35 4:10 5:15 5:25 6:15 6:30 7:15 7:20 7:40 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:20 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:25 9:30 9:35 10:30 10:55 11:05 11:50 12:30 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:50 14:00 14:05 14:15 14:15 14:30 14:50 15:10 15:15

KAC JZR SYR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR RBG ABY KAC KNE FDB ALK JZR IYE KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI FDB JZR OMA VOS MEA MSR DHX UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR JZR MSR DLH MSR SAI AXB JZR KLM PIA

546 201 341 303 857 215 510 777 3557 127 550 745 63 227 177 824 166 502 542 618 786 614 774 674 102 975 572 61 787 647 81 402 618 372 859 217 136 981 135 185 612 636 2140 441 393 539 447 215

ALEXANDRIA DAMASCUS DAMASCUS ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH SOHAG SHARJAH SHARM EL SHEIKH / SOHAG JEDDAH DUBAI COLOMBO / DUBAI DUBAI SANAA / DOHA PARIS / ROME BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN RIYADH DUBAI NEW YORK / LONDON CHENNAI / GOA MUMBAI DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT BAGHDAD BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT CAIRO LAHORE KOZHIKODE / COCHIN CAIRO AMSTERDAM / BAHRAIN KARACHI

15:30 15:45 16:30 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:00 18:00 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:15 23:30 23:35 23:55

Airlines AXB DLH BBC AIC PIA THY ETH VOS UAE FDB DHX QTR THY JZR GFA KAC BAW KAC FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC UAE ABY KAC KAC QTR ETD GFA JZR IRA RBG FCX MEA JZR KAC KAC KAC IRM KAC JZR MSR RJA FDB MSR UAL

Departur Flights on Wednesday 12/10/2011 Flt Route 390 MANGALORE / KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 46 DHAKA 982 AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI 206 LAHORE 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 94 DUBAI / KANDAHAR 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 560 SOHAG 212 BAHRAIN 801 CAIRO 156 LONDON 545 ALEXANDRIA 54 DUBAI 177 FRANKFURT / GENEVA 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 789 MEDINAH 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 549 SHARM EL SHEIKH / SOHAG 117 NEW YORK 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 602 SHIRAZ 3558 SOHAG 204 DUBAI 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 103 LONDON 501 BEIRUT 5065 MASHAD 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 58 DUBAI 622 ASSIUT 982 BAHRAIN

Time 0:25 0:40 1:00 1:05 1:10 2:15 2:45 3:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 5:00 5:10 5:55 7:10 7:20 8:25 8:35 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:10 9:25 9:40 9:50 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:25 11:45 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:20 13:30 13:40 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:45

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KAC IRC KAC SVA KAC QTR CLX KAC JZR JZR SYR ETD QTR UAE GFA RBG ABY JZR JZR KNE SVA FDB ALK JZR IYE KAC KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA MSR DHX UAE GFA KAC FCX FAH QTR KAC KAC JZR UAL MSR KAC SAI

673 6792 617 503 773 141 792 613 786 538 342 304 135 858 216 3556 128 184 266 746 511 64 228 134 824 283 361 571 62 331 351 648 403 619 373 860 218 381 102 102 137 301 205 502 981 613 415 442

DUBAI MASHAD DOHA MEDINAH / JEDDAH RIYADH DOHA HONG KONG BAHRAIN RIYADH CAIRO DAMASCUS ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT JEDDAH RIYADH DUBAI DUBAI / COLOMBO BAHRAIN SANAA DHAKA COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DELHI BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD LUXOR WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA LAHORE

15:10 15:15 15:35 15:45 16:05 16:15 16:20 16:20 16:35 16:40 17:30 17:35 17:45 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:35 18:40 19:10 19:10 19:40 20:00 20:20 20:35 20:40 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:40 23:50 23:50 23:59

34

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 466

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) If you need a loan, this is a good day to request one. This is a perfect time to be assertive and move forward in your career. You have all the energy you could want today and it should be easy to channel your energies in the right direction. The path you need to take is open and clear.

Communicating and being understood is important to you and today seems to be a high point for you as you learn new communication techniques and skills. Being clearly understood and respected for your ideas frequently are important issues in your life.

Your timing should be perfect today and you will remain focused but ever the type of caring person that can be flexible. People love to be around you and the young ones in your family bring much laughter tonight.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This may be a challenging day where you can use your skills and expertise to solve problems and feel successful. Any professional advice you might need is available. You value what is aboveboard and straightforward and have a particular aversion to what is secret, intense and private. Radical and inventive ideas hold the key to realizing your ambitions and advancing your status—a shakeup is in the works. This mood could carry into your living space—careful.

Low-profile activities will help you adjust to any large changes just now. Allow your ideas about future development to germinate and bring others into your confidence.

You and a friend draw close this afternoon. Sharing your thoughts and ideas helps you feel lighter.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. The federal agency that insures residential mortgages.

4. Any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico).

10. Botfly larva.

13. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

14. A house of worship (especially one for sailors).

15. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

16. The most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on.

17. Feel admiration for.

18. A lipoprotein that transports cholesterol in the blood.

19. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

21. Filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock.

23. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

26. Complacently or inanely foolish.

27. The compass point that is one point south of southwest.

30. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

31. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

32. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality.

33. A master's degree in library science.

38. The cry made by sheep.

42. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

44. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

45. A Dravidian language spoken in south central India.

47. Serving as or forming a base.

49. Destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle.

50. The basic unit of money in Zambia.

58. A large number or amount.

59. A quantity of no importance.

62. A unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters.

64. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

65. A hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers.

66. A genus of Ploceidae.

67. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

DOWN 1. A card game in which players bet against the dealer on the cards he will draw from a dealing box.

2. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

3. The highest level or degree attainable.

4. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

5. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

6. A unit of pressure.

7. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.

8. Queen of the Olympian gods in ancient Greek mythology.

9. Fragrant resin obtain from trees of the family Burseraceae and used as incense.

10. French novelist.

11. Of time long past.

12. A diacritical mark (~) placed over the letter n in Spanish to indicate a palatal nasal sound or over a vowel in Portuguese to indicate nasalization.

20. Enjoying or affording comforting warmth and shelter especially in a small space.

22. Type genus of the Anatidae.

24. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

25. Arboreal snake of central and southern Africa whose bite is often fatal.

28. A raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip).

29. (informal) Exceptionally good.

34. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

35. A subsidiary proposition that is assumed to be true in order to prove another proposition.

36. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

37. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

39. Not only so, but.

40. (informal) Of the highest quality.

41. An associate degree in nursing.

43. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

46. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

48. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

51. Notify of danger, potential harm, or risk.

52. Chief port of Yemen.

53. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

54. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

55. Toward the mouth or oral region.

56. A small cake leavened with yeast.

57. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in a mosque.

60. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

61. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

62. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

63. A member of the military police who polices soldiers and guards prisoners.

64. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You are very much like a genius. Some of the things you think and say are obviously brilliant. You have such an outpouring of insights that having a conversation with you can be a real experience. Your mind works like lightning. Words and thoughts take form, illuminating whatever subject is at hand. You really do have very different ideas and you express yourself in creative ways. There may also be a sustained interest in communication, computers, electronics and all that is electrical. This is a good day to start a diet, or perhaps, a new and positive habit. All the energies are working in your favor for this to be a successful endeavor. One example of favorable outcome is your method of investing—which is working out successfully just now.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Your public image has improved and you may find higherups are taking another look at your potential. The good life and all that is fine and luxurious is what you value. You could enjoy making your own way and finding solutions to whatever problems you have. Business decisions are straightforward and easy to make. You make your way through ideas, concepts and your ability to communicate and express yourself to others. Everything may be pouring in at once and it’s all good news. Your career direction receives encouragement and life’s difficult situations seem to flow past you with little frustration. A relationship with a difficult older person may become more positive now. Whistle a happy tune!

Leo (July 23-August 22) This could be a challenging day but it is one that opens up opportunities for improvement and positive changes. You may find that you have to look into unusual places for answers to current projects. Some sort of temporary obstacle may appear. There is an opportunity to pull on some past project and revise, revamp and refresh the old into something new. This is a time to re-build, improve and refine. New information about a physical complaint or hindrance is exciting and progressive. You want to know more and may be able to attend a lecture by the author or inventor to learn more. This may mean you know someone that can be helped by some forward-moving application. A friend will go with you if you ask.

Tonight is a good time to socialize.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Outer circumstances tend to work in your favor today. You may find that you are more organized than before—able to reach new levels of self-discipline. This is a smooth time during which events seem to arrange themselves favorably. Sympathy and understanding are emotional qualities that take on greater importance. Everything seems to work together to bring out your unique qualities. You may find that someone close to you understands you and is supportive of your eccentricities. You could come up with new solutions or inventions; you certainly have the mind for achievement. Coming to grips with the past or getting in touch with the mystical and the spiritual are some of the things that give a sense of completeness—a new understanding.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

This is a vital day with much energy and lots of action. You may feel focused and even a bit radiant. You could find yourself in the public eye with people gathered around you to find out the next project or answer to the present quandaries in the workplace. You are good at getting your ideas and instructions over to others. All sorts of financial or business opportunities are opening up to you at this time. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others and are in a good position to guide and communicate. A fascination with some new idea or a person that pushes a new idea makes you want to expand your horizons and study new possibilities. Do not shrink back into the everyday concerns without making new plans.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You could find that you are appreciated for your ability to respond quickly when others need help. You may learn some new techniques that will teach others to help themselves. You will find that your time will not be your own if you agree too quickly each time someone needs your guidance or helping hand. Communications with others are positive and your friends and coworkers find you witty. Others value you for your independence. This is a very lucky day for making plans or decisions and finding your way through just about any problem you may discover. You feel successful today. It can be easy now to separate and get rid of that which does not advance your goals. The results are solid goals that support you.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Material things and the whole concept of value take on more importance for you now. Financial security and enjoying the finer things in life, appreciating and creating things others long to have are experiences that assume a high priority. You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others. There are opportunities available for you to improve your budget today. Your mind is clear and your thoughts are brought into a sharp focus. It is easy to organize your thoughts—communication of all kinds is furthered. Write that book—take that course. Your thoughts count now—so use your mind—communicate. Things are happening and your career depends upon your own attitude, which is positive.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You have an uncanny ability to get beyond the status quo, always coming up with new ways of doing things. You can take the most mundane stuff and find a new angle. Unpredictable and spontaneous, you seldom lean on other peopleís experience, preferring to create as you go. All will agree that you are very original, unconventional and possess deep and accurate insights. Contacts you make this day could make a big difference in your professional future, so get out there and shake hands, looking people in the eye at every opportunity. This fall season may bring a variety of party invitations—networking when appropriate is important. Love and money mix together beautifully this evening.

To

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is not perhaps the best time to make important decisions that affect your living situation or life circumstances. Your thinking process may undergo some transformation or change at this time. There is a natural sense of growth and development. Concentrating and getting down to the important issues is the best path to take right now. There is a community affair this evening that will bring a positive end to a confusing day. You strive to attain ideals of the highest order. You bring imagination to group goals. You dream of what is best for all people.

Inspired, you could be quite creative—even inventive. One of your most creative times begins this week. Your artistic talents are sure to be noticed, so now is the time to write, dance and create.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

This is a significant day you can use to your best advantage. A day that is not too lazy or too stressful, a time for accomplishing tasks or setting things up to work in your favor. Delays and inconveniences may try your patience from time to time; proof your work and confirm appointments. This afternoon, you will find an item that has been lost from a long time ago. Short trips or a planned vacation can be enjoyed soon. Acknowledging a person’s dilemma will encourage frankness. This communication could lead to ideas of ways you or this person could earn an income. There are present energies that will work in favor of putting together a few plans for a small business partnership. Tonight is your turn to cook and you concentrate on dessert.

A

y

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Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Psychologists /Psychotherapists

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada) Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

Central African Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

A

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WE

Years

lifestyle G o s s i p

S

erbian film director Emir Kusturica will be the next president of the Marrakesh International Film Festival, in the south of Morocco, organizers announced yesterday.

Kusturica, renowned for feature films such as “Underground” and “Arizona Dream,” his US debut, has also made documentaries, such as “Maradona” in 2008. He twice won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, for “When Father Was Away on Business” and “Underground.” He will be taking over the chair at Marrakesh from American actor

T

Rain

reports for military service

S

outh Korean pop star Rain entered a boot camp yesterday to begin mandatory military service, bidding farewell to weeping fans. “Thank you for coming... I’ll see you later,” he said, beaming and bowing to about 1,000 people including journalists and fans outside the camp in the northern suburbs of Seoul.

Many fans, including hundreds from Japan, Taiwan, China and elsewhere in Asia, burst into tears when the singer disappeared into the camp, Yonhap news agency reported.

Rain, 29, whose real name is Jung JiHoon, is one of the country’s most popular male celebrities and helped spark the Korean Wave of pop culture

K

im Kardashian’s husband Kris Humphries lost his $10,000 wedding ring last week.

The basketball star - who tied the knot with the 30-year-old socialite in a lavish Californian ceremony this August - was thrown into a panic at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, in Minnesota, on Friday when he realized he had misplaced the band. According to TMZ.com, the drama began when Kris, who was accompanied by two friends, had to remove the Lorraine Schwartz-designed ring to go through a metal detector and accidentally dropped the piece of jewelry on the floor as he tried to put it back on his finger. However, onlooker Omar Ahmad who recognized the star as “Kim’s husband” came to the rescue by frantically scrabbling

in Asia and elsewhere. The singer will undergo eight weeks of basic training before being posted elsewhere for the remainder of his 22 months’ service. He staged a farewell concert in Seoul Sunday attended by 20,000 fans. South Korea, which has remained technically at war with North Korea since their 1950-1953 conflict, requires all eligible men to serve in the military, although candidates can defer their service.

he ‘S&M’ singer beat a host of famous beauties to take the US edition of the men’s magazine’s annual title including Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Emma Stone, Beyonce Knowles, MMA Fighter Gina Carano and tennis player Victoria Azarenka. In an accompanying interview with the publication, Rihanna claims she doesn’t even try hard to be sexy when she is performing live, despite playing a set which features her change into several flash-fleshing outfits, ride the turret of a pink tank and routinely pull male fans on stage to give a lap dance to. The 23-year-pop superstar - who appears naked on the cover of Esquire - said: “At the end of a concert, I don’t feel like I’ve been this sexy thing. Really, I don’t even think about it. I mean, unless it’s a song that really calls for it, like ‘Skin’ or ‘S&M,’ or when I cover ‘Darling Nikki’. Although there’s a section that’s called ‘Sex’ in the show, which is the obvious section for sexuality.” The Barbadosborn star admits she had an embarrassing moment when her lap dance routine got one

guy a bit too excited after she had grinded on him. Speaking about the segment on her ‘Loud Tour’, she explained: “The way I pick the person is, whoever I feel doesn’t take themselves too seriously, or who I think would be majorly embarrassed about it. Like these old men . it’s hilarious. At first, it was just going to be girls. And then one night, I brought up a gay guy, and then I started bringing up straight guys. Then I started bringing up older straight men. Did you see the one who was getting way too comfortable? I can’t remember the city, but I remember what the guy looked like . He was just getting excited .

We have pictures!” Rihanna inherits her Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive from last year’s recipient, ‘30 Rock’ star Katrina Bowden.

Previous winners include Minka Kelly (2010), Kate Beckinsale (2009), Halle Berry (2008), Charlize Theron (2007), Scarlett Johansson (2006), Jessica Biel (2005) and Angelina Jolie (2004).

Jessica Simpson is pregnant

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around on his hands and knees to find the ring with Kris. Omar is quoted by RadarOnline.com as saying: “He was freaking out and frantically looking for it yelling, ‘Where’s my ring?!’ “He was crawling on his knees looking for it underneath the X-ray machine. No one was helping him so I stepped in to help. I told him, ‘I’m going to help you find this so you don’t have to deal with this tonight.’ “After 10 minutes on their knees searching for the ring, Omar found it before security took it from him and gave it to a relieved Kris.

The Good Samaritan added: “Kris was just so thankful I helped him and didn’t just leave him.”

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he singer-and-actress and her NFL player fiance Eric Johnson are said to be expecting their first child together and the blonde star is getting ready to announce the happy news after already telling some of her close friends and family. A source close to Jessica told RadarOnline.com: “It’s still early in the pregnancy, and Jessica has decided to wait before sharing her happiness with her fans. But she has begun telling family and friends the exciting news.” The 31year-old beauty - who was previously married to singer Nick Lachey - previously sent back her glass of champagne when she celebrated Eric’s 32nd birthday, leading to further speculation she has a child on the way. His father Stephen did not deny the rumors when he was questioned about whether she is expecting. He said: “I haven’t heard anything. Is she pregnant? I better give them a call if she is!” Jessica and Eric are thought to have recently postponed their wedding - which was due to take place in November - because she is unsure of how she wants her big day to play out, but Stephen is keen for the nuptials to take place. He added: “I wish it would happen! It is just a matter of logistics. They have had so much to do.”

he ‘Help’ actress - who has previously dated Kieran Culkin and was recently linked to her ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ co-star Andrew Garfield - tries not to get “overwhelmed” by her new-found success and likes to keep her feet on the ground as she knows it is unlikely it will last forever. She said: “I’m very aware that it’s a moment. If I ever get overwhelmed by everything that’s happening to me, I think, ‘Get over it sweetheart. It will be gone one day.’ “There’s going to be another 22-year-old redhead on my heels. It’s inevitable and there’s nothing I can do about it, so I try to live in the moment.” However

and film-maker John Ma Marrakesh Film Festiv Kusturica, who will presid on December 2 to 10. This der homage to Mexican ci The Gold Star, or main priz of the festival was awarde Musan” by South Korean d

that does not mean she does not think about her future, and Emma admits it is unlikely she will ever fall off the rails like her contemporary Lindsay Lohan. She told Scotland’s Daily Record newspaper: “I have parents who would never allow me to lose my mind like that. They just would not let that happen and I know they’re always going to be there for me. I’d be a mess without that.”

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Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen, a cast member in “The Thing,” poses at the premiere of the film, Monday.— AP photos

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t’s been 60 years since alien thriller movie “The Thing From Another World” hit theaters at the height of Cold War paranoia and half that long since horror director John Carpenter revisited its themes in “The Thing.” On Friday, a new “The Thing” is back in movie theaters, hungrier than ever, in a version being billed as a prequel to Carpenter’s examination of fear that is centered on an alien from another world who is discovered by scientists on Antarctica.

Dutch director Matthijs van Heijningen makes his feature film debut with the new movie that has 27 year-old Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) playing paleontologist Kate Lloyd, who is hired as part of a mysterious scientific expedition and ends up battling the alien. Australian actor Joel Edgerton (“Animal Kingdom”) co-stars as a veteran helicopter pilot who services the remote Antarctica base where a Norwegian team of scien-

tists has stumbled across the alien and its spaceship buried in the ice.

Van Heijningen said he is a fan of both earlier “Thing” films, but he sees his version as “very logically tied-in to the events of...the Carpenter movie.” Yet, the new version exhibits a 2011 sensibility with its international cast and female character leading the charge to kill the alien.

“Surrounded by all these older men and isolated on this base, maybe she already feels uncomfortable-a bit of an outcast. My reference for envisioning her was actually Jane Goodall. For me, she’s the ultimate female scientist,” van Heijningen said.

Butt-kicking paleontologist Van Heijningen cites the famed British anthropologist as an inspiration, but his character Kate Lloyd seems more akin to the “Alien’s” Ripley, the woman portrayed by

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Singer Marilyn Manson, right, jokes with director Eli Roth at the premiere of the film ‘T

Sigourney Weaver who battles the otherworldly creature in that 1979 film. “She’s very smart, but she’s very young and inexperienced, and she gets invited to join this expedition because they (the male scientists) think they can easily control her. That’s how she starts out,” Winstead said of her character.

“But when the very bad things start to happen, she’s the one who starts kicking butt and really figuring out what they have to do in order to survive. Not the men,” she said.

The best horror films are both timeless, yet very much of their time. “The Thing From Another World” (1951) is seen as reflecting America’s paranoia about communism, and Carpenter’s “The Thing” (1982) has been viewed as a thinly veiled parable about the horrors of AIDS. This new “Thing” could be viewed as a commentary on the present-day threat from the global war on terror, its makers said, but Van Heijningen was quick to add that he

didn’t set out to comment o foremost a horror film about ly make the parallel in the among us, pretending to be have a very different, hidden Winstead agrees there is a dealing with trusting, or not, she added that the horror g their fright, perhaps even lau way of living vicariously thro audience comes through it u does. You live through all th and then you get to walk awa

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early 100 weapons to be used in Brad Pitt’s “World War Z” film were confiscated in Hungary because they had not been properly deactivated, authorities said yesterday. The weapons included machine guns, rifles and pistols. The weapons arrived from London to Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt Airport on Saturday and were discovered at a nearby duty free zone, Janos Hajdu, head of Hungary’s Counterterrorism Center, said. He said he could not confirm they were meant for the film.

“It’s possible that all the weapons were brought in for the film, but this would not be allowed by Hungarian law,” as the weapons had not been fully deactivated and could easily be used to fire live ammunition, Hajdu said on Neo FM radio. “This is a very complicated case.” Hajdu explained that in Hungary weapons were considered to be deactivated only if the process “was irreversible,” while the weapons seized could still be fired even though

Brad Pitt

screws had been used to fill the end of the barrels.

Bela Gajdos, a weapons supervisor for “World War Z,” said Mafilm, a Hungarian film company based near Budapest which had the guns brought to Hungary, had the necessary permits, including a detailed list of the weapons in question, issued by local police authorities. “We had all the permits in order for the weapons to be brought in,” Gajdos told The Associated Press by phone. “They were brought in only for this film and are owned by a company in England.”

In accordance with British regulations, the weapons were prepared to be used with blank ammunition, Gajdos said, while in Hungary the guns were considered to be “not suitably modified.” Gajdos said he had been questioned by government investigators and that his home in Budapest had been thoroughly searched by security forces before dawn Monday who also confiscated the permits. Gajdos added that he had not been able to inspect the weapons before the police seized them, but that they would have been checked by him and a Hungarian forensic weapons expert before allowing their use in the film.—AP

People watch the projection by British artist Tacita Dean entitled ‘FILM’ in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern in central London.

Tribute to vanishing world of analogue film at Tate

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homage to the disappearing format of analogue film by the British artist Tacita Dean is the latest exhibition to fill the cavernous space at the Tate Modern in London. Plunged into darkness, visitors to the former power station see a huge screen resembling a piece of film, placed vertically, up which scrolls a constantly changing series of images, such as the sun, a snail or a factory chimney.

Dean is the 12th artist to fill the Turbine Hall and the first since Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s ‘field’ of sunflower seeds. The shows have so far attracted 26 million people, according to

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emember when, if you heard someone associated with the Disney Channel extol “the club,” they meant the one where you needed mouse ears to get past the velvet rope? Latest among the Disney grads hoping to energize the adult dance floor is Joe Jonas, who’s traded rock & roll for club bangers at the same time he’s shed his rocker’s mop-top for a swarthy partial buzzcut. But “Fastlife,” his solo debut, isn’t likely to make it past the club scene’s beefy bouncers into the disco fast lane.

Like Samson before him, Jonas seems to have shed some personality about the time he lost his locks. “Fastlife” isn’t a terrible album, just a terribly producer-driven one, which leaves Jonas trying to fit into producer Danja’s allelectro arrangements as nimbly as he squeezes into the designer duds he now favors. Capable musical clotheshorse that he is, Jonas barely registers as much of a presence on many of these breezy, instantly forgettable pieces of rhythmic fluff.

As the unofficial lead singer of the Jonas Brothers, Joe provided the edgier contrast to Nick’s more nasal tones. By contrast, on “Fastlife,” the 22-year-old sex god sounds quieter and breathier, like a mid-level actor who doesn’t want to come on so strong that he’ll upset his superstar director’s mise-en-scene. It’s not as if Danja is exactly doing his most distinctive work here, either, though. Maybe this is the end of an era. For a few years, the Hollywood label had a stable of kids who almost resembled a repertory company devoted to reviving the power-pop scene of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and the Jonases all cranked out some rockers that could stand with the best of the new-wave era-great singles all but wasted on the youngsters who were nearly the only ones

the museum. The Berlin-based artist said her show was a love letter to the type of film mainly 16 millimeter and 35 millimeter-that she has used throughout her career, but which is being chased out of existence by digital formats.

“We have created this beautiful media we are now losing,” Dean said, adding that “16 millimeter print is the most in danger”.

The director of the Tate Modern, Chris Dercon, said analogue film was in danger of becoming a “disappearing act” in the 21st century.”Films will only be seen in museums,” he

ever to hear them. But for these performers, growing up has come to be synonymous with giving up rock for disco.

Miley made the dance switch with her dud, “Can’t Be Tamed.” Labelmates Selena, Demi, and Allstar Weekend followed suit with their own nearly all-electronic albums, but didn’t lose their sense of what makes pop singles work, nor their more sympathetic identities.

Now Joe is completing the transitional cycle (though his old-school-favoring younger bro, Nick, may yet lead him back to the land of Costello and Cheap Trick). No one ever took Joe for the creative brains of the family operation, so maybe it’s no massive disappointment that “Fastlife” is as featherweight as it is. And the album bears a few passably entertaining tracks, the best being “All This Time,” which-maybe not coincidentally — is the closest thing to a rock ballad, its martial beat notwithstanding.

Silliest? That’s a tie between “Kleptomaniac” and “Love Slayer,” which has Joe bragging, “I’m ‘bout to shut this thing down-down-down-down-down,” the last word getting the kind of simulated record-skipping repetition that must’ve seemed awfully original 10 years ago.

As for the two tracks co-written for Jonas by Chris Brown, there’s probably a reason the R&B star didn’t save them for himself, especially the sloggy “Lighthouse,” which overdoses on tower and drowning metaphors.

That’s the closing track on the album ... unless you count two remixes of “Just in Love,” one of which, on the explicit edition of the album, has guest rapper Lil Wayne dropping an un-Disney-fied F-bomb. Once “Fastlife” fails to afford Joe the desired Timberlake-type transition, it should be time to grow the hair back out at least as long as the eyebrows and fast-track a JoBros reunion. That’ll probably come too late, commercially speaking, but the

said. Old-fashioned film al Hollywood mogul Steven Sp catalogue, he says: “Today it’s remain loyal to this analogue es.” The exhibition, “Film”, is on

trio was always underrated-somethi be said of this disco detour, if the future think of it at all.—AP

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A large banyan tree grows along Banyan Drive across from the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.

A banyan tree planted by George Herman “Babe” Ruth in October 1933 grows along Banyan Drive near the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel in Hilo.

The 80-foot Rainbow Falls is found at Wailuku River State Park . —MCT photos

ilo-it is what it is” probably isn’t a tourism slogan that would get a thumbs-up from the Big Island city’s Chamber of Commerce. But I don’t mean it as a put-down. It’s just advice from a longtime visitor who loves Hawaii’s “second city.” I also know the worst thing anyone can do for Hilo is to try to oversell it. No one is going to spend a weeklong honeymoon in Hilo or plan a Wall Street corporate retreat or a championship golf tournament there.

That’s all over on the other side, the rocky brown Kona Coast, with its 10 inches of rain per year and $400 per night megaresort hotel rooms. Hilo, on the other hand, is a place often defined by its deficiencies. No famous gourmet restaurants, no luxury hotels, no postcard-worthy beaches. It’s more often wet and gloomy compared with the west side. Rain?

Count on it. More than 125 inches a year.

But it has something you won’t find while strolling the T-shirt shops over in Kailua-Kona. “Hilo is more relaxing and down-to-earth,” she Wilma Kuamoo, a waitress at Ken’s House of Pancakes, a locals hangout. “In other places, I think people have lost the Hawaiian spirit. They don’t have time to stop and talk. They’re too busy. Hilo isn’t that way.”

Hilo is getting a boost, or maybe a test, with Continental’s new nonstop service from Los Angeles.

It’s the first West Coast nonstop to Hilo since 1983.

Previously, visitors to Hilo had to fly to Honolulu and change planes (and often terminals). The planes pull up to the oversize Hilo International Airport, a remnant of a 1970s attempt to spur tourism to the area.

Tourism archaeologists can visit Banyan Drive, which seems caught sometime before the 1980s. The trees that flank the curving parkway have plaques to the famous visitors who were honored with a tree planting during their visit. Babe Ruth and Amelia Earhart are on the drive. The most recent famous name is Richard Nixon-when he was running for vice president in 1952.

The names underscore the reality that Hilo has become a tourism backwater in the past half-century, ever since the airport in Kailua-Kona meant that visitors to the big resorts no longer needed to make a stop in Hilo on the way to two weeks of lounging at the Mauna Kea or Kona Village.

But the very things that Hilo isn’t-slick, pricey, touristy-make it a draw for Hawaii vacationers looking for a different experience. Disney recently opened a resort on Oahu, and more than a few commentators have riffed that the resort is unnecessary because tourism, the islands’ No. 1 industry, has already turned them into one big theme park.

“H

Hilo has been eclipsed in popularity by the Kona side. The Big Island is big-you could fit all the other islands inside it and still have lots of room. On the west coast, visitors drive long distances to get to a “destination” resort where enough greenery has been planted and watered to make you forget that you are on the brown, rocky flank of an old volcano.

Seeing the west side from the air is known to give vacationers “Kona shock,” an affliction that hits when you realize the weeklong vacation destination looks more like the moon than a tropical paradise. Once inside the resort gates, the irrigation and gardeners can hide it all pretty well. That’s not a problem in Hilo.

All that rain may be a nuisance, but it makes it the garden side of the island.

Hilo, while it has places for tourists, is a real town maintained for locals. Its green hills and waterfalls are perfectly in tune with the lush Hawaii of most travelers’ imaginations. Nature has been Hilo’s greatest strength and its weak point. The crescent-shaped bay sits at the foot of two volcanoes, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. They are close enough that in the past century, lava has licked repeatedly at the edges of town.

But it is the ocean that has twice ravaged Hilo. The recent disasters in Indonesia and Japan have only added to the public interest about the killer waves of the kind that have smashed the area at least five times since the early 1800s. Hilo was struck in 1946 and again in 1960, the latter flattening the downtown, which was moved back several hundred feet from the water’s edge after the second tsunami. Hilo has turned its sometimes deadly relationship with nature to its advantage. The city is the jumping-off point for tours of Kilauea, the most active of the island’s volcanoes. The lava and smoke have steadily moved away from Hilo in recent decades, though as late as 1984, lava from the currently dormant Mauna Loa made it to the outskirts of town.

The Imiloa Astronomy Center spotlights the work done far upslope at the observatories atop 13,796foot Mauna Kea. It’s unlike any other planetarium you’re likely to visit because it ties the science of the cosmos to how that science was interpreted in traditional Hawaiian legends and was used by Polynesians on their epic voyages across the Pacific.

All that rain has an upside. Hilo is home to some of the most beautiful gardens and parks in the islands. Plumeria, orchids and anthurium bloom magnificently here, alongside the massive banyan and monkeypod trees.

My favorite stop in Hilo is Liliuokalani Park, out near Banyan Drive. Though it is named after Hawaii’s

last queen (overthrown in 1893 by a coterie of businessmen who later pushed for US annexation), it’s actually a Japanese garden with red arch bridges, stone lanterns and bonsai, the neatly miniaturized plants that require meticulous gardening skills.

Nearby is Coconut Island, once the home of a traditional Hawaiian temple, or heiau. It can be reached by a short bridge.

Garden fans can get more at the larger Nani Mau Gardens, a botanical collection of native plants and imported specimens brought by settlers and traders from around the world. A somewhat less manicured environment is available at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, which includes a large rain forest among thousands of species of plants.

Downtown has retained an old Hawaii feel that so many island tourist towns have either wiped out or turned into a sickly sweet nostalgia. Here the stuccoed buildings and clapboard-sided stores, some still with corrugated tin roofs, are the real deal. Hilo was, above all, a port, and it attracted fishermen and workers from around the world. You’ll find the usual

Hawaiian mix of Japanese, Chinese and Filipino. But here there are also bits of Russia and the Caribbean, Portugal and the Midwest of the US. The big annual event in Hilo is the Merrie Monarch Festival in April, which celebrates David Kalakaua, the last king of Hawaii, who reigned from 1874 to 1891. Kalakaua tried to roll back many of the restrictions on traditional Hawaiian arts imposed by European missionaries, who arrived on the islands after Captain James Cook’s “discovery” of the islands in 1778. The Merrie Monarch Festival has parades, hula competitions, food fests and arts displays. It’s the only time of year when getting a room in Hilo can be a chore, I’ve found.

Foodies and people who like to eat should try to time a visit to include the twice-weekly farmers market. Farmers truck in local fruits-papayas and mangos are the best-along with macadamia nuts that the region is famous for. You’ll also find pastries and produce, cheeses and mushrooms (another outgrowth of Hilo’s famous rains). It’s held at the corner of Mamo Street at Kamehameha Avenue. The Suisan fish auc-

If you go: Where to stay: Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. The best of a lessthan-stellar collection of hotels along Banyan Drive, the onetime tourist heart of Hilo. Comfortable rooms, many with a beautiful view of Hilo Bay. 71 Banyan Drive, 808-935-9361 or castleresorts.com. Rooms from $95 per night.

The Shipman House. The B&B is in a massive Victorian house that’s owned by a descendant of a longtime local family. The do’s-and-don’ts list can put off some visitors. From $219 per night. 131 Kaiulani St; 808-934-8002. hilo-hawaii.com Where to eat: Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm. Fish come from an adjacent aqua farm, along with fresh choices from the sea. 1790 Kalanianaole Ave; 808-935-8825 Ken’s House of Pancakes. It looks like a coffee shop that could be anywhere - until you try the macadamia nut pancakes. Then you’ll know why the parking lot is packed.

1730 Kamehameha Ave. 808-935-8711

Where to shop: Sig Zane Designs. While Hilo Hattie is the best-known fashion name to come out of the city, this shop is the premier spot for a contemporary take on Hawaiian designs.

122 Kamehameha Ave., 808-935-7077.

Hilo Farmers Market, Mamo Street at Kamehameha Avenue. Market days are Wednesday and Saturday from 6 am to 4 pm, when more than 200 local farmers show their wares. On other days, crafts dealers are on the site. hilofarmersmarket.com What to do: Pacific Tsunami Museum, 130 Kamehameha Ave.; 808-935-0926. The small museum not only tells the story of the tsunamis that smashed Hilo, but keeps exhibits fresh with perspectives on the tidal waves that swept the Indian Ocean in 2005 and Japan this year. Imiloa Astronomy Center, 600 Imiloa Place; 808-969-9700.

Astronomy and Hawaiian astrology are combined in one spot. —MCT

tion was a longtime early morning tourist draw, but it’s no longer held.

For fish, head to the Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm. It’s not the prettiest spot in the islands for dinner, crowded between some industrial buildings near the airport. But it’s a place to try moi, the traditional Hawaiian fish once reserved for the kings. It was kapu-forbidden-for any commoner to eat it. While Seaside’s version won’t make me forget the moi at Mama’s Fish House in Maui, it comes at about a third of the price.

Whether you find it inspiring or depressing, a visit to Lyman Mission House is important to understand the Western influences that were brought to the islands. It’s the home of Hilo’s first missionary, David Lyman, and reflects how it would have looked in 1854. The house is a mix of here and there — built in a New England style that wouldn’t be out of place in a Massachusetts village green, but with tropical koa wood floors. The house has interesting exhibits on local history, along with the flora and fauna the missionaries and those who followed discovered or brought to the area. The nearby Haili Church also looks like it was beamed in from the Boston area, circa 1857. By the 20th century, commerce had added ethnic as well as religious diversity to the area, which is manifested by the Taishoji Soto Mission, a Buddhist temple erected in 1913.

There are two choices for those who want to see what all that rain does besides fall on your head and car roof, and make flowers bloom. Rainbow Falls, on Waianuenue Avenue, is a five-minute drive from downtown.

“It’s best on a clear morning, when the sun hits the water just right and you get the rainbow effect,” said Sheryl Omori, who helps run Extreme Exposure, a shop in downtown Hilo that sells art-quality, largeformat nature shots.

But if you are up for a short drive and short hike, head to Akaka Falls State Park, a half-hour or less north of town. The falls tumble 420 feet into a narrow gorge. This is that lush Hawaiian fantasyland that people crave-and you won’t find it on the Kona Coast. Visitors can get an OK look from up top, but the best vantage points are found by taking the trail for better viewpoints. It takes 20 minutes and can be quite steep. —MCT

One of the signs found on Coconut Island Park in Hilo, Hawaii.

Palms are reflected in Waihonu Pond at the Liliuokalani Gardens, as a woman exercises on a morning walk along Hilo Bay.

An early morning rainbow ends in downtown Hilo, Hawaii, in a view across Hilo Bay from the Liliuokalani Gardens.

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CUT, COLOR AND CONVERSATION: Women really let their hair down in stylists’ chairs rom the back of an Elk Grove, Ill., hair salon, two voices carry over the sound of running water. Valerie ReynosoPiotrowski laughs heartily, cradled in a reclining salon chair with her head tilted into a black porcelain sink. Judy Johnson massages shampoo into Valerie’s highlighted brown hair and talks about the previous night’s episode of one of the “Real Housewives” reality shows. Once a week for

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dated a series of unpromising men.

Sometimes Judy just listened to the stories; sometimes she offered advice. When Valerie married and became less focused on her career, Judy helped her put her new lifestyle into perspective. “She told me to enjoy this time,” Valerie said. “I was so used to being busy, and I didn’t know what to do with myself. But Judy said that I was lucky to have this time to myself and that I

Voltaire Bowens, listens while her long-time client fills her in on what’s going on in her life during their regular Thursday evening appointment at Bowens’ Diva’s Hair Boutique stationed in the Exquisite U Beauty Salon in Sacramento. more than 10 years, this has been the two women’s routine-washing and styling and laughing and talking. And talking and ... talking some more.

Valerie has followed Judy to three salons and doesn’t mind that she now must drive an hour each way from her El Dorado Hills, Calif., home. “We can talk about anything, her and I,” Valerie said.

“We’ve been through so much together.”

For years, Valerie worked long hours and

should enjoy it.” Relationships that blossom amid the din of screaming blow-dryers and the concept of hair salons as confessionals have been explored in movies such as “Steel Magnolias” and “Beauty Shop.”

Catherine Heaney, a psychologist and associate professor at the Prevention Research Center at Stanford University, said that for decades researchers have studied why we sometimes are more likely to share personal business with people in our “social net-

work”-such as stylists or bartenders-than relatives, close friends or health care professionals.

“There is a lot of research that shows the pitfalls of asking for help or talking about your problems with people who are intimates ... (because) sometimes it’s hard for those close friends to disassociate a little bit,” Heaney said. With someone like your hair stylist, she said, “they know enough to be informed, but they don’t feel like they have the right to expect you to follow their advice. You can just sort of say stuff, and you avoid some of those pitfalls of over-involvement that you can fall into with a spouse or a best friend.”

Stylists have their own theories about why people divulge so much when they’re in the chair. “It’s a safe place for them and when you touch somebody-haircut or facial-it lends intimacy to the relationship,” said Brenna Meko, owner of Salon Cuvee in east Sacramento, Calif. “When people are facing the mirror and looking at themselves, it’s amazing what they can share.

You try to be a support for the hour of time you have with them.”

Customers at Exquisite U Beauty Boutique in the Arden area of Sacramento, Calif., say entering the salon is like stepping into their own sacred space. “This is an open house; people are not judgmental,” said Taiheisha Love, who sees stylist Voltaire Bowens every Thursday. “It’s a place where a woman can be someone other than a wife or a mother.”

While Voltaire and Taiheisha catch up and talk about the last vacation they took together, another client sits under a hair dryer while a stylist amuses her daughter and volunteers to blow-dry the girl’s hair while she sits in a highchair.

At Exquisite U Boutique, social support has become such a significant part of customers’ experience that the salon is launching an event called Shop Talk, when women will talk with each other and a

mediator about issues in their lives.

“The purpose is to create a positive venue to discuss different issues that affect the black community while promoting unity and respect of opinion,” said Nakeya Bell, an event facilitator, in an email. “We really want to work on expelling the negative stereotypes of certain taboos that plague black women today through open dialogue, education and encouragement.”

Four years ago, WEAVE, a Sacramento nonprofit that provides services to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, launched a program called Stylin’ for Success to teach stylists how to respond if a client discusses or shows signs of domestic violence or abuse. “Salon professionals have a very unique relationship with hair clients, which puts them in a position

where they can, if they’re trained properly, recognize and respond and appropriately refer their clients to programs,” said Beth Hassett, executive director of WEAVE. Outreach coordinators also go to cosmetology schools to teach future stylists what domestic violence is and how to spot the signs. At the schools and salons, they leave behind materials that stylists can slip to their clients if they suspect they’re in need of help. Janie Ross, director of the Paul Mitchell School in Sacramento, said her staff teaches stylists that trust is an important part of their relationship with a client.

“We hope that (stylists) never have to be therapists, but we hope they will be effective partners in this person’s journey in feeling better about the way they look,” she

said. “It’s not about cutting great hair, it’s about building relationships.” And the relationship can go both ways. Judy Johnson, the Elk Grove stylist, divorced a few years ago, and it was rough, she said. She and her children lost their home. She shared some of the details with Valerie ReynosoPiotrowski, who enlisted the help of the Salvation Army. The organization, where Valerie was volunteering at the time, found Judy a place to live and helped her get back on her feet. “I just cared too much,” Valerie said. “I would lay awake at night thinking about Judy.” —MCT

Valerie Reynoso-Piotrowski, foreground, tells the story of her 10-year friendship with hair stylist Judy Johnson during her weekly appointment at EZ Cuts in Elk Grove. —MCT photos

Wills Fashion Week

Models display creations by Alpana and Neeraj at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2012 in New Delhi, India, yesterday.

—AP photos

Models display creations by Shantanu Goenka.

Models display creations

by Atsu Sekhos.

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‘The Thing’ returns to movie theaters

Years

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2011

37 People walk past a traffic round-about featuring a photograph of Bhutan’s king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his fiancee Jetsun Pema.

Bhutanese artists wait during a full dress rehearsal.

Bhutanese artists wait their turn to perform a traditional dance during a full dress rehearsal, for the royal wedding of King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his fiancee Jetsun Pema, in Thimphu yesterday. — AFP photos

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hutan’s king, an Oxford graduate and “prince charming of the Himalayas”, is set to marry tomorrow at what promises to be an emotional moment for the 700,000 adoring subjects of his isolated nation. Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 31, a mountain-biking fanatic and Elvis fan crowned in 2008, will wed a photogenic student 10 years his junior called Jetsun Pema, the daughter of an airline pilot. The main wedding ceremony takes place tomorrow in a stunning 17th-century fortress surrounded by mountains and built at the confluence of two fast-running rivers in the ancient capital Punakha.

The newlyweds appear in public for the first time on Saturday at a sports stadium in the sleepy present-day capital Thimphu, where thousands of Bhutanese are expected to turn out in colorful national dress. The announcement of the nuptials in May broke the hearts of the king’s many admirers-he was once mobbed on a trip to Thailand by weeping teenagers-but it has brought joy to his people, who idolize the royal family.

Cheerfulness abounds on the streets of the country that invented “Gross National Happiness”-a development philosophy that sees the government measure the mental well-being of citizens, not their material wealth.

“I have no words to describe it... I just feel wonderful,” 21-year-old student Chencho Dorji told AFP in Thimphu.

“They are the perfect match.” The only sour note was news of two small bomb blasts in a town on the border

with India late on Monday, a reminder of a troubled recent history of ethnic tension in the Buddhist-majority nation. The explosions were claimed by the United Revolutionary Front of Bhutan (URFB), an insurgent group based in Nepal, which said it had timed the attacks to draw attention to the “gross national sufferings of the Bhutanese people”.

More than 100,000 ethnic Nepalese fled their homes in Bhutan for Nepal in the early 1990s during the reign of the former king, claiming ethnic and political persecution. Bhutan claims the refugees, mostly Hindus who were forced into camps after being refused entry and citizenship by Nepal, were illegal immigrants.

Wangchuck, who has spoken in favor of religious diversity in Bhutan, is the fifth king from a line of hereditary rulers who have reigned for the last 100 years in inward-looking Bhutan, which is sandwiched between India and China.

The royals are credited with bringing stability to the formerly war-wracked nation and ensuring its independence despite giant neighbors to the north and south, while also preserving the country’s culture and fragile environment. The biggest recent change came in 2006, when the fourth king abdicated voluntarily to usher in democracy and hand over power to his son, who now rules as a constitutional monarch at the head of an elected government. Democracy has brought independent media and a new critical attitude towards

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he concrete Florida building may not stand out as a surreal playground, but geodesic glass and a melted watch draped over a twisted bench are sure signs of a museum housing the largest Salvador Dali collection outside his native Spain. Since moving to sprawling new digs in this US coastal resort city in January, the Dali Museum has been pitching the artist’s fantastical images and objects to tourists more focused on the Sunshine State’s theme parks and aquariums than on art.

It seems to be working. Since the new facility opened nine months ago, some 213,000 people have ventured through its doors-a 50-percent increase in traffic.

“It’s quite positive for us,” museum deputy director Kathy White told AFP. “We know a lot of people come to this area for the beaches and theme parks, but this is another option for tourists, with organized activities for children and the community,” she added. The museum-less than two hours by car from Orlando, capital of the Disney amusement empire, Universal theme parks, Sea World and other parks-includes 96 oil paintings and some 2,000 objects from Dali’s career as the 20th century art world’s resident eccentric.

And while it can’t match Disney on the pure adrenaline front for children, the museum offers several opportunities for little ones to “dillydally with Dali,” as the curators describe it. While a prominent characteristic of the $36 million structure is its ability to withstand the punishing hurricanes that frequently batter the Florida coast, the architecture incorporates elements of the weird and wonderful that marked Dali’s work. Designed by architect Yann Weymouth, who helped I.M. Pei create the famed glass pyramid of the Louvre in Paris, the museum features a pair of geodesic glass bulges protruding from the building.

The “Glass Enigma,” as it’s called, is comprised of about 1,000 glass triangles that allow visitors a panoramic view of Tampa Bay, reminiscent of Dali’s retreat in Cadaques, perched above the Mediterranean Sea. To help recreate the feel of the Spanish Catalonian village where Dali spent many summers, the museum’s garden features Mediterranean-style rock formations and a hedge labyrinth. Inside is a playful spiraling staircase to nowhere, a tribute to Dali’s fascination with the double helix structure of DNA. —AFP

andy shaped like marijuana that’s showing up on store shelves around America won’t get kids high, but aghast city leaders and anti-drug activists say the product and grocers carrying it represent a new low. “We’re already dealing with a high amount of drug abuse and drug activity and trying to raise children so they don’t think using illegal substances is acceptable,” said City Councilmember Darius Pridgen. “So to have a licensed store sell candy to kids that depicts an illegal substance is just ignorant and irresponsible.” The “Pothead Ring Pots,” “Pothead Lollipops” and bagged candy are distributed to retail stores by the novelty supply company Kalan LP of the Philadelphia suburb of Lansdowne.

It also wholesales online for $1 for a lollipop and $1.50 for a package of three rings.

Company president Andrew Kalan said the candy, on the market six to nine months and in 1,000 stores around the United States, promotes the legalization of marijuana. “It does pretty well,” he said. “This is the first complaint I’ve heard,” Kalan said, “and people are usually not shy. I’m actually surprised this is the first.” An irate parent brought the candy to Pridgen’s attention, hoping the city could apply pressure and get it out of stores. Pridgen and Councilmember Demone Smith displayed the candy, along with fake marijuana known as “K2” that’s also sold in some stores at Tuesday’s Common Council meeting, where Pridgen said he’d refuse to grant licenses to stores in his district that planned to sell the merchandise and would seek to embarrass stores that carry it. The synthetic marijuana is sold as incense but is smoked.

Synthetic marijuana typically involves dried plant material sprayed with one of several chemical compounds. The products contain organic leaves coated with chemicals that provide a marijuana-like high when smoked. The Drug Enforcement

public servants and the government, but the king remains a figure who is almost universally admired and above reproach.

Tempa Gyeltshen, who is overseeing a team of 40 people preparing the sports ground for Saturday’s festivities, said the marriage was an assurance for Bhutanese people of the continuity of the institution. “If anything happened to our king, then who would take over the throne?” he told AFP. “What we are all hoping for is children.” Organizers of the wedding and celebrations have promised the style will be “simple and traditional”.

No heads of state or other royals have been invited, and even Bhutanese ministers have been asked not to bring their wives to the private ceremony tomorrow because of the lack of seating. Modesty and a “common touch” are seen as part of the core appeal of the royal family and the present king in particular, who lives in a cottage in Thimphu rather than a palace. The young monarch, who shares a passion for basketball with his wife-to-be, is seen as a modernizing influence in Bhutan, which remained in self-imposed isolation for centuries. The country had no roads or currency until the 1960s and allowed television only in 1999.

Wangchuck will be limited to only one wife under rules laid down in the new constitution. His father married four sisters.—AFP

Administration recently used its emergency powers to outlaw five chemicals found in synthetic marijuana. It appeared Pridgen’s message had gotten out by yesterday. A check of about a half-dozen stores in Buffalo, often in impoverished neighborhoods where real drugs are a festering problem, turned up none of the controversial candy. T he bags of “Pothead Sour Gummy Candy,” and lollipops shaped like marijuana leaves appear to be a recent addition to the inventory of some corner stores. The sour apple-flavored candy contains nothing illegal, but with its marijuana leaf, the word “Legalize” and a joint-smoking, peace signwaving user on the packaging, critics say it’s not only in poor taste but an invitation to try the real thing.

“It’s the whole idea that it promotes drugs and the idea that, here, you’ll look cool if you use this - which is what gets these kids in trouble in the very first place,” said Jodie Altman, program supervisor at Renaissance House, a treatment center for

Bhutanese children perform during a full dress rehearsal.

drug- and alcohol-addicted youth.

Charmaine Rosendary, 36, of Buffalo shook her head when she saw a picture of the package.” That’s not right. It’s just promoting marijuana,” she said while buying produce Friday at a Buffalo market. She said she wouldn’t allow her five teenagers, ages 1519, to have it. “I would not buy it or give them money to buy it,” she said. “It looks like weed.” It’s not the first legal product to come under fire.

In 2008, the Hershey Co. stopped making Ice Breakers Pacs in response to criticism that the mints looked too much like illegal street drugs. Police in Philadelphia complained that the packets, coin-sized dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside, closely resembled tiny heat- sealed bags used to sell powdered street drugs.

Candy cigarettes and fruity or energy drinkinfused alcoholic beverages have been criticized for targeting young people. And in 1997, the Federal Trade Commission said the iconic Joe Camel cigarette ads and packag-

Felicia Williams, Community Liason for Buffalo City Council member Darius Pridgen, holds packages of ‘Ring Pots’ and ‘Potheads’ candy in Buffalo, NY. — AP

ing violated federal law because they appealed to kids under 18. The tobacco company, RJ Reynolds, eventually shelved the caricature. A spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy said advocates for legalization who claim marijuana is benign are not supported by science.

“Trivializing drug use is a threat to public health because it erodes perceptions of harm among young people,” said Rafael Lemaitre. Kalan said his company carries several products with the marijuana leaf and “legalize” message to accommodate growing demand in the movement to legalize marijuana. “We don’t advocate for a political position. We just look at what the marketplace wants and respond to it,” the wholesaler said. “It’s just candy... It’s sour apple flavor, it doesn’t claim to be pot in disguise or anything like that.”— AP

Felicia Williams holding a ‘Pot Pop’ lollipop in Buffalo.