15th Oct

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Top Salafist among 5 killed in Israel raids on Gaza

Syria-Turkey tensions soar as clashes intensify

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THULQADA 29, 1433 AH

Vettel wins in Korea to usurp Alonso

Djokovic denies Murray in Shanghai thriller

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Opposition rejects Amiri request to cancel demo Minister: Election decree not now ● Awqaf promises haj visas for bedoons

Max 38º Min 19º High Tide 11:27 & 23:21 Low Tide 05.06 & 17:04

By B Izzak and A Saleh

ACD summit seeks to boost cooperation KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah’s call to hold the first Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit arises from true belief and keenness to develop and sustain mutual cooperation, Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said yesterday.

“A whole decade passed on our annual consultations and dialogues, during which, our genuine desire to cooperate and develop our joint action was embodied in order to promote our dialogue into a mechanism beneficiary for our peoples’ prosperity and welfare,” Sheikh Sabah, also foreign minister, said before a preparatory meeting of ACD foreign ministers, which kicked off earlier yesterday.

“Our Asian continent is the largest and most populated... enjoying a rich history and cultural diversity that contributed in advancing science and human knowledge throughout time. This requires us to reinvigorate joint efforts towards more coordination and consultation,” Sheikh Sabah noted. “Kuwait has realized the importance of its Asian outreach, as it started to expand its diplomatic representation in the continent with missions in Asian countries nearing 40 percent of the total diplomatic representation of Kuwait overseas. Also, Asian missions in Kuwait represent 35 percent of total diplomatic corps. Kuwait is looking forward to continue with expanding such representation in a bid to fortify and deepen its Continued on Page 15

Traffic diversions for ACD summit KUWAIT: The traffic affairs department at the Ministry of Interior announced the closure of certain roads from Kuwait International Airport to Bayan Palace between 10 am and 2 pm and from 4:30 pm to 9 pm today as part of preparations for the Asian Cooperation Dialogue summit that starts today in Kuwait. The roads include Riyadh Street from Kuwait City to the airport from which traffic will be diverted to the Fifth Ring Road towards Jahra or Salmiya. Traffic on King Fahd Expressway from Ahmadi to Sabah Al-Salem will be diverted to the Sixth Ring Road going towards Jahra or Messila.

Traffic on the road coming from Kuwait City to Jabriya will be diverted to the Fifth Ring Road going towards Jahra or Salmiya. The ministry also sent text messages to all citizens and residents of Kuwait, urging them to cooperate with traffic police.

KUWAIT: A preparatory meeting of Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) foreign ministers is underway yesterday before the summit begins today. (Inset) Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and his Thai counterpart Surapong Tovichakchaikul hold a press conference later yesterday. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 4)

Mauritania prez ‘accidentally’ shot PARIS: Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was admitted to a French military hospital yesterday a day after he was shot and wounded when soldiers “accidentally” fired on his convoy near the capital Nouakchott. Escorted by police and firefighters, the 55-year-old president was taken by convoy to Percy hospital in the suburbs of Paris for treatment after undergoing an operation at home to remove a bullet following Saturday’s shooting. A pale-looking Ould Abdel Aziz, who has in the past been targeted by Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in his country, earlier appeared on television from his hospital bed in Nouakchott, telling Mauritanians the surgery had been a “success”.

“I want to reassure them about my health after this incident, which was committed in error by a military unit,” he said. “Thanks be to God, there is no problem,” added the president, who was joined at his bedside by his Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdhaf and top civilian and military figures. Late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was also treated at the Percy hospital, where he died at the age of 75 in Nov 2011. Investigations have now been launched into allegations that Arafat was poisoned.

Mauritanian Foreign Minister Hamadi Ould Hamadi said Saturday’s shooting had no political impact in the impoverished northwest African nation.

Skydiver jumps into history Austrian breaks sound barrier LOS ANGELES: Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner became the first man to break the sound barrier in a record-shattering freefall jump from the edge of space yesterday, organizers said. The 43-year-old leapt from a capsule more than 39 km above the Earth, reaching a speed of 706 miles per hour before opening his red and white parachute and floating down to the New Mexico desert. Baumgartner also broke records for the highest altitude manned balloon flight and the highest altitude skydive. Mission control erupted in cheers as Baumgartner made a near-perfect jump from the capsule hoisted aloft by a giant helium-filled balloon to an altitude of 39,044 m, even higher than expected.

“I think 20 tons have fallen from my shoulders. I prepared for this for seven years,” Baumgartner told German-language ServusTV in Austria, in his first interview after the leap. Referring to a helmet problem that nearly forced him to abort at the last minute, Baumgartner said: “Even on a day like this when you start so well, then there’s a little glitch. “And you think you’ll have to abort - what if you’ve prepared everything and it fails on a visor problem. But I finally decided to jump. And it was the right decision.”

Shortly before jumping, in footage beamed live around the world - on a crackly radio link recalling Neil Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: In dramatic developments, the opposition yesterday rejected appeals by two senior advisors to HH the Amir to end today’s scheduled protest, demanding an explicit government commitment of keeping the current electoral constituency law unchanged. As the opposition was holding a meeting to study arrangements for the crucial gathering opposite the National Assembly building, advisors Abdullah Al-Maatouq and Mohammad Daifallah Sharar arrived and took part in the meeting.

Adel Al-Damkhi, a member of the scrapped 2012 Assembly, told reporters that the two advisors requested the opposition to delay the protest until Thursday because it coincides with the arrival of Asian leaders to participate in the first Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit. Damkhi said the opposition demanded that the Cabinet should issue a statement in which it explicitly pledges that it will not change the current voting system and that the forthcoming polls will be held on the basis of the law without change.

The opposition has been staging protests for the past few days after it claimed that the government planned to change the voting system to impact the outcome of the election and ensure that a pro-government Assembly is elected. Two gatherings were held last Wednesday and Saturday at the diwaniyas of former MPs Salem Al-Namlan and Mohammad Al-Khalifa respectively, at which the level of criticism was raised to an unprecedented level.

The National Front for Safeguarding the Constitution, an umbrella for the opposition groups, later issued a statement confirming that today’s protest will go ahead as scheduled unless the government issues a clear statement that it will not change the electoral law. The Cabinet began a late night meeting yesterday and Information Continued on Page 15

The president “is exercising the full range of his powers. He is absent, that happens sometimes: he travels to summits, he goes to conferences. The state is functioning,” Ould Hamadi told reporters on the sidelines of the Francophone summit in Kinshasa.

“There is no particular problem which requires any particular arrangements,” he said, describing the situation in Mauritania as “calm”.

A security source had earlier told AFP that the president, a former general who has been in power since leading an Aug 2008 military coup, had been directly targeted in Saturday’s incident. But none of the strongman’s vital organs Continued on Page 15

NOUAKCHOTT: Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz recovers at the Ksar Military Hospital before being evacuated to France yesterday. —AP

Iran develops plans for deliberate Gulf oil spill Iran denies cyberattacks, hails drone BERLIN: Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have developed plans to damage an oil tanker in the Gulf to create an environmental disaster, German magazine Spiegel reported yesterday.

Citing Western intelligence sources, the weekly said the top-secret plan, codenamed “Dirty Water”, is aimed at blocking the oil-rich Gulf to shipping and forcing Western countries to become involved in a huge clean-up operation.

ROSWELL, New Mexico: The capsule and attached helium balloon carrying Felix Baumgartner lifts off yesterday. (Inset) Baumgartner pumps his fist to the crowd after his successful jump. —AP

King Hamad calls for Bahrain talks DUBAI: Bahrain’s King Hamad said at the opening of parliament yesterday that the government was open to dialogue with the opposition and also urged the body to criminalise “violence”. “The door to talks remains open to everybody,” he said in a speech to MPs, while also warning the opposition against resorting

to violence for political aims.

“Demands cannot be met through the use of force and violence but through dialogue and national understanding,” he said of near daily anti-government protests by Shiites in the Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom.

The Shiite-led opposition in Bahrain Continued on Page 15

Spiegel said the Revolutionary Guards believe this in turn would prompt Western nations to suspend sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear program which have started to hit the economy hard this year.

The plan, developed by the head of the Guards, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, and Admiral Ali Fadavi, head of the force’s navy division, would also “punish” Arab states

around the Gulf for their support of the West and Israel, the report said.

A clean-up operation could only take place with Iranian technical help, requiring a temporary lifting of sanctions, the plan says, according to Spiegel. Jafari and Fadavi have passed the plan to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who would have the final say on whether to implement it, Spiegel said.

Continued on Page 15

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

LOCAL

Kuwaiti calls for joint effort against economic challenge Finance officials meet TOKYO: Kuwaiti Finance Minister Dr Nayef AlHajraf yesterday affirmed the importance of making a uniform effort to tackle major world economic challenges, with global finance chiefs currently gathered in Tokyo. “The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank meetings are very important and much needed at a time of global economic instability with so many challenges, especially in the post-2008 financial crisis era,” Dr. Al-Hajraf, who is also Acting Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education, said.

“At a plenary session of the annual meeting, both IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and World Bank President Kim Yong-jim addressed the issues the world economy is facing, and gave us some hopes that, with cooperation and efforts by all parties, solutions might be reached. Yet people need to be patient to see economy to rebound, which might take some time,” the minister noted.

Dr Al-Hajraf also shed light on the Deauville Partnership meeting that took place on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank gatherings.

Kuwait and some other oil-producing nations, together with the Group of Eight (G-8) economies, pledged on Friday USD 165 million over several years to a newly established transition fund to support the Arab Spring democracy movement in such countries as Egypt and Libya.

Kuwait will extend $10 million to the Middle East and North Africa Transition Fund hosted by the World Bank. The commitment came on the initiative of the “Deauville Partnership,” which was launched during the G-8 Summit in the French town of Deauville in 2011.

The partnership includes the G-8 members Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the US - as well as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Jordan, and the European Union, in addition to Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and newly joined Yemen. The US, which chairs the G-8 this year, will make the biggest contribution of $50 mil-

lion. Saudi Arabia and Britain will offer $25 million each, followed by Canada’s $15 million.

France and Japan will both contribute $12 million, Russia $10 million, and Qatar $5 million, respectively.

The member states set a goal of $250 million for this transition fund, which will provide Middle Eastern and North African countries in transition with technical assistance to undertake policy reforms to build more inclusive and transparent economies, boost trade and integration of the region, and enhance the environment for private sector growth.

Dr Al-Hajrah also held a series of talks with global financial chiefs, discussing prospects for further cooperation in the economic and investment fields between Kuwait and their countries and institutions.

“This reflects Kuwait’s efforts to strengthen economic relations and cooperation with other countries and international organizations,” he said. In their bilateral meeting, Djibouti Minister for Economy and Finance Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh expressed appreciation of Kuwait’s constant support to his country’s economic and social development and briefed his Kuwaiti counterpart of updates on the projects undertaken in the African country.

All administered by the state-founded Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Kuwait has provided three grants to Djibouti totaling about KD 3.1 million. The fund has also extended 12 loans with a total amount of KD 40 million for various sectors. In addition, the fund has provided technical aid grant and loans to Djibouti.

According to KFAED Deputy Director General Hisham Al-Waqayan, who also attended the meeting of the ministers, the fund is keen on assisting developing countries which are suffering delayed loan payments and drought-stricken African nations.

Meanwhile, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) CEO and Executive Managing

Director Hiroshi Watanabe expressed willingness to enhance cooperation with Kuwait, which the Kuwaiti minister welcomed. Watanabe later said that the Japanese government-affiliated lender’s recent investments in Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have been expanded to water treatment and power plant projects. “We are now interested in new fields in this region, such as waste disposal and sewage systems, metro network, and renewable energy,” said Watanabe.

As the country’s policy-based financial institution, JBIC provides support to Japanese firms’ overseas business activities and the promotion of Japanese exports and imports, as well as cooperation in the energy and natural resources sectors with resource-rich nations. JBIC’S loans and investment commitments to Kuwait accumulated stand at JPY 138.4 billion ($1.8 billion) in 22 projects, according to JBC’s latest financial report.

Kuwait’s financial chief also agreed with Inger Andersen, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, to increase mutually-beneficial cooperation through the bank’s office in Kuwait that was established in 2009.

The “Vice President sought suggestions about a role played by the Kuwaiti office, and we shared the view that it should employee good Kuwaiti researchers to help enhance reports they are providing,” Dr Al-Hajrah noted.

The IMF-World Bank annual meetings bring together top bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness. Central Bank of Kuwait Governor Dr. Mohammad Al-Hashel is also taking part in the Tokyo events.

Egypt was originally scheduled to host this year’s meetings, but the Egyptian government dropped the plan amid political turmoil in the country. — KUNA

Norwegian rats invade Kuwait!

KUWAIT: Unless an immediate plan was drawn and followed strictly to get rid of the Norwegian rats, the rodents will keep on multiplying, causing an epidemic by the end of 2014 that the state will not be able to fight, Dr Samiya Al-Tobaikh, the head of the pests and rodents combat department at the Health

Ministry, has warned.

Dr Al-Tobaikh said that this dangerous breed of rats was spreading at an alarming rate in various areas around Kuwait, namely Jleeb (74 per cent), Sulaibiya industrial area (71 per cent), Ardiya industrial area, Req’ee, Jahra industrial area and across the beaches at the Chalets

area. Al-Tobaikh also warned that this particular species of rodents as big as a cat was highly dangerous since it carries and spreads plague, is clever and cannot be killed easily as it can quickly recognize many kinds of poisons. “Seeing any food, they usually send a smaller younger volunteer to eat it and if the volun-

teer dies, the rats never approach that food,” she said, adding that these rats were such ‘good actors’ that they can fake death when hunted and wait it out till they are thrown out. She said if one rat is spotted in a house, that means that there could be 50 others hiding in and around that house.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah received at Seif Palace yesterday Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Minister of Information and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

Scale of Arab support falls short of occasion: SNC ISTANBUL: A team of Kuwaiti media and relief representatives met with members of the Syrian National Council during its ongoing visit to Turkey to discuss the latest developments in Syria as well as get accurate information on current needs and requirements of Syrians in refugee camps in the southern parts of the country.

Member of the council’s executive bureau Sameer Al-Nashar said, during the meeting Saturday evening, expressed appreciation of Kuwaiti official and public support of the Syrian cause and the efforts of NGOs and members of the Kuwaiti parliament to raise awareness and rally support for the cause.

Stressing the Syrian revolution truly amazed the world community, he lamented the fact that the rebels are still to get support befitting the justice of their cause.

“The scale of Arab, Islamic, and international support still does not rise up to the occasion or come close to address the horrific state of affairs on the ground within Syrian territory ... Actual figures of losses and casualties are three-fold what is announced.”

“This is more a humanitarian cause than a political one,” he said, adding the council is therefore expecting NGOs and

civil society bodies to put pressure on their governments. According the figures announced by members of the executive bureau, over 80, 000 Syrians are taking refuge in Turkish territory in 12 camps, along with thousands others seeking refuge with relatives at towns and villages along the border with Turkey.

As to the biggest obstacle facing the council, the representative said it is lack of arms and munitions to equip the fighters. “We are not short of men, just short of arms,” he stressed.

The Kuwaiti team, dubbed “Al-Khair Team”, visited the southern Hatay Province and stopped at border areas to assess, first hand, the humanitarian needs of the refugees, be they food supplies, clothing, or health care, particularly with the advent of winter.

The Kuwaiti team includes representatives of six charity bodies along with the Anbaa paper’s reporters. Their visit primarily aims to open channels of cooperation with Turkish charities and officials.

The societies are the Islamic International Charitable Organization, the Islamic Heritage Revival Society, AlNajat Charitable Society, Social Reform Society ’s Al-Rahmah Society, and Abdullah Al-Nouri Charitable Society, along with Patient Relief Fund. — KUNA

ISTANBUL: Kuwaiti delegation with members of the Syrian National Council yesterday.

Scale of Arab support falls short of occasion: SNC ISTANBUL: A team of Kuwaiti media and relief representatives met with members of the Syrian National Council during its ongoing visit to Turkey to discuss the latest developments in Syria as well as get accurate information on current needs and requirements of Syrians in refugee camps in the southern parts of the country.

Member of the council’s executive bureau Sameer AlNashar said, during the meeting Saturday evening, expressed appreciation of Kuwaiti official and public support of the Syrian cause and the efforts of NGOs and members of the Kuwaiti parliament to raise awareness and rally support for the cause.

Stressing the Syrian revolution truly amazed the world community, he lamented the fact that the rebels are still to get support befitting the justice of their cause. “The scale of Arab, Islamic, and international support still does not rise up to the occasion or come close to address the horrific state of affairs on the ground within Syrian territory ... Actual figures of losses and casualties are three-fold what is announced.”

“This is more a humanitarian cause than a political one,” he said, adding the council is therefore expecting NGOs and civil society bodies to put pressure on their governments.

According the figures announced by members of the executive bureau, over 80, 000 Syrians are taking refuge in Turkish territory in 12 camps, along with thousands others seeking refuge with relatives at towns and villages along the border with Turkey.

As to the biggest obstacle facing the council, the representative said it is lack of arms and munitions to equip the fighters. “We are not short of men, just short of arms,” he stressed.

The Kuwaiti team, dubbed “Al-Khair Team”, visited the southern Hatay Province and stopped at border areas to assess, first hand, the humanitarian needs of the refugees, be they food supplies, clothing, or health care, particularly with the advent of winter.

The Kuwaiti team includes representatives of six charity bodies along with the Anbaa paper’s reporters.

Kuwait important source of crude oil for China KUWAIT: Chinese diplomat highlighted yesterday the importance of Kuwait’s role as China’s official oil provider for many decades, praising trade integration achieved by the two countries in the past years. Chinese Foreign Ministry representative, Ambassador Chen Mingming said on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for Foreign Ministers of participating countries in the First Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit, “partnership between Kuwait and China is good on all levels.”

The Ambassador stressed on the importance of Kuwait’s role in supplying crude oil to China in light of the rapid growth and high demand for energy, pointing out that governments of both countries have launched joint ventures in the field of oil production. On his assessment of the closing statement, which is scheduled to be released after the ministerial meeting for the summit, Mingming said, “the final document forms an important step in the start of the second decade of the forum”, stressing that it was comprehensive and of great interest of participating delegations.

The Chinese diplomat stressed on the effectiveness of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue forum in facing financial crisis, adding that the forum in general serves as a platform for the exchange of views on how to overcome financial crisis and prevention.

Kuwait and China both have strong trade and economic relations, as Kuwait holds more than 20 Chinese companies operating in various fields contribute to the implementation of multiple projects within different sectors, at a time where trade volume between the two countries reached 5.8 billion dollars in 2010, as China is one of the largest oil and liquefied gas importing countries. — KUNA

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

LOCAL

Kuwait responsible for distributing Hajj visas Saudi clarifies stand

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs handles the process of granting Hajj visas to citizens, expatriates and stateless residents living in Kuwait and also coordinates with pilgrimage officials in Saudi Arabia to obtain those visas in the first place. The Undersecretary of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj, Hatim Qadhi, explained this yesterday while commenting on news reports about the delay in handing visas to bedoon pilgrims even as Hajj convoys started arriving in the Kingdom.

“Hajj visas are granted to Kuwait under the umbrella of the Kuwaiti Hajj Mission as per the procedure followed every year,” Qadhi told Saudi Arabia’s Al-Eqtisadiya, echoing similar statements made earlier by Saudi ambassador to Kuwait, Dr. Abdul-Aziz Al-Fayez, who had denied any delay from Saudi Arabia’s side.

Reiterating that visas have already been issued “as per the agreement between the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf”, Qadhi said that his ministry “has not received any complaints about problems in the issuance of Hajj visas to bedoons.”

Oil capital of the world The Ministry of Oil has been asked to analyze the feasibility of establishing an “oil stock market” to pave the way to turn Kuwait into the “oil capital of the world,” sources privy to the development said.

“The Ministry has been instructed to come up with mechanisms to establish the project as soon as possible,” sources said, adding that the project “supports efforts to address the reasons behind the delay in turning Kuwait into a global financial hub.”

As per the project, Kuwait would host a series of forums and conferences to discuss oil situation around the world, in addition to establishing a center for strategic oil studies, the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.

‘Shameful’ friendly Reactions to a friendly football match between Kuwait and Syria continued with more former MPs criticizing what they believe is “a show of support for the Syrian regime” by inviting the Syrian national team to Kuwait.

Former MP and Parliament Speaker

Ahmad Al-Saadoun slammed “every party be it the Kuwait Football Federation, clubs or state authorities - who played a part in giving the approval to invite the Baathist, criminal Assad football team to come and play a match in Kuwait”. Al-Saadoun expressed regret at setting up the match “while ignoring the massacres committed by [Syrian President Bashar] Al-Assad’s regime against the great Syrian people”.

Meanwhile, member of the annulled Parliament Dr Obaid Al-Wasmi made a brief statement in which he said that “hosting the children murderer’s team means that the blood of innocent people means nothing to the party which invited them”.

Former MP Musallam Al-Barrak made note of the fact that the Kuwait Football Association board was not elected through proper measures, and said in a statement that “the illegitimate KFA [board] hosts a team that represents an illegitimate regime which murders and displaces its people”.

Al-Barrak also said that he is not surprised that this match took place “when the state fails to enforce the law against [KFA President] Sheikh Talal Al-Fahad Al-Sabah”.

Opposition considers delaying demonstration KUWAIT: Students of the Atilca Bent Zaid girls school participate in a campaign titled ‘Build and do not destroy’ beach cleaning campaign yesterday near the Marina Crescent .

Kuwait ‘black hole’ for migratory birds KUWAIT: Representatives of international environmental organizations met with environmental activists in Kuwait recently to discuss reasons behind disappearance of migratory birds from Kuwait after they enter the country, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

The international environmentalists held meetings with Kuwait Environment Protection Society members after noticing that the birds which were monitored through satellite after they entered Kuwait were later found to have disappeared.

“They expressed concern about the disappearance of birds for no apparent reason, but we know that the reason is

increasing instance of uncontrolled hunting,” KEPS Secretary General Wujdan AlUqab told Al-Rai, adding that hunters were regularly trespassing into natural reserves and hunted illegally because of the lack of proper law enforcement.

Calling for tougher government controls to stop illegal hunting, Al-Uqab indicated that uncontrolled hunting was targeting rare birds of prey and other rare birds that fly over Kuwait as part of their seasonal migration routes. “A special police unit with a specific plan to stop environmental violations is needed to tackle illegal hunting, whether by licensed or unlicensed weapons,” Al-Uqab said while proposing solutions for the problem.

Kuwait hosts environmental management conferences KUWAIT: Public Works Minister Fadhil Safar will be opening on Wednesday Kuwait Bridge Design and Construction Conference and Exhibition and Environmental Management in Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries Conference with the participation of experts and researches from inside and outside Kuwait.

Holding Bridge Design and Construction Conference and Exhibition is significant, because it coincides with what Kuwait is witnessing from a boom in projects involving road networks, bridges and tunnels to expansions in highways, ProMedia Co. Chief Organizer Jamal Omran said.

Omran said the most important projects that will be reviewed at the conference are the roads of Al-Jahra, Al-Wafra and Al-Nuwaiseeb, Sheikh Jaber Bridge and the Fourth Ring Road tunnel, stress-

ing the significance of Dr. Safar’s sincere concerns for this event, which is held for the first time in Kuwait.

In addition, he said that the conference will address future projects, modern systems of bridge engineering, road junctions’ construction and maintenance and new residential areas connections, design and construction systems, design and replacement of cracked and old bridges programs, sealift and system managements of bridges and maintenance.

Environmental Management in Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industries Conference will discuss several topics including waste management resulting from the drilling of wells, achieving universal standards of oil waste reduction, environmental perspective in improving power plants’ performance and safety proper management, Omran added. — KUNA

‘World Food Day’ opportunity to boost food security KUWAIT: Celebrating the World Food Day on Oct 16 serves as a reminder that issues facing food security should be dealt with before another crisis occurs, said an official here yesterday.

Board Chairman and Director General of Kuwait’s Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR), Jassim Al-Bader, told the press that Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report indicating that the world is facing a huge crisis within

food security, adding that this year’s celebrations would focus on agricultural cooperation.

Kuwait is not in isolation when it comes to food crisis, said Al-Bader, noting that the hike in food commodities’ prices was an indication that the country was heading in the wrong direction. He affirmed that PAAAFR would continue to tackle issues concerning food crisis and would take the necessary steps to reduce its impact within the country. — KUNA

KISR publishes research papers on Gulf marine environment KUWAIT: The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) celebrated yesterday the publication of a comprehensive book including the research papers of the Second Conference on Gulf Marine Environment.

In a press statement on this occasion, KISR Chairman Dr. Naji Al-Mutairi said the book includes over 93 research papers on different aspects of the Gulf marine environment situation and challenges facing it. He pointed out that the marine environment in the Arab Gulf region is so vulnerable for pollution and problems as nearly a quarter of the world oil produc-

tion and exports are transported through it. Some companies are still disposing wastes in the Gulf waters which have gravely impacted marine environment and marine life in the Gulf water, AlMutairi said.

The Second Conference on Gulf Marine Environment was held in Kuwait on February 9-11, 2011, under the auspices of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Themed “Environment Sustainability”, the conference tackled the challenges of marine in environment and proposed scientific ways to overcome them. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The opposition is considering postponing a demonstration planned for this evening (Monday) at the Iradah Square to Friday in order to allow the government to focus on the first Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit which kicks off today.

This was discussed during a meeting of the Majority Bloc at former MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun’s dewaniya on Saturday, hours

before a gathering was held at former MP Mohammad AlKhalifa’s dewaniya the same night. According to sources familiar with the meeting, 19 out of 34 bloc members who made it to the meeting discussed delaying the demonstration, as well as “lowering the tone” of their political rhetoric which had touched unprecedented levels recently.

In this regard, the sources who

spoke on the condition of anonymity indicated that the opposition believed that it has the right to speak directly to the Amir since the Cabinet was “absent”, and since the Amir has the authority to change the electoral law via an emergency decree while the parliament is dissolved.

Some bloc members were in agreement that tonight’s demon-

stration should be delayed in the meanwhile, but only if the Cabinet releases an official statement indicating that they have no plans to reduce the number of votes per voter in the electoral law. Other bloc members rejected the idea altogether, which was echoed by Mubarak Al-Wa’lan’s statement following the meeting that the demonstration will take place as scheduled.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

local

KUWAIT: Foreign ministers of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue hold meeting here yesterday to outline the final agenda for the Summit. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Praise for Kuwait’s dynamic leadership (Statement by E Ahamed, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs at the preparatory ministerial meeting of first ACD meeting) At the outset, I wish to thank the State of Kuwait, The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Sabah AlKhaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for the gracious hospitality accorded to me and my delegation and for the excellent arrangement for this meeting.

India congratulates State of Kuwait for providing dynamic leadership under its chairmanship for the last two years. We also extend our full support to the Republic of Tajikistan as the new chair in their endeavour to take ACD forward.

India warmly welcomes Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as the new member and looks forward to active participation of Afghanistan. On the eve of First ACD Summit, I would like to share my views on some areas of cooperation which India considers important. Transport linkages is a key area. As a prime mover, India is ready to extend its support for realising connectivity among ACD member countries linked by effective road, rail, air and shipping services through which there would be free movement of people and goods. On this occasion, I request members to provide their valuable comments on the Concept Paper on “Transport Linkages among ACD Countries” circulated in 2009.

India has established Regional Centre for Biotechnology which is carrying out biotechnology research of highest calibre and developing knowledge rich highly skilled human resource. We will be sharing soon the information on fellowships for training four young scientists (below the age of 40 years) for a period of 6-12 months in the agriculture and health care biotechnology areas. We recognise that our shared

cultural heritage and rich diversity of languages, arts, crafts and traditions provide ample opportunity for multi- dimensional cooperation within our region. We need to take forward the momentum generated during the 2nd Senior Officials Meeting on cultural cooperation held in April 2002 in New Delhi. We will be sharing the Concept Paper on “Publishing Anthology of Poetry of Eminent Writers of ACD countries”.

Among us we have the largest producers and simultaneously largest consumers of energy. Given our unique strengths and natural advantages in the energy sector we should provide new vigour in the area of energy cooperation.

Asia has been fortunate to witness elements of economic resurgence even in times of global economic slow down. The current scenario points to strengthening regional financial arrangements to offset the spiralling effect of financial down turn.

Majority of people in our region still depend on Agriculture. Despite rapid strides in economic growth in recent period, large number of people are still in poverty in Asia. We need to enhance cooperation in agriculture and poverty alleviation. Simultaneously, we also have to make health care affordable to our people. We need to focus on this area also.

Many activities have been undertaken in 20 areas identified. The time has now come to look at the working methods of ACD. We may strengthen the mechanism of national focal points in the respective foreign ministries of our member countries. We need to institutionalise the Senior Officials Meeting. We believe strengthening of the ACD process will result in substantive cooperation of long term nature with tangible benefits to our people. Before concluding I would like to once again reiterate India’s commitment to ACD process.

ACD 2012 eyes ‘workable roadmap’ for cooperation Kuwait has become strong voice for Asia: Analyst

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: The Asia Cooperation Dialogue 2012 being hosted by Kuwait is expected to create a workable roadmap for cooperation in Asia, especially in the fields of economy, culture and education, said an Indian delegate and a geopolitical analyst here yesterday. “Kuwait has reasserted its crucial role in the region once again by becoming a strong voice for Asia. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah took a very crucial decision that ACD 2012 should be a summit of heads of government, paving the way for the current meeting to become the first summit of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue,” said Prof M D Nalapat, Honorary Director, Geopolitical & International Relations, Manipal University, New Delhi, in a brief interview with the Kuwait Times at the Media Centre, Courtyard Marriott. Prof Nalapat, who arrived here yesterday as a summit delegate, said the Kuwait government insisted that this meeting should be a summit involving heads of government rather than, as before, a meeting only of ambassadors and foreign ministers.

“The difficulty of the earlier meetings from 2002 onwards was that nothing tangible was accomplished.

Therefore it was not a serious dialogue.

Critical decisions are taken at the summits of G20 or G8, APEC or ASEAN because heads of government with authority attend such summits,” he pointed out. According to him, foreign

ministers and ambassadors can only report back to their countries on the proposals being put forward at the meetings. “Even though the concept of the ACD began in 2001 and took off in 2002, it is in 2012, it has become a fullfledged summit due to the initiative by HH the Amir,” he said.

Before the brutal invasion and occu-

invasion, there was a two-decade-long gap as the country was occupied with many regional issues and post-invasion trauma, etc. He said the expectations are high about the outcome of the ACD 2012. “The delegates hope earnestly that the summit will create a workable roadmap for cooperation in Asia,” he added.

Prof M D Nalapat speaks during the interview.

— Photo by Sajeev K Peter pation of Kuwait more than 20 years ago, the country had emerged as an important voice in Asia.

Its policy was quite independent and was friendly towards countries in the region which was not in the American sphere of influence at that point in time, Prof Nalapat, who is also the UNESCO Peace Chair, said. “In fact, Kuwait played a key role in developing an Asian Consciousness. But after the

ACD itself was set up after the Asian financial crisis in 1978-29, a crisis that was caused by Western financial institutions and banks creating havoc in Asia. Following the crisis, many Asian countries decided that they need an Asian solution to the Asian problem.

Hence the ACD, he said.

Asia is still reeling from the impact of the financial crisis of 2008, again caused by Western financial institu-

tions and banks. The GCC investors have lost around $1.3 trillion due to the crisis. “It is not because of the fault of GCC states. This underlines the urgency to find a mechanism offering protection to Asian investors from such crises stemming out of wrong policy decisions and erratic fiscal management in Western countries,” he added.

Big countries in the West wanted to keep Asia divided such as East Asia or West Asia and organizations like APEC, ASEAN, SAARC, G20 etc are examples.

“ACD is the only pan-Asian body of significance today as it brings together all the countries from all corners of Asia. The GCC was included in the ACD as it is an important source of global capital and a crucial source of global growth,” he elaborated.

“High-level delegations are coming from all the member countries represented by ministerial level. It is imperative now to have Asian institutions that can link together in the fields of economy, culture and education. ACD 2012 will seek to evolve a workable mechanism for cooperation in these areas,” he added. “It is heartening to note that Kuwait, after more than 20 years, is once again stepping forward to become an important diplomatic player in the region like Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Kuwait is the Singapore of the Middle East; small, prosperous and forward-looking.

Singapore in the East and Kuwait in the West are two examples of modernity in two corners of Asia,” Prof Nalapat concluded.

The main objectives of the ACD 1) To promote interdependence among Asian countries in all areas of cooperation by identifying Asia’s common strengths and oppor tunities which will help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for Asian people whilst developing a knowledgebased society within Asia and enhancing community and people’s empowerment.

2) To expand the trade and financial market within Asia and increase the bargaining power of Asian countries in lieu of competition and, in turn, enhance Asia’s

economic competitiveness in the global market.

3) To serve as the missing link in Asian cooperation by building upon Asia’s potentials and strengths through supplementing and complementing existing cooperative frameworks so as to become a viable partner for other regions.

4) To ultimately transform the Asian continent into an Asian Community, capable of interacting with the rest of the world on a more equal footing and contributing more positively towards mutu-

al peace and prosperity.

The core values agreed upon at the meeting are an important and unique aspect of the ACD. The ACD is meant to serve as the missing link in Asian cooperation while constituting an informal and noninstitutionalized forum for Asian Foreign M inisters to regularly exchange views on issues of mutual interest. The ACD is an incremental and evolving process. It is charac terized by a top - down nature and emphasizes positive thinking, inclusiveness and the comfort level of all participants.

Attendees are seen at the meeting.

Member states of ACD Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China India Indonesia Iran Japan Kazakhstan South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyz Lao PDR

Date of accession 18 June, 2002 18 June, 2002 27 Sep, 2004 18 June, 2002 18 June, 2002 18 June, 2002 18 June, 2002 18 June, 2002 21 June, 2004 18 June, 2002 21 June, 2003 18 June, 2002 21 June, 2003 16 oct, 2008 18 June, 2002

Member states of ACD Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Tajikistan Thailand UAE Uzbekistan Vietnam

Date of accession 18 June, 2002 21 June, 2004 18 June, 2002 21 June, 2003 18 June, 2002 18 June, 2002 18 June, 2002 4 April, 2005 4 April, 2005 18 june, 2008 21june, 2003 5 June, 2006 18 June, 2002 21June, 2004 5 June, 2006 18 June, 2002

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

local

Man ‘avenges’ sister by stabbing her ex-husband Mechanic killed in work mishap

Al-Barjas stresses importance of women roles KUWAIT: Chairman of the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society (KRCS), Barjas Hamoud Al-Barjas, stressed the importance of shedding light on the role of women to reduce disasters by enhancing stricken society’s potentials in order to bear and recover from such afflictions.

In a speech on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, Al-Barjas said that this event is significant to increase measures of danger reduction in development plans and businesses.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has set October 13 as the International Day for Disaster Reduction in order to make people aware of how to take measures to reduce their exposure to risk, KRCS Chairman said, noting that this year’s theme is (Women and Girls: the [in]Visible Force of Resilience).

Al-Barjas expressed his gratitude and appreciation for women and girls who improved their communities by making them capable of coping with disasters, noting that women in Kuwait have an

honorable role in volunteer work.

In addition, he said that the goal of this celebration is to make women aware of taking risk reduction measures, in addition to strengthening the role of girls to face disasters by providing them pieces of advice.

Furthermore, Al-Barjas called on civil society organizations, media and governments to work on adopting a national strategy for disaster management and integrating it into national and regional plans.

He also called on promoting disaster management and confrontation programs at various levels, noting that KRCS has achieved, over the years, a remarkable development in that field.

Al-Barjas concluded by saying that UNGA honored the participating schools on the occasion of International Day for Disaster Reduction, in addition to the assembly’s female volunteering pioneers and the participants in the event’s competition. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A man was charged with attempted murder when he stabbed his former brother-inlaw soon after he had divorced his sister. The victim had decided to end his marriage following a dispute with his wife on Friday night, after which he left the house and headed to a coffee joint. Soon afterwards, the man got a call from his now ex-wife’s brother, who he thought wanted to meet him in order to talk about the dispute. The wife’s brother arrived at the coffee shop shortly and immediately proceeded to stab the man in his shoulder and side before escaping.

Police arrived at the scene after the case was reported and collected information and description of the suspect. The victim was rushed to a hospital. The attacker was arrested the next morning in Salmiya and confessed that he wanted to “take revenge as the victim had humiliated” his sister.

Work mishap A car mechanic died in Al-Fahaheel after he was crushed under a vehicle he was repairing inside a garage in the area. The 26-year-old Pakistani man was pronounced dead because of a fatal head injury and the body was taken to the forensic department for an autopsy. An investigation was on to determine the circumstances leading to the mishap.

Man held for forgery A worker at a photocopy shop was arrested for forgery after he was found using civil ID copies to buy cell phone connections.

Investigations were on after Al-Adan police station officers received multiple complaints from people who received phone bills for connections they had never bought. Police used surveil-

lance cameras at a number of shops to identify a prime suspect, a Syrian man, who was soon arrested from his residence. The man eventually admitted to buying 85 connections using copies of IDs he had secretly kept at his store, adding that he used the lines until they were disconnected for unpaid fees. The man was sent to the Public Prosecution to face charges.

Toddler abducted Investigations were on to track down a kidnapper who abducted a toddler from outside a mosque near the Friday Market recently. The two-and-a-half-year-old boy was left outside the mosque as his father went inside to pray. He came out to find that his son had disappeared.

The American man reported the case to Farwaniya police station officers after failing to find his son.

Fugitive nabbed A Kuwaiti man sentenced to five years in prison was nabbed during a recent police operation in Hawally. The fugitive was arrested at a checkpoint where police found that he was wanted to serve time in prison in a case in which he was found guilty of battery assault. The man was taken to the proper authorities to be sent to jail.

Search for addicts Hawally detectives are on a look out for three male suspects who escaped from the scene, leaving behind their car with drugs inside, when patrol officers intercepted them. The incident took place in Maidan Hawally during the weekend when the three managed to flee after they saw a patrol vehicle approaching their car which had stopped in suspicious circumstances behind

an apartment building. Police found drug paraphernalia inside the car in addition to the suspects’ IDs. A case was filed for investigations.

Phone theft A serviceman admitted to stealing his comrade’s cell phone and selling it for money he desperately needed to handle a financial problem he was facing. Detectives at the Adan police station were able to trace the stolen phone’s signal and located its user, who explained after being summoned that he had bought the device from a shop in the area.

Police headed to the shop and obtained a photocopy of the ID papers belonging to the man who the shopkeeper said he had sold the phone to. The phone’s original owner identified the man as his co-worker at the Ministry of Defense. The man was arrested from his house and taken away for investigations during which he admitted to the theft. He was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

Life father, like son A man was arrested in Salmiya for beating up his teenage son for landing up at an illicit party where the father was already present.

According to preliminary investigations, the 19-year-old boy accepted an invitation to a party where alcohol was served, not knowing that his father was invited there too. The young man froze in his place when he entered the apartment and found his father dancing with a woman. The father, who was drunk at the time, grabbed his son and beat him up outside the building until police arrived and put both of them under arrest. A warrant was issued to summon the apartment’s owner for investigations.

Electricity tariff increase mulled

KUWAIT: Barjas Hamoud Al-Barjas and other officials at the International Day for Disaster Reduction.

KUWAI T: Th e M in istr y of Electricity and Water is studying a mechanism to raise the p owe r t a r i f fs i n v i e w o f a n increase in power consumption as par t of its effor ts to tackle power wastage, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

According to sources privy to the developments, the min-

istry’s plan, tentatively set to be implemented nex t year, calls for charging more from consumers with a higher power consumption rate, while those whose power consumption levels were stable would not b e re q ui re d to p ay a ny additional tariff. “ The plan was a result of

intensive studies carried out by consultants from inside and outside Kuwait which boiled down to the conclusion that the electricity usage tariff needs to be increased,” said the sources who spoke to AlJ a r i d a o n t h e co n d i t i o n o f anonymity.

The government currently

collects 2 fills for a kilowatt of electricity that costs 100 fills to be generated, a rate considered to be one of the lowest in the world. As per the new plan, a consumer would be required to pay an additional 2 fills for each 1,000 k ilowatts consumed beyond the first 4,000 kilowatts limit.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

LOCAL

kuwait digest

In my view

Arab Spring conspiracy

Results of errors prevent reform

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

By Osman Mirghani

A

ll Arab Spring states, without exception, are facing numerous problems and rising frustrations that have prompted some to lament the good old days. This is a fact that nobody can deny, regardless of personal motives or objectives. There are those who recall this out of sorrow for the setbacks that have occurred in the course of these revolutions, whilst others mention this out of a sense of gloating towards those who rejoiced at the changes seen during this short Spring.

The majority of these frustrations is due to people’s high expectations regarding these revolutions, and their hopes for prompt change in their conditions and circumstances, and that all the problems and troubles of the past would be resolved overnight. Furthermore, many were shocked at how the Islamists promptly climbed the revolutions’ stairs, reaching the seat of power and occupying important positions; therefore they consider these revolutions to have been aborted or stolen.

In the midst of this ongoing debate, I am confused by those analysts and observers who believe that the Islamists’ rise to power in the Arab Spring states is evidence of a “Western plot” or that the West is responsible for these uprisings, either by planning or supporting them, or even sometimes directly or secretly taking part in them. Apart from failing to provide any clear and convincing evidence of this, they persist in hanging everything on the foreign conspiracy theory logic. They do not want to understand why a large portion of the electorate voted for Islamist parties’ candidates. There are lessons that one should learn in this regard. Whilst it is true that plots are being hatched in the political kitchen, this does not mean that everything that is happening is the product of a conspiracy or that we can absolve ourselves of responsibility for everything that is happening to us.

One may disagree with the Arab revolutions, there is no problem with that, but the problem lies in considering such revolutions “Western conspiracies” or “foreign plots.” This manner of thinking means that all those who took to the streets to demonstrate in public squares, contributing to regime change in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, were directed by the West and therefore part of the “conspiracy”, or nothing more than “puppets” of foreign powers. Furthermore, this logic means that there were no domestic reasons or tensions that led to the eruption of the public’s repressed rage, and that these tensions were essentially nothing more than a Western product and that the ousted regimes did not commit huge mistakes that ultimately led to their collapse.

Why don’t we want to believe that the Arab Spring was the product of deplorable political and economic circumstances caused by autocratic rule and corruption that incited strong feelings of frustration in many circles, particularly the youth who failed to see a promising reality or better future on the horizon? The Arab Spring, which seemed to have surprised everybody, did not lack indicators on the ground even if we failed to notice them at the time, or appreciate the magnitude of their impact. In Egypt, for example, there were certain domestic interactions over a number of years, and we saw demonstrations and strikes taking place, whilst movements like “Kefaya”, “Shaifnco”, “April 6 Youth Movement”, “Judges for Change” and others emerged, reflecting a latent public anger at the deplorable political and economic conditions, not to mention the increasingly bloated ruling regime and the presence of widespread corruption.

In Tunisia and Yemen, as is the case in Libya and Syria, there were also domestic interactions, as well as growing public anger and mobilization on the level of civil organizations and political movements. It is true that the revolutions in Tunisia and later in Egypt incited the zeal of many and encouraged the outbreak of demonstrations demanding change and freedom, however these revolutions would never have erupted and spread were it not for the domestic factors in these countries. Therefore, we saw some countries rushing to join the Arab Spring immediately, whilst others remained unaffected.

Many were wrong to think that revolutions would move automatically from one state to another, and that changes would prevail in the region and that no regime or state would be immune from this. These people were wrong to think that a complex phenomenon with interlaced political, economic and social elements that change from one state or another could be duplicated automatically, even if there are some common features and denominators. These revolutions did not take place solely as a result of the political element; social and economic elements also played a key role, particularly amongst a generation of frustrated youth who felt detached from their societies and who had lost any hope of a life where they enjoy some rights, job prospects, housing prospects, and economic stability.

In addition to this, the internet and new tools of communication - from email to SMS text messages to Facebook and Twitter - all contributed to the Arab Spring. They removed security restrictions and broke down the doors of censorship to open the space for the flow of information, allowing for inspiration and mobilization, particularly amongst the youth who increasingly relied on new media as a source of information and as a means of communication.

The Arab revolutions may have surprised many, for everybody was roundly convinced that the Arab citizen had lost the will and ability to affect change, not to mention that the ruling regimes - which were immersed in corruption and autocracy - believed that their security apparatus was capable of crushing any attempting to overthrow them. This surprise had a clear impact on the Ben Ali and Mubarak regimes, whose reactions were confused and muddled because they simply could not believe what was happening. They simply failed to take into account the magnitude of the public’s rage boiling under the surface, nor did they expect their regimes to collapse so quickly. However when this element of surprise was no longer a factor and other regimes were aware of the magnitude of what they were facing, revolutions began to face severe repression. These revolutions became immersed in oceans of blood and required far longer to achieve the desired change, as we saw in Libya, and then later in Yemen, and today in Syria.

The Arab Spring was a political earthquake that shook, and indeed continues to shake, the entire region.

If we truly want to understand, learn or change, attempts to understand and analyse the causes and consequences of the Arab Spring cannot solely focus on foreign conspiracy theories, ignoring all domestic factors and internal accumulations!

kuwait digest

We are guards of your place

By Madhi Al Hajeri

“A

lshoura” is one of the Islamic ‘sunna’ else, because Kuwait is my tribe, and it is my land between a ruler and his Muslim subjects. and my state, and our souls will be spent cheaply for God said in the Quran, “ Their case is its sands. under consultation among themselves” and God Therefore, we refuse to play around with the contold the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), “Consult with stitution and jump into the unknown. We refuse to them about the subject.” So, “Alshoura”, or ‘consulta- try forging the nation together by amending the tion’, puts an end to oppression as reviewing mat- number of votes or reducing them. The one who ters and exchanging views reveal the truth and help agreed to the five constituencies and four votes sysuncover the wrong acts. tem was the government of Sheik h Nasser Al What is happening today is that the government Mohammad. It cheered when the law was passed. is trying to take the decisions all Why is it annoyed by the by itself, which is regretful and results of 2012 council when it we have never seen that happenhad welcomed the results of The message that ing before in our state. Since 2009 council? Here the brain someone is trying to when has our beloved country stops working and thinking Kuwait become a state without control the state is not becomes paralyzed because democracy? There are some peoour government has contratrue. There is not a sin- dictory stands. ple out there who are trying to demolish what our fathers and The problem today is that gle Kuwaiti who does there forefathers have built when they are a few people who not like the Al Sabah established the state. are trying to convey a mesThe fact is that the fight over that someone is trying to family and our rulers. sage electoral constituencies cannot control the state. Well, that is be won except in the Abdullah Al not true. There is not a single Salem Hall. If that is the truth, then why insist on Kuwaiti, a man, woman, child, widow or an orphan fighting the country? Why does the government in Kuwait who does not like the Al Sabah family and want to fight and create a crisis? Does the govern- our rulers. The people will not accept any one to ment consider us an enemy if we advise it about replace them regardless of who he might be or how what serves Kuwait best at this moment? We are no important he was, and the proof is our experience less keen for stability in Kuwait than those who are with the Iraqi invasion. Let me tell those who claim telling the government that we are only after power. that we are after power, that we are not and we wish The government should be aware of those who are that our guardians could see the reality, that they trying to create sedition and destroy the national should know how to differentiate a friend from the unity, which even Saddam Hussein failed to do. enemy. Ahmad Al Saadoun said, “We are the guards Personally, the one vote and five constituencies of your palace Abu Nasser.” Here we are, repeating system is in my personal interest as also my tribe’s. the same words, “Yes, we are the guards of your But I have put Kuwait’s interest above everything palace, your Highness the Amir.” — Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

Criminalizing people’s hate

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

D

efining hate is not an easy task, given the between nations and races in history. In Europe, hate unlimited contents and implications the term and racism led to the death of millions of people durcan refer to. A person might hate another ing the battles between the Muslims and the Serbs in human being, an animal, a plant or inanimate objects. the former Yugoslavia.

Many countries in contemporary times came up He could also hate himself, his life system, his job, and others. Hate can be characterized by withdrawal with legislations that criminalize hate and contempt symptoms combined with abhorrence, aversion or of individuals, social groups and beliefs. These regulations aim to protect societies lack of sympathy towards a cerfrom infighting. However, there tain person or thing. Hate towards Many countries in is a difference between crimianother person or a group of peonalizing hate speech and crimiple usually comes with a desire to contemporary times hateful practices. While seek revenge, damage or fight for came up with legisla- nalizing the former can be found in many reasons including fundaplaces around the world, mentalism, sectarianism, different tions that criminalize most the latter remains a subject of ideologies and conflict of interhate and contempt of much debate globally with ests. views differing from one society Many believe that hate repreindividuals, social to the other. sents a destructive buried feeling People find it strange to see that has been building up for reagroups and beliefs. hate spreading in a small sociesons which cannot be defined These regulations aim ty whose people enjoy wealth, easily, but results in destructive such as ours which suffers results for both the hater and the to protect societies today from sectarian and tribal hated. Hate can drive people to from infighting. conflicts. While we need to extreme measures, such as ideoaddress the main reasons that logical and sectarian fundamenlead to hate, I believe that hate talism, and as seen evidently by reactions to any insult to religion, tribe or family. This criminalization law is of prime importance at this time leads some to say that hate sentiments are always especially with the increasing levels of sectarian instigations. I do not think anyone is opposed to the connected with rage, violence and hostile approach.

Hate can be found in all societies, and not just in enforcement of this law, which, I can say, is a public individuals. It is a phenomenon that is as old as demand today due to the serious repercussions that humans, and responsible for many fierce conflicts hate can have for the society as a whole. — Al-Rai

1964: Politically underdeveloped parties in the government began taking the first steps to restrict the democratic system by limiting the freedom of opinion and expression, as well as the freedom of publication and scientific research. Thus was born Article 35 of the press law, and the assembly law was amended. This was followed by more restrictions against the opposition that forced many MPs to resign from the first parliament elected in Kuwait’s history.

1967: When the government sensed the public movement veering towards liberty and political openness, it resorted to forging the elections. A council was formed from among people with little political knowledge. These were basically people used to the idea that “Sheikhs know better”.

1968: When they felt that it was very difficult to forge elections again, the government went further and changed the entire demographics of Kuwait in order to secure - as it thought - enough number of voters for pro-government candidates.

1970: When demographic change did not prove enough, the unscrupulous parties in the government manipulated the electoral rolls and reshuffled those blocs of voters which favored pro-government candidates. This led to the creation of “ghettos” that helped the government in controlling the outcome of each area, such as Um Al-Haiman.

1974: When all these strategies failed, they introduced elections based on tribal and sectarian basis and tried to use that in their favor by hoping it would limit the chances of democratic forces.

1976: When they found out that the parliament had become stronger than them, they dissolved it and attempted to redact the constitution.

1981: When it became still harder to achieve their objectives, they resorted to straightaway tampering of the constituencies by dividing them on such a basis that it favored pro-government candidates and the “ghettos” they created. But neither did this plan work, nor the government’s coalition with tribal and religious groups yield the desired results, which led to the second parliamentary dissolution in 1986.

1990: Before the Iraqi Invasion, the National Council was established in real violation of the will of the Kuwaiti voters. After the Liberation in 1991, attempts were made to revive the National Council which was declared dead by the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah during the first public address after the Liberation.

The consistent failure of the unscrupulous parties in the government since 1964 led to the Invasion and chaos. The Invasion period resulted in lessons that made some of them to wake up, and for young activists to start thinking about their country’s future and the future of Kuwait’s political development. In the end, the government got stuck in a dilemma about whether to support these young activists, or continue with the old ways in handling issues.

Today, the government shows signs of hope that it is starting to rectify things, and deal with the results of the errors committed over the past fifty years. However, the very outcome of these errors, in the form of political groups and social blocs that enjoy high influence, is now standing between the government and the decisive steps towards reforms.

These groups not only seek to keep status quo, but also to retain the “collectivity” and spread hate and intolerance among Kuwaiti voters. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

New start for a road map

By Dr Waleed Hamad Al-Moosa

K

uwait hosts the first summit for the Asian cooperation dialogue from Oct 15 to 17 at the initiative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and it will witness the presence of 31 heads of state or their representatives. The conference will discuss several issues of strategic, social and economic dimensions which concern the state of the Asian continent.

One of the main subjects to be discussed in the conference will be the economy, as the continent is facing many problems and challenges. Underlining these problems is the issue of poverty since about half of Asiaís total population, 4.15 billion people, that is about 60% of the worldís total population, is still living on an income of less than 2 dollars per day.

This leads to health concerns and many social problems which drain out the budgets of some Asian countries and force them to exceed their resources. The second major issue will be the low manufacturing average of industrial products in the Asian countries. This was a result of the impact of the worldís economic problems and the stagnation on the Asian economy and its financial markets.

The third issue is the high prices of materials and food products and its bad affect on Asian food security, and lastly, the weakness of economic integration among the Asian countries in spite of the foundation of a number of commercial blocks in the Asian continent, like, Asian Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Ocean Region, Asian European Economic Council, the League of South East Asian Countries, the GCC council, Economic Partnership Agreement, Independent States, and the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Therefore, this conference being hosted by Kuwait will prove to be a new start for a road map for the eastern world which will be participating to achieve the required regional economic integration and will provide stability, economic growth and social growth for the Asian people. — Al-Anbaa

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Romney closing gap in Ohio as poll numbers, crowds rise Page 9

Shot Pakistan schoolgirl makes ‘steady’ progress Page 12

Gunmen kill 21 at Nigeria mosque KADUNA: A gang disguised in police uniforms opened fire on worshippers at a mosque in northern Nigeria yesterday, killing at least 21 people, officials and residents said. The military and locals said the pre-dawn raid in the village of Dogon Dawa in Kaduna state was carried out by armed robbers engaged in a running feud with a local vigilante group.

Having been repelled by the community militia last week, the gang returned on Sunday, storming the mosque as people readied for early morning prayers, killing some victims inside the building and some outside.

“We have 21 killed. Several others have been taken to the hospital with injuries,” said Musa Illela of the National Emergency Management Agency in Kaduna.

Religiously divided Kaduna has been rocked by waves of sectarian violence in recent months.

Suicide bombings at three churches in June that were claimed by Islamist group Boko Haram sparked reprisal violence by Christian mobs who killed dozens

of their Muslim neighbours, burning some of their victims’ bodies. Muslim groups also formed mobs and killed several Christians. Boko Haram, blamed for killing more than 1,400 people in Nigeria since 2010, has repeatedly targeted the state and also attacked Muslim leaders it accuses of not supporting its hardline interpretation of Islam. But military spokesman Colonel Sani Usman told AFP that yesterday’s shooting was “a clear case of armed robbery,” and described it as a “revenge” attack linked to the rivalry between the thieves and the vigilantes.

Asked about a potential religious element in the shootings, he said only that “the victims were coming from prayers” at the mosque. Village resident Dauda Maikudi told AFP that thieves regularly target the area as Dogon Dawa lies not far from a main road used by traders carrying goods and cash between the north and south of Africa’s most populous country. “It was a pre-dawn raid,” he said. “The attackers... some of them dressed in police uniform, came into the village. They

killed eight worshippers in the mosque and killed 13 other residents in the village.”

“We believe they were armed robbers because this area has been bedevilled by armed robbers for years,” he added. A local leader, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said he supported Maikudi’s description of the attackers’ disguises.The local leader said Dogon Dawa’s vigilante force has had a series of clashes with the area’s criminal groups. He said the gunmen struck just before Sunday morning’s call to prayer.

Dogon Dawa lies about 70 kilometres (40 miles) from the state capital Kaduna city. Violent robbery is common on Nigeria’s notoriously dangerous major roadways, with attackers often setting up roadblocks and targeting their victims under the cover of darkness.Commenting on the latest violence, Kadunabased rights activist Shehu Sani said Nigeria had “become a nation of unknown gunmen and absentee leaders”. “The spasm of violence and senseless bloodshed in the northern parts of Nigeria has reached an

GAZA: Palestinians carry the coffin of Salafist leader Hisham Al-Saedini during his funeral procession in Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip yesterday. — AFP

Israel strikes kill 5 in Gaza GAZA CITY: Two Gazans died in an Israeli strike yesterday, raising to five the total number killed as Israel pressed a series of raids targeting militants, among them a top Salafist leader. Palestinian witnesses said the latest Israeli strike targeted a motorcycle near Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, killing two militants in their early 20s. The Israeli army confirmed the strike, saying it had targeted “a terrorist rocket squad”. Ashraf alQudra, spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry, told AFP the strike killed Ezzedine Abu Nasira, 23, and Ahmad Fatayer, 22, and left another two people in critical condition.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said they were targeted after firing a rocket into Israel that landed in the Eshkol regional council flanking the southern sector of the

Gaza border, without causing injury. It was the third deadly Israeli raid within 24 hours and came just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “act aggressively ” against anyone threatening to attack Israelis. “Global jihad is increasing its efforts to strike at us and we shall continue to act aggressively and forcefully in response,” he told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting, saying the military would also engage in “preventive strikes.”

The surge in bloodshed began on Saturday night when the air force targeted a motorcycle in the northern town of Jabaliya, killing top Salafist leader Sheikh Hisham Al-Saedini, 43, and a fellow militant called Fayek Abu Jazar, 42. Saedini, a Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship, headed a Salafist group called Tawhid wal-

Jihad, or the Mujahedeen Shura Council, which has claimed responsibility for firing a handful of rockets at Israel over the past six weeks. A 12-year-old bystander was wounded in the raid, medics said.

Several hours later, warplanes targeted two militants from the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the southern city of Khan Yunis, killing one and critically wounding the second.

The dead militant was identified as Yasser Mohammad al-Atal, 23. The strike came shortly after a rocket hit an open field in the Eshkol region, with the army saying the dawn raid had targeted “a terrorist squad”.

Saedini was one of the top Salafist militants in Gaza who founded the Mujahedeen Shura Council at the end of 2008. He was buried in Bureij refugee camp in central

Gaza. The Israeli army said it had targeted Saedini over his group’s involvement in “significant terror activity against Israeli civilians and... soldiers”. It said his group was behind an attack in late Jan 2009 that killed a soldier and seriously wounded another, and said he had in recent days been “planning a complex attack to be carried out along the Sinai border” in collaboration with Salafi operatives inside Egypt.

But Islam Shahwan, a spokesman for the Hamas interior ministry, accused Israel of targeting “innocent civilians”. He said the attack was an attempt to make up for Israel’s “severe security failure” on Oct 6 when a drone sent by Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia managed to enter Israeli air space before being shot down near the Dimona nuclear reactor. —AFP

Smoke forces plane evacuation in Turkey ANKARA: Three people were injured yesterday when a Nor way-bound plane at an airpor t on Turkey ’s Mediterranean coast was evacuated after fire broke out in the cockpit, a travel agency and television reports said.

Several other passengers suffered

smoke inhalation. Passengers told Norwegian media that the pilots and crew fled the jet before the passengers could escape the smoke-filled cabin in a chaotic scramble for the exits. The blaze broke out in the cock pit of a Boeing 737-800 of Turkey’s Corendon Airlines shortly

ANTALYA: In this photo provided by Corendon Airlines, smoke seen from the Trondheim, Norway-bound Boeing 737-800 plane, with 189 passengers and seven crew members on board, at Antalya airport, Turkey, early yesterday. — AP

before it was due to take off early yesterday from the city of Antalya for Trondheim in Norway with 158 passengers aboard.

During the escape, two passengers each broke a leg, said television reports and the deputy director of the Oslo travel agency Detur, Fatih Fadir. A third passenger suffered a shoulder injury and was also taken to hospital, while 25 were affected by smoke inhalation but later discharged, according to Turkish news agency Anatolia, quoting medical sources.

“The others were taken to hospital because they breathed in smoke, but it is nothing serious,” Fadir said. The other passengers were flown back to Norway later Sunday aboard another flight.

Speaking to the media on their arrival in Norway, some passengers accused the crew of fleeing the aircraft before they could. “When we noticed the smoke, we all wanted to get out, but the crew asked us to stay seated,” 30-year- old woman Tone Oestensen was quoted as saying by the Verdens Gang daily. “It was only when we actually saw flames that they realised it was serious, and so

they left the plane all of a sudden, before the rest of us.” Another passenger, Marie Kveli Selvik, 18, was quoted as telling the newspaper: “I was sitting at the very front of the plane, and I saw that the door to the cockpit, which had been closed, was wide open.

“Suddenly the pilots ran out, while thick smoke escaped through the door. Then the crew also disap peared, they simply fled the plane.”

Others described to the Norwegian media a chaotic evacuation, complicated by the smoke that filled the cabin, but which lasted only a few minutes. The airport declined to comment on the incident. Corendon, in a statement on the website Airporthaber, confirmed the fire and evacuation but did not mention casualties. No airline spokesman was immediately available for comment.

Norway’s foreign ministry did refer to injuries, although it could not give a number, saying none of the affected passengers had contac ted their embassy. “We have reports about people hur t in this plane,” a spokesman said. “Some were hospitalised in Turkey.” —AFP

alarming and unacceptable level,” he further said. He noted that arrests and trials rarely follow gruesome massacres in the north, warning that “this impunity has created a climate of fear” across the region.

Sani, who is an expert on religious violence in northern Nigeria, gave no indication that the mosque shooters were motivated by a religious rivalry. Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, is roughly divided between a mainly north and mostly Christian south. —AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

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

Egypt’s Islamists play to anti-Israel sentiment CAIRO: A fiery tirade against Jews by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s leader highlights one of the foremost diplomatic challenges facing the country’s new Islamist President Mohammed Morsi as he balances popular sentiment with the need for security relations with Israel.

The Brotherhood’s supreme leader Mohammed Badie called on Muslims worldwide this week to defend Jerusalem, saying “Zionists only know the way of force.” He said that Jews were spreading “corruption,” had slaughtered Muslims and desecrated holy sites.

Badie’s condemnation went well beyond the harsh criticism of Israel and its policies that is common in Egypt, opening even greater friction between the country’s most powerful political group and its Jewish neighbor. And it will likely put more pressure on Morsi, who ran for president as a Brotherhood candidate, to take a more assertive role than his predecessor had in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Morsi made no public comments about Badie’s remarks, the strongest criticism against Israel since Morsi took office in June. His spokesman, Yasser Ali, did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.

Eli Shaked, a former Israeli ambassador to Egypt, said the Brotherhood’s statement was aimed at deflecting attention from Morsi’s troubles in his first 100 days in

office, from fuel shortages to mounting piles of garbage on the streets.

“Every time there is domestic tension in the new Egypt, Israel and the Jews will be targeted and every time the Egyptian street is tense or protests the Muslim Brotherhood will bring the anti-Semitic genie out of the bottle,” he said Saturday.

Israel has increasingly become worried about the ascendance of the formerly repressed Brotherhood to power after last year’s ouster of Hosni Mubarak, who was often pictured warmly greeting Israeli officials in Cairo.

The two nations share security concerns about their volatile border area, and both control entry and exit points for the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Islamic militants in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula have carried out attacks this past year against security forces from both countries.

Tensions were stoked last year when the Israeli embassy was ransacked by Egyptian protesters after a cross-border shootout that killed six Egyptian policemen. This summer, 16 Egyptian soldiers were gunned down in Sinai by suspected Islamic militants during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Israeli officials grumbled that Egypt had increased the number of troops there to battle the militants without coordinating the move first with Israeli officials, as the nations’ 1979 peace accord stipulates.

Morsi has avoided speaking of Israel in public, only making pledges to respect Egypt’s international agreements and the peace accord. The treaty, the first between Israel and an Arab country, has been a foundation for regional stability for more than three decades.

This summer, new tensions arose when Israel said Morsi wrote back to Israeli President Shimon Peres, who had sent the Egyptian president a letter wishing him well on the start of Ramadan. Morsi’s office denied sending the message.

The 69-year-old Badie, who served 15 years in prison in his 20s for his Islamist views and was elected to his post in 2010, is the Brotherhood’s eighth supreme leader since its founding in 1928. His statement reflects the group’s overall position toward Palestinian aspirations for statehood and control of East Jerusalem, a holy site for both Muslims and Jews. He does not have sole authority over group decisions, but presides over the group’s top council that vets major issues.

Badie’s statement was published on the group’s website and emailed to reporters on Thursday, coinciding with the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage. Muslims used to pray toward al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem before praying toward Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

“It is time for the Muslim ... to unite for the sake of Jerusalem and Palestine after

the Jews have increased the corruption in the world, and shed the blood of (Muslims),” Badie said. The comments were denounced as hate speech by organizations that track anti-Semitism.

Peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians have stalled over Israel’s refusal to stop Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which Palestinians claim as their future state.

Gamal Soltan, a political science professor at the American university in Cairo, said the Brotherhood may be playing to a regional audience in evoking the Palestinian crisis.

“Morsi as president, trying to act as a statesman, is responsible for running the country. Badie has more freedom to express views,” Soltan said. Israeli lawmaker Danny Danon called on the United States and the European Union to take action, adding that such “incitement and antiSemitism in Egypt” must stop before Washington sends more financial aid to Cairo.

“The direction of the new Egyptian government is very worrying and we are following with great concern what is being said and done and what is not being done there against extremists,” he said in a telephone interview Saturday.

Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan said Israel’s suspected possession of nuclear weapons coupled with wars in

the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and “the slaughter of Palestinians and expansion of settlements” means that relations with Egypt cannot be “normal.”

Ghozlan insisted the Egyptians would adhere to the terms of the 1979 treaty, “but we are dealing with Israel at the limits of the treaty.

“Improved relations were with the former regime ... against the will of the people, the will of Arab people and the will of Palestinians. Now relations are different.”

Beyond religious links to Jerusalem, the Brotherhood inspired the formation of Islamic militant groups around the Middle East, including the Palestinian Hamas.

Badie, who was once part of a group of radical members charged with seeking to overthrow Egypt’s government, has since renounced violence, but supports Hamas in its “resistance” against Israel and met with Hamas premier Ismail Haniyeh last year in Cairo.

Soltan, the political science professor, warned that the Brotherhood and Morsi cannot continue this “duality” for long.

“They continue to be torn apart between ideology on the one hand and politics on the other,” he said. “To survive as a president for Egypt he has to pursue a moderate policy vis-a-vis Israel and there will definitely be people in the Brotherhood who don’t like that.” — AP

Tunisia sets dates for polls after compromise Two main opposition groupings welcome move

Saudi King Abdullah seen with Yusuffali.

Yusuffali tops Indian power list DUBAI: Lulu Hypermarket, the region’s retail heavyweight added another feather to its cap when the group’s managing director, Yusuffali MA, retained his top rank in the Arabian Business Indian Power List for the second successive year.

Announcing the names of the 100 individ-

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Yusuffali.

uals who made it to this year’s Power List, Ed Attwood, editor of Arabian Business, said: “This list is the most comprehensive guide to Indian success in the region. With close to 4 million Indians living in the GCC, it is clear that they have made a huge contribution to the growth of the region’s economies. But our list is not just full of business leaders - it includes scientists, doctors, artists and sports stars.” Other Indians who made it to the top of the power list include the founding shareholder of Bharti Airtel, Raghuvinder Kataria, who was ranked second, followed by IFFCO Group’s Feroz Allana in third place. Saudi Arabia-based construction mogul Ravi Pillai took fourth place, ahead of Landmark Group founder Micky Jagtiani.

The 2012 list is dominated by retailers, who account for 26 places on the list, ahead of bankers and industrialists with 24 spots.

The healthcare industry is also well represented with eight positions, the same number as construction and real estate.

The list will be officially launched at a gala dinner to be held at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeriah Hotel tomorrow, hosted by the Consul General of India Sanjay Verma. The highly popular Lulu retail chain in the MiddleEast caters to over 468,000 customers everyday and is ranked number one among the Middle-East retailers.

Settler raids on Palestinian olives ‘reprehensible’: UN JERUSALEM: A senior United Nations envoy yesterday condemned a wave of attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian olive groves and called on Israel to punish the perpetrators. “I am alarmed at recent reports that Israeli settlers in the West Bank have repeatedly attacked Palestinian farmers and destroyed hundreds of their olive trees at the height of the harvest season,” said Robert Serry, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process.

“These acts are reprehensible and I call on the government of Israel to bring those responsible to justice,” he said in a statement. Israeli rights group Yesh Din said it had logged 35 attacks targeting olive trees, grapevines and other fruit trees between September 2011 and July 2012, but in 99 percent of cases police had closed their probes for lack of evidence.

“The phenomenon of tree vandalism continues even more forcefully this year and targets the property and livelihood of many Palestinian families,” said Yesh Din. “The police’s failure to enforce the law and protect the Palestinians’ property encourages this phenomenon because the criminals who go unpunished are not deterred from repeating their actions.”

Israeli police challenged Yesh Din’s findings. “They are inaccurate and out of date,” spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.

“Police have stepped up activity, particularly over the past few weeks, in dealing with the incidents which have been taking place.”

“There was an undercover police operation which took place just under two weeks ago where three police officers dressed up as Palestinian shepherds were attacked (by settlers),” he said, adding that the officers were specifically watching out for attacks on Palestinian farmers at the time.

“Israeli police have arrested four people who were directly connected in that attack.”

On Saturday, dozens of olive trees were set ablaze in the West Bank village of Qaryut village, south of Nablus, in an attack villagers and Palestinian security officials blamed on settlers.

Yesh Din quoted Qaryut farmer Said Ahmad Jaber as saying that just a few days earlier, on Tuesday, he had 120 olive trees cut down. Rosenfeld said an investigation into those attacks was under way but no arrests had so far been made.

A coalition of Israeli rights groups said hundreds of trees had been damaged or had their crop stolen since October 7.

“The past week was unusual in terms of the extent of the theft and destruction of Palestinian olive groves, especially those near settlements and outposts known as trouble spots,” they said.— AFP

TUNIS: Tunisia will go to the polls next June, the Islamist-led government said yesterday, after striking a deal on a new constitution for the North African state which was the cradle of the Arab Spring.

The two main opposition groupings welcomed the move. The announcement of the June 23 date for both presidential and parliamentary elections came after National Constituent Assembly speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar told AFP in an interview that a key proposal by the Islamist Ennahda party to outlaw blasphemy in the new constitution would be dropped. The proposal had stoked fears of creeping Islamisation in Tunisia, which has been wracked by political tensions and a wave of violent attacks in recent weeks blamed on radical Salafists.

Ennahda and its coalition partners-centre-left parties the Congress for the Republic (CPR) of President Moncef Marzouki and Ettakatol-also agreed a second round in the presidential ballot will take place on July 7.

A statement said the parties agreed “on a mixed political system in which the president will be elected by universal suffrage for a better

balance of power, including at the heart of the executive branch.”

Disagreement has been rife over the content of the constitution and the political system in Tunisia, which sparked the Arab Spring when it ousted veteran strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali early last year.

Beji Caid Essebsi, a senior official during the first years of Ben Ali’s rule who steered Tunisia in the aftermath of the revolution, whose Call of Tunisia party, launched in June, welcomed the announcement. “It’s good news,” he told AFP, but also said the announcement should not have come before the opening of a national dialogue set for Tuesday. Maya Jribi of the opposition Progressive Democratic party also welcomed the announcement. “We hail the fact that the mobilisation of civil society and political forces has borne such fruit,” she told AFP. Ennahda, an Islamist party which touts itself as moderate, won the first post-uprising poll in October, taking 41 percent of the seats in the National Constituent Assembly.

It said Islamic law would not be inscribed in the new constitution and eyed a parliamentary system, while the other parties insisted key pow-

ers should be held by a president elected by universal suffrage. But polls can be held only after parliament adopts the new constitution which is being drafted by the interim assembly. Assembly speaker Jaafar told AFP this week that a first draft of the text will be submitted in November to parliament which is expected to debate each article over a period of several months before a vote takes place. The ruling coalition also agreed overnight on setting up an independent electoral commission to be headed, according to sources, by Kamel Jendoubi, architect of Tunisia’s first free polls in October last year.

The compromise is a leap forward in Tunisia, a still fragile nation despite the gains achieved from the revolution that ousted Ben Ali in January 2011.

Jaafar, who heads the Ettakatol party, admitted in his interview with AFP that the coalition government had made several “mistakes” and “lacked firmness” towards the increasingly assertive Salafist movement. The government also has been accused of authoritarian tendencies, and of having failed to make progress on social and economic issues that were driving factors behind the revolution. —AFP

Hezbollah foes say support for Assad puts Lebanon at risk BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s increasingly visible support for President Bashar al-Assad and its latest military challenge to Israel has put the militant group on a collision course with domestic opponents who accuse it of dragging Lebanon towards regional conflict.

While still denying it has sent forces to Syria to fight alongside soldiers trying to crush a 19month-old uprising against Assad, Hezbollah has held a number of public funerals this month for fighters killed performing “jihadi duties”.

Security sources said the men were killed on Syrian territory. Hezbollah’s political opponents, who have for months accused it of aiding Assad’s forces, have rushed to condemn the group and warned its involvement in Syria could ignite sectarian tension within Lebanon where religious factions fought a 1975-1990 civil war.

In a defiant speech on Thursday night, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the Shi’ite group was not reinforcing its ally in Damascus. But his comments suggested that Hezbollah fighters may have been fighting in border regions of the poorly defined frontier.

He also confirmed that Hezbollah had sent a reconnaissance drone deep into Israeli airspace, further escalating tensions with Israel which has threatened to bomb Hezbollah’s patron Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Nasrallah’s speech was “aggressive towards all of his opponents in the Arab world, inside Lebanon and Israel”, said Nabil Boumonsef, a columnist at the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar. “He has put Lebanon and all of us in the eye of the storm,” he said, reflecting growing criticism of a group which six years ago was lionised across the Arab world for standing up to Israeli military might in a 34-day conflict.

Hezbollah, Boumonsef said, “will pay the price of this - and also Lebanon as it will deepen the division and fragmentation”.

The revolt against Assad has turned into a civil war with sectarian dimensions, largely pitting the majority Sunni Muslims against Assad’s minority Alawite community, which is an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam.

Tensions between Sunnis and Shi’ites have been rumbling in Lebanon ever since the end of the civil war, but resurfaced when former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, a Sunni, was killed in 2005. Hariri supporters accused Syria and then Hezbollah of killing him - a charge they both deny. An international tribunal accused several Hezbollah members of involvement in the murder.

But now the sectarian differences which Hezbollah was able to bridge when it played the role of resistance movement against Israel have

deepened with its support for Assad.

After the funeral of Hezbollah fighter Hussein Nimr, attended by more than 1,000 mourners in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley this week, former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a Sunni and a fierce Hezbollah opponent, said political leaders must take a stand to halt Hezbollah’s “slide towards the armed conflict in Syria”.

“This military involvement in the fighting ... would expose Lebanon to unforeseen dangers which it cannot bear and would threaten coexistence in Lebanon, as well as Muslims and Arabs, with unprecedented strife,” Siniora said.

But Hezbollah is the only faction in Lebanon to retain its heavy weapons and is unlikely to be willing to give these up without a fight. In its strongholds it power is unassailable, even by the Lebanese army. There are mounting calls however for it to put those arms under some form of state supervision.

In September, President Michel Suleiman proposed that Hezbollah’s weapons, which include an arsenal of missiles which the group says can strike anywhere in Israel, be put under the command of the Lebanese army.

Hezbollah is not the only force in Lebanon to be drawn into Syria’s conflict, in which activists say 30,000 people have been killed in deepening violence. Arms and fighters have been smuggled

across the border to support Syrian rebels, mainly from Sunni Muslim areas in the eastern Bekaa Valley and northern Akkar province.

“Everyone who (who fuels the violence in Syria) is playing with our blood,” Boumonsef said, slamming both Assad supporters and opponents in Lebanon but singling out Hezbollah for particular criticism.

“The level of intervention in the Syria crisis differs from one side to the other,” he said. “While some offer a supportive environment and maybe help smuggling and other issues, Hezbollah is involved to a greater extent than that.”

Prime Minister Mikati, a Sunni Muslim who had close ties to Syria before taking office, has increasingly struggled to insulate his country from the violence raging across the border.

Street fighting has erupted frequently in the northern city of Tripoli, home to an Alawite minority and staunchly anti-Assad Sunni Muslim majority, and fighting has spilled over the border from Syria.

Lebanon’s own sectarian faultlines and political divisions have yet to heal, more than 20 years after the civil war ended.

“We are entering a period in Lebanon which could be very violent,” said newspaper columnist Sarkis Naoum. “We are living in instability now ... and I am afraid we are heading towards an explosion.” — Reuters

ANKARA: A supporter of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party waves a flag as she attends the party’s congress in Ankara yesterday. — AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

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

Missile gets makeover on 50th anniversary of Cuban crisis MIAMI: In October 1962, as fears of mushroom clouds and radioactive fallout gripped the United States in the midst of the Cuban missile crisis, a battery of anti-ballistic missiles near Miami stood as the nation’s first line of defense against nuclear attack.

Half a century later, the missile base is still there, in the middle of the marshy Everglades, but the missiles are long gone. Now, to mark the 50th anniversary of the missile crisis, students at a Miami aviation school are restoring one of the original Nike Hercules missiles once tipped with a nuclear warhead and aimed at Cuba.

The United States and Cuba remain ideological foes to this day, and Florida is home to tens of thousands of Cubans who fled the island after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution, but tensions have cooled down considerably as memories fade.

The students realize the decommissioned missile was once part of a historic event, but confess to knowing little about one of the momentous episodes of the Cold War. “I just know it was part

of the Cuban missile crisis, but I haven’t researched it,” said Abraham Hidalgo, 17, one of the students at George T. Baker Aviation School.

The 41-foot (12.5-metre), surface-toair Nike Hercules missile was previously stored in a U.S. Army depot in Alabama, covered in dust and spider webs. A flatbed truck hauled it down Interstate95 to the school next to Miami International Airport.

For the last two months, students have been working to restore the 5-ton missile to near-original condition; sanding wings, replacing sheet metal and repainting the U.S. Army markings. Its final destination is Everglades National Park, where it will be installed at an abandoned Nike missile base.

The 13-day missile crisis began on Oct. 16, 1962, when then-President John F. Kennedy first learned the Soviet Union was installing missiles in Cuba, barely 90 miles (145 km) off the Florida coast.

After secret negotiations between Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, the United States agreed

not to invade Cuba if the Soviet Union withdrew its missiles from the island.

“The irony is a lot of these kids are Cuban,” said George T. Baker principal Sean Gallagan. “And if this missile was used as it was intended, a lot of these kids wouldn’t be here.” Samuel Robles, 16, said he did not know a lot about the incident but “heard something about Che Guevara on the History Channel,” referring to the Argentine-born revolutionary who fought in the 1959 revolution.

In 1962, there were four Nike missile bases in south Florida, each armed with 18 Hercules missiles ready to intercept a Soviet attack from Cuba, recalled Charles Carter, 66, an Army veteran who served at the bases for three years in the 1960s. “We were the first line of defense the Russians would have had to take out before they could attack the rest of the country,” said Carter, who has spent 10 years working on the restoration project with the help of Everglades park officials.

Military use of the Everglades site ended in 1979 and the facility, known as

HM69 Nike Missile Base, was turned over to the National Park Service, which offers visitor tours in the winter months.

Since the site lies within a national park, the base is almost unchanged since its closure, including the three missile “barns,” a missile assembly building, barracks and a guard dog kennel.

The refurbished Nike Hercules is due to be housed in one of the barns and will be officially unveiled on Oct. 20.

Carter hopes to restore some of the buildings as well, including the missile Control Room and the radar towers that kept watch for an attack.

During the Cold War, the United States was dotted with Nike sites named after the Greek goddess of victory - strategically located near cities as part of a national air defense system.

Most have disappeared or been converted into other public uses, including an immigration detention facility in Florida, a golf course in Illinois and an elementary school in Kansas.

Commemoration events marking the anniversary are scheduled across the country, including an exhibition at the

Romney closing gap in Ohio as poll numbers, crowds rise Obama touts benefit of auto industry rescue PORTSMOUTH: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is recovering ground in the critical swing state of Ohio as he rises in the polls and crowd numbers swell after his strong debate performance last week against President Barack Obama.

Despite pundits and pollsters dismissing Romney’s chances in the state in late September, the Republican is now either tied or just barely trailing Obama in Ohio ahead of the next presidential debate on Tuesday night.

At an event with thousands of Ohioans on Friday night, Romney boasted of “a growing crescendo of enthusiasm.” He has spoken to several large audiences in Ohio this week. “(Obama’s) campaign is about smaller and smaller things, and our campaign is about bigger and bigger crowds fighting for a bright future,” he said on Saturday.

No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio. Romney looks determined to put the state in his win column in the Nov. 6 election after it appeared nearly out of reach last month.

After Saturday, Romney will have done 34 events in Ohio since securing the Republican nomination in April. Eleven of those, including a bus tour, came after the first debate on Oct 3.

Before the debate, polls showed Obama leading in Ohio by as much as 8 percentage points. From Oct 4 to Oct 10, the RealClearPolitics.com average of polls showed Obama’s lead at 1.3 points.

Also courting Ohio, Obama on Saturday touted the benefits of one of his signature actions, the rescue of the US auto industry.

ST LOUIS: In this April 13, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at the National Rifle Association convention in St. Louis. Romney’s prior support of weapon-control proposals had put him crossways with the NRA and others. These days, Romney is on their good side by opposing renewal of a federal ban on semiautomatic weapons, additional regulations on gun shows and suggested federal gun registration requirements. — AP The 2009 bailout has saved thousands of President Bill Clinton would appear at an Ohio jobs, particularly in the Toledo area, Obama rally in Ohio on Thursday. and helped the state’s unemployment rate Obama’s campaign has an impressive of 7.2 percent stay below the national “ground game” organization - much of it average, Obama’s campaign argues. left intact from his 2008 election victory “We bet on American workers and to get out the Democratic vote in Ohio.

American ingenuity, and three years later, But the Republicans are fighting back. that bet is paying off in a big way,” Obama In the 10 days since the debate in said in his weekly radio address.

Denver, the Romney team in Ohio has “I want to see more cars on the road in signed up thousands of additional volunplaces like South Korea imported from teers, said Ohio campaign director Scott Detroit and Toledo and Chicago,” Obama Jennings. “Enthusiasm isn’t flowing our added. The Obama campaign also said way just because Obama had a bad 90 that rocker Bruce Springsteen and former minutes ... it’s flowing because Obama has

had a bad four years,” he said. Four years ago, Obama won the state by almost 5 percentage points over Republican Senator John McCain.

Obama arrived in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he is doing preparation for the next debate with Romney at Hofstra University in New York state.

Senator John Kerry will again impersonate Romney in mock debates with Obama, and advisers David Axelrod, David Plouffe and others are also helping Obama try to avert a repeat of his lackluster performance in Denver.

Vice President Joe Biden perked up the Obama campaign with a spirited showing against Romney’s running mate, Paul Ryan, in a debate on Thursday. Romney spent more than two hours on Saturday morning in a Columbus hotel with his senior staff and Ohio Senator Rob Portman preparing for Tuesday’s showdown. At a rally on Saturday, Romney previewed questions he wanted to ask Obama at the townhall-style debate, citing the drop in average median incomes and the increase in the number of people on food stamps since Obama took office.

“He’s now added 15 million more more than the population of Ohio,” the Republican said. Romney also assailed Obama for not labeling China a currency manipulator on Friday. The US Treasury delayed a semi-annual currency report until after a meeting of the Group of 20 finance ministers on Nov. 4 and 5, which makes it unlikely the report will be released before Election Day. — Reuters

Rio police occupies dangerous areas RIO DE JANEIRO: Police in Rio de Janeiro yesterday took control of the crimeinfested favelas of Jacarezinho and Manguinhos in a bid to claim back portions of the city controlled by violent gangs, AFP reporters witnessed.

The operation began shortly before 5:00 am (0800 GMT) and involved about 800 police in riot gear and 13 armored personnel carriers.

Heavily armed officers

began patrolling the streets as soon as they moved in. “The situation is calm,” police spokesman Colonel Federico Caldas told Globo News television. “There have been no incidents, but we are prepared for any possible development.”

The favelas are known as major drug trading and consumption centers.

Authorities plan to install a so-called Police Pacification Unit (UPP) in Manguinhos, which will be

staffed with agents specially trained to address the community’s violence and drug problem.

Jacarezinho will be patrolled by strengthened but regular police units.

Authorities in Brazil are trying to take control of and clean up some of the most dangerous areas of the country in preparation for the 2014 Soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games of 2016.

With the addition of Manguinhos, authorities

RIO DE JANEIRO: Police officers check a man during an operation to install a Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) at Jacarezinho slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yesterday. Elite police units backed by armored military vehicles and helicopters invaded Jacarezinho and Manguinhos slum complex early yesterday. The action is part of a policing program aiming to drive violent and heavily armed drug gangs out of Rio’s slums, where the traffickers have ruled for decades. — AP

have deployed 29 of the UPPs in more than 170 local communities, which are now patrolled by more than 6,770 special agents, according to military police statistics. Brazil plans to deploy 40 UPPs by 2014. — AFP

National Archives in Washington titled “To the Brink: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis,” featuring secretly recorded White House tapes of Kennedy and his advisers as they sought to avert a nuclear war.

One of the reasons those anniversaries are important is that “they serve as a flashpoint” for people who do not remember or were not alive, said Graham Allison, director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University.

A handful of events are taking place across Miami - an exile home to many of the Cubans who fled communist rule on the island - including a panel discussion at the local history museum and the University of Miami.

“I think there was more fear and frenzy here than anywhere because we were so close to it,” said Paul George, a professor at Miami Dade College and historian at the HistoryMiami museum. But the “Kennedy years for students are kind of a dim thing. ... I teach history and I see it every day,” he added. — Reuters

Chavez announces new Venezuelan Cabinet CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo chavez swore in his new vice president and six other cabinet ministers on Saturday, less than a week after winning a new mandate to extend his self-styled Bolivarian revolution.

Former Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro replaced Elias Jaua as Chavez’s vice president. The 49-year-old Maduro, a burly former bus driver, is considered the member of Chavez’s government with the closest ties to Cuba’s Fidel and Raul Castro, dating back to his youth when he traveled to the island to strengthen his political education.

The vice presidential job has assumed new importance because of Chavez’s recent struggle with cancer and rumors have circulated that Maduro is being groomed as his successor. Jaua will be the ruling party’s candidate for the governorship of Miranda, Venezuela’s second largest state, which is the power base of Henrique Capriles, the rival Chavez beat in Oct. 7 elections.

Among the Cabinet changes was the appointment of Gen. Nestor Reverol as the new minister of the interior and justice, replacing Tareck El Aissami, who will run to be governor of Aragua. Reverol had led Venezuela’s anti-drug body.

Adm. Carmen Melendez is the new head of the Office of the Presidency, replacing Erika Farias, who will seek the governorship of the west-central state of Cojedes.

New ministers of information and communication, agriculture, the environment and indigenous peoples were also sworn in. — AP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

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

Russia’s punk band members face tough life in penal colony MOSCOW: It’s a far cry from Stalin’s gulag, but the guiding principle of the Russian penal colony-the destination of two members of punk band Pussy Riot-remains the same: isolate inmates and wear them down through “corrective labor.”

Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova will have to quickly learn the inner laws of prison life, survive the dire food and medical care, and risk bullying from inmates either offended by their “punk prayer ” against President Vladimir Putin or under orders to pressure them.

“Everyone knows the rule: Trust no one, never fear and never forgive,” said Svetlana Bakhmina, a lawyer who spent three years in a penal colony.

“You are in no-man’s land. Nobody will help you. You have to think about everything you say and do to remain a person.”

Alekhina, 24, Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for an impromptu performance in Moscow’s main cathedral as Putin headed into an election that handed him a third term as Russia’s president. The women insisted their protest was political. But many believers said they were deeply offended by the sight of the band members dancing on the altar in balaclavas.

An appeals court released Samutsevich on Wednesday, but upheld the two-year prison terms of the others. The presiding judge said that “their correction is possible only

in isolation from society.” In colonies for women, inmates live in barracks with 30 to 40 to a room. They begin the day by shuffling outside for compulsory exercises at daybreak, in temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter. After roll call and a breakfast of gruel, they spend seven to eight hours a day at work, usually hunched over sewing machines working on uniforms and other clothing.

Since there is only one women’s penal colony near Moscow, female prisoners from the capital are commonly sent to Mordovia, a swampy, mosquito-infested province on the Volga River. Defense lawyers said Alekhina and Tolokonnikova would be transported to a penal colony within two weeks, after receiving copies of their sentences. The location was not yet known.

Despite the harsh conditions, many prisoners nonetheless prefer the colonies to the pre-trial detention centers, where they are kept in cramped, sometimes spectacularly unhygienic cells and only allowed out for an hour a day. The three Pussy Riot members were held in such a center since their February arrest.

Russian inmates are kept in a system that Russia’s own justice minister has described as “monstrously archaic” and whose purpose has changed little for hundreds of years. Czarist Russia sent prisoners to remote Siberian colonies where labor was in short supply; the system was inherited and expanded by the Soviet Union, which worked millions of prisoners to death

in the gulag. Russia incarcerates more people than any country in the world bar the United States and China, according to the International Centre for Prison Studies.

There have been other high-profile penal colony inmates in Putin’s Russia.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the imprisoned head of the Yukos oil company, served part of his 14 year sentence in an Eastern Siberian colony. Once Russia’s richest man, he served his time making mittens. Arrested in 2003, Khodorkovsky was convicted in two cases seen as punishment for challenging Putin’s power.

Bakhmina, who once worked for Khodorkovsky, said you have little free time to yourself in the prison colony, where guards often compel prisoners to attend classes or participate in cultural activities. In a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in 2010, former Ambassador William Burns recalled visiting a women’s prison where inmates put on a “bizarre fashion and talent show” for American officials.

“Boredom doesn’t exist in the colony. It’s too good a concept for it.

You just regret the time you spend,” Bakhmina said. “A normal person can’t even imagine that environment - you have to get used to it and people have to get used to you. It takes several months, maybe half a year. It’s all about how you behave - you have to not be conceited and respect other people.”

Prisoners are typically paid the equivalent of about $10 a day, which

they can use to buy food, cigarettes, and toiletries. Those whose families don’t send them supplies scrape through on the unofficial labor market, cleaning up the facilities or doing work for wealthier inmates. Cigarette packs are the colony’s internal currency.

Alekhina and Tolokonnikova, both university graduates, are unlikely to have much in common with their fellow inmates. “I didn’t think there even were people like 90 percent of the people I met,” Bakhmina recalled. “I never had any idea there were so many drug addicts, or so many people with speech impediments.”

Spouses are allowed three-day conjugal visits four times a year. Prisoners who show especially good behavior can even be given two weeks’ leave outside the camp. Bakhmina became pregnant while serving her term and was released several months after giving birth to a daughter. She saw her two older sons only twice during her three years in the penal colony, afraid it would be too traumatic for them to see their mother imprisoned.

Mothers with children under the age of 3 can keep them in centers on penal colony grounds, or in the case of one colony in Mordovia in their barracks. Alekhina’s 5-year-old son and Tolokonnikova’s 4-year-old daughter will live with relatives.

The two punk band members can be punished with up to 15 days in solitary confinement for minor infractions such as failing to make their beds or to put their hands behind their backs at

roll call or to greet guards quickly enough.

Perhaps the greatest danger for the band members, however, will be posed by their fellow inmates. Physical violence, while a danger, is relatively rare in comparison to men’s colonies.

But the psychological pressure can be greater, said Vitaly Borshchyov, head of the Public Monitoring Commission, a human rights organization that works with the government to improve prison conditions.

“Colonies are all-consuming for women,” he said. “Having a large group of women together in a single space is a recipe for tension and conflicts. You might get beaten up, sexually humiliated or forced to be someone’s lover, especially if you’re a young woman.”

The Pussy Riot members’ lawyers and supporters also fear that Orthodox believers may attack them, either inspired by the extremely negative coverage of their protest on state television or egged on by state officials.

“When things get worse on the outside, it gets transferred into the colonies,” said Lev Ponomarev, a Soviet dissident who runs the Defending Prisoners’ Rights foundation.

“Scoundrels think they can get away with more. The authorities are totally indifferent.” The band members have vowed to remain defiant. “We will not be silent,” Alekhina told the appeals court Wednesday. “And even if we are in Mordovia or Siberia we will not be silent ... however zealously you try to smear us.” — AP

Montenegro rulers set to keep power in election Winners will oversee EU accession talks

MOSCOW: A man casts his ballot paper at a polling station in the town of Khimki outside Moscow, Russia, yesterday. Russians are casting ballots in local elections that offer a degree of political competition but still remain tightly controlled by President Vladimir Putin’s government. One of the most visible races yesterday is that for mayor of the town of Khimki, just outside Moscow. —AP

Reported violations mar first polls under Putin MOSCOW: Russians yesterday voted to elect governors and mayors in the first such polls since President Vladimir Putin’s return to the Kremlin as observers complained of numerous violations.

Voters went to the polls to elect different layers of local and regional government in almost all the country’s regions, with the largest cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg among the few not to vote. Most local and regional governments in Russia are dominated by the ruling United Russia party, a situation that was not expected to change in the polls.

Observers and opposition politicians standing for election reported numerous violations including groups of people voting multiple times and the stuffing of ballot boxes.

Russia’s Golos vote monitor yesterday evening showed more than 800 reported violations on its map of complaints submitted online. The Golos map was criticised as a “provocation” by the deputy chairman of the Central Electoral Commission, Leonid Ivlev, in televised comments as he said the commission had received only 55 complaints.

Co-chairman of the liberal RPR-Parnas party, Vladimir Ryzhkov, who was standing for the legislature of the Siberian city of Barnaul, listed on Facebook the licence plates of cars he alleged were ferrying

round a “carousel” of repeat voters.

Central Electoral Commission chairman Vladimir Churov, a hate figure to opposition activists because of vote-rigging in December’s parliamentary polls, responded by ordering a check in Barnaul.

Yet senior United Russia party official Sergei Neverov in comments to the party’s website accused the opposition of “a campaign to discredit the vote” in the city.

“The people, as the first results show, are voting for our candidates,” he said.

In the western Bryansk region, where a Communist candidate for governor was standing against a low-rated United Russia candidate, the Communists complained of “mass violations” including voters filling in their ballots in front of electoral officials.

Eco campaigner and anti-Putin protest leader Yevgenia Chirikova who was standing for mayor in the Moscow satellite town of Khimki reported a string of violations via Twitter. After hearing that observers at one polling station were being ordered to stay sitting down rather than walking round freely to view the vote, Chirikova stormed over and fiercely ordered the organisers to halt the violation. “Observers at polling station 3018 are complaining of threats of physical harm...

We’re heading over,” she wrote on Twitter later. — AFP

PODGORICA: Montenegrins voted in a parliamentary election yesterday that could extend the 23-year hold on power for the ruling party and its leader, Milo Djukanovic, despite economic stagnation and widespread accusations of high-level corruption.

The winner will oversee the ex-Yugoslav republic’s talks on joining the European Union. After Croatia, due to join next July, Montenegro is the only Balkan state that could become an EU member by the end of this decade.

Djukanovic’s Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) remains popular despite economic woes for having championed the independence of the country of 680,000 people six years ago from a rump Yugoslavia union with Serbia.

A victory would return to power the 50year old Djukanovic, prime minister or president for all but two years in the last two decades. Italian prosecutors had accused him of involvement in massive cigarette smuggling during Yugoslavia’s international isolation in the 1990s but he was cleared of all charges.

Looking confident and upbeat after casting his ballot in downtown Podgorica, the capital, Djukanovic said he was “calm and optimistic” about the outcome of the election.

“Tomorrow we will talk about who will do what to contribute to the best interest of Montenegro,” he told reporters. He also dismissed the corruption allegations levelled by the opposition: “T h ey have been aiming at the same target for two decades, and every time it ended in a fiasco”.

Opinion polls suggest a DPS-dominated alliance was likely to win 47 percent of the vote, versus 24 percent for its nearest rival, the Democratic Front opposition alliance.

The DPS’s credentials have been further bolstered by the EU’s decision to open accession talks in June.

“They are more experienced and more serious than others and I hope they will bring us prosperity,” said retiree Dimitrije Mitrovic, 62, who voted for the DPS. The only question was whether the ruling party would need the support of parliamentary deputies from ethnic minority parties to form a government, said Zlatko Vujovic of CEMI, a non-government group that will monitor the ballot.

While the DPS has been riding high in opinion polls, some Montenegrins said it was time for a change.”They have been in power

for 23 years, this is their private fiefdom, this is not the state of Montenegro anymore,” said office clerk Slavko Zivkovic, 50, an opposition supporter, after voting at a polling station in a school in downtown Podgorica.

The CEMI election watchdog put voter

Slobodan Milosevic, the Democratic Front also seeks to bring Montenegro into the EU. But unlike the ruling party, it is less clear that it would want membership in NATO, the Western military alliance that bombed Milosevic’s Yugoslavia in the Kosovo war in

PODGORICA: A member of Montenegrin electoral committee helps a voter to cast his ballot at a poling station in capital Podgorica yesterday. Montenegro voted yesterday to choose a government that will lead European Union entry talks for the tiny Balkans country in the grip of a deep economic crisis. The ruling centre-left coalition led by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), led by veteran politician Milo Djukanovic, called the elections six months before the official end of its mandate after the EU opened accession talks in June. — AFP turnout by 11 00 GMT at 3 3.4 percent, roughly unchanged from the 2009 vote.

Djukanovic’s campaign was based on the message that an opposition victory could endanger the independence which Montenegro won in 2006 from much bigger neighbour Serbia.

Although the struggling economy did not really feature in the campaign, Djukanovic said he would work to improve it.

“Our priorites are higher employment, higher wages and pensions and better health and welfare for our people,” he said. Although the opposition favours closer ties with Serbia, it does not want to reverse independence.

Led by Miodrag Lekic, a former Yugoslav ambassador to Rome under late strongman

1999. Djukanovic stepped down as prime minister in 2010, to be replaced by handpicked successor Igor Luksic, but has remained a paramount powerbroker behind the scenes.

Montenegro’s economy flourished after Djukanovic led it away from Serbia thanks to booming tourism and foreign investment on the scenic Adriatic coast.

But this year, the economy is forecast to grow by only 0.5 percent, weighed down by the debts of the state-owned aluminium plant as well as the euro zone crisis. Per capita yearly output is 5,200 euros ($6,700), barely one-fifth the EU average. Polls will close at 1800 GMT, with first results expected several hours later. — Reuters

Flemish nationalists seek breakthrough in Belgian polls

ANTWERP: Leader of the NVA party Bart De Wever, second left, waits in line to cast his vote at a polling station in Antwerp, Belgium, yesterday. NVA, a separatist party, wants to use Antwerp as a base for breaking away from Belgium, putting it in the forefront of a European breakaway trend just as the EU celebrates winning the Nobel Peace Prize for fostering continental unity. — AP

BRUSSELS: Belgium voted yesterday in local elections seen as a potential make-or-break poll on the country’s future, with Flemish nationalist leader Bart De Wever seeking a big breakthrough.

Nearly eight million voters began casting ballots from 8:00 am (0600 GMT), the last polls closing at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) in the capital Brussels, with the first results under a complicated proportional voting system expected by late evening.

Flemish nationalist leader Bart De Wever hopes to win the mayor’s office as a stepping stone to 2014 general elections. After casting his vote, he told TV cameras at his polling station he had “slept like a

baby,” as he bids to land a six-year mandate and unseat Socialist rival Patrick Janssens after a decade in City Hall. Morning voting saw problems around Belgium with a patchwork introduction of electronic voting. Officials reported “technical” difficulties in scores of polling centres, highlighting problems with “scanning” machines.

The latest chapter in a tussle between Belgium’s Dutch- and French-speaking halves, the results are also being closely followed as the eurozone debt crisis tests loyalties in the European Union, driving some such as Catalonia in Spain or Scotland to push harder for independence. EU President Herman

Van Rompuy, a former Belgian premier voted alongside his wife Geertrui Windels-Van Rompuy, a centrist candidate who picked a Flemish nationalist as running mate. He told television cameras at their polling station that he was “surprised” by the “tensions” across the linguistic divide on his doorstep. For De Wever, though, the first prize is Antwerp, where his N-VA (New Flemish Alliance) is trying to take the mayor’s seat, held for 90 years by the Socialists he derides.

“If we can take Antwerp, then we are waking up in a different country,” De Wever told AFP in a recent interview of Europe’s second

biggest port and Belgium’s economic heart. He wants 2014 to mark the start of a new “confederal” structure for the country. “Antwerp is without doubt the key,” said political analyst Dave Sinardet. If De Wever wins there, it could destabilise the fragile political consensus which allowed the Socialist Party of Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo to finally form a government in December 2011 after some 500 days of bitter haggling. Since then, the coalition of six parties of the left, centre and right has held. A breakthrough in Antwerp for the N-VA could spell a constitutional headache, especially since De Wever regards the central government as “illegitimate.” — AP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

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

Japan navy showcases warships amid spat with China ABOARD THE JS YUDACHI: Japan’s navy marked its 60th anniversary with a major exercise yesterday intended to show off its maritime strength. The display comes amid a tense territorial dispute with China.

About 40 ships - including state-ofthe-art destroyers, hovercraft able to launch assaults on rough coastlines and new conventionally powered submarines - took part in Fleet Review 2012, the maritime equivalent of a military parade. About 30 naval aircraft,

mostly helicopters, also participated.

Japan’s navy was joined by warships from the United States, Singapore and Australia. Representatives from more than 20 countries, including China, also attended the event staged in waters south of Tokyo.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who watched aboard the destroyer JS Kurama, said Japan faces “severe” challenges to its security, though he did not specifically mention the dispute with Beijing over islands in the East

China Sea. Noda called on the sailors taking part in the exercise, which is held every three years but was expanded this year because of the 60th anniversary, to be prepared to face “new responsibilities” as the security situation around the country changes.

Japan’s navy - formally called the Maritime Self-Defense Force - is among the best-equipped and best-trained in the world. As part of a post-World War II mutual defense pact, Japan also hosts the U.S. 7th Fleet, which includes

the USS George Washington aircraft carrier battle group.

But Tokyo has been alarmed in recent years by the rise of neighboring China’s naval forces, which some strategists say could upset the regional status quo and erode Japan’s ability to credibly deter challenges to the freedom of key sea lanes.

Concerns over a growing assertiveness in China’s foreign policy, meanwhile, have further fueled calls for Tokyo to beef up its military defenses.

Such fears have escalated this year amid the two countries’ rival claims to the disputed islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The islands are small and uninhabited, but are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and possibly lucrative reserves of natural gas. Largely in response, Japan is strengthening its naval fleet by acquiring amphibious landing craft and is also mulling the purchase of unmanned drones to improve its offshore surveillance capabilities. — AP

Shot Pakistan schoolgirl makes ‘steady’ progress UAE ready to fly out girl shot by Taleban

MANILA: Filipino Muslim women gesture as they shout slogans during a rally in support of a preliminary peace agreement between the government and the nation’s largest Muslim rebel group outside the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines yesterday. Philippine officials and rebels say about 200 Muslim guerrillas led by their elusive chief have arrived in Manila for the signing of a preliminary peace pact to end one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies. — AP

Philippine rebel chief in historic peace trip MANILA: The leaders of the Philippines’ biggest Muslim rebel group arrived in Manila yesterday for a historic visit aimed at ending one of Asia’s longest and deadliest insurgencies. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Murad Ebrahim and other senior rebel figures emerged from their remote bases in the country’s south to oversee the signing of an accord today that outlines a roadmap for peace by 2016.

The accord, announced by President Benigno Aquino a week ago, has won applause from foreign governments and the United Nations as a rare chance to end a rebellion that has killed an estimated 150,000 people since the 1970s.

However rank-and-file soldiers of the 12,000-strong MILF, as well as the groups’s leaders and independent security analysts, have warned that many obstacles could still derail the peace process.

Ebrahim, an ageing warrior in his 60s who has spent most of his life in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao, is making his first official trip as MILF leader to Manila. The signing will be at the presidential palace, so Ebrahim will also become the first MILF chief to get inside the country’s inner sanctum of power.

“We feel honoured to be welcomed in Manila, but I must stress this is just the beginning of the peace journey,” Ebrahim’s deputy for political affairs, Ghazali Jaafar, told AFP. Jaafar and other senior MILF officials arrived on a chartered plane in the Philippine capital yesterday afternoon. Potentially because of the sensitivities of the visit and security concerns, Ebrahim arrived in secret on a separate plane.

Aquino’s chief adviser on the peace process, Teresita Deles, told AFP yesterday evening that Ebrahim had arrived, but neither she nor the MILF gave any further details. In a statement shortly after Aquino’s announcement on the “framework agreement” that capped 15 years of MILF negotiation efforts, Ebrahim said the deal “lays down the firm foundations of a just and enduring peace formula”. “The forging of the framework agreement, however, does not mean the end of the struggle for it ushers a new

and more challenging stage,” he said.

Muslim rebel groups have been fighting for full independence or autonomy for four decades in Mindanao, which they consider their ancestral homeland from before Spanish Christians colonised the country in the 1500s.

The fighting has mired large parts of resource-rich Mindanao in poverty, and led to the proliferation of unlicensed guns and political warlords who battle over fiefdoms.

The estimated four to nine million Muslims are now a minority on Mindanao after years of Catholic immigration, but they insist they should be allowed to govern on their own and control Mindanao, which also has fertile farming lands.

The MILF is the biggest and most important remaining rebel group, after the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) signed a peace pact with the government in 1996.

The peace deal with the MNLF led to the creation of an autonomous region that Aquino said was a “failed experiment” that led to corruption and even more poverty. The document to be signed today will outline plans to replace that autonomous region with a new one in which the MILF will hold significant power.

Under the framework, the MILF will drop its bid for independence in exchange for autonomy covering several areas in Mindanao. A transition panel made up of members from both sides will draft a “basic law ” covering the autonomous region to be passed by the nation’s parliament by 2015.

The people living in the proposed autonomous region will then need to ratify it in a plebiscite held before 2016, when Aquino is required by the constitution to stand down. But underscoring the fragile security situation in Mindanao and potential obstacles ahead, the army said Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants shot dead three soldiers in a bid to goad fighting ahead of the deal signing.

The Abu Sayyaf is blamed for the country’s worst terrorist attacks even though it is believed to have only a few hundred armed followers. It is not included in the peace process. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Supporters of India Against Corruption (IAC) activist Arvind Kejriwal listen to him speak at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi yesterday during a protest against Law Minister Salman Khurshid. The protest was held over alleged irregularities of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) run by Kurshid. — AFP

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taleban because she campaigned for the right to education is making “slow and steady progress” in her recovery, the military said yesterday.

The shooting of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai has been denounced worldwide and by the Pakistani authorities, who have offered a reward of more than $100,000 for the capture of her attackers.

She is being treated at the country’s top military hospital in Rawalpindi, the twin city of the capital Islamabad. On Saturday she showed signs of improvement by moving her hands and feet, though she was still unconscious and on a ventilator.

“Doctors have reviewed Malala’s condition and are satisfied,” military spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa said yesterday. “She is making slow and steady progress, which is in keeping with expectations.

Recovery from this type of injury is always slow.”

Doctors are continuing to monitor Malala’s condition and will carry out a detailed examination, Bajwa said. No decision has yet been made on whether to send Malala abroad for treatment, Bajwa told AFP. “We are waiting for the doctors’ decision-we are ready to follow the doctors’ advice,” he said.

An official in the United Arab Emirates said the Gulf state was ready to send a plane to Pakistan to evacuate Malala for further treatment.

Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, Jamil Ahmed Khan, told Pakistani television network Geo TV the air ambulance with six doctors would be on standby in case it was needed. The cold-

ISLAMABAD: Women supporters of Pakistan Sunni Tehreek protest to condemn the attack on a 14year-old schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai, who was shot last Tuesday by the Taleban, in Islamabad, Pakistan, yesterday. The United Arab Emirates plans to send a specialized aircraft to serve as an ambulance for Yousufzai, in case doctors decide to send her abroad for treatment, a Pakistani official said. — AP blooded murder attempt has sickened Pakistan, where Malala came to prominence with a blog for the BBC highlighting atrocities under the Taleban, who terrorised the Swat valley from 2007 until a 2009 army offensive.

Activists say the shooting should be a wake -up call to whose who advocate appeasement with the Taleban. But analysts suspect there will be no significant change in a country that has sponsored radical Islam for decades.

Thousands of people gathered in Karachi for a rally in support of Malala, organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement

(MQM) political party. MQM leader Altaf Hussain called the attack claimed by the Taleban a shameful and cowardly act.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf visited Malala in hospital on Friday, paying tribute to her and two friends who were also wounded when a gunman boarded their school bus on Tuesday and opened fire.

Schools and mosques across Pakistan held special prayers for the wounded schoolgirl, who underwent surgery on Wednesday to remove a bullet from between her shoulders.

Bajwa told a news conference on Saturday that all available

resources were being used to investigate the shooting, though he declined to say how many people were in custody.

Ahmad Shah, police station chief in the northwestern town of Mingora where Malala was shot, has said nearly 200 people were detained over the shooting, including the bus driver and a school watchman. But most had been released.

The shooting has heightened speculation that the army may finally launch a long-rumoured offensive against the Taleban in their stronghold of Nor th Waziristan, on the Afghan border. — AFP

Myanmar ruling party meets to map out its future NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar’s army-backed ruling party was urged yesterday to embrace democracy at a key meeting to revamp its leadership and map its future after a byelection drubbing by Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition.

Members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, set up by former junta generals, were urged to work in the interests of the people, building on reforms that have swept the country under the current quasicivilian regime.

“As we move towards the implementation of a democratic system for the benefit of the people, the USDP and all its members are required to par ticipate enthusiastically wherever they are,” party vice president Shwe Mann told around 1,500 delegates in the capital Naypyidaw.

The lower house speaker, who is seen as a rival of President Thein Sein, is expected to be elevated to acting party chief during the conference as members look towards a 2015 election widely seen as the greatest test of the country’s changes.

The reformist Thein Sein stepped down as party head to take office as president when nearly half a century of outright military rule ended in 2011. The post has since remained vacant.

“In a democratic system, we have to keep in mind that the majority needs to respect the wishes of the minority, while all must follow the majority’s decision,” said Shwe Mann, adding that he was speaking on behalf of Thein Sein, who also attended the party’s first-ever conference.

The USDP swept a poll two years ago that was marred by allegations of fraud and the absence of Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest just days later.

But the Nobel laureate has since been encouraged to take her National League for Democracy party into mainstream politics under reforms that have also included the release of hundreds of jailed dissidents.

The NLD won a decisive victory in April by-elections, taking 43 of the 44 parliamentary seats it contested. Last week Suu Kyi, now a politician, said she had “the courage

NAYPIDAW: President Thein Sein (2nd R) greets members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party during their first conference of Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in Naypidaw, yesterday. Myanmar’s army-backed ruling party was urged yesterday to embrace democracy at a key meeting to revamp its leadership and map its future after a by-election drubbing by Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition. —AFP to be president” if elected, signalling a willingness to take the top job.

That would require the amending of a constitution that bars those with close foreign relatives from holding high office. Suu Kyi, who married a British academic, has two sons living in the West.

Analysts say Thein Sein is locked in a power struggle with Shwe Mann, widely considered to harbour ambitions of taking the presidency after 2015. The relationship between the pair, both former generals, is believed to have soured after Thein Sein was appointed president while Shwe Mann, who was more senior under the previous regime, took the lesser role of speaker.

Shwe Mann told delegates that the conference would be to transform the USDP into a people’s party, urging all members to

take part in the changes.

The party’s central executive committee is also expected to be expanded during the meeting.

One senior party member, who asked not to be named, told AFP that the changes would give the par ty “new blood”.

“Reforming the party will be the significant thing of this first conference,” he said, adding that Shwe Mann was expected to be elected as acting chairman during the meeting. But observers say electoral success will be a formidable challenge for the USDP if it is pitted against the NLD in a free and fair vote. “They cannot rig the election like before, so the USDP might need to find another way for themselves,” said Hkun Htun Oo of the Shan National League for Democracy party. —AFP

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

international

Syria-Turkey tensions soar DAMASCUS: Syria banned Turkish flights from its airspace yesterday and Turkey made a similar titfor-tat move, as regime forces pressed their counter-attack against rebels to regain territory lost in northern battlegrounds. The reprisal for Turkey confiscating a cargo of what Russia said was radar equipment being flown from Moscow to Damascus came despite a flurry of diplomacy intended to calm soaring tensions between the neighbours. Syria accuses Turkey of channelling arms from Gulf Arab states to rebels fighting its troops, who have been under mounting pressure across large swathes of the north, including in second city Aleppo.

The Syrian flight ban went into force from midnight (2100 GMT Saturday) “in accordance with the principle of reciprocity”, SANA state news agency said. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said later that Ankara had already banned Syrian civilian flights from its airspace. “Yesterday (Saturday) we closed our air-

space to Syrian civilian flights as we have previously done for Syrian military flights,” he said. “As we have established that civilian flights were being misused by the Syrian defence ministry to transport military material, we sent a note yesterday to the Syrian side,” Davutoglu said.

Ankara has taken an increasingly strident line towards its southern neighbour since a shell fired from inside Syria killed five Turks on Oct 3. It has since repeatedly hit back for cross-border fire, prompting growing UN concern and a hasty series of diplomatic contacts. Tensions from the conflict are also being felt in neighbouring Lebanon, and hundreds of people took to the streets of Beirut for two separate rallies, one supporting the Damascus regime and the other calling for its downfall.

With the violence raging, UN and Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi yesterday went to Iran, which handed him an “unofficial detailed proposal” aimed at ending the conflict in its clos-

est ally Syria. Brahimi, on his second regional tour after taking up his post at the start of September, welcomed the initiative but reiterated a call by UN chief Ban Ki-moon for Damascus to initiate a ceasefire. On the battlefield, the military used fighter jets to bombard Maaret al-Numan, captured by the rebel Free Syrian Army earlier in the week, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. To the east, troops tried to block a new rebel assault on Wadi Deif army base - the largest in Idlib province, much of which is in rebel hands.

Battles erupted nearby as warplanes bombarded the area, said the Observatory. A military official and the Observatory said troops also recaptured Aleppo’s Umayyad mosque two days after rebels claimed control of the site, an important foothold they were hoping to take before surrounding the regime-held citadel.

There was shellfire and rifle shots echoed around the heavily damaged courtyard of the mosque with increasing frequency as regime

forces apparently advanced on the mosque, an AFP correspondent reported. “Quickly, quickly!” one rebel shouted before insurgents sprinted to avoid snipers through a warren of shrapnelscarred streets filled by dust from the bombardment. SANA said troops killed and captured “dozens of terrorists and destroyed anti-tank rockets” in the northern city.

In Damascus, two explosions hit the upscale district of Mazzeh early yesterday, the Observatory said, adding that one targeted the car of a pro-regime lawyer who was critically wounded. SANA said the other blast was a “suicide attack” that caused no casualties. In Damascus province, troops took back control of a military base in Atibah, a day after rebels had seized it. Dozens of corpses were found in a hospital morgue of the province, said the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman, adding that they may be of men killed in fighting “over the course of recent months.” —AFP

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (left) meets international peace envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi yesterday. —AFP

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

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Issues

Govt change fails to calm Jordan crisis decision last week by Jordanian King Abdullah II to dismiss the government has done little to calm growing public discontent at home that threatens to deepen a political crisis. Abdullah has appointed five governments since the eruption of the Arab Spring uprisings, which have forced him to make democratic reforms. The new prime minister, Abdullah Ensour, is a reformist politician and opposition lawmaker who voted to withhold confidence from the previous four governments.

“This selection aimed to send a message to the public and the opposition that decision-makers are listening to their demands and dissatisfaction,” said Hussein Rawashdeh, Jordanian political observer.

Despite enjoying relative popularity, analysts say a lack of authority is likely to undermine Ensour’s attempts to revive the country’s lagging reform process. His first tasked is to salvage an upcoming parliamentary election by convincing Islamist-led opposition to reverse its decision to boycott the vote.

The opposition says a new electoral system favours regime loyalists, who hail mainly from Bedouin tribes. Loyalists fear that democratic reforms would undermine their influence in the country where the majority of the 7-million population is of Palestinian origin. “If the decision on the elections law is not in his hands, how can the prime minister even dream of encouraging the opposition to take part?” said columnist and political analyst Maher Abu Tayer.

Despite good relations with the Muslim Brotherhood, analysts say an atmosphere of distrust will prevent Ensour from diffusing growing tensions between the state and Jordan’s largest political force. “After each of the last four governments failed to live up to their reform promises, the Brotherhood has given up on listening to the government,” said Rawashdeh. “They know that the prime minister is not the decision-maker.”

Islamist leaders reportedly walked out of their first meeting with Ensour, held less than 24 hours after his appointment, saying that their former political ally was unable to carry out democratic reforms. “The question is not whether the prime minister is for democratic reforms, the question is whether he has the power to implement them,” said Zaki Bani Rshied, deputy head of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood. “If the government does not have full control over the state, how can it negotiate in the name of the state?” said Bani Rshied remarked.

Ensour’s appointment has also done little to calm pro-democracy protests. “No matter who the King selects, we do not support a government that is not chosen by the people, for the people,” said Muath Btoush of the Karak Popular Youth Movement, one of hundreds of protest groups that have sprouted across the country since early 2011.

The government is also under pressure to trim over $2.8 billion in fuel and electricity subsidies.

“Although it would be politically wise to delay any lifting of subsidies until after the elections, financially the country just can’t afford it,” said Musa Shteiwi, director of the University of Jordan Centre for Strategic Studies.

Jordan also faces a record $5-billion budget deficit. It has received less than half the 460 million dollars in budgetary assistance promised by donor states. Experts say this means Jordan has no choice but to press ahead with unpopular austerity measures. “It doesn’t matter who is prime minister, these decisions are going to hurt a lot of Jordanian citizens and they won’t stay quiet,” said Jordanian columnist and political observer Bassem Shakhija.

Abu Tayer said: “Before the Arab Spring, a change in government was enough to silence the Jordanian street. Now it is only encouraging it to speak louder.” — dpa

A

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

Emergence of jihadophobia

By Omar Mekki he word jihadophobia is a neologism formed from jihad and phobia, referring to irrational fear of the concept of jihad in Islam. An increase in jihadophobiarelated events is gradually erupting in the west. Some recent examples of these events are: an advertisement that reads “Support Israel. Defeat Jihad” that went on display in 10 New York City subway stations; and a statement delivered by United States representative Michele Bachman calling for a ban on what she calls “jihadi” foods in school lunches in the US. Thus, I found it exceedingly significant to illuminate the true meaning of jihad in Islam.

Undoubtedly, jihad is one of those hotly disputed Islamic concepts, having generated so much disagreement and diametrically opposed interpretations. In the Western media, jihad is frequently used in Islamophobic contexts where it is presented as symbolizing the killing of innocent people, often non-Muslims, by a marching crowd of religious fanatic Muslims with savage beards and flaming eyes brandishing drawn swords and attacking the ‘infidels’ wherever they meet them.

Jihad is often fallaciously portrayed as “holy war”. However, in Islam, there is no

T

such thing as holy war. This terminology was created in Europe throughout the Crusades and their war against Muslims.

Islam recognizes Jews and Christians as the “People of the Book” because they all follow the Prophet Abraham, believing in Moses’ and Jesus’ teachings and messages.

For many centuries, Muslims have peacefully coexisted with Christians, Jews, and people of other faiths, maintaining social, business, political and economic relations.

The word jihad stems from the Arabic root word J-H-D, which means “struggle” and “strive”. Jihad is an effort to struggle against evil thoughts, actions and aggression against a person, family, society or country. In Islam there are two categories of jihad: an inner spiritual struggle (jihad el nafs) and an outer physical struggle (jihad bel seif ) also known as the “jihad of the sword”. Since the first category of jihads concerns only the spiritual side of Muslim beliefs and have no external interference, I will directly tackle the second kind of jihad.

“Jihad of the sword” means struggling against those who are non-Muslims. But mark my words, “jihad of the sword” in Islam is not merely a ‘struggle’; it is a ‘struggle for the Cause and in the way of Allah’.

This is the most crucial condition for ‘jihad’ in Islam. Allah says in his book (Quran): “Those who believe fight in the way of God and the unbelievers fight in the way of Taghut (devil)”. (4:76) The expression “Taghut” is derived from ‘Tughian’ (the deluge) that means ‘to cross the limit’. When the river crosses its boundaries we say ‘the deluge has come’.

Correspondingly, when man transgresses all the legitimate Islamic restraints and exerts himself to assume a position above the law of Allah arrogating himself the right to kill innocent people and destruct their homes unduly, this is called as ‘fighting in the way of Taghut’. On contrary, “fighting in the way of God” refers to the struggle for the establishment of God’s just order in the world. The fighter’s aim is to abide by the law of God and enforce it legitimately among other human beings.

The law of Allah is primary enshrined in Quran (Muslims’ source book for guidance) and sunnah (the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)).

Therefore, for a Muslim to be considered as a mujahid (a person who engages in jihad for the sake of Allah not the devil) he has to follow the rules of Quran and sunnah.

Islam firmly assures the principle of peace and security in that it should not be violated in any way, except in the case of aggression by others, this showcases Islam’s eagerness to reach solutions with other nations on the basis of peace and security. Allah mentions this in many verses in the Quran, including: “Ye who believe!

Enter into peace heartedly, and follow not the footsteps of the evil one, for he is to you an avowed enemy” (2:208); “Therefore, if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead) send you (guarantees of ) peace, then God hath opened no way for you (to war against them)” (4:90); “But if they (the enemy) incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in God: for he is the one that heareth and knoweth (all things).”(8:61) In order to humanize the war, Islam has regulated most of the conducts of hostilities, by the words of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the commands of Caliph Abu Bakr and Caliph Omar. As Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Move forward in the name of God, by God, and on the religion of God’s prophet. Do not kill an elderly, or a child or a woman, do not misappropriate booty, gather your spoils, do good for God loves good doers”.

Moreover, Abu Bakr, the first Caliph after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), restated several commandments that go hand in hand with Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) previous hadith; as he said to his commander Yazid Ibn Abi Sufyan: “I prescribe ten commandments to you: do not kill a woman, a child, or an old man, do not cut down fruitful trees, do not destroy inhabited areas, do not slaughter any sheep, cow or camel except for food, do not burn date palms, nor inundate them, don’t embezzle, nor be

guilty of cowardliness”.

Furthermore, the last Caliph Omar wrote to one of the rulers in the caliphate, “we have been informed that when the Prophet of Allah sent any military company, he used to tell them: ‘Proceed with your expedition in the name of Allah, and for the sake of Allah, wage war against the disbelievers (i.e. those who attacked Muslims in this context), do not be deserters, nor commit perfidy, nor mutilate (your enemy), don’t kill a newborn, repeat this to your armies and companies, it’s God will, peace be upon you’”.

Just to put the record straight, Islam also includes some verses that tell us unconditionally to fight, so if we had ears with no brain and heard only these verses and disregarded the others, it would be conceivable for us to think that Islam is a religion of war. The extremist jihadists have used or rather abused those verses to justify committing all kinds of violence, including initiating devastating wars. However, most of the reasonable Islamic scholars read and interpret those verses in light of the other verses that give Muslims the order to fight but with certain conditions and the verses that remark that Islam decisively announces its affection of peace. Therefore, we may say that those who do not abide by the spirit of the Islamic scriptures and follow their self-made interpretations by killing innocent people do not follow Islam in this regard.

On another note, a big part of the problem is the one common form of double standards by which the international community associates evil perpetrated by Muslims to Islam but never does the same in incidents related to other groups and beliefs. Ancient and modern history identifies many examples of political and religious leaders, representing various political persuasions and religious faiths, inciting violence against their opponents and those who did not share their beliefs. Yet not all those political philosophies and religions get tarnished because of what individuals who believed in them performed.

Why Lance Armstrong chose Spain

By Ignacio Naya n 2001, Lance Armstrong decided to leave southern France and move to Spain: he went on to spend a good portion of the year in Girona, in Catalonia. At the time, he said he wanted to train in the Pyrenees, but the report that has been recently released by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) indicates that doping had a lot to do with the decision.

Armstrong’s Spanish connection has several names to it: doctors Pedro Celaya and Luis Garcia del Moral and coach Jose “Pepe” Marti, who according to the USADA report were instrumental in the “sophisticated” doping program adopted in the team US Postal around Armstrong.

After the so-called Festina case broke out in the 1998 edition of the Tour de France, Armstrong left his European home in Nice for Girona. Some of his team-mates already lived there: Spain was regarded as a safer place to engage in doping practices. In any case, work

I

there was a lot easier for Garcia del Moral and Marti, who lived in Valencia, a few hundred kilometres south along that same Mediterranean coast. It was also in Valencia that Belgian team manager Johan Bruyneel lived since he was a cyclist with the team ONCE. One of Bruyneel’s first decisions when he took the helm at US Postal was to change the head doctor.

Instead of Celaya he hired Garcia del Moral, a man

that statements gathered in the USADA report describe as “far more aggressive” in the use of banned substances. “(Garcia del Moral) would run into the room and you would quickly find a needle in your arm,” in the words of cyclist Christian Vande Velde. Sportsmen admitted that they sometimes felt like guinea pigs: they were not always even informed of what they were being injected with.

Jonathan Vaughters, current manager at Garmin, said Armstrong told him that Celaya was too “conservative” on doping issues.

Cyclists describe Celaya as a more pleasant doctor, one more mindful of their health, and he returned to the team in 2004, after five years at the team ONCE alongside Manolo Saiz, one of the biggest

names implicated in the so-called Operation Puerto. According to USADA, Garcia del Moral was disgraced after Armstrong blamed him for a slightly lower-key performance in the 2003 Tour, the fourth of the seven he won in a row.

Erythropoietin (EPO), testosterone, human growth hormone, cortisone and blood transfusions: the report mentions the use of all kinds of banned substances and practices, many of them brought to cyclists through Marti, who was known within the team as “the postman”. Garcia del Moral, Celaya and Marti have all been banned for life by the USADA, and they could face criminal charges in Spain, where the local anti-doping agency has plans to send the US report to the public prosecutor’s office.

Spain’s anti-doping legislation is now much tougher than it used to be back then when, according to a report by the Spanish sports daily As, Garcia del Moral acted as a sort of “double agent,” at once advising cyclists and carrying out doping tests on behalf of the authorities. —dpa

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

NEWS

Sri Lankan youths play at dusk on the seafront in Mirissa, about 140 km south of Colombo, yesterday. —AP

Opposition rejects Amiri request...

King Hamad calls for Bahrain talks

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said the meeting was delayed because the Cabinet will be engaged today in receiving Asian leaders attending the summit. The minister stressed that time has not come to issue the Amiri decree to invite Kuwaitis to elect the next Assembly and the decree will be issued only when the time is ripe. Under the Kuwaiti constitution, fresh elections must be held within two months from dissolving the Assembly, which was dissolved over a week ago. Sheikh Mohammad said that the Cabinet meeting did not discuss any issue related to changing the voting system.

Damkhi however said that although the two Amiri advisors made no promises regarding issuing the statement, but they said that the talk about the plan to change the voting system or constituencies is unfounded and there is nothing like this on the ground.

The opposition insisted that there is a great gap of mistrust with the government because it had repeatedly failed to fulfill its promises. In a brief statement however, advisor Maatouq said they conveyed to the opposition

the wish of HH the Amir that the protest be delayed until Thursday because of the Asian summit, adding that no other issues had been discussed with the opposition.

Meanwhile, following accusations of delaying the issue of haj visas to stateless residents, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has agreed to allocate 1,000 haj visas for bedoons. The ministry also denied being responsible for not issuing the visas. “It’s a joint effort with the Saudi authorities and the Saudi embassy in Kuwait,” stressed the ministry. Denying delaying haj visas for bedoons, the Saudi haj ministry undersecretary Hatem Qadhi said it is Kuwait’s ministry of awqaf that is entitled to grant haj visas to Kuwaiti citizens and expatriates - including bedoons - within the quota allocated for Kuwait. He added that in his annual meeting with the Kuwaiti haj mission, “they did not ask for any visas for bedoons”.

Former MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak condemned what she described as depriving bedoons the right to perform haj because of the irresponsible actions of the ministry of awqaf. Mubarak also added that the Saudi authorities have disclosed the Kuwaiti haj mission had not requested any visas for bedoon pilgrims.

ACD summit seeks to boost cooperation Continued from Page 1 communication with Asian countries,” he pointed out.

Sheikh Sabah added: “Kuwait is ardent on supporting development efforts in Asia by financing different developmental projects through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and in cooperation with concerned governments, and the estimated volume of grants and developmental assistances to beneficiary countries amounts to $5.5 billion.” He called on the conferees to respond to concerns of people of the continent through joint and collective efforts.

Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the ACD has made great accomplishments but much more is needed to be done. “There is good reason to be pleased with these accomplishments, but I believe the ACD has much more to do to realize the full potential of our ongoing cooperation and that of the region as a whole,” Surapong said during the ACD foreign ministers’ meeting. The Thai foreign minister, also ACD Coordinator, said the forum, which was launched in 2002, has expanded its activities to cover 20 areas of cooperation, stretching from the economic dimension to social, cultural, educational and technological advancement. He extended his appreciation to member states who made great contributions to enhancing Asian cooperation in the past year, including Kuwait which hosted a seminar on trade and finance and Bahrain which adopted an initiative on energy cooperation.

Surapong said amid economic uncertainty, conflicts and wars, Asia needs to be stronger from within. “With the risk of conflicts and disputes in the region, amicable solutions must be found to reduce tensions and promote mutual understanding.” He stressed that Asian countries must maintain a stable and peaceful regional environment to guarantee that all efforts be directed to promoting economic development and cooperation.

Highlighting his country’s agenda on further enhancing cooperation among ACD members, he said that Thailand’s main focus is on areas of energy security and food security. “We may start from sharing data, expertise and experiences, and improving physical infrastructure and logistics management to ensure efficient access to energy and food supplies,” he said. He also urged oil exporters to ensure the stability and affordability of energy prices.

The Thai minister said that the 32 ACD members need to be more connected in order to facilitate trade, invest-

ment, tourism and better understanding among peoples.

“Thailand therefore has prepared a concept paper on ACD Enhanced Regional Connectivity,” he said, hoping this paper would be a basis for future cooperation among members. Another priority, he noted, is financial cooperation, emphasizing the need to promote cross-listing on stock markets, signing investment protection accords, and facilitating investment by sovereign funds, social security funds and public and private funds.

He said the Chiang Mai Initiative Multi-lateralization (CMIM), which extends an alternative line of credit to partner governments in times of financial hardship could also be discussed by the ACD. “All of the above cannot be accomplished without the continuity and more structured management of the ACD process,” he said. He expressed his country’s pleasure to host annual consultations between Thailand as ACD coordinator and an ACD tripartite panel to follow up progress and assess shortterm goals for cooperation.

Surapong said that the ACD, which enters its second decade, is urged to consider a more formal institutional framework, adding that a permanent secretariat is an option for achieving a more enhanced cooperation. He emphasized that the ACD could be a main platform in finding solutions to common challenges facing the Continent. “Thailand is therefore ready to host the ACD Ministerial Meeting in 2015 and my Prime Minister will announce that Thailand will hold an ACD Summit in the same year”. Later, Sheikh Sabah and Surapong hosted a press conference for the local and international media covering the summit. Sheikh Sabah noted that during the preparatory meetings on a ministerial level, a number of issues in the Asian continent were discussed addressed which include energy, food security, poverty, sustainable energy, global financial crisis, economic cooperation within the Asian state, global catastrophes as well as cooperation in technical and scientific research. The Kuwaiti foreign minister also congratulated Afghanistan as it assumed membership as one the 32 member countries of the ACD. “Kuwait is very hopeful and very positive about the objective and goals of summit,” he added.

Surapong conveyed his best wishes for Kuwait for hosting a successful first ACD summit. “Since inception in 2002, ACD has been very successful in promoting dialogue beneficial to people’s prosperity and welfare,” he said. A media center and an exhibition containing various stalls of the countries involved in the ACD summit was then inaugurated at the Arraya Ballroom in Sharq.

Mauritania prez ‘accidentally’ shot Continued from Page 1 had been hit and “his life is not in danger”. Communications Minister Hamdi Mahjoub played down the shooting, saying Ould Abdel Aziz was only “slightly wounded” and that the soldiers had not realised it was the presidential convoy.

“This was an accidental shooting on the presidential convoy as it returned to Nouakchott. The army unit did not recognise the presidential convoy,” Mahjoub said on national television.

Ould Hamadi said the unit was a mobile army checkpoint that had not been informed of the convoy’s passage. A security source had earlier said the president was hit in the arm by a bullet fired by an unknown gunman as he was driving

from his weekend retreat in Tweila, about 40 km from the Atlantic coast capital. The gunman in a car “directly targeted” the head of state, he added, without giving any indications as to the identity of the attacker or the motive. In Mauritania, opposition lawmakers accuse Ould Abdel Aziz of despotism and mismanagement in the largely desert nation. They also charge that he has failed to heed commitments made in the Dakar accords that led to his election in 2009, a year after he seized power in a coup d’etat. The opposition wants a transition government to take over from Ould Abdel Aziz and find a way out of the crisis, dealing with issues such as unemployment, slavery and attacks on human rights. Ould Abdel Aziz, who headed the presidential guard before the coup,

has insisted he will not resign, despite a series of opposition protests. He has led a military campaign against Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al-Qaeda’s franchise in north Africa, and sources say he has been the subject of several failed assassination attempts by the group.

AQIM, which stems from a group started in the late 1990s by radical Algerian Islamists, formally subscribed to AlQaeda’s ideology in 2007.

One of Abdel Aziz’s fiercest opponents, the leader of Islamist party Tewassoul, Jemil Ould Mansour - who has in the past called for the president’s departure - wished him a “speedy recovery” and “safe return”. Abdel Aziz’s mandate as leader of the former French colony expires in 2014. —AFP

wants a constitutional monarchy.

“We reject a grave escalation on the streets,” the king stressed, regretting that “democracy is being exploited so demands can be met through the use of violence and terrorism”. He asked both chambers of parliament to consider “promulgating the necessary legislation to criminalise everything that harms our unity and the security of the population”.

Earlier yesterday, the main Shiite opposition group AlWefaq in a statement lamented what it called “the absence of credibility” in statements by those in power on their openness to “dialogue”. It issued the statement after its leader, cleric Sheikh Ali Salman, was called in by police for questioning over remarks the authorities said related to “sectarian and security” matters. Criminal investigation police questioned him in the presence of two lawyers over statements he made during a visit to Egypt earlier this month, according to a statement carried by the BNA state news agency.

Al-Wefaq dominated elections twice in 2006 and 2010 in Shiite areas of the Sunni-ruled kingdom, and formed the largest single bloc in both parliaments. But its MPs resigned in protest over violence used by security forces against Shiite-dominated protests that broke out in mid-February 2011 and came under a deadly crackdown a month later.

According to the International Federation for Human Rights, a total of 80 people have been killed in Bahrain since the violence began on Feb 14, 2011.

Meanwhile, five medics jailed in connection with last year’s anti-regime protests went on hunger strike yester-

day, urging international rights groups to campaign for their release, lawyers said. The Shiite medics, who have been in prison since Oct 1 after the Gulf kingdom’s highest court upheld their prison sentences, called their action “The Lost Justice,” and have stopped taking food and medicine, the lawyers said. A sixth medic has been released because of time already served. The medics reiterated accusations that the authorities used “harsh and systematic torture” during months of initial detention in the wake of a deadly crackdown on protests in March last year.

In a statement transmitted by lawyers, they claimed the alleged torture “caused injuries and disabilities whose traces remain on the bodies of the medics”. The statement urged “all international organisations to demand their release.” The hunger strikers include consultant orthopaedic surgeon Ali Al-Ekri, who was sentenced to five years, and senior nurse Ibrahim Damastani who was given a three-year term. Both were convicted of possessing a weapon and of illegal assembly.

The remaining medics were found guilty of illegal assembly and inciting hatred, and were sentenced to between two months and a year. Three other medics’ convictions were also upheld by the high court, but they had already served their sentences. They were among 20 doctors and nurses who worked at the Salmaniya Medical Complex in Manama during the predominantly Shiite month-long uprising against the kingdom’s ruling Sunni dynasty last year. All 20 were first charged and convicted by a quasi-military court formed after the government crackdown on the protests, and many initially received harsh sentences of up to 15 years. Nine were acquitted by a lower appeals court in June. —AFP

Iran develops plans for deliberate Gulf...

Continued from Page 1 Meanwhile, Iranian officials denied any role in recent cyberattacks against oil and gas companies in the Gulf and said they welcomed a probe of the case, a semiofficial news agency reported yesterday. Mahdi Akhavan Bahabadi, secretary of the National Center of Cyberspace, denounced as “politically motivated” American allegations of an Iranian link to the Shamoon virus that hit Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco and Qatari natural gas producer RasGas, according to remarks carried by ISNA. “We interpret the issue politically and in light of US domestic issues as well as the (US presidential) election,” he said.

The virus can spread through networked computers and ultimately wipes out files by overwriting them.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said they rendered more than 30,000 computers useless, calling them probably the most destructive cyberattacks the private sector has seen to date. Last week a former US government official said American authorities believe that Iranian hackers, likely supported by the government, were responsible for the Gulf cyberattacks. US agencies have been assisting in the Gulf investigation and concluded that the level of resources needed to conduct the attack showed there was some degree of involvement by a nation state, said the former official.

“American officials have said they are able to discov-

er the source of the recent cyberattacks. We do welcome this and announce our readiness for any international cooperation to find the source of the attacks,” Bahabadi said. The Iranian official said Tehran has already offered help to boost the companies’ cybersecurity, as Iran has itself recently been the victim of cyberattacks on its offshore oil platforms.

Separately, Iran said yesterday the launch of a drone aircraft into Israel by Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah was a sign of the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities. Hezbollah claimed responsibility on Thursday for the launch of the drone aircraft which Israel shot down last weekend after flying 55 km into the Jewish state, saying the drone’s parts were manufactured in Iran and assembled in Lebanon. “Iran has great capabilities and our capabilities are at the service of the Islamic nation,” Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state television. “The Zionist regime (Israel)...was defeated in this respect and it can no longer bully Islamic nations,” he added. Vahidi said Iran believed Hezbollah had the right to launch the drone into Israeli airspace since Israel’s warplanes “repeatedly violate Lebanese airspace”. Iran has said the incursion exposed the weakness of Israeli air defence, indicating that Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile defence system “does not work and lacks the necessary capacity”. The Iron Dome system, jointly funded with Washington, is designed to down shortrange guerrilla rockets, not slow-flying aircraft.

Skydiver jumps into history Continued from Page 1 Armstrong’s first words on the Moon - he had said: “Sometimes you have (go) up really high to (realize) how small you are.” The Austrian took more than two hours to get up to the jump altitude. Baumgartner had already broken one record, before he even leapt: the previous highest altitude for a manned balloon flight was 113,740 feet, set in 1961. Baumgartner had been due to jump from 120,000 feet, but the balloon went higher than expected, to more than 24 miles.

One of the first people to congratulate him was Austrian President Heinz Fischer. “I warmly congratulate Felix Baumgartner on this great success, which was achieved with courage and perseverance and is finding worldwide attention. Austria is proud of your accomplishment,” he wrote on his Facebook page. The Red Bull Stratos mission was the second attempt for the skydiver after an initial bid Tuesday was aborted at the last minute due to winds. The biggest risk Baumgartner faced was spinning out of control, which could have exerted g-force and made him lose consciousness. A controlled dive from the capsule was essential, putting him in a head-down position to increase speed.

More gruesomely, the skydiver’s blood could have boiled if there were the slightest tear or crack in his pressurized spacesuit-like outfit, due to instant depressurization at the extreme altitude. Temperatures of minus 68 Celsius could also have had unpredictable consequences if

his suit somehow failed. The leap went off flawlessly, though there was a minor problem as the capsule ascended: a heater failed on Baumgartner’s helmet faceplate, meaning it was becoming fogged up when he exhaled.

After considering the options, Baumgartner and his entourage decided to go ahead with the jump.

Baumgartner’s 100-strong backup team includes retired US Air Force colonel Joe Kittinger, who had held one of the records the Austrian was trying to break: the highest freefall jump, which Kittinger made from 102,800 feet in 1960. “Let the guardian angel take care of you,” Kittinger told Baumgartner shortly before he leapt into the void.

The giant balloon - which holds 859,000 cu m of helium was needed to carry the Red Bull Stratos capsule of nearly 1.3 tons to the stratosphere. It is made of near transparent polyethylene strips even thinner than a dry cleaner bag, which are heat-sealed together. Very thin material is necessary to save weight. The skydiver has been training for five years for the jump. He holds several previous records, notably with spectacular BASE jumps from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Speaking before the launch, Baumgartner said he would be proud to be the first person to break the speed of sound in freefall. “But really, I know that part of this entire experience will help make the next pressure suit safer for space tourists and aviators,” the jumper said. His launch coincided with the 65th anniversary of American pilot Chuck Yeager breaking the speed of sound. —Agencies

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

sp orts Bhullar triumphs in Macau

Fiji defeats New Zealand

Portanova bitter about ban

HONG KONG: India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar sealed a commanding victory at the Venetian Macau Open yesterday, ending with a three-under-par 68 to secure his second Asian Tour title in five starts.

Bhullar withstood challenges from American Jonathan Moore, who finished two shots back in second place after a 65, and Thailand’s Thitiphun Chuayprakong, who closed with a 70 to share third place with Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman (66). The Indian was in control with an outward 31 to lead by three shots but bogeys on 10 and 13 opened the door for his rivals.

Moore raced home with five closing birdies to put on the pressure but Bhullar responded by draining a six-foot par putt on 17 to hold on to a slender one-shot lead into the last hole. He then delivered a bravura finish with a 12-foot birdie. “This is going to take a long time to sink in. I hit the ball so good.

I was just in the perfect zone. More than that, it was self-belief. This is my first wire-to-wire Asian Tour title,” Bhullar said. — AFP

GOLD COAST: Alipate Raitini scored three tries as Fiji overwhelmed defending champion New Zealand 32-14 yesterday to win the Gold Coast Sevens, the first leg of the International Rugby Board’s Sevens World Series.

Raitini touched down twice in the first half as Fiji dashed to a 17-7 halftime lead and completed his hat trick less than a minute into the second spell, sealing his team’s win. Joji Baleviani Raqamate, Ilai Tinai and Levani Botia also scored for Fiji, who won by six tries to two. New Zealand, who won the World Series last year for the 10th time, scored a try in each half through Tim Mikkelson and Kylem O’Donnell. Both Fiji and New Zealand dropped a match in pool play Saturday but rallied to win their quarterfinals and semifinals, setting up the final showdown. Hosts Australia entered the second day of the tournament as favorites after beating Fiji to finish unbeaten in pool play. But in one of the largest upsets in recent seasons, Australia was beaten 21-14 in the quarterfinals by Kenya, who qualified in second place from Pool C. Dennis Ombachi scored Kenya’s match-winning try in stoppage time. New Zealand edged Argentina 12-7 in its quarterfinal, then ended Kenya’s brave run with a 15-5 win the semifinals. Fiji beat Pacific rivals Samoa 19-7 in the quarterfinals and South Africa 21-10 in the semis.

South Africa went on to beat Kenya 41-7 in the playoff for third and fourth. Raitini’s first try gave Fiji an early lead in the final but New Zealand rallied briefly with to Mikkelson, converted by Tomasi Cama, which gave it a 7-5 lead. —AP

ROME: Bologna defender Daniele Portanova has slammed his four-month ban for failing to report match-fixing, suggesting twice former European champions Juventus get treated differently to everyone else.

Portanova had his original six-month suspension cut to four by the Italian sporting tribunal on Friday, infuriating the player and his lawyer Gabriele Bordoni who said the centre back was thinking about leaving the country. “Why is it that for others the ban was reduced by 60 percent and for me by 40 percent?”, asked the defender in an interview with the Corriere dello Sport newspaper on Saturday although the true percentage of his reduction was 33.

Juventus coach Antonio Conte’s 10-month ban, for failing to report two incidents of match-fixing in the 2010-11 season when he was in charge of Siena, was cut to four earlier this month. “I’m struggling to understand, I can’t explain it, I didn’t expect this,” said the 33-yearold Portanova. — AP

Day of reckoning had to come for A-Rod NEW YORK: Joe Girardi should be manager of the year just for the guts it took to sit down his $275 million third baseman and help the New York Yankees advance a step closer to the World Series.

Benching Alex Rodriguez might turn out to be the easiest move in a drama that is suitable for Broadway, but will play out instead in the Bronx. What do you do with an aging and increasingly fragile player who now threatens to be a drag on the Yankees for years to come?

The immediate answer Saturday night was to put A-Rod back in the lineup against the Detroit Tigers and hope he might guess correctly and square up on a fastball. Girardi declared him “raring to go,” relying on the same instincts that have proven remarkably successful the last few days.

“Sometimes you look at a guy’s eyes,” Girardi said. “Sometimes you listen to his words.” Sometimes you watch him bat, too, which is how A-Rod ended up in this spot to begin with.

Girardi’s optimism aside, it got even worse for Rodriguez in the opener against the Tigers. He grounded out with the bases loaded in the first inning, struck out on three pitches with two on in the sixth and generally had another miserable night before being pulled once again for a pinch hitter in a game the Tigers ended up winning 6-4 in 12 innings.

And now, if he doesn’t somehow find a way to take over for the injured Derek Jeter, the Yankees may be out of options.

A-Rod won’t be playing short, but he will certainly be playing now, and if he doesn’t step up this time Yankee fans won’t let him forget.

The day of reckoning was always going to come for the Yankees, ever since the Steinbrenner brothers caved in and re-signed A-Rod in 2007 to a pact even more onerous than the $252 million deal he brought to the team. Included were bonuses for what was going to be a series of grand days at Yankee Stadium as Rodriguez chased the biggest names in the game’s history on his way to the career home run record.

The Steinbrenners might not have known then what everyone knows now that A-Rod was a juicer at least during the most prolific years of his career. But with Barry Bonds very much in the news during those days they should have at least suspected a player who hit home runs like no other might have had a little help along the way.

They doubled down on A-Rod because he put people in the seats and

in front of their televisions. Then they tried to sell it to New York fans by portraying the self-absorbed slugger as some sort of heroic figure for sticking with the pinstripes.

“He is making a sacrifice to be a Yankee, there’s no question,” Hank Steinbrenner said at the time. “He showed what was really in his heart and what he really wanted.”

That the Yankees are stuck now with a player who can’t hit a right-hander, can’t handle a fastball, and can’t stay healthy isn’t going to win them much sympathy.

At a time when they’re trying to keep a whopping $222 million payroll more manageable to avoid more looming luxury taxes, they’ve got him for the next five years at a price of at least $114 million.

This year’s tab was even more shocking: A cool $29 million going into A-Rod’s pocket plus $11.6 million in luxury tax for a grand total of $40.6 million.

All for a player who went 2 for 16 in the series with the Baltimore Orioles and looked so confused at the plate that Girardi pinch hit for him twice in gamechanging situations before finally just benching him for good in the game Friday night that decided whether the Yankees would go on or go home.

It’s not just the money, though money is always mentioned every time Rodriguez becomes the subject of the conversation. Has to be, because by the time the Yankees are done paying him off, A-Rod will have made a staggering half-billion dollars or so playing baseball.

As long as he kept hitting, that would have been fine with Yankee fans. They would have continued cheering him as he continued his inexorable climb up the home run charts, ignoring the fact that many of them were fueled by steroids. By the time he finally broke the illegitimate mark set by Bonds he would have been paid another $30 million in bonuses, and work would be underway for his inclusion in monument park in the new Yankee Stadium.

Like most steroid users, though, his body is beginning to break down. He’s an old 37, and his trips to the disabled list have become commonplace. Once considered a lock to break the home run mark, there seems no way now he can hit the 115 home runs he needs to catch Bonds. Rodriguez helped the Yankees win a World Series in 2009 - the only ring he has earned in his career. But he’s hitting .152 with no homers and six RBIs in postseason play since then, and hasn’t homered in his last 84 at-bats. — AP

Young stars as Tigers win NEW YORK: The Detroit Tigers took the lead on Delmon Young’s ringing double in the 12th inning. Then came the blow that really staggered the New York Yankees.

A little grounder up the middle left Derek Jeter sprawled in the dirt, screaming in pain. The Yankees had lost more than the AL championship series opener - they had lost their captain for the rest of the postseason with a broken left ankle.

Detroit’s 6-4 win and Jeter’s injury on Saturday night capped a game of wild swings and wild swings of emotion. “Watching Jete go down was, and still is, a very difficult moment for us as a team and what he means to us, a great player and the great leader that he is,” said Raul Ibanez, who hit yet another tying home run as the Yankees rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the ninth inning.

Jeter rolled when he reached down in an attempt to glove Jhonny Peralta’s grounder up the middle in the 12th, planted his left foot and tumbled, landing on his stomach. Unable to move, he made a backhand flip toward second baseman Robinson Cano - the same motion he made in the famous play against Oakland 11 years ago.

Jeter was down for about a minute and was helped up, then assisted to the dugout with manager Joe Girardi on his left and trainer Steve Donahue on his right.

“They talked about a threemonth recovery period,” Girardi said. “Won’t jeopardize his career, but he will not be playing any more for us this year.”

Jeter, who extended his career record earlier in the game with his 200th postseason hit, has been playing with a sore left foot for weeks. He joined closer Mariano Rivera on the sidelines. Rivera tore a knee ligament in May while shagging fly balls before a game in Kansas City.

“It is kind of a flashback to when Mo didn’t get up,” Girardi said. “Oh, boy, if he is not getting up, something’s wrong. We have seen what he played through in the last month and a half, and the pain he has been in, and how he found a way to get (through) it. So it brought back a flashback for me.”

Still, without Rivera, the Yankees won the AL East for the 13th time in 17 years. “I think some people

left us for dead when Mo went down, and here we are in the ALCS.” Girardi said. “And Jete is going to tell us, ‘Let’s go.’”

Eduardo Nunez will fill Jeter’s roster spot, with Jayson Nix likely taking over at shortstop. “We’ve got

going to be good enough, we have to be able to take a punch, and we took a big punch,” Leyland said.

“We took a right cross in the ninth inning but we survived it.”

Young’s one-out double off David Phelps, which followed a

NEW YORK: Yankees Raul Ibanez hits a two run home run in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the American League championship series against the Detroit Tigers. —AP to win this series. Somebody’s got to step in and fill that spot,” said Andy Pettitte, Saturday’s starting pitcher. Detroit was coasting toward a 4-0 win before the Yankees rocked Tigers closer Jose Valverde in the ninth.

Valverde has allowed seven runs in three playoff games and could lose his closer’s role to Octavio Dotel. “We really want to put our heads together and discuss it first, to be honest with you, and get together as a coaching staff and talk about it,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.

Valverde is already looking toward his next possible appearance. “There’s nothing you can do.

It’s in the past. It’s over, and you have to be ready for tomorrow,” Valverde said. “I have confidence for me and for my team, and I’ll be there to support my team.”

Ichiro Suzuki started the Yankees’ comeback with a two-run homer with one out in the ninth, and the 40-year-old Ibanez hit another two-run drive with two outs. Three nights earlier, Ibanez hit a tying home run in the ninth against Baltimore in Game 3 of the division series and another homer in the 12th to win it. “If we are

leadoff walk by Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera, sliced in right and eluded Nick Swisher, who appeared ready to dive but couldn’t get his glove out when he realized the ball was closer to him than he had thought.

“I thought I had a great jump, but then I got caught in the lights, and I lost it for a few seconds,” Swisher said. “I was completely blind. It’s a helpless feeling. I really thought I could make that play.”

Young drove in three runs, hitting an RBI single in a two-run sixth against Pettitte, and a solo homer in the eighth against Derek Lowe.

That gave him a Tigers record six postseason homers, breaking a tie with Hank Greenberg and Craig Monroe. “We’re big leaguers. Things are going to happen,” Young said.

“The other team wants to drive Mercedes-Benzes and eat Morton’s, too. ... We got back in to play the 10th inning. Everyone just regrouped, and basically a 0 0 ballgame.” Tigers rookie Avisail Garcia singled in a run against Boone Logan, and Andy Dirks added an RBI single in the 12th on a comebacker that glanced off Phelps’ pitching hand. Rookie Drew Smyly, who had started warming up in the

third when starter Doug Fister took a line drive off his right wrist, got the win by pitching two scoreless innings, ending a 4-hour, 54minute marathon.

In Game 2 on Sunday, New York will start Hiroki Kuroda, who will be pitching on three days’ rest for the first time in his big league career.

Detroit will send Anibal Sanchez to the mound.

Twenty-five of 42 previous Game 1 winners have gone on to take the AL pennant. Before the 12th, the star of the night was Ibanez, the first player to hit three home runs in the ninth inning or later in a single postseason.

On Wednesday, he hit a tying shot as a pinch hitter, and three innings later became the first player to hit two homers in a postseason game he didn’t start.

This made him the first player in baseball history with two tying ninth-inning home runs in a single postseason, according to STATS LLC. Cincinnati’s Johnny Bench, in 1972 and 1976, had been the only player to do it twice in a career.

Fister escaped three basesloaded jams in the first six innings the first time in their 375 postseason games the Yankees stranded a trio of runners three times without scoring in any of those innings, according to STATS LLC. Alex Rodriguez, back in New York’s lineup following a benching in Friday’s division series finale, was 0 for 3 and stranded six runners striking out on three pitches with runners at second and third and no outs in the sixth as fans booed loudly. Girardi sent up Eric Chavez to hit for A-Rod in the eighth, the third time Rodriguez was taken out early in the last three games he has played. Not that A-Rod’s teammates were any better. The Yankees stranded 13 runners and were 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position, leaving them at 10 for 45 (.222) in the playoffs.

Fister, who beat the Yankees in Game 5 of last year’s division series, had a shaky start, walking the bases loaded in the first and allowing three two-out singles in the second. Rodriguez bounced into a forceout that ended the first, with shortstop Peralta making a spectacular diving stop. In the second, Cano lined a ball off the inside of Fister’s right wrist, and Peralta picked up the ball on a bounce and threw to first for the out. — AP

Sangakkara hopeful of Deccan Chargers future

Alex Rodriguez

SINGAPORE: ICC cricketer of the year Kumar Sangakkara has backed the Indian cricket board to resolve the crisis surrounding the Deccan Chargers after the terminated Twenty20 franchise found new owners on Friday.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) last month terminated the franchise for various defaults including failure to pay players on time, but the owners refused to accept the decision and issued a legal challenge, which the BCCI threw out.

Deccan Chronicle Holdings, who paid $107 million for the franchise in 2008, informed the Indian stock exchanges on Friday of their decision to sell the team to Kamla Landmarc, a Mumbai-based real estate company.

The sale only fuelled speculation in local media that the 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL) champions will be relocated to another state in the cricket-crazy country.

Deccan captain Sangakkara told Reuters in Singapore on Saturday that the team, which also boasts South African seamer Dale Steyn and Australian batsman Cameron White, were in the dark about their futures but was hopeful of a solution.

“Players have been paid and that’s great.

The franchise has ensured that they’ve always kept their word to the players and honoured all the contracts they have signed,” said Sangakkara, who scored 1,444 runs in 14 tests from Aug. 2011 to Aug this year.

“They are now in arbitration with BCCI, I believe, to try and come to an agreement and the BCCI has always been very good in prob-

lem solving during the IPL they’ve done a great job over five years.

“Deccan Chargers is a great franchise to play for, so we as players, we can’t control those things, we just wait and see as to what will happen.”

Sangakkara, 34, who also amassed 1,457 runs at 42.85 from 37 one-day internationals in the award winning period was in Singapore to promote the charity “the foundation of goodness” along with former international team mate Muttiah Muralitharan.

Kumar Sangakkara The charity aims to provide greater opportunities for children in war-ravaged northern parts of Sri Lanka and tsunami hit areas of the south, with the duo arriving in Singapore with a under-19 team of players they hope can become internationals in the future.

“Of course as a cricketer, for selfish reasons, try and find the best cricketers to play for the country,” Sangakkara said of the aims for the

charity. “We have had a tsunami orphan from the foundation play for the under-19s World Cup team a couple of months ago so these kids have a lot of talent we just need to give them the opportunity to refine those talents.”

Offering coaching clinics to young fans and signing several autographs appeared to prove a nice way to forget about the Twenty20 World Cup loss to West Indies at home on Sunday.

“The fourth World Cup final, it was gut wrenching,” the Sri Lankan said after losses to India last year and Australia in 2007 in the 50over World Cup and the Twenty20 loss to England two years ago.

“Disappointing, but at the end of the day you have to accept the fact that to win the World Cup, you get to the finals, and that is the day you got to be at your best.

Unfortunately we haven’t be at our best on for occasions.” After the frustrations of another final loss, Sangakarra and Sri Lanka turn their attentions to the home series against New Zealand which begins with a Twenty20 match at the end of October.

New Zealand were swatted aside by West Indies in two tests in August before going down 2-0 in India shortly after, though Sangakkara believes the visitors’ bowling attack needs to be watched.

“New Zealand’s going to be a good challenge for us. They are a very good unit.

They play very well together. So it’ll be interesting to have them at home, after a while to see how we go with the team in transition.” —Reuters

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

sp orts

Park rallies to win in Malaysia

CHINA: In this photo released by OneAsia, Liang Wen-chong of China holds the winner’s trophy after a 5-hole playoff against YE Yang of South Korea at the Nanshan China Masters golf tournament. —AP

Liang bags China Masters NANSHAN: Liang Wenchong of China holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the fifth hole of a playoff with YE Yang of South Korea to win the China Masters yesterday. Liang came into the final round with a two-stroke lead and was four in front of Yang. But he dropped shots all day to finish with a 2-over 73. Yang shot a 69 to leave both players at 8-under 276. Aaron Townsend of Australia (72) finished a shot back in third.

“I’m very happy,” Liang said after his winning putt in fading light at the Nanshan International Golf Club’s Danling course. “I have never been involved in something like this. Thanks to Y.E. for making it so exciting.”

Liang, who led from the first round, opened the door for Yang and Townsend when he bogeyed No. 1 and then double-bogeyed the 7th before recovering with a birdie on the eighth. That left all three at 8 under at the turn.

Liang’s chances seemed to be slipping away when he three-putted to bogey the 10th and Townsend birdied the 11th, allowing the Australian to move one shot

ahead of Yang and two in front of Liang.

Townsend bogeyed No. 13 to fall back into a tie with Yang, who birdied No. 15 to take the lead. Liang also birdied No. 15 to remain one shot back and then forced the playoff when Yang bogeyed No. 16.

“When I lost the lead I actually felt more relaxed, “said Liang, who earned his first titles since picking up two victories on the OneAsia Tour in 2010. “I played the back nine better, especially the last few holes.” Looking for his first tour victory since 2010, Yang said he was frustrated his late charge came up short. “I am a bit disappointed,” Yang said. “It was very tiring to have to play five more holes but Liang played good golf.”

Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen also made a late run, shooting a 67 that included three birdies on the back nine. He finished in a three-way tie for fourth. “There were a lot of birdie opportunities, but I just didn’t make as many as I could have,” the South African said. “It is a bit frustrating when I think of the missed opportunities on the first two days.”—AP

Pedrosa keeps up the pressure on Lorenzo MOTEGI: Honda’s Dani Pedrosa kept his slim MotoGP title hopes alive by beating fellow Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo to win the Japanese Grand Prix for the second year in a row yesterday.

A fourth win in the last five races has pulled Pedrosa to within 28 points of the Yamaha rider but with just three races left, the championship is still Lorenzo’s to lose. “ We did what we needed to do,” Pedrosa told reporters. “It’s just a pity that there is no one else who can stay with us because every race I win, (Lorenzo’s) been second. “But anyway, it’s a great feeling to win races and we are doing it now.”

Alvaro Bautista’s third place for Honda made it a Spanish sweep of the podium on an overcast day at Motegi’s Twin Ring circuit.

Lorenzo, world champion in 2010, again failed to capitalise on his sixth pole of the season, leading in the early stages but never able to pull away from a dogged Pedrosa.

It was the fifth time in succession that Lorenzo has failed to turn pole position into victory, the only time he went on to win the race was at the 2012 seasonopener in Qatar.

“I was completely at the maximum trying to stay with Dani, but today it was maybe too much difference, the performance on the straights,” said Lorenzo.

“I tried to stay with him but it was impossible, maybe next time. For sure the Championship is closer now, but we are still very competitive and have the chance to win.”

Pedrosa pounced 13 laps from the fin-

ish and stretched his advantage at the front to over a second within two laps of overtaking Lorenzo. Pedrosa, who has now claimed a career-best five wins in a MotoGP season, won in a time of 42 minutes, 31.569 seconds.

Not wishing to take any risks given his comfortable lead in the standings, Lorenzo eased off the throttle to coast home in a time of 42:35.844.

Lorenzo has 310 points to Pedrosa’s 282 in the championship standings, with world champion Casey Stoner on 197.

Bautista’s third place came after a hairraising fight with Briton Cal Crutchlow, whose Yamaha ran out of fuel on the final lap to end the battle on a rather anti-climactic note.

Australian Stoner finished a creditable fifth in his return after ankle surgery, although clearly not fully fit and still in some pain he struggled as the race wore on.

Seven-times premier class champion Valentino Rossi finished a dejected-looking seventh for Ducati. Spaniard Marc Marquez tore through the field to claim his eighth victory of the Moto2 season, giving him the opportunity to clinch the title in Malaysia next week.

The Suter rider’s win, in 42:56.171, was all the more remarkable after stalling on the start line and getting away virtually last in the 32-bike field. Britain’s Danny Kent claimed his maiden grand prix win in a wild finish to the Moto3 race.

German Sandro Cortese was on course to claim the title on the last lap, but his KTM machine crashed out after he clashed with Alessandro Tonucci, gifting team mate Kent victory. —Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR: Inbee Park rallied to win the LPGA Malaysia yesterday for her second victory of the year, closing with a 4-under 67 to beat fellow South Korean player Na Yeon Choi by two strokes.

Park took the lead with a tap-in birdie on the par-4 13th and moved two shots ahead with another short birdie putt on the par-4 14th. She got away with bogeys on the final two holes when Choi made a double bogey on the par-3 17th in her closing 71.

“I’m very happy to win,” Park said. “I played for the second time here, and it’s the first time I’ve won twice in one year, so I’m really proud of myself for that.”

She won the Evian Masters in July in France and has six straight top-three finishes and 10 top-10s in a row. In her previous three events, she tied for second in the Safeway Classic and finished second in the Canadian Women’s Open and Women’s British Open.

“I think my golf has improved, everything, hitting the ball, chipping, putting. Everything has really improved,” said Park, also the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open champion. “I worked really hard on my swing. I’ve been hitting it very solid all year. So, that gave me a lot more birdie chances.”

Two strokes behind Choi entering the round and three behind with 10 holes left, Park picked up a stroke when the defending champion bogeyed the par-4 ninth, then pulled even with birdies on the par-4 10th and 11th holes. Park holed a 20-foot putt on 10, and a 15-footer on 11.

“I think I prefer leading, because I think it’s much easier the last day,” Park said. “But, I mean, I had to play good on the final day to win. I knew that Na Yeon was really strong on this golf course and I knew she really liked this golf course. So I knew I had to go really low today to win, make a lot of birdies.”

Choi’s tee shot on the 17th ended up an unplayable lie in a bunker. “I think I had bad luck,” said Choi, the U.S. Women’s Open winner in July. “My ball was unplayable. I couldn’t hit it from there. I’d really like to congratulate Inbee, my friend. I could see she was really nervous. She’s usually not nervous at all. She was nervous today. I’m very happy my friend won this week.”

Park finished at 15-under 269 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club to match the tournament record in the event that started in 2010. She earned $285,000 to push her tourleading total to $1,954,608.

Australia’s Karrie Webb shot a 68 to finish third at 12 under, and Scotland’s Catriona Matthew was another stroke back after a 67.

South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu (66) was 10 under, and Australia’s Lindsey Wright (67) and

ranked Yani Tseng had a 71 to tie for 49th at 5 over. The Taiwanese star has struggled after winning three times in the first five events of the season.

American Morgan Pressel also had another

KUALA LUMPUR: Inbee Park of South Korea poses with her trophy after winning the LPGA Malaysia golf tournament. —AP American Paula Creamer (69) were 9 under.

American Jessica Korda matched the tournament record with a 64 to finish eighth at 8 under.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, tied for fourth after the third round, had a 75 to drop into a tie for 19th at 4 under. Michelle Wie closed with a 68 to tie for 38th at 1 over, and top-

frustrating week in a season derailed by thumb and wrist injuries, shooting 79-83-8175 to finish 67th among the 68 finishers at 34 over — 49 strokes behind Park.

The tournament opened the LPGA Tour’s four-event Asian swing. The tour will be in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan the next three weeks. —AP

Mallinger leads, Singh lurks SAN MARTIN: American John Mallinger cooled off from his impressive opening two days but still holds a two-shot lead after Saturday’s third round of the Frys.com Open in San Martin, California.

After playing bogey-free golf in the opening two rounds in search of a maiden win on the US PGA tour, Mallinger posted two bogeys on Saturday but made three birdies for a one-under par 70, to finish on 15-under 198 at CordeValle Golf Club.

The 33-year-old leads from Sweden’s Jonas Blixt, who made six birdies in his final 10 holes to shoot a 66, at 13-underpar. Americans Charles Howell III (66) and Jason Kokrak (67) are three off the pace in a tie for third at 12-under while former world number one Fijian Vijay Singh (66) joins Brazil’s Alexandre Rocha (66) tied for fifth at 11-under.

“I just didn’t have it all today,” Mallinger said. “I didn’t drive it as well as I did yesterday. I think I hit every fairway yesterday, and then today I just got off to a weird start. “But I hung around there and made some birdies on the back nine that got me back into position. Still got the lead, still got a good spot, and looking forward to tomorrow.”

Despite a nice opening cushion Mallinger has vowed to stay assertive on the final day, expecting plenty of players to make a run with low rounds.

“I’m going to still stay aggressive and try to make as many birdies as possible,” he said. “It’s going to be a birdie day. If I can go out and shoot three or four under, then we will see if those guys can catch me.”

Singh, a veteran with 34 PGA Tour wins, is looking for his first since 2008, with his best finish in 2012 a tie for seventh at the Canadian Open, one of four top 10s this season. Singh said his putting had let him down on the weekends so far this year but was confident he’d found a solution. He charged into contention with three birdies and an eagle in his last seven holes.

“I’m playing well. I found something in my putting that’s working really, really good, so hopefully tomorrow I can get something going,” Singh said. “The problem (this year) was my putting on the weekend. I felt really weird with my putting stroke.

“But th is week h as been l ook i ng good. I’ve changed my grip a little bit and it’s flowing really freely. So that’s a big plus.” —Reuters

SAN MARTIN: Charles Howell III putts on the 13th hole during the third round of the Frys.com Open golf tournament. —AP

Saints march on, Sale win

MOTEGI: Spain’s Dani Pedrosa holds the trophy aloft on the podium, after winning the MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan at Twin Ring Motegi circuit. —AP

PARIS: Northampton clawed back 15 unanswered points to defeat Glasgow 24-15 in European Cup action yesterday, as Sale trumped Cardiff Blues in a 34-33 thriller.

Glasgow roared into a 15-point lead thanks to tries by Josh Strauss and Sean Lamont, Peter Horne nailing a penalty and conversion.

But Saints’ stand-out Samoan centre George Pisi hit back with two tries, one converted by Stephen Myler, to make it 15-12 to

the visitors at the break.

Myler then crossed for a try minutes after the break and Russian winger Vasily Artemyev also touched down to ensure a bonus-point victory for Northampton, European champions back in 2000.

In Salford, Sale left it late in beating Cardiff Blues, for whom Wales wing Alex Cuthbert scored a hat-trick, all converted by full-back Leigh Halfpenny who also notched up four penalties.

However, that haul was not enough as Sale, whose league form has so far this season been woeful, launched a comeback inspired by a Danny Cipriani try with 25 minutes remaining.

Mark Jennings and Tony Buckley also crossed the whitewash and, allied with 12 points from Nicky MacLeod’s boot and Rob Miller providing a crucial penalty and two conversions at the death, Sale grabbed an unlikely yet vital victory. —AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

S P ORT S

Preview

Del Bosque faces tough choices for France clash

Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon’s injury forces Prandelli into Plan B ROME: Italy soccer coach Cesare Prandelli is scrambling to put together a Plan B as he could be without goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon for tomorrow’s Group B World Cup qualifier against Denmark.

Two days after his acrobatic skills saved Italy’s blushes against unfancied Armenia, Buffon was seen going into a physiotherapist’s clinic yesterday to receive treatment on what a team official said was a left thigh injury. Italy won 3-1 in Yerevan thanks to second-half goals from Daniele De Rossi and Pablo Osvaldo but could easily have lost to a spirited Armenia side had Buffon not saved them following some sloppy defensive errors.

If the Juventus keeper is sidelined for tomorrow’s encounter at the San Siro, it could dent Italy’s chances of maintaining their place at the top of Group B. Prandelli, who has lined up Napoli’s Morgan De Sanctis as Buffon’s replacement, has other problems in defence, with Leonardo Bonucci the worst of a back line which gave away far too many chances on Friday.

Neither he nor Domenico Criscito, making his return to the national team since being kicked out of the Euro 2012 squad as part of match-fixing investigations, ever looked comfortable in the cen-

tre of the defence.

On Saturday, Prandelli said that Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini would be selected to stand up to the physical Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner, who scored Denmark’s equaliser against 10-man Bulgaria on Friday.

There are also issues in attack, with indecision over who is the best partner for in-form Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo, who has scored six goals in six matches for club and country this season.

With Mario Balotelli ruled out of the Armenia match with influenza, Sebastian Giovinco failed to impress on Friday and limped off with an ankle knock.

Manchester City striker Balotelli trained on Saturday and could feature for the first time since Euro 2012 if he recovers in time, although Milan striker Stephan El Shaarawy has been kept on standby.

Denmark, who are fifth in the six-team group with two points, cannot afford another slip-up following a disappointing 1-1 draw in Sofia. “We need a result in Italy, there is no doubt about that, and we can take some of the good things from the second half here in Bulgaria. I am also confident that we can get something from there,” Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen told TV6.—Reuters

BERLIN: (From left) fitness coach Yann-Benjamin Kugel, German national soccer players Philipp Lahm, Benedikt Hoewedes, Per Mertesacker, Heiko Westermann and Bastian Schweinsteiger run during a practice session. The Germans prepare for a World Cup 2014 Group C qualifying soccer match against Sweden tomorrow.—AP

Germany wary of unfamiliar Sweden BERLIN: Germany will be taking nothing for granted when they bid to maintain their perfect start to World Cup qualifying against main rivals Sweden in Berlin tomorrow, even though their opponents’ names are unfamiliar.

The Germans, who crushed Ireland 61 in Dublin on Friday with in-form winger Marco Reus scoring twice, have nine points after winning their first three Group C qualifiers.

Sweden also have a perfect record and are second with six points from two games, but Reus was left scratching his head when asked by reporters yesterday to name any of the Scandinavian country’s defenders. “Ah, is Olof Mellberg there, has he retired?” Reus said in a reference to Sweden’s former captain who ended his international career after Euro 2012. “Honestly I do not know. I have not dealt with that yet.”

Germany’s team spokesman quickly came to Reus’s rescue saying: “The team discussion has not yet taken place.”

Germany could be forgiven for focusing less on their opponents than on their own game, having won 13 consecutive qualifiers for Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. Captain Philipp Lahm, back from suspension, said they were well prepared to face their biggest group rivals and inform striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The former Barcelona, Juventus, and AC Milan forward has enjoyed a fantastic start at new club Paris St Germain and currently tops the Ligue 1 scoring charts with nine goals.

“It will be a tough job against an opponent who is organised, tactically clever and has an outstanding striker in Ibrahimovic. It is our toughest rival in our group,” Lahm told reporters.

“We have to be able to withstand that pressure, break forward very quickly. He is the complete striker, the complete package. If we allow few chances at the back then we will win.”

The Germans seem to have shaken off their early cobwebs and their win in Dublin confirmed their status as group favourites after lacklustre performances in their first two games.

“We are focused. We take every game very seriously. That is what we are doing.

We know what’s at stake,” said Lahm.

Sweden looked far less convincing in their 2-1 win away to the Faroe Islands on Friday and needed a 75th minute Ibrahimovic goal to spare their blushes as they came from behind against the bottom-placed team. “My scout has told me the Germans played fantastically,” said Sweden’s coach Erik Hamren. “It will be a wonderful challenge. We have to be physically strong, both in one-on-ones and in running.”—Reuters

MADRID: Knowing who to leave out would appear to be Spain coach Vicente del Bosque’s biggest problem ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifier against France in Madrid tomorrow.

The world and European champions have such an embarrassment of riches available that it would be understandable if Del Bosque did not know his best starting eleven for their clash against the jointGroup I leaders.

The 61-year-old rang the changes for Friday’s qualifier in Belarus, surprisingly playing midfielder Sergio Busquets at centre back, and rewarding Santi Cazorla with a start after his impressive first two months at new club Arsenal.

The changed side swept to a 4-0 victory with the lively Pedro setting up the opener and going on to net a hat-trick, leaving Spain’s all-time top scorer David Villa with a 15-minute cameo role off the substitutes’ bench at the end. Fernando Torres was not used.

Andres Iniesta is likely to return from the outset, as is genuine centre back Raul Albiol, when Spain go in search of a 25th consecutive victory in major tournament qualifiers.

“We are lucky to have many players who can adapt,” Barcelona forward Pedro told a news conference yesterday.

“We are very clear about our philosophy and ideas, anyone can step in and do well, and it doesn’t affect the national team’s way of playing.”

Spain, who beat France 2-0 in the quarter finals on the way to their Euro 2012 triumph, top Group I on goal difference from the visitors, both sides having won their opening two games.

With only one country earning direct

qualification for Brazil 2014, the battle is on between the two group favourites to avoid having to qualify through the playoffs.

France geared up for the clash in the worst possible fashion by suffering their first defeat since Didier Deschamps took over from Laurent Blanc after Euro 2012, in a 1-0 friendly reverse against Japan at the Stade de France on Friday.

Once again, Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who has only netted 15 goals from 53 France appearances, failed to score.

The midfield could not control the game and the defence looked shaky, especially the

full backs. With Abou Diaby and Rio Mavuba injured, Deschamps also has to make do without his first choice defensive midfielders. To add to his woes, the in-form Paris St Germain holding midfielder Clement Chantome pulled out after suffering a groin injury on Friday.

“It would be good to do (to Spain) what Japan did to us,” said striker Olivier Giroud.

France were caught cold on a swift counter attack two minutes from time. “We will have less chances against Spain but we will have to convert them,” said winger Mathieu Valbuena.—Reuters

Andres Iniesta

England seek to thwart injury-hit Poland again LONDON: Poland will be battling against injuries while England will be looking to extend their long unbeaten record against the Poles when the two renew their World Cup rivalry tomorrow.

Poland coach Waldemar Fornalik is likely to be without captain Jakub Blaszczykowski, as well as first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, defender Lukasz Piszcek and midfielder Eugen Polanksi as they seek their first victory over England since their only success in 1973.

Roy Hodgson’s new, youthful England, who went top of Group H on Friday with a 5-0 win over San Marino at Wembley, will be without Szczesny’s Arsenal club mate Theo Walcott, injured after five minutes against San Marino, but will have skipper Steven Gerrard eligible again after suspension and in line to win his 99th cap at Warsaw’s National Stadium.

Ashley Cole could also win his 99th cap if he returns after missing the San Marino game while striker Jermain Defoe and defender Joleon Lescott could return after being rested on Friday.

Midfielder Frank Lampard,

who has a calf injur y, and defender Ryan Bertrand, who is unwell, would not be fit for tomorrow, the FA said yesterday.

Both missed the San Marino game. Both teams have made unbeaten starts to their campaigns with England beating Moldova and San Marino by 5-0 scorelines and drawing 1-1 with Ukraine.

Poland’s two matches have ended in a 2-2 draw with Montenegro and a 2-0 win over Moldova and they are level with Montenegro on four points, three behind England. Ukraine have two from two, Moldova one from three and San Marino none from two.

Poland warmed up for tomorrow’s game with a 1-0 friendly win over South Africa in Warsaw on Friday with defender Marcin Komorowski scoring a late winner, and Fornalik, who took over as coach of the Euro 2012 cohosts after the competition, was encouraged by the way his team played.

“We didn’t play badly,” he told Przeglad Sporotwy. “We showed we are a team. We created a lot of scoring chances, although it was too bad we only took one of

them.” One of the reasons for that might have been because Fornalik left key striker Robert Lewandowski on the bench against South Africa, but he will almost certainly return to spearhead Poland’s attack on Tuesday and try to add to his tally of 15 goals in his 48 appearances.

England, who were based in Poland during the Euros despite playing all their games in Ukraine, return to the country on something of a high following their efficient, if at times laboured, victor y over San Marino.

Since Hodgson took control of England in May, his team are unbeaten, apart from a quarterfinal penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the Euros, in 10 matches.

“There were a lot of positives to take from our win tonight,” Hodgson said after Friday ’s game. “We passed well, we created a lot of chances and eventually the goals came. Of course it will be a totally different kind of game in Warsaw but we go there in great shape.

“One thing for sure is that we now have a national team that can pass the ball and we now have a lot of pace. If we are look-

ing to become one of the top teams in the world, it’s important we continue down this route.”

Among the pluses for England against San Marino was the performance of Wayne Rooney, who captained the side in the absence of Lampard and Gerrard and took his international goal tally to 31 to become England’s fifth highest scorer of all-time.

England will want to preserve their 39-year-old record against Poland who won the first competitive meeting between the two sides 2-0 in Chorzow then drew 1-1 at Wembley to eliminate England from the 1974 finals. The teams have also met in the campaigns for the 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2006 World Cups, plus the qualifiers for the 1992 and 2000 European championships as well as the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico when a Gary Lineker hat-trick gave England a 3-0 win in Monterrey.

Poland’s soccer-savvy Prime Minister Donald Tusk, attending a children’s tournament on Saturday, predicted a 1-0 win for the home side but, on current form and past results, Poland would have to overturn the formbook for that result.—Reuters

SWITZERLAND: The Swiss squad exercises during a practice session of the Swiss national soccer team. The players prepare for the upcoming World Cup 2014 Group E match against Iceland tomorrow.—AP

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

SPORTS

Disabled Alan Hudson finds every day a chore LONDON: Alan Hudson used to stroll through Chelsea matches like footballing royalty. Now, his body ravaged after being effectively left for dead when he was hit by a car in 1997, he struggles to walk down the road.

On Dec. 15, the former England midfielder will mark the 15th anniversary of the accident which left him in a coma for two months with a series of life-threatening injuries.

Hudson oozed class when he was in the Chelsea squad that won the 1970 FA Cup and the 1971 European Cup Winners’ Cup. Forty years on, however, his life is a battle to cope with the legacy of the accident he was involved in as a pedestrian on a London street.

“Every day now is a chore,” he told Reuters in an interview. “I look at my crutches standing there by the wall and I realise that day in December 1997 has put a completely new complexion on my life. “Whereas most people are ill maybe

once or twice a year, it’s every day for me. Getting out of bed is hard, I don’t wear socks any more because I can’t put them on my feet and I struggle to stand up in the shower.” Listening to the 61year-old Hudson, it is difficult to comprehend this is the same midfield general who galloped over the mud-covered football pitches of his era like a thoroughbred racehorse.

The former Chelsea, Arsenal, Stoke City and Seattle Sounders playmaker won only two caps for England, a woefully inadequate return for someone who was once compared to a 1966 World Cup-winning hero.

After debutant Hudson stole the show in a 2-0 victory over world champions West Germany at Wembley in 1975, visiting coach Helmut Schoen said: “At last England have found a replacement for Bobby Charlton.”

Guenther Netzer, Germany’s great midfield playmaker, added: “Where have

France firing blanks as Spain loom into view PARIS: If France are to take anything from next week’s pivotal World Cup qualifier against Spain, Didier Deschamps may have to reconfigure an attack that has scored only four times in four matches.

France were dominant in Friday’s friendly with Japan but their inability to convert that territorial control into goals cost them when Shinji Kagawa netted in the 88th minute to give the visitors a smashand-grab 1-0 win. As Deschamps confessed afterwards, the home side only had themselves to blame.

The corner count read 10-0 to France before the hour mark had even arrived, but although they recorded seven attempts on target, not once was visiting goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima really exposed.

It is starting to feel like something of a recurring theme. Of those four goals scored since Deschamps took up the reins, three came in last month’s 3-1 win at home to Belarus, and France were also short of spark in both the goalless draw with Uruguay and the 1-0 victory in Finland. Karim Benzema is still to score in the Deschamps era, but he and Franck Ribery often appear the only players capable of making things happen in the final third.

The Real Madrid striker could have scored three or four goals against Japan before being withdrawn at half-time, while Ribery tested Kawashima twice within minutes of entering the fray as a 68thminute substitute. As France’s L’Equipe sports newspaper drily noted on Saturday, “without Benzema and Ribery, nothing much happens”.

Benzema has not scored in his last eight international appearances but although he remains France’s most obvious goal threat, he has found himself used in a variety of different positions under Deschamps.

In the 0-0 draw with Uruguay, Deschamps’ first game in charge, he played slightly behind Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud in a 4-4-2 formation. The following game, in Finland, saw him deployed as a lone striker and against Belarus he played on the right-hand side of the attack, in order to accommodate Giroud in the centre.

Deschamps’ perseverance with Giroud meant Benzema played from the left against Japan but there does not appear to be any real understanding between the pair, who exchanged less than a handful of passes during their time on the pitch together.

It was not until the second half on Friday evening that France began to really work Kawashima, but Deschamps knows that they cannot afford to be so profligate against Spain.—AFP

England been hiding this player? He was world class”. Those days are just a memory for Hudson but he believes the high level of fitness he achieved during his football career was the reason he cheated death in 1997. “The doctors said I had died once or twice, then they said I would never walk again, but I told them I would,” said Hudson who has been in the operating theatre more than 70 times since the accident.

“People don’t really understand what I’ve been through. This is a new life of being disabled and I have had to come to terms with that and live with it. “I’m not dramatising things but my playing and training saved my life. I trained every day right up to the day the car hit me. “I had a three-hour session - two hours on the bike and about 2,000 situps that very morning - and I think that sort of daily regime helped in my recovery.” Hudson is a wordsmith these days.

He is the author of five books and is

proud of the fact they are all his own work, achieved without the aid of a ghost writer.

His new eBook “From The Playing Fields To The Killing Fields” is available through Amazon and is a straight-talking account of his life.

“I had another big operation on my foot 3-1/2 months ago because I had a bad case of ‘foot drop’ stemming from the coma,” said Hudson.

“The doctors put two pins in and said, hopefully, that will pull the foot up. I had good balance when I was a player but I struggle now to go up and down the stairs. “I also struggle going down the road. If I’m walking with a friend I have to get them to hold on to my arm so that I don’t fall over.

“But I just have to move on. I’ve got so many things I want to do - I’m living in Stoke at the moment and I want to go down to London to see my young grand-daughter and I want to do well

with my books too.” The Chelsea-born Hudson describes this disabled chapter of his life as his third incarnation.

“A lot of people would have given up by now but when I look back at the day I came out of hospital I think of that as the start of my third life,” he explained.

“When I left my first club Chelsea to join Stoke in 1974 that was the start of my second life because I went through a bad spell at the end of my time at Stamford Bridge.

“Stoke manager Tony Waddington resurrected me and now I call this my third life - on Dec. 15 it will be my 15th birthday,” he joked. “My previous lives have gone now. I have to forget what I used to do. I can’t put my tracksuit on and go running any more.

“I can’t even get dressed properly.

When I have a party with my friends every year on Dec. 15 they always say, ‘Why are you celebrating?’ and I say ‘I’m celebrating still being here’.”—Reuters

Drogba double sparks riot APE TOWN: Two goals from Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba sparked a riot in Senegal on Saturday forcing the abandonment of the biggest African Nations Cup qualifier of the weekend after police fired tear gas in the stadium.

The trouble in Dakar overshadowed qualification for Ghana, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia and holders Zambia who are all through to the finals in South Africa in January.

Drogba’s latest talismanic performance proved too much for the Senegal fans who invaded the pitch, threw objects and lit small fires in the packed stands after their team went 2-0 down and 6-2 behind on aggregate in the final round tie.

Police were forced to clear the away supporters to safety, leading many of them to the middle of the pitch, and then sent a vehicle on to the field to evacuate the match officials before the game was called off about 14 minutes from full time.

It is likely the Ivorians will be awarded the tie but there was no official confirmation on Saturday from the governing Confederation of African Football whose Cairo office was closed.

Striker Drogba’s free kick just after halftime extended the Ivorians’ two-goal lead from the first leg and then converted a 71st minute penalty which sparked the violence.

The riot, which highlighted the explosive nature of the African game, put a dampener on a day of excitement on the pitch across the continent with Zambia needing a penalty shootout win to ensure they can defend their crown at

next year’s finals.

It took 20 penalty kicks before the Zambians edged Uganda 9-8 after they drew 1-1 on aggregate having lost the second leg of their final round qualifier 1-0 in Kampala.

Tunisia also scraped into the finals on away goals after being held 0-0 by modest Sierra Leone at home in Monastir, following a 2-2 draw in last month’s first leg.

Morocco’s Youssef Al Arabi scored five minutes from time, after earlier missing two gilt-edged chances, to give Morocco the decisive third goal in a 4-0 win over Mozambique in Marrakesh where they overcame a 2-0 first-leg deficit.4 But the tie was clouded in controversy with the turnaround coming just after the hour mark when Morocco were awarded a soft penalty that led to Mozambique captain Miro being sent off. Ghana were first to qualify by beating Malawi 1-0 away in Lilongwe for a 30 aggregate triumph thanks to Afriyie Acquah’s debut goal. Mali went on the rampage with a 4-1 win over Botswana on the road in Lobatse to advance 7-1 on aggregate.

They were outdone by Nigeria, who thumped Liberia 6-1 in Calabar with the Chelsea pair Victor Moses (2) and John Obi Mikel (penalty) on the scoresheet.

Nigeria scored inside a minute and swamped the visitors for an 8-3 aggregate triumph.

Eight second-leg ties will be played late yesterday to complete the 15 qualifiers for the Jan. 19 to Feb. 10 tournament.—Reuters

DAKAR: Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba scores his first of two goals in Ivory Coast’s African Cup of Nations qualifying match against Senegal. —AP

Indian Strikers, Kerala Challengers win AVC, GOA Maroons, UFC & KGA share spoils KUWAIT: Four matches were held for the KIFF league for the Late JP D’Mello Rolling Trophy on Oct 12, 2012 at the MOH Sabah grounds in Shuwaikh, Kuwait.

In the first match of Group D AVCKuwait took on GOA Maroons. AVC started on a positive note and scored the opener very early when Maroons keeper spilled Braulio’s scorcher in the path of Anthony who made no mistake to put AVC ahead.

The first half was dominated by AVC and Braulio had the misfortune in seeing his two well placed shots hit the crossbar and coming out of play. The second half saw Maroons with renewed vigor and equalized through Zelito when AVC defense failed to clear their lines from a set piece. The equalizer goaded Maroons who attacked AVC and Joe brought an excellent save from Alvaro. Maroons went ahead through Albert once again from a set piece. The setback stung AVC who threw everything in their might at GOA Maroons and finally equalized through Sidney of a clever pass from Anthony.

In the final moments AVC peppered GOA Maroons citadel but the agile Costantinho under the GOA Maroons bar saved the day and was deservingly awarded the Man of the Match. The match was supervised by David at the center with Sarto Baptista and Chistopher on the lines.

The second match in Group C was between United Friends Club (UFC) and Kuwait Goan Association (KGA). Both the teams knowing that an outright win will brighten up their qualification chances went berserk for the goal. It was KGA who were more clinical in their midfield play went for the kill, but UFC defense led by Teotonio and Martin under the bar nullified their efforts. KGA were more on attacking their rivals and UFC were com-

fortable in soaking the pressure and relied on counter attacks as both the teams trooped in goalless at the lemon break.

The second half proceedings were similar to the first with neither side sounding the scoreboard. UFC goalkeeper Martin was at his superlative best with his timely aerial interventions which kept the KGA forwards at bay. After an uneventful second half without breaking the deadlock both the teams settled for a draw. Man of the Match was awarded to UFC goalkeeper Martin for his fine performance. The proceedings were conducted by Francis at the center with Liston and David on the lines. n the 3rd match of the day in Group A United Goan Center (UG) took on Indian Strikers Sports Club. Both the teams matched each other in all departments of the game. Indian strikers were more lethal and hit the cross bar three times in the first half and were unlucky not to forge ahead.

UG with their more youthful setup were mostly consigned in the midfield rather than attacking the final third. After a barren first half, Indian strikers took the lead through their hardworking striker Jagadeesh who had the hit the cross bar in the first session this time carefully guiding his shot passed the UG goalkeeper.

UG tried in vain to equalize but Indian strikers defense held firm to earn full points. Man of Match went to Jagadeesh.

The match was refereed by Nicholas in the center and Liston and Jose on the lines.

The final match of the day saw YRC Rising Stars taking on Kerala Challengers in Group B. This match saw the two powerhouses of south Indian football in KIFF. Kerala Challengers had a slight edge in the first half, but failed in the box to convert with a barren first half. The second half Kerala Challengers upped the tempo,

but Rising Stars goalkeeper was at his best thwarting numerous goal bound shots. As the match petered towards a draw, Kerala Challengers scored the all important winner in the dying minutes of the game to emerge victorious through Jamal. Man of the Match was awarded to Louisano of Rising Stars for his performance under the bar. The match was

supervised by Philip at the center with Sharma and Michael on the lines. A minute silence was observed before the start of the matches as a mark of respect for the departed soul of Mr. Santana Cardoso, father of KIFF P.R.O Mr. Julio Cardoso. The Man of the Match awards are sponsored by Integrated Logistics Company.

Matches Schedule of on 19/10/2012 f 1st Match at 6.30am

Malabar United v/s Indian Strikers

2nd Match at 8 am

SkyNet v/s Rising Stars

3rd Match at 9.15am

GOA Maroons v/s CRC Chinchinim

4th Match at 10.30am

Don Bosco Oratory v/s United Friends Club

Drogba double sparks riot in Senegal

Park rallies to win in Malaysia

19

17

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

Del Bosque faces tough choices for France clash

Page 18

YEONGAM: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel (right) of Germany leads teammate Mark Webber of Australia into turn one at the start of the Korean Formula One Grand Prix. —AP

Vettel wins Korean Grand Prix YEONGAM: A peerless Sebastian Vettel leapfrogged Fernando Alonso at the top of the world championship yesterday as the Red Bull driver led from the first corner to win the Korean Grand Prix.

With four races to go starting in India in two weeks, Vettel, the reigning champion who is chasing a third drivers’ title in a row, sits atop the standings with 215 points. Alonso, who finished third, is on 209. It was the 25-year-old German’s third win in three races and he will now be favourite to retain his crown, in what had been a highly unpredictable season until he took the championship by the scruff of the neck.

Second at a cool but sunny Yeongam was Vettel’s team-mate Mark Webber, who started on pole. It was the first Red Bull one-two of the season.

Alonso’s fellow Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, second at Suzuka seven days ago, continued

his resurgence with a fourth-placed finish.

Lewis Hamilton, who still had title aspirations going into this grand prix, finished down in 10th.

It now looks increasingly like a two-horse race for the title. Hamilton and his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, who was shunted out moments after the start of the race, admitted they were out of contention. Fifth was Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, followed by Nico Hulkenberg in a Force India. Romain Grosjean (Lotus), Jean-Eric Vergne, Daniel Ricciardo (both Toro Rosso) and Hamilton rounded out the top 10.

“Very pleased. Fantastic, I’m very happy,” Vettel told the crowd, having celebrated his 25th career victory by jumping on top of his Red Bull with his arms aloft. “It was a fantastic race. “Towards the end I felt I had a bit more in the tyres,” said Vettel, whose front-right tyre in particular was badly worn by the end. He had

been warned repeatedly by his anxious team to “look after” his tyres. He added: “I think it was a perfect day for me and the team.

“We will have to do our best to remain where we are now. We have to just keep it simple and do our job.” Alonso, also a double world champion, put a brave face on losing his lead in the standings. “I think we have to be happy with the performance today, we finished third and fourth, just behind Red Bull, that at the moment are difficult to beat,” he said. “We just need a little last step to be as competitive as Red Bull and I think it will be a beautiful last four races to the end.”

He concluded: “Today was better than expected.” Vettel, who started second on the grid behind Webber, nipped in front of his team-mate at the first corner. Behind them Alonso and Hamilton duelled over third place, with the Spaniard winning through.

Button’s bad weekend finished almost as

soon as the race began. His fine start from lowly 11th was wrecked when Kamui Kobayashi came flying down the inside, smashing into Button and destroying his suspension. “I’ve just been hit by Kobayashi. What an idiot!” the McLaren driver and 2009 world champion exclaimed over the team radio.

Also out, not long afterwards, was Nico Rosberg, who retired his Mercedes because of the same incident. The Sauber driver Kobayashi, third last week in his native Japan, was forced into the pits.

He was then landed with a drive-through penalty for causing the early carnage and bowed out soon afterwards when Sauber decided that the damage to his car was too extensive. Kobayashi later apologised to Button and Rosberg.

Vettel, the man in form after victories at the last two races in Singapore and then Japan last week, was in firm command. Webber-

Watson ends Britain’s WTA title wait in Osaka

Djokovic stuns Murray to take Shanghai title SHANGHAI: Novak Djokovic exacted revenge on Andy Murray for his US Open final defeat by saving five match points to outlast the Briton 5-7 7-6 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters title yesterday.

The resilient Serbian fought back from the brink of defeat, trailing by a set and 5-3 before staving four match points in the tiebreak to force a tense decider.

The world number two then broke Murray, winner in Shanghai for the last two years, in the seventh game and again at 5-3, prevailing on his third match point to triumph when his opponent went long. Djokovic had lost to Murray in their last two meetings, the US Open final at Flushing Meadows in September in which the Scot secured his first grand-slam triumph, and the semifinals of the Olympics in London.

“It was a thrilling match...very long - 3 1/2 hrs for best of three is quite long. But I have got used to it,” Djokovic said.

“Whenever I play Andy I know it’s going to be a gruelling fight, a lot of long rallies. It could have gone either way.

“I could not say I dominated the match because all three sets were very close and he had some match points and opportunities to finish the match. I could have easily been a runner-up today but I’m very proud of my fight.”

An extraordinary topsy-turvy first set featured seven breaks, both players gaining an advantage before handing it straight back. Djokovic led 2-0, world number three Murray 3-2 and Djokovic again at 5-4. The decisive moment came when Djokovic went wide with a fore-

hand volley to be broken for the fourth time and hand Murray a 6-5 lead.

His emotions boiling over, the angry Serb obliterated his racket with three hefty smashes before tossing it towards his chair, receiving a warning in the process.

Murray appeared to have another Shanghai title at his mercy when Djokovic fluffed his lines again and was staring at defeat at 5-3 down in the second set.

The Scot had match point on his own serve at 5-4 but a battling Djokovic dug deep, averted the danger and then seized his own chance to break back for 5-5. Like the first set, a pulsating tiebreak swung back and forth with Djokovic staving off four match points, including two at 6-4 down.

He then spurned three set points himself before finally prevailing 13-11, taking the set with a driving forehand volley.

Murray had outlasted Djokovic at the US Open in a five-set thriller, but fortunes were reversed this time in the Chinese port city with the Serb finding the greater stamina and willpower.

Sensing that his opponent was tiring, Djokovic broke to lead 4-3 in the decider, consolidated on his own serve and broke again to secure his fifth title of the season. He now leads Murray 9-7 in their head-to-head meetings.

“It was a disappointing one to lose but I’ve lost tougher matches than that before, in the biggest events, so I’m sure I’ll recover from it pretty well,” Murray said.—Reuters

intentionally or not was a buffer between the leader and the chasing pack. The Red Bull duo were exchanging fastest laps in front of a good crowd-the last two races at Yeongam have failed to attract spectators-while an improving Massa shoved a struggling Hamilton further down the field.

Third in the championship is Raikkonen, on 167 points, followed by Hamilton (153), Webber (152) and Button (131).

“I was just told by the team that we had a rear-suspension failure, but it was safe to drive so they kept me going,” said former world champion Hamilton, who also had some artificial turf caught under his car for the last portion of the race.

“It was tricky to even keep 10th place,” he added, conceding that failure to make the podium in the last three races had cost him a shot at another world title in his final season at McLaren before he moves to Mercedes.—AFP

SHANGHAI: Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the champion trophy during the award ceremony of the men’s singles match against Andy Murray of Britain at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament.—AP

TOKYO: Heather Watson became the first Briton to win a WTA singles title in 24 years after she fought back from match point down to beat Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen 7-5 5-7 7-6 in the final of the Japan Open yesterday.

The British number two succeeded where Laura Robson had failed in Guangzhou last month to become the country’s first winner on the women’s tour since Sara Gomer in 1988.

“It’s just starting to sink in,” Watson told reporters after a thrilling final in Osaka. “I’ve worked so hard for this moment.

That’s why I practiced so hard, ran all those miles, lifted all those weights - for moments like this.

“Britain has been breaking quite a few records recently,” added Watson, inspired by Andy Murray’s U.S. Open victory last month that ended a 76-year wait for a British grand slam men’s singles winner.

“I’m happy I could break another one today. I’m proud to do this for my country.” The Bollettieri-trained Watson did it the hard way, surviving four match points at 5-4 down in the third set.

Watson, ranked 71 in the world, came through a nervy tiebreak 7-4 to finally see off her 134th-ranked opponent in a tense end to the final of the $220,000 hardcourt event.

“I was already thinking how I was going to cry in the locker room,” said Watson on facing those match points. “I’m really proud of myself for getting through that.”

Before Robson and Watson the last Briton to reach a WTA final was Jo Durie at Newport in 1990 - before either player was born.

Watson had demonstrated her potential by pushing French Open champion Maria Sharapova to three sets in Tokyo last month, the Russian tipping her to be a future winner.

The 20-year-old from Guernsey, the 2009 U.S. Open girls’ champion, had never previously gone beyond the quarter-finals of a WTA event.

Chang, bidding to become the third player from Taiwan to capture a WTA title, had stunned top seed and former US Open champion Sam Stosur in the Osaka semi-finals.

Robson, ranked 56th, failed in her bid to end Britain’s barren run when she was beaten 6-3 5-7 6-4 by Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei in the final of the Guangzhou Open.

Watson later lost the doubles final with Japan’s Kimiko DateKrumm, foiling her attempt to become the first Briton to win both the singles and doubles at the same WTA event since Anne Hobbs in 1985.—Reuters

Etisalat will not exit foreign markets: CEO Page 23

Bond traders, exhausted new stars of markets Page 24

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

New top model in the Cayenne model series

China central bank focused on inflation before growth Page 25

Page 26

ABU DHABI: Cars drive past the Etihad Airways headquarters in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi yesterday. Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways announced a codesharing agreement in the first phase of what could become a broader strategic partnership, a statement said. — AFP

Easing may cause world asset bubbles: IMF TOKYO: Monetary easing in the developed world could cause overheating and asset bubbles in emerging economies, the International Monetary Fund’s managing director said in Tokyo yesterday.

“Accommodative monetary policies... could strain the capacity of those economies to absorb the potentially large flows and could lead to overheating asset price bubbles,” Christine Lagarde told the close of the IMF and World Bank’s annual meeting. Critics in emerging nations have argued that easing measures, particularly in the United States, have driven down the value of the dollar and sparked huge capital flows to spill across their borders, raising the

risk of overheating and driving up national currencies.

On Friday Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega warned that his country would take “whatever measures it deems necessary” to fight the problem. “Emerging markets can’t passively endure large and volatile capital flows and currency fluctuations caused by rich countries’ policies,” Mantega said in Tokyo.

“Advanced countries cannot count on exporting their way out of the crisis at the expense of emerging-market economies.”

Mantega added: “Currency wars will only compound the world’s economic difficulties.”

However US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke yesterday

rejected claims that central bank easing in rich countries was to blame for the huge waves of capital flowing into emerging economies. “The linkage between advanced-economy monetary policies and international capital flows is looser than is sometimes asserted,” he said in a statement.

The top US central banker added that the “beneficial effects” of the Fed’s policies in propping up the US economy-the world’s biggest and a key developingworld export market-should be given “appropriate weight”.

The Fed has maintained an ultra-low interest rate policy for several years, pumping about $2.3 trillion into the US economy to stimulate growth. Last month, the

central bank decided to inject $40 billion a month to help an economy beset by stubbornly high unemployment.

Lagarde yesterday appeared to be playing a balancing act on the effect of easing policies by central banks in Europe, Japan and the United States. “We have seen several bold initiatives by major central banks certainly that the IMF highly praises and values as major contributing factors to stability,” she said. “These are big policy actions in the right direction.

Indeed central bankers must play a significant role in pulling the global economy out of the current malaise.” But Lagarde acknowledged “there are diverging views within and across countries about

important issues including the management of capital flows.

“Disagreement might be unavoidable but we must not forget that we all have a stake in global financial stability,” Lagarde said yesterday. “Given the cross-border spillover effect of monetary policy decisions, central banks may need to step up their international dialogue and cooperation.

“It is important for us to stay at the table and work through these issues.” During the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, Malaysia adopted capital controls designed to smooth volatility and prevent money flowing out of the economy as fast as it had arrived, sparking protest among many free-market critics. —AFP

IMF meeting heralds shift away from austerity TOKYO: The curtains came down yesterday on IMF and World Bank meetings that were dominated by a gathering row over whether austerity or growth should come centre stage as the world economy seeks a reboot.

The International Monetary Fund-criticised in the past for its strict prescription of the bitter medicine of deficit cuts-used the week to articulate a moderated position emphasising growth. That brought its Managing Director Christine Lagarde into conflict with champions of austerity, in the person of German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who insisted there was “no alternative” to budgetslashing.

The dispute was the centrepiece of events in Tokyo, as they jockeyed over how strict to be on countries with runaway deficits. Lagarde caused a stir on Thursday when she said she was happy for Greece-bleeding from the spending cuts demanded by international creditors-to have two more years to meet its deficit-reduction targets. The following day, Schaeuble said there was “no alternative” to slashing bloated national balance sheets, demands to which Athens and other troubled eurozone capitals have agreed in exchange for multi-billion euro bailouts.

On Saturday both insisted they were on the same page. “We are in complete agreement with the IMF, and especially with Lagarde, that in a midterm view the reduction of too-high debt levels is completely unavoidable,” Schaeuble told reporters. As they sought to paper over the cracks, Lagarde told a separate news conference that talk of a split was over-done.

“In reality, what has been presented as disagreement is more about perception than reality,” she said.

“We all recognise that credible, medium-term fiscal adjustments are necessary in all advanced economies... (but it must) be calibrated on a country-by-country basis... it cannot be one-size-fits-all.” Calls for moderation in the pace of fiscal tightening have grown over recent months, with sometimes-violent street protests in debt-laden European countries as joblessness grows and social welfare programs are trimmed. There are also escalating fears that cuts are a drag on the global economy.

The IMF’s latest world economic growth forecast topsliced the rate of growth for the year to 3.3 percent, down from its July estimate of 3.5 percent. At a press conference at the start of the week, just after the growth estimates were announced, IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard telegraphed the apparent shift in Fund thinking. “In most countries, fiscal consolidation is proceeding according to plan, and while consolidation is needed, there is no question that it is weighing on demand and, therefore, on output,” he told reporters.

Blanchard said the IMF’s advice had always been that budget adjustments had to be made over time, to avoid shocks to the economic system.

“This has the implication that if growth turns out to be worse than expected, the country does not have to take additional fiscal measures, which could make things worse. “I think that when the case is there, we have to be ready to readjust the targets,” he said. Less tightening, more easing, then? Yes and no, said Lagarde, who in a lecture Sunday insisted the easing that was good for the developed world could cause overheating and asset bubbles in emerging economies.—AFP

LIVERPOOL: British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson leans out of the window of the driver’s cab on board a Virgin Pendolino train at Lime Street Station in Liverpool, north-west England, as he prepares to launch a Global Entrepreneurship Congress.— AFP

Abu Dhabi 2011 growth fastest in seven years ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi’s economy grew 6.8 percent in inflation-adjusted terms in 2011, the fastest rate since 2004 and more than double the pace of the previous year, thanks to stronger activity in both oil and non-oil sectors, government data showed yesterday.

“Growth in GDP at constant prices during 2011 surpassed all the forecasts and estimates made by local and international parties,” the Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi said.

The real gross domestic product of Abu Dhabi, one of seven United Arab Emirates, rose 3.0 percent in 2010.

Abu Dhabi, which accounts for most of the UAE’s crude oil output and about 65 percent of the GDP of the second largest Arab economy, released detailed inflationadjusted GDP data for the first time on Sunday. In the past, the statistics centre only published nominal GDP data. The hydrocarbon sector, which accounts for over

half of Abu Dhabi’s real GDP, soared 9.4 percent in 2011, the strongest expansion since 2004 and well up from 2.0 percent in 2010.

Growth in non-oil activities was much more moderate at 4.1 percent last year, only slightly above the 3.9 percent clip in 2010 and roughly half of the average rate over the past decade, the data also showed.

Analysts believe the UAE, the world’s No. 3 oil exporter, benefited last year when it boosted oil output to help cover a production shorfall in civil war-torn Libya, a factor which will not be repeated in 2012.

Global economic weakness is also expected to take its toll this year. As a result, Abu Dhabi’s economic growth is likely to slow to 3.9 percent this year, but should pick up in the next few years, helped by diversification away from oil, its Department of Economic Development said in September. — Reuters

Results, global cues weigh on markets MIDEAST STOCK MARKET DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s stock market declined for a second straight day yesterday as disappointment over third-quarter corporate earnings weighed. Having recorded its biggest one-day drop in over four months on Saturday, a slide of 1.8 percent, the Saudi bourse fell once more, by 0.3 percent, to a fresh 11-week low.

Concerns which sent global bourses lower at the end of last week, including expectations for weak corporate earnings in the United States and Spain’s debt problems, are combining with weak results Saudi companies to hurt investor sentiment.

“Clearly, the concerns over global growth prospects are weighing on the market,” said Julian Bruce, EFGHermes’ director of institutional equity sales. “But Saudi is looking for a couple of decent numbers from somewhere and investors are not finding them. We need someone to come up with something positive to provide support.”

Yanbu National Petrochemical Co slumped 3.4 percent, the sixth successive daily fall and the largest oneday drop since June 2. This followed Saturday’s disclosure by the firm that its third-quarter profit almost halved from last year, thanks to reduced product prices and a unit shutdown.

Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co fell 0.4 percent and Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co slipped 2.8 percent after reporting a dip in profits and a widening loss respectively.

Markets in the United Arab Emirates were also buffeted by external factors, with global cues and the previous day’s performance in Saudi dragging both exchanges lower. In Dubai, the measure slipped 0.7 percent, erasing all of the previous session’s advance, while the Abu Dhabi bourse snapped a four-session winning streak, declining 0.5 percent.

Bucking the trend was Etisalat, which rose 0.2 percent. Its CEO said on Sunday that it would not completely sell out of any of its foreign markets and that a long-awaited network-sharing deal with domestic rival du could be in place in the next three to four months.

Dubai-listed du also ended up 0.2 percent.

Egypt’s benchmark declined on the back of weekend clashes between supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, ending the day down 0.3 percent.

Liberal opponents of Morsi fought his Islamist supporters in Cairo on Friday in the first street violence between rival factions since he took office in June. The health ministry said 110 people were injured. “The first instant reaction was to sell at the open because investors feared that the market would go lower during the day,” said Mohamed Radwan at Pharos brokerage.

Radwan added that institutional buying of real estate stocks helped provide some support during the middle of the session but lingering investor worries over the clashes would be the main driver.

Kuwait’s measure rebounded from the previous session’s two-week low with a 0.2 percent increase. Qatar’s index also ended higher, gaining 0.1 percent. Industries Qatar supported, rising 1.1 percent, after the Gulf’s second-largest chemical producer by market value posted a 23.7 percent jump in third-quarter profit.

In Oman, the measure extended its decline to a third session, ending the day down 0.1 percent, while Bahrain’s bourse climbed 0.4 percent. — Reuters

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

BUSINESS

Etisalat will not exit foreign markets: CEO UAE giant still operates in 17 countries DUBAI: Etisalat, the Gulf’s No 2 telecommunications operator, will not completely sell out of any of its foreign markets, the company’s chief executive said yesterday.

The United Arab Emirates firm, which operates in about 17 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, sold a 9.1 percent stake in Indonesian mobile firm PT XL Axiata for $510 million in September, but retained a 4.2 percent holding. The Indonesian sale, which followed Etisalat’s exit from India, was seen by some analysts as part of a broad push to trim back underperforming foreign units. But chief executive Ahmad Julfar insisted on Sunday that the company would retain its current

footprint. “We are not going to exit any markets,” Julfar told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai. “We are very happy with our international operations, even Africa.”

In Africa, Etisalat owns 66 percent of Egypt’s Etisalat Misr, 40 percent of Etisalat Nigeria and 65 percent of Tanzania’s Zantel, plus Atlantique Telecom, which has mobile licences in six countries, and a majority stake in Sudan fixed line operator Canar.

In the UAE, du ended Etisalat’s domestic monopoly in 2007, with the smaller operator claiming a 46.5 percent share of the country’s mobile subscribers by the end of June this year. The two operators, both majority-

owned by government-linked institutions, are still at loggerheads over a network-sharing deal that would allow them to compete on fixed-line services.

Both offer fixed-line voice, broadband and television services but not in the same districts of the UAE, and an agreement was slated to be finalized by the end of 2011.

“It’s the commercial pricing between us and du only,” said Julfar. “That’s in discussion now. It could happen this year, it could happen next year. We have not reached commercial terms yet. It could happen in one month, but it could take three to four months also.” —Reuters

Expat wealth heads to Southeast Asia KUWAIT: Southeast Asia has come to the fore as a leading destination for expat earning potential according to the latest findings from HSBC Expat’s Expat Explorer survey. The largest global survey of expats shows that Singapore this year tops the Expat Explorer Economics league table, which ranks countries based on a number of factors such as earning levels, disposable income and ability to accumulate luxuries. Four additional countries in the region also make the top ten, including Thailand (3rd), Hong Kong (4th), China (7th) and Vietnam (10th).

In the midst of wider global turmoil, expats in Southeast Asia continue to benefit from increased earnings with Singapore holding the largest proportion of wealthy expats of any country. More than half (54%) of Singapore-based expats who took part in the Expat Explorer survey earn more than $200,000 per year, compared to a global survey average of only 7%.

Furthermore, four in five (80%) expats in Singapore saw an increase in their disposable income since relocating. This trend for increased earnings is mirrored across other Asian countries, with expats in Hong Kong (79%), Malaysia (72%) and China (69%) benefitting from an increase in disposable income since moving to the country.

The annual Expat Explorer survey, now in its 5th year, is the largest global survey of expats. HSBC Expat’s Expat Explorer surveyed 5,339 expats from nearly 100 countries worldwide; making it the largest ever sample to date. The findings reflect the views of survey respondents living and working abroad.

Commenting on the findings, Dean Blackburn, Head of HSBC Expat says: “The Expat Explorer survey provides a wealth of information and is a valuable resource for the expat community, especially for those looking at trends in the migration of expat earning potential from country to country. While Southeast Asia has historically been a popular choice for those looking for increased quality of life, we’re also seeing a steady increase in the levels of expat wealth heading to the region.

These two factors combined indicate that the region is fast becoming an all-round top expat destination.”

Despite strong outlook, many Middle Eastern expats only plan a short term stay Expats in the Middle East show higher levels of satisfaction in the state of their economy (Oman, 90% satisfied; Qatar, 89%; Saudi Arabia, 83%; UAE, 77% and Kuwait 68%) than expats globally (59%) and many have reported being better off financially. Roughly two-thirds of expats in Qatar (67%), Bahrain (66%), and Oman (65%) have reported higher disposable income since relocating to their current country, compared with only 52% of expats globally.

Despite the positive outlook, many expats are actively looking to leave the region. Roughly one third of expats in Saudi Arabia (34%), Qatar (30%) and Oman (29%) are actively looking to leave their current country for either another posting or to return to their home country, compared to just over one in ten (13%) globally.

However, the desire to leave doesn’t seem to indicate that expats are unhappy in their current posting.

Instead, the survey shows that many expats who head to the region retain a much stronger affiliation with their home country than expats in general (Qatar, 90% identify strongly with their home country; Saudi Arabia, 90%; UAE, 88%; Bahrain, 87% and Oman, 77%). This suggests that many expats always intended to move to the region for a set period of time, potentially to take advantage of the higher income available, before moving elsewhere or back to their home country. European expats are willing to weather the euro-zone storm.

Expats across Europe have reported feeling the impact of the euro-zone storm but those in Spain are feeling the effects most acutely. Spain-based expats are twice as likely (39%) to feel that their country is off on the wrong track than the global average (19%) and more than half (58%) report that the country they are residing in is getting worse for expats.

Although not quite as pronounced as Spain, the sentiment that the country is economically getting worse as a place to live and work for expats is echoed across other European nations including the UK (44%), Netherlands (43%) and France (33%).

Satisfaction with the euro-zone economies is similarly bleak. While those in Spain are most likely to report dissatisfaction with the current state of the economy (92%), expats in the UK (68%) and France (48%) are also more likely to be unhappy with the current state of the local economy than satisfied.

Despite the pessimism towards the current economic environment, expats in Europe are proving resilient to wider euro-zone woes. While more than one in ten (13%) expats globally are actively looking to leave their current country, no expats (0%) in Spain are actively looking to leave and three-quarters (74%) are intending to stay. UK- and Francebased expats exhibit similar figures with 71% and 69% respectively intending to stay put (compared to a global average of 62%).

PATTENSEN: A farmer drives a tractor through a field as the sun sets near the northern German town of Pattensen yesterday. — AFP

Next six months critical to quell crisis: IMF official TOKYO: Meetings of global financial chiefs over the weekend ended with a clearer picture of what Europe, the United States and emerging countries need to do to prevent a deep downturn in the world economy, a senior IMF official said yesterday.

IMF Deputy Managing Director Nemat “Minouche” Shafik told Reuters the next six months were critical for governments to act. “The challenge now is the politics of implementation,” Shafik said in an interview. “That is the same challenge in Europe, in the US and in emerging markets.”

The meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank sounded a clear warning that world growth was slowing under the weight of substantial economic uncertainties.

The uncertainty stems from how quickly European leaders will act to authorize a bond-buying scheme by European Central Bank and whether the United States will overcome political divides to avoid a “fiscal cliff” of higher taxes and deep government spending cuts at the start of next year.

The coming 12 months are also rife with political questions whose answers will determine whether economic commitments to address the crisis will be kept. Germany goes to the polls next year, while US presidential elections and a once-a-decade leadership change in China are weeks away. European Parliament elections take place in June 2014.

“There are political windows of opportunity in every country at some point of time,” Shafik said. “Because we know what needs to be done, when those political windows of opportunity open, policymakers need to jump through them very quickly and have those measures ready.”

For now, countries have a clearer understanding of each others’ constraints and policy steps each of them need to take. “There is a consensus over what is needed in terms of the ingredients of a solution to the euro-zone, which are all on the table. What needs to happen in the US is clear.

“The emerging market story is more complicated, because what needs to happen in China is different than what needs to happen in Brazil and India,” she said. Shafik said the IMF had a vital role to play to ensure that countries implement pledges. The IMF has produced a policy to-do list for member countries and for itself over the next six months.

“For us it is about collective accountability,” she said.

The weekend was dominated by remarks by IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, who argued that debtburdened countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal needed more time to meet deficit-cutting goals. While the IMF has advocated this for some time, Lagarde struck a more forceful message about the dangers of reducing deficits too quickly, especially in countries struggling with sluggish growth.

Europe’s paymaster, Germany, however, warned against actions in the euro zone that could undermine credibility of deficit-cutting steps. The IMF’s message stems from research released last week showing that aggressive fiscal consolidation crimps growth more sharply than previously thought. “It is our job to speak the inconvenient truths when they need to be spoken and put the numbers on the table and make objective recommendations as to what needs to be done,” Shafik said. “We are not always listened to but if we bang on enough sometimes that moves things, so we do have a role to play.” — Reuters

COMMODITIES WEEKLY UPDATE

Weak fundamentals create headwinds

By Ole Hansen

I

n this commodity update we combine our thoughts from the quarterly outlook, which was released this week, with an up to date look at events and performances over the past week.

The DJ-UBS commodity index has been trading slightly weaker over the last week and is currently showing a year-to-date performance of just 5 percent. Gains in the energy sector, primarily gas oil, Brent crude and natural gas was off-set by losses in the two other sectors, especially agriculture while metals also saw some losses as the dollar regained some ground and the S&P 500 index dropped to pre QE3 announcement levels. Within the agriculture sector sugar and Arabica coffee prices were hurt the most, both on supply friendly news.

Into the fourth quarter we think the impact of the latest round of quantitative easing will fade and the dollar should find some support which in turn will create some headwinds for the commodity sector as a whole. We continue to favour gold as raised inflation expectations and low official US rates until 2015 will keep the real rate of return on fixed income investment entrenched in negative territory.

Energy prices, which had another attempt to the upside in Q3, once again found lack of support from sluggish economic fundamentals and lower to flat prices followed. Increased production and the eventual removal of bottlenecks following refinery turnarounds should ensure a subdued price action into Q4 barring any geopolitical upheaval.

Oil range-bound Global oil demand growth is expected to be subdued in the coming quarters as continued growth in demand from emerging economies will almost be off-set by declining demand from OECD countries. This should help keep the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for crude oil, range-bound during the final quarter of 2012, especially after the latest liquidity aid from central banks failed to ignite a market rally which had been witnessed on previous occasions. With three quarters of the year gone Brent crude has been averaging 112 dollars per barrel. We expect the full year to be closer to 110 dollars and based on that assumption expects Brent crude to spend most of the final quarter between 105 and 110 dollars per barrel.

Price pressure exists W TI crude’s discount to Brent remains elevated and has reached 23.50 dollars per barrel, the highest level since October 2011. The reasons behind the latest move are several; low demand for WTI following a few US refinery outages combined with

high domestic production has kept WTI under pressure. Brent crude oil meanwhile have witnessed fewer than expected shipments leaving the North Sea following delays in the resumption of production following maintenance together with on-going geopolitical tensions in Middle East, increased this week with the stand-off between Syria and Turkey which is putting Iraqi flows at risk.

Natural gas Natural gas continues to find support as coal to gas switching has helped reduce the supply glut in US underground storage facilities. A major spike however is not expected as this could result in the switch to be rolled back, given current depressed global coal prices.

The extraction season, when demand exceeds supply, is slowly approaching and near-term forecast for lower than normal temperatures have seen natural gas maintain support around 3.44 USD/mmbtu being the 50 percent retracement of the 2011 to 2012 selloff. Peak winter demand prices in February are already trading close to 4 dollars and further upside from that level will create some friction given the price sensitive relation between coal and natural gas. A cold snap as opposed to the very mild winter witnessed last year would however lend support as inventories would shrink even further.

Precious metals Gold investments through Exchange Traded Funds reached a new record during the week with more than 200 tons added since the rally resumed in mid-August once the price moved above 1,625 USD/oz. Hedge funds and other leveraged investors only joined in following the break above that level but have since then added 380 tonnes. Physical demand from China and India, the two major buyers, has been subdued but a pickup has been witnessed over the last couple of weeks while central bank buying, especially from emerging economies, is expected to reach a new record in 2012.

All in all we continue to see further upside potential for gold and to a lesser degree silver as reduced demand from industrial users increases the pressure on financial investors to keep the supply surplus down. With the open ended nature of quantitative easing, part three, we see the potential for gold reaching the 2011 high at 1,921 USD/oz during December following an initial period of consolidating as USD 1,800 offers strong resistance. Into 2013 the rally may eventually take us up and above the physiological barrier of 2,000 before reaching a technical target of USD 2,075. The absolute line in the sand below is now USD 1,500 but we expect technical support at the 200-day moving average, currently at USD 1,659, will hold off any downside attempts.

Islamic Development Bank places $500m sukuk DUBAI: Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) issued a $500 million five-year Islamic bond, or sukuk, earlier this month, in a rare example of a privately-placed transaction from the supranational institution.

The deal was priced at 30 basis points (bps) over the three-month London interbank offered rate (Libor), according to market data, and was issued as part of the bank’s $6.5 billion sukuk program.

The sukuk was placed with a small group of investors following an initial reverse enquiry - where an investor approaches the issuer with a request to buy some of its debt - according to a source familiar with the deal. The size of the private placement, at $500 million, is much larger than usually seen in the Middle Eastern debt markets, indicating strong demand for the paper.

Credit Agricole was the sole arranger of the deal. “It’s good to see an increasing number of credit quality investors showing interest in completing private

placements with IDB,” Hasan Demirhan, director of Treasury at IDB, said in a statement issued by Credit Agricole yesterday.

AAA-rated IDB usually printing one public transaction a year. It last tapped the market in June, issuing an $800 million five-year sukuk which priced at 40 bps over midswaps. The sukuk was trading slightly below par on Saturday, to yield 1.4 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data, versus the profit rate of 1.357 percent at issue.

IDB is looking to increase the number of sukuk it sells, partly to raise its profile among investors and secure similar pricing levels to other development banks which can borrow at much lower rates, the source said.

IDB provides project financing, loans and technical assistance for development schemes as well as establishing and managing special funds and trust funds in accordance with sharia principles. — Reuters

Iran gas flow to Turkey resumes after blast

STOCKHOLM: An aerial view on Strandvagen, the most expensive street in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish and Norwegian banks say they have seen an influx of foreign investors looking for a safe haven from the turmoil of the troubled euro— zone. —AFP

ANKARA: The gas flow on a pipeline carrying Iranian natural gas to Turkey resumed yesterday, almost a week after it was halted by an explosion in eastern Turkey, Turkey’s energy minister said. “ The Turkey to Iran natural gas pipeline just started to pump this morning,” Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told Reuters. “Turkey is currently getting natural gas from Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan and we did not have any supply problems,” he said.

The blast last Monday occurred in the area of Dogubayazit, a town in Agri province near the Iranian border, Turkish

energy officials said. The cause was not clear.

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has claimed responsibility for repeated attacks on pipelines in Turkey in its 28-year-old armed campaign against the Turkish state which has claimed more than 40,000 lives. Flows have also been halted several times on the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline carrying crude oil from Iraq to Turkey in recent months due to suspected sabotage blamed on the PKK, deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. — Reuters

24

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

business

CB liquidity battles poor global economic data ECB MONEY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Over the past couple of weeks, markets attention has been divided over major global subjects. Indeed, after the impressive equity markets rally we witnessed over the past couple of months, investors sentiments have turned slightly negative and participants have started to worry about global markets for several reasons. The US earning season has just took off and is causing investors’ uncertainty, the IMF has just cut its projection for global growth, while Japan and China tensions continue to weight on Asian markets and threaten to create a trade disruption between both countries.

In Europe, the never-ending crisis is casting doubt over the Spanish situation and investors are still wondering whether Spain will request assistance from the Euro Zone. While Spanish yields continue to fall, S&P credit rating agency cut the rating on Spanish bonds to BBB- while retaining its investment grade status. In the Middle East, geopolitical tensions surrounding Turkey, Syria and Iran have pushed oil prices to high levels, which in turn have a potential negative effect on markets sentiments.

Although investors remain hesitant over the global market situation, currency investors appear reluctant to fight the endless liquidity injection from major central banks and continue to sell the US Dollar against a basket of major currencies After starting the week over the 1.30 level, Euro broke down to reach a low of 1.2826 after Spain’s ratings downgrade. However, positive risk sentiment by the end of the week pushed the currency higher to end the week at 1.2951.

The Sterling Pound had a similar performance starting the week above the 1.61 level, reaching a low of 1.5977.

The currency ended the week back above the 1.60 level.

On the Asian side, the Japanese cabinet office cut their assessment of the economy for the third month in a row, and Moody’s rating agency noted that the Japanese political stalemate raised concerns over the country’s

debt outlook. Additionally, Japan Prime Minister mentioned that the Yen strength was out of step with the state of the Japanese economy. The Yen closed the week on the weaker side at 78.45 On the commodity side, the Turkish parliament voted last week to give the prime minister the authority to launch war against Syria as a precautionary move in case Syria’s attacks against Turkish territory took a new twist.

Commodity prices reacted quickly to the upside with Brent oil prices closing the week at 115$.

Modest Growth The US Federal Reserve’s Beige Book report released this week said that consumer spending had grown flat but the overall recovery was advancing modestly. Several Districts continued to report shortages of highly skilled workers, but otherwise wage pressures remained modest. A number of Districts characterized retail sales as expanding at a modest pace. On the other hand, residential real estate conditions improved since the last report.

Most Districts reported strengthening in existing home sales, while prices were described as steady to increasing.

Conditions in the manufacturing sector were mixed but, on balance, somewhat improved since the last report. Overall loan demand was steady to stronger in most Districts and credit standards were little changed since the last report.

In a speech given this week in Pennsylvania, Charles Plosser, president of the Philadelphia Fed said keeping the federal funds rate so low for so long “would risk destabilizing inflation expectations and lead to an unwanted” rise in inflation. Criticism over the Fed intention to keep interest rates ultra low for another three more years in order to spur growth and cut the jobless rate at the expense of a potentially higher inflation, has caused many investors to put the credibility of the Fed at risk.

Jobless Claims US Jobless claims data released on Thursday came at 339k, the lowest level in more than four years. Indeed, the labor department said that applications fell by 30k.

Although the number seems to give a positive signal to the market, a labor department spokesperson cautioned that one large state accounted for much of the decline, a fact that disappointed investors that were hoping the job market has finally started to turn around. The data also follows last weeks’ news where the US economy added 114k jobs in September. The break down revealed that 582k jobs were part-time highlighting that employers remain cautious over the outlook for the US economy Europe & UK One of the top ECB members, Christian Noyer mentioned that Greece debt restructuring remained a “unique case” and “there would not be another restructuring in the Euro zone.” Noyer also said the ECB wanted to “eradicate fear” that other countries will restructure their debt.

After a big plunge in his popularity due to the severe austerity imposed in the country, Italy Mario Monti’s government unexpectedly cut the income tax rates for the country’s lowest earners and promised to stick to the budget goals it has agreed with the European Union. The government said it would also halve a planned increase in sales tax rates to a single one percent.

On the positive front as well, Italy was able to sell 3.75bn Euro of its benchmark 3-year bond this week, meeting the target allocation amount. The average yield rose to 2.86%, more than the 2.75% reported in the previous month.

The bid to cover ratio was stronger than the previous month, at 1.67 versus 1.49 in September S&P Downgrades Spain by Two notches to BBB- S&P downgraded Spain by two notches to BBB-, just at the edge of investment grade rating. S&P also retained the negative

outlook on the sovereign rating. The agency cited concerns over growth and fiscal picture along with policy actions (from both Spain as well as uncertainty over the European response) as the reasons for the downgrade.

Spain however retains an investment grade rating from all three rating agencies with Moody’s at Baa3 and Fitch at BBB. In terms of market impact, the downgrade is clearly negative for Spain, however, the market have been more focused on Moody’s, which is potentially due to review the country’s rating by month end.

Basel Banking Rules In an effort to alleviate the pressure on its banking system, newspapers reported that the European commission is urging legislators to postpone their demands for detailed rules on bank liquidity. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has also criticized the proposed standard, saying it discourages banks from lending to each other. The new rules would require banks to hold enough easy-to-sell assets to survive a 30-day funding squeeze.

Bank of England Divided over an additional round of Quantitative Easing In the UK, the Bank of England policymaker Martin Weale said that another round of quantitative easing may not be ‘compatible’ with the Bank of England’s inflation target, and does not provide a definite answer to boost Britain’s economy, in an interview with a British newspaper. ‘It is certainly not self-evident to me in light of the apparent stickiness of inflation that substantial extra support for the economy would be compatible with the inflation target,’ he said.

Kuwait Kuwaiti Dinar at 0.28090 The USDKWD opened at 0.28090 yesterday morning.

Bond traders, exhausted new stars of financial markets LONDON: Three years of crisis in the euro0zone have thrust the once-sleepy government debt market into the public spotlight and transformed the way bonds are viewed, valued and traded.

Huge debts run up by governments since the euro’s creation in 1999 have turned the bond market, which financed a decade of fiscal excess using its huge pool of faithful investors, into an arbiter of economic policy capable of fracturing the euro-zone. With those investors now far choosier, once arcane movements in bond yields have become the main indicator of the euro zone crisis and the borrowing costs of struggling countries such as Spain determine whether they have to be bailed out.

As a result, government bond traders have emerged from the shadow of the credit market, where private debt is raised and traded. This market had generated huge profits and drawn all the dealing room kudos over the previous decade due to a boom in complex, mortgage-based debt instruments - the very business that led global markets into the abyss.

“We’re no longer seen as second class citizens when compared to credit.

We’re as much at the forefront of helping clients successfully navigate one of the toughest markets in a generation,” said Carl Norrey, head of rates securities at JP Morgan in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, who oversees the bank’s government bond trading. The challenge is that investors now believe wealthy nations countries can default on debt, just like home owners and firms. That shift began when a new Greek government revealed the disastrous state of its public finances in 2009, forcing investors and traders to rip up their assumption that bonds sold by any euro-zone country were of roughly similar quality and risk free.

In the chain reaction witnessed since then, Greece has effectively defaulted on its debt, investors have

abandoned Ireland and Portugal and, despite a series of previously unthinkable central bank measures, Spain is teetering on the brink of becoming the bloc’s next state to seek a bailout.

As a result, the gap between the highest and lowest yielding euro zone government bonds - those of Germany and Greece -has widened to 17 percentage points from only a quarter of a percentage point five years ago.

Traders can therefore no longer rely on making money by dealing large volumes of low-commission trades that capitalize on small pricing distortions.

To survive at an investment bank these days, once specialized bond traders need much broader knowledge of the countries on which they concentrate, ranging from government and private debt to day-to-day political developments. This is particularly the case for nations on the euro zone’s “periphery” such as Greece and now Spain.

Morgan Stanley merged its peripheral government bond and credit trading units in 2011 to adapt to these changes, said Angelie Moledina, who co-heads rates and government bonds trading at Morgan Stanley in London.

At JPMorgan’s London offices, traders have switched from specializing in all euro-zone bonds with a particular maturity to become experts in all debt issued by a single country.

How traders work has also changed.

Deals must be carefully timed to get the best price from volatile markets, where there are fewer buyers and sellers than half a decade ago.

Before the crisis erupted, money was made or lost on moves of one hundredth of a percentage point - one basis point - or less. Now, much larger swings happen daily and government bond dealers have to seek calm outside work, as their colleagues on traditionally more volatile markets have long had to do. “Three years ago, a 10 basis point move was quite stressful.

Now it becomes a fact of life - you

adjust your positions accordingly and learn to live with it,” said Guillaume Amblard, global head of fixed income trading at BNP Paribas. “At the end of the day you need to find ways outside of work to keep zen.”

That can be hard when prices are more sensitive to political announcements at any time of day or night than to the scheduled economic data which once chiefly moved the market.

For example, Italian bond yields fell almost a full percentage point on Dec. 5 last year after the government in Rome announced sweeping budget reforms, only to rebound fully in the next three days because expectations that the European Central Bank would buy its bonds subsided.

Traders typically sit behind banks of six to eight screens juggling price watching with scanning for market moving news.

One trader at a European bank, who declined to be named, said he monitors feeds from five different news agencies as well as continuously checking websites and social media feed Twitter.

This is a far cry from the days before the crisis when lunches sometimes stretched long into the afternoon and traders left the office minutes after markets shut, virtually switching off from news headlines until the next day.

Bigger price moves can mean bigger profits, but can also inflict huge losses which devastate investors’ portfolios. This has prompted many investors to quit the worst-hit euro zone bond markets and changed the way traders work. The fewer buyers and sellers there are, the less liquid the bond market becomes.

This exaggerates price swings and forces traders to break up big single trades into smaller amounts that will be bought or sold gradually during the course of a whole day to avoid moving prices, rather than with a single click or phone call.— Reuters

Virgin Money weighs bid for 316 RBS branches LONDON: Richard Branson’s Virgin Money is mulling a bid for 316 branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday, after the collapse of a deal to sell them to Spanish giant Santander. Virgin Money, which bought the remains of Northern Rock bank last year, is “re-examining the potential for a bid” for the RBS outlets, the source told AFP. The Sunday Telegraph meanwhile reported that buyout firm NBNK was also having a look at the RBS division. Santander on Friday pulled out of a £1.65-billion ($2.65billion, 2.05-billion-euro) deal to buy the 316 outlets from Royal Bank of Scotland, in a heavy blow to the state -rescued British lender.

Santander argued that it did not believe the banks could meet a deadline of February 2013, extended from the end of 2011, to complete a sale that was ordered by the European Commission in 2010.

Virgin Money had lost out to Santander in the original auction for the RBS branches in a sales process

that comprised five bidders.

Edinburgh-based RBS was required to reduce its branch network as part of EC penalties after it received a vast £45.5-billion bailout at the height of the global financial

crisis. It faces a deadline of the end of 2013 to complete a sale. RBS, which is now 81 percent taxpayerowned, has axed around 35,000 jobs since it came under state control in 2008. — AFP

HERAT: Afghan dealers exchange currency at a money market in Herat yesterday. With NATO combat troops due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, there are fears of a consequent meltdown in the graft-plagued economy. — AFP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

business

Bernanke: Fed policies to help emerging markets WASHINGTON: Chairman Ben Bernanke is rejecting arguments that the Federal Reserve’s bold moves to bolster US job growth could have unwanted consequences in emerging market countries.

In a speech yesterday, Bernanke disagreed with criticism that the Fed’s efforts to drive US interest rates lower could result in higher inflation in emerging markets or trigger a destabilizing flood of investment money into those nations.

In fact, he said, the efforts of the Fed and the central banks of other industrial countries should benefit the global economy by boosting growth and providing stronger markets for the goods of developing nations. Bernanke’s speech in Tokyo was at a conference sponsored

by the Bank of Japan and the International Monetary Fund.

At its September meeting, the Fed announced it was launching a program to buy $40 billion each month in mortgage-backed securities as a way to drive interest rates lower and give a boost to the housing market. Increased home sales could help spur hiring and accelerate economic growth.

The Fed also extended its time frame for keeping rates low to at least mid2015 and said rates would remain low even after the US economy begins growing at a stronger pace. That effort will continue until it sees substantial gains in the US job market, the Fed said.

In his speech, Bernanke said the Fed’s effort “not only helps strengthen the US

economic recovery, but by boosting US spending and growth, it has the effect of helping support the global economy as well.”

Some foreign officials have been critical of the Fed’s policy, arguing that extraordinarily low US interest rates will end up giving the United States trade advantages by weakening the value of the US dollar. A cheaper dollar makes US goods less expensive in other countries.

But Bernanke said that the dollar’s value against the currencies of emerging market economies has changed little during the Fed’s prolonged period of credit easing in the United States.

Bernanke also disputed criticism that low interest rates in the United States and other industrial nations were con-

tributing to destabilizing investment flows to emerging economies that could make inflation worse in those nations.

He said he doesn’t believe that interestrate polices at the Fed and other developed nations necessarily dictate capital flows. And Bernanke said there are a number of ways that developing nations can control these investment flows to prevent asset bubbles or higher inflation.

For instance, a nation could allow the value of its currency to rise as foreign capital flows in. But Bernanke said that some emerging market economies have chosen to keep the value of their currencies low to gain trade advantages. He didn’t name any country in his speech, but US manufacturers contend that

China is manipulating its currency to keep its value low against the dollar to boost its exports and make American goods more expensive in China.

Bernanke said, “The perceived advantages of undervaluation and the problem of unwanted capital inflows must be understood as a package - you can’t have one without the other.”

The Fed isn’t expected to announce any major moves when it next meets on Oct. 23-24. Most analysts believe the central bank prefers to wait and monitor the impact of the September actions.

Bernanke was in Tokyo to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Copies of his speech were distributed in Washington. —AP

China central bank: focused on inflation before growth Western call to push growth spurned

BHUBANESWAR: A general view of the entrance to The Vedanta aluminum refinery at Lanjigarh, some 420 kilometers south-west of Bhubaneswar in the foothills of Niyamgiri hills in Orissa’s Kalahandi district where British mining giant Vedanta Aluminum Limited (VAL) has set up a refinery. — AFP

Greece under pressure to bolster cuts: Official ATHENS: Greece was under pressure from international creditors to beef up a controversial austerity package in return for loan relief, officials said as Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said a deal was in sight. Samaras told Kathimerini daily on Sunday that the cuts could be approved by parliament “in a matter of days” after a European summit on October 18 that will discuss Greece’s economic situation.

He added that by October 18, his government and a mission of EU-IMF auditors “will have fully concluded an agreement on fiscal and structural prior actions” required to release 31.5 billion euros ($41 billion) in loans pending since June. Greece has been in negotiations with the so-called ‘troika’ of creditors-the EU, IMF and the European Central Bankfor the last three months.

The government thought that a new austerity package worth 7.8 billion euros ($10 billion) this year would be enough to unblock the loans. But the troika are now demanding 9.2 billion euros in savings according to the finance ministry.

“We say 7.8 billion euros, they say 9.2 billion. We have to converge,” a finance ministry source said after talks with the auditor mission on Saturday. The EU-IMF auditors say a greater-than-foreseen recession will undermine the government’s forecasts, as will the need to support a new state health organization that is deeply in debt. And still, the effort seems in vain.

Despite attempts to trim it through a

write-down, Greece’s debt is expected to increase from 169.5 percent of output in 2012 to 179.3 percent in 2013 according to next year’s draft budget.

Athens has committed to cutting its debt levels to 120 percent of output by 2020. Instead, the ECB and the IMF believe that Greece’s debt will be some 140 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020 while the European Commission is more optimistic, seeing a level of 128 percent, German magazine Der Spiegel reported yesterday.

Greece is seeking a two-year extension from its creditors in order to apply the cuts and reforms, a breather the IMF is prepared to grant but which some euro-zone states say will require more money for struggling Athens. The government has so far calculated an austerity effort of 13.5 billion euros in 20132014.

“But if an extension is not granted, measures worth 18.5 billion euros would be necessary,” a Greek finance ministry source said. Spreading out the reforms over four years to 2016 would increase the bill for Greece’s creditors by some 30 billion euros, Spiegel said, without citing sources. Athens counters that the figure is closer to 12 billion euros. Greek ministers have argued that this sum could be saved if the European Central Bank agreed to roll over Greek bonds in its possession, or to lower interest rates on them. But the ECB has dismissed the idea as monetary financing of states that is forbidden under its charter. —AFP

TOKYO: China’s deputy chief central banker said yesterday his top priority is to control inflation, despite calls by developed economies to ramp up consumer demand and domestic pressure to chase growth. “The first thing... is (to) control inflation is our number-one job. As a central banker, we have to control inflation,” Yi Gang, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China told delegates to the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Tokyo.

Yi stepped in to deliver the speech when his boss, bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan pulled out. He and Finance Minister Xie Xuren stayed away as part of what obser vers said was a protest over a territorial row with Japan. “Leaders of local governments are eager to develop the economy in their regions. So everybody is enthusiastic about development and they want investment, they want to have FDI (foreign direct investment).

“Desire for higher growth is all over the country,” he said. “As a central banker, you have to constantly remind the whole country, the central government as

well as local governments... (of ) the danger of inflation.” Yi argued that the value of the yuan was “close to the equilibrium rate” set by the market, with Beijing authorities refraining from direct intervention in recent quarters.

Critics argue China keeps its currency artificially low to give its exports a competitive edge.

Yi said China has to reform its ways “gradually” as it opens its economy to market-oriented principals. When asked the scope of the next round of stimulus, Yi only said: “large enough to stabilize growth, but not too large to cause further negative impact, problems.” Yi added that China was not promoting internationalisation of the yuan, also known as renminbi, but has liberalised its use for the market.

“I think the central bank’s, or my attitude, is that internationalisation of renminbi is entirely market-driven phenomenon,” he said.

“In the past, China restricted using renminbi. That’s not fair.

What the central bank did was to remove barriers for using renminbi.” “If our trade partners and investment partners like using renminbi, why not?” — AFP

TOKYO: Yi Gang, Bank of China Deputy Governor, gestures after delivering a speech at a seminar at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group annual meeting in Tokyo yesterday. —AFP

Failed EADS-BAE merger A dream lost in political translation PARIS: The merger was meant to be unprecedented but the attempts to tie up European aerospace group EADS and Britain’s BAE Systems last week to create the biggest aerospace and defense group in the world got mired in the quicksand of politics and eventually failed. For those from the British armsmaker and the parent company of the Airbus passenger jet, who for months worked on the mega-merger, the dream stopped short Wednesday when both groups scuppered further talks over irreconcilable differences between the leaders of Britain, France and Germany.

London holds a golden share in BAE Systems and wants to keep the defense company ’s special relationship with the US Pentagon by limiting government funds in the new giant’s capital.

Paris, on the other hand, holds 15 percent of EADS shares which would have shrunk to nine percent in the merger. And Germany already had plans to buy 7.5 percent of the stocks held by carmaker Daimler and insisted on a parity of power with France.

A compromise solution between France and Britain had been found but in the end Berlin’s fears that German plants which contribute to the Eurofighter aircraft would have been sidelined by BAE Systems. EADS execu-

tives point out that Germany never explained why it dropped the blockbuster tie-up.

During talks, they said, Germany called for the new company to be headquartered in Germany when EADS chief executive Tom Enders had already decided on Toulouse, southern France.

“I’m ready to admit that we never expected to face such opposition against the deal, in particular not in Berlin,” Enders said in a letter to employees. As soon as plans to create the biggest aerospace group in the world-drawn up in spring and with an agreement in principle by the three governments involved in July-were revealed by the press in midSeptember, comments coming from Berlin were anything but positive.

“It is questionable whether the proposed structure can actually be agreed to,” DPA news agency said citing German government sources.

In spite of these “serious reservations”, France said it would coordinate its position with Germany but in fact failed to overcome German misgivings, said a source close to the talks. Peter Hintze, an old friend of Enders’ who is government coordinator of German aerospace policy, campaigned against the merger, raising fears of job losses as state and national elections loom in Germany. EADS on

the other hand explained that a merger with BAE Systems would open up new markets. An analyst in Berlin meanwhile pointed to the little interest shown by Chancellor Angela Merkel. “We have a policy for the auto industry but not for the defence industry, the government doesn’t care,” said Christian Moelling of Germany’s Foundation for Science and Politics think tank.

Whatever the reasons for the failed tie-up, Germany must live with the industrial and diplomatic repercussions.

And German media fear that EADS will lose incentive to a promise to keep jobs in the military sector. Since Berlin seems to want enter EADS’ capital, “we will have to rediscuss the shareholders’ agreement”, said a French government source.

“We don’t mind reopening talks but if they expect anything we will have to see what’s in it for us.”

For Enders, the merger would also have been an opportunity to do away with the shareholders’ agreement which hampers company strategy.

At EADS some even wonder whether matters could have turned out differently had Enders not had a sports accident in late August, keeping him from pleading his cause with Merkel during her trip to China. —AFP

Emerging nations impatient on stalled IMF reforms

ATHENS: European Central Bank representative Klaus Masuch (2nd L) arrives at the finance ministry in Athens for a meeting with the Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras yesterday.—AFP

German FM says Greece will not default SINGAPORE: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said yesterday that Greece would not default, but warned that if Athens did exit the euro-zone it would be damaging not only for the zone as a whole but also Greece.

“I think, it will not happen that there will be a state bankrupt in Greece”, Schaeuble said at a meeting with business leaders in Singapore. “Greece has to take a lot of very serious reforms and this will harm. Everyone is trusting that the Greek government is doing what is necessary.”

Greece is locked in talks with the European Union, European Central Bank

and International Monetary Fund on a new set of spending cuts and reforms in exchange for the next tranche of loans saving the debt-crippled country from bankruptcy. Greece expects to agree a new austerity package with its lenders and for the EU and IMF to bridge their differences on how to cut the country’s debt by the time EU leaders meet on Oct. 18-19, says Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

“We do not see that there is any sense to speculate on Greece leaving the Euro”, Schaeuble said. “That would be very damaging for Greece and the euro.” — Reuters

TOKYO: Discontent simmered among fast-growing economies like China and Brazil which seek a bigger voice at the IMF as the last-resort lender wrapped up annual talks dominated by Europe’s debt crisis.

The talks had originally been expected to see the passage of key reforms that would give such nations a greater say at the International Monetary Fund, historically controlled by the US and Europe.

But final approval for the changes, which shuffle the Fund’s voting rights formula, is stalled in the US Congress with little movement expected before presidential elections next month.

Critics have warned that the changes are crucial to reflect the new face of a world economy dependent on emerging nations for growth, as some countries voiced growing impatience with the pace of change at the 188member Fund. Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega charged that the reputation and relevance

of the IMF-founded towards the end of World War II to help nations rebuild their shattered economies-was on the line.

“Resistance to reform undermines efforts to transform the IMF into a truly multilateral and representative organization,” he said in Tokyo. China, now the world’s second-largest economy and a potential key beneficiary of the reforms, issued its own diplomatic nudge to Washington.

“To safeguard the IMF’s legitimacy and effectiveness, we call on member countries to conclude the 2010 quota and governance reforms by completing the domestic approval process,” Yi Gang, deputy governor of China’s central bank, said in a statement.

The reforms, which must be approved by 113 countries that represent 85 percent of IMF voting rights, cannot come into force without suppor t from the US, which accounts for nearly 17 percent of votes at the Fund. The Group of 24 — including nations from South America, Africa and

South Asia-said the shuffle would “better reflect the growing role of (emerging nations)...in the global economy, while enhancing the voice and representation of poor and small low-and middle income countries”.

Meanwhile, the so - called BRICS nations-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa-have been studying the feasibility of a new development bank for themselves and other developing nations.

The idea has been endorsed by the top economist at the World Bank-which also held its annual meeting in Tok yo this week-who said enormous growth in the world economy has left room for such an institution. “ The idea is not a bank for BRICS, but BRICS taking the initiative for a bank that is focused on emerging countries,” said Kaushik Basu, the World Bank ’s chief economist. “ That was really something that complements the space of the World Bank and IMF... there is

a scope for other clusters of banks which can do a lot of lending,” Basu added.

With Europe in crisis and the US charting an uncertain recovery, the IMF called on emerging nations to find their own ways to guard against shocks stemming from the fiscal and economic challenges in rich nations. Brazil’s finance chief Mantega said the five -member BRICS club was pushing ahead with a move toward a self-managed reser ve fund to “help forestall short-term liquidity pressures and provide mutual support”. Such moves challenge the relevance of the IMF and underscore the need for quick change, critics said. “ The United States urgently needs to authorize IMF governance reform,” said Elizabeth Stuart, a spokeswoman for global aid agency Oxfam. “This process has been dragging on far too long, and emerging economies need their rightful place at the table.” —AFP

26

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

business

New top model in the Cayenne model series A sports car in SUV clothing: Cayenne Turbo S with 550 hp KUWAIT: The new Cayenne Turbo S assumes top position in the Porsche SUV model range with its engine power of 550 hp. With its complex active chassis, the top athlete in SUV clothing surpasses the driving performance of many sports cars. All of the basic Cayenne properties such as versatile off road capabilities, high ride comfort and superior towing power have been preserved without exception. Its NEDC fuel consumption of 11.5 litres per 100 km is the same as that of the Cayenne Turbo, which makes it more fuel-efficient in relation to its engine power. The new Turbo S model has an extra 50 hp of power compared to the Cayenne Turbo, as well as a torque boosted from 700 Nm to 750 Newton metres, and it converts them into faster acceleration and a higher top speed. The sprint from zero to 100 km/h takes just 4.5 seconds (-0.2 seconds), and the SUV accelerates to a top speed of 283 km/h (+ 5 km/h).

The Cayenne Turbo S was systematically configured for maximum dynamic performance. Therefore, it incorporates all relevant control systems as standard equipment. From the Cayenne Turbo it takes the combination of an air suspension and active PASM damping control.

Then there is Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which reduces the roll angle in curves to practically zero,

improving agility and comfort equally.

Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), which is also standard, operates with torque vectoring at the rear wheels together with an electronically controlled rear differential lock, which improves traction and therefore offers more agility in every driving situation.

The new Cayenne Turbo S is also equipped with the Sport Chrono package as standard. The exterior and add-

Burgan Bank announces winners of Yawmi Account draw KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced the names of the five lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000. Winner’s names will also be announced through Marina FM on a daily basis during their prime shows.

The lucky winners for the five daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5,000 each, and they are: 1. Reem Marzouq Saleh Alazmi 2. Tawfiq Abdul-hameed Abdul-karim Faraj 3. Mohd Abdulla Hussein Ali 4. Dhafer Ibraheem Al-Helal 5. Mohammad Abdullah Ali Alwazzan The newly re-launched Yawmi Account is better, easier and faster than any day before. With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from.

Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter the draw stands at

KD 10. The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone.

Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services, or log on to Burgan Bank’s www.burgan.com for further information.

Tissot becomes the official time-keeper of the 17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 KUWAIT: Tissot, a worldwide leader in the Swiss watch industry, has been named Official Timekeeper of the 17th Asian Games Incheon, which will take place from September 19 to the October 4, 2014, in and around Incheon Metropolitan City in the Republic of Korea.

The Asian Games date back to 1951, representing the oldest and most prestigious event in the calendar of the Olympic Council of Asia. The Games are held every four years and give 13’000 outstanding athletes from 45 countries and territories the chance to compete in the 36 disciplines it showcases. The Asian Games is the largest multi-sport Games, gathering the highest number of participants worldwide. In addition to all the traditional sports such as swimming, athletics, basketball and cycling, the Asian Games also feature sports such as sepaktakraw, wushu and kabaddi that are traditional to Asian culture.

Kim Young-Soo, President of the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC) stated “To provide all these various disciplines with utmost precision timing, we could not have chosen a better partner than Tissot, a brand with a great heritage in sports. Tissot offers a tailored approach to each and every individual challenge, which is ideal for an event like the Asian Games, in which such a broad variety of sports are represented.

We are proud to have an experienced timekeeper by our side offering state-ofthe-art timing and the latest technologies in that field.” A deep-rooted passion for

sport has transformed itself into a comprehensive schedule of high-profile timekeeping partnerships over the years, which have allowed Tissot to acquire the experience and skills to provide the many disciplines with the utmost precision in any circumstance.

In addition to its official partnerships with MotoGP, FIM Superbike, FIBA, AFL, and CBA, the World Championships of Cycling, Fencing and Ice Hockey that entrust their timekeeping and data handling to the Swiss watchmaker, Tissot has already been the Official Timekeeper of the Asian Games in 1998, 2002 as well as 2006. For Tissot, it is a perfect platform for demonstrating its dedication to precision in action.

Tissot President, FranÁois Thiebaud stated “The Asian Games reflect the Tissot spirit perfectly by its diversity and the incredible dynamism it projects. We are proud to be able to demonstrate our skills at such an incredible event, which allows us to showcase our abilities in many different ways.

It also allows us to prove ourselves as timekeeping requires the most accurate measurement and further confirms the quality of our watches. We have already provided the Asian Games with our services before so we know and have what it takes. However, we strive to bring even more precision and innovation on every occasion, and to keep improving this essential element, which plays a leading role in the success of the Games, as we do with all our watches.

Kim-Young-Soo and Francois Thiebaud during the signing of the agreement.

on equipment of the Cayenne Turbo S live up to the high standards of a top model. Numerous exterior features such as the air inlet screens, headlight housings and mirror parts are painted in high-gloss black.

The standard 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels with coloured Porsche badges were exclusively designed for the Cayenne Turbo S; their inside surfaces are painted in high-gloss black.

Porsche designers created bi-color leather packages in new colors and color patterns specifically for the new Cayenne Turbo S. These interior features - highly anticipated and requested by customers especially in the Middle East - are now available in black/Carrera red or black/luxor beige color combinations.

The bi-color leather packages that are reserved for the new top model

were extended by adding decorative seams in the contrasting colors Carrera red and Luxor beige. The Carbon interior package complements the leather features and highlights the sophistication of vehicle and materials.

The new Cayenne Turbo S is available for order as of today with first deliveries starting in January 2013. In the GCC region, the Cayenne Turbo S has a basic retail price of $172,072.

Costa Neo Romantica opens new cruise tourism season in Dubai 115 ship calls with over 400,000 cruise tourist expected DUBAI: The cruise tourism season in Dubai commenced on the 9thof October, 2012 with the arrival of Cruise Ship Costa neo Romantic on her maiden call to Dubai. The season ahead is very promising with the Cruise Tourism roster confirming arrival of 115 cruise ship calls with an expected throughput of over 400,000 cruise tourist in the season that will last up to the 10th June, 2013.

The cruise ship Costa neo Romantica arrived Dubai from Abu Dhabi on the 9th October at 0800 hrs and will be heading to Khassab at 1800 hrs on the 11th Oct ‘12.

During the two days stay in Dubai, the ship had over 1000 passenger turnaround. Dubai Cruise Tourism Department arranged for a welcome ceremony followed by plaque exchange with the ship’s captain Marco Derin from Italy to commemorate the maiden call.

The event was attended by Giovanni Fatelli, Consul General of Italy as well as representatives from General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, Dubai Customs, Dubai Police and DP World.

The upcoming season will add another world-class cruise line, TUI cruises from Germany to the home porting list of cruise lines in Dubai. The cruise ship Mein Schiff 2 which means “My Ship” will make her inaugural call to Dubai on the 3rd November, 2012, the first venture of the cruise line in this region. The German ship will make 20 calls to Dubai in the season bringing over 75,000 cruise tourists.

Costa Crociere from Italy, one of the longstanding loyal partner of Dubai’s cruise tourism will have two ships from their fleet deployed in the region operating 4 nights, 5 nights and 7 nights cruises out of Dubai. One of the two ships to be deployed is Costa Atlantica, she will make her maiden call to Dubai in December, 2012.

The list of “new” in the season for Dubai continues, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, USA will deploy cruise ship Serenade of the Seas to operate the weekly cruises in the region which will be fully refurbished by then with all latest and modern amenities. This will be the maiden call of the ship to Dubai as well. One

of the world’s leading luxury cruise line Celebrity Cruises will make their debut in UAE with the call of their cruise ship Celebrity Solstice to Dubai on the 11th November, 2012.

On the other hand, Aida Cruises from Germany will continue its operation in the region with Dubai as their home port with the

good infrastructure, multimodal transport system, world-class hotels & restaurants, vast stretches of sandy beaches, sprawling shopping malls and an array of outdoor activities, Dubai offers simple immigration formalities, customized operation procedures in a safe environment.

Dubai has been constantly enhancing its

deployment of CS Aida Blu. Aida cruises is one of the cruise lines who pioneer in 2006 to position a ship in this region operating cruises out of Dubai.

In addition to the four home porting cruise lines in Dubai, in the season 2012 / 13 it will receive ships from the fleets of over 15 different world’s leading cruise lines around the globe. This reaffirms the emirate’s strong emergence in the cruise industry.

The initiatives and continual efforts of DTCM has reaffirmed Dubai’s position as the cruise hub of the region and it is a combination of factors that are driving Dubai’s cruise tourism business towards robust growth.

Besides the obvious attractions that Dubai has to offer for its tourists from around the world in the form of excellent air connectivity,

facilities and services in line with the business growth and accordingly the Dubai Cruise Terminals will have three dedicated facilities to cater the cruise lines and visitors this season. Spanning over 20,000 square meters and a pier length of 1900 meters which could conveniently accommodate up to 6 ocean going ships simultaneously, Dubai will have the largest facility in the Middle East dedicated for cruise tourism.

The continual efforts of DTCM, Government of Dubai and with the support extended by other government departments namely Immigration, Customs, Police, DP World combined with the cooperation of cruise lines, ship agencies, DMC’s and other stake holders the cruise tourism sector in Dubai is to scale new heights in the years to come.

NISSAN - Al-Babtain genuine parts campaign win new Nissan Micra ... and more prizes KUWAIT: Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Company (AABC), exclusive distributor of NISSAN Genuine Parts in the State of Kuwait, Launched an exciting Offer “ Scratch n win “ instant prizes with Nissan genuine parts and enter the grand raffle draw to Win the all new Micra 2012 Model.

This promotion which is exclusively available from Oct 1st - Nov 11th is offering Scratch and Win coupon and one raffle coupon on every 25 KD you spend at Nissan Parts and Services Centres and you may win amazing prizes and enter the grand draw to win The All New Nissan Micra.

NISSAN - Al-Babtain Genuine parts, has made sure to offer the best deals to their valued customers at all times. Their exceptional offers are based on the concept of encouraging customers to either service their vehicles at any of the service network outlets and to purchase Genuine Nissan Parts from their Spare parts network outlets. The special promotion offer is loaded with exciting high value prizes.

In addition to the incredible prizes which could be given to all retail customers who purchased NISSAN genuine parts from AlBabtain during the promotion, they will have the opportunity to win the New Nissan Micra which offers more than just the traditional compact hatchback, with its trendy look, characteristic agility and distinctive lifestyle appeal.

Al-Babtain NISSAN Genuine Parts wishes its customers all the best to get the big chance to win, also the company is reminding Nissan owners that there are 8 service centres and 13 spare parts facilities which are conveniently located throughout Kuwait to ensure convenient access to Nissan’s renowned customer service representatives and automotive technicians.

Al-Tijari winners of daily draw with Najma Account ommercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma Account draw yesterday. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

C

The winners of the Al-Najma daily draw are:Abdullah Mohammed Falah — KD 7000, lMariam Ibrahim Ishaq Suliman — KD 7000, lZainah Khadaan Sareed Al-Bathali — KD 7000, lAl-Dhaba’a Ali Mohammed Abdulraheem — KD 7000, lBakhet Ali Jaber Abdulaal — KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account.

Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw.

In addition, for each KD25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an lTurky

27

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Retailers large and small find advantages to mobile payments A great market for merchants right now

The OontZ Portable Bluetooth Speaker from Cambridge SoundWorks has smooth, even sound that never causes listener fatigue. —MCT

Good, affordable iPhone speakers Sound advice: Q. I want speakers to play music from my iPhone in my garage while I work at my workbench. I am looking for something under $100, preferably not much more than $50 that I can use without connecting a cable. Is there anything out there that is passable?—SH, Cranberry Twp, Pa. A. Earlier this year I mentioned Cambridge SoundWorks had some exceptional products in the pipeline. One of them is the OontZ, a $69.99 wonder that is a perfect match for the iPhone, iPad or any other Bluetooth device. The OontZ is a portable Bluetooth stereo speaker with a USB-rechargeable battery rated at 10 hours of life. Pairing it to your Bluetooth device is simple and despite its small size it produces considerable volume and bass.

Many inexpensive portable and computer speakers have dramatic, unbalanced sound that initially impresses but soon grows tiring. The OontZ has smooth, even sound that never causes listener fatigue. I was told that audiophiles now own Cambridge SoundWorks.

The sound of the OontZ is evidence of that. The speaker is not especially placement sensitive but I did get better sound from different parts of my desk and kitchen counter, so if you get one be sure to experiment with placement.

I found the OontZ and iPhone to be a perfectly matched pair for whole-home listening. I carried it around the house and used it in the kitchen, the garage, the laundry room, on my hobby workbench, and in the yard with my dogs. It sounds good and is fun to own and use.

While music is the obvious application for the speaker, I found that iPhone

games like RC Plane 2, Angry Birds Space and Facebook Zynga Poker were even more enjoyable with the OontZ playing the soundtrack.

The sound quality, satisfying volume, long battery life, ease of use and price are enough on their own to recommend the OontZ, but the sweet icing on the cake is the speakerphone capability.

When the phone rings the OontZ functions as a high-quality speakerphone. As I was writing this column it was paired to my iPhone and a call from my dad came in. I just pushed the answer button on the OontZ and took the call. If I was doing anything else but writing I could have just kept on working without missing a beat.

No product is perfect and the only fly in the OontZ ointment is so superficial and personal to me that I feel conspicuous mentioning it. I didn’t care for the “OontZ” logo on top of the speaker, which is a large, cartoony font. I mentioned this to my contact at Cambridge SoundWorks, saying that the clean, modern industrial design and luxurious feel of the plastic reminded me of a Bang & Olufsen product and that the logo looked out of place. He said when someone sees the OontZ on a coworker’s desk they want them to know exactly what it is, immediately.

I can see this product having that “What is that, I want one” kind of a vibe to it so their reasoning is understandable, even if I don’t care for the big logo. With all it has going for it for only $69.99, perhaps the OontZ will be a household name soon enough that the big logo won’t be needed. www.theoontz.com. —MCT

32nd Gitex Technology Week kicks off in Dubai DUBAI: The Gitex Technology Week kicked off yesterday with the participation of top leaders from some of the largest information and communication technology companies. In the big ceremony attended by a large number officials of the world’s technology giants, Deputy Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al- Maktoum inaugurated the event, which will continue till October 18.

On its 32nd edition, GITEX features products of more than 3,500 international technology companies and is expected to lure 140,000 visitors from 144 countries. Gitex Technology Week is widely regarded as one of the world’s top three international information and communication technology (ICT) events.

It is also the Middle East, Africa and South Asia’s largest and most specialized ICT trade event. —KUNA

CHARLOTTE: The way we pay for things is changing. Those credit-card keypads yielding paper receipts are giving way to a new group of mobile payment devices that merchants say charge cheaper swipe fees, and are faster and easier to use. Recently, Starbucks signed on with Square, one of the more popular devices in the market. That means 7,000 Starbucks stores will process US credit and debit card transactions with Square-thus linking the card reader with a major retailer.

An array of other devices are on the market, including Intuit GoPayment and PayPal Here.

Others in the mobile payment mix include Groupon and Google. Several large retailers, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target and others, recently announced they’re joining forces on their own upcoming mobile payment method.

Here’s how these systems generally work: Commerce companies provide a free card reader to retailers, who plug it into the headphone jack of their mobile phone. After customers get their card swiped, they sign receipts with their finger, and have the option to leave tips. Receipts are sent by text or email. Merchants are charged a percentage per swipe, with the remaining money from the purchase deposited into their account.

Square’s iPad version, called Square Register, allows sellers to keep inventory of sales. “I can also track what are my top sellers,” said Emma Merisier, who uses the iPad version on her Charlotte food truck, SouthernCakeQueen. “That can help me decide what cupcakes I’m baking for the following week.”

Wayne Parker, with Whispering Willow bath and beauty products, thinks using Square generates more business at fairs and markets. After one customer confirmed that his business takes credit cards, she spent more than $100 in gifts. “It definitely has made a difference (in) the amount of business we’ve been able to do,” Parker said.

Larry Swayne, with Charlotte’s Wingzza wings and pizza food truck, is sold on Intuit GoPayment’s organization. He said Intuit approached him about trying its system, and he immediately took to the way it links with Intuit QuickBooks, the small-business accounting software. He has been using a more traditional reader system with paper receipts.

He said Intuit is faster and more convenient, and his customers like it, too. “Customers have become used to paying that way, so it’s not that much of a new thing.” Some brick-and-mortar retailers say they became tired of other point-ofsale credit-card systems that included hefty bank processing fees. Jason Glunt, owner of a Shop in Charlotte, said he’s saving about $250 a month by using Square.

“For me, for what I do, it’s perfect,” Glunt said.

“I’d rather spend my money on product, not on some fancy checkout system.”

Mobile payment systems aren’t foolproof, though-they’re at the mercy of how fast phones and tablets can process the cards. Plus, systems can go down, meaning lost business among customers who no longer carry cash. Some retailers worry about customers questioning guarantees that credit card information remains private.

And some merchants are surprised when there are delays with their deposits, which can run from one to three days, or longer, they say.

Tom Bartholomy, president of the Charlottebased Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont, said that delay comes from some of these companies taking more time reviewing transactions, compared to banks, which may work faster.

Still, “it’s a great market for merchants right now because there are a lot of players in the marketplace,” Bartholomy said. “So they can shop the rates, and all the fees associated with it, and do Google searches, (Better Business Bureau) searches, and see what other merchants are saying about them.”

accused Apple Inc and five publishers of illegally colluding on prices as part of an effort to fight Amazon’s dominance of e-books. Three of the publishers News Corp’s HarperCollins Publishers Inc, CBS Corp’s Simon & Schuster Inc and Lagardere SCA’s Hachette Book Group - decided to settle.

Amazon was not a party to this lawsuit. The three publishers have denied they did anything wrong, but agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid the cost and risk of a trial, according to the settlement website, ebooksagsettlements.com.

If the court approves the settlements, the publishers will pay for ebook refunds that will be applied automatically to the Amazon.com accounts of eligible customers. Customers can use the refunds to purchase Kindle books or print books or request a check for the amount of the refund.

Electronic books more than doubled in popularity in 2011, with e-book sales making up 15 percent of the market last year, up from 6 percent in 2010, according the Association of American Publishers and the Book Industry Study Group. While e-books increased in sales power, bringing in more than $2 billion in 2011, the majority of publishers’ revenue still came from printed books, at $11.1 billion in 2011. —Reuters

Intuit GoPayment How it works: Free black elongated card reader plugs into the headphone jack on an iPhone, iPad or Android phones and tablets.

Cost: 2.7 percent per swipe; that amount goes

up or down depending on whether merchant pays an additional monthly fee, or keys in the credit card transaction.

Pros: Some users say Intuit’s device cradles the phone better than Square, which can swivel in the jack. Links with Intuit QuickBooks for convenient bookkeeping.

Cons: Although launched in 2009, the same year Square was founded, Intuit GoPayment is silent on its number of users.

PayPal Here How it works: Free blue triangular card reader plugs into the headphone jack.

Cost: 2.7 percent per swipe.

Pros: Takes PayPal and checks, in addition to credit and debit cards. Some say triangular shape sits on the phone better than Square.

Cons: Not supported on Android tablets.

Launched earlier this year, it’s one of the newest on the market. —MCT

CHARLOTTE: A close-up view of a ‘Square’ sticker next to traditional credit card icons is seen in the store window of Jason Glunt, owner of Shop in Charlotte’s Historic Arts District, NoDa. —MCT photos

CHARLOTTE: Jason Glunt, owner of a shop in NoDa, uses Square on his iPad at his store.

Ernst Young: Cloud computing can improve service delivery

Amazon says Kindle users are entitled to e-book refunds CHICAGO: Owners of Amazon.com’s Kindle e-readers will receive refunds on past e-book purchases and see ebook prices drop if a judge approves legal settlements with publishers accused of fixing prices, according to the Internet retailer. Amazon told Kindle owners in emails on Saturday that they could receive a refund of between 30 cents and $1.32 for ebooks they bought between April 2010 and May 2012. The books must have been published by three publishers who have agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused them of inflating ebook prices.

The settlements are subject to court approval, and a hearing is scheduled for February. If approved, the settlements would also limit the publishers’ ability to set future e-book prices, which should lead to lower costs for Kindle users, according to Amazon. “We think these settlements are a big win for customers and look forward to lowering prices on more Kindle books in the future,” Amazon told customers in the emails.

Amazon did not immediately respond to questions on Saturday about how many customers could be affected. The settlements came about after the Justice Department in April

Changing the way we pay Square How it works: Free white square card reader plugs into the headphone jack on an iPhone, iPad or Android phone.

Cost: 2.75 percent per swipe, or $275 per month.

Pros: Includes a reward system for regular customers based on the number of purchases.

There’s also a Pay by Square phone app, which allows customers to pay with their phone.

Cons: The popular register app, which tracks inventory, is only for iPad; Android tablet users are left out.

A

ccording to experts from Ernst & Young, who spoke at the second edition of the Arabian Conference on Information and Communication Security (ACICS), Cloud computing and innovations in IT can improve service delivery and better address IT security concerns that became a global concern for governments and enterprises alike.

The latest edition of ACICS was held by the Central Agency for Information Technology on 24-25 September under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister; and was inaugurated by His Excellency the Minister of Communications. E & Y papers and presentations helped formulate ACICS recommendations and draw guidelines for IT security engagements in Kuwait.

Addressing the conference during the inauguration ceremony, Waleed Al -Osaimi, Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Kuwait said: “Many themes discussed at the conference highlighted the critical role that innovation in IT will bring to governance and service delivery.Ernst & Young was pleased to sponsor this year’s ACICS event and we believe it helped pave the way for meaningful discussion on future application of information and communication security.”

Manuel GiraltHerrero, Europe, Middle East, India and Africa IT Advisory Services Leader, Ernst & Young, spoke at lengthabout Cloud Computing in the public sector. He discussed the defining framework of Cloud Computing as well as its essential characteristics, and its service and deployment models.

Showcasing its effect on educational, healthcare, and environmental sectors, Manuel also

discussedcloud computing trends in the public sector, and recent initiatives applied in various countries, such as the United States, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Canada, that focused on how governments are utilizing the new technology.

“Research shows that the United States is increasing its experimentation with cloud computing beyond software as a service model. Asian governments are going with a topdown approach, with Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan leading the path for cloud initiatives. Australia and Canada have increased Cloud Computing usage in the pub-

Waleed Al -Osaimi

lic sector”, Manuel said. “The key benefits of cloud computing includeaccelerated innovation, better service for customers and citizens, and improved IT efficiency and flexibility.It reduces the cost of hardware infrastructure, allows for faster, more cost-effective disaster recovery and damage mitigation, and optimizes resource utilization and simplified management, “he added.

Dr AleksanderPoniewierski, Partner, CSE IT Advisory Leader of Ernst & Young spoke on the importance of Operational Technology (OT) security utilization. He highlighted the role of IT in an enterprise, incorporating main components such as application servers, database servers, and workstations. His presentation focused on the merger of OT and IT, the differences of technology between them, and their conflicting processes.

“In IT, information is protected and confidentiality is put first, whereas in operating technology (OT), the process is protected and the key priority is availability.

OT predominantly consists of newly recognized areas of concern, specific industrial knowledge, and has a different approach to security,” he said.

Sponsored by Ernst & Young, the event focused primarily on the different challenges posed by the rise of new technology and its role in the rapidly advancing corporate world.The conference discussed how policy makers can profit from mobility and the latest developmentsfor the benefit of the Kuwaiti business community and society. It consisted of various speakers, mainly from Kuwait, other GCC countries, and Europe, with IT Security being a common theme.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

India fights to protect its traditional remedies NEW DELHI: For centuries, Indian housewives have used homemade remedies based on cow’s milk to cure constipation - but in 2009 Swiss giant Nestle applied for a patent to protect a similar product of its own. Earlier this year, India successfully fought off Nestle’s attempt at the European Patent Office (EPO) to secure a patent, saying that using cow’s milk as a laxative was mentioned in ancient texts and was therefore not new. Indian government officials are fighting hundreds of other cases to try to protect the country’s “genetic heritage”, a topic high on the agenda at the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity currently meeting in Hyderabad.

“India is one of the mega centres for biodiversity in the world,” said Vinod Bhatt, director of research at Navdanya, a non-profit body that seeks to promote indigenous knowledge.

“We cannot allow theft of our traditional knowledge that dates back thousands of years and is rooted in our culture. We have to protect ourselves from commercial exploitation by the Western world,” Bhatt told AFP. Traditional knowledge, used for centuries by indigenous communities under local laws and customs, plays an important role in areas such as food security, biodiversity, agriculture and medicine.

“Nestle is just one case. We have already succeeded in 110, and 800 more are in the pipeline,” said Vinod Kumar Gupta, the head of India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL). The library is a digital database established in 2001 to record 250,000 traditional formulations, including the Hindu “ayurvedic” system of medicine that has become hugely popular in the West.

“Every known medicinal plant in India is under piracy attack,” said Gupta, citing an example where a US patent application was made by Britain-based firm Provexis on the use of banana extracts as treatment for diarrhoea. Evidence from the TKDL proved the banana preparation was previously well-known, and the application was withdrawn. In

the cow’s milk case, the European patent authorities also sought advice from the database, which confirmed it was a remedy - often mixed with other ingredients - to treat constipation for hundreds of years. A patent application is normally rejected if there is “prior existing knowledge” about the product, but that is far easier to prove if the information is published in a journal or on a database, rather than only held in folklore. Some 200 researchers took eight years to create the TKDL database,

combing through Hindi, Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and Urdu texts on ayurveda, yoga and other lessknown health systems such as unani and siddha.

The TKDL is accessible to foreign patent offices, which can consult it before deciding whether to grant exclusive rights to applicants.

India woke up to the threat of what is now termed “bio-piracy” 20 years ago after a European patent was granted to a US group on an anti-fungal product derived from the native Indian “neem”

HYDERABAD: This file photograph taken on Jan 18, 2012 shows Indian women looking at herbs and medicinal plants at an Ayurvedic fair. — AFP

tree. Outraged campaigners and Green Party politicians in Europe challenged its validity, and India finally won a 10-year legal battle in 2000 to have the patent revoked as neem seeds had been used for centuries as a medicine, insecticide and contraceptive. In 2009, the EPO also withdrew another patent granted to a Spanish company for the use of melon extract to treat the skin disease vitiligo on the same legal grounds. The practical effect of patents may in reality have little impact in villages of India, where plants, trees and other natural products are still widely used to treat maladies. But the patents provoke an angry response from the government, which sees protecting knowledge of traditional Indian medicine from foreign commercial exploitation as a matter of national pride. Legal battles between the TKDL and global firms over patent requests can take years to resolve and require exhaustive documentation by the agency’s researchers to prove prior art references.

“We don’t see any short-term problems of biopiracy but we’ve got to be watchful of the longterm implications,” said Bhatt of Navdanya.

Scientists and lawyers agree countries such as India must be more vigilant. “Between 1992 and 2000 China revised its patent laws twice to ensure that it could draw intellectual property control over its unique system of medicine,” Devinder Sharma, an agriculture scientist and biodiversity expert, told AFP. He said similar legislation must be put in place in India. “Instead of chasing ‘biopirates’ here and there, we could rest easy in the knowledge that we are legally protected,” he said.

Lawyers backed Sharma’s idea and called for comprehensive laws to provide better protection from the international patents. “Traditional knowledge falls into the grey area and is not as clearly defined as intellectual property rights in Indian law,” Pratiush Pratik, a New Delhi-based lawyer who specialises in the subject, told AFP. Western societies have accepted the loss of traditional knowledge, he said. “India must not make that mistake.” — AFP

Meningitis-linked firm sold drugs without prescriptions NECC offered discounts for bulk orders

ATLANTA: Shawn Lockhart looks at the meningitis-causing fungus Exserohilum rostratum at the mycotic lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Oct 12, 2012. — AP

At CDC, scientists fight to halt a deadly outbreak ATLANTA: Scattered across the carefully landscaped main campus of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the staff on the front lines fighting a rare outbreak of fungal meningitis: A scientist in a white lab coat peers through a microscope at fungi on a glass slide. In another room, another researcher uses what looks like a long, pointed eye dropper to suck up DNA samples that will be tested for the suspect fungus.

Not far away in another building is the emergency operations center, which is essentially the war room. There’s a low hum of voices as employees work the phones, talking to health officials, doctors and patients who received potentially contaminated pain injections believed to be at the root of the outbreak. Workers sit at rows of computers, gathering data, advising doctors and reaching out to thousands of people who may have been exposed. Overall, dozens of people are working day and night to bring the outbreak under control.

Nearly 200 people in more than a dozen states have been sickened, including 15 who have died.

There is a sense of urgency - people are dying, and lives could be saved if those who are sickened get treated in time. But it’s not a race against a fast-spreading illness like avian flu or SARS - or even the fictional virus the CDC fails to unravel in the popular T V series “ The Walking Dead.”

Unlike those outbreaks, this strain of meningitis isn’t contagious and doesn’t spread between people. It is likely isolated to the contaminated steroid, produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass. “This is a very unusual infection,” said Dr John Jernigan, a CDC medical epidemiologist who is leading the clinical investigation team for the outbreak response. “So, treatment recommendations, diagnostic recommendations are all going to be new, and we’re learning as we go on this one.”

Meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, is not uncommon. But it is usually caused by bacteria, and it is very unusual to see it in patients with normal immune systems, Jernigan said. This strain is caused by a fungus that is common in dirt and grasses - people routinely come into contact with it without getting sick but it has never before been identified as the cause of meningitis.

By Friday morning, officials believed they had reached about 90 percent of those who were potentially affected,

Jernigan said. They planned to continue trying to reach every person to see if they’ve had problems and to warn them to be on the lookout for symptoms, which can include severe headache, nausea, dizziness and fever. The CDC says many of the cases have been mild, but some people had strokes.

A meeting is held each morning to review overnight developments and plot a course of action for the day, and another at the end of the day summarizes the day’s developments and looks ahead to the next day. Maps on big screens in the front of the emergency operations center track the states where the tainted medications were sent and the tally of cases reported in affected states. A few steps away in the joint information center, another team works to keep the information about the outbreak on the CDC’s website up to date and disseminate information via the media and other outlets.

In another building on the campus tucked away in the northeast corner of Atlanta, in a part of the CDC that specializes in fungal infections, about 15 scientists in the reference and research labs are logging 12 hours or more a day and working through weekends to test samples coming in from around the country.

Because the lab scientists had never worked with this particular fungus in cerebrospinal fluid before, they had to quickly develop new tests to detect it before they could start analyzing the hundreds of samples - cerebrospinal fluid samples, cultures and bits of tissue - sent in from around the country, research lab team leader Ana Litvintseva said.

Dressed in a white coat Friday, Shawn Lockhart, the fungal reference lab team leader, peered through a microscope as images of what looked like red pea pods appeared on a computer screen next to him. Many other closely related fungi look similar, but a tiny dot at the end of a pod told him he was looking at the fungus believed to be at the root of the outbreak.

Normally, the reference lab works on difficult samples sent in from state health departments, while the research lab works on research projects. But the scale of this outbreak means those projects are mostly being shelved at the moment. “The scale is much, much bigger than we would normally work with,” said research lab team leader Ana Litvintseva said. “We are working every weekend and people are here 12 to 13 hours at a time and we’re testing samples nonstop.” —AP

BOSTON: The drug-mixing company at the heart of a deadly US meningitis outbreak solicited bulk orders from physicians and failed to require proof of individual patient prescriptions as required under state regulations, emails to a customer show.

Reuters reviewed more than a dozen emails that show the New England Compounding Center, contrary to state rules, sold drugs without requiring physicians to supply individual patient prescriptions. The customer confirmed that NECC supplied the clinic with drugs without patient names or prescriptions.

NECC, based in Framingham, Massachusetts, distributed thousands of vials of a contaminated steroid that has put 14,000 people at risk of contracting meningitis and killed 15 people.

The emails support assertions made this week by state pharmacy regulators that the compounding firm, which was authorized to deliver products only in response to patient-specific prescriptions, had violated its license in Massachusetts. The emails also indicate that NECC referred business to a sister company, Ameridose LLC, despite a statement by Ameridose earlier last week that the two operated separately. Both companies mix, dilute or repackage drugs that may not be easily available through a pharmaceutical manufacturer. They are owned by Gregory Conigliaro, an engineer, and his brother-in-law, Barry Cadden, a pharmacist who was in charge of pharmacy operations at NECC until it surrendered its license in the wake of the meningitis outbreak.

“NECC’s intent has always been to operate in compliance with our licenses in the states where we do business, and we have made our best efforts to be in compliance with all governing laws and regulations during 15 years of providing hundreds of thousands of patients with vital medications,” NECC said in a statement. “We are cooperating with agencies that have a policy of not commenting on pending investigations, and as part of that cooperation we are honoring that policy and not commenting on specific facts.”

Ameridose has closed for 12 days pending state and federal inspections. Regulators say they have not found Ameridose’s products to be compromised and they have not requested a recall.

Ameridose maintains it is a separate entity from NECC with “distinct operational management.”

“Although there is common ownership, the two companies operate under separate registrations and different licensure,” Ameridose said on Wednesday through its public relations firm, O’Neill and Associates. Another company, Alaunus Pharmaceutical LLC, which distributes drugs for Ameridose and also is owned by Conigliaro and Cadden, suspended its operations this week.

Regulators said that among other things they would be looking at any “corporate governance” issues related to the outbreak.

ated solely within an established pharmacist/patient/practioner relationship, and provided that they maintain the prescriptions on file for all such products compounded at the pharmacy as required by the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy.”

Moreover, the regulations read, pharmacists “shall not solicit business by promoting to compound specific drug products (eg, like a manufacturer.)” Barron did not respond to telephone or email requests for comment. DeLibertis did not respond to an emailed request for comment. O’Neill and Associates, which represents NECC and Ameridose, declined to comment on behalf of its clients about the emails.

Promise of Lower Costs Michigan, with the second-largest number of cases, has accused NECC of violating licensing rules.

Its “pharmacy license did not allow it to ship large quantities for general use,” Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said on Friday as the state suspended the company’s license and opened an investigation. If found guilty of violating the Michigan public health code, officials of NECC, which produced the tainted steroid linked to the

ings, if sourced through NECC, would be $4,500,” Barron said in an email. Frank York, the chief executive of NewSouth, told Reuters the center did not order or purchase the steroid from NECC. The products it ordered, he said, included items such as a contrast agent used in X-rays that the center could not get elsewhere in the dosages it needed and were provided without prescriptions. And while the physicians were asked by NECC to fill out a “Prescription Order Form,” the form acted more as a bulk ordering form than a standard physician’s prescription, York said. In one email, Barron asked the clinic to provide NECC with a list of patients scheduled for upcoming procedures “to correspond with the medication”. “If you are ordering 75 units we will need a representation of patients that you plan to use the medication on,” Barron said in the email. “If one day’s schedule has close to 75 patients that will be acceptable to fulfill the order. If it is easier for you to provide a simple list of names that would be OK too.”

The clinic did not provide its schedule to NECC for patient privacy reasons, according to York, who added that the clinic did not receive any of the tainted steroid implicated in the meningitis outbreak. Even without the names or individual pre-

‘Sister Company’ In an email dated July 12, NECC regional sales manager David London Barron told NewSouth NeuroSpine, a neurosurgery and pain management clinic in Mississippi, that he had reached out to “our sister company, Ameridose” in connection with a request by the clinic for an anesthetic. “Richard DeLibertis will be your contact - I have asked him to reach out to you as soon as possible to discuss your options,” Barron wrote in the email. On Oct 1, DeLibertis, identifying himself in an email as a regional sales manager for Ameridose, told NewSouth NeuroSpine that Ameridose did not currently have the anesthetic in stock but that it would add the clinic “to the list of those seeking the medication.” According to regulations for compounding pharmacies posted on the web site of the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy, a state in which NECC is also licensed, compounding pharmacies must match orders with individual patient prescriptions. “Pharmacists may compound drugs prior to receiving a valid prescription based on a history of receiving valid prescriptions that have been gener-

scandal, could face a prison sentence, the attorney general’s complaint said. Several other states including Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio are investigating the company. Still others, including New Hampshire and the hardest hit state of Tennessee, have scheduled administrative hearings on possible violations.

Massachusetts prohibits pharmacies such as NECC, which create drugs that are unavailable from pharmaceutical companies, from selling medications without being in receipt of a prescription. It is not illegal, however, for healthcare providers to buy in bulk from licensed pharmacies, of which NECC was one. Emails between NewSouth NeuroSpine and NECC show NECC solicited bulk orders with the promise of lower costs in return for higher ordering volume - sometimes offering competitive price quotes for drugs that had not been ordered by the physician.

In July, Barron offered in an email to supply NewSouth NeuroSpine with 50 vials per month of a steroid at a cost of $20 per vial. “If you are using approximately 50 per month your total yearly sav-

scriptions, however, NECC continued to supply NewSouth, York said. Massachusetts health officials said at a press briefing on Thursday that NECC appears to have been operating in violation of the state’s compounding pharmacy licensing requirements, though they did not go into detail.

“This organization chose to apparently violate the licensing requirements under which they were allowed to operate,” Madeleine Biondolillo, director of the Bureau of Health Care and Safety at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said on a call with reporters on Thursday.

State and federal regulators in the briefing declined to say whether they previously knew about NECC’s bulk sales to entities including the US Department of Veterans Affairs. They said investigations were ongoing. Regulators were not immediately available to comment on NECC’s interactions with Ameridose. While Massachusetts conducts periodic inspections of compounding pharmacies, the state does not track the volume of medications prepared and distributed at its licensed pharmacies, Biondolillo said. — Reuters

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

US feds muff kid jewelry cadmium crackdown LOS ANGELES: Federal regulators failed to pursue recalls after they found cadmiumtainted jewelry on store shelves, despite their vow to keep the toxic trinkets out of children’s hands, an Associated Press investigation shows. Officials at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission also have not warned parents about the contaminated items already in their homes.

More than two years after the AP revealed that some Chinese factories were substituting cadmium for banned lead, the CPSC still hasn’t determined the extent of the contamination.

Contaminated jewelry is surely less prevalent in the US than before its widespread presence was first documented.

However, rings, bracelets and pendants containing cadmium and marketed for preteen girls were purchased over the last year. The AP and representatives of two consumer groups were able to buy the items in Los Angeles, suburban San Francisco, central Ohio and upstate New York. Despite touting its work as a model of proactive regulation, the agency tasked with protecting Americans from dangerous everyday products often has been reactive - or inactive. Take a “children’s jewelry sweep” the CPSC conducted at stores nationwide. Testing showed that six different items on shelves - including one referred to as a “baby bracelet” - were hazardous by the agency’s guidelines. Yet the agency neither pursued recalls nor warned the public about the items, records and interviews show.

In addition, the CPSC allowed Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Meijer, a smaller Midwest chain, to pull from shelves jewelry that flunked safety testing without telling parents who had previously purchased such items. And it did not follow through on evidence it developed that cadmium jewelry remains on sale in local shops. Agency staffers have consistently sided with firms that argued their high-cadmium items shouldn’t be recalled - not because they were safe in the hands of kids, but because they were deemed not to meet the legal definition of a “children’s product”. Also, the CPSC trusted retailers and jewelry importers to self-police their inventories

for cadmium, but did not check whether they had done so for at least a year.

In response to AP’s reporting, the CPSC said it did all it could given limited resources. A spokesman credited the agency’s focus on intercepting jewelry before it got onto shelves as the reason that cadmium did not become the widespread scourge that lead was several years ago. To be sure, the CPSC does have challenges. Though the agency’s resources have been growing, by federal standards the CPSC is a minnow - a $115 million budget supports just 545 full-time employees responsible for regulating thousands of products. And, under agency rules, it is difficult to mandate that a firm recall an item.

While CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum has claimed credit for reducing the presence of cadmium in children’s jewelry, in fact, faster and more forceful efforts have come from elsewhere. For example, major retailers including Wal-Mart and Target Corp began requiring safety testing - not the CPSC. And new laws in six states and national legal settlements - not the CPSC created strict, binding limits on cadmium

in jewelry.

There are no known injuries or deaths due to cadmium in children’s jewelry, but contaminated jewelry can poison in two ways: slow and steady through habitual licking and biting, or acutely through swallowing. The CPSC estimates that several thousand kids are treated annually at US emergency rooms for accidentally ingesting jewelry. Once in the body, cadmium stays for decades. If enough accumulates, it can cripple kidneys and bones - and cause cancer.

To examine the agency’s performance on the cadmium issue, the AP conducted three rounds of testing, analyzed hundreds of agency test results and reviewed hundreds of pages of internal documents obtained under the federal Freedom of Information Act. Dozens of regulators, scientists, members of industry, or consumer advocates were interviewed. National chain stores - which closely manage their public images and invest in product testing - appear to have cleaned up their inventories. Shops that sell discount jewelry are a different story.

The AP made three visits to a dozen

LOS ANGELES: This Oct 10, 2012 photo shows jewelry containing high levels of the toxic metal cadmium purchased by AP at small shops in during a 19-month period ending in March 2012. —AP

small shops in Los Angeles’ jewelry district during a 19-month period ending in March. A reporter bought bracelets, necklaces and charm bracelets that salespeople said would make a good gift for a kindergartner. Twenty of 64 items purchased were at least 5 percent cadmium, and often much higher, according to tests using an Olympus Innov-X X-ray fluorescence gun that estimates what metals are in jewelry. Subsequent lab testing showed that several pendants were hazardous based on CPSC guidelines. One was 85 percent cadmium.

Additional proof that cadmium jewelry was being sold comes from testing by two advocacy groups, the California-based Center for Environmental Health and Michigan-based Ecology Center. Lab results indicated that trinkets bought at Halloween costume stores last fall in the San Francisco Bay area and discounters in New York and Ohio over the winter were between 20 and 30 percent cadmium.

While the items would appeal to kids, they weren’t recalled, apparently because the CPSC did not consider them children’s products. If jewelry isn’t “primarily intended” for kids 12 and under, it’s an adult product - and adult products have no cadmium restrictions. Results of the testing by AP and the advocacy groups reinforce ongoing reporting on the larger question whether the CPSC has kept its word on taking the strongest steps possible to clean up store shelves and children’s jewelry boxes. In fact, the CPSC has been aware that cadmium jewelry was being sold in some discount shops since at least September 2010. That’s when the agency’s lab reported hazardous readings from a children’s pendant bought at a small shop in New York City. As with jewelry AP bought in Los Angeles, there were no manufacturer markings on the packaging - and that made it difficult to track the pendant to its source.

The agency’s investigator bought all the samples at the shop, but didn’t look to see whether the pendant was sold elsewhere, CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said. “We’ve got to make some tough decisions with our investigators in terms of

when they stay on the trail,” Wolfson said.

“There needs to be a rationale for it.” In Jan 2010, Tenenbaum mobilized her agency in reaction to AP’s initial investigation. She told parents to toss cheap metal trinkets and promised to investigate all high-cadmium jewelry the agency learned about.

While five jewelry recalls followed, none began at the agency’s initiative. The first three covered products AP highlighted; the last two came after companies approached the CPSC. All the recalls were voluntary. Then the recalls stopped, though not because the CPSC thought cadmium was gone from the marketplace.

Instead of clearing contaminated products from store shelves, the agency focused on a policy of restricting future flow. At first, that meant warning Asian manufacturers to stop substituting cadmium for lead.

Later, the agency started scattered cargo checks at U.S. ports and pressed a privatesector group led by the jewelry industry to adopt voluntary cadmium limits.

It took nearly two years for those standards to be enacted. And while several cadmium jewelry shipments were intercepted, with just 19 inspectors at 15 ports, the agency touches a minuscule fraction of the billions of consumer goods that enter the US each year. At a product safety conference in March, Tenenbaum claimed victory: “The proactive steps we have taken in China, at the ports, and in the standards environment have stopped cadmium from being the next lead.”

But it wasn’t until early 2011, a full year after AP’s original report, that the agency had began seriously checking children’s jewelry on store shelves. Even then, the scale of sampling was not great enough to draw broad conclusions. Tenenbaum said in an interview that inspectors didn’t check store shelves earlier because agency scientists had not decided what cadmium levels would qualify a piece of jewelry as hazardous. And they haven’t checked more since 2011 due to other priorities, particularly items that children have died using, such as faulty cribs and ATVs. Before 2010, the consumer agency ignored scattered reports of cadmiumcontaminated jewelry. — AP

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

WHAT’S ON

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! This summer, let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

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Open football tournament fter a successful inaugural tournament which had teams participating from Kuwait and the GCC countries, Real Betalbatim Football Club are all set once again for the second edition, which is scheduled on 27th October 2012. The tournament is organized in fond memory of Late Sheikha Huda Bader Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, and is a much awaited feature in the expatriate football circuit in Kuwait.

Among others who shone during the tournaments were teams: Vaxim Divar from Dubai (UAE), Fahaheel Bros. from Kuwait, CRC Chinchinim from Kuwait and DHL FC, Kuwait whose players were declared to receive special citation and prizes among the 22 teams who equally gave their best during the one day tournament which was cheered by hundreds of spectators and jointly expressed their fondness of celebrating the golden jubilee of Kuwait’s independence.

This year we are expecting many teams from Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar and Goa. Hence, we will have to minimize teams from Kuwait so it will be on first come first serve basis. A total of 22 teams participated in the fiesta which coincided with the 50 years of National Day Celebrations of Kuwait, last year, and more teams are envisaged to join in this year to claim the glittering trophy and valuable prizes.

Last year, Aldona Football Club took flight with the prestigious trophy to the United Arab Emirates to add to their collection, together with one of the ‘Man of the Match’ awards and the best goalkeeper award.

GUST students participate in Art Integration Workshop

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r Marta Tryzna, Assistant Professor of English at the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) along with her History of the English Language students (ENGL213) participated in an Art Integration Workshop with GUST Visual Arts teacher Margaret E Graham. The workshop explored their studies in the Germanic roots of the English language, specifically the Runic characters.

Art Integration is a very successful

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way to help students achieve a deeper understanding of their studies in different academic areas. In this workshop, the students became familiar with the Runes by making their own Runic inscriptions on clay tablets. They also found out about the historical context for linguistics change and the origins of the English language.

When Germanic tribes from the areas of today’s Germany, Denmark, Holland, and Scandinavia, invaded

Britain in the 5th century, they brought with them their culture, language, and original script: The Runes.

The earliest Germanic inscriptions in a language that later became the English language were chiseled in stone, wood, or metal. The majority of those stones are found in Scandinavia today. Later, the runes were replaced by the Latin alphabet used until today.

Blood donation drive he Lothan Youth Achievement Center (Loyac) held a blood donation day sponsored by the Dow Chemical, and in cooperation with the Blood Bank and Kuwait Club for BMW motorbikes. Nearly 22 donators took part in the event which was held on the occasion of the World Blood Donor Day.

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Keeping Lebanese culinary tradition alive at The Regency he Regency Kuwait is delighted to introduce the hotel’s renowned Lebanese chefs, Hussain Muselmani - Executive Oriental Chef, and Bassam Fadlou - Oriental Pastry Chef, as the culinary hosts for the hotel’s latest gastronomic odyssey in October. Entitled ‘Taste of Lebanon’ the event will be held in the evenings at Silk Road from October 13-17, 2012.

Perfect for the autumn evenings, the four-course set menu will feature hot and cold mezze, a choice of soups including a special red lentil soup from Chef Muselmani’s home village of Markaba in Southern Lebanon, as well as a traditional grill of mouthwa-

T Oriental Wednesdays at The Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait adisson Blu Hotel Kuwait serves you rich dinner buffet at Rangoli restaurant with amazing oriental flavors from India, China, South East Asia and the Middle East. Whether you crave for juicy Iranian Kebabs or tender Szechwan delights, you’ll find an entire continent waiting for you at our impressive buffet and live cooking stations in a captivating ambience where our live music performers will add zest to your evening while enjoying our Oriental Wednesdays, the authentic buffet treat from Kuwait to Beijing.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

tering premium meats or the spicy fish dish, Hammour Harra. To follow, diners will delight in the Chef Bassam’s deluxe Lebanese sweet platter or a selection of refreshing fresh fruits; a choice of tea and Arabic coffee is the perfect finale to the feast.

Executive Oriental Chef Muselmani admits he has had a passion for food since he was a child. While he still boasts youthful looks, incredibly this year he celebrates 25 years with the hotel. “We have long held the wish to present authentic Lebanese food here at The Regency” Muselmani explained. “In the past, as many of our regular guests will recall, we used to have a specialist Lebanese restaurant

here. So we can say that Lebanese cuisine has always played a large part in our hotel’s history! Many guests comment how much they love our sweets which change daily. In fact we are one of the few hotels who make our own Arabic sweets fresh each day.

This is part of the true culinary tradition we want to upkeep!”

Indeed Lebanese food comes with hundreds of years of tradition, and one of the most enjoyable aspects are the small dishes termed ‘mezze’. Mezze are to Lebanon what tapas is to Spain, or dim sum to Hong Kong. They allow diners to pick and mix from the vast array of foods on offer, and are often spiced up with pickled or raw vegetables. Popular mezze include hummus, falafel and of course the creamy aubergine dip, baba ganoush. Both hot and cold mezze will be on The Regency’s ‘Taste of Lebanon’ menu.

Fans of Lebanese cuisine will be enthralled by the work of these two dedicated members of the kitchen team and amazed at both of the chefs’ expertise in creating the true flavours of a wide assortment of dishes, seen by many to epitomize Lebanese cuisine.

The Regency’s ‘Taste of

Lebanon’ heralds the early autumn culinary season which will later see the launch of the hotel’s superb poolside barbecue on October 31. Those who wish an alternative to the ‘Taste of Lebanon’ set menu may of course enjoy The Regency’s lavish buffet featuring a host of international favourites.

With the holidays almost upon us The Regency also offers superb savings on rooms and suites for Eid AlAdha, accompanied by a magnificent buffet to share with friends and family!

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah with the groom on his HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad left. — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh Ahmad Al-Sabah signs the wed- Al-Sabah with Head of the National Guard HH Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah. ding contract as a witness.

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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Al-Sabah family celebrates wedding l-Sabah family celebrated the wedding of Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah to Sheikha Jouhara, daughter of Sheikh Sabah Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, in a ceremony attended by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, HH The Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, in addition to ruling family members, ministers, ambassadors, former MPs and other dignitaries.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Canadian Embassy in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca.

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The groom Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah in a group photo with family and friends.

Former Prime Minister HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah (right) with father of the bride Sheikh Sabah Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah.

(From right) Father of the bride Sheikh Sabah Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Interior Ministry’s Undersecretary Assistant for Financial and Administrative Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalida Al-Sabah, Head of the National Security Service Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, and former Information Minister Yousuf Al-Sumait.

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database.

Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF FRANCE The Embassy would like to inform that starting September 2nd, 2012, visa demands for France will be handled by the outsourcing company “Capago - MENA Company”. Capago - MENA’S Call Center will be operational starting Sunday August 26 for setting appointments beginning September 2nd (+965 22270555).

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EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on Oct 24, 2012 -Wednesday-Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

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Former Prime Minister HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah (right) with Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Dr Abdul-Aziz Al-Fayez.

Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah (right) and Vice President of the National Guard Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah are seen on the far left.

EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located in Sharq, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Al Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor. Working days / hours: SundayThursday /9 am - 4 pm. Residents in Kuwait interested in getting a visa to travel to Peru and companies attracted to invest in Peru are invited to visit the permanent exposition room located in the Embassy. For more information, please contact: (+965) 22267250/1.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE

Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah (right) with Ambassador of Oman Salem Al-Mesh’ani.

Father of the bride Sheikh Sabah Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah receives greetings of the United States Ambassador Matthew Tueller.

The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to remind that the external polling station No 90046 was created in the Embassy’s premises at the following address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str. 6, build. 5. The working hours of the polling station: from Sunday to Thursday is from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Friday from 10 to 1 pm; Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. On October 28, 2012 the working hours of the polling station from 8 am to 8 pm. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your data in the Electoral Register as well as to pick up your personal invitation from the polling station if you did not receive this document by post.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Animal Cops Phoenix 01:35 Tigers Attack 02:25 Speed Of Life 03:15 The Magic Of The Big Blue 04:05 Wildest Arctic 04:55 Animal Cops Phoenix 05:45 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Talk To The Animals 07:25 Penguin Safari 08:15 Cats 101 09:10 Your Pet Wants This, Too! 10:05 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 11:00 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 11:55 Safari Vet School 12:20 Safari Vet School 12:50 Wildlife SOS 13:15 Rescue Vet 13:45 Animal Cops Houston 14:40 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 15:35 Dark Days In Monkey City 16:00 Talk To The Animals 16:30 Must Love Cats 17:25 Baby Planet 18:20 Cats 101 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Rescue Vet 20:10 Animal Battlegrounds 20:35 Dark Days In Monkey City 21:05 Mutant Planet 22:00 Cats 101 22:55 Bad Dog 23:50 Animal Cops Houston 23:50 Animal Cops Houston 000:15 DIY SOS 00:40 Holmes On Homes 01:30 Bargain Hunt 02:15 Bargain Hunt 03:00 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 03:50 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 04:40 MasterChef Australia 05:25 MasterChef Australia 05:50 MasterChef Australia 06:35 MasterChef Australia 07:00 MasterChef Australia 07:50 MasterChef Australia 08:35 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 09:25 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 10:10 Bargain Hunt 10:55 Antiques Roadshow 11:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:25 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 13:15 Gok’s Fashion Fix 14:05 Gok’s Fashion Fix 14:55 Bargain Hunt 15:40 Antiques Roadshow 16:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:10 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 18:00 MasterChef 18:55 MasterChef 19:50 Come Dine With Me 20:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 23:45 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow EditionEdition 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 06:05 07:00 Junior 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:55 11:25 12:20 12:45 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:30 16:25 Junior 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Superhuman Showdown Superhuman Showdown Superhuman Showdown Superhuman Showdown Superhuman Showdown Superhuman Showdown Superhuman Showdown American Chopper: Senior vs Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Dealers How It’s Made Dirty Great Machines Crash Course Crash Course One Car Too Far Border Security Dealers Ultimate Survival American Chopper: Senior vs Extreme Fishing Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Border Security Auction Hunters Auction Kings Around The World In 80 Ways Deadliest Catch An Idiot Abroad

23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:35 Futurecar 01:25 Weird Or What?

02:15 Things That Move 03:10 Things That Move 03:35 Moon Machines 04:25 Weird Or What?

05:15 Space Pioneer 06:05 Catch It Keep It 07:00 How The Universe Works 07:50 Alien Encounters 08:45 Alien Encounters 09:35 NASA’s Greatest Missions 10:30 The Gadget Show 10:55 The Gadget Show 11:20 Mega Builders 12:10 Scrapheap Challenge 13:00 Futurecar 13:50 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 14:45 NASA’s Greatest Missions 15:35 The Gadget Show 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 Tech Toys 360 16:32 Patent Bending 17:00 Mega Builders 17:50 NASA’s Greatest Missions 18:40 Scrapheap Challenge 19:30 Things That Move 19:55 Things That Move 20:20 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 21:10 The Gadget Show 22:00 Things That Move 22:50 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 23:40 Sport Science 20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 00:15 Little Einsteins 00:40 Jungle Junction

00:55 01:10 01:30 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:20 03:40 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:15 05:30 05:50 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:45 07:00 07:15 07:45 08:10 08:20 08:35 08:50 09:05 09:15 Pooh 09:20 09:35 09:45 09:55 10:20 Pooh 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 Pooh 12:10 12:25 12:40 13:05 13:15 13:30 13:55 14:20 Pooh 14:45 15:00 15:15 15:25 15:55 16:20 16:30 16:45 17:10 17:40 17:55 18:10 18:20 18:35 19:00 19:05 19:25 19:40 Pooh 20:05 20:20 20:30 Pooh 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:00 21:25 21:40 21:55 Pooh 22:20 22:30 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:35 23:50

Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Mouk Mouk The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse New Adventures Of Winnie The Art Attack Imagination Movers Lazytown Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Handy Manny Jungle Junction Imagination Movers The Hive Special Agent Oso Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse New Adventures Of Winnie The Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Imagination Movers Lazytown Jungle Junction Mouk Art Attack Lazytown Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mouk Imagination Movers A Poem Is...

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jungle Junction New Adventures Of Winnie The Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The A Poem Is...

A Poem Is...

Mouk Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Special Agent Oso New Adventures Of Winnie The Timmy Time Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:55 Food Network Challenge 01:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:35 Unwrapped 03:00 Unwrapped 03:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Guy’s Big Bite 04:40 Outrageous Food 05:05 Crave 05:30 Chopped 06:10 Barefoot Contessa 06:35 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Iron Chef America 07:50 Barefoot Contessa 08:15 Barefoot Contessa 08:40 Crave 09:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 09:30 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 09:55 Cooking For Real 10:20 Cooking For Real 10:45 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 United Tastes Of America 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Guy’s Big Bite 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Barefoot Contessa 14:30 Crave 14:55 Charly’s Cake Angels 15:20 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 15:45 Food(Ography) 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Guy’s Big Bite 18:40 Unique Sweets 19:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 21:35 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 22:00 World Cafe Asia 22:25 World Cafe Asia 22:50 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 23:15 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 23:40 Guy’s Big Bite 23:40 Guy’s Big Bite Bite 00:30 Police Women Of Memphis 01:20 Deadly Women 02:05 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 02:55 I Was Murdered 03:20 I Was Murdered 03:45 Fatal Encounters 04:30 Police Women Of Memphis 05:20 Mystery Diagnosis 06:10 Disappeared 07:00 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries

07:50 Street Patrol 08:15 Street Patrol 08:40 Real Emergency Calls 09:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

09:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 10:20 FBI Case Files 11:10 Disappeared 12:00 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 12:50 Street Patrol 13:15 Street Patrol 13:40 Forensic Detectives 14:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 15:20 Real Emergency Calls 15:45 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

16:10 FBI Case Files 17:00 Disappeared 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 Mall Cops‚Äì Mall Of America 19:05 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 19:55 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 20:20 Nightmare Next Door 21:10 Couples Who Kill 22:00 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 22:25 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 22:50 Scorned: Crimes Of Passion 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:15 00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 05:45 06:15 Planet 06:40 Planet 07:10 07:35 08:05 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:45 12:40 13:05 13:35 Planet 14:00 Planet 14:30 14:55 15:25 16:20 17:15 18:10 19:05 20:00 20:30 21:00 Planet 21:30 Planet 22:00 22:25 22:55 Planet 23:20 Planet 23:50

Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Nomads Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Banged Up Abroad Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The Kimchi Chronicles Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Nomads Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Banged Up Abroad Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The Kimchi Chronicles Kimchi Chronicles Somewhere In China Don’t Tell My Mother Nomads Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Banged Up Abroad Kimchi Chronicles Kimchi Chronicles Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The One Man & His Campervan

23:00 Naked Science 00:00 Puma!

01:00 I, Predator 01:55 Kingdom of The Oceans 02:50 Planet Carnivore 03:45 Built for the Kill 04:40 The Living Edens 05:35 Shark Eden 06:30 Kingdom of The Oceans 07:25 Planet Carnivore 08:20 Built for the Kill 09:15 Bears Of Fear Island 10:10 Bonecrusher Queens 11:05 Ultimate Predators GPU 12:00 Hooked 13:00 World’s Weirdest 14:00 Built For The Kill 16:00 Secret Shark Pits 17:00 Orca Killing School 18:00 Ultimate Predators GPU 19:00 World’s Weirdest 20:00 Planet Carnivore 21:00 Built for the Kill 22:00 Bears Of Fear Island 23:00 Bonecrusher Queens22:00 Crimes Against Nature 23:00 Shark Nicole 00:00 Kalifornia-18 02:00 Hustle And Flow-18 04:00 True Justice: Vengeance Is Mine-PG15 06:00 Arachnophobia-PG15 08:00 Twins Mission-PG15 10:00 Judge Dredd-18 12:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 14:00 Twins Mission-PG15 16:00 True Justice: Street Wars-PG15 18:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 20:00 Alien Resurrection-18 22:00 Carriers-PG15 20:00 Fighting-PG15 22:00 Homecoming-18 01:30 Saturday Night Live 03:00 Bent 03:30 Bent 04:00 Two And A Half Men 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:00 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Two And A Half Men 08:30 Bent 09:30 The Simpsons 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Two And A Half Men 14:00 Bent 15:00 The Simpsons 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Happy Endings 18:30 Hot In Cleveland 20:30 Melissa & Joey 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fall on 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00

White Collar C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Grimm House C.S.I. Miami

06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:00

White Collar Emmerdale Coronation Street Castle Breakout Kings C.S.I. House Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle White Collar Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle House Unforgettable The Killing True Blood Grimm Grimm

01:00 And Soon The Darkness-PG15 03:00 Constantine-PG15 05:00 Law Abiding Citizen-18 07:00 Rocky IV-PG15 09:00 True Justice: Dark VengeancePG15 11:00 Law Abiding Citizen-18 13:00 The Craigslist Killer-PG15 15:00 True Justice: Dark VengeancePG15 17:00 Inside Out-PG15 19:00 Rollerball-18 21:00 True Justice: Vengeance Is Mine-PG15 23:00 Botched-18 23:00 Luster-18 00:00 Melissa & Joey 03:00 Happy Endings 03:30 Hot In Cleveland 04:00 Two And A Half Men 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:00 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Two And A Half Men 08:30 Happy Endings 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Two And A Half Men 14:00 Hot In Cleveland 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Happy Endings 18:30 Hot In Cleveland 19:00 Cougar Town 19:30 New Girl 20:30 Melissa & Joey 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Veep 22:30 The Big C 22:00 Frenemy-18 01:30 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 03:30 Somewhere-18 05:15 Film Socialisme-PG15 07:00 Coyote Ugly-PG15 09:00 Hollywood, I’m Sleeping Over Tonight-PG15 10:45 The Great Gatsby-PG 13:15 Swansong: Story Of Occi Byrne-PG15 15:00 Hollywood, I’m Sleeping Over Tonight-PG15 17:00 The Greatest-PG15 19:00 Love And Other Impossible Pursuits-PG15 21:00 Tyrannosaur-18 23:00 The Silence Of The Lambs-18 Square Grouper-18 00:00 01:30 03:30 05:45 PG15 07:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Attack The Block-PG15 Red-PG15 The Conspirator-PG15 Marion Jones: Press PauseThe Muppets-PG Soul Surfer-PG15 Into The Wind-PG15 Muhammad And Larry-PG15 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 Battle For Terra-PG Soul Surfer-PG15 The Green Hornet-PG15 Arthur-PG15 Wuthering Heights-18

00:00 The Adventures Of Don Quixote-FAM 02:00 Free Birds-FAM 04:00 Paws-PG 06:00 The Ugly Duckling In Tales Of Mystery-FAM 08:00 Olentzero And The Magic LogFAM 10:00 Hop-PG 12:00 Paws-PG 14:00 Maroons-FAM 16:00 The Great Bear-PG 18:00 Hop-PG 20:00 Tommy & Oscar-FAM 22:00 Maroons-FAM 00:15 Wuthering Heights-18 02:30 Rango-FAM 04:30 The Spy Next Door-PG 06:15 Call Of The Wild-PG15 08:00 The Smurfs-PG 10:00 Senna-PG15 12:00 Game Change-PG15 14:00 The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice-PG15 16:00 The Smurfs-PG 18:00 Unstoppable-PG15 20:00 The Town-18 22:15 Resident Evil 4: Afterlife-18 03:30 Premier League Snooker 07:00 NFL 09:30 NFL 12:00 Darts Grand Prix 14:00 ITM Cup 16:00 Currie Cup 18:00 Trans World Sport 19:00 Senior European Tour Highlights 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 Darts Grand Prix 23:00 Rugby Union

02:30 04:30 06:30 07:00

Darts European Challenge Cup Futbol Mundial Darts

KNCC PROGRAM FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (11/10/2012 TO 17/10/2012) SHARQIA-1 THE APPARITION :2D FRI THE EXPATRIATE :2D THE APPARITION :2D THE EXPATRIATE :2D THE WORDS :2D THE EXPATRIATE :2D THE EXPATRIATE :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-2 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1 THE WORDS :2D THE EXPATRIATE :2D THE APPARITION :2D THE WORDS :2D THE EXPATRIATE :2D THE EXPATRIATE :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-2 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-3 TAKEN2 :2D FRI HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET TAKEN2 :2D HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET TAKEN2 :2D HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-1 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

1:30 PM 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 1:00 AM

FANAR-2 WON’T BACK DOWN :2D DREDD :3D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-3 WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-4 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-5 THE WORDS THE APPARITION THE WORDS THE APPARITION THE WORDS THE APPARITION NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

MARINA-1 THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE APPARITION :2D THE WORDS :2D THE APPARITION :2D THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-2 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET WON’T BACK DOWN :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D TAKEN2 :2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D TAKEN2 :2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-1 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-2 PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D

PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

DREDD :3D BAIT (3D- Digital) DREDD :3D BAIT (3D- Digital) DREDD :3D NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-3 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-4 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 7 WON’T BACK DOWN :2D 1:45 PM THE WORDS :2D 4:15 PM WON’T BACK DOWN :2D 6:30 PM NO WED (17.10.2012) French Film Festival Show“The Artist”6:30 PM WED (17.10.2012) French Film Festival Show“War is declared” 8:30 PM WED (17.10.2012) THE WORDS :2D 9:00 PM NO WED (17.10.2012) WON’T BACK DOWN :2D 11:00 PM

AVENUES-5 TAKEN2 :2D 12:30 PM TAKEN2 :2D 2:45 PM NO SAT (13/10/2012) Special Show “THE EXPENDABLES 2(2D-Digital)” for Ms. Rana Al Bassam 2:45 PM SAT (13/10/2012) TAKEN2 :2D 5:00 PM TAKEN2 :2D 7:15 PM TAKEN2 :2D 9:30 PM TAKEN2 :2D 11:45 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-6 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-7 TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-8 WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-9 THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-10 THE WORDS :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D THE WORDS :2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D THE WORDS :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

AVENUES-11 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360º- 1 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 2:00 PM THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 4:15 PM THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 6:30 PM NO TUE (16.10.2012) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 8:45 PM NO TUE (16.10.2012) French Film Festival Show“The Intouchables” 9:00 PM TUE (16.10.2012) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 11:00 PM NO TUE (16.10.2012) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 1:15 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED 360º- 2 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 3 THE APPARITION :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 4 THE IMPOSTER THE IMPOSTER THE IMPOSTER THE IMPOSTER THE IMPOSTER NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

360 º- 5 WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM FRI+SAT WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM

360 º- 6 BAIT (3D- Digital)

2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

1:15 PM

3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 8 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

360 º- 9(VIP-1) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

360 º-10(VIP-2) TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 11 THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

360 º- 12 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 13 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 14 TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital)

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

360 º- 15 AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) ENGLISH VINGLISH :2D (Hindi) AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:30 PM 11:30 PM

AL-KOUT.1 TAKEN2 :2D THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH TAKEN2 :2D THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D WON’T BACK DOWN :2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.3 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET THE APPARITION :2D HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET THE APPARITION :2D HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.4 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D THE WORDS :2D WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) :2D WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM WA ALAIK YA HABEEB AL SALAM NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-1 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D BAIRAQ-2 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET THE WORDS :2D HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET THE WORDS :2D HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

Classifieds MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

An Indian Telecommunications Company Requires

ACCOMMODATION Bed space available for a Keralite bachelor near Amiri hospital next to Holiday Inn downtown.

Contact: 99387111, 97929183.

15-10-2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines Arrival JZR QTR JZR ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR QTR JZR QTR THY DHX KAC BAW KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY GFA KAC QTR FDB ETD BAB KAC GFA UAE MEA JZR IRC MSR MSC JZR MSR GFA KAC FDB OMA QTR SVA RJA JZR KAC KAC QTR SYR KAC JZR ETD UAE UAL SVA GFA JZR JZR ABY KAC QTR BAB KAC KAC FDB MSC MSR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC FDB MEA QTR GFA FDB ALK TMA UAE JZR ETD ABY QTR AIC GFA UAL TAR JZR DLH MSR THY KLM PIA

Arrival Flights on Monday 15/10/2012 Flt Route

Time

185 148 539 620 211 853 305 67 612 138 503 6130 770 170 412 157 206 53 302 352 362 855 125 223 284 132 55 301 436 344 213 871 404 165 6521 618 401 561 610 219 672 57 645 140 500 640 257 788 546 134 341 118 535 303 857 982 510 215 177 777 127 542 144 438 786 104 63 405 620 618 674 742 572 774 61 402 146 221 59 229 213 859 135 307 129 136 975 217 981 327 239 636 614 772 411 239

0:15 0:20 0:30 1:45 2:20 2:25 2:30 3:10 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:25 4:35 5:00 6:15 6:30 7:15 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:40 8:45 9:00 9:20 9:30 9:35 9:45 10:00 10:45 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:25 12:00 12:25 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:00 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 22:55 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:45

DUBAI DOHA CAIRO ADDIS ABABA BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI CAIRO DOHA LUXOR DOHA ISTANBUL BAHRAIN MANILA/BANGKOK LONDON ISLAMABAD DUBAI MUMBAI COCHIN COLOMBO DUBAI SHARJAH BAHRAIN DHAKA DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI BAHRAIN CHENNAI BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT DUBAI LAMERD ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA SOHAG CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI MUSCAT DOHA JEDDAH AMMAN BEIRUT JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA DOHA DAMASCUS NEW YORK CAIRO ABU DHABI DUBAI WASHINGTON DC DULLES RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH SHARJAH CAIRO DOHA BAHRAIN JEDDAH LONDON DUBAI SOHAG ASSIUT DOHA DUBAI DAMMAM MUMBAI RIYADH DUBAI BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI COLOMBO BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI SHARJAH DOHA CHENNAI/GOA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN TUNIS AMMAN FRANKFURT CAIRO ISTANBUL AMSTERDAM/DAMMAM SIALKOT

Airlines AIC 0:05 UAL DLH MSR JAI PIA THY ETH UAE FDB ETD MSR QTR QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA THY KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY JZR KAC GFA KAC UAE QTR FDB ETD BAB GFA KAC KAC MEA IRC JZR UAE MSR KAC MSC KAC JZR GFA FDB MSR OMA KAC KAC SVA RJA QTR KAC KAC SYR ETD JZR JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA QTR FDB BAB MSC JZR MSR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC MEA FDB KAC GFA JZR DHX ALK ABY ETD UAE QTR KAC KAC TMA JZR QTR GFA KAC TAR

Depature Flights on Monday 15/10/2012 Flt Route Time 982 AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/CHENNAI 981 637 615 573 206 773 621 854 68 306 613 139 149 6131 560 164 212 771 545 156 54 256 126 534 671 224 787 856 133 56 302 437 214 541 165 405 6522 776 872 619 103 406 785 176 220 58 611 646 673 617 501 641 135 773 741 342 304 238 538 141 858 216 134 128 982 511 145 64 439 402 184 621 283 571 62 331 351 403 60 543 222 502 171 230 120 308 860 137 301 205 214 554 147 218 411 328

WASHINGTON DC DULLES FRANKFURT CAIRO MUMBAI PESHAWER/LAHORE ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI DUBAI ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DOHA DOHA SOHAG DUBAI BAHRAIN ISTANBUL ALEXANDRIA LONDON DUBAI BEIRUT SHARJAH CAIRO DUBAI BAHRAIN JEDDAH DUBAI DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN CAIRO ROME/PARIS BEIRUT LAMERD JEDDAH DUBAI ASSIUT LONDON SOHAG JEDDAH DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI CAIRO MUSCAT DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH AMMAN DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM DAMASCUS ABU DHABI AMMAN CAIRO DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN SHARJAH BAHRAIN RIYADH DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DHAKA MUMBAI DUBAI TRIVANDRUM COCHIN BEIRUT DUBAI CAIRO BAHRAIN LUXOR BAHRAIN COLOMBO SHARJAH ABU DHABI DUBAI DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA DOHA BAHRAIN BANGKOK/MANILA DUBAI/TUNIS

0:25 0:30 0:35 0:50 1:10 2:15 2:45 3:45 3:50 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 5:55 6:00 6:55 7:05 7:10 8:10 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:20 9:25 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:25 12:30 13:00 13:10 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 15:00 15:05 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:55 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 19:20 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:30 23:40 23:45

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

Accommodation available, near Jabriya Indian School, Jabriya. Central A/C flat, decent Muslim couple or two working ladies only. Call 66795253. (C 4173) 10-10-2012 Sharing accommodation in Khaifan bloc 4 from Nov 1st in one room, KD 70 only for one working lady. Contact: 60413536.

8-10-2012 Apartment to share decent working ladies, Salmiyah, restaurant street, exactly behind Platinum. Contact 66920590. (C 4161) 7-10-2012 MATRIMONIAL Marthoma parents of male (29) Keralite engineer working in Kuwait (170cm, fair) invites proposals from parents of engineering graduates/ post graduates of other fields. M4M 2804610.

Contact: propmt1983@gmail.com 14-10-2012 Proposals invited for a girl, God-fearing (Marthomite, 30yrs/160 cm) born and educated in Kuwait and Mangalore, MDS Doctor presently working in India, from Post Graduate boys Mathomite/CSI, God-fearing and having good family background. Email: mathewjacob201@hotmail.com (C 4153) Marthoma parents working in Kuwait invite proposals for daughter 25/162, M.Sc Biotech, from parents of professionally qualified boys (Marthoma/ CSI/ Orthodox). If interested contact: jlovedale87@yahoo.com (C 4175) 11-10-2012 24 year old daughter BSc passed Pakistani/ Canadian

Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Officer With the following requirements: 1. Bachelor in Science or diploma in Health & Safety or equivalent 2. Certified professional qualifications in health and safety management such as the OSHA/NEBOSH/IOSH Certifications in addition to degree/ diploma.

3. 2 to 3 years work experience in Health, Safety & Environment.

Salary : KWD 300/- Per Month.

Accommodation : Shared Bachelor Accommodation – Free Transportation : Shared transport - Free Telephone: 2472 3696 / 66133409 Candidates fulfilling the prescribed qualifications and experience etc. may submit their updated CV to Mr. J. B. Srivastava, Sr. Manager (Admin & Op) or e-mail at mmtech.tcilkuwait@gmail.com on or before 25.10.2012. dual citizen. Highly qualified professionals from Pakistan age up to 29 years can contact at email: d3sak@yahoo.com (C 4172) 9-10-2012

Galant 1997 model, blue color, good condition, A/C, price KD 400, passing valid for one year. Contact: 96975726.

TUITION A 22 years (moderator and examiner) highly experienced Math, teacher in IB, SAT ’s, IGCSE available.

Contact: 66920590.

FOR SALE Toyota Corolla 2008, dark grey color (1.6 CLR). KD 2,350. Mob: 50699345.

(C 4177) Jeep Mitsubishi Nativa 2004, white color, ver y good condition. KD 1,600.

Tel: 66729295.

(C 4178) 15-10-2012 Complete household furniture, crockery, electronics, salon items, going for a give -away price. Call: 50693289. (C 4167) 9-10-2012 Box delivery van Nissan high roof, 2008 model.

Lancer 2009 GLX. Phone: 66052331. (C 4166) 8-10-2012 Used 2 sofa bed, color brown, good condition, in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. Price each KD 15. Call 66762737.

(C 4163) 6-10-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Vita Quirino Monteiro, holder of Indian Passport No: E8364338 have changed my name to Vita De Jesus Maria Monteiro as per gazette No X - 18770.

(C 4168) 14-10-2012 I, Mr Achankunju Baby, son of Mr Baby Mathew, Ancy Villa, Bharanickavu P.O., Alappuzha District, Kerala, holder of Indian Passport No: J4441990 hereby changed my name to Mathew Achankunju Baby. (C 4174) 10-10-2012

SITUATION WANTED Australian Engineer with two-Engineering (Civil/ Elect) & four Master Degrees (Engg/Prog Mgmt/ Education/MBA). 23 years experience in Dubai/ Qatar/ Australia, looking project Mgr / QHSE Mgr job. Contact: 65695468.

SITUATION VACANT Live-in maid wanted for a small family in Farwaniya.

Full time.

Contact: 50833103.

10-10-2012

112 Prayer timings Fajr:

04:30

Duhr:

11:34

Asr:

14:51

Maghrib:

17:19

Isha:

18:35

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

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

Kaizen center

25716707

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

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

23900322

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Williams feels like a teenager obbie Williams still feels like he is 16 years old. The 38-year-old singer - who recently became a father for the first time when wife Ayda Field gave birth to their daughter Theodora ‘Teddy’ Rose doesn’t feel he has developed more than when he first joined Take That, so is finding it hard to adjust to the idea of being a parent and taking responsibility. He said: “Deep inside I’m still 16. A lot of my skills stayed exactly at that level when I started my career at the age of 16. From then on everything was looked after for me, I always had people around me who managed and provided everything for me. And now there is this thought of being a father. I never had to take care of myself - and now all of a sudden I have to take care of a little human being.” The ‘Candy’ star admits he is going through a “confusing and scary” time in his life as he is finally establishing his own identity. He added to Germany’s GQ magazine: “At the moment there are tough negotiations between my former and my current self. Every day - literally every day I come to new realizations about who I am and what I should become. That is confusing and scary. Because I’m still the eternal teenager.”

R

Cruise

to cut Scientology ties to win Katie back

om Cruise is reportedly ready to cut his links with Scientology to win back exwife Katie Holmes. The ‘Mission: Impossible’ actor - whose six-year marriage to the 33-year-old brunette ended in August - is said to be reconsidering his connections to Scientology after 20 years with the church because the 50-year-old star, who was married to Nicole Kidman from 1990 until 2001, felt “a failure” following his latest split. A source told The People newspaper: “Now he’s lost the most precious thing in his life, he sees that his Scientology beliefs may not have hurt his box office but have ended not one but two marriages. “It was a terrifying and rude awakening for Tom when Katie served him with divorce papers. He’s used to feeling undefeatable and untouchable. When he lost Katie he felt a failure.” Tom - who has six-year-old daughter Suri with Katie - is “distancing himself” from the religion and insiders revealed he hasn’t been seen at the services or Sunday brunch for months. The source added: “He has lost Nicole and now his wife and daughter. He has always used the Scientology techniques but he has now realised they don’t work in marriage. “Tom is no longer volunteering to be the public poster boy for Scientology. You’ll see he is seriously calming that down, he will head up the annual fundraisers and awards show but that’s in-house. “In the outside world, Tom will not be promoting the religion, he is distancing himself. “Many believe he is pulling away because he thinks it was Scientology that split him and Katie up.” Should Tom cut all ties with Scientology then insiders believe Katie would consider reconciling her relationship with him. The source explained: “If Tom truly leaves, Katie would reconsider. She was in love with Tom, he was her childhood crush, it took a lot of strength to break free. But now she has peace of mind but no love.”

T

mistress claims he planned to marry her rancine Cornell says the 35-year-old singer - who announced in April he and wife Yvonne, who he has kids Jack, 13, Missy, 11, and seven-year-old Ali with, had split following his affair - wanted to tie the knot with the backing dancer and would often tell the 28-year-old blonde he was “in love” with her. She said: “Once I asked, ‘Do you think I’ll still see your name on my phone in 20 years?’ He said, ‘In 20 years, we will be married’. At the time it was nice and I think it’s what he believed. “I never asked Ronan to leave Yvonne. He was the one who’d bring it up.

He’d say, ‘It’s you I love, you’re the one I want to be with. I love Yvonne as she’s the mother of my kids, yet I’m in love with you. But I can’t do this to my children’.” The Boyzone singer met Francine in 2009 when she was hired as one of the group’s eight dancers for their six-week UK and Ireland tour, and when the tour ended he got her number from his late bandmate Stephen Gately, who she used to meet for coffee and chat about Ronan. And Francine admits the singer’s death in October 2009, aged 33, brought her and Ronan closer together. She explained: “Ronan took the news really badly as he was in a bad place to start with emotionally. “His life was in tatters. He and Yvonne had grown apart, so he needed me then more than ever.”

Francine insists Ronan’s 14-year marriage was already on the rocks when they got together, and admits he used to “constantly worry” about destroying his image. Speaking in an interview with the Sun on Sunday newspaper, she added: “Ronan was constantly worried about what other people thought of him with his squeaky-clean image. “As a Catholic, leaving his wife would just be the worst thing and everyone would judge him. Obviously we could never walk down a street hand-in-hand. We went for dinner once and I’d fly out to his solo tour whenever I could. “I have constantly been painted as the scarlet woman who ruined a perfect marriage. It couldn’t be further from the truth. The marriage was already in trouble before either Ronan or his wife knew who I was.”

F

Jennifer Lawrence

had a ‘scary’ upbringing he 22-year-old actress grew up on a horse farm in Louisville, Kentucky, and says her chaotic countryside childhood helped make her a tough and independent person. When probed about her early memories, Jennifer said: “It was happy [but also] scary, sweary and loud, where everyone had a bit of a drinking problem and everyone screams at each other, but it was real fun. “My brothers used to throw their soup at me and drag me round the house by my hair and then pretend they didn’t. Bland families, urgh. I hate them.” The ‘Hunger Games’ actress insists she doesn’t take her work too seriously and can’t help but crack jokes even during the filming of intense scenes. She told Britain’s Vogue magazine: “I’m just like this idiot girl who doesn’t even know what she’s doing... I can’t stand this - even if it’s real. Like, it’s just a job right, and if you can’t say a ‘who farted?’ joke in an emotional scene... I mean, come on! “Let’s just all hang out together! Let’s relax! We all fart, right?” Jennifer thinks there’s nothing worse than shy people and says she has no patience for anyone who can’t even make small talk with her. She said: “Oh, I can’t stand shy people. Like, make it up already. Ask about the weather, don’t stare at your plate and make me feel like I’m making you uncomfortable!”

T

Noel happy with Liam relationship oel Gallagher thinks he is “better off” not speaking to his brother Liam. The feuding siblings have had little contact since the guitarist quit Oasis in August 2009 and the ‘AKA...What A Life’ hit maker insists there is no chance of repairing their relationship after the Beady Eye frontman tried to sue him when he claimed they pulled out of a gig because Liam was hungover. He said: “Once someone sends you a lawyer’s letter accusing you of - what was it? It was so laughable, I didn’t respond to it, until I had to, by law. He was accusing me of ‘destroying’ his brand. If such a thing exists, then what’s the world coming to? “So now, I don’t speak to him. The last time I saw him was at a party after the Olympics, and as usual he hurled some insult at me and off he went. I’m better off not speaking to him.” Noel was asked to be a part of the London 2012 opening ceremony, but decided not to be involved, though he insists he doesn’t mind the fact Liam and Beady Eye stepped in to perform the segment he had initially been offered. He said: “I’m afraid I didn’t make Team GB in the end. The whole thing was choreographed and they asked me to do ‘Wonderwall’ acoustically. I mulled it over and then they said, ‘You can’t do it live?’ Why not? ‘Well, it’s a big gig.’ “Finally, I said, ‘You know what, I’d rather watch it on the telly.’ But they’d got so far down the line with choreographing ‘Wonderwall’ in that, I was like, ‘Fine, get someone else to do it, just not the Kaiser Chiefs...’ So they went to Liam’s lot and I was absolutely fine with it.”

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Landau drops ‘everything’ to work with Burton artin Landau drops “everything” to work with Tim Burton. The legendary Hollywood actor enjoys teaming up with the 54-year-old director so much that he joked he would even drop his “pants” to collaborate with the filmmaker, who he recently worked with on forthcoming film ‘Frankenweenie’. He told BANG Showbiz: “It’s a fun place to work with Tim Burton. Every time he would ask me to do something I would always drop what I was doing, including my pants! “It was a joyous experience working with him on ‘Ed Wood’ and ‘Frankenweenie’. Working with Tim I found that half the time, he didn’t finish his sentences. I did. He’d say, ‘Let’s rehearse’ And I’d say, ‘OK’. He’d say, ‘You know what’s missing?’ And I’d say, ‘Yeah’.” Martin didn’t know anything about Tim when he went to watch the director’s 1988 comedy fantasy film ‘Beetlejuice’ at the cinema with his daughter, but after seeing the motion picture he demanded to work with the helmer. Speaking at a London press conference, he added: “I remember seeing ‘Beetlejuice’ and I was very taken with the film. I saw it with my daughter and I said, ‘My god ... who directed this?’ “I had no idea who Tim Burton was at the time, but I said, ‘I’d love to work with this guy.’ He’s got an imagination that’s mind boggling, and here we are.”

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Lohan

hates her new hair color

he 26-year-old ‘Liz & Dick’ actress - who recently dyed her locks bright red after completing filming for her new movie revealed the eye-catching new auburn color did not turn out as she had hoped. She told E! News: “It’s actually the wrong color than it’s supposed to be.” The troubled starlet explained that the color should fade down to her natural hue. She said: “It’s the color of my natural hair and it will get there.” The former Disney star has not been having a good week after being forced to cut her father Michael - whose girlfriend Kate Major is due to give birth to their baby boy in three months - out of her life. A furious Lindsay said she was “done” with him after he made public a call she made to him following an explosive row with her mother Dina in the early hours of Wednesday morning and no longer wants to speak to him after he betrayed her trust. She said: “I’m done with him. He doesn’t know what it means to be a father. He doesn’t want to be a dad.” During the call, Lindsay claimed to her father that Dina was high on cocaine, but she insists her words were “hurtful and untrue” and the row with her mother - which came after an evening at a New York nightclub - was not serious. —Bang Showbiz

Keating’s former

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Lewis used to send letters to crushes eona Lewis used to send letters to people she had a crush on. The ‘Bleeding Love’ singer - who was recently romantically linked to One Direction hunk Liam Payne - admits she used to be cripplingly shy when it came to guys and could only tell them how she felt by writing down her feelings. Giving advice about relationships, Leona said: “If he’s talking about you to a mutual friend, even something as simple as asking where you live it shows he might not yet be confident enough to approach you himself, but knows your friend will feed back to you. “I used to write letters to guys I liked rather than approach them directly because I was too embarrassed.” Leona also recommends looking for eye contact with a man as one of the best ways of knowing if they are interested. She added to Top of the Pops magazine: “Just like us girls, guys are programmed to send out physical clues when they’re interested in you, and this is usually the first sign that he’s into you. If your crush isn’t someone you know well, lingering eye contact and a smile are signs to watch out for. They’re a good hint that he’s really attracted to you.”

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LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Olives grow again on Malta

Malta’s Bidni olive, with a distinctive pointed Malta’s Bidni olives had nearly become extinct before Sam and curved stone, is an indigenous species Cremona began his quest. packed with anti-oxidants. —AFP Photos green-fingered ex-jeweller with a mission to revive Malta’s olive oil production practically from scratch, Sam Cremona munches on a tiny black “Bidni” olive and shows it off to visitors. The olive, which has a distinctive pointed and curved stone, is an indigenous species packed with anti-oxidants that has been around for at least 2,000 years but had nearly become extinct before Cremona began his quest. “We lost the sense of it,” said Cremona, who has acquired the deep tan of an outdoors laborer, as he prepared for this year’s olive harvest on his farm some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the Maltese capital Valletta.

“A lot of people thought that the Maltese olives would never produce good olive oil, because the oil was bitter,” the 62-year-old said. “Today we realize the bitterness is one of the best qualities that it has.” Olive growing once flourished on this Mediterranean island under the Phoenicians and the Romans but it was rooted out when its Arab rulers pushed for cotton production and then its British overlords encouraged sheep rearing. The depopulation of Malta also helped the decline of olive farming. Many olive trees were torn out from the craggy Mediterranean landscape that seems ideal for olives-and replaced with orange and almond trees. Cremona and his wife Mattie started the revival when they decided to plant olive trees around their large home in Wardija for household consumption.

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Sam Cremona uses cuttings from trees that are more than 2,000 years old to propagate new Bidni olive trees. infancy but Sammy is putting all his heart in it.” Cremona’s ambition is to revive production of the “Bidni” olive-a word that means “hunchback” in Malta because of the shape of its stone-to produce exclusive mono-variety olive oil that he believes would have global appeal.

‘This is going to kill me’ “When we had half a ton of olives, we said let’s have them pressed but there was no olive press in Malta,” Mattie Cremona said. They bought the machinery and set up a small press and friends and acquaintances flocked to them. “We

transportation and a quick press,” she said. Sam said the work which started out as a hobby had become back-breaking: “I hoped for a more sedentary, quieter life but this is going to kill me!”

In between two cargoes of olives being sent off for pressing, Cremona wel-

Maltese olive oil is extremely low in acidity.

Many olive trees on Malta were torn up and replaced with orange and almond trees.

realized there was really a need and a love for it,” said Mattie, who has written three books on local recipes and history.

Mattie said that Maltese olive oil is “extremely low in acidity” compared to others because of the type of soil and climate and also because the oil is pressed shortly after the olives are picked because the island is so small. “It’s a quick

comed a group of German tourists here to see his organic plantation. “I knew olive oil only from Italy, Greece and Spain but not from Malta. But I think it’s very interesting. I think his work is very respectable!” said Ingeborg Minck, a 69year-old tourist from Darmstadt in Germany. Tour guide Dagmar Pallmar, 56, said: “Olive oil is a kind of secret. It is in its

Wood from the native Maltese species was found in carbonized form in the nearby temples of Skorba dating back to between 3,600 and 2,500 BC. Cremona has called his project PRIMO-Project for the Revival of the Indigenous Maltese Olive-and uses cuttings from trees that are more than 2,000 years old and grafts onto other trees to spread the species.

White olives “The last five years, we’ve been grafting over a thousand trees, sometimes 2,000 trees a year. The aim is to have 10,000 of these trees and in this project I give these trees to people who are ready to put 50 or more,” he said. Around 40 producers have taken part in PRIMO and 5,000 trees have been planted. Within the next two years, Cremona said he was hoping for European certification for “Bidni” olive oil which would make it more marketable.

Cremona said research from Valletta University and from an agronomy institute in Bari in southern Italy had highlighted the qualities of “Bidni”. He said olive fruit flies-a common pest-were not able to penetrate Bidni olives to lay their eggs “because they are full of antioxidants.” “Bidni” olive oil could also boost the immune system and relieve high blood pressure, Cremona said. The mission is not over for Cremona, who in 2010 also found some trees on the island that produced white olives that turn slightly pink as they mature. Surprised, he did some research and found references in Renaissance texts to the “Pearls of Malta” offered by its rulers to European monarchs as gifts. This year he is planning to grow 100 white olive trees and he hopes their sweet-tasting oil will become another staple for global foodies. —AFP

British TV hero abuse scandal puts BBC under pressure immy Savile was one of Britain’s best-loved television stars, but one year on from his death claims that he sexually abused underage girls have left his reputation in shreds and the BBC facing accusations of a cover-up.

Instantly recognizable with his platinum hair, garish tracksuits, jangling jewellery and huge cigars, the eccentric Savile was one of the top entertainers in British broadcasting from the 1960s to the 1980s.

But the BBC, the world’s largest public broadcaster, is under growing pressure over whether it turned a blind eye to Savile’s alleged activities on its premises even as it promoted him.

Claiming to have been the world’s first disc jockey, Savile hosted “Top of the Pops”, the BBC’s foremost music show and “Jim’ll Fix It”, where he granted wishes to children. In later life Savile, who died on October 2011 aged 84, threw himself into charity work, raising a reported £40 million ($65 million, 50 million euros) for good causes. But an investigation broadcast last week

by ITV, the BBC’s rival private television station, and carried accounts from several women who claimed Savile sexually abused them as teenage girls-often in institutions he was seemingly helping.

A stream of other women have since come forward, sparking a police investigation. The police have described Savile as a “predatory sex offender” who perpetrated abuse for four decades. Detectives revealed Friday they were following 340 leads, and added yesterday that there were 60 likely victims, with reports spanning from 1959 to 2006. The leads include alleged incidents at the BBC and in hospitals where he volunteered. He even had his own room in Stoke Mandeville, the hospital for spinal injuries which was the birthplace of the Paralympic Games. He also frequently visited a school for troubled girls.

His alleged victims said they thought no-one would believe their word against that of an icon like Savile. Such is the disgrace that the headstone on his grave has been taken down at his family’s request and broken up and sent to land-

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Chinese dissident and writer Liao Yiwu holds a traditional Chinese bowl as he is awarded the Peace Prize of the German Booktrade Association at the Paul’s Cathedral in Frankfurt, western Germany. —AFP

Chinese dissident author savages Beijing at German awards hinese dissident author Liao Yiwu yesterday tore into the leadership in Beijing, describing his homeland as an “inhuman empire with bloody hands” as he scooped a prestigious German book prize. The author, also known as Lao Wei, added that the Chinese state was a “massive scrap heap that must break apart” and accused the West of “colluding with the executioners under the cover of free trade.”

Liao was speaking as he collected the German Book Trade Peace Prize, the country’s second highest award after the Georg Buechner Prize, and its endowment of 25,000 euros ($32,000) at a ceremony attended by German President Joachim Gauck.

Liao spent four years in jail after writing the poem “Massacre” about the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. He moved to Germany after successfully defying a travel ban by walking to Vietnam. Liao is also the author of “The Corpse Walker,” which records the lives of working-class Chinese including a grave robber and a delusional peasant who believes he is an emperor.

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His works are banned in China. Gottfried Honnefelder, president of the German Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association, praised the author as someone who had “restored a voice to the people of his country suffering from repression and oppression.”

The award ceremony took place at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Past winners of the prize include Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, Hungarian Peter Esterhazy and Czech writer and former president Vaclav Havel. Last year’s prize was won by internationally acclaimed Algerian author Boualem Sansal. China criticized the nomination when it was announced in June, saying the author had “continued to fabricate stories to receive sympathy and support.” On Saturday, in an interview made public by the newsweekly Spiegel, Liao attacked the Chinese author Mo Yan, who won this year’s 2012 Nobel Literature Prize as a “state poet” who is close to the communist regime. —AFP

fill. Some commentators are stunned that he was never stopped, though one ex-colleague said he fended off threats from the press by saying his fundraising for the many charities he supported would be choked off.

The BBC is to conduct its own probe into the “cesspit”, with some former staff saying Savile’s behavior was an open secret. Following his death, a report for the BBC’s Newsnight current

Jimmy Savile affairs show containing allegations against him was dropped-the program insists for editorial reasons-while the corporation went ahead with tribute shows to Savile. Some British newspapers accuse the corporation of covering up a “scandalous culture” that existed within its walls, as

rumours swirl about the possibility of other names being brought to the attention of police.

New BBC director-general George Entwistle on Friday announced two inquiries, one into whether there were failings over the abandoned Newsnight probe and a second into the “culture and practices of the BBC” during the Savile years.

From Leeds in northern England, Savile was conscripted to work as a coal miner in World War II, but suffered serious spinal injuries in an explosion. He was a professional wrestler before working as a club and pirate radio DJ. In 1964 he became the first presenter of “Top of the Pops” and fronted the prime-time program throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Between 1975 and 1994 he also hosted “Jim’ll Fix It”, where he made the modest dreams of young viewers come true. Children wrote in at a rate of 20,000 a week and revelled in repeating his catchphrases, including “Now then, now then” and “How’s about that then?”.

“Now, a whole population feels dirty, stupid, guilty and angry,” columnist Deborah Orr wrote in The Guardian newspaper. In his later years, Savile ran more than 200 marathons for charity, raising a small fortune for Stoke Mandeville Hospital’s spinal injuries unit-where allegations of Savile taking advantage of young patients are now emerging. He struck up a rapport with Britain’s royals and was reportedly an intermediary during the marriage of Prince Charles and the late Diana, princess of Wales.

In 1990 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and pope John Paul II. Several newspapers are now campaigning for him to be stripped of the title. Unmarried and by his own account “odd”, he claimed he had never been in love, saying more than a few hours with a woman gave him “brain damage”. In sometimes terse interviews, he gave glimpses of a lonely lifestyle, living in a flat that had a room preserved as a shrine to his late mother. —AFP

British author Mantel looks to make Booker history British novelist could make literary history tomorrow by becoming the first woman and the first British author to become a two-time winner of the acclaimed Booker Prize for fiction. Hilary Mantel will find out if part two of her Thomas Cromwell trilogy, “Bring up the Bodies”, takes home one of the highest profile awards in English-language literature at a ceremony at London’s Guildhall. “I’ve won the Booker once. Nobody, including me, expects a writer to do it twice,” Mantel told BBC Radio.

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“But it would not be human to not want to win,” said Mantel, who was awarded the Booker in 2009 for “Wolf Hall”, the first of the historical fiction trilogy with King Henry VIII’s chief minister as the protagonist. She would become just the third writer to clinch the award twice since its inception in 1969, joining Australian author Peter Carey, who won in 1988 and 2001, and the South African J.M. Coetzee (1983 and 1999).

The £50,000 ($80,000, 62,000 euros) Booker is awarded annually for the best work of fiction by an author

from Britain, the Commonwealth or Ireland. The prize is awarded to a specific book, rather than an author, and is evaluated by a group of judges who compile a longlist of novels, followed by a shortlist and then select the final winner. “The new has come powering through” in this year’s longlist of 12 novels, said Peter Stothard, editor of the Times Literary Supplement, who chairs the panel.

The same is true for the six-book shortlist, which recognizes first novels from Indian poet Jeet Thayil and Britain’s Alison Moore, who is known for her short stories.

British writers Will Self and Deborah Levy both make their debut on the Booker shortlist. In contrast, Mantel was longlisted in 2005 for “Beyond Black”, while the sixth author, Malaysia’s Tan Twan Eng, was longlisted in 2007 for his debut novel “The Gift of Rain”. “Bring up the Bodies” is set in 1535 when Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, fails to bear a son for the Tudor king. “When I was writing it I was very much drawn into that poisoned, fraught, emotional atmosphere of the court,” Mantel said on BBC’s Radio 4. —AFP

Hilary Mantel

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

lifestyle T r a v e l

History lives in the Yucatan

By Christopher Reynolds hat’s the Mexican drug-war body count now? 47,000? Ever since the killings began to escalate in late 2006, I’ve been visiting the country less and choosing spots more carefully. But the Yucatan Peninsula was an easy call. One of the safest and most rewarding places in Mexico these days is the same steamy, lizard-ridden Maya stamping ground where ritual sacrifice was once business as usual, where the alleged apocalypse-the end of the Maya calendar-is barely 100 shopping days away. In May I flew to Merida, Yucatan’s capital, about 500 miles south of New Orleans. By noon on the first full day I was clinging to the steeply pitched steps of the Great Temple of Uxmal, about 50 miles south of Merida, about 100 feet above ground, incalculably far from the 21st century.

From my perch at the temple’s highest point, a horizon of green treetops spread before me, interrupted only by jutting stone marvels such as the

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Pyramid of the Magician, the Nunnery Quadrangle and the stately House of the Governor. Uxmal is not Yucatan’s marquee attraction. That would be the now-unclimbable pyramid at Chichen Itza about 120 miles east. But Yucatan is full of wonders that allow better access and draw smaller crowds than Chichen Itza. If you want a workout, a few subterranean thrills and a glimpse of what North American civilization looked like before and just after the Spaniards got here, it’s a good place to start.

The Uxmal complex, younger than Egypt’s best-known pyramids but older than Peru’s Machu Picchu, was built more than a millennium ago. At its peak, it housed perhaps 25,000 Mayas.

Nowadays at Uxmal, there’s a nighttime light show and a handful of hotels within walking distance. Like gift shops throughout Yucatan, the one at Uxmal is well stocked with books suggesting that the Mayas predicted the end of the world for Dec 21, 2012. And there’s no denying the creepiness of the ruins’ mascots: the iguanas, which race bow-

Crossing the Plaza with the Cathedral de San Gervasio in the background. —MCT photos

Ruins at Coba at the climb to the top of Nohoch Mul, a pyramid with 120 very steep steps. The view from the top is striking.

legged across the grass, climbing ancient steps with eerie agility.

Lock eyes with an iguana long enough and an apocalypse begins to seem inevitable. But then look away, and another ruin demands climbing. Or a set of stairs will lead you to a cool, blue cenote-sinkholes and water-filled underground caverns that are scattered all over the peninsula. To give scenes like that my full attention, I didn’t bother with Cancun, the tourist magnet 200 miles east, or the several Yucatan haciendas that have been converted into restaurants and luxury hotels. In fact, I never strayed more than 150 miles from Merida.

At Kabah, just down the road from Uxmal, hundreds of loose stones are laid out like laundry in need of sorting, and one long wall (known as the Codz Poop) is crowded with bug-eyed, longnosed stone faces carved to honor the rain god Chac. At Labna, an ancient gate leads nowhere special but might be the most graceful, haunting Maya portal still standing.

At Ticul, I had hot chocolate. Not by choice but because the EcoMuseo del Cacao, opened in 2011, includes a hot chocolate-making demonstration among its many exhibits. (There was also a human skeleton and some sentences about the Maya’s ritual sacrifices.) The temperature must have been 95 degrees outside-which is why many people visit in winter. But the cook so graciously offered the steaming cup, I had to say yes.

At Cuzama, about 30 miles southeast of Merida, I paid a man about 250 pesos (about $20) to take me on a bone-jarring ride aboard a horse-drawn cart that rolls on narrow-gauge railroad tracks.

The route runs through a henequen plantation (where fiber for rope was cultivated), but the real attraction is below ground: three cenotes.

The first was Chelentun (easy access, with stairs and a handrail), followed by Bolonchoojol (a rabbit-hole entrance with a 25-foot ladder) and Chansinic’che (steep stairs, narrow squeeze). At each, you can climb down, dive and swim beneath the stalactites, surrounded by tree roots and darting little fish, in the cool waters of a slowmoving subterranean river. Shafts of filtered sunlight illuminate the blue waters. Voices bounce crazily off the walls.

There are thousands of these places in Yucatan, some open air, some accessible only by a dark descent on a long ladder, dozens outfitted for easy visitor access. The only problem is that after you’ve explored a few, if you ever venture to Capri, you’ll never understand all the fuss over its Blue Grotto.

The next day, I headed to Coba, another underappreciated but sprawling set of ruins about 135 miles east of Merida in the state of Quintana Roo. The archaeological site is so vast that tourists rent bikes to get from spot to spot. With the help of a heavy rope, most climb to the top of Nohoch Mul, a pyramid with 120 steep steps. The view was cinematic-the most remarkable of my trip because the landscape is otherwise so flat and the foliage below so thick.

Throughout these various ascents and descents, Mexico’s most notorious 21st century peril-the drug war-seemed far away. And statistics suggest that it is.

In the Mexican newspaper Reforma’s tally of drug-war killings, Yucatan logged just two such deaths in 2011 — the lowest figure among all 31 Mexican states. The US State Department’s most recent Travel Warning on Mexico (issued in February) bristles with border-state cautions and alarming numbers, including the 47,515 drug-war deaths nationwide as of September 2011. But the State Department’s experts have reported no such troubles in Yucatan.

That peace of mind gave me the luxury of more daydreaming about the Mayas, who drew water from cenotes and sculpted their gods into decorative patterns on buildings. The Maya created a written language and left scores of manuscripts, most of which the Spanish burned. They devised epic ballgames that sometimes ended with the ritual sacrifice of a player. Aristocrats wore jade inlays in their teeth.

Their empire included the neighboring states of Campeche, Chiapas and Quintana Roo, along with parts of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Yet centuries before the Spanish conquistadors got anywhere near here, their empire collapsed and the people scattered to small agricultural settlements.

As a result, few outsiders paid much attention to the Maya until the late 1830s and early 1840s, when explorers such as John L. Stephens and artist Frederick Catherwood spent long expeditions describing and sketching vinestrangled structures throughout the peninsula. Since then, Maya imagery has compelled all sorts of artists and designers, including Frank Lloyd Wright,

who drew inspiration from Uxmal; Mel Gibson, who directed the movie “Apocalypto” in 2006; and the makers of the 2009 disaster film “2012.” (For a more factual visual take on the contemporary Maya, check out the black-andwhite photographs of Macduff Everton in 2012’s “The Modern Maya” or the super-saturated color shots of Jeffrey Becom in “Maya Color,” published in 1997.)

So why did the Maya fall?

Deforestation, drought and wars against neighbors have been blamed. In his 2005 bestseller “Collapse,” University of California, Los Angeles geography professor Jared Diamond cites “kings who sought to outdo each other with more and more impressive temples, covered with thicker and thicker plaster-reminiscent in turn of the extravagant conspicuous consumption by modern American CEOs.” Before things went south, the Maya astronomers calculated a long-term calendar and forecast that a 5,125-year era in human history would come to an end on Dec 21, 2012. And then? Like so many fortunetellers and economists before and since, the Maya were vague on details. For the 21st century doomsday industry, of course, this was perfect.

Now we have books, movies, souvenirs and T-shirts tied to Dec 21. Even though almost nobody believes it, the idea of extinction evidently sells. Mayaland Resorts was charging less than $200 a night at its lodges at Uxmal and Chichen Itza in May, but this December, the rates will reach $1,000 a night and beyond.

I asked just about every Yucatecan I met, including many of Maya descent, about Dec 21. “People say, ‘It’s 2012. I’m not going to die. I’m going to Chichen Itza!’” said Andre Mar Arriaga, manager of the bookshop in Merida’s Regional Museum of Anthropology and History.

In the Valladolid office of MexiGo Tours, guide Gilberto Tec Ligorria noted that “my mother is from Guatemala, and my father is from here. So I’m a mix of two kinds of Mayas. And I think it’s just the end of a cycle.”

At the Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman outside Valladolid, I raised the subject with manager Diego Moo, who keeps a slingshot at the ready in case turkey vultures fly too close to the water. Maybe, Moo suggested (in Spanish), his Maya ancestors were predicting the end of the pure Maya race. This may seem pessimistic, given that several million Maya endure, many of them farming in

The Uxmal Archeological Zone is where tourists gather at the base of the Pyramid of the Magician.

One of six kids in the Puc Canul family as we visited their home in Xocen, Yucatan, Mexico.

A pleasant setting for a meal at Hotel El Meson de Marques, Valladolid, Yucatan, Mexico.

Hotel Hacienda Merida, a modern hotel in the capital of the Yucatan.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

lifestyle T r a v e l

The Merida Cathedral one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas.

Then the trees rustled and he reached for his slingshot. On my last full day in the country, I finally got to Chichen Itza, where the 12/21/12 hucksterism is at its most intense. It was about 9 am when I stepped up, well ahead of the crowds, and paid separate entrance fees to the state and federal agencies eager to get their cut. While I roamed, hundreds of vendors were setting up throughout the archaeological

year’s spring equinox, one guide told me, and many are hoping for 80,000 on Dec 21.

The site’s marquee attraction is the restored Temple of Kukulcan (aka El Castillo), and it’s a sight to behold, a four-sided pyramid guarded by feathered serpents. In 2000 I climbed it, along with a few thousand others that day.

But now you can’t. Local guides say climbing has been banned since

X’Keke’n cenote in Dzitnup, outside Valladolid, Yucatan, Mexico features underground pools of cool blue water. zone, playing radios, making faux jaguar roars on little ceramic kazoos and peddling shirts, hats, carvings, calendars, hammocks, dresses, jade jaguars, Cuban cigars and enough refrigerator magnets to drag Iron Man to his knees. Much of the merchandise was doomsday-based.

Guides told me they expected about 2,500 visitors on the day I was there, compared with 8,000 on busy days in December. About 40,000 came for this

An exhibit at Plantacion Tikul Ecomuseo del Cacao.

Adeline Black, an 80-year-old visitor from San Diego, suffered a fatal fall while ascending the ruin in January 2006.

You also can’t swim in Chichen Itza’s Sacred Cenote. But as you stand at its lip and look down, remember that just last year scientists found bones here of six apparent human-sacrifice victims. Two were children. Estimated time of death: between 850 and 1250 AD. So was it a perfect trip? Oh, no. Merida’s traffic drove me nuts and gave me plenty of time to scrawl “miserable city driving torture” in my notebook while creeping along at 2 mph. For the carless, the city’s 16th century cathedral, its plaza loud with bird song, and the poc-chuc (grilled pork with citrus juice) at La Chaya Maya on Calle 62 are good fun.

But if I had this trip to do again, I’d give Merida just one night.

I’d sleep instead in the countryside,

Ruins at Coba, where a heavy rope helps the climb to the top of Nohoch Mul, a pyramid with 120 very steep steps. perhaps at the Pickled Onion, a restaurant and B&B in Santa Elena (near Uxmal) that’s run by an English expat named Valerie Pickles, or perhaps at one of the big hotels at Uxmal so I could walk to the ruins. I’d also spend a few more nights in Valladolid, which has twice the charm and about 8 percent of the population of Merida. The Hotel El Meson del Marques on the plaza charges about $60 a night, and I had the

share four hammocks, a refrigerator, one television, cellphones and an old sewing machine, all on a dirt floor. Next door, in the larger building where the family keeps its seed corn, the concrete floor was immaculate. The family’s eldest daughter, 13-year-old Helmi, made us corn tortillas on a traditional stove (three rocks, campfire and metal tray).

The kids told me about school and sang songs in Spanish and the region’s Maya

dialect. I showed them pictures of my daughter drank Fanta from a gourd and gave thanks for an hour of contemporary Maya humanity to complement the days of architecture and history. For the record, I predict an uneventful Dec 21.

But if you get to Yucatan and you’re lucky, the Maya past, present and future may flash before your eyes. —MCT

The Uxmal Archeological Zone features the Great Temple of Uxmal with its steep steps. most elegant meal of my visit at Taberna de los Frailes, a short walk away. While I ate, songs of worship seeped into the night from the neighboring Ex-Convento de San Bernardino de Siena.

Another change I’d make: more time in Izamal, where the Convent of San Antonio de Padua was built atop a Maya temple in 1561 and most of the downtown is painted mustard yellow. One thing I wouldn’t change, however, is my lunch in the town of Xocen. As part of a daylong tour with Valladolid-based MexiGo Tours, guide Gilberto Tec Ligorria and I arranged to share lunch in Xocen in the home of a Maya farming family.

The Puc Canuls are a middle-class family, which in Xocen means a father, mother and six kids farming corn, keeping bees and growing limes, coriander, mangoes, mint, sapotes, chaya and bananas in the yard. The eight of them

The Uxmal Archeological Zone that is thought to have housed 25,000 Mayas at its peak. Here an Iguana roams the Zone.

Chichen Itza Archeological Zone is one of the best-known pyramids but is off limits for climbing.

Corn tortillas on a traditional stove.

Olives grow again on Malta

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2012

37 Lagerfeld: Obesity more dangerous than being underweight

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arl Lagerfeld thinks being overweight is “much more dangerous” than being underweight. The controversial designer - who is currently creative director of Chanel - believes no one in fashion would want to work with a girl who is anorexic and he worries about people who eat junk food more than those Karl Lagerfeld who under-eat. He told Channel 4 News: “Nobody works with anorexic girls, that’s nothing to do with fashion.

“There are less than one per cent of anorexic girls, but there more than 30 per cent of girls in France, - I don’t know about England - that are much, much overweight.

And it is much more dangerous and very bad for the health. “So I think today with the junk food in front of the TV it’s something dangerous for the health of the girl.” The German-born designer - who previously suggested Pippa Middleton should not show her face - was also unsure about the fashion credentials of David Cameron’s wife Samantha. He added: “In France, the image of Mrs. Cameron is unknown.” Karl attended the opening of Chanel’s Little Black Jacket photography exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London last night, where guests included Keira Knightley and Carine Roitfeld.

Westwood

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likes Moss’ style

ivienne Westwood thinks Kate Moss has great style.

The eccentric British designer has praised the supermodel for her ability to “really understand” how clothes can flatter the body, and thinks her biggest asset as a model is her boundless energy. Writing on her Active Vivienne Westwood Resistance blog, Vivienne recounted an afternoon where she and her husband Andreas Kronthaler visited a Paris showroom with Kate and Jamie Hince. She wrote: “We go to the showroom and Kate tries things on. This girl really has got style. Such an intimate rapport between the clothes and her body, she really knows how to use it and she has so much energy. Talking. Never tired. “It’s good for Andreas and me to see how the clothes fit on a woman who really understands clothes - we will adjust, make one or two changes.” The 71-year-old fashion legend explained that the group went on to see their friend Yasmine Eslami’s new underwear line, where Kate immediately won everyone over in the room with her charm. Vivienne said: “Fashion people are there. Kate’s so pleased to see them. All friends, throwing her arms around them... Andreas says to me, ‘What a lovely little thing, so kind, running around’. “ Kate’s rockstar husband was in agreement and confessed he likes nothing more than watching his wife cavort around trying on clothes.

Vivienne added: “Jamie says, ‘My idea of the perfect strip show is women getting dressed’.”Carine Roitfeld has been appointed global fashion director of Harper’s Bazaar.

Solange Knowles’ style icon is Michelle Obama

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he ‘Losing You’ singer - whose sister is superstar Beyonce Knowles - has great admiration for the US First Lady because she “empowers” women by what she wears and is not swayed by the opinions of others. She told Huffington Post: “Not only is Michelle’s style just stunning, but I love Solange Knowles what she does for the American people and the American women specifically in terms of owning yourself and not wavering it towards other people’s perceptions, especially as a First Lady. “I’ve seen people criticize her in terms of her showing arms or legs, but I think it’s so amazing how she empowers women to have a really strong sense of self and go after what makes them happy.” Discussing her own style, flamboyant Solange admits she often changes what she likes but is currently into a “minimalist” look which draws the eye to one key detail of the outfit. She told People.com: “I’ve sorta begun to go for the minimalist approach. Obviously I wear a lot of prints and a lot of colours, but there are so many different facets to my style and this last particular season had a very minimalist vibe. “I can wear one colour, but there has to be a certain detail there. I like things that are extremely architectural and amazing, so I can just build an outfit around that.”—Bang Showbiz