18th Sep

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Will, Kate sue in Paris as topless pics spread to Italy

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Some gains but many mysteries as Alzheimer’s epidemic looms

For S. Korean men, makeup a foundation for success

Armadillo unveiled as mascot of 2014 World Cup

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Violent clashes rage over anti-Islam film Kuwait condemns movie, ensuing violence • Hezbollah warns US conspiracy theories

What engagement has to do with it?

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

C

haos and demonstrations have not stopped since I wrote about the release of the film insulting Islam last week. The whole world has been busy and almost in a state of chaos triggered by the blasphemous low-budget film. The worst reaction was in Libya, which unfortunately ended with the death of the US ambassador and three other diplomats. There have been protests in India, Pakistan, Australia, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, UK and the United States. Protests happened everywhere. No country remained quiet.

Fortunately, many of the demonstrations, like in Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait were peaceful. All these tremors in the region and beyond happened because of an irresponsive, calculative, manipulative group of extremists who were behind the film.

The problem is not just one filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a bank fraudster who was on probation. The media had released news that the film was financed by 100 Jews and a Coptic Egyptian with American citizenship. We later found out that even the actors in the film were duped and not told what they were taking part in. The worst part is that their words were dubbed to manipulate the conversation, according to what the actors said. Every world leader commented on the topic. Everybody condemned the film and the violence. All of us Muslims condemned the killings and violence and we held peaceful demonstrations.

So I don’t get the statement given by Mr Tony Blair, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and a current special envoy of the Quartet to the Middle East. His statement given on one British channel was a bit vague. It went like this: “I just see a region that is in the process of huge transition. There is essentially a struggle between the forces of modernization, who want an open society, a properly functioning economy, who recognize the 21st century is the 21st century, and then those of reaction based on a perverted view of religion, that want to pull the whole thing backwards,” he said. He also said, “In the end we need both the leadership within those countries and within Islam to stand up and say ‘look, there is a proper modern way of reconciling religious faith, democracy in society’, and we need ourselves from the outside to engage with this process of change in a way that’s constructive.”

I do not understand what he means by engage? I wish he got engaged with the gang who did the movie and financed it. Or are there certain rules of engagement? I wish he could enlighten us being the special envoy for the Middle East. Everywhere in the world demonstrations happen. Sometimes they are peaceful and sometimes they go less peacefully.

Unfortunately, the riots in London last year went out of hand. Shall we say that the people in London have no tolerance and there should be outside engagement to solve the problem? Well, that would be ridiculous. I don’t have to remind Mr Blair about many places that went violent. In France, the youth protested by setting cars ablaze.

In general, it depends who is involved in a protest.

Certain people or groups take advantage and turn a protest into a war zone regardless of religion or nationality.

US linked to cyber viruses BOSTON: Researchers have found evidence suggesting that the United States may have developed three previously unknown computer viruses for use in espionage operations or cyber warfare. The findings are likely to bolster a growing view that the US government is using cyber technology more widely than previously believed to further its interests in the Middle East. The United States has already been linked to the Stuxnet Trojan that attacked Iran’s nuclear program in 2010 and the sophisticated Flame cyber surveillance tool that was uncovered in May. Continued on Page 13

BEIRUT: A supporter of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group holds a sign as she marches with others during a rally in southern Beirut to denounce a film mocking Islam yesterday. — AFP

Max 42º Min 25º High Tide 00:43 & 13:14 Low Tide 06:53 & 18:59

BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah warned yesterday of “very dangerous” global repercussions if an anti-Islam film is released in its entirety, as the death toll from violence sparked by the movie rose to 19. An eruption of Muslim anger over a trailer of the American-made film that appeared on the Internet has spread across the world, taking hold yesterday in Afghanistan, Indonesia, the West Bank, the Philippines, Azerbaijan and Yemen.

The Kuwaiti Cabinet strongly condemned the antiIslam film which “insulted Muslim icons and hurt the feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide”.

“This movie which mocks the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH) is a malicious move to spread hatred and instigate tension among followers of different faiths,” the Cabinet said. The Cabinet however strongly denounced the “uncivilized” way of protesting by some people who attacked US diplomats and diplomatic missions Hassan Nasrallah in several countries.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of southern Beirut to denounce the film at Nasrallah’s request, and the head of the powerful Shiite Muslim group surprised supporters by making a rare Continued on Page 13

Massive naval exercise in Gulf Kuwait to boost ‘rainy day’ fund KUWAIT: OPEC member Kuwait plans to more than double the portion of state revenues it puts into a rainy day fund, mostly from oil, to 25 percent this fiscal year, the state news agency said yesterday. Kuwait’s Cabinet has asked the finance ministr y to make the change in the budget for the year ending in March 2013, news agency KUNA said. It was not clear whether the increase would extend beyond the current financial year. The move is thought to be aimed at investing state money more efficiently although the government has not disclosed a specific reason for the increase.

Kuwait, one of the world’s richest countries per capita and a major oil producer, currently puts 10 percent of

its annual revenues into the Future Generations Fund, a nest egg for when oil runs out. The fund was set up in 1976 and is managed by the state’s sovereign wealth fund, the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA). The fund invests outside Kuwait and all of its investment income is reinvested. “This order came after discussing a number of issues related to economic affairs and the situation going for ward,” Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf said, according to KUNA. Kuwait does not disclose the size of the Future Generations Fund, but it is thought to be in the tens of billions of dollars; the size of the KIA’s general reserve fund is thought to be well in Continued on Page 13

DUBAI: Naval forces from more than 30 countries were yesterday engaged in a massive minesweeping exercise in the Gulf, US officials said, amid Iranian threats to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The US-led International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX), the first of its kind in the Middle East, comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Iran over the Islamic republic’s controversial nuclear program. The exercise kicked off on Sunday, the same day as the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of retaliation against the Strait of Hormuz, Israel and nearby US bases if his country is attacked and as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Tehran is “90 percent” toward having a nuclear bomb.

US defence officials insist the exercise is not aimed at Iran or any one country, but is simply designed to hone countermine capabilities among allies and partners. “This (exercise) is not being conducted in response to any particular threat or any specific situation,” Lieutenant Greg Raelson of the US Fifth

MANAMA: US Navy Vice Adm John Miller welcomes those in attendance to phase one of the IMCMEX on Sunday. — AFP fleet in Bahrain told AFP yesterday. “This exercise uses a scenario based on a violent extremist organisation to prepare for the possibility...(they) may use mines or a seaborne improvised explosive device to Continued on Page 13

Iran alleges explosives Record 2m cut power to nuke site orders for Nuke chief harshly criticizes IAEA VIENNA: Iran’s nuclear chief said yesterday that “terrorists and saboteurs” might have infiltrated the International Atomic Energy Agency in an effort to derail his nation’s atomic program, in an unprecedentedly harsh attack on the integrity of the UN organization and its probe of allegations that Tehran is striving to make nuclear arms. Fereydoun Abbasi also rebuked the United States in comments to the IAEA’s 155-nation general conference, reflecting Iran’s determination to continue defying international pressure aimed at curbing its nuclear program and nudging it toward cooperation with the IAEA inspection.

Revealing what he said were two sabotage attempts on his country’s nuclear program, he challenged the perpetrators to launch new attacks, saying his country is determined to learn how to protect its interests through such assaults. The defiant speech was bound to give a greater voice to hardline Israeli leaders who say that both diplomatic efforts and economic penalties have had no effect on Iran, leaving military strikes as the only alternative to stopping it from developing nuclear weapons.

Iran has often warned that any Israeli attack would trigger a devastating response, and yesterday Abbasi suggested that such strikes would not succeed in slowing down his country’s nuclear program. He said without elaboration that experts have “devised certain ways through which nuclear facilities remain intact under missile attacks and raids”.

Continued on Page 13

VIENNA: Director General of the IAEA Yukiya Amano of Japan prepares to shake hands with Fereydoun Abbasi, Iran’s Vice President and Head of Atomic Energy Organization, prior to their talks at the International Center yesterday. — AP

new iPhone NEW YORK: Apple received more than two million orders for its new iPhone 5 in just 24 hours, the company said yesterday, pushing back many deliveries into October because of strong demand. “iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing. Apple unveiled the new version of its iconic smartphone last Wednesday and opened up pre-orders on Friday. The company said the hot item would be available in 100 countries around the world by the year-end.

The first customers in the United States and several other countries are expected to get the device September 21, but Apple said some would have to wait. “Demand for iPhone 5 exceeds the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders will be delivered to customers on September 21, many are scheduled to be delivered in October,” an Apple Continued on Page 13

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

local

Viagra easily availabe without prescription Misuse widespread in Kuwait

By Nawara Fattahova

Upper Crust Pizzeria now open at the United Tower KUWAIT: Upper Crust Pizzeria, the awardwinning Boston based pizzeria, proudly announced the opening of its second branch in Kuwait at The United Tower in Kuwait City, after The Village, at Abu Al Hassany area. This opening represents an important milestone for the brand already known for offering some of the most unique pizzas in Kuwait.

Conveniently located in the heart of the city, the new restaurant proudly serves its signature pizzas and pastas for all those craving for something delicious and extraordinary. Customers may also enjoy from a selection of over forty toppings to add to any pizza or calzone. Upper Crust offers its guests a variety of mouth-watering desserts, irresistible appetizers, freshly tossed signature salads and a wide selection of beverages.

All pizza lovers may grab takeout, get delivery or choose to dine in. Uipper Crusts’ special architectural spaces include open kitchens, pizza tin-decorated ceilings, all adding up to deliver a truly unique experi-

ence that can only be described as Upper Crust. The restaurant’s main goal today is to become a popular neighborhood restaurant where guests would be offered delectable, aesthetically pleasing food in a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere.

Proud of having its second location open, the brand is today looking forward to growing with additional openings in Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf over the coming few years. Following Uipper Crust’s guiding principles for quality, service and innovation, the restaurant’s management team is confident that the concept will be well received by consumers in the Gulf region.

Since 2001, Uipper Crust Pizzeria has been serving award-winning pizza to Boston-area residents craving for the best pizza in town. The concept is simple: use fresh ingredients in traditional and unexpected ways on top of a flavorful crust. The menu has grown from classic combos to more unique and daring pairings all atop a mouth-watering thin crust pizza.

300 complaints against policemen in 8 months KUWAIT: More than 300 complaints were lodged against police officers during the first eight months of this year — up by ten percent compared to the same period last year, a local daily reported yesterday quoting sources with knowledge of official Interior Ministry statistics.

Speaking to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity, the sources indicated that disciplinary measures were taken against 50 officers found guilty of the

accusations, including nine policemen who served jail terms for abuse of power.

And while indicating that investigations are still ongoing in some of the reported cases, the sources said that there have been cases in which complaints were shelved due to lack of evidence.

Furthermore, the sources noted that at least 1200 officers failed to report to report to work without an excuse since the beginning of 2012.— Agencies

KUWAIT: The blue pill is considered a miraculous solution for men looking to enhance their sexual performance. Viagra is usually consumed by older men, who need it on account of their advanced age, but even some younger men have been known to use it, rather abuse it. Several articles highlighting the negative side effects of this medicine and pointing out the dangers, which some patients might face if they consume this pill, have been published.

As per the rules laid down by the Ministry of Health in Kuwait, Viagra can only be sold with a medical prescription, but after investigating the sale of the drug at local pharmacies, it seems that not all pharmacies follow these rules and regulations. Even though three pharmacies located in different areas refused to sell Viagra without a doctor’s prescription, this reporter found that some pharmacies had no qualms about doing exactly that. A chemist working at a pharmacy located in

Salmiya pointed out that Viagra can only be sold if a medical prescription for it is presented by the customer. He added that earlier only dermatologists and venereal disease specialists were allowed to write these prescriptions, but at present other specialists are also allowed to prescribe the drug.

“Nevertheless, I can manage to sell you some Viagra without a doctor’s prescription,” he told the Kuwait Times. At another pharmacy located in Salmiya, a chemist stated that he would sell the pills without a doctor’s prescription if seriously needed. “I can sell it and I can also deliver it to your home free of charge. A pack containing 30 pills of 50 milligrams each will cost KD 90. We also have a four- pill pack of 100 milligram tablets for KD 15.250,” she stated.

Viagra does not have any effect on a woman’s sexual drive. “If a woman used Viagra to improve her sexual life, it will not have any effect on her, as it was manufactured for the use of men only. It probably won’t even hurt a woman as it can in the case of men. But I can offer other medication for

women, which serve the same purpose,” a pharmacist from Hawalli stressed.

Dr. Kamran, who works at the emergency department of the Al-Rashed Hospital, warned against the misuse of Viagra. He narrated an incident where about a year ago he received a young patient, who had been rushed to the public hospital for overdosing on Viagra, which he had consumed to augment his sexual activities.

“The use of Viagra decreases blood pressure. So for instance, patients who are being treated for protection against heart attacks will immediately find their blood pressure plummeting if they consume Viagra. This pill should not be used by persons suffering from heart diseases,” Dr. Kamran said. A man in his mid-sixties, recently faced complications after injecting Viagra, following which he had to be rushed to the emergency room. “I don’t want this bad experience to be repeated again, as this incident put my life in danger, and nothing is worth risking your life for,” Qasim, the retired expat stated.

Kuwait criticizes world community for ongoing bloodshed in Syria GENEVA: The State of Kuwait yesterday expressed criticism of lack of international will to stop the ongoing bloodshed in Syria and called on the world community to bring those responsible for crimes against humanity into account. Absence of an international will to stop the bloodshed in sisterly Syria has become clear and evident, said Ambassador Dharar Abdul-Razzak Razzooqi, Kuwait’s permanent delegate at the UN in Geneva, addressing a session of the UN Human Rights Council, looking into a report by the Independent Committee for Truth in Syria.

“My delegation examined with great interest the report of the Independent Committee for Truth in Syria, which brought evidence of continuing spiral of violence and killings across the country in addition to a large series of flagrant violations of human rights,” the envoy said. Kuwait condemns strongly the flagrant, widespread and systematic violations of human rights violations committed by the Syrian authorities against the brotherly Syrian people and calls for effective international position to solve this problem peacefully, Razzooqi said. Moreover, it insists on demanding accountability for all those responsible for human rights violations, including those violations that may amount to crimes against humanity.

The veteran diplomat added, “We must, in this Council, deliver a clear message, without any ambiguity, that that failure to achieve a settlement that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people will have serious consequences for the security and stability of Syria, the countries of the region and the entire world. We stand before a political and humanitarian tragedy in all its dimensions that may present the biggest challenge facing the countries of the region and the world as a whole.”

He called in the name of Kuwait for a peaceful settlement that would put an end to the bloodshed and achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, saying “unfortunately, because of intransigence and prevalence of the logic of a decisive security solution as well as the scorched earth policy, all peaceful efforts have been overshadowed and brought us into a dark tunnel that only God The Almighty knows its consequences, and will serve no one in our region and the world.”

“We support all efforts and the hard resolve of the representative of the United Nations and the Arab League, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi to move forward in order to reach a peaceful Arab political solution to the

Syrian crisis with the active support of the international community,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the regular report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria confirmed reasonable indications suggesting violations of Human Rights and crimes of war in the Arab country committed by the Bashar Al-Assad regime forces.

Commission Chairperson Paulo Sergio Pinheiro added, “The commission found reasonable grounds to believe that Government forces and the Shabbiha had committed the crimes against humanity of murder and of torture, war crimes, and gross violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including unlawful killing, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, sexual violence, indiscriminate attack, pillaging and destruction of property. The commission found that Government forces and Shabbiha members were responsible for the killings in Al-Houla.”

“The commission confirms its previous finding that violations were committed pursuant to State policy. Large-scale operations conducted in different

governorates, their similar modus operandi, their complexity and integrated military-security apparatus indicate the involvement at the highest levels of the armed and security forces and the Government. The Shabbiha were identified as perpetrators of many of the crimes described in the present report.” “Although the nature, composition, and hierarchy of the Shabbiha remains unclear, credible information led to the conclusion that they acted in concert with Government forces.”

On the other side of the fence, the committee also found reasons for condemnation, indicating that “The commission found reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes, including murder, extrajudicial execution and torture, had been perpetrated by organized anti-Government armed groups.”

“Although not a party to the Geneva Conventions, these groups must abide by the principles of international humanitarian law,” the commission said, adding that “The violations and abuses committed by antiGovernment armed groups did not reach the gravity, frequency and scale of those committed by Government forces and the Shabbiha.”— KUNA

Large public participation ‘not expected’ in new gathering KUWAIT: Disallowing members of the Al-Sabah family from occupying the prime minister’s post will protect the position from the internal bickering among members of the royal clan trying to wrest control of the post, a lawmaker belonging to the opposition stated recently.

MP Khalid Al-Tahous, who was speaking to the Al-Rai on behalf of the Popular Action Bloc, reiterated the bloc’s support for constitutional monarchy and an elected cabinet. His statement focused mostly on the public proclamation denouncing hate speech, which and was created during a recent gathering in the Iradah Square.

Al-Tahous also discussed the ongoing preparations for a mass demonstration, which will be held next Monday, on the eve of the Constitutional Court’s ruling, which will determine the constitutionality of electoral law.

Preparations for the gathering were also high-

lighted during the latest meeting of the Majority Bloc; which is a coalition made up of members of the opposition, who were in majority in 2012’s dissolved parliament. The bloc reportedly agreed that all of its 34 members must attend a meeting next Saturday, “to show solidarity for, and agreement with the decisions taken during the meeting,” sources close to the bloc pointed out.

Meanwhile, sources also revealed to the AlQabas that bloc members had never discussed the option of staying overnight in the Iradah Square on Sept 24, and realize at the same time that a large presence is not expected.

Moreover, sources who chose to remain anonymous stated that the bloc members have decided to launch a campaign in the Iradah Square, which will be aimed at signing a document that demands the enforcement of a law criminalizing hate speech. —Al-Qabas

OFWs asked to support PHLPost money transfer RIYADH: In an attempt to revive an otherwise stagnant government corporation, Postmaster General and CEO Josefina M Dela Cruz appealed to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia to support the new products and services of the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost). “PHLPost has new products and services which are not offered by current players in the remittance industry in the Kingdom. By supporting these, you’ll not only help jumpstart PHLPost but also help save the jobs of 11,000 compatriots back home,” Dela Cruz said.

PHLPost launched its e-Postmo service, an electronic postal money order. With the new service, OFWs send money and their beneficiaries receive the amount on the same day, assuming that the remittance is received and delivered or collected before 5 pm in the Philippines, which is five hours ahead of Saudi time. Dela Cruz, the former governor of Bulacan province, said that if she and her team succeed in turning PHLPost around, the “11,000 employees who would lose their jobs won’t need to work as OFWs.” “Before, beneficiaries received checks to cash with the post office, which sometimes did not have the necessary amount.

Now, they receive the remittance through electronic transfer,” she said.

Dela Cruz also said that beneficiaries receive exactly the amount remitted to them, “because PHLPost has no hidden charges.” She noted that some banks charge fees in the Kingdom for sending money to the Philippines. When the amount is received, it’s less than expected because of “hidden charges”. Dela Cruz stressed that sending money through PHLPost is the most convenient way of transferring money to the Philippines “because of the wide distribution of post offices in accessible locations.”

Starting next month, PHLPost’s postal payment service will be available in Saudi Arabia (through Al-Rajhi Bank), Qatar, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). At present, it’s already available in post offices in Brazil, Brunei, Greece, Hong Kong,

Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Just go to the nearest post office or bank in the country where you are to remit your money. Your beneficiary in the Philippines will be contacted to choose from different modes of delivery, such as cash pick-up at the post office, cash door-to-door delivery, credit to account and postal money order,” she said.

In the cash pick-up at the post office, beneficiaries receive the money instantly at the post office within 24 hours. Through cash door-todoor delivery, the beneficiary receives the money right at his or her doorstep within 24 hours. Credit to account enables the beneficiary to withdraw the money from his or her bank account or ATM within 24 hours.

Beneficiaries in remote areas will be issued a postal money order check for encashment at the post office in 5 to 10 days’ time.

PHLPost has 2,000 post offices all over the Philippines. Some OFWs had mixed reactions on the introduction of PHLPost’s services to OFWs in the Kingdom. “It’s rather late in the day for PHLPost to have come to reach out to OFWs and introduce its services. There are so many Philippine banks now serving the remittance needs of OFWs in Saudi Arabia,” said Dan Velasco. Oscar Domingo agreed with him but he said, “There’s hope if OFWs rally behind Dela Cruz’s call for support.” Resty S Sibug added, “The only way for PHLPost is to be optimistic.”

“It should give the best service possible to OFWs, like expeditious remittances to beneficiaries back home,” he said.

Leny Cleofe said that she would try to send money through PHLPost although she had been availing the services of another bank.

Ernie S Perez said, “Let’s rally behind PHLPost’s cause of turning things around and be a vibrant player in the remittance needs of OFWs so that it could help the government in its campaign of ‘matuwid na daan’ (right path).” Joanna Espinosa said, “I have the impression Dela Cruz had touched a chord in the heart of the OFWs, most of whom expressed support.”— MCT

KUWAIT: Kuwait National Petroleum Company and the United Nations Development Program officials pictured during the signing ceremony.

KNPC adopts UNDP project against violence in schools KUWAIT: Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) announced yesterday signing an agreement with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for a project, financed by KNPC, to end violence against students. KNPC said in a statement that Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of the company Fahad Al-Ajmi signed the agreement with Deputy Resident Representative Stein Hansen.

Al-Ajmi expressed KNPC’s “pride” in supporting this project to combat school violence, adding it “is the first of its kind in Kuwait and the region, and reflects KNPC’s leadership’s interest in educating strong generations that reject hostile behavior.”

For his part, Hansen expressed his satisfaction for participating in the implementation of this initiative, “which requires everyone to work hard in order to make it work, making it an example for other

companies.” Hansen explained that after the completion of this project, UNDP together with KNPC will prepare an integrated study for this experience, its implications and the possibility of applying it in other

regional countries. Furthermore, KNPC Deputy Managing Director for Planning & Local Marketing Bakhit Al-Rashidi said that the project “is part of the social responsibility of the company and includes an

awareness campaign aimed at reducing violence in all its forms over the Internet.”

He added that the project “includes training 20-30 Kuwaiti youngsters who possess leadership qualities on the concepts of adaptation and flexibility in order to respond to violence against youth.” Al-Rashidi said that these youngsters will visit several schools to educate students about these concepts, indicating that KNPC will implement an extensive media campaign about the project, which will include a number of publications and press meetings to shed light on the project and its significance. The two-year project aims to increase public awareness, help initiate change in behavior among high school students against anti-social behavior and reduce the impact of such incidents on the students’ abilities to participate in the national development process. —KUNA

local

News

in brief

KAC emergency landing KUWAIT: Sources revealed that a KAC flight had to make an emergency landing at the Kuwait International Airport yesterday afternoon on account of a technical glitch. This is not the first time that a KAC flight has been forced to make an emergency landing. Similar cases have been reported before related to KAC flights. Therefore, a solution for fixing these defects and for instituting a damage-control mechanism needs to be developed by the airline.

New roundabout, service route KUWAIT: The Traffic Department has inaugurated a roundabout located on the King Abdul Aziz Al Saud road, and will open service roads between Manqaf and Sabahiya from dawn on Friday, Sept 21, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works. The Traffic Department also cautioned car owners to be careful while driving, especially on the King Abdul Aziz Al Saud road.

GCC gathering for disabled SHARJAH: The fourth Gulf social gathering for the disabled kicked off on Sunday, with 70 disabled young men from the six GCC member states in attendance. Co-organized by the UAE General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and the GCC Secretariat, the gathering is held in a GCC country every two years, a UAE sports official said. The event is hoped to greatly contribute to providing better services to the disabled in the GCC member states, said Jamal Al-Hamadi, the chief of the youth and cultural department of the UAE General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare. He also wished the UAE experiment in hosting the fourth gathering would help in easing out the sufferings of the disabled. For his part, the chief of the organizing committee of the gathering, Jassem Al-Balushi said the event will feature several sports and cultural activities and workshops. He lauded Sharjah City for organizing a tour for Gulf delegations participating in the gathering. The fourth Gulf social gathering for the disabled winds up on Sept 20.

Interior denies rumors KUWAIT: Ministry of Interior has denied rumors circulating in social networking sites of the killing of two land border security personnel in a shooting incident with Iraqis, pointing out that the incident had taken place few years ago. The news is incorrect and has no truth whatsoever, said a statement, urging the need for accuracy and objectivity with respect to the matter of security.

‘Extremists entered Kuwait to attend demonstrations’ Minister hails ‘women to judiciary’ decision

By A. Saleh KUWAIT: People described some protesters as “activists in extremist organizations” who were arrested during recent demonstrations carried out by Islamists outside foreign embassies. According to knowledgeable sources, investigations revealed that the suspects are “non-Kuwaiti religious activists who arrived in Kuwait with help from charity organizations and MPs”.

“Investigations revealed that the suspects are connected with Kuwaitis who previously faced terrorism charges and served jail terms in security cases”, the sources said, expressing concern that this “gives an impression that the former convicts still carry extremist ideologies, in which they wait for the right opportunity to express”.

The detained suspects were “the first to take part in demonstrations in front of embassies and at the Iradah Square”, according to the sources. They added that the suspects were investigated for charges on which “they can be sentenced to deportation if they are found guilty of”.

Social equality A minister has said that the Supreme Judicial Council’s step to accept women’s applications to work as prosecutors “reinforces the principle of social equality and other constitutional values in a country that breathes democracy and seeks to assume its place among the world’s elite advanced countries”.

“The Kuwaiti women managed to achieve leading posts in politics, the economy and society as a result of hard work, through which they proved their position as a vital component to support the country’s achievements”, said Minister of Planning and Development Dr Rula Dashty, in a statement yesterday. Minister Dashty also believes that allowing women to enter the judiciary “can help eliminate the discrimination they faced for decades”, expressing faith in “Kuwaiti women with high capabilities and qualifications to assume judicial posts similar to assuming posts in the legislative and executive authorities”.

No unified position Columnist Nabeel Al-Fadhel has called upon the Majority Bloc to “announce a clear position”, following statements made by some members demanding a prime minister be chosen from outside the Al-Sabah family.

Al-Fadhel, a member of the annulled 2012 parliament, made these statements “in light of the lack of a unified position representing the bloc as a whole”. “Suspiciously, Khalid AlTahous said that a premier from outside the Al-Sabah family is imminent, shortly after Waleed Al-Tabtabaei proclaimed Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak Al-Sabah as the last ‘Sabah’ prime minister, which coincide with Musallam Al-Barrak’s call for public mobilization”, Al-Fdahel said. He described these statements as “actual declarations of war against Al-Sabah’s rule”.

Opposition TV faces obstacles Members from the Majority Bloc said they do not see a need to launch a TV channel at the present time, believing that it would only serve some of its members, as opposed to benefiting the bloc as a whole.

Kuwaiti drug trader in police custody

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: Drug enforcement agents have arrested a Kuwaiti man for possession of 1.25 kg of hashish. Based on information received earlier that indicated the man’s involvement in the drug trade, the necessary legal permission was sought to arrest the suspect from his house.

While conducting a search at the suspect’s residence, the police recovered 1.25 kg of hashish and arrested the suspect, who was under the influence of drugs. The suspect later confessed to trading in drugs and was presented along with the recovered drug before the concerned authorities.

KUWAIT: The drug trader pictured after his arrest.

Three arrested Meanwhile, Jahra detectives have arrested three youths, who have been identified as one Kuwaiti national, one Saudi citizen and one bedoon, for firing random shots in the Taima area. The three accused have been charged on several counts including owning arms and bullets without a license and the attempt to kill a policeman by trying to run him over with their car.

Amir urged to step up and save Kuwait KUWAIT: A local daily is demanding an intervention by HH the Amir for saving Kuwait through an initiative, which will be created by public participation aimed at ending the country’s current ordeal.

“It is time for the Captain who steers the ship of the nation to step in,” said a front-page editorial published by the AlQabas yesterday, adding that HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is the most competent person to perform, “this major historical task that will end Kuwait’s deterioration and lead it back to the right track of development.”

The paper refrained from mentioning the specific problems in the political and economic sectors that need to be addressed, but diagnosed the ordeal comprehensively as, “a complicated crisis that has made us loose our path, and is flaring tensions, which are costing Kuwaitis dearly and are continuing at the expense of stability and development, combined with an unstable regional scenario.”

Al-Qabas recounted 10 main problems that are causing the crisis and asked HH the Amir to take an initiative to put an end to the emergent situation.

“Diagnosing the main reasons for our national crisis, we think it has been caused by an undeveloped ruling system, a dormant constitution, the constant struggle between certain ruling family members, a Cabinet that has lost control over the interests of the state, a parliament that misuses its powers, a stagnant economy and developmental agenda, a society that is increasingly divided, political groups that lack vision, an absence of political groups that are representative of general interests, and

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

citizens who prefer to take more than they are willing to give,” the newspaper’s statement pointed out.

Meanwhile, the paper also wrote that, “the lack of coordination and trust limits people’s abilities to overcome these problems, which is why we believe that the time has come for an immediate and decisive intervention from the shipmaster. We count on HH the Amir as the common factor who will unite Kuwaitis, all of whom respect, appreciate and trust him to lead our ship to safe shores.”

The initiative by the Al-Qabas also

proposed, “consultations followed by taking decisions and adopting measures that HH believes are the best solution, which serve as the basis on which a new national framework will be established.”

They further proposed, “addressing conflicts between ruling family members by limiting the number of Al-Sabah ministers and nominating them on the basis of competency alone before culminating the process with a national solution based on a strong commitment to the democratic system and the constitution.” —Al-Qabas

Kuwait working on increasing freshwater strategic reserves KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW ) has stressed its quest to increase freshwater strategic reserves while raising the efficiency of the water system and ensuring the quality of water according to the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Assistant Undersecretary for water operation and maintenance in the ministry Mohamed Bushehri said in a press statement yesterday that the sector is working to secure the arrival of fresh water as well as low salt water to consumers on an ongoing basis and with high quality according to the requirements of the World Health Organization.

He explained that the sector is also

working to raise the efficiency and quality of service delivered to citizens, and work to increase the stock of freshwater as well as preparing a joint contingency water plan with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

He stressed that the sector is currently preparing training programs to raise the efficiency of the administrative and technical workers and make use of internal and external expertise to benefit from their experiences in this arena.

He added that the ministry is working to reduce the rate of fractures and damage according to a set program through replacement of parts in the water network and prepare a team for state water conservation.— KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Seif Palace the head and senior staff at Kuwait Sea Sports Club. The club staff made the visit to thank HH for a reception held at Bayan Palace in their honour, after their participation in a recent diving trip they had organized. HH noted the importance of focusing on Kuwait’s heritage and national identity, and preserving it, in accordance with the directions of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

This was mentioned by sources close to the bloc, who indicated that members “refused to provide financial contributions to launch the station because they believe it has only a small chance to garner public attention and is subsequently not expected to survive for long”.

KU elections A number of Kuwait University students have filed a lawsuit appealing the results of the recently concluded student elections, arguing that the fact that the elections are overseen by the Ministry of Higher Education is unconstitutional. In their appeal, the students argue that the students’ union is classified as a civil society organization, and thus should be under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.

Retirement suspended The Cabinet is expected to notify state departments to stop forcing staff members who are employed for more than thirty years to retire, so the retirements can be reviewed by the next parliament. According to sources, the decision was made “in order to give the next ministers the freedom to handle the subject”, given the fact that the current Cabinet is considered temporary and will only sit until the parliament is dissolved and a new one elected. “The Cabinet looks to help ministers avoid problems before elections, especially since requiring senior officials to retire must be followed by appointing others in their place, which opens the door for accusations of

benefiting others”, the source explained.

New gathering The National Islamic Alliance will hold a gathering tomorrow evening in support of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and to voice opposition to the low-budget offensive movie produced in the United States. The event will be hosted at the group’s building in Maidan Hawally and will be open to the public.

National Front statement Ahmed Al-Dayyeen, the Chairman and Coordinator General of the National Front to Protect the Constitution, stated that the front has agreed to send two letters to the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the Judiciary Supreme Council, in reference to the government’s stance on laws governing elections.

Speaking at a press conference held at Al-Zaidan Diwan in Shamiya, Al-Dayyeen said that he has signed two letters on behalf of the front, and that lawyer Abdullah Al-Ahmed has been authorized to submit the letters via registered mail.

Another member of the front, Mohammed Abdul Qadir AlJassim, noted that the two letters discuss the legal and constitutional aspects of the government’s contest over the law governing electoral constituencies. “The constitutional court is authorized to discuss the contest”, he said, adding that however, the constitutional court is only authorized to consider general legislations.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

in my view

Go back to our history

The culture of hatred

By AbdulRahman Al-Rashed

By Abdullah Buwair

n 1988, Ayatollah Khomeini provoked religious confrontation when he issued a fatwa (religious edict) to kill a British novelist of Indian origin whom nobody had previously heard of. Up until then, Salman Rushdie’s novel entitled “The Satanic Verses” was virtually unknown. Immediately after the fatwa was issued, the novel became a bestseller, bringing millions of dollars to the author who became a star overnight.

Rushdie had written three books prior to the publication of Satanic Verses but none saw the fame that the latter enjoyed. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi joined the wave of condemnation when he saw that the fatwa to kill Rushdie and to avenge the slander of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) might win him more popularity in his own country and abroad.

A series of events and confrontations ensued over the years. Amongst others, these included the Danish cartoons mocking the Prophet five years ago. Then there was the row over an anti-Islam film produced in Holland. Another incident that provoked Muslim sentiment was the burning of the copies of the Holy Quran in Florida.

Yet the anti-Islam film recently produced in the United States, “Innocence of Muslims,” has more a perilous potential.

First, the producer is an Egyptian of Coptic Christian faith. The film has been produced at a time where the possibility of sectarian war between the Muslims and the Copts of Egypt is no longer a distant cry. The film also coincided with the revolutions of the “Arab Spring” era that the Americans, under attack now, believed would strengthen communication between the new regimes and their government unlike the totalitarian regimes before them.

Whoever believes that religious or cultural confrontation will stop in the coming decades is mistaken. On the contrary, these confrontations may snowball not because of the rise in the number of people who despise religion but due to the rapid increase of modes of communication and the rise in the number of religious activists on both sides.

For instance, a few weeks back, a film about the history of Islam - which was worse than the shabby YouTube production that created all this havoc was aired. The film alleges that Islam and the Quran were only known after 100 years of the Arab occupation of the Middle East. The film did not generate much of a following because it was not aired on YouTube. There had also been an equally bad American film which, much unlike “Innocence of Muslims,” was produced using sophisticated technology but which also generated little hype because it was aired away from the public radar and political focus.

Yet anti-religious campaigns are not limited to Muslims alone. Jews, Christians and Hindus also experience their fair share of battles against hostile literary works. The only difference is that Muslims are plagued by the presence of fanatic and armed organizations such as Al-Qaeda that claim that they are responsible for the defense of Islam. The Catholics created much ado over the Da Vinci Code, which denied that Christ was God, and went to great lengths to stop the airing of the film. Prior to that, a film entitled “The Passion of the Christ” produced and directed by actor Mel Gibson created a backlash from within the Jewish community who alleged that the insinuation that Jews crucified Christ was anti-Semitic. Such works have only deepened rifts and hatred at a time characterized by intellectual, political and technical upheaval.

In contrast, no one pays much attention to those who produce films and books depicting the positive aspects of religion with the aim of battling the stereotypes propagated by such hateful works. For instance, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, a Kuwaiti, produced 99 episodes of cartoon and documentary films in the English language for children about the history of Islam and its triumphs. Such works are a rarity and yet nowhere do we see people take to the streets in appreciation of what has been produced or try to watch them on YouTube.

Indeed, the problem seems more serious than what it appears to be today. The program spans beyond the current state of anger over the production of anti-Islamic material. The rift of conflict and hostility is widening amongst the numerous sects and ideologies. Just two weeks ago, a TV program became famous when one guest speaker assaulted his opponent during a Sunni-Shiite debate, much to the joy of the many viewers. The viewership of such trivial programs is a reflection of the deepseated hostility between the two sects.

Libya experienced a period of crisis following the destruction of tombs and shrines belonging to Sufi Muslims. As a result, a war almost broke out between the Sufis and their more conservative Salafist counterparts. In Morocco, some came out claiming that the entire country is of Maliki practice (those who follow the Imam Malik school of thought) and that there is no place for those following the “Hanbali” school of thought. Such assertions are a testament to how quickly relations can deteriorate if not tended to and are a reliable indication of future threats.

Indeed, we can see how religious strife has finally managed to split Sudan into two countries and how it is threatening to divide Iraq. In northern Lebanon, war can break out at any moment. God only knows what awaits Syria.

I report appeared recently, which quoted a lawmaker claiming during a speech at the Iradah Square that the Al-Sabah family fled Kuwait during the Iraqi Invasion.

First of all, I would like to reiterate the fact that the Al-Sabah family is a role model vis-‡-vis the relationship between people and their rulers, which was established during the rule of Kuwait’s first Amir Sheikh Sabah the first (1752 - 1776). His wisdom led the Kuwaiti people to choose him as their leader for resolving their disputes and dealing with matters of state.

This unique relationship continues even today under the rule of Kuwait’s 15th Amir, HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah, who assumed his duties on Jan 29, 2006 after HH the Father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah decided to step down on account of his failing health. HH Sheikh Sabah was known as the, ‘Dean of Global Diplomacy’, and was at one point, the world’s oldest foreign minister.

I urge the lawmaker who made these recent statements to go back to history and discover how the Al-Sabah family has ruled Kuwait with the public’s approval.

Secondly, I would like to ask the MP this question “Where were you during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait?” If he had really been in Kuwait at the time, he would’ve never made such claims. He would’ve known that the first martyr of the war was a member of the Al-Sabah family, the late Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who is the brother of the late Amir HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and the current Amir HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

In the early hours of Aug 2, 1990, Saddam Hussain’s troops launched their attack on Kuwait, which was immediately followed by widespread instances of theft, murder, arrests and the torture of innocent Kuwaitis. Is the MP aware of the first demand made by the invading army? They were looking for the Al-Sabah family and wanted to force them to surrender power. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Kuwaiti government, represented by the late Amir HH Sheikh Jaber AlAhmad Al-Sabah and the late Father Amir HH Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, had left Kuwait, the country would’ve never regained its sovereignty. In fact, both the Sheikh Jaber and Sheikh Saad Al-Sabah would’ve faced the same fate as the late Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The decision of the Kuwaiti leadership to exit the country during the invasion was taken to protect the country’s legitimate authority. They went to seek the help of the international community for securing Kuwait’s freedom.

I would also like the lawmaker to narrate the circumstances existent in Kuwait during the seven-month-long Iraqi invasion. How did the Kuwaitis find the patience to bear the attack on their country at the time? It was through God Almighty, and the wisdom of the Al-Sabah family Sheikhs.

Where were you when the whole world stood behind Kuwait during the invasion, including the Soviet Union, which had signed cooperation treaties with Iraq at the time?

Where were you when the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah travelled around the world trying to bring international attention to Kuwait’s cause, and was eventually successful in managing to attract worldwide compassion and support for achieving liberation? Aren’t all these instances enough for you to realize the error in your claims?

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kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Political charisma

By Dr Terki Al-Azmi s a researcher in leadership science, I would ics they addressed, which made their actions backsay that looking for a leader with charisma in fire. Researchers in leadership science say that if the the political scene is like looking for a toy government had a charismatic minister - especially dropped by a child in the sea. A leader is in my opin- at the information minister’s post - the landscape of ion is born that way, as leadership cannot be the Kuwaiti political scene would have been totally obtained through training; especially when it comes different today.

Meanwhile, Waleed Al-Jerri has a rare type of to charisma because it needs intelligence combined with the ability to convince and possess a high level charisma, perhaps made special by the fact that he is a man of law. When Al-Jerri of self-confidence. Having addresses a topic, he often charisma with overconfiIn Kuwait’s political scenes, we uses a document to support dence for example results can say that Musallam Al-Barrak, his arguments. Meanwhile, in speech that is more autohis charisma further helps cratic than productive. In Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Waleed garner the listeners’ trust. the meantime, we often Al-Jerri are among the most comCharisma is often an acceptfind leaders lacking charismon examples for charismatic able characteristic in generma and mediocre convincal. In institutional work howing abilities, but with leaders. The charisma of some ever, charisma needs certain notable per formance in MPs helped gather demonstracontrols that ensure that a leadership. tors at the Iradah Square prior to charismatic person doesn’t In Kuwait’s political cross any lines. In Kuwait, scenes, we can say that the 2009 parliament dissolution. some people often fail to Musallam Al-Barrak, Ahmad draw the line between Al-Saadoun and Waleed AlJerri are among the most common examples for charisma and political heresy, and believe that they charismatic leaders. The charisma of some MPs can achieve acceptance via verbal assault. However, helped gather demonstrators at the Iradah Square the Kuwaiti public have become more aware as to prior to the 2009 parliament dissolution. However, avoid being fooled by such an approach especially this was achieved due to the fact that the subjects after the ongoing conflicts between the parliament addressed at the time were issues of public demand, and Cabinet increased their level of awareness. unlike today which explains the comparatively lower Political charisma will always be required when electing MPs for the next parliament, and when minattendance.

While MPs Al-Barrak and Al-Saadoun are outspo- isters are selected. Meanwhile, controls are needed ken and have strong presence, they were not helped to control performance to prevent deterioration of by their intelligence level when it came to some top- the level of speech.— Al-Rai

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Fight corruption with firm stand

By Gen Ahmad Al Rujaib orruption is widespread in all countries of the world and so are dishonest people who indulge in corrupt practices.

Kuwait is no exception to that rule. Corruption will most certainly flourish, if there is someone who quotes a price and someone who is willing to trade their conscience for that price, as well as someone who will encourage such transactions.

Corruption is possible because of two persons, the one who tries to induce it and the one who is induced into it. No one with a healthy conscience will accept corruption. Everybody talks about rampant corruption in the state, but no one ever points a finger at the corrupt person or persons. Even though there is much talk about corruption and its existence is very clear, we never find anyone being held accountable for it or being punished for indulging in it.

Talking about corruption has become, for some individuals, the fastest and the most successful means of climbing the ladder of frame, and for dressing up reform as a national concern, even though such individuals are personally far away from working towards the attainment of any such reforms. Corruption can be of several kinds, and is not limited solely to taking money that is rightfully not yours, or indulging in illegalities. There are some corrupt practices that are worse than this, such as corruption that results in the wastage of national resources, corruption that is supported by money power and influence and corruption based on extortion. Extortion, which involves both high-level and lower-level officials. The corruption that is practiced through the carrot and stick policy by some people, corruption reflected in employing undeserving individuals for a position, and the most dangerous corruption, which is dependent on dishonest negotiations and settlements. What is also reprehensible is the buying of votes and the distribution of gifts during elections.

Even though corruption in various forms is practiced widely, we do not see any tangible efforts made by the government to fight it, nor do we see any action from those who formulate theories on corruption in the media for the sole purpose of gaining political fame. We do not see these people taking any serious steps against corruption because some of these people are themselves part of a corrupt system. If the government wants real reform, then it should take a firm stand against corruption, which has spread across our country, by issuing necessary decrees aimed at fighting corruption, other laws and regulations that obligate anyone who wants to contest elections for the national assembly or the municipal council to declare their financial assets. This law should be enforced on anyone, who is employed at a post that requires an Amiri decree, and regardless of his position should also bring under its ambit the chairman and managing directors of government-run organizations, or whoever assumes a senior position and is known to have acquired sizable wealth following his appointment or as become a millionaire or real estate mogul, even though he has nothing but his salary to show for as far as sources of income are concerned. — Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

Placing country in devil’s hands

C

By Aziza Almafarej his column is an answer to Al-Tabatabae, who while we waited patiently and coped with his ugliness.

It is to every former minister who failed at his job, but declared that Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak will be the last prime minister from the Al-Sabah family and succeeded in drawing maximum personal benefit from one of the last proponents of Arab nationalism. It is a it, and despite that accused the regime that chose him response to Tabatabae’s other declaration that as a minister even though he was an unknown entity, by oppressing people, and everyone who was demanding sheikhdom is something bitter and difficult to swallow.

It is in response to columnist Ahmad Al-Dayeen, who a party system and exchange of power while knowing failed miserably when he contested elections for secur- fully well that it would be harmful for us, to everyone ing a seat in the National Assembly, to the followers of who adopted a policy of leveling insults and harming the Murshid guide in Egypt, who thinks that their Kuwait, be it deliberately or by being stupid, we say to group’s control of Egypt is a good omen and indicative all of these people: Who gave you the right to speak on of the possibility of them someday governing the Gulf behalf of the sincere Kuwaiti people, to speak for this and controlling its wealth, and to all those, who have country and its Amir, even though your allegiances lie chronic grudges and nurse feelings of hatred towards with something or someone abroad?

Who told you that they those who have been ruling want what you want? Who us for more than three centold you that Kuwaitis are turies, to those who tried to Kuwaitis know well that seeking what you seek, which govern us with catastrophic choosing a prime minister from as per you, translates into results even though they did any one group would mean the overturning the regime? Who not deserve to be there in the told you that Kuwaitis want a first place, and to all those placement of all high ranking prime minister who is not who found Qatar’s coup an positions in the country with from Al-Sabah family? Who encouraging sign to try somethat group alone, and also told you that Kuwaitis are so thing similar in Kuwait in stupid that they are capable of order to gain authority that is implies getting insulted and leading themselves and their only possible through such oppressed by that group, it families into ruin, if not for extreme means. means controlling the country’s exchanging what is good with It is to every cheater, who what is bad for them, which is stupid and clumsy and who foreign policy based on that would be siding with you. showed people that he is the group’s ideology.

You, who are fond of yourfierce defender of their rights self, Kuwaitis know well that and will sacrifice his life to keep them from harm, although he was among the first choosing a prime minister from any one group would who escaped from the country in 1990, to all those who mean the placement of all high ranking positions in the want to go all the way to achieve the nation’s will, country with that group alone, and also implies getting although that will not include the naturalization of insulted and oppressed by that group, it means controlling the country’s foreign policy based on that group’s undeserving Iraqi brothers and relatives.

It is also to all those who are missing something and ideology. It also means placing the country’s wealth into are ill mannered, to every liar, who promises people to the hands of that group; in short it is equivalent to placresign and not run for office repeatedly in order to make ing the country in the devil’s hands. Kuwaitis realize that a statement and then reneges on his promise like a dis- the Al-Sabah family is the only element that keeps solute person who will only spout lies every time he things in balance, so if you understand that then be it, talks, and does so with everyone, he who made us and if you do not, then the country has people who will undergo hard times with his swearing and shouting make you understand. — Al-Watan

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL

Cabinet condemns anti-Islam movie ‘Malicious move to spread hatred’ KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Cabinet held its weekly meeting at Seif Palace yesterday under the chairmanship of Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Following the meeting, M inister of Information and M inister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheik h Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah gave a briefing of the meeting deliberations and outcome.

The minister said that the Cabinet started with reviewing the letters addressed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah from President of Turkey Abdullah Gul, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, President of Vietnam Truong Tan Sang, President of Malawi Joyce Banda, Acting President of GuineaBissau Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo and Secretar y General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

The letters focused on bilateral relations between the State of Kuwait and their nations and organizations. Then the Cabinet tackled the latest political development in Kuwait, Arab region and whole world.

The ministers touched the controversial amateur anti-Islam movie, which was made in the Untied States and sparked wide-scale protests across the Muslim world in the past few days.

The Kuwaiti Cabinet strongly con-

demned the anti-Islam movie which is meant to insult Muslim icons and hurt their feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide.

“This movie which mocks the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH) is a malicious move to spread hatred and instigate tension among followers of different faiths,” the Cabinet said. The Cabinet, however, strongly denounced the uncivilized way of protesting the movie by some people who attacked US diplomats and diplomatic mission in several countries.

Then the ministers discussed and approved a bill to raise the deducted percentage of state revenues for the future generation funds from 10 to 25 percent, starting from the fiscal year 2012-2013.

They reviewed the annual report of the Public Authority for Assessment of the Compensation of Damage Resulting from Iraqi Aggression (PAAC) which included the levied compensations so far and the still pending ones.

The Cabinet approved a draft law for the establishment of a joint committee for cooperation between the Kuwaiti and Iraqi governments. In a move meant to encourage international organizations and academic association offering care for or studying needs of senior people, the Kuwaiti Cabinet approved a bill for launching an annual international award, named after HH the Amir of Kuwait, for the best organizations and researches in this

domain in Eastern Middle East region.

The $500,000-prize will be offered in cooperation with the World Health Organization. The ministers also agreed on recommendations to increase the capital and amend the foundation and statute of the Kuwait Cement Company.

The Cabinet also ratified a bill to expand the list of goods on which the state levies customs tariffs. They approved amendments to article 14 of Decree issued on 4 April 1979 on the mechanism of evaluating the performance of decision-makers in the state-owned bodies. The Cabinet passed a number of legal measures to protec t national unity and state stability and security. It endorsed the foundation of the Kuwaiti association for small-sized enterprises and Kuwait club for thinking and creativity.

It gave thumbs up to the Ministry of Education’s proposal to increase the benefit from the schools’ sports facilities in cooperation with the Public Authority for Youth and Sports.

The Cabinet ratified a bill to launch a program to pay the fees of Kuwaiti students whose applications for study in the best 100 universities around the world a re a cce p te d. I t a l s o re v i e we d t h e Ministry of Education’s latest arrangement for the start of the new academic year. The ministers wished all students greatest success in their educational and everyday life. — KUNA

IPC launches prophet-awareness campaign KUWAIT: Islam Presentation Committee (IPC) yesterday launched a campaign to increase awareness on the traits and life of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), and to introduce to over 10 million non-Muslims worldwide to the prophet of Islam in over 15 languages in cooperation with a host of Islamic societies abroad.

IPC Deputy Director General Abdulaziz Ahmad Al-Duaij said: “The best means to defend the good name of our prophet, Peace be upon Him, must come within the good conduct and high morals he promoted. There are hundreds such means and methods to respond to the acts and abuses by people who do

not know who Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was.”

The campaign is an active and responsible response to offense, and aims to introduce Islamic teachings to Non-Muslim peoples in general and shed light on and share tales from the prophet’s life, teachings, and legacy. “It is evident the offense is rooted in ignorance on the part of the public when it comes to our Prophet (PBUH).

The “Prophet of Mercy” campaign consists of printing books, pamphlets, and flyers in different languages showcasing the tolerance he showed and inspired in his companions in different circumstances. “Such means

include producing films and videos and other media and holding of seminars, conferences, and other events gathering leading religious scholars and the translation of all production and matter related to this field to other languages, as well as printing translations of the meanings of the Holy Quran,” he added.

Al-Duaij said that specialized scholars and educators and men of letters have a weighty responsibility to share their knowledge with the masses and present it to other communities. “The most unique thing about Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is that he was sent for the whole of

Humanity, to guide all people to the right way of worshipping the one and only true God.” Al-Duaij urged more care and more programs that introduce the public through regular classes or other regulated and well-designed and constructed manner to the values of Islam and the Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings and legacy, along with classes for memorization and recitation of the Holy Quran.

“The one reflects the other, and the combination is our way to correcting misinterpretations and misconceptions among us and about us among other peoples in a simple and non-confrontational manner.” —KUNA

KUWAIT: A weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers in progress yesterday. The cabinet instructed the Ministry of Finance to raise the proportion of deducted general revenues for future generation funds from 10 to 25 percent and include it in the state’s budget 2012-2013.

6,214 families benefited from Zakat House aid last Ramadan KUWAIT: Zakat House announced yesterday that it had granted KD 2.5 million in cash assistance for 6,214 families during the holy month of Ramadan, stemming from its keenness to help eligible families in Kuwait and provide all the necessary means for securing a decent living for them.

Director of Public Relations and Media Abdulaziz Al-Buti said in a press statement today that the Zakat House witnessed during the holy month intensive efforts exerted by its workers to implement the Action Plan of Ramadan in the collection of Zakat and distributing the money on beneficiar-

ies in Kuwait. Al-Buti added that the Zakat House had facilitated during the holy month many easy and affordable channels for zak at collection where the Zak at House’s various centers were provided with all the necessary modern technology to do the work assigned to them.

He explained that the House has a qualified administrative staffers to carry out the tasks assigned to it, referring to the role of the communication unit in increasing revenues from the financial contributions through field visits during the holy month of individuals and institutions. — KUNA

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: On occasion of the anniversary of National Day of Malaysia and 49th anniversary of Malaysia Day, the ambassador and his spouse Datlin Rosli hosted a party at Regency Hotel on Sunday. A number of diplomats and other dignitaries attended the party. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Cop killer remanded to custody for 10 days Man arrested for forgery KUWAIT: Attorney General Dherar AlAsousy had ordered that the police officer, who killed a colleague recently at the Qadsiya police station, should be remanded into custody for 10 days. The decision was pronounced on Sunday after the public prosecutor viewed the surveillance tape that showed the First Lieutenant chasing the Lance Corporal, before firing at the latter multiple times in the police station’s corridor. According to Al-Rai, the suspect, who was sitting outside the investigation room on Sunday, seemed remorseful and looked like he was in a bad shape.

Documents forgery Investigations are ongoing into a case where a man forged certain documents allowing him to enter and exit Kuwait multiple times. The 13 officers, who are allegedly involved in the case, will also be summoned for questioning. The forgery was first detected upon the arrival of a Bahraini family at the Nuwaiseeb checkpoint on the southern border of Kuwait.

Records however indicated that one of their children had entered Kuwait a few hours before via the Al-Salmi checkpoint on the western border. But an investigation revealed that a bearded Saudi man used the child’s identity to enter Kuwait multiple times, taking advantage of the fact that he and the child share the same

name. Investigations also revealed that at least 13 passport officials helped the suspect cross the border back and forth illegally. The man was eventually arrested while he was trying to exit Kuwait through the Al-Salmi checkpoint, but remains in custody pending investigations that are expected to reveal the motive behind him entering the country under a false identity. Meanwhile, subpoenas have been issued for apprehending 12 of the 13 suspected officers, as only one of them appeared for interrogation when summoned.

Drug smuggling The Jahra police have managed to arrest a drug trafficker, shortly after he infiltrated the country through the AlSalmi border checkpoint in the west. The suspect bypassed custom search by driving his trailer truck at a high speed, before being stopped in Al-Oyoun. He was placed under arrest after the police found large amounts of hashish hidden beneath fruit and vegetable shipments that were loaded on his truck. The suspect remains in custody and is being investigated by the Drug Control General Department officials for identifying his potential accomplices.

Missing couple The Hawally police are looking for a

married man, believed to have eloped with his female neighbor, with whom he is suspected of harboring an illicit relationship. Investigations were launched into the case recently, after officials at the Maidan Hawally police station were approached by an Omani woman, who reported that her Kuwaiti husband was cheating on her with their Yemeni neighbor. Soon afterwards, the police were approached by a man, who identified himself as the Yemeni woman’s brother and had shared an apartment with her, to report that his sister has been kidnapped by the same man. Investigations are ongoing.

Phone shop fraud A cell phone shop worker was arrested for committing fraud, after investigations uncovered his illegal activities, on the basis of which he had made around KD 7000. Investigations were initiated after four people reported that they had been contacted by local telecom companies, demanding that they pay fees for phone lines they never bought.

Detectives identified shop in Farwaniya, with whom all the victims had done business at some point in the past. Police eventually arrested an Egyptian national from the shop, who has been identified as the main suspect in the case. The man soon confessed to using civil identifica-

tion numbers of old customers to buy smart phones based on annual installment plans, adding that he had sent these phones to his brother in Egypt for sale. He was arrested and is waiting to be charged by the concerned authorities.

Tiger attacks man A man needed urgent medical attention after he was attacked by a tiger that had been raised by his employer at a farm in Al-Wafra. The Iranian man was brought to the area’s polyclinic after being seriously wounded and explained that the nine-month-old cub had attacked him suddenly while he was feeding the other animals kept on the farm.

Pedestrian killed A pedestrian was killed on Sunday after being run over by a male driver, who has been taken into police custody.

The accident took place on the Fourth Ring Road, near the fire station when a woman tried to cross the road and was hit by a driver, despite his attempts at swerving away from the woman. The victim’s body was taken to the forensic department after paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. The driver has been presented before the concerned authorities and is awaiting further prosecution.

—Al-Rai, Al-Anba, Al-Watan

Linden Boarding School Tour visits Kuwait KUWAIT: The Linden University Tour will return to Kuwait at the Marina Hotel tomorrow to host an education event to promote US colleges and universities. Representatives from US universities will be on hand to answer questions from Kuwaiti students and their families.

US embassy consular staff along with our colleagues from AMIDEAST will be present at the event to promote education in the United States, answer questions about the visa process, and provide information about testing requirements.

Recruiters from Linden Tours will provide information about admission standards, summer programs, and student life at different US universities.

They will represent the following American institutions: Bryant University, Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Indiana University (Bloomington), Loyola Marymont University, Portland State University, Rutgers (the State University of New Jersey), University of Denver, University of Minnesota, University of Rhode Island, University of St. Thomas, and Western Kentucky University.

MoH to host Asian Cooperation Dialogue KUWAIT: Ministry of Health continues its preparations to host the Asian Cooperation Dialogue, which will be held in Kuwaiti from Oct 15 to 17, taking all needed measure to secure medical aid for any of the guests if warranted.

Dr Faisal Al-Ghanem, head of the emergency medicine at the ministry, said yesterday, that the Ministry of Health formed a committee headed by the Minister of Health, Dr. Ali al-Obeidi, including as members the Undersecretary and other specialists to oversee preparations for the international conference.

Dr. Al-Ghanem also said the committee has formed three major teams, each with a special task. The first team will be in charge of treatment and medication, the second team in prevention and nutrition, while the third team in support and service work. A therapeutic team will present during all activities of the convention at Bayan Palace, venue of the convention, and will accompany the guests during their stay.

Al-Ghanem said clinics will be prepared and be fully equipped at Bayan Palace. The hotels will be equipped with necessary medical tools and medicines, in addition to medical teams to work in these clinics, with doctors, nurses and ambulances over 24 hours. Al-Ghanem added “a preventive team” is specialized in examining the workers who are responsible for nutrition, cleaners and kitchens in Bayan Palace and the hosting hotels. He said the third group, which handles the work of support and services, will back the other teams with devices, equipment and vehicles confirming status of all hospitals are on alert at the time of the conference, in addition to securing beds and special rooms in each wing. —KUNA

Five emergency decrees expected to be enforced after NA dissolution KUWAIT: Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait recently hosted a dinner banquet to honor the Iraqi delegation taking part in the 19th Arab School Sports Tourney currently held in Kuwait. The delegation presented a number of presents and trophies to the ambassador. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Work-life balance plays a pivotal role in shaping career choices KUWAIT: According to a recent “Work-life Balance in the MENA” poll conducted by Bayt.com, the region’s number one job site, the ability to maintain a decent work-life balance is key to achieving personal happiness and job satisfaction. In fact, 26.9% of employees believethat their poor work-life balance has jeopardized both their mental health and happiness, and a staggering 64.8% would even accept a pay cut in order to have more free time on their job.

“Work can take precedence over people’s personal lives and, while some employees are willing to make such sacrifices, others are striving to attain a healthier balance between the realms of work and life,” said SuhailMasri, VP Sales, Bayt.com. “This trend can redefine the employment landscape, prompting employers to search for methods to improve well-being and reduce stress among their staff.”

While 43.3% of the poll’s respondents

do not consider that they have built a successful work-life balance, 22.2% believe that what is most needed to achieve a better balance is greater productivity at the workplace.

“The truth is, long hours do not necessarily lead to an enhanced performance,” added Masri. “Highly efficient work is more valuable and can significantly boost work-life balance as well as stimulate employee engagement. On their part, employers should recognize the strong correlation between healthy work-life balance practises and employee motivation and dedication.”

The survey also indicates that while 6 out of ten working adults (64.8%) spend enough time on learning pursuits, 36.2%are looking for more free time to spend with loved ones. Sacrificing family time has long been regarded as a major pitfall of professional success; after all, according to the study, 27.8% of employees work outside of regular hours by

necessity, not by choice.

Stress management and fitness are integral factors for sustaining wellness and with today’s professionals spending an increasing amount of time at the office, these two elements are becoming considerably more difficult to accomplish. The study actually reveals that the majority of employees (57%) donot spend a sufficient amount of time on sports and exercise, while 14.5% say that anuneven work-lifebalance is causing them high levels of stress.

The most prevalent source of stress among most employees (16.1%), however, remains a low income.In terms of actual job satisfaction, results demonstrate that while 49.1 % of poll respondents enjoy their work on most days, 15.4 % categorically dislike their line of profession.

On a positive note, 89.3% of the respondents believe that balancing between work and lifeis absolutely possi-

ble. As for solutions to their currentunbalanced lifestyle, 40.9% of professionals state that working the same number of hours with a higher salary would resolve their employment issues, whereas 22.8% would opt for a flexitime arrangement with similar hours, and10.4% would prefer a work-from-home arrangement.

The analysis also shows that an inadequate lifestyle not only affects personal wellbeing, but also other aspects of employees’ lives: for 15.6% of respondents, it hinders professional and personal growth, and for 7.8%, it deters performance on the job. Other areas touched by this matter include relationships with family (8.7%),physical health (7.3%), and relationships with colleagues at work (5.6%).

Data for the Bayt.com “Work-life balance in the MENA” poll was collected online from July 22 - August 13,2012, with 8,287respondents covering more than 12 countries in the MENA region.

KUWAIT: A Cabinet committee is currently working to formulate at least five emergency laws that will be enforced after the dissolution of the 2009 parliament, and will bring under their ambit, subjects that are perceived as, ‘matters of vital importance,’ and which cannot wait till after a new parliament is elected.

According to sources familiar with the issue, the decrees will be used to enforce a law criminalizing hate speech, ‘which is being imposed to prevent the use of this kind of speech during elections.’ Another decree will be aimed at enforcing an anti-corruption law, ‘that several previous parliaments have failed to enforce.’ Additional laws will allow the privatization of the Kuwait Airways Corporation, as well as amend the country’s sports regulations to prevent Kuwait from being suspended from international sporting events.

While the possibility of establishing an election authority through an emergency decree has been ruled out, sources indicated that a ruling, which will implement the state’s budget for the 2012 to 2013 fiscal year is also expected to be announced.

Meanwhile, senior state officials spoke to a local daily recently about, ‘the need for financial and economic solutions to be prepared within three weeks,’ and called upon the Minister of Commerce, Anas Al-Saleh, the Minister of Finance Nayef Al-Hajraf, the Central Bank Governor Mohammad Al-Hashel and the Managing Director of the Kuwait Investment Authority, Badr Al-Saad, to take the necessary steps needed to accomplish this task.

Commenting on the proposal, the source who spoke to the Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity, suggested that the government can instantly utilize, ‘KD 2 billion for political purposes.’ The official added that around KD 1.5 billion will be used in the investment portfolio, and KD1 billion for investing in real estate, which will be enforced by the Cabinet and used by the Kuwait Investment Authority.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Troubled Iraqi border town in eye of Syrian storm Page 8

Prince William and Kate in Solomons amid topless row Page 10

KARACHI: Pakistani activists from Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, a student wing of the hardline Sunni party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), throw rocks toward the police near the US consulate yesterday. (Inset) A Pakistani policeman throws a stone toward protesters. — AFP

Embassy attacks underline transition risk Arab leaders slow to protect embassies, condemn violence

News

in brief

Earthworms ‘marry’ in Taiwan ceremony TAIPEI: Seventy “lucky earthworms” have been married off in an elaborate wedding ritual in south Taiwan in a bid to raise awareness about the environment and the problem of soil erosion, organizers said yesterday. The worms arrived Sunday at Takang Park in Tainan city inside a traditional wedding sedan draped in red cloth to “tie the knot with the soil of the park”, Takang Community Development Association said. “The ceremony was implemented exactly according to traditional Taiwanese customs,” said Huang Sen-nan, the leader of the volunteer group. “We want to raise public awareness about the need to protect the land where we live.” Soil erosionwhich can contribute to landslides during typhoonsis one of Taiwan’s main environmental problems.

Pakistan test-fires nuke cruise missile ISLAMABAD: Pakistan yesterday test-fired a nuclearcapable cruise missile with “stealth features”, the military said, the country’s first such exercise in more than three months. The military described the HatfVII Babur missile as a “low-flying, terrain-hugging missile, which can strike targets both at land and sea with pin point accuracy” and has a range of 700 kilometers. Pakistan’s last missile test, also of a Hatf-VII, came in June at the end of a spate of five launches in around six weeks that followed arch-rival India successfully firing its Agni V rocket, which can deliver a nuclear warhead anywhere in China. The military said yesterday’s launch was carried out from a “Multi Tube Missile Launch Vehicle (MLV)”, which it said improved the Babur system’s targeting and deployment capabilities. India and Pakistan have fought three wars-two over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir-and have routinely carried out missile tests since both demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998.

DUBAI: The US embassy attacks will burn investor confidence. Arab leaders were slow to protect embassies and to condemn the violence that left several people dead in the last week, including the US ambassador to Libya. Amid the outrage at the amateurish American-made film demeaning the Prophet Mohammad, the attacks reveal the heightened risks investors face in countries transitioning to democracy.

The attacks exposed the inexperience of newly elected moderate Islamist governments in the Arab spring economies. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood posted different comments on the violence on its Arabic and English Twitter feeds - and was rebuked for it by the US embassy in Cairo. The deadly attack in Libya exposed the oil producer’s problem with armed militia groups and the

persistent vulnerability of the region’s supposed “Western-friendly” governments to radical groups.

Anti-Americanism and radical Islam are old risks for investors in the Middle East and North Africa. Secular-orientated dictators at times failed to prevent periodic terror attacks. Yet the Arab uprisings have increased the region’s appetite and tolerance for protest. With weak institutions, and the reluctance of new leaders to take a hard line for fear of a domestic backlash, even legitimate demonstrations can easily spiral out of control with profound implications.

In the wake of the embassy attacks, investors will weigh “transition risk” more heavily as they consider opportunities in the new democracies. The fallout will hurt Egypt and Tunisia the most. Both countries are at a

critical juncture and partially depend on tourism and US aid. A slowdown in foreigners’ visits will hamper growth and job creation. For Tunisia, that may also test the country’s banking system, which is heavily exposed to the tourism sector. Egypt will meet with sterner faces when discussing the $2 billion of aid it receives annually from the US President Barack Obama has made it clear that the US won’t pull back from the region. With a growing number of Islamists engaged in the political system, Western powers will hope that, with time, investment, and sensible foreign policies, hostility will wane or at least become less violent. But as new governments find their footing, investors can’t afford to be complacent.

Western embassies across the Muslim world have remained on high alert after days of

anti-American violence provoked by an amateurish American-made film mocking the Prophet Mohammad. The head of Libya’s national assembly said an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans last week looked like a planned assault by a “group with an agenda” rather than a spontaneous reaction to the video posted online.

Germany followed the US lead and withdrew some staff from its embassy in Sudan, which was stormed on Friday. Non-essential US personnel have also been withdrawn from Tunisia, and Washington urged US citizens to leave the capital Tunis after the embassy there was targeted. At least nine people were killed in protests in several countries on Friday.— Reuters

Tunisian Salafist leader escapes arrest TUNIS: A Tunisian Salafist leader yesterday escaped from a mosque that had been surrounded by security forces seeking to arrest him over clashes at the US Embassy last week during protests against an antiIslam film, a Reuters witness said. Saif-Allah Benahssine, leader of the Tunisian branch of the hardline Islamist Ansar al-Sharia, slipped away after hundreds of his followers stormed out of al-Fatah mosque in Tunis, some wielding sticks and creating panic among pedestrians. A security source told Reuters Benahssine was wanted over Friday’s protest in which four people were killed and 46 injured when police opened fire to quell hundreds of protesters who smashed windows, hurled petrol bombs and stones and started fires in the embassy.

Yesterday, about 1,000 riot and anti-terrorist police surrounded the mosque where Benahssine, also known as Abu Iyadh, was meeting hundreds of his followers. They later retreated to 200 m from the mosque

for unexplained reasons, witnesses said.

Interior Ministry officials could not be reached for comment. Ansar al-Sharia has endorsed a Facebook call to protest against the short film, made with private funds in the United States and trailed online, which insulted Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It has triggered protests across the Muslim world.

The moderate Islamist party Ennahda, which leads Tunisia’s governing coalition, advised against joining the protests.

Moncef Marzouki, the secular president, condemned Friday’s embassy attack as unacceptable and said it could hurt relations with Washington. Tunisia’s economy is reliant on Western aid after the turmoil that followed the overthrow of its long-time ruler last year amid popular protests. Libyan officials suspect the Libyan branch of Ansar al-Sharia was behind an attack in which the US envoy to Libya and three other Americans were killed during an anti-film protest last week in Benghazi.— Reuters

TUNIS: Tunisian activists stage a protest outside the El Fateh mosque surrounded by police in support of a hardline Salafist known as Abu Iyadh yesterday. — AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

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

Troubled Iraqi border town in eye of Syrian storm Iraqi town faces refugees, gun-runners, Syrian jets AL QAIM: Syrian refugees squeeze against a closed gate at an Iraqi border post, reaching through its metal bars to clamor for water, and calling out to Iraqi cousins and brothers on the other side. Yelling into their cellphones, more Syrians perch on top of the concrete walls that divide Iraq from Syria, waiting for Iraqis to unload trucks filled with boxes of cooking oil and bottled water and hoist them over the Al Qaim checkpoint.

Close by, predominantly Sunni Syrian rebels are fighting President Bashar AlAssad’s forces over the town of Albu Kamal, bringing the war to Al Qaim with refugees, Syrian jets and occasional rocket attacks. Al Qaim, in the Sunni heartland of Anbar province, reflects the tricky balancing act Iraq’s Shiite leaders face in Syria, whose crisis is testing the Middle East’s sectarian divide. Many Shiite politicians took refuge in Syria during the rule of Saddam Hussein, and Assad, who is Alawite, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, is backed by Shiite Iran while Sunni power Saudi Arabia supports the rebels.

Iraq’s leaders dismiss claims they support Assad, but they also fear a nightmare scenario: his downfall brings a hostile Sunni Muslim regime to power and emboldens disenchanted Sunnis in Iraq’s own fragile sectarian mix. In Anbar, where tribal ties are strong, discontent over Baghdad’s stance on the Syrian crisis is growing. Many have already chosen their side. “When you have cousins here, it is a

matter just of luck whether they are Iraqi or Syrian,” said Emad Hammoud, a government worker in al Qaim. “In Syria, it’s a fight of a government against its people, and we are with the people.”

Al Qaim and its neighboring Syrian counterpart Albu Kamal are on a strategic supply route for smugglers, gun-runners and now insurgents aiming to join the rebellion. Just a few years ago the traffic went the other way: Sunni Islamist bombers crossed into Iraq to fight against the American occupation and refugees fled to Syria to avoid sectarian slaughter.

Though still wary of Islamist insurgents, Baghdad’s Shiite-led central government initially opened the border to Syria’s refugees after the conflict started 18 months ago.

But Albu Kamal has since been overrun by anti-Assad Free Syrian Army rebels and the number of refugees has grown, prompting authorities to lock Al Qaim’s crossing. Army brigades now reinforce the frontier, marked by 2-metre metal fence.

Iraqi residents send food, water and medical supplies to pass over the gate at Al Qaim, where around 200 to 300 Syrian refugees arrive daily seeking shelter or supplies from relatives before heading back home. “This is not help from the state, this is from clerics and from the people,” said one local Iraqi government official at the crossing, who was not authorized by Baghdad to speak publicly about the refugees.

TRICKY BALANCE After Saddam fell in 2003, many members of his outlawed Baath party fled into Syria. Baghdad often criticized Damascus for sheltering Al-Qaeda, Sunni insurgents and former Baathists who used Syria as a haven to attack American troops in Iraq.

But Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, who took refuge in Iran and Syria during Saddam’s era, has since developed a pragmatic relationship with Assad. Baghdad abstained in an Arab League vote to suspend Syria and resists calls for Arab sanctions, urging reforms instead.

In August last year he hosted Syrian ministers, calling Iraq and Syria “brother” nations. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari alluded to fears of what could follow if Assad is overthrown. “The flow of refugees, the entrenchment of terrorist organisations, the veil of a fundamentalist regime, all this could impact us,” Zebari told Reuters. “We are trying to take a independent position. Based on our national interests... Things are not black and white.”

At tribal meetings across Anbar, talk is now of Syria’s crisis and how they can help their Sunni Syrian brethren.

Anbar’s tribes turned against Al-Qaeda to help US forces in 2006. But since the rise of Iraq’s Shiite majority, many Sunnis say they are alienated. Local sheikhs feel sidelined by a prime minister who they say wants to consolidate Shiite power. A fragile government among Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish parties has been mired in crisis as

Sunnis accuse Maliki of reneging on power-sharing deals. “Iraq will face a storm,” Sheikh Hatim Salaiman, chieftain of one of Anbar’s largest tribes told Reuters. “In a few months, Syria’s crisis will likely end. And what comes next will be difficult for Iraq.”

BORDER SPILLOVER Al Qaim is already struggling with spillover from the fighting in Syria. Syria military jets fly over Iraqi airspace almost daily to make bombing runs on rebel positions just over the border, Al Qaim’s mayor Farhan Ftaikhan says, and most nearby Syrian border posts have been abandoned

by Syrian forces. Beyond the frontier, the main border checkpoint on the Syrian side sits empty. On one wall, the Free Syrian

Army flag, with its three red stars, is painted over a portrait of Assad’s late father, Hafez. Bullet holes catering the wall partially obliterate his face. Gunshots that pockmark the concrete wall of another border post are evidence of the more regular clashes between Iraqi border troops and gunmen on the Syrian side.

Earlier this month, Free Syrian Army rebels fired on Iraqi troops trying to stop four vehicles carrying weapons into Syria.

Iraqi troops responded with mortar and canon fire, one Iraqi military official said.

For now, Al Qaim’s mayor says, the border is closed for technical reasons, as local authorities wait to complete more camps with a capacity to deal with 10,000 refugees. — Reuters

AZAZ: Syrian students walk home after attending classes at an improvised school in the town of Azaz yesterday. — AFP

UN refines list of Syria war crimes suspects Investigators have secret list of alleged perpetrators

YEOSU: Local resident Bae Yang-soon, 70, cries on the broken road after the area was hit by Typhoon Sanba in Yeosu, south of Seoul yesterday.— AFP

Typhoon Sanba pounds S Korea SEOUL: Typhoon Sanba pummeled South Korea yesterday, uprooting trees, shutting down flights and ferry services and unleashing torrential rains that left at least one person dead in a landslide. The third major typhoon to hit the Korean peninsula in two months, Sanba made landfall in the southern port of Yeosu shortly before midday (0300 GMT), packing winds of around 137 kilometers per hour.

Heavy rains across the country triggered landslides that killed a 53-year-old woman in the southeastern county of Seongju and injured two people in nearby Gyeongju city, according to the National Emergency Management Agency. Moving at around 35 kilometers per hour, the typhoon had pounded the South Korean island of Jeju overnight Sunday, leaving 10,000 homes without power and damaging roads. As it crossed southwestern Japan on Sunday, the typhoon had claimed one life and cut power to 100,000 households.

Severe storm alerts issued in southern regions earlier yesterday were expanded to whole of South Korea in the afternoon, with flood warnings in some coastal areas.

A Korea Meteorological Administration spokesman said the maximum wind speed had decreased to around 110 kilometers per hour by early evening as the typhoon moved further inland. “It is expected to veer out to the sea tonight,” he added, President Lee Myung-Bak urged officials to mobilize “all possible resources” to limit the impact on farming communities and farm produce prices ahead of festivities for the

national Chuseok holiday at the end of the month.

As the typhoon made landfall, powerful winds uprooted large trees, ripped away business hoardings and advertising billboards and knocked over traffic lights.

Numerous train services were suspended or delayed due to landslides and downed power lines cut electricity to some 130,000 homes in southern regions. The typhoon’s power was felt in the capital Seoul where strong winds and driving rain caused the cancellation of all first-round matches at the WTA Korea Open tennis tournament.

More than 260 flights, including 52 international services, were cancelled yesterday, while all ferry services were suspended nationwide, the transport ministry said, adding 2,000 ships had been taken out of the storm’s path.

Thousands of residents in areas deemed vulnerable have been taken to shelters or advised to evacuate while schools remained closed in many areas. Major dams across the country discharged water to control their water levels and all national parks were declared off-limits as a precautionary measure. Typhoons Bolaven and Tembin, which struck the peninsula in late August, left more than 20 people dead in the South, damaging farmland and hundreds of houses and causing power cuts that affected millions of homes. North Korea’s state media said Bolaven-the strongest typhoon to hit the peninsula for almost a decade-killed 59 people and left more than 26,000 people homeless.— AFP

YEOSU: Waves generated by Typhoon Sanba slam into the coast in Yeosu, about 460 km south of Seoul.— AFP

GENEVA: United Nations human rights investigators said yesterday that they had drawn up a new secret list of Syrians and military units suspected of committing war crimes who should face criminal prosecution some day. The independent investigators, led by Paulo Pinheiro, said they had gathered “a formidable and extraordinary body of evidence” and urged the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC). “A second confidential list of individuals and units believed to be responsible for violations is being provided to the High Commissioner of Human Rights,” Pinheiro told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Pinheiro presented the team’s latest report, issued a month ago, saying Syrian government forces and allied militia have committed war crimes including murder and torture of civilians in what appears to be a state-directed policy. He said there was an “increasing and alarming presence” of Islamist militants in Syria, some joining the rebels and others operating independently. Their presence tended to radicalize the rebels, who have also committed crimes, Pinheiro said.

He did not say if any Syrian rebels, as well as officials, were named on the list, which updated a confidential one his team submitted to UN rights chief Navi Pillay in February. Syrian ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui

accused Western and Arab powers of sending funds and weapons to support rebels conducting what he called a jihad or holy war against Damascus, and warned that the plan would backfire. “The mercenaries are a time bomb that will explode later in the country and in the countries supporting them after they finish their terrorist mission in Syria,” he declared.

The report should have named countries that “support the killers”, which he said included the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Libya.

SYRIA SAYS FOES BACK JIHAD “One of the facts that we do not see in the report is that many interna-

tional parties are working at increasing the crisis in Syria through instigating their media, through training mercenaries, Qaeda elements, training them and funding them and sending them to Syria for jihad. This through fatwas that were issued,” Khabbaz Hamoui said in a speech.

Western countries are seeking yet another condemnation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government at the session, as well as an extension of the commission of inquiry’s mandate, which expires this month after a year in which it conducted more than 1,100 interviews with victims and witnesses. Pinheiro said the list was being kept secret

GENEVA: Brazilian Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria to Human Rights Council, is pictured on a TV screen during his speech session of the Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations yesterday. —AP

“due to the lower standard of proof employed by commissions of inquiry as compared to a court of law, the potential to undermine the right to the presumption of innocence and the absence of any accountability mechanism where a suspect can contest the allegations”.

European Union ambassador Mariangela Zappia said: “The international community must ensure impunity will not prevail.” Turkey’s ambassador Oguz Demiralp, describing the conflict in Syria as a “serious threat to international security”, said: “We want to address a message to those who have intentionally committed crimes in Syria, as well as those who have ordered, planned, instigated, incited, aided or abetted those crimes.

They will be held accountable.”

Human Rights Watch, which has repeatedly documented abuses by Syrian security forces, said yesterday that armed opposition groups had subjected detainees to ill-treatment and torture and committed extrajudicial or summary executions in Aleppo, Latakia and Idlib.”Declarations by opposition groups that they want to respect human rights are important, but the real test is how opposition forces behave,” said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director of the New York-based watchdog. “Those assisting the Syrian opposition have a particular responsibility to condemn abuses.”— Reuters

Washington, Tripoli differ on accounts of Benghazi attack WASHINGTON: Top US and Libyan officials have offered starkly different accounts about the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that left the ambassador and three other Americans dead. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said Sunday it began with a spontaneous protest over the anti-Islamic video that had already set off similar protests in Egypt, leading to the storming of the US embassy there.

“People gathered outside the embassy (consulate) and then it grew very violent and those with extremist ties joined the fray and came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are quite common in postrevolutionary Libya and that then spun out of control,” Rice told “Fox News Sunday.” “But we don’t see at this point signs this was a coordinated plan, premeditated attack.

Obviously, we will wait for the results of the (FBI) investigation and we don’t want to jump to conclusions before then.”

Announcing the arrest of 50 suspects, Libya’s parliament chief, however, blamed the attack on a few foreign extremists who he said entered Libya from Mali and Algeria and pre-planned it with local “affiliates and sympathizers.”

“The way these perpetrators acted, and moved... leaves us with no doubt that this was pre-planned, determined, predetermined,” Mohammed Al-Megaryef, president of the Libyan National Congress, told CBS News. “It was planned, definitely, it was planned by foreigners, by people who entered the country a few months ago. And

they were planning this criminal act since their arrival,” he added. Ambassador Chris Stevens is believed to have died from smoke inhalation after being trapped in the blazing diplomatic compound in Benghazi, which came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and small arms for several hours.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed the attack was revenge for the killing of the terror network’s deputy leader Sheikh Abu Yahya Al-Libi in a drone strike in June, but there is no clear evidence to support this claim. US authorities initially leaned more toward the premeditated, well-planned assault angle, citing the fact that the attack came on the anniversary of 9/11.

But now they are more reticent, insisting that journalists wait for the results of the FBI investigation before leaping to any conclusions. Rice’s comments are the strongest indication yet that-even if the United States does believe the assault was the work of a small band of extremists-it has no evidence to suggest planning prior to the protests.

But a leading Republican senator and critic of the administration of President Barack Obama, John McCain, said it was ridiculous to believe this was anything other than a planned assault by extremists.

“Most people don’t bring rocket-propelled grenades and heavy weapons to a demonstration,” McCain told CBS’s “Fact the Nation.” “That was an act of terror. And for anyone to disagree with that fundamental fact I think is really ignoring the facts.” The

reluctance of the US officials to give details about the Libya probe betrays the determination of Washington to track down those who killed Stevens, the first US envoy killed in the line of duty since 1979.

US spies, Marines and drones are aiding the Libyan authorities in their effort, hampered by the chaotic blend of competing militia and tribal alliances in the wake of the revolution that ousted Muammar Gaddafi last year. Rice denied the suggestion that the United States seemed powerless to stop the anger spreading through the Muslim world at symbols of US influence, such as diplomatic missions, businesses and fast food restaurants. She said the flare -up in the Middle East, Nor th Africa, and some Asian countries was triggered solely by the amateurish movie lampooning the Prophet Mohammed and not due to waning US popularity in the Muslim world. Rice called it a “direct result of a heinous and offensive video that was widely disseminated, that the US government had nothing to do with, which we have made clear is reprehensible and disgusting.”

The remarks, however, drew sharp criticism from The Wall Street Journal, a conservative newspaper, which said that Rice’s argument “intended to shield Obama Administration policies from any domestic political blame for the attacks.” “The far greater provocation to violence is the appearance of US weakness, the paper said in an editorial. “The Administration’s feeble response in the last week only invites radicals to use more such excuses to kill more Americans.”— AFP

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

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

US urges calm as islands row rages China warns on trade ties; Japan businesses suspend work SHANGHAI: Major Japanese firms have shut factories in China and urged expatriate workers yesterday to stay indoors ahead of what could be more angry protests over a territorial dispute that threatens to hurt trade ties between Asia’s two biggest economies. China’s worst outbreak of anti-Japan sentiment in decades led to weekend demonstrations and violent attacks on well-known Japanese businesses such as car-makers Toyota and Honda, forcing frightened Japanese into hiding and prompting Chinese state media to warn that trade relations could now be in jeopardy. “I’m not going out today and I’ve asked my Chinese boyfriend to be with me all day tomorrow,” said Sayo Morimoto, a 29-year-old Japanese graduate student at a university in Shenzhen. Japanese housewife and mother Kayo Kubo, who lives in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, said her young family and other Japanese expats were also staying home after being terrified by the scale and mood of the weekend protests in dozens of cities. “There were so many people and I’ve never seen anything like it. It was very scary,” she said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the government would protect Japanese firms and citizens and called for protesters to obey the law. “The gravely destructive consequences of Japan’s illegal purchase of the Diaoyu Islands are steadily emerging, and the responsibility for this should be born by Japan,” he told a daily news briefing. The islands are called the Senkaku by Japan and Diaoyu by China.

“The course of developments will depend on whether or not Japan faces up to China’s solemn stance and whether or not it faces up to the calls for justice from the Chinese people and adopts a correct attitude and approach.”

China and Japan, which generated twoway trade of $345 billion last year, are arguing over a group of uninhabited islets in the East China Sea, a long-standing dispute that erupted last week when the Japanese government decided to buy some of them from a private Japanese owner. The move, which infuriated Beijing, was intended by

Japan’s government to fend off what it feared would be seen as an even more provocative plan by the nationalist governor of Tokyo to buy and build facilities on the islands.

In response, China sent six surveillance ships to the area, which contains potentially large gas reserves. Yesterday, a flotilla of around 1,000 Chinese fishing boats was sailing for the islands and was due to reach them later in the day, the state-owned

ZHEJIANG: Chinese fishing boats set off to fish near the disputed Diaoyu Islands, also known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, from Shipu fishing port in Xiangshan county, east China’s Zhejiang province on September 16, 2012, after the summer fishing moratorium in the East China Sea ended.— AFP People’s Daily said on its microblog. The weekend protests mainly targeted Japanese diplomatic missions but also shops, restaurants and car dealerships in at least five cities. Toyota and Honda said arsonists had badly damaged their stores in the eastern port city of Qingdao at the weekend. However, Toyota said its factories and offices were operating as normal yesterday and that it had not ordered home its Japanese employees in China.

Fast Retailing Co, Asia’s largest apparel retailer, said it had closed some of its

Australians reach out to boat people CANBERRA: After 22 days on a boat fleeing Sri Lanka and more than five months in detention, asylum-seeker Jeevan Nanthakumar recently unpacked his suitcases in the home of an Australian pensioner couple. Nanthakumar-a pseudonym-said he left his homeland and family in January due to “government problems and enemies in my village”. “I went to India then was on a boat for 22 days, five days with no food and no water,” said the 26-year-old.

Nanthakumar and others on the boat were eventually picked up and transferred to the remote Australian territor y of Christmas Island for a week, then to detention in Queensland state. He is one of more than 7,000 asylum-seekers to arrive by boat this year-a record influx that has overwhelmed detention centers and seen a return to policies of indefinitely detaining boatpeople on remote Pacific islands.

Canberra hopes it will deter asylum-seekers, many originally from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iran and Iraq, from paying peoplesmugglers in Southeast Asia to help them attempt the perilous sea voyage.

In the meantime, aiming to relieve the strain on the detention system, centre-left Labor has launched a homestay program where Australian families temporarily house those seeking asylum while their claims are processed. The idea is to offer short-term accommodation to those leaving immigration detention on a bridging visa, and help them settle into the community. “We helped him at the very beginning.

My husband drove him to his first Red Cross meeting, showed him how to come back on a train,” said Martha, a retired English professor who offered shelter to Nanthakumar with her husband Phillip.

Their surname is not allowed to be used under the privacy policy of the Australian Homestay Network, an organization that usually helps house international students.

“We also warned him he does not need to work for less than the minimum wage,” she added. “Other than that, he has been very

Uniqlo outlets in China and may close yet more, while Aeon Co Ltd, Japan’s number two retailer, is prohibiting China business trips for its Japan-based staff. Japanese electronics group Panasonic said one of its plants had been sabotaged by Chinese workers and would remain closed through today-the anniversary of Japan’s 1931 occupation of parts of mainland China, a date that Tokyo fears could trigger another outbreak of anti-Japan sentiment. Japan

independent. He has quickly found other Tamil people and a house to live in.”

Nanthakumar spent two weeks with Martha and Phillip at their house in a northern Sydney suburb before finding a more permanent place to live with other members of the Tamil community. “I met people from Sri Lanka in the detention camps and I will live with them in a house,” he said. Martha said she got involved after becoming increasingly concerned about the plight of asylum-seekers, many of whom have fled war and persecution. “We got involved with Amnesty International, we got involved with the whole refugee situation and we wanted to more practically assist the situation,” she said. “It’s a benefit for us to meet people from other countries and feel that we are helping. “I think it’s a benefit for our son, who lives here as well, to broaden his understanding of what’s going on in the world. The learning goes both ways.”

STRUGGLING TO COPE So far, about 150 asylum-seekers have been placed with Australian families, for a maximum of six weeks via the Australian Homestay Network initiative. The network’s executive chairman David Bycroft, who is working alongside the immigration department, said it was designed to help asylumseekers adjust to Australian life. “ The Australian families help the asylum-seeker to use public transport, set up a bank account, fill in medical forms,” he said. “All of the things that we take for granted in Australia, but a new person coming to the country needs help with.”

The host receives Aus$140 per week (US$145) per asylum-seeker to cover costs.

“You wouldn’t do this program if you wanted to make money out of it,” added Bycroft.

To live with a host family, asylum-seekers must meet a series of strict criteria controlled by the Department of Immigration and the scheme is only available to those who have been awarded a bridging visa.

“Prior to granting someone a bridging visa, we consider their health, making sure that we are confident on their identity, character, security risks and past behavior,” an immigration department spokesman explained.

Since the beginning of the year, the department has issued more than 3,400 such visas to illegal migrants who arrived by sea, allowing them to live and work in Australia until their permanent protection visa application is completed. Accommodation with a host family is a new, and interesting, concept for the Australian Red Cross, which offers support to hundreds of boatpeople via its Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme. “For us it is important that there are range of different options to provide housing,” said the Red Cross’s Noel Clement.—AFP

warned its citizens about large -scale protests in China today. Many Japanese schools across China, including in Beijing and Shanghai, have cancelled classes this week.

US SAYS NOT TAKING SIDES Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who met visiting US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta yesterday, urged Beijing to ensure Japan’s people and property were protected. Panetta said the United States would stand by its security

treaty obligations to Japan but not take sides in the row, and urged calm and restraint on both sides.

“It is in everybody’s interest ... for Japan and China to maintain good relations and to find a way to avoid further escalation,” he told reporters In Tokyo. The overseas edition of the People’s Daily, the main newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, warned that Beijing could resort to economic retaliation if the dispute festers.

“How could it be that Japan wants another lost decade, and could even be prepared to go back by two decades?” asked a frontpage editorial. China “has always been extremely cautious about playing the economic card”, it said.

“But in struggles concerning territorial sovereignty, if Japan continues its provocations, then China will take up the battle.”

Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said yesterday, after talks with Panetta, that Tokyo and Washington agreed the disputed islets were covered by the Japan-US security treaty. “I did not bring up the topic today, but it is mutually understood between Japan and the United States that (the islands) are covered by the treaty,” he said after meeting US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Tokyo.

ECONOMIC BLOW Japanese electronics firm Canon Inc will stop production at three of its four Chinese factories yesterday and today, citing concerns over employee safety, Japanese media reports said, while All Nippon Airways Co reported a rise in cancellations on Japan-bound flights from China. The dispute also hit the shares of Hong Konglisted Japanese retailers yesterday, with department store operator Aeon Stores (Hong Kong) Co Ltd falling to a sevenmonth low. “All Japan-related shares are under selling pressure,” said Andrew To, a research director from Emperor Capital.

China is Japan’s biggest trade partner and Japan is China’s third largest. Any harm to business and investment ties would be bad for both economies at a time when China faces a slowdown.— Reuters

Thaksin should stay out of Thai politics BANGKOK: The head of an independent Thai reconciliation panel called on former leader Thaksin Shinawatra to stay out of the country’s turbulent politics ahead of a key report on deadly 2010 protests yesterday. Former attorney general Kanit Nanakorn said the kingdom’s current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra should be left to run the country without interference from her brother Thaksin, who was ousted in a military coup and lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption.

“I think that Thaksin should stop his role in politics,” Kanit said in an interview aired on Thai television yesterday, adding that Yingluck had “worked well” and he “should let her manage Thailand”. The comments come as Kanit’s Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) prepare to release its final report on the country’s worst political violence in decades two years ago.

More than 90 people died in clashes between the army and pro-Thaksin “Red Shirt” demonstrators during the huge Bangkok rallies against the former government, which was swept out of power by Yingluck’s party in elections last year. The violence was the most dramatic manifestation of deep political fissures that have racked Thailand for more than six years, with the ouster of Thaksin by royalist generals in 2006 and crippling mass protests by both the Reds and their establishment-backed rivals, the Yellow Shirts.

Kanit’s appointment by the last government, which presided over the Red Shirt crackdown, was originally criticized as a potential “whitewash” by Yingluck’s Puea Thai Party. But the nine-member commission, led by respected legal academic Kanit, has appeared to be prepared to criticize both sides.

Earlier this year it called for reform of the country’s extremely sensitive royal insult laws, which rights groups said were used as a political tool by the former government against its critics. New York-based Human Rights Watch has accused the army of using “excessive and unnecessary lethal force” in the 2010 crackdown. There have been no prosecutions over the killings.— AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

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

No peace of mind for war-weary S Sudanese JUBA: Staring blankly about his hospital ward, former South Sudanese soldier Ajing Deng has not been the same since getting caught in an enemy bombing raid earlier this year. He is oblivious to all that goes on and only reacts when a nurse tries to give him another tranquillizer shot. “Sometimes I sedate patients to stop them from moving,” said Juba’s military hospital head nurse Philip Oluru.

Deng, 30, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He is one of the countless people in South Sudan bearing invisible scars from his country’s decades-long civil war with neighboring Sudan. Despite hosting one of Africa’s longest running and bloodiest conflicts that has killed an estimated 2 million people and displaced many more, the new nation has neither psychiatrists nor health facilities to treat cases like Deng.

Deng was among the troops from the South who marched to Heglig, a disputed oil-rich area between Sudan and South Sudan, in April. With no aerial support, the soldiers from Juba were bombed incessantly by Khartoum.

The ex-combatant is still to recover from the experience. “The patient started

talking to himself, that’s why they brought him here. We treated him with typhoid and malaria drugs at first but saw no improvement,” Oluru says, adding that Deng was initially presumed to have fever-induced hallucinations. But then Deng became restless and couldn’t sit still, Oluru said. “We tried to tie him down but it didn’t work,” he says. Deng’s case is far from unique among South Sudan’s battle-weary military, officials say. “Cases of post-traumatic stress disorder are many within the Sudan’s Peoples Liberation Army. We have so many cases... we cannot help,” says Peter Ajak Bullen, director of the military hospital.

Mental health patients admitted to the hospital have very few options in terms of treatment: sedation and basic counseling from three hospital staff with some training in psychology. “This is only a short-term solution. It is not enough.

Most of these patients are depressed, suicidal and with violent, murderous traits,” Bullen says. For some of these traumatized patients, suicide has become the only way out. “Soldiers just shoot themselves,” says psychologist Amasi Ibrahim Adam as she wearily makes her rounds

through the wards.

Bullen, the hospital director, knows all too well the dangers that mental health disorders pose in the battlefield. “In the front line... there are many cases of a colleague shooting another. It’s just because of depression,” he says shaking his head.

“Almost every two weeks there are reports of someone committing suicide or killing someone else. It’s a big problem”, says South Sudan’s military spokesman Philip Aguer.

For civilians suffering from mental health issues here the situation is equally grim. In a tiny ward in Juba’s public hospital, patient Mathew Hakim is handcuffed to the bed. Despite being heavily sedated, he still manages to scream out snatches of garbled sentences about an Israeli invasion. “We only have 12 beds.

Aggressive patients are taken to the sanatorium at Juba prison,” says senior medical officer George Wani.

Deputy Health Minister Yatta Yori Lugor says that recognition of mental health problems usually extends only to the most obvious cases, such as the naked people who can be seen wandering and shouting in Juba’s streets. That

JUBA: A young South Sudanese girl prepares breakfast for her brother and sisters in the returnee camp, Way Station in Juba, South Sudan. —AFP means that many cases simply go undiagnosed. With security taking up a large percentage of official expenditure and aid agencies struggling to provide the most basic services, there have been no resources for working out official figures on the number of people affected by

PTSD. The only certainty however, is that the newly formed country is unable to properly care for those afflicted.

“Depressed people don’t need these tranquillizers. They don’t need prison.

They need anti-depressants that we don’t have,” says medical officer Wani.— AFP

Prince William and Kate in Solomons amid topless row Palace to file criminal complaint over Kate pics

CARACAS: Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles cheer during a campaign rally in Caracas. — AP

Rival blasts ‘crying’ Venezuelan leader CARACAS: Venezuela’s opposition candidate in next month’s presidential elections criticized President Hugo Chavez on Sunday for crying over his loss of freedom during his more than 13 years in power. Chavez choked up on Saturday in an emotional speech, where he said he has endured personal sacrifices for his political project and remembered bucolic days when he roamed free through Venezuela’s countryside.

“If it were up to me I would come down from this stage and would walk again, as I used to before, the streets of San Fernando de Apure,” Chavez told a crowd in the cattle-ranching city located in “Los Llanos,” the sparsely populated plains that spread through most of central Venezuela from the Orinoco River to the Andes. But Henrique Capriles says Chavez should stop weeping for his lack of free time and instead shed tears for all the Venezuelan mothers who have lost children to violent crime. “ Who cries for the mothers who mourn their children killed by the criminal underworld? Or for the families that can’t get food and medicine? Or for those who suffer violence in prison?”

Capriles said in a campaign speech in Petare, one of Latin America’s biggest and most dangerous slums. The Justice Ministry says more than 14,000 people were slain last year in Venezuela. The homicide rate is 50 homicides per 100,000 people, one of the highest in the world. Human rights group say the number of killings inside Venezuela’s prisons spiked this year even as Chavez faces increased pressure to curb the violence in the last month of his campaign for reelection to another six-year term. Riots and clashes between rival gangs in Venezuelan prisons left 304 dead inmates during the first half of 2012, a 15 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory, which tracks the violence. Many poor families have benefitted from Chavez’s social programs funded by the country’s rich oil industry. But Venezuelans suffer from insecurity, scarcity of some medicines and food products and one of the world’s highest inflation rates. Chavez maintains a lead in most recent polls, but one survey last month put the two candidates roughly even ahead of the Oct 7 vote.— AP

Australia’s Gillard climbs back in polls CANBERRA: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is climbing back into contention for the next general election, still about 12 months away, with two new opinion polls showing a boost for her Labor Party government. Both a Newspoll, in the Australian newspaper, and a Nielsen poll in the Fairfax newspapers show support for Gillard’s government has been building since July in a major turn-around for her minority government.

Government lawmakers said the polls reflected a growing acceptance of a controversial carbon tax, introduced in July, and that a heated opposition campaign against the tax was no longer working with voters. “We always said that once the fear campaign about the climate change changes on July 1 dissipated, our vote would improve,” Government Senate Leader Chris Evans told Australian radio. The opposition has strongly campaigned against the carbon tax, warning it will force factories to close and push up prices, and has promised to scrap it if it wins power.

The polls follow public sympathy for Gillard following the death of her father, heated debate about both

Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott’s personal integrity before they entered parliament, and as the government reopens an immigration detention centre on the Pacific island of Nauru. The Newspoll survey shows Gillard’s support has hit an 18-month high, with her government and the conservative opposition locked at 50 points each on a two-party basis. The Nielsen poll shows Labor continuing an upward trend to be within reach of the opposition on 47 points to 53 percent for the opposition.

Both polls also show Gillard’s personal approval to be above that of conservative opposition leader Abbott. Gillard replaced former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a party-room coup in June 2010, and then went on to win a dead-heat election, forming a minority government with support from the Greens and three independent members of parliament. But the Nielsen poll found voters would prefer Rudd to return as Labor Party leader and for former opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull to lead the Liberal Party in place of Abbott. The next election is due in the second half of 2013.—Reuters

HONIARA: Britain’s Prince William and wife Catherine headed to a secluded corner of the Solomon Islands yesterday in a war canoe as their lawyers lodge a criminal complaint in France over topless photos of her. The young couple were again greeted by huge crowds in scenes reminiscent of their reception Sunday as they landed in the capital Honiara as part of their Jubilee tour, which has also taken in Singapore and Malaysia.

William, second in line to the British throne, said he was thrilled by their welcome to the lush Pacific island, putting on a brave face despite the photo row, which has cast a shadow over their trip. “This land is the most beautiful place imaginable and the people of the Solomon Islands are amongst the most gracious and friendly we have ever met,” he said in a speech Sunday evening where he wore a traditional batik shirt.

The remote tropics were a world away from the controversy raging in Europe over topless photographs of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, which appeared in a French magazine.

They infuriated the couple and rekindled memories of William’s mother Princess Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.

A St James’s Palace spokeswoman said the pair will lodge a criminal complaint in France yesterday over the taking and publication of the images that appeared in the magazine Closer.

The spokeswoman said the couple want criminal charges brought against the photographer who took the photos as well as the magazine which ran them.

The palace also said it would seek an injunction at a court hearing in Paris yesterday to prevent further publication of the pictures

HONIARA: Britain’s Prince William (2nd right) and wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge (right) observe local traditional groups at a cultural village in Honiara yesterday. Britain’s Prince William and wife Catherine headed to a secluded corner of the Solomon Islands yesterday in a war canoe as their lawyers lodge a criminal complaint in France over topless photos of her. — AFP before taking civil action for damages. In a fresh blow, the images, which the palace called a “grotesque” breach of privacy, appeared again, in Saturday’s Irish Daily Star. Italian gossip magazine Chi is planning to devote 26 pages to the grainy paparazzi photographs in a special issue yesterday-a move the palace said would heap “unjustifiable upset” on Catherine.

Putting aside the distraction, William and Catherine were all smiles as they were greeted by Solomons Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo before visiting a cultural village where thousands turned up to watch as rain fell.

The royal pair then parted for a period, William giving a speech at a youth conference in which he said “the Commonwealth is more relevant today than it has ever been” before kicking a football with some local children.

Catherine, in a canary yellow dress, visited a women’s group where she was presented with a cake, as the Queen was when she toured the Solomons in 1974.

They met up again for a reception for supporters of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust before a lunch in aid of Solomon Island charities. The royal duo then boarded a flight to Marau, also in the Solomons, where they

were to receive a traditional warrior and chiefs’ welcome, before travelling by boat to the island of Marapa.

It is here that a war canoe will take them on to Tavanipupu, an island paradise created by English interior decorator Dennis Bellote in the 1970s, where they will spend the night in a luxury resort far from the spotlight. The couple move today to Tuvalu, one of the world’s smallest independent nations, lying about halfway between Australia and Hawaii and where they wrap up their nine - day tour mark ing Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.— AFP

political risks to watch in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak could call national elections anytime between now and April 2013, but he may wait to announce a generous budget on Sept 28 as he plays a risky waiting game. The ruling National Front coalition is widely expected to win the election but further gains by the opposition after its strong performance in 2008 could undermine Najib’s standing. Holding back until after September would give Najib more time to shore up flagging support among ethnic Chinese voters, and to convince Malaysians that his reform efforts are working as he tries to reverse the ruling coalition’s worst election showing in 2008.

It would also make him vulnerable to any worsening of the global economy or the emergence of fresh corruption scandals that could push swing voters over to the three-party opposition. The political atmosphere is becoming more tense as the election looms. Key opposition figures have complained of hate speech and acts of intimidation directed at them. Its economy grew at a surprisingly strong annual pace of 5.4 percent in the second quarter, the central bank said, as a jump in private and government investment helped offset weakness in exports. The central bank expects growth this year to be at the top end of its 4-5 percent forecast.

ELECTION APPROACHING The polls will be a test of Najib’s efforts to reform the state-heavy economy and roll back repressive security laws without upsetting the status quo that has seen his dominant United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party rule since independence in 1957. The election promises to be the most fiercely fought in Malaysia’s history, and already tensions are high after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was charged over his role in a major

street protest for electoral reform in April. In addition, senior opposition politician Rafizi Ramli, who made a series of revelations about alleged government wrongdoing, was arrested in early August for disclosing bank details related to a high-profile corruption case involving the family of a former minister. Meanwhile, the government is planning a fresh round of cash handouts to poorer families, Deputy Prime Minister Muhiyuddin Yassin said in June, a move aimed at shoring up support among undecided voters. In July, Najib - facing growing public demand for greater political and social freedoms said he would scrap the colonial-era Sedition Act, which has been used over the years to silence dissent. Firm domestic demand helped cushion Malaysia’s economy from the worst of the slowdown in global activity in the first half of 2012 and the trend is expected to continue as government and government-linked companies spend on big projects. At the same time, heavy government spending and an overly generous budget would sharpen concerns over Malaysia’s chronic budget deficit. Ratings agencies have raised concerns about Malaysia’s public finances and its reliance on oil revenue. Najib’s personal approval rating remains high but support for his ruling coalition is sliding. According to a June survey, Najib’s rating eased one point to 64 percent while the coalition’s popularity fell 6 points to 42 percent. Two July defections from coalition in what has traditionally been a safe bank of seats in the east Malaysian state of Sabah have added to Najib’s worries.

WHAT TO WATCH Clues about the timing of the election. Signs that the global economy is deteriorating more rapidly could prompt Najib to rush to the polls before Malaysians feel the pain from a slowdown. Large anti-government protests, and the government’s

response to them, as well as racial and religious relations. Najib is trying to reach out to nonMuslim minorities who make up about 40 percent of the population. Last year, he set up diplomatic ties with the Vatican in a bid to win Christian support.

ECONOMIC REFORM Najib pledged to reform a decades-old affirmative action policy favoring ethnic Malays and replace it with a “New Economic Model” to promote greater competition and boost domestic investment that has lagged in recent years. But the prime minister has since softened his stance on reforming the policy for fear of alienating conservatives among the majority ethnic Malays who make up about 60 percent of the electorate.

Investors and the opposition complain that the race-based policy has been widely abused, fostering cronyism.

The government is implementing a $444 billion initiative, called the Economic Transformation Program, that is aimed at propelling the country to developed nation status by 2020. The government says the ETP has helped it turn the corner on years of sub-par investment, pointing to a 19 percent jump in private investment last year. Critics say the ETP is overly reliant on government funding, which could end up putting further strains on a budget deficit that hit 5.4 percent in 2011.

The central bank has kept its benchmark interest rate on hold at 3 percent since May 2011, a position it maintained in September, saying domestic demand was helping shore up the economy amid a weakening external sector. Malaysia’s trade surplus slumped to 3.6 billion ringgit ($1.16 billion) in July, its lowest in more than a decade, as the Southeast Asian nation’s exports to the European Union and China fell sharply. —Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

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

US death row inmate’s case to be reviewed WASHINGTON: Almost a year to the day after the controversial execution of Troy Davis, another US death row case roiling rights activists is being reopened. From yesterday, Reggie Clemons-a black man who has spent 19 years behind bars after being convicted in the murder of two young white women-will attempt to prove his innocence in a highly unusual review of his death sentence by a judge in St Louis, Missouri. The hearing, which could last three to five days, follows protests by human rights groups and comes after the 40-yearold’s 2009 execution date was stayed. “It is a checklist of all the most horrible things that can occur in a capital case,” said Laura Moye, head of Amnesty International USA’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign. “ This hearing ultimately could determine whether Reggie Clemons will live or die.” The Clemons case bears similarities to that of Davis, also an African-American, who was put to death in the US state of Georgia on September 21, 2011 for

the killing of a white off-duty police officer despite doubts over his guilt. The execution was the country’s most high-profile in a decade and prompted an outcry from the European Union and elsewhere.

Clemons was convicted in 1993 of the murder of two sisters-aged 19 and 20 - who drowned in the Mississippi River two years earlier.

Circumstances surrounding the deaths are unclear. Together with three friends, two of whom were black, Clemons was on the Chain of Rocks Bridge spanning the Mississippi River the night the women died. Also in the vicinity was Thomas Cummins, out for a walk with his two cousins, Julie and Robin Kerry. Cummins was first held responsible for the women’s deaths, before accusing Clemons and his friends, according to court documents. After a trial that human rights organizations said was marred by a number of irregularities, Clemons and his two Africa-American friends were sentenced to death. They have always maintained their innocence.

One of the men was executed in 2005, while a second saw his sentence commuted to life in prison because of mental retardation. Clemons, meanwhile, remains on death row. The fourth person implicated in the killings, a white male, pleaded guilty and received a lighter sentence in exchange for testifying against his three companions. “We know that mistakes regularly occur in death penalty cases and the innocent are executed,” Moye said. “Troy Davis went to his death in Georgia because the justice system failed to adequately scrutinize the doubts raised about his conviction,” she said, adding the case “illustrates all the flaws in the US death penalty system.”

NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE Much like Davis, Clemons was sentenced to death largely on the basis of witness testimony and no physical evidence. For the first time, samples related to the alleged rape of the victims will be presented during the new hearing. Clemons initially

admitted to the rape of one of the victims but later retracted his confession. Much like Davis, Clemons was convicted in the murder of whites amid interrogations that he claims were marred by racism and police brutality. “I remember police mainly beating me in the chest, and that was something that scared me a whole lot,” Clemons told Britain’s Guardian newspaper. “While they were beating me, they were telling me that they wanted me to admit to.”

For both Davis and Clemons, activists say the accused were not properly represented during the trial, the investigation was riddled with problems and the defendants faced a largely white jury. Clemons had an abusive prosecutor who “compared him to a serial killer although he didn’t have any criminal record,” according to Amnesty. Following the new proceedings, the judge reviewing Clemons’s case is set to make a recommendation to Missouri’s Supreme Court, which will ultimately decide whether the prisoner will live or die. All other options to appeal his execution have been exhausted.— AFP

Teachers extend strike Chicago Mayor seeks court injunction CHICAGO: The confrontation between Chicago teachers and Mayor Rahm Emanuel escalated on Sunday when their union extended a strike and the mayor said he would go to court to block the walkout, risking more friction within President Barack Obama’s political coalition as the Nov. 6 election nears. There will be no classes in Chicago public schools on Monday and Tuesday, affecting 350,000 kindergarten, elementary and high school students.

The showdown left in doubt a deal on wages, benefits and education reforms for 29,000 unionized teachers that negotiators thought they had struck on Friday to end the biggest labor dispute in the United States in a year. It also could widen a rift within the Democratic Party between education reformers such as Obama’s former top White House

ending the strike, delegates said. “A clear majority wanted to stay out. That’s why we are staying out,” Lewis told a news conference after a three-hour meeting of the delegates.

MAYOR CALLS STRIKE ILLEGAL Emanuel called the strike “illegal” and said he would go to court to seek an injunction to block the labor action. “I will not stand by while the children of Chicago are played as pawns in an internal dispute within a union,” Emanuel said, adding that the union walked out over issues that are not subject to a strike under Illinois state law.

Emanuel’s gambit takes the dispute into uncharted territory. No injunction request has been filed in an Illinois educational labor dispute since 1984, when the state gave Chicago teachers

CHICAGO: Philomena Johnson, a delegate from Little Village Academy, decorates her vehicle to highlight the need for increased social services in schools before attending a meeting of the Chicago Teachers Union delegates. — AP aide Emanuel, and organized labor, which the Democrats need to get out the vote in the election.

Chicago union President Karen Lewis said some 800 union delegates met on Sunday and decided to consult with rank-and-file members before voting whether to end the walkout. “There’s no trust (of the school district and mayor),” Lewis said. “So you have a population of people who are frightened of never being able to work for no fault of their own.”

Union delegates will reconvene on Tuesday to discuss the feedback from rank-and-file members, Lewis said. Parents should plan for their children to be out of school until at least tomorrow, she said.

No formal vote was taken during the meeting, but delegates were asked to stand up so that the leadership could get a sense of those for and against

the right to strike. Teachers revolted last week against sweeping education reforms sought by Emanuel, especially evaluating teachers based on the standardized test scores of their students. They also fear a wave of neighborhood school closings that could result in mass teacher layoffs. They want a guarantee that laid-off teachers will be recalled for other jobs in the district. “They’re still not happy with the evaluations. They’re not happy with the recall (provision),” Lewis said of delegates.

Before the meeting of delegates on Sunday, Lewis had called the agreement a “good contract.”

But after the decision to extend the strike, she backtracked, saying: “This is not a good deal. This is the deal we got.” Emanuel’s chief negotiator, School Board President David Vitale, said the union should allow children to go back to school while the two

sides complete the process. “We are extremely disappointed that after 10 months of discussion reaching an honest and fair compromise that (the union) decided to continue their strike of choice and keep our children out of the classroom,” Vitale said.

During the first week of the strike, opinion polls showed parents and Chicago voters backing the union, with some parents and students joining boisterous rallies. A key question is whether the public’s support will waver as the strike drags on.

“I’m very fed up and I’m very upset,” said Crystal Blakeley, a single parent of a daughter in second grade on the South Side of Chicago. Blakeley said she was paying for child care during the strike.

Candace Johnson, a barista at Starbucks, said she had been taking her 8-year-old son to the library on Chicago’s North Side.

“I’m trying to be as patient as possible, but the longer it takes, I don’t know what else I’m going to do with my child,” she said after the strike was extended. Former Chicago City Council member Dick Simpson said Emanuel may have made a mistake by going to court to block the strike. “If I were advising the mayor, I would have advised him to be patient for a couple of days,” said Simpson, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. By waiting, Emanuel could have put the onus on the teachers if they rejected the contract later this week, Simpson said.

Both sides appeared to win some concessions, according to details of the tentative agreement released by the parties. Emanuel compromised on the design of the first update of the evaluation system for Chicago teachers in 40 years. He agreed to phase in the new plan over several years and reduced the weighting of standardized test results in reviewing teachers. Teachers won some jobsecurity protections and prevented the introduction of merit pay in their contract.

NATIONAL DEBATE The Chicago strike has shone a bright light on a fierce national debate over how to reform failing inner-city schools. The union believes that more money and resources should be given to neighborhood public schools to help them improve.

Emanuel and a legion of financiers and philanthropists believe that failing schools should be closed and reopened with new staff to give the students the best chance of improving.

The agreement calls for a 3 percent pay raise for teachers this year and 2 percent in each of the next two years. If the agreement is extended for an optional fourth year, teachers get a 3 percent increase. The deal would result in an average 17.6 percent increase over four years, the district said.

Chicago union teachers make an average of about $76,000 annually. The deal could exacerbate the Chicago Public Schools financial crisis.

Emanuel said the contract will cost $295 million over four years, or $74 million per year. Debt rating agencies had previously warned that the new agreement with teachers could bust the school district budget and lead to a downgrade of its credit rating.— Reuters

Romney vows to fix immigration system LOS ANGELES: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney pledged to Hispanics yesterday that if elected he will fix the troubled US immigration system in an appeal to a rising voter bloc that overwhelmingly favors Democratic President Barack Obama. Looking to rebound after a tough week in which he fell behind Obama in the polls, Romney coupled his immigration promises with a commitment to get a handle on America’s problem of rising national debt and massive budget deficits.

This is part of the Republican’s drive to spend more time talking about the specifics of his economic proposals in answer to voter demands for more information as they choose between him and Obama in the Nov 6 election.

Romney’s immigration remarks to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is aimed at shoring up a weakness in his candidacy: the fact that a huge majority of Hispanics support Obama.

“Americans may disagree about how to fix our immigration system, but I think we can all agree that it is broken,” Romney will say.

In excerpts of his speech released by his campaign, Romney did not get into the specifics of how he would patch up a deep divide between Democrats and Republicans on the approach to repairing the US immigration system. The last serious attempt at an immigration overhaul, made by Republican President George W Bush in 2007, collapsed in Congress as conservatives rebelled against the plan, which they called an amnesty for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already living in

the United States. After promising during his 2008 campaign to take on the immigration issue, Obama never followed through, leading to disappointment among various Hispanic groups. Romney will point to Obama’s inability to work on the problem as a failure. “Candidate Obama said that one of his highest priorities would be to fix immigration in his first year in office. Despite his party having majorities in both houses of Congress, the president never even offered up a bill,” Romney will say.

US BORDER INTEGRITY Romney has vowed to “work with Republicans and Democrats to permanently fix our immigration system,” while stressing that any plan must first ensure the integrity of US borders - a problem on which the Obama administration says it has already made progress. “I believe we can all agree that what we need are fair and enforceable immigration laws that will stem the flow of illegal immigration, while strengthening legal immigration,” Romney said.

The Republican’s campaign is built around pledges to improve the US economy and spur job growth and he has used the same message in appealing to Hispanics with the view that all Americans want a good job whatever their ethnicity. “While national unemployment is 8.1 percent, Hispanic unemployment is over 10 percent. Over two million more Hispanics are living in poverty today than the day President Obama took office,” Romney said.—Reuters

LOS ANGELES: US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney arrives in Los Angeles on September 16, 2012.

Romney canceled a campaign rally scheduled in Colorado on Sunday after a crash at the airport where his plane was due to land. — AFP

JALISCO: Mexican federal police secure the area where 17 dismembered bodies were found by a highway in the town of Tizapan el Alto near the border between Jalisco and Michoacan states. — AP

17 dismembered bodies found in central Mexico JALISCO: The dismembered bodies of 17 men were found Sunday on a farm in a part of central Mexico disputed by violent drug cartels, officials said. The bodies were dumped near a highway in the town of Tizapan el Alto by the border between Jalisco and Michoacan, said Jalisco state prosecutor Tomas Coronado Olmos. The bodies were discovered as Mexicans celebrated their independence.

Coronado Olmos didn’t reveal the identities of the slain men but said the bodies were naked, mutilated and stacked with chains around their necks.

They had been killed elsewhere and dumped on the property. “Our border regions with other states are vulnerable to this kind of action and the dumping of bodies,” the prosecutor said. Authorities haven’t said who they think is behind the killings but the area is a cartel battleground and Mexico’s crime groups regularly leave behind such grisly remains as they battle for control of trafficking routes and markets.

Michoacan state is home to the Familia Michoacana and the Caballeros Templarios organized crime groups, and Jalisco has seen violence by the brutal Zetas and the Jalisco Nueva Generacion

cartels. Signs were put up last week in various Jalisco municipalities in which the Caballeros Templarios threatened the Zetas and Jalisco Nueva Generacion. A shootout between local police and an armed convoy last Monday left two people dead and two injured in the same municipality near the border between Jalisco and Michoacan. In May, authorities found 18 human heads and remains packed into two abandoned cars along the highway connecting Chapala and Guadalajara, Jalisco.

On Friday in Tamaulipas, 16 bodies were found across the state just two days after the arrest there of one of the region’s top drug bosses, Gulf Cartel head Eduardo Costilla Sanchez. Nine of the bodies were found in Nuevo Laredo along the Texas border and seven were found in near the town of San Fernando, where 74 dead migrants were found in August, 2010. More than 47,500 people have been killed in Mexican drug violence since December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon launched a military offensive against the cartels, according to the latest official figures.

Some civil groups and activists say the figure is higher. —AP

FBI tracked Chicago suspect for months HILLSIDE: The investigation started months ago, when the FBI noticed an email message: A man in the Chicago suburbs was using an account to distribute chatter about violent jihad and the killing of Americans. Two undercover agents reached out and began to talk to him online. In May, they introduced him to another agent who claimed to be a terrorist living in New York.

The operation ended Friday night, an affidavit describing it says, when the man was arrested and accused of trying to detonate what he believed was a car bomb outside of a Chicago bar. Prosecutors said an undercover agent gave Adel Daoud, a US citizen from the Chicago suburb of Hillside, a phony car bomb and watched him press the trigger.

The US Attorney’s Office in Chicago, which announced the arrest Saturday, said the device was harmless and the public was never at risk. Daoud, 18, is due to make an appearance in federal court on charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to damage and destroy a building with an explosive.

“We don’t even know anything. We don’t know that much. We know as little as you do,” a woman who answered the phone at his home and identified herself as his sister, Hiba, said Saturday. “They’re just accusations. ...

We’d like to be left alone.” Daoud’s father, Ahmed Daoud, declined to comment on Sunday. “We don’t know anything about it,” he said when reached by phone. The FBI often uses similar tactics in counterterrorism investigations, deploying undercover agents to engage suspects in talk of terror plots and then provide fake explosive devices.

In 2010, a Lebanese immigrant took what he thought was a bomb and dropped it into a trash bin near Chicago’s Wrigley Field. In a 2009 case, agents provided a Jordanian man with a fake truck bomb that he used to try to

blow up a 60-story office tower in Dallas. This operation unfolded much like the others.

After Daoud began talking to the undercover agents, an affidavit says, the third agent and Daoud met six times in the suburb of Villa Park over the summer and exchanged messages. Daoud then set about identifying 29 potential targets, including military recruiting centers, bars, malls and tourist attractions in Chicago, the document said.

After he settled on a downtown bar, he conducted surveillance on it by using Google Street View and visiting the area in person to take photographs, the affidavit said. The document does not identify the bar, but says he told the agent it was also a concert venue by a liquor store. “It’s a bar, it’s a liquor store, it’s a concert. All in one bundle,” the document quotes him as saying. It said he noted the bar would be filled with the “evilest people ... kuffars.” Kuffar is the Arabic term for non-believer. Shortly after 7 pm Friday, the affidavit said, Daoud met with the undercover agent in Villa Park and they drove to downtown Chicago, where the restaurants and bars were packed. They entered a parking lot where a Jeep Cherokee containing the phony bomb was parked, the document says.

Daoud drove the vehicle and parked it in front of the bar, then walked a block away and attempted to detonate the device by pressing a triggering mechanism, the affidavit says. He was then arrested.

A neighbor, Harry Pappas, said that a dozen unmarked cars drove up to the family’s house on Friday night and several agents went inside. On Saturday, no one answered the door of the family’s two-story home, which had a well-kept garden in the yard and a basketball hoop in the driveway. The house faces a Lutheran church; a Greek Orthodox church also is nearby.—AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

NEWS

The Soyuz TMA-04M capsule carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of US astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin lands near the town of Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan yesterday. — AP

US linked to cyber viruses Continued from Page 1 Anti-virus software makers Symantec Corp of the United States and Kaspersky Lab of Russia disclosed yesterday that they have found evidence that Flame’s operators may have also worked with three other viruses that have yet to be discovered. The two security firms, which conducted their analyses separately, declined to comment on who was behind Flame. But current and former Western national security officials have told Reuters that the United States played a role in creating Flame. The Washington Post has reported that Israel was also involved.

Current and former US government sources also told Reuters that the United States was behind Stuxnet.

Kaspersky and Symantec linked Stuxnet to Flame in June, saying that part of the Flame program is nearly identical to code found in a 2009 version of Stuxnet. For now, the two firms know very little about the newly identified viruses, except that one of them is currently deployed in the Middle East. They are not sure what the malicious software was designed to do. “It could be anything,” said Costin Raiu, director of Kaspersky Lab’s Global Research and Analysis Team.

Kaspersky and Symantec released their findings in reports describing analysis of “command and control” servers used to communicate with and control computers infected with Flame. Researchers from both firms said the Flame operation was managed using a piece of software named “Newsforyou” that was built by a team of four software developers starting in 2006. It was

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designed to look like a common program for managing content on websites, which was likely done in a bid to disguise its real purpose from hosting providers or investigators so that the operation would not be compromised, Kaspersky said in its report.

Newsforyou handled four types of malicious software: Flame and programs code-named SP, SPE and IP, according to both firms. Neither firm has obtained samples of the other three pieces of malware. Kaspersky Lab said it believes that SP, SPE and IP were espionage or sabotage tools separate from Flame. Symantec said it was not sure if they were simply variations of Flame or completely different pieces of software. “We know that it is definitely out there. We just can’t figure out a way to actually get our hands on it. We are trying,” Symantec researcher Vikram Thakur said in an interview.

About a dozen computers in Iran and Lebanon that are infected with one of the newly identified pieces of malware are trying to communicate with command and control servers, according to Kaspersky Lab. The researchers found a large cache of data on one of the command and control servers, but cannot analyze it because it is encrypted using a password that they said would be virtually impossible to crack. They believe that it was encrypted so heavily because the people coordinating the attack did not want the workers using the Newsforyou program to be able to read potentially sensitive information. “This approach to uploading packages and downloading data fits the profile of military and/or intelligence operations,” Symantec said in its report. — Reuters

Violent clashes rage over anti-Islam film Continued from Page 1 public appearance. “O Prophet (PBUH), we die for you, my soul and my blood are for you,” he said, urging the crowd to repeat the words after him for the whole world to hear. Nasrallah, whose Lebanese movement is blacklisted in the United States as a terrorist group, has called for a week of protests across the country over the film, describing it as the “worst attack ever on Islam”.

“America must understand... the US must understand that releasing the entire film will have dangerous, very dangerous, repercussions around the world,” he told yesterday’s rally. “All our people and governments must put pressure on the international community to issue international and national laws to criminalise insults of the three world religions,” he said, referring to Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

“America, great Satan! Israel, enemy of the Muslims!” cried men, women and children.

The movie entitled “Innocence of Muslims”, believed to have been produced by a small group of extremist Christians, has sparked a week of furious protests outside US embassies and other American symbols in at least 20 countries. In Pakistan, thousands of students burned US flags and chanted anti-American slogans in the northwestern city of Peshawar, where Osama bin Laden kept a home during the 1980s jihad against Soviet troops in adjacent Afghanistan.

In the nearby district of Upper Dir, a protester was killed and two others wounded in a shootout with police. The crowd of about 800 people set fire to a magistrate’s house and the local press club. In Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, another demonstrator died after being shot in the head during clashes with police near the US consulate on Sunday.

Around 500 angry protesters in the

eastern Pakistani city of Lahore tried to reach the US consulate but were driven back by police with tear gas.

In neighbouring Afghanistan, protests turned violent for the first time when more than 1,000 people protested in Kabul, setting police cars and containers ablaze, police told AFP. Between 40 and 50 policemen were “very slightly wounded” by stone-throwers and members of the crowd waving sticks, said Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi. A police official, who gave his name only as Hafiz, said protesters also threw stones at Camp Phoenix, a US-run military base in the capital, but were later driven back.

Google has barred access to the video in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Libya and Malaysia, while the government has restricted access to Google-owned YouTube in Afghanistan. Later, Pakistan blocked access to YouTube after an order from Prime Minister Pervez Ashraf to do so over blasphemous material, following the video-sharing website’s failure to take down the anti-Islam film.

In Jakarta, protesters hurled petrol bombs and clashed with Indonesian police outside the US embassy shouting “America, America go to hell”, as demonstrations in the world’s most populous Muslim nation turned violent.

Police were seen kicking or dragging away some of the protesters, while one policeman was taken away in an ambulance with his face bleeding. Many of the protesters were supporters of hardline Islamic groups and were dressed in identical white garb. The capital’s police chief Untung Rajab said 11 policemen and a protester were injured and taken to hospital, and that four protesters were arrested.

In Tunisia, a Salafist leader escaped from a mosque that had been surrounded by security forces seeking to arrest him over clashes at the US Embassy last week, a Reuters witness said. Saif-Allah Benahssine, leader of the

Tunisian branch of the hardline Islamist Ansar Al-Sharia, slipped away after hundreds of his followers stormed out of alFatah mosque in Tunis. Benahssine told his supporters earlier he was not involved in the protests, in which two people were killed when police opened fire as protesters ransacked the US mission.

Also yesterday, police in Azerbaijan arrested about 15 people who tried to protest outside the US Embassy in Baku.

Rallies had taken place as far afield as Britain and Australia at the weekend, showing the global scale of the outrage at the film. German authorities are considering whether to ban the public screening of the film, titled “Innocence of Muslims” because it could endanger public security, Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday. A fringe far-right political party says it plans to show the film in Berlin in November.

In other developments, Iran condemned the film as offensive and vowed to pursue those responsible for making it. “Certainly it will search for, track, and pursue this guilty person who has insulted 1.5 billion Muslims in the world,” First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi told a cabinet meeting.

Iranian officials have demanded the United States apologise to Muslims for the film, saying it is only the latest in a series of Western insults aimed at Islam’s holy figures.

At the weekend, President Barack Obama called top US diplomats in Libya, Tunisia, Yemen and Sudan to assure them their safety is a top priority, the White House said. Mass demonstrations after the main weekly Muslim prayers on Friday saw 11 protesters killed as police battled to defend US missions from mobs in Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen. The unrest began in Cairo, where protesters stormed the US embassy late Tuesday, replacing the Stars and Stripes with an Islamic flag. — Agencies

Kuwait to boost rainy day fund Continued from Page 1 excess of $300 billion. The KIA was not immediately available for comment. Kuwait booked a record budget surplus of KD 13.2 billion ($47 billion) in the fiscal year that ended in March thanks to robust oil income and lower spending than planned. “This move shows the state is aware of the need to put financial surpluses into reserves rather than having increases in salaries and handouts,” former finance minister Bader Al-Humaidi told Reuters.

More than half of Kuwaiti nationals are under 25,

according to 2009 figures from the Public Authority for Civil Information. A long-running political crisis has held up investment in the state, especially in large infrastructure projects, allowing the budget surplus to grow. A KD 30 billion ($107 billion) development plan aimed at boosting and diversifying the economy has stalled. The political crisis revolves around a row between the elected parliament and the appointed government led by the Al-Sabah ruling family. The government also grappled with strikes by public sector workers earlier this year, who had called for pay hikes of more than 25 percent. — Reuters

Continued from Page 1 statement said. Apple’s US website said orders placed would be shipped in two to three weeks.

The iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store and its retail stores, and for US customers through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and other resellers. AT&T said in a statement it set a sales record with iPhone 5 over the weekend, making it the fastestselling iPhone the company has ever offered, but gave no specific numbers. The carrier said it will be selling the iPhone 5 in AT&T retail stores on Friday.

In New York, a handful of people were already camped outside the Apple store on Fifth Avenue awaiting the new smartphone, but all were

sponsored by companies or apps seeking publicity. First in line was a man identifying himself as Sagitarius Catharsis, equipped with a chair, small table and blanket, who said he was promoting a local chat service called App Vibe. Also in the queue was Keenen Thompson, 22, who said he works in “fashion” and was sponsored by Gazelle, a company which buy old phones and old computers in trade-ins. “We already waited 18 days for iPhone 4S last year,” he told AFP. “We decided to do it again. There’s no fun in ordering it on Internet. Here people pass by and talk.”

Joshua Chinchilla, 23, an account manager for the mobile banking app Refundo, said he anda a colleague plan to be among the first to get the new iPhone early Friday. He said his company is providing chairs, and sweaters and that “tomorrow there

will be thunderstorms, hopefully we’ll get umbrellas too.”

Some analysts say Apple could sell 10 million in the opening days and 50 million before the end of 2012. Apple shares extended their rally yesterday, gaining 1.0 percent to a new record $698.62 in midday trade, giving the world’s most valuable firm a market worth of $654 billion. Many analysts remained bullish on Apple because of the iPhone and other products, including a rumored new mini-iPad expected to be launched later this year. “Bolstered by the iPhone 5, we believe Apple’s industry-leading software ecosystem and integrated hardware expertise will lead to a strong multiyear product cycle,” said Michael Walkley at Canaccord Genuity. “We reiterate our buy rating and $797 price target.” — AFP

Iran alleges explosives cut power to nuke...

Continued from Page 1 Tehran denies seeking nuclear arms, and Abbasi - an Iranian vice president whom the agency suspects may have been involved in nuclear weapons research - insisted yesterday that his country’s nuclear program is aimed only at making reactor fuel and doing medical research. “The Islamic Republic of Iran ... has always opposed and will always denounce the manufacture and use of weapons of mass destruction,” he said.

Tehran has long dismissed suspicions that it may re-engineer its uranium enrichment program from making reactor fuel to produce nuclear warheads and says accusations that it has worked secretly on nuclear arms are based on fabricated US and Israeli intelligence. It also frequently accuses the IAEA of anti-Iran bias in its push to ensure that all of Tehran’s nuclear activities are peaceful. But Abbasi’s comments yesterday were the harshest on the agency itself. “Terrorists and saboteurs might have intruded the agency and might be making decisions covertly,” he said. Citing what he said was an example of sabotage on Aug 17 at an underground enrichment plant,

he said IAEA inspectors arrived to inspect it shortly after power lines were blown up. “Does this visit have any connection to that detonation?” he asked.

It appeared to be the first mention of the alleged sabotage attack.

The plant at Fordo, about 70 km south of Tehran, is of particular concern to Israel because it is buried deep in a mountainside to protect it from assault. It also is being used to enrich uranium closer to the level needed for a nuclear warhead than what is used to power most industrial reactors, although Iran says it needs the higher level both because its present research reactor runs on the higher-grade material and because it plans to build more such reactors. Asked by reporters to expand on the alleged sabotage attempt, Abbasi said it was foiled “by using backup batteries and diesel generators” that prevented any disruption to centrifuges used to spin uranium to enriched levels.

He also said a separate attack on the country’s centrifuges - through tiny explosions meant to disable key parts of the machines - was discovered before the timed blasts could go off. Abbasi did not elaborate on the date or other details of that

alleged assault attempt.

Tehran has acknowledged that the Stuxnet computer worm affected a limited number of centrifuges at its main uranium enrichment facility in the central city of Natanz two years ago. As well, assassins killed three scientists with links to Iran’s nuclear programs in 2010 and 2011. Dozens of unexplained explosions have hit the country’s gas pipelines, and Iran’s first nuclear power plant suffered major equipment failures delaying its operations for decades before going on line this year - delays that some experts attribute to acts of sabotage.

But Tehran says it has improved its defenses since the Stuxnet attack - a point made again yesterday by Abbasi who challenged would-be saboteurs. “We are a powerful country. We can confront any kind of industrial espionage whether it is an explosive or a virus,” he told reporters. “We are eager and interested to ask the other side to have more (attacks) because having more we would be more experienced.” Inside the IAEA meeting, he said Iran now can “ward off threats by targeting ... cyber-attacks, industrial sabotage and use of explosives,” without elaborating. — AP

Massive naval exercise in Gulf Continued from Page 1 disrupt freedom of navigation,” he added. US Vice Admiral John Miller, the head of the US Naval Forces in the wider Gulf region, echoed his comments. “This exercise is about mines and the international effort to clear them,” he said in a statement. Analysts however argue that the anti-mine manoeuvres are designed to counter Iran’s escalating threats to block the strategic straits. This is “a message to all parties in the region: to the allies and Iran, that the US is ready to defend their common interests, keep the straits and maritime routes open and respond to any attacks against its bases in the region” said Riad Kahwaji, of the Institute for near East and Gulf military analysis in Dubai.

More than 500 ships, 60 percent of which are energy carriers, pass through the Straits every week, a strategic chokepoint that connects the Arabian Gulf, and some of the world’s top oil producing nations to the rest of the world. “ This is a vital region where sea lanes and resources and international interests all intersect,” said Raelson. “Defending these interests against a sea mine attack is really a core mission of navy mine warfare... and this exercise is an effort to decrease the international threat of mining and to enhance our combined capabilities to provide long-term stability and security.”

The anti-mine manoeuvres will last through Sept 27 and involve more than 30 nations including the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Yemen and Jordan. Raelson said no manoeuvres “at all” will take place in the actual Strait of Hormuz, adding that a variety of anti-mine techniques will be practised, including “mine-hunting operations, helicopter mine countermeasures operations, dive operations, small boat exercises and international cross

platform refuelling training.”

Iranian military officials sounded a relaxed note, reassuring their own public: “This exercise is a defensive exercise and we don’t perceive any threats from it,” said Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “We are not conducting exercises in response.” Jafari told a news conference in Tehran on Sunday that the strait would be a legitimate target for Iran should it be attacked. Jafari also suggested that US military bases - the two largest in Bahrain and Qatar would be fair game for retaliation by Iran or proxy forces.

The US also has several military bases in Kuwait and a military presence in the United Arab Emirates. And if Israeli jets or missiles struck Iran, “nothing of Israel will be left, considering its size”, warned Jafari.

Anthony Skinner of the Maplecroft consultancy said the exercise would, however, remind Iran of Washington’s ability to blunt its offensive capabilities: “Iran would likely mine the Strait of Hormuz and possibly deploy suicide bombing skiffs in the event of air strikes against its nuclear facilities. “Washington wants to show that it’s prepared for such an eventuality,” Skinner said. “I see this exercise as part of broader initiative to sustain the pressure on Iran. Giving sanctions the time to work is clearly the preferred option for the Obama administration, at least in the medium term.”

Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian expert in Israel, suggested that publicity for the exercise was primarily aimed at American voters and the Israeli leadership: “This military exercise is Obama’s way of showing US voters, especially Israel’s supporters in the US, and Netanyahu that when it comes to Iran, he is not only relying on talks,” he said. “To show that when he said ‘I have Israel’s back’ in March ... he meant it.” — Agencies

14

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

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India ‘big bang Friday’ reforms might just stick

By Satarupa Bhattacharjya and Frank Jack here were quiet celebrations in the offices of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late last week after he stunned the country with a slew of steps to revive the tanking economy. In the space of 24 hours, Singh had dispelled the image of an elderly ditherer and demonstrated - two decades after he launched India’s transformative drive for economic liberalisation - that he remains a champion of reform. “People were very happy,” one aide to the Oxford-educated economist told Reuters. “There were no high fives, but people in the office were very satisfied.”

So is this another “nuclear moment” for Singh, an echo of 2008 when he put his job on the line to push through a controversial civilian nuclear deal with the United States? Or is he still the wavering leader who backtracked on key economic policies three times in the past year to fend off protests? Singh’s government, already weakened by a string of corruption scandals, will inevitably face a political backlash over the reforms, perhaps enough to make him stop short of the difficult steps still needed to tackle a gaping fiscal hole.

But the signs are that this time the prime minister will stick to his guns, if for no other reason than because he may well have run out of alternatives. “It will take courage and some risks but it should be our endeavour to ensure that it succeeds,” Singh told a group of government economists on Saturday. “The country deserves no less.” His Congress party, which heads an unruly coalition, also seems confident that it can survive the onslaught.

In conversations with Reuters, several party and government officials said Congress leader Sonia Gandhi assessed the risks of losing coalition allies over the reforms - which could force an early election - and concluded they were safe. “The calculation will be that these people will make noise but will not pull the plug,” said Neerja Chowdhury, a political analyst, after the first of last week’s bold steps, a sharp increase in heavily subsidised diesel prices.

Once seen as India’s answer to Deng Xiaoping, who set China on the road to a market economy, Singh - who will be 80 next week - had seen his reputation crumble in recent months. In July, Time magazine dubbed him an “underachiever” unwilling to grasp the nettle of reform as economic growth sagged. But over 24 hours on Thursday and Friday last week his government unveiled more big-ticket reforms than it had in all the eight years since it came to power in 2004.

In addition to the diesel price increase, it announced that it was opening up the retail sector to foreign supermarket chains and removing the bar on foreign investment in both airlines and broadcasters. It also approved the sale of stakes in four state-run industries. India’s economy is growing at about 5.5 percent, its lowest in three years and far short of the near-double-digit clip of the mid-2000s. Its fiscal deficit is heading for at least 6 percent of GDP, blowing past the official target, inflation remains stubbornly high despite a long interest rate squeeze, investment has dried up and it is in danger of becoming the first of the big “BRICS” emerging economies to see its credit rating downgraded to junk.

Efforts to tackle the malaise have faltered time and again. This was partly because Singh came under pressure from coalition allies and party colleagues opposed to steps that could alienate voters, and almost certainly because he enjoyed little support for reforms from his powerful, welfare-minded boss, Sonia Gandhi. Over the past year the government has rolled back increases in petrol prices and rail fares. Most dramatically, Singh ditched an attempt to push through retail reform after mayhem in parliament and street protests led by his party’s largest coalition partner, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Banerjee told Reuters in May that she would never support the likes of Wal-Mart Stores Inc opening supermarkets in India, and on Friday she gave the government a 72-hour deadline to backtrack. She led a large protest on Saturday and suggested her party was seriously considering leaving the coalition. However, there are reasons to believe that Singh and Gandhi will ride out the storm this time. The economic crisis is far deeper than last year and a U-turn now would seriously discredit their efforts to salvage it. As in 1991, when India was close to bankruptcy, reforms came - and stuck - only when a gun was put to its head.— Reuters

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For S Korea men, makeup foundation for success

By Foster Klug ho Won-hyuk stands in front of his bedroom mirror and spreads dollops of yellow-brown makeup over his forehead, nose, chin and cheeks until his skin is flawless. Then he goes to work with a black pencil, highlighting his eyebrows until they’re thicker, bolder. “Having a clean, neat face makes you look sophisticated and creates an image that you can handle yourself well,” the 24-year-old college student said. “Your appearance matters, so when I wear makeup on special occasions, it makes me more confident.” Cho’s meticulous efforts to paint the perfect face are not unusual in South Korea. This socially conservative, male-dominated country, with a mandatory two-year military conscription for men, has become the male makeup capital of the world.

South Korean men spent $495.5 million on skincare last year, accounting for nearly 21 percent of global sales, according to global market research firm Euromonitor International. That makes it the largest market for men’s skincare in the world, even though there are only about 19 million men in South Korea. Amorepacific, South Korea’s biggest cosmetics company, estimates the total sales of men’s cosmetics in South Korea this year will be more than $885 million.

The metamorphosis of South Korean men from macho to makeup over the last decade or so can be partly explained by fierce competition for jobs, advancement and romance in a society where, as a popular catchphrase puts it, “appearance is power.” Women also have a growing expectation that men will take the time and effort to pamper their skin. Evidence of this new direction in South Korean masculinity is easy to find. In a crowded Seoul cafe, a young woman takes some lipstick out of her purse and casually applies it to her male companion’s lips as they talk. At an upscale apartment building, a male security guard watches the lobby from behind a

C

layer of makeup. Korean Air holds once-ayear makeup classes for male flight attendants.

“I can understand why girls don’t like to go outside without makeup - it makes a big difference,” said Cho Gil-nam, a tall, stocky 27-year-old insurance fraud investigator in Seoul who starts important days by dabbing on makeup after finishing his multistep morning cleansing and moisturizing routine. He carries a multicolored cosmetics pouch so he can touch up in public bathrooms throughout the day.

While US cosmetics companies report growing sales in male cosmetics, American men are often wary of makeup. “Men Wearing Makeup a Disturbing Trend” was how American columnist Jim Shea titled a recent post. In South Korea, however, effeminate male beauty is “a marker of social success,” according to Roald

Maliangkay, head of Korean studies at Australian National University.

Amorepacific Corp. offers 17 men’s brands, with dozens of products to choose from, and operates two Manstudio stores in Seoul that are devoted to men’s skincare and makeup.

South Korean men are barraged daily with messages in popular media suggesting that flawless skin is a crucial part of any plan to get ahead at work and romance. “In this society, people’s first impressions are very important. A man’s skin is a big part of that impression, so I take care of my skin,” said Kim Deuk-ryong, a 20-year-old student. It wasn’t always this way. The ideal South Korean man used to be rough and tough. Things began to change in the late 1990s, when the South Korean government relaxed a ban on Japanese cultural goods, exposing South Koreans to different ideas

In this Sept 13, 2012 photo, a man walks by an advertisement featuring Jang Keun-suk, a South Korean celebrity often given the title “flower man” by news media in Seoul. — AP

on male beauty, including popular comics featuring pretty, effeminate men.

James Turnbull, a writer and lecturer on Korean feminism, sexuality and popular culture, said the economic crisis that hit South Korea in 1997 and 1998 also played a role in shifting thinking. Struggling companies often fired their female employees first, angering women who had already seen their push for equal rights take a backseat to protest movements against Japanese colonizers and the autocratic governments that followed. “The times were ripe for a sea-change in the popular images of men in the media,” Turnbull said.

Women, as a result, began questioning the kinds of men society told them they should find attractive.

In 2002, large numbers were attracted to a hero of South Korea’s World Cup football team, Ahn Jung-hwan, who became a leading member of the so-called “flower men” - a group of exceptionally good-looking, smooth-skinned, fashionable sports stars and celebrities who found great success selling male cosmetics. Men everywhere began striving to look like them, with the encouragement of the women around them, and a trend was born.

A decade later, ads featuring handsome, heavily made-up male celebrities are an unavoidable part of the urban scenery. Kim Jong-hoon, a 27-year-old tech industry worker in Paju, said the endless media exposure to famous men with perfect skin helped steer his progression from soap and water to an elaborate regime that includes as many as eight steps, from cleanser to eye cream and lotion to a small amount of makeup powder. “My skin wasn’t bad, but the media constantly sends the message that skin is one of the most important things, so I wanted to take care of it,” Kim said. Once an oddity, men using makeup is now commonplace. It’s also a good source of conversation, said Kim Ae-kyung, 35, a female office worker. “I feel like I have more to talk about with guys who use makeup we have more in common,” Kim said. — AP

China hurts credibility with Xi vanishing act

By John Ruwitch hina’s leader-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, did more than apparently injure his back this month - by vanishing from public without explanation for two weeks, he also wounded his own credibility.

China political experts expressed dismay over the ruling Communist Party’s handling of Xi’s ailment, which remains a state secret despite sources close to the leadership saying he did no more than hurt his back in a swimming pool. The injury kept the likely next leader of the world’s second-largest economy and a nuclear power out of public view until Saturday when after a swirl of unanswered rumours that ranged from a heart attack to attempted assassination - he appeared smiling for the cameras at a Beijing university.

It was as though his disappearance which forced Xi to skip meetings with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the prime ministers of Singapore and Denmark - had never happened. “The basic issue is that they have not come to terms with what running a globalized power means in this day and age...,” said Roderick MacFarquhar, an expert in Communist Party history at Harvard University. “The next leadership will have to come to grips with this because it’s going to get worse. There will be times when there are real problems,” he said, adding that he believed the party was likely to at least review how it had handled the episode.

Xi’s vanishing act highlighted the perils of the party’s tendency toward secrecy at

C

a politically sensitive time, just a few weeks before the party is expected to finalise a once-in-a-decade leadership change at its 18th congress. Xi, 59, is all but certain to be promoted to party chief at the congress - the timing of which is still secret but expected in mid-October before taking over the presidency in March. He will take the helm of a nation that has been transformed economically but, as his disappearance showed, not politically.

“Basically, you have a system that’s inherited from the early 20th century that is totally mismatched with the demands of 21st century China,” said Damien Ma, a China analyst at the Eurasia Group. The party has always closely guarded and carefully manicured the public images of its top leaders. Details of their private lives, including health issues, have been mostly kept secret since Mao Zedong’s days at the helm. Mao himself famously vanished from public view at times.

From late-1965 to mid-1966 he was nowhere to be seen in public, likely due to health reasons.

His return was heralded by a widely publicised swim in the Yangtze river, an event orchestrated to send a message of his vitality.

China could get away with it back then, before its rapid industrialisation put it at the centre of the global economy and of financial markets and before the birth of the Internet. “They have not got acclimatised to the differences between running a dynamic economy and sticking in the past with a very, very un-dynamic leadership,” said MacFarquhar of Harvard.

Rumours about Xi’s health burst onto China’s popular Twitter-like site Sina Weibo and elsewhere, with some guessing he had gone incommunicado after an assassination attempt or was laid up after a heart attack, stroke or surgery for early-stage liver cancer. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei dodged question after question on the issue at routine media briefings and berated a journalist who at one point asked if Hong could confirm if Xi was still alive. Xi’s last known previous public appearance had been on Sept 1, but it took Chinese state media until late on Sept 12 to cite Xi as having issued a public statement - a message of condolence to the family of a deceased party official -

and then another three days before he reemerged in the flesh.

In the meantime, the information vacuum was filled by wild and potentially dangerous speculation in a year that has already proven to be a tumultuous one for the party. In the months leading up to Xi’s disappearance, China’s rumour mill was already near fever pitch over a murder scandal that had ruined the career of a senior politician, Bo Xilai, who had had ambitions to join Xi’s top team in the new leadership. “By not communicating it allows people to see weaknesses in the system which may not be there,” said Dane Chamorro, Director Asia Pacific at Control Risks. “People start to question: Is the system weak? Is the system breaking down? Can it deal with the modern world?”

For now, Xi’s unexplained disappearance has not wrought much tangible damage. Financial markets, though paying close attention, did not trade on the rumours. “It didn’t (cause damage) this time, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t in the future,” said Ma of Eurasia Group.

“The biggest danger under the new ... administration, we believe, is if they don’t concertedly and seriously address some of these issues in an information-intensive environment, they’re going to increasingly face a deepening legitimacy crisis.” Until then, we are “condemned to carry on reading the tea leaves”, said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, an expert on Chinese politics at Hong Kong Baptist University. “So much for China’s great openness to the outside world which started in 1978.” — Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

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Silva pens new City deal

Wildcard playoff in China

Injury blow for QPR

MANCHESTER: Spanish winger David Silva has agreed a new five-year contract with Manchester City, the Premier League champions confirmed yesterday.

The Spaniard has already clocked up more than 70 appearances for City since he signed from Valencia in July 2010. And the 26-year-old, who last season helped the club win the league title for the first time since 1968, agreed a new deal which will run until the summer of 2017.

“I’m very pleased because I’ve been here for two years now and I feel very happy here at the club, in the city and with all the people,” said Silva. “So now I’m delighted to be extending my contract and being here really does feel just like home for me.” The news comes ahead of today’s Champions League clash away to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. “We’ve won the Premier League title and two other trophies too, and the team is growing and we are now aiming at the Champions League and so that also is another reason to want to stay here and try and win it,” he said.

“I feel very comfortable here and I want to try and win trophies like those. “These last two years have gone very well and so let’s hope that the next five go as well or even better.” —AFP

NANJING: The Australian Open will hold a regional wildcard playoff for entry to the 2013 version of the year’s first tennis grand slam in Nanjing in China in October, organisers announced yesterday.

The male and female winners of the playoff, which will take place at China’s National Tennis Academy from Oct. 15-21, will gain entry to the main draw of the Melbourne Park tournament, which brands itself the “Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific”. The Asia-Pacific wildcards were previously decided by nomination, a spokeswoman for Tennis Australia said, and are part of the 16 up for grabs for the Australian Open, eight each for entry to the men’s and women’s draws. Two of the eight are allocated in a reciprocal arrangement with the French and U.S. Opens, one goes to the winner of a playoff restricted to Australian players, while the other four are awarded at the discretion of organisers. The playoff, which will not be open to Australian players, was announced by the Premier of Victoria Ted Baillieu at a news conference in Beijing on Monday, also attended

by China’s 2011 French Open champion Li Na. —Reuters

LONDON: Queens Park Rangers striker Andrew Johnson is likely to miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious knee injury during Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Chelsea.

The 31-year-old, who was making his third appearance for the club, was forced off in the first half of the Premier League stalemate at Loftus Road, with subsequent scans revealing the extent of the problem.

“Andy Johnson suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Chelsea and is likely to be sidelined for the majority of the season,” QPR posted on their official Twitter account this morning. Johnson, who has won eight caps for England, joined Rangers on a two-year contract in the summer after his Fulham deal expired.

“AJ felt something in his knee. We hope he’s going to be okay, but it’s a little bit of worry,” Hughes told www.qpr.co.uk after the game. “You need players like AJ in the squad because they give so much. We’ll send him for a scan over the next few days and hopefully he’ll be okay.”

Rangers, who have picked up only two points from four games so far this season, will continue their search for a first win of the campaign at Tottenham on Sunday. — AFP

Cardinals triumph, Giants fall homers. Peralta (2-0) struck out five and walked one in his third start, and got his first major league hit when he doubled in the seventh.

John Axford pitched the ninth for his 29th save.

New York’s Chris Young (4-8) threw 6 2-3 innings and allowed three runs - all solo homers - and eight hits.

LOS ANGELES: Jon Jay hit a go-ahead RBI double during a three-run 12th inning and the St. Louis Cardinals split of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, beating them 5-2 on Sunday and regaining undisputed possession of the second NL wild card spot.

John Ely (0-2) issued a leadoff walk to Matt Carpenter and Jay drove him on from second base with a line drive into the right field corner on an 0-2 pitch. Jay scored on an infield hit up the middle by Allen Craig and Yadier Molina walked with the bases loaded. Rookie Shelby Miller (1-0) pitched one inning for his first major league victory.

Jason Motte got three outs for his 35th save in 42 chances after giving up the tying and winning runs in Saturday night’s 4-3 loss.

OAKLAND: Baltimore Orioles right fielder Endy Chavez chases a ball that fell for a double hit by Oakland Athletics’ Yoenis Cespedes in the first inning. — AP

Orioles dump Athletics OAKLAND: Matt Wieters hit two solo home runs and Endy Chavez had four hits to help the Baltimore Orioles beat the Oakland Athletics 9-5 on Sunday and remain within a game of the New York Yankees in the AL East.

Chavez drove in two runs for the Orioles, who have won four of six in snapping a three -game road losing streak. JJ Hardy, Mark Reynolds, Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Robert Andino also drove in runs. Josh Reddick, who drove in three runs, and Stephen Drew hit two-run home runs for the Athletics, who are two games ahead of the Orioles for the first wild-card spot. Adam Rosales had two hits. Brian Matusz (6-10) retired all six batters he faced, two on strikeouts, to earn the victory. Jim Johnson got the last out for his 43rd save. A’s starter Dan Straily (2-1) lasted 4 2-3 innings, giving up four runs and five hits. He walked five and struck out one.

Indians 7, Tigers 6 In Cleveland, Lonnie Chisenhall singled in the winning run with one out in the ninth inning to help Cleveland deal the Tigers a crucial loss Sunday.

The Tigers had manager Jim Leyland ejected and catcher Alex Avila hurt in a collision with Prince Fielder as they dropped two games behind in the AL Central. They go to Chicago to face the first-place White Sox late yesterday.

Jason Kipnis doubled off Jose Valverde (3-3) and scored the tying run on a one-out triple by Carlos Santana.

Valverde then intentionally walked both Michael Brantley and Ezequiel Carrera to face Chisenhall, who lined the first pitch to right-center. Esmil Rogers (2-1) pitched one inning for the win.

Miguel Cabrera, with visiting Detroit fans chanting “MVP! MVP!” hit a three-run homer in the seventh to put the Tigers ahead 6-5. Cabrera connected off Joe Smith (7-5) for a 402-foot drive.

Rangers 2, Mariners 1 In Arlington, Matt Harrison pitched into the ninth inning for his 17th victory and Texas added to its AL West lead for the first time in 10 days. Adrian Beltre hit his 33rd homer for the Rangers, and Michael Young had his second three-hit game in four days. Harrison (17-9) got within one out of his fourth complete game of the season, but came out after Jesus Montero’s two-out single put runners at first and third. Koji Uehara struck out Michael Saunders for his first save for the Rangers. Pitching on his 27th birthday, Harrison allowed a single to start the game. But he didn’t allow a runner past first base until Justin Smoak led off the eighth with his 16th homer.

The All-Star left-hander, the fourth AL pitcher to reach 17 wins, benefited from three double plays - two that he started.

The Rangers (87-59) have the best record in the American League, and now have a three-game division lead over Oakland. The Athletics lost for only the second time in 10 games Sunday, 9-5 at home against Baltimore.

Yankees 6, Rays 4 In New York, Russell Martin’s three-run homer highlighted an eventful early burst and the Yankees kept their AL East lead. The Yankees won the last two in the three-game series. They began the day with a one -game division lead over Baltimore, which later played at Oakland.

Minus ejected manager Joe Maddon, the Rays fell five games behind the Yankees and trail the Orioles and Los Angeles

Angels in the wild-card scramble.

Cleanup man Matt Joyce also was tossed as Tampa Bay finished 1-5 on its visit to Yankee Stadium and Camden Yards. Ben Zobrist homered and doubled for Tampa Bay. Hiroki Kuroda (14-10) struck out 10 in six innings and beat Tampa Bay for the second time this month. Rafael Soriano, the Yankees’ fifth pitcher, earned his 40th save in 43 chances.

Matt Moore (10-11) lost his fourth straight start. The rookie and Kuroda started out well in the last scheduled game between the teams, with the first nine outs overall on strikeouts. Each team finished with only five hits.

White Sox 9, Twins 2 In Minneapolis, Jake Peavy baffled Minnesota again, Dayan Viciedo and Adam Dunn homered, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Twins 9-2 on Sunday.

The White Sox scored six runs in the sixth inning to support Peavy (11-11) and stay ahead of Detroit in the AL Central.

The Tigers were playing Cleveland on Sunday and traveled to Chicago for a makeup game yesterday. It will be the final time the two teams meet this season. Joe Mauer homered in his return after missing five games with back spasms, but the Twins weren’t able to avoid the sweep and lost to Chicago for the 13th time in 16 games.

After Alexi Casilla’s double in the fifth made it 3-2, Dunn and Viciedo went deep off Scott Diamond (11-8) in the sixth to squash the Twins’ comeback attempt.

Angels 4, Royals 3 In Kansas City, Mark Trumbo hit a three-run homer and Dan Haren pitched effectively into the sixth inning. Trumbo, who had hit just .177 with 62 strikeouts in his previous 37 games to drop his average from .306 to .268, homered off Will Smith (5-8) in the second inning.

Haren (11-11) improved to 3-1 in his past four starts, holding the Royals to three runs, two earned, and five hits, while walking one and striking out five. He also moved to 4-0 in five career starts at Kansas City. Torii Hunter, who has 17 RBIs in his past 18 games, singled home Erick Aybar, who had doubled, in the first inning. After Haren departed, the Royals managed just one hit off Angels relievers Nick Maronde, Garrett Richards, Scott Downs, Jordan Walden and Kevin Jespen.

After closer Ernesto Frieri gave up two home runs in the ninth Saturday to blow a save and take the loss, Jespen was summoned in the ninth and picked up his second save in four chances. Jespen has held opponents to one earned run in 11 2-3 innings in his last 12 outings.

Blue Jays 5, Red Sox 0 In Toronto, Adeiny Hechavarria hit a two-run home run and Omar Vizquel had two hits. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when Yan Gomes grounded a two-out single up the middle against Jon Lester (9-12), just the second hit for the Blue Jays.

Rajai Davis came on as a pinch runner and stole second, then scored on Vizquel’s single to center. The base hit was Vizquel’s 2,872nd, moving him one behind Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth for 41st place on the career list.

Hechavarria hit Lester’s next pitch into the second deck in left, just his second career home run. Brandon Lyon (3-0) pitched 2-3 of an inning for the win.

Darren Oliver worked the eighth and Casey Janssen finished. — AP

D’backs 10, Giants 2 In Phoenix, Rookie Patrick Corbin pitched a career-long eight innings and drove in four runs with a triple and single. The RBIs and the extra-base hit were firsts for Corbin, who entered the game batting .071 (2 for 28). Justin Upton had a solo homer and two-run double as the Diamondbacks averted a three-game Giants sweep.

Corbin (6-7) tripled in three runs in Arizona’s 5run fourth inning. The young left-hander scattered eight hits, striking out five and walking one.

For the second straight start against Arizona, Ryan Vogelsong (12-9) lasted just 3 1-3 innings. He allowed seven runs, six earned, on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks, one intentional.

Cubs 13, Pirates 9 In Chicago, Anthony Rizzo hit two home runs and drove in six. Rizzo hit a two-run shot in a fourrun fifth inning, then capped a five-run sixth with his first career grand slam to seize the lead for Chicago. The six RBI are a career-high, and it was also the 23-year-old’s first multihomer game.

Pedro Alvarez hit two homers and drove in five for the Pirates, who lost for the 12th time in 15 games. Pittsburgh came into play Sunday two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild card. Rod Barajas went deep for Pittsburgh, and Joe Mather hit a solo shot for the Cubs. Staked to a 6-1 lead, the Pirates were unable to hold off the feisty Cubs, who have taken five of the last six against Pittsburgh.

Reds 5, Marlins 4 In Miami, Ryan Ludwick hit a go-ahead single in the 11th inning to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday.

Ludwick, Dioner Navarro, and Didi Gregorius each had three hits for the Reds, who tied a season high with 17 hits. Jonathan Broxton came on to pitch the bottom of the 11th for his second save with the Reds. Carlos Zambrano (7-10) was the Marlins’ ninth pitcher of the game when he came on to pitch the 11th. Zambrano issued a lead-off single to Chris Heisey and walked Joey Votto before Ludwick singled through the left side scoring Heisey for a 5-4 lead. Miami had an opportunity to score in the 10th when Giancarlo Stanton came to the plate with two runners on, but Logan Ondrusek (4-2) struck him out.

Astros 7, Phillies 6 In Houston, Justin Maxwell hit a two-run double and Matt Dominguez added a two-run single in Houston’s four-run seventh inning. Philadelphia lost three of four against Houston to fall 3 1/2 games behind St. Louis and Los Angeles in the National League wild card race. Carlos Corporan and Scott Moore homered for the Astros, who remained one loss away from reaching 100 for the second straight season. Wesley Wright (2-2) pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the win. Wilton Lopez got the last five outs for his sixth save. Jose Altuve reached on

Padres 12, Rockies 11 In San Diego, rookie Yonder Alonso singled in the winning run in the ninth to cap a wild offensive affair. Colorado scored six times in the eighth to tie the game on rookie Josh Rutledge’s grand slam.

In the ninth, Everth Cabrera reached on a oneout infield single against Matt Belisle (3-7). With two outs, Belisle balked Cabrera to second and then intentionally walked Chase Headley to bring up Alonso.

The left-hander lined a ball right at left fielder Andrew Brown, whose throw was slightly late to the plate as Cabrera slid in with the winning run.

Joe Thatcher (1-4), who came on to strike out final two batters with runners on first and second in the ninth, picked up the win. The clubs combined for 23 runs on 27 hits.

LOS ANGELES: St. Louis Cardinals’ Jon Jay hits an RBI double during the 12th inning of an baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.— AP an error by third baseman Michael Martinez to begin the seventh and Jimmy Paredes was walked

by Antonio Bastardo (2-5). Pinch hitter Brandon Laird walked off Phillippe Aumont to load the bases with one out.

Brewers 3, Mets 0 In Milwaukee, Ryan Braun hit two home runs and rookie pitcher Wily Peralta gave up two singles in eight innings. The reigning most valuable player now has 201 home runs in his career, as Milwaukee won for the 20th time in its last 26 games to remain 21/2 games out of the second wild-card spot. The left fielder leads the league with a career-high 40

Braves 5, Nationals 1 In Atlanta, Mike Minor threw six strong innings and Dan Uggla broke it open with a two-run single as Atlanta denied Gio Gonzalez his 20th win and completed a sweep of first-place Washington.

Minor (9-10) allowed five hits before turning it over to the bullpen. Cory Gearrin, Luis Avilan and Chad Durbin each worked a scoreless inning to close it out.

The Braves broke a scoreless tie in the third against Gonzalez (19-8) on Chipper Jones’ single.

Freddie Freeman added a sacrifice fly.

Washington closed to 2-1 on Ian Desmond’s RBI single in the sixth, but the Braves pulled away with a three-run seventh, taking advantage of an error by third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Michael Bourn scored on a groundout and Uggla came through with his two-out hit.

The Nationals’ lead in the NL East was reduced to 51/2 games after the lost weekend in Atlanta. The Braves maintained a seven-game lead over the second wild-card spot, held by St. Louis, and are eight games up on the next club in the race, the Los Angeles Dodgers. —AP

MLB results/standings NY Yankees 6, Tampa Bay 4; Toronto 5, Boston 0; Cincinnati 5, Miami 4 (11 Innings); Houston 7, Philadelphia 6; Milwaukee 3, NY Mets 0; LA Angels 4, Kansas City 3; Chicago White Sox 9, Minnesota 2; Chicago Cubs 13, Pittsburgh 9; Texas 2, Seattle 1; Cleveland 7, Detroit 6; San Diego 12, Colorado 11; Baltimore 9, Oakland 5; Arizona 10, San Francisco 2; St. Louis 5, LA Dodgers 2 (12 innings); Atlanta 5, Washington 1.

American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division Washington 89 57 .610 W L PCT GB 84 63 .571 5.5 Atlanta NY Yankees 83 63 .568 Philadelphia 73 74 .497 16.5 82 64 .562 1 Baltimore NY Mets 66 80 .452 23 Tampa Bay 78 68 .534 5 Miami 65 82 .442 24.5 Toronto 66 79 .455 16.5 Central Division Boston 66 81 .449 17.5 Cincinnati 88 59 .599 Central Division St. Louis 77 70 .524 11 Chicago White Sox 79 66 .545 Milwaukee 74 72 .507 13.5 77 68 .531 2 Detroit Pittsburgh 73 72 .503 14 Kansas City 66 80 .452 13.5 Chicago Cubs 58 88 .397 29.5 Cleveland 61 86 .415 19 Houston 48 99 .327 40 Minnesota 60 87 .408 20 Western Division Western Division San Francisco 83 63 .568 Texas 87 59 .596 LA Dodgers 76 71 .517 7.5 84 62 .575 3 Oakland Arizona 72 74 .493 11 LA Angels 80 67 .544 7.5 San Diego 71 76 .483 12.5 Seattle 70 77 .476 17.5 Colorado 58 87 .400 24.5

Rest of World XI subdue Mumbaikars XI KUWAIT: The game of field hockey is a game played by many all over the world. It’s one of the oldest sports in history and one of the most skillful team sport in the world. It is a sport which requires a person to have a lot of speed, endurance and strong athletic presence.

Kuwait Independence Hockey Club have been promoting field hockey in Kuwait since 1949 They organized a exhibition match for the clubs players on Sept 12, 2012 at KOC Hockey Ground Ahmadi.

The game was played between Mumbaikar ’s (Players from India’s metropolis Mumbai) V/s The Rest of World to bring people from different places together for friendship and harmony.

The Rest of World Team was captained by John Furtado and team members included Flo from New

The Mumbaikar team

Zealand, Sameer from Egypt, and Kani from Sri Lanka. Mumbaikars was captained by Sherwin D’souza and had a guest prolific player Sunil Putran come in from Oman to play for them.

Both teams started the match at a blistering pace and in a few minutes Walter Rodrigues scored the first goal for the Rest of the World by deflection of pass made by John Ferrao of a penalty corner.

Rest of World could not keep the lead for long Mumabikar rallied and within minutes scored the equalizer through veteran Trevor Fernandes and soon after Mumbaikar took the lead when Sam scored the second goal for them. The first half ended with Mumbaikar leading the game by 2-1.

In second half Mumbaikar could not sustain the fast paced attack and tempo of the Rest of World

Rest of World team

who quickly equalized through their center half Sameer, keeping the pace of the attack Rest of world took the lead with two more goals scored by the youngest player in the tournament Abel Jacob.

Mumbaikars tried to comeback in the game by playing some attacking Hockey but were not able to score goals due to brilliant defending from Nicolas Reveredo, Reggie and Flo in the end like a cheery on the cake fifth goal for was scored by Savio Mendonca for the Rest of World. The final Result ending with the Mumbaikars losing the match 5-2 to Rest of World In the end whatever the result, the Game of Hockey won as it helped in creating a strong bond between players of diverse cultures but one love “Hockey”

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

sp orts

Jiyai Shin clinches Women’s British Open

HAMBANTOTA: Zimbabwe’s Ray Price bowls during a practice session ahead of the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup. Zimbabwe will play against Sri Lanka in the opening match today. —AP

Sri Lanka out for fast start at World T20 HAMBANTOTA: Hosts Sri Lanka will hope to make a brisk start to the World Twenty20 today as they open the country’s biggest ever sports event with high hopes of claiming a second global title.

In Hambantota, the home town of President Mahinda Rajapakse, Sri Lanka should encounter few problems against minnows Zimbabwe as they raise the curtain on Twenty20 cricket’s three-week, 12nation, world championship.

Sri Lanka have yet to emulate their 50over World Cup victory in 1996, despite reaching the final in 2007 and again last year. They were World Twenty20 runnersup in 2009 and went out in the semi-finals in 2010.

The tropical “Teardrop Island”, torn by a 37-year ethnic conflict until hostilities were declared over in 2009, has never held a tournament on this scale, although it was a co-host of the 1996 and 2011 World Cups.

Despite a fast and furious format which makes predictions unwise, Mahela Jayawardene’s team start as slight tournament favourites because of home advantage and because they are known as a team for the big occasion.

“We are one of the favorites but we are part of the pack that, you know, if we get into a good momentum we could go all the way,” Jayawardene said.

“Sri Lanka is a cricket-crazy country and the expectations would be high. People would back us so we need to enjoy that,” he added. Along with newly crowned cricketer of the year Kumar Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan will do damage with the bat, while Sri Lanka can also call on talented all-rounders Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga and unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis complete a formidable line-up which will also be familiar with the varied conditions in the capital Colombo, steamy hill town Pallekele and coastal Hambantota. “Be ready for a stiff breeze in Hambantota, swing and seam in Pallekele and a good batting surface at the Premadasa (stadium) in Colombo,” batsman-wicketkeeper Sangakkara said.

“Each venue will have a different challenge and sides will have to adjust accordingly. It will make the tournament more exciting.”

In an open field, at least half of the

teams will consider themselves strong contenders to lift the trophy in Colombo on October 7 — and the others will be encouraged by the tournament’s reputation for surprises.

India, initially reluctant to embrace cricket’s newest format, won the inaugural event in South Africa in 2007 under rookie skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, after senior pros Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly opted out.

It was in the same tournament that Zimbabwe stunned Australia and Bangladesh upset the West Indies. India brushed aside England, South Africa, Australia and defeated Pakistan in successive games to grab the title.

Pakistan won the second edition in England in 2009, a tournament that made a stunning start when the Netherlands, a non Test-playing nation, upset the hosts by four wickets in front of a packed house at Lord’s. England won the 2010 event in the Caribbean against Australia, who had pulled off an amazing escape in their semifinal against Pakistan when Michael Hussey smashed 38 off 10 balls to win the match with one delivery to spare.

“It’s the sort of format where nothing can be taken for granted,” said India’s Dhoni. “We have seen one ball change the whole game.”

The 12 sides have been divided into four pools for the preliminary league, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super Eights round. If the seedings go to plan, fans can expect high-voltage action in the Super Eights, a week-long race to the one-off semis and final.

England, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are seeded to meet in group one of the Super Eights, with the top two teams making it to the semi-finals.

Group two is already being billed as the “Group of Death”, with arch-rivals India and Pakistan seeded to face Australia and South Africa, should all go through to the Super Eights.

England are out to prove they can defend the title without star batsman Kevin Pietersen, the man of the tournament in 2010 who has been axed from the national team on disciplinary grounds. The West Indies are also touted as potential champions, with explosive batsmen in Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Marlon Samuels, and a wily spinner in Sunil Narine.—AFP

HOYLAKE: Jiyai Shin avoided mistakes in miserable weather conditions Sunday to cruise to a record nine-stroke victory in the Women’s British Open.

In the 36-hole finish Sunday in the wind-delayed tournament, Shin took a three-shot lead into the final round after shooting a 1-under 71 in the morning. She stayed calm while strong wind and heavy showers sent scores soaring at Royal Liverpool in the afternoon, closing with a 73 to finish at 9-under 279.

“It was a long, very, very tough day out there,” Shin said. “But I kept my focus and concentrated on every shot, and when I made the winning putt, it was great.

The 24-year-old South Korean player won the major championship for the second time in five years and also won for the second time in seven days on the LPGA Tour. Last Monday morning in Virginia, she finished off Paula Creamer on the ninth hole of a playoff in the Kingsmill Championship.

“When I won at Sunningdale, it was a totally different kind of course, but I finally think I’ve got the right tempo with my swing for links golf,” Shin said.

The 10-time LPGA Tour winner entered the day with a five-stroke lead after shooting a 64 - the lowest competitive round ever at Hoylake on Saturday. She broke the record for margin of victory of five set by Karen Stupples in 2004 at Sunningdale.

“My goal was 1-under par every single day. So my goal was 4 under.

I think it was enough score,” Shin said. “So, I’m really surprised even from yesterday and then also today, I hit even par with 36 holes with this weather, so I’m really surprised and inspired by myself. Because really tough course here, so when I finished it today, I’m just like, ‘Wow, I can play good score any, any other course, I’m pretty sure of that.”

Shin completed an Asian sweep of the four majors. South Korea’s Sun Young Yoo won the Kraft Nabisco, China’s Shanshan Feng took the LPGA Championship, and South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi won the US Women’s Open. Asian players have won nine of the last 12 majors. Shin missed the LPGA Championship and US Women’s

Open after having surgery on her left wrist.

“I think so many Asia players are playing at the moment on the LPGA Tour, so it makes a lot of chance to win,” Shin said.

“Especially, I don’t know I don’t know how can I say, I didn’t play last two major tournaments, but I played in Nabisco and here. Well, I work so hard, I guess that’s why I get this trophy, but, I don’t know, I know all the other players doing their best and they work hard, too.

So it makes it just happen.” Shin is 2-for-2 working with new caddie Florian Rodriguez.

“I’m happy with my new work with my new caddie because he make me feel relaxed,” Shin said.

“Actually, he’s one year younger

HOYLAKE: Korea’s Jiyai Shin kisses the trophy after winning the Women’s British Open golf championships at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.—AP

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s batsman Kamran Akmal plays a shot during a warm-up match against India ahead of the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup. —AP

and 77. Australia’s Karrie Webb, a three-time winner in the event, pulled within three shots with a 68 in the morning, but finished with an 82 to tie for fifth with South Korea’s Se Yeon Ryu - 12 shots back.

Ryu shot 71-76.

Play was abandoned Friday because of high wind, forcing the 36-hole finale Sunday. Play was suspended for a few minutes during the fourth round as the rain and wind pelted the course, but organizers decided to play on.

“It was like we were standing under a shower,” Creamer said.

“That’s the best way I can describe it. It was hard, my goodness gracious. I’ve always said Solheim in Sweden was one of the toughest conditions I’ve ever played in. I think this tops that, for sure.”

Shin opened her final round with a triple bogey, but she came back with birdies at the sixth and seventh before dropping another stroke at the eighth. She picked up three more birdies on the way along with two bogeys, staying in control of her game while Webb faded.

Park struggled in the final round and reached the turn at 4 over, then dropped two more strokes on the back nine before making birdies on the 16th and 18th to take finish second.

Creamer and American teenager Lexi Thompson were the only two players to shoot par in the afternoon, although Thompson was already out of contention and finished in a tie for 17th. She shot 7672. Lydia Ko, the 15-year-old amateur coming off a victory three weeks ago in the Canadian Women’s Open, also tied for 17th at 9 over - shooting 76-78.

“I got leading amateur and that’s what I wanted after yesterday,” Ko said. “I guess I have to be happy about that, and this is my first experience at the British Open and I did much better than the U.S. Open. So, I can’t say it was a bad day. I had lots of fun playing.”

The South Korean-born New Zealander, the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history, won the New South Wales Open in Australia in January and took the U.S. Women’s Amateur last month. Yani Tseng, the 2010 and 2011 winner, shot 76-79 to tie for 26th at 11 over.—AP

Wood lifts Hawaii Championship KAPOLEI: Willie Wood took advantage of Bill Glasson’s back-nine collapse to win the inaugural Hawaii Championship on Sunday for his second Champions Tour victory in the last three events.

The 51-year-old Wood birdied the last two holes for a 6-under 66 and won by a stroke when Glasson bogeyed the final hole. Wood played 54 holes without a bogey, finishing at 14-under 202 at Kapolei Golf Course.

“I had a great back nine,” Wood said. “I just hung in there and the putts kept continuing to fall, and I got a little bit lucky with the way Bill finished. ... I knew Bill would have to help us out some.”

Five strokes behind Glasson entering the round, Wood chipped to 5 feet to set up his birdie on the par-5 17th and holed a 20-footer for birdie on the par-4 18th. “I know how Bill feels,” Wood said “We all go through that.”

Wood also rallied to win the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open last month in New York, making a

long birdie putt on the final hole of regulation and beating Michael Allen with a par on the first hole of a playoff. That was his first victory since he won the 1996 Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic for his lone PGA Tour title. “This week feels a little different than the one in New York because I’d won and there wasn’t nearly the pressure. I felt much more comfortable and it just fell into place.”

Glasson, winless in 47 starts on the 50-andover tour, shot a 72. He began the round with a four-stroke lead and increased his advantage to five, but gave it away on the back nine. The seven-time PGA Tour winner had five bogeys and three birdies on the final eight holes.

“The last six or seven holes were a roller coaster,” Glasson said. “It got a little but iffy between clubs out there, but you have to give Woody credit.”

Needing a birdie to win or a par to force a playoff, Glasson hit a sand wedge approach on the 18th that skidded down a bank between

the green and a pond. He chipped to 10 feet and missed the putt.

“I hit that putt at 18 too hard. Couldn’t get the speed right,” Glasson said. “I need to work on some things. If I start missing greens, my short game isn’t good enough.”

Australia’s Peter Senior birdied the final four holes for a 69 to finish third at 12 under.

Charles Schwab Cup points leader Tom Lehman and David Frost tied for fourth at 11 under. Lehman closed with a 67, and Frost shot a 69.

Tied with Allen, Fred Couples and Roger Chapman for the tour victory lead, Wood earned $270,000 to jump from 22nd to 14th on the money list with $854,817 in 10 events. The top 30 will qualify for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“I wish we had a tournament next week,” Wood said. “I’m confident now. It’s been so much fun playing well.”-AP

Sun defeat Storm SEATTLE: Renee Montgomery made two free throws with 14.4 seconds left to help the Connecticut Sun beat the shorthanded Seattle Storm 60-58 on Sunday night. Montgomery drew a foul against Camille Little to set up the free throws that made it 59-58. Connecticut improved to 23-9 and moved two games ahead of Indiana atop the Eastern Conference.

Kara Lawson led the Sun with 13 points, Tina Charles added 12, and Mistie Mims had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Shekinna Stricklen scored 12 points to lead Seattle (13-18), but the rookie missed two shots in the final seconds.

The Storm have lost four straight.

Tina Thompson and Katie Smith hit consecutive 3-pointers to give the Storm a 56-54 lead with 2:21 remaining, and Smith added a 13-foot jumper to make it 58-54 with 1:22 left. Lawson hit a 3 to cut the lead to 58-57 with 51.5 seconds left.

The Storm played without regular starters Sue Bird (strained right hip flexor) and Lauren Jackson (strained hamstring). Seattle, fourth in the Western Conference, has clinched its ninth consecutive playoff berth.

Pakistan beats India by 5 wickets in warm-up match COLOMBO: Kamran Akmal hit six sixes and five fours in an entertaining knock of 92 not out as he guided Pakistan to a five-wicket win over India in a World Twenty20 warm-up match yesterday.

Akmal’s 50-ball innings included an unbroken partnership of 95 runs with Shoaib Malik that salvaged Pakistan from 91-5 in 11 overs and helped the team pass a formidable 185-3 made by India in their 20 overs.

Offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin threatened to steal the game for India with four wickets but Akmal and Malik handled the pressure well to recover, making 37 not out.

India’s in-form batsman Virat Kohli topscored with an unbeaten 75 and Rohit Sharma assisted him with 56 as the pair added 127 runs for the third wicket after their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

Kohli faced 47 balls and hit seven boundaries and two sixes while Sharma’s runs came off 40 balls including six boundaries and two sixes. Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal returned best figures of 2-22 in his four overs.

Pakistan started their chase well but lost three wickets in seven runs to be precariously placed on 91-5, needing to score nearly nine runs per over before Akmal and Malik combined. Ashwin returned 4-23 in his four wickets.—AP

than me, but he like tried to be relaxed on the golf course and I really appreciate my caddie.” South Korea’s Inbee Park was second, shooting 72-76. Creamer shot 7272 to finish third at 1 over.

“I feel very close,” said Creamer, winless since 2010. “I hit the ball great. I cannot take away from my ball striking. That was definitely not the issue. It was my putting for sure. And a little bit speed related in some aspects, I’m going to take a couple weeks off and tr y and refresh. But I have to continue moving forward with everything that I’m doing because like I said, I feel really good about where I’m at. It’s just a couple things here and there.”

Japan’s Mika Miyazato was fourth at 2 over after rounds of 72

Renee Montgomery

Shock 80, Silver Stars 70 At San Antonio, Temeka Johnson scored 18 points to lead Tulsa past playoff-bound San Antonio. Ivory Latta added 15 points and Roneeka Hodges 11 for Tulsa (8-23), which won its second

straight after a four-game skid.

Sophia Young scored 15 points and Danielle Adams 12 to lead San Antonio (19-12), which has lost seven of 10 since a 12-game winning streak. Becky Hammon and Jia Perkins both scored 10 points.

Liberty 75 Mystics 68 At Washington, Cappie Pondexter had 30 points and 11 rebounds as New York rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Washington.

Nicole Powell scored 10 of her 18 points in the fourth and Essence Carson added 15 points as New York (14-17) won its third straight. The Liberty remained a game ahead of Chicago for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Jasmine Thomas scored 16 points to lead Washington (5-27). The Mystics have lost 11 straight.

Sky 86, Mercury 55 At Phoenix, Shay Murphy scored 20 of her career-high 22 points in the first half and Chicago beat short-handed Phoenix.

Epiphanny Prince added 15 points and four assists for Chicago. The Sky have won four of their last six games to improve to 13-18. It was the largest margin of victory in Sky franchise history, surpassing a 27-point win over San Antonio on July 14, 2010. Charde Houston had 15 points, four rebounds and three assists for Phoenix (7-24).—AP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

S P ORT S

London’s Olympic Stadium set for a future in soccer

Sheikh Athbi Nayef Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah

KQMC ready for Kuwait Rally 2013 KUWAIT: Kuwait Quarter Mile Club (KQMC) announced its readiness for Kuwait Rally 2013 that is due to kick off on October 26, 2012 and last till March 23, 2013.

In this regard, KQMC’s Rally Committee chairman, Sheikh Athbi Nayef Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah said that the rally would include six rounds, which gives a competitor who fails to make up in the next rounds. “This will enhance competitiveness amongst the contesters”, he stressed.

Further, Al-Nayef said that a special committee had been formed in collaboration with Kuwait International Automobile Club (KT) to set a mechanism for applying

rally rules and regulations that are approved by the game’s international federation (FIA). He added that the aim of applying FIA regulations was to prepare Kuwait rally drivers for international competitions.

Al-Nayef also stressed that, thanks to the success of the previous season achieved both locally and internationally, this year’s championship would witness the participation of more GCC and Arab drivers.

Al-Nayef thanked the officials at the Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS) for their support to Kuwaiti youth and KQMC’s local and international activities. — KUNA

John Isner of US

US ditches ‘road warrior’ tag after Davis Cup loss GIJON: The United States has reached the end of the road in its Davis Cup run. The Americans couldn’t overcome Spain’s superiority on clay, falling when David Ferrer beat John Isner 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 Sunday to secure the defending champions an insurmountable 3-1 lead in their semifinal.

The US is now quite happy to ditch its road warrior tag following the loss. The Americans’ strong 2012 run included away victories over both Roger Federer-led Switzerland and France on clay. But even those impressive victories couldn’t propel it past the world’s top clay-court nation, with Ferrer remaining unbeaten on the surface for his 16th victory.

Three straight road series took a toll on a US team missing the retired Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish because of health issues, but captain Jim Courier expects his young team to remain positive heading into 2013. He was also hoping Wednesday’s draw would be a little more helpful, too.

“There is a lot for this team to be proud of and what we have achieved this year - the way we have approached it, attacked it and the draw, the obstacles we have had,” Courier said Sunday. “We have been given the most difficult draw that you can have in this era to play the teams we have on the road. We had some great wins and we had some competitive losses.”

Wednesday’s draw for next season’s World Group play will determine the 32-time champions’ first opponent, with the Americans having about a 50-percent chance of hosting to open.

“We’ll be ready for whatever happens, (but) it would be really

nice to have a home tie, we didn’t have one this year,” Courier said.

“The schedule is terrible for the players after the Australian Open.”

Isner had been 4-0 on clay this season, including singles wins over Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but the 10th-ranked American couldn’t maintain his strong start on Sunday. Isner was undone by 74 unforced errors and his own frustrations as the match against the fifth-ranked Ferrer slipped away.

“It is disappointing; the Spanish team in my opinion is just too good. They won the important points and it is a bit discouraging for me,” said Isner, who lost in five sets to Nicolas Almagro on Friday.

The victory over Federer in Fribourg was probably the season’s highlight. “You live and you learn,” Isner said after failing to keep the tie alive following the Bryan brothers’ doubles victory on Saturday.

Courier’s second season ended the same as his first - with a loss to Spain, which goes on to play the Czech Republic in November’s final.

He’s had to juggle his singles lineup around Isner due to Fish’s absence. Ryan Harrison played against France and Sam Querrey played Spain, with the pair going 03. Still, Courier is certain the experience of this season will bear fruit.

“We take some solace in (how close we were), but a win is a win and a loss is a loss. There is some silver lining in what this team has achieved this season,” Courier said.

“The Spaniards knew how to win key points in the matches they won. “They have individual players, great depth and great passion for Davis Cup. It’s not rocket science, if you have great ingredients and you have to blend them together and they do a great job.”— AP

LONDON: London’s Olympic Stadium looks set to become home to Premier League soccer club West Ham United, ensuring the venue retains a prominent role in British sport once the memories of a golden Games begin to fade.

Mayor Boris Johnson last week took charge of the body that will decide in the coming weeks on the future of the 430-million-pound ($693 million) stadium. Having staged an acclaimed Games, London is desperate to find a tenant with the commercial clout to support efforts to revive a once rundown part of the capital.

Newly restored to the English Premier League, West Ham are the best known of four bidders competing to move into a stadium built for the Games, and appear to have the strongest business credentials. A deal for the club to take over the stadium following the Games collapsed after a legal challenge last year. Under the new plan, the freehold of the stadium would remain in public ownership and the new tenant would take a long-term lease.

Bidders also include third tier English soccer club Leyton Orient, who are open to sharing with West Ham. The others are a group who want to stage a Formula One motor racing grand prix and a college offering degrees in soccer business.

“What you need in order to make a stadium work are recurring quality events which attract large

China eases pressure on future sports stars BEIJING: China’s status as a sporting superpower was achieved on the back of punishing state-led training in schools, but a softer approach has enabled today’s students to seek a life beyond the gym, they say.

China’s Soviet-style sports system has been criticised in the past for its methods in grooming children for sporting success from an early age at the expense of basic education and the conventional comforts of childhood-simply because they have been identified as having future potential.

But sporting authorities in China have embarked on a period of soul-searching in recent years, which has led to a more relaxed training environment for the country’s next generation of sports stars.

Eight-year-old Yu Zhengyang is one of thousands of youngsters in China who is motivated by his own sporting dreams rather than the demands of the state.

He said the decision to leave his family home in northern China to devote five hours a day to table tennis training at a school hundreds of miles away was an easy one.

“I want to go to the Olympics. I can play table tennis well so this is my dream. I can win the gold medal,” Yu, now ten years old and two years into his training at Shichahai Sports School in Beijing, told AFP. “I believe in myself that I can play well. I came here to practise more,” adds the recently crowned champion of a major under-12s tournament in China, with one eye on the 2020 Olympics.

Yu’s first year at Shichahai was spent in a school dormitory. But he left the school grounds when his mother and father arrived in Beijing from Shaanxi last year. “I like it more now, living with my parents,” he said. “And at the weekends when I have finished my homework, I have time to relax and watch television.”

China began to reassess its high-pressure training system after its rise to sporting superpower status was enshrined by the 51 golds it won at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Questions were asked over the true cost of this success, accompanied by widely circulated photos of small children crying in anguish during intense training sessions conducted with little time for rest or socialising. Revelations this year that Olympic champion diver Wu Minxia was not told about her grandparents’ deaths, or her mother’s cancer, for fear of disrupting her training, prompted more concern over China’s state sports system.

Questions were raised over the system after China’s tennis chief recently blamed Li Na’s failure to build on her stunning 2011 French Open victory on a lack of mental strength following her rigid state-organised training.

Sun Jinfang said the world number eight, who crashed out of the US Open following a poor run of form, was particularly vulnerable when under pressure on court, blaming this on the fact she had focused purely on sport from an early age.

Fears that China’s athletes are being worked too hard were also raised-often on China’s Twitter-style messaging sites-when star athlete Liu Xiang limped out of the 110m hurdles for the second consecutive Games in London.

Coaches and sports officials in China say they are now focusing on honing existing ambition and talent, rather than subjecting the country’s youngsters to intense training regimes designed to secure victory at all costs. “Students here don’t have to do the tough training that we focused on before,” Shi Fenghua, viceprincipal of Shichahai, which has produced ten Olympic Champions, including three from the London Games, told AFP. “What we focus on now is the training quality. We attach great importance to research we have done on this. “We get coaches involved in scientific research groups which train them to improve a students’ performance in less time than before. The general training quality is also improved.”

Central to this new style of coaching is giving students time to relax and not pressuring them to win competitions, eight-year-old Yu’s coach, Gu Yunfeng, said. “Pressure is something that you give yourself as an athlete if you want to achieve your goals. It is not something that anyone else gives you,” he told AFP. After China’s gold medal tally dropped to 38 at the London Olympics, chef de mission Liu Peng called the results “satisfactory”-and praised China’s non-medalwinning athletes for showing the Olympic values of fair play and sporting behavior.

China notably lost ground in gymnastics in London, where they fell from seven gold medals in 2008 to just three. But Shichahai gymnastics coach Jiao Gengbo said the key to developing sporting talent is to give children time away from the sports halls. “I think it’s really just about being rational. To train excessively is not the right way,” he told AFP. “We need to spend equal time on studying, relaxing, and training.”— AFP

crowds,” said Richard Cheesman, Director Business Development and Funding at industry experts International Stadia Group.

Cheesman said the US city of Atlanta, widely criticised for a poorly organised Games in 1996, was one of the few cities to have put an Olympic stadium to good use. Reconfigured and renamed Turner Field, it has been home to Major League Baseball team Atlanta Braves for 15 years.

“They looked at it in Atlanta and decided it was baseball that was going to fill the stadium. In London it’s Premier League football and concerts,” added Cheesman.

Billions of pounds have been spent transforming Stratford, the former industrial area where the Olympic Park is located.

One of the poorest parts of London, the area is now home to Europe’s largest urban shopping mall, built by Australian property developer Westfield.

The apartments which this summer housed the world’s top athletes are now being converted into 2,800 homes to be leased next year by developers.

Premier League soccer would ensure the area retained a high profile.

“West Ham seems logical,” said a real estate source close to the Olympic Park. “It was the preferred bidder and has a comprehensive plan in place ready to go.”

“You need that level of throughput and invest-

ment in the stadium that a top football team will provide. It needs to create revenue and not sit empty for 340 days a year,” he added. West Ham have played at Upton Park, close to the Olympic Stadium, since 1904 and not all of their fans want to move.

Their ground holds around 35,000 and is one of the most atmospheric in the Premier League.

However, the club is ambitious to move to a new home that would have a higher capacity and better facilities for both regular supporters and money-spinning corporate guests.

Eighty thousand fans packed the stadium during the Olympics but the capacity is expected to fall to around 60,000 once it is converted for regular use.

The running track will remain at the stadium which will host the World Athletics Championships in 2017.

West Ham are believed to be exploring the possibility of installing retractable seats that would go over the track and allow fans to remain close to the action.

Michael Payne, former marketing chief of the International Olympic Committee, said the opening and closing ceremonies showed the venue worked for entertainment as well as sports.

Payne also noted how well connected the site was to central London via series of rail routes. “I was astonished at how easy it was in terms of transportation access,” he said. “Rule number one for a venue is ease of access. Clearly the Games proved it.”— Reuters

Del Piero aims to awaken passion SYDNEY: Alessandro Del Piero aims to stir a latent passion for soccer among the Australian people in his two years playing at Sydney FC, the Italy and Juventus great said yesterday.

The 37-year-old striker, who will be paid A$2 million ($2.11 million) a year, also welcomed the huge weight of expectation on him to make a big impression in a country where soccer trails Australian rules football and the rugby codes in popularity.

“I know it is a young league but I know a lot of Italian, English, Greek and people from the former Yugoslavia emigrated to Australia,” Del Piero, who arrived in Australia on Sunday, told his first news conference. “Everyone here has soccer in their blood and we hope to awaken that and get them as passionate about football as they are about other sports.”

Del Piero, who was released by Juventus in May after 19 seasons with the Turin club, said the decision to turn down offers from clubs in Europe and other parts of the world to come to Australia’s A-League had been relatively simple.

“Most of my friends said, ‘okay, you want to move but there are a lot of places closer,’” he said. “But I chose the best place for me. It was easy because of the project, it was very interesting for me.

“Sometimes I decide with my feelings but this decision was not just with my feelings but with my head.”Persuading his family was another matter and Del Piero said he had used Australia’s distinctive fauna

to sell the move to his son. “Tobias is four-years-old and doesn’t understand much so I told him we were going to a place like a zoo where we could see kangaroos,” he joked.

Del Piero said he had not seen much of the ALeague but was not daunted by the prospect of playing in intense heat. “In Italy, we sometimes play in minus five, minus 10 degrees (Celsius), I know that doesn’t happen, which is good for me,” he said, with another laugh.

The 91-cap international also deployed humour when discussing the controversial penalty awarded for a challenge on Fabio Grasso which gave 10-man Italy victory over Australia in the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup. “I talk to Fabio many times and he said he was really tired as it was the end of the extra time and that, or the wind, is probably why he went down,” said Del Piero, who was a member of the team that went on to lift the World Cup. “Joking aside, sometimes everything works for you and that’s what happened in 2006. It was perfect for us.”Sydney FC were fifth in the A-League last season and knocked out of the post-season playoffs in the first round but will be expected to challenge for a third title this year with Del Piero on board. “I know there’s a lot of expectation and I love that,” Del Piero said. “I played 19 years in Juve and in Juve you have to win every game, every year, and fortunately a lot of the time that happened.—Reuters

Southampton’s Maya Yoshida reacts after Arsenal scores in this file photo

Saints struggling in English top flight LONDON: As if further proof were needed after a 6-1 thumping by Arsenal, Southampton defender Danny Fox summed up the newly promoted side’s woes perfectly as they still seek a solitary point back in the top flight when he said: “We need to show more character and believe that we can play at this level”. Four league games into the new season and Southampton are rooted at the bottom of the Premier League with no points and a goal difference of minus nine.

All the positive talk in the world will count for nothing unless the south coast side can get some points on the board, and soon, as last season’s high-fliers struggle to adapt to life at the top.

“I think we needed to show a bit more steel and a bit more character after going three goals down and especially at a place like the Emirates because it’s always going to be tough,” Fox told Southampton’s TV station Saints Player.

“You can go on about getting punished and seeing games out, but we should have held on against Manchester United the other week when we were 2-1 up, no matter who was on the pitch.”

On Saturday, Southampton were 4-0 down inside 40 minutes at Arsenal, and Fox, perhaps unnecessarily, spelled out the dilemma. “We were playing against top players and we keep saying you’ll get punished against top teams because they only need one chance,” he said.

When the Premier League fixtures were announced, Southampton knew they faced a steep learning curve with matches against Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal comprising three of their first four. The fact they led both City and United 2-1 before ultimately losing both 3-2, and were beaten by Wigan in the one game they may have realistically hoped to win, can have done

little for the side’s confidence. Saints manager Nigel Adkins knows he must now lift his team for next weekend’s match against Aston Villa.

“Everyone knew that the first four fixtures were going to be challenging, but we want to win games of football,” Adkins said. “I’m a very positive person, so we’ll analyse this then draw a line underneath it having learned as much as we can.

“We’ll have a good week’s training and get everyone together there are no hiding places so we’ll stand up and be counted. “St Mary’s will be bouncing next week because it’s a game we’ve obviously got to go and win. We believe that we’re doing a lot of the right things, but it’s about picking points up... so next week is a big three points that we’ve got to go and get.”

As Adkins is learning the hard way, positivity and belief only go so far in the ruthless world of top-flight soccer. Next week’s match against a midtable Villa will reveal more about Southampton than any managerial rhetoric.

At the other end of the table, however, Arsenal’s free-wheeling win tucked them in to third place, on eight points, one behind Manchester United and two behind leaders Chelsea.

The top four already has a familiar feel to it with champions Manchester City trailing Arsenal on goal difference. The bottom three are also no great surprise with another promoted side Reading second-bottom with one point and Queen’s Park Rangers in 18th with two. One unfamiliar sight at the bottom end of the table remains Liverpool, however. The once-mighty Reds have just two points from their opening four matches and lie 17th. Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland condemned them to their worst league start for 101 years. — Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

S P ORT S

City upstarts looking to upset Real aristocrats

GERMANY: Amsterdam’s head coach Frank de Boer (right) plays the ball during the final training session prior to the Champions League opening soccer match between German champions Borussia Dortmund and the Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam. — AP

Dortmund set to make Champions League mark BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund will be out to prove they are a force to be reckoned with in Europe when they kick off their Champions League campaign against Ajax Amsterdam today.

The German champions consolidated their position as the top team in the Bundesliga with a second successive league title in May but Juergen Klopp’s young Borussia have yet to leave their mark in the top European competition after finishing bottom of their group last season. With their group this season also including Real Madrid and Manchester City, the Germans, 1997 Champions League winners, have their work cut out.

Dortmund could not have wished for a more successful dress rehearsal on Saturday when they eased past Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 with yet another dominant home display after going undefeated in the league at their Westfalen stadium for 12 months.

“Obviously it feels good ahead of Ajax to win like that, better than if we had lost 3-0,” said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp, who was awarded the coach of the year prize on Saturday.

“We will take all our positive points into this game but the Champions League is a completely different competition. We now have set the standard for our games, playing the football that we need to be playing. Now we have to show we can do it every three days.”

Saturday’s win also extended their unbeaten Bundesliga run to 31 straight games, approaching Hamburg SV ’s record of 36 consecutive matches set in 1982/83. Klopp can draw from a squad of

fit players for the Group D game after forward Marco Reus’s injury while on international duty last week turned out to be minor. He could still, however, opt to leave the 17-million-euro signing on the bench at the start to give him some more rest, as he did against Leverkusen. “There are a lot of busy weeks until Christmas and there is no doubt I will need every single player,” said Klopp.

Defender Marcel Schmelzer also looked sharper after his weak performances for Germany in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers this month.

Ajax coach Frank de Boer is eager to instil some self-belief after the 1995 Champions League winners missed out on the knockout phase on the final match day last season because of Olympique Lyon’s remarkable 7-1 win at Dynamo Zagreb.

In the Europa League, Manchester United then proved too strong despite a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.

“Last season we could have eliminated Manchester United only the belief came afterwards and that made me angry,” De Boer told reporters. “ That mind-set has to change and if we are in shape we can beat Dortmund and also Manchester City.”

Without striker Kolbeinn Sightorsson, who is out for months after shoulder surgery, De Boer is considering who will be his central striker as he has no real back up for the Icelander.

Midfielder Siem de Jong is expected to start as striker which will give the Dutch champions a completely Danish midfield. — Reuters

MADRID: Upstart nouveau riche Manchester City will attempt to rattle aristocratic ninetimes winners Real Madrid when they play their Champions League Group D opener at Real’s Bernabeu stadium today.

Bankrolled by Abu Dhabi owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, City have splashed more cash on players than even bigspending Real over the past four seasons and made their debut in Europe’s elite club competition last term.

The Premier League champions forked out 442 million euros ($581.12 million) to snare the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Mario Balotelli, the most of any European club, according to the latest Prime Time Spor t Transfer Review published this month.

Real, chasing a 10th continental crown, were the second-highest spenders, splurging 428 million on players including Cristiano Ronaldoa transfer record at 94 million — Kaka, Karim Benzema and, most recently, Luka Modric.

Real’s bitter Spanish rivals Barcelona came in a distant third with an outlay of 278 million euros. “It’s clear that we don’t have the history like Real Madrid but I think that Manchester City have won some trophies and we want to win now-and for the next 10 years,” City manager Roberto Mancini was quoted as saying by Sky Sports on Sunday.

“Manchester City will be a top team like Real but they have a big history and that’s the difference,” added the Italian.

City and Real have been drawn in what looks to be the toughest group in this season’s edition with Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, the German and Dutch champions respectively and both former winners.

The current champions of England and Spain are meeting for the first time and Real made it to the last four last term, while City failed to progress beyond the group stage. The match at the Bernabeu pits Mancini against the man who replaced him at Inter Milan, Real coach Jose Mourinho.

The pair have locked horns before when

MADRID: Real Madrid’s coach Jose Mourinho from Portugal walks during a training session at the Valdebebas stadium on the eve of a Champions League Group D soccer match against Manchester City. — AP Mourinho’s Porto side beat Mancini’s Lazio outfit 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the 2002-03 UEFA Cup. Real come into the match after some poor displays in La Liga and they have taken only four points from their opening four games to slip eight points behind Barca.

Mourinho was highly critical of his players after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Sevilla, saying that some had lacked commitment and focus and they had deserved to lose.

City, fourth in the Premier League following Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Stoke City, are excited about their latest foray into Europe according to football development executive Patrick Vieira.

“ The club is work ing hard to compete against the best in Europe,” the former France and Arsenal midfielder told UEFA’s website (www.uefa.com) this week. “It was exciting last year and when you have a good taste of something you want to go back again.”

Probable teams: Real: 1-Iker Casillas; 17-Alvaro Arbeloa, 4Sergio Ramos, 3-Pepe, 5-Fabio Coentrao; 14Xabi Alonso, 6-Sami Khedira; 22-Angel Di Maria, 10-Mesut Ozil, 7-Cristiano Ronaldo; 20-Gonzalo Higuain City: 1-Joe Hart; 3-Maicon, 4-Vincent Kompany, 6-Joleon Lescott, 22-Gael Clichy; 7James Milner, 21-David Silva, 42-Yaya Toure, 8Samir Nasri; 32-Carlos Tevez, 45-Mario Balotelli.—Reuters

Arsenal take aim at Montpellier MONTPELLIER: After a frustrating start to the season, Arsenal appear to have hit form just in time for today’s trip to competition debutants Montpellier in their opening Champions League fixture.

Held 0-0 by first Sunderland and then Stoke City in the Premier League, Arsenal kick-started their campaign with a 2-0 win at Liverpool on September 2 before routing promoted Southampton 6-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Having endured a turbulent summer that saw captain Robin van Persie and Alex Song leave the club, Arsene Wenger has been thrilled to see his side find their feet ahead of a testing run of fixtures in the weeks ahead.

“We have a big week coming up because we go today to Montpellier,” said the Arsenal coach, who is bidding to lead his side into the knockout rounds for the 13th consecutive season. “On Sunday we play at Man City (in the Premier League) and we have two interesting weeks coming up because we play Chelsea as well. “We will know more about our team then but there is a positive energy in this team, a desire to play well together, and real team play.

It is very exciting.”

Wenger will watch today’s game at Stade de

la Mosson from the stands, as he serves the first match of a three-game ban for confronting the referee following last season’s Champions League elimination by AC Milan.

His absence from the dug-out for the Group B fixture is likely to provide only scant comfort for his opposite number, Rene Girard, however.

Today’s match will represent Montpellier’s first ever appearance in Europe’s top club competition but the French champions have had a terrible start to their domestic season, losing three and drawing one of their first five games.

The Mediterranean club have shipped eight goals already, despite having boasted the meanest defence in Ligue 1 last season, and Girard accused his players of defending “like juniors” in Friday night’s 3-1 defeat at promoted Reims.

“We need to wake up quickly,” said Girard.

“Because if we don’t, we’re going to fall from a great height today.” Olivier Giroud makes his return to the club he left in the summer to join Arsenal, and Girard can only hope that the France international striker continues to fire blanks. Giroud’s 21 goals last season spearheaded Montpellier’s unlikely title success but he is still waiting to get off the mark for Arsenal after four matches without finding the net.

“I want to score in every match, but if I score against Montpellier I will keep the celebration small,” the 25-year-old striker told the Arsenal website, www.arsenal.com. “That is normal for anybody, for the club and Montpellier fans. It will be out of respect to my old club.”

Giroud’s place in the Arsenal starting XI is not secure, as he was left on the bench against Southampton and saw his replacement, former Lille forward Gervinho, run in two goals in a man-of-the-match performance.

Arsenal remain without long-term injury victims Bacary Sagna, Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky, who are all expected to return next month, but Wenger says Abou Diaby will make the trip to France after missing the Southampton game with a hip injury.

Nigerian forward John Utaka is out for Montpellier after a thigh injury forced him off in the 26th minute at Reims, but Tunisian holding midfielder Jamel Saihi is expected to start despite missing that match due to illness.

Arsenal are unbeaten in eight away games against French teams in UEFA competitions. An injury-time goal from Aaron Ramsey saw them win 1-0 at Marseille in the group phase last season, before they fell 4-3 on aggregate to Milan in the last 16. — AFP

PSG start bid for European glory

MILAN: Anderlecht players run during a training session ahead of today’s Champions League, Group C soccer match against AC Milan at the San Siro stadium.—AP

Anderlecht have golden chance to break Italy duck MILAN: Anderlecht, returning to the Champions League group stage after a sixyear absence, have never won in Italy but could end that run when they visit a Milan side in disarray today.

The Belgian champions, once a major force in European football, have managed five draws and nine defeats in 14 trips to Italy dating back to 1964, and are unlikely to have a better chance to break their duck than when they face Massimiliano Allegri’s beleaguered side.

Having overseen a mass exodus of top players during the summer, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Antonio Cassano and Thiago Silva, Milan have lost their first two Serie A home matches without scoring against unfancied Sampdoria and Atalanta.

Italian media said it was the first time since 1930 that the seven-times European champions have started with two successive home defeats and their recent Champions League record does not inspire confidence either.

Despite reaching the last 16 two seasons ago and the quarter-finals last term, Milan have won only five matches in 24 outings over the last three seasons.

“At the moment we’re doing good things for certain stretches of the games but then we look as if we’re nervous to go and score,” said coach Massimiliano Allegri after Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Atalanta.

“Today the team will definitely do better. I didn’t even imagine that we could

have lost two home games and this really hurts. “We have to be more careful at both ends of the pitch but the team has all the right ingredients to get better. “Of course, I’ve thought about changing the formation but the most important thing is to be convinced about your own abilities because during the match we do some great things but then when we drop the levels a bit, at the moment we really pay for it.”

Twice European Cup semi-finalists, fourtimes quarter-finalists, twice Cup Winners Cup champions and UEFA Cup winners once, Anderlecht used to be a major power in European football.

But, like many big clubs from smaller countries, they have been unable to match the financial clout of their counterparts from the five big leagues and have almost became a feeder club for Spain, England, Italy, France and Germany.

One of the most impressive exports was Romelu Lukaku, who finished as top scorer in the Belgian championship at the age of 16, yet barely got a game for Chelsea after moving there last season.

The 31-times Belgian champions last competed in the Champions League in 2006-07 and have not progressed to the knockout stage since 2000-01.

Having seen off Lithuania’s Ekranas 11-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round, they needed two late goals to dispose of Cypriot champions AEL Limassol in the playoff stage. —Reuters

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s bid to become a European power gets under way with a Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev today, with coach Carlo Ancelotti confident his expensively assembled team has turned the corner after a slow start to the season.

After beginning the season with three straight draws, Paris Saint-Germain has won its last two. “We’re getting better and I think we’re ready for the Champions League now,” PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “The team is beginning to take shape.”

With nearly euro160 million spent on new players this season, including star signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG will be expected to win a Group A that features Porto and Dinamo Zagreb.

The Croatian side hosts Porto today.

Brazil defender Thiago Silva, who joined PSG from AC Milan along with Ibrahimovic, is expected to make his long-awaited debut at center back. Ibrahimovic scored in Friday night’s 2-0 win against Toulouse, his fifth league goal of the season proving that he has settled in quickly.

More importantly for Ancelotti, the defense is getting stronger.

“In four matches, we have conceded only one goal, and that was from a set piece situation,” Ancelotti said. Thiago Silva will probably play alongside Mamadou Sakho on Tuesday, with Alex dropping to the bench. Much is expected of PSG this season, which is in third place in the league, but Ibrahimovic thinks the club must take a firmer grip at home before it can think about taking on the best in Europe. PSG is already six points behind French leader Marseille, which has won all five of its matches despite selling key players, rather than recruiting superstars. “When you dominate in your own country, then you can think about exporting that to Europe,” Ibrahimovic said Monday in an interview with sports daily L’Equipe.

With so much money spent, PSG’s fans are hardly going to be patient, and they jeered the players after home draws against Lorient and Bordeaux. “We must always remember that a draw is the equivalent of a defeat at PSG now,” said Brazilian winger Nene, PSG’s top scorer last season with 21 league goals.

PSG last played in the Champions League eight years ago, where it went out in the group stage after losing at home to Chelsea and CSKA Moscow.

Dynamo, which is also third in its league, won

PARIS: (From left) Dynamo Kiev’s coach Yuri Semin watch players during a training session at Parc des Princes stadium. Paris Saint Germain will face Dynamo Kiev today in a UEFA Champions League soccer match. — AP 3-1 on Friday against Karpaty, with midfielder Nico Kranjcar scoring twice to take his tally to four goals since joining from Tottenham.

Dynamo knocked PSG out of the UEFA Cup quarterfinals three years ago, but everything has changed at PSG since then, with new owners from Qatar investing more than euro 260 million on transfers overall since taking over in June of last year. Although PSG is heavily fancied, Dynamo defender Taras Mykhalyk says his team is in a “fighting mood” and should take inspiration from Ukraine’s 1-1 draw away to England last week.

“Ukraine took the ball at Wembley and started to dominate in ball control,” he said. “We mustn’t be afraid when we take the pitch to play in Paris.” Meanwhile, Dinamo Zagreb will hope for better fortune than in last year’s Champions League - although it could hardly do worse.

Dinamo lost all its matches in the group stage, conceding a Champions League record of

22 goals - including seven in an embarrassing home thrashing by Lyon. “We are outsiders, but we will do our best not to lose,” Dinamo coach Ante Cacic said.

Domagoj Vida and Portuguese defender Tonel are likely to lead the defense, while summer signing Duje Cop is favored to start in attack instead of Fatos Beciraj.

Dinamo is top of the league and dropped points for only the second time this season when it drew 0-0 at home to Osijek on Friday.

The draw also put an end to a formidable run of 11 consecutive wins, with Brazilian Sammir chipping in with eight goals from midfield during that spell.

Porto’s attack, meanwhile, is not the same since Hulk left to join Zenit St. Petersburg two weeks ago, despite the club insisting that he would stay. Porto may also be a bit rusty, seeing as it last played on Sept. 1, when Hulk scored his final goal for the club. — AP

19

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

SPORTS

Atletico survive late wobble to see off Rayo

BUENOS AIRES: Boca Juniors’ Santiago Silva (left) and Independiente’s Julian Velazquez struggle for the ball during an Argentina’s league soccer match.—AP

Gallego admits relegation worries BUENOS AIRES: Independiente coach America Gallego conceded his club have been drawn into a relegation battle after their 2-1 defeat to Boca Juniors at La Bombonera on Sunday.

Boca stayed top of the Argentine standings by a point from Newell’s Old Boys, who beat San Lorenzo 1-0 at home in Rosario to leave another of Argentina’s big clubs worrying about relegation early in the season. “Times are hard,” Gallego told reporters just two days after saying he was paying no attention to his side’s position at the bottom of the relegation standings.

Relegation in Argentina is determined by a team’s average points over three seasons. If a team’s results in two campaigns are poor, relegation can be a realistic concern from the start of a season. Independiente languish at the foot of the relegation standings even though they are one from bottom of the present championship table.

The last three teams in the relegation standings go down at the end of the season in June. San Lorenzo are presently four from bottom.

“We keep dropping lower without getting results ... I’m not happy, we were Boca’s equals,” Gallego said. “We made an analysis of the first half (at the interval) and promised we would overrun and pressure them in the second, and they scored within a minute. There’s no magic answer to that.”

Boca recovered from an own goal by

defender Matias Caruzzo. Shaven-headed Uruguayan striker Santiago “Tank” Silva equalised midway through the first half and the winner came one minute into the second half from midfielder Juan Sanchez Mino. River Plate, who were relegated 15 months ago, are struggling to find their game back in the top flight and lost 2-0 at third-placed Velez Sarsfield, who are two points behind Boca.

The match was interrupted for eight minutes when River fans, angry with their team’s poor play, tried to break down perimeter fencing and were doused with police hoses.

In Rosario, striker Ignacio Scocco converted a late penalty to give Newell’s victory and spark a characteristic rant from hotheaded San Lorenzo coach Ricardo Caruso Lombardi.

Caruso, angry at the handball decision given against defender Abel Masuero, said referee Nestor Pitana had not even seen the incident and was influenced by the home crowd at the Marcelo Bielsa stadium. “You can’t give a penalty like that, Masuero didn’t see the ball, it hit him,” said Caruso, who had to be restrained by police when he tried to approach Pitana after the final whistle. “The crowd screamed penalty, the fans won this match, (the referee) took his cue from what he heard, he didn’t even see the play,” added Caruso, who later admitted Newell’s were much the better team.—Reuters

MADRID: Atletico Madrid extended their rich run of scoring form and survived a dramatic loss of concentration when they conceded three goals in the last eight minutes to secure a 4-3 win at home to Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday.

The Europa League holders, fresh from last month’s European Super Cup triumph against Champions League winners Chelsea, were ahead in the 29th minute at the Calderon when Mario Suarez struck from Diego Costa’s low cross.

A quickfire treble early in the second half looked to have killed the game, with Koke and Arda Turan scoring from close range and Falcao adding the fourth from the penalty spot after a foul on Costa. However, the home defence lost focus towards the end, incensing coach Diego Simeone and allowing Andrija Delibasic to score twice and Leo to add another a minute from time.

Rayo pressed for an unlikely equaliser but Atletico held out for a second win of the campaign.

Their goal tally from their last three outings now stands at 12 following a 4-0 La Liga win at home to Athletic Bilbao, when Falcao scored a hat-trick, and the 4-1 Super Cup success against Chelsea when the Colombian also netted a treble.

Barcelona top the table with the only perfect record in La Liga on 12 points from four matches after hammering Getafe 4-1 away on Saturday.

Malaga are second with 10 points after their 3-1 triumph over Levante, while Atletico, in fifth, have seven and have played one game fewer. Stuttering champions Real Madrid are 11th with

MADRID: Rayo Vallecanoís ‘Chori’ Dominguez from Argentina (left) gestures to Atletico Madrid’s Radamel Falcao from Colombia, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match.—AP four points following their 1-0 defeat at Sevilla.

Spain striker Fernando Llorente scored within moments of coming off the bench as he returned to help Athletic Bilbao grab a thrilling 3-3 draw at Espanyol in the early kickoff.

The 27-year-old known as “Lion King”, who asked for a transfer in the close season and had been linked in the media with a move to Juventus, was brought on for his first appearance in the league this season after 69 minutes. With his side losing 2-1, he broke away on the left two minutes after entering the fray and fired low across the goal to equalise, celebrating with a huge

roar to the small contingent of travelling fans.

Llorente told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser he was still planning to seek a new club in the winter transfer window.

“In January I am free to negotiate but I want to put that to one side for now to help the team,” he said. “I will always be an Athletic man, even though there will come a time when I am not playing for the team,” he added.

Espanyol had stormed ahead in the first half with goals from Javi Lopez and Joan Verdu. Bilbao started their fightback when Aritz Aduriz headed home in the 56th but, after Llorente levelled, Samuele Longo sprinted clear to

Scolari accused of betraying Palmeiras in time of need

Toluca defeat Atlante in Mexico MEXICO CITY: Tijuana scored two goals in two minutes in the second half to beat Atlante 2-1 on Sunday and leapfrog Toluca at the top Mexico*s first division after eight rounds of the Apertura football tournament.

Toluca lost 2-0 to Jaguares on Friday to end its undefeated start to the season and dropped to second place, two points behind Tijuana. Third placed Leon lost 2-1 against Chivas and is six points off the lead.

In other results, Pachuca defeated Morelia 3-2, America beat Santos Laguna 2-0, Tigres won 2-0 against Cruz Azul, Monterrey overcame Puebla 3-2, Pumas lost 1-0 against San Luis and Atlas drew 0-0 with Queretaro.

Colombia’s Duvier Riascos opened the scoring for Tijuana in the 51st minute with a left footed finish into corner of the net before Argentina’s Alfredo Moreno was left with an easy tap a minute later to extend the lead.

Esteban Paredes got one back for Atlante with three minutes of the game remaining.

Tijuana has now won four of its last five league games. Jorge Rodriguez scored two second-half goals for Jaguares’ win over Toluca. Rafael Marquez Lugo curled in a free kick from 25 yards (meters) in second-half injury time to complete a comeback for Chivas against Leon.

Chivas played most the match with 10 players after Xavier Baez was sent off in the 33rd minute, but it took Leon until the 75th

to break through when Jose Vazquez converted a penalty. Leon also went down to 10 players five minutes later, with Jonny Magallon sent off. Chivas equalized in the 82nd when Jorge Enriquez headed in from a corner. Felix Borja scored in the 15th and 25th for Pachuca, before a deflected shot from Carlos Morales in the 35th made it 2-1. US international Jose Torres restored Pachuca’s two goal advantage with a free kick from the right that beat everybody and nestled in the far corner of the net.

Carlos Ochoa pulled one back for Morelia in the 74th. Raul Jimenez scored from close range for America against defending champion Santos Laguna in the 49th and Ecuadorean international Christian Benitez headed in the second in the 74th.

Tigres inflicted Cruz Azul*s first defeat of the season with Spaniard Luis Garcia scoring both goals either side of halftime. Mexico international Angel Reyna got the winning goal for Monterrey in the 75th. His team was 2-0 up at halftime thanks to goals from Cesar Delgado and Aldo de Nigris, but Diego de Buen pulled one back for Puebla in the 52nd and Isaac Romo equalized in the 70th.

A Luis Angel Mendoza goal in the 56th handed San Luis the victory against Pumas on Sunday, while relegation contenders Atlas and Queretaro failed to convert their chances in Saturday’s game. —AP

MEXICO CITY: Pumas’ Javier Cortes (left) San Luis’ Felix Araujo (center) and Pumas’ Emanuel Villa (right) go for the ball during a Mexican soccer league match.—AP

net a third for the hosts with 10 minutes remaining.

Longo was sent off after picking up a second yellow card as he celebrated with Espanyol fans in the stands, and Aduriz bagged his second goal with a spectacular volley soon after to earn a point for Bilbao. Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who reached the finals of the Europa League and King’s Cup last season, have now conceded 12 goals in their first four games and lie 13th with four points.

Granada and promoted Deportivo Coruna and Osasuna and Real Mallorca drew 1-1 on Sunday, while Real Sociedad beat visiting Real Zaragoza 20.—Reuters

BRAZIL: This image released by FIFA Sunday Sept. 16, 2012 shows the mascot of the 2014 World Cup. The mascot is a yet to-be-named Brazilian endangered armadillo. FIFA said Brazilians will have until mid-November to choose the mascot’s name from three choices — Amijubi, Fuleco and Zuzeco. —AP

Armadillo, mascot of 2014 World Cup SAO PAULO: The mascot of the 2014 World Cup is a yet to-be-named Brazilian endangered armadillo. FIFA said Brazilians will have until mid-November to choose the mascot’s name from three choices - Amijubi, Fuleco and Zuzeco. The mascot’s announcement was made Sunday on a television show with the participation of former Brazil star Ronaldo.

“I’m delighted to welcome such an important member to the 2014 team,” Ronaldo said. “The mascot will play a key ambassadorial role in the next two years. I’m sure he will inspire many young football fans in Brazil and all over the world with the great passion which he has for the sport and for his country.” The three-banded armadillo, which is in danger of extinction, rolls up into the shape of a ball when threatened and is commonly found in northeastern Brazil.

The mascot carries the colors of the Brazilian flag. It is yellow, with green shorts and a blue shell and tail. It is dressed in a white shirt with the words “Brazil 2014” written on it. “The fact that the three-banded armadillo is a vulnerable species is very fitting,” FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said in a statement. “One of the key objectives through the 2014 FIFA World Cup is to use the event as a platform to communicate the importance of the environment and ecology.” FIFA said Amijubi is a “representation of

friendliness and joy,” while Fuleco and Zuzeco are linked to an “ecological message.”

Football’s governing body said the three options were picked “after a vote by a highprofile judging committee” in Brazil, including former Ronaldo teammate Bebeto.

The mascot of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was a leopard, an animal commonly found in that country. It was yellow and green - the South African colors - and was called Zakumi. In 2006 in Germany, the mascot was a lion called Goleo.

The first time a mascot was introduced at the World Cup was in 1966 in England - a lion dressed in the Union Jack flag and named Willie. Other World Cup mascots included a boy called Juanito in Mexico in 1970, an orange named Naranjito in Spain in 1982, a dog called Striker in the United States in 1994 and a rooster named Footix in France in 1998.

FIFA also recently announced that the World Cup ball will be called “Brazuca,” an informal word often used to describe national pride.

Adidas, the official World Cup ball supplier, said Brazilians voted on the name which “symbolizes emotion, pride and goodwill to all,” mirroring Brazil’s “approach to football.”

“Brazuca” is also often used as the nickname given to Brazilians living outside the country, including the hundreds of footballers playing abroad. Brazil is hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1950.—AP

RIO DE JANEIRO: World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had broken his promise to help Palmeiras fight relegation to the bitter end, according to the Brazilian club’s midfielder Jorge Valdivia.

Palmeiras announced last week that Scolari, who coached Brazil to the 2002 World Cup, had parted ways with the club after a series of defeats left them mired in the Brazilian championship’s relegation zone.

“He asked to leave (and) it was a surprise to us,” Chilean Valdivia told reporters after Palmeiras suffered a 2-0 defeat by Corinthians on Sunday under caretaker coach Narciso.

“He had told the squad that if we went down he would go down with us, but after the match with Vasco he informed (the club) he was quitting,” added Valdivia.

Sunday’s loss in the Sao Paulo derby, in which Palmeiras had striker Luan sent off in the 26th minute for a second booking, left Palmeiras in 19th place in the 20-team league with 20 points from 25 matches. The bottom four teams face relegation at the end of the season, which has 13 rounds to run.

Scolari, a former national coach of Portugal and of English Premier League heavyweights Chelsea, took Palmeiras to victory in the Copa Brasil, the country’s knockout competition, only two months ago.

He previously coached Palmeiras in a highly successful stint from 1997-2000 in which they won the Brazilian championship, Copa Brasil and the South American club championship, the Libertadores Cup. He has been seen as a possible replacement for Brazil coach Mano Menezes who, despite winning most of his games in his two years in charge, has failed to capture the public imagination in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup, which Brazil hosts.

Romarinho and Paulinho scored the goals for champions Corinthians, who are ninth in the standings after a slow start from having prioritised the Libertadores Cup. Corinthians won that tournament to qualify for the Club World Cup in December.

The top two teams, Fluminense and Ronaldinho’s Atletico Mineiro, both fell to unexpected defeats.

Fluminense retained their lead in the championship with 53 points despite a 2-1 upset at home by bottom team Atletico Goianiense, who notched only their fourth win in 25 matches. Mineiro remain two points behind ‘Flu’ with a game in hnad after going down 1-0 at 12th-placed Nautico. —Reuters

Match on TV (Local Timings)

UEFA Champions League PSG v Dinamo Aljazeera Sport +5 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD Dortmund v Ajax Aljazeera Sport +6 Dinamo Zagreb v FC Porto Aljazeera Sport +7 Montpellier v Arsenal Aljazeera Sport +2 AC Milan v Anderiecht Aljazeera Sport +1 Malaga v Zenit Aljazeera Sport +8 Olympiacos v Schaike Aljazeera Sport +9 Real Madrid v Man City Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Aljazeera Sport +4

21:45

21:45 21:45 21:45 21:45 21:45 21:45 21:45

City upstarts looking to upset Real aristocrats

18

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Gallego admits relegation worries

19

Sri Lanka out for fast start at World T20

Page 16

SAN FRANCISCO: 49ers running back Kendall Hunter (right) runs with the ball, but is stopped

by Detroit Lions free safety John Wendling (left) during the third quarter of an NFL football game.—AP

Giants win, Cardinals down Patriots EAST RUTHERFORD: Eli Manning came up with a near-record performance in throwing for 510 yards, and Andre Brown scored on a 2-yard run with 31 seconds left to lift the New York Giants to a wild 4134 victory Sunday over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Manning’s yardage total was the second most for a Giants quarterback, and tied for the eighth highest in NFL history. He threw three first-half interceptions, and came back with a monster 295 yards passing in the second, finishing 3 yards short of Phil Simms’ team record. The Bucs (1-1) led by 11 points before the Super Bowl champions came back and avoided an 0-2 start. Manning threw touchdowns of 23 yards to Hakeem Nicks, 80 to Victor Cruz and 33 to Martellus Bennett with 3:59 to play to give New York a 34-27 lead.

Cardinals 20, Patriots 18 In Foxborough, backup quarterback Kevin Kolb threw for one touchdown and ran for another, Stephen Gostkowski missed a potential winning field goal in the final seconds, and Arizona moved to 2-0. The Patriots took over when Vince Wilfork recovered a fumble at the Cardinals 30 with 1:01 left. A 30yard run into the end zone by Danny Woodhead was nullified by a holding penalty against Rob Gronkowski. New England then moved to the 24 before Tom Brady spiked the ball to stop the clock with 6 seconds left, but Gostkowski sent a 42-yard try wide to the left after hitting four earlier field goals. The Cardinals won behind Kolb, filling in for John Skelton, who missed the game with a sprained right ankle. The Patriots (1-1) lost tight end Aaron Hernandez to an ankle injury in the first quarter.

Panthers 35, Saints 27 In Charlotte, Cam Newton threw for 253 yards and ran for a career-high 71 yards to hand New Orleans its first 0-2 start since 2007. One week after tying a franchise low with 10 yards rushing in a loss to Tampa Bay, the Panthers ran for 219 yards and Newton, DeAngelo Williams and Mike Tolbert all scored on short touchdown runs. Steve Smith overcame a sore knee to finish with 104 yards receiving - the 39th 100-yard receiving game of his career and Jonathan Stewart hauled in a 17-yard touchdown reception for the Panthers (1-1).

Drew Brees had won his previous five starts against Carolina. He threw for 325 yards but was intercepted twice, including once by Charles Godfrey, who returned it 9 yards for a touchdown.

Eagles 24, Ravens 23 In Philadelphia, Michael Vick scored on a 1-yard TD run with 1:55 left, helping Philadelphia overcome a slew of turnovers. Rookie kicker Justin Tucker made field goals of 56, 51 and 48 yards for the Ravens, but Joe Flacco couldn’t get Baltimore (1-1) in his range in the final minute. Flacco overthrew Ray Rice on fourth-and-1 from the Ravens 46,

and the Eagles ran out the clock. Vick threw four interceptions at Cleveland last week, but rallied the Eagles (2-0) to a 17-16 win. He did it again, though the replacement officials almost made a costly mistake. Down 23-17, the Eagles started at their 20 with 4:43 left. After two completions to Brent Celek, a 19-yarder to Clay Harbor and a roughing-thepasser penalty, the ball was at the 3. Vick threw incomplete as he was being hit by Haloti Ngata, but the play was ruled a fumble. It was recovered by the Ravens, but replay overturned the turnover and Vick scored on the next play.

Colts 23, Vikings 20 In Indianapolis, Adam Vinatieri made a 53-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to give Andrew Luck his first NFL victory. Minnesota (1-1) rallied from a two-touchdown deficit in the final 51/2 minutes and tied the score on a 6-yard TD pass from Christian Ponder to Kyle Rudolph with 31 seconds left. But that was too much time for Luck, who had thrown for two touchdowns. He started with backto-back 20-yard completions, then drew the Vikings offside before spiking the ball with 12 seconds to go. Vinatieri, the best clutch kicker in NFL history, knocked the 53-yarder through the uprights to win it. Luck finished 20 of 31 for 224 yards.

Dolphins 35, Raiders 13 In Miami, Reggie Bush ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns, and Miami won a home opener for the first time since 2005. Ryan Tannehill threw his first NFL touchdown pass, ran for another and avoided any turnovers after tossing three interceptions in his pro debut a week earlier. The Dolphins improved to 1-1, and Joe Philbin earned a sideline drenching for his first victory as a head coach. The Raiders, under new coach Dennis Allen, are 0-2 for the first time since 2007. Bush broke four tackles on a 23-yard touchdown run that put Miami ahead to stay in the third quarter. After Miami forced a punt, Bush struck again, this time on a 65-yard scoring run.

Texans 27, Jaguars 7 In Jacksonville, Arian Foster ran for 110 yards and a touchdown, Ben Tate added 74 yards and two scores and Houston dominated from the start.

The Texans improved to 2-0 for the third consecutive season by winning their fourth in a row against the AFC South rival Jaguars, who started 02 for the third time in the last five years.

Jacksonville, which has never had a winning record after dropping its first two games, was far from competitive in the latest meeting.

The Texans gained 242 yards in the first half while building a 17-0 lead. Foster ran for 69 yards and a score. Tate added 49 and a touchdown. Matt Schaub, using mostly short throws, picked apart Jacksonville’s defense. The Jaguars finished with a franchise-low 117 yards.

Bills 35, Chiefs 17 In Orchard Park, CJ Spiller scored twice and had 123 yards rushing in sparking Buffalo. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes, including a 49-yarder to Stevie Johnson, and Leodis McKelvin scored on an 88-yard punt return - the second longest in team history - in the Bills’ home opener.

Buffalo’s high-priced defense had five sacks and forced three turnovers as the Bills bounced back from a season-opening 48-28 loss to the Jets last week. Dwayne Bowe scored both touchdowns for

NFL results/standings NY Giants 41, Tampa Bay 34; Carolina 35, New Orleans 27; Arizona 20, New England 18; Indianapolis 23, Minnesota 20; Philadelphia 24, Baltimore 23; Buffalo 35, Kansas City 17; Cincinnati 34, Cleveland 27; Houston 27, Jacksonville 7; Miami 35, Oakland 13; Seattle 27, Dallas 7; St. Louis 31, Washington 28; Pittsburgh 27, NY Jets 10; San Diego 38, Tennessee 10; San Francisco 27, Detroit 19.

American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA NY Jets 1 1 0 0 58 55 New England 1 1 0 0 52 33 Buffalo 1 1 0 0 63 65 Miami 1 1 0 0 45 43 AFC North Baltimore 1 1 0 0 67 37 Cincinnati 1 1 0 0 47 71 Pittsburgh 1 1 0 0 46 41 Cleveland 0 2 0 0 43 51 AFC South Houston 2 0 0 0 57 17 Indianapolis 1 1 0 0 44 61 Jacksonville 0 2 0 1 30 53 Tennessee 0 2 0 0 23 72 AFC West San Diego 2 0 0 0 60 24 Denver 1 0 0 0 31 19 Oakland 0 2 0 0 27 57 Kansas City 0 2 0 0 41 75 National Football Conference NFC EAST Philadelphia 2 0 0 0 41 39 Dallas 1 1 0 0 31 44 Washington 1 1 0 0 68 63 NY Giants 1 1 0 0 58 58 NFC North Green Bay 1 1 0 0 45 40 Chicago 1 1 0 0 51 44 Detroit 1 1 0 0 46 50 Minnesota 1 1 0 0 46 46 NFC South Atlanta 1 0 0 0 40 24 Tampa Bay 1 1 0 0 50 51 Carolina 1 1 0 0 45 43 New Orleans 0 2 0 0 59 75 NFC West San Francisco 2 0 0 0 57 41 Arizona 2 0 0 0 40 34 Seattle 1 1 0 0 43 27 St. Louis 1 1 0 0 54 55

PCT .500 .500 .500 .500 .500 .500 .500 0 1.000 .500 0 0 1.000 1.000 0 0 1.000 .500 .500 .500 .500 .500 .500 .500 1.000 .500 .500 0 1.000 1.000 .500 .500

Kansas City - both in the final seven minutes - to make the score respectable. The Chiefs are 0-2 for the sixth time in seven years.

Bengals 34, Browns 27 In Cincinnati, Adam “Pacman” Jones returned Cleveland’s first punt 81 yards for a touchdown, and Andy Dalton matched his career high with three touchdown passes. The Bengals (1-1) have won 13 of the last 16 against the Browns (0-2), who got impressive games from their rookie quarterback and running back but still couldn’t get a win.

Jones put the Bengals ahead to stay with his fifth career punt return for a touchdown. Dalton threw three TD passes for the second time in his career, including a short reception that Andrew Hawkins turned into a 50-yard score in the fourth quarter. Cleveland quarterback Brandon Weeden rebounded from one of the worst debuts in NFL history by throwing for two touchdowns. Trent Richardson became the first Browns rookie to run for 100 yards and score on a run and a pass.

Steelers 27, Jets 10 In Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger passed for 275 yards and two touchdowns and Pittsburgh smothered the Jets in the second half. Roethlisberger completed 24 of 31 passes. He hit Heath Miller for a 1-yard score to give the Steelers (1-1) the lead late in the first half, then found Mike Wallace for a 37yard strike early in the third quarter to break the game open. Isaac Redman added a late 2-yard touchdown run for Pittsburgh, which had little trouble avoiding its first 0-2 start in a decade. The Jets (1-1) did little offensively after a pair of early scoring drives. Mark Sanchez passed for 138 yards and a touchdown, but New York hardly looked like the offensive juggernaut that piled up points in a 48-28 opening-week blowout win over Buffalo.

Rams 31, Redskins 28 In St. Louis, Sam Bradford threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns and Danny Amendola caught 15 passes for 160 yards in rallying St. Louis The Rams made their comeback after running back Steven Jackson left the game after drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second quarter. Later, coach Jeff Fisher said Jackson left because of a groin injury. Griffin led the Redskins (1-1) to a 21-6 lead, but the Rams (1-1) came back thanks to the pass-catching of Amendola. The receiver tied an NFL record 12 first-half receptions, and caught a 1-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 2113 at the half. Bradford had second-half scoring passes of 34 yards to Brandon Gibson and 1 yard to Matt Mulligan. Griffin ran for two touchdowns and passed for a third for Washington (1-1).

Seahawks 27, Cowboys 7 In Seattle, Marshawn Lynch ran for 122 yards

and a 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and Seattle’s special teams came up with two huge firstquarter plays that led to 10 points. Michael Robinson forced Felix Jones to fumble on the opening kickoff that led to a short field goal, and Malcolm Smith blocked Chris Jones’ punt which Jeron Johnson returned for a touchdown to give Seattle (1-1) a 10-0 lead in less than 5 minutes.

Rookie Russell Wilson threw for 151 yards and directed a 90-yard scoring drive in the third quarter capped by a 22-yard touchdown strike to Anthony McCoy to give Seattle a 20-7 lead. Tony Romo threw a 22-yard TD to Miles Austin in the second quarter, but that was the only sustained drive the Cowboys (1-1) could mount on the Seahawks stout defense.

Chargers 38, Titans 10 In San Diego, tight end Dante Rosario had three touchdown catches for the first time in his NFL career and San Diego’s defense harassed Jake Locker all day. Before the game, the Chargers (2-0) retired Junior Seau’s No. 55. Seau, the hard-hitting, first-pumping leader of the Chargers for 13 seasons, committed suicide May 2.

With Antonio Gates inactive due to sore ribs, the Chargers turned to Rosario. He responded with TD catches of 11, 4 and 15 yards from Philip Rivers. He had only five career scoring catches coming in, including a game-winner against San Diego in the 2008 season opener while with Carolina.

San Diego’s winning streak against the Titans (02) dates to 1993, when the franchise was still the Houston Oilers. Rivers was 24 of 32 for 284 yards.

Malcom Floyd had six catches for 109 yards and Rosario four catches for 48 yards.

49ers 27, Lions 19 In San Francisco, San Francisco’s stingy defense denied Matthew Stafford another milestone and Vernon Davis caught touchdown passes of 21 and 23 yards from Alex Smith. Smith completed 20 of 31 throws for 226 yards and extended his franchiserecord streak of passes without an interception to 216, leading the NFC West favorite Niners (2-0) to their ninth straight win in the series. The 49ers ran their home winning streak against the Lions (1-1) to 12 games. Frank Gore carried 17 times for 89 yards and a 1-yard touchdown for the 49ers. Calvin Johnson caught eight passes for 94 yards, but that was hardly enough as the Lions (1-1) never got closer than the 20 until their final drive. Stafford finished 19 for 32 with 230 yards, one touchdown and an interception, missing a chance to become the first player in NFL history to throw for 350 yards in five straight games. David Akers kicked field goals from 36 and 48 yards for San Francisco and Jason Hanson hit from 38, 41, 40 and 48 yards for the Lions, who scored their touchdown on Stafford’s 9-yard TD pass to Brandon Pettigrew with 1:29 remaining.—AP

Batelco eyes CWC assets in $1bn telecom deal

Business

Page 22 China, US issue tit-for-tat WTO trade complaints Page 23

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Top Expo gears for opening of KIPS 2012 on Sept 24

Strikes loom as India pledges more reform

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NEW YORK: A man holds a sign as Occupy Wall Street protesters march near Wall Street yesterday on the one year anniversary of the movement in New York. — AFP (See Page 24)

EU at pains to sustain crisis-fighting spirit Leaders to review measures at October summit BRUSSELS: It has been 11 days since the European Central Bank announced it was prepared to buy the debt of struggling euro-zone countries in unlimited amounts to help bring down their borrowing costs. In that time, the euro has gained nearly 4 percent against the dollar, the broadest European stock index is up nearly the same amount and yields on Spanish and Italian 10-year bonds have fallen by more than a percentage point.

A degree of optimism has taken root thanks to the ECB’s promise of intervention as well as a decision by Germany’s top court to approve Berlin’s participation in the euro zone’s permanent bailout fund, and a sense of progress towards a euro-zone ‘banking union’.

But as anyone who has followed the debt crisis for the past 2-1/2 years knows, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

And in this case, no matter how desirable the dessert, it contains a mixture of ingredients that are already proving unpalatable for those tucking in.

Euro-zone leaders have squandered the opportunities offered by previous lulls in the crisis and there is no guarantee that they won’t find a way of doing the same again. “There’s less panic, but that doesn’t mean there’s any complacency,” said one EU diplomat, while acknowledging that the risk of leaders sitting back or relaxing was not negligible. “We have to avoid a repetition of the situation where we allow one good decision to lead everyone else not to take other decisions that would improve the situation further.”

The first problem is Spain. While the country has admitted that its banks need help and up to 100 billion euros has been set aside to support the sector, Madrid remains reluctant to sign up to any broader or stricter bailout program. Until it

makes a request for assistance, and agrees to the conditions likely to be imposed by the European Commission, the ECB and the International Monetary Fund, the central bank can’t step in to buy its bonds and keep borrowing costs down.

That uncertainty has already begun to rattle investors.

Whereas 10-year bond yields fell from above 6.6 percent before the ECB’s move to 5.6 percent late last week, they are now rising again, nearing six percent yesterday. Spain’s predicament is made all the harder by Germany, the EU’s biggest economy, the largest contributor to the euro zone’s rescue fund and the most influential voice in the crisis.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble is not convinced Spain needs to ask for a full program, especially since the worst of the market pressure appears to have eased-bare-

Emirates denies plans to buy stake in Indian carriers DUBAI: Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates said yesterday it did not have plans to buy a stake in any Indian carrier, after India last week allowed foreign airlines to buy up to a 49 percent stake in local carriers. Ailing Kingfisher Airlines is banking on attracting a foreign airline to pump in money, while shares in budget carrier SpiceJet surged yesterday, as investors hoped for foreign investments.

Any global carrier eyeing a stake in an Indian carrier

Dubai to issue bond to refinance maturing debt DUBAI: Dubai plans to issue a bond to refinance part of 6.5 billion dirhams ($1.8 billion) of sovereign debt maturing in April 2013, its finance chief was quoted as saying by a newspaper yesterday.

Abdulrahman Al-Saleh, Director General of the Dubai Department of Finance, did not discuss the size or timing of any new bond or give other details, and government officials were not available to confirm his comments.

The newspaper did not provide verbatim quotes from the interview and appeared to be paraphrasing Saleh’s remarks. Saleh told Dubai TV in an interview: “In the past, we issued bonds to support the government’s financial strategy and finance infrastructure projects.

“In the coming period, we also have plans that need financial support in the airline industry, we have expansion plans for Dubai Airport and AlMaktoum (airport), and there is a need to refinance debt when it matures.” Saleh also told Dubai TV: “I confirm that we are under no pressure to issue bonds for emergency situations.”

Unrated Dubai last sold sovereign debt in April this year - a $1.25 billion, two-tranche Islamic bond aimed at covering its budget deficit and refinancing debt. Dubai’s budget deficit narrowed sharply to 3.7 billion dirhams last year, helped by higher oil revenue and lower spending on development projects, a sovereign bond prospectus produced by the emirate in April showed.

ly two months ago Spain’s yields were a punishing 7.5 percent. With Finland, Austria and other northern European states largely leaning the same way as Berlin, Spain has less incentive to take the plunge. The expectation remains that it will eventually do so, perhaps around the time of the next EU summit in mid-October, but until it does, the market will be agitated and yields could well drift higher still.

“The market is pondering whether or when Spain might require a bailout,” said Rabobank rate strategist Richard McGuire. “The realization is dawning it might not be rushing.”

Greece remains far deeper in the mire than Spain and is way off meeting debt reduction targets demanded as part of its bailout. The euro zone is going to have to find a way to keep that show on the road for at least some while longer or risk

Gulf bonds have rallied strongly in the secondary market this year because of downward pressure on global interest rates; Dubai names have led the rally as the emirate has made progress in resolving its corporate debt problems. This has raised expectations that regional borrowers could take advantage of the favourable conditions by issuing debt in the near future.

Dubai’s credit default swaps, which represent the cost of insuring against default, stood at 278 basis points yesterday, their lowest level since September 2008, Markit data showed. They tightened more than 15 bps on Wednesday, after the credit rating of state utility Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) was raised to investment grade by Moody’s.

The trade-driven economy of Dubai, one of seven United Arab Emirates, is showing positive signs based on growth rates in various sectors during the first half of 2012, Saleh was also quoted as saying by the newspaper. The UAE central bank said this month that Dubai might achieve gross domestic product growth of 4 percent or more this year. “The GDP growth is expected to reach 4 percent this year and next year, we expect it to be more than 4 percent,” Saleh told Dubai TV. Dubai, which lacks the oil wealth of neighboring Abu Dhabi, was hit hard by a $25 billion debt restructuring at its flagship conglomerate Dubai World in 2009-2010 after a real estate bubble burst.

Restructuring at some other state-linked entities continues. — Reuters

must weigh up the benefits of a market with high longterm growth potential but one that has been squeezed by high costs and fierce price competition. “Emirates has no plans to acquire a stake in another airline in India or anywhere else,” the airline said in a statement. “We are busy focusing on the many aspects of our own growth including the launch of flights to five new destinations in as many months.” — Reuters

plunging the currency bloc into even deeper crisis.

“Even if in other ways the pieces are falling into place in tackling the crisis ... there is always Greece,” a senior EU official said. “It remains a distinct problem and it can still have a contagion impact.” There is also a risk that the drive to cut debts in countries already in recession will eventually provoke a dramatic public backlash, in a way that has not materialised yet even if there are signs of growing civil discontent.

Over 150,000 Portuguese marched on Saturday against planned tax hikes that have shattered the consensus behind austerity imposed by an EU/IMF bailout, and tens of thousands more marched in Spain. In policy terms, it is not just the immediate question of if or when Spain will seek a bailout, and whether Italy will follow suit, that is making the pudding hard to digest. Long-term plans to overhaul the euro-zone also threaten to ruin the flavor. This week, EU officials begin detailed discussions on the four-step process they have committed to as part of a redesign of economic and monetary union, the underpinning of the euro.

As well as plans for a ‘banking union’, the goal is to better coordinate fiscal and budgetary policy across the euro-zone (a ‘fiscal union’), work on establishing an ‘economic union’ that more close aligns labor and social policy and finally to arrive at a fully fledged ‘political union’. The European Commission set out its proposals on banking union last week, with the goal of giving the ECB responsibility for overseeing all 6,000 banks in the euro zone beginning in January 2013, with the process completed a year later. But there are already concerns about that timeline being too ambitious and disagreements between member states and the European Commission about what follows afterwards.—Reuters

UAE bourses slip, Gulf stocks mixed MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: UAE’s markets slipped yesterday from the previous session’s Fedspurred multi-month highs as investor caution returned while other Gulf bourses were mixed.

Local markets rallied on Sunday after the US Federal Reserve launched a fresh round of money printing that helped lift asset prices worldwide, but that has largely failed to translate into a second day of regional gains.

Dubai’s index slipped 0.4 percent, easing away from Sunday’s four-month high. Yet its technical indicators remain strong despite yesterday’s dip, said Bruce Powers, head of research and analysis at Trust Securities. “The Dubai index triggered a continuation of a 15-week uptrend this week, with it now heading towards resistance around 1,638, followed by the 1,706 price area,” said Powers. “Support levels are around 1,573 and 1,554 points.”

The emirate’s heavy-traded stocks were the main drag. Bellwether Emaar Properties shed 0.6 percent, while Dubai Financial Market and Islamic mortgage lender Tamweel each

declined 2.9 percent. Abu Dhabi’s index slipped 0.1 percent, halting an eight-session winning streak.

“Investors don’t want to leave money on the table for long - only good Q3 earnings will once again propel equities,” said a Dubai-based trader who asked not to be identified.

Saudi Arabia’s benchmark slipped 0.09 percent as investors shifted their focus away from global events and toward local quarterly earnings. The benchmark hit a four-month high on Saturday, tracking buoyant global markets, but many investors are now hesitant.

“There may be short-term profittaking but our long-term views are strong,” said Farooq Waheed senior portfolio manager at Riyad Capital. “Q3 earnings will be positive for sectors that rely on generating revenues from within Saudi, like banks, retail and telecoms.” Bank stocks dropped with the sector’s index closing 0.3 percent lower. Petrochemical stocks were also lower, with Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) - the world’s largest chemicals

producer - down 0.3 percent.

Many investors are underweight in the petrochemical sector over global demand concerns.

“There has been some restocking in inventories but going forward, the risks are high. We don’t see global growth bouncing back strongly,” Waheed said. Alinma Bank was the most active stock, dropping 0.4 percent. Dar Al Arkan was the second most traded stock but closed flat.

In Doha, the index climbed 0.2 percent to its highest close since May 8.

Qatar Telecom was the main support, rising 1.6 percent. Commercial Bank of Qatar gained 1.3 percent and heavyweight Qatar National Bank added 0.2 percent. Qatar has underperformed most regional markets, with the index down 1.9 percent yearto-date, although investor interest has returned in recent weeks as they target under-valued stocks. Elsewhere, Kuwait’s index finished 0.3 percent higher. Bargain hunters returned in late-trade, lifting the market from Sunday’s three-week low. — Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

Batelco eyes CWC assets in $1bn telecom deal Bahrain unit in talks to buy Monaco & Islands unit DUBAI: Bahrain Telecommunications Co is in talks with Cable & Wireless Communications to buy its assets in Monaco and a host of island nations, a deal potentially worth around $1 billion, three banking and industry sources said. Batelco, whose move to buy a stake in Zain Saudi collapsed last year, is circling the Monaco & Islands portfolio of CWC, the British telecoms group operating in the Caribbean and formed through a demerger of Cable & Wireless in 2010.

Talks between both the parties are ongoing and a deal is not imminent, the sources said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is not public.

BNP Paribas and Citigroup are advising Batelco on the transaction, while JP Morgan Chase is advising the seller, two of the banking sources said. Citi is leading financing efforts for the transaction, according to one banker. “Batelco has been keen to do a deal for a while now to address falling home revenue. A potential deal to buy CWC assets should give them presence in markets they are not in currently,” one the sources said.

Batelco and CWC both declined to comment. Monaco & Islands operates in 12 markets, including the Maldives, Seychelles and Falkland Islands, and offers fixed-line, mobile, broadband and television services. Its brands include Monaco Telecom, Dhiraagu in the Maldives, and Sure in Britain’s Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Monaco Telecom also holds a 36.8 percent stake in Roshan, a mobile phone operator in Afghanistan.The CWC unit generated $586 million revenue in the group’s 2011/12 year when it had earnings before interest, dividend, tax and amortization of $186 million, according to its website.

Monaco & Islands had 543,000 mobile subscribers as of end-March and 125,000 fixedline subscribers. Batelco aims to make at least one acquisition in 2012 to offset falling domestic revenue, its chief executive told Reuters in April.

It had cash and bank balances of $286 million, according to its 2011 annual report, and could leverage its balance sheet to $1 billion or more for acquisitions, the CEO said.

South Sudan seeks $200m credit line for imports JUBA: South Sudan aims to seal a $200 million credit line from an international bank within three months to cover imports and bolster the local currency, a minister said, after an oil shutdown erased the source of almost all its hard currency. In June, the newly-independent nation secured a similar deal for $100 million from Qatar National Bank (QNB), used to issue letters of credit for imports like food, fuel, building materials and medicine.

South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan last year under a 2005 peace deal, shut down its oil output of about 350,000 barrels per day in January in a row over how much it should pay to export through pipelines running through Sudanese territory.

The government still had about 20 percent of the QNB credit line left and planned to use it over the next two months, Commerce Minister Garang Diing Akuong said.

The letters of credit allow importers to buy dollars at the bank rate of 3.16 pounds to the dollar - a big discount to the black market price, he said. “For the last three months, a lot of business people were using this facility,” Akuong told Reuters at the weekend.

The deal also helped the South Sudanese Pound strengthen on the black market over the last few months from around 5.5 pounds to the dollar to about 4.2 now.

Akuong said he expected the

The company teamed up with Saudi group Kingdom Holding to buy a 25 percent stake in Zain Saudi last year but the deal failed due to disagreements with the indebted Saudi telco’s banks.

Batelco owns Jordanian telecoms operator Umniah. It holds 27 percent of Yemeni mobile operator Sabafon, minority stakes in internet providers in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and is also active in Egypt.

CWC, which had to cope with a faster-thanexpected shift from voice services data, halved its dividend in May and said it was not seeing consistent recovery in the Caribbean.

Its shares have risen 30 percent in the past three months, narrowing year-to-date losses to 4.3 percent. On July 3, European Union regulators cleared British mobile provider Vodafone’s 1 billion pound acquisition of fixed-line network operator Cable & Wireless Worldwide. CWW, which split from CWC two years ago, provides voice, data and hosting services to British government departments and companies while its cables span the globe. — Reuters

Demand strong for Turkey’s debut sukuk

new credit line would be settled “within two to three months, maximum,” but declined to reveal the name of the bank because it had requested negotiations proceed in a “cool and quiet manner”. Fluctuations in the South Sudanese pound are watched closely by foreign firms active in the country including cell phone operators MTN and Zain, which do business in pounds and then struggle to conver t them into dollars to repatriate profits.

In addition to QNB, prominent international banks operating in South Sudan are Kenya Commercial Bank, Equity Bank and an affiliate of Dubai Islamic bank.

The oil shutdown erased about 98 percent of the landlocked nation’s state revenues. It has almost no industry apart from oil after decades of civil war with nor th Sudan. South Sudanese officials have said it could resume some oil production by the end of the year but restoring full output could take until midway through next year.

Stabilising the pound in the longer term will depend on the country boosting currently meager exports, Akuong said. South Sudan loses about $1 billion a year in hard currency to neighboring Kenya and Uganda through remittances, informal trade and imports of goods as diverse as medicine, cement, clothes, furniture and food, he said. —Reuters

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s first ever sovereign sukuk issue has been indicated to yield a touch above 3 percent and demand for the paper has topped $1.5 billion, bankers said yesterday, as the country readied to enter the huge global Islamic bond market.

The bond, which has a maturity of 5-1/2 years and is expected to be placed today, will set a benchmark for future sukuk issues by Turkish banks and companies. “A $1 billion issuance will be a good start for Turkey,” said Osman Akyuz, secretary general of the association of “participation banks”, a term used in Turkey to refer to Islamic banks.

“Costs seem at reasonable levels. I expect maturities to be longer in issuances from now on.”

Bankers said guidance for the bond was set at 200-210 basis points over mid-swaps, which equates to just over 3 percent. That would mark a small but healthy premium to Turkey’s sovereign Eurobond maturing in 2018, which was trading at around 2.74 percent yesterday.

The global Islamic bond market is estimated to be worth around $100 billion, and the Turkish sukuk is expected to attract strong interest from Gulf investors. They have traditionally focused on their own region, where geopolitical risks have tended to keep bond yields

higher than the corresponding country credit ratings would otherwise imply. Turkey, rated ‘BB’ by Standard & Poor’s, held investor meetings for the Islamic bond in several Gulf cities last week.

Citigroup, HSBC and Kuwait’s Liquidity House, a unit of Kuwait Finance House, are managing the sale. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which espouses Islamic values, shied away from a sovereign sukuk during its first decade in power, for fear of giving ammunition to critics who accuse it of seeking to roll back state secularism. Because of these sensitivities, sukuk are referred to as “participation certificates”.

Turkey has been a frequent issuer of conventional dollardenominated bonds so it has a well-developed yield curve.

The treasury has raised a total of $4.6 billion this year by selling Eurobonds, in line with its external borrowing target of $4.5 billion in 2012.

Turkey is expected to issue a lira-denominated sukuk, its second sovereign Islamic bond, by the end of September and demand for the instrument is likely to be high, the Turkish unit of Bahraini lender Al Baraka said last week. Ayhan Keser, deputy chief executive of Al Baraka in Turkey , said the issue was expected to be of around 1.5-2.0 billion lira with a maturity of two years. — Reuters

HANOI: A cyclist rides past unfinished houses at a development project on the Western outskirts of Hanoi yesterday. Unfinished property projects and unsold houses can be seen everywhere and are the tangible sign of the slowdown of the country’s economy and the banking crisis with bad debts in banking system, mainly from the real estate sector, rose up to nearly 10 percent, according to official media. — AFP

Saudi job-creation policy bears fruit RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, grappling with chronic youth unemployment, has created 380,000 new jobs in 10 months by requiring private firms to employ Saudis, Labor Minister Adel al-Fakeih said, the Saudi Gazette reported yesterday.

“This figure is 20 times what had been previously achieved over the past five years before Nitaqat (the main jobs program) was introduced,” the English-language daily quoted him as saying.

In January, Fakeih said the Middle East’s largest economy needed to create 3 million jobs for Saudi nationals by 2015 and 6 million by 2030, partly through “Saudi-ising” work now done by foreigners.

Youth unemployment was seen as one of the main drivers of last year’s unrest which shook much of the Arab world, but bypassed Saudi Arabia, where King Abdullah announced a $110 billion package of benefits to defuse any potential discontent. Nitaqat is a quota system imposing minimum numbers of Saudi employees on companies depending on their size and sector. It is part of wider reforms aimed at getting more Saudis into private-sector jobs in a country where nine in 10 private company employees are expatriates, while 90 percent of Saudi workers are employed by the state.

Some employers have criticized Nitaqat, saying it could raise their costs or disrupt

their operations, and that qualified Saudi workers are not always readily available.

Fakeih’s comments suggested the government remained committed to the scheme.

Officially the kingdom’s unemployment rate is 10.5 percent, but that figure does not include the large numbers of workingage Saudis not counted as part of the labor force. According to recent government figures, the labor force participation rate, meaning people who are in jobs or who say they are looking for work, is 36.4 percent, about half the global average, economists have said.

The world’s top oil exporter announced last year it was introducing an unemployment benefit of 2,000 rials ($535) a month, payable for up to a year, for applicants who showed they were looking for jobs or undergoing training. In March the government said over 1 million people were receiving it.

Fakeih was quoted yesterday as saying that people who failed to hold down successive jobs or did not pass the training would instead receive a monthly incapacity benefit. “Youths who fail the training and employment program will be transferred to the category of unable to work, and will qualify for the 800 rial incapacity benefit,” the paper quoted him as saying.

In Saudi Arabia, incapacity benefit is for life. — Reuters

QFIB acquires two London properties DOHA: Qatar First Investment Bank (QFIB) has acquired two proper ties in central London, The Leinster Inn Hotel at Leinster Square and Westbourne House, Westbourne Grove, the company said in a statement.

The purchase was made with a consortium of investors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to capitalize on the growing demand for real estate in central London by converting both properties into high-end luxury residential apartments, the statement said. It did not give the value of the purchases.

“Due to the growing global demand for London’s prime residential property sector, these deals presented themselves as an attractive opportunity for QFIB to enter the UK market,” QFIB Chief Executive Emad Mansour said in the statement.

“We are optimistic that once the conversion of the properties is complete, they will be attractive to international buyers who are looking to invest in prime properties which in return will yield substantial returns to our investors.” The two transactions were structured and managed by the bank’s strategic investments team, the statement said.

Earlier this month, QFIB raised its stake in Al-Rifai International Holding, a manufacturer of nuts and snacks in the Middle East and Europe, to 35 percent. The company plans to list on the Doha stock exchange by November, Mansour said in April. Credit Suisse is advising the company on the plan, sources told Reuters in the same month.

QFIB made a net profit of $25.8 million in 2011, up 20 percent from 2010, according to the company’s website. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .4490000 .3630000 .2980000 .2840000 .2920000 .0040000 .0020000 .0759190 .7396520 .3870000 .0720000 .7250960 .0430000

.2860000 .4600000 .3710000 .3040000 .2950000 .2990000 .0058500 .0035000 .0766820 .7470860 .4100000 .0780000 .7323840 .0510000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2796500 .2817500 GB Pound/KD .4534880 .4571960 Euro .3672920 .3700500 Swiss francs .3020470 .3043150 Canadian dollars .2882990 .2904640 Danish Kroner .0492680 .0496380 Swedish Kroner .0426780 .0429980 Australian dlr .2946250 .2968380 Hong Kong dlr .0360740 .0363450 Singapore dlr .2289400 .2306590 Japanese yen .0035700 .0035970 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0052700 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0021430 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0029900 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0034580 UAE dirhams .0761680 .0767400 Bahraini dinars .7420720 .7476450 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3985150 Saudi Riyal/KD .0745930 .0751530 Omani riyals .7266470 .7321030 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0068460

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 280.800 2.225 5.130 2.130 3.425 6.810 76.555 75.035 746.500 46.085 460.800 2.990

Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

1.550 374.400 295.700 3.200

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 280.600 371.200 457.400 291.100 3.605 5.205 46.085 2.126 3.428 6.780 2.973 746.900 76.440 74.950

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 300.26 293.73 307.88 371.68 280.45 458.82 3.66 3.433 5.204 2.123 3.255 2.974 76.42 746.75 46.08 399.55 729.90 77.45 75.000

SELL CASH 299.000 292.000 307.000 370.500 281.700 458.000 3.690 3.560 5.400 2.290 3.530 3.150 77.000 746.500 47.800 398.500 735.000 78.000 75.300

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate 280.800 288.195 456.203 369.091 294.602 743.404

UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

76.430 77.077 74.845 395.827 46.050 2.125 5.232 2.966 3.432 6.768 688.801 4.579 9.022 4.354 3.247 89.514

SELL CASH 299.300 747.040 3.680 292.800 551.700 45.800 50.400 167.800 47.990 372.900 36.900 5.380 0.032 0.160 0.234 3.680 398.070 0.190 94.520 44.600 4.320 236.100 1.820 50.600 729.650 3.060 6.990 77.700 75.000 231.300 36.280 2.676 459.600 43.900 306.900

4.300 9.320 76.490 280.900

10 Tola 1,868.690 Sterling Pound US Dollar

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 457.600 280.900

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc

4.300 9.440 198.263 76.590 281.300 1.350 GOLD

SELL DRAFT 297.800 747.040 3.427 291.300

231.300 46.092 371.400 36.750 5.210 0.031

398.030 0.189 94.520 3.280 234.600 729.470 2.974 6.775 77.270 75.000 231.300 36.280 2.125 457.600 305.400

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.603 5.192 2.968 2.127 3.273 230.650 3.226 3.425 6.756 9.133 92.603 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal 74.977 Qatari Riyal 77.254 Omani Riyal 730.280 Bahraini Dinar 746.780 UAE Dirham 76.560 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.950 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.065 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.312 Tunisian Dinar 182.260 Jordanian Dinar 397.020 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.886 Syrian Lier 4.904 Morocco Dirham 33.739 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 281.050 Euro 371.140 Sterling Pound 457.130 Canadian dollar 290.940 Turkish lire 156.600 Swiss Franc 305.160 US Dollar Buying 279.850 Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

GOLD 328.000 166.000 84.250

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

No rush to bank supervision plan: Merkel BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is digging in her heels on plans for a new European banking supervisor, insisting yesterday that they must not be rushed and that she sees no need for joint European deposit insurance.

Creating a banking supervisor is a key part of Europe’s attempts to end its three-year debt crisis, partly because it has to be in place before other measures can be considered.

These include a Europe-wide deposit insurance scheme; a single method for winding down bankrupt banks; and allowing the European bailout fund to directly help banks in trouble, relieving the financial risk such rescues to individual states.

But the European Commission, the EU’s executive, has irked Berlin with plans to have the new supervisor oversee every bank in the euro-zone, rather than just the biggest, and to have it start work at the beginning of 2013. “If it’s Sept. 15 today and we’re just starting the discussion, it is relatively unlikely that, on Jan. 1, a functioning authority will be standing where we don’t even have a decision on the building plans,” Merkel said at her annual summer news conference.

“What has always hurt us in Europe, particularly with the financial markets, is when we have made announcements

that in the end couldn’t be implemented,” she insisted. “This must take the time needed to secure good quality.”

Merkel cautioned against rushing the process simply to hasten the day when struggling banks will be able to get aid directly from the ?500 billion ($656 billion) bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism.

She insisted that Europe must keep to its agreement that the new supervisory system be put in place before the ESM is allowed to help banks directly“that is the sequence and it is indispensable to keep to it.” Merkel also balked at the idea of a region-wide depositors’ insurance plan. Germany’s public-sector savings banks and cooperative banks have urged her to block it, arguing it would come at their expense.

The chancellor said she favors harmonizing deposit insurance standards, but “the question of a common deposit insurance does not arise for me, so we don’t need to discuss it at the moment.”

Merkel stuck firmly to her insistence that resolving the crisis will be a longterm, step-by-step progress that will ultimately require much better and closer coordination among the 17 countries that use the euro. As Europe grows closer together, “democratic legitimation of what we do is very important,” she said.

In Germany, the supreme court

already has forced the government to submit virtually all decisions in the crisis to Parliament. For Europe as whole, Merkel raised the possibility of greater coordination between countries’ Parliaments, or of setting up a group within the European Parliament representing the countries that use the euro.

Bailing out struggling euro-zone countries hasn’t been popular in Germany, which has Europe’s biggest economy and funds the largest part of the rescue operations. In turn, Berlin’s recipe of painful spending cuts and economic reforms is unpopular in the financially weaker countries.

Merkel suggested that disenchantment with the idea of European integration can in the end be overcome by her drive to overhaul systems that haven’t worked.

“If there is criticism of Europe, that isn’t because people don’t want Europe, but because they see that there are functional weaknesses,” she said. The chancellor dodged questions as to whether Greece would get more time to enact reforms and repay its loans from international creditors, or more aid.

Austria’s finance minister said at the weekend that Athens would get a “costneutral” extension.

Merkel said she wants Greece to stay in the euro-zone, adding: “I think that

everyone who is politically sensible will want that, too.” She insisted that Greece must stick to its pledges to implement reforms, but otherwise pointed to a report from Athens’ international debt inspectors, expected next month, that will determine whether Athens gets a crucial next tranche of aid.

“In some cases, this is about reforms that, I think, wouldn’t bring any extra

burden for the population,” she said, citing planned “organizational improvements” to the tax system and labor market.

“I don’t think it helps to revolt against measures that have to be taken anyway,” Merkel said.

“And with some measures, I say that if they have to be taken, quicker is perhaps better than too slowly.” — AP

BERLIN: German chancellor Angela Merkel leaves by car after her annual press conference on her government’s current national and international policy in Berlin yesterday.—AFP

China, US issue tit-for-tat WTO trade complaints New twist to Beijing-Washington trade relations

BARCELONA: Workers of the public transport system demonstrate in Barcelona yesterday during a strike of the public transport system affecting trains, subways and buses. Workers of the public transport system strike against cutbacks in services and the government’s plans to liberalize and privatize parts of Spain’s public transport system. — AFP

Small UK firms stymied as banks refuse to lend LONDON: Confidence amongst small British companies fell over the summer, as weak consumer demand and a lack of credit continued to hamper firms’ growth prospects, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said yesterday.

The FSB’s “Voice of Small Business” index, based on a survey of nearly 2,600 companies, dropped almost six points to 4.5 in the third quarter, with confidence declining in ten out of twelve British regions. The business services sector and small manufacturers continued to perform well, but those firms that rely on discretionary spending were less confident, the FSB said.

However, confidence remains still stronger than in the fourth quarter of 2011, when the escalation of the euro zone debt crisis pushed Britain back into recession.

“The message is clear though-businesses want to grow and invest but they need a helping hand to do so,” John Walker, the FSB’s National Chairman, said.

The survey showed that businesses that want to grow remain troubled by a lack of

finance, with the number of refused loan applications rising, the FSB said. Finance minister George Osborne has launched a number of initiatives to get credit flowing through the economy, though he has rejected calls to loosen his flagship austerity program, aimed at erasing the country’s huge budget deficit.

The government has also announced the creation of a state-backed business bank though details are still unclear. “While it is urgent to address access to finance, it is critical to get the right structure in order for it to work properly,” FSB chairman Walker said. “It must be for the long-term and not just a short-term measure for the recession.”

Britain’s economy has contracted for three consecutive quarters since it plunged back into recession at the end of 2011.With the economy slowly moving out of recession, economists forecast growth of 0.6 percent in the third quarter in a Reuters poll.

However, a strong recovery is still seen as elusive, keeping the pressure on the government to support the economy. — Reuters

Oil steady over $116 as QE balances growth worries LONDON: Brent crude oil held above $116 a barrel yesterday, steadying after seven days of gains on expectations US economic stimulus measures would boost commodities and other risky assets.

Brent hit a four-month high of $117.95 on Friday after the Federal Reserve announced a plan to pump $40 billion a month into the US economy in a third round of quantitative easing (QE) aimed at strengthening the jobs market. Previous US attempts to stimulate the economy have pushed up oil prices sharply, but economists are worried high oil prices could curb fuel consumption and dampen economic growth.

Brent futures for November slipped 20 cents to $116.46 a barrel by 1130 GMT. US crude fell 25 cents to $98.75 a barrel, down from an intra-day high of $100.42 on Friday.

“Money from the US stimulus has to go somewhere and quite a lot of it will go into oil,” said Olivier Jakob, energy market analyst at Petromatrix in Zug, Switzerland. “There is a risk that any retracement in oil prices will be bought into.” Investors are particularly concerned rising fuel prices could curb economic growth in China, which has helped keep the world economy afloat while many western nations have faced recession.

“Rising prices make it more difficult for consumers like China,” said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. “If we contin-

ue to see a further deterioration or a lack of pick-up in the Chinese economy, then you would be expecting Beijing to step up stimulus spending.”

Analysts polled by Reuters forecast China’s economy would slow further in the third quarter but regain some momentum late in the year as the impact of policy easing fully kicks in.

Still, even if activity rebounds modestly in the fourth quarter, it would drag full-year economic growth to below 8 percent, a level not seen since 1999.

Oil has also been boosted by anti-Western demonstrations over a film mocking Islam’s Prophet Mohammad and the continued dispute between the West and Iran’s nuclear program. The tensions brought the risk of a supply disruption in North Africa and the Middle East into focus. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Afghan capital yesterday, setting fire to cars and shouting “Death to America,” the latest in demonstrations that have swept the Muslim world.

Protesters have since late last week attacked the US embassies in Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia while the United States sent warships towards Libya, where the US ambassador was killed by demonstrators.

Demonstrations have also taken place in Kuwait, Iran, Bangladesh, Morocco and Sudan. — Reuters

WASHINGTON/GENEVA: China filed a trade complaint yesterday to challenge a new US law allowing duties on subsidized goods from China in a tit-for-tat exchange with the United States after Washington said it would launch a complaint against Beijing’s support for car exports.

The two cases could shift the focus to President Barack Obama’s management of the sometimes contentious US relationship with China and his support for the auto industry in the final weeks before a close election. Beijing’s complaint to the World Trade Organization about “countervailing duties”, or tariffs intended to combat export-promoting subsidies, came a few hours after the White House said it would launch a trade complaint against China over what it says is Beijing’s unfair backing of its auto industry.

China’s complaint potentially affects close to 30 products that have previously been targeted

by US duties, a trade official familiar with the case said. In a brief statement, the WTO said the products included steel, tires, magnets, chemicals, kitchen appliances, wood flooring and wind towers. In March, the US House of Representatives had voted to ensure the United States can impose duties on subsidized goods from China and Vietnam, a move the White House said was needed to protect American

jobs. Obama has signed the bill.

China’s Commerce Ministry hit out against the United States on Monday for targeting China with anti-subsidy duties. “China hopes that the United States can correct its mistaken policy and appropriately resolve China’s concerns through WTO dispute resolution mechanisms and consultations,” Commerce Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said in a statement.

The Commerce Ministry made no mention of the US decision to initiate a case against China at the WTO over allegedly illegal subsidies for automobiles and auto parts.

Obama will announce his country’s WTO complaint during a campaign tour of Ohio, a White House official said. The move allows Obama to take a stand on China and advance the interests of a major job-providing industry in a state that could tip the balance in a tight election. His opponent, Mitt Romney, has attacked Obama for what he says is an overly cautious approach to pressuring China into observing international norms for trade, foreign exchange, and patents and trademarks. Ohio relies heavily on the auto industry and is a politically important swing state.

“The key principle at stake is that China must play by the rules of the global trading system,” the official said. “When it does not, the Obama

Ex-Elf chief to appear in Togo court LOME: The former head of French oil giant Elf, Loik Le Floch-Prigent was due to appear in a Togolese court yesterday after being extradited in a fraud probe, a move condemned by his lawyer.

The former Elf CEO was arrested in Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan on Friday night as he tried to board an Air France flight to Paris, an Ivorian security source said.

He was transferred to Togo the next day, under an international arrest warrant, and is due to appear in court in the Togolese capital Lome yesterday. Le Floch-Prigent’s lawyer Patrick Klugman denounced the swift international transfer.

“The forms of extradition as we currently know them were not respected,” Klugman said. He earlier condemned the transfer as a “kidnapping” but later backtracked from the remark. An Ivorian prosecutor however said the transfer was an operation between two police forces in line with international police organization Interpol rules.

Le Floch-Prigent’s lawyer in Togo told AFP he was able to visit him on Sunday night at the police station in Lome, where he was being held in an office. He said he had not been subjected to abusive treatment while being detained, but he repeated earlier concerns raised by Klugman, saying his health was fragile and he is due to have an operation, without providing further details.

“He will be presented to a judge this morning, but we do not know what time he will be there,” Rustico LawsonBankou said. He was expected to be questioned by a judge in a procedure that would be closed to the public, in line with Togolese judicial procedures.

The investigation involves a complaint from an Emirati businessman who alleges he was the victim of a $48-million (37-million-euro) fraud. The businessman, Abbas Al Yousef, claims Le Floch-Prigent was acting as his personal adviser during the alleged fraud. Togo’s former minister of territorial administration, Pascal Bodjona, has been charged over the allegations as well as Togolese businessman Bertin Sow Agba. A lawyer for Bodjona alleged on Sunday that authorities were targeting his client because there was speculation he planned to run for president in 2015.

The lawyer, Jil-Benoit Afangbedji, alleged there was also speculation that Agba would finance his campaign.

Klugman also claimed his client was caught up in an internal Togolese political affair. He said he feared for the health of Le Floch-Prigent, who turns 69 later this month and has a medical appointment in France on September 26. The case involves a complex set of circumstances, with accusations that a network claimed to have access to $275 million in a Togolese account left by former Ivorian military ruler Robert Guei, who was killed in 2002. Al Yousef, who manages investments, including in the oil and gas industry, alleges $48 million was embezzled from him in the affair. —AFP

administration will take action to ensure that American businesses and workers are competing on a level playing field.”

Obama has said Beijing is abusing trade laws by imposing more than $3 billion in duties on U.S. auto exports. In addition to launching the subsidies case, the president is taking the next formal step in the World Trade Organization to protest those duties, the official said.

The trade enforcement steps come as Obama and Romney vie for a few important states, including Ohio, that could determine the outcome of the Nov 6 presidential election. Obama holds a narrow lead in polls, but the sluggish economy and unemployment rate have weighed on the president’s re-election bid.

In recent days, Obama’s handling of foreign affairs has jumped to the forefront of the campaign debate as tensions boil over in the Middle East. Romney has accused Obama of making too many concessions to the Asian powerhouse and has promised to be tougher on issues such as trade and currency manipulation. The Obama campaign has frequently stated that, during his business career, Romney was responsible for sending many US jobs overseas, including to China. The WTO is unlikely to make a ruling on the two cases before the US presidential election in November. — Reuters

UAE mall operator MAF’s profit up DUBAI: Mall operator Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) reported a 17-percent rise in half-year operating profit yesterday as tenant revenues i n Bahrain and Egypt, dampened by Arab Spring unrest, rose, boosting the Dubai-based firm’s income. Unlisted MAF, the franchisee for Carrefour hypermarkets in 19 countries and operator of 11 malls across the Middle East and North Africa, said its operating profit was 1.5 billion dirhams ($408.39 million) for the six months to June 30. This compares with operating profit of 1.29 billion dirhams in the yearearlier period.

Revenue rose 15 percent to 10.75 billion dirhams. MAF’s property division, which includes its mall and hotel operations, reported a 16-percent rise in revenue to 1.5 billion dirhams, contributing 970 million dirhams of group operating profit.

“We have seen turnarounds in markets previously impacted by the Arab spring,” MAF said in a statement, adding tenant sales in Egypt and Bahrain rose 44 and 23 percent respectively year-on-year. MAF’s mall tenants pay a basic rent plus a proportion of their sale revenue to the developer.

In 2011, MAF took writedowns of 300 million dirhams on its hotels in Bahrain and 250

million dirhams on its Egypt operations.

Tenant sales in the United Arab Emirates and Oman were up 13 percent year-on-year. MAF’s lower-margin retail division, which includes its Carrefour franchises, made an operating profit of 467 million from sales of 8.9 billion dirhams, which were up 15 percent year-on-year.

MAF’s Chief Executive Iyad Malas, speaking at the Reuters Retail and Consumer Summit last week, said he expected 2012 revenue growth to be in line with last year when gross revenue rose 10 percent to 19.6 billion dirhams. The firm said it was reviewing “strategic opportunities” in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Azerbaijan, while new developments in Lebanon and Egypt were moving forward. It also plans to open two more Carrefour hypermarkets by year-end, including its first store in Georgia.

MAF issued a $400 million debut sukuk in February and a $500 million, seven-year bond in July. “The group’s liquidity position is sufficient to cover over two years of its financing requirement,” MAF added. “Financing initiatives are now focused on improving the profile of the company’s debt portfolio such as reducing secured debt, refinancing to achieve more flexible and improved terms.” — Reuters

LONDON: Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (left) greets French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici (right) outside Number 11 Downing Street before their meeting in central London yesterday. — AFP

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

business

EU markets watchdog in mis-selling crackdown LONDON: Banks and investment firms have until the second quarter of next year to scrap pay incentives that could encourage the mis-selling of financial products, European Union regulators said.

The draft plan marked a widening remit for the EU’s securities watchdog as it pushes into investor protection territory, traditionally a preserve of national supervisors. Steven Maijoor, chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), said yesterday there had been a number of mis-selling scandals hitting retail investors across the region in the past decade, from pensions to mor tgages, and a more consistent

approach was needed to investor protection.

“A key factor identified as a driver for the promotion, recommendation and selling of unsuitable products is the presence of financial incentive schemes for sales staff that do not take account of the clients’ best interests,” Maijoor said.

“The consistent application of ESMA’s remuneration guidelines will help strengthen investor protection and achieving the same level of protection for Europe’s retail investors no matter where they invest.”

The ESMA draft guidelines, out for public consultation until December, flesh out basic require-

ments in an EU securities law known as MiFID. The guidelines become effective in the second quarter of 2013 when there will be a general obligation on investment firms, banks and other sellers of financial products to deal with conflicts of interest and have adequate controls in place.

Britain has just launched its own consultation on curbing pay incentives that encourage highpressure selling tactics to win bigger bonuses.

The ESMA guidelines cover all types of remuneration for sales staff, such as basic pay and bonuses.

Firms should not set strategic goals that focus solely on financial or commercial aspects without

taking into account the potential harm to customers. Pay policy must not favor one type of higher earnings product over another, or cut someone’s basic salary substantially if specific sales targets are not met, ESMA said.

Paris-based ESMA said good practice would include follow-up interviews with a sample of customers after a sale to test if the sales person had acted honestly, fairly and professionally.

Regulators are trying to restore investor confidence in the tarnished financial sector in a bid to encourage people to save more for their old age. — Reuters

One year on, Occupy is in disarray, but spirit lives on Occupy Wall Street remains a metaphor NEW YORK: Occupy Wall Street began to disintegrate in rapid fashion last winter, when the weekly meetings in New York City devolved into a spectacle of fistfights and vicious arguments.

Punches were thrown and objects were hurled at moderators’ heads.

Protesters accused each other of being patriarchal and racist and domineering.

Nobody could agree on anything and nobody was in charge. The moderators went on strike and refused to show up, followed in quick succession by the people who kept meeting minutes. And then the meetings stopped altogether.

In the city where the movement was born, Occupy was falling apart. “We weren’t talking about real things at that point,” says Pete Dutro, a tattoo artist who used to manage Occupy’s finances but became disillusioned by the infighting and walked away months ago. “We were talking about each other.” The trouble with Occupy Wall Street, a year after it bloomed in a granite park in lower Manhattan and spread across the globe, is that nobody really knows what it is anymore. To say whether Occupy was a success or a failure depends on how you define it. Occupy is a network.

Occupy is a metaphor. Occupy is still alive. Occupy is dead. Occupy is the spirit of revolution, a lost cause, a dream deferred.

“I would say that Occupy today is a brand that represents movements for social and economic justice,” says Jason Amadi, a 28-year-old protester who now lives in Philadelphia. “And that many people are using this brand for the quest of bettering this world.”

Yesterday, a couple hundred protesters converged near the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate Occupy ’s anniversary, marking the day they began camping out in Zuccotti Park.

A handful were arrested after sitting on the sidewalk, but there was no sign of a planned “people’s wall” on the streets surrounding the stock exchange.

Instead, protesters held a small meeting where they talked about the ills of Wall Street and corporate greed.

Marches and rallies in more than 30 cities around the world will commemorate the day. About 300 people observing the anniversary marched Saturday.

At least a dozen were arrested, mostly on charges of disorderly conduct, police said. But the movement is now a shadow of its mighty infancy, when a group of young people harnessed the power of a disillusioned nation and took to the streets chanting about corporate greed and inequality.

Back then it was a rallying cry, a force to be reckoned with. But as the encampments were broken up and protesters lost a gathering place, Occupy in turn lost its ability to organize. The movement had grown too large too quickly. Without leaders or specific demands, what started as a protest against income inequality turned into an amorphous protest against everything wrong with the world. “ We were there to occupy Wall Street,” Dutro says. “Not to talk about every social ill that we have.”

The community that took shape in Zuccotti Park still exists, albeit in a far less cohesive form. Occupiers mostly keep in touch online through a smattering of websites and social networks.

There are occasional conference calls and Occupy-affiliated newsletters.

Meetings are generally only convened to organize around specific events, like the much-hyped May Day event that ultimately fizzled last spring.

The movement’s remaining $85,000 in assets were frozen, though fundraising continues. “The meetings kind of collapsed under their own weight,” explains Marisa Holmes, a 26-year-old protester among the core organizers who helped Occupy rise up last fall.

“They became overly concerned with financial decisions. They became bureaucratic.” In other words, they became a combustible microcosm of the society that Occupiers had decided to abandon - a new, equally flawed society with its own set of miniature hierarchies and toxic relationships. Even before the ouster at Zuccotti Park, the movement had been plagued with noise and sanitary problems, an inability to make decisions and a widening rift between the park’s full-time residents and the movement’s power players, most of whom no longer lived in the park. “We’ve always said that we want a new society,” Holmes says. “We’re not asking anything of Wall Street. We don’t

a third term have held a series of Occupy-style protests. Young “indignados” in Spain are joining unions and public servants to rally against higher taxes and cuts to public education and health care.

“All around the world, that youthful spirit of revolt is alive and well,” says Kalle Lasn, co-founder of Adbusters, the Canadian magazine that helped ignite the movement.

In New York, groups of friends who call themselves “affinity groups” still gather at each other’s apartments for dinner to talk about the future of Occupy. A few weeks ago, about 50 Occupiers gathered in a basement near Union Square to plan the anniversary.

There were the usual flare-ups, with people speaking out of order and heckling the moderators. The group could not agree on whether to allow a journalist to take photographs. An older man hijacked the meeting for nearly 15 minutes with a long-winded rant about the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics.

A document called “The Community Agreement of Occupy Wall Street” was distributed that, among other outdated

NEW YORK: Protesters are arrested during ‘Occupy Wall Street’ demonstrations yesterday in New York City. The ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement, which sparked international protests and sympathy for its critique of the global financial crisis, is commemorating the first anniversary of its earliest protest. — AP expect anything in return.”

Occupy organizers in other US cities have also scattered to the winds in recent months. In Oakland, a metal fence surrounds the City Hall lawn that was the hub of protesters’ infamous tear-gassed, riotous clashes with police.

The encampment is gone, as are the thousands who ventured west to help repeatedly shut down one of the nation’s largest ports.

“I don’t think Occupy itself has an enormous future,” says Dr Mark Naison, a professor at Fordham University in New York City. “I think that movements energized by Occupy have an enormous future.”

Across the nation, there have been protests organized in the name of ending foreclosure, racial inequality, stop and frisk, debt: You name it, Occupy has claimed it. Occupy the Bronx. Occupy the Department of Education. Occupy the Hood. Occupy the Hamptons.

Protesters opposing everything from liquor sales in Whiteclay, Nebraska, to illegal immigration in Birmingham, Alabama, have used Occupy as a weapon to fight for their own causes. In Russia, opposition activists protesting President Vladimir Putin’s re-election to

encampment-era rules, exhorted Occupiers not to touch each other’s personal belongings and laid out rules about sleeping arrangements.

It is this sort of inward-facing thinking - the focus on Occupiers, not the world they’re trying to remake - that saddens ex-protesters like Dutro, who wanted to stay focused on taking down Wall Street.

Hanging in the entryway to his Brooklyn apartment, like a relic of the past, is the first poster he ever brought down to Zuccotti Park. In black and gold lettering, painted on a piece of cardboard, the sign says: “Nobody got rich on their own. Wall St thinks U-R-ASUCKER.” He keeps it there as a reminder of what Occupy is really fighting for. Because despite his many frustrations, Dutro hasn’t been able to stamp the Occupy anger out of his soul.

Not yet.

Late yesterday, he’ll be down at Liberty Square again. And he’ll be waiting, like the rest of the world, to see what happens next. “We came into the park and had this really magical experience,” he says. “It was a big conversation. It was where we all got to realize: ‘I’m not alone.’” — AP

Deutsche Bank to cut cots in ME investment banking DUBAI: Deutsche Bank is cutting several senior jobs in its investment banking business in Dubai, including directors, as it cuts costs to adapt to a tougher investment banking environment globally, three banking sources said. The German lender last week outlined plans to cut bonuses, axe more jobs and sell assets, and senior executives said expected job cuts would be “over and above” the 1,900 positions already announced.

“There are at least seven people confirmed to be leaving front office roles (in Dubai),” said a source familiar with the matter, adding the jobs were mostly in the investment banking business.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that three or four of the job cuts were at director level. Among those leaving is Zulfi Khan, a director in its global markets operations who handled client coverage in the United Arab Emirates, two other sources said.

“A lot of the job cuts in the region have so far remained confined to junior level bankers. Shifting higher up shows the region is clearly no more an appealing destination as it used to be for investment bankers,” one of the banking sources said, adding Deutsche is cutting about a quarter of its total Dubai investment banking team. Deutsche Bank declined to comment on specific job cuts in an emailed statement, and a spokesman said

the lender had a strong investment banking platform in Dubai and the region.

“Any speculations regarding drastic job cuts like 25 percent are lacking any sound basis,” said Michael Lermer, Deutsche’s spokesman in the region. “We have adjusted our capacity in some areas by about 5 percent whilst growing our resources in other areas, which is normal business practice.”

Other global banks, including Bank of America, Credit Suisse and Rothschild, have also shed investment banking jobs in the region in recent months, as dwindling deal volumes and a low fee paying culture makes the business model nonviable. Middle East investment banking fees were $234.8 million in the first half of 2012, a 5 percent rise from a year-ago but still a far cry from the nearly $1 billion fees earned by banks during the boom years of 2005 and 2006, Thomson Reuters data showed.

That fee pool has to be shared between as many as 20 global banks who have hired or brought in some senior bankers to lure business in the region.

Nomura Holdings, Japan’s largest investment bank, shut down its research department in the region last year, while Credit Suisse laid off its London-based MENA equity research head. — Reuters

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

Singapore recession risk looms after Aug exports shrink SINGAPORE: Singapore’s non-oil domestic exports (NODX) in August fell more than expected, raising the prospect of the city-state entering into a recession as exports to the European Union plunged. The trade-dependent Southeast Asian city-state said yesterday non-oil domestic exports (NODX) fell 10.6 percent from a year earlier, hurt by a 10.4 percent drop in electronics and a 28.7 percent plummet in shipments to the EU, its largest market.

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, NODX shrank 9.1 percent after contracting 3.6 percent in July. Electronics exports contracted 14.8 percent in August from July after seasonal adjustments, while non-electronics NODX shrank 7.1 percent, trade agency International Enterprises Singapore said in a separate email.

“Although our baseline case is not for a quarter-

on-quarter contraction, the chances are not minute.

There is perhaps a 40:60 chance of contraction,” said Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp head of treasury research Selena Ling, whose estimate was the closest among the 13 economists polled by Reuters.

The median estimate in a Reuters poll had been for non-oil domestic exports to fall 4.0 percent year-onyear and 1.8 percent month-on-month.

Singapore’s economy shrank less than anticipated in the second quarter, thanks to a surge in pharmaceutical production in June, gross domestic product (GDP) data showed last month.

But the government warned of continued uncertainties and downside risks and narrowed its 2012 growth forecast to 1.5 to 2.5 percent from an earlier 1-3 percent. Economists expect the Southeast Asian city-state’s gross domestic product to grow 2.4 per-

cent this year, down from a median estimate of 3.0 percent three months earlier, the central bank’s latest quarterly Survey of Professional Forecasters showed.

Singapore’s weaker-than-expected trade data follows signs of a slowdown elsewhere in the region, with a survey on Monday showing New Zealand’s services sector slowed for a third consecutive month in August to a two-year low. South Korea said yesterday retail sales fell for a third straight month in August.

Looking ahead, economists said the weak August trade data reinforced the widely held perception that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the country’s central bank, will likely ease monetary policy slightly in October by slowing the local dollar’s rate of appreciation.

“With these kinds of numbers, growth momentum appearing to slow down and inflation less of an issue, MAS could look at a gentler slope of appreciation,” said CIMB regional economist Song Seng Wun. Singapore sets monetary policy by allowing its dollar to rise or fall against a undisclosed basket of currencies. When it issued its last policy statement in April, MAS said it would allow a modest and gradual rise of the Singapore dollar with a slightly sleeper slope of appreciation.

OCBC’s Ling warned, however, that MAS along with its regional peers would be cautious about easing policy too rapidly given the risk of asset appreciation fuelled by the US Federal Reserve’s latest round of quantitative easing. “Asian central banks are worried about the QE side of things and what it may do to asset inflation,” she said. — Reuters

Strikes loom as India pledges more reform CB cuts cash reserve ratio, shares jump MOSCOW: Sberbank Management Board Deputy Chairwoman, Bella Zlatkis, speaks during a press conference in Moscow yesterday. — AFP

Russia launches $5bn Sberbank stake sale MOSCOW: Russia pulled the trigger on the sale of a $5 billion stake in Sberbank yesterday, taking advantage of strong markets to cut the state’s ownership in Europe’s No 3 bank to a bare majority. The sale of a 7.6 percent stake in Sberbank has been held back for more than a year by shaky financial markets, but last week’s announcement of a new round of credit easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve opened the window to a placement. Russian stocks rallied by 8 percent on Friday after the news from the US central bank, propelling Sberbank shares to their highest close since April and putting the state in a position to sell into market strength.

“This was the best day of the past 15 months to take the decision to go to the market,” Chief Executive German Gref told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Gref hopes asset managers in China, Singapore and Hong Kong, among others, will be interested in the offering, which will take place during three days. Books may be closed at any time, he added.

The accelerated sale will help clear a stock overhang that has held back the share performance of the former Soviet state savings bank, and capped Russian stock valuations at a 50 percent to other emerging markets. It will boost the tradeability of Russia’s most liquid blue-chip stock, widely viewed by investors as a proxy on the world’s ninth-largest economy, which grew at a rate of over 4 percent in the first half of the year.

The secondary stock offering will deliver a welcome revenue windfall but it also sends a signal to markets that Vladimir Putin, recently re-elected president, is willing to sell off state assets at what he considers to be a fair price.

Sberbank said that it would price the sale of 1.7 billion shares at between 91 roubles ($2.99) apiece and the market price at the time of closing the books the sale. The minimum price represents a discount of 6 percent to Friday’s closing price of 97.05 rubles. Although the bank’s stock fell by up to 2 percent yesterday, the relatively tight pricing buoyed market confidence that the deal would be strongly supported by investors.

“The timing of the deal is perfect: first, you have strong global market dynamics,” said Jason Hurwitz, a senior analyst covering the financial sector at Alfa Bank in Moscow.

“Secondly, we think it is clear that Russian banks including Sberbank will face diminishing profitability,” added Hurwitz. “So why not sell the stake now?” While the government had eyed a placement price north of 100 roubles per share, holding out could have proved risky as the Russian economy is losing momentum as demand for exports of oil and gas to Europe is sapped by the euro zone debt crisis.

“This placement is definitely interesting to us,” said Kirill Bagachenko, a senior portfolio manager at TKB BNP Paribas Investment Partners. “If we are talking about emerging markets, it has unique liquidity and is extremely cheap at around 1.4 times book value.”

The sale will take place in Moscow and London, the bank said. A source close to the deal said that the order book was likely to close today. Of the aggregate offering, up to 10 percent will be placed via Moscow’s MICEX stock exchange, Sberbank said. At the discretion of the central bank, through which the state holds its controlling stake in Sberbank, the share of the offering to be placed in Moscow may be increased to 15 percent.

Sberbank will make the bulk of the placement in London in the form of global depositary shares, with each GDS representing four ordinary shares. No new shares will be sold, meaning the proceeds of the stock offering will accrue to the state. The central bank, which will reduce its stake in Sberbank to 50 percent plus one voting share through the sale, appointed Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Troika Dialog as joint global coordinators of the deal.

Sberbank said that its subsidiary LLC Sberbank Investments may acquire the equivalent of up to 20 billion rubles of ordinary shares in the offering at the offer price and on the same terms as other investors. — Reuters

MOSCOW: Central Bank deputy Chairman, Sergei Shvetsov, speaks during a press conference in Moscow yesterday. — AFP

NEW DELHI: India’s trade unions yesterday called a nationwide strike against the opening of the retail sector to foreign supermarkets as the government pledged to push ahead with more economic reforms.

The planned shutdown on Thursday, backed by the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is designed to force Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reverse his decision to allow the likes of Walmart and Tesco to set up shop in India.

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), an umbrella body of nearly 10,000 trade federations, said it would mobilize for the day of defiance against the reforms which have been welcomed by investors and business leaders. “The small traders will be wiped out once the multinational giants begin their operations in India simply because they operate on a predatory pricing policy to wipe out all competition,” CAIT secretary Praveen Khandelwal said.

Meanwhile, Central Bank yesterday cut the cash reserve ratio as it tries to kickstart flagging growth and welcomed government efforts to open Asia’s third-largest economy to more foreign investment.The Reserve Bank of India said the share of deposits that banks must keep with it as reserves was cut by a quarter percentage point to 4.5 percent, injecting about 170 billion rupees ($3.2 billion) into the banking system.

The central bank also announced that it would keep its short-term lending rate, or repo rate, unchanged at 8 percent. The reverse repo rate at which the bank absorbs excess money by borrowing from banks, was also unchanged - at 7 percent.

The monetary policy decisions come just days after the government announced landmark reforms aimed at giving a boost to India’s economy.

Indian shares rose 1.35 percent in early trade yesterday, reaching their highest level in more than a year as investors cheered a slew of reforms announced by the government to boost the economy. The Indian rupee also surged to a four-month high of 53.7 against the dollar in morning trade, on hopes that foreign investor sentiment towards India would improve and lead to strong overseas fund inflows. The benchmark 30-share Sensex index rose to 18,715.03 points, a 15-month high, as retail, aviation and banking stocks jumped after the reform blitz announced late last week.

All shops would be shut and traders would get together to discuss their strategy, he added. But despite the prospect of strike action and dissent within its own ranks, the left-leaning coalition said it would unveil more measures in the next few weeks in a bid to put some color into the cheeks of an anemic economy.

While Finance Minister P Chidambaram did not give any details on the planned measures, he said he hoped that they would encourage India’s central bank to cut interest rates at its next meeting on October 30. The Mumbai-based Reserve Bank of India (RBI) left rates unchanged at a meeting on Monday, saying it was still concerned about high inflation.

“I am very confident that between now and October 30, since the government is expected to take a number of additional policy measures and also lay out a path of fiscal correction, the response of the RBI will be far more supportive of growth,” Chidambaram told reporters.

After accusations of a policy paralysis, the government made a series of stunning announcements last week, starting with a 12-percent increase in the price of diesel and a reduction in the sale of subsidized gas canisters.

MUMBAI: People walk in front of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) building in Mumbai yesterday. India’s central bank yesterday cut the cash reserve ratio as it tries to kick-start flagging growth and welcomed government efforts to open Asia’s third-largest economy to more foreign investment. —AP It stirred things up further by allowing foreign firms, which had previously only been allowed to open single-brand shops, to open multi-brand supermarkets. As well as meeting predictable resistance from small shopkeeper’ unions and opposition parties, the changes pushed by Singh and his Indian National Congress party have also caused consternation inside the government.

Reports on Monday said that the Trinamool Congress, a regional party from the state of West Bengal inside Singh’s coalition, was likely to pull its ministers out

of the government but offer support to the ruling coalition from outside.

“She (party leader Mamata Banerjee) will wait for the next big policy confrontation to withdraw support to Congress-led government at the centre,” the Economic Times said on Monday, quoting a senior leader of the Trinamool party. The response of the markets and business leaders to the reforms has been positive.

India’s economic growth has slowed sharply from nearly 10 percent four years ago to 5.5 percent in the latest quarterly figures. — Agencies

Start-ups fight back as patent wars intensify

KOLKATA: Indian private bus operators rest inside a stranded bus during a day-long strike in Kolkata yesterday. Transport services in the metropolis and districts of West Bengal were disrupted yesterday with most private bus operators going off the roads in response to an indefinite strike demanding an immediate fare hike following increase in the price of diesel. — AP

Lonmin cuts sales forecast as strikes continue to hurt Platinum miner Lonmin Plc cut its full-year sales forecast as it continued to be hurt by violent strikes between unions at its mines in South Africa. The world’s No 3 platinum producer said it now expects to sell between 685,000 ounces and 700,000 ounces of platinum for the year ending Sept. 30.

The company, whose shares have dropped 37 percent since January, said in August that it was unlikely to meet its previous target of 750,000 ounces.

Lonmin has been hit by a month of lost production and the absence of Chief Executive Ian Farmer, who has been on sick leave since last month. It has already warned it is in danger of breaching debt covenants and has said it may need to raise equity. The covenants would likely be breached by Sept.

30, when they are due to be tested.

The strikes, arising out of a push for wage hikes, have already claimed the lives of 45 people, the company said. Last week, striking workers rejected a pay offer from Lonmin, dimming prospects of ending several weeks of industrial action that has swept through

South Africa’s platinum sector. Yesterday, the company said it gave notice to terminate its contract with Murray and Roberts - a contractor which supplies about 1,200 staff at its K4 shaft with effect from October 17.

“The situation is delicate but we have limited options in terms of managing the tradeoff between lost production, higher wages and business rationalization, including a significant reduction in jobs,” Simon Scott, Lonmin’s acting CEO, said. “A prolonged delay in production will only force further difficult management decisions.”

Aquarius Platinum’s Kroondal platinum mine and Xstrata’s chrome mine near Rustenburg in South Africa restarted yesterday after suspending operations last week, although the situation on the ground remained tense.

Lonmin said mining activity at its Marikana remains minimal, though all shafts are operational.

The company’s shares were roughly flat at 615.5 pence at 1004 GMT on the London Stock Exchange yesterday.— Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: The patent wars that have embroiled many of the world’s technology giants in recent years are spreading to a new set of combatants: start-up companies and their venture-capital backers. A group familiar to many larger technology companies is instigating the battles: nonperforming entities, or NPEs, who acquire patents or serve as agents for inventors.

Paradoxically, they often represent start-up friendly institutions such as universities.

They are disparagingly referred to as “patent trolls” in Silicon Valley, and are increasingly going after entrepreneurs and their investors, claiming patent infringement. The unflattering nickname arose due to their habit of suddenly demanding licensing fees from unsuspecting businesses, much like mythical trolls that lie in wait under bridges to extract tolls from travelers.

Long focused on large corporations because of their deep pockets, the NPEs now seem to have an eye on start-ups that are not as established but who have raised large amounts of money and often have substantial revenue. But some start-ups and their investors are putting up a fight, rather than quickly paying up. “I would say it came up in zero out of ten companies a year ago,” said Brian O’Malley of Battery Ventures, talking about patent strategies. “Now it comes up in three out of ten companies.”

Venture capitalists such as George Zachary of Charles River Ventures and David Cowan of Bessemer Venture Partners say that all of their larger, more successful companies have been hit with one or more legal notices over alleged patent infringement. The mounting legal risk for start-up companies is fanning an already heated debate about whether the patent system has evolved in a way that threatens rather than supports innovation. Some VCs argue that software products in particular should not be afforded patent protection at all.

But there is little prospect of an overhaul of the patent system anytime soon, and thus start-ups are now faced with patentrelated decisions that could make or break their companies.

Take cloud-storage startup Box, which is dealing with a March lawsuit from Titanide Ventures, a Texas company that accuses Box of violating three of its cloud patents. Or etailer Gilt Groupe, which last month got hit

with a lawsuit from TQP, a Texas company that believes Gilt is violating an encryption patent. Box has raised $287 million; Gilt, $240 million.

Travel site Hipmunk received an infringement claim from i2z Technology LLC in June, just after it announced $15 million in new funding. Rather than negotiate or wait for a lawsuit, it brought a case against i2z in July. “It was very clear to us that this was a totally bogus claim,” says Adam Goldstein, chief executive of Hipmunk.

The patent at issue was created by Brigham Young University professors and is now owned by i2z. In his June letter to Hipmunk, i2z President Rakesh Ramde noted that several large companies, including Microsoft, had already licensed the patent.

Ramde did not respond to a request for comment. While patent holders sometimes seek millions in compensation for a patent on a particularly valuable technology, intellectual property lawyers say a typical licensing fee might run $100,000 to $750,000. At those prices, many companies that have faced patent infringement charges traditionally were quick to pay.

But some entrepreneurs, especially idealistic founders who might be leading their first start-up, say they hate the idea of helping legitimize a patent they do not agree with, stoking their fire to take on the patent holder. “There probably is a growing tendency of young companies to defend these cases,” says Robert Taylor, a lawyer at Arnold & Porter, who says he feels misgivings over the trend. “For a small company, particularly one needing infusions of capital in order to grow, I’m not sure I would agree it’s a sound strategy to fight every patent case that comes down the pike.”

Taking a patent case all the way through trial could cost $2 million or more and take two to three years, Taylor says- money and time the start-up is arguably better off spending on its product and growth. But giving in too easily could help spur future claims, both against the start-up, and other related businesses, entrepreneurs say. The arguments on how to react, and how best to fix the patent system, can grow heated.

“Patents are like this radioactive word in Silicon Valley,” says Zachary of Charles River Ventures. “It’s a complicated topic. It brings on this level of fervor.” — Reuters

26

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

business

AUB announces winners of Al-Hassady weekly draw KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank has announced the results of the weekly draws of its Al-Hassad Islamic savings scheme. The lucky customers winning the grand weekly prize worth KD 25,000 each at the draws held on the 5th of July, 2012: Ameena A.Aziz Isa, Bahawil Baksh Ahmed, Hanan Mohammad Hashem.

The following Al-Hassad Islamic customers won cash prizes of KD 1000 each: Khiria Haider Hussain, Anwar Ibraheam Hamad, Audeh Mohsin Abd Al Karim, Adel Abdulrasoul Hasan, Saleh Aayesh Al Azmi, Hassan Mohd Merza, Naser Al Otaibi, Yasmeen Bader Yagoub, Zanab Mubarak Mutar, Ali Yousef Al Alamy, Hasan Ashkanani, Ahmed Al Hayder, Hasan Awn Al Matawa, Fahad Mubarak Fahad, Mishaal Abdullah Ahmad, Waheed Ebrahim Khalil, Emile Jaffar Mohammed, Nooreya Shaikh Ebrahim,

Abdulla Saleh Ahmed, Saleem Hussain Mohd, Ahmed Mohammed Bolad, .Rahman Mohd Ahmed, Mahmood A.Ghaffar Mohamed, Abdulmajeed Hussain Baqer and Huda Hamad Isa. With the new Al-Hassad Islamic 2011 scheme, customers have a lot more to look forward to.

With 28 Weekly Prizes totaling KD 100,000 each week and “Salary for Life” Prizes every month, the chances to win bigger prizes more often couldn’t get any better.

The most attractive feature of the new scheme is the chance to win bigger prizes, more frequently with 3 grand prizes of KD 25,000 each, week on week plus 25 other weekly prizes of KD 1,000. Chances to win big prizes on a weekly basis, offer instant rewards to both existing as well as new Investors in Investment Saving Account (Al-Hassad Islamic). With the introduc-

tion of a “Salary for Life” Prize of KD 250,000 every month, the grand prize is also now more frequent and customers do not need to wait for a quarter or more to qualify for the grand prize.

The “Salary for Life” has been a core feature for the Al-Hassad Islamic scheme with prizes paid out to date exceeding KD 10 million. The monthly “Salary for Life” prize has enabled winners to afford better homes, ensure better education for their children and enjoy an improved quality of life, with the assurance that the rewards will continue to come month after month for 250 months. Al-Hassad Islamic is the only scheme to offer high value weekly and monthly prizes that are significantly higher than the total outlay of other prize schemes in Kuwait. In addition to the attractive prize pool, customers with high balances can opt for other unique features such as

Investment savings plan, cheque facility linked to their investment savings account and state of the art e-banking and 24 x 7 Contact Center support.

The new Al-Hassad Islamic 2011 is geared to meeting the needs of salaried individuals.

Customers can benefit from not only the biggest and most attractive prize pool but can also enjoy state of the art banking benefits and access to AUB’s unique products’ range for Islamic Finances ,credit cards and investment products. All AlHassad draws are conducted under the scrutiny of officials from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and independent auditing firm, Ernst& Young.

For more information on the Al-Hassad Islamic investment savings account, its prize structure and eligibility criteria, customers may visit any AUB Kuwait.

Top Expo gears for opening of KIPS 2012 on Sept 24 Present situation offers greater choices for buyers

Porsche Cayenne GTS spices up local car market with a fusion of two worlds KUWAIT: Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, has unleashed its sportiest SUV ever - the Cayenne GTS. After the global reveal wowed the audience at the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Porsche is introducing this most sporting SUV in a market already in love with the Porsche Cayenne.

The Cayenne - which saw record sales and a 35 per cent increase across the region in 2011 - now comes in an athletic, faster GTS variant, with all the space, comfort and clear layout of an SUV; coupled with the driving fun, dynamics and agility of a sports car.

George Wills, Managing Director of Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, says: “The new Cayenne GTS is not simply a vehicle positioned between the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo, but represents a model with its own distinctive character developed from tip to toe for emotionally-charged sportiness. It is a vehicle set to grab the hearts and minds of anyone passionate about driving.

“Our SUV range in general has struck a chord with the Middle East market. We have seen the Cayenne in all its variants enjoy enormous popularity in the last few years.

Last year, the Cayenne accounted for nearly two-thirds of Porsche’s regional sales. Judging by the high level of interest in the GTS we are already witnessing that this new model will bolster our success.”

The Cayenne GTS’s power unit is the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in the Cayenne model line, with uncompromising power: it has a 4.8-litre V8 engine which offers up 420 horsepower. It will rocket you from 0 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and offers a top speed of 261 km/h.

An eight speed Tiptronic S gearbox with integrated auto start/stop function offers dynamic control, while Porsche Traction Management (PTM) with active all-wheel drive provides a superior feeling of comfort and safety - something you have come to expect of a Porsche even at the high speeds.

The Cayenne GTS’s outstanding driving dynamics are driven by the completely new chassis setup, with lowered body: with steel spring suspension featured as standard, the

Cayenne GTS is 24 millimetres lower than the Cayenne S and 20 millimetres lower with optional air suspension. The lower ride height gives the new Cayenne GTS a lower centre of gravity, with a perceptible impact on agility when cornering.

The exterior underlines the vehicle’s sporting character. The Cayenne GTS front section features larger cooling air intakes - similar to the Cayenne Turbo - and a distinctive front apron with additional air intakes. The attention-getter at the rear end is definitely the dominant roof spoiler with twin-wing profile which does not only look good but also increases the down force on the rear axle even further.

Roger Kyriacou, Deputy General Manager of Porsche Centre Kuwait, said: “There is a strong focus on sports performance. This new model combines greater engine output, more dynamic power development and a firmer chassis setup with a lower-slung body - yet with a very high degree of comfort.”

Its sportiness is complimented with comfort and luxury. A leather interior comes as standard, including Alcantara trims. The driver and front seat passenger sit on eight-way electrically adjustable GTS sports seats. The rear seats, with single seat styling, offer rear passengers outstanding side support. With its shift paddles, the standard SportDesign steering wheel is poised for manual gear changes and blends harmoniously with the puristic interior. Exclusive, optional interior packages are available only for the GTS, including contrasting stitching in Carmine Red or Peridot Metallic.

Kyriacou added: “A lot of people here in Kuwait choose the Cayenne for all its space, luxury and comfort, while enjoying the superior sporting performance and sheer pleasure of getting behind the wheel of a Porsche.

Now, with the new GTS model, our customers will be bowled over by the fact that while it still looks like an SUV - with all the benefits of a large, comfortable, family-friendly vehicle it handles and feels like a sports car - both physically and emotionally.” The Cayenne GTS has a basic retail price of 27,100 Kuwaiti Dinar in Kuwait.

KUWAIT: Top Expo Group for Exhibitions and Conferences Organization announced the completion of its preparations for launching the activities of its prestigious event in the field of real estate in Kuwait, the Kuwait International Property show -KIPS 2012-, which the group organizes in cooperation with Kuwait International Fair Company in the international exhibitions area in Mushref, Hall No 8, during the period from 24 to 29 September, under the patronage of the Undersecretary of Commerce and Industry, Abdulaziz Alkhalidi, with the participation of a number of local, GCC and foreign real estate companies.

The Group’s Managing Director, Walid AlQaddoumi, has said that the Exhibition, in its present season, coincides with the issue of numerous studies and research works by several entities specialized in real estate and investment and a number of real estate experts. The forthcoming exhibition highlights the fact that this is the best time to buy, for, under current market circumstances the biggest winner will be the buyer and the loser will be the seller.

Commenting on the event, Al-Qaddoumi said that the present international financial crisis that rocked most of the world’s markets created a situation of very low demand and an extremely high supply of real estates, which translates into lower prices and wider choices for buyers.

He added that all this coincided with the global and local banks reluctance to grant loans and finance real estate projects. These factors contributed to stabilizing real estate prices in most countries. The rates of real estate price decline various from one country to another, depending on the circumstances

of each individual country.

Al-Qaddoumi pointed out that, in light of the continued stability of property prices for more than four years, more markedly with the circumstances created by “the Arab Spring” the impact and consequences continue in several Arab countries. The situation is made even more complicated by political

Walid Al-Qaddoumi uncertainty in the region. Under these unusual circumstances, opportunities are bountiful and have never been so attractive, given the low price levels.

Throughout human history, the experience of all nations has shown that disturbances of the kind we see in the region today take a long time to settle and a longer time for activity and development to start and inevitably lead to higher prices that will create the circumstances under which investors can reap the benefits of their investments.

He point out that, under those circumstances, new investment trends started to emerge in the GCC and Arab markets, with investors moving toward specific markets because, in the end, an investor is careful to move his investments to safe havens. The recent and new develops saw investors seeking such haven in a number of European and Islamic countries, particularly since the Arab countries now enjoy a relative stability at the political and investment levels.

Al-Qaddoumi went on to say that the most stable real estate sectors throughout the crisis have been those associated with religious tourism, for investment in this field has historically proved quite feasible because it is not affected by political circumstances, revolutions or other upheavals. Quite obviously, the number of individuals who perform Omra and pilgrimage is continuously on the rise.

This has been the experience over the past two years, indicating an obviously upward trend particularly in view of the programs and extension projects carried out by the Kingdom, all of which tend to encourage real estate investment in religious areas.

Commenting on the Kuwait International Exhibition, Al-Qaddoumi said that, in its present season, the Exhibition offers a number of excellent investment and real estate opportunities in more than 15 countries, with approximately 40 exhibitors both local and Arab offering widely diversified real estate products that suit various segments and needs.

At the end of his statement, Al-Qaddoumi invited citizens and investors to visit the Exhibition, look at t he various projects being offered and seize the opportunity provided by the presence of this large number of companies and projects.

Hotel Show Saudi Arabia set to revolutionize hospitality industry Over 100 firms to participate in hotel show KUWAIT: More than 100 companies from24 countries representing various supply chains of the hospitality sector across the Middle East and beyond will be participating at the inaugural Hotel Show Saudi Arabia - presenting food & hospitality, to be held in Jeddah between November 17 to 19, 2012.

The three-day show, to be organized at the Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events, will bring together leading regional and international manufacturers and suppliers for the Hospitality, Catering, Food & Beverage as well as related industries, covering over 8,500 square meters of space, with 5,000plus invited buyers, live gourmet food demonstrations, seminars and a dedicated

Warba Bank launches Murabaha service KUWAIT: Warba Bank, the most recently opened Islamic bank in Kuwait, announced the launch of ‘Murabaha’ service to finance customers’ needs with entire flexibility via basic monthly installments. The new service, which is compliant with the Islamic Sharia principles, allows customers to enjoy purchasing their goods and pay their easy installments within a period that starts from six months up to 15 years.

Adnan Al-Salem Murabaha covers house finance, construction and repair, as well as consumer products such as boats and marine equipment, furniture, and electronic appliances. The service is launched as means to attract new customer segments, further enhance the bank’s market share while support the volume of local sales.

On his part, Chief Retail Banking Officer

at Warba Bank, Adnan Salman Al-Salem, said, “Murabaha is the latest service offered

by Warba Bank that caters to its customers’ essential needs with flexible terms and procedures. The new service plays a role in supporting local sales and demand thus reflecting positively on the Kuwait economy.” Murabaha is offered for both nationals and expats at the age of 21 years and above. It covers several necessary goods and luxury products with competitive costs and quality service.

Furthermore, Al Salem clarified that the service includes financing new and used cars from individuals and agents, new and used boats and marine equipment plus their spare parts, readymade and customized furniture, as well as electronic appliances and its supplies.

As per the bank’s vision, Murabaha is provided through up-to-date technologies and expertise to best serve its customers.

Warba is keen on offering contemporary solutions through its latest Islamic products and services as means to further strengthen its communication channels with its customers. It is worth to mention that the bank has recently launched nine banking cards including the standard debit cards; ‘Lamar’ card for ladies; ‘Shabab Warba’ for young people; ‘Tala’ card for children; and ‘Safwa’ for customers seeking elite services, in addition to three credit cards: the ‘Classic’ card, the ‘Gold’ card, and the ‘Platinum’ card.

hotel summit.

Held under the patronage of HRH Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Chairman of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities [SCTA], The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia is organized by MICE Arabia Group and co-organized by dmg :: events, and is a sister show to The Hotel Show, now in its 13th year in Dubai and renowned as the largest hospitality supply event in the MENA region.

Reinforced by the expertise of dmg :: events in organizing the world-class hotel show in Dubai, The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia

is set to be the ideal business platform informing on the large-scale infrastructure developments in KSA, boom in religious tourism and flourishing business travellers & MICE sector, catapulting the Kingdom onto the international hospitality map..

Elie Rizk, CEO of MICE Arabia Group, said: “Keeping pace with the demands of the country’s burgeoning hospitality market, The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia has focused its offering to provide an unmatched sourcing platform for buyers and sellers of hospitality supplies and services. The event is “mustattend” trade show for regional and global companies wanting to establish a presence or grow their existing businesses in this lucrative market. We have received tremendous response from participants and we are confident of its success.”

Five key segments are represented at this inaugural show, attracting exhibitors from the length of the industry value chain. These include Interiors & Design, Operating Equipment & Supplies, Technology, Outdoor & Resort Experience, and Food & Beverage.

More than 10 country pavilions will be represented at the show, including Italy, Greece, France and Malaysia. In his comments, Tim Wilson, Event Manager at dmg :: events, said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has emerged

as one of the most captivating markets for foreign direct investment in the food, hotel and hospitality industries. With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism industry set to reach US$14.9trillion in 2012, the potential for growth is huge. We at dmg :: events have presented successful Hotel Shows over the years in Dubai. Now we aim to continue to expand by showcasing of the broadest range of products, services and technologies for the hospitality sector in KSA. We are trying to get the maximum diversity, range and competitiveness of exhibitors to make it a record first year for The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia.”

Saudi Arabia is expected to welcome 15.8 million tourists by 2014, with some 381,000 new hotel rooms and a 63 percent increase in room stock against 2010 inventories forecast for completion by 2015. So, the event will go a long way in further emphasizing the unmatched potential in store in the Kingdom, he added.

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia is supported by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, UBI France, and The Hospitality Committee,with Premium Sponsors being Nowy Styl Group & Stylis Hotel Solutions. The Knowledge Partners are Euromonitor International & Ventures Middle East.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

As new vets go online, VA and others follow DENVER: Busy, tech-savvy and often miles from their peers, thousands of new veterans are going online to find camaraderie or get their questions answered - forcing big changes in long-established veterans groups and inspiring entrepreneurs to launch new ones.

“We’re going back to school, we have full-time jobs, we have families and kids,” said Marco Bongioanni, 33, of New York, who deployed to Iraq twice while on active duty in the Army.

That leaves little time for what he calls “brickand-mortar” groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. Bongioanni and many other men and women who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are gravitating to websites open only to them, where they can talk about GI Bill education benefits, job hunting, the personal toll of war and other concerns they share, any time, day or night.

“The fact that it’s a virtual world, 24/7, allows us to manage it better,” said Bongioanni, now a major in the Army Reserve and attending Army Command and General Staff College in Georgia.

They can also track their health benefits on a Department of Veterans Affairs website and read the VFW magazine on their smartphones, upgrades prompted at least in part by the needs and habits of the 1.4 million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“You need to go where they are, and that’s online,” said Jerry Newberry, director of communications for the VFW. Not all the changes are happening online. The VFW’s oldest chapter, Post 1 in Denver, was created in 1899 by First Colorado Volunteers returning from the Philippines in the Spanish-American War. Today, it’s reorganizing around the needs of the new veterans.

Its new building, currently being remodeled, won’t have a full-time bar. The space will be devoted instead to offices for veterans service groups, said Izzy Abbass, the post commander and a 44year-old Army veteran of the first Gulf War.

“We’re not the traditional VFW post,” he said.

“Typically the image is of a smoky, dark bar, (a) bunch of guys wearing funny hats sitting around bitching, and they look a lot older than I do.”

Abbass said he has deep respect for the previous generation of veterans and is grateful for what they accomplished, on the battlefield and at home. He said older veterans in Post 1 are among the strongest advocates for making changes to engage the new generation.

The VFW traces its origins to local associations of war veterans who lobbied for health care and pensions, and their meeting halls often became neighborhood gathering places. The VFW is no longer the center of its members’ social lives, Abbas acknowledged.

“There’s, what, 2,500 bars across Denver? We could hit a different one every night and be fine,” he joked. Post 1 emphasizes activism, working with veterans groups on college campuses, sponsoring outings for families of deployed servicemen and women and coordinating with a group that helps families reconnect after a deployment.

“What we’re saying is, look, we love you as a member, but we don’t want you to sit on the sidelines, because if we as vets don’t step up to help our fellow vets, no one else will,” Abbass said.

It was the activism that persuaded Dana Niemela to join Post 1. “To be quite honest, I thought it was for a different generation of veteran,” said Niemela, 36, who served in the Navy from 1997 to 2005, including two years in the Mediterranean. “When I thought of VFW, I thought of World War II, I thought of Vietnam. I frankly didn’t think of women, and I think that’s a common stereotype,” she said.

“When I started meeting the other members and this post in particular, I was really inspired by how actively engaged they were in the veteran community,” she said. For Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who don’t have much contact with their peers, a website can be a lifeline, said Jason

Active speakers are high-tech

Hansman, manager of the Community of Veterans website at the not-for-profit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

“We’re talking about less than 1 percent of the population that served in Iraq or Afghanistan. The social isolation can be great,” said Hansman, 29, who served in Iraq with an Army civil affairs unit.In November, one veteran’s messages on the site grew darker and darker as he struggled with job and relationship problems, and he eventually made a suicide threat in a chat room. Following its policy, Community of Veterans gave the veteran’s contact information to the VA’s Veterans Crisis Line, and the suicide was averted, Hansman said.

Community of Veterans started in 2008 and has swelled to more than 23,000 members.

TakingPoint.com, a for-profit veterans website, had nearly 16,000 members weeks after going live this year, said David Johnson, the 30-year-old founder and CEO of the website.

“It’s kind of like LinkedIn meets Facebook meets Angie’s List,” Johnson said with a laugh. Its name invokes the vanguard role of the point soldier or pilot at the head of a patrol. TakingPoint will soon offer software that can analyze individual veterans’ service records and tell them what benefits they may qualify for, said Johnson, who served three tours in Iraq with the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group.

“The VA in some places has nine-month backlogs,” Johnson said. “Calling up the VA (for that information) ... in my opinion is not what a lot of people are doing.” The VA has long been saddled with a reputation for bureaucratic torpor, but its hospitals and benefits offices have leaped online with 150 Facebook pages, 75 Twitter feeds and a combined total of nearly 640,000 friends and followers, said Brandon Friedman, director online communications for the VA. “In terms of reach, we’re doing very well,” Friedman said, acknowledging that some of the 640,000 online contacts are duplicates. “In terms of impact, we’re not sure yet, and we’re still struggling

with how you measure that.”

The American Legion and VFW have launched Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, but the transition to the web isn’t always easy. When the Legion wanted to start taking membership applications and renewals online, it “literally took an act of Congress,” national communications director John Raughter said.

Congress chartered the Legion in 1919 - its purposes include “to cement the ties and comradeship born of service” - and any change in the Legion’s constitution, such as new membership procedures, requires congressional action.

The Legion and VFW say their membership numbers show they’re connecting with new veterans. The Legion, with 2.4 million members, has grown by 50,000 since 2009, Raughter said.

“We don’t want to be so aggressive that we become pests,” Raughter said. “Some of the troops, their big message is, ‘Leave us alone. We’re coming home. We’re settling in.’ That’s why we’re more interested in advocacy.”

The 1.6 million-member VFW said Iraq and Afghanistan veterans make up 15 to 16 percent of its total, the largest single group. Cameron Cook, a 37-year-old Iraq veteran who is director of veteran student services at the University of Colorado’s Denver campus, tells other veterans it’s important to get involved.

“I try to tell them, ‘You know that GI Bill you’re on, that Post-9/11 GI Bill you’re on? There would be no such thing if it wasn’t for these organizations really pushing for us,’” said Cook, a former Marine and a member of VFW Post 1.

While Cook keeps in touch with his military buddies on Facebook, he said email and online networking have limits. He insists on meeting face-toface with student veterans in his program. “I think it makes you feel like you’re part of something instead of just having a name on a website,” he said. “I think face-to-face interaction makes you really feel like you belong a lot more.” —AP

Good gaming is a matter of control Gamers also need to consider steering wheels

Compact and full sound of active speakers BERLIN: Rarely is there enough space for an entire sound system with speakers - definitely not on a desk. And maybe the music should play every now and again in another room.

That’s the perfect case for active speakers, which don’t need anything more than a socket and playing device.

Because they are often used to play back recordings in studios, they are rarely found in HiFi sections. But not every speaker box with an amplifier is a real active speaker.

“Actually the active speaker box is the most sensible thing you can have,” said Andrea Kloehn, consultant at the media technology company Amptown. The deviations of frequency response caused by speaker form and size can be corrected by active speakers. That means listeners don’t have to accept losses in frequency response due to smaller casing.

“Most subwoofers are active because their casing is smaller,” said Kloehn. The frequencies are separated in the preamplifier. “If for example the bass distorts in an amplifier, then it turns over to the other tones as well.”

Active speakers are high-tech. The individual amplifiers can be optimally adjusted to

the individual speaker chassis. Constructors can use so-called corrective elements, including acceleration sensors which measure the movement of the chassis or active frequency switches which are often supported by digital signal processors (DSP). The result is a speaker with a frequency response as linear as possible and with very few distortions. “ There is almost nothing that speaks against active speakers,” said Holger Biermann, editor of the magazine Stereoplay.

Even HiFi and high end shops have active speakers in their selection. “The manufacturers are mainly targeting professionals and studio musicians. But of course everyone can buy them,” said Biermann. And the word studio in the description should not scare off anyone. Active speakers can also be used in living rooms.

The playing devices are usually connected to the active speaker via a cinch (RCA) or jack (TRS or audio jack). Using smartphones or tablets as sound sources can often cause sonic restrictions because they usually do not have standardized audio outputs to optimally connect the output impedance of the player and the input impedance of the speakers.—dpa

FRANKFURT: A good gamer needs to be able to do several things at once, which means a gamer is only as good as his or her controller. “At the top levels, we’ve registered 500 actions a minute,” says Ibrahim Mazari of Turtle Entertainment, a company that organizes gaming tournaments. Mazari has seen gamers get through games like Starcraft II by simply flooding their controller with clicks.

But the strategy will only work if the gamer has the right controller. That means a choice between mouse, keyboard or gamepad, to name a few options. “Players all bring their own devices with them,” says Mazari.

That means the kind of controller matters. So does weight. That’s why some gamers have a mouse with a special opening they can use to load down or lighten the mouse. While that’s more fuss than the average gamer might need, it’s still important to find something that suits.

Ergonomics also shouldn’t be ignored, says Frank Stoewer of the German magazine PC Games Hardware. “The best mouse is no good to me if my hand hurts after using it for an hour.”

That means, where some get by just fine with small, flat devices, others want a bulky mouse.

It’s always best to test one out before purchasing. The same applies to keyboards: if a player notices problems after a long gaming session, it might be best to consider one with a trackball controller.

And there’s no need to pay a lot, say experts, especially not with off-the-shelf models. “You can get three buttons and a clickwheel for a few dollars,” says Stoewer. But more buttons will mean more money: The same applies to keyboards. Versions that come with programmable buttons cost more, but are useful in role-playing games where a player might want to unleash a torrent of spells with the push of a button.

Prices can also rise if controllers are made of special materials or are designed to be especially sensitive. Some gamers swear by mechanical keyboards. Others say the devices make noise that distracts from the game.

Stoewer says more people are buying extremely sensitive mice. But not every player is well-served with those. “With some of these, you touch the mouse once and then you’re at the other end of the screen.”

Gamers also need to consider steering wheels or flightsticks, which can turn a desk into a cockpit. Stoewer says its best to spend a little more money on these and that such controllers should have force feedback. “That way the shaking of the controller can let you know you’re going around a curve,” he says.

Nonetheless, these are mostly for true purists.

“A hardcore tennis player would buy himself a special tennis racket,” explains Anika von Ribbeck, who works for GAME, the German federal association of the computer gaming industry.

Players should also consider gamepads, which they will likely have experienced if they play games on consoles like the XBox. “For quick reactions, gamepads are often better. For long distances, go with a mouse,” says Stoewer.

Mazari recommends checking out various versions before committing.

Many PCs now support gamepads, especially for games that originated on consoles. Also consider the freeware programme Xpadder, which lets gamers come up with their own key array for a controller. — dpa

The new trackball controller

New investigation points to three new Flame-related malicious programs

K

aspersky Lab announces the results of new research related to the discovery of the sophisticated nation-state sponsored Flame cyber-espionage campaign. During the research, conducted by Kaspersky Lab in partnership with International Telecommunication Union’scybersecurity executing arm -IMPACT, CERT-Bund/BSI and Symantec, a number of Command and Control (C&C) servers used by Flame’s creators were analyzed in detail. The analysis revealed new, groundbreaking facts about Flame. Particularly, traces of three yet undiscovered malicious programs were found, and it was discovered that the development of the Flame platform dates back to 2006.

COLOGNE: A model shows a new type of instant camera on press day of the photo fair Photokina in Cologne, Germany, yestereday. The Photokina show runs from today until Sept 23. — AP

Main findings • The development of Flame’s Command and Control platform started as early as December 2006.

• The C&C servers were disguised to look like a common Content Management System, to hide the true nature of the project from hosting providers or random investigations.

• The servers were able to receive data from infected machines using four different protocols; only one of them servicing computers attacked with Flame.

• The existence of three additional protocols not used

by Flame provides proof that at least three other Flame-related malicious programs were created; their nature is currently unknown.

• One of these Flame-related unknown malicious objects is currently operating in the wild.

• There were signs that the C&C platform was still

under development; one communication scheme named “Red Protocol” is mentioned but not yet implemented.

• There is no sign that the Flame C&Cs were used to control other known malware such as Stuxnet or Gauss.

The Flame cyber-espionage campaign was originallydiscovered in May 2012 by Kaspersky Lab during an investigation initiated by the International Communication Union. Following this discovery, ITUIMPACT acted swiftly to issue an alert to its 144 member nations accompanied with the appropriate remediation and cleaning procedures.The complexity of the code and confirmed links to developers of Stuxnet all point to the fact that Flame is yet another example of a sophisticated nation-state sponsored cyber operation.

Originally it was estimated that Flame started operations in 2010, but the first analysis of its Command and Control infrastructure (covered by at least 80 known domains names) shifted this date two years earlier.

The findings in this particular investigation are based on the analysis of the content retrieved from several C&C servers used by Flame. This information was recovered despite the fact that Flame’s control infrastructure went offline immediately after Kaspersky Lab disclosed the existence of malware. All servers were running the 64-bit version of the Debian operating system, virtualized using OpenVZ containers. Most of the servers’ code was written in the PHP programming language. Flame’s creators used certain measures to make the C&C server look like an ordinary Content Management System, in

order to avoid attention from the hosting provider.

Sophisticated encryption methods were utilized so that no one, but the attackers, could obtain the data uploaded from infected machines. The analysis of the scripts used to handle data transmissions to the victims revealed four communication protocols, and only one of them was compatible with Flame. It means that at least three other types of malware used these Command and Control servers. There is enough evidence to prove that at least one Flame-related malware is operating in the wild. These unknown malicious programs are yet to be discovered.

Another important result of the analysis is that the development of the Flame C&C platform started as early as December 2006. There are signs that the platform is still in the process of development, since a new, yet not implemented protocol called the “Red Protocol” was found on the servers. The latest modification of the servers’ code was made on May 18, 2012 by one of the programmers.

“It was problematic for us to estimate the amount of data stolen by Flame, even after the analysis of its Command and Control servers. Flame’s creators are good at covering their tracks. But one mistake of the attackers helped us to discover more data that one server was intended to keep. Based on this we can see that more than five gigabytes of data was uploaded to this particular server a week, from more than 5,000 infected machines. This is certainly an example of cyber espionage conducted on a massive scale,” commented Alexander Gostev, Chief Security Expert, Kaspersky Lab.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Artificial bat cave built to combat killer disease CLARKSVILLE: Conservationists have built an artificial bat cave deep in the Tennessee woods to see if it can be a blueprint for saving bats who are dying by the millions from a fungus spreading across North America.

The $300,000 project by The Nature Conservancy is believed to be the first manmade hibernating structure for bats in the wild. Unlike natural caves, it will be cleaned annually to keep the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome from reaching lethal levels.

“We talked with other people, waiting for one of them to call us crazy and no one did,” said Gina Hancock, director of the Tennessee chapter of the conservan-

cy. The cave is assembled from prefabricated concrete sections. At 78 feet long and 16 feet wide, it is about the size of a single-wide mobile home. It has an 11foot-tall ceiling that is textured so bats can cling to it.

Most of the cave was then covered with at least 4 feet of soil. All that can be seen from the surface is an air intake that serves as the bat entrance. It looks like a concrete septic tank set on its end with the bottom cut out.

The artificial cave is placed near a natural cave with an established hibernation population of gray bats. The plan is to coax some of them to the new digs by emitting ultra-sonic bat calls on loud-

speakers. White-nose syndrome, named for the sugary smudges found on affected bats’ snouts, prompts bats to wake from hibernation and die when they fly into the winter landscape in a futile search for food. First detected in upstate New York in 2006, the fungal infection has killed more than 5.7 million bats as it spread from the Northeast.

The genius of the artificial cave is that it can be cleaned annually to keep the fungus from reaching lethal levels. Cory Holliday, Tennessee program director of caves and karst for the conservancy, said it would be impossible to keep the fungus out of the new cave.

“The fungus will do what the fungus

will do,” Holliday said. Holliday said in natural caves, fungus levels in new roosting areas are relatively low. The prevalence increases in the second year and spikes in the third year.

Each spring, after the bats have dispersed from hibernation, workers will open a door set into the wall of the artificial cave, remove the guano and pressure wash-the ceiling and walls with a solution of water and Formula 409.

If all goes as planned, the clean cave would resemble the first-year environment of a new roosting area in a natural cave. The fake cave could hold perhaps 250,000 bats. Holliday said he would be delighted if 1,000 show up this winter.

He said the winter of 2013-2014 will provide the first solid test of the concept.

The cave is designed to be easily replicated with precast culvert sections that slide together and are then sealed.

The earth uphill from the cave is graded so rainwater will flow through a pipe into a basin in the cave floor, overflowing it to help keep humidity at around 85 percent.

The basin also gives the bats a water source. The project was built on land the conservancy bought and then deeded to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. It is near the Tennessee Kentucky border, just south of the Fort Campbell US Army post. — Reuters

Alzheimer’s epidemic looms World Alzheimer’s Day on Sept 21

PHNOM PENH: This picture taken on July 5, 2012 shows a health worker pointing out mosquito borne diseases at a health center in Pailin province, some 350 kilometers northwest of Phnom Penh. Cambodian villagers armed with a little medical know-how — and their mobile telephones — are the nation’s new foot soldiers in the fight against drugresistant malaria. They diagnose the disease with a quick blood test and provide treatment, free of charge, in remote parts of the impoverished nation, where access to health services can be difficult. — AFP

Should three-parent IVF be allowed to avoid disease?

LONDON: Britain launched a public consultation yesterday to ask whether controversial “three-parent” fertility treatments should be available to families hoping to avoid passing on incurable diseases.

The potential treatments, currently only at research stage in laboratories in Britain and the United States, would involve implanting genetically modified embryos into women for the first time.

The techniques have become known as three-parent in vitro fertilisation (IVF) because the offspring would have genes from a mother, a father and from a female donor. They are designed to help families with mitochondrial diseases - incurable inherited conditions passed down the maternal line that affect around one in 6,500 children worldwide.

“This is unchartered territory,” said Lisa Jardine, chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) which is running the consultation until December. “If this is allowed...it has consequences in perpetuity.”

The HFEA is Britain’s independent regulator for IVF treatment and embryo research and was asked by the British government to “take the public temperature on this important and emotive issue”, Jardine said.

The new potential treatments involve intervening in the fertilisation process to remove faulty mitochondrial DNA, which can lead to a range of inherited conditions including fatal heart problems, liver failure, brain disorders, blindness and muscular weakness.

The techniques would effectively replace mitochondria, which act as tiny energy-generating batteries inside cells, so a baby does not inherit faults from its mother.

Britain is in the vanguard of research in this area, so ethical concerns and scientific advances here are closely watched around the world - particularly in the United States where scientists are also working on DNA swap techniques. Jardine, whose organisation will report back to government in early 2013, said she wanted to hear from people from all walks of life, all backgrounds and all levels of expertise.

Medical science of this kind, especially when it involves human reproduction, has the potential to “immediately alter the nature of society to all eternity”, she said.

There is a need, she added, to balance “the

desire to help families have healthy children with the possible impact on the children themselves and wider society”.

The consultation on the HFEA website at www.hfea.gov.uk is open to anyone. Among questions contributors are asked to consider are: how a child born from this sort of technique might feel?; whether the child should be told?; whether their sense of identity might be affected?; what the rights of the female donor might be?; whether the donation of mitochondrial DNA should be viewed as similar to egg or sperm donation, or more like blood or tissue donation?; and who should decide who can access the treatments? “Every person in the UK and beyond ought to have a view, and we want to reach as many of those people as possible,” Jardine told reporters at a briefing in London.

Scientists are researching several three-parent IVF techniques. One being developed at Britain’s Newcastle University, known as pronuclear transfer, swaps DNA between two fertilised human eggs. Another, known as maternal spindle transfer, swaps material between the mother’s egg and a donor egg before fertilisation.

A British medical ethics panel which reviewed three-parent fertility treatments for mitochondrial diseases decided in June they were ethical and should go ahead as long as research shows they are likely to be safe and effective.

Some pro-life campaigners have already criticised the scientific research, saying that creating embryonic children in a lab abuses them by subjecting them to unnatural processes. The HFEA said other critics may worry that modifying embryos to avoid disease could be the first step towards the creation of “designer babies”, whose genetic makeup could be modified as embryos to ensure certain traits such as height or hair colour. Health experts, research groups and medical charities welcomed the consultation.

“This is our chance to have a thoughtful and insightful discussion about the issues, benefits and risks of these techniques and ... make an informed decision about techniques that could yield an answer for some debilitating and currently incurable diseases,” said Sharmila Nebhrajani, head of Britain’s Association of Medical Research Charities.— Reuters

PARIS: More than 100 years after it was first caught in the act of decaying a patient’s brain, Alzheimer’s remains one of medicine’s greatest challenges as it robs ever more people of their memory and independence.

Researchers make halting progress, reporting small steps forward along with many frustrating setbacks. And while care for Alzheimer’s sufferers has improved since former US president Ronald Reagan and British fantasy author Terry Pratchett helped lift the stigma, the key workings of the illness remain a riddle.

Alzheimer’s disease causes two-thirds of dementia cases-attacking one in 200 peopleand finding a cure has never been more pressing as the world’s population grows and ages. “There is going to be a tsunami in terms of (cost) burden,” Dean Hartley, director of science initiatives at the US Alzheimer’s Association, told AFP ahead of World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21.

A door to hope slammed shut last month when drug giants Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson stopped tests of eagerly-anticipated therapies that failed in clinical trials. On September 6, French researchers announced plant extract ginko biloba, widely marketed as a natural Alzheimer’s remedy, did not actually prevent dementia.

Blaming insufficient funding, at least in part, researchers say they still do not know quite what to make of the plaques and tangles that German doctor Alois Alzheimer first spotted in the brain of a dementia patient who died in 1906.

Little follow-up work was done until the 1960s, partly because fewer people were then living to an age when the disease shows up.

Today, the sole drugs in our arsenal treat some symptoms but are powerless to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.

“People are absolutely desperate for medicines-people suffering from the disease, and people close to them,” said Eric Karran, research director at Alzheimer’s Research UK. “Where we are at the moment is a critical period for this disease,” he added. “The pharmaceutical industry has had a range of very, very expensive failures. I worry they might be thinking: ‘this is very difficult and we will just have to wait until the science is more evolved’.”

Hartley and Karran said Alzheimer’s received a fraction of the money governments spend on disease research despite being one of the costliest illnesses in terms of suffering and spending.

Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) projects the number of people with dementia will rise from 35.6 million in 2010 to 65.7 million by 2030 and 115.4 million by 2050.

The cost, including hospital and home care, drugs and clinic visits, is expected to soar some 85 percent by 2030 from about $600 billion (480 billion euros) in 2010 — roughly the GDP of Switzerland.

But money is not the only problem. The disease is a particularly complicated one to crack, not least because its effect on humans is nigh impossible to replicate in lab animals. Its slow progression is an added hurdle. “The disease seems to be present in people’s brains maybe 15 years prior to... suffering symptoms,” said Karran.

Alzheimer’s normally becomes apparent around the age of 70, when family members observe a loved-one becoming forgetful and confused. “When patients are available to be studied in clinical trials, you are actually looking at a disease that has been going on for 15 years,” by which stage neurons would already have died, said Karran.

Scientists disagree on the respective roles of beta amyloid plaque build-ups and of a protein called tau which forms tangles inside these brain cells. Most test therapies have targeted beta amyloids, but some now suggest it is actually tau killing the braincells.

“We still do not understand the relation between the structural damage and cognitive

symptoms exactly,” Dutch neurophysiology PhD student Willem de Haan told AFP. Researchers are aiming for a treatment that will halt the disease at an early stage-even before the onset of symptoms.

And while they have not succeeded, their work is throwing up some valuable clues along the way.Already known is that a small percentage of people, more women than men, are genetically predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s. A family history of the disease boosts the risk.

Some studies suggest healthy living may reduce the chances of those people who do not carry Alzheimer’s-related genes of developing the disease. Diagnostics, too, are improving: new research shows that a simple eye-tracking test and sleep disruption may be early indicators, helping victims make lifestyle choices before the disease steps into higher gear.

The experts believe that if governments, researchers and drug companies work together efficiently, a treatment may be available within 20 years. But they also warn against giving false hope to desperate people.

“Finding a medicine for a chronic disease is far, far more complicated than, say, putting a man on the Moon,” said Karran. — AFP

ANGERVILLIERS: A woman, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, looks at an old picture on March 18, 2011 in a retirement house in Angervilliers, eastern France. — AFP

UN health agency says Ebola toll at 31 in Congo GENEVA: The death toll from an outbreak of the Ebola virus in northeastern Congo has more than doubled to 31 over the past week, while 38 other people are either suspected of having the disease or are definitely infected, the UN health agency said Friday. Aid workers fear that the disease may be spreading in part due to traditional funeral practices in the region.

The Ebola virus has no cure and is deadly in 40 percent to 90 percent of cases. The disease causes severe internal bleeding and can be spread by close person-to-person contact. Fadela Chaib, a spokeswoman for the

G e n e v a - b a s e d Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization, said the latest outbreak in Congo was unusual in that the first person known to be infec ted was a health worker, and officials suspect that the worker might have picked it up from a patient.

Health authorities are trying to find that “index case” - the primary case of infection in the general population - and trace that person’s ensuing contacts.

Normally, someone seeking c a re f rom a he a l t h f a c i l i t y would have been reported first, and that has mostly been the case in the eight previous Ebola epidemics in Congo since the

first discovery of the virus in 1976. This is the first Ebola outbreak in the Haut-Uele territory in northeastern Congo. “ The s i t ua t i on i s s e r i ous,” Chaib told repor ters. Among the 69 cases overall, there are 41 “probable and confirmed cases” and 28 suspected cases, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said. “The rule is that many of the suspected cases are later discarded,” he added.

Authorities said last week that 15 people had died in northeastern Congo, where the tradition of washing and displaying of corpses before funerals can spread the epidemic.

The tradition is intended to show love and respect for the deceased, but the practice also brings people into close contact with victims of the deadly virus.

Doc tors Without Borders, along with WHO and Congo’s health ministry, has been conducting education campaigns in the area to warn people of the risks linked to this practice. The medical workers’ aid group also is managing two quarantine centers in the municipalities of Isiro and Viadana, and the UN has called for the creation of a $2 million fund to fight the epidemic in Congo. — AP

CDC: US kids eat too much salt, as much as adults

WASHINGTON: This June 28, 2012 file photo shows supporters of President Barack Obama’s health care law outside the Supreme Court in Washington after the court’s ruling was announced. America’s health care system is unsustainable. It’s not one problem, but three combined: High cost, uneven quality and millions uninsured. Major changes will keep coming. Every family will be affected. — AP

CHICAGO: American children eat as much salt as adults - about 1,000 milligrams too much, or the same amount as in just one Big Mac. Extra salt is linked with higher blood pressure, even in kids, but government research says those who are overweight and obese may be most vulnerable to its effects.The new findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were published online yesterday in the journal Pediatrics.

Previous research has shown similar results in adults but studies on salt, weight and blood pressure are scarce in children.

The CDC researchers looked at data on 6,200 kids aged 8 to 18 involved in 2003-08

national health surveys. The children were asked twice over several days to detail all foods they’d eaten the previous day; the researchers calculated salt intake from their answers.

Overall, 15 percent had either high blood pressure or slightly elevated blood pressure called prehypertension. Those who ate the most salt faced double the risk of having elevated blood pressure, compared with those who ate few salty foods. But among overweight or obese kids, the risk was more than triple.

The recommended daily salt or sodium intake for kids and adults is no more than 1 teaspoon daily, or about 2,300 milligrams.

On average, study kids ate 3,300 milligrams daily. CDC researcher Quanhe (SHWAH’-nuh) Yang says it’s unclear why heavier kids would be more sensitive to salt but it could be due to obesity-related hormone changes. The results raise concerns because studies have shown that elevated blood pressure in childhood, even just prehypertension, can lead to full-fledged high blood pressure in adulthood and potentially premature heart disease. Prehypertension and high blood pressure in children younger than 17 depend on age, height and gender. In those 18 and up, readings between 120 over 80 and 140 over 90 are prehypertension; 140 over 90 and higher is high blood pressure. —AP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Mixed grades for new, healthy school lunch rules ROTTERDAM: One student complains because his cafeteria no longer serves chicken nuggets. Another gripes that her school lunch just isn’t filling. A third student says he’s happy to eat an extra apple with his lunch, even as he’s noshing on his own sub.

Leaner, greener school lunches served under new federal standards are getting mixed grades from students piling more carrots, more apples and fewer fatty foods on their trays. “Now they’re kind of forcing all the students to get the vegetables and fruit with their lunch, and they took out chicken nuggets this year, which I’m not too happy about,” said Chris Cimino, a senior at Mohonasen High School in upstate New York.

Lunch lines at schools across the country cut through the garden now, under new U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition standards. Mohonasen students selecting pizza sticks this week also had to choose something from the lunch line’s cornucopia of apples, bananas, fresh spinach and grape tomatoes, under the standards.

Calorie counts are capped, too.

Most students interviewed in this suburban district near Schenectady seemed to accept the new lunch rules, reactions in line with what federal officials say they’re hearing elsewhere. Still, some active teens complain the meals are too skimpy. And while you can give a kid a

whole-wheat pita, you can’t make him like it.

“I was just trying to eat it so I wouldn’t be hungry later on,” Marecas Wilson said of his pita sandwich served this week at Eastside Elementary in Clinton, Miss. Though the fifth-grader judged his pita “nasty,” he conceded: “The plum was very good.” Kim Gagnon, food service director in the Mohonasen district, said while students generally have been receptive to the fruits and vegetables, “we have noticed that kids are throwing it out or giving it to friends, leaving it on counters, so we haven’t quite gotten there yet.” The guidelines approved by the USDA earlier this year set limits on calories and salt and phase in whole grains.

Schools must offer at least one vegetable or fruit per meal.

They can still serve chocolate milk, but it has to be nonfat.

The biggest update to federal school-food guidelines in 15 years might please parents who recall washing down cheeseburgers and tater tots with full-fat chocolate milk. In Pueblo, Colo., Megan Murillo said she feels more comfortable letting her first-grader, Sophie, eat cafeteriaprepared lunches knowing there are more vegetable and whole grains. Reactions in schools so far this fall have been positive, according to Kevin Concannon, the USDA’s undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. “I don’t mind it because I always got the extra apple and fruit and veggies and all that,” said Anthony

Sicilia, a senior at Mohonasen, who nonetheless was eating a Subway sub for lunch. “But I think it’s good because it actually forces kids to eat healthy.”

But new guidelines or no, many kids are still picky eaters. In Clinton, Miss., the elementary students served flatbread roast beef sandwiches with grated cheese ate most of the meat but left large chunks of whole-wheat pita. Most plums were gnawed to the pits, and several salads were half eaten.

“I liked the meat but not this,” fifth-grader Kenmari Williams said, pointing to his pita. “Every time you eat it, you get something white on your hands.” One thornier complaint is that the new lunches are too little for active teens now that the calorie range for high school lunches is 750 to 850. Rachelle Chinn, a freshman from Clarence, Mo., who plays softball, said school lunches are now so slight it once left her with a headache.

“The fruits and vegetables are good at first but once they wear off, I get hungry,” she said. “It’s just not enough to get me through the day.” Her mom, Chris Chinn, now packs her protein-heavy snacks like peanut butter crackers and granola bars. Chinn, a critic of what she calls the “one size fits all” standards, said many athletes aren’t getting enough to eat. Similarly, Katie Pinke in Wishek, N.D., gave up on school lunches for her strapping freshman son

Hunter and packs him meaty sandwiches.

Hunter is a 6-foot-5-inch, 210-pound football player who, based on his size and active lifestyle, needs more than 4,700 calories daily to maintain his weight. He said lunches topping out at 850 calories aren’t enough.

“I think it’s kind of ridiculous that people say how much we get to eat when there are a lot of kids that are big,” Hunter said. “When we can’t have our meat and bread, for a guy especially, it’s not fun.”

Concannon noted the calorie ranges are adjusted for age, increasing as students move from elementary to middle to high school. If some children need more, Concannon said, schools have the option of offering an afternoon snack or parents can send snacks from home.

“If you look at colleges in the United States, if you’ve ever looked at the tables where they’re feeding just the football players. Good God ... If you emulated that, we’d all be wearing size 48 suits by our 20s,” he said. “You have to use common sense.” And just weeks into the school year, it’s probably too early for final grades. In Mississippi, Keba Laird, child nutrition supervisor for the Clinton district, said she is phasing in the nutritional changes to help children grow accustomed to eating healthier. “We don’t want a revolt on our hands,” she said. “We want them to enjoy eating with us.” —AP

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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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

ASSE holds technical meet on management systems UPCOMING EVENTS Onam celebration onni Nivasi Sangamam celebrates Onam on Friday, 21st September 2012 from 10 am to 4 pm at Abbassiya United Indian School. Public meeting honored with presence of prominent dignitaries from social-cultural-political sectors, maveli, athapookalam, chendamelam, ganamela, mimicry and other cultural events will be conducted as part of the program. Ccome and enjoy! Feel the experience of traditional tastes! Have lots of fun & frenzy! rock with music!

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Calling all Ten-pin Bowlers he Indian Bowling League (IBL) Season 3 will be held at Cozmo Entertainment, Salmiya commencing on Friday the 28th of September at 3 pm.

Kindly reserve your team in advance to avoid disappointment, on a first come first serve.

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‘Leniency of Islam’ n unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to- 97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

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NAFO Onam on Sept 21 ational Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait) will celebrate Onam 2012 with its full spirit and fervor on Friday, September 21, 2012 at the Indian Community School Auditorium from 10.00 am onwards. Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta will be the chief guest on this happy occasion. A galaxy of eminent personalities in Kuwait is also expected to join the celebration. Starting from the floral carpet called “Athapookkalam,” NAFO family will present various cultural programs bringing back the nostalgic memories of a bygone era of prosperity, equality and righteousness under the golden reign of Mahabali. In addition, a grand sumptuous meal, the traditional ‘Onasadya’ will also be served.

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merican Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), Kuwait Chapter as a part of continuous efforts in its professional journey, organized its 2nd technical meet in this term on 5th September 2012 at Kohinoor Banquet Hall, Fahaheel, titled “An Overview of ISO 50001:2007 Energy Management Systems”.

N. Vasudevan, President of ASSE - Kuwait Chapter welcomed the participants. He briefed about the significance of the technical meet and the importance of conducting these meets monthly for the benefit of all.

Rama Krushna Chary, Head, Technical Events Committee explained the need of this topic with a presentation of HSE Moment and introduced the speaker Raj Kumar Yadav, QMS/EMS/OHSAS Lead Auditor and trainer.

The trainer is working as an External Resource Lead Auditor and trainer with Quality Austria Central Asia Private Limited (One of the largest Europe based Certification body, Training company, Accredited to IQNET, BMW, Austrian Accreditation...etc.)

Raj Kumar Yadav started his presentation with an overview of ISO 50001:2007 certification. He described the methods, Standards and Goals to achieve ISO 50001:2007 with power point presentations.

The technical session was very much interactive and it was followed by Question & Answer session. More than 70 ASSE Kuwait chapter members participated from various sectors (Government Sectors, Oil & Gas Companies, Contractors and, HSE Consultancies).

As a token of appreciation EC members presented a memento to Raj Kumar Yadav, who is speaker of the day. G. Sampath Reddy, Secretary, ASSE Kuwait Chapter made some announcements on the upcoming chapter activities HAZOP - leader training program, scaffold - train the trainers program, advanced accident investigation training program, ems conversion course, ASP / CSP workshop, Commemoration of Ozone day & Technical meet on HSE Certifications and concluded the meet with vote of thanks.

Kuwait Cricket to organize open tourney for schools

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Modelling Club

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lamo Kuwait’s first scale modelling club is now open for members. First meeting at ACK Mishref, ob Tuesday, 25th September from 7:30 - 9:30 pm.

Competition is on December 11.

Focus Kuwait 6th annual day s a part of the 6th anniversary celebrations, Forum of Cadd Users (FOCUS Kuwait), a nonpolitical, non-religious organization is set to stage a mega cultural event “Focus Fest-2012”. This mega event will be a blend of traditional and contemporary dance and musical extravaganza by renowned South Indian playback singers Jyotsna and Sudeesh. Scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, October 12, 2012, at the Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed School Auditorium, Hawally, the mega musical show, is expected to be a super-hit in Kuwait.

uwait Cricket, the apex body of cricket in Kuwait would like to invite school cricket teams to participate in their tournaments which are planned to be to be held at the turf ground at Sulaibiya. Kuwait Cricket intends to conduct two cricket tournaments for U-15 and U-18 school children who should have valid Kuwait residence and be a student of their respective school. The tournaments will be played on Saturdays at Sulaibiya grounds and the matches will be 30 overs.

Kuwait Cricket’s principal aim is to provide quality cricket to the young school cricketers in Kuwait and guide

them to face international exposure which will nurture and develop their sporting skills. Moreover, Kuwait Cricket also aims to make use of sports to strengthen friendship and to bridge the gap between cultures and communities.

Kuwait U-16 & U-19 teams have made various successful international tours to countries like Singapore, Malaysia, UAE, Nepal and Pakistan. Participation of school cricket teams will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the open cricket tournament and we look forward to your confirmation of attendance. A meeting of school representatives will be arranged shortly.

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Audition for ZEE Antakshari or the first time Indian Cultural Society brings you live excitement of ZEE - International Antakshari in Kuwait. Audition & first round will be held in Kuwait, there after followed by semi finals in India & Grand Finale in Dubai. Complete team of Carnival films & Zee TV will be in Kuwait for the final round of selection on Friday 5th October with Jaaved Jaaferi: Celebrity Judge, Akriti Kakkar: Female Bollywood Singer & Host of Antakshari, Manish Paul: Host for Auditions, Sarfaraz Khan: Actor, Director and Producer, Michael Amin: Producer & Director Carnival films world.

Musicians, Male Singer & many more for live performances. Final audition at 10 am & music show at 7.30 pm at AIS-Hawally.

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Tulukoota Kuwait ‘Merit Scholarship’ pplications are now being invited for “ Tulukoota Kuwait Merit Cum Means Scholarship” to be awarded during Tuluparba 2012 scheduled to be held on October 11 and 12, 2012.

The objective of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance and support to deserving meritorious students, to enable them to pursue their higher studies. Applications are accepted from minimum one year valid Tulukoota Kuwait member’s children studying either in the State of Kuwait or in India and scoring high grades in Xth and XIIth standard Board Examination held for Academic year 2011-2012.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Get together dinner for long staying guests at Holiday Inn

AWARE presentation today

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he AWARE Center welcomes you to ‘break the ice’ with one of the world’s most successful polar expedition leaders, Sean Chapple FRGS the ‘Ice Man,’ who will be speaking at the AWARE Center today (September 18) at 7:00 pm.

Against the backdrop of his recent 72-day ground breaking South Pole journey (a journey completed by less people than have stood on the moon), Sean will offer inspirational and powerful learning in selfmotivation, risk-assessment, teambuilding and high performance leadership. Q&A follows a 40-minute multi-media presentation. A regular speaker at corporate events and a visiting lecturer at the London Business School, Sean uses a multi-media presentation to share practical

Vanitha vedi Onam

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anita vedi, Kuwait will be celebrating the Onam festival this year as titled Ragothsavam-2012 on Friday 28th September 2012 at Kaithan Indian Community school. This is a full day program. Prof. Omanakutty the famous classical musician will be the chief guest. A classical music recitation ‘Sangeethakacheri’ by Prof. Omanakutty will be showcased. Shanta R. Nair (Program convener) Dr. Vasanthy S. Nair, Minerva Ramesh (Joint conveners) Sumathi Babu, Sajitha Scaria, Shobha Suresh, Presanna Ramabhadran, Rema Ajith, Valsa Stanley and Valsa Sam are selected for various committees. Sam Pynummoodu is the patron of Ragothsavam-2012.

insights for unleashing the full potential in yourself and your teams. Sean spent an earlier career as an officer at the elite British Royal Marines gaining operational and management experiences across the globe and has since held positions in senior commercial leadership roles, including the project management and leadership of a turnkey project to create a ‘first-oftype’ maritime security force for Kuwait’s oil sector. Closer to home, Sean recently worked with the Council of Ministers to improve Kuwait’s coastal defense to protect critical oil infrastructure. Here his planning, management and leadership skills were used to build a ‘first-of-type’ operational maritime security force fully staffed by Kuwaiti nationals.

Expat Mums Autumn Bazaar

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xpat Mums in Kuwait will hold its autumn bazaar on Saturday, September 29th by 10:00 am - 1:00 pm at Rumaithiya Block 9, Street 96, House 1, Basement. Free entry! This autumn we’re excited to support our members who hand make crafts, who have home business and who provide services to the expat community in Kuwait. Expat Mums in Kuwait is a group of nearly 400 mums from over 42 countries around the world. We meet online and in person and provide friendship, information, advice, reviews, support and networking opportunities to fellow expat mothers.

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oliday Inn Kuwait organized a get together dinner exclusively to honor and appreciate its long staying guests at the Business Suites of the hotel at the Tang Chao Chinese restaurant. The guests were welcomed by the management team of the hotel, headed by Pierre Merhej, General Manager and Maged Hanna, Director of sales marketing & Operations. Welcome drinks were passed around as the guests were seated and prepared themselves for an enjoyable evening ahead.

Inaugurating the evening was the welcome speech of Pierre Merhej, where he expressed his delight in having this event & stressed upon the value of long - staying guests in the hotel, and their loyalty to the brand that makes some of them stay in the hotel for almost two years.

The gathering was made extra special with the birthday celebrations of some of the attendees, which was marked by the cutting of a delicious cake and handing out gifts. A light dinner buffet was served with soft drinks, tea, coffee and dessert adding the finishing touch to a delightful evening.

Located ideally on the Arabian Gulf Road, the Holiday Inn Kuwait has 108 Business Suites well equipped to suit the needs of all business travelers, who stay long periods of time away from home. The

Business Suites featuring the highest comfort levels, each endowed with its own unique style and charm, are designed to feel more like a comfortable private residence than a hotel accommodation.

Guests enjoy exclusive benefits on all facilities throughout their stay, with privileged access to its well - equipped 24 hours Health Club, unique discounts on laundry and long - distance calls, daily housekeeping service and 24 hours room service.

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W H AT ’ S O N

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian ConsulateGeneral 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. nnnnnnn

Oula Fuel Marketing Company organize s training program on First Aid skills

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ula Fuel Marketing Company “Oula” announced the conclusion of its training program organized for managers of all gas stations, under the title “First Aid - Principles of Life Support”. This gesture was initiated as part of Oula’s responsibility to ensure the application of public safety and security across all its stations.

The training program, led by the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, lasted a period of four working days -May 31st until June 5th - during which about 80 Oula managers from various stations attended the training program con-

ducted by the Red Crescent society.

Commenting on this occasion, Assistant Manager of the HSEQ Department, Mohammed Ibrahim said: “This initiative was launched as a continuum to a number of training programs previously organized for Oula employees and managers in order to ensure the application of the highest level of safety and security across the stations.” Ibrahim added: “Hosting such training programs will help station managers’ deal with situations which require the application of life preservation principle.”

which they may encounter in the future through applying the safety skills which they have developed and learned during their training.”

By the end of the program, registration and completion of training certificates were added to employees personal safety files.

Oula looks forward to continuously developing its products and services as well as applying the highest standards of safety and health protocols in order to gain customer satisfaction and loyalty at all times.

‘Landscapes Expanded’ art program commences

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he British Council and Contemporary Art Platform Kuwait, in partnership with the National Council for Arts and Letters, are pleased to announce Landscapes Expanded, a month long residency program that aims to support artists from different backgrounds to explore landscape art in their own practice.

The exhibition Out of Britain explores 100 years of British landscape and examines the ways in which artists have engaged with landscape and addressed timeless and fundamental questions about man’s place in the world. The works in the show illustrate individual artist’s attempts to find their place amongst an everchanging environment where they are often driven to challenge traditional ways of interpreting and framing the landscape.

Landscapes Expanded will support artists to explore contemporary issues intrinsically related to site, space, and place in their field of work. The residency will begin with a three-day workshop that will support artists to develop concepts for their research in the weeks that follow. Throughout the program participants will benefit from group and individual reviews of their work and guidance from the residency facilitator and visiting contributors.

The residency program will be led by artist and curator Alia Farid Abdal, who explores personal perspectives of public space and constructed landscapes in her own art work and academic research. The program will also benefit from insightful contributions from visiting artists and art critics such as British Artist David Rayson, whose work is featured in Out of Britain. Rayson is currently the Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art, London.

Participants’ work produced during the residency program will be exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMArt Kuwait) at the end of October 2012. Chosen works may also be exhibited at a British Council Visual Arts exhibition that will showcase artists from the Gulf at the Brunei Gallery in London in 2015.

Eligibility This residency is open to practicing artists and creative practitioners (from all disciplines) who are keen to develop the concepts of landscape art in their practice.

Applicants must reside in Kuwait.

Applicants must commit to participate in a three-day workshop (September 18-20, 2012) and closing presentation, which will take place on October 18, 2012.

The workshops will be hosted in English, however translators will be available should they be required.

Artist CV Up to 10 images of your work with an appendix stating the title, medium, and year the work was executed.

A statement of intent (up to 500 words) explaining why you are applying to the program and what you hope to obtain from it. Please briefly state what themes you are interested to explore during the residency program.

Please note that large images will have to be submitted via www.wetransfer.com or any other host site in which your images can be downloaded directly.

Alternatively, you may wish to submit a link to your work online. For videos, please provide links of uploaded material either on YouTube or vimeo.

You may elaborate on any of the suggested topics below, or propose your own topic of research.

Suggested topics for research Urban tribes The politics of dress Geopolitics Landscapes created by advertising Monuments in the construction of landscapes and history The demolished landscape, erasing history, and recuperating memory Imagined landscapes, futuristic and fictitious We will expect all applicants to make a considerable commitment to producing art work throughout the month long residency, and contributing quality finished pieces to the closing exhibition at MoMArt Kuwait (end of October 2012).

Mais Alghanim To GO opens new branch in Shuwaikh

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ais Alghanim To Go has opened a new branch in Shuwaikh. Located in Creative Design Complex, it is an important step in expanding its presence in the local market. This branch will be the four’s outlet that operate with the aim of being more accessible to customers, offering them the taste they relish under the slogan ‘Closer and Tastier.’

The Mais Alghanim group is happy to invite its customers to try the new branch in Shuwaikh Industrial Area, Block 1, and enjoy the tasty meals with unique flavors. It offers the best of fresh foods.

This branch will serve Shuwaikh and its neighboring areas including Keifan, Al-Yarmouk and Khaldiya as well as Farwaniya, in addition to some areas in Jahra governorate (Doha, Sulaibikhat and Saad Al-Abdallah).

‘Mais Alghanim To Go’ is renowned for serving Lebanese, Middle Eastern and International cuisine through its free delivery service and strives to guarantee ‘customers’ total satisfaction,’ as it uses the best products of the highest quality, and prepares food according to best health and safety procedures.

The rich menu includes unique daily dishes that have been inspired by Arab, Gulf and International kitchens, along with selection of grilled meat, chicken and fish, side dishes, cold and hot mezze evoking memories of the traditional kitchen.

Science & Natural History Museum A wealth of education awaits the visitor to the Science and Natural History Museum on Abdulla Al Mubarak Street.

Each gallery contains either a collection or an exhibit covering a wide range of themes. Collections on display Include fossils, stuffed animals, skeletons, and dried flowers. There are exhibits on health, petroleum, space travel, and electronics, among others. Forming part of the National Museum complex, the wonderful, modern Planetarium In the museum complex has shows at around 18:00 daily: local children, convinced the room is spinning, clap In syncopated beats every time the accompanying music begins.

A museum planetarium shows: Mornings: 1st Show: 10:00 a.m; 2nd Show: 11:00 a. m; 3rd Show: 12:00 p.m Evenings: 1st Show: 5:00 p.m; 2nd Show: 5:45 p.m; 3rd Show : 6:00 p.m. Note: Friday & Saturday no morning shows. Admission is FREE. The Dickson House The house of the first British political agent In Kuwait is still standing. The Dickson House, located across from the dhow harbour east of Sief Palace, was originally a Kuwaiti home built in 1870, but was given to Britain to use as residential headquarters. The compound was expanded several times over the years, but stands as an excellent example of early Kuwaiti architectural styles.

Opening hours are from Saturday to Thursday 8:30 a.m12:30 p.m and 4:30 a.m-8:30 p.m Friday 4:30 a.m - 8:30 p.m.

Admission is FREE.

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EMBASSY OF BRITAIN Consular section at the British Embassy will be starting an online appointment booking system for our consular customers from Sunday, 01 July 2012. All information including how to make an appointment is now available on the embassy website. In addition, there is also a “Consular Appointment System” option under Quick links on the right hand side on the homepage, which should take you to the “Consular online booking appointment system” main page. Please be aware that from 01 July 2012, we will no longer accept walk-in customers for legalisation, notarial services and certificates (birth, death and marriages). If you have problems accessing the system or need to make an appointment for non-notarial consular issues or have a consular emergency, please call 2259 4355/7/8 or email us on consularenquirieskuwait @fco.gov.uk. If you require consular assistance out of office hours (working hours: 0730-l430 hrs), please contact the Embassy on 2259 4320. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah.

Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

It is worth mentioning that Mais Alghanim has introduceda new self-service section in Shuwaikh branch by allocating a dining area to enjoy your favorite food.

The new branch offers customers several choices to meet their requests through a free delivery service.

Places of interest Sadu House Al Sadu House stands on Arabian Gulf Street near the National Museum, representing one of the last preserved pre-oil -era dwellings in Kuwait. Al Sadu House became a centre for Bedouin art and the sale of traditional goods In 1979. Visitors can observe Bedouin women weaving at their looms, handmaking carpets, camel bags and tent screens.

Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 1:00 p.m and from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m daily except Friday.

Admission is FREE.

EMBASSY OF ARGENTINE The Embassy of Argentina requests all Argentinean citizens in Kuwait to proceed to our official email ekuwa@mrecic.gov.ar in order to register or update contact information. The embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the embassy. The registration process helps the Argentinean Government to contact and assist Argentineans living abroad in case of any emergency.

Al-Qurain Museum Located in the residential suburb of Qurain, This small museum is a memorial to a cell of young Kuwaiti patriots who tried to resist arrest in February 1991. Early In the morning, Iraqis bombarded the house for hours with machine guns, bombs and eventually a tank.

Monday to Saturday 8.30 a.m - 12.30 p.m; 4.30a.m -8.30 p.m Friday morning off. Afternoon: 4.30 a.m-8.30 pm.

Winter Visiting hours: 4-8.30 pm. 1st Day of Eid off.

Al Hashemi Marine Museum The World’s largest wooden dhow, owned and build by Hussein Marafie,Al Hashemi is a ‘Baghalah’ of monumental proportions. Baghalah is a large wooden cargo vessel which sailed the seas in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Constructed next to Radisson SAS Hotel, the doubledecked Al-Hashemi II is dry-docked next to pre-oil era Kuwaiti village and marine museum containing models of extinct and modern dhows The lower deck has the grand ballroom - one of the finest in Kuwait. Al-Hashemi II has earned the distinction of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. The museum is opened Sat. Thu. from 9 am till 5 pm. Admission is FREE. Oil Display Centre The Oil Display Centre at Kuwait is located 20 kilometers in the southern direction from main city of Kuwait. Oil display center In Kuwait is set In the Ahmadi area, which is the primary hub of Kuwait’s oil production where many ollfields and oil wells are located. This center is a learning ground for all those who wonder how oil processing is done. It gives an opportunity to the tourists to know all about the history beginning from how oil was explored, drilled, produced and processed In Kuwait.

The Oil Display Center Is located 20 kilometers away from Kuwait City, in the southern direction. This small center throws an insight into Kuwait’s oil business and the work of the Kuwait Oil Company, which owns it. It is definitely worth a visit. Opening hours Sat - Wed 07:00 am -3:00 pm. It is open by appointment. KOC can also arrange for groups to tour the oil fields themselves.

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). nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishes to inform that it has moved to Mishref. New Address: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will be opened to the public on the following office hours: Saturday to Thursday Morning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm. Lunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm. Afternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, e-mail:myankuwait11@gmai1.com. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait @yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine reminds that Ukrainian Parliamentary Election will take place on October, 28, 2012 in the Embassy’s premises. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your personal data in the Electoral Register as well as in the list of Consular Registration.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:35 02:25 03:15 04:05 04:55 05:20 05:45 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 Baker 08:15 08:40 09:10 10:05 11:00 11:25 11:55 12:50 13:15 13:45 14:40 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:25 17:50 18:20 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05 22:00 22:25 22:55 Irwin 23:50

I Was Bitten Untamed & Uncut White Shark, Red Triangle Dogs 101: Specials Bad Dog Cheetah Kingdom Shamwari: A Wild Life Vet On The Loose Vet On The Loose Wildlife SOS Baboons With Bill Bailey Weird Creatures With Nick Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Breed All About It Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Shark After Dark Wildlife SOS Bondi Vet Animal Cops Houston Wild Africa Rescue Wild Africa Rescue Animal Precinct Shark After Dark Baboons With Bill Bailey Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Baby Planet Project Puppy Project Puppy Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Wildlife SOS Bondi Vet Cheetah Kingdom Shamwari: A Wild Life Shark Fight Animal Airport Animal Airport New Breed Vets With Steve Animal Cops Houston

23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:20 Holmes On Homes 01:10 Antiques Roadshow 02:00 To Build Or Not To Build?

02:30 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 02:55 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 03:25 Living In The Sun 04:20 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 05:05 Living In The Sun 06:00 MasterChef 06:25 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 07:10 MasterChef Australia 08:00 MasterChef Australia 09:15 To Build Or Not To Build?

09:45 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 10:30 Bargain Hunt 11:15 Antiques Roadshow 12:10 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 13:30 Holmes On Homes 14:15 Holmes On Homes 15:05 Bargain Hunt 15:50 Antiques Roadshow 16:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:00 Rachel’s Favourite Food For Living 18:25 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 18:55 Rick Stein’s French Odyssey 19:20 Rick Stein’s French Odyssey 19:45 James Martin’s Favourite Feasts 20:10 Come Dine With Me 21:00 To Build Or Not To Build?

21:30 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Edition 00:15 01:10 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 Junior 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:05 16:00 Junior 16:55 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Deadliest Catch Eyewitness Around The World In 80 Ways River Monsters World’s Toughest Drive Border Security Auction Hunters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Deadliest Catch American Chopper: Senior vs Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Auction Hunters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Around The World In 80 Ways River Monsters River Monsters Border Security Auction Hunters Ultimate Survival American Chopper: Senior vs Wheeler Dealers Deadliest Catch Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Border Security Auction Hunters Deconstruction Life On A Wire Finding Bigfoot Moonshiners

23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:35 Mighty Ships 01:25 The Future Of...

02:15 Things That Move 02:40 Things That Move 03:05 The Gadget Show 03:35 Smash Lab 04:25 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 05:15 Mighty Ships 06:05 The Future Of...

07:00 Things That Move 07:25 Things That Move 07:50 Head Rush 07:53 Weird Connections 08:20 Test Case 08:50 Prototype This 09:40 Smash Lab 10:30 The Gadget Show 10:55 The Gadget Show 11:20 Mighty Ships 12:10 Things That Move 12:35 Things That Move 13:00 Nyc: Inside Out 13:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 14:45 Smash Lab 15:35 The Gadget Show 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 Weird Connections 16:30 How Does That Work?

17:00 The Future Of...

17:50 Prototype This 18:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman

19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:40

Catch It Keep It Scrapheap Challenge The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Stuck With Hackett Stuck With Hackett Scrapheap Challenge Prototype This

20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 00:15 Little Einsteins 00:40 Jungle Junction 00:55 Jungle Junction 01:10 Little Einsteins 01:30 Special Agent Oso 01:45 Special Agent Oso 02:00 Lazytown 02:25 Little Einsteins 02:50 Jungle Junction 03:05 Jungle Junction 03:20 Little Einsteins 03:40 Special Agent Oso 03:55 Special Agent Oso 04:10 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:15 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Special Agent Oso 06:00 Special Agent Oso 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Lazytown 07:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:10 The Hive 08:20 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 08:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 08:50 Handy Manny 09:05 The Hive 09:15 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:20 Mouk 09:35 Mouk 09:45 The Hive 09:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:20 Lazytown 10:45 Art Attack 11:10 Imagination Movers 11:35 Lazytown 12:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 12:05 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 12:10 Handy Manny 12:25 Jungle Junction 12:40 Imagination Movers 13:05 The Hive 13:15 Special Agent Oso 13:30 Lazytown 13:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:20 The Hive 14:30 Handy Manny 14:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:00 Mouk 15:15 The Hive 15:25 101 Dalmatians 15:40 101 Dalmatians 15:55 Imagination Movers 16:20 Lazytown 16:45 Art Attack 17:10 Handy Manny 17:25 Handy Manny 17:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:10 Little Einsteins 18:35 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 19:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:25 101 Dalmatians 19:40 Mouk 19:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:20 The Hive 20:30 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:35 A Poem Is...

20:40 Animated Stories 20:45 Mouk 21:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 21:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:40 Special Agent Oso 21:55 Little Einsteins 22:20 Timmy Time 22:30 Jungle Junction 22:45 Handy Manny 22:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 23:20 Special Agent Oso 23:35 Special Agent Oso 23:50 Lazytown Lazytown23:50 Lazytn 00:25 00:50 01:20 02:15 03:10 04:05 04:30 05:00 05:55 07:00 07:25 07:55 08:50 09:15 09:45 10:40 11:05 11:35 12:30 13:25 14:20 15:15 15:40 16:10 17:05 17:30 18:00 18:55 19:50 20:45 21:40 22:05 22:35 23:30

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 06:10

Aiya TV Aiya TV Pro Bull Riders 2010 World Combat League TNA: Greatest Matches The Cool Guy Files The Cool Guy Files M1 Challenge Pro Bull Riders 2010 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 Alli Presents Best Of The Streets Best Of The Streets Blood, Sweat And Gears Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2010 Danger Men Carpocalypse World Combat League Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Alli Presents Best Of The Streets Best Of The Streets Danger Men Pro Bull Riders 2010 Carpocalypse World Combat League The Cool Guy Files The Cool Guy Files TNA: Greatest Matches M1 Challenge

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco Extra Virgin Extra Virgin Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Outrageous Food Unique Eats Chopped Barefoot Contessa

06:35 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Iron Chef America 07:50 Barefoot Contessa 08:15 Barefoot Contessa 08:40 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:05 Paula’s Best Dishes 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 Kelsey’s Essentials 11:35 Hungry Girl 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Guy’s Big Bite 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Barefoot Contessa 14:30 Kid In A Candy Store 14:55 Kid In A Candy Store 15:20 Unique Sweets 15:45 Staten Island Cakes 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Guy’s Big Bite 18:40 Unique Sweets 19:05 Unique Sweets 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Guy’s Big Bite 21:35 Guy’s Big Bite 22:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 22:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 22:50 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 23:15 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 23:40 Guy’s Big BiteBite 00:30 01:20 02:05 02:30 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 Jones 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40 23:40 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 Planet 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Ghost Lab A Haunting Stalked: Someone’s Watching Stalked: Someone’s Watching Scorned: Crimes Of Passion Extreme Forensics Ghost Lab A Haunting Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Street Patrol Street Patrol Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite Stalked: Someone’s Watching Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Fatal Encounters Killer Kids Dr G: Medical Examiner Scorned: Crimes Of Passion

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 20:00 22:00

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:00

The Glades Boardwalk Empire The Newsroom Greek Switched At Birth House The Glades Emmerdale Coronation Street The Closer The Ellen DeGeneres Show Switched At Birth House Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Closer The Glades Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Closer One Tree Hill Homeland Perception Greek Greek

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 23:00

RoboCop 2-PG15 The Untouchables-PG15 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 The Bannen Way-PG15 The Front-PG15 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 Fantastic Four-PG15 The Front-PG15 Fighting-PG15 Kalifornia-18 Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?-PG15 Medium Raw-PG15 The Speak-18 Luste

Around The World For Free Graham’s World Long Way Down Destination Extreme Travel Oz Madventures Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Destination Extreme Destination Extreme Travel Oz Travel Oz Madventures Madventures Around The World For Free One Man & His Campervan One Man & His Campervan Long Way Down Destination Extreme Destination Extreme Travel Oz Travel Oz Madventures Madventures Around The World For Free Travel Oz Travel Oz Food Lover’s Guide To The

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

One Man & His Campervan David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 Wheel2Wheel Wheel2Wheel Graham’s World Market Values

01:00 13-PG15 03:00 Courageous-PG15 05:15 Love The Beast-PG 07:00 B-Girl-PG15 09:00 Megamind-FAM 11:00 On Strike For Christmas-PG15 13:00 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG 15:00 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules-PG 17:00 Megamind-FAM 18:45 War Horse-PG15 21:15 Arthur-PG15 23:15 Blue Valentine-18

23:00 Naked Science 00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:00

00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 02:30 Hot In Cleveland 03:30 Raising Hope 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 09:30 Allen Gregory 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 14:00 Raising Hope 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 18:00 30 Rock 18:30 Community 19:00 The Cleveland Show 19:30 The Office 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The League 22:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:00 Hot In Cleveland 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Wild Mississippi Hooked The Living Edens Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Tiger Man Expedition Wild World’s Weirdest The Living Edens Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Tiger Man Cameramen Who Dare Animal Impact Philly Undercover Hooked The Living Edens Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Shark Men My Life Is A Zoo Wildlife Rescue Africa Philly Undercover The Living Edens Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Tiger Man Cameramen Who Dare Animal Impact Hunter Hunted

Luster-18 Alien-18 Get Rich Or Die Tryin’-18 Hackers-PG15 The Devil’s Teardrop-PG15 Riddles Of The Sphinx-PG15 Malibu Shark Attack-18 The Devil’s Teardrop-PG15 Ticking Clock-PG15 Malibu Shark Attack-18 Hustle And Flow-18 Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?-PG15 Fighting-PG15 Homecoming-18

Submarine-PG15 Prom-PG15 16 To Life-PG15 Miami Rhapsody-PG15 Prom-PG15 Love And Mary-PG15 The Lightkeepers-PG15 Open Season 3-FAM Love And Mary-PG15 Made In Dagenham-PG15 The Banger Sisters-18 The Dilemma-PG15

01:00 Jude-18 03:00 Please Give-18 05:00 Return To Paradise-PG15 07:00 Hollywood, I’m Sleeping Over Tonight-PG15 09:00 Get Low-PG15 11:00 Glorious 39-PG15 13:15 My Enemy’s Enemy-PG15 15:00 Get Low-PG15 17:00 The 19th Wife-PG15 19:00 Manolete-18 21:00 The Insider-PG15 23:45 Apres Nous Le Deluge-18 23:30 Square Grouper-18

00:00 Emperor’s Secret-PG 02:00 Snow Dogs-PG 04:00 Rango-FAM 06:00 Mr. Popper’s Penguins-PG 08:00 Micropolis-FAM 10:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-FAM 12:00 Snow Dogs-PG 14:00 The Ugly Duckling In Tales Of Mystery-PG15 16:00 Quest For Zhu-PG 18:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-FAM 20:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 22:00 The Ugly Duckling In Tales Of Mystery-PG15 22:15 Resident Evil 4: Afterlife-18 00:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter Prelims 03:00 America’s Cup World Series Highlight 04:00 Super League 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Premier League Snooker 10:30 Rugby Union Championship 12:30 Challenge Series Golf Highlight 13:00 AFL Premiership 15:30 NRL Premiership 17:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 18:30 Super League 20:30 This Week In WWE 21:00 Futbol Mundial 21:30 Challenge Series Golf Highlight 22:00 AFL Premiership

KNCC PROGRAM FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (13/09/2012 TO 19/09/2012) SHARQIA-1 STOLEN (2D-Digital TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) GRABBERS (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 pm 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-3 SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

SHARQIA-2 FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-3 WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-4 SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) NO THU (13/09/2012) Special Show“LAWLESS (2D-Digital)”for Ms. Rowan Al Ansari THU (13/09/2012) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

MUHALAB-1 STOLEN (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) GRABBERS (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

MUHALAB-2 WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) LAWLESS (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-3 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION 12:30 PM FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) 2:30 PM FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) 4:30 PM RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION 6:30 PM RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION 8:30 PM TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) 10:30 PM RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION 12:45 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-1 WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) LAWLESS (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-2 SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) GRABBERS (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) 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

FANAR-3 STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-4 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-5 THE EXPENDABLES 2 THE BOURNE LEGACY THE EXPENDABLES 2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES THE EXPENDABLES 2 THE BOURNE LEGACY NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 1:15 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

MARINA-1 STOLEN (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-2 SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-3 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-2 TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-5 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO THU (13/09/2012) Special Show“BRAVE (2D-Digital)” for Ms. Rowan Aeryfan THU (13/09/2012) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED 2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM

7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-8 STOLEN (2D-Digital) 1:15 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 3:30 PM GRABBERS (2D-Digital) 6:45 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 9:00 PM GRABBERS (2D-Digital) 12:15 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-9 FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-10 WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) AVENUES-11 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 1 SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

360 º- 8 STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) 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) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) STOLEN (2D-Digital) 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) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

5:15 PM

AVENUES-6 TINKER BELL: SECRET OF THE WINGS 1:30 PM TINKER BELL: SECRET OF THE WINGS 3:45 PM STOLEN (2D-Digital) 6:00 PM Digital (2D+3D) 8:15 PM STOLEN (2D-Digital) 10:30 PM STOLEN (2D-Digital) 12:30 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-7 THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) LAWLESS (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 AM

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

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 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 2 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 1:30 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 4:45 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 8:00 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 11:15 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 3 TINKER BELL: SECRET OF THE WINGS 12:30 PM TINKER BELL: SECRET OF THE WINGS 2:45 PM TINKER BELL: SECRET OF THE WINGS 5:00 PM LAWLESS (2D-Digital) 7:15 PM NO FRI (14/09/2012) Special Show “BRAVE (2D-Digital)” for Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. 7:30 PM FRI (14/09/2012) LAWLESS (2D-Digital) 9:45 PM LAWLESS (2D-Digital) 12:15 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED

360 º- 11 TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) 360 º- 12 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO FRI (14/09/2012) Special Show“BRAVE (2D-Digital)” for Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. FRI (14/09/2012) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 13 RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 14 INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN GRABBERS (2D-Digital) INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN GRABBERS (2D-Digital) GRABBERS (2D-Digital) INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

360 º- 15 BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) FRI+SAT BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) BARFI! (Hindi)(2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.1 FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.2 SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) LAWLESS (2D-Digital) SUN+TUE+WED THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) LAWLESS (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.3 WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) GRABBERS (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) GRABBERS (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:30 PM 11:30 PM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

1:30 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:45 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.4 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 12:30 PM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 3:30 PM STOLEN (2D-Digital) 5:30 PM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 7:30 PM STOLEN (2D-Digital) 9:45 PM STOLEN (2D-Digital) 11:45 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED

360 º- 4 THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) THE BOURNE LEGACY (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 5 FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) BRAVE (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) TOTAL RECALL (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 6 WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-3 SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) WAR OF THE DEAD (2D-Digital) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 7 THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital)

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

PLAZA STOLEN (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA (2D-Digital) SEVEN BELOW (2D-Digital)

BAIRAQ-1 FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) FINDING NEMO (3D-Digital) RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION 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

BAIRAQ-2 THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 2:15 PM THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2D-Digital) 4:45 PM STOLEN (2D-Digital) 8:00 PM THE EXPENDABLES 2 (2D-Digital) 10:15 PM STOLEN (2D-Digital) 12:30 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED 1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

Classifieds TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR RJA GFA UAE ETD OMA FDB MSR RBG QTR JZR KAC THY JZR DHX JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY GFA QTR FDB IRA ETD IRA GFA UAE MEA JZR MSR MSC JZR MSR GFA KAC KAC FDB KNE JZR QTR SVA KAC RJA JZR KAC QTR ETD UAE UAL GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY KAC QTR SYR KAC KAC FDB KAC MSR MSC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK KLM UAE ETD ABY QTR QTR JZR AIC FDB GFA UAL JZR ETD DLH JZR MSR THY PIA

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 18/9/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 3553 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 1541 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 223 BAHRAIN 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 301 ABU DHABI 619 LAR 213 BAHRAIN 871 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 401 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 514 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 535 CAIRO 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 562 AMMAN 640 AMMAN 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 341 DAMASCUS 786 JEDDAH 166 PARIS 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 624 SOHAG 403 ASSIUT 325 NAJAF 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 415 AMSTERDAM 859 DUBAI 307 ABU DHABI 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 6130 DOHA 539 CAIRO 981 CHENNAI 59 DUBAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 933 ABU DHABI 636 FRANKFURT 513 SHARM EL SHEIKH 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 205 LAHORE

Time 0:15 0:20 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 3:10 3:20 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:10 4:35 4:55 5:00 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:35 7:15 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:25 8:30 8:40 9:00 9:20 9:20 9:30 9:40 10:00 10:45 10:55 11:05 11:25 12:00 12:25 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:15 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:50 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:30 23:35 23:40 23:59

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR KLM PIA THY RJA UAE FDB OMA RBG ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA THY JZR KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY KAC KAC KAC GFA UAE QTR KAC FDB ETD IRA IRA GFA KAC KAC MEA JZR UAE MSR MSC KAC JZR GFA FDB MSR KAC JZR KNE SVA KAC RJA JZR QTR KAC KAC KAC ETD JZR JZR QTR UAE GFA ABY UAL SVA JZR QTR FDB SYR MSR MSC JZR KAC KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA DHX ALK KLM JZR ABY ETD KAC UAE QTR KAC KAC JZR QTR AXB FDB QTR GFA KAC

Depature Flights on Tuesday 18/9/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 411 AMSTERDAM 240 SIALKOT 773 ISTANBUL 643 AMMAN 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 3554 ALEXANDRIA 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 534 CAIRO 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 561 AMMAN 513 TEHRAN 671 DUBAI 224 BAHRAIN 856 DUBAI 133 DOHA 101 LONDON 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 604 ISFAHAN 618 LAR 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 872 DUBAI 623 SOHAG 404 ASSIUT 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 673 DUBAI 538 CAIRO 473 JEDDAH 501 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 641 AMMAN 324 AL NAJAF 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 613 BAHRAIN 741 DAMMAM 304 ABU DHABI 512 SHARM EL SHEIKH 238 AMMAN 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 607 LUXOR 402 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 361 COLOMBO 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 415 DAMMAM 1540 CAIRO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 381 DELHI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 147 DOHA 390 MANGALORE 60 DUBAI 6131 DOHA 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 0:55 1:00 2:15 3:10 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:55 7:05 7:10 7:30 8:10 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:15 9:20 9:25 9:40 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:20 10:40 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:15 12:20 12:25 13:00 13:10 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:15 15:45 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:30 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:20 23:30 23:40

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Single room available for 2 Keralite bachelors (nonsmoking) in CAC flat in Abbassiya opposite to Jas Cargo near to police station bus stop. Please call 66349475. (C 4136) 15-9-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Joao Salvador Corte, holder of Indian Passport No: G1276401 hereafter change my name to Joao Corte.

(C 4135) 15-9-2012

FOR SALE Subaru outback model 2005, metallic color, mileage 2,12,000. Passing up to May 2013, good interior & exterior for only KD 600. Tel: 22493358.

Toyota Camry model 2011 GL silver color, 8,600 km done, excellent condition, price KD 4,350. Contact: 66839506. (C 4138) 17-9-2012 Toyota Corolla 1994, good condition, white color, A/C, passing up to 5-8-2013. KD 400. Contact: 97277164.

(C 4135) 15-9-2012

SITUATION VACANT Lady Chartered Accountant seeking suitable placement.

Phone: 97572174. (C 4137) 16-9-2012 Wanted full time maid/nanny in Salwa.

Offering KD 120 salar y.

Must speak English and be good with small children.

Call 9768-7172.

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

04:15 11:42 15:11 17:50 19:06

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

34

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

s ta rs CROSSWORD 800

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your ambition is dominant this morning and you have the enthusiasm to accomplish much. You may run into severe opposition from others, if you push too hard—careful. How you handle the circumstances happening now will determine whether you use this time to your benefit.

Make sure other projects are completed before going ahead with new ones. Take great pains to respect others and you should be able to achieve your objectives.

You have an interest in new or novel forms of architecture, food and domestic products and services. This afternoon is a time of greater emotional sensitivity as unconscious memories are stimulated. You may develop strong psychic ties with the family. A family member might enjoy reviewing old family recipes.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Greater political or professional security is possible now.

Important issues concerning public credibility, corporate ethics, product safety and secret or sensitive information come to your attention. You may want to improve or remake the power structure and strategies of your profession. You may have increased dealings with corporate business and matters related to joint finances, corporate money, shares and taxes. You will be achieving clear communications in how you want to proceed. You can present important ideas today without the fear of being misunderstood. As such, presentations, lectures and teaching contracts are favorable. It is good you can decipher a problem quickly as you will need your quick thinking talents.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. A ballistic missile that is capable of traveling from one continent to another.

5. Strike with disgust or revulsion.

10. A Kwa language spoken by the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria.

13. A Loloish language.

14. God of wealth and love.

15. A Spanish title of respect for a gentleman or nobleman.

16. A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause).

17. Protective covering consisting of a metal part that covers the engine.

19. A member of a Turkic people of Uzbekistan and neighboring areas.

21. United States swimmer who in 1926 became the first woman to swim the English Channel (1903- ).

22. Informal terms for a mother.

23. Material used to daub walls.

25. A public promotion of some product or service.

27. A recurring sleep state during which rapid eye movements do not occur and dreaming does not occur.

28. 16 ounces.

30. A republic in central Europe.

33. A physician who is not a specialist but treats all illnesses.

35. A drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

38. An industrial city in southern Poland on the Vistula.

40. (computer science) A system of world-wide electronic communication in which a computer user can compose a message at one terminal that is generated at the recipient's terminal when he logs in.

42. A deity or nymph of the woods.

43. Japanese painter whose work influenced the impressionists (1760-1849).

45. A small cake leavened with yeast.

47. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

48. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

51. Being of the age 13 through 19.

56. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

59. King of Saudi Arabia since 1982 (born in 1922).

60. The basic unit of money in Albania.

61. Any of various herbaceous plants of the genus Atriplex that thrive in deserts and salt marshes.

63. The cry made by sheep.

64. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

65. Someone who washes things for a living.

66. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

DOWN 1. The part of the small intestine between the jejunum and the cecum.

2. Eurasian plant cultivated for its seed and as a forage crop.

3. Divulge information or secrets.

4. An atom having a valence of one.

5. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

6. The cardinal number that is the sum of four and one.

7. A clawed foot of an animal especially a quadruped.

8. Metal or plastic sheath over the end of a shoelace or ribbon.

9. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

10. The sixth month of the civil year.

11. Sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with gray furry ears and coat.

12. Lacking leadership.

18. A hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck.

20. A Dravidian language spoken in southern India.

24. Relating to the Urdu language.

26. Soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired.

29. South African term for `boss'.

31. Canadian hockey player (born 1948).

32. Jordan's port.

34. Large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal.

36. Perennial herb of East India to Polynesia and Australia cultivated for its large edible root yielding Otaheite arrowroot starch.

37. A user interface in which you type commands instead of choosing them from a menu or selecting an icon.

39. A state in New England.

41. Water soaked soil.

44. The wood of an African obeche tree.

46. (Greek mythology) A Titan who was forced by Zeus to bear the sky on his shoulders.

49. In bed.

50. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

51. A public promotion of some product or service.

52. (used of count nouns) Every one considered individually.

53. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

54. Of or relating to or characteristic of the Republic of Chad or its people or language.

55. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

57. Less than normal in degree or intensity or amount.

58. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement.

59. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.

62. A trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) New ideas come easily to you now. Can you turn some of these into moneymaking opportunities? Do not aggravate others unnecessarily, especially with your own enthusiasm just now. Apply your mental effort to studies or constructive talk. Attend to any long needed car repairs. You may desire greater social prestige now. You are inclined to be more ambitious for material wealth and status. Technical or experimental matters are highlighted. There are activities coming up with groups and organizations, or entertainment with friends. You may volunteer some of your time for a political cause or an ideal. Avoid extravagance or overextending yourself financially.

Suddenly it seems your dreams are materializing.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Expect your emotions to be deep and powerfully felt this morning. You will not like the superficiality; going with the flow may take effort. You will be digging for truth and seeking root causes, especially in your profession. You have great opportunities for leadership without unpleasant duties or responsibilities. You can develop a more independent lifestyle. Selfimprovement and the influence of those around you can go along educational, religious, philosophical or cultural lines. You may schedule in some travel for this week or do business over a distance. A recent dream may require careful analysis.

Consider purchasing a good dream guide and use your own flawless intuition to make sense of the messages you might uncover.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You may be temporarily inclined to all work and no play. You will avoid idle chatter now, as you focus only on communications that matter. This is a good time to organize or to seek council from someone wiser on issues of importance. There needs to be a balance between your need to be yourself and your desire to relate to others. Worry will incline you to be serious about your finances. Through hard work and prudent organization, you will gradually build up your savings and wealth. For now, the energies are not strong enough to bring about a new romantic relationship if one does not already exist.

However, this day favors all creative endeavors, especially those that have some physical component, such as dancing, acting and making music.

Yesterday’s Solution Virgo (August 23-September 22) Activities today may include finding the time to catch up on your own personal paperwork. You may also have an opportunity to guide or instruct a young person in banking or other business transactions.

You may share in some confidential matter today. It is a good time for membership in clubs, groups and organizations. You can expand your sense of social belonging. You may be surprised at the acceptance of your ideas and ideals, particularly along technical, experimental, intellectual or humanitarian lines. Personal magnetism is at a high point. This is a favorable time for public relations and you could find an interest in helping with the elderly in your community. Perhaps you will climb on board the activities for community improvement.

Libra (September 23-October 22) This is a day of increased work responsibility. You may have to struggle to complete the day’s agenda but you will be successful as you are determined. One secret is to find someone to share your work and you in turn help them. Two can work faster and by the time the day is over you may find that two of you have completed the work of two with swiftness and less stress than usual. This is not the usual case, but just such an occasion will help to build good friends. As you each develop more patience, persistence, skill, efficiency and organization in your work, you will find opportunities to advance, therefore, find a new environment. What you have to ask yourself now is if the climb is worth the effort you will need to put forth.

Yesterday’s Solution

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You combine energy and courage with ambition and selfcontrol. You can accomplish much toward your goals through careful, hard work. Officials and people in authority give you their support and you can deal effectively with any business and professional affairs that come your way today. You can make progress in managerial and administrative areas. You have ideas for making money and insuring security. Now is a good time for financial planning and correspondence. Send a card to a person who you know that may not get much mail. A teen or preteen youngster may be interested in your ideas on financial gain and may join you in seeking ways to invest the small allowance or wages made around the home: good beginnings.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) This morning is a time for daydreams. Your imagination will be focused on how things ought to be, rather than on reality as it is. You may tend to purchase or sell art and luxury items. You may want comforts that are more physical and seek to improve your material security through financial or business agreements. There may be some talk among co-workers about goals and changes in the order of work. You will spend a considerable amount of time and effort to improve finances, principally through physical or manual activity. The desire for material success and considerable monetary gain is great—talk of a raise is also in the air! An early evening drive with your loved one is enjoyable and may be beneficial to you both.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Emphasize your personality, skill or productivity—not your foolishness or reckless daring. You have a good chance to improve your level of education and your communications or foreign language skills. Your place of business will be willing to help you complete or continue your educational plans. You should make every effort, however, to find out what paybacks are necessary. Your access to ideas, information, goods and services improves. Letters and short trips can be immensely enjoyable and rewarding now. The time is favorable for studying, teaching, lecturing, writing and publishing. Avoid intellectual prejudices concerning personal religious, philosophical, cultural or educational views. Consider travel ideas.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) There may be romantic or marital opportunities through work. This also may be some opportunity to help a co-worker with his or her plans to marry. This afternoon you will find yourself in the middle of productive work. You are successful at your job and others appreciate your attention to your work. On the way home this afternoon you may find errands and chores fill up your time. You are sympathetic and well-disposed to loved ones and think of them fondly when shopping for gifts or visits. Try to keep a measure of objectivity; we all need to learn and this is also a gift you can give . . . to quietly watch and wait and help when needed. This evening promises to offer exciting and creative times between partners!

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You feel very good about yourself today and others tend to support your self-confidence. If you enjoy your work, this is a good day to expand your horizons. If you consider your job little more than drudgery, this is a good time to begin a vacation, experience new pleasures or change your routine. The planetary energies encourage you toward warmth and affection—you attract others. Although it is easy for you to make good impressions today—when meeting new people, you should greet them eye-to-eye. In existing relationships, your natural affection could be put to good use in order to undo tensions with friends or loved ones. In addition to the personal aspects, financial arrangements, especially negotiations for attaining funds are favorable.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 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

ST TAT TE OF KUW K WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY: Y Monday

17/09/2012

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours BY Y DA AY:

Hot with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 15 - 35 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Relativity hot to fair with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 12 - 35 km/h

No Current Warnings arnin a

WA ARNING

KUW WAIT A CITY

41 °C

30 °C

22451082

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

42 °C

23 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WAISEEB A

42 °C

26 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

43 °C

21 °C

SALMI

Salmiya

25746401

43 °C

24 °C

ABDAL LY

42 °C

24 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

41 °C

24 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

42 °C

24 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

40 °C

32 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

37 °C

32 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YAN A

43 °C

22 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

DA AY

DA AT TE

New Jahra

24575755

Tuesday

18/09

24772608

Wednesday e

19/09

Thursday

20/09

Friday

21/09

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

ST TATION T

SFC. CHART

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

17/09/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures WEA AT THER

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

hot

42 °C

24 °C

NW

12 - 35 km/h

hot + raising dust

41 °C

27 °C

NW

15 - 40 km/h

hot + raising dust

41 °C

27 °C

NW

15 - 40 km/h

hot

40 °C

25 °C

NW-NE

15 - 35 km/h

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

Al-Ardhiya

07:00

Issue Time

MIN. REC.

South Jahra

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

MAX. EXP P.

West Jahra

Ext.: 262 2627 - 2630

Fax: 24348714

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT

Fajr

04:14

MAX. Temp.

42 °C

Sunrise

05:34

MIN. Temp.

28 °C

Zuhr

11:43

MAX. RH

16 %

Asr

15:12

MIN. RH

05 %

Sunset

17:51

MAX. Wind

N 46 km/h

Isha

19:09

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

00 mm

17/09/12 02:44 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

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

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

lifestyle

Brown due to return G O S S I P

to court in assault case hris Brown is scheduled to return to a Los Angeles courtroom for the first time in more than a year amid questions about his community service. The R&B singer is on probation for the 2009 beating of his then-girlfriend Rihanna and had been ordered to perform six months’ worth of community service, including graffiti removal, roadside cleanup and other manual labor.

C

Brown has completed his terms with praise from a judge; however a prosecutor raised concerns about how many hours he had completed. The singer has received praise from a judge overseeing his probation for the 2009 beating of Rihanna, but an audit of his community service was ordered in July. Brown was also ordered to appear in court for a review of his probation yesterday.

Radcliffe: Good relationships are important aniel Radcliffe believes the most important thing in life is having a good relationship with your loved ones. The ‘Harry Potter’ actor admits he is often plagued by self-doubt and worries about his work and it is at these times when he realizes having great friends and a loving family is so crucial. Speaking in a live web chat as part of The Trevor Project’s Talk to Me Campaign for National Suicide Prevention Month, he said: “When you do feel self-doubt or you do feel unhappy and you talk to someone about it, its better, I do believe that a problem shared is a problem halved. But with things like self-doubt and the slightly more nagging things you do have to have to live with them for a while ... You have to live in that place for a bit and if that really frightens you then that’s when turning to a friend will help. Those are the times when the quality of the relationships around you are really what is most important in life, in anyone’s life.”

Daniel - who is dating production assistant Rosie Coker - admits he suffers from insecurities about his talents as an actor and spends hours fretting about his performances and roles. However, the 23year-old star insists these worries are common for a lot of the “neurotic” actors he knows. When asked what the hardest thing about his career is, he revealed: “A lot of the time it’s fighting your own insecurity and doubt and this is something I

D

Osbourne

kicks paparazzi

K

elly Osbourne kicks paparazzi so they can’t get up-skirt shots of her. The ‘Fashion Police’ presenter claims photographers in London can be particularly ferocious when trying to get a risque picture, but she and her girlfriends have learnt special techniques to deal with the problem. She said: “We have this thing that the girls have learnt to do in London, the paps do this thing where they go on the floor and try and shoot up your skirt, so the first thing we do is just kick them, so they can’t do it! “They get on their knees that are how bad they are. I will say, though, in this country it is getting better.” Despite the paparazzi issue, the 27-year-old celebrity loves coming back to her native UK from Los Angeles because of the difference in culture. Kelly - whose parents are British stars Ozzy and Sharon -She said: “This will always be home for me; I’m always going to be British. I’ve got every English sweet you can imagine in my hotel room, it’s just been heaven being back. “Even the smell of London, I know that’s weird, but it’s just different and it’s nice being able to fall over on cobbled streets instead of just sparkly pavements.”Discussing her brother Jack Osbourne’s Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, Kelly admits she would not be able to deal with it as well as he has. Speaking on UK TV show ‘Lorraine’, she added: “I don’t know how he does it, if it was me I’d be so self-loathing and miserable, but he’s got an almost military sense of mind where even if he doesn’t like something he just does it.”

T

eira Knightley seems to be in a good place personally and professionally. She’s engaged to marry musician James Righton and stars in the film adaptation of “Anna Karenina” alongside Jude Law. The 27-year-old tells Vogue magazine’s October issue, there was a time when she wasn’t in such a good place. She recalls a time when the fame from such roles as “Bend it like Beckham” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise was too intense. She says she “literally had no life outside of acting” and desired to “not be ‘on’ all the time.” Instead of working, Knightley read books, cooked and lived in France. The October issue of Vogue goes on sale nationwide Sept 25. “Anna Karenina” opens in limited release on Nov 16.

K

talk to a lot of actors about. Most of the actors I know are also some of the most neurotic people I know and it’s strange that a combination like that exists so much. I think for a lot of the time about the jobs that I’ve got coming up I have a lot of nerves about them.” The Trevor Project is an organization that provides “crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people under 24”.

Winehouse

family’s final farewell

Simon Cowell adores Kim Kardashian he music mogul is a huge fan of the reality TV star - whose sister Khloe is in the running to be the new host of ‘The X Factor’ USA - as he loves her “naughty side” and insists she should be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He said: “She’s very cute and has a naughty side. I adore her. They shouldn’t have denied her a star on the Walk of Fame.” Simon also has high praise for Kim’s boyfriend Kanye West, calling the hip hop musician an “innovator”. He said: “I think he’s super-talented and an innovator. He knows what he’s doing. Plus he’s controversial and I like that.” One of Simon’s favorite celebrities is Paula Abdul and he hopes to work with her again in the future. He said: “I’m such a big fan of hers. She was as good as gold on ‘X Factor’ last year but the network was worried as she had worked on ‘American Idol’ with me before.

T

Paula understood when I explained it to her and was very professional about it. But I will never rule out working with her in the future.”

Iglesias dad ‘devastated’ by fire at estate nrique Iglesias’s father has been left “devastated” after his Spanish estate was devastated by fire. Julio Iglesias’ Marbella property in Ojen, Las Cuatro Lunas, Spain, was ravaged by the recent forest fires which tore through 8,000 acres of land and reached his home, destroying part of his grounds and taking the life of the family’s beloved dog, Chaplin. The Spanish singer/songwriter is still coming to terms with what happened and can’t believe his dream home - where he married his wife, dutch model Miranda Rijnsburger - has been damaged so badly.

He told Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “News of the fire was some of the worst in my life.

This home was - and is - the realisation of my dreams. I am devastated.” Luckily he, Miranda and their five children were not home during the fire but Julio kept in contact with those in the area at the time. He said: “I was in the Dominican Republic but I was in constant contact with the people who work on the property. It was distress-

E

Usher was ‘born’ to be a father A he ‘Yeah’ singer - who has children Usher Raymond V, four and three-year-old Naviyd with ex-wife Tameka Raymond - is adamant he is not an “absentee” parent as his former spouse has previously claimed, and insists being a dad is one of the most important things in his life. He said: “Absentee from the aspect of having to go and work, that probably would be her version or idea of what absentee would be. But no, I’m not an absentee father at all.

“I was born to do what I’m doing as a dad. I realised that once I had a child. When I had them, that’s when they became a priority.” Tameka recently lost custody of the two children to Usher, and he claims their bitter court battle over the kids means they are unlikely to ever be close again. Speaking on TV show ‘Oprah’s Next Chapter’, he said: “We don’t see eye-to-eye. The friend that I was to Tameka, I don’t know that I could ever be again, because I really felt like we were friends.

She made us enemies in a way that I could never have understood. It wasn’t until I was on the stand, where I cried, that I realized, ‘Oh this is an attack.’

Knightley: ‘I had no life’ besides acting

my Winehouse’s family said their final farewell as they buried her ashes. The ‘Back to Black’ singer passed away in July 2011 aged just 27 from alcohol poisoning and her ashes were set to rest in a Jewish ceremony in Edgware, North London. The memorial was attended by around 70 mourners - including Amy’s father Mitch - and her ashes were committed to the ground accompanied by a black and pink headstone. According to The Sun newspaper, the headstone features “pink writing and a picture of a songbird” in

memory of the musician and the stone also honors Amy’s late beloved Mitch, 61, paid tribute to his daughter’s “short but dynamic” life. Last Friday would have been the singer’s 29th birthday and her family spoke to fans on the Amy Winehouse Foundation website, saying: “Today marks what would have been the 29th birthday of Amy Winehouse. “Whilst the world continues to mourn the loss of a true superstar, her family - first and foremost - remember the daughter, niece and sister that is no longer with them.”

ing because they escaped quite late - just five minutes before the flames reached the house. They didn’t realise how strong the wind was, and they discovered the fire was almost at the door ... It could have been a much bigger disaster.” Julio, 68, has just released a book about the Las Cuatro Lunas estate - translated as The Four Moons - which includes images of happier times for him and Miranda.

Pitt obsessed with cleaning rad Pitt has become obsessed with cleaning. The star is staying in Surrey, Southern England, working on two films, ‘The Counselor’, and ‘World War Z’ and has turned his hand to household chores while fiancee, Angelina Jolie with whom he raises six children - has been visiting a war zone. A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Brad has always been an attentive father, but recently he’s becoming more domesticated, too. “The couple have a lot of help around the home, but Brad’s started getting quite into sorting out the washing and doing the ironing himself. “He’s been pottering

B

around the house a bit while Ange is away, and it helps to keep him occupied.

“He likes nothing more than doing a bit of housework before getting the kids to help him prepare dinner, which they love. “He’s turned into a right Mr Muscle. He’s also been going to the local supermarket, and runs errands to the local dry cleaners in Camberley.” The 48-year-old actor has also told how his attitude to life has completely changed since he became father to his kids Maddox, 11, Pax, nine, Zahara, seven, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox. He said: “For me, being a father has changed everything for

me as far as perspective and interests go. I just want to take care of myself and be around them.” While Brad has been looking after the children and the cleaning, Angelina - who has also been filming in the UK on new movie ‘Maleficent’ - spent her weekend touring Iraq as part of her role as a United Nations goodwill ambassador. There she made a humanitarian plea to Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, asking him to ensure that refugees from war torn neighbour Syria have enough supplies to live. Last week she also visited a refugee camp in Syria, which moved her to tears. —Agencies

Lenin

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Spanish theater company “La Fura dels Baus” performs in front of the Romanian Parliament at The Constitution’s Square during a four-day long street theater festival celebrating the anniversary of the city of Bucharest. — AFP

Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban to Rihanna leads 2012 MTV (EMA) nominations join ‘American Idol’ judges R

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, center, poses with judges, from left, Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson, Sunday in New York. — AP

T

he Fox television network announced Sunday it has tapped rapper Nicki Minaj and country singer Keith Urban as judges on troubled TV talent show “American Idol.” The pair will join pop star Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson, the only remaining original “Idol” judge. The announcement came just hours before initial auditions for the next season in New York. “I am thrilled about this year’s judges’ panel!” said Mike Darnell, president of alternative entertainment at the Fox

Broadcasting Company. “Nicki’s an unbelievably captivating international phenomenon who has made an indelible mark on rap and pop. And Keith is another great addition to IDOL he’s one of the biggest stars in country music and I know that our fans and contestants will fall in love with him.” He said the now-complete team was “one of the most exciting judging panels around.” Pop diva Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler announced in July their departure from the show, which is

struggling against rival “The Voice” on NBC. “American Idol” has aired for 11 seasons, but was thrown into disarray by the departure of judges Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi two years ago. But Marc Graboff, president of the CORE Media Group that owns “Idol” producer 19 Entertainment, insisted that season 12 would be “terrific.” “IDOL has truly never looked better,” he added. “We couldn’t be more pleased about this new team of judges.” — AFP

ihanna leads the 2012 MTV European Music Awards (EMA) nominations with six nods. The ‘We Found Love’ hitmaker is up for a host of top accolades, including Best Pop Act, Best Look, Biggest Fans and Best Female - a category which will see her battle Katy Perry, Pink, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift. Taylor has five nominations in total, including Best Live Act and Best World Stage. Justin Bieber and Katy - who will both take on Taylor and Rihanna for the title of Best Pop act received four nods each, while several acts picked up a hat-trick of nominations including Nicki, Lady Gaga and Carly Rae Jepsen, who faces stiff competition from Lana Del Rey, One Direction, fun. and Rita Ora for Best Newcomer.

Justin will do battle with Kanye West, Flo Rida, Pitbull and Jay-Z for Best Male.

Other notable nominees include Green Day, Jack White, Flo Rida, Muse and Ed Sheeran, who will do battle with One Direction, Jessie J, Conor Maynard and Rita for the title of Best UK & Ireland newcomer.

No less than 18 acts are up for the Best World Stage category - which celebrates the range and breadth of all the music that MTV has to offer by showcasing incredible artists from all parts of the world - such as Sean Paul, Snow Patrol, Maroon 5 and B.o.B. The winners will be announced at the ceremony in Frankfurt, Germany, on November 11, with performers at the event yet to be announced. MTV viewers started voting for EMA categories such as Best Newcomer, Best Live Act and more from yesterday by visiting www.mtvema.com.

Rihanna MTV European Music Awards 2012 nominations:

Emmy-nominated stars share their fave TV shows

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ong before Kevin Costner, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks and Nicole Kidman were Emmy nominees; they were kids who loved watching TV. “I liked ‘Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ and ‘High Chaparral,’” Costner said. “I really, really liked that when I was a kid.” “I remember the transition from black-and-white to color,” continued Costner, who is nominated as both star and producer of the TV movie “Hatfields & McCoys.” “It like one by one the televisions in my neighborhood became color TVs and we would all go look at each other’s color TVs and ooh and aah at ‘Bonanza.’ I’m kind of glad I saw it all, in a way. I remember the TV would shut off at 11 and just play the national anthem all night long.”

Cranston, who is nominated for his role on “Breaking Bad” - which won him the Emmy Award three years in a row, grew up on “The Andy Griffith Show.” “I love the character of Barney: Classic comic character of the absolute confident man with no ability whatsoever. Always funny. The calm and comforting tones of Andy Griffith, who we lost recently,” the actor said. “I think there was just something very sweet and comforting about watching that show, and the simplicity of the lifestyle and a days-gone-by kind of thing.”

Hendricks, nominated for the third consecutive time for her supporting role in “Mad Men,” said her all-time favorites were “MASH” and “Northern Exposure.” “Both of them had a sense of real community and camaraderie among the cast, a sense of friendship in this world that I remember responding to,” she said. Mayim Bialik of “The Big Bang Theory” was also a “Northern Exposure” fan. “They had every kind of possible character,” said the actress, who remembered watching the show while starring on “Blossom.” “I would have

loved to be anything on ‘Northern Exposure,’ but mostly Rob Morrow’s love interest. That would have been my choice.

Kidman, a first-time Emmy nominee for her lead role in the TV movie “Hemingway & Gellhorn,” said she was raised on “The Brady Bunch” and “Bewitched.” “Growing up in Australia, the miniseries was such a big, big thing. It was something that launched my career because I did miniseries in Australia,” she said. “I did a thing called ‘Bangkok Hilton’ and one called ‘Vietnam,’ which was on the Vietnam War in the ‘60s and was a hugely rated show. That was my big break, really, as an

actor.” Sarah Paulson, nominated for her supporting work in the TV movie “Game Change,” loved “Who’s the Boss?”

Best Song: Carly Rae Jepsen - ‘Call Me Maybe’ Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris - ‘We Found Love’ Gotye - ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ Pitbull feat. Chris Brown ‘International Love’ fun. feat. Janelle Mon?e - ‘We Are Young’ Best Newcomer: Rita Ora fun.

One Direction Lana Del Rey Carly Rae Jepsen

Christina Hendricks

Best Female: Rihanna Katy Perry P!nk Taylor Swift Nicki Minaj Best Male: Justin Bieber Kanye West Flo Rida Pitbull Jay-Z

Bryan Cranston

Nicole Kidman

Kevin Costner

“Angela and Tony were who I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to have that relationship,” she said. “I watched a lot of television growing up and they were like my surrogate parents. Angela and Tony. I loved ‘em.” Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Maya Rudolph and Zooey Deschanel were all fans of “The Cosby Show.” —AP

Best Pop: Justin Bieber No Doubt Katy Perry Taylor Swift Rihanna Best Live: Taylor Swift Lady Gaga Jay Z & Kanye West Green Day Muse

Best Hip Hop: Jay Z & Kanye West Nas Rick Ross Drake Nicki Minaj Best Rock: Linkin Park Green Day Muse The Killers Coldplay Best Electronic: David Guetta Swedish House Mafia Avicii Skrillex Calvin Harris Best Alternative: Jack White The Black Keys Arctic Monkeys Florence + The Machine Lana Del Rey Best Video: M.I.A. - ‘Bad Girls’ Lady Gaga - ‘Marry The Night’ Katy Perry - ‘Wide Awake’ Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris - ‘We Found Love’ PSY - ‘Gangnam Style’ Best Look: Nicki Minaj Rihanna Jack White Taylor Swift A$AP Rocky Biggest Fans: Justin Bieber

One Direction Lady Gaga Rihanna Katy Perry Best World Stage: Arcade Fire Arctic Monkeys B.o.B Evanescence Flo Rida Jason Derulo Joe Jonas Justin Bieber Kasabian Ke$ha LMFAO Maroon 5 Nelly Furtado Red Hot Chili Peppers Sean Paul Snoop Dogg Snow Patrol Taylor Swift Best Push: Nov - Foster The People Dec - Lana Del Rey Jan - Mac Miller Feb - Michael Kiwanuka March - Gotye April - Rebecca Ferguson May - fun.

June - Rita Ora July - Conor Maynard August - Of Monsters And Men September - Carly Rae Jepsen Best Uk & Ireland Act: Conor Maynard Rita Ora One Direction Jessie J Ed Sheeran

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Lady Gaga, Westwood top London fashion shows L

ondon Fashion Week kicked into high gear Sunday, with a hectic day of shows that culminated in Lady Gaga taking a starring turn on celebrity milliner Philip Treacy’s catwalk. Earlier in the day, punk queen Vivienne Westwood upstaged her own models in a finale that saw her strutting down the runway with a climate change slogan T-shirt.

Fashion doesn’t get more theatrical than this.

Day Three of London’s twice-a-year style extravaganza was packed with runway previews by some of the capital’s most popular designers: Westwood, Paul Smith, Jonathan Saunders, Mary Katrantzou and Alice Temperley.

way preview. The orange-haired designer used two models to unfurl a banner proclaiming a climate revolution, then strutted down the catwalk herself in a “Climate Revolution” T-shirt, shorts and makeup that looked as if she had a giant black eye. “I loved it,” former model Jo Wood said. “There was so much there that I wanted. And I love Vivienne as a person. She’s the one show I won’t miss.”

Some of Westwood’s severe outfits looked like they were from just before the “Mad Men” era, when US first lady Mamie Eisenhower helped set conservative fashion trends. Some outfits looked silly, others - evoking the Jackie Kennedy era that came a few years later appeared wonderfully retro and chic. Did the ensembles work? Westwood, ever the iconoclast, claimed she simply didn’t care, insisting she was only interested in using fashion as a way to air her views on the environment.

stripes, which Temperley said was to show a bit of leg and make the retro look more fun.

Textures were luxurious and soft with lace, silk, brocade and tulle with flower appliques.

Temperley is best known for her romantic evening and bridal gowns, and is launching a more affordable line at British department store John Lewis. On Friday, Kate Middleton, now known as the Duchess of Cambridge, wore a Temperley ice blue dress with white lace sleeves to a tea party in Malaysia.

JONATHAN SAUNDERS Loud clashing colors, full-on sequins, holographic stripes - Jonathan Saunders’ catwalk show Sunday had it all. These aren’t clothes for the shy woman. Saunders, who chose to stage his spring collection in the industrial underbel-

ALICE TEMPERLEY Westwood wasn’t the only person looking to the ‘50s and ‘60s for sizzle and spice. Sophia Loren was the inspiration behind Alice Temperley’s London catwalk show Sunday, an elegant concoction of ‘50s full skirts fit for a royal garden party. Temperley, a favorite of Kate and Pippa Middleton, said she wanted to update the 1950s couture look and make it accessible. The designer said the conical hats the models wore exemplified the classic couture feel of the spring collection, which was set in a grand chandeliered hall. “I wanted to create something modern and sleek, something that gives the feeling of the dream of couture,” she said of the hats, which were similar to the style worn by Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Working from a soft palette dominated by powder blue and ivory, Temperley showed off flirty, tea-length circle skirts and dresses that accentuated a tiny waist. A theme was skirts with semi-sheer horizontal organza

ly of the Tate Modern museum, opened with a series of silver and gold separates with a holographic sheen. Skirts and dresses made of a plastic-like material with large circle discs came next, the discs glimmering like fish scales in the spotlight. But the star of the show was stripes, stripes and more stripes. There were bright lime trouser suits and dresses in thick horizontal stripes, a black and white dress in a chevron stripe, and dresses with flowing stripes of a clashing color that cleverly followed the bias cut of the garment. To end, Saunders upped the ‘70s disco fever feel with a series of fully sequined dresses in bright stripes of color: Black with blue and silver, and black with red and green. On another designer it could have looked tacky, but on Saunders, it somehow all worked.

MARIOS SCHWAB

ALICE TEMPERLEY

But Lady Gaga, in a hot pink, floor-length shroud, stole the show when she opened her friend Treacy’s Michael Jackson-themed comeback show. Treacy, who has designed fanciful hats for Gaga as well as countless royals and celebrities, has not shown at the fashion week for a decade. Raising her arms and looking up, the pop icon announced: “Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest milliner in the world: Philip Treacy.” She was joined by fellow celebrities Kim Cattrall, Grace Jones, and Nick Cave in the front row at the show, which featured Jackson’s legendary stage costumes paired with Treacy’s headgear. The outfits, which included the original red “Thriller” jacket - were lent from a collection held by the King of Pop’s costume designers. They are set to be auctioned in California in December.

The spectacle topped a long day of shows that featured onetime punk priestess Westwood, who championed her favorite cause - climate change - as she closed her run-

While other designers work summery watercolor hues and bold prints, Marios Schwab’s catwalk show Sunday was a darkly seductive affair of shredded leather, smoldering midnight tones and tribal detailing.

Drawing inspiration from an idea of the Amazon warrior, Schwab opened his show with a series of dresses in sheer layers of black and oxblood, decorated with leather tassels.

These tassels appeared throughout the show adorning high heels or flat lace-up gladiator sandals, on lapels, in short parallel rows down the bodice, or strategically shielding the body on sheer gowns. Schwab also created texture with pleating, which was used first on leather dresses in fuchsia and inky blue, then later on chiffon skirts paired with lace tops in the same hue. Schwab’s designs always play on seduction and have a mysterious femme fatale element to them, and his spring collection was no exception. Models’ bare bodies were just visible under the layers of light material, and at times high slits on the pleated leather skirts revealed flesh-toned mesh layers beneath.

The final evening pieces - nude or sheer black high-collared column gowns embellished with tassels and beading - were dramatic showstoppers. The Greco-Austrian designer’s show was packed, with front row guests including Japanese Vogue’s editor Anna Dello Russo.— AP

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

lifestyle

MARY KATRANTZOU

F A S H I O N

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

PHILIP TREACY

Lady Gaga, Westwood top London fashion shows

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Singer LadyGaga arrives at Macy’s Herald Square in New York to launch her first fragrance, Lady Gaga Fame, released through the singer’s own Haus Laboratories in association with Coty. — AFP

Canadian brings France ‘feminist’ high heel T

anya Heath is on a double mission: to prove women can wear heels without ruining their feet, and that her answer to their plight, a heel that switches from high to low, can be made entirely in France. The Parisbased Canadian started with a simple idea.

When your shoes start to hurt-half way through a party, a wedding or a workdaypress a button in the sole, slot out your dressy high heel and replace it with a walking version. “I’m a feminine feminist,” is how the 42year-old sums up her philosophy. “My shoe is

economist, she had two ways of reading the situation. “One is that France is non-competitive, and we deserve everything we get because we’ve killed the industry. And the other way is to say maybe, with an innovation, we can save some jobs here. “I thought screw the liberal economics, we’ll go for the innovation theory.” The buyout idea came to nothing, but she went on to surround herself with a team of 21 engineers, designers and technicians, plus herself and an associate, to bring her concept to life. The resulting shoe is entirely made in France, with leather from central Limoges, produced in three factories,

designed to be sexy-but on the woman’s terms.” “You can do your two-hour meeting, and then you just take off your high heel,” she explained at the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris this month. “You’re getting relief-and you’re getting home.” So far so good, except the trick-which no one had quite figured out until now-is how to keep the shoe balanced and comfortable both on tip-toe and when you tilt it back to sit on a low heel. Fruit of three painstaking years of research, Heath’s patented answer to the riddle is billed as the world’s first multi-height heel, a luxury leather shoe that switches seamlessly from nine to four centimeters (3.5 to 1.5 inches).

was born partly of personal experience, having suffered foot deformations from heels, like an estimated 38 percent of women worldwide. “I had had enough of aching feet, and I refused point blank to wear ballerina flats,” she joked. But she she also wanted to show shoes could still be made in a high-cost economy like France.

Pictures in Paris shows multi-height shoes with changeable heels, created by Canadian born shoes designer Tanya Heath. — AFP photos

From pastel pink patent sandals to strappy dancing shoes or demure lace-ups, with either stiletto or chunky heels, high or low, the shoes are pitched at the high end of the market, starting at around 250 euros (320 dollars).

With models harking back to the 1920s, Heath wanted a “deliberately nostalgic” style to offset the “gee-whizz technology”. “It’s an incredible game of geometry,” she said. “All shoes, quality ones, follow a set of geometric rules, and always have done. I don’t follow those rules. We did things differently.”

A passionate heel-wearer, Heath’s project

‘I had had enough of aching feet’ In 1996, Heath left a job as policy analyst at the Canadian foreign ministry for a new life in Paris, following her oil executive fiance, a “camembert and champagne” lover who refused to be based anywhere else. Once there she learnt French at business school, worked in management and high-tech, then private equity, all while raising three young children. In 2009 she quit her job and threw herself into the heel project, heading to the Dordogne to investigate taking over a struggling shoe factory as a way to kickstart the project. When she got there Heath was in for a shock. “I saw the factory closed down and 52 people out on the street, the boss locked outand I thought ‘Woah!’ As a liberally trained

in eastern Franche-Compte for the mechanism, western Cholet for the heel and northwestern Rouen for the body. Since they started shipping in February, Heath has sold 800 pairs via a retail corner in the Printemps department store, her website, the Sarenza online store, and half a dozen boutiques across five countries. —AFP

Catwalk spats as Italy’s fashion sales falter

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ilan fashion week will open tomorrow on an apprehensive note amid poor sector results and calls for Italy’s top designer brands to overcome rivalries and pull together to beat the economic crisis. While the fashion industry has largely defied the crisis due to demand from emerging markets, revenue is down and an air of gloom in the recession-hit country appears to have spread to fashion, where tempers are beginning to fray. Last week the fashion sector forecast a 5.6-percent drop in revenue for 2012 to 60.2 billion euros ($79 billion), down from an earlier 5.2-percent estimate-data described by the National Chamber of Fashion as “not very reassuring.”

The atmosphere was summed up by designer Roberto Cavalli’s outburst on his blog last week, in which he

accused the National Chamber of Fashion, which organizes the fashion week, of failing to support Italy’s lesser-known brands.

He slammed the chamber for allowing “Little King” Armani to change cat-walk slots from Monday to Sunday, leaving him in the lurch; as the only top label to show on the closing day, he fears journalists and buyers will leave early. “Cavalli has always been a member of the chamber. I think that Armani is a member too, but his every choice is perceived as an order! The National Chamber supports only top names, giving small companies what’s left,” he said.

Sixty-eight fashion houses take their spring-summer 2013 collections to the catwalks in palaces, monuments and parks across the city until Tuesday. The

show opens its doors with Gucci on Wednesday, followed by Prada on Thursday, Versace and Etro on Friday, Jil Sander and Fendi on Saturday, Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana on Sunday and Roberto Cavalli on Monday. Fashion houses have depended during the crisis on a huge demand from China currently the world’s third-biggest market for personal luxury goods-and the industry is also pinning its hopes on India, where growth is accelerating.

Italian luxury brand Prada recently reported firsthalf 2012 sales up by 36.5 percent thanks largely to sales in Asia, and many fashion houses are being helped by Asian shoppers coming over to buy the latest shoes or bags in-house. But British fashion house Burberry shocked the sector last week by reporting its

worst same-store sales figures since the start of financial crisis, raising fears that a slowdown of growth in China will strip the industry of its edge. The company warned of problems with the entire luxury industry and its announcement sparked a wave of uncertainty throughout the global fashion world.

At a recent Fashion Global Summit in Milan, Italy’s luxury giants said they also faced difficulties expanding in China, where they face high import taxes. The National Chamber of Fashion’s head, Mario Boselli, said last week that “China, in spite of a few problems, is still a very attractive market.” He insisted however that “support from the institutions, help from both the public and private sector, is needed” to keep Made in Italy competitive. —AFP