18th Jul

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Tuition fee increase likely in coming school year

40 PAGES

NO: 15512

150 FILS

2

SHAABAN 28, 1433 AH

Indian fishermen say US boat fired without warning

9

Yahoo turns to former nemesis to be its CEO savior

27

www.kuwaittimes.net

Swimsuits that turn athletes into barracudas

14

Syrian rebels battling to ‘liberate’ Damascus Defector warns Assad will use chemical weapons

US building radar station in Qatar WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is building a missile defense radar station at a covert location in Qatar, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. The site will be part of a system intended to defend the interests of the United States and its allies against Iranian rockets, unnamed US officials told the newspaper. The Journal also reported that Washington was preparing for its biggestever minesweeping exercises in the Gulf in September, calling them the “first such multilateral drills in the region”. A similar radar has existed on Mount Keren in the Negev Desert since 2008 and another is installed in Turkey as part of NATO’s missile defense shield.

In addition, officials told the Journal that US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East and South Asia, wants to deploy the first Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in the area in the coming months, possibly in the United Arab Emirates.

Tensions with Iran - which Western powers suspect of secretly striving to build nuclear weapons - are rife in the Gulf region.

An Indian fisherman was killed and three others wounded on Monday when a US navy ship opened fire on their vessel near the

United Arab Emirates port of Jebel Ali in the southern Gulf. US defense officials said the fishing boat had ignored warnings not to approach the refueling ship USNS Rappahannock, and that sailors on board the American vessel feared it could pose a threat.

The United States has warned Tehran about blocking the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, and has significantly bolstered its military presence there.

Fears of a closure of the strait - through which about a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes - intensified earlier this year after Iran threatened to close it if Western governments kept up efforts to rein in Tehran’s controversial nuclear program by choking off its oil exports.

Tehran says its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes only. The United States is trying to prevent military action by Israel against Iran. In Israel on Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington would use “all elements of its power” to prevent Iran going nuclear and was working in “close consultation” with Israel over how to do so.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is also expected to visit Israel in the coming weeks, according to the Pentagon. — AFP

BEIRUT: Managing Director of Kuwait Times Badrya Darwish meets Lebanese President Michel Suleiman at the presidential palace.

— Photo by Waleed Al-Taweel (See Page 3)

Max 49º Min 37º High Tide 00:14 & 10:15 Low Tide 03:52 & 17:44

DAMASCUS: Rebels declared the battle to “liberate” Damascus has begun as heavy fighting raged across the city yesterday and Russia said an agreement is possible for a UN resolution on the Syria crisis. The proclamation by the Free Syrian Army, which also claimed it had shot down a helicopter in the capital, came as peace envoy Kofi Annan said the 16-month crisis now increasingly described as a civil war was at a “critical time”. Heavy machinegun fire was reported in Damascus’s Sabaa Bahrat Square, where President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime has staged rallies to counter anti-regime protests that erupted in March 2011.

At least eight people were killed as tanks and helicopter gunships were deployed in Qaboon district, while battles were fought in Al-Midan and Al-Hajar AlAswad, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

As the fighting inched closer to the regime’s nerve centre, FSA spokesman Colonel Kassem Saadeddine said “victory is nigh” and that the fight would go on until the city was conquered. “We have transferred the battle from Damascus province to the capital. We have a clear plan to control the whole of Damascus. We only have light weapons, but it’s enough.” “Expect surprises,” Saadeddine added, before adding later that rebels had downed a helicopter over Qaboon, although an activist in the district said there was “no foundation” to the report.

Fighting in the city has raged since Sunday, with the rebels announcing a full-scale offensive dubbed “the Damascus volcano and earthquakes of Syria”. An activist who said he was in Al-Midan neighbourhood said the army was shelling the neighbourhood “hysterically”.

“The collapsing regime has gone mad,” the man calling himself Abu Musab said via Skype.

Continued on Page 15

2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

LOCAL

Tuition fee increase likely in the coming school year Expat parents bear the brunt, plan to send kids home

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: With the new academic year approaching, schools in Kuwait have announced tuition fee hikes - news that has worried many expat parents. According to news published yesterday, owners of private schools have already sought the approval of the Ministr y of Education to increase fees for the upcoming academic year. In Kuwait, where expats comprise two-thirds of the population, private schools are the only option for children of expats, and with a few exceptions school fees have become a burden on many households.

School fees affect the budget of many families living in Kuwait.

Indian and Filipino families whose children are studying in elementary and high-school find tuitions overwhelmingly high compared to tuition fees back home. Rolly, a Filipino father of three who works in a private company and makes KD300 a month, finds paying the school fees burdensome. “ The school fees here are really high,” complained Rolly. “With the expenses I have for my two children - one in the elementary and the other one in high school- I could already educate one person in

medicine or law school,” he told Kuwait Times. “My three children are in school. I am paying most of my salary for their tuition fees. I don’t really mind that, but when I compared the tuition fees back home, the difference is excessively high. I think I could save more money if I send them home,” he added.

The Ministr y of Education (MoE) has issued a decree for the increase of private school fees to be implemented gradually, at a five percent rate beginning in 2009. But the increase was based on MoE school category, which is normally based on the number of students and school facilities.

The rising costs of living in Kuwait, with inflation reaching up to five percent in 2011, affects lower income families, especially expatriates. Since the law in Kuwait does not allow foreign children to attend public schools, expats have no choice but to place their children in private schools and pay what - for many is more than two months’ salary in fees.

Anna, another parent whose children are currently enrolled at Indian schools said, “We have to bite the bullet. We are already facing the impact of sky high rents, prices of commodities and

News

in brief

Stricter measures enacted KUWAIT: Well-informed sources stressed that the passports and citizenship directorate had started imposing stricter measures on citizens holding dual citizenships to force them to give up either their Kuwaiti or other citizenship. The sources added that in response to these measures, many citizens have already begun returning citizenship documents to embassies representing those countries.

KUWAIT: Students from a private school in Kuwait during their visit to Kuwait Times recently. Used for illustrative purposes only. —-Photo by Ben Garcia living expenses, and now the reality of a tuition hike. Our solution, as for my family, is to

deprive ourselves of all the luxury we enjoyed before. Foremost, I want my three children to have a

good education, so we are depriving ourselves from some good things in life,” she said.

Visa extension to Syrian teachers

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education has announced it will renew the work contracts for Syrian national teachers working in Kuwait for one year, running through the end of the academic year 2012/2013.

According to Undersecretar y Tamador Al-Siderawi, who issued the decision, this will apply to all Syrian teachers who reached the age of retirement this year 2011/2012, regardless of previous renewals issued to these teachers.

Not only Syrian teachers welcomed this decision, but most people saw this decision as proper due to the to the

dangerous political and security situation in Syria. “ This decision is good for them. I know that many of them are against the regime in Syria and they are on a black list, and if they returned to Syria their lives will be in danger. Also, security in the area back home where they lived might be unstable. In addition, many teachers stayed here because of the situation in Syria and even brought their families here so they would be able to stay with them and have no reason to return there,” Hasan, an Egyptian teacher, told the Kuwait Times.

From her side, Huda, a Lebanese employee, agreed that this is a correct decision. “It ’s ver y generous of the

Kuwaiti Ministry to do this. I think this is saving the lives of some Syrians and it’s a way of contributing to protecting them. This is their way to decrease the killings in Syria,” she said.

Fifty year- old Khaleel, a Syrian employee, also praised this decision.

“It’s good from all aspects. These Syrian teachers are experienced, with good knowledge of Kuwait’s educational system. They can interact with students better and they also have good reports from student and parents. And above all, this is a very good humanitarian move by Kuwaiti authorities towards the Syrians,” he pointed out.

Abu Ali, a Jordanian employee thinks this decision serves the interests of both

sides. “The Kuwaiti government needs the services of these Syrian teachers, as there is shortage of teachers, and on the other hand this is a good opportunity for these teachers to remain safe here, rather than risking their safety when returning back to Syria,” he stated.

“Even if it was any other nationality, they should be given a chance. Nobody wants to go to a country where a war is going on, especially if it was an old person. In my work we have been told that there is a possibility of closing up the office, and now I’m terrified about what will happen and whether I will have to go back to Syria in this bad and dangerous situation,” noted 40 year-old Knar, a Syrian employee.

Extreme temperatures KUWAIT: According to readings at Kuwait International Airport, the recorded temperatures on Monday was 48 degrees centigrade, while it reached 50 degrees in others areas and affected all people traveling on the roads and others exposed to the outdoors. Meanwhile, MEW indicators showed that power consumption rates on Sunday noon reached 11,610 megawatts while dropping Monday to 11,560 megawatts. ëDespite the temperature increase and the increase in power consumption over the past two days, power production is still under controlí, said the sources, noting that thanks new projects, the total power production output reached 13,340 megawatts.

50 MoI senior officials to retire KUWAIT: Well-informed security sources said that over 50 senior officials, ranking from lt. colonels to major generals at the interior ministry, intend to retire by the end of this year to take advantage of the benefits available to retirees.The sources added that the MoI had distributed a questionnaire amongst its senior officials to count the total number wishing to stay in the office so that the new ministry organizational structure could be set.

Blackouts in Jleeb, Subahiya KUWAIT: Due to soaring temperatures, residents of Subahiya and Jleeb Al-Shoyoukh experienced a power outage for several hours, said official sources at the ministry of electricity and water (MEW). The sources added that MEW emergency operations center received several complaints about power outages at houses in block 3, Subahiya. They added that emergency teams dispatched to fix the problem found a malfunction in the areaís power unit that resulted from overloading. Further, the sources said that similar reports were received from residents of block 2, Jleeb, where illegal power connections are found, often overloading area power units due to owners building extra floors on top of their buildings and powering them with illegal connections.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

local

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Suleiman (center) with the Kuwaiti delegation (from left) Wesam abo Harfoosh Al-Rai manager in Beirut, Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait News Agency Rashed Al-Ruweished, Secretary of Kuwait Journalists Association Adnan Al-Rashed, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Anbaa, Yousef Al-Marzoug, Majed Al-Ali of Al-Rai, Managing Director of Kuwait Times, Badriya Darwish, Editor-in-Chief of An-Nahar, Imad Bou Khamseen and manager of Al-Anbaa Omar Habanjar.—Photos by Mahmoud Al-Taweel

Lebanese president thanks Kuwait for continuing support Relations ‘historic and great’

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has praised Kuwait’s continuing support for Lebanon and described relations bounding the two brotherly countries “historic and great.” Suleiman, during a meeting with a visiting delegation of Kuwaiti journalists, indicated at substantial “similarities between the two peoples and states particularly at the level of democracy,” hailing in particularly the well-known role of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in support of Lebanon on various crucial occasions, particularly his role for crafting the Taif reconciliation agreement that resulted in ending the civil war and enacting a new constitution for the Lebanese state.

The visiting Kuwaiti delegation includes Chief Editor of the daily newspaper, Al-Anbaa, Yousef Al-Marzoug, Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait News Agency Rashed Al-Ruweished, their counterparts of An-Nahar, Imad Bou Khamseen and Majed Al-Ali of Al-Rai, Managing Director of the English-language daily, Kuwait Times, Badriyah Darwish, and Secretary of Kuwait Journalists Association Adnan Al-Rashed.

Regarding his visit to Kuwait in June, Suleiman affirmed that the mission was aimed at expressing gratitude to the Amir for substantial aid for Lebanon, through Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), and the Arab credit fund, that had been proposed by the Amir and endorsed by the Arab League, in addition to informing His Highness Sheikh Sabah about conditions in Lebanon.

Suleiman indicated that he raised during the meeting with His Highness

advise for Kuwaiti citizens to abstain from traveling to Lebanon, expressing hope to see the Kuwaitis coming at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan to spend Eid Al-Fitr in the country.

The president, who has recently visited other GCC states, said he intended to deliver several messages; one to the Lebanese that Lebanon’s relations with the member states of the council remained normal and unaffected by events in neighboring Syria, a message to the GCC peoples that Beirut remained keen on maintaining excellent ties with them, and that the authorities would spare no effort to ensure their safety during their visit to the country.

“We have decided to adopt a neutral policy regarding strives taking place in Arab and non-Arab countries and we opted to inform His Highness the Amir about this stance, considering his bold attitudes in defense of just causes,” Suleiman said, addressing the eminent Kuwaiti guests. Suleiman reiterated the government policy of maintaining a neutral policy toward regional conflicts and foiling any bids to transform the country into an arena for smuggling arms to Syria or stage armed actions against the neighboring country.

“We are abiding by the Taif accord and there are no fears that the country may witness civil war again,” Suleiman said, belittling recurring security incidents that have been taking place on the domestic front.

The Lebanese president criticized some media outlets for portraying Lebanon as an arena of tension, reemphasizing that Lebanon would not

take sides in the conflict in Syria, noting that “the unbiased policy” is also applied to incoming wounded Syrians.

However, Lebanon cannot secure medical treatment for all wounded Syrians crossing the border, the president said, alluding to limited national resources for medical treatment. But he affirmed that the authorities have been doing their best to aid serious cases. He urged the Syrians to take lessons from the Lebanese civil war and seek to agree on a consensus ruling system, constitution and electoral law, hoping that they would embrace democracy “for what is happening now is mere inflicting of human and material losses and in the end there will be no solution but through dialogue and the adoption of democracy.” The Lebanese leader ruled out prospected flare-up of a full-scale civil war in Syria, re-indicating that the Syrians have divergent views on the avenues that should be taken to resolve the crisis. He also expressed hope that efforts by the Arab League and the United Nations would yield fruit, politically, hoping that the military option would be brushed aside “for it would only escalate violence and boost the chances of plunging into a civil war.”

Regarding his assessment of the “Arab Spring,” Suleiman said “the Arab Spring has not blossomed sufficiently yet despite some good manifestations such as the elections in Egypt and Libya. “What’s important in this respect is follow-up, means of dealing with the constitutional authorities... and we are awaiting the end of violence because the objective of democracy is peace and prosperity.” — KUNA

BEIRUT: Editor-in-Chief of Al-Anbaa, Yousef Al-Marzouq presenting a plaque to President Michel Suleiman.

BEIRUT: Michel Suleiman is pictured during a meeting with Adnan Al-Rashed (right), Secretary of Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA).

Online ads help Kuwait retailers gain exposure KUWAIT: Online advertising is fiercely competing with more traditional methods within the realm of retail marketing with several retailers in Kuwait noting such approach had proven to provide more profit and exposure.

Speaking on separate occasions, retailers said that online advertisement provided them with an option to promote their products in an alternative method besides newspapers, tel-

evision, and other orthodox means. Mohammad Surur, sales manager at a women clothing company, said that in the past, the company would issue catalogs to showcase its latest products which in turn was expensive; however, with the advent of online advertisement, a company could provide such promotion and get feedback to improve the quality of the products at less cost.

He noted that social network-

ing sites like Twitter and Facebook also provided the company with an outlet to bring on more customers, pointing out that sales have improved by five percent on a monthly basis due to such approach.

Sharing the sentiment was Mohammad Hashim, manager of an electronic retail company, who indicated that orders for product on the company’s Instagram site have exceeded the number of clients who are actually purchas-

ing from the company’s showroom.

Online advertisement had helped in lessening the promotion costs, said Yahya Samra, sales manager of a company specialized in selling laptops.

He indicated that advertising on Google would cost around KD 250 on an annual basis, affirming that had helped his company to transform from a small shop in Hawalli area into a huge electronics center. —KUNA

New solutions to political crisis KUWAIT: Two declarations were simultaneously made Monday with suggestions about solving the current political crisis; one by the National Action Bloc (NAB) under the title of “Saving a nation” and the other was issued by the ‘Majority’ during a meeting at MP Ahmed Al-Sa’doun’s diwaniya.

NAB’s document suggested a number of legislative amendments, such as the laws on organizations, political groups

and developing the electoral system with regards to electoral constituencies, electoral campaigning, electoral donations and establishing a supreme commission for elections.

Commenting on the constitutional amendments, NAB stressed that they need the agreement of both the people’s and the Amir’s will, according to articles 174 and 175 of the constitution, which is not available at the moment.

As far as the executive power reform is concerned, NAB suggested setting certain conditions for appointing ministers and to enhance public participation in governments.

The document also included some suggestions to protect both the judiciary and individuals who should be granted special guarantees, including the right to contest judges.

On the other hand, the majority bloc meeting at MP Ahmed Al-Sa’doun’s diwaniya

announced its version of a national document on solving the current crisis, saying informed sources noted that the bloc gave its members the right not to adapt some of the controversial issues in their statement. The sources added that 20 MPs of the majority approved all the items on the statement without reservations, while 13 of them had reservations about the one electoral constituency, political bodies and the candidate lists system.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

local

NYP thanks Amir for fulfilling aspirations of young Kuwaitis Participation in Olympic Games KUWAIT: Members of the Youth Preparatory Council, and the Executive Office of the National Youth Program (NYP) yesterday thanked His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for his support of Kuwaiti youth and his efforts which led the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to lift the ban on Kuwait Olympic participation, allowing Kuwait to hoist the national flag and play the national anthem at the London Olympics.

His Highness quickly responded to the requests from Kuwait’s youth and proposed a range of effective measures that resulted in the approval of Kuwait’s request to hoist its national flag at one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events. His Highness’s intervention shows his deep faith in young Kuwaiti athletes competing at the Olympic Games, and their capabilities to elevate the name of Kuwait on an international stage.

Jassim Al-Rubayan, head of the executive office said: “Such honorable initiatives are not

new to His Highness. He is always the first to make decisions that bring joy to the hearts of his people.

“Members of the Youth Preparatory Council and Executive office in its entirety, extend their thanks and deepest gratitude to His Highness for his concerted efforts that resulted in the IOC’s decision. We hope that His Highness’s admirable endeavors will help end the continued struggle in the sporting arena in accordance with the constitutional framework.”

The National Youth Program was created in fulfillment of the desire of His Highness to support and nurture young Kuwaitis, help them overcome the obstacles they are facing, and create a way of transforming their creative ideas into reality for the benefit of the future of Kuwait.

Members of the NYP Sport Priority Team are calling upon Kuwaiti youth to submit their initiative ideas to help elevate sport in Kuwait.

The motto of this program is “Kuwait is listen-

ing” which emphasizes the main objective of this initiative, which is to communicate the voice of Kuwaiti youth with constructive ideas to the appropriate entities.

To assist this process the Youth Preparatory Council is developing a national document that will include creative ideas from youth which will be submitted to His Highness next November.

In fulfillment of the desire of His Highness, the political leadership, along with its institutions, will listen to the youth of Kuwait.

Therefore, NYP welcomes youth to share their opinion about the project and submit their initiative ideas via the project’s website at info@youth.org.kw.

For more general information on the National Youth Project, you can visit the Project’s website at www.youth.org.kw, email us directly at info@youth.org.kw, or contact us via Twitter at Twitter@NationalYouthKW, or call the program’s phone number +965-229 29960.

Kuwaiti department sets criteria for employment of specialized personnel

KUWAIT: Secretary General of the Kuwait and Arab Shooting Federations, along with KSF Assistant Treasurer Adnan Al-Ibrahim, received a delegation from the Oman National Complex project, headed by Lt Col Ali Bin Saeed Bin Sindi AlGhadani, who visited Kuwait to tour Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex, as the Oman Shooting Federation is planning the construction of a shooting complex similar to the facility in Kuwait.

KUWAIT: A specialized department, the center for accreditation of professional skills, is setting criteria for employment of civil servants on basis of education and skills, in coordination with various government departments. Dr Homoud Al-Mudhaf, the director-general of the center, explained objectives of the center, founded in 2004, saying it is aimed at axing unqualified staff and replacing them with skilled ones, in line with the national development strategies, simultaneously with tackling defects in the country’s demographic status, limiting inflow of unskilled expatriate workers, and creating jobs for nationals in the private sector.

An initial project for the center that concluded in 2009 laid bases for technical work, job description, organized vocational tests, in addition to setting standards. The second program that began in August 2009, due to end in 2014, is designed to set skills criteria for professions, at a rate of 100 professions per year.

Moreover, Al-Mudhaf indicated that the authority had succeeded in specifying vocational skills standards for up to 400 professions.

Delegations from other GCC countries that had visited Kuwait voiced deep admiration at the national achievements at this level and expressed desire to relay relevant recommendations to the ministers of labor and social affairs for examination at their next meeting, due in Riyadh on Sept 29, he added.

Only six states showed interest in setting up such a department five years ago, globally, but now the number rose to 121. — KUNA

Man held with ‘cocktail of drugs’

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Drugs enforcement officers arrested a GCC national on charges of attempting to sell a “cocktail of drugs” with a market value exceeding KD 120,000. Police received permission from authorities to arrest the suspect and search his house, where police found drugs, including methamphetamine. Police also discovered KD

als were used for selling drugs. The suspect was sent, along with the confiscated materials, to the proper authorities. Assistant Undersecretary for criminal security affairs Lt. General Abdul Hameed Al-Awadhi praised the efforts of the drug enforcement administration and asked them to exert even more efforts into ridding the state of drugs dealers.

Three injured Two young men were injured during a fight at Acqua park. Police report that fight resulted in a head injury to a 21 year-old Saudi man and a head injury and stabbing wound to the hand of a 22 year-old Saudi man. Both were taken to Al Amiri hospital. Another fight began near Al Reqie bridge between the Ardiya residential area and industrial Ardiya. The fight resulted in a facial injury to a Bangladeshi expat who was taken to Farwaniya hospital.

Ardiya accident A 48 year-old Indian expat received a head injury when he was struck by an object that fell from a building under construction at Ardiya. He was taken for medical treatment to Farwaniya hospital.

KUWAIT: The drug trader pictured after his arrest.

5,300, which he confessed came from the selling of drugs. Further, authorities report that after searching the suspect’s car they found 3 kg of hashish, 25,000 pills, and about 3.5 kg of methamphetamine, along with thermal seals for nylon bags and a scale. Police officials said the suspect confessed that the confiscated materi-

Road accidents A car accident at Jahra opposite Al Saleed leisure park resulted in an injury to the head and spine of an 18 year-old Kuwaiti. He was rushed to Jahra hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit, according to authorities. Another car accident between Riqqa and Mahboula resulted in a back injury suffered by 24 yearold Kuwaiti woman and an injury to the left thigh of a 25 year-old Kuwaiti woman. Both women were taken to Adan hospital. A motorcycle accident at Meshref near cooperative society resulted in a 33 year-old Egyptian expat being injured in both knees and suffering pain in his shoulder and head. He was taken for treatment to Mubarak hospital.

MEW heading to privatization KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) has asked for consultations with the Fatwa and Legislation Department concerning a draft on changing the ministry to a commercially operated public establishment that would only be responsible for planning and supervising, while private companies take the responsibility of operating, maintaining and executing various MEW projects. In this regard, a high-ranking MEW official said that a ministerial committee formed to study MEW restructuring had referred a report to the Fatwa department with three suggestions about changing the ministry into an establishment, restructuring it and regulating the relation between the ministry, consumers and the companies.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality yesterday continued cleaning roads and removing sand accumulated due to sand storms that hit Kuwait last week. Municipality equipments were used to clean roads and pavements to avoid accidents in all governorates. Cleaning roads at Jahra governorate covered expressways in addition to roads leading to Jahra graveyard. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

6

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

in my view

Deep-rooted traditions

Crimes, modern opportunities

By Sultan Homoud Al-Matrouk ur country is full of wonders and has deep-rooted traditions and heritages that should be highlighted. Our traditions are varied and are related to certain occasions that are cherished by the people of this country. These traditions can never be forgotten or ignored as they are passed down from one generation to another. One of the dearest occasions is Graish Day, which falls on the 30th of the lunar month of Sha’ban, only one day before Ramadan begins.

Kuwaitis used to celebrate this day in the old neighborhoods where everybody brought whatever food he could and all neighbors, relatives and friends shared having a group meal in the most glamorous and friendly atmosphere where they all sang and rejoiced at the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadan when they would all enjoy Iftar, Sahour and the sweet drum beat of Abo Tbaila. (When someone who would go around streets beating a small drum before Shour to wake up the people to have their meals before they start fasting

O

By Labeed Abdal

H

What a wonderful tradition it is! It will never be forgotten or spoiled by all the political conflicts of the world and has been revived by different generations over the years. In fact, it is not the food that gathers the people. It is, rather, their feeling of fraternity, love and compassion. for the following day).

What a wonderful tradition it is! It will never be forgotten or spoiled by all the political conflicts of the world and has been revived by different generations over the years. In fact, it is not the food that gathers the people. It is, rather, their feeling of fraternity, love and compassion.

On the other hand, citizens who celebrate this occasion nowadays at their office during working hours should know better. They have been ignoring the social and historic significance of the occasion, which is being soiled by the exaggerated abundance of food and feasts that delay work and business in the establishments they work in. They are really reviving the occasion, but in the wrong place and time.

Oh, how wonderful were our old celebrations of this day, when long colorful banquets were thrown while people expressed gratitude to Allah for having lived through the year until the following Ramadan arrived.

May Allah have mercy on the soul of aunt Um Saleh AlSammak, who used to tell us as kids: Enjoy the food all you can...Today is the Graish and Tomorrow we’ll lose our Craish ( small paunches).

Congratulations everybody and wish you so many happy returns of Ramadan. —Al-Rai

kuwait digest

How long have you got left?

By Mona Abdul Jaleel really astonishes me to see the number of people committing injustices and unfairness at a time when I immediately close my eyes in terror on seeing one of the good names of Almighty Allah; The Compeller and The Lofty, who will respond to the prayers of the oppressed and make it up to them in a most equal way. Have those oppressors ever thought of this?

It amazes me to see someone oppress his next of kin or a weak person who is in dire need or living in poverty. How can you, a human being, take advantage of such peoples’ weaknesses? Allah has not dignified him so that you do the opposite.

I tremble in fear whenever I pass someone poor. I even turn my eyes away to avoid seeing his or her weakness, especially if I cannot do anything to change it. No matter how insignificant they might be, examples of oppression and injustice are around us everywhere. For instance, I can’t stand seeing a family dining out while having their maid sit remotely at a separate table without even ordering her some food.

They might only be kind enough to give her their left-

It

No matter how insignificant they might be, examples of oppression and injustice are around us everywhere. For instance, I can’t stand seeing a family dining out while having their maid sit remotely at a separate table without even ordering her some food. They might only be kind enough to give her their leftovers. Oh, how I despise such people! overs. Oh, how I despise such people!

Another example of oppression is that of an unfair husband who, after taking his wife from the love and passion of her parents, would start abusing her with the excuse of ‘matrimonial rights and duties’. The funny thing is that such husbands may be regular worshippers at mosques who come home and show their wives the worst nightmares and abuse of their tiny fragile bodies with excuses like: “I’m a man and Allah gave me masculine rights”. Another more explicit example are bosses who take advantage of their employees’ weakness and need for a job to win their daily bread.

However, the brightest and most comforting thing about this is that the divine memory is always alert and records each and every abuse, no matter how small or insignificant, to repay the oppressors one day.—Al-Qabas

aving frequent cases of stealing away those seek ing public taxis, drug traffick ing between the young, maids committing suicide, laborers without visas and needing temporary shelter, and many other serious difficulties and offences occurring in the country, it is clear that these problems need the attention of all concerned parties, including the ministry of education, social affairs, interior and Awqaf.

Per forming comprehensive studies and research about the local situation and those issues must not be ignored or given less attention.

Kuwait was fully supported by His Highness the Amir’s vision to transform itself into a financial market, and the government embraced this development plan, which became the hope for many national and international investors.

The above mentioned incidents, however, cannot be generalized as occurring everywhere, but can be an alert to push toward serious reforms, which must include fixing some areas in society.

Finding the roots and causes to avoid such problems became a vital option and rose to a level of urgency. We need to recover the young generation through responsible educational programs that should focus on science and technology.

Also, there should be modern and innovative systems that can make a real difference in the future, which we do not want to be the same or feel like a repeated public stereotype or boring ineffective solutions.

The people’s suffering, especially the ones in need, be they locals, expats or bedoons, must have a voice and not become worse by spiraling downward. The said programs must be free, or available at reasonable costs, to make a better start of the mentioned examples and produce a better working, responsible and productive workforce that will be protected socially from the brinks of poverty, unemployment, or crime.

kuwait digest

A representative of contraditions

By Thaar Al-Rashidi n Kuwaiti political history there is only one MP administration into a place of earning votes for some who jumped from the far left of the opposition to MPs. Dear respected Minister of Health, when we the right for the sake of the government. This MP, explain a truth we do not take the side of anyone unfortunately, sold everything for the sake of a small who is against you, we write the truth as it is. We amount of money. I remind this MP that if history remind your excellency that treatment abroad for writes that Clint Eastwood was the best personality those who deserve it is only for patients who are sufwho performed the role of the cowboy in the history fering from diseases and not for those who claim to of cinema, so history be sick and are lookshall write that this MP ing for tourism is the best who repreabroad, simply sented contradictions because they know an Some of the MPs of the 2012 council, in and sold his own histoMP from the majority ry for some dinars. who can approve spite of their wearing the opposition hat, MP Musallam Altheir files. were unable to convince even an ant with Barrak—-you might Also, some advice not like him but you to the airport security their opposition. I wish such MPs would not should respect him, director to arrange for return in the upcoming elections because even if you do not a training course for agree with him politifemale employees in they only claim to be politicians. cally. This is not meant the passports departto flatter him, but he is ment to be trained in a respectable MP, how to deal with the whether you like him public. It is not profesor not that is somesional when a female thing else. The important thing is that he is straight- passport employee tells her male colleague, while forward and does not change his principles, regard- she was stamping the passport of a pretty Lebanese less of whether the circumstances changed or not. girl, “How about you visit her at her house?” It is very Some of the MPs of the 2012 council, in spite of shameful that such talking comes from a respectable their wearing the opposition hat, were unable to con- employee in front of a passenger, as if she was vince even an ant with their opposition. I wish such describing her as being cheap.

MPs would not return in the upcoming elections Such talking is very shameful. Such an employee because they only claim to be politicians. who said those words last Friday morning should be I wrote two weeks ago that Minister of Health Dr held accountable.

Ali Al-Obaidi, by transferring Dr Mohammad AlShe represents the first image of the state for new Mishaan to the ministry deewan, opened the door of arrivals. If the front of the state has people who disAli Baba’s cave for treatment abroad. play such manners with arrivals, then how it will be The minister was annoyed. The daily Al Jareeda inside the state? Is it this picture you want to show published on its first page a full report about the about our country, which we dream will become a truth of Al-Obaidi changing the treatment abroad financial and commercial center? — Al-Anbaa

I

kuwait digest

Disadvantages of four-vote system

By Najat Al-Hashash ccording to past experiences, the outcome of demographically lack justice and equality as a canthe four-vote system as currently applied in didate may win by 8000 votes in one constituency the five electoral constituencies and its while another would need twice as many votes in a impact on political life has been negative. I hope different constituency.

Fifth, as citizens we are not free to choose the readers will be patient enough to hear me out while explaining the disadvantages of this system best from a list of candidates. Why should I be based on political events and previous unsuccess- deprived of the right to choose a candidate from another constituency who is more competent? ful parliamentary experiences.

First, this system has caused monopolizing par- After all, the 50-member parliament will represent liamentary seats for certain names in each con- the entire country.

Sixth, the four-vote system has given us MPs stituency, which deprived so many promising independent young activists of the chance to take part who know nothing about politics, but were on the ballot only to assure in political life. that the number of Second, this system candidates were has produced many available from a cernegative phenomena I believe that the two-vote system in one tain tribe, sec t or in Kuwait, such as electoral constituency would be a worthgroup. vote buying and vote while experience. I also believe that candiTherefore, I exchanges that believe that the twoturned the political dates who have confidence in their political vote system in one arena into a public history and abilities will not object to or be electoral constituenauction selling votes afraid of any system because he realizes that cy would be a worthto the highest bidder, while experience. I which encouraged the Kuwaiti people are more aware now and also believe that canthose with weak souls know who to vote for. didates who have to trade in the confidence in their nation’s future. It also political history and created candidates’ abilities will not brokers or representatives who make deals with male and female voters. object to or be afraid of any system because he Third, this system fueled tumult and more ten- realizes that the Kuwaiti people are more aware sion that turned Kuwait into a more fanatic and now and know who to vote for. They know that the sectarian society as people took sides according to called for changes are constitutional amendments, sect, tribe, doctrine, political bloc or alliances that not forgery, as some described it. It is our right to claim that Kuwait’s security was their responsibility express our opinions, because it was these opinions that enabled MPs to be elected to the parliaand theirs alone.

Fourth, the five electoral constituencies system ment In the first place. —Al-Rai

A

kuwait digest

Little by little

By Abdellatif Al-Duaij hose who raised the slogan “leave”, either being youth or members of parliament who joined them and took over the leadership to implement the slogan and achieve it, limited their demand to asking for the change of the prime minister at the start of their campaign and then moved up to changing the government. Later we blamed them and told them this is not enough and will not lead to anything, so they came up with the slogan “new government with new methodology”, yet their campaign ended with the departure of the prime minister, while his deputy and ministers remained in their posts.

It is the right of any party to develop, and there is nothing that remains the same in a changing world. If the awareness of some people grows, or their demands became so instilled, then this is their right and it is expected due to the changes around them.

Yet the “leave” group did not grow or develop, rather

T

It is the right of any party to develop, and there is nothing that remains the same in a changing world. If the awareness of some people grows, or their demands became so instilled, then this is their right and it is expected due to the changes around them. they have changed completely, to a point where they turned against themselves and denied their nature.

This change, or self denial, is acceptable if it was done with awareness or clear development.

The development of the “leave” group came fast and was revolutionary to the point that it surprised many of them. All this is not a fundamental problem.

In this case, the changes and feelings inside any organization are enough to shift through it and uncover its main ideology.

Yet, today the “leave” group is not asking for an amendment or change in the group’s police or structure. Rather, they are presenting these amendments to include the public order and recondition the situation they are living in as a parliamentary majority that has the power and ability to achieve the proposed amendments. This means a revolution... and this is not to scare people, but to remind them that developments need preparation and introductions, and prepared grounds to accept it, but to jump all of a sudden from the semi-tribal and semi democratic ruling to a full democratic parliamentary system, then this is a jump from which we will feel so much pain after reaching it and may takes us to the bottom, instead of the sought after heights. — Al-Qabas

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

LOCAL

Illegal rally: Bedoons freed after nine-day detention KUWAIT: After nine days of detention, the public prosecutor recently released 11 bedoons who had been detained after taking part in illegal demonstrations in Jahra, after posting bails of KD 500-1000 each, said security sources. The released bedoons are facing charges for taking part in an unlicensed rally of more than 500 people, violating public security, violating rally laws, refusing to obey police orders to disperse and using slogans voicing hostility towards the government.

Officer killed Police first lieutenant Mohammed Mubarak Al-Ajmi was killed when he was run over by a speeding car, said security sources, noting that the officer was about to meet a relative to deliver some documents when the tragedy occurred.

Officials note that he had stopped his car on the road between Adan and Sabah AlSalem and was crossing the street to meet a relative when a speeding car driven by a citizen could not avoid hitting him. Al-Ajmi was taken to Adan hospital in critical condition and died there after doctors were unable to save his life.

Kuwaiti robbed A 15 year-old Kuwaiti was robbed in London by a gang of Arab residents who pulled him into a deserted building, beat him and robbed him of his money, said security sources. Case papers indicate that while his family was dinning in a restaurant, the young man asked his

Officer killed in accident

father for money to buy a T-shirt he liked.

The robbers began talking to him while walking and, on approaching a small alley, they dragged him in and started beating him while demanding his money, which was £40, in addition to his digital camera.

Citizen held A citizen was arrested for drinking alcohol, insulting a police officer and smashing a police patrol window with her shoe heel, said security sources. Case papers indicate that a policeman saw a suspicious parked vehicle and when approaching to check, he found out that the woman inside, who smelled of liquor, was heavily intoxicated after drinking home-made liquor. On detaining her, she reportedly shouted and cursed the officer, taking her shoe and smashing the police patrol window glass with its heel.

A case was filed.

Manager insulted A man and his wife were forced out of a hotel by police when the husband insulted the manager for repeatedly telling him to control his feelings towards his wife in public, said security sources. The couple had reportedly been publicly affectionate in the hotel’s lobby, causing the manager, who believed they were only lovers, to several times ask the man to stop because they were in a public place. When the husband responded rudely, the hotel manager called police, who forced the couple to leave the hotel.

Brutal attack A citizen, who is suffering from a stroke, was brutally beaten by her husband and rushed to Mubarak hospital for treatment, said security sources, noting that a girl called the police to report that her father was beating her sick mother.

By the time police arrived, the woman had been already taken to hospital.

Drunk driver “Where am I?”, asked a citizen when he awoke inside his car in the morning to find policemen surrounding it and staring at him, said security sources. Case papers indicate that the owner of a Salmiya auto showroom informed the police that upon opening in the morning he found a car parked amongst those displayed outside with a man sleeping in it. On waking up, the man, who had a half-filled liquor bottle beside him, said he was driving his vehicle while drinking and that on seeing a police check point at a distance, he parked his car amongst the displayed vehicles. The man added that he fell asleep while waiting and woke up the following morning to find himself surrounded by policemen.

Saudi killed A Saudi was killed and two other passengers seriously injured when their vehicle turned over along Al-Salmi highway, said security sources, noting that the injured were rushed to Jahra hospital ICU.

Farm fire A fire broke out in a Wafra farm for unknown reasons, said security sources, adding that the fire was controlled by Wafra firemen and no casualties were reported. Another fire broke out in a hut annexed to a Bayan house, said security sources, noting that further investigations are in progress to determine the cause of the fire.

Drug dears Four Moroccan expats were arrested in Salmiya for possession of hashish and other drugs, said security sources. Case papers indicate that a police patrol became suspicious because of the way the suspects drove their vehicle, and on stopping and searching them, the drugs were found. A case was filed and the suspects were referred to relevant authorities.

Head injury A 19 year old citizen sustained a head injury in a fight with a Pakistani, described as a two meter tall ‘giant’, said security sources. Case papers indicate that the two men argued after the Pakistani overtook and forced the citizen off the road, which angered the latter who angrily pointed to the Pakistani to pull over. The citizen got out and started kicking the other man’s car, shouting at and cursing him. A short fight ended by police detaining them both and a case was filed.

KUWAIT: In collaboration with the Coastguards, the social committee at the Kuwaiti Banks Club recently organized a cruise to the Kubbar island where it conducted a beach cleaning activity under the title ‘Our Environment Means Our Life’, said KBC’s board member and chairlady of the social committee, Reem Al-Weqayyan noting that the cleaning campaign comes in expression of loyalty and love for Kuwait and keenness on preserving its environment.

Eighth Dama championship to begin during Ramadan

Sheikh Ali Yousuf Al-Sabah

Yousuf Saad Al-Sabah

KUWAIT: Under the patronage of Sheikh Ali Yousuf AlSabah, the Touristic Enterprise Company has organized the “Dama” championship in memory of the late Yousuf Saad Al-Sabah for the 8th consecutive year, due to the success it achieved in previous years. The activities of the championship starts during Ramadan.

Sheikh Ali Yousuf Al-Sabah emphasized that he was happy to organize the championship with Touristic Enterprise each year and said that the aim of this championship has already been achieved, as the game has attracted a large number of concerned persons.

Officials noted that they hope the championship will be conducted at the level of the GCC states, and they invited members of other GCC states to participate in the 8th championship. Yousuf said he hoped the championship would be successful, stressing the active role of Touristic Enterprise in organizing the championship, which is one of the main reasons behind the success of the championship, as well as the sponsoring compa-

AUB holds weekly draw KUWAIT: AUB 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 July 11 are Fadi Hamdi Zaki, Megbel Ali Khalifa, Mohamed Essa Haidar.

The following Al-Hassad Islamic customers won cash prizes of KD 1000 each: Ahmed Ebrahim Rezq, Moza Nasser Al Qahtani, Mariam Salem Abdulla, Gohar Rahman Gran, A.Latef Abdulla Al Awadi, Nausheen Fatema Abdulahad, Abbas Salem Mohamed Al Shatti, Ashraf Ezat Hafez, Hassan Abdulla Fakhroo, Nawwaf Abdulaziz, Somayah Faisal Abdulrahman, Salwa Yousef Ahmad Al Sharqawi, Adel Megahed Ibrahim, Noor Mohammed Al Masry, Kattukkaran Francis, Fawaz Daoud Al Khater, Anwar Ahmed Jassim, Refik Ozturk, Mahmoud Shehadeh Al Salti, Hasan Saeed Mohammed, Yousif Ahmed Mohammed Al Kuwari, Ahmed Ali Mohamed Ali, Nidal Adnan Ahmed Barqawi, Abdulmuneim Jassim Ismail, Nadheera Mahmood Abbas. 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.

nies. Nouri Al Watter, chairman of the organizing committee for the championship, said that the technical level of previous championships offered great motivation to lift the level of competition to the 12th level, noting that the 8th championship shall witness strong competition due to the technical level for participants.

He added that the championship shall be held during the month of Ramadan at the yacht club, one of the company’s outlets, and Al Watter thanked the sponsor of the championship, Sheikh Ali Yousuf Al-Sabah, for his continuing support in organizing this championship.

Nawaaf Al-Shalani

STC ranks first in Saudi social networking scene KUWAIT: Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has proven its merit in keeping up with the technological developments in Saudi Arabia. It has become a leader in the telecommunication industry, as evident by its clear influence on social networking. By employing this very influence, it is able to meet the demands of its clients and provide them with exceptional internet and phone services. STC has successfully established an interactive platform through which it achieved excellence in the world of social networking.

In this regard, the general manager of corporate communication at STC, Nawaaf S. Al-Shalani, has stated that through its Twitter page, STC was able to provide an exciting and interactive platform that enables its customers to express their opinions, exchange ideas, and discuss the latest developments in the world of STC. Moreover, the platform enriches their knowledge in the cellular phones’ market, offers them IT services, and gets in touch with their world through various educational campaigns such as avoiding use of mobile phones while driving, quitting smoking, celebrating Earth Day, preparing for exams, and returning to school.

Al-Shalani added that this development comes as part of STC’s efforts to establish itself as an exemplary corporation in the national scene, which commits to its social responsibility and communicates effectively with its clients.

This is evident by the recent statistics provided by Socialbakers, one of the leading digital companies in the global scene. The statistics reported a viewer base of about 86% on STC’s Facebook page, and an increase in the page’s popularity by about 52% in terms of “likes” during the period from December, 2011 till June, 2012.

Moreover, STC’s Facebook page was ranked in the global top 40 in terms of the level of interaction with its fans, beating in this regard its closest competitor by 22 ranks. STC’s Twitter page was no less successful, making it to top 3 in this regard, and overshadowing its closest competitor by 3 ranks in the local market, and achieving an increase in the fan base by 58% in the last survey which was completed last month.

These numbers are in comparison with statistics taken from the same period last year.

STC has also made impressive progress with its YouTube channel, through which it keeps its clients informed about the latest telecommunication technologies that it has to offer, and which conforms to the highest standards of craftsmanship.

STC’s YouTube viewership was repor tedly increased by about 71.4%, during the period from December 2011 until June 2012, compared with the same period from last year, overshadowing in this regard its closest competitor by 8 ranks in the kingdom’s telecommunication industry.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Brawls in court as Egypt judges meet

‘Forced conversion’ claims roil Gaza Page 9

Page 9

DUBAI: Emirati men sit on a bench to rest as they visit the annual Liwa Date Festival in the western region of Liwa. — AFP

UAE widens clampdown on Islamists Three more Islamists arrested after plot report DUBAI: Three Emirati Islamists including a prominent lawyer were arrested in the UAE yesterday as part of a widening clampdown on Islamist dissidents, relatives and activists said. The arrests brought the number of detained Emirati dissidents, most of them Islamists, to 10 since Sunday, when the Gulf Arab state said it was investigating a foreign-linked group planning “crimes against the security of the state”. Interior Ministry officials were not available for comment yesterday. The UAE, a major oil exporter, allows no organized political opposition. It has avoided the political unrest that has toppled four Arab heads of state since last year

thanks in part to its cradle-to-grave welfare system.

But it has also moved swiftly against dissidents, and last year stripped citizenship from Islamists whom it deemed a security threat and jailed activists who called for more power for a semi-elected advisory council. Lawyer Mohammed Al-Roken, his son and son-in-law were detained yesterday, activists and family members said. All are linked to the local Islamist group Al-Islah (Reform), which has been the target of a crackdown in the UAE. Roken represented seven Islamists stripped of citizenship last year. “He (Roken) was taken by security offi-

cials at 2am in the morning when he was out with the driver looking for his son and son-in-law who were also arrested,” a relative said. UAE authorities have expressed concern that the growing influence of Islamists in post-revolutionar y Egypt and Tunisia could embolden Islamist groups at home.

Islamists in the UAE say they share similar ideology with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt but have no direct links with the group, seen as a mentor for Islamist groups in the region.

They say they want more civil rights and greater power for the Federal National Council, a quasi-parliamentary body that

advises the government but has no legislative power. The men detained over the past days mostly come from the more religiously conservative emirates such as Sharjah and Ras Al-Khaimah, which are also less affluent than the oil-rich capital Abu Dhabi and trade hub Dubai. Authorities have also closed the office of the Arabian Gulf Center for Educational Consultations in the northern Ajman emirate, said the owner of the center, who has links to Islah.

Ahmed Al-Shiba, a brother of one of the men arrested on Monday said by telephone from the United Kingdom that the center, which has been open since 2003, was shut

News

Oman court sentences 6 for ‘slandering’ ruler

in brief

Saudi jails ‘tattoo king’ RIYADH: A Lebanese man nicknamed the ‘tattoo king’ has been sentenced to one year in prison and 200 lashes in the conservative Muslim kingdom, a Saudi newspaper reported yesterday. “Investigations revealed the Lebanese had been practicing this job for nine years,” said AlMadina. “At first, he used to receive women in a rented apartment (in the western city of Jeddah) but later he began going to women’s homes to draw tattoos on their bodies” to avoid being caught by Saudi religious police, said the daily. He was finally nabbed by members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (religious police) in an undercover operation.

‘Arrogant’ cop fired MANILA: Philippine authorities have sacked a policeman who tried to cut in front of a vehicle carrying President Benigno Aquino in a motorcade, officials said yesterday.

Presidential guards took officer Ricardo Pascua into custody and turned him over to his superiors who fired him after the incident in a Manila suburb on Monday, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said. Aquino was returning from an official function when the policeman, driving a van, tried to make a U-turn, cutting into the path of the president’s vehicle despite the convoy’s motorcycle escorts warning him to stop. “The policeman was quite arrogant in insisting that he be allowed to do a U-turn. In fact, we understand that he even showed his badge to the motorcycle cops who were escorting the convoy,” said Lacierda.

Pay $10,000 and flee MANILA: Filipino workers trying to flee the unrest in Syria are being charged up to $10,000 by their employers before they can leave, the foreign department in Manila said yesterday. Syrian employers are demanding that they be refunded large amounts they paid for the deployment of Philippine staff, foreign department spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters. “The problem now is the employers are asking more money for the refund of the deployment cost. Before it was only $4,000 per worker and now it’s even reaching up to $10,000 dollars,” he said.

down by UAE officials yesterday. “In the past year there has been a defamatory campaign against the center where some were calling it ik hwanji (affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood),” he said. On Sunday, the state news agency WAM said prosecutors had ordered the arrest of a group that aimed to commit crimes against state security and challenge the constitution. It said the group was “subordinate to foreign organizations and agendas”. An activist who had campaigned for the rights of stateless people in the UAE said on Monday he was deported to Thailand after spending nearly two months in detention over his advocacy.— Reuters

ATLANTA: A Delta Airlines jet arrives at Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta. — AFP

Needles found in sandwiches on 4 US-bound Delta flights MINNEAPOLIS: Delta Air Lines Inc is trying to figure out how needles got into turkey sandwiches on four flights from Amsterdam to the US. The airline said that what appear to be sewing needles were found in six sandwiches on four flights on Sunday.

One passenger on a flight to Minneapolis was injured, but the passenger declined to get medical attention, according to Delta spokeswoman Kristin Baur. The other needles were on two flights to Atlanta and one to Seattle.

Baur said security for its meal production has been increased and it is using more prepackaged food while the investiga-

tion continues. The sandwiches were made in the Amsterdam kitchen of catering company Gate Gourmet, and were to be served to business class passengers on Delta flights.

After the needles were found, passengers got pizza instead. Baur said security has been increased in its food preparation process, and it is using more prepackaged food. “Delta is taking this matter extremely seriously and is cooperating with local and federal authorities who are investigating the incident.

Delta has taken immediate action with our in-flight caterer at Amsterdam to ensure the safety and quality of the

food we provide onboard our aircraft,” the airline said in a written statement.

Gate Gourmet spokeswoman Christina Ulosevich said the company has gotten no reports of similar incidents on any of the other airlines it serves out of Amsterdam. She said the company did not yet know how the needles got into the sandwiches. Gate Gourmet issued a statement saying, “We take this matter very seriously, and we have launched our own full-scale investigation.” It also said it was “heightening our already stringent safety and security procedures, to prevent any recurrence.”— AP

DUBAI: An Omani court has sentenced six people to jail terms of 12 to 18 months over social media posts it called “slander” against the country’s ruler, a defense lawyer said yesterday. The verdicts, which were issued on Monday, are being appealed by the defendants after they paid fines and bail of 1000 Omani rials ($2,600) each, the lawyer, Badr Al-Bahri, said, adding specific charges included insulting the ruler.

An appeal hearing is set for Sept 10. The rulings against postings on Twitter and Facebook extend a crackdown on dissent which has flared anew after Oman quelled its own version of Arab Spring protests last year. Four other people were sentenced to up to a year in jail last week over comments directed against the ruler, Sultan Qaboos, during protests that rose alongside strikes in the oil sector - which accounts for most state revenue - in late May. The unrest in the country - which sits astride the Gulf sea lane through which much of the world’s oil trade is shipped - points to difficulties implementing its strategy of quelling protests by creating tens of thousands of public sector jobs.

Perceived failures and delays in implementation, as well as the absence of a payment to the unemployed who make up a quarter of all Omanis by official figures were rallying cries in the recent protests, which saw anger directed against the once-sacrosanct figure of the sultan.

The country’s public prosecutor vowed to prosecute such statements under Oman’s information technology law, which formed the basis of Monday’s rulings as well as the earlier verdicts.

Oman’s official news agency on Monday published photographs and the full names of those newly convicted, a measure some activists said amounted to incitement against them, in an attempt to dissuade any further protests. “Not even drug dealers and common criminals have been subjected to something like this,” said one activist, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“They have the privilege of being identified by their initials and with their faces obscured.” — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

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

‘Forced conversion’ claims roil Gaza Hamas executes 3 for murder GAZA: Gaza’s Hamas government yesterday denied claims that a Christian man had been forced to convert to Islam, saying he had willingly changed religion. The statement came a day after the Orthodox Church in Gaza accused an unnamed Islamist organization of “kidnapping” 24-year-old Ramez AlAmash, along with a woman and three girls. “Through contacts with some officials, the Christian youth Ramez AlAmash met with his family in a friendly meeting held at the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights,” Hamas health minister Bassem Naim said in a statement.

“The young man insisted that he converted to Islam without pressure on him to do so, and that he attended the meeting (with his family) without the presence of armed men before, during or after it,” the statement said. Naim said the government had not received any official report on the alleged kidnapping and conversion of Amash and the four others. He accused the church of “pure baseless fabrications which contain no truth.” “Such accusations lack credibility and push an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence towards tensions, which does not serve the Palestinian people.”

On Monday evening, Gaza’s Orthodox Church issued a statement accusing an unnamed Islamist group of

“kidnapping Ramez Al-Amash on Saturday along with a woman and three girls who were abducted from their homes last Wednesday.” “This Islamist movement uses dark and dirty methods, sowing fear and using intense pressure, blackmail, and dishonest means including using chemical substances to control and terrify those who have been kidnapped,” the statement said. The church organized a demonstration on Monday evening to protest the alleged kidnapping, with several dozen protesters participating at the Gaza City location.

There are approximately 3,000 Christians living among Gaza’s population of 1.5 million. Most of them belong to Orthodox churches. In recent years, they have spoken of feeling increasingly embattled, and the community was badly shaken by the October 2007 kidnapping and murder of Rami Ayyad, owner of the Palestinian Bible Society bookshop. His shop, the only Christian bookshop in Gaza, had been attacked earlier in 2007, as well as in 2006, with the attackers calling for it to be shut down. Four months later, masked men set off a bomb in Gaza City’s YMCA, and in May of that year, another bomb exploded at the entrance to the Rosary Sisters’ school in Gaza, causing damage but no injuries. Hamas has stressed a

policy of tolerance towards the enclave’s Christian minority, but many in the Christian community feel that crimes against them have not been properly

government in Gaza executed three men convicted of murder yesterday morning, the interior ministry said.

“Based on religious law and our religion

GAZA: Hana (left) and Huda, parents of Palestinian Ramez Al-Amash, hold a picture of their son in their home yesterday, a day after the Orthodox Church in Gaza accused an unnamed Islamist organization of ‘kidnapping’ 24-year-old Ramez, along with a woman and three girls. — AFP investigated and that attacks against them are largely ignored.

In another development, the Hamas

and what is stipulated in Palestinian law... three men convicted of intentional murder were executed on Tuesday

morning in accordance with a court order sentencing them to death by hanging after their conviction,” the Hamas interior ministry said in a statement. It identified the executed men only by their initials and said it had offered the families of the victims the opportunity to seek “blood money”-a compensation payment from the convicted. “But the families of the victims demanded the punishment be carried out,” the statement said.

In April, the Hamas government hanged three other Palestinians, one convicted of “collaboration” and two others convicted of murder. The executions, which take place without the presence of reporters, have been criticized domestically and internationally. Under Palestinian law, collaboration with Israel, murder and drug trafficking are all punishable by death.

All execution orders must be approved by the Palestinian president before they can be carried out, but Hamas no longer recognizes the legitimacy of Mahmud Abbas, whose fouryear term ended in 2009. In April, European Union officials in Jerusalem and Ramallah condemned Hamas for carrying out executions and urged the Islamist movement to abolish the death penalty. — Agencies

Brawls in court as judges meet Egyptians wonder who is really in control

DUBAI: A photo shows a small vessel that was fired upon by the US Navy off Dubai’s coast on Monday, July 16, 2012. — AP

India calls on UAE to probe fatal shooting NEW DELHI: India called on the United Arab Emirates yesterday to investigate the fatal shooting of an Indian fisherman by a US navy ship in waters off Dubai.

Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna called the incident “unfortunate” and said he hoped that “the necessary action will be initiated”. The government of Dubai “has filed a case against this incident.

They are proceeding according to the laws of that country,” Krishna told reporters in the Indian capital. Foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said India’s ambassador to the oil-rich country “has requested UAE authorities probe the circumstances of the tragic incident”.

New Delhi has been in touch with US agencies and has been promised “a full investigation”, while the US ambassador to New Delhi Nancy Powell had telephoned “to convey her regret for the loss of life”, he added. Analysts say Washington will be keen to contain any diplomatic damage to its relations with India, which it has been seeking to promote as a key Asian ally to counterbalance Chinese influence and as a new export market for US companies. One Indian fisherman was killed and three others were wounded on Monday when a US navy ship opened fire on their vessel near the port of Jebel Ali in the tense waters of the southern Gulf.

US defense officials said the fishing boat had ignored warnings not to approach the refueling ship USNS Rappahannock, and that sailors on board the American vessel feared it could pose a threat.

“Since 2000 we’ve been very concerned about small boats,” a defense official in Washington said, referring to the year of a deadly suicide bomb attack against the destroyer USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden. The US embassy in the Indian capital issued a statement conveying “its condolences to the families of the crew” of the boat, but said the fishermen had “disregarded non-lethal warnings and rapidly approached the US ship”. The latest incident has echoes of another shooting that caused a diplomatic spat between Italy and India.

Two Italian marines guarding an oil tanker shot dead two Indian fishermen in February off the coast of the southern Indian state of Kerala. They have been charged with murder and are on trial in an Indian court despite their claims that the fishermen ignored warnings and approached the tanker suspiciously.

Rome has called the case against the marines illegal and claims they should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings occurred on an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters. Relatives of one of the injured fishermen shot on Monday-named as Muniyaraj from southern Tamil Nadu state-said he had gone to Dubai about 10 months ago shortly after getting married. “I request both the central and state governments to save all of them. Please bring them back and give them good treatment,” the mother of the injured man told reporters in footage aired on local television. She said the man was her only son and had been “badly injured on both legs”. — AFP

FBI hunts for Iowa cousins, 8 and 10 DES MOINES: With the trail apparently cold in the search for two missing Iowa girls, the FBI is sending in tracking dogs and local authorities are draining a lake near where the girls’ bicycles were found.

Elizabeth Collins, 8, and her cousin Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 10, were last reported seen Friday afternoon leaving their grandmother’s house. Their bicycles and Elizabeth’s purse were found later that day near a bike trail at the edge of Meyers Lake in the northeast Iowa city of Evansdale.

What followed was a massive sweep of the area that drew hundreds of volunteers over the weekend. But authorities suspended that effort Monday, saying it had failed to produce significant leads. Black Hawk County Chief Deputy Rick Abben said the draining of the nearly 5-acre lake began Monday and could take up to three

days. Officials believe it will go faster due to the low level of the lake and the Cedar River into which it drains. Authorities previously dredged the lake and have been interviewing family, friends and registered sex offenders who live in the area.

Abben said local, state and federal officials have been “grasping for straws” in the frantic search. A tip line turned up numerous reports of articles of clothing that had been found, but none belonged to the girls. He said it was as if they had just disappeared. “It wouldn’t be proper for me to stand here and tell you we have a theory, because we don’t,” he said. “We have two missing girls, and we have no idea why.”

He said the decision to drain the lake was made to rule out with 100 percent certainty that the girls are not in the water.

Once that’s done, all resources can be used elsewhere. — AP

CAIRO: Brawls broke out in an Egyptian courtroom as judges prepared to issue rulings yesterday that will either bolster the country’s new President Mohamed Morsi, or undermine him in his power struggle with the military. With his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood hailing a “decisive” day in the country’s democratic transition, hundreds of Morsi supporters came to protest at the courthouse, accusing the generals of using the judiciary to undermine his authority.

With opinion split on how the Cairo administrative court would rule, tension was high as lawyers, protesters and members of the public pushed and elbowed one other.”Down, down with military rule,” shouted supporters of the Brotherhood, drawing an angry response from their opponents.

“Down, down with the rule of the (Brotherhood’s) Supreme Guide,” shouted a woman as the courtroom descended into mayhem. “I have never seen a courtroom like this anywhere in the world. This is no way for us to work. Do you call this justice?” said one lawyer, Khaled Fouad.

Judge Abdel Salam El-Naggar arrived and told the crowd “Your presence here will not intimidate the court”. He suspended the session to allow time for the atmosphere to cool.

The power struggle unleashed by the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak last year has shifted from the streets to the ballot box and now the courts as Islamists vie for influence with their perennial adversaries in an army-led establishment. At yesterday ’s hearings judges will decide if an assembly drafting a new constitution should be scrapped. They will also hear appeals against decrees by the military and one from Morsi that recalled an Islamist-dominated parliament that the generals had dissolved.

“Everybody should know that the conspiracy against parliament will end in failure, as will the conspiracy against the constituent assembly and the constitution, and the president himself,” said Essam Al-Erian, leader of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, in Al-Ahram newspaper. Brotherhood supporters warned the army not to undermine the country’s new elected institutions. “Who elected the constitutional assembly?

Parliament. And who elected parliament? The people. We are the ones to determine our fate,” said 20-year-old student Ahmed Mohamed El-Sayed, a member of the

Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). On its Facebook page, the FJP declared the Cairo administrative court’s deliberations “decisive” for the nation.

WHO IS IN CONTROL? The military took power from Mubarak promising a new era of accountable, civilian rule but the transition has been chaotic and inconclusive. It oversaw the first open leadership contest in Egypt’s history, only to claw back vital powers from the new president, leaving Egyptians still wondering who really controls the Arab world’s most populous nation since Morsi took office on June 30.

Self-proclaimed guardian of the Egyptian people, the army already disbanded parliament’s first attempt at a constitutional assembly that critics saw as too heavily dominated

by Islamists.

The generals have taken greater control over how the constitution is formed, angering the Brotherhood but comforting some liberals who fear Islamists are intent on dominating the state to impose their conservative agenda. Some legal experts said the military was right to dissolve parliament because it was acting on a ruling by the countr y ’s

Supreme Constitutional Court that had challenged the rules under which the legislature was elected. “We are debating judicial, constitutional verdicts that are not debatable,” said Sameh Ashour, head of Egypt’s lawyers’ syndicate, in newspaper Al-Shorouk. With Morsi yet to form his cabinet, there is no fully functioning government, parliament or constitution for Egypt, deepening the sense of turmoil that has pushed the economy to the brink of a balance of payments and budget crisis.

The president has avoided a major confrontation with the military council led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi - figurehead of the turbulent transition. At a military graduation ceremony on Tuesday, Morsi sat alongside Tantawi and other senior officers and made a speech in which he paid homage to the leaders of the armed forces during the uprising against Mubarak. Appearing to address the political and legal tensions unfolding in Egypt, Morsi said he was in ongoing talks to put in place “a comprehensive vision for managing the coming period constitutionally, legally and politically”. He also said a new government would be announced as soon as possible. — Reuters

CAIRO: Egyptian troops demonstrate their skills at a graduation ceremony attended by President Mohammed Morsi (unseen) in Cairo yesterday. — AP

US deployment in the Gulf ‘source of insecurity’: Iran TEHRAN: Iran yesterday insisted that US military deployment in the Gulf is “a source of insecurity”, after the fatal shooting of an Indian fisherman by a US navy ship in waters off Dubai. “When the Islamic republic says that the presence of foreign forces is a source of insecurity, this is a perfect example” of what Iran means, foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters. “We advise these forces to avoid any provocative action ... and we hope that such incidents will not occur again,” Mehmanparast added.

An Indian fisherman was killed and three others wounded on Monday when a US navy ship opened fire on their vessel near the United Arab Emirates port of Jebel Ali in the tense waters of the southern Gulf. US defense officials said the fishing boat had ignored

warnings not to approach the refueling ship USNS Rappahannock, and that sailors on board the American vessel feared it could pose a threat. The US navy has been building up its forces in the oil-rich Gulf region amid mounting tensions with Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

Tehran has warned it could close the Strait of Hormuz, in the southern Gulf, if international sanctions begin to bite, potentially disrupting shipping and world oil supplies through the strategic waterway.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday said Washington would use “all elements of its power” to prevent Iran going nuclear and was working in “close consultation” with Israel over how to do so. And she said a resumption of talks

between Israel and the Palestinians would only come about if the parties “do the hard work for peace.” Speaking to reporters at the end of a whirlwind 24-hour visit to Jerusalem, Clinton said that Iran not yet decided to curb its nuclear ambitions, and warned that Washington would stop at nothing to prevent it from getting a nuclear bomb.

“We will use all elements of American power to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon,” she said in remarks which carried an implied threat of military action-a course of action never ruled out

by Washington.Thanks to US efforts to rally the international community to tackle the Iranian nuclear threat, Tehran was “under greater pressure than ever before,” Clinton said, indicating that the

Obama administration was “pressing forward in close consultation with Israel.” “I think it is fair to say we are on the same page at this moment, trying to figure our way forward to have the maximum impact on affecting the decisions that Iran makes,” Clinton said.

Clinton arrived in Israel late on Sunday at the tail end of a ninenation tour, holding talks with top officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Although Israel has warned a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat to the Jewish state and has refused to rule out a military strike on its nuclear facilities, Peres expressed confidence in Washington’s tough stance on Tehran. — Agencies

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

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

WikiLeaks case focuses on Manning’s ‘intent’ FORT MEADE: Prosecutors must prove that US Army private Bradley Manning intended to help Al-Qaeda by passing secret government documents to the WikiLeaks website, defense lawyers argued Monday. Manning’s civilian attorney questioned the heart of the government’s case against his client at a pre-trial hearing, contending that prosecutors had to show more than mere “negligence” to win a conviction for the serious offense of “aiding the enemy.”

The government had to prove that Manning “intended to engage the enemy” by allegedly leaking sensitive files to a website, David Coombs said at the hearing at Fort Meade, northeast of Washington.

Otherwise the trial would ignore the realities of the Internet era and anyone who passed classified information to a newspaper could be accused of treason merely because adversaries have access to the web, he said.

Citing a hypothetical example,

Coombs asked how the court would rule if someone passed information to the New York Times. “The enemy can read the New York Times like anyone else,” he said. “Have I now given information to the enemy?”

After defense lawyers and prosecutors sparred over the issue, Judge Denise Lind said she would draft instructions to a future jury that would take into account arguments from both sides. Manning, 24, could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of aiding the enemy by handing hundreds of thousands of classified documentsincluding military logs from Iraq and Afghanistan and State Department diplomatic cablesto the WikiLeaks website. He has not yet entered a plea in the court-martial, which is tentatively due to start in September.

Prosecutors maintain they only have to prove that Manning knew Al-Qaeda might see the sensitive intelligence files posted by WikiLeaks, given his training as a military intelligence

analyst.

Captain Joe Morrow, one of five prosecutors in the case, said the government is asserting that Manning had “knowledge of a very definite place” when he allegedly handed over a trove of files, a reference to the WikiLeaks website. But the defense argues the government has to demonstrate the army private “knowingly and intentionally gave intelligence to the enemy,” according to a defense motion filed before the hearing.

“Today everyone understands that information posted on a publicly accessible website can potentially be viewed by anyone with Internet access,” the motion said.

The massive document dump to WikiLeaks triggered a diplomatic firestorm that embarrassed US officials and rankled allies, but Manning’s supporters say he has shed light on secretive decision-making in Washington and other capitals.

Manning was transferred a year ago from a military prison at

Quantico, Virginia-where he had been imprisoned since July 2010 - to another in Fort

ficult legal questions raised by new technology, with the court struggling to apply laws that

US Army Pfc Bradley Manning Leavenworth, Kansas. During Manning’s eight months of solitary confinement at Quantico, he was subjected to “cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment,” according to a UN special rapporteur.

The case has highlighted dif-

that have failed to keep pace with digital advances. At Monday’s hearing, the first of a five-day round scheduled this week, Manning’s lawyer also argued that his client had permission to download secret diplomatic cables and should

not be charged with an electronic “break-in” of government networks. Coombs asked for the dismissal of two counts against his client, saying that Manning did not steal a password or otherwise hack into a government computer network when he downloaded classified State Department cables.

Accusing prosecutors of failing to recognize “uncomfortable facts,” Coombs said Manning was free to access the diplomatic cables and never circumvented any “electronic gate” when he downloaded the files.

But the prosecution said the “ Wget ” software he used, which is designed to retrieve computer files quickly, was not authorized and that Manning’s actions therefore amounted to a “trespass.” Coombs acknowledged that Manning could be charged with a lesser offense for using the software, which he said was akin to a worker violating contractual terms set down by a company for computer use. — AFP

US drought spreads America suffers worst drought in 56 years

LIBBY: An eagle sign welcomes visitors at the entrance to downtown Libby, Mont.

Asbestos-plagued Libby has reached a significant milestone in its decade-long cleanup as the federal government completes the makeover of a former vermiculite processing plant into a town park. It’s a dose of normalcy that marks a major milestone for Libby, a mining town of about 3,000 people near the Canadian border that has become synonymous with lung disease and death after an estimated 400 people to date have been killed by asbestos exposure. — AP

US-Canada border crossing

reopens after bomb threat ONTARIO: The Ambassador Bridge, a busy international border crossing linking Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, was closed for five hours on Monday following a bomb threat. But investigators using bomb-sniffing dogs found nothing suspicious and the span reopened to traffic yesterday morning, authorities on both sides of the border said. “No bomb or device was detected on the bridge,” Detroit’s emergency management agency said in a statement. It called the incident “closed.”

Police on the Canadian side began removing barriers and allowing vehicles back onto the 7,500-foot bridge shortly after 1 am, a dispatcher with the Windsor Police Department said. The shutdown of the busy crossing came less than a week after the Detroit Windsor Tunnel, a nearby cross-border route, was closed by a

bomb hoax. In a statement, the Detroit International Bridge Company said Detroit police received the threat shortly before 8 pm.

The company said the threat was “similar” to the one that closed the tunnel last week-but provided no additional details.

While authorities investigated the threat, traffic was diverted to the Detroit Windsor Tunnel as well as the Blue Water Bridge, said Scott Vetor, a supervisor with the Windsor Police. The Ambassador Bridge, which opened in 1929, is the busiest commercial border crossing in North America and is a particularly important route for commercial traffic.

More than 25,000 vehicles, many of them trucks, use it every day to pass over the Detroit River. The bridge is owned by Detroit billionaire Manuel “Matty ” Moroun. — Reuters

Flooding creates new routes up old New York mountains KEENE: The gash of brown rock rises amid thick green hardwood forest on Cascade Mountain, making a wide new alternate route up one of the most popular peaks in the Adirondacks. Downpours spawned by last year’s Hurricane Irene blew northward across New York, creating landslides that washed away soil, trees and vegetation, leaving new ways for backcountry hikers to climb old mountains like this one. “It’s just that the regular trail is always so congested,” Kevin MacKenzie said, before climbing Cascade via the new scar left by storms, avalanches and erosion.

The 4,098-foot summit seven miles southeast of the Olympic Village of Lake Placid drew more than 17,000 people up its regular hiking trail in one year, counting only those who signed in. The more vertical and exposed slide climb so far has drawn only a few. Having hiked up all 46 of the Adirondacks’ high peaks in both summer and winter, most with marked trails on their forested slopes, MacKenzie said he has also climbed about 75 of the slides that usually consist of steep scrambles up slabs of exposed rock. In a web posting under the sobriquet MudRat, he described new or expanded stretches of open rock that last summer’s heavy rainstorms left on a dozen mountains.

On Cascade, the new slide generally ranges from 50 to 100 feet wide. It follows the course of a waterfall, a shallow, clear stream in early July whose steady trilling accompanies the slide climb. In the spring snowmelt, the water will often cascade, living up to the name of both the mountain and the falls. “There used to be a trail up to the base of the waterfall and

a dam up there. I don’t know how deep the pool was, a few feet maybe,” MacKenzie said. “And now you’ll see the runout (from the flooding) blew the dam out. There’s pieces of pipe in it. It’s a whole new area. ... That was all wooded.

A lot of moss. I would have never thought of climbing it, safely.”

Now, however, the Cascade slide, visible from Route 73, begins from the state picnic area between Upper and Lower Cascade Lakes, two long narrow waterways along one of the most scenic, whiteknuckle drives in New York. It’s a short, sudden, unmarked turn down into the picnic area. A half- mile farther up the highway, roadside parking areas near the main trailhead were filled early on a summer Saturday.

We followed a short trail and herd path between the lakes to the bottom of the slide, strewn with smaller stones and trees that had washed down, and after a few hundred yards changed into stickysoled climbing shoes. For about 200 feet the slope became steeper, the washout consisted more of boulders, and the terrain became blocky, often with natural handholds to balance and pull on. It’s the crux of what’s considered a fourth-class scramble, though it approaches the low end of a technical climb that would call for safety ropes. “It’s tall enough to hurt you,” MacKenzie said, adding a caution.

“When you get higher up, tug on those rocks. They get a little bit loose.”

An assistant registrar at St Lawrence University, the slender 42-year-old moved quickly up. He had climbed the slide once before, in March, and had bushwhacked up Cascade several other times. — AP

WALTONVILLE: The nation’s widest drought in decades is spreading, with more than half of the continental United States now in some stage of drought and most of the rest enduring abnormally dry conditions. Only in the 1930s and the 1950s has a drought covered more land, according to federal figures released Monday. So far, there’s little risk of a Dust Bowl-type catastrophe, but crop losses could mount if rain doesn’t come soon.

In its monthly drought report, the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, NC, announced that 55 percent of the country was in a moderate to extreme drought at the end of June. The parched conditions expanded last month in the West, the Great Plains and the Midwest, fueled by the 14th warmest and 10th driest June on record, the report said. Topsoil has turned dry while “crops, pastures and rangeland have deteriorated at a rate rarely seen in the last 18 years,” the report said.

The percentage of affected land is the largest since December 1956, when 58 percent of the country was covered by drought, and it rivals even some years in the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s, though experts point out that this year’s weather has been milder than that period, and farming practices have been vastly improved since then. In southern Illinois, Kenny Brummer has lost 800 acres of corn that he grows to feed his 400 head of cattle and 30,000 hogs. Now he’s scrambling to find hundreds of thousands of bushels of replacement feed.

“Where am I going to get that from? You have concerns about it every morning when you wake up,” said Brummer, who farms near Waltonville. “The drought is bad, but that’s just half of the problem on this farm.” Around a third of the nation’s corn crop has been hurt, with some of it so badly damaged that farmers have already cut down their withered plants to feed to cattle. As of Sunday, the US Department of Agriculture said, 38 percent of the corn crop was in poor or very poor condition, compared with 30 percent a week earlier.

“This is definitely the epicenter - right in the heart of the Midwest,” said climatologist Mark Svoboda with the Nebraska-based National Drought Mitigation Center. It’s all a huge comedown for farmers who had expected a record year when they sowed 96.4 million acres in corn, the most since 1937. The Department of Agriculture initially predicted national average corn yields of 166 bushels per acre this year. The agency has revised that projection down to 146, and more reductions are possible if conditions don’t improve.

The lower projection is still an improvement over the average yields of around 129 bushels a decade ago. But already tight sup-

plies and fears that the drought will get worse before it gets better have been pushing up grain prices, which are likely to translate into higher food prices for consumers, particularly for meat and poultry. Monday’s report was based on data going back to 1895 called the Palmer Drought Index. It feeds into the widely watched and more detailed US Drought Monitor, which reported last week that 61 percent of the continental US was in a moderate to exceptional drought.

However, the weekly Drought Monitor goes back only 12 years, so climatologists use the Palmer Drought Index for comparing droughts before 2000. Climatologists have labeled this year’s dry spell a “flash drought” because it developed in a matter of months, not over multiple seasons or years. The current drought is similar to the droughts of the 1950s, which weren’t as intense as those of the 1930s, said Jake Crouch, a climatologist with the National Climatic Data Center. And

months are really going to be the determining factor of how big a drought it ends up being.” In northwest Kansas, Brian Baalman’s cattle pastures have dried up, along with probably half of his corn crop. He desperately needs some rain to save the rest of it, and he’s worried what will happen if the drought lingers into next year. “I have never seen this type of weather before like this. A lot of old timers haven’t either,” Baalman said. “I just think we are seeing history in the making.”

The federal government is already moving to help farmers and ranchers. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week announced plans for streamlining the aid process. A major goal is to cut the time it takes to declare an agricultural disaster area. He also reduced interest rates for emergency loans and made it cheaper for farmers to graze livestock or cut hay on lands otherwise locked up in a conversation program. Some state governments are stepping in, too. In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott

INDIANAPOLIS: Boats sit on the dry, cracked bottom in a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind. The nation’s widest drought in decades is spreading, with more than half of the continental United States now in some stage of drought and most of the rest enduring abnormally dry conditions. — AP farming has changed a lot since the Dust Bowl era. Better soil conservation has reduced erosion, and modern hybrids are much more resistant to drought.

But Crouch said it’s important to understand that this drought is still unfolding. “We can’t say with certainty how long this might last now. Now that we’re going up against the two largest droughts in history, that’s something to be wary of,” Crouch said. “The coming

Walker declared a state of emergency in 42 counties last week to speed up the issuance of permits for temporarily using stream or lake water for irrigation.

During a visit Monday to a southern Illinois corn and soybean farm, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced that drought-affected farmers would be eligible for state debt restructuring and loan programs in addition to the aid the USDA announced last week. — AP

Zimmerman accused of molesting cousin ORLANDO: George Zimmerman, who is charged in the shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, was accused by his female cousin of sexually molesting her for a decade beginning when she was 6 years old, according to new documents made public on Monday by prosecutors. The name of the relative was deleted from an audio tape version of her witness statement that was released to the media. Identified only as Witness No 9, she would be about age 27 now.

Zimmerman’s lawyer, Mark O’Mara, confirmed the woman was the former neighborhood watch volunteer’s cousin. It is not immediately clear why prosecutors released the molestation allegation or whether they plan to use it in court if Zimmerman goes on trial.

“Now that this statement is part of the public record, the defense will vigorously defend Zimmerman against the allega-

tions,” O’Mara said in a statement.

In a motion filed in June to keep the accusation under wraps, O’Mara argued the statement by Witness 9 was uncorroborated and irrelevant to the murder case.

He wrote at the time that its disclosure would lead to “wide spread hostile publicity which would substantially impair (Zimmerman’s) fair trial rights.”

Seminole County Circuit Judge Kenneth R Lester, who is presiding over the case, ordered the document released under Florida’s public records law.

O’Mara made an unsuccessful 11th hour attempt on Monday to stop the public release of the statement, filing a motion barely four minutes before prosecutors’ scheduled release of the audio recording. He also filed a motion on Friday requesting the judge recuse himself, arguing that Lester has displayed bias and Zimmerman believes he will not be given a fair trial. O’Mara also

sought to seal about 145 of Zimmerman’s jailhouse phone calls which were also released on Monday. The calls included conversations Zimmerman had with his wife and other family members an d friends about his jail conditions, media handling and his finances.

Part of the woman’s statement was released last week in which she told investigators in a separate recorded statement that Zimmerman’s family was known to be racist, but she did not recall any specific statement or act by Zimmerman to illustrate the point. Zimmerman is accused of second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Martin.

He claims he shot the 17-year-old in self-defense. The woman told investigators during a taped interview that the last time Zimmerman molested her she was 16 and Zimmerman, a new high school graduate at the time, was temporarily living alone in a

house his parents had just purchased in Lake Mary, Florida.

Asked why she waited until March 20 of this year to tell her story to law enforcement, the woman said, “This is the first time in my life that I’m not afraid of him ... he can’t get to me.” The woman described Zimmerman molesting her during annual family get-togethers and trips. The woman said she finally told her parents in 2005 when she was 20.

She said her parents called Zimmerman to a meeting at a pizza restaurant in Lake Mary.

“Instead of talking about it, all he did was come in the room, come in the restaurant, he sat down on the end of the booth and he said ‘I’m sorry’ and just got up and walked out ... my parents, their jaws dropped,” the woman said.

She said her mother discouraged her from taking further action at the time, saying it would be his word against hers, and she would wind up in jail. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

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

Jet-setting Hillary Clinton breaks travel record WASHINGTON: If diplomatic achievements were measured by the number of countries visited, Hillary Rodham Clinton would be the most accomplished secretary of state in history. While historians will debate and eventually rate her tenure as America’s top diplomat, Clinton is already assured of a place in the State Department record book.

When her plane touched down at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington early Tuesday morning, the former first lady completed an epic 13day journey of 27,000 miles about 2,000 miles more than the circumference of the Earth through and over Europe to Asia and then doubling back to the Middle East.

One well-traveled Clinton staffer described the FranceAfghanistan-Japan-MongoliaVietnam-Laos-Cambodia-Egypt-

Israel itinerary as “especially absurd, even for us.”

Despite the mind- and bodynumbing time zone hopping, Clinton joked that she was ready for more. “I appreciate being here, I am only sorry that I have to leave,” she told reporters on her last stop Monday, in Israel.

“My traveling team is anxious to get home.

I’d like to be hanging out in Jerusalem, but, you know, I have to do my duty,” she said with a sigh. Since becoming secretary of state in 2009, Clinton has logged 351 days on the road, traveled to 102 countries and flown a whopping 843,839 miles, according to the State Department. While some previous secretaries may have flown more miles - mainly due to shuttling back and forth to the Mideast on peace missions none has visited more nations.

Clinton broke that record last

month, eclipsing Madeleine Albright’s total of 98, when she traveled to Finland for number 99 and then hit the 100 mark in Latvia.

Not content, she tacked on another two countries Mongolia and Laos, where she was the first secretary of state to visit in 57 years and only the second ever - on her latest trip. And she has another six months to go before she reaches her selfimposed deadline to step down and take a breather. Even with a bed on the plane and her uncanny ability to sleep midflight, the grueling schedule can take its toll. Clinton suffered a rare coughing fit as she finished a speech before the US Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi.

And while she insisted that she would have preferred to stay all day as birds sang in Kabul’s presidential place, she rushed

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton away when Afghan President Hamid Karzai suggested taking additional questions. Arriving in Egypt this weekend after a flight from Cambodia, Clinton and her

staff literally didn’t know what time it was. BlackBerrys automatically reset their times to what should have been Cairo time, except it wasn’t, so the

staff set their clocks to Sarajevo time. Several hours later, the reason for the discrepancy was discovered: Egypt opted out of daylight saving time this year.

Clinton tells anyone who asks that she won’t be staying on if President Barack Obama wins a second term - not surprising, given that only one secretary of state has served more than four years since the 1970s. And after a bruising fight with Obama for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, she likes to say she won’t be returning to the political stage.

But with her popularity at an all-time high and the Democrats in likely need of a 2016 candidate regardless of whether Obama is reelected, there is widespread speculation that she would find a second stab at becoming first female president irresistible. First, though, she’ll need a nap. — AP

Senate Republicans block campaign disclosure bill WASHINGTON: This photo combination shows a sequence of President Barack Obama kissing first lady Michelle Obama while being shown on the large inhouse video screen for the “Kiss Cam,” as they watch the second half of an Olympic men’s exhibition basketball game between Team USA and Brazil on Monday, July 16, 2012. — AP

Cronyism and outsourcing: Romney, Obama trade jabs CINCINNATI: Using unusually vivid language, Mitt Romney tried to take the political offensive against President Barack Obama on Monday, accusing Obama of cronyism that “stinks” in steering federal contracts to supporters. He also dropped hints through a spokesman that a vice presidential pick could come any day. Unfazed, Obama needled his Republican rival for finally having a jobcreation plan - for people overseas. At the same time, though Romney endeavored to switch the campaign focus, questions about his tenure at Bain Capital, a venture capital company, seemed destined to shape the conversation at least a while longer. On a day devoted mainly to raising money, Romney went on Fox News to complain that all Obama can do “is attack me” on Bain and other subjects rather than taking useful steps to improve the economy.

Sure enough, the Democratic incumbent showed no sign of letting up.

Rallying for support in crucial Ohio, Obama said Romney’s proposal to free companies from taxes on their foreign holdings would displace American workers. The president cited a study he said concluded that “Gov Romney’s economic plan would in fact create 800,000 jobs.

There’s only one problem, the jobs wouldn’t be in America.” Romney’s campaign, itself moving to the attack, contended that Obama’s Energy Department has steered loans and grants to several companies connected to the president’s political supporters. Romney, speaking to donors in Baton Rouge, La, said Obama had a policy of “taking your tax dollars and putting it in businesses owned by contributors to his campaign.

And that is smelly at best. It stinks.”

Romney aides cited some well-known cases, such as Solyndra, a California solar energy company that went bankrupt, and some less-publicized cases. They include Westly Group, a venture capital firm whose affiliated companies have received federal loans and grants. Steve Westly, the company’s founder, is a major Obama campaign fundraiser. Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the Energy Department’s decisions “were made without regard to political connections.” She said some grants have gone to projects with “just as robust connections to Republican campaigns and donors.”

While Obama held a freewheeling town

hall in Ohio, Romney raised money in the safely GOP states of Louisiana and Mississippi.

Addressing another major election point of interest, top Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told The Associated Press that the campaign may announce a vice presidential choice by the end of the week. That would be sooner than many have expected, and some Democrats suggested it was another effort to turn attention from Bain. The timing was far from certain. Asked whether the announcement could come this week, Fehrnstrom said: “Technically it could, but the governor hasn’t made a decision.”

The past several days of the campaign have centered on Romney’s former work at Bain Capital and whether he has been straightforward about the timing of his departure, a line of attack that Obama is exploiting to try to undermine public support in Romney’s business credentials and trustworthiness. Obama assailed Romney’s tax plans for US businesses on Monday. At his Ohio event, Obama cited an article in the publication Tax Notes suggesting Romney ’s tax proposals would encourage US companies to create up to 800,000 jobs overseas. Romney supports “a territorial tax system,” which would allow overseas profits made by US companies to avoid federal taxation.

Romney’s campaign cited campaign disclosure reports showing that the article’s author, Reed College economist Kimberly A Clausing, has donated money to Obama’s campaign. Republicans say Romney’s overall tax proposals would encourage greater job growth at home.

Romney “has a comprehensive plan to reform the corporate tax code that will lower rates, get rid of incentives for firms to create jobs in other countries, and encourage the kind of economic growth President Obama has been unable to deliver,” said campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg.

For all the tax talk, the presidential campaign couldn’t seem to shake Bain, the company that Romney led in the 1990s to numerous successful corporate restructurings, and to some less happy ventures that ended in bankruptcy or other problems. Romney has said he left Bain in early 1999, shortly before it invested in companies that were pioneers of job outsourcing. —AP

Planned Parenthood sues state of Arizona AUSTIN: Planned Parenthood has sued the state of Arizona in an effort to overturn a law that blocks funding for its health clinics because the organization also performs abortions. The law, signed

by Governor Jan Brewer in May, is part of a national campaign against Planned Parenthood orchestrated by conservatives Republican lawmakers who oppose abortions. In the past two years, 13 states have taken steps to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood, and the organization has filed lawsuits in six of them, including Arizona.

Planned Parenthood says abortions account for only 3 percent of its services, which include cancer screening and birth control. “It is wrong for the state to tell Arizonans who they can and cannot see for their healthcare. The men and women

of this state have the right to see the healthcare provider they deem is best for them,” said Bryan Howard, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood Arizona.

The group, whose legal team for the case includes the American Civil Liberties Union, filed the suit in US District Court in Arizona, according to Planned Parenthood.

Amy Rezzonico, spokeswoman for state Attorney General Tom Horne, said the attorney general had not yet seen a copy of the complaint and declined comment.

Planned Parenthood has won injunctions in five states-Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas-arguing that it is being punished for providing constitutionally protected services and that women’s access to preventive healthcare is being blocked. — Reuters

Republicans say bill would violate US free speech WASHINGTON: US Senate Republicans have blocked a bid by Democrats to require political fundraising groups to reveal their anonymous contributors who are fueling negative television advertisements ahead of the November election. By a 51-44 party line vote, supporters of the Disclose Act of 2012 fell short of the 60 votes needed to clear a Republican procedural hurdle.

But Democrats promised to debate the bill late into the night and seek another vote on Tuesday, hoping to paint Republicans as thwarting transparency. “This is too important an issue to let it die quietly,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called the act a waste of time and said Democrats should instead try to remedy the ailing US economy.

“Think about it: we’ve had 41 straight months of unemployment above 8 percent,” McConnell said. “But this is what they want to do.”

President Barack Obama said in a statement that Republicans had a chance to “change it” but stood with corporate interests and “instead chose to block it.” “If we allow this practice to continue, special interests will have unprecedented influence over politicians,” Obama said. The bill was drafted amid an outcry that political organizations were exploiting a tax law provision allowing certain “social wel-

fare” groups meant to educate the public to collect unlimited contributions without disclosing their donors. Backers of the legislation say the loophole must be closed. The debate stems from a divided US Supreme Court decision that opened the way for unlimited corporate and special-interest spending in elections.

The proposal defeated on Monday was a scaled-back version of a measure that was blocked by Republicans in 2010. The centerpiece of the legislation would force taxexempt “501(c)” groups, which include labor unions and chambers of commerce, to publicly report any donor giving $10,000 or more to the Federal Election Commission. The FEC, which oversees elections, is currently split along party lines and is deadlocked on whether social welfare groups must disclose donors if they engage in political activity. The groups are raising money for both political parties but many Democrats fear they will be outspent this election season.

ISSUE ADVERTISING The 501(c) contributions go mainly for socalled issue advertising, not to the campaigns.

Almost all of the groups run ads. Democrats have sought to slow down one of the more prominent conservative groups, Crossroads GPS, in its bid to assist Republican candidates.

It has backed ads on home foreclosures, taxes,

healthcare and the budget deficit.

Obama’s re-election is being helped in part by the Priorities USA non-profit. Another type of fundraising entity, so-called super PACs, are required to disclose donors and have revealed million-dollar contributions from corporate executives, unions and celebrities this year.

Charitable organizations, which are prohibited from spending money to influence elections, would remain exempt from the disclosure requirements. Democrats, backed by publicinterest groups, argue that voters have a right to know who is funding ads. Republicans, with the support of business groups, argue that the measure would amount to an infringement of free speech and primarily hit corporate America, not unions.

With no apparent chance of passing the bill this year, Democrats are leaning on the Internal Revenue Service to enforce laws that limit the tax-exempt groups’ political advocacy. Earlier this year, the IRS yanked the taxexempt status of two small political groups, concluding they were more interested in political objectives than social welfare. Democrats are hoping the IRS will take further action against these groups. “I think ultimately that they will act,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat. “But the question is, will they do it in time to keep improprieties out of this year’s elections.” — Reuters

Democrats seek leverage as fiscal cliff looms in US

HOUSTON: People listen as US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addresses the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) annual convention in Houston. — AFP

Black voter turnout could be the swing factor in Nov WASHINGTON: High voter turnout among African Americans helped get President Barack Obama elected in 2008 but a black rights group fears even a small drop in turnout in the November election might cause him to lose or struggle in several key states. Leaders of the National Urban League, a civil rights group, released a report yesterday that said although blacks voted overwhelmingly for the Democrat in 2008, if the number of African American voters drops even 5 percentage points this year it could tip the outcome in some vital states. If that voter turnout rate returned to the 2004 election levels - 60 percent compared with nearly 65 percent in 2008 - the report estimated that Obama, the nation’s first black president, would lose in North Carolina and would have a tough time in Ohio and Virginia. “We wanted to point out that turnout makes a difference,” said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. “And that African American turnout particularly, in a number of states, could make the ultimate difference.”

Obama has a 6-point lead over his Republican rival Mitt Romney four months ahead of the Nov. 6 election, a Reuters/Ipsos national poll showed last week. A USA TODAY/Gallup poll of 12 swing states - including North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia - on July 8 showed the

pair essentially tied as Obama had a narrow 2-point lead. Chanelle Hardy, executive director of the National Urban League Policy Institute, said the analysis also showed that in 2008 more African Americans between 18 and 25 voted compared with whites of the same age group for the first time.

“That’s just an amazing high water mark for democracy,” she said. “Armed with that information we’re in a strong position to tell each and every African American voter: ‘Your vote does matter.’”

Morial said many political pundits often dismiss the importance of blacks because they voted overwhelmingly about 95 percent - for Obama in 2008 over Republican John McCain. “No one has really picked up on the idea that African American voters are part of the swing category,” said Morial. “But it’s not ‘What percentage of African American voters will vote for the president?’ - it’s ‘How many actually get to the polls and vote?’” The group said it saw a connection between the unusually high black voter turnout in 2008 and tough new voter registration and vote identification requirements that have since been passed or proposed in dozens of US states.

Conservative groups and Republican-led state legislatures that have proposed the new rules say they will help ensure fair voting and cut back on fraud. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Democrats are going all-in in a fiscal game of chicken, saying they’ll let everyone’s income taxes rise on Jan. 1 and slash defense spending amid 8plus percent unemployment if Republicans continue to balk at raising taxes just on those making more than $250,000 a year. The brave face is being adopted as President Barack Obama and Congress come to grips with the possibility that gridlock and stalemate will result in the government careening off a fiscal cliff in January with automatic tax increases, spending cuts and an approaching exhaustion of borrowing ability.

“If we can’t get a good deal, a balanced deal that calls on the wealthy to pay their fair share, then I will absolutely continue this debate into 2013 rather than lock in a long-term deal this year that throws middleclass families under the bus,” Sen Patty Murray, D-Wash, said in a speech Monday. Murray’s salvo was the latest in an almost daily back-and-forth between top Republicans and Democrats over the one-two punch facing the economy in January: expiration of the Bush tax cuts and the imposition of $110 billion in automatic spending cuts, half coming from defense.

“They’re ready and willing to go right off the fiscal cliff if they don’t get their way,” said Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “Because they think it will make it likelier they’ll get their way.” McConnell was an architect of the automatic spending cuts, which were designed to prod a deficit-reduction supercommittee to reach an agreement rather than actually take effect. The supercommittee failed and the idea of automatic cuts is now an unpopular one.

The gamesmanship also includes votes in the Republican-controlled House and Democratic-run Senate over the next two weeks on competing one-year extensions of former President George Bush’s 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. The GOP version extends the full range of the Bush tax cuts. A plan circulated Monday by Senate Democrats would keep income tax rates where they currently are for families earning below $250,000 a year and individuals making less than $200,000, as Obama has proposed. But the tax cuts enacted a decade ago on income above those limits would expire, with the top income tax bracket rising to 39.6 percent.

Democrats are bolstered by opinion polls that show voters favor increasing taxes on the wealthy. But they also risk sharing the blame for a broader tax increase and sudden spending cuts that economists like Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf say would probably throw the economy back into recession next year. It’s a risk they seem willing to take so far.

“If middle-class families start seeing more money coming out of their paychecks next year, are Republicans really going to stand up and fight for new tax cuts for the rich?” Murray said. “I think they know this would be an untenable political position.” — AP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

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

Flood-battered Japan warily eyes typhoon UKIHA: Flood-battered southwestern Japan yesterday braced for a typhoon amid fears it could heap further misery on an area where at least 32 are dead or missing after record rainfall. Typhoon Khanun was lashing the Amami island chain, south of Kyushu where four days of torrential rain have sparked landslides and flooding, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. Khanun-”jack fruit” in Thaipacking winds of up to 126 kilometers per hour, was moving west-northwest at 30 kilometers per hour and was expected to graze the west of Kyushu island through Wednesday afternoon, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Yesterday brought a lull in the rainfall for most of the region as the weather agency said there was up to 9.2 centimeters of rain in the 24 hours to 4:20 pm in the north of Kyushu.

In hard-hit Minamiaso in Kumamoto prefecture, more than 670 people remained unable to return to their homes yesterday afternoon because of landslide fears. “We started reconstruction work on damaged roads yesterday, but workers have been forced to step aside repeatedly by occasional rains,” said local official

Hideki Kuraoka. “Even a small amount of rain could trigger mudslides and more downpours are expected this afternoon.

We remain on high alert,” he said. Kuraoka said even though forecasters did not expect a direct hit from the typhoon, it was still a worry. “We cannot know what damage will be caused by the typhoon,” he said. “We are being extremely vigilant about it.”

Most of the 400,000 people who were ordered or advised to leave their homes were allowed to return after authorities began lifting evacuation orders Sunday.

Roads in Aso city remained flooded and inaccessible. Troops who were called in to help over the weekend yesterday continued their search for three people officially recorded as missing. They recovered a man’s body from a ditch in Aso yesterday, raising the total death toll from landslides and floods across the affected area to 29.

“The body belongs to a man, 55, who was one of the missing people,” said a Kumamoto official.

Aso, which sits at the foot of a volcano, has seen more than 80 centimeters of rain over the last few days, triggering huge

Veteran survivor Mukherjee set to become India president NEW DELHI: India’s former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is set to win presidential elections tomorrow, with some analysts predicting he may wield an unusual degree of influence in the ceremonial role. The result of the vote by national and state lawmakers will be announced on Sunday, but Mukherjee is the candidate of the ruling Congress party and appears to have won the support of enough smaller parties to ensure his victory. Mukherjee, 76, will take over as president from Pratibha Patil, a lowprofile figure who has maintained a strictly detached stance during her five years in the job.

But with the national parliament often deadlocked by disputes among rival parties and no clear winner expected in the next

Pranab Mukherjee general election due in 2014, Mukherjee could play a key role in overseeing who forms the next government. “There is no permanent equation in India’s coalition politics and if Mukherjee becomes the president then his art of negotiation will be put to the test,” T K Tripathi, a leading political analyst and author said. “He can be the kingmaker in this age of complex coalition politics.” Until only last month, Mukherjee was at the heart of India’s Congress-led government, which has struggled with policy paralysis, rebellious coalition partners and corruption scandals since winning reelection in 2009.

As finance minister, he has taken heavy flak for a sharp decline in the economic growth rate and growing pessimism about India’s future after years of rapid development. Amid such uncertainty, Congress faces a major challenge in keeping enough coalition allies on board to push through

much-needed reforms, and the party is already braced for a tough battle to retain power in 2014. The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also unlikely to win a clear majority in the general election, meaning a shaky grouping including several regional parties could try to form the government.

Despite his decades at the top of the Congress party, Mukherjee commands respect from across the political spectrum and his renowned negotiating skills would be valuable after a messy general election result. “Political ties are changing. Every party is scouting new partners to be able to form the government,” Sanjay Kumar, a political analyst at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies think-tank in New Delhi said. “It is in this turbulent scenario, Mukherjee as a president will be able to steer the ship of the state. He is a troubleshooter,” Kumar said.

“This (presidential) election process has fractured ties among the coalition partners.” In a sign of Congress’s woes, Mukherjee’s candidacy has not been supported by one of the ruling coalition’s key partners, the West Bengal-based All India Trinamool Congress. “He will not be a mere spectator to political developments,” said S B Ray Chaudhury, a political science professor at Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata said. “The man has given political direction in the past and will continue to do so but this time he cannot favor any single party.

Theoretically, the president is above politics but Mukherjee enjoys the right to be what he chooses to be.”

Under the constitution, the prime minister holds most executive power with the president playing a role if necessary in government formation at state and federal levels. “I am sure if any president follows his predecessors he will not face difficulty,” Mukherjee said on Sunday. “I have seen many presidents facing difficulties... but they found the solution within the framework of the constitution.” The BJP is backing former parliamentary speaker P A Sangma, who represents a tribal constituency in the remote north-east. Indian presidents are elected by an electoral college comprising MPs from the federal parliament’s two houses and from the state legislatures.— AFP

Reshuffle puts N Korean leader’s mark on military SEOUL: North Korea is reshuffling its most powerful institution: its million-man military.

The authoritarian regime has dismissed the army chief - a key mentor to young ruler Kim Jong Un - and promoted a little-known general to an important position. Illness was the reason cited for army chief Ri Yong Ho’s departure, but to some outside analysts it resembled a purge

by Kim as he tries to shape the government he inherited seven months ago. The announcement Tuesday of Hyon Yong Chol’s promotion could further that goal; his is the fourth vice marshal appointment North Korea has made public since the death of Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il. The changes have significant but as yet unclear implications for the nation’s relationship with its neighbors and the United States, which stations more than 28,000 troops in ally South Korea. North Korea maintains one of the world’s largest armies, builds up its nuclear weapons and missile programs despite broad condemnation and sanctions, and regularly flings warlike rhetoric at Seoul and Washington.

News of Hyon’s promotion in the Korean People’s Army followed the announcement Monday that Ri, a vice marshal who had been chief of the General Staff of the army since 2009, was dismissed from his high-ranking posts in the military and the Workers’ Party because of illness, according to state media. No details were provided about who might succeed Ri as army chief.

Ri had been at Kim Jong Un’s side throughout his transition to leadership and after his father’s death, and appeared healthy in a public appearance just days ago. Analysts were skeptical about the official explanation for his abrupt departure. “There’s a very high probability that it wasn’t health issues, but that he was purged,” said Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea analyst at the International Crisis Group. He noted that Ri, 69, won his major promotions at a September

2010 party conference but received none at another major conference in April, stirring speculation about his future. Even if Ri never directly defied the new leader, his departure would send a strong warning to anyone seeking to challenge Kim Jong Un, Pinkston said.

Ri’s departure comes as Kim Jong Un is making his mark in other ways. Last weekend, state TV showed him watching a concert and visiting a kindergarten in the company of a mysterious woman who carried herself much like a first lady. Her identity has not been revealed, but making her presence public was a notable change from Kim Jong Il’s era, when his companions were kept out of official media.

The dismissal of the top army official is a significant move in North Korea. Kim Jong Il elevated the army’s role when he became leader after the 1994 death of father Kim Il Sung, the nation’s founder.

Kim Jong Un has upheld his father’s “songun” military-first policy, but in April he also began promoting younger officials to key military and party posts. North Korea’s political and military reshuffles are mysterious, with officials sometimes dropping out of sight without explanation or their departures blamed on illness. Bruce Klingner, a North Korea analyst at The Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, said the shake-up is cause for concern, whether Kim Jong Un is solidifying his power or dealing with a direct challenge to his leadership. “North Korean leadership instability is worrisome to the United States and its allies since it increases the potential for volatility, additional provocative acts, or implosion of a regime possessing nuclear weapons,” Klingner said.

The robust and stocky Ri showed no sign of illness when he spoke in late April at a meeting of top officials marking the 80th anniversary of the army’s founding. — AP

mudslides that swamped whole communities and killed at least 21 people in the city alone. An AFP photographer who visited the city said some people who had been evacuated from their homes were seeking shelter in municipal buildings. In scenes reminiscent of last year’s devastating tsunami, families sat on mats on wooden floors, or gathered around televisions to watch the latest forecasts. Other parts of Japan were dealing with soaring temperatures as the first really hot days of the sometimes punishing Japanese summer took hold. The weather agency said temperatures of 39.2 degrees Celsius were recorded in Tatebayashi, north of Tokyo, and 37.5 degrees Celsius in Hachioji, a city in western Tokyo. On Monday, a man in his 80s died in central Niigata prefecture apparently from heat stroke, while nearly 700 people were taken to hospital due to heat exhaustion, local media said. With the vast bulk of Japan’s nuclear power stations offline in the aftermath of the tsunamisparked Fukushima disaster, the country is being urged to cut down on electricity usage and the excessive use of air conditioners is being discouraged.— AFP

HITA: A Japanese motorist drives past part of a road that collapsed next to a river in Hita City, Oita prefecture yesterday. Flood-battered southwestern Japan braced for a typhoon amid fears it could heap further misery on an area where at least 32 are dead or missing after record rainfall. — AFP

Anti-NATO Pakistanis fume over the lifting of blockade ‘Our war will continue; Friends of US are traitors’ JAMRUD: Thousands of Pakistani activists shouted “death to America” yesterday at the latest rally protesting the lifting of a seven-month blockade on NATO supplies into Afghanistan. The march was organized by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) political party, a leading member of the Defense of Pakistan coalition of right wing and Islamist groups that have demanded mass protests against the July 3 lifting of the blockade. “NATO supplies not acceptable”, “Our war will continue”, “Friends of US are traitors”, shouted the crowd after marching from the northwestern city of Peshawar to the nearby town of Jamrud. Leaders of JI, which has no seats in parliament, had said 50,000 people would take part in the demonstration, but far fewer made it to Jamrud, close to Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan. Local administration official Bakhtiar Khan put the figure at between 18,000 and 20,000, although an AFP photographer estimated the numbers to be closer to 8,000 to 10,000. “We want an end to US slavery, an end to US interference, a ban on NATO supplies through Pakistan and an end to US drone attacks on Pakistan,” JI leader Munawar Hussain said, addressing the crowd. “The war against terror has killed 40,000 people and destroyed peace in the country,” he added.

Pakistan on July 3 decided to reopen overland routes to NATO convoys crossing into Afghanistan, after they were closed following US air strikes that killed 24 soldiers on the Afghan border last November. The crisis was the worst episode in Pakistan’s decade-long partnership with the US in the war in Afghanistan, with both capitals still struggling to overcome a breakdown in trust. So far only a few NATO trucks have actually trickled across the border, with owners awaiting a deal on compensation for seven months’ missed work and security guarantees in the southern port city of Karachi.

The Pakistani members Taleban have threatened to attack NATO trucks and their drivers. There was no sign yesterday that the protesters would march on the Afghan border itself, despite insistence from Defence of Pakistan that they would bring a halt to NATO traffic. Local administrator Khan said the demonstrators themselves had

decided to call a halt in Jamrud, rather than continue further up the mountains to the Torkham border crossing. “We did not create any hurdle in their protest march. They themselves decided not to go beyond Jamrud,” he said. Mainstream political parties in Pakistan have not taken part in the antiNATO protests. Members of the crowd said yesterday that Islamabad’s decision to reopen the border, despite the United States eventually apologizing for the deaths, was “treason”.

UN DOCTOR, DRIVER SHOT In another development, gunmen opened fire on a UN vehicle in Pakistan’s volatile city of Karachi yesterday, wounding a foreign doctor working on a polio immunization campaign and a local driver, officials said. The shooting, which happened in the low-income eastern neighborhood of Soharb Ghoth, was the latest sign of disturbing resistance to a widely publicized three-day vaccination cam-

JAMRUD: Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) political party raise hands in solidarity in front of a famous Kyber gate in Jamrud yesterday. — AFP

‘ASEAN Way’ founders in South China Sea storm MANILA: As Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario began to raise the sensitive issue of the South China Sea at one of last week’s Asian summit meetings, his microphone went dead. A technical glitch, said the Cambodian hosts. Perhaps something more sinister, hinted some diplomats who were frustrated by Chinese ally Cambodia’s dogged efforts to keep the subject off the agenda. That account and others, described to Reuters by diplomats with direct knowledge of the talks and who asked not to be identified, reveals how deeply Southeast Asian Nations have been polarized by China’s rapidly expanding influence in the region.

The fast-growing 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which aims to form an EU-style economic bloc by 2015, insists it remains united despite its failure for the first time in 45 years to agree a concluding summit statement. But Reuters’ interviews reveal deep discord and frayed tempers at last week’s summit that are sharply at odds with the group’s self-styled reputation for harmony and polite debate. “It was one of the most heated meetings in the history of ASEAN,” one diplomat said. Another described Cambodia, which holds the revolving ASEAN chairmanship this year, as “the worst chair”, and said China had effectively bought its loyalty and that of some other states with economic largesse.

The breakdown has left attempts to craft a maritime “code of conduct” this year between ASEAN and China in tatters, raising the risk that growing incidents of naval brink manship over the oil-rich waters will spill over into conflict. It also underlines the huge challenge facing the United States as it refocuses its military and economic attention on Asia in response to China’s rise. The South China Sea has become Asia’s biggest potential military flashpoint as Beijing’s sovereignty

paign, which began Monday. The Taleban have banned immunizations in the northwest, condemning the campaign as a cover for espionage since a Pakistani doctor was jailed after helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden using a hepatitis vaccination program.

“A WHO vehicle was fired upon with gunshots.

One international staff and one local driver were injured in the incident,” Maryam Yunus, spokeswoman for the United Nations’ World Health Organization said. She said the doctor from Ghana and the Pakistani driver had been transferred to a private hospital in the southern port city where their condition was stable. “They are out of danger,” Yunus said. Attacks on foreigners are rare in Karachi, but parts of the city are highly volatile.

Ethnic, sectarian and politically-linked violence has killed at least 740 people in the city so far this year alone, rights activists say. Police blamed the shooting on two Afghan men. — Agencies

claims set it against Vietnam and the Philippines racing to tap possibly huge oil reserves.

The failure touched on a long-standing ASEAN fear, says Carlyle Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defense Force Academy-that lack of unity would allow foreign powers to exploit its differences. “This is the first major breach of the dyke of regional autonomy,” he said.

“China has now reached into ASEAN’s inner sanctum and played on intra-ASEAN divisions.” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has angrily rejected suggestions that China has “bought” Cambodia’s support over the South China Sea dispute. China’s foreign direct investment in Cambodia was $1.2 billion in 2011, almost 10 times that of the United States, according to an estimate by the government’s Council for the Development of Cambodia. Chinese investment and trade has also surged in neighboring Myanmar and Laos.

Cambodia batted away repeated attempts to raise the issue about the disputed waters during the ASEAN meeting last week as well as the ASEAN Regional Forum, which includes Japan and the United States, according to diplomats present. ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan was cut off in mid-address by Cambodia’s foreign minister as he tried to bring up the topic, said several Southeast Asia diplomats. Del Rosario’s microphone malfunction occurred at a Thursday morning ministerial meeting, diplomats said, as he raised the issue despite Cambodia’s insistence that it should not be discussed.

A Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman said it was “craziness” to suggest that it was switched off deliberately.

On Friday, the last day of the summit, diplomats scrambled to avoid humiliation and agree an 11th-hour text for a joint statement. — Reuters

News

in brief

Rogue soldier sentenced to death KABUL: An Afghan soldier has been sentenced to death for killing five French soldiers in a “green-onblue” attack in Kapisa province in January, the defense ministry said yesterday. The incident, in which the soldier turned his gun on his French colleagues, prompted France to speed up its planned withdrawal of troops from NATO operations in Afghanistan. The man, Abdul Sabor, was sentenced to death by hanging in a military court in Pul-i-Chakri prison on Monday, a defense ministry source said. “Yes, I can confirm it. His name is Sabor,” said Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a ministry spokesman. Four unarmed French soldiers were killed outright and 15 others were wounded as they jogged on their military base on Janauary 20. A fifth French soldier died weeks later from his wounds. The shooting underscored the difficulties facing NATO troops as they work alongside and train Afghan forces ahead of their planned withdrawal from the war-torn country by the end of 20124. The number of so-called green-on-blue attacks-in which Afghan forces turn their weapons against their Western allies-has escalated this year.

Myanmar MPs to amend repressive laws YANGON: Myanmar’s parliament agreed yesterday to discuss amendments to a pair of controversial laws widely used to suppress dissent during the former junta’s rule. Lower house speaker Shwe Mann confirmed that changes would be considered to the Emergency Provision Act and the colonial-era Unlawful Association Act, after a lawmaker raised the issue in parliament. Pro-democracy campaigners have said the laws have been routinely used to detain dissidents and ethnic rebels. While it is unclear how much support there is in parliament for changing the laws, debating their future is the latest sign of the mood for reform in Myanmar’s fledgling democracy. The wideranging association act has been used to punish dissidents communicating with exile organizations and the nation’s myriad ethnic groups-with both declared “unlawful” during the army’s five-decade rule. Several rebel groups have recently signed fragile ceasefire deals with the government, prompting the lawmaker pushing the amendments to say the association law jeopardizes steps towards peace.

14

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

opinion

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.

E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net

Issues

‘When’ not ‘if’ large Mideast quake is due

By Linda Gradstein f you live in the Middle East, now might be a good time to buy earthquake insurance.

Seismologists say the Middle East is due for a large earthquake that could leave tens of thousands dead and destroy hundreds of thousands of homes. “We know from historical records that at least twice in the last millennium along the entire fault line form the Red Sea up to Turkey there were a major series of earthquakes in the 3rd to 6th century and then again between the 11th and 13th century,” Ata Elias, an assistant professor of geology at the American University of Beirut told The Media Line. “Apparently the faults in the area have a cycle of 8 - 10 centuries, so we’re due for another one.”

Seismologists in Israel agree that a major earthquake is only a matter of time. “It can happen in the middle of our conversation or in another ten years,” Ephraim Laor, a disaster manager told The Media Line. “There is always a lot of activity in this area.” Both agree that there has been an increase in activity in the eastern Mediterranean, with almost daily earthquakes in Crete, Greece, and Iran.

Most of these are relatively mild, between 4 and 5 on the Richter scale, but a larger earthquake is also likely at some point. Elias compares the potential damage to Haiti, where 250,000 people were killed by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010. In Lebanon, he says, there is almost no preparedness for a major earthquake.

“There have been some private initiatives to reinforce schools or prepare evacuation plans,” he says. “But far more needs to be done.”

Israeli seismologist Laor says that in Israel, new fault lines have been discovered in heavily populated areas. He says Israel is not prepared for an earthquake, either. “You can’t even dream of what a big earthquake would be like here,” he said. “Everybody should have to take a 24-hour survival course that explains what to do in the case of an earthquake.”

In Haiti in 2010, 38,000 children were killed even though the earthquake hit in the afternoon, when most children had already finished studying for the day. He says that Israeli estimates are that a similar size earthquake could leave between 7000 and 16,000 dead; 90,000 wounded; and up to 300,000 buildings collapsed or damaged. In 1995, there was an earthquake reading 7.2 on the Richter scale in the Sinai desert. “If that earthquake had been in a more populated area, there could have been tens of thousands killed.” He also warns of the danger of a tsunami, similar to the 2004 disaster in the Indian Ocean that left 230,000 people dead.

In many areas of the Middle East, homes are built very closely together, often on sandy soil or clay, rather than on solid rock. The cost of constructing new buildings in accordance with earthquake codes adds an estimated three to five percent to the total price tag. Making existing buildings safe is very expensive and governments do not seem to want to invest these sums of money. Ata Elias in Beirut says that politicians in the Middle East seem too preoccupied with day-to-day issues rather than with preparing for an earthquake.

“Because of the political situation here, the politicians are all flooded by problems so they don’t want to think about anything else,” he said.

“We also can’t predict exactly when it will happen. We say it can be in a couple of days, or five or ten years. For scientists this is soon, but politicians work on another time scale.” — Media Line

I

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

Signs emerge Kim leading N Korea his way

By Jean H Lee rom Mickey Mouse and a mysterious female companion, to the whiff of economic reform and the surprising ouster of his military mentor, evidence is mounting that North Korea’s Kim Jong Un will lead very differently than his secretive father. Seven months after inheriting the country from Kim Jong Il, the 20-something leader suddenly began appearing in public with a beautiful young woman. Dressed in a chic suit with a modern cut, her hair stylishly cropped, she carried herself with the poise of a first lady as she sat by his side for an unforgettable performance: Mickey Mouse grooving with women in little black dresses jamming on electric violins.

A few days later, video showed her flirting with Kim Jong Un during a visit to a kindergarten. She quickly became the subject of fervent speculation: Is she his wife? Girlfriend? A friend? But the scent of change extends well beyond Mickey and miniskirts: A change of the guard in North Korea’s powerful military is taking place, as Kim retires his father’s confidantes and elevates a younger generation of generals.

He promoted a group of younger economists to key party positions, part of a stated push to resuscitate an economy that has lagged far behind the rest of Asia.

Bureaucrats have been dispatched to draw new foreign investment. A rare admission of failure came when Pyongyang’s vaunted rocket failed to make it into orbit. Kim Jong Un has delivered a pair of public speeches when his

F

father avoided such displays. To the outside world, these changes may seem trivial. In North Korea, they represent a seismic shift. For decades in this country built on a philosophy of “juche”, or self-reliance, shutting out the West was a state policy. So was shielding the private lives of its leaders from the masses.

On the streets of the capital city, change is afoot. Pop songs jangle from the now-ubiquitous cellphones carried by Pyongyang’s wellto-do. A wave of construction has transformed the skyline. Singapore it’s not, but the city has a handful of sleek new edifices looming over its tree-lined river banks. Whether these cosmetic things translate into real policy change remains to be seen. Long at odds with the US and its allies over a nuclear program that Pyongyang refuses to abandon, North Korea has struggled to feed its population. A recent UN report said two-thirds of its 24 million people face chronic food shortages, and access to clean water, regular electricity and medicine is still remote for most of those living in the underdeveloped countryside. A US-based rights group also estimates tens of thousands of prisoners remain held in Soviet-style penal camps.

Still, there’s a glimmer of hope in the baby steps that North Korea is taking, said John Delury, an assistant professor at Yonsei University in South Korea, who has visited Pyongyang several times in recent years.

“That’s the subtle kind of way Deng Xiaoping signaled a new direction in the 1970s in China,” he said. “It doesn’t start with someone saying, ‘OK, we’re going to abandon commu-

nism.’ It starts in smaller ways like this.” But it’s too soon to talk about economic and political “reform,” said Daniel Pinkston, an analyst with the International Crisis Group. North Korea needs to begin making real, lasting structural changes before that word can be used to describe the movement. However, by acknowledging that problems exist and encouraging government officials to find solutions, there are hints that Kim is headed in that direction, Delury said. “It’s not a policy change, but it’s a governance change in the attitude, and that could be the start of something significant.”

Is it Kim himself who is behind the changes, or the cadre of advisers that surround him - some of whom were in the inner circle of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, the nation’s founder? Like most things in North Korea, it is very likely a carefully choreographed campaign. In its own, sometimes cryptic way, Pyongyang is trying to portray its 20-something chief as a 21st century leader in touch with his people’s modern-day lives. That is a marked contrast from his father, Kim Jong Il, who ruled for 17 years under a veil of secrecy. Discussing the first family was strictly taboo. The leader’s consorts, including Kim Jong Un’s mother, were kept from the public eye.

His children, said to include three sons and a daughter, were never mentioned in state media dispatches. And anything that wasn’t sanctioned with an official blessing by the government’s propaganda organs was widely known to be dangerous to discuss. Even Kim

Jong Un was virtually unknown, and seldom discussed, before his formal introduction to the world in the autumn of 2010. As North Koreans cautiously navigate the changes taking place and gauge how safe it is to veer off long-proscribed paths, a sense of fear still pervades every interaction. And some things remain secret, including the identity of mystery woman and her relationship to Kim Jong Un. But her simple presence beside Kim in public has made it OK to gossip about his personal life. North Koreans may not know who she is either, but they’re no longer shy about showing their interest. They were quick to gather around TVs in recent weeks for their first glimpses of North Korea’s version of Britain’s William and Kate. “We’re dying to know, too,” said one North Korean, with a shrug and a smile, when asked whether Kim was married.

If the father was remote and surrounded by soldiers, the son is trying to position himself as a man of the people - more like his grandfather.

Kim Il Sung built homes, parks and schools and was often shown alongside his wife, Kim Jong Suk, and with children in his arms. Kim Jong Un is a child of the 1980s. He grew up - possibly in Switzerland - with action films and pop music, video games and junk food. Could “Rocky”, the theme song of which was featured in the Mickey Mouse concert, have been a childhood favorite? Or could it have been another of the songs on the program that night: Frank Sinatra’s “My Way?” A song from a different generation, for sure, but perhaps a metaphor for this new mode of leadership. — AP

Swimsuits that turn athletes into barracudas

By Sharon Begley he sharkskin has been retired. The swim bladder, too. For London’s Olympic swimmers, the watchword is more “barracuda”. Swimsuit makers have long sought inspiration in the oceans, where evolution spent about 500 million years sculpting bodies shaped to cut through the water with the least drag or studded with features that increase speed. That led some manufacturers earlier this decade to develop full-body, impermeable suits: water could not get in and air could not get out, trapping air inside and increasing buoyancy much as fish’s swim bladders do.

Water offers greater resistance than air, so swimmers whose bodies rise higher in the water have an advantage. That led international swimming federation FINA to outlaw full-body, impermeable suits in 2009. The other innovation of the last decade was Speedo International’s sharkskin-inspired suits. Called Fastskin and introduced in 2000 for the Sydney Olympics, the suit was studded with tiny hydrofoils with V-shaped ridges like the “dermal denticles” on sharkskin. It seemed to be a success: 83 percent of swimming medals at Sydney went to athletes wearing Fastskin.

That was not quite slam-dunk evidence of its superiority. Speedo, owned by the Pentland Group, had reached out to the very top competitors to wear its suits in the first place. In March, researchers at Harvard University published an analysis of Fastskin and real shark skin in the Journal of Experimental Biology. They found that although real shark skin was 12 percent faster with denticles than without, Speedo’s fabric was not. It was actually faster inside out than with the denticles exposed to the water.

By the time the study appeared, Speedo was already years into research on Fastskin’s successor. Called Fastskin3 and first used in competition this year, it includes caps, goggles and suits that redistribute water flow around a swimmer to decrease drag, partly by compressing the body’s silhouette along the lines of the predatory barracuda. “We operated on the principle of minimal gains,” said

T

Joe Santry, research manager for the company’s Aqualab. Rather than getting a huge increase in performance from a single design change, Speedo’s scientists squeezed a few percentage points of improvement from many individual modifications. The fruit of their efforts will be on display nex t week at the London Olympic Games.

They started at the top. “The cap and goggles are the first things that hit the water, so they can create turbulence downstream in a way that affects the performance of the suit,” said Santry. The scientists scanned athletes to produce a

three-dimensional, digital avatar. They then manipulated various parts of it squeezing here, filling in there - and used computational fluid dynamics to calculate how each change altered drag “until we found a theoretically perfect body form.”

Take the cap. The standard model is a plain silicone bowl that wrinkles at the top. Those wrinkles, like any protuberance, create drag. But shaping a cap to the average human head shape - determined by the 3D head-scanning - minimizes wrinkles.

The new cap also has room to pack hair at the nape. That fills what is other-

wise a dip between the head and the back. “That dip creates a pressure drag,” explained Santry: a region of lower pressure that ever-so-slightly sucks the swimmer backward. Packing the hair into the gap decreases that drag 3.4 percent compared to standard silicone caps.

The most hydrodynamic goggles shape - a full-face mask reminiscent of Batman’s - violates FINA rules. But the runner-up takes the water flowing over the head to the eye sockets and basically attaches that flow to the face, creating an ultra-smooth “boundary layer” of water.

Smoothness is key. Boundary layers naturally flow toward regions of low pressure, which can split up the layers and create turbulence, increasing drag. The optimal goggle design is shaped like a water droplet and turned up at the temples. “It’s unlike anything on the market,” said Santry. The goggles cut drag 2.2 percent versus other Speedo models.

The suit redesign addressed the fact that 80 percent of the drag on swimmers comes from their shape. That meant compressing fleshy areas like the thighs, rear end and, for women, the chest, all with Lycra panels sewn into the suit. While other suits absorb water, Fastskin3 repels it.

Less weight from the suit means each stroke propels a swimmer farther. So after four years and 55,000 hours of research and testing, the complete outfit reduces drag by 16.6 percent compared to standard gear, Speedo says.

That translates into an approximately .11 percent potential increase in speed.

Not huge, but then the difference between winning gold and silver can be thousandths of a second. At Beijing, American Michael Phelps finished 0.01 second ahead of Serbia’s Milorad Cavic in the 100 meter butterfly. Phelps will be wearing Fastskin3, as will team mate Tyler Clary and Britain’s Rebecca Adlington.

“The recent suits work,” said kinesiologist Joel Stager of Indiana University, who has studied the science behind swimming for decades. “The earlier ones (with denticles) didn’t.” As it happens, compressing swimmers’ bodies has a benefit besides reducing drag: it also increases blood flow.

Think of it as a legal version of blood doping. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

NEWS Syrian rebels battling to ‘liberate’ Damascus Continued from Page 1 “The army has tried to storm the district, but the Free Syrian Army has stopped them. So they have intensified their shelling. They are shelling everything,” he said. AFP could not independently verify the account.

Witnesses also repor ted heavy machinegun fire in Sabaa Bahrat Square in central Damascus and in nearby Baghdad Street. But an army officer in Damascus told AFP that troops have “the situation under control” and were “chasing the terrorists seeking refuge in apar tments and mosques”. The source said “battles raged” in Qaboon, “where the majority of rebels were”, adding that “33 terrorists were killed, 15 were wounded and 145 were arrested”, referring to rebels.

The regime has vowed not to surrender the capital. In that context, the Israeli army’s intelligence chief said Syrian troops had been moved from the Golan Heights towards conflict zones including Damascus. “Assad has removed many of his forces that were in the Golan Heights to the areas of conflict,” Major General Aviv Kochavi told MPs. “Radical Islam” was gaining ground, he warned, adding that Syria was undergoing a process of “Iraqisation”, with militant and tribal factions controlling different zones.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Annan he would “do everything” to support the former

UN chief’s plan to end the conflict. “We will do everything that depends on us to support your efforts,” Putin told Annan at the Kremlin. Annan told Putin “the Syrian crisis is at a critical time”.

Speaking to reporters later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he saw “no reason why we cannot also agree at the UN Security Council. We are ready for this.” Annan added: “The Council, I expect, will be sending out a message that the killings must stop and that the situation on the ground is unacceptable.”

Annan’s Moscow meetings came one day before Western powers plan to hold a vote on a UN resolution that threatens sanctions against Damascus.

The council must also vote to decide on renewing the 300-strong UN Supervision Mission in Syria, deployed to monitor an April 12 ceasefire Assad agreed with Annan. UN leader Ban Kimoon “called on Russia to use its influence to ensure the full and immediate implementation” of Annan’s plan in a telephone call with Lavrov, a UN spokesman said. Ban was due in Beijing yesterday, also on a mission to get support for tougher action on Syria. Russia and China have twice blocked resolutions against Syria at the Security Council, which remains divided over Western calls to impose new sanctions.

On a visit to Syria’s neighbour Jordan, British Foreign Secretar y William Hague said the crisis is too

unpredictable to rule out “any option”.

Hague urged Russia and China to “take greater note of the scale of the bloodshed and the need to bring it to an end and the desperate situation of the sort of people that we met at the Syrian border today.” The Observatory said at least 35 people were killed across Syria on Tuesday, 16 of them civilians, adding to its toll of more than 17,000 people dead since the uprising began.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has said that Syria is in a state of all-out civil war and that all sides must respect humanitarian law or risk war crimes prosecutions.

Meanwhile, Nawaf Fares, who became the most prominent figure to abandon Assad when he defected as Syria’s ambassador to Iraq, warned the regime will use chemical weapons against opposition forces and may have already deployed them. Fares insisted that Assad’s days were numbered but warned he would be prepared “to eradicate the entire Syrian people” to remain in power. When asked by the BBC’s Frank Gardner whether that would mean the use of chemical weapons, Fares said: “I am convinced that if Bashar Al-Assad’s regime is further cornered by the people, he would use such weapons.”

Another key defector, General Manaf Tlass, a childhood friend of Assad, said in a statement sent to AFP that he was in Paris and called for a “constructive transition” in the country. — Agencies

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama look up at themselves on the large in-house video screen as they appear on “Kiss Cam’ while watching a basketball game Monday. — AP

Obamas in kissing controversy WASHINGTON: The White House insists that the missing kiss was no diss. Sure, President Barack Obama planted one on first lady Michelle Obama during Monday night’s exhibition game by the US Olympic men’s basketball team. But that was their second appearance on the Verizon Center “Kiss Cam”. The first time the Obamas’ images flashed on the overhead scoreboard, Mrs Obama was seen shaking her head “no”.

However, press secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday this was not a marital brush-off. He said the couple didn’t realize it was the Kiss Cam watching them; they only found this out after, during half-

time, when their daughters asked why they had ducked the chance to smooch. The president got his do-over later in the game when the Kiss Cam again swung his way. This time, he gave Mrs Obama a big kiss on the lips, and added a peck on the forehead for good measure. The crowd roared.

“This incident was the subject of some high-level conversations on the helicopter en route to Andrews Air Force Base this morning,” said Earnest, briefing reporters aboard Air Force One en route to a day of politicking in Texas. “I can tell you based on a very good source that reports that the president was rebuffed are false,” Earnest said. — AP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

sp orts Metsu replaces Maradona

‘Clasico’ date changed

DUBAI: Former Senegal and United Arab Emirates coach Bruno Metsu has replaced the sacked Diego Maradona in charge of Al Wasl, the Dubai-based club said yesterday. Argentina World Cup winner Maradona, 51, was sacked last week with a year left on his two-year contract following a trophy-less season for Al Wasl. “”More details will be revealed in the press conference that will be held in the coming days to officially unveil coach Metsu as head coach,” said a club statement released on Twitter, which also said Frenchman Metsu, 58, had signed a two-year contract.

Maradona was axed after Al Wasl finished in eighth place in the 12-team UAE Pro League, a drop of two places from their previous season’s finish. The club failed to make an impression in either of the two domestic cup competitions and did not qualify for next season’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League.

Al Wasl did reach the final of the Gulf Champions League but, after holding a 3-1 first-leg lead against Bahrain side Al Muharraq, lost the second leg at home by the same margin, had two players sent off during that match and lost the title in a penalty shoot-out.

Metsu coached the UAE to victory in the 2007 Gulf Cup during a three-year spell in charge, and also coached Senegal at the 2002 World Cup, where they beat world champions France 10 in the tournament’s opening match en route to the quarter-finals.—Reuters

MADRID: The second leg of the Spanish Super Cup between Real Madrid and Barcelona has been brought forward a day as 11 of the potential participants are up for Europe’s player of the year award on Aug. 30. “UEFA have asked the Spanish federation (RFEF) to change the date for the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup, from Aug 30th to the 29th..” the RFEF said in a statement yesterday. “..so that it does not coincide with the gala put on by European football’s governing body in Monaco.” The first leg of the traditional curtainraiser to the La Liga season, between the King’s Cup winners Barca and league champions Real, will take place on Aug 23 at the Nou Camp and at the Bernabeu the following week.

Real players Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas, Fabio Coentrao, Mesut Ozil, Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the 32 nominees along with Barca’s Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and current holder Lionel Messi. —Reuters

Imran hails cricket revival ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan yesterday hailed the revival of cricketing ties with India, saying the resumption of one of the world’s great rivalries was good for the sport.

India on Monday invited Pakistan for a short limited overs series in December-January, the first bilateral encounter between the neighbors in five years.

India stalled cricketing ties with Pakistan in the wake of terror attacks on its commercial hub Mumbai in November 2008, which were blamed on militants based across the border.

“I welcome India’s decision to revive cricket with Pakistan,” Khan told reporters.

“Anything which can bring both the countries to negotiations and normalcy is very good and we must appreciate that.”

The thaw came after Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari asked Indian premier Manmohan Singh to restore ties during a lunch meeting in New Delhi in April this year.

India also invited Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 champions Sialkot Stallions for the Champions League to be held in South Africa this year.

Khan, who captained Pakistan to World Cup glory in 1992 before forming his own political party-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (Movement for Justice) — said India and Pakistan playing each other was a boost for world cricket.

“The prospect of India and Pakistan playing against each other is a good news for international cricket because these matches are followed by millions across the world,” said Khan. —AFP

Reds fall to D’backs

BOSTON: Red Sox’s Adrian Gonzalez watches the flight of his three-run home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox. —AP

Red Sox defeat White Sox BOSTON: Adrian Gonzalez spoiled Kevin Youkilis’ return to Fenway Park, hitting a tiebreaking, threerun homer in the eighth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 5-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Boston traded Youkilis on June 24, sending the three-time All-Star and cash to Chicago for utilityman Brent Lillibridge and a minor league pitcher. Youkilis went 3 for 4 with two doubles in his first game back at his longtime home.

Carl Crawford returned to Boston’s lineup after missing the first 89 games this season with left elbow and wrist injuries, going 1 for 3 with a walk.

Crawford and David Ortiz opened the eighth with consecutive walks against Leyson Septimo (01). Gonzalez then hit a drive into the seats above the Green Monster for his seventh homer of the season.

Yankees 6, Blue Jays 3 At New York, Raul Ibanez hit a tiebreaking grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning as New York beat Toronto after Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista left the game with a wrist injury.

Ibanez connected on a 3-1 pitch from Jason Frasor for a no-doubt drive into the first row of the second deck in right field to snap a 2-all tie.

Bautista injured his left wrist on a swing in the eighth and was removed from the game. He hit a long foul ball against David Robertson and immediately grabbed his wrist, dropping into a crouch outside the batter’s box.

After the game, the Blue Jays said Bautista did not break a bone. But he has a tendon injury and will have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity. Russell Martin also homered for the Yankees. Adam Lind connected for Toronto. Aaron Loup (0-1) took the loss.

Tigers 8, Angels 6 At Detroit, Brennan Boesch hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the seventh inning as Detroit rallied to beat Los Angeles.

The Angels led 5-2 after a four-run fifth, but the Tigers chipped away, scoring two runs in the bottom of that inning and three more in the seventh.

Delmon Young tied it with a sacrifice fly and Boesch followed with a homer off reliever LaTroy Hawkins (2-2) to make it 7-5.

Octavio Dotel (3-2) got the win in relief.

Joaquin Benoit worked the eighth and Jose Valverde pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 21 chances. Torii Hunter had four hits and drove in

three runs for Los Angeles. Mark Trumbo hit his 25th homer. The Angels got Albert Pujols to the plate as the potential tying run in the ninth, but he flied out to end it.

Indians 3, Rays 2 At St. Petersburg, Florida, Zach McAllister shrugged off being struck in his pitching arm by a line drive to finish six solid innings as Cleveland held on to beat Tampa Bay. McAllister (4-1) appeared to get hit above the right elbow by Jeff Keppinger’s RBI single in the fourth. He retired the next six batters and eight of his last nine overall.

Choo Shin-soo ended up with an RBI double in the third for Cleveland after he had what initially was ruled a home run overturned by instant replay in the first. Desmond Jennings homered for the Rays. Alex Cobb (4-6) yielded three runs and five hits over 3 1-3 innings.

Mariners 9, Royals 4 At Kansas City, Missouri, Casper Wells homered and drove in a career-high five runs, all of them against Jonathan Sanchez, as Seattle downed Kansas City.

Justin Smoak also had a two-run homer off Sanchez (1-6), pulled after allowing a season-high seven runs in a season-low 1 1-3 innings. The lefthander who once threw a no-hitter for San Francisco gave up seven hits and a walk before he was yanked to a chorus of boos.

Jason Vargas (9-7) took advantage of the rare output from one of the American League’s worst offenses. The left-hander gave up homers to Salvador Perez and Billy Butler, but still managed to last six shaky innings and win his second straight game. Ichiro Suzuki added an RBI triple, and Dustin Ackley homered for the Mariners.

Twins 19, Orioles 7 At Minneapolis, Denard Span had three hits and five RBIs, plus two spectacular catches in center field to help Minnesota stop its five-game losing streak with a victory over Baltimore.

Ben Revere made two remarkable running grabs himself in right field to go with four hits and three RBIs. Joe Mauer homered and drove in two runs, and Justin Morneau had four of Minnesota’s 20 hits.

Chris Tillman (1-1) gave up seven runs in the first and didn’t finish the inning, the shortest appearance by an Orioles starter this season. —AP

MLB results/standings NY Yankees 6, Toronto 3; Detroit 8, LA Angels 6; Boston 5, Chicago White Sox 1; Cleveland 3, Tampa Bay 2; Miami 5, Washington 3; Arizona 5, Cincinnati 3; St. Louis 3, Milwaukee 2; Seattle 9, Kansas City 4; Minnesota 19, Baltimore 7; Colorado 5, Pittsburgh 4; Houston 2, San Diego 0; Philadelphia 3, LA Dodgers 2.

American League Eastern Division W L NY Yankees 55 34 Baltimore 46 43 Tampa Bay 46 44 Boston 46 44 Toronto 45 45

PCT .618 .517 .511 .511 .500

Central Division Chicago White Sox 49 40 Detroit 47 43 Cleveland 46 43 Kansas City 38 50 Minnesota 37 52

.551 .522 2.5 .517 3 .432 10.5 .416 12

Western Division Texas 54 35 LA Angels 49 41 Oakland 46 43 Seattle 38 53

GB 9 9.5 9.5 10.5

.607 .544 5.5 .517 8 .418 17

National League Eastern Division Washington 51 36 Atlanta 49 39 NY Mets 46 43 Miami 43 46 Philadelphia 40 51

.586 .557 2.5 .517 6 .483 9 .440 13

Central Division Cincinnati 50 39 Pittsburgh 49 40 St. Louis 47 43 Milwaukee 42 47 Chicago Cubs 36 52 Houston 34 56

.562 .551 1 .522 3.5 .472 8 .409 13.5 .378 16.5

Western Division San Francisco 49 40 LA Dodgers 48 43 Arizona 43 46 San Diego 36 55 Colorado 35 54

.551 .527 .483 .396 .393

2 6 14 14

CINCINNATI: Miguel Montero drove in four runs with a basesloaded double and a solo homer Monday, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 win shortly after the Cincinnati Reds learned they’ll have to try to hold onto first place in the NL Central without Joey Votto.

An MRI found the All-Star first baseman has torn cartilage in his left knee that will require surgery and sideline him for three to four weeks.

The slumping Diamondbacks scored four runs in the first off Bronson Arroyo (4-6), who lasted a season-low three innings. The Reds had gotten impressive starts during a six-game winning streak that boosted them into first.

Phillies 3, Dodgers 2 At Los Angeles, Ryan Howard homered for his first RBI of the season and Joe Blanton pitched eight effective innings as Philadelphia edged Los Angeles.

Jimmy Rollins also went deep and Jonathan Papelbon retired pinch-hitter Adam Kennedy on an easy popup with a runner at third to end it. The last-place Phillies have won three straight.

Howard missed Philadelphia’s first 84 games because of the ruptured left Achilles tendon he sustained while grounding out to end last year’s NL division series against St. Louis. His leadoff homer in the fourth was his first RBI in six games and 18 at-bats since coming off the disabled list.

Rockies 5, Pirates 4 At Denver, Dexter Fowler hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning as Colorado overcame a tying three-run homer by Pedro Alvarez to get the rainsoaked victory.

Wilin Rosario had two hits and scored the winning run for Colorado. Neil Walker had three hits and Andrew McCutchen added two for the Pirates, who have lost three of four.

Rosario led off the ninth with a single against Jason Grilli (1-3) and moved to third on a one-out single by pinch-hitter Jason Giambi. Fowler hit a deep fly to McCutchen in center field and Rosario slid home ahead of the throw.

Cardinals 3, Brewers 2 At Milwaukee, Allen Craig hit a

after giving up the single to Craig, which dropped softly into shallow left field. Jason Motte (4-3) got the win. Corey Hart homered for the Brewers. Ryan Braun added an RBI double in the eighth.

Marlins 5, Nationals 3 At Miami, Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer and Carlos Lee drove in two runs as Miami beat

to end the game. Zimmerman reached base five times and was a triple short of hitting for the cycle.

Astros 2, Padres 0 At San Diego, JA Happ and three relievers combined on a five-hitter, and Scott Moore drove in two runs as Houston beat San Diego to end a 13-game road losing streak.

CINCINNATI: Arizona Diamondbacks’ Miguel Montero hits a three-run double off Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo in the first inning of a baseball game. —AP bloop RBI single off closer John Axford to put St. Louis in front, helping the Cardinals rally for an important victory.

Milwaukee was leading 2-0 going into the ninth but Axford struggled with his control right away, eventually loading the bases with two outs and surrendering a tying, two-run single to Matt Holliday.

Axford (2-6) then was lifted

Washington to earn a split in the four-game series.

Carlos Zambrano (5-7) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings to pick up his first win since June 3. Heath Bell pitched a scoreless eighth, and Mike Dunn pitched the ninth to record his first career save. Dunn allowed a two-out single to Bryce Harper and walked Ryan Zimmerman before striking out Adam LaRoche

Jose Altuve doubled and scored twice to help Houston end its longest skid away from home since dropping 14 straight in 1997.

Happ (7-9) allowed a double in the first to Alexi Amarista but retired his next 12 batters.

The left-hander gave up four hits over 6 1-3 innings while striking out four and walking one. —AP

Fourth Open victory could put Woods back on top of the world LYTHAM ST ANNES: Tiger Woods is not surprised he can return to the top of the world rankings by winning the British Open and is not feeling impatient because he has not lifted a major for four years, the American said yesterday.

The 14-times major champion, who has not won one of the big four tournaments since the 2008 US Open, has battled his way back to form and fitness in recent months following personal problems and injuries.

“I just try and put myself there,” he told a news conference. “I think that if I continue putting myself there enough times then I’ll win major championships.”

Woods, 36, said he was happy to be fully fit again. “First of all I had to go through that whole process of just getting healthy again,” he said. “Being banged up and missing major championships because of it in a couple-year stretch there wasn’t a whole lot of fun.

“I missed four majors just because I was injured. I figure if I’m healthy, then I can prepare properly for major championships and I can get myself there.”

Woods, world number four, is relishing the prospect of playing the challenging Lytham links course in what are expected to be difficult wet and windy conditions.

“I think that shot-making creativity is paramount when you play a links golf course,” he said. “And I think that’s something that is taken away in the modern course design.

“Here you have so many different options and a five-degree wind change changes an entire golf course and changes your entire game plan. It’s just everything is magnified.”

Woods said the decision to hit a draw rather than a fade could make the ball travel up to 50 yards further. “This is all

something you’re trying to figure out,” he said. “Meanwhile, what trajectory are you going to hit the golf ball at? That’s something I’ve always enjoyed.”

Woods has happy memories of Lytham having won the silver medal for being the leading amateur at the 1996 British Open.

“I remember I got hot in that second round,” he said. “I think I made seven birdies on an 11-hole stretch or 12-hole stretch there. I think I posted 66 that day and I thought that was a pretty great accomplishment. “The Open championship that year basically pushed me towards turning pro versus going back to college,” he said. “I was still kind of iffy about whether I should turn pro or not.

“But that gave me so much confidence that I could do it at a high level and I could play against the top players in the world on a very difficult track.”

Woods said it was paramount to avoid Lytham’s 200-plus treacherous bunkers.

“At any links golf course you’ve got to stay out of the bunkers because you can’t get to the green. That’s just a fact,” he said. “If you hit the ball in there, it’s going to go up against the face, because it goes in there with some steam and you’re pitching it out sideways or sometimes even backwards.”

Woods is the bookmakers’ favourite to claim his fourth British Open but he believes it is harder to win majors these days, with 15 different winners of the last 15 big four tournaments.

“I think the fields are deeper, there’s no doubt,” he said. “We’re having to shoot some pretty low scores in general.

You need to have a hot week at the right time. That’s what it comes down to.

There are more guys now have a chance to win major championships than ever before.” —Reuters

LYTHAM ST ANNES: Rickie Fowler (right) and Phil Mickelson of the United States seen during a practice round at Royal Lytham & St Annes golf club ahead of the British Open Golf Championship. —AP

Sandwich charge boosts Mickelson LYTHAM ST ANNES: Phil Mickelson believes the storming final round which left him joint runner-up at the 2011 British Open will give him the momentum to go one better in this year’s tournament at Lytham. The four-times major champion has managed only one other top-five finish in 18 appearances in the Open but his closing 68 at Sandwich 12 months ago has boosted his confidence.

“What was so much fun for me about last year was I was able to make a move in horrible weather and that’s one of the things that has excited me because historically I’ve not played well in bad weather,” the 42-year-old American told a news conference yesterday.

“Now I look at it a little bit differently. I almost welcome it in a sense. “I certainly have more confidence in competing and playing in bad weather and the different challenges that links golf presents after having had some success after last year.”

Mickelson finished third in the 2004 Open at Troon amid a succession of disappointing performances in Britain that he puts down to his initial failure to understand links golf.

“My attitude has evolved favorably,” he said. “It took me a while to be able to understand what it meant to get the ball on the ground. —Reuters

17

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

S P ORT S

Weather providing a challenge, says Coe

MOGADISHU: Athletes Mohamed Hassan Mohamed (left), who will compete in the 1500m race, and Zamzam Mahmuud Farah, who will compete in the 800m race, prepare to board an airplane to London to attend the 2012 Olympic Games. —AP

Somalia to shed tear for slain predecessor LONDON: Somalia’s Olympic chief will find it impossible to choke back the tears at next week’s opening ceremony for the London 2012 Games. “”We will be remembering our fallen comrades,” said Duran Farah, whose predecessor Aden Yabarow Wiish was killed along with at least five other people in April when a female suicide bomber blew herself up at a ceremony at Mogadishu’s national theatre. ”We want to show the world that we can come out of this coma,” Farah told Reuters at the athletes’ village in London where Somalia’s two athletes, running for pride rather than medals, will be staying. When training for the 1,500 metres, Mohamed Hassan Mohamed had in the past to dodge gunfire and mortar shells in one of the world’s most dangerous cities. Now he and 400 metres competitor Zamzam Mohamud Farah will be training in the buildup to London 2012 with the Qatari team in Belfast, itself no stranger to civil strife in the past.

No Somali athlete qualified for the Olympics. But each national Olympic committee is entitled to two places, one for a man and one for a woman, in athletics.

Just getting to London is an achievement in itself. “”There is not a single athletics track in the whole country,” Farah said. “”Some have been used as army bases.

Some have been destroyed. The talent is there but not the facilities. “”That young boy and young girl are already winners,” he added. “”They are coming from a very, very rundown coun-

try where there is no opportunity for young people to train.”

Farah, who celebrates his 44th birthday on the day of the opening ceremony, said of the two athletes: “”They have pride and want to show there is still a country called Somalia. We are here. Our country might be down but we are not dead.”

The Somali athletes do not boast personal trainers or special team nutritionists.

Mohamed has no training camp. He cannot replace his running shoes. Instead he washes them. Farah hopes to convey a positive message to the world from the Olympics.

The Somalia flag at the opening ceremony on July 27 will be carried by former world champion Abdi Bile who took sixth place in the 1,500 metres at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. “”It will make every Somali proud wherever they are,” he said.

But inevitably Farah’s thoughts at that opening night will turn back to his predecessor. “”He was like a father figure to me.

He did not leave Somalia, he stayed. He refused to let Somali sport die,” “he said, reflecting on life in a country which for 20 years has faced running battles between feuding warlords and then later Islamist militants fighting to overthrow a government supported by foreign forces. “ “He wanted to use sport as a tool of peace building,” Farah said in simple tribute.

So will he shed a tear as Somalia joins the nations of the world in the Olympic stadium?” “Yes, definitely,” he confessed.

—Reuters

Distractions threaten to derail Kenyan hopes NAIROBI: Kenya have assembled one of their strongest teams for an Olympic Games but they may need “a counsellor, psychiatrist and psychologist” to resolve a myriad of personal and legal issues threatening to derail their medal ambitions in London.

World 3,000 metres steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi has been accused of stabbing a woman and faces a court case in September, while double world champion Vivian Cheruiyot, a favourite in 5,000m and 10,000m, is embroiled in a domestic dispute that has ended up in court.

Ezekiel Kemboi David Okeyo, Athletics Kenya secretary general, told Reuters Kemboi’s medal chances would improve by getting out of the country.

“We are happy that Kemboi has gone to complete his training in Bristol,” he said. “...That will make him concentrate more on the Olympics instead of here at home where he was obviously being weighed down by the court case.”

Cheruiyot’s fiancÈ Moses Kirui has been taken to court by his ex-wife, marathon runner Caroline Kwambai, over maintenance of their three children.

“She is a strong medal prospect that we would not wish to be distracted from the Games,” said Okeyo. A former athlete, who did not want to be identified, said both athletes

need counselling to keep up their concentration. “This is one of the best teams Kenya has ever assembled, but these side shows are dealing a big blow to its preparations. They need a counsellor, psychiatrist and psychologist in the camp to deal with these matters,” said the former Olympian.

Kenya’s road to London has been rocky.

Even before the June 23 athletics trials the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and the track and field ruling body Athletics Kenya (AK) were on collision course over Olympics training venues.

Simmering tensions exploded after it was revealed athletes selected for the Games would camp in Bristol in an arrangement made between the City of Bristol, NOCK and Kenyan authorities.

“We were not put in the picture and none of our officials was present at that event where the plans were made to have the Kenyan team in Bristol before the Games,” said AK Chairman Isaiah Kiplagat. Communication seen by Reuters revealed that AK had its own plans to send athletes to another camp in England, but NOCK and the government, who are funding the Olympics preparations and participation, did not approve it. Most elite athletes declined to train in Bristol, citing its low altitude as opposed to the advantageous high altitude in Kenya, which they assert will favor their Olympics preparation.

This left only sprinters, field events athletes, a swimmer, two boxers and a weightlifter to travel to Bristol with a hefty delegation of officials.

A senior AK official then had his travel to the Games withdrawn for allegedly allowing athletes to leave camp after the trials without informing NOCK. Athletes snubbed two important farewell functions, one of them presided over by the prime minister, and another sponsored by mobile telephone provider Safaricom, who used the occasion to announce its incentive scheme to Olympic medallists — 1 million shillings ($11,900) for gold, 750,000 shillings for silver and 500,000 shillings for bronze medallists.

Even in Bristol, controversy has dogged the Kenyan team with 4x400m specialists Anderson Mureta and Mark Mutai being sent back home. “The two were not in our team.

They did not qualify for the Olympics during our qualifications competition in African Championships in Benin,” said Kiplagat. “How did they end up in Bristol?” —Reuters

LONDON: The wet British summer is proving a challenge for London Olympic organisers with contingenc y plans that could lead to the rescheduling of the rowing and equestrian events as a last resort, Games chairman Seb Coe said yesterday.

The Eton Dorney rowing lake in park land to the west of London and Greenwich Park, where the equestrian competition will be held, are the two major outdoor venues on sites of environmental significance.

Coe told reporters in the first of a series of daily briefings at the Olympic media centre that months of rain, which may be about to lift according to some forecasts, had posed a problem.

“I spent most of Sunday in the Olympic stadium watching a goodly chunk of our 15,000 volunteer cast heroically rehearsing in the rain,” he said.

“I’ve joked in the past about the challenge of putting a roof across the whole country but this is actually proving quite a challenge to us.

“We’ve got waterlogged sites, we’ve got resurfacing that’s taking place in some of our areas, particularly some of our more sensitive rural sites,” added the double Olympic gold medallist.

Workers are having to lay down a trackway and surfaces for spectators and vehicles, now and during the Games, at the Greenwich venue while extra shelters are also being put in place for venue staff. Coe said there were long-standing plans, fac tored into budgets, that could lead to a slippage of the

schedule if the worst came to the worst.

“We’ve got the contingency

of extra days available to us in rowing and in equestrian sports, as a last resort of course,” he

LONDON: A picture shows a sculpture of the London 2012 Olympic Games mascot Wenlock decorated with a street map of Westminster as part of the London Prepares programme of cultural events and attractions in London. —AFP

declared. “We’ve got an alternate sailing course available to us at Weymouth and of course we’ve got the famous roof at Wimbledon.”

He said there was no risk of venues not being ready in time and while there was still work to be done, it was not substantive.

With 10 days to go until the opening ceremony, Coe said preparations were on track.

Some 96 of the 204 countries competing at the Games had checked into the Village on its opening on Monday with 733 of an expected 17,000 athletes and officials in residence by the end of the first day. Coe addressed concerns about security, saying it had not and would not be compromised by the failure of G4S to mobilise staff.

He also played down reports of first day traffic problems and bus drivers getting lost on the journey from the airport to the Village in east London.

“But for a missed turning and a couple of Tweets, we’re in pretty good shape,” he smiled. “I don’t think we should get out of propor tion some of these issues. We had a tweet yesterday talking about a four-hour delay, it was actually two and a half. We had a driver that missed a turnoff.

“Out of 100 coach journeys that ’s likely to happen. The majority of athletes got in in good shape and on time.

Getting in from the airport and to the village is important, and 98 percent of those journeys went without any hitch at all yesterday.” —Reuters

Argentina’s other ‘Maradona’ chasing gold BUENOS AIRES: Luciana Aymar, otherwise known as “ The Maradona of hockey,” turns 35 on the day of the women’s field hockey final at the London Olympics.

So guess what she’d like for a birthday present on Aug. 10? “I picture winning the gold medal,” said Aymar, who earned her Diego Maradona-inspired nickname at home in Argentina because of her dribbling skill and status as the top player in the game.

She’s also called “La Maga,” or “The Magician,” and she’s the only woman who has been named as the game’s best player seven times.

In London, Aymar will feel the pressure. She has won two bronze medals and a silver in three Olympics, and this year will be her last chance for gold.

Argentina won only two gold medals in the 2008 Olympics, and one went to a men’s football team led by Lionel Messi. The football team failed to qualify this time.

“London will present a series of different emotions,” Aymar said.

“There is the sadness of knowing this is my last tournament. But right now I am thinking only of the gold medal I am missing. I think of it when I wake up at 7 and go to train, and when I’m resting and eating.”

The team, known as “Las Leonas,” or “The Lionesses,” will be among the favorites and play in a group with South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the United States. This presents an opportunity to avenge a 4-2 loss to the Americans in the final of last year’s Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was probably the Americans’ most important victory, and a major shock for Argentina. The loss was Argentina’s first in the Pan American Games since the sport was included in 1987, and it forced the South Americans to struggle

to reach the Olympics. On the other hand, the victory automatically qualified the United States for London.

“The teams in our group are not as well known, but they are strong,” Aymar said. The other

retires, perhaps inspired by her partner actor Michel Gurfi, a star of Spanish-language soap operas.

“I feel like a female athlete should be able to be seen differently,” Aymar said. “I began to open doors and break stereo-

help with the pressure and her pending retirement. And it was Aymar who stood alongside President Cristina Fernandez last month at a send-off ceremony for Argentine athletes. Holding the flag, Aymar applauded as

ARGENTINA: In this Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 file photo, Argentina’s Luciana Aymar (right) is challenged by Germany’s Lisa Hahn during their Women’s Champions Trophy field hockey match.—AP group looks more powerful and includes defending Olympic champion the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, China, South Korea and Britain.

Aymar has led Argentina to two World Cup titles, and five Champions Trophies. She will also be Argentina’s flagbearer in the opening ceremony, testament to her status in the South American country. She has talked about a career in TV or acting after she

types. I can be an athlete, but one also can be allowed to be pretty, charismatic and attractive.”

Aymar will be the sixth Argentine woman to carry her country’s flag. She was picked in a vote by the Argentine Olympic Committee, topping 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola.

She has spoken repeatedly about hiring a psychologist to

Fernandez cautioned athletes against doing anything provocative in Britain, which is engaged in a renewed dispute with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.

“I know it’s difficult to win gold because there are many good teams, and there is more and more parity,” Aymar said. “But I’m convinced Argentina has a chance to fight for gold.” —AP

Games organisers withdraw 500,000 soccer tickets LONDON: Half a million tickets for Olympic soccer matches have been withdrawn and stadium capacities reduced due to a lack of takeup, Games organisers said yesterday.

Organisers will reduce capacities across venues by closing tiers of stadiums or whole sections of a ground. Even after the reduction, 250,000 soccer tickets are still available with a further 200,000 set to be put up for sale before the Games begin on July 27.

Games chief Seb Coe defended the move and said soccer ticket sales compared favorably with previous Olympics. “They are in reduced size venues of course, we’ve had to scale down the size of those venues,” Coe told reporters.

“We’ve sold more football tickets than we’ve sold anything else, we’ve got 37-38,000 tickets we’ve sold for Britain ladies v New Zealand which I think benchmarks pretty well for instance with the women’s FA Cup final this year which was an all-London affair at the Emirates (Stadium) and they had about 5,000.

“We are not in bad shape on tickets but football tickets at a Games are always the challenge. I think we’ll do pretty well.”

The soccer competition is set to take place in six venues across Britain including the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, City of Coventry Stadium, Old Trafford in Manchester, St James’ Park in Newcastle, Hampden Park in Glasgow and London’s Wembley Stadium

which will host both the men’s and women’s finals. Organisers will also make 150,000 soccer tickets available for school children through their Ticketshare scheme.

Fifty thousand non-football tickets are still available for the Games and a further 200,000 will be put up for general sale in the next ten days.

Tickets are still available for sports including athletics, hockey and beach volleyball, while there are still some seats available in the higher price bands for the opening and closing ceremonies. Games organisers have been dogged by criticism throughout the ticketing sales process with fans frustrated by online delays. —Reuters

18

sp orts

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Leap of faith needed for Hooker MELBOURNE: The continuing struggles of Olympic champion Steve Hooker have left the shaggy-haired pole vaulter bereft of answers on the threshold of the London Games and Australian athletics officials crossing their fingers in hope of a miracle.

Hooker failed on all three of his attempts at 5.40 metres in the rain-affected London Grand Prix last weekend to continue a miserable run of form since he vaulted 5.72 metres at his private training base in May to qualify for the Games.

Since that emotional day, which raised hopes in Australia that the mental demons that scuppered his domestic season had finally been banished, Hooker has cleared only 5.42 metres in competition, and failed to launch on a number of attempts.

He has three weeks to climb out of the abyss before the pole vault qualification kicks off at the Olympic Stadium on Aug. 8.

“I am definitely not standing here in the same place where I was four years ago,” Hooker said after the London Grand Prix, where four years ago he vaulted 5.97 metres in a warm-up to his triumph at the Beijing Games. “I am not going to give up. I am going to go out there and fight the whole time.”

Hooker’s woes are a far cry from the glory days of 200810 when he jumped 5.90m to become the first Australian man to win Olympic athletics gold in 40 years, and later swept both the outdoor and indoor world titles.

His personal best of 6.06m, which he achieved indoors in Boston in 2009, is second only to the world record of 6.15m set by retired Ukrainian great Sergei Bubka.

After winning Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi in 2010, Hooker was grounded by a serious knee injury for six months and surrendered his world title meekly at Daegu last year to cap a miserable period of his career.

Hooker, Australia’s athletics team captain for the Games, withdrew from the domestic season earlier this year. Re-building the pole vaulter’s shattered confidence has been a collective mission in Australia, tying in sponsors, officials and psychologists.

Holed up in a re-fitted rail shed in a gritty industrial suburb of Perth, Hooker started from square one in a process he likened to a golfer rebuilding his putting technique after a prolonged case of the ‘yips’. His Olympic qualifying leap of 5.72 metres was recorded in a documentary that was recently screened in Australia, and it graphically captured the wave of relief that washed over Hooker’s face when he achieved the goal. The slow motion replay also showed the pole threatening to fall back and knock down the bar, which in turn teased the fibres on Hooker’s shirt as he descended with mouth agape.

“It was nice to have that old level of confidence, I haven’t felt like that in a couple of years,” Hooker, who turned 30 on Monday, said in the documentary.

Hooker believes it will take a jump of 5.90m to win the gold at London but he trails the best vault of 2012 - the 5.97m achieved by Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie - by more than half a metre.

His final attempt to find some form before the Olympics will take him to Poland next weekend.

Hooker’s chances of bridging the gap appear doomed, but Athletics Australia’s high performance manager Eric Hollingsworth hopes to invoke the spirit of Australian distance swimmer Kieren Perkins to inspire him.

Perkins, who won 1,500m gold at the 1992 Barcelona Games, appeared hopelessly out of form at Atlanta four years later but sneaked into the final and unleashed a stunning swim from lane eight to successfully defend his title. — Reuters

19

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

SPORTS

England and SA can’t wait to start Test series LONDON: A potentially fascinating showdown between two of the world’s best test teams begins at The Oval tomorrow, when England defends the No. 1 ranking against a South Africa side who will seize the top spot if they win the three-match series.

“We’re going to have to be completely on top form to stand any chance of winning,” England pace bowler James Anderson said.

“South Africa soak up pressure better than anyone else in the world so we might have to be more patient than we have been in recent series and that’s going to be our biggest test.

We know they’re going strong in all conditions with both bat and ball.”

The hosts haven’t lost a test in England since Pakistan beat them at The Oval in 2010, and the last team to beat them in a home series was South

Africa in 2008. “It’s always a tough tour to come and win here,” South Africa allrounder Jacques Kallis said. “You’ve got to play some good cricket here, they’re a good side at home, but we’ve got some fond memories of the last tour here when they were also a good team.”

This should be as good as it gets for the cricket fan - two of the best teams in the world competing in the form of the game that the overwhelming majority of experts still regard as the purest judge of ability. The only regret is that the series, squeezed by the demands of the international schedule, will last for only three matches, but the teams look almost perfectly balanced, with South Africa’s slight statistical advantage countered by England’s experience of home conditions. South Africa’s form is difficult to gauge from the limited amount of

cricket they’ve played since arriving in England two weeks ago.

Rain-affected draws with Somerset and Kent amounted to little more than glorified practice sessions, although Kallis didn’t feel this would be a factor.

“As far as preparation (is concerned) I don’t think anything more could have been done,” he said. “I think the guys are all pretty much where they want to be and just keen for the game to start now.”

South Africa’s buildup was also overshadowed by the horrific eye injury suffered by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher at Somerset, forcing him to retire.

AB de Villiers can keep wicket competently enough, but it’s the loss of Boucher’s batting that will, arguably, be more keenly felt.

Boucher was one of the grittiest lower-order batsmen in the game and

his test average of 30 only partially illustrates just how often he rescued South Africa after a collapse.

Yet if South Africa’s tail is weaker for Boucher’s absence, England will first have to get through the most vaunted top order in world cricket.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge for us,” Anderson acknowledged. “We like testing ourselves against the best in the world and there’s four of their guys in the top 10.”

The quartet Anderson referred to are de Villiers, Kallis, Hashim Amla and captain Graeme Smith, all of whom are in the top 10 of the world rankings.

Alastair Cook is the only Englishman on that list and with both sides having three of the top 10 bowlers, the rankings suggest South Africa has a slight edge.

Since usurping India as the world’s No. 1 side 12 months ago, England’s

status looked precarious during a winter that saw a 3-0 loss to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates and a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka. However, so far this summer the hosts have been in imperious form.

They outclassed a limited West Indies side in all three forms of the game and outplayed Australia to win an ODI series 4-0.

England’s strength in depth is such that there is a very real chance that fast bowler Steven Finn, who was outstanding against Australia, could be left on the sidelines.

Both Finn and Tim Bresnan could play if England select five bowlers, but a reluctance to tinker with the balance of the side means that Essex’s Ravi Bopara is set to be given the chance to secure the No. 6 slot, arguably the only area in which England have been found wanting in the last year.—AP

Judge and attorney to tackle FIFA corruption

AFGHANISTAN: Afghan soccer players participate in a friendly match in Kabul.

Amid a deadly war in an impoverished nation, the promise of a new professional football league is offering a glimmer of hope in Afghanistan.—AP

Afghanistan launching new professional football league KABUL: Amid a deadly war in an impoverished nation, the promise of a new professional football league is offering a glimmer of hope in Afghanistan.

Thousands of young Afghans have signed up to participate in a reality television program called “Maidan e Sabz,” or “Green Field,” to earn a chance to play on one of eight professional football teams being created in their homeland.

Abdul Sabor Walizada, a trainer for the project, said Monday the idea is to bring football into Afghan homes, stimulate business and strengthen national unity through sports.

“After years of civil conflict and war, people will focus on football and the businessmen from each zone will try to have the best players,” said Walizada, a former member of the Afghanistan national team.

“It will create national unity because if the central zone, for example, has a really good player, the southern zone team will want to buy him,” he explained. “They will not care about his ethnicity. They will not care about his tribe. They will care that he is one of the best players.”

The league is being organized by the Afghan Football Federation and sponsored by Roshan Telecom Development Co., a major communications company in Afghanistan, and the MOBY Group, which owns and operates media industries in developing nations. The group owns TOLO TV, a leading Afghanistan television station that will broadcast the reality show and the league’s inaugural season of 16 matches, beginning in September.

Eight competitions are being filmed across the nation for Maidan e Sabz, including in the big cities of Kabul, the Afghan capital; Kandahar in the south; Mazar-i-Sharif in the north; Heret in the west; and Jalalabad in the east. Of the thousands of applicants, groups of 30 players will be selected to vie for slots on one of the teams from eight zones.

A battery of physical, mental and football skills tests - one involves running through mud and water while wearing ankle weights and then heading a suspended football - will whittle each group to 21 contestants. Each studio audience then will select the best 18 finalists. At the end of all eight shows, 168 players will remain - enough for eight 18-man squads.

Maidan e Sabz debuted last week featuring film clips of famous football players like Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Brazil’s Pele and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Tell me, do you know more about (President Barack) Obama or Messi and Ronaldo?” TOLO commentator Makhtar Lashkari said, asking his TV viewers to illustrate the popularity of the sport.

Afghans began playing football about 90 years ago, but there were few if any rules. The Afghan Football Federation was founded in 1922 and was admitted into the FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, in 1948.

Football gained a strong following among Afghans in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, but the sport nearly died out during the 10-year Soviet occupation from 1979 to 1989 and the civil war that followed from 1992 to 1996.

After the hardline Islamic Taliban regime was toppled in 2001, sport in Afghanistan was reborn. Cricket has already made inroads, with the Afghan team improving its ranking considerably in international limited-overs competition. Now, with the start of the new football league, teams with names like “Eagles of Hindu Kush,” - called after a mountain range - will compete to be the best in Afghanistan.

To develop peace and stability in Afghanistan, the nation must not only focus on training soldiers, says Keramuddin Karim, AFF president.

“This will be very effective for the new generation,” Karim said. “This program is going to uncover new football talent across the country.”—AP

Kuwait snatches top scorer title in Int’l handball tourney KUWAIT: Kuwait national team handball player, Fahad Al-Hajri, said that being awarded top scorer title in World University Handball Championship, which recently concluded in the Brazilian city of Blumenau, was the result of the players’ cooperation.

“Such efforts reflected Kuwait’s sublime reputation in this field,” Al-Hajri told KUNA. He added that the championship’s technical level was high considering that most teams have distinct and professional players, and that Kuwaiti players’ effort was quite good.

“I was given the title after scoring 50 goals ahead of the Portuguese player Fabio’s 46 goals, which is a great accomplishment,” he noted.

“The Kuwaiti players, whose ages did not exceed 22 years, did a great job playing against the best teams of the world, despite their lack of experience, “ Al-Hajri concludFahad Al-Hajri ed.—KUNA

ZURICH: FIFA named leading crime fighters from the United States and Germany yesterday to tackle corruption in soccer’s world governing body and gave them free rein to reexamine the ISL bribery case.

US attorney Michael Garcia, whose past responsibilities have included enforcing arms regulations and money laundering statutes, was elected to probe allegations of corruption as head of the investigative chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee.

German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, presiding judge of the Munich penal court, will be responsible for judging cases and handing out sanctions as head of the investigative branch.

Garcia was immediately asked to re-examine the details of the case involving ISL, FIFA’s former marketing company, by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

“He (Garcia) will have not only the right but the duty to have this case analysed on ethical and moral grounds and then to report back to

the executive committee,” Blatter told reporters.

“The chairmen of both chambers are totally independent, this had been requested by FIFA’s Congress.” Blatter said that Garcia would also be able to investigate other allegations of wrongdoing in the past with no statute of limitations.

This could involve the controversy which surrounded the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. Garcia was elected by FIFA’s executive committee ahead of leading international prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the other candidate for the post, by FIFA’s executive committee.

His appointment came one week after the long-awaited release of court documents from the ISL case. A Swiss prosecutor said in a legal document released last week that former FIFA President Joao Havelange and former executive committee member Ricardo Teixeira took multi-million bribes on World Cup deals in the 1990s.

The bribes were paid by ISL, which collapsed in 2001. Blatter was general secretary under Havelange and attention has centered on whether he knew about the payments.

Havelange is FIFA’s honorary president while Teixeira quit as head of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) this year.

During the media conference, Blatter shrugged off questions from German reporters over suggestions that he should resign following release of the court documents.

Blatter also caused huge offence in Germany by implying in a newspaper interview that the rights to host the 2006 World Cup in the country might have been “bought”. “You have to live with that,” said Blatter. “The way the media sees me or judges me, that’s their businesses.” “I’m elected by the 209 member confederations of FIFA and if they no longer want me, then I will of course say thank you and I will ask no questions. But it has to be done by Congress.” — Reuters

Radwanska upsets Hantuchova CARLSBAD: No. 6 seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia lost 6-4, 7-5 Ursula Radwanska of Poland in a first-round match Monday night at the Mercury Insurance Open. Hantuchova lost the match when she made an unforced error, sending a forehand long.

“I’m playing really good the last couple of weeks,” said Radwanska, who reached the quarterfinals last week at Stanford. “Now, I know I can beat players from the top 20.”

Earlier, US Olympian Varvara Lepchenko cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 win over NCAA champion Nicole Gibbs in another first-round match.

Hantuchova, who has had an inconsistent season marked by a left foot injury that caused her to miss more than one month, dropped the first set when Radwanska registered the only service break in the fifth game.

“I just went for too many shots, too much to the line,” said the 32nd-ranked Hantuchova, who was given a wild-card entry into the event. “She did well to keep the ball in play. I think sometimes I went for too much instead of making her play a little bit more.”

Radwanska, the younger sister of world No. 2 Anieszka Radwanska, traded service breaks with Hantuchova early in the second set.

Radwanska broke serve again for a 5-4 lead and went on to win the match. “I played very good,” Radwanska said. “I was focused the whole match.”

Lepchenko hit an array of winners, including numerous drop shots, to easily defeat Gibbs and advance to a second-round match today. “It takes time to adjust,” said Lepchenko, who had not played since losing

in the third round on the grass at Wimbledon, the site of the OIympic tournament set to begin July 28. “It’s not just the surface, but the balls.” Gibbs won NCAA titles in both singles and doubles for Stanford at the end of May, but had few answers for Lepchenko, who is having her best year as a pro.

Lepchenko, born in Uzbekistan, became a naturalized US citizen in 2007. The left-hander grabbed the fourth and final spot on the US women’s Olympic team behind Serena and Venus Williams and Christina McHale. “I think it will be a lot easier going from the hard courts to grass,” Lepchenko said.

With the Olympics less than two weeks away, the tournament has one of its weakest fields in years with just one top-10 player - No. 10 Marion Bartoli of France.—AP

Former All Blacks winger Kirwan new Blues coach WELLINGTON: Former All Blacks winger John Kirwan has been named as the new coach of the struggling Auckland Blues Super Rugby franchise, the team said yesterday.

The 47-year-old Kirwan, who also coached the Italy and Japan national teams, replaces Pat Lam, who spent four years in charge of the team in New Zealand’s largest city.

The New Zealand Rugby Union had opened the job up for applications as the Blues lurched through a terrible Super Rugby season to miss the playoffs and finish 12th in the 15-team southern hemisphere provincial competition.

“This is an exciting time. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to lead the Blues next season in what I hope will be a new era of success and innovation,” Kirwan said in a statement.

“I’m also thrilled about coming back to New Zealand and home to Auckland after several years overseas. “I am a proud Blues man and I started my rugby career in the region so I am really excited about connecting with fans and working with the Blues community.

“There is certainly some hard work ahead and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

The Blues struggled with injuries and form this season, with Lam forced to field a number of up-and-coming players towards the end of the regular season.

“We’ve had to find a lot of young guys and I take my hat off to them, it’s been a really tough season, we’ve had so much crap thrown at us,” the former Samoa captain said after the Blues’ final match on Saturday, an upset win over the Canberra-based ACT Brumbies.

“We’re the most under-resourced coaching team in this competition with just two fulltime coaches. Whoever takes this job next year, they need to be well resourced.”

Lam re-applied for the job and had his

interview last week, delaying his arrival in Australia ahead of the Brumbies match.

Kirwan, who played 142 games for the Auckland provincial side before he went to rugby league in the twilight of his career, was an assistant coach for the Blues in 2001 before he went overseas and coached Italy team from 2002-05.

He was credited with laying the foundation for former Springboks coach Nick Mallett to build on and turn the Italians into a more consistent international side.

Kirwan then coached the Japan team from 2007-2011, and guided them to their first Pacific Nations Cup title last year.

He left the team after last year’s World Cup in New Zealand and was tentatively linked with vacant provincial jobs in his homeland after indicating that he was keen on one day

coaching the All Blacks.

Kirwan was an apprentice butcher when he was plucked from the third division of Auckland club rugby by then provincial coach John Hart, and made his international debut in 1984.

He was rated one of the players of the tournament at the 1987 World Cup, and remembered for scoring a brilliant individual try against Italy in the opening game and making a crunching cover tackle in the corner during the All Blacks’ semi-final victory over Wales.

He also scored one of the All Blacks’ three tries in their 29-9 victory over France in the final. Kirwan received a knighthood from the New Zealand government earlier this year for his services to sport and mental health after he spoke out about battling depression all of his life.—Reuters

KUWAIT: Tennis players Abdelaziz Mayouf and Faisal Najeeb Bugrais reached the doubles finals in the Arab Juniors Tennis Tournament being held in Tunis. Kuwait’s team beat Jordan’s Mousa Qutub and Feras with a score of 6-2, 6-7 and 6-4. 11 Arab countries are participating in the tournament.

Argentina’s other ‘Maradona’ chasing gold

Metsu replaces Maradona at Al Wasl

17

16

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Weather providing a challenge at Olympics, says Coe

Page 17

WASHINGTON: Team USA forward Seimone Augustus (center) struggles with the ball between Brazil centers Erika Cristina Dos Souza (left) and Clarissa Cristina De Santos during the first half of an Olympic women’s exhibition basketball game.—AP

Sluggish United States defeat Brazil WASHINGTON: The US men’s basketball team eased past Brazil 80-69 in an exhibition game on Monday, but their sluggish play and spotty shooting should banish any thoughts they will waltz to another Olympic gold medal in London.

LeBron James scored 30 to lead the Americans, who trailed by 10 after the first period and were out-rebounded (38-30) and out-hustled by their less-heralded counterparts.

“Our defense won the game,” said US coach Mike Krzyzewski. “It was outstanding for three quarters, especially because we didn’t hit shots.

And we missed dunks.

“I liked the mental toughness of our team. We kept reminding them: ‘We’re not doing it on offense. Don’t let it affect defense.’ And I thought it didn’t.”

US President Barack Obama was in attendance

US women also win

but he would not have been impressed with the US shooting as they hit only 29 of 71 from the floor, including six of 24 from three-point range.

While James hit 11 of 20 shots, his team mates were much less effective, Kobe Bryant managing only eight points and Carmelo Anthony just three for the Americans, who won Olympic gold four years ago in Beijing.

“We had open shots off the pick and roll, we just weren’t making them,” said US forward Kevin Durant, who came off the bench to score 11 points. “We’ve just got to keep working.

“Their defense didn’t do anything different. We just missed shots, layups, dunks. We’ve just got to fight through it. We’ve got to stick with it and we’ll be fine.” Brazil took advantage of the Americans’ poor shooting and sloppy ball movement to take a 27-17 lead after the first period.

Twelve points in the quarter by former NBA guard Alex Garcia, including two from beyond the arc, silenced the Verizon Center crowd of nearly 20,000 anticipating a US blowout.

The Americans, however, began running more efficiently and, anchored by James’s seven points, outscored Brazil 20-5 in the second quarter to take a 37-32 lead into halftime. An advantage in athleticism ultimately allowed the United States to pull away in the second half. Garcia led Brazil with 14 points while Anderson Varejao of the Cleveland Cavaliers added 12.

Last week, the US squad opened their exhibition campaign in Las Vegas with a 113-59 rout of an outmanned squad from the Dominican Republic.

The Americans will now leave for England to continue training ahead of the Olympics and will

face Great Britain in an exhibition at Manchester Arena tomorrow.

Obama met with the Americans at halftime and while Krzyzewski said it was just a social event, the coach was looking for a little presidential assistance. “Afterwards, I had a chance to talk to him,” said Krzyzewski. “I told him he should have told the guys they should start hitting some shots.”

Earlier, the US women, winners of four straight Olympic gold medals, hammered Brazil 99-67 behind 21 points from Lindsay Whalen and 16 from Diana Taurasi.

Meanwhile, Luol Deng, Britain’s NBA All Star, will fulfill a boyhood ambition when he faces the US Olympic team in a Games warmup match tomorrow.

After a tortuous six-year journey to help convince the world governing body FIBA to grant

Security firm admits ‘humiliating shambles’

Wiggins sticking to Sky game plan PAU: For Bradley Wiggins, legendary climbs like the Tourmalet or the Aubisque don’t have names: They are simply stretches of uphill road standing between him and an historic Tour de France victory Sunday. Wiggins, the stand-out stage racer for the past year, will take a 2min 05sec lead over Sky teammate Chris Froome into the last two climbing stages of the race when it resumes today.

With Italian Vincenzo Nibali in third at 2:23 and defending champion Cadel Evans of Australia even further off the pace, a British one-two on the Champs Elysees now looks likely.

First, however, comes two tough days in the Pyrenees. On stage 16 the peloton tackles the Col d’Aubisque, the Col du Tourmalet, the Col d’Aspin and the Col de Peyresourde on the way to a downhill finish in Bagneres-de-Luchon.

Stage 17 begins in Bagneresde -Luchon and takes in four climbs including the 11.7 km hike over the Port de Bales, before finishing with a 15.4 km ascension to Peyragudes.

For Wiggins, who grew up idolising Spaniard Miguel

Indurain-the first rider to win the race five times consecutively-all notions of romance have to be shelved as he conccentrates on the job at hand.

“It doesn’t matter what the climb is called. It’s just a name at the end of the day,” he said on the race’s second rest day yesterday.

“At this stage of the Tour, whatever they put in front of you... ultimately it boils down to the same thing-if you haven’t got it physically you’re going to get dropped on a day like yesterday.”

While some in the race will be hoping for Wiggins to come under attack from Evans, Nibali and a few others, he is not about to change Team Sky’s winning formula so far for Wednesday’s epic. “I don’t think it’s any more difficult than any other stage we’ve done to this stage,” said Wiggins.

“We could sit here all day talking about scenarios... but we just see how it plays out on the road ultimately. “Ultimately, it’s about going out there tomorrow and averaging 400 watts (of power) for whatever climb, climb after climb, and rehydrating, and refuelling on the bike and that’s

Britain their place as hosts at London 2012, Deng believes that the fixture will prove a landmark in the sport’s history. The team were formed in 2006 following London’s successful bid in the previous year and the Chicago Bulls forward spearheaded a team who were forced to lift themselves from the bottom of European basketball to qualify for successive Eurobaskets in 2009 and 2011.

“Since we got together in Group B of Eurobasket, we’ve always been knocked down, whether it’s by other team coaches or fans,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“We’ve always had something in front of us. It’s real sweet that we’re now here in the Olympics.

“We feel a little disrespected that we didn’t get the automatic home place but there’s a feel-good factor about the fact that we went out there and we had to play to get here.—Reuters

FRANCE: Overall leader’s yellow jersey, British Bradley Wiggins, rides near a helicopter during the Tour de France cycling race. —AFP

what ultimately wins you bike races.” Sky’s impressive pace-setting in the mountains has effectively left Evans and Nibali struggling to sustain the rare attacks they have thrown at the Briton.

Not surprisingly, Wiggins says he has nothing to fear. “I don’t really fear anything. It’s just a case of going out and doing the performance. What is there to fear? At the end of the day it’s just a bike race,” he said.

“We’ll go out there, do what we’ve done every day this year and whatever happens, happens.”

Having dropped to fourth overall at 3:19, Evans-an historic champion last year after twice finishing runner-up-appears to have con-

ceded defeat.

“They ride a continuous tempo that’s leaving the climbers pretty empty when they get to the final. It’s making it difficult to do stuff,” he said. As he prepares to start his ninth day in yellow today, Wiggins had a word of encouragement for his rival.

“He’s not given up once. He fights until the end of the line.

And that ’s something to be admired,” added the Englishman.

“A lesser man would have thrown in the towel, climbed off because he wasn’t going to win.

He’s remained dignified and everyday he’s gone out there as though he’s still leading this race.”—AFP

LONDON: The head of private security giant G4S admitted the company’s failure to provide enough guards for the Olympics was “a humiliating shambles” as he faced a grilling from British lawmakers yesterday. Chief executive Nick Buckles said he expected the company would eventually be able to supply 7,000 of the 10,000 staff it had promised. An extra 3,500 troops have already been drafted in by the British government to plug the gap.

But he insisted he would not resign over the scandal and said G4S, one of the world’s biggest security firms, would still claim its £57-million ($88-million, 72-million-euro) management fee for the Olympics contract.

Asked by one member of parliament’s Home Affairs Select Committee whether it was a “humiliating shambles” for G4S, with the Olympics just 10 days away, Buckles replied “I cannot disagree with you”.

He also admitted that the firm had taken on the Olympics contract to boost its reputation rather than for profit, but agreed when the committee suggested that reputation was now “in tatters”.

His company would not be bidding to provide security at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he added. However, amid mounting pressure for him to quit his £830,000-a-year job, Buckles insisted he was the “best person” to see the London contract through.

The staffing shortfall only came to his attention on July 3, Buckles said, adding: “Day by day we started to realise that the pipeline and the people we thought we were going to be able to deliver we couldn’t.” He said G4S, which has £600 million of private sector contracts with the British government, only raised the problem with ministers on July 11 when it was sure it

would not be able to fulfil the agreed quota.

“We have a significant manpower shortage against the plan. Clearly that shortage is going to manifest itself from this day forward until the Games,” he said.

Buckles said G4S currently had 4,200 people working and that the “minimum we can deliver” by the start of the Games on July 27 was 7,000.

But when asked whether he could guarantee they would all turn up he said “I can’t, no”.

G4S shares slid 6.20 percent to 238.82 pence on Tuesday on London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index, which closed down 0.59 percent at 5,629.09 points. The firm’s shares also suffered heavy falls on Monday.

It emerged Monday that in addition to the military support at least eight police forces have had to deploy extra officers at Olympic venues across Britain-reportedly after employees of G4S failed to turn up to work.

The company is set to lose up to £50 million for failing to meet the obligations of its £284 million Olympics contract. But London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe insisted that Games security would not be affected by the G4S shortfall, pointing out that “the numbers haven’t really changed”.

“It’s really simply about the mix of security on the park,” he said. “At this very moment our teams are working alongside G4S to ensure that they deliver as many of those guards as they possibly can.”

Britain’s interior minister Theresa May denied on Monday that ministers knew last year that there would be a staffing shortfall.

The extra troops pledged by the government last week brings to 17,000 the total number of military personnel lined up for security at the Games. —AFP

US lawmakers lash HSBC over laundering controls Page 23

Batman, Barbie and cost cuts lift Mattel profit Page 24

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Islamic bonds offer cheaper funding for lucky few Page 22

Coca-Cola profit slips on higher ingredient costs Page 25

NEW YORK: Specialist Brian Egan, left, and trader Warren Meyers on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. Stocks slipped in early trading yesterday, shortly after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke released a grim assessment of the economy. — AP

Bernanke disappoints markets Sees slow drop in US unemployment

LONDON: Global markets turned lower yesterday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave a gloomy assessment of the economy but offered no hint that the central bank might offer new monetary stimulus.

In his semiannual report before Congress, Bernanke said the U.S. economy has weakened and repeated that the Fed, as usual, is ready to take action to bolster growth if needed.

However, he provided no clues about what steps the Fed could take or whether any action was coming soon.

The comments disappointed investors, who were hoping Bernanke would sound more aggressive about helping the US economy, which is struggling to create jobs. “Bernanke ...

offered no hint that the FOMC was close to launching a third round of large-scale asset purchases,” said Paul Ashworth, analyst at Capital Economics.

Such purchases would boost the amount of money in the US economy, fueling the flow of credit, which should increase economic activity.

In Europe, Germany’s DAX was down 0.2 percent at 6,551.05 and France’s CAC-40 shed 0.3 percent to 3,170.02. London’s FTSE 100 lost 0.7 percent to 5,624.82. The euro was down 0.4 percent at $1.2217.

After opening higher, Wall Street was in the red - the Dow industrial average and the S&P 500 were both down 0.5 percent, at 12,657.96 and 1,347.27 points, respectively. Among the

few stocks to rise were Goldman Sachs and Coca-Cola Co., which posted upbeat secondquarter earnings.

Confidence in the world economy has been shaken in recent weeks as the three largest economies - the U.S., China and the 17-country eurozone - have shown increasing signs of weakness. In China, the world’s second-largest economy, investors likewise hope monetary authorities will provide relief after second-quarter annual growth fell to a three-year low of 7.6 percent. Expectations of a further stimulus in China have risen after Premier Wen Jiabao’s weekend promise of tax breaks and other aid to struggling small businesses. In Europe, the outlook remains gloomy as the region’s financial

crisis keeps businesses and households worried about investments and jobs.

Germany’s ZEW institute said Tuesday that its index of investor confidence unexpectedly fell in July for the third month in a row, to minus 19.6 points from minus 16.9 in June. The consensus in the markets was for a small increase to minus 15.0.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is increasingly being affected by the financial turmoil shaking other countries in the currency union. Market confidence was helped somewhat by a well-received Spanish debt auction.

The government saw good demand for its 12and 18-month bills and paid lower interest rates than at the last such auction in July. Investors

Saudi banks, cement stocks dip after Q2

Spain clears first hurdle since austerity package MADRID: Spain successfully tapped bond market investors for euro 3.6 billion ($4.4 billion) yesterday in the first debt auction since the government’s latest package of spending cuts and tax increases.

Its ability to raise the shortterm money at lower interest rates represents a rare bit of good news for the government, which is facing mounting opposition to its austerity plans.

The Treasury sold euro 2.6 billion in 12-month bills at an average interest rate of 3.9 percent, down from 5.07 percent in the last such auction on June 19. It also sold euro961 million in 18month bills at a rate of 4.24 percent, which was down from the previous rate of 5.10 percent.

Demand exceeded supply by more than two and nearly four times, respectively. The auction was closely watched: it was the first since last week’s euro65 billion deficit-reduction package.

Spain is enacting more austerity in an attempt to convince skeptical investors it has a strategy to deal with its public finances and its banks, which are being bailed out with up to euro100 billion in eurozone

money.

The response in the markets to the successful auction was inconclusive. While stocks rose about a percentage point, the yield on the country’s benchmark 10-year bond was up four basis points to the dangerously high level of 6.82 percent.

As the debt auction was under way, riot police cordoned off the entrance to a sprawling police facility to prevent demonstrating police officers from disrupting a graduation ceremony for some 1,200 cadets about to enter the force.

The demonstrators, which numbered about 100, were protesting the elimination of one of 14 paychecks that most Spanish civil servants get each year. The one being axed comes right before Christmas.

As National Police chief Ignacio Cosido addressed the graduating class and highlighted their task of “guaranteeing harmony, social peace and respect for all citizens rights”, police demonstrators in plainclothes a few hundred meters away all but drowned him out by blowing plastic horns. Demonstrators yelled out, calling him “a

continue to await more details of a eurozone bailout for Spain’s banks. This week, the eurozone is expected to give Spain ?30 billion as part of a package that could be as large as ?100 billion.

Earlier in Asia, indexes had closed lower on hopes Bernanke would signal more stimulus.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.4 percent higher at 8,755.00 and China’s Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.6 percent to 2,161.19. South Korea’s Kospi added 0.2 percent to 1,821.96 and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.8 percent to 19,455.33. Oil prices were steady, with benchmark crude down 56 cents at $87.87 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. —AP

MADRID: Government employees demonstrate against the Spanish government’s latest austerity measures, in the center of Madrid, yesterday, after conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced, on July 13, the latest measures to lower Spain’s deficit, a 65-billion-euro (80 billion USD) austerity package involving among other things an increase in the VAT (TVA) tax and cuts in unemployment benefits. —AFP

scoundrel.”

The star ting salar y of a National Police officer is about euro1,400, which is slightly above average in Spain. Lorenzo Nebrera, a police union spokesman, said officers get their uniform and ser vice weapon but have to pay for the rest of the equipment, like bullet-proof vests, “handcuffs that work” and flashlights.

“In the end, all these cuts sap morale among the police because they feel that conditions out on the street are more and more dangerous, and if these cuts continue the safety of the police will be jeopardized,” Nebrera said. “It is an added risk for a job that is already dangerous.” Nationwide protest rallies against the austerity measures are scheduled for Thursday. —AP

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s market extended losses yesterday, edging down to another three-week low as investors cut positions ahead of the Ramadan holy month amid a mixed bag of earnings. Qatar and the UAE’s markets rallied on earnings optimism.

In Saudi Arabia, investors sold bank stocks, adjusting their portfolios after most lenders reported second-quarter earnings.

Al Rajhi Bank dropped 2 percent, Alinma Bank fell 2.6 percent and Samba Financial Group slid 1.6 percent. Samba, after market hours, said it would issue a dividend of 0.80 riyals per share for the first half of 2012.

Saudi Kayan, a unit of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), fell 2.7 percent to a three -year low. Kayan’s shares have dropped 10.3 percent since it posted a wider quarterly loss that missed estimates.

SABIC lost 0.3 percent ahead of its quarterly earnings release, expected yesterday.

The kingdom’s index slipped 0.8 percent to 6,589 points, its lowest close since June 27. “The market is moving in a sideways pattern between 6,550 and 6,850 and needs to break out of these levels for clear direction,” said Mateb Ghanim, portfolio manager at Amlakuna Investment Group.

“We might see an accumulation pattern after Ramadan.” The Muslim month of fasting is expected to start around July 20 and many investors will return to the market after it ends.

Yamamah Cement lost 1.5 percent. It reported a second-quarter net profit of 209 million riyals compared to 220 million riyals in the year-earlier period. “Yamamah Cement has reported a disappointing set of results for Q2 with all profit lines declining 2 to 5 percent year-on-year and 12 percent

lower than our estimates,” NCB Capital said in a research note. “We believe the weak results are mainly attributed to the lowerthan-expected cement sales and lower cement prices.”

Elsewhere, Doha’s benchmark advanced 0.2 percent, closing on a five-week high.

Banks supported the rally, with Commercial Bank of Qatar up 1.4 percent, while Qatar National Bank and Doha Bank added 0.4 and 1.4 percent respectively.

“Big projects related to World Cup 2022 will be announced by year-end or early next year,” said Yassir Mckee, wealth manager at Al Rayan Financial Brokerage.

“People are hesitant but there are companies with strong fundamentals, subcontractors for the larger projects, who will get a piece of the pie.”

In the UAE, Dubai’s index rose 0.9 percent to a 10-week high of 1,529 points as investors picked up stocks on earnings optimism.

“The index broke the 200-day (exponential) moving average at 1,505-1,515 and this gives it more strength towards 1,546 in the near term,” said Amjad Bakir, head of MENA Corp Securities.

Bellwether Emaar Properties gained 1.2 percent to close at 3.27 dirhams per share, continuing a four-day rally on the back of strong quarterly earnings expectations.

“Emaar is trading near a very strong resistance level of 3.33 (this year’s peak) and at the same time, it’s showing a bearish divergence on the half-hour chart,” Bakir added, suggesting profit-taking at this price level. Contractors Drake and Scull and Arabtec rose 3 and 1 percent respectively.— Reuters

22

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

BUSINESS

In UAE money market, an echo of Libor controversy ABU DHABI/DUBAI: The decision by Barclays to quit the United Arab Emirates’ interbank rate-setting panel underlines the global impact of the Libor scandal, by raising questions over whether the UAE lending benchmark needs to be reformed.

Barclays has said it wants to leave the panel of banks which sets the Emirates interbank offered rate (Eibor), industry sources told Reuters this week. That follows the British bank’s admission that it manipulated the London interbank offered rate (Libor), for which it was fined over $450 million by US and British regulators.

UAE authorities have not accused anyone of manipulating Eibor, which is used as a basis to price loans and other financial instruments in the Gulf’s top financial centre. But privately, commercial bankers and officials concede Eibor may suffer from some of the same weaknesses as Libor, making it an unreliable standard for markets in the region.

“Eibor is not representing where the market is,” said a senior UAE banker, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the matter. “People are lending at rates which

the authorities and commercial bankers over where the rates should be. The authorities have often appeared to want lower rates to help fuel loan growth and economic expansion; commercial bankers have tended to demand higher rates to make their lending more profitable.

“Those borrowers, especially merchants and businessmen, are complaining about high interest margins on their banking facilities...therefore, I would urge you to reduce interest rate margins on loans,” UAE central bank governor Sultan Nasser al-Suweidi told bank chief executives in May 2011. Such moral suasion by the authorities has seemed to have an effect in the last couple of years; the spread of one-month Eibor above one-month US dollar Libor has eased from around 1.5 percentage points in mid-2010 to about 70 basis points now. Economic theory says there should be little difference in the two rates because the UAE dirham is pegged to the U.S. dollar, eliminating currency risk in lending.

To support their case for lower rates, authorities can point to the fact that Eibor has not only tended to be

are not the same as what it costs them, and it is not representing the rate of deposits, which pay higher than Eibor.” A senior treasury manager at an Abu Dhabi-based bank agreed: “Eibor doesn’t work here.”

US and British regulators are expected to push for reforms to the Libor system. But any change to Eibor is likely to be slower, partly because there appears to be little consensus among UAE monetary authorities and banks over how to fix it.

“Unless there are changes in other jurisdictions on how Libor or Euribor will be constructed, there is no need to make any decision in a rush,” said a source at the UAE central bank, who declined to be identified.

“We are just waiting and watching.”

The UAE central bank did not respond to requests for public comment. Eibor closely resembles Libor; it is set by a panel of 12 banks which quote indicative interbank lending rates in UAE dirham for tenors from one week to one year. To calculate Eibor in each tenor, the two highest and two lowest quotes are discarded before an average is taken.However, Eibor has run into differences of opinion between

considerably higher than Libor but has also exceeded benchmark interbank rates elsewhere in the region.

For example, three-month Eibor, at 1.44875 percent, is way above Saudi Arabia’s equivalent rate of 0.94625 percent, even though inflation and corporate lending growth are much higher in Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi riyal is also pegged to the dollar.

Commercial bankers, however, argue that other factors, such as counterparty risk and levels of excess liquidity in the money market, justify higher Eibor - and some suggest that low lending rates may be partially responsible for the sluggish growth of corporate lending in the UAE, by hurting banks’ profitability.

“Eibor is way too low in an economy like the UAE,” said a treasury official at a Dubai-based bank. “Some (smaller) banks pay 3 percent on a one-year deposit but one-year Eibor is at 1.875 percent. It is not justifiable for banks to have a lower lending rate.”

Bank lending in the UAE grew just 2.5 percent from a year earlier in May, according to central bank data.

Discontent with Eibor levels has perhaps inevitably led to talk in the mon-

ey market of banks “gaming” their Eibor quotes for their own advantage.

One Dubai-based banker admitted that determining Eibor quotes wasn’t an exact science, especially for tenors above one month, which is the most commonly used rate in the UAE. “ We make it up, what we think should be the rate,” the banker said of tenors above a month. The gap between Eibor quotes which individual banks offer is vast. For the onemonth rate, for instance, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi’s largest lender, submitted 0.45 percent on Monday but Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, the emirate’s thirdlargest by market value, quoted 1.54 percent. Eibor can sometimes be unexpectedly volatile; after staying almost flat for nine months, the onemonth rate suddenly slid 7 bps this month. Dollar Libor has barely moved this month. “A few weeks back, a couple of banks lowered their Eibor submissions a bit and in the last few days others have followed. It’s a clustering effect, so once a couple do it then the rest follow,” said Nick Stadtmiller, head of fixed income research at Emirates NBD. — Reuters

Islamic bonds offer cheaper funding for lucky few Sharia banking assets to top $1 trillion DUBAI: Islamic bonds are offering cheaper funding for a lucky few. Sharia-compliant bonds were once seen as a pricey source of financing for governments and companies.

But a growing pool of captive capital means the bonds are now less expensive than their conventional equivalents.

Sharia-compliant banking assets will top $1 trillion globally in 2012, up 33 percent from 2010, according to Standard Chartered. These “Islamic” funds can only be invested into other sharia-compliant instruments. The decadeyoung sukuk market is struggling to keep up with the demand for high quality paper.

To some extent, Islamic bonds are benefiting from the same flight to safety that has seen investors pile into Western sovereign debt. But they are now cheaper than their conventional alternatives. Take Qatar, which last week won orders worth $25 billion for its $4 billion (Islamic) issue. Qatar priced the fiveyear tranche to yield 2.1 percent on issuance.

According to analysts, that’s more than 10 basis points cheaper than if Qatar had sold a

conventional bond.

All other things being equal, Islamic bonds should be slightly more expensive than conventional bonds: after all, there’s more paperwork involved in issuing a sukuk. However, bond watchers now estimate that sukuks generally yield 20 to 40 basis points less than conventional equivalents, where they exist.

Sovereign sukuks denominated in US dollars on average yield around 3.5 percent, according to the HSBC/Nasdaq index. That’s around 100 basis points lower than the average yields for conventional dollar-denominated sovereign Middle East bonds.

This captive capital is spurring interest from new issuers like South Africa and Turkey who want to diversify their funding. Bankers say European sovereigns are also expressing interest. U.S. conglomerate General Electric issued a sukuk in 2009 and remains one of the few high profile Western corporates to dip a toe into the market.

Not everyone can take advantage of the price gap. Even if issuers have a sufficiently

strong story to tempt enough sukuk investors beyond their usual geographic boundaries, they also need tangible sharia-compliant assets and sukuk-friendly tax regulation. But with so much Islamic capital sloshing around, it won’t be long before that demand is really tested.

Qatar attracted orders worth $25 billion for a $4 billion dual-tranche sovereign Islamic bond which priced on July 11.

The 5-year Islamic bond tranche was priced to yield 2.1 percent, the 10 year tranche was priced to yield 3.2 percent. HSBC, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank and Qatar’s QInvest were among the book runners on the deal.

Investors in a sharia-compliant sukuk acquire partial ownership of an underlying asset and share in its returns rather than receiving a stream of coupons. The UK shelved plans to issue a sovereign sukuk in 2011, in what would have been the first Islamic bond sale by a Western government, saying the bonds did not provide “value for money”. Islamic law bans the payment of interest. — Reuters

BUDAPEST: Head of the IMF mission to Hungary Thanos Arvanitis (C-L) and the resident representative of the IMF in Hungary Iryna Ivaschenko (C-R) walk back to their offices at Bank Center in downtown Budapest yesterday after their discussion with the governor of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Central Bank of Hungary). Hungary is seeking precautionary financial assistance of about 15-billion-euro ($18.4 billion) from the IMF/EU. IMF External Relations Director Gerry Rice confirmed last week that the IMF would negotiate with Hungary on a Standby Arrangement but acknowledged that the country would treat the credit as precautionary. — AFP

Investcorp buys 30% in Turkish retailer Orka Group DUBAI: Investcorp, a Bahrain-based investment firm, said yesterday its private equity fund bought a 30 percent stake in Turkish menswear retailer, Orka Group, tapping into growth opportunities in the fast-growing country.

Turkey’s organised luxury menswear market is estimated to be worth $7.4 billion, Investcorp said, adding the investment will help Orka accelerate its growth in Turkey and expand to other global markets.

Investcorp, which once owned luxury

brands Gucci and Tiffany & Co, did not disclose any financial details of the transaction.

Investcorp’s Gulf Opportunity Fund inked the deal, the fund’s sixth investment.

In June, Investcorp signed up to a $504 million-equivalent loan aimed at refinanc-

ing debt due in 2013.

Growth capital and buyout funds from the wealthy Gulf Arab region are being drawn towards Turkey’s stable and growing economy at the expense of countries like Egypt and Bahrain, still prey to the violence

of the Arab Spring popular revolts.

With 8 percent economic growth last year, a stable socio-political environment and a mostly youthful population, Turkey has attracted the top Gulf private equity funds. — 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 .4370000 .3430000 .2850000 .2750000 .2870000 .0040000 .0020000 .0761490 .7418950 .3850000 .0720000 .7272960 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2805000 GB Pound/KD .4391510 Euro .3447630 Swiss francs .2870300 Canadian dollars .2767360 Danish Kroner .0463420 Swedish Kroner .0398720 Australian dlr .2889710 Hong Kong dlr .0361640 Singapore dlr .2223010 Japanese yen .0035540 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0763990 Bahraini dinars .7443280 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0748200 Omani riyals .7288550 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

3.553 5.072 3.053 2.141 3.173 220.090 36.173 3.425 6.439 8.876 89.338

.2840000 .4490000 .3580000 .2990000 .2850000 .2970000 .0070000 .0035000 .0769140 .7493510 .4050000 .0780000 .7346050 .0510000 .2826000 .4424390 .3473440 .2891790 .2788080 .0466890 .0401700 .2911350 .0364350 .2239660 .0035800 .0051750 .0021180 .0034670 .0034690 .0769710 .7499000 .3997170 .0753800 .7343120 .0068250

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.883 77.158 729.380 745.850 76.464

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.250 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.466 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.309 Tunisian Dinar 176.65 Jordanian Dinar 396.190 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.884 Syrian Lier 4.899 Morocco Dirham 32.64 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.700 Euro 354.52 Sterling Pound 441.820 Canadian dollar 274.79 Turkish lire 152.400 Swiss Franc 295.01 US Dollar Buying 279.500 GOLD 293.000 148.000 75.250

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH

293.800 749.290 3.680 281.500 553.300 45.900 47.500 167.800 48.550 350.400 37.020 5.290 0.032 0.161 0.236 3.670 399.270 0.191 91.550 43.800 4.330 228.900 1.825

47.500 731.850 3.100 6.960 77.930 75.230 224.760 36.380 2.684 444.800 41.100 291.900 4.400 9.260 198.263 76.820 282.100 1.350

10 Tola

GOLD 1,690.000

Sterling Pound US Dollar

731.670 2.995 6.760 77.500 75.230 224.760 36.380 2.103 442.800 290.400 4.400 9.130 76.720 281.700

COUNTRY

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 442.800 281.700

SELL DRAFT

292.300 749.290 3.441 280.000

224.800 46.442 348.900 36.870 5.115 0.031

SELL DRAFT

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

294.33 282.03 293.05 349.64 281.30 443.48 3.64 3.445 5.108 2.108 3.201 2.986 76.66 749.01 46.44 400.76 732.11 77.68 75.22

SELL CASH

293.00 282.00 292.00 349.00 282.75 444.00 3.65 3.600 5.300 2.600 3.670 3.200 77.50 747.50 48.20 399.00 732.00 78.00 75.95

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 399.240 0.190 91.550 3.230 227.200

Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

281.650 281.531 441.925 346.675

Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

288.595 745.660 76.660 77.310 75.070 397.025 46.434 2.101 5.119 2.991 3.442 6.746 690.890 4.565 9.015 4.390 3.285 88.640

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars

281.700 2.982 5.150 2.110 3.444 6.790 76.800 75.275 748.900 46.448 446.60 2.990 3.205 1.550 352.000 283.600

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

282.050 347.300 440.550 279.400 3.610 5.106 46.530 2.107 3.450 6.720 2.990 749.600 76.700 75.200

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

business

Opel names interim chief executive FRANKFURT: Troubled German carmaker Opel said yesterday board member Thomas Sedran will take over as interim chief until a permanent successor can be found for Karl-Friedrich Stracke, who quit last week.

Opel said in a statement its supervisory board appointed 47-year-old Sedran as interim head of the loss-making subsidiary of US auto giant General Motors “with immediate effect.” Sedran is already the board member responsible for operations and business strategy, a position he has held since April 1.

“He will assume the seat of chief executive ... until a successor can be announced” for Stracke, 56, who stepped down as Opel’s chief and head of General Motors Europe last week, the statement said. In June, Opel’s supervisory board

Thomas Sedran

approved a deep restructuring plan to steer the firm back into profit. GM’s European operations have run up billions of dollars in losses over the past 10 years and it had planned to sell Opel at one stage but pulled back when it could not find a suitable buyer.

“We’re pressing ahead with the implementation and optimisiation of our business plan,” said Opel supervisory board chief and GM Europe president Steve Girsky.

“We will cut down bureaucracy and change our company’s corporate culture,” he said. Sedran is Opel’s fourth new chief within a period of just three years and the constant game of musical chairs at the head of the brand is doing little to help its reputation.

Opel’s market share in Europe is falling, at just 6.9 percent in June compared with 7.6 percent a year earlier, as sales plunge 12.2 percent. According to German media reports, Opel is seeking to recruit someone from outside the company to fill the driving seat, with names such as former Porsche chief Wendelin Wiedeking mooted as possible candidates.

Herbert Demel, a former executive at Canadian car parts supplier Magna, exDaimler manager Rainer Schmueckle and Karl-Thomas Neumann of Volkswagen have also been seen as potential candidates. Sedran, born in Augsburg in southern Germany, formerly worked as a corporate consultant with firms such as AlixPartners and Roland Berger.

At AlixPartners he was division head for the auto industry and has worked closely with Opel in that function since 2009. — AFP

US lawmakers lash HSBC over laundering controls HSBC handled Iran, drug money WASHINGTON: A “pervasively polluted” culture at HSBC Holdings Plc allowed the bank to act as financier to clients seeking to route shadowy funds from the world’s most dangerous and secretive corners, including Mexico, Iran, the Cayman Islands, Saudi Arabia and Syria, according to a scathing US Senate report issued on Monday.

While the big British bank’s problems have been known for nearly a decade, the Senate probe detailed just how sweeping the problems have been, both at the bank and at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a top US bank regulator which the report said failed to properly monitor HSBC. “The culture at HSBC was pervasively polluted for a long time,” said Senator Carl Levin, chairman of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, a Congressional watchdog panel.

The report comes at a troubling time for a banking industry reeling from a multi-country probe into the manipulation of global benchmark rates.

Last month, rival British bank Barclays Plc agreed to pay a $453 million fine to settle a US-British probe into the rigging of the benchmark interest rate known as the London interbank offered rate, or Libor.

The Senate probe provides a rare look at how HSBC responded when confronted with numerous cases of suspect money flows. The report caps a year-long inquiry that included a review of 1.4 million documents and interviews with 75 HSBC officials and bank regulators. It will be the focus of a hearing today at which HSBC and OCC officials are scheduled to testify.

The bank and the regulator are expected to face tough questions at the hearing about how the abuses were allowed to continue, even after the OCC took regulatory action against HSBC in 2010. A Reuters investigation found persistent lapses in the

bank’s anti-money laundering compliance since 2010.

In an emailed statement, HSBC said the Senate report had provided “important lessons for the whole industry in seeking to prevent illicit actors entering the global financial system”. The bank said it is spending more money on compliance and has become more coordinated in policing high-risk transactions.

The report also contained strong criticism of the OCC, saying the regulator failed to crack down on the bank despite multiple red flags, allowing money laundering issues “to accumulate into a massive problem”.

Thomas Curry, who took over as comptroller less than four months ago, said in a statement on Monday that anti-money laundering compliance “is crucial to our nation’s efforts to combat criminal activity and terrorism, and the OCC expects national banks and federal thrifts to have programs in place to effectively comply with these laws”.

Curry said the Senate report had made a number of “thoughtful” recommendations, “which we fully embrace”.

The failings and lax controls inside HSBC included an inability to properly monitor $15 billion in bulk cash transactions between mid-2006 and mid2009, inadequate staffing and high turnover in the bank’s compliance units, the report said.

HSBC ignored risks in doing business in countries such as Mexico, a country rife with drug trafficking, it said. Between 2007 and 2008, HSBC’s Mexican operations moved $7 billion into the bank’s US operations. According to the report, both Mexican and US authorities warned HSBC that the amount of money could only have reached such a level if it was tied to illegal narcotics proceeds.

The Senate probe also examined banking HSBC did in Saudi Arabia with Al Rajhi Bank, which the

report said has links to financing terrorism.

Evidence of those links emerged after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the Senate report said, citing US government reports, criminal and civil legal proceedings and media reports.

In 2004, Al Rajhi sued the Wall Street Journal, which had published an article about U.S. and Saudi authorities monitoring accounts. The article referenced Al Rajhi. Al Rajhi said in response to a WSJ story that it “unequivocally condemns terrorism”. Al Rajhi and the paper settled in 2004. The paper did not pay damages and stated that it “did not intend to imply an allegation that (Al Rajhi) supported terrorist activity, or had engaged in the financing of terrorism”, the Senate report said.

In 2005, HSBC told its affiliates to no longer do business with the bank, the report said. Four months later, HSBC officials reversed course, allowing affiliates to decide whether to continue to do business with Al Rajhi.

A Middle Eastern unit of HSBC continued doing business with the bank, the report said. HSBC ultimately stopped helping the bank handle certain types of transactions, and HSBC compliance officials rebuffed other HSBC bankers seeking to maintain ties to the bank.

Then in late 2006, Al Rajhi threatened to yank all of its business with HSBC unless it regained access to using HSBC’s bulk-cash transaction business, the Senate report said. HSBC agreed to continue to provide the bank bulk shipments of US dollars until 2010 when HSBC exited entirely the bulk-cash business. Officials at Al Rajhi could not immediately be reached for comment.

The focus of the Senate probe was HSBC’s US operations, which has its main office in New York.

HSBC used the US unit as a selling point to clients outside the United States, touting its ability to handle U.S. dollar transactions. — Reuters

Jindal Steel quits $2.1bn Bolivian mining deal NEW DELHI: India’s Jindal Steel and Power scrapped plans yesterday to invest $2.1 billion in a Bolivian mining project and blamed the South American nation’s “non-friendly business attitude” for the deal’s collapse.

The Indian steelmaking giant, which planned to ship home iron ore mined from Bolivia’s El Mutun mines to supply its domestic steelmaking operations, said the Bolivian government failed to guarantee enough natural gas to run the project.

The long-threatened cancellation of the mining venture-the single largest foreign investment in Bolivia-was due

“to the non-fulfillment of contract conditions on the part of the Bolivian government,” Jindal said in a statement.

“The termination comes due to the non-investor friendly attitude of the Bolivian government,” the statement added. A company spokesman told AFP that Jindal stood to lose $90 million from its investment in the project but that it was “confident we will claim it (back) through international arbitration”. The Indian company warned the Bolivian government on June 8 it would scrap the contract to develop the sprawling iron ore deposit near the Bolivian town of Puerto Suarez and the

Brazilian border unless the gas dispute was resolved. “ The company took the decision after all its efforts to resolve the issues and take the project forward did not meet with success,” Jindal said. There was no immediate comment from Bolivian government officials on Jindal’s action but both sides have claimed breach of contract.

Jindal signed an investment agreement in 2007 with the Bolivians to build the El Mutun mines and to set up a plant to process iron ore and build a steel plant with an annual production capacity of 1.7 million metric tonnes.

But the project ran aground with Bolivia charging that Jindal had failed to adhere to its investment schedule. The Indian group had been due to pay $600 million over two years, but only paid about a small amount, prompting Bolivia to seize Jindal’s bank guarantees.

Jindal replied that the Bolivian government was willing to supply only a quarter of the initial 10 million standard cubic metres of natural gas a day the two sides agreed upon. The fuel shortfall was due to lack of availability of gas in the country, Jindal said.

Jindal’s contract had given it rights to mine El Mutun mines, regarded as one

of the biggest untapped iron ore mines globally, for 40 years. Jindal, which has been seeking to boost its self-sufficiency in raw materials, was due to exploit half the reserves in El Mutun area, creating 6,000 jobs directly and 15,000 indirectly, But last week, Jindal’s Chairman Naveen Jindal said the project’s survival would depend on gas allocation for its functioning. “What they are giving us is one fourth of the (required) gas and are saying that you don’t scale down the capacity-we will give you gas later. Is it possible? How can we plan our investment on such assurances?” Jindal had asked. — AFP

24

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

business

Batman, Barbie and cost cuts lift Mattel profit Barbie sales up 5% NEW YORK: Mattel Inc reported a higher-thanexpected quarterly profit yesterday and shares rose as much as 11.4 percent as the world’s largest toymaker kept a tight lid on costs and got a boost from Batman and Barbie.

The second quarter is typically a weak one for toy makers as they gear up for the holiday selling season when many of them make more than a third of their sales. Economic weakness, especially in Europe, also threatened to weigh on sales.

“We are very pleased to see the toy category essentially flat in Europe,” Mattel Chief Executive Bryan Stockton told analysts on a conference call, adding that he expects the industry environment to remain cautious in the second half of the year.

Mattel, home to brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price, said second-quarter net income rose to $96.2 million, or 28 cents a share, from $80.5 million or 23 cents a share a year earlier.

Analysts on average were expecting a profit of 21 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Sales were flat at $1.16 billion, while analysts expected $1.13 billion. The results suffered from the stronger dollar, which brings down the value of exported goods by US companies. Sales of Barbie dolls and accessories rose 5 percent while the company also said it saw momentum behind toys related to the “Batman - the Dark Knight Rises” movie, which is being released this week.

Mattel also partly offset the effect of unfavorable currency exchange rates by spending less on making and advertising its products. “They have done a good job with their Operational Excellence 2.0 program to evaluate their overall business, cut expenses where possible,” said MKM Partners analyst Eric Handler, who has a “neutral” rating on Mattel stock.

“They are on track to save about $175 million over a two-year period.”

Wells Fargo analyst Timothy Conder said Mattel

had a “strong quarter from virtually every perspective” and recommended investors continue to buy its shares. Jakks Pacific Inc, a smaller rival that makes toys under labels such as Pokemon and Hello Kitty, was less successful in managing costs. Its secondquarter earnings, also released on Tuesday, missed analysts’ estimates and prompted the company to issue a weaker-than-expected outlook for the year.

MEXICO CITY: After overcoming the market crisis, companies are showing renewed optimism for growth. Businesses established in Mexico are constantly opening new plants and the undecided have come to take advantage of one of the best eras reported in the countr y since it formally joined the global economy.

“The economic outlook for the industrial parks sector is more optimistic two years after the onset of the global financial crisis.

We see, for example, that the Mexican economy has continued to grow, albeit with a modest percentage. The country reported a four percent increase in its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011.

Meanwhile, the US reported a three percent GDP growth at Q411, with an 8.3% unemployment rate and a 6.5% growth in retail sales. According to Deloitte, most US companies are optimistic about growth prospects and 34% of them plan to expand internationally.

Needless to say, this is great news for industrial developers in Mexico,” explains Claudia Connelly, managing director of the Mexican Association of Industrial Parks (AMPIP).

The Mexican automotive industry is gaining a new momentum within this framework, while the aerospace industry is also taking off with the impact produced by the acceleration of production reported by both sectors.

AMPIP provides information on the benefits found by industrial

retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Toys R Us Inc, and Target Corp as well as through its own catalog and website. Also yesterday, Mattel’s board set a third-quarter cash dividend of 31 cents a share, continuing to keep the annual payout at $1.24. Shares of Mattel were up 8 percent at $33.53 on Tuesday morning on the New York Stock Exchange, off an earlier high at $34.59. — Reuters

HIALEAH: Barbie products are displayed at a local toy store in Hialeah, Fla. Demand for doll brands including Barbie, American Girl and Monster High, coupled with lower sales costs and advertising expenses, helped the biggest US toy maker’s net income rise 20 percent in the second quarter. — AP

Opportunities for growth in Mexico

By Omar Magaa

Hasbro Inc, the No. 2 US toy company, is due to report results next week. Mattel has found it hard to replicate the success of last year’s “Cars 2” moviethemed toy line, with its newer playthings tied to “Brave” and the latest Batman movie, analysts have said. Worldwide gross sales for the entertainment business were down 36 percent, mainly on decreases in the “Cars 2” merchandise. Mattel sells toys through

park developers now that the big automobile assembly plants in Mexico have recovered the growth rate maintained before the world financial downturn of 2008. “ This trend represents the arrival of new tenants for industrial parks, as is the case of a significant number of Japanese companies, such as Ashimori Mexicana, Neaton Auto Mexicana, Sumitomo, Sakaiya, Daido Metal Company and Alpha Corporatin, which have announced new development projects in the states of Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Jalisco, QuerÈtaro and Sinaloa.

All of these new investments mean greater demand for industrial compounds, primarily Class A buildings for Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers,”says Connelly.

The aerospace industry is also experiencing a steady increase.

With a 12% growth forecasted by year end, according to figures released by the Mexican Federation of the Aerospace Industry (FEMIA), the sector has become another market niche for those engaged in promoting industrial parks in Mexico. This industry used to operate facilities across the nor thern range of Mexico comprising the states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Sonora, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.

The state of QuerÈtaro clearly started to show that it did not plan to stay behind in 2010 and will soon consolidate itself as the engineering, development and design cluster for the aerospace

LISBON: General view shows the recently opened subway station at Lisbon airport yesterday. Metro Lisbon inaugurated on Monday three new subway stations on the red line connecting the center of Lisbon to the airport. — AFP

industr y in central Mexico, attracting major investors such as General Electric, Bombardier, Aernnova Aerospace and Eurocopter.

Mexico City and El Bajjo region in central Mexico became the areas that sold the largest number of industrial spaces at the end of 2011.

“The availability rate dropped from 7.5% to 5.5% in central Mexico during the second half of the year, while this same availability rate was reported above eight percent in the northeastern part of the country,” states Connelly.

Demand of industrial spaces is expected to grow with the emergence of other sectors full of development policies that have been particularly emphatic, such as the agriculture and food, medical devices, electrical, electronic, renewable energy and creative industries, along with IT and software services.

So far, the recovery in employment levels at industrial buildings has been steady, although “light,” according to vila Connelly.

Growth is gradual as it follows the world’s largest economy (the US) and the growing trust in internationalization expressed by its home-based companies.

The industrial parks sector, says nelly, “has insisted on strengthening ties with government authorities, to be considered an ally in the race to attract foreign investment.”

AMPIP will thus update its studies on the sector nationwide, to show that industrial parks have become islands that offer true competitive advantages.

However, its goal is not limited to the big investors. One of AMPIP’s priorities is based on attracting medium-sized companies that supply the major firms, both in the sectors reporting the highest growth rates- the automotive and aerospace industries as well growing industries.

Industrial parks still have room to grow and spread across Mexico. The southeast region, for example, is virgin territory for industr y developers. ?vila Connelly believes that besides Tabasco and Yucatun, states like Campeche and Quintana Roo have great potential for industrial infrastructure development, as they can start to serve the US market through a distribution strategy set up across the Gulf of Mexico.

The topics are on the table.

“New projects will continue to arrive, due to the weight of Mexico’s other competitive -and permanent- advantages, such as its strategic geographical location and free trade network, plus the available talent and competitive costs the country offers,” concludes vila Connelly, with a strong sense of hope.

Ford to sack 440 workers in Australia SYDNEY: Car manufacturer Ford announced yesterday that it would sack 440 Australian workers as it scaled back production due to muted demand, despite a multimilliondollar government bailout earlier this year.

Ford said the jobs would be shed from its manufacturing plants in southern Australia’s Geelong and Broadmeadows as part of a sweeping restructure to address plunging sales of its once-popular larger passenger vehicles, such as the Falcon saloon and the Territory SUV. Ford Australia president Bob Graziano said the changes, which will see production pulled back from about 210 cars to 150 cars per day from November, were “essential to ensure the longer-term health of the business”.

“That adjustment to production allows us to run the plant as efficiently as we can given the volumes that we’re projecting for the mid- to longer-term,” said Graziano. “We have to look at our manufacturing based on what we have on a corporate basis.”

Ford shed 240 jobs in Australia last April when it scaled back daily production from 260 cars. The latest cuts will leave Ford with 1,120 factory workers. Australia’s auto industry is struggling with the effects of the high local dollar, which has traded near or above parity with the greenback for almost two years, squeezing exports and compounding rising production costs.

Though Australia did not go into recession during the financial crisis, domestic confidence has failed to return to pre-crisis levels, also hitting car sales. Canberra extended a Aus$3.2 billion (US$3.3 billion) bailout to the ailing auto industry at the height of the global downturn and stepped in with additional lifelines to Ford and General Motors subsidiary Holden earlier this year.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard defended the government bailouts,

which included Aus$34 million to prop up Ford production in January, saying they had averted much more drastic losses.

“The assistance we’ve provided was struck right with Ford, it was struck to ensure that Ford continued to produce motor vehicles here until 2016 at least,” she told reporters. “We’ve seen these job losses today and that’s very sad news, but if we hadn’t stepped forward to work with Ford we would

be talking about job losses in their thousands,” she added.

Holden in February announced that it would sack 100 workers, just one week after Australia’s third major automaker Toyota fired 350 staff-about 7.5 percent of its workforce-due to “severe” operating conditions. The auto industry employs about 56,000 people in Australia and exported about Aus$3.3 billion worth of vehicles and components in 2011. — AFP

UK banks told to test for countries leaving euro LONDON: Britain’s banks have been told to test how they would cope if several euro zone countries exited the single currency, the UK’s Financial Services Authority watchdog said yesterday. FSA Chairman Adair Turner said Britain’s banks needed to think about problems arising from their assets and liabilities being redenominated into another currency, even though the likelihood of this happening was still small.

“We’ve certainly encouraged them to run those scenarios for Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Ireland,” Turner told parliament’s Treasury Select Committee. “I think we consider the chances very low, very very low for at least some of those countries on that list, but I think it is sensible to encourage people to run extreme risk scenarios,” Turner added.

The committee was questioning Turner and Bank of England (BoE) officials who are members of the BoE’s Financial Policy Committee which looks at risk affecting financial stability.

The FPC’s meeting in June concluded that the euro zone debt crisis was the biggest challenge facing the UK economy, which is back in recession. The committee agreed to help banks kick start the economy by tapping billions of pounds from their cash buffers and using the freed up money to increase lending to businesses.

The extent to which banks can cut their liquidity buffers- mainly made up of government bonds-will depend on how much lenders have in collateral parked at the Bank of England. “We are working through the details on that,” Turner said, adding the FSA will soon hold meetings with each bank over how much they can tap their cash buffers.

“Within a few weeks we will have sorted this out,” Turner said. The FPC is still putting pressure on banks to build up their separate capital cushions by retaining earnings, and curbing bonuses and dividends, Turner said. “Our banks are in a much stronger position than they were three or four years ago,” Turner said. The FSA was discussing with some banks the possibility of issuing contingent capital or CoCos, a hybrid debt that converts to equity when a bank becomes stressed, Turner added. — Reuters

ESSEN: Employees of German retail chain Karstadt take part in a works meeting at the company’s headquarters in Essen, western Germany, yesterday. As the company annouced, Karstadt plans to cut around 2,000 jobs until the year 2014. — AFP

25

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

business

Goldman Sachs’ net income falls 11% in Q2 NEW YORK: Goldman Sachs says its net income fell 11 percent in the AprilJune period after the investment bank’s clients made fewer deals and avoided volatility in global financial markets.

The New York bank said its net income fell to $962 million, or $1.78 per share, for the quarter. That compares with $1.09 billion, or $1.85 per share, a year ago. It’s also far more than the $1.17 per share that analysts were expecting.

“During the second quarter, market

conditions deteriorated and activity levels for both corporate and investing clients were lower given continued instability in Europe and concerns about global growth,” Goldman’s CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, said in a statement.

Revenue for the three months ended June 30 declined 9 percent to $6.63 billion. That was more than Wall Street’s forecast of $6.2 billion.

Goldman Sachs’ stock climbed $2.50 to $100.18 in premarket trading.

Goldman is also keeping its compensation costs in line. The bank has

been targeted by protesters and Congress for outsized pay in years past. Goldman’s compensation costs fell 9 percent in the quarter to $2.9 billion, in line with the drop in revenue.

Global financial markets reeled in the second quarter after the outcome of elections in Greece seemed to push the country closer to defaulting on its debt and as Spain’s banks teetered on the brink of collapse - the latest threats to Europe’s currency union.

The shakiness in financial markets hurt Goldman’s core investment bank-

ing business. Goldman is a major adviser to large companies on making merger and acquisition deals and on underwriting stock and bond offerings. Many companies shied away from doing both in the second quarter as they waited for calmer markets.

Revenue in Goldman’s investment banking division fell 17 percent to $1.2 billion; mergers and acquisitions fell 26 percent and underwriting revenue fell 9 percent. Goldman Sachs also helps execute large stock and bond trades for money managers like pen-

sions, mutual funds and hedge funds.

Revenue for that business increased 11 percent from the same period last year, but dropped 32 percent from the first three months of the year.

With interest rates at historic lows, more people are buying homes or refinancing existing mortgages. These loans are usually securitized and sold on Wall Street.

That activity led to a 37 percent increase in revenue from trading securities related to mortgages and commodities, the bank said. — AP

Asian shares in broad-based rise Japanese shares close up 0.35%

ATLANTA: In this Monday, July 16, 2012, photo, a consumer sits outside the entrance to the World of Coca Cola attraction in Atlanta. The Coca-Cola Co says its net income slipped in the second quarter from a year ago, as rising costs for ingredients offset its expansion overseas. — AP

Coca-Cola profit slips on higher ingredient costs NEW YORK: The Coca-Cola Co. says its net income slipped in the second quarter from a year ago, as rising costs for ingredients offset its expansion overseas. The world’s biggest beverage maker - which makes Minute Maid, Powerade and Dasani - says revenue growth was powered by higher prices in the US and expansion in emerging markets such as India, where volume rose 20 percent.

But the company also paid more for ingredients and saw sales volume in Europe fall 4 percent. The company blamed economic uncertainty and bad weather in several regions for the drop.

Back in North America, the Atlantabased company said sales volume rose 1 percent, while a mix of higher prices and a variety of smaller bottles and cans helped lift revenue 5 percent.

However, volume for its flagship sparkling beverages - or sodas such as Coke and Sprite - fell 2 percent.

As soda consumption in the US continues to decline, Coca-Cola has increasingly been looking past its namesake drink for growth. For example, the company said volume of its still beverages, such as Powerade and Smartwater, rose 8 percent in the quarter. Its juice brands rose 3 percent, driven by growth in its lower-calorie Minute Maid offerings.

Given the saturated US market, Coca-Cola is also increasingly pinning its fortunes on international markets where the ranks of middle-class consumers are multiplying at a rapid clip.

In the US, for example, Coca-Cola estimates that the per capita consumption of its drinks on average is more than one 8-ounce serving a day. By contrast, consumers in India drink an average of just 12 servings over the span of an entire year. As a result, CocaCola is racing to establish an early dominance in foreign markets that could help determine its growth trajectory in the years to come. Last month, for example, the company said it would accelerate its investment in India to $5 billion over the next eight years. That’s more than double the $2 billion it invested since re-entering the country in 1993.

When taking into account all the drinks it offers locally, Coca-Cola now has a stable of more than 500 drinks.

For the three months ended June 29, the company said it earned $2.79 billion, or $1.21 per share.

That’s down from $2.8 billion, or $1.20 per share, in the year-ago period, when there were more outstanding shares. Not including one-time items, the company said it earned $1.22 per share. Revenue rose 3 percent to $13.09 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet on average expected earnings of $1.19 per share on revenue of $12.89 billion.

Shares of Coca-Cola rose $1.19, or 1.6 percent, to $77.67 in pre-market trading. Earlier this month, Coca-Cola shareholders approved a 2-for-1 stock split, the company’s first in 16 years. — AP

Foreign investment in China declines in H1 BEIJING: Foreign direct investment (FDI) in China fell by three percent in the first half of the year as the global economy slowed, the commerce ministry said yesterday. Overseas companies invested $59.1 billion in factories and other projects in China from January to June 2012 — well below the $60.89 billion spent in the same period last year-said ministry spokesman Shen Danyang.

“The pace of the world economic recovery remained slow, and many uncertainties persisted. In particular, the EU debt crisis has yet to be resolved,” Shen told reporters.

Increased Chinese production costs and a tightening in property policy had also contributed to the decline in first-half FDI, he added.

China’s inflation rate hit 6.5 percent in July last year, but has since slowed.

The world’s second-largest economy grew 7.6 percent year on year from April to June, the slowest pace in more than three years as dire problems overseas started to hit home, according to official data released on Friday.

In June alone China’s FDI fell by 6.9 percent year-on-year to $12 billion, despite a slight rebound in investment from the debt-ridden European Union. EU countries invested a total of $3.52 billion in China in the first

half, up 1.6 percent on the same period in 2011, compared with a 5.1 percent fall in the first five months of the year.

But investment from 10 Asian nations and territories including Hong Kong, Macao, Japan and the Philippines was down 2.8 percent year-on-year at $51.07 billion, while US investment fell 3.2 percent to $1.63 billion.

However, Shen said the government expected FDI to increase steadily for the full year as the effects of China’s policies to bolster economic growth and increase domestic demand kicked in.

“This will boost the confidence of foreign investors in China and help them speed up the pace of their decision-making,” he said. The government this month took the rare step of slashing interest rates for the second time since early June. That came after three cuts since December in banks’ reserve requirements, or the amount of money they must keep on hand.

Such cuts are meant to free up funds for lending in order to boost the economy. Chinese leaders have vowed to take further measures.

Premier Wen Jiabao last week called stabilising economic growth the government’s “top priority”. — AFP

HONG KONG: Asian shares were widely up yesterday, led by a sharp rise in Hong Kong, amid hopes of Chinese and US stimulus measures ahead of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke appearing before Congress.

Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index powered up 1.75 percent, or 333.99 points, to close at 19,455.33, while the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.62 percent, or 13.23 points, to 2,155.20 on bargain-hunting after hitting a three-year low on Monday.

In Tokyo the Nikkei climbed 0.35 percent, or 30.88 points, to 8755.00, while Sydney’s ASX 200 rose 0.87 percent, or 35.7 points, to 4,140.8, and the Kospi in Seoul was up 0.23 percent, or 4.17 points, at 1,821.96.

There were several factors behind Hong Kong’s surprise rise, analysts said, including short-covering and hopes of a lending boost in China and quantitative easing in the US. In Australia, IG Markets analyst Cameron Peacock said: “Perhaps today’s price action is just a function of the market being sick and tired of all the doom and gloom.

“Perhaps the worst case scenarios for Europe, China, and the US are already priced into the market.” China said last Friday economic growth slowed to 7.6 percent year-onyear in the second quarter, its lowest level in more than three years.

The figures have led to hopes Beijing will take steps to boost the world’s second-largest economy, including loosening restrictions on bank lending. Alvin Cheung, associate director at Prudential Brokerage, told Dow Jones Newswires: “The talk is that China will cut reserve requirement ratio soon, perhaps as soon as Friday, that’s why we outperformed.”

Investors were also looking to two days of Congress testimony by Bernanke, scheduled to start later Tuesday, for hints of a new round of stimulus by the Federal Reserve.

But in Tokyo, Barclays Bank chief currency strategist Masafumi Yamamoto warned: “If there is no indication (for more easing) from him, stocks and long-term US Treasury yields will fall on disappointment.” European stock markets also advanced in opening trade, with London’s FTSE 100 up 0.22 percent to 5,674.85 points, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 adding 0.27 percent to 6,583.77 points, and the CAC 40 in Paris rising 0.28 percent to 3,188.71.

The euro gained against major currencies in Asian trade after the IMF said it was releasing 1.48 billion euros ($1.82 billion) in new funds to troubled Portugal. The single curren-

cy fetched $1.2297 compared to $1.2271 in New York late Monday, and also rose against the yen, buying 97.18 yen from 96.40 yen.

The International Monetary Fund said Lisbon was on track to narrow its fiscal deficit under tough austerity measures required under the 78-billion-euro joint IMF-European Union rescue programme launched in May 2011.

The greenback traded at 79.03 yen from 78.83 yen on Monday.

Oil was steady with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in August, up just five cents at $88.55 and Brent North Sea crude for September delivery up 65 cents at $104.02. Gold was at $1,595.60 an ounce at 1030 GMT, from $1,585.35 on Monday.

In other markets Singapore was up 0.54 percent, or 16.05 points, at 3,014.80. Vehicle distributor Jardine Cycle and Carriage rose 2.30 percent to Sg$47.06, while DBS Bank was down 0.42 percent to Sg$14.22.

Taipei rose 0.52 percent, or 36.96 points, to 7,127.00. Leading smartphone maker HTC gained 3.83 percent to Tw$298.0 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.93

percent lower at Tw$74.8. Kuala Lumpur ended 0.19 percent, or 3.19 points, higher at 1,639.15. Newly listed telecom service provider OCK Group rose 23.6 percent to 0.45 ringgit from its IPO price.

Bangkok added 0.82 percent, or 9.96 points, to 1,224.21. Banpu gained 1.75 percent to 466.00 baht, while PTT added 1.51 percent to 336.00 baht.

Manila fell 0.24 percent, or 12.87 points, to 5,285.12. Top-traded Ayala Corp. fell 1.16 percent to 458 pesos while Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. dropped 1.56 percent to 2,734 pesos.

Wellington edged up 0.04 percent, or 1.53 points, to 3,468.86. Market heavyweight Fletcher Building rose 0.2 percent to NZ$5.89 and Telecom Corp. dropped 0.2 percent to NZ$2.465.

Jakarta closed 33.20 points higher, or 0.82 percent, to 4,080.67. Heavyweight Telkom rose 1.1 percent to 8,950 rupiah and Bank Mandiri gained 2.1 percent to 7,250 rupiah, while Timah lost 2.07 percent to 1,420 rupiah.

Mumbai ended flat, up 0.01 percent or 1.99 points to 17,105.3. Motorcycle maker Bajaj Auto fell 2.43 percent to 1,447.15. TCS slid 1.95 percent to 1,186.6. —AFP

HONG KONG: A customer looks at dresses in a store at an open market in Hong Kong. Bad news from South Korea, Singapore and China this week failed to rattle investors’ confidence in the region, despite fears that Europe’s economic contagion is spreading rapidly to the East. — AFP

Japan Airlines dismisses budget airlines threat HONG KONG: Japan Airlines said yesterday the country’s booming budget carrier market would not pose a “tremendous” threat to the flag carrier, which went bust in one of the nation’s biggest-ever bankruptcies.

JAL, which went bankrupt in January 2010 with debts totalling 2.32 trillion yen ($29 billion), exited bankruptcy protection last year and has logged an annual net profit of about $2.3 billion in the fiscal year to March 2012.

Its president Yoshiharu Ueki said its revitalisation plan was not threatened by the flourishing low-cost carrier (LCC) scene in Japan, where a third budget airline is due to start flying next month. “We don’t expect a tremendous impact from the emergence of these LCC,” Ueki told reporters in hong Kong, adding that budget airlines had yet to make a “very large” impact on JAL’S revenue. “The LCC represents a new mode of transportation and as a result they have created a new demand-demand (that did) not exist in the past and demand that we had not expected. “We are not taking a complacent attitude and we are watching the movement of the LCC market carefully,” said Ueki, a former pilot and the son of Japan’s traditional kabuki drama actor Kataoka Chiezo. Japan’s major airlines were behind global players in terms of entry into the low-cost sector, but JAL’s main rival All Nippon Airways (ANA) last year set up budget airline Peach Aviation with a Hong Kong investment fund.

It was followed by JAL’s tie-up with Australia’s Qantas which launched Jetstar Japan earlier this month, while AirAsia Japan-a joint venture between ANA and Malaysia’s AirAsia-will start flying next month.

The launch of these budget airlines was part of a bid to open up a market that has traditionally suffered from high prices because of the dominance of JAL and ANA, Japan’s two major carriers. Japanese media have reported that JAL, which was de-listed due to the bankruptcy, has formally applied to re-list its shares on Tokyo’s main bourse by September. Ueki declined to comment on the progress of the plan yesterday. — AFP

King says Barclays was in denial over Diamond LONDON: Bank of England chief Mervyn King said yesterday that Barclays was in such denial about the gravity of an interest rate fixing scandal that he was forced to tell the bank that regulators had lost confidence in Bob Diamond as chief executive.

But King, who has served as BoE governor since 2003, fended off repeated questions from lawmakers about who told Barclays bosses that Diamond would have to go in the days before his July 3 resignation.

“The Barclays board ... was deeply reluctant to face up to the concerns,” King said. “It became clear to me that they hadn’t really taken on board the loss of confidence.” King added that Barclays must now create a new bank with a new culture to move beyond the Libor scandal. He said a letter to Barclays in April from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) had already laid clear the concerns about culture at the bank, and when he met the bank’s chairman, Marcus Agius, on July 2 he wanted to make clear the position.

“All of us involved had built up genuine concern that it is possible to sail close to the wind once. You can sail close twice or maybe even three times. But when it gets to four or five times it becomes a regular pattern of behaviour (and you) ... have to ask questions about the navigational skills of the captain.”

Barclays was fined a record $453 million last month by US and UK authorities for manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate, or Libor, the interest rate that underpins transactions worth trillions of dollars worldwide, between 2005 and 2009. In testament to the seriousness of the scandal, Britain’s top financial regula-

tors, including King, his deputy Paul Tucker and Financial Services Authority (FSA) head Adair Turner, were hauled before lawmakers for a grilling over who told Barclays that Diamond would have to go.

U.S.-born Diamond fought to save his career for several days, but swiftly changed tack after a weekend flurry of phone calls and meetings between the most powerful men in the City of London sealed his fate.

Once the darling of the City of London, Diamond’s Wall Street ways appeared at odds in an era of austerity brought about by a financial crisis for which many blame the bankers.

British finance minister George Osborne, whose family made a fortune in wallpaper, said the Libor scandal showed a culture of greed and irresponsibility in the City of London and on Wall Street.

Diamond, who took home some 17 million pounds last year, has apologised for the actions of his traders but has criticised regulators and central banks for failing to heed warnings over Libor.

King was questioned on his actions over Libor in 2008 when Timothy Geithner, then president of the New York Fed, emailed the Bank of England governor about recommendations to enhance the credibility of Libor. The proposals, dated May 2008, included a section on how to eliminate the incentive to misreport banks’ lending rates. But King said the Fed never sent evidence of Libor misreporting. More than a dozen banks are being investigated for their roles in setting Libor, including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Deutsche Bank, HSBC Holdings Plc , UBS and Royal Bank of Scotland. — Reuters

26

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

BUSINESS

2013 Shelby GT500 launch control ensures smooth start KUWAIT: “With great power comes the need for great control” - the engineers at Ford’s Special Vehicles Team have stepped up to the plate to manage the massive output of the 2013 Shelby GT500.

Whether a driver is a track-day veteran or getting their first ultra-high-performance sports car, the new launch control system on the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 will help ensure they get smooth, consistent and fast starts every time.

Uncontrolled wheel spin is generally undesirable, whether commuting to work or racing at the drag strip. Both safety and performance suffer when the wheels can’t get enough grip on the road. However, properly regulated, some wheel slip can be your friend.

“Launch control is essentially a special mode of the traction control system that integrates the brake and engine management systems to keep the tyres balanced on the peak of the mu-slip curve in order to achieve maximum thrust,” explains John Pfeiffer, senior engineer, SVT Vehicle Engineering. “With so much more power and torque on tap from the new 5.8-litre V8, launch control makes it easier for drivers to take advantage of the performance.”

With launch control enabled, the driver just has to press the accelerator pedal to the floor and then smoothly and quickly release the clutch pedal just as he normally would when executing a

clean start. The difference is that the electronics will automatically hold the engine steady at the desired speed and manage the rear brakes to allow the optimum amount of wheel slip for maximum traction.

“We recognize not every driver has the same style, and surface, tyre and climate conditions vary,” said Eddie Khan, SVT Engineering supervisor. “Most of our competitors’ launch control systems have a fixed engine launch speed. We’ve given Shelby GT500 drivers the ability to adjust the engine speed to achieve best and most consistent performance, no matter where and when they drive.”

Ziyad Dallalah, Chief Engineer, Ford Middle East, added: “With changing surface conditions due to the extreme heat, humidity and sand that can occur in the Middle East region, being mindful of these differences during development of the control system is going to mean drivers of the GT500 in the region are going to have a car that adapts incredibly well to the climate here. This is really going to raise the enjoyment and performance levels even further for this car.”

Shelby GT500 drivers can enable launch control in two ways - either through Track Apps(tm) on the 4.2-inch LCD in the instrument cluster or simply by tapping a switch on the left side of the instrument panel. When using the Track Apps screen, drivers can also adjust the desired engine speed for the launch

in 100 rpm increments from 3,000 to 4,500 rpm. When first getting accustomed to launch control or if the pavement is cooler, a lower speed may be more appropriate. Switching to racing tires or running in an autocross event on a warm Saturday morning may call for a launch speed closer to the upper end of the range.

has been switched off and restarted, something drag racers frequently have to do as they slowly make their way through the lines to the next quartermile pass.

“We developed this system to enable 90 percent of drivers to be able to achieve very fast, smooth and consistent starts with the Shelby GT500 regardless

Once the desired engine speed has been set, launch control can be toggled on or off by tapping the instrument panel switch - more convenient than the intricate multistep process required on many other vehicles. After the launch control has been enabled or disabled, it retains that mode even after the engine

of their skill level,” said Khan.

“Experienced drag racers may be able to get away slightly quicker, but chances are they won’t be as consistent.”

Veteran drag racers will find the Shelby GT500 also gives them extra flexibility. Switching off the traction control while the launch control is on produces

an rpm-only mode that engine calibration engineer Tom Siebyla has tuned to keep the engine speed rock-steady with the electronic throttle and ignition without scrubbing off any speed with the brakes. Autocrossers or track-day racers can also mix and match the normal, sport and off modes of the stability control with the launch control to achieve the degree of sliding or control that best suits the conditions or their personal driving style.

For those times when there isn’t enough grip to use launch control effectively, such as dust or moisture on the pavement, Ford electronic brake control development engineer Dan Dunn has built smarts into the launch control that enable it to automatically switch off and revert to traction control.

“It’s not as intrusive as some TC systems have been in the past,” added Khan.

“We wanted to help the driver make consistent starts without getting in the way.”

Launch control won’t do the driving, but it is a tool to help drivers extract consistent high performance from the most powerful production Mustang ever.

“For drivers who want to have some fun at their local drag strip with a stock machine, the 2013 Shelby GT500 is the ultimate bracket racer,” said Khan. “We’ve given our drivers the ability to exert control over all the power and torque this Mustang can produce.”.

Samsung gears up for Ramadan with its range of home appliances KUWAIT: Ramadan preparations are now well under way across the world. Grocery stores are stocked with Iftar favorites and mothers are already contemplating what foods to prepare for family and friends during the holy month. However, with preparation comes ingredients and with ingredients comes the painstaking task of driving to the nearest co-op to fill not one but many carts of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and sugary treats.

Now that we have food purchases out of the way, we are left with the daunting task of storing our fresh produce and treats; cooking all the meals; and making our homes clean and tidy. We sometimes feel there are not enough hours in the day to make everything perfect. This year though, we can all breathe a sigh of relief with Samsung’s latest range of innovative home appliances that guarantee faster preparation times and optimum health and safety standards. In the spirit of the holy month, Samsung also launched its annual Ramadan campaign where part proceeds from select Samsung products will be donated to Al Noor Training Center for Children with Special Needs.

Food storage and preparation Stocking up on specialty foods and produce is essential during Ramadan and is one of the main challenges women face with their refrigerators. Storage and freshness also play vital roles during this time as most consumers buy and cook more food and than usual, ensuring that their families have as many food options as possible during Iftar. To ensure that your food stays fresh and is stored appropriately, Samsung recommends the beautifully designed four-door refrigerator, the AW3 (Model # RFG28MESL).

Using the Space Max technology, the AW3 (RFG28MESL) refrigerator is built with thinner walls that provide more capacity on the inside while maintaining the same external size of conventional refrigera-

tors, offering consumers up to 785 liters of storage capacity.

The refrigerator features three compartments for increased access, including a large freezer drawer, mid-drawer and main double French doors that lead into a spacious fridge compartment. The AW3 has the Twin Cooling Plus(tm) technology, which enables a 75%

humidity level in the refrigerator compartment to lock moisture into food, keeping perishables such as fruits, vegetables and meat fresh for a longer period of time. This eliminates wasted food, reduces energy

consumption and does not mix odors between different compartments.

Samsung’s AW3 also runs on the Digital Inverter Compressor, that delivers the highest energy efficiency and significantly reduces noise.

The DIC technology also maximizes the freshness of food and minimizes energy consumption. And if that’s

not enough to get you excited, the AW3 comes with a 10-year warranty guaranteeing optimal performance for years to come.

“Having space to store and keep produce fresh has always been a

key requirement to most consumers and during Ramadan that requirement increases. We identified what consumers want from a refrigerator, such as spaciousness, durability and energy efficiency, and we incorporated these features in our fourdoor AW3 series.” said Robin Kadyan, General Manager of Home Appliances at Samsung Gulf Electronics. “The result is a stunning and sleek home appliance developed to address consumers’ food storage requirements without compromising on the overall external size.”

For food preparation, Samsung’s intuitively designed Omni-Pro microwave oven takes the guess work out of cooking time and optimal temperature required. With the unique Auto Cook feature, the Samsung Omni-Pro microwave oven internally weighs the food and adjusts cooking temperature and time to create a perfectly cooked dish every time. From macaroni bÈchamel to kebsa and grilled meats, the Omni-Pro microwave oven makes sure your Iftar dishes are a success!

Home cooling There’s no denying that this Ramadan might be a bit more difficult than usual with longer days, scorching heat and summer viruses.

To combat this problem and keep family and friends safe when entertaining at home, Samsung has introduced its latest air conditioner range, Crystal and Max. Samsung’s Crystal air conditioners offers a breath of fresh air to beat the heat and summer diseases by eradicating at least 90 percent of air pollutants with Virus doctor technology.

The Max Air Conditioner range cools any living space with up to 31% less energy consumption than conventional air conditioners. With their unique and eco-friendly features, the Samsung Crystal and Max air conditioners are guaranteed to safeguard and cool your home during Ramadan and throughout the rest of the year.

Cooking fiesta presented by Nawwaf Al-Qattan at BEST KUWAIT: Within its annual social activities, Best Stores in Kuwait recently organized a festival for international cooking arts for three weeks starting July 13 at its over 6000 square meters big showroom in Al-Rai, which is the largest in the Middle East.

The festival will be on for three hours starting 6 pm on regular days and from 9 pm on Ramadan nights. News about the festival can be followed at www.fcebook.com/bestunitedelectronics. The festival includes a demonstration of the most delicious local, Arab and international dishes.

The event is meant to reinforce Best’s relation with its customers and encourage visiting ladies through presenting the latest in the world of cooking. The festival will be presented by the famous media figure, Nawwaf Al-Qattan. It also

includes displaying exclusive Panasonic products at Al-Yousifi’s Best and competitions that interactively attracted the showroom visitors. Participants in the competition also received valuable prizes.

Further, the festival includes cooking demonstrations by Chef Hassan who also allowed some of the visitors cook their own dishes. So far, a large number of Best visitors and customers, celebrities and members of the media have taken part in the festival.

Notably, Best United Electronics runs one of the largest electronics series stores in Japan and constantly work on developing creative concepts for shopping that meet its customers’ needs. It recently expanded into the Middle East with a partnership with Kuwait’s Essa Hussein Al-Yousifi Co.

Hyundai’s flagship, the 2013 Centennial is available in ME DUBAI: The 2013 Centennial is now available in the Middle East, reinforcing Hyundai’s commitment to producing premium cars and showcasing its ‘Modern Premium’ philosophy.

Hyundai’s flagship model, the Centennial provides a combination of power and luxury, wrapped in a beautifully designed exterior.

The Hyundai Centennial has already broken the status quo in the luxury car market, setting itself apart from the competition, which includes the likes of the Lexus LS, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class. And nothing supports the Centennial’s five star credentials better than winning the prestigious J.D Power and Associates award for most appealing large premium car in the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study (SM) for 2011.

The Centennial benefits from Hyundai’s Premium Assurance programme, which provides an unbeatable five-year unlimited mileage warranty, plus free servicing for three years / 60,000 km and a guaranteed buy-back value. Owners can also be confident that the Centennial will hold its value better than many of its rivals - in the renowned ALG 2012 Annual Residual Value Awards it outper formed models such as the

Porsche Panamera, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8. Yet with a price tag starting from around 71,602 USD for the 4.6Litre version and 67,996 USD for the 3.8Litre, the Centennial offers a package that can’t be found in any other luxury cars for such a competitive price.

Head of Hyundai Middle East regional headquarters, Mr Tom Lee said: “We have entered the top end of the luxur y car segment with the Centennial and already seen it redefine the segment by offering a great driving experience for the driver and the highest standards of luxury for the passenger, all with an attractive price tag. The Centennial has proved a major hit with Middle East buyers, and sales this year are up significantly on last year. Now, the 2013 model offers Middle East consumers high specification and a beautifully designed premium car, showing Hyundai’s commitment to improving and building on its ‘Modern Premium’ ethos.”

The Centennial’s charismatic and sophisticated exterior makes an immediate statement to the outside world. An eye-catching front grille and wrap-around rear lights are some of the features that make the Centennial an imposing figure on any

road. The LED side repeater mirrors radiate refinement, while the adaptive front lighting system adjusts the beam angle while driving at night.

The five star nature of the Centennial is most apparent in the rear, where every care has been taken to ensure the highest standards of

Centennial’s interior does not end there. Leather upholstery, microfibre suede headliner, natural wood trim and a leather-wrapped Frenchstitched instrument panel all showcase the richness of this luxury sedan.

Passengers in the rear sears benefit from an abundance of the latest

occupant experience. VIP passengers will enjoy the air cell massage seat, power adjustable leg supports for extra comfort, and the centre console which houses a cool box big enough to fit any refreshment. Electric side curtains and luxury seat back tables add to the sense of luxury and refinement.

The premium nature of the

on-board technology. An 8inch LCD rear monitor entertainment screen will keep occupants entertained during the journey ahead, while there are dedicated armrest controls that allow the passengers to manage the multimedia and comfort zone functions.

The beauty and luxury of the car is amplified in the front, where the driver has a wealth of technology at their

fingertips. A 3.5inch TFT LCD placed between the gauge cluster provides important information in colour as well as access to other technologies such as the parking guide system, navigation system and AUX/ipod/USB connections. The premium LEXICON audio system, with up to 17 speakers, provides optimal sound from any part of the car.

The Centennial offers a first-class driving experience, with power available from Hyundai’s impressive TAU V8 engine that has been named in the prestigious Ward’s Ten Best Engines list in 2009 and 2010. This award-winning 4.6-litre Tau DOHC V8 unit produces 373 hp at 6,500 rpm.

The model is also available with a 3.8Litre MPI engine that produces 290hp at 6200rpm, giving it a top speed of 240kph.

The engine is coupled with a Hyundai-developed eight-speed transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual shift capability. The transmission adds two additional ratios to enhance acceleration, shifting smoothness, and transmission efficiency by more than six per cent on its predecessor, the six-speed version, giving the driver more power and the passengers a smoother and more comfortable ride.

The driving dynamics are an

essential part of any car and especially in a luxury sedan. The Centennial boasts a first-rate drive and excellent handling characteristics, achieved courtesy of an electronically-controlled air suspension that smoothes the ride over a wide variety of everyday surfaces.

A Sport setting has been added to allow more body control, with an alternative normal setting for drivers looking for a ride with more compliance. The flagship model’s manoeuvrability is helped by the excellent steering set-up and electronic rear parking assist feature. With a 39.6 foot turning circle and precise wheel control delivered by its five-link front and rear suspension geometry, the luxury sedan has the ability to get out of any tight spot with ease.

The wealth of features also includes a range of safety features, with active as well as passive safety measures to help prevent accidents and ensure the well-being of all the occupants. The Centennial’s list of key safety features include Electronic Stability Control (ESC), nine airbags, electronic active front head restraints, lane departure warning system and smar t cruise control. A Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system optimally manages the ESC.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

HOUSTON: Lockeed Martin senior research scientist Maya Cooper chops vegetables, which would be feasible for astronauts in Mars gravity, for a vegan pizza developed at NASA’s Advanced Food Technology Project at Johnson Space Center yesterday.—AP photos

HOUSTON: Maya Cooper shows a vegan pizza.

HOUSTON: Current dehydrated food for near earth missions, which was developed for zero gravity preparation at NASAís Advanced Food Technology Project.

NASA builds menu for planned Mars mission in 2030s HOUSTON: Through a labyrinth of hallways deep inside a 1950s-era building that has housed research that dates back to the origins of U.S. space travel, a group of scientists in white coats is stirring, mixing, measuring, brushing and, most important, tasting the end result of their cooking. Their mission: Build a menu for a planned journey to Mars in the 2030s.

The menu must sustain a group of six to eight astronauts, keep them healthy and happy and also offer a broad array of food. That’s no simple feat considering it will likely take six months to get to the Red Planet, astronauts will have to stay there 18 months and then it will take another six months to return to Earth. Imagine having to shop for a family’s threeyear supply of groceries all at once and having enough meals planned in advance for that length of time.

“Mars is different just because it’s so far away,” said Maya Cooper, senior research scientist with Lockheed Martin who is leading the efforts to build the menu. “We don’t have the option to send a vehicle every six months and send more food as we do for International Space Station.”

Astronauts who travel to the space station have a wide variety of food available to them, some 100 or so different options, in fact. But it is all preprepared and freeze-dried with a shelf life of at least two years. And

while astronauts make up a panel that tastes the food and gives it a final OK on Earth before it blasts off, the lack of gravity means smell - and taste - is impaired. So the food is bland.

On Mars though, there is a little gravity, allowing NASA to consider significant changes to the current space menu. That’s where Cooper’s team comes in. Travel to Mars opens the possibility that astronauts can do things like chop vegetables and do a little cooking of their own. Even though pressure levels are different than on Earth, scientists think it will be possible to boil water with a pressure cooker too.

One option Cooper and her staff are considering is having the astronauts care for a “Martian greenhouse.”

They would have a variety of fruits and vegetables - from carrots to bell peppers - in a hydroponic solution, meaning they would be planted in mineral-laced water instead of soil.

The astronauts would care for their garden and then use those ingredients, combined with others, such as nuts and spices brought from Earth, to prepare their meals.

“That menu is favorable because it allows the astronauts to actually have live plants that are growing, you have optimum nutrient delivery with fresh fruits and vegetables, and it actually allows them to have freedom of choice when they’re actually cooking

the menus because the food isn’t already pre-prepared into a particular recipe,” Cooper said. The top priority is to ensure that the astronauts get the proper amount of nutrients, calories and minerals to maintain their physical health and performance for the life of the mission, Cooper said.

The menu must also ensure the psychological health of the astronauts, Cooper explained, noting studies have shown that eating certain foods - such as meatloaf and mashed potatoes or turkey on Thanksgiving improve people’s mood and give them satisfaction. That “link to home” will be key to astronauts on the Mars mission, and there are currently two academic studies looking further into the connection between mood and food. Lacking certain vitamins or minerals can also harm the brain, she said.

Already, Cooper’s team of three has come up with about 100 recipes, all vegetarian because the astronauts will not have dairy or meat products available. It isn’t possible to preserve those products long enough to take to Mars - and bringing a cow on the mission is not an option, Cooper jokes. To ensure the vegetarian diet packs the right amount of protein, the researchers are designing a variety of dishes that include tofu and nuts, including a Thai pizza that has no cheese but is covered with carrots,

Appy ever after, with a smartphone network for lovers SEOUL: A smar tphone app that caters mainly for bashful Asian lovers has recorded a million downloads since its launch last November, and now the developers are eyeing new markets. Couples unwilling to share their relationship with the world through Facebook or other social media have flocked to sign up for Between, an intimate app designed for two.

“Imagine how stressful it would be if your boss followed you on Twitter, or parents added you on Facebook...Between is the new solution for such pressure,” one of the South Korean developers, Park JaeUk, told AFP in an inter view.

Between, available on iPhones and Android-equipped models, offers privacy for couples who want to swap photos, messages, schedules and shor t voice messages via smar tphone. Developers say some 4.6 million messages and 350,000 pictures are exchanged daily. Between was named Best Mobile App of the year at a competition for new global ventures in the Dutch city of Amsterdam.

“Facebook and Twitter may do a good job in connecting people in all sorts of ways, but we thought maybe some people want a closed and private relationship,” said Park, whose VCNC company runs the app. “So we turned our eyes to unmarried couples who need such a private relationship platform more than any other groups.” Between lets them share photo timelines, send messages and mark anniversaries, birthdays and other dates on each other’s calendars. Connection to the service is completed when both parties enter each other’s phone numbers after registering. If a couple breaks up, one of them may disconnect the service and all the data will be deleted.

“No matter how hard you try to conceal information on other social networking services, it still seems like they are wide open...so we decided to base our appeal on how tightly closed and protected our service is,” said Park. The application is password-protected and is never available to more than two people at any one time.

Absolute Betweeners Between is available in 13 lan-

guages including Korean, English and Japanese. At present it mainly targets Asian users because of their culture of keeping loving relationships to themselves. Some 75 percent of users are Koreans, 7 percent Chinese and 6 percent Japanese.

“I take a lot of photographs with my boyfriend and needed an exclusive space to share them by phone,” said 23-year-old Hong Jee -Won. Another user, Jun So-Min, said Facebook “is way too public, so to keep a record of private content like photos and messages, I use Between.

It serves its purpose well and I’m satisfied with it.” Park is now looking for growth in Europe and the United States by tailoring the service.

“The culture is a little different in Europe and the US, so we will try to cater to long-distance couples or engaged couples getting ready for marriage,” he said. Currently, 79 percent of Between users are single and 96 percent of all users are in their 20s to mid-30s. “Between in a way represents a commitment made by couples, so we rarely see teenagers using the service...their relationship usually doesn’t last long enough to take full advantage of it,” said Park.

That is why VCNC’s engineers plan to develop a system which backs up data for up to one month after a breakup, just in case lovers decide to reunite and reopen their accounts.

“Think of it as an adjustment period for couples,” said Park, adding users quite often complain when data is wiped under the current system.

VCNC is also looking for business models from next quarter, such as adver tisements and promotions related to couples such as tour agencies, flower shops and wedding stores. The company currently relies on a one billion won ($880,312) investment made by SoftBank last year and has not yet reported profits.

“Seeing two copycats already showing up on the market, I am sure the couple-related business has great potential, because people become less hesitant to open their wallets when it comes to their lovers,” said Park. “Even though differences might exist between cultures, I believe love is universal anywhere in the worldand that’s what makes Between possible.”—AFP

red peppers, mushrooms, scallions, peanuts and a homemade sauce that has a spicy kick.

To keep this menu going, and get the most out of any research about food sustainability on Mars, Cooper says it’s possible NASA will choose to have one astronaut solely dedicated to preparing the food - the Emeril of the Mars mission.

Still, since it remains unclear how much time mission planners will want to spend on food preparation, Cooper is also building an alternate pre-packaged menu, similar to how things are done for crews that do six-month stints on the International Space Station. For this option, though, the food will need to have a five-year shelf life compared with the two years available now. NASA, the Department of Defense and a variety of other agencies are researching ways to make that possible, Cooper said. The ideal, though, would be to combine the two options. “So they would have some fresh crop and some food that we would send from Ear th,” Cooper said. One of the biggest obstacles, at the moment, may be the budgetary constraints.

President Barack Obama’s budget proposal in February canceled a joint US-European robotic mission to Mars in 2016, and the rest of NASA’s budget has also been chopped. At the moment, Michele Perchonok,

HOUSTON: Precise mesurements of ingredients are made to be able to plan how much a spacecraft design can hold at NASA’s Advanced Food Technology Project. advanced food technology project scientist at NASA, said about $1 million on average is spent annually on researching and building the Mars menu. NASA’s overall budget in 2012 is more than $17 billion. She is hopeful that as the mission gets closer about 10 to 15 years before launch that the budget will grow, allowing for more in-depth, conclusive research.

The mission is important: It will

give scientists the chance for unique research on everything from looking for other life forms and for the origin of life on Earth to the effects of partial gravity on bone loss. It also will let food scientists examine the question of sustainability. “How do we sustain the crew, 100 percent recycling of everything for that two and a half years?” Perchonok said. But first things first: None of this will happen without food.—AP

Yahoo turns to former nemesis to be its CEO savior CALIFORNIA: As a top executive at Google for the past 13 years, Marissa Mayer played an instrumental role in developing many of the services that have tormented Yahoo as its appeal waned among Web surfers, advertisers and investors. Now, Yahoo is turning to its longtime nemesis to fix everything that has gone wrong while Google Inc. has been cementing its position as the Internet’s most powerful company.

Mayer, 37, will be tackling the imposing challenge yesterday when she takes over as Yahoo’s fifth CEO in the past five years. The surprise hiring announced late Monday indicates Yahoo still believes it can be an Internet innovator instead of merely an online way station where people pass through to read a news story or watch a video clip before moving on to more compelling Internet destinations.

“I just saw a huge opportunity to have a global impact on users and really help the company in terms of managing its portfolio, attracting great talent and really inspiring and delighting people,” Mayer said during a Monday interview with The Associated Press. Like her predecessors, Mayer will have to come up with an effective strategy to compete against the juggernaut that Google has become and the increasingly influential force that Facebook Inc. is turning into as more people immerse themselves in its social network.

Both Google, the Internet’s search leader, and Facebook have been beating Yahoo Inc. in the battle for Web surfers’ attention and advertisers’ marketing budgets. As Yahoo has lagged in that pivotal race, so has its financial performance and stock price. The stock has been slumping since Yahoo Inc. balked at a chance to sell itself to Microsoft Corp. for $47.5 billion, or $33 per share, in May 2008.

Yahoo shares closed Monday at $15.65, and haven’t traded above $20 since September 2008.

“If she can pull this off and turn around Yahoo, it will make her legacy,” Gartner Inc. analyst Allen Weiner said of Mayer. “Yahoo’s iconic yodel has been missing for a long time. Her mission will be to bring that yodel back.” This will be the first time that Mayer has run a company as she steps out of the long shadow cast by Google’s ruling triumvirate - co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, along with Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt. Although she had her responsibilities at Google narrowed two years ago, Mayer is still widely considered to among the Internet indus-

CALIFORNIA: In this Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, file photo, Marissa Mayer, VP of Search Products and User Experience for Google, speaks in Mountain View.—AP try’s brightest executives. A Wisconsin native, Mayer is a mathematics whiz with a sponge-like memory and a keen eye for design. Mayer joined Google in 1999 as its 20th employee and went on to play an integral role in helping Page and Brin exploit their online search technology to outmaneuver Yahoo at a time when it was still the larger of the two companies. Now, it takes Google a little more than a month to generate as much revenue as Yahoo does in an entire year.

During Google’s rise, Mayer helped oversee the development and design of the company’s popular email, online mapping and news services. She also became a topic of Silicon Valley gossip during Google’s early years while she dated Page for three years. They have since gotten married to other people. “We will miss her talents,” Page, now Google’s CEO, said in a statement.

In another statement, Schmidt hailed Mayer as “a great product person, very innovative and a real perfectionist who always wants the best for users. Yahoo has made a great choice.”

Mayer becomes one of the most prominent women executives in Silicon Valley, a place whose geeky culture has been dominated by

men for decades. This is Yahoo’s second female CEO, though. Silicon Valley veteran Carol Bartz, 63, spent more than two-and-half years as Yahoo’s CEO before she was fired last September.

Within a few months, Mayer expects to be on a maternity leave. In another interview late Monday, Mayer revealed to Fortune magazine that she is pregnant with a boy. Her due date is Oct. 7. She said she had informed Yahoo’s board about her pregnancy before the 11 directors unanimously voted to hire her. Other prominent women executives in Silicon Valley include Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO Meg Whitman and another former top Google executive, Sheryl Sandberg, who defected to a rival when she joined Facebook as that company’s chief operating officer in 2008. Other women CEOs running major technology companies include IBM Corp.’s Virginia “Ginni” Rometty and Xerox Corp.’s Ursula Burns. Yahoo picked Mayer over an internal candidate, Ross Levinsohn, who had been widely considered to be the front-runner for the job after stepping in to fill a void created two months ago when the company dumped Scott Thompson as CEO amid a flap over misinformation on his official biography. —AP

Slimmer screen for Apple’s next iPhone HONG KONG: Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone later this year with a slimmer screen thanks to updated touch-screen technology, a report said yesterday. The next generation iPhone, referred to by fans as the “iPhone 5”, is being manufactured by Asian component makers, Dow Jones Newswires quoted unnamed sources as saying. Its panels will use “in-cell technology” integrating touch sensors into the LCD, it said. That makes a separate touch-screen layer unnecessary and reduces the screen thickness by about half a millimeter, Dow Jones quoted

DisplaySearch analyst Hiroshi Hayase as saying.

The new technology will also boost displayed image quality, and help Apple cut costs as it would no longer have to buy touch panels and LCDs from separate suppliers, the report added. It said Japanese liquid crystal display makers Sharp and Japan Display Inc as well as South Korea’s LG Display Co were currently mass producing panels for the next iPhone.

Apple is widely expected to launch the device in the third quarter of this year, around 12 months after the release of its hugely popular iPhone 4S-

the firm’s first new product following the death of co-founder Steve Jobs. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the report or the next iPhone’s release date when contacted by AFP. The report came amid heated competition from rivals such as Samsung, whose flagship smartphone the Galaxy S III uses a 4.8-inch (12.2 centimeter) screen that is thinner than the current iPhone.

Apple posted a $11.6 billion profit in the first three months this year, led by record sales of iPad tablet computers and iPhones-the latter surging 88 percent year-on-year.—AFP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

More prostate cancer test advice - for men WASHINGTON: There’s more advice on the contentious issue of prostate cancer screening: A leading group of cancer specialists says the decision hinges in part on a man’s life expectancy. Doctors should discuss the possible pros and cons of those PSA blood tests with men expected to live longer than another 10 years, the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommended Monday.

That ’s a contrast from guidelines issued this spring by the US Preventive Services Task Force, which recommended

against routine PSA screening for all men. That government advisory panel found little if any evidence that PSA testing saves lives - and said too many men suffer impotence, incontinence, heart attacks, occasionally even death from treatment of tiny tumors that never would have k illed them. In its own review, the oncologists’ group ASCO concluded that doctors should discourage PSAs for men with less than 10-year life expectancy, for those very reasons.

But it didn’t find the evidence as

clear-cut for younger or healthier men and released a step by-step guide, in easy-to-understand language, to help them and their primary care physicians understand the controversy and make an informed decision. The new advice echoes guidelines from the American Cancer Society. “This is a gray area of medicine,” said Dr Ethan Basch, a prostate cancer specialist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center who cochaired ASCO’s review. “That’s made this a very challenging discussion, and a very

challenging decision.” The guide makes clear that before men decide to have the PSA test, they should think about how they’d react to a suspicious result, and all the testing and treatment decisions that would entail.

Too much PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, in the blood only sometimes signals prostate cancer is brewing. It also can mean a benign enlarged prostate or an infection. Only a biopsy can tell. Most men will get prostate cancer if they live long enough. Some 240,000 US men a

year are diagnosed with it, most with slow-growing tumors that carry a very low risk of morphing into the kind that can kill. Two huge studies, one in Europe and one in the US, evaluated whether routine screening can save lives. Without screening, about 5 in every 1,000 men die of prostate cancer over 10 years. The European study found PSA testing might prevent one of those deaths, while the US study found no difference. ASCO’s patient guide highlights the European study results.—AP

Americans favor posthumous reproduction - with consent Retrieving sperm or eggs from dead or dying spouse

MULHOUSE: ‘Argoun’ (left), a three-month-old Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) is pictured with its mother, ‘Elixa’, during its first time out at the zoo in Mulhouse, eastern France. Amur leopards population is estimated to about fifty in nature around the world. — AFP

Climate change threatening Nepal elusive snow leopards KATHMANDU: Nepal’s elusive snow leopards, thought to number just 500 in the wild, are under threat from warmer and wetter weather in the Himalayas that is reducing their habitat, a new study says. Changing weather patterns are pushing forests further into the leopards’ territory and they could lose 40 percent of their hunting grounds by the end of the century, scientists from environmental group WWF have concluded.

“Loss of alpine habitat not only means less room for snow leopards, but also has the potential to bring them closer to human activities like livestock grazing,” said WWF snow leopard expert and study co-author Rinjan Shrestha. “As grazing intensifies and the leopards’ natural prey decline, they could begin preying more heavily on livestock, resulting in increased retaliatory killings.”

Experts believe just 500 adults survive in Nepal’s Himalayas, and few can claim ever to

have seen the secretive, solitary animal sometimes referred to as a “mountain ghost”.

The animal lives in high alpine areas, above the treeline but generally below 5,000 meters, where they are able to stealthily track their prey, usually wild goat-like ruminants, deer, boars and some smaller mammals. “If the treeline shifts upward, as our research predicts it will, we’re looking at the snow leopard faced with diminishing options for where it can live,” said Jessica Forrest, a WWF scientist and another author of the study, published in the latest issue of Biological Conservation. The scientists used computer climate models and on-the-ground tracking of snow leopards’ movements in the Nepalese Himalayas and its other known habitats. They envisaged a worst-case scenario of the big cat’s 20,000 square kilometer territory being reduced to 11,700 sq km by the end of the century.—AFP

This image of a screen grab shows the YouTube website. A new study finds that YouTube is emerging as a major platform for news, one to which viewers increasingly turn for eyewitness videos in times of major events and natural disasters. —AP

YouTube a major platform for news, disaster footage NEW YORK: A new study has found that YouTube is emerging as a major platform for news, one to which viewers increasingly turn for eyewitness videos in times of major events and natural disasters. The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism on Monday released their examination of 15 months of the most popular news videos on the Google Inc.-owned site. It found that while viewership for TV news still easily outpaces those consuming news on YouTube, the video-sharing site is a growing digital environment where professional journalism mingles with citizen content.

“There’s a new form of video journalism on this platform,” said Amy Mitchell, deputy director of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. “It’s a form in which the relationship between news organizations and citizens is more dynamic and more multiverse than we’ve seen in most other platforms before.” More than a third of the most-watched videos came from citizens.

Than more than half came from news organizations, but footage in those videos sometimes incorporated footage shot by YouTube users.

The Japanese earthquake and tsunami was the most-viewed news event during the length of the study, which spanned January 2011 to March 2012. The top videos from Japan included footage from surveillance cameras, a news network and a Japanese Coast Guard vessel - a typical variety of sources. Such dramatic events were often among the most watched videos. Other pop-

ular news events included the Russian elections, unrest in the Middle East, the collapse of a fair stage in Indiana and the crash of an Italian cruise ship.

“One of the things that emerges here is the power of bearing witness as a part of a news consumption process,” said Mitchell.

“Many of the most viewed stories that we’re looking at here have real powerful imagery around them.” The results depicted both reasons for concern and encouragement for traditional news outlets. While citizen journalism accounts for a large slice of viewership on YouTube, its users are also eager distributers of professional news video. The study shows YouTube as a global news arena where professional and amateur video bleed together, and is made consumable in on-demand style.

That kind of atmosphere also makes for issues of authenticity. Though YouTube has guidelines for news video, they aren’t always followed and some videos go viral despite uncertain sources. “This is a young platform and there’re certainly aspects of this interplay and the way information is going to flow that’s still being worked out,” said Mitchell. A relatively nascent new organization, Russia Today, a network founded in 2005 and backed by the Russian government that often reports rumor, had easily the most videos among the most-viewed. The second mostviewed news organization among the top videos was Fox News, although the study pointed out that more than half of those videos were posted in criticism of the network.— AP

NEW YORK: Many people in the United States think it is okay to retrieve sperm or eggs from a dead or dying spouse in order to have children in the future, but only if there is written consent, according to a survey. That poll of more than 1,000 US adults appeared in the journal Fertility & Sterility and asked people about their views on “posthumous reproduction.”

Most often, the process involves egg, sperm or embryos that were frozen by a person before undergoing medical treatment that could cause infertility, usually chemotherapy or radiation for cancer. If that person dies, their surviving partner may use the eggs or sperm to have a child through assisted reproduction. In those cases, couples would have typically planned for, and documented, what should be done with the sperm or eggs if the ill partner died.

But in recent years, it’s become possible to do “emergency” retrieval of sperm or eggs when somebody suddenly dies or becomes terminally ill. The typical situation involves a young cou-

ple who planned on having children but never thought about what to do if one of them died unexpectedly, said Sara Barton of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, who led the study.

“In those cases, there is virtually never any written directive,” she said.

Emergency requests to harvest sperm or eggs are not common. At Brigham and Women’s fertility center, doctors have had one or two such requests per year in the past few years, Barton said. But doctors do not have clear guidance on how to handle emergency requests. Barton and her colleagues tried to gauge people’s attitudes in an online survey of 1,049 people, aged 18 to 75.

After reading a short explanation of “posthumous reproduction,” close to half of the respondents said they thought a person should be able to request that sperm or eggs be taken from their dead or dying partner.

About one-fifth said they didn’t know while the rest were opposed. Most people felt it

should only be done if there was written consent from the deceased. Of people who supported posthumous reproduction, 70 percent said written consent should be mandatory which would in reality mean that most emergency requests could not be filled, Barton said.

“I think our findings put into question doing the (emergency) retrieval at all,” she added.

The study also asked people what they would want for themselves. Half of the respondents said they would not want sperm or eggs taken from them if they died, including 41 percent of respondents who were still in their reproductive years. At present, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine has no specific guidelines on emergency requests for sperm or egg retrieval, but the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology does. It says that written consent is a must, and there should be a minimum oneyear waiting period before the frozen eggs or sperm are actually used.— Reuters

CA restaurants duck foie gras ban with a little bite SAN FRANCISCO: California’s new ban on the production and sale of foie gras took eight years to go into effect, but restaurants have wasted little time in finding creative ways to duck the law. The delicacy sparked the ire of animal rights’ activists because it is made from the engorged livers of ducks or geese that are force-fed through funnel-like tubes. It became illegal in the state this month to make or sell food derived from force-fed birds. Restaurateurs and chefs, however, are using loopholes and clever wordplay to keep the dish on the market, a sign that passions run high on both sides of the issue.

Presidio Social Club, a restaurant located on a former military base owned by the National Park Service, put foie gras back on its menu on Saturday. Its owners claim the state ban does not apply to them since the eatery is on federal land.

Chefs at Hot’s Kitchen in Los Angeles County and Chez TJ restaurant in Mountain View, Calif., are giving away foie gras as free additions, arguing that the ban does not explicitly prohibit distribution. Other establishments, like San Francisco’s Palio d’Asti, are offering to have their chefs prepare any foie gras brought in by customers. Rob Black, the executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, said these actions reflect how the law created an “environment where you don’t know what’s legal. It creates confusion what restaurants or distributers can or can’t do.”

The attempts to get around the ban have angered the man who introduced it in 2004, former state Sen John Burton.

“Shame on them, it’s the law,” Burton said, adding that enforcing the law should focus on farms that force feed birds and not restaurants. “The bill has nothing to do with food; it has to do with cruelty to animals.” Animal control officers have investigated one restaurant in San Francisco and plan to investigate another for selling foie gras. Representatives say restaurants that exploit loopholes put them in a bind. “I think the law has some major loopholes, and we cannot extend the law,” said Animal Care and Control Deputy Director Kat Brown.

Elsewhere in the state, responsibility for enforcement is unclear. In Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health plans to investigate restaurants that sell foie gras as part of its health inspections unless told otherwise, representative Angelo Bellomo said. But other agencies that can fine offenders do not have the means to do so. “With budget cuts, this just isn’t something we can add to our plate right now,” said Marcia Mayeda, director of Los Angeles County’s Department of Animal Care and Control.

Legal experts say the Presidio Social Club might be on safe legal ground in defying the ban because courts have held that state regulations generally do not apply to federal property.

They do not hold sway on Native American reservations either. — AP

CENDERAWASIH BAY: In this handout photograph, US scientist Brent Stewart is seen tagging a whale shark in Cenderawasih Bay in the eastern province of Papua. — AFP

Indonesia’s whale sharks get pet tags JAKARTA: The “unique habit” of whale sharks that converge to feed from fishing nets in Indonesia has allowed them to be tagged with low-cost technology usually used on pets, conservationists said yesterday. Experts in June injected tiny pill-sized radio transmitters beneath the skin of 30 whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay in the eastern province of Papua, conservation group WWF said.

And it was only made possible because the giant animals, which measure up to 45 feet but are harmless to humans, were gathered to feed on fish caught in fishermen’s nets, WWF Indonesia project leader Beny Ahadian Noor said. A YouTube video

by Conservation International (CI) showing a whale shark sucking fish from a hole in a net in clear blue waters has now attracted more than one million views (www.youtube.com/watch?v=71FLO_6JJV o). “Radio-frequency identification (RFID)

tags have been used on pets such as dogs, but this is the first time on whale sharks,” Noor said.

Researchers would usually use a more sophisticated satellite method, at $4,000 a tag. But Noor said each radio-frequency tag used in Cenderawasih Bay cost only $4. “It’s good enough for a start since we have little information about the behavior of whale sharks here,” he said. Marine biologist Mark Erdmann, who joined the expedition, said it was “fairly impractical to swim after the giants with a receiver wand under water”. “ What makes this tagging possible in Cenderawasih Bay is the unique habit this population has of aggregating at... fishing platforms to feast upon the small silverside baitfish that the fishers are catching,” he said. Whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, are classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN.)— AFP

S Korea scraps fiercely criticized whaling plan SEOUL: South Korea has decided to scrap its fiercely criticized plan to resume “scientific” whaling, apparently because of international pressure, a report said yesterday.

“Discussions between government ministries have been concluded in a way that effectively scraps the plan to allow whaling in coastal waters,” an unnamed senior government official told Yonhap news agency. “Even if it is for scientific research, we have to take into consideration that this has emerged as a sensitive issue at home and abroad.”

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries declined to confirm the report. Kang Joon-Suk, a senior ministry official, said last week that South Korea may scrap its plan if experts come up with non-lethal means to study the mammals. South Korea unveiled its plan to resume whaling at an International Whaling Commission meeting this month in Panama, sparking an international outcry. It said it would use a loophole in a global moratorium that permits killing of whales for “scientific” research.

Greenpeace described scientific whaling as “thinly disguised commercial whaling”. France, the United States, Australia and New Zealand also spoke out strongly against Seoul’s plan. South Korea cited what it called a significant increase in whale stocks in its waters and consequent damage to fisheries.

If it went ahead, it would be the fourth country to kill whales, excluding allowances for indigenous groups.

Norway and Iceland openly defy the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling, saying they believe stocks are healthy.

Japan already uses the loophole for scientific research, with the meat then going to the dinner plate.— AFP

SEOUL: South Korean animal rights activists hold dolphin and whaleshaped balloons during a rally to oppose South Korean government’s recent plan to resume whaling yesterday. —AP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

What’s your style?

KUWAIT: We encounter conflict, on a daily basis and within different forums. How should we resolve such conflicts and should all conflicts be resolved in the same manner?

The real question, however, is what is your conflict resolution style? Once you are able to answer this question, it will give you great insight into your personality and may even lead you to make some adjustments, so as to address conflict more effectively.

Remember conflict isn’t always bad as it can be a medium where ideas are exchanged and or generated. Conflict resolution is the “the process of ending a disagreement between two or more people in a constructive fashion for all parties involved”. In general, individuals use one of five conflict resolution strategies: Avoidance, Accommodation, Use of Force, Compromise, or Collaboration.

When we utilize an Avoidance style, we basically run

Dr Nisreen and Juliet away from the problem, or ignore it. At first glance, the use of the Avoidance strategy seems to be a negative approach as it can lead to an increase of the conflict and it reinforces the idea that conflict is bad and should be avoided.

However, Avoidance can be productive when utilized appropriately. For example, if your involvement in a situation will only result in negative outcomes for you and your attention is better directed elsewhere, then you should engage in Avoidance. Also, sometimes, Avoidance can be an initial step used in order to collect more information before addressing the conflict situation. Remember, however, this is never the strategy to use when safety and ethical issues are involved.

As for the second style, Accommodation, it basically involves putting your goals aside to satisfy the other party’s goals. The use of this style shows that you can be reasonable and flexible if you are wrong or outnumbered. It also minimizes your losses if you are going to lose anyway

and it can display trust of the other party’s judgment.

However, Accommodation should not be the strategy to go with if you are trying to set a precedent as it may lessen the power of the party giving in.

The third style is that of using Force. This style does not necessarily mean aggression but more of assertiveness and determination to achieve your goals at the expense of the other party. This style is best used when a decision needs to be made quickly in an important matter, such as one involving legality and ethics. However, this is never the style to engage in if you have limited information and knowledge about the matter in hand and if it’s the first time you are in a conflict with a party that you are invested in maintaining a long term relationship with.

The next style is that of Compromise, which basically involves both parties giving up something to get partial goal attainment. This seems to be a very diplomatic strategy as it demonstrates the willingness to meet halfway despite having mutually exclusive goals. It can also be seen as a win for both parties as it demonstrates equal balance of power. However, you should never compromise on issues involving legalities, safety, and ethics. This is also not the style to engage in if both parties’ goals are compatible and if you are seeking a creative solution. The final conflict resolution style is that of Collaboration, whereby both parties actively try to find a solution that will satisfy them both.

This style emphasizes the notion that conflict can be productive in that it promotes creativity, and demonstrates the respect and commitment of both parties. This strategy, however, is time consuming and should not be used if time and flexibility are a factor and if a third party is involved.

Having knowledge about the different conflict resolution styles can give you insight into your own personality, and the personality of others. Noteworthy is that many factors play into the conflict and the resolution itself. Individual personalities, past life experiences, expectations, hidden agendas, perceptions, and needs are a few of the key factors that dictate which conflict resolution style is selected.

All that said, it’s important to always address any conflict with reduced defensiveness, respect for the other part’s ideas and opinions, and open body language. This will ensure a more positive conflict resolution environment and increase the probability of effective communication and problem solving. Should you require further assistance in understanding your conflict resolution style, processing past experiences that may be impacting ineffective conflict resolution styles, or would like to develop your conflict resolution strategies, you can always contact one of our specialized team members.

Dr Nisrine Aboul-Hosn and Dr Juliet Dinkha sghazal@kaizen-kw.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

US approves first pill to help prevent HIV Latest milestone in 30-year battle against the virus WASHINGTON: The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection, the latest milestone in the 30-year battle against the virus that causes AIDS. The agency approved Gilead Sciences’ pill Truvada as a preventive measure for healthy people who are at high risk of acquiring HIV through sexual activity, such as those who have HIV-infected partners. The decision comes less than two weeks after the agency approved another landmark product: the first over-the-counter HIV test that Americans can use in the privacy of their homes.

The two developments are seen as the biggest steps in years toward curbing the spread of HIV in the US, which has held steady at about 50,000 new infections per year for the last 15 years. An estimated 1.2 million Americans have HIV, which develops into AIDS unless treated with antiviral drugs. And it’s estimated that one-fifth, or about 240,000 people, are unaware that they are infected. “I think the combination of self-testing and a medicine that you can take at home to prevent infection could mean a whole new approach to HIV prevention that is a bit more realistic,” said Dr Demetre Daskalakis of New York University’s Langone Medical Center, who served on the FDA panel that recommended approving Truvada.

While a positive step forward, Daskalakis added that Truvada would likely be unavailable for many people without health insurance, who often face the greatest risk of acquiring HIV. Researchers had long sought to create a pill that could help stem the epidemic. Public health advocates said Monday that Truvada represents a major breakthrough, both as a medical therapy and as a means of expanding other preventive measures. Patients who get a prescription for Truvada will be expected to take part in a comprehensive HIV prevention plan, which experts say will enhance the drug’s impact. “It really marks a new era in HIV prevention because in adding Truvada as a prevention strategy, what comes with it is expanded access to HIV testing, condoms and preventive counseling and support,” said James Loduca, vice president of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. But HIV experts have raised concerns that patients might not use the drug correctly. Dr Tom Giordano of Baylor College of Medicine said Monday the drug must be taken every day to be effective, and would be most effective for a relatively small group of people.

“It’s been most effective in people who are at very high risk and are able to take the drug on a regular basis,” said Giordano, who served on the FDA panel that recommended approving the drug. “When you really boil it down that’s going to be a relatively focused population, but it’s an important population to treat.” The drug’s label carries a warning that people should be tested to make sure they don’t have HIV before starting

Truvada. Patients who already have the virus could develop resistance to the drug, making their disease more difficult to treat. The label also warns of side effects, including kidney and liver problems.

Gilead Sciences Inc. has marketed Truvada since 2004 as a treatment for people who are already infected with the virus.

The once-a-day pill is a combination of two older HIV drugs, Emtriva and Viread. Starting in 2010, studies showed that the drug could prevent people from contracting HIV when used as a precautionary measure. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 percent, when accompanied by condoms and counseling. Last year, another study found that Truvada reduced infection by 75 percent in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not.

Because Truvada is on the market to manage HIV, some doctors already prescribe it as a preventive measure. FDA approval will allow Gilead Sciences to formally market the drug for that use, which could dramatically increase prescriptions.

Truvada’s groundbreaking preventive ability has exposed disagreements about managing the disease among those in the HIV community. Groups including the AIDS Healthcare Foundation asked the FDA to reject the new indication, saying it could give patients a false sense of security and reduce the use of condoms, the most reliable preventive measure against HIV. But FDA scientists said Monday said there was no indication from clinical trials that Truvada users were more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. “What we found was that condom use increased over time and sexually transmitted infections either remained at baseline levels or decreased,” said Dr Debra Birnkrant, FDA’s director of antiviral products. “So in essence, we don’t have any strong evidence that condoms were not used or there was a decrease in condom use.” Gilead Sciences said Monday that it would keep the pill at its current price, nearly $14,000 per year. Even at that price, HIV physicians said the drug could be cost effective if it prevents people from contracting the virus. “It is expensive, but on the other hand it’s far cheaper than a lifetime of HIV treatment,” said Dr Joel Gallant of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “So if there are people who will not use condoms but are willing to use this, then for those people it’s cost effective.” The lifetime cost of treating one person diagnosed with the AIDS virus has been estimated at more than $600,000. The decision by the FDA on Truvada follows its approval of the OraQuick test earlier this month. The test, which detects the presence of HIV in saliva collected using a mouth swab and returns a result within 40 minutes, is aimed at people who might not otherwise be tested. The FDA has said the test is not 100 percent accurate.— AP

30

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

WHAT’S ON Congrats

KKSMC asks for spiritual awareness during Ramadan li Murad Mohd Arshad passed with distinction the AVSEC basic security course in accordance with ICAO ASTPs 123 conducted at Kuwait Airways Training Center recently. Congratulations from family and friends Essa Baloch, Khalid, Mubasher, Arshad, Amjad, Yaser, Shadow, Tariq and Mansha.

A

Announcements

uwait Kerala Sunni Muslim Council (www.sunnicouncil.org), a sociocultural organization established in Kuwait more than a decade ago and one of the 15 member of associations of the Federation of Indian Muslim Associations (FIMA) conducted classes on “Spiritual awareness of Muslims” during the holy month of Ramadan. Kutty Faizi welcomed the guests. The classes were held on 13th July, 2012 at the residence of Badusha, a senior member of Sunni Council immediately after Friday prayers in Salmiya.

The classes were attended by about 100 members of KKSMC. The speakers, Ismail Hudaiwi, KKSMC Secretary and a graduate of “Huda Islamic University” at

K

Indian Embassy passport and visa Passports and Visa applications can be deposited at the two outsourced centers of M/S BLS Ltd at Sharq and Fahaheel. Details are available at www.bls-international.com and www.indembkwt.org .

Consular Open House Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall at the Embassy. For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) can be contacted.

Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances.

Indian workers helpline/helpdesk Indian workers helpline is accessible by toll free telephone number 25674163 from all over Kuwait. It provides information and advice to Indian workers as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. The help desk at the Embassy (Open from 9AM to 1PM and 2PM to 4:30PM, Sunday to Thursday) provides guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal and other issues. It also provides workers assistance in filling up labour complaint forms. For any unaddressed issues, the concerned attachÈ in the Labour section and the head of the Labour Wing can be contacted.

Chemmad, Malappuram district of Kerala gave the keynote address along with Sayyid Ghalib Al-Mashoor Thangal, a scholar and former researcher of Islamic studies at Islamic Nasr Institute - Cairo (a subsidiary of Al-Azhar University) who spoke about the advantage of fasting during the month of Ramadan. Both scholars asked the audience “Why Do Muslims Fast in Ramadan?” Fasting in the month of Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam. Muslims observe the fast happily in obedience of Allah and to seek His reward. Ramadan is a great chance for Muslims to be united and maintain their faith. It teaches Muslims spiritual discipline, self-control, patience and perseverance.

Muslims fast in order to obey the order of Allah, their Creator. Being AllWise and All-Knowing, He alone knows what ails humans and what benefits them. As Muslims we believe that Allah, who created us has provided for our spiritual welfare even as Allah has provided for our physical needs. Allah did so by sending prophets and messengers who guided us unto the straight path, and by adhering to it, humans can realize their full humanity and attain ultimate felicity in this world and the next. Fasting in Ramadan, together with prayer, zakat and pilgrimage to Makkah, is part of a comprehensive program whose purpose is to inculcate in humans true consciousness of their mission in life as Allah ‘s ser-

vants and develop the right attitude.

Monthly “zikr halqa” was also convened at the premises. Shamsuddin Moulavi, the convenor of daawa cell made a short speech during the event.

The classes were adjourned with a tasty lunch followed by duaa by Sayyid Ghalib Thangal, the Organizing Secretary of KKSMC. Marakkar Kutty, the city halqa convener arranged special transportation for the attendees.

The Regency brings Ramadan joy with array of traditional flavours s the holy month of Ramadan approaches it is a good time to join family, friends and colleagues to celebrate the kinship of humanity and reflect on the important things in life.

Ramadan at The Regency combines elegance with inner reflection, this year’s Ramadan at The Regency offers truly memorable iftar, ghabqa and suhour experiences. From Maghrib prayer onwards at Silk Road, the night time buffets burst with colour. Guests are offered a plethora of traditional treats from all over the Middle East including culinary specialties from the Levant and a swathe of international dishes and sweets.

Sumptuous iftar buffets offer the finest quality cuisine with countless live cooking stations, mixed grills, unlimited hot and cold mezze, including favourite appetizers and main courses, not forgetting the splendid qozi - a whole roast lamb served on saffron rice with pomegranate seeds. For late night diners there are splendid suhour set menus.

The Regency is proud to produce a huge range of homemade Arabic sweets to rejuvenate those who are fasting, together with traditional drinks such as the ruby-red karkade, made from red hibiscus; the apricot-flavoured qamar al deen; deliciously sweet jallab - made with molasses and fragrant rosewater. Of course Arabic coffee will be available, as

A

well as the light drinking yoghurt known as laban, both can be paired with succulent dates - perfect for breaking fast.

Outside, guests can take advantage of the hotel rooms’ wonderful balconies with sea views, rejuvenate in the gardens, or relax in the comfortable chairs around the pools. Some may enjoy simply listening to the breaking ocean waves under the twinkling stars. The Regency is well known for its exquisite ghabqas, held in the numerous ornate

ballrooms. These private gatherings offer dazzling feasts and wonderful Ramadan refreshments where colleagues or large groups can relax together. With many years’ expertise, The Regency’s banqueting department consists of consummate professionals who can create an unforgettable event that will be the talk of the town.

General Manager, Riaz said: “Ramadan is a very important time for The Regency, I would like to wish all our patrons, past

and future, their friends and families a blessed month and thank them for their support. The Regency has become recognized for its unending quest for quality, we hope this year’s Ramadan will create compelling guest experiences that are in line with the spirit of the season, marked by thoughtfulness and compassion”.

The Regency prides itself on being an independent, family-owned luxury property. The theme of family therefore plays a role in the hotel during this summer period. For a captivating evening of premium teas, served hot or cold, coffee and snacks, Al Liwan will open at sunset offering sublime panoramic views of the sea. The ever popular high tea at Al Liwan, which serves unique gryphon teas and delectable English treats, will still be served, however it will require prior reservation of minimum 24 hours.

Ramadan festivities start on the first day of Ramadan until Eid-al-Fitr; iftar buffet will open daily at Silk Road from 6.00 pm to 11.00 pm and an exclusive set menu for suhour will be available from 11.00 pm to 2.00 am.

Legal Advice Clinic Free legal advice is provided on matters pertaining to labour disputes, terms of contracts with employers, death/accident compensation, withholding of dues by employers, etc. by lawyers on our panel, to Indian nationals on all working days between 1500hrs to 1600hrs.

Ambassador’s Open House The Open House for Indian citizens by the Ambassador is being held on all Wednesdays at the Embassy for redressal of grievances. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day.

Aware Centre ‘Leniency of Islam’ An unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

he AWARE Management is glad to inform you that Summer 3 Arabic language courses will begin on August 12, 2012 until September 26, 2012. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in

“T

the private business sector. Arabic classes at the AWARE Center are unique because students are provided with the chance to practice their Arabic through various social activities that aim at bringing Arabs and Westerners together.

AWARE Arabic courses highlights * Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics * Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic

* Combine language learning with cultural insights * Taught in multi-nationality group settings * Provide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs.

For more information, call 25335260/80 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw.”

Competitions in patriotic songs ndo-Kuwait Friendship Society, Kuwait (www.indo-kuwaitfriendshipsociety.com) is planning to conduct competitions in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. This is the first time in Kuwait, an Indian Association is organizing contests in “Patriotic Songs” for both Indian and Kuwaiti School students. The first 3 places will be declared separately by Judges who are experts in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. Several prizes and awards will be handed over for the winning schools.

Pradeep Rajkumar and A K S Abdul Nazar said that IKFS wants let our children learn what they mean as a “Patriotic” to their home country. 4 pages of spot Essay com-

I

petition related to “Patriotism” also will be held in the same day as a spot registration. 1 Girl and 1 Boy student from each School can participate in the ESSAY contest. Dr. Mohamed Tareq, Chairman of the First Indian Model School in Kuwait “ Salmiya Indian Model School (SIMS) already confirmed as a Co-Sponsor of the Program.

Conditions apply 1) The competitions are meant for all the Schools located in Kuwait and should be nominated by school authority.

2) Each school can select group of 7 students for the “PATRIOTIC SONGS (Indian and Kuwaiti)” and nominate separately.

3) Children of above 12 years till 17 years

(VII classes to XII classes) are eligible for the contest. But if School is permitted 4) Musical instruments or KARAOKE mixer should be accompanied by the participating students/Children and the school team should operate and select the mixers.

5) Time frame: 7 minutes - Names will be called as “First come” in the Registration.

The Event will be held at the auditorium of “Salmiya Indian Model School” on Saturday, 27th October 2012 from 09:30 am onwards. It will be a full day program with fun and full of entertainments. Food-stalls of different Kuwaiti and Indian tastes will installed.

Ramadan Iftar he AWARE Center cordially invites you to its Ramadan Iftar to be preceded by a lecture entitled, “The Meaning of Ramadan,” by Iman Martin on July 26th, 2012 at 6:00pm.

Ramadan presents a wonderful opportunity for westerners to learn more about Kuwait, to meet new individuals & have questions regarding Islam & the Holy month of Ramadan answered.

During this special month, the communal meal referred to as Iftar, breaks the fast at the end of the day & brings family & friends together. As part of AWARE’s Ramadan activities, we invite you to join us for a Ramadan presentation followed by a traditional “Iftar dinner,” at the AWARE Center.

Limited Seats: Advance reservations required at joumana@aware.com.kw.”

“T

31

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

WHAT’S ON

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 ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) 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 Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency.

■■■■■■■

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.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF INDIA During the holy month of Ramadan, the office timings of the Indian Passport and Visa Service Centres of BLS International Visa Services Co, Kuwait, situated at (i) Emad Commercial Centre, Basement Floor, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Sharq, Kuwait, and (ii) Mujamma Unood, 4th floor, Office No. 25-26 Makka Street, Fahaheel, Kuwait, will be from 8.00 am - 3.00 pm from Saturday to Thursday (i.e. six days a week). Tokens for submission of applications will NOT be issued after 2.00 pm. Delivery of passports and visas will be from 11.00 am onwards. Embassy of India, Kuwait, will maintain its usual working hours.

■■■■■■■

Ramadan at Missoni: East meets West!

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform Kenyan residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that with effect from June 1, 2012 the Embassy has moved from its current location to a new location in Surra Block 1, Street 8, Villa 303.

Please note that the new telephone and fax numbers will be communicated as soon as possible. For enquiries you can contact Consular Section on mobile 90935162 or 97527306.

■■■■■■■

reak your fast at Hotel Missoni Kuwait and indulge in delightful, inspirational food from the east delicacy and art from the west. Hotel Missoni Kuwait is celebrating the holy month of Ramadan through an extraordinary culinary journey for iftar and ghabka. A traditional Ramadan experience is made by a team of experienced chefs which will bring happiness and joy to you and your families.

B

This year, Hotel Missoni is giving the option to its guests to select their iftar venues at their choice. Luna Restaurant, located on the 18th floor, offers a scrumptious iftar buffet with a stunning view of the nightfall, opening from sunset till 08:30. Choco Cafe Ramadan Tent, a new addition to Hotel Missoni this year, will give you the opportunity to indulge in Ramadan treats and enjoy a lavish ghabka and sohour buffet on the

beat of oriental chill-out music.

For groups requiring a larger venue, our Missoni ballroom can be set for classical oriental evenings as well as several banquet rooms to cater for large or small iftar and sohour events.

Exquisite culinary experiences in Ramadan at the Sheraton njoy your Ramadan nights at Sheraton Kuwait’s famous Ramadan tent where the traditional settings of Ramadan and the warm family atmosphere can be experienced.

Sheraton’s team of expert chefs will be preparing mouthwatering dishes to titillate every palate. Enjoy our open buffet and live cooking stations for iftar and suhour whilst quenching your thirst and boosting your energy with our traditional Ramadan beverages which include jelab, tamarhindi, ark sous, kamardine to name a few. In addition to the live music for suhour that captures the spirit of the holy month.

Al Hambra international restaurant will be open for a la carte dining daily from 7:00 pm until 1:00 am. For a moment of respite, relax in the elegance of the English Tea Lounge and enjoy the traditional English hospitality open daily during the holy month of Ramadan from 7:00 pm until 2:00 am. For a new experience, visit the The English Tea Lounge in its unique location at The Avenues Mall and will welcome you everyday during Ramadan from 8:00 pm until 1:00 am where you can discover the best of English tea, light snacks, selection of fresh coffee and other beverages in a fabulous atmosphere.

For your private functions during the holy month of Ramadan, the Sheraton Kuwait has prepared a wide selection of Ramadan menus for iftar, ghabqa and suhour.

“Sheraton Kuwait wishes everyone Ramadan Mubarak and invites you all to savour in the divine ensemble of experiences in celebration with family, friends and loved ones during the holy month”, said Fahed Abushaar, Area Director and General Manager of the Sheraton Kuwait.

E

Gulf Bank announces Ramadan working hours ulf Bank has announced the opening hours for its branches during the holy month of Ramadan based on the resolution of Kuwait Banking Association (KBA) to standardize working hours for all local banks. Therefore, Gulf Bank’s branches will be receiving its customers between 10:00 am and 1:30 pm from the first day of Ramadan and throughout the holy month, resuming its regular working hours on the first business day following the Eid Al- Fitr holidays.

During the Holy Month, customers will continue to have roundthe-clock access to Gulf Bank on 1805805, where Gulf Bank staff are available 24 hours to directly assist customers. Customers can also log on to Gulf Bank’s website, www.egulfbank.com, to get more information about the bank’s latest products and services.

On this blessed occasion, Gulf Bank would like to convey its sincere congratulations and best wishes to the Amir of the State of Kuwait HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah . May Allah Almighty safeguard and preserve them for their nation, as well as to the government and people of Kuwait.

G

EMBASSY OF MEXICO The Embassy of Mexico is pleased to inform that it is located in CLIFFS Complex, Villa 6, Salmiya, block 9, Baghdad street, Jadda Lane 7. The working hours for consular issues are from 9:00 to 12:00 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 14:00 to 15:00 hours for lunch break. The Embassy of Mexico kindly requests all Mexicans citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the e-mail: embkuwait@sre.gob.mx in order to register or update contact information. Other consultations or/and appointments could be done by telephone or fax: (+965) 2573 1952 ■■■■■■■

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, AlSalaam 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 ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA During the holy month of Ramadan, the South African Embassy will be open to the public, Sunday through Thursday from 09:00 am to 13:00 pm. Please note that the Consular Section operation hours will be from 09:30 am to 12:00 pm, Sunday through Thursday.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF THAILAND The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishes to invite the Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s business and trade database.

The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:40 02:35 03:00 03:30 04:25 05:20 05:45 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 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 16:55 17:25 18:20 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05

I’m Alive Untamed & Uncut Rescue Vet Rescue Vet World Wild Vet Wild France Stranger Among Bears In Too Deep Safari Vet School Safari Vet School Karina: Wild On Safari Corwin’s Quest Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Breed All About It Growing Up...

Wild France Wildlife SOS Going Ape Animal Cops Specials 2009 Rescue Vet Rescue Vet Animal Precinct Wild France Karina: Wild On Safari Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Natural Born Hunters Natural Born Hunters World’s Ugliest Dog Competition Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Wildlife SOS Going Ape Stranger Among Bears In Too Deep Wild France

00:25 00:55 01:25 01:55 02:50 03:35 04:05 04:25 04:35 04:45 05:00 05:25 05:40 05:50 06:10 06:20 06:30 06:45 07:10 07:25 07:35 08:05 08:35 09:20 09:50 10:15 10:45 11:15 12:05 12:35 13:05 13:35 14:05 14:35 15:05 15:35 16:25 17:10 17:40 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:50 21:20 21:50

Bleak House Eastenders Doctors London Hospital The Weakest Link After You’ve Gone Fimbles Tellytales Little Prairie Dogs Nina And The Neurons Show Me Show Me Boogie Beebies Charlie And Lola Fimbles Tellytales Little Prairie Dogs Nina And The Neurons Show Me Show Me Boogie Beebies Charlie And Lola After You’ve Gone 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Bleak House Bleak House London Hospital Lead Balloon After You’ve Gone 2 Point 4 Children Eastenders Doctors Bleak House Bleak House London Hospital The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Casualty My Family Fawlty Towers Life On Mars Big Top Last Of The Summer Wine Great Ormand Street

00:20 01:10 01:55 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 Living

Come Dine With Me Holmes On Homes Holmes On Homes MasterChef MasterChef MasterChef Rachel’s Favourite Food For

04:25 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 04:50 Rick Stein’s French Odyssey 05:15 James Martin’s Brittany 05:40 Living In The Sun 06:30 Living In The Sun 07:20 MasterChef Australia 08:05 MasterChef Australia 08:50 Bargain Hunt 09:35 Antiques Roadshow 10:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 11:45 10 Years Younger 12:35 What Not To Wear 13:25 What Not To Wear 14:15 Bargain Hunt 15:00 Antiques Roadshow 15:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:10 Come Dine With Me 18:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 18:25 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 18:50 Rick Stein’s French Odyssey 19:15 James Martin’s Brittany 19:40 James Martin’s Brittany 20:00 Come Dine With Me 20:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 22:10 Antiques Roadshow

00:15 01:10 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 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 16:55 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25

Monsters Inside Me Sons Of Guns Rattlesnake Republic Finding Bigfoot Wreckreation Nation Monsters Inside Me How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Swamp Loggers American Chopper Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Auction Kings How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Dynamo: Magician Impossible Mythbusters Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings Ultimate Survival American Chopper Fifth Gear Swamp Loggers Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Border Security Auction Kings The Gadget Show Stan Lee’s Superhumans Mythbusters

00:30 Street Customs 01:15 Treasure Quest 02:05 1,000 Places To See Before You Die 02:50 Wild Fisherman: Norway 03:40 Mythbusters 04:30 Sunrise Earth 05:25 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 06:10 Cafe Racer 06:35 Cafe Racer 07:00 Wild Fisherman: Norway 07:50 Secret Mediterranean 08:35 Treasure Quest 09:25 How Stuff’s Made 09:50 Street Customs 10:35 Mythbusters 11:25 Cafe Racer 11:50 Cafe Racer 12:10 Wild Fisherman: Norway 13:00 Secret Mediterranean 13:50 Treasure Quest 14:35 1,000 Places To See Before You Die 15:25 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 16:15 Deadliest Catch 17:00 Chasing Classic Cars 17:25 Chasing Classic Cars 17:50 Desert Car Kings

8 Mile on OSN Movies Action

18:40 Treasure Quest 19:30 1,000 Places To See Before You Die 20:20 Cafe Racer 20:45 Cafe Racer 21:10 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 22:00 Chasing Classic Cars 22:25 Chasing Classic Cars 22:50 Desert Car Kings 23:40 Deadliest Catch

00:35 Superships 01:25 Science Of The Movies 02:15 Junk Men 03:05 The Gadget Show 03:35 Da Vinci’s Machines 04:25 Moon Machines 05:15 Superships 06:05 Science Of The Movies 07:00 Junk Men 07:50 Head Rush 07:53 Bang Goes The Theory 08:20 Sci-Fi Science 08:50 Sport Science 09:40 Da Vinci’s Machines 10:30 Space Pioneer 15:35 The Gadget Show 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 Bang Goes The Theory 16:30 Sci-Fi Science 17:00 Ten Ways 17:50 Sport Science 18:40 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 19:30 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 20:20 Prophets Of Science Fiction 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Gadget Show 22:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:20 09:35 09:45 10:00 10:11 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:35 19:00 19:25 19:50 20:15 20:25

Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Fish Hooks Recess So Random Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mouk Recess Fish Hooks So Random Hannah Montana Fish Hooks Jake & Blake Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Timon And Pumbaa Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Jessie A.N.T. Farm Cheetah Girls 2 Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Cars Toons So Random

00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 E!es 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 THS 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 30 Best & Worst Beach Bodies 12:05 E! News 13:05 Khloe And Lamar 13:35 Khloe And Lamar 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 E!es 17:25 Mrs. Eastwood And Company 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 20:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:55 Mrs. Eastwood And Company 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:45 02:35 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 23:15 23:40

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Outrageous Food Guy’s Big Bite Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Meat & Potatoes Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Outrageous Food Unwrapped Unique Eats Chopped Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics World Cafe Asia Food Network Challenge Unique Sweets Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics Paula’s Best Dishes World Cafe Asia Easy Chinese: San Francisco Extra Virgin Everyday Italian Unwrapped Unique Eats Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Food Network Challenge Grill It! With Bobby Flay Cooking For Real Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics Mexican Made Easy Unique Sweets Paula’s Best Dishes Extra Virgin Chopped Cooking For Real Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Unique Eats Unwrapped Reza, Spice Prince Of India Unique Sweets Food Network Challenge Chopped United Tastes Of America Unique Sweets Unique Eats Unwrapped Grill It! With Bobby Flay

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

Nomads Travel Madness Travel Madness David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway Exploring The Vine Exploring The Vine Dive Detectives Asia Action Challenge 2000 Nomads Travel Madness Travel Madness David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway Exploring The Vine Exploring The Vine Dive Detectives Asia Action Challenge 2000 Nomads Travel Madness Travel Madness David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway Exploring The Vine Naked Lentil Dive Detectives Asia Action Challenge 2000 Nomads Perilous Journeys Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet Danger Beach Danger Beach Extreme Tourist Afghanistan Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:20 02:50 03:45 04:40 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 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Rescue Ink I, Predator Animals Of Brazil Animals Of Brazil Caught In The Act Dangerous Encounters Africa’s Deadliest Caught In The Act Dangerous Encounters World’s Wildest Encounters Swamp Men Wildlife Rescue Africa Planet Carnivore Dam Beavers Caught In The Act Dangerous Encounters World’s Deadliest Swamp Men Wildlife Rescue Africa Animals Of Brazil Animals Of Brazil Caught In The Act Dangerous Encounters World’s Wildest Encounters Swamp Men

00:00 Malibu Shark Attack-18 02:00 Gridlock’d-18 04:00 Twins Mission-PG15 06:00 Fantastic Four-PG15 08:00 True Justice: Lethal Justice-18 09:30 So Close-PG15 11:30 Kingdom Of Heaven-PG15 14:00 True Justice: Lethal Justice-18 16:00 Riddles Of The Sphinx-PG15 17:45 Kingdom Of Heaven-PG15 20:15 The Perfect Host-PG15 22:00 Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Twelve-18 Goodbye Solo-PG15 Bound By A Secret-PG15 District 9-PG15 Goodbye Solo-PG15 Dear John-PG15 A Trace Of Danger-PG15 Bright Star-PG15 Justice For Natalee Holloway-PG15 The Adjustment Bureau-PG15 Toast-PG15 Priest-18

00:30 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Two And A Half Men 2 Broke Girls Man Up! Til Death The Tonight Show With Jay Leno The Simpsons Seinfeld Mad Love Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Til Death 2 Broke Girls The Simpsons The Cleveland Show Happy Endings Mad Love The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Seinfeld Til Death The Simpsons Mad Love Man Up! Happy Endings The Cleveland Show The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Seinfeld Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 2 Broke Girls Whitney Hot In Cleveland Hot In Cleveland The Tonight Show With Jay Leno The Daily Show With Jon Stewart It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia Two And A Half Men Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

Cold Case Perception House White Collar Royal Pains Cold Case Emmerdale Coronation Street Smallville White Collar House Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Smallville Cold Case Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Smallville Hawthorne Grimm Alphas Supernatural

01:00 03:00 04:45 07:00 09:00 10:45 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:15

8 Mile-PG15 Twins Mission-PG15 Iron Man 2-PG15 True Justice: Dark Vengeance Blank Slate-PG15 Iron Man 2-PG15 Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost Blank Slate-PG15 All Star Superman-PG15 Windtalkers-PG15 The Godfather II-18

00:15 Made In Dagenham-PG15 02:15 Labor Pains-PG15 04:00 The Beverly Hillbillies-PG15 06:00 Snow Dogs-PG 08:00 Labor Pains-PG15 10:00 13 Going On 30-PG15 12:00 Sgt. Bilko-PG 14:00 My Best Friend’s Wedding 16:00 13 Going On 30-PG15 18:00 The Secret Of My Success 20:00 Airheads-PG15 22:00 Beavis And Butt-Head Do America-PG15

Kung Fu Panda 2 on OSN Premiere 21:00 Toast-PG15 23:00 The Switch-18

00:00 The Three Bears: The Amazing Adventurers-FAM 02:00 Micropolis-FAM 04:00 Christmas In New York-PG 06:00 The Three Bears: The Amazing Adventurers-FAM 08:00 Free Birds-FAM 10:00 Good Boy!-PG 12:00 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules-PG15 14:00 Toyz Goin’ Wild-PG 16:00 Freddy Frogface-PG 18:00 Good Boy!-PG 20:00 Christopher Columbus-PG 22:00 Toyz Goin’ Wild-PG

00:00 Don’t Look Up-18 02:00 Game Change-PG15 04:00 Battle For Terra-PG15 06:00 Senna-PG15 08:00 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG 10:00 Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure-PG 12:00 Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader-PG 14:00 Our Family Wedding-PG15 16:00 Game Change-PG15 18:00 Oranges And Sunshine-PG15 20:00 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son-PG15 22:00 Roadie-PG15

00:00 Super Rugby Highlights 01:00 Super Rugby 03:00 Super Rugby 05:00 Super Rugby Highlights 06:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 07:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 08:00 The Open Championship Official Film 09:00 NRL Premiership 11:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 12:00 Super Rugby 14:00 NRL Premiership 16:00 The Open Championship Official Film 17:00 The Open Championship Preview 17:30 Super Rugby Highlights 18:30 AFL Premiership 21:00 The Open Championship Official Film 22:00 The Open Championship Preview 22:30 Super Rugby

01:45 Passing Strange-PG15 04:15 Scent Of A Woman-18 07:00 A Simple Twist Of Fate-PG15 09:00 Celine: Through The Eyes Of The World-PG15 11:00 Mammoth-PG15 13:15 The Eclipse-PG15 15:00 Celine: Through The Eyes Of The World-PG15 17:00 2001: A Space Odyssey-PG15 19:15 The Gray Man-PG15 21:00 Love N’ Dancing-PG15 23:00 Babies-18

00:00 WWE Experience 01:00 AFL Premiership 03:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 04:30 Futbol Mundial 05:00 Rugby League Challenge Cup 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Super Rugby 10:00 AFL Premiership 12:30 Super Rugby Highlights 13:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 14:30 Super Rugby 16:30 Futbol Mundial 17:00 Trans World Sport 18:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 19:00 Prizefighter

01:00 The Color Of Money-PG15 03:00 Les Miserables 25th Anniversary-PG15 06:00 Kings Ransom-PG15 07:00 Spy Kids: All The Time In The World-PG 09:00 The Art Of Getting By-PG15 11:00 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG 13:00 The 19th Wife-PG15 15:00 Marmaduke-PG 17:00 The Art Of Getting By-PG15 19:00 Roadie-PG15

00:00 AFL Highlights 01:00 Futbol Mundial 01:30 NRL Full Time 02:00 World Match Racing Tour Highlights 03:00 City Centre Races 04:00 World Cup of Pool 06:00 World Pool Masters 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Asian Tour Golf Show 08:30 European PGA Tour

Highlights 09:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 10:00 World Cup of Pool 12:00 City Centre Races 13:00 Golfing World 14:00 AFL Highlights 15:00 NRL Full Time 15:30 NRL Premiership 17:30 World Match Racing Tour Highlights 21:00 NRL Full Time 21:30 European Tour Weekly 22:00 Golfing World 23:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

NHL V8 Supercars Highlights UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed UFC 149 Countdown UFC Unleashed WWE Vintage Collection WWE NXT NHL UAE National Race Day Series UAE National Race Day Series Mobil 1 The Grid WWE This Week WWE SmackDown WWE Vintage Collection Mobil 1 The Grid V8 Supercars Extra V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Highlights UFC 149 Countdown UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed V8 Supercars Highlights

01:35 03:20 05:20 07:00 08:35 10:10 11:45 13:20 15:35 17:05 18:30 20:15 22:00

The Outfit Whose Life Is It Anyway?

The Letter-FAM Boys’ Town-PG Each Dawn I Die-PG Marlowe-PG Ride The High Country-PG Some Came Running-PG These Wilder Years-PG Invasion Quartet-FAM The Stratton Story-FAM 3 Godfathers-FAM The Fixer

00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30

Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Ax Men Storage Wars Storage Wars No County For Old Men The Universe Patton 360 Ax Men Pawn Stars Pawn Stars The Universe Patton 360 Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Ax Men Storage Wars Storage Wars No County For Old Men Patton 360 The Universe Storage Wars Storage Wars No County For Old Men Patton 360 The Universe Pawn Stars Pawn Stars

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:20 04:15 06:05

Fashion Police Bridalplasty Videofashion Daily Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Clean House

07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:55 11:55 12:50 13:20 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:25 19:25 20:20 21:15 22:10 23:05

Videofashion News Videofashion News Videofashion Daily Open House Fashion Classics How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Clean House Videofashion News Mel B: It’s A Scary World The Amandas How Do I Look?

How Do I Look?

Clean House Clean House Big Rich Texas Big Rich Texas How Do I Look?

How Do I Look?

Fashion Police Wicked Fit

00:10 Puppy In My Pocket 00:35 Tom & Jerry Kids 01:00 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 01:25 The Flintstones 01:50 Pink Panther And Pals 02:15 Looney Tunes 02:40 Popeye Classics 03:00 Dexter’s Laboratory 03:25 Tom & Jerry 03:50 Looney Tunes 04:15 The Scooby Doo Show 04:40 Johnny Bravo 05:00 The Flintstones 05:25 The Jetsons 05:50 Wacky Races 06:00 The Garfield Show 06:15 Tom & Jerry Kids 06:30 Bananas In Pyjamas 06:55 Baby Looney Tunes 07:20 Gerald McBoing Boing 07:45 Ha Ha Hairies 08:00 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 08:25 The Garfield Show 08:50 Johnny Bravo 09:15 Dexter’s Laboratory 09:40 Pink Panther And Pals 10:05 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 10:30 Duck Dodgers 10:55 Looney Tunes 11:15 The Flintstones 11:40 Wacky Races 12:00 Jelly Jamm 12:15 Baby Looney Tunes 12:40 Ha Ha Hairies 12:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 13:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 13:35 Looney Tunes 14:00 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 14:25 Duck Dodgers 14:50 Duck Dodgers 15:15 Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo 15:40 Dastardly And Muttley 16:00 Johnny Bravo 16:15 Johnny Bravo 16:40 Pink Panther And Pals 17:05 Pink Panther And Pals 17:30 The Garfield Show 17:55 The Garfield Show 18:10 Dexter’s Laboratory 19:00 Jelly Jamm 19:15 Baby Looney Tunes 19:40 Ha Ha Hairies 19:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 20:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 20:35 Dexter’s Laboratory 21:00 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 21:25 Duck Dodgers 21:50 Looney Tunes 22:15 The Garfield Show 22:40 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 23:05 Popeye 23:20 The Jetsons 23:45 Duck Dodgers CARTOON NETWORK 00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 00:55 Bakugan: New Vestroia 01:20 Powerpuff Girls 02:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR MEA JZR ETH RJA GFA UAE ETD THY FDB MSR QTR KAC THY JZR DHX JZR AFR KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD BAB GFA MEA JZR MSR IRM JZR JZR IRC KNE MSR RJA GFA FDB JZR QTR KAC SVA ALK JZR KAC KAC KAC QTR FDB KAC IYE ETD UAE UAL GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY KAC QTR BAB KAC KAC FDB KNE MSR RBG JZR KAC KAC JAI JZR KAC KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK JZR KAC KLM UAE JZR ETD BBC ABY QTR JZR UAE AIC FDB GFA UAL FDB JZR MEA DLH MSR THY

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 18/7/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 408 BEIRUT 527 ASSIUT 620 ADDIS ABABA 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 768 ISTANBUL 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 1541 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 6702 PARIS 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 6130 DOHA 53 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 606 LUXOR 5066 MASHAD 561 SOHAG 505 LUXOR 6791 MASHAD 472 JEDDAH 610 CAIRO 640 AMMAN 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 535 CAIRO 140 DOHA 790 MEDINAH 500 JEDDAH 549 COLOMBO 257 BEIRUT 788 JEDDAH 545 ALEXANDRIA 502 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 8053 DUBAI 538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 824 SANAA 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 438 BAHRAIN 166 PARIS 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 460 MEDINAH 620 ASSIUT 3553 ALEXANDRIA 787 RIYADH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 572 MUMBAI 175 DUBAI 102 NEW YORK 774 RIYADH 393 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 481 SABIHA 514 TEHRAN 417 AMSTERDAM 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 43 DHAKA 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 539 CAIRO 3855 DUBAI 975 CHENNAI 59 DUBAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 8051 DUBAI 239 AMMAN 406 BEIRUT 636 FRANKFURT 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL

Time 0:15 0:20 1:00 1:40 1:45 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 3:10 3:20 3:25 4:10 4:35 4:55 5:00 6:00 6:05 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:30 7:45 7:45 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:20 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:20 9:25 9:30 9:35 10:00 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:55 12:25 13:10 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:45 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:15 15:55 16:10 16:35 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 20:55 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:10 22:15 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:55 23:00 23:10 23:35 23:40

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR PIA MEA THY ETH THY UAE FDB ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR RJA JZR JZR GFA THY JZR AFR KAC KAC BAW FDB KAC JZR KAC ABY QTR KAC KAC UAE KAC QTR FDB ETD BAB IRA GFA KAC MEA MSR JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR IRM KNE IRC GFA FDB MSR RJA KAC JZR JZR ALK KAC SVA JZR QTR KAC KAC FDB ETD JZR IYE QTR UAE JZR GFA ABY UAL SVA JZR QTR FDB BAB KNE RBG MSR JZR KAC KAC KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA JZR DHX ALK KLM JZR ABY ETD KAC UAE QTR KAC KAC JZR BBC QTR AXB FDB FDB GFA UAE KAC JZR MEA

Depature Flights on Wednesday 18/7/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 206 LAHORE 409 BEIRUT 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 504 LUXOR 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 534 CAIRO 6702 DUBAI 545 ALEXANDRIA 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 175 FRANKFURT 256 BEIRUT 117 NEW YORK 126 SHARJAH 6131 DOHA 501 BEIRUT 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 789 MADINAH 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 437 BAHRAIN 602 SHIRAZ 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 619 ASSIUT 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 785 JEDDAH 480 ISTANBUL 176 DUBAI 5065 MASHHAD 461 JEDDAH 6792 MASHHAD 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 673 DUBAI 538 CAIRO 174 DUBAI 550 ZURICH 617 DOHA 503 MADINAH 786 RIYADH 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 8054 DUBAI 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 824 SANAA 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 134 BAHRAIN 216 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 477 JEDDAH 3554 ALEXANDRIA 621 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 361 COLOMBO 153 ISTANBUL 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 417 DAMMAM 1540 CAIRO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 381 DELHI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 44 DHAKA 147 DOHA 394 KOCHI 60 DUBAI 8052 DUBAI 218 BAHRAIN 3856 DUBAI 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT 407 BEIRUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 1:25 2:00 2:15 2:45 3:40 3:45 3:50 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 7:30 7:55 8:10 8:20 8:25 8:25 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:05 9:15 9:15 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:25 10:45 11:30 11:55 12:10 12:15 12:30 13:10 13:15 13:20 13:25 14:10 14:15 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:35 15:05 15:10 15:25 15:30 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:25 16:35 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:45 19:55 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:25 23:30 23:45 23:50 23:50 23:59

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

SITUATION VACANT ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for decent bachelor non smoking, Amman street, one room, opposite to Al Rashid hospital.

Contact: 66232356.

(C 4080) 16-7-2012

CHANGE OF NAME “I, VALLATH KOZHIPILLIL NARAYANANKUTTY also known as NANDAN MENON, holding Indian Passport No: Z1120130 of SREEBHADRA, Chandrathil Road, Edappally PO, Cochin - 682024 hereby change my name as VALLATH KOZHIPILLIL NARAYANANKUTTY NANDAN MENON”. (C 4077) 14-7-2012

Urgently needed a cook with knowledge of local and international dishes for Kuwaiti family.

Tel: 94088822. (C 4079) 16-7-2012 Full time live out maid/nanny for three months, starting mid July. Must have own residency. Work from 7am to 7pm, Saturday - Thursday in Salwa. Call 97687172 for interview.

MATRIMONIAL Proposals are invited for a highly qualified, well settled Male, 28 year old Latin Catholic boy from Cochin working at a Semi Government firm in Kuwait, from parents of catholic girls. Interested may please email to edamana28@gmail.com (C 4078) 14-7-2012

112 Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:26 11:54 15:29 18:50 20:19

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 740

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today you may find that you feel you have the world on a string and that string is quite securely tied around your finger! This is also the best time to be productive. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular job. You are never called a dull person, particularly today. You seem to always be popular with others . . . at home and in most any crowd. Others may value the fact that you can always manage to unravel even the worst problems. You could benefit from the advice of older people in order to compare the differences or the commonality of yesterday versus today. You may have some difficulty expressing yourself, especially if there is not much forethought. What you do communicate is very practical. A poem comes into your mind.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Success is indicated in education, politics or law. You intuitively know how to attack and solve problems, whether personal or public. Debate club in school may have been fun because you can debate until the other folks walk away, not necessarily win or lose. Chances are your social skills mean that you are popular with almost everyone, and that makes for good business negotiations. You are political and lucky too! Consider making a career out of your deep-seated interest in other people, partnerships, relationships, etc.

Efficiency at work leads to an evening of play. You and a friend or loved one may decide to check out a local restaurant. There is plenty of cheerful communication coming from your surroundings.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. God of the earth.

4. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

9. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

13. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but heavier than beer.

14. Wife of Balder.

15. A river in central Italy rising in the Apennines and flowing through Florence and Pisa to the Ligurian Sea. 16. In the Arabian Nights a hero who tells of the fantastic adventures he had in his voyages.

18. A favorite saying of a sect or political group.

20. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

21. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

24. Lower in esteem.

25. A distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list.

26. Minute floating marine tunicate having a transparent body with an opening at each end.

28. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

29. A hard gray lustrous metallic element that is highly corrosionresistant.

30. Formerly a term of respect for important white Europeans in colonial India.

32. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

34. God of love and erotic desire.

37. In operation or operational.

41. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

42. South American wood sorrel cultivated for its edible tubers.

43. One of the three Furies.

45. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

47. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

48. A small cake leavened with yeast.

49. Tropical American tree producing cacao beans.

52. A town and port in northwestern Israel in the eastern Mediterranean.

55. An African river that flows northwest into Lake Chad.

57. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

60. The atomic weight of an element that has the same combining capacity as a given weight of another element.

61. A genus of delicate ferns belonging to the family Osmundaceae.

62. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

63. Jordan's port.

65. A nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine.

68. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

69. (Scotland) A slope or hillside.

70. 100 thebe equal 1 pula.

71. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. A river of southwestern Africa that rises in central Angola and flows east and then north (forming part of the border between Angola and Congo) and continuing northwest through Congo to empty into the Congo River on the border between Congo and Republic of the Congo.

2. Intelligence derived from non-communications electromagnetic radiations from foreign sources (other than radioactive sources).

3. Avens of Virginia having pale or greenish yellow flowers.

4. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

5. Type genus of the Gadidae.

6. An associate degree in nursing.

7. A hard brittle gray polyvalent metallic element that resembles iron but is not magnetic.

8. An associate degree in applied science.

9. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

10. Wild sheep of semidesert regions in central Asia.

11. Squash bugs.

12. A person who avoids the company or assistance of others.

17. The capital of Mali.

19. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

22. An independent group of closely related Chadic languages spoken in the area between the Biu-Mandara and East Chadic languages.

23. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

27. The cardinal number that is the sum of four and one.

31. Any tree or shrub of the genus Inga having pinnate leaves and showy usually white flowers.

33. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

35. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia.

36. Type genus of the Majidae.

38. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

39. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

40. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

44. Having the wind against the forward side of the sails.

46. The French-speaking part of the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

50. A sharp narrow ridge found in rugged mountains.

51. A religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft and sorcery.

53. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

54. Jordan's port.

56. A blind god.

57. Remaining after all deductions.

58. Moderate or restrain.

59. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

64. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

66. (astronomy) A measure of time defined by Earth's orbital motion.

67. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) There is much progress on the professional side of your day.

You have much confidence and assertiveness for whatever you need to accomplish. You can really get your thoughts and ideas across—good communication is available. A co-worker may seek you out for your advice regarding some professional issue. You are able to cut through the red tape in order to get at what is beneath and behind most difficulties. Neighbors or siblings have a big impact on your goals and they make a big impression on the direction you will want to take. Your evenings can be quite socially active—you will enjoy seeking out new friends as well as visiting with old friends. This evening a loved one who is bright and articulate plays a big role in your life.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Courage and confidence is powerful and you have them both. Others will follow your lead in any group effort. Your focus is perfect for getting much accomplished. Just make sure any new projects are short-term. Line up health checkups and focus on good nutritious meal programs now. Career growth will come to you by leaps and bounds these next few weeks, whether you are working for the same company, yourself or making a career change. Stress is easily found under these conditions and stress tends to lie on the body as one peel of an onion after another. Learn techniques of stress relief. You are driven and passionate in your pursuit of change and inner growth. Do the same for your physical growth—balance.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) Today, you may be positively inspired! Some of your co-worker friends may be coordinating a birthday party or shower and you have the talent for pulling everything together regarding the entertainment.

Thoughts and ideas may be running through your head a mile a minute. A notebook or tape recorder could come in handy. You are in a good position to communicate with others; any business meetings this afternoon should go well. At home this afternoon you may find that someone close to you is supportive of your efforts. This evening, you and a co-worker friend sit together with tea or coffee to go over the last details of the plans for this shindig. Tonight is as good as any a time to fine-tune these unique plans.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You could consider today a low-key day. If you try to push your ideas or issues, others may cut you off or make it difficult for you to express yourself. Humm, you may say . . . you didn’t want to become involved in lots of small talk anyway. This is a good time to work on the ongoing projects that come across your desk. You could possibly complete some unfinished business. An important new goal comes into focus. You may have made some leaps forward in the workplace, but for now, you may have to wait for others to catch up with you.

Overconfidence can work against you—pace yourself. One test of progress just now is in the knowing when to be low-key. This evening you are full of inspiration. It is the perfect time for a date with a special person.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Perhaps this is an ultra mundane day that could be lacking in imagination. You may look for ways to escape your surroundings.

Take your noon break and visit a music or hobby store. You may be able to get back to whatever you were doing this morning and add some creative ideas to your work this afternoon. Constructive activities get some encouragement—you may even find that you will have others interested in helping to reach a result. This is a good time to suggest an evening out for dinner to the family or you could bring home a light meal for the family. Bicycling or walking in the evening with a friend or family member will help to balance your energies and work off any sluggishness leftover from this day.

This is a successful day.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You are likely to spend a considerable amount of time and effort to improve finances, principally through physical or manual activity outside of the regular work obligation. This is a time when the desire for material success and considerable monetary gain is great. Perseverance should be exercised as much as possible, since slow-and-steady-wins-the-race. Be sure to keep an open mind about all ideas or proposals today—paying attention to all the details involved. This afternoon is an excellent time to take care of some personal business. A drive to probe and penetrate may find you working through some changes. Push too hard and you could be too dominating, even oppressive, to yourself and your loved ones. There is acceptance and faith.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Great opportunities may emerge in work today. Your inner strength may be tested—obstacles could appear that would help to give you an excuse to lose your temper or become distracted. This is a good time to keep busy—volunteer on a part-time basis to see how you like it— then choose a special interest in which to express yourself by helping others. Do not hide beneath a shell but open up to loved ones now. Relations with members of the opposite sex are strengthened during this time. You will tend to experience abrupt changes in fortune, good or bad, in a relatively short period of time. You will feel the urge for excitement and should consider some tourist activity for this next weekend. Avoid extravagance.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Today can be a frustrating time where romance is concerned.

Business proceeds as usual but your mind easily wonders. A relationship has much to teach you. There are always plenty of tears and laughter. Insights into your deeper, more spiritual nature are available during this time. You may be able to discover whole new areas of your psyche or mind. You have a lot of enthusiasm for improving your surroundings or life situations. You are very motivated to improve. You appreciate your own ideas and tend to be outgoing in speech and manner—fresh and warm in nature. You put forth strong views and are hard to influence. You are likely to feel restless this afternoon; you may introduce a new hobby or creative activity into your spare time.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You have an enchanting way of working and communicating with others, regardless of whatever career you may have chosen.

You may find that you are in touch with others and that group meetings are quite productive. You could feel real team spirit in your group as everyone works well together.

This is a time when you can expect some type of upgrade or boost of some sort. Love and romantic relationships are featured this afternoon. What could be more wonderful? There could; however, be the danger that you may think you are giving more than you are receiving. Perception is the key. Creative endeavors of all sorts may be enjoyed this evening. You are particularly talented in matters of music and the arts. Ever think of writing music?

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

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. A touch of financial genius can result in phenomenally successful investments. Inventions and curious discoveries are easy to find. Science experiments are safe but curious. You could be the teacher but more than likely you are the student. If you look closely you will find that someone is pushing the limits with a trick. Efforts to work off any stressful days do not occur to you today but the frustrations still seem to tease you. Learn to laugh and if you have not been laughing . . . begin to chuckle now. Whew! A busy day in which you will remember being successful, interesting and fun.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 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

Kaizen center

25716707

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF K KUW WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AV VIA AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT

Hot and relatively humid weather over coastal areas with variable wind changing to light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 10 - 32 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Humid weather especially over coastal areas with moderate becoming light gradually south easterly to southerly wind, with speed of 12 - 35 km/h No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A

36 °C

22451082

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

47 °C

31 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WAISEEB A

45 °C

35 °C

Sharq

22465401

WAFRA A

48 °C

33 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

45 °C

32 °C

ABDAL LY

48 °C

32 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

46 °C

31 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

46 °C

31 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

42 °C

36 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

35 °C

33 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WARBA A A - BUBY YAN A

47 °C

31 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

ST TAT TION

DA AT TE

WEA AT THER

Wednesday e

18/07

West Jahra

24772608

Thursday

South Jahra

24775066

Friday

North Jahra

24775992

Saturday

North Jleeb

24311795

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

Hot and humid

46 °C

33 °C

VRB-SE

08 - 30 km/h

19/07

very hot

49 °C

34 °C

VRB-NE

06 - 28 km/h

20/07

very hot

49 °C

35 °C

NE-SE

15 - 35 km/h

21/07

very hot

49 °C

36 °C

N-SE

15 - 35 km/h

03:26

MAX. Temp.

49 °C

Sunrise

04:59

MIN. Temp.

36 °C

Zuhr

11:54

MAX. RH

13 %

Asr

15:29

MIN. RH

Sunset

18:49

i MAX. Wind

Isha

20:18

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

24892674

23900322

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT

RA AY YER TIMES PRA Fajr

24884079

Fintas

17/07/2012 0000 UTC

Temperatures DA AY

24575755

24710044

SFC. CHART

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST

New Jahra

N.Kheitan

04 % NW 53 km/h .03 mm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

BY Y DA AY:

48 °C

24719048

22545171

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

KUW WAIT A CITY

Al-Omariya

Al-Shohada’a

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

MIN. REC.

Firdous

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

Al-Ardhiya

PHONE

Al-Madena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

JLo

wants Bono or Jovi on ‘Idol’

he singer announced she was leaving the show after two series last week, and thinks they should target a huge rock star, such as the U2 and Bon Jovi star, or The Rolling Stones’ Sir Mick Jagger, to replace her. When asked who should take her place on the show, she told ABC news: “I think Bono or Bon Jovi or Mick Jagger. You know me, I think big.” Jennifer, 42, also said she was inspired to leave the show-for which she was reportedly paid $15 million to appear-by the departure of co-judge Steven Tyler, who is now concentrating on his band, Aerosmith. She added: “We had magic. I don’t know, with him gone, it might be a different formula.” While Jennifer is leaving the reality TV show’s panel, she hasn’t ruled out being a part of the show in the future, and could still return as a guest performer or a mentor. Speaking of the show’s cast, she said: “I love them and they love me and it’s hard when I feel like I should move on. “I don’t know that it’s even done yet. I don’t know. I feel like I’m moving on.” The show’s remaining judge, Randy Jackson, recently paid tribute to his departing co-stars. He said: “Steven and Jennifer are truly two of the most talented and consummate professionals I’ve worked with. “I was friends with them before we hopped on this crazy journey together and I have no doubt our friendships will continue long after. I will love them for life.” Stars tipped to be targeted as judges for the show include Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus and Adam Lambert.

T

Kardashian Del Rey

he ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ star recently became an aunt for the second time when older sister Kourtney Kardashian gave birth to a daughter, and Kim is feeling broody for a child with her rapper boyfriend. A friend of the reality star said: “Kim gushes about how happy she is with Kanye all the time and she is already talking babies with him too. “She is really head over heels for him and she’s always wanted to be a mom and Kim is really hopeful that Kanye will be the guy she finally has a family with.”

The source told website RadarOnline: “They’ve both talked about how they would love to have children, and about how they both think the other would make a perfect parent. She won’t get pregnant before her divorce is finalized but I would not be surprised if they start trying for a family the second the ink is dry on her divorce papers.” The 31-year-old businesswoman signaled the end of her 72-day marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries last October when she filed for a legal separation. The insider added: “She says she wants a baby with literally every guy she dates, but maybe this time she actually means it.”

T

new face of H&M

he ‘Video Games’ singer will be the global face of the Swedish high street chain’s fall advertising campaign and has posed in several 60s-inspired shots.

Donald Schneider, H&M’s creative director, told WWD: “The mood is very LA noir. It’s inspired by our fall collection.” The campaign will launch in September and a second campaign is already planned for winter. It was first reported Lana would become the face of H&M last month after she posed for the ads in New York although

T

talking babies with West

nothing had been confirmed until now.

Earlier this year, luxury label Mulberry created a bag in her honor and she admits it was a dream come true. She said: “I love the design, it’s a perfect mix between old school Hollywood and contemporary style.

It’s an honor that such a classic and prestigious brand would name a bag after me.”

However, the H&M gig is her first modeling role.

Bieber

loves having a young mom

ustin Bieber, the ‘Boyfriend’ hit maker’s mother Pattie Mallette gave birth to him when she was just 18 and Justin, who is now 18, says being so close in age has made them best friends. Speaking on 2Day FM’s Kyle and Jackie O show, he said: “She’s amazing... I was definitely an accident, it’s great my mom is super young, she’s a friend and a mom, she’s always been really strict, she’s still keeps me in line.” Justin also revealed while he has no problem performing in front of thousands of people, he freezes up when he has to speak in public. He explained: “I love performing, doing tours and having a new crowd every night that’s something I’ve always loved... It’s weird I can perform for a lot of people but as you can probably see in my acceptance speeches, I kind of freeze up and I don’t really know how to speak in front of a lot of people.” Justin also has his sights set on the big screen and has been talking to Mark Wahlberg about starring in a new movie. He explained: “We’ve been working on this, this Mark Wahlberg movie, it’s a basketball movie... “We’re still figuring it out, it takes time, with movies it always takes time, it’s just about a waiting game.”

J

Katie

Kate Upton

works hard to maintain her curves

he 20-year-old model is famed for her stunning figure but says it takes effort to stay in shape although she would never deny herself anything. She said: “My body is something that you have to work out and eat healthily for, but I’m not doing drugs or not eating. I want to enjoy life and I can’t be enjoying life if I’m not eating and miserable.” While she’s happy with her body, the blonde beauty admits it was hard when she was branding fat by some industry professionals. She said: “It was hard when I was first in the industry and people were like, ‘No, you are fat.’ “ Kate also revealed how some people were shocked when she fitted into the sample clothes provided for fashion shoots. She told Style magazine: “I really enjoy the shoots. I walk onto a fashion shoot and they’d say surprised, ‘You fit perfectly into these samples.’

And I’d be like, ‘Well I am a model.’ “

T

and Suri in car accident

atie Holmes and her daughter Suri have been involved in a car accident. The former ‘Dawson’s Creek’ actress and her six-year-old child were riding in the back of a black Mercedes sedan when it was struck by a dump truck in New York Monday evening. No one was reported hurt in the incident, which onlookers say was minor. One source said: “It was nothing major other than the fact that it was Katie Holmes.” Police arrived on the scene and noted the actress’ chauffeur-driven vehicle had sustained a large dent and several scratches to the rear driver side panel after the Volvo truck - from Classic Sanitation Recycling New York Corp - had apparently backed into the luxury vehicle. Katie - who filed for divorce from her daughter’s father, actor Tom Cruise, last month and Suri were not seen at the scene of the crash.

Following her split from Tom, Katie has secured primary custody of their little girl in an undisclosed divorce agreement. It was recently revealed she has enrolled Suri into New York’s Convent of the Sacred Heart School where former pupils include Lady Gaga and Paris Hilton - because the actress wants her daughter to have a Catholic education, rather than being taught at a Scientology school as the ‘Mission: Impossible’ star desired.

K

Moore’s

daughters considering a restraining order

Ackroyd

moving to LA for Perry

aty Perry’s rumored new boyfriend is planning to move to the United States to be with her. Florence + the Machine guitarist Rob Ackroyd is apparently leaving London, England to start a new life in Los Angeles, California. The couple have been dating since they met at Coachella festival in April and have met up during the ‘Part of Me’ singer’s business visits to the United Kingdom. An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Katy doesn’t want to make the same mistakes she made with Russell. “The long distance thing didn’t work so if she’s going to settle down again, it needs to be with someone who can be close at hand when she needs them. It will also take some compromising on her part. The source added: “But Rob is making the move overseas towards the end of the year. It seems really sudden but it’s now or never for them. “They’ve spent the majority of the past few months apart so in one way it will actually be a test of their relationship to be around each other so much.”

K

emi Moore’s three daughters are reportedly considering taking a restraining order out against her. The relationship between Tallulah, Rumer, Scout and Demi reached “breaking point” after a series of fights and they have cut off all contact with her. A family source told website RadarOnline: “Rumer, Scout and Tallulah are seriously considering taking out a restraining order against Demi to stop her from contacting them. “They made it clear to her weeks ago that they do not want to talk to her right now but she is still trying to contact them.”

The insider continued: “Demi has been calling them incessantly and emailing them, leaving them tearful messages and begging them to call her and the girls are sick

D

of it. It is a really drastic measure and not something they are considering lightly but they just feel like they want some peace and quiet.” The 49-year-old star - whose children are fathered by actor Bruce Willis is said to be distraught over losing contact with her offspring. A source previously told the website: “Demi is beside herself over the situation. She hasn’t spoken to Scout, Rumer or Tallulah for weeks now; they won’t return any of her calls, emails or texts. “She has returned to work and is trying to hold herself together, but this is a really tough time for Demi.” —Bang Showbiz

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Titanic II to have ‘safety deck’: Australian tycoon

A

An undated handout photo shows the stars in the Australian ‘dramality’ series ‘The Shire’ set on the Sydney beaches rocked by 2005 race riots.—AFP

Viewers cold on Aussie ‘Jersey Shore’ A

n Australian “dramality” series set on the Sydney beaches rocked by 2005 race riots was panned yesterday as a pale imitation of US cousin “Jersey Shore”, with the town mayor likening it to dental surgery. A realitybased series with a soap opera feel, “The Shire” debuted to a modest 941,000 viewers on Monday night and quickly sparked a barrage of criticism on social media sites and from entertainment writers.

It is modeled on the wildly popular US series “Jersey Shore”, which got 7.6 million viewers watching the premiere of its fifth season earlier this year, a 2011-12 cable TV record and one of MTV’s most popular series ever. But one critic of “The Shire” described the show as Australian televi-

sion’s “lobotomy” moment and local mayor Carol Provan said the bronzed, surgically-enhanced cast made for “painful” viewing. “I couldn’t believe it, it was like having root canal work,” Provan told the Nine network.

Provan said residents of the Sutherland Shire region, popularly known as The Shire, was still smarting from alcohol-fuelled race riots on Cronulla beach in December 2005 which made world headlines. “We’ve still got bruises from what happened there with the riots,” she said. “I think the community’s very upset to think that the law... allows television crews to come in and denigrate a community. It’s just so wrong.” “The Shire” follows the trials and tribulations of a group of tattooed, photogenic twenty-somethings liv-

ing in southern Sydney.

Its cast includes star-crossed lovers Mitch, a surfer, and sales assistant Gabby; an aspiring rapper Rif Raf who hosts his friends in waterfront opulence (his mother’s home); and a raft of botoxed and buxom young women. A Fox television presenter described it as “one of the most inane, embarrassing, highly offensive pieces of rubbish TV that has been produced, ever”. But others were not writing it off just yet. “The fact that most people will kick the show doesn’t mean much; the ‘reality’ genre is engineered to create conversation, not adoration,” wrote Sydney Morning Herald critic Michael Idato.—AFP

50,000 wild birds smuggled through Solomons M ore than 54,000 wild birds, including critically endangered species, were laundered through the Solomon Islands into the global wildlife trade between 2000 and 2010, a wildlife group said yesterday. The birds, classified as “captive-bred” to skirt wildlife trafficking laws and in the main not native to the islands, were exported mostly to Singapore and Malaysia from where they were sold to other parts of the world, TRAFFIC said in a report.

“Between 2000 and 2010, more than 54,000 birds, mainly parrots and cockatoos, were imported from the Solomon Islands and declared as captive-bred,” said the report, launched in Singapore. “Yet local authorities confirmed to TRAFFIC that the Solomon Islands is not known to have substantial bird breeding facilities,” it added.TRAFFIC said Singapore and Malaysia accounted for 93 percent of all birds imported from Solomon Islands between 2000 and 2010.

Malaysia however has suspended its bird imports and TRAFFIC is urging Singapore to do the same. “Singapore should follow Malaysia’s lead in suspending bird imports, not only from the Solomon Islands but anywhere

else if there is a lack of clarity as to their legal origin,” said TRAFFIC’s Southeast Asia deputy director Chris Shepherd. The birds included vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered species such as the Yellowcrested Cockatoo, which cannot be traded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, or CITES. In addition, a majority of the birds were not native to the Solomon Islands but are found in Indonesia or Papua New Guinea. The absence of records showing the Solomon Islands had imported the birds indicated that they had been caught in the wild, TRAFFIC said.

Shepherd said the smugglers were deceiving authorities to gain access to the global pet trade.”Declaring exported birds as being captive-bred has all the hallmarks of a scam to get around international trade regulations,” he said in the report. —AFP

This picture taken on February 27, 2004 shows an endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo (cacatua sulphurea) being cared for at a temporary station for animals after it was seized from a resident in Jakarta.—AFP

ustralian billionaire Clive Palmer yesterday said his modern-day version of the Titanic will retain the first, second and third-class divisions of the original and include a new “safety” deck. Releasing the preliminary plans and drawings for the Titanic II, which is to be built in China, mining tycoon Palmer said the massive vessel would have the original nine decks plus an additional safety deck.

“This is to ensure the vessel is fully compliant with the current regulations which require passenger ships to, as much as possible and practicable, keep the distance from the lifeboat launching area to the waterline as low as possible,” Palmer said in a statement to AFP. “It will also increase the passenger amenity area of the vessel.” The new safety deck will feature proper lifeboats, safety chutes or slides as well as new common public rooms. Palmer said the upper decks would retain the public rooms, passenger stairs, cabins and other features in similar locations as on the original ship which sank on April 15, 1912 en route to New York after hitting an iceberg.

But the plans by Finnish-based ship design and engineering company Deltamarin also feature new escape stairs and service elevators, while one deck has been re-designed to provide crew accommodation, laundry and machinery. The flamboyant billionaire said Titanic II’s first voyage remained set for late 2016, with the boat due to sail from China to England ahead of her maiden passenger journey to North America.

Interest was “overwhelming”, he said.

Palmer said the new ship would have a casino, but warned that there would be “strict restrictions” on who was allowed to gamble at it. “There will be some sort of screening to make sure people who do go there can afford to,” Australian Associated Press quoted him as saying. The self-made businessman, who has an estimated wealth of Aus$3.85 billion (US$3.96 billion) according to Australia’s BRW magazine, said the relaunched Titanic would be about one metre wider than the original for “stability”.

“But we’ve retained the essence of the Titanic by having first, second and third class. I think that’s very important,” Palmer said. “So if you book on third class you can share a bathroom, sit down at a long table for dinner every night, have some Irish stew and a jig in the night.” Palmer, who said he would buy a third class ticket for himself, would not comment on the cost of the project but said he wasn’t looking for financial partners to rebuild the ship which went down a century ago. “If you look for partners things mightn’t happen. This is just for me to go for a little sail around the world in,” he said.

There was scepticism when Palmer announced his ambitious plans in April to construct Titanic II with exactly the same dimensions as its ill-fated predecessor. Though they were yet to be approved Palmer said the drawings underlined the commitment of his shipping company Blue Star Line to the project, and would allow Chinese shipbuilders CSC Jinling Shipyard to begin work. The passenger liner, which will be close to 270 metres long (885 feet), will have an estimated gross tonnage of 65,000 tonnes. The original Titanic, which was built in Belfast, sank on its first voyage from Southampton to New York, killing more than 1,500 passengers and crew.—AFP

This handout diagram provided by The Blue Star Line yesterday shows the preliminary plans and drawings for the†Titanic II.—AFP

First female country superstar Kitty Wells dies

W

ithout Kitty Wells, there might be no Taylor Swift. Or Miranda Lambert. Or Loretta Lynn. She was THE pioneer, the first female singer with enough spunk and fire to get noticed in the male-dominated world of country music. Think about it: No Tammy Wynette. No Tanya Tucker. No Carrie Underwood.

“Without her there wouldn’t be a lot of us,” said Country Music Hall of Fame member Jean Shepard. The family of country music’s first female superstar said she died peacefully at home Monday after complications from a stroke.

She was 92.

Dubbed “The Queen of Country Music” decades ago, Wells had been a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1976 and could look back on a career that spanned more than six decades after her retirement. Yet as a devastated Shepard noted, Wells was largely a forgotten figure in the 21st century, even as so many strong female personalities populate country’s landscape. To Shepard, she was a close friend and a shining inspiration. They first met around 1950 when Shepard was trying to break into the business and Wells passed through California on tour.

“I just hope that country music itself realizes what a wonderful lady she was and how much she’s going to be missed,” Shepard said in a phone interview. “I know that people get old and they pass away, but I just always thought she was like my grandpa - she was always going to be around, always going to be here. But the Lord don’t see it that way.” For who knew Wells, she was a powerful presence. A country superstar in

This Aug. 14, 2008 file photo originally released by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum shows music pioneer Kitty Wells at an exhibit honoring her career in Nashville, Tenn. her own right, Barbara Mandrell, said she appreciated Wells being a mentor.

“Kitty Wells was every female country music performer’s heroine. She led the way for all of us and I feel very grateful and honored to have

known her. She was always the most gracious, kind and lovely person to be around,” Mandrell said in a statement. Wells scored the first country No. 1 hit by a solo female artist with “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” Her success dashed the notion that women couldn’t be headliners. Billboard magazine had been charting country singles for about eight years at that time.

She recorded approximately 50 albums, had 25 Top 10 country hits and went around the world several times. From 1953 to 1968, various polls listed Wells as the No. 1 female country singer until Wynette finally dethroned her.

It was Well’s true-to-life songs that were modern in perspective and heartfelt in delivery that defined her career. “As far as what she meant to country music, my God, just look at the hit songs she had,” Shepard said. Her 1955 hit “Making Believe” was on the movie soundtrack of “Mississippi Burning” that was released 33 years later. Among her other hits were “The Things I Might Have Been,” “Release Me,” “Amigo’s Guitar,” “Heartbreak USA,” “Left to Right” and a version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Each offered something identifiable to the listener, making connections for women in the genre that had not been there before. Wells, though, was coy about her place in the country music world.

“I never really thought about being a pioneer,” she said in an Associated Press interview in 2008.

“I loved doing what I was doing.” “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” gave the woman’s point of view about the wild side of life. The song was written by J.D. Miller as a retort to Hank

This 1976 file photo shows Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Kitty Wells during the Country Music Association (CMA) awards in Nashville, Tenn.—AP photos Thompson’s 1952 hit, “The Wild Side of Life.”

The chorus to Thompson’s record was: “I didn’t know God made honky-tonk angels “I might have known you’d never make a wife “But you gave up the only one that ever loved you

“And went back to the wild side of life.”

In his response, Miller wrote: “It wasn’t God who made honky-tonk angels, “As you said in the words of your song, “Too many times married men think they’re still single, “That has caused many a good girl to go wrong.

“It’s a shame that all blame is on us women ....”

The song opened the way for women to present their view of life and love in country music. It also encouraged Nashville songwriters to begin writing from a woman’s perspective. The song was controversial enough that the Grand Ole Opry asked Wells not to perform it, and some radio stations were reluctant to play it. “They get away with a lot more today,” Wells told the AP in 1986. “They’re more (sexually) suggestive today.”

Her solo recording career lasted from 1952 to the late 1970s and she made concert tours from the late 1930s until 2000. That year, she announced she was quitting the road, although she performed occasionally in Nashville and elsewhere afterward.

After her induction into the Hall of Fame, she also received the Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences in 1991. Born Ellen Muriel Deason in Nashville, the daughter of a railroad brakeman, she was known as a gracious, elegant and family-oriented person. She began playing the guitar at age 14 and soon was performing at dances in the Nashville area.—AP

38

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Review

Milo Greene solid on self-titled debut “Milo Greene,” Milo Greene (Chop Shop/Atlantic) Somewhere in the isolated foothills of northern California, there must be something magical in the water. How else to explain the musical culmination of a house-sitting stint that took three college classmates and turned them into Milo Greene, a very new

This CD cover image released by Chop Shop/Atlantic shows the self-titled release by Milo Greene. —AP

and very good band with a self-titled debut album?

To be clear, there is no man named Milo Greene - it was merely a device concocted in the band’s early days to make it appear as though they had a manager. They ’re hardly faking it on this album, “Milo Greene,” a tapestry of richly reverbed guitar, inventive drum work and something sorely missing amid today’s morass of arrange-by-numbers rock music - a beautifully delivered concept. That concept is to present their music absent of the disturbances of a frenetic society that closes in from all sides. They admittedly aimed for a pastoral feel and it shows on wind-swept tracks like “ What ’s The Matter ” and “Perfectly Aligned.”

Milo Greene, now a five-piece outfit, is often carried here by lush vocals from Marlana Sheetz. She hits each note on “Son My Son” with perfect pitch, yet with just enough throaty delivery to keep the lyrics alive and seeping with emotion. Some songs have a jazz cadence, while others are tinged with bluegrass.

Each approach carries with it something contemplative about isolation amid bustle. “Milo Greene” is about as impressive a debut album you can have for music of this flavor. Check this track out: The band saves the best for last with the final track, “Autumn Tree.” The harmonies are full and focused and the melody swells as the song goes on. For a band that didn’t exist four years ago, they sound like they’ve been singing this forever.

Frank Ocean’s bewitching ‘Channel Orange’ Frank Ocean, “Channel Orange,” Def Jam n this cynical world, Frank Ocean’s timing in revealing his sexuality seems a bit curious: The Tumblrpage announcement that shook the urban music world came less than two weeks before the release of his sophomore album, “Channel Orange,” bringing him an avalanche of publicity and making him the most celebrated figure in music at the moment. It

I

This CD cover image released by Island Def Jam Music Group shows the latest release by Frank Ocean, “Channel Orange.” —AP would all seem a bit manufactured - if we were talking about a lesser artist. But the 24-year-old Ocean who already had music fans in the know enraptured by his self-released “nostalgia, ULTRA” last year - is so

genuine in his artistry that it’s unthinkable that anything else in his mind could be contrived.

And on the wonderful “Channel Orange,” Ocean continues to demonstrate that he’s among the truest, brightest new talents to come on the scene in a while. In many ways, “Channel Orange” picks up where “nostalgia, ULTRA” left off: It continues on a similar musical path, filled with luscious, pillowy slow grooves (“Thinkin Bout You,” “Pilot Jones”), whirring electro beats (“Pyramids”) and retro-soul (“Sweet Life”). But “Channel Orange” digs deeper than just intriguing melodies and beats: Ocean, who co-wrote most of the album with the likes of Pharrell Williams, James Ho and others, gets political on “Crack Rock” and deeply personal on “Bad Religion,” where he’s tormented by male lover who doesn’t return the affection, and cries: “If it brings me to my knees, it’s a bad religion.”

Of course, it’s Ocean’s same-sex declaration that has garnered him so much attention over the last two weeks. But anyone expecting “Channel Orange” to be some kind of gay pride statement may be disappointed: On most of the songs he’s pining for a woman, and the most overt same-sex love song, “Forrest Gump,” may be social commentary, but it comes across as just a sweet, whimsical love song - which, at its heart, it is. As headline-grabbing as Ocean’s recent announcement turned out to be, the enduring story remains his talent, which is showcased brilliantly on “Channel Orange.”

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: The most luxurious slow jam of the year, thus far, is the ever-dreamy “Thinkin Bout You,” as Ocean’s seductive falsetto gets the heart pacing.

Solo Bangle Susanna Hoffs

This CD cover image released by Baroque Folk/Welk Music Group shows the latest release by Susanna Hoffs, “Someday.” —AP

“Someday” Susanna Hoffs (Baroque Folk) Don’t be fooled by the gloomy-looking cover: Listening to Bangles member Susanna Hoffs’ solo album is a bit like walking through a flower patch on a sunny spring day, circa 1967. The birds are chirping. Everyone you see smiles.

Everything’s groovy. That’s only a problem if you’re on a sugar-free diet, or crave the wail of a spurned lover. Even when Hoffs sings, “ooh, it hurts” on “Regret,” it hurts so good. Hoffs’ musical reference point has always been the 1960s, and here this California girl and producer Mitchell Froom dive fully into it. The horns and string arrangements recall heroes like Burt Bacharach and Dusty Springfield without repeating them. Hoffs indulges her love for pure pop and, with co-writer Andrew Brassell, avoids cringe-worthy material like “Eternal Flame” (admit it - even if you bought it).

This is a one-dimensional disc, to be sure. The signature harmonies of the Bangles are missed, as is the grit Matthew Sweet brings to the “Sid & Susie” collaborations with Hoffs. But if it’s a walk through the flower patch you want, you could do worse. Check this track out: The lush ballad “True,” where Hoffs speaks of a relationship with the wisdom of a 53-year-old, as opposed to the starry-eyed optimism of someone 30 years younger.

Musical life only gets better for Nas ‘Life is Good’ Nas, Def Jan n the cover of his 10th album, “Life Is Good,” the urban troubadour known as Nas is dressed in a white suit, glumly holding his ex-wife Kelis’ green wedding dress -

O

This CD cover image released by Def Jam shows “Life is Good,” the latest release by Nas. —AP

the only thing left behind after the couple’s publicly acrimonious divorce. By way of his art, Nas both washes his laundry in public and shows he has moved on. Producers No I.D. and Salaam Remi give this very personal record an aura of nostalgia, a throwback to the golden age of hip-hop, by using classic beats. Collaborations with artist like Mary J. Blige, Rick Ross and Swizz Beatz and Nas’ solos arrange themselves into a coherent necklace made of discreet gems. Old mixes with new, noir enters the flow and the lyrics are tinged with both vulnerability and brutality. Nas is the same master wordsmith as he was when he first bowled over critics with his 1994 debut “Illmatic.” He tackles thug life, chrematistics and the pursuit of status, yet shows signs of growth by considering more personal topics like parenthood, love and his relationship with his celebrity.

Songs like “Daughters,” where he raps about his own reallife parenting struggles with his teenage daughter or “Bye Baby,” where he addresses the breakdown of his marriage and his subsequent bleeding heart, show a touching selfawareness. “Cherry Wine” featuring the late Amy Winehouse paints him in a surprising light where he is unshackled by the stereotypical rap views of women. Nas manages to make a clean break with the past by submersing himself and us in it.

Check out this track: “You Wouldn’t Understand,” with its fast beat enhanced by Victoria Monet’s crystalline voice. —AP

This handout picture shows Japanese thumb piano player Sakaki Sakaki Mango posing with his Mango playing his instrument. —AFP photos instrument.

Afro-Japanese fusion music puzzles traditionalists O

ne of Africa’s most traditional instruments, the thumb piano, may look a little out of place in the hands of Sakaki Mango, a Japanese musician who has adopted it as his own. Over the last decade, Mango has become known in his native Japan for mixing the sound of the traditional hand-held metal and wood instrument with songs he composes and sings in Japanese. The result is a rare and quirky fusion, often frenetic, sometime touching, that intrigues-and at times puzzles-traditional players of the thumb piano, also known as a lamellophone.

“It’s a very special instrument,” said Mango, 37, and one that has won him “world music” awards in Japan for his three albums released in 2005, 2008 and 2011 — a modest success in a country that otherwise idolises popstars but one that allows him to “make a decent living,” said his manager Nicolas Ribalet. The musician’s fascination with Africa started as a teenager when he came face to face with an African for the first time, having previously seen black faces only on television. He decided to study Swahili in Osaka before setting off, rucksack on back, for the Tanzanian bush where he discovered the pianos in local villages.

Part of Africa’s musical heritage, thumb pianos have been used over the ages to celebrate marriages, to entertain when travelling or shepherding flocks and in rituals to invoke ancestral spirits. Mango, 37, was “initially attracted to the religious aspect” of the instrument, Ribalet said, but later focused on developing his own sound as an artist. He honed his skills under two prestigious African teachers - Galikai Tillicoti and the late Hukwe Ubi Zawose, who was lead player of the limba, the Tanzanian version of the thumb piano, at the Tanzanian National Theatre.

But Mango noted that traditional “players are always changing the tune until it fits their voice,” so he did the same. He often sings in the dialect of his native island of Kyushu in southern Japan to “stay connected with my roots”. “It is my mother tongue, this accent is very melodic and easy for me,

most of the people don’t speak standard Japanese there,” he said. “I am not African, and I want to put something Japanese in” the music.

‘Not making African music’ One moving composition entitled “Small” was written specially for the victims of the tsunami-sparked nuclear disaster at Fukushima last year. Mango, whose thumb

Swaziland, African listeners are still surprised to find a Japanese man on stage, dressed in African prints and playing such an African instrument. Some are puzzled about his fusion style, like Zimbabwe’s high priestess of the mbira, 66-year-old Stella Chiweshe. “I don’t find any sound like our mbira should sound. He composes his own sound. I cannot say it is bad, but this is not something I would encourage,” she told

This handout picture shows Japanese thumb piano player Sakaki Mango performing live. piano is hooked up to an amplifier, makes an annual tour in Africa with his group, comprised of a bassist and a percussionist.

Each country has a different name for the instrument-a mbira in Zimbabwe, a deza in South AFrica, a limba in Tanzania, a likembe in Congo and a timbili in Cameroon-but the principle is always the same. It has a row of strips, usually metal but sometimes fiber, laid across a kind of box. Unlike a piano, notes are not laid out in scales but arranged on both sides of the instrument so all notes can be played with each thumb, producing a rich, resonating sound.

Though Mango often draws wild applause, as at a recent festival in

AFP by telephone from Berlin, where she is now based.

For Chiweshe, the mbira “is a healing instrument”. Its “our sacred instrument, we respect it, all the sounds are songs left by our ancestors” and each song brings down the spirits. “It is not the ping ping of the instrument that brings down the spirits, it goes deeper than we know,” she said. But Mango’s manager says such comments don’t worry him. He is not trying to upstage traditional players and “doesn’t pretend to be a mbira specialist. He loves the sonority but he knows he is not making African music,” said Ribalet. —AFP

‘Ice Age’ sweeps in and tops US box office ce Age: Continental Drift” entered at the top of the North American box office last weekend, knocking “The Amazing Spider-Man” off the summit, industry figures showed Monday. The 3-D computer-animated adventure comedy flick, featuring the voices of Queen Latifah and Denis Leary, took $46.6 million during its first Friday through Sunday run on the big screen, movie tracker Exhibitor Relations said. The latest Spider-Man effort, starring Andrew Garfield, was in second place with $34.6 million in weekend takings, and cheeky teddy bear comedy “Ted,” took third, down one place on the week, with $22.4 million.

“Brave,” the Pixar studio’s 3-D fairytale about a Scottish princess trying to rescue her mother from an evil witch, took $11.2 million in its fourth week, also slipping one place to fourth. Oliver Stone’s drama “Savages” slipped one place to fifth, with $9.4 million in takings, followed by “Magic Mike,” starring Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey as male strip-

“I

pers, in sixth with $9 million.

Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Witness Protection” took seventh slot with $5.6 million in sales, while “Katy

Wes Anderson starring Bill Murray, Bruce Willis and Edward Norton. The indie coming-of-age film took in $3.7 million. “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most

Perry: Part of Me”-which gives a glimpse into the pop star’s life on stage and off-held eighth place with $3.8 million. Ninth went to “Moonrise Kingdom,” the latest from director

Wanted,” rounded out the top 10, slipping from last week’s seventh place on earnings of just under $3.7 million. —AFP

Deep Purple’s Jon Lord dies at 71 ritish rocker Jon Lord, the keyboardist whose powerful, driving tones helped turn Deep Purple and Whitesnake into two of the most popular hard rock acts in a generation, died Monday. He was 71. A statement on Lord’s official website says the Leicester, England-born musician suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism in London after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. “Jon passed from Darkness to Light,” the statement said. Lord co-wrote some of Deep Purple’s most famous tunes, including “Smoke on the Water,” and later had a successful solo career following his retirement from the band in 2002.

The statement posted on Lord’s website said he died “surrounded by his loving family.”

Emily Freeman of The Agency Group, which represented Lord for all his live concert work, confirmed the news in an email. Tributes to Lord flooded Twitter, with artists such as Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and Toto’s Steve

B

Lukather expressing sadness over his death and praising his musical contributions. Earlier this month, Lord canceled a performance of his Durham Concerto in

In this Oct. 5, 2004 picture, British musician Jon Lord, plays piano during a test run for his concert in Cologne, western Germany. —AP Germany for what his website said was a continuation of treatment. He had told fans last year that he was fighting cancer. Lord got his musical start playing

piano, first taking classical music lessons before shifting to rock and roll.

After moving to London to attend drama school, he joined blues band the Artwoods in 1964 and later toured with The Flowerpot Men - known for their hit “Let’s Go To San Francisco” - before joining Deep Purple in 1968. Deep Purple which featured Lord along with singer Ian Gillan, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, drummer Ian Paice and bassist Roger Glover - was one of the top hard rock bands of the ‘70s. Influenced by classical music, blues and jazz, Lord took his Hammond organ and distorted its sound to powerful effect on songs including “Hush,”“Highway Star,”“Lazy” and “Child in Time.” The group went on to sell more than 100 million albums before splitting in 1976. Lord went on to play with hard rock group Whitesnake in the late 1970s and early 1980s and later, a re-formed Deep Purple. —AP

39

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Christian Bale reflects on years in ‘Dark he Dark Knight rises in movie theaters this Friday on the wings of huge anticipation for the final film of director Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy, but there is one man who remains calm in the face of the media hype, Batman actor Christian Bale. Bale slips into the bat costume of Gotham City’s crime-fighting superhero for the last time in “The Dark Knight Rises, which like its predecessors has received strong early reviews.

Chosen by British director Nolan for his franchise reboot, which soared with 2005’s “Batman Begins,” Bale’s stonefaced portrayal of conflicted billionaire Bruce Wayne, a.k.a.

Batman, was key to the movie’s success. The followup, 2008’s “Batman Begins,” solidified Bale’s status as a leading actor, and “Dark Knight Rises” will be his swan song in the role.

“I’m real proud of having achieved what we had set out to do,” he told reporters at a news conference promoting the film.

“It was a very important moment for me. It was an important character. “It’s the only time I’ve ever played a character three times in a row and the movies themselves have changed my life and changed my career.” Both movies earned praise from fans and critics alike. The first raked-in $372 million at box offices worldwide, and the second an eye-popping $1 billion. Bale went on to numerous other parts and eventually

T

nabbed an Oscar for his role as a drug-addicted ex-boxer in “The Fighter.”

When shooting of the “Dark Knight Rises” was done, Bale told reporters, he wanted time alone to think about the past seven years. “I just went down and sat in a room and realized this is it,” said Bale of the time the cameras stopped rolling. “I sat in that moment with the realization that we’re done.”

“Dark Knight Rises” picks up eight years after “Dark Knight.”

The caped crusader has disappeared from public view and is a fugitive thought to be responsible for the death of Gotham City D.A. Harvey Dent. The man behind the mask, Bruce Wayne, has become a recluse and is rarely seen in public. But both are forced out of hiding when cat burglar Selina Kyle, played by Anne Hathaway, arrives in Gotham and a masked terrorist named Bane, played by Tom Hardy, shows up to take over the city. Batman comes out of hiding to stop them.

Twists and turns With many twists in a complex story, revealing more requires a spoiler alert. Suffice it to say that critics - not the easiest to please with superhero movies - are mostly happy. The movie scored an 83 percent positive rating from seven early reviews on film website moviereviewintelligence.com. Time magazine’s

Richard Corliss called it “a film of grand ambitions and epic achievement.”

Reprising their roles are

Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Hardy, all three of whom worked with Nolan on his 2010 Oscar winner, “Inception.”

Knight’

film. “I loved that the focus was on who she was as Selina ... and she didn’t change when she put on the suit - it was just kind of her

This undated film image released by Warner Bros. shows Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, left, and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle in a scene from the action thriller “The Dark Knight Rises.” —AP Michael Caine as Alfred the butler, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. Newcomers include Marion

Also new to the group is Hathaway, who essentially takes on the role of Catwoman, though that comic character’s name is never directly referenced in the

good physical condition gave her a strong mental attitude that made it a “complete transformation” for her in the role. While the Batman series has had its share of villains, including “Dark Knight’s” The Joker, which earned actor Heath Ledger a posthumous best supporting actor Oscar, this final installment sees Batman meet his match in Bane.

Bale calls him “the first adversary of Batman that you know can probably whip his butt, which we’ve never seen before.”

When Nolan called Hardy to offer him the role, he said he had to explain both the good and bad aspects of playing the tough guy behind a mask. “The good news is I have a terrific part for you,” Nolan recalled telling him. “The bad news is, your face is going to be completely covered for the whole film and you’re going to have to (convey) this character through just your eyes and voice.”

Now that it’s all over, Nolan said he had no idea what his next movie would be. Like Bale, he needs some time to reflect. “I’m going to go on a holiday and just relax and (enjoy) not knowing what I’m going to do next,” he said. —Reuters

uniform,” Hathaway said of her character.

The actress said she had to get into fighting shape for the action scenes and that being in such

Stallone urges end to ‘speculation’ about son’s death screen actor Sylvester Stallone said Monday there was “no greater pain” than losing a child, and called for an end to speculation about the death of his eldest son Sage last week. The Rambo and Rocky star urged the media and others to respect the memory of his 36-year-old son, as it emerged that the young actor was actively planning his own wedding in Las Vegas when he died. “When a parent loses a child there is no greater pain. Therefore I am imploring people to respect my talented son’s memory and feel compassion for his loving mother Sasha,” he said in a statement.

“This agonizing loss will be felt for the rest of our lives,” he said, adding: “Sage was our first child and the center of our universe and I am humbly begging for all to have my son’s memory in full left in peace.” Stallone said he issued the new statement “in reference to the speculation and questionable reporting surrounding the death of my son Sage.” Sage Moonblood Stallone was found dead at his Hollywood home on Friday. An autopsy was carried out on Sunday, but the LA County Coroner’s Office said toxicology reports would take some 10 weeks.

Some prescription pill bottles were

US

US singer Madonna performs on stage with dancers at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb, on July 14, 2012, during her MDNA world tour. —AFP

Catholic youth crusade against Madonna in Poland S

inger Madonna is courting controversy again ahead of an August 1 gig in Warsaw, having already been threatened with legal action in France for projecting a swastika on an image of far-right party leader Marine Le Pen. A group of young Catholics has launched an online petition to have the concert cancelled as it coincides with the Polish capital’s annual World War II commemoration of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the city’s Nazi’s occupiers. As of yesterday, the petition had gathered 31,000 supporters for the “Material Girl’s” concert to be called off out of respect for the estimated 200,000 people who died in the doomed 63-day uprising by Polish partisans.

Every year at 5 pm (1500 GMT) on August 1 sirens wail as Warsaw residents observe a minute’s silence across the capital to remember the loss of life in the largest single rebellion against Nazi Germany during

WWII. “August 1 is a day of remembrance in Poland. We pay our respects to those who survived and those who perished in the uprising. We won’t allow the desecration of our hallowed symbols,” reads the Internet petition launched by a group calling itself the Youth Crusade. It also slams the 53year-old Queen of Pop’s on-stage antics as “attacking the Catholic faith... offending Jesus Christ by burning crosses and wearing a crown of thorns” as well as promoting homosexuality and pornography.

A spokesperson for tour promoter LiveNation, Anna Pietrzak, declined comment on both the protest and ticket sales when contacted by AFP yesterday. Warsaw city authorities have proposed holding a minute’s silence and airing WWII-era news chronicles of the uprising ahead of the concert at Warsaw’s new National Stadium, which has a capacity of nearly 73,000. Having hosted the June 8 kick-off of the Euro 2012 foot-

ball championships, the venue itself is on the east bank of the Vistula River, cutting though the Polish capital, where Soviet forces waited for the Nazis to decimate the Polish resistance during the uprising.

The protest comes as Madonna faces a lawsuit in France brought by the far-right National Front for screening a video showing party leader Marine Le Pen with a Nazi swastika on her forehead at a weekend concert at the Stade de France near Paris. The failed French presidential candidate warned the US superstar in June she was mulling legal action after the video was shown at a Tel Aviv gig in May kicking off the “MDNA” world tour, covering about 30 countries and wrapping up in Australia in 2013. —AFP

Sheen pledges $1 million to US military support group is rants under control and his life seemingly on the mend, “Anger Management” actor CharlieSheen has pledged $1 million to the USO, a U.S. military support organization, and the donation could go higher if his new TV show becomes a hit. The money, at least 1 percent of the profits he makes on the new FX comedy “Anger Management,” will go to the USO’s Operation Enduring Care, a program that is raising money to help wounded and sick soldiers and their families, a USO spokeswoman said.

Sheen has pledged at least $1 million, but if “Anger Management” becomes a hit and his 1 percent profit rises above that figure, he also will donate the rest to the USO making it among the largest monetary donations ever to the group.”It’s an honor for me to be able to give back to these men and women of the military who have done so much for all of us,”

H

Sheen said in a statement. “They put their lives on the line for us every day, and I’m just happy that my work on ‘Anger

Charlie Sheen Management’ can bring a little bit of relief to the troops and their families.”

Sheen has weathered many problems

in recent years including drinking and drugs, an assault charge against his exwife, being fired from his sitcom “Two And a Half Men” and public rants against his bosses that to many fans seemed bizarre.

But in the fall last year, he began putting his life back on track. He appeared on talk shows to discuss his issues, settled his differences with his old “Men” bosses and signed up to play the role of a therapist with problems of his own on “Anger Management.” The TV show debuted on cable network FX in June.

Non-profit group USO, which offers a variety of services to U.S. troops and their families in 27 states and 14 countries, said it “greatly appreciated” Sheen’s support for the group. Sheen will give the USO a first payment of $250,000 later this week. —Reuters

taken from the apartment but authorities have said little about the cause of the death. There was no sign of foul play or trauma, nor a suicide note, said Ed Winter of the coroner’s office.

His father was in San Diego at the annual Comic Con festival to promote

This August 6, 2010 file photo shows US actor Sylvester Stallone during a photocall prior to the premiere of his film ‘Expendables’ in Berlin. —AFP

Stallone take drugs or drink alcohol.

“Never, no, not from the day I met him,” Braunstein told E! news. “I never knew him to drink alcohol. I never saw him take drugs. I never knew of anything like that at all.”

“The last conversation I had with him, he was telling me about, he was getting married, and he was planning a kind of an exciting costume wedding in Las Vegas,” he said. The young actor appeared in the 1990 film “Rocky V” as Rocky Balboa Jr, the son of his father’s title character. The pair also appeared together in the 1996 movie “Daylight.”He is credited with 13 big-screen roles as an actor, while he was a producer on three films, including the 2006 short “Vic” which he also wrote and directed.

Braunstein said the family was waiting to hear the cause of death while planning a funeral. “I’m going to wait to see what the coroner says... I think it was either natural causes or a terrible accident. I don’t think it had anything to do with drugs, he wasn’t that kind of guy,” he said. “He wasn’t anyone trying to take his life,” he added. —AFP

his latest movie “Expendables 2” when he was told about his son’s death.

Sage Stallone’s attorney George Braunstein said he had never seen

Review

Waterboarding ‘Aida,’ buoyant ‘Music Man’ wo topiary elephants greet visitors as they stroll up the lawn toward the Alice Busch Opera Theater for this year’s Glimmerglass Festival. The creatures, made of grapevine and willow over a rebar frame, are called “the Aida elephants,” but the charming sight is worlds apart from the grim spectacle that confronts the audience when the curtain rises on Verdi’s opera, the summer’s opening production. There are no elephants, pyramids or other traditional lavish effects in Francesca Zambello’s version - but there is waterboarding and lethal injection. Updated from ancient Egypt to a modern Muslim state, this “Aida,” seen at its second performance on Friday night, tries to be radical and provocative but mostly ends up settling for cheap sensationalism.

Happily, the season’s second offering is an altogether different story: a buoyant production of Meredith Willson’s classic Broadway musical “The Music Man” that opened the following night. There is updating afoot here as well, but its effect is benign, if gratuitous. Zambello, who is artistic director of the festival, said she wanted her “Aida” to “bring out the intimate and personal nature of the story.” That’s a fine idea, but there’s little that’s intimate about her staging.

Instead, we’re assaulted by noise, crowds and clutter at every turn. The set by Lee Savage depicts a room in a decaying palace where a metal scaffold serves as both royal grandstand and priestly altar. As soon the subdued prelude ends, the stage reverberates with artillery fire and Egyptian

T

soldiers rush onstage. They remain there distractingly, fiddling with laptops, while the warrior Radames sings his aria, “Celeste Aida,” musing on his love for the Ethiopian slave of the title.

In the scene that follows, Verdi establishes the opera’s love triangle by having Radames, Aida and the jealous princess Amneris interact together - but here, too, the scene is muddled by the presence of the soldiers, who whoop and leer at Aida when she enters. When Radames is eventually put on trial for treason, Amneris laments his fate and rages against the unforgiving priests. Much of the power of this scene comes from watching the once-haughty princess suffering alone onstage, while the chorus of priests is heard from the wings. But in this production, the trial takes place in full view, with Radames tied to a chair and repeatedly waterboarded.

In Verdi’s original, Radames is then sealed in an underground tomb where he is slowly asphyxiated along with Aida, who has hidden there to join him. At Glimmerglass, he’s strapped to a gurney, wheeled shirtless to an upright position at the front of the stage and given a lethal injection. It’s a slow-acting poison that allows him to sing the final scene, though his body is wracked by spasms that are as unpleasant to watch as they are at odds with the ethereal music. Of the four American principals, only baritone Eric Owens, making his role debut as Amonasro, was fully up to the challenge, pouring out a flood of warm, Verdian sound and making one wish the role were bigger.

There was a lot to admire in soprano Adina Aaron’s Aida, especially when she sculpted ravishing soft phrases. But she couldn’t quite manage the gradual rise to the exposed high C in “O patria mia,” and other high notes sometimes sounded thin or slightly off-pitch.

Michelle Johnson is scheduled to tak over the role beginning July 23.

Tenor Noah Stewart, a fast-rising star in Britain, was a big audience favorite as Radames. He started shakily, with a “Celeste Aida” more blustery than elegant, but afterward displayed a pleasant, lyrical sound when he wasn’t pushing to meet the heroic demands of the music. Both Aaron and Stewart are attractive and appealing artists, and the fact they are both AfricanAmerican, as is Owens, lent this production an unusual multiracial feel.

As Amneris, mezzo-soprano Daveda Karanas was simply out of her depth, with a shrill, tinny sound that encompassed neither the plush middle register nor the potent chest voice the role calls for.

Nader Abbassi conducted the orchestra with vigor but not much subtlety. For “The Music Man,” Glimmerglass imported two opera stars who managed the transition to musical comedy more seamlessly than most. Both baritone Dwayne Croft and soprano Elizabeth Futral took some time to warm up, but they soon had the audience rooting for them as they charted the rocky romance between professor Harold Hill and Marian the Librarian. —AP

Catholic youth crusade against Madonna in Poland

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

39

In these pictures taken on July 9, 2012, Afghan children from the Mobile Mini Circus for Children (MMCC) perform in Kabul.—AFP photos

From Kabul to Istanbul: The rickshaw circus

A

Canadian man and his German girlfriend are braving the Taleban to take a rickshaw on one of the world’s most dangerous road trips to bring the circus to children in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Adnan Khan, 41, and his anthropologist sweetheart have embarked on the punishing 8,000-kilometre (5,000-mile) trip to Istanbul that demands a police escort and hoisting the rickshaw onto trucks to navigate the trickiest stages. Their purpose is twofold: raise money for a charity that uses circus training to lift the spirits of children in war-torn Afghanistan and to spread those circus skills along the way, to brighten the lives of refugees and orphans.

Adnan left Kabul by road on July 11 as 25-yearold Annika Schmeding flew to Islamabad, after eight months in the Afghan capital, to prepare the way. Accompanied by Afghan police, Adnan drove to the eastern town of Jalalabad, then onto the border with Pakistan’s tribal belt. Washington considers the tribal belt the global headquarters of Al-Qaeda, and a den of Taliban and other Islamist militants plotting attacks in Afghanistan and against the West. It has not seen Western tourists in years. Nor does the three-wheel rickshaw, painted yellow, green and white with a jazzy “Rickshaw Circus” on the side, and sporting a brass clown horn, go unnoticed in terrain synonymous with kidnapping, suicide bombings and ambushes.

“I finally got the rickshaw to the Pakistani side. It took hours. It was quite funny. A policeman told me ‘I haven’t seen a carnet de passage (the document needed for tourists to cross the border) in years,’” Adnan told AFP by telephone on Monday. His next task was speeding the rickshaw to Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar, where Osama bin Laden kept a house during the 1980s war against Soviet troops in Afghanistan, and onto the capital Islamabad. “The local tribal police force is going to have a guard travel with me,” he said, adding that he would be rushing to make Tuesday’s first show.

The trip has been months in the planning. Khan and Schmeding expect to spend two months winding their way through Pakistan, Iran and Turkeyaveraging 300 kilometres a day in six hours-in temperatures that can reach 50 degrees Celsius. The couple are determined to raise as much money as possible for the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children (MMCC), which was recently forced to close a school in the western city of Herat and sack

staff because of a shortage of funds. “We realized that MMCC is very good at running their programmes, but not really good in terms of publicity.

So we wanted people to know that there’s been an actual social circus running in Afghanistan for

about 10 years,” said Khan.

The journalist, who lives in Istanbul but has been coming to Afghanistan regularly for the past 10 years, spoke as girls sang, juggled tennis balls and skittles, and boys danced around the rickshaw and jumped high into the sky. Organizers say the circus encourages concentration, discipline and stimulates intellectual development. “When they learn how to juggle and they go on stage, they get so much more self-confidence. They learn to express themselves. They learn how to trust, to share,” said Schmeding.

Since 2002, the charity says it has reached more than two million children in a country where singing, dancing and cultural shows were banned by the Taliban regime, which was brought down in the 2001 US-led invasion. Besides children, the MMCC also puts on shows for grown ups designed to raise public awareness of basic hygiene, malaria and anti-personnel mines. “One thing is the educational message in it. Another one is to have the children being entertained,” said David Mason, the founder and co-director of MMCC. “In Afghanistan, entertainment has another mission. It’s therapy, collective therapy,” he added.

Since 1979, Afghanistan has been largely at war.

The 1980s saw the mujahideen fight to evict Soviet troops, then came civil war between 1992 and 1996, until the Taleban took power and the 9/11 attacks prompted the American invasion in 2001.

Since then, a deadly Taliban insurgency has grown with each passing year, killing more than 3,000 civilians in 2011, according to the United Nations, which is a record. In Pakistan and in Iran, the rickshaw circus will stop every three days in a large town, where they will work with children in orphanages, hospitals and refugee camps. “It will be nice to raise some money for MMCC as they desperately need it. But the awareness is more important,” said Khan.—AFP

Japanese culture alive and thriving in Brazil B acked by its gastronomy, martial arts, music and manga culture, Brazil’s small but influential Japanese community is wielding soft power to assert ethnic pride and preserve century-old ties. Japanese Brazilians are among the most successful and well-integrated of the South American giant’s communities but keep in touch with their roots through events like the annual Festival of Japan, which wrapped up Sunday in Sao Paulo. A record 190,000 people, half of them non-Japanese, turned up for the three-day celebration, according to the event’s organizer KENREN, the Federation of Associations of Japanese Provinces.

Sponsored by top Japanese brands such as Honda, Mitsubishi and Toyota as well as by leading Brazilian bank Bradesco, the festival was a major success, according to coordinator Erika Yamauti. “We have Japanese descendants representing all of Japan’s 47 provinces and they showcase their respective foods, dances and music,” she added. “More and more visitors turn up every year, and half of them are nonJapanese. They come for the food, to learn about Japan.”

Started small 15 years ago, the event has morphed into a mega-festival which attracts Japanese from neighboring Paraguay, Argentina and Peru. “The essence of the festival is gastronomy and the culinary diversity of Japan’s 47 provinces,” said Nelson Maeda, president of the fest’s organizing committee adding that it would highlight sustainable production.

“But the main objective, beyond the preservation of the Japanese culture, is furthering the integration of the Japanese and broader

Brazilian communities,” he stressed. “This year, we marked the 104th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil ... We are very well accepted by the broader Brazilian community and so we want to reciprocate by opening our doors to them.” Brazilians of Japanese ancestry currently number 1.8 million, or a little less than one percent of the country’s total population, according Participants perform during the Japan Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on to Yamauti.

Around 60 percent July 15, 2012. —AFP of them live in Sao Paulo state, with other became successful farmers and landowners and major concentrations in the states of Parana and large Japanese run farm cooperatives still supply Matto Grosso. Their numbers have been swollen most of the fresh fruit and vegetables for the in recent years by the return of tens of thouSao Paulo and Rio markets. The closely-knit sands of Japanese Brazilians who had moved to community, the biggest Japanese population ancestral Japan during its economic boom in outside Japan, is widely seen as a successful, the 1970s and 1980s. The spectacular growth of highly educated and well integrated minority.

Brazil, now the world’s sixth largest economy, Many of them hold high ranks in governcoupled with Japan’s downturn has lured back ment, finance, academia and business. “Younger as many as a third of the estimated 300,000 Japanese Brazilians are very well integrated but Japanese Brazilian immigrants since 2008. many of them do not speak Japanese,” Maeda According to research by the Brazilian nation- said. “That’s why we are trying to expose them al statistics agency IBGE, the first Japanese to Japanese traditions, not just the food.”—AFP immigrants-a group of 781 people-arrived as farm workers in the port of Santos aboard the ship Kasato Maru in 1908. The new arrivals

Christie’s posts record $3.5 billion first-half art sales

C

hristie’s announced record firsthalf art sales of 2.2 billion pounds ($3.5 billion) yesterday, a rise of 13 percent over the same period of 2011 and further evidence of the strength of the high end of the market. The world’s largest auctioneer reported auction sales of 1.8 billion in the first six months of 2012, seven percent up on a year ago, while private art sales soared 53 percent to 413 million pounds. All figures include buyer’s premium.

However, there was a steep drop in Asian and Middle Eastern auction revenues to 234 million pounds, 23 percent down on the first half of 2011 as rampant Chinese buying cooled. In terms of auction categories, the post-war and contemporary sector rose by 34 percent to 576 million pounds, jewellery jumped 28 percent to 190 million and old masters and 19th century art was up 50 percent to 72 million. The top lot at Christie’s during the first half of the year was Mark Rothko’s “Orange, Red, Yellow” which sold for 53.9 million pounds ($86.9 million) at auction in New York in May. Two Yves Klein works came in second and third place, with “Le rose du bleu” fetching 23.6 million pounds in London in June setting an auction record for the artist. A Henry Moore sculpture, “Reclining Figure: Festival”, also set an artist record when it sold at a London auction in February for 19.1 million

pounds. Sotheby’s, Christie’s main rival, sold Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” for $120 million in New York in May, setting a new auction record for any work of art.

Christie’s said bidders had registered from 124 countries during the period under review and that 19 percent of all registered bids were placed by new clients. Company officials have said that the growing, global client base had underpinned art prices at a time when concerns about the broader economy had hit other markets. “The first six months of the year have demonstrated a healthy market that responds to great art and intelligent pricing,” said Steven Murphy, Christie’s CEO. Soaring prices for the rarest works of art have encouraged owners to offer prized possessions for sale, while on the demand side, super-wealthy collectors ranging from Russian tycoons to institutional buyers in Qatar have created what auctioneers hope is a sustainable “virtuous circle”. Several experts have warned that the disparity between art values and the broader economy cannot continue forever and that while the most coveted works are rising in value, other sectors of the art market are less healthy.

Christie’s noted, however, that sales at its South Kensington showrooms in London, where lesser works are typically sold, had risen 23 percent to 73 million pounds in the first six months.—Reuters