21st Sep

Shunu Ya’ani: Poking fun at our foibles

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FR EE

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For Obama, Romney fakes, election drama is real

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NO: 15575- Friday, September 21, 2012

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KABUL: Afghans hold placards reading: "Our leader Muhammad (PBUH)" during a protest against an antiIslam film in Kabul yesterday. — AP

Brazil down Argentina with last-gasp penalty

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Local Spotlight

Just kiddin’, seriously

Kuwait the golden cage

Spreading awareness about benefits of PE

By Sahar Moussa

By Muna Al-Fuzai

sahar@kuwaittimes.net

K

uwait is a small, big, wealthy and a dramatic country. Small in its size, big in its population, wealthy with its oil and dramatic with its boredom. If you live in Kuwait, the two things you get very familiar with quickly are the malls and restaurants, considering it’s the most accessible entertainment. Too many restaurants and too many malls. To be objective, there are cinemas in almost every mall here, where the movies are censored all the time. Once upon a time, there used to be a Virgin Megastore with a lot of censored music, films and books. But the “extremists” pushed until the store gave up and closed.

There are some good bookstores; well, it’s not as great as ‘Kinokuniya’ in Dubai for example. You should know by now why; yes the ‘censoring’ again.

What is really sarcastic is anyone can buy the “censored” books or films from anywhere in this world and bring it to Kuwait. And anyone can download any “censored” music from the Internet. So the loss here is Kuwait’s economy’s and nobody else’s.

There are some private, big and nice clubs you can join, but there are a lot of frustrated people there in a frustrated atmosphere - so you end up regretting joining one.

Talking about frustration, although the malls here are lavish and have every brand you can think of, it can be

muna@kuwaittimes.net

your worst nightmare thanks to the frustrated men who roam in circles around women they see like predators.

The schools and universities here are clean, with good equipment, and good teachers but they grow up with a twisted personality because of something called ‘segregation’.

There are a lot of talented musicians here, but all these regulations end up pushing them to quit. I’m not asking for Kuwait to be a touristic country, but at least they can loosen up a bit and consider that there are a lot of expats with different nationalities living and working here. And following the rules and regulations and paying fines and loving the country patriotically no less than the locals. It makes no sense for someone to work all his life and make a lot of money without being able to go to a decent concert with good music, or enjoy classic music in an opera house perhaps. I believe that music is the food for the soul.

Kuwait is a rich country with a poor lifestyle. If anyone asks me why I’m still living here if I find it so boring and dull, I would say because I genuinely love the country and I feel it’s my obligation to defend it for what I believe is good in it. Kuwait is like a big golden cage with birds in it. A wealthy prison for the body and soul, so free your country before you lose it all. I only ask this with all respect and love for Kuwait.

Kuwait’s my business

C: The black and white personality

By John P Hayes

local@kuwaittimes.net

W

ant proof (of anything you question)? . . . Want the job done “by the book”? . . . Then talk to a Compliant personality. While the D (Dominant) personality is known for offending people, the C can be equally as obnoxious. “That’s not the way to do it!” they will tell you. Or they’ll say, “If you do that, I’ll report you, because it’s against all regulations.” Put a D and a C together and you’re guaranteed to get fireworks. Whether married or working together, those relationships aren’t likely to last.

If you’re an analytical person who thinks before you act, and you maintain high standards, you’re a C or Compliant (sometimes called Competent) personality. In everything you do you require accuracy. You can see how that might grate on the D personality - the one that’s always taking risks!

Employers love to hire C personalities because they strive to do what’s right. They don’t take action unless they understand what’s expected of the situation. And it doesn’t matter what the boss thinks, says or wants. Rules and regulations trump the boss!

If there’s a job to be done and you want it done precisely and faultlessly, ask a C to do it! You must, however, give them plenty of time because they must understand everything before they act or speak. The Cs are rigid people, and they tend to procrastinate because studying the details often over-

whelms them. Don’t even think about asking a C to compromise or cover up! Cut corners, cheat or lie, and the C will expose you. In their book, everything is either black or white and there’s no in between. Their book, by the way, is the only book.

Cs and Is (Influencers) become great companions because they appreciate each other’s qualities. The I loves to listen, and the C wants to talk out each step of a task. The relationship is very similar for the S (Steady) and the C, with the S providing a lot of support for the C’s decisions. There’s danger when two Cs get together because they can analyze any situation to death. By the time they come to a conclusion it will be too late!

Of course, a D with a C doesn’t work. The C moves too slowly and cautiously, and the D quickly gets exasperated. But the C doesn’t like the D, either, because the D is a brash, risk taker who likes to cut corners and break the rules. The way to win over a C is to give them factual information, let them analyze it and feel comfortable before they make a decision which may or may not occur when you need it!

NOTE: Dr John P Hayes is a marketing professor at Gulf University for Science & Technology. Contact him at questions@hayesworldwide.com or via Twitter @drjohnhayes.

W

hat role does physical education play in the life of our children today? This important issue needs to be addressed

by Kuwaiti citizens, including parents as well as the media. As far as sports are concerned, football is considered one of the most popular games around the world, and is equally loved here in Kuwait. But even though we hugely admire the game, we don’t do enough to encourage our children to play the sport or to hone their abilities to an extent that allows them to play professionally and not just for fun. I also doubt whether Kuwaiti youth are made aware of the fact that physical education is important for maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle. They also need to realize that playing some sport on a daily basis should become a lifestyle choice and not merely a pastime.

With the school year having just begun, it’s the right time and opportunity for considering as to how we as adults can inculcate this habit in our children, which will help them become a better person and be healthier and active. I would also like children to be given lessons in nutrition as part of their daily education and work assignments at school.

I am also of the view that the authorities concerned are not doing enough to promote physical education in Kuwait, especially among the youth who study in government schools. Physical education does not merely involve handing a ball to students and asking them to play with it for half an hour.

An education curriculum should be designed in a way that encourages students and allows them to surpass their personal achievements at school and in their personal lives. As much as we care about honing the skills of these students for enabling them to get better grades, we also need to teach them how to be healthy for life. They will neither be able to help society or themselves nor will they accomplish much in the future if they don’t learn these necessary life lessons in school or during a physical education class that will encourage them to test new ideas. So what we are waiting for?

Teachers imparting physical education should also know that teaching this subject will help in the healthy growth of children and make them physically active. It would be great if teachers are able to bring about this change in the daily routine of students, which normally involves their playing ball only to pass the time until class ends and not because of the health benefits stemming from that activity.

This should be the main objective of physical education, awareness about which can be spread through social campaigns sponsored by the Ministries of Education, Health and Information.

Parents should also be made part of this process and demand for an improvement in sporting facilities for the betterment of their children’s future.

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Conspiracy Theories

Kaffeeklatsch

What a parade!

GMO? OMG!

By Shakir Reshamwala

shakir@kuwaittimes.net

W

ith seven billion mouths to feed, the world surely needs a stable supply of staple food. Genetically modified seeds that produce more yield, are hardy and can withstand pests and weeds have been touted as the ultimate solution to eradicate hunger and farm waste.

Europe aside, these crops have been extensively cultivated in large swathes of farmland in the US, South America, Asia and Africa. Billions of cattle too are raised on GM feed.

But the rat is out of the bag. A study in France has concluded that genetically modified corn fed to lab mice resulted in cancerous tumors. Locavores and organic advocates are feeling vindicated after years of campaigning against such “Frankenfood” produced by GMO giants like the US’ Monsanto, whose super seeds and weedkillers are leaders in the field, literally.

Of course the French study has its detractors - all scientific

tests do - but it should give us pause on what happens when man tinkers with nature. History is littered with examples of human folly when it comes to strong-arming nature into submission, with disastrous consequences. Introduced species hailed as saviors to control “pests” have turned into ecological nightmares in many parts of the world, decimating native flora and fauna and turning into pests themselves.

Not to mention global warming brought about by rapid industrialization and rampant deforestation.

To an average person living in an urban environment, in a country like Kuwait for instance, the extinction of the three(or two- for that matter) toed sloth is hardly cause for concern. As are water hyacinths choking riverways or melting Antarctic glaciers. But anything that affects the food on the table immediately hits home. This has become evident by the near-daily busts of expired and spoilt food and the recent seizure of pork-tainted sausages. Being a rich country, people here have the option to consume organic or nonGMO foods, but these products are often expensive and lacking in variety and availability. And cheap food is plentiful, leading to massive wastage. Let’s hope this new study gives us some food for thought, before we turn into mutants.

In my view

Lessons to be learnt from Libya

By Labeed Abdal

labeed@kuwaittimes.net

T

he US ambassador stationed in Benghazi, Libya was recently murdered along with three members of his staff during a mob attack on the anniversary of 9/11.

The four US nationals were killed in a rocket attack that was triggered after angry protests erupted across Libya and the world in the wake of the release of a movie produced in the United States, which many found offensive and insulting to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). US embassies in other Muslim countries like Afghanistan, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Bangladesh were also attacked. On its part, the US State Department strongly condemned the film and termed it as cynical and provocative, said it denigrates a great religion

and formally denied any connection with the producer of the movie.

Other responsible governments of the world also denounced the offensive film, which was a low budget movie made solely to take advantage of the yawning gaps in the understanding of religions. A strong lesson needs to be drawn from this incident, the timing of which appears suspect. Even though the slain US nationals were not linked to the production of the movie in any way, their death seems to have been pre-planned and a retaliatory move on the part of pro-Gaddafi groups.

These recent incidents should serve as a wakeup call for many Muslim countries including Libya, that should try and prevent such unwanted or irresponsible reactions, which are against the basic tenets of Islam by keeping them in check, especially where unarmed victims are concerned.

There should at least be this understanding that overthrowing the old tyrannical regime was the people’s choice and this is no way to thank the country that helped you get rid of your dictatorial rulers.

RUFFLED FEATHERS: Pigeons gathered under the shade of a tree take flight after being disturbed off the Arabian Gulf Road. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

W

ell done, Ministry of Interior! I congratulate you for doing your work by catching and handcuffing criminals or for catching traffic violators who endanger lives on the roads whether by speeding, crossing red lights or zooming over pedestrian walkways. You guys are protecting us and our families day and night. We depend for our security and safety on you. This is what the ministries of interior in the world are for.

You should be proud when you nail down wanted criminals and announce it in the media in a proper fashion and decent display. This is in line with human rights. But, but, but.

Yesterday, I saw pictures displayed on front pages of local newspapers and I am sure other media sources covered the story too. Your officers have nailed down over 2,000 residency violators.

Meaning, this is somebody whose residency or work visa has expired and was not renewed for 101 reasons. These are mainly blue-collar workers with low wages or no wages at all, sometimes depending on the will of the kafeel.

It is great. We should not have illegals around us because you do not know what their reactions and behavior could be. They might steal or join gangs if they are roaming around illegally and cannot find proper job. But displaying them in the way I saw it, this opposes our Islamic rules. It is humiliating. You parade them in a human chain and allow photographers to enjoy snapping pictures of them. They look as if they are war prisoners or a gang of rapists and criminals in heavy detention.

These images reminded me of the Gitmo detainees.

This is a different story. Residency violators are not prisoners. They are residency violators only.

Check out why they are violators. Maybe you can catch the kafeel (sponsor) who brought them and refused to renew their residency unless they pay another bountiful amount, which if they cannot pay they are lost. I am speaking from experience.

Many workers shared stories with us how kafeels suck the blood out of their veins and all the dinars from their wallets. One woman who recently spoke to me had to pay her kafeel money for everything otherwise she was constantly threatened that her iqama (residency) will not be renewed. This is how she could end up on the front page of the media as part of the human chain images.

Such residency violators should not be displayed in that manner. It is inhumane and against their dignity. This is not an accomplishment the Ministry of Interior should be proud of. There are big thieves in my country and nobody dares point a finger at them let alone expose them on the front pages of leading newspapers.

Follow me @badryaD

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Poking fun at our foibles Shunu Ya’ani offers a glimpse of life in Kuwait, albeit in a humorous way

By Nawara Fattahova

M

edia censorship and the prevalence of access to the Internet from any place at any time has given birth to a new popular satire created for Kuwait audiences and uploaded onto YouTube. The show, called Shunu Ya’ani (So what?), was created by a group of young Kuwaitis. Shunu Ya’ani is the name of a sarcastic Kuwaiti serial of video clips.

The clips differ in length, some are only two minutes long while others run for more than 10 minutes. Most of the time the videos include a warning at the beginning which states: “This clip is not suitable for children. The following clip may contain improper scenes or language

for those who are under 18 years old”.

These funny and sarcastic clips discuss various issues from our community. Some are about the linguistic differences in various Arabic dialects. For instance, what can in one dialect mean a dish, in another Arabic dialect is a reference to a body part. One of the most recent Shunu Ya’ni short clips shows a teacher who is asking a student to mention different types of animals. When he asks about mammals, the student starts imagining girls scantily dressed in bikinis. Another clip shows an Arab, non-Khaleeji man ordering food in a Saudi restaurant. When he hears the name of one dish (Mataziz) his imagination is provoked by linguistic associations to the word for buttocks

because this particular word has a different meaning in his country.

Some clips are directed at fighting negative phenomena in society in an action-style short drama. In a 10-minute clip an Egyptian restaurant staff member, who is visibly exhausted, is taking an order from a young man calling from his diwaniya. The caller is making fun of him, while talking to his friends and showing them photos in his mobile, while asking the staff member to repeat the menu and hanging up without ordering. Soon, the employee’s patience has run out and he heads to the home to kill everyone at the diwaniya, one by one in their house or street. One of the victims was chatting with his girlfriend, and about to see

her naked on the video-cam, when he was killed. The restaurant employee doesn’t kill the last person in the diwaniya, because he shares some party items with him.

Other clips discuss problems many people face - such as flats for rent. When the main character goes searching for a flat and finds wearied men renting the flat, they force him to sing songs after kidnapping him. Another clip shows the daily life and habits of Kuwaiti men when visiting a diwaniya and the topics they speak about, how they fight, and how they behave.

Even in a satirical form, Shunu Ya’ni has aired many hits already, offering a glimpse of life in Kuwait, albeit in a humorous way.

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

By James B.

P

eace, this undeniably precious element of life that has had various connotations for man finds special audience on 21 Sept 2012, the International Day of Peace. With entire communities and countries coming together to celebrate the cause and its indisputable place in our lives, peace plays protagonist.

“The need for peace has been ingrained into man’s psyche but ironically peace remains obscure and at times utopian. Modern man lives literally in a sea of technological advancements that have filled his life with material comforts. However, peace seems to evade man constantly. But look around at nature - clouds that unite seamlessly, rivers that flow playfully, butterflies that flit fearlessly and birds that sing unabashedly are all inherently at peace. The world grapples in the throes of unrest, struggles to negotiate harmony.”

These are the words of renowned Indian Artist Sasikrishnan whose works are themselves a study in peace; what better time can there be, than now, to unveil The Soul of Peace a spectacular painting by the master painter. This momentous piece in acrylic with a female form hands outstretched into the clouds, surrounded by birds and butterflies is Peace in a nutshell.

The blue at the base is a river that symbolizes free will and the corrugated circuit lines within signify material advancement. The butterflies, birds and clouds are all embodiments of the same free will. The human hands wrapping around the clouds overhead represent man’s ambition and perhaps also his desire to return to peaceful nature.

The Soul of Peace dramatically dissolves the elusiveness surrounding peace but what is even more beautiful is that it pulls the curtain down on the esoteric nature bound to contemporary art. This unparalleled ability to throw bare to a million viewing eyes and minds, the most complex and ambiguous of ideas, is truly the hallmark of ace painter Sasikrishnan, whose works have been extensively exhibited in Kuwait.

Our story takes birth in a little village in India in Vadagara, where the world famous Indian orator and diplomat V K Krishna Menon has roots. Years later the scenic town finds itself on the world map once again and this time around it is art. Born to social worker parents in Vadagara in 1966, Sasikrishnan found his life’s calling at a very tender age. He was raised unexposed to the international art scenario but mysteriously enough his earliest works spoke the language of the competitive world of global contemporary art. Did one know then that his canvasses were to adorn corporate halls and international galleries? The journey that commenced from a tiny hamlet to some of the most consequential vistas of the artistic world was dotted with pain and perseverance.

With more than 1,000 canvasses bearing his signature Sasi has grown to be one of the most promising artists of modern India whose works have redefined artistic boundaries and set new benchmarks of both expression and appreciation. His masterly strokes are flashes of his genius coupled with extraordinary talent. For Sasi each painting is an evolutionary process

that involves inner reflection, keen observation, clear thoughts and finally crisp manifestation.

In short, for him, every painting is a sublime living experience almost like a communication with the divine quite beyond the magic created on canvas using colours, images and themes.

Most art forms resonate with life for life is a reservoir of undying inspiration. Undoubtedly there is no greater muse than life and no dearth of artistic stimulus in this universe. However, what is scarce is artistic genius that adeptly gives form to such inspiration. Close observation of Sasi’s works reveal distortion of form yet intense portrayal of ideas, refined thoughts and imagination through specialized techniques and approach towards the concept. An artist does more than graphical reproduction of life Sasi’s works that are a reflection of his brilliant mind that is constantly endeavoring to find the meaning and essence of life prove this to the fullest.

The world of art is in a constant state of flux.

Lines that dart aimlessly into the canvas and nebulous structures that burst into a riot of colors without purpose are some of the faces of modern art. However, Sasikrishnan is an artistic icon who establishes through his works that speak for themselves that an artist is not an odd worker whose mission lies merely in the creation of unfathomable and queer pieces of art.

On the contrary, bridging the gap between the abstract and the real, the layman and the artist, giving life to fragmented thoughts and feelings and ultimately portraying what has never been said before are some of the hallowed responsibilities that lie in the nimble and dexterous

The soul of peace

hands of a seasoned artist like him.

Having worked his way up through exasperating situations, Sasi’s art is often a commentary of life’s trying moments. Painting in the language of love, his works invoke inner peace however painful be the subject. They instantly transport the viewer to the world he creates through his strokes. Perhaps this is why it is so easy for his audience to relate to his works that help them come to terms with the idiosyncrasies of their own life. The words of R W Emerson explain this phenomenon, “In every work of genius, we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty”.

While being a celebrated painter Sasikrishnan’s magical hands have over the years created sculptures that talk, smile, breathe and also appear to feel! Skillful imparting of life to the abstract is what he seems to constantly articulate through his paintings, sculptures and the internationally acclaimed short movies and documentaries art directed by him.

Is it possible ever to bind the naughty wind within man made shackles? Likewise it is impossible to cage a genius within the fetters of a mundane life or even the yardsticks that measure artistic success. Sasi is a rare artist, whose creative energy travels from one form of art to another, experimenting, unraveling the mysteries therein, in search of fulfillment. As a painter, sculptor, writer, art director, teacher, poet, orator, cartoonist and theatre person, he has epitomized the concept of the multifaceted individual by graciously handling so many differentrolesequally successfully.

However, ask him what is closest to his heart and pat comes the reply that it is his profession as a teacher which gives him the opportunity to intermingle with young minds for they are intrinsically creative and inspiring. He is an academician who has over the past two decades trained and inspired thousands of students onto the path of professional art. The father of two young boys, married to a sprightly mathematician Beena Krishnaa who has not only designed his website www.sasikrishnan.com which carries numerous paintings on peace, but more importantly been his pillar of support over the many trying years helping him achieve colossal success in his professional life. Indeed behind every successful man is an utterly supportive family.

The Soul of Peace dramatically dissolves the elusiveness surrounding peace but what is even more beautiful is that it pulls the curtain down on the esoteric nature bound to contemporary art. This unparalleled ability to throw bare to a million viewing eyes and minds, the most complex and ambiguous of ideas, is truly the hallmark of ace painter Sasikrishnan, whose works have been extensively exhibited in Kuwait.

Today as the world celebrates the International Day of Peace, this irresistibly charming painter prepares to exhibit his work Height of Relaxation at the ANOKHII exhibition on 24 Sept 2012 in India.At this point it is of particular interest to talk about the Philaesthoism movement of art founded by this prodigious artist. Love and beauty are the two essential condiments that impart peace in human relations. Perhaps no one understands this better than Sasikrishnan who gave form to this movement with the aim to educate the world about the importance of finding peace through art that laying accent on the portrayal of human relations through love and beauty beyond a physical realm. To a world that is in search of peace, this remainsthe greatest contribution of this artist who strongly believes that it is important predominantly for every living entity of this universe to find peace within if the world must enjoy long lasting peace, for this universe is a macrocosm and its inhabitants microcosms!

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

By Ben Garcia

L

ocal merchants have stumbled upon an innovative business venture that is allowing them to outsell established perfume brands by producing similar fragrances for the mass market, but for lower prices.

“Our products are not smuggled or imported from abroad. We simply mix similar ingredients and experiment here,” the owner of one such perfumery told the Friday Times on condition of anonymity.

“Our business is completely legal as we are creating these perfumes ourselves,” he stated, while trying to explain the process used for aping famous fragrances.

The business of repackaging branded perfumes is thriving in Kuwait. In fact, many such businesses are flourishing in the Mubarakiya market. The copied perfume might not exude the perfect fragrance and last as long as the original, but its packaging is identical. In terms of prices, the perfume knockouts are cheaper compared with their original counterparts. The various reproductions or original perfume brands also come with a ‘homemade’ label, which has also made them the preferred choice of both men and women.

While prices for branded perfumes start from KD20, 30, 40 and above, these ‘homemade’ perfumes can be bought in some stores in Mubarakiya for as low as KD2 or even less. The packaging is different too. The secret of a good fake fragrance is simple — it should stay on your ‘dishdasha’ or dress longer, just like the original perfumes do.

The perfumery owner pointed out that the fake perfume business is run on the basis of local rules of operation. “We just experiment with the scent or smell of the original perfumes that we want to recreate. We mix the raw perfume extracts that we order from elsewhere and we conduct a series of experiments before we are able to perfect the same essence found in the original branded products. We repackage the product and sell it to the consumers the moment we get the perfect fragrance,” he said.

While the perfume bottle is labeled with the company’s name, the name of the reproduced brand is only written by hand.

These perfumes are selling like hotcakes, with many customers placing bulk orders with the intention of reselling them in the black market. “Many people place bulk orders, especially those who sense a good

business opportunity and the possibility of earning good profits through resale, but in such cases, we end up selling our products for much less than the money earned through reselling these perfumes,” the perfumery owner pointed out.

He further explained, “If we fix the retail price for a fake perfume at KD2, its bulk or wholesale price is KD1.25, so the resellers end up earning at least 750fils or more per bottle than us.”

The repackaging and remixing of branded perfumes by perfumeries and ‘bukhoor’ shops in Mubarakiya has been continuing for years now. However, perfume shop owners said that they cannot be compared with merchants counterfeiting products like bags, shoes, DVDs, branded clothing, mobiles, iPads, etc as they copy everything including the packaging of the product before selling it in the black market.

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Kuwait keen on bolstering ties with Australia

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Australia Khaled Al-Shaibani paid an official visit to the state of New South Wales (NSW) and its capital Sydney.

The ambassador met with the State Premier and Western Sydney Minister Barry O’Farrell, NSW Legislative Council President Donald Harwin and NSW Legislative Assembly Speaker Shelley Hancock. The meetings addressed a number of bilateral interests of both countries, including economy, trade relations and investment opportunities, especially that the state of NSW is well known for being the

largest state by population in Australia, the ambassador said over the phone yesterday.

He added that the state has the largest economy in Australia of about $402 billion, which is the gross domestic product for 2011 and represents more than 34 percent of Australia’s economy. Australia, whose population exceeds seven million people, recorded the highest proportion of foreign direct investment for the year 2010 at $ 30 billion. He noted that O’Farrell expressed his hopes that this meeting “would represent an important addi-

tion to the mutual ties by strengthening the excellent relations between Kuwait and Australia, stressing the importance of continuity in the future”.

Furthermore, Shaibani said that the Australian official expressed his aspiration for the state of NSW to intensify the mutual cooperation in various fields and enhance economic and trade relations to reach a significant level with Kuwait, especially with a willingness of both parties to achieve this goal. Regarding his meeting with Harwin and Hancock, the ambassador

said that they reviewed a number of bilateral and international issues where they discussed opportunities for the development of parliamentary relations and intensifying official visits to benefit from the experience of both sides. Ambassador Shaibani noted the experience of Kuwait’s leadership in the field of democracy, especially by providing harmony and consensus among the parliament and government sectors, while the Australian side expressed admiration and desire to see the Kuwaiti experience in the near future. — KUNA

Palestinian embassy to reopen in Kuwait Amir approves envoy’s credentials

PARIS: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah meets French President Francois Hollande. — KUNA

PM to represent Kuwait at UNGA UNITED NATIONS: HH the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah will head his country’s delegation to the 67th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly which started on Sept 18. The delegation also includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Permanent Delegate to the UN Mansour Ayyad Al-Utaibi told KUNA yesterday.

“The high level of delegation shows that Kuwait attaches great importance to the organization and its noble targets,” Utaibi said shortly before the arrival of Sheikh Jaber and his entourage in New York today. “Kuwait is keen on active participation in the activities of the UN which plays a pivotal role in solving the problems of its 193 member states. “There are trans-border problems such as the climate change, terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction that affect all states and require collective effort spearheaded by the UN,” he noted.

“Kuwait always advocates concerted efforts in the face of such problems, we believe that the UN is the ideal mechanism for addressing the international challenges,” he added.

The PM will meet the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon early next week to discuss a range of issues foremost among which are Kuwait’s relationship to the UN, the security of the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf region, and Iraq’s implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions stemming from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. HH Sheikh Jaber and his party are also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with several heads of state and government on economic and commercial ties.

Several other meetings will be held on the sidelines of the UNGA session including US-GCC strategic forum, and the meetings of the friends of Yemen and the friends of the Syrian people. On Sept 26, Sheikh Jaber will deliver Kuwait address to the UNGA session, Otaibi said. The speech will express Kuwait’s concerns over a host of regional issues such as the unrest in the Middle East, the Syrian crisis, the PalestinianIsraeli conflict, the Iranian nuclear program, Kuwait-UN relations and Kuwait-Iraq ties.—KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s foreign ministry has officially informed the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah of its approval to receive the Palestinian assistant foreign minister for international economic affairs Rami Ehsan Tahboub as the nominated Palestinian ambassador to Kuwait, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyadh AlMaliki said, noting that the embassy will open in October. In this regard, highranking Palestinian and Kuwaiti sources said that the Palestinian Authority Chairman’s officer had been informed of the approval of HH the Amir of Kuwait to receive Tahboub’s credentials as the

new ambassador. Meanwhile, on behalf of Kuwait, Kuwait’s foreign ministry undersecretary, Khaled Al-Jarallah welcomed the appointment of Tahboub as ambassador to Kuwait and stressed that could start working as soon as the protocol procedures were finished. Jarallah added that HH the Amir was personally interested in finalizing the inauguration of the Palestinian embassy as soon as possible. He also noted that since Palestine does not own an embassy premises, the Palestinian diplomatic mission could rent a building and hoist its flag on it. Further, besides working as

assistant foreign minister for international economic affairs, the sources explained that the new ambassador worked as an assistant to Faisal AlHusseini for Arab affairs and lectured at Al-Quds university.

They added that he is expected to arrive next month. The Palestinian embassy to Kuwait has been closed for 22 years since the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 when the Palestinian leadership did not condemn the invasion. However, the current Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas officially apologized to Kuwait in Dec 2004.

Kuwait to launch e-stamping KUWAIT: The government electronic stamp project is due to be launched in October at four public departments as a prelude to expanding the system to all state authorities effective Dec 1, the Ministry of Finance announced yesterday. Badr Al-Sultaiteen, in charge of the resources department and the head of the e-payment team, said during a coordination meeting for personnel involved in the venture that the project would proceed till next July. The initial phase will be executed for the ministries of finance, health, interior and social affairs, he said, indicating that the trial period would last from October till the end of November, then the second phase would begin, from December till July. On objectives of the project, he said it was aimed at facilitating citizens’ payment of fees, indicating that it would also enable relevant staff store data about fees’ payments in detail. He indicated that the citizens could use several means within this network including kiosk machines, adding that it would also involve other means such as the Internet and ATMs. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Badr Al-Sultaiteen, in charge of the Ministry of Finance resources department and the head of the e-payment team, adresses a coordination meeting.—KUNA

Kuwaiti students want scholarship rules eased WASHINGTON: A delegation of the National Union for Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) - US branch - held a meeting with the Kuwaiti cultural advisor in Washington Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Omar discussing issues concerning Kuwaiti students studying in the country for Master’s degrees. The deputy chairman of the union Fawaz Al-Obeid said the meeting was fruitful and the talks dealt with issues concerning the stu-

dents, namely easing requirements for Master’s studies, indicating that the Cultural Office in Washington would contact officials of the Ministry of Education to press for an early decision in this regard.

Obeid added that the discussions dealt with merit scholarships, stressing that it was high time that the relevant authorities in Kuwait “adopt the needed bylaws”. Merit scholarships

are granted to students with excellent records and high grades. Elaborating, Obeid said the delegation called for extending the period for health insurance for graduated students from one to two months, to be in harmony with the US immigration rules that allow a foreign graduated student to remain on the American territories for two months after finishing studies. — KUNA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Indian strike shuts down trains, shops

Egypt street art vents anger at prez after whitewashing

16

11

US honors Suu Kyi

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ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani Muslim protester throws a tear gas shell towards police as demonstrators attempt to reach the US embassy during a protest yesterday.— AFP

Clashes in Pakistan over film US warns citizens to avoid travel to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Thousands of Pakistanis clashed with police firing live rounds and tear gas yesterday as anger mounted in the Muslim world over a US-made anti-Islam film and French cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Up to 50 people were injured as police drove back thousands of protesters, many armed with wooden clubs, trying to storm Islamabad’s heavily-guarded diplomatic enclave-home to Western embassies including the US, British and French missions.

The crudely made “Innocence of Muslims” film-produced by US-based extremist Christians-has triggered protests in at least 20 countries since excerpts were posted online and more than 30 people have died in related violence. Tensions over the film were fuelled after the publication by French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday of obscene cartoons depicting the founder of Islam, In Islamabad, an initial demonstration of around 1,000 swelled to around 5,000 with the arrival of protesters carrying the flags of hardline Islamist groups. The government called in the

army to protect the diplomatic enclave after protesters broke through a barrier of shipping containers set up by police to block a road leading to the area.

Thousands of Muslims also marched in the Nigerian city of Zaria and burnt US and Israeli flags to protest the film, crying “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. In the Afghan capital Kabul hundreds protested chanting “Death to France! Death to America!”, while up to 100 people demonstrated outside the French embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Condemnations of the film and cartoons meanwhile continued to pour in.

The head of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, expressed “shock and dismay” over the cartoons and warned they would “further exacerbate the ongoing turmoil and violence created by the release of the anti-Islam film.” The film and the cartoons constituted a “deliberate, motivated and systematic abuse” of freedom of speech and “posed a clear and present danger to peace, security and stability in the region as

well as the global context,” he said in a statement.

Egypt’s influential Muslim Brotherhood demanded France take action over the cartoons, calling for “firm and rapid measures against” Charlie Hebdo. UN chief Ban Ki-moon had joined condemnation of the film on Wednesday, saying freedom of expression should not be abused “to provoke or humiliate some others’ values and beliefs”.

“Freedom of expression, while it is a fundamental right and privilege, should not be abused by such people, by such a disgraceful and shameful act,” Ban said. The low-budget, amateurish video appears to have been the work of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian Coptic Christian and convicted fraudster living in California who went into hiding Saturday.

Cast members have said they had no idea the video was about the Prophet (PBUH), as all references to him were dubbed over the original video later. One actress in the film, Cindy Lee Garcia, said she is suing the reputed producer. Protests against the film took place in

many countries on Wednesday, including in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Sri Lanka.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has called for protests all week in Lebanon and major demonstrations are expected in Pakistan again today, the Muslim day of prayer, where the government has declared a national holiday in honour of the Prophet (PBUH).

The US State Department yesterday warned its citizens to avoid travel to Pakistan and Washington has moved to boost security at its diplomatic missions worldwide. Among those killed in the violence were four Americans, including US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, who were attacked at the US consulate in Benghazi.

France has also been bracing for a backlash and in anticipation of potential protests today, Paris said it would shutter its diplomatic missions, cultural centres and French schools in around 20 Muslim countries. French police said yesterday they had also forbidden a demonstration planned for tomorrow in front of Paris’s Grand Mosque.—AFP

International FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Libya honors murdered US ambassador Libya offers further apology for envoy’s death Salafists resent Hamas crackdown GAZA CITY: Steps by Gaza’s Hamas rulers to crack down on Salafist radicals have created tensions within the enclave that some fear may turn into an armed confrontation.

Although there are only a few hundred Salafists in Gaza, they have made a name for themselves as unafraid to openly challenge Hamas, seeking to outbid them in the fight against Israel and the defence of Islam. Last year, Hamas launched a major crackdown on Salafist groups after several of them kidnapped and murdered an Italian peace activist whom they had seized as a hostage to demand the release of several of their fellow militants.

Earlier this week, a Gaza military court convicted four of them, with two getting life terms in jail. In recent weeks, Salafist groups say they have come under renewed pressure from Hamas-this time over Egyptian allegations they may have been involved in a deadly attack in northern Sinai in which 16 border police were shot dead.

“They have arrested and interrogated about 30 of our mujahedeen (fighters),” charged Abu Abdullah, who heads a Salafist group called the Mujahedeen Shura Council.

“Hamas is keeping the truce with the Jews while the enemy (Israel) is chasing mujahedeen day and night,” he said in a statement sent to AFP. “What hurts us is that people who call themselves Muslims in the internal security forces are pointing the dagger at the chest of the mujahedeen and won’t stop their campaign against them,” Abu Abdullah said. “We don’t fight other Muslims, but if we have to, we will defend ourselves and our mujahedeen,” he warned.

Salafists are Sunni Muslims who promote a strict lifestyle based on the traditions of early “pious ancestors,” and in Gaza they have made no secret of their disdain for Hamas over its observance of a tacit ceasefire with Israel and its failure to implement Islamic law. Over the past few weeks, Salafist groups have fired rockets at southern Israel, and last week, hundreds marched through the southern border city of Rafah to protest against an anti-Islam film, waving Al-Qaeda flags.

“Hamas security is chasing mujahedeen who are targeting the enemy,” agreed Abu Qatada al-Maqdisi of the Ansar al-Sunna group, who said the crackdown picked up speed after the attack on August 5. “This campaign intensified after the attack in Egyptian Rafah.” Within hours of the deadly attack, Egyptian security officials pointed the finger at militants from Gaza, with Cairo asking Hamas to provide information about several members of a Salafist group it believed was involved. But Hamas has repeatedly insisted that no one from Gaza was involved in the attack, and denies there is any campaign under way to crack down on Salafist groups. Interior ministry spokesman Islam Shawan says “a few” Salafists have been arrested, but only those involved in local security breaches. “We only deal with those who break the law and breach security,” he told AFP in an apparent reference to their rocket fire at Israel in defiance of the tacit truce observed by Hamas.

‘Clash inevitable’ Salafist groups accuse Hamas of targeting them to curry favour with the administration of Egypt’s new Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood shares ideological roots with Hamas. “Egypt is pressuring Hamas to pursue Salafist groups, whether they were involved in the Sinai attack or not,” said Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a political science expert at Gaza’s Al-Azhar University. “Hamas feels the new Egypt is a supportive force that can be depended upon in the future, so it is keen to coordinate,” he said. Salafist groups, he said, embarrass Hamas with their rocket attacks on Israel and allegations that their militants were mistreated or tortured in custody.

“A clash between Hamas and Salafists is inevitable,” he said. But political analyst Mustafa al-Sawaf is not convinced that Hamas and the Salafists are on a collision course. He doesn’t think there is anything more than an “ideological” link between Salafist groups in Gaza and their counterparts in Sinai. — AFP

TRIPOLI: Deputy US Secretary of State William Burns flew to Libya yesterday amid tight security for a ceremony to honour ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans who were killed in Benghazi last week. Burns met Foreign Minister Ashur Ben Khayal on arrival and was also expected to meet Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagur and Mohammed AlMegaryef, head of the national assembly.

Tripoli was yesterday holding a ceremony in honour of the four Americans who were killed on September 11, when armed men attacked the US consulate in the country’s second city Benghazi and torched it.

The assault was originally blamed on protesters angered by an anti-Islam film made in America, but neither US nor Libyan officials have excluded the possibility that it was a pre-planned operation supported by Al-Qaeda. In Benghazi, a city once pumped with pride for spearheading the uprising that ended 42 years of dictatorship under Muammar Gaddafi, many people are furious that their reputation has been ruined by radical elements.

“We denounce such shameful actions,” said Leila Taherbughaighis, medical director of the Benghazi Medical Centre where doctors fought to revive Stevens.

“It is not part of our culture and not part of our religion. The real people from Benghazi loved Chris.” Benghazi is gearing up for Friday protests to denounce extremism and urge militias to disband.

Throughout the week, wreaths and placards condemning the attack were left outside the US mission. “All Libyans denounce murdering Chris Stevens” and “We want to build our new peaceful Libya, terrorists out” read handwritten notes posted on the consulate’s black iron gate.

“Benghazi loved him and he loved

Benghazi,” said Mohammed Ari, a guard at the Tibesti Hotel, who still recalls how Stevens would go out by himself for a jog when the city was under attack in March last year. The death of the well-loved ambassador has become a crucial test for the Libyan authorities, with the need to bring the perpetrators to justice, tackle militias and try to uproot radical Islamist groups that reject democracy.

“The problem in Libya is that the state is paralysed,” said analyst Jaber Al-Obeidi.

“We thought that legitimacy through elections will give it the strength to act but, until now, we are still waiting.”

Benghazi this year has witnessed the desecration of commonwealth war graves, attacks on diplomatic targets including the British consulate and a UN convoy, and a wave assassinations targeting local

military and judicial figures.

Security services are now officially in a shambles with heads rolling after the ambassador’s death and bitter power struggles crystallising in threats of collective resignation. But activists, who are determined to break the barrier of fear raised by armed militias with varying degrees of loyalty to the state, plan to go ahead with their “Save Benghazi” rally on Friday. “This is a demonstration against all illegitimate bodies,” said protest organiser Mohammed Abujaneh, blaming a failure to disband brigades of former rebels and extremism for the city’s chronic lack of security. “Maybe, for the time being, people will say Benghazi is a place of terror but not for long,” he vowed. “The people of Benghazi will show on Friday that they are against this.” — AFP

BENGHAZI: Pedestrians walk past a mural in Benghazi. — AP

Lightning strike sparks fire at Venezuela plant CARACAS: A lightning strike ignited a fire at a Venezuela oil refinery, officials said Wednesday, less than a month after an explosion at the country’s biggest refinery killed 42 people. The fire “is under control and in just a matter of

hours we will extinguish it completely” with the help of 120 firefighters, said Asdrubal Chavez, vice president of Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA, in a television interview. The official said the lightning struck two gasoline stor-

EL PALITO: Fire and smoke rises from fuel tanks at the El Palito refinery in Carabobo state yesterday. — AP

age tanks overnight in the El Palito refinery, in Puerto Cabello in the northern state of Carabobo.

Chavez said the fire was out in one tank and the other was still burning. El Palito has a capacity of refining 140,000 barrels of crude oil a day, according to PDVSA’s website. Last month, a gas leak at the Amuay refinery triggered an explosion that killed 20 members of a national guard unit assigned to protect the facility, along with some members of their families. The fire spread to three storage tanks before being brought under control three days later. The refinery, Venezuela’s biggest, had resumed operations by the end of that week.

President Hugo Chavez has ordered an investigation into the cause of the massive explosion-the worst in the history of Venezuela’s oil industry-while brushing aside accusations of declining maintenance and safety at the plant. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world.

Its reserves, which the government estimates at 297.57 billion barrels, surpass those of Saudi Arabia, which has the biggest refining capacity. — AFP

International FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Poles help Belarus people recalling their own past WARSAW: Volha Starastsina saw no choice but to flush her work down the police station toilet. That was the only place the Belarusian journalist could hide TV footage after being detained for interviewing people on upcoming elections in the repressive state. Her risky independent journalism is part of a Polish-funded effort to get uncensored news to Belarusians, one of several projects Poland supports in a drive to encourage democratic change in its troubled eastern neighbor. Poland has many reasons for wanting Belarus to embrace democracy, but it largely comes down to this: When Poland looks east, it sees its own past. The censorship, secret police spying and harassment of political opponents under authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko remind Poles of what Lech Walesa’s Solidarity movement endured in the 1980s. Today’s Polish government is led by many former Solidarity activists,

and they want to give Belarusians the same kind of Western help that proved crucial in toppling their former Sovietbacked regime.

“It’s emotional. It’s a Polish thing to be anti-regime,” said Tomasz Pisula, a Pole who heads Freedom and Democracy Foundation, a Warsaw-based group working for democratic change in Belarus. Other countries are also engaged in the cause, including the United States and Sweden. But perhaps nowhere is there as much support, both at the grassroots and government level, for the Belarusian democracy movement as in Poland. The solidarity also stems from a cultural kinship and frequent contacts shared by the two Slavic peoples. A complex history of shifting borders in Eastern Europe has left a sizeable ethnic Polish minority in Belarus today that faces harassment, to the great concern of Poland.

More broadly, Poland wants to see the entire region on its eastern border evolve into a space of stable and prosperous democracies, and has been trying for years to push for democratic change in Ukraine and Georgia. That would have implications on issues ranging from fighting the flow of illegal drugs to boosting trade. And while Polish leaders don’t like to state it publicly, they would also like to see a weakening of Moscow’s influence in the region, with memories of past Russian domination still vivid.

The Polish efforts for Belarus are many. The government funds a TV station, Belsat, and a radio station, Radio Racja, which broadcast independent news from Poland into Belarus, giving people an alternative to pro-regime state media. It has opened its universities to hundreds of Belarusians who lost their right to study at home for political reasons. It funds several projects aimed at

blunting the effects of repression, including Pisula’s, which helps political prisoners and keeps records on the perpetrators of repression judges, police and others - should a day of reckoning come.

Starastsina, the Belarusian TV journalist who flushed her memory card down the toilet, works for Belsat. Last month, she and a cameraman were stopped by secret security, still known as the KGB, as they were reporting in the eastern Belarusian city of Vitebsk. In such cases Belsat reporters usually try to throw their memory cards under a tree or a bush, where they can be retrieved later. But there was no vegetation in the square where they were detained, and Starastsina still had the incriminating evidence when taken to the police station.

“I felt helpless,” Starastsina told The Associated Press from her newsroom in Warsaw. “They could accuse me of anything and put me under arrest.”—AP

UK ‘Torture Gang’ boss Richardson dies at 78 Gang fought brutal turf war in London

LONDON: In this file photo, the coffin of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko is carried during his funeral at Highgate Cemetery. — AP

Litvinenko inquest to open next year LONDON: A long-awaited inquest into the poisoning death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko should consider whether Russian authorities were involved, the senior British judge who will oversee it said yesterday. But the UK government will not let lawyers for the victim’s family and the suspects see a report on alleged links between Litvinenko and British intelligence. Litvinenko’s family believes the Kremlin was behind his death from radioactive poisoning in London in November 2006.

The former security service officer, a critic of the Kremlin, died after drinking tea laced with the rare radioactive isotope polonium-210 at a London hotel. On his deathbed, he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind his poisoning. Ben Emmerson, a lawyer for Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, told a court hearing that it was vital that the inquest investigate “the criminal role of the Russian state.”

Emmerson said that if official Russian involvement was proved, it would constitute “an act of state-sponsored nuclear terrorism on the streets of London.” Judge Robert Owen, who will lead the inquest, said its scope would be decided at a later hearing, but indicated he was inclined to agree it should look at Russia’s alleged role.

Owen said it was “to be regretted” that no inquest has been held in the nearly six years since the former security service officer died. Owen said he would open his inquest as early in 2013 as possible. The killing cast a pall over UK-Russian relations that still persists. British prosecutors have accused two Russians, Alexander Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, of killing Litvinenko, but Russia refuses to hand them over. Lugovoi is now a Russian lawmaker. Lawyer Hugh Davies, the inquest’s counsel, said the judge-led inquiry should be a “full and fearless” examination of all the facts. But he said some evidence will be withheld at the request of the British government. Davies said all interested parties, including lawyers for the Litvinenko family, Lugovoi and the British government, would be given a police report into Litvinenko’s death before the inquest begins. —AP

LONDON: British gangster Charlie Richardson, one of the most feared underworld figures of 1960s London who fought a vicious turf war with the more famous Kray brothers, has died, his family said yesterday. He was 78. A scrap metal dealer, he built a criminal empire based on fraud, protection rackets and gambling that earned a reputation for extreme violence and brutality. Known as the “Torture Gang”, his associates were said to nail victims to the floor, cut off their toes with bolt cutters and give them electric shocks in a bath full of water. His 1967 trial for fraud, assault and robbery made Richardson a household name and exposed the gruesome tactics of those who worked for him.

Jailing Richardson for 25 years, judge Frederick Lawton said: “One is ashamed to live in a society that contains men like you.” Richardson, who was reported to be suffering from emphysema and

inflammation of the abdomen, died at a hospital in Kent, southern England, family members and friends told UK newspapers. “He was as hard as nails and a tough old cookie,” his friend Bobby Cummines told the Daily Mirror.

“Whatever anyone says, he paid for his crimes and his family will miss him.”

With his swept-back hair and immaculate suits, he became a symbol of gangland London and was the subject of a 2004 feature film, “Charlie”. Born in south London in 1934, Richardson created a lucrative business spanning slot machines, scrapyards and nightclubs.

Police accused him of using legitimate businesses as a front for a range of criminal activities. The Richardson gang were fierce rivals of the Krays, twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie who ran another infamous 1960s gang on the north side of London’s River Thames. Members of the two gangs were involved in brawls and

shootings in the capital. Newspapers revelled in retelling shocking gangland stories involving Richardson, although it was often hard to sift the facts from criminal folklore. His gang was reputed to make victims mop up their blood before being handed a fresh shirt, supposedly leading to the beatings becoming known as “taking a shirt from Charlie”. Richardson escaped from an open prison in 1980 and fled to Europe before being re-arrested and sent back to jail. He was released in 1984.

He later dedicated his memoirs, “My Manor”, to the trial judge and accused the police of making up lurid evidence to help secure a conviction. “If you can find anyone who says they got nailed to the floor by us or got their toes cut off, I will give you 10,000 pounds ($16,200) for each one,” he was quoted as saying.

“We were fitted up. I did 18 years for nothing.” —Reuters

Greek state tries to stem neo-Nazi rise ATHENS: Following its unprecedented election to parliament, Greece’s neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn has been engaged in ‘law and order’ crackdowns and solidarity gestures that have boosted its popularity, alarming the state. In recent weeks the once-fringe group has organised Greeksonly food handouts and blood donations, and has twice ousted migrant peddlers from street markets to the delight of local operators and the outrage of authorities.

Tightly regimented and dressed in black T-shirts stamped with the meander, an ancient Greek motif, Golden Dawn is also suspected of orchestrating a rising trend of racist violence against foreigners, legal or otherwise. And it has sent squads of black-clad supporters to harass and intimidate political opponents at public events. The government has already accused Golden Dawn of attempting to usurp the role of the police and warned that “storm battalions” would not be tolerated, a direct reference to the paramilitary gangs that helped Adolf Hitler’s rise to power.

ATHENS: Extreme right-wing group Chryssi Avgi (Golden Dawn) members hold Greek flags and their faction’s emblem during a demonstration outside their headquarters. — AFP Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias entitled to help merchants and traders earlier this month stripped the group’s 18 brought low by the crisis and accused the lawmakers of their police guards after one government of “taking the side of smugof them was allegedly implicated in the glers and illegal migrants.” The group’s smashing of immigrant trading stalls. ratings have risen to over 10 percent in Golden Dawn retorted that it was fully recent opinion polls. —AFP

International FRIDAY, SEPTMBER 21, 2012

Georgia appoints activist as minister amid torture scandal Protests before Georgian poll

LOME: A woman dressed in red leads a prayer as she takes part in a march yesterday in the latest string of protests by a group demanding sweeping political reform. Men and youths joined several thousands of women in the march organised by the women’s wing of Let’s Save Togo, an opposition and civil society coalition that has called on Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe to resign. — AFP

Police brace after teen’s Facebook party goes viral THE HAGUE: Police in a sleepy Dutch town braced yesterday for an invasion of party-goers after a teenager’s birthday invite on Facebook went viral, prompting thousands of replies. Officers in Haren near the northern city of Groningen were on high alert after the schoolgirl posted a message inviting friends to her 16th birthday party today, but forgot to mark it as a private event. The situation is potentially so out of control that authorities are mulling holding their own party to entertain, and contain, the overflow.

“She posted the invitation on Facebook and sent it to friends, who then sent it to other friends and soon it spread like wildfire across the Internet,” Groningen police spokeswoman Melanie Zwama told AFP. “Now thousands of people have indicated that they might be attending,” she said, adding: “We are taking extra measures, but what they are I’m not at liberty to tell you.” Dutch mass-market daily De Telegraaf reported that 24,000 people received the invitation, of whom 2,400 already responded that they would come to Haren, population 18,000, for the party.

The paper said the Haren town council has dusted off emergency plans should its leafy residential streets be “flooded by party-goers.” Several websites have already sprung up dedicated to the party and referring to 2012 US teen film “Project X”-about a suburban birthday party getting out of control after an invitation goes viral. One site referred to today’s party as “Project X Haren”, counting down the seconds to the event and claiming 150,000 people have been invited.

It also published the party’s address, adding “By all means bring some friends!”

Another site is already selling T-shirts for 23 euros ($29) emblazoned with “Project X - Haren” and featuring a crude logo of a man on all fours drinking from a bottle. But police have posted on the same site: “This is an urgent call by police and the town council. Do not come to Haren tonight. Police are ready to stop any disorder.” Haren was yesterday considering holding its own party to “halt any irregularities” at the birthday party, Dutch news agency ANP said.

“But it stressed there are no concrete plans as of yet, although it would be considered as an option,” the report added. Previously “Project X” parties have run riot in different parts of the world including Germany, Australia and especially the United States, where teens wrecked an unoccupied Texas home causing damage of up to $100,000. — AFP

TBILISI: Georgia’s leader yesterday appointed the ex-Soviet state’s human rights ombudsman as prisons minister as protests continued over videos showing the torture and rape of convicts.

“Giorgi Tugushi has been a very strong critic of the (penitentiary) system and I am appointing the system’s most harsh critic as its leader,” President Mikheil Saakashvili said on live television, amid a scandal that has shocked the nation before crucial elections. “My priority will be a complete overhaul of the system,” ombudsman Tugushi said for his part as demonstrators took to the streets for a second day yesterday in protest at the revelations. Around 1,000 mainly young people staged a noisy march through Tbilisi to the presidential palace and the prosecutor’s office, some wearing opposition T-shirts and carrying placards with slogans like “Don’t torture” and “Don’t

tolerate, investigate”. “The violence in prisons that we saw on television is horrible,” one protester, Irma Gogidze, told AFP. Demonstrators also rallied in the Black Sea port city of Batumi, local television reported.

Some of the graphic video footage showed a weeping half-naked male prisoner at a jail in Tbilisi begging for mercy before apparently being raped with a stick, while other images showed prison guards brutally kicking an inmate. In another of a series of urgent measures aimed at tackling the scandal, Saakashvili on Wednesday deployed police in jails to replace prison officers after the release of the videos.

Officials also vowed to eradicate torture and the former prisons minister resigned. The prosecutor’s office said that 11 prison officials had been arrested and another was declared wanted. It

alleged that some of the suspects had been paid a “significant sum of money” to carry out “inhuman and degrading treatment and torture” and deliver the films to an unnamed mastermind.

The scandal erupted as Saakashvili’s ruling party faces a major challenge in the October 1 parliamentary polls from an opposition bloc led by billionaire tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has vowed to oust the government.

European rights body the Council of Europe yesterday added its voice to international outrage over the issue, described the abuses shown in the videos as “atrocities”. “I hope that all those at all levels who bear any responsibility in this appalling affair will be identified and punished according to the law,” said Jean-Claude Mignon, president of the Council’s parliamentary assembly. — AFP

BSkyB keeps licence but James Murdoch slammed LONDON: Britain’s media regulator ruled yesterday to let pay-TV giant BSkyB keep its broadcasting licence, but blasted James Murdoch for failing to uncover the hacking scandal that has rocked his father’s empire. The broadcaster, in which Rupert Murdoch’s USbased News Corporation has a 39-percent stake, expressed relief at the result of media regulator Ofcom’s probe into whether Sky illegally hacked phones like the tycoon’s News of the World tabloid.

“Ofcom considers that, on the evidence currently available and having taken into account all the relevant factors, Sky is fit and proper to hold its broadcast licences,” the regulator said in a statement. Ofcom said there was no evidence that BSkyB had used phonehacking as a means of getting scoops and cleared the company of any involvement in the scandal at the nowdefunct newspaper. But it dished out harsh criticism of 39-year-old James Murdoch for failing to uncover the scandal while executive chairman of his father’s British newspaper wing, News International. “We consider James Murdoch’s conduct, including his failure to initiate action on his own account on a number of occasions, to be both difficult to comprehend and ill-judged,” it said. It said his conduct at the newspaper business “repeatedly fell short of the exercise of responsibility to be expected of him as CEO and chairman.”

James Murdoch quit as BSkyB chairman in April and as executive chairman of News International in February. He remains a non-executive director of BSkyB and an executive director at News Corp. BSkyB welcomed the Ofcom ruling. “Ofcom is right to conclude that Sky is a fit and proper broadcaster,” the company said in a statement.

“As a company, we are committed to high standards of governance and we take our regulatory obligations extremely seriously. As Ofcom acknowledges, our track record of compliance in broad-

CHELTENHAM: In this file picture, media mogul Rupert Murdoch (left) stands beside his son James Murdoch at the Cheltenham Festival. — AFP casting is good.” Ofcom said it was still considering two cases of email hacking by journalists at Sky News, in cases unrelated to the News of the World scandal.

The news channel admitted in April that it illegally hacked into the emails of canoeist John Darwin, who notoriously faked his own death in a life insurance scam, as well as the account of a suspected paedophile.

With 11 million customers and revenues of £6.8 billion ($11 billion, 8.5 billion euros) in the last financial year, BSkyB is Britain’s biggest pay-TV broadcaster, with channels for sport, news and entertainment. News Corp was forced to drop its bid for full control of BSkyB in July 2011 over the hacking scandal.

Earlier that month Rupert Murdoch had been forced to close the News of the World over a storm of revelations that its staff illegally hacked the voicemail messages of a murdered schoolgirl and a slew of public figures.

James Murdoch has faced intense pressure over how much he knew about the hacking. He apologised for his conduct in a letter to British lawmakers in

March, saying he should have “asked more questions, requested more documents and taken a more challenging and sceptical view of what I was told.”

News Corp announced in June that it was splitting into two companies, protecting its entertainment interests from its struggling publishing business.

Australian-born Rupert Murdoch, 81, resigned in July as director of a number of companies behind The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times. Eight people-including Andy Coulson, the exNews of the World editor and former spokesman to Prime Minister David Cameron, and Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief-have been charged with phone-hacking.

A total of 24 people have been arrested by Scotland Yard on suspicion of phone-hacking, while 50 have been detained in its sister investigation into corrupt payments by journalists to public officials. A 30-year-old journalist was arrested yesterday in connection with a third related inquiry involving privacy breaches using stolen mobile phones, police said. — AFP

International FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Myanmar battles drug challenge TAUNGGYI: Surging production in the poppy fields and methamphetamine factories of Myanmar’s remote borderlands is stoking fears of a drug crisis that is sweeping young people into addiction. Authorities in the former pariah nation say the problem is getting worse, while the flow of drugs from often rebel-held areas of western Shan State is reviving Myanmar’s old reputation as a hub for narcotics production.

Although there are few available statistics, residents and aid workers in Shan State’s bustling capital of Taunggyi say increasing numbers of young people are succumbing to the plethora of opiates and synthetic drugs produced locally.

The drug of choice is known as ‘formula’-a potent cocktail of cough medicine and opium that is taken as a drink-although methamphetamine and heroin are also popular. Addicts get high at university campuses, homes and even openly in some teashops, while residents report surging drug use during local festivals. “It is like they can be popular only if they use drugs,” said Taunggyi resident Ye Naung, 33, of a new and growing generation of young users.

Myo Aung Zan of the HIV/AIDS Asia Regional Program (HAARP) said “hero” worship of older addicts had created this burgeoning group of users-many still teenagers. “The number of under-18 users is quite high now,” he told AFP. A 2011 UN report on the Asia-Pacific region found methamphetamine use rose in Myanmar each year since 2005, while heroin and opium showed a declining trend-although there has never been comprehensive research on the subject. Rough government estimates put the number of drug users at 150,000, half of whom inject. “I would strongly suspect that this is an underestimate but in the absence of any data on the situation it is hard to say for certain,” United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime country director Jason Eligh told AFP, adding his organisation is planning the first national study. “If you visit different communities in this country where there are drug users... you will probably find them saying that they know more people that use drugs,” he said.

“Failure” to fight the drug trade Myanmar last year grew 23 percent of the world’s opium, second only to Afghanistan, with UNODC figures showing the area cultivated for poppy increased every year from 2007 to 2011. In response to its drug problem, the US last week kept Myanmar on its annual drug trafficking “black list” accusing the country-along with Bolivia and Venezuela-of having “failed demonstrably” to fight the drug trade.

The country is also facing a surge in the production of methamphetamine-popular in the region in a tablet form known as “yaba” that is often crushed and smoked-made in small factories that are difficult to detect. Methamphetamine “has a long history in the region”, Eligh said, explaining it is popular among people working long hours such as bus drivers, fishermen and factory employees.

Drug seizures in Myanmar have increased, with more than 1.4 million amphetamine pills and 116 kilos of heroin captured in July alone. A police official in the drugs control department, who asked not to be named, told AFP in August the narcotics problem was “very dangerous now” and getting worse, with stimulant use spreading in Yangon and the border regions.

Thailand has also turned up diplomatic pressure on its neighbour-blaming armed groups on the border for a flood of drugs into the kingdom.

The drugs trade is closely linked to Myanmar’s long-running insurgencies, with ethnic minority rebels widely thought to use drug profits to fund operations. In May the government signed a deal to wipe out opium and other drug production in Shan State with a number of rebel groups currently engaged in ceasefire talks. But authorities still face the “huge development challenge” of providing an alternative income for the estimated quarter million households that grow poppy, according to Eligh. He says the government estimates that over the next four years alone it will need half a billion dollars to support poor farmers in opium areas.

“Little help to addicts” The drug issue also dovetails with a wider problem of chronic neglect of social care under the former junta, while the UN estimates that over a third of injecting drug users have HIV. Over-stretched authorities give little help to addicts in Taunggyi, according to HAARP, and fail to provide heroin substitute methadone. Drug-takers said the lack of methadone was helping to embed a culture of unsupervised substance abuse among the young.— AFP

Indonesia’s capital votes for governor Widodo leads with about 54% JAKARTA: Indonesia’s capital voted for a new governor yesterday, with exit polls showing the challenger was likely to take control of one of the world’s largest, and most congested, cities which could give him a chance at the presidency in two years’ time.

The campaign has been tainted by hints of religious bigotry and racism, both deeply sensitive issue in the ethnically diverse Southeast Asian country which is also home to the world’s largest Muslim community.

Two exit polls showed challenger Joko Widodo leading with about 54 percent. Joko, popularly known as Jokowi, was also ahead of incumbent Fauzi Bowo, a German-educated city planning expert, in the first round. But it was not enough to avoid a run-off in an election which has focused heavily on the city’s grinding traffic, repeated flooding and an increasingly glaring gap between those benefiting from Indonesia’s economic boom and the bulk who are left far behind.

A final result is not expected until after this week. There has been speculation that if Joko has won, he might use his victory as a platform to run for president in 2014 when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must step down after two terms and for which there is still no clear front runner. First, Joko would need to address the city’s problems and he has vowed to improve transport and drainage as well as to upgrade slum areas.

A victim of own success A win by Joko, currently the popular mayor of Solo city in central Java, would reflect dissatisfaction with the incumbent’s perceived failure to get a grip on the city’s problems. Jakarta is a victim of its own success. The city boasts a forest of glitzy high rises and

some of the grandest shopping malls in Asia but also densely packed residential neighbourhoods and extreme poverty. Urbanisation and a rapidly growing middle class, as well as structural problems such as low-lying residential areas prone to flooding, have made it hard to manage, a problem only worsened by rampant corruption - issues both candidates have pledged to resolve.

Jakarta is home to 10 million people, with so many cars and motorbikes that rush hour traffic crawls at an average 6.1 kph (3.8 mph). There have been some calls by prominent Muslims to vote for candidates who practise that religion, taken as implied encouragement not to vote for Joko, whose running mate is Christian and

ethnic Chinese. There is a long history of resentment of minority ethnic Chinese who are often seen as having a disproportionate share of Indonesia’s wealth.

Indonesia is officially a secular state and campaigning on religious grounds is prohibited, but there are concerns that the way the issue has been used in the Jakarta election could be a further sign of deepening politicisation of Islam. But some analysts doubt the issue has been decisive. “The people of Jakarta need changes. I don’t care if one of the candidates is ethnic Chinese. The important thing is that hecan make a change for Jakarta,” said Refy Zaky as he voted in Kabon Kacang, central Jakarta. — Reuters

JAKARTA: Incumbent Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo (left) and his wife Sri Hartati show their ballot papers while voting yesterday.— AFP

Chinese students protest at Japan embassy in Seoul SEOUL: Dozens of Chinese students, carrying banners and shouting slogans, protested outside Japan’s embassy in Seoul yesterday to show their support for Beijing in a bitter territorial row with Tokyo. The protest followed nationwide demonstrations in China in recent days over a set of disputed islands in the East China Sea known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

“Diaoyu is China’s territory. Don’t invade our territory!” more than 40 protestors from a Seoul-based Chinese student association chanted outside the embassy in the South Korean capital. The students were outnumbered nearly 3:1 by police who had circled the entrance to the

Japanese mission with more than a dozen buses parked end-to-end to block access.

Efforts by the protestors to move closer to the embassy were quickly rebuffed and police sought to keep the sloganshouting to a minimum, warning the students to follow “Korean rules in Korea”.

The disputed islands are controlled by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing and Taipei, and tensions peaked after the Japanese government bought three of them from their private owners.

“Recently, the Japanese government has been insisting Diaoyu is theirs and have been illegally buying them ... This makes us furious because this is stealing,” Wei Shijie, president of the student associ-

ation, told journalists. “We oppose any form of invasion of our sovereignty and will not tolerate any forms of provocation,” Wei said, reading from an open letter to the Japanese government he later placed in the embassy mailbox.

South Korea has its own territorial dispute with Japan over islands called Dokdo

by Seoul and Takeshima by Tokyo. The rocky outcroppings are located roughly halfway between the two countries in the Sea of Japan, which Koreans call the East Sea. The dispute recently flared up after South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak provoked an angry reaction from Tokyo by paying a surprise visit to the islands last month. — AFP

International FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

China’s Bo likely to face trial BEIJING: Fallen Chinese politician Bo Xilai is likely to face criminal trial for trying to protect his wife from murder charges, analysts said yesterday, after his former police chief was tried for defection. But they said the man who was once one of China’s most-high profile politicians, tipped for a place on the country’s top decision-making body, was likely to escape more serious accusations and would probably be imprisoned. The comments came after the state-run news agency Xinhua released a detailed and lengthy report on the trial of Wang Lijun, Bo’s former right-hand man, for defection, bribery and other offences.

It said Wang briefed the “main person responsible” for the Chongqing Communist party committee-which Bo headed-about the suspected role of the politician’s wife Gu Kailai in the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.

Wang was later rebuked and fled to the US consulate in Chengdu seeking asylum, blowing the scandal wide open and triggering Bo’s fall from grace, while exposing deep divisions in China’s ruling communist party. Bo has not been seen in public for months.

The Xinhua account did not mention Bo by name, but implicitly raised the possibility that he could be charged with

sheltering a criminal, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison. Court accounts and official news reports on Gu’s and Wang’s cases did not implicate Bo in the more serious offences of bribery and murder, which can both carry the death sentence.

“I think there will be criminal proceedings, now that the charge of covering up a murder has been confirmed,” Zhang Ming, a professor of politics at the People’s University in Beijing told AFP. “I don’t think there will be any additional charges.

I expect he’ll get a prison sentence of about 10 years.” Willy Lam, politics

expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong said: “Given the contents of the court’s report, it now seems highly possible that Bo will need to appear in a criminal court.” But he added: “They have not charged him with corruption... he will not necessarily get a stiff prison term.”

Gu was last month convicted of Heywood’s murder and given a suspended death sentence, which is normally commuted to life imprisonment in China. Xinhua quoted Wang as telling his trial: “I acknowledge and confess the guilt accused by the prosecuting body and show my repentance.” — AFP

South Korea’s Ahn gets poll bounce Faces big challenge to unite oppn

BEIJING: In this file photo, a Chinese man holds up a portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong during protests outside the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. — AP

Mao holds subtle messages for Beijing BEIJING: The face of dissatisfaction with China’s Communist Party is the face of the man synonymous with it: Mao Zedong. Portraits of the revolutionary leader often led packs of demonstrators in protests over Japan’s effort last week to bolster its hold on islands claimed by China.

Many were hoisted by people born after his death 36 years ago. Mao, widely revered by Chinese and praised by Communist Party leaders, is supposed to serve as a unifying symbol, but it often isn’t so.

To some he represents a condemnation of corruption and inequality under a government that long ago abandoned his radical policies. More frequently this week, his image was a subtle slap by nationalists who accuse leaders of being too weak in the territorial dispute. “Mao Zedong was tough. He never backed down when it came to the national interests,” said Lu Lei, a Beijing salesman who went to the Japanese Embassy with his friends to protest Tuesday. “Our current government is spineless. If Mao were alive, we would have already attacked Japan.”

Mao has become a safe way for Chinese to criticize a government bent on stifling dissent. His giant portrait still looks out to Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing, and his name is etched into the country’s constitution and the party’s charter,

even if his ideology has been abandoned in practice. His image has rarely been displayed in such numbers as during the protests this week.

Rows of his portraits floated through the parades - often in the company of a sea of red flags - in an eerie resemblance to the scenes from the fervent days of the Cultural Revolution when Mao was worshipped as a god.

Behind the scenes of the angry protests that rippled across more than two dozen cities this week runs an undercurrent of grievances, many of them critical of the government.

Protesters held up signs that touched on broader social issues such as corruption, food safety and the widening gap between poor and rich. Some protesters even joked that urban code enforcers - resented by the Chinese public for their brutality against unlicensed street peddlers should be sent to fight the Japanese military. Those messages mixed with anti-Japanese slogans on a rare occasion where the government tolerated and at time abetted public demonstrations. “This movement has multiple purposes. Nationalism is only part of the protests.” said Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore. “More people are angry about the current government, and they wanted to use this opportunity to vent.”—AP

SEOUL: The latest runner in South Korea’s presidential Park, the daughter of military dictator Park Chungrace, software millionaire Ahn Cheol-soo, received a hee who ruled South Korea from 1961 until his assasboost from the first poll taken after he declared his sination in 1979. His message on the chaebol has ratcandidacy but is going to have to row back on his tled big business But he appears to have already attacks on big business if he wins power. Ahn, 50, started to moderate his tone. “He’s talked about once called financial crime was worse than homicide, growth momentum, so it’s an indication that he referring to the heads of the conglomerates, or chae- won’t be trying to destroy the chaebol,” said Yu bol, who have been convicted and then pardoned Chang-seon, an independent political commentator. over corporate scandals, as the head of Samsung Roh Moo-hyun, a left wing president from 2003Group, the largest group, and car giant Hyundai 2008, also pledged to take on the “chaebol” but largely failed to deliver and under his rule the gap Motor Co have been.

Now established as the leading candidate in the between rich and poor, traditionally quite narrow in South Korea, grew dramatically.

December election by at least Unconventional candidate, one pollster, Ahn is likely to traditional start After kicking off have to shift his tone as he his campaign in Seoul on counts down the 89 days to a Wednesday with an emotional poll that pits him against the speech, Ahn did what all South daughter of the country’s dead Korean presidential aspirants ex-dictator and a former politihave to do and spent Thursday cal prisoner. “Neither Ahn nor visiting the country’s National anyone else individually, even Cemetery, where many former as president, can single-handpresidents and patriots are edly change the chaebol. At buried, including the dead of the most, Ahn should integrate the 1950-53 Korean War that saw the chaebols’ interests to help in peninsula divided. In doing so, closing the gap between the he left a major question of his haves and have-nots,” said campaign unanswered: would Jasper Kim a professor at Ewha he join with Moon, picked last Womans University’s graduate weekend by the opposition school in Seoul.

Democrat United Party as its All three candidates for the presidential candidate.

Dec 19 polls - Ahn, the conserMoon, 59, who was jailed vatives’ Park Geun-hye and the under South Korea’s military dicleft’s Moon Jae-in - have tatorship and later served in the pledged to share wealth and opportunities more evenly, S E O U L : T h i s p h o t o s h o w s S o u t h special forces before working as reflecting the main concern of Korea’s popular software mogul Ahn a human rights lawyer and aide to Roh, came out fighting on voters in opinion polls. That Cheol-Soo. — AFP Thursday and appeared to dismeans finding a way of reining count stepping aside. “I’m confiin the chaebol whose annual revenues are equivalent to the gross domestic prod- dent I can beat Park Geun-hye, Ahn Cheol-soo, both of them. I wouldn’t have run in the first place if I wasn’t uct of the world’s 13th largest economy.

Ahn, as a self-made man whose career has spanned confident about winning,” Moon told DUP supporters medicine, technology and a top university post, is at a rally. The prospect of a three-way fight would seen as the man who represents the aspirations of almost certainly hand the presidency to the 60-year most ordinary Koreans, as opposed to those of the old Park whose solid ratings among older voters and wealthy chaebol families who inherited their money those who yearn for the certainties of her father’s rule and are trying to ensure it passes to the next genera- mean she has the strongest base. “It is the New tion.”For many, he (Ahn) encapsulates the Korean Frontier Party’s hope that they stop the discussion dream - a socio-economic and political messiah,” said about a united candidate and keep this a three-way race,” Hwang Woo-yea, the head of Park’s conservaEwha’s Kim. Overnight Ahn rose to an almost six percentage tive party was quoted as saying on Thursday by point lead in a race against conservative candidate Yonhap news agency. — Reuters

International FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Indian strike shuts down trains, shops Populist politics blamed for slow India reforms

KABUL: Afghan demonstrators burn US flags and photos of actors and actresses who took part in the film Innocence of Muslims during a protest yesterday. — AFP

Afghanistan’s Karzai targets governors in anti-graft fight KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai sacked five governors and made changes to the leadership of almost a third of the country’s 34 provinces yesterday in a shakeout of corrupt or inept officials aimed at soothing foreign donors. In sweeping changes also tightening his own political influence, Karzai dumped five provincial chiefs including the high-profile head of volatile Helmand province, Gulab Mangal, who had close ties with Karzai’s international backers. Some of the changes, made following a decree issued by Karzai two months ago ordering a crackdown on nepotism and corruption, will mean powerful governors are replaced with ones more open to influence from Karzai’s office and officials in Kabul ahead of a presidential election in 2014. “We hope that the new changes bring good governance and reforms in the provinces and affect the daily lives of Afghans,” said Rafi Ferdous of the government’s Office of Administrative Affairs in announcing the changes. But the changes will also worry donors, with Mangal in particular having been central to NATO plans to improve security in Helmand, where insurgents last week attacked a major NATO base, destroying $200 million worth of fighter jets and killing two foreign soldiers, including a senior officer.

The government replaced Mangal, a former army colonel, with army General Naeem Baloch, an adviser to the country’s spy agency and more closely allied to Karzai’s inner circle amid recent strains between Karzai and his international backers. “General Naeem Baloch who has great working experience and efficiency in administrative affairs has been appointed as new governor of Helmand,” Ferdous said. The changes affected 10 provinces including Nimroz and Badghis in the west, Faryab and Baghlan in the north, central Wardak, Helmand in the southwest and the capital, Kabul. The Taleban remain a potent threat in most, including Kabul where insurgents have carried out several highprofile attacks including an April assault on diplomatic and government areas launched from a high-rise building under construction. Ferdous said there was no consideration for a new post for governor Mangal, who some powerbrokers in Kabul had tipped for a ministerial promotion that now looks unlikely amid political manoeuvring and a simmering row between Karzai and NATO over security cooperation.

Salmon and bears Karzai’s two-month old anti-corruption decree, while less radical than Western donors had hoped, suggested a growing realisation within government that corruption must be addressed and senior figures prosecuted, with $16 billion of aid being made conditional on a crackdown. While the decree was vague on time frames, Karzai’s office said improvements could be expected by the end of September. Several cabinet ministers are also under a corruption cloud. They include the finance minister, Hazarat Omar Zakhilwal, who has been accused of stashing more than $1 million in overseas banks and properties. Zakhilwal has promised to fight the accusations, which were aired on Afghan television.

The head of the Afghan High Office of Oversight and AntiCorruption, Azizullah Lodin, said he did not expect changes in top positions as a result of Karzai’s decree. “To stop corruption in Afghanistan, that is not possible as it is in the United States and England and other countries,” Lodin told Reuters in an interview ahead of the changes. “I am a salmon trying to go against the river, but in some places there are bears and they have an open mouth.” — Reuters

NEW DELHI: Angry demonstrators disrupted trains and forced some shops and schools to close yesterday in a partly successful national strike protesting a government decision to cut fuel subsidies and open India’s huge retail market to foreign companies. Political backlash against the economic reform package presented by the Cabinet last week has left Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s coalition scrambling to shore up its support and prevent early elections. Some government allies have joined opposition parties in supporting the protests, which closed many schools and kept commercial trucks off the roads. In some states, such as oppositionruled Gujarat, the strike was widely followed. In other regions, including the main cities of New Delhi and Mumbai, the impact of the protests was scattered. Nevertheless, the Confederation of Indian Industry estimated the country might have lost as much as $2.3 billion in production and trade. In a signal that the government was on shaky ground, many of the protests in Uttar Pradesh state were led by the Samajwadi Party, which has been supporting the government from outside the fragile ruling coalition. The party, which has been extremely critical of the reform package, postponed a meeting it had called for yesterday evening to determine its next step. Top ministers downplayed any talk of a teetering government. “We have enough friends today, we had enough friends yesterday ... so I don’t see any reason why you should doubt our stability,” Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told reporters. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, protesters blocked railroad tracks. Some burned an effigy of Singh on the tracks, while others carried signs reading “Go Back Wal-Mart,” a reference to the US retail giant expected to enter the Indian market under the new regulations.

The region of Jammu, an opposition stronghold, was mostly shut. In central Delhi, thousands joined protests demanding the government back down. In a bit of street theater common to Indian demonstrations, about 2,000 people in Delhi marched to a police station and demanded

to be detained. Among those who got themselves arrested was Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, who walked into the station surrounded by his government-provided security detail.

Law Minister Salman Khurshid said the protesters were only hurting the economy they claimed to be defending. “I think they’ve shown their point, they’ve given their point of view, they’ve shown their protest,” he said. “Now let us get back to work, back to our factories, back to our shops, back to our offices, schools and colleges.” Singh, who came under intense criticism in recent months for presiding over a corrupt and paralyzed government, stunned the country with last week’s raft of reforms.

The government announced a reduction in massive subsidies for diesel fuel and cooking gas. It also opened up the country’s enormous retail sector to foreign competitors, allowed local airlines to sell stakes to foreign carriers and pledged to sell off chunks of four state-run companies. “It’s a very difficult decision for the government,” Information Minister Ambika Soni said. “We have tried to assure everybody that there was no other way except to take that deci-

sion to keep the economy on track.”

Opponents said the fuel hike would spark higher inflation and hurt the country’s poor. They said opening up the retail sector to foreign giants would crush the nation’s millions of small retail shops. “India is heading toward economic slavery,” Rajnath Singh, a leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, said during a protest yesterday. He warned that the entry of Wal-Mart would flood India with Chinese-made goods, hurting local farmers, manufacturers and retailers. The Trinamool Congress party announced it would pull out of the coalition today unless the economic package was withdrawn, leaving the ruling Congress party a few remaining hours to try to win it back. However, Chidambaram, the finance minister, said the reforms would stand.

If the Trinamool Congress pulled out, India would be left with a minority government dependent on the outside support of either the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party. The BSP said it would not decide until next month what action to take. Government officials said they remained confident the government would survive until the next scheduled elections in 2014. — AP

ALLAHABAD: Samajwadi Party workers attempt to stop trains on the tracks yesterday. — AFP

Pakistan minister ‘should lose seat’ I S L A M A B A D : Pakistan’s Supreme Court yesterday said Interior Minister Rehman Malik, a key aide to the president, should lose his senate seat for making a false statement in election papers. It is the second time in three months the court has ruled against Malik, a senior member of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) seen by many as President Asif Ali Zardari’s right-hand man, and the latest round in a long-running tussle between the government and the judiciary.

Some government members have accused judges of overreaching their authority and trying to bring down the coalition before it becomes the first elected administration in Pakistan’s

history to complete a full five-year term. The court also disqualified four MPs-two from the PPP-and seven provincial assembly members yesterday for holding dual nationality. The constitution bars elected politicians from holding citizenship of any country other than Pakistan.

Malik was forced to step down from parliament in June after the Supreme Court suspended him for running for office while still a British national. He then won his seat back in a by-election after producing a letter from the British government acknowledging that he had renounced his British nationality. But the court said yesterday Malik was not fit to hold office

because he had made a false statement in nomination papers in 2008 when he said there was nothing to bar him from office, as there was no proof he had surrendered British nationality before May 2012. “Mr A Rehman Malik, in view of the false declaration filed by him at the time of contesting the election to the Senate held in the year 2008... cannot be considered sagacious, righteous (and) honest,” Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said in the ruling. Chaudhry referred the matter to the chairman of the senate, who will decide whether to unseat Malik, and ordered the Election Commission to begin legal proceedings against him over the false declaration. — AFP

International FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Nine dead as storms rip across S America ASUNCION: Fierce storms packing 140-kilometer (87-mile) an hour winds tore across the heart of South America on Wednesday, killing five people in Paraguay, two in Uruguay and two in Bolivia. The Roque Alonso suburb of the Paraguayan capital Asuncion was devastated by the storm and widespread looting was reported in its aftermath. Four police cadets died and 15 were injured when the roof of their dormitory caved in, and a 16-year-old boy died at a shopping center when a water tank

fell on him. “Roque Alonso has to be built all over again,” police commander Heriberto Marmol said. Dozens of injured people in the small, mostly rural nation flooded Asuncion hospitals and traffic was gridlocked in parts of the city. A crowd of thousands braved torrential rain for a concert by the rock band Scorpions only to see the show canceled.

Nationwide, at least 5,000 homes were destroyed and more than 80 people injured in storm-related incidents, Aldo Saldivar of the

national emergency response center said. The storm also blew the roof off homes and barns in Neembucu, south of the capital, and knocked out power in the town of Encarnacion for many hours. The wind was less severe further south in Argentina and Uruguay, around 100 kilometers (62 mph) per hour, but strong gusts still ripped off roofs and toppled trees and power lines, plunging some regions into darkness. A woman and her daughter were

killed when heavy rains swiftly washed out a road in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, firefighters said.

And two people were killed in Uruguay when a suddenly rain-swollen creek swallowed their car, officials said. Ports also were locked down in Uruguay until early Thursday, and at least 462 people had to leave their homes.

Uruguay’s national emergency committee chief Diego Canepa said 140,000 customers had lost power-more than 10 percent of the country. — AFP

US honors Suu Kyi US ends sanctions on Myanmar leaders

QINGDAO: US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (left) meets with China’s Commander of the North Sea Fleet Vice Admiral Tian Zhong (right) yesterday. — AFP

Panetta talks computer hacking issues BEIJING: Despite several years of escalating diplomacy and warnings, the US is making little headway in its efforts to tamp down aggressive Chinese cyberattacks against American companies and the government. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who is wrapping up three days of meetings with military and civilian leaders, said he has brought the issue up at every session and come away with little more than agreements to talk again. Meanwhile, cybersecurity analysts say the computer-based attacks emanating from China continue unabated, and in fact are expanding and focusing more intently on critical American oil, gas and other energy companies. “No diplomatic actions have made a difference,” said Richard Bejtlich, chief security officer for the Virginia-based cybersecurity firm Mandiant. “They remain aggressive - they’re kicked out one day and try to get back in the next day.” He said the Chinabacked hackers’ tactics are also evolving, and they are more often going after corporate computer systems by breaching software weaknesses, rather than simply trying to get into a network by duping an individual employee. And he said they appear to be increasingly targeting lucrative energy companies.

Efforts by officials across the US government have not seemed to have any impact, Bejtlich said, adding: “The Chinese don’t seem to care. So I don’t have any hope that the dialogue is reaching anyone of any note.” Panetta, who is leaving China on Thursday, met with China’s leader-in-waiting, Xi Jinping, Wednesday and afterward told reporters that he urged Xi and other leaders to have an ongoing dialogue with the United States about the cyber threat.

“I think it’s clear that they want to engage in a dialogue on this issue,” Panetta said, “and I guess that’s the most important thing.

That’s the beginning of trying to perhaps be able to develop an approach to dealing with cyber issues that has some semblance of order here as opposed to having countries basically all flying in the dark.” Chinese officials have steadfastly denied the cyberattacks, saying they also are victims of computer hackers and breaches. But nine months ago senior US intelligence officials for the first time publicly accused China of systematically stealing American high-tech data for its own national economic gain. It was the most forceful and detailed airing of US allegations against Beijing after years of private complaints, and it launched a more open push to combat the attacks.

James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the US is starting to push the Chinese harder on the issue, but the administration needs to do more. —AP

WASHINGTON: The United States lifted sanctions on two of Myanmar’s top leaders as the Congress hailed Aung San Suu Kyi as a hero of democracy in a lavish ceremony unthinkable only months ago. The move to end the sanctions on Myanmar President Thein Sein and parliamentary speaker Thura Shwe Mann came Wednesday, just hours after Suu Kyi had called for US sanctions crippling her impoverished nation to be lifted.

She also met fellow Nobel Peace laureate President Barack Obama for the first time, after being presented with the Congressional Gold Medal in the imposing surroundings of the historical Rotunda on Capitol Hill.

The White House said Obama reaffirmed US support for political and economic reforms in Myanmar, and full protection of human rights, in order to shape “a more peaceful, free and prosperous future” for the country. Myanmar was ruled by an iron-fisted junta for decades but, since taking office last year, a reformist government under former general Thein Sein has freed political prisoners and allowed Suu Kyi’s party into electoral politics.

“From the depths of my heart I thank you, the people of America... for keeping us in your hearts and minds during the dark years when freedom and justice seemed beyond our reach,” Suu Kyi said, as she was handed the award. “We believe that we can go forward in unity and in peace,” the Nobel Peace Prize laureate said. “There will be difficulties in the way ahead, but I’m confident that we shall be able to overcome all obstacles with the help and support of our friends.”

The US Treasury later dropped both Thein Sein and Shwe Mann from its list of “Specially Designated Nationals,” those individuals and companies sanctioned for links to terrorism, narcotics or other crimes. The two men “have taken concrete steps to promote political reforms and human rights, and to move Burma away from repression and dictatorship toward democracy and freedom,” the Treasury said in a statement.

They had been placed on the list in 2007 as the United States stepped up pressure on the then-ruling military junta, in which Thein Sein served as first secretary and Shwe Mann was joint chief of staff of the armed forces. Freed in 2010 after 15 years under house arrest, Suu Kyi received a rapturous welcome on her first visit to Washington since her release. “It’s almost too delicious to believe, my friend, that you are here in

WASHINGTON: (From left to right) US House Minority Leader Rep Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Speaker of the House Rep John Boehner (R-OH), and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton applaud after Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi finishes her speech during a US Congressional Gold Medal presentation ceremony. — AFP the rotunda of our great Capitol, the centerpiece of our democracy, as an elected member of your parliament,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

But Clinton said a different phase of Suu Kyi’s work was just beginning as she helps build democracy in Myanmar.

“The United States will stand with her, with the president of Burma and those who are reformers... as they fan the flickers of democratic progress and press forward with reform,” the top US diplomat vowed.

Suu Kyi was also praised by veteran Republican Senator John McCain who, in a moving speech, called her “my personal hero.” “I want to thank you... for teaching me, at my age, a thing or two about courage,” said McCain, 76, who spent more than five years in the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict. Suu Kyi’s own remarks, from a podium flanked by six US flags and white marble statues of Abraham Lincoln and US civil war general Ulysses S. Grant, were bookended by standing ovations.

“This is one of the most moving days in my life,” said Suu Kyi, who modestly described herself as “a stranger from a distant land.” The Obama administration has taken pains to ensure the celebration around her visit does not detract from a simultaneous trip to the United

States by Thein Sein, who ushered in the reforms much to global surprise.

US officials say Thein Sein-who will take part in the UN General Assembly next week-deserves to be recognized for pushing through such speedy changes.

The United States began rolling back its economic embargo in July, opening Myanmar up to US investment despite Suu Kyi’s earlier unease about US firms doing business with the state-owned oil and gas company.

“There are very many other ways in which the United States can help us to achieve our democratic ends and help us to build up the kind of democratic institutions that we are in such need of,” Suu Kyi said on Tuesday. “Sanctions are not the only way.” Many US observers say Thein Sein launched the reforms out of concern over Beijing’s overwhelming political and economic dominance in Myanmar.

Clinton, however, has also called for Myanmar to address tensions in Rakhine state, where recent violence between majority Buddhists and the Muslim Rohingya minority left scores dead and displaced tens of thousands of people.

Suu Kyi has come in for rare criticism from human rights activists, who have pressed her to speak out on behalf of the 800,000-strong Rohingya population. — AFP

International FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Amusement park riders spend hours at 300 feet BUENA PARK: Twenty riders expecting a short thrill were left dangling at 300 feet for nearly four hours when the Windseeker ride at Southern California’s Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park stalled. Knott’s said in a statement that the ride, which lifts fun-seekers high over the park with their legs dangling and spins them in a circle, came to a stop when its security system activated at about 4 pm Wednesday. “They didn’t tell me that in the brochure,” said Jimmy Garrison, a tourist from Baltimore who was stuck on the ride as he left the park hours later with a souvenir

California threat case shows heightened fears by police LOS ANGELES: Rants, racist remarks and menacing words permeate the Internet these days, so why did police decide to arrest a Yale dropout for investigation of making online death threats against children and hold him on a bail amount usually reserved for suspected killers? Authorities said they considered several factors in the case against 21-year-old Eric Yee, who was arrested this week after commenting about a story on ESPN’s website about the cost of new Nike sneakers named after LeBron James.

Authorities claimed Yee said he wouldn’t mind killing children, and there were unregistered weapons in the Santa Clarita, Calif., house overlooking two schools where he lived with his parents. ESPN is based in Connecticut, where a worker told police about the posting. Authorities said it also referred to a shooting that would be like the one in Aurora, Colo., where 12 people were killed and 58 others injured during a screening of the latest Batman movie.

Arresting Yee and imposing the steep bail was a sign of how seriously investigators in the digital age are taking threats that could escalate, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt Steve Low said. “These cases are not always cut and dry,” said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the US attorney’s office in Los Angeles that files less than 10 threat cases a year. “While there are challenges, we have to be vigilant because people sometimes follow through on these threats.”

Some of the nearly 3,000 reader comments on the ESPN website talked about children possibly getting killed over the expensive sneakers. Yee posted that he was watching children and wouldn’t mind killing them, authorities said. He was booked for investigation of making terrorist threats, and the case is expected to be turned over to prosecutors on Wednesday. His attorney, David Wallin, said Yee was simply trying to give his social and political commentary on shoes that cost $270 and was paraphrasing from the movie “American Psycho.” “His entire intent was to talk about his views on these shoes and what they represented,” Wallin said.

“I could say this is felony stupid but he’s not guilty of making criminal threats.” California law states that a person can be convicted of making a criminal threat - whether orally, in writing or by means of email or on the Internet - if someone takes it as a threat and even if the person doesn’t intend to carry it out. Investigators wouldn’t say if there is any evidence that Yee might act on the threat, but legal experts believe the bail amount was very high for a person suspected of the offense.

The presumptive bail for making a criminal or terrorist threat is $50,000, and it would take many specific circumstances to push it much higher, said Hanni Fakhoury, an attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and a former federal public defender who is not involved in the case.

Wallin acknowledged there were two firearms in the home - a rifle and pistol - that belonged to Yee’s father. He added that Yee planned to leave the house after recently signing a lease for an apartment in New York, where he planned to start an investment business. “The way this has been portrayed in the media from the accounts given by law enforcement is scaring the hell out of everybody,” Wallin said. “He’s been portrayed as Atilla the Hun.” The posting touched on two topics that draw increased attention from law enforcement - killing children and a mass shooting. Such comments could be protected as free speech under the First Amendment, but even that freedom can be trumped in the post-9/11 era. “I think that it really comes down to exactly what was said, how the threats were made and if they were credible,” said Doug Mirell, a Los Angeles attorney who specializes in First Amendment cases. —AP

T-shirt that read “I SURVIVED WINDSEEKER.” TV cameras showed riders sitting calmly as they dangled and the sun set, some casually swinging their legs. “They were on the PA system and they were telling us ‘be patient with us,’ and that sort of thing,” Garrison told KTTV-TV. “I was looking over at the steel cables, they’re about that thick,’ he said, holding his thumb and forefinger several inches apart, “there’s a whole bunch of them so I know you can’t fall.” Garrison’s wife Donna said her husband kept her from having a totally traumatic experience.

“I have a fear of heights so that first half-hour was a little bit daunting,” she said. “But he’s a great coach.

He talked me through it.” Maintenance workers brought all the riders safely to the ground between 7:30 and 8, long after the park had closed and night had fallen. Knott’s says the ride, which also left riders hanging on Sept 7, will remain closed while the cause is investigated. Donna Garrison said she and her husband were returning to the park today. Asked if she’d try out the Windseeker again, she replied “Oh, no, no no.” — AP

For Obama, Romney fakes, election drama is genuine NEW YORK: Americans who despair of ever seeing a civilized presidential campaign really should have witnessed Barack Obama help Mitt Romney iron his crumpled suit in a Manhattan hotel room last week. Well, if only they’d been the real president and his Republican challenger. Luis Ortiz and Mike Cote probably look more like Obama and Romney than anyone in the world, other than Obama and Romney themselves of course. Ortiz has it all: the jutting ears, flashing smile, sonorous voice, even Obama’s relaxed, athletic walk. When Ortiz puts on a dark suit and does that Obama thing of gazing slightly up, as if thinking great thoughts, he literally stops traffic. “Buses, armored trucks, everything,” Ortiz says.

Cote says his Romney is harder to get, especially the voice, but the grey hair at the ears, high forehead, eyebrows and beady eyes are good enough to fool many that they’re in the presence of a multi-millionaire who may be about to take the White House. “I’ve seen people come up to me shaking,” Cote says. “You break their heart.” The life of political impersonators can be as cutthroat and insecure as politics itself. But with the presidential election less than two months away, these are the good times for Ortiz and Cote.

Preparing for their latest gig-an appearance on Fox television-the two met with their manager in a hotel and spent about an hour getting into character. And so here were copies of the two biggest political rivals in the United States sitting on a bed chatting about their bizarre double lives and helping each other get dressed. “You spray the water and hold the iron right up close, but without touching,” Ortiz instructed Cote as they tried to iron out creases in the blue suit jacket. “You wouldn’t really see Obama do this for Romney,” Cote said. “Nothing gets done.”

A wild ride Ortiz, who lives in the Bronx, was an out-of-work Verizon phone company technician in 2008 when a friend noticed that under his moustache and goatee beard lay the spitting image of the then little-known, but rapidly rising presidential hopeful Barack Obama. “I finally took (the beard) off

NEW YORK: US President Barack Obama impersonator Louis Ortiz (right) and Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney impersonator Mike Cote pose for a photo at Times Square. — AFP

and I could not believe myself. I looked in the mirror and saw a whole new light. I saw dollar signs,” Ortiz said, shaking his head. “It’s been a wild ride.”

Now signed with a talent agency, he’s been Obama in Australia, where he met the real Dalai Lama, Japan, South Korea and at a growing number of events back home where his manager Dustin Gold says a top-notch impersonator can command between $10,000 and $15,000 for a 30 minute appearance. “People want to buy me drinks, food,” Ortiz said. “I get the weirdest requests. I got offered some heavy money to do a porno (film)... I think they were really serious.”

Like the candidates they’re impersonating, everything for Ortiz and Cote rides on what happens on election day November 6th. “If he (Romney) becomes president, my life changes,” Cote said. Cote was in the drywall, or plastering, business until he turned 39 and took the radical step of becoming a stand-up comic, working his way up and down east coast venues. He still does a bit of plastering, but hopes the Romney act will end that.

“I’m hoping I don’t ever have to go back,” he says. According to Gold, an Obama impersonator will have some shelf life regardless of the election result. Ortiz has a more established rival, a lookalike called Reggie Brown, but “has the natural ability to be better than Reggie,” Gold says. But if Romney

sinks, so do his impersonators and without the sweetener of the real Romney’s fortune. “If Romney loses, it’s done,” Gold said. “No one’s going to ask for Romney again.” On their way to the Fox event, the two impersonators paused to dive into the crowd at Times Square.

“My fellow Americans. Today, we stand...” Ortiz began. Mini-pandemonium ensued. “Is it really him?” gasped Vicky Viaene, 25, visiting New York with her family from Belgium. “We were on the tour bus and we saw him.

We thought it was Obama, and we got off the bus and ran here.” Locals were more savvy, immediately noting the absence of the security that would surround a real president.

But NYU Medical Center administrator Monique Bailey said she did a double take upon spotting the fake Obama. “He sounds exactly like him,” she said. There’s little down time in the business of being someone else. Cote needs to work on his Romney voice, and Ortiz is fine-tuning his imitation of the way the president crosses his legs when he sits.

“I think I own Mitt. The others are so far off,” Cote said. “I have a picture of him in my bathroom right now.” “Only one?” Ortiz said. “I have, like, 25 of Obama on the wall. Different smiles and so on. I have mirrors everywhere.”

His teeth shone in a perfect replica of the Obama smile. “I feel like he’s been cloned. It’s weird.” — AFP

Business FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

DP World restructures Belgian operations

Japan logs trade deficit of $9.6bn in August PAGE 20so

PAGE 21

FRANKFURT: Wearing a hard hat and protection boots, a man looks out over the city skyline in Frankfurt/M yesterday from the 38th floor of ECB’s new building under construction. The bank’s new headquarters is to be finished in 2014 and the topping out ceremony was held last evening. — AFP

Euro-zone slump deepens, China still wilts Bond plan fails to boost business • France-Germany gap widens LONDON: Aggressive new policy from the European Central Bank has so far failed to boost ailing euro-zone business, according to surveys that showed a widening chasm between sickly France and a more resilient Germany.

Yesterday’s purchasing managers indexes (PMIs), which survey thousands of companies worldwide every month, also showed Chinese factory activity wilted for an 11th month in September, as Europe’s troubles continued to hit Asian exporters.

That looks unlikely to improve soon.

While the downturn in Europe’s largest economy, Germany, eased by a surprising amount this month, French firms fell deeper into the mire in September - and at a far faster rate than expected. A good indicator of economic performance, the composite euro-zone PMI fell to 45.9 in September from 46.3 in August.

Below 50 denotes contraction and survey compiler Markit said the surveys were consistent with a roughly 0.6 percent economic contraction in the third quarter. There was little sign that the ECB’s plan to buy the debt of troubled euro-zone states, announced on Sept. 6, has boosted confidence among service sector firms - at least so far. “The fall in the PMI is another reminder that the ECB’s new asset purchase program is not an answer to all of the region’s problems,” said Ben May, European economist at Capital Economics, in a research note.

“The euro zone recession looks set to deepen in the latter part of the year.” European shares fell yesterday after the data, which

pushed the euro further away from last week’s 4-1/2-month high, hitting a low of $1.294. While euro zone manufacturers performed slightly better than economists hoped this month, the downturn in the dominant services industry intensified sharply.

The euro-zone services PMI fell to 46.0 in September from 47.2 in August, below even the most pessimistic forecast of 46.5 in a Reuters poll of nearly 40 economists.

The surveys backed the growing view that the ECB will cut its main interest rate at its next meeting in October, to a new record low 0.5 percent from 0.75 percent currently. “Further macroeconomic stimulus - including a weaker euro and an ECB rate cut - is likely to be needed to put the region on a path of sustained growth and hence ensure the survival of (the euro-zone),” said Martin van Vliet, economist at ING. The final PMIs for September, which include the individual data surveys for smaller euro-zone economies and Britain, are released at the start of October.

France represented by far the biggest disappointment of yesterday’s PMIs, as both its manufacturing and services PMIs fell beneath the lowest forecasts from 20 economists. “The sharp decline is somehow surprising as industrial production held up relatively well over the summer and we expected the positive news flow on the development of the euro zone crisis to be supportive in September,” said Annalisa Piazza, economist at NewEdge Strategy.

Conversely, both the manufacturing and service sector PMIs

for Germany came in above the cheeriest prediction from a sample of nearly 30 economists.

“Whether or not that will last is the big question. We’re not altogether hopeful about that,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at PMI compiler Markit. In Britain, suffering its own economic slump, retail sales ticked down in August driven by a slump in online sales as Britons watched the Olympics on television, data showed yesterday.

The huge economic uncertainty in Europe has had a pronounced impact on export-reliant economies like China, where manufacturing contracted again in September. European Union and Chinese leaders are meeting in Brussels yesterday leaders to try to bridge growing differences over trade and find common ground on tackling Europe’s debt crisis. The China manufacturing PMI inched up in September to 47.8 from August’s nine-month low of 47.6, suggesting the world’s second-largest economy remains on track for a seventh quarter of slowing annual growth.

“In order to convert hopes into reality and avoid an outright hard landing, the Chinese authorities have to step up again their accommodative efforts on both the fiscal and the monetary side,” said Nikolaus Keis, economist at UniCredit. China’s economic slowdown is expected to reach its nadir this quarter, with a recovery of momentum delayed until the final quarter, leaving growth for 2012 likely to fall below 8 percent, a level unseen since 1999, a Reuters poll showed last week. — Reuters

Business FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

DP World restructures Belgian operations Operator sells stake in Breakbulk and AProjects

BEIJING: Pedestrians make their way at a CBD district in Beijing yesterday. China said it faced “enormous difficulties” in meeting its trade targets for this year, as the world’s second-largest economy struggles amid a stubborn slowdown in global growth. — AFP

Oil market well supplied, Saudi helping: IEA head MADRID: The global oil market is sufficiently supplied with extra oil being pumped from Saudi Arabia helping, Maria van der Hoeven, head of the International Energy Agency said yesterday.

“We are always closely monitoring markets. We can see that the oil market is sufficiently supplied. Saudi Arabia is bringing more oil to the market. We can also see that the United States and Canada are bringing more oil to the market,” she said in the Spanish capital at an energy conference.

Saudi oil minister Ali-Al Naimi said last week the world’s top oil exporter was ready to take action to calm rising prices, which he said were not supported by market fundamentals.

The IEA would continue to monitor developments in the market, van der Hoeven added.

She also said in the IEA’s next energy outlook they would publish a chapter on Iraq, reflecting the country’s capacity to help boost global production. “Iraq has enormous untapped reserves. And the thing is what is going to happen if these reserves are tapped? Iraq is a game-changer.” She refused to be drawn on reports of the environmental impact of Arctic sea ice melt. From the IEA’s standpoint the Arctic remained a possible opportunity for exploration. — Reuters

DUBAI: DP World, the world’s thirdlargest port operator, has sold non-core operations in Belgium, the latest in a series of disposals of non-core assets in developed countries, and has quit a venture in Yemen, it said yesterday.

In Belgium, DP sold its stake in DP World Breakbulk NV and AProjects NV, whose assets it said were worth $61 million, to a company called Orienta NV. DP, one of the more profitable parts of debtladen Dubai World and which operates three terminals in Belgium, gave no other financial details.

Rob Harrison, managing director of DP World’s businesses in Belgium, said

the disposal would allow DP to focus on its expertise in container terminal management and related areas.

In Yemen, the Dubai-based operator’s local unit sold its 50 percent stake in Aden Port Development Co for $27 million to its joint venture partner, state-firm Yemen Gulf of Aden Ports Corp.

DP World had faced criticism from Yemeni authorities who said it had failed to carry out investment projects on time.

DP, which won the contract to develop and run the port in 2008, has said the claims were unfounded and misleading.

DP World Breakbulk is a joint venture formed in 2007 and operates a general

cargo terminal at the Port of Antwerp, while AProjects offers logistical services.

The ports operator, which makes the bulk of its money from regional operations, has been selling assets in developed markets, including the $1.5 billion sale of its Australian operations to private equity firm Citi Infrastructure Investors last year.

In July, DP said it was forced to hand over its 60 percent holding in Adelaide’s container terminal to Flinders Port after the Australian firm exercised its right to buy the stake. The company also sold its 34 percent stake in UK-based Tilbury Container Services Ltd for $75.48 million in January. — Reuters

NAVI MUMBAI: Parked trucks are seen in Navi Mumbai during a nationwide general strike yesterday. Shopkeepers, traders and laborers blocked railway lines and closed markets across India yesterday in a nationwide day of protest against reforms allowing in foreign supermarkets such as Walmart. — AFP

Kuwait trade surplus with Japan widens TOKYO: Kuwait’s trade surplus with Japan widened 15.5 percent in August to JPY 98.3 billion ($1.3 billion) from a year earlier, expanding for the first time since April.

Kuwait maintained black ink with Japan for the 55th consecutive month, the Finance Ministry said yesterday.

Kuwaiti overall exports to Japan rose 12.7 percent to JPY 107.0 billion ($1.4 billion) for the first increase in two months, while imports from Japan fell 11.9 percent year-on-year to JPY 8.8 billion ($113 million), down for the first time since September 2011, the ministry said in a preliminary report.

The Middle East’s trade surplus with Japan narrowed 10.7 percent to JPY 915. 8 billion ($11.7 billion) last month, with Japan-bound exports from the region shrinking 9.3 percent from a year earlier.

Crude oil, refined products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other natural resources, which accounted for 98.3 percent of the region’s total exports to Japan, declined 9.2 percent on the year, with crude oil alone falling 11.1 percent. Imports from Japan to the Middle East edged down 1.2 percent, as shipments of machinery, steel, electronic components declined.

The world’s third-biggest economy logged a global deficit of JPY 754.1 billion ($9.6 billion) in August for the second straight month of red ink amid a slowdown in the global economy, the ministry said. Exports totaled JPY 5.046 trillion ($64.5 billion), down 5.8 percent on weak shipments to Europe and Asia. Exports to China, Japan’s biggest trading partner, fell 9.9 percent on the year as the Chinese economy slowed on the impact of the European debt crisis.

Imports also fell 5.4 percent to 5.800 trillion ($74.2 billion) due to a decline in fuel imports crude oil and nonferrous metal imports. Imports of crude oil went down 8.5 percent and LNG rose 6.2 percent, respectively. Japanese utilities have boosted imports of LNG for thermal power generation, as only two of the nation’s 50 workable nuclear reactors are currently online in the wake of the radiation accident in March 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was triggered by the massive earthquake and tsunami. The trade data are measured on a customscleared basis before adjustment for seasonal factors. — KUNA

QIB UK to launch first sukuk-linked note soon DUBAI: London-based QIB UK, a subsidiary of Qatar Islamic Bank, plans to launch two structured products this month including a note linked to a sukuk, its head of asset management told Reuters.

It will be the first time in the industry that a structured note uses a sukuk as an underlying asset, Anouar Adham, head of asset management at QIB UK, told Reuters late on Wednesday. The capital-protected note will be based on a five-year sukuk which Qatar Islamic Bank is expected to issue soon, he said. “We are planning to launch the product before monthend. We expect this new ground-breaking structure to take off substantially,” Adham said.

The firm has raised $153 million through the first six products of its “Hemaya” structured note program; the previous notes were linked to equities listed on the Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges. The new product will address growing investor appetite for sukuk, and be launched alongside an equity note based on Islamic bank stocks listed in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

QIB UK manages the world’s largest sukuk fund with $213 million in assets as of June. It raised $100 million last year, and has an institu-

tional investor base of mostly takaful and retakaful institutions (Islamic insurance and reinsurance).

Client concerns about liquidity and regular payment options influenced the design of the latest products, which will feature semi-annual payments, Adham said. Islamic capital-protected products have started to gain ground among investors, because of volatility in the equity markets and growing acceptance in the industry that the protection aspect does not violate Islamic law.

QIB UK’s new product features a new type of sharia-compliant structure as it relies on sukuk issuance for capital protection instead of murabaha trades, Adham added. Details of the structure could not be disclosed.

In the past, the guaranteed principal in Islamic capital-protected products was often delivered using a murabaha, a cost plus markup contract that delivers a return similar to a zero-coupon bond.

But the industry has been moving away from murabaha because of concerns about its legitimacy, and various alternatives have been used including a structure known as wa’ad, a “unilateral promise”.— Reuters

Business FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

French business activity slumps in September PARIS: French business activity took a sharp turn for the worse in September, shrinking at its fastest pace since April 2009 as weak domestic demand and a deepening slowdown in southern Europe dragged the euro-zone’s No 2 economy towards contraction.

Economists suggested that the downbeat picture from France, which came against the backdrop of better-thanexpected PMI figures from Germany, showed that unemployment running a 13-year high and a raft of tax rises announced by Socialist President Francois Hollande may be weighing on activity.

The Markit/CDAF flash composite purchasing manager’s index (PMI), a preliminary estimate of firms’ activity that covers both manufacturing and services, slid to 44.1 in September, its lowest level in 41 months, from 48.0 in August. It was seventh consecutive month that the composite indicator remained below the 50-point threshold separating a contraction in activity from expansion.

“France is really starting to struggle quite substantially,” said Markit Chief Economist Chris Williamson. “Its economy is suffering as its neighbors are seeing demand weaken and ... there are few signs of demand to stimulate growth in France.”

The data suggested that France’s 2 trillion euro economy, which posted zero growth in the last nine months, could shrink by as much as 0.5-0.6 percent in the third quarter, he said.

This month gloomy outlook came despite positive news flow on the euro zone crisis, including the announcement of the European Central Bank’s bond-buying program that lifted stock markets.

“It may be too early for the good news to have filtered through,” Williamson said. “But the fact that businesses grew gloomier is a big concern.” Business orders, which had slowed the pace of their contraction in recent months, fell at the fastest rate in 3-1/2-years as both weak final demand and uncertainty weighed.

Hollande has made reviving France’s stalled economy a priority since he took office in May but his efforts have been hampered by a wave of layoffs from companies including retailer Carrefour and car maker Peugeot.

After 7.2 billion euros in tax rises this year, Hollande has already indicated he will hike levies on households and businesses by much more in 2013 in an effort to trim France’s public deficit to 3 percent of GDP. “It could be that French-specific factors have played a role, with the upcoming fiscal consolidation of more than 30 billion euros next year likely having made consumers as well as producers reluctant to spend, hitting activity,” said ABN Amro economist Joost Beaumont.

High international energy and commodity costs pushed input prices higher, while weak demand meant that output prices continued to fall, forcing companies to accept smaller profit margins.

“Investment will be hurt, as will unemployment.

Companies will be moving further into cost cutting,” Williamson said. Layoffs accelerated to the fastest rate in 34 months, with manufacturers and service providers both recording steeper falls in payrolls as work backlogs declined.

The contraction in activity was most severe in the manufacturing sector, which is more exposed to the weak international outlook. Activity here fell for the seventh consecutive month, sinking to a 41-month low of 42.6.

Overall new manufacturing orders fell more sharply than export orders, suggesting that deteriorating domestic demand was mostly to blame. Household consumption, the motor of France’s economy, is closely linked to unemployment, which is running at more than 10 percent. Service activity, meanwhile, worsened for a second straight month, sliding to a four-month low of 46.1, from 49.2 in August. Service providers’ business expectations, which had improved sharply in August, slid back into negative territory in September for the first time since February 2009. The indices for outstanding business and new business in the services sector were also sharply weaker. — Reuters

TOKYO: A trailer truck carries a container at a pier in Tokyo yesterday. Japan posted its second straight monthly trade deficit in August as exports fell in a sign that slowing overseas growth continues to weigh on the world’s third largest economy. — AFP

Japan logs trade deficit of $9.6bn in August Exports weak, exchange rate looms TOKYO: Japan posted its second straight monthly trade deficit in August as exports fell in a sign that slowing overseas growth continues to weigh on the world’s third largest economy.

Official data showed Japan had a deficit of 754.1 billion yen ($9.6 billion) in August, smaller than the year-before deficit of 777.5 billion yen but bigger than the deficit of 518.9 billion yen for July. “The size of the deficit was within expectations, but it increased from the previous month and underlines the difficult economic environment overseas,” said Junko Nishioka, chief economist at RBS Securities Japan.

She said the data painted an overall picture of weak exports and higher imports, despite a slight dip in the value of inbound goods and services during August. “It is becoming increasingly difficult to expect an early change to this trend,” she told Dow Jones Newswires.

Overall exports fell 5.8 percent to 5.05 trillion yen with shipments down 9.9 percent to Japan’s biggest trade partner China amid data showing a slowing in the world’s second-largest economy.

“Going forward, there remains an exchange rate risk with the strong yen and a risk of further slowdown overseas,” said a ministry

official briefing reporters. Analysts expect the downturn to continue and are also starting to evaluate the potential impact of a recently heightened territorial dispute that has sparked anti-Japanese rallies in major Chinese cities.

Previous such tensions have had only a short-term impact on demand for Japanese goods. On Wednesday anti-Japan protests in China died down as authorities apparently sought to ease tensions on the ground, although political leaders maintained their rhetoric.

Exports to the European Union fell 22.9 percent amid the region’s debt crisis while US-bound shipments rose 10.3 percent with signs of a modest recovery in demand there. Overall imports slipped 5.4 percent to 5.80 trillion yen as bills for oil and other energy imports fell.

A March 2011 nuclear power accident forced utilities to boost imports of fossil fuels to replace lost atomic capacity, with all but two of the country’s reactors offline amid public safety fears.

Japan used to meet around 30 percent of its electricity needs from nuclear generation, but the tsunami-sparked meltdowns at Fukushima have left many people wary of the once-trusted technology. — AFP

Lonmin miners return to work, unrest rumbles on

MARIKANA: Thousands of Lonmin miners wait in line as they resume work in Marikana yesterday after ending a deadly six-week wildcat strike as other global mining giants battled to rein in protests. — AFP

MARIKANA, South Africa: Thousands of miners at Lonmin’s Marikana operations in South Africa returned work yesterday, ending a six-week strike in which 46 people died as nearby mines faced strikes by workers demanding similar raises.

Striking workers from Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplats) Rustenburg mine barricaded a street with burning tyres as a police helicopter hovered overhead and armed officers backed by armored vehicles and water cannons were on stand-by close by. Amplats, the world’s biggest platinum producer, is threatening legal action if the wildcat strikers do not return to work yesterday.

“We’ll buy 20 litres of petrol and if police get violent, we’ll make petrol bombs and throw them at them,” said Lawrence Mudise, an Amplats rock driller, holding up a sign demanding 16,700 rand ($2,000) in monthly pay. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse a crowd of men carrying spears and machetes in a squatter camp near the site a day earlier.

“We’ll not go to work until we get what we want. Our kids have been shot at, our families have been terrorized and brutalized, but we are not going back to work,” one miner, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters. Last month Lonmin miners from rival unions armed with machetes died in clashes before a standoff in which police shot dead 34. It was the bloodiest security incident since the end of apartheid in the 1990s and sent platinum prices more than 20 percent higher. —Reuters

Business FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Spain passes major bond market test Madrid struggles to avert full-blown bailout

ANAHEIM: A job seeker talks to a recruiter at a job fair expo in Anaheim, California. The US economy is showing signs of finally bottoming out: Americans are on the move again after record numbers had stayed put, more young adults are leaving their parents’ homes to take a chance with college or the job market, once-sharp declines in births are leveling off and poverty is slowing.— AP

UK to ease rules for tech share listings LONDON: Britain plans to make it easier for technology firms to list their shares in London, the government said yesterday, in an attempt to stem the flow of highgrowth companies heading across the Atlantic in search of capital.

Europe has seen a slowdown in initial public offerings (IPOs) generally over the last two years, as euro-zone debt worries buffeted stock markets, and some technology firms have ditched their attempts to go public in Europe in favor of the United States - a more well established hub for tech flotations.

“There is a rich crop of innovative European high-tech companies that will be going to the financial market over the next few years. We’re determined to make sure that as many as possible should do an IPO and float in the UK, not elsewhere,” David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science, said in a statement. Plans developed with the London Stock Exchange and which Reuters revealed last week, will likely include a new route to the stock market for high growth companies, particularly

internet and technology businesses, and changes to rules on free float, eligibility criteria and reporting requirements. The aim is that this route will act as a “launch pad” for European mid-sized high growth businesses seeking a full premium listing on London’s main market, the government said. The move follows US President Barack Obama’s JOBS Act earlier this year, which reduced the regulatory requirements for small companies going public on US stock exchanges.

The British government’s changes, aimed at making the UK an equally attractive place for companies to raise capital, are part of its broader quest for economic stimulus and employment growth that could inject some life into the moribund economy. “The quality of the entire business ecosystem will improve if the UK remains globally competitive, and particularly so with the US, so that we retain more of our best tech companies and all the jobs and revenues that they create,” said Reshma Sehoni, partner at Seedcamp, which invests in early stage tech firms.—Reuters

MADRID: Spain passed a major bond market test yesterday, gaining breathing space as it tries to avoid a fullblown bailout and wrestles with Catalan demands for fiscal autonomy. Borrowing costs tumbled as Spain issued benchmark 10-year government bonds for the first time since the European Central Bank outlined plans to buy the debt of stricken member states.

The result will be welcome news for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who has made clear he hopes to avoid reaching for an ECB rescue and the strict, politically costly conditions that come with it.

“Spain’s bond auction today was overall a pretty good result for Rajoy,” said Spreadex trader Simon Furlong in London. “With better demand than the previous auction and a lower yield, Rajoy can put off a request for a bailout for a little longer,” he added. The economic crisis is piling up pressure on the conservative Popular Party prime minister, however. Spain, the fourth largest economy in the euro-zone, grabbed a rescue loan of up to 100 billion euros for its banks in July and now its high borrowing costs are pushing it towards a bigger bailout.

Meanwhile, Catalonia’s regional president Artur Mas, boosted by a pro-autonomy demonstration of hundreds of thousands in Barcelona last week, was in Madrid to negotiate a “fiscal pact”. Mas, head of the pro-autonomy Convergence and Union alliance, wants the pact to confer on Catalonia the power to raise and spend its own taxes, a right already enjoyed by the Basque Country.

The northeastern region of Catalonia contributes onefifth of Spain’s economy but feels it gets a raw deal from Madrid, providing much more to the central government than it receives. Last month, the region had to reach out for a 5.0-billion-euro ($6.3-billion) central government rescue so as to make repayments on its 40-billion-euro debt, equal to a fifth of its total output.

Ahead of yesterday’s meeting with Mas, Rajoy left no doubt that he would not accept the proposal. “This is not the time to create more problems or political instability,” said Rajoy, he said in the eve of the meeting. “As political representatives we have a greater responsibility and I think we have to be very careful of what we do, what we say and also where we’re going,” the Spanish leader warned. In the latest bond issue, Spain raised 4.799 billion euros, taking advantage of lower interest rates to borrow more than its original target of 3.5-4.5 billion euros.

The Treasury borrowed 859 million euros in a sale of flagship 10-year bonds, with the yield skidding to 5.666 percent, high but well below the 6.647 percent paid at the last similar auction on August 2. But investors were still banking on a broader rescue for Spain.

Smartphones dominate Tokyo Game Show

TOKYO: A guest plays a videogame on Nintendo’s “Wii U” at a booth of Japanese software house Bandai Namco at the annual Tokyo Game Show in Chiba, suburban Tokyo, yesterday. Some 200 companies exhibited their latest video game hardware and software as some 200,000 people were expected to visit the four-day event. — AFP

MAKUHARI, Japan: Sophisticated gameplay and cheap downloads that are fuelling a boom in software for smartphones and tablets were on display yesterday at the Tokyo Game Show, the biggest of its kind in Asia.

Developers from all over the world flocked to the town of Makuhari outside the Japanese capital to showcase their latest offerings as the world readied for Friday’s first sales of the iPhone 5.

Even the upcoming launch of faster, slicker and more capacious versions of Sony’s PlayStation and Nintendo’s Wii U, set to go head-to-head in the run-up to Christmas, could not take the spotlight off the ever-improving world of smartphone gaming. “iTunes store has been the main provider of games for smartphones, but now you can download games that you used to play at shopping mall arcades on this Android phone,” said Tetsuya Kamoto at Sony Mobile’s Xperia booth.—AFP

“A sustainable decline in Spanish bonds depends on the central government requesting external assistance,” said Nick Stamenkovic, macro strategist at RIA Capital Markets in London. “Rajoy (is) playing hard ball with ECB but will inevitably need financial support, probably by EU summit in mid-October,” he added.

Spain raised another 3.94 billion euros in a sale of three-year bonds at a yield of 3.845 percent. There was no directly comparable early sale for the newly issued threeyear bond, but the yield in another three-year bond sale September 6 was 3.676 percent. Rates for shorter-dated bonds have fallen more steeply since the ECB announcement because its rescue scheme involves buying government bonds of up to three years in duration.—AFP

Flash crash or a turning point for oil prices?

LONDON: Monday’s sudden dive in oil prices appears more and more unusual with hindsight, and poses questions for traders, regulators and exchanges alike about just who or what caused such a major turnaround in the market.

Explanations range from a “fat finger” trading error or a high-frequency computer trading program run amok to a concentration of stop-loss orders being triggered or a single large trade by a hedge fund selling up to 10 million barrels of crude in a single clip, though no one appears to know for certain.

The veil of secrecy surrounding derivatives trading also makes it hard to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the plunge in Brent futures shortly before 18:00 GMT. Only market regulators and the exchanges themselves have access to the detailed trading data-including the identities of buyers and sellers-that would make it possible to describe the chain of events in full.

In recent years, the only sudden move that has been properly explained was the flash crash in U.S. equity markets on May 6, 2010. And that was only possible because the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) set up a detailed enquiry that took more than four months to publish its conclusions. (“Findings regarding the market events of May 6, 2010: Report of the staffs of the CFTC and the SEC to the Joint Advisory Committee on Emerging Regulatory Issues” Sep 30, 2010) The CFTC is looking into Monday’s oil price drop and is collaborating with Britain’s Financial Services Authority (FSA) which regulates the London-based Brent market.

CME Group, which operates one of the two principal oil markets, has described the drop as a “coordinated selloff” not caused by any technical failures.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which runs the main Brent contract, has declined to comment on whether it saw any unusually big orders placed during the period. It did however say: “Following rumors regarding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), volume was widely distributed and oil prices declined over a period of time. Circuit breakers were not triggered and markets were orderly.” In the absence of a study like the one into equity prices in 2010, the trigger for the drop in oil prices may never be known with any certainty.

That should concern oil market participants because the Sept. 17 price drop had characteristics of both a flash crash and a more significant and longlived turning point.—Reuters

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend. One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

THE STORY SO FAR : TV reporter Nicole Avenegne travels to northern Finland, hoping to film a nice quiet story about a local lighthouse. But she finds the lighthouse half-collapsed, and THE 99 engaged in rescue operations!

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2012, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.the99.org

Opinion FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Iran election buzz flirts with Rafsanjani return

By Brian Murphy

T

he political obituary of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been written a number of times: when he lost a comeback presidential bid, when he was dumped from leading Friday prayers at Tehran University, when he was pushed out as head of a panel that will pick Iran’s next supreme leader. Yet there he was last month walking alongside Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and greeting dignitaries at a global gathering of so-called nonaligned nations in Tehran. Rafsanjani was then seated next to the main VIP guest, UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon.

It was another renaissance moment for Iran’s great political survivor. But this time it carried added intrigue as a possible sign the 78-year-old eminence grise, who favors a moderate approach toward the West, could have at least one major power play left.

With elections in nine months to select the successor for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is making his last presidential visit to the UN’s General Assembly next week - speculation is rising on who will be the ruling system’s choice and, therefore, the instant frontrunner.

Until recently, Rafsanjani had not been mentioned among the top possible contenders to replace Ahmadinejad, who must step aside because of term limits. Rafsanjani, as always, keeps his intentions very closely guarded. He hasn’t spoken publicly about aspirations to return to the presidency 16 years after leaving office, or becoming the powerful patron for a candidate. That hasn’t stopped his name from increasingly creeping into the mix - particularly after his high-profile role during the late August summit of the Nonaligned Movement, a Cold War-era group that Iran seeks to transform into an alternative voice to Western power as Tehran battles pressures over its nuclear program.

“He appeared as the second most powerful figure of the ruling establishment for international guests,” wrote Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor of politics at Tehran University, in a post on his website. “This was a very heavy and bitter blow to hardliners. His participation in the next presidential elections is the main concern of hardliners.” The thinking goes that Iranian leadership will do whatever it takes to avoid the chaos and violence that greeted Ahmadinejad’s disputed 2009 re-election.

That means likely blocking any pro-reform candidates and possibly seeking a more centrist figure than those mentioned as apparent hopefuls, including Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei.

This could open room for a Rafsanjani redux as one of the few establishment leaders capable of reaching out to Iran’s simmering opposition while also trying to calm the West, where Rafsanjani built a reputation as a pragmatic leader during his years as president from 1989-97. A potential run by Rafsanjani -

or a protege he backs - would likely be received favorably in Washington and among Western allies. Although part of the ruling system for decades, he is also widely viewed as more flexible and possibly more in tune with the West than most of the other old guard.

“We need detente and delicacy in our relations with the world,” said a message on his personal website last month.

His family has extensive international ties through university studies in Britain and a vast business network that includes construction companies, an auto assembly plant, real estate holdings and a private airline. In 2003, he was listed among Iran’s “millionaire mullahs” by Forbes magazine. His image, however, also has darker undertones. He was named by prosecutors in Argentina among Iranian officials suspected of links to a 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. Some Iranian reformers accused

him of a role in the slaying of liberals and dissidents during his presidency.

In many ways, the presidency is less powerful than his oligarch status. The president has a limited say in critical policy decisions such as the nuclear program or military affairs, which are overseen directly by the ruling system and its protectors. Yet the president is seen as the country’s main international envoy and is often used to set the tone for dealings with the West. “The discourse of the Iranian leadership would differ” under Rafsanjani, said Hamid Reza Shokoohi, editor of the pro-reform Mardomsalari newspaper.

“Both sides will be able to enter nuclear talks with more goodwill.”

Rafsanjani has not taken a frontline role in Iran’s showdowns over its nuclear program, which the West and allies fear could lead to nuclear weapons. Iran insists it seeks reactors for energy and medical use only. Majid

In this photo taken on Aug 30, 2012, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left), chief of Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (center) and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrive at the opening session of the Nonaligned Movement summit in Tehran. — AP

Deljou, a political columnist at Tehran’s Hamshahri daily, said the main purpose of Rafsanjani’s presence at the Nonaligned summit was to show unity among Iranian leaders.

This holds especially true for Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad, who have been in open feud since Rafsanjani lost the presidential race in 2005. Rafsanjani’s daughter, Faezeh, spent a few hours in detention and his younger son, Mahdi, went into self-exile in 2009 over allegations of links to protests after Ahmadinejad’s re-election. Rafsanjani’s older son, Mohsen, was fired from his post as chief of Tehran’s subway last year. It’s left Rafsanjani a bitter critic of Ahmadinejad and his bombastic style.

Rafsanjani, meanwhile, has been quietly promoting his version of political healing: trying to redress claims by reformists that the ruling theocracy has hijacked Iran’s elections.

“Free, transparent and lawful elections could solve a big portion of the country’s problems,” Rafsanjani told university students last week. “It increases trust among people and supporters of the system while disarming foreign enemies.”

Rafsanjani’s backers also have been encouraged by a ruling last month by the Guardian Council, a group that vets candidates, that there are no age limits on running for president. Some predict, however, that Rafsanjani is more interested in trying to shape the outcome of the election than in reclaiming the presidency. “He will be a kingmaker,” said Ali Reza Khamesian, political editor of the independent Magreb newspaper.

“Rafsanjani has the capacity to open deadlocks and remove problems inside and out.” A senior official in the Guardian Council said: “We need someone in the post with Rafsanjani’s policies but hardworking like Ahmadinejad.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to comment publicly.

But Rafsanjani also has his own political baggage. He angered the ruling clerics with his open support for Ahmadinejad’s reformist challenger in 2009, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who is now under house arrest along with another opposition figure, Mahdi Karroubi. That cost Rafsanjani a coveted place among the Friday prayer leaders at Tehran University. He then came under heavy pressure from all sides, including accusations of financial corruption that were never substantiated. Last year, Rafsanjani lost his position as the head of the Assembly of Experts, a powerful clerical body charged with choosing or dismissing Iran’s supreme leader. He is still a member of the council - and commands a significant political following. Some of his appeal is built around nostalgia for the 1990s, when the economy was not crippled by sanctions. But there also are groups that will oppose any moves by Rafsanjani because of his association with reformers. “By turning to Rafsanjani,” hardline political analyst Mohammad Hossein Asadagha told the semiofficial Fars news agency, “reformists are trying to gradually return to the political scene.” — AP

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Kim Kardashian arrives on the purple carpet to a QuickTrim promotional event at Silk Road night club in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday. — AP

FOOD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Cookbook

author bends rules of eating raw

A

mber Shea Crawley knows she is eating in a gray area. While her cookbook “Practically Raw” (Vegan Heritage Press; $19.95) extols the virtues of eating a plant-based diet, she refuses to get wrapped up in the ethical, moral or political aspects of a strict raw vegan diet. “Eating raw food is not a black-or-white decision, but rather a matter of proportions,” Crawley states in the introductory chapter.

“Every raw snack, side dish, or meal you add to your day will benefit your body.”

A more relaxed approach is catching on as a growing number of raw vegans embrace an “80/20” diet - 80 percent raw and 20 percent cooked foods. “I kind of cheat on the whole idea of raw, but the point is you’re using unprocessed ingredients,” Crawley says in an interview. “And I don’t see anything wrong with using a conventional oven.”

While vegans avoid all animal byproducts, including eggs and dairy, vegan raw foodists also avoid cooking their food. That means consuming fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts in their unprocessed state with the goal of preserving maximum nutrition. There is disagreement as to whether foods that are not heated above 118 degrees Fahrenheit contain more enzymes and are therefore healthier, but even mainstream nutrition experts agree that adding more whole foods to the American diet is a good thing.

There’s a fair amount of rigidity over what constitutes a vegan diet. Crawley declares in her book that readers are entering a judgment-free zone with plenty of flexibility. “Who am I to say that locally or organically raised meat is wrong if someone has gone about it in an ethical way?”

Crawley, 27, graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in linguistics. She started eating a raw diet when she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, a disorder that affects the thyroid. Since 2008, Crawley has been blogging about her culinary journey at almostveganchef.com. In 2010, she graduated from the Matthew Kenney Academy in Oklahoma City as a certified raw and vegan chef.

Today Crawley considers herself 99 percent vegan, but she doesn’t expect everyone to eat the way she eats, nor is she offended by people who occasionally eat meat, eggs or dairy. She insists her flexible approach is attracting a more

mainstream audience interested in eating for health and longevity.

Still, eating more raw foods can be a timeconsuming proposition that includes straining nut milks, mixing alternative flours and sprouting seeds to make bread. The 140-plus recipes in “Practically Raw” - everything from Flaxjacks With Miso-Maple Butter to Mushroom-Nut Burgers to Almond-Butter-Banana Ice Cream are designed to be quicker, easier and more affordable in terms of time and money.

If you don’t have a dehydrator, used to “bake” or evaporate liquids from foods, look for recipes in her cookbook marked “CO,” or made

in a conventional oven. If you’re in a rush to get food to the table in 30 minutes or less, choose a recipe marked “<30.” Those recipes take shortcuts like using cooked whole grain noodles instead of “spiralized” zucchini, a type of faux noodle made by turning zucchini or other vegetables through an inexpensive gadget known as a spiralizer.

If you don’t have macadamia nuts on hand or can’t afford them, substitute cashews or another nut listed in the substitution list that follows each recipe. Recently, Crawley walked me through a few introductory recipes, starting with Zucchini Hummus. Surprisingly, Crawley is not a big fan of the summer squash, which she describes as “slimy.” But when she pulverizes it in a high-speed blender or food processor, the texture she finds off-putting is transformed into a creamy dip.

Instead of raw tahini, Crawley prefers the flavor of roasted sesame seed paste, even though it has been processed. The texture is creamy and smooth, but also lighter than traditional hummus made from chickpeas. Agave nectar is the only ingredient that might seem the least bit foreign to the average supermarket shopper. It can usually be found in the health food aisle.

Next Crawley spoons chia porridge that has been setting up in the refrigerator overnight into a bowl. The gray mixture resembles tapioca.

Chia seeds are one of nature’s super foods, packed with protein, fiber, omega-3 essential fatty acids, protective antioxidants and phytonutritents. A former marathon runner, Crawley first read about chia seeds in an article on the 2009 book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. McDougall researched and wrote

FOOD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

grams protein, 121 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.

FAMOUS FIVE-MINUTE BLONDIES Makes 16 servings 1 cup dry macadamia nuts 1 cup dry walnuts 1cup coconut palm sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1teaspoon sea salt 1 cup pitted dates Combine macadamia nuts, walnuts and sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarsely ground. Add the vanilla and salt and pulse several more times, until combined.

Add the dates, 2 to 3 at a time, pulsing between additions until each date is well incorporated. The mixture will be sticky.

Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square pan (or similarsized dish) and use your fingers or a spatula to pack it down tightly. Refrigerate or freeze for at least 1 hour before cutting.

Per serving: 143 calories (63 percent from fat), 11 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 11 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 15 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.

Substitutions: • Macadamia nuts: cashews • Walnuts: pecans • Coconut palm sugar: brown sugar (not packed), Sucanat, date sugar or maple sugar • Dates: golden raisins

about Aztec long-distance runners who relied on chia seeds for fuel. “Somebody said something about it ... probably Dr Oz,” Crawley says. “It’s just funny how it started suddenly flying off the shelves, but there’s nothing else like it.” Chia seeds have taken over where flax seeds’ popularity left off. Flax seeds contain phytoestrogens, a compound that has been associated with breast cancer. When the chia seeds are mixed with water, they turn into a gel-like paste that can be used as an egg or fat substitute in baking.

Crawley combines almond milk, 2 tablespoons chia seeds (“it blows up when it gets in contact with liquid. A little goes a long way”), pitted dates, cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt in a high speed blender or food processor then places it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day the porridge has a loose consistency, but it’s cold, not typically what I think of when I hear the word porridge. I can’t help but wonder aloud how it would taste hot.

Crawley says the almond milk would probably break down and affect the overall flavor profile.

Crawley is working on a manuscript for her second book, “Practically Raw Desserts,” also by Vegan Heritage Press. “Sweets are one of my favorite things,” she says. She originally developed her Famous Five-Minute Blondies for a recipe video contest. For her efforts, she won $5,000, and the recipe has become her most popular blog post ever, she says.

Traditional blondies are made from wheat flour, milk and eggs.

But Crawley combines macadamia nuts, walnuts and coconut palm sugar in a food processer to create a coarsely ground mixture. She adds vanilla extract, salt and dates, pulsing until the mixture is sticky but well-incorporated. She transfers the mixture to an 8-inch square pan and packs it down tightly before storing in the freezer.

Before serving, Crawley garnishes the just-from-the freezer blondie squares with raw cocoa nibs and fresh raspberries.

Crawley is proud that “Practically Raw” has received 38 five-star reviews on amazon.com., but a month before her nuptials she is still looking for someone who can make the multi-tiered raw vegan wedding cake of her dreams. “My fiance is more vegan than me now,” she says, “and he ate meat when we met.”

ZUCCHINI HUMMUS Makes 2 cups 1 large or 1 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped (2 to 3 cups) 1 cup tahini 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 small clove garlic, peeled 1 teaspoon agave nectar 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Per cup serving: 86 calories (70 percent from fat), 7 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 4 grams carbohydrates, 3

CHIA PORRIDGE WITH BLUEBERRIES Makes 2 small servings 1 cup almond milk 2 tablespoons chia seeds 4 pitted dates 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch of sea salt 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped 1cup fresh blueberries The night before you plan to serve the porridge, combine the almond milk, chia seeds, dates, cinnamon and salt in a highspeed blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a container, cover and refrigerate overnight to thicken.

The next morning, stir the nuts and blueberries into the porridge and serve chilled.

Per serving, based on 2: 210 calories (43 percent from fat), 9 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 29 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein, 86 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber.

Substitutions: • Dates: 2 tablespoons raisins; 1 tablespoon maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut nectar or any other liquid sweetener, or stevia to taste • Blueberries: any other berry or diced fruit. — MCT

BEAUTY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Lip stains overtake lipsticks now

T

he best lip stain is the one that looks best on you, whether or not it is an expensive department store version, or a cheap drugstore item. Lip stain can be a great choice for people who do not want to wear lipstick, but want to get some color on the lips. In addition, lip stain lasts much longer than lip gloss or lipstick, making it a good choice for days when you won’t be able to reapply.

The best lip stain is one that will actually stain the lips, not just place color on top of them. Be sure when choosing a lip stain that it is intended to last all day; this will make it difficult for the color to wipe off when eating or drinking. Some lip stains are designed to last for eight or 10 hours, which can be very convenient. In addition, the best lip stain often comes with a conditioning top coat.

This is because lip stain can be very drying to the lips, and will generally stain the lips to a matte finish, which can make the lips look even more dry. A conditioning top coat is often clear, and is applied a few times throughout the day to make the lips look shiny and add additional moisture. If the best lip stain you choose does not come with this lip conditioner, you can simply apply a clear lip balm on top for the same effect. Some people choose to apply a colored lip balm to add a bit of shimmer to the lips.

Finally, choosing the best lip stain often comes down to personal preference. Many people find that choosing makeup colors that complement their skin tone offers the best, most natural appearance. For instance, people with cool skin tones look good in makeup with blue undertones, often found in cool red and soft pink lip stains. People with warm skin tones might look best in makeup with reddish undertones, such as a warm, orange-red or warm pink lip stain.

Lip stain often gives lips a fairly dramatic look, so it is best to combine it with softer eye makeup to avoid looking overdone. You may choose to buy lip stain in a few different colors for daytime and evening looks. For instance, a bright red lip stain might be a good choice for evening, while a lighter color might be best for the workday. Some stores allow customers to try cosmetic products before purchase, which may be a good idea when trying to select new colors.

By using lip stain, your lips will look full and feel smooth. So, if you want to have that naturally bitten-lip look, simply follow these easy steps. Don’t be surprised to get stares not just from men but also from women who wish they had lips like yours.

Choose a lip stain application style. Select the method that will fit your need. Lip stain can come in a bottle with an applicator, in a small jar (you can use your fingers or a brush for applying), in gel pumps and as a marker tip.

Choose your lip color.

This is a very important step that shouldn’t be missed.

Usually, women with darker tones look best in rich shades like deep red, while women with light skin tone prefer pink and orange shades. Ultimately though, it’s your choice and if you’re not sure, you can always test different colors until you find the one that works best for you.

Exfoliate your lips. Gently rub your lips using a wet toothbrush or a small damp washcloth to get rid of the dead skin. Lip stain will apply better when the lips are smooth and bare.

Use a lip balm to moisturize your lips. Make sure you let it sit on your lips for a while to get fully absorbed. If there’s any excess balm left, gently blot it out.

1. 5 Use a lip liner. If you want more natural-looking lips, you can skip this step.

Apply the lip stain on your upper lip first. Start from the center of the lip and work your way out towards the corner. Do this on both sides. Make sure to apply the

stain in even layers and it’s best to go in one direction only, not back and forth. Be very careful not to go beyond your lips or you will have blemish outside your lips and that will be hard to remove.

1. 8 Blend the lip stain by using your finger or a lip brush.

For better result, blending should be done going in one direction only just like the lip stain application. Keep in mind that the lip stain will dry very fast so you have to finish the blending process as quickly as you can.

Let the lip stain sit for a while until it fully dries.

1. 11 Apply lip balm to neutralize the drying effects of the lip stain, if you think it’s necessary.

Add lip gloss for a shiny finish.

— www.wisegeek.com

Books FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Parenting ideas that come from a book O

nce upon a time, we parented in communities, with the accumulated wisdom of generations of family members at our disposal. Now parents are more isolated, but the fact remains that we aren’t meant to do this job on our own. For many of us, parenting books have helped fill the gap. They say that kids don’t come with an instruction manual.

Just remember as you stock your library that while we know a lot about psychology and medicine, parenting is not an exact science - it’s an art form. -

Dr Spock’s Baby and Child Care

Waiting for Birdy

The Baby Book

The book: A guide to child-rearing, from birth to adolescence. Dr Spock is arguably the most influential pediatrician and child development thinker of the 20th century. He wrote the first edition of Baby and Child Care in 1946, telling parents: “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” His book sold 750,000 copies in the first year. His child-centered, loving, and reasonable approach was groundbreaking at the time, and decades later, the ideas still ring true.

The 8th edition has been updated and revised with contemporary science and medicine while keeping Dr Spock’s warm tone and excerpts of his original writing.

The book: Newman, her adoring husband, and chatty three-year-old are anticipating the arrival of their newest family member.

If you have a small child, are waiting for a baby, or both, order this memoir now. Newman hilariously describes her experience of being addicted to pregnancy tests, giving birth, and finally, going through the beautiful circus of life as a foursome.

The book: A guide to development in the first two years, with an emphasis on attachment parenting.

Dr Sears’ approach speaks to so many parents: Respond to your baby, follow your instincts, keep your baby close to you, and don’t be too rigid about your own schedules and expectations. This is not a one-sizefits-all formula, but the underlying ideas are important take from it what works for you or modify Sears’ advice to fit your family’s needs. The book is also great for understanding development and what cognitive and motor skills your baby or toddler is working on at a given stage.

The Explosive Child

The Sleepeasy Solution The book: From the creators of Sleepy Planet, this is a practical how-to guide for helping children ages four months to five years sleep through the night.

This is the most concise, clear, step-by-step baby sleep book out there. It also respects both the emotional needs of the child and the sleep needs of the whole family, telling you precisely what to do to get the sleep you and your baby require.

Parenting From the Inside Out The book: Siegel nudges parents toward self-reflection and helps us see how personal history shapes our parenting style and our relationship with our kids.

This is an essential read for parents wanting to know more about mindfulness, attunement, making emotional contact with our kids, and how it all goes down in the brain. And it’s the best book at challenging parents to be introspective and make sense of their own lives. (We predict Siegel’s forthcoming book, The Whole Brain Child, will be a must-read as well.)

The book: A guide for parents of children who are easily frustrated, inflexible, and quick to anger.

The book challenges traditional thinking, which claims that difficult kids have inconsistent or lax parents. It explains that explosive children are delayed in certain emotion-regulation skills, and punishments don’t really help a child develop those skills (the childcentered methods in the book do). For parents of challenging kids, this is a great book to lift guilt and labels and see that your child is not being difficult on purpose; he’s actually doing the best he can and needs a lot of help along the way.

TECHNOLOGY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Dolphins

and

foxes

Using non-standard smartphone browsers

I

t’s no longer unusual to install an alternative browser onto a notebook or PC. Now it’s the turn of smartphone users to stray a bit off the reservation. Whereas desktop and laptop users have long since discovered Safari and Chrome as alternatives to Internet Explorer and Firefox, most smartphone users have, so far, stuck with their preinstalled browser, which means whatever came with their iPhone or Android phone.

But there’s no reason for smartphone users to stay stuck in that rut, when options like Dolphin, Firefox and Opera are also available for mobile device surfing and are easy to install. “It’s definitely worth it,” says Rainer Hattenhauer, who has written multiple books about Android smartphones and tablets. “A lot of browsers come with little tricks to ease operations that make surfing more comfortable.”

Firefox for Android, for example, supports tabs on its browser, as is common with many alternative browsers. That lets users switch between multiple pages, just like they would do on their desktop.

“You can do it with a simple swipe of the finger on Firefox,” says Hattenhauer. “This way I go through the tabs like they were a stack of cards.”

Opera for Android also employs tabs, as well as a customizable startup page that should be familiar to the Norwegian software maker’s desktop clients.

Every time it’s called up, users are presented with a choice of nine favourite sites, all accessible with the touch of a finger. Opera Mini, also available for the iPhone, promises easy surfing and quick connections since accessed websites are first compacted on Opera servers before being sent to the mobile.

Dolphin, available for both systems, is also catching on. Copying many desktop browsers, it can be expanded with add-ons that can alter the graphic interface or allow the browser to take screenshots or view PDF files. Dolphin also comes with the ability to take voice commands. Chrome, also for both Android and iOS, can synchronize with the PC browser of the same name. By submitting the password for a Google account, a user can

quickly access all bookmarks and stored data.

However, there are differences between the mobile and desktop versions.

Extra security is one good argument for opting for an alternative browser. Matthias Ritscher of the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology in Darmstadt, Germany, says security gaps in the main browsers are often overlooked or only spotted too late, mainly because updates require bringing the whole operating system up to the most recent settings. “Mobile device manufacturers rarely make updates or security fixes available,” he says. Things go faster with alternative services, since they can retool their services as easily as an app gets updated. Browsers for Apple products have the advantage that they’re all based

upon Safari. Most of the alternative services are available for free in the iTunes App Store or in Google’s Play Store. Once downloaded, follow the instructions for setting which browser should be the default and which programmes should open automatically.

Hattenhauer advises relying upon individual preferences for desktop browsers when choosing one for your smartphone. “There aren’t that many differences between the interfaces,” he says.

Ritscher says people should make sure any downloaded browser comes from a reputable source.

More care is needed when picking a browser than any other app, he notes, since, after all, most people use browsers to enter all manner of confidential data. — dpa

Compact and full of sound R

arely is there enough space for an entire sound system with speakers - definitely not on a desk. And maybe the music should play every now and again in another room. That’s the perfect case for active speakers, which don’t need anything more than a socket and playing device. Because they are often used to play back recordings in studios, they are rarely found in HiFi sections. But not every speaker box with an amplifier is a real active speaker.

“Actually the active speaker box is the most sensible thing you can have,” said Andrea Kloehn, consultant at the media technology company Amptown. The deviations of frequency response caused by speaker form and size can be corrected by active speakers. That means listeners don’t have to accept losses in frequency response due to smaller casing.

“Most subwoofers are active because their casing is smaller,” said Kloehn. The frequencies are separated in the preamplifier. “If for example the bass distorts in an amplifier, then it turns over to the other tones as well.”

Active speakers are high-tech. The

individual amplifiers can be optimally adjusted to the individual speaker chassis. Constructors can use so-called corrective elements, including acceleration sensors which measure the movement of the chassis or active frequency switches which are often supported by digital signal processors (DSP). The result is a speaker with a frequency response as linear as possible and with very few distortions.

“There is almost nothing that speaks against active speakers,” said Holger Biermann, editor of the magazine Stereoplay. Even HiFi and high end shops have active speakers in their selection.

“The manufacturers are mainly targeting professionals and studio musicians. But of course everyone can buy them,” said Biermann. And the word studio in the description should not scare off anyone.

Active speakers can also be used in living rooms.

The playing devices are usually connected to the active speaker via a cinch (RCA) or jack (TRS or audio jack). Using smartphones or tablets as sound sources can often cause sonic restrictions

because they usually do not have standardized audio outputs to optimally connect the output impedance of the player and the input impedance of the speakers.

“If you connected transportable devices with active speakers then you should expect there to be too many or too few highs and lows,” said Kloehn. It’s better to connect the active speakers to a HiFi unit, a docking station or a streaming-capable Blu-ray player, AV receiver or television, which have a standardized output with a preamplifier.

The many individual amplifiers, the corrective elements and the setup effort of a real active speaker are not cheap.

“It’s really only worth it if the listener has the ambition to pay attention to the spacing and placement of the speaker system,” said Olaf G Guenther, presentation coordinator with the Association of German Sound Engineers. Biermann said at least 400 to 500 euros (510-640 dollars) should be invested in a pair of good active speakers. “You get a reasonable set of speakers starting at 500 euros,” Kloehn said. “I would stick to the known brand names.”

Lifestyle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

File photo shows Ricky Masoe’s right leg being wiped after master tattooist Su’a Paul Sulu’ape used a traditional method to tattoo him during an exhibition at the Wellington City Gallery in Wellington. — AFP photos

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Ricky Masoe lying down as assistants holds his skin tight while master tattooist Su’a Paul Sulu’ape uses a traditional method to tattoo him.

Cook Islands rediscover the lost art of Pacific tattoo

nce banned by Christian missionaries as a barbaric, heathen custom, traditional tattooing is making a comeback in the Cook Islands as locals in the Pacific nation reconnect with their cultural roots. Body art was common in South Pacific nations such as the Cooks, Tonga, Tahiti and Samoa before missionaries arrived in the 19th Century-so much so that the English word tattoo is derived from the Polynesian terms “tatau” and “tatatau”.

Applied with bone or shell chisels, tattoos were a rite of passage for Polynesian men and paintings from the the early days of European contact show muscular warriors with elaborate designs covering much of their bodies. “If you were out in a waka (canoe) and came across another boat, you could tell from their tattoos where those guys came from,” said Luther Berg, who runs a tattoo studio at the back of Boogies Bar in the capital Avarua. “You could identify whether they were from Tonga or wherever.

More specifically, if you were among that group, you could tell which island they came from, right down to their family line and genealogy,” he told AFP. Su’a Paul Sulu’ape, who is descended from a line of master Samoan tattooists, visited the

Wellington City Gallery in New Zealand in September to demonstrate the ancient techniques. Among those he tattooed was Ricky Masoe, who lay prone on a mat as Sulu’ape carved into his skin the precise geometric lines of a pe’a sogaimiti, a design that scrolls from the upper waist to the knees.

Betraying only the occasional wince of pain as the club cracked against the chisel, Masoe held his wife’s hand while Sulu’ape worked, assisted by four men, one to stretch the skin, another to wipe away the blood and the others holding Masoe’s limbs still. Sulu’ape welcomed the tattoo revival in the Cook Islands and said a similar phenomenon was occurring in Tonga, where his father was helping teach locals traditional techniques.

“When a person gives you their skin” Author Therese Mangos, whose history of Cook Islands tattooing “Patterns of the Past” was published last year, said missionaries took Biblical warnings against marking the body literally, and zealously set about banning tattoos. In the Cook Islands, anyone who received a tattoo was fined or given punishment work details under rules imposed by church authorities,

Mangos said. “It was seen as very shameful and against Christianity,” she said. “There’s evidence in the archives that some tattoos were physically removed and scraped off people’s bodies with pieces of coral.” The result, with the exception of Samoa and New Zealand, was a form of cultural amnesia across Polynesia, where traditional tattooing virtually died out.

Many once-revered designs were lost and the ancient technique of applying tattoos by striking an ink-soaked bone chisel with a wooden club resembling a spatula was no longer practised. Mangos said interest in tattooing revived in the Cooks in the 1990s as part of a broader cultural movement which involved locals rediscovering their heritage through traditional arts and crafts.

Croc Coulter, one of the few tattooists in the island nation now practising the traditional technique, said that while some designs had been lost forever, others survived through carving, weaving and tapa (bark cloth art). Coulter said body art was a type of language in Polynesia and tattooists underwent a lengthy apprenticeship before being considered worthy of working on traditional designs with a chisel and club. He said the growing popularity of

Polynesian designs among Westerners had led to concerns about tattooists in Europe stealing artwork they had seen on the Internet simply for its aesthetic appeal, with no regard for its cultural meaning. “When a person gives you their skin, it’s an unusual relationship of trust,” he said.

“You don’t want to stuff it up. “It has to reflect the tradition of their family line or island. That comes with a lot of responsibility.”

Not all efforts to suppress tattooing were successful, the practice remains strong among New Zealand Maori and receiving a customary design is still regarded as an important step on the passage to manhood in Samoa. Tatooist Sulu’ape said he believes the missionaries opposed tattooing because it is a bloody, painful process when performed with customary tools, but said it was such an integral part of Samoan culture that the church was unable to stop it there.

Sulu’ape said he could not understand why the missionaries worked so vigorously elsewhere in Polynesia to stop a practice that he regards as a vital part of the region’s cultural identity. “For me, to be able to pass down this knowledge and art from generation to generation, it’s a gift from God,” he said. — AFP

Paris’ Louvre Museum unveils Islamic Art wing

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he Louvre Museum is unveiling a new wing and galleries dedicated to the arts of Islam, culminating a nearly? 100 million ($130 million), decade-long project coming to fruition amid tensions between the Muslim world and the West. The new dragonflyshaped building marks the famed Paris museum’s greatest development since its iconic glass pyramid constructed 20 years ago. The Department of Islamic Art will exhibit much of the Louvre’s 18,000 works, hoping also to foster cultural understanding.

Mosaics from the Damascus mosque and a 15th-century Mamluk porch are among works spanning from 632 to 1800 A.D. Donors included Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Saudi Prince Waleed Bin Talal’s foundation. Louvre director Henri Loyrette says the galleries aim to showcase “the radiant face of a civilization.” The wing, with its mission of heightening cross-cultural understanding, is opening at a tense - and

perhaps opportune - time. France stepped up security Wednesday at its embassies across the Muslim world after a French satirical weekly published lewd

caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Charlie Hebdo, whose offices were firebombed last year, was brandishing its right to free speech. But

A member of the media examines a ceramic tile wall displayed at the Louvre museum in Paris, yesterday.

the publication raised concerns that France could face violent protests like the ones targeting the United States over an amateur video produced in California ridiculing the prophet that have left at least 30 people dead.

French officials said the weekly was throwing “oil on the fire” and urged calm. France has Western Europe’s largest Muslim population. In a sign of the political importance of the new Louvre exhibit, French President Francois Hollande attended an opening ceremony Tuesday, calling it a “political gesture in the service of respect for peace.” The Saudi prince and the president of Azerbaijan accompanied him.

Hollande criticized those who “destroy the values of Islam by resorting to violence and hate.” “The best weapons for fighting fanaticism that claims to be coming from Islam are found in Islam itself,” he said. “What more beautiful message than that demonstrated here by these works.” —AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Craig, Tarantino, Parker & Stone to Receive Britannia Awards

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aniel Craig, Quentin Tarantino, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and Will Wright will be honored at the 2012 BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards on Nov. 7, BAFTA Los Angeles announced on Wednesday. The awards will be handed out at the Beverly Hilton Hotel at a dinner ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary of BAFTA Los Angeles, the AngloAmerican professional organization based in Los Angeles and affiliated with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. For the first time, the Britannia Awards will be broadcast on BBC America, as a two-

hour special on Nov. 11. Craig, who stars in the upcoming James Bond film “Skyfall,” will receive the Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year. Tarantino, whose “Django Unchained” opens in December, will receive the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing. Parker and Stone, the co-creators of “South Park” and of the Emmy-winning Broadway show “The Book of Mormon,” will receive the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy. Video game designer Wright will receive the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution

to Entertainment. Additional honorees will be announced in coming weeks.

The first Britannia Award went to James Bond producer Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli in 1989. Other recipients include Warren Beatty, Michael Caine, Robert De Niro, Colin Firth, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Elizabeth Taylor, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet and Denzel Washington.

“American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” producer Nibel Lythgoe serves as chairman of the Britannia committee. — Reuters

Empty chairs again for Eastwood at film premiere

Cast members Clint Eastwood, right, and Amy Adams pose together at the premiere of “Trouble With the Curve” at the Westwood Village Theater on Wednesday. —AP

File photo shows from left, Brian Dennehy, Delroy Lindo and Stockard Channing, part of the rotating celebrity cast in the 10th-anniversary production of “The Exonerated,” performing offBroadway at Culture Project in New York. —AP

‘The Exonerated’ is compelling, chilling

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hree weeks ago, Clint Eastwood shared the spotlight with a single chair. On Wednesday night, he shared it with 16. The 82-year-old Oscar winner walked the press gauntlet at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest film “Trouble With the Curve” - with the empty chairs right behind him. They were simply set dressing: bleacher seats lined up along the green carpet at the premiere for “Trouble With the Curve,” a family drama about a fading baseball-scout father played by Eastwood and his estranged daughter, played by Amy Adams. When it was pointed out to him the Oscar winner laughed. On Aug 30, Eastwood stood on stage at the Republican National Convention berating an empty chair, representing President Barack Obama. — AP

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US judge declined Wednesday to throw out stalking charges that Alec Baldwin has filed against a Canadian actress, the woman’s attorney said. Attorney Maurice Sercarz had filed a motion on July 26 asking the judge to ditch the accusations on the grounds that they were vague, but Judge Mark White declined to do so, the lawyer said. Another hearing is set for November 27. Baldwin has accused the actress, Genevieve Sabourin, of sending love-struck emails and showing up uninvited at his Manhattan apartment. If the two parties do not reach an out of court settlement the case will go to trial, the attorney said, adding that nonetheless he was optimistic. Sabourin, 40, was arrested on April 8 following a complaint by Baldwin, who said she was harassing him with emails, asking him to marry her and turning up at his home in the posh Greenwich Village neighborhood.

She had met the 54-year-old Baldwin, a major presence on US television screens through the successful “30 Rock” series, in 2002 on the set of the Eddie Murphy film “The Adventures of Alec Baldwin Pluto Nash.” —AFP

Review

US judge refuses to throw out Baldwin stalking charges

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hen justice really is blind, but in the wrong way, the weight of powerlessness can crush the spirits of ordinary people. Or the resilience of human nature can prevail. It all depends on the individual. Ten years after its downtown debut, the compelling true-life drama about wrongful incarceration, “The Exonerated”, has returned to Culture Project. It’s a powerful indictment against flaws in the American legal system that put many innocent people on death row. The limited run that opened Wednesday night is presented in special association with The Innocence Project.

In 90 often harrowing minutes, the beautifully-crafted work affectingly presents the stories, told in their own words, of six real people who wrongly spent years on death row. The chilling script by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen consists entirely of text from actual interviews, letters, transcripts, case files and court records. Bob Balaban directs a simple staging, with the cast facing the audience, seated on tall black stools. By turns in the spotlight, they read scripts or enact monologues. Balaban keeps a low-key atmosphere that makes the outrageous injustices all the more horrifying.

The tapestry of stories includes common threads of innocence and blind faith in the legal system, both betrayed in many ways. Actors also recite the words of the vindictive or indifferent law enforcement individuals who turned a blind eye to the truth. Prosecutorial misconduct, poverty and outright racism often played a role. Lending star power is a rotating cast of celebrities. Performances during Sept. 17-23 feature Stockard Channing, Brian Dennehy, Delroy Lindo and Chris Sarandon. Real-life former inmate Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs is also on hand. Future actors are expected to include Steve Earle, John Forte, K’Naan, Lyle Lovett and Brooke Shields.

Lindo brings enormous grace and gravitas to his leadership role as poet Delbert Tibbs. Defining the prisoners’ initial despair and their resilience, he intones, “How do we, the people, get outta this hole, what’s the way to fight,” adding, “It is not easy to be a poet here. Yet I sing. I sing.” Channing is marvelously affecting as Jacobs, who spent 15 years on death row for murder even though the real killer confessed after three years. Channing gives Jacobs an air of serenity and wonder, laced with bemusement, as she marvels, “I’m a vegetarian. How could you possibly think I would kill someone?”

Sarandon conveys a deeply sorrowful air as he movingly relates Kerry Max Cook’s conviction at age 19, and the brutal conditions of his 22 years on Texas’ death row. Gary Gauger, given a reflective and forgiving persona by Dennehy, was falsely convicted of murdering his parents, and ultimately had to take his appeal all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court. The permanent cast is also quite strong. Jim Bracchitta and Bruce Kronenberg are effectively smug and unpleasant in several law enforcement roles. Amelia Campbell is sweetly loving as two of the exconvicts’ understanding wives. Arrested when still a highschool student, David Keaton is played with melancholy hurt by Curtis McClarin.

He could break your heart when he says quietly, “I had a relationship to God when I got in here, but somehow I’ve lost it.” JD Williams as Robert Earl Hayes and a sassy April Yvette Thompson as his wife provide some indignant comic relief, except that Hayes’ story is as heartbreaking as the others, in the end. While these six true stories are deeply touching, one can’t help but wonder afterward how many more innocent people remain incarcerated, or have been executed. —AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Shakira,

footballer Gerard Pique expecting first child

Colombia’s singer Shakira performs with FC Barcelona Gerard Pique during The Sun Comes Out World Tour concert in Barcelona, Spain. — AP

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olombian pop star Shakira confirmed Wednesday that she is pregnant with top Spanish football player Gerard Pique’s baby, their first. Stories speculating that the singer, who famously rollerbladed around a beach in a bikini top for her music video “Loca,” would soon become a mother have been gone viral in Latin American media for weeks.

“As some of you may know, Gerard and I are very happy awaiting the arrival of our first baby!” Shakira said in a statement on her website. “At this time, we have decided to give priority to this unique moment in our lives and postpone all the promotional activities planned over the next few days.”

The Grammy award-winning diva did not indicate when the baby is due to be born. The “Whenever, Wherever” and “Hips Don’t Lie” singer said she would not participate in the iHeartRadio Music Festival on Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas. “But I’m sure this weekend in Las Vegas will be spectacular and I will be closely following everything that happens there!” she added. “I’d like to thank Clear Channel and my fans for their constant love and understanding. Big kiss!

And will see you very soon!” This will be the first child for Shakira, 35, and Pique, 25, who confirmed their relationship in March 2011.

Pique, a center-back for FC Barcelona, will be out for two to three weeks after hurting his left foot in his side’s 3-2 win at home to Spartak Moscow in the Champions League, the club announced earlier. His Twitter page featured a graphic of a pacifier, with a link to Shakira’s message. In a bid to quell the pregnancy rumors, the belly-dancing singer’s father, William Mebarak, himself spoke out in June to deny the “absolutely false” claims.

NBC television announced Tuesday that Shakira would temporarily replace pop singer Christina Aguilera as a judge on season four of reality talent show “The Voice,” along with R&B singer Usher, who will sit in for Cee Lo Green. The pregnancy announcement comes as Shakira’s former boyfriend and agent Antonio de la Rua of Argentina is suing her over contracts that were pending after their 2010 breakup.

Colombian media say De la Rua, son of a former president, sued her seeking $250 million and real estate they shared during their 11-year relationship. Shakira is also a known humanitarian. When she was just 18 years old, the native of the industrial port city of Barranquilla launched the Pies Descalzos Foundation, dedicated to helping Colombian children hit by poverty and displacement. —AFP

Review

‘Wallflower’ a thoughtful teen tale F

ootball games and awkward dances, late-night gabfests at the local diner and tentative first kisses - they’re all there over the course of a school year in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” This coming-of-age drama, based on the best-selling young adult novel of the same name, may sound like total formula, right down to the rebellious thrill of experimenting with drugs and alcohol and the liberation of experiencing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” But there’s also a darkness that follows its main character, even at his happiest, which keeps the film from turning completely safe and self-satisfied.

“Perks” features a well-chosen cast, an eclectic music mix (David Bowie, New Order, Air Supply) and some moments of uncomfortable honesty as well as dreamlike wonder. And it’s anchored by strong performances on two ends of the acting spectrum: from Logan Lerman as Charlie, the high-school freshman of the film’s title whose reserved nature can’t hide his obvious intelligence and sweetness, and from Ezra Miller in a showy turn as Patrick, the quick-witted and gay senior-class clown who takes Patrick under his wing. (The role couldn’t be more different from Miller’s frightening work as the diabolical teen in “We Need to Talk about Kevin.”)

The young woman who completes their little triangle of blissful misfits is the perky but damaged Sam, played by “Harry Potter” star Emma Watson (without a trace of a British accent). Also a senior, Sam is Patrick’s stepsister and Charlie’s first serious crush.

Maybe they invite Charlie into their inner sanctum a bit too quickly, but there’s an irreverent, playful energy to their antics and a subversive sense of humor that makes you not mind so much.

Directed and written by “Perks” novelist Stephen Chbosky, the film follows these characters and their friends through all the rituals of a school year in suburban Pittsburgh. He features heavy use of voiceover early on, as Charlie narrates the letters he writes to a mysterious, unseen recipient, but there’s also great delicacy in the characters’ intimate interactions. Charlie is more unstable and unsure of himself than the average entering freshman following the suicide of his best friend. The death messed him up, and it marked him by association.

Maybe Patrick and Sam recognize his outsider status in themselves; in no time, the three are inseparable. The film takes place

This image released by Summit Entertainment shows, from left, Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson in a scene from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” — AP in a hazy sort of late-’80s, early-’90s time frame - no one has a cellphone, and mix tapes are a crucial medium for expressing teen angst - which adds to its feeling of universality. The melancholy “Asleep” by The Smiths appears so prominently, it’s practically a character itself. Charlie is very much along for the ride with these crazy older kids, including Mae Whitman as the self-described Buddhist/punk rocker who thrusts herself upon him and insists she’s his girlfriend. But memories haunt him of something ugly that happened in his childhood, until he finally unravels in a thirdact scene that allows Lerman to bust out, show some range and reveal he can really, truly act.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” may not do anything groundbreaking, but it tells a familiar story in small, thoughtful ways. “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” a Summit Entertainment release, is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol use, sexual content including references and a fight - all involving teens. 103 minutes.

Three stars out of four. — AP

Film festival opens in movie-crazy North Korea

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n international film festival opened yesterday in what may seem the unlikeliest of places: North Korea. Held every two years, the Pyongyang International Film Festival offers North Koreans their only chance to see a wide array of foreign films on the big screen - from Britain, Germany and elsewhere (but not America). And it’s the only time foreigners are allowed into North Korean theaters to watch movies alongside locals. This year, festival goers will get the chance to see two feature films shot in North Korea but edited overseas: the romantic comedy “Comrade Kim Goes Flying,” a joint North KoreanEuropean production, and “Meet in Pyongyang,” made in conjunction with a Chinese studio.

Foreign offerings include a Sherlock Holmes film and the romantic comedy “The Decoy Bride” from Britain, the Jet Li kung fu film “Flying Swords of Dragon Gate,” the French hit “Women on the 6th Floor” about a community of Spanish emigres to Paris, and two love stories from Iran. While it’s true that homegrown movies predictably tend toward communist propaganda with a healthy dose of tear-jerker, North Korea is a film-crazy country. Well-to-do residents pay as much as 500 won (about $5 according to official exchange rates) to see new releases from the government-run Korean Film Studio, as well as Russian and Chinese imports.

Those who don’t have the means to go to the theater tune into the Mansudae TV channel, which shows mostly Chinese and Eastern European films on weekends. Some recent offerings have included “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and the only Western offering shown on state TV in recent memory, the British film “Bend It Like Beckham,” which aired in 2010. This year, a huge screen in front of the Pyongyang train station has become another popular place to watch movies. On Monday, hundreds of locals stood transfixed by a North Korean drama in a plaza in

In this image made out of film ‘Comrade Kim Goes Flying’ released by Another Dimension of An Idea/Koryo Group, Comrade Kim Yong Mi played by Han Jong Sim exercises with younger members of a circus troupe. — AP front of the station. US films are rare, with one exception: Disney films can be found at North Korean DVD shops. A concert for leader Kim Jong Un in July featured performers dressed as Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and other Disney characters.

Kim’s father and predecessor, the late Kim Jong Il, was a notorious film buff. He was 7 when he saw his first film - “My Hometown” - the inaugural film made at by the Korean Film Studio. The film, about a young man who returns to his village after Korea is liberated from Japan, made a lifelong impression on the future leader, according to Choe Hung Ryol, director of the studio’s external affairs department. —AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 , 2012

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ucci opened Milan Fashion Week with an eye-catching Japaneseinspired Collection. The Italian Company showcased a line of pyjama suits, which are designed to be used for evening wear, containing Japanese-style wallpaper and snakeskin patterns, bell sleeves and ruffled necklines as part of their spring/summer 2013 collection.

Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini’s latest “aristocratic” range also featured dresses in striking pink, yellow and blue colors, which are designed to give off a “strong allure”. She explained: “These are portraits of aristocratic women, evoking a strong allure with a clean, precise, defined aesthetic.” Alberta Ferretti also showcased its latest spring/summer 2013 designs on the catwalk

with an array of floor-length nude, blue and turquoise summer gowns as well as simple black and white evening wear dresses.

Before the show Alberta said the intention of the dainty dress designs was to “give an impression of floating”. She explained: “It’s a summer dream. It’s a collection for the woman who craves liberty, movement and light. The silhouette is simple but the embroidery creates a luminous glow and the layering gives an impression of floating.”

Prada struts its stuff on the runway yesterday with Versace, Moschino and Etro due to showcase its latest designs tomorrow.

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arl Lagerfeld thinks Carole Middleton is “very sexy”. The Chanel designer is a big fan of the party planner and thinks she is much more attractive than her daughters Pippa who he recently slammed, saying he “didn’t like” her face - and Britain’s Duchess Catherine. He told Grazia magazine: “I think Carole is very sexy. I think the mother is sexier than the daughters. There is something full of life about her. For a woman who must be 50 or so, I think she’s great. Full of energy.” Despite his criticisms of Pippa, Karl insists he was misunderstood. He said: “I didn’t mean that. I only meant I don’t think her make-up is right.

She has a roundish face and round eyes and she should pick

another make-up for the eyes.

“Her sister’s more beautiful. Kate can try anything. For makeup she has no limits.” Karl recently praised the duchess - who was known as Kate Middleton before she married Prince William - as a “romantic beauty”, but slammed Pippa for her “struggles” to look good. He said: “Kate Middleton has a nice silhouette and she is the right girl for that boy. I like that kind of woman, I like romantic beauties. “On the other hand, her sister struggles. I don’t like the sister’s face. She should only show her back.”-Bang Showbiz

Lifestyle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 , 2012

Models display creations as part of Max Mara Spring-Summer 2013 collection on September 20, 2012 during the Womenís fashion week in Milan. — AFP

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olange Knowles is not “that interested” in fashion. The singer/songwriter - who is the younger sister of Beyonce Knowles - often appears on best-dressed lists and is a regular at high-profile fashion shows but insists she has never followed trends. Speaking in an interview with Lurve Magazine, she said: “I’ve never really been that interested in ‘fashion’. “Look at my fashion choices back in the day. You know how people say

‘Who let her walk out the house that way?’ or ‘She needs more people!’ “ However, Solange - who has modelled for Beyonce and their mother Tina’s clothing line House of Dereon, as well as in advertising campaigns for Giorgio Armani’s younger line Armani Jeans admits she has been having a “lot of fun” in the fashion world.

She added: “Once I really defined my expectations in terms of

how to navigate through the fashion world without getting myself too invested, I’ve had a hell of a lot of fun.” Most recently, Solange has been signed up to front American clothing label Madewell.— Bang Showbiz

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Al-Madena Al-Shohada’a Al-Shuwaikh Al-Nuzha Sabhan Al-Helaly Al-Fayhaa Al-Farwaniya Al-Sulaibikhat Al-Fahaheel Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Ahmadi Al-Mangaf Al-Shuaiba Al-Jahra Al-Salmiya

22418714 22545171 24810598 22545171 24742838 22434853 22545051 24711433 24316983 23927002 24316983 23980088 23711183 23262845 25610011 25616368

Hospitals 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

Clinics Rabiya

24732263

Rawdha

22517733

Adailiya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Khaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Qadisiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

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(C 4138) 17-9-2012

SITUATION VACANT

Prayer timings Fajr:

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Asr:

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Maghrib:

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Isha:

19:03

Lady Chartered Accountant seeking suitable placement.

Phone: 97572174. (C 4137) 16-9-2012 Wanted full time maid/nanny in Salwa. Offering KD 120 salary. Must speak English and be good with small children. Call 9768-7172.

12-9-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Donga Hanumanthu Ram holder of Indian Passport No: F2522828, son of Donga Swamy has changed my name to DONGA HANUMANTHA RAO. (C 4142) 20-9-2012 THE PUBLICAUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

PETS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

A food truck for Fido W

ith food trucks across the nation specializing in niche goodies like crepes, Chinese dumplings and duck-fat tater tots, a truck devoted to gourmet treats for dogs doesn’t sound farfetched at all. A new doggy food truck, the Waggin’ Wagon, is operated by Paws4Ever, a nonprofit animal sanctuary based in Mebane, NC. The truck got a soft launch this month at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC, and if wagging tails count as reviews, it was a five-star

showing. The wagon was the brainchild of advertising agency McKinney, a nationally recognized Durham firm recently acquired

by South Korea-based marketing and communications company Cheil Worldwide.

McKinney provided pro bono services to Paws4Ever after the animal group won an in-house contest called “Pimp My Cause.”

The contest challenged McKinney employees to pitch their favorite charities in hopes of winning free work from the company.

The winner was determined by employee

Riggins, a rescue dog, waits for his owner, Robyn Gunn, to buy him some peanut butter ice cream from the Paws4Ever Waggin’ Wagon in Raleigh, North Carolina. — MCT

voting. Andy Ives, an interactive producer for McKinney, pitched for Paws4Ever. He started volunteering for the rescue group while he was in college at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and he has remained a strong advocate for the work the group does. “It’s the only no-kill shelter in Orange County,” Ives said of the remote sanctuary, which pulls animals from North Carolina shelters in Orange, Chatham and Caswell counties. “Once you’ve been there, you understand why people would drive so far to see it. It’s a different and exciting place.”

Ives’ team did a complete rebranding for Paws4Ever: an updated paw logo with an infinity symbol in the paw pad, newly designed brochures and a sleek new website. And of course, the Waggin’ Wagon.

Paws4Ever executive director Joanne Andruscavage says the truck will be a great tool in getting out the group’s message.

“We’re excited about offering the dog treats,” she said. “But we’re interested in building awareness. It’s a great way to tell the public about our mission and the importance of spay-neuter, dog training, and adopting pets as opposed to buying them.”

Paws4Ever, known as the Animal Protection Society of Chapel Hill from the 1960s until 2004, is on 50 acres that previously hosted a wild animal preserve. The land was donated to the group in 2004. In addition to dog kennels and cageless cat rooms, the sanctuary also features play yards, training rooms and fields, a full agility course and a grassy, oak-tree-spotted 4acre dog park.

Until late last year, there was a full-service veterinary clinic onsite, but it became cost-prohibitive to keep going. The group is looking for a vet to rent the clinic. “Training

is a big tenet for us,” Andruscavage said.

“We emphasize training and socialization because we want to do everything we can to make the animals more adoptable.”

Dogs adopted from Paws4Ever have completed some level of training already and receive additional free training with their new owners. They also offer extensive training classes for privately owned dogs and host events for dog groups.

Andruscavage says Paws4Ever plans to take the Waggin’ Wagon all over the Triangle, hitting farmer s markets, food truck rodeos and parades-pretty much any gathering where man might bring along his best friend. The treats sold on the truck come from Gourmutts Bakery in Raleigh-a variety of baked treats, as well as cheeseburger and peanut butter flavored doggy ice creams.

Wherever you see the Waggin’ Wagon, you’ll also see some of Paws4Ever’s temporary residents. The wagon, an ice cream truck in its previous life, is retrofitted for cages so that adoptable animals can be taken to events. Andruscavage, a former teacher and school administrator who started with Paws4Ever as a volunteer three years ago, says groups like Paws4Ever thrive with help from companies like McKinney and from other sponsors. “We want to end homelessness for pets,” she said. “It takes everyone working together to bring that about. “This has revitalized everyone here.” — MCT

Robots, kittens: Shelters allow remote control of cat toys

I

f American worker productivity drops in the third quarter of 2012, the hunt for a cause can start here: iPet Companion, a “virtual play room” that allows anyone, anywhere, to play with criminally cute, reprehensibly distracting orphan cats waiting to be adopted in Los Angeles city shelters.

The Los Angeles Best Friends Pet Adoption & Spay/Neuter Center, a Mission Hills, Calif, facility owned by the city of Los Angeles and operated by the nonprofit animal welfare organization Best Friends, launched its virtual play room last week. Now bored cubicle dwellers and weekend Web surfers can waste more hours online, seeing live video from the “free-roam” cat room and manipulating three toys in real time.

As mechanical arms dangle and swing toys -”teasers” or “charmers” in cat-person parlance - the human at the other end of the Internet connection can pan or zoom the camera for a closer look. “It’s a great way for cats at our pet adoption center to be showcased,” said Sarah Schanz, marketing specialist for the center, adding that many shelters struggle with low cat-

adoption rates because feline personalities don’t always shine in a shelter environment. Watching cats at play, however, helps people to form bonds before they have even seen animals in person.

The cat and dog toy company

Kong saw a pilot program at an Idaho Humane Society facility and agreed to sponsor the iPet Companion installation in LA and four other US sites. The Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden, Colo., reported that in the first month after its iPet Companion room went

Cats play in the iPet Companion virtual playroom at Best Friends Pet Adoptions and Spay/Neuter Center on August 21 2012 in Los Angeles, California. — MCT

live in May, the number of cat adoptions rose 26.5 percent compared with the same period in 2011 and 67 percent compared with the month before the launch.

Robert Cohrs, marketing director for Kong cat products, said iPet Companion promises not only to raise awareness of shelter cats, boost shelter Web traffic and increase adoption rates, but also to act as a form of “virtual volunteerism.” People interacting with cats online, he said, are essentially augmenting the work of volunteers who play with and care for animals until they get permanent homes.

As soon as an article about the LA launch went live on latimes.com, the cat-obsessed began lining up to play with the Mission Hills cats. “This just goes to show I shouldn’t read The Times at work,” one person wrote on the play room’s chat board. “It’s been 48 minutes and I’m still here.” Wrote another: “I am going to get fired.” At one point, the number of human playmates in queue topped 70, and the wait for a two-minute turn with the cats stretched to nearly three hours. — MCT

Stars

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Aries (March 21-April 19) Social and business communications may require tact and diplomacy. You can handle any business scenario that should arise; not to worry. Be prepared to meet exciting people, try out new ideas and make interesting discoveries. You will be seeing old problems in a new light. You may want to shelve your ordinary routine for the day and explore your options. You may be supersensitive to the needs of others and you find ways to help or you make a note of something that you can do at a time that will be helpful. If your focus is on others, your understanding will allow you to fit into any group. This ability is helpful in any job. This evening you may set aside some time to visit with an old friend and reminisce about old times, people and places.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Focus on getting ahead in some way. Your vigor and confidence are strong. It takes a great effort to listen and understand others’ points of view. If you do not make this effort, your day will likely be filled with some difficulties. Do not try to settle arguments for now; you and a co-worker or higher up could be entrenched in your own positions. It is best to work alone, if possible. In communicating with others, you will most likely find greater clarity through using your intuition, rather than through rational thought. This is not a time for superficiality. You will be digging for truth and seeking root causes, especially in your love relationships. This evening you may enjoy a special relationship that works well.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You can focus on worthwhile goals and productive enterprise today. Your intuitive senses are on target with your business, professional or domestic goals. New options present themselves that are excellent for psychological, psychic or spiritual studies. You can also profit through professional groups and organizations. Friends are supportive and stimulating today and laughter is not at a distant. The way you enjoy travel may find you chatting with one of your travel friends about new plans for a new expedition, camera shoot, creative adventure, etc. The conditions are ripe for adventure. This evening you may find the answer to some difficulty between loved ones is a good compromise.

Keep exercising so that walking and climbing becomes an easy task.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You may desire greater social prestige. You are inclined to be more ambitious for material wealth and status. You may have romantic, marriage or partnership opportunities through career activities. From some special skill, you can win a promotion or public recognition. You also gain attention from people in high positions as well as the general public. You have enthusiasm to work hard and improve your career and social status. Do not overreact to any social slight or tell off the boss. You have great opportunities for leadership without unpleasant duties or responsibilities—patience is in order. Selfimprovement and the influence of those around you can go along educational, religious, philosophical or cultural lines.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This should be one of those wonderful days when you have the feeling that everything is moving along quite smoothly. Your confidence is high, you have nothing to fear and you look at the bright side of everything and everybody. If you have to deal with the public today, you will have them eating right out of your hand. Longburied feelings from the past can be reexamined and released or purged.

You can be aware of political and professional power struggles and intrigues. This observing without becoming involved will help you add to your ability to solve problems. Disagreements can arise from dogmatic or fixed opinions today—careful. Someone who finds you exceptionally attractive wants to make a date—consider it.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This should be one of those wonderful days when you just know that everything is okay! Your confidence is high, you have nothing to fear and you look at the bright side of everything and everybody. You are clear in what you expect from people and when you find a quest or project to attempt . . . you usually have team support. If you have to deal with the public today, you will have them eating right out of your hand. A desire to rise above your usual work routine may present opportunities to advance or upgrade your present position. Innocent flirtation, a movie or theater matinee, or a stroll through an art gallery is favorably indicated for this afternoon. Watch your budget. The mellow feeling now is one of ease when it concerns a certain relationship.

Libra (September 23-October 22) You can show leadership and ambition in your profession and constructive activity in your domestic affairs. You may want more recognition and freedom, but unrealistic expectations or overconfidence can work against you. Keep your ethical standards and learn moderation, humility and responsible commitment to pragmatic goals. Communication skills come easily today. You make all details clear.

No one should misunderstand anything you say. This is a great day to pay bills, clear away paperwork, write letters and make phone calls. Your phone will probably be ringing anyway. You will be able to speak to the heart of any matter without seeming arrogant. You are feeling a good balance between your ego and the needs of others.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Indulge your curiosity because today your imagination and creativity are at their best. New ideas are easily understood and bring interesting and exciting rewards. Make the most of this exciting day! This is a good time to be direct. You will be able to speak to the heart of a matter without seeming arrogant. You can devote more of your energies to healing, intuitive sensitivity, imagination, fantasy, visualization powers and compassion for those who are lonely or needy. Your interests may also turn to art, music, therapy and social or service work.

There is improved communication with friends, groups and organizations. Your interest turns toward scientific and humanitarian thoughts.

Sudden intuitive ideas are available.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) What a day to make a deal favorable for any business, financial or legal ventures! Your mind is alert, your objectives are clear— your buoyant optimism will help win your way. With reflection and detachment, you can apply your meditations to creatively solving complex problems. Mental effort intensifies. There is increased self-confidence and courage now. You can command the support of others and advance your goals through leadership and generosity. You can take pleasure through physical activity, such as sports, games and dancing.

Your imagination is stimulated and your healing ability is strengthened.

You may take a vacation and encounter delightfully strange people: artists, actors, healers or visionaries.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) The aspects available now strengthen you on every level of your life. Today, however, you could be feeling restless.

Let’s face it, there are just days when there is the likelihood that you will be bored. Be advised that you can make a large impression with the suggestion of a new project—particularly if it will bring in lots of money for the company. You may take more pleasure in your professional work and social life these days. You find more ways to make your creativity and inventiveness work for you. In the next few days you will think of ways to earn an extra income with your hobbies and crafts. You may return to old romantic ties, or take a romantic interest in an older, mature or established person. This day is surrounded with luck!

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You can broaden your social contacts and extend your professional credibility. Opportunities can present themselves for you to explore new people, places and customs. You can discover a religious or philosophical system to guide your life. Teaching, lecturing and association with universities, cultural institutions and foreigners are favorable. Rewards come from a course of study, or from a teacher, mentor or benefactor who will help expand your knowledge and understanding. Publishing, advertising, promotional campaigns and legal proceedings begun now can be highly worthwhile. Be tolerant and aware of the larger view. Avoid narrow- minded viewpoints. Expand your insights with some fascinating nonfiction tonight.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) There can be a great demand on your energies, as you tend to take on ambitious goals. Your workload can be heavy and you may have to deal with self-doubt and restrictions to your career progress.

You may have to deal with authority figures or government officials. You will need resolution, self-discipline, humility and patience. Remember . . . emotions are not rational judgments. Simplify your routines and create an environment favorable to your future success. Your dreams or ideals can now begin to take practical form and application. Old situations are fading away and opportunities present themselves. With self-respect and realism, you can be supportive of others and begin to achieve concrete results. Good things are happening!

COUNTRY CODES 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 Republic 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 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

L e i s u re

C R O S S W O R D

8 0 3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

ACROSS

Yesterday始s Solution

1. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

4. Any of several herbs of the genus Dipsacus native to the Old World having flower heads surrounded by spiny bracts.

10. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

13. An inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others.

14. Reach a destination.

15. South American wood sorrel cultivated for its edible tubers.

16. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning.

17. A family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia.

19. Sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with gray furry ears and coat.

21. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

23. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

26. Adornment consisting of a bunch of cords fastened at one end.

29. A port city in southwestern Iran.

33. (Greek mythology) Greek god of war.

36. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

37. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

38. The sign language used in the United States.

39. Electronic warfare undertaken to insure effective friendly use of the electromagnetic spectrum in spite of the enemy's use of electronic warfare.

40. An associate degree in applied science.

41. Divulge information or secrets.

43. The compass point midway between east and southeast.

47. A percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance.

50. Greek mythology.

54. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

55. One of several parallel sloping beams that support a roof.

59. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

60. Type genus of the Majidae.

61. 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.

62. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

63. A Kwa language spoken in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

64. An anti-TNF compound (trade name Arava) that is given orally.

65. Used of a single unit or thing.

DOWN 1. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

2. A fee charged for exchanging currencies.

3. A cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie.

4. Flightless New Zealand birds similar to gallinules.

5. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

6. A unit of dry measure used in Egypt.

7. The granite-like rocks that form the outermost layer of the earth's crust.

8. Being six more than fifty.

9. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

10. A deep prolonged loud noise.

11. Causing a dull and steady pain.

12. An informal term for a father.

18. The face or front of a building.

20. The sacred city of Lamaism.

22. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

24. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

25. 1 species.

27. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

28. The compass point that is one point south of southeast.

30. Small European freshwater fish with a slender bluish-green body.

31. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

32. A language unit by which a person or thing is known.

34. A small cake leavened with yeast.

35. The capital and largest city of Norway.

42. Giant shipworms.

44. Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958).

45. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

46. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

48. Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses.

49. A Hindu prince or king in India.

51. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

52. A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause).

53. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer.

56. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

57. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

58. A room equipped with toilet facilities.

Yesterday始s Solution

Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Dodgers thump Nationals WASHINGTON: Matt Kemp scored a phantom run early, then hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning - right after Washington rallied with a six-run eighth - and the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers grabbed a 7-6 victory Wednesday night for a doubleheader split that prevented the Nationals from sewing up a playoff berth. Kemp was credited with crossing home to give Los Angeles a 6-0 lead in the fourth, even though TV replays showed the inning’s last out already had been recorded on third baseman Ryan Zimmerman’s head-overheels, reaching tag of runner Adrian Gonzalez.

That extra run loomed large when the hosts - who had won the opener 3-1 thanks largely to Jordan Zimmermann’s six innings of onerun baseball - wound up sending 12 batters to the plate while scoring six runs in the eighth. Michael Morse had a homer and a two-run single, and Washington chased Josh Beckett, who had allowed only two hits through seven innings.

The announced crowd of 26,931 was getting loud, perhaps anticipating a comeback and playoff-clinching victory, when Kemp drove an 0-2 pitch from Tyler Clippard (2-5) over the wall in center for his 19th homer. Ronald Belisario (7-1) earned the win by getting the last two outs of the eighth inning. Brandon League picked up his third save with a hitless ninth. Zimmermann (11-8) allowed one run and six hits in six innings in the opener. Clippard pitched the ninth for his 32nd save. Dodgers starter Aaron Harang (9-10) lasted just 4 2-3 innings in the first game.

BRAVES 3, MARLINS 0 Kris Medlen pitched eight innings of four-hit ball and the Braves won his start for the 21st straight time. Medlen (9-1) lost the first two starts of his career in 2009. He hasn’t taken a loss in any of his 26 starts since, with the Braves prevailing in the last 21 of those - making them the first team since the New York Yankees to have such a streak, according to STATS LLC. The Yankees won 22 straight times when Whitey Ford started games from 1950 through 1953, a span interrupted by Ford serving in the Korean War. Chipper Jones, playing his last game against Miami, went 1 for 4, getting hit No. 2,721 to tie Gehrig for 58th on baseball’s career list. Rob Brantly doubled for Miami, which was shut out for the 16th time this season. Josh Johnson (8-13) gave up three runs in six innings. Craig Kimbrel picked up his 38th save in 41 chances for Atlanta.

PHILLIES 3, METS 2 Ryan Howard hit a go-ahead homer with two outs in the ninth inning and the Phillies rallied for a dramatic victory. Jimmy Rollins hit a leadoff home run but the Phillies went into the ninth with only two hits. Chase Utley worked a two-out walk against rookie Josh Edgin (12), filling in for ailing Mets closer Frank Francisco, and Howard launched a 93 mph fastball off the facing of the second deck in right field to give his team a 3-2 lead. Trying for a last-gasp postseason charge after a miserable first half, the surging Phillies (75-74) won for the 10th time in 13 games. They remained four games behind St Louis for the second NL wild-card spot. Jeremy Horst (2-0) got the win and Jonathan Papelbon worked a one-hit ninth for his 36th save in 40 tries. David Wright hit a solo homer but the Mets (66-82) dropped their eighth straight home game and 24th in the last 28 at Citi Field.

BREWERS 3, PIRATES 1 Marco Estrada pitched seven scoreless innings and rookie shortstop Jean Segura hit a double and triple as the surging Brewers stayed in contention for a postseason berth. Estrada (4-6) allowed three hits and retired his last 10 batters while improving to 4-1 with a 1.23 ERA in his last six starts. John Axford worked around Andrew McCutchen’s leadoff home run in the ninth inning while recording his 30th save in 38 opportunities. Milwaukee has won four straight games, seven of eight and 22 of 28. They remained 21/2 games behind St Louis in the race for the second NL wild card. Pittsburgh has lost 14 of 18 and 20 of 27 to drop to 74-74, the first time it has been at .500 since it was 26-26 on June 2. Rookie Kyle McPherson (0-1) took the loss in his first major league start, giving up two runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings.

CARDINALS 5, ASTROS 0 David Freese and Yadier Molina each hit their 20th home run of the season, and Lance Lynn threw 6 1-3 innings to lift the Cardinals to the win. St Louis now leads the Los Angeles Dodgers by two games in the race for the second wild-card spot in the National League.

Milwaukee is 21/2 games back. The Cardinals have won seven straight against lowly Houston. They have won three in a row overall for the first time since a four-game streak from Aug 21-24. Lynn (16-7), in his second start following a demotion to the bullpen, allowed three hits in a 102 pitch stint. Freese hit a two-run homer off Lucas Harrell (1010) in the second inning. Molina added a solo shot in the fourth.

REDS 6, CUBS 5, 11 INNINGS Drew Stubbs hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the 11th inning and Cincinnati beat Chicago hours after Reds manager Dusty Baker left the ballpark for chest X-rays. A team spokesman said the tests were to

“rule out pneumonia.” Bench coach Chris Speier brought the lineup card to home plate and there was no sign of the 63-year-old Baker during the game. Brandon Phillips’ lazy popup with two out in the 11th was misplayed by Cubs right fielder David DeJesus, allowing him to reach second. Stubbs then smoked a run-scoring single to left against Alberto Cabrera (0-1). Logan Ondrusek (5-2) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th to earn the win. Jonathan Broxton earned his fourth save in six chances since joining Cincinnati in July.

DIAMONDBACKS 6, PADRES 2 Adam Eaton tripled to spark a three-run fifth inning and Arizona rallied to beat San Diego. Dan Wheeler had an RBI triple, and Miguel Montero and Paul Goldschmidt added run-scoring doubles for the Diamondbacks, who have won three straight. Arizona remained 4 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second NL wild card. Arizona starter Trevor Cahill (12-11) went six innings, allowing two runs and five hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Max Venable and John Baker had consecutive RBI singles for the Padres, who have lost two straight to the Diamondbacks after winning eight of their previous nine against them. Padres starter Edinson Volquez (10-11) gave up four runs and eight hits over six innings.

GIANTS 7, ROCKIES 1 Matt Cain pitched eight solid innings to earn his career-best 15th win, Pablo Sandoval homered for his first time in two months and San Francisco moved another game closer to clinching the NL West title.

Sandoval’s three-run shot in the first inning off Tyler Chatwood (4-5) was his ninth homer of the season and helped hand Cain (15-5) another milestone in a season full of them. With the second-place Dodgers splitting a doubleheader in Washington, San Francisco (8663) lowered its magic number to clinch the division to five. Cain allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked four. Chris Nelson scored Colorado’s only run on DJ LeMahieu’s flyout in the fifth.— AP

SAN FRANCISCO: (From left) San Francisco Giants left fielder Gregor Blanco, right fielder Hunter Pence and center fielder Angel Pagan celebrate a 7-1 win over the Colorado Rockies during a baseball game on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012. — AP

Mariners falter again in extras SEATTLE: Adam Jones hit a two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning and Baltimore won its 15th straight extra-innings game with a 3-1 victory over Seattle on Wednesday night. A night after the teams played an 18-inning marathon that lasted nearly 6 hours, Jones, the one-time Mariners prospect, gave Baltimore a huge boost in its race with the Yankees for the lead in the AL East. Even with New York sweeping a doubleheader from Toronto on Wednesday, the Orioles stayed just a half-game back in the division race.

The Orioles moved into the top spot in the AL wild-card race after Oakland was handed a 6-2 loss in Detroit. According to the Orioles, with information from the Elias Sports Bureau, the 15 straight extrainning wins is the longest streak since the Cleveland Indians won 17 straight in 1949. Jones’ turned on a 3-2 pitch from Seattle’s Josh Kinney (0-3) for his 30th homer. Jim Johnson pitched the bottom of the 11th for his major league-leading 45th save.

YANKEES 2, BLUE JAYS 1, 2nd game Ichiro Suzuki had a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, his seventh hit of the day, to help New York complete a doubleheader sweep of Toronto that ensured they remained atop the AL East - by a halfgame over Baltimore. Suzuki made a difficult catch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of the opener to preserve a lead for Andy Pettitte. Suzuki had three hits in the opener batting leadoff in place of Derek Jeter, who rested his sore ankle in the first game of the daynight doubleheader. Jeter started at shortstop for the first time in a week and got his 200th hit on Ricky Romero’s first pitch.

TIGERS 6, ATHLETICS 2 Miguel Cabrera homered, Omar Infante drove in three runs and Justin Verlander pitched six scoreless innings to help Detroit. Verlander (15-8) allowed five hits and three walks while striking out five. The Tigers have won two straight over the A’s - and 28 of their last 36 games at home - in their chase to catch the AL Central-leading Chicago. Oakland, clinging to an AL wild-card spot, has dropped three straight and might have had a costly loss on the mound because Brett Anderson (4-2) left the game after two-plus innings with a strained right oblique.

RAYS 13, RED SOX 3 Desmond Jennings hit a two-run triple during Tampa Bay’s sevenrun sixth-inning, and the Rays snapped a four-game losing streak.

Jennings scored following his triple against reliever Alfredo Aceves when the throw from the outfield eluded third baseman Pedro Ciriaco.Four Boston pitchers walked six in the sixth, including passes to Carlos Pena and Jose Molina with the bases loaded. Luke Scott had a sacrifice fly, and Jeff Keppinger added an RBI single. Keppinger hit a solo homer, and Pena added a two-shot off Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-6) as Tampa Bay went ahead 5-3 in the fourth. Chris Archer (1-3) allowed

three runs and five hits over five innings for the Rays, who won for the second time in nine games. It was the rookie’s first major league win.

The Red Sox (68-82), assured of their first losing season since 1997, got two RBIs from Jacoby Ellsbury.

TWINS 6, INDIANS 4 Josh Willingham had four hits and four RBIs and Minnesota’s Liam Hendriks finally got his first career win as Cleveland dropped into last place in the AL Central. Willingham belted a tiebreaking two-run homer off Zach McAllister (5-8) in the fifth inning, giving Minnesota a 4-2 lead. He also had three singles. Hendriks (1-7) pitched six effective innings to get the win in his 18th career start. Glen Perkins worked the ninth for his 14th save. Cleveland shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera homered, but left in the seventh with a sore right wrist. Cleveland fell to 1139 since July 26 and has dropped 11 of its last 13 at home. The Indians led the AL Central for 40 days and held a four-game advantage on May 17, but are 39-72 since. Hendriks allowed two runs and two hits. The right-hander, who made four starts in 2011, was the fifth pitcher since 1920 to go winless in his first 17 starts, three shy of the record shared

by Bill Caudill of the Chicago Cubs (1979-81) and Mike Mohler of Oakland (1993-97).

ROYALS 3, WHITE SOX 0 Bruce Chen pitched into the seventh inning and Alex Gordon hit a two-run double as Kansas City snapped Chicago’s five-game winning streak. Billy Butler hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning, but that was it until Gordon connected off Chris Sale (17-7) with two outs in the seventh. Chen (11-12) scattered five hits and three walks over 6 2-3 innings to win for just the second time in six starts. Kelvin Herrera pitched around two base runners in the eighth, and Greg Holland yielded a two-out double in the ninth before finishing for his 14th save. Escobar finished with three hits for the Royals, who staved off official elimination for one more day. The White Sox (81-67) had their AL Central lead over Detroit trimmed to two games. The White Sox, 3-2 winners in the series opener, wound up going 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.

RANGERS 6, ANGELS 2 Derek Holland pitched seven innings of six-hit ball and Geovany Soto hit a late two-run homer for Texas. Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and Mike Napoli had run-scoring extra-base hits in the third inning as the Rangers chased former teammate CJ Wilson (12-10), who flopped in his second-shortest start for Los Angeles. One night after the Angels scored 11 runs without Albert Pujols, the Rangers dominated offensively and improved the AL’s best record to 88-60 without sluggers Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre, who sat with injuries. Alberto Callaspo hit a two-run homer for the Angels (81-68), who had won 15 of 20. —AP

Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Ovechkin signs for Dynamo Moscow MOSCOW: Russian ice hockey star Alexander Ovechkin has signed for his old team Dynamo Moscow amid a lockout over a labor dispute between the National Hockey League (NHL) and their players, the team said yesterday.

“Dynamo Moscow has signed a contract with the Washington striker. The 27-year-old alumnus of Dynamo Moscow has already undergone medical checks after which he took part in the white-and-blues’ training,” a team statement said. “It’s pleasant when you come back to your home club. Of course there are a lot of new guys whom I have just met,” Ovechkin said on the ice at his first training session, in a video posted on the club’s website.

“I feel comfortable and of course confident. Of course I want to show a beautiful game, the main thing is I am now playing for the national champions, so I need to keep up the standard.” The gap-toothed star of Washington Capitals is one of several players to return to Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) after a labor standoff between NHL and their players escalated and the league officially locked out players. “For him right from the start it was very important to play specifically for his native Dynamo during the lockout. So now everyone is happy: the club and the player himself,” Ovechkin’s agent Gleb Chistyakov told Sport Express daily.

Ovechkin told the newspaper it would be “unethical” to discuss his salary. Fellow Moscow team CSKA also competed for Ovechkin, but Dynamo Moscow’s president Arkady Rotenberg personally called the player, Chistyakov said.

Ovechkin held his first training session with the team late Wednesday, playing under number 32, his original number in the team, Sport Express reported. “Ovi is already home!” Sovetsky Sport reported Thursday, quoting the team’s doctor Valery Konov as saying he had a clean bill of health and “no pathological states except a missing front tooth.” Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin has signed with Magnitogorsk and is set to play for them after getting permission from the International Ice Hockey Federation, Sport Express added.—AFP

Ikeda rockets to first-round lead TOKYO: Yuta Ikeda put himself in a strong position to end a string of runner-up finishes as he blitzed his way to a nine-under-par 62 to grab the opening-round lead at the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open yesterday. With the home crowd behind him, the Japanese opened up a two-shot lead over five of his compatriots at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club including veteran Hiroyuki Fujita, a two-time Asian Tour winner. Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines, Jeev Milkha Singh of India, a two-time number one in Asia, and Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil carded matching 67s for 11th place.

The 150-million-yen tournament (about $1.9 million) is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

Ikeda, who finished tied sixth at the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic on the Asian Tour in April, played bridesmaid in the last three weeks in Japan but he is fired-up to finally win his first title this season. “I will give myself 80 or 90 points for my round. I was really close in the last three weeks but I’m still proud with what I achieved,” Ikeda, 26, a nine-time winner in Japan, told the Asian Tour. “I started off very well and the momentum started to build. Everything went smoothly so I guess that’s why I have no bogeys.

“I did have some up and downs with my shots but when I got in trouble, I recovered very well. I guess that’s the key to my good score.” At the age of 46, Fujita is showing no signs of slowing down. He has won three titles on home soil this season, including one last week, and is on track for a fourth victory after riding on a hot putter. “This is the best I’ve putted this year,” he said. “This is a difficult golf course but I was expecting to do well. “I won’t say that I can win my fourth title yet because it is only the first day but I believe I have a good chance of shooting a lower score and give myself a chance.”— AFP

Hidayat to retire

TOKYO: Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia hits a return against Akira Koga of Japan during their men’s singles second round match at the Japan Open badminton championships in Tokyo yesterday. Hidayat won 21-11, 21-10.— AFP

TOKYO: Athens Olympic gold medallist Taufik Hidayat revealed yesterday that he will retire next year, as he reached the quarter-finals at the Japan Open. “After the (London) Olympics, I decided to play 10 more tournaments and this is the first one. I will retire after the Indonesian Open next year,” said the Indonesian seventh seed after beating Japan’s Akira Koga 21-11, 21-10.

Hidayat, 31, who has yet to win a title this season, added: “I’m satisfied that I can still compete in a big tournament like this. “For sure I haven’t won this tournament, but I reached the final three times before. I know I have a better chance because of the withdrawals of the Chinese players, but I’m not in my best form. “I’m going to try to take my chances as far as possible and get the best possible result in my last Japan Open.” Hidayat kept on course for a probable semi-final encounter against top-seeded Lee Chong Wei, who will play Victor Axelsen of Denmark later in the day.

All Chinese players pulled out of the Japan Open in protest at a territorial dispute between the two countries.

China won all five titles at the London Olympics and again last week at their home Superseries. In the women’s singles second round in Tokyo, top seed Tine Baun of Denmark eased past Busanan Ongbumrungpan of Thailand 21-14, 21-7. Baun captured her first major title five years ago in the Japan Open and went on to win the prestigious All England titles in 2008 and 2009. Thai third seed Ratchanok Intanon defeated Tee Jing Yi of Malaysia 21-11, 21-10, and set up a quarter-final match against fifth seed Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan, winner over Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand 21-13, 21-17.—AFP

Still time to get back into NASCAR title hunt NEW YORK: It doesn’t take long for the pretenders to be separated from the contenders in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Sometimes, through bad luck or mediocre performance, a driver leaves the Chase opener sentenced to an also-ran status for the remainder of the season. This season may be an anomaly - the field is too stacked to start crossing names off the list of legitimate title contenders.

That could be good news for Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon, who each had mechanical problems in the Chicago opener of the 10-race Chase. Kenseth had a shock fall off his car, Gordon crashed after his throttle stuck and the two head to Round 2 in New Hampshire ranked 11th and 12th in the standings.

“I think even Jeff Gordon, even though he had a disappointing finish, he still can’t count himself out,” said defending champion Tony Stewart. “Everybody can have a bad race, so it’s way too early to predict after one race.”

There’s usually room for a mulligan in the Chase: Stewart limped to a 25thplace finish last year in Round 3 at Dover and still won the title. Jimmie Johnson overcame not only a 39thplace finish in the 2006 Chase opener, but also a crash at Talladega. An early crash at Texas in 2009 led to a 38th place finish, and he still won his fourth title. And in 2010, he opened with a 25th-place finish and rallied over the remaining nine weeks for his fifth straight championship. So nobody is expecting the champion to have a flawless 10-race run.

After opening the Chase as the

points leader, Denny Hamlin’s 16thplace finish dropped him to fifth in the standings. Only 15 points behind Chicago winner and new points leader Brad Keselowski, Hamlin is confident about his chances. “This is 1 week of 10.

We will win next week,” Hamlin tweeted. Maybe he will. Hamlin might have won at New Hampshire in July if not for late race miscommunication with crew chief Darian Grubb, who changed four

tires when Hamlin only wanted two changed. The longer pit stop dropped Hamlin deep in the field, and despite a frantic final push, he finished second to winner Kasey Kahne. He had a good attitude after the race - “I’ve been through this long enough now (that) you’re going to have plenty more chances in the future, especially the way we’re running,” he said - and gets a chance to prove it on Sunday.— AP

Lockout forces cancellation of 60 NHL preseason games NEW YORK: The National Hockey League’s (NHL) lockout claimed its first casualties as the league said on Wednesday it cancelled the first week of preseason games given the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. The NHL, in the midst of its fourth work stoppage in 20 years, said in a statement that the preseason set to open on Sept 23 is cancelled through Sept. 30, chopping 60 games off the schedule. A league-wide lockout was imposed by the NHL on the weekend when the previous labor agreement expired with the owners and players at odds over how to divide a $3.3 billion revenue pie.

There have been no formal talks between NHL owners and the union representing its players since last Wednesday, leaving the scheduled Oct 11 start of the 2012-13 season in doubt. The work stoppage is the first in the NHL since a lockout wiped out the entire 2004-05 campaign, and the upcoming season could see the same fate as the two sides remain at a stalemate over key economic issues. The NHL, which enjoyed record-breaking revenues last season, is looking to cut the players’ share in revenue while players are against taking an immediate, absolute salary reduction. The cancellations come amid unconfirmed reports that the NHL will cut employee salaries by 20 percent and institute a four-day work week starting Oct 1. At the same time, the flood of players rushing to find work in European leagues is expected to grow with no end in site to the work stoppage. Reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Evgeni Malkin and former scoring champion and MVP Alex Ovechkin head the list of big-name NHL players who have already signed deals to play in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.— Reuters

Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Hayden quits cricket SYDNEY: Veteran Australian opener Matthew Hayden has called time on his glittering playing career, opting not to play in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 series this year, his Brisbane Heat team said yesterday. The Heat said that after lengthy discussions, Hayden, 40, had opted not to return for a final series after signing as their marquee player for last season’s inaugural T20 Big Bash League.

Hayden, who retired from Test cricket in 2009, played for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in 2010. He took a sabbatical from cricket before returning to play for the Brisbane team in 2011-12. “I will be pursuing my initial intention and agreement with the Heat of moving from the pitch to the boardroom, where I hope to continue to make a meaningful contribution to the Big Bash League and the Brisbane Heat,” Hayden said in a statement.

“I also plan to be very active in promoting and supporting the Brisbane Heat both on and off the field, and to contribute to the long-term success of the franchise.”

Hayden said cricket would remain a significant part of his life. “Whilst closing the final chapter was difficult it feels great to be more actively involved in supporting and nurturing our next generation, especially now with my children,” he said. Hayden scored 8,625 runs in 103 Tests for his country with 30 centuries, at an average of more than 50. He also played 161 one-day internationals.— AFP

Heremaia eyes glorious end to traumatic season LEEDS: When a pre-season neck injury threatened to end Aaron Heremaia’s career he readily admits that a Super League Grand Final appearance was the last thing on his mind. But on the eve of Hull FC’s preliminary semi-final with Warrington Wolves the 30-year-old former New Zealand international is relishing the chance to be back out on the biggest stage. Heremaia, who made over 50 appearances in the NRL for the New Zealand Warriors including their defeat in last year’s Grand Final, signed for Hull FC in the off-season. But an injury in his first run-out for his new side in pre-season put not only his debut campaign in Europe in jeopardy but also potentially his career. The hooker bounced back in admirable style, gradually feeling his way back into things before playing a starring role in Hull’s superb end of season that secured them a play-off berth.

And Heremaia has not stopped there, running in one of his side’s eight tries in their 46-10 thumping of Huddersfield Giants last weekend to set up their clash with Warrington. And the former Warrior is desperate to make up for lost time on Saturday insisting that, while his side start as underdogs, they have more than enough firepower to hurt the Wolves. “After a bad start to the year for me personally it feels great to be involved in a big game like this,” he said. “I have only played about 11 or 12 games in my first season over here but to be involved in the play-offs now is great, it’s where I want to be.

These are the sort of games I want to be playing in.

“We have been happy with our form in recent weeks, defensively we have been superb and only conceding five tries in the last three weeks is a really good record. “We will have to keep up that record to stand a chance against a quality side like Warrington but we are confident that we can cause them problems and score points on them if we stay tight.” The Wolves for their part find themselves facing a win or go home situation this weekend against Hull after a surprise 28-6 defeat to St Helens in the first round of the playoffs. But rather than upset his side’s rhythm, head coach Tony Smith insists that his troops, the reigning Challenge Cup holders, could well benefit from the added pressure. “It might do us some good as we don’t mind playing that knockout rugby league,” said Smith.

“Hopefully we’ll respond to it and we’ll get out there and fight for our lives.” Before then on Friday Catalan Dragons play host to reigning champions Leeds and the French outfit have been boosted by the news that Steve Menzies has extended his contract by a year. The former Australian international, who at 38 is the oldest player currently in Super League, will now end his career at the Dragons. “Happy to announce I’ve just signed with Catalan Dragons for one last season,” he posted on his Twitter page. “Really excited about the future of league here in France.”—AFP

Gutsy Afghans light up World Twenty20 COLOMBO: Afghanistan’s cricketers have become the unlikely flag-bearers for the minnow nations at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka with an eyecatching, fearless display in their opening game against India. The part-timers from the war-ravaged nation, many of whom took up cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan, gave India’s multi-millionaires a scare in their opening match in Colombo on Wednesday before lack of experience cost them.

At the Premadasa stadium, they let India off the hook with four dropped catches and 14 wides but still restricted one of the most formidable batting lineups in world cricket to a manageable 159-5. In reply, Afghanistan raced to an impressive 75-2 in the 12th over before a late collapse saw the non-Test side bowled out for 136 with three balls to spare, losing by 23 runs. With Ireland and Zimbabwe crashing to big defeats in their opening matches in the 12-team tournament, Afghanistan’s gritty display was a strong statement of intent from

the lower-ranked teams.

Afghanistan’s rapid rise in world cricket-they were playing in the lower divisions until five years ago before qualifying for the World Twenty20 in 2010 is one of the most inspirational stories in the sport. Their Pakistani coach Kabir Khan attributed the dramatic improvement to the challenges and hardships the cricketers faced at home, with their love for the sport acting as the driving force. “They have been through difficult conditions during the war,” said former Test player Khan. “This team is like one family. If a player’s family is struggling, others in the team rally around him and help him as if he was their own family member.”

The coach said Afghanistan’s defeat against India boiled down to their lack of experience against top teams. Of their 12 T20 internationals so far, Afghanistan have played just three against Test sides-two against India and one against South Africa. “The dropped catches and the batting collapse at the end came

because the boys were unable to withstand pressure at crunch situations,” Khan said. “India are always under pressure, but we play less international cricket. We play less against the top sides.”

India’s in-form batsman Virat Kohli, who scored a half-century, conceded Afghanistan gave his side a fright.

“There were a few tense moments out there,” he said. “They had nothing to lose. They went out there to enjoy and express themselves. We needed to stay calm during those tricky situations.” The stand-out moment of the match was the “helicopter” shot employed by Afghanistan’s stocky wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad to whip Zaheer Khan through mid-wicket for a four. The stroke-played with a flick of the wrists-was made famous by Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who smiled wryly from behind the stumps as Shahzad sported a wide grin.

Afghanistan take on defending champions England in their next game in Colombo today.—AFP

COLOMBO: Afghanistan cricketer Shapoor Zadran celebrates after he dismissed Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir during the ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match between India and Afghanistan at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. — AFP

Pietersen in demand for Australia Big Bash SYDNEY: The chief of Australia’s Melbourne Renegades team will fly to the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka next week in a bid to sign estranged England batsman Kevin Pietersen for the domestic Big Bash series, reports said yesterday.

Renegades boss Stuart Coventry said he hoped to arrange a meeting with Pietersen, who is working as a television commentator at the World Twenty20.

“I’d like to (meet Pietersen) but I think I would want to get an indication first about his availability before talking further,” Coventry told The Sydney Morning

Herald. “We have three places left on our list and one of them is for an international. “If we can grab someone who stands up at the World Twenty20 that is our first priority, but now that Kevin Pietersen is back in the mix, there’s no doubt we and the Sydney Sixers have been having some dialogue with his management. “If he is available we’d love to grab him but there’s a lot of curve balls in play at the moment, about his availability, whether he wants to come to Australia, whether he wants to come to Melbourne or Sydney.”

Pietersen has been in exile since sending text messages to South Africa players that contained derogatory references to then England captain Andrew Strauss during the recent Test series.

With reports circulating that Pietersen had also fallen out with several of his team-mates as a result of his behavior, the South Africa-born star was axed for the final Test, the subsequent one-day series, the current World Twenty20 tournament and the forthcoming tour to India. Australia’s eight-team Big Bash League begins on December 7.— AFP

Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Hong Kong Open cuts prize money HONG KONG: Prize money for the prestigious Hong Kong Open has been cut $750,000 to $2 million, organizers said yesterday, blaming the state of the world economy. It comes despite the tournament, one of the biggest in Asia, retaining sponsor UBS, the Swiss bank. This year’s Hong Kong Open is November 15-18. “It’s one of these things that have happened because of the downturn of the world economy,” Hong Kong Golf Association Chief Executive Iain Valentine said, saying he did not expect it to affect the quality of the field.

Valentine said he was hopeful that stars such as Rory McIlroy, the world number one, will return to defend his title. The tournament is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours. “The Hong Kong Open has a very unique place in the European Tour schedule of events and people like to play Hong Kong because of the golf course and because of Hong Kong in general, they just like coming here.”

The 23-year-old Northern Irishman, winner of the 2011 US Open and this year’s PGA Championship, is believed to attract large appearance fees.

Organizers are reportedly seeking HK$16 million ($2.06 million) from a Hong Kong government fund to assist the showpiece event, double what it received last year.— AFP

McIlroy looks for big finish in Tour finale

Thompson aims for encore LPGA boost PRATTVILLE: Lexi Thompson’s milestone no longer stands, but the memories endure from her victory at last year’s Navistar LPGA Classic. Thompson returns this week to the venue where she became the LPGA Tour’s youngest winner hoping to continue her recently improved play and perhaps contend for an encore victory on The Senator Course at Capitol Hill. “It feels amazing to be back here,” Thompson said. “It was a great experience, especially having my dad (Scott) on the bag caddying for me. I can’t even describe the feelings coming up the 18th hole, it was just so overwhelming just to experience all the fans cheering for me coming up 18.”

Then 16, she coasted to a five-stroke win at the suburban Montgomery course that is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Lydia Ko, a 15-year-old amateur from New Zealand, broke her record last month in the Canadian Women’s Open. Thompson will compete in a field that doesn’t include a number of the top players.

Jiyai Shin is skipping it after winning the Women’s British Open by a record nine strokes and also taking the Kingsmill Championship.

Only three of the top 10 players are competing, led

by No 1 Yani Tseng and No 3 Stacy Lewis. Suzann Pettersen, So Yeon Ryu, Brittany Lincicome and Michelle Wie also are in the field. Players are trying to recover from all the travel and weather battles at the British Open. “I’m still trying to get over the jet lag from last week and figure out what time it is and where I’m at,” said Lewis, who has three straight top 10 finishes.

Tseng tied for fourth in Prattville in 2009 and sixth the previous year. “I love this golf course,” she said. “I kind of decided last minute to come back here because I just love it so much. I just cannot give up a course I love and a tournament I love, so that’s why I came back to play again.” Thompson seems to have reclaimed her game entering her first LPGA title defense. She was 17th at the British Open and 14th at Kingsmill after failing to survive the cut in the previous three events.

Those troubles didn’t seem to faze the rookie too much.

“I’m feeling pretty good about it,” Thompson said.

“I’ve played pretty consistent. Before those last two events I struggled a little bit, but it’s golf. You’ve got to stay strong, you’ve just got to work through it. I feel pretty good about my game, just working to improve on little things.” The Florida teenager has mostly flourished in Alabama. In April, she finished second to Lewis in Mobile after also flirting with the title at that event two years ago before a last-day collapse.—AP

ATLANTA: Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from a fairway during a practice round at the Tour Championship golf tournament, in Atlanta. The tournament began yesterday. — AP

Snedeker ready for big week in Atlanta ATLANTA: Golfers often talk about pacing themselves for big events and Brandt Snedeker says that will be his top priority at this week’s elite Tour Championship before making his Ryder Cup debut for the United States next week. The fast-talking American is one of only 30 players competing in the PGA Tour’s playoff finale and is one of just five who would be guaranteed the season-long FedExCup title and its lucrative bonus with victory on Sunday. “It is very difficult to prepare because they are two completely different weeks, but really big weeks,” Snedeker told Reuters at a sun-splashed East Lake Golf Club. “This week is the culmination of a whole year’s work so you have got to be very focused on what this week entails and realize it’s not just about the whole year.

“It’s about this one week. You’ve got to take each day as it comes, play as good as you possibly can and get ready hopefully to give yourself a chance on Sunday to hoist that FedExCup trophy.” Snedeker, who won his third PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, lies fifth in the FedExCup standings coming into this week and relishes the fact that he would secure the $10 million playoff bonus by winning the Tour Championship. “It’s great,” the 31-year-old beamed. —Reuters

ATLANTA: Rory McIlroy sounds like he’s ready to turn his US PGA Tour season into a script. The opening chapter set the tone for a great year. He played three rounds in Abu Dhabi with Tiger Woods and held his own, and then held off Woods in the Honda Classic to win the tournament and go to No 1 in the world. The middle section was the struggle, when he blew up on the weekend at the Masters, lost in a playoff at Quail Hollow and then missed the cut four times in five tournaments, including a major. “And then finished it off really well,” McIlroy said on Wednesday at the Tour Championship.

The final chapter began with his eight-shot victory at the US PGA Championship - the second straight year he has won a major by that margin - and led to consecutive wins in FedEx Cup playoff events in Boston and Indianapolis. It was the first time a player has won two straight tournaments with Woods in the field since Phil Mickelson captured the Tour Championship and HSBC Champions in 2009. The script is almost complete, and McIlroy is starting with an empty page.

Even though he is No 1 in the FedEx Cup, No 1 in the world ranking and No 1 on the US tour money list - all of them by wide margins - he is not assured of claiming the FedEx Cup title unless he wins the Tour Championship.

It started yesterday at East Lake, and the points have been reset so that everyone in the 30 man field has a mathematical chance to win the $10 million bonus, with the better odds going to the higher seeds. The top five in the FedEx Cup McIlroy, Woods, Nick Watney, Mickelson and Brandt Snedeker - only have to win the Tour Championship to be the FedEx Cup champion. Just about everyone else would have to win and get some help. “It obviously still makes it exciting going into the last event,” McIlroy said. “It would be nice to have it wrapped up, but it’s just the way it is. I’m not going to complain about it or I’m not going to moan about it. I accept it. I accept that I still have a lot of work to do this week, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

Woods knows the feeling. He was shocked to learn in 2009, when he played the opening playoff event at The Barclays for the first time, that he could win the first three playoff events and be the runner-up at the Tour Championship and still not win the FedEx Cup. He compared that with the New England Patriots going 18-0 and losing in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. It all starts to unfold on Thursday, when Woods and McIlroy are in the final pairing because of their No 1 and No 2 seeding in the FedEx Cup. It will be the fifth time they have played together since the playoffs began.

They are so closely linked now that even Greg Norman weighed in. “What I’m seeing is that Tiger’s really intimidated

by Rory,” Norman said in an interview with FoxSports.com.

“When have you ever seen him intimidated by another player?

Never.” That brought a peculiar one-liner from Woods, and laughter from McIlroy. Woods and Norman have never had much of a relationship, and Woods wasn’t about to get wrapped up in an exchange of words on Wednesday. Asked if he had seen Norman’s comments, he replied, “It’s got to be the hair, yeah.”

McIlroy knows that Woods saw the Norman comments, because Woods gave the kid another nickname. “He calls me ‘The Intimidator,’ McIlroy said, stifling a laugh. “No, how can I intimidate Tiger Woods? The guy’s got 75 or 70 whatever PGA Tour wins, 14 majors. He’s been the biggest thing ever in our sport. I mean, how can some little 23-year-old from Northern Ireland with a few wins come up and intimidate him? It’s just not possible. I don’t know where he got that from, but it’s not true.”

The only time Woods ever felt intimidated on the golf course was when he was 11. It was a story he told a decade ago about competing against a 12-year-old in a junior tournament when the older boy drove the green on a 290-yard hole.

Woods still wound up winning. McIlroy’s confidence has never been higher. He has an average score of 68.1 in his last five tournaments, which dates to the Bridgestone Invitational where some swagger returned to his game. He showed up at Crooked Stick expecting to win the BMW Championship, and that’s what he did.

Now he has to avoid falling into the trap of being overconfident, a nice problem to have. McIlroy is playing East Lake for the first time, a rugged test that puts a premium on fairways and greens. Lately, he’s been doing just about everything right. “The way I’ve played since Firestone, it obviously gives you a lot of confidence,” McIlroy said.—AP

Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Schalke hope to overcome rotating Bayern BERLIN: Schalke 04 are hoping to come out on top against Bayern Munich this weekend, buoyed by victory in their Champions League opener against Olympiakos.

The Gelsenkirchen club beat the Greek side 2-1 on Tuesday but go into the match knowing that they failed to take a point from Bayern last season and also came away empty-handed from ties with eventual champions Borussia Dortmund. Manager Horst Heldt said finding weaknesses in the Bayern line-up was always tough but unlike in the last campaign, when they lost 2-0 twice, they needed to be decisive against the current leagueleaders.

“We were disappointed with how we played in the big games last season, with the exception of the home game against Dortmund (which they lost 2-1),” said Heldt. “But in Dortmund and twice against Bayern we didn’t have any courage. You can’t win anything like that.

Of course it’s important to see to it that the team plays in a different manner. “After all we’re playing against one of the favorites for the championship.”

Schalke go into the game with a doubt over midfielder Jermaine Jones, who suffered an ankle injury in the victory over Olympiakos, while Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes is expected to continue rotating his players, with strength in depth. “We have some very good options personnel-wise,” said Heynckes, whose side were 2-1 winners at home against Valencia in the Champions League mid-week. “I will not explain to my players why and how I am making changes. They must accept it.” Like fourthplaced Schalke, Dortmund have seven points. They are playing tomorrow at struggling Hamburg, who are second-to-last in the table after three defeats in three matches.

Dortmund needed a late goal by Robert Lewandowski to grab a 1-0 win at home over Ajax Amsterdam to kick off their Champions League campaign. And Coach Juergen Klopp will now analyse how the midfield duo of Mario Goetze and Marco Reus performed and if he wants to line them up together in Hamburg. “We will have a lot of work before it works perfectly,” admitted Reus.

Hamburg coach Thorsten Fink meanwhile said the Bundesliga champions were coming at exactly the perfect time. “We are the underdogs tomorrow and we can only surprise in a positive manner,” said Fink. “If I am given the time, we will move up the table.”

The last time Hamburg had zero points after three matches was way back in September 1972. But the club’s management still has faith in Fink. “We are totally convinced of his work. He will get his time,” said club chairman Carl-Edgar Jarchow. Friday evening’s match sees Nuremberg play Eintracht Frankfurt, with the newly-promoted side’s coach Armin Veh, who guided VfB Stuttgart to the 2007 Bundesliga crown, upbeat after three straight wins in the opening games. “I would be disappointed now if we don’t win the championship,” Veh joked in an interview with Kicker magazine. “That doesn’t mean I don’t take my work extremely seriously.

But still I need a certain looseness.” Veh will have his sights set on stopping Nuremberg’s Japanese star Hiroshi Kiyotake. —AFP

Toulouse seek Bayonne tonic to boost flat start PARIS: Champions Toulouse will bid to get the defense of their Top 14 title back on track when they travel to Bayonne in French league action today. Toulouse, 19-time winners of the French championship and a record four-time winner of the European Cup, are one of the undisputed alltime heavyweights in the world of club rugby union. But the start to this season has not been all rosy, with two defeats in their opening five encounters drawing suggestions from some quarters that they are a team in crisis.

References have already even been made to sealing one of the six end-of-season play-off spots in the fiercely Top 14 league where the spectre of relegation makes every game “un choc”.

“Competitive sport is made up of good moments, less good ones, successes and failures,” said Guy Noves, the phlegmatic long-time Toulouse coach.

“This weekend was more of a failure. However, it doesn’t lead me to question the work put in over many years. It is imperative, though, that we work hard and that will help us rebound and play better in our next match.”

Toulouse lost 34-20 to Perpignan on Saturday having trailed 27-6 at half-time - to leave them fifth in the Top 14 table seven points off unbeaten leaders Toulon after five matches. “This is simply a team that is in the process of finding its reference points, who have experienced three successful years and who naturally believe the serious part of the season only gets under way in the play-offs,” said Noves. “It is true that for 19 years we have regularly been involved in the title play-offs, and that has contributed to this lax attitude at the beginning of the season where one says that things only become important a little later.

“However, the players must realize that points lost are never recovered. “Certain teams paid dearly in the past for such laxity and we don’t want to be one of them.” Perhaps a Friday night outing against Bayonne might not be a bad bet for Toulouse, the Basque club also having found it tough to discover their own rhythm in early season. After two defeats at home (13-6 against Clermont and 25-18 against Racing-Metro), Bayonne sit in 11th spot having notched up a sole victory (24-11 over Stade Francais on August 25) in their opening five matches. And Bayonne Coach Christian Lanta was in no doubt that his side had to turn themselves around, and quickly.

“The best thing is to get back playing very quickly, to avoid dwelling too long on issues,” Lanta said.

“That’s not to say you mustn’t examine what happened, have a debrief and target what didn’t work tomorrow against Racing.”—AFP

Gasperini says he can fix Palermo ‘negative’ image

MONTPELLIER: Montpellier’s French coach Rene Girard, reacts during their Champions League Group B soccer match against Arsenal, at the La Mosson stadium, in Montpellier, southern France. — AP

Montpellier in positive mood despite slow start PARIS: French champions Montpellier already have an 11-point deficit to make up on leaders Olympique Marseille yet following their Champions League debut coach Rene Girard believes his team is ready to start winning again. Montpellier lost 2-1 at home against Arsenal on Tuesday and have only picked up four points from five league games, but they were upbeat after pushing their illustrious opponents close. “You can’t be happy when you lose but we shook one of the best teams in Europe. Physically and mentally, we are there,” said Girard, whose side host St Etienne on Friday (1845 GMT).

“In terms of intensity and aggression, we played the best half of our season,” he added of the second period against Arsenal where they hit the post

as they strived for an equalizer.

Goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren said the club’s first Champions League encounter was a positive experience despite the result. “We were in the right state of mind. This defeat will help us,” he told reporters. Paris St Germain, who have spent more than 200 million euros ($261.15 million) on transfers since they were taken over by Qatari investors in April 2011, are expected to snatch their third league win in a row at promoted Bastia on Saturday (1500). PSG, who trail leaders Marseille by six points, demolished Dynamo Kiev 4-1 in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti could make a few changes to his team including resting Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who said he was still suffering from an ankle sprain he picked up last month.—Reuters

MILAN: Gian Piero Gasperini will make his debut in the Palermo hot seat on Sunday believing he can change the Sicilian club’s negative image and last longer than his unfortunate predecessors. Volatile owner Maurizio Zamparini has fired an average of two coaches a season since buying the club 10 years ago, but last week’s decision to dispense with Giuseppe Sannino after only three games seemed drastic even by his standards. Zamparini admitted it barely made headlines when he fired coaches but said Sannino had to go because his relationship with the team had deteriorated. “It’s news that is not even a story,” said Zamparini, who was previously president of Venezia from 1987 to 2002.

The Italian players’ union (AIC) joined in the criticism of his hire-and-fire approach. “I think it’s difficult to move forward with a real project when the coach is forced to leave after a few matches,” said AIC president Damiano Tommasi. “I believe the squad at Palermo’s disposal is a good enough one for Serie A and their ambitions.” There are varying estimates as to how many coaches Zamparini has fired in his career, the numbers depending on what is considered an “interim” coach and complicated by the fact that he has sacked some coaches more than once.

Francesco Guidolin has coached Palermo four times under Zamparini although his second and third stints were separated by only two weeks after his initial sacking was “revoked”. Gazetta dello Sport put the total at 41 with Stefano Poli as the shortest-lived coach having been fired before taking charge of a single Serie A game in August last year, although he was in charge of two Europa League qualifiers. Gasperini, meanwhile, has been out of coaching for a year since he was dismissed by Inter Milan after only five games at the start of last season. He makes his debut at Atalanta on Sunday with Palermo quickly needing to pick up points after taking only one from their first three games.

The new coach is convinced he can last the distance, pointing out that he survived at Genoa for four years under Enrico Preziosi, known as a tempestuous president.

“Preziosi was another president who changed a lot of coaches, but I convinced him,” said Gasperini as he was officially presented. “I think there are the possibilities here to dispel the negative stereotypes. Palermo is an important footballing centre and it is my aim to bring back the enthusiasm to this club. “It’s a chance to re-launch myself in an important area,” added the 54-year-old. “I’ve been out in the cold for a year and I have great motivation.

“The championship has only just started and there is nothing lacking with the squad. Palermo need a clear idea of their style of play, without changing from match to match or during the match itself.”—Reuters

Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Brazil down Argentina with last-gasp penalty GOIANIA: Neymar converted a penalty with the final kick of the match to hand Brazil a 2-1 win over arch-rivals Argentina in a friendly international at the Serra Dourada in Goiania on Wednesday. The penalty, awarded for a handball by Argentina defender Leandro Desabato, turned chants from local fans against Brazil coach Mano Menezes into joyful celebration at the late victory. Fans called for the return of Brazil’s 2002 World Cupwinning coach Luis Felipe Scolari, unhappy with the trouble Menezes’ team with several first choice players were having in creating chances against a second-string Argentina. The match was the first of two between teams drawn only from the domestic leagues of two great South American rivals. They meet again in the northern Argentine city of Resistencia on Oct 3.

Menezes told reporters he had no complaints with the fans and said they had only expressed their disapproval after he brought off Sao Paulo’s Lucas, who had been playing well, for tactical reasons. “The fans have their preferences but my job is to try to make the national team improve and it did and that’s how we got a victory in the end,” he said. Neymar said: “I don’t think you should jeer during the game, you’ve got to wait till it’s over. No one likes to be jeered, no one likes to be criticized, that’s why we give our best (possible) on the field.”

Argentina, on the back foot for the opening 20 minutes, went ahead in their first dangerous incursion into the Brazil penalty area. Striker Juan Manuel Martinez, who plays in Brazil for Corinthians, passed out wide to Clemente Rodriguez before racing into the box to collect the left back’s cross and beating goalkeeper Jefferson with a shot inside the near post. Brazil equalized six minutes later from a free kick taken by Neymar on the right with midfielder Paulinho offside according to television replays when he moved forward to head past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.

SECOND WIN “It was a lovely move,” Martinez told a television reporter on the pitch about Argentina’s goal. “Desabato was fouled in the penalty incident. Anyway, we played well, with an intelligent game plan against a great team. (Brazil) didn’t create clear chances.” It was Brazil’s second win in four meetings with Alejandro Sabella’s Argentina. Last year in matches between home-based selections, the rivals drew 0-0 in Argentina with Brazil winning the return fixture 2-0.

Argentina won 4-3 in a friendly in New Jersey between the full national sides in June courtesy of a Lionel Messi hat-trick. The full Brazil team were also beaten by Argentina 1-0 in Qatar in November 2010 shortly after Menezes was appointed to build a team capable of winning the World Cup at home in 2014, something many fans now doubt. —Reuters

Chelsea face reality check LONDON: If Chelsea are to become the first club in the Champions League era to win back-to-back titles, they are going to have to eliminate the mistakes that cost them victory in their 2-2 draw with Juventus on Wednesday. The Italian champions handed them a reality check at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea began their quest to emulate Franco Baresi’s AC Milan side that boasted the Dutch trio of Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard and were the last to lift successive European Cups in 1989 and 1990. That trophy was paraded around Stamford Bridge before the opening Group E match against Juve, but if Chelsea are to retain their glittering prize, they cannot let teams escape as Juventus did.

Coach Roberto di Matteo said before the game they would not underestimate Juve, back in the competition after a twoyear absence and coming to London after going unbeaten for 42 games in Serie A. “So far, it’s been impossible for anyone to win it twice, so we will try to do the impossible,” di Matteo said on Tuesday. After his side established a 2-0 lead with both goals coming from Brazilian debutant Oscar, di Matteo watched on helplessly as Juve fought back to draw with Arturo Vidal scoring before halftime and substitute Fabio Quagliarella grabbing the equalizer in the 80th minute.

Chelsea weathered all kinds of crises during last season’s roller-coaster Champions League campaign to become European champions for the first time when they beat Bayern Munich on penalties in Munich in May. At times it seemed as though a divine hand was guiding Chelsea towards Europe’s greatest club prize, but already twice this season in Europe they have looked far more mortal.—Reuters

GOIANIA: Brazil’s Neymar (right) kicks the ball as Argentina’s Rodrigo Brana defends during a friendly soccer match in Goiania, Brazil on Wednesday, Sept 19, 2012. — AP

Liverpool, Utd set for emotional EPL match LONDON: Handshakes could overshadow football for the second straight Premier League weekend when Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra meet for the first time since an angry pre-match clash last season inflamed tensions between English giants Liverpool and Manchester United. Sunday’s match between the country’s two most successful clubs will already be an emotional occasion, given that it’s Liverpool’s first at Anfield since the release of the Hillsborough report that revealed damning new evidence about Britain’s worst sporting disaster. A series of tributes are planned and with players under orders to respect the occasion, all eyes will be on whether Evra and Suarez shake hands in the traditional pre-match protocol following their racism feud that erupted last year.

The last time they came face to face at Old Trafford in February - Suarez shunned the outstretched hand of Evra, the player he was found guilty of repeatedly racially abusing during a Premier League match four months earlier. An already-hostile atmosphere ratcheted up a few notches, with Evra initially physically confronting the Uruguay striker before the pair clashed again outside the dressing rooms at halftime - forcing police to intervene. United manager Alex Ferguson called Suarez “a disgrace” and said he shouldn’t play for Liverpool again, while then-Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish was ridiculed for failing to condemn his player for his actions.

More than the Suarez-Evra situation, which comes a week after Anton Ferdinand failed to shake hands with John Terry in a Queens Park RangersChelsea game to continue another racism row, it’s the potential fans’ reaction to the Hillsborough tributes that has dominated the pre-match agenda this week. “It is going to be a very emotional day on Sunday and we will support them in every way we can,” Ferguson said of Liverpool, whose fans were exonerated last week of any blame for the death of 96 of the club’s supporters in the infamous stadium crush in 1989. “As a club, we are totally supportive of Liverpool in the situation they are in. We understand what those families must have felt when they got that report.”

On the eve of United’s 4-0 win over Wigan on Saturday, Ferguson called for an end to the tasteless chanting about Hillsborough and the 1958 Munich air crash - in which seven United players were killed - that has marred recent matches between Liverpool and United.

Yet, a section of United fans sang a chant including the lines “always the victims” and “it’s never your fault” early in the match. While it is believed the song was in reference to Suarez and not Hillsborough, the incident still left a sour taste and led to United condemning the perpetrators.

“I was disappointed to hear it - it is a minority,” Ferguson said. Rival captains Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic will

release 96 balloons shortly before kickoff in memory of those who died at Hillsborough, while there will be several crowd mosaics and a banner with the words “The Truth” will be displayed at the famous Kop end.

“It is our first home game and the clubs have been working very hard to commemorate the work which has gone on with all the families,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. The match has huge significance in football terms, too. After its worst start to a league season in 50 years, Liverpool is languishing just above the bottom three with just two points from four games. United, meanwhile, has won its last three league matches to lie a point behind early leader Chelsea and a point ahead of Arsenal and defending champion Manchester City. City and Arsenal face each other at Etihad Stadium on Sunday with their unbeaten starts on the line, while Chelsea is at home to Stoke on Saturday. At the other end of the standings, Southampton looks to pick up its first points of the season when it hosts Aston Villa and also on Saturday, it’s: Swansea vs. Everton, West Bromwich Albion vs. next-to-last Reading, West Ham vs. Sunderland and Wigan vs Fulham. Sunday’s other matches see Newcastle host Norwich and QPR travel across London to play Tottenham, which is seeking a second straight win under new manager Andre Villas-Boas.— AP

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Gutsy Afghans light up World Twenty20 Page 44

www.kuwaittimes.net

Brazil down Argentina 2-1

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GOIANIA: Chased by Argentina’s Leandro Desabato (right) Brazil’s Luis Fabiano heads the ball during a friendly soccer match in Goiania, Brazil. — AP