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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

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One man, one vote: Polls set for Dec 1 Oppn to boycott snap elections, calls for protests

Max 38º Min 21º High Tide 02:45 & 14:07 Low Tide 09:48 & 21:35

By B Izzak and Agencies from the editor’s desk

Dirty politics

By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan

myopinion@kuwaittimes.net

H

is Highness the Amir has spoken and the government has announced a change in the voting system. Voters were allowed to cast four votes in their constituencies, but with the new change, they will be allowed one vote only. This means coalitions and endorsements within a constituency will most likely disappear, as it will literally mean every man for himself. In the previous system, candidates could strike deals and help each other by sharing votes and popular candidates could always endorse other candidates within their group since people were allowed to cast four votes. However, with only one vote now, candidates will only look for their own success in elections.

This change was met with mixed feelings among Kuwaitis. There are those who welcomed the change and saluted HH the Amir; there are those who were disappointed with the decision and decided to boycott the elections, and there are those who decided to take this issue to the streets.

Again, I reiterate that Kuwait is a country ruled by a constitution and it is time for the government to implement it. Those who are taking to the streets of Kuwait have failed to implement their policies in parliament and are now trying to force their demands on the Kuwaiti people. They tried on several occasions to get a vote of no-confidence via political means and they failed to convince, so then they got inspired by the Arab Spring to collect a mob on the streets, broke into parliament and attacked anyone who criticized them.

Then they accused all those who didn’t vote against the former PM of being bribed and that was proved to be false. Unfortunately, in the end they got what they wanted by walking over the law and threatening Kuwait’s stability. Now they believe that threatening to cause chaos and disrespecting other opinions is the way for them to get power and this is looking like a power struggle in disguise.

The success of this decision will be vital to the stability of the country and yes, it might change some faces in parliament. But history will only repeat itself if the government does not put its foot down and follow through with its agenda and lobby for what they believe is right for Kuwait rather than surrendering to an MP and leaving the country at a standstill or even worse, cause a repeat of the Dow deal that cost Kuwait a penalty of $2 billion.

The government should hold MPs accountable for their actions and their abuse of wasta and make it all known to voters who think their MPs are on the right track. This is a game of dirty politics and our government needs to learn how to protect its agenda in the public eye. Perhaps it’s also time to start thinking about forming political parties officially in Kuwait.

God bless Kuwait.

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah chairs an extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet at Seif Palace yesterday in which it amended the electoral law and called for snap elections. (Inset) Outspoken ex-MP Musallam Al-Barrak arrives to attend an opposition meeting yesterday. — Photos by KUNA and Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 3)

KUWAIT: The Cabinet yesterday amended a controversial electoral law and set a Dec 1 date for snap polls, sparking angry opposition calls for demonstrations.

“The Cabinet approved the amendment of article 2 of the electoral law to change the voting system... and approved a decree to invite voters to elect a new National Assembly on December 1,” it said in a statement. The Cabinet ordered a change to electoral procedures to allow voters to chose only one candidate in an electoral district. The snap polls are the second this year and the fifth since mid-2006 as parliament has repeatedly been dissolved because of political disputes.

Almost all opposition groups, bedouin tribes and around 50 former MPs - including Mohammad Al-Sager, Hassan Jowhar, Marzouk Al-Ghanem and Saleh Al-Mulla - condemned the decision and decided to boycott the election. The liberal National Democratic Alliance also affirmed its boycott of the election and announced it will take part in today’s demonstration. But it was warmly welcomed by several former pro-government MPs, mainly Shiites, who said the decision will help stabilise the nation.

“I call on every Kuwaiti to tear the December 1 paper from the calendar and throw it in the dustbin. It is a black day in Kuwait’s political history,” opposition leader and former MP Musallam Al-Barrak wrote on Twitter.

The opposition called for the massive demonstration Continued on Page 13

Lebanon reeling over blast, premier to stay BEIRUT: Lebanon’s premier, under intense political flak over a car bombing that killed a senior security official, said yesterday he would stay on after the president said it would be in the national interest. Prime Minister Najib Mikati spoke after an urgent cabinet meeting discussed the Friday bombing in Beirut that killed at least three people, wounded scores and has been blamed on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. In Damascus, meanwhile, peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi pressed Syria for a truce

BEIRUT: People take part in a protest a day after the assassination of intelligence chief General Wissam Al-Hassan (banner) in Martyrs’ Square. — AFP

to break the cycle of bloodshed there.

Lebanese opposition figures had demanded that Mikati and his government step down after the blast, which killed Internal Security Forces (ISF) intelligence chief General Wissam Al-Hassan, a prominent anti-Assad figure. “I assured the president of the republic (Michel Sleiman) that I was not attached to the post as head of the government,” Mikati told a news conference. “He asked that I stay in place because it is not a personal issue but one of the national interest.”

An official in Sleiman’s office said Mikati “had not resigned but had expressed to the president his intention to do so”. “The decision was suspended pending the meeting of the National Dialogue” scheduled for Nov 12, but which could be brought forward by the president, the official added. Amid scattered protests around the country, yesterday was declared a day of mourning for Hassan, 47, who was killed in his home district of Ashrafieh, an upmarket, mainly Christian area. Hassan, who investigated the assassination seven years ago of former premier Rafiq Hariri in a car bombing also blamed on Syria, will be buried near Hariri’s mausoleum in central Beirut today. The anti-Syrian opposition, led by Hariri’s son Saad, called for a massive turnout for the funeral after prayers at the Al-Amine Mosque in central Beirut.

Friday’s attack drew condemnation from abroad, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling it a “dangerous Continued on Page 13

GAZA: American scholar and activist Noam Chomsky (center), a leading intellectual highly critical of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians, attends a protest with Palestinian and pro-Palestinian activists in Gaza port yesterday to support the Estelle ship. — AFP

Israel seizes activist ship bound for Gaza JERUSALEM: Israeli troops yesterday boarded a boat carrying pro-Palestinian MPs and activists seeking to run its naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, blocking the latest attempt to reach the enclave by sea, the military said. As night fell, the MV Estelle and its Israeli escort was still at sea, some eight hours after the boarding took place in international waters. The takeover of the Finnish-flagged vessel ended the latest bid by activists to breach Israel’s tight maritime embargo on Gaza which prohibits all naval traffic in and out of the Palestinian coastal territory.

“There was no violence,” an Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP, saying troops had taken control of the 53-m vessel and were taking it back to Ashdod

port in southern Israel. “The passengers did not resist.” On board the ship are 17 passengers, among them five parliamentarians from Europe and a Canadian former lawmaker, organisers said. It was also carrying a shipment of humanitarian aid and 30 doves, which the passengers had been intending to release on arrival in Gaza.

“We’ve heard nothing since they told us they had come under attack,” said Victoria Strand, a Stockholm-based spokesman for Ship to Gaza-Sweden.

“We believe they have just passed into Israeli territorial waters.” Earlier, Strand told AFP that the vessel had “come under attack” at 8:30 GMT after being approached by navy vessels some 38 Continued on Page 13

in the

news

Saudi coastguards capture 15 Iranians

Bus crash in Iran kills 26 schoolgirls

RIYADH: The Saudi coastguard have arrested a group of Iranians who attempted to infiltrate the country by sea near the northeastern frontier with Kuwait, authorities said.

Seized were 14 Iranians who had been dropped off on shore by a boat and the driver of the boat, who was chased and captured by patrol boats as he headed out, Eastern Province coastguard spokesman Colonel Khaled Al-Arqubi in a statement. “Fourteen Iranians were captured on Friday night while attempting to infiltrate into the kingdom through the eastern coast in the area of Khafji,” he said.

“Coastguard boats chased the boat that dropped them and his driver was arrested. The boat is Iranian (registered) and the man who drove it is an Iranian national,” he added.

Arqubi said that the captured men were being questioned about their motives. Interior Minister Prince Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz told journalists in Makkah yesterday an inquiry was underway. “During questioning, they said they came only with the intention of earning a living. They wanted to go to Kuwait, but the boat owner took them towards Saudi territory.” (See Page 2)

DUBAI: A passenger bus in southwestern Iran overturned on Friday evening, killing 26 female high school students on board, Iranian media reported yesterday. Eighteen others were injured when the bus, carrying students from the town of Borujen, flipped on the Izeh-Lordegan road, about 700 km southwest of the capital Tehran, Iranian media reported. “Travelling at excess speeds on slippery roads was the cause of this accident,” Colonel Samad Esfandiari, a highway patrol official, told the Iranian Students’ News Agency. The injured were taken to various hospitals in southwest Iran for treatment, state television said. Road traffic accidents kill nearly 28,000 people and injure or disable 300,000 people a year in Iran, a country of 75 million people, according to statistics from UNICEF, the United Nations children’s fund. Road accidents occur at a rate 20 times higher than the world average in Iran, UNICEF said. The high death tolls are blamed on high speed, unsafe vehicles, widespread disregard of traffic laws and inadequate emergency services.

MAKKAH: Pilgrims walk around the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque yesterday. Over two million Muslims from around the world are expected to perform the upcoming haj. — AFP

SAKHIR, Bahrain: People visit the ‘Tree of Life’ yesterday. The 400-year-old mesquite tree stands alone in the desert with no apparent source of water, and many people come to visit the spectacle. — AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

local

Campaign to improve traffic awareness KUWAIT: The assistant undersecretary for traffic affairs, Lt Gen Dr Mustafa AlZaabi, said that traffic campaigns to implement traffic safety norms on the roads in Kuwait were as per UN declaration of 2011-2012 as a traffic safety year and were aimed at bringing down the number of traffic accidents and fatality rate. The campaign to improve traffic awareness was organized by Kuwaiti company for external petroleum discovery for its employees in cooperation with the traffic department.

Addressing the participants at the campaign, he said the response of the people was proof that the society was

aware of the need to curb the menace of road accidents. Lt General Al Zaabi conveyed the greetings of the first deputy prime minister and minister of interior to the audience for this initiative, and wished them success. The Chairman of Kuwait company for external petroleum discovery and also its managing director, Nizar Al Adasani, said that the campaign was part of the firm’s responsibility towards the society and the state. He stressed the importance of developing human resources in developing nations.

He said the aim was to spread traffic awareness among the people to make the roads safer and reduce traffic acci-

dents by inculcating better driving skills and a culture of self supervision.

Kuwait witnessed 493 deaths in road accidents last year, up from 374 fatalities in 2010. The fatality rate in road accidents in Kuwait was now 15 per 100,000 people, compared to the much lower global figure of 5 for 100,000.

He said that the Ministry of Interior has many projects to reduce the number of traffic accidents and avoid traffic jams, including a new system to collect and analyze information. He said these plans included drafting a road map to bring down the mishaps and analyze them to develop better systems.

Interior warns against demos outside of designated square KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Interior Ministry yesterday warned against public gatherings in open spaces, except for the square adjacent to the National Assembly building, respecting the right to freedom of speech and expression.

The ministry statement comes a day after HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s address to the public during which he called to “put the security of Kuwait above all interests.”

“The ministry warns all nationals that it will unequivocally and unconditionally - no matter what the reasons or the motives - not allow any protests, gather-

ings or demonstrations anywhere and at any time outside of the square, located opposite of the National Assembly, which is dedicated to peaceful free expression.”

The decision “stems from the (Interior Ministry’s) role of enforcing the security of Kuwait and its people, and for the arm of the law to remain above all considerations in tackling any activities that may be criminalized,” added the statement.

“Any acts of disorder, violence or incitement to violence and hooliganism, taken out on public or private property will be dealt with firmly and decisively,” the ministry warned. —- KUNA

NBK goes pink in support of breast cancer awareness KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) lights its head office with pink every night to show its support against breast cancer. This initiative is a part of NBK’s awareness campaign “Be Aware”. NBK launched the “Be Aware” campaign as part of its continuous efforts to increase social awareness on breast cancer and promote ways of prevention.

NBK has committed to raising awareness by distributing Pink Ribbons to all employees and customers in NBK’s branches.

As part of NBK’s awareness campaign, NBK offers its female customers and employees special discount on Bilateral Mammogram for early detection of breast cancer, in collaboration with Royale Hayat Hospital. This offer is valid until Nov 30.

This year, NBK extends the campaign to official NBK social media channels NBK Official Page, Twitter @NBKPage and Instagram @NBKPage by including daily tips and facts about the cause.

This awareness campaign reflects NBK’s commitment toward corporate social responsibility alongside many other activities and events that had been carried out to show its support the society and all its members.

Saudi coastguard capture 15 Iranians RIYADH: The Saudi coastguard have arrested a group of Iranians who attempted to infiltrate the country by sea near the northeastern frontier with Kuwait, authorities said.

Seized were 14 Iranians who had been dropped off on shore by a boat and the driver of the boat, who was chased and captured by patrol boats as he headed out, Eastern Province coastguard spokesman Col Khaled Al-Arqubi in a statement.

“Fourteen Iranians were captured on Friday night while attempting to infiltrate into the kingdom through the eastern coast in the area of Khafji,” he said.

“Coastguard boats chased the boat that dropped them and his driver was arrested.

The boat is Iranian (registered) and the man who drove it is an Iranian national,” he

added.

Arqubi said that the captured men were being questioned about their motives.

Relations between Tehran and Riyadh have been tense for years over many political and security issues, including Iran’s controversial nuclear programme, which scares its Arab neighbours across the Gulf waters.

Shiite-dominated Iran has also been at odds with the Sunni heavyweight over the conflict in Syria, as Tehran backs the regime of President Bashar al-Assad while Saudi Arabia supports the rebels.

And predominantly Shiite Muslim Iran is upset over Saudi support for the Sunni dynasty in the Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, after it sent in troops last year to help crush pro-democracy demonstrations by the country’s Shiite majority. —AFP

Focus on public relations

Reem Al-Waqyan

KUWAIT: The chairperson of Kuwait Public Relations Society, Reem Al-Waqyan, said that the body is working hard to achieve the strategic plan to make public relations profession achieve its true potential.

She said this after meeting senior officials in the Civil Service Bureau to discuss the mechanism for application for the job of public relations professionals in all government organizations.

She appreciated the support of officials and their cooperation, particularly pf the chairman of Civil Service Bureau, to approve the job profile for PR professionals.

She is also trying in the meanwhile to get an approval for a finalized alliance for this profession.

KUWAIT: Through the establishment of several recycling companies, non-profit organizations, and government involvement, Kuwait is apparently heading on the right direction taking baby-steps down the road of this environment-friendly practice.

Recycling in Kuwait in need of real practice Awareness campaigns only way out KUWAIT: As the famous saying goes “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” recycling is not only considered as an environmentfriendly practice, but also as a fully integrated industry where millions of dollars are spent to reproduce material from disposables like paper, plastic, aluminum, and others. In Europe, 24 billion tin cans were recycled in 2010, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2.5 million tons, according the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

The paper pointed out that Germany was at the top of tin cans recyclers due to government policies and collarteral which puts around $0.25 on per can that the citizen would retrieve once returning the material back to the manufacturer.

Through the establishment of several recycling companies, nonprofit organizations, and government involvement, Kuwait is apparently heading on the right direction taking baby-steps down the road of this environment-friendly practice.

However, the question remains, “Is it working?”

One glance at recycling bins placed in several commercial malls or local supermarkets says it all, “somebody is not getting it!” When paper trash is being placed in bins supposedly used for throwing glass bottles, then there is a problem of miscommunication between those promoting the idea and the ordinary man.

“We are trying to spread awareness on the issue and to let people know that recycling is a comprehensive process that involves everybody,” spoke a representative of NewAir recycling project, an initiative by the Metal and Recycling Company (MRC), an offshoot of

Agility Logistics.

The representative, preferring to be anonymous, said that the project dealt with the problem of mixed trash by assigning employees to sort out the materials.

“The company provides bins for different sorts of trash materials and informs the recipients about their usage; however, we still receive mixed trash,” said the representative.

He indicated that some clients took time in order to get used to the idea while others were still making the same mistakes.

When asked about the most recycled material, the official said that paper was the most common item received, adding that the company goes to clients and provides bins “free of charge” to encourage them to recycle.

He also noted that the recycled materials’ value varies, a ton of aluminum trash might be at around KD 750 or 1,000 or could be way much less depending on the local and international markets.

As for the cost of transferring waste to recycling factories, the spokesperson noted that the monthly cost of such operations reached around KD 3,000 and though such thing is costly, the whole process was worth the risk to keep Kuwait clean.

Looking at the portrait from a different angle, it is vital to know that the normal-citizen needs more transparent information in regards to recycling.

Mahmoud Al-Baqer, a ministry public servant, seemed almost oblivious to the concept of recycling, mixing the process with the regular trash disposable trips.

Reminded about of how the process actually works, Al-Baqer recalled that several companies

provided recycling bins at the ministry which he deemed as “a good step.”

Al-Baqer was also surprised that some companies would provide incentives such as coupons and prizes for their clients in exchange for their trash.

Geology college student Khalid Al-Hashash had a “different tack” on the issue, stressing that he was well aware of recycling and its benefits.

According to him, his household deals with a recycling company that would pick up the trash every once and awhile, but when asked about whether he, as an individual, was actually practicing recycling on a day-to-day basis, the college student seemed to be confused about the process.

As the short interview with AlBaqer and Al-Hashash concluded, a necessary question has resurfaced, who is spreading awareness on recycling? On the governmental and non-profit organization sides, the Environment Public Authority (EPA) and Renewable Energy Development Organization (REDO), respectively, are on a mission to spread the word on recycling.

Head of Public Relations and Environment Awareness at EPA Dr. Khaled Al-Enizi said that the authority conducts regular visits to government and private sector institutions as well as educational facilities to provide awareness and consultations over the issue.

“EPA plays a role in making institutions aware that the environment is in danger,” said Al-Enizi, adding that recycling was a mean to tackle pollution, but considering that each households in Kuwait is producing around 1.5 kg mixed waste per person each week, the process becomes more challenging.

He also noted that mixing trash

was very harmful for the environment and therefore, recycling, and teaching people how to go on with it, was integral to make things work.

The EPA is more concerned over how to work with others to achieve the common goal rather than gaining profit, stated the official.

Equally vigorous on protecting the environment through recycling was the Executive Secretary of REDO Ghadeer Al-Saqabi who said that the organization approached the issue through many angles to the point of issuing faux-violation tickets to those harming the environment.

“If a person goes to the point of mixing his/her trash, a faux violation ticket will be issued not as a measure to intimidate the person, but to spread awareness on recycling,” Al-Saqabi said, affirming that such people would contact REDO only to know that the ticket was to remind them of their obligations.

The official also commended any step to provide incentives for people to practice recycling. She stressed that to preach the message, schools must be regularly visited and encouraged to use ecofriendly methods.

Kuwait’s encouraging steps towards recycling should not be frowned upon, yet necessary steps should be taken to improve it.

On their part, consumers should be aware that recycling was a serious matter and they should be contributing to the cause by actual implementation.

Companies, the government, and organizations should consider transparency when dealing with a business based on an environmental moral obligation; thus, creating a balance between the idea of recycling and its practices. —KUNA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

local

Amir’s speech draws roadmap for future action KUWAIT: Kuwaiti academics have warmly reacted to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheik h Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s Friday address to the nation, underlining that it had identified challenges facing the state and had drawn a roadmap to overcome them.

“HH the Amir’s speech has dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s and drawn a roa d m a p fo r th e f u tu re,” Po l i ti ca l Science Professor at Kuwait University

Hamad Al-Abdullah said yesterday.

He lauded HH the Amir’s talk about the state’s abidance of the democratic approach and warning to those who tr y to misuse democracy to create chaos and riot.

“HH the Amir has also touched upon disturbing social ills such as the spreading sectarianism, tribalism and social divisions,” he added.

Al-Abdullah said that he believes that the Amir’s speech was warmly

received by all Kuwaitis.

Meanwhile, Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University Abdullah Al-Ghanim echoed a similar view.

“We have been waiting for such a speech from HH the Amir and we are waiting for decrees and laws to calm the political scene down as the majority of Kuwaiti people have been dismayed by recent malicious moves to instigate sedition and spread sectaria n i s m a n d t r i b a l i s m a c ro s s t h e

nation,” Al-Ghanim told KUNA. “HH the Amir has precisely diagnosed the political situation in Kuwait which not only jeopardized the development but also the harmony among Kuwaiti people.”

Al-Ghanim expressed support of HH the Amir’s instructions to the government to prepare a draft law to amend the electoral system. “ The incumbent electoral law is problematic and has widened division

among the Kuwaiti people,” he said.

For her part, Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University Miryam Al-Kandari applauded HH the Amir’s move to protect national unity and uphold democracy in Kuwait.

“HH the Amir has reiterated suppor t for freedom of expression in accordance with the State’s constitution and laws and has condemned all actions that threaten the national unity and political life,” she said.

Opposition strives to garner support against ‘govt plot’ Political atmosphere heats up

By A. Saleh

KUWAIT: Former Islamist opposition MP Mohammad Hayef Al-Mutairi (left) and opposition activists Ahmad Al-Dayeen and Mohammad Al-Jassem arrive to attend an opposition meeting yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Cabinet identifies main points of Amiri speech KUWAIT: The Cabinet in its meeting yesterday thoroughly discussed the main points in HH the Amir’s Friday address to the nation. It identified the main messages in HH the Amir’s speech across seven points. Firstly, that Kuwait is a democratic country, ruled by constitution and law and has an independent judiciary. Kuwait’s Constitution states that “the legislative power is vested in the Amir and the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution, the executive power is vested in the Amir, the Cabinet, and the Ministers, in the manner specified by the Constitution and the judicial power is vested in the Courts, which exercise it in the name of the Amir within the limits of the Constitution”. Secondly, that HH the Amir’s abidance by democracy is as stated in the Kuwait constitution, with the need to learn from the mistakes, readjust march, overcome failures and make use of experiments and choose whatever suitable to their circumstances, potential and ambitions.

Thirdly, the abidance with national constants by which Kuwaitis are well known;

namely sincere loyalty to Kuwait, tolerance, moderation, high ethics, thoughtfulness and the respect of others.

Fourthly, that public action should be directed only to achieve the national interests and this great responsibility requires patience, wisdom and hard work.

Fifth, the non-acceptance of any act that threatens to jeopardize the state’s security, stability, national constants or the safety of its people.

Sixth, that all Kuwaitis have to prioritize the state’s interest ahead of any other private interests to keep it an island of security, stability and state of law and institutions that is able to bear current burdens and face future challenges.

Seventh, that HH the Amir will not allow any threats to Kuwait’s security or intimidation to its people, nor any act meant to derail the state’s development or plant the seeds of sedition. HH the Amir will not allow the use of illusions and lies to lead the Kuwaiti youth astray, said the statement. — KUNA

KUWAIT: More parliamentarians have announced plans to boycott the upcoming elections after the Cabinet officially adopted a decree to change the elections’ mechanism, while some others declared their intention to run for parliament. “With all due respect to HH the Amir, I chose history and principle,” former MP Saleh Al-Mulla yesterday said in a statement announcing his plans to boycott the elections. He said his decision was based on the understanding that “history does not forget those who ignore a constitutional violation in favor of a [parliamentary] position.”

Former MP Mohammad Al-Saqr reiterated his earlier position to “boycott the elections if the law is amended,” according to a statement carried by Al-Jarida on its official website. Similar sentiments were expressed by fellow liberal lawmaker Aseel AlAwadhi in statements posted on Twitter.

Meanwhile, a member of the annulled 2012 parliament, Obaid Al-Wasmi, vowed not to “submit to a law applied as per personal whims” as he declared his intention to boycott the elections.

On the other hand, former MP Yousuf AlZalzalah confirmed reports that he plans to run for elections set to take place next December.

“When HH the Amir refers to parties that deliberately thwart efforts to move forward towards development, refuse dialogue, enforce their absolute will over and above the constitution, and consider the streets as a platform for instigation, he presents an exact diagnoses of the reality we live in,” Al-Zalzalah said in a statement yesterday.

The Cabinet approved during an extraordinary meeting yesterday a decree to reduce the number of votes per voter from four to a one, while keeping the number of constituencies at five.

The amended system will come into effect during elections set for Dec 1 as per the decision taken announced after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting. The

KUWAIT: Former MPs, political activists and their supporters gather in front of the Palace of Justice yesterday to demand the release of detained MPs. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Human error behind gas leak KUWAIT: While investigations are on to determine the reason behind the gas leak that occurred at the Roudhatain oil well north of Kuwait, one specialist suggested that there was a 99 per cent chance that human error was the reason.

“The odds behind what caused the leak point to scenarios in which human control is involved in all stages which include supervision, preparation as well as the efficacy of safety valves,” said Essa Buyabes, leader of the firefighters’

team which supervised the efforts to extinguish the burning oil wells following the 1990/91 Invasion.

The obvious reason behind the leak is said to be a failure in the safety valve in one of the excavators used for drilling at the oil well, according to “oil sector insiders” quoted by Al-Rai yesterday.

Specialists hired by the Kuwait Oil Company reportedly think that the best way to close the well, which was set on fire to stop the gas leak, is by side drilling done simultaneously with the process of

closing the well while it is still burning. The KOC predicts that the issue will be resolved “within two months,” according to the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Al-Jarida reported in the meantime that an oil well and a gas well located near the one where the leak happened have been isolated “to protect them from the flames,” according to sources who also indicated that the fire will not be extinguished until the leak is controlled in order “to prevent emission”.

Call to defend Gitmo detainee KUWAIT: Colonel Barry Wingard, who was asked by the Pentagon to defend Gitmo detainee, Kuwait’s Fayez Al-Kandari, demanded that the Kuwait government should stop asking about the detainees politically and, instead, it should

decisively demand their return home. He said Kuwait must behave the same way as the USA would behave if Kuwait had American detainees Wingard said the ruling from Columbia Court states that charges

against the detainees are not true, and the United States administration does not have any right to criminalize an act which, it claims, happened before the crime was committed. Hence, it is illegal to jail Al-Kandari and Al-Ouda.

decision comes one day after HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah announced in a televised address to the nation that he has ordered the government to amend the electoral law on the basis that it in its current form it was fuelling “sectarian, tribal and factional divisions” in the country ever since its introduction in 2006.

Opposition groups, major tribal factions and, notably, top liberal groups, have already voiced plans not to run for parliament or vote during the upcoming elections. The liberal National Democratic Alliance announced plans to join a massive rally to be held by the opposition today (Sunday), according to a statement released yesterday by Acting Secretary General Anwar Jum’ah.

The Kuwait Democratic Forum, another top liberal group which announced plans to boycott the elections, was yet to decide till yesterday about whether or not to join the demonstration. The protest is likely to be followed by marches towards the cabinet’s headquarters.

Al-Rai newspaper reported yesterday that top Forum members, including member of the constituent parliament Ahmad Al-Khateeb, called for “going further than just a boycott of the elections” which could suggest that they might take part in the event.

The rally comes as part of a strategy led by top oppositionist groups, including the Popular Action Bloc, Development and Reform Bloc and the Justice Bloc that was aimed at garnering public support against what they believe is a governmental plot to control the outcome of the upcoming elections by changing the electoral law outside the parliament.

The Interior Ministry issued a stern warning yesterday against “public gatherings in open spaces” except at the Iradah Square, amid reports about “utilizing full security forces to prevent unlicensed protests or marches that obstruct traffic or violate public order.”

Consulate certification Kuwait’s foreign ministry is looking forward to sign deals with private companies for carrying out consulate certification duties pertaining to Kuwaiti missions abroad. The move is part of the efforts to “lessen the burden of embassies,” sources privy to the development, said.

“One company or more are set to be selected for this duty after the ministry studies the offers presented to it,” said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. They added that the project is set to become operational “within the first two months of 2013.”

Support for Syrian people Two delegations sent by the Arab Parliament are set to embark on two different missions today (Sunday), aiming to “support the Syrian people’s right to regain freedom from a regime that adopts a systematic killing approach,” the organization said in an official statement.

“The first delegation led by representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Abdurrahman Jumaisher, heads to the Turkish-Syrian border to check on the humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees there,” the statement reads, adding that the second delegation heads to “Quebec, Canada to take part in the International Parliament’s 127th Conference with the mission of suspending Syria’s membership.”

Arbitrary decisions A students’ list criticized the administration of the Arab Open University for the “arbitrary decisions” behind what they believe are “false accusations made by Kuwait branch’s Director Dr. Nayef Al-Mutairi” against its top members. “The management formed committees to investigate accusations made against Al-Mustaqilla List’s leaders for actions carried out occasionally by other students who never faced disciplinary measures,” the list suggested in a statement released yesterday.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

In my view

God save the Amir

New confrontation with leadership

By Shamlan Al-Essa

I

t seems that the parliamentary majority in the annulled assembly wants and is seeking a confrontation with the leadership to win the sympathy of the tribes. Despite efforts of the Amiri Diwan, represented by advisors Adbullah Al Moatouq and Mohammad Sharar, to delay the gatherings until after the Asian Cooperation Dialogue summit, the majority insisted on a precondition that the council of ministers make an official statement promising not to issue a decree to change the voting system.

The strength of the opposition, as announced by its leadership, is its ability to threaten to hit the streets and mobilize the youth, but the question is which are the true forces which have a strong partisan organization, money and party members ready to carry out the threat? The answer is clear, that such a force is the Muslim Brotherhood or the ‘Islamic Constitutional Movement’.

The opposition is sticking to its stance and remains adamant on holding noisy demonstrations on Monday. The person of the Amir was insulted and former speaker Jassim Al-Khorafi also came under attack.

The business class was also attacked and doubts were raised about its behavior. MP Musallam Al-Barrak attacked former MP Mohammad Al-Saqer and concluded his speech by saying, “It is over, and I will answer the call for the homeland’s dignity march.”

The question is, why this escalation and confrontation now? Why is there such an insistence about hitting the streets on Monday despite the fact that the authority asked them to postpone the protests on account of the ongoing Asia conference?

It is clear that the opposition is insisting on insulting Kuwait and its symbols because it wants to create an atmosphere in which Kuwaiti people are terrorized and authorities retract from taking any decisions that may affect the interests of the opposing majority.

They simply want that all their demands are fulfilled. They want to go back to the five constituencies and four votes by a voter system. But now, after crossing the boundaries with the Amir and creating an artificial chaos, is it possible for the higher authority to back down and let the opposition walk away with all its demands fulfilled?

That cannot happen now because the opposition has already gone too far in insisting that only its opinion and view should be applied. It even said that HH the Amir is not allowed to issue any urgent decree, even though it knew the constitution well.

Now that the authorities and the opposition have already clashed, what cards is the opposition holding? And what are the strengths or weaknesses of the opposition?

The strength of the opposition, as announced by its leadership, is its ability to threaten to hit the streets and mobilize the youth, but the question is which are the true forces which have a strong partisan organization, money and party members ready to carry out the threat?

The answer is clear, that such a force is the Muslim Brotherhood or the “Islamic Constitutional Movement”. It became arrogant when it was able to hit at the power centers in Egypt and Tunisia, and now may be even Syria will fall into its hands very soon.

The tragedy is that the Brotherhood is the main ally of the government, but the government is oblivious to the danger that this alliance or the support of Muslim Brotherhood poses. It is cradling the Muslim Brotherhood without realizing this danger.

What about the members of the tribes? Will they continue to support the opposition or will they support the authority? It is clear that the tribal youth may stand with the opposition, but there is a strong possibility that leadership of some tribes may retract their declared stance against the authorities and side with the government, provided it becomes serious about imposing its authority all over the country.

What about the government’s stand after the clash and confrontation? We say it very clearly that the ruling establishment is in danger if the ruling family does not unite in support of HH the Amir and HH the Crown Prince, and sets aside the differences among the youth. It should also review all its previous policies, which depended on appeasements and settlements.

The Al-Seyyassa local newspaper quoted security sources to say that 50 uniformed men were involved in exhorting the people in favour of a gathering and urging them through the social media to join the demonstrations.

Finally, the authorities will be making a mistake if they relinquish the right to impose the full force of the law. The strength of the state lies in the fact that a majority of Kuwaiti people are siding with it. What is required is a strict implementation of the law, and expediting the political and economic reforms. — Al-Watan

By Abdallah Bwair

local@kuwaittimes.net

S

In my view

Preparing for Israel polls

By Hassan Barari

A

mid a lot of regional uncertainties, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for early elections. The upcoming elections will most likely take place in next January or February.

The intention to hold elections in a few months means that the elections campaign will be short.

Nevertheless, various political forces will be in a race to formulate their positions with regard to a range of issues.

Implicit in Netanyahu’s decision to go for early elections are two considerations. First, there is a political opportunity for him to win and to shape the agenda for the election campaign.

In fact, this has been a tactic used by different ruling parties in the past whenever they felt that there was a political opportunity. While the opposition is having hard time to put their act together and to push for someone who can fit the bill of the premiership, Netanyahu and his party are doing good in polls.

Second, Netanyahu seeks to preempt small parties and junior partners from setting the agenda for the elections if the Knesset finishes its four-year term.

In Israel, when the term of the Knesset nears, some junior coalition parties feel that sticking with the coalition may be detrimental to their interests. In many cases, junior partners tend to initiate a crisis over an issue that it can appeal to the voters. In Netanyahuõs words, “We face an election year, and in an election year it is difficult for parties to put the national interest over their political interest.” This problem will be acute in negotiations on the budget in December.

The national agenda will surely top the campaigns for all contenders. Since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967, two issues have dominated the national debate - territories and security.

Indeed, the position on these two issues has placed Israelis along the right-left continuum. Perhaps, for the first time, the Palestinian questions will not be as visible as before in the campaign for two reasons.

First, the differences among contenders on the Palestinian issue are narrowing down. Second, Israel is not threatened by a lack of solution to the ArabIsraeli conflict. On top of that, Iran and other domestic issues will most likely shape the voting behavior of Israelis.

As an obvious front-runner, Netanyahu believes security and diplomatic issues are his strong points.

His relentless effort to push the Iranian nuclear issue on top of the agenda of the key power has been the hallmark of his diplomacy. His clear position on the need to prevent Iran from going nuclear will set the stage for his campaign to win the upcoming elections. Likudõs platform is expected to focus on the risks involved if Israelis fail to pay attention to the Iranian threat.

Although the Iranian nuclear issue may push increasing numbers of Israelis to vote for Likud under Netanyahu, other issues will be hotly debated. They include the security threats emanating from the Sinai Peninsula, the ramifications of the Syrian crisis, relationship with Turkey, the ascendance of political Islam, and the economic situation.

Israelis are not happy with the rising cost of living that hit the middle class and further impoverished the poor. Last year, Israel witnessed demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of people who took to the streets to protest over the socio-economic conditions. Other parties will try to capitalize on the grievances of people in order to weaken Likud and Netanyahu.

Seen in this way, I think that the battle will be over which issues to be placed on the front burner.

Netanyahu will try his best to draw the attention of voters to the external threats and will try to impress them that he is better than others in dealing with regional security issues. On the other hand, other political parties will try to highlight the economic problems to weaken Netanyahuõs electoral base.

The Labor Party under the leadership of Shelly Yachimovich - economically-leftist - is expected to benefit from the economic issue. And yet, Yachimovich and her party will not gain enough seats to form an alternative group to Netanyahuõs.

The position of Kadima is not better than Labor. On the contrary, Kadima - under the leadership of Mofaz - is expected to lose many seats.

Barring any last minute surprise, the biggest loser in the upcoming elections will be Kadima under Mofaz. But they can both join Netanyahu in a board coalition and accordingly Netanyahu will have the chance to lead his government with a more moderate makeup.

kuwait digest

What exactly do you want?

By Dr Sulaiman Al-Khadhari

“W

hat exactly do you want?” It is a question my friends and people on social networks often ask me about the “conflicting opinions” they see in my recent columns about the current political developments. I have to admit that I have been asking myself the same question, especially after many people pointed out the apparently conflicting positions I took vis-‡-vis the political sides.

The fact that this question was posed to me frequently reflects in my opinion how deep the political crisis in Kuwait really is. Deep polarization and the dominance of ‘either you are with me or against me’ approach does not provide the environment necessary for rational and calm thinking. It leaves little room for anything aimed at serving the general interest of the state. This is the last thing we need as we try to find radical solutions for major problems facing our country.

I admit that I neither know the whole truth nor do I have full comprehension of our political and social reality so as to be able to answer the above question.

However, I can see that I am not the only one facing this predicament. Arrogance led some to adopt a political action with a claim that they knew the whole truth, and that any opinion different from their understanding was expressed by either “traitors to the people” or “troublemakers seeking to destabilize order.”

First, we have to admit that both sides include positive and negative examples. They both contain honorable, hardworking members, as well as corrupt individuals. As for me, I find myself unable to decide which side to take. I want to see improvement to our political system that sets the right framework for the

I want to see a true national opposition that does not violate the law or values in favor of tribal or sectarian interests. I want an opposition that works as per a national agenda that completely avoids damaging the unity of Kuwait’s social fabric. establishment of an elected cabinet. I approve the use of peaceful means of expression of opinion through organized public seminars and demonstrations against officials who violate constitutional articles or basics of human rights.

On the other hand, I want to see a true national opposition that does not violate the law or values in favor of tribal or sectarian interests. I want an opposition that works as per a national agenda that completely avoids damaging the unity of Kuwait’s social fabric. I want an opposition with members who have never been part of any corruption and have a clean political and social record which gives them credibility and makes them qualified to demand rights.

That is all I want to see. Unfortunately however, I realize that irrespective of how logical my demands are, the current reality makes them almost impossible to realize. — Al-Rai

ome of the lawmakers, who are supposed to set a role model for the people they represent in the parliament, indulge in verbal abuse. This time, however, they went too far, when they tried to undermine the authority of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

This happened during a recent gathering hosted by one of these lawmakers in his dewaniya, and attended by top opposition and other political groups’ members.

The wisdom and foresight of HH the Amir has foiled the opposition’s plot to drag the country into a dark abyss by creating chaos. The opposition, sensing that its popularity was on a decline, had tried to turn a protest demonstration into a clash with security forces in order to garner public compassion but HH’s instructions to the police to avoid clash foiled this plot.

However, it did not stop the opposition which then announced that its gatherings and demonstrations would continue even during the time when Kuwait hosted the October 15-17 Asia Cooperation Dialogue conference, thus creating an unpleasant situation for HH the Amir when he was welcoming his guests.

This group has truly lost its senses and has started dragging the country into an abyss, only to serve its electoral interests. The blatant attack during the aforementioned gathering was an act of crossing the line as it violated the authority of HH the Amir. In fact, it prompted many people to hire lawyers to sue the offenders.

The statements made during the seminar should be classified as state security crimes because they put the life of HH the Amir and the office of the Amir in danger, and therefore, cannot be tolerated.

I pledge obedience to HH the Amir, whose right to release decrees to amend whatever he sees needs urgent change, must never be violated. I have full trust in HH the Amir’s comprehensive vision for what is good for the future of Kuwait.

God save HH the Amir, and God save Kuwait.

In my view

Fight among internal wings

By Thaar Al Rashidi

A

ny action by the people in any Third World country is always seen as being part of some conspiracy against the country itself. There are accusations of people trying to creating a situation of no trust between the public and the leadership. Since these are readymade accusations, no popular action remains outside the pale of such barbs. When you act against the way your government has been behaving, you will find yourself becoming the target of many accusations, including the one that your actions are part of some secret operation controlled by foreign forces.

Here in Kuwait, for example, the opposition could not escape such an accusation. Without any proof or logic, it was accused of working for the benefit of a particular GCC country and creating a state of instability in Kuwait. Some opposition leaders were even accused of receiving money to achieve that goal, an accusation that even a child would not believe, what to say of the adults, wise or unwise.

If anyone supports the opposition or is allied to it in any way, he is from inside Kuwait and not from outside. Our problem is from those “inside” as a Kuwaiti saying goes: It is from us and yet against us. The ongoing feuding among the internal wings since 2006 is the main engine that has been driving some opposing political streams and this is the reason behind all the current moves.

Neither Qatar nor Iran, nor even the US or Burkina Faso has anything to do what is happening in Kuwait.

The problem is 100 percent internal. We are facing a problem from some amongst us, not from our neighbors, friends, allies or enemies.

There are always some crazy people who are almost invisible but have access to political and economic powers. Among the four main players, there are sheikhs and merchants. It is no secret for the last two years, and this fight has been out in the open.

All political activities today on the ground, or at least a large part of these, are due to a fight among the internal wings. It is a truth that cannot be denied no matter who it enrages. Let people be angry, but the fact is that this is a plain truth. Our problems are from the inside. As they say in Kuwait, “Solve your problems and your wings’ problems and we will be alright.” The growth projects have been at a standstill not due to any grilling motion or any political activity, but because of the fight among the wings. In other words, we do not need a national dialogue council to solve our political crisis. What we need is a small conference which includes participation by all these wings now squabbling among themselves. Once they make up, all our problems will end.

The political activities, in part, are a reflection of the fight among some of the ruling family’s progeny.

It is clear that once this infighting ends, everything will be alright and political life will resume a normal course. All this fighting must stop totally.

Note: As per the law, “there is no crime without legal text to criminalize that act,” and as per this rule, public prosecutor has ordered to file the case about millions deposited in some MPs’ accounts. Here, that does not mean that there was no crime, but that there was no legal text under which the accusation against some MPs could be classified. In pure Arabic language, “There is political crime, but there is no legislation that criminalizes this act.” Therefore, public prosecutor has called upon the legislators to deal with this shortcoming. — Al-Anba

5

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Local

Coops union decision helps reduce prices of eggs Fodder prices remain high

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: After the hike in prices of eggs last month and the consequent complaints from the public about eggs becoming too expensive, the Union of Cooperative Societies last week again decreased the price by bringing it back to 990 Fils for a 30-egg tray. This price is unified across all the cooperative societies (co-ops).

“The tray of 30 eggs costs 990 Fils while the small plastic packing with 12 eggs costs 470 Fils.

The price is the same in all the co-ops and for all the local companies. In fact, we only have local eggs,” Abdulaal from the Nuzha Co-op told the Kuwait Times yesterday.

This drop in egg prices, though in favor of the consumers, is not good for the coops. “ The companies are now supplying us with eggs without paying for the damaged and broken eggs as they did in the past. Also, unlike in the past, they have stopped paying the

co-op 10 percent of the price.

Furthermore, they now seek the payment in cash and without any delay, while earlier they used to accept a check even a week or two after the purchase. Thus, the

price will remain the same for some time. Some people think once the government adds eggs to the subsidized card for citizens, the price will go up, but I am not sure about this. Anyway,

co-ops are not profiting from the sale of eggs,” he added.

Abdulaal is not expecting any increase in egg prices very soon.

“I don’t have any information about a hike in prices. I think the

the eggs will not be added to the card before next January,” he explained.

The egg price hike may be caused by an increase in the fodder price. Shakir Awadh, PR of

the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) denied having any information about an expected hike in fodder prices.

“The Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company (KFMBC) is responsible for the prices of fodders. We at the PAAAFR support the local products, and we have a fixed budget for one year. So now, even if the KFMBC increased the price of a bag of wheat, we will not be able to increase the financial support, and this may lead to a hike in egg prices. I can confirm that till today, we have not received any communication about price increase for wheat,” stressed Awadh.

While the eggs cost the same across all cooperatives, the rates var y in other supermarkets.

Usually, the price is higher in the supermarkets, though only slightly. For instance, at the Sultan Center, there was a slight difference of 10 Fils for a tray. It may be higher in other supermarkets.

Gulf states condemn Beirut bombing

KUWAIT: The Dean of the diplomatic corps in Kuwait Abdulahad Imbaki hosted on Wednesday a reception to bid farewell to the Japanese ambassador to Kuwait. It was attended by a large number of ambassadors and other dignitaries. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Several Arab Gulf countries have condemned the recent bombing in Beirut that claimed the life of senior security official Brig.

Gen. Wissam al-Hasan and expressed their readiness to support Lebanon preserve its stability.

“Saudi Arabia denounces such a criminal act that targeted Lebanon’s stability and Brig. Gen. Wissam alHasan,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted an official source as saying yesterday.

The source also blasted the bombing Friday in the Beirut neighborhood, describing it contravened “Islamic and moral values and principles and lacked any humanity.”

Saudi Arabia, according to the

Freight flow through GCC network may affect international commerce KUWAIT: The world rail market will continue to grow despite the global economic downturn, driven in large part by the sector’s growth in the Gulf region, according to industry experts speaking today at The MENA Rail Projects Conference in Abu Dhabi.

According to a recent report by UNIFE (European Rail Industry) the world rail supply market grew by 9.6% in the last three years and is expected to grow a further 16.2% by 2018, mainly driven by rail projects in the GCC states.

Dr Amjad Bangash, Managing Director, Rail at Bechtel, one of the world’s leading engineering, procurement and construction companies, said that “The Middle East and North Africa region (Mena) is currently one of the world’s fastest growing markets for rail. The region’s mainline rail network is set to almost double in size over the coming decades, while metro, tram and monorail track lengths will increase tenfold.”

Bechtel, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the UAE this year, boasts a century of rail and transit experience and more than 12,000kilometres of track, designed and built. This includes Britain’s first High Speed rail line in London which connects central London to the Channel Tunnel and dramatically cuts travel time between London and the European continent, as well as both multi-billion development programs of Crossrail, also in London and Korea’s High Speed Rail.

Dr Amjad Bangash, who has been working for Bechtel for twenty years and was recently Project Director for Bechtel at the Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) Project in the United Arab Emirates, said that “the freight market is a key driver for the development of the GCC rail network.

“Rail freight is particularly attrac-

tive across long distances,” he explained. “There is potential for significant positive impact on trade and commerce flows. Centuries ago, the Silk Route connected trade routes into an extensive transcontinental network. In the same spirit, the development of the GCC network could have a transformational effect on international trade and commerce in the region,” according to him. Studies show that trains carry freight with nearly ten times the energy efficiency of trucks per ton/mile.

This resurgence in rail projects that the Arab region is witnessing today will see over US$ 156 billion worth of projects planned or under way in the region, which covers a landmass of 15 million square kilometer and a sheer 34,000 kilometres of rail tracks. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the most projects planned or under way in the Arab region, at an estimated cost of US$31 billion.

Other markets with more than $10 billion of projects are the UAE and Kuwait with $14 billion worth of projects each and Qatar and Iraq with US$13 billion worth of projects each.

With a century of rail and transit experience-and more than 12,000kilometers (7,456 miles) of track designed and built-Bechtel maintains a cadre of the industry’s best planners, engineers, and builders who work alongside customers to ensure their needs are met. With Bechtel working for you, the concept of making your connection anytime to anywhere can become a reality.

Working closely with the Korea High Speed Rail Construction Authority as part of an integrated project management organization, Bechtel provided project management services for nearly all phases of the 412-kilometer (256 miles) highspeed rail line project to connect Seoul and Pusan. Bechtel’s responsibilities covered design management,

railway operations, quality control, safety; and cost and schedule management, including carefully monitoring more than 4,400 separate activities on the integrated project schedule.

High Speed 1 (formerly the Channel Tunnel Rail Link) is the first high-speed rail project in the UK and Britain’s first new railway in a century.

Its 109-kilometers (68 miles) of track connect London with the Channel Tunnel, enabling Eurostar trains to whisk passengers between London and Paris (or Brussels) in just two hours and 15 minutes at speeds of up to 300-kilometers (186 miles) per hour. Bechtel led a consortium responsible for design, project management, and construction management of High Speed 1, which began in the 1990s and was completed on time and within budget. The new line crosses over the River Medway, tunnels under the River Thames, and threads above and below ground through London, before terminating at St. Pancras, now Europe’s largest passenger interchange. During the early development of the route, Bechtel project management and senior construction experts gave strategic advice, drawing on recent experience of the construction of the Channel Tunnel, for the planned route and subsequent implementation.

London’s Crossrail project is of such scale and magnitude that it’s divided into two multibillion-dollar programs-each among Europe’s largest. Bechtel leads both. As the development manager, we facilitate and manage the scoping studies, cost estimating, preliminary design, and subcontractors to produce reference designs for the entire project.

When complete, Crossrail will link existing ommuter railways that terminate east and west of London with a tunnel under central London.

Panel to investigate traffic violations KUWAIT: The assistant undersecretary for traffic affairs, Lt Gen Mustafa Al Zaabi, has recently set up a committee to investigate how driving licenses were issued to certain expats who did not meet the conditions set by the ministry, including requirement of a salary of not less than KD 400, being a university graduate and a Kuwaiti resident for more than two years.

Sources said the decision to set up this committee was prompted by the discovery of tens, and perhaps hundreds, of expats who had obtained driving licenses without meeting these conditions.

Sources said a majority of such licenses were obtained through source centers and were not approved by assistant undersecretary for traffic affairs. Some applications

were illegally approved as exceptions by some general directors.

Sources said that a full report about applications that did not meet the conditions will be prepared for the assistant undersecretary who, in turn, will send it to the minister of interior to take suitable decision. Those who indulged in any forgeries will be referred to the public prosecutor.

source, also urged the need for an investigation into the bombing and that the identity of the perpetrators be uncovered.

The source also conveyed the condolences of Saudi King Abdullah to Lebanon’s president, the families of the victims and the Lebanese people and wished a speedy recovery to those who were wounded in the deadly blast.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the Saudi Embassy in Beirut sent text messages to its nationals in Lebanon warning them to stay away from “tense” areas in the country.

A huge explosion rocked the Beirut neighborhood of Ashrafieh

Friday, leaving at least five people killed, including Hasan. More than 100 people were also wounded in the blast, the most serious explosion in the country since 2008.

On Friday, a United Arab Emirates official condemned the “cowardly, terrorist bombing” and said the Gulf country stood ready to assist Lebanon preserve its security and stability.

“The UAE condemns this cowardly, terrorist bombing and stresses it’s position to stand beside Lebanon and is ready to assist in securing all means of preserving its security and stability,” State Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammad Qarqash was quoted by the Emirates WAM news

agency as saying Friday.

The agency quoted him as saying that it was essential that the circumstance surrounding the incident be uncovered and the perpetrators be brought to justice.

Separately, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) quoted yesterday a senior official at the Foreign Ministry as denouncing the “cowardly bombing” that took place in Beirut.

“Kuwait will always stand by Lebanon in what preserves the citizen’s stability and security,” the official said.

The official also called on Lebanese citizens to unite and confront all those who have “ill intentions” Lebanon.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

LOCAL

Six-member gang in custody for running human trafficking net 21,000 permits forged in 3 years KUWAIT: A gang of six, including two government employees, which was involved in major forgery operations, was arrested but not before it succeeded in issuing at least 21,000 forged work permits in a span of three years, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

Preliminary interrogation of two gang members revealed that laborers brought illegally to Kuwait were surreptitiously registered in the records of major companies without the knowledge of officials. This was possible because of the state employees’ access to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor’s database.

Investigations had been on for sometime now based on the instructions of the Interior Ministry ’s Assistant Undersecretary for Citizenship, Passports and Immigration Affairs, Maj Gen Abdullah Al-Rashid. He had received information about an employee in

the Farwaniya labor department allegedly issuing forged work permits, Al-Jarida newspaper reported, quoting a security source privy to the case.

“The man’s movements were monitored by the police and it was discovered that Egyptian and Asian men visited his office every alternate day. Later, they would all meet at a coffee shop in Al-Dajeej where they used to exchange documents,” the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, added.

Police arrested one of the Egyptian men, who eventually confessed to working as a middleman for the MSAL employee who, in turn, accessed the files of companies saved in the ministry’s database to issue work permits.

These permits used to be later sold to laborers to enable them to come illegally to Kuwait.

Officers arrested the employee based on

these testimonies. He admitted to forging an average of 600 work permits per month along with a coworker, adding that the two shared KD300 paid by the middlemen for every illegal permit. A compatriot of the Egyptian man who worked as a middleman for the same employee, as well as two Asian middlemen for the second MSAL officer, were also arrested soon. The four admitted to collecting KD200 for each forged work permit they provided to owners of bogus companies who ‘sold’ each permit for KD1000 to illegal workers. The remaining KD500 from each transaction would be kept by the bogus company owner, the source further explained.

Investigations are on to trace the second MSAL employee as well as people behind the fake companies who will now face human trafficking charges.

Couple held for drug trade KUWAIT: A couple was arrested for being in possession of drugs.

The arrest came during a recent patrol operation at the Chalets Road, south of the country. Police decided to search an SUV they had pulled over after noticing that its male driver and his female companion seemed nervous. The couple was placed under arrest after drug pills, heroin and two imported liquor bottles were found in their possession. They were referred to the Criminal Investigations Department to face charges. Meanwhile, a drug addict was caught for possessing drugs and alcohol after he was pulled over the coastal road by Ahmadi patrol officers.

Officer humiliated A National Guard officer filed a complaint against a diplomat claiming that he was humiliated during the Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit. According to the official complaint, the man who identified himself as a mem-

ber of a Gulf country’s embassy offended the officer during a routine check at the hotel where guests who were to attend the summit were staying. A report was sent to the concerned authorities for proper action.

Harasser arrested A man was arrested shortly for harassing a woman and then damaging her car simply because she spurned his efforts to get acquainted. The woman was driving at the Sixth Ring Road when the suspect reportedly followed her till Adan, where he forced her to stop and tried to strike a conversation. But as the woman drove away, the man hurled a stone that smashed the car’s windshield, and then fled the scene. Police soon reached the spot and escorted the woman to the area’s police station. The detectives later traced and arrested the man based the descriptions provided by the woman. The man, a Syrian national, was arrest-

ed in an ambush outside his house in Farwaniya, and was referred to the proper authorities.

The woman identified him as her attacker.

Ex-boyfriend charged A woman accused her exboyfriend of sexual assault after he ended their relationship on the grounds that his parents have refused to allow the two to marry.

In her statements to Al-Daiya police station officers, the 23year-old Kuwaiti explained that her Kuwaiti coworker with whom she has been romantically involved for two years broke up with her recently after his parents allegedly arranged for him to marry his cousin. She further indicated that he ended their relationships only a few days after she accepted an invitation to his apartment where she agreed to have sex with him on the promise that their relationship will eventually lead to marriage. Investigations are on to trace the man.

Seven saved Coastguards saved seven people on board a yacht which started sinking near the Kubbar Island Friday morning. The men, including two Kuwaitis and five Asian nationals, were saved in time with the help of two lifeboats before the yacht could sink completely due to bad weather conditions.

Domestic violence A man faces charges of domestic violence after he beat up his first wife when she attacked his second wife with a shoe. The case was filed recently at the Fahd AlAhmad police station where a woman brought a medical report showing bruises and demanded that her husband be arrested for physical assault. The man was summoned for investigations, during which he admitted “punishing” his wife when she hurled a shoe at his second wife at their house in the area. The case was referred to the concerned authorities for proper action.

KUWAIT: The Ahmadi municipality carried a campaign to remove garbage and other material dumped in the yards and to remove tires kept by some people as a way of reserving places at the spring camps in the desert at Nowaiseeb area before the time allowed, which is Nov 1. This is part of a national campaign “Keep Kuwait Clean” which took off as a follow up by the MEW Minister, State Minister for Municipal Affairs, Eng Abdul Aziz Al Ibrahim and covers all Kuwaiti areas and governorates.

Kuwait delegation inspects pilgrims’ conditions MAKKAH: A delegation of Kuwait’s Ministry of Awqaf has inspected residences and offices of Kuwaiti pilgrimage expeditions, a Kuwaiti official said yesterday.

Roumi Al-Roumi, the head of the delegation, expressed in remarks to satisfaction at the noticeable improvement of services and preparedness of the Kuwaiti expeditions to the holy land.

He praised the leaders of the groups and urged the managers and pilgrims to abide by the Kingdom rules and regulations, and set an example to be followed among the expeditions of other countries.

The Kuwait Haj Mission has complet-

ed all security, health and residency preparations for receiving pilgrims, Deputy Head of the Mission Dr Mutlak Al-Qarawi said Friday.

In statements to KUNA during an inspection tour to the premises of the several haj agencies, Al-Qarawi said that these preparations include medical outlets, service offices and security measures.

He hailed the cooperation of the different hajj agencies with the Mission and their abidance by the Ministry regulations. Al-Qarawi underlined that the Kuwait Hajj Mission will spare no effort to facilitate the spiritual journey to pilgrims. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Nineteen technicians in the Entertainment City’s maintenance department underwent a training program on technical examination and maintenance, organized by the Touristic Enterprises Company in cooperation with the Global Consultants Training Institute. The course which took place between Oct 7 and 11 focused on improving technicians’ skills in order to reduce periods for machines’ stoppage for maintenance.

Wataniya prepaid customers can win in upcoming draws KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom has announced the winner of the eighth weekly draw as part of a series of draws for prepaid customers. Mohammed Abdulraheem Mohammedwas announced as the winner this week for a cash prize of KD 10,000.

The draw was held in the presence of the company representatives and under the supervision of an officer from the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Trade and Industry Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

Wataniya launched this exclusive campaign last August which includes weekly draws for a chance to win KD 10,000 at each draw. To enter the draw, customers need to recharge their Wataniya prepaid lines for a minimum of KD 1 using any recharge method, such as vouchers, wataniya.com, recharge kiosk machines or Wcharger. They will get one chance to enter the draw for every fils; therefore 1000 chances for every KD 1.

On the occasion, Wataniya Telecom congratulated its customer and stated

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Czech FM invited to visit Kuwait PRAGUE: Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad AlSabah invited his Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzengerg to visit Kuwait to explore ways of strengthening the bilateral ties.

Ambassador Walid Ali Al-Khebeizi, director of the European affairs dept. of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said he conveyed the message to Deputy Minister of the Czech Republic Tomas Dub when they met at the latter’s office here on Friday.

“During my three-day visit to the Czech Republic, I’ve held talks with several officials of the Czech Foreign Ministry on ways to further cement the friendship and cooperation between the two countries in various fields,” he said.

“The talks also dealt with a range of regional and international issues of common concern, Ambassador Al-Khebeizi he said in statements to KUNA at the conclusion of his visit.

Before arriving here, the Kuwaiti diplomat visited Italy where he represented his country at an international conference on the Italian-Arab relations, held in Rimini city.

He also visited the Republic of San Marino where he discussed with the country’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs and for Telecommunications and Transportation Antonella Mularoni the possibility of establishing ambassador-level diplomatic ties. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Calligrapher Ayman Hassan opened his gallery at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters at a function held recently under the patronage of the Director of Department of Fine Arts, Mohammad Al-Asousy. The gallery includes a variety of works that depict the writing methods used through various eras in the Arabic and Islamic history, combined with basic elements of the Islamic arts. The gallery focuses specifically on the Muhaqqaq type of script that was used to copy sheets of the Holy Quran throughout the Islamic history but saw a decline in its usage since 16th century onwards.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Turkey kills 12 Syrian soldiers

Palestinian push for UN upgrade likely to succeed Page 8

Page 8

QABATIYA: An elderly Palestinian woman places her thumbprint next to her name after voting for the municipal elections in the West Bank village of Qabatiya. (Inset) Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas shows his ink-stained finger after voting for the municipal election yesterday. — AFP

Palestinian vote plugs democracy gap Palestinians turn out for first election in 6 years in the

news

Iraqi gunmen kill 4 BAGHDAD: Gunmen killed three policemen and a prison official in attacks yesterday and overnight in Baghdad, Iraqi authorities said. The first attack took place early in the morning when gunmen opened fire on a police patrol in the Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Al-Shaab, killing two policemen and wounding another, police said. In downtown Karradah, gunmen on Friday night attacked the house of a police lieutenant colonel who worked with the State Identity Directorate, killing him, police said. Health officials at nearby hospitals confirmed the deaths. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media. Meanwhile, gunmen with pistols fitted with silencers killed Haider Al-Sultani, an official at Taji prison, in a drive-by-shooting that seriously wounded another employee, said Haider Al-Saadi, spokesman for the Iraqi Justice Ministry.

New fighting in Darfur KHARTOUM: Rebels in Sudan’s western Darfur region have launched an attack on government forces, killing several people, state news agency SUNA said. Darfur has been plagued by violence since mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms in 2003, complaining the central government in Khartoum had neglected the remote western territory.

While violence is down from its peak in 2003 and 2004, law and order have collapsed in parts of the vast territory and banditry, tribal fighting and clashes between rebels and government forces have continued. Rebels attacked the government-controlled area of Abu Dalig in North Darfur on Wednesday, SUNA said late on Friday, citing a local official. It said several “mujahideen”, a synonym for fighters from government-allied militias or tribes, w ere killed or wounded during the attack, adding that rebels had tried stealing property of citizens.

9 killed in Turkey ANKARA: Turkey’s state-run agency says clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish rebels in the southeast of the country have left nine people dead. The Anatolia news agency says three Turkish troops and three Kurdish rebels were killed in fighting that broke out in Hakkari province, near the border with Iraq. The agency said rebels also attacked a military unit in Bitlis province, northwest of Hakkari, killing three government-paid village guards who are helping the Turkish security forces. The attack comes amid a sharp escalation in violence over the past few months in Turkey’s southeast, where the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, are fighting for self-rule for Kurds.

2 Algeria soldiers slain ALGIERS: Militants linked to Al-Qaeda have killed two Algerian soldiers in the east of the country, several newspapers reported yesterday. The soldiers were travelling to their barracks on Thursday in civilian clothing and on a public bus which was ambushed near the city of Boumerdes, some 50 kilometers east of the capital Algiers, media reports said. The militants took the soldiers by force off the bus and shot them dead, daily El Watan said. Le Soir d’Algerie newspaper said the militants, who were five in number, belonged to an offshoot of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb that is holed up in the mountainous Djerrah area of the Boumerdes region.

RAMALLAH: Palestinians voted in local elections in the Israel-occupied West Bank yesterday, their first vote for six years and one with little choice, out of step with democratic revolutions elsewhere in the Arab world. The results were expected to largely reaffirm the Western-backed, mainly secular Fatah party, which runs a de facto government in the slivers of land not policed by Israel, in the face of a boycott by its Islamist arch-rival, Hamas.

While uprisings brought Arab governments from Morocco to Egypt to accommodate long suppressed Islamist parties, single party rule in the West Bank persists along with Fatah’s feud with the more militant and anti-Israel Hamas, which has ruled the coastal Gaza Strip since the two groups clashed in 2007. “We do not recognize the legitimacy of these elections and we call for them to be stopped in order to protect the Palestinian people and protect their unity,” Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said.

Haniyeh, who took office when Hamas won a surprise majority in a parliamentary vote in 2006 - an outcome nullified by the civil war that followed a year later, decried the latest poll as “unilateral elections removed from a national consensus.” Fatah finally found time ripe for the repeatedlydelayed local elections. The party edged out Hamas in university ballots throughout the West Bank earlier this year and opinion polls show flagging support for the Islamist group since it began the uphill task of governing impoverished and crowded Gaza.

With Gaza not par ticipating in Saturday’s vote and a majority of West Bank residents living in areas where local councils are running uncontested, the election was less meaningful than in previous years. Less than half of citizens surveyed by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research said they would vote, and an even smaller number thought the ballot would be fair. But fissures within Fatah lent some suspense to the polls.

Some local leaders struck out on their own after being spurned from official lists in a sign of personal disputes. They may garner a showing giving them an influential say in local councils. The mood at efficient and well-policed voting stations in schools and public buildings throughout the West Bank was subdued. Palestinians expressed melancholy at their divisions and the

seeming permanence of Israel’s 45-yearold occupation.

Cars decked with Fatah and Palestinian flags blaring nationalist anthems made noisy rounds among Bethlehem’s polling centers, and candidates hoping to win last-minute support greeted and chatted with voters. “I heard that the Fatah bloc was made up of good people, so I voted for them,” said Amani, 29, who declined to give her last name, drying with tissue her index finger dipped in the indelible purple ink of the voting stations. “I think in the end all parties have their own political and financial interest in mind. But it is my duty to vote, and so I can say that I’ve done my part,” she said.

EARLY TO DEMOCRACY Palestinian Authority President and Fatah chief Mahmoud Abbas emphasized a legacy of democracy as he voted in downtown Ramallah, his capital while Israel denies Palestinian government a seat in the contested holy city of Jerusalem.

“We hope we will be regarded by our brothers in Gaza and everywhere in the Arab world as the ones who first embarked upon democracy, and we continue on this path and we hope everyone will follow us,” he told journalists.

Palestinians first held parliamentary elections in 1995, rare among Arab countries at the time and a positive step after the interim Oslo peace accords with Israel the previous year, which have long lapsed and become an albatross for the same, sclerotic Palestinian leadership of the present day. The Authority faces deepen-

ing challenges to its legitimacy. An addiction to foreign economic aid has opened up a financial crisis that exploded into street protests in cities up and down the West Bank last month. Years of imprisonment and marginalization of Hamas activists in the West Bank have deepened Fatah’s near monopoly on power in selfruled West Bank enclaves.

An aggressive campaign to root out corrupt and insubordinate security officers within Fatah’s own cadres this year has fur-

ther narrowed the ruling clique. But as economic problems worsen amid the standstill of Palestinians’ broader political landscape, many hail the vote as an opportunity to renew institutions and focus on development at the grassroots level. “Of course, there are positive signs in these elections,” the Palestinian Al-Quds newspaper wrote in an editorial. “The local authorities have an important role in public services and providing an administration for citizens.” — Reuters

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

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

Washington, Israel warn against move Palestinian push for UN upgrade likely to succeed UNITED NATIONS: The push by the Palestinians for upgraded status at the United Nations is likely to succeed, the president of the UN General Assembly said yesterday, while warning the United States against cutting UN funding over the issue.

In his first major interview since winning a divisive campaign for the largely ceremonial UN post in June, former Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic also said he was seeking to improve coordination between the world body and the Group of 20 bloc of key developed and developing nations.

Having failed last year to secure full UN membership due to US opposition, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said last month he would ask the 193nation General Assembly to approve a less-ambitious promotion of the Palestinian Authority’s observer status to “non-member state,” like the Vatican. It is currently considered an “entity.” Jeremic said Abbas is consulting with UN member states and is expected to call for a meeting on the Palestinian issue as early as next month, after the Nov 6 US presidential election. “Most people expect that it is

going to be the second half of November,” the 37-year-old former Serbian foreign minister told Reuters.

“If they decide to go for it after these consultations, which is what President Abbas announced in his speech in September, most people expect that this is going to pass,” Jeremic added. The United States and Israel have warned the Palestinians against seeking a status upgrade, saying it would be a setback for the peace process and suggesting that it could have financial implications for the Palestinian Authority. Some UN diplomats say that the Palestinians have not made a final decision to go for the upgrade and are under intense pressure from Washington and European nations to call it off.

UN diplomats and officials say they are also worried about a possible reduction of UN funding from the United States, which supplies 22 percent of the regular UN budget. Jeremic said he does not want to lecture the United States, but voiced concern about a possible American suspension of UN funding due to the Palestinian issue. Such a suspension, he said, would

have “dire financial implications” for the United Nations. “I don’t think this would be in the interests of the United States to cut the financial aid, but I am not in a position to say to the United States what is it they should do,” he said. “They know what is best for them, and that’s what they are going to do.”

The US Congress froze some $200 million in financial aid to the Palestinians after they took their statehood campaign to the United Nations last year. Western officials say further aid reductions by the United States are likely, along with a possible freezing of UN funding. The United States cut funding to the UN education and science agency, UNESCO, last year after it admitted the Palestinians as a full member.

A 1990s US law prohibits American funding to UN organizations that grant full membership to any group that does not have “internationally recognized attributes” of statehood.

The Palestinians are not seeking UN membership. But an upgrade of their observer status could nevertheless be uncomfortable for Israel. Being registered as a state rather than an entity would

mean the Palestinians could join bodies such as the International Criminal Court and file complaints against Israel for its continued occupation. The Palestinians need a simple majority in the General Assembly for the status upgrade, and predict that between 150 and 170 nations out of the 193 UN member states will vote in favor.

Handling the Palestinian debate will likely be the first major UN test for Jeremic, the youngest General Assembly president in the history of the United Nations. But he also intends to dedicate much of his time to finding a way to improve cooperation between the G20 and the United Nations.

Jeremic said this could make the assembly more relevant and give some legitimacy to the G20, an informal group that smaller countries often criticize for its lack of transparency. He said his plan was to “create a consultation mechanism between the G20 and the rest of the world.” Jeremic will discuss it with Russia, which chairs the G20 next year, and plans to hold a high-level meeting on U.N.-G20 cooperation in early 2013. Previous attempts to boost ties between the G20 and United Nations have

failed. Jeremic’s predecessor in 2008-2009, Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann of Nicaragua, made an attempt to do the same but made little headway. D’Escoto, a left-wing former foreign minister, was a fierce critic of the United States, Israel and the G20, and envoys said that alienated some delegations. Jeremic made clear he would take a different approach and would be seeking consensus. “This must not be an antagonistic exercise,” he said. “This is not about bashing.”

A number of UN diplomats have mentioned Jeremic as a potential candidate to succeed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when his term ends in December 2016.

The next UN chief is expected to come from Eastern Europe in keeping with a tradition of rotation among the six regional groups of the United Nations.

Jeremic, who became a familiar face in New York at regular UN meetings on Serbia’s former province of Kosovo, declined to comment on his future plans apart from returning to Serbia, where he remains a member of parliament. But he did not rule out the idea of running for the top UN post.—Reuters

Turkish retaliatory fire kill 12 Syrian soldiers Brahimi tries to break the cycle of bloodshed

ALEPPO: A Syrian rebel uses a homemade slingshot to fire a bomb in the northern city of Aleppo. Lightly-armed Syrian rebels who face the warplanes, artillery and tanks of loyalists have turned to making their own weapons, even rigging a video game controller to fire mortar rounds. — AFP

Top Iraq officials trade blame over jail break BAGHDAD: Iraq’s deputy interior minister and a police chief fired over a jail break last month in which dozens of Al-Qaeda militants escaped traded barbs yesterday over who was to blame for the prison uprising.

Major General Abdul Karim Al-Khazraji, the top cop in Salaheddin province at the time of the jail break, released a letter dated days before the escape requesting reinforcements, while deputy minister Adnan Al-Assadi shot back that the proposal had been approved but Khazraji had failed to act. More than 100 prisoners managed to escape from the prison in the September 27 uprising, an assault later claimed by AlQaeda’s front group in Iraq, but dozens were either killed or re-captured in the subsequent days and weeks.

Yesterday, Khazraji released a letter addressed to the interior ministry and dated September 25 in which he complained the prison in the city of Tikrit was not properly secured, and that some inmates had managed to “impose a kind of control on the rest of the prisoners.” He called for rapid intervention and counter-terror forces stationed in Salaheddin province, of which Tikrit is the capital, to be deployed to the prison to address the situation, “because these forces

have the means and abilities to carry out this duty.”

In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, Khazraji said prison officials had tried to impose order, but had been “confronted by chaos.” Assadi said that the letter was genuine and had been received by the interior ministry, but said that while the request had been approved, Khazraji had failed to act quickly enough.

“He did not use them, or even organize for them to enter the prison,” Assadi said in an e-mailed response to questions. “Instead, he told the prisoners that he received a letter from the interior ministry transferring them, that he was going on leave for three days, and would transfer them upon his return.”

“This is what we consider collaborationby telling them this, and then not using the force he requested,” Assadi added, without elaborating. Khazraji was dismissed in the wake of the jail break, in which 16 security force personnel were killed. The assault on the prison that led to the escape was claimed by Al-Qaeda’s front group the Islamic State of Iraq on October 12, came after ISI announced in July a campaign to regain territory, target judges and prosecutors and free prisoners from jails.—AFP

Modern bunker for Guantanamo trial GUANTANAMO BAY: Thousands of miles from Ground Zero, the alleged masterminds of the September 11, 2001, attacks appear before a judge in an ultra-modern bunker, which looks as if it were assembled from Lego pieces. Sitting in a gallery behind a triple-glass wall, which blocks the slightest sound, a handful of journalists are watching the proceedings as if they were a reality show with a bad playback. The judge speaks, but one hears only the lawyer. And for good reason: the feed is delivered from the courtroom with a 40-second delay, creating confusion among members of the media, representatives of human rights groups and a dozen relatives of the victims of the attacks, who are separated from the rest by a curtain.

National security requires a “security court officer” to control all exchanges during the hearing and press a block-button which blurs the sound instantly if some information deemed sensitive escapes. On Wednesday afternoon, for the second time since the indictment of the five suspects in May, a red light went on next to the judge.

Silence descended abruptly on the gallery and the press room on the other side of the barbed wire, as well as on the four locations on the US East Coast where the hearings could be monitored by the families.

“Malfunction,” concluded one of the relatives of the victims.

One of the lawyers continued to gesture as if in a silent film. Pakistani Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the main suspect, turned to

his nephew, Ammar Al-Baluchi, and spoke to him from a distance. Perched on a big black leather chair, Judge James Pohl explained that the commotion had been caused by someone mentioning a “classified interrogation technique.” Kevin Bogucki, a Yemeni lawyer for Ramzi Binalshibh, told incredulous families that the government could not classify “experience, thoughts and knowledge” of defendants, who had been abused during their detention at a CIA prison.

On May 5, the use of the word “torture” led to censoring a portion of the exchange.

This time, however, the government recalled without being censored that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the attacks, “has been waterboarded 183 times.” His prayer rug folded on the back of the chair, KSM, as Sheikh Mohammed is known, was pulling on his long beard dyed with henna. He wore a white turban and camouflage jacket he had received from the judge in memory of his years of resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Around him, translators and even a lawyer were wearing veils or hijabs.

A dozen guards were lined up along the wall but KSM was unshackled, though chains lay on the ground. Suddenly, the close associate of Osama bin Laden raised his hand. His lawyer said his client wanted to speak. “We can rely on the 40 seconds delay” if he says something “top secret,” argued prosecutor Joanna Baltes.— AFP

ANKARA: Turkey’s military has fired on Syria 87 times, killing 12 Syrian soldiers and destroying several tanks in retaliation for Syrian shells and mortars landing on Turkish territory, a Turkish newspaper reported yesterday. Turkey has been carrying out a series of retaliatory strikes against President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces fighting rebels along the border since Syrian shelling killed five Turkish civilians in a Turkish frontier town at the start of October.

Tension between the two neighbors, once close allies, is at its highest since Ankara turned against Assad last year over his violent crackdown on anti-government protests. The report in the daily Milliyet newspaper, written by columnist Fikret Bila who is known to have good contacts with the military, cited unnamed military sources. Turkey’s military, which rarely talks in public, could not be reached for comment. The report said the retaliatory fire had been in response to 27 mortars or shells fired from Syria. Turkey had responded to every incident, it said.

Twelve Syrian soldiers had been killed as a result of Turkish fire, the report said. Five Syrian tanks, three armored vehicles, one mortar weapon, one ammunition vehicle and two anti-aircraft guns had also been destroyed and many other military vehicles had been damaged.

Eighteen mortar shells fired from Syria had landed in the Akcakale district of Sanliurfa province, where five Turkish civilians were killed this month, while nine had landed in Hatay province further to the west, according to the report. Turkey had fired 69 times from Hatay and 18 times from Akcakale, it said.

The report also stated that Turkish F-16 war planes were on high alert at the Incirlik air base in Adana, some 100 km from the Syrian border. The fighters had been scrambled as recently as Friday in response to Syrian helicopters flying close to the shared border, it said.

Turkey’s Chief-of-Staff General Necdet Ozel said this month that his troops would respond “with greater force” if shells continued to land on

ALEPPO: Syrian army soldiers run for cover during clashes with rebel fighters at Karam Al-Jabal neighborhood of Aleppo yesterday. — AFP Turkish soil, and parliament has also authorized the deployment of troops beyond Turkey, heightening fears that Syria’s civil war could drag in regional powers.

Meanwhile, Peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi yesterday pressed Damascus for a truce to break the cycle of bloodshed, as Lebanon’s opposition blamed President Bashar Al-Assad for a deadly Beirut bombing. But even as Brahimi went into a meeting with Foreign Minister Walid Muallem in Damascus, fighting raged on northern battlefields, where regime jets resumed bombarding the key town of Maaret AlNuman which rebels captured on October 9.

UN-Arab League envoy Brahimi is hoping to secure a ceasefire during the four-day Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday starting October 26, which he believes could pave the way for other, more permanent peace initiatives. “We will have discussions here with the government, the political parties and civil society about the situation in Syria,” Brahimi said when he arrived in Damascus on Friday.

“We will talk about the need to reduce the current violence and

about whether it is possible to stop for the occasion of Eid Al-Adha.”

He is also expected to hold talks with Assad at a later date. Brahimi is backed by UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Arab League head Nabil AlArabi who believe that if a truce is agreed during Eid, it could be extended to bring some respite in the 19-month conflict that has already killed more than 34,000 people. Washington too has backed the truce call. “We urge the Syrian government to stop all military operations and call on opposition forces to follow suit,” said a State Department statement. Damascus has said it is ready to discuss the truce plan with Brahimi, while the opposition says the regime must take the first step and halt its daily bombardments.

On the ground rebels and regime forces remained locked in battles, with Syrian warplanes bombarding Maaret Al-Numan again yesterday and clashes erupting on a nearby highway, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. One rebel was killed in fighting after insurgents attacked a military convoy on the highway south of Maaret Al-Numan,

which connects the northern city of Aleppo with Damascus, the Observatory said. The military wants to regain control of the highway to resupply units under fire in Aleppo for the past three months and assist 250 troops besieged in their Wadi Deif base.

Troops battered the town on Friday a day after strikes on a residential area killed dozens of people, nearly half of them children, rescuers told an AFP reporter at the scene. Rebels showed AFP debris from cluster bombs they accused the air force of dropping on residential areas, as well as dozens of others that failed to explode on impact. Human Rights Watch has accused Syria of using cluster bombs, a charge denied by the military. The Observatory said at least 133 people were killed in nationwide violence Friday - 55 civilians, 45 soldiers and 33 rebels.

With the fallout from the conflict reverberating across the region, Washington has repor tedly stepped up intelligence cooperation with Turkey, whose ties with Assad’s regime have rapidly deteriorated.—Agencies

Libya ‘not fully liberated’ year after Gaddafi death

TRIPOLI: File photo shows Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim showing journalists weapons and ammunition which the Libyan government says its forces confiscated when they intercepted two boats in waters west of Tripoli loaded with Qatari weapons bound for rebels fighting to oust Muammar Gaddafi. Mussa Ibrahim, who served as the last spokesman for deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was arrested yesterday southwest of the capital, the prime minister’s office said. —AFP

TRIPOLI: The new Libyan authorities said yesterday the country has not yet been “fully” liberated, exactly a year since the killing of Muammar Gaddafi and against the backdrop of clashes in one of his last bastions. “The campaign to liberate the country has not been fully completed,” Mohammed Megaryef, the head of Libya’s national assembly, said in remarks broadcast on state television.

He singled out the oasis town of Bani Walid, scene of deadly clashes over the past week and one of the final strongholds of Gaddafi’s dictatorial regime during the 2011 revolution that ousted and killed him. Megaryef, president of the democratically elected General National Congress, gave a sombre assessment of the post-Gaddafi period and warned that remnants of the former regime still pose a threat. He pointed to “delays and negligence” in the formation of a professional army and police force, and the failure to disarm and integrate former rebels into state institutions. The national assembly chief stressed that delays in reactivating and reforming the judiciary had also hampered national reconciliation in what marks a critical transition period for the oil-rich nation. “This situation has created a state of discontent and tension among different segments of society and contributed to the spread of chaos, disorder, corruption and weakness in the performance of various government agencies,” said Megaryef. This benefit-

ed “remnants of the former of the regime which have infiltrated the organs of the state, maybe even its leadership, and are plotting against the revolution with the help of others who are abroad.” The weakness of the state, he continued, has allowed groups with or without ties to the former regime to defy the law and carry out arbitrary arrests, torture, blackmail and looting.

“They even dared to establish their own prisons,” Megaryef said in apparent reference to armed militias, some of which have their own detention centers and act as a law unto themselves. Libya’s top official reserved his sharpest criticism for the town of Bani Walid, which is seen by many as a hideout for regime loyalists and criminal gangs, and endorsed military operations there. “Bani Walid’s misfortune is that it has become a sanctuary for a large number of outlaws and anti-revolutionaries and mercenaries,” Megaryef said.

Forces linked to the army, the majority of them former rebels, encircled the hilltop town this month in a bid to bring to justice the men who kidnapped and allegedly tortured an exrebel credited with capturing Gaddafi.

Fighting around Bani Walid this week has killed more than 10 people. Megaryef stressed that the operations underway “do not target this brave city or its people, rather they target culprits, wanted people, the accused and infiltrators among its honorable residents.”— AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

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

Bomb threat prompts 5-hr evacuation at Texas A&M COLLEGE STATION: Texas A&M University’s campus was shut down for about five hours Friday after an emailed bomb threat prompted an evacuation of more than 50,000 people and a building-by-building search. A&M Police Lt Allan Baron said officials were still searching some buildings late Friday afternoon, but no bombs had been found and people were being allowed to come back on campus to retrieve personal belongings and their cars. Evening activities campus, about 100 miles northwest of Houston, were set to go on as planned.

The threat also would not prompt extra security for yesterday’s football game between sixth-ranked LSU and No 20 A&M. “We’re not preparing for a high influx of problems. We’re treating it like any other game that is sold out,” Baron said. High-traffic buildings and facilities, including dining and residence halls, had been cleared by police, Baron said, adding that he didn’t know how many more buildings still needed to be searched.

Baron said the bomb-threat email was sent around 11 am Friday to the university’s computing information services center. Campus police were notified 15 minutes later and officials made the decision to evacuate by 11:30 am. The threat indicated there was a bomb on campus but did not specify where it was located, he said. The evacuation order, posted on the university’s website as a “Code Maroon” warning, directed those on campus to immediately evacuate by foot and not to use a vehicle.

Bus service on the sprawling campus in College Station was rerouted during the evacuation, but it had resumed by late Friday afternoon. After the evacuation, the campus seemed like a ghost town. People could be seen off-campus, sitting under trees or waiting at the local restaurants. Lindsay Cochrum, a graduate student who works at student activities, learned about the evacuation from the university’s internal emergency message system. “A box flashed on my computer screen telling us to evacuate by foot ... then we got a tweet” with more information, she said.

“No one was shocked per se,” Cochrum said, adding that it wasn’t uncommon to have bomb threats on college campuses. She said people were on their cellphones trying to let others know they were OK, but no one was panicking. Andrew Oordt, a freshman studying petroleum engineering, said he was in class when students received a text message from Code Maroon, the university’s emergency notification system. “It said there was a bomb threat, so we walked out and there were people outside directing us where to go,” the 18-year-old said. “Code Maroon did a really good job. People were just walking out, no panic, no worries.”

Texas A&M has more than 50,000 students, according to the school’s website. On Thursday, an emailed bomb threat prompted Texas State University in San Marcos to evacuate three buildings on its campus. No bombs were found. Baron said officials would look into whether there was any connection between the two threats. Last month, telephoned bomb threats at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as ones made to campuses in North Dakota and Ohio, prompted tens of thousands of people to evacuate. No bombs were found at any of those campuses.— AP

Bahrain identifies terror suspects in bomb attack DUBAI: Bahrain’s interior minister said yesterday that the country had identified several suspects in a bomb attack on Thursday that killed one policeman and injured another following clashes between protesters and the security services in the US ally. The tiny Gulf Arab kingdom has been convulsed by unrest since February last year after mass demonstrations led by majority Shiites demanding democratic change in the Sunni-led monarchy. Thursday’s explosion, which the government called a “terrorist attack” and which followed clashes in a village south of the capital, was the latest such bombing this year.

Four policemen were injured in a similar incident in May. “We have identified a number of suspects in the case,” said Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa in a statement distributed by the government’s Information Affairs Authority. Bahraini authorities have accused Shiite power Iran, which once ruled the Gulf Island, of instigating the protests, a charge Tehran has denied, and have promised a tough response to violent demonstrations after talks with the opposition stalled. “We won’t stop at just determining who committed the crime, but we will also determine who orchestrated the explosion and who trained the individuals in their bomb-making skills,” Al Khalifa said. Shiites complain of discrimination in the electoral system, jobs, housing and education and say they are mistreated by government departments, the police and the army.

Government promises of action to address their concerns have come to nothing, they say.— Reuters

Al-Qaeda leader killed in Yemen ADEN: A top member of Al-Qaeda network in Yemen has died of wounds suffered in a drone strike carried out earlier this month in the eastern province of Shabwa, a tribal chief said yesterday. Adel Al-Abab, also known as Abu al-Zubair, and who was said to have been the sharia (Islamic law) chief in the Al-Qaeda Yemen branch, died hours after he was targeted by a drone in the village of Saeed in Shabwa, the tribal chief said.

The drone strike was carried out earlier in October, he said, without specifying the exact date, but added that several militants including an Egyptian member of the jihadist organization were killed in it. Abab jumped out of his car and ran away when he saw the drone “but he was hit in the head by a shrapnel,” the tribal leader said. “We buried Abab and an Egyptian comrade in a cemetery in Saeed, while other dead (militants) were taken to their villages,” he added.

US drones that are deployed in the region have backed Yemeni forces in combating militants of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who remain active in the impoverished nation. Al-Qaeda took advantage of the weakness of Yemen’s central government during an uprising last year against now ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, seizing large swathes of territory across the south. But after a month-long offensive in May launched by Yemeni troops, most militants fled to the more lawless desert regions of the east.— AFP

Al-Qaeda not behind the Benghazi attack GOP pounces after news of CIA cable on Libya raid WASHINGTON: US intelligence agencies have found no evidence that last month’s deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was ordered by Al-Qaeda, The Los Angeles Times reported late Friday.

Citing unnamed US officials and witnesses, the newspaper said the attack, which killed ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, was “carried out following a minimum amount of planning.” “ The attackers exhibited a high degree of disorganization,” the paper quotes one of the intelligence officials as saying. “Some joined the attack in progress, some did not have weapons and others just seemed interested in looting.”

According to another official cited by the paper, “There isn’t any intelligence that the attackers pre-planned their assault days or weeks in advance.” Most of the evidence suggested that “the attackers launched their assault opportunistically” after learning about the violence at the US Embassy in Cairo, The Times quotes the official as saying. Top Republicans have said President Barack Obama’s administration is reluctant to acknowledge the incident was an act of terrorism for political reasons. But after five weeks of investigation, US intelligence agencies say they have found no evidence of Al-Qaeda participation, The Times said. Sensing a moment of political vulnerability on national security, Republicans

pounced Friday on disclosures that President Barack Obama’s administration could have suspected early on that militants, not angry protesters, launched the attack on US diplomats in Libya. Within 24 hours of the deadly attack, the CIA station chief in Libya reported to Washington that there were eyewitness reports that the attack was carried out by militants, officials said. But for days, the Obama administration blamed it on an out-of-control demonstration over an American-made video ridiculing Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Paul Ryan, the Republican vice presidential nominee, led Friday’s charge. “Look around the world, turn on your TV,” Ryan said in an interview with WTAQ radio in the election battleground state of Wisconsin. “And what we see in front of us is the absolute unraveling of the Obama administration’s foreign policy.” As a security matter, how the Obama administration immediately described the attack has little effect on broader counterterrorism strategies or on the hunt for those responsible for the incident, in which the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed. And Republicans have offered no explanation for why the president would want to conceal the nature of the attack. But the issue has given Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney an opportunity to question Obama on foreign policy and national

security, two areas that have received little attention in an election dominated by the US economy.

Obama’s signature national security accomplishment is the military’s killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Ryan was teeing up the issue for Monday’s presidential debate on foreign policy. “I’m excited we’re going to have a chance to talk about that on Monday,” Ryan said. Obama, speaking Thursday on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” insisted that information was shared with the American people as it came in. The attack is under investigation, Obama said, and “the picture eventually gets filled in.”

“What happens, during the course of a presidency, is that the government is a big operation and any given time something screws up,” Obama said. “And you make sure that you find out what’s broken and you fix it.” The report from the station chief was written late Wednesday, Sept 12, and reached intelligence agencies in Washington the next day, intelligence officials said. It is not clear how widely the information from the CIA station chief was circulated. US intelligence officials have said the information was just one of many widely conflicting accounts, which became clearer by the following week.

Rep Mike Rogers, R-Mich, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said on

CNN that the administration didn’t understand the gravity of the situation in Benghazi and as a result bad decisions were made to promote the video as the root of the violence. “By continuing to promote the video, by escalating the value and credibility of that video to a presidential level, by buying ads in Pakistan that actually fueled protests all across Pakistan - and so, this is what’s so disturbing to me: Were those decisions based on intelligence? I think it’s hard to say yes. So why did they do it? That’s the question we need to get answered. “ Democrats have spent the past week explaining the administration’s handling of the attack. On Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said a period of uncertainty typically follows attacks. “In the wake of an attack like this, in the fog of war, there’s always going to be confusion,” Clinton said. “And I think it is absolutely fair to say that everyone had the same intelligence. Everyone who spoke tried to give the information that they had.” On Tuesday, Obama and Romney argued over when the president first called it a terrorist attack. In his Rose Garden address the morning after the killings, Obama said, “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for.”—Agencies

As other polls show tight race, Gallup stands apart WASHINGTON: The election between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney looks like it will be a knuckle-biter - unless you go by one of the United States’ most respected publicopinion polls. As most sur veys show Obama and Romney locked in a virtual dead heat, Gallup finds that the Republican would win by a comfortable six percentage points if the election were held today.

Questions about the gap between Gallup’s findings and those of other pollsters is the latest fuss this election season over polling methodology as partisan passions come to a boil in the heated final weeks before the Nov 6 presidential contest.

With a record of correctly predicting all but three of the 19 presidential races stretching back to 1936, Gallup is one of the most prestigious names in the business and its outlier status has other polling experts scratching their heads. “They’re just so out of kilter at the moment,” said Simon Jackman, a Stanford University political science professor and author of a book on polling. “Either they’re doing something really wacky or the other 18 pollsters out there are colluding, or something.”

Gallup’s editor in chief, Frank Newport, said he didn’t know why his results didn’t line up with others. Nor did he seem unnerved by the disparity. “We try to keep our eyes on the boat and do the best job possible,” he said. “We’re going over some additional tweaks with our methodologists to make sure we’re on top of it.” When Obama opened up a wide lead in polls last month, Republicans accused researchers of interviewing too many Democrats. Those complaints evaporated when Romney

surged ahead after his strong Oct. 3 debate performance.

Now, the Obama campaign is questioning the validity of Gallup’s methods after it released a poll earlier this week that showed Romney leading among likely voters in the handful of battleground states that will decide the election. Obama pollster Joel Benenson called the Gallup survey an “extreme outlier” and said its formula to determine likely voters created a bias against Obama supporters. “Gallup’s data is once again far out of line with other public pollsters,” he wrote in a memo on Monday.

Republican strategist Karl Rove pointed out on Thursday that no candidate who has ever polled more than 50 percent in the Gallup poll at this point in a presidential race has gone on to lose the election. As it happens, Gallup had Romney at 51 percent that day. The contrast between Gallup and other major polls is stark. As of Friday afternoon, Gallup’s daily tracking poll of likely voters had Romney leading Obama by six percentage points, 51 percent to 45 percent. The Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll, taken from a sample online, had Obama leading by three points on Friday and for much of this week. A Public Policy Polling daily survey had Obama leading by one point, Rand put him ahead by three points and Rasmussen showed the two candidates to be tied. “Firms don’t like being outliers - it causes a lot of self-doubt,” said Harvard University political science professor Stephen Ansolabehere. “It’s OK if you’re wrong if everybody else is wrong with you.

It’s not OK to be wrong if you’re all alone.”

As to be expected in the imperfect world of polling, results from other companies are

FLORIDA: Policemen, part of the motorcade of US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney arrive at a hotel where Romeny will do debate preparations in Delray Beach, Florida. —AFP also at odds with each other. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist poll issued on Friday showed Obama ahead in the swing state of Iowa by the large margin of eight points, but a PPP poll the same day showed Romney ahead there by one point.

There are many possible reasons for variations. Gallup’s tracking poll relies on a seven-day rolling average, so it may still be registering a surge that Romney gained after his strong debate showing on Oct 3.

Several experts suggested that there may be something in the way the Gallup tele-

phone survey is conducted that makes it more likely to translate a surge in enthusiasm for a candidate into an uptick in poll support, leading to wider swings in the final months before Election Day. And there is a growing recognition in the industry that telephone-based surveys are becoming less reliable. As mobile phone use increases, a traditional homephone survey will miss large chunks of the population, especially younger people. But cell phones come with their own set of problems. —Reuters

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

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

Boy’s miracle cure makes Native American saint VATICAN CITY: Jake Finkbonner was so close to death after flesh-eating bacteria infected him through a cut on his lip that his parents had last rites performed and were discussing donating the 5-yearold’s tiny organs. Jake’s 2006 cure from the infection was deemed medically inexplicable by the Vatican, the “miracle” needed to propel a 17th century Native American, Kateri Tekakwitha, on to sainthood. Kateri will be canonized today along with six other people, the first Native American from what is now the US to receive the honor.

Jake is fully convinced, as is the Catholic Church, that the prayers his family and community offered to God through Kateri’s intercession, including the placement of a Kateri relic on Jake’s leg, were responsible for his survival.

Jake, now 12 and an avid basketball player and cross-country runner, will be present at the canonization, along with hundreds of members of his own Lummi tribe from northwest Washington state and indigenous communities across the US and Canada who have converged on Rome to honor one of their own.

It’s a ceremony the Catholic Church hopes will encourage Native Americans to keep to their Christian faith amid continued resentment among some that Catholicism was imposed on them by

colonial-era missionaries centuries ago. “I believe everybody has a purpose on this earth,” Jake’s mother Elsa Finkbonner said this week soon after the family arrived in Rome for the ceremony. “I think this Sunday Jake will define his purpose, and that’s to make Kateri a saint.” Jake, a poised, lanky kid who just got his braces off, seems perfectly at ease with his role in the whole thing, gracious and grateful to the doctors who performed 29 surgeries to save his life and reconstruct his face.

“It’s a really special thing,” Jake told The Associated Press, flanked by his parents on a hotel terrace sofa. “We’ve never been to Rome, and especially meeting the pope? It’ll be an experience of a lifetime.” Besides Kateri, Pope Benedict XVI will declare another American a saint Sunday, Mother Marianne Cope, a 19th century Franciscan nun from Utica, New York - near where Kateri lived two centuries earlier - who cared for lepers exiled to Hawaii’s Kalaupapa Peninsula. Another new saint is Pedro Calungsod, a Filipino teenager who was killed in 1672 along with his Jesuit missionary priest by natives resisting their conversion efforts.

The Catholic Church creates saints to hold up models for the faithful, convinced that their lives even lived hundreds of years ago - are still relevant to

today’s Catholics. The complicated saintmaking procedure requires that the Vatican certify a “miracle” was performed through the intercession of the candidate - a medically inexplicable cure that can be directly linked to the prayers offered by the faithful. One miracle is needed for beatification, a second for canonization. In Jake’s case, Kateri was already an important figure for Catholics in the Lummi tribe, of which his father Donny is a member.

A carved wooden statue sits in the church on the Lummi reservation near Bellingham, Washington, 25 miles south of the Canadian border, where Jake’s grandparents worshipped and where Donny remembers being told of Kateri’s story as a child. Known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” Kateri was born in 1656 to a pagan Iroquois father and an Algonquin Christian mother in what is today upstate New York. Her parents and only brother died when she was 4 during a smallpox epidemic that left her badly scarred and with impaired eyesight. She went to live with her uncle, a Mohawk, and was baptized Catholic by Jesuit missionaries.

But she was ostracized and persecuted by other natives for her faith, and she died in what is now Canada when she was 24. The Rev Tim Sauer was the Finkbonner’s parish priest in Ferndale,

ROME: (From left) Rev Tim Sauer, Donny, Jake, and Elsa Finkbonner, of Ferndale, Washington, pose for a photo after an interview in Rome. — AP Washington - as well as the pastor on the Lummi reservation - when Jake cut his lip while playing basketball on Saturday, Feb 11, 2006. The necrotizing fasciitis bacteria that entered Jake’s body through the cut immediately began spreading, and by the time Sauer arrived at Seattle Children’s Hospital where Jake was airlifted two days later, Donny and Elsa Finkbonner were preparing to bury their

son. “At that point, we were desperate, and we were looking for anyone’s help that would help our son,” Donny said, recalling how doctors had said there wasn’t much else for them to do but pray, and that they had come to terms with the possibility that their oldest of three children might not survive the week. “We wanted Jake back with us desperately,” he recalled. —AP

Pope to name seven saints including Native American Vatican seeks to counter rising tide of secularism

EL-ALAMEIN: French World War II veteran Jean-Mathieu Boris, 91, gives a speech as French Minister of Veterans Qader Arif (left) listens on, during an international commemoration, organized by Britain yesterday to mark 70 years since the decisive battle that sealed the Allied victory in North Africa. — AFP

70 years after the battle, WWII veterans return to El-Alamein EL-ALAMEIN: World War II veterans and delegates from former foes gathered yesterday in the Egyptian town of El-Alamein to mark 70 years since the decisive battle that sealed the Allied victory in North Africa. Many on wheelchairs or using walking sticks, the veterans-most now in their 90s-wandered the cemeteries where their comrades were buried, handkerchiefs in hand as emotions welled. “I already came for the 50th and 60th anniversaries. When you walk here between the graves of these young fellows, when you see names that you knew, you feel sad,” said Joe Madeley, an Australian veteran who also fought in the Libyan town of Tobruk 70 years ago.

“I’m happy to able to be here but it’s difficult to express my feelings,” said William Bristow from New Zealand, who was 24 when he fought in the war. With so few surviving World War II veterans, the ceremony could be the last of its kind. The international commemoration, organized by Britain, was held in the Commonwealth cemetery in the Mediterranean town, where more than 7,000 soldiers from the member countries have been buried, as well as around 100 soldiers of other nationalities. Some 60 veterans including Australians, New Zealanders, British, French, Greek, Italians and German have flocked to El-Alamein, now a sprawling seaside resort 120 km west of Alexandria. “It’s a more emotional trip than I had imagined,” said Jean-Mathieu Boris, 91. Today ’s Mediterranean coast, dotted with hotels and holiday compounds, is a far cry from

the one Boris remembers. “You have to use your imagination, because in 1942 it was only a dot on the map in the desert,” he said. Dignitaries at the ceremony included New Zealand’s Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman and Gianfranco Fini, president of the Italian chamber of deputies.

Other countries were represented by their ministers for veterans’ affairs, while the British and German military attaches in Egypt gave speeches. “Together we celebrate all that has been achieved since those days through cooperation with people across the world, especially our reconciliation and friendship with former enemies,” Reverend Mike Parker of Cairo’s All Saints Cathedral told attendants. Separate national ceremonies were also held on the site of the battle, notably at the Italian cemetery where some 5,200 soldiers are buried and the German cemetery, the final resting place for 4,200 German soldiers. The battle of El-Alamein-which began on October 23, 1942 - saw British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s forces fight the Afrika Korps of Germany’s Erwin Rommel. The defeat of the German and Italian forces put an end to Hitler and Mussolini’s ambitions to take over the port of Alexandria on the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal. The battle was a major turning point in the war, halting the advance of the Axis in North Africa before the final victory a year later.

Several protesters gathered outside the cemetery holding signs recalling that, 70 years after the war, the area is still littered with mines.— AFP

Putin’s foes go online to elect new leaders MOSCOW: Russia’s opposition yesterday voted for new leaders to spearhead the drive against Vladimir Putin and regain the momentum lost since his thumping May presidential return. But in the early hours, hacking scuppered the voting, much of which was done online, while nearly a dozen police vans surrounded the one site in Moscow where Putin’s opponents could cast their ballots by hand-a security measure the anti-Putin forces saw as a form of pressure.

More than 200 candidates fielded by Russia’s splintered protest movement-from ex-chess king Garry Kasparov to regular students and activists-are vying for one of 45 seats on the so-called Coordinating Committee. Internet voting was due to have been conducted nationally on the cvk2012.org website after more than 165,000 were registered online. But the site became unresponsive as soon as elections began in Moscow at 8:00 am and only resumed periodic service hours later.

Organizers said their site was the victim of a distributed denial of service attack (DdoS) attack that opposition forces have blamed in the past on pro-Kremlin youth groups that wage Internet war against the opposition.

“Oh how they do love to fear elections,” top opposition leader Alexei Navalny tweet-

ed in reference to the Russian authorities and their supporters. The highly symbolic poll’s sole purpose is to inject new energy into a protest movement that has lost steam since last winter when it appeared to pose the first serious challenge to Putin’s 13-year rule. The very fact that the election is being held at all has returned many of the protest leaders back to the Russian news pages and led to heated debates among the social network savvy hipsters who make the opposition’s largest constituency.

The young crowd’s spirits have been flagging because the rallies they have attended since Putin reclaimed power have dwindled ominously in attendance-a sign to many that the movement was quickly degenerating into a spent force. Protest organizers conceded they needed new leaders with mandates who felt like they represented real constituencies and thus were more closely connected with the rank-and-file. A handful of special polling stations were also set up in Moscow and a few other large cities that have been the focus of most opposition activity in recent months. But the voting has generated almost no interest in the provinces and few Russians nationally seem to be aware of it as the state media continue to devote their attention to Putin and his daily affairs.— AFP

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI will name seven new saints today including the first Native American, marking the star t of a “Year of Faith” aimed at countering the rising tide of secularism in the West.

Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) informally known as “Lily of the Mohawks” lived in an area that is now on the border between the United States and Canada and is worshipped by believers in native religions as well as Catholics. She will be canonized in St Peter ’s Basilica at a lavish ceremony that follows her beatification in 1980 by late pope John Paul II. At least 1,500 Canadian pilgrims-many of them American Indians-are expected to attend.

The other new saints include a French missionary to Madagascar, a Philippine seminarian martyred at the age of 17, a German migrant to the United States who took care of lepers and a Spanish nun who campaigned for women’s rights.

Vatican watchers said the choice to name these particular saints now was linked to the Roman Catholic Church’s efforts to highlight the need for a “new evangelization” as church pews in Europe and the United States empty out. The canonizations come amid a synod of 262 bishops from around the world. Tekakwitha, who had an Algonquin mother and a Mohawk father, was converted by Jesuit missionaries as a child. After surviving smallpox and being orphaned, she earned a following for her deep spiritualism before dying at just 24. Another well-known figure from North America being canonized will be German-born Franciscan nun Maria Anna Cope (1838-1918). She is known as

CEBU: Filipino Catholic devotees carry a statue of Pedro Calungsod (center), who will be made a patron saint for young people, at the Saint Gregory the Great Parish in Cebu yesterday. Millions of Catholics in the Philippines are gearing up to celebrate the canonization of the country’s second saint, a missionary killed 340 years ago who is being promoted as a youth hero. — AFP “Mother Marianne of Molokai” because she looked after lepers on the island of Molokai in the Hawaii archipelago. A French Jesuit, Jacques Berthieu, who was executed in 1896 in Madagascar by rebels from the Menalamba movement is also on the list. The missionary had refused to renounce his faith and is being considered the first saint of Madagascar, where he lived for 21 years. France’s Socialist government, which has tense ties with the Church, will be sending Interior Minister Manuel Valls to the ceremony. Another “martyr” who will be canonized today is the Philippines’ Pedro Calungsod, a

young seminarian who was killed on the island of Guam when he visited with a Jesuit priest to baptize a young girl. The young man could have run away from the killing but chose to stay. A German lay woman Maria Schaeffer, who was from the pope’s German home state of Bavaria, is also being rewarded. Schaeffer, who died in 1925, was badly burnt after falling into boiling water and spent the rest of her life bedridden.

She is credited with spreading the word of God among local villages. An Italian priest, Giovanni Battista Piamarta, who in the late 19th century devoted his life to

helping young people during the industrial revolution and founded a religious congregation, is also being canonized. The seventh new saint, Spanish nun Maria del Carmen, also founded a congregation and worked to better the lot of poor women in the 19th century, defending their social rights and helping their children’s education.

The new canonizations will bring to 44 the number of saints named by the pope since the start of his pontificate in 2005. Catholic saints have to have two miracles to their names which have to be certified by the Vatican in a years-long procedure.— AFP

S Sudan vice president dismisses talk of ‘coup’ Govt concerned by rebellion in country’s east NEW YORK: South Sudan’s vice president, Riek Machar has dismissed rumors of a planned military coup, saying it would be “unwise” for army officers to attempt a takeover of the year-old state. The speculation was serious enough to prompt South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to visit the headquarters of Sudan’s army (SPLA) this week to warn that any successful coup leaders would be isolated internationally, according to the Sudan Tribune. During a visit to New York to meet with potential investors, Machar laughed off the rumors of a coup as not a serious threat and said that a recently detained general had not been arrested for planning a coup, but for other issues.

“When I first heard of it, I dismissed it,” he told Reuters. “The nature of the state of South Sudan is borne out of an exercise of (the) right to selfdetermination. ... It would be unwise for military officers to say ‘there is a takeover.’” South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in July 2011.

The move came six months after a referendum agreed to under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war that left more than 2 million people dead.

Distrust between the neighbors runs deep and tensions erupted into fighting along the border in April, when South Sudan’s army briefly occupied the Heglig oilfield, which is vital to Sudan’s economy. The two countries agreed late last month to set up a demilitarized border zone and resume oil exports from the landlocked south after South Sudan shut them down in a dispute with Sudan over transit fees. The deal failed to resolve problems including where to draw the final border, what to do with the dis-

puted Abyei area and how to end rebellions in both countries that each government blames the other for backing.

Machar said the government was working to resolve a small two-year-old revolt in eastern Jonglei state that has been further fueled by a heavy-handed government bid to collect thousands of weapons left from the civil war. Rights groups have accused the army of shooting, torturing and raping people during the campaign.

“All those who committed atrocities were apprehended,” Machar said of those allegations.

“It did cause resentment. ... We are concerned about it. That area is developmentally backward.

We want it to join the rest of South Sudan in development instead of being theater for conflict.” “We don’t want to start a new state with a rebellion,” he said of efforts to reach peace in the east. Machar accused Sudan of recently air dropping weapons to the rebels. He said he hopes with the “new mood” between the neighbors that led to the oil and border zone deal last month Sudan “will stop meddling in the affairs of South Sudan.”

Sudan’s government and military routinely deny South Sudan’s accusations that Sudan is backing insurgencies. Machar said he had been meeting with investors in New York to urge them to spend in South Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries, on agriculture to make the state the “breadbasket for East Africa.”

“Our people, their expectations are so high, so great, that with the declaration of independence they want South Sudan to be at the same level with neighboring countries,” he said. “This is our biggest challenge.”—Reuters

Twitter ‘to remove anti-Semitic posts’ PARIS: Twitter, a day after saying it blocked a neo-Nazi account in Germany in a global first, made another major concession Friday by agreeing to remove anti-Semitic posts in France, a lawyer said. The company did not immediately confirm the move, but the lawyer for a French Jewish student union said that after it threatened legal action, Twitter agreed to take down many of the offending tweets that have recently flooded the site. UEJF lawyer Stephane Lilti said after a meeting with Twitter’s lawyer in France that his client had scored an “important victory” over the microblogging site. The student union on Thursday threatened to seek an injunction against Twitter to try to make it remove the offending tweets which proliferated in France with the hashtag #unbonjuif (#AGoodJew).

The tag has been one of the top trending words on French-language tweets and is often followed by comments such as: “#AGoodJew is a dead Jew”. The UEJF provided Twitter late Friday with around 30 tweets that it wants removed, along with a list of about a dozen Twitter handles, Lilti said, adding that the list wasn’t exhaustive and would grow with time. “It’s the start, hopefully, of a fruitful collaboration,” he said, but added that it did not mean an end to any legal proceedings, as Twitter was refusing to provide them with the identities of the authors of the offending posts. —AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

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

6 Afghan policemen poisoned, shot dead Police officer, cook poison their colleagues

POTTISKUM: Burnt cars are seen at the business and skills center following gun battle and explosions by the Boko Haram sect in Potiskum Nigeria yesterday. — AP

Gunmen kill 30 in Nigeria northeast KANO: Gunmen killed seven people in Nigeria’s troubled city of Potiskum yesterday, taking the death toll to at least 30 for three days of violence in the northeastern town, police and residents said.

Suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamist group shot dead seven people, including a retired customs chief and an ex-police officer early yesterday, police said. “I have received reports of the killing of a retired controller of customs and a retired police officer and five members of their family by Boko Haram gunmen in Potiskum this morning,” Yobe state police commissioner Patrick Egbuniwe yesterday.

Egbuniwe said the gunmen killed the ex-customs officer Ajiya Waziri and his medical doctor son, before the attack on the police officer and four members of his family. Residents said Waziri and his son were abducted from their house and taken to the outskirts of the city where they were shot dead. Their bodies were dumped on the roadside. A domestic staff said around 10 gunmen took away cash and other valuables from the house before setting it ablaze. “Their bodies were found with bullet wounds on the outskirts of the city later today,” he said.

Residents said the gunmen also broke into the house of Haruna Adamu, a retired assistant superintendent of police in Sabon Layi area of the city. “It was past midnight when I heard several gunshots followed by screams which woke me up,” said Tabiu Hamza, a neighbor of the slain police officer. “Some neighbors including myself rushed to the house after the gunmen had left only to find all the five members of the family, including Haruna, his wife and three children dead,” he said. Potiskum, the commercial hub of Yobe state, has been hard hit by near daily Islamist attacks in recent weeks. A wave of attacks by suspected Islamists that began on Thursday had already left at least 23 other people dead and several buildings destroyed. A nurse at the Potiskum general hospital spoke of 20 bodies being brought to the morgue, while residents said three bodies were buried by their families following explosions and shootings in the restive city on Thursday. “We now have a total of 20 bodies brought in yesterday from the attacks of the previous night. Initially 11 bodies were brought and nine more were received later,” a nurse who asked not to be named said.

“Most of them have gunshot wounds but some had their throat slit. The bodies included that of a police sergeant and a prison warder,” he said. Residents said the toll could be higher as some relations had taken some bodies from the streets for burial. “I participated in the burial of three residents who were killed in the attacks. I was at their separate burials yesterday. These are the ones I know.

There could be several others,” resident Hamisu Nababa said. Explosions and gunfire shook the northeastern city Thursday, with residents reporting that several schools and a government building were burnt. A military source said some buildings had been destroyed by homemade bombs and a security checkpoint was attacked in the latest deadly incident to hit the city, a Boko Haram hotbed. Residents reported heavy deployment of troops and armored vehicles in Potiskum yesterday to forestall fresh violence. Boko Haram’s insurgency in northern and central Nigeria, including killings by security forces, is believed to have left more than 2,800 people dead since 2009.

POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP Meanwhile, Nigeria’s military arrested a member of the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram at the home of a prominent senator, an official said late Friday, adding weight to claims that the violent group has political sponsorship. Shuaibu Muhammed Bama had been found “in a serving senator’s home” in Maiduguri on Thursday night, military spokesman Lt Col Sagir Musa said.

Musa described Bama as a commander who organized attacks in Bama, a town just southeast of Maiduguri in Borno state.

Those living in Nigeria’s Muslim north often take the name of their town or village as a surname. He also is not the first to join Boko Haram from that town.

Authorities blamed a Christmas Day car bombing of a Catholic church outside Nigeria’s capital that killed at least 44 people on Habibu Bama, a former soldier from the town. Security forces killed Habibu Bama in June, the sect has said. Musa did not name the senator in his statement.

However, the only senator who has a home in the area where Bama was arrested in is Sen Ahmed Zanna, a member of the governing People’s Democratic Party in Nigeria’s National Assembly. Zanna and officials in his office could not be immediately reached for comment yesterday morning.

Rumors have always circled that Boko Haram received backing from some political sponsors in Nigeria, a country where politicians often arm militants to rig elections. In January, President Goodluck Jonathan himself said that the sect had infiltrated all levels of government, including the armed forces and security agencies.

This is not the first time a serving senator has been accused of being in league with Boko Haram. Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume was arrested in November and faces charges over being involved with the group. Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is sacrilege” in the Hausa language of Nigeria’s north, is blamed for killing more than 690 people this year alone, according to an AP count. — Agencies

Bangladesh jails 723 soldiers for mutiny DHAKA: A Bangladesh court yesterday jailed 723 border guards for their role in a bloody 2009 mutiny, bringing the total number of soldiers imprisoned for the unrest to nearly 6,000, prosecutors said. Fifty-seven senior army officers were killed during an uprising that began when soldiers at the Bangladeshi Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Dhaka went on a killing spree, later dumping victims’ bodies in sewers and shallow graves. A special military court in the capital found 723 border guards guilty of “joining and leading the mutiny”, state prosecutor Gazi Zillur Rahman said, a charge that attracts a maximum penalty of seven years. “In all 735 border guards... were charged. Two died during the trial and 10 were acquitted. Of the 723 found guilty, 64 soldiers were sentenced to seven years in jail,” Rahman said.

The mutiny spread from Dhaka to BDR posts across the country, with thousands of guards taking up arms against their commanding officers.

Dozens of special courts-run by the military using a mix of martial and civilian law-were set up to prosecute

mutineers, with the first verdict, which saw 29 soldiers convicted, being handed down in April 2010.

A total of 5,926 BDR soldiers have now been convicted, another prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain said. “ With today’s verdict, the BDR mutiny case has come to an end. In all 6,046 soldiers from the BDR’s 57 battalions from across the country were tried in the case. It’s the biggest case in the country’s history,” he said.

Those convicted include hundreds of nurses and sportsmen who represented the country internationally. The courts, headed by military officers, did not allow defendants to have lawyers and there is no right of appeal.

Soldiers accused of more serious offences-including murder-are being tried separately in civilian courts and could face the death penalty if convicted. Of the 723 soldiers convicted yesterday, 86 still face murder charges, said prosecutor Rahman. The BDR has since the event changed its name to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BAG) in an effort to distance itself from the mutiny. — AFP

KANDAHAR: An Afghan police officer and cook poisoned their colleagues at a checkpoint in an assault coordinated with insurgent fighters that left six dead in the country’s south, officials said yesterday. It was the latest in a string of attacks from inside the Afghan army and police that are threatening to undermine both the partnership with international troops - which have been the target of many attacks - and the morale of Afghan forces, who have suffered equally heavy casualties from such strikes.

The police officer and the cook worked with outside insurgents in the assault, which hit police manning a checkpoint in the Gereskh district of Helmand province, the governor’s office said in a statement. They poisoned two of the officers and then the militants attacked from outside, killing the remaining four officers, provincial spokesman Ahmad Zirak said. He did not say how the officers were poisoned. The police officer was captured as he fled, but the cook escaped and remains at large, Zirak added.

The insurgent gunmen escaped by motorcycle with weapons and ammunition, the governor’s statement said. A recent upsurge in the number of insider attacks on coalition troops by Afghan soldiers or police - or insurgents disguised in their uniforms - has further undermined public support for the war in the West. So far this year, at least 52 foreign troops - about half of them Americans - have been killed in insider attacks.

The Afghan government has not provided statistics on the number of its forces killed in insider attacks. However, US military statistics obtained by The Associated Press show at least 53 members of the Afghan security forces had been killed by the end of August.

Meanwhile, a Taleban attack elsewhere in Helmand killed two district community council members, while Taleban-fired rocket-propelled grenades destroyed a warehouse full of food destined for the main US base in Afghanistan. Insurgents ambushed the council members while they were driving to a tribal meeting in the volatile Sangin district, the

governor’s office said in its statement, adding that the attackers escaped and police are pursuing them. The attack against the council members is a reminder of the other worrying trend in insurgent tactics this year - a shift toward more targeted killings of those affiliated with the government. The United Nations has recorded a sharp increase in such killings in the first six months of 2012 as compared

Group in Dubai, wrote in an email. She said no one was injured and staff at the site did not have to evacuate. The fire could still be seen burning Saturday morning, said Mohammad Asif, the deputy administrator for Bagram district, where the compound is located. He said the Supreme compound encompasses about five hectares.

Frost said the fire was contained much ear-

HEART: An Afghan man drives a traditional horse-drawn cart in Heart yesterday. Over a third of Afghans are living in abject poverty, as those in power are more concerned about addressing their vested interests rather than the basic needs of the population, a UN report said. — AFP with the same period of 2011. In the warehouse attack, insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades at a compound used by military contractor Supreme Group to store food and other supplies destined for Bagram Air Field, the main US base in the country. A warehouse inside the compound caught fire in the assault and burned through the night.

“The local fire brigade attended the scene and brought the fire under control, but the warehouse itself and all contents were destroyed,” Victoria Frost, a spokeswoman for Supreme

Tanzania religious tensions escalate STONE TOWN: Muslim protesters clashed with police in Tanzania’s commercial capital and on the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar on Friday, raising religious tensions in the east African country. In Dar es Salaam, protests against the arrest of a hardline Muslim cleric turned violent, while in Zanzibar, supporters of an Islamist separatist group have repeatedly fought police over the disappearance of their spiritual leader, who was then released after nearly four days in captivity. The violence has raised concerns of an escalation in religious tensions in relatively stable and secular Tanzania, east Africa’s second-largest economy.

In Zanzibar, a predominantly Muslim island, supporters of the Islamic Uamsho (Awakening) movement protested for the third day. Uamsho followers, mostly youths and urban poor, clashed with police after Friday prayers, hurling rocks at police who retaliated with tear gas in sporadic exchanges around the main historic area of Stone Town. Roads were temporarily closed, with rocks and coconuts strewn across the asphalt, and most businesses shut for the day. Riot police were stationed around mosques around Stone Town.

Fighting erupted on Wednesday, a day after the group’s leader Sheikh Farid Hadi disappeared in unknown circumstances. But late on Friday evening, the popular cleric was released, with shouts of “Allah Akbar” heard rising above Stone Town’s maze of narrow alleys which separate Arab-style white coral stone houses. “He is free. I had my picture taken with him,” Thabit Juma, an eyewitness said. One Uamsho member who did not wish to be named confirmed Hadi has been freed, though he would not comment on who was responsible for his disappearance.

Earlier in the day another influential Uamsho cleric Sheikh Azzan Hamdan said the police were not doing enough to search for Hadi and set a deadline, 4 pm, for Hadi’s safe return. Violence between Uamsho and police broke out earlier this year on the archipelago, a tourist hotspot. Analysts say the Uamsho group has been gaining popularity because of disenchantment with Zanzibar’s main opposition Civic United Front party after its decision to form a government with the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party.

In Dar es Salaam, protesters left the Mtambani mosque after Friday prayers and marched towards the town centre chanting demands for the release of Muslim cleric Sheikh Issa Ponda. “Police came in and started firing tear gas, while Muslim protesters responded by throwing stones,” witness Salum Haji told Reuters. In the city centre streets were deserted in anticipation of further violence.

“All shops are closed in the city centre and there are heavily armed policemen patrolling the streets.

We are all locked inside (a shop). I don’t know how I’m going to get home,” resident Neema Swai said.

Dar es Salaam’s regional police commander, Suleiman Kova, said Ponda had been arrested on Tuesday for criminal trespass on private property and inciting followers to commit violence. Ponda is the secretary general of the Council of Islamic Organization, a group that vies for influence against the government-backed National Muslims Council of Tanzania.

Though Ponda is not known to have any links to Uamsho, the protesters also demonstrated against Hadi’s disappearance. Mainland Tanzania, ruled by the secular government of President Jakaya Kikwete, has been rocked by religious tension for the past week. — Reuters

lier. “As with any major fire, there are some areas still smoldering but there is no current danger to any of the staff or the other buildings within the compound,” she said. Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in an email that the fire at the Supreme Group compound destroyed a “large stock of food meant for US troops.” Frost did not say how much material was destroyed though she did say it was “primarily food supplies,” adding that the company was working to make up the loss with inventory from other warehouses. — AP

Fear stalks DR Congo rebel-held territory RUGARI: “Women and girls are raped by M23. They steal our goats and property from our homes,” said a resident of Rugari, in a rebel-held part of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. “I’m taking my daughter to the Kanyarucinya camp, where my wife and my other children are staying. Even little girls are raped.” The March 23 Movement (M23) largely comprises former members of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), an ex-rebel force that was integrated into the army under a 2009 peace pact. But earlier this year they deserted the army in a new revolt, and fighting between the two sides has displaced more than 300,000 people. Since May the mutineers have held part of the verdant Rutshuru territory in North Kivu province, on the border with Rwanda and Uganda.

United Nations reports accuse Rwanda of backing M23 as part of the intertwined ethnic conflicts and battles for the mineral wealth of the resourcerich area, a charge that the Kigali government denies. “Where I live, there are not many rapes. But in Rugari, the raping of women is widespread,” said a resident of a nearby village. He declined to specify who was to blame, but suspected men of M23. The mutineers are also accused of recruiting child soldiers, looting and summary executions. But M23’s president, Jean-Marie Runiga, refutes the allegations. “If it happens that men of M23 carry out atrocities, they will be tried and sentenced. Up until now, there have not been any atrocities,” he said.

Runiga is based at Bunagana, a major border post with Uganda. Following heavy fighting in this zone, life has slowed down, as in other areas con-

quered by M23. “It’s a crisis! Nothing is the way it used to be,” said a restaurant owner. “People have not all come back.

Many continue to cross the border into Uganda to spend the night. I sleep there myself because here there are no guarantees of safety, and I don’t like to stay here when the rebels are here,” she added. M23 is seeking to reassure local people. It encouraged parents to send their children to school at the start of the academic year in early September. After a timid start, schoolchildren can now be seen everywhere in their blue and white uniforms.

Elsewhere, on the outskirts of central Rutshuru, brand new panels with the M23 logo are marked “Fight corruption” in English, French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda. Taxes that were seen as extortion and are the hallmark of territorial armed groups in North Kivu have been scrapped. In their place, a toll system has been installed. “The tax depends on the weight of the vehicle and the kinds of goods. It’s five dollars for a minibus, 20 for the Fuso lorries, and can go up to 50 for the very big trucks,” said Benjamin Mbonimpa, the territorial administrator appointed by M23 in July.

Rutshuru seems to be a calm place.

“We see absolutely nothing bad regarding M23, but people are afraid because of all that has happened... They lack confidence,” murmured a trader in the town, who stated that he had heard no talk of rape. Near Rumangabo, headquarters of the biggest military base in North Kivu, which dates back to the Belgian colonial era, “there are rapes, thefts... Last Wednesday, people stole things just next door,” whispered an old man, pointing to a nearby plot of land. — AFP

KASHMIR: A young Kashmir girl, relative of civilian Farooq Ahmed, cries during his funeral procession in Lariyar, around 40 kilometers south of Srinagar yesterday. — AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

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

US aircraft carrier cruises disputed Asian seas WASHINGTON: A US aircraft carrier group cruised through the disputed South China Sea yesterday in a show of American power in waters that are fast becoming a focal point of Washington’s strategic rivalry with Beijing. Vietnamese security and government officials were flown onto the nuclear-powered USS George Washington ship, underlining the burgeoning military relationship between the former enemies. A small number of journalists were also invited to witness the display of maritime might in the oil-rich waters, which are home to islands disputed between China and the other smaller Asian nations facing the sea.

The visit will likely reassure Vietnam and the Philippines of American support but could annoy China, whose growing economic and naval strength is leading to a greater assertiveness in pressing its claims there. The United States is building closer economic and military alliances with Vietnam and other nations in the region as part of a “pivot” away from the Middle East to Asia, a shift in large part meant to counter rising Chinese influence. The Vietnamese officials took photos of F16 fighter jets taking off and landing on the ships 1,000-foot- (305-meter-)

long flight deck, met the captain and toured the hulking ship, which has more than 5,000 sailors on board.

The mission came a day after Beijing staged military exercises near islands in the nearby East China Sea it disputes with US ally Japan. Those tensions have flared in recent days. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, where the US says it has a national interest in ensuring freedom of navigation in an area crossed by vital shipping lanes. Vietnam, the Philippines and several other Asian nations also claim parts of the sea. The disputes attracted little international interest until the late 1990s, when surveys indicated possible large oil reserves.

American rivalry with China has given the disputes an extra dimension in recent years.

The US Navy regularly patrols the Asia-Pacific region, conducting joint exercises with its allies and training in the strategic region. The trip by the George Washington off the coast of Vietnam is its third in as many years. A second aircraft carrier, the USS John C Stennis, has also conducting operations in the western Pacific region recently, according to the US Pacific Fleet. Capt Gregory Fenton said the

mission was aimed in part at improving relations with Vietnam and ensuring the US had free passage in the South China Sea. China’s military buildup, including the launch of its own carrier last year and rapid development of ballistic missiles and cyber warfare capabilities, could potentially crimp the US forces’ freedom to operate in the waters. The United States doesn’t publicly take sides in the territorial disputes among China and its neighbors. “It is our goal to see the region’s nations figure out these tensions ... on their own, our role of that to date is to conduct freedom of navigation exercises within international waters,” Fenton said in an interview on the bridge.

Although claimant countries have pledged to settle the territorial rifts peacefully, the disputes have erupted in violence in the past, including in 1988 when China and Vietnam clashed in the Spratly Islands in a confrontation that killed 64 Vietnamese soldiers.

Many fear the disputes could become Asia’s next flash point for armed conflict. Vietnam is pleased to accept help from its one-time foe America as a hedge against its giant neighbor China, with which it also tries to main-

AT SEA: A US Navy SH-60 Seahawk prepares to land on the deck of the nuclear-powered USS George Washington (CVN73) off southern coast of Vietnam in South China yesterday. — AP tain good relations. Still, the Hanoi government reacted angrily to recent moves by Beijing to establish a garrison on one of the Paracel islands, which Vietnam claims.

The United States also criticized the move by Beijing, earning it a rebuke from the government there. “China will take this (cruise) as another expression by the United States of its desire to maintain regional domination,” said

Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the EastWest Center in Hawaii. “The US also wants to send a message to the region that it is here for the long haul ... and that it wants to back up international law.” While most analysts believe military confrontation in the waters is highly unlikely anytime soon, they say tensions are likely to increase as China continues pressing its claims and building its navy. — AP

Secret Service chief may have ‘misled’ on scandal Biggest scandal to hit Secret Service

Japan’s Empress Michiko

Japan empress turns 78 TOKYO: Japanese Empress Michiko celebrated her 78th birthday yesterday, expressing relief over Emperor Akihito’s recovery from heart surgery and hoping to live with him “in peace” despite her own health concerns. Akihito underwent coronary bypass surgery in February, three months after he was hospitalized to treat bronchial pneumonia, further raising concerns about the monarch, whose cancerous prostate gland was removed in 2003.

“At times I worried whether His Majesty would ever get better, but gradually signs of improvement began to appear,” Michiko said in a statement released in response to a questionnaire from the Imperial Palace’s press corps.

The emperor, who turns 79 in December, recovered well enough to attend a ceremony in March marking the first anniversary of Japan’s earthquake-tsunami disaster, and visit Britain to attend the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in May. “Both the Queen and the Emperor looked so happy when they met at Windsor Castle that, looking on by their side, I felt deeply happy as well,” said

Michiko. The Imperial Household Agency said the empress takes morning walks with the emperor to ease the pain of backache she sometimes suffers upon waking. “Although at times I feel aches and pains and I am beginning to experience some discomfort I am somehow learning to manage them and am hoping that I may spend the coming days together with His Majesty rather quietly and in peace,” she said.

Michiko, the daughter of a flour milling magnate, became the first commoner to marry into the world’s oldest continual monarchy, when, in 1959, she and the eldest son of the late Emperor Hirohito tied the knot. They have two sons and a daughter. Speaking about the quake-tsunami which forced tens of thousands of people to move from their homes near the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the empress said: “It is my sincere wish that those people be given the most accurate information available so that their lives will be safer and more stable.” She called for “proper care” to be given to those working “valiantly” at the plant. — AFP

Panetta: Cyberspace the battlefront of the future WASHINGTON: Cyberspace is the battlefield of the future, with attackers already going after banks and other financial institutions and developing the ability to strike US power grids and government systems, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. “We confront a whole new threat of warfare in (cyberspace). ... This is an area we’ve got to pay close attention to. This is the battlefront of the future,” he told a business group in Norfolk, Virginia, a city at the center of one of the largest concentrations of military power in the United States.

Panetta’s remarks came a week after he delivered a major policy speech on cyber security to a New York business group, saying the US military could act pre-emptively if it detects an imminent threat of cyber attack. US banks and financial institutions have been under sustained attack in recent weeks by suspected Iranian hackers thought to be responding to economic sanctions aimed at forcing Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.

A group calling itself the Cyber Fighters of Izz ad-din Al Qassam has claimed credit for the disruptions, calling them a protest against an anti-Islam video posted on YouTube that has provoked violent protests across the Muslim world. “As I speak, there are attacks going on in this country, cyber attacks, on financial institutions, on banks,” Panetta told the business group on Friday, adding that Washington faces hundreds of thousands of attacks per day. He did

not specify the country from which the attacks were originating. “Now they are developing the capability to be able to go after our grid, our power grid, our financial systems, our government systems, and virtually paralyze this country,” he said.

William Robertson, an assistant professor at Northeastern University in Boston who testified on cyber security legislation in Congress earlier this year, said in an interview the government is “quite understandably worried” about the threat. “I don’t think it’s hyperbole,” he added. “These kinds of attacks that he’s talking about have actually been going on for quite some time. And they’ve been increasing in intensity lately.” Panetta said last week the United States has made significant investments in cyber forensics to deal with the problem of identifying the source of a cyber attack. He warned potential attackers that the United States has “the capacity to locate them and hold them accountable.”

Robertson said identifying the source of a cyber attack remains difficult.

“Identity and attribution on the Internet are not very robust. If you look at kind of the underlying protocols that kind of power the Internet ... there’s no real strong mechanism for identifying where something is coming from,” he said. Panetta also said that more pressure on Congress is needed to push it to act to avoid a round of automatic budget cuts due to go into effect in January. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: A Republican senator has accused the head of the US Secret Service of making potentially ‘misleading statements’ to Congress about a prostitution scandal involving agency employees before a presidential trip to Colombia in April. Senator Ron Johnson, the senior Republican on the Homeland Security subcommittee on oversight of government management, issued a memo detailing his concerns about Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan’s statements to Congress on May 23.

“There are discrepancies between public statements and information uncovered in the independent investigation led by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General that suggest the administration misled or withheld information from Congress,” Johnson said in the 9-page memo to the full Homeland Security Committee.

Johnson said he issued the memo after his staff reviewed the inspector general’s investigation report on the scandal, which has not been publicly released. His memo came three weeks before the Nov 6 elections and appeared to irk others on the panel.

Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, an independent, while not mentioning Johnson by name said: “ This unauthorized leak of sensitive, selective information from the IG’s report is unfair to the United States Secret Service and its director, Mark Sullivan.” In the biggest scandal to ever hit the agency, about a dozen Secret Service employees were accused of misconduct for bringing women, some of them prostitutes, back to their hotel rooms ahead of a visit by President Barack Obama to Cartagena, Colombia.

Sullivan told Congress the names of the foreign women had been sent to US intelligence

agencies but no connections to terrorist, human trafficking or drug cartel organizations were found. But the inspector general’s investigation found that two of the women got “hits” in the intelligence community database, Johnson said in his memo. On further review one woman was found not to match the one in the database, while the other was “still of concern,” Johnson said. A Secret Service official said Sullivan had been briefed prior to the congressional hearing that checks of the women’s names against national security and law enforcement databases in the United States and Colombia, “had yielded no derogatory information.”

MORE PREVALENT At that hearing, in closed-door briefings, as well as a one-on-one meeting in his office in June, Johnson said he was given assurances that events in Cartagena were “a singular occurrence for the Secret Service.” But the inspector general’s investigation revealed that “solicitation of prostitutes may be more prevalent than Congress was led to believe, and that there may be a culture of acceptance” inside of the Secret Service, Johnson said.

During the inspector general’s investigation, one Secret Service agent involved in misconduct in Cartagena reported having solicited prostitutes both in El Salvador and Panama in 2008 to 2009, Johnson said. A Secret Service official said that agent had previously told the Secret Service office of professional responsibility that he had not had any prior contact with prostitutes.

“The investigation further uncovered allegations of similar misconduct in China and Romania,” Johnson’s memo said. The inspector general investigation has also found that at least 11 Secret Service personnel admitted to

having knowledge of similar misconduct occurring on other occasions, the memo said.

“Director Mark Sullivan and the Secret Service have conducted a fair and thorough investigation resulting from the Cartagena incident,” Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said on Friday. “The agency response to those with oversight responsibility has been timely and truthful ...” The inspector general reviewed Secret Service reports of contact with foreign nationals between Dec 16, 2008 and June 15, 2012 and found that before the Cartagena incident there were 105 reports of contact with foreign nationals, while after the incident 423 new reports of contact with foreign nationals were filed, Johnson’s memo said.

“The nature of these foreign contacts is unclear,” it said. Johnson also criticized Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano for inaction since receiving the report about phase one of the inspector general’s investigation on Sept 26, which did not include any recommendations.

“It seems to me that a Cabinet-level secretary wouldn’t need a recommendation to determine if action should be taken on the troubling findings in that report,” Johnson said in a statement. “ The Department’s General Counsel received the OIG’s Report of Investigation regarding the conduct of US Secret Service personnel in Cartagena, Colombia. The report reviewed allegations of personnel misconduct and found that 13 agents had engaged in misconduct,” Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matthew Chandler said. “The US Secret Service had already taken appropriate action against these employees” prior to the completion of the inspector general’s report of investigation, he said. — Reuters

Myanmar may participate in US-Thai military exercise BANGKOK: Myanmar’s military, long criticized for human rights abuses, may be invited as an observer at annual US-Thai joint military exercise next year, officials in Washington and Bangkok said.

The potential invitation to the Cobra Gold exercise would come after years of Myanmar being frozen out of US regional activities because of Washington’s disapproval of the former military regime’s repression. Thailandbased Cobra Gold is the biggest and longest-standing US military exercise in the Asia-Pacific region.

With reforms taken under the elected government that took power in Myanmar last year, relations have turned around, though Washington has proceeded with caution for fears of backsliding by Myanmar President Thein Sein’s government.

Myanmar may be invited for the exercise, which normally takes place at the beginning of each year, but there has been no final decision, Pentagon press secretary George Little said in Washington.

He added that it is Thailand that sends out the invitations in consultation with the US. “The United States is open to considering a request from the Kingdom of Thailand to have a small contingent of Burmese military officers attend Cobra Gold as observers to observe the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief

and medical, medicine portion of the exercise as long as it is consistent with US efforts to advance protection of human rights, civilian rule of the military, anti-corruption efforts and other reform issues,” Little said. The United States calls Myanmar by its old name, Burma, which was changed by the previous ruling junta there.

Any observer contingent from Myanmar would be limited to three officers, Pentagon spokeswoman Maj Cathy Wilkinson said.

Thai Defense Ministry spokesman Thanathip Sawangsaeng said in Bangkok that there are tentative plans to invite Myanmar, but par-

ticipating countries must agree on the action at a meeting late this month. He said Thailand had not been lobbying for Myanmar’s inclusion. “We would need a consensus from all participating countries.

However, the move to include Myanmar in the exercise could be seen as an attempt to expand military readiness in the region,” he said. A US Embassy spokesman declined to comment, and US Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell said at a news conference in Yangon that he did not have any information on the matter.

Myanmar has been slowly shed-

EAST CHINA SEA: Chinese vessels take part in the joint exercise held by the East China Sea fleet and civilian marine surveillance and fishery administration agencies in the East China Sea. China flexed some maritime muscle in its dispute with Japan over a chain of uninhabited islands, holding naval exercises in the East China Sea to demonstrate its ability to enforce offshore territorial claims. — AP

ding its status as a pariah state now that the army-backed but elected government that took power last year has instituted political and economic liberalization.

The reforms follow almost five decades of repressive military rule.

Pentagon spokesman Little said there is a larger US government effort to talk with the Myanmar government, including a recent State Department-led visit there that included some Defense Department personnel that focused primarily on human rights.

“We’re exploring opportunities to discuss a range of issues with the government of Burma,” Little said.

Myanmar’s moves toward political reconciliation with democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi won it the easing of sanctions imposed by the West. Participation in the Cobra Gold would be a further sign of improvement of relations with the US in particular.

However, many critics of military rule point out the army’s continued power and influence in the current government, which is guaranteed by the constitution it helped draft.

They are cautious about moves that could strengthen the military.

Maung Zarni, a Myanmar scholar who is a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics, described Washington’s possible invitation to Myanmar as “utterly premature, ill-informed and too self interested.” — AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

NEWS One man, one vote: Polls set for Dec 1

Lebanon reeling over blast...

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

today in protest at the decision to change the electoral constituency law, charging it is a bid by the government to influence the results and elect a rubber-stamp assembly.

The Cabinet acted on orders from HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah who on Friday said the voting system must be amended immediately to deal with shortcomings in the law and to safeguard national unity against sectarian, tribal and factional tensions. The decision came despite a ruling by the constitutional court last month that the legislation was in line with the constitution, turning down an appeal by the government.

The electoral constituency law, issued in 2006 after opposition-led protests, divides the country into five electoral districts, each electing 10 MPs to the 50-member parliament. Under that legislation, each eligible voter was allowed to elect a maximum of four candidates. The government’s amendment reduces this number to one, the Cabinet statement said. The two draft decrees will be effective when the Amir issues them, probably in the next few days.

In a new statement after an emergency meeting, the opposition accused the “regime” of staging a new coup against the constitution and of working towards establishing “oppressive auto-

cratic rule”. It stressed that the Kuwaiti people will not allow this to happen as they will continue to struggle regardless of sacrifices. Signed by several opposition groups, it accused the regime of creating crises, encouraging the theft of public funds, fuelling sectarian and tribal divisions and blocking development. The opposition called on the Kuwaiti people to demonstrate against the decision which in effect “aims at turning Kuwait into a police state”. Organizers asked people to gather at three main points in Kuwait City before marching simultaneously on Seif Palace, which is the seat of the government.

The interior ministry said it will not allow any “sit-ins, gatherings, processions, rallies... in any place other than the square facing parliament”.

“Any act of violence, riots, instigation of violence... and undermining national security will be dealt with forcefully and firmly,” the ministry said as Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud AlSabah met with senior ministry officials and called on them to apply the law firmly. But the opposition threatened to hold the interior minister personally responsible for any attack on protesters, warning it will launch criminal cases against him locally and internationally.

As a show of force, elite special forces cordoned off the yard opposite the Palace of Justice where activists have been camping in solidarity with three detained former MPs and four activists.

Local media reported that the ministry has placed security agencies and the police on alert amid warnings of violence. The authorities allow rallies but ban processions.

Chiefs of bedouin tribes including the head of the largest tribe Awazem, Falah bin Jame, said they will call on their tribes to join a boycott. The Ajman, Rasheedi, Enezi, Shimmari, Otaibi and other tribes also said they will urge their tribesmen to boycott the polls. Tribes make up more than half of Kuwait’s native population of 1.2 million.

Kuwait, which pumps around 3.0 million barrels of oil per day, has been rocked by almost nonstop political crises since 2006, with the Cabinet resigning nine times and parliament being dissolved on six occasions.

The Cabinet in its extraordinary meeting also called for the formation of a public anti-corruption body, tasked with revealing the financial data of the prime minister, his deputies, ministers, officials, members of the National Assembly and all state employees who have either been appointed or elected into office. A third draft law calls to form an official “national body” in charge of the organisation of elections and election campaigns that will ensure the smoothness and fairness of the process. The Cabinet has appointed “a team dedicated to preparing the last two draft laws, ahead of their final approval in the (Cabinet’s) next session,” added the statement.

sign that there are those who continue to seek to undermine Lebanon’s stability”.

Protesters, some burning tyres, blocked roads in Beirut, Sidon in the south, Tripoli in the north and the Bekaa Valley in the east.

In Tripoli overnight, firefights erupted after the office of pro-Hezbollah Sunni party Tawhid came under rocket fire and a Sunni sheikh and party member was killed in crossfire, a security official said.

The bombing’s final death toll is still unclear. On Friday, official figures put it at

eight, but the ISF and the Red Cross both lowered the figure to three yesterday. The ISF said 80 people were wounded, and the Red Cross 110. The site, a mass of rubble and twisted metal, remained cordoned off as investigators sifted for clues. The cabinet went into emergency session mid-morning to discuss the fallout from the bombing, after key opposition groups called on the government to quit. “The government must leave and we call on Prime Minister Najib Mikati to resign immediately,” Ahmad Hariri, secretary general of the Future movement, said on Friday night. — Agencies

Israel seizes activist ship bound...

Continued from Page 1 nautical miles off the Gaza coast. The military said the boarding was carried out only after “numerous calls to the passengers onboard” went unanswered. “As a result of their unwillingness to cooperate and after ignoring calls to change course, the decision was made to board the vessel and lead it to the port of Ashdod,” the military said, indicating that troops “did not need to use force”. On arrival at Ashdod, the passengers would be handed into police

custody and then onto the immigration authorities for immediate deportation.

The takeover of the MV Estelle was quickly denounced as “piracy” by Gaza’s Hamas rulers. “The occupation’s attack on the Estelle and its capture of the activists on board is an act of piracy and a crime against humanity,” said spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. “It should provide an extra incentive for ships showing solidarity with Gaza and for regional and international efforts to lift the siege on Gaza and end the suffering of its people,” he said. — AFP

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

opinion

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

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YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

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Issues

Turkey and the Syrian crisis

By Mohammed M Hasanen t seems as though the efforts of the Arab Spring in Syria is at an impasse. The Syrian regime has violently resisted democratization process as well as its people’s will. The regime has resorted to using all available weapons and fullscale fierce fighting on the ground to curb this process. It has shown no mercy or sympathy towards the Syrian population. In a matter of eighteen months, the unsubstantiated number of fatalities has reached approximately 20,000, including women and children. Each day the regime stays in power hundreds of Syrian lose their lives. It is clear that the regime is aware that the conflict has become a matter of life or death. Bashar Al-Assad has been left with very little choice.

The external key players in the crisis are the USA, Turkey, China, Russia and Iran. This situation is reminiscent of the Cold War. The West does not see reason to resolve of the rebellion. To them, Syria does not have the flow of oil that Iraq or Libya has, and neither is it similar to Egypt whose has an influential strategic and cultural role in the Middle East that helps facilitates and maintain their power over the region. It appears that from a Western point of view, the deplete the Syrian army, perhaps is the sole advantage gained from the Syrian crisis; thus ensuring the security of Israel’s northern front.

This objective may be on its way to realization. Israeli voices have been heard out to annex Golan Heights to the Israeli territories. Even though Israel is not being in total agreement with the policies and/or actions of the current Syrian regime; Israel does not want the Syrian opposition forces to succeed. Israel clearly and sincerely fears the possible Islamic wave reigning over Syria as with other countries from the Arab spring. Israel prefers not to be surrounded completely by Islamic political movements of Syria in the north and Egypt in the south.

Arab countries represented on the League of the Arab States are on the spot with their indefinite suspension of monitoring activity in Syria. In fact, the Syrian issue has highlighted the ineffectiveness of the Arab League. Moreover, an Arab solution can never be achieved for many reasons. Most important, the Arab states have never reached a consensus agreement on whether to interfere, how to interfere, or why to interfere in Syria. Arab military intervention is almost impossible since the Arab league cannot coordinate or convince the Arab states to do so; not to mention that any collective efforts may end up to be an expanded Arab-Arab conflict . Thus, all parties could be affected negatively.

Turkey is extremely entangled in the Syrian crisis. On one hand, Turkey is the most aggrieved party as a huge numbers of Syrian refugees flee over its border every day. Day after day, Turkey absorbs more refugees which are especially concerns since harsh cold winter is around the corner. Actually, the number of refugees in Turkey may become an environmental and human. In addition, the Kurdish opposition in southern Turkey uses this crisis to promote to its own agenda against the Turkish government. The Turkish government has the burden to fortify its southern boundaries.

Although the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a recent speech assured the Arab communities that Turkey is not intending to initiate a war, the Syrian crisis is on the top of the agenda of Turkish national security. Perhaps, the clashes on the Syrian-Turkish front are only a harbinger of a coming war between Turkey and Syria. Furthermore, the Turkish parliament has given the green light to the Turkish government to take the necessary military actions if needed. Even if the crises do not reach the point of a full scale war, the fortified Turkish border could easily escalate into an undeclared war in which Turkish military targets Syrian military basis. Ground or aerial strikes by Turkey would be severely painful for the Syrian regime, especially if Turkey targets the Syrian air force. Limited attacks could pave the road for the free Syrian Army to conclude the crises. Turkey could easily justify its acts on the grounds of the recurrent Syrian provocations. Meanwhile, Turkey as a member of the NATO, guarantees political and military supports from its allies.

Finally, the probable reactions of China and Russia will be no more than an act of denunciation of any UN resolution against the Syrian. China and Russia are not willing or ready for military intervention in this situation. Even Iran, the main player in the Syrian crisis for ideological and geographical interests, has become economically drained due to the international sanctions. Turkey resolves the situation in Syria? Probably.

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NOTE: Mohammed Hasanen, PhD, Political Science, Gulf University for Sciences and Technology, Kuwait

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

Washington Watch

Efforts to silence appeal for human rights

By James J Zogby wo weeks ago, fifteen religious leaders representing major Protestant denominations dared to challenge one of Washington’s most powerful taboos. They wrote a letter urging Congress to investigate whether unconditional US military assistance to Israel is contributing to violations of Palestinian human rights. Noting that US law specifically limits the use of US supplied weapons to countries for “internal security” or “legitimate self-defense” and “prohibits assistance to any country which engages in a consistent pattern of human rights violations”, the signatories expressed the concern that US law may be being violated by Israel.

It was an impressive group that came together to sign the letter, including Evangelical, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Mennonite, and Methodist church leaders. The letter, itself, was also quite impressive. It was temperate in tone and extraordinarily balanced in content. The Christian leaders expressed compassion for the “pain and suffering” of Israelis and Palestinians, “the insecurity and fear” that impacts the lives of many Israelis and their right to legitimate self-defense.

But they went on to note how the daily lives of Palestinians are marked by the “killing of civilians, home demolitions..., forced displacement and restrictions of Palestinian movement”. After detailing these

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abuses, the leaders called on Congress to hold hearings to determine the degree to which US assistance is contributing to these Israeli behaviors. They concluded noting that if Israel were found to be in non-compliance with the US human rights provisions, then the law should be enforced and aid should be cut. The reaction was both hysterical and predictable. Using excessive and abusive language, some major Jewish groups denounced the letter and the churches represented by the signatories, charging them with “participation...in yet another one-sided anti-Israel campaign” and “vicious antiZionism” and accusing them of “stony silence to the use of anti-Judaism and relentless attacks on the Jewish state”. The Jewish groups coupled this attack with an announcement that they would boycott a regularly scheduled “Jewish-Christian dialogue” session that was to have met next week. They countered with a call for an interfaith summit to discuss the pain caused by the letter. Some leaders went so far as to suggest that they might go to friends in Congress and request a hearing into the behavior of the Christian groups.

Now while this flare-up is new, the underlying tensions have been with us for a generation. So too has the bullying behavior of some of the mainstream Jewish organizations. It was 34 years ago that we formed the Palestine Human Rights Committee (PHRC).

The PHRC had as its principle objectives the

defense of Palestinian human rights victims and the application of provisions of US law requiring that recipients of US assistance not use that aid to violate human rights.

Bringing together Arab Americans, African American civil rights leaders, leaders of the peace movement, and leaders from many of the same Christian churches who signed the recent letter to Congress, the PHRC achieved some success in elevating human rights concerns, but incurred the wrath of some major Jewish organizations.

We were subjected to exclusion and defamation. We were denounced as “pro-terrorist” and our efforts to join a major progressive peace coalition were blocked.

Despite winning the support of over 90 percent of the coalition’s members, two Jewish groups threatened to abandon the group if we were allowed to join. The executive committee of the coalition was cowed by these threats and twice rejected our application for membership. There have been many other examples of this behavior but it all boils down to the same modus operandi: the use of hysterical and exaggerated rhetoric in an effort to intimidate opponents, coupled with the ultimate threat to “take my ball and not play anymore”.

What all these childish and bullying antics attempt to do is to obscure the real issues being raised (in this case, the charge that US aid enables Israel to violate Palestinian human rights in contravention of

US law) and to substitute the “pretend” insult (in this case, that the letter signed by the Christian groups is a form of anti-Zionism or anti-Judaism) as the issue that takes precedence and must be discussed first.

The net results of these tactics are: a silencing of any discussion or examination of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians; aid to Israel continues to be delivered without questions, oversight, or any conditions; the very meaning of anti-Semitism or, in this recent case, “anti-Judaism” is cheapened and equated not just with criticism of Israeli policy, but even with the mere call to examine that policy; Palestinians continue to suffer; Israelis who support peace and human rights for Palestinians find they have no allies in the US government; and US credibility in the Middle East continues to suffer.

It is, to be sure, bullying. It is counter-productive and damaging to discourse and respect amongst peoples. These tactics have worked in the past. Will it work again? We’ll wait to see how the Christian groups respond, but I, for one, hope that the church leaders stand their ground. They do not owe anyone an apology for their letter. Instead they deser ve to be commended by all Americans for their brave and balanced commitment to peace, justice, and human rights.

NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute

Going out of print, Newsweek ends an era

By Jerry Schwartz here was a time when the newsweeklies set the agenda for the nation’s conversation - when Time and Newsweek would digest the events of the week and Americans would wait by their mailboxes to see what was on the covers. Those days have passed, and come the end of the year, the print edition of Newsweek will pass, too. Cause of death: The march of time. “The tempo of the news and the Web have completely overtaken the news magazines,” said Stephen G Smith, editor of the Washington Examiner and the holder of an unprecedented newsweekly triple crown - nation editor at Time, editor of US News and World Report, and executive editor of Newsweek from 1986 to 1991.

Where once readers were content to sit back and wait for tempered accounts of domestic and foreign events, they now can find much of what they need almost instantaneously, on their smartphones and tablet computers. Where once advertisers had limited places to spend their dollars to reach national audiences, they now have seemingly unlimited alternatives. So on Thursday, when Newsweek’s current owners announced they intended to halt print publication and expand the magazine’s Web presence, there was little surprise. But there was a good deal of nostalgia for what Smith called “the shared conversation that the nation used to have,” when the networks, the newsweeklies and a few national newspapers reigned.

Before Newsweek, there was Time - the brainchild of Henry Luce and Briton Hadden.

The first issue of the first newsweekly came out in 1923, and the formula, from the first, was to wrap up the week’s news and tie it with a bow, telling it with a singular voice.

Newsweek - or as it was originally called, News-week - came along in 1933. The founding editor was Thomas Martyn. The first foreign editor of Time, he was British-born and had a single leg, having lost the other in World War I. His magazine sold for 10 cents

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and was advertised as “an indispensable complement to newspaper reading, because it explains, expounds, clarifies.”

The magazine struggled for four years, until it merged with another magazine, Today, lost the hyphen, and emerged under the ownership of Averill Harriman and Vincent Astor, two of the country’s wealthiest men.

The modern era at Newsweek began in 1961, when it was purchased by the Washington Post Co. Benjamin Bradlee, who was

zines very, very seriously. They were important. They were influential.”

Richard M Smith joined Newsweek for a two-week writing tryout in 1970 and stayed until 2007, rising to executive editor before retiring as president and chief executive officer. Newsweek was always the scrappy competitor to Time, which grew to a corporate behemoth with numerous magazines and media properties and had the larger circulation; Smith said he and his colleagues pre-

A copy of Newsweek is seen at Joe’s Smoke on Oct 18, 2012, in Portland, Maine. — AP Newsweek’s Washington bureau chief at the time and later executive editor of the Post, helped negotiate the sale.

Edward Kosner, who worked at Newsweek from 1963 to 1979, ending as executive editor, recalled the time as a kind of golden age of the newsweeklies. “It’s a lost world,” he said.

“It’s like talking about the 19th century.

“Everybody cared about what was on the cover Monday morning. People took the maga-

ferred to think of themselves as “the noble guerrilla band, fighting the ‘panzer division on Sixth Avenue’. We took pride in our speed and flexibility and occasional irreverence.”

He recalled with pride Newsweek’s coverage of civil rights in the 1960s, the end of the Vietnam War and economic issues in the 1970s, the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

Perhaps because of Time’s Luceian origins he and his wife, Clare Boothe Luce, were

major Republican figures - Newsweek was often perceived as a more liberal counterweight. Its readers loved the weekly Periscope section, with its editorial cartoons and hot-off-the-presses news blurbs. Where Time only later started providing bylines for its stories, Newsweek offered star columnists like George Will, Eleanor Clift and Anna Quindlen.

Life in the newsweeklies, Stephen Smith recalls, was nothing like today’s frenetic media sprint. At the start of each week, reporters would come into work for a couple of days and think about story ideas and how to pitch them. The correspondents were far flung; the editing and fact-checking were meticulous. “That world doesn’t exist anymore,” he said. The magazines have tried to adjust. They do not rehash the week’s events as they once did. They offer more opinion, more analysis.

Newsweek often struggled over the years, and the Post sold it to stereo equipment magnate Sidney Harman in 2010 for $1. He died the next year, but not before the magazine was joined to The Daily Beast Web operation.

The cost of maintaining a network of correspondents has risen dramatically, along with the costs of printing and postage. Meanwhile, Newsweek’s circulation dropped from 3.14 million in 2000 to 1.5 million in 2012. Time, too, has dropped, but not as precipitously, from 4.2 million in 1997 to 3.38 million now.

Other newsweeklies have done better: The Economist, with its upscale readership, went from less than 1 million in 2000 to 1.5 million in 2012, and The Week also has made gains.

Regardless, it is clear that the golden age of newsweeklies will not return. Kosner recalled a time when there might be a presidential debate on a Tuesday night, and his readers would eagerly await the arrival of the next issue of Newsweek - five days later - to find out the story behind the story, to hear what the newsmagazine had to say about what had happened. Now, he says, they merely go to CNN, or log on to Slate. “Time marches on,” he said. But for how long? — AP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

sp orts FA to probe Kirkland attack LONDON: The FA is to investigate the incident in which Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was attacked during a match by an opposing fan, English soccer’s ruling body said yesterday.

Kirkland, a former England international, was knocked to the floor with a push to the face by a Leeds United supporter during an English Championship (second tier) game on Friday. “We are investigating the events of last night and awaiting the referee’s report,” an FA spokesman said.

The 31-year-old Kirkland received medical treatment on the pitch and was able to finish the Yorkshire derby which ended in a 1-1 draw. “We have appointed a senior investigating officer who will work with a team of officers to identify the individuals responsible for the incidents,” South Yorkshire Police Chief Superintendent Jason Harwin told reporters.

Wednesday manager Dave Jones and his Leeds counterpart Neil Warnock, in television interviews after the match, called for tough punishments, including stadium bans and jail terms, to be handed out by the authorities. Leeds issued a statement on their website condemning the supporter involved in the incident.—Reuters

Trentino win volleyball title DOHA: Italy’s Trentino clinched their fourth consecutive world club championship after producing textbook volleyball to crush Brazilians Sada Cruzeiro 3-0 on Friday in the final of a thrilling tournament.

Trentino only received a wildcard after finishing third in the European Champions League in March but won five matches in a row in the sevenday event.

Captain Matey Kaziyski led the charge in the final, upsetting the opposition’s rhythm with a series of point-scoring spikes in a 25-18 25-15 29-27 victory at the Aspire Zone Hall.

Sada Cruzeiro, who won the South American club championship in September after losing only one set,

looked tired after their exhausting 3-2 semi-final win over Zenit Kazan and did little to trouble Trentino. “It was a very strong championship and it’s great to win the title for the fourth time,” Kaziyski told reporters.

Led by Serbian Aleksandar Atanasijevic, who top-scored with 22 points, Poland’s Skra Belhatow grabbed third place after staging a dramatic comeback to defeat European champions Zenit by three sets to two. The victory was sweet revenge for Skra who were beaten by the Russians by the same margin in the Champions League final. The Polish team finished second in the world club championship in 2009 and 2010. — Reuters

Tsonga in Stockholm final STOCKHOLM: Top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France advanced to the Stockholm Open final yesterday after Marcos Baghdatis retired with an injury in the deciding set of their semifinal.

Baghdatis withdrew after taking a medical timeout with Tsonga leading 6-4, 4-6, 5-2. He had picked up a left-groin strain at 4-2 in the decider, on a break point on Tsonga’s serve.

“These things happen sometimes, I hope he recovers fast,” said Tsonga, who recorded his fourth win over Baghdatis in as many meetings.

In the final, the No. 7-ranked Tsonga will play the winner of the other semi between Tomas Berdych and Nicolas Almagro. “We played some good tennis ...

I missed maybe two or three opportuni-

ties to finish off the match a bit earlier. But I’m pleased with my performance.

“I hope I’ll be able to play like this (in the final),” added Tsonga. It was the first serious test in the tournament for Tsonga, who made his debut in the Swedish capital this week.

Having lost the second set to Baghdatis, Tsonga broke to 2-0 in the decider thanks to a double-fault by the Cypriot opponent.

He then fought off a break point on his own service game to make it 3-0.

—AP

Zito stands out among Giants

ST. SIMONS ISLAND: Arjun Atwal, of India, chips onto the ninth green during the second round of the McGladrey Classic PGA Tour golf tournament. — AP

Atwal leads at Sea Island GEORGIA: India’s Arjun Atwal carded eight birdies and a lone bogey to rocket into a one-shot lead over Davis Love III and Jim Furyk after Friday’s second round of the McGladrey Classic at Sea Island in Georgia.

Atwal has not won anywhere since his maiden PGA Tour win in 2010 and his best finish this year is a share of 19th place at the St. Jude Classic in June, but the 39-yearold was sublime en route to a seven-underpar 63 on the Seaside Course.

It moved Atwal, who has made just 11 cuts in 25 starts this year, to a 10-under-par total 130, one shot clear of host and 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Love (66) and veteran Furyk (65) at nine under.

PGA Tour rookie and overnight coleader Bud Cauley was two shots off the pace after following up his opening-round 62 with an even-par 70, in a share of fourth place with Americans David Toms (67) and Australian Gavin Coles (65) at eight-under.

American Michael Thompson (68) was in a group of six players tied for seventh place, three shots behind Atwal. At 175th on the tour money list, Atwal will need a high finish either this week or next in the season’s final tournament to return in 2013.

He was in a similar situation late in 2010

Suzann leaves pack behind INCHEON: Suzann Pettersen shot a 4-under 68 yesterday to extend her lead to five strokes over South Korea’s Ryu So-yeon after the second round of the LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship. The Norwegian did not reach the levels of her opening round when she carded a course-record 63 but still had a strong lead going into the final day of the three-round event at the Sky72 Ocean Course at Incheon.

Two birdies on the final two holes capped a strong performance over the first two days for the No. 9-ranked player.

“It just felt like I got out there this morning and I didn’t really expect it to be as breezy as it was,” said Pettersen. “Not that it was extremely windy, but it was a little different yesterday ... and it almost took me nine holes to kind of adjust to the conditions. “On the back nine, very happy the way I finished. I was standing on 15 and said to myself, it would be nice to finish with two or three birdies, and I think that’s what I did. Good way to finish the day.”

Ryu had a 70 to hold outright second place, a stroke ahead of compatriot Pak Se-ri, who had the day’s best round with a 67, Germany’s Sandra Gal, and the top-ranked Yani Tseng.

Ryu, the 2011 US Open champion, is leading the race to be the tour’s Rookie of the Year, and is having to adjust to her star status in her homeland.

“If the Hana Bank winner is Korean, they will love it, because this is in Korea,” Ryu said. “But sometimes it really makes it tough and crazy, but I want to enjoy this tough situation because I am a professional. I’m so happy to be playing in front of the Korean fans, and I want to really say thanks to the Korean fans.

“The final round is always tough. I think though I am ready to play tomorrow.” Tseng, the defending champion, ended strongly on the opening day to suggest that her recent slump may be coming to an end. Two birdies in the first four holes yesterday put the Taiwanese star just two shots behind the leader only for bogies at the sixth, eighth and ninth holes to drag her back into the pack.

Three birdies on the back nine left the defending champion six shots off the pace and with an outside chance of a successive title.

“I’m very looking forward to tomorrow and just want to relax and have the same strategy as today,” said Tsang. One shot back, seven behind Pettersen, are Lexi Thompson of the United States, Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, Azahara Munoz of Spain and local player Kim Ha-neul.

Michelle Wie, invited by sponsors after struggling with her form, is 2 over after two rounds and tied for 40th place, level with No. 2-ranked Stacy Lewis. — AP

before he won his maiden title and earned exempt status until the end of 2012.

“I’m in a desperate situation,” Atwal said.

“I got no choice other than to either win or finish in the top two. I think my caddie figured that out so I just got to grind it out.

“I felt really calm out there, and the putter is starting to work. That was the missing link in the last few tournaments that I played.”

Love III is full of confidence on the greens at his home course with a new belly putter, giving him a great chance to win his 21st PGA title. His last victory came in 2008.

“I’m hitting the ball real well,” Love III said. “I wouldn’t say I’ve gotten everything out of the way. But it’s my home course and I kind of know my way around it, so hopefully I can keep it going.”

Furyk, who has suffered heartbreak defeats in the US Open, WGC Bridgestone and Ryder Cup this year, put himself in good position for the title. His 65 was bogey-free and featured four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine.

Fijian former world number one Vijay Singh and Australian Jason Day are among a large group four shots off the pace. — Reuters

Van Pelt moves ahead in Perth PERTH: American Bo Van Pelt rolled in a 15-metre putt at the last hole to grab a one-shot lead after the third round of the $2 million Perth International at Lake Karrinyup.

“Once in a while the hole gets in the way,” Van Pelt told reporters. His eightiron approach had finished on a back tier of the green and he was looking at a possible three-putt.

“Lo and behold the ball goes in,” said the world No 24. Van Pelt closed with a 67 to finish on 12-under 204, one-shot clear of fellow American Jason Dufner (67) and two ahead of 20-year-old Emiliano Grillo of Argentina. Grillo, seeking his first win as a professional, battled bravely for his 73.

Van Pelt, paired with Grillo, said the youngster should not be disheartened.

“He played really well and must have had five or six putts which hung on the edge today. There is plenty more upside for him (Grillo) to take out of the round,” the American said.

After a composed front nine, the Argentinian had four bogeys on the back to come home in 39. “I don’t know what happened on the back nine. I had four bogeys and they were all pretty much good shots,” Grillo said.

He remained upbeat about his chances. “I have a good chance tomorrow. I’m playing in the group in front of the last group out. All the crowd will be with them (Dufner and Van Pelt) and they are going to have the pressure.”

Grillo had an outstanding amateur career and played senior golf for his country when he was 14 years of age. Van Pelt said the key to his score had been the four par fives at Lake Karrinyup which he has played them in 10 under par.

“That’s where you have to make your score around this golf course,” he said.

US Ryder Cup player Dufner said he felt very comfortable going into the final day after setting up his round with an eagle at the third and a chip-in for birdie on the seventh. “I hit it stone dead at nine then made birdie at 10, 11 and 12.

You have to make your score around here from seven to 15. It’s a very tough finish,” Dufner said. — Reuters

ST. LOUIS: Offense has a lot to do with San Francisco’s streak of 13 consecutive victories when Barry Zito is on the mound, given they’re averaging more than six runs.

In Game 5 of the NL championship series Friday night, with their season on the line, they didn’t need all that production. Not with the pitcher they thought they signed a halfdozen years ago showing up in shutdown form.

Zito dominated into the eighth inning of a 5-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals that sent the best-of-seven series back to San Francisco. The Giants cut their series deficit to 3-2 heading into Game 6 tonight, with Ryan Vogelsong set to face Chris Carpenter for the second time in the series.

“We needed that kind of performance from him because there is no tomorrow for us,” second baseman Marco Scutaro said. “We just needed to get back home.”

The defending-champion Cardinals still have two chances to make it to back-to-back World Series as a wild card. “It should be another battle,” St. Louis third baseman David Freese said. “San Francisco is a great city, but I wish we weren’t going back.”

The 34-year-old Zito looked like the pitcher who won 23 games and the 2002 AL Cy Young with the Athletics. He retired 11 batters in a row at one stretch while scattering six hits with six strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings. Giants catcher Buster Posey twice tapped Zito on the chest when he was pulled in the eighth. It was Zito’s fifth postseason win but first since 2006, shortly before he left the A’s and signed a $126 million, seven-year contract with San Francisco. “ This is definitely it for me,” Zito said.

“Coming here, really doing it in a Giants uniform. A lot of people were saying stuff about my A’s days. And for me, the most important thing is doing everything for San Francisco right now.”

Zito was left off the postseason roster when the Giants won the 2010 World Series because he had pitched so ineffectively.

“Well, you know, it was certainly a huge blow just personally to be left off that roster,” Zito said. “But you’ve got to be professional, you can’t pout and such like that. “I worked on a lot of things that offseason, came back stronger for it, I think.”

Zito’s 15-8 record this year was his first winning mark since joining the Giants. He started Game 4 of the division series against the Reds earlier in this year’s playoffs and lasted only 2 2-3 innings.

“He’s been through a lot, I know,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “But this guy, he is some kind of tough. He put on quite a show.”

The Cardinals might have thrown away a chance to clinch a second straight World Series trip. Pitcher Lance Lynn’s toss on a possible forceout deflected off the second base bag, paving the way for the Giants’ four-run fourth.

Lynn was trying to turn the front end of a double play. “I turned to throw it and I just threw it in the ground,” Lynn said. “Just a bad play. You make a good throw there and we are out of the inning. It was one of those times where I just short-armed it a little bit.”

Pablo Sandoval homered for the second straight night and Zito made an extremely rare offensive contribution with a perfectly executed bunt for an RBI single.

Giants defenders made several nice plays behind Zito, including a juggling catch in right

by Hunter Pence and a spectacular sliding stop by Scutaro to rob pinch hitter Shane Robinson on consecutive at-bats. “They were all huge,” Zito said.

Once again this postseason, the Giants benefited from a big error. Needing three straight wins at Cincinnati to avoid elimination in the division series, San Francisco began its comeback on a bobble by third baseman Scott Rolen in the 10th inning that gave the Giants the go-ahead run in Game 3.

The Giants improved to 4-2 on the road this postseason and have won Zito’s last 13 starts, with the last setback on Aug. 2. They’re averaging more than six runs during the streak, although the lefty didn’t need much help in this one.

Lynn, an 18-game winner in his first year in the rotation, failed to make it out of the fourth for the second time in the series.

The Cardinals are seeking consecutive pennants for the first time since 1967-68, and trying to advance for the second year in a row as a wild-card entry. One more win would set up a rematch of the 2006 World Series against the Tigers, which the Cardinals took in five games.

Lynn struck out five of the first 10 batters, sailing through the first three innings with no balls hit out of the infield. His wild throw to second proved his undoing.

The Giants had runners on first and second

TORONTO: New York Yankees’ Ichiro Suzuki advances to third as Toronto Blue Jays’ Brett Lawrie collects the ball during the eighth inning of a baseball game. — AP

with one out when Lynn gloved a tapper by Pence, wheeled and threw while Kozma hustled to second. Lynn’s throw wound up in shallow right field and Scutaro scored without a play from second.

Eighth-place hitter Brandon Crawford singled up the middle with the bases loaded on a full

count with two outs as Lynn just missed with a kick save for two more runs. Zito, who has just 30 hits in 310 at-bats in the regular season with no extra-base hits and nine RBIs, laid down a perfect bunt for a fourth run. Lynn has allowed four runs in both of his NLCS starts, although all four were unearned in Game 5. — AP

Ferrari reigns in WEC AF Corse peerless at the Bahrain 6 Hours MARANELLO: With AF Corse’s win in the Bahrain 6 Hours, Ferrari has made mathematically sure of winning the constructors, title in the first edition of the FIA World Endurance Championship with two races remaining.

The Ferrari No.51 has now taken five victories this year in the hands of Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander, who this time replaced Gimmi Bruni who was racing in the GT Open at Monza.

This success also ensures that Amato Ferrari takes the teams championship in the LM GTE Pro category. Their lead has increased to 67 points over Aston Martin Racing, who came second today one lap adrift.

Despite the limitations to fuel consumption introduced by the FIA to narrow the gaps to their opponents, the experience of Vilander and Fisichella, who made six consecutive appearances in the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix from 2004 to 2009, contributed along with a perfect strategy and the supreme reliability of the car, to the pair achieving their prestigious goal.

The No.71 AF Corse Ferrari driven by Olivier Beretta and Andrea Bertolini finished fourth after leading for the early part of the race.

After this round in the desert, the World Endurance Championship now heads to Shanghai ( Oct.28)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

sp orts

Kahne on pole for Cup race at Kansas

SEPANG: Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo takes a corner during the third practice session of the Malaysian Grand Prix MotoGP motorcycling race.—AFP

Lorenzo ahead with late burst SEPANG: Jorge Lorenzo’s record-shattering late burst put the MotoGP championship leader on pole position for today’s Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit.

The Yamaha rider cranked up the pace in the closing stages of yesterday’s session to clock a record lap of two minutes 0.334 seconds and snatch his seventh pole position of the season ahead of title rival and fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa (2:00.528).

While it was uncannily similar to his pole-grabbing display in Japan last week, Lorenzo will be hoping to prevent a repeat of the Motegi race in which Honda’s Pedrosa recorded his fourth win in five races to maintain his late-season title push.

Despite a strong start to the session, Lorenzo dropped off the provosional front row as Pedrosa grabbed the lead, surrendered it to Andrea Dovizioso and wrested it back, only to lose it again in the dying minutes.

Lorenzo reclaimed top spot from Pedrosa with a stunning 2:00.438 and followed it with a flying final effort to set a new pole record at the circuit.

“We need to still work a little on our pace as it’s not extremely good yet but we

have some options for tomorrow,” Lorenzo said. “Let’s see what happens, it’s going to be a long race in difficult conditions,” predicted the 25-year-old rider. Pedrosa had a similar complaint. “It was hard because we had a lot of chattering this afternoon and it was very difficult to get a clean lap as in some areas the bike was chattering too much, even in the straight,” said the 27year-old rider.

“Nevertheless, we managed to get on the front row again and the second position is good,” he added. Lorenzo’s team mate Dovizioso (2:00.567) finished third on the timesheets as Yamaha squeezed two bikes on to the front row.

Australian world champion Casey Stoner (2:00.811), still lacking speed following an ankle injury, struggled with the set-up of his Honda but still led the second row, ahead of the Yamaha duo of Briton Cal Crutchlow and American Ben Spies. Lorenzo leads the championship standings on 310 points to Pedrosa’s 282 with Stoner a distant third on 197.

The Spaniard sealed his sole world title at Sepang in 2010 and can repeat the feat should he win and Pedrosa fail to finish, with just two rounds remaining after the Malaysia race.—Reuters

Jessica Clima

Adidas Women’s Training introduces new F/W 2012 collection and AdiPure

KANSAS CITY: NASCAR championship contender Kasey Kahne shattered the track record at repaved Kansas Speedway on Friday to take the pole for today’s race. Michael Waltrip Racing teammates Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer were next fastest, and all 43 cars in the field broke the previous lap record set by Matt Kenseth in 2005.

“All the drivers are high-fiving each other because we came back here alive,” joked Kyle Busch, who qualified fourth. “The minimum speed through the corner is amazing.”

Bowyer is coming off a win last week at Charlotte that put him back in the championship picture. He trails leader Brad Keselowski by 28 points with five races left in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. “That was a fast lap,” Bowyer said. “It’s unreal how much that gets your attention.”

Keselowski will start 25th after a lousy qualifying run. Jimmie Johnson is third in points and will start seventh, while Denny Hamlin will begin ninth after a hard crash in testing on Thursday.

“You’re just driving your guts out and doing everything you can all the way around,” Johnson said. “You know it’s fast. You just don’t know if it’s fast enough.”

Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart qualified worst of the Chase drivers in 33rd, while Regan Smith got sideways going through a corner and qualified 40th in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car.

Kansas Speedway underwent

a massive renovation over the summer that replaced the wornout asphalt original to the track while creating variable banking in the corners. The result has been some of the fastest speeds seen

over the surface since IndyCars were running on it.

Mark Martin, who qualified second, said he’s concerned that one lane along the bottom of the track will make it difficult to pass.

Kasey Kahne

That’s been the case at some other repaved tracks.

“It’s a new track now. I mean, it really is, and we’re going to have to learn as we go,” Martin said.

“We can’t find out tomorrow in practice what the track is going to be like today. It’s just not going to happen. This track is coming in very slowly.”

Hamlin crashed the car he intended to use for today’s race when he clipped the wall entering Turn 1 near the start of testing on Thursday. He wound up making two visits to the infield care center before he was cleared by medical staff to resume testing in a backup car. Smith was seventhfastest in practice in Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevy. Earnhardt is missing his second straight race after sustaining two concussions in a six-week span and pulling himself from the car, even though he was in championship contention heading into Talladega.

AJ Allmendinger qualified 13th in his second race with Phoenix Racing. The team had been slated to use Smith for the final six races of the season after Kurt Busch left early to get a start on next year’s job with Furniture Row Racing.

Hendrick Motorsports wanted Smith to fill-in for Earnhardt, though, and Allmendinger got his first opportunity since his July suspension for failing a random drug test. He completed NASCAR’s recovery program and was reinstated in September.

Busch, meanwhile, qualified 29th for Furniture Row.—AP

Hanyu dominates at Skate America KENT: Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu set a world record with a dominant performance at Skate America on Friday. The 17-year-old earned 95.07 points for flawless and thrilling routine. He skated last and received the loudest cheers, then broke into a big smile when his score was annnounced.

“Ninety-five is an extremely high score and I really was not expecting it,” Hanyu said through a translator. “I want to say I was very surprised. But I want to compete to the final competition. I still have the free to skate.

“I want to control my emotions to the very end.” Hanyu landed a quad toe loop early in his routine and later completed a triple axel.

“I put two difficult jumps in at the end,” Hanyu said. “This is my first Grand Prix and I don’t want to get too excited.”

Hanyu had a technical score of 51.71 and 43.36 for the artistic. “I

was actually focused on the technical and that it was over 50 I was very surprised,” he said. “I was not paying attention to the components (artistic). But I’ve been practicing quite well and hope to carry it over to the free program.”

Hanyu switched coaches last spring and now works with Canadian Brian Orser, the twotime Olympic silver medalist.

Japan’s Takahiko Kozuka was second with 85.32. He was the silver medalist at the 2011 world championships and finished third last year at Skate America. As with Hanyu, he landed a quad.

“It’s so important for the short program,” Kozuka said. “A clean quad is more than 10 points, where a triple flip is only five points. It’s twice the points for an element. That shows how important it really is.”

American Jeremy Abbott was third at 77.71. The defending US

champ fell early. He came away impressed with how Hanyu and Kozuka landed quads.

“The talent in the men’s field is incredible,” Abbott said. “Look at the two men next to me they both did quads, and it’s no longer enough to do the triple. I look at the men in skating right now and the talent is incredible, everyone is pushing the limits.”

Tatsuki Machida was fourth at 75.78 to give Japan three of the top four spots. The Czech Republic’s Michal Brezina was fifth at 69.26 after falling twice.

In the pairs competition, Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov took the lead, scoring 65.78 points in the short program.

The Russians were second in the last two world championships and last year’s Grand Prix final.

Despite the lead, they were disappointed with their performance, which they partly blamed

on the 11-hour time difference with Russia.

“We have to find out why we skate bad short programs,” Trankov said. “It was a very bad skate for us. We never skate like that in practice.”

China’s Qing Pang and Jian Tong were second at 61.96 after Jian fell early in the routine. They finished second in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and won world titles in 2006 and 2010. “ The biggest trouble that I have is my knee hurts when I skate,” Jian said through a translator. “When I bend my knee when I’m skating, it hurts and doesn’t have the flexibility. I used to train 5-6 days a week, but now we’ve reduced it to four days.”

Americans Caydee Denney and John Coughlin were third at 60.75, followed by France’s Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres at 55.76.—AP

Take it on together KUWAIT: Following last season’s campaign, Adidas Women’s Training continues celebrating next generation athletes to inspire and encourage women that workout regularly and want to feel good with themselves. Exercising together is not only more effective, it is definitely more fun.

To reflect this message, the brand has paired together eight leading athletes from all over the world: Bia Feres & Branca Feres (Synchronized Swimming, Brazil), Jessica Ennis (Heptathlon, UK), Ellyse Perry (Cricket and Football, Australia), Louisa NÈcib (Football, France), Dinara Fahkritdinova (Climbing, Russia), Jeanette Kwakye (Track & Field, UK) and Kim Kulig (Football, Germany) to take part in three tailored workouts and show how working out hard whilst encouraging and having fun with each other, can turn out to be an enriching experience.

Ellyse & Louisa, and Jessica & Jeanette were paired together to experience the Speed and Agility work out. Fast reaction and testing limits were the work-out’s main focus. Directly linked to it is the AdiZero range, which offers for FW12 a wide selection of lightweight products thanks to the AdiZero technology, cutlines that offer the flexibility, alignment and building core balance essential to make you faster by leaving your limits behind and support your body to work out for speed with light materials combined with vibrant colors and exciting graphics. Key pieces are the AdiZero windbreaker jacket, AdiZero tank and tights.

The Strength and Power exercise with “Medicine Balls” focused on strengthening, resistance and stability. The workout was experienced by Bia & Branca and Dinara & Kim. It is directly linked to the ranges Adipower and Studio Power, with pieces that support a perfect posture and power up every activity, due to its compression technologies.

Highlights are sharp and structured

details, embossing and gel prints in tanks, tights and jackets; making the apparel look feminine whilst powerful. This effect is further enhanced by a palette of strong colors that are nevertheless flattering and girly.

The third work out is General Conditioning practised by Bia & Branca, Ellyse & Louisa and Dinara & Kim. Connected to this exercise is the Clima Training range, another highlight for the FW12 season, featuring authentic sports products with integrated technology whilst offering an iconic street look. Highlight is the athletic color block achieved through layering solid colored pieces in various lengths, which simplifies the look and in addition, the layered construction with integrated Clima technologies that allow natural ventilation to keep you dry and comfortable.

To perfectly complement the lightweight AdiZero apparel and complete the FW12 look, the AdiPure is the newest Adidas shoe for training created to maximize your workout due to its flexibility. It provides runners of all levels with the perfect add-on to their running routine. It’s specifically designed for the type of movements that are required in gym classes or training sessions; offering the ability to perform multidirectional movements and static poses on every intensity level. The range helps to build up the feet’s musculoskeletal system so that runners can become faster and stronger in the purest, most natural way. The AdiPure shoes also feature the innovative Adidas Techfit Upper. The design of the Techfit Upper ultimately allows the foot to spread out unhindered, without sacrificing stability, thus creating a totally natural experience. The 4-way stretch mesh combined with precision-located polyurethane (PU) print allows the foot to function naturally whilst providing fluid support. The new Adidas women’s Fall/Winter starts hitting the Kuwait retail market in October 2012.

Mishal Al Nejadi and Ali Al Shamali

Fahad Alghanim (center) with Mishal Al Nejadi and Ali Al Shamali

MINI revs up for the Kuwait Rally Championship Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive key sponsor of first leg KUWAIT: Breathtaking manoeuvres, mindblowing speed and top-class driving lie in wait as some of the region’s best rally drivers limber up for the Kuwait Rally Championship 2013 kicking off this weekend.

Together with Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, two of this year’s most exciting rally stars, M ishal Al Nejadi and Ali Al Shamali, will be supported in the first round

by MINI and its sporting sub-brand John Cooper Works - a partner who is also about making pulses race amongst its enthusiastic and demanding fans and whose involvement will add another chapter to its rich and successful history in the world of racing.

Tak ing place in Julai’a opposite the Seashell Resort late yesterday, the event is the first leg of the 2013 Kuwait R ally Championship, which will include a series of

six adrenaline-filled challenges for Kuwait’s rally driving lovers and thrill seekers. Known as team MINI Kuwait, Al Nejadi and co-driver Al Shamali will battle it out against 17 other teams with the ultimate goal of claiming top spot on the Championship winner’s podium and retaining their crown following victory last season.

The car charged with this task is the MINI John Cooper Works S2000. The power ful heart of the racing car is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo - charged engine from MINI Motorsport, producing 275 horsepower.

For Yousef Al Qatami, General Manager of Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, MINI is the ideal partner for Al Nejadi and Al Shamali.

“This sponsorship is the perfect fit for MINI, its sub-brand John Cooper Works and Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive,” says Mr Al

Qatami. “Like Meshal Al Nejadi and Ali Al Shamali, MINI prides itself on being unconventional, power-packed and action-packed.

Together they make an impressive team.”

Organised by the Kuwait Quarter Mile Auto and Motorcycle Club Rally Committee, and under the patronage of Al Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Ibrahim Al Duaij Al-Sabah, the Championship was officially launched at an opening ceremony on Friday 19th October in front of the Safir International Hotel and Residences in Fintas at 7pm. MINI owners and fans alike will be on hand to suppor t MINI Kuwait throughout the Championship.

The Kuwait Rally Championship 2013 will be followed by a further five rounds on 16-17 November, 28-29 December, 11-12 January, 22-23 February and finally, 22-23 March.

17

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

S P ORT S

Weems downs Partizan BELGRADE: Former NBA forward Sonny Weems shone in CSKA Moscow’s 76-71 overtime win at Partizan Belgrade but his effervescence was overshadowed by a scandal which sent shockwaves through the Euroleague on Friday.

Fenerbahce Istanbul shooting guard Romain Sato was detained overnight by Slovenian police on charges of trying to enter the country with a forged passport and missed his team’s 81-75 win at Olimpija Ljubljana after he was released and sent home.

Elsewhere, holders Olympiakos Piraeus suffered a 9872 drubbing at Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Real Madrid, the winners of eight titles in Europe’s elite club basketball competition, were edged by Russia’s Khimki 86-85 after missing a game-winning shot on the buzzer.

Weems, who plied his trade for the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets before moving to Europe in 2011, poured in 30 points as CSKA rallied to overcome a four-point deficit in regulation and then in overtime in front of a fervent but wellbehaved crowd in Belgrade.

While his team mates struggled, Weems scored from all angles as he slam-dunked, buried three-pointers and nailed off-balance shots to silence 7,000 home supporters, who watched the game alongside several hundred CSKA fans in an amicable atmosphere.

“This is the second-best league in the world and playing in the NBA has taught me how to perform in big games, keep my focus and deliver under pressure,” the 26-year old told Reuters.

“We didn’t give up after we fell behind, we made some big shots and I felt very confident after getting into the right rhythm from the start despite the fact the

home crowd was so loud we couldn’t really communicate out there on the court. “ This is the best crowd I’ve seen since I started playing in Europe and I wish our fans were like that. This was a tough game

Fenerbahce club officials were incensed with Sato’s detention, saying the Central African Republic player had entered a plethora of European countries for Euroleague games with the same passport.

Sonny Weems celebrates in this file photo for a new-look CSKA team which still has to gel a little bit but our ambition remains to win the Euroleague after finishing as runners-up last season,” he added.

“As a result of this unjust behaviour towards our player and our team we want to repeat that the legal struggle launched yesterday is continuing,” Fenerbahce

said in a statement on their website (www.fenerbahce.org).

“Under the influence of this traumatic incident, it was decided by the management that Sato, who spent the night sleepless, should return to our country without waiting for this evening’s match.”

But Slovenian police said it had established the 31-year old was travelling on a forged passport. “At the border control policemen discovered that the biography page of his passport was forged which was later confirmed by the suitable technical equipment,” the police said in a statement sent to Reuters.

Fenerbahce, who also lost American playmaker Lester Bo McCalebb to an ankle injury in the second half, responded with a furious finish to make it two wins out of two in the 24-team competition.

McCalebb, who was carried off the court by his team mates, still finished as the game’s top scorer with 17 points, Croatia forward Bojan Bogdanovic added 14 while Omer Onan and Mike Batiste chipped in with 13 each, the latter also collecting four rebounds.

Real Madrid trailed by 18 points at Khimki on the outskirts of Moscow but nearly turned the match on its head as former Portland Trailblazers guard Rudy Fernandez saw his last-gasp floater spin in-and-out of the rim. “ We changed our mindset after the third quarter, made a comeback but we have to play for the entire 40 minutes and we didn’t,” Real coach Pablo Laso told the competition’s official website (www.euroleague.net).

“Khimki deserve respect, they are a very good team with great players and we knew from the very beginning it would be difficult.” —Reuters

Magnificent Frankel bows out in Champion style

BRISBANE: New Zealand player Daniel Carter (center) is tackled by Australia player Kane Douglas during the Bledisloe Cup rugby union Test. —AFP

All Blacks’ winning streak ends BRISBANE: New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter missed a drop goal with the last kick of the match as the All Blacks’ winning streak was brought to an end at 16 matches in an 1818 draw with a dogged Australia side yesterday. The world champions, chasing a record-equalling 17th straight victory, had a chance to steal the spoils in an extraordinary end to the contest but Carter, who kicked six penalties, steered the ball wide right of the posts.

Australia, whose points came from five Mike Harris penalties and a long-range effort from Kurtley Beale, also had a chance to win the match after time was up, only to be penalised as they went through the phases looking for a penalty of their own.

Rather than kick the ball out to end the match, though, the All Blacks took a scrum and forced their way back into range for Carter’s attempt, a decision that disappointed coach Steve Hansen said showed “huge” character. “It was probably one of the ugliest games of rugby I’ve seen,” he told reporters. “We’re really, really disappointed, too many avoidable penalties, too many avoidable mistakes.

“But to play as poorly as we did and still manage to show the character and tenacity to get the draw was pleasing. It’s not the end of the world but there’s enough pain and hurt in the dressing room to make sure we learn the lessons from it.”

The All Blacks were uncharacteristically error-prone on what was a greasy surface at Lang Park but the Wallabies were also frustrated at not coming away with the win, despite starting the match as 6-1 underdogs. “I expect the boys will be pretty disappointed because that’s a game we could have won,” said coach Robbie Deans.

“But put ourself in the position to win their game and to hold that All Blacks side tryless is a significant achievement.”

Captain Nathan Sharpe, playing his last match on Australian soil before retirement, was the heart of a Wallabies team that contributed to the All Blacks error count by putting immense pressure through a spirited

performance.

The All Blacks had opened the proceedings with the “throat-cutting” version of the haka in honour of hooker Keven Mealamu’s 100th test cap but the Wallabies soon made it clear they were not going to play to the visitors’ script.

Fullback Harris gave them the lead after just two minutes when the All Blacks were penalised for not rolling away from the tackle area.

Carter made no mistake with his first two penalty attempts to give New Zealand the lead but nine more points from the boot of Harris gave the home side an unlikely lead.

All the offenses were in the tackle area and referee Craig Joubert warned All Black captain Richie McCaw after the third that he would sin-bin the next offender.

The South African was true to his word and prop Tony Woodcock was shown the yellow card a minute before the break with the home side 12-6 ahead.

Woodcock had just returned when Beale boomed a penalty over from inside his own half to extend the lead to 15-6 but Carter, who had missed his two previous attempts, narrowed the deficit with two penalties in the next six minutes.

The latter offense had caused Wallabies flanker Michael Hooper to be sin-binned for tackling Aaron Smith off the ball and it looked like the All Blacks might impose themselves on the contest.

Carter duly levelled and put them ahead with his sixth penalty 10 minutes from time but the Wallabies hit back with Harris’s fifth to set up the dramatic climax and just the sixth draw in tests between the nations.

The match was the third test in the Bledisloe Cup series, which the All Blacks won courtesy of their victories in the first two tests of the Rugby Championship.

A victory at Lang Park would have allowed the All Blacks to match the New Zealand team of the late 1960s and South Africa side of the late 1990s in being the only top-tier teams to have won 17 straight matches. —Reuters

ASCOT: Frankel produced perhaps his finest performance yesterday to retain his unbeaten record with his 14th victory in the Group One Champion Stakes in what was his final race.

The Henry Cecil-trained colt-winning his 10th Group One race-had stumbled out of the barrier but recovered his poise to power home to beat last year’s winner Cirrus des Aigles by 1 3/4 lengths. “There has never been a better horse,” said Cecil. “I love everything about him. He’s the best horse I have ever had.

I’d be very surprised if there will be anything better.”

Frankel’s owner Prince Khalid Abdullah confirmed the horse would be retired. Winning jockey Tom Queally praised Frankel. “No doubt he is better on better ground but his class showed today. I walked the track and was worried about conditions, but after walking the home straight I knew it was not too heavy for him to quicken up and go about his business and win,” he said.

“In that respect, there was always a little worry but he was in great heart and looked a lot better than 12 months ago. “What can I say about him? You never see a F1 car win on anything but tarmac but he may argue that case a little.”

Queally added it was something special to come back to such a rousing reception in the winner’s circle.

“I’m by no means a showman but the reception of the crowd was so touching,” said the 28-year-old Irishman.

“You come back to such a recpetion and all you can say is waow!” added Queally, who was watched by his family over from Ireland. Cirrus des Aigles trainer Corine Barande-Barbe was delighted.

“We came to take on the best horse in the world and we came close and we leave proud to have been part of this,” said the 54-year-old.

Frankel had looked out of sorts early on with his pacemaker, and older brother Bullet Train, and his jockey Ian Mongan, searching for him. However, once Mongan spotted him he raced Bullet Train upsides Cirrus des Aigles while another of the main dangers Nathaniel sat in third.

Queally brought Frankel close to the fray on entering the straight, bringing an unprecedented roar to the crowd as the bell rang.

Cirrus des Aigles set sail for home but Queally, having dispensed with Nathaniel, came upsides the gallant French six-year-old and went past him with ease to justify his odds of 2/11 odds on favourite.

Although Olivier Peslier was able to conjure up a second burst from Cirrus des Aigles, Frankel was not to be denied and he strode out under the whip of Queally to breach the line, clear of his nearest pursuer who finished at odds of 9/2.

Nathaniel-who was beaten into second by Frankel on his first start in 2010 — stuck to his task to finish third at 9/1.

Queally, not normally one for expressing his emotions, returned to the winner’s enclosure, punching his fist in the air as the crowd, who had roared him on as he turned into the final straight, stood and gave him a rousing reception.

The crowd also gave three cheers for popular trainer Cecil, who has been battling throat cancer over the past year. Frankel didn’t want to leave the scene as he went round the ring twice to ever greater acclaim before he departs for stud duties.

Frankel, who along with Cecil had also been applauded into the saddling enclosure prior to the race, had been a doubt earlieryesterday because of the heavy going, but was passed to run after his connections walked the course. —AFP

INDIANAPOLIS: Jessica Adair No. 1 of the Minnesota Lynx and Sasha Goodlett No 45 of the Indiana Fever battle for a rebound during Game Three of the 2012 WNBA Finals. —AFP

Fever rout Lynx in Game 3 INDIANAPOLIS: Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve drew national attention with her screaming, jacket-tossing meltdown in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

The Indiana Fever silenced her in Game 3. Shavonte Zellous scored a career-high 30 points to help the Fever beat the Lynx 76-59 on Friday night.

“You know, I was fired up for this game,” Zellous said. “That Game 2 left a bad taste in our mouth. You know, we could have done a better job in a lot of different things, and I think today, we made a conscious effort to do things better.”

Tamika Catchings added 17 points and Erlana Larkins had 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Fever, who took a 2-1 lead in the series and can win their first title at home Sunday night against the defending champs.

It had been a tense series. Reeve was fined after her actions in Game 2, which Fever coach Lin Dunn called “disrespectful.”

Indiana’s play did the talking on Friday. The Fever’s lead of 70-33 with 1:58 left in the third quarter was the largest lead by any team in WNBA Finals history.

The extent of the blowout left Reeve seated with her hand on her chin for much of the second half.

Rebekkah Brunson, who scored 12 points, was the only Minnesota player to reach double figures. “I think Indiana played the way Indiana always plays,” Reeve said. “They defend. You defend, you have a chance to win a championship. That’s it.”

When asked what the Lynx need to do differently in Game 4, Reeve simply said, “Score more points than them.”

Minnesota’s previous playoff scoring low this season was 70 points against the Fever in Game 1 of the Finals. Maya Moore was held to eight points in Game 3 and Seimone Augustus, who scored 27 points in Game 2, had six on 3-for-9 shooting on Friday night. Minnesota finished with just six assists.

Indiana did it all without No. 2 scorer Katie Douglas. She is still sidelined with a severely sprained left ankle. Reserve guard Jeanette Pohlen is out with a left knee injury.

The game was intense again, but in control. The only incident was a rare technical called against Catchings with the game well in hand for the Fever.

Indiana led 21-16 at the end of the first quarter, and the Fever extended

their lead to 28-18 in the second quarter, forcing the Lynx to call a timeout.

A no-look pass by Catchings directly led to a 3-pointer by Zellous that gave the Fever a 33-20 advantage. On Indiana’s next possession, Catchings drove through traffic for a layup to push the lead to 15. The Fever held Minnesota scoreless for 3:40 during a 12-0 run to take a 40-20 edge.

Indiana led 45-27 at halftime.

Minnesota shot 5-for-19 from the field in the second quarter. Those tough, contested shots the Lynx made in the first quarter didn’t fall in the second. Indiana outrebounded Minnesota 20-15 in the first half, forced nine turnovers and committed just three.

“We started the offense by going at them on the defensive end,” Zellous said.

“We were able to get an attack. We were pushing up on them. We didn’t let them do what they did to us on Game 2, and it made our job so much easier on offense.”

The Fever didn’t rest. Catchings’ baseline jumper pushed Indiana’s lead back to 20 early in the third quarter. Erin Phillips was fouled on a 3-pointer by Monica Wright, and she fell to the ground in front of Reeve. Phillips made all three free throws to make it 54-29.

Indiana continued to pour it on and led 70-38 at the end of the third quarter.

The Fever went on cruise control in the fourth quarter as Minnesota tried to make the score more respectable.

Zellous finally made Indiana’s first field goal of the fourth quarter with 2:21 remaining, and the Fever still had a 20point lead at that point.

Indiana knows the series isn’t over.

The Fever led Phoenix 2-1 in 2009 and could have clinched in Game 4 at home.

Indiana lost that game, then lost Game 5 and the series in Phoenix.

“We sat in the huddle and I told everybody, ‘Don’t get excited about this. Do not get excited,’” Catchings said. “We’ll come back in here tomorrow, we’ll look at some video and get better tomorrow and we’ll come back out Sunday. I don’t want anybody celebrating. None of that.” The Fever also know Minnesota won’t quit.

“We expect the defending champs to come out and play like their backs are against the wall,” Fever guard Briann January said. “We know they’re going to give everything, and we have to respond and we have to bring everything we have. It’s going to be another war.” —AP

MOSCOW: Australian Samantha Stosur returns a ball to Serbian Ana Ivanovic during the Kremlin Cup tennis tournament semifinal match. —AFP

Wozniacki, Stosur to play for Kremlin Cup MOSCOW: Caroline Wozniacki and Samantha Stosur both earned three-set victories yesterday to reach the final of the Kremlin Cup. Wozniacki advanced to her third final of the season by beating Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4, while Stosur rallied to beat former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Stosur has a 3-2 record against Wozniacki, winning their last two matches.

In a match that saw a total of 18 breaks of serve, the third-seeded Wozniacki won five consecutive games against Arvidsson to take the first set. Both players then struggled with their serves for the rest of the match. The 11th-ranked Dane was serving for the match at 6-5 in the second set but was broken.

Wozniacki was broken again while serving for the match at 5-3 in the third but finally clinched the victory when the 46th-ranked

Swede netted a backhand in the 10th game.

“I was really fighting out there,” Wozniacki said. “It’s tough on this surface to finish off the point. This surface suits her game much more than mine and she could get lots of balls.

Besides, she was playing really good this week. I’m just happy to make it to the final.”

Ivanovic won four consecutive games in the first set but Stosur broke in the eighth game of the second to stay in the match. She then made a decisive break in the seventh game of the decider and sealed the victory on her first match point with a backhand down the line.

Later Saturday in the men’s semifinals, Malek Jaziri was scheduled to play secondseeded Andreas Seppi of Italy, while Croatian veteran Ivo Karlovic was to play fourth-seeded Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci. —AP

18

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

sp orts

Real ease past Celta

Soccer results/standings English Premier League results Fulham 1 (Baird 84) Aston Villa 0; Liverpool 1 (Sterling 29) Reading 0; Manchester Utd 4 (Rooney 27, 65, Van Persie 44, Welbeck 46) Stoke 2 (Rooney 11-og, Kightly 58); Norwich 1 (Holt 19) Arsenal 0; Swansea 2 (Hernandez 65, Michu 67) Wigan 1 (Boyce 69); Tottenham 2 (Gallas 47, Defoe 54) Chelsea 4 (Cahill 17, Mata 66, 69, Sturridge 90); West Bromwich 1 (Long 67) Manchester City 2 (Dzeko 80, 90); West Ham 4 (Noble 46, 72-pen, Nolan 48, Maiga 87) Southampton 1 (Lallana 63).

Playing today: QPR v Everton, Sunderland v Newcastle English Football League results Championship: Birmingham 1 Leicester 1; Bolton 3 Bristol City 2; Brighton 0 Middlesbrough 1; Burnley 1 Blackpool 0; Charlton 0 Barnsley 1; Crystal Palace 2 Millwall 2; Derby 1 Blackburn 1; Huddersfield 2 Wolverhampton 1; Hull 2 Ipswich 1; Nottingham Forest 3 Cardiff 1; Watford 1 Peterborough 0.

Division One: Bournemouth 3 Tranmere 1; Colchester 2 Carlisle 0; Coventry 1 Notts County 2; Doncaster 2 Brentford 1; Hartlepool 0 Crawley 1; Milton Keynes 0 Stevenage 1; Oldham 2 Leyton Orient 0; Portsmouth 3 Shrewsbury 1; Preston 0 Sheffield Utd 1; Swindon 1 Scunthorpe 1; Walsall 2 Crewe 2; Yeovil 2 Bury 1.

Division Two: Aldershot 0 Rotherham 3; Bradford 3 Cheltenham 1; Bristol Rovers 3 Torquay 2; Exeter 0 Chesterfield 1; Fleetwood 1 Wimbledon 1; Gillingham 4 Burton 1; Morecambe 1 Southend 0; Oxford 5 Accrington 0; Plymouth 3 Rochdale 1; Port Vale 4 Wycombe 1; York 3 Dagenham and Redbridge 2.

Scottish Premier League results Dundee Utd 1 (Rankin 22) Aberdeen 1 (McGinn 53); Ross County 3 (Kettlewell 9, Vigurs 34, McMenamin 83) Hibernian 2 (Griffiths 6, McPake 45); St Johnstone 2 (Davidson 30, Hasselbaink 90) Kilmarnock 1; St Mirren 0 Celtic 5 (Hooper 15, Ambrose 18, Wanyama 32, 38, Watt 86).

Played Friday: Dundee 1 (N ish 13) I nverness C T 4

(McKay 4, 85, Warren 7, Shinnie 81-pen) Playing today: Hearts v Motherwell Scottish Football League results First Division: Cowdenbeath 4 Raith 4; Dumbarton 0 Falkirk 2; Dunfermline 2 Morton 2; Hamilton 1 Livingston 2; Partick 7 Airdrie 0.

Second Division: Albion 4 Arbroath 0; Alloa 1 Ayr 0; Brechin 3 Stranraer 0; East Fife 3 Forfar 0; Queen of the South 2 Stenhousemuir 2.

Third Division: Berwick 2 Clyde 1; East Stirlingshire 2 Peterhead 1; Elgin 2 Annan 2; Rangers 2 Queen’s Park 0; Stirling 1 Montrose 3.

German Bundesliga results Eintracht Frankfurt 3 (Matmour 5, Jung 18, Meier 82) Hanover 1 (Abdellaoue 43); Fortuna Duesseldorf 0 Bayern Munich 5 (Mandzukic 28, Gustavo 36, Mueller 55, 86, Rafinha 87); Borussia Dortmund 1 (Lewandowski 55) Schalke 04 2 (Afellay 14, Hoeger 48); Bayer Leverkusen 2 (Kiessling 43, Castro 87) Mainz 05 2 (Szalai 58, Risse 76); VfL Wolfsburg 0 SC Freiburg 2 (Caligiuri 40-pen, Schuster 84); Werder Bremen 4 (Petersen 37, Arnautovic 45, Fuellkrug 76, Junuzovic 86) Borussia Moenchengladbach 0.

Playing today Nuremberg v FC Augsburg, Hamburg v VfB Stuttgart Spanish league results Malaga 2 (Isco 37, Joaquin 88) Valladolid 1 (Manucho 9); Real Madrid 2 (Higuain 11, Ronaldo 67-pen) Celta Vigo 0; Valencia v Athletic Bilbao, Deportivo La Coruna v Barcelona.

Playing today Getafe v Levante, Espanyol v Rayo Vallecano, Granada v Real Zaragoza, Osasuna v Real Betis, Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid Playing tomorrow Sevilla v Real Mallorca.

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): English Premier League table Chelsea 8 7 1 0 19 6 Man Utd 8 6 0 2 21 11 Man City 8 5 3 0 17 9 Everton 7 4 2 1 14 8 Tottenham 8 4 2 2 15 12 West Bromwich 8 4 2 2 12 9 West Ham 8 4 2 2 12 9 Fulham 8 4 1 3 16 11 Arsenal 8 3 3 2 13 6 Swansea 8 3 2 3 14 12 Liverpool 8 2 3 3 10 12 Newcastle 7 2 3 2 8 11 Stoke 8 1 5 2 8 9 Sunderland 6 1 4 1 5 7 Norwich 8 1 3 4 6 17 Wigan 8 1 2 5 8 15 Aston Villa 8 1 2 5 6 13 Southampton 8 1 1 6 13 24 Reading 7 0 3 4 8 14 QPR 7 0 2 5 6 16

22 18 18 14 14 14 14 13 12 11 9 9 8 7 6 5 5 4 3 2

English Football League tables Championship Leicester 11 7 1 3 18 10 Cardiff 11 7 1 3 20 14 Huddersfield 11 6 2 3 17 12 Crystal Palace 11 6 2 3 20 19 Wolverhampton 11 6 1 4 15 11 Hull 11 6 1 4 18 15 M’brough 11 6 1 4 17 17 Brighton 11 5 3 3 15 7 Leeds 11 5 3 3 19 17 Blackburn 11 4 5 2 17 14 Nottingham 11 4 5 2 14 11 Blackpool 11 5 1 5 19 15 Watford 11 5 1 5 16 18 Derby 11 3 5 3 16 14 Burnley 11 4 2 5 22 22 Bolton 11 4 2 5 16 18 Barnsley 11 4 2 5 13 15 Charlton 11 3 3 5 12 13 Millwall 11 3 3 5 16 21 Birmingham 11 3 3 5 11 18 Bristol City 11 3 2 6 20 22 Sheffield Wed 11 2 3 6 15 22 Ipswich 11 1 4 6 9 21 Peterborough 11 2 0 9 10 19

22 22 20 20 19 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 14 14 14 14 12 12 12 11 9 7 6

Division One 13 9 3 1 13 7 5 1 13 6 7 0 13 8 1 4 13 7 3 3 13 6 4 3 12 6 3 3 13 5 5 3 13 5 3 5 13 4 6 3 13 5 3 5 13 5 3 5 12 4 4 4 13 5 1 7 13 4 4 5 13 5 1 7 13 4 4 5 13 3 5 5 13 3 5 5 13 3 4 6 13 2 5 6 13 2 4 7 13 1 4 8 13 0 5 8

30 18 17 20 23 18 16 15 21 17 21 17 13 21 13 11 14 17 12 13 13 9 10 12

11 11 10 18 12 12 11 9 16 14 20 19 11 20 16 15 22 22 19 15 20 21 22 25

30 26 25 25 24 22 21 20 18 18 18 18 16 16 16 16 16 14 14 13 11 10 7 5

Division Two Gillingham 13 10 2 1 Port Vale 13 9 2 2 Fleetwood 13 6 4 3 Cheltenham 13 6 4 3 Bradford 13 6 3 4 Burton 13 5 4 4 Exeter 13 6 1 6 Rochdale 13 5 4 4 Rotherham 12 5 3 4 Torquay 13 4 6 3 Southend 13 5 3 5 York 13 4 6 3 Chesterfield 13 4 6 3 Morecambe 13 5 3 5 Plymouth 13 4 5 4 Accrington 12 5 2 5 Northampton 13 4 4 5 Oxford 13 5 1 7 D’and Redbridge13 3 5 5 Bristol Rovers 12 3 5 4 Wycombe 12 3 2 7

28 32 19 17 23 21 20 19 20 20 18 19 16 17 19 17 18 19 19 13 12

8 13 12 16 17 19 20 19 16 17 15 18 15 18 18 21 20 24 21 19 20

32 29 22 22 21 19 19 19 18 18 18 18 18 18 17 17 16 16 14 14 11

Tranmere Stevenage Sheffield Utd Crawley Notts County Swindon Doncaster Milton Keynes Preston Brentford Portsmouth Walsall Oldham Yeovil Colchester Leyton Orient Carlisle Bournemouth Crewe Shrewsbury Coventry Scunthorpe Hartlepool Bury

Wimbledon Aldershot Barnet

13 3 13 2 13 1

2 2 3

8 9 9

15 10 12

Scottish League tables First Division 9 7 1 1 24 9 6 2 1 22 9 5 3 1 20 9 3 4 2 14 9 3 3 3 17 9 3 3 3 13 9 2 4 3 11 9 2 1 6 10 9 1 3 5 10 9 0 2 7 6

Ronaldo clipped the bar with an inventive volley. Unhappy with only the one-goal advantage at the interval Mourinho called time on Kaka’s return by replacing him with Angel Di Maria for the second period.

The half began at a slow pace until the 61st minute when Essien burst down the left flank and Ronaldo narrowley headed wide his cross. Next it was Varane’s turn to head wide from a corner and Madrid’s anxiety was increasing as time ticked by with the single goal lead.

However, the referee came to Madrid’s rescue when he gave what appeared to be a contentious penalty when Mesut Ozil went down under a challenge from Gustavo Cabral on 68 minutes. Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot to make it nine league goals for the season, one more than Lionel Messi and Radamel Falcao. Substitute Jose Callejon forced a save

7 7 13 11 16 13 13 23 17 27

22 20 18 13 12 12 10 7 6 2

21 19 16 16 18 15 15 9 14 7

4 13 10 19 15 17 18 17 15 22

23 16 16 15 14 10 10 9 8 5

Third Division Rangers 8 4 3 1 Elgin 9 4 3 2 Queen’s Park 8 4 2 2 Peterhead 8 4 1 3 Berwick 8 3 2 3 Montrose 9 3 2 4 Annan 8 2 4 2 Clyde 8 3 1 4 East Stirlingshire 8 3 0 5 Stirling 8 2 0 6

19 20 13 10 13 15 11 9 11 11

7 16 8 8 10 20 14 13 19 17

15 15 14 13 11 11 10 10 9 6

German League table Bayern Munich 8 8 0 0 26 E’Frankfurt 8 6 1 1 19 Schalke 8 5 2 1 17 B’ Dortmund 8 3 3 2 18 Leverkusen 8 3 3 2 13 Hanover 8 3 2 3 16 Freiburg 8 3 2 3 13 Mainz 8 3 2 3 9 Werder Bremen 8 3 1 4 14 Hamburg 7 3 1 3 9 Duesseldorf 8 2 4 2 6 Borussia 8 2 3 3 9 Hoffenheim 8 2 2 4 13 Nuremberg 7 2 1 4 7 VfB Stuttgart 7 1 3 3 7 Augsburg 7 1 2 4 5 Greuther 8 1 2 5 5 VfL Wolfsburg 8 1 2 5 2

2 11 8 11 11 13 10 10 13 10 8 16 17 14 14 11 14 15

24 19 17 12 12 11 11 11 10 10 10 9 8 7 6 5 5 5

7 8 5 7 13 6 7 9 10 14 13 10 11 9 10 14 9 14 11 13

19 19 17 14 12 11 11 10 10 10 10 9 9 8 8 8 6 6 4 2

from Celta’s reserve keeper Sergio Alvarez and Quique de Lucas did the same at the other end for the visitors. Casillas was forced into another save from a Chu Young Park header before the game petered out with both sides seemingly content with the result.

Earlier, Malaga moved to within two points of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top, ahead of their games later, with a hard earned 2-1 home victory over Valladolid.

The visitors took an early lead when former Manchester United striker Manucho fired home after Omar Ramos had caused chaos in the Malaga defence with a mazy run.

A superb Isco levelled the game for Malaga before the interval, before Joaquin grabbed a winner on 87 minutes, only two minutes after blasting a penalty over the bar. Manucho was sent-off late on for a Valladolid side unlucky not to share the points. —AFP

Celtic thrash St Mirren

20 17 15 15 14 13 12 12 11 9 9 4

Second Division Queen of South 9 7 2 0 Forfar 9 5 1 3 Alloa 9 5 1 3 Arbroath 9 4 3 2 Stenhousemuir 9 3 5 1 Albion 9 3 1 5 Ayr 9 3 1 5 Brechin 9 3 0 6 East Fife 9 2 2 5 Stranraer 9 1 2 6

Spanish League table Barcelona 7 6 1 0 19 Atletico Madrid 7 6 1 0 18 Malaga 8 5 2 1 13 Real Madrid 8 4 2 2 16 Real Betis 7 4 0 3 12 Real Mallorca 7 3 2 2 8 Sevilla 7 3 2 2 8 Valladolid 8 3 1 4 12 Getafe 7 3 1 3 8 Rayo Vallecano 7 3 1 3 9 Levante 7 3 1 3 8 Celta Vigo 8 3 0 5 9 Real Sociedad 7 3 0 4 8 Valencia 7 2 2 3 8 Granada 7 2 2 3 6 Athletic Bilbao 7 2 2 3 9 Real Zaragoza 7 2 0 5 5 Deportivo 7 1 3 3 9 Osasuna 7 1 1 5 7 Espanyol 7 0 2 5 8

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal (left) competes for the ball with Celta’s Roberto Lago during a Spanish La Liga soccer match. —AP

27 11 24 8 26 6

Scottish Premier League table Celtic 9 6 2 1 19 7 St Johnstone 10 5 2 3 13 12 Aberdeen 10 3 6 1 12 9 Hibernian 10 4 3 3 17 15 Inverness CT 10 3 5 2 22 18 Motherwell 8 3 4 1 13 10 Kilmarnock 10 3 3 4 14 13 St Mirren 10 3 3 4 15 19 Ross County 10 2 5 3 11 13 Hearts 9 2 3 4 9 10 Dundee Utd 8 2 3 3 8 11 Dundee 10 1 1 8 4 20

Partick Dunfermline Morton Raith Cowdenbeath Livingston Falkirk Airdrie Hamilton Dumbarton

MADRID: Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo hit a goal apiece in either half as Real Madrid eased past Celta Vigo with a 2-0 victory yesterday.

Argentine striker Higuain gave the current La Liga champions a lead on 12 minutes before Ronaldo wrapped up the points with a second-half penalty for a Madrid side that never really got going against unambitious opposition.

Newly-promoted Celta, backed by noisy support, had won on their last two visits to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2004 and 2007 but never looked like repeating that feat this time.

The result means ‘los blancos’ move within five points of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga, having played a game more. Coach Jose Mourinho needed to shuffle his pack after a number of players returned with injuries from international duty. Brazilian international Kaka was called to start his first league game of the season while Raphael Varane took over in the centre of defence for only his second.

There was also room for recent signings Michael Essien and Luka Modric as Mourinho kept one eye on Wednesday’s Champions League tie at Borussia Dortmund.

It was Sergio Ramos, filling in at right-back, who had the first chance of the game when he headed a corner just over on three minutes and from that point a pattern of Madrid dominance was established.

By the 12th minute Madrid were ahead when Higuain powered down the left wing and hit what looked like a cross that curled into the top far corner.

Ramos almost made it two from close range and then Ronaldo headed over a cross from Higuain as Celta struggled to get into Real’s half. On 25 minutes they did mount their first attack when the impressive Iago Aspas forced a way through the Madrid defence and produced a diving save from Iker Casillas. The visitors were showing more signs of life with some neat passing but Madrid continued to look comfortable and could have doubled their lead on 37 minutes when

GERMANY: Duesseldorf’s Ukranian forward Andriy Voronin (right) and Bayern Munich’s Brazil defender Luiz Gustavo vie for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga football match. —AFP

Bayern rout Duesseldorf DORTMUND: Bayern Munich set a new Bundesliga record yesterday when they claimed their eighth straight victory since the start of the season with a 5-0 hammering of Fortuna Duesseldorf to stay top of the league.

Bayern in 1995, Mainz in 2010 and Kaiserslautern in 2001 had all previously held the joint record of seven successive wins. It was also the 300th Bundesliga victory for Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes thanks to goals by Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic, Brazil’s Luiz Gustavo and Rafina, plus two from Germany’s Thomas Mueller. “Of course, I am delighted,” said Heynckes. “We played fantastic football from start to finish.” Despite secondplaced Eintracht Frankfurt and Schalke 04, third, also winning, Bayern remain five-points clear at the top.

Bayern went ahead on 28 minutes after a Franck Ribery pass split the defence and found striker Mandzukic unmarked on 28 minutes to slot home.

Enjoying 80 percent possession, Bayern doubled their lead on 36 minutes.

Mueller fired the ball into the box and Brazil midfielder Gustavo enjoyed a simple tap in with Duesseldorf goalkeeper Fabian Giefer at his feet, desperately try-

ing to scramble away the danger. Mueller grabbed Bayern’s third on 55 minutes after a good pass from Ribery. Fortuna’s defence folded again as Mueller grabbed his second on 86 minutes and Rafinha claimed the fifth a minute later. Schalke enjoyed a rare 2-1 win at title-holding neighbours Borussia Dortmund in the 141st Ruhr derby. The Royal Blues took an early lead when Dutch for ward Ibrahim Afellay volleyed home on 14 minutes at Signal Iduna Park stadium in front of 80,645 fans.

Schalke doubled their lead two minutes into the second half when an excellent pass from Lewis Holtby on the halfway line put midfielder Marco Hoeger away. The 23-year-old sprinted clear of the Dortmund defence and drilled the ball past Borussia’s despairing goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller. Having started with a 4-4-2 formation, Borussia then switched back to a 4-2-3-1 attack which paid off when Poland striker Robert Lewandowski headed home on 55 minutes to put the hosts back in the game, but it was not enough. “We were a bit surprised that Dortmund changed their formation, but we coped well with it,” said Schalke coach Huub Stevens. — AFP

GLASGOW; Victor Wanyama scored a double as Celtic warmed up for their Champions League tie against Barcelona with a 5-0 away thrashing of St Mirren to remain top of the Scottish Premier League yesterday. St Mirren had squandered a chance to open the scoring through Lewis Guy before two goals in three minutes put the Hoops on top.

Gary Hooper tapped in a 15th minute opener from close range before Efe Ambrose volleyed home in the 18th minute following a fumble from Craig Samson.

Kenyan international Wanyama rifled home a third in the 32nd minute before the midfielder bagged his double with a sensational strike from 30 yards that left the keeper with no chance.

The Hoops took their foot off the pedal in the second half but teenager Tony Watt was still able to head home a late fifth as Celtic cruised to the biggest win of the SPL season. “They were magnificent, every one of them.

They had a great attitude and there was a good tempo to the game,” Celtic manager Neil Lennon said.

“We were clinical in front of goal but having said that we had to rely on (keeper) Fraser Forster a couple of times - but we were awesome today.”

St Mirren manager Danny Lennon was bitterly disappointed. “It is a very emotional dressing room for the players and the staff,” Lennon admitted.

“I felt we started the game reasonably well and then we gave away poor goals. “We certainly met a Celtic side on top form and with us being well below par I have no complaints on how the game went.”

With one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League tie against Barcelona manager Neil Lennon made five changes to his side with Scotland trio Scott Brown, Kris Commons and James Forrest all nursing injuries.

Teenager Watt started only his fourth game for the Hoops and he immediately had a chance but keeper Samson was quick off his line to make a brave block at the striker’s feet near the penalty spot. St Mirren were next to threaten and could have taken the lead when a deep cross from David van Zanten found Guy in behind Celtic defender Efe Ambrose but the striker sent his first-time volley straight at Fraser Forster.

The Buddies were left to rue that missed chance when Celtic went in front in the 15th minute as Hooper scored his 10th goal of the season. Tunisia international Lassad Nouioui drilled a ball across the six-yard box and the English striker knocked the ball past Samson from close range. The Hoops doubled their advantage just three minutes later when Samson fumbled a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick and Nigerian international Ambrose was on hand to volley in his first Celtic goal.

It was all over for the home side in the 32nd minute when Wanyama made it 3-0 after an Adam Matthews corner came off two St Mirren defenders.

Wanyama then got his second of the match with a spectacular curling strike from 30 yards that flew into the top corner in the 38th minute. — AFP

Gameiro vaults PSG into provisional pole PARIS: A second-half goal from Kevin Gameiro vaulted Paris Saint Germain to the top of the French League yesterday — but it was goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu whom the Qatari-bankrolled capital club had to thank for their win bonus as he saved a penalty in a 1-0 win over promoted Reims.

Former Palermo shot-stopper Sirigu saved Diego Rigonato’s kick five minutes before the interval after Gregory Van der Wiel, preferred in the PSG defence to Christophe Jallet, handballed in the area.

The three points mean PSG preserved their unbeaten record

and moved ahead of Marseille, who face Troyes today, on goal difference.

After a sluggish opening period and having recovered from their fortunate escape thanks to Sirigu, PSG found their rhythm after the break and piled the pressure on - but it took until the 65th minute before Gameiro broke the deadlock, heading in a cross from Maxwell.

Blaise Matuidi hit the bar and Jeremy Menez the post as the Parisians kept up the chase for a second - but they go top by dint of a plus ten goal difference to plus five for Marseille, who will

nevertheless expect to swat Troyes and regain pole position come Sunday night.

Bordeaux are another unbeaten side to date - but they were left kicking themselves after a last-gasp effort from Montenegrin defender Marko Basa handed Lille a 1-1 draw Friday, meaning Bordeaux have drawn six of nine matches this term.

Polish international midfielder Ludovic Obraniak’s 18th-minute opener looked set to vault Bordeaux into provisional second place against struggling 2011 champions Lille, who are mired in

mid-table. But three minutes into stoppage time, home forward Henri Saivet committed a needless foul and from the resulting freekick Basa headed home to rescue a point for Lille while Bordeaux are four points off the leading pair.

Lille’s late leveller gave them a boost of sorts before next Tuesday’s Champions League match against German giants Bayern Munich.

Later Saturday, current champions Montpellier, beaten already four times this season and just off the drop zone, were in action at midtable Rennes. —AFP

19

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

SPORTS

Holt shoots down Arsenal Norwich 1

Arsenal 0

LONDON: Manchester City’s French midfielder Samir Nasri (left) runs with the ball against West Bromwich Albion’s Shane Long (right) during their English Premier League football match.—AFP

10-man City down West Brom West Brom 1

Man City 2

BIRMINGHAM: Substitute Edin Dzeko struck two dramatic late goals as 10-man Manchester City came from behind to beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at the Hawthorns yesterday.

James Milner’s sending off midway through the first half had appeared to hand the advantage to the Baggies and they took the lead through Shane Long’s closerange strike after the break.

However, the response from Roberto Mancini’s side was befitting of their status as champions as Dzeko levelled with an 80th-minute header before stunning the Baggies, who had won their previous five home league matches, by clinically finishing off a swift counter-attack in stoppagetime. While it was harsh on Steve Clarke’s team, it was another demonstration from City of their resilience in the face of adversity as they maintained their unbeaten league start to remain four points behind leaders Chelsea.

City threatened for the first time after 15 minutes when Ben Foster was forced to tip a Yaya Toure header over his crossbar from Samir Nasri’s corner.

The game soon descended into a scrappy affair, however, with referee Mark Clattenburg required to have words with Toure and Liam Ridgewell after their overzealous jostling for a corner, while Mario Balotelli was booked for a late barge on Claudio Yacob.

Worse was to follow for the champions in the 23rd minute, though, when Milner was red carded for a professional foul on Long. Vincent Kompany gifted possession away cheaply around the centre circle, James Morrison’s probing pass into space

gave Long the chance to burst clean through and Milner sent the Republic of Ireland striker tumbling with a desperate last-ditch lunge.

In what had already been a bad tempered contest, tensions grew further still with Long booked for a handball, while Joe Hart required treatment after being accidentally caught by Graham Dorrans as the Scotland international attempted to latch onto Gareth McAuley’s flick.

Mancini’s teamtalk appeared to have some impact on City as they emerged revitalised for the second half and within two minutes it required an outstanding save from Baggies goalkeeper Foster to turn Carlos Tevez’s fiercely-struck shot away for a corner. However, City only had themselves to blame when they failed to score on the hour mark after Tevez’s free-kick was headed back across goal by Richards only for both Balotelli and Toure to waste close-range chances, the latter blazing over the crossbar.

It proved costly as within seven minutes the Baggies were ahead thanks to Long’s fifth club goal of the campaign. Within four minutes of coming on as a substitute, Peter Odemwingie made an impact as Long broke the offside trap to redirect the Nigerian’s low shot into the opposite corner beyond the wrong-footed Hart.

But the home’s side’s lead was to last just 13 minutes and this time it was Mancini who made an inspired substitution. On the field just a minute, Dzeko rose highest to glance home Tevez’s free-kick off the back of his head. It was absolutely intentional, yet Foster will have been disappointed with his contribution, having come off his line only to fail to make the punch.

Chances came and went at either end, with Romelu Lukaku unfortunate with a superb bicycle kick.

But the Baggies were ruthlessly punished in added time when another substitute, Sergio Aguero, led a devastating City counter down the left and crossed to the unmarked Dzeko, who kept his cool to fire past Foster.—AFP

Swansea end barren run Swansea 2

Wigan 1

SWANSEA: Swansea got back on track as second half goals from Pablo Hernandez and Michu sealed a 2-1 win against Wigan at the Liberty Stadium yesterday.

Michael Laudrup’s side had gone five league games without a victory amid growing rumours of player unrest at the Dane’s tactics and management style, so this was a welcome success for the south Wales club. Spanish midfielder Hernandez, the club’s record signing, bagged his first goal for Swansea in the 65th minute and compatriot Michu’s sixth of the season doubled their advantage.

Emmerson Boyce pulled one back for Wigan, but Arouna Kone had an equaliser ruled out for offside as the Latics’ winless run extended to six games.

The pre-match focus was on the fact that neither side wore the anti-racism ‘Kick It Out’ T-shirts during the warm-ups, understood to be a gesture of solidarity from the respective squads towards players who did not wish to wear them.

Michu had a great chance to opening the scoring early in the first half, but couldn’t keep his volley down from Wayne Routledge’s pass. And the Spanish midfielder then headed over the bar after some slick build-up play from the hosts.

Swansea were almost caught on the break when Shaun Maloney evaded Angel Rangel and played Jean Beausejour in, but the Chile international could only fire over.

Laudrup’s team piled on the pressure after half-time and it took a strong parry from Ali Al Habsi to beat out Ki SungYeung’s strike.

The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 65th minute. Jonathan de Guzman fed Hernandez and the Spaniard finished with a fine low strike.

Swansea increased their lead two minutes later when De Guzman’s inswinging corner picked out Michu’s near-post run and he headed home

emphatically.

Wigan were back in it almost immediately when Chico Flores misjudged a long ball and his error ended with Boyce acrobatically flicking in from James McCarthy’s scuffed shot.

Kone thought he had equalised in the closing stages, but the Ivorian’s header was ruled out for offside.—AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Sunderland v Newcastle 15:30 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5 QPR v Everton 18:00 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

Spanish League Getafe v Levante Aljazeera Sport +2 Espanyol v Rayo Aljazeera Sport +2 Granada v Zaragoza Aljazeera Sport +3 Osasuna v Betis Aljazeera Sport +7 Sociedad v Atletico Aljazeera Sport +2

17:00

Liverpool 1

Reading 0

LIVERPOOL: Raheem Sterling scored the only goal as Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Reading yesterday gave Brendan Rodgers a first home victory in the Premier League since taking over at Anfield in the closeseason. The Reds have struggled in front of their own fans all year and this was just a third victory in all competitions at Anfield in 2012.

Sterling, 17, provided the decisive impact with just under half an hour gone to become the club’s second youngest scorer in Premier League history after Michael Owen.

Brian McDermott’s Reading are still looking for their first Premier League victory of the season.

Rodgers suffered yet more injury problems during the international break, with goalkeeper Pepe Reina and striker Fabio Borini both suffering knocks.

Reina’s absence, after sustaining a hamstring problem with Spain, meant that Australian Brad Jones made his first Premier League start for the club while Borini was also absent.

Reading striker Jason Roberts stuck to his word and refused to wear a ‘Kick racism out of football’ T-shirt during the warm-up in protest at the campaign group’s handling of recent racism issues.

Three other Reading players, including Jobi McAnuff, joined the veteran striker but it was unclear

whether they were making a similar protest. When the action started, there was the familiar pattern of the Reds controlling possession without hurting their opposition.

Employed at left-back, Glen Johnson, who did well to head away with Shaun Cummings set to pounce at the far post in the early stages, was the home team’s best attacking weapon.

He was bundled off the ball in the area by Cummings when making one early surge and also laid on another opening for Sterling.

Sterling was also denied by a fine block from Adrian Mariappa after fine work down the left flank by Luis Suarez.

And the winger finally worked Alex McCarthy when he cut in and shot straight at the Reading goalkeeper from just outside the area.

Suarez also went close when he latched on to a loose ball on the edge of the box and saw his lob land on the roof of the net. Mikele Leigertwood drove over from 20 yards as Reading made a rare forward move.

After Nuri Sahin set Sterling free down the left flank he got on the end of the winger’s cross but shot over after being impeded by Steven Gerrard.

But the hosts moved ahead in the 29th minute when Suarez played a neat through-ball and Sterling raced through and guided a firm shot past McCarthy.

There was no change after the interval as another neat passing move created the space for Sterling to again be thwarted by McCarthy before Johnson sliced wide from the edge of the box.

A poor clearance from McCarthy gave Suarez and opening but the

Fulham 1

Aston Villa 0 20:45

13:30 16:00 16:00 16:00 16:00 16:00 21:45

ning block to thwart Holt and Bradley Johnson did the same to deny Santi Cazorla at the other end as the final whistle approached.

Wenger’s problems deepened when substitute Alex OxladeChamberlian, who had replaced Podolski, had to come off with a knock after just nine minutes

with Andre Ashavin going on.

With Arsenal committed to attack they were almost caught on the break by Holt who burst clear but shot wide. The Norwich skipper had an even better chance when he took advantage of a Vermaelen slip and fluffed his finish in a one-on-one with Mannone.—AFP

ANFIELD: Liverpool’s Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (right) falls to the ground as he vies with Reading’s English defender Shaun Cummings during their English Premier League football match. —AFP goalkeeper made up for his error with a fine block from the Uruguayan.

At the other end substitute Garath McCleary raced on to a long pass and was denied by a fine block

by Jones, who also pushed away a powerful curling effort from McAnuff.

Daniel Agger had an effort blocked and Johnson also had a

Fulham add to Villa woes

18:50

22:30

NORWICH: Arsenal’s French player Olivier Giroud (right) challenges Norwich City’s Norwegian Alexander Tettey during an English Premier League football match.—AFP

Liverpool scrape past Reading

13:00

Italian League Cagliari v Bologna Aljazeera Sport +3 Parma v Sampdoria Aljazeera Sport +7 Udinese v Pescara Aljazeera Sport +6 Palermo v Torino Aljazeera Sport +7 Inter v Catania Aljazeera Sport +3 Chievo v Fiorentina Aljazeera Sport +8 Genoa v AS Roma Aljazeera Sport +3

NORWICH: Norwich stunned Arsenal as Grant Holt punished a mistake from Vito Mannone to seal a shock 1-0 victory over the Gunners at Carrow Road yesterday. With Arsenal’s first choice stopper Wojciech Szczesny a long term injury victim, and his back up Lukasz Fabianski damaging ligaments in training during the week, Arsene Wenger once again turned to Mannone in goal, but the Italian’s poor handling was decisive as Holt netted from the rebound to give Norwich their first Premier League win of the season.

Wenger’s side are now 10 points behind leaders Chelsea as their spluttering start to the season continues, while Norwich climb out of the relegation zone thanks to their first win over Arsenal for 20 years. Jack Wilshire was a welcome sight on the bench as the Arsenal midfielder returned for the first time in 17 months after a series of injuries, but Wenger opted not to send on the England international even with the game drifting away.

Anthony Pilkington caused early problems for Arsenal with a cross towards Holt, which was cleared by Per Mertesacker, and then went close with a 20-yard shot. Moments later Norwich were on the back foot as Lukas

Podolski flashed a left-footed shot across John Ruddy’s goal.

But Arsenal struggled to find time and space to play their usually expansive football as Norwich harried them out of their rhythm.

The Canaries’ confidence grew and they went ahead in the 19th minute when Mannone failed to hold on to a long range shot from Alex Tettey and Holt followed up to put away from inside the sixyard box.

It was Holt’s third goal in as many games after netting against Liverpool and Chelsea after an early season drought. Michael Turner came close to doubling Norwich’s lead with a header from Pilkington’s corner. There were howls of derision from the home crowd when Gervinho made a complete hash of a ball dropping to him from a Mikel Arteta free kick as Arsenal began to look out of sorts approaching half-time.

Ruddy was made to work in the second half when he punched out a Carl Jenkinson cross, which fell to Olivier Giroud but was unable to get a clean connection on an attempted shot 10 yards out.

A weak Gervinho header failed to trouble Ruddy after Aaron Ramsey and Giroud combined.

Wes Hoolahan put the ball in the net for Norwich nine minutes after the break but the offside flag was already up. Norwich then had a penalty claim turned down by referee Lee Probert when they felt Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen handled a Pilkington cross.

Carl Jenkinson made a stun-

LONDON: Fulham, bidding to underpin their top half of the table status in the English Premier League, thanked a late winner from Chris Baird for a 1-0 success over floundering Aston Villa, whose worst start in 15 years shows no sign of ending.

A near post corner from John Arne Riise found its way to Baird in a crowded six yard box on 84 minutes and he made no mistake in securing a win which moved the Cottagers provisionally into eighth spot a point ahead of Arsenal - in action later at Norwich.

Villa, who struggled throughout to find much creativity, ought to have equalised shortly after Baird’s goal but Christian Benteke, on target in midweek for Belgium against Scotland and on for Darren Bent, drove carelessly wide after Charles N’Zogbia whipped over an inviting cross.

Fulham, standing ninth at start of play, sent fit again forwards Dimitar Berbatov and Mladen Petric into the fray while Villa had midfielder Stephen Ireland back after missing three games with a broken bone in his wrist.

Despite having their strike tandem back in harness, Fulham initially looked as if they would never find a way through against a Villa side who have mustered just five points from eight games. Although Fulham enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession Villa were not without their chances.

Gabriel Agbonlahor forced Mark Schwarzer into an early save for the visitors, who have not won any of their last 13 away league games before the same striker just failed to get on the end of low cross from Ireland.

At the other end, Hugo Rodallega headed wide midway through the first half before Berbatov screwed an acrobatic volleyed attempt well wide just after the restart.

As the clock ticked down, Villa defender Matt Lowton headed goalwards but Schwarzer stood his ground to save as Fulham made it five home wins in their last six games on home turf.—AFP

shot pushed wide of the near opst

by McCarthy as Liverpool struggled to find a second.

Suarez was guilty of another desperate miss from 10 yards after he was picked out by a cross from substitute Jose Enrique. Nicky Shorey forced another save from Jones with a bending free-kick but the Reds held on to take the points.—AFP

Maradona stunned by partner’s pregnancy BUENOS AIRES: Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona learned with surprise that he would become a father again aged almost 52 years, his family doctor Alfredo Cahe revealed yesterday.

Maradona’s 34-year-old partner Veronica Ojeda is five months pregnant with the footballer’s fourth child. “She took it lightly and Diego with surprise (because) it was not planned by the couple,” Cahe told reporters at a Buenos Aires hospital where the father of the former football star is being treated for a urinary tract infection.

Cahe added that the pregancy was going well. Maradona, who turns 52 on October 30, has two daughters — Dalma, 25, and Giannina, 23 — from his marriage to Claudia Villafane, and a 26-year-old son, Diego Jnr, born following an affair with Italian Claudia Sinagra when he was playing for Napoli. The star, who guided Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and then to the 1990 final, is already a grandfather as Giannina is married to Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, and they have a three-year-old son Benjamin.—AFP

Real ease past Celta

Lorenzo on pole with late burst

18

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Maradona, 51, stunned by partner’s pregnancy

Page 19

OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (second right) scores against Stoke during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP

Rooney goes from zero to hero Man United 4

Stoke 2

MANCHESTER: Wayne Rooney shrugged off an own goal blunder to score twice as Manchester United maintained their Premier League title challenge with a 4-2 victory over Stoke yesterday. Rooney gifted Stoke a surprise early opener at Old Trafford, but he recovered to equalise and further goals from Danny Welbeck and

Robin van Persie extended the lead before Rooney’s second brought up his 200th goal in club football.

That was enough to see off Stoke and ensure Sir Alex Ferguson’s side remain in second place, four points behind leaders Chelsea. Stoke stunned the home side after just 11 minutes with a goal that suggested a first win at Old Trafford in 36 years might not be beyond the realms of possibility.

Paul Scholes was at fault in needlessly and clumsily conceding a free-kick, tripping Michael Kightly near the right-hand corner flag and presenting Charlie Adam with the opportunity to whip a free-kick into the sixyard area where Rooney headed the ball into his own goal. Stoke nearly scored

again when Adam spotted a gap between goalkeeper David de Gea and his near post and chanced his luck with a low shot which the Spaniard did well to paw off his line to safety. The fixture must have provided Ferguson with some discomfort, even before kick-off, when veteran defender Rio Ferdinand was the only United player to refuse to wear a “Kick Racism Out of Football” t-shirt. Stoke’s Kenwyne Jones did likewise, a protest led by the player and media pundit Jason Roberts, who believes the campaign is not doing enough to handle the issue of racism in the English game.

But it was the actions of Ferdinand, showing support for brother Anton who was at the centre of the John Terry racism

storm, which will generate the greater headlines, particularly as Ferguson was vocal in his criticism of Roberts’ position in the build-up to the game.

Down to the early goal, Ferdinand and his fellow United defenders were having an uncomfortable afternoon, particularly in dealing with the height of Peter Crouch in the Stoke attack and they should have been further behind on 24 minutes. Kightly cleverly stepped over Crouch’s pass for Jon Walters whose low shot from 16 yards was well saved by de Gea. But the hosts were level on 27 minutes, a move started by eventual goalscorer Rooney. The England forward, on the edge of the Stoke penalty area, found van Persie

out wide and the Dutchman’s excellent cross was met, clinically, by Rooney whose powerful six-yard header gave Asmir Begovic no chance. Once level, United’s forwards finally found some rhythm and Welbeck’s teasing 20 yard shot clipped the top of the Stoke crossbar.

A minute before the interval, Antonio Valencia drilled over a cross from the right which van Persie met, having slipped his marker, to steer the ball past Begovic from the corner of the six-yard area.

It took only 51 seconds of the second half for United to extend their lead in similarly clinical fashion as Rooney sent over a perfectly-weighted cross from the right which Welbeck met, stooping to guide an

Mata’s double gives Villas-Boas the Blues

West Ham hammer Saints

Terry to captain Chelsea Tottenham 2

Chelsea 4

LONDON: Juan Mata struck twice as Chelsea maintained their grip on the top of the English Premier League table with a 4-2 victory yesterday over former manager Andre Villas-Boas’ Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

The match had been billed as an opportunity for VillasBoas to hit back at the club who dismissed him last March after just nine months in charge.

But it was Roberto Di Matteo, his successor and former assistant at Stamford Bridge, who had most to savour with the Blues maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.

Gary Cahill-in at centre-back for Chelsea’s suspended captain John Terry had given the Blues a first half lead and Mata struck twice after William Gallas and Jermain Defoe had put the home side ahead. Mata then completed the job by teeing up Daniel Sturridge for fourth in second-half injury time. Terry may have been absent as he

started his four-game domestic ban after being found guilty by the Football Association of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand last October, but he still dominated the build-up to this London derby. Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck revealed before kick-off that the club had imposed a “very, very heavy fine” on the player but that Terry would remain the team’s captain.

Villas-Boas, meanwhile, had identified Chelsea’s defeat at QPR and the confrontation between Terry and Ferdinand as the moment his brief reign at Stamford Bridge star ted to unravel.

The Portuguese had maintained personal revenge was not on the agenda ahead of his first reunion with his former club and the warm handshakes between Villas-Boas and the Chelsea staff and players suggested relations between the benches remained warm.

There was enough at stake, however, without any extra scores to settle with both teams anxious to build on impressive starts to the campaign and reinforce their status as title challengers.

Villas-Boas was forced into a late change when Gareth Bale

withdrew after his partner went into labour, with Tom Huddlestone stepping into the starting line-up while veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel was recalled in place of Hugo Lloris.

And it was the home side who carved out the first opening of the game when Gallas miscued a third-minute volley after being picked out by Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free kick.

It was Chelsea who settled more quickly and Cahill’s goal came after a period of steady pressure during which the home defence had appeared increasingly shaky.

Gallas in par ticular had looked unconvincing and it was his poor clearing header from Eden Hazard’s corner that fell invitingly for Cahill to deliver a stinging volley from the edge of the area that flew in under Friedel’s crossbar.

Tottenham responded immediately with Defoe testing Petr Cech with a low left foot drive that the keeper failed to hold, forcing Ashley Cole to hack the ball away before Clint Dempsey got there.

Then with 30 minutes gone, the hosts’ Aaron Lennon delivered a cross to the far post that fell to Sigurdsson who pulled a left foot shot wide.

Defoe saw an angled strike

equally well-judged header beyond Begovic. But, after 58 minutes, Stoke were back in contention. Kightly collected the ball from Adam on the halfway line and sprinted towards the United goal, slaloming between three defenders and enjoying a fortunate bounce off an attempted Ferdinand tackle, before scoring from eight yards via the post.

It took only six minutes for United to restore their advantage, however, with Rooney claiming his second goal of the afternoon following a right-wing corner from van Persie. The ball ricocheted off two defenders and Welbeck before falling kindly for Rooney to convert from close range at the far post.—AFP

LONDON: Chelsea’s Spanish midfielder Juan Mata (right) vies with Tottenham Hotspur’s Brazilian midfielder Sandro (left) during their English Premier League football match.—AFP

headed off the line by Cole on the stroke of half-time, but it was Chelsea who were the dominant side during the first half.

And had Mata found the target instead of firing over from just 10 yards out after Friedel failed to hold his initial shot, they would have reached the interval with a more comfortable advantage.

Spurs responded well after the break with Gallas heading them level following

Huddlestone’s free kick in the 46th minute with Defoe making it 2-1 in the 55th minute with an opprtunist finish.

But Chelsea recovered their composure and Mata brought the scores level 10 minutes later after another poor Gallas clearance.

The Spaniard then put the visitors ahead with an excellent angled finish in the 69th minute and Sturridge killed off the game from close range at the death.—AFP

LONDON: West Ham routed fellow English Premier West Ham 4 League new boys Southampton 4-1 yesterday thanks to a secondhalf goal blitz at Upton Southampton 1 Park. The Hammers have fared far better on their return to the top flight, despite the Saints finishing above them last season to take the second automatic promotion spot from the Championship.

After a dull first half, Mark Noble opened the scoring for West Ham in the 46th minute and Kevin Nolan added a second within two minutes. Though Adam Lallana pulled one back for the visitors 63 minutes in, Noble scored his second from the penalty spot in the 72nd and late substitute Modibo Maiga completed the rout in the 87th minute.

The win left West Ham on 14 points, while struggling Southampton are in 17th place with just four points to show from their eight matches so far. Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun made his first start in his second spell at Upton Park, replacing the injured Ricardo Vaz Te. Saints boss Nigel Adkins gave recent signing Artur Boruc his debut in goal, while top scorer Rickie Lambert was on the bench. The first half was largely forgettable, with West Ham struggling to create chances and Southampton happy to make it to half-time without conceding for the first time since their top-flight comeback. Sam Allardyce’s team came out after the break firing on all cylinders. Noble struck with a 40-yard free kick that bounced in the six-yard box and beyond Boruc.

Within minutes, skipper Nolan had scored a second for the east Londoners. Japan defender Maya Yoshida lost the ball to Benayoun, who sent in a low cross to the far post where his captain tapped in. Boruc had to be alert to keep out Nolan again in the 61st minute and the Saints pulled one back just two minutes later. Lallana turned and sent a skilful half-volley past Hammers goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen from close range.

Adkins brought on Lambert but he was unable to bring the south coast side back on level terms, though fellow subsitute Emmanuel Mayuka threatened to do so twice, with a free kick that drifted over the crossbar and a header that went wide.

All Southampton’s good work went to waste when Jose Fonte handled in the penalty box as he challenged England striker Andy Carroll. Noble duly scored from the spot and the Hammers took it easy from then on. Despite the Saints giving Jaaskelainen plenty to think about, Mali forward Maiga sealed the victory five minutes after coming on the pitch. —AFP

Turkmenistan approves $1.2bn budget deficit Page 22

Seasonal pattern in global oil demand Page 24

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Jobless rate falls in all battleground states Page 24

Greece to press on with austerity measures Page 23

LONDON: Demonstrators gather in central London yesterday as they prepare to march against the government’s austerity policies and call for an alternative economic strategy that puts jobs and growth first. Tens of thousands of people marched through London in protest against the British government’s austerity measures. — AFP

Protesters boo Cameron, chant ‘no cuts’ LONDON: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London and other British cities yesterday in protest against government spending cuts, with union leaders expected to call for a general strike. Marchers carried signs reading “No cuts” and “Cameron has butchered Britain,” condemning the austerity measures introduced by Prime Minister David Cameron’s coalition government in a bid to reduce Britain’s huge deficit.

“This is not a crisis that is going to sort itself out through cuts,” 19-year-old protester Jonathan told AFP. “We’ve had a double-dip recession now, and we are

Mammoth rally in London against austerity

here today to show we are not going to stand it any longer.” Britain climbed out of a deep economic downturn in late 2009 but fell back into recession at the end of 2011. Protesters paused to boo at Cameron’s Downing Street residence, and shouted “Pay your taxes!” at a Starbucks coffee shop.

Starbucks was embroiled in a row this week after it was reported that the US giant paid just £8.6 million ($13.8 million, 10.6 million euros) in British corporation tax over 14 years.

At a huge rally in Hyde Park at the end of the march, opposition Labour leader Ed

Miliband attacked Cameron for “cutting too far and too fast”. “He clings to an economic plan that isn’t working,” Miliband told protesters. “Self-defeating austerity is not the answer.”

But Miliband was booed by the crowd when he said that any government in power at the moment would have to make some spending cuts. “There will still be hard choices,” he said. “I do not promise easy times.” Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress umbrella body, said the cuts were “hammering the poorest and the most vulnerable”.

“We have a stark and united message

for the government,” he was due to tell the Hyde Park rally. “Austerity isn’t working. It is hitting our jobs, our services, our living standards.” His speech added: “Ministers told us that if we only accept the pain, recovery would come. Instead we have been mired in a double dip recession.”

Dave Prentis, leader of Britain’s biggest public sector trade union Unison, said government cuts were pushing hundreds of thousands of state employees out of work. “We are here for the millions of people who don’t have a voice,” he said. “ We just can’t take any more.” But Cameron, whose Conser vative Par ty

shares power with the centrist Liberal Democrats, insisted that that spending cuts were needed to balance Britain’s budget. “Today Ed Miliband is headlining a rally calling for an end to every single spending cut needed to clear the deficit,” he said in a message posted on his Twitter account.

London’s Metropolitan Police did not provide an estimate for the number of demonstrators, but the TUC expected tens of thousands of people to join the threemile (4.8-kilometre) march. Scottish police said around 5,000 people took part in the Glasgow protest.— AFP

Canada blocks Petronas bid for Progress Energy

NEW DELHI: An Indian customer service representative stands inside the closed window of a Kingfisher Airlines booking counter at the International airport in New Delhi yesterday. —AFP

Kingfisher has flying license suspended NEW DELHI: The flying license of India’s Kingfisher Airlines was suspended yesterday after the debt-laden carrier failed to satisfy the aviation regulator’s concerns about its operations, an official said.

The license of the airline, whose fleet has been grounded for days due to a strike over unpaid salaries, has been suspended until it presents a “viable” revival plan, said R K Khanna, the deputy director general of civil aviation.

Kingfisher, which has billions of dollars in debts, has not paid staff for seven months and is desperately seeking a foreign buyer to save it from complete collapse. Relations between the Kingfisher management and its staff reached a boiling point last month after the company declined to commit when it would settle its dues, prompting employees to boycott work.

“The stage had come when the airline neither had engineers nor pilots at work. There was nobody to certify or actually fly the planes,” Khanna told AFP. “Kingfisher’s (flying) permit has been suspended... till they show us a viable revival plan and are able to prove to us that it is a safe, efficient and reliable service,” he said.

Much of the criticism for the airline’s decline has been directed at Vijay Mallya, the cigarpuffing billionaire who owns the company, and his flamboyant lifestyle.

But while the tycoon’s empire-spanning beer, whiskey, a cricket team and fertilisers-is

not seen to be under threat, recent moves suggest he too is facing a financial crunch. His flagship United Breweries, India’s biggest brewer, is in talks to sell a stake of the profitable liquor empire to Diageo, the world’s largest distiller, which analysts say could raise $800 million.

The 56-year-old is also desperate for a foreign airline to pump fresh capital into Kingfisher after India relaxed its investment policies last month. But analysts are doubtful anyone will come forward to rescue a company drowning in a debt pile estimated at $2.49 billion by the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, an airline industry research group.

Sharan Lillaney, an aviation analyst at Mumbai’s Angel Broking, said it was unlikely the airline would be able to bounce back from the crisis any time soon. “This (suspension) is just a formality as they were not flying anyway.

Without equity infusion, it is next to impossible for the airline to come back and fly,” Lillaney told AFP. A pilot with the airline said the situation surrounding the company was “one big farce”.

“Employees are being blamed for the crisis, which is a shame. Did we bring the airline to this situation?” he told AFP, declining to be named. He said the striking staff-which includes pilots and engineers-would continue to agitate to recover their long-overdue salaries.—AFP

TORONTO/KUALA LUMPUR: Canada has blocked Malaysian state oil firm Petronas’ C$5.17 billion ($5.2 billion) bid for gas producer Progress Energy Resources in a surprise move that could signal problems for a much larger Chinese deal in the country’s energy sector.

Canada’s announcement late on Friday, minutes before a deadline, was a blow to Petronas whose domestic oil supplies are shrinking and which has been seeking to boost its resources beyond Malaysia and volatile areas such as Sudan. It also raises doubts over Chinese oil group CNOOC’s C$15.1 billion offer for oil producer Nexen and could weigh on other Canadian firms hoping for foreign investment to tap their vast energy reserves.

Any rejection of the CNOOC bid would likely damage trade ties Canada has been trying to build with China, underlining political sensitivity to Chinese corporate expansion in North America. “I have sent a notice letter to Petronas indicating that I am not satisfied that the proposed investment is likely to be of net benefit to Canada,” Industry Minister Christian Paradis said in a statement. The government, which has said C$630 billion investment is needed in Canada’s energy sector over the next decade, has been trying to balance concerns over the deals with a need for foreign investment.

The bid for Progress had not been expected to run into hurdles in a review process that asks whether a deal is of “net benefit” to Canada. But in a sign it was attracting greater scrutiny, Canada earlier this month extended its review of the bid by two weeks.

Petronas, which said yesterday it was not ready to comment, has 30 days to make its offer more palatable. It was not clear what it could put on the table. The Petronas deal attracted scrutiny after CNOOC made its bid for Nexen.

Some members of Canada’s governing Conservative Party are wary of the CNOOC offer, in part because of what they say are unfair Chinese business practices.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said China’s “very different” political and economic systems were a concern.

A CNOOC spokeswoman in Beijing said she had no comment on the ruling against Petronas or whether it could mean the Chinese company’s bid for Nexen was in trouble.

Last month, China’s ambassador to Canada said the government should not allow domestic politics to affect its decision on whether to approve CNOOC’s bid. However, some sources said the CNOOC deal need not necessarily be threatened.

“I don’t think that kills the CNOOC-Nexen (deal) but we do hear there is still a lot of local opposition to overcome,” one Hong Kongbased energy sector banker said. “It allows Canada to send a signal without upsetting a large trading partner. Better to upset Malaysia than China in a way.” Chinese firms have more usually had difficulty doing business south of Canada’s border, and this has come to the fore in recent weeks. The United States House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee issued a report earlier this month saying companies should stop doing business with Chinese groups Huawei and ZTE over security concerns.

On Thursday, the chief executive of US aircraft maker Hawker Beechcraft, whose $1.79 billion sale to a Chinese firm fell through, said China-bashing by US presidential candidates may have contributed to failure of the talks.

The United States has long been the largest market for Canadian energy exports. But with growing US oil output from unconventional sources and the rejection this year of an initial application on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project, Canada has been forced to try to build bridges with Asian markets that would welcome its energy supplies.

CNOOC, which has won approval from Nexen shareholders, has said it will retain all Nexen employees and make Calgary the headquarters for its Americas operations.

Petronas had also attempted to highlight the benefit its deal offered to Canada, saying it would combine its Canadian business with that of Progress and retain all staff.

“Maybe Canada is using this to attach more conditions to the Nexen deal,” said Gordon

Kwan, head of energy research at Mirae Asset Securities in Hong Kong. He thinks CNOOC will get the go-ahead. Progress’ share price has doubled since talk of the possible Petronas bid emerged in April, closing at C$21.65 on Friday.

Nexen stock has also surged since CNOOC announced its bid in July, rising 48 percent to C$25.15. Canada last blocked a foreign takeover in 2010, when it stunned markets by rejecting BHP Billiton’s $39 billion bid for Potash Corp, the world’s largest fertiliser maker.

BHP also had a 30-day period to come back with additional undertakings but withdrew its offer, sensing the bid was unlikely to be approved in the face of political opposition.

Canada is grappling with concerns that approval of the deals could spark a flurry of takeovers of energy companies - the country is home to the world’s third-largest proven oil reserves, most of them in the western province of Alberta. Petronas, Malaysia’s only Fortune 500 company, made a big push into Canada’s shale gas sector last year when it bought a $1.1 billion stake in a field from Progress.

Petronas first bid for Progress in June to gain control of its 800,000 acres holdings in the Montney shale-gas region of northeastern British Columbia, reserves that could feed a planned liquefied natural gas facility on the Pacific coast.

It raised its initial offer of C$20.45 per share to C$22 in July after a rival bid from an unnamed suitor. As its domestic supplies start to dwindle, Petronas has been expanding abroad, investing in Sudanese oil, South African petrol stations and European liquefied natural gas. It had seen the Progress deal as a crucial step to increase its presence in a more stable country after clashes on the border between South Sudan and Sudan this year all but shut its pipelines there.

On Thursday, Canada’s broadcast regulator blocked BCE’s C$3 billion bid for Astral Media, saying the deal would give too much power to BCE, Canada’s biggest telecoms company and the owner of numerous T V and radio assets. —Reuters

22

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

BUSINESS

Turkmenistan approves $1.2bn budget deficit

Bayt.com report

Twelve ways to be a lifelong learner

By Lama Ataya

Reclusive Central Asian state closely guards data less than half the gas it produced in 2011.

Almost every aspect of life in Turkmenistan is controlled by President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, a trained dentist who goes by the unofficial nickname of “Arkadag”, or The Patron.

State newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan reported Berdymukhamedov as saying next year’s budget would include a 10 percent increase in salaries and a 15 percent rise in pensions, as well as investment in the water supply, housing and schools.

Turkmenistan’s GDP expanded by 11.1 percent in the first nine months of this year, largely on the back of an 8.5 percent increase in gas production. State media have not disclosed the actual size of GDP

ASHGABAT: Turkmenistan’s parliament has approved a $1.2 billion budget deficit for next year to help fund plans to raise salaries and pensions in the gas-rich former Soviet republic, state media reported yesterday. The state budget for 2013 envisages outgoings of $31.5 billion versus income of $30.3 billion.

The reclusive Central Asian state, which closely guards economic data, did not reveal the size of the deficit in relation to gross domestic product. Economic growth in Turkmenistan, a country of 5.5 million people, hinges on the development and export of the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves.

BP data shows the country consumed

or natural gas production. The country has the capacity to produce about 75 billion cubic metres of gas annually and plans to triple output by 2030 after developing large gas fields to supply China, Iran, southern Asia and Europe, as well as traditional market Russia.

A monitoring mission from the International Monetary Fund, which visited Turkmenistan in July, said it projected real GDP growth to remain strong in 2012 and 2013, at about 8 percent a year.

Tuvakmammed Japarov, governor of Turkmenistan’s central bank, said on Oct. 17 that inflation in the first nine months of the year was less than 4.7 percent on a year-on-year basis. — Reuters

Aramco’s Vela, Bahri reach agreement on merger terms JEDDAH: The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) and state oil giant Saudi Aramco have reached an agreement on the terms and conditions of Bahri’s merger with Aramco’s Vela International Marine unit, the firm said in a bourse statement yesterday.

Earlier this year, Saudi Aramco signed an agreement to sell Vela International Marine to Bahri for $1.3 billion in cash and shares, a merger that would make Bahri the world’s fourth largest owner of very large crude carriers, or VLCCs. “Pursuant to the terms of a long-term shipping contract, which has an initial term of 10 years, Bahri will become the exclusive provider of VLCC crude oil shipping services to Saudi Aramco for crude oil sold by Saudi Aramco on a delivered basis,” the statement said.

Bahri will pay Vela $1.3 billion in total, including $832.75 million in cash and 78.75 million in new Bahri shares at a price of 22.25 riyals ($5.93).

Vela will transfer to Bahri ownership of its entire fleet, consisting of 14 VLCCs, a floating storage VLCC, one Aframax tanker, and four product tankers, the statement said. The merger of ships, staff and business systems would leave Bahri with 77 vessels in its fleet, including 32 VLCCs. The execution of the agreement governing the transaction is expected to take place next month. JP Morgan is advising the shipping firm while HSBC’s Saudi arm is acting for Aramco. — Reuters

Dana Gas starts output in Egypt DUBAI: Dana Gas said yesterday its Egyptian affiliate had started commercial output at a natural gas liquids (NGL) plant in the North African country, with the first propane cargo loaded on Oct 1.

The Egyptian Bahrain Gas Derivatives Co is a joint venture between Dana’s subsidiary Danagaz Bahrain, the government-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Co and Arab Petroleum Investments Corp. The Ras Shukheir plant will have a production capacity of 120,000 tonnes a year of propane and butane using gas feedstock supplied by Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. Dana said the project cost 460 million UAE dirhams ($125.24 million), funded through AED 318 million of project finance and AED 105 million equity.

Dana Gas said the plant will market butane inside Egypt and export propane. Residual gas will be supplied to Egypt’s national gas grid. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: Kingfisher airline planes sit parked at the International airport in New Delhi yesterday. The flying license of India’s Kingfisher Airlines was suspended after the debt-laden carrier failed to satisfy the aviation regulator’s concerns about its operations, an official said. —AFP

Mobily quarterly profit tops forecast RIYADH: Etihad Etisalat, Saudi’s No.2 telecom company, beat forecasts with a 23 percent rise in quarterly net profit, helped by higher revenue from business and data units and rising sales of smartphones. Khalid AlKaf, chief executive of Etihad Etisalat which trades as Mobily and is an affiliate of UAE operator Etisalat , told Reuters he expected the data business to grow its share of group earnings from 26 percent.

“What we accomplished in the past six months in terms of data volumes is more than what we saw over the past five years,” Kaf said yesterday. The company is spending 4.04.5 billion riyals ($1.1-$1.2 billion)

expanding its 3G, 4G and fibre networks, “and that trend will continue,” he said. Mobily - which competes with Saudi Telecom Co, the Gulf ’s No.1 operator, and also Zain Saudi which is part-owned by Kuwaiti group Zain - made a third-quarter net profit of 1.51 billion riyals, compared with a forecast for 1.44 billion in a Reuters poll.

Operating income rose 23 percent to 1.57 billion riyals. It will pay a 1 riyal dividend from third-quarter profit. In September, Mobily said it had signed agreements with several mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) about hosting one of them on its network. — Reuters

lvin Toffler said “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn”.

Are you committed to lifelong learning? The career experts at Bayt.com, the leading job site in the Middle East have listed below twelve ways you can keep ahead of the curve by being a lifelong learner: 1. Read voraciously literature related to your career 77.9% of respondents to a Bayt.com poll indicated they read constantly and 69.6% indicated they believe reading is vital to career progress. Many books are absolute business classics in a general sense and others may be very specific to your chosen domain; consult book reviews and industry journals when uncertain and always aim to stay ahead of the curve in your career reading.

2. Develop interests and read in nonjob related areas You would be surprised at the value you can derive both in your career and in your life in general from becoming better rounded in your knowledge and skills and/or becoming an expert in a matter you are passionate about even if it seems unrelated to your career. Most skills are transferable and you are sure to find some way to incorporate your learnings in your job at some point.

Even if you don’t, by indulging your learning interests you will become a much more interesting and satisfied and fulfilled professional.

3. Write about your learnings or at least take notes and jot ideas Share your learnings through a blog or by writing articles or summary notes if you feel comfortable. If you are not comfortable sharing, do take and keep notes for yourself.

Active reading involves jotting ideas and taking notes and involves a higher level of participation and learning; plus these notes and ideas may come in very handy later on.

4. Learn from video and audio not just reading There is plenty of choice available when it comes to medium of learning these days so by all means mix and match and don’t limit yourself. You may find your best cooking lessons come from a video channel and a new language is best acquired through audio means while on the treadmill at the gym.

Take advantage of all means available to you to learn and vary the medium when you need a change or want to experiment.

5. Take courses and attend lectures/seminars/conferences when you can It’s great to sit back and listen to experts’ perspectives and join in healthy classroom discourse in a very structured dedicated environment every now and then. If you cannot physically attend courses, you may want to try online courses. A recent Bayt.com online education poll showed that 39.3% professionals in this region say they would consider pursuing an online course if given a chance.

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6. Join online and offline groups related to your interests By joining a group you will fuel your interests, challenge and reinforce your learnings, and keep the flame alive. It can be a general book club you join or a group specific to your area of interest eg. an Engineering Society, sewing circle, stargazers club, accounting forum etc. Whatever format your group takes it is bound to result in synergies that improve and augment your learnings.

7. Join discussions in your area of interest; ask questions Try not to be a passive learner all the time; ask and answer questions, participate in discussions and aim to truly understand and aid in the defining of best practice. Take advantage of the energies and synergies around you always and aim to find and contribute to innovations and solutions.

8. Teach someone; no better way to learn than by teaching It’s proven that teaching is often the best way to learn as we learn from our students’ burning questions as well as from preparing to be the best teachers we can be. If you have no student or mentee perhaps you can organize a learning circle for people with similar interests who respect your knowledge and rotate topics you cover every week.

9. Don’t be shy to implement, practice and experiment with your learning How wonderful if you can bring your learnings to bear in your life and in your career. Don’t be afraid to try to innovate using your newly acquired state-of-the-art technical skills or experiment with that new management technique at work; similarly next time you are at the French or Chinese restaurant downtown don’t hesitate to place the order in your budding French or Chinese.

10. Find a mentor/coach in your field of interest if you can A coach can be a invaluable source of knowledge and resource as well as a sounding board and advisor. Pick someone who has sufficient quality time for you and who shares your interests and whose opinions and ideas you really respect and value.

11. Set milestones and reward yourself on reaching them Set smart goals you can easily achieve and reward yourself when you do, to make the journey even more satisfying and rewarding. Whether you choose to take a test at regular intervals or an exotic holiday in the native land of your newly acquire language or implement a new project or task or function or process in the workplace, make sure you are regularly assessing your new skills and tweaking your approach visavis the road ahead accordingly.

12. Enjoy the process of learning and treat it as a lifelong journey Learning can be fun and immensely satisfying especially when you have the luxury of choosing and controlling the pace and setting and subject matter and dynamic. Enjoy the journey and celebrate every learning and every implementation of your learnings along the way.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .4480000 .3640000 .3000000 .2810000 .2860000 .0040000 .0020000 .0761220 .7416310 .3870000 .0720000 .7270370 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2798500 GB Pound/KD .4511320 Euro .3662960 Swiss francs .3027040 Canadian dollars .2835360 Danish Kroner .0491080 Swedish Kroner .0423910 Australian dlr .2885110 Hong Kong dlr .0361000 Singapore dlr .2295260 Japanese yen .0035570 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0762220 Bahraini dinars .7426030 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0746470 Omani riyals .7271660 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

3.547 5.227 2.945 2.175 3.281 232.250 36.293 3.427 6.776 9.163 92.334

.2860000 .4610000 .3720000 .3070000 .2940000 .2980000 .0058500 .0035000 .0768870 .7490850 .4100000 .0780000 .7343440 .0510000 .2819500 .4545170 .3690440 .3049760 .2856640 .0494760 .0427090 .2906760 .0363710 .2312490 .0035840 .0053720 .0021990 .0029690 .0034830 .0767940 .7481760 .3987980 .0752070 .7326230 .0068910

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.030 77.309 730.800 747.310 76.614

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.400 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 45.981 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.313 Tunisian Dinar 181.220 Jordanian Dinar 396.880 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.888 Syrian Lier 4.847 Morocco Dirham 33.482 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 281.250 Euro 370.550 Sterling Pound 454.500 Canadian dollar 286.110 Turkish lire 156.860 Swiss Franc 306.370 US Dollar Buying 280.050 GOLD 332.000 168.000 86.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH

295.000 750.220 3.680 289.800 554.000 46.000 50.400 167.800 48.470 371.800 37.080 5.490 0.032 0.161 0.247 3.650 399.770 0.191 95.380 45.300 4.340 233.900 1.827

51.200 732.670 3.080 7.020 78.030 75.320 233.040 36.420 2.687 456.100 44.000 307.700 4.200 9.550 198.263 76.910 282.500 1.360

732.580 2.967 6.830 77.600 75.320 233.040 36.420 2.182 454.100 306.200 4.200 9.390 76.810 282.100

GOLD 1,850.300

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

COUNTRY

Currency

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 454.100 282.100

SELL DRAFT

293.500 750.220 3.446 288.300

233.000 46.214 370.300 36.930 5.240 0.031

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

295.65 289.75 308.74 370.30 280.65 454.55 3.61 3.454 5.224 2.174 3.282 2.946 76.48 747.28 46.00 399.84 730.42 77.50 75.05

SELL CASH

294.500 292.000 307.000 370.000 282.500 458.000 3.690 3.600 5.500 2.320 3.600 3.150 77.350 749.500 47.800 399.000 735.000 78.000 75.750

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 399.730 0.190 95.380 3.310 232.400

Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

281.000 285.195 453.810 368.175

Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

304.345 743.935 76.485 77.130 74.895 396.110 46.025 2.179 5.325 2.944 3.434 6.796 689.290 4.567 9.265 4.360 3.425 91.935

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

281.000 2.957 5.340 2.195 3.449 6.855 76.610 75.090 747.000 46.050 458.500 2.990 1.550 373.500 290.900 3.395

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

280.650 369.500 453.500 288.250 3.600 5.220 45.975 2.175 3.430 6.780 2.948 747.800 76.400 74.900

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

BUSINESS

Greece to press on with austerity measures ATHENS: Greece is to redouble its efforts to reach a deal with its creditors so that the loans it needs are handed over, the country’s finance minister said in an interview published yesterday.

“We have completed 90 percent of the road for the payment of the loan installment... we have almost reached the end and now we have to give answers to the subjects that are still outstanding,” Yannis Stournaras told the Greek financial daily Imerissia.

“It would be a waste of all this national effort if we don’t succeed,” said Stournaras, who was in Brussels on Thursday and Friday with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras for an EU summit.

Stournaras has been holding talks since the end of July with the so-called troika, made up of the European Union (EU), the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on controversial new austerity measures for 2013 and 2014. The troika have made agreement to these measures, estimated to save 13.5 billion euros, nine billion of them for 2013 alone, a con-

dition for releasing 31.2 billion euros in loans.

This sum would come from a total loan of 140 billion dollars promised in February but held up since the political crisis in the spring and then long negotiations with the Greek government. It is aimed at recapitalising Geek banks with liquidity problems. The money is “vital” for Greece and is “crucial to get the economy moving again” and “meeting recurrent expenditure” such as pensions and wages, according to government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou interviewed on public television. On Friday Samaras said in Brussels he was confident about the payment of the next installment by “the end of November” and about the adoption by the Greek parliament of new savings, while issuing a reminder that the country’s reserves are only adequate until November 16.

He said he was pleased by the “positive” statement by euro-zone leaders who hailed Greece’s achievements in carrying out reforms aimed at getting its economy back on track and urged

Athens to keep up efforts to stay in the eurozone.

While agreement has been reached that most of the savings will come from cuts in wages and pensions, talks are deadlocked on the steps to increase labor market flexibility demanded by the troika. The troika representatives left Athens Wednesday but their technical teams stayed on to settle the unresolved issues, a ministerial source said.

The head of the IME, an organization representing small and medium-sized businesses, Saturday blamed the three-monthly visits by the troika for a loss of almost two billion euros for his members. “We have calculated at 1.9 billion euros the fall in demand during some 15 visits by troika representatives since 2010,” Vassilis Korkidis, president of the IME, told a radio station.

The visits, to discuss austerity measures with the government “affect the psychology of consumers and lead to a drop in demand and turnover in retail trade,” he said. — AFP

THESSALONIKI: A student from an Arts high-school dances during a protest against budget cuts at Aristotelous Square of the northern port city of Thessaloniki in Greece yesterday. — AFP

China economic recovery taking shape, says data Worst slump after crisis levels out

AMRITSAR: Indian farmers use a combine to harvest rice on the outskirts of Amritsar yesterday. The northern Indian state of Punjab is the largest rice producing state of India contributing some 70 percent of the country’s total rice production. — AFP

French report to urge payroll tax cuts PARIS: A government-commissioned report will urge France to cut 30 billion euros ($39.09 billion) in payroll taxes over two to three years to increase the country’s competitiveness, newspaper Le Figaro said on its website on Friday citing unnamed sources.

The lost revenue would have to be covered by massive cuts in public spending far beyond the 10 billion euro savings envisaged in the 2013 budget - as well as rises in VAT and the CSG levy that helps to fund France’s social security system, the newspaper said.

The report by Louis Gallois, former chief of aerospace group EADS, will say the sharp reduction in labour costs would give a necessary jolt to France’s economy, according to Le Figaro.

French business leaders have long called for a decrease in payroll taxes, which rank amongst the highest in the world.

Gallois’ report on French competitiveness, which was commissioned by Hollande, is due out on November 5.

Sources told the newspaper the report would call for labour costs to be lowered over the next two to three years - with 20 billion euros coming off charges paid by employers and 10 billion off those paid in

by employees.

The cuts would only apply to wages up to 3.5 times the minimum wage, currently set at 9.4 euros an hour before tax, or 1,425.67 euros a month, the website said.

Hollande’s government is due to set out measures early next year to boost the competitiveness of an ailing economy where unemployment has risen to its highest in 13 years and growth has remained stuck at zero for the past three quarters.

The 2013 budget, aimed at cutting the deficit to 3 percent of GDP from 4.5 percent in 2012, has drawn criticism for focusing too much on tax hikes for high earners and businesses, and not enough on spending cuts, a strategy economists fear will hurt growth.

Le Figaro said Gallois would propose a modest rise in VAT to help compensate for the loss of revenues from payroll taxes, combined with a small rise in the CSG social charge and a new green tax on diesel fuel. French newspaper Le Monde earlier this month said the French government planned to slash payroll taxes paid by companies by 8 to 10 billion euros a year to try to restore competitiveness. The government has not commented on either article. — Reuters

IMF: Irish austerity not holding back growth WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund denied yesterday that austerity measures are to blame for the sluggish Irish economy, saying that other factors are keeping growth flat.

Greece, Portugal and Ireland are complaining that the Fund underestimated the economic and social impact of drastic spending cuts and tax hikes in the bailout programs, but a senior IMF official said that was not the problem in Ireland. The pace of the EU-IMF rescue program “has struck an appropriate balance and continues to do so for the period ahead, enabling Ireland to make steady progress in reducing fiscal imbalances while protecting the still fragile economic recovery,” Ajai Chopra, deputy director in the IMF’s European Department, said in a statement. “With overburdened bank, household and SME (small and medium sized business) balance sheets, and weak growth in trading partners, a number of factors besides fiscal consolidation have been a drag on growth in Ireland,” he said.

The IMF recently admitted that it had underestimated in Greece how deep the “fiscal consolidation,” or austerity measures, in its bailout plan would force the economy into recession.

Critics say the severity of the measures are to blame for Greece’s inability to get back to growth.

At issue was a revision of its “fiscal multiplier,” which IMF economists use to estimate the impact of various actions, like spending cuts, on the economy. The admission that the IMF got it wrong in Greece has been taken up by other countries undergoing IMF-European Union bailouts, with countries arguing for easier adjustment terms to cope with slowerthan-expected growth. Ireland sought an 85-billion-euro ($110 billion) EU-IMF res-

cue package in November 2010 after it was devastated by the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

As part of the rescue, Ireland agreed to painful austerity measures including spending cutbacks, state asset sales and tax hikes.

But growth has not returned as soon as hoped: last month the IMF forecast the Irish economy would expand a bare 0.4 percent this year, if growth picks up in the second half as expected. Since the IMF reassessed its multiplier, Irish officials and the public have called for less austere reform requirements to encourage faster growth.

But Chopra argued that “in the current discussion of the impact of fiscal adjustment on growth, it is important to note that no single fiscal multiplier is applicable to all countries and circumstances.

“And although there is uncertainty around any estimate of multipliers, there is no compelling evidence that a higher multiplier was at work in Ireland than the one assumed under the program.” The IMF has been fighting pressure to ease austere reform terms in all the countries undergoing bailouts since the review of the multiplier.

On Thursday, IMF’s Portugal mission chief Abebe Aemro Selassie told Lisbon that there is no way around a new, strong budget squeeze to reduce debt and return to capital markets.

In the face of public anger over tax increases, Selassie said it was “imperative” to press on with further measures. “Debt remains high, and to ensure full recovery, the country needs to contain it,” he warned. “Portugal also needs to ensure that it can finance itself again at reasonable rates. This means that fiscal adjustment is imperative and needs to continue.” — AFP

BEIJING: China’s worst slump since the global financial crisis leveled out in the latest quarter and retail sales picked up in a sign an economic rebound is taking shape, adding to hopes for a global recovery.

The world’s second-largest economy grew 7.4 percent from the year before in the three months ending in September, data showed. That was slower than the second quarter’s 7.6 percent growth but the decline was much gentler than in earlier quarters. Economists also pointed to quarter-on-quarter growth of 2.2 percent, the biggest such gain in a year, as a sign of recovery.

“This confirms that the economy is rebounding,” said Dariusz Kowalczyk, senior economist for Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong. “There is no room and no need for further major stimulus.”

The Chinese improvement came after unexpectedly strong US housing starts boosted confidence that the world’s biggest economy is mending after five years in the doldrums. The US Commerce Department said Wednesday that builders started construction on new singlefamily houses and apartments at the fastest pace in more than four years. The US and Chinese numbers are rare good news for the world economy, which has slowed as Europe’s chronic debt crisis worsened and the American economy stagnated.

Beijing has cut interest rates twice since early June and is injecting money into the economy through higher investment by state companies and spending on building subways and other public works. But authorities have avoided a major stimulus after huge spending in response to the 2008 global crisis fueled inflation and a wasteful building boom.

Retail sales rose 14.4 percent, accelerating from the first half ’s 14.1 percent growth.

Investment in factories and other fixed assets

improved, rising 20.5 percent in the first nine months of the year, up from a 20.2 percent rate for the first eight months. “We can see a clear sign of steady economic growth,” said Sheng Laiyun, spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics. “There is a smaller margin of decline and some major indicators have been growing faster.”

A rebound in Chinese growth would be good news for economies such as Australia, Brazil and African countries that supply its factories with iron ore and other commodities. The slowdown over the past year and a half is due largely to government curbs imposed to cool an overheated economy and reduce reliance on exports by encouraging more domestic consumption. The slump worsened last year after global demand for Chinese goods plunged unexpectedly.

In line with the government’s hopes, retailing and other service industries aimed at Chinese consumers are growing relatively strongly while manufacturing and heavy industry have been battered by weak global demand and government curbs on construction. The government says stronger activity in services industries has helped to limit job losses. Pan Wenhao, a 25year-old wedding photographer in the tourist town of Lijiang in China’s southwest, said his photo studio’s revenues are up 50 percent compared with this time last year. He said tourism in Lijiang has grown by about 20 percent from last year.

“I expect my business to be much better in the future and I am confident about that,” Pan said. But conditions are still tough for manufacturers that had relied mostly on exporting are now trying to sell more to China’s own consumers.

Xie Jun, owner of Dongguan Jincai Real Co. in the southern city of Dongguan, which manufactures headphones, mobile phones and comput-

er accessories, said he is losing 100,000 to 200,000 yuan ($15,000-$30,000) a month and had to lay off 30 of his 100 employees. He began trying to make more sales in China a few years ago “but the market is limited.” “We get less business, and even if the factory is running, we cannot make money from that,” Xie said. “Most of the businesspeople I know here have the same problem as me.” China’s expansion is strong compared with the United States and Japan, where this year’s growth is forecast in low single digits, but the slowdown has been painful for companies that depend on high growth to drive demand for new factories and other goods. The slump raised the risk of job losses and unrest, posing a challenge to the ruling party as it prepares for a once-a-decade handover of power to younger leaders. The further quarterly decline had been expected after officials including President Hu Jintao warned that growth might slow further before recovering.

Premier Wen Jiabao, the country’s top economic official, said Wednesday growth appeared to be stabilizing and expressed confidence China can meet its official targets for the year.

Wen gave no growth forecast or a possible time frame for a recovery.

A Chinese recovery could help to boost demand for commodities but otherwise its contribution to global growth will be limited because the country meets much of its demand from its own factories, said Kowalczyk. He said that was reflected in the relatively weak September import growth of just 2.4 percent, well below the double-digit rates earlier this year.

“The impact on the rest of the world will be more psychological rather than real, major growth,” he said. “But it is good to know the risks from China to the global economy are sharply lower.”— AP

Italian workers rally against job losses ROME: Thousands of Italian trade unionists rallied in central Rome yesterday to protest against growing job cuts and factory closures, urging Mario Monti’s government to do more to help workers hit by a year-long recession.

“We’re here to support all the workers who are in dispute with their companies during this economic crisis,” said protester Michele Giuliva as he joined the rally organised by the leftleaning CGIL union, Italy’s biggest.

“The government is thinking only of bond spreads.” Italians are grappling with a prolonged economic slump, unemployment has risen to its highest since monthly records began in 2004 and unions are locked in growing disputes with companies over plant closures and lay-offs.

Austerity measures passed by Monti to cut debt and reassure bond markets after he replaced former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi last year have further fuelled discontent, as tax hikes and spending cuts eat into incomes.

Workers from all sectors of industry gathered in the square outside St John’s Basilica, a traditional rallying point for left-wing protests, holding red balloons and banners with slogans such as “Go away Monti”. CGIL said on its website it was urging the government to focus on measures that encourage investment and boost employment, particularly among young people and women.

Yesterday’s rally was the latest in a string of protests against the Italian government, and comes as demonstrations and strikes are mounting again across debt-laden southern Europe from Greece to Spain. Threatened closures at factories such as Alcoa’s aluminium plant in Sardinia and the Ilva steel plant in southern Italy have led to angry protests and strikes by workers fearing for their jobs.

On Friday, a court ordered car maker Fiat to rehire 145 workers it had dismissed earlier this year over a union dispute. The workers are members of CGIL’s metal industry arm which refused to sign up to new working conditions imposed by Fiat.

Anti-austerity protesters were also marching in London on Saturday against British public spending cuts. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: A jobs sign is seen on the front of the US Chamber of Commerce building in Washington, DC. — AFP

Gasoline prices finally begin to slide NEW YORK: Gasoline prices have begun their seasonal slide. Better late than never, drivers say. The national average retail price has fallen for ten straight days and is now $3.74 per gallon. It could mark the beginning of the usual autumn decrease that was delayed this year because of refinery problems and high oil prices. Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service, predicts drops of 5 cents to 15 cents per week for the next three weeks. Over the next several weeks the national average could be at or below where it was last year. “There’s some nice relief coming,” he said. It can’t come soon enough for Mary Hess, who commutes 40 miles each way from her home in Sodus Point, NY to Oswego, NY, where she teaches English. She hasn’t noticed much of a drop - she’s still paying $4.04 per gallon to fill up her Buick Century.

Gasoline is among the biggest parts of her budget - and she doesn’t think it should be.

“I’m frustrated more than anything,” she said. Gasoline prices typically decline in the fall as refiners switch to cheaper fuel blends and drivers take a break from road trips. This year a series of refinery and pipeline problems sent gasoline supplies plummeting. That sent wholesale gasoline buyers and traders scrambling to purchase whatever they could, at ever higher prices, to secure supply.

“It was a cluster of random coincidental events and the buying had a panic nature to it,” Kloza said. Gasoline prices were already steep - they were on track to set an annual record by mid-summer - because of relatively high global crude oil prices. Brent, the type of crude most important in determining the price of gasoline, has averaged $112 per barrel this year. Global oil demand is on track to set a record this year despite economic uncertainty. And the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program has raised fears that oil supplies could be disrupted if tensions escalate.

Against that backdrop, the nation’s gasoline infrastructure got slammed. In August, ruptures to pipelines that serve the Great Lakes and refinery outages in Indiana and Illinois sent gasoline prices higher in the Midwest. Then a fire at a Chevron refinery in Richmond, Calif. crippled a major contributor to California’s gasoline supplies. Then Hurricane Isaac forced several Gulf Coast refineries to shut or slow down operations. As those refineries ramped back up, California saw more trouble. A pipeline that serves Bay Area refineries closed, two refineries were offline for maintenance and an Exxon Mobil Corp. refinery in Torrance, California, near Los Angeles shut down because of a surprise power outage.—AP

24

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

business

Seasonal pattern in global oil demand NBK’S ECONOMIC BRIEF KUWAIT: Global oil demand has drifted up over time, but this general trend masks distinct seasonal patterns that are the major cause of intra-year volatility.

Underlying reasons for this seasonality include weatherrelated factors and transportation needs, which affect demand for crude oil and its derivatives, such as heating oil. These seasonal patterns can sometimes be helpful in forecasting future oil demand and in predicting oil market conditions and price levels. Nevertheless, this may become more complex as oil consumption increasingly shifts from developed countries to emerging economies, where demand patterns are different.

World oil demand has grown considerably in the past decade or so, rising from about 76 million barrels per day (mbpd) in 1999 to around 90 mbpd to date. It has also exhibited much intra-year volatility, fluctuating from quarter to quarter. This volatility is much more pronounced in the OECD region (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) than elsewhere; OECD demand has on average exhibited the largest increases and the largest declines. Given that the OECD has traditionally accounted for the lion’s share of world oil consumption, these variations have had a larger bearing on demand volatility in the world as a whole.

Not only is oil demand from OECD countries more volatile, but there appears to be a well-defined seasonal pattern through the quarters. The movements exhibit the following pattern: OECD demand is little changed in the first quarter, then drops sharply in the second quarter, before rising strongly in the third and fourth quarters. On the other hand, oil demand from non-OECD countries is comparatively stable, posting similar increases in all but the second quarter, where demand growth is stronger.

For the world as a whole, global oil demand increases on average by 0.24 mbpd in each quarter. However, quarterly changes diverge greatly from this average; in 3Q and 4Q demand changes are about 5 times higher, and in 2Q it’s almost 6 times lower. In total, world oil demand increases, on average, by almost 1 mbpd every year. The distinct pattern of quarterly changes in world oil demand - driven by demand in the OECD - can be mapped to specific and reasonably predictable seasonal demand factors: • 3rd Quarter: Oil demand surges by 1.1 mbpd on average, as a result of increased demand for transportation fuel. This is linked to the so-called ‘driving season’ in the United States, which runs from end-May to early September. Higher temperatures also boost oil demand for air-conditioning needs in other parts of the world.

• 4th Quarter: Oil demand rises by 1.1 mbpd on average as the cold northern hemisphere winter begins, lifting demand for heating fuels.

• 1st Quarter: Oil demand peaks as the northern hemisphere winters draws to a close. Demand edges up by 0.2 mbpd on average.

• 2nd Quarter: Oil demand falls by 1.4 mbpd on aver-

age as temperatures moderate and demand for heating fuels drops. At this time, many refineries undergo maintenance and reduce their crude demand.

Seasonal demand for oil products Seasonal demand for different oil products, extracted from crude, provide more insight into the patterns for overall oil demand explained earlier. By analyzing the demand for oil products in OECD countries, it becomes apparent that two products - motor gasoline and gas oil - account for around 60% of total OECD oil products demand, giving them an influential role in shaping seasonal demand patterns. Motor gasoline is more heavily used for transportation, while gasoil is

considered one of the main heating fuels.

The overall trend for total oil demand reflects a mixture of very different seasonal patterns for the individual products. In 2Q, demand for motor gasoline surges, likely reflecting the start of the US driving season at end-May. Despite this, overall demand experiences a big seasonal dip during this quarter, as a result of lower demand for gasoil and other products (in particular, lower demand for heating products in Japan and the USA). However, during the winter months, lower temperatures boost demand for these heating fuels, more than compensating for declining consumption of motor gasoline. Only in the third quarter do all products move in the same direction.

Quarterly changes in OECD oil product demand (Mbpd, average 2001-2010) Sources: IEA Annual Statistical Supplement 2011 / NBK calculations Do seasonal demand patterns affect oil prices? By analyzing quarterly changes in world oil demand and oil prices, it is evident that the seasonal changes in demand seem to have no impact on price levels, contrary to market fundamentals. In fact, in two out of four quarters, prices and demand levels move in the opposite direction.

Why should this be? The absence of a strong relationship has 4 possible answers: I. Possibly the most significant factor is changes in global oil supplies, whose opposite impact on prices can offset demand’s impact on prices.

II. Changes in oil demand are partly absorbed in inventory levels - through either a stock draw or stock accumulation. If prices are less sensitive to changes in inventories than to demand, this can act as a ‘shock absorber’ to the price impact of changes in demand.

III. Since oil prices are forward-looking and with very active futures markets, this diminishes the relationship with actual demand changes.

IV. Other price-impacting factors include economic activity levels (growth or recession), speculation, sentiment and geopolitical factors.

The outlook In alignment with seasonal oil demand patterns, the final quarter of this year should see an increase in oil consumption as the cold winter months boost demand. Most analysts are pointing to weaker market conditions in 4Q 2012, based on projected oil supply increases of 0.5-0.8 mbpd. However, taking into account the seasonal rise in fourth quarter demand (1.1 mbpd on average), this may possibly offset any supply increments, limiting the downward pressure on prices.

Over the longer term, predicting seasonal demand changes may prove more complex, as world oil consumption patterns begin to alter. Oil consumption is increasingly shifting from OECD countries to the non-OECD, where seasonal patterns are less pronounced. Since its peak in 1Q 2005, OECD oil demand has fallen by about 5-6 mbpd.

By contrast, non-OECD demand has, over the past decade or so, grown by around 15 mbpd. Non-OECD demand now accounts for some 48% of total world oil demand, and is set to overtake OECD demand perhaps as early as next year. Consequently, world oil demand has recently avoided some of the traditional seasonal patterns established by OECD countries. In the second quarters of 2009 and 2010, world oil demand actually grew by 0.2 mbpd and 0.9 mbpd respectively, regardless of the fall in OECD oil demand. This was mainly driven by a surge in Chinese oil demand, which typically rebounds during the second quarter of the year - a characteristic trend of non-OECD demand. This could, in fact, be an indicator of the increasingly dominant role that non-OECD demand is playing in setting patterns of world oil demand.

KSE remains bearish amid political crisis BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT

MasterCard, Aishti host fashion extravaganza BEIRUT: MasterCard Worldwide and Aishti, the leading luxury and fashion group in the Middle East, have announced MasterCard’s support of the MasterCard Aishti Fashion Experience for the fourth consecutive year.

The annual fashion and social extravaganza takes place on 24 October 2012 in Beirut, and promises to showcase the best of local and international fashion.

Last year’s MasterCard Aishti Fashion Experience 2011 was a star-studded event that attracted celebrities like Nancy Ajram, Elissa and VIP guests to a variety of fashion shows and stylish VIP fashion parties in the Lebanese capital. The 2011 event also included a trunk show for Celine’s Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 collection, an Aishti multi-brand fashion show, a private shopping tour at Aishti shops and mono-brand boutiques and high-fashion styling sessions.

“Lebanon is a renowned iconic fashion and shopping destination, and we are delighted to announce our sponsorship of the MasterCard Aishti Fashion Experience for the fourth year running,” said Basel Eltell, vicepresident and regional manager, Levant, MasterCard Worldwide. “Lebanon is a very important market for MasterCard, and we are glad to support the country’s travel and fashion industry with initiatives like the MasterCard Aishti Fashion Experience, which is beyond doubt one of the most anticipated

events in Lebanon’s fashion calendar.”

Tony SalamÈ, CEO and owner of Aishti, commented: “We are delighted to join hands with MasterCard to host the fourth annual MasterCard Aishti Fashion Experience. This year, we build on the success of previous years’ event and look forward to hosting an unforgettable, world-class fashion experience.” MasterCard and Aishti have a longstanding relationship, during which they have collaborated to bring premium products like the Bank Audi Aishti Platinum MasterCard Credit Card launched in 2010 that is tailored for Lebanon’s fashion-savvy consumers.

Besides, the premium Aizoners Aishti MasterCard Credit Card was launched last year for young fashion enthusiasts in Lebanon at a prestigious event held at Sky Bar. These cards offer cardholders unique privileges and benefits tailored to suit their lifestyles. MasterCard has been a presenter and sponsor of some of the foremost premium global fashion events, including the World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, Canada, In-Fashion: The Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival in Chicago, Audi Fashion Festival in Singapore and Stylicity in Canada.

MasterCard also supports Future Fashion Now, Asia’s first pre-order website that features a curated selection of the newest and most promising designer labels from around the world.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the red zone. The price index ended last week with a decrease amounted to 0.99%, and the weighted index retreated by 1.04% compared to the closings of the week before. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 22.60%, compared to the preceding week, reaching K.D 24.49 million, whereas trading volume average was 298.31 million shares, recording decrease of 35.44%.

All KSE indices ended the week in the red zone, with volatile losses however. This came as a result to the steep drawbacks witnessed last week mainly due to the political events which negatively shed the market. Selling trend dominated the market direction causing big losses to its indices. In addition, concentration on small-cap stocks deals overwhelmed the large-cap stocks. Moreover, the quick speculative deals on small-cap stocks put the market indices in an unstable state.

For the annual performance, the price index ended last week recording 1.65% annual gain compared to its closing in 2011, while the weighted

index increased by 1.62%, and the KSX-15 recorded 1.20% decrease compared to its value when it was launched.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 5,909.91 points, down by 0.99% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 1.04% weekly loss after closing at 412.18 points. Moreover, the KSX-15 index closed at 988 points, decreasing with 1.20%.

Sectors’ Indices Three of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the others three declined. Last week’s highest gainer was the BASIC MATERIALS sector, achieving 4.08% growth rate as its index closed at 984.43 points. Whereas, in the second place, the OIL & GAS sector’s index closed at 943.31 points recording 1.27% increase. The CONSUMER GOODS sector was the least growing as its index closed at 1,000.02 points with a 0.26% increase.

On the other hand, the technology sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 4.50% to end the week’s activity at 890.22 points. The con-

sumer services sector was least on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.27%, closing at 906.26 points.

Sectors’ Activity The financial services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 737.33 million shares changing hands, representing 49.43% of the total market trading volume. The real estate sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 28.52% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 425.32 million shares. On the other hand, the financial services sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of K.D. 40.58 million or 33.14% of last week’s total market trading value.

The real estate sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of K.D. 30.71 million represented 25.086% of the total market trading value.

• Prepared by the Studies & Research Department Bayan Investment Co.

Nissan Altima’s popularity hits record high across GCC DUBAI: Nissan Middle East has yesterday announced Nisaan Altima’s market share has reached a record high across the Gulf*, achieving 23% of all sales in the D/E class during September 2012. The result was achieved in the same month as the regional launch of all-new 2013 Altima which boasts class-above design, a rewarding driving experience and segment defining technologies. All-new Altima’s features include world firsts and options unique to Nissan’s mid-size sedan in this class, such as the remote engine start which has previously only been seen on luxury vehicles.

“Nissan Altima has consistently

been a strong challenger for the position of best selling mid-size sedan in the Middle East throughout all its generations, and September sales prove its appeal is only growing,” said Samir Cherfan, Sales & Marketing Director, Nissan Middle East. “In all-new 2013 Nissan Altima, we have redefined what buyers should expect from cars in this class with game-changing technologies and features, adding to the essential ownership demands of build quality, durability, safety and running costs. Nissan standards, a highest possible safety rating** and commitment by us to keep service and maintenance costs 20%lower

than our competitors, makes us confident all-new Altima sales will increase by 50% over the next three years.”

All-new Altima’s targeted bestin-class fuel efficiency, which reduces fuel consumption by 18% compared with the previous generation, is the first of several cost-saving advantages over its competitors. That’s been achieved through a thorough reworking of its CV T transmission which also helps to reduce service costs through its lower number of moving parts (compared with a conventional gearbox) and proven durability.

Additionally, Nissan Middle East has conducted its own survey which highlighted maintenance parts for Altima are typically 20% less to buy than those of its competitors.

In combination with its classabove technologies and features, Nissan has set a sales expansion target for Altima of 50% growth over the next three years. A key element of this will be via conquest sales in the business and fleet market, where all-new Altima’s competitive

Samir Cherfan, Sales & Marketing Director, Nissan Middle East running costs, strong residual values and Nissan’s extensive dealer and service network are expected to be highly valued. Retail customers can also expect improved value for money over the previous generation Altima with suggested manufacturer retail prices starting at $21,798 for the entry-level ‘S’ grade rising to $31,063 for the topof-the-range V6 model.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

BUSINESS

GE, McDonald’s give Wall St a black eye WALL STREET WEEKLY REPORT NEW YORK: US stocks ended the week on Friday with their worst day since late June after Dow components General Electric and McDonald’s, both barometers of the overall economy’s health, added to a disappointing earnings season.

Technology shares kept up a pattern of recent weakness, hurt by anemic results from Microsoft and another losing day for Google. The Nasdaq closed down 2.2 percent. For the Dow, Friday’s slide marked its biggest loss since June 21 - with the selloff coming on the 25th anniversary of Black Monday, when the Dow plunged 22.6 percent in its worst single-day percentage drop ever.

For the week, though, the Dow still managed to squeak out a gain of 0.1 percent, while the S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent despite Friday’s losses.Wall Street’s mood was sour, given that a large number of companies have fallen short of top-line expectations. Of the 116 S&P 500 companies that have reported results so far, 58 percent have missed on revenue expectations, according to Thomson

Reuters data. “Traders are going to look at things that mimic the US economy - and currently, everything that mimics the economy has been performing awfully,” said Todd Schoenberger, managing principal at the BlackBay Group in New York.

General Electric Co shares fell 3.4 percent to $22.03 after quarterly revenue fell short of estimates.

McDonald’s Corp lost 4.5 percent to hit $88.72.

Chipotle Mexican Grill fell 15 percent to $243 after quarterly profits missed analysts’ expectations.

The technology sector has been a drag on the stock market, which is a concern because it is seen as a leading indicator of market direction. The S&P information technology sector index has dropped 5.3 percent in the last 10 days, compared with a 1.9 percent decline for the S&P 500 in that time period.

“Tech has been lagging for almost a month now. It is obviously very sensitive to the US economy, and the global economy for that matter,” said Ryan Detrick, senior technical strategist at Schaeffer’s Investment Research in Cincinnati, Ohio. Microsoft

dropped 2.9 percent to close at $28.64 after it said it fell short of revenue expectations because of poor sales of PCs. “The fact they are missing consistently is bringing up a ‘sell first, ask questions later’ mentality,” Detrick said. Tepid results are being met with particular disappointment because expectations were low to begin with this season, with 95 negative preannouncements for earnings per share and only 24 positive pre-announcements issued by S&P 500 corporations, Thomson Reuters data shows.

Earnings are expected to drop 1.8 percent in the third quarter from a year ago.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 205.43 points, or 1.52 percent, to close at 13,343.51. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 24.15 points, or 1.66 percent, to 1,433.19. The Nasdaq Composite Index slid 67.24 points, or 2.19 percent, to close at 3,005.62. For the week, the Nasdaq lost 1.3 percent.The sharp decline took the S&P 500 from within striking distance of its highest close of the year -

at 1,465.77 set on Sept. 14 - to testing its 50-day moving average. On Friday, the S&P 500 appeared to be testing its 50-day moving average at around 1,433. If the S&P 500 falls below that level, it could trigger more selling.

“The S&P 500 has broken trend-line support at 1,441, and is slipping a bit below its 50-day moving average of 1,433,” said Stifel Nicolaus option market strategist Elliot Spar.

Near-term volatility is expected to rise. The CBOE Volatility Index, Wall Street’s gauge of investor anxiety, rose 13.5 percent to close at 17.06, off its session high at 17.60. Options expiration added a bit of volatility to Friday’s trading. Volume was roughly 7.27 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, compared with the year-to-date average daily closing volume of 6.52 billion. Decliners outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by a ratio of more than 3 to 1. On the Nasdaq, about four stocks fell for every one that rose. — Reuters

Jobless rate falls in all battleground states Obama gets fresh fodder to argue

NANTES: A tractor holds a placard that reads “Yes to vegetables, No to asphalt. Useless, expensive, polluting airport. No thanks !” in Nantes yesterday during a protest that gathered 1,300 against a project to build an international airport, in Notre-Dame-des-Landes, western France. The project was signed in 2010 and the international airport is supposed to open in 2017 near the city of Nantes. — AFP

As stocks soar, more join the $100 Club NEW YORK: High prices help sell watches, sports cars and handbags by suggesting rare quality. Now, they may be helping sell stocks, too. The number of stocks priced at $100 or more is at a multi-decade high. Companies worried that sticker shock would keep small investors from buying used to split their shares in two or more to lower the price. But now splits are scarce, and a triple-digit stock has cachet.

“It shows investors have confidence in you,” says Jon Johnson, editor of Stocksplits.net, an investing newsletter. “It’s another thing you can point to and say, “We’re doing fine in uncertain times.” Jeffrey Hirsch, editor of the Stock Trader’s Almanac, calls it a new “badge of achievement.”

Among stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, 42 trade for $100 or more, according to Howard Silverblatt of S&P Dow Jones Indices, which manages the index. That is the highest in his records, which date back 36 years.

A surging stock market has helped lift the price of stocks, as has inflation over the years.

But experts suggest a bigger reason is that more companies are refusing to cut prices with splits that swaps a single share for multiple shares. A two-for-one split, for instance, cuts a $100 share into two $50 shares.

Other features of the rise of triple-digit stocks: It reflects an investor retreat. Companies used to split shares because they worried small investors would get spooked by a $100 price tag, Silverblatt says. But Main Street folks have been selling hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of individual stocks from their brokerage accounts in the past 51/2 years, according to the Federal Reserve. That has left much of the stock trading to professional investors and hedge funds and other so-called institutions with plenty of money. So companies don’t feel pressure to split shares.

“They don’t care about the individuals anymore,” says Kristina Minnick, a finance professor at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. Their owners are “mostly institutions, and (high prices) don’t faze them.”

Credit lower trading fees, too. Investors once bought and sold stock mostly in so-called round lots of 100 to avoid paying higher broker commissions for so-called odd lots. A high stock price made buying in blocks of 100 out of reach for some small investors. That was one reason

companies split their stocks. In 1975, regulators banned fixed minimum charges for stock trading, forcing brokers to compete on commissions.

Fees plummeted further with online trading in the 1990s. Now, discount brokers charge a straight fee per transaction, sometimes as low as $2, so it doesn’t matter how many shares you buy. It’s no bull-market fluke. When the market was higher, at its October 2007 peak, $100-plus stocks numbered 33, fewer than today. In the dot-com boom in 1999, 27 breached the tripledigit mark. In 1985, a peak year for that decade, only 17 hit that mark, though the number for that year is higher if you adjust for inflation.

Don’t be fooled. A higher price may add prestige, but it says nothing about whether the stock is a good value. To figure that out, experts say, you need to look at how the price compares with its per-share earnings, among other measurements. In the bull market of the 1990s, companies split stocks constantly to broaden their appeal. Dell and Microsoft split seven times each that decade. Cisco split eight times. Since then, the number of splits has bounced around, but the trend has been down, and sharply. In 2000, there were 70 splits. In 2004, there were 38, a high for the past decade. In 2006, the last calendar year before the Great Recession, there were 32. The tally in 2012 is 10.

Splits have a bad reputation among some investors because they’re largely done for cosmetic reasons. After all, giving investors two new shares worth $50 each for an old one worth $100 does not make the new shares more valuable. Or to put it another way, a pizza pie doesn’t taste any better if you cut it in more pieces. In 1983, Warren Buffett blasted splits in an annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders. He said they suggest a company is focused more on the stock price than on value. He also thought they attracted more short-term investors - not a good thing, in his opinion. “A hyperactive market is the pickpocket of enterprise,” he wrote.

Berkshire created cheaper Class B shares in 1996 and split them 50-for-1 in 2010, to make it easier for owners of Burlington Northern Santa Fe, a railroad that Berkshire bought, to exchange their shares for Berkshire shares. One possible casualty from the fall in splits is finance professors. They’ve written voluminous studies about them. —AP

LONDON: A man demonstrates outside Downing Street in central London yesterday against the government’s austerity policies and call for an alternative economic strategy that puts jobs and growth first. — AFP

CLEVELAND: Unemployment rates fell last month in nearly all of the battleground states that will determine the presidential winner, giving President Barack Obama fresh fodder to argue that voters should stick with him in an election focused squarely on the economy.

The declines, however, were modest. It’s unknown whether they will do much to sway undecided voters who are considering whether to back Republican Mitt Romney or give the Democratic president four more years. The statewide data released by the Labor Department on Friday provide one of the last comprehensive looks at the health of the US economy ahead of Election Day, now a little more than two weeks away. Voters will get one more update on the national unemployment rate just days before the election. But the state reports matter greatly to the Obama and Romney campaigns, which believe the public’s impressions of the economy are shaped mostly by local conditions rather than national ones.

In Ohio, perhaps the most crucial battleground state for both Obama and Romney, the unemployment rate ticked down last month to 7 percent from 7.2 percent, below the national average of 7.8 percent. “I knew a lot of people who were laid off and now they’re working,” said firefighter Matt Sparling, an Obama supporter from Parma Heights, Ohio. “So something good is happening here.”

Obama’s team is banking on the president getting credit for improvements in Ohio’s economy, particularly for the bailout of the auto industry, which has deep roots in the Midwestern swing state. But Romney has opportunities to run on the economy in Ohio, too. The state actually lost nearly 13,000 jobs in September and the drop in the unemployment rate was probably due in part to people dropping out of the job market.

Obama’s campaign released a new ad in Ohio on Friday, touting the president’s rescue of General Motors and Chrysler. Without the auto bailout, one man in the ad says, “Ohio would have collapsed.”

Another man says, “Mitt Romney would have just let us go under - just let them go bankrupt.” The ad’s tagline shows the map of Ohio with the words: “Mitt Romney. Not one of us.”

The president didn’t mention the state jobless numbers during a campaign stop Friday in Virginia, one of two battleground states where the rate didn’t drop. It held steady at the relatively low level of 5.9 percent. Spirited on other topics, Obama quipped in a raucous rally at George Mason University that a case of “Romnesia” was preventing his opponent from remembering his own stances on health care, energy and a slate of policies.

“He’s forgetting what his own positions are - and he’s betting that you will, too,” Obama said.

“We’ve got to name this condition that he’s going through. I think it’s called Romnesia.”

Romney and running mate Paul Ryan headlined a rally in Daytona Beach, Fla., where a raucous crowd of thousands cheered their accusation that Obama is running a small campaign with no second-term agenda. “They’ve been reduced to petty attacks and silly word games,” Romney said, saying his opponent keeps talking about “smaller and smaller things.”

Romney’s rally was capped with fireworks; many were in town for the annual Biketoberfest, an annual gathering of motorcycle riders, and several people in the crowd left after they became ill at the rally.

The candidates were stepping off the campaign trail this weekend for debate preparations ahead of Monday’s third and final face-off in Boca Raton, Fla. Romney was staying in South Florida to practice, while Obama and top aides headed to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, to prepare for the foreign policy-focused debate. Obama’s campaign reported that it had $99.3 million in the bank through the end of September and collected $126 million during the month. Obama had previously announced that his campaign, the Democratic National Committee and other funds had hauled in $181 million during September.

International issues competed with the economy for voters’ attention Friday, as fresh questions arose over what the White House knew when about the deadly attack on Americans in Libya.

In an interview, Ryan accused Obama of stonewalling, telling Milwaukee radio station WTMJ that the president was refusing to answer even basic questions. “His response has been inconsistent, it’s been misleading,” Ryan said. Romney and Ryan have criticized the administration for saying at first that the attack was a spontaneous mob reaction to an anti-Muslim video on YouTube when they now acknowledge it was a terrorist attack. US officials told the AP that the CIA station chief in Libya reported to Washington within 24 hours of the attack to say there was evidence it was carried out by militants, although it’s unclear who received that information right away. Despite increased focus on Libya,

the economy remains the No 1 election issue for most voters.

Friday’s jobs report showed the unemployment rate falling slightly in seven battleground states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. Rates held steady at 5.7 percent in New Hampshire and 5.9 percent in Virginia.

Unemployment in both states has long been well below the national average. Nevada’s 11.8 percent rate is the highest nationally. Iowa has the lowest battleground state rate, with 5.2 percent out of work.

Obama has staked his re-election prospects on the notion that the economic crisis he inherited is easing. He’s been backed by positive trends for a handful of recent economic indicators, as well as polls showing the public’s view of the economy is improving.

But millions of Americans are still out of work, giving Romney an opportunity to cast the president as ineffective in solving the country’s economic troubles. Romney, too, has plenty of economic data to back up his argument, including disappointing earnings reports Friday from major companies,

including Microsoft and McDonald’s. Both campaigns say the last round of data released ahead of Election Day is unlikely to sway voters who have been living the reality of the economic downturn and weak recovery for more than four years.

John Patterson, 25, a recent college graduate from North Carolina, said he doesn’t have to look at unemployment numbers to know things aren’t good in his home state. He’s sent out resumes and had a few interviews but is still unemployed.

Patterson voted for Obama four years ago, but says he’s not sure he’ll do the same this time around.

“Things haven’t really changed, have they?” he said.

“I mean, too many people are still out of work.” Back in Ohio, Diana Huddleston said the falling unemployment rate has done little to help her personal economic situation. Her husband lost his jobs a few years back when an aluminum producer in the region cut back. He eventually found work as a dishwasher, Huddleston said, but that position comes with much lower pay.

Huddleston says she doesn’t plan to vote in the presidential election because “nothing is going to change here.” — AP

WASHINGTON: A jobs sign is seen on the front of the US Chamber of Commerce building in Washington, DC. — AFP

European leaders seal bank watchdog deal BRUSSELS: European leaders agreed Friday to police thousands of euro-zone banks beginning next year as they sought to create much-needed jobs in their austerity-battered economies.

By the close of a two-day summit, France and Germany had patched up differences over how to beat the debt crisis, with the new watchdog for 6,000 banks a key condition for allowing a dedicated rescue fund to re-float troubled lenders.

Leaders cited “significant progress” on a 120-billion-euro ($155-billion) package of measures to try to kickstart a climb out of recession as social and political unrest hits Spain as well as Greece.

But the bank deal appeared to come too late for Spanish lenders, who need recapitalisation to the tune of some 40 billion euros that Madrid had hoped would not be added to its public debt burden for fear of sparking new pressures on money markets. German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that direct recapitalisation by the eurozone rescue fund could not be retroactive, that it “will only be possible for the future.”

Fellow hardliners the Netherlands and Finland adopted the same view when finance ministers from the three states met last month in Helsinki, seemingly reversing plans carefully laid down by the eurozone in June.

France is still pleading for the “Helsinki” trio to come round. A top EU official speaking anonymously after the summit ended said Paris has concerns about spillover effects from Spain, and maintained Merkel’s remark came as “a surprise” as the 27 EU bloc leaders “did not settle this.”

This official said the Spanish bank bailout could benefit from some direct recapitalisation later in the process, once the watchdog is up and running-supposed to be later in 2013.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy faces

growing political problems with a general strike called for November 14 and key elections in the autonomous Basque Country on Sunday and independence-minded Catalonia next month.

Rajoy said the direct aspect of recapitalisation was not an “urgent” issue for Spain, while talk of sovereign aid-expected to take the form of a credit line initially-also remains on the back-burner.

With market pressures considerably eased since the summer, the fresh commitment bird’s eye bank supervision led by the European Central Bank is supposed to anchor a re-designed economic and monetary union. Leaders are beginning to believe-after three years in full crisis mode that the euro can be made more attractive to influential EU states still outside the currency bloc like Poland, one of the bloc’s strongest economies.

After an 11-hour session into the wee hours to reach the bank supervision deal, Merkel said it was about ensuring a “solid legal framework” as the ECB puts in place “hundreds” of staff.

The target date here is January 1, 2013, Merkel citing a need for “democratic legitimacy,” including a change to voting rights to assuage concerns in non-euro territories where euro-zone banks operate, namely the global financial centre of London.

The eurozone voice at the ECB could have outvoted non-euro members in adjudication by an existing network of national supervisors at the European Banking Authority, so it was agreed this would be re-weighted, an “unprecedented” decision according to the earlier participant.

Difficult decisions remain to be taken in two more summits before Christmas, as seen by Britain’s David Cameron threat to veto the European Union’s budget for the rest of the decade and snub the Nobel Peace Prize-giving ceremony in Oslo in December.—AFP

26

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

BUSINESS

Gulf Investment Corp issues 300m Swiss franc bonds

Accelerating BMW Group Middle East sales to fuel year-end success 15% growth across 14 markets KUWAIT: Record sales for BMW and MINI have been achieved across the Middle East for the first nine months of the year with a total of 15,805 vehicles sold in 14 markets - a 15% increase over the same period last year. The company also concluded its best quarter ever (July-Sept) and achieved its highest sales volume in a single month, with 1,981 BMW and MINI vehicles delivered across the Middle East in August.

The company’s record year-to-date results clearly demonstrate the continued growth of the region’s automotive industry, with the BMW Group making gains in almost all GCC markets and most importers recording double digit growth. The UAE remained the biggest market in the Middle East, accounting for 48% of BMW and MINI regional sales during the first nine months of the year, followed by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Markets that showed good individual sales increases included Jordan which grew by 50%, Oman 40%, Kuwait 31%, Abu Dhabi 30%, Qatar 19%, Lebanon 18%, and Saudi Arabia 14%.

“We are very pleased with our 2012 nine month results,” said Alexander Eftimov, Director of Sales and Marketing, BMW Group Middle East. “We have focused on driving the BMW Group brands forward in the region and as a result, our models continue to be in high

demand.” BMW: High-end models continue to drive growth The BMW 5 Series remained the company’s most popular model, accounting for a quarter of all regional sales. The flagship BMW 7 Series was also amongst the company’s best selling cars, representing 18% of overall sales.

Offering new levels of luxury, comfort and power, the new and refined 7 Series model went on sale in the region last month.

Expected to further amplify BMW’s 7 Series success story in the Middle East, the latest generation is set to be a strong driving force behind future sales achievements. “We are working towards ending the year with record sales and have no doubt that the new model will play a major role in helping us achieve this.

It is the best BMW 7 Series we have ever built and due to its recent arrival in the region, we expect to see momentum increase in the final quarter of the year,” added Eftimov.

The BMW X6 Sports Activity CoupÈ and X5 Sports Activity Vehicle continued to remain among BMW Group’s top five best-selling models. Demonstrating that Middle East customers still have a preference to purchase highly specified, versatile vehicles with powerful engines, 35% of the company’s sales in the Middle East during the first nine months of 2012 were from its X models: BMW X6, X5, X3 and the X1.

MINI: 53 years old and as popular as ever August this year saw MINI turn 53. Since its introduction in 1959, the small car with a big attitude has become an object and subject of obsession for so many people across the world.

In fact, it was the first small car to achieve genuine global success. Over half a century later and the MINI brand is still as popular as ever.

Reaffirming its position as the fastest growing premium brand in the world as well as in the Middle East, MINI witnessed 19% sales growth during the first nine months of 2012.

Sales were led by the MINI Countryman - the first MINI with four doors and four wheel drive capabilities - which accounted for 43% of the brand’s regional sales, followed by the MINI Hatch which accounted for 31% and MINI Coupe 13%.

Looking ahead to the final quarter, Eftimov added, “We will continue to grow our brands by working with our importer partners to launch new beautifully-designed and technologically-advanced vehicles and by investing in staff and customers services. With our JanuarySeptember results setting the pace for another successful year, we have an overall record for 2012 firmly in our sight. Customers believe in the BMW Group brands, and our position as the leading global premium car manufacturer is a position we intend to maintain.”

The all-new Hyundai Santa Fe goes on sale in Mideast KUWAIT: Hyundai Motor Company has announced that the all-new 2013 Santa Fe has gone on sale in the Middle East.

With its core product concepts being “Refinement,” “Smartness” and “Practicality,” the all-new Santa Fe was a hit in the SUV market, offering a whole new class of luxury with its differentiated design, cutting-edge technologies and practical use of space.

The all new Santa Fe continues the solid brand heritage of the automaker’s most representative SUV model, which is entering its third generation. The previous generations of Santa Fe have already proven popular with customers in the Middle East, with 87,273 units sold since the model made its debut in 2000. The Santa Fe has also achieved worldwide cumulative sales of 2.56 million units since its 2000 launch.

Tom Lee, Head of Hyundai Middle East ’s Regional Headquarters, said: “The all-new Santa Fe reinforces Hyundai’s commitment to produce premium cars”. He continued: “We think that the new generation Santa Fe will not only appeal to existing

customers in the region with its fresh design and improved levels of standard technology, but attracts a new range of Middle East buyers looking for a stylish, premium and authentic SUV.” Premium features are not limited to Hyundai’s luxury line up,

but can be seen in the Santa Fe. The New Santa Fe has reclining angle comfort rear seats that are identical to seats found in luxury sedans, as well as full leather for both the front and rear seats, with a 12-way driver power seat.

Other added touches include a cooling box that will refrigerate drinks in the hot weather and a rear window curtain that will provides more exclusivity and privacy for the rear passengers.

Based on Hyundai’s design philosophy, Fluidic Sculpture, the

new Santa Fe adopts its own design concept called “Storm Edge,” which captures the strong and dynamic images created by nature during the formation of a storm. The design adopts the hexagonal grille that has become

a Hyundai trademark in most of its new line-ups, a two-tone voluminous bottom car body and wider front and rear bumpers, creating a futuristic and urban-style SUV image.

The interior shows an evolution in design and an insight into the future through Hyundai’s eyes. The all new Santa Fe will come to the Middle East in sporty five and seven seat forms, with ample room and storage throughout the car. In the boot there are two compartments, a luggage under-tray space and a luggage centre box, in addition to the main boot section. Folding rear seats create even more space for Santa Fe owners.

The Santa Fe will come with a wealth of new and improved technologies. And with Hyundai’s continued commitment to making all its new cars more ecofriendly, there is an option of active ECO, which will actively control air condition output and engine transmission activity for the best fuel efficiency.

Full specifications will be announced by Hyundai Motor Company closer to the model’s arrival in the Middle East.

KUWAIT: Gulf Investment Corporation GSC (GIC) successfully accessed the CHF capital markets, pricing their inaugural CHF 300 million ($325 million) bond issue via 3 year fixed rate notes in Switzerland. BNP Paribas (Suisse) and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc acted as Joint Lead Managers, with the notes being issued under GIC’s $2.5 billion EMTN Program, via GIC Funding Limited, which is a Cayman Islanddomiciled entity fully guaranteed by GIC. Following GIC’s EMTN Program update and as part of GIC’s on-going initiatives to diversify its fixed income investor base, the company opted to complete a series of investor meetings in Zurich and Geneva on 9th and 10th October respectively.

Having gauged investor appetite following this well received roadshow, coupled with a highly favorable market backdrop, a trade was launched on 16th October 2012 offering a minimum size of CHF 100 million. Positive momentum and strong investor demand garnered substantial high quality orders, ultimately enabling the lead managers to close the books with a final offering size of CHF 300 million at a coupon of 2.750%, maturing 16th November 2015, where the net proceeds of the issue are to be used for GIC’s general corporate purposes.

GIC is the first Middle Eastern issuer to access the Swiss Franc market in more than 20 months, and in doing so achieved some historic milestones. This transaction marks the largest CHF public offering ever printed by any Middle Eastern issuer, and has achieved a record all-time low coupon within the CHF market for all Middle Eastern issuers. Moreover, the transaction successfully availed a new European investor base for GIC’s funding pool.

Hisham Al-Razzuqi, Chief Executive Officer, commented on the successful transaction, saying: “We are delighted to

have accessed the CHF market, broadening our investor base and introducing our credit to a high quality European market.

The growth in financial linkage between Switzerland and the Middle East over the last few years, and more recently, the dearth in supply from Middle Eastern cred-

Hisham Al-Razzuqi its, has presented notable demand for an issue from GIC”.

Established in 1983, GIC is a regional financial institution owned entirely and equally by the six GCC states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. GIC strives to provide a comprehensive set of financial services that promote development of the private enterprise and foster economic growth in the GCC. GIC has emerged as a regional leader in its chosen fields, and has successfully promoted and developed projects in the GCC across a range of sectors, including financial services, petrochemical, metal, power, utilities, and communications.

ARABAL outlines credentials and scope of speakers on 1st day of conference Speakers representing Converting Industries, Technology, Market Factors & Arabian Spring The Organizing Committee of the Arab Aluminium International Conference “Arabal” - hosted by Qatalum in Dohaover 20-22 November - has provided further information on the Day One sessions, dealing with various crucial subjects and holding important discussions related to aluminium industry.

After the opening session, which will include the key addresses of the official spokesmen, Dr. Ali Al Suwaidi, Technical Director of Qatar Holding, and Dr. Antonio Tropeano, CEO of FATA Hunter & FATA EPC will take part in adebate entitled “The Future prospects to expanding local use and creating local demand through the development &expansion of the use of aluminium products”.

During this session, discussions will centre on methods of developing the converting industries related to aluminium industry, as countries of the region represent huge productive power and potential, acquiring a significant share of aluminium raw material production.

The first day will also see a presentation entitled “Reshaping the world aluminium balance” to be delivered by Oleg Mukhamedshin, Deputy CEO of UC

RUSAL Co., during which he will review the actual international aluminium market as well as offer and demand, price, production and other influencing factors.

As for technology, a dialogue session will be held to review the most important technology currently or soon to be implemented in the aluminium industry.

Abdalla Al Zarouni, Senior Manager of Technology Development at Dubai Aluminium Co. (Dubal), Asgeir Bardal from the Norwegian aluminum company “Norsk Hydro ASA”, and Bernard Allais, Marketing &Director, Technology Sales & Marketing and Technical Support at Rio Tinto Alcan Company will all take part in this session.

The first day will wrap up with a discussion session entitled “The Arab Spring” within which the participants will discuss the expected effects of recent upheaval on economic growth and investment, and the future consequences. Participants in this session include Ms Salam Saada, CEO of Active M Co.; Coleen Harris, ex media advisor to the British royal family; Trevor Phillips, Former Leader UK’s Equality Human Rights Commission; and Mahmoud Al Dailami, Secretary General of the Gulf Aluminium Council.

Gulf Bank adds more exciting merchant offers to its Rewards Program KUWAIT: Driven by its commitment to providing maximum customer satisfaction, Gulf Bank announced yesterday that it has teamed up with three more merchants; Choco Buzz, Car Wash, and Posta Plus to offer enticing discounts that are especially tailored for the Bank’s Credit card holders.

Customers can now enjoy an array of discounts starting with a discount up to 25% discount at the Car Wash; a Kuwaiti company that provides high-end car services, 25% discount when subscribing to Posta Plus and a 10% discount at Choco Buzz; a Kuwaiti owned chocolatier that manufactures high end chocolates.

Gulf Bank is committed to providing

convenience and ease when servicing its customers by ensuring the continuous use of their cards, while enjoying great discounts and offers from different outlets. Gulf Bank’s Rewards program also grants customers’ points for every transaction made using the Bank’s Visa and MasterCard credit card and also simultaneously offers instant discounts. It is the only Bank that offers both instant discounts as well as loyalty points.

To find out more about Gulf Bank’s most recent programs and promotions, customers can visit the Bank’s website at www.e-gulfbank.com/gulfrewards , or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805, or visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches for assistance and guidance.

Starbucks brand hit

by UK tax criticism LONDON: Starbucks’s reputation among consumers in Britain has been hit by wave of criticism of its tax affairs from politicians and the media, pollster YouGov said.

A Reuters report showed the coffee chain paid no tax on 1.2 billion pounds of sales in recent years by telling the taxman it was making no profit, even as it told investors the unit was “profitable”.

YouGov said its BrandIndex survey of 2,000 people showed a drop in the its reputation score to -26 from +3.

Starbucks’s Buzz score - whether people

have heard anything positive or negative about the brand in the media or through word of mouth - is now -9 compared to zero before the Reuters report was published.

“The story exposing Starbucks’s tax arrangements has definitely dealt a blow to its brand. We have been monitoring it closely, and each day since the story broke we’ve seen public perception of Starbucks become more and more negative,” said Sarah Murphy, YouGov’s director of BrandIndex. —Reuters

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Kaspersky: It’s clear some malware developed by nations

By Islam Al-Sharaa DUBAI: The GITEX (Gulf Information Technology Exhibition) event which took place from Oct 14-18, 2012 played host to the top anti-virus systems across the world. Kaspersky Lab Systems is No. 3 in the world

and has been recognized for finding new viruses, namely Flame, MiniFlame, Stuxnet, Gauss, and Duqu. Vasily Dyagilev, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab and Costin Raiu, a security specialist at Kaspersky Lab spoke with the Kuwait Times in an exclusive interview.

Kuwait Times: In this era where nations have been releasing viruses, how difficult is your job?

Vasily Dyagilev: I will not say it’s difficult but I will say it’s more interesting with new malware every day.

We want to be one step ahead of the hackers. We detect 125,000 malware a day and in fact, it’s growing. I want to say these new discoveries makes it more challenging for us as a company. It’s very hard to protect our customers but we are in the process of developing new software for this reason.

Will the mobile segment, it’s more important to protect the customers. The problem with mobile phones is that people believe that it’s a device which is more of a phone and less of a computer but that isn’t true; it’s a computer which can make phone calls. We think the mobile phone market will require the greatest security over the coming years.

Kuwait Times: A lot of malware is distributed today by exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated installations of popular software like Java, Adobe Reader and Flash Player. Since most users have shown an inability to keep their programs up-to-date on their own, have you considered offering automatic or silent updates for the most attacked applications through your security products?

Costin Raiu: We have the appellate to disinfect all viruses for Flash player and to operate them but this hasn’t been completed yet. But we have the solution

Costin Raiu which is already available to solve this problem which we call ‘Advance Explore Prevention’.

Kaspersky Lab security solutions can scan for vulnerabilities inside installed software and also notify the user if updates are required. A silent update feature would be much difficult to implement because it requires a partnership with the application vendor and not all vendors are open to such cooperation.

This technology I can tell you is extremely effective in preventing attacks.

And we have new technology we call ‘Safe Money’ which is new ground-breaking technology which can protect users from losing their bank information to unsafe websites. During many of these attacks, a hacker creates a fake website and lets users give their credit and bank information details and he will use this information to steal money from their accounts.

So our technology has the appellate to recognize these websites and block them and is hence called ‘Safe Money’ technology.

Vasily Dyagilev industrial systems.

“In the long run, cyber-warfare is where all parties lose: attackers, victims and even uninvolved observers. Unlike traditional weapons, tools used in cyber-warfare are very easy to clone and reprogram by adversaries. The most important move to survive in this environment is the development and deployment of a new, advanced security paradigm for the most critical infrastructure.”

“I’d like to talk about the future. About a not-soglamorous future of mass cyber-attacks on nuclear power stations, energy supply and transportation control facilities, financial and telecommunications systems, and in general what we call critically important installations. Or you could think back to the Die Hard 4 - where an attack on infrastructure plunged pretty much the whole country into chaos.

Alas, John McClane isn’t around to solve the problem of vulnerable industrial systems, and even if he were - his usual methods of choice wouldn’t work.

However, we are working on developing technologies for a secure operating system aimed at protecting precisely these same critical IT systems (industrial control systems (ICS)). Quite a few rumors about this project have appeared already on the Internet, so I guess it’s time to lift the curtain (a little) on our secret project and let you know (a bit) about what’s really going on.

But first - a little bit of background about vulnerable industrial systems, and why the world really needs this new and completely different approach of ours.

The defenselessness of industrial systems Though industrial IT systems and, say, typical office computer networks might seem similar in many ways, they are actually completely different beasts - mostly in terms of their priorities between security and usability. In your average company the most important thing is confidentiality of data. Thus, for example, if on the corporate file server a Trojan is detected, the simplest thing to do is disconnect the infected system from the network and then later to start to tackle the problem.

In industrial systems that can’t be done, since here the highest priority for them is maintaining constant operation come hell or high water. Uninterrupted continuity of production is of paramount importance at any industrial object in the world; protection is rel-

Kuwait Times: But with technology, can’t hackers still steal bank account details?

Costin Raiu: People have always asked if it’s possible to have more secure computers but it’s difficult to save documents, and impossible to receive any emails or browse websites without attracting viruses. It’s like old mobiles phone which you can use to call but not browse the net and still receive viruses.

Kuwait Times: We noticed that Kaspersky AntiVirus has a Proactive Defense option enabled by default, which defines digitally signed applications as trusted. Since malware signed with stolen certificates does exist, can you explain your reasoning behind this setting? Does the program have its own white list of trusted digital certificates which you can modify if it gets compromised?

Costin Raiu: Yes, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2013 includes a white list of trusted programs, based on their digital signature and vendor. But, this doesn’t mean that certain software is being allowed to function without being “questioned” or blocked by the security solution.

KL developing its own operating system?

Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and co-founder of Kaspersky Lab, named international cooperation and advanced technology as the key requirements to survive the age of cyber-warfare. Kaspersky highlighted the dangers of the cyber-arms race and showcased Kaspersky Lab’s approach to protecting vulnerable

Alexander Erofeev

egated to second place always.

Updating software might also be expressly forbidden by an industrial/infrastructural organization’s safety policy. Still, even if the possibility to update software and patch up “holes” does exist, this doesn’t always help much. Manufacturers of specialized software aren’t interested in constant source code analysis and patching holes. As experience has shown, corners (costs) are normally cut on this kind of activity, and patches are released only if a certain exploit has been found and put on the Internet. In actual fact this is true not only for specialized software, but also for the common or garden variety; nevertheless, today we’re talking about specifically industrial software.

The problem consists in the following: the vulnerability of control software, programmed controllers, and industrial communication networks leads to operators of industrial/infrastructural systems not actually having the ability to receive reliable information about the systems’ total operation! Theoretically a situation is possible where, let’s say, a system for distributing electricity is attacked, as a result of which somewhere at a distant installation the other side of the country a breakdown occurs. But the control center doesn’t know anything about it: the attackers have sent to its computers false data.

Examples You don’t need to look far to find examples of this actually happening in real life. The first method used - an example of cyber-sabotage at its potentially most dangerous - was in a direct attack on SCADA systems as far back as the year 2000 in Australia. A worker of a contractor working on the control systems of Maroochy Shire Council managed in 46 (!) attacks to cause the pumps to stop working or work

not as they should have. No one could understand what was happening - the communications inside the system had been breached. Only after months did companies and the authorities manage to work out what had happened. It turned out that the worker really wanted to get a job at the sewage firm, was rejected, and so decided to flood with sewage a huge area of Queensland!

There are plenty of other such examples; they’re just not reported in the media. After all, victim companies are generally not too keen on letting the whole world know their systems have been compromised. And with many incidents even the victims themselves don’t know they’ve been attacked. Not long ago in RuggedCom industrial routers a hole was found that permitted any average user to simply increase his/her access rights up to administrator level and gain control over the device. By who, when, how, and where else the hole could have been exploited can only be guessed at.

So who else - apart from blackmailers, disgruntled job applicants, etc. - might get access to the source code of ICS software, controllers, operating systems and the like? Of course there are the respective official authorities. Namely those with a department that certifies software for critically important systems, but also another department - one developing (in recent years) cyber-weapons for attacking opponents’ systems, whoever they may be, but normally other countries in general.

Yes, I mean things like Stuxnet and the subsequent Duqu, Flame and Gauss - malware so vastly complex that it’s clear it was developed with the support of nation states. And it doesn’t really matter who’s being targeted at present; what matters is that that such cyber-weapons are developed and deployed at all. And once Pandora’s Box is open, there’s no way of getting it closed again. The building up of armaments for attacks on the industrial systems and infrastructure of enemies sooner or later will affect us all. So it turns out that the biggest threat to the planet today comes not from the regular cyber-riff-raff, and not even from organized cybercriminals, but from nation state-backed creators of cyber-weapons.

At the same time as arming themselves, both infrastructure companies and different authorities aren’t forgetting about protection. Indeed, they started protecting themselves long ago. But how do they actually go about it?

There are really just two methods. The first - isolating critically important objects: disconnecting them from the Internet, or physical isolation from the outside world in some other way. However, as experience has shown, if a technician during the night shift

Eugene Kaspersky wants to watch on the control computer films from an infected USB stick - nothing’s going to stop him (we have working methods for blocking such activity, but I won’t go into that here).

Second - keeping secrets. Collective and largescale attempts to keep secret everything and anything. Developers of ICS keep the source code secret, owners of factories and infrastructure place a “SECRET” stamp on the schematics of information and control systems, the types of used software are kept secret, and so on. However, at the same time, information about vulnerabilities in, for example, the majority of popular SCADA systems is freely available on the Internet. And if we dig deeper we find that for several years already the open search engine SHODAN has been up and running - designed for

among other things seeking out vulnerable industrial systems (including SCADA), whose owners decide to connect them to - or forgot to disconnect them from - the Internet.

In parallel, specialists at industrial/infrastructure organizations also apply traditional methods of protection of vulnerable software and operating systems through control over program use and also over actions of users. But a 100 percent guarantee of protection can’t be provided, again because of vulnerability-by-default in the software doing the controlling. But for critical infrastructure a guarantee is what is needed most of all.

Protection as it should be Ideally, all ICS software would need to be rewritten, incorporating all the security technologies there are and taking into account the new realities of cyber-attacks. Alas, such a colossal effort coupled with the huge investments that would be required in testing and fine-tuning would nevertheless not guarantee sufficiently stable operation of systems.

But there is fully realizable alternative: a secure operating system, one onto which ICS can be installed, and which could be built into the existing infrastructure - controlling “healthy” existing systems and guaranteeing the receipt of reliable data reports on the systems’ operation.

First I’ll answer the most obvious question: how will it be possible for KL to create a secure OS if no one at Microsoft, Apple, or the open source community has been able to manage it? It’s all quite simple really.

First: our system is highly tailored, developed for solving a specific narrow task, and not intended for playing Half-Life on, editing your vacation videos, or blathering on social media. Second: we’re working on the methods of writing software which by design won’t be able to carry out any behind-the-scenes, undeclared activity. This is the important bit: the impossibility of executing third-party code, or of breaking into the system or running unauthorized applications on our OS; and this is both provable and testable.

In closing, in anticipation of the multitude of questions from colleagues, partners, media and simply curious folks, a few basics: the development is a truly secure environment. It’s a sophisticated project, and almost impracticable without active interaction with ICS operators and vendors. We can’t reveal many details of the project now because of the confidentiality of such cooperation. And we don’t want to talk about some stuff so competitors won’t nick the know-how. And then there are some details that will remain for certain customers’ eyes only forever, to ward off cyber-terrorist abuses.”

28

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

health & science

World pledges more money to protect biodiversity 400 plants, animals added to ‘Red List’

Landmark Group teams up with MOH, Dasman Diabetes Institute ‘Beat Diabetes’ walkathon KUWAIT: Landmark Group, the region’s leading retail and hospitality conglomerate, has teamed up with the Ministry of Health and Dasman Diabetes Institute once again this year, for the third edition of the ‘Beat Diabetes’ walkathon in Kuwait. The walkathon in Kuwait will take place on Saturday, November 17, 2012.

Diabetes testing centres will also be set up at multiple locations across the Group’s retail network to administer free blood glucose test for the community during the month.

Beat Diabetes is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of the Landmark Group that aims to spread awareness about the causes, effects and dangers of this condition. Since 2009, when the Group launched this initiative, annual walkathons are conducted in the month of November, the World Diabetes Awareness month.

This year the Group will conduct walkathons across various countries including Kuwait, UAE and India.

Saibal Basu, Chief Operating Officer, Landmark Group, Kuwait, said “We are pleased to announce the third edition

of the walk in Kuwait in our efforts to continue spreading awareness about diabetes. Through the Beat Diabetes campaign, we aim to encourage people to eat healthy, exercise frequently and regularly take the blood glucose test.”

Recent figures from International Diabetes Federation (IDF) report indicate that the number of people living with diabetes around the world is expected to rise from 366 million in 2011 to 552 million by 2030, unless swift action is undertaken. This amounts to around three new cases every 10 seconds. Since a large number of people with diabetes are unaware of their condition, awareness is the first step towards diagnosis.

In 2011, the Landmark Group’s ‘Beat Diabetes’ walkathon attracted over 35,000 people and over 40,000 people were administered free blood glucose test across six countries. With an ardent belief that creating awareness is crucial to take control of diabetes, the Group continues to undertake various activities year round to “Beat Diabetes”.

HYDERABAD: Efforts to stem the worrying loss of Earth’s dwindling natural resources received a boost yesterday when a UN conference in India agreed to double biodiversity aid to poor countries.

But in a week that saw 400 plants and animals added to a “Red List” at risk of extinction, some observers said this was not enough to reverse the decline in species and habitats that humans depend on for food, shelter and livelihoods.

A quarter of the world’s mammals, 13 percent of birds, 41 percent of amphibians and 33 percent of reef-building corals are now at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

“Efforts to conserve nature must be urgently scaled up if we want to meet the 2020 deadline to save all life on Earth,” it said of the deal. Governments reached an early-morning agreement after long nights of tough bargaining in Hyderabad, south India, to double biodiversity-related funding to developing countries by 2015 and maintain the rate until 2020.

This was from a baseline of average annual aid in the period 2006-2010, said a document issued at the close of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting.

No figures were mentioned, but there was consensus among observer groups that a doubling of government biodiversity aid from developed countries to poor ones should yield an annual figure of about $10 billion (8 billion euros). It was also agreed that at least 75 percent of recipient countries must report on their spending by 2015 and draw up national biodiversity plans.

UN countries decided at the last CBD conference in Nagoya, Japan, two years ago to an ambitious 20-point plan to turn back the tide of biodiversity depletion by 2020.

The so-called Aichi Biodiversity Targets include halving the rate of habitat loss, expanding water and land areas under conservation, preventing the extinction of species on the threatened list, and restoring at least 15 percent of degraded ecosystems.

Green group WWF said about $200 billion must be invested in biodiversity every year if the targets are to be met.

“What’s been agreed in Hyderabad represents less than half this number,” it said in a

statement and called the deal “disappointing”.

Conservation International, too, said much more must be done. “We do have concerns about what the investment levels will actually be and whether or not they will be sufficient,” said the group’s biodiversity director Lina Barrera. In crunch talks that once again saw battle lines drawn between developing and affluent states, negotiators in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Delegates interact during the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) conference in Hyderabad on Oct 19. About 15,000 delegates from over 185 countries are attending the 11th meeting of the Convention on Biodiversity, Oct 8. — AFP clashed over the extent and timing of additional aid.

Canada objected to the deal, but did not block its adoption, complaining that many recipient countries had failed to meet a target for reporting on their biodiversity spending and needs.

Francisco Gaetani, chief negotiator for Brazil-a country which other delegates accused of taking a tough stance on behalf of the developing world-said the deal “could be more ambitious”, but the country was “satisfied”. CBD member countries lamented at the close of the talks that “the lack of sufficient financial resources” was hampering progress.

And they called on one another in a joint

Kids need to slim down: Mexico

Irenise Moulonguet, born as Lermain, poses Friday in Morne Rouge, in the French overseas island of Martinique. This 111-year-old woman has become France’s oldest citizen, as the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) said the day before. She was born on november 6, 1900, in BassePointe, and will celebrate her 112th birthday in a few days. — AFP

Canadian govt knew about sea fertilizing VANCOUVER: Organizers of a controversial ocean fertilization project off Canada’s west coast said Friday officials knew of the undertaking but did not stop it, and that it violated no laws. The project, carried out by a small aboriginal village together with US businessman Russ George, involved used a fishing boat to scatter 120 tons of iron sulfate last August into the Pacific Ocean west of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago off British Columbia. The move was criticized by environmentalists, aboriginal groups and scientists for violating an international ban on ocean fertilization. It was even cited at this week’s meeting of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad, India.

The government has denied any involvement and on Thursday a spokesman for Environment Minister Peter Kent said an investigation into the matter had been launched on August 30.

Adam Sweet told AFP federal officials met project organizers last May and told them “any iron ore deposit in waters, whether inside or outside the Canadian (200 nautical miles) limit, constitutes a violation of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act,” unless it is for the purpose of legitimate research. One of the organizers, John Disney of the Village of Old Massett, insisted organizers followed international legal and scientific protocols, and that at least seven Canadian federal agencies knew of their plan.

“The government knew exactly what we were doing,” Disney told a news con-

ference at the Vancouver Aquarium. “The work was performed in international waters, and is lawful.”

Organizers said the project aims to test two goals: One is whether iron dust can boost the ocean ecosystem and increase the struggling population of salmon, a mainstay of the area’s culture and economy.

The other is whether iron dust will increase plankton, a species at the base of the ocean food chain, and lead to future profit through the sale of carbon credits. A project document said satellite images show an increase since August of the affected area’s biological activity.

However, Greenpeace spokesman Eduardo Sousa told AFP the project is “rogue science” for commercial purposes.

Evgeny Pakhomov, an oceanographer at the University of British Columbia, said iron seeding is an old idea and was previously tried on a small scale.

But he told AFP most scientists reject it because unintended consequences including increased ocean acidificationare not yet understood. Disney said Old Massett and not George, whom he called the “chief scientist,” initiated the project.

George was previously involved in ocean fertilization attempts banned in other countries. Disney said other scientists were involved, but cited their privacy in refusing to name them.

The Canadian $2.5 million ($2.52 million) project cost amounts to more than 25 percent of the village’s annual operating budget, he added. — AFP

statement “to consider all possible sources and means that can help to meet the level of resources needed”.

The global economic troubles have left governments less keen to divert money to conservation, especially in developing countries battling inflation, poverty and unemployment.

“In the context of the financial crisis, this is

MEXICO CITY: Mexico, second in obesity in the world after the United States, wants its children to cut down on the soft drinks and fatty foods that have made them the chubbiest kids in Latin America.

Worried about the growing waistlines in schools, the public education ministry has launched a campaign to encourage youngsters to change their eating habits. Mexicans are the world champions in soft drink consumption, guzzling down 163 liters (43 gallons) of sweet bubbly drinks per capita every year, according to Consumer Power, an independent organization.

Food stands are everywhere on Mexican streets, dishing out handfuls of greasy tacos for just $1, while ambulant vendors wait outside schools to sell cheap tamales or tortas (sandwiches) to hungry students. To nutritionist Tamara Vera, Mexico suffers from “bad nutrition and bad habits like a lack of exercise, a lack of water consumption and too much grease and sugar.”

The education ministry, with the help of various embassies, led a campaign called “The Week of Taste” in 124 schools this week to teach children better eating habits.

The masked and muscular stars from the country’s ultra-popular Lucha Libre, or professional wrestling, circuit have been recruited by the government to help drill new eating habits into people’s consciousness. But Education Minister Jose Angel Cordova warned that it would take time to reduce child obesity, stressing that a “new culture” must be instilled in families and Mexican society at large.

“The (child) obesity problem arrived over 30 years and maybe we won’t need 30 years (to reduce it), but we will need at least 10 years to stabilize it,” he told reporters after a meeting of Latin American education ministers.

The French ambassador to Mexico, Elisabeth Beton Delegue, said the goal of “ The Week of Taste” is to “give children the desire to eat healthy and become interested again in natural and simple flavors.”

In Mexico, 30 percent of adults are obese compared to 33.8 percent in world leader the United States, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Mexico ranks fourth in the world in child obesity after Greece, the United States and Italy, the OECD says, citing the International Association for the Study of Obesity.

But it tops other Latin America nations with 29 percent of boys and 28.1 percent of girls obese.

Mexican government figures show that 70 percent of the population is overweight, a number that includes those who are obese. Health problems linked to being overweight-diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease-cost Mexico around $3.2 million in 2008.

The number one killer in Mexico is Type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood.

“If we don’t move from a treatment to a preventive system and we don’t change our habits, the health system will not be able to meet the needs of Mexicans,” said Miguel Limon Garcia, social coordinator at the health ministry. — AFP

a good deal,” French Environment Minister Delphine Batho told AFP. And European commissioner for the environment Janez Potocnik said it was “an essential contribution”. The conference awarded the next CBD meeting in 2014 to South Korea.

It also identified more than 50 zones that need protection on the high seas, where no national laws apply and international rules are often vague, leaving them vulnerable to damaging fishing and oil prospecting practices.

The CBD, to which 193 countries are signatories, marks its 20th anniversary this year. It has already missed one key deadline when it failed to meet the target set to arrest biodiversity loss by 2010. — AFP

Like girls, US boys may be hitting puberty earlier NEW YORK: Boys in the United States may be entering puberty earlier than in generations past, a new study has found, suggesting it’s not just girls who are developing at younger ages.

In comparisons with decades-old data, boys who were seen for well-child visits between 2005 and 2010 were maturing six months to two years sooner, based on their genital development.

The finding is significant for researchers seeking to understand why the age of puberty may be creeping down. The discovery is also important for parents, who have to know how and when to discuss changing bodies with their children, according to the lead author of the study published online Saturday by the journal Pediatrics.

“They need to talk to their boys earlier than they would have thought about puberty and sexual development and all of those related issues,” said Marcia Herman-Giddens at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Recent studies from the United States and elsewhere have shown that girls are maturing at a younger age, with many starting to develop breasts as early as age 7 or 8.

Doctors haven’t necessarily thought the same early puberty trend applied to boys. Some doctors blame estrogen-like chemicals in the environment for girls’ earlier development. Those same chemicals would be expected to delay sexual maturation in boys.

But even if boys are developing earlier than in the past, that doesn’t mean they are more mature socially and psychologically at younger ages, researchers said.

“Now there’s probably a bigger disparity between their physical maturation

and their psychosocial maturation,” said Dr. Frank Biro, head of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, who wasn’t involved in the new analysis. “People are going to interact with them like they’re older,” he told Reuters Health.

Data for the new study came from 144 US pediatric practices and included 4,131 boys age 6 to 16. Based on the so-called Tanner stages of development - a technique doctors use to measure how far along in puberty a young person is - genital changes in boys started around the age of 9 or 10, and pubic hair appeared between age 10 and 11 1/2, on average.

Testicle size hit a common measure for the start of puberty just before age 10 and full sexual maturity happened at 15 to 16. In general, African-American boys developed earlier than their white and Hispanic peers, Herman-Giddens and her colleagues reported.

A study from the 1950s through 1970s of white boys in England - for which the Tanner scale is named - found boys started genital development at age 11.6, on average. Other data through the 1970s also put the start of genital changes between age 11 and 12, and pubic hair development typically between 12 and 13 - about two years later than in the new study.

Despite strong evidence showing girls are developing breasts and getting their periods at younger and younger ages, Herman-Giddens said it is still not clear why boys may also be hitting puberty sooner than in years past.

One possible explanation is high rates of obesity, which alters the body’s hormone levels. —Reuters

BERLIN: The new wing of the Charite Hospital in Berlin. A premature baby died after germ infestation at the premature station at Charite Hospital as the hospital stated yesterday. Another seven babies are currently ill. — AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Star elephant raises row in Philippine zoo Bishops, pop stars and Nobel laureate join campaign MANILA: An elderly elephant named Mali is the star at Manila’s zoo but also the focus of a campaign alleging animal cruelty that has united the country’s powerful bishops, global pop stars and a Nobel laureate. Mali, who is 38, spends her days picking peanuts from children’s hands and being squirted with water in a concrete-floored enclosure that animal rights groups say is far too small

for any elephant to enjoy living in.

They also say that, after being shipped from Sri Lanka when she was three years old, Mali is suffering profound loneliness after living her entire adult life without another elephant.

“She is definitely unwell. As much as her physical suffering... there is also psychological suffering,” Rochelle Rigodon, campaign manager for

MANILAl: Visitors look at the 35-year-old elephant named Mali at the Manila Zoo. The historic Manila Zoo, once a major attraction of the Philippines, now finds itself the target of criticism for the condition of its animals, particularly its ‘star’, an elephant named Mali.—AFP

Manila-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told AFP. PETA began campaigning for Mali to be removed from the zoo seven years ago, and its efforts to have the elephant spend the rest of her life at a sanctuary in Thailand have brought together a strikingly diverse group of people.

British pop star Morrissey, 2003 Nobel laureate in literature J.M. Coetzee and famous animal welfare campaigner Jane Goodall have all written letters to the Philippine government asking for Mali to be transferred. “Mali is cruelly denied stimulation, room to explore... (and) is in danger of going insane,” Morrissey wrote in a letter to President Benigno Aquino when he performed in Manila in May. Archbishop Jose Palma, president of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, has also written a letter calling for Mali to be shifted to Thailand.

He has formed an unlikely union with local fashion models and actresses, such as Isabel Roces and Chin-Chin Gutierrez, who have posted messages expressing concern about Mali’s plight to their masses of Twitter followers. Their campaign has had some success, with Aquino ordering the Bureau of Animal Industry in May to evaluate if Mali should be transferred to Thailand. So far, no decision has been announced.

Animal rights activists say the problems at the zoo are not limited to Mali. “Old cages made of wire.” The zoo, owned by the City of Manila and built in 1959, is a far cry from its glory days in the early 1960s, when it boasted a huge menagerie of lions, tigers, bears, leopards, giraffes, chimpanzees and bison. Many of these animals have succumbed to old age, and there are not enough funds to replace them.

Many of the animals that do remain reside in half-century-old cages made of wire and bars, with the zoo operating on a budget of $1.4 million a year, small for its size. It holds 717 animals from 102 species.

Anna Cabrera, executive -director of the Philippine Animal Welfare Society accused the zoo’s veterinarians and administrators of “gross incompetence”.

“It (the zoo) stinks... they don’t have the

expertise for the animals in the zoo,” she told AFP. However chief veterinarian Donald Manalastas insisted Mali and the other animals were treated well.

“We could do better but their (the animals’) care is never compromised,” Manalastas said.

He pointed to the advanced ages of Mali and another 38-year-old star of the zoo, Berta the hippopotamus, as proof the animals were being looked after.

“If we were not giving them the right food, the proper care, they would not survive. We must be doing something right,” he said. Manalastas also talked enthusiastically about the zoo’s success in breeding the Philippine freshwater crocodile, or Crocodylus Mindorensis, which is critically endangered.

From an original four, these reptiles reproduced rapidly until there were 20 last year, according to Manalastas. He said they were able to trade eight to another zoo overseas for a camel that will hopefully arrive next year.

And the zoo undoubtedly remains a popular attraction, with 950,000 visitors a year, many of whom come from poor communities in and around Manila.

The Philippines has a dire poverty problem, with roughly one quarter of the population of 100 million people living on a dollar a day or less.

The entrance fee for the zoo is set deliberately low at 40 pesos (95 cents) for adults and 20 pesos for children to give the poorer citizens of Manila the opportunity to see wildlife and have a fun day out.

“This place is a social service, not a profit-oriented organization,” Manila City’s parks and recreations chief, Deogracias Manimbo, told AFP. “It’s an alternative place for less-privileged people. It is designed for the poor of Manila.”

Amid the uproar over Mali, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has rejected calls to relocate the elephant, and his stance is popular among the visitors. “Manila Zoo would not be complete without an elephant,” office worker Rowena Castro said as she pointed to her four-year-old son watching the enormous animal being hosed down by a keeper. “That is the main reason he came: to see the elephant.” — AFP

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Special invitation - Laif Convention SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

he Life Abundant International Fountain (LAIF Church) specially invites you and your family to our Annual convention, coming up from the 25th to 28th of October. This convention will be featuring teaching, ministration, Couple’s night, special seminar for young adults and a banquet on Sunday 28th. We will be glad to be honored by your presence. We are believing God for an awesome time in His presence in this great occasion. Below are the full details of the program: Day 1 - Thursday 25th Opening Ceremony by 6pm @ Family House Fintas Day 2 - Friday 26th Morning Session - A Celebration service/LTI graduation by 10am @ Family House Fintas Day 2 - Friday 26th - Evening Session- Special Shiloh Hour/Power Service by 10pm @ the Hall of faith (NECK) Day 3 - Saturday 27th - Picnic Family Day out (Featuring Football match/Youth Seminar) 12 noon3pm @Fintas Garden by Fintas Gas station Day 3 - Saturday 27th - Couples Night by 7pm @ Family House Fintas Day 4 - Sunday 28th - Dinner 6:30pm- 9:30pm @ Hall of faith (NECK Compound-Kuwait City) Family House Address - Fintas Block 4, Street 11, House 40

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! This summer, let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

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Galleries in Kuwait Gallery Tilal Gallery Tilal is located in Shuwaikh, Jahra road, Tilal Complex, M3-M4. For more information check out their facebook page.

Al M Gallery Al M. Gallery is located in Kuwait City, Salhiya Complex, Mezanine 2, Gate 4, Place 16. Working hours: Sunday Thursday 10 am-3 pm and 5pm - 9pm. Saturday by appointment only.

CAP Kuwait CAP Kuwait is a nonprofit venture, supported by an extensive private collection of modern and contemporary artwork.

The Contemporary Art Platform is located in Industrial Shuwaikh Block 2, St. 28, Life Center, top floor (Across from the Shuwaikh Immigration Dept).

Open football tournament fter a successful inaugural tournament which had teams participating from Kuwait and the GCC countries, Real Betalbatim Football Club are all set once again for the second edition, which is scheduled on 27th October 2012. The tournament is organized in fond memory of Late Sheikha Huda Bader Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, and is a much awaited feature in the expatriate football circuit in Kuwait. Among others who shone during the tournaments were teams: Vaxim Divar from Dubai (UAE), Fahaheel Bros. from Kuwait, CRC Chinchinim from Kuwait and DHL FC, Kuwait whose players were declared to receive special citation and prizes among the 22 teams who equally gave their best during the one day tournament which was cheered by hundreds of spectators and jointly expressed their fondness of celebrating the golden jubilee of Kuwait’s independence.

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This year we are expecting many teams from Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar and Goa. Hence, we will have to minimize teams from Kuwait so it will be on first come first serve basis. A total of 22 teams participated in the fiesta which coincided with the 50 years of National Day Celebrations of Kuwait, last year, and more teams are envisaged to join in this year to claim the glittering trophy and valuable prizes.

Indian Embassy Announcements

Kala holds commemoration program; drama competition ALA-Kuwait commemorated the stalwarts - Prof Joseph Mundasseri, Prof K N Ezhuthassan, Cherukad Govinda Pisharadi and Vayalar Rama Varma who left us many years ago in the month of October. The chief guest of the function Jayaprakash Kuloor said that KALA’s efforts in Kuwait to readdress the ideologies of the social leaders are commendable. He inaugurated the drama competitions, held as the part of the program.

V Anil Kumar of KALA described the various revolutionary policies implemented by Prof Joseph Mundassery as Educational Minister in the first Ministry of Kerala. His political vision and the contribution for the Malayalam literature

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were elaborated. The progressive leaders Prof K N Ezhuthassan and Cherukad Govinda Pasharadi were remembered by Arjundas & Suresh Chelambra on the basis of their life filled humanity and philanthropic elements.

Vayalar Rama Varma was remembered by Noushad for his melodious film songs, drama songs & many other contributions with social commitments to the Malayalam literature as well as the society. Jayaprakash thereafter released the work of Habeeb Rahman named as “Thanne Thedi Oruval’ by giving the first copy to noted social activist of Kuwait John Mathew. He appreciated the efforts of Habeeb to keep his gentle thoughts alive deep in his heart. Dilep Naderi

introduced the brief of the noel to the audience. The function was presided over by KALA Kuwait president K Vinod while Vinnu Kalali welcomed the audience.

Drama competition ‘DAHAM’ the drama by troup Kazhcha Kuwait bagged the first prize in the Drama competition held by KALA-Kuwait as the part of October commemoration program. ‘DAHAM’ unveiled the current acute issues of water shortage. Babu Chakola who enacted the role of ‘Kunchan Nambiar’ by ‘Kalapk’ won the ‘Best Actor’ title while the play took the second position. ‘Godhaye Thedi’ enacted by the troup ‘Future Eye’ remained in

the third position while the director Shamej Kumar took the ‘Best Director’ title. Mini Wilson Chirayath of the play Daham was chosen as the ‘Best Actress’ while enacting the role of a sincere ‘Aunt’. The prizes for the winners were ditributed by the renowned stage activist of Kerala, director and writer Jayaprakash Kuloor. The creative head of UFM, Kuwait participated as guest of honor. The memento were presented to the guests Jayaprakash Kuloor, Joy Sreedhar & Suresh Chelambra by KALA President K Vinod.

Indian Embassy passport and visa Passports and visa applications can be deposited at the two outsourced centers of M/S BLS Ltd at Sharq and Fahaheel. Details are available at www.bls-international.com and www.indembkwt.org.

Consular Open House Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall at the Embassy. For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) can be contacted. Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances.

Indian workers helpline/helpdesk Indian workers helpline is accessible by toll free telephone number 25674163 from all over Kuwait. It provides information and advice to Indian workers as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. The help desk at the Embassy (Open from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 4:30PM, Sunday to Thursday) provides guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal and other issues. It also provides workers assistance in filling up labour complaint forms. For any unaddressed issues, the concerned attachÈ in the Labour section and the head of the Labour Wing can be contacted.

Legal Advice Clinic Free legal advice is provided on matters pertaining to labour disputes, terms of contracts with employers, death/accident compensation, withholding of dues by employers, etc. by lawyers on our panel, to Indian nationals on all working days between 1500hrs to 1600hrs.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Kala (Art) Kuwait holds ‘NIRAM 2012’ ala (Art) Kuwait, a leading Progressive Art and Socio Cultural Organization among the Indian Community in Kuwait has scheduled to conduct Children’s Day by marking the birth day of the First Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, under the auspices of Kala (Art) Kuwait on Friday, 9th November 2012 at the Indian Community School, Khaithan Branch, at 2.00 PM. The program is titled as ‘Niram 2012 - B Natural’ consists of Painting Competition for the Indian School Students and a “Marathon Open Canvas Painting” for the other attendees including parents, visitors and Guests.

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The Painting Competition will be conducted in four different age groups. Group ‘A” from LKG to 1st Standard, Group ‘B” from 2nd to 4th Standard, Group ‘C” from 5th to 8th Standard and Group ‘D” from 9th to 12th Standard.

The media for Group ‘A” and ‘B” will be Crayons while Group”C” and ‘D” are Water Colors. Crayons and water colors shall be brought by the participants. Stamped Drawing papers will be supplied by the Organizers. Clay Modeling Competition also will be conducted for 7th to 11th Standard Students. Clay will be provided by the Organizers. The Marathon Open Canvas

Painting is conducting in a view to display everyone’s views and talents through their vivid creations.

For the successful conduct of the program, a Reception Committee has been formed on Friday headed by K Hassan Koya as General Convener and Mukesh V P as Registration Convener. Besides the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes, ten percent of the participants will be awarded with consolation prizes. The winners are liable to prove their age group with relevant documents in case the Organizers requested so. Parents also have the opportunity to win prizes for Open Canvas Painting.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office).

In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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KERA (Kuwait Ernakulam Residents Association) organized a blood donation campaign recently.

John Rocha in Kuwait he internationally renowned fashion designer John Rocha was recently at Debenhams at the invite of Al Shaya as part of his Gulf tour. In a special event organized by BPG Adeeb Shuhaiber from KTV2/FM 99.7, there was an exclusive interview with Mr Rocha about his fashion and future plans at the Debenhams store in the Avenues Mall.

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Renowned Bible scholar visits Kuwait enowned Bible scholar and TV evangelist Prof MY Yohannan is visiting Kuwait. He will be giving gospel messages in the annual convention of Christian Revival Fellowship-Kuwait which is scheduled to be held from Oct 22 to 25. On Oct 22 and 23 the meetings will be in EBA Hall, Abbasiya and on 24 and 25 in Mangaf - building No: 19, Fire station road by 6.15pm - 9.00pm. Christian Revival Fellowship is an inter denominational charitable trust and Prof MY Yohannan is the founder president.

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FOCUS celebrates 6th Anniversary OCUS Kuwait (forum of cadd users) celebrated its 6th Anniversary “FOCUS FEST” in a colorful and fabulous manner on Friday, 12th October, at the Indian Community School, Khaitan.

Roy Abraham, General Convener of the FOCUS FEST welcomed the dignitaries and audience presented. Chief Guest, His Excellency the Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta, inaugurated the function by lighting the traditional lamp, along with the guest of honor M Mathews and other distinguished guests. FOCUS President Sasi Thompson chaired the meeting.

MN Salim, FOCUS General Secretary briefed the achievements and future action plans of the organization scheduled for the current working year.

Vijay Karayil, Hon Secretary, Indian Community School, Joseph Panicker, Chairman, Institute of Engineers India-

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Kuwait Chapter, Husaif, Finance Manger, Al-Mulla Exchange Company, Abilash M Nair, Country Manger, Omnix International graced the occasion with their benevolent presence. An array of eminent personalities among the Indian Community in Kuwait also attended the function.

FOCUS merit awards for the children’s of FOCUS members who topped the 10th STD exams during the academic year 2011 - ‘12 were also distributed to Master Georgy Alexander and Miss Divya Mariyam Binu in the function by Joseph Panicker. A musical extravaganza was the prime attraction of the day by the leading playback singers Jyotsna and Sudheesh. FOCUS Treasurer Mathew Thomas proposed vote of thanks to the audience, artistes and also the esteemed sponsors of the event.

Manoj George, Shahid Labba, Thomas K Itty, Salimraj, Babukutty K Mathew, conveners

of the fest committee and their team members professionally

and efficiently organized the FOCUS FEST 2012.

Places of interest Sadu House Al Sadu House stands on Arabian Gulf Street near the National Museum, representing one of the last preserved pre-oil -era dwellings in Kuwait. Al Sadu House became a centre for Bedouin art and the sale of traditional goods In 1979. Visitors can observe Bedouin women weaving at their looms, handmaking carpets, camel bags and tent screens.

Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 1:00 p.m and from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m daily except Friday. Admission is FREE. Science & Natural History Museum A wealth of education awaits the visitor to the Science and Natural History Museum on Abdulla Al Mubarak Street. Each gallery contains either a collection or an exhibit covering a wide range of themes. Collections on display Include fossils, stuffed animals, skeletons, and dried flowers. There are exhibits on health, petroleum, space travel, and electronics, among others. Forming part of the National Museum complex, the wonderful, modern Planetarium In the museum complex has shows at around 18:00 daily: local children, convinced the room is spinning, clap In syncopated beats every time the accompanying music begins. A museum planetarium shows: Mornings: 1st Show: 10:00 a.m; 2nd Show: 11:00 a. m; 3rd Show: 12:00 p.m Evenings: 1st Show: 5:00 p.m; 2nd Show: 5:45 p.m; 3rd Show : 6:00 p.m. Note: Friday & Saturday no morning shows. Admission is FREE. The Dickson House The house of the first British political agent In Kuwait is still standing. The Dickson House, located across from the dhow harbour east of Sief Palace, was originally a Kuwaiti home built in 1870, but was given to Britain to use as residential headquarters.

The compound was expanded several times over the years, but stands as an excellent example of early Kuwaiti architectural styles.

Opening hours are from Saturday to Thursday 8:30 a.m-12:30 p.m and 4:30 a.m-8:30 p.m Friday 4:30 a.m - 8:30 p.m. Admission is FREE. Al-Qurain Museum Located in the residential suburb of Qurain, This small museum is a memorial to a cell of young Kuwaiti patriots who tried to resist arrest in February 1991. Early In the morning, Iraqis bombarded the house for hours with machine guns, bombs and eventually a tank.

Monday to Saturday 8.30 a.m - 12.30 p.m; 4.30a.m -8.30 p.m Friday morning off. Afternoon: 4.30 a.m8.30 pm. Winter Visiting hours: 4-8.30 pm. 1st Day of Eid off.

Al Hashemi Marine Museum The World’s largest wooden dhow, owned and build by Hussein Marafie,Al Hashemi is a ‘Baghalah’ of monumental proportions. Baghalah is a large wooden cargo vessel which sailed the seas in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Constructed next to Radisson SAS Hotel, the doubledecked Al-Hashemi II is dry-docked next to pre-oil era Kuwaiti village and marine museum containing models of extinct and modern dhows The lower deck has the grand ballroom - one of the finest in Kuwait. Al-Hashemi II has earned the distinction of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The museum is opened Sat. Thu. from 9 am till 5 pm.

Admission is FREE. Oil Display Centre The Oil Display Centre at Kuwait is located 20 kilometers in the southern direction from main city of Kuwait. Oil display center In Kuwait is set In the Ahmadi area, which is the primary hub of Kuwait’s oil production where many oll-fields and oil wells are located. This center is a learning ground for all those who wonder how oil processing is done. It gives an opportunity to the tourists to know all about the history beginning from how oil was

explored, drilled, produced and processed In Kuwait.

The Oil Display Center Is located 20 kilometers away from Kuwait City, in the southern direction.

This small center throws an insight into Kuwait’s oil business and the work of the Kuwait Oil Company, which owns it. It is definitely worth a visit. Opening hours Sat - Wed 07:00 am -3:00 pm. It is open by appointment. KOC can also arrange for groups to tour the oil fields themselves.

Kuwait Memorial Museum Before the Iraqi invasion, the museum housed a collection that has been acclaimed by International art historians as one of the most comprehensive collection of Islamic arts. Located near the National Assembly, comprising of four buildings and a planetarium. In 1997, the Muhallab II, the replacement for the magnificent trading dhow from the 1930 that graced the front yard of the museum before it was burned by the Iraqis, was constructed on site and now is open to visitors.

Tareq Rajab Museum Tareq Rajab opened his private collection of Islamic art treasures to the general public in 1980.

The Tareq Rajab Museum in Jabriya features ceramics, silver and gold jewelry, and musical instruments.

It also houses one of the finest collections of old Qurans and at her Arabic manuscripts in the world.

All artifacts are of Arab or Muslim origin and are labeled for easy viewing. Visiting hours are from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Saturdays through Thursdays. On Fridays, the museum is open to the general public only in the mornings, with afternoons reserved for tours. Opening hours 9:00 -12:00 noon; 4:00-7:00 pm; Ramadan open on weekdays: 09:00-12:00; noon 7:00 pm-10:00 pm; Fridays usual time.

Courtesy: Dispatches Magazine

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Canadian Embassy in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 7:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 13:00. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF FRANCE The Embassy would like to inform that starting September 2nd, 2012, visa demands for France will be handled by the outsourcing company “Capago - MENA Company”. Capago - MENA’S Call Center will be operational starting Sunday August 26 for setting appointments beginning September 2nd (+965 22270555).

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EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on Oct 24, 2012 -Wednesday-Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NEPAL On the happy occasion of Vijayadashmi and Eid Al-Adha, the Embassy of Nepal will remain closed from Monday, October 22 to Saturday, October 27, 2012. The office will resume on Sunday, October 28, 2012.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE

The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to remind that the external polling station No 90046 was created in the Embassy’s premises at the following address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str. 6, build. 5. The working hours of the polling station: Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Monday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Tuesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Wednesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Thursday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Friday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm; Saturday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm On October 28, 2012 the working hours of the polling station from 8.00 am to 20.00 pm. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your data in the Electoral Register as well as to pick up your personal invitation from the polling station if you did not receive this document by post.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

TV PROGRAMS 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40 00:45 01:35 02:25 03:15 04:05 04:55 05:45 06:35 07:00 07:25 08:15 09:10 10:05 10:30 11:00 11:25 11:55 12:50 13:45 14:40 15:05 15:35 16:00 16:30 17:25 18:20 19:15 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Animal Cops Phoenix Tigers Attack Bad Dog Cats 101 Wildest Latin America Animal Cops Phoenix Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Wildlife SOS Talk To The Animals Dogs 101 Crocodile Hunter Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Breed All About It Natural Born Hunters The Really Wild Show Wildest Latin America Wild France Wild France Safari Vet School Safari Vet School Wild Animal Orphans Wild Animal Orphans Bad Dog My Cat From Hell World Wild Vet Max’s Big Tracks Crocodile Feeding Frenzy Wildest Latin America Speed Of Life The Magic Of The Big Blue I’m Alive

23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:10 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 00:55 Bargain Hunt 01:40 Bargain Hunt 02:25 Antiques Roadshow 03:15 Antiques Roadshow 04:10 Antiques Roadshow 05:05 Antiques Roadshow 05:55 Antiques Roadshow 06:50 MasterChef Australia 07:35 MasterChef Australia 08:25 MasterChef Australia 09:10 MasterChef Australia 09:40 MasterChef Australia 10:25 MasterChef Australia 10:50 MasterChef Australia 11:40 MasterChef Australia 12:25 MasterChef Australia 13:15 MasterChef Australia 13:40 Twiggy’s Frock Exchange 14:30 10 Years Younger 15:20 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 16:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 16:45 DIY SOS 17:10 Holmes On Homes 18:00 Bargain Hunt 18:45 Bargain Hunt 19:30 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 20:15 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 21:00 MasterChef 21:55 MasterChef 22:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 23:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition EditionEdition 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:00 03:25 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:30 11:25 12:20 12:45 13:15 13:40 14:10 14:35 15:05 15:30 15:55 16:25 16:55 17:20 17:50 18:15 18:45 19:10 20:05 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:45

Hellriders Ultimate Cops How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How It’s Made How Do They Do It? Dirty Great Machines World’s Top 5 Wheeler Dealers Around The World In 80 Ways Deadliest Catch How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made How It’s Made Auction Hunters Auction Hunters Auction Hunters Auction Hunters Auction Hunters Border Security Border Security Border Security Border Security Border Security Mythbusters Mythbusters Deception With Keith Barry Secret Service Secrets One Car Too Far One Car Too Far

23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:35 Weird Or What?

01:25 Catch It Keep It 02:15 Things That Move 02:45 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 03:35 Moon Machines 04:25 Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design 05:15 How The Universe Works 06:05 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 07:00 Meteorite Men 07:50 Meteorite Men 08:40 Head Rush 08:43 Sci-Fi Science 09:12 Sci-Fi Science 09:40 Mega World 10:30 Things That Move 10:55 Things That Move 11:20 Moon Machines 12:10 Weird Or What?

13:00 Space Pioneer 13:50 Catch It Keep It 14:45 Futurecar 15:35 Things That Move 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 The Tech Show 16:32 The Tech Show 17:00 Morgan Freeman’s Through The Wormhole 17:50 Da Vinci’s Machines 18:40 Things That Move 19:05 Things That Move 19:30 How The Universe Works 20:20 Mission Critical

Moon Machines How The Universe Works When Aliens Attack When Aliens Attack

20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 00:15 00:40 00:55 01:10 01:30 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:20 03:40 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:15 05:30 05:50 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:45 07:00 07:15 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 Pooh 08:55 09:20 09:30 09:45 09:55 10:05 10:15 Pooh 10:20 Pooh 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:05 12:15 12:30 12:45 13:00 13:15 13:25 13:40 13:50 14:15 14:30 14:55 15:20 15:50 16:05 16:20 16:30 16:45 17:10 17:40 18:05 18:20 18:35 19:05 19:25 19:40 Pooh 20:05 20:20 20:30 20:45 Pooh 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:25 21:40 21:55 Pooh 22:20 22:30 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:35 23:50

Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Imagination Movers Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Lazytown Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Doc McStuffins Doc McStuffins The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The New Adventures Of Winnie The Art Attack S2 Imagination Movers Lazytown Special Agent Oso Mouk Jungle Junction Jake And The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Doc McStuffins Doc McStuffins Mouk Art Attack S2 Mouk Pixie Hollow Games Jake And The Neverland Pirates Jake And The Neverland Pirates Jake And The Neverland Pirates Jake And The Neverland Pirates Doc McStuffins Doc McStuffins Art Attack S2 Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mouk Jake And The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jungle Junction New Adventures Of Winnie The Jake & The Neverland Pirates Doc McStuffins Doc McStuffins Mini Adventures Of Winnie The A Poem Is...

Animated Stories Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Special Agent Oso New Adventures Of Winnie The Timmy Time Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown

ecial Agent Oso 23:50 Lazytown 00:25 01:20 02:15 02:40 03:10 Ride 03:35 Ride 04:05 Ride 04:30 Ride 05:00 05:55 07:00 07:55 08:50 09:45 10:40 11:35 12:00 12:30 13:25 14:20 15:15 16:10 17:05 18:00 Ride 18:25 Ride 18:55 Ride 19:20 Ride 19:50 20:15 20:45 21:10 21:40 22:35 23:30

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:45 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 06:10 06:35

TNA: Greatest Matches M1 Selection 2010 The Cool Guy Files The Cool Guy Files Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Blood, Sweat And Gears Blood, Sweat And Gears Winter Dew Tour 09/10 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 Blood, Sweat And Gears Blood, Sweat And Gears X-Traordinary X-Traordinary Winter Dew Tour 09/10 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 I’ll Do Anything I’ll Do Anything Carpocalypse Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Formula Drift 2011 Formula Drift 2011 The Cool Guy Files The Cool Guy Files One For The Road Echo Beach Continuum

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Best In Smoke Chopped Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Outrageous Food Unique Sweets Chopped Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa

07:00 Iron Chef America 07:50 Barefoot Contessa 08:15 Barefoot Contessa 08:40 Unique Sweets 09:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 09:30 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 09:55 Cooking For Real 10:20 Cooking For Real 10:45 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 United Tastes Of America 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Guy’s Big Bite 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Barefoot Contessa 14:30 Unique Sweets 14:55 Charly’s Cake Angels 15:20 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 15:45 Food(Ography) 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Guy’s Big Bite 18:40 Unique Sweets 19:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Food Network Challenge 22:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 22:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 22:50 Unwrapped 23:15 Unwrapped 23:40 Guy’s Big Bite

00:30 A Haunting 01:20 The Haunted 02:05 Ghost Lab 02:55 A Haunting 03:45 A Haunting 04:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 05:20 Mystery Diagnosis 06:10 Disappeared 07:00 Mystery Diagnosis 07:50 Street Patrol 08:15 Street Patrol 08:40 Real Emergency Calls 09:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

09:30 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 10:20 Murder Shift 11:10 Disappeared 12:00 Mystery Diagnosis 12:50 Street Patrol 13:15 Street Patrol 13:40 Forensic Detectives 14:30 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 15:20 Real Emergency Calls 15:45 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

16:10 Murder Shift 17:00 Disappeared 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 Mall Cops‚Äì Mall Of America 19:05 On The Case With Paula Zahn 19:55 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 20:20 Nightmare Next Door 21:10 Couples Who Kill 22:00 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 22:50 Great Crimes And Trials 23:15 Great Crimes And Trials 23:40 Fatal Encounters

00:15 Bondi Rescue 00:45 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 01:40 Roam 02:05 Don’t Tell My Mother 02:35 Gone to save the planet 03:00 Gone to save the planet 03:30 One Man & His Campervan 03:55 One Man & His Campervan 04:25 Market Values 04:50 Market Values 05:20 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 05:45 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 06:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 06:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 07:10 On Surfari 07:35 On Surfari 08:05 Bondi Rescue 08:30 Bondi Rescue 09:00 Bondi Rescue 09:25 Bondi Rescue 09:55 Bondi Rescue 10:20 Bondi Rescue 10:50 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 11:45 Roam 12:10 Don’t Tell My Mother 12:40 Gone to save the planet 13:05 Gone to save the planet 13:35 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 14:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 14:30 Market Values 14:55 Market Values 15:25 Dive Detectives 16:20 Bondi Rescue 16:45 Bondi Rescue 17:15 Bondi Rescue 17:40 Bondi Rescue 18:10 Bondi Rescue 18:35 Bondi Rescue 19:05 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 19:30 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 20:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 20:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 21:00 On Surfari 21:30 On Surfari 22:00 Bondi Rescue 22:25 Bondi Rescue 22:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 23:20 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 23:50 Kimchi Chronicles

19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 22:00 23:00

Untamed Americas Monster Fish Prehistoric Predators Zoo Confidential Sharks In The City Crimes Against Nature Shark Nicole

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 15:45 18:15 20:00 22:00

Chain Letter-R Ronin-18 Bending The Rules-PG15 Four Brothers-PG15 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 Smoke Screen-PG15 The Reunion-PG15 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 Master And Commander-PG15 The Reunion-PG15 Machete-18 Batman: Year One-PG15

20:00 Fighting-PG15 22:00 Homecoming-18 01:30 04:00 04:30 Leno 06:00 07:00 08:00 11:00 Leno 12:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 20:30 21:30 23:30 on

Saturday Night Live Two And A Half Men The Tonight Show With Jay

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:00

Fairly Legal C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Grimm House C.S.I. Miami Fairly Legal Emmerdale Coronation Street Castle Breakout Kings C.S.I. House Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle Fairly Legal Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle House Unforgettable The Killing True Blood Grimm Grimm

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Malibu Shark Attack-18 Bending The Rules-PG15 The Warlords-PG15 Men In Black-PG15 Shanghai Noon-PG15 The Warlords-PG15 True Justice: Street Wars-PG15 Shanghai Noon-PG15 Anaconda-PG15 The Nun-18 Batman: Year One-PG15 Exorcismus-18

Friends Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Two And A Half Men The Tonight Show With Jay Friends Friends Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Happy Endings Hot In Cleveland Melissa & Joey The Colbert Report Late Night With Jimmy Fall

23:00 Luster-18 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Frenemy-18 Big Fat Important Movie-18 Feed The Fish-PG15 Flipped-PG My Last Five Girlfriends-PG15 Can’t Hardly Wait-PG15 The Ladykillers-PG15 The Beverly Hillbillies-PG15 Can’t Hardly Wait-PG15 Dinner For Schmucks-PG15 The Guru-18 Cyrus-18

22:00 Frenemy-18 01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 PG15 09:00 10:45 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Espions-PG15 Essential Killing-18 Senna-PG15 The LXD: Secrets Of The RaCertified Copy-PG15 Random Hearts-PG15 Relative Stranger-PG15 Certified Copy-PG15 Divorces!-PG15 127 Hours-PG15 Partir-18 Patriot Games-PG15 Square Grouper-18

00:15 Hanna-PG15 02:15 The Smurfs-PG 04:00 My Afternoons With Margueritte-PG15 05:30 Tim Richmond: To The LimitPG15 07:00 According To Greta-PG15 09:00 Sundays At Tiffany’s-PG15 11:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2-PG 13:00 Flash Of Genius-PG15 15:00 Lies In Plain Sight-PG15 17:00 Sundays At Tiffany’s-PG15 19:00 The Roommate-PG15 21:00 Water For Elephants-PG15 23:00 Dirty Girl-18

23:00 Naked Science 00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00

Amazonia’s Giant Jaws Caught In The Act Monster Fish Mother Croc Brutal Killers Caught In The Act World’s Weirdest Outback Wrangler Outback Wrangler Cliffhangers Python Hunters Built For The Kill Caught In The Act Untamed Americas Monster Fish Prehistoric Predators Zoo Confidential Sharks In The City Big Cat Odyssey The Great Serengeti

00:00 Little Einsteins: Rocket’s Firebird Rescue-FAM 02:00 Tom Tom & Nana-FAM 03:45 Marco Macaco-FAM 06:00 The Ugly Duckling In The Enchanted Forest-FAM 08:00 Turandot-PG 10:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 12:00 Robots-PG 14:00 Teo: The Intergalactic HunterPG 16:00 Good Boy!-PG 18:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 20:00 Treasure Buddies-PG 22:00 Teo: The Intergalactic HunterPG 20:00 Tommy & Oscar-FAM

KUWAI

KNCC PROGRAM FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (18/10/2012 TO 24/10/2012) SHARQIA-1 TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-2 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3 LOOPER (DIG) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-1 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 1:30 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 4:00 PM NO FRI+SAT CAMERAMAN GANGATHO RAMBABU (DIG) (Telugu) 4:00 PM FRI+SAT THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) 7:00 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 9:00 PM THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) 11:00 PM THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) 1:00 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-2 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) NO FRI+SAT DAMARUKAM (DIG) (Telugu) FRI+SAT LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 5:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-3 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-1 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-2 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-3 STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)1:30 PM NO THU THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 1:30 PM THU THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 4:45 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)7:00 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)10:00 PM THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 1:00 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-4 THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-5 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-1 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-2 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-3 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 2:30 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 4:45 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 7:00 PM

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 9:15 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 11:30 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED

THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-2 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-3 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

360 º- 7 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 2:00 PM THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 4:15 PM THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 6:30 PM NO THU (18.10.2012) French Film Festival Show“War is declared” 6:30 PM THU (18.10.2012) French Film Festival Show“The Artist” 8 : 3 0 PM THU (18.10.2012) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 8:45 PM NO THU (18.10.2012) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 11:00 PM

AVENUES-4 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-5 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-6 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-7 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) 12:45 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)3:30 PM NO THU AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) 3:30 PM THU AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) 6:30 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)9:30 PM AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) 12:30 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-8 THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE IMPOSTER THE IMPOSTER THE IMPOSTER THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

AVENUES-9 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-10 THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-11 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

360 º- 1 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 2 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

360 º- 3 PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

360 º- 4 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 5 THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH:2D FRI+SAT THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH:2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH:2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 360 º- 6 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D)

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM 12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM

9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 8 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 9(VIP-1) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 10(VIP-2) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 12:45 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 3:00 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 5:15 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 7:30 PM NO THU (18.10.2012) Special Show “PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG)” for Ms. Lulwa Salem Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 7:30 PM THU (18.10.2012) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 9:45 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 12:05 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 11 THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG)

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

360 º- 12 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 13 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 14 TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital)

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

360 º- 15 STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)2:30 PM NO THU AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) 2:30 PM THU AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) 5:30 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)8:30 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)11:30 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.1 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.2 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.3 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.4 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-1 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-2 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

Classifieds SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR JZR JZR ETH RJA SVA GFA UAE ETD SVA KAC FDB MSR RBG QTR SVA KAC THY CLX DHX SVA JZR SVA KAC BAW SVA KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY IRA GFA QTR FDB IRA ETD GFA UAE KAC MEA JZR IRC MSR KAC MSC JZR SYR SVA KAC MSR GFA FDB KAC SVA KNE KAC QTR SVA RJA KAC JZR QTR JZR JZR JZR ETD UAE UAL GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY KAC SVA KAC QTR KAC KAC FDB MSR MSC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC JAI AXB FDB KAC OMA MEA SVA QTR GFA ALK KAC JZR KLM UAE JZR KAC ETD ABY QTR JAI SVA AIC FDB GFA UAL SVA DLH MSR THY JAI PIA

Arrival Flights on Sunday 21/10/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 620 ADDIS ABABA 642 AMMAN 4739 JEDDAH 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 4735 JEDDAH 1910 JEDDAH 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 3553 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 4745 JEDDAH 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 792 LUXEMBOURG 170 BAHRAIN 4737 MEDINAH 555 ALEXANDRIA 4751 JEDDAH 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 157 LONDON 4771 MEDINAH 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 615 SHAHRE KORD 223 BAHRAIN 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 871 DUBAI 1912 JEDDAH 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 6801 AHWAZ 618 ALEXANDRIA 1914 JEDDAH 401 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 341 DAMASCUS/ALEPPO 4747 JEDDAH 1916 JEDDAH 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 774 RIYADH 4753 JEDDAH 472 JEDDAH 538 SOHAG 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 325 NAJAF 325 NAJAF 535 CAIRO 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 1918 JEDDAH 4743 JEDDAH 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 166 PARIS/ROME 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 624 SOHAG 405 SOHAG 1920 JEDDAH 787 RIYADH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 102 NEW YORK/LONDON 572 MUMBAI 389 KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE 61 DUBAI 1922 JEDDAH 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 4749 JEDDAH 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 514 TEHRAN 481 SABIHA 417 AMSTERDAM 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 172 FRANKFURT 307 ABU DHABI 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 576 COCHIN 4767 JEDDAH 981 CHENNAI/AHMEDABAD 59 DUBAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 4755 JEDDAH 636 FRANKFURT 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 574 MUMBAI 205 LAHORE

Time 0:15 0:20 0:30 0:50 1:45 2:10 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:40 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:20 3:25 4:05 4:10 4:35 4:55 5:00 5:10 6:00 6:10 6:15 6:30 7:10 7:15 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:25 8:30 8:35 8:40 9:00 9:20 9:25 9:30 10:00 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:25 11:45 12:00 12:25 12:35 12:40 12:45 13:30 13:40 13:45 13:45 14:10 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:15 15:30 15:30 16:00 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:55 20:00 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:25 20:35 20:55 20:55 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:40 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:50 23:55

Airlines AIC FDB UAL DLH MSR DHX JAI THY ETH UAE SVA FDB RBG ETD SVA MSR QTR KAC QTR SVA JZR KAC SVA RJA KAC JZR GFA THY SVA KAC CLX BAW FDB SVA KAC JZR ABY JZR GFA IRA KAC UAE KAC QTR FDB ETD IRA KAC GFA KAC MEA JZR JZR IRC JZR UAE MSR KAC KAC MSC KAC JZR JZR SYR KAC SVA GFA FDB MSR KAC KAC KNE SVA SVA KAC JZR RJA QTR KAC ETD JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA QTR FDB SVA MSR MSC KAC JZR KAC JAI FDB KAC OMA MEA GFA JZR SVA DHX KAC ALK KLM KAC ABY ETD UAE KAC QTR KAC KAC JAI QTR AXB FDB GFA SVA KAC KAC

Depature Flights on Sunday 21/10/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 52 DUBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 373 BAHRAIN 573 MUMBAI 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 5739 JEDDAH 68 DUBAI 3554 ALEXANDRIA 306 ABU DHABI 5735 JEDDAH 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 1911 JEDDAH 149 DOHA 5745 JEDDAH 560 SOHAG 1913 JEDDAH 5737 JEDDAH 643 AMMAN 1915 JEDDAH 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 5751 JEDDAH 537 SOHAG 792 VIETNAM 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 5771 MEDINAH 171 FRANKFURT 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 534 CAIRO 224 BAHRAIN 614 SHAHRE KORD 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 773 RIYADH 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 324 NAJAF 324 NAJAF 6802 AHWAZ 776 JEDDAH 872 DUBAI 623 SOHAG 103 LONDON 1917 JEDDAH 406 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 480 SABIHA 176 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 1919 JEDDAH 5747 JEDDAH 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 1921 JEDDAH 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 5753 JEDDAH 503 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 786 RIYADH 641 AMMAN 135 DOHA 513 TEHRAN 304 ABU DHABI 538 CAIRO 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 5743 JEDDAH 621 ALEXANDRIA 402 ALEXANDRIA 1923 JEDDAH 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 5749 JEDDAH 171 BAHRAIN 1925 JEDDAH 230 COLOMBO 417 DAMMAM/AMSTERDAM 1927 JEDDAH 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 575 COCHIN 147 DOHA 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE 60 DUBAI 218 BAHRAIN 5767 JEDDAH 411 BANGKOK/MANILA 415 KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA

Time 0:05 0:10 0:25 0:30 0:35 0:40 0:50 2:15 2:45 3:45 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:05 4:10 4:20 4:50 4:55 5:40 5:45 6:00 6:05 6:40 6:50 6:55 6:55 7:05 7:10 7:40 8:05 8:15 8:25 8:25 8:50 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:25 9:35 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:25 10:45 11:30 11:55 12:05 12:05 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:25 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:10 13:15 13:20 13:35 13:55 14:10 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:05 15:15 15:40 15:45 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:25 17:20 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 19:20 19:25 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:05 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:10 21:15 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:50 21:55 21:55 22:05 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:30 23:40 23:40 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation Salmiya Bahrain street, near big jamiya, Gadeer Clinic.

Tel: 66792392, 60625120, 66047295. (C 4184) 21-10-2012 A room available in a furnished 2 bedroom flat in Salmiya 単near the bus stop for a working class lady.

Please call 99702658.

18-10-2012 TUITION SITUATION VACANT Live-in maid wanted for a small family in Farwaniya.

Full time.

Contact: 50833103.

10-10-2012

Maths teacher over 20 years experience. Tuition: KS2/3, IGCSE, AS/A2, CIC2C3C4, S1S2, M1M2, familiar with all boards.

Contact: 66710630.

(C 4183) 20-10-2012

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

04:32 11:33 14:48 17:15 18:31

FOR SALE A Nissan Maxima in very good condition with one year registration validity.

Tel: 90908406.

20-10-2012

No:

15605

LOST Policy No. 6330001223 issued by the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan Gulf zone on the Life of Mr. Mohammad Sultan Kaler Mushtaq Ahmed is reported to have been lost. Anyone finding the same or claiming any interest in it should communicate with the Manager (PHS) State Life P.O. Box No. 11278, Dubai, UAE within one month from this date.

18-10-2012

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF K KUW WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT

262 - 2630 Ext.: 2627

WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

Partly cloudy to cloudy with moderate wind in general south easterly to variable wind, with speed of 20 - 38 km/h with a chance for scattered rain later on

BY Y NIGHT:

Cloudy with light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 12 - 35 km/h with a slight chance for scattered rain No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A

33 °C

29 °C

22451082

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

33 °C

29 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WA AISEEB

33 °C

28 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

36 °C

25 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

36 °C

23 °C

ABDAL LY

35 °C

25 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

33 °C

26 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

32 °C

28 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

30 °C

29 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

31 °C

30 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YAN A

30 °C

27 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

ST TATION T

SFC. CHART

20/10/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA AT THER

Sunday

21/10

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

Monday

South Jahra

24775066

Tuesday

North Jahra

24775992

Weednesday

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

visibility will improve

34 °C

28 °C

SE-E

12 - 35 km/h

22/10

visibility will improve + scattered clouds

35 °C

24 °C

S-SE

10 - 30 km/h

23/10

visibility will improve + scattered clouds

36 °C

24 °C

SE

08 - 30 km/h

24/10

Relatively humid

37 °C

22 °C

SE-S

08 - 30 km/h

RA AYER Y TIMES PRA

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT

Fajr

04:33

MAX. Temp.

34 °C

Sunrise

05:52

MIN. Temp.

22 °C 85 %

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

11:33

MAX. RH

Al-Omariya

24719048

Asr

14:47

MIN. RH

Sunset

17:13

MAX. Wiind

Isha

18:30

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

23900322

29 % SE 50 km/h 00 mm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

BY Y DA AY:

KUW WA AIT CITY

Fintas

Al-Shohada’a

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours

MIN. REC.

24710044

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

N.Kheitan

Al-Madena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Kanye West to propose to

Kim Kardashian? he ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ producer has hinted Kim might be getting more than she bargained for when Kanye whisked her off to Rome on a romantic break with the intent of celebrating her 32nd birthday today. Discussing whether there is any truth to the rumours that Kim is “demanding an engagement ring” on his KIIS radio show, Ryan told his co-host Ellen K: “I think we could definitely see an update on this story on Monday.” Twice-engaged Kim - who is still in the process of divorcing Kris Humphries - has made no secret of wanting to settle down and start a family, and recently confessed she had finally found her match in Kanye. The 35-year-old rapper is said to have been searching for the perfect ring to bestow on his “princess” and make their commitment official. A source told Radar Online: “It’s only a matter of time before Kanye pops the question. They are madly in love with one another and as far as Kanye is concerned he wants to spend the rest of his life with Kim. “It’s just a case of making sure the ring is perfect because she’s his princess.” The website adds that “no one could be better placed” to know about the proposal since Ryan works very closely with the Kardashian clan on their E! reality show.

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Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel marry he ‘Sexyback’ singer married the ‘Total Recall’ actress in an intimate ceremony at a secret location in Southern Italy, believed to be near Naples. The couple said in a statement: “It’s great to be married, the ceremony was beautiful and it was so special to be surrounded by our family and friends.” No other details are known at this time, but the couple - who have been dating for five years and engaged since last December - started celebrating earlier this week with those closest to them. They hosted a party where guests relaxed around open fires and dined on fresh-made cheese, and local olives. The previous night, the group had a party with fireworks and live music, and as guests were arriving, they held a low key drinks reception. It has been reported that Justin, 31, was to perform a dance to 30-year-old Jessica’s favourite song from his boy band days with ‘N Sync, ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’, at the wedding. A source said: “Justin has been working on this for months. Jessica used to love the track growing up and he wants it as a special treat. “It will be very much tongue-in-cheek. There will be loads of exaggerated boy band moves and poses. She’s going to love it.”

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Lindsay Lohan’s father says she might die ichael Lohan staged an intervention at his daughter’s home in Beverly Hills because he fears she is surrounded by bad influences who have encouraged her to resume drinking and drug taking and he is determined to save her from an early death. He told RadarOnline: “Lindsay needs help. She’s around all the wrong people. “I’m not going to stand for this anymore.

She has to get better. I’m not going to watch my daughter die. “Her whole team has had it with her. All of them want to her to get treatment. “I will keep putting pressure on her like I did before until she gets help. She is not going to get better without help and she needs treatment and help now.” However, Michael’s attempts at an intervention did not go well with Lindsay phoning the police on him and he claimed she also kicked out her boyfriend who tried to reason with her. He added: “A lot of people tried to stage the intervention with me. She is dating a guy named Josh Chunn and he told me, ‘I feel the same way you do. I can’t take it. They’re destroying her life. “Lindsay called the cops for trespassing but they opened the gates for us to come up... When we were leaving she threw Josh out and we picked him up in the car and he spilled the beans about everything she is doing.”

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Pink’s trainers force her to lose baby weight he ‘So What’ hitmaker gave birth to her daughter Willow Sage in June 2011 but after struggling to shift the extra pounds she enlisted the help of personal trainers Jillian Michaels and founder of the Hollywood Trainer fitness Jeanette Jenkins to “inspire” her to get back into shape. She said: “They both kicked my butt more than any other person I’ve ever worked out with.

They’re both amazing, and their bodies were all the inspiration I needed to get back into shape.” Pink - real name Alecia Beth Moore - put on 55 pounds during her pregnancy and she blames the huge quantities of cheesecake and “sour” candy and deserts she ate for her weight gain. The 33-year-old singer is absolutely “smitten” with Willow and the little girl has made her and her husband Carey Hart happier than they could have ever imagined. In November’s edition of SHAPE magazine - in which she graces the front cover showing off her toned abs - she said: “I’m so in love with her. I’m totally smitten! It’s just pure joy for Carey and me. Willow has made us more fun - we’re this cool little threesome.” The pop star is loving motherhood so much she revealed last month she would love more kids and if she wasn’t so busy preparing for her 2013 tour to promote new album ‘The Truth About Love’ she’d get pregnant. She said: “I mean if I weren’t going, getting ready to go on tour, I’d be pregnant. I’m barefoot and pregnant in my garden with an attitude!”

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Daniel Craig

doesn’t like star treatment

he ‘Skyfall’ actor is one the world’s most famous faces but he insist he’s no different to anyone else and wants to be treated as such. He said: “I can’t do all the things I’d like to do, but I have a normal life. My family and friends treat me as they always have. I want people to treat me as normally as they can. Anybody who doesn’t, I feel awkward with.” Daniel - who is married to actress Rachel Weisz - also says he finds it “embarrassing” being called a sex symbol. He told Britain’s OK! magazine: “It’s not like I go out there to be a sex symbol. I mean, it’s nice of course - but embarrassing.” But Daniel - who has played James Bond since 2005 - admits he does take care of his body but allows himself the odd treat. He said: “I like going to the gym every day because I’m in physiotherapy every day. But when I go on holiday, I eat and drink what I want. I just try and get normal because I think too much working out is bad for you.”

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Kelly Osbourne was suicidal before she went to rehab he ‘Fashion Police’ star considered taking her own life when her constant partying, drink and drug-taking spiralled out of control, until she made the life-changing decision to go to rehab and take control of her addictions.

Kelly confessed to Fabulous magazine: “I woke up one day and wished I was dead. I wanted to kill myself. I had a period where I behaved really badly, I was a complete idiot, but I was incredibly unhappy, incredibly messed-up. “I left London and I went home to LA. I went to rehab, I had therapy and basically I just grew up.” The reality star - whose parents are legendary showbiz couple Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne - also credits her decision to participate in ballroom dancing competition ‘Dancing With The Stars’ in 2009 with helping her shed her excess weight and learning to ignore the constant ‘fat’ jibes thrown at her. Kelly - who lost four and a half stone - said: “I’m the thinnest I’ve ever been and the healthiest I’ve ever been. The totally insane thing is that I’m a UK size four to six and people still say I’m fat.” The fashionista has her boyfriend, chef Matthew Mosshart, to thank for making her happy again and says falling in love for the first time has completely rebuilt her self-esteem. She gushed: “He’s amazing. I couldn’t believe he truly liked me because I never think people ever could, but I’m so happy. “I don’t think I’ve ever really known what love is like before.”

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Malin Akerman wants to work with Tilda Swinton he ‘Rock of Ages’ actress often gets starstruck working with big names but would relish the opportunity to work with some of the world’s biggest known leading ladies. He said: “I do still get excited by working with big names. You have that initial moment of, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going to work with Tom Cruise!’ and then you meet him and in 10 minutes you realise you’re both just in this together, two actors who are really as nervous and excited to be on a new journey. Any starstruck feelings go away and you become partners in crime. “My dream now is to work on a big film with Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett.” Malin is now working on a number of films, including the role of porn actress Linda Lovelace in ‘Inferno’, and she admits she has had little time to focus on the rest of her life recently. She added: “There’s not much breathing time right now. I haven’t come up for oxygen much. Most of the films have been independent, so don’t take that long to film, but there have been lots of 18 hour days.” —Bangshowbiz

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37

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Gangnam fever ‘just the beginning’ for new Korean wave he phenomenal success of “Gangnam Style” is just the start of a new surge of attention for Korean entertainment, according to the man responsible for some of South Korea’s biggest films. “When you look at Korean music or Korean films they are very Hollywood-like in terms of production standards,” said producer Jonathan H. Kim, speaking on the sidelines of last week’s Busan International Film Festival.

“There’s also a degree of people from other countries looking at Korean movies and saying ‘Wow: their values are similar to ours’.” A 30-year veteran of the Korean film industry, Kim has been behind five of his country’s 50 biggest box office hits. Among them is war epic “Silmido” (2003), the first film to attract more than 10 million viewers in South Korea.

As well as producing films, Kim is a business advisor to the sprawling CJ Entertainment & Media group, South Korea’s largest in terms of film production, investment and distribution. He also hosts seminars on investing in its entertainment industry and its potential for growth at home and beyond.

“These films travel well because production values are very high,” Kim told AFP. “But it is also about Korean people’s passion and their impatience. If the movies aren’t great, people just leave the theatre.” Kim believes the current strength of Korean cinema-and the global appeal of Korean entertainment in general-had its beginnings in 2003, with the emergence of film directors such as Park Chan-Wook (“Oldboy”) and wildly successful TV dramas such as the drama “Winter Sonata”.

“A lot of territories saw Korean films as an alternative to B-grade Hollywood movies as they were cheaper and artistically we were getting a lot of awards from festivals,” said Kim. Attention has been renewed, helped by the box-office success of heist-thriller “The Thieves” and the dance moves of 34-year-old rapper Psy, whose “Gangnam Style” has amassed more than 450 million YouTube hits.

South Korea’s K-pop has in the past 10 years defied language barriers to entice fans around the world, but glossy products such as Super Junior and Girls’ Generation have not won Psy’s level of global recognition. The rapper has performed his unique horse-riding dance at the MTV awards in Los Angeles and appeared in a cameo on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”. “The surprise with Psy is that he didn’t try to look Hollywood. It’s pure Korean,” said Kim. “That is making a lot of people re-evaluate the Korean wave and cinema is at the forefront of that.”

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This file photo shows South Korean singer Park Jae-Sang, also known as Psy, whose “Gangnam Style” has amassed more than 450 million YouTube hits, performing during his free concert in Seoul. —AFP

Madonna sued for flashing Marlon Brando in concert he owner of Marlon Brando’s trademark rights say that Madonna made them an offer that they refused - and now they’re suing the “Hard Candy” singer for ignoring their refusal.

Brando Enterprises filed suit in US District Court in Central California against Madonna, along with Bhakti Touring, Inc., on Thursday, alleging that the Material Mom has been using the “Apocalypse Now” actor’s image on tour without permission - in fact, according to Brando Enterprises, their representatives “expressly refused to grant such rights to the Defendants” when they were approached.

According to the suit, which claims misappropriation of right of publicity and federal trademark infringement, among other charges, Madonna’s people first

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approached Brand Sense Partners, which represents Brando Enterprises, about licensing Brando’s image for her Super Bowl halftime performance this year, and was granted the rights for onetime use. (Madonna’s 1990 song makes reference to numerous celebrities, including Brando.)

After that, Madonna’s camp once again approached Brand Sense Partners about using Brando’s image for the current tour. During negotiations, Brand Sense was offered slightly more than the fee that it received for the one-time Super Bowl use, and the two parties didn’t come to terms, the suit says. However, that hasn’t stopped Madonna from using Brando’s image on the tour anyway.

A spokeswoman for the singer has not yet responded to

TheWrap’s request for comment.

The suit is the latest development in an ongoing legal saga over the singer’s use of Brando’s image on her tour. In September, CMG Worldwide Inc, which handles trademark rights for numerous celebrities and attempted to negotiate the rights to Brando’s image for Madonna’s tour, sued Brand Sense, claiming that Brand Sense agreed to license the image for the tour for $5,000, then jacked up the price to $20,000.

Brando Enterprises is seeking general and special damages, as well as revenues and profits received as a result of using Brando’s image, plus treble damages, statutory damages, attorney’s fees and costs. They also want an injunction barring Madonna from using Brando’s image in the future. —Reuters

This file photo shows Madonna performing on the “MDNA” tour at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Some Colorado fans are upset after music superstar Madonna used guns during a performance. —AP

Britney’s dad feared singer would die during meltdown he father of pop star Britney Spears was terrified by his daughter’s deepening drug addiction as her life spiraled out of control five years ago, his attorney told jurors on Friday. “Jamie (Spears) was living in constant fear that he was going to look at the TV one day and see Britney was dead,” said Leon Gladstone, Jamie Spears’ attorney. Gladstone’s remarks came on the second day of a civil trial that has pitted the singer and her parents against Sam Lutfi, who was one of her closest friends in 2007 and early 2008 and who described himself as her manager at that time.

Lutfi, now 38, was considered to be Spears’ live-in

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Britney Spears

“gate keeper” who determined who was allowed to see her during her personal and career meltdown in 2007. He is suing the singer for a chunk of her earnings at that time. Lutfi also is suing Spears’ parents, Jamie and Lynne Spears. He claims Jamie Spears punched him in the chest at Britney Spears’ Los Angeles area home in January 2008, and that Lynne Spears libeled him in her book, “Through the Storm,” published later that year. The trial has lifted the lid on a tumultuous period when Spears famously shaved her head, was twice placed on psychiatric holds, lost custody of her children and was placed under her

father’s conservatorship, giving him control of her health and finances.

Depressed and addicted for years Gladstone said that Jamie Spears had been trying to get his daughter to go to rehab after her 2006 divorce from Kevin Federline and at one point he convinced Federline to obtain sole legal custody of their two young children, Gladstone said. While the “Toxic” singer’s problems began to reach their a peak after her divorce from Federline, her spiral into depression began years earlier, Gladstone said. —Reuters

Record-breaking year The Busan festival programme was loaded with acclaimed contemporary Korean cinema, including politically edged thriller “National Security”, “A Werewolf Boy” and the recent local box office hit “Nameless Gangster: Rules of Time”. Maverick director Kim Ki-Duk’s gritty revenge thriller “Pieta” also played in Busan, a month after taking the major prize at the Venice International Film Festival - the first time the Golden Lion had gone to a Korean production.

Festival goers packed out a special outdoor screening of the country’s new box office champion “The Thieves” which has now been seen by more than 13 million people in South Korea, reaping more than 93 billion won ($84 million). “I think the wave is just getting started,” said Choi Dong-Hoon, the director of the smash-hit heist thriller.

“Korean commercial films have their conventional characteristics but if you study them one-by-one, each of them is unique. It’s hard to compare with other countries,” he said.

“The story is usually very powerful and each character has complicated issues. I think this relates to the nature of Korean people.” Korean cinema itself is on target for a record-breaking year. The Korean Film Council recently announced around 120 million cinema tickets had been sold across the country by the end of the second quarter of 2012, a year-on-year rise of around 20 percent. “I think Korean movies are becoming more exciting and vigorous,” said Choi.

“Filmmakers have put a lot of effort into finding different themes to work on. As a director, I love how the cinema is doing right now and I think audiences share the same view.” Alongside established names, the festival also showcased the works of younger talent hoping to ride the Korean wave.

Lee Donku might have only spent $3,000 on putting together his tense thriller “Fatal” but the film was selected in the Busan festival’s main New Currents award, which offers two prizes of US$30,000 for first- or second-time Asian filmmakers. While the cash went to Thailand’s Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (“36”) and Iran’s Maryam Najafi (“Kayan”), Lee said he was honored to have his first film nominated and is grateful to Psy for capturing so much attention.

“I really like Psy’s “Gangnam Style” and so do Koreans,” he said. “And as other countries like his song so much, having such a passion for it, the growing interest in Korean culture is helping to attract more attention to our movies. “As Korean culture gets more popular, it helps me as well.” —AFP

OSN launches new experience showroom in Kuwait

By Islam Al-Sharaa SN, the leading pay-TV network in the Middle East and North Africa, has officially opened its new refurbished Marina Mall Showroom in line with the new OSN brand as part of its regional expansion.

The new showroom focuses on the TV viewing experience with features including a home theatre area, visual displays, sales and customer service centre, as well as a demo area for OSN’s new technology including OSN Play and OSN Plus HD. David Butorac, CEO of OSN said: “Kuwait is an important market for OSN and has witnessed nearly 35 percent growth this year further demonstrating our success and popularity among Kuwaiti residents.

The completion of the Marina Mall showroom with the latest technology reflects our commitment to provide customers in Kuwait with unparalleled service levels.”

“Visitors can expect an enriched experience with OSN products and services first hand through our interactive technology in the state-of-the-art showroom with a specially designed demo area that is unmatched in the region,” he added.

Commenting on the company’s future

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plans, Maaz Sheikh, Chief Sales and Operations Officer at OSN added: “We’ve seen an exponential increase in demand for OSN services in Kuwait resulting in our positive growth. We expect similar growth levels over the next few months fuelling our retail expansion strategy to bring OSN closer to the customer. Over the next six months, we will double our retail touch points with presence in key malls and shopping areas including remote areas adding even more convenience and making OSN more accessible to one and all.”

The clean, vibrant look and feel of the new OSN Marina Mall showroom is in line with the refreshed OSN brand identity launched earlier this year and is reflected in the network’s values of being bold and confident and providing a premium brand experience.

OSN currently has seven locations across Kuwait including Marina Mall, Avenues Mall and Al-Fanar Mall with over 100 retail outlets across the region, making it more accessible for customers to visit and find out the latest offers and services from OSN. OSN has set the standard for regional broadcasting with the breadth and depth of its premium content and has delivered

David Butorac, CEO of OSN and Maaz Sheikh, Chief Sales and Operations Officer at OSN launch in Kuwait. an impressive array of innovative firsts to enhance the viewer experience including the introduction of High Definition (HD) and 3D television, OSN Plus HD, OSN Play, On-Demand and PVR (Personal Video

David Butorac, CEO of OSN spoke with Kuwait Times in an exclusive interview. An excerpt: Kuwait Times: Where does OSN stand now in the entertainment industries?

Butorac: Over the last year, our subscribers grew by over 30 percent in a single year, and we have the best content in entertainment, especially in English and Arabic continent. Last year we launched OSN Yahala which is an important step for Arabic television, and we intend to expand our investment our Arabic and English content.

KT: What are you expecting with the new launch?

Butorac: We are proud that we launched new technology like OSN Play and HD Plus.

A new showroom goes out to let the customer experience the device and see our strength. When a customer takes OSN home, he changes the way he watches television; the new showroom allows the customer to experience the various OSN platforms.

KT: How is the MENA market and Kuwait in particular?

Butorac: We see positive growth in all markets and particularly in Kuwait. Our growth in Kuwait is fast and we have a very high quality customer-base in Kuwait which is set to grow over the next few months.

Over the last few months we increased our customer-base by over 30 percent in a single year. We offer premium content through technology platforms.

lifestyle

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

lifestyle

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

Gangnam fever ‘just the beginning’ for new Korean wave

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2012

37

Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco waves as she leaves the NotreDame cathedral of Luxembourg.

Spain’s Prince Felipe (left) and his wife Princess Letizia leave the Notre-Dame cathedral.

Luxembourg’s Prince Guillaume and Countess Stephanie wave from the balcony of the Royal Palace after their wedding in Luxembourg, yesterday. —AP photos

Crowned heads attend

Luxembourg royal wedding rowned heads of Europe and ordinary citizens gathered Saturday for Luxembourg’s biggest royal event in decades to see heir-to-the-throne Prince Guillaume wed Belgian countess Stephanie de Lannoy. Afterwards thousands of people crammed the centre of Luxembourg city after the ceremony to see the pair exchange their first kiss in public as a married couple on the balcony of the royal couple. The cream of Europe’s royalty were on hand for the Catholic wedding mass at Notre Dame cathedral blending tradition with modernity, the day after the couple

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tied the knot in an intimate civil ceremony.

Luxembourg’s openly gay mayor, Bettel Xavier, was accompanied by his partner to the festivities, along with some 270 ordinary residents of the Grand Duchy. In another modern touch, the rings the couple exchanged were made from fair-trade gold. Luxembourg Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich celebrated the multilingual mass, which began shortly after 11:00 am (0900 GMT) as the blonde countess, wearing an ivory lace gown embroidered with silver filigree, entered the cathedral on the arm of

Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and the Prince of Orange Prince WillemAlexander wave to the crowd.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden waves.

her brother Jehan.

The gown, designed by Elie Saab of Lebanon, featured threequarter length sleeves and a silk tulle veil, also adorned with the silver floral motif, that trailed some four metres (13 feet) behind her.

The 28-year-old bride is a member of one of Belgium’s oldest aristocratic families and the youngest of eight children. Her efforts to learn Luxembourgish paid off as she pronounced her vows in the language, raising cheers of praise from a crowd watching the ceremony on a giant screen in a central square.

Prince Guillaume, the 30-yearold Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, arrived in full military regalia with his mother, Grand Duchess Maria-Teresa, wearing a bright coral outfit with a silver brooch. The event, at an estimated cost of 500,000 euros ($650,000) to the Luxembourg taxpayer, included free concerts, street shows and a giant fireworks display in the evening.

Crowned heads had rolled up in black limousines or more modest green minibuses, stepping out onto a long red carpet to enter the cathedral in bright sunshine on an unseasonably warm day. Princess Caroline of Monaco, Britain’s Prince Edward, and Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito were among them, as well as King of the Belgians Albert II and Queen Paola, who have family ties with the Luxembourg monarchy.

Also in attendance were Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja, Prince Hans-Adam II and Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her consort Prince Henrik, Sweden’s

Queen Silvia and Princess Lalla Salma, wife of Moroccan King Mohammed VI. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, also in full dress uniform, was accompanied by Stephanie’s aunt, the sister of Countess Alix de Lannoy, who died in late August. Saturday’s wedding mass began with a minute of silence in her honour. The couple clowned on the balcony after the wedding, pretending to have met there by accident, before exchanging a first brief kiss followed by a longer one to the cheers of the crowd.

Guillaume, who will become Luxembourg’s seventh grand duke, was Europe’s last royal bachelor.

He said ahead of the event: “Our wedding is an international event, meaning it’s a good excuse to show Luxembourg’s festive side.” The grand duke plays an essentially ceremonial role in the tiny country of some half a million people lodged between France, Belgium and Germany, a wet and windswept place best known as a financial hub and tax haven. Luxembourg’s Nassau-Weilbourg dynasty dates to 1890. Grand Duke Henri, 57, became the sixth in the line when his father Jean abdicated in 2000.

The pair leave on honeymoon today for a destination that has not been revealed. —AFP

Countess Stephanie de Lannoy waves from her car on her way to the cathedral in Luxembourg yesterday.

A boy waits for Luxembourg’s Prince Guillaume and Countess Stephanie to wave from the balcony of the Royal Palace after their wedding.

Prince Jean de Luxembourg and brother of Grand Duke Henri arrives with and Countess Diane de Nassau for a gala dinner in Luxembourg Grand-Ducal palace.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, mother of the groom, leaves the Grand Ducal Palace.