23 Oct

ON IP TI SC R SU B 40 PAGES

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

THULQADA 25, 1432 AH

www.kuwaittimes.net

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan passes away Amir sends condolences, declares 3 days of mourning

Max 35º Min 19º Low Tide 02:01 & 14:42 High Tide 07:31 & 21:23

from the editor’s desk

A great loss

By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan

myopinion@kuwaittimes.net

W

e are grieved, along with the Arab and Muslim worlds, at the death of HRH Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz. Many are aware of the late prince’s generosity and charity in all fields locally, regionally and internationally, in addition to his numerous scientific and literal contributions.

HRH Prince Sultan also had well known stances through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s support for the state of Kuwait during the atrocious Iraqi occupation of our beloved country. I pray to Almighty Allah to grant the Al Saud family patience in light of this great loss. We have to be patient and repeat what the believers say when afflicted with calamity: “Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.”

I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi people and the Arab and Muslim world, and ask the Almighty Allah to accept our beloved prince in his heavenly abode.

Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud is seen praying in this file photo. — SPA

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz has died, the palace announced yesterday. The crown prince, aged 80, served as the oil kingpin’s defence minister for nearly five decades and had been in the United States since mid-June for medical treatment. Condolences flooded into the kingdom from world leaders as news of the prince’s death was confirmed.

Kuwait said it would mark Prince Sultan’s death with three days of official mourning, with flags to be flown at half mast.

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also sent to King Abdullah yesterday a cable of condolence. In his cable, the Amir offered the sincere and heartfelt condolence of the Kuwaiti leadership, government and people over the death of the Saudi crown prince. He remembered Prince Sultan’s great services and national role in the achievement of comprehensive renaissance in diverse fields in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. By the departure of the Saudi crown prince, both Arab and Muslim worlds have lost a great and sincere man who devoted himself to serving and supporting Arab and Muslim issues, he said. HH

the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in the country’s Dead Sea resort town with a minute of silence and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al- in the late prince’s honour, hailing him as a “champion of the Ahmad Al-Sabah sent the Saudi king similar cables of condo- Arab and Muslim cause”. Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron lence. said he was “saddened” to hear of Sultan’s death. “He had many US President Barack Obama expressed “great regret” over friends in this country, and we have all benefited from his wisthe death of the prince, whom he described as a “strong sup- dom and expertise in international affairs over his long years of porter of the deep and enduring partnership between our two service,” the prime minister said. Prince Charles, the heir to the countries forged almost seven decades ago”. “On behalf of the British throne, wrote to King Abdullah, his Clarence House office American people, I extend my deepest said. “The Prince of Wales sent a personal condolences to King Abdullah, the royletter of condolence to the king of Saudi See Pages 2 & 3 al family, and the people of Saudi Arabia expressing his deep sadness at Arabia.” US Secretary of State Hillary the news,” a spokesman said.

Clinton, on a trip to the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan, said Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, despite strains in ties the prince would be “missed,” stressing Washington’s enduring with Riyadh over his security forces’ deadly crackdown on ties with the oil-rich Gulf state. “I offer my deepest condolences anti-regime protests, also sent condolences to the king. And for this loss to King Abdullah and the Saudi people,” she said. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi sent condolences, “He will be missed.” expressing “sympathy to his counterpart and the deceased’s In Jordan, King Abdullah II opened a World Economic Forum next of kin,” media reported. The message was issued amid

Jordan urges political reforms Forum holds minute’s silence for Prince Sultan DEAD SEA, Jordan: King Abdullah II yesterday urged the World Economic Forum meeting in Amman yesterday to create new strategies for the Arab region, insisting political change is needed for economic reforms. Qatar’s premier, meanwhile, put the focus on job creation for the growing numbers of Arab youths, pointing to unemployment as a key factor behind the protests sweeping the region. “Your meetings here focus on an area of urgent need, economic growth and jobs,” King Abdullah told economic experts and world leaders meeting by the Dead Sea as he opened the two-day forum.

“It is hard to find a more central concern for our people - especially our young people, the majority of our population,” he said. “Let’s be clear. Political reform is economic reform. For businesses to invest and expand with confidence, they need a predictable, level playing-field... transparency and accountability... the rule of law... and a strong, stable foundation of inclusive political life.”

King Abdullah said the sweeping developments in the Middle East this year “have opened the way to positive change, but in many places, also created painful economic dislocations”.

“Strategies are urgently needed, and they must take place across the board in economic life; in politics and policies; in social life and cultural values,” he said. The king said the Arab region “stands today at the gates to the future”. “The four gates of the Arab future are not alternatives. We must pass through them all: Dignity, opportunity, democracy, peace and justice are ultimately

inseparable. To cement progress anywhere, we will need progress everywhere,” he said.

The king opened the session with a minute’s silence for Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, whose death in the United States was announced yesterday, hailing him as “a champion of the Arab and Muslim cause”. The Arab Monetary Fund has said growth rates in Arab countries are expected to slump in the wake of the Arab Spring and wave of pro-democracy uprisings.

G8 nations and institutions including the World Bank, IMF, regional banks and Arab Monetary Fund have pledged nearly $80 billion in aid and loans over the next two years for Arab states which have ousted their dictators, doubling the amount promised earlier this year. “It is high time that Arab countries reconsider their adopted economic and social policies,” Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani, Qatar’s premier and foreign minister told a panel discussion. “The most urgent and pressing challenge to the Arab world is the failure to create more job opportunities to address the aggravating unemployment problem. These failures were one of the trigger causes of the Arab revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria.”

“I am afraid that Arab Spring could turn into an autumn if the issue of social justice is not achieved. A Marshall Plan is needed,” said Hassan Al-Boraei, Egypt’s labour minister. “The old model of relying on state employment and big projects is no longer viable,” Boraei said, adding that Egypt

needed to find jobs for 950,000 people entering the workforce annually, with unemployment running at 12-17 percent.

“If the Arab Spring hopes to achieve anything it is to attain good governance. This does not necessitate only democracy and freedom but social justice, meaning economic policies that meet popular aspirations,” said Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby. Prominent banker Ibrahim Dabdoub said the proposed “Arab Marshall Plan” could be funded by Gulf petrodollars and regional development banks, as there is little hope for major funding from Western nations dealing with their own economic trouble.

“This region needs 85 million jobs ... and a Marshall Plan with the help of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund has become a pre-requisite of development,” said Dabdoub, a Palestinian who heads the National Bank of Kuwait, the country’s biggest lender.

Libya’s Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril was more skeptical about whether money alone would improve the region’s lot, saying “the problem of the Arab world is not a question of money but the management of money”. Jibril also said yesterday that Libyans should be allowed to vote within eight months to elect a national council to draft a new constitution and form an interim government. More than 1,000 participants from over 50 countries as well as eight heads of states and governments were expected to take part in the event, hosted by Jordan for the sixth time since 2003. — Agencies

heightened tensions between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran as a result of US allegations that Iranian officials plotted to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington. Though Iran has fiercely denied the accusations, Saudi Arabia has accepted them and warned it was mulling “a suitable response”.

The Al-Saud family has ruled Saudi Arabia ever since the kingdom’s establishment in 1932 and under its rules of succession the throne passes in turn to the sons of its founder Abdul Aziz. Prince Nayef, who is expected to become crown prince, was named second deputy premier in March 2009.

Another half-brother of King Abdullah, he holds the interior portfolio. Prince Sultan’s funeral is to be held on Tuesday after his body has been repatriated from the United States. He is survived by 32 children. They include Bandar, the former ambassador to the United States who now heads the National Security Council, and Khaled, Sultan’s assistant in the Defense Ministry. — Agencies

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

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Crown Prince Sultan’s biography RIYADH: The Royal Court announced yesterday the demise of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General. ‘With his demise, the nation and the world have lost one of the most prominent leaders, who had worked for the service of his religion, nation and humanity as a whole.

The following is a biography of the deceased Crown Prince: He was born in Riyadh on Jan 5, 1931; brought up by his father, the late King Abdul Aziz (May Allah bless his soul), the Founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, learnt the Holy Quran and Arabic language by senior scholars , and expanded his knowledge through diplomacy and visits.

Crown Prince Sultan participated in most of Saudi official delegations headed by the Late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (May Allah bless his soul), to attend Arab and Islamic Summits and the sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Crown Prince Sultan headed official delegations on many visits abroad, including the celebrations of the United Nations in 1985 on its 40th anniversary, and in 1995 on the 50th anniversary, and in 2005, on the 60th anniversary.

In 2008., he headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to OPEC 3rd Summit in Riyadh.

Since the era of his father the Late King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, the Crown Prince has assumed the following posts: • The Governor of Riyadh on February 22, 1947 .

• The Minister of Agriculture on December 24, 1953 .

• The Minister of Transport on Nov 5, 1955 AD. • The Minister of Defense and Aviation on Oct 21, 1962.

• The Second Deputy Premier on June 13, 1982AD, in addition to his responsibilities as Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General.

• The Crown Prince, Deputy Premier on Aug 1, 2005, in addition to his responsibilities as Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General

The Crown Prince also assumed the posts of the Presidency or Vice Presidency of the following Councils and Committees: • Chairman of Board of Directors of Civil Aviation Authority.

• Chairman of Board of Directors of Saudi Arabian Airlines.

• Chairman of Economic Offset Higher Committee.

• Chairman of Board of Directors of General Organization for Military Industries.

• Chairman of National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development.

• President of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

• Supreme President of Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation.

• Chairman of Ministerial Committee of Environment.

• Supreme President of Strategic Storage.

• Chairman of Special Committee of the Cabinet.

• Chairman of Higher Committee for Education Policy.

• Chairman of Ministerial Committee for Administrative Organization.

• Chairman of Board of Directors of Food and Drug Authority.

• Chairman of Board of Directors of World Arab Encyclopedia.

• Chairman of Saudi side at Saudi-Yemeni Coordination Council.

• Chairman of Saudi side at Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council.

• Vice President of Supreme Commission of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

• Vice-President of National Security Council.

• Vice-President of Supreme Council for Petroleum and Minerals Affairs.

• Vice-President of Supreme Authority for Investment.

• Vice-President of Supreme Economic Council.

• Vice-President of The Family Council.

• President of Supreme Council of Manpower.

• Chairman of Board of Directors of Supreme Commission for Tourism.

• Vice-President of Supreme Council for Administrative Reform. —SPA

Charitable deeds T he Crown Prince has a record of charitable deeds at home and abroad, and he has established two charities to achieve humanitarian and social objectives through Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation and Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Special Committee for Relief.

Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation is a non-profitable organization established by the Crown Prince in 1416AH corresponding to 1995 AD. The Foundation has a number of humanitarian and social goals in the provision of social and health care, comprehensive rehabilitation of people with special needs and the elderly people, in addition to its significant activities in support of researches in the field of humanitarian and medical services, and technical sciences in collaboration with prestigious research centers in the world.

Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Special Committee for Relief aims to provide humanitarian and relief emergency services. In implementation of the Crown Prince’s directives, the Committee began in Niger in 1998 under the name of the Special Committee for Relief in Niger, then Mali was annexed to the Committee in 1999, and later in 2000, it extended its work to include Chad, Ethiopia, Malawi, Djibouti and other countries.

The Committee has sent relief and medical convoys to combat common diseases such as malaria and blindness, and has set up several developmental, social and health projects including digging wells, building schools, public libraries, mosques, hospitals and dialysis centers in these countries.—SPA

(From top down) Prince Sultan stands before the ‘Black Stone’ in the Holy Kaaba; Prince Sultan plays with a child during a reception; Prince Sultan greets a well-wisher.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

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The Saudi Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah at one of the GCC meetings.

RIYADH: In this Thursday, March 27, 2008 photo, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, left, speaks with his brother King Abdullah as they attend to welcome Arab leaders in Riyadh. — AP

Medals and certificates T

he Crown Prince has won the following medals:

•King Abdul Aziz Sash of first class in 11/07/1393AH. • National Order of Chad in Chad 11/10/1392AH. • National Order of the Lion of Senegal in 14/10/1392AH. • National Order of Merit of Grand Class of France on 11/4/1393AH. • An Order of Merit of Italy on 7/05/1393 AH. • Omayyad Medal of Syria on 15/1/1395 AH. • Nile Sash of Egypt on 21/02/1396 AH. • Sash Kuwait Medal of First Class on 21/3/1396 AH. • Highest Medal of Niger on 30/3/1396 AH. • Order of Liberator Simon Bolivar of First Class of Venezuela on 7/5/1396 AH. • Nishan’s The Greatest Leader of Pakistan on 17/10/1396 AH. • The Sash of Honor of Sudan on 7/11/1396AH.

• The Highest Medal of Blessed Cloud Class of National China on 24/7/1397 AH. • Maha Putra Oerawana Medal of Indonesia on 26/10/1397 AH. • Mono Medal of Greatest Officer Class of Togo on 2/5/1398 AH. • National Medal of Greatest Officer Class of Zaire on 11/01//1399 AH. • Mohammadi Medal of Second Class of Morocco on 23/6/1399 AH. • Knight of Order of Great Class of Sweden on 17/4/1401 AH. • Knight of Order of the State of First Class of Malaysia 29/11/1401 AH. • Sash of Merit of First Class of Denmark on 16/06/1404 AH. • The Star of Palestine of Excellent Class on 12/02/1418 AH. • Medal of Unity of First Class of Yemen on 06/03/1422 AH. • Medal of Top Humanitarian Honor of Sweden on 26/12/1428 AH. • Medal of Carlos III of Spain on 2/6/1429AH.

Crown Prince Sultan also received the following certificates of merit: • Shield of First Arab Man of Environment in 1996.

• An Honorary Doctorate from the Islamic University of Malaysia in 2000.

• An Honorary Doctorate from University of Al-Jazirah in Sudan in 2001.

• Sheikh Rashid Award for Humanitarian Personality in 2002.

• An Honorary Doctorate from British University of Cranfield for Space and Aviation Sciences. The university also selected the Crown Prince as the Personality of the Year 2003, in recognition of his efforts in the field of civil and military aviation.

• Prize of Peace and Environment from Arab•European Cooperation Center in 2003.

• An Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waseda of Japan in 2006.

• An Honorary Doctorate from Moscow Institute of International Relations of Russian Federation in November 2007.

PARIS: French President Jacques Chirac, right, walks with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, after they signed a defense cooperation agreement at the conclusion of the prince’s three day visit in France, at the Elysee Palace in Paris in this July 21, 2006 file photo. —AFP

Prince Sultan is seen with Jordan’s King Abdullah.

PARIS: Then US Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger takes leave of Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz after a meeting at the Saudi minister’s residence in Paris in this May 12, 1983 file photo. —- AP

Crown Prince Sultan opens an environmental project.

Crown Prince Sultan is awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his academic contributions.

Prince Sultan (left) attends an Arab Summit with the late Saudi King Faisal (center) and late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (second right).

Prince Sultan tours an ornithology museum.

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Ministers, MPs fell into rushed news ‘trap’ Interpretation of constitutional articles KUWAIT: Moments after the Constitutional Court issued its interpretation of certain constitutional articles on Thursday, several news agencies reported that the grilling motion filed by MPs Ahmed Al-Saadoun and Abdurrahman Al-Anjari against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah was unconstitutional. Following the oppositionists’ submission of the motion in May, the Cabinet requested that debate over it be suspended until the Constitutional Court interpreted Articles 100, 123 and 127, based on which the constitutionality of the motion would be considered. The verdict issued on Thursday explained that the Articles 100, 123 and 127 ruled that a grilling motion filed against a prime minister must only address matters of general government policy, while subjects pertaining to certain ministries be addressed to the rele-

vant minister.

This last detail was, however, ignored by the news agencies that were quick to announce the unconstitutionality of the motion. “This news is inaccurate,” said one constitutional expert, who preferred to speak anonymously. “The court did not rule on the constitutionality of the [motion] or address the subject of the motion. Rather, it provided an interpretation of constitutional articles,” he explained. The news, however, led many MPs and ministers to fall into what the expert described as “the trap of distorted news coverage.” He added that “the verdict was only a few minutes old when headlines reading ‘Constitutional Court rules [grilling motion] unconstitutional,’ spread across news sites and media outlets. Did they read the verdict before releasing the news?”

While he believes it is not unusual for

citizens to be easily confused by inaccurate news, the expert described as “catastrophic” how ministers, MPs and further officials fell into the trap. “This exposed [officials’] shallow knowledge of legal terms,” he said, insisting that the onus is on the state to ensure legal terms are understood.

Meanwhile Kuwait University constitutional law professor Dr Mohammed AlFeeli was quoted in an Al-Qabas report published on Friday, explaining that the grilling motion stands legally, but that the Cabinet can use the court’s interpretation of the articles to support its case by arguing that the motion does not address the premier.

Al-Feeli spoke on the subject during an interview with Al-Rai TV on Thursday, in which he stated that the fate of the motion remains up for debate following the court ruling. “The Constitutional Court

was simultaneously cautious and logical as it addressed only what it was authorized to address [constitutional articles] while avoiding passing judgment on the [motion] itself,” Al-Feeli explained. He also suggested that Parliament should now debate whether the motion, in its current form, is constitutional based on the court’s interpretation of the relevant articles. Elsewhere, Ahmad Al-Obaid, president of the Kuwait Association for Protecting Public Funds, criticized reactions of MPs who announced their satisfaction with news deeming the motion unconstitutional. “These stances reflect a political standpoint, not a legal one,” AlObaid said during an interview with Al-Rai TV, adding that the court’s ruling deems a grilling motion unconstitutional when it is filed against a Cabinet member not directly concerned with the subject of the motion.— Al-Qabas and Al-Rai

Local center runs pronunciation workshop KUWAIT: A car crash on Friday on Wafra Road left seven people injured. Two of the seven were trapped inside a car following the crash, and were unable to escape until firefighters arrived on the scene and cut into the vehicle. Upon their rescue the two victims were handed to paramedics and rushed them to Adan Hospital.

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Center is holding a five-day workshop on pronunciation. This is the first voice and pronunciation workshop organized by the center. A group of prominent specialists from the field are participating in the

workshop, including experts in correcting language, pronunciation, voice and even those dedicated to problems of swallowing.

Prof Ellen Rudd, a specialist in auditory-verbal rehabilitation for the hard of hearing, who acquired her official certificate from the International A G Bell

Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, is presiding over the first three days of the workshop. Workshop participants will accordingly receive an accredited certificate from the International A G Bell Academy.

Day four will be run by Thomson Marie, a specialist in correction and treat-

ment of voice and swallowing difficulties for both children and adults.

The workshop will conclude on the fifth day with Dr Yaser Noaman, who will lecture on contemporary methods of correcting and treating language and pronunciation problems related to cleft palate and other speech impediments.

Child negligence

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A case of negligence was registered against a couple in Jahra, after a three-year-old child was admitted to hospital in a critical condition. Doctors had to perform gastric lavage(stomach pumping) on the toddler who accidently drank kerosene.

Employee attacked An employee with the Sulaibiya Clinic filed a complaint with police stating that two bedoon youth tried to barge into the doctor’s consultation room without affixing revenue stamps on the prescription paper. When the worker refused to accept the paper, they reportedly hurled abuses at him. A case against the two abusers was filed.

Street fight An Ethiopian expat in his 30’s died after being attacked with a sharp object. He died even before he could have been hospitalized. A fight broke out between Ethiopian and Sudanese nationals and all were drunk. Police arrested three Sudanese who hid with relatives in Hawally.

Motor accidents In a recent car accident that took place in Al-Wafra, several people were injured among them a housemaid whose pelvis was broken and who also suffered internal bleeding. In the same accident, a 24-year-old Kuwaiti broke his right thigh. The same injury was sustained by a 70-year-old Kuwaiti woman. A 60-year-old female citizen died at the scene from cardiac arrest.

Two injured victims were taken by ambulance to Al-Adan Hospital, while two further victims were taken by private car. In an incident that took place opposite Khalifa Park on King Fahad Road, two Kuwaiti teenagers were injured when they crashed their car. One suffered a broken hand while the other received more extensive injuries. Both were taken to Al-Adan Hospital.

A further accident, in Abdally, resulted in injuries for a 47year-old Indian, sustained to the forehead and left foot. Also injured were two Filipino women, one of whose spine was bro ken. A Bangladeshi man broke his foot in the same accident and a third Filipino, a 23-year-old man, sustained injuries to his fore head. All victims were taken to Jahra Hospital.

A car accident took place in Kabd. A 64-year-old citizen fractured his left leg. Another 60-year-old citizen sustained multiple injuries. Both were admitted to Farwaniya Hospital. In another development, a motor cycle accident took place along the Fifth Ring Road near the Avenues mall. A 67-year-old Italian expat sustained multiple injuries all over his body. He was admitted to Al-Sabah Hospital.

Maritime border resolution to hasten Amir’s visit to Tehran KUWAIT: An agreement between Kuwait and Iran to resolve the continental shelf issue-a maritime border dispute-could reportedly pave the way for a visit to Tehran by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, during which an agreement would be signed.

Such was indicated in a recent news report quoting a diplomatic insider, who claimed that the Iranian government is awaiting a response from Kuwait before the matter is discussed with Saudi Arabia.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source indicated that,

during the recent visit to Iran by Kuwaiti Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi, Iran emphasized the importance of first resolving the issue between Kuwait and Iran before opening talks with Saudi Arabia and even possibly Iraq at a later date. According to the same source, during a recent Asian dialogue meeting hosted by Kuwait, then-Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammed Al-Sabah asked his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi to include Saudi Arabia in the talks. Iran is thought to have asked Kuwait to contact Saudi Arabia regarding the matter. —Al-Rai

KAC may hold strike, teachers optimistic KUWAIT: Kuwait Air ways Corporation(KAC) employees appeared adamant on plans to stage a strike tomorrow if financial demands are not met. They held the KAC management responsible for huge losses predicted as a result of work stoppage.

In another development, Chairman of the KAC’s Labor Union Abdullah Al-Hajri announced that employees were left with no other choice but to stage a strike “after being let down by the management when it failed to fulfill [the union’s] demands.” Al-Hajri urged travelers and pilgrims to book tickets with oth-

er carriers. The strike will take place every day between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm.

On the other hand, teachers appeared optimistic as they prepared to attend the Parliament’s inaugural session on Tuesday, when MPs are expected to pass a bill that enforces a general allowance to teachers in public schools, reported Al-Qabas.

“Teachers are expected to start entering the Parliament building from 11:00 am after the inauguration,” said a senior source from Kuwait Teachers Society(KTS), pointing out to the time when the draft law will be voted for.

KUWAIT: Shuaiba rescue workers saved 11 Kuwaiti youth that were stranded in their boat, west of Kobbar island, after their boat capsized due to rough weather and high tide. Upon receiving an emergency call, officials rushed to the area and found the men in the 36-foot-long boat.

They were taken ashore with the help of rescue boat ‘Mubasher.’ All the men are reported to be recuperating. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Border closure demanded to halt Mubarak Al-Kabeer Project

Divers install marker at marine reserve KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team has installed a new buoy marker at the main marine reserve in Ras Al-Zoor, to help boats locate the place for exploration.

“This operation comes as part of efforts to boost environmental awareness among divers by inviting them to watch achievements at the concrete reserves, which were officially opened in 2003,” said Waleed AlShatti, marine operations supervisor at the Environmental Voluntary Foundation’s team.

The Al-Zoor reserve is part of the Jaber Al-Kuwait marine reserves and spans an area over 300 meters in length, where 290 tons of concrete are located.

The reserve is home to several kinds of marine species which Al-Shatti describes as a must-see for divers.

KUWAIT: A recent demonstration by dozens or Iraqi youths at the Safwan border checkpoint protesting the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project was met with counter-demonstrations by other Iraqis.

Signaling their objection to the port, youths called for the closure of the Safwan border to apply pressure to Kuwait to halt its construction.

Counter-demonstrators from Basra, meanwhile, demanded that the border remain open as it provides a lifeline for

over 5,000 Iraqi families living in Safwan.

They further reasoned that closure of the border would not stop the construction of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.

Meanwhile, the Safwan Administrative Director has alleged that pilotless Kuwaiti planes have been spying on the Kuwait-Iraq border in recent days, a charge that Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense has rejected. A Kuwaiti military source has reported that Iraq’s claims are baseless and that Kuwait does not spy on its neighbors. — Al-Anbaa

MSAL officials indicted KUWAIT: Two senior officials from the Labor Department in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor(MSAL) are being probed in connection with mismanagement charges, a report quoting a ministry insider stated.

“The ministry noticed an error in the process of evaluating the number of employees needed to work in two departments,” said officials who request-

ed anonymity. They added that the request placed was ‘exaggerated.’

The ministry also found that the two officials are involved in passing illegal transactions pertinent with laborers, reported Al-Rai. The decision to refer to the Prosecution Department is considered a major step forward in Kuwait’s plans to eliminate human trafficking, reported Al-Rai.

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Environment problems huge factor in developing CRS Al-Seif Hospital holds seminar

KUWAIT: A cross section of attendees including medical doctors from both public and private hospitals in Kuwait. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Environmental factors play a key role in developing chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), according to a medical expert, who suggested that Kuwait’s climate and other environmental features led to higher-than-usual levels of the debilitating condition. Speaking at a seminar on the disease currently taking place at Seif Hospital, Dr. David W. Kennedy, an expert on the condition, explained that environmental factors are a major underlying cause of CRS. “It is ver y obvious that Kuwait’s environment has become the number one factor behind developing CSR in Kuwait,” he indicated.

The prominent professor of otorhinolaryngology, the medical specialty concerned with diseases of the ear, nose and throat, stressed, however, that there are numerous contributing factors to developing CRS, including allergies, asthma and the role of viruses, bacteria and fungi. Dr. Kennedy, who chairs the otorhinolaryngology department at the University of Pennsylvania’s Medical Center, explained that chronic sinusitis can be handled effectively and even cured without surgery in some cases if patients will allow medical doctors to properly intervene and administer the treat-

KUWAIT: Dr David Kennedy delivering the speech.

ment. In his address, during which he showed different types of surgical operations for the condition from the 1980’s to the present, Dr. Kennedy told the physicians attending the seminar that such problems can be dealt with accordingly, from the most simple to chronic cases and even to the most difficult CRS-related operations on tumors.

“CRS patients’ quality of life can be returned to normal if medical doctors are allowed to handle [the treatment] properly,” he stressed. “It can be handled with surgery or even without depending on their respective cases.

But the combination of surgery and medical therapy are still very important in managing this disease,” he added. The leading doctor, who is a pioneer in endoscopic sinus surgery and minimally invasive surgery for sinus and skull base tumors, as well as receiving the prestigious US ‘Physician of the Year Award 2010’ and a number of American Academy of Otolaryngology Practitioner Excellence awards, also explained the link between Osteomyelitis [a bone infection] and chronic sinusitis, saying that Osteomyelitis develops due to CRS, indicating previous studies conducted by the medical center using rabbits which demonstrated this. “Removing the bone which developed due to CRS is also very

important in managing this disease,” he added.

Dr Kennedy who is also the head of Head and Neck Surgery at the American Rhinologic Society and the International Rhinologic Society, also explained the troubling side-effects suffered by patients with CRS and the negative impact these have on their overall quality of life. “People with CRS has a dramatic effect in the overall quality of life. Based on our studies, we found that people with chronic sinusitis had around a six times reduction in the eight level parts of the quality of life,” he claimed. “This is much lower when compared to other severe diseases.” Whilst indicating that medical intervention can take months or even years to be effective in treating the condition, Dr. Kennedy stressed that patients with CRS can be cured and return to a normal quality of life if the condition is managed properly. The renowned visiting doctor will be conducting a series of seminar in Kuwait on how to handle sinus and skull base surgery. Kennedy was introduced by Dr Khalid A. AlAbdulhadi, the Senior Consultant in Head, Neck and Facial Plastic Surgery from MTC Sabah Hospital, who lauded the continuous cooperation between Kuwait’s state and private healthcare sectors, especially in educating the public on several healthrelated issues.

‘Help underdeveloped countries’ UNITED NATIONS: Kuwait called on the international community here late Friday to boost efforts to aid underdeveloped countries to help them achieve growth.

This was made during Kuwait’s speech delivered by Abdullah Al-Sharrah, the Third Secretary of the Permanent Kuwaiti Mission to the United Nations, to the UN’s 66th General Assembly’s economic commit-

Sino-Kuwait economic ties hailed GUANGZHOU: Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry Undersecretary Abdelaziz Al-Khaldi yesterday praised trade and economic relations between Kuwait and China.

Al-Khaldi’s remarks came during his meeting with Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangdong provincial government Li Chinhong, which he attended together with Kuwaiti Consul General in Guanzhou Abdulwahab Al-Sager. Al-Khaldi spoke of the two countries’ increasing bilateral trade, which he reported valued $5.7 billion during the first nine months of this year. He also called for enhanced cooperation between Kuwait and the Guangdong provincial government in numerous fields, including tourism, investment and exhibitions, emphasizing the need to boost bilateral visits in order to exchange information and views.

Li welcomed Al-Khaldi’s ideas and for his part noted that the Guangdong government will offer assistance and support to Chinese enterprises wishing to expand their economic activities in Kuwait. AlKhaldi also held talks with Zhang Hua of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Guangdong Sub-Council and with Yuan Ye, deputy director-general of the Guangzhou Municipality Bureau of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

The officials discussed future cooperation between the various government bodies to facilitate future interaction between business delegations from both countries. — KUNA

tee’s meeting. The official stressed that the global economic crisis created more dilemma in this aspect, hindering social and economic development in such nations.

Developed countries should be helping achieve underprivileged countries’ integration, said Al-Sharrah, affirming that this would reflect positively on leading countries. — KUNA

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Move targets ministers based on their origin Discord over grilling motion initiation KUWAIT: While oppositionist blocs agree over filing a interpellation motion against the prime minister over the graft scandal, reports state that disagreements have cropped up on plans to prepare interpellation motions against members of the ruling family. This is because this move apparently ‘targets’ ministers based on their origin, instead of performance. According to a report quoting parliament sources, members of the Development and Reform Bloc(DRB), National Action Bloc(NAB) as well as some independent MPs criticized members of the Popular Action Bloc(PAB) by announcing plans to launch a series of grilling motions against ‘Sheikh’ ministers. This move was taken to force the Cabinet’s resignation in case His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah survived his interpellation motion which addresses the cash deposits scandal.

“The criticism comes because while the ministers were previously subjected to grilling motions to address their performance, the PAB will file interpellation motions against ministers only because they are members of the ruling family,” said officials. “The PAB will take a proactive step without waiting for results of the premier’s grilling to force ministers’ resignation,” they added.

The DRB reportedly told PAB that it will not take part in presenting grilling motions and at the same time wouldn’t thwart their plans, according to the officials who predict that the NAB would take a more adamant approach on rejecting the notion of “using constitutional tools as a means to topple [ministers] instead of achieving reform,” reported Al-Qabas.

MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said that the grilling motion that the DRB plans to co-present with the PAB will be submitted to the Parliament today (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday) with MPs Falah Al-Sawagh (DRB), Musallam Al-Barrak (PAB) and Naji Al-Abdulhadi (independent) as the likely candidates to present it. Al-Tabtabaei further confirmed earlier reports which suggested that foreign financial transactions made by the prime minister be added as a topic of discussion to the grilling “especially since [MP Faisal] Al-Mislem and Al-Barrak had documents which prove violations.” Moreover, Al-Tabtabaei expressed confidence that at least 25 MPs will support the grilling miotion - which is the minimum number required to pass a noconfidence vote against the premier. “The prime minister can’t refer the motion to the Constitutional Court since it addresses a matter of public policy by accusing the government of

sponsoring corruption.”

In the meantime, Al-Tabtabaei announced that while the opposition motion attends the inaugural session of the Parliament’s new term “out of respect to His Highness the Amir,” they resorted to procedures such as boycotting committees’ elections or walking out of the prime minister’s speech in protest. These statements were criticized by MPs Faisal Al-Duwaisan, Maasouma Al-Mubarak and Rola Dashti, reported Al-Rai. Today the Parliament’s legislative and legal committee held its final meeting before the next term. However, officials indicate that it is almost certain that the panel would not complete its final report on the government’s anti-corruption draft law and MPs’ recommendations on the subject. Either way, the panel will complete its report on the proposed financial disclosure law, reported Al-Jarida.

While rumors are abound that most MPs are seeking re-election to the same committees they were members of, only MP Saleh Al-Mulla announced running for budgets and financial disclosure committee, also noting that the NAB would submit a request to form a temporary youth and sports committee, falling short of necessary votes.

Violent teenager in police custody KUWAIT: A teenager has been taken into custody after he attacked his mother at their Jahra house. Police arrived on the scene after the mother made an emergency call reporting her 14-yearold assaulted her and stole a car. The mother told police that she had insisted her son return a car he stole several days earlier and that her son had a history of violent behavior, which had led to his expulsion from school. She explained their quarrel erupted after she insisted he return the stolen car, and that he threatened her with death if she called the police. The teenager, who was arrested as he escaped from the house, admitted to stealing the car in Jahra and also confessed to assaulting his mother.

Further investigations revealed that the same youth was involved in a case in which he accused an individual of dragging him inside a house and assaulting him without reason. The suspect in that case insisted that he had caught the youth intruding in his home. The 14year-old is currently being held at the juvenile prosecution department pending legal action.

Salmiya accident A middle-aged Arab man was killed after being hit by a car in Salmiya.

Paramedics, who arrived with police shortly after the accident was reported, pronounced the 54-year-old dead at the scene. The body was taken to the coroner and a case was opened for legal proceedings.

Twitter insult A former minister has pressed libel charges against an individual he accuses of insulting him via Twitter. The minister, whose identity has yet to be disclosed, filed a case at Al-Rumaithiya Police Station and the case has been referred to the Criminal Investigations General Department.

MoI wife assaulted A man who recently assaulted a woman following a traffic dispute received an unpleasant surprise when it turned out the woman’s husband was a Ministry of Interior official. The victim

called her husband, a police brigadier general, upon being slapped in the face following the recent altercation in Salmiya. An ambulance accompanied by police arrived shortly and took the victim to the hospital for bruising while her attacker was taken into custody and is being held at Rumaithiya Police Station pending further action.

Large scam A brother of a current MP was released on bail by the Public Prosecution following a brief detention resulting from an accusation of theft. A Kuwaiti filed a report at Rumaithiya Police Station in which he accused the suspect of stealing KD 245,000 originally solicited for the purpose of investment.

Investigations are ongoing.

Residency violators Forty-three Asian expatriates were arrested on the second day of an ongoing crackdown on residency violators in Farwaniya. A security source reported that 18 of the detained were wanted by immigration authorities while six others were wanted for criminal charges. The detainees have been referred to the relevant authorities pending deportation.

Port theft Investigations are ongoing into a theft at Abdullah Port during which large quantities of aluminum were stolen from a company warehouse.

Criminal investigators headed to the scene, where they lifted fingerprints, after the theft was reported by a company official.

Pregnant driver A group of young Kuwaitis rushed a pregnant woman to Adan Hospital after her car overturned on the Fahaheel Highway. The good Samaritans took matters into their own hands upon witnessing the accident and thinking it unwise to wait for an ambulance; they extracted the victim from her car and rushed her to hospital, where she is now in a stable condition. It was revealed a punctured front tire was the cause of the accident.

— Al-Watan, Al-Anba, Al-Rai, Al-Qabas

Municipality organizes sanitation awareness campaign

KUWAIT: Students from Eid Baddah Al-Mutairi Intermediate School participated in a beach cleaning campaign at Messila recently. The students participated in the awareness campaign held in cooperation with Mubarak Al-Kabeer Municipality.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality DirectorGeneral Ahmed Al-Sebeeh announced on Saturday that the municipality and its branches in six provinces has organized field trips as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of caring for Kuwait’s environment.

Al-Sebeeh reported that the municipality aims to promote environmental awareness to create a generation that maintains the cleanliness of Kuwait. The municipality has also launched campaigns to clean beaches, which dedicated students have already taken part in.

To this end, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate Municipality in cooperation with Kuwait Municipality’s public relations administration recently launched a campaign to clean Al-Messila, in which a group of students from Eid Badah Al-Mutairi

School picked up garbage.

Dr Saad Al-Jalawi of the Mubarak AlKabeer Municipality also affirmed the importance of the awareness of campaign in education and promoting maintenance of the environment.

Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate Municipality Director Shereedah Al-Mutairi for his part indicated that the municipality is preparing theoretical and practical seminars to educate students throughout the school year. He also spoke on the importance of parents in supporting the efforts of municipality and the Ministr y of Education.

Fahad Al-Wandah, another municipality official, called on all ministries and state institutions to cooperate with the municipality in implementing the awareness-raising campaigns. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Isam Al-Sager is seen with top performers of the third quarter 2011

NBK honors top performers KUWAIT: To recognize exemplary individual performance, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) recently held a special ceremony to honor top performers of the third quarter of 2011.

NBK Deputy Group CEO, Isam AlSager congratulated the honored employees and called them to exert

more efforts to continue the path of professional excellence.

The honored employees are: Khalid Al-Humaidi, Lulwa Al-Asfour, Lulwa AlFadhala, Ahmed Haidar, Ahmed Moukallad, Ali Arzouni, Emad Thabet, Hala Al-Aqad, Ibrahim Al-Khateeb, Khaled Koura, Mohammed Al-

Abdulhadi, Mona Rahil, Nasser Khan, Nisrine Smaili and Quaimuddeen Khan.

This initiative comes in line with NBK’s commitment to support its employees and provide them with a stimulating and encouraging working environment.

Fourth Arab-German family business forum kicks off in Oman

Minister to activate consumer hotline number

MUSCAT: The fourth Arab-German family business forum was launched on Sunday under the theme ‘Owner and Responsibility; Investing in the Next Generation’. The three-day event is organized by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) in collaboration with Germany’s International Institute for Family Enterprises (IIFE).

The first day of the gathering, ‘Owners’ Day,’ was due to address issues pertaining to family-run businesses, leadership, governance, sustainability and planning business fields for future generations.

The second day of the forum, ‘Wise Investor Day,’ will examine family-run businesses from a macroeconomic perspective in addition to sovereign wealth funds. Investors will also discuss the related issues of sustainable development.

OCCI Chairman Khalil Bin Abdullah Al-Khunji stated that the forum’s prominent speakers will share experiences through lectures covering family businesses and round-table discussions as well informal talks and presentation of working papers. He added that the event will promote Oman as a tourist destination and investment site and will contribute to fostering investment partnerships among the participating family-run businesses.

The forum is supported by a number of governmental organizations, including the Tourism Ministry and the Scientific Research Council, with sponsorship from Omani, Arab and international family businesses, Al-Khunji added. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr Amani Bouresli yesterday issued a decision to activate a 24 hour hotline (135) to report consumer complaints so that the Ministry can cooperate with consumers.

The supervision sector has operated the hotline and increased the number of staff employed in response to this decision, which will take effect this week, the ministry said in a statement. It added that emergency teams are working around the clock to handle complaints.

An answering service is provided if the staff is busy, in addition to the voice mail service that saves caller’s time. All calls will be recorded and the numbers saved to provide a better service, which the ministry aims to stabilize the local market with and protect from commercial manipulation and wrong doings. This step is planned by the Ministry to enhance the state audit institution, the ministry added. Ministry will ask consumers to use the hotline (135) to report commercial violations to protect the local market.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

Cain stumbling under national spotlight glare

Clinton warns Tajikistan on stoking radical Islam Page 11

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MISRATA: The corpses of Libya’s ex-strongman Muammar Gaddafi (R) and his son Muatassim are pictured on mattresses inside the cold storage room of a vegetable market near a mosque on the outskirts of Misrata yesterday.—AFP

Libyans maneuver for new era Gaddafi still unburied MISRATA: Muammar Gaddafi’s body lay still unburied as Libya’s new men of power wrangled over its fate and a formal announcement the war was over, a move the outgoing premier said yesterday should mean free elections in the middle of next year.

Mahmoud Jibril, an expatriate academic who has been prime minister in the Westernbacked rebel government, confirmed he was stepping down and that the coming days would be a critical test of how the new leadership and Libya’s six million people could handle their freedom after 42 years at Gaddafi’s whim.

In Misrata, the once besieged city whose rebel fighters are pushing claims for a big stake in a “reborn”, oil-rich Libya, they guarded the market cold store where, for a second day, the curious and the relieved filed in to view the fallen strongman, whose surprise capture and killing in his home town of Sirte on Thursday sparked joy-and renewed jockeying for influence. Gaddafi’s surviving family, in exile, have asked that his body, and that of his son Muattasim, be handed over to tribal kinsmen from Sirte. Officials with the National Transitional Council (NTC) said they were trying to arrange a secret resting place that would avoid loyalist supporters making it a shrine.

In Benghazi, Libya’s second city and seat of the revolt in February, leaders were preparing a formal declaration today that the whole country was “liberated”, a move that starts the clock ticking on a plan to install a transitional government, draft a constitution and institute full democracy by 2013. The announcement has been expected, and delayed, since Thursday, amid arguments over whether Benghazi or the capital Tripoli, captured in August, should have the honor.

Anarchy has been a defining characteristic of the disparate movement that fought Gaddafi for eight months across vast tracts of desert and Jibril, criticised by some in the anti-Gaddafi forces, made clear at an interna-

tional business conference in Jordan that progress would require great resolution: “First, what kind of resolve the NTC will show in the next few days,” he said. “And the other thing depends mainly on the Libyan people - whether they differentiate between the past and the future ... I am counting on them to look ahead and remember the kind of agony they went through in the last 42 years.”

For some, there are encouraging signs, notably that the two-month gap between the fall of Tripoli and the death of Gaddafi has not seen fighting between different factions. Comparisons with Iraq after Saddam Hussein are tempered by the absence of the sectarian divide which has ravaged that country. However, as in Iraq, there are vast energy resources at stake and a host of international powers keen to exploit them. In a thinly populated country that was only united in the 1930s under Italian colonial rule, regional enmities may thrive, as well as differences between Islamists and secularists and ethnic tensions between Arabs and Berbers.

In Misrata, where Gaddafi’s body lay, bearing bullet wounds that many assume were inflicted by fighters from the city who found him hiding in a storm drain, one field commander voiced his concern that trouble was brewing: “The fear now is what is going to happen next,” he said, speaking to Reuters privately. “There is going to be regional infighting. You have Zintan and Misrata on one side and then Benghazi and the east ... There is in-fighting even inside the army.

“The cake is now and everybody wants to take a piece.” For Misratans, who endured months of bloody siege but fought off Gaddafi’s army and played an important role in taking Tripoli, the body of the fallen strongman is only the latest trophy of war to be brought back to the city. Fighters had previously brought back statues and other emblems of Gaddafi’s rule, seized from Tripoli. Jibril, who said he planned to step down as previously announced now that fighting was over, described Gaddafi’s death as leaving him feeling personally “relieved and reborn”. Libya now needed a vision to unite people behind and to diversify the economy away from oil and gas exports: “We need to seize this very limited opportunity,” he said.

“We should use this time properly to build an alternate economy as fast as possible.” Gaddafi’s family and international human rights groups have urged a inquiry into how Gaddafi, 69, was killed, when gory cellphone video footage showed him alive but being beaten and taunted by his captors on Thursday. Jibril said on the day that Gaddafi was killed in “crossfire” when his supporters opened fire on the ambulance that was taking him to hospital. —Reuters

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Ahmadinejad condemns ‘massacre’ in ally Syria TEHRAN: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad condemned the “killings and massacre” in Syria in an interview with CNN, in Iran’s strongest criticism yet of its key ally ’s deadly sevenmonth-old crackdown on dissent. “We condemn killings and massacre in Syria, whether it is security forces being killed or people and the opposition,” Ahmadinejad said, according to excerpts of the interview reported in Farsi by the website of Iran’s state broadcaster yesterday.

“We have a clear formula for Syria and that is for all sides to sit together and reach an understanding... therefore these killings cannot solve any problems and in the long term it will lead to a deadlock,” he added.

Ahmadinejad’s comments, the

strongest so far from an Iranian official against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, come as Damascus presses a crackdown on nationwide protests that has killed more than 3,000 people since March 15, most of them civilians, according to the United Nations.

“When people are being killed, it paves the way for more quarrels...

There should be no foreign interference (in Syria),” Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. “America’s stance will not help. There should be no foreign intervention. All should help for understanding to prevail in Syria,” Ahmadinejad said. Washington has repeatedly called for the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on the Damascus regime and was strongly critical of vetoes by China and Russia

earlier this month of even a watereddown draft threatening “targeted measures.”

Iran has been concerned about the possible collapse of its principal Middle East ally and had previously avoided speaking out against the regime’s deadly crackdown. It has accused its traditional foes Israel and the United States of stirring up trouble in Syria. Since the protests erupted, Tehran has maintained that the issue should be resolved “through dialogue and not violence.” On August 24, Ahmadinejad called on the Syrian government to find a “solution” with the protesters, as violence only “serves the interests of the Zionists.”

In late August, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that Damascus

should recognise the “legitimate demands” of its people. In early September, Ahmadinejad said Tehran was ready to host a meeting of Islamic nations to help its ally Syria solve its political crisis. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Iran in mid-September “not to spoil” the Syrian leadership.

“I cannot say there has been tension with Iran but we warned them (the Iranians) that ‘the Assad administration is getting spoiled with your encouragement,’” Erdogan said. Tehran has made maintaining good relations with Ankara a priority in recent years, and has considered Turkey an ally for its refusal to implement Western sanctions imposed over its controversial nuclear program.

But in recent months Tehran has criticised Ankara over its agreement to host an early-warning radar as part of NATO’s missile defence system. Tehran says the system is aimed at protecting Iran’s arch-foe Israel. The European Union has accused Iran of assisting Syria in its crackdown on anti-government protests, a charge Tehran has rejected as “baseless.” In late August, the EU named the Al-Quds force, the covert operations arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards, on a new list of those under sanctions for their suspected role in quelling the protests.

The European Union accused the force of providing “technical assistance, equipment and support to the Syrian security services to repress civilian protest movements.” —AFP

Fierce clashes erupt in Yemeni capital Violence comes a day after UN resolution

SIRNAK: Photo taken yesterday shows a Turkish army convoy on a road in the province of Sirnak, near the Turkish-Iraqi border in southeastern Turkey. —AFP

Turkish military strikes kill 49 rebels in two days: Army ANKARA: Turkish military strikes have killed 49 Kurdish rebels in two days during a major offensive in the country’s mainly Kurdish south, the army announced yesterday.

“A total of 49 terrorists were rendered ineffective over the last two days,” said the General Staff in a statement posted on its website, adding that the operation was continuing.

Kurdish rebels on Wednesday killed 24 soldiers and wounded 18 along the Iraqi border, the army’s biggest losses since 1993.

The simultaneous attacks prompted the Turkish military to launch air and

land operations against bases of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Around 10,000 troops on the ground were involved in Turkey’s operations, backed by jets and helicopters. The army statement said “operations continue in a few areas across the border (northern Iraq) and two separate areas inside the country” in an attempt to prevent PKK actions targeting Turkish units.

The PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community took up arms for Kurdish independence in southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000 lives. —AFP

US to pull out troops from Iraq by end-2011 WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said all American troops will leave Iraq by the end of the year, ending a long war which cleaved deep political divides and estranged the United States from its allies. The decision, announced Friday, came after Iraq failed to agree to legal immunity for a small residual force that Washington had hoped to keep in the country to train the army and counter the influence of neighboring Iran, officials said.

After nearly nine years, the deaths of more than 4,400 US troops, tens of thousands of Iraqis and the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars, Obama said the last American soldier would leave with his head held high. “Today I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over,” Obama said at the White House.

“Our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays,” said Obama, who rose to power in opposing the unpopular war and pledged as a presidential candidate to withdraw all US military personnel. In his weekly radio address yesterday, Obama added that his decision to pull all US troops out of Iraq by the end of the year and the death of former Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi were reminders of “renewed American leadership in the world.”

Obama’s predecessor George W Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq in 2003, arguing that its then leader Saddam Hussein was endangering the world with weapons of mass destruction programs.

After Saddam was toppled, such arms were never found. US troops soon became embroiled in a bitter insurgency, swelled by incoming Al-Qaeda fighters, and the tide of the war turned only after now retired General David Petraeus convinced Bush to mount a troop surge strategy in 2007.

Obama announced the pullout after holding a video conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, which US officials said included a moving tribute by the Iraqi leader to American troops who died in his country. US defense officials said talks on a future military mission had collapsed over the question of legal protections for American troops. “That is a red line for us,” said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Obama said that despite the failure, US defense officials would still seek ways to help train Iraqi forces, as they do for many other

nations. And hours later, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed such a strategy.

“Once we’ve completed the reduction of the combat presence, then I think we begin a process of negotiating with them,” Panetta told reporters. “We now turn our full attention to pursuing a longterm strategic partnership with Iraq that’s based on mutual interest and mutual respect,” he added. President Obama’s announcement to bring all troops home fulfilled a central promise of his 2008 election campaign, which took place at a time when the Iraq war was still a painful fault line in US politics.

It also came after his credentials as commander-in-chief, bolstered by the killing of Osama bin Laden and top AlQaeda suspects, were further enhanced by the death of Kadhafi after a NATO mission in support of Libyan rebels. But Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney accused Obama of presiding over an “astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq” which put at risk victories won through the sacrifice of American soldiers. “The unavoidable question is whether this decision is the result of a naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude in negotiations with the Iraqi government,” he said.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the staunchest supporters of the war, said he feared that “this decision has set in motion events that will come back to haunt our country.” Democrats largely supported Obama’s move. Senator John Kerry said Washington was fulfilling its obligations to a nation that wanted to chart its own future. The US withdrawal provokes a number of questions about the war-ravaged country’s future, including: Are the Iraqi military and security forces up to the job of safeguarding security gains made over recent years?

How will Iran seek to expand its influence in Iraqi politics? Is Iraq’s fledgling political system robust enough to survive? Will disputes between Kurdistan and Baghdad drive a deeper wedge between the autonomous region and the central government?

Obama administration officials declined to say whether the war had been worthwhile. “History is going to have to judge that,” said Vice President Joe Biden’s national security advisor Tony Blinken, who argued that vibrant politics in Iraq would be part of the US legacy. — AFP

SANAA: At least 10 people were killed yesterday in fierce clashes in Yemen’s capital between President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s troops and rival forces in escalating violence, a day after the UN Security Council urged the embattled leader to hand over power.

Witnesses and AFP correspondents in Sanaa said explosions were heard throughout the day in Sanaa, and massive plumes of smoke and fire were seen rising from several neighborhoods where opposition forces are stationed.

An AFP correspondent said ambulances raced out of the Hasaba district that is home to tribal chief Sheikh Sadeq Al-Ahmar and his brothers, whose tribesmen have been battling Saleh’s troops for weeks. The war-torn district has become a ghost town, sealed off

by Saleh’s troops, with no one allowed in or out, according to an AFP correspondent on the scene. Medical officials said five civilians were killed during intense shelling north of the Hasaba district in Sanaa.

Five dissident soldiers were also killed and dozens of others were wounded, including unarmed civilians, in clashes and shelling throughout the capital, they added. In Taez, Yemen’s second-largest city, clashes erupted between armed men who claim to protect protesters, and pro-Saleh troops, injuring at least three people, pro-democracy activists in the city told AFP. Dissident General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who defected in March in support of anti-government protests sweeping the country, blamed yesterday’s violence on Saleh and called on the international community to intervene.

He urged the international community to take “decisive and urgent” action to force Saleh from power or risk “a civil war.” In a statement, the general accused the president of giving orders to his sons and relatives who command Yemen’s elite military forces to “attack with all weapons ... and cleanse Hasaba district and destroy everything” in their path.

In the Change Square area, where thousands of protesters have been camped out calling for Saleh to quit, fierce clashes erupted between government troops and defected soldiers loyal to the dissident general. The general and tribal chief, both former staunch allies of Saleh, are now his arch-rivals, having thrown their support behind the nationwide protests which have triggered Yemen’s politi-

cal crisis. Yesterday’s violence came a day after the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution that “strongly” condemns the deadly government attacks on demonstrators and backs a Gulf plan for Saleh to end his 33 years in power.

Several hundred people have been killed since the protests against Saleh erupted in late January. Saleh has for months refused to buckle under intense local, regional, and

Middle East and North Africa director, said in a statement.

“Such immunity would obstruct justice for hundreds of deaths during months of protest in Yemen,” the statement said. Yemen’s Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman also criticised the UN resolution for supporting the immunity clause. “They have to discuss the ousting of Saleh and how he has to be handed over to the International Criminal Court as

SANAA: A wounded Yemeni youth is helped by his comrades to walk out from a makeshift hospital in Sanaa’s Change Square yesterday. —AFP international pressure to resign and hand power over to Vice President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi. Under a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative, Saleh would step down within 30 days of signing the deal handing him and his family immunity from prosecution, a controversial component of the transition plan.

London-based human rights watchdog Amnesty International said Saturday a call for accountability in Yemen from the UN was “doomed to fail if officials are granted immunity.” “The UN Security Council’s efforts and those of the GCC ... are to be lauded, but President Saleh must not be given immunity as a prize for stepping down,” Malcolm Smart,

a war criminal,” Karman said outside the UN in New York where she has been calling for a tougher stance on Saleh.

Calls for more decisive UN action have increased, with tens of thousands of prodemocracy activists urging the world body to step in and stop the violence engulfing the impoverished country. The protesters have also increased their calls for Saleh to be tried before the world court.

Britain’s UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the resolution does include some “tough messages” for Saleh and that there would be “no impunity for human rights abuses,” despite its clear support for the GCC initiative. — AFP

Egypt, Israel add ‘final touches’ to prisoner swap

DAMASCUS: A handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syrian security forces carrying the coffin of a comrade, who the agency said was killed in recent violence in the country, during his funeral outside the Tishrin military hospital in Damascus yesterday. —AFP

One dead in Syria army clash with ‘defectors’ NICOSIA: Clashes between the Syrian army and gunmen believed to be defectors yesterday left one person dead in the northwestern province of Idlib, near Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. “A man was killed this morning in the village of Maar Horma in the Idlib region during clashes between the Syrian army and armed men, who were probably deserters,” the Britain-based

watchdog said. Elsewhere, the corpse of a man who had been detained four days earlier in Qusayr, at the centre of deadly military operations in the central region of Homs, was returned to his relatives. Syrian security forces killed at least 19 civilians on Friday, most of them in the city of Homs, where the death of Libyan ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi galvanized mass protests, the Observatory said. — AFP

CAIRO: Egypt and Israel are adding the “final touches” to a deal to swap an Israel-American detained in Cairo for a group of Egyptian prisoners and children, the official MENA news agency said yesterday. “MENA has learned that the final touches are currently being made for a deal to swap Israeli spy Ilan Grapel, accused of spying on Egypt for Israel, for about 16 Egyptian prisoners and three detained children,” MENA reported.

State-owned Nile Television, meanwhile, said it had received “reports” of an impending swap, but said that 28 Egyptians would be released, including the three children. The caretaker cabinet tasked the foreign ministry on Thursday to oversee the exchange, two days after Israel freed hundreds of Palestinians for an Israeli soldier held by the Palestinian movement Hamas in an Egyptianmediated swap.

Grapel, who has been in custody since June 12, is accused of being an agent of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and of sowing sectarian strife and chaos in Egypt during the uprising which ousted president Hosni Mubarak in February. Egyptian media published photographs of Grapel after his arrest in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the uprising, inside a mosque and in a downtown Cairo bar. Pictures taken from his Facebook account showed him

in Israeli military uniform. Grapel served in the military like most Israelis as a conscript and was wounded in its 2006 war with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Israel has strongly denied Egypt’s accusations, insisting the whole thing was a mistake and accusing Egyptian authorities of “bizarre behaviour.” Last week, unnamed Israel officials told public radio that a deal was in the works to release a US-Israeli joint national held in a Cairo prison in exchange for 81 Egyptians held in Israel.

News of the alleged deal emerged the day before the Egyptian-brokered prisoner swap which saw Israel agree to release a total of 1,027 Palestinians over two months in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit.

Details of an exchange were first reported by Egypt’s state-owned AlAhram daily, which said an accord was close “in which the spy Ilan Grapel... will be released in return for all Egyptians held in Israeli prisons.”

Israel is holding 81 Egyptian prisoners, including three children, most of whom face criminal charges, including illegal entry to Israel, drug trafficking and arms possession. “The success of the Egyptian mediation of the Shalit deal and Israel’s formal apology to Egypt for the death of Egyptian soldiers killed on the border by Israeli fire certainly cleared the road for making the Grapel deal,” Al-Ahram said. — AFP

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Argentines hope Kirchner vote will keep purse open BUENOS AIRES: Signs of elections were scarce in Buenos Aires yesterday, a day before President Cristina Kirchner was expected to win a crushing second term victory, helped by Argentina’s strong growth rate. The 58-year-old center-left leader has soared in opinion polls since the sudden death of her husband and expresident Nestor Kirchner a year ago, drawing sympathy and support from pensioners to parents via social spending.

Her divided opponents have failed to convince they can do more to reduce runaway inflation, while high world prices for the country’s farm exports have helped maintain spending, including on wage rises and transport subsidies. “Despite the international crisis, we’re on a good path,”

said 19-year-old Leo Garin, who plans to vote for Kirchner and her Justicialist Party of three-time former president Juan Peron and his populist wife Evita.

The famous couple appear on Kirchner’s campaign posters and flags along with Nestor, who is rapidly joining the Peronist legend. Supporters of the Kirchners, often refered to as “K,” credit Nestor for pulling the country out of its dire 2001 financial collapse, echoed in Greece today, during his 2003-7 presidency. Many Argentines see Kirchnerism as the safest bet for the economy amid uncertainty in Europe and the United States. An outpouring of public sympathy for Cristina, who still dresses in black, also boosted her popularity after a dip follow-

Obama’s foreign successes may help little in 2012 WASHINGTON: By declaring the Iraq war over, President Barack Obama scored what his allies see as a fourth big foreign policy success in six months, starting with Osama bin Laden’s killing.

But these events might play a discouragingly small role in his re-election bid, even if they burnish his eventual place in history. American voters tend to focus heavily on domestic issues, especially in times of high unemployment.

That will limit Obama’s campaign options.

His supporters are seeking ways to make the most of his foreign policy accomplishments. One approach is to contrast them with Congress’ partisandriven gridlock on taxes, the deficit and other domestic issues. “Look at the progress the president can make when he doesn’t have Republicans obstructing him,” said Karen Finney, a former Democratic spokeswoman who often defends the party on T V and radio.

Former Democratic strategist Rebecca Kirszner Katz distributed a similar remark on Twitter this week: “Terrorists and dictators, lacking the filibuster, have no effective defense against Barack Obama.” It referred to the stalling tactic that Senate Republicans frequently use to kill Democratic bills even though they hold only 47 of the chamber’s 100 seats.

These Democrats hope Americans will see a bold and capable president

who keeps his promises when Republicans don’t create roadblocks.

They note that he green-lighted a daring nighttime raid to kill bin Laden in Pakistan on May 1; approved policies that led to last month’s drone-missile killing of American-born terror advocate Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen; backed allied actions that led to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s ouster and death; and ended U.S. involvement in Iraq on schedule. “It is very important for any incumbent to be able to talk about promises made and promises kept,” Finney said. The list of achievements, contrasted with President George W. Bush’s erroneous claims about Iraq’s weaponry in the first place, should help Democrats shake their image of being the weaker party on national security, she said.

“That baggage is finally lifted,” Finney said. Translating that claim into votes for Obama 13 months from now may be difficult, however. The latest Associated Press-GfK poll confirmed that Americans still place far greater emphasis on domestic issues, especially the economy, than on foreign matters, including the war on terrorism. The poll found Obama’s overall approval rating at an all-time low, 46 percent, for the second straight month, even though 64 percent of adults approved of his handling of terrorism. Only 40 percent approved of his handling of the economy.— AP

ing a major dispute with farmers over raising taxes on key soya exports in 2008, which she lost. “Cristina is an efficient, intelligent woman,” said 73-year-old pensioner Lauriano Rojas, in a Buenos Aires cafe. Low interest in the campaign was explained by Kirchner’s path to likely victory without a run-off, for which she needs 45 percent of the vote or 40 plus a 10point lead. The glamorous widow, with long auburn hair and trademark heavy make up, already won 50 percent in national primaries in August and the last opinion polls predicted she would win slightly more today.

She also hopes to win back the lower house, where half the seats are being disputed, as well as to increase a small Senate

majority, where a third of the seats are at play. Amid average growth of around eight percent since 2003, many have overlooked the simultaneous massive enrichment of the Kirchers, according to their own declarations. Officials also say unemployment is down and poverty has dropped to 8.3 percent from worrying levels at the end of the 1990s.

But many of the middle class still plan protest votes today, because they say they have only lost out in recent years. “The middle class is suffering. There are lots of taxes and prices go up every week,” said 40-year-old Gabriela Rios, a jewellery seller in San Telmo, where tango dancers perform for tourists on cobbled streets.

“The social programs don’t help the

middle classes but we’re really affected by rising prices,” said 28-year-old Carolina Boix, who works in a foreign exchange company. The government insists that inflation is only 10 perent and fines economists who publish their own estimates, most of which are more than double the official figure. Rios said she also suffered from import curbs on pearls from China that she had been using for her jewellery.

“It’s fine to support local industry but you can’t do that!” she said, pointing out that uncertainty was once again leading to capital flight. Almost 29 million Argentines are eligible to vote today, with socialist Hermes Binner predicted to come in second, 35 to 40 points below Kirchner.—AFP

Cain stumbling under national spotlight glare Slips fuel doubts on electability ATLANTA: Herman Cain is learning the hard way what it means to face the glare of the national spotlight. After captivating Republicans hungry for an alternative to 2012 GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, Cain has made a series of stumbles that have left some questioning whether he’s ready for the White House. His words and actions have drawn more scrutiny since his rise in the polls catapulted him into the top tier of the race for the party’s white House nomination.

But Cain has sometimes appeared to be in over his head. Consider what’s happened over the past week: He suggested electrifying a fence along the US border with Mexico to kill illegal immigrants trying to enter the United States. Cain later called it a joke and apologized if anyone was offended by the remarks.

He said he would negotiate for the release of US prisoners held by terrorists, then reversed himself and said he had misunderstood the question. He muddied the water on abortion. He told CNN that while he strongly opposes abortion, “the government shouldn’t be trying to tell people everything to do, especially when it comes to social decisions that they need to make.” He later issued a statement reiterating his opposition to abortion.

Amid criticism that his 9-9-9 tax overhaul would force the majority of Americans to pay more to the government, he reworked the plan to exclude the poorest people and to allow some deductions.

Backers of Cain’s original plan had praised its simplicity, and carving out exceptions could erode that

support. Through it all, Cain has appeared unflappable. He chalks up the reversals to the breakneck pace of the race. “In a couple of instances ... I misspoke because of the pace of the interview. I don’t call it a flip-flop. I’d rather come back and explain to

DETROIT: Republican presidential candidate, Herman Cain addresses the crowd during a campaign stop in Detroit on Friday. —AP people what I really meant,” Cain said Friday after an economic speech in Detroit. “It doesn’t send mixed messages. It just shows that I’m willing to correct myself ... if in fact I need to correct myself for clarity. That’s what I’m trying to achieve.” For

those in the GOP still in search of a candidate to back, his rocky rollout on the national stage has reinforced the view that Cain, who’s never won an election, isn’t ready for the big leagues.

“I’m looking for someone that’s electable and right now I don’t think he fits into that category,” said 60-year-old Gene Carkeet of Memphis, Tenn., who attended a recent Cain rally there but remains undecided. Gwen Ecklund, Republican chairwoman in Crawford County, Iowa, said Cain “has had a bad week.”

“I do think it made some people take a second look,” she said. Cain’s stumbles come as the campaign of rival Rick Perry shows signs of renewed vigor. The Texas governor has plummeted in public opinion polls as Cain has climbed. But Perry turned in a spirited and combative debate performance at a recent forum in New Hampshire and plans to detail his own tax reform proposal relying on a flat tax under which everyone would pay the same income tax rate. Cain and Perry are competing for support from tea party groups and evangelical voters. Ralph Reed, a Republican strategist who founded the national Christian Coalition and now heads the Faith and Freedom Coalition, said Cain is going through the growing pains that come with sudden national exposure. “It’s a learning curve for any candidate who moves from the back of the pack to front of the pack,” Reed said. “You undergo the political equivalent of a GI tract exam ... where every word is weighed and chewed over and scrutinized.”—AP

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Russia bans entry to US officials in retaliation MOSCOW: Russia has banned entry to US officials allegedly involved in killings and abductions, a strong response to Washington’s blacklisting of Russian officials involved in the prison death of a whistleblower. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement yesterday it was blacklisting unspecified US officials it claims were involved in the abductions of alleged terrorism suspects, the torture of inmates at Guantanamo prison, the killings of civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the abductions or abuse of Russians in the United States. It did not

say how many US officials were affected.

The action was in response to the US State Department’s decision in July to ban entry to dozens of unidentified Russian officials allegedly involved in the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The list supposedly includes some 60 officials, including relatively senior figures in the Russian Interior Ministry, as well as judges, prosecutors and prison officials that were named by Magnitsky’s colleagues.

Magnitsky died in 2009 at age 37, when the pancreatitis he developed in jail was left untreated.

He spent almost a year in pretrial detention on charges of tax evasion that were filed by the same police officials he had accused of illegally taking over the assets of an investment fund he worked for and fraudulently using them to reclaim $230 million in taxes from the state. Although Russian President Dmitry Medvedev fired several top prison officials over Magnitsky’s death and has pledged a full investigation, no one has been prosecuted in the case.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it will expand

the list of banned officials if the US keeps pushing for the prosecution of those involved in Magnitsky’s death. “We’re talking about an attempt of direct pressure on our government institutions that has nothing to do with neither human rights protection or an intention to find out the circumstances of what happened,” the Russian statement said. In December, the European Parliament urged the EU’s 27 nations to freeze assets of the officials involved in Magnitsky’s death in a nonbinding resolution.— AP

Civilians flee Mogadishu in lull between clashes Shebab Islamists vow retaliation MOGADISHU: Civilians trapped by fighting in Mogadishu made the most of a lull yesterday to flee, even as Kenyan forces in southern Somalia continued their slow advance and Shebab Islamists vowed retaliation. “In the southern sector we have occupied Ras Kamboni and forward elements have advanced beyond Oddo, Kenya army spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir told AFP, referring to a village some 25 kilometers (16 miles) north of Ras Kamboni, which lies almost on the Kenyan border.

“We are looking at moving towards Kismayo,” he said, adding the troops were advancing in a three-pronged approach but refusing to give any time frame for wresting the port city, which lies some 250 kilometers from Kenya’s border, from the Shebab. “The Islamic regions in Somalia are all on high alert to prepare for the open war that is our response to the incursions by some neighboring countries who are taking part in the global Christian invasion against Somalia,” Shebab overall leader Mohamed Abdi Godane said in a recorded message.

Another part of the Kenyan contingent is still in Qoqani, around 100 kilometres inside Somalia with the intention of advancing on Afmadow.

Somali government troops and a militia allied to Kenya are in Hayo, a village some 20 kilometers

outside Qoqani on the road to Afmadow. Yet more troops deployed further to the north have been blocked by heavy rain at a point 35 kilometers inside Somalia. The Kenyan troops have not so far met “any major resistance” from the Shebab, Chirchir said. The Somali capital was quiet yesterday after two days of intense clashes pitting African Union forces supporting the Somali government against Shebab fighters.

“There is no fighting in Mogadishu. It is quiet,” Ali Muse, the head of the city’s ambulance service told AFP. “Deynile district is empty. There is no fighting but you can still hear random machine gun fire and hundreds of people are streaming out of town with their children on their backs,” Ibrahim Deynile, a witness told AFP. Adan Mohamed, a father of three, said he had fled Deynile overnight. “I walked for several hours with my wife and children last night. I’m in Seypiano now,” he said, referring to a building in another part of the capital. Most of Deynile’s residents have fled in the past two days,” he said.

“There was heavy fighting last night but the situation is calm this morning,” confirmed Ahmed Soyal, a Somali government security official.

Military sources close to the African Union’s AMISOM force in Mogadishu said Al Qaeda-inspired Shebab rebels had launched several attacks on

Former Hungary PM launches new party BUDAPEST: Former Hungarian Socialist prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany announced yesterday the establishment of a new opposition party to counter the centre-right’s two-thirds parliamentary majority. At the same time, Gyurcsany broke away from the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) of which he had been a member since 2000. Gyurcsany, Hungary’s premier between 2002 and 2009, called the new party Democratic Coalition (DK), with a centre-left direction. At the same time, he announced the setting up of DK’s parliamentary group with the minimum required membership of 10, all former Socialist Party deputies who signed up to DK. Gyurcsany chose to found a new party after a failed attempt to reform the Socialist Party, which fell from power in the 2010 general elections carried with a massive majority by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s conservative populist Fidesz party.

According to the results of a poll carried out before Gyurcsany’s breakaway, support for Orban’s party stands at 46 percent among those eligible to vote, while the Socialists, the strongest opposition party, got 25 percent. Eleven percent of voters would choose the extreme right party Jobbik and five percent the green party LMP, the Median poll showed. Hungary’s next general election is scheduled for 2014. — AFP

BUDAPEST: In this March 22, 2009 file picture then Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, speaks during a press conference, in Budapest, Hungary.—AP

Libya’s ex-intel chief spotted in northern Niger NIAMEY: Libya’s former intelligence chief Abdallah al Senussi, wanted by the International Criminal Court, has been spotted in northern Niger, a government source in the capital Niamey said yesterday. “The presence of Abdallah al Senussi has been indicated in the far north of Niger” near the border with Libya, the source told AFP. “It’s a report that we have but our defense and security forces have not yet intercepte him,” the source said. “So his presence in Niger is not yet officially established.”

Senussi, 62, is the brother-in-law and former right-hand man of Libya’s slain former dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The ICC issued arrest warrants on June 27 for Gaddafi, his son and longtime heirapparent Seif al-Islam, who remains at large, and Senussi on charges of crimes against humanity. Gaddafi, who lorded over the oil-rich north African nation for 42 years, met a violent end in murky circumstances on Thursday following his capture by fighters of Libya’s new regime.

France may demand Senussi’s extradition if he is arrested by Niamey, since a Paris court sentenced him in absentia to life in prison for the 1989 bombing of a

French UTA airliner that claimed 170 lives. The court also convicted five suspected members of the Libyan secret service in the case. So far 32 members of Gaddafi’s entourage including his son Saadi have taken refuge in Niger for “humanitarian” reasons. Among them are three generals and the head of Gaddafi’s personal bodyguards, Mansur Daou, according to the authorities, who say they are under surveillance but have not been detained.

However on Thursday in Gaddafi’s hometown Sirte where the strongman was tracked down, local medical staff and a fighter said Daou was wounded there, and Free Libya television in Tripoli said he was captured. Niger’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum told AFP on Friday that the end of the Libyan conflict would allow it to lift restrictions on senior Gaddafi loyalists who sought refuge there, except Gaddafi’s son Saadi.

“Of the 32 people who are in Niger, only one has a clear judicial status, Mr Saadi Gaddafi. He’s the target of a UN Security Council resolution travel ban.

He’s in Niger, we’re obliged to apply this resolution,” Bazoum told AFP during a visit to Paris. — AFP

their positions in Deynile overnight. “The Shebab attacked our men several times during the night but were pushed back,” a senior officer said yesterday, adding that his men had found the bodies of five Shebab fighters killed overnight.

A Burundian officer within the AMISOM force confirmed the clashes overnight. The latest fighting in Deynile started before dawn on Thursday when AMISOM troops tried to flush out pockets of Shebab fighters. Late Thursday the Shebab said they had killed “more than 70” Burundian soldiers. The Burundian army Friday officially admitted it had lost six men, but the Burundian officer in AMISOM said the truth lay somewhere between the two figures, confirming that “some 30” men had been lost Thursday in Deynile. “Our men wanted to occupy a zone the Shebab had pulled out of. They advanced without cover and fell into a trap,” he told AFP, asking not to be named.

The Shebab, who had “undertaken a tactical withdrawal” cut off their rear “and massacred them.” Shebab leader Godane in his recorded message congratulated his fighters for inflicting such heavy losses on the Burundians. “Thanks be to Allah for the heavy losses that mujahideen fighters inflicted on the enemy in Deynile district,” he said. — AFP

News

in brief

Suspected Russian spies arrested in Germany BERLIN: Two suspected Russian spies operating in Germany for more than 20 years have been arrested in the first case of its kind since German reunification, a report said yesterday. Der Spiegel said the man and woman, who lived as a couple, were arrested Tuesday when police raided their home at Ballingen, between Stuttgart and Cologne in western Germany. It said the woman was caught listening to coded messages. The report said the pair, who denied the accusations against them, had German names and Austrian passports which gave the man’s birthplace as Argentina and the woman’s as Peru, which had turned out to be false. Der Spiegel said investigators presumed the couple had begun spying in Germany for the former Soviet KGB and were now working for Russian foreign intelligence, though the exact nature of their activities was not clear. It said German domestic intelligence had been alerted after the discovery of a network of Russian spies in the United States, who were sent back in a swap for US agents in July last year.

GENEVA: Swiss Copts demonstrate against violence and injustice directed against their community in Egypt at the Place des Nations in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland Friday.—AP

Nationalists riding high before Swiss vote BERN: Swiss nationalists could grab up to an unprecedented 30 percent of the vote in today’s general election, fueled by stark campaign ads that hit an anti-immigration nerve. Recent opinion polls put the Swiss People’s Party’s share of the vote at 29.3 percent, well ahead of its closest competitors.

The party has blanketed public spaces with striking posters showing black boots stomping on the red-and-white Swiss flag with the message “Stop Mass Immigration.” The campaign is an echo of earlier graphically successful campaigns featuring white sheep kicking out a black sheep, or dark hands grasping for Swiss passports.

“We’re not against immigration, we’re against uncontrolled immigration,” said Oskar Freysinger, a hardline People’s Party lawmaker. He also called nuclear energy “a solution for the moment,” in contrast to recent demonstrations in Switzerland against its continued use. The result of this election, which is held once every four years, could prompt a shift in Switzerland’s multiparty, consensus-focused Cabinet. The Swiss People’s Party is expected to demand a second seat in the seven-member Cabinet if it gains the most votes, putting pressure on incumbents from more moderate parties to vacate one of their seats.

The parliamentary election foreshadows the composition of the Cabinet, which is made of up ministers in charge of federal agencies who take turns as president for a year. A survey by the respected polling

group gfs.bern this month put the centerleft Social Democrats in second place with 19.9 percent of the vote, followed by the business-friendly Free Democrats with 15.2 percent and the centrist Christian Democratic Party with 14.2 percent.

Two small green parties have also been making gains amid growing anti-nuclear power sentiment in the wake of the March disaster at Japan’s Fukushima reactor. The four women currently on the Cabinet want to shut down by 2034 the five nuclear reactors that supply about 40 percent of Switzerland’s energy. Hydropower supplies nearly all the rest. The Swiss are proud of a system of direct democracy that gives voters veto rights over parliament in frequent referendums, but elections themselves rarely produce drama.

Recently, two goats that serve as mascots for the Swiss People’s Party were kidnapped - then returned safe, but shaved and painted black. A posting on the left-wing website indymedia.ch said the stunt was aimed at the party’s anti-immigration policies - but the party itself saw their return as a good omen for their election prospects. A strong undercurrent in the election is worry about the relatively strong, stable Swiss economy an increase in the Swiss franc’s value has made exports and tourism more expensive.

But, political scientist Yannis Papadopoulos of the University of Lausanne said turnout in the election is expected to be slightly less than 50 percent.-—AP

Ljubljana mayor forms party to run in Slovenia’s snap polls LJUBLJANA: The popular centre-left mayor of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, Zoran Jankovic, yesterday formed his own party to stand in early elections in December, promising change and economic growth. “Many in their sound mind have realised that changes are needed,” Jankovic told more than 400 supporters here at the founding congress of his party, Positive Slovenia - Zoran Jankovic’s List.”We can boost Slovenia’s economic growth and make it one of the world’s 15 most successful countries by 2020,” said Jankovic, 58. With the backing of former Slovenian president, reformed communist Milan Kucan, Jankovic announced earlier this month that he would run in the December 4 polls with the hope of becoming the tiny eurozone member’s prime minister. The Serbian-born former head of Slovenia’s state-owned main supermarket chain Mercator won a landslide election to become mayor in 2006 and secured a second term with 65 percent of the vote in 2010.

British couple drowns in Spanish flash flood MADRID: An elderly British couple drowned after being swept away by a flash flood that coursed through a street market in southeastern Spain, officials said yesterday. Twenty-five minutes of heavy rain inland of the town of Finestrat caused a torrent to rush downhill Friday through the area in which the market had been set up, regional interior ministry representative Jose Perez Grau said. Vendors and visitors alike were caught by surprise because it had not been raining in the town itself, he said. The married couple’s ages were given as 70 and 72 but they were not identified. The Diario de Informacion newspaper said they had been staying at a seaside hotel with relatives in Benidorm, 7 miles (12 kilometers) east of Finestrat. Citing witnesses, the paper said the couple had gotten tangled in a canvas awning that had come loose and were dragged downstream, ending up trapped under a vehicle submerged in three feet (one meter) of water. Their bodies were only discovered once the water had receded, the paper reported. Five other people were injured. Britain’s Foreign Office said it was providing consular assistance to the couple’s family.

CANBERRA: Queen Elizabeth II, in blue, inspects guards during the presentation of the colours at the Royal Military College Duntroon in Canberra yesterday. It is the fourth time the Queen has presented new colors to the college. —AP

Algeria ex-minister arrested in Geneva over war crimes ZURICH: A former Algerian defence minister has been arrested and questioned in Switzerland on suspicion of committing war crimes during Algeria’s civil war, a Swiss human rights group said. Retired army general Khaled Nezzar, 73, was arrested in Geneva on Thursday morning and questioned by the public prosecutor of the Swiss confederation, Track Impunity Always (TRIAL) said in a statement on its website. Algeria plunged into a cycle of violence in 1992 after the military-backed authorities cancelled an election Islamists were poised to win.

More than 100,000 people have been killed since, mostly civilians.

Nezzar, an influential figure in the North African country’s military estab-

lishment in the early 1990s, has been accused by human rights group of inciting torture, committing murder and other acts of inhumane treatment. He was released on Friday pending further legal procedures, a spokeswoman for the Swiss prosecutor’s office told Swiss news agency SDA. No one at the Swiss public prosecutor ’s office or the Algerian embassy in Switzerland could immediately be reached for comment yesterday.

The prosecutor’s office opened the investigation following accusations by TRIAL as well as complaints from two victims, SDA reported. Swiss law allows those accused of violating international humanitarian law to be prosecuted once a suspect is on Swiss territory. — Reuters

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

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

Clinton warns Tajikistan on stoking radical Islam Clinton on first leg of Central Asian tour

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian muslim women protesters gather during a demonstration at Shah Alam stadium yesterday.—AFP

Malaysian Muslims denounce Christian conversion efforts SHAH ALAM: About 2,000 slogan-shouting Malaysian Muslims gathered near the capital yesterday to denounce alleged Christian attempts to convert Muslims, widening a religious rift that could cost Prime Minister Najib Razak minority votes in upcoming polls. The rally led by non-governmental bodies comes amid an escalating row over accusations of covert conversions among Muslims and a raid on a Methodist church, which has divided Muslims and angered ethnic minorities. Men, women and families gathered in a stadium in a suburb outside Kuala Lumpur to unite against what they said were attempts to evangelize Muslims, an offence in a country where over half the population follows Islam.

“We have gathered today to save the faith of Muslims due to the threat of apostasy,” Yusri Mohamad, chairman of the organizing committee, told the crowd. “Some people say they (non-Muslims) work hard to spread their religion and that there is nothing wrong with apostasy. These are the voices which we want to drown out with our gathering today.”

Ethnic Malays, who make up over half of the population, are Muslim by birth and constitutionally forbidden to leave the faith. NonMuslims are guaranteed freedom of worship.

The protest follows a recent meeting in a church which was raided by Islamic authorities on suspicion of attempts to convert Muslims. The church said it was a charity meeting. In keeping with Muslim tradition, men wearing skullcaps and women in traditional dress and headscarves sat separately in the stadium yesterday as clerics delivered fiery speeches and urged followers to remain faithful. Banners strung across the stadium read “Say no to apostasy, don’t challenge the position of Islam” and “Together let’s prevent

apostasy”. Religious singing groups entertained the crowd, while they chanted “Let’s gather to save the faith of Muslims” and “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest).

“This gathering is good so that Muslims can unite because the recent raid on the church has raised fears about apostasy,” said Muhammad Basori Hassan, a trader in his 30s, who attended the protest. The four-hour gathering was peaceful and the turnout was a fraction of the 10,000-strong crowd which took to the streets in July to demand electoral reforms, but analysts said it would have ramifications for Najib in the next general election.

Malaysia’s next election is not due until 2013 but many expect Najib to call one early next year before economic growth, projected at 5 percent in 2011, slows amid a possible global downturn. Khoo Kay Peng, a political analyst, said the protest would only further stoke fears among minorities and would not garner new Malay support for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. “For people who are already voting for Barisan Nasional, the gathering is preaching to the converted as there will always be fears by some that outspoken Chinese will erode Malay rights,” he said.

“Barisan needs instead to move to the centre and bridge the gap.”Analysts say political parties have traditionally used race and religion to sway support in this multi ethnic Southeast Asian country. In recent years, ethic strife between Malays, Chinese and Indian minorities has inflamed racial tensions.

But the squabble between Muslims and Christians has taken centrestage amid a rash of church bombings, the seizure of Bible shipments and legal action over the Christian use of the word “Allah”. —Reuters

DUSHANBE: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Tajikistan yesterday that efforts to crack down on religious freedom might backfire and increase sympathy for radical views that could threaten stability in the Central Asian country. Clinton, who met Tajik President Imomali Rakhmon on a trip to thank two Central Asian states for their cooperation in the US-led war in neighboring Afghanistan, said freedom of religious expression was tied to the region’s future security.

“I disagree with restrictions on religious freedom and shared those concerns,” Clinton told a news conference after meeting Rakhmon. She said efforts to regulate religion “could push legitimate religious expression underground, and that could build up a lot of unrest and discontent”. Following visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Clinton was on the first leg of a Central Asian tour. She is due to visit Uzbekistan and meet President Islam Karimov later yesterday. Both Karimov and Rakhmon have moved to limit religious freedom in their own countries, both of which remain under authoritarian rule two decades after they emerged from the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Tajikistan, a mainly Muslim country of 7.5 million people, introduced laws in August to ban youths from praying in mosques, churches and other religious sites, a move that was criticized by religious leaders in the former Soviet state. Rakhmon, in power since 1992, has said tough measures are needed to stop the spread of religious fundamentalism in an impoverished country that shares a porous 1,340-km (840-mile) border with Afghanistan. “You have to look at the consequences,” Clinton said. “We would hope there would be a rethinking of any restrictions going forward, because we think it will increase sympathy for extremist views which would in turn threaten the stability and security of the country.”

Rakhmon’s Moscow-backed secular government clashed with the Islamist opposition during a 1992-97 civil war, in which tens of thousands were killed. The president has ignored previous requests from the West to respect freedom of conscience. He has ordered students home from religious schools abroad and clamped down on a growing trend for Islamic dress.

US officials said Clinton’s Central Asian trip, her second to the region in less than 12 months, was aimed in a large part at thanking Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for their assistance with the Afghan conflict. They said she was also seeking to broaden a relationship giving the United States a important “back door” into Afghanistan and an alternative supply route that could prove vital if US ties with its main ally in the region, Pakistan, unravel.

Both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are part of what Washington calls the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a supply line for US-led forces fighting the Taliban that also stretches through Russia, Latvia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The NDN is increasingly important as US ties with Pakistan come under strain over Washington’s charges that elements of the Pakistani government have links to Islamist militants blamed for attacks on US forces in Afghanistan.

The United States is aiming to reduce the proportion of its surface cargo that it brings through Pakistan to only a quarter by increasing its supplies through the northern route; in July it was still well over half.

“We’ve always said that we’d prefer to use the Pakistan routes because it’s cheaper, it’s shorter ... but still, it’s a good thing to have,” a senior US official told reporters travelling with Clinton. “With our relations with Pakistan, we always have to be prepared should they decide that they either want to restrict our access or even, in the worst case, close it off,” the official said.

“We need to be prepared to move more through Central Asia if necessar y.” The NDN route is sensitive in the region, par ticularly in

Afghan intelligence agency rejects torture allegations KABUL: Afghanistan’s intelligence agency yesterday rejected an allegation that its agents had beaten an inmate almost to death during interrogation in southeastern Afghanistan. One week ago the National Direc torate of Security (NDS) said it had launched a probe into claims repor ted by the New York Times that the beating of the inmate, a preacher, caused kidney failure and other internal injuries.

The suspect was detained in late September in the eastern province of Khost and the agency had sent a delegation there, led by one of its deputies, to investigate the matter.

“After a thorough investigation and with the information gathered by the joint delegation, we confirm that the allegation is totally baseless and no beating or tor ture ever took place there”, NDS said in a state ment.

The allegations come shor tly after the United Nations said in a report that torture is practiced systematically in some Afghan intelligence detention centers. The UN said it had “compelling evidence” that Afghan intelligence officials at five centers “systematically tortured detainees for the purpose of obtaining confessions and information”.

The Afghan government has rejected the allegations. — AFP

India ex-minister faces Nov trial in telecom scam NEW DELHI: A former telecom minister and 13 other people will stand trial next month over alleged massive corruption in the sale of mobile licenses that has rocked India’s government, a judge said yesterday. The far-reaching scandal, one of several dogging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s administration, has paralyzed policy-making and shifted the government’s focus away from pushing ahead with important economic reforms.

Judge O P Saini set the start of the trial for November 11 after concluding there was enough “prima facie” evidence against detained former telecom minister A. Raja and the 13 others to be prosecuted in the so-called “2G scam”. The judge accepted prosecution arguments that Raja and other ex-government officials be charged

with the serious offence of breach of trust for allegedly causing losses to the state coffers of up to $40 billion.

They face a maximum life jail term if found guilty. The range of charges against the accused also includes forgery, taking bribes and conspiracy.

Prosecutors say Raja sold telecom licenses in 2008 at give-away prices to favored companies that paid bribes to secure sought-after second-generation (2G) bandwidth in the world’s fastest-growing mobile phone market. The south Indian politician, who belongs to the DMK, a key regional party in the national Congress-led coalition, and other accused left court surrounded by police who shielded them from a mob of journalists and were taken back to jail.

Others facing trial include

Bangladesh’s Yunus denies scuppering bridge funding DHAKA: Bangladesh’s microcredit pioneer Muhammad Yunus has denied accusations that he told the World Bank to cut off funding to a project to build the country’s largest bridge over graft allegations. The World Bank earlier this month halted a $1.2-billion credit line for the $3 billion bridge, the country’s costliest project, citing suspicions of corruption. Bangladeshi media quoted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accusing Yunus of telling the World Bank not to fund the bridge over the Padma river-the local name of the Ganges.

“I would like to categorically state that this allegation (of the prime minister) is completely untrue and without basis,” the 71-year-old Nobel laureate said in a statement late Friday. “The building of the Padma bridge has been a dream of all Bangladeshi people for

many, many years. Also, it is simply preposterous to suggest an institution like World Bank would act so drastically because someone asked it to do so.”

The 6.15-kilometre (3.8-mile) bridge was a key election pledge of the government led by Hasina. The bridge has been designed to carry a highway and rail line and is aimed at transforming the country’s impoverished south.

Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 with microlender Grameen Bank which he founded to combat poverty, has clashed with Hasina before. The two fell out after he formed a party briefly during an armybacked caretaker regime in 2007.

Hasina was detained for a year by the interim regime, but was swept back to power after her Awami League-led coalition posted a landslide victory in elections in December 2008. —AFP

Kanimozhi, who goes by one name, the daughter of heavyweight southern politician M Karunanidhi, who heads the DMK. “They are very confident that they have not done anything illegal or wrong so they will come out clean,” senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan told India’s NDT V news. “The prosecution will find it difficult to prove the charges.” All the accused say they are innocent of any wrongdoing in the scandal, which police say led to losses of $6.7 billion.

The national audit office said the scandal involved losses of up to $40 billion to the state. The “2G scam”-one of the biggest in independent India’s history-has led to intense pressure on Singh and cast a shadow over the topperforming telecom sector.

Bail applications will be heard for eight of the 14 accused tomorrow.

Several senior corporate telecom executives-including billionaire Shahid Balwa-also face trial. On top of the individuals, three telecom firmsReliance Telecom, Unitech Wireless and Swan-have also been charged.

Reliance Telecom is a subsidiary of India’s second-biggest mobile phone player Reliance Communications, controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani; Unitech Wireless, owned by property firm Unitech, is the Indian joint venture partner of Norway ’s Telenor.

Swan is the partner of Emirates operator Etisalat.

A Reliance Telecom spokesman said in a conference call that it was “very confident of mounting a successful defence in the trial.” The formal framing of charges caps months of court hearings involving the federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the accused arguing over evidence. Special CBI Prosecutor UU Lalit says that every one of the accused was “part of the conspiracy”.— AFP

DUSHANBE: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) walks with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon (R) though the gardens of the Palace of the Nation in Dushanbe. —AFP Uzbekistan, where officials fear that too much publicity over their assistance to the US-led effort in Afghanistan could open them to attack from militants, the official said. “They’re worried about the potential blow-back to them of their support for us from the Taliban and from Pakistan-based militants,” the official said, declining to discuss specifics of how the NDN might be expanded.

He did say, however, that the United States was not seeking to regain access to Uzbekistan’s Karshi-Khanabad military base. The United States was evicted from the base in 2005 after sharp criticism of Karimov’s government for shooting into crowds that took to the streets in the city of Andizhan. Witnesses say hundreds were killed when troops opened fire. — Reuters

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

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Issues

Turk offensive in Iraq risky for unstable region

By Ibon Villelabeitia full-blown Turkish military incursion into Iraq may assuage public anger over this week’s attacks by Kurdish militants, but would not deal a fatal blow to the rebels and could inflame Turkey’s ties with its Middle East neighbours. A day after Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) guerrillas killed 24 Turkish soldiers near the border with northern Iraq, hundreds of Turkish commandos backed by helicopter gunships attacked PKK militants based in Iraq in what Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called “a first step”. Turkey’s leaders vowed to keep up the pressure and avenge Wednesday’s raid, one of the worst attacks on the army since the separatist group took up arms three decades ago.

But analysts said Ankara would struggle to push the rebels out of their remote mountainous bases. “While the attacks on PKK camps in northern Iraq will certainly inflict significant losses upon the group, it has long withstood Turkish military onslaughts and I don’t expect it to be dealt a fatal blow on this occasion,” said Julien BarnesDacey, an analyst with Control Risks. “Essentially it will remain extremely hard for Turkey to incapacitate the PKK so long as they can claim refuge in the Iraqi mountains,” he added.

Past Turkish missions against an estimated 4,000 PKK fighters camped in Iraq had only succeeded in disrupting the group, not eradicating it, said Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based security analyst. “The government is under pressure to be seen doing something, so chances of a big operation have gone up. But the problem is we have seen this before. The military will go in and come out with body counts and claims that they inflicted great damage but they will have to withdraw and the PKK would regroup,” Jenkins told Reuters.

With snow already falling in Hakkari province, where the PKK attack took place, time might be running out for a wider cross-border offensive. “If Turkey is thinking of a mass incursion they have to do it now. Once snow falls it’s going to be very difficult to maintain supply lines.

They can send a few hundred commandos at any time but that’s not the gesture the public wants now,” said Jenkins. The last full-blown incursion was in 2008 when about 10,000 Turkish troops swept into northern Iraq, but since then the PKK has managed to regroup and continue launching attacks.

With US troops due to withdraw from Iraq this year, and mutual neighbour Syria in the grip of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters - and with Iran, another neighbour, dealing with its own internal disputes - any big military action could bring more instability. “A more sustained land incursion deep into northern Iraq would certainly rile tempers and could provoke some heated criticism from Iraqi politicians but they have no real desire or ability to confront the Turkish army,” said Barnes-Dacey.

A heavy-handed Turkish operation against Kurds in Iraq could also stir unrest among Syrian Kurds, already unsettled by the prospect of what may happen if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is pushed out by pro-democracy protesters. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s advocacy of Islamic ideals and promotion of economic growth and stable democracy has won many Arab admirers, but an overly-aggressive Turkey might alienate them by evoking memories of the times when Ottoman Turks ruled much of the Arab world from Istanbul. “There is an ambivalence of Arabs towards Erdogan’s AK Party. They like to see an assertive Turkey, but Turkish boots on the ground in Iraq, even if the stated goal is to pursue Kurdish rebels, would bring images of new-Ottoman interference,” said Jenkins.

Erdogan’s government needs to tread a thin line between responding to public opinion and fanning ethnic tensions, said Wolfango Piccoli, from the Londonbased Eurasia group. “One thing is to please public opinion and another thing is to see a polarisation of the Turkish-Kurdish ethnic divide.” Piccoli said a Turkish nationalist backlash unleashed by the PKK raid will also undermine government efforts to work with Kurdish parliamentarians to rewrite a new constitution that addresses long-held Kurdish grievances. “The process of engaging in a dialogue with the (pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, BDP) in a constitutional framework is not dead but it is going to be more difficult,” he said.

As the political and military maneuvering rumbles on, the dominant feelings on the ground on Turkey’s side of the border with Iraq are fatigue and despair over the unending violence. — Reuters

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US, Iraq troop deal poses stability risk

By Patrick Markey President Barack Obama’s decision to bring troops back from Iraq by the end of this year risks removing a buffer in a country still struggling with violence, sectarianism and pressure from neighbours in an unstable region. More than eight years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Washington and Baghdad were in discussions over keeping at least 3,000 American troops in Iraq as trainers. But talks stalled on the issue of immunity for American soldiers. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki did not have the political consensus to push immunity through the parliament even though in private many Iraqi leaders said they wanted some US troop presence as a short-term guarantee of stability.

Violence has fallen sharply, but attacks by Sunni Islamist insurgents and rival Shiite militias still occur daily, and Maliki’s political power-sharing coalition is caught in infighting that hobbles its ability to govern effectively. “It would be difficult for the United States to backtrack on the decision, but there is still a possibility that some

US

troops will stay for training,” said Gala Riani at London-based IHS Global Insight. “This will have repercussions for Iraqi security and for politics, the political groups within the government coalition are already at each others’ throats - as some wanted US troops to stay.” Around 40,000 US troops are still in Iraq, but they ended combat operations last year. They are mostly engaged in assisting Iraqi forces, who US and local officials say are now able to contain the country’s stubborn insurgency. But the two governments still need talks on how Iraqi forces can fill their capability gaps, including key air and maritime defense training, intelligence gathering and shifting to conventional warfare tactics from counter-insurgency. “There will be trainers after 2011,” said Ali Al-Moussawi, Maliki’s media advisor. “They did not discuss what type of trainers we will have... but we have agreed that the training will be done by the Americans.”

Maliki had offered Washington the possibility of more troops at the smaller training mission at the US embassy in Baghdad, which may have around 300 troops, or through the NATO mission. But those were

unlikely to offer Washington what it needs.

Washington will maintain a huge embassy in Baghdad and consular operations in Arbil in Kurdistan and the southern oil city Basra. Thousands of private contractors will also work as guards and trainers for Iraqi troops using US hardware such as tanks and F-16 fighters. A reduced US military presence in Iraq also raises questions about the increasing influence of its neighbours.

Syria’s ongoing turmoil threatens instability along Iraq’s western frontier while in the north and east, rivals Turkey and Iran are vying for influence though investments and political competition.

Even with US troops leaving, violence will not end as Sunni Islamists tied to AlQaeda hit out at local security forces and local government buildings to try to stir tensions and show Maliki’s government is unable to secure the country. Shiite militias are targeting US troops even as they pack up to leave around the country. “Various groups may feel more emboldened to conduct attacks after December with the knowledge that they won’t be targeted with US military operations in response,” said John Drake, senior risk consultant with

security firm AKE Group.

Obama’s decision will be welcomed by Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical, anti-US Shiite cleric who opposed US military presence and whose militia once fought US troops.

But the country’s Kurdish political blocs, who had pushed the hardest for a continued US presence, will be concerned over lingering disagreements with Iraqi Arab leaders. One key risk will be the areas disputed by the central government and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north of the country. Kurds and Iraqi Arabs differ over who controls oil areas adjacent to the Kurdish region.

US troops had until recently been conducting joint operations with Kurdish and Iraqi forces as a way to build confidence.

Many Kurdish leaders in particular believed a small US military presence would have helped stop the area from becoming a possible flashpoint for violence after withdrawal. “The prospects for Iraqi stability would be stronger with a continued US presence,” said Stephen Biddle at the Council on Foreign Relations. “If they want us to leave, then of course we must. I don’t think this is in Iraq’s best interest or ours.” — Reuters

Untested council key to orderly succession

By Angus McDowall he death of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Sultan puts the spotlight on an untested system of succession set up by King Abdullah in 2006 to ensure stability in the world’s top oil exporter. With turmoil engulfing other Arab powers, Saudi Arabia’s ageing leadership stands as a force of continuity at the head of a country that holds more than a fifth of the world’s crude oil. “The stability of Saudi Arabia is more important than ever,” said Turad Al-Amri, a political analyst in Saudi Arabia. “All the countries around it are crumbling. The balance of power is changing in the Middle East.”

This year the leaders of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia have fallen while those of Syria and Yemen are fighting uprisings. By contrast Saudi Arabia, the United States’ top ally in the Gulf, remains relatively stable but its five-year-old Allegiance Council has not had to decide any successions until now. In the past, who should become crown prince was determined in secret by the king and a small coterie of powerful princes. Under the new rules, the Allegiance Council representing each branch of the Al-Saud family should vote to approve King Abdullah’s nominated heir.

That choice is most likely to be the veteran Interior Minister Prince Nayef, who was named second deputy prime minister in 2009, a job usually given to the third-inline to the throne. “The succession will be orderly,” said Asaad Al-Shamlan, a professor of political science in Riyadh. “The point of reference will be the ruling of the Allegiance Council. It seems to me most likely Nayef will be chosen. If he becomes crown prince, I don’t expect much immediate change.”

King Abdullah is in his late 80s and had back surgery in Riyadh on Monday. He was later shown on state television in apparently good health chatting with princes around his hospital bed. Nayef has taken a more prominent role in recent years, deputising for the king and crown prince when they have been absent from the kingdom for medical treatment. When King Abdullah had the surgery last week, Nayef took his place in the weekly cabinet meeting, and when Muslim leaders arrived for the hajj pilgrimage to Makkah last year, Nayef stood on the runway to greet them off the plane.

Nayef’s emergence as the most active senior member of the ruling family has caused liberal Saudi Arabians some disquiet, due to his reputation as a conservative with close ties to the powerful clergy of the kingdom’s austere Wahhabi school of Islam. However, it is possible that as king, Nayef may be more likely to move towards the centre ground of a political system that prizes consensus - meaning the slow process of economic and social reforms initiated by Abdullah might continue. “We have to bear in mind that Abdullah was viewed much like Nayef when he became crown prince - as very religious and not proWestern - and he turned out to be a reformer,” said Robert Jordan, the US ambassador to Riyadh from 2001-03. “I

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A composite of file pictures shows (from left to right) Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz and late Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz. – AFP know Nayef and his son, and there could be some surprises if Nayef becomes king,” he added.

To outsiders, the Al-Saud family’s succession process often appears forbiddingly opaque. But behind the gilt doors of Riyadh palaces, the most senior princes in a family of thousands have long sketched out the next steps in a complex dance of power. Unlike in European monarchies, the line of royal succession does not move directly from father to eldest son, but has passed down a line of brothers born to the kingdom’s founder King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, who died in 1953.

So far, five brothers have become kings and around 20 are still alive, but only a few of those are thought realistic candidates to rule the country where Islam was born more than 14 centuries ago. Some have already been passed over or renounced their claims to rule. The Allegiance Council has 34 princely members who each represent a family of a son of King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud, and can cast one vote each to choose the next heir to the throne. King Abdullah will nominate a new crown prince for approval, but the council has the power to reject his choice in favour of its own candidate.

“The system has worked well in the past but there are new challenges,” said Khaled Al-Maeena, editor at large of the English language daily Arab News said a few days before Sultan’s death. “But even 10 years down the line it will go smoothly. This is a hallmark of the Al-Saud.” The most powerful bloc within the ranks of the ruling family is thought to comprise the sons born to Ibn Saud by his

favourite wife Hassa bint Ahmed Al-Sudairi. The so-called “Sudairi Seven” included King Fahd and Prince Sultan as well as Prince Nayef and Riyadh Governor Prince Salman.

However, to many analysts the main question is what will happen when the succession moves beyond the sons of Ibn Saud to one of his grandsons. That decision might not be made for a decade or more, but outside observers already see the emergence of a handful of contenders who appear better qualified to rule than their cousins. There are no formal rules on how the transition of generations will be made, other than through Abdullah’s Allegiance Council.

But any candidate would need broad support among the family as well as a strong record of political experience.

That might point to one of the Sudairis, such as King Fahd’s son Mohammed, who is governor of the Eastern Province, Sultan’s son Khaled, who is deputy defence minister and led Saudi forces during the 1991 Gulf War, or Nayef’s son Mohammed, who as deputy interior minister was partly responsible for the successful suppression of an Al-Qaeda uprising six years ago.

Another potential candidate among the third generation of the Al-Saud is Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, son of the former King Faisal and well regarded governor of Makkah Province, one of the most prestigious jobs in the country.

Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, the son of the present king, has inherited his father’s position as head of the Saudi Arabian National Guard, a military unit that stands separate to the ordinary armed forces and defends against the risk of coups d’etat. - Reuters

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

analysis

Gaddafi Africa’s latest ‘Big Man’ to fall

By Mark John ibya’s Muammar Gaddafi is just the latest name to be struck from the list of Africa’s so-called “Big Men”, the dwindling band of strongarm rulers who are finding it ever harder to keep their grip on power. But while the death of Gaddafi was at least partly the result of outside intervention, it is domestic pressure from Africa’s increasingly demanding city-dwellers that is forcing the pace of wider political change on the continent. Recent African elections, while in many cases either flawed or tilted towards the incumbent, have shown they can replace the coup d’etat as the preferred way of ousting leaders who have outstayed their welcome.

“It is the ballot box not the bullet that is effecting political change in Africa,” said Tara O’Connor of London-based Africa Risk Consulting. “The pressure for this is local and sustained.”

Killed by NATO-backed fighters who overran his home town Sirte on Thursday , Gaddafi topped the list of Africa’s longest serving rulers with 42 years of autocratic and often bloody and eccentric power to his name. That put him ahead of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of tiny central African oil-producer Equatorial Guinea on 32 years, Angola’s Jose Eduardo dos Santos on the same, and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe on 31 years. The Two-Decade-Plus Club already lost two members this year with the “Arab Spring” uprisings that saw off Tunisia’s Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak.

South of the Sahara, the push for change has been less spectacular, and some may doubt whether it is happening at all. Burkina Faso’s Blaise Compaore extended his 24-year rule in April with a landslide 80 percent poll win. Preliminary results from Cameroon’s election this month showed Paul Biya due to add to his 29 years in power with a 77 percent score.

Both votes suffered from a weak opposition, allegations of irregularities and an apathetic electorate convinced its vote would change nothing - the classic combination favouring the incumbent with a firm grip on the levers of state machinery.

Ghanaian democracy activist George Ayitteh said authoritarian rulers kept going by wielding influence over six vital institutions: the security forces, media, civil service, parliament, judiciary and election commission. But of those six,

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Ayitteh said the media was increasingly slipping out of the reach of such leaders because of the growth of privatelyowned FM radio stations and an expansion of the Internet, particularly in the cities. “It is almost impossible for them to control the Internet, while radio is a very powerful medium in Africa. It is going to be harder for them to stay in power,” said Ayitteh, who runs the Washington-based Free Africa Foundation.

The 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet Union brought to an end Africa’s role as a proxy for Cold War rivalries, with superpowers propping up ideologically compliant dictators. A shift in French policy also means the incumbent in its ex-colonies no longer enjoys automatic support from Paris. Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo learnt that to his cost in April when, after having allowed his security forces to fire live rounds at street protesters, he was removed from office by rebel forces backed by French troops. Yet the most powerful factor of all may be the relentless demographic trend which is turning Africa into a continent dominated by young urbanites.

While many of the remaining Big Men are well into their 70s, over half of Africa’s billion-plus population is under 25 and in many cases have known nothing but city life, said O’Connor.

“Urbanisation is breaking down those traditional ethnic allegiances. The common factor now is demands on jobs, health and housing - that puts pressure on the politicians.” That pressure would be all the greater were it not for the fragmented opposition in many African states, unable to put internecine rivalries aside to form a united front. Cameroon’s Biya, for example, stood against over 20 opponents.

Both O’Connor and Attiyeh acknowledged it could take time for viable opposition forces to develop in some countries, but noted that, unlike two decades ago, all-out boycotts of polls handing the incumbent a walkover were now rare.

Relatively smooth elections in countries from Nigeria and Zambia, which last month led to the swearing-in of opposition leader Michael Sata, are offering Africans proof they can throw out leaders deemed not to be delivering. Attiyeh said the Arab

Spring uprisings, while not emulated further south, had created a sense of impatience for change among many Africans which in coming years may lead to a series of clashes between them and the remaining old-time leaders. “It is not always going to be smooth sailing,” he warned. —Reuters

he first fled to exile, the second is on trial and the third Arab ruler to be toppled in an Arab revolt died at the hands of rebels he once dismissed as rats. The killing of Muammar Gaddafi sends a bleak message to Syrian and Yemeni presidents still resisting demands for change that the longer they hold out, the higher the price of failure. Tunisia’s leader Zine alAbidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak both stepped down within a few short weeks of mass protests breaking out against them.

But Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad shows no sign of yielding to seven months of unrest, and protesters who called at first for political reform of his tightly controlled Arab country are now openly chanting for his execution. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who reneged three times on pledges to hand over power, has already survived an assassination attempt which forced him briefly into exile for medical treatment. Gaddafi’s killing “sends a message for the presidents and the entourage around them what fate awaits us even if we are prevailing now?” said Ibrahim Seif, resident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. For months Gaddafi had the option of seeking safe haven in sympathetic African countries, Seif said, but chose to stand his ground against a rebel force which, backed by NATO jets, gradually turned the tide against his forces and eventually defeated and killed him. Neither Assad nor Saleh yet faces the prospect of foreign military intervention, but the longer their standoffs with protesters continue, the smaller the prospect of any deal to end the unrest.

“Some people are now saying that Zine alAbidine and Mubarak were wise men for leaving in that way,” Seif said. Even if the Yemeni and Syria leaders were determined to stay in power, their close supporters might have second

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thoughts, he added. “When they see total collapse they have to think twice about what they are doing.” Successive gains by Libyan rebels, from the capture of the capital Tripoli in August to Gaddafi’s killing on Thursday, have been closely monitored elsewhere by protesters and presidents alike. “Dictators share the same habits and traits - every time one of their own falls, the others take notice,” said Yemeni political analyst Abdulghani Al-Iryani. “This will have a big political impact on President Saleh”. But the veteran Yemeni leader is unlikely to be pushed into a dramatic change of strategy. “Saleh is now calibrating his response. It will be a game of combining military pressure with calls for negotiations,” Iryani said. “If things seem to be going his way he will increase military pressure, but if they seem to worsen for him he will open more to reconciliation”.

Hafedh al-Buqari, an analyst and president of the Yemen Polling Center, said Gaddafi’s death would frighten Saleh but might drive him to be “more stubborn against international pressure” to stand aside. “Saleh is looking for the fourth option - the Yemeni option without fleeing or dying. He thinks he can cling to power,” he said.

In some Arab countries, where rulers face calls for reform rather than regime change, the bloody end to Gaddafi’s 42-year hold on power could still encourage attempts at compromise.

“In Jordan, Morocco and Bahrain, they still have room to manoeuvre... and I think what happened to Gaddafi will accelerate the process of them engaging with their community,” Seif said.

But in Syria, as in Yemen, the news of Gaddafi’s death could simply entrench both sides in confrontation, as leaders do all in their powers to avoid sharing his fate. “It may give courage (to protesters) but it may also give the regime extra impetus to resist any opposition,” said Nikolaos Van Dam, a Dutch scholar and former diplomat.—Reuters

he chaotic scenes surrounding the apparent summary execution of Muammar Gaddafi may suggest to many among Libya’s Western allies that the country is headed towards a future of bloody score-settling rather than peace. His death and that of his son Mo’tassim following the fall of the Gaddafi hometown of Sirte on Thursday will do nothing to calm fears voiced by human rights activists including Amnesty International that Libya’s new rulers will repeat the abuses of the Gaddafi era. But a more accurate foretaste of what lies ahead for the OPEC member country as it shakes off 42 years of despotism may be the period of fractious but mostly peaceful politicking that has unfolded in the capital Tripoli since it fell to rebel forces in September.

Some Libyans, alarmed by the refusal of heavily armed provincial militias to leave the city after its fall, predicted the groups would resort to violence in their attempts to stake a claim to state largesse in a post-Gaddafi partition of power. In the event, the groups’ alliance of convenience did fragment, and their insistence on patrolling the streets in effect sidelined the police, whose return to duty was awaited impatiently by many Tripolitanians. But crucially the paramilitaries’ thinly-veiled competition for the title of top force in Tripoli has been limited mainly to bad-tempered verbal sparring rather than armed violence. That uneasy peace may continue, if only because Libya’s new rulers know they would risk global ridicule and possibly renewed international isolation if they decided to fight for the oil-funded spoils of their eight-month-old uprising.

“Can an inclusive, effective national government be formed - yes, if factions can avoid fighting,” Jon Marks, chairman of Britain’s Cross Border Information consultancy told Reuters. “So it’s all about the politics, and the $64,000 question is whether the new polity can retain the overall consensual feel you had during the revolution, or whether dangerous

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splits will occur.”

A critical moment will come when the interim unelected rulers, the National Transitional Council (NTC), declares the country fully liberated from Gaddafi’s rule, a move that will trigger a countdown to elections for a constituent assembly. The move, due imminently, is likely to prompt calls for the militias

A cautionary tale

By Hamza Hendawi mages of Muammar Gaddafi’s bloodied body flashed on TV screens across the world may send shivers down the spines of Syria’s Bashar Assad and Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh, two leaders clinging to power in the face of long-running Arab Spring uprisings. For the millions of Arabs yearning for freedom, democracy and new leadership, the death of one of the region’s most brutal dictators will likely inspire and invigorate the movement for change.

Gaddafi’s death sent ripples across the Arab world and set the Internet’s social networks abuzz with comments, mostly celebrating the demise of a leader whose bizarre and eccentric behavior over the years defined the woes of an Arab world mostly ruled by autocratic or despotic leaders. “There is an emotional connection between the revolutionaries in the region. Hope is contagious,” said Egyptian activist Mona Seif. “Our revolution is one. The fall of another tyrant is a victory for all of us,” she said in a post on her Twitter account. Gaddafi was shot dead Thursday in the final battle for his hometown of Sirte on Libya’s Mediterranean coast. He had been in hiding for the two months since the capital of Tripoli fell to rebels who rose up against his 42year rule in February. The 69-year-old Gaddafi - the first leader to be killed in the Arab Spring wave of popular uprisings - had vowed to fight to the end. In his world of nationalism and desert valor, it was a fate better than the perceived humiliation of exile or incarceration endured by Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. But while the death of Gaddafi and the triumph of the uprising in his North African nation has instantly given heart to pro-reform activists dreaming of change, the Arab world will watch closely what happens next in Libya - and to whether the region’s “Assads” and “Salehs” will see in his fate an incentive to cling to power and crack down even harder on any sign of unrest.

As word spread of Gaddafi’s death, jubilant Libyans poured into Tripoli’s central Martyr’s Square, chanting “Syria! Syria!” - urging the Syrian opposition on to victory. “Winning the war in Libya is the easy part. Building democracy will be the tough part,” said Ronald Bruce of St John’s College in Santa Fe. “It is going to be chaotic, but the Libyans will be up to the task.”

Ominously, regional and ethnic differences have already surfaced in Libya. Another source of tension is the conflicting views of the country’s Islamists and liberals about what postGaddafi Libya should look like. On Thursday, Libyans set aside their worries and differences to celebrate, firing in the air and singing in the streets. Similarly, most Egyptians were ecstatic when Hosni Mubarak stepped down in February after 29 years in office. But optimism and jubilation soon gave way to differences between the youth groups behind the 18-day uprising that forced the Egyptian leader out and the military council that took over the reins of power.

With the economy in tatters, crime significantly up, labor unrest spreading and almost daily street protests, Egyptians are far from certain about the future of their nation, even though some believe the worst may be behind them. - AP

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identity in Libya is a social more than a political phenomenon. “Those who expect Libya now to fragment, or to turn into a North African Baghdad, are likely to be disappointed,” wrote Juan Cole, a Middle East expert at the University of Michigan. “It is improbable that Gaddafi’s cult will long survive him, at least on any significant scale. Libya has no

Graffiti is seen on a wall in Tripoli on Friday. — AP to disarm and help build national security forces. Whether they will comply swiftly is in doubt, in view of local rivalries long suppressed by Gaddafi’s tough rule.

There is a longstanding competition between Libya’s east and west - Gaddafi mistrusted Benghazi, long an eastern opposition bastion, and starved it of funding. Then there are other, local rivalries between individual towns, now advancing rival claims for their fighters’ role in bringing down Gaddafi. But there is no communal divide such as that between Iraq’s Sunnis and Shiites, and tribal

sectarian divides of the Sunni-Shiite sort.

Almost everyone is a Sunni Muslim,” he wrote.

“A more or less democratic government that spreads around the oil largesse more equitably could easily overcome this divide, which is contingent and not structural.”

Some Libyans say that the fact that the rival provincial militias have thus far chosen not to fight each other suggests they have calculated that warlordism is not the way to advance their interests. A better method would be to preserve sufficient national stability to allow the oil to flow, and then argue

ith five years and nine months in the job, Evo Morales has held onto Bolivia’s presidency for the longest unbroken period of any elected leader. Until recently, even rivals acknowledged his role in an unprecedented run of political and economic stability in one of South America’s most volatile countries.

But months of anti-government protests and diminishing support among Morales’ indigenous base are stirring up doubts about the long-term future of the poor country’s first president of Indian descent.

“A build up of tensions is very quickly eroding the government’s influence and credibility, which was the greatest we’ve had in 50 years,” said Roger Cortez, a political scientist at Bolivia’s San Andres university.

Leftist Morales, a fierce critic of US foreign policy in Latin America and an ally of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, has steadily increased the state’s role in the economy.

He nationalized the large natural gas industry, mining facilities and utility companies, pleasing the Aymara and Quechua Indians who dominate Andean parts of the country and form the backbone of his support.

At the same time, he has pushed through a series of political reforms aimed at giving the long-neglected indigenous majority a bigger say. In 2009, a new constitution was passed, allowing Morales to keep one of his main campaign promises. Overhauling the charter was a key demand of the social groups that toppled two governments between 2003 and 2005. Morales, however, has lost his aura of invincibility over the last year as traditional allies turn against him.

Recent protests against the construction of a $420 million highway through an Amazonian national park and indigenous territory, which were led by Indian activists, prompted Morales to backtrack on Friday. He said the road would not now be built through the socalled TIPNIS reserve, raising questions about the future of the Brazilian-financed project.

Voters punished Morales over the government’s handling of the anti-road demonstrations during an election last weekend to vote for national judges. What was meant to be the latest step in Morales’ drive to “refound” the country turned into a major setback when more than half of voters spoiled their ballots or left them blank. Opposition leaders had billed the vote as a referendum on Morales’ presidency, urging voters to spoil ballot papers in protest over the highway debacle.

Morales’ about-face on the road-building scheme echoed a similar climbdown late last year when he reversed a dramatic fuel price hike that had unleashed protests across the country, especially among former trade union allies. Scrapping the fuel subsidies and letting prices rise would have saved the state about $500 million per year. Cortez said fading confidence in Morales could cause further delays to governmentbacked industrial and infrastructure projects as he loses his ability to defuse protests by indigenous communities. Franklin Pareja, a La Paz-based political scientist, said Morales may be paying the price for making generous concessions to small indigenous groups, particularly a right to be consulted on development projects. “He didn’t think being magnanimous would would cause him so many problems,” Pareja said. Morales, who has no clear political heir, has hinted that he would like to run for a third term in 2014. Critics say it looks too late for him to get his presidency back on track. “Morales’ time is finished,” said Rafael Quispe, an Aymara Indian like Morales and the leader of highland activists who joined the Amazon road protesters. — Reuters

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Race for the spoils may stir Libya rifts

By William Maclean

Morales is losing invincibility aura

By Carlos Alberto Quiroga

Gaddafi death warning to Assad, Saleh

By Dominic Evans

Focus

their corner for a larger share of budget funding. London-based consultancy Exclusive Analysis said that the NTC was likely to disagree on how to allocate oil and gas revenues, the power of the central and provincial government and the ability of the provinces to contract foreign firms for infrastructure and oil projects.

As a result, small-scale fighting was likely in the run-up to, and after, the drafting of the constitution, it said. “A key indicator will be agreement over the authority of the National Oil Company over regional state-owned or partly state-owned firms, such as the Arabian Gulf Oil Company, Waha Oil Company and Sirte Oil Company. Cole said factionalism was “a given” and the government had a small bureaucracy and few people with management skills. But he noted that Gulf oil states facing similar problems in the 1960s and 1970s just imported Egyptian bureaucrats and managers. Egypt and Tunisia have a surplus of educated potential managers who face under-employment of their skills at home, he said, suggesting these would be of use to a postwar Libya. Marks of Cross Border Information said a Tunisian official had told him Tunisia expected some 200,000-250,000 Tunisian workers to return to Libya - providing a big boost for Tunisia’s own revolution, which urgently needs to create jobs.

Former British ambassador to Libya Richard Dalton said getting the militias under control would be a key task but “we just don’t know just how rocky that road will be”. Marks said the critical question was how quickly the NTC could transform itself into an inclusive national government that can shape the political arena ahead of elections. “The question of militias is important: this is a highly armed country, with a number of militias potentially contending for power - a few benefiting from Qatari and other largesse from abroad). Communities such as the Berbers are quite clear that, this time, they will not be fobbed off with third rate infrastructure and services and crumbs from the resources table.” — Reuters

Will Obama foreign policy success help?

By Steve Holland resident Barack Obama delivered on another foreign policy promise on Friday with plans to pull the last US troops from Iraq. But in a re-election campaign all about the weak US economy, he may not get much credit. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, radical Islamist cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi - these are all dead US opponents that Democrat Obama can claim a measure of credit for getting. Now add to that Obama’s announcement on Friday that the eight-year war in Iraq is ending, fulfilling a campaign goal he made in 2008 when he declared the conflict a misguided mistake by his Republican predecessor, George W Bush.

In any other year, Obama might be able to ride these accomplishments to re-election in Nov 2012. But with the economy teetering and Americans hungry for jobs, the national security successes may only inoculate him from Republican criticism of his foreign policy.

Democratic strategist Bob Shrum said Obama has shown a decisiveness and coolness of character that will help him in 2012, when Obama is seeking a second term. And he called it proof that Obama was able to do the job that his chief opponent for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, said he could not with a famous TV ad. “We now know the answer to the question of whether he’s good at answering the phone when it rings at 3 am to tell him there’s a crisis,” said Shrum, who was 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry’s campaign manager.

But will voters care? For clues, look at what happened to Republican President George H W Bush two decades ago. He saw his approval ratings rise above 90 percent after US forces won the first Gulf War against Iraq, only to see his popularity tumble due to an anemic economy. Bush lost the 1992 election to Democrat Bill Clinton, whose campaign mantra was, “It’s the economy, stupid”. Now look at some numbers: Obama’s job approval rating was at 42 percent on Friday with 74 percent saying the economic outlook was getting worse, according to a Gallup poll. The biggest number he faces is the 9.1 percent unemployment rate. “The debate this year and next year is going to be overwhelmingly focused on the economy, on jobs,” said Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson. “Foreign policy and international affairs are really going to be sort of pushed to the background.” As political experts attest, however, it is never easy to oust an incumbent president who has the advantages of the office to make his case and ample campaign funds to portray his opponent in a negative light. Much about politics is about positioning, and Republicans were reluctant to cede much ground to Obama on foreign policy. — Reuters

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Cibulkova eyes Moscow title MOSCOW: Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova continued her rich vein of form by crushing Russian Elena Vesnina 6-0, 6-2 in the Kremlin Cup semi-finals yesterday to reach her second final in as many weeks. Cibulkova, who lost to Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in last week’s Linz Open final, will face Estonian Kaia Kanepi in today’s showpiece at the

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Olympic indoor arena in Moscow.

Kanepi came from a set down to topple Czech Lucie Safarova 6-7 6-4 6-3 in the second semi-final. Cibulkova, who upset top seed Vera Zvonareva on Friday, had little trouble against Vesnina and eased into the final in just over an hour when her unseeded opponent dumped a tame smash into the net on match point.

“When you win the first set 6-0 it’s easy to lose your concentration a little bit,” the eighth seed told reporters.

“That’s what happened to me at the start of the second set but I managed to wake up soon and finish the match.”

Cibulkova added: “I know I’ve lost all three of my previous finals including the one last week, but I feel if I continue playing the way I do now sooner or later I’ll win one.”— Reuters

S Africa recall Rudolph

Brazil sports minister faces fresh allegations RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian media reported more corruption allegations against the country’s embattled sports minister yesterday, raising the pressure on him to quit a day after he received the backing of President Dilma Rousseff.

Accusations that Silva took up to 40 million reais ($23 million) in kickbacks to benefit himself and his Communist Party have embarrassed the government and risk complicating Brazil’s already-troubled preparations for the 2014 soccer World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

The Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper said yesterday it had seen documents showing that Silva’s wife

received public money from a nongovernmental organization controlled by members of Silva’s Communist Party. It said the documents showed that the NGO had contracted a firm owned by Silva’s wife and paid her 43,500 reais for research work.

Another newspaper, Folha de Sao Paulo, reported an evangelical pastor as saying he had been pressured by sports ministry officials to pay a kickback of 10 percent to the Communist Party on a public project to provide sports for needy children. The pastor, David Castro, said the project had been halted because he refused to pay the bribe.—Reuters

JOHANNESBURG: Jacques Rudolph has been recalled to South Africa’s squad for next month’s two-test series against Australia after a five-year absence.

“Jacques will open the batting with Graeme Smith,” selection convener Andrew Hudson said in a statement yesterday. “His experience and form make him an asset to the Proteas and at the age of 30 he has plenty of good years of cricket ahead of him. “Jacques has underlined once again the importance of good domestic form and the fact that it is the gateway to national selection,” Hudson added.

Rudolph played the last of his 35 tests in August 2006 but has forced his way back into the reckoning through sheer

weight of runs.

The dashing left-hander, who scored an unbeaten 222 on his test debut against Bangladesh, has piled up 568 runs in three games in domestic cricket this season. Rudolph has hit 2,028 runs in tests at an average of 36.21. South Africa also named two uncapped players, Pakistan-bornlegspinner Imran Tahir and all-rounder Vernon Philander, in their squad.

Both have represented their country in limitedovers cricket. Tahir is one of two spinners in the squad alongside leftarmer Paul Harris.—Reuters

Sangakkara and Jayawardene halt Pakistan’s victory charge

ABU DHABI: Sri Lankan batsman Prasanna Jayawardene plays a yorker by Pakistan’s Aizaz Cheema during the fifth day of a cricket Test match. — AP

Scoreboard Scoreboard after the first test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi ended in a draw on yesterday: Sri Lanka first innings 197 Pakistan first innings 511-6 declared Sri Lanka second innings (overnight 298-5) T. Paranavitana lbw b Gul 0 L. Thirimanne run out 68 K. Sangakkara lbw b Azhar Ali 211 M. Jayawardene b Saeed Ajmal 4 T. Dilshan b Junaid Khan 9 A. Mathews lbw b Gul 22 P. Jayawardene c A Akmal b Cheema 120 R. Herath not out 23 C. Welegedara c A Akmal b Gul 8 S. Lakmal b Gul 0 N. Pradeep run out 0 Extras (b-4, lb-11, nb-3) 18 Total (all out; 168 overs) 483 Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-153 3-160 4-191 5-233

6-434 7-466 8-477 9-481 Bowling: Umar Gul 25-3-64-4 (1nb), Aizaz Cheema 32-1-108-1, Saeed Ajmal 55-8-1671, Junaid Khan 31-6-83-1 (2nb), Mohammad Hafeez 22-4-42-0, A. Ali 3-1-4-1.

Pakistan second innings M. Hafeez not out 12 T. Umar lbw b Welegedara 2 A. Ali not out 4 Extras (nb-3) 3 Total (one wicket; 10 overs) 21 Did not bat: Y. Khan, Misbah-ul Haq, A. Shafiq, A. Akmal, U. Gul, A. Cheema, S. Ajmal, J. Khan Fall of wicket: 1-7 Bowling: Chanaka Welegedara 5-2-9-1 (2nb), Suranga Lakmal 2-1-1-0 (1nb), Rangana Herath 2-0-8-0, Nuwan Pradeep 10-3-0.

ABU DHABI: Kumar Sangakkara compiled his eighth double hundred in tests and with able support from Prasanna Jayawardene salvaged a draw for Sri Lanka on the final day of the opening test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Sri Lanka survived some nervous moments at the closing stages of their second innings before being all out for 483 to set Pakistan a victory target of 170 from 21 overs.

Pakistan decided against the chase and reached 21 for one, with the loss of double centurion in first innings, Taufeeq Umar, when stumps were drawn.

Sangakkara (211) and Jayawardene (120), both unbeaten overnight, batted resolutely to add 201 for the sixth-wicket as Pakistan were left to rue Friday’s dropped chances.

Stylish left-hander Sangakkara, who was dropped on 56 by Younis Khan off Mohammad Hafeez, got past the 200-run mark with a glance to the fine-leg boundary.

The former Sri Lanka captain, who also survived a run-out chance on 190, hit 18 boundaries during his 431-ball knock, before he fell lbw in the last over before tea to give part-time legspinner Azhar Ali his first test wicket.

Pakistan’s last hopes of forcing a victory after the mammoth partnership between Sangakkara and Jayawardene ended when an easy catch from Rangana Herath (23 not out) off Junaid Khan was dropped by Umar Gul at mid-off.

Jayawardene, who also received a life on Friday when substitute fielder Wahab Riaz put down an easy catch off Gul, completed his fourth test hundred with a lofted drive over spinner Saeed Ajmal’s head.

The right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman fell to the third new ball of the innings when he edged paceman Aizaz Cheema behind the stumps. Gul wiped off the Sri Lankan tailenders, finishing with four for 64.

The Pakistan pacemen managed to extract a bit of reverse swing with the old ball in dry conditions at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium and troubled the batsmen on a number of occasions but failed to get the crucial wickets. Pakistan are playing “home” tests in the Gulf region because of security fears in their own country. The match is the first in a three-test series. — Reuters

Play called off in Bangladesh CHITTAGONG: The second day’s play in the first Test between Bangladesh and West Indies at Chittagong was called off yesterday due to heavy overnight rain that left the outfield damp.

The match referee and umpires made the decision after an inspection at 1100 local (0500 GMT) time. Play will resume 30 minutes earlier than scheduled today at 0900.

Bangladesh were on 255-4 at the close of day one after winning the toss and batting first, with captain Mushfiqur Rahim unbeaten on 68. — Reuters

Trott: Wins against India can boost team morale MUMBAI: The series is already lost but England batsman Jonathan Trott wants to win the remaining two one-day matches against India to lift his team’s morale.

“Performances in these games will give us a spring,” Trott said yesterday. “It is definitely not the case of damage limitation but rather a case of realizing you haven’t played up to expectations.”

India leads the series 3-0 with the two remaining games being played in Mumbai today and Kolkata on Tuesday. Trott could not pinpoint the reason why India was able to win so soon after a disastrous tour of England where it failed to take a single match.

“I think we lost key periods of the game or India played well in the key periods of the game,” Trott said. “It has to be one of the two really, will have to think about it.”

Trott scored an unbeaten 98 in the third ODI in Mohali which went to the last over after England set a 299-run target.

“I think we played well the other night. We got a good total but just could not get across the line,” Trott said. “Our basics haven’t been up to the mark, things like big partnerships, fielding.”

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reportedly criticized England’s players for sledging and a 7.5 percent match fee fine was given to England pace bowler Tim Bresnan for showing disrespect to an umpire during the last game.

“We get the best out of each other but sometimes you go out of the way to do it and things happen in the heat of the moment,” Trott said.

India opener Ajinkya Rahane said he was looking forward to playing the next two games, especially on his home ground at Mumbai.

“It’s a proud moment for me because the World Cup was held at this venue and we became world champions,” Rahane said.

Rahane, who top-scored for India in the last game with a solid 91, said he was not bothered about the possibility of giving way for top stars like Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag once

they recover from injuries.

“I had a talk with our captain and he told me to play my natural game,” Rahane said.

“We’re looking forward to tomorrow’s game not looking ahead. We are 3-0 up but we start from zero.” — AP

MUMBAI: England’s Jonathan Trott prepares to throw the ball during a training session ahead of their fourth one-day international cricket match against India today. — AP

HARARE: New Zealand players fail to run out Zimbabwean batsman Brendan Taylor (right) on the second day of the One Day International cricket match against New Zealand. — AP

Taylor second ton in vain as New Zealand triumph HARARE: For the second successive match, Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor hit an unbeaten century and finished on the losing side as New Zealand won the second one-day international by four wickets at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

Taylor made 107 not out off 105 balls with 12 fours and a six to enable Zimbabwe to reach 259 for eight. But in-form Martin Guptill hit a century of his own to secure victory for New Zealand.

Guptill, who made a hundred on debut against the West Indies in Auckland in January 2009, notched his second century in his 54th match.

He made 105 off 121 balls and shared a second-wicket stand of 157 with Brendon McCullum which put New Zealand on course for an easy win before three wickets fell in quick succession to give the tourists some anxious moments. McCullum struck 87 off 99 balls but was dropped four times, including a chance before he had scored.

McCullum, skipper Ross Taylor and Guptill were out within the space of 27 balls, bringing together two new batsmen in Kane Williamson and BJ Watling with 38 still needed off 47 balls.

Watling was run out with seven still needed and James Franklin was out for one before Jacob Oram hit the winning runs with ten balls to spare.

“We stuttered at the end,” said Ross Taylor. “We always had it under control but we would have liked to

finish it a bit more professionally.”

Brendan Taylor followed up his 128 not out in the first match at the same ground on Thursday, when New Zealand won by nine wickets, with another impressive innings, again having to battle through a difficult early period when the seam bowlers received some assistance from the pitch.

“It was a slightly better (team) performance,” said the Zimbabwe skipper. “Whatever total you posted, with the wicket flattening out it was always going to be hard to defend.”

Zimbabwe struggled against lively bowling from left-armer Andy McKay and the tall Oram and limped to 88 for four in the 25th over.

Taylor then found an aggressive partner in Malcolm Waller, who hit 42 during a fifth wicket stand of 86 off 73 balls as the conditions became easier for batsmen.

Elton Chigumbura (14) and Keegan Meth (20) helped Taylor in partnerships of 40 for the sixth wicket and 29 for the seventh wicket.

Taylor was on 98 when Prosper Utseya was dismissed by Oram off the first ball of the last over but Ray Price was able to feed the strike to his captain.

Taylor hit the third ball of the over to fine leg to become the first Zimbabwean to hit back-to-back centuries. McKay achieved his best figures in one-day internationals, taking four for 53, while Oram took three for 48, which included 14 off his final over. — AFP

Scoreboard HARARE: Scoreboard in second one-day international between Zimbabwe and New Zealand at Harare Sports Club yesterday: Zimbabwe V. Sibanda c Oram b Aldridge 19 H. Masakadza c Williamson b McKay 20 B. Taylor not out 107 T. Taibu b McKay 2 F. Mutizwa c Franklin b Oram 6 M. Waller b McKay 42 E. Chigumbura b McKay 14 K. Meth c Nicol b Oram 20 P. Utseya c McCullum b Oram 7 R. Price not out 5 Extras (lb3, nb1, w13) 17 Total (8 wkts, 50 overs) 259 Fall of wickets: 1-41 (Sibanda), 2-47 (Masakadza), 3-53 (Taibu), 4-88 (Mutizwa), 5-169 (Waller), 6-169 (Chigumbura), 7-238 (Meth), 8-245 (Utseya) Bowling: Bracewell 10-1-48-0 (1w), Aldridge 10-1-45-1 (3w), McKay 10-053-4 (2w), Oram 10-0-48-3 (3w), Franklin 7-0-32-0 (1nb), Nicol 2-0-23-0 (1w), Williamson 1-0-7-0 (1w).

Did not bat: C. Mpofu

New Zealand R. Nichol c Mutizwa b Meth 9 M. Guptill b Waller 105 B. McCullum c Sibanda b Meth 87 R. Taylor c Mutizwa b Utseya 11 K. Williamson not out 14 B. Watling run out (Meth) 19 J. Franklin c Mutizwa b Mpofu 1 J. Oram not out 4 Extras (lb3, w8) 11 Total (6 wkts, 48.2 overs) 261 Fall of wickets: 1-49 (Nicol), 2-206 (McCullum), 3-222 (Taylor), 4-222 (Guptill), 5-253 (Watling), 6-257 (Franklin) Bowling: Mpofu 7.2-0-49-1, Meth 10-152-2 (2w), Price 10-1-42-0, Utseya 10-053-1 (1w), Chigumbura 7-0-40-0, Masakadza 1-0-5-0 (1w), Waller 3-0-17-1.

Did not bat: D. Bracewell, G. Aldridge, A. McKay Result: New Zealand won by 4 wickets Man of the match: Martin Guptill (NZL) Series: New Zealand lead the threematch series 2-0

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NEWARK: New Jersey Devils’ Eric Boulton (22), of Canada, knocks San Jose Sharks’ Douglas Murray (3) off his skates as they fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game. —AP

Red Wings stay unbeaten DETROIT: Johan Franzen scored two power-play goals and added an assist to help the Detroit Red Wings remain unbeaten with a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.

Detroit (5-0-0) and the Washington Capitals (6-0-0) - who play the Red Wings in Washington on Saturday night - are the NHL’s only two unbeaten teams.

Columbus (0-6-1) is the league’s only team without a win.

Valtteri Filppula had a goal and three assists, Nicklas Lidstrom had a goal and an assist and Pavel Datsyuk also scored for Detroit, while Tomas Holmstrom added two assists, and Jimmy Howard made 32 saves.

Derick Brassard and Aaron Johnson scored for the Blue Jackets and Steve Mason stopped 28 shots.

and Elias failed on the next two.

Sharks 4, Devils 3 At Newark, New Jersey, Michal Handzus and Ryane Clowe scored shootout goals as the San Jose Sharks celebrated captain Joe Thornton’s 1,000th NHL game with a victory over New Jersey.

Thornton scored and set up Joe Pavelski’s tying goal with 32.4 seconds left in regulation to help the Sharks end a three-game losing streak and end the Devils’ three-game winning streak. Clowe also scored in regulation for San Jose.

Zach Parise scored on a second-period penalty shot, and Patrik Elias and David Clarkson had the other goals for New Jersey, which got a 38-save performance from Johan Hedberg.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored on New Jersey’s first attempt in the shootout, but Parise

Stars 3, Ducks 1 At Anaheim, California, Loui Eriksson scored 13 seconds after the opening faceoff and scored again early in the third period, leading Dallas to its fifth straight victory.

Mike Ribeiro also scored for the Stars, 6-1-0 after missing the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons. It’s their best start since 2006-07, when they won eight of their first nine and finished 50-25-7 before losing in the first round of the playoffs. The only other time they started 6-1 was 1996-97.

Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves, giving up a power-play goal to reigning MVP Corey Perry with a tenth of a second left in the second period after the Stars took a 2-0 lead. The loss ended Anaheim’s four-game winning streak. —AP

Blues 3, Hurricanes 2 At St. Louis, Matt D’Agostini scored in the fourth minute of overtime to lift St. Louis past Carolina. Jason Arnott and David Backes scored in the second period to help the Blues overcome a 2-0 deficit, and Brian Elliott made 27 saves.

In overtime after the Blues stopped a penalty, Vladimir Sobotka won a faceoff, got the puck back from Pietrangelo and fed D’Agostini to deflect it past goalie Cam Ward.

Brandon Sutter had a goal and an assist for Carolina, Jay Harrison also scored, and Ward stopped 40 shots. The Blues won for the first time in three matches, while the Hurricanes’ win streak stops at three.

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Friday. San Jose 4, New Jersey 3 (SO); Detroit 5, Columbus 2; St. Louis 3,Carolina 2 (OT ); Dallas 3, Anaheim 1. (SO denotes shootout win) (OT denotes overtime win) Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA Pittsburgh 5 2 2 26 21 Philadelphia 4 1 1 21 15 New Jersey 3 1 1 12 12 NY Islanders 3 2 0 12 10 NY Rangers 2 1 2 12 11 Northeast Division Buffalo 5 1 0 20 10 Toronto 4 1 1 19 19 Boston 3 4 0 17 15 Ottawa 2 5 0 20 31 Montreal 1 4 1 13 19 Southeast Division Washington 6 0 0 23 13 Carolina 3 2 2 19 22 Florida 3 3 0 14 16 Tampa Bay 2 3 2 22 27 Winnipeg 1 4 1 11 22

PTS 12 9 7 6 6 10 9 6 4 3 12 8 6 6 3

Western Conference Central Division Detroit 5 0 0 18 7 Chicago 4 1 1 20 13 St. Louis 3 4 0 18 22 Nashville 2 3 1 13 20 Columbus 0 6 1 14 25 Northwest Division Colorado 5 2 0 21 16 Minnesota 3 2 2 16 17 Vancouver 3 3 1 19 21 Edmonton 2 2 2 11 12 Calgary 2 3 1 15 18 Pacific Division Dallas 5 1 0 16 13 Los Angeles 4 1 1 16 10 Anaheim 4 1 0 11 9 Phoenix 2 3 1 15 18 San Jose 2 3 0 14 14

10 9 6 5 1 10 8 7 6 5 10 9 8 5 4

AUCKLAND: When it emerged in the hectic buildup to today’s Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and France that city officials in Auckland were already planning a tickertape parade for the victorious All Blacks, 4.5 million New Zealanders touched wood.

The officials were only being prudent. If New Zealand beats France today to win the World Cup for the first time in 24 years, a victory celebration will be expected and tickertape parades don’t plan themselves.

But for this nation of 4.5 million - 1.5 million of whom weren’t born when New Zealand last won the Rugby World Cup - planning a parade before the final against the French seemed an act of almost reckless presumption. When you’ve waited as long as New Zealand has for a World Cup victory, you don’t tempt fate.

If New Zealanders are overly cautious about celebrating, even anticipating World Cup success, it’s the conditioned response of a nation for which World Cup failures have become a shared, generational experience.

Fathers who experienced New Zealand’s semifinal defeat in 1991 can now share the experience with sons embittered by the quarterfinal loss of 2007.

Both may have flown to London for the 1999 final in an Air New Zealand 747 painted in All Blacks colors in readiness for the task of ferrying the Webb Ellis Cup to New Zealand.

Instead, that was the year archrival Australia became the first two-time champion.

Victory celebrations have previously been planned, finals tickets confidently booked, parades planned and not because New Zealanders are innately overconfident.

The All Blacks are one of the most successful mainstream teams in the history of sports, having won more than 75 percent of their matches over 106 years; current head coach Graham Henry has an 85 percent win-rate over seven years. New Zealand has been rated the No. 1 team in world rugby at some time in almost every year since rugby became professional in 1995.

As the top team in the world, New Zealand has seemed to deserve to win the World Cup but according to David Kirk, the captain of the All Blacks team that won the first World Cup in 1987, deserving has nothing to do with it.

“There’s no point saying ‘they deserve it’ because you don’t get what you deserve in life. You get what you’re good enough to take,” he said. “The huge expectation is always a concern but I don’t think it will affect them.

Ultimately, they’re not playing for four million people but for themselves as a team. You can’t

after a total of 30 hours of discussions spread over three days, the body language on both sides summed up the impasse. “We’ve kind of worn each other out,” a grim-faced Peter Holt, chairman of the NBA’s labor relations committee, told reporters. “We are where we are and they are where they are.”

NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver, sitting next to Holt, said: “Ultimately, we were unable to bridge the gap that separates the two parties. At this time, we have no further discussions scheduled with the union.” — Reuters

Rainbow Warrior at its moorings on Auckland’s waterfront, only a stone’s throw from the central fanzone for 2011 where crowds have congregated to watch matches throughout the tournament.

The raw memory of the Warrior sinking added to New Zealanders’ sense of triumph as

AUCKLAND: The All Blacks group together for a team photo following the captain’s run in Auckland. The All Blacks will play France in the final of the Rugby World Cup at Eden Park today. —AP sion that he “deserves” to follow Kirk as only the second New Zealand captain to lift the World Cup. Yet McCaw’s career, and Henry’s, may be deemed incomplete if New Zealand fails again to deliver a World Cup win.

“I know it’s got a bearing on what I’ve done but you’d like to think the things you’ve done through 10 years, regardless of what happens tomorrow, would mean something,” he said.

New Zealand has won more matches, scored more points, produced more tries in Rugby World Cups than any other nation. It has never lost a match in pool play and now shares with Australia and France the record for the most finals any team has reached.

Yet, New Zealanders’ deep-seated regret over the inability of the All Blacks to win the Rugby World Cup more than once leads them to perceive the nation’s World Cup record as a catalogue of concerted failure. Australia and South Africa have won the tournament twice, the All Blacks only once, and so long ago.

On June 20, 1987, on a sparkling midwinter day and in front of a crowd of around 45,000 at Eden Park, New Zealand beat France 29-9 in the final of the inaugural event.

Only two years previously, French saboteurs had sunk the Greenpeace flagship

the All Blacks beat France by three tries to one to lift the first World Cup. Flyhalf Grant Fox, who kicked 17 points in that match, said it was unimaginable to that generation of players that 24 years and five tournaments later, when the World Cup final returned to Eden Park, New Zealand might still be seeking a second victory.

“As a nation, we’ve not had a monkey on our backs but we’ve actually had a bloody great gorilla!” Fox said. “We need to get it off. I think it’s important that we win for the country’s sanity.” Gary Hermansson, a former representative rugby player and now a sports psychologist, said New Zealand’s national psyche - the psyche of a small nation - might have played a part in its history of World Cup failures. “Historically, we have been the underdog and we tend to perform well when that is our position,” he said. “The problem is when we are favorites, as at World Cups, we shift from a desire to do well to a fear of not doing well.

“When that happens skill drops away, we get a bit preoccupied and we choke. We tighten up physically and mentally and don’t perform well. That’s been our pattern over the years and this time around it seems to be different which is good.” —AP

Donald loses ground to Simpson in money list duel FLORIDA: World number one Luke Donald lost ground in his battle with Webb Simpson for the PGA Tour money list title as the Briton carded a oneunder-par 71 in Friday’s second round of the Disney Classic at Lake Buena Vista in Florida. Donald needs to finish no worse than in a two-way tie for second at this week’s season-ending event to eclipse American Simpson at the top but he will go into late yesterday’s third round five shots off the pace in a tie for 14th.

“It wasn’t very good,” Donald told reporters after mixing three birdies with two bogeys while fighting a sinus infection. “I struggled in kind of all parts of my game unfortunately.

“My energy level, my focus wasn’t very good. I struggled off the tee. Hopefully (I’ll) get a good night’s rest and feel a bit more recharged tomorrow. I’m going to need to go low on the weekend.”

While money list leader Simpson returned a 69 to end the day level with Donald at seven-under 137, American Justin Leonard, South Korean Bio Kim and Swede Henrik Stenson took joint control.

Leonard fired a best-of-the-day 63 on the Palm course, one of two layouts hosting the event, 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie Kim carded a 65 and Stenson a 64 as the trio set the pace at 12-under 132.

Australian left-hander Nick O’Hern was fourth at 10-under after shooting a 66, also on the Palm layout. Late yesterday, for a third day in a row, Donald and Simpson will play together in what has been dubbed the ‘Duel at Disney’.

“It’s great for the sponsor, television and all that goes with it,” said Donald, who trailed Simpson by $363,029 in the money list coming into this week. “But to be honest, I’ve got to beat everyone, not just Webb. I’ve got to play better than I did today.”

For former British Open champion Leonard, this week has been a rare moment of good form in an otherwise forgettable season. “It hasn’t been a good year,” said the 39-year-old who has not won since the 2008 St Jude Championship and languishes 144th in the money list.

“I’m looking forward to the year being over but it’s nice to have a chance this week to finish it off on a good note. I had a fun, easy day today.”

Kim, the youngest player on this year’s PGA Tour, was delighted after a round highlighted by only 22 putts on the more difficult Magnolia layout.

“I putted great and 20, 30-footers went in the last two holes too,” he said with a broad grin. “I hit the ball better than (I’ve done in the) last couple of months so that’s always good.” Kim celebrated his 21st birthday in South Korea in August when he also had surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat. “I was a little bit scared but this is the second time getting the surgery,” he said after recording eight birdies and a lone bogey. “I (also) had it when I was 11. “I practised before I took the surgery and then had about a week when I didn’t touch a club.

After that it was totally fine. The doctor said I could play golf.” — Reuters

FLORIDA: Nick O’Hern, of Australia, lines up his birdie putt on the 10th hole during the second round of the Children’s Miracle Network Classic golf tournament. —AP

Tseng shoots into outright lead

A bridge too far for NBA owners, players NEW YORK: The likelihood of the NBA season starting at any point over the coming months appeared to be fast disappearing after marathon talks between players and owners ended this week without a deal being struck.

If anything, the gap between the two sides in their long-running labor dispute loomed as large as ever, despite indications that some progress had been made early on in their meetings in New York with federal mediator George Cohen. When negotiations were finally halted on Thursday night

just carry everyone else’s hopes and fears around in your backpack and expect to stand up straight.”

Current all Blacks captain Richie McCaw will play his 104th match for New Zealand in today’s final, enlarging his record as New Zealand most-capped player and the impres-

TAIWAN: Yani Tseng of Taiwan watches her shot on the 9th hole during the third round of the LPGA Taiwan golf championship at the Sunrise Golf and Country Club. —AP

YANGMEI: World number one Yani Tseng thrilled her home fans as she shot a five-under-par 67 yesterday to take the outright lead at the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship going into the final round.

Tseng holds a two-stroke lead over Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist after the Taiwanese recorded seven birdies and two bogeys en route to the round of the day at the windy Sunrise Golf & Country Club. A victory in Yangmei would be the 22-yearold Tseng’s seventh LPGA Tour victory and 11th international win this season.

“It would be very, very special to win in this tournament tomorrow because this is the first time so many people is coming to watch us, and I think it just you know, it is my honour,” said Tseng.

“I can share this honour with all the fans there.”

Nordqvist, who has won twice on the LPGA Tour, shot a solid 71 in trying conditions to stay in contention, along with Spain’s Azahara Munoz, who carded a 72.

“I’m really excited about tomorrow, obviously

playing the last group with Aza and Yani,” said Nordqvist. “It’s really exciting. Just every time you put yourself in a position to win, this is what I dream of and practise for.”

Tseng said the blustery conditions made life tricky. “I’ve been really, really patient, and before I go out, the first tee, I told my caddie, ‘this wind like this, even par is a really good score’, and I shot five under,” she said. “So I was really proud of myself and very happy with what I did today and being patient all day.”

The wind has plagued players throughout the week making the already difficult Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course even more daunting. The first two rounds brought only a total of 47 rounds under par out of the 90 player field.

A mere 10 players shot under-par rounds yesterday. South Korean Amy Yang, who is still in search of her first career LPGA Tour victory, faltered down the stretch with a double-bogey on the 17th hole but is still only four shots behind Tseng. —AFP

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Nieminen sends Blake packing

SPAIN: French World Champion Sebastien Loeb and his co-driver Daniel Elena compete with their Citroen DS3 during the Rally of Catalonia. —AP

Loeb leads after dusty day SPAIN: Sebastien Loeb grabbed the overall lead in the final stage on a dusty first day at the Rally of Spain as the Citroen driver continued his bid for an eighth consecutive world title in the season’s penultimate race.

Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala led Loeb by 16 seconds going into the night stage at Les Garrigues but the Finn spun and suffered a puncture to hand Frenchman Loeb, who has won the past six races in Spain, a lead of 30.6 seconds.

Mikko Hirvonen, Latvala’s team mate and compatriot who is tied with Loeb on 196 points at the top of the championship, is 54.2 seconds off the pace in third spot.

“It’s been a very hard day,” Loeb told the World Rally Championship website

(www.wrc.com). “In the afternoon the road was really difficult and I should have lost much more time.”

Latvala said: “It’s incredibly difficult to drive in the darkness with the dust. We spun first and after that there were massive rocks on the road I couldn’t avoid. I hit the rocks and I’ve lost a lot of time.”

Sebastien Ogier, three points behind Citroen team mate Loeb and Hirvonen in the title race, suffered a puncture on the fifth of the day’s six stages and slipped to fourth.

“There was a lot of dust and we went a bit wide,” said Frenchman Ogier who has team orders to help Loeb in his title quest.

“It’s difficult to get motivation after my puncture.” Racing resumes late yesterday with the 46-km El Priorat stage. —Reuters

Tough British whip rules revised LONDON: The British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) defused possible disruption to the sport by announcing on Friday revisions to recently toughened whip rules and rescinding penalties that had caused unrest among jockeys.

Leading jockey Richard Hughes immediately returned to racing, winning on his first mount back. He had previously given up riding in protest at receiving two whip bans in four days.

In addition French-based rider Christophe Soumillon will now receive his share of winnings from a big international feature race at Ascot last Saturday.

Soumillon struck his mount in the closing stages more than the then-rules permitted and was livid at having to forfeit his 50,000 pounds ($79,000) share of the prize money.

The changes announced on Friday included the removal of a five-hits whip limit in the last furlong (200 metres) of a race, or after the final obstacle, although the restric-

tion to seven hits in all in a flat race and eight over jumps remains.

Jockeys had struggled to accept the tougher rules introduced on Oct. 10, saying it was not always easy in the heat of battle to notice the furlong pole.

Their unrest led to media reports that some planned to disrupt the sport by going on strike. A BHA statement said riding fees would not now be included in the penalties for whip offences and riders would lose a percentage of winnings only if an offence was punished with a ban of seven days or more, instead of three days.

The revised rules came into force immediately for all meetings on Friday.

Professional Jockeys’ Association chief executive Kevin Darley welcomed the changes but expressed serious concerns about the level of penalties for minor infringements.

“A jockey could still be in breach of the rules and face a heavy penalty for using the whip in the best interests of safety and horsemanship,” he said. —Reuters

STOCKHOLM: Flying Finn Jarkko Nieminen defeated two-time champion James Blake 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-2 here yesterday to reach his third final at the Stockholm Open.

Nieminen, who lost trophy bids here in 2001 and 2006, will play for his second career title against the winner from Saturday ’s second semi-final between top seed Gael Monfils and Canadian Milos Raonic, seeded sixth.

The 30-year-old Nieminen won in Auckland five years ago but has lost five finals since-including Stockholm to Blake in 2006.

Blake came to the semi-final with a 6-1 lead in head-to-head meetings and had also beaten the Finn in 2007 and 2010 quarter-finals at the Kungligahallen.

Blake, plagued by several seasons of injuries, began his week by eliminating second seed Juan Martin Del Potro, while Nieminen put out third seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the second round.

For Blake, ranked 69th after years in the Top 10, this was only his third defeat in the capital. “I was angry with the way that I played,” said the 31-year-old American after wards. “I had chances and I didn’t take them.

Jarkko played more aggressive and served better than I’ve even seen him do.

“He deserved to win. I get frustrated when I know I’m not play-

ing my best. I’m fine physically, the shoulder and the knee. He made me play his way. He was aggressive and forced himself on me.”

Nieminen, who almost matched Blake with five aces to the American’s six and broke five times in a victory lasting just over two hours, found little fault with his performance.

“This was pretty close to my best,” said the Finn. “It’s one of the top ten wins of my career. I’m pleased with how I played.

“My tactics worked well today, I varied my serve and took advantage of it in a smart way. I stayed aggressive all the way through.

There were only a few points where I was not positive.”

Nieminen won the first set in the tiebreaker after 47 minutes, but Blake rallied in the second set, saving five break points to hold for 6-5 before levelling one set all with a subsequent break of the Finn.

But Nieminen asserted himself again in the third after the set began with three straight breaks.

The Nordic hero broke again for 5-2 and served his way into another final on the first of two match points as Blake put a forehand wide.

Nieminen lifted his record to 21-22 for the season, with a Bangkok quarter-final against Monfils his best showing prior to this week. —AFP

SWEDEN: US player James Blake returns a ball to Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen during their ATP Stockholm Open tennis tournament semifinal match. —AP

Pedrosa roars to pole in Malaysia MALAYSIA: Honda’s Dani Pedrosa blazed to pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix ahead of newly crowned MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner in qualifying yesterday.

The Spaniard clocked a fastest lap of two minutes, 1.462 seconds on a bumpy Sepang circuit to edge team mate Stoner and claim only his second pole of 2011 for today’s race.

Pedrosa is currently fourth in the world championship standings on 208 points, chasing Italian Andrea Dovizioso (212) with two races left this season.

“I was trying hard for the pole,” Pedrosa told reporters. “In one section I was going faster, but then I had some traffic and couldn’t improve my lap time.

“I was still able to be on pole for the second time (in 2011) and that’s good, but I’m hoping to do even better in the race.”

Stoner ’s best lap was 2:01.491 with Dovizioso’s 2:01.666 completing a Honda front row in steamy conditions in Malaysia.

“We can improve a bit before tomorrow but our race pace is okay,” Stoner told reporters. “With this humidity and heat over

the weekend it’s going to be a tough race for sure.”

Pedrosa did not have things all his own way despite dominating practice, falling at the final corner just 12 minutes into qualifying.

He quickly rejoined the fray but it took him until 38 minutes into the hour to return to top spot after some jousting between Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli’s Honda.

Dovizioso briefly snatched it back before Stoner, who captured his second MotoGP title at his home Australian Grand Prix last weekend, set a lap 0.061 seconds quicker.

But Pedrosa, who was fourth at Phillip Island, would not be denied and reasserted his authority in the final runs. “I had a small crash on the front,” said the Spaniard. “I had to get back on the bike but I was still able to get it back and run well.”

Yamaha’s Colin Edwards was fourth quickest ahead of Simoncelli and Nicky Hayden’s Ducati. Seven-times MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi took a spill at turn 10 but jumped on his spare bike to claim ninth to

sum up a frustrating first season at Ducati.

Switzerland’s Thomas Luthi rode to his maiden Moto2 pole position, while Kalex’s world championship leader Stefan Bradl qualified 34 places ahead of title rival Marc Marquez.

Spaniard Marquez, still in pain after crashing on an unflagged wet area in Friday’s practice, is three points behind Bradl with two races left but starts 36th on the 37-bike grid.

The Suter rider completed just the required two laps, meaning German Bradl can clinch the title if he wins in Sepang and Marquez is lower than 13th.

Aprilia’s 125cc world championship leader Nico Terol claimed pole position on the very last lap by just 0.015 seconds from team mate Hector Faubel.

The Spaniard starts with a 25-point lead over Johann Zarco and will be champion if he finishes ahead of the Frenchman, or Zarco fails to score. Zarco struggled in qualifying, falling off his Derbi and then pitting for repairs before settling for 15th on the grid. —Reuters

Asian Air Gun Championship hits bulls eye

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The 4th Asian Air Gun Championship concluded yesterday with the awarding of 8 gold medals to Asian shooters. The ceremony star ted with a speech by the President of the Arab Shooting Federation, Deputy Chairman of Kuwait Shooting Sport Federation, Member of the ISSF Administrative Council and newly elected member of the Asian Shooting Confederation Executive Committee Engineer Duaij Al-Otaibi who started with condolences on his behalf and all the par-

ticipants in the 4th Asian Shooting Air Gun Championship to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques K ing Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi people for the sad death of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. May Allah Almighty bless his soul.

He said on behalf of more than 400 shooters representing 33 Asian countries who participated in the championship, “ We ex tend our greatest gratitude and appreciation to HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the

KUWAIT: Indian shooting official with the female winners.

KUWAIT: Essa Bu Taiban with winning men teams.

State of Kuwait and to HH Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah the Crown Prince for their generous support of the shooting sport in Kuwait and Asia.”

Al-Otaibi said We also extend our appreciation to the officials of The Public Authority of Youth & Sports.

Engineer Al-Otaibi thanked HE Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem AlHmoud Al-Sabah, Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee, President of the Asian Shooting Confederation, for his continuous suppor t for the development of shooting sport.

He also recognized the efforts of all volunteers , jury members, workers and shooters whose participation had the greatest effect for the success of this championship. “We wish that such contacts, friendship and cooperation between Asian continent shooters continues and we hope that peace and security will prevail in all countries of the world” he added.

Al-Otaibi congratulated all winners and wished those who missed out better luck for all in future competitions.

Meanwhile Kuwait ’s Junior Shooters showed a great potential when the men’s team got in the mix of things and were able to take the bronze medal as did their women counterpart.

Results of the 10m Air Rifle Junior men Xinzhe Li , of China took first place scoring 690 points, followed by Mahdi Jafaripouya, Iran with 689.8 points and his compatriot Sasan Shahsavari scoring 688.2.

In the 10m Air Rifle junior men (team) Mahdi Jafaripouya, Sasan Shahsavari and Amin Heydarikakolaki from Iran were first scoring 1758 points followed by India’s Rakesh Manpat, Aribam Sharma and Navdeep Rathore Singh were second and Thailand’s Chisanupong Pureeroj, Supanit Bunpipak and Nuttakorn Tongwon were third.

Shooter/ Cheol Min Kim - First Place from Korea The Total Result of: 695.9 Shooter/ Lilong Liu - Second Place from China The Total Result of: 695.4

Shooter / Napis Tortungpanich - Third Place from Thailand The Total Result of: 695.1 10m Air Rifle (Youth Men - Teams) First Place from: Thailand Shooter/Napis Tor tungpanich Shooler/ Nuttapat Jamkraja Shooter/ Prommin Theekathananon The Total Result of 1753.

Second Place from China - Shooter/ Lilong Liu - Shooter/ Anqi Shuxiang Shooter/ Enhe Qiao The Total Result of: 1744 Third Place from Kuwait - Shooter/ Ali Elmuutairi - Shooter/ Mohanimad Adil Mohammad - Shooter/ Bundar Almutairi The Total Result of: 1722 10m Air Rifle (Junior Women-individuals) First Place from Thailand - The Total Result of: 497.4 - Shooter/ Ayonika Paul Second Place from: Iran - The Total Result of: 496.3 Shooter/ Macdeh Sadat Aminzadeh Third Place from India The Total Result of: 496.2 Shooter/Donyapan Thiranuwattanaqul l0m Air Rifle (Junior Women Teams) First Place from: India - Shooter/ Ayonka Paul - Shooter/Neha Milind Sapte Shooter/ Apurvi Shandela - The Total Result of 1177 Second Place from: Iran - Shooter/ Maedeh Sadat Aminzadeh - Shooter/ Mahlagha Jambozorg - Shooter/ Dina Farzatlkhahi - The Total Result of 1172 Third Place from: Korea - Shooter/Se Mi Kim - Shooter/ So Eun Park Shooter/ Seo Young Yoo - The Total Result of 1171 10m Air Rifle (Youth Women-individuals) Shooter/ Mampi Das - First Place from India - The Total Result of: 498.7 Shooter/ Shalini Chahar - Second Place from India - The Total Result of: 497.8 Shooter/ Yehan Qiu - third Place from China - The Total Result 496.8 10m Air Rifle (Youth WomenTeams) First Place from India - Shooter/ Shalini Shahar - Shooter/Mampi Das Shooter/ Shriyanka Sadangi - The Total Result of: 1186 Second Place from China - Shooter/

Yehan Qiu - Shooter/ Jiying Wang Shooter/ Yishuo Liu - The total Result of: 1172 Third Place from Kuwait - Shooter/ Ayat Hasan Al Duwaikhi - Shooter/ Hebah Arzooqi - Shooter/ Zahraa Alsaffar - The Total Result of: 1167 Meanwhile in the 10m Air Pistol Men Youth Vivek Kumar from India was first with a score of 654, followed

by Sumedh Kumar, also from India with a score of 651.4 and Thailand’s Kolawat Laohasrissakul was third with a score of 647.0.

In the 10m Air Pisol Women Youth Diksha Rajput from India was first with

a score of 473.8, followed by Iran’s Mohadeseh Lotfi with a score of 470.2 in a shoot of with Thailand’s Nakwan Therawongpin who placed third.

In the Women’s 10m Air Pistol women, Junior Thailand’s Kanokkan Chaimongkol was first with a score of 476.7 followed by India’s Albha Oberoi with a score of 470.9 and Iran’s Mina Barani was third with 470.5.

In the 10m Air Pistol Men, Junior Iran’s Sepehr Safari Boraujeni was first with a score of 672.8, Askhay Jain from India was second with 665.7 and Saman Tavakoli from Iran was third with 660.7.

KUWAIT: Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah with the individual men winners.

KUWAIT: Group picture for female winning teams with Asian officials.

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Thiago wins two more gold at Pan Am Games

MEXICO: Argentina’s Luciana Aymar (second from left) dribbles past Canada’s Thea Culley (left) and Kristine Wishart during a women’s field hockey game at the Pan American Games.—AP

Argentina see off Canada GUADALAJARA: World hockey champions Argentina were given a run for their money by Canada, the second best team in the women’s Pan-American Games tournament based on performance, before winning 7-3 on Friday.

It was a match of two halves in which Canada stunned the Las Leonas (the lionesses) with a sixth-minute opening goal from Thea Culley.

Argentina then scored four goals in 10 minutes but Canada hit back twice through Hannah Lynn Haughn and defender Katherine Gillis in fine attacking plays at the end of the half to hold the favourites to a narrow 4-3 lead at the interval. Having adjusted defensive issues, captain Luciana Aymar’s team scored three more goals in the second half for a comfortable victory that might have been by a greater margin but for some brave goalkeeping from Azelia Liu. Argentina’s coach Carlos Retegui gave the Canadians full credit for their three goals and smiled about the fact that they were all from field plays with none from short corners.

“We had set ourselves the target of not conceding from corners,” he told reporters. “But, well, (the ball) did go in in plays. I think we need to be a bit more alert with 50-50 balls in the area.

Retegui said the ball could have fallen to either team in those tight goalmouth situations and all Argentina’s rivals were going to play them that way with fast counter-attacks.

“Lots of teams are going to play us like that, get into the area and they’re going to knock it in... we must do a bit more zonal marking to be

able to intercept those crosses,” he added.

“The goals (conceded) were merit of the rival team who came into the area, created goal chances and were good at taking them.

“We need to correct those mistakes but I think the team did good things with the ball,” Retegui said after his team had mostly kept Canada on the back foot. Argentina, who had crushed Trinidad & Tobago 11-0 in their first match, equalised through Soledad Garcia. Then Aymar, the world’s top-ranked player, scored two trademark goals following brilliant dribbling runs that have earned her comparisons from her compatriots with soccer ace Diego Maradona.

Garcia made it 4-1 in the 25th minute before Canada’s two fine breakaway goals in the last five minutes of the first half.

Argentina then pulled away with two goals from short corners by specialist Noel Barrionuevo after 41 and 53 minutes and a final strike from Carla Rebecchi at the end of a move that Retegui called brilliant.

“The seventh goal deserves to be framed... It was a combination of three-Lu (Aymar), Sole (Garcia) and Rebecchi-that will stick in the mind.

The team played very well at times,” Retegui said.

“We’re turning our minds to Barbados today and then the semi-final which surely be with Chile.

The United States beat Chile (in Pool B) so they are our most likely opponents,” he added, confident of taking the points against the Barbadians.

Argentina are looking to win the single Olympic berth on offer at the tournament.—Reuters

GUADALAJARA: Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira completed his swimming program at the Pan American Games with two more gold medals Friday, matching the six he won four years ago in Rio de Janeiro.

Pereira won the 200-meter backstroke and then earned a second gold after Brazil won the men’s 4x100 medley relay. He didn’t swim in the final, but he competed in the heats.

“I knew it was going to be a long week, competing in eight races and in the altitude. I was surprised with myself in this last day,” said Pereira, who also won a silver and bronze on top of his six gold. “I kept trying to be intelligent, saving myself at times and giving everything I had when needed.”

The United States won the other two finals Friday. Lara Jackson finished first in the women’s 50 freestyle and the 4x100 medley relay team then claimed gold.

The Americans won five medals in the pool Friday while Brazil won four, and finished the meet with 44 medals overall - 18 of the gold.

Overall, the United States leads the medals table with 41 gold and 119 in total. Brazil is second with 17 gold and 50 overall, while Canada has 14 and 45 in third.

Pereira, who became Brazil’s most decorated athlete at the Pan American Games, also won the 100 backstroke, the 200 and 400 individual medleys and the 4x100 freestyle relay.

“I’m very happy with my results this week,” Pereira said.

In the morning events, Connor Fields led a 1-2 finish for the United States in men’s BMX cycling, while Mariana Pajon of Colombia took gold in the women’s event.

Fields crashed in the second heat when his chain broke, but he came on strong in the final. American teammate Nicholas Long was second and Andres Jimenez of Ecuador was third. “I worked my way back,” said Fields, who was left bloodied by the crash. “I was in Lane 1, which is the best lane.”

In the women’s race, Pajon was first in the group stage and held her lead through the final. American rival Arielle Martin-Verhaaren earned silver and Maria Diaz of Argentina took bronze.

“The idea was to stay calm, trust the track, and perform well,” Pajon said. “It’s a very technical circuit that made us struggle and train hard but in the end, we were able to take control of the situation.”

The United States won two more medals in women’s tennis as American citizens swept

the three podium spots. Irina Falconi of the United States beat Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 6-3, 6-2 in the women’s final, while American teammate Christina McHale defeated Florencia Molinero of Argentina 6-1, 6-1 for the bronze.

Molinero then won gold in doubles with Maria Irigoyen by beating Falconi and McHale 6-4, 2-6, 10-6. Also Friday, Canada won the women’s team squash event, defeating Colombia in the final. Mexico won the men’s

with teammate Matthew Wallace. A short time earlier, two-time Olympic gold medalist Kim Rhode set a Pan American Games record in winning the skeet for the Americans.

Rhode is one of the most accomplished competitors at the games, and her mark of 98 points was only one shy of the world record.

“Right now I’m going to rest,” Rhode said.

“In March next year I have a qualifying tournament in Arizona. The next step is to prepare for London.”

MEXICO: Athletes practice before the start of a BMX cycling race at the Pan American Games. —AP title. Mexico added another gold medal to its tally in the women’s team archery competition, while the United States won the men’s title. In Greco-Roman wrestling, Cuba made it six golds in seven events, winning the 76-kilogram and 96-kilogram categories. Venezuela broke the streak when Luis Liendo won the 60-kilogram final. Brazil won its second gold in volleyball, winning the women’s beach volleyball competition to go along with the women’s indoor title.

In shooting, Jason Parker led a 1-2 US finish

The United States has won eight gold medals in shooting and 15 overall with three events still to come late yesterday. The Brazilian men’s football team struggled to a second straight draw, this time 1-1 against Cuba.

“I think this will be a problem for us if we come to the next press conference and have not qualified,” Brazil coach Junior De Silver said. “I think Brazil can beat Costa Rica. The only problem is that we are likely to finish second in the group.” —AP

Davis and White lead ice dancing

AUSTRIA: First placed United States’ Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women’s giant slalom. —AP

Vonn clinches World Cup GS SOELDEN: Lindsey Vonn used a blistering finish to win the season-opening World Cup giant slalom yesterday and become the fifth female skier to win a race in all five Alpine disciplines.

The three-time overall champion was fourth after the opening run before an impressive finish to win in a combined time of 2 minutes, 24.43 seconds. Vonn is the second American skier to complete the discipline sweep after Bode Miller. “I can’t believe this.

This is a big dream coming true,” Vonn said. “A win in GS has always been so far out of reach for me. I knew that maybe one day I could win.

But I definitely did not plan to do it here.”

Vonn edged Olympic champion Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany by 0.04 seconds, while Elisabeth Goergl of Austria was 0.40 behind in third.

The discipline sweep has been achieved by Austria’s Petra Kronberger, Sweden’s Pernilla Wiberg, Croatia’s Janica Kostelic and Sweden’s Anja Paerson.

“I came into this race with not much confidence,” said Vonn, who skipped most training sessions this week after hurting her hip in a crash during practice. “I just tried to have two good runs, to ski fast but not to do something special.”

Overall World Cup champion Maria HoeflRiesch finished 3.13 seconds back in 24th. The German skier lost almost two seconds in her opening run and misjudged a turn while attacking in the second.

“You should not overrate the first race of a season,” said Hoefl-Riesch, who has yet to win GS race. “There have been winners in Soelden that did not win much later in the season.”

Vonn also matched Paerson’s career tally with her 42nd World Cup victory. Only Austria’s Annemarie Moser-Proell (62), Switzerland’s Vreni Schneider (55) and Austria’s Renate Goetschl (46) have won more races. Vonn

admitted to nerves after she placed fourth in the opening run.

“I feared that I might hold back too much,” said Vonn, who has won 35 of her races in downhill and super-G and has struggled for consistency in the technical races. “But my coaches told me before the second run to have confidence and to ski as fast I can.”

Vonn has duplicated her switch to men’s skis for speed events with a switch in GS, using the same skis as world champion Ted Ligety.

She said the equipment change plus offseason training was paying off. She preferred not speculate on her chances of winning the overall title back from Hoefl-Riesch.

“Well, it’s very early days,” Vonn said. “I have a lot of momentum and confidence going into the rest of the season.”

Federica Brignone of Italy took a commanding first leg lead, but she skied out early in her second run. World GS champion Tina Maze of Slovenia, who many consider a contender for the overall title, placed 23rd.

Rebensburg, who won here last year on her way to the discipline title, led Vonn by 0.26 after the opening leg but was still satisfied to take second.

“Reaching the podium in the first race is always a positive signal,” Rebensburg said. A two-time gold medalist in speed events at the worlds, Goergl said she was helped by completing several training runs on the glacier last week. Vonn’s teammate Julia Mancuso had two runs without obvious mistakes and finished 10th. Vonn’s win was the first by an American female skier in a World Cup GS race since Julie Parisien won in Waterville Valley in 1991. And it was the first such victory on European soil since Tamara McKinney won in Zwiesel in 1984. The season-opening World Cup weekend ends Sunday with a men’s giant slalom.—AP

ONTARIO: World champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White debuted their new Latin-inspired short dance program at Skate America and routed the competition.

The Americans did a samba and rumba routine that earned 70.33 points in the opening event of the Grand Prix season Friday night at a mostly empty Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Davis and White easily outdistanced European champions Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France, who were second at 60.07.

Bourzat, who has a cold and bronchitis, tripped and fell. German champions Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi were third at 55.66.

Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic took a similarly commanding lead in the men’s short program, even though he abandoned a planned quad just before taking the ice.

Davis and White won the first ice dancing world title for the United States in April, then spent the next five months coming up with new programs for this season.

“We were pretty pleased. It’s still early in the season,” said Davis, who wore an orange dress with a deep Vneck and fringe skirt. The black-clad White added, “We can look forward to attacking the program a little bit more.”

Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue were sixth, followed by U.S. teammates Isabella Cannuscio and Ian Lorello.

Afterward, Bourzat went into a coughing fit that reddened his face and had Pechalat flinching as she sat next to him. Because of doping rules,

Bourzat wasn’t taking medication. “I couldn’t take any rest,” he said. “It’s still tough, but you have to come here and do the job.”

Davis and White will try to win their second consecutive Skate America title in late yesterday’s free dance.

In the men’s competition, Brezina substituted a triple flip-triple toe loop for his required combination in the short program set to Japanese kodo drum music and totaled 79.08 points.

“I was kind of scared if I will fit with the curve because the rink is not so wide,” the 21-year-old Czech said. “I almost hit the board in practice when

I was going for the triple flip.”

After seeing the number of falls and mistakes by his rivals, Brezina and his coaches decided to play it safe and leave out the quad. He plans to attempt two quads in the long program late yesterday. “What can I lose?” he said.

Brezina, fourth at worlds, owns the lead going into the long program for the first time at a Grand Prix meet.

“Everybody always asks me what I’m thinking when I skate,” he said. “I don’t think because it’s the worst thing you can do.”

World silver medalist Takahiko Kozuka of Japan was second at 70.69.

ONTARIO: Meryl Davis (right) and Charlie White skate in the ice dance short program during the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating’s Skate America. —AP

He fell on his quad and touched down on a triple axel before tossing in a different combination to make up points.

“I felt like I was going into the jump a little left and I couldn’t correct so that made the jump shaky,” he said. Less than a point separated second through fifth places on a night when third-place Daisuke Murakami of Japan was the only man to cleanly land a quad. He is coached by Frank Carroll, who guides Olympic champion Evan Lysacek, who dropped out of the first two events of the season.

“At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t planning on a quad in my short program,” Murakami said. “I hope I can start building up as the season goes along and put the quadtriple combination in the short.”

Kevin Van Der Perren of Belgium was fourth at 70.09, while American Richard Dornbush was fifth at 70.03.

Dornbush skated a mostly clean program, although the judges downgraded his landing on a triple axel.

“It’s only the third time I’ve ever been downgraded on a jump,” he said. “I definitely skimmed that one. I was happy when I got into the air and was rotating it. The fact that I came down short is too bad.

Everything else I was extremely happy with.”

Dornbush had only been practicing his short program to “The Fifth,” an edgy take on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, for three weeks.

American Armin Mahbanoozadeh, third at Skate America last year, was seventh in a routine with Led Zeppelin music. Douglas Razzano, a late replacement for Lysacek, was ninth in the 10-man field.—AP

Phelps in unbeatable form BERLIN: Michael Phelps won the 100m and 400m Individual Medley finals here yesterday as the 14-times Olympic champion took the first two of the five events he has entered at the twoday Berlin World Cup short course meet.

The 26-year-old clocked 4 minute 01.49 seconds, the fastest time in the world so far this year, to win the 400m IM final from Japan’s Daiya Seto, second at 4 mins 02.85 secs and Yuya Horihata, third at 4 mins 09.05 secs.

“I am happy, that was my first race over the distance for a long time, so that was OK,” said the American superstar, who won

eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

He then won the 100m IM final in 51.65 secs and is set to compete in the 100m butterfly, 200m IM and the 200m backstroke here today as part of his preparations for July’s London Olympics, with the US trials to be held in June.

Phelps, who also won six golds at the 2004 Olympics, has said he is in his best form since 2008, but he started his season in Moscow earlier this week with a defeat by Germany’s Paul Biedermann in the 200m freestyle.

US teenager Melissa Franklin set the short course world record for the 200m backstroke when

she swam 2 mins 00.03 secs.

The 16-year-old from Pasadena, California, set the first world record since the ban on high-tech suits and admitted she was delighted by her achievement.

“This is such a good feeling that it gives me so much energy,” she said, having won three golds at July’s world swimming championships in Shanghai.

The teenager won world golds for the 200m backstroke and was part of the victorious 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley squads for the USA. Other stars in action in Berlin included short-course world champion Biedermann who

dominated the field in the 400m freestyle final with victory in 3 mins 41.19 secs with Britain’s Ross Davenport second at 3 mins 44.78 secs.

There was disappointment for double Olympic champion Britta Steffen who finished second in the 50m freestyle finals, three months after she failed to make an impact at the world championships.

Steffen clocked 24.07 secs behind Therese Alshammar of Sweden’s winning time of 23.67 secs as the 27-year-old continues to tr y to recapture the form which saw her win 50m and 100m freestyle gold medals in Beijing.—AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

S P ORT S

Ronaldo treble sinks Malaga

Soccer results/standings Aston Villa 1 (Bent 23-pen) West Brom 2 (Olsson 45, Scharner 57); Bolton 0 Sunderland 2 (Sessegnon 82, Bendtner 90); Liverpool 1 (Bellamy 45) Norwich 1 (Holt 60); Newcastle 1 (Cabaye 81) Wigan 0; Wolves 2 (Doyle 84, O’Hara 86) Swansea 2 (Graham 23, Allen 35).

Playing today Arsenal v Stoke; Fulham v Everton; Manchester United v Manchester City; Blackburn v Tottenham; QPR v Chelsea.

English Football League results Championship Blackpool 1 Nottingham Forest 2; Cardiff 5 Barnsley 3; Coventry 1 Burnley 2; Hull 3 Watford 2; Ipswich 0 Crystal Palace 1; Leicester 0 Millwall 3; Middlesbrough 2 Derby 0; Peterborough 2 Leeds 3; Portsmouth 3 Doncaster 1; Reading 1 Southampton 1.

Playing today Bristol City v Birmingham.

Playing tomorrow Brighton v West Ham Division One Bournemouth 1 Bury 2; Charlton 4 Carlisle 0; Chesterfield 2 Hartlepool 3; Exeter 3 Rochdale 1; Huddersfield 3 Preston 1; Leyton Orient 1 Sheffield United 1; Milton Keynes Dons 0 Scunthorpe 0; Notts County 1 Brentford 1; Oldham 2 Wycombe 0; Sheffield Wednesday 2 Colchester 0; Stevenage 0 Yeovil 0; Tranmere 2 Walsall 1.

Division Two AFC Wimbledon 2 Crawley 5; Bradford 2 Northampton 1; Burton 2 Bristol Rovers 1; Crewe 0 Macclesfield 1; Dagenham and Redbridge 2 Aldershot 5; Gillingham 1 Oxford 0; Hereford 1 Barnet 0; Plymouth 0 Swindon 1; Port Vale 0 Morecambe 4; Rotherham 1 Shrewsbury 1; Southend 4 Torquay 1.

Played Friday Accrington 0 Cheltenham 1

Scottish Premier League results Dundee United 0 St Johnstone 0; Inverness CT 1 (Tade 33) Dunfermline 1 (Buchanan 86-pen); Motherwell 0 Kilmarnock 0; St Mirren 2 (McGowan 32, 34) Hibernian 3 (Griffiths 6, 41, O’Hanlon 37).

Playing today Hearts v Rangers; Celtic v Aberdeen.

Scottish Football League results First Division Ayr 1 Dundee 3; Livingston 1 Morton 1; Partick 2 Falkirk 2; Raith 0 Queen of the South 2; Ross County 1 Hamilton 0.

Second Division Albion 1 Arbroath 0; Cowdenbeath 3 Forfar 1; Dumbarton 1 Airdrie 1; East Fife 1 Stirling 0; Stenhousemuir 1 Brechin 1.

German League results Hertha Berlin 0 Mainz 05 0; Nuremberg 2 (Simons 9, Wollscheid 70) VfB Stuttgart 2 (Kuzmanovic 61-pen, Rodriguez 84); Borussia Dortmund 5 (Kagawa 7, Schmelzer 25, Lewandowski 44, 50, Kehl 66) FC Cologne 0; Hoffenheim 1 (Ibisevic 56) Borussia M’gladbach 0; Kaiserslautern 1 (Kuzmanovic 61) Freiburg 0; Hamburg 1 (Petric 56) VfL Wolfsburg 1 (Mandzukic 2).

Playing today Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke 04, Hanover v Bayern Munich Played Friday: FC Augsburg 1 (Bellinghausen 49) Werder Bremen 1 (Pizarro 68) Italian Serie A results Fiorentina 2 (Jovetic 20, 62) Catania 2 (Delvecchio 43, Maxi Lopez 83) Spanish League results Racing Santander 0 Espanyol 1 (Sergio Garcia 59); Sporting Gijon 2 (Barral 6, Castro 42) Grenada 0; Malaga 0 Real Madrid 4 (Higuain 11, Cristiano Ronaldo 23, 28, 38).

English Premier League table English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man City Man Utd Chelsea Newcastle Liverpool Tottenham Norwich Stoke Aston Villa West Brom Arsenal Sunderland Swansea QPR Wolves Fulham Everton Bolton Blackburn Wigan

8 8 8 9 9 7 9 8 9 9 8 9 9 8 9 8 7 9 8 9

7 6 6 5 4 4 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1

1 2 1 4 3 1 3 3 5 2 1 3 3 3 2 4 1 0 2 2

0 0 1 0 2 2 3 2 2 4 4 4 4 3 5 3 4 7 5 6

27 25 20 12 12 13 11 6 11 9 12 12 9 6 8 10 7 12 9 6

English Football League tables Championship Southampton13 8 3 2 28 M’brough 13 6 6 1 16 Crystal 13 7 2 4 18 West Ham 12 6 3 3 22 Leeds 12 6 3 3 24 Derby 13 6 3 4 17 Hull 12 6 3 3 12 Cardiff 13 5 5 3 23 Ipswich 13 6 2 5 18 P’borough 13 6 1 6 26 Blackpool 13 5 4 4 19 Brighton 12 5 4 3 17 Leicester 13 5 4 4 15 Reading 13 4 5 4 15 Portsmouth 13 4 3 6 15 Burnley 12 4 3 5 15 Barnsley 13 3 6 4 14 Birmingham 9 4 2 3 15 Nottingham 13 4 2 7 14 Millwall 13 2 6 5 12 Coventry 13 2 5 6 10 Watford 13 2 4 7 11 Doncaster 13 2 2 9 8 Bristol City 12 1 3 8 9 Division One Charlton 14 Huddersfield 14 Sheffield 14 Notts County 14 Sheffield Utd 14 Keynes Dons 14 Hartlepool 13 Tranmere 14 Preston 13 Brentford 14 Carlisle 14 Oldham 14 Colchester 14 Stevenage 14 Bury 14 Scunthorpe 14 Walsall 14 Rochdale 14 Leyton 14 Wycombe 14 B’mouth 14 Chesterfield 14 Exeter 14 Yeovil 14 Division Two Crawley 14 Southend 14 Cheltenham 14 Morecambe 14 Gillingham 14 Shrewsbury 14 Oxford Utd 14 Burton 14 Wimbledon 14 Swindon 14 Port Vale 14 Macclesfield 14 Rotherham 14 Bristol 14 Aldershot 14 Crewe 14 N’hampton 14

9 8 9 8 7 6 6 6 7 6 6 6 4 4 5 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 10 9 8 7 7 7 6 6 7 7 6 6 5 5 5 5 4

4 6 2 2 4 6 4 4 1 4 3 2 6 5 2 8 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 4 1 2 2 4 3 3 5 5 2 1 4 3 4 3 2 1 3

1 0 3 4 3 2 3 4 5 4 5 6 4 5 7 4 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 8 3 3 4 3 4 4 3 3 5 6 4 5 5 6 7 8 7

28 31 27 25 24 24 21 15 25 18 18 16 20 19 15 17 14 18 14 14 15 17 9 14 29 26 21 28 26 20 18 19 25 23 28 18 24 20 17 17 15

6 6 9 6 10 12 12 8 11 11 17 10 14 14 14 9 11 24 18 15

14 8 12 11 18 16 11 19 20 22 16 15 14 14 15 16 16 13 23 16 16 23 22 23 11 11 19 16 15 14 17 12 23 16 22 19 21 16 21 19 16 27 25 22 24 26 23 23 20 14 15 12 17 17 12 17 26 15 22 14 25 24 17 20 20

22 20 19 19 15 13 12 12 11 11 10 9 9 9 8 7 7 6 5 5

27 24 23 21 21 21 21 20 20 19 19 19 19 17 15 15 15 14 14 12 11 10 8 6 31 30 29 26 25 24 22 22 22 22 21 20 18 17 17 14 14 13 13 12 12 11 11 10 31 29 26 25 24 24 23 23 23 22 22 21 19 18 17 16 15

Torquay Accrington Bradford Dagenham Hereford Barnet Plymouth

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

14 14 14 14 14 14 14

3 3 3 4 3 3 2

6 6 4 1 4 3 2

5 5 7 9 7 8 10

19 13 18 14 10 16 10

25 19 23 23 24 27 26

15 15 13 13 13 12 8

Scottish Premier League table Rangers 11 9 2 0 23 Motherwell 12 7 2 3 14 Celtic 10 6 1 3 21 St Johnstone 12 5 4 3 15 Hearts 11 5 3 3 13 St Mirren 12 3 4 5 11 Aberdeen 11 3 3 5 11 Kilmarnock 12 2 6 4 15 Hibernian 12 3 3 6 14 Dundee Utd 12 2 5 5 15 Dunfermline 11 2 4 5 12 Inverness CT 12 2 3 7 11

4 13 11 10 6 13 12 18 21 22 23 22

29 23 19 19 18 13 12 12 12 11 10 9

Scottish Football League tables First Division Ross County 10 5 4 1 15 Falkirk 10 4 4 2 14 Hamilton 10 4 3 3 14 Morton 10 4 3 3 13 Livingston 10 2 7 1 14 Partick 10 3 3 4 18 Raith 10 3 3 4 11 Q of South 10 3 2 5 11 Dundee 10 3 2 5 10 Ayr 10 2 3 5 9

10 12 9 17 12 13 11 12 12 21

19 16 15 15 13 12 12 11 11 9

Second Division C’beath 10 Arbroath 10 S’housemuir 10 East Fife 10 Airdrie Utd 10 Stirling 10 Forfar 10 Dumbarton 10 Brechin 10 Albion 10

7 6 5 4 3 3 3 3 2 2

Italian Serie A table Juventus 6 3 Udinese 6 3 Cagliari 6 3 Lazio 6 3 Napoli 6 3 Palermo 6 3 Catania 7 2 Fiorentina 7 2 Chievo 6 2 Parma 6 3 Genoa 6 2 Roma 6 2 AC Milan 6 2 Siena 6 1 Novara 6 1 Atalanta 6 3 Inter Milan 6 1 Bologna 6 1 Lecce 6 1 Cesena 6 0

2 2 3 1 3 3 2 2 4 2

1 2 2 5 4 4 5 5 4 6

26 25 19 14 19 16 17 19 13 10

12 15 16 19 18 17 20 24 15 22

23 20 18 13 12 12 11 11 10 8

3 3 2 2 1 1 4 3 3 0 2 2 2 3 2 2 1 1 1 2

0 0 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 3 2 2 2 2 3 1 4 4 4 4

9 7 8 9 10 9 9 8 6 8 9 7 8 4 10 8 8 4 3 2

3 1 5 7 5 9 10 6 5 11 8 6 8 4 12 7 13 10 9 7

12 12 11 11 10 10 10 9 9 9 8 8 8 6 5 5 4 4 4 2

Spanish League table Real Madrid 8 6 1 1 28 6 19 Barcelona 7 5 2 0 26 4 17 Levante 7 5 2 0 11 3 17 Sevilla 7 4 3 0 8 4 15 Valencia 7 4 2 1 10 7 14 Malaga 8 4 1 3 10 11 13 Real Betis 7 4 0 3 10 11 12 Espanyol 8 4 0 4 7 11 12 Atletico 7 2 3 2 8 6 9 Zaragoza 7 2 3 2 9 13 9 Bilbao 7 2 2 3 10 10 8 Mallorca 7 2 2 3 6 8 8 Sociedad 7 2 1 4 7 10 7 Villarreal 7 1 4 2 7 11 7 Osasuna 7 1 4 2 6 15 7 Vallecano 7 1 3 3 6 11 6 Getafe 7 1 2 4 6 10 5 Grenada 8 1 2 5 2 10 5 Sporting 8 1 1 6 5 12 4 Racing 8 0 4 4 4 13 4 Note: Atalanta deducted six points at start of season for match-fixing

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo hit a hat-trick as Real Madrid swept aside Malaga 4-0 with a firsthalf blitz to go top of the La Liga table yesterday.

It was a battle between the newly rich Malaga, who invested heavily in the summer as they aim for a place in Europe, and the old order, but it turned into a mismatch as Real cruised to victory.

Gonzalo Higuain, who has hit two hat-tricks in his last two games for Real, as well as another in between for Argentina, sent the visitors on their way after 10 minutes before Ronaldo stole the show with three goals in 15 minutes.

He side-footed home an Angel di Maria cross and then fired in from the edge of the area before completing his hat-trick with an acrobatic flick from close range.

Former Real striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was a surprise exclusion from the Malaga starting XI but he would have found it difficult to make a difference anyway as Real ran riot and the Malaga strikers saw little of the ball.

After the break Real relaxed and Malaga were able to exert themselves more but with a fourgoal deficit, the game was already won.

Joaquin Sanchez and Seba Fernandez both hit the woodwork for the home side but they were unable to manage even a consolation.

Real lead the La Liga table with 19 points but Barcelona can re-take top spot later on Saturday when they face Sevilla.

Barca can expect a difficult game but they have home advantage and a defence that appears a lot more solid after a shaky start to the campaign.

They are now looking for their sixth straight clean sheet, which would be a new record for the club. “We are doing very well at the back, winning the ball back quickly and pressing hard,” said goalkeeper Victor Valdes. “The key is to win against Sevilla but I am aware of the record because all the media is talking about it.”

SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Sami Khedira from Germany (left) duels for the ball with Malaga’s Eliseu Pereira from Portugal, during their Spanish La Liga soccer match. — AP Bottom side Sporting Gijon finally gave themselves reason to cheer with a 2-0 win over Granada, although they remain a point adrift in the table.

Sporting had picked up just one point from seven games going into their clash with Granada, who are another early favourite for the drop, but they set off at a lightning pace.

David Barral pounced in the box to put

Sporting ahead with five minutes gone and while Alexandre Geijo saw a shot come back off the post for Granada, the home side wrapped up the win before half-time through Andre Castro.

A Sergio Garcia strike mid-way through the second half gave Espanyol a 1-0 win away to Racing Santander that takes them up to eighth in the table, while Racing are still looking for their first win. —AFP

Wolves’ fightback denies Swansea win Wolves 2

Swansea 2

LONDON: Wolves staged a dramatic late fightback to deny Swansea their first away win of the season yesterday, scoring twice in the final six minutes to snatch a 22 draw at Molineux.

Swansea appeared to be cruising to victory after outplaying Wolves for much of an entertaining contest and taking a 2-0 lead through first-half goals from Danny Graham and Joe Allen.

But with Wolves’ sixth straight defeat looming, Mick McCarthy’s men somehow dragged themselves back into the contest with a goal from Kevin Doyle on 84

Scharner sinks 10-man Villa Aston Villa 1

West Brom 2

BIRMINGHAM: Paul Scharner was West Bromwich Albion’s match winner as the Baggies beat 10-man Aston Villa 2-1 yesterday to secure their first away league win over their local rivals for 32 years.

Alex McLeish’s side went ahead through Darren Bent’s penalty at Villa Park, but the derby swung West Brom’s way when Villa midfielder Chris Herd was controversially sent off following a clash with Jonas Olsson inside his own box.

Chris Brunt missed the resulting penalty but the Baggies equalised through Olsson before half-time and Scharner netted the winner after the break.

The victory gave Albion a second dose of derby delight after last week’s triumph over Wolves and Roy Hodgson’s side have collected 11 points from the last six games.

It was Villa who had the better of the opening stages and England striker Bent squandered a golden chance to open the scoring after five minutes. Barry Bannan failed to make proper contact on his shot but it fell straight to Bent unmarked eight yards out and he somehow scooped his shot over the crossbar from close-range. Villa took the lead after 23 minutes after a mix-up between Steven Reid and goalkeeper Ben Foster.

Reid tried to chest the ball back to Foster but Gabriel Agbonlahor nipped in and was brought down by the on-loan Birmingham goalkeeper.

Bent stepped up to send Foster the wrong way from the spot but it wasn’t long before referee Phil Dowd made his crucial intervention.

Herd had impressed in midfield for Villa until the 34th minutes when he became embroiled in an off-the-ball clash in the penalty area with Olsson. It looked a minor incident but Dowd brandished a straight red card before pointing to the penalty spot.

Villa had a let-off as Northern Ireland midfielder Brunt drilled his spot-kick wide and moments later Shay Given produced a fine save to keep Villa in front when he turned aside a shot on the turn from Somen Tchoyi.

But a minute before half-time Olsson brought the Baggies level when he outjumped the Villa defence to head home Brunt’s corner.

Albion tried to make their numerical advantage count after the break and Given parried away a fierce drive from Youssouf Mulumbu.

Olsson again climbed above the Villa defence in a replica of Albion’s equaliser but this time he headed Brunt’s corner over the crossbar.

The visitors were not to be denied and after 57 minutes Scharner put them ahead with Villa again caught out at a corner. Agbonlahor failed to deal with Brunt’s corner at the near post and Scharner reacted in an instant and volleyed home via the underside of the bar. — AFP

minutes before Jamie O’Hara grabbed an 86th-minute leveller. The result came as a relief to beleaguered Wolves boss McCarthy, who had seen his players booed after Swansea’s second goal and was subjected to angry taunts from home fans during the second half. The defeat saw Wolves move two places up the table to 14th spot while Swansea moved up to 11th.

McCarthy later declined to comment on the home fans booing of his team. “It’s not for me to discuss,” he told Sky Sports. “Let’s just emphasise all the positives. All the nonsense that goes on, we’ll deal with that another time. “The half-time team talk I’d like to think helped.

The lads who came on helped the game in the second half.” Swansea boss Brendan Rogers was left frustrated after watching victory slip away from his team in the final 10 minutes.

“For 80 minutes were were outstanding,” he said.

“Maybe we just went backwards with our passing too much. We need to manage the game better but I have to give massive credit to the players. “Congratulations

to Mick, they got back into it, they got their point.” The writing had appeared to be on the wall for Wolves after Swansea’s record signing Graham fired the newly promoted Welsh side ahead on 23 minutes. Mark Gower clipped a pass over the top and when Wolves defender Roger Johnson failed to connect with an acrobatic attempted clearance, Graham was on hand to prod home his third league goal of the season. It got worse for Wolves 12 minutes later when Swansea doubled their lead.

This time Graham turned provider, drilling in a low cross from the right that Allen steered home to trigger a chorus of boos around Molineux. McCarthy was subjected to taunts of “You don’t know what you’re doing” during the second half but ended up having the last laugh as his team battled back to a draw. Doyle gave the side a lifeline when he jabbed home from close range following Sam Vokes’ shot six minutes from time, and two minutes later O’Hara levelled it when he swept in Doyle’s cross from the left. —AFP

Late goals inflict more home misery on Bolton BOLTON: Late goals from Stephane Sessegnon and Nicklas Bendtner handed Sunderland a deserved 2-0 win at Bolton as the Trotters slumped to a fifth defeat in five home league games this season.

Sessegnon fired home from close range with eight minutes remaining, and the Benin international then set up Bendtner to secure the points in stoppage time as Bolton piled forward in search of an equaliser.

The goals were just reward for a dominant second-half performance from the visitors, who climb to 12th after what was their first away win in this Premier League campaign.

The three points will ease the pressure on their manager Steve Bruce, but his Bolton counterpart Owen Coyle will have more questions to answer after a poor showing by the home side, which leaves them stuck in the Premier League relegation zone.

Manchester City, Manchester United, Norwich and Chelsea had already come to the Reebok Stadium and won this season, but Bolton had been buoyed by last weekend’s 3-1 win at near neighbors Wigan.

Coyle named an unchanged team, while Sunderland welcomed back Bendtner and Connor Wickham was handed his first start since signing from Ipswich in the summer.

However, despite the array of attacking tal-

Bolton 0

Sunderland 2

ent on display, chances were few and far between in the first-half on a crisp afternoon in the north-west of England, with a Chris Eagles shot that was sliced well wide as close as the hosts came to scoring, while John O’Shea headed just past from a free-kick at the other end.

However, the Black Cats turned up the pressure after the restart, and a Kieran Richardson shot from six yards was blocked while David Vaughan blazed over from 16 yards as Bolton defended grimly.

Then, just when it looked as if they would hang on for that elusive first home point, Sessegnon struck, swivelling to fire home from six yards after Bolton had again failed to fully clear a corner.

Darren Pratley almost snatched an equaliser in the dying seconds, only for Sunderland ‘keeper Simon Mignolet to make a brave block. —AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Fulham v Everton .................................. 15:30 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 7 Man United v Man City ......................... 15:30 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Arsenal v Stoke ......................................15:30 Abu Dhabi Sports 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 4 Blackburn v Tottenham ........................ 17:00 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 6 QPR v Chelsea ........................................ 18:00 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 4

Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD Villarreal v Levante .............................. 23:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2 Al Jazeera Sport +3 Italian League Lecce v Ac Milan ................................... 13:30 Al Jazeera Sport +1 Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD Udinese v Novara ................................. 16:00 Al Jazeera Sport +10 Seiena v Cesena .................................... 16:00 Al Jazeera Sport +9

Spanish League Betis v Vallecano .................................... 13:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2 Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD Sociedad v Getafe .................................. 17:00 Al Jazeera Sport +5

AS Roma v Palermo .............................. 16:00 Al Jazeera Sport +8 Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD Parma v Atalanta .................................. 16:00 Al Jazeera Sport +7

Osasuna v Zaragoza .............................. 19:00 Al Jazeera Sport +7

Inter v Chievo Verona ........................... 16:00 Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD

Atletico v Mallorca ................................. 19:00 Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD

Cag;oaro v Napoli ................................. 16:00 Al Jazeera Sport +5

Valencia v Bilbao .................................... 21:00 Al Jazeera Sport +3

Bologna v SS Lazio ................................ 21:45 Al Jazeera Sport +1

Sangakkara, Jayawardene halt Pakistan’s victory charge

15

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

Vonn clinches World Cup GS

18

New Zealand hopes long World Cup wait will end Page 16

LONDON: Chelsea’s Spanish Fernando Torres (center) vies with Genk’s Abel Luis Masuero (left) during a UEFA Champions League Group E football match. — AP

Liverpool thwarted by Norwich Liverpool 1

Norwich 1

LIVERPOOL: A marvellous last-gasp save from John Ruddy helped Norwich earn a battling 1-1 draw at Liverpool as the Merseysiders lost ground in the race for a top four spot yesterday.

Ruddy parried away a well-struck Luis Suarez volley in the fourth minute of injury time to deny Liverpool victory after the Canaries had fought back to level through Grant Holt following Craig Bellamy’s opener.

Norwich also had a lucky escape late on when Liverpool’s £35 million striker Andy Carroll headed wide as Kenny Dalglish’s side pressed for a winner.

“We (goalkeepers) don’t get much to cheer

about but when you make a save like that at the end the buzz is massive. It’s like scoring a goal,” Ruddy said. “I was pleased to make the save because I was at fault from a cross just before so thank God for that.

“We were terrific in the second half. We were a different animal and showed what we are about. We don’t fear anybody.” Liverpool are still looking for a first home clean sheet of the season and have drawn three of their five home matches. Even more disappointing for Dalglish was the fact that his team had enough chances in the opening quarter to secure a comfortable victory. The hosts were dominant from the start and could have taken the lead with just a minute gone, when Charlie Adam’s corner was headed on to the bar by Martin Skrtel.

Suarez’s header from the Steven Gerrard corner that followed was also blocked by a crowd of Norwich defenders.

But the Uruguayan went even closer shortly after, when he controlled Jose Enrique’s throw and span past Leon Barnett before shooting

into the side-netting. Liverpool opened the visitors up once again when Bellamy sped past Kyle Naughton and sent over a cross that was headed on to the post by Suarez before Stewart Downing missed with the follow up.

Norwich came through that early spell of pressure and threatened for the first time when Steve Morison headed through for Wes Hoolahan and the Irishman shot straight at Pepe Reina. But Suarez passed up another opportunity when he hit a shot on the turn just past the post from Glen Johnson’s cross.

Reina had to be alert to hold Morison’s powerful header from David Fox’s corner and the Spanish goalkeeper also denied Elliott Bennett after Jose Enrique had given the ball away.

Suarez should have opened the scoring but could only head straight at Ruddy after rising above Barnett to meet Downing’s looping cross before Bellamy missed with a hopeful effort.

But Liverpool took the lead with a quick breakaway just before the interval. Martin blocked Suarez but Bellamy pounced on the

loose ball and broke into the area before hitting his shot which deflected off Marc Tierney and past Ruddy.

Just after the restart, Anthony Pilkington had a low effort blocked by Reina as Norwich pressed forward. But after Kuyt glanced a header wide from Downing’s cross, Suarez, who beat Barnett once again on the edge of the box, had a low effort deflected on to the post by Martin.

Gerrard also had a low effort held by Ruddy after he had been played into the area by Suarez before Bellamy headed straight at the Norwich goalkeeper from yet another Downing cross.

Fox’s long range effort was gathered by Reina at the second attempt but just before the hour, the visitors equalised.

Hoolahan fed Pilkington and his cross from the right was met by Holt, who got in ahead of Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson to head in.

He could have added a second when he met Pilkington’s cross only to be denied by Reina’s save. — AFP

Newcastle down Wigan NEWCASTLE: Newcastle maintained their dream Newcastle 1 start to the season as Frenchman Yohan Cabaye’s first goal for the club handed them a Wigan 0 1-0 victory over Wigan at St James Park.

Cabaye-who had surprised many in his homeland by leaving Champions League-qualified Lille this summer-curled in an 81st minute winner after good work by compatriot Sylvain Marveaux.

The goal cemented Newcastle’s place in the top four, leaving them level on points but trailing on goal difference from third-placed Chelsea who play QPR in the west London derby today. Cabaye’s late winner added to Wigan’s woes however, and sent the Latics tumbling to the foot of the table after a poor start to the season.

None of that will concern Newcastle and manager Alan Pardew, however, who have now confounded expectations by stretching their unbeaten start to the season to nine matches. Defeat was tough on Wigan, though, who kept Newcastle at bay for much of the afternoon and caused problems for the home side in attack with the return from injury of Hugo Rodallega.

Rodallega had a shot on goal blocked in the first minute, and teed up a glorious opportunity for Victor Moses four minutes later, heading down only for his team-mate to volley wide.

Rodallega then missed a golden chance on 15 minutes when a through ball from David Jones sent him clear of the Newcastle defence. The Colombian international miscued his shot wide however.

Newcastle were slow into the groove and had to wait until the 33rd minute for their first genuine chance, when Leon Best’s shot was parried by Ali Al Habsi.

Newcastle upped the pressure after the break, and Demba Ba went close with a 50th-minute header that Al Habsi did well to collect safely.

Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa both went close but Wigan’s defence held firm. Wigan ultimately paid the price for sitting back and inviting Newcastle pressure, and the warning signs were there when Ben Arfa’s low shot was well blocked by Al Habsi late on. On 81 minutes however the pressure told. Marveaux picked out Cabaye on the edge of the area and the Frenchman bent his shot beyond Al Habsi for the winner. — AFP

LONDON: Newcastle United’s goalkeeper Tim Krul celebrates his team’s victory at the end of their English Premier League soccer match against Wigan Athletic. —AP

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CBK announces KD 78.9m profit Page 23 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

Gold prices feed fever on Philippine mountain Page 26

Sheikh Mohammed’s initiative for kids’ healthcare Page 23 CAIRO: An Egyptian worker carries bread in a bakery in Cairo yesterday. — AFP

Kuwait considering investments in Europe No major impact on economy from euro zone crisis ABU DHABI: Kuwait is considering buying assets in Europe after prices fell in response to the region’s debt crisis, but it has not made specific decisions, the countr y ’s finance minister told Reuters. “We haven’t defined any sector investing in Europe, but all sectors are open for us to go through. The sectors that we get some benefit out of, yes we’ll go for it.”

“All that is now presented to us, we have to think it over, study it well, and then decide,” Finance Minister Mustapha AlShamali said in an interview late on Friday

before a meeting of Gulf Arab finance ministers and central bank governors in the United Arab Emirates. He said Kuwait was aware of potential investments in “a lot of things, different sectors” across a wide range of countries in Europe, but did not elaborate. Kuwait, the world’s No 6 crude oil exporter, is one of the richest countries globally with its sovereign wealth fund, Kuwait Investment Authority, managing over $290 billion of assets. It has stakes in Citigroup, Daimler AG and Agricultural Bank of China among others. The European crisis

“will have an impact but it is not that much for us. We are just waiting for the Europeans, what they are to do with their economy,” Shamali said.

Spending But the minister said Kuwait expected to increase government spending moderately in the next fiscal year that will start on April 1. Officials are now beginning to study next year’s budget. “It will be increased, especially...where the capital expenditure will be more,” he said, referring to infrastructure and

development projects. In the current fiscal year, the budget was based on a global oil price of $60 per barrel and the breakeven oil price-the price at which Kuwait posts a budget surplus-is over $85, Shamali said.

Brent crude oil is currently around $110.

Next year’s budget oil price hasn’t been decided yet “but it will be increased from the previous year ”, he said. On next year ’s breakeven price, “We hope it will be the same but we don’t know. We have to study it.” Last month, Shamali said Kuwait had no plans to boost budget spending in the next

IMF not seeking more funds from Gulf states

Iran central bank slams US sanctions TEHRAN: Iran dismissed yesterday a threat by Washington to impose sanctions on its central bank in response to an alleged assassination plot, saying the United Nations would block the plan and other central banks would not accept it.

Central bank Governor Mahmoud Bahmani said allegations that Iran had plotted to kill the Saudi ambassador in Washington- already rejected by Tehran as a fabrication-should not be used as an excuse to further undermine an economy already under a raft of sanctions over its nuclear activities. “This (alleged plot) is a political discussion and many countries will not support this decision in the wake of it,” the ISNA news agency quoted Bahmani as saying. “ The UN would not buy that notion and neither would the world’s central banks go along with it,” he said, referring to Washington’s announcement last week that it was considering “very actively” sanctions on Iran’s central bank. Washington and the European Union have already pushed four rounds of sanctions through the United Nations over Iran’s nuclear program and imposed unilateral measures that have deterred western investment in Iran’s oil sector and made it harder to move money in and out of the country. Imposing sanctions on the central bank would tighten that screw and make it more difficult for Iran to receive payment for exports-particularly oil, a vital source of hard currency for the world’s fifth biggest crude exporter. Even without sanctions on the central bank, Iran was temporari-

ly unable to receive some $5 billion of petrodollars from its second biggest customer earlier this year when India scrapped the payment system previously used-a move applauded by Washington.

A member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce said sanctions on the central bank “would have very heavy consequences”. “Central bank sanctions would certainly be a heavy blow ... a blow that might not be bearable for our transitional economy,” Massoud Daneshmand was quoted as saying by the ILNA news agency.

After the US allegations of an assassination plot-which many Iran experts regard as flimsy-Washington and the EU imposed sanctions on individual Iranians who US authorities said were behind the plot, but more retaliation is expected. US President Barack Obama said he aimed “to mobilize the international community to make sure that Iran is further and further isolated” and under “the toughest sanctions”.

US financial institutions are already generally prohibited from doing business with any bank in Iran, including the central bank so the new measure being mooted by Washington would have to be carried out with international agreement. Any new UN action would require the assent of permanent Security Council members Russia and China, which backed four previous rounds of sanctions but may be hard to persuade to go further on the basis of the allegations made so far.— Reuters

fiscal year. He did not explain on Friday why the policy outlook had shifted towards slightly higher spending.

Since 2004, Kuwait’s budget spending has tripled to a record 19.4 billion dinars ($71 billion) planned for the current fiscal year. Asked if the government was considering whether to issue bonds, Shamali said it was not, and that an issue next year was unlikely. The only reason that an issue might occur would be to stabilise the money market through the central bank, he said. — Reuters

TEHRAN: Iranian men shout slogans during a protest in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement as they gather outside the Swiss embassy which handles US interests yesterday. — AP

ABU DHABI: The International Monetary Fund is not seeking more funds from Gulf Arab oil exporters to bolster its resources, and the region faces no major danger from the euro zone debt crisis, the IMF’s Deputy Managing Director Nemat Shafik said yesterday.

Some emerging economies, fearing the euro zone crisis could destabilize them, suggested giving the IMF more firepower to cope with threats to the global financial system when policymakers from the Group of 20 nations met in Paris last week. China, Brazil and India all favored bolstering the IMF’s capital, G20 sources said.

But they ran into resistance from the United States and other big economies, burying the idea for now.

Asked whether the IMF was seeking more resources from Gulf Arab countries, Shafik, visiting Abu Dhabi for a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the region, told reporters: “No, at the moment, it is not our objective.” Saudi Arabia’s central bank governor told Reuters last week that the IMF did not need more funds now and that he doubted any consensus on increasing IMF members’ quotas for contributions to the Fund was likely in the near future.

“The recapitalization for what was agreed on for 2010 has not been implemented yet. So there is absolutely no discussion at this stage with regard between the IMF and the UAE regarding participation in any recapitalization,” the United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Financial Affairs, Obaid Humaid Al-Tayer, said yesterday. He also told a news conference that the IMF had presented a

paper on the global economic situation to Gulf policymakers in Abu Dhabi, and had discussed expectations for how Europe would deal with its debt crisis. He did not give details.

European Union leaders will meet on Sunday to see if they can agree on a plan to resolve the two-year-old crisis, with another summit scheduled for Wednesday, Oct 26 because no breakthrough is expected on Sunday.

Shafik also said the impact of the euro zone crisis on the Gulf had been small so far as its exposure to Greece and Portugal was “very limited”. “There is no major danger for the Gulf financial markets,” she said after the meeting.

“The only concern is when there is any impact in the future on the price of oil.”

Brent crude oil prices have retreated from more than two-and-half year highs of $127 per barrel seen in April to nearly $99 earlier this month. They closed above $109 per barrel on Friday. United Arab Emirates Finance Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al-Maktoum told the meeting that Gulf countries were able to fill any shortage of oil on international markets to keep prices stable.

“The GCC countries will be in a position to fill any shortage of oil on the international markets for the stability of oil prices,” Sheikh Hamdan told the meeting. Gulf Arab economies rely on oil for most of their government spending. Governments across the region have boosted social spending this year as unrest swept much of the Arab world, including Bahrain, Oman and Yemen, which made budgets more vulnerable to a sudden fall in crude prices. — Reuters

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BUSINESS

Oman govt spending to rise slightly next year First Islamic banks operational in early 2012 ABU DHABI: Oman’s government spending will rise slightly next year, after a sharp increase this year as the country boosted social spending, finance minister Dar wish Al-Balushi told Reuters yesterday. Balushi said budget spending this year would total about 9.1 billion rials ($23.7 billion), up from an original plan of 8.1 billion rials.

The country increased spending after a wave of social unrest prompted by Arab Spring political protests across the region.

Next year’s spending will be “a little more” than 9.1 billion rials, Balushi said, speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of Gulf Arab finance ministers and central bankers. Protests demanding jobs and an end to corruption prompted Sultan Qaboos bin Said, a US ally who has ruled Oman for 40 years, to promise a

resilient, strong and comfortable. Looking at Q3 profits, we will see upward growth in the region of about 10 percent for 2011.” Zadjali added that banks’ loan books were growing at an annual rate of about 8 to 10 per cent at the end of the third quar ter of this year, with deposits showing similar expansion.

He said the sultanate’s first two fully fledged Islamic banks would be operational in early 2012. The two banks will raise 40 percent of their capital through initial public offers of shares, he said. Bank Nizwa and Al-Izz International Bank, sponsored by local investors in Oman, have received licenses from the central bank to operate as wholly Islamic financial institutions but have not yet opened their doors. O ther

$2.6 billion spending package in April. He also announced plans to create 50,000 new jobs.

Bond Speaking to Reuters at the same meeting, the head of Oman’s central bank said the non-OPEC oil producer would issue a bond to fund development projects. “The government is issuing a government development bond before the end of this year in the range of 150 million rials,” Hamood Sangour AlZadjali said. “It is meant for the local market and issued by the government through the central bank.”

Oman’s commercial banks are set to boost profits by about 10 percent this year, driven by growth in loans and other core businesses, Zadjali said. “The 0man bank ing system is

banks in Oman are free to open Islamic windows, Zadjali added.

Euro zone He said Oman’s banking sector had no “direct” exposure to the euro zone debt crisis. “Our banks have not borrowed funds nor kept large sums with them. Our banks are conservative,” he said.

Balushi said the Oman Investment Fund, the country’s main sovereign wealth fund, would not alter its investment strategy to buy European assets made cheaper by the euro zone crisis. “They (the fund) have a strategy where they invest in a sort of balance between the local investments and the foreign investments. And I think we will continue with that...It is something like 60 percent in local and 40 percent in foreign investments,” Balushi said. —Reuters

Alghanim Industries hosts Leadership Conference

Mercedes-Benz service week begins KUWAIT: Abdul Rahman Albisher & Zaid Alkazemi Co, the Authorized General Distributor of Mercedes-

at its service centres in Shuwaikh and Al-Rai. During this service week, Mercedes-Benz car owners can bring in their cars for a free comprehensive vehicle check performed by Mercedes-Benz trained specialists and also get a chance to consult with the visiting Factory Expert from Germany.

After the success of our first service week in March and getting tremendous positive feedback from our customers, we have decided to organise our second Service Week of this year for the benefit of our customers” said Ralph Geyer, Ser vice Manager, Albisher & Alkazemi Co. “We are happy to conduct this Service Week in coordination with Sales & After-Sales departments to ensure that our cus-

Benz in Kuwait is conducting the second Mercedes-Benz Service Week of 2011 from October 22-27

President - Commercial and Industrial Groups, Andrew Miles, President - Retail and Distribution Group, Mark Schmitz, Chief Finance Officer and Jim Batchler, Chief Human Resources Officer, all presented at the conference, offering their unique perspectives on the importance of strong business leadership and the need for individuals to take proactive steps to reach their career goals.

Omar K Alghanim, Alghanim Industries’ CEO and the driver of the company ’s leadership development efforts, commented on the importance of this program, stating, “Alghanim Industries places the highest priority on the development of our leaders. Our commitment to this philosophy serves not only as an investment in our people, but in the future of our organization as well.” The conference concluded with a working dinner that enabled participants to interact in an informal setting with the executive leadership team, and reflect on the leadership topics discussed throughout the day. Over the next seven months, these employees will be investing time and energy into this program, in addition to carrying out their full-time responsibilities within the company. In the end, these employees will emerge with enhanced leadership skills, which are essential tools in today’s business environment.

KUWAIT: As part of its ongoing commitment to developing leaders at every level of the organization, Alghanim Industries (AI) officially launched its Leadership Development Program on Thursday, October 13, 2011, at the Sahara Kuwait Resort. Thirty six members of AI’s management team attended this day-long event, which included presentations by the company’s executive leadership, networking activities and sessions on building leadership skills.

The conference participants are part of Al’s multi-level Leadership Development Program, which provides the company’s emerging, mid-level and senior leaders with world-class leadership development. Based on international best practice, the program offers a unique, integrated learning experience that strengthens employees’ leadership capabilities while helping them realize their leadership potential. The sevenmonth program, conducted by the company’s in-house Talent Development Centre, includes classroom-based workshops, project work, experiential and elearning components, as well as one-toone executive coaching.

One of the strengths of the program is the full support it receives from AI’s executive leadership team, as was illustrated by their presence and active participation at this kick-off event. Samir Kasem,

tomers as well their vehicles are well taken care of”.

“In addition to the free service check, visitors to the Service Week at Albisher & Alkazemi Co. can take advantage of exclusive offers including discounts on spare parts and accessories.” said Kanwarjit Singh, Parts Manager.

Customers can even test drive a segment-leading Mercedes-Benz sedan or SUV and get a trade-in price for their current vehicle.

Customers can also browse through the latest collection of lifestyle items and accessories available for their car, enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi access and watch the latest Mercedes-Benz technology videos while they receive their respective service check results.

Gulf Express Co awards Technician of the Month KUWAIT: Gulf express Co (a subsidiary of Al-Babtain Group) is the distributor of Dunlop tyres in Kuwait.

Gulf express Co is known to provide excellent ser vices to their customer with prompt care, timely, fast and quality services to the customers. They have special customer service for ladies in terms of care, fast and quality service. In order to increase the customer ser vice level and improve customer satisfaction

Gulf express Co has star ted a competition amongst their technicians.

The evaluations were done on the basis of accuracy in the job, faster service time, teamwork, wquipment maintenance, personal hygiene, attendance, customer delight etc.

Waseem Allah Baksh ShaikhTyre technician has won the “Technician of the month” award for the month of S eptember 2011 and has been honoured by

the company by giving appreciation and a mobile.

This activity has resulted in improving our service quality, improved productivity, create competition amongst our branches and ultimately to achieve customer satisfaction targets.

Dunlop tyres are No 1 market leader in Kuwait with highest market share. Dunlop is known for its qualit y and safet y, it comes as original fitment in all

the Japanese, American and European cars such as BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Audi, etc. It also has one year warranty. It is known as a fit and forget tyre because of top quality. Its market share is growing and it is supported by a very strong sales & service team.

Maxiss is at No10th position in the list of international tyre companies worldwide. It also has one year warranty. Maxxis tyres users are lifelong Maxxis customers.

KUWAIT: Waseem Allah Baksh Shaikh is pictured receiving the ‘Technician of the Month’ award.

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 Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2732190 .4310850 .3774520 .3050680 .2692470 .2804450 .0055530 .0024870 .0744160 .7250060 .3864470 .0728770 .7099350 .0063540 .0461130

.2784860 .4393950 .3847280 .3109490 .2744380 .2858520 .0056600 .0025350 .0758510 .7389830 .3938980 .0742820 .7236220 .0064760 .0470020

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2746500 .2767500 GB Pound/KD .4333430 .4366560 Euro .3794290 .3823300 Swiss francs .3066660 .3090110 Canadian dollars .2706580 .2727270 Danish Kroner .0509680 .0513580 Swedish Kroner .0416560 .0419740 Australian dlr .2819140 .2840700 Hong Kong dlr .0353020 .0355720 Singapore dlr .2167380 .2183950 Japanese yen .0035800 .0036070 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0056250 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0025190 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0032090 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0036660 UAE dirhams .0748060 .0753780 Bahraini dinars .7288050 .7343770 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3914430 Saudi Riyal/KD .0732600 .0738200 Omani riyals .7136550 .7191110 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0064360

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.618 5.565 3.180 2.500 3.515 217.140 35.487 3.630 6.375 8.912 0.271 0.273

GCC COUNTRIES 73.643 75.880 717.290 733.490 75.197

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 48.000 46.154 1.264 195.480 389.980 1.853 5.962 34.292

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 276.050 Euro 380.260 Sterling Pound 435.470 Canadian dollar 270.770 Turkish lire 147.870 Swiss Franc 305.740 Australian dollar 279.800 US Dollar Buying 275.800

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH 289.300 733.770 3.870 277.100 541.900 36.700 52.000 167.800 48.250 387.500 36.160 5.850 0.032 0.238 0.240 3.690 391.570 0.187 90.110 46.200 4.250 225.200 1.788

50.500 716.650 3.220 6.510 76.330 73.670 217.720 36.490 2.606 444.500 42.800 316.400 5.500 9.460 198.263 75.230 276.300 1.200

716.470 3.175 6.350 75.900 73.670 217.720 36.490 2.500 442.500 314.900 5.500 9.130 75.130 275.900

10 Tola

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 442.500 275.900

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL DRAFT 287.800 733.770 3.633 275.600

217.700 46.189 386.000 36.010 5.525 0.032

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro 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

288.28 277.19 314.32 383.81 442.02 3.65 3.651 5.502 2.503 3.455 3.182 75.09 733.75 46.16 392.45 716.91 76.07 73.66

284.90 275.00 308.10 384.00 439.00 3.62 3.705 5.930 2.606 4.250 3.250 75.50 733.77 48.40 392.00 717.00 76.40 73.70

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 390.960 0.186 90.110 3.530 223.700

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate 275.800 270.160 435.100 380.850 304.365 731.240

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

75.065 75.705 73.510 388.220 46.250 2.499 5.560 3.189 3.639 6.374 676.514 3.690 9.060 5.805 3.595 91.610

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,696.200

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

GOLD 300.000 150.000 78.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran) US Dollar 275.800 Pak Rupees 3.180 Indian Rupees 5.560 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.515 Bangladesh Taka 3.645 Philippines Peso 6.420 UAE Dirhams 75.195 Saudi Riyals 73.695 Bahraini Dinars 733.200 Egyptian Pounds 46.165 Pound Sterling 439.000 Indonesian Rupiah 3.190 Yemeni Riyal 1.550 Jordanian Dinars 391.800 Syrian Pounds 5.750 Euro 383.600 Canadian Dollars 276.000 Nepali rupee 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 275.450 Euro 385.100 Pound Sterling 442.300 Canadian Dollar 275.000 Japanese Yen 3.625 Indian Rupee 5.525 Egyptian Pound 46.150 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.498 Bangladesh Taka 3.627 Philippines Peso 6.351 Pakistan Rupee 3.180 Bahraini Dinar 733.675 UAE Dirham 74.050 Saudi Riyal 73.550 *Rates are subject to change

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Sheikh Mohammed’s initiative for kids’ healthcare DHA signs agreement with Al-Futtaim Carillion KUWAIT: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the Emirate’s dedicated organisation mandated to set policies and strategies for enhancing the healthcare sector, announced the start of the second phase of construction of the Al-Jalila Children’s Speciality Hospital, an ambitious initiative that was unveiled by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to promote comprehensive paediatric healthcare. The Dubai Health Authority signed an agreement with Al-Futtaim Carillion for undertaking the second phase of construction of the hospital, which is expected to be completed in 26 months. Upon completion, the hospital will open a new chapter reaffirming Dubai’s pre-eminent position as the region’s healthcare hub.

With a developmental value of AED673 million, Al-Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital is envisaged to offer the full spectrum of healthcare for children - from newborns to 16-yearolds - and will have several centres of excellence dedicated to cancer care, cardiology, neurology and mental health, among other specialities. The hospital will feature high-end medical equipment and will be led by a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals.

The first of its kind facility in the region offering super-speciality and multi-spectrum paediatric care, AlJalila Children’s Speciality Hospital is set on dedicated premises within the Al Wasl Hospital campus. The 200-bed hospital, sprawling over 100,000 sq m, will provide the entire range of children’s healthcare services including oncology care, nephrology, cardiac care, neo-natal care, among others.

Land levelling and preliminary construction related work has been completed already.

Addressing a press conference to announce the details of the second

phase, Qadhi Saeed Al-Murooshid, the Director-General of DHA, said: “Al-Jalila Children’s Speciality Hospital will redefine paediatric care in the UAE and the wider region. The hospital is the vision of Sheikh Mohammed, to provide the highest standards of care to children, covering all relevant specialities, in a warm and welcoming environment.”

Designed with a rational and functional layout as a child-friendly hospital, Al Jalila Children’s Speciality Hospital transcends the traditional concepts of medical structures, and the childfriendly design and concept is designed to immediately put children at ease.

“The hospital will further underline the vision of the leadership of Dubai in developing an efficient and modern healthcare infrastructure that addresses the requirements of all cross-sections of the society. Our mission is to provide world-class medical practices for children, right here in Dubai, thereby adding to the convenience of parents, who are sometimes forced to travel abroad to seek critical care for their kids,” he added. Emphasising on building sustainability and redefining the traditional approach to hospital architecture, Al-Jalila Children’s Speciality Hospital applies innovative concepts whereby the design and construction aspects are integrated with the healing process. Of the total area, nearly half has been earmarked for gardens and landscaping including a ‘healing garden’ with bright flowering shrubs and herbs and medicinal plants.

The use of natural light, greenery and healing landscape are aimed at offering a high level of indoor air quality, reducing noise and creating a pleasant environment. The development will be highlighted by several energy saving initiatives including sustainable construction techniques to reduce energy use, an active wall faÁade system to reduce ambient

temperature inside the hospital, and rooftop gardens that provide greater insulation. As part of its focus on sustainability, Al-Jalila Children’s Speciality Hospital will use recycled water for irrigation purposes.

The eco-friendly design and development model of the hospital has already won international honours, including the Future Projects - Health Award at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, 2009; and Hospital Build Award 2011 for Best Sustainable Hospital Project.

Simon Webb, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Carillion said: “It is our honour to be associated with a prestigious project like the Al-Jalila Children’s Speciality Hospital that is a visionary initiative of Sheikh Mohammed. We will ensure world-class quality of construction for the hospital, in line with the specific brief from the Dubai Health Authority to create an aesthetic, appealing and eco-friendly environment that will appeal to children.” With a total built up area of 76,500 sq m of which the hospital surface spans over 55,000 sq m, the 4-storey hospital with basement parking has been designed

by Studio Altieri International, which also undertakes the interior decor. In addition to underground parking for 40 vehicles, the hospital will have 430 external parking spaces, adding to the convenience of visitors.

The hospital will have 40 incentive care units, six dialysis facilities, 20 healing centres, 12 training rooms, eight operating theatres, 30 clinical and non-clinical departments, over 3,750 biomedical equipment and fixtures, and a multipurpose activities room for children, among others. Well-connected departments, single bedrooms and a family-centred approach set the hospital apart.

Khalid Al-Sheikh Mubarak, Deputy Director-General of the DHA, said: “The entire operational and development aspects of Al Jalila Children’s Speciality

NVIDIA 3D vision vaults to different dimension KUWAIT: The best 3D technology for the PC just got better with the introduction of new NVIDIA 3D Vision products, which deliver greater realism and immersion than ever for 3D games, movies and photos. NVIDIA 3D Vision 2, the next generation of NVIDIA’s award-winning 3D technology, features sleek, newly-redesigned, gamer-inspired glasses. It also introduces NVIDIA 3D LightBoost technology, a unique new display technology that dramatically improves the 3D experience by delivering images that are up to twice as bright and colors that are far richer than those provided by other 3D display technologies.

These features give gamers the ultimate 3D platform for this fall’s hot new titles, including Batman: Arkham City, LA Noire and more. In addition, through the NVIDIA 3D Vision Ready ecosystem, NVIDIA is delivering the industry’s broadest selection of highquality 3D content and supported displays. “Gorgeous, bright, crystalclear 3D worlds are created by NVIDIA’s 3D Vision 2 glasses with 3D LightBoost monitors and notebooks,” said Phil Eisler, General Manager of 3D Vision at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA’s engineering team has made incredible enhancements in 3D on PCs, creating a breathtaking gaming experience that’s better than the best Hollywood 3D movie.”

“NVIDIA 3D LightBoost technology makes 3D games, movies and photos

more stunning and life-like than ever before,” said David Wung, senior director of product management of Open Platform Business (OPBG) Group for ASUS Computer International. “With 3D LightBoost and our new full-HD monitors, colors are richer, textures and subtle image details virtually jump off the screen, and the overall quality of the experience is something to behold. We are thrilled to be the first desktop display manufacturer to bring this new level of 3D visual quality to our customers with the ASUS VG278H.” NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 glasses were designed specifically for gamers and 3D enthusiasts. They provide deeper immersion in games through lenses that are 20 percent larger than those in first-generation glasses, resulting in a wider viewing area and increased

external light blocking. In addition, NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 glasses are made of soft composite materials for a more comfortable fit with gaming headphones. The glasses, which feature NVIDIA’s advanced active-shutter and IR wireless technologies, allow gamers and 3D enthusiasts to access the broadest selection of high-quality 3D content available today, including more than 550 full-HD 1080p 3D games, more than 100 Blu-ray 3D movies and thousands of 3D videos and photos from YouTube and 3DVisionLive.com. In addition, NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 glasses are fully backwards-compatible with all existing NVIDIA 3D Vision Ready content and supporting products, including more than 70 different 3D Vision monitors, notebooks and projectors, video applications, and cameras.

CBK announces KD 78.9m profit KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced an operating profit before provisions for the period of KD 78.866 million (2010: KD 68.621 million) an increase of 14.9 percent. This was allocated as provisions against the loan and investment portfolios resulting in a net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent bank for the nine months to September 30, 2011 of KD 8.289 million .

Commenting on the financial results for the period, Chairman Ali Yousef Al-Awadhi said that the planned strategy, to be a leading retail bank in Kuwait and to be the best bank for commercial business while outperforming our peers in profitability, is moving well ahead. Al Awadhi noted that other performance indicators showed a return to profitable growth with net interest income of KD 69.7 million up 9 percent on last year and operating income up 9 percent.

Al-Awadhi went on saying that Commercial Bank is moving well ahead according to its planned strategy that aims at strengthening the bank’s financial position, reduce the percentage of NPLs and generating income from the bank’s core business activities. Al-Awadhi explained that Commercial Bank continues to develop and upgrade its service and product offerings to attain customers’ utmost satisfaction. Al-Awadhi fur-

ther explained that the downward trend is still predominating the performance of Kuwait economy as a result of weak government spending, sluggish performance of KSE and related negative impact on assets

Ali Yousef Al-Awadhi values, noting that the improvement in the economic and business environment will positively reflect on the banking sector and on Commercial Bank. Commercial Bank’s financial position and balance sheet is strong with additional judgmental provisions that provide the bank with

more comfort when taking up businesses, added Al Awadhi.

The bank continues to demonstrate its cost control leadership with operating expenses down 9 percent on 3Q2010. Operational efficiency is a competitive advantage for the bank which continues to maintain one of the lowest cost/income ratios with 20.87 percent for 3Q2011.

Commercial Bank’s total assets at the end of September 2011 reached KD 3.752 billion (9/2010: KD 3.639 billion) with shareholders equity of KD 539.9 million (9/2010: KD 464.21 million).

The capital adequacy ratio at last month is 20.75 percent (9/2010: 19.88 percent) which exceeds the minimum 12 percent required by the Central Bank of Kuwait. The bank continues to have a strong capital base with more than twice the international ratio required by Basel II. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes the opportunity to thank the bank’s valued customers for their trust and confidence, the Executive Management team and staff for their hard work and loyalty and shareholders for their continued support and faith. Commercial Bank of Kuwait provides its corporate and retail customers with wide spectrum of banking products and services through one of the largest full service branch networks in Kuwait.

DUBAI: Qadhi Saeed Al-Murooshid, Director General of Dubai Health Authority with senior officials from Dubai Health Authority along with Simon Webb, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Carillion during the signing of an agreement with Al-Futtaim Carillion for undertaking the second phase of construction of the hospital.

Hospital have been developed following extensive research and visits to globally renowned paediatric facilities.

We are drawing on the best of expertise across the board to give all UAE residents as well as patients from the region the easiest access to worldclass paediatric care.”

“The focus of the hospital, which follows a horizontal layout plan, will be to enhance the efficient and nonintrusive interaction between the patients and their parents,” he added.

“The design, architecture and dÈcor elements aim to stimulate the partici-

pation and imagination of children through visual aids, interactive touchsurfaces, imaginative shapes, and integrating arts, music and nature as part of the overall healthcare welfare strategy.”

Dr Mohammad Al-Olama, CEO of Hospital Services Sector at the DHA, said: “Al-Jalila Children’s Speciality Hospital will be built according to the highest international standards applied for the construction of healthcare facilities with specifications that take into consideration the privacy of patients and help provide a peaceful

ambience for them.”

He added: “Once completed the hospital will be an advanced medical facility that will attract ‘medical tourism’ to the Emirate and will help improve the level and quality of healthcare services for children.” “The other key facilities at the hospital are Imaging & Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, an advanced clinical laboratory, emergency department, operating theatres, neonatal intensive care unit, burn unit, endoscopy facilities, rehabilitation and pharmacy among others,” he concluded.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

BUSINESS

KSE records gains in investment sector KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 0.48 percent, while the weighted index rose by 0.45 percent compared to the closings of the week before. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 19.98 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 23.76 million, whereas trading volume average was 166.81 million shares, recording decrease of 21.98 percent. KSE recorded limited gains for the second consecutive week, in the shadow of positive speculations, which affected the market to demonstrate hesitant, yet positive, performance. The buying actions were concentrated on small stocks as the previous weeks.

On the other hand, the traders are waiting for the nine months 2011 results for listed companies, as these results are conclusive to determine the annual results. Despite that more than half of the legal period for declaring result is passed, only 3 percent of listed

BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT companies announced its results. By the end of the week, the price index closed at 5,895.8 points, up by 0.48 percent from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.45 percent weekly gain after closing at 413.76 points.

Sectors’ indices Four of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, three recorded declines, whereas the insurance sector’s index closed with no change from the week before. Last week’s highest gainer was the food sector, achieving 2.31 percent growth rate as its index closed at 4,370.3 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Industry sector’s index closed at 4,374.5 points recording 1.47 percent increase. The investment sector came in third as its index

achieved 1.25 percent growth, ending the week at 3,732.7 points. On the other hand, the non-Kuwaiti Companies sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 1.62 percent to end the week’s activity at 5,331.9 points.

The Banks sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.81 percent, closing at 11,522.3 points, followed by the real estate sector, as its index closed at 2,050.5 points at a loss of 0.64 percent.

were 28.52 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 237.91 million shares.

On the other hand, the services sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 31.48 million or 26.50 percent of last week’s total market trading value. The Investment sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 25.97 million represented 21.87 percent of the total market trading value.

Sectors’ activity The Investment sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 287.25 million shares changing hands, representing 34.44 percent of the total market trading volume. The services sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares

Market capitalization KSE total market capitalization grew by 0.53 percent during last week to reach KD 29.14 billion, as five of KSE’s sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization, tow recorded declines, whereas the Insurance sector’s market capitalization

remained the same from the week before. The food sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 729.52 million, increasing by 1.67 percent. The Investment sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 1.66 percent increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 2.20 billion. The third place was for the Banks sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 12.92 billion by the end of the week, recording an increase of 0.97 percent. The Real Estate sector was the least growing with 0.11 percent recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD 1.73 billion.

On the other hand, the Non Kuwaiti Companies sector headed the decliners list as its total market capitalization decreased by 1.00 percent to reach, by the end of the week, KD 1.74 billion. The services sector was second on this list, which market value of its listed companies declined by 0.34 percent, reaching KD 7.18 billion.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

business

Greece looks for EU debt salvation Banks to take ‘increase’: Juncker

BANGKOK: Motorists make their way through a flooded street yesterday. — AP

Car manufacturing hit in Thai floods BANGKOK: Thailand’s prime minister called for all agencies to collaborate to protect the capital from a potential deluge of floodwater yesterday as thousands scrambled to protect homes and two more industrial estates now in danger.

Thailand’s worst flooding in half a century has affected a third of the country and has threatened to hit Bangkok for several days and Yingluck Shinawatra’s government was pinning its hopes on diverting floodwaters around the city into the sea.

The military said it was struggling to protect the Lat Krabang and Bangchan industrial estates to the north and east of Bangkok, risking more disruption to supply chains and cuts in production for foreign firms operating in the country.

Bangkok was clear and sunny for a second day yesterday, but the threat of heavy rain still loomed large, with most defence walls holding, for now, and canals and the Chao Phraya River already full to the brim. Walls of sandbags failed to hold off water in some northern Bangkok districts, like Lak Si, where many homes were flooded and people waded in waist-high waters or pushed stalled cars through streets. More than 113,000 people in affected provinces had taken refuge in 1,743 shelters. “ The water is coming close to Bangkok,” Yingluck said in a televised address yesterday. “All agencies have to be united where tackling the runoff is concerned, because successfully diverting the water to drain into the sea via east Bangkok would hinge on all relevant agencies moving in a concerted effort.”

Twenty-eight of Thailand’s 77 provinces and 2.46 million people are affected, with water covering an area 16 times the size of Hong Kong. The floods have killed at least 356 people since July and devastated seven industrialised areas north of Bangkok, inflicting damage estimated at least $3.3 billion and putting more than 650,000 of Thais temporarily out of work.

Myanmar has suffered at least 100 deaths and Cambodia 247 as a result of severe flooding. Thailand’s central bank said 2011 growth might be about 3 percent rather than the 4.1 percent it had previously forecast. The finance minister forecast growth in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy might be barely 2 percent this year.

Residents moved valuables to higher ground, thousands of cars were left at parking lots at shopping malls and concert venues, while some vehicles were moved to bridges and flyovers. Stores ran out of bottled water and instant noodles.

People were seen buying sacks of ice to melt into drinking water.

An airport in northern Don Muang area was transformed into an evacuation centre, with 3,000 people sleeping in departure lounges or tents pitched in the arrivals hall. There was no disruption to flights at either of the city’s two airports.

The crisis has become a major test for the politically-inexperienced, 44-year-old Yingluck, whose government has been widely criticised for mismanaging the crisis and sending conflicting signals to the public. — Reuters

ATHENS: Greece yesterday looked for debt salvation at a weekend EU summit after an allout austerity pledge that sparked huge protests marked by violence and the death of a unionist during clashes in Athens. Prime Minister George Papandreou was flying to Brussels for 1500 GMT talks with European Commission chairman Jose Manuel Barroso after pushing through parliament sweeping new cuts demanded by the country’s creditors. “Greece is not a central problem for the eurozone,” Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said ahead of a ministers’ meeting that will precede the today summit.

“The point now is to adopt a general more constructive decision for the eurozone as a whole,” he told reporters. The European debt crisis began in Greece, has since engulfed Ireland and Portugal and now threatens Italy, Spain and potentially France. The controversial austerity bill approved on Thursday was needed to pave the way for the release of eight billion euros ($11 billion) in EU-IMF loans without which Athens is slated to run out of reserve cash next month.

The money was originally scheduled to be released in August but was held up in troubled talks between Athens and its creditors on how to remedy fiscal slippage from the terms of a 110 billion euro ($152 billion) loan bailout. The delay once again raised the specter of Greek bankruptcy more than a year after the loans-for-reforms package was set up to save the country. The government’s new demand for fiscal sacrifices this week sparked a two-day general strike during which tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Athens and other Greek cities. The gatherings were marred by violence on both days in which dozens of protesters and police were injured, and on Thursday a 53-year-old communist unionist died of a heart attack after clashes with hooded vandals.

The government, which was weakened in parliament after being forced to axe a dissident former minister, had warned that it would be pointless to attend the EU summit without the additional spending cuts

demanded by its peers. Despite more than a year of belt-tightening measures, Greece has fallen short of deficit reduction targets agreed in return for the EU-IMF bailout because a deep recession-exacerbated by the cuts according to critics-has partly neutralised the effect of the spending trims.

The European Union now plans to install a permanent detail in Athens to monitor Greece’s economic recovery, Ta Nea daily reported yesterday, citing unnamed Greek government sources.

The daily added that announcements on the issue will be made after today’s summit.

On Friday, eurozone finance ministers meet-

ATHENS: A protester holding a Greek flag chants anti-austerity slogans as he stands in front of Greek riot police officers protecting the Greek parliament during clashes with protesters. — AP ing ahead of the summit agreed to release their 5.8 billion euro contribution to the EUIMF package.

But the key issue remains what to do about

Bayt.com Tips

S

1. Be prepared Read up on the company beforehand and make sure you are well versed in the products, competition and company culture and direction.

Ask your new boss if there are materials you can read before you join and try to meet some of the people you will be working with beforehand so the terrain is not completely unfamiliar.

2. Ask questions Ask questions and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. It will take you a while to get used to the company’s policies and procedures and asking the right people the right questions is the best way to avoid potentially costly mistakes.

3. Be proactive Offer to pitch in with projects that need work and don’t shy from taking on added responsibilities providing these do not interfere with your basic deliverables. Your work ethic is being gauged from the first day you join and you need to show that you are keen, enthusiastic and not afraid of hard work.

4. Listen A good idea in your first days on the job is to listen more and talk less. You have a lot to learn and you don’t want alienate people or rub them the wrong way by being over-ebullient or overaggressive before you are familiar with the office politics and the new dynamics and know the different players.

5. Get to know your colleagues Show that you are interested in your colleagues and happy to be working with them by smiling, being considerate, asking questions and offering to lend a hand. You will be spending a lot of time with your new work colleagues and it is essential that you have good relationships with them.

6. Make good on promises Start as you mean to carry on and do not bite more than you can chew.

Make sure you do not make promises you cannot keep as these will be remembered and will diminish your future credibility in the workplace.

Keep the promises you make manageable and aim for a few easy early wins with projects that have buy-in and support from upper management.

7. Be clear about your role Set expectations early. Make sure you are ver y clear as to what is expected of you, what the immediate priorities are, how your performance will be appraised and how frequently you need to update your boss on projects and deliverables.

8. Don’t join the office gossip mill Do not participate in office gossip no matter how endemic it is. You can listen to what its being said in the office grapevine to avoid making the same mistakes but do not offer your own opinions or encourage the gossip in any way.

9. Don’t try to make big changes Your first weeks on the job should be used to learn the ropes, ask questions and formulate lasting impressions with bosses, clients and coworkers, not to affect drastic change.

You need the counsel, support, perspective and buy-in of others in the firm in order to make lasting change and attempting any drastic measures before you have earned their trust and buy-in and done the necessary groundwork is usually unadvisable and costly.

10. Don’t brag Don’t start off your new job bragging about past wins and successes as this will only alienate those around you. No matter how successful your career has been to date and how hard the company hunted you down before you accepted the offer, you need to check the “star” quality at the door and project humility and modesty your first weeks on the job. You still have to earn the respect and admiration of your new colleagues and will do so only be excelling in your new role through hard work, skill and perseverance.

basis that future negotiations with the banking sector will be held, scheduled to end at the latest with a crucial eurozone summit on Wednesday. — AFP

Winter woes threaten Wall Street occupiers

Key points when starting a new job tarting a new job can be very daunting especially if you have been with your last company for a while. You will have to meet new people, learn the ropes, get accustomed to new processes and procedures and learn how to excel in a brand new environment. Below the career experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, outline some key points to keep in mind to start your new job off on the right foot.

Greece’s unsustainable overall 350 billion euro debt mountain.

The eurozone’s head policymaker JeanClaude Juncker yesterday warned that banks must shoulder a “substantial increase” of Greek debt. “We agreed yesterday that we need a substantial increase of the share which has to be taken over by the banks,” Juncker said on arriving for a second day of crunch talks on how to resolve the rumbling euro crisis.

Three separate diplomatic sources said Friday that finance ministers had decided to demand that private sector creditors accept a “haircut” of at least 50 percent. It is on this

PENNSYLVANIA: Just picked tomatoes in the fields at Pete Flynn’s farm in Westtown are pictured in Chester County. — MCT

Local produce farmers discover hidden costs PHILADELPHIA: Say you’re a produce farmer near Philadelphia. You don’t have Nebraska-size land, so instead of making money on high volume, you grow enough tomatoes, sweet corn, or apples to sell at your own farm store, or to swap with other local farmers who, like you, also run a retail shop. Then supermarkets come to your door. The same ones that, for years, had stopped buying local produce because they simply stocked whatever their distributors sent from faraway warehouses.

Now, they say, their customers want local. They offer to buy your crops in bulk and sell them with a “local” label, alongside the rest.

Easy money, you might think. A way, even, to unload extra produce at peak harvest that otherwise might have gone rotten. But what may seem like an alluring opportunity is, in reality, a double-edged sword, say some growers with farm stands popular in their communities, who have come to realize that they are paying a hidden price for even modest deals with deep-pocketed supermarkets.

One farmer, Pete Flynn, eliminated his wholesale business entirely this year. His own produce was selling at a nearby Wegmans, under his farm’s name, but at prices below what he was charging in his own little store. The wellheeled customers driving into his Westtown Township, Pa., farm market in Land Rovers and BMWs asked time and again: “Why should I buy here when I see your stuff a few miles away for less?” Flynn, who works 200 acres for his Pete’s Produce Farm, sized up supermarket deals this way: “They’re really good for the local farmers who don’t retail in their market.” His business is not the only one wrestling with the costs and benefits of the growing interest in local produce among supermarket chains.

Linvilla Orchards in Delaware County has business relationships with a few supermarkets, but it is wary of the industry’s penchant for “loss-leading,” in which markets sell certain highly marketable items at prices lower than what they pay wholesale. They take a loss on apples but make up for it by attracting customers who will buy other stuff, too, once they come through the door. “That’s not great,” said Ron Ferber, senior manager of the 110-acre Linvilla farm and retail store in Media, Pa., which is wholesaling more this year to Giant supermarkets. Loss-leading is always in the back of a farmer’s mind: “It’s certainly a strong consideration. ... We’re not excited about that,” Ferber said. For those farmers whose business is heavily focused on retailing what they grow, it’s a calculation being done with greater frequency, as consumers ask for more and more local produce, and supermarkets respond by making wholesale-buying decisions that reflect it.

Ferdinand Wirth, an associate professor of food marketing at St Joseph’s University with a focus on agriculture, said the swell in shoppers’ demand for local produce seemed to begin after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, as perceptions about safety became a bigger part of people’s lives. — MCT

NEW YORK: They put on a gritty war face and insist they are more determined now than ever, but the Occupy Wall Street campers now face the slow advance of an unrelenting enemy: the New York winter.

As freezing winds blew Friday over the epicenter of their protests, Zuccotti Park in Manhattan, the demonstrators were already huddling in significantly reduced numbers. At night, the several hundred people who sleep on site in the financial district bundle up as best they can under plastic tarps, hunkering down in sleeping bags and emergency blankets as tents are forbidden on the plaza.

Many sleep with bonnets and scarves.

But the worst has yet to come. “So far, we have been extremely blessed,” said Cynthia Villarreal, who has slept at Zuccotti for 18 days. Ever since the anti-corporate protest movement began on September 17, OWS has only battled a handful of rainy days. At night, temperatures are still above freezing. But New York winters often see frigid temperatures that drop below 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius).

“The cold affects us already,” admitted Maria Fehlig, a volunteer nurse at the protesters’ makeshift infirmary, a small blue tent marked by a cross that is the only structure so far tolerated by owners of the park ensconced between skyscrapers. She noted there had been several cases of

hypothermia and respiratory problems. An online petition is asking Mayor Michael Bloomberg to allow protesters to erect tents on the plaza, though it has not yet been sent. It is unlikely to succeed. “The Constitution doesn’t protect tents, it protects speech and assembly,” Bloomberg said in a press conference last Monday amid growing frustration by some New Yorkers as the protesters continue camping out in the heart of global finance. Bloomberg has also predicted that the weather would play a role in determining how long the movement will last. But Fehlig, who has been helping protesters learn basic methods to resist the cold, insisted that they formed “a determined group that plans to stay until it changes.” She tells demonstrators to stay dry, wear hats, layers of clothing and good pairs of socks and gloves.

The protesters’ kitchen, which serves at least 2,000 meals a day, according to cook Chris O’Donnell, offers warm food ordered from nearby businesses or cooked by volunteers with the help of donations. “We use a soup kitchen in East New York,” explained O’Donnell, an OWS supporter known as a “point person” as the group does not recognize any official hierarchy.

But he also acknowledged that there is a definite lack of abundance on cold and rainy days. — AFP

NEW YORK: A couple of Muslim women hang signs in Zuccotti Park prior to Jummah at the Occupy Wall Street encampment, Friday, Oct 21, 2011. — AP

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

business

Gold prices feed fever on Philippine mountain Analysts predict gold will hit $2,000 mark this year

NEW YORK: In this photo, trader Douglas Glander (center) works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. — AP

Social Security raise is welcome in tough economy WEST PALM BEACH: For some, the just-announced increase in Social Security checks amounts to an extra meal out, a little more cash for clothes or a new pair of shoes, some added comfort in retirement. For Elizabeth Davis, it’s a crucial boost to the only thing keeping her afloat. The 71-yearold Miami woman grew up picking cotton on her family’s South Carolina farm, raised four children and has worked all her life, even now at a preschool. She is divorced, and her small 401k account “went down the drain,” she said. So she counts the days to the third Wednesday of each month, when her $668 Social Security check arrives, and she is able to pay her bills.

“I could live a little better,” she said of the 3.6 percent raise announced this week, the first in two years. “I don’t have anything to look forward to until that check every month.” The reaction the cost-of-living adjustment has garnered illuminates the divide between the rich and poor among America’s oldest residents. Social Security represents a staggering share of income for lower- and middle-class seniors - made evident just this week in a new government report - and for whom any increase can make a world of difference. For upper-income seniors, it’s simply a nice plus.

Star ting in Januar y, 55 million Social Security recipients will get increases averaging $39 a month, or about $467 a year. In December, more than 8 million people who receive Supplemental Security Income, the disability program for the poor, will get increases averaging $18 a month, or about $216 a year. Davis felt the effects of no raise the past two years.

Her only other income is a small stipend for her work that averages about $232 a month. She’s been using her credit card more and building debt. She’s already trimmed as much as she can - from cutting her cable plan to limiting her phone usage to keeping the air conditioning off. She owns her home, but taxes, insurance, utilities and groceries eat up nearly all her income. As those costs rise, there was no wiggle room.

In Seattle, Joseph C Visintainer, 63, lives alone with his cat in a US Department of Housing and Urban Development complex, where rent is kept affordable. The retired restaurant worker said he keeps his expenses low in part by taking the bus instead of driving, and eating T V dinners instead of buying meat.

Visintainer lives off Social Security and keeps some investments just for emergencies. “I have to watch what I spend. I don’t go out a lot like I used to,” he said. “If I get an increase, I’ll say thank you.” For John Bowker, 81, a retired executive, it’s simply a little something extra. He and his wife, Linda, a retired computer programmer, live in the sprawling southwest Florida retirement community of Sun City Center, largely off their savings and investments. But a raise in Social Security adds some padding.

“We can do a little more on our weekends,” Bowker said. “We’ll feel a little less squeamish about going out and spending 40 or 50 bucks a month for a meal.”

For many of the Bowkers’ neighbors, though, it’s different. He said some have even had trouble coming up with the modest $256-a-year dues residents of Sun City Center must pay on top of their mortgage or rent.

Across the income spectrum, though, he said he hears wide acknowledgement from his neighbors that seniors are better off with Social Security.

“Even for us rock-red Republicans,” he said, “this is one of the government programs that we would hurt very badly if it were not available to us.”

The government formally announced the raise Wednesday, two days after the Government Accountability Office put out a report on income security among seniors

that shed light on just how crucial Social Security payouts are. The report found that household income rose 5 percent from 2007 to 2009 for those 65 and up, even though it fell 6 percent for those aged 55 to 64 who are just shy of retirement.

Likewise, poverty rates increased among the younger demographic but decreased among those 65 and older.

Many cite Social Security as a key factor. Frank Chicoine, 80, of Stuart, Fla., receives a pension from his years working at a utility company, but that check’s amount is fixed, never rising.

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is the only raise he gets.

Medicare premiums cost him and his wife nearly $200 a month, and their supplemental health insurance is another $600 a month. His homeowner’s premium went up by $600 to $2,000 this year as insurers have been granted hefty rate hikes. All his expenses seem to keep going up. “I consider myself one of the lucky ones,” he said. “But if I lost that $1,700 or $1,800 a month, it would change my life.” Chicoine isn’t alone in seeing his income eaten up by higher medical costs.

As much as one quarter of the raises to Social Security beneficiaries could be wiped out by higher Medicare premiums, according to projections. Those premiums, for Medicare Part B, which covers doctor visits, could be announced as early as next week.

Richard Birch, 84, and his 72-yearold wife, Carol, said they spend thousands of dollars a year on medical treatments and roughly $300 a month on prescription medications after each survived bouts with cancer.

They said their Social Security raise would likely be eaten up by the Medicare increases, so the couple will continue to live frugally as they’ve done for years. The Birches have lived in their Geneva, Ill., home outside Chicago for 40 years and have driven the same car for 25 years. Despite earning a pension in addition to Social Security, they ’ve changed many of their habits since the economic downturn. “ We think twice about driving places because of the price of gas, we don’t buy clothes and we almost never go out to eat or have steak at home any longer,” Carol Birch said with a smile and shrug. The report from the GAO this week showed that among the bottom fifth of people 65 and older, Social Security comprised 83 percent of income. For the middle tier, it made up 64 percent. Among the most well-off, it represented less than 20 percent of their income.

The annual cost-of-living adjustment is tied to an inflation measure released Wednesday. The measure, which was adopted in the 1970s, produced no raises in 2010 or 2011 because inflation was too low. Those were the first two years without such a raise since automatic increases were enacted in 1975. Social Security recipients did, however, receive a one-time $250 payment from the economic stimulus package passed in 2009.

Doris Miller, 79, lives in the Tulsa, Okla., suburb of Broken Arrow and takes seven prescription medications every day for high blood pressure, arthritis and asthma.

She also is recovering from a back injury. To pay for them, she’s been charging all her prescriptions at the end of each month on credit cards and puts off seeing her doctor because she’s afraid he will give her a new prescription to pay for. She said she is worried that she could be close to maxing out some of those credit cards.

With the cost of living increase, Miller hopes she can afford to pay cash for at least some of the drugs.

“Anything helps when you haven’t had (an increase) in two years,” she said. — AP

MOUNT DIWATA: As grime-covered men emerge from deep shafts on the Philippines’ “golden mountain”, Norie Palma eagerly prepares to haggle for her share of ore from the weary miners. The former laundrywoman turned gold buyer directs the procession to her small milling shack amid grunts from the miners whose backs are stooped under the weight of their hauls from the dangerous honeycomb tunnels of Mount Diwata. “It is like this every day. People are always digging, searching and haggling for that stone with the best gold,” says Palma, a 36-year-old mother of four who runs one of many backyard mining operations on Mount Diwata.

“Gold is what we live for on this mountain.”

With global gold prices rising as investors park their funds in the precious metal to hedge against an uncertain global economy, Palma said she and other prospectors on Mount Diwata were enjoying a windfall. Gold hit a record high of $1,921.15 an ounce in early September and, although it has since fallen back, some analysts have forecast it will hit the $2,000 mark this year. A college dropout, Palma’s operation has lately been producing thousands of dollars’ worth of gold-a fortune in the impoverished Philippines. “You could say gold changed our life. I now have the money to buy the things that I want,” she said.

“And we want more of it while the prices are high.”

Palma buys the ore dug up by the miners who don’t have the means to process it, then trades with jewellers and brokers who regularly make the arduous trip up the 2,012 meter (6,600 feet) mountain to buy the yellow nuggets. The Philippines has some of the biggest gold and other mineral deposits in the world, according to the US government, but the country’s official mining industry is relatively small and hard to access for foreign firms. Illegal mining, in which individuals or small-scale ventures simply start digging on vacant land, is rampant.

Mount Diwata-located in the violenceplagued and often lawless southern region of Mindanao-is the country’s biggest and most famous of these “gold rush” sites. It has yielded at least 2.7 million ounces of high grade ore since a tribesman first discovered gold there three decades ago, according to local government data.

The discovery of gold on the mountain triggered a mad rush of people from all walks of life, from military deserters and excommunist rebels to gun runners and ordinary folk dreaming of that life-changing haul.

‘Your life is already at stake’ The government estimates that at the height of the gold fever in the early 1980s, the population in the area peaked at nearly 100,000. The present population is believed to be 40,000, according to officials, but they said more miners had started returning to the area recently to take advantage of the rising prices.

However, Mount Diwata is as famous for the misery it has wrought upon the miners and the destruction of the local environment as it is for the riches enjoyed by the lucky ones. The first

MOUNT DIWATA: In this photo, former laundrywoman turned gold buyer Norie Palma weighs gold nuggets in the Philippine gold rush site of Mount Diwata. — AFP generation miners and their families settled in small cliff-side shacks and dug tunnels under their homes, creating the blueprint for a chaotic and dangerous existence in which many laws of society and nature were ignored. Highly toxic mercury is used in the mining process, polluting the Naboc stream that cuts through the village. Armed disputes erupted between rival miners and their thugs, according to local village chief Rodolfo Boyles, himself an ex-miner, although he said violence dropped after the military stationed some troops there nine years ago. He said hundreds of people had also perished in cave-ins and other mine-related accidents. The hardships of working the mines have earned Diwata the tag “diwalwal”, local slang referring to tongues that hang out after a hard day’s labour in the tunnels. “When you enter the mines your life is already at stake, you

Stocks rise sharply on solid corporate earnings NEW YORK: A broad rally swept through the US stock market Friday after McDonald’s and several other large companies reported solid earnings. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed higher for the third straight week, its best run since February, as hope builds that a weekend meeting will bring European leaders closer to easing the region’s debt troubles. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 267.01 points, or 2.3 percent, to 11,808.79. The Dow is now up 2 percent from where it started 2011.

Before Friday’s surge, it was down for the year. The Dow has risen for four weeks straight, the first time that has happened since Januar y. The combination of stronger earnings, better economic news and a sense that European officials were taking the debt crisis more seriously have helped lift stocks, said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Investors. “It seems like there’s a greater sense of urgency to deal with Greece and the sovereign debt trouble in Europe,” Orlando said. McDonald’s Corp, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and Harman International Industries Inc. were among the companies that beat analysts’ expectations. The quarterly earnings season is off to a strong start. Of the 118 companies that reported earnings so far, 75 percent have beaten estimates, according to financial data provider FactSet.

might be buried there or you might get hit by falling rock,” said Dandy Labrador, 28, who left his work as a security guard to become a miner.

“It is dangerous and anything can happen.”

Labrador said he arrived at Mount Diwata several years ago filled with dreams of striking it rich, but found that fortune-hunting was backbreaking work.

Like the vast bulk of the miners, Labrador works as a hired hand and is paid with a share of the ore that he digs up. He then sell his ore to brokers. Still, Labrador said he earned more

The encouraging corporate news was in line with recent signs that the US economy strengthened in September after a very weak summer. On Friday the government said unemployment fell last month in half of US states and was unchanged in 11. That’s much better than in August, when unemployment rose in 26 states. Markets have been moving sharply in recent weeks, mainly in reaction to the latest headlines out of Europe on the debt crisis. The Dow had a bigger jump on Oct. 10, 330 points, after the leaders of France and Germany pledged to have a comprehensive solution to the debt crisis in place by the end of the month. The Dow has now gained 10.8 percent since Oct 3, when it sank to its lowest point of the year. The S&P 500 gained 22.86 points, or 1.9 percent, to 1,238.25. Rising stocks in the S&P outpaced falling ones by a margin of 20 to 1: only 23 companies traded lower. The Nasdaq composite index gained 38.84, or 1.5 percent, to 2,637. European markets closed sharply higher as investors hoped that European leaders will agree on a package of measures to address the region’s debt crisis in time for a summit scheduled for Wednesday. Germany’s DAX index rose 3.5 percent. France’s CAC 40 and Italy’s FTSE MIB rose 2.8 percent.

Traders sold ultra-safe US Treasury debt as riskier assets rose. — AP

PRAGUE: Protesters, including trade unionists, members of organisations for people with disabilities and Czech Roma organizations, take part in the ProAlt demonstration at the Old Town Square yesterday, to protest against the government planned budget cuts and social reforms. The banner reads “The Government Against People, The People Against The Government”. — AFP

than he would as a construction worker or laborer in Manila, the country’s capital. “And I have not given up on my dream of becoming rich,” he said. Boyles said there had long been a plan to bring in big mining firms with modern extraction methods and make the operations there legal, but small miners had resisted the idea and continued to virtually control Mount Diwata. With the high global gold prices, the government is concerned that there will be more Mount Diwata-style operations around the country. Environment Secretary Ramon Paje recently said 70 percent of gold produced in the country already came from illegal mines.

“There is the possibility of a gold rush, because gold is the safest commodity right now,” he said. “But we have to manage our resources well... this is not the kind of mining we want to encourage.” — AFP

Evraz sees Yakutia iron mine project decision shortly MOSCOW: Steelmaker Evraz expects to decide by end-2011 whether it will join diamond miner Alrosa in developing its billion-dollar Timir iron ore project in Russia’s Far East, chief financial officer Giacomo Baizini said. “Negotiations are ongoing, and they are at a reasonably good stage.

There should be some news probably before the end of the year,” he told Reuters Insider in an interview. Evraz, part-owned by billionaire Roman Abramovich, said earlier that it was in talks with Alrosa, Russia’s state-owned diamond monopoly, to take a majority stake in the project and that no significant capital spending would be required before 2013.

Evraz global depository receipts (GDRs) were up 10.4 percent at $17.29 at 14:45 GMT in London after the Russian company announced it would pay its first interim dividend since 2008 despite missing market estimates with a first-half net profit of $263 million. Alrosa in September said the total project cost was about $10 billion, with $3 billion worth of investments required in the initial stage.

“We are seeking a controlling stake in the project, and therefore we would foot the larger part of the investments necessary,” Baizini said at his company’s offices in central Moscow. Earlier press reports indicated that Timir’s deposits in the Far Eastern Sakha Republic (Yakutia) have 4.8 billion tons of iron ore in reserves.

Steelmakers in Russia, the world’s fifth-largest producer, benefit from their position as low-cost producers, but those that are vertically integrated with sizeable mining assets are showing the greatest year-on-year improvements as prices of raw materials rise.

According to a presentation on its website, Evraz’s mines in Russia and Ukraine produced 102 percent of the company’s iron ore needs in the second half of last year. An increase in ore output would serve to hedge against rising prices and secure supplies for any future increase in steel production.

Baizini also said Evraz will not need to raise funds via a bond issue or other means for the iron ore project this year. “No, not before the end of the year ... investments in the Yakutia project would be further on in time. They wouldn’t be tomorrow.” Baizini also said Evraz would not need to sell additional shares should it decide to seek a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange in lieu of its current program of GDRs. A premium listing would allow the company to broaden its investor base, he said. “We are currently not included in any indices such as MSCI, and therefore demand from investors is purely from emerging market active investors.

In order to widen the pool of investors to whom we can appeal, inclusion in an index would achieve that.” The company currently has 38.1 million shares in free float, equivalent to 24.4 percent of the total issued. — Reuters

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TECHNOLOGY

WatchGuard protects Apple users and businesses DUBAI: WatchGuard Technologies, a global leader of business security solutions, unveiled their new security technology designed specifically for Apple iOS-enabled devices. By doing so, WatchGuard provides mobile users unparalleled protection for their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch data, while giving network administrators a superior way to manage, monitor and secure mobile devices, information and applications.

“With more and more consumers in the UAE and worldwide opting to use mobile internet as their connection of choice for consumption of content online, the issue of managing and securing consumer technologies Is a real challenge for businesses, especially as more and more employees bring personal devices into their corporate IT ecosystem,” said Eric Aarrestad, Vice President of Marketing at WatchGuard.

“By offering a way to securely connect iOS devices with WatchGuard security appliances, administrators can say ‘yes’ to their employees, while knowing

their corporate networks, applications and data are safe and secure” - he added.

Making Mobile Security Easy Mobile users often need to connect to corporate resources from high-risk locations, such as a free public Wi-Fi hot spots or hotel networks. By creating a mobile virtual private network ( VPN) connection via IPSEC, WatchGuard customers with iOS devices will be able to create fast and easy VPN connections from anywhere to their WatchGuard XTM firewall appliance.

By doing so, an encrypted tunnel is created, which secures data traffic from an iOS device to the corporate network and other behind-the-firewall resources. Furthermore, this allows firewall policies and protections to be applied to authorized mobile users, which means WatchGuard customers with iOS devices will gain the benefits of gateway anti-virus, intrusion prevention and other security services to

keep out hackers, spyware, malware and more.

WatchGuard Network Security WatchGuard’s line of extensible

Eric Aarrestad

threat management (XTM) security solutions consolidates essential security functions, such as stateful packet firewall, VPN, anti-spam, anti-spyware, anti-virus, content filtering and intru-

M Romano

sion prevention in one easy to manage appliance.

The consolidation of these requisite security functions simplifies the security and compliance goals by reducing costs and time to deploy and manage.

Due to their extensible and customizable design, customers can select securIty functions that best meet their network and IT environment.

Next-Generation Firewall Technology WatchGuard develops next-generation firewall capabilities that are essential to protect against new forms of attack. WatchGuard XTM solutions offer the ability to identify applications and provide granular control based on individual users or groups.

This gives administrators full contextual awareness and understanding of their networks, services, applications and user activities, which facilitates high security and accurate and effective policy enforcement.

Obama hails 12 for science and technology, innovation Remember the baking soda volcano?

BANGKOK: Factory workers join hands in stacking sand bags to make floods barriers at Nawa Nakhon industrial estate on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand.

The deadly flooding in Thailand, a slow-motion disaster that’s been rolling through the country since August, has hurt one of the region’s biggest industries: computer hard drives. — AP

Thailand flooding smacks hard drive industry SAN FRANCISCO: The personal computer industr y, already reeling from depressed demand, has been dealt another setback: Massive flooding in Thailand has curtailed production of a critical component - computer storage drives.

Factories producing a third of the country’s hard drives have temporarily closed as flooding has gradually spread since August. Prices have spiked, and Apple warned that its Mac products will likely be affected. Computer manufacturers, the companies that supply hard drives and the makers of components for those drives are all bracing for troubles.

What’s not yet clear is what extent PC production lines will be affected and whether PC makers will absorb costs or pass them along to consumers.

Thailand makes about a quarter of the world’s hard drives and is the secondlargest producer behind China, according to IHS iSuppli. Market research firm IDC estimates that the flooding has already affected a third of the country’s output, equating to more than 120 million hard drives a year. Avian Securities says the slowdown is already leading to price spikes that have added several dollars to the cost of some drives.

The flooding has killed 317 people, mostly from drowning. Nearly 9 million people have been displaced or otherwise affected. Estimates of the economic cost were $3 billion and rising.

The setback is particularly acute for the computer industry because it follows other troubles. Demand has slowed, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, because of debt and unemployment fears and the growing popularity of tablet computers, which causes many consumers to delay replacing PCs. In addition, the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan hurt supplies of memory chips.

The biggest hard drive makers Seagate Technology PLC and Western Digital Corp. - have warned of delays.

Western Digital has suspended its operations in Thailand. Floodwaters have affected two factories, which shut down last week. The company said its other hard drive manufacturing facilities, located in Malaysia, are fully operational. But it said flooding will have a significant impact on its ability to meet demand through the end of the year. Western Digital’s Thailand operations account for more than half of the company’s total hard drive output. Western Digital’s stock has fallen 15 percent since the company announced its delays last week.

Seagate says that its factories in Thailand are operational but warned that it is having difficulty getting some components. It said supply will be constrained the rest of the year, though the magnitude of the disruption is currently unclear. Toshiba has also suspended its Thailand hard disk operations, as have a number of hard disk component suppliers. Big computer makers are worried.

On Tuesday, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook said he is “virtually certain there will be an overall industry shortage of disk drives.” But because a thorough assessment of the damage hasn’t been possible, he said he couldn’t immediately give a timeline for recovery.

Cook warned that Apple’s Mac lines would be most affected. Most of its mobile devices, including the iPhone and the iPad, use a different type of storage called flash memory.

Gartner Inc. analyst John Monroe called the disruptions “very serious and ongoing” and said they affect production of roughly half of the “spindle” motors that turn the hard disks, along with other technologies. Monroe expects slowdowns through March. — AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Posters are displayed at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. Syncing music from your iPhone or iPad across computers has got to be one of the most painful experiences in the Apple computing ecosystem. So the advent of iCloud is a welcome relief in what the company has often described as a post-PC world. — AP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama said the 12 people he recognized Friday for achievement in science, technology and innovation should make others feel embarrassed about their old science projects.

Remember the baking soda volcano? “The volcano with the stuff coming out ... with the baking soda inside,” Obama said at a White House awards ceremony where the National Medal of Science went to seven researchers while the National Medal of Technology and Innovation went to five inventors.

“Apparently, that was not a cutting edge achievement, even though our parents told us it was really terrific.” The researchers were recognized for work that ranged from discovering a new property of the DNA helix to contributions to the development and use of transgenic mice - rodents given an extra dose of genetic material and used in medical research.

Obama pointed out that nine of the honorees were born in foreign countries but ended up in the U.S. “because America is the best place in the world to do the work that they do. And now more than ever, it’s critical that we make the investments necessary to keep it that way.” He said too few of today’s college undergraduates are studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects that he says are critical to the future global competitiveness of the U.S. “And that’s troubling, because no matter how many great minds we attract from around the world, it won’t be enough if we can’t grow some here at home,” Obama said. A list of the medal recipients and descriptions of their work, according to the White House.

National Medal of Science: Jacqueline K. Barton, California Institute of Technology, for discovering a new property of the DNA helix. Ralph L. Brinster, University of Pennsylvania, for his work on the use of transgenic mice. Shu Chien, University of California, San Diego, for work in cardiovascular physiology and bioengineering.

Rudolf Jaenisch, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for improving under-

Google mulls bid for Yahoo!: Report WASHINGTON: US Internet giant Google is mulling a bid for rival Yahoo! and has talked to at least two private-equity firms to consider how the deal would be financed, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

“Google and prospective partners have held early-stage discussions but haven’t put together a formal proposal,” the newspaper said, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter.

The report, however, stated that Google might end up not pursuing a bid for Yahoo!, once seen as the Internet’s leading light but which has struggled to build a strongly profitable, growing business out of its global web presence.

Yahoo! has been the subject of massive interest from other companies since the sacking last month of chief executive Carol Bartz, less than three years after she was brought in to help turn around the struggling Internet firm.

The chairman of Chinese company Alibaba on Thursday said he expected an answer from Yahoo! within weeks to his long-standing offer to buy all or part of the US company, saying delays were hurting both firms. Several other companies are also rumored to be eyeing Yahoo!, including Microsoft and US private equity firm Silver Lake Partners. — AFP

standing of epigenetic regulation of gene expression, the biological mechanisms that affect how genetic information is variably expressed. Peter J. Stang, University of Utah, for contributions to the development of organic supramolecular chemistry.

Richard A. Tapia, Rice University, for contributions in optimization theory and numerical analysis and for efforts to foster diversity and excellence in mathematics and science education. Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan, New York

tion and the supply of industrial gases.

B. Jayant Baliga, North Carolina State University, for development and commercialization of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor and other power semiconductor devices extensively used in transportation, lighting, medicine, defense and renewable energy generation systems.

C. Donald Bateman, Honeywell, for developing critical flight-safety sensors now used by aircraft worldwide, including ground prox-

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama hosts a ceremony for recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honors bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers, and inventors, Friday, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. — AP University, for his work in probability theory.

National Medal of Technology and Innovation: Rakesh Agrawal, Purdue University, for his record of innovations in improving the energy efficiency and reducing the cost of gas liquefaction and separation.

The innovations have benefited electronic device manufacturing, liquefied gas produc-

imity warning systems and systems to detect wind shear.

Yvonne C. Brill, RCA Astro Electronics (Retired), for innovation in rocket propulsion systems for geosynchronous and low-earth orbit communication satellites.

Michael F. Tompsett, TheraManager, for work including the design and development of the first charge-coupled device imagers. — AP

Social media - a political tool for good or evil?

WASHINGTON: After the “Arab Spring” surprised the world with the power of technology to revolutionize political dissent, governments are racing to develop strategies to respond to, and even control, the new player in the political arenasocial media.

Anti-government protesters in Tunisia and Egypt used Twitter, Facebook and other platforms to run rings around attempts at censorship and organize demonstrations that ousted presidents Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak.

That served as a wake-up call to those in authority. By allowing millions of citizens to coordinate political action quickly and often without conventional leadership, the new technology is challenging traditional political power structures.

“We are well beyond being able to consider social media a fad,” said Alec Ross, one of the creators of technology policy for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and now senior adviser for innovation to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “If you are not open to social media spaces then you are not attuned to the dynamics on the street and you sacrifice both understanding and power.” Being ahead of the game when it comes to embracing social media, Washington hopes, will be key to maintaining its influence in a changing world.

Diplomats at every level are being trained to use it to explain US policy and, more importantly, listen to what is being said and written in the countries in which they operate. Ross says that as an early adopter of the technology, the State Department is now becoming an adviser to other governments on social media.

The United States, too, has seen some modest signs of social media-organized protest, with hundreds of protesters occupying Wall Street for days this month in anger at perceived excesses

by its banks. In Europe, activists have used similar tools to coordinate mass street unrest, although few expect U.S. disturbances on that scale.

Since events in Cairo and Tunis blindsided governments, analysts and markets around the world, experts say investment has stepped up hugely in tools to monitor social media platforms in the hope of predicting future upheaval.

“What people are increasingly looking at is predictive analysis,” said Rohini Srihari, a computer scientist at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. “The Holy Grail is to beat the news. They are looking to predict a specific riot or protest at a specific location and time.”

Much of the interest in that technology is seen coming from intelligence and national security agencies, but private companies and investors are also taking notice and new firms springing up offer a range of analytic products.

Not all promise to predict events with precision-but they do offer ways to deliver insight on wider trends and snapshots of online debate.

“Social media is better for strategic rather than tactical analysis,” Fadl Al Tarzi, chief operating officer at United Arab Emirates-based monitoring firm News Group International, told a conference on social media and politics at the United States Institute for Peace in Washington, D.C. “It is hard to predict exactly when something will happen but it can show you broader trends.

Yes, if you had enough conversations with enough of the right people you would get the same level of information but that is not always economic or feasible to do or possible at the same speed.”

Political repression, economic crises and the widening wealth gap in many countries could all further fuel the growth in social media-fed protest. — Reuters

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H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Massachusetts want state push on health costs BOSTON: Most Massachusetts residents want their state government to take action to reduce high healthcare costs that they blame on drug and insurance companies charging too much, a survey showed on Friday.

Massachusetts has almost universal healthcare insurance coverage thanks to a 2006 law driven by current Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney when he was state governor.

Romney’s rivals for the party’s 2012 nomination have criticized the law as a government overreach that served as a pattern for the 2010 national healthcare law championed by Democratic President Barack Obama. Eighty-eight percent of the 1,000 Massachusetts residents questioned in the poll in September said the state government should take “major action” to address rising costs. Only 48 percent expressed

confidence that the state government could take steps to reduce future healthcare costs, with Democrats more confident than Republicans.

Asked for reasons why costs are so high, survey respondents cited drug companies and insurance companies charging too much money, as well as waste and fraud in the healthcare system, hospitals charging too much, and people not taking good care of their

health. The poll, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health for the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, found that 78 percent of respondents viewed the high cost of healthcare as either a crisis (25 percent) or a major problem (53 percent).

The Massachusetts law, popular in the state, did little to curb rising costs. That effort is now under way in the state legislature and by current Governor Deval

Patrick, a Democrat. “There is clear, overwhelming and bipartisan support to control healthcare costs in Massachusetts,” said Nancy Turnbull, Harvard School of Public Health’s associate dean. “People ... support government taking big action, but are skeptical that it’s going to work,” added Robert Blendon, professor of social policy at Harvard School of Public Health, lead author of a report on the survey. — Reuters

Study on cellphones, cancer finds no link Shows hint of a possible association

CUPERTINO: In this photo provided by Apple Inc., Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks to employees at a celebration of Steve Jobs’ life Wednesday, Oct. 19, at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. Jobs died Oct 5 after battling pancreatic cancer. — AP

Steve Jobs had Google phones in crosshairs SAN FRANCISCO: Insights into Apple cofounder Steve Jobs’s vendetta against Google and his criticisms of fellow hightech titans spread quickly online ahead of the tomorrow release of his authorized biography.

Excerpts of the book, “Steve Jobs”, went viral-especially his reported vow to annihilate Google-backed Android software for smartphones and tablets that he felt had ripped off iPhone and iPad ideas. “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product,” Jobs’s biographer quoted him as saying early last year. “I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this,” he said. “I don’t want your money. If you offer me $5 billion, I won’t want it. I’ve got plenty of money. I want you to stop using our ideas in Android, that’s all I want.”

Biographer Walter Isaacson’s work also contains an unflattering assessment of Bill Gates, co-founder of US computer software colossus Microsoft that for decades served as the Goliath to Apple’s David. “He’d be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger,” said Jobs, who went to India on a spiritual journey after dropping out of college in the 1970s.

“Bill is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which is why I think he’s more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology,” he added.

“He just shamelessly ripped off other people’s ideas.”

Reactions to the excerpts in online chat forums included comment that while Jobs changed the world with iPods, iPhones, and iPads, they were improvements on MP3 players, smartphones and tablets that had come before them. Jobs also had blunt words for Michael Dell, chief of the eponymous computer maker based in Texas.

The biography tells of Dell saying in 1997 that if he were Jobs, he would shut down then-struggling Apple and “give the money back to shareholders.” Jobs told of responding to Dell with an email message that read: “CEOs are supposed to have class...I can see that isn’t an opinion you hold.”

Jobs returned to the Apple helm in 1996 and steered it to new heights-it is now among the world’s most valuable companies. A new generation “iPhone 5” is believed to be the last Apple innova-

tion that Jobs worked on at the Cupertino, California-based company.

In the biography, Jobs praised Apple senior vice president of industrial design Jonathan “Jony” Ive as being his partner in dreaming up devices. “If I had a spiritual partner at Apple, it’s Jony,” Jobs is quoted as saying. “Jony and I think up most of the products together and then pull others in and say, ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’”

Jobs also spoke of his faith in Tim Cook, who took over the Apple helm shortly before Jobs’s death on October 5 at the age of 56. Jobs refused early surgery for the pancreatic cancer that eventually took his life, experimenting instead with alternative treatments, according to his biographer.

Isaacson, in an interview with the CBS show “60 Minutes” to be broadcast Sunday, said Jobs told him he regretted the decision to put off the operation. The book also includes details of the private and romantic life of the notoriously secretive Jobs, as well as his business dealings.

Jobs reportedly joked to Isaacson that he had to hide the kitchen knives from his liberal wife when they had Rupert Murdoch, the conservative chief executive of News Corp., over for dinner at their home.

Jobs liked Murdoch but not his Fox News organization known for promoting conservative political agendas, according to the biography. Jobs reportedly told Murdoch that the US was divided and that the News Corp. king was siding with the “destructive” side.

In Jobs’s own words, Microsoft was “mostly irrelevant” and unlikely to change as long as Steve Ballmer was chief executive. According to the book, Jobs began meeting in the spring with people he wanted to see before he died.

They included Gates, who visited Jobs’s home in May for more than three hours.

Book snippets included Jobs warning US President Barack Obama last year that he was “headed for a one-term presidency” and offering to help create political ads for the 2012 campaign. A chapter of the biography devoted to Jobs’s love of music includes him being a fan of the guitar talents of John Mayer but expressing concern that the singer was “out of control” in a potentially self-destructive way.—AFP

KABUL: Afghan women wait their turn for a medical consultation at the Isteqlal hospital in Kabul on September 19. The Afghan Ministry of Public Health together with UNICEF and USAID is piloting an Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) micro-planning project in health facilities in nine provinces in Afghanistan against measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio. —AFP

LONDON: Danish researchers can offer some reassurance if you’re concerned about your cellphone: Don’t worry. Your device is probably safe. The biggest study ever to examine the possible connection between cellphones and cancer found no evidence of any link, suggesting that billions of people who are rarely more than a few inches from their phones have no special health concerns.

The Danish study of more than 350,000 people concluded there was no difference in cancer rates between people who had used a cellphone for about a decade and those who did not. Last year, a separate large study found no clear connection between cellphones and cancer. But it showed a hint of a possible association between very heavy phone use and glioma, a rare but often deadly form of brain tumor. However, the numbers of heavy users was not sufficient to make the case.

That study of more than 14,000 people in multiple countries, in addition to animal experiments, led the International Agency for Research on Cancer to classify electromagnetic energy from cellphones as “possibly carcinogenic,” adding it to a list that also includes things such as coffee and gasoline engine exhaust.

But that designation does not mean the phones necessarily pose

a risk. Cellphones do not emit the same kind of radiation as that used in some medical tests or found in other sources such as radon in soil.

Two US agencies - the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission - have found no evidence that cellphones are linked to cancer.

Yet fears of a link persist, despite the fact that cancer rates have not risen since cellphones were introduced. In the latest research, published online Thursday in the journal BMJ, researchers updated a previous study examining 358,403 cellphone users aged 30 and over in Denmark from 1990 to 2007. They found cellphone users did not have a higher cancer risk compared with those without cellphones.

Cancer rates in people who used cellphones for about 10 years were similar to rates in people without a cellphone. Cellphone users were also no more likely to get a tumor in the part of the brain closest to where phones are usually held against the head. The study was paid for by the government’s Danish Strategic Research Council.

“Our study provides little evidence for a causal association, but we cannot rule out a small to moderate increase in risk for subgroups of heavy users,” said Patrizia Frei, of the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen,

Denmark, one of the paper ’s authors.

“This is encouraging news, but it doesn’t mean we’re at the end of the road,” said Hazel Nunn, head of Health Evidence and Information at Cancer Research UK, which was not linked to the study.

About three -quarters of the world’s population, more than 5 billion people, use a cellphone. That makes it difficult for scientists to compare cancer incidence in people who use the devices versus those who do not.

Others disputed the Danish study ’s findings. The advocacy group MobileWise, which believes cellphones pose a health risk, said the study wasn’t long enough to consider the long-term risk, since brain tumors can take decades to develop.

In an accompanying editorial in BMJ, Anders Ahlbom and Maria Feychting of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute wrote that one of the study’s strengths was its use of objective data from cellphone records. Previous studies have been criticized for relying on people to recall their cellphone habits from decades earlier. In about 30 other studies done in Europe, New Zealand and the US, patients with brain tumors have not reported using their cellphones more often than unaffected people.

The editorial writers pointed out

that research on cellphones and cancer was not sparked by any evidence of a connection, but from concerns that something about the relationship between radio frequency fields and human physiology had been “overlooked or misunderstood.” Research into the safety of cellphones is now “extensive,“ they wrote.

Nunn said studies with longerterm data were still needed and that there was little information on children’s exposure to cellphones.

There was no biological evidence for how cellphones might cause cancer, unlike, for example, the proof that tobacco is carcinogenic, she added.

Cellphones send signals to nearby towers via radio waves, a form of energy similar to microwaves. But the radiation produced by cellphones cannot directly damage DNA and is different from stronger types of radiation like X-rays or ultraviolet light. At very high levels, radio frequency waves from cellphones can heat up body tissue, but that is not believed to damage human cells.

Nunn said people should not change their cellphone habits based on the current evidence, except perhaps for limiting their kids’ use of the devices. “There are a lot more worrying things in the world than mobile phones,” she said. —AP

Undated artist rendering provided by EADS Astrium shows the scientific satellite ROSAT. Andreas Schuetz, a spokesman for the German Aerospace Center, said yesterday the best estimate is still that the ROSAT scientific research satellite will impact sometime between late yesterday and today 1200 GMT. — AP

Breast Cancer warning over hormone levels LONDON: Raised levels of several hormones can triple the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women, a study has shown. Scientists looked at the combined effect of multiple sex and growth hormones on a woman’s cancer chances. They found that one hormone at higher than normal levels increased the breast cancer risk by 10 percent compared with having no elevated hormones. But the risk for women with five or six hormones at raised levels was doubled, while having seven or eight tripled the odds of getting cancer.

The US researchers compared levels of eight hormones in blood samples collected from 33,000 nurses aged 43 to 69, the media here said Friday. They included different types of oestrogen, testosterone and other “male” hormones, or androgens, and prolactin which stimulates the production of breast milk. Levels of the growth hormone IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) and c-peptide, a biomarker for insulin, were also measured.

Insulin acts as growth hormone as well as regulating the body’s use of sugar. Over a period of nine years, the scientists identified 320 post-menopausal women who were diagnosed with breast cancer and not on hormonereplacement therapy. Hormone levels in the cancer patients were matched against those of women who did not develop the disease.

The findings, published today in the British journal Breast Cancer Research showed that “ER positive” breast cancers with molecular receptors sensitive to oestrogen were the most influenced by hormone levels. —KUNA

US company tests stent for erectile dysfunction NEW YORK: A US company that makes pacemakers, heart stents and spine products, has developed a device to tackle another common health problem: Erectile dysfunction.

The company, Medtronic, said it completed an initial feasibility study of 30 men, average age of 60, who suffered from erectile dysfunction (ED). After three months the results were promising, the company said.

“ED is largely a vascular disease and that’s why Medtronic was interested in this,” said Dr. Jason Rogers of UC Davis Medical Center, one of the researchers of the company-sponsored trial.

The stent-a tiny wire mesh tube similar to those used to prop open hear t ar teries-was placed in an artery that supplies blood. The stent was delivered using a catheter threaded up to the pelvis, where the pudendal artery is located. It was placed in the artery, opening the vessel and allowing for better blood flow.

There are an estimated 30 million

men in the United States who have ED and 300 million worldwide.

Rogers said up to 50 percent of men discontinue drug therapy-which includes Viagra, Levitra and Cialiseither because it did not work or because they could not tolerate side effects, including lowering of blood pressure.

He also noted that men who take certain drugs for heart disease cannot use the popular pills. “There’s a real unmet clinical need,” Rogers said. Initial findings showed twothirds of men who underwent the 1 to 2-hour procedure improved by at least 4 points on the 30-point Internal Index of Erectile Dysfunction scale, he said. There were no adverse events reported up to three months later, but Rogers acknowledged that risks may become evident much later.

“This is still investigational and requires more research. It is the inception of an entirely new way of treating ED that has never been seen before,” he said. — Reuters

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he a lt h & s c ie n c e

Living in poor neighborhood can hurt health ATLANTA: Back in the 1990s, the federal government tried an unusual social experiment: It offered thousands of poor women in big-city public housing a chance to live in more affluent neighborhoods.

A decade later, the women who relocated had lower rates of diabetes and extreme obesity - differences that are being hailed as compelling evidence that where you live can determine your health. The experiment was initially aimed at researching whether moving impoverished families to more prosperous areas could improve employment or schooling. But according to a study released Wednesday, the most interesting effect may have been on the women’s physical condition.

About 16 percent of the women who moved had diabetes, compared with about 20 percent of women who stayed in public housing. And about 14 percent of those who left the projects were extremely obese, compared with nearly 18 percent of the other women. The small-but-significant differences offered some of the strongest support yet for the idea that where you live can significantly affect your overall health, especially if your home is in a low-income area with few safe places to exercise, limited food options and meager medical services.

“This study proves that concentrated poverty is not only bad policy, it’s bad for your health,” Shaun Donovan, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. But no one believes the deficit-plagued federal government is going to expand the program and start moving low-income women to better neighborhoods en masse.

“It’s not enough to simply move families into different neighborhoods,” Donovan said. Instead, new ways must be found to help families “break the cycle of poverty that can quite literally make them sick.” He did not mention specific proposals.

Public health experts have long thought that living in poor neighborhoods could ruin

a person’s health, but this study put the idea to a rigorous test. Here’s how it worked: Women believed to be about the same in most respects were randomly assigned to one group or another and then followed through time, in a model customarily seen in pharmaceutical studies. That makes it more scientifically rigorous than most research linking health problems to a social environment.

The study’s good design “provides a basis to infer cause and effect” between poverty and bad health, said Dr. Robert Califf, a noted Duke University cardiologist who is leading a massive study on neighborhoods and health outcomes.

The research was led by Jens Ludwig, a University of Chicago professor of public policy. It was published in Wednesday’s New England Journal of Medicine. The experiment started as a $70 million HUD project in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. It morphed into a health study after a variety of other government agencies and private foundations pitched in with an additional $17 million more.

“In terms of scale, it’s not soon or ever to be repeated,” said Dr. Robert Whitaker, a Temple University pediatrician who was a study co-author.

The study involved women living in public housing in neighborhoods where 40 percent or more of residents were poor - areas like many of those on the South Side of Chicago or in the Bronx in New York City. The women all had children and were considered heads of households.

From 1994 to 1998, nearly 1,800 of them were offered vouchers to subsidize private housing, but the vouchers were only good in higher-income neighborhoods where fewer than 10 percent of the people were considered poor. They were required to live there at least a year.

The rest of the women were divided into two groups. One group got vouchers they could use in any neighborhood. The other

women did not receive vouchers, with the expectation that they would stay put.

Ten years later, women in the study were weighed and gave a blood sample to check for diabetes. The women who moved to richer areas had the lowest rates of extreme obesity and diabetes. The difference suggests that moving to a better neighborhood could help at least 1 in 25 women. Or, in other terms, a person’s risk of diabetes or extreme obesity dropped by about 20 percent by moving to a higher-income neighborhood. (However, even the women who moved were not exactly models of health.

About 14 percent of them were extremely obese, which is twice the national average for women.) The study has some notable flaws.

Because it did not start out looking at health, the women’s medical condition and weight were not checked at the outset. The researchers believe the women in the different groups were about the same, because they matched up on more than 50 other

indicators, such as age, race, employment and education. But that is an assumption.

Also, only about half the women offered a chance to move to a more prosperous zip code did so. And many who did move left after a year. What’s more, the study was not designed to answer what it is about more affluent neighborhoods that would cause someone to be healthier. But the authors listed four theories: The availability of healthier food is worse in lower-income neighborhoods.

Opportunities for physical exercise are scarcer, and fear of crime can make people afraid to jog or play in parks. There may be fewer doctors’ offices and other medical services.

The long-term stress of living in such an environment may alter the hormones that control weight. Some of those theories were supported by some women who live in the kind of situation targeted in the study.

Vickie Webb lived in the projects in Durham, N.C., for several years before a

housing agency helped relocate her and her husband to a better neighborhood. “There was too much violence, too much going on in the ‘hood. It wasn’t safe,” said Webb, who was not part of the study.

Annie Ricks, who lives with her 14-yearold son and two grandchildren in a public housing unit on Chicago’s South Side, was not involved in the study either. But she said efforts like the HUD experiment should be expanded. Local housing authorities paid for her to relocate to the South Side last year as part of its demolition plans for high-rise tenements. But Ricks lost her child-care job after the move, and says her new neighborhood is worse.

At her old building, Ricks could walk across the street to a supermarket. In her new neighborhood, without a car, she has to take public transportation to get groceries or go to the doctor, and Ricks says there’s more crime. “I feel like it would be a blessing” to be able to move to a wealthier area, she said. — AP

Women, young adults more likely to ponder suicide ATLANTA: More than 8 million adults in the United States had considered suicide in a year’s time and more than two million made plans to kill themselves, according to the findings of a government study. The study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ) showed that women, Caucasians and people under age 30 were more likely to contemplate suicidal.

It also revealed a wide variation in suicidal behavior among US states. One in 15 adults in Utah had serious

thoughts of suicide, the highest in the nation, compared to Georgia, which had the lowest with 1 in 50 adults. More than 1 million adults reported attempting suicide, according to the research, which included data from 2008-2009. Rhode Island had the highest number of reported attempts with one in 67 adults. “We are trying to find out where the most vulnerable populations are,” said Dr. Alex E. Crosby, a CDC epidemiologist and one of the authors of the study. Each year, about 35,000 adults in the United States commit suicide, Crosby said. Although

the study did not examine the causes of the variations by state, possible factors are differences in demographics and access to health care.

“One state may have a higher population that is young and female,” he said.

The large variation requires having more than one strategy for fighting suicide, the CDC said. “We need to work together to raise awareness about suicide and learn more about interventions that work to prevent this public health problem,” Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement. — Reuters

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Dr Khalid Al-Saad is seen as Dr Abdullah Al-Sharhan shakes hands with a graduate.

Miss Lama Murad

Professor Vishy Karri

Dr Raghad Al-Kazmi

Al Sharhan congratulates 535 graduates ACK hosts 9th graduation ceremony

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nder the patronage of the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education, Ahmad Al Mulaifi - represented by the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Dr Khalid Al Saad - the Australian College of Kuwait hosted its 9th Graduation Ceremony thus far. The Chairman of the Australian College of Kuwait’s Board of Trustees, Abdullah Abdulmohsen Al Sharhan participated in congratulating the College’s graduating class in various Business and Engineering fields.

The 9th batch included a total of 535 graduates, of which 176 attend-

ed the ceremony. These graduates have received dual certifications, one from the Australian College of Kuwait and one from the aspiring partner associated with each of the various Business and Engineering majors.

Al Sharhan congratulated the graduates on their hard work and efforts in obtaining their certificates, diplomas, and bachelor degrees, respectively that will assist them in contributing to the development and advancement of the society and the country as a whole.

Al Sharhan clarified that ACK continuously strives to contribute to the

support and development of education in Kuwait via providing its students with an array of Business and Engineering majors that cater to the needs of the labor market in collaboration with well-established auspicing partners.

Al Sharhan stated that the College prepares its students for the workforce by providing them with a mix of theoretical and practical education delivered by qualified and dedicated academic instructors.

Al Sharhan concluded his speech by once again thanking the graduates for their efforts in obtaining their diplomas and degrees and for

Aziz Ali - Diploma of Business Administration graduation speech Good evening, Chairman of the Australian College of Kuwait’s board of trustees Mr. Abdullah Abdulmohsen AlSharhan. Distinguished members of the board of trustees and President of ACK-Professor Vishy Karri.

Distinguished guests, dear graduates and honored parents.

Standing here today proves to me that “It is not enough to have a dream about your future - Your future is what you work for.”

20 years back , when I graduated from Kindergarten I had a very different feeling, but then, and now, I still have one thought in my mind - . This is the end of one part of my life and the start of another one.

I remember the day I entered this college 2 years ago, a marine engineering drop out and thought that there was no place for me to go - and the feeling I had when I had to enter my class with people 3 years younger than me (small smile), I remember the disappointment in myself and in my family but now it’s all changed, I learned how to change how to be a real college student in ACK. I learned how to study but the most important thing is that I learned how to be a different person.

1. I learned how to be a leader from the executive’s team.

2. I learned how to communicate with companies from the marketing. department 3. I learned how to be organized from facilities and security.

4. I learned how to make people smile from student affairs 5. I learned what it is to be the mother of all students from Dr Raghad.

6. I learned how to have a big heart from Ms Imman.

7. I learned how to give ACK all I can from Nasser Al Qallaf.

8. I learned how to be friend to everyone From Mohammed El-Ali. 9. I learned that silence speaks from Yamama Al Subah 10. I learned that life is always smiling from Asmaa al Aloul 11. I learned that everything can be done from Basel Dana 12. I learned how to imagine from Abdullah Al Qattan 13. I learned that friends can be family from my colleagues.

14. I learned how to learn from ACK instructors.

15. I learned how to become confident, focused and passionate about my goals....from ACK. I can stay all day and say what I learned. But the most important thing is that I gained knowledge.

As Socrates said “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance” So as people say hats are taken off to people with knowledge but in here, and today, hats are taken off to the people who give knowledge. We take our hats off to you ACK. Thank you for what you made us and for who we will be. Thank you ACK

the trust they have bestowed upon the College. He went on to thank the instructors and academics for the time and energy they put in to transferring their knowledge, skills, and attitude to the graduates.

Al Sharhan then expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education, Ahmad Al Mulaifi for his full support and appreciation of the role of education in Kuwait.

In his speech to the graduates and to the audience, President of the Australian College of Kuwait, Professor Vishy Karri expressed his appreciation for their interest in high

quality education and success.As he spoke to the graduates, he mentioned that today marks a crucial turning point, as it is the start of a new chapter in their lives. They are now equipped with the adequate knowledge, skills, and attitude different to the ones they originally began their education journey with.

Professor Karri went on to share some of experiences that assisted him throughout his life and stressed the importance of having an identity unique to those around. Moreover, he stressed necessity of setting goals and striving to gradually accomplish them, and that a well-

planned life is one that we live happily. Whether a small or large-scale business, the clear road to success is one that is well thought out and organized in such a manner that finds solutions to various problems we might be faced with.

Professor Karri concluded his speech by stating that with every class that graduates, the Australian College of Kuwait learns how to provide a better care system for its students.

He also mentioned that there are two main factors that lead to the success of our graduates: their families and their perseverance.

AbdulRahman Maghari - Bachelor of Marketing graduation speech

Abdul-Aziz delivering the graduates’ speech.

Ministry of Defense students

Chairman of the Australian College of Kuwait’s board of trustees Mr. Abdullah Abdulmohsen Al-Sharhan, President Mr. Vishy Karri, trustees, faculty, families, friends and fellow graduates, good evening.

I am honored and very proud to be addressing you today as a graduate of ACK. As a start, on behalf of the graduating bachelor degree students of ACK, I would like to thank all the parents, families, and friends who encouraged and supported us in building our path towards our graduate degree. I would especially like to thank my own family, six members whom are in the audience today. And finally I would like to thank the ACK faculty members who served as our instructors and mentors. We wouldn not be here today if it wasn’t for the long nights and hard work you put into ensuring that we succeed.

During our path at ACK, we lived the most amazing and valuable days of our lives. l We built strong relationships with each other and became friends for life. l We experienced a time period full with fun and enjoyment.

Whether it was a talent show, carnivals, bazaars, movie nights, Ramadan nights, or any other event, we still remember them and will always do. l This speech is not just all about the fun we had. We also struggled and had hard times, moments where we wished that we were never there.

Moments where we had difficulties in studying, moments where we stayed up all night to prepare for exams, moments where we gathered up with pulsing hearts waiting for results to come out, and moments where we raised our hands and prayed for God’s assistance. l But at the end we prevailed over those bumps and barriers, we managed to support each other and take one big step forward. And yes with pride we stand here with our heads up so high.

I spent 4 years at ACK as a student and now I’m spending my 5th year here as an employee. Throughout this period of time I’ve been building memories. Some of those were full of happiness, sadness, frustration,

and humor. YES we faced and shared many obstacles and dead ends, but at the end we stood still and overcame them together and finally were standing here tonight.

I would like to share with you some of the memories that I take with me as I leave ACK. I take with me the memory of my best friends and colleagues, so called “The Gang”.

Ladies and gentlemen I am proud of this group as we shared and faced the ups and downs together.

Finally, I would like to conclude, not with a memory, but with some advice to the graduates. We are now standing on the threshold of the real adult life. From now on no one will give us an “A” or an “F” for well or poorly done homework and evaluate our progress. We are free to go our own way, and it will be absolutely different for everyone. Some will continue studies at the post-graduate level and become university tutors or scientists. Others will rush to apply their skills in practice and become important people in their society. Some of us will require time to think and will go traveling.

When university studies are over, it is time to create our own lives, and for this we have the whole world at our disposal. So my first piece of advice is not to hesitate to step over the threshold of the door that is already open for us. With the knowledge and friends we gained from ACK, we will overcome every obstacle. The main thing is to search hard for the job that you really like, and have persistence and faith. There is a saying by Jim Fox that says, “Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” So, a favorite job will be your cup of tea as soon as you start it, so don’t settle for anything less - keep on looking for it. My last advice to you dear graduates will be from Arie Pencovici, who says, “Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate.

Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you’ll make a difference”.

So let me wish you luck. I wish you all success in your life. I conclude my speech with - Jean Nidetch’s saying, “It’s choice - not chance - that determines your destiny.”

Thank you

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA The Embassy of the Argentine Republic to Kuwait will hold Argentinean National Elections on October 23. Argentinean citizens already registered in the Embassy electoral register can vote at the Argentina Embassy, located in Mishref, Block 6, St. 42, Villa 57, from 08:00 am until 18:00 pm. Citizens visiting Kuwait or not registered in the embassy Electoral Register can also justify their “No Vote” at the same day and time at the Argentinean Embassy. For further information, contact us on phone no. 25379211, Email: ekuwa@mrecic.gov.ar

Fruity delight at IIS

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ruit salad is a great delight in any season. India International School - Mangaf (IIS) held an event called Fruity day for the U.K.G. students on 13th October.

The event was geared at educating the students on the merits of eating healthy. Children were amazed to see the walky talky fruits in the fruity land when they saw their teachers dressed as Juicy Melon, Tango

Mango, Grapes, Pineapple, Apple, Strawberries imparting the knowledge and making sure that they understand, that fruits are tasty, yummy and healthy.

The event also encouraged talents to share their knowledge and resources for healthy nutrition when their teacher made fruit salad and gained real good understanding of where the fruits come from and how it gets to their plate. The students relished the fruit sal-

ads served to them.

Director Moosa Koya and the Principal F.M.Basheer Ahmed, joined in the event and appreciated K.G. teacher’s efforts for making this event a wonderful event and enjoyed their stay at fruity land with the Tiny Tots.

Arignar Anna birthday celebration

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he 103rd birthday of Arignar Anna was celebrated in Kuwait Tamilar Marumalarchi Peravai on 29th September at old Miami Hotel. The meeting was presided by founder secretary Pinnalur Mumanlkandan. President Hasan Mohamed headed the programme with Jayakumar, Mohammedali, Vijayan, Ameenbasha and Satyan.

Marking the celebration a photo of Periyar was unveiled by Tamilosai poet Sadiq Bacha and the photo of Arignar Anna was opened by Chella Perumal (periyar library). Treasurer Selvakumar gave the welcome address.

Secretary Sivamani anchored the programme. The highlight of the programme was a excellent debate conducted under the heading of poet Valanadan on title Annavin Pugalil Vinji Nirpathu Ehzuthatrale Pechatrale? With the participation of Ela Karthikeyan, Deviravi, Satyan and Latharani.

Tamilnadan, Dr Kumar gave special speech about the excellent qualities of

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN The Visa Application Centre (VAC) will be closed on the same dates above. The opening hours of the Visa Application Centre are 0930 1630 Application forms remain available online from the UKBAs’ website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or from the Visa Application Centre’s website: www.vfsuk-kw.com. And also, from the UK Visa Application Centre located at: 4B, First Floor, Al Banwan Building (Burgan Bank Branch Office Building), Al Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City. For any further inquiries, please contact the Visa Application Centre: Website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com E-mail:info@vfsuk-kw.com Telephone:22971170. The Consular Section will also be closed on the same dates. For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk

The British Embassy - Consular Public Counters will be closed on November 1 and will re-open on 2nd November. For the latest FCO travel advice please visit: www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-livingabroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-eastnorth-africa/kuwait nnnnnnn

Arignar Annadurai and was continued by Kavisei Sekar, Madhivanan, Aanandravi, and Kaleel. Singer Ranimohan and Kalifulla sang songs and recited poems on Annadurai.

Vittukkattimastan, Kuwait Thamizhosai President Irudhayaraj

Kaleel, Abdulkadhar, Arulraj, Arivalagan, Marimuthu, Balaji, Murugan, Iqbal and many more attended the function.

Vote of thanks was given by secretary for communication Ela Karthikeyan and the programme came to conclusion with delicious dinner.

Francis, Christoper, Prof Paul Manuel, Ravindar, Muthuraman, Madhavan, Premkumar, Abdu, Shahin, Dayalan, Balayya, Kalimuthu, Ramesh, Bhaskar, Maari, Tirupati, Shanmugam, Subramanian, Kandasami, Vinokumar, Thyagarajan, Anwar, Jinnah, Rahmathulla, Durai, Syed,

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait.

Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

A fun-filled chocolate day at IIS

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n Thursday, 13th October, 2011 the L.K.G. students of I.I.S enjoyed their fun-filled chocolate day. The main aim of this day was to make the children happy and make them happy. Throughout the day the

children relished the chocolate and wished that the raindrops decorated in the corridors with fruit gummies were real and it would just pop like a drop in their opened mouth while singing their favorite song, “If all the raindrops were

teachers presented themselves as candy jars, exhibiting different types of chocolates. The astounding entry of a teacher dressed as Barney grabbed the attention of the students and made their day more entertaining and memorable one.

lemon drops and gum drops.” oh! what a rain that would be?

The entire LKG. section participated in the event enthusiastically. The KG kids stole the day by their colourful disposition of candies and gummies. The

PGA soccer coaching

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new P.G.A./Everton Coaching Course began this week at the Canadian Bilingual School in Abraq Khaitan on the schools’ new artificial football pitch. The programme takes place every Monday from 2.15 - 3.45pm and over 40 boys and girls have joined Everton Coaches Mike, Alfie and Peter to “Learn To Play The Everton Way!” Certificates will be presented to all players on completion of the course which is sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company and is part of the P.G.A./Everton commitment to develop football in the community.

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on October 26, 2011 (Wednesday) Diwali. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF NEPAL The Embassy of Nepal will remain closed on Wednesday, October 26 on the occasion of Laxmi Puja festival. The Embassy of Nepal requests all concerned to use the telephone numbers and fax no of the Embassy whenever they wish to contact us for any reason during the office hours (09:00 - 1500 Hrs) for any business, as follows: Tel No: Reception and Operator / Consular and visa services: 25243254/57.

Ambassador’s Office: 25243275 Fax: 25243250 Email: Kuwait@mofa.gov.np nnnnnnn

KDA celebrates Onam-Eid

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ozhikode District Association celebrated Onam-Eid at Integrated School, Abbasiya on 14 October.

Satish C Mehta, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait inaugurated the function by lighting the lamp. Association President Rajagopalan Edavalath presided over the function. General Convenor Abdul Najeeb TK, welcomed the gathering. General Secretary Rishi Jacob presented a review on the activities of the Association. Eid message was given by Hameed Keloth

while Sreeja Santhakumar gave Onam message. Shabeer Mandoly, Malayil Moosakoya and Sharafudheen Kanneth offered felicitations. Ashraf Aydeed, Siddique Valiyakath, Santhakumar.M and Asma Abdulla were also present on the occasion. Abdulla Kollarath proposed vote of thanks at the end of inaugural function.

Onappattu, mappilappattu, thiruvathirakkali, oppana, cinematic dance, folk dance, folk song, mimicry, kolkkali, film songs and various programmes for chil-

dren were staged during the day long programme that provided a feast to the eyes and ears. Under the leadership of Sreenivasan.M, sumptuous onasadhya was served to around 1,000 persons who took part in the onam-eid celebrations.

The entire event was marked by traditional gaiety and enthusiasm amongst all those who attended the function.

Biji Ramakrishnan compered the program. Beerankoya.K.T, Hassankoya.K, Shaji.K.V, Najeeb.P.V, Aboobacker.K,

Ramakrishnan.M, Muneer Marackan, Shijith.K, Sakeer Hussain, Biju.P.V, Santhosh, O.M, Raju.S.Kandy, Moideen Koya, Sreenesh.S, Sasidharan Kovilery, Padmarajan.C, Thaha.K.V, Saveesh.K, Jayesh, Jayakrishnan.P, Muhammed Rafi, Gireesh Babu.K, Ragesh.P, Kareem, Basheer Ahamed, Madhusoodanan.V.V, Radhakrishnan.P and Siraj controlled the day long programmes. The event came to an end with vote of thanks by Anas Puthiyottil.

EMBASSY OF US The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Leadership for Democracy Fellows Program is now accepting applications - deadline Nov 1, 2011. The MEPI Leaders for Democracy Fellowship (LDF) Program is an exciting, selective 3-month program in the United States for 20-25 young civic leaders from the Middle East and North Africa. The program begins with 6 weeks of academic coursework, where fellows focus on the concepts of leadership, democracy, communication, and conflict resolution among other issues. After completing the academic portion of the program, participants engage in a 6week professional assignment with a political, nongovernmental, or public policy organization in Washington, DC. For more information about the program, please email: kuwaitmepi@state.gov Visit us @ USEmbassyQ8 http://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyQ8 nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE Dear compatriots!

We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

00:45 Dogs 101 01:40 Shark Attack File 3 02:35 Beast Lands 03:30 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 04:25 Untamed & Uncut 05:20 Dogs 101 06:10 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 07:00 Meerkat Manor 07:25 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 08:15 Breed All About It 08:40 The Really Wild Show 09:10 Baby Planet 10:05 Natural Born Hunters 10:30 Jeff Corwin Unleashed 11:00 Crocodile Hunter 11:55 Dogs 101 12:50 Mutant Planet 13:45 Mutant Planet 14:40 Must Love Cats 15:35 Bad Dog 16:30 My Cat From Hell 17:25 Into The Pride 18:20 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 19:15 Queens Of The Savannah 20:10 Dogs 101 21:05 Beast Lands 22:00 Wildest Africa 22:55 Whale Wars 23:50 Untamed & Uncut

00:00 Doctor Who 00:50 The Jonathan Ross Show 01:40 Blackadder II 02:40 The Weakest Link 03:25 As Time Goes By 03:55 One Foot In The Grave 04:30 Tweenies 04:50 Gigglebiz 05:05 Me Too 05:25 Charlie And Lola 05:35 Buzz & Tell 05:45 Tweenies 06:05 Gigglebiz 06:20 Me Too 06:40 Charlie And Lola 06:55 Buzz & Tell 07:05 Tweenies 07:25 Gigglebiz 07:40 Me Too 08:00 Charlie And Lola 08:10 Buzz & Tell 08:20 Tweenies 08:40 Gigglebiz 08:55 Me Too 09:15 Charlie And Lola 09:30 Buzz & Tell 09:45 As Time Goes By 10:15 One Foot In The Grave 10:50 Doctor Who 11:35 The Weakest Link 12:20 Casualty 13:10 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 14:00 The Weakest Link 15:35 Doctors 18:05 Doctor Who 18:50 As Time Goes By 19:20 One Foot In The Grave 19:50 Coast 20:50 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 21:40 Lark Rise To Candleford 22:35 The Fixer 23:20 Five Daughters

00:25 Antiques Roadshow 03:00 Holmes On Homes 07:10 Come Dine With Me 13:00 New Scandinavian With Andreas Viestad 15:00 New Scandinavian With Andreas Viestad 15:30 New Scandinavian With Andreas Viestad 16:45 New Scandinavian With Andreas Viestad 17:10 New Scandinavian With Andreas Viestad 17:35 Design Star

Cooking Cooking Cooking Cooking Cooking

18:20 19:00 19:50 20:40 23:55

Design Star Gok’s Fashion Fix Gok’s Fashion Fix Masterchef Australia Design Star

00:00 BBC World News 00:10 World Features 00:30 World Challenge 2011 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 Middle East Business Report 02:00 BBC World News 02:10 World Features 02:30 Newsnight 03:00 BBC World News 03:10 World Features 03:30 Equestrian World 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Dateline London 05:00 BBC World News 05:10 Tropic Of Cancer 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Click 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Newsnight 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 India Business Report 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 Fast Track 10:00 BBC World News 10:10 The Health Show 10:30 Equestrian World 11:00 BBC World News 11:10 World Features 11:30 Dateline London 12:00 BBC World News 12:10 World Features 12:30 Horizons 13:00 BBC World News 13:10 World Features 13:30 Africa Business Report 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 Newsnight 15:00 BBC World News 15:10 World Features 15:30 BBC World News 16:15 Sport Today 16:30 Click 17:00 BBC World News 17:30 World Challenge 2011 18:00 BBC World News 18:10 Tropic Of Cancer 19:00 BBC World News 19:30 India Business Report 20:00 BBC World News 20:30 Africa Business Report 21:00 Sports World Have Your Say 22:00 BBC World News 22:30 Equestrian World 23:00 BBC World News 23:10 This Week With Christiane Amanpour

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:15 01:40 02:05 02:30 02:55 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:35 05:00 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 08:55 09:20 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:30 Cats 13:05

The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Yogi’s Treasure Hunt The Garfield Show The Addams Family Popeye Paddington Bear Gerald Mcboing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Puppy In My Pocket Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Yogi’s Treasure Hunt The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes Top Cat And The Beverly Hills New Yogi Bear Show

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 13:30 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:05 15:30 15:55 16:20 Doo 16:45 17:10 17:35 17:55 18:20 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:40 20:00 20:30 20:50 21:05 21:40 22:05 22:30 23:00 23:10 23:35

Tex Avery The Addams Family Droopy & Dripple The Flintstones The Garfield Show Duck Dodgers Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley The Jetsons Wacky Races Scooby Doo Where Are You! Popeye Classics The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Top Cat Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Wacky Races The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You!

00:05 Robotboy - Elements 00:30 Squirrel Boy 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Cramp Twins 01:45 Chop Socky Chooks 02:10 Best Ed 02:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 03:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:25 Generator Rex 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Flapjack 04:40 Chowder 05:05 Powerpuff Girls 05:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 05:55 I Am Weasel 06:20 Squirrel Boy 06:45 Cow & Chicken 07:00 The Life & Times Of Juniper Lee 07:04 Cow & Chicken 07:25 Powerpuff Girls 07:50 Cartoon Network Dance Club 08:05 Angelo Rules 08:30 Chowder 08:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 09:20 Adventure Time 09:45 Gumball 09:55 Cow & Chicken 10:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 10:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 11:20 Generator Rex 11:45 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 12:10 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 12:35 Hero 108 13:00 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 13:25 Robotboy - Elements 13:50 I Am Weasel 14:15 Best Ed 14:40 Chowder 15:05 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 15:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 15:55 Cow & Chicken 16:20 Adventure Time 16:45 Codename: Kids Next Door 17:10 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 17:35 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 18:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 18:25 Flapjack 18:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 19:15 Adventure Time 19:40 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 20:05 Chowder 20:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 20:55 Cow & Chicken 21:20 Best Ed 21:45 I Am Weasel 22:00 Ben 10 22:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 22:50 The Secret Saturdays 23:15 Samurai Jack 23:40 Megas XLR

LEGENDARY ON OSN ACTION HD

00:00 The Best Of Backstory 00:30 World Sport 01:00 World Report 01:30 Mainsail 02:00 World Report 02:30 Inside Africa 03:00 Your Money 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 The Best Of The Situation Room 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Mainsail 07:00 World Report 07:30 The Best Of Backstory 08:00 World Report 08:15 CNN Marketplace Middle East 08:30 Road To Durban: A Green City Journey 09:00 World Report 09:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 09:30 I Report For CNN 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Mainsail 11:00 African Voices 11:30 Talk Asia 12:00 News Special 12:30 Inside Africa 13:00 World Report 13:30 World Sport 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps 16:00 State Of The Union 17:00 International Desk 17:30 Inside Africa 18:00 I Report For CNN 18:30 World Sport 19:00 Prism 19:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 20:00 International Desk 20:30 Road To Durban: A Green City Journey 21:00 World Report 21:30 Mainsail 22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps

00:15 00:40 01:35 02:05 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:25 16:55 17:20 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Swamp Brothers Extreme Fishing Stunt Junkies Time Warp Dirty Jobs Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How Stuff’s Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Stunt Junkies Time Warp How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings LA Ink LA Ink Ultimate Survival Extreme Fishing Swamp Brothers Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Stunt Junkies Time Warp Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Cash Cab Us LA Ink Animal Cops South Africa Pit Bulls And Parolees

00:05 Green Wheels 00:30 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 01:20 Test Case 05:40 Green Wheels 06:10 The Science of Fear and Lust 07:00 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 07:55 Head Rush 07:58 Sci-Fi Science 08:25 Weird Connections 08:55 Da Vinci’s Machines 09:45 Prototype This 10:35 Mighty Ships 14:45 Head Rush 14:48 Sci-Fi Science 15:15 Weird Connections 15:45 Bang Goes the Theory 16:10 The Gadget Show 16:35 The Gadget Show 17:00 Future Weapons 17:50 Extreme Bodies 18:40 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 19:30 Moon Machines 20:20 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 21:10 Invisible Worlds 22:00 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 22:50 Moon Machines 23:40 Bang Goes the Theory

00:20 Replacements 00:45 Replacements 01:10 Fairly Odd Parents 01:35 Fairly Odd Parents 02:00 A Kind Of Magic 02:20 A Kind Of Magic 02:45 Stitch 03:10 Stitch 03:35 Kim Possible 04:00 Kim Possible 04:25 Emperor’s New School 04:50 Emperor’s New School 05:15 Stitch 05:35 Stitch 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:25 Handy Manny 06:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 07:10 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 07:30 So Random 08:00 Suite Life On Deck 08:25 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 08:50 Good Luck Charlie 09:15 Shake It Up 09:40 Fish Hooks 10:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 10:30 Pixel Perfect 12:00 So Random 12:25 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies

12:50 13:15 13:40 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:15 15:35 15:55 16:20 Cody 16:45 17:10 17:30 18:02 18:20 18:45 19:10 20:35 20:55 21:25 21:50 22:15 22:40 23:05 Cody 23:30 23:55

Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Stitch Shake It Up Fish Hooks So Random Phineas And Ferb The Suite Life Of Zack And My Babysitter’s A Vampire Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wendy Wu So Random Wizards Of Waverly Place My Babysitter’s A Vampire Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance The Suite Life Of Zack And Hannah Montana Kim Possible

00:25 Fashion Police 00:55 Chelsea Lately 01:25 20 Best & Worst Celebrity Plastic...

03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 Giuliana & Bill 11:10 Ice Loves Coco 11:40 Ice Loves Coco 12:05 Kendra 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:25 Behind The Scenes 17:55 E! News 18:55 Bridalplasty 19:55 Giuliana & Bill 20:55 Ice Loves Coco 21:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:25 E! News 23:25 The Soup 23:55 Chelsea Lately

00:30 A Haunting 01:15 The Haunted 02:05 Ghost Lab 02:50 A Haunting 03:40 A Haunting 04:25 On The Case With Paula Zahn 05:15 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 06:10 Mystery ER 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:45 Murder Shift 08:35 Mystery ER 09:20 Real Emergency Calls 09:45 Real Emergency Calls 10:05 The Prosecutors 10:50 FBI Files 11:40 Murder Shift 12:25 On The Case With Paula Zahn 13:15 Disappeared 14:00 Mystery ER 14:50 Real Emergency Calls 15:15 Real Emergency Calls 15:35 The Prosecutors 16:20 Forensic Detectives 17:10 Murder Shift 18:00 FBI Files 18:45 Real Emergency Calls 19:10 Mystery ER 19:55 Street Patrol 20:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 21:10 Disappeared 22:00 Nightmare Next Door 22:50 I Almost Got Away With It 23:40 Couples Who Kill

00:00 Perilous Journeys 01:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 01:30 Pressure Cook 02:00 A World Apart 03:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 04:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 05:00 Long Way Down 06:00 Perilous Journeys 07:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:30 Pressure Cook 08:00 A World Apart 09:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 10:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 11:00 Long Way Down 12:00 Perilous Journeys 13:00 Food School 13:30 Food School 14:00 Market Values 14:30 Market Values 15:00 Word of Mouth 15:30 Banged Up Abroad 16:30 Banged Up Abroad 17:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 18:00 Travel Madness 18:30 Madventures 19:00 Food School 19:30 Food School 20:00 Market Values 20:30 Market Values 21:00 Word of Mouth 21:30 Banged Up Abroad 22:30 Banged Up Abroad 23:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels

00:15 02:00 03:30 06:00 08:00 09:30 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:00

Killshot-18 Nine Dead-PG15 Public Enemies-18 Star Trek: Generations-PG15 Arctic Predator-PG15 Independence Day-PG15 Legendary-PG15 Arctic Predator-PG15 Beyond A Reasonable Doubt-

00:45 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00

Mr. Nice-18 Stone Of Destiny-PG15 Easy Virtue-PG15 Planet 51-PG Stone Of Destiny-PG15 A Christmas Carol-PG Easy Virtue-PG15

Legendary-PG15 The Clinic-PG15 Deadly Impact-18

THE A-TEAM ON OSN CINEMA 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15

The Tempest-PG15 5 Dollars A Day-PG15 Flash Of Genius-PG15 The A-Team-PG15 Going The Distance-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Party Down 02:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 03:00 Melissa And Joey 03:30 Mr. Sunshine 04:00 According To Jim 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Malcolm In The Middle 06:00 Coach 06:30 Weird Science 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 According To Jim 08:30 Melissa And Joey 09:00 Malcolm In The Middle 09:30 Hot In Cleveland 10:00 Community 10:30 Coach 11:00 Weird Science 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 According To Jim 13:00 Mr. Sunshine 13:30 Malcolm In The Middle 14:00 Coach 14:30 Hot In Cleveland 15:00 Community 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Weird Science 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 8 Simple Rules ...

19:30 State Of Georgia 20:00 Happy Endings 20:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 Party Down 23:30 Happy Endings

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00

C.S.I. New York C.S.I. Miami Big Love C.S.I. The Invisible Man The View Good Morning America Law & Order: Criminal Intent Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View C.S.I. New York C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Live Good Morning America The Invisible Man The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Law & Order: Los Angeles Charlie’s Angels Pan Am Big Love Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Law & Order Rescue Me C.S.I. Miami C.S.I. New York C.S.I. Terriers Law & Order Two And A Half Men Coronation Street White Collar Terriers C.S.I. New York C.S.I. Miami Two And A Half Men Coronation Street White Collar Law & Order Two And A Half Men Coronation Street Burn Notice Law & Order: Los Angeles

20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Charlie’s Angels Pan Am Rescue Me Terriers

01:00 Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassin’s Ball18 03:00 Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night-PG15 05:00 Stag Night-18 07:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 09:00 You Got Served-PG15 11:00 Collateral-PG15 13:00 Wyatt Earp-PG15 16:15 You Got Served-PG15 18:00 Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant-PG15 20:00 Sugarhouse-18 21:45 Splinter-18 23:15 Snow White: A Tale Of Terror-18

00:15 Nine Months-PG15 02:00 Blue Streak-PG15 04:00 The Hudsucker Proxy-PG15 06:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 08:00 Hey Hey Its Esther Blueburger-PG15 10:00 Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 12:00 Dead Men Don’t Wear PlaidPG 14:00 The Lizzie McGuire Movie-PG 16:00 Nine Months-PG15 18:00 The Bounty Hunter-PG15 20:00 Say It Isn’t So-18 22:00 French And Saunders Still Alive-18

01:15 Soul Food-18 03:15 By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama-PG15 05:15 Amelia-PG15 07:15 The Associate-PG15 09:15 The Cake Eaters-PG15 11:00 By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama-PG15 13:00 The Associate-PG15 15:00 The Young Black StallionPG15 16:30 The Remains Of The Day-PG15 19:00 An Education-PG15 21:00 Titanic-PG15

01:00 I Am Sam-PG15 03:15 When In Rome-PG15 05:00 Secretariat-PG15 07:15 Love N’ Dancing-PG15 09:00 Get Low-PG15 11:00 Not The Messiah: He’s A Very Naughty Boy-PG15 13:00 All About Steve-PG15 15:00 The Invention Of Lying-PG15 17:00 Get Low-PG15 19:00 Crazy Heart-PG15 21:00 Clash Of The Titans-PG15 23:00 Winter’s Bone-18

00:00 Nativity!-PG 02:00 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 04:15 The Thief Of Baghdad-PG 06:00 Winner & The Gold Child (2)PG15 08:00 Dinosaur Island-PG 10:00 Garfield-PG 12:00 Nativity!-PG 14:00 The Three Musketeers-FAM 16:00 Tooth Fairy-PG 18:00 Garfield-PG 20:00 The Last Airbender-PG 22:15 The Three Musketeers-FAM

00:00 01:00 02:00 04:15 06:15 08:30 09:30 11:00 13:00 14:30 16:30 18:30 19:00 20:30 22:30

WWE Bottom Line WWE Tough Enough Rugby World Cup Currie Cup Rugby World Cup RWC Weekly Highlights Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup 2011 Live RWC Matchday Currie Cup Scottish Premier League Total Rugby RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup RWC Matchday

01:00 03:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 11:00 13:00 14:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:30 22:30

Scottish Premier League Premier League Snooker Rugby World Cup Classics Rugby World Cup Classics Rugby World Cup Classics Rugby World Cup Classics Rugby World Cup Classics Live RWC Matchday Live Rugby World Cup 2011 Live RWC Matchday LV Anglo Welsh Cup RWC Matchday RWC Highlights Total Rugby Rugby World Cup Classics RWC Matchday Rugby World Cup RWC Matchday

01:30 03:30 04:00 04:30 06:30 07:00 11:30 13:30 14:30 18:30 20:30 21:00

LV Anglo Welsh Cup ICC Cricket World Futbol Mundial Scottish Premier League European Tour Weekly European PGA Tour Scottish Premier League Trans World Sport Live European PGA Tour Scottish Premier League ICC Cricket World European PGA Tour

00:00 V8 Supercars Championship 03:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 04:00 UFC Unleashed 05:00 UFC Unleashed 06:00 Power Boats UIM 06:30 Live V8 Supercars Championship 09:15 WWE SmackDown 11:00 WWE Tough Enough 12:00 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 13:00 V8 Supercars Championship 16:00 Live Scottish Premier League 18:00 WWE SmackDown 20:00 V8 Supercars Championship 23:00 WWE Bottom Line

00:00 Secrets of Ancient China 01:00 Australia’s Great Wildlife Islands 02:00 Trabant Trek 02:30 Surfari 03:00 Tall Ship Explorers 04:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Intrepid Journeys 09:00 Travel Today 09:30 Flavours of Greece 10:00 Cruising the South China Sea 11:00 Temples In The Clouds 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Planet Food 14:00 Food Tripper 15:00 Essential Specials 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 People of the Sea 18:00 Safari Stopovers 19:00 Globe Trekker 20:00 Planet Sports 21:00 Rajasthan - A Colourful Legacy 22:00 Essential Specials 23:00 Globe Trekker

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:25 03:20 04:15 05:10 05:35 06:05 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:25 09:55 10:50 11:50 12:20 12:50 20:20 20:45 21:15 22:10 23:05

Homes With Style Videofashion Daily Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Married Away Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Videofashion Daily Top 10 Top 10 Homes With Style Open House Videofashion News Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Fashion Police Clean House Comes Clean Clean House Jerseylicious Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane

Classifieds SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

I Unlike other mammals, dolphin babies are born tail first.

I A dolphin’s dorsal fin is as distinctive as a person’s face.

I Dolphins can jump as high as 20 feet out of the water.

“When I was young, I always bullied somebody.

After I learned martial arts, I learned respect.”

— Actor Jackie Chan, on People.com

— animal.discovery.com

Bullying: It’s Against the Law! It’s back to school for kids in New Jersey. But state lawmakers want students to know that it’s not back to bullying. A new law against the hurtful behavior took effect in the state at the start of this school year.

New Jersey’s law says bullying is not allowed for any reason. All public-school workers in contact with students, from custodians to teachers and principals, must be trained in how to prevent bullying. Schools must report immediately any bullying that occurs, and they will be graded on how well they handle the problem.

New Jersey is one of 47 states that have antibullying laws for schools. Only Michigan, Montana and South Dakota do not.

Brenda High started an organization called Bully Police USA, which reports on and grades these laws. She says New Jersey’s law is among the toughest yet, and gives it her highest mark, an A++. Other states whose laws make the top grade include North Dakota and Massachusetts.

L E O N A R D O RT I Z / T H E O R A N G E C O U N T Y R E G I S T E R / M C T

Actress Cozi Zuehlsdorff, 13, points out her image in the “Dolphin Tale” movie poster.

Cozi Zuehlsdorff talks about her first movie role in ‘Dolphin Tale’

BY BARRY KOLTNOW The Orange County Register

The following story is true. A 13-year-old Mission Viejo, Calif., girl swears to it.

According to Cozi Zuehlsdorff, just after returning from Florida, where she completed filming the movie “Dolphin Tale” about a real-life dolphin that lost its tail in an accident and would have died if not for the work of a marine biologist and a prosthetics doctor, her family was watching some old home movies.

On one tape, a very young Cozi and her older sister were playing together in a bathtub. Her sister grabbed a toy on the side of the tub and said, “Let’s play with the dolphin.”

Her sister held up the toy dolphin, and that’s when Cozi’s father hit the pause button. The entire family stared speechless at the screen. The toy dolphin’s tail had broken off.

“It was freaky,” Cozi said.

“I think it was prophetic,” her father Scott added.

In “Dolphin Tale,” Cozi plays the daughter of the aquarium’s owner (Harry Connick Jr.). She befriends a local boy and the two youngsters care for the injured dolphin. The real dolphin, named Winter, remains a major tourist attraction in Florida.

Cozi got her start in an Orange County, Calif., production of “Annie,” and continued in local musical theater until she started making commercials. “Dolphin Tale” is her first film.

Q: When was the first time you said to your-

self, “Hey, I want to be an actress?”

A: For sure, it started when I was 7 in musical theater. I didn’t even know I wanted to do it but my mom encouraged me to audition for “Annie.”

Q: Which commercials did you do?

A: I did two insurance companies and a bank. Then I did a Nestle’s commercial, and a Hallmark voiceover

C O U RT E S Y O F WA R N E R B R O S .

From left, Nathan Gamble, Harry Connick Jr., and Cozi Zuehlsdorff star in the film “Dolphin Tale.”

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SOLVING THE PROBLEM

for a Father’s Day commercial. And I just shot a Trident commercial that hasn’t come out yet.

Q: So, how did you get the dolphin movie?

A: I went out on five TV and movie auditions, and then I got the script for “Dolphin Tale.” It said they were looking for an 11-year-old Caucasian girl with freckles, blond hair and a big personality. Well, hello.

Q: How did the audition go?

A: I felt so good about it that I took a picture of myself when I left the audition so that if I got the part, I’d have a picture of the moment. Two or three weeks later, I got a callback to meet with the director, Charles Martin Smith.

Q: Describe what’s like to swim with a dol-

BULLYING BASICS

Bullying takes many forms. It may include teasing, name-calling and leaving someone out. It also can be physical. The behavior happens over and over again, and can take place anywhere from the playground to the Internet. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry reports that nearly half of all kids will experience bullying in school, and at least 10 percent are bullied regularly.

PAU L T R A P / M C T National Bullying Prevention Month, observed each year in October, encourages people to raise awareness about bullying and take action to stop it. Many schools hold anti-bullying programs.

ACCOMMODATION

phin.

A: The first time wasn’t with Winter. It was with an older dolphin named Panama, and it was magical.

Dolphins are so big and grand. The water was about 86 degrees, and I put on goggles and watched her swim underwater. It was really amazing. Winter was a little smaller, but she was so personable.

Will stronger anti-bullying laws change the behavior for good? That question is up for discussion. Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, firmly says no. “State anti-bullying laws do not provide any additional money, staff or other support,” he told TFK. Christopher Irving, who helped coordinate the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Conference, in June, agrees that money is an issue, especially now, as schools face serious financial challenges. New Jersey’s law is “the toughest law in the nation that comes with no money to support it,” he says.

Some administrators note that they had strict anti-bullying policies in place long before the law passed. “The law will not change what we do, because we already take the issue very seriously,” explains Bruce Winkelstein. He is the principal of Brookside School in Allendale, N.J. You can do your part by treating others kindly and speaking out against bullying. Kids will make the biggest difference of all.

— Elizabeth Winchester

© 2011 Time Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TIME FOR KIDS and Timeforkids.com are registered trademarks of Time Inc.

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DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines RJA MLR JZR RBG THY ETH UAE DHX ETD FDB GFA QTR JZR KAC JZR FAH JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE IRA QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA FCX MEA RBG IRC JZR JZR KAC MSR UAL RJA KAC FDB QTR KAC

Flt 642 1405 267 3564 772 620 853 370 305 67 211 138 529 544 503 201 555 412 157 206 382 284 302 53 332 678 352 855 615 132 125 603 301 213 203 404 3555 6801 561 201 672 610 982 640 774 57 140 562

Arrival Flights on Sunday 23/10/2011 Route AMMAN COLOMBO/DUBAI BEIRUT ASSIUT ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA ASSIUT CAIRO LUXOR BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA MANILA/BANGKOK LONDON ISLAMABAD DELHI DHAKA MUMBAI DUBAI TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT/DUBAI COCHIN DUBAI SHAHRE KORD DOHA SHARJAH SHIRAZ ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA AHWAZ SOHAG DAMASCUS DUBAI CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN RIYADH DUBAI DOHA AMMAN

Time 0:05 0:15 0:35 0:40 1:15 1:45 2:25 2:55 2:55 3:10 3:15 3:20 3:45 4:40 5:15 5:30 6:10 6:15 6:30 7:15 7:20 7:40 7:50 7:55 7:55 8:00 8:05 8:25 8:35 9:00 9:10 9:25 9:30 9:35 10:30 10:55 11:05 11:15 12:30 12:45 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:50 14:15 14:20

SVA KAC KAC JZR QTR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR RBG ABY JZR FDB JZR ALK KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JAI SYR FDB OMA VOS MEA KAC DHX KAC UAE KAC GFA QTR UAL AFG AIC JZR JZR JZR MSR DLH AXB JZR KLM JZR PIA

500 788 746 257 134 303 857 215 510 777 239 3557 127 213 63 177 227 166 542 618 786 614 102 674 572 341 61 647 81 402 552 372 512 859 172 217 136 981 405 981 135 787 185 612 636 389 539 447 481 205

JEDDAH JEDDAH ABU DHABI/DAMMAM BEIRUT DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SOHAG SHARJAH DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO DUBAI DUBAI COLOMBO/DUBAI PARIS/ROME CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN NEW YORK/LONDON DUBAI MUMBAI ALEPPO DUBAI MUSCAT BAGHDAD BEIRUT DAMASCUS BAHRAIN TEHRAN DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN KABUL/DUBAI CHENNAI/AHMEDABAD BAHRAIN RIYADH DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE CAIRO AMSTERDAM/BAHRAIN SABIHA LAHORE

14:30 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:15 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:35 17:40 17:50 17:55 18:00 18:00 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:35 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:15 21:00 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:10 23:30 23:35 23:50 23:55

Airlines KAC AXB DLH AIC MLR RBG THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD QTR JZR RJA GFA JZR BAW FDB KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC IRA UAE ABY QTR KAC ETD GFA KAC IRA JZR FCX RBG MEA JZR KAC JZR IRC KAC KAC JZR MSR

Departure Flights on Sunday 23/10/2011 Flt Route 677 DUBAI/MUSCAT 394 COCHIN/KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 976 GOA/CHENNAI 1405 COLOMBO 3562 ALEXANDRIA 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 171 FRANKFURT 671 DUBAI 745 DAMMAM/ABU DHABI 256 BEIRUT 561 AMMAN 787 JEDDAH 614 SHAHRE KORD 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 133 DOHA 117 NEW YORK 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 773 RIYADH 602 SHIRAZ 212 DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO 204 DUBAI 3558 SOHAG 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 238 AMMAN 6802 AHWAZ 103 LONDON 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO

Time 0:10 0:15 0:40 0:50 1:15 1:20 2:15 2:45 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 5:00 5:55 7:00 7:10 7:15 8:25 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:25 9:35 9:40 9:50 10:00 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:25 10:50 11:45 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:15 12:30 13:30 13:40 14:20

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

RJA FDB UAL KAC KAC KAC SVA JZR QTR KAC KAC JZR ETD QTR UAE GFA RBG ABY JZR SVA FDB JZR JZR ALK KAC KAC JAI FDB SYR KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC DHX UAE GFA FAH QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR UAL KAC KAC MSR

641 58 982 551 673 617 503 480 141 613 511 538 304 135 858 216 3556 128 184 511 64 786 134 228 283 361 571 62 342 343 351 648 403 543 373 860 218 102 137 301 205 502 554 530 981 411 415 613

AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN DAMASCUS DUBAI DOHA MEDINAH/JEDDAH SABIHA DOHA BAHRAIN TEHRAN CAIRO ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI/COLOMBO DHAKA COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI ALEPPO CHENNAI COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD LUXOR ALEXANDRIA ASSIUT WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK/MANILA KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA CAIRO

14:30 14:35 14:45 14:55 15:10 15:35 15:45 16:00 16:15 16:20 16:30 16:40 17:35 17:45 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:35 18:40 18:40 19:10 19:10 20:00 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:50 23:50

34

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 477

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) The work you do, the way you take care of health and other mundane obligations are important keys to your progress now.

There is a need for focus and careful analysis in this area of your life. Set up systems and schedules and stick to them! A new job offer from last week may call for new clothing: a suit, a coat, etc. This is a good time to shop for those things but do not go overboard as you may decide you like where you are working just fine. A comfortable get-together this afternoon gives you an opportunity to laugh with friends and relax.

Your brilliant imagination and enchanting manner transport all who meet you beyond the dull and into the extraordinary regions where you enjoy your life. You would have fun writing short stories.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Opportunities open up in a very natural way for you.

Situations are almost tailor-made and it is easy to see how the day ahead will unfold. Plans have been made and a short trip or campout is at hand and you are ready to go; in fact, you were probably ready hours ago. The energies today speak of travel and friends and fun. Circumstances should work together to help bring out your ideas. There are future plans you want to talk about and there are friends that are interested in your thinking. You may find yourself more than a little curious about their goals as well. You certainly would enjoy setting up time for more adventures like today. You enjoy the day and visiting among friends. You may be tempted to purchase lots of curios; careful.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

5. (Jungian psychology) The inner self (not the external persona) that is in touch with the unconscious.

10. The executive agency that advises the President on the federal budget.

13. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

14. A Portuguese province on the south coast of China and two islands in the South China Sea. 15. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

16. 100 agorot equal 1 shekel.

18. Refuse to acknowledge.

20. Of or relating to punishment.

21. Slender bristlelike appendage found on the bracts of grasses.

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

23. One of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes.

25. Automatic data processing by electronic means without the use of tabulating cards or punched tapes.

27. Accumulate on the surface.

30. Yellow-fever mosquitos.

34. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

37. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

39. Either of two spiral-horned antelopes of the African bush.

40. A unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch.

41. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

43. Of or relating to or functioning as a phrase.

45. (Scotland) A small loaf or roll of soft bread.

47. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

48. A small cake leavened with yeast.

51. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

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

57. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

62. The act of slowing down or falling behind.

63. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.

64. Remote city of Kazakhstan that (ostensibly for security reasons) was made the capital in 1998.

65. 4-wheeled motor vehicle.

66. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.

67. Conqueror of Gaul and master of Italy (100-44 BC).

68. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

69. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

DOWN 1. The act of catching an object with the hands.

2. Especially one side of a leaf.

3. Very dark black.

4. Flavored with sour orange peel.

5. Before noon.

6. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

7. Being nine more than ninety.

8. A state in New England.

9. The month following July and preceding September.

10. Any property detected by the olfactory system.

11. God of death.

12. (pathology) An elevation of the skin filled with serous fluid.

17. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

19. Greek mythology.

24. A mature blood cell that contains hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the bodily tissues.

26. Thorn apple.

28. An informal term for a father.

29. The act of scanning.

31. A software system that facilitates the creation and maintenance and use of an electronic database.

32. English essayist (1775-1834).

33. The activity of persuading someone to buy.

35. A person who is tricked or swindled.

36. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

38. The cry made by sheep.

42. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

44. The basic unit of electric current adopted under the System International d'Unites.

46. A fractional monetary unit in Bangladesh and India and Nepal and Pakistan.

49. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

50. Anything that serves as an enticement.

52. Moderate or restrain.

54. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

55. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

56. A city in northern India.

58. British informal term.

59. The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by.

60. A nucleic acid that transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm.

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

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You are much too busy at this time. It could be hard for you to balance all the demands that are put to your attention. Look for ways to strike a balance, even if you have to step away for a bit—create a diversion or hire someone to help you. A young teenager might enjoy a little extra spending money if you are interested in packing a few boxes away in storage, or perhaps getting a few boxes unpacked from storage for the holidays ahead. A personal improvement of yours is visible. Changes you want to make regarding a habit or life-pattern of activity is a positive now and will have a good foundation. This evening you will benefit from a little time with your feet propped up and some relaxing music—of course a massage might be nice!

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Ideas and interaction with authority figures or respected elders may be in the forecast. It may be time to coerce a senior relative into changing their living quarters. This might not be too hard, depending on where the new digs might be located. Working with—rather than against—the flow should be easy to do. The home front may be in need of a little work and you are magical in how you talk someone into helping you with a ladder as well as heavy work. You may be exhausted by the dayís end; your goals seem crowded into a small time element. The person helping you today will help you again, so you could spread the work out over a few days instead of all in one day. A helper might enjoy one of your special menus this evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is a day where you could continue to be emotionally tested. You may need to keep or adjust your thoughts or opinions into more positive directions. Challenges just seem to follow you around today—challenges, however, bring opportunities to grow and expand your knowledge. All this challenge type of stress will pass because you help to make any adjustment positive.

You may decide to dive in and coordinate some project so that it will move quickly and be successful. A sudden inspiration helps you find a useful shortcut where a complicated project is concerned. Stop early and move to the rhythm of music; dance, love, laugh and be happy. A lover enriches your life and today you think about how great it is to have this person in your life—tell him or her.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Everything may be pouring in at once and it’s all good news.

Your friends are in town or a homecoming football game party is shaping up nicely; whatever the case, there are lots of errands and chores and people to help before some celebration can be enjoyed. You may benefit from an older person or one in authority today. This authority figure will help you in either understanding some law or in teaching some law. There is time to relax this afternoon, really! Talk about something other than the ongoing preparations you are involved with now.

When you go back to your errands, you will find something special that will help compliment the dance or the dinner or the party in general. You will find plenty of compliments regarding your efforts with this event.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Someone needs your support today and you are able to provide help by simply being nearby. You should, however, wait until you are asked to become involved—he or she may not need what you think. Later this afternoon there is a chance to join in some team sports.

The neighborhood or the community group for which you belong may be having some competition meet at a nearby gym. Being more involved with neighbors or sibling(s) satisfies a deep emotional need. You should work hard during this time to keep the family close. Communicating feelings becomes more important. Food for thought: The images you see reflect your thoughts—think positive. New clothes are in the forecast.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) A nutritional change is in order and now is the most productive time to make those changes. Put your mind to work and take care of any details that you may have, for mental discipline should come easily.

Problems and obstacles that have previously been confounding should find easy explanations under your keen examination. Now could be the time to move forward in any projects you want to undertake. Donít worry about what you have to do; focus on the here and now and it will all work. Saying and writing things with style counts for a lot now and this tends to bring out the social butterfly in all of us. You are able to enjoy and value your own life situation today. A friend or visitor in your home gives you plenty of complements.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

Circumstances are working in your favor to help you and raise you up—push you forward. You have a stick-to-itiveness that always finds you in the thick of things. Creative ideas and a feeling of accomplishment with your progress are easily yours. You could be in the limelight in relation to your work today. You may be thinking of improving your wardrobe. You will find a good buy if you compare prices. Think along the lines of more color this fall—get rid of some of those all black outfits. You may be looking over your finances today and making decisions along the line of investing. If a loan is needed, today is a good time to organize your request. You may find yourself looking for a little romance this evening or at least enjoying company.

There is optimism, faith and a tendency to take chances at the deepest emotional levels today. You could find that you are appreciated for your ability to act and get things done. Someone understands your point of view and is willing to listen to some changes you may want to make in the home. Gathering and exchanging information becomes an important part of your presentation and can be an example for the young people in the home. Neighbors or siblings have a big impact on your goals and make a big impression. This day could prove to be a mentally and socially active. You have a clear vision into your own inner sense of values and how you appreciate and love. This is a good time to examine and create new goals.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You may appear very relaxed today. Everything seems to be working together and you may find yourself expressive and able to communicate well. You could be most persuasive with others and eloquent in speech and communication. The situation is a natural for self-expression and lends itself to your particular way of thinking. A good conversation with those you love is possible.

You have a real appreciation for the creative mind and you are encouraged to study.

You may find yourself enjoying long conversations, writing a letter or making a special phone call. Decide what you want with regard to change in your living situation and then go for it. This may mean adding a loft apartment to the house or enlarging a kitchen or simply, a new paint job; enjoy.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You will be pleased at what you can accomplish today. Few interruptions benefit you in any research time. This opportunity can use to your best advantage. A day that is not too lazy or too stressful—time for accomplishing tasks or setting things up to work in your favor. Regular work chores will move along swiftly. There is time for a luncheon, a meeting and perhaps a conference to talk of ways that the company for which you work can grow. Productive conversations will bring positive results. Your instinctive direction at this time is toward getting down to business. On the home front, you and your family might like to help organize a neighborhood garage sale so that you can use the funds to plant trees along the street or contribute toward a charity.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

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

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

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

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

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

Hawally

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

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

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. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

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)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

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

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Sheen slams new ‘Two and a Half Men’

ooks like Charlie Sheen is done playing nice with his former bosses. The ousted “Two and a Half Men” star, who’s preparing for his small-screen adaptation of the Jack Nicholson film “Anger Management,” took a few shots at the show while out in Los Angeles on Thursday, saying he’s “very disappointed” in the direction “Two and a Half Men” has taken since his ouster, TMZ reports. Asked about the ratings slide that the show has taken since its eye-popping season premiere numbers, Sheen offered, “People aren’t stupid, you know? Not all of them.” Sheen was a critical about his replacement, Ashton Kutcher, who plays brokenhearted Internet millionaire Walden Schmidt on the show. “He’s doing the best he can,” Sheen offered. “I don’t think the role is cursed, but I’m extremely disappointed with how they’re handling what I left behind.” After a very public, very ugly war of words with “Two and a Half Men” executive producer Chuck Lorre, Sheen struck a conciliatory tone at this year’s Emmys, taking the stage and wishing his former cohorts “nothing but the best” with the show revamp.

“From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together, and I know you will continue to make great television,” Sheen said. Two weeks later, in late September, Sheen settled his lawsuit with Lorre and Warner Bros.

Television. As TheWrap reported at the time, Sheen received $25 million in the deal, though that primarily consists of back-end payments from episodes he’d already filmed. (Sheen had been seeking $100 million in the suit.)

The good news for CBS? Charlie’s a big fan of its comedy “Rules of Engagement.” The series enjoyed robust ratings for its season premiere Thursday, and apparently Sheen was among the viewers. “Anyone catch the premier [sic] of “Rules of Engagement” last night?” Sheen tweeted Friday.

“Glad it’s [sic] back! Hat’s [sic] off to buddy Tom Hertz, cast and crew. Great show CBS!!” Maybe he’s trying to make “Two and a Half Men” jealous?

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Seeger and pals attend NYC protest action olk music and ‘60s protest legend Pete Seeger has joined in the Occupy Wall Street protest, replacing his instruments with two canes as he marches with throngs of people to Columbus Circle. The 92-year-old Seeger occasionally sang “We Shall Not be Moved” and other anthems of protest as about a thousand people walked peacefully Friday and police watched from the sidelines. Composer David Amran and bluesman Guy Davis were also in the

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crowd. Tao (tow) Rodriguez Seeger said his activist grandfather was “all fired up” about the late-night march after their scheduled performance with other musicians earlier at Symphony Space. The younger Seeger, a New Orleans resident, said music may not change everyone’s minds but it can help people get along better.

Rumba king Ros dies aged 100 atin-American musician and vocalist Edmundo Ros has died at his home in Spain at the age of 100, the Grand Order of Water Rats show business fraternity said yesterday. “He died last night peacefully at his home in Spain, two months short of his 101st birthday”, said secretary John Adrian, adding that he had died of old age. Ros was the most accomplished man of his generation in the field and the infectious beat of his worldfamous rumba band was a cheering sound in wartime Britain and the postwar austerity years. Edmundo Ros and his Orchestra made hundreds of recordings and sold millions of records. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, then a princess, made her first public dance to the music of Ros’s band in the 1940s. Ros was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on December 7, 1910. His mother was Venezuelan while his father was of Scottish origin.

He lived in Venezuela for 10 years and played in the Venezuelan Military Academy Band and the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra. He later studied harmony, composition and orchestration at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His bands were based in London clubs and restaurants. His tune “The Wedding Samba” (1949) sold three million copies, while the “Rhythms of The South” album (1958) sold one million. In 1975, at the age of 64, Ros dismantled the band and destroyed all the arrangement sheets. “He was a major figure, one of the biggest names”, Adrian said. “He retired in 1975, but between ‘39 and ‘75 he was a big, big name, had his own club in London and played around the world. “His discography is massive. He was the one who really popularized Latin American music in this country.” He retired and moved to Spain’s Costa Blanca, giving his last performance in 1994. A Freeman of the City of London, he was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2000.

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Colorado guitarist dies after fight with bandmate Colorado Springs rock musician has died after he was punched and knocked to the ground in a fight involving other members of his band. Police say Terry Span died yesterday, 12 days after the fight outside a club where the band had played. The 48-year-old Aleister Wild guitarist had been in a coma. The coroner says the cause of death was a closed head injury.

Thirty-nine-year-old Michael Sorden

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was arrested on assault charges after the Oct. 8 fight. Police say prosecutors will decide whether to file other charges. Sorden is a bass player in the band. Another Aleister Wild member, vocalist Ernie Munoz, told The Gazette of Colorado Springs that Span was trying to calm Sorden after a dispute over loading the band members’ equipment.

Ricci grateful to grow up in private

Zsa Zsa Gabor returns home from hospital ctress Zsa Zsa Gabor returned home from a hospital Friday after recovering from two stomach surgeries and suffering a bout of pneumonia. The 94 year-old actress, who has suffered numerous health issues in recent years, was “happy and smiling,” her husband, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, told Reuters Friday. “She’s alert and she looks good,” said von Anhalt, adding that Gabor was in much better health after nearly two weeks at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, The actress, whose right leg was amputated above the knee early this year, was hospitalized on Oct. 8 for surgery when complications arose with a feeding tube attached to her stomach. Gabor then caught pneumonia but recovered quickly. Von Anhalt said he plans to celebrate with his wife at home this weekend.

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Winslet

hristina Ricci is glad she’s not a child star in today’s world. The actress - who shot to fame playing Wednesday Addams in ‘The Addams Family’ when she was just nine - is grateful she wasn’t hounded by photographers like many young actors are at the moment, meaning she could lead a relatively normal life. The 31-year-old beauty said: “You know, I made all the mistakes a lot of young stars are making today. I partied, I drank. But during my time there weren’t that many photographers around. I had more freedom!” Christina says when the pressures of fame get too much for her, she unwinds by just chilling at her home. The Pan Am’ star said: “If I feel stressed, I take a personal day, which basically entails me being on my couch with a book and my puppy! I don’t leave the house. And I like to visit my friends, and just hang out with my family.”

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Pitt wants more children he actor already raises six children with partner Angelina Jolie - Maddox, 10, Pax, seven, Zahara, six, Shiloh, five, and three-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne - and while they’re in no hurry to add to their brood, Brad admits it will probably happen in the future. When asked if they’d like more kids, Brad replied: “Probably. Most likely. Parenthood is the greatest and most important endeavor of my life. Why stop at this point?” Brad says he loves spending time with all the children as they make him laugh. He said: “It’s easier to handle them one at a time. I love my time with each of them and I have to say that they are the funniest people I know.” Brad, 47, is enjoying every moment

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of his life right now and has learned to take responsibility for his actions. He told Britain’s OK! magazine: “I enjoy being where I am now. No more excuses, you know? I’m responsible. I can’t blame anything on my parents. I’m responsible for my mistakes and my choices. “I’m a big believer that your mistakes define you as much as anything, it’s where you get real understanding of yourself. And intimacy. I believe you’ve really got to make your life. And so much of it is perception. This is the form I built for myself, so I have to accept it and work within these confines. And it’s up to me.”

confused on night of fire ate Winslet put on a bra before fleeing a house fire on Sir Richard Branson’s island. The actress was holidaying in the Great House on Necker Island, the British businessman’s private Caribbean island, with her two children Mia, 10, and seven-year-old Joe in August when the blaze ripped through the property. Richard praised Kate for carrying his 90-year-old mother Eve to safety from the burning house, but the 36-year-old star admits her mind was all over the place when she realized what was happening. During an appearance on ‘The Graham Norton Show’, she said: “It was genuinely very scary. We woke up at 4.30 in the morning to yelling that there was a fire. I jumped up and ran immediately towards the fire but then realized we might die so turned around, told my

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children to go in and shut the door and then thought, ‘Now what do I do?’

“I ran into the bedroom and put on a bra. In disastrous moments like that, you do the strangest things. I started to put on a bra and thought, ‘No, that’s going to take me too long,’ so off came the bra, on came the T-shirt, I grabbed the children and I picked up granny!” Modest Kate also played down her bravery on the night, insisting, despite Richard’s high praise, she didn’t really save Eve’s life. She added: “No, I didn’t save her life. I carried her down the stairs is the truth of it. “We were all at the top of some very slippery stone steps and in the middle of a hurricane - it was so dramatic, there was lashing rain and it really did feel like being in a movie. In truth, I carried Eve Branson down the stairs . She is an extraordinary stoic, powerful lady and she could have totally made it out on her own.” —Bang Showbiz

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

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M o v i e s

On trial: Second disc from French electro-rock duo Justice

ance duo Justice, who back in 2007 put the French electro music scene on the map, launch their new album on Monday, “Audio, Video, Disco”, hoping to match the runaway success of their debut. Their first effort, the strangely titled “+” accompanied by monolithic images of Christian-style crosses, a controversial video and the hit dance tune “D.A.N.C.E.”, reminiscent of the Jackson Five, sold a hefty 800,000 copies. “We don’t know the recipe for the success of the first album,” Gaspard Auge, one half of the duo, told AFP. “It was extreme, in the sense that there were bits that were very aggressive and one bit of disco sung by children. So we had more or less a free hand to what we wanted to on the next one,” he added.

The new album is a bid to break with the conventional ideas associated with their kind of music, he said. “Electronic music has always been presented as urban, night music,” he continued. “We wanted to move away from this idea a little, making a more rural, more luminous record.” To get that sound, the group decided not to use any samples in “Audio, Video, Disco”-the Latin for “I hear, I see, I learn”. They even played the drums and guitar parts themselves-and as both Auge

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and Xavier de Rosnay, the other half of the duo, admit they are far from being virtuosos.

The idea was to go for a sound like a rehearsal, “so you can almost hear the room where the instru-

become the norm for electro records, the new disc features no celebrity guests on the vocal tracksthey just did not think it helped the creative process.” We sang ourselves, or got people we really like

A file photo shows Gaspard Augé, member of French band Justice during the Eurockeennes music festival in Belfort, eastern France. —AFP ments have been recorded, which is a bit antithetical to electronic music, where everything is done by computer,” said Auge. And in another move away for what he says has

to become the third member, the voice of Justice,” he explained.

“What we liked is that the whole record can give the impression of having been sung by the same per-

son,” he added. The new album is a high-energy mix that hits the ground running, with the first two tracks, “Horsepower” and “Civilization” intended as “a bridge to the rest of the record”, while keeping elements of the earlier work. With the third track, “Ohio”, suggests a range of influences: from the close-harmony vocals of 1960s legends Crosby, Stills and Nash, to the heavy riffs of Aussie rockers AC/DC-and even a nod to Queen.

And Auge makes no apologies for such eclecticism. “We had fun putting in references to other groups without it being the heart of the track...,” he said. “We are children of the 1990s. We grew up with MTV and our influences run from Prodigy to Justin Timberlake. “For us, there are no guilty pleasures, no shameful music so long as it moves us,” he said. And yet despite taking a very different approach from their first album, every track in “Audio, Video, Disco” carries the group’s instantly recognizable musical signature. “Perhaps it’s a question of emotional color,” he said. “We are always trying to move between the melancholy and the epic. And we do everything as a duo” another reason Justice has such a recognizable sound, he suggests. —AFP

Ed Chernoff a defense attorney for Dr Conrad Murray, cross examines anesthesiology expert Dr Steven Shafer, during Murray’s involuntary manslaughter trial in Los Angeles, Friday. —AP

Jackson doctor’s attorneys challenge drug expert ttorneys for Dr Conrad Murray Friday challenged a top anesthesiology expert over assumptions he made in a courtroom demonstration on how Murray could have given Michael Jackson a deadly drug infusion. The cross examination of Dr Steven Shafer came a day after the expert prosecution witness gave damaging testimony against Murray at his involuntary manslaughter trial in Jackson’s 2009 death from an overdose of the drug propofol and sedatives.

Shafer had set up an IV drip system in court to suggest the way in which Murray might have wrongfully infused the powerful anesthetic propofol into the singer. But defense attorneys Friday disputed whether such a system was ever used. “You certainly do consider that what you have claimed occurred in this case is an extraordinary claim?” Ed Chernoff, the lead defense attorney, asked Shafer on the witness stand.

“Not at all,” Shafer said. But Chernoff did manage to get Shafer to admit thatinvestigators did not find in Jackson’s bedroom a vented IV tube with a plastic spike such as the one Shafer used in his demonstration for jurors. Shafer testified Murray still could have used one and easily balled up the tube and pocketed it before leaving Jackson’s Los Angeles mansion. Jurors have heard prior testimony that an IV pole, saline bags and propofol vials were among the items found in Jackson’s bedroom and closet after he died on June 25, 2009.

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Tintin goes native as Spielberg

brings him home

elgium rolled out the red carpet yesterday for Tintin, its most celebrated son, as Steven Spielberg premiered his blockbuster-to-be too enthusiastic crowds in the comic book hero’s home city. “It is a great honor for us to bring Tintin home,” Spielberg told a news conference. “It was important to me. Brussels is his birthplace. Tintin is coming back.”

Fans swamped the city centre as airborne acrobats danced dangling from wires across giant scenes from the Tintin albums, and a parade of vintage cars, as portrayed by author Herge in albums set in the 1940s,

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An actor impersonating Captain Haddock stands up prior to a media conference. cranked into town. Posters of the intrepid boy reporter with the quiff and funny pants plastered the city, and Alain Chantrenne, owner of a polished 1949 Buick, said “it’s wonderful that an American’s interested in a hero from Belgium.”

Co-produced by “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson, who will direct two sequels to Spielberg’s “Tintin”, the movie is billed in the director’s own words as a kind of “Indiana Jones for kids”. “I discovered Tintin in my thirties,” Spielberg said. “Unfortunately, these books never came to America.

We didn’t have access to these books. I became an instant fan.”

“Hopefully, if the movie is popular in America, the books will be perhaps published. It will be a great thing.” “The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn”, an Avatar-style movie using real actors to generate computer images, brings the boy hero and his trusty sidekick Snowy to European cinemas from next week before releasing in the US in the lucrative preChristmas season.

Loosely based on several of the 24 Tintin comic albums, the story kicks off in a well-known Brussels antiques market, and city authorities are looking to a tourist bonanza for “the most celebrated of Belgians”-as the posters say.

Tintin and Spielberg, whose project dates back 30 years, headlined papers and TV broadcasts in anticipation of the movie, which gets a second premiere in Paris later yesterday.

“There’s a lot of excitement over the movie,” said Dominique Maricq, an

oldtimer at Herge Studios. “We’re curious to see how Hollywood portrays him.” From the start of the project, Maricq said, Belgian specialists were “impressed by Spielberg and Jackson’s determination to respect the spirit of Tintin’s world, to not turn him into an American super-hero”.

“I think Herge would have loved the movie a lot. Honestly. We spoke on the telephone before his death. It was one of the most exciting phone calls of my life,” said the US director.

Herge, fabled for his artistic talent as well as his plots, “was like a moviemaker without a camera,” Spielberg added. “He did all the hard work” for the film. Among the most avid spectators in the elite crowd getting a sneak preview, which included a royal princess, was a Belgian retiree with the distinction of being the sole person ever to have played Tintin on screen — 50 years ago in a French production.

Jean-Pierre Talbot, a round-faced 68-year-old retired schoolteacher with a Tintinesque quiff, became an actor by fluke after being spotted on a beach by a film director as resembling the comic book hero.”I’m upset and a little emotional,” he said before seeing the Hollywood rendition. “I never acted again but for people here I’ve remained Tintin.” Created in 1929

by Herge, whose real name was Georges Remi and who was then in his early 20s, Tintin and his colorful and sometimes foul-mouthed companions have achieved cult status for millions worldwide. Shot using motion capture technology, Jamie Bell of “Billy Elliot” fame plays the fresh-faced hero, Daniel Craig the vil-

Burton’s Franken-balloon to debut at NY parade ilmmaker Tim Burton has designed a floating freak show of a balloon for this year’s family-friendly Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. With pointed teeth and jagged stitching across his face, B is the Frankenstein of balloons. A Burton-created backstory distributed by Macy’s says the balloon boy was “stitched together from rejects of old birthday party balloons.” The parties were thrown for children at a London hospital.

But B wasn’t allowed to join in the fun. Instead he watched the French short film “The Red Balloon” repeatedly.

B’s only dream was to fly and make a child happy - just like in that movie. Now B will get his chance at next month’s parade through Manhattan. Burton has directed several films, including “Edward Scissorhands,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” —AP

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British actor Jamie Bell poses next to Belgian cartoon hero Tintin, depicted on a special high speed Thalys train boarding for Paris, after he and movie director Steven Spielberg attended the world premiere of the Belgian cartoon hero Tintin movie “The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn”, in Brussels, yesterday. —AP Photos

Movie fans get glimpse o Jolie sBlood and Honey movie was finished and they could see he promotional trailer for Angelina the final version.

Jolie’s film directoring debut, “In The “There are many twists in the plot that Land of Blood and Honey,” hit theaddress the sensitive nature of the relaaters on Friday, giving a glimpse of the tionship between the main characters movie about love and violence in warand that will be revealed once the film is torn Bosnia. Juxtaposing romantic scenes released,” the Oscarwith tense film winning actress said footage of warfare, last year. The film is the film trailer outJolie’s debut in the lines a love story director’s seat for a between a Serbian script that she also man and a Bosnianpenned.

Muslim woman who Newcomers Zana are forced apart in Marjanovic and the 1992 Bosnian Goran Kostic play conflicts. The words the star-crossed “Love can change lovers against a what we want” and backdrop of guns “War can change and explosions. who we are” emerge Jolie has said she near the end. opted to cast The movie unknown Bosnian sparked controversy actors in order to in Bosnia in October tell the story one year ago when authentically.

Jolie was shooting Jolie also opted the film. The head to shoot scenes of a group of female simultaneously in war victims objectthe English and ed to the movie Serbo-Croat lanbecause, she said, it Angelina Jolie guages, so that was about a woman there will be two versions released of the was falling in love with her enemy, and a film. “In The Land of Blood and Honey” is government minister canceled a permit set for release in US theaters on for the film shoot. At the time, Jolie asked December 23.—Reuters people to withhold judgment until the

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Movie director Steven Spielberg, center, British actor Jamie Bell (left) and French-Moroccan actor Gad Elmaleh pose on the red carpet ahead of Tintin premiere. —AP lain Red Rackham. Bell said he had read Tintin aged eight “and I wanted to be him: courageous, intrepid, to travel around the world”. —AFP

Murray has admitted that on the day Jackson died he gave the singer a relatively small dose of 25 milligrams of propofol for sleep. Defense attorneys are challenging the prosecution’s argument that Murray could have administered as much as 40 times that amount of the drug afterward through an IV. Defense attorneys have said Jackson might have given himself an extra, fatal dose of propofol when Murray was out of his bedroom.

Court proceedings Friday also pointed to a looming duel between Shafer’s testimony and what is expected to come from the defense’s propofol expert, Dr Paul White, who is scheduled to take the witness stand next week. Shafer, a professor at Columbia University, said he considers White a friend, but those bonds of friendship appear to be tested by the Murray trial.

On Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor scolded White for a media report in which he was quoted as uttering the word “scumbag” in court after a prosecutor aided in Shafer’s IV system demonstration Thursday. Pastor, who earlier imposed a gag order for lawyers and witnesses in the trial, told White he had no business making those kinds of comments, and set a Nov 16 hearing for possible sanctions against the defense expert.

“Dr White k nows better,” Pastor said.

Murray, who has pleaded not guilty, faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison if convicted.—Reuters

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Splash

unveils Autumn Winter 2011 fashion trends

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ith the new Autumn Winter season, Splash enters into a time of re-invention, rejuvenation and exploration.

The new season wardrobe reflects prominent shades of classy, classic and sexy and at various stages picks up from Spring Summer was left. As we further express our individualism through fashion and indulge in its guilty pleasures this season, is all about making statements which vary from heritage to a fresh view on minimalism and from retro-inspired to luxe grunge.

A season of contrasts and alternatives, the key to Fashionism lies in the ability to construct your own unique looks for both men and women. Autumn Winter’s very first inspiration is drawn from the Neo Prep Americana trend which is all about a casual youth-driven story of different looks and diverse styles. Preppy overtones, pop brights, bold multi-colored effects, metallic colour mixes, prints and stripes along with the return to logos are season favorites.

Continuing from the sportswear inspired craze winter will add layered styles in knits, chiffon and georgette with clashing textures and high-tech fabrics. As baseball jackets get re-vamped and appear cropped with long and sleeveless variations the colour palette gets richer with a heady mix of peacock blue and red, burgundy and petrol green and shades of schiaparelli pinks and mandarin orange.

The trend also finds influences from the androgynous elements of tailoring mixed with slim silhouettes and oversized tops and sweaters. Scoop-neck tees worn with regimental stripe pants and pieced with fine-gauge cardigans and complemented with toggle coats which are a menswear essential. Next in line is Electro Mod which is a perfect combination of high luxury and absolute subtlety, with modern silhouettes in hyperbright hues. This trend is best used to achieve an uncomplicated look, driven by clean lines, minimal detailing, and an uncomplicated palette of black and white to balance the pop brights of vermilion, kelly green, ultraviolet, orange and daffodil. Mixed fabrics which create rounded and weightless silhouettes are set against crackled prints, grid checks, geometrics and the 60s optical look. Slim, cropped “shrunken” trousers with fitted sweaters and flat-knit turtlenecks are key, while simple coats, shift dresses with dropped waistlines, neat shell tops, tunics and tabards with funnel-neck or Peter Pan collars combined with flared or cropped narrow pants are other must have wardrobe essentials.

Since we all want that vintage vibe in our wardrobe Splash cherry picks the sleekest, sexiest, and most stylish looks from it and presents the 70’s Swagger. Glossy satins, lace, sumptuous knits, fur, exotic skins, feathers and gold embellishments find their way back into the wardrobe with a warm autumnal color palette of plum, rust, burgundy, eggplant and camel to accentuate the key looks. Jewel brights as solids or in checks and print mixes can be seen in double-breasted blazers and pea coats with huge lapels. Men return to flares, velvet blazers and skinny polo-necks while women explore tailored culottes, slim torsos and flared pant leg, natty belted jackets and leather day dresses.

Fuller pleated skirts also make a comeback and can be teamed with prim collars and jewel necklines tops.

This season one look which dominated the international catwalk is the Glamour Goth. Inspired by the Elizabethan, Baroque, Rococo and Edwardian eras this trend combines masculine tailoring with feminine ruffles for a look of decorous glamour and this emerges as a clear winner for occasion wear. Splash presents this look in fabrics that are decorative and textured with use of brocades, velvets and cloques, brushed wools, leather and wet-look leather, lace, sheers, astrakhan and faux fur. Sheers and lace is added for that feminine touch while metallics for more dressed-up styles. Red is the predominant colour with hints of grey and purple.

Women experiment with maxi- coats, maxi -skirts, capes and caplets, riding coats, fur jerkins, skinny trousers, tuxedo jackets, ruffle-neck blouses and body-con dresses while men choose from short jackets and sweaters, with low-rise pants which find a twist in the drop-crotch format.

So if you want to stay ahead of the fashion frolic, rush to the nearest Splash store where we have the hottest Autumn Winter trends rounded up which deserve a place in your closet. The entire collection is ultra-glam, bringing back oldworld charm and contrasted by elements of modern mindsets.

Also do not forget to log on to www.splashfashions.com to experience the new brand c a m p a i g n ‘Fashion 365’.

Russian designers play it simple in uncertain economy S

implicity will be the watchword for Russia’s fashionistas next season, driven by designers’ narrowing budgets and a lack of good fabric in the country. At the launch of Russia’s Fashion Week, which gathered together Moscow’s wealthy elite, designers complained about the lack of financing for an industry that has been squeezed by a flood of clothes from the West. Bright pink and yellow 80s-style checked and polka-dotted linen suits opened Fashion Week on Friday night in the spring-summer collection of Slava Zaitsev, a 73-year-old Soviet captain of couture, who often dresses the wives of Russian leaders.

“Where is Russian fashion going this season? It’s getting closer to the people. I made a simple collection, with linen being its central theme,” Zaitsev told Reuters after the show. “Russia is a country of linen,” Zaitsev said. “(Fabric) is a big problem in Russia now, most material, such as silk and wool, comes from Italy,” he said.

Dressmakers are also disappearing in Russia because of the domination of western fashion and a faltering economy, Zaitsev said. He said his fashion house was suffering from declining sales and that many of his peers had closed down.

Expecting consumers to spend less on clothes, Zaitsev emphasized accessories, including colorful jewelry, umbrellas and hats.

Alexander Shumov, the producer of Fashion Week, said he had tried

Models display creations by Russian designer Slava Zaitsev during Spring-Summer 2012 collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Moscow, Russia. —AP photos

to use the event to introduce new young talent. The collections of 50 new designers would be shown during the week, he said. But experts say the industry’s own efforts are not enough and that the government should do more to help. “The government prefers to raise money from import and export duties rather that by developing domestic production,” said Tatyana Mikhalkova, president of the Russian Silhouette fund that supports young designers. Russian fashion has begun to make baby steps towards developing its own style, given some space after western brands more or less satisfied their expansion thirst into the luxury market. “More foreigners were coming earlier because they all wanted to open shops in Russia.

Now they’ve opened everywhere they wanted and they don’t need to spend money to come here anymore,” Zaitsev said.

Now it is time for Russian fashion to find its business feet and stop being just art, he added. Russian theatre and film actress Olga Kabo, who owns several dresses by Zaitsev, said Russian fashion needed promotion. “The Russian fashion week is not yet at the level of the Paris or Berlin fashion weeks, the same way Russian films are not at the Oscar level ... because we are still growing,” said Kabo, who attends local and foreign fashion weeks. “We have the skill, but haven’t learnt how to talk about it abroad yet.” — Reuters

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Japanese chocolate:

Rising star in Land M

of Rising Sun

ove over azuki and sweet sticky rice.

While Japanese pastry chefs may have started using cocoa a few centuries after the West, this once foreign flavor has captivated Japan’s confectionery world. Japanese chocolate makers and pastry chefs were the star guests at the 17th Salon du Chocolat held in Paris last week. One of them, Susumu Koyana, 47, was even named “Best Foreign Chocolatier”-winning out over top masters from celebrated chocolate-making nations like Belgium and Switzerland.

And while “Japanese chocolate” may still strike some as incongruous, cocoa is definitely the rising star in the Land of the Rising Sun, said Susumu. Fermented tofu with with chocolate cream filling was among the creations displayed at the 2011 Salon by Susumu, who was born into a family of Kyoto pastry chefs and said he relies on “instinct” and “nature” to ply his trade.

By the 17th century, chocolate made from the cocoa bean native to South America was a fashionable drink in many parts of Europe but

Flowers shaped chocolates are displayed at a stand.

Chocolates are displayed at a stand.

Flowers shaped chocolates are displayed at a stand.

only reached Japan “around 250 years” after it hit the West, Susumu said. As a result, most of Japan’s best-known pastries are largely chocolate free. But Susumu said Japanese chocolate makers are now “more and more numerous”

calls “DNA Kyoto”. One of his most acclaimed pieces, named Yanbai, is a bittersweet mix of dark chocolate, honey and a seven-spice powder popular called kuro-shichimi, a condiment often used by his mother. Sadaharu Aoki, another pioneering Japanese chocolatier returning to the Salon this year, owns boutiques in Taiwan, Tokyo and four in Paris, where he offers a daring twist on the classic French pastry, l’Opera, a type of layered cake with chocolate and cream filling. Sadaharu flavours his with green tea and calls it “Bamboo”.

On display at the Paris show was his latest invention: a chocolate macaroon set in a green tea waffle flavored with black sesame, a seed sometimes used to season broiled eel, and a Japanese pepper spice called sanshou. Even Japan’s historic confectionery house Toraya, one of the oldest makers of traditional Japanese sweets that has supplied confectionery to the Imperial Royal family since the 16th century, has embraced the trend. The company, which started selling its pastries in Paris 31 years ago, now offers the classic

and he’s doing his part to boost the trend. The chocolatier-who produces solely in Japan at his 200-employee factory, also his store, called “esKoyama” in Sanda, a countryside town between Kobe and Osaka-set up a school in

Chocolates are displayed as part of the inaugural evening.

2004 to turn out a new generation “trained in Japan” but, like himself, mindful of the French tradition.

He readily admits that childhood savours infuse his concoctions, which he collectively

A Japanese pastry chef prepares cakes.

Chocolates are displayed at a stand. (Inset) Shoes shaped chocolates are displayed at a stand.

yokan, a thick jellied dessert using the native azuki, or red beans, with sweetened cocoa.

“The essence of creation is knowing how to combine new flavors,” said a Toraya official at the Salon. —AFP

A chocolate maker writes the words “Je t’aime” (I love you) on cakes.

An arch shaped chocolate is displayed at a stand of the 17th “Salon du Chocolat” (chocolate fair) on October 20, 2011 in Paris. The event runs until October 24, 2011. — AFP

Japanese chocolate: Rising star in Land of Rising Sun

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2011

‘Day of the Dead’ expanding in US

(From left) Kiko Torres, and his girlfriend Marlysa Sanchez, each hold a Catrina Day of the Dead doll inside Torres’ store, Masks y Mas, in Albuquerque.

G

rowing up in South Texas, Kiko Torres saw the Day of the Dead as an obscure holiday celebrated in southern Mexico. Few people dared to discuss it in his small but strong Catholic, Mexican-American community. Still, Torres said he became fascinated by Day of the Dead folk art and ceremonies he saw during his father’s research trips to Mexico. Those images of dancing skeleton figurines and the event’s spiritual messages of honoring the dead, he said, were misunderstood in the United States.

“People here thought it was something to be scared of or evil,” said Torres.

But that’s changing. In the last decade or so, this traditional Latin American holiday with indigenous roots has spread throughout the US along with migration from Mexico and other countries where it is observed. Not only are US -born Latinos adopting the Day of the Dead, but various underground and artistic non-Latino groups have begun to mark the Nov 1-2 holidays through colorful celebrations, parades, exhibits and even bike rides and mixed martial arts fights.

In Houston, artists hold a “Day of the Dead Rock Stars” where they pay homage to departed singers like Joey Ramone, Johnny Cash and even “El Kiko Torres puts a Catrina Day of the Dead doll up on a shelf alongside others in his store, Masks y Mas, in Albuquerque, NM. —AP photos Marvin Gaye.” Community centers in Los Angeles build altars for rapper Tupac Shakur and Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

“It’s everywhere now,” said Carlos Hernandez, 49, a Houston-based artist who launched the “Day of the Dead Rock Stars” event. “You can even get Dia de los Muertos stuff at Wal-Mart.” The Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, honors departed souls of loved ones who are welcomed back for a few intimate hours. At burial sites or intricately built altars, photos of loved ones are centered on skeleton figurines, bright decorations, candles, candy and other offerings such as the favorite foods of the departed.

Pre-Columbian in origin, many of the themes and rituals now are mixtures of indigenous practices and Roman Catholicism. The holiday is celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil and parts of Ecuador. Leading up to the day, bakers make sugar skulls and sweet “bread of the dead,” and artists create elaborate paper cut-out designs that can be hung on altars. Some families keep private night-long vigils at burial sites.

In North America, decorations often center on images of La Calavera Catrina - a skeleton of an upper-class woman whose image was made popular by the late-Mexican printmaker Jose Guadalupe Posada. She is typically seen on A Day of the Dead skeleton figurine designed around a Marilyn Monroe theme stands on a shelf. (Right) Day of the Dead skeleton figurines line a shelf at the photos or through papier-mache statues alongside other store Masks y Mas. skeletal figures in everyday situations like playing soccer, Dead education project to heighten public awareness “on mourning and remem- business out of Masks y Mas was embroidering muerta images on the shorts and dancing or getting married. La Catrina is the most popular recreated figure brance.” The growing Latin American population in the U.S. and the increased gloves of mixed martial arts fighters. “They can’t get enough of it,” he said. Torres related to the holiday. influence of Hispanic culture here in everything from food to TV programming are said white and Native American artists are also now creating artwork around Day “She is our best-selling item,” said Torres, 35, who owns the Masks y Mas in obviously major factors in the growth of Day of the Dead celebrations. But the hol- of the Dead themes. “It all about understanding the meaning of the day,” he said.

Albuquerque, a shop that sells Day of the Dead art and clothing year-round. “I iday’s increased popularity may also coincide with evolving attitudes toward “They can take chances with the art.” have artists sending me their Catrina pieces from all over.” Albuquerque’s death, including a move away from private mourning to more public ways of honBut as Day of the Dead grows in presence, some fear that the spiritual aspects National Hispanic Cultural Center hosts an annual “Dia de los Muertos oring departed loved ones, whether through online tributes or sidewalk memori- of the holiday are being lost. Already in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Day of the Dead is Community Gathering,” featuring many of the artists from Masks y Mas. The als. “I think it has to do with Sept 11,” said Albuquerque, NM-based artist Kenny one of the most important holidays of the year, the area is annually overrun by US community “ofrenda” - the term for a Day of the Dead offering or homemade Chavez. “We’re all looking at death differently, and the Day of the Dead allows us to and European tourists who crowd cemeteries to take photos of villagers praying at altar - features blessings, live music and poetry, Oct 17-Nov 8. The center also talk about it.” burial sites. Art dealers also buy cheap crafts, then resell them at much higher is exhibiting an altar by Mexican-American novelist Sandra Cisneros dedicatFor some in the US, the Day of the Dead remains personal as they use the occa- prices at chic shops in the US. ed to her mother. The city also hosts an annual parade where marchers dress sion to remember close loved ones. But for others, it’s a chance to honor late Oscar Lozoya, 57, an Albuquerque-based photographer who shoots fine art in Day of the Dead gear and makeup, and it organizes a “Day of the Tread” celebrities or just an opportunity to dress up as a favorite Day of the Dead charac- photographs of La Catrina, said some newcomers to the holiday are merely using bike and marathon race. The exhibits and events are not limited to the ter. Chavez said those unfamiliar with the event sometimes freeze when they first it as an excuse to party and dress up in skeleton costumes. He hopes that they Southwest. Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and see Day of the Dead images. “We have people come into the shop and ask if this eventually do their research. “I know what it means and its importance,” said Ethnology has a Day of the Dead altar on permanent display and offers Day about the occult or devil worshipping,” said Chavez, who works at Masks y Mas. Lozoya, who hosts an annual Day of the Dead art show. “So I think the more peoof the Dead art classes to students in second to eighth grades. And in New “They get all weirded out until you explain what this is.” ple look beyond the art and learn about it, the more people will understand its real York City, the Brooklyn Arts Council recently initiated a year-long Day of the It’s also become a business outside of the holiday period. Torres said part of his significance.” — AP

Witchcraft, war make Gregory’s latest saga lively “T

Martha Stewart, left, is adorned with moths for her alter-ego ‘Motha Stewart’ as she poses with actor Justin Long, dressed as Teen Wolf, during the taping of the Martha Stewart Halloween primetime special in Katonah, NY. The special will air tomorrow at 8pm ont he Hallmark Channel. —AP

he Lady of the Rivers” (Touchstone Books), by Philippa Gregory: The third novel in Philippa Gregory’s Cousins’ War series is the best yet, a lively tale of witchcraft and romance set amid civil wars in England and France. “The Lady of the Rivers” focuses on Jacquetta of Luxembourg, who married the much-older Duke of Bedford when he ruled a vast area of France on behalf of his nephew, the mentally unstable King Henry VI of England. In Gregory’s telling, the duke was obsessed with finding secret formulas that could turn common metal to gold or bring everlasting life. He was interested in Jacquetta because the women in her family were supposed to be able to foretell the future, and she spends much of the two- plus years of their marriage looking into mirrors while the duke and his alchemist eagerly await her visions.

The duke dies quickly, and Jacquetta embarks for England to avoid another arranged marriage. She has fallen in love with the duke’s handsome young squire, and they marry secretly. This briefly angers Henry VI, but the ambitious and capable couple are soon back in his good graces. Jacquetta becomes a favorite of the king’s wife, Margaret of Anjou, while her husband is appointed to numerous administrative posts.

The couple rise to positions of influence as England is disintegrating into civil war between the Houses of

Lancaster and York. Jacquetta and her husband are strong supporters of Henry IV and his House of Lancaster, but her daughter Elizabeth Woodville later marries the York king, Edward IV. Gregory’s first novel in the Cousins’ War series focused on Elizabeth, but even then it seemed she really wanted to write about Jacquetta. In the author’s note for “The White Queen,” Gregory says she knew she had a story to tell when she discovered Jacquetta had been tried for witchcraft and came from a family supposedly descended from a water goddess. This was dangerous stuff in an era when women of all ranks were vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft. The merest whispers could result in divorce, abandonment, imprisonment and even death.

Jacquetta’s character observes repeatedly in “The Lady of the Rivers” that women who try to control their own fate take big risks. They may rise high, only to fall hard when fate turns against them. One of Gregory’s most compelling characters is Margaret of Anjou, a spirited teen who becomes the scourge of the nation as her husband’s madness drives her to the edge of sanity. But the top-selling author seems to have fallen in love with her main character: Jacquetta has more spirit than the leading ladies in her first two novels in the series - the ambitious and grasping Elizabeth and the bitter and egotistical Margaret Beaufort, featured in “ The Red Queen.” —AP