24th Oct

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

Turkish gold trade booms to Iran, via Dubai

150 FILS NO: 15608 40 PAGES

Gold makes glittering souvenir of Makkah

Green buildings on rise in Gulf states

United beat Braga 3-2 after stunning comeback

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www.kuwaittimes.net

THUL HIJJAH 8, 1433 AH

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Amir: Laws to apply on Sabah family too 3 ex-MPs ‘humiliated’ in court, freed on bail

Max 36º Min 23º High Tide 05:52 & 20:09 Low Tide 00:01 : 12:28

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives King Mohammed VI of Morocco after he arrived on a daylong visit yesterday. The two sides held official discussions to strengthen distinctive and deep brotherly relations between the two countries and ways of boosting them and developing them, as well as expanding bilateral cooperation frameworks that would serve joint interests and important issues, according to an Amiri Diwan statement. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Laws will be applied on all citizens of Kuwait including members of the ruling Al-Sabah family, HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah said yesterday during a meeting with prominent Kuwaiti figures, affirming the leadership’s determination to maintain public order and stand firmly against acts that threaten the country’s stability, KUNA reported.

Meanwhile, the criminal court yesterday released three former opposition lawmakers on KD 5,000 bail each after accusing them of undermining the status of the Amir at a public rally two weeks ago. The court also set Nov 13 for the next hearing. Falah Al-Sawwagh, Khaled Al-Tahous and Bader Al-Dahoum were arrested last Thursday after making remarks at a public rally deemed offensive to the Amir and were detained at the Central Jail. They were brought to the courtroom handcuffed and blindfolded, their heads shaven and dressed in dark brown prison uniforms. They were brought under heavy security measures with armed members of elite special forces who entered the courtroom. But the judge immediately ordered them to vacate the court before he began the session.

Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: Former opposition MPs Falah Al-Sawwagh (top center), Bader Al-Dahoum (top center left) and Khaled Al-Tahus (top center right) are greeted by supporters after they were released from the central jail in Sulaibiya yesterday. The four fingers raised by the crowd signifies their support of the four votes each voter was allowed to cast in elections before the electoral law was amended by an Amiri decree. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Kuwait ends dispute with Iraq airlines

BOCA RATON, Florida: US President Barack Obama (left) and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney walk past each other onstage at the end of their last debate at Lynn University on Monday. — AP

Obama on attack, but Romney plays it safe BOCA RATON, Florida: Barack Obama pummeled Mitt Romney as “all over the map” on foreign policy, dismissing his “wrong and reckless” positions in the heated final debate of a knife -edge White House race, but the Republican appeared to have passed the “commander-in-chief” test of looking authoritative on national security issues. With just two weeks until polling day, Obama has unexpectedly found himself running neck-and-neck with a challenger who had long trailed him, and Monday’s face-

off on world affairs was perhaps a last chance to land a decisive blow. “I know you haven’t been in a position to actually execute foreign policy, but every time you’ve offered an opinion, you’ve been wrong,” President Obama told his foe, coming out swinging in the debate in Boca Raton, Florida.

Republican challenger Romney played it safe, avoiding any catastrophic error that would have undermined his bid to be commander-in-chief, but was Continued on Page 15

BAGHDAD: Iraq said yesterday that a $500 million settlement had been finalised with Kuwait to end a decades-long dispute between the two countries’ state-run airlines. The agreement is the latest sign of warming ties between Baghdad and Kuwait City, after Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion of Iraq’s neighbour. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah told his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari that HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah signed a decree authorising the $500 million settlement, a statement posted on the Iraqi foreign ministry website said.

The statement said that the decree “cancels all restrictions and complications in rebuilding Iraqi Airways, and it is now free to buy new planes and build a fleet”. The decree was to be published in Kuwait’s official gazette yesterday. Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, after which flights between Iraq and Kuwait were suspended. Authorities earlier this year gave approval for direct flights between the two countries to finally resume.

During a visit by Iraqi premier Nouri Al-Maliki in mid-March, Kuwait agreed to an agreement under which Iraq will pay Kuwait $300 million in cash and invest $200 million in a joint airline venture - aimed at ending a debt dispute that saw an Iraqi Air ways flight impounded in London.

According to Kuwait Airways, Iraq’s flag carrier owes it $1.2 billion as a result of the 1990 invasion.

Kuwait says 10 of its planes as well as aircraft parts were plundered after its airport was seized during the invasion. —Agencies

Apple unveils smaller iPad SAN JOSE: Apple unveiled a smaller version of its hotselling iPad yesterday, jumping into the market for smaller tablet computers dominated by Amazon, Google, and Samsung. “This is iPad mini,” Apple’s senior vice president for marketing Phil Schiller said as he displayed the new iPad at an Apple event in San Jose. “This isn’t just a shrunken down iPad,” Schiller said. “It is an entirely new design.” The iPad mini’s touchscreen measures 7.9 inches diagonally compared to 9.7 inches on the original iPad. A 16-gigabyte version of the iPad mini with Wi-Fi connectivity costs $329 while a 16GB model with both Wi-Fi and cellular capability costs $459. The top-of-theline 64GB iPad mini with Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity costs $659. The new Apple tablet also features rear- and front-facing cameras like later versions of the original iPad. Schiller said customers could begin pre-ordering the iPad mini on Oct 26 and Wi-Fi versions would begin Continued on Page 15

RAFAH: Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (left), Gaza’s Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya and Qatar’s First Lady Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned are seen during a welcome ceremony at this border crossing with Egypt yesterday. — AP

Qatar emir in Gaza on landmark visit GAZA CITY: Qatar’s emir was warmly welcomed on a landmark tour of the Gaza Strip yesterday in the first such visit by a head of state since the Islamist Hamas movement took over in 2007, much to the dismay of Israel and rival, Western-backed Palestinian leaders.

Thousands of Qatari and Palestinian flags fluttered to mark the visit by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to inaugurate a multi-million dollar project to rebuild the impoverished Palestinian territory.

The visit is a diplomatic coup for Hamas,

whose government international dignitaries have boycotted since the movement forcibly took over the territory in 2007, ousting forces loyal to the westernbacked Palestinian Authority of president Mahmud Abbas.

Gaza’s Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya hailed the visit as a “victory” over the political and economic siege on his Islamist government. “You are officially declaring the end of the political and economic blockade imposed on the Continued on Page 15

Informant paid to ‘bait’ US Muslims

SAN JOSE, California: Apple Senior Vice President of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller announces the new iPad Mini during an Apple special event at the historic California Theater yesterday. — AFP

NEW YORK: A paid informant for the New York Police Department’s intelligence unit was under orders to “bait” Muslims into saying inflammatory things as he lived a double life, snapping pictures inside mosques and collecting the names of innocent people attending study groups on Islam, he told AP. Shamiur Rahman, a 19-year-old American of Bengali descent who has now denounced his work as an informant, said police told him to embrace a strategy called “create and capture”. He said it involved creating a conversation about jihad or terrorism, then capturing the response to send to the NYPD. For his work, he earned as much as $1,000 a month and goodwill from the police after a string of minor marijuana arrests. “We need you to pretend to

be one of them,” Rahman recalled the police telling him. “It’s street theater.”

Rahman said he now believes his work as an informant against Muslims in New York was “detrimental to the Constitution.” After he disclosed to friends details about his work for the police - and after he told the police that he had been contacted by the AP - he stopped receiving text messages from his NYPD handler, “Steve”, and his handler’s NYPD phone number was disconnected.

Rahman’s account shows how the NYPD unleashed informants on Muslim neighborhoods, often without specific targets or criminal leads.

Informants like Rahman are a central component of the NYPD’s wideranging programs to monitor life in Continued on Page 15

NEW YORK: This handout photo taken May 3, 2012 shows then NYPD informant Shamiur Rahman (left) sitting with Siraj Wahhaj at John Jay Community College. — AP

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, along with His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, met here yesterday with a number of prominent Kuwaitis. HH the Amir exchanged with his guests’ viewpoints on domestic events, underlining the imperative to remain true to the needs of the nation and to accomplish that within the parameters of law and order. A spokesman for the dignitaries, Fahad Al-Mejil, delivered a speech on behalf of the others in which he assured the Amir of the support Kuwaitis accorded him and of entrusting him with the wise leadership of the nation.

Political groups support actions taken by Amir Top priority to national unity KUWAIT: Political and parliamentary groups issued a joint statement yesterday in which it lauded the constitutional and legal actions taken by His Highness the Amir to rectify the wrongs that resulted from the crises and escalation in tensions caused by a small group which placed its own interests ahead of the country’s and pushed Kuwait into a worrisome situation that pointed towards an imminent danger. The statement said that Kuwait was passing through a difficult period due to a crisis situation and an unjustified escalation in tensions caused by a small group. This group put its own interests ahead of those of Kuwait and Kuwaitis, pushed the country into a worrisome situation that was fraught with danger, and threatened Kuwait’s stability and national unity as well as its security. As the situation seemed to escalate and Kuwait was pushed to the verge of an abyss, the Amiri speech helped restore confidence among Kuwaitis, and proved to be a glimmer of hope that the country can be rescued. It exposed those whose speeches were presenting a distorted interpretation of law and were thus affecting Kuwait’s march towards democracy.

The statement said: As we support the contents of the Amiri speech which rectified matters, we laud the constitutional and legal steps taken by HH the Amir to correct the wrong situation, and confirm that they are all considered within the authority of HH the Amir as per the constitution and they are in the interest of Kuwait, as deemed fit by HH the Amir.

We find it strange how those measures that are in conformity with the constitution can be the target of some people’s attack. They refused to see the point and acted as if there was such a precedent in Kuwait’s political life. They said the measures under-

taken by HH the Amir have no constitutional support, and some went so far as to describe them as a coup against the constitution, while it is asking citizens to boycott the elections which can be termed as a coup attempt. They are lying to the people. No one has the right to patronize the people and deny them what the constitution provides in writing. We call upon the Kuwaiti people to unite in the face of dangers surrounding the country and support our Amir, while rejecting all attempts to encroach on his dignity. It is time for Kuwaitis to express their love of Kuwait loudly. Remaining silent will not be the right choice at a time when Kuwait is facing bad times and needs you to take a patriotic stand.

Kuwaitis’ solidarity and unity and their adherence to the constitution and protections of their Amir’s dignity, are the highest of guarantees of remaining a proud people and of the continuation of this nation. May Allah keep Kuwait a land of peace and security for its people and all those who live in it.

Names of those who signed the statement: Abdelaziz Al-Ghannam, Sami Al-Nisf, Abdelmuttalib Al-Kazemi, Khalid Al-Ajran, Rakan bin Hithleen, Iqbal Al-Ahmad, Abdelaziz Thunayan AlGhanim, Abdelrahman Al-Ghunaim, Yacoub Al Sane, Ahmad Al-Fadhalah, Abdelwahid Al-Awadhi, Abdulhussein Al-Sultan, Dr Haila Al-Mukaimi, Ali AlBaghli, Essa Al-Mazidi, Dr Yasser Al-Salah, Dr Jassim Al-Khawaja, Saud Al-Samakh, Salah Al-Asousi, Faleh Al-Shimmari, Saleh Al-Ghanim, Dr Hisham Al-Saleh, Emad Al-Saif, Barjas Al-Barjas, Saud Al-Zaid, Saud AlSubaie, Muna Al-Ayaf, Saad Al-Saad, Roudhan AlRoudhan, Mohammad Al-Asfour, Dr Kafya Ramadhan, Dr Fatima Al-Abdaly, Basil Al-Jasser,

Nawaf Al-Yaseen, Adnan Abdelsamad, Nabil AlFadhl, Dr Maasouma Al-Mubarak, Jassim Qabazard, Hamad Saloma, Usama Al-Rashid, Adnan Al-Sayegh, Jawad Bu Khamseen, Khalid Bastaki, Fayez AlNabhan, Abdelhameed Dashti, Ahmad Lari and Ali Fahad Al-Rashid.

Meanwhile several politicians and academics appealed to the Kuwaiti opposition to have fear of Allah when dealing with Kuwait, adding that there are those among the opposition who deliberately escalate matters for their own interests without any regard to the country’s interests.

They expressed their satisfaction that the might of the law was imposed and the country’s respect was kept paramount. They said it is the Kuwaiti youth who are being harmed by the calls being given by some people for escalating tensions.

Political scientist Dr Shamlan Al-Essa said he is proud that the state is applying the law despite the attempt of some people to deal with the police with disrespect. He said the reduction in the number of votes per voter is not the end of the world, as all countries around the world use the one voter, one vote system, and this is important to eradicate tribalism and sectarianism. He said those who reject the single vote system have the right not to vote but the democratic process should go on. Meanwhile, political activist Dr Fatima Al-Abdaly said the law was applied too late, adding that the delay in the application of law is what has brought us to such a situation that MPs who swore to respect the constitution are refusing to commit to it. She said that what happened recently does not please anyone, but there is “hope emerging from recent developments that the state has started to sense the dangers of not complying with the law.”

Former minister urges Amir to withdraw decree

By A. Saleh KUWAIT: A former minister and lawmaker urged HH the Amir yesterday to take back a decision to amend the electoral law through an emergency decree, in order to prevent a crisis amid stiff opposition from oppositionist groups. “The public are outraged as a result of being deprived of their rights, and the suppression of the peaceful demonstration of tens of thousands of citizens has added to their outrage,” former housing and parliament affairs minister Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri said in a statement to the press. “Only you can end the crisis by leaving the adjustment of voting mechanism to the new parliament to make,” he added while addressing HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Describing the current situation that Kuwait is going through as a “real crisis threatening its existence and the fate of [its] people and regime,” Al-Muwaizri insisted that people’s frustration was not just due to the amendment of the electoral

law, but also because of the “constitutional rights that the majority of people feel deprived of.” “Thousands of Kuwaitis wait for job opportunities and housing, suffer from bad education and public health services, and witness spread of corruption at a time when we live in a country with daily income running into multi millions, a limited population and geographical area,” he said, adding that the people had remained patient “out of concern towards the country and hoped that reform would eventually prevail.”

Meanwhile, former MP Faisal AlMislem reiterated calls for Kuwaitis to boycott elections of the “rigged parliament” set to take place on December 1st. His statements came shortly after the decree to reduce the number of votes per voter from four to one was officially released yesterday. Separately, the oppositionist Majority Bloc failed to convince leaders of two major tribes to release official statements boycotting the upcoming elections, according to sources with knowledge of the case.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

local

KUWAIT: Some of the photos released by the Interior Ministry yesterday showing security forces trying to restrain order and stability.

No increase in maids’ salaries KUWAIT: The authorities in Kuwait informed housemaids’ recruitment offices in the country to avoid increasing salaries or recruitment fees of domestic workers without an order from the Ministry of Interior, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting an official statement.

“Recruitment offices around the country received a statement from the domestic workers’ division in the [Interior Ministry’s] Migration General Department, asking them to ignore instructions received from any party other than the official state departments regarding the fees for recruiting labor forces or their salaries,” Al-Qabas published yesterday.

This update comes after several offices received a letter on Sunday sent by owners of domestic workers’ recruitment agencies in the Philippines, announcing that they plan to visit Kuwait on November 2nd in order to request an increase in the minimum wages of Filipino domestic workers from KD80 to KD110 starting next December.

“Some parties are working on increasing maids’ recruitment fees and salaries in ways that would create financial burdens on citizens and expatriates,” reads the statement sent by the Interior Ministry, while Al-Qabas reported that some secretaries working in recruitment offices “have been active lately in trying to make the increase a reality.”

ABK extends Eid greetings KUWAIT: On the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, Al- and the ones in commercial areas such as Ahli Bank of Kuwait extends a warm greeting Shuwaikh, Sharq, Salmiyah, Galleria 2000, Hawalli, Fahaheel, to its customers and the peoFarwaniyah, Jahra 2 and ple of Kuwait.

Jeleeb Al Shuyoukh will be Sahar Al-Therban, Public serving clients on two shifts Relations Manager at ABK, from 9am to 1pm and from 5 congratulated the customers pm to 7 pm. Olympia and on the auspicious occasion of Bahar Center branches will Eid Al-Adha, with a prayer for also service their clients on everyone to receive the two shifts from 10 am to 1 Almighty’s blessings. pm and from 5 pm to 7pm, Al-Therban said “During except on Thursdays where the upcoming Eid holidays all branches will remain open our branches will remain only for the morning shift”. closed, and we will resume ABK’s call center Ahlan business as normal on the Ahli on 1899 899 and Ahli Oct 30. Once we reopen, as Chat via our website per normal timings, our Sahar Al-Therban www.eahli.com will be branches in residential areas will receive customers from 8.30 am till 3 pm. working 24/7; customers can also conduct Liberation Tower and Ministries Complex their banking transactions online or through branches will be open from 8.30 am till 2 pm, the iAhli app.

Interior denies ‘foreign forces’ allegations Warning to troublemakers KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior denied allegations about alleged use of “foreign troops” to disperse demonstrations in Kuwait City last Sunday, as per a statement released yesterday by the Security Media Department.

“Security departments forming field operation teams handled the process of stopping the unauthorized gathering and responded to the riot and violence committed by troublemakers who were arrested for disturbing public order,” the statement released in response to allegations made on social networks since Sunday night said.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the Security Media Department raised questions about “the parties who benefit from instigating offense and assault against police forces.” Such provocations, the state-

ment said, were going on “simultaneously along with suspicious campaigns pursued continuously by some Twitter users targeting security departments in a desperate attempt to respond to the ban on gatherings marked with violence and lawbreaking.” “Instigators and those behind them are trying restlessly to thwart the efforts of security forces to keep order and stability, and prevent them from achieving their evil goals,” the statement said.

The ministry further reiterated a previous incident in which it fended off “false allegations about special task forces refusing to obey orders to disperse the gatherings.” “Citizens and every Twitter user are aware enough not to believe rumors being spread through suspicious accounts whose desperate attempts to mislead the public are evident,” the statement adds.

Tickets for cars left with engine running KUWAIT: Leaving the car with its engine running could now warrant a traffic ticket. With this new provision, the police hope to address the increasing thefts of vehicles left in this state.

“Traffic police officers are instructed to issue tickets to cars left by their owners with the engine running regardless of the excuse or period of absence,” said a source from the Interior Ministry’s Traffic General Department.

He further indicated that the procedure is

actually “an activation of an already existing law.”

The latest update comes following an increase in the number of auto thefts reported by people who had left their vehicles for a brief period by the roadside or in front of some shop which made them vulnerable to even those without any previous criminal record.

Many of these cases resulted in the cars being dismantled for their parts to be sold separately, or even set ablaze as a strategy

employed by the thieves to ‘destroy the evidence’. The stolen cars are usually used by criminals to commit crimes including kidnap and robbing pedestrians. At times, these are used by reckless youth. “Putting the new provision into effect is going to help curb the increasing incidence of this crime,” the source told Al-Rai while speaking on the condition of anonymity. He further urged drivers to cooperate in order to avoid the fine or even worse, have their car stolen or destroyed.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

LOCAL

Local Spotlight

kuwait digest

How does it favor govt?

House of obedience

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij irst of all, I want to make it clear that I am not seeking a response from the opposition or its followers whose approach, in my opinion, is not of their own volition.

However, I would like to hear from members of the Kuwait Democratic Forum, not its leaders but its regular members, who describe themselves as democrats and who believe in freedom of choice and dialogue.

I want a clear answer from them on two key questions.

First, who determines the level of urgency that warrants the issuance of emergency decrees as per article 71 of the constitution? And second, where is the alleged tampering that they claim has been done in the electoral law?

Article 71 gives the Amir the authority to promulgate laws in the absence of parliament through decrees that are reviewed by the parliament once it convenes. The article

F

I still do believe that it is undemocratic for the executive authority to legislate a new electoral law on its own. But here is the key: the recent decree was not issued to pass a new law, nor does it change the division of constituencies or distribution of voters within them. does not specify who decides the level of urgency or how it is decided, but the context clearly indicates that this decision is left solely to the Amir.

If the Amir believes that a certain legislation needs to be passed urgently, the article gives him the authority to do so without consulting any other party. Otherwise, the article would have listed conditions that the Amir must follow before releasing any emergency decree. The article clearly says that “a treaty [the Amir has the authority to release] has the force of law after it is signed, ratified, and published in the Official Gazette,” and does not mention any condition about consulting any authority or institution.

I still do believe that it is undemocratic for the executive authority to legislate a new electoral law on its own. But here is the key: the recent decree was not issued to pass a new law, nor does it change the division of constituencies or distribution of voters within them.

I do not see how the question of tampering arises when the number of constituencies remains five, as was the case earlier, and also voters and their respective areas were not moved. Only the mechanism of voting was changed by reducing the number of votes per voter to a one, a system followed all over the world, instead of four votes per citizen as was being followed only in Kuwait. Instead of running after the opposition and repeating allegations of “tampering” and “violation of constitution,” I call upon the democrats to explain to the public where exactly is the question of tampering when all voters have an equal right to vote?

Every citizen is free to cast the vote without any restriction or discrimination whatsoever, so where is the issue of tampering? And how exactly is a single vote system going to favor the government and put the opposition at a disadvantage? — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Top priority for stability

By Mohammad Al-Sabti n intense, shrill and sometimes even violent debate is currently on about the measures undertaken by the government and the opposition’s reactions to these. To let you have a better idea about the objective of this column, let me first say that the government’s corruption and its failure to counter it is a fact that no longer requires any debate, and that we all believe that a correct and equal enforcement of the law and constitution is the only way to achieve stability.

These are undeniable facts. However, reason, logic and experience also tell us that the stability of any country or society is a lot more important than the constitution, fight against corruption and or desire for reform.

When anarchy prevails in any country, it leads to an all around destruction. The values and the harmony among people that protects societies from civil wars also suffer in this process. It reminds me of a previous column in which I had written about an imaginary scenario of a civil war erupting in Kuwait. A friend of mine replied by saying that he agrees with everything that the article said, but he added one word: fictional.

Everyone is against corruption and supports the efforts to combat it as strongly as possible. Everyone also agrees that the law must be enforced fully and equally and that state funds must be managed properly and protected from tampering. But when an opposition, after adopting the path of fight against corruption, takes a wrong turn which leads towards the society’s destruction, the prevalence of anarchy and the beginning of a civil war, then we have to realize that social stability is more important than whatever the opposition is calling for. We cannot stand as mute witnesses to the loss of our country in any quest to achieve the reforms that we all desire. This important aspect has escaped the notice of many. Unfortunately, a lot of people get confused between the principles of courage and power, and between recklessness and actions that drag the society and the entire country into an abyss. They also confuse between the principles of reason, foresight and wisdom and between submission, humiliation or whatever terms the opposition often uses.

What is happening in Kuwait today is a struggle between a government that failed to deal with corruption, and an opposition that is clearly driving Kuwait into an abyss without thinking about the consequences.

In other words, the opposition’s approach leads to social corruption with consequences that would be a lot worse than those accruing from the government’s corruption. The approach that the opposition is adopting to counter the government’s corruption can only lead to anarchy that will destroy everything in our society, and could even lead to a civil war, at least in the political arena. The kind of conduct that we are seeing everyday, which has nothing to do with any reason or reform, is an early sign of such anarchy. —Al-Rai

A

Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net here are so many misperceptions about many vital issues in Islam even among the Muslims themselves and one wonders where they stand on many of these issues and how to overcome the dilemmas.

Today, many Christian expatriates wonder about Muslims being able to have four wives and whether it makes a man feel like an emperor surrounded by four women for pleasure.

I want to share with the readers of Kuwait Times some facts about it. Let me start by saying please do not allow yourself to be fooled by this concept. Marriage is not a matter of pleasure or fantasy. It involves many commitments and responsibilities and whatever you may have seen in Hollywood movies is just that - a movie, a fictional tale.

I think in real life today, a man can barely keep up with one wife, her demands and needs since there are two or three kids and their needs for a good education and support till they can stand on their own feet.

This fairy tale about four wives only means more trouble. Besides, who thinks that four wives sharing a man can mean a lot of interaction and comfort? It only means more fights and quarrels over who should be the favorite, something I would advise men to avoid.

Today, I want to share my thoughts on a different issue with the readers of the Kuwait Times. It is about what some call “House obedience”, a system in which a man can force his wife to live with him under the same roof, otherwise she can be kept unmarried or waiting for divorce for years until he decides to let her free.

Some men, who I think of as mean and nasty, would not hesitate to use this right to force a wife to stay with them even if they knew that she does not want to. Such men are selfish and they do not care or bother about love or any sentiment; they care only about how to feed their own ego. But what triggers off such arguments in a couple’s relationship in the first place? Some men want to have their parents, ex-wives or family members live in the same house in which they live with their wife. When the wife complains that she is not feeling independent or free to do whatever she likes in her own house, or feels there is no other way but to get divorce, they end up in court. The man then has a choice about either to provide for his wife a separate place or give her divorce.

The man will have to comply with the court order and either provide a decent and suitable home his wife or the court will grant the divorce by the power of the law.

I understand that this issue is not something that happens very frequently nowadays, but it does exist. But I also think that any new couple has to understand that marriage is a huge and serious responsibility and unless they agree on tiny details and each one’s rights and obligations, life can be one big hell and no force will then help them to stay together in harmony.

The divorce rate in our society is high and solutions like “house obedience” will not solve the conflicts.

I do believe young couples need to be aware of such issues, and the media should also play a proactive role in educating them.

T kuwait digest

Brotherhood and democracy

By Dr Shamlan Y Al-Essa he fast moving events in the Arab world, espe- them organizing demonstrations every Friday against cially the takeover of power by political Islam the Jordanian regime and demanding popular govgroups through the ballot box, revealed that ernment in addition to a constitutional monarchy as a prelude to take over power. their politics is about Islamization.

In Kuwait, which enjoys a democratic regime and Within a hundred days of President Mohammad Morsi taking over power in Egypt, serious attempts freedoms and where national, Islamic and liberal parare afoot to abort the new democratic experiment as ties are working through NGOs because parties are the Muslim Brotherhood is trying to bring in a new banned, the Muslim Brotherhood was able, after 50 years of organized activities, to dominate some state constitution which is Islamic in nature.

The Muslim Brotherhood is trying to Islamize the establishments including education, Awqaf, and juslaws, apply its ideology on school curricula and sup- tice ministries.

They also own huge financial establishments as press freedoms. It is also interfering in the judicial authority’s work as the president tried to oust the well as Islamic companies. They also control some prosecutor general Abdul Hameed Mahmoud, and, labor unions, the Students’ National Union, the were it not for the judges’ club and its determination Teachers’ Society and some others. They could secure all such political and finanto implement the law, the cial achievements because president would not have of the cooperation and backed out.

In Kuwait, which enjoys a alliance with the governEgypt’s judges proved that democratic regime and freement. The government they remain the strong doms and where national, included representatives of defenders of a civil state, and the Brotherhood in several that the Muslim Brotherhood Islamic and liberal parties are ministries, and today the cannot be trusted although working through NGOs because Brotherhood, along with they attained power through the leaders of Kuwaiti elections riding on 80 years parties are banned, the Muslim opposition, is demonstratof opposition to various Brotherhood was able, after 50 ing to demand a popular regimes. years of organized activities, to government and constituOnce in the seat of power, tional monarchy and they we find that they are trying to dominate some state establishreject the constitutional take away democrac y and ments including education, authorities given to the subvert the democratic path Amir. with their attempts to change Awqaf, and justice ministries.

The reader may ask why the constitution, Islamize the should anyone oppose the laws and the media, and try presence of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is in powto put gag literary and artistic freedoms.

What is happening in Egypt after the Arab spring er in more than one Arab country, as long as its revolutions and the way the Brotherhood is function- actions are legal and it achieves power through the ing, worries the rest of the Arab regimes, because the ballot box and democratic elections?

We do not oppose their coming to power, but we Muslim Brotherhood is known for its extremism and its ever changing policies along with its desire to grab are afraid and worried about the future of democracy power. Now, where does the next threat from the and freedoms in the Arab world because the Muslim Muslim Brotherhood lie? It is very clear that the pow- Brotherhood leaders are opportunists and do not er of the Muslim Brotherhood is in its tremendous believe in democracy. Rather, they use it as a spring ability to mobilize the Muslim Arab street. They raise board to reach power, and once they get power the slogans calling for democracy and freedom only through democratic means, they try to change the to grab power. Those Arab countries which enjoy a democratic game in their favor by trying to change degree of freedom and democracy are the next candi- the constitution and Islamize the laws in addition to dates for the Muslim Brotherhood’s power grab bid creating strife in the society because they hate religious minorities. through general elections.

The only interest of the Muslim Brotherhood is to Today we see the Brotherhood leading demonstrations in Jordan and Kuwait, as Jordan allowed politi- jump into the seat of power and control the people. cal participation to the Brotherhood, and we now see So, beware of the Brotherhood. — Al-Watan

T

kuwait digest

Using violence against people

By Musharie Al Adwani

kuwait digest

Boycotting political history

By Dr Ghanim Al-Najjar ur political history has witnessed various forms of decree and issue another one on Oct 7, 1961 in line with boycott since independence, be it a boycott of the compromise about there being 10 constituencies, the elections, similar to what is happening today, two seats and two votes system. It solved the problem or a collective resignation from parliament for one rea- and commenced the march towards establishing the son or another. Boycotts and peaceful protests are both constitution.

The Amir paid no attention to what some called civilized ways to express opinions. undermining of his authority The first boycott threats or prestige. Some might say were made in 1961 when the The Amir paid no attention to that political powers at that electoral constituencies forwhat some called undermining time were different, which is mation was discussed, as is partially true. Others might happening today, and political of his authority or prestige. argue that things were more activists wanted a single conSome might say that political stable and tranquil at that stituency system while the time, and that political relaregime wanted 20. powers at that time were differtions were cordial but they A compromise was arrived ent, which is partially true. were actually not. at by both parties to adopt a Others might argue that things Things had become very 10 constituency system. tense ever since February However, to everyone’s surwere more stable and tranquil 1959 when newspapers and prise, an Amiri decree was at that time, and that political sports clubs were closed issued on Sept 6, 1961 and down and many people were published in the official relations were cordial but they sent to prison after the gazette that spoke of the were actually not. famous festival in Shuwaikh adoption of 20 constituencies, High school. The situation one seat and one vote system.

This angered the people and they decided to boycott remained tense till independence.

So, the compromise agreement was conceived the elections if the regime remained adamant on its amidst an atmosphere marked by a lot of tension. A new decision.

In a special chat with me, the late Khaled Al-Adsani ‘baby was born’ as the constitution that was destined to commented on that decision, saying, “If this is the begin- change Kuwait from a random tribal emirate into a conning, what will come next will not be encouraging at all.” stitutional and institutional state.

However, boycotts did not stop being used as a sigNevertheless, and notwithstanding his high selfesteem and a sense of pride, the late Amir Sheikh nificant tool in Kuwaiti political life as we will see later Abdullah Al-Salem did not hesitate to withdraw the on in another article. — Aljarida

O

ust as I am writing this article, news is coming in that security men have used smoke bombs and stun grenades to quell the crowds of protesters. That is using excessive force against those participating in the protest.

Security personnel, especially high ranking officers, who ordered the use of such force, are also our brothers. At the end of the day, we are all citizens of the same country. From the beginning to the end, the problem is not security men, but our politicians who have brought the country to a stage of showdown and violence.

For those who do not read history, and unfortunately in Kuwait no one reads it at all, he who uses violence against one’s own people is the lowest of the lowly. Violence never builds countries but it sure can destroy a country. People keep all their negative energies pent up inside them until they reach a certain threshold, and then things can explode.

Does the government want to push Kuwait and its people to such a point? Does it want to make an entire generation carry the burden of hatred against those who hit the people, insulted them and arrested them, all in the course of a single day?

You have lived all your life and left behind for us the worst policies, plans and laws from Arab bananas republics.

As a result, Kuwait is today marred with all round corruption, and we have plunged to nadir on all human development indicators. In fact, we now beat even those we considered banana republics in the matter of raging corruption in society. Today, you want to solve everything by applying sheer force against the people, even though this solution has been found to be completely ineffective in all Arab banana republics? Indeed, you did not read history, and if you did, you certainly did not understand it. A female candidate for NA council, who wants to build Kuwait and make it a pearl of the Gulf, was shown a picture of the traffic jam at the Kuwait’ border with Saudi Arabia, and asked to comment. She said that it showed that all those who participated in the demonstration were either Saudis or had dual nationality. “You smart lady, don’t you know that there are long vacations in schools and some organizations of Saudi Arabia, as happens every year. But I am sure you don’t know, because you are so smart.” By the way, the traffic jam along the emirates border was the longest, and the Saudi cars had queued up for several kilometers, waiting for more than five hours to enter emirates. Don’t tell us that they were all on their way to join the demonstrations there at The Dubai Mall. You really are very smart, aren’t you?—Alaam Al Yaum

J

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

LOCAL

Peaceful demonstration and police brutality

By Fouad Al-Obaid KUWAIT: What happened on Oct 21, 2012 is historic, hopeful and tragic on different levels. Despite what many commentators on official channels have attempted-and are still attempting to portray the demonstrators as ‘thugs’ and ‘tranquility disturbers’, the reality that I witnessed differs largely. In this editorial I will recount the events as I saw them.

Here’s my personal analysis.

Early in the evening seeing that much talk has happened the previous two days, I decided to call a few friends to see whether they would want to go to observe the demonstration. From a rather simple concept present in our constitution guaranteeing our inalienable right to speak freely and assemble, and from what seemed to be a massive moment in the history of our country, it felt both right and necessary to go to the protest if only to observe. Those with whom I went had differing political ideas - not necessarily with nor against - but what united us was the desire for a better country, one that would live up to its potential. Upon heading down to Kuwait City before the cover of darkness overtook what appeared to be an eerie silent afternoon- a sort of calm before the storm the initial gathering squares were cordoned by police guarding them as if they were guarding a gold filled central bank!

Driving around the city it seemed that every major empty square was cordoned in anticipation of what seemed to be a massive deluge of nationals just about to come. Not finding parking, people started to park anywhere around the city and in a rather magic manner - noting that Kuwaitis usually loath

walking long distances if even for groceries the sight of men, women, old, young, all walking together towards the then re-routed gathering point at the Kuwaiti Towers was indeed a sight in itself. Droves of people five here, ten there, seven here, nine there... As we walked towards the towers uninterrupted by the police, special forces, or national guard Tens, then hundreds, then thousands of citizens amassed before a view of tens of thousands of unarmed, citizens from all walks of life; liberals, conservatives, Sunnis, Shiites, young, old, handicapped, healthy, men, women, urban and bedouin together in unison in show of unprecedented national unity all finding themselves at the same time, and what a sight it was.

No sooner that people started congregating that as in a surreal movie sandwiched between two heavily armed and equipped forces; the MoI special forces forming a crowd control barrier coming from Souq Sharq, and a National Guard unit coming towards the Towers from the Dasman Gulf Road intersection. As all exit attempts were no effectively blocked in a deliberate fashion and an urge to repress no other than their very fellow countrymen, amongst a crowd waving the Kuwaiti flag and singing the national anthem, what appeared as fireworks baffled many in the crowd that had to take a few seconds to understand what was happening! In effect it was the beginning of the cowardly shameless attack by the special forces on unarmed, peaceful, nationalist Kuwaitis singing the national anthem carrying the flag on a ground so symbolic to the post-invasion generation as it was from this very point time and again we were shown

Normal working hours for Burgan Bank Airport Branch KUWAIT: Burgan Bank yesterday announced that its airport branch will resume normal working hours during the upcoming Eid Al Adha holiday. The branch will commence operations from 8 am to 10:30 pm, in an effort to accommodate banking requirements for travellers during the public holiday.

For more information on any products or services, customers are required to contact Burgan Bank’s call center 1804080 during the Eid holidays. On this occasion, Burgan Bank extends its best wishes and greetings to the public on the coming of Eid Al Adha.

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is the youngest commercial Bank based in Kuwait, with a significant focus on the corporate and

financial institutions sectors, as well as having a growing retail and private bank customer base.

Burgan Bank has four majority owned subsidiaries: Gulf Bank Algeria - AGB (Algeria), Bank of Baghdad - BOB (Iraq), Jordan Kuwait Bank - JKB (Jordan) and Tunis International Bank - TIB (Tunisia), (collectively known as the “Burgan Bank Group”).

The Bank has continuously improved its performance over the years through an expanded revenue structure, diversified

funding sources, and a strong capital base.

The adoption of state-of-the-art services and technology has positioned it as a trendsetter in the domestic market and within the MENA region.

Burgan Bank’s brand has been created on a foundation of real values - of trust, commitment, excellence and progression, to remind us of the high standards to which we aspire.

‘People come first’ is the foundation on which its products and services are developed. Earlier this year, ‘Brand Finance’ - the international brand valuation company- rated Burgan Bank brand as AA with positive outlook. The rating places Burgan Bank Brand at 2nd amongst the most valuable banking brands in Kuwait.

Excellence is one of the Bank’s four key values and Burgan Bank continually strives to maintain the highest standards in the industry. The Bank was re-certified in 2010 with the ISO 9001:2008 certification in all its banking businesses, making it the first bank in the GCC, and the only bank in Kuwait to receive such accreditation. The Bank also has to its credit the distinction of being the only Bank in Kuwait to have won the JP Morgan Chase Quality Recognition Award for twelve consecutive years.

Burgan Bank won the prestigious “Banking Web Awards” prize in the commercial and corporate Category for Kuwait. In 2010 Burgan Bank was awarded with the “Best Internet Banking Service award” from Banker Middle East Awards. Burgan Bank was recognized in 2011 as Kuwait’s “Best Private Bank”, by World Finance. The bank also won, in 2011, the coveted “International Platinum Star for Quality ” award from Business Initiative Directions, and “The Best Technical Award” from Banking Web Awards. In 2012, Global Banking and Finance Review online magazine recognized Burgan Bank as the “Best Banking Group in the MENA” as well as the “Best Corporate Bank in Kuwait”. The bank also won the coveted “Best Bank Branding” award by the Banker Middle East. Burgan Bank, a subsidiary of KIPCO (Kuwait Projects Company), is a strongly positioned regional Bank in the MENA region.

footage of the Iraqi troops attacking our country at the Kuwaiti Tower location, murdering civilians in that area! This time the attack was internal against women, people in wheel chair, elderly, and the youth of all walks of society both rich and modest.

First stun grenades were fired, followed by smoke grenades and tear gas up against the crowd. The ensuing panic followed by heroic acts was indeed a sight. I stood for a minute as the events unraveled shocked to my core at what my eyes were seeing, and yet these were only the first minutes. At that point the question was no longer why people gathered, the focus became what is happening, is it real; is it a dream? With nowhere to go people started to run, some to the beach, others stood their grounds for no escape was possible, and the events were meant to instill fear into the people’s heart for no plea to disperse were made prior to the attack, no warning of what was to come communicated. In the panic of the crowd I found myself in one of the restaurants on the beach and in a surreal environment of fear, and courage amidst a non-stop causality flow brought to the restaurant, that heroic doctors present in the protest were administrating first-aid the best they could in a sight not-short of a movie! I observed the pain and agony of people beaten, people burnt, people that collapsed due to shock and people that couldn’t breathe as the various gases they smelled intoxicated them.

Once there the endless sound of stun grenades only added panic and confusion, as even those that wanted to leave were unable to do so. The forces were beating upon sight anyone. Tragically a friend of mine in a show

KUWAIT: Two photographs taken during the demonstration.

of cowardice was handcuffed and beaten before being set free, insults and belittlement faced those that were not physically abused. Casual observers in the eyes of the state became ‘rebels’ and ‘hooligans’, the absurdity of it all was that despite the attacks, the insults, the free violence not a single plant was damaged by the tens of thousands that were there. As special thanks is to be made to the guards of Dasman Palace that reportedly threw water bottles to

the crowds in help as opposed to the other forces who were there to create fear and chaos. Well into the night as the crowd dispersed those that were there for whatever purpose went home shattered by the experience and a repression that our very state is condemning in other countries not least in Syria! The irony! (to be continued) fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

LOCAL

Company representative disappears with cash Woman killed in hit-and-run

KUWAIT: Police are trying to track down an engineering company’s representative who disappeared with KD10,000 he was sent to collect from a client. The case was reported at the Salmiya police station recently where a Kuwaiti man explained that the Arab suspect had gone to fetch a receipt from his car after receiving the payment, but never returned. The man first went to the company’s building where the suspect worked but employees there told him that he had failed to return to work. The suspect’s name was blacklisted to preempt any bid to flee Kuwait.

Bayan accident A pedestrian Filipina died in a hit and run accident in Bayan recently even as the driver disappeared after knocking her down.

The victim succumbed to her injuries before paramedics reached the scene in response to an emergency call. The body was taken to the forensic department while police filed a case for investigations.

Motorcyclist hospitalized A motorcyclist per forming dangerous stunts on ‘Love Street’ recently lost control over his bike and suffered multiple serious injuries. The victim, a Kuwaiti man in his 20s, was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition after the accident on the Second Ring Road. ‘Love Street’ is so named because it is a favorite destination for people looking for relationships. The man is under treatment at the intensive care unit of the Al-Amiri Hospital. A case was filed for investigations.

er authorities to face charges.

Child molester nabbed A pedophile was arrested on Monday following a report filed with the Hawally police. Police launched investigations after a woman complained that an Egyptian man harassed her daughter sexually at a public place in Nugra. The suspect fled when the little girl screamed for help, according to her mother’s testimony. Based on the information and description provided by the mother, the man was later arrested and referred to the prop-

Auto theft Investigations are on in an auto theft case filed by a Salmiya resident with the local police recently.

The suspect forced an Indian man in a car to halt after blocking his way and then snatched the vehicle at a knifepoint and escaped in it. The victim went directly to the Salmiya police station and reported the incident.

Demonstrators robbed Investigations are on to identify and arrest thieves who broke into vehicles left by protestors during Sunday night’s Kuwait City demonstration, as per reports filed at various police stations in the vicinity. The stolen items included cell phones, laptops, sunglasses, and cash. Fingerprints lifted from the scene by criminal evidence sleuths were handed over to the detectives investigating the case.

Death A senior citizen who was found unconscious on a street in

Abdullah Al-Salem on Sunday night died at the Amiri Hospital shortly thereafter. The man was still alive when paramedics arrived at the scene. They performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) inside the ambulance all the way to the hospital where he was immediately rushed to the intensive care unit. The body was later referred to the forensic department. A case was filed for investigations as detectives wait for the autopsy report.

Search for ‘friend’ The Maidan Hawally police are in search for a man who stole cash and some items from his friend’s grocery store in the area.

The Iranian shopkeeper had trusted his friend and compatriot to look after the store when he went out for an hour to handle a family-related official transaction.

Upon his return, he was shocked to discover that his friend had disappeared along with KD200 in cash as well as items worth KD500. He went to the area’s police station directly afterwards to report the theft.

Kuwait announces nomination for ECOSOC’s membership

VIVA announces winners of cars KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s newest and most advanced mobile telecommunications service provider, celebrates the first year anniversary of its exciting and successful “Win a car every week” by drawing two cars and choosing two winners every week rather than one. The latest lucky winners were Mohammad Hussain Khuda, Mubarak Mohammad Al Shammari and Habbeballah Abdulghafar who won the BMW 320i and Bassam Hussain Sulaiman, Mansour Mohammad and Ahmad Ammar Saad who won the Ford Mustang Coupe.

VIVA congratulated each of the lucky winners and invited its customers to participate in the longest ongoing campaign of its kind. The upcoming draw took place yesterday and was available only to VIVA’s prepaid customers.

Entering the draw was done through two options.

The first option was to subscribe with 500 Fils per day giving customers infinite minutes and SMS to any VIVA line. This option entitled the customer to one chance to enter the draw each week.

The second option was to subscribe to the BlackBerry KD3.9 service, which gave customers full and unlimited BlackBerry Services. This option provided customers with 7 automatic chances to enter the draw each week.

In addition, customers who purchase a new prepaid line are given a single entry to the draw on the week they activate their new line and send the SMS “GO” to 535.

Customers were also able to subscribe to both options, increasing their chances each week to win a luxurious car. In the case a customer does not win, the points will be accumulated and carried on to the next draw. The upcoming draw prize will be a brand new BMW 320i and a Ford Mustang Coupe.

Prepaid customers interested in the full, unlimited, local KD 3.9 BlackBerry offer, can send an SMS with the number ‘2’ to ‘535’. For the full menu of the prepaid offers, send an SMS with the word “GO” to number ‘535’.

UNITED NATIONS: Representative of the Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations, Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi, announced the nomination of Kuwait for the membership of the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the period of 20132015 and called on giving support for the council’s development programs.

The Kuwaiti diplomat told the UN General Assembly during a session discussing ECOSOC’s report that Kuwait’s decision to seek a nomination for a membership in the council was to help gain support from the council to complete the gulf country’s economic, social and environmental plans.

He pointed out that the council’s member states should give their support for Kuwait to gain membership in the council during the elections that would be held in October 31.

Kuwait has showon enthusiasm for the council’s activities and has fully committed to all decisions made through this UN body or through any of its subsidiary committees regarding pushing the wheel of global development forward, eliminating poverty, fighting contagious diseases and achieving sustainable development.

Al-Otaibi stressed, on this regard, that Kuwait has exerted all efforts to support international and regional organizations to extend the needed help in underdeveloped countries to achieve a comprehensive development by 2015.

“The international arena has witnessed in the past few years a major financial crisis that cast its gloomy shadows on the performance of global economy;hence, unemployment and poverty rates have shot up,” he said. “ Therefore, supporting ECOSOC’s activities and improving its mechanisms would rapidly help achieving global development,” Al-Otaibi clarified. He

added that a great responsibility falls on the shoulders of international community to face the current economic and social challenges. “It is important to translate the outcomes of Rio+20, the United Nations’ Conference On Sustainable Development that was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June, 2012, “ he further added.

In order to achieve comprehensive development and international economic cooperation, Al-Otaibi explained, three key foundations should be solidly built: economy, society and environment. This could only be met if world countries adopt all-encompassing national policies and active implementation of regulations.

In Kuwait, the diplomat noted, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has given a USD 18 billion in the form of grants and technical aid, in the past five decades, to more than 100 underdeveloped countries to help in attaining sustainable development.

During the recent Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit held in Kuwait from October 15-17, the gulf nation has launched a USD two billion project to finance development plans in non-Arab Asian countries. Kuwait also contributed USD 300 billion to help the least developed Asian countries to meet the 2015 development plan.

ECOSOC is a founding UN Charter body established in 1946. The Council is the place where world’s economic, social and environmental challenges are discussed and debated, and policy recommendations issued.

As such, ECOSOC has broad responsibility for some 70% of the human and financial resources of the entire UN system, including 14 specialized agencies, 9 functional commissions, and five regional commissions. — KUNA

TEC facilities prepare to welcome Eid celebrators KUWAIT: The Entertainment City welcomes visitors during the Eid Al-Adha holidays from 11am to 11pm, starting next Wednesday through Monday except for Thursday which will be a day off for the facility’s staff.

This was announced by Acting Director of the Public Relations and Marketing Department at the Touristic Enterprises Company Saqr Al-Bader, who also said that a special entertainment program featuring multiple activities and competitions has been prepared for the visitors during the Eid holidays.

Al-Bader also indicated that a similar program will be featured throughout the holidays at the Khairan Resort, which will be open to public right from the morning along with other TEC facilities includ-

Saqr Al-Bader ing the Ice Skating Rink, the Shaab Sea Club, the Ras Al-Ardh Sea Club, the Miseelah Beach, the Agailah Beach, the Fountain Park, the Touristic Park, and the Swimming Pool Complex.

Opening up a world of opportunity

Al-Hajraf visits Kuwaiti Cultural Bureau in Dubai DUBAI: Minister of Finance, Acting Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf visited the Cultural Office of the Consulate General of the State of Kuwait in Dubai yesterday, Cultural Attache Dr Osama Al-Yousif said yesterday.

Dr Al-Hajraf’s visit to the office was on the sidelines of his visit to Dubai to participate at the World Energy Forum (WEF) 2012, which started on Monday and will conclude today, Dr. Al-Yousef said.

The minister met with the head of the cultural office and the rest of its staff, where he checked on the performance of students studying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Oman, who are supervised by the cultural bureau, Al-Yousef added.

Employees at the office introduced Al-Hajraf to the bureau’s future plans, aspirations, challenges and issues that hinder the performance of its role.

In addition, Al-Yousef said that the minister promised to help resolve the current sticky issues such as increasing the number of staff in the office as it is beneficial for the Kuwaiti students studying in the UAE, Qatar and Oman.

Furthermore, Al-Yousef added that Al-Hajraf also reviewed several related issues, including the health insurance granted for students. Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf represented His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the World Energy Forum (WEF), in which he delivered HH’s speech. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The assistant undersecretary for private security affairs and field operations director Gen Suleiman Al-Fahad met with the officers of field operations and thanked them for ensuring compliance of top security measures in all missions entrusted to them. He conveyed to them the greetings of First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al Hmoud Al Sabah.He personally visited the injured policemen and expressed readiness to send those who require treatment abroad. He discussed with officers the field operations and plans and made some observations and passed instructions to stay alert and in a state of complete readiness.

KUWAIT: Lt Isra Boland visited the Erhaya elementary school in Saad AlAbdullah recently and delivered a lecture on safety awareness in home, school and public roads. The event comes as part of a special security and traffic awareness program carried out by the Ministry of Interior’s Security Media Department in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.

KUWAIT: Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, is empowering job seekers across the region with its mobile application, now available for BlackBerry as well as Android and iPhone. Finding the ideal career is now even more accessible with the mobile app, opening up a world of opportunity powered by Bayt.com’s innovative job-seeking tools. “ The future is mobile, and at Bayt.com we are well aware of that.

Bearing in mind the power of real-time for immediate awareness, influence and strength, instant engagement is more necessary than ever. “ said Suhail Masri, Vice President of Sales, Bayt.com.

“We are empowering users everywhere with the launch of our mobile application.Professionals need convenience, as well as the ability to interact quickly and efficiently with their potential employers. The Bayt.com mobile app is yet another platform thatdemonstrates our spirit of innovation and cements our leadership position, by providing job seekers with the power of both mobile and real time, giving them the freedom to seek employment as and when they like.”

Job seekers can enjoy a fully interactive experience with the Bayt.com mobile app, which has an engaging look and feel that brings the search for employment to a whole new level of engagement. It features a powerful notification centre that will inform users when their job applications have

been viewed, when there is a position posted that matches their profile, and more.

Users can connect through their Bayt.com or Facebook account, and they can completely sync their app to their online account. This will allow job seekers to access and manage multiple CVs, job applications, saved searches, and profile information, while also getting statistics on who views their CV. Further functions include, amongst others, the ability to search and apply for jobs through the app and being able to update profile pictures using their smartphone’s camera.

On an average day, over 11,000 jobs from across the MENA region are listed on Bayt.com. Similar numbers are also filled by employers searching the Bayt.com CV database for relevant professional candidates. These opportunities can all now be made use of by jobseekers using their mobile phones. In addition to its leading recruitment marketplace, Bayt.com is known for its Salaries platform, the region’s first online salary benchmarking tool, which allows salary comparisons, and its People platform, which is Bayt.com’s branding arm for professionals.

Bayt.com also regularly conducts virtual job fairs for all industries and career levels around the region.

Smartphone users can download the Bayt.com smartphone app free of charge from the Android App Store, BlackBerry Store, or iPhone App Store.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

4 killed as fighting flares in Lebanon

Couple’s love bridges Myanmar religious divide Page 12

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BEIRUT: Lebanese Army soldiers deploy after overnight clashes between Sunni and Shiite gunmen in Beirut. — AP (See Page 8)

Syrian death toll hit 34,000 Truce hopes dim as violence rages DAMASCUS: Violence raged across war-torn Syria yesterday, a watchdog said, eroding hopes of a ceasefire for this week’s Muslim Eid Al-Adha as proposed by UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. “Neither the rebels nor the regime appear to want a ceasefire, and the daily death toll continues to exceed 100,” Syrian Observatory of Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The two sides to the conflict have given a wary welcome to Brahimi’s proposal but neither has committed itself to the plan, which envisages a ceasefire during the four-day Eid holiday that starts on Friday. President Bashar Al-Assad in a pre-Eid gesture issued an amnesty yesterday for all crimes committed in Syria “up until today,” state television said. But giving no quarter in the stand-off with armed rebels, the deal excludes “terrorists”the regime’s term for insurgents seeking to topple Assad.

Despite the violence, the United Nations held to the hope that the foes will observe a truce during Eid, saying it had plans to assemble a peacekeeping force if a ceasefire takes hold. “We are getting ourselves ready to act if it is necessary and a mandate is approved,” UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said in New York, cautioning that the plans would need the approval of the 15-nation Security Council. Brahimi, the UN-Arab League peace envoy, has said he contacted political opposition leaders

inside and outside Syria and armed groups in the country and “found them to be very favourable” to the idea of a truce. However, the Arab League on Monday dampened hopes of a truce, saying the chances of it coming into effect were “slim.” On the battlefront, warplanes raided a district of the northern city of Aleppo, where fighting broke out in several districts, the Britain-based Observatory said. The watchdog also reported fighting in Damascus province, the eastern province of Deir Ezzor and Daraa in the south. The strategic town of Maaret AlNuman in the northwest, which has been the scene of intense fighting since it fell to rebels on October 9, also came under aerial bombardment, the Observatory said.

NATIONAL DIALOGUE On the diplomatic front, a senior Iranian official said Tehran could soon host a “national dialogue” in the region among all the parties to the conflict. “Representatives of the (Syrian) government and all political and opposition groups will soon begin a national dialogue in a regional country, and possibly in Tehran,” said Hossein Amir Abdollahian, deputy foreign minister for Arab affairs, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

“Some opposition groups have however rejected this idea, but we are continuing our efforts to persuade them,” he added. Armed opposition groups reject any Iranian involvement, reflecting the view the United States and some Western and Arab countries hold that Tehran is discredited by its unwavering suppor t for Assad.

Amid the continuing violence, Human Rights Watch accused Syria yesterday of stepping up the use of internationally banned cluster bombs despite denials of using them at all.

“Syria’s denial is meaningless as evidence mounts that cluster bombs are raining down on towns and villages,” said Steve Goose, HRW arms director.

The air force “is imposing a reign of terror on civilians in rebel-held areas across the country with cluster bombs and other explosive weapons,” he added in a statement claiming there had been an upturn in the past two weeks.The Syrian Observatory said at least 115 people, including 43 civilians, were killed across the country on Monday, adding to a toll of more than 34,000 people killed since the antiregime revolt erupted in March 2011.

In neighboring Lebanon, 11 people have been killed in clashes between proand anti-Assad camps in the por t city of Tripoli since the assassination on Friday of a top security official in a Beirut bomb blast widely blamed on Damascus.— AFP

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

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

4 killed in Tripoli; Political crisis seethes on Fighting flares in Lebanese city over Syria loyalties

TRIPOLI: Four people were killed and 15 wounded in overnight gun battles in the Lebanese city of Tripoli in a second night of fighting between Sunni and Alawite gunmen loyal to different sides in the war in neighboring Syria, a military source said yesterday. In the capital Beirut, tension eased after troops fanned out across the city to clear the streets of gunmen who had clashed on Sunday night.

The violence flared after the assassination of senior Lebanese security official Wissam Al-Hassan, who was opposed to the Syrian leadership, in central Beirut on Friday. The bombing and the ensuing clashes brought the civil war in Syria into the heart of Lebanon and triggered a political crisis, with the opposition demanding the resignation of the mostly proDamascus cabinet of Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

The fighting in Tripoli took place between the neighboring areas of Bab Al-Tabbaneh, a Sunni Muslim stronghold, and Jebel Mohsen, an Alawite district. Three Sunnis and one Alawite were killed and 15 people were wounded, a military medical source said. Residents said combatants traded machinegun-fire and rocket-propelled

grenades. Yesterday morning, Tripoli’s centre was busy and traffic moved freely. Lebanese army soldiers kept watch in armored vehicles mounted with heavy machine guns. But shops close to the combat zone were shuttered.

A fruit market on the front line was closed and residents said they feared snipers. Teenagers in t-shirts with guns hid behind buildings to peek out up the hill into Jebel Mohsen. Tripoli’s Sunni Muslims support the Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar Al-Assad, who are mostly from Syria’s Sunni majority. Assad is a member of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. He can count on the support of Hezbollah, a powerful Shiite Islamist armed group that is part of the Mikati government, as well as other Shiites and Alawites in Lebanon’s complex sectarian and political mix.

BOUTS OF FIGHTING The overnight violence in Tripoli which has suffered previous bouts of fighting since the Syrian conflict started 19 months ago - brought the toll to at least 10 dead and 65 wounded since Friday. Lebanon is still haunted by its 1975-1990 civil war, which made Beirut

a byword for carnage and wrecked large parts of the city. Many Lebanese fear the Syrian war will propel their country back to those days, destroying their efforts to rebuild it as a centre of trade, finance and tourism with a measure of democracy.

Opposition politicians have accused Syria of being behind Friday’s killing of Brigadier General Hassan, who had worked to counter Syrian influence in Lebanon. A Sunni Muslim, he helped to uncover a bomb plot that led to the arrest and indictment in August of a pro-Assad former Lebanese minister.

He also led an investigation that implicated Syria and Hezbollah in the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Al-Hariri, a former prime minister of Lebanon.

Mikati, who is also a Sunni Muslim, had personal ties to the Assad family before he became prime minister in January last year.

His cabinet includes Hezbollah as well as Christian and other Shiite politicians close to Damascus. He offered to resign at the weekend to make way for a government of national unity but President Michel Suleiman persuaded him to stay in office to allow time for talks on a way out of the political crisis.

If he were to stand down before an

TRIPOLI: Lebanese army deploy in the Bab Al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods where clashes are taking place between Sunni and Alawites in the coastal city of Tripoli yesterday. — AFP alternative was worked out, it would mean the collapse of the political compromise that has kept the peace in Lebanon.

Free Patriotic Movement parliamentarian Michel Aoun, a Christian politician and an ally of Hezbollah, said Lebanon could not live with such a

power vacuum, and noted that formation of a government could take six months or more. “What happened (Hassan’s assassination) constitutes a security setback but if there was a vacuum, maybe the country would be in chaos,” he told the Beirut Daily Star newspaper. — Reuters

Canada provokes Iran bust-up at world meet ‘Evil regime a threat to global peace’

Iran supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Tehran keeps up high number of executions UNITED NATIONS: Iran, which on Monday executed 10 accused drug traffickers, is maintaining its record-setting use of capital punishment, a UN investigator said. Ahmad Shaheed, a former foreign minister for the Maldives, said ahead of the presentation of his latest report that conditions were worsening in Iran on the use of the law and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, women and gays.

“Allegations contained in this report paint a disturbing picture of a government that seriously struggles to comply with its international and national obligations,” Shaheed told a meeting with diplomats, journalists and experts. “The concerns remain unabated-if anything, they are growing,” he said of Iran’s use of executions and accusations of persecution and discrimination. Shaheed said more than 300 people had been recorded executed in the first eight months of the year but the figure was probably much higher as Iran has restricted information this year.

He reported 670 executions in 2011 in Iran, which has the world’s highest per capita use of the death penalty. “I don’t see it as reducing,” said the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, who will present his latest report to a UN General Assembly committee today. Shaheed said he had been “shocked” to hear of the exe-

cution of 10 men in a Tehran jail after they had been found guilty of trafficking narcotics. “It is quite commonplace to have large numbers of people executed on the same day in Iran,” said Shaheed, who has not been able to visit the country since taking up his post in June 2011. Iran has drawn up a new penal code, still being considered by parliament, which Shaheed said “omits” the use of stoning for executions. But he added that this does not stop a judge ordering the controversial execution. “Under the constitution of Iran, where the law is silent, a judge has to refer to the Sharia”-the Islamic law which still allows stoning. The expert said the new penal code also allows a provision to avoid death sentences for juvenile offenders. Iran has been strongly condemned by rights groups for the widespread executions of those under the age of 18.

Shaheed said Iran was still out of line with international conventions which bar the execution of minors.

Shaheed’s report says that human rights activists in Iran are beaten with batons and threatened with mock hangings, rape, sleep deprivation, and threats that relatives will be raped or killed. He added that more than 40 journalists were also known to be detained, making the country one of the worst press freedom offenders. — AFP

Egypt’s court defers fate of constitution CAIRO: An Egyptian court meant to rule yesterday on the fate of an Islamist-dominated panel has instead referred the case to a superior court which has already expressed its opposition to the draft charter.

The case has widened a rift between the ruling Islamists and secular-leaning opponents over the role of religion in the text that led to skirmishes this month during rival rallies in Cairo. In a brief court session, a judge with the Supreme Administrative Court said he had decided to refer the case to the constitutional court, which has said it opposes provisions in the draft charter regulating the judiciary.

“Down with the Constituent Assembly,” chanted a dozen opponents of the assembly after the judge read his decision. No date was set for the verdict on the constitutionality of the 100-member Constituent Assembly in charge of writing the constitution, amid a power struggle between the judiciary and Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. The Assembly is being challenged over the mechanism with which its members were chosen. It is the second Constituent Assembly formed since the uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak last year, after an Islamist-domi-

nated panel was dissolved in April for failing to represent all segments of society.

“A constitution is made to last,” former Chief Justice Ahmed Medhat Elmaraghy recently said. It “should have been made up of legal experts, but this did not happen.”“It has been dominated by the Islamists, but the constitution has to be a matter of national consensus.”

The panel released a draft constitution earlier this month that was slammed by human rights groups as failing to secure key freedoms. Some articles, including those defining the powers of the judiciary and the role of the army, have not been made available to the public.

Other contentious topics include the role of religion, the status of women and the scope of freedom of expression and faith. Article 2 of the draft constitution states that “Islam is the religion of the State, Arabic is its official language and the principles of Islamic Sharia form the main source of legislation.” Ultraconservative Islamists had asked to replace “the principles of Sharia” by “the rulings of Sharia” or even just “Sharia.” The article has been at the centre of debates because it opens many avenues for the interpretation of Sharia. —AFP

OTTAWA: Canada’s top diplomat blasted Iran for human rights violations and religious intolerance at a meeting Monday of world parliamentarians, drawing an angry response from Tehran’s delegation. Addressing 1,400 lawmakers at the gathering in Quebec City, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said Bahais and Christians in Iran were “consistently threatened with death and torture, simply for believing.” He also said “the evil regime in Iran... remains the most significant threat to global peace and security,” accusing Tehran of fomenting hatred against the Jewish people and supporting terrorist groups.

Iraj Nadimi, head of the eight-member Iranian delegation at the gathering, threw up his arms in a display of protest, and held up a small sign identifying his country. Later he accused Baird of meddling in Iran’s sovereign affairs, likening the remarks to Tehran using the forum to promote Quebec’s independence from the rest of Canada.

In his speech, Baird called on delegates to

return home after the 127th conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and press their respective governments to throw their support behind a human rights resolution on Iran at the United Nations. “This regime stands for everything we parliamentarians should stand against,” he said. After Ottawa on September 7 announced the closure of its embassy in Tehran and expelled Iranian diplomats from Canada, the Iranians’ attendance at the IPU was initially in doubt.

Ottawa did not cite a specific incident for the breakdown in relations, but issued a strongly worded attack on the Islamic Republic’s support for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and its “incitement to genocide” against Israel.

Ottawa has also accused its rulers of failing to account for their disputed nuclear program.

Iran, which has been ruled by an Islamic theocracy since the 1979 revolution, is locked in a diplomatic stand-off with the West over its nuclear activities, which Tehran insists are entirely peaceful. While Iran claims it is pursuing pure-

News

in brief

Exam cheats in Bangladesh DHAKA: Exam cheats in Bangladesh have been caught receiving answers on mobile phones disguised as wrist watches, police said yesterday after busting a criminal racket in Dhaka. Officers paraded ten hand-cuffed masterminds behind the scheme along with several of the electronic devices that had been used in university admission exams and in job application tests. The criminal organizers bribed teachers or education officials to get the questions shortly before the tests, and then sent the answers via text message to students inside the exam hall, police said. “A student in a test for a top university or recruitment to a bank or government office would get answers through this hi-tech device after paying 120,000 taka ($1,500) or more,” deputy police commissioner Moshiur Rahman said. The gang leaders told police they had brought 120 pieces of the tailormade device from China and has been renting them out since 2009. “Many teachers and officials are on their payroll. Once they get the test papers, experts would solve the questions in minutes and then send them to clients,” he said.

Taleban kill 10 troops HEART: Ten Afghan security personnel have been killed in a bloody battle with Taleban insurgents in the western province of Herat, officials said yesterday. Five police officers were among the dead, including the police chief of Obe district, where the battle took place on Monday afternoon, regional police spokesman Noor Khan Nikzad said. Nikzad said the gunfight erupted at noon when the Taleban attacked a police convoy and lasted several hours.

Najeebullah Ahmadi, the Obe district governor, said five police and five soldiers were killed in the battle.

Three Taleban insurgents including a commander were also killed, he said.Afghan forces, police and army, are due to take full security responsibility from their Western allies, a US-led NATO force, by the end of 2014 when the foreign troops leave the country.

Casualties among Afghan security forces have surged as they take over from their foreign allies during this transition process.

Egypt TV host convicted CAIRO: An Egyptian talk-show host faces a fourmonth jail term after a court convicted him of insulting President Mohamed Morsi, state media reported on Monday. Tawfiq Okasha, whose show appears on his own channel, can appeal the sentence after paying 100 Egyptian pounds ($16.39) bail, a source in the court in southern Egypt said. “Morsi is the President of all Egyptians and insulting him is like insulting the whole nation,” Nasr El-Din Mahmoud Maghazy, who filed the case against Okasha said.

ly civilian atomic energy and research, Washington, Israel and their allies argue it is seeking a nuclear weapons capability. In a scrum with reporters on Monday after his speech, Baird dismissed the Iranian delegation’s reaction to his comments, saying “sometimes the truth hurts.”“Staying silent is never an option when people stone women, when they hang gays, when they incite genocide, when they say they want to wipe the Jewish people and the Jewish state off the map,” he said.

“It is never good for anyone in civilized society to stay quiet. It is tremendously important as an international community that we speak with one voice.” In his speech, Baird was also critical of children being forced into marriages in Niger, of “actively and viciously implemented” laws against homosexuality in Uganda, and of the Assad regime for “despicably slaughtering innocent civilians.” The delegation of Uganda condemned what they called Baird’s “arrogance and ignorance” for his criticism of Uganda’s treatment of gays and lesbians. — AFP

Anti-Shiite attacks kill 8 BAGHDAD: A car bomb and mortar attacks against predominantly Shiite neighborhoods in north Baghdad killed at least eight people yesterday, days before the Muslim holiday of Eid. The attacks, which also wounded at least a dozen people and damaged nearby cars and houses, struck the Chikouk and Shuala neighborhoods at around 6:45 am, days after deadly violence targeted another mostly-Shiite district in the north of the capital.

Multiple mortars struck Chikouk while a car bomb detonated in Shuala, an interior ministry official said, putting the overall toll from the attacks at nine dead and 12 wounded. A medical source said eight people were killed and 25 wounded, with women and children among the casualties. The medic warned that the toll could rise. Conflicting casualty figures are common in the chaotic aftermath of violence in Iraq. In Shuala, the car bomb badly damaged a wall of one house and shattered windows in nearby homes and cars, an AFP journalist said.

Security forces cordoned off the site of the attack, and barred reporters from filming or taking photographs. “We were sleeping, and my daughter and son were

preparing to go to school when the bomb went off,” said Abu Ali the owner of the house that was worst hit by the car bomb. “Thank God no one was in the kitchen, and no one in our family was badly hurt,” he added, clad in a traditional Arab robe, or dishdasha. “Now, we are bringing the materials-we have to rebuild the room.” Both neighborhoods struck are majority Shiite, while Chikouk is home to a camp for internally displaced persons, mostly Shiite Muslims who fled largely Sunni areas during the worst of Iraq’s confessional violence in 2006 and 2007.

The attacks come after 12 people were killed in nationwide violence on Saturday, with the deadliest incidents then also targeting a Shiite area of north Baghdad. The latest violence comes ahead of Friday’s Eid Al-Adha holiday.

The days leading up to the annual holiday are often marked by a spike in violence. Killings and assault are down sharply across Iraq from their peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks are still common, especially in Baghdad and Mosul.

At least 250 people have been killed as a result of unrest in each of the past four months. — AFP

BAGHDAD: People inspect their damaged house after a car bomb explosion in the Shiite neighborhood of Shula in Baghdad yesterday. — AP

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

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

Kansas case puts face on ‘total identity theft’ Con artists go beyond financial fraud

US debate impressions NEW YORK: Big Bird, binders and ... bayonets! Well, at last we know the three Twitter memes of the debate season and they all start with ‘B.’ But beyond President Barack Obama’s ‘bayonet’ zinger - more on that in a moment - the final presidential debate was notable for how the two candidates, in ways verbal and nonverbal, switched roles in a sense from their first debate. This time, political communication analysts say, Mitt Romney seemed more passive and defensive, and Obama more forceful and in command.

And speaking of that word “command,” the president was eager to use it whenever he could to show how he and only he had the policies, temperament and experience for the top job. “As commander in chief .. “Obama began more than one answer. Did his tactics work? Some impressions from the third and last presidential debate, from analysts of political communication and body language: PLAYING TO WIN, OR FOR A DRAW Let’s get the sports analogies over with: Some analysts focused on how Romney was playing it safe this time - or “playing for a draw,” in the words of Jonathan Paul, director of debate at Georgetown University. “That seemed to be his strategy in the questions of foreign policy.” In other words, first make no mistakes. “Romney’s purpose was not to lose,” said Jerry Shuster, who teaches political communication at the University of Pittsburgh. “He was underplaying, almost demure. Attack was not part of his strategy.”

Analysts noted, though, that this may have been the least

FLORIDA: US President Barack Obama (left) greets Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney following the third and final presidential debate at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. — AFP

sitting down and close to each other, there was some fodder for body language experts like Lillian Glass, a body language coach in Los Angeles. “Romney was definitely nervous,” Glass said. “He was sweating on his upper lip.

That’s the nervous system kicking in.” However, Glass liked the body language that Romney exhibited later in the debate, a back-straight posture that she termed “powerful.” “They both were at the top of the game,” she said. “It was a draw. They both get As.” FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Most analysts, though, felt Obama was more successful than his opponent in getting across the message he needed to: that he was the presidential one. Facial expressions reinforced that. “Romney seemed to frown a lot,” Glass said. As for Obama, “The president made good eye contact, balancing it between his opponent and the moderator,” Shuster said. “He also maintained a steady gaze, as if to say, ‘What I am saying is on target.’” Shuster saw Romney’s expression as more a grin than a frown or a smirk, as some called it - albeit a very uneasy grin. “He had that grin when he listened to Obama, which to me said, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to say in response to this,’” Shuster said.

I AGREE, PART TWO The responses Romney did give were problematic for him on another level, said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a professor of political communication at the University of Pennsylvania. While Obama got flak in Denver for nodding in agreement with his opponent, this time it was Romney who found himself agreeing with a number of Obama’s pronouncements on foreign policy. “You can’t indict someone for a foreign policy you basically agree with,” Jamieson said. And that was compounded by Romney’s apparent reluctance to rebut a number of Obama’s criticisms, she said. “The danger for Romney is that he didn’t respond to charges that he’s inconsistent,” Jamieson said. “He didn’t specifically rebut much of anything.” Romney’s moderate responses did have one big advantage, Jamieson added: They probably helped reverse the perception among some that he would be more likely to bring the country to war. She says a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania has indicated that perception is a vulnerability for Romney.

THE GREAT PIVOT Call it the great pivot: Romney managed to veer the conversation a number of times to domestic issues, an area where he had more definitive things to say. “You could tell he didn’t want this debate to be about foreign policy - he wanted it to be about jobs and China,” Paul said. But did it work? It probably depended on who was listening. “I call it deviation, rather than a pivot,” Shuster said. The difference on Monday night, added Paul, was that as opposed to the first debate, Obama was better prepared to answer those domestic questions.

HUMOR VS SNARK Who knew that Big Bird would have a moment this election season? And wasn’t it even weirder when it was binders, that essential school supply, that emerged in the sunlight? This time it was bayonets, after an Obama comment that was the most tweeted all evening and is probably just in the early stages of its pop-culture shelf life.

When Romney repeated his criticism that the US Navy is too small and has fewer ships than it did in 1916, Obama was ready: “Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets,” Obama said, painting Romney as out of touch.

“We have these things called ‘aircraft carriers’, and planes land on them.” Was it snark, or simply a clever use of humor? “I thought it was very effective - one of his best moments,” said Paul, the Georgetown debate coach.

Shuster, at the University of Pittsburgh, said the best thing about the remark was how it illustrated, pithily, the president’s view on military spending - one of the few foreign policy areas on which the candidates have real disagreements.

BODY LANGUAGE What happened to the boxing match (sorry, another sports analogy) that was the second presidential debate?

Thanks mostly to the change in format - the second debate was a town-hall style meeting, whereas on Monday night the candidates were seated at a small desk - the debate was a lot less physical. You didn’t see a lot of personal space violations. There was also less room for the interruptions, on both sides, that bothered some viewers in the second debate. But even though the two men were

DOES IT ALL MATTER? Now the existential question: Does any of it matter to the election results? Pundits universally declared Romney the winner of the first debate, and Obama the winner, albeit by a much narrower margin, of the second. The president was perceived by many to have won the third, but perhaps a tweet from Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said it best.

“Glancing down Twitter,” he tweeted. “Shocker: All D’s think O won, all R’s think R won.”—AP

risky strategy when dealing with issues of foreign policy. As for Obama, he knew he had to come appearing presidential and leader-like, and he did so, Shuster said: “He came prepared to be presidential and prepared to win.”

Hungary political rivals flex muscles BUDAPEST: Tens of thousands of Hungarians were expected to rally in Budapest yesterday in rival political gatherings closely watched for any signs of waning support for Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Amid sliding poll ratings for the government and following two surprise recent by-election defeats, former premier Gordon Bajnai was widely expected to declare himself Orban’s main challenger in elections scheduled for 2014.

But two and a half years after a landslide election victory, the charismatic and controversial Orban still retains strong grassroots support, and the opposition remains demoralized and divided. “If the opposition is capable of uniting, together they could

defeat Orban ... and Bajnai could play a key role in that unity,” political analyst Peter Kreko, head of the Political Capital research house said. “What we are actually going to see is the start of the 2014 election campaign.”

Bajnai, 44, a technocrat who is not a member of any political party, is credited with nursing back to health an economy badly bruised by the global financial crisis as premier between April 2009 and Orban’s victory in May 2010. Since then, Orbanwhose nicknames include “Viktator”has introduced a raft of legislation that has seen him accused at home and abroad of being a threat to democracy in the European Union member state. Hungary’s currency the

BUDAPEST: Tens of thousands of people attend a rally of the oppositional association One Million People for The Freedom of The Press, nicknamed Milla, in downtown Budapest yesterday. — AP

forint has plunged in value, the economy is in recession and sharply higher borrowing rates and “junk” credit ratings have forced Orban to go cap-inhand to the International Monetary Fund and the EU. Cracks have started to appear in support for the 49-yearold. In a Szonda-Ipsos poll on October 18, just 20 percent said they would vote for Orban’s party Fidesz, compared to 16 percent for the largest opposition group, the Socialists, their best rating since the last elections.

Analysts however believe that since the government recently changed a law on electoral rules, Orban and Fidesz can only be dislodged from power if the Socialists are able to form alliances. Attendance at yesterday’s events held on the anniversary of the doomed 1956 anti-Soviet uprising will also be a barometer of the balance of power. Both sides were hoping for 100,000 supporters.

Numbers at the pro-government event will be boosted by those joining after a parade through the city in support of Orban, called the Bekemenet (March of Peace), many of bussed in from the countryside and even from ethnic Hungarian areas abroad. The opposition rally is organized by the non-partisan Milla, short for One Million for Press Freedom, set up as a Facebook group in 2010 following the adoption of a media law which has been widely criticized for curbing the press. But although the Milla rally will be boosted by supporters of the Socialists, who are not holding their own rally, the group is retaining its neutrality. “Milla does not stand behind the former prime minister, but merely provides an opportunity for his speech,” insisted Peter Juhasz, the group’s president.— AFP

WICHITA: When Candida L Gutierrez’s identity was stolen, the thief didn’t limit herself to opening fraudulent credit and bank accounts. She assumed Gutierrez’s persona completely, using it to get a job, a driver’s license, a mortgage and even medical care for the birth of two children. All the while, the crook claimed the real Gutierrez was the one who had stolen her identity. The women’s unusual tug-of-war puts a face on “total identity theft,” a brazen form of the crime in which con artists go beyond financial fraud to assume many other aspects of another person’s life.

The scheme has been linked to illegal immigrants who use stolen Social Security numbers to get paid at their jobs, and authorities fear the problem could soon grow to ensnare more unsuspecting Americans. “When she claimed my identity and I claimed it back, she was informed that I was claiming it too,” said Gutierrez, a 31-year-old elementary schoolteacher. “She knew I was aware and that I was trying to fight, and yet she would keep fighting. It is not like she realized and she stopped. No, she kept going, and she kept going harder.”

A 32-year-old illegal immigrant named Benita CardonaGonzalez is accused of using Gutierrez’s identity during a 10year period when she worked at a Topeka company that packages refrigerated foods. For years, large numbers of illegal immigrants have filled out payroll forms using their real names but stolen Social Security numbers. However, as electronic employment verification systems such as E-Verify become more common, the use of fake numbers is increasingly difficult. Now prosecutors worry that more people will try to fool the systems by assuming full identities rather than stealing the numbers alone.

For victims, total identity theft can also have serious health consequences if electronic medical records linked to Social Security numbers get mixed up, putting at risk the accuracy of important patient information such as blood types or lifethreatening allergies. Federal Trade Commission statistics show that Americans reported more than 279,000 instances of identity theft in 2011, up from 251,100 a year earlier. While it is unclear how many of those cases involve total identity theft, one possible indicator is the number of identity theft complaints that involve more than one type of identity theft - 13 percent last year, compared with 12 percent a year earlier.

Nationwide, employment-related fraud accounted for 8 percent of identity theft complaints last year. But in states with large immigrant populations, employment-related identity fraud was much higher: 25 percent in Arizona, 15 percent in Texas, 16 percent in New Mexico, 12 percent in California.

Prosecutors say that the longer a person uses someone else’s identity, the more confident the thief becomes using that identity for purposes other than just working. Once they have become established in a community, identity thieves don’t want to live in the shadows and seek a normal life like everybody else. That’s when they take the next step and get a driver’s license, a home loan and health insurance.

“And so that is a natural progression, and that is what we are seeing,” said Assistant US Attorney Brent Anderson, who is prosecuting the case against Gutierrez’s imposter. Gutierrez first learned her identity had been hijacked when she was turned down for a mortgage more than a decade ago. Now each year she trudges to the Social Security Administration with her birth certificate, driver’s license, passport and even school yearbooks to prove her identity and clear her employment record. She spends hours on the phone with creditors and credit bureaus, fills out affidavits and has yet to clean up

her credit history. Her tax records are a mess. She even once phoned the imposter’s Kansas employer in a futile effort to find some relief.

Both women claimed they were identity theft victims and sought to get new Social Security numbers. The Social Security Administration turned down the request from Gutierrez, instead issuing a new number to the woman impersonating her. And in another ironic twist, Gutierrez was forced to file her federal income tax forms using a special identification number usually reserved for illegal immigrants. “It is such a horrible nightmare,” Gutierrez said. “You get really angry, and then you start realizing anger is not going to help. ... But when you have so much on your plate and you keep such a busy life, it is really such a super big inconvenience. You have to find the time for someone who is abusing you.”

When Gutierrez recently got married, her husband began researching identity theft on the Internet and stumbled across identity theft cases filed against other illegal immigrants working at Reser’s Fine Foods, the same manufacturer where

HOUSTON: Houston school teacher Candida Gutierrez talks about the frustration of having her identity stolen several years ago. — AP Cardona-Gonzalez worked. He contacted federal authorities in Kansas and asked them to investigate the employee working there who had stolen his wife’s identity. The alleged imposter was arrested in August, and her fingerprints confirmed that immigration agents had encountered Cardona-Gonzalez in 1996 in Harlingen, Texas, and sent her back to Mexico.

Cardona-Gonzalez did not respond to a letter sent to her at the Butler County jail, where she is awaiting trial on charges of aggravated identity theft, misuse of a Social Security number and production of a false document.

Her attorney, Matthew Works, did not respond to phone calls and emails seeking comment.Court filings indicate the two sides are negotiating a plea agreement. Citing privacy issues, the Social Security Administration declined to discuss the Gutierrez case. Reser’s Fine Foods did not return a message left at its Topeka plant. Anderson expects more cases of total identity theft “because we all know what is going on out there - which is thousands and thousands of people who are working illegally in the United States under false identities, mostly of US citizens, and very little is being done about it. But we are doing something about it, one case at a time.”— AP

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

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

Homeless tour guides reveal darker side of London LONDON: Like many other Londoners who make a living showing tourists around the city, Viv is telling a group of visitors how Waterloo Bridge was largely rebuilt by women after World War II. But Viv, 56, is no ordinary tour guide. She is homeless-and the stairs under the bridge, which boasts majestic views of the Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s Cathedral, were once her home.

“I lived there for two months,” she tells the sightseers. “I had a patch made of wooden pallets, newspapers and cartons.” With a gaunt face and several missing teeth, and wearing a neat beige mackintosh that she found in the street, Norwegian-born Viv shows tourists the British capital as seen through the eyes of one of its homeless residents. She is among half a dozen homeless guides working with Unseen Tours-a scheme launched by the volunteer network Sock Mob-weaving tales of their own lives on the streets into their walking tours.

Viv-her past means she only wants to be known by her first name-starts her tour in the Victoria Embankment Gardens

on the edge of the River Thames. An imposing statue of the 19th century industrialist William Edward Forster looks over the manicured gardens, which were Viv’s home for four summers. “That used to be my bench,” she says, pointing at a family eating sandwiches nearby. “You’re very safe in a park, because they close the park at night. You don’t get attacked by the public.” Homeless Londoners hear about “spare” benches through word of mouth, she adds. She speaks quickly, the sweat on her brow revealing her nerves.

Viv guides the group from the bath where Charles Dickens once took a dip to a tea hut frequented by taxi drivers for over a century, before stopping at the Savoy Hotel to tell the story of the wooden cat that sits in its lobby. The handsome three-foot cat, named Kaspar, is brought out to join unlucky parties of 13 diners at the opulent hotel to make up their numbers to 14, Viv explains.

Without pausing, she adds that up to 200 people used to sleep in the archway next to the Savoy until the authorities began fencing it off at night.

Somalia’s Islamists bolster northern ‘Tora Bora’ base MOGADISHU: Somalia’s Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents are on the back foot, reeling from a string of losses as they battle a 17,000-strong African Union force as well as Ethiopian troops and Somali forces. But while the extremist movement is badly damaged a hard core remain a potent threat, linking up with regional Islamist groups and leaving operatives to launch attacks across the south, analysts warn. And, like Afghanistan’s Taleban fighters who retreated to the rugged Tora Bora Mountains to lick their wounds and later regroup in strength, the fighters are pulling back to their own mountain bases in the northern Galgala region.

The Shebab, who were long active mainly in southern and central Somalia, have increasingly switched to guerrilla tactics after abandoning fixed positions in the war-torn capital Mogadishu last year. But as the fighters flee a series of once powerful strongholds-including most recently the strategic and lucrative southern port of Kismayo-Galgala in the northern Golis Mountains has provided refuge. “There are several hundreds of AlShebab fighters including senior leaders in the Galgala area,” said Abdiweli Mohamed Suldan, a Galgala elder. “Most of them have entered the area in the last couple of months... many join every day heavily armed with machine guns,” he added.

Matt Bryden, former head of the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, now head of the Sahan Research thinktank, calls the Shebab a “broken movement”, but warns fighters are shifting north to Galgala with cells left behind in the south and in towns. While those in rural areas are tired of the grim cycles of war, drought and hunger they’ve faced since the collapse of government in 1991, vast areas in the south also offer refuge for the fighters.

But the bolstering of bases in the northern mountains-under longtime control of warlord, arms dealer and Shebab ally Mohamed Said Atom, on UN Security Council sanctions for “kidnapping, piracy and terrorism”-suggests the Shebab are far from collapse. “This is not the end of Al-Shebab... they were in this situation before when they were fighting

the Ethiopians,” said EJ Hogendoorn of the International Crisis Group (ICG), referring to Addis Ababa’s US-backed invasion in 2006. “Their strategy is to go back to an insurgency and asymmetrical attacks.”

The Golis mountains, straddling the porous border between the autonomous state of Puntland and self-declared independent Somaliland, is honeycombed with caves and difficult to access. “It is a good area for those wanting to hide out, and there are several training camps already established for the fighters,” said Mohamed Haji Sugule, a resident in Galgala, some 50 kilometers south of the port of Bossaso. “We hear that senior leaders who fled southern Somalia arrived a few weeks before Kismayo was taken,” he added. Puntland forces battled Atom’s troops in 2010-2011, damaging his militia force but failing to crush the militants, and the Shebab have since bolstered the fighters in the region.

“We have taken control of key areas and besieged Galgala itself killing many of the militants last year, but now they want to regroup,” said Colonel Jama Said, a senior Puntland military official. Senior Shebab commander Sheikh Ibrahim Mohamed declined to name which commanders were in the region-potentially several of whom the US have offered multi-million dollar bounties for-but praised the people of Galgala. “They have opposed the apostate proxy administration of the infidels, and God willing, they will continue defending their religion and land from the invaders,” Mohamed said. Many of the Shebab’s foot soldierswho joined due to fear or for opportunistic reasons-are likely to abandon the force, the ICG’s Abdirashid Hashi suggested. But that still leaves at least several hundred “who are diehard Al-Qaeda types with a transnational agenda,” Hashi warned. Bryden has previously noted links between the hard core of extremists Islamist groups in Kenya and Tanzania, as well the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. “Galgala is still number one hideout option for Al-Qaeda in Somalia and there are also foreign fighters training the Somali militants,” said Warsame Adan, a Puntland security official, while claiming the forces would be defeated.—AFP

Portugal ‘behind failed coup in Guinea-Bissau’

BISSAU: Guinea-Bissau’s interim government accused Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries of being behind an assault on an air force base, saying it was part of a strategy to return to power the West African nation’s exiled former prime minister. The military of the tiny coup-prone former Portuguese colony repelled the attack near the capital Bissau early on Sunday during a two-hour gun battle that killed six people. “The attack ... is part of the strategy to bring (ex-prime minister) Carlos Gomes Junior back to GuineaBissau, even at the cost of human lives,” government spokesman Fernando Vaz said in a statement read on state radio on Sunday night. “The tone of the speeches given by Portugal, the Community of Portuguesespeaking Countries (CPLP) and Carlos Gomes Junior was the precursor to the attack,” he said. Guinea-Bissau, a transit hub for Latin American cocaine smuggled to Europe, is in the throes of a ragged recovery after the army overthrew the government in April just weeks before a second round presidential vote Gomes Junior was favored to win. The junta said Gomes Junior had a secret pact with Angola, which had soldiers deployed in Bissau at the time, to eliminate the military’s leadership.

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS brokered a deal that allowed a handover of power to a civilian interim government charged with setting up new elections. But interim president Manuel Sherifo Nhamadjo lacks the full support of the United Nations, the European Union and the CPLP, however,

who say his government remains under army influence. Portugal’s foreign ministry said on Monday it would not react to the accusations it was involved in Sunday’s events. It said earlier that it viewed the situation in the country “with concern after another case of military movements.

“There is no military solution to problems faced by Guinea Bissau. Only via a political process will it be possible to overcome the current crisis situation in this friendly country,” the statement read. Brazil Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said stabilizing Guinea-Bissau will be a test for its partners. “This will be a test for the subregional and multilateral system: if it cannot establish a strategy of stabilization for Guinea-Bissau, it is hard to imagine how it will handle bigger challenges when they arise,” Patriota told reporters after meeting with visiting Cape Verde Foreign Minister Jorge Borges.

Borges said West African nations were concerned that drug trafficking and terrorism were undermining the stability of Guinea-Bissau and Mali. Coups have become cyclical in Guinea-Bissau, he said.

“The Guinea-Bissau people are hostage to a group of politicians and military officers who do not dignify or contribute in any way to the normal and desirable development of the nation,” Borges said. The governments of other members of the CPLP grouping of Portuguese-speaking countries Angola, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor, had no immediate comment. —Reuters

“One night we had an elderly lady. At around two or three in the morning, some kids tried to set her alight,” Viv calmly tells the tourists. “They poured fuel on her sleeping bag and tried to set her alight. Luckily some of us heard the commotion, woke up, and chased them away.”

The tour group, who have so far seemed dazed by Viv’s stark account of life on the streets, finally pluck up the courage to ask some questions. “What about the hotel?” one visitor asks. “I imagine they had a lot of leftover food?” “It’s a hotel for the rich,” Viv says, without bitterness. Paul van Beusekom, a 32-year-old bicycle designer from the Netherlands, eventually dares to ask a more personal question: how did Viv become homeless?

“My marriage broke up. I left my kids at home and moved out,” she says simply, clearly unwilling to dwell on the subject.

The tourists’ questions dry up. Viv has been homeless since 1997, drifting between parks and bridges when she cannot sleep on the sofas of friends and relatives. She earns around £30 ($48, 37

LONDON: Viv (center), an ‘Unseen Tours’ guide, leads a group of tourists through London. The award-winning Unseen Tours offers alternative guided walks in London led by professionally coached homeless guides. — AFP euros) a week from her work as a guide.

Unseen Tours pays her 60 percent of the earnings from each tour-which costs £10 a ticket-plus £40 a month for transport and £20 for her telephone bill. “It’s very little, but it’s still worth it,” she says.

Above all, the tours give Viv a task to occupy her days and take her mind off things. “I have something other to do than selling the Big Issue,” she said of the weekly British magazine distributed by homeless people.—AFP

UK more disillusioned than ever with the EU Hague tells Germans ‘less is more’ on Europe

BERLIN: Britain’s foreign secretary told Germany yesterday his country was more disillusioned than ever with the European Union and set out a vision of its future, based on the premise “less is more”, that clashed directly with Berlin’s plans for the eurozone. William Hague dashed any hope of a conciliatory message to a key European partner which fears Britain is gradually withdrawing from the EU, saying Britons feel the Union “is a great machine that sucks up decisionmaking”.

“This coalition government is committed to Britain playing a leading role in the EU but I must also be frank: public disillusionment with the EU in Britain is the deepest it has ever been,” Hague said in a speech in Berlin. His criticism, some of the strongest from London in recent months, could further strain ties between Britain and the EU’s leading power. Berlin is increasingly irritated by the isolationist instincts of British Prime Minister David Cameron and the bulk of his Conservative lawmakers. Hague faced direct pleas from his colleagues from Germany and Finland - countries at the heart of the currency union - to sign up to a pan-European banking union, and push for more joint EU foreign and defense policy.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle warned him that while the EU welcomed dissenting views, the integration process could not wait for doubters. “All are welcome to contribute their ideas. But if anyone does not want to come along or cannot come along, it will not prevent the rest from going on ahead,” said Westerwelle. “That goes for travel freedom in the Schengen zone, that goes for the common currency and I believe it also goes for common foreign and security policy,” he said.

Finland’s Europe Minister, Alexander Stubb, speaking at the same conference, said: “William, please, join the banking union, don’t sit on the fence - we need you.” The reply was totally unambiguous. “To join in a banking union with another currency - the currency of our friends, but another currency - would be an

democracy - issues like national budgets - forever,” warned Hague, in what appeared to be a reference to Merkel’s “fiscal compact” signed by all 27 EU member states except for Britain and the Czechs.

In contrast to Merkel’s mantra that the answer to the euro-zone debt crisis is “more Europe, not

action at the European level,” he said.

Cameron is under pressure to claw back powers from the EU, or even pull Britain out of the bloc altogether, as anti-Europe sentiment mounts among many legislators in his party. Finland’s Stubb emphasized the value that country and the Germans placed on

BERLIN: German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle (right) and his British counterpart William Hague listens to Finland’s foreign minister at the Berlin Foreign Policy forum yesterday. — AFP extremely difficult thing to do.

That is why we will not be part of the banking union,” Hague said.

He argued that national parliaments should have more power instead of beefing up the European Parliament, as Chancellor Angela Merkel has proposed, and said efforts to solve the euro-zone debt crisis must not put the EU’s single market at risk. “Some proposals would severely curtail national

less Europe”, Hague declared: “Sometimes less is more, less is better.” He said Britain - as the second largest net contributor to the EU budget - was at a loss to explain why there should be an increase beyond inflation in the EU’s seven-year budget, a package worth around 1 trillion euros ($1.2 trillion). “The EU would be stronger if it made more sense to people, by only acting where there was clear justification for

Britain’s traditional influence in Europe as a free-marketeering counterweight to more interventionist and less fiscally-disciplined southern states like France. But Stubb warned that current debate about referendums and treaty change in Europe could “corner” Britain, adding: “I think if the UK is marginalized or it marginalizes itself, it will be bad for the UK and it will be bad for the European Union.”—Reuters

3 arrested for ‘trying to poison Benin president’ COTONOU: Benin authorities have arrested President Thomas Boni Yayi’s doctor, his niece and an ex-minister over an alleged plot to poison the leader, the public prosecutor said Monday. Justin Gbenameto told journalists that prosecutors “have requested their indictment for criminal conspiracy and attempted assassination of the head of state,” who is also the chairman of the African Union. Those arrested on Sunday included Moudjaidou Soumanou, former minister of commerce, Yayi’s personal doctor Ibrahim Mama Cisse, and Zouberath Kora-Seke, one of Yayi’s nieces who worked at the presidency.

“Thankfully, the plot was not successful,” said Gbenameto. “Zouberath spoke about it with her sister and others, and it was those people who warned the head of state.” The 60year-old Yayi is an economist who first took office in 2006 and won re-election last year. It was alleged that the president’s niece and his doctor were promised one billion CFA francs (1.5 million euros, $2 million) to replace Yayi’s anti-pain medicine with poison. According to prosecutors, the ex-minister played an intermediary role.

The instigator of the plot was alleged to be a Benin businessman named Patrice Talon, a former ally of the president’s but who has recently been at odds with him. Talon is currently out of the country and has not been detained, but Gbenameto said Benin authorities intended to issue an arrest warrant for him.

“On October 17, according to various people, during the head of state’s trip to Brussels, his niece who accompanied him was said to have been invited to the hotel where Patrice Talon

was staying,” Gbenameto said. “He had succeeded in convincing her to give the head of state products which would have been provided by the head of state’s personal doctor.” An aide to the president, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that the plot may have been linked to a decision to end a monopoly for a company supplying materials for the cot-

Benin’s President Thomas Boni Yayi ton industry as well as a major port contract.

Both the port and cotton industry in the West African nation of some nine million people are major sectors of the country’s economy. Yayi was initially seen as representing change in the country marked by a turbulent half-century

since independence in 1960 and had pledged to root out graft, but he has been hit by a number of corruption scandals. The most prominent was an alleged Ponzi scheme reminiscent of the Bernard Madoff scandal in the United States that left scores of people in financial ruin.

It also prompted calls for Yayi, who denied any wrongdoing, to be tried on accusations he helped the firm involved. But while he has been hit by scandal, Yayi has also been praised for several measures aimed at helping the country’s poorest, including a vast microcredit program. Yayi won last year’s election with 53 percent of the vote. The election had been previously postponed twice because preparations were not complete, but voting day eventually passed off calmly. His main challenger, Adrien Houngbedji, rejected the results of the election, alleging fraud and proclaiming himself the winner. The results showed Houngbedji with 36 percent.

Two recent cases in Benin have drawn suspicions of political links, though there was no sign of any connection with the poisoning allegations. Last week, labor leader Pascal Todjinou was arrested and held for several days for not having vehicle insurance after a car accident. Police said they were simply following procedures, while unions and the opposition criticized the move. Meanwhile, Lionel Agbo, former spokesman for the president, has been accused of defamation and insulting the head of state. He allegedly said after leaving his post in the presidency that Yayi intended to maintain power after his two terms were up and that his entourage was corrupt.— AFP

12

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

international

Couple’s love bridges Myanmar religious divide SITTWE: Praying with a Quran on his knees in a mud-strewn camp, Rohin Mullah is one of thousands of Muslims uprooted by sectarian bloodshed in Myanmar. But the former monk’s story is far from normal. Born a Buddhist, he fell in love with a girl on the other side of the religious divide-a member of the Rohingya minority group shunned by Myanmar society at large. He has since been ostracized by his former neighbors, lost his home and lives in a camp for displaced people in western Rakhine state, which is reeling from an upsurge of BuddhistMuslim violence since June.

“The Rakhine side hated me when I converted to Islam,” he said Mullah, 37, who changed his name from Kyaw Tun Aung, has had no contact with his parents since he married 10 years ago.

“For three days, my mother asked me why I was going to Islam, and I said that I didn’t like Buddhism, that I thought it was not the right religion,” he recalled. His wife

Amina, a round-faced 30-year-old with her hair tucked under a headscarf, said that despite the lack of tolerance for their marriage, they had “a very happy life” together. “But since the violence, our life is hard,” she added.

Mullah, a construction worker, lived with his wife and three children in Rayngwesu, a Muslim district of the Rakhine state capital Sittwe, until clashes engulfed their neighborhood in June. He said the family’s home was one of the first to be torched. Mullah’s background as a Rakhine Buddhistwho spent four years as a monk before converting one-and-a-half decades ago-did not help protect his home. “Monks remembered me from the monastery, and they attacked my family and destroyed everything in my house,” he said.

Amina has not met her in-laws. “I have never even seen them,” she said, adding that her husband was “a good Muslim”.

Their situation is unusual in Rakhine, despite estimates of

around 800,000 Rohingya living in the state. There are “not more than 100” mixed marriage couples, said Abu Tahay, a leader of the National Democratic Party for

secuted minorities. “Some people meet and fall in love in school or doing business,” he said, but few opportunities for inter-religious courtship exist between the com-

SITTWE: A Muslim Rohingya woman pictured outside her tent at the Dabang Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp. —AFP Development, which campaigns for the rights of the Rohingyaconsidered by the United Nations to be one of the world’s most per-

munities.

Oo Hla Saw, general secretary of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party, said he did

know of one Muslim woman who had converted to Buddhism to marry a Rakhine, but “generally, Rakhine people do not accept mixed couples”. A long history of discrimination and prejudice has left the Rohingya stateless, with restrictions placed on their movements and scant access to public services. They are considered by the government and many ordinary people to be illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. June’s violence left about 90 people dead, according to official figures, although some rights groups estimate many more may have died. Three people were killed in the latest outbreak of violence on Tuesday.

Thousands from both communities were left homeless after whole villages were burned to the ground. Now Mullah shares the fate of more than 50,000 Muslims, mainly Rohingya, who are housed in several wretched camps in the state, unable to go home. For more than four months the family

Japan justice minister quits after ‘mob ties’ PM faces difficulty holding support within party

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda answers questions at his official residence in Tokyo yesterday. —AFP

TOKYO: Japan’s justice minister quit yesterday because of ill health, a cabinet official said, after calls for his resignation over past ties to an organized crime syndicate, dealing another blow to unpopular Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Keishu Tanaka, 74, only became justice minister in a cabinet reshuffle on Oct 1, and his resignation is the second by a minister since Noda took office in September 2011.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a news conference that Tanaka stepped down for health reasons. The resignation came a day after Tanaka left a Tokyo hospital where he had checked in on Friday with chest pains, irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure.

The health problems followed days of calls for his resignation after a magazine report linked him to the Yakuza organized crime syndicate. Tanaka said he acted as a matchmaker at a mobster’s wedding and attended a party thrown by the head of a crime group

about 30 years ago, explaining that he was not aware of the groom’s mob connections or the nature of the event at the time.

Tanaka has also admitted shortly after his appointment that his party branch accepted 420,000 yen ($5,300) in donations from a company run by a foreigner between 2006 and 2009. Accepting funds from foreign nationals is illegal if done so knowingly.

Tanaka’s office said he had returned all of the money, according to media. “The resignation is likely to further weaken Noda’s support within his party.

Obviously, it will become more difficult for him to exert leadership,” said Mikitaka Masuyama, professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. “But it is uncertain whether this could be a trigger for an early election ... Given falling public support for the government, there is no benefit in him dissolving parliament and calling snap election at the moment.”

Noda promised in August to hold

an election “soon” as part of negotiations with the opposition on a plan to raise sales tax. The Tanaka scandal is the latest in a string of setbacks for Noda, the ruling Democrats’ third prime minister in as many years, who is expected to lose the next election.

In September last year, days after Noda formed his government, then Trade Minister Yoshio Hachiro quit over comments about radiation following a visit to the Fukushima region, scene of a nuclear plant accident following an earthquake and tsunami in March that year. Government policy-making has stalled since the parliament session ended last month, with the opposition blocking legislation in a split parliament to try and force an early election. Noda’s ruling party has decided to convene an extra session of parliament from Oct 29 to try to pass a bill needed to cover nearly half the government’s budget spending, setting the stage for another showdown with the opposition. —Reuters

Australia opposition leader apologizes to childless PM SYDNEY: Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott apologized yesterday after saying the government was inexperienced when it comes to having babies, a comment seen as a dig at childless Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Abbott, recently savaged by Gillard as sexist and a misogynist, made the remark when referring to cuts in a baby bonus scheme announced as part of the government’s mid-year budget review. He said scaling back the payment to cut costs and return the budget to surplus revealed a lack of “experience” within the government of raising children.

In response the unmarried Gillard, who was once described by a member of Abbott’s Liberal party as “deliberately barren”, said: “I think Abbott can explain what he meant by that line.” Trade Minister Craig Emerson also questioned what Abbott, who

has three daughters, meant. “If he’s talking about the treasurer (Wayne Swan), well he’s got several children; I’ve got several children,” Emerson said.

“So what’s he really on about to suggest that this government isn’t experienced at having children and therefore with the costs of children?”

Abbott accused the government of “hyperventilating” over the issue and said he meant no offence. However, he offered to apologize. “If she (Gillard) wants to take offence of course I’m sorry about that. And if she would like me to say sorry, I’m sorry,” Abbott told Fairfax radio. “Mate, I think a lot of people are very ready to read far too much into entirely innocent comments,” he added. “This was as innocent as a comment can be.” Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said the ruling Labor party was being over-sensitive.

“This is pathetic. This whole rhetoric is

pathetic,” he said. “If we’re at the point now where we can’t refer to the government and families in the same breath, surely the debate has got to an absurd point.”

Gillard, the nation’s first woman leader, won praise around the world for her comments on Abbott being sexist during a parliamentary speech a fortnight ago, which saw her popularity surge in an opinion poll released Monday. Abbott said yesterday that people wanted to “move on” from the debate. “If I’ve got a criticism of the government I’m criticizing it because of its record, not because of the gender of any of its members,” he said. In its mid-year economic review on Monday, the government announced some Aus$16.4 billion in savings over four years to help return the budget to surplus in 2012-13, including cuts to the baby bonus scheme.—AFP

Arson suspected as hospital fire kills 12 TAINAN: A blaze tore through a Taiwan hospital for bed-bound seniors and mentally ill patients yesterday, killing 12 and injuring 60, with police reportedly arresting a patient suspected of starting the fire. The fire erupted before dawn at Beimen nursing facility in south Taiwan’s Tainan city, whose 115 patients included people in their 90s, with several left on their own to escape dense smoke that filled the building.

Local media said police had arrested a person believed to be a hospital patient on suspicion of starting the blaze-Taiwan’s worst hospital fire in years.

Police and prosecutors declined to comment. Closedcircuit TV footage taken moments after the blaze broke out showed hospital staff scrambling to put out the fire, while elderly patients struggled to escape down the corridor in their wheelchairs. “My mother saw the fire and smelled the smoke so she got on her wheelchair and pushed herself out. She is very brave and very lucky,” the daughter of 94-year-old survivor Wang Ho-shou said.

Another patient told Central News Agency he was lucky to escape the fire as he was able to walk on his own and was later rescued by firefighters. “It was pitch

black and the heavy smoke was unbearable, it was really horrifying,” he was quoted by the agency as saying. The United Evening News said four patients lost their lives at the nursing facility, while eight others died after being taken to other hospitals in the area.

The deaths were believed to be caused by smoke inhalation. Television footage showed rescuers and hospital staff pushing out unconscious patients in their wheelchairs or beds, with many laid out on the lawn in front of the building as they tried to resuscitate the serious cases with CPR. One crying woman was shown clutching the hand of an elderly man who lay lifeless in his pyjamas at the hospital entrance. Fire officials said the fire possibly started in a crammed storage room on the second floor of the five-floor building, a branch of the public Sinying Hospital. Premier Sean Chen expressed his shock, while President Ma Ying-jeou sent his condolences to the families of the victims, according to government statements. “President Ma... has instructed the health department to provide emergency shelter and follow-up treatment,” his office said in a statement. —AFP

BANDA ACEH: A Muslim Acehnese man rides a bicycle in front of the closed protestant church at Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh province yesterday. —AFP

Churches, temples shut down in Indonesia JAKARTA: Authorities in Indonesia’s only province that uses Islamic sharia laws said yesterday they had closed some Christian places of worship and Buddhist temples following pressure from hardliners. The closures in Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra Island, came after complaints from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), and are the latest sign of growing religious intolerance in Muslim-majority Indonesia.

Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal, deputy mayor of provincial capital Banda Aceh where the closures took place, said the official reason was that the nine Christian sites and six Buddhist temples did not have permits. But she said that they were shut last week after complaints from the FPI and that “there had been some tension before we took a decision.” “We do not want any security trouble in Banda Aceh because of these illegal activities.”

The FPI presents itself as an enforcer of morals and Islamic laws and sometimes accompanies police in some parts of the country on violent raids on bars and brothels. Nico Tarigan, who led Christian services at a two-storey house until its closure last week, said the FPI had attacked the building in June and sent text message threats. “What we’ve done was simply a religious activity. It’s only once a week and lasts not more than two hours,” he said. —AFP

has lived with around 1,000 others in the Dabang camp on the outskirts of Sittwe. Their flimsy white tent, lashed to a palm tree and bearing the slogan “Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Humanity”, is only a few meters square and pitched in thick mud as the monsoon drags on-a particular hardship as they struggle to look after their children including a sixmonth-old baby.

There is little sign of an end in sight-the fighting appears to have deepened animosities between the two communities, with growing calls among Buddhists for the Rohingya to be removed. But Mullah and his wife said they have no regrets about choosing each other. They even hope that one day they will be able to return to the lives they knew before and help reconcile the two communities. “I want to go back to the city, where I lived for so many years,” Mullah said. “I would be very happy to live with Rakhine people.” —AFP

News

in brief

Mumbai gunman’s mercy plea goes to the president NEW DELHI: Indian officials yesterday submitted a clemency plea to the president by the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, opening the final appeal stage against his death sentence. Pakistan-born Mohammed Kasab, currently in jail in Mumbai, was one of 10 gunmen who laid siege to the city in attacks that lasted nearly three days and killed 166 people. “Now it is for the president of India to take a final call as he holds the supreme authority in this matter,” a senior home ministry official said, requesting anonymity. Kasab was sentenced to death in May 2010 after he was found guilty of a string of charges, including waging war against India, murder and terrorist acts. He appealed in the Supreme Court claiming he did not receive a fair trial, but his petition was struck down in August. Prisoners can often languish for years on death row in India, with only one execution having taken place in the last 15 years-that of a former security guard hanged in 2004 for the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl. During the 2008 attacks, the heavily armed Islamist gunmen stormed targets in Mumbai including luxury hotels, a Jewish centre, a hospital and a bustling train station.

Cash crisis delays Khmer Rouge trial PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s landmark trial of three ex-Khmer Rouge leaders faces fresh delays, the UNbacked court said yesterday, explaining funding woes would force it to hold fewer hearings each month. The court cannot afford to replace “a significant number of key international legal and other staff”, judges said, in the latest setback to a trial stalked by fears that its octogenarian defendants will not live to see a verdict. “While there is insufficient staff to support the work of the trial chamber, it cannot continue to sit for four days each week,” presiding judge Nil Nonn said in court, adding that hearings would be three times a week from next month. “This will lead inevitably to an extension of the time needed to conclude (the) case,” he said.

The move comes as the oldest and most frail of the accused, ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary, 86, is in hospital with a string of ailments, lending fresh urgency to proceedings that have already been hit by health-related delays. The tribunal, which is funded by foreign donors, has faced frequent cash shortages since it was set up in 2006 to seek justice for up to two million people who died under the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime. It has spent over $160 million so far and faces a shortfall of at least $4 million this year. Observers blame the donor fatigue in part on stubborn allegations of political interference at the court and complaints it is moving too slowly.

East Timor to take over policing; UN withdraws JAKARTA: UN peacekeepers will hand over full responsibility for policing to East Timor next week as they begin withdrawing in earnest from Asia’s youngest nation, a UN official said yesterday. The final batch of peacekeepers will leave in December in line with a timetable to depart by the end of the year, said Finn Reske-Nielsen, head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor (UNMIT).

“We will pull them out over the next two months.

By the 15th of December there will be no UN police (peacekeepers) left in the country,” he told reporters in Jakarta. The current UN mission arrived in 2006 after a political crisis in which dozens were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, with a mandate to restore security. The only major violence since then was a 2008 failed assassination attempt against former president Jose RamosHorta, and the country this year held largely peaceful presidential polls and general elections. The UN partially handed over responsibility for security to Timorese police in March last year and from November 1 they will be expected to operate on their own. It would be the “end of any kind of operation of support by the UN police”, Reske-Nielsen said. “At the moment whenever we are asked to provide support for a police operation, we will do that. But as of November 1 that stops and we will send the police home in very short order,” he said.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

Gold makes glittering souvenir of Makkah MAKKAH: They might wear the humble white sheets required for Islam’s haj pilgrimage, but for many visitors thronging Makkah’s streets, the perfect souvenir of their trip is that most glittering of commodities - gold. For most pilgrims haj represents the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition and many of them want to commemorate their journey with keepsakes or gifts for relatives that carry a special religious significance. Pilgrims from smaller, less cosmopolitan places than Makkah, also find the gold jewellery to be cheaper, better quality and more elaborate than what is available at home, creating a thriving annual market for the precious metal.

“The designs are beautiful. Everything is beautiful. I am confused which ones to pick,” said Ijlal Suleiman, 35, from Sudan. But after bargaining with a gold salesman she decided to move to the next shop to sample other designs.

Dozens of gold shops lie just outside the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, and their shelves and windows sparkle with bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, lockets and chains engraved with traditional Middle Eastern and Indian designs. Prices of unworked gold are similar to those in Dubai, a regional jewellery hub, with 24-carats going for 204 UAE dirhams ($55.54) a gram in the emirate, according to and 215 riyals ($57.33) in Makkah, said a shopkeeper.

Most of the jewellery is manufactured in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port city of Jeddah from 21-carat gold, while pieces

with Indian designs are imported through Dubai, said Ali Abdullah, 35, a Saudi who has been working in a gold shop in Makkah for 10 years. “The gold sold in Makkah is pure and not tampered with,” he said. “The Saudi gold is the best in the world. Its quality is high and it’s blessed. People buy gold and say this is blessed gold from Makkah.”

Unlike the white gold studded with diamonds and precious stones on display in Dubai’s glitzy shopping malls, gold in Makkah’s markets hardly has any additions which is more attractive to customers who buy it as an investment.

“The gold here is good in terms of its weight and manufacturing,” said Mohammed Idrisur Rahman, 57, a lawyer from Bangladesh, as he bought two lockets for his daughter and daughter-in-law. “It is solid gold and the price is good and it’s bought from a holy place.” For distant relatives less shiny but highly sought after gifts would suffice, Rahman said.

That includes prayer beads and zamzam water, pumped from a holy well in Makkah.

However, not all pilgrims see their purchases as religious. “Gold is good, it’s better than buying fabrics and clothes,” said Haj Namen, 47, from Iraqi Kurdistan after buying $2,450 worth of gold for his wife at home. “If you are away from your wife for a month you have to get her some gold,” said Najem, who has performed haj consecutively for the past 12 years as part of his job as a tour operator. — Reuters

A Muslim pilgrim shops in a gold market near the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah yesterday. — AP

14

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

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Issues

Turkey looking to Iran, Russia to tackle Syria

By Fulya Ozerkan urkey is turning to regional powers Iran and Russia, backers of the Damascus regime, to help it deal with Syria’s bloody civil war that has spilled across its border with deadly shelling and a flood of refugees, analysts say. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave the first signs last week that Ankara may be shifting the way it approaches the 19month conflict after holding what local media called a “surprise meeting” with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Baku. Ankara has proposed to Iran establishing a set of trilateral mechanisms involving key regional players to face the Syrian crisis raging at their doorsteps. “This (trilateral) mechanism might involve Turkey, Egypt and Iran,” Erdogan said. “A second mechanism could involve Turkey, Russia, Iran. A third could be made up of Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.” “This represents a significant shift in position by Ankara,” Semih Idiz wrote in the English-language Hurriyet Daily News.

“It was no more than a few months ago that Ankara looked coolly on any discussion on Syria which involved Russia and Iran due to their unconditional backing of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad,” he argued. Erdogan’s government, a one-time Assad ally, has burnt bridges with Damascus after its deadly crackdown on popular dissent that erupted in March last year and has turned into a civil war.

Turkey has since then provided sanctuary for some 100,000 refugees fleeing the conflict, as well as the exiled Syrian rebel and political leadership, in camps along its volatile border. At the same time Turkey’s parliament has approved military action against Damascus “when deemed necessary”, shortly after Syrian shells killed five Turks in a border town on Oct 3. The Turkish military has beefed up border security with aircraft and tanks.

But in the region, Ankara’s deterrent measures have not set well with Iran and Russia and have changed the perception of Turkey as troublesome. Sami Kohen, a veteran columnist of liberal daily Milliyet, said Ankara began to seek an “exit strategy” after the policies pursued so far by the government pushed Turkey to become a part of the problem. “While on the one side Ankara is keeping on its policy of showdown against Syria, on the other side it is signalling that it wants to be involved in efforts for a peaceful solution.”

A Turkish foreign ministry official contacted by AFP said Turkey has never ruled out regional initiatives, noting its support for regional quartet talks proposed by Egypt and involving the other two key players Iran and Saudi Arabia. Turkey and Iran have diverging views on the Syrian crisis but recent weeks have seen an intensive diplomatic exchange between the two countries, resulting in both Ankara and Tehran’s backing a ceasefire plan floated by international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi during the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday starting this week. Turkey is also talking to Russia despite a recent diplomatic row sparked after Ankara grounded a Syriabound plane en route from Moscow to Damascus on suspicion that it had military cargo. Turkey has not yet said what exactly the suspect cargo contained, but both countries have preferred to downplay the incident, and denied there was a crisis in their trade-based relationship.

It is however hard to predict if Turkey’s new overtures, interpreted by some observers as a change in Turkish foreign policy options, will have any chance of success as long as Russia and Iran cling to their support for Assad’s regime. Yet Turkey finds itself grasping for support over the Syria crisis, amid criticism that the Western powers are not doing enough to stop the bloodshed. “Turkey has been desperate for 19 months,” Soli Ozel, a professor of international relations at Istanbul’s Bilgi University, told AFP. “It doesn’t have enough strength to change the circumstances in Syria, or to convince Syria’s allies (to find a solution), or to convince its Western allies to stand by it.”

A new initiative to build cooperation with key regional players may be Turkey’s way of mending fences with its neighbours over Syria. “I think Turkey’s leaders are rediscovering the idea of having zero problems with neighbours,” a Western diplomat, familiar with Ankara’s efforts, told AFP. “Turks have come to the conclusion that they need to do something as regards Russia and Iran. They have realised Turkey is not alone and even if it were a super power, Turkey has to have friends.” — AFP

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Combative Obama finds subdued Romney

By Ben Feller President Barack Obama came ready Monday for a fighting finish, deriding Republican rival Mitt Romney as reckless and overmatched in world affairs. Instead he found a subdued challenger who was eager to agree and determined to show he was not a warmonger.

Romney starkly moderated his tone and his approach in the closing debate. Playing it safe, he tried not to unnerve undecided voters who are wary of another US-led war, or to upend a race that remains remarkably tight with two weeks to go. No moment was more telling than when Romney had a clear opening to respond to Obama’s lecture that he was wrong and irresponsible on foreign affairs. He responded by giving his five-point plan for fixing the economy, leading to a bizarre exchange that took the debate wildly off topic.

It showed how much the commander in chief was in his comfort zone, while the challenger regretted that he was not in his.

The last debate turned into a mirror of the first one on Oct 3, when Romney had been the aggressor and Obama was intent not to fiercely challenge him. Even in trying to outline differences with Obama, Romney often started by agreeing with him.

Suddenly, it was Romney the Republican who was talking about supporting economies abroad, while Obama the Democrat warned against nation-building.

From drones to Afghanistan to Syria, Romney and Obama spoke in agreement on goals, if not strategy. The president’s biggest vulnerability - last month’s deadly assault on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and all the unanswered questions that surround it - barely surfaced. Romney seemed to pass on the opportunity to assail Obama’s leadership and shifting messages on the attack. Obama accomplished portraying himself as a world leader, facing a former governor who he said had offered positions that sent a mixed, and unsettling, message to allies and the American people.

He did so at times mockingly, but faced little fire in return. “I know you haven’t been in a position to actually execute foreign policy, but every time you’ve offered an opinion, you’ve been wrong,” Obama told Romney. He needled Romney the businessman for complaining that today’s navy is smaller now than at any time since 1917, trying to hold Romney up as ignorant and unfit for the job. “Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military’s changed. We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them.”

Romney’s clearest points were to try to turn Obama’s most aggressive moments against him, and to outline a more comprehensive strategy for combatting the extremism that has roiled the Middle East and North Africa. Even then, his tone stood out.

Politely. “Well, of course I don’t concur with what the president said about my own record and the things that I’ve said,” he said.

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“They don’t happen to be accurate. ... Attacking me is not an agenda.”

With the race extremely tight and several states hanging in the balance, Romney sought to show he was reassuring, poised and in essence, presidential. Yet he seemed to lose some of the edge that gave his campaign a bump in the first debate. Trying to capitalize on the mood of voters, Obama has campaigned as the leader who ends the wars, not the guy who begins new ones.

Romney tried to combat that by saying, for example, that he would not get the United States involved militarily in Syria even though he wants to find a way to arm the opposition.

Yet millions of viewers at home were often left to discern exactly how much Romney and Obama differ in a world of diplomacy that is enormously difficult and nuanced. Before the debate, Romney aides said they believed viewers would, above all, be looking for Romney to demonstrate leadership and confidence. His answers often appeared driven to show he understand the regions, players and challenges at play instead of undermining the president’s positions on them.

The moderate Romney was dominant. On Afghanistan, for

example, Romney said he also would bring US troops home by 2014. Often, though, Romney would agree in principle before saying he would have executed differently. Romney congratulated the president on killing Osama bin Laden, for example, but then said, “We can’t kill our way out of this mess.” He agreed that sanctions were hurting Iran, but then said he would have initiated them sooner than Obama did. Romney also said he agreed with Obama’s decision to stop supporting Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak - “I supported (Obama’s) action there” - but said he would have been more “aggressive” in trying to encourage democracy.

After a whole year in which foreign affairs has been the undercard of the campaign fight, it got its moment with the stakes right where they should be - high. The presidency is about the world even during inward-looking times. Currency standoffs with China, nuclear showdowns with Iran and military tensions around the globe affect the economy and security of the United States. The debate season ended with Romney looking like he wanted to get off the stage and back on the economy. That, ultimately, is where this election will be settled. —AP

‘Cliffhanger’ election awaits

By Andrew Gully ith the debate season now over, the US presidential race is neck-and-neck and could boil down to the “ground game” effort to get out the vote in just a clutch of swing states, experts say. President Barack Obama laid into Mitt Romney’s foreign policy as “wrong and reckless” in Monday night’s final debate, but the Republican challenger did nothing to disqualify himself as a plausible commander-inchief. Political analysts agreed that with the more pressing issue being the state of the US economy and their rival plans to revive it, the slugging match on national security probably did little to budge the election needle.

Romney’s play-it-safe debate strategy of towing more to Obama’s line than he had on the campaign trail reinforced this, Charles Franklin, co-founder of Pollster.com and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told AFP. “I don’t think you heard much tonight that suggests fundamental differences in either military strategy or policy,” he said. “And so, in matching positions there, you take the foreign policy issues off the table.”

All eyes are now on nine or 10 swing states, particularly Florida, Ohio and Virginia, which offer the largest number of electoral college votes in the quest for the magic number of 270 that guarantees victory. Since trouncing Obama in the first

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presidential debate on Oct 3, polls show that Romney has surged into the lead in Florida and caught up with the president in Virginia, but he still trails in all-important Ohio. “I think we are, at the moment, close enough that you could imagine a cliffhanger that comes down to a single state’s electoral votes,” said Franklin.

Dotty Lynch, professor of Public Communication at American University, told AFP that we can expect an already exhaustive ad blitz in the crucial battlegrounds to intensify in the final two weeks of campaigning. “The advertising is going to be extremely heavy and very targeted towards specific groups, women voters, blue-collar (working class) voters,” Lynch said. But the emphasis will also turn to the “ground game” as Obama’s Democrats and Romney’s Republicans focus greater attention on their street-by-street drive to get supporters to the polls on Nov 6. “We’re really down to both sides mobilizing whatever resources they have to get their voters to the polls, to go as much as they still can in the last two weeks door-to-door,” said George Washington University professor Christopher Arterton. “Oftentimes, it is the person talking to somebody that they know, or somebody in their neighborhood or somebody very similarly situated that can have a decisive influence on whether that person votes in the first place, and how that person votes,” Arterton told AFP.—AFP

Tiny Qatar boosts Islamists in Gaza visit

By Acil Tabbara y visiting Hamas-ruled Gaza on Tuesday, Qatar’s emir demonstrated a long-standing policy of boosting both Islamists and the regional influence of his tiny but energy-rich Gulf state, analysts said. In the post Arab Spring Middle East, several of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani’s Islamist proteges have come to power after the ouster of long-time dictators in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. “Qatar saw the Arab revolutions as an opportunity rather than a threat,” said Brookings Doha director Salman Shaikh. “They understood where the centre of gravity of the region is, instead of the others who were trying to maintain the old order.”

According to Shaikh, Qatar’s support for the Islamists is “not purely dogmatic or ideological”.

The Gulf state has “built relationships over decades” with the Islamists because “there was a feeling these people had integrity and capability compared to the establishment in the Arab world”. Since his rise to power in 1995, Sheikh Hamad has hosted several Islamist leaders in exile while Qatar’s Al-Jazeera pan-Arab news broadcaster has provided an open platform for outlawed Islamists to air their views. He has maintained good relations with Hamas in particular, playing host to the group’s political leader Khaled Meshaal in 1997 following an attempt by Israeli agents to assassinate him in Jordan. He has also worked towards a reconciliation between Hamas and the secular Palestinian movement Fatah.

Sheikh Hamad yesterday became the first Arab head of state to visit the troubled Gaza Strip since 2007, a trip designed to increase political and economic support to the Islamist movement boycotted by the international community. Doha is increasing its investment in rebuilding Gaza to $400 million, up from $254 million, Gaza’s Hamas premier Ismail Haniya said

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during the landmark visit to the impoverished territory. The emir was not visiting the West Bank town of Ramallah, the Palestinian seat of government where president Mahmoud Abbas, who heads Fatah, is based. But Palestinian analysts have said Sheikh Hamad had called Abbas to “reassure” him that his country was not taking sides in the five-year conflict between Fatah and Hamas. Israel was less understanding of Sheikh Hamad’s apparent preference for Hamas. “We find it weird that the emir doesn’t support all of the Palestinians but sides with Hamas over the

Palestinian Authority (in the West Bank) which he has never visited,” Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP. “The emir has chosen his camp and it is not good.” Lebanese analyst Abdel Wahab Badrakhan argued that Qatar was not seeking to empower Hamas, but rather wanted to “contain it”. “Qatar has always supported Hamas, but I think this visit by the emir is intended to contain Hamas more than support it,” said Badrakhan. He argued that Qatar saw an opportunity to compensate for any support which Hamas has lost from more traditional

The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (right), his wife Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned (left), Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya (second right) and his wife Amal (third right) arrive for a cornerstone laying ceremony of a Qatari funded rehabilitation center in Gaza City yesterday. — AFP

allies in Syria and Iran. “Hamas has severed ties with Syria and it will do so with Iran as well but not without ensuring alternative support,” a role Qatar appears happy to fill, said Badrakhan.

Hamas’s politburo chief Meshaal has left Damascus, his base for many years, and relocated to Doha, severing ties with President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime which has been battling a Sunni-dominated rebellion since March 2011.

Qatar is “currently playing the role of a regional power,” said Paul Salem, head of the Beirutbased Carnegie Middle East Centre. “It is true that it is more close to Islamists, but it aspires to become a diplomatic power. This would allow it to play an international role as the key to the Middle East,” he said. Qatar is putting to use its links with Islamists who have taken power in the Arab Spring countries. The chief of Tunisia’s Ennahda Islamist movement, Rached Ghannouchi, chose Doha for his first visit abroad after his party won the country’s post-uprising elections. Qatar also announced in September plans to invest $18 billion over five years in Egypt where the Muslim Brotherhood rose to power after the ouster of president Hosni Mubarak. But Qatar’s politics also provoke criticism in some Arab countries. In Libya, some politicians have accused the emirate of meddling in the internal affairs of the North African nation. They say it is trying to capitalise on the sympathy it earned in the country after it provided financial, military and political support for the rebellion last year. Critics of Qatar also question the motivations of the wealthy US ally which is home to America’s largest military base in the region. Badrakhan, however, does not see a contradiction. He spoke of a tacit US understanding of Qatar’s policy. “With the Arab Spring, the United States felt that there was an opportunity, if not for reconciliation, at least for a truce with political Islam. They saw that Qatar was ready to play this role,” he said. — AFP

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

Workers set up scaffoldings at a construction site in Dubai yesterday. — AP

Apple unveils smaller iPad Continued from Page 1 shipping on November 2 to about three dozen countries in Asia and Europe in addition to the United States. Schiller said the iPad mini weighs 300 gm, is just 7.2 mm thick - thinner than a pencil - and comes in both black and white models. “We told you early this year that you would see some incredible innovation from Apple across the year,” said Apple chief executive Tim Cook, who replaced Steve Jobs last year at the head of the California technology company. “We think we kept our promise and we hope that you agree,” Cook said.

Apple also unveiled a fourth generation of the original iPad yesterday for the same starting price of $499 for a 16GB model with Wi-Fi connectivity. Cook said Apple has sold over 100 million iPads in two and a half years. He also said more than 275,000 applications were now available for the iPad in Apple’s App Store and that

customers have downloaded a total of more than 35 billion apps. Apple set the tablet computer market ablaze with the first iPad in early 2010 and stuck with its 9.7inch screen while rivals introduced lower-price tablets with screens closer to seven inches.

Amazon’s seven-inch Kindle Fire proved popular last year, and a new version was launched last month.

Meanwhile, a Google Nexus 7 powered by Android software joined the Samsung Galaxy in the seven-inch tablet market. The unveiling of the iPad mini comes a little over a month after Apple released the iPhone 5, the latest model of its iconic smartphone, which was greeted with record sales. The event also comes three days ahead of the release of Microsoft’s new Windows-powered Surface tablet and two days before Apple reports quarterly earnings. Microsoft’s Surface has a 10.6-inch screen and starts at $499, challenging the larger-format iPads. — AFP

Obama on attack, but Romney plays it safe Continued from Page 1 often on the defensive, apart from when lambasting Obama over the struggling economy. “Attacking me is not an agenda,” the former Massachusetts governor told the president, and renewed charges that Obama had mounted “apology tours” abroad, prompting the president to accuse him of telling a “whopper”.

Obama had the best lines of the night and sharply cross-examined Romney on his approach to Syria, Iran and trade rows with China, accusing him of “airbrushing history” by dumping earlier hawkish conservative positions. The Republican, who has spent months attempting to paint Obama as a weak appeaser, actually backed much of the substance of the president’s global strategy, courting wavering voters ahead of the Nov 6 election. In a clear bid to moderate his image, Romney endorsed Obama’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, supported the president’s lethal drone war against terror suspects and congratulated him on hunting down Osama bin Laden.

Romney vowed to press China harder on trade and currency issues but toned down earlier rhetoric, following warnings his approach could spark a trade war. “We can be a partner with China. We don’t have to be an adversary in any way, shape or form,” he said, despite his vow to brand Beijing a currency manipulator on day one of his presidency. Oddly, neither candidate mentioned the eurozone crisis - widely seen as the country’s biggest external economic threat - aside from Romney reprising his warning that the debt-laden US economy under Obama was “heading toward Greece”.

An instant poll by CBS News found that Obama won the debate by 53 percent to 23 percent, after a clash that appeared to polish his leadership credentials and saw him showing the passion missing in his disastrous first debate. CNN’s poll found Obama beat Romney 48 to 40 percent. But foreign policy is seen as unlikely to decide the election, with voters preoccupied by the sluggish economy, and it will take several days to gauge whether the clash had any impact in the tied up polls.

Dotty Lynch, professor of Public Communication at American University, said that by agreeing with Obama on foreign policy - the incumbent’s strong suit Romney had tried to maneuver the evening onto more

favorable ground. “By agreeing on the big points of foreign policy, Romney played it safe tonight and tried to move the conversation to the economy, where he thinks he’s stronger,” she said. George Washington University professor Chris Aterton said Romney may have won over some independent voters simply by showing that he is not “the dangerous, wild conservative that Obama has been trying to portray him as.”

Obama looked bemused, puzzled and exasperated

by Romney’s tactics, staring intently at him as he spoke, apparently trying to keep frustration in check. The president accused his opponent of being “all over the map” on a wide range of issues and dismissed Romney’s claims that that he had run down the armed forces to levels not seen since early in the 20th Century. “You mentioned the navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military’s changed,” he said, to laughter from the audience. “We have these things called aircraft carriers where planes land on them. We have these ships that go underwater, nuclear submarines.”

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, warned Islamist extremism was rampant in post-Arab Spring societies and blamed a lack of US leadership over the last four years, warning “we can’t kill our way out of this mess”. Romney demanded tightened sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, saying the country’s leaders “saw weakness where they had been expected to find American strength” and accused Obama of neglecting close ally Israel. The president, who withdrew troops from Iraq, pointed to Romney’s past statements in support of maintaining an unpopular US military presence in the country, invaded in 2003 under former Republican president George W Bush.

And he mocked Romney’s previous statement that Russia was America’s top geopolitical foe. “Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the foreign policies of the 1980s, just like the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s,” Obama said. The rivals are effectively tied in national polls after Romney surged following his first debate win in early October and started chipping away at Obama’s foundation in the swing states that will decide the election. — Agencies

Amir: Laws to apply on Sabah family too Continued from Page 1 Sawwagh, Tahous and Dahoum categorically denied that they undermined the status of the Amir, insisting that they acted within the framework of the law in sending advice to the regime and the government. The three politicians had warned at the public rally against amending the controversial electoral constituency law, saying it could lead to street protests and demonstrations. Former MPs and activists strongly criticized the interior ministry’s “humiliating” measures against the three opposition figures, warning that the interior minister will not escape their measures.

The public prosecution meanwhile freed four youth opposition activists on KD 1,000 bail pending further investigations. The men, including the son of former National Assembly speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun, AbdulAziz, were arrested on Oct 15 after protesters clashed with police following a rally. The clash resulted in the arrest of the four activists and at least four others were hurt. The interior ministry on Monday also

released without bail around 70 protesters arrested following clashes with police during the biggest demonstration in Kuwait so far on Sunday.

With the new measures, all opposition activists and figures have now been released just a few days before the Eid Al-Adha which starts on Friday. The court will look into the case of five bedoon activists who have been detained for taking part in a protest on Oct 2. The court will either free them on bail or renew their detention.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry yesterday denied allegations by the opposition that foreign elements took part in the clashes with protesters on Sunday, and warned those who circulate such fabricated news. Also, the Amiri decree amending the controversial electoral constituency law was published yesterday in a special edition of the official gazette Al-Kuwait Al-Youm, which means it is effective. The decree reduces the number of candidates a voter can elect from a maximum of four to just one. It has triggered protests and demonstrations, some of which turned violent.

Informant paid to ‘bait’ US Muslims Continued from Page 1 Muslim neighborhoods since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Police officers have eavesdropped inside Muslim businesses, trained video cameras on mosques and collected license plates of worshippers. Informants who trawl the mosques known informally as “mosque crawlers” - tell police what the imam says at sermons and provide police lists of attendees, even when there’s no evidence they committed a crime. The programs were built with unprecedented help from the CIA. Police recruited Rahman in late January, after his third arrest on misdemeanor drug charges, which Rahman believed would lead to serious legal consequences. An NYPD plainclothes officer approached him in a Queens jail and asked whether he wanted to turn his life around. The next month, Rahman said, he was on the NYPD’s payroll.

Rahman said he received little training and spied on “everything and anyone”. He took pictures inside the many mosques he visited and eavesdropped on imams. By his own measure, he said he was very good at his job and his handler never once told him he was collecting too much, no matter whom he was spying on.

Rahman said he thought he was doing important work protecting New York City and considered himself a hero.

One of his earliest assignments was to spy on a lecture at the Muslim Student Association at John Jay College in Manhattan. The speaker was Ali Abdul Karim, the head of security at the Masjid At-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn. The NYPD had been concerned about Karim for years and already had infiltrated the mosque. Rahman also was instructed to monitor the student group itself, though he wasn’t told to target anyone specifically. His NYPD handler, Steve, told him to take pictures of people at the events, determine who belonged to the student association and identify its leadership.

On Feb 23, Rahman attended the event with Karim and listened, ready to catch what he called a “speaker’s gaffe”. The NYPD was interested in buzz words such as “jihad” and “revolution”, he said. Talha Shahbaz, then the vice president of the student group, met Rahman at the event. As Karim was finishing his talk on Malcolm X’s legacy, Rahman told Shahbaz that he wanted to know more about the student group. They had briefly attended the same high school in Queens.

Rahman said he wanted to turn his life around and stop using drugs, and said he believed Islam could provide a purpose in life. In the following days, Rahman friended him on Facebook and the two exchanged phone numbers.

Shahbaz, a Pakistani who came to the US more than three years ago, introduced Rahman to other Muslims. “He was telling us how he loved Islam and it’s changing him,” said Asad Dandia, who also became friends with Rahman.

Secretly, Rahman was mining his new friends for details about their lives, taking pictures of them when they ate at restaurants and writing down license plates on the orders of the NYPD.

On the NYPD’s instructions, he went to more events at John Jay, including when Siraj Wahhaj spoke in May. Wahhaj, 62, is a prominent but controversial New York imam who has attracted the attention of authorities for years. That evening at John Jay, a friend took a photograph of Wahhaj with a grinning Rahman. Rahman said he kept an eye on the MSA and used Shahbaz and his friends to facilitate traveling to events organized by the Islamic Circle of North America and Muslim American Society. The society’s annual convention in Hartford, Connecticut, draws a large number of Muslims and plenty of attention from the NYPD. The NYPD sent three informants there in 2008 and was keeping tabs on the group’s former president. Rahman was told to spy on the speakers and collect information. The conference was dubbed “Defending Religious Freedom”. Shahbaz paid Rahman’s travel expenses.

Rahman, who was born in Queens, said he never witnessed any criminal activity or saw anybody do anything wrong. He said he sometimes intentionally misinterpreted what people had said. For example, Rahman said he would ask people what they thought about the attack on the US Consulate in Libya, knowing the subject was inflammatory.

It was easy to take statements out of context, he said. He said wanted to please his NYPD handler, whom he trusted and liked. “I was trying to get money,” Rahman said. “I was playing the game.”

On some days, Rahman’s spent hours and covered miles in his undercover role. On Sept 16, for example, he made his way in the morning to the Al Farooq Mosque in Brooklyn, snapping photographs of an imam and the sign-up sheet for those attending a regular class on Islamic instruction. He also provided their cell phone numbers to the NYPD. That evening he spied on people at Masjid Al-Ansar, also in Brooklyn. Text messages on his phone showed that Rahman also took pictures last month of people attending the 27th annual Muslim Day Parade in Manhattan. The parade’s grand marshal was New York City Councilman Robert Jackson.

Rahman said he eventually tired of spying on his friends, noting that at times they delivered food to needy Muslim families. He said he once identified another NYPD informant spying on him. He took $200 more from the NYPD and told them he was done as an informant. He said the NYPD offered him more money, which he declined. He told friends on Facebook in early October that he had been a police spy but had quit. He also traded Facebook messages with Shahbaz, admitting he had spied on students at John Jay. “I was an informant for the NYPD, for a little while, to investigate terrorism,” he wrote on Oct 2. “I was jus (sic) of pretending to be friends with ya cuz I honestly thought i was fighting terrorism, but let’s be real, it’s all a f...king scheme,” he wrote. “It was all about the money,” he added. Rahman said he no longer thought it was right. Perhaps he had been hunting terrorists, he said, “but I doubt it”. Shahbaz said he forgave Rahman. “I hated that I was using people to make money,” Rahman said. “I made a mistake.” — AP

Qatar emir in Gaza on landmark visit Continued from Page 1 Gaza Strip by the forces of injustice and tyranny,” he told the emir. He was referring to a political boycott as well as an Israeli blockade in place since 2006 which prevents Palestinians from bringing construction materials into the territory. “Today we demolish the wall of the blockade through this visit, thank you Qatar!” he said.

On arrival from neighbouring Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, the emir was warmly greeted by a large delegation of top Hamas officials led by Haniya and his cabinet. He then proceeded to the Islamic University in Gaza City, where he and his wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser received honorary doctorates. “It’s about time Palestinians turn over the page of division and open a new chapter for reconciliation and agreement, based on the agreements in Doha and Cairo, with sincere efforts from Palestinian president brother Mahmoud Abbas and head of the Hamas political bureau Khaled Meshaal,” he said in reference to the laborious national reconciliation process between Fatah and Hamas. He then left for the Rafah crossing from where he had entered in the late morning, to return to Egypt.

Last month, Doha said it would invest $254 million in rebuilding Gaza which sustained major damage during a 22-day Israeli military operation that began in late Dec 2008. But on opening a Qatari project to build 1,000 homes in the southern city of Khan Yunis, Haniya announced the emir had decided to significantly increase the initial sum. “The emir agreed to increase the Qatari investment from $254 million to $400 million,” Haniya said as Sheikh Hamad laid the foundation stone for the project named in his honour. The increased funding would mean an extra 2,000 homes would be built in “Emir Hamad City” and would also go towards a $25 million housing project for prisoners released last year in a

landmark swap deal with Israel, he said.

Besides his wife the emir was accompanied by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani. It was the second time the Qatari leader had visited the tiny coastal territory - his first visit was in 1999 - and coincides with a spike in tension between Hamas and Israel. Since Hamas forcibly took control of Gaza in 2007, visitors such as UN leader Ban Ki-moon and European Union foreign ministers have avoided any contact with the Islamist government.

In Ramallah, Abbas welcomed Qatar’s investment in Gaza but stressed the need to “preserve the unity of the Palestinian territories” in a terse statement on Sunday widely seen as veiled criticism of the visit. Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said the Qatari ruler had never visited Abbas’ Palestinian Authority. “No one understands why he would fund an organisation which has become notorious with committing suicide bombings and firing rockets on civilians. By hugging Hamas, the Emir of Qatar is really someone who has thrown peace under the bus,” he said.

The United States reacted cautiously yesterday to the visit, calling it a humanitarian mission and denouncing the destabilizing role of Hamas in the Palestinian territory. “We have seen the reports that Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa visited Gaza today on a humanitarian mission,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

“We share Qatar’s deep concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people, including those residing in Gaza.”

Nuland indicated that Qatar had not given the US advance warning of the emir’s visit. “We of course remain concerned about Hamas’ destabilizing role in Gaza and the region. And we urge all parties in the region to play a constructive role in bringing the Palestinians and the Israelis back to the negotiating table,” she said. — Agencies

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

sp orts Bin Hammam’s suspension extended by FIFA — lawyer LONDON: FIFA has extended the provisional ban on former presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam for another 45 days, the Qatari’s lawyers have said.

Bin Hammam had a lifetime ban overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in July but was suspended again one week later, this time for a provisional period of 90 days, as FIFA announced a fresh probe by its ethics investigator Michael Garcia. Now the former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president and FIFA executive committee member, who challenged Sepp Blatter for the presidency last year, has received a further ban. “It is astounding that FIFA is able to keep extending its ban on the football activities of Mr Bin Hammam, as it sees fit. FIFA’s latest extension order fails to give any reasons to justify its action,” said Bin Hammam’s lawyer Eugene Gulland in a statement.

“The basic tenet of law is that a person is innocent until proven guilty after a trial conducted according to due process.

“The situation that Mr Bin Hammam is facing is even more bizarre - a man who has prevailed in a trial by an independent legal body continues to be punished in an arbitrary manner.” Bin Hammam was accused of trying to buy the presidential votes of Caribbean officials by handing them $40,000 each in brown envelopes at a meeting in Port of Spain. —Reuters

United ‘not for sale’

Another blow for Pietersen

LONDON: The Glazer family remains committed to Manchester United which is not for sale following its US stock market listing, the English Premier League soccer club’s vice chairman said.

“The opportunities that we see going forward and the excitement that they (the Glazers) have in this is undiminished,” Ed Woodward told reporters on Tuesday. While the club had attracted potential suitors, “I do not see them selling completely for many, many years,” he said. Some fans have criticised the Glazers - father Malcolm and his six children, saying they loaded the 19times English champions with too much debt when buying it for 790 million pounds ($1.27 billion) in 2005.

United listed in New York in August under a dual-share structure that left the Glazers firmly in control. The shares, issued at $14 to value the club at $2.3 billion, were down 1.1 percent on the day at $12.25 at 1615 GMT. Woodward said he was confident about the club’s business model - it claims to be the world’s most popular team with 659 million followers - and was not worried about the share price.

The club now had gross debt of around 360 million pounds, Woodward said, adding it was comfortable with interest payments of around 31 million pounds this year on its own forecast for underlying earnings (EBITDA) of at least 107 million pounds.

That meant manager Alex Ferguson could compete with major European clubs in the transfer market. “Every single player that Sir Alex has wanted to buy, he has been supported by the owners. The money has been there to back him,” Woodward said.—Reuters

CENTURION: There was more Champions League Twenty20 disappointment for recalled England batsman Kevin Pietersen yesterday when the final group game was adandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled.

The wash-out between local team Titans and Delhi Daredevils means the Indian Premier League (IPL) side top Group A and travel to Durban for a Thursday semi-final against another South African side, Highveld Lions. Rain has forced two of Daredevils’ four pool matches to be abandoned without any play and Pietersen managed just 14 and nine runs respectively against fellow IPL outfit Kolkata Knight Riders and Perth Scorchers.

The controversial South Africa-born 32-year-old batsman was hoping for a lot more time in the middle before joining the England squad for a tour of India next month. Pietersen was given the boot by England two months ago after he sent text messages to South African opponents during a three-Test series in which he criticised teammates, including then skipper Andrew Strauss. He missed the World Twenty20 championship in Sri Lanka, where England surrendered the title, working as a commentator for a United Statesbased network instead. England and Pietersen mended relations before the 10-franchise group stage of the Champions Trophy began and the batsman would have hoped for much more than 23 runs off 27 deliveries by the end of the mini-league phase.—AFP

Giants roll into World Series

DETROIT: Tigers manager Jim Leyland holds the William Harridge Trophy after winning the American League championship series against the New York Yankees in Game 4. —AP

Old baseball hands to match wits in Series NEW YORK: The longer it goes, the messier this World Series is likely to get. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing.

Detroit skipper Jim Leyland smokes cigarettes to relieve tension, though a Michigan state law passed more than two years ago bans him from doing so inside the Tigers’ home, Comerica Park. So opening the series in San Francisco might actually be a little easier on his nerves, provided he figures out a way to sneak the occasional smoke in the visiting dugout hallway or somewhere else at AT&T Park. Otherwise, he’s likely to chew through a lot of nails.

Meanwhile, the go-to stress reliever for his Giants’ counterpart, Bruce Bochy, is dip.

He usually puts the tins away once the dayto-day pressure of the season eases. But as soon as his ballclub hits a bad stretch or stumbles on a tough road trip early the following spring, Bochy reaches for the dip again. So imagine how many plugs of chew the strain of the postseason is going to mean.

“The triggers for me are at the ballpark,” Bochy said recently. “The last five years I quit during the winter. I made it deep into spring training this year.”

A weakness for tobacco isn’t the only thing the two have in common, of course.

They might do some damage to Major League Baseball’s campaign to clean up the sport as far as tobacco is concerned - dip is already banned in the minors and Congress is pushing to halt its use in big league games, too - but the suits in charge would be hard-pressed to find two managers whose crusty demeanors honor the game’s traditions much better.

Leyland, 67, is a baseball lifer who signed with the Tigers organization as an 18-year-old catcher in 1963 and went on to hit a scintillating career .222 in the minors.

He endured eating in truck stops and being stranded on two-lane highways alongside buses with flat tires at 4 o’clock in the morning - all without complaint. But eventually, he realized his only chance to stay in the game was on the bench. Close pal Tony La Russa gave Leyland a hand up by giving him the third-base coaching job in Chicago, where La Russa began building his reputation as a baseball genius.

Leyland’s ascension took longer and involved more detours. But back when both men were making names for themselves managing in the dungeon of Double-A ball, it was La Russa who was throwing around compliments at his friend like confetti. And when then-White Sox general manager Roland Hemond quizzed his newly minted manager about hiring coaches, there was only one name on the list.

“Tony said the best guy he ever managed against was Leyland,” Hemond recalled, laughing over the phone a few years ago. “Tony’s been great ever since about trying to give me credit for finding Jim. But believe me, without that testimonial, I’m not sure we would have made the move when we did.

“And as they say,” he added, “the rest is history.” The Pirates scooped up Leyland in 1985, the first of his four managerial stints.

Despite great teams in Pittsburgh, he didn’t hoist a World Series trophy above his head until the deep-pocketed Florida Marlins gave Leyland the chance in 1997 and the first words out of his mouth reminded everyone how long the road had been.

“This is for all the minor league managers, the guys in the instructional leagues,” he said that night in Miami. “I’m a Double-A backup, flunky catcher. So don’t give up guys.”

Bochy, 57, knows how that story goes.

He, too, was a catcher, though he made it to the bigs before running out of steam as a player. A career .239 hitter, he played in exactly one World Series game, with the Padres in 1984. He went on to manage the club he played for - usually hamstrung by low budgets - but made it back to the World Series with the Padres in 1998, only to get swept by the Yankees. Eventually he moved from Southern California to San Francisco and wound up with a squad of grinders like him. He got his ring in 2010, and right after the Giants beat the Cardinals in Game 7 on Monday night to punch their ticket back to the World Series, the comparisons were rolled out.

“Every year it’s unique in its own way.

2010 was with the misfits, as we called them,” Bochy said. “But, you know, what we had to go through, here, with the adversity throughout the year ... getting down two games to Cincinnati and going down 3-1 to this great club.

“And finding a way to get it done just makes this so special, I think,” he added.

“Because I do know we were written off many times. But these guys, again, were relentless in getting it done and they found a way.” Like Leyland, Bochy rarely provides great sound bites for public consumption.

A writer once likened him to “a two-by-four when TV cameras are on,” but don’t be fooled - the Giants’ sometimes-zany behavior is a reflection of the guy who leads them.

You won’t get the sense how much either man has endured, let alone sacrificed, to hang around the game each loved - not unless the camera catches one or the other hiding in a corner, nervously puffing away, or pulling a plug out of a tin.—AP

SAN FRANCISCO: San Francisco’s players, soaked to the core in a driving rain, began running around the field slapping high-fives with fans. Sergio Romo danced through the raindrops and Angel Pagan waved a black Giants flag as he ran, then stayed outside with his daughter well after everyone else had taken the celebration indoors to the clubhouse.

The World Series is back in the Bay Area - two years after the Giants won their first championship in San Francisco. “We showed up here to win,” Pagan said. “And we’re going to carry that over into the World Series.”

The Giants got there with another improbable comeback, stunning the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals with a 9-0 victory in Game 7 of the NL championship series after falling behind 3-1 at Busch Stadium. Hunter Pence got the Giants going with a weird double, Matt Cain pitched his second clincher of October and San Francisco rode Marco Scutaro’s steady bat yet again.

“The rain never felt so good,” Scutaro said.

“We’re going to the World Series, this is unbelievable.” San Francisco won its record-tying sixth elimination game of the postseason, completing a lopsided rally from a 3-1 deficit.

The Giants, who won it all in 2010, will host reigning AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, Triple Crown slugger Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Verlander is set to pitch Wednesday’s opener at AT&T Park. Giants manager Bruce Bochy insisted before Monday’s game he had not planned any further in advance.

Scutaro, the NLCS MVP, produced his sixth multihit game of the series and matched an LCS record with 14 hits, and Pablo Sandoval drove in a run for his fifth straight game.

The Giants outscored the wild-card Cardinals 20-1 over the final three games behind stellar starting pitching from Barr y Zito, Ryan Vogelsong and Cain.

“It’s unbelievable, what else can you say?”

Vogelsong said. “Just when you say we’re down, we stand up again.” They also benefited from some strange bounces.

On Pence’s double that highlighted a five-run third, his bat broke at the label on impact, then the broken barrel hit the ball twice more. That put a rolling, slicing spin on the ball and caused it to change directions - leaving shortstop Pete Kozma little chance to make the play. Kozma broke to his right, figuring that’s where the ball would go, but it instead curved to left-center.

“It was going to go in the hole and it ended up going up the middle,” Kozma said.

Injured closer Brian Wilson, with that out-ofcontrol bushy black beard, danced in the dugout and fans in the sellout crowd of 43,056 kept twirling their orange rally towels even through rain in the late innings - a downright downpour when Romo retired Matt Holliday on a popup to Scutaro to end it.

Scutaro just told himself to make sure he caught the ball. Romo embraced catcher Buster Posey as fireworks went off over McCovey Cove beyond right field.

“It’s just very fitting the way everything has gone for us this season,” Romo said of ending in the rain. “The ups and downs, the injuries, the personal issues, whatever. What a ride for us all.

It’s very, very fitting that it rained right there.”

The NL West champion Giants won their first postseason clincher at home since the 2002 NLCS, also against the Cardinals.

These 2012 Giants have a couple of pretty talented castoffs of their own not so different from that winning combination of 2010 “castoffs and misfits” as Bochy referred to his bunch - with Scutaro right there at the top of the list this time around.

Acquired July 27 from the division rival Colorado Rockies, Scutaro hit .500 (14 for 28) with four RBIs in the NLCS. The 36-year-old journeyman infielder, playing in his second postseason and first since 2006 with Oakland, became

the first player in major league history with six multihit games in an LCS. Now, he’s headed to his first World Series. The Giants have All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera to thank for helping his teammates secure homefield advantage in the postseason - while Cain was the winning pitcher the National League’s 80 victory in July. Cabrera was suspended 50 games Aug. 15 for a positive testosterone test, then wasn’t added to the roster by the Giants after his suspension ended.

After rain fell on the Cardinals during batting practice, the skies turned blue and the weather cooperated. Anxious players on both sides hung over the dugout rails as the game began.

Cain joined St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter as the

ing hit.

In the third, Scutaro, the second baseman, made a tough stop on a short hop by Carlos Beltran, and left fielder Gregor Blanco ran down a hard-hit ball by Allen Craig in left-center to end the inning.

Cain’s second-inning single made San Francisco the first team in major league postseason history to have a starting pitcher drive in a run in three straight elimination games.

Brandon Belt hit a solo homer in the eighth for his first clout of the postseason. It took production from everybody, even the pitchers, for these scrappy Giants to rally back from the brink one more time.

Cain certainly did his part to keep the staff

SAN FRANCISCO: Giants’ Marco Scutaro celebrates after Game 7 of baseball’s National League championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals. —AP only pitchers with victories in two winner-takeall games in the same postseason. Carpenter, who lost Games 2 and 6 in this series, did it last year.

Cain also pitched the Giants’ Game 5 division series clincher at Cincinnati, when San Francisco became the first team in major league history to come back from an 0-2 deficit in a five-game series by winning three consecutive road games.

“I think to do it, the guys actually have to believe it can happen,” Posey said. Cain delivered on an even bigger stage Monday as San Francisco saved its season once again. The Giants won their 20th NL pennant and reached their 19th World Series.

Cain walked off the mound to a standing ovation when Jeremy Affeldt entered with two outs in the sixth. Affeldt then got Daniel Descalso to pop out with two runners on. “These guys never quit,” Bochy said. “They just kept believing and they got it done.”

Yadier Molina had four hits but got little help from the rest of the Cardinals, who went 1 for 21 with runners in scoring position over their final three games.

“It’s about the team that’s hot, and we went on a cold streak,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “We got to this point by being that team that was hot and taking advantage of opportunities. But we just couldn’t make it happen these last two games.”

Cain added an RBI single to his cause and got some sparkling defense behind him. The play of the game went to shortstop Brandon Crawford, who made a leaping catch of Kyle Lohse’s liner to end the second inning with runners on second and third on what would have been a run-scor-

rolling. The 16-game winner, who didn’t surrender an earned run during his team’s title run two years ago, reached 46 pitches through two innings but settled in nicely the rest of the way to avenge a loss to Lohse in Game 3.

Cain even got to repay Holliday for his hard slide into Scutaro at second base in Game 2 here a week earlier. Cain plunked Holliday in the upper left arm leading off the sixth, drawing cheers from the crowd. Holliday returned to the lineup after missing Game 6 a night earlier with tightness in his lower back. He received loud boos when he stepped in to hit in the first from a fan base still angry about his slide that injured Scutaro’s hip.

Beltran is still left 0-fer the World Series, winless in three Game 7s during his 15-year career.

And to think just last fall he was on the other side with the Giants as they missed the playoffs a year after winning the club’s first World Series since moving West in 1958.

“If you look at the games we made a lot of mistakes and they didn’t make any,” Beltran said.

“They took advantage of those. They were able to put things together, offense, pitching, defense, and we couldn’t do that.”

Sandoval’s run-scoring groundout in the first that put his team ahead gave him at least one RBI in five straight postseason games, matching home run king Barry Bonds’ franchise record set in 2002.

Now, Sandoval and the Giants get to play on.

“It’s just surreal. The victory lap right there was the greatest thing,” said Zito, left off the 2010 postseason roster for all three rounds but now a candidate to pitch Game 1. “We play best when our backs are against the wall.” —AP

Sharapova not backing pay rise for first round losers LONDON: Maria Sharapova is not convinced it is a good idea to give first round losers at next year’s Australian Open a huge pay increase as part of a $4 million rise in overall prize money.

Tournament organisers announced earlier this month that the total prize money pool at the opening grand slam of 2013 had risen to $30 million, making it the richest event in tennis.

While the exact breakdown of prize money is yet to be announced, it is expected that the biggest increases will be weighted towards the early rounds-a move intended to counter con-

cerns that lower-ranked players were struggling to sustain careers on the ATP and WTA Tours.

Roger Federer, president of the men’s ATP Player Council, has expressed sympathy with the rank and file players who rarely reach the latter rounds of major tournaments where the big money is made but Sharapova is not convinced it is a good move.

“I don’t know if I agree with a raise for a firstround loss,” the Russian, who is playing at the WTA Championships in Istanbul this week, was quoted in The Times on Tuesday.

Sharapova and the other seven competitors in Istanbul met with officials of the four grand slams on Monday. “I think the compensation as you win more rounds is right, but I’m not sure about the first rounds,” added the French Open champion.

The rise in Australian Open prize money followed similar increases at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. This year’s Wimbledon championships saw first round losers in the men’s and women’s singles pocket a cheque for 14,500 pounds ($23,300) — a 26 percent rise from 2011. —Reuters

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

sp orts Company that paid Armstrong bonuses wants money back AUSTIN: A Texas promotional company that paid millions of dollars to Lance Armstrong for winning the Tour de France said on Monday it was considering legal action to get the money back after the American cyclist was stripped of his Tour titles.

Armstrong had his seven Tour de France victories nullified and was banned for life on Monday after the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) sanctions against him.

Dallas-based SCA Promotions paid Armstrong $7.5 million for winning his sixth Tour title in 2004 - $5 million as a performance bonus and $2.5 million in interest and attorney fees - as part of a 2006 legal settlement.

Armstrong had sued SCA when it withheld the payment after doping allegations against him surfaced.

Tailwind Sports, the owner of Armstrong’s U.S. Postal team, had promised the cyclist a $5 million bonus if he won a sixth Tour title and it took out insurance coverage with SCA. In all, SCA Promotions paid Armstrong some $12 million, the company’s lawyer Jeffrey Dorough said. It was unclear exactly how much SCA may seek to recover. “Mr. Armstrong is no longer the official winner of any Tour de France races, and as a result it is inappropriate and improper for him to retain any bonus payments made by SCA,” Dorough said in a statement.

He said SCA Promotions was “digesting the UCI’s decision” and that the company was taking into consideration the possibility that Armstrong or the World Anti-Doping Agency could appeal.

Earlier this month, USADA published a report on Armstrong that said the now-retired rider had been involved in the “most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.” “I was sickened by what I read in the USADA report,” UCI President Pat McQuaid said on Monday.

Armstrong, 41, who has denied doping, had previously elected not to contest the USADA charges, prompting USADA to propose his punishment pending confirmation from cycling’s world governing body. Armstrong, widely considered one of the greatest cyclists of all time, says he has never failed a doping test. He said he had stopped contesting the charges after years of probes and rumors because “there comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say, ‘Enough is enough.’”— Reuters

Tour de France to unveil race route PARIS: Tour de France organisers will today unveil the route for the historic 100th edition of cycling’s most famous race, with celebrations overshadowed by a damaging doping scandal involving former rider Lance Armstrong.

Defending champion Bradley WigginsBritain’s first ever winner of the race-was set to attend the glitzy presentation in the French capital, alongside former champions including Alberto Contador of Spain. The unveiling of the Tour route is a much-anticipated annual event, particularly for 2013, 110 years after France’s Maurice Garin won the first edition, which ended with a mammoth 471km sixth and final stage from the western city of Nantes to Paris.

Since then, and barring breaks for World War I and World War II, the battle for the coveted yellow jersey has become cycling’s biggest event and seen it grow to include stages across Europe. Next year’s race begins on June 29 at Porto-Vecchio on the Mediterranean island of Corsica and finishes on the Champs Elysees in central Paris on July 21. Details of the stage routes and events to celebrate the 100th edition milestone, however, are likely to take second place to questions about how the Tour moves on from the Armstrong affair and its revelations of widespread doping among riders.

Armstrong, who won the race an unprecedented seven times in succession from 1999 to 2005, was on Monday stripped of those victories and his career record wiped back to August 1, 1998, following a damning US AntiDoping Agency (USADA) investigation.

The president of the International Cycling Union (UCI) called the scandal “the biggest crisis ever” in the sport, amid claims of coverups and corruption that have damaged the credibility of professional racing. Tour director Christian Prudhomme has said that organisers would prefer not to re-attribute Armstrong’s wins to other riders, with finding a podium finisher not implicated in doping affairs in those years a difficult task.

The UCI is set to meet on Friday to discuss the formal withdrawal of Armstrong’s Tour victories, amid calls to strengthen procedures against dope cheats and improve testing.

Prudhomme, meanwhile, is seeking repayment of nearly 2.95 million euros ($3.8 million) paid to Armstrong for his seven Tour victories, as part of wider efforts to recoup the Texan’s career prize money, bonuses and other pay-outs.

The scandal comes not only as cycling seeks to move on from its tarnished past but also after Wiggins and his Team Sky riders did much to increase the popularity of the Tour outside continental Europe. His victory-and Olympic road time-trial gold medal in London weeks later did much to boost interest in cycling in Britain. The 32-year-old, whose breakthrough win was also cemented in a time-trial, faces a major threat from Contador, who won in 2007 and 2009. The 29-year-old-one of just five riders to have won the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Tour of Spain-is set to return to the race after serving a doping ban and had a strong end to his curtailed season this year.—AFP

Bears feast on Lions

PARIS: This July 23, 2000 file photo shows Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong riding down the Champs Elysees with an American flag after the 21st and final stage of the cycling race in Paris. — AP

UCI claims ‘moral authority’ to lead cycling out of crisis GENEVA: Mired in a crisis caused by the Lance Armstrong doping affair, the sport of cycling faces an uphill trek to regain credibility.

Still, cycling’s top official said the sport can succeed despite the doubts of many, including antidoping leaders who yesterday called for Armstrong-era officials to be removed.

“By the decisions we have taken (Monday) it has given us the moral authority,” UCI President Pat McQuaid told The Associated Press after the UCI accepted the sanctions which stripped Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and all other race results since August 1998.

Skeptics still insist that the UCI protected Armstrong from scrutiny for many years, and was reluctantly forced to disown him by a devastating report published this month by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Across 1,000 pages of evidence, it detailed how Armstrong’s teams used and trafficked banned drugs - coercing some teammates into the conspiracy - to dominate the Tour from 1999-2005.

“We really had no option but to make the decision we made,” McQuaid said. McQuaid’s denunciation that Armstrong “deserves to be forgotten in cycling” was surprisingly strong after the UCI had previously backed Armstrong’s failed legal fight to deny USADA jurisdiction in the case.

“We haven’t tried to find a way to defend an icon in our sport we’ve accepted reality,” the UCI president told the AP. “We’ve accepted the facts and the facts are there. I’m a pragmatic person and I believe no matter how bad the situation might be, you take the decision you have to take and move forward from there.

“The sport has to take what it can from this and use it as a means to convince athletes that there’s no future in doping,” McQuaid said.

A day after Armstrong was stripped of his Tour titles, former teammate Steffen Kjaergaard admitted using banned performance-enhancing drugs. The 39year-old Norwegian, who has since retired, said Tuesday he had used EPO and cortisone, and was immediately suspended from his job at the Norwegian Cycling Federation.

But five-time Tour champion Miguel Indurain said he believes in Armstrong’s innocence, saying the entire case was “bizarre” since Armstong never tested positive for doping.

“It is strange they take away his Tours because of the testimonies of some teammates,” said Indurain, the Spaniard who won the Tour from 1991-95.

Armstrong has lost a slew of sponsors over the scandal, and even Dutch bank Rabobank has pulled out as a team sponsor.

However, some backers of the Tour de France said Tuesday they would stick with the race. “We don’t sponsor a team or an individual, we sponsor a sporting event that each year attracts great public enthusiasm,” said Pierre Baillot, the spokesman of French bank LCL, which sponsor’s the race leader’s yellow jersey. “The wider public knows how to draw a distinction” between the jersey and the wearer.

On Friday, the future of cycling will be shaped at a meeting of the governing body’s management committee. On the agenda: how to revise race results, including the 2000 Olympic time trial in which Armstrong won bronze; possible efforts to recoup Armstrong’s prize money; handling riders’ doping confessions; and restructuring the sport to guard against doping conspiracies.

“Why did this happen?” asked McQuaid, who became UCI president two months after Armstrong’s

seventh Tour victory. “What is it about our sport that forces athletes to do what they are doing? If we can make changes in the structure which weakens the possibility of athletes and teams getting into doping programs, we will bring those forward.”

McQuaid suggested that some ideas he plans to share on Friday will not be popular, with speculation that nine-rider teams at the Tour could be reduced in size.

“They may be unpalatable for the teams and the riders but we will bring them forward,” he said.

What is unpalatable to the World Anti-Doping Agency is that McQuaid’s predecessor, Hein Verbruggen, can attend the board meeting as honorary president.

Verbruggen led world cycling from 1991-2005 and has been sharply criticized for presiding over an era of rampant doping.

Though the USADA report expressed concern at some UCI conduct, it stopped short of repeating unproven allegations relating to Armstrong’s urine sample with suspicious levels of EPO at the 2001 Tour of Switzerland and his donations to the UCI totaling $125,000.

Yesterday, the head of WADA which has long had fractious relations with cycling - said the UCI had to “take the blinkers off” and examine its past behavior by removing those officials who were in charge during the Armstrong era.

“I don’t think there’s any credibility if they don’t do that,” WADA President John Fahey said.

McQuaid defended his UCI mentor at a news conference Monday.

“There is nothing in the USADA report which implicated Mr. Verbruggen in any wrongdoing,” said the Irish official, who stated he would not resign and will likely stand for a third four-year presidential term next September.

After five hours of defending his organization, McQuaid directed his most pointed frustration at former Armstrong teammates Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton, whose whistleblower testimony exposed the depth of cheating in the US Postal Service team and cycling’s entrenched doping culture. “ They are not heroes,” said McQuaid, explaining that he was angered by riders who repeatedly denied doping during their careers and who tried to make money from their confessions.

The outburst conflicted with his earlier statement that “the UCI is listening” and welcomed riders telling what they knew about doping.

“Pat McQuaid’s comments expose the hypocrisy of his leadership,” Hamilton said in a statement to the BBC. “Instead of seizing an opportunity to instill hope for the next generation of cyclists, he continues to point fingers, shift blame and attack those who speak out, tactics that are no longer effective. Pat McQuaid has no place in cycling.”

A mooted “Truth and Reconciliation” commission which could offer limited amnesty to riders and officials confessing to doping is also slated for Friday’s meeting.

Asked by the AP who represented a brighter future for cycling, McQuaid pointed to riders such as Vincenzo Nibali of Italy, Geraint Thomas of Britain and Tejay van Garderen of the United States, winner of the best young rider classification at the 2012 Tour.

“They are looking at what is happening (in the Armstrong case) and they are saying to themselves, ‘I never want to be involved in anything like this. I never want to be near anything like this,’” McQuaid said. “They are the riders who will bring our sport forward.” — AP

CHICAGO: Chicago’s swarming, suffocating defense squeezed the life out of the Detroit Lions in a 13-7 victory on Monday that kept the Bears at the top of the NFC North.

The Bears stifled the visiting Lions’ offense for the entire game until Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Broyles with just 36 seconds remaining.

The Lions then tried an onside kick to get the ball back but the Bears (5-1) recovered it, sealing their fourth straight win and maintaining their slender division lead over the Minnesota Vikings (5-2). “ We were close to getting (a shutout), when we let them in it was kind of a disappointment,” Chicago defensive lineman Julius Peppers told reporters. “We’re coached really well. We knock you down, we help you up, then we knock you down again.”

Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler threw a first-quarter touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall and kicker Robbie Gould added field goals in either half to give the home team a 13-0 lead.

Detroit (2-4), losers of four of their last five games, squandered several scoring chances and Monday ’s defeat leaves them anchored at the foot of the division.

Lions running backs Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell lost fumbles deep in Chicago territory, with Bell’s third-quarter giveaway coming at the Bears’ one-yard line, and Stafford threw an interception three yards from goal with under three minutes remaining.

The Lions, who also fumbled a punt in the third quarter, committed four turnovers in the game while Chicago padded their league-leading takeaway total to 21.

Stafford finished with 261 passing yards, many of them in the closing minutes, but Pro Bowl receiver Calvin Johnson was limited to just

CHICAGO: Bears cornerback Charles Tillman (33) breaks up a pass intended for Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) in the second half of an NFL football game. — AP

three catches for 34 yards.

Cutler showed his toughness for the Bears when he was hit hard on a sack by Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh in the second quarter and sustained bruised ribs. Cutler was briefly replaced by Jason Campbell at quarterback but returned to lead his team.

“It was a rough hit, those things

happen,” added Cutler, who threw for 150 yards without turning the ball over. “I couldn’t really follow through the ball (after that) and it had an impact on play-calling but our defense played so well.”

Receiver Marshall finished with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown while running back Matt Forte had 96 yards rushing. — Reuters

NFL standings American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA New England 4 3 0 0 217 163 Miami 3 3 0 2 120 117 NY Jets 3 4 0 1 159 170 Buffalo 3 4 0 0 171 227 AFC North Baltimore 5 2 0 0 174 161 Pittsburgh 3 3 0 0 140 132 Cincinnati 3 4 0 0 166 187 Cleveland 1 6 0 0 147 180 AFC South Houston 6 1 0 0 216 128 Indianapolis 3 3 0 0 117 158 Tennessee 3 4 0 0 149 238 Jacksonville 1 5 0 2 88 164 AFC West Denver 3 3 0 0 170 138 San Diego 3 3 0 0 148 137 Oakland 2 4 0 0 113 171 Kansas City 1 5 0 0 104 183

PCT .571 .500 .429 .429 .714 .500 .429 .143 .857 .500 .429 .167 .500 .500 .333 .167

National Football Conference NFC East NY Giants 5 2 0 0 205 137 .714 Philadelphia 3 3 0 1 103 125 .500 Dallas 3 3 0 0 113 133 .500 Washington 3 4 0 0 201 200 .429 NFC North Chicago 5 1 0 0 162 78 .833 Minnesota 5 2 0 0 167 131 .714 Green Bay 4 3 0 0 184 155 .571 Detroit 2 4 0 1 133 150 .333 NFC South Atlanta 6 0 0 0 171 113 1.000 New Orleans 2 4 0 1 176 182 .333 Tampa Bay 2 4 0 0 148 136 .333 Carolina 1 5 0 0 106 144 .167 NFC West San Francisco 5 2 0 0 165 100 .714 Arizona 4 3 0 1 124 118 .571 Seattle 4 3 0 0 116 106 .571 St. Louis 3 4 0 0 130 141 .429

Federer rules out end of season title flourish BASEL: Roger Federer has played down rattling off wins in the season’s closing three events as he did last year after reaching the second round of his home Swiss Indoors.

The five-time and top seed opened at the St Jakobshalle with a straight-sets win over German Benjamin Becker on Monday night and was yesterday awaiting an opponent from Japan’s Go Soeda and Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci.

The world number one concluded last season in a victory sprint, winning Basel, the Paris Masters and the year-end World Tour Finals in London on the trot. But past results are no predictor of future success. For one thing, the rest week between the end of Paris Bercy and the start of the eight-man season-wrap up has been eliminated as the ATP compressed the calendar to gain two weeks of offseason. That means that Federer will make a late decision on his Paris participation after his Basel run is over.

“It all depends on how tough and how much you play, how the scheduling is, who are the opponents, and then maybe get a chance to get on a run,” said the holder of 76 career titles who leads the ATP on six in 2012.

“It should not be my goal now to try and win all three again. The first goal is to see how I play here and take it from there.

“I have to think day by day. It’s simple, it’s pretty routine, but it’s my only way to handle these next couple of crazy weeks.” Federer called London “the highlight of the end of the season and one of the biggest events we have in the sport.”

Two qualifying places for a tournament which begins November 5 remain to be filled after Czech Tomas Berdych qualified on sixth.

While Federer had a practise day yesterday, childhood hometown friend Marco Chiudinelli earned an opening victory, defeating Spain’s Guillermo Garcia Lopez 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

It took four match points for the local to finally go through on an ace into the second round. He will

Roger Federer

bid for his fist quarter-final since July, 2010, with a match against third seed Richard Gasquet of France.

Swiss fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka was hoping to put a third Swiss into the second round as he faced Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

Australian Bernard Tomic was badly beaten in the first round for a third straight tournament, with the Australian number one shunted out 6-0, 6-2 by sixth seed Mikhail Youzhny.

Tomic, who just turned 20, has not won a match since the second round in Bangkok one month ago after losing early in Tokyo and Shanghai.

The 48th-ranked Tomic lost serve five times in the rout and managed only one ace as the experienced Russian sixth seed took just 56 minutes to wrap up his ticket to the second round.

Matthew Ebden however saved the day for Aussie pride with his defeat of Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). Ebden, ranked 115, never faced a break point against the lucky loser from qualifying as he won in just under 90 minutes.

American Brian Baker defeated Radek Stepanek 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 after the Czech veteran had some through qualifying after failing to sign up for the tournament in time. — AFP

18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

sp orts

GERMANY: Dortmund’s team exercises during a training session prior to the Champions League soccer match against Real Madrid. —AP Preview

Dortmund entertain injury-hit Real GERMANY Borussia Dortmund entertain Real Madrid in the Champions League today with the Germans eager to take advantage of their injury-hit Spanish opponents by grabbing top spot in Group D. Germany midfielder Sami Khedira returned to training on Sunday, a rare piece of positive injury news for Jose Mourinho’s Real team who are two points ahead of Dortmund in the group.

Full backs Marcelo, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Coentrao returned from inter-

national duty with problems of varying seriousness, Marcelo being ruled out for around three months with a fractured bone in his foot.

Mourinho deployed midfielder Michael Essien at left back for Saturday’s 2-0 La Liga win at home to Celta Vigo with Sergio Ramos moving to right back and inexperienced teenager Raphael Varane slotting in alongside Pepe in central defence. “The four guys at the back played very well,” Mourinho’s assistant Aitor Karanka said. “Celta only had one chance

with a header at the end and our defence did some fantastic work.

“Sergio knows the (right back) position, Rafa delivers when he is used and Pepe was the same as always.” Real’s prolific Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo gashed his knee but is expected to be available for the trip to Germany.

Mourinho will need all the fit bodies he can muster if Dortmund emulate the form they showed in a 1-1 draw at Manchester City earlier this month. City needed a lastgasp equaliser to snatch a point against

the Bundesliga champions. Dortmund’s 21 home defeat by Schalke 04 on Saturday did little to dampen spirits ahead of today’s match.

“We did not play well against Schalke and there is nothing we can do to change that,” said coach Juergen Klopp. “But the match against Real Madrid remains a cool game.” Klopp should have left back Marcel Schmelzer and midfielder Ilkay Guendogan back after they missed Saturday’s game along with Jakub Blaszczykowski who will remain sidelined

for at least two more months. Playmaker Mario Goetze is also set to return after missing the Ruhr Valley derby, infusing their midfield with the creativity and spark that was missing against Schalke. The Germans started that game with a 3-5-2 system but it was dropped after 25 minutes in favour of a 4-4-2 lineup that is likely to be used against Real. “We will show a completely different face against Real,” said defender Mats Hummels. “There will also be the return of some of our injured players.” —Reuters

Malaga and Isco have date with destiny against Milan

LONDON: The FC Schalke 04 squad take part in a training session at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London.

Arsenal are due to play FC Schalke 04 in a Group B Champions League soccer match. —AP

Arsenal hoping to get back on track against Schalke LONDON: After one of its worst displays in years, Arsenal will be hoping to get back on track against Schalke in the Champions League today to ensure the early-season optimism at the club doesn’t disappear. Saturday’s lackluster 1-0 loss to Norwich dropped Arsenal to ninth in the English standings, with even manager Arsene Wenger acknowledging the performance was a “shock to the system.”

However, the team remains in a strong position after winning its first two group matches in the Champions League and a victory at the Emirates Stadium would put the Gunners on the brink of qualification. “It is a good lesson, but I would have preferred not to get it,” Wenger said of the Norwich match. “Because if you need lessons like that you will stand there at the end of the season and be full of regrets. I hope it will have a positive impact.”

Montpellier hosts Olympiakos in the other Group B game, with both teams looking for their first wins to jump into contention for a top-two finish.

Schalke, which reached the Champions League semifinals in 2011, is second in the group with four points and comes into the match buoyed by a 2-1 win over rival Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday. “I think it was the first big game we played in which we showed what we can do,” Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar said.

The win ensured Schalke moved five points clear of the defending champions. “We played a fantastic game and were able to put the opponent under pressure,” Schalke defender Benedikt Hoewedes said. “We also tried to play football.” Schalke is the only Bundesliga team that has yet to lose a competitive game away from home this season, but the club has not won in England in five attempts. “We shouldn’t get carried away,” Hoewedes said with an eye on Wednesday’s game. “It won’t be easy for us. In London we’ll have to throw everything into the pot (but) with our fans behind us, I’m sure we can get a good result.” Highly rated 19-year-old attacking midfielder Julian Draxler is doubtful after breaking his left wrist in the 2-2 draw against Montpellier. Greece defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos returned to training Sunday after 2 1/2 weeks out with chicken pox, but there are still questions over the 20-yearold player’s fitness for the match against Arsenal.

Both sides will have the same coaches in charge from their previous meetings in 2001-02 - when Arsenal secured a 3-2 win at Highbury before losing 3-1 in Germany - with Huub Stevens now in his second stint at Schalke and Arsene Wenger a fixture in north London.

“Our young team is still developing,” Stevens said after Saturday’s win in Dortmund. “But (the players) have shown what they are capable of.” —AP

PSG look to Ibrahimovic again ZAGREB: Paris Saint-Germain again looks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic for inspiration when it travels to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League today. The problem is that PSG is far too dependent on him. The imposing Sweden striker has 10 goals since joining PSG, but has not scored in three of his last four games. Striker Kevin Gameiro was the next highest scorer with three, while three players have one goal each. “Are we too dependent on Ibrahimovic? He’s a player with a lot of qualities, so it’s normal,” PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

“Teammates feel comfortable giving him the ball. I think it’s a good thing to depend on him.” But Ibrahimovic looked lackluster in Saturday’s scrappy 1-0 win against Reims in domestic action, and failed to score away to Porto three weeks ago, when PSG lost 1-0 and looked a long way from being a contender for European glory. “The team isn’t quite solid enough yet to be competitive in the Champions League,” Ancelotti said.

“For a lot of our players it was their first experience of the Champions League against Porto.”

Porto tops Group A with six points and can tighten its grip by beating Dynamo Kiev. PSG’s only defeat so far

this season was against Porto, and the players are keen to make amends.

“We’re going (to Zagreb) to win,” PSG left back Sylvain Armand said. “We need to keep picking up points, the road is still long.” Ancelotti has several players missing.

Brazilian Nene had an operation on Saturday after breaking his nose against Reims. Center half Mamadou Sakho and central midfielders Thiago Motta and Clement Chantome are also injured. Dinamo has won its last two matches and is seven points clear

at the top of the Croatian league.

PSG’s defenders will need to keep an eye on rising star Alen Halilovic, a promising attacking midfielder who recently became the youngest scorer ever in the Croatian league at 16. “It’s a joy to watch a talent like Halilovic who already proved that he can be an excellent player as long as he continues to work,” Dinamo coach Ante Cacic said. Dinamo has lost both of its games in the Champions League and has not scored a goal, so Cacic is not overly confident. — AP

ZAGREB: PSG’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) practices during a training session with his teammates Mohamed Sissoko (center) and Sylvain Armand, ahead of the Champions League Group A soccer match. —AP

SPAIN: Malaga midfielder Isco has the perfect stage to showcase his considerable talents when the inform Champions League debutants look to make the most of visiting AC Milan’s woes today.

The 20-year-old playmaker is establishing himself as the driving force at the heart of Manuel Pellegrini’s side and he was voted by coaches as La Liga’s ‘revelation player’ of last season.

Malaga are top of Group C with two wins from two games, holding a two-point lead over misfiring Milan in second place. Youth international Isco was named in Vicente del Bosque’s provisional Spain squad for Euro 2012 and has been a key figure in the Qatari-owned club’s impressive start to the season. He is their joint top scorer in the Champions League with two goals and netted for the second time this season in La Liga when Malaga overcame Valladolid 21 on Saturday to stay third in the table. Coach Pellegrini has fashioned a side similar to the Villarreal team he led to the last four of the Champions League as debutants in 2005-06 they are confident in possession and difficult to score against. Malaga defeated both Anderlecht and Zenit St Petersburg 3-0 earlier in the competition and boast the meanest defence in La Liga having let in just five goals in eight games.

“We aren’t scared of Milan,” winger Joaquin told the local newspaper

Diario Sur. “If we win the three points will almost assure us of a place in the last 16. “It’s the most important fixture in the history of the club.”

Seven-times European champions Milan are still struggling to come to terms with the sale of influential players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Antonio Cassano and have suffered a dreadful start to the season. They were held 0-0 at home by Anderlecht in their opening Group C game and scraped a 3-2 win in St Petersburg earlier this month.

Milan are down in 15th place in

Serie A after a 3-2 defeat at Lazio on Saturday continued their worst league start in seven decades.

“Five losses in eight games is a lot, far too much,” Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani told the club’s television station. Galliani was again pressed on Saturday about the future of underfire coach Massimiliano Allegri. “Everyone keeps asking me,” he said. “The coach stays in his job and he has to try and make sure the team put points on the board. There is no desire whatsoever to change the coach.”—Reuters

SPAIN: Malaga CF during a training session at the Rosaleda stadium on the eve of a Champions League Group C soccer match against AC Milan. —AP

Bad travellers City face crunch Ajax test AMSTERDAM: Manchester City’s struggle to transfer their Premier League form to the Champions League will come into focus again today when they face Ajax Amsterdam knowing defeat would leave them in a precarious position.

After going out in the group stage last season, City’s expensively assembled squad have failed to light the touch paper in this year’s competition and occupy third place in Group D with a solitary point from their opening two games.

Manager Roberto Mancini could point to the fact his team have already faced the champions of Spain and Germany in the toughest of the eight groups.

But there will be no excuses if his side come home empty-handed from today’s encounter with Ajax who are bottom having lost their first two matches.

For a team that has been hand-picked by a manager given almost infinite resources, City have underwhelmed in Europe’s elite competition.

Since making their Champions League debut last season they have lost three of their four away games and went down 3-2 to Real Madrid last month in their first road trip of this campaign.

Mancini’s principal headache will be deciding who to play up front after Edin Dzeko, who has been used mostly as an impact substitute this season, came off the bench on Saturday to rescue his team with two goals in a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion.

The Bosnian could feel aggrieved to be kicking his heels on the sidelines with question marks still hanging over temperamental Italian Mario Balotelli.

Despite only starting twice in the Premier League and once in Europe, Dzeko already has six goals this season compared to Balotelli’s one.

“Edin’s been in superb form, not just in terms of goal scoring but at the end of last season and at the start of this season, coming off the bench or starting, he’s been excellent,” assistant manager David Platt told City’s website (www.mcfc.co.uk).

“People should be disappointed when they’re left out but the reaction that you want is that if they come

on they fight.” City have never lost to a Dutch team in three previous fixtures, all against Twente Enschede. On their only visit to the Netherlands they drew 1-1 with Twente in the 1978-79 UEFA Cup first round. The English Premier League champions will be boosted if playmaker David Silva can recover in time from a hamstring injury sustained on international duty. — Reuters

Matches on TV (Local Timings) UEFA Champions League Zenit v Anderlecht Aljazeera Sport +1 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

19:00

Malaga v AC Milan Aljazeera Sport +2

21:45

Arsenal v Schalke 04 Aljazeera Sport +1

21:45

Dortmund v Real Madrid Aljazeera Sport 1 HD

21:45

Ajax v Man City Aljazeera Sport +6

21:45

Montpellier v Olympiacos Aljazeera Sport +8

21:45

Dinamo v PSG Aljazeera Sport +5 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

21:45

Porto v Dinamo Kiev Aljazeera Sport +7

21:45

19

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

SPORTS

Bayern stroll past Lille

MOSCOW: Spartak Moscow’s Jano Ananidze (left) battles for the ball with Benfica’s Nemanja Matic during their Group G Champions League soccer match.—AP

Spartak stop CL rot MOSCOW: Russian side Spartak Moscow gained their first win of this season’s Champions League campaign after losing their first two matches with a hard fought 2-1 win over Portuguese opponents Benfica here yesterday.

First-half goals by Rafael Carioca and an own goal by his Brazilian compatriot Jardel gave the hosts the much needed three points after two successive 3-2 defeats away at Barcelona and then at home to Scottish champions Celtic.

Benfica, who had levelled through Lima, look highly unlikely to repeat their achievement of reaching the Last 16 last season as they have just a point after three games.

Spartak trail second-placed Celtic by a point after table-toppers Barcelona beat the Scottish champions 2-1 later on Tuesday with a last second goal by Jordi Alba. Spartak’s Spanish coach Unai Emery was delighted to have something to smile about in what has been a difficult start to his tenure in Moscow.

“Naturally, I’m happy with the result,” he said. “We dominated play almost throughout the match.” “We scored only twice but played with commitment both in attack and in defence giving our rivals almost no chance to play to their strengths. I’m happy both with the result and our performance today.”

His Benfica counterpart Jorge Jesus who has had to rebuild the side after losing key players in the summer - said he had not given up the ghost yet of reaching the knockout stage. “We have two matches in Lisbon to come and cannot afford any more mistakes,” he said.

“We must win both of them. Overall we still have hances to advance. “It was hard to play in Moscow as a synthetic pitch is uncommon ground to my players. We created many chances but failed to score the second goal though we deserved it.”

Spartak caught Benfica napping in the third minute, taking full advantage of a poor pass by Nemanja Matic just inside the hosts half.

Spartak got the ball to Spanish playmaker Jose Manuel Jurado, who found Carioca running through on an overlap and the 23-year-old defensive midfielder coolly clipped the ball past Artur into the net.

Benfica tried to turn the pressure on Spartak goalkeeper Artem Rebrov, who is the third choice ‘keeper and playing only his first game in over a year, and forced a good save out of him in the 14th minute from Spanish Under-21 striker Rodrigo.

Spartak were denied a second by the bar in the 24th minute as Ari’s right footed volley, from a brilliant cross by Jano Ananidze, only three metres out beat Artur but rebounded to safety.

Rebrov was holding his own in goal and made another smart stop from Matic on the half hour mark as Benfica desperately tried to get back into the encounter.

They finally succeeded in the 33rd minute as Salvio put in a pinpoint cross which was met by former Braga marksman Lima, who glanced his header past Rebrov.

The hosts, however, restored their lead two minutes before the break as Evgeni Makeev clipped in a dangerous low cross from the right and Jardel, with Ari waiting to pounce, turned it into his own net.

Makeev went close for Spartak early in the second-half at which point Benfica coach Jorge Jesus opted to throw his Paraguayan ace striker Oscar Cardozo on, having opted not to start with him because he is coming back from injury.

However, it was Benfica’s Argentinian wing Salvio who went closest to levelling the game for a second time as he nipped in behind Makeev but poked his right footed effort just wide of the far post with 20 minutes remaining. The visitors forced a series of corners in the dying minutes but to no avail as the Russians held out for a deserved victory, though, the match ended on a sour note as there was a clash between some of the players after the final whistle.—AFP

Champions League tables Champions League tables after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Group E Shakhtar Chelsea Juventus Nordsjaelland

3 3 3 3

2 1 0 0

1 1 3 1

0 1 0 2

5 7 4 1

2 4 4 7

7 4 3 1

Group G Barcelona Celtic Spartak Benfica

3 3 3 3

3 1 1 0

0 1 0 1

0 1 2 2

7 4 6 1

3 4 7 4

9 4 3 1

Group F Valencia BATE Bayern Lille

3 3 3 3

2 2 2 0

0 0 0 0

1 1 1 3

6 6 4 1

2 5 4 6

6 6 6 0

Group H Man United CFR Cluj Braga Galatasaray

3 3 3 3

3 1 1 0

0 1 0 1

0 1 2 2

6 4 4 1

3 3 5 4

9 4 3 1

Galatasaray, Cluj draw 1-1

ISTANBUL: Galatasaray’s Dany Nounkeu (left) vies with Pantelis Kapetanos of CFR Cluj during their Champions League Group H soccer match .—AP

ISTANBUL: Burak Yilmaz scored a late equalizer following an own goal, to give Galatasaray a 1-1 draw with CFR Cluj in the Champions League yesterday.

Yilmaz’s 77th-minute strike gave Galatasaray its first goal and first point in the competition. The visitors had three attempts on goal within the first three minutes of the game but it was a shot by Pantelis Kapetanos in the 19th that hit Galatasaray’s Dany Nounkeu and rebounded into the net to put Cluj ahead. The second half featured relentless pressure from Galatasaray that paid off when Burak headed home from a cross by Amrabat.

The game was played on a rain-soaked pitch that hampered both sides’ ability to control the ball and forced them to abandon their short-passing game.—AP

LILLE: Bayern Munich won 1-0 away to Lille in the Champions League yesterday but the scoreline barely reflected the onesided nature of the Group F tie.

A disputed penalty from Thomas Mueller after 20 minutes was the difference between the sides but Bayern made most of the running and should have won by a decidedly more comfortable margin.

Although it was not a particularly bad-tempered game, English referee Martin Atkinson saw fit to book eight players, five of them from Bayern. Franck Ribery was given a rough ride on his return to his native northern France as first Djibril Sidibe and then Florent Balmont dragged him to the ground, but both free kicks were wasted with Mickael Landreau punching both clear.

Bayern broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when Lucas Digne clattered Philipp Lahm to the ground and despite angry Lille protests, referee Atkinson pointed to the spot and Mueller dispatched it straight past Landreau.

Lille’s best chance of the half came on the half-hour as Digne crossed from the left but it sailed over the inrushing Nathan Roux and Tulio De Melo and out to safety. The half was marred by a spate of bookings, first for Bayern’s Jerome Boateng when he upended Roux and Sidibe followed for a crude shove on Ribery. Just before the interval, Javi Martinez was cautioned for a foul on Roux but Lille’s Benoit Peretti evened things up when he

FRANCE: Lille’s defender Djibril Sidibe (left) and FC Bayern Munich’s midfielder Franck Ribery of France challenge for the ball during their Group F Champions League soccer match.—AP was next in the book for a trip on Toni Kroos.

Ribery’s involvment came to an abrupt end at half-time when he reappeared on the bench with his left thigh heavily bandaged to be replaced by Xherdan Shaqiri.

Shortly afterwards Digne became the fifth man booked for a sliding tackle on Mueller.

Bayern contained Lille for long spells despite some deft approach play from the French side but the statistics showed that goakepper Manuel Neuer

hardly had a save worthy of the name to make all night. Lahm should have doubled the score for Bayern in the 69th minute as he raced on to a neat through ball but Landreau got down well to smother the ball before he could take aim.

Mario Mandzukic fell foul of the referee and went into the book for a clumsy challenge on Balmont. Lille had a penalty appeal waved away in the 72nd minute when Balmont went down in the area after apparently

being held back by Martinez.

Mueller squandered a golden opportunity with a quarter of an hour left, pushing Lahm’s cross wide as he slid into the area.

In a last throw of the dice, Lille coach Rudi Garcia sent on Ryan Mendes, but the young attacker ran gamely but to little effect.

Shaqiri was booked for a foul on Balmont in the dying minutes and Bastian Schweinsteiger rounded off the night’s bookings when he saw yellow for bringing down Franck Beria.—AFP

Late goal rescues Juventus COPENHAGEN: A late goal by Mirko Vucinic saved former kings of Europe Juventus from an embarrassing defeat as they hit back to hold little-known Champions League debutants Nordsjaelland to a 1-1 draw yesterday.

Vucinic pounced after good work down the right by Mauricio Isla in the 81st minute to leave goalkeeper Jesper Hansen helpless with a clinical finish.

Nordsjaelland had gone ahead in the 50th minute after forward Mikkel Beckmann curled a free kick over the wall and into the net from 20 metres.

The free kick was awarded after centre half Giorgio Chiellini brought down Andreas Laudrup, son of former Juve player Michael Laudrup.

Juve turned the heat on the Danish underdogs after the goal and Sebastian Giovinco several times went close to an equaliser only to be thwarted by Hansen.

Playmaker Andrea Pirlo tried to emulate Beckmann’s goal in the 68th minute but Hansen made another excellent stop from his free kick. Hansen had to be at his best again six minutes later to turn aside a good longrange effort from Isla. Twice former European champions Juventus stay third in Group E with three points from three games while Nordsjaelland are bottom on one point.

Shakhtar Donetsk lead the way on seven points, three ahead of Chelsea after the Ukrainians beat the European champions 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Nordsjaelland coach Kasper Hjulmand was delighted with his team’s result. “That was a

COPENHAGEN: Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci and FC Nordsjalland’s Joshua John chase the ball during their Champions League, Group E match.—AP fantastic achievement but I think we can get tions with Joshua John. The Italians, who have even better,” Hjulmand told TV 3Plus. a three-point lead at the top of the table in Midfielder Laudrup said: “We learnt from Serie A, have now drawn a record nine succesour two previous matches. We were smart sive matches in European competition. when we had the ball and we also did the The sequence contains three draws in right things when we did not have it”. the Champions League this season and six Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon twice rescued in the group stage of the 2010-11 Europa his side in the first half in one-on-one situa- League.—Reuters

Soldado’s hat-trick deflates BATE MINSK: BATE Borisov, who stunned Bayern Munich last time out, were brought back to earth with a thud here yesterday as Roberto Soldado’s hat-trick earned Valencia a 3-0 win.

BATE went into the game as the surprise Group F table top-

pers after maximum points from their opening two games.

But their woeful record against Spanish opposition continued at Minsk’s Dinamo stadium with this comprehensive loss leaving them with nothing to show from seven attempts.

Valencia, whose reward was to go top of the table on goal difference, started the livelier, with Soldado’s fifth minute effort forcing a good block from BATE goalkeeper Andrei Gorbunov.

The hosts were looking more dangerous as the game pro-

MINSK: Valencia CF’s Andres Guardado (right) and Aly Cissokho (center) vie for the ball with Bate Borisov’s Aleksandr Pavlov during their Champions League Group F soccer match.—AP

gressed and on the half hour mark Aleksandr Pavlov darted into the box only for his shot to be deflected out of danger by Diego Alves’s dive to the left. The Valencia keeper then punched away the follow up from Dmitri Likhtarovich. The Spanish visitors, who were enjoying the bulk of possession, finally broke the gridlock in first half stoppage time when Marko Simic felled Soldado.

Soldado converted the penalty with Gorbunov diving the wrong way. The second half was only ten minutes old when Valencia doubled their advantage and it was Soldado again who did the damage. The Valencia striker struck low into Gorbunov’s net with a right-footed volley after being set up by a cross from Andres Guardado.

Soldado went very close to grabbing another seconds later but with Gorbunov beaten BATE midfielder Aleksandr Volodko stepped in to block the shot on the line. The red-hot striker did get his third on 69 minutes after a neat one-two with Tino Costa for his second Champions league hat-trick. A fourth looked on the cards but his cheeky chip with quarter of an hour to go sailed wide. Valencia’s second win of the campaign pushed them up to the top of Group F from BATE and Bayern with all three on six points.—AFP

Giants roll into World Series

16

Dortmund entertain injury-hit Real

18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

Company that paid Armstrong bonuses wants money back

Page 17

OLD TRAFFORD: SC Braga’s Portuguese midfielder Ruben Micael (left) falls under a challenge from Manchester United’s English midfielder Tom Cleverley (right) during the UEFA Champions League Group H football match.—AFP

United hit back, Hernandez sinks Braga MANCHESTER: Manchester United staged a dramatic fightback from two goals down as Javier Hernandez’s double inspired a 3-2 win over Braga in the Champions League yesterday.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were in danger of an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Portuguese minnows after two early goals from Braga captain Alan shocked Old Trafford.

But Hernandez sparked United’s revival with his first goal before half-time and the Mexico striker bagged the winner with 15 minutes remaining after Jonny Evans equalised just after the hour.

Hernandez’s heroics ensured United maintained their 100 percent record after three Group H matches and one more victory should be enough to guarantee their place in the last 16.

Yet, while Ferguson will be pleased by his team’s

gutsy comeback, the United manager was shifting uneasily in his seat as Braga became the latest team to expose the hosts’ defensive frailties. “It’s been the story of our season at home, starting badly and losing goals,” Ferguson said.

“We have had to rescue games and it is the front players doing that. We played some terrific football tonight but it is a concern losing the goals.”

Ferguson opted to rest Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, but he talked in his programme notes about the perils of underestimating the supposedly weaker teams in the competition and paid Braga due respect by fielding a strong line-up that featured Hernandez, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in attack. It seemed like Ferguson’s players weren’t listening to his warnings as sloppy defending allowed Braga to take the lead after just 90 sec-

onds. Former Newcastle midfielder Hugo Viana was given time to swing over a cross from the left and Alan got in front of Alexander Buttner to plant a fine header past United goalkeeper David de Gea. For the eighth time in 12 matches, Ferguson’s men would have to come from behind after conceding the opening goal.

Reflecting the growing belief that United have something of a soft centre these days, Braga manager Jose Peseiro had promised to go on the attack and his team were proving as good as his word.

Even so, it was still remarkable how easily Braga carved through the United defence to double their lead in the 20th minute.

Michael Carrick, once again playing as a makeshift centre-back, was lured out of position to the left wing by Eder, who beat his marker with a

sublime flick before whipping over a cross that Alan, given too much space by Buttner and Evans, dispatched with a clinical low strike.

That stunning development finally seemed to shake Ferguson’s team out of their lethargy and Hernandez reduced the deficit just five minutes later. Shinji Kagawa was allowed to play on after a foul on van Persie and the Japan midfielder lofted a cross towards Hernandez, whose diving header was too powerful for Braga goalkeeper Beto to keep out. United had all the momentum now and Hernandez had the ball in the net again, only to see his goal disallowed for a borderline offside call against Kagawa.

Ferguson’s team weren’t to be denied though.

Portugal winger Nani came on for Kagawa at halftime and United put the visitors under intense

pressure in the second period.

Van Persie whipped in a free-kick that needed a strong parry from Beto at his near-post and only a series of last-ditch clearances kept United at bay in the following minutes. But United had never lost at home to Portuguese opposition and Evans ensured that record would remain intact when the centreback scuffed home the equaliser at the second attempt after Braga failed to deal with van Persie’s 62nd minute corner.

The only question now has whether United would be able to complete their stirring fightback with a winner. The answer was emphatically yes.

In the 75th minute, Tom Cleverley curled over a teasing cross and Hernandez, timing his run perfectly, found space to bury a bullet header past Beto.—AFP

Shakhtar topple Chelsea DONETSK: Chelsea’s hopes of a place in the Champions League last 16 were compromised yesterday when the holders fell to the first loss of their trophy defence in a 2-1 defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk.

Despite a late effort by Oscar, goals from Alex Teixeira and Fernandinho were enough to give the Ukrainian champions breathing space at the top of Group E and extend an extraordinary unbeaten run stretching back 11 months.

It was Chelsea’s first loss since they went down to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, but things would have been far worse for the Premier League leaders had Juventus not been held to a 1-1 draw at FC Nordsjaelland.

Chelsea remain in second place but are now three points behind Shakhtar ahead of the return game on November 7, while coach Roberto Di Matteo must hope for a quick recovery prior to Sunday’s visit of Manchester United.

“It was a difficult game.

Shakhtar played well and deserved it. I don’t know what happened,” said Chelsea centre-back David Luiz. “The Shakhtar players are intelligent and didn’t give us any opportunities. Only in the last 15 minutes did we have good chances.

“We didn’t play well. It is a shock following some good performances in the Champions League.

Congratulations to Shakhtar.

“Sometimes you can’t play well, and tonight was like that. We need to think about the next game because Chelsea are a big team and they need to win.”

John Terry returned for Chelsea after missing their 4-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur as he served the first instalment of a four-game ban for racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand, but his first contribution was unfortunate.

Ironically sporting a Unite Against Racism armband, one year to the day since his clash with

Ferdinand, the Blues captain unwittingly diverted a shot into the path of Teixeira, who drilled the hosts into a third-minute lead.

Another Chelsea stalwart, Frank Lampard, was making his 100th European appearance, but he endured a similarly forgettable start to the game, with injury forcing him off in the 16th minute.

Eden Hazard replaced Lampard and helped craft an opening for Fernando Torres, but Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov came out to save at the Spaniard’s feet.

The hosts refused to be flustered by Chelsea’s forays into their territory, however, and the dangerous Willian twice threatened to extend their lead with attempts from long range.

The Brazilian with the afro haircut then teed up Henrik Mkhitaryan for a powerful shot that Petr Cech parried, while the Czech goalkeeper also had to claw away a close-range effort from Yaroslav Rakitskiy.

The half-time whistle came as a relief for Di Matteo’s side but things got no better in the second half, as the home side doubled their advantage inside seven minutes.

Hazard was caught in possession in midfield by Fernandinho, who hared upfield to collect a layoff from Luiz Adriano before crashing a precise low shot into Cech’s bottom-right corner.

Pyatov had to repel long-range shots from Hazard and Ramires, but Mircea Lucescu’s men refused to be pushed back.

Cech twice had to deal with smartly hit shots from Mkhitaryan, while Adriano saw a header bobble narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

Oscar tucked home Branislav Ivanovic’s low cross in the 88th minute to claim a consolation goal for Chelsea, but Shakhtar were in no mood to relinquish their record of having never lost at home to an English club.—AFP

Barcelona deny battling Celtic

SPAIN: Barcelona’s midfielder Andres Iniesta celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League football match against Celtic.—AFP

BARCELONA: A Jordi Alba goal at the death gave Barcelona a 2-1 win to sink a battling Celtic side and make it three wins out of three in Group G for the Catalan giants.

The visiting Scottish fans were all set to cheer a well earned point at Barca’s Nou Camp fortress but instead they were left crestfallen after conceding a goal in the 93rd minute with Alba bundling the ball over from close range. Barca, who lead the group with nine points, have not been beaten at home for three years in Europe but they went behind when a header from Giorgos Samaras deflected off Mascherano after 16 minutes. The hosts, whose imperious start to the campaign has seen them unbeaten so far at home and abroad, were always in control but they uncharacteristically lacked a cutting edge in attack. Andres Iniesta brought them level before half time and despite late pressure where keeper Fraser Forster made a series of fine saves and David Villa hit the woodwork, Celtic looked like they would hold on but it wasn’t to be. With a long list of injuries to their back line, Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova put his confidence in youth product Marc Bartra in the centre of defence with Javier Mascherano and Adriano Correia at right back. Alex Song was pushed forward into midfield where he was the only defensive option with Sergio Busquets suspended. Celtic backed by their usual army of travelling fans had little pressure on them after the solid start to their European campaign but this was always going to be a tough night against Barca’s potent attacking threat and they were almost a goal down inside the sec-

ond minute. Andres Iniesta sent a defence splitting pass for Alexis Sanchez but he skewed his shot wide over Fraser Forster’s right post.

The visitor’s game plan was clear. To counterattack down the wings and launch balls when possible into the box for Samaras and Gary Hooper but they were not getting tight enough to the Barca midfielders who were dictating the play and running the Celtic rearguard ragged. A point-blank save by Forster kept Barca at bay after a wellworked corner routine.

The ball was played to Messi on the edge of the area and he lofted it back in for Iniesta who in turn found Bartra, but his close-range header was too close to the keeper. Immediately Celtic broke and from a subsequent free-kick grabbed the lead with Barca hesitant over their aerial threat. Charlie Mulgrew swung the ball in and Samaras headed the ball on at the near post and it deflected off Mascherano into the goal.

The wind was taken out of the Catalan’s sails and while they still dominated possession their passing was not quite as precise as they hurried the final ball. However, on the point of half time there was a double blow for Celtic as they lost Samaras to injury and Iniesta drew Barca level.

After an interchange with Xavi Hernandez he slotted the ball into the corner to relax the crowd.

Barca continued their intricate build up play after the break but in search of the winning goal they left large gaps at the back. The game was evenly balanced between their slow build up which at times was over-labored and Celtic’s breakaways.

Efe Ambrose was inches away from giving Celtic the lead as he prodded the ball the wrong side of the post ten minutes into the second half while Barca could only manage shots from distance. That was until Messi forced a top draw save from Forster from close range.

Celtic’s defending became increasingly desperate as the game wore on and Forster made excellent blocks from Messi and Alexis Sanchez while substitute David Villa also hit the post. But the resistance finally gave way in the 94th minute as Alba at the far post knocked in a right wing cross. —AFP

Iraq, S Korea’s KOGAS sign deal on pipelines Page 22

Leaders face uphill climb for early EU budget deal Page 23

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

Turkish gold trade booms to Iran via Dubai Page 24

Airbus opens A350 plant to meet rising competition Page 25

LAS VEGAS: Republican presidential candidate Gov Mitt Romney talks about his plan for creating jobs and improving the economy at McCandless International Trucks in Las Vegas. —AP

Iran may halt oil sales as sanctions bite Tehran says it could survive without oil revenues DUBAI: Iran said yesterday it would stop oil exports if pressure from Western sanctions got any tighter and that it had a “Plan B” contingency strategy to survive without oil revenues.

Western nations led by the United States have imposed tough sanctions on the Islamic Republic this year in an attempt to curb its nuclear program that they say is designed to produce atomic weapons. Tehran says its nuclear plans are peaceful. “If sanctions intensify we will stop expor ting oil,” Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi told repor ters in Dubai. Qasemi’s statement is the latest in a series of threats of retaliation by Tehran in response to the sanctions, which have heightened political tensions across the Middle East and, analysts say, led to a sharp drop in Iranian oil exports. “We have prepared a plan to run the country without any oil revenues,” Qasemi said, adding, “So far to date we haven’t had any serious problems, but if the sanctions were to be renewed we would go for ‘Plan B’.

“If you continue to add to the sanctions we (will) cut our oil exports to the world... We are hopeful that this doesn’t happen, because citizens will suffer. We don’t want to see European and U.S. citizens suffer,” he said, adding that the loss of Iranian oil on the market would drive up oil prices. Analysts brushed off Qasemi’s threat.

“It’s just making noise. It would be like cutting off their nose to spite their face,” said Leo Drollas, Chief Economist at the Centre for Global Energy Studies.

“Iran needs to export its crude more than other countries need to import it. They are desperate for cash.” Sanctions have already reduced Iran’s exports to around 1 million bar-

rels per day (bpd) compared to 2.2 million bpd in 2011. China, India, Japan, South Korea and Turkey now count as Tehran’s main buyers.

The US government has focused on blocking Iran’s oil exports because it estimates that crude sales provide about half of Iranian government revenues and that oil and oil products make up nearly 80 percent of the country’s total exports. The rial plunged by about a third against the US dollar in the week to Oct 2, reflecting a slide in oil income wrought by tightened sanctions over summer aimed at pressuring Tehran to drop its nuclear program.

How long the economy could function without selling any oil is unclear, but Iran has large currency reserves accumulated over decades as one of the world’s largest oil suppliers.

“What else can they export to generate the necessar y revenues?” Carsten Fritsch of Commerzbank said in the Reuters Global Oil Forum. Because of the slide in the rial and oil export earnings, the government is already moving onto an austerity footing, cutting imports of non-essential goods and urging its citizens to buy fewer foreign products.

Iran has in the past said it could shut the vital shipping lane of Hormuz at the head of the Middle East Gulf. However, a large Western naval force sent to keep open the route, through which about a third of the world’s seaborne oil exports pass might be a large obstacle to such an attempt.

Earlier yesterday, Qasemi said Iran was still producing 4 million barrels per day (bpd), rejecting reports the country’s output has fallen to around 2.7 million bpd. According to the latest secondary source estimates published by

the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Iran pumped just 2.72 bpd in September, and Iran’s own data submitted to OPEC showed the country produced 3.75 million bpd in August.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that Iranian exports fell to a new low of 860,000 bpd in September, down from 2.2 million bpd at the end of 2011. Assuming a crude oil price of $110, such a sharp drop means Iran making just $95 million from daily crude sales last month, about $147 million less every day than it was making late last year. Nevertheless, Qasemi said Iran was pumping oil at full capacity and refining more of its own oil to meet domestic demand.

“It is currently 4 million barrels per day,” he said, declining to give export figures. “Iran has been facing US sanctions for 30 years while successfully managing its oil sector,” he said.

He said Iran’s refining capacity was now 2 million barrels per day (bpd) with another 200,000 bpd of capacity to be added before the end of Iranian year next March.The increase in refining capacity had already ended Iran’s need to import vehicle fuel and could soon drive a boom in fuel exports, the minister said.

“Our daily consumption of petrol (gasoline) is 90 million litres ... Earlier, a big portion of that was being imported but we no longer import products,” he said. “Right now, we not only don’t import but we also export some products ... there are always customers for Iranian oil. “By the end of the Iranian year they will reach their maximum capacity and then we can export more Iranian oil products,” he said. — Reuters

Etisalat Q3 profit up 28% after Indonesia sale DUBAI: Etisalat, the United Arab Emirates’ No 1 telecom operator, posted a 28 percent rise in third-quarter profit, beating analysts’ estimates after the former monopoly booked gains from a stake sale in Indonesia. The firm, which operates in 15 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, made a net profit of 2.21 billion dirhams ($602 million) in the three months to Sept. 30, up from 1.72 billion dirhams in the year-earlier period. This included net profit of 430 million dirhams from selling a 9.1 percent stake in Indonesia’s PT XL Axiata that cut Etisalat’s holding to 4.2 percent. Analysts polled by Reuters forecast Etisalat would make a quarterly profit of 1.9 billion dirhams. Third-quarter revenue was 8.01 billion dirhams, near-flat from a year ago.

Etisalat’s foreign operations generated revenue of 2.4 billion dirhams, up 7 percent year-on-year.

The operator, No 2 in the Gulf by market value, said operating expenses dropped 8 percent to 4.6 billion dirhams as falling sales costs and lower depreciation and amortization expenses more than offset a 6 percent rise in wages.

After a bumpy few years that saw annual profit fall by a third between 2009 and 2011, Etislat has refocused on its domestic market, where rival du has built up a 47.2 percent share of mobile subscribers since launching services in 2007. Etisalat had 7 million domestic mobile subscribers as of Sept. 30, up 11 percent from a year ago, but margins remain under pressure as the UAE’s largely expatriate foreign workforce increasingly uses

internet-based phone services, hurting its lucrative international call and text businesses.

The firm is also placing a greater emphasis on its foreign units in high growth, high population markets such as Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Egypt, while chief executive Ahmad Julfar last week ruled out exiting any foreign markets.

Egypt unit Etisalat Misr had third-quarter revenue of 1.3 billion dirhams, up 9 percent from a year ago, representing more than half Etisalat’s foreign earnings. Revenue from its other Africa operations rose 2 percent to 689 million dirhams, while Asia was up 10 percent at 408 million dirhams.

Etisalat had a net cash balance of 7.2 billion dirhams as of Sept 30. — Reuters

Kuwait comes off low; Gulf mixed in thin trade MIDEAST STOCK MARKET DUBAI: Kuwait’s main stock index rose from Monday’s 10-week low as bargain-hunters stepped in following two days of declines spurred by political unrest, while Gulf markets were mixed in thin trade as Eid holidays approached.

The Kuwaiti index climbed 0.5 percent yesterday. It had suffered its largest drop in more than three years on Sunday, falling 3.1 percent, and extended those losses on the following day in the wake of political protests.

Police used teargas, stun grenades and baton charges on Sunday night to disperse thousands of demonstrators protesting against changes to the electoral law, which the opposition has called a constitutional coup by the government.

“The market’s stability shows the panic has been absorbed by the market,” said Fouad Abdulrahman Alhadlaq, deputy general manager at Al Dar Asset Management.

However, traders noted there was no clear sign of any resolution to the political tensions. The government banned gatherings of more than 20 people and gave police more powers to disperse protests, local media reported yesterday.

“Many investors are cautious and prefer to stay on the sidelines in case anything happens over the holidays that might negatively influence the market. The political situation is a major influence for the time being,” Hadlaq said.

Kuwait’s stock exchange will close from Oct. 25 through 29 for the Eid al-Adha vacation. The top traded stocks yesterday were small-caps, signalling a return of short-term retail traders. Gulf Finance House gained 1.3 percent and Ithmaar Bank added 2.0 percent. Heavyweights, usually the preserve of institutional investors, traded little. Only three of the 10 largest companies by market value gained, with National Bank of Kuwait up 1.1 percent and Commercial Bank adding 1.5 percent. Kuwait Finance House rose 1.4 percent. The Gulf state’s largest Islamic lender appointed veteran board member

Mohammed Al-Khodairi as its new chairman, replacing Sameer Al-Nafisi who has resigned.

In Saudi Arabia, large-caps dragged down the bourse for a third straight session and trading volumes plunged to a 13-month low. Saudi Basic Industries Corp and National Industrialization shed 1.1 and 2.9 percent respectively. The kingdom’s index slipped 0.2 percent to its lowest level since Oct. 15. The market traded 119 million shares, the lowest daily amount since September 2011.

“There’s not much activity and volumes are thin due to the long vacation coming up - it’s mostly retail investors that are selling before Eid,” said Turki Fadaak, head of research at Al Bilad Investment.

“The market reaction to Q3 earnings, which in general were better than Q2, is likely to be after the holidays.” Elsewhere, Abu Dhabi’s First Gulf Bank helped lift the emirate’s index from a one-week low; the index closed 0.2 percent higher.

Shares in FGB rose 1.5 percent after the lender posted a 15-percent rise in thirdquarter profit, matching analysts’ estimates.

“We believe this is a strong set of results and FGB remains our top pick in the UAE,” Aarthi Chandrasekaran, analyst at NBK Capital, said in a note. “Operating income came broadly in line with our forecast, loans continued to expand, and asset quality indicators remained stable.”

Developers Sorouh Real Estate and Aldar Properties rose 1.5 and 0.7 percent respectively. In Dubai, shares in Tamweel tumbled 5.1 percent to their lowest close since Oct. 3 after the mortgage lender reported a sharp decline in quarterly profit, missing analyst estimates.

But Emaar Properties added 1.1 percent ahead of third-quarter earnings. After market hours, the firm posted a 4.7 percent drop in profit, missing estimates by a large margin, although analysts said this did not indicate the real estate market’s gradual recovery was faltering. —Reuters

22

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

BUSINESS

Iraq, S Korea’s KOGAS sign deal on pipelines

Dubai’s Emaar Q3 net drops 4.7% DUBAI: Emaar Properties, Dubai’s biggest real estate developer and builder of the world’s tallest tower, reported a 4.7 percent drop in thirdquarter net profit, missing analyst estimates by a large margin, as a seasonal slowdown hit revenue.

But company chairman Mohamed Alabbar said the property market’s tone was positive, as the emirate continues to recover from a real estate crash in 2009-2010.

The sector is witnessing “an ongoing upward price revision as well as a high level of demand for new projects in strategic locations”, he said in a statement yesterday. The company, in which the government has a 31.2 percent stake, posted a net profit of 387 million dirhams in the quarter compared to 406 million dirhams a year earlier. The earnings missed the average forecast of five analysts who had expected a much larger profit of 516.2 million dirhams.

Revenue for the quarter dropped to 1.6 billion dirhams from 1.9 billion dirhams in the prior-year period. The company said the quarterly profit was in line with seasonal trends. Revenue from the hospitality and retail sectors tends to grow less strongly during the summer as hot weather deters inflows of tourists from some countries.

“While the results came in below our expectations and consensus, their weakness was mostly stemming from lower-than-expected revenues booked on real estate deliveries,” said Jan Pawel Hasman, vice president for equity research at EFG Hermes. “We note that

Baghdad bid to revamp energy infrastructure

BAGHDAD: Iraq yesterday inked a multi-million dollar deal with South Korea’s KOGAS that will set in motion the building of two key gas pipelines in the country’s north - the latest step by Baghdad to develop dilapidated infrastructure to meet growing energy needs. The $127.5-million deal stipulates that state-run KOGAS would construct two 110 kilometer(68 mile-) long pipelines to link oil-rich city of Kirkuk and the industrial city of Beiji to transport liquid and dry natural gas. The lines are to be completed by September 2014. KOGAS has played a major role in Iraq’s energy sector.

It is developing a promising western gas field near the Syrian border and it is teaming up with Turkey’s TPAO and Kuwait Energy to develop another gas field in eastern Iraq.

Since 2008, Iraq has awarded 15 oil and gas deals, but developers have been complaining about infrastructure bottlenecks due to decades of war, sanctions and insurgent attacks.

Iraq is now producing about 3.4 million barrels a day, up from nearly 2.4 million a day in 2009, and its daily exports averaged 2.6 million barrels a day last month. It plans to raise production to between 5-6 million barrels per day in 2015 and between 9-10 million barrels per day by 2020, a level that could be sustained for 20 years. The signing in Baghdad came as Iraq’s oil shipments from the country’s main oil export terminals on the Persian Gulf restarted after being halted earlier in the week due to bad weather. Deputy Oil Minister Ahmed Al-Shamaa said the shipments resumed but didn’t say how much oil was being shipped. Before the stoppage on Sunday, oil exports averaged 2.3 million barrels a day.

Asked about recent media reports that the US oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp plans to pull out of its deal to develop the 8.6 billion barrels West Qurna Phase 1 in the southern

province of Basra, Al-Shamaa said the ministry has no knowledge about any such plan and that the company has not informed the government of such a plan.

Exxon has irked Iraq’s central government

Tuesday when contacted by The Associated Press. In another development, Iraq’s Oil Ministry invited international oil and refinery companies to bid for developing the 4.4-billion-barrel Nasiriyah field in southern Iraq and

BAGHDAD: Hashem Abdul Ghafour (left), director of the Iraqi state pipeline company, sits next to the chairman of the Korea Gas Corporation, KOGAS, yesterday. — AFP when it bypassed Baghdad and signed late last year oil deals with the northern self-ruled Kurdish region to search for oil in six areas there. Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurds are at loggerheads over the right to develop natural resources, with the government maintaining that deals signed unilaterally by Iraqi Kurds with oil companies are illegal. The Iraqi Kurdish authorities argue that the constitution allows them to do so. Exxon has not commented on the possibility that it might leave West Qurna. It declined to comment again on

for the construction of a 300,000-barrel per day refinery nearby.

The field is located in Thi Qar province, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of Baghdad. The deadline for interested companies to submit their documents is December 13. The companies that qualify will be announced at the end of January 2013 and the deal is to be awarded by the end of next year. Iraq sits atop of 143.1 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. Oil exports make up nearly 95 percent of the budget. — AP

Barwa Real Estate Q3 net profit jumps DUBAI: Barwa Real Estate, Qatar’s largest listed property developer, said third quarter net profit more than doubled, as gains booked on the fair value of investments offset higher operating and finance costs.

Barwa, which is eyeing asset sales worth $4.4 billion to pay down loans, made a net profit of 185.4 million riyals ($50.92 million)in the third quarter, compared with 80.8 million riyals in the same period of 2011, it said in a bourse filing yesterday.

The profit was boosted by net fair value gain taken on investment properties, which soared to 125.3 million riyals from just 20.4 million riyals in the prior year period. This offset increase in operating expenses which nearly doubled to 119.8 million riyals in the quarter and finance costs that grew three times to 125 million.

Barwa is 45-percent owned by

Qatari Diar, the property arm of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. It has properties in France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and focuses on retail, office, hospitality and residential developments.

Total revenue and gains for the quarter was 527 million riyals compared with 359.7 million riyals a year ago, the company’s statement showed. Earlier this month, Barwa said it plans to sell assets worth 16 billion riyals ($4.4 billion) in Qatar and Egypt to pay down loans. The assets being sold include land in the Gulf Arab state as well as the Barwa New Cairo project in Egypt and will be reflected in fourthquarter results. The company also laid off laid off about 90 employees in a restructuring move last year. — Reuters

Most of UAE’s oil to be exported from Fujairah DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) key Fujairah pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz will be fully operational by the end of the year and will carry most of Abu Dhabi’s oil exports, the oil minister of the OPEC member said yesterday.

Alarmed by Iranian threats to block the world’s biggest oil shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz, the UAE opened its long-delayed pipeline to pump up to 1.8 million barrels a day (bpd) and shipped its first export cargo in July. “Hopefully by the end of the year it should be fully operational,” Mohammed Al-Hamli told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Dubai.

The 370-km (231-mile) Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline carries oil from fields in the UAE’s western desert to Fujairah, a major oil storage and fuel bunkering hub on the east coast. The new terminal has eight crude oil storage tanks each with capacity of one million barrels. But since the first three initial cargoes, some of them going back to the UAE, the Fujairah terminal has not yet become fully operational for handling the bulk of the UAE’s exports. — Reuters

this income statement item is not indicative of the overall market condition and largely depends on Emaar’s internal delivery schedules. “Hospitality revenues came in line with our expectations, showing a seasonal slowdown caused by Ramadan and hot summer months. Meanwhile, the retail segment performed slightly weaker than we have anticipated.”

He added, “While investors could receive these results with a dose of disappointment, we remain buyers of the stock.” Emaar, which also owns what is billed as the world’s largest shopping mall, said recurring revenue from its hotels and retail business was 2.9 billion dirhams in the nine months to Sept. 30.

No quarterly figures were provided.

The developer has shifted its focus in recent years away from the emirate’s property market and towards its more profitable retail and hospitality business.

However, renewed optimism in the property market has helped Emaar’s sales. It launched three new real estate projects this year, which contributed 3.08 billion dirhams to total sales in the first nine months of the year, Emaar said. Dubai’s real estate market saw house prices drop by over 60 percent from their 2008 peak, after a global financial crisis sparked a collapse in property values propped up by market speculation. The gradual recovery in the sector is now encouraging developers to announce new projects, which is attracting a return of speculative investors. — Reuters

Asian stock markets flat, earnings season in focus HONG KONG: Asian markets were mostly flat or lower yesterday as traders took a breather from recent rallies and Wall Street provided a weak lead. Tokyo closed mixed as profit-taking offset earlier gains on a weaker yen. The Nikkei 225 index inched up 0.04 percent or 3.54 points to 9,014.25.

The euro had hit a five-month high in New York against the yen following data showing a sharp drop in Japanese exports.

Sydney closed flat, adding just 2.1 points to end at 4,543.1, while South Korea ended 0.76 percent or 14.78 points lower at 1,926.81. Chinese shares were down 0.57 percent in afternoon trade as investors awaited a turnaround in the domestic economy. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 12.08 points to 2,120.68. “We still think there’s more downside risk in the near term,” Gold State Securities analyst Li Lei told Dow Jones Newswires. “Beijing is unlikely to introduce more supportive measures to bolster growth ahead of the 18th Party Congress,” he added.

Hong Kong and Bangkok were closed for public holidays. Global markets have surged in recent months after a string of policy-easing moves in the United States, Europe and Japan as well as last week’s figures indicating a pick-up in China.

But investors are treading carefully as the Asian corporate earnings season approaches, with many concerned that the global slowdown will have a detrimental impact on profits.

The weak yen follows Japan’s Monday announcement of the worst September trade figures in more than 30 years, hit by the global slowdown and a territorial dispute with China. The euro was buying 104.29 yen in afternoon trading compared to 104.43 yen in New York late Monday.

The dollar stood at 79.86 yen, compared with 79.95 yen. It had hit 79.99 yen at one point in Tokyo, its highest since early July. Wall Street put in an anaemic performance after the world’s largest heavy equipment maker Caterpillar provided guidance for 2012 and 2013 that was below estimates, despite seeing its best third quarter.

The Dow and S&P 500 ended flat, while the tech-strong Nasdaq gained 0.38 percent. Oil prices were higher, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, adding 29 cents to $88.94 and Brent North Sea crude for December gaining 29 cents to $109.73.

Gold was at $1,724.00 at 0624 GMT compared with $1,724.50 late Monday. —AP

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .4470000 .3640000 .3000000 .2800000 .2870000 .0040000 .0020000 .0760950 .7413670 .3870000 .0720000 .7267780 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2803000 GB Pound/KD .4488300 Euro .3660300 Swiss francs .3022430 Canadian dollars .2824040 Danish Kroner .0490710 Swedish Kroner .0424690 Australian dlr .2893400 Hong Kong dlr .0361670 Singapore dlr .2294810 Japanese yen .0035090 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0763450 Bahraini dinars .7437970 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0747670 Omani riyals .7283360 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

3.547 5.227 2.945 2.175 3.281 232.250 36.293 3.427 6.776 9.163 92.334

.2840000 .4600000 .3720000 .3070000 .2910000 .2980000 .0058500 .0035000 .0768590 .7488180 .4050000 .0780000 .7340830 .0510000 .2824000 .4521930 .3687720 .3045070 .2845200 .0494390 .0427880 .2915070 .0364380 .2312010 .0035350 .0053000 .0021820 .0029680 .0034890 .0769170 .7493700 .3994340 .0753270 .7337920 .0068870

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.030 77.309 730.800 747.310 76.614

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.400 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 45.981 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.313 Tunisian Dinar 181.220 Jordanian Dinar 396.880 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.888 Syrian Lier 4.847 Morocco Dirham 33.482 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 281.250 Euro 370.550 Sterling Pound 454.500 Canadian dollar 286.110 Turkish lire 156.860 Swiss Franc 306.370 US Dollar Buying 280.050 GOLD 332.000 168.000 86.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

50.800 731.330 3.070 7.010 77.880 75.170 232.110 36.360 2.682 454.500 43.600 307.100 4.100 9.530 198.263 76.760 281.900 1.350

10 Tola

GOLD 1,820.380

Sterling Pound US Dollar

731.150 2.960 6.815 77.450 75.170 232.110 36.360 2.170 452.500 305.600 4.100 9.370 76.660 281.500

COUNTRY

Currency

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 452.500 281.500

SELL CASH

SELL DRAFT

294.100 748.760 3.670 287.200 553.000 45.900 50.200 167.800 48.380 371.400 37.010 5.480 0.032 0.161 0.247 3.640 398.990 0.190 95.250 45.600 4.330 233.500 1.824

292.600 748.760 3.440 285.700

232.100 46.086 369.900 36.860 5.255 0.031

398.950 0.189 95.260 3.320 232.000

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL CASH

294.68 287.74 308.00 370.11 281.10 453.76 3.60 3.460 5.245 2.173 3.308 2.951 76.60 748.48 46.09 400.48 731.59 77.62 75.17

294.500 286.500 308.000 371.000 282.500 455.000 3.690 3.200 5.500 2.320 3.750 3.150 77.350 748.500 48.500 398.500 735.000 78.000 75.750

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

305.095 745.130 76.605 77.255 75.015 396.745 46.099 2.164 5.260 2.945 3.440 6.809 690.395 4.515 9.275 4.365 3.430 92.080

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Selling Rate

281.450 284.220 451.725 368.625

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

281.500 2.957 5.263 2.185 3.439 6.835 76.745 75.225 748.400 46.135 456.300 2.990 1.550 373.300 289.500 3.345

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

281.150 369.700 452.300 285.450 3.590 5.245 46.065 2.166 3.458 6.820 2.948 748.650 76.500 75.000

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

business

Leaders face uphill climb for early EU budget deal Failure could divert euro zone crisis response

A UPS driver makes a delivery in North Andover, Massachusetts. UPS said yesterday, its third-quarter earnings sank on a huge penalty to withdraw from a pension plan. —AP

UPS Q3 profit falls on charge NEW YORK: UPS says it’s uncertain how strong the holiday shopping season will be, and that the pace of global growth remains uneven.

But the world’s largest package deliver y company managed to match Wall Street expectations for third quarter earnings, and shares rose slightly before the market opened yesterday.

The company reported a drop in thirdquarter earnings Tuesday, as declines in its US package and freight business offset improving international operating profit.

UPS’ net income was hurt by a huge penalty to withdraw from a pension plan. Even without that big charge, net income eased - although it matched forecasts from Wall Street analysts. “Our results were achieved in an environment of slowing global trade and changing market dynamics,” said Scott Davis, UPS chairman and CEO The Atlanta company said it is able to better forecast its earnings for the year. It

narrowed its outlook to a range of $4.55 to $4.65 per share, from an earlier forecast of $4.50 to $4.75. It predicting adjusted net income will rise between 5 and 7 percent from adjusted results in 2011.

In the most recent quar ter, United Parcel Service Inc. earned $469 million, or 48 cents per share, compared with $1.07 billion, or $1.09 per share, a year earlier.

Without the huge charge, it earned $1.03 billion, or $1.06 per share. Revenue fell less than 1 percent to $13.07 billion.

Analysts polled by FactSet expected a profit of $1.06 per share on revenue of $13.32 billion. While operating profit declined at UPS’ core US package segment, the international segment produced its highest-ever profit for the summer quarter.

The domestic unit is more than double the size of international. The company’s stock price rose $1.04, or 1.45 percent, to $72.60 in premarket trading.—AP

BRUSSELS: European Union diplomats are pushing to secure a swift deal on the bloc’s next seven-year budget, believing a Nov 22-23 summit offers the best chance of agreement - saying the need to solve bigger issues may work to defuse the political challenges.

At stake is nearly 1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) of investment between 2014-2020 in infrastructure projects, agriculture and research, designed to help spur the economic growth Europe needs to emerge from its debt crisis. The desire to reach agreement at a single summit appears at odds with recent shadow boxing by EU governments, with British Prime Minister David Cameron publicly threatening to veto a deal if his demands are not met.

It would also buck an EU trend for longdrawn-out talks over the multi-year budget, which in the past has required at least two summits to get the unanimous agreement needed.

“Differences between EU member states seem to be so big that the negotiations would last much longer than currently expected,” said Carsten Brzeski, senior European economist at ING bank. But with euro-zone countries keen to focus their efforts on crisis response measures, and with poorer EU countries wary of any delays to the new spending plan, diplomats insist that a one-shot deal is possible and remains the best option. “ The best chance for a deal at the November summit is the fact that, for many member states, they have bigger fish to fry,” said one EU diplomat involved in the discussions.

Even British officials have talked up the chances of a November deal, despite the government’s political posturing. Cameron goes into the talks in a relatively strong position, with one of his main priorities - keeping hold of the country’s rebate - assured if no deal is reached.

He also has strong allies in Germany, Finland and the Netherlands, among others, in his bid to cut the overall level of EU spending proposed by the European Commission last year.

London is calling for the deepest cuts, but if offered a deal that safeguards its multi-billion euro rebate and cuts some 100 billion euros from the total, Cameron could see a chance to win back some EU goodwill for little pain. If no deal is struck, the EU’s 2013 budget would roll over with an automatic 2 percent increase based on inflation, which should act as an extra incentive for net contributors such as Britain and Germany to reach a compromise. That means that if Britain vetoes a deal, it could end up paying more than it wants.

“The UK may have to take a little water with its wine, but November could be the best chance for a good deal, because they’re not necessarily going to get a better one if they wait,” said another EU diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Others believe Cameron risks painting himself into a corner with his talk of a veto and needs a longer-term vision. “If the UK is going to

play the hard line it has said it would play, then I think there is very little scope to find a compromise which works for everyone,” said Fabian Zuleeg, chief economist at Brussels think tank the European Policy Centre.

“If the UK is purely looking at how things play in the British media and with Tory backbenchers, it becomes very difficult to find a compromise here in Brussels.”

While Britain was described by one senior EU official as the biggest problem in the budget talks, it is far from being the only one.

Sweden, a net contributor to the EU and which has long called for reform of the common agricultural policy, is also expected to play hardball. “We have made clear that we believe a freeze in real terms is what should happen given that it has not been possible to achieve a modernization or any major change in the budget.”

Sweden’s Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told reporters yesterday.

Poland, Hungary and other EU members from the former Soviet bloc, set to benefit most from the spending plans, are opposed to any cuts, and each carries its own veto in the talks. The European Parliament could also use the power granted to it under the 2009 Lisbon Treaty to vote down any deal reached by EU governments if its calls for increased funds are ignored. The biggest obstacle to agreement in November

may be the current lack of groundwork for a deal. The 50-page government negotiating text on the budget has been debated since April, but less than a month before the November summit it still contains no precise figures, with broad ranges only due to be inserted later this week.

Officials describe this as a deliberate tactic to keep all 27 countries on board during the early part of the negotiations, but it leaves little time for capitals to work out their bottom lines before leaders begin haggling in earnest.

“Whether it is about the size of the total budget, funding sources or the different spending items, right now there does not seem to be a single agreement on any of these issues,” said ING’s Brzeski.

The diplomacy will move up a gear when European Council President Herman Van Rompuy begins a series of bilateral talks with EU leaders ahead of the summit, starting in London on Thursday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also due to meet Cameron in early November.

Van Rompuy, who will lead the November summit talks, has said he is prepared to extend the two-day meeting into the weekend in order to clinch deal, and earlier this month advised those attending to pack accordingly. “My colleagues have already been warned: it could become the first ‘three-shirter’ under my watch,” he said. — Reuters

ATHENS: Youths, including public art and music school pupils, perform outside the Finance ministry in central Athens against budget cuts which affect the transportation to their schools yesterday. Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is to meet his coalition allies in a new bid to finalize an austerity package necessary to receive the next instalment of EU-IMF rescue loans after months of tough talks. — AFP

EU airlines must pay compensation for delays MOSCOW: Customers pay at the cash desks in an Auchan Hypermarket in Moscow yesterday. The Russian sign reads: Auchan. The French retail giant, established in 1961, entered the Russian market in 2002. Auchan now manages 52 retail outlets in Russia and plans to increase the number of its stores to 150 to 2015-2017, the RIA-Novosti quoted Auchan Chairman Vianney Mulliez as saying earlier this year. —AFP

Russia regulator says BP deal may be Rosneft’s last MOSCOW: Russia’s anti-monopoly regulator warned state-controlled oil producer Rosneft yesterday that the $55 billion deal to buy rival producer TNK-BP would probably be its last big acquisition.

The deal, agreed on Monday with sellers BP Plc and its partners in Russia, the world’s top producer, would create a combined group delivering over a third of the country’s daily 10.4 million barrels of crude output, and could prove the high-water mark for Rosneft’s rapid growth at home.

Antitrust head Igor Artmeyev told Interfax news agency that the group would fall in the permissible range of 35-50 percent of market share, but future deals would face close scrutiny.

“If they are buying two bathrooms and a filling station, that’s one matter. If they’re talking about some major deal, then I think no,” he said. Interfax also quoted Economy Minister Andrei Belousov as saying the deal raised no antimonopoly concerns. Rosneft Chief Executive Igor Sechin said earlier that the acquisition of TNK-BP from BP and its four Soviet-born billionaire partners would help the Russian economy through $3-$5 billion in synergies, largely on projects in new provinces in Russia’s north and east.

President Vladimir Putin called it a good deal at a good price, and shares in Rosneft extended gains by 0.6 percent yesterday, having gained 3 percent on Monday. It bolsters state control of the oil industry, privatized in controversial selloffs after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The reversal of that process, which enriched a handful of private individuals typically referred to as oligarchs, began with the bankruptcy auction that secured Rosneft the assets of former No. 1 producer YUKOS. Sechin previously served in the Russian cabinet when Putin was prime minister, and some analysts expected him to go on a buying spree that could include No. 4 producer Surgutneftegaz and Soviet era foreign projects operator Zarubezhneft.

Surgutneftegaz in particular has been a topic of takeover speculation because of a cash pile estimated by analysts in the tens of

billions of dollars. Artmeyev’s comments suggest that might now be out of reach. The TNKBP takeover is subject to government approvals, which are expected in the first half of next year. BP has a 90 day exclusive negotiation period to hammer out the rest of the buyout terms. Among the details which have yet to be announced is treatment of minorities in TNK-BP’s listed unit, TNK-BP Holding , which has a free float of about 5 percent. Its shares fell more than 11 percent after Sechin told a conference call that buying out minority shareholders had not formed part of the deal talks.

“This question has not been discussed,” Sechin said. “We have not taken on any obligations ... Nobody proposed this to us.”

The up-front cash cost of the TNK-BP takeover to Rosneft will be about $45 billion if Rosneft confirms it will pay BP’s partners in cash for their half of TNK-BP. BP will get $17 billion in cash for its half, plus 12.84 percent of Rosneft in stock. It will then use a portion of the cash proceeds to bring its stake in Rosneft up to 19.75 percent under the terms of the deal.

The Russian state oil company has secured $15 billion in financing from Western banks for the deal but is likely to borrow more.

Ratings agencies have put Rosneft on credit watch pending the final financing arrangements for the deal.

The deal has been subject to criticism by some members of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s government and analysts who have suggested an enlarged Rosneft would reduce competition and breed inefficiency in the sector. Sechin rejected that criticism on a conference call to present the deal on Tuesday, saying it would reduce capital and operating expenditure required to deliver oil to growing Asian markets from distant Arctic and East Siberian fields.

Sechin said Rosneft could optimize its exports to China by shipping crude from the TNK-BP-operated Verkhnechonskoye field in East Siberia, which is far closer to the Chinese border than Rosneft’s Vankor field, the current source of the barrels. — Reuters

BRUSSELS: European Union airlines must pay compensation for delayed flights unless the delay was caused by circumstances beyond their control, the bloc’s highest court said.

Travellers should be recompensed for delays of more than three hours, the European Union Court of Justice ruled yesterday, reaffirming a right established three years ago in a case involving Air France.

The ECJ was ruling in one case involving German carrier Lufthansa and a second involving British Airways , easyJet, TUI Travel and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Passengers on flights operated by EU airlines starting or ending in the 27-nation grouping are entitled to 250-600

euros ($330-$780) for delays or cancellations under EU rules.

“The Court of Justice has confirmed its previous ruling that passengers whose flights have been delayed for a long time may be compensated,” it said. It did not say what circumstances leading to a delay might be beyond an airline’s control. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) said the EU’s executive arm should do more to reinforce passenger rights.

“In the long run, the European Commission needs to set this and similar recent judgments in stone in its ongoing review of the regulation,” said BEUC Director General Monique Goyens, referring to the 2004 EU rules. “Keyhole surgery is

needed, not dramatic reform. The main challenge is enforcing what already exists. They also need to withstand what is quite robust industry pressure to dilute the law.”

Raymond Veldkamp, the owner of Flight Delayed which helps consumers seek compensation from airlines: said “We do not expect the ruling would make it any easier for passengers to get money from the airlines when their flights are delayed. “Most of the time, passengers get fobbed off with vouchers for a free meal or a refreshment.

While in reality they are legally entitled to a much higher compensation.”

In the Lufthansa case, passengers sued the airline for compensa-

tion in a German court after a flight delay of more than 24 hours.

Judges subsequently sought advice from the ECJ. In the second case, British Airways, easyJet, TUI Travel and IATA, challenged Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority after it rejected their request to be exempted from paying for flight delays. British judges also asked the ECJ for guidance. Earlier this month, the ECJ told airlines to compensate travellers bumped off flights because of strikes, saying that was not a good enough excuse not to pay up. The cases were C-581/10, Nelson and others vs Deutsche Lufthansa AG, and C-629/10 TUI Travel and others vs Civil Aviation Authority. —Reuters

S African financing needs to limit social spending

WILMINGTON: DuPont’s Brandywine Building in Wilmington, Delaware, the headquarters for the giant chemical company. DuPont announced yesterday its net profit collapsed to $10 million in the third quarter from $452 million in the same period last year, and that it would cut 1,500 jobs. — AFP

JOHANNESBURG: Strikes and violence at South African mines have piled pressure on the government to boost social spending in its 3-year budget plan this week but handouts may be limited by the need to keep bond investors on board.

The violence has highlighted chronic social divides nearly two decades after the end of white-minority rule, prompting President Jacob Zuma to call today for a faster roll out of a government infrastructure plan to address the tensions. Zuma, who faces an internal African National Congress (ANC) leadership election in December, said workers’ frustrations had become clearer during the protests. But Gordhan is not expected to boost spending significantly to tackle social tensions, though he will sympathize and express concern about the strikes in his Budget speech.

The October budget is usually an update of how revenue and spending has been in the eight months since the 2012/13 plan was announced. Gordhan is unlikely to deviate too much from that.

Two days after Zuma’s call for an “accelerated infrastructure roll out”, the president gave the same infrastructure spending figure that he had announced at the start of the year. “We believe the National Treasury will attempt to portray a very conservative line on both its deficit path and issuance projections in order to send a strong signal (to the ANC) that the Treasury remains in control of the budget process and is fiscally conservative,” Nomura analyst Peter Attard Montalto said.

This would also send a “warning shot across the bows” of credit-ratings agencies, which the government accuses of knee-jerk reactions to the troubles - including the police

killing of 34 striking platinum miners, he said.

Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s have both cut their South African ratings a notch in the last month, expecting pressure to throw money at the problem will derail Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s long-term plans to balance the books.

But the consensus of 16 economists polled

by Reuters is for the 2012/13 budget deficit forecast to widen to 4.8 percent of GDP, just 0.2 of a percentage point more than projected in the annual budget in February.

Gordhan last week expressed surprise at the rating downgrades, saying there was no evidence that the strikes would “throw us off course”, while acknowledging that more needed to be done to improve conditions for miners. South Africa has a history of underspending on its infrastructure spending vows, which may give financial scope to offset any increased social spending.

In February the Treasury said South Africa has the capacity to build large and complex projects “yet many public entities struggle to manage their planning responsibilities or spend their capital budgets.” Fitch plans a rating review in January - after the ANC election and Thursday’s Medium Term Budget Policy Statement. After a string of government surpluses this century, South Africa’s budget slid into deficit in a 2008/09 recession, and a relatively sluggish recovery has left Gordhan continually pushing out the timetable for bringing spending back into line. Investors expect this budget to be no different, although financial markets are likely to let Gordhan off the hook if it is clear that slippage is due to lower-than-forecast economic growth - and therefore revenues - rather than higher spending.— Reuters

24

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

business

Turkish gold trade booms to Iran via Dubai Gold flows may help Tehran break sanctions DUBAI/ISTANBUL: To see one of Iran’s financial lifelines at work, pay a visit to Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport and find a gate for a flight to Dubai.

Couriers carrying millions of dollars worth of gold bullion in their luggage have been flying from Istanbul to Dubai, where the gold is shipped on to Iran, according to industry sources with knowledge of the business.

The sums involved are enormous.

Official Turkish trade data suggests nearly $2 billion worth of gold was sent to Dubai on behalf of Iranian buyers in August. The shipments help Tehran manage its finances in the face of Western financial sanctions.

The sanctions, imposed over Iran’s disputed nuclear program, have largely frozen it out of the global banking system, making it hard for it to conduct international money transfers. By using physical gold, Iran can continue to move its wealth across borders.

“Every currency in the world has an identity, but gold means value without identity. The value is absolute wherever you go,” said a trader in Dubai with knowledge of the gold trade between Turkey and Iran. The identity of the ultimate destination of the gold in Iran is not known. But the scale of the operation through Dubai and its sudden growth suggest the Iranian government plays a role.

The Dubai trader and other sources

familiar with the business spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, because of the political and commercial sensitivity of the matter. Iran sells oil and gas to Turkey, with payments made to state Iranian institutions. US and European banking sanctions ban payments in US dollars or euros so Iran gets paid in Turkish lira. Lira are of limited value for buying goods on international markets but ideal for a gold buying spree in Turkey.

In March this year, as the banking sanctions began to bite, Tehran sharply increased its purchases of gold bullion from Turkey, according to the Turkish government’s trade data.

Direct gold exports to Iran from Turkey, long a major consumer and stockpiler of gold, hit $1.8 billion in July - equivalent to over a fifth of Turkey’s entire trade deficit in that month.

In August, however, a sudden plunge in Turkey’s direct gold exports to Iran coincided with a leap in its sales of the precious metal to the UAE. Turkey exported a total $2.3 billion worth of gold in August, of which $2.1 billion was gold bullion. Just over $1.9 billion, about 36 tons, was sent to the UAE, latest available data from Turkey’s Statistics Office shows. In July Turkey exported only $7 million of gold to the UAE. At the same time Turkey’s direct gold exports to Iran, which had been fluctuating between $1.2 billion and about $1.8

billion each month since April, slumped to just $180 million in August.

The Dubai-based trader said that from August, direct shipments to Iran were largely replaced by indirect ones through Dubai, apparently because Tehran wanted to avoid publicity.

“The trade from Turkey directly to Iran has stopped because there was just too much publicity around it,” said the trader.

Dealers, jewelrs and analysts in Dubai said they had not noticed any large, sudden increase of supply in the local gold market during August. They said that suggested the increased shipments to the UAE were sent straight on to Iran.

It is not clear how the gold is moved from Dubai to Iran, but there is substantial trade between the two economies, much of it conducted by wooden dhows and other ships crossing the Gulf, a distance of only about 150 kilometers (100 miles) at its narrowest point.

A trader in Turkey said Tehran had shifted to indirect imports because the direct shipments were widely reported in Turkish and international media earlier this year.

“Now on paper it looks like the gold is going to Dubai, not to Iran,” he said.

Iranian gold buyers may want to conceal their Turkish gold deliveries for fear of attracting attention from the United States, which is pressing countries around the world to shrink their economic ties with Iran. The buyers may also want to

make their purchases less vulnerable to any possible interference by Turkey’s government. Turkey’s close relationship with Iran has begun to sour as the two states find themselves on opposite sides of the civil war in Syria, with Turkey advocating the departure of President Bashar Al-Assad and Iran remaining Assad’s staunchest regional ally.

There is no suggestion that the gold trade means Dubai is violating international sanctions against Iran. United Nations sanctions ban shipments of nuclear-related materials to Iran and freeze the assets of some Iranian individuals and companies, but they do not prohibit most forms of trade.

The UAE has not yet released its trade data for August. Officials at the Dubai customs authority could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts to contact them.

Turkish trade data confirms the gold is being transported to Dubai by air.

According to the data, $1.45 billion of Turkey’s total gold exports in August were shipped through the customs office at Ataturk airport’s passenger lounge. Almost all of the rest, $800 million, were shipped from Istanbul’s smaller Sabiha Gokcen airport.

Turkey’s total exports of all goods to the UAE totalled $2.2 billion in August. Of that amount, $1.19 billion were registered at the Ataturk passenger lounge, while

$776 million were registered at Sabiha Gokcen. A customs broker who does business at Ataturk said couriers were boarding Turkish Airlines and Emirates flights to Dubai at the airport, carrying the metal in their hand luggage to avoid the risk of it getting lost or stolen.

The maximum amount of gold bullion which a passenger is allowed to take is 50 kilograms (110 pounds), he said. This suggests that during the month of August, as many as several hundred courier trips may have taken gold to Dubai on Iran’s behalf.

“It is all legal, they declare it, they give their tax number and it is all registered so there is nothing illegal about this,” the broker said.

“At the moment there’s quite a lot of traffic to Dubai. During September and October we have also been seeing this.”

The trade data shows almost $1.4 billion worth of Turkey’s August exports to the UAE came from a company or companies with a tax number registered in the coastal city of Izmir, Turkey ’s third biggest.

Customs officials at Ataturk declined a Reuters request to provide documents identifying the exporters, saying the information was confidential. The identity of the companies handling the business could not be confirmed. Traders said that because of the risk of attracting unwelcome attention from US authorities, only a few companies were likely to be willing to get involved. —Reuters

NEW DELHI: A Sadhu, or Hindu holy man, sits in front of an advertisement of a bank at a bus stop in New Delhi yesterday. India’s economy, the 10th largest in the world, is fast growing even considering its recent slowdown. Corporates are optimistic about improvement in business conditions in the next six months despite low domestic demand and global uncertainties, according to a survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). —AP

Kurdistan begins oil exports, defying Iraq Baghdad stresses right to control Iraq oil, gas LONDON: Kurdistan’s oil has begun to reach international markets in independent export deals that further challenge Baghdad’s claim to full control over Iraqi oil after first signing independent exploration deals with foreign oil majors last year. The move is likely to enrage the government, which is still locked in a battle with Exxon Mobil over its independent deal with Kurdistan last year to explore for oil in six Kurdish blocs. But it also paves the way towards greater Kurdish autonomy as Baghdad has long insisted it alone has the right to market Iraqi oil and gas products.

The involvement of two of the world’s largest trading houses, Trafigura and Vitol, could make it difficult for Baghdad to retaliate, as it depends on those firms for a proportion of its refined oil imports like gasoline and diesel.

If Baghdad were to decide to shop elsewhere, it could face paying much higher prices for its fuel.

Traders and a shipping source told Reuters that Trafigura snapped up the first cargo of Kurdish light oil, known in the industry as condensate, offered for delivery in October via the intermediary Powertrans in a public tender. The oil was trucked across the country from a Kurdish field to Turkey, where it loaded at the start of the month. Vitol was quick to follow, becoming the second major oil firm to buy Kurdish oil marketed independently of Baghdad, picking up a second 12,000 ton cargo of condensate for loading at the end of the month. At around $890 a ton, each shipment is worth over $10 million.

A spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said the Kurdish condensate is being swapped for refined products with a private Turkish company with no cash involved.

“What the private Turkish company does with the condensate it owns is not the responsibility of the KRG,” he said.

This direct trade, which began last summer, is intended to help plug a shortfall

of kerosene and diesel, which the region needs to fuel its power stations.

Though endorsed by Ankara, Baghdad said the deliveries by truck were illegal.

Iraq government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said any deals independently agreed with Kurdistan are illegal and trading Kurdish oil and gas products without the central government’s consent amounts to smuggling.

“Iraq maintains its right to legally pursue all those who participate in smuggling the property of the Iraqi people locally or internationally,” he said, commenting on the Kurdish sales of oil to the Swiss trading houses.

Trafigura declined to comment, while Vitol confirmed it had bought a parcel for loading in Turkey, declining to comment any further on the deal.

“The small parcel was bought in a public tender, FOB Toros terminal, Turkey.

No further comment,” spokesman Mark Ware said. In addition to supplying Baghdad with products, Vitol also has two term deals to buy Iraqi crude in 2012 for a total of around 22,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).

Kurdistan’s potential as a major oil producer and exporter has proved to have greater weight with foreign oil firms than warnings by Baghdad that signing contracts with the autonomous region could put their contracts in the south at risk. Exxon Mobil has been followed by other majors including Chevron, Total and Gazprom, as production-sharing deals with Arbil are seen as a far better arrangement than Baghdad’s fee-for-service contracts.

Similarly, on the trading side, better prospects in the north have caught the attention of major oil traders, who are now prepared to risk Baghdad’s anger to gain a foothold in Kurdistan while the region heads towards greater autonomy. “Because this flow (exports from Kurdistan) is meant to be huge.

Crude, naphtha, LPG, condensate, but yes, very political,” said an oil trader, commenting on the logic for risking

relations with Baghdad.

So far, Kurdistan’s export volumes are tiny in comparison to its daily exports via national pipelines, moving around 1,000 tons of oil per day (about 8,000 bpd) to Turkey by truck, but deliveries are on the rise. A Kurdish industry source in Arbil said condensate volumes were expected to reach 1,500 tons per day (about 12,000 bpd) by the end of October and more trucks would be made available towards the end of the year. Kurdistan, autonomous with its own government and armed forces since 1991, gets central government funding and uses national pipelines to ship its oil. The process has however been stop-start over the years due to a long-running feud between Baghdad and Arbil over oil and land rights.

Exports were halted in April in a dispute over payments from Baghdad to companies working in the region and restarted in August.

In September a new deal was agreed with the central government on crude exports (set at 200,000 bpd in the last quarter of the year) and supply of refined oil products. Kurdistan reached an agreement with Baghdad then entitling the region to 17 percent of refined products in Iraq, said the KRG spokesman.

Any direct trade with Turkey would come under that quota, and is transparently accounted for, he said.

“No objections were raised in Baghdad when the KRG’s Turkish trade was mentioned and the KRG informed federal officials that the current arrangement would continue,” he said.

On Monday, Iraqi Kurdistan said it had agreed to raise crude oil exports to 250,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) in 2013 if Baghdad pays operators in the autonomous region.

However the recent agreements solve only a few points of a broader feud between Baghdad and Kurdistan over oil exports, energy policy and territory. —Reuters

26

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

business

APICORP Q3 net profit rose 90% to $12.67m Assets grow to $5.1bn at end of Q3 2011 KUWAIT: Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), the multilateral development bank owned by the ten member states of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), maintained its robust growth momentum this year with its third quarter net profit almost doubling from last year.

Ahmad Bin Hamad Al-Nuaimi Q3 2012 net profit rose 90% to $12.67 million from $6.68 million posted in Q3 2011.

The third quarter results were approved at APICORP’s quarterly Board meeting, held in Cairo on October 5, 2012. The government of Kuwait owns a 17% stake in APICORP. APICORP’s cumulative net profit for the first three quarters of this year reached US$63.2 million, a 33% jump from the $47.5 million recorded over the same period last year. Total assets rose 13% to reach $5.1 billion compared to $4.5 billion at the end of September 2011.

Commenting on the results, Ahmad Bin Hamad Al-Nuaimi, Chief Executive and General Manager of APICORP said: “Our third quarter performance validates our strategic roadmap where we have maintained a bal-

ance between growth initiatives and risk management. APICORP’s ability to enhance its lending capacity on the back of its capital base expansion and funding diversification not only makes it stand out in today’s tough banking environment, but is also delivering results for APICORP’s shareholders and resulted in last month’s rating upgrade by Moody’s from A1 to a double Aa3.”

Earlier this month in Cairo, APICORP’s Board ratified a five-year term loan worth SAR 440 million ($117 million) towards financing the Multilateral Development Bank’s operations. Earlier this year, the Board approved a five year term loan worth SAR 500 million ($133 million), and approved APICORP’s first ever three year SAR 2.5 billion ($667 million) Sharia-compliant term loan facility, which was oversubscribed by leading Saudi banks.

“In 2012, we expanded our array of value offerings aimed at supporting energy companies through a series of initiatives that included a partnership with J P Morgan to expand our energy trade finance services to the Arab World and beyond. At a time when international bank financing resources are getting scarcer in the region, we expect APICORP to play an even more significant role in supporting energy-related transactions and being a growth-enabler for the Arab hydrocarbon industry,” said Al Nuaimi.

In Cairo, the Board gave the go-ahead for APICORP to extend loans worth S$387 million; trade financing facilities worth S$ 277 million; and letters of credit to institutions both within and outside the Arab region. Since its founding in 1975, APICORP has played a vital role in fostering the development of the Arab energy industry.

Over the last 36 years, APICORP has invested, as an equity owner, in a total of 22 oil and gas joint venture projects worth in excess of $16 billion. At the same time, APICORP has participated in direct and syndicated energy finance transactions worth in excess of $130 billion. APICORP’s aggregate commitments in these transactions, both in equity and debt, are valued in excess of $11 billion.

Al Babtain launches new Citroen C4 Positive energy KUWAIT: Attractive sculpted lines. Remarkable quality of finish. An array of original, upmarket features and functions designed to meet the needs not only of consumers, but also business users on the look-out for progress. The new Citroen C4 radiates positive energy. Like the new Citroen C5 and the new Citroen C3, the new CitroenC4 once more illustrates the Marque’s know-how and creativity in design, innovation and technology.

The new Citroen C4 is a source of energy for all its passengers, saving energy: versions featuring e-HDi micro-hybrid technology and latest-generation Stop & Start are available, emitting 109 g/km of CO2 at launch, subsequently falling to 99 g/km. The micro-hybrid arrangement also includes new Michelin Energy? Saver tires, premiered with Citroen, designed for very low levels of fuel consumption and helping to cut CO2 emissions by more than 5 g/km. By using intelligent design techniques, Citroen was able to keep down the weight of the new Citroen C4 and to include 15% of green materials, a record for the PSA Peugeot CitroÎn Group.

Delivering a positive impression of safety: the new Citroen C4 includes features that are unique in its market segment, such as a blind spot monitoring system, a programmable speed limiter and cruise control, and the innovative Citroen eTouch service. This service includes, among other functions, a localized emergency and breakdown call system. A simple and efficient way to promote safety.

Setting high standards in comfort: to ensure

that passengers make the most of their time on board, the new Citroen C4 has opted for particularly comfortable seats, with electric lumbar adjustment and a massage function for passengers in the front. It also sports a customized onboard ambience (colours of the instrument cluster, choice of polyphonic, ringtone-like chimes, intensity of the air conditioning) and a 230V socket. All these features are new to the compact hatchback market.

Produced at the Mulhouse plant in France, the new Citroen C4 will join the Citroen range before the end of the year. For maximum reliability, the car will be driven for more than two million kilometres prior to launch.

With added elegance The new Citroen C4 boasts assertive styling, a quality that has always ranked among the Marque’s main strengths. The impression of strength and stability is immediate from first glance, illustrated by the car’s balanced proportions and the positioning of the body, sitting close to the wheels. The sculpted lines and black rear spoiler further illustrate the quest to optimize aerodynamics.

At the front, the ribbed bonnet curves out towards the sides, the headlights flow into the side wings, and the grille becomes larger while keeping its double chevron badge. A side view shows two intersecting style lines and strongly raked quarter windows, underlining the dynamic looks of the new Citroen C4. At the rear, new chevrons and an original lighting signature high-

light the clean lines of the tailgate and emphasize the prestige design of this compact hatchback.

The attention brought to gap and flush, the touches of chrome (front and rear bumpers, weather strips, etc.) and the shape of the diamond-tipped alloy wheels enhance the body styling. A multitude of details showcase and underline the elegant and stylish personality of the new Citroen C4.

The new Citroen C4 thus sets new standards in perceived quality. At the same time, the new vehicle ships with a choice of ten body colors, along with generously sized wheels of between 15” and 18” in diameter.

Like the exterior, the interior styling of the new Citroen C4 creates an immediate impression of quality and sophistication. The presentation is luxurious and well thought-out, with a horizontal dashboard of airy lines and a made-to-measure central fascia grouping the audio system and air conditioning controls in a single part with no visible join, ensuring a perfect fit with the contours of the dashboard.

Showcasing the cabin to subtle effect, the new Citroen C4 uses best-in-class materials, such as slush skin (with a soft, supple feel) for the dashboard, closely molded to the air vents and instrument cluster, jersey fabric for the roof lining, and chrome detailing on the steering wheel controls, air vents and gear lever.

Looking beyond styling and quality, drivers expect ergonomic driving aids. The driving position on new C4 reflects Citroen’s creative talent and responds to this need.

X-cite by Alghanim Electronics signs up with Huawei

Nile Cargo takes receipt of four new dumb barges, two pushers Nile Cargo expanded its fleet of river barges with the receipt of 4 new dumb barges and 2 pushers bringing its entire fleet of barges up to 45 vessels.

Nile Cargo, a Portfolio Company of Nile Logistics, Citadel Capital’s Platform Company in the logistics, river transport and port management sector, has announced that it has taken delivery of 4 new dumb barges and 2 pushers bringing its fleet of custom-designed, fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly river barges up to 45 vessels.

The new barges, two 50-meters long and two 70-meters long, -each with a maximum loading capacity of 700 tons and 850 tons respectively, were designed by Ship Design Group, a renowned European design and engineering company, and built by the Alexandria Shipyard and the Arab Contractors Shipyard.

“This new batch of barges marks the first output that we have seen from the Arab Contractors Shipyard which built the two 70-meter barges as well as the pushers that we have just received. We are very pleased with the outcome and look forward to receiving the remainder of the commissioned barges from Arab Contractors,” said Gen Maged Farag, Chairman of the National Company for Multimodal Transport (NMT).

NMT is a Nile Logistics holding company for Nile Cargo and National River Port Management Company (NRPMC), in addition to its other investments in transportation, storage and stevedoring services.

The new river barges are the fourth batch of new vessels that the company has received. Nile Cargo took receipt of its first two barges in late 2010, shortly followed by two 100-meter vessels then four 70-meter

dumb barges earlier this year .

“As more of our vessels come into operation, we are able to strengthen our competitive advantage in a fragmented market, and are better able to position ourselves as the service provider of choice among our key customers,” said Farag.

Commenting on the importance of developing the river transportation sector in Egypt, Farag said, “fuel subsidies have led to an over-reliance on road transport because cheap fuel encourages the use of trucking as the primary mode of transport for products and goods.. Since the 1970’s the government has invested in road infrastructure at the expense of developing river transport..

But with the impending removal or reduction fuel subsidies, the river transportation sector can no longer be neglected.”

One river barge has the carrying capacity of 20-25 trucks making it a much more cost efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transport. Therefore, moving goods on the River Nile will soon become one of the most attractive propositions for the transport of large volumes of cargo.

The new barges will allow Nile Cargo to increase its capacity by 15%, while the efficient and environmentally considered design allows dramatically decreased perunit shipping costs, while producing lower levels of emissions compared to road transportation.

“We’re not only aiming to look after the environment, but to also reduce road accidents, create jobs, and lower the cost of transporting cargo for the Egyptian consumer through a more cost efficient operation,” said Farag. Citadel Capital effective ownership of Nile Logistics stands at more than 32%.

Qtel completes tender offer for Wataniya DOHA: Qatar Telecom (Qtel) QSC. (“Qtel” or “Qtel Group”) is pleased to announce the completion of its Mandatory Tender Offer for National Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC (“Wataniya Telecom Kuwait”) (Ticker: NMTC).

Following approval from the Kuwait Capital Markets Authority (“CMA”) and execution by the Kuwait Stock Exchange

(“KSE”), Qtel has completed the acquisition of 199,649,694 Wataniya Telecom Kuwait shares representing 39.61% of the total shares in issue for a total consideration of KWD 519.1 million (USD 1.8 billion) at a price of KWD 2.600 per share. As a result Qtel’s shareholding in Wataniya Telecom Kuwait has increased from 52.5% to 92.1%.

KUWAIT: As Kuwait’s main provider of the latest in innovation and technology, X-cite

by Alghanim Electronics is proud to announce the launch of global telecom solutions provider Huawei in Kuwait.

Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, is set to showcase its vast product portfolio covering a wide range of market sectors including mobile phones, mobile broadband devices, and home device.

Huawei Device ME headquartered in Bahrain has offices across the Middle East and is most actively involved in Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman and now in Kuwait. “Kuwait, a vibrant market for consumer electronics is one in which we feel that Huawei can succeed in offering the latest technology innovations coupled with robust media applications and a particular emphasis on chic model designs,” said Gene Jiao, President of Huawei Middle East Region. Today Huawei Device is ranked among the top manufacturers of smartphones providing the best and the only affordable smart phones worldwide.

Huawei is pleased to introduce to the Kuwait market the new Ascend Platinum series that includes the D1 and P1 smart phones. The Ascend D1 with 4.5” and Ascend P1 with 4.3” Super AMOLED screen come fully-loaded with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS and features a power-

ful dual-core 1.5GHz processor. In the home device category Huawei’s stunningly light and thin design tablet MediaPad 10 FHD comes with 10.1” screen, quad core CPU for quick performance, and double channel speakers with Dolby(tm) surround sound for enhanced sound quality.

Within the Middle East, Huawei Device has focused on strengthening its regional distribution partnerships over the last year, and has successfully introduced a number of local smartphone models. Samer Sayegh, Vice President of Alghanim Electronics said, “We take pride in being the exclusive distributor of this innovative telecom brand in Kuwait. With Huawei, we expand the smart phone and tablet offerings to our customers. We are optimistic that Huawei’s smart phones and tablets will be a popular choice amongst our customers in Kuwait. “ Huawei has a wide assortment of over 15 different products including smart phones, feature phones, tablets and internet devices. The entire product range is now available is all of X-cite’s 17 stores located all over Kuwait. As part of the launch of Huawei devices, X-cite is running exclusive offers and promotions across all its stores. A mall demo is also slated to take place at the Avenues where the Huawei product range will be on display. This partnership with Huawei strengthens X-cite’s position in the market bringing the latest technology first to its customers.

NBK services during holidays KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has taken all necessary measures to ensure providing customers with the best services during Eid AlAdha holiday throughout Hala Watani, Mobile Banking (BlackBerry, iPhone and iPad), Online and ATM services.

All NBK branches will be closed from Thursday 25 October until Monday 29 October, 2012. Hala Watani, NBK Online and ATM will be available 24 hours and ready to serve customers. Customers can also conduct all their transactions through NBK Mobile Banking application.

Customers may call 1801801 or visit www.nbk.com for further information.

7 days to deposit or open an Al-Danah account to enter the KD1m draw KUWAIT: The countdown to the Al Danah KD1 million draw has begun and only 7 days are left for customers to increase their deposits or to open an Al-Danah account by October 31st, to enhance their chances of winning, and be eligible for the fourth quarterly draw, in which one customer will win 1 Million Dinars.

Opening Al-Danah account merely requires a minimum balance of KD 200 deposited in the account to allow active participation in the Al-

Danah draws. Minors wishing to open an account require their parents or their legal guardian to open the account on their behalf.

Customers are advised to maintain the minimum balance, allowing them to automatically enter the weekly and quarterly draws, as well as the annual draw.

Gulf Bank would like to remind its customers that opening an Al-Danah Account is quick and simple through its 56 branches strategically

located throughout Kuwait. Customers are encouraged to go to their nearest Gulf Bank branch or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805 805 and our Customer Care Center representatives will be delighted to assist you with any further information or questions that you may have on Al-Danah or on any of the Bank’s products and services. Customers can also log on to Gulf Bank’s bilingual website www.e-gulfbank.com/aldanah for further information.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Apple launch event kicks off massive week for tech industry SAN FRANCISCO: When Apple unveils its newest gadget today morning, the Silicon Valley company will kick off what could turn out to be one of the most telling weeks ever seen in the tech world.

Just days after the Apple unveiling, both its major rivals Google and Microsoft will also release major new products. Their goal is simple: to knock Apple off its perch as the world’s top technology company and win what Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt earlier this month called “the defining fight in the industry today.”

The timing is no coincidence. In always-on everconnected times, mobile devices top most people’s holiday wish list and gadget makers are hoping that a new crop of shiny new playthings will prove irresistible to holiday buyers around the world.

Most pundits and analysts expect Apple to announce a new iPad, a 7.8-inch version of the genre-defining tablet, despite the derision of such a small form factor by Steve Jobs, the company’s

iconic founder. If the reports are correct, the new Apple device will go head to head with a plethora of other mini tablets from the likes of Google and Amazon which have undercut the market from Apple’s far more expensive 10-inch iPad. Since Apple launched the iPad in 2010, sales have exploded at the expense of traditional PCs and laptops, as millions of users choose tablets instead of their second computer, and sometimes even as their primary computing device.

Research firm Display Search predicts that tablet sales will surpass laptop sales by 2016, but they are already taking a huge chunk of the market. In the second quarter of this year tablet sales increased by 75 per cent compared to the previous year. With 24 million units shipped, they comprised 22 per cent of all computers sold. PC sales in the same period were flat, while they dropped more than 8 per cent in the third quarter.

That trend is not lost on Microsoft, which built

its fortune on personal computers but has badly missed the big growth markets that followed, starting with the internet and including more recently smartphones and tablets.

Tomorrow, Microsoft is to officially release its Windows 8 operating system, a package of software that the company calls its most important launch since Windows 98 almost 15 years ago. CEO Steve Ballmer is hoping the new OS will finally give the company a foothold in its missed markets, with the generous help of a massive marketing campaign estimated to cost 1.8 billion dollars.

But Microsoft is betting on its entire future strategy, and could risk alienating loyal PC customers with a new interface that’s a radical departure from the company’s traditional Windows design.

Instead of the usual start button and keyboard and mouse control device, Windows 8 relies on a display of tiles to access programs and is built as much for touchscreen control as the trusty key-

board and mouse. Microsoft says it has over 1,000 partner products lined up for the new software, but the most attention will be focused on its Surface tablet, which goes on sale, also tomorrow, and has already sold out in pre-order offers.

For non-tablet users the new software will certainly take some getting used to and early studies show users clearly confused by the new design.

“When it comes to the traditional customer base, the office computer user, they’re essentially being thrown under the bus,” web usability experts Jakob Nielsen told Computerworld Monday.

Google won’t be sitting idly by as its competitors make key moves to lure in the holiday shoppers. Next Monday it is expected to announce major new Android tablets and smartphones in collaboration with LG and Samsung. The success of these various initiatives may not decide just what’s under the Christmas tree, but the shape of the tech world for years to come. — dpa

Green buildings on the rise in Gulf states Energy use changing across Gulf

NEW ORLEANS: Brandon Taravella, assistant professor of naval architecture and marine engineering, handles a prototype robotic eel inside the engineering building at the University of New Orleans on Oct 2, 2012 in New Orleans. The robotic eel might be able to wriggle through dangerous waters with almost no wake, letting it move on little power and with little chance of radar detection as it looks for underwater mines. — AP

Scientists making fishy robots for naval research NEW ORLEANS: An eel undulating through coastal waters, powered by batteries and checking for mines. A jellyfish is actually a surveillance robot, powered by the atoms around it. Fins pick up intelligence while propelling a robot bluegill sunfish.

The US Office of Naval Research is supporting baby steps toward making those visions of the future a reality. For instance, the jellyfish work is focused on how the creatures move in water, and how to mimic or even surpass their abilities. The robojellyfish is currently tethered to hydrogen and oxygen tanks, and ONR project manager Robert Brizzolara said he doesn’t plan to try making it move autonomously yet.

There’s plenty still to learn about basic hydrodynamics.

“We, as engineers, haven’t created anything that swims nearly as well as a very basic fish,” said Drexel University’s James Tangorra, who is working on a robotic bluegill. Partners at Harvard and the University of Georgia are studying the actual fish; he uses their findings to engineer imitations. “There are great things we can learn from fish. The way they propel themselves; the way in which they sense water.”

Ultimately, the Navy wants “the next generation of robotics that would operate in that very Navy-unique underwater domain,” said Jim Fallin, a spokesman for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, which is doing separate work in San Diego. One aspect is finding longlived power sources to let drones loiter a long time to collect information, he said.

Possible uses include spying, mapping and mine detection and removal.

The Navy is not the only agency paying for such research. In 2007, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency offered small business innovation research money for an underwater robot that could navigate rivers, inlets, harbors and coastal waters to check for general traffic, obstacles, things on and under the bottom and “specific vessels of interest.”

The ONR studies are more basic. The grants aren’t aimed as much at creating drones as at understanding how things move forward underwater, Brizzolara said.

The Navy uses torpedo-shaped drones and tethered vehicles to detect mines and map the ocean floor. But propellers and jets can be easily tracked on radar and sonar. Robots modeled after water creatures could be both more efficient and harder to detect, and could move through perilous waters without endangering people, researchers say.

The work isn’t all at universities. The Office of Naval Research opened a robotics laboratory this year. A prototype dubbed Razor, developed at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode Island, uses flippers for stealth.

Like the jellyfish work and the University of Virginia studies on manta rays, the eel research at the University of New Orleans is all about hydrodynamics.

The spark is UNO professor emeritus William Vorus’ theory that sinuous undulations, though a slow way to swim, should allow forward movement without creating a wake.

Brandon M. Taravella, who studied under Vorus and is now an assistant professor of naval architecture and marine engineering at UNO, sees the robot eel as a possible surveillance tool. But the Office of Naval Research’s three-year, $900,000 grant is focused on making an eel and seeing whether it can swim without disturbing the water around it.

Other scientists have checked real eels, Taravella said. “It’s pretty high-efficent ... but still has some wake. That’s why we’re not dropping eels into the tank.” Computer-generated models indicate just how a robot eel should move to get through the water without any drag.

Creating one to do that is far from easy.

Like many of the other projects, this one is still in early stages. Most of the time, the nameless first-year prototype is hooked onto a metal pole called a mast, which is attached to sensors on a platform pulled by metal cables from one end of a towing tank to the other.

At the end of one session half of its batteries were removed and it was set into the water for a free swim toward the platform. When it hit one side or headed under the platform, Taravella and graduate student Baker Potts guided it back by sticking canoe paddles in its way.

“This time it tracked straighter a lot better ... Remember? It was going in circles,” said Potts.

Taravella said, “Year 2, we’re hoping to have it remote controlled. By Year 3, we hope to have it fully autonomous,” They’d also like it to wriggle up and down as well as side to side, letting it rise and dive.

MIT has a pike, a sea turtle and two generations of Charlie the Robotuna.

Michigan State is working on a school of fish.

One aim is outdoing nature, at least as far as swimming goes, Brizzolara said.

“We’d like to understand the very good performance that some sea creatures can achieve. But also we’d like to see if we can improve on that,” he said.

“We can produce perhaps a better result than a sea creature that’s been optimized by nature. We haven’t done that yet. But that’s one of our long-term goals,” Brizzolara said.

The research could have a broad range of uses, said Drexel’s Tangorra. Part of understanding how fish move is understanding how their nervous systems pull together a wide assortment of information and impulses. And knowing how their fins work could improve other equipment used to control the flow of liquid, from big pumps and pipes to blood flowing in a body.

And, he said philosophically, “You don’t look at a sunfish and say, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the most incredible evolved device that ever came through.’ But you look at it and see that evolution is a wonderful thing.” — AP

DOHA: With massive steel Sidra trees sprouting from the base of the building and a 9-meter (yard) high sculpture of a spider in the lobby protecting a sack of grey and white eggs, Qatar National Convention Center is hard to ignore.

But it’s what most visitors don’t see that may become the building’s lasting legacy in a region far better known for over-the-top excesses than conservation. From the sustainably logged wood used in its construction to the 3,500-square-meters of solar panels on the roof, the building designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki is considered one of the most environmentally sound convention centers in the world.

“We want to change people’s mindsets,” said Ali al-Khalifa, as he led a visitor through an exhibition hall where dozens of ceiling windows helped cut down on electricity. It will take center stage in November when it hosts the UN Climate Change Conference, the first to be held by a top oil producer.

“We have to make something stay friendly to the environment. We are part of this earth,” said alKhalifa, the chief executive officer of Astad Project Management which oversaw the construction. “All the oil and gas countries are moving to a green concept to insure the new generation understands they have to preserve this energy and have something efficient.”

Green buildings would seem an oddity in this tiny Gulf nation which has plenty of oil and gas and, according to the International Energy Agency, the highest per capita emissions in the world, closely followed by Gulf neighbors Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

But attitudes about energy use are changing across the Gulf. There is a growing recognition that the once seemingly limitless fossil fuels will someday run out and that these countries need to chart a more sustainable path. Buildings are a logical place to start. They consume up to 70 percent of energy in parts of the Gulf - compared to 40 percent worldwide - due to the preponderance of glass skyscrapers and brutally hot conditions from Dubai to the Saudi city of Jeddah, according to Thom Bohlen, chief technical officer for the Middle East Centre for Sustainable Development.

The Middle East has come late to the green building movement, lagging far behind the United States, Europe and Asia in building structures that emit fewer emissions and consume less water, according to the United States Green Building Council. The USGBC’s voluntary program, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is used internationally to certify green buildings.

But when it comes to buildings in the works that are trying to earn LEED status, the Middle East is among the leaders. It has 1,348 LEED-registered buildings which surpasses all but Asia and the United States.

“Over the past couple of years, there has been a focus on trying to drive sustainable construction practices,” said Peter Templeton, senior vice president of global market development for the USGBC. “It is mostly focused on new construction rather than retrofits of existing building.”

Dubai in the UAE is home to one of the region’s first green shopping malls and is building an ecofriendly mosque in 2013. On the outskirts of the country’s capital, Abu Dhabi, the government-run Masdar Institute has built the first phase of a preplanned city that aims to be powered by renewable sources including solar.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia, though, appear to have even bigger ambitions. In Doha, work started in 2010 on Msheireb Downtown Doha, which promises to be the world’s largest sustainable community with 100 buildings using an average of a third less energy.

Lusail City, a planned development for nearly 200,000 people on the edge of Doha, has promised to adhere to the country’s voluntary green building guidelines - similar to those in the UAE and other Gulf countries - which set standards for everything from water consumption to traffic congestion.

In Saudi Arabia, authorities have applied for LEED certification for the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh, which will be home to the country’s stock exchange. The nation’s first LEED-certified project, the 26-building campus of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, opened in 2009 and recycles all its wastewater, uses 27 percent less energy than a typical campus and was built with 20 percent recycled content.

Most of these green buildings rely on 21st century solutions to reduce their footprint - high tech operating systems that ration electricity and power, additional insulation and thicker glass to reduce heat coming into the building and designs that orient the structure to limit the sun exposure.

But as the university campus shows, the region is also tapping technologies that are centuries old to solve its energy problems. Along with its water savings and solar power, the project features wind tow-

ers, lattice-like shading on windows known as mashrabiya and a tent-inspired roof system that blocks the sun and extends throughout the campus.

“When we start a project, we will do some research on what people built in this location before they had electricity. How did they keep buildings warm or cool?” said Bill Odell, a senior vice president for HOK Architects who designed the KAUST campus. “We did that on this project and there were serious techniques that clearly worked. ... All these ideas we took out of traditional Islamic architecture.”

The challenge now, experts say, is going beyond a handful of high profile projects and applying green building practices to the bulk of Gulf construction - such as low-rise office towers or residential housing projects.

To do that, governments in the region will have to make green building codes compulsory - most are now voluntary - and provide greater incentives for developers to build or retrofit more sustainably.

The other hurdle is sourcing building materials locally, which would cut down on emissions from transporting such things as steel, cement and wood to the region. Due to the lack of resources in the Gulf, most everything is imported and companies producing things like recycled steel are still too few to meet demand.

“If you want to build a green building, you need environmentally-sourced concrete, glass, aluminum,” said Steven Platt, a UAE-based expert on LEED. “Although there are local suppliers, they aren’t the greenest materials available.”—AP

DOHA: This Thursday, Sept 20, 2012 photo shows the exhibition hall of the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha, Qatar. Green buildings would seem an oddity in this tiny Gulf nation which has plenty of oil and gas and, according to the International Energy Agency, the highest per capita emissions in the world, closely followed by Gulf neighbors Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. — AP

Fight for freedom, power and bananas on handhelds BERLIN: Handheld gamers will not be lacking for options in the near future, whether they want to take on the role of an assassin fighting for freedom, a group of monkeys angling for bananas or a tycoon building the perfect amusement park. Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation is a special Vita version of the game set as a parallel to the one being released for consoles and PCs. Set in 1765, the game will, for the first time, allow players to control a female assassin, French-African Aveline, as she tries to stop Spanish troops taking Louisiana in the years before the American Revolution.

Aveline has similar skills to her male predecessors. To wage her stealth attacks, she employs a machete and poisonous blowdarts.

She’s skilled at climbing houses and trees and can hide from her enemies in the shadows. But she still needs to be careful of the crocodiles and other hungry animals populating the Louisiana swamps.

The graphics hearken back to previous Assassin’s Creed releases. The battle for Louisiana begins October 31 and will cost 50 euros (65 dollars). New Little King’s Story, for the Vita, is the successor to Little King’s Story, released by Konami for the Wii three years ago.

Fourteen-year-old King Corobo has lost his realm to a dark power and is busy building up a new army so he can reclaim his throne. Entire armies receive their orders simultaneously during battle, a process made easier with the touchscreen.

The graphics retain their original storybook quality, with a good dash of humour. New Little King’s Story costs about 40 euros. Super Monkey Ball from Sega is an old favourite which has already been played on multiple consoles. Now, the monkeys in their plastic ball are coming to the Vita, starting October 26 with Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz.

They’ll be doing what they do best, racing through a tricky course, trying not to collide with obstacles, get eaten by hungry opponents, or fall down a hole. Every possible Vita control is made use of, with the monkeys’ movement controlled by tilting, moving, using control sticks or just blowing into the microphone.

Players are rewarded for successfully completing levels with mini-games. The game goes for about 28 euros.Professor Layton makes his first appearance on the 3DS with Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. The city of Monte d’Or is being terrorized by mysterious strangers who are turning people to stone. Layton suspects that the game’s namesake mask - which he sought as a young man - is behind the problems.

Alongside the usual cartoon-style graphics are up to 150 new puzzles. It also employs the third dimension for the first time in the series. There are also a series of mini-games to boost the fun.

Online connectivity is another draw. Nintendo has promised to make one new puzzle available online every day for a year, meaning there are 365 additional puzzles for the 45-euro price tag. The game goes on sale October 26.—dpa

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

health & science

US substance abuse diagnoses increasing: Study NEW YORK: The number of drug and alcohol problems diagnosed by US doctors increased by 70 percent between 2001 and 2009, possibly driven by a surge in painkiller abuse, according to a US study.

“We know that increases in prescription drug use are a big part of what’s going on nationally,” said lead author Joseph Frank, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “I also think - in our study - the availability of effective treatment is a big part of it as well and likely driving people into care.”

Those treatments include medications such as methadone, as well as talk therapy. The study, which used information from two national surveys of doctors’ visits, estimated that the number of those visits involving drug or alcohol abuse or addiction increased from 10.6 million between 2001 and 2003 to 18 million between 2007 and 2009.

Over the same span, the number of visits including a diagnosis of opioid painkiller abuse, in particular, increased from 772,000 to 4.4 million, almost a six-fold increase. “This finding

is consistent with trends in substance use disorder-related utilization at the nation’s community health centers and emergency departments and, sadly, use of its morgues,” the authors wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Psychiatry researcher Amy Bohnert from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor said she’s not surprised with the increase in opioid-related visits. “It is quite a large increase and it does really highlight that this is a substantial problem in terms of this being a growing trend,” said Bohnert, who wasn’t involved in

the study, to Reuters Health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 14,800 Americans died of an opioid overdose in 2008, three times the number of such deaths 20 years earlier. Across the United States, it’s estimated that 22.5 million people are dependent on alcohol or drugs, according to Frank’s team.

Despite the large increase in opioid abuse diagnoses, the researchers said their study does provide a reason for optimism - specifically, that the number of medicines prescribed to treat drug or alcohol problems during doc-

tors’ visits increased by about as much as the number of visits related to opioid abuse.

The most popular treatment, however, was talk therapy, which was used in about 25 million total patients during the study period. Its use did not change much over time. Frank told Reuters Health that the findings are a mix of good news and bad news.

“I think it’s a mixed bag that highlights the magnitude of the problem and suggests we’re heading in the right direction” when it comes to treatment, he said. — Reuters

Beans, lentils show promise with diabetes ‘Legumes are good protein and lower blood pressure’

ASAHIKAWA: This photo taken on July 13, 2012 shows Chinese tourist Zhang Lan (L) listening to the results of her check-up from a doctor at a hospital in Asahikawa, Hokkaido prefecture. Treatments there range from head-to-toe checkups, with a focus on cancer screening and neurological diseases, to antiageing and cosmetic surgery. — AFP

Five reported deaths with Monster drink link HAGERSTOWN: The highly caffeinated Monster Energy Drink has been cited in five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack, according to reports that the US Food and Drug Administration is investigating. The reports claim that people had adverse reactions after they consumed Monster Energy Drink, which comes in 24-ounce cans and contains 240 milligrams of caffeine, or seven times the amount of the caffeine in a 12-ounce cola.

Although the FDA is investigating the allegations, which date back to 2004, the agency said the reports don’t necessarily prove that the drinks caused the deaths or injuries. “As with any reports of a death or injury the agency receives, we take them very seriously and investigate diligently,” Shelly Burgess said in a statement. News of the FDA’s investigation follows a filing last week of a wrongful death suit in Riverside, Calif, by the parents of a 14-year-old Hagerstown girl who died after drinking two, 24-ounce Monster Energy Drinks in 24 hours.

An autopsy concluded that she died of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity and the medical examiner also found that she had an inherited disorder that can weaken blood vessels. But the child’s parents claim Monster failed to warn about the risks of drinking its products. Monster Beverage Corp, which touts on its web site that the Monster Energy Drink is a “killer energy brew” and “the meanest energy supplement on the planet,” puts labels on cans that state that the drinks are not recommended for children and people who are sensitive to caffeine. The company, based in Corona, Calif., did not immediately respond to

calls seeking comment on Monday, but said last week that it is “unaware of any fatality anywhere that has been caused by its drinks.”

Monster is among a growing group of energy drinks on the market. Energy drinks are a tiny part of the carbonated soft drink market, representing about 3 percent of sales volume, according to a recent report by industry tracker Beverage Digest. But at a time when soda consumption is declining, energy drinks are becoming more popular: Last year, sales volume for energy drinks rose by nearly 17 percent.

Monster has benefited the most from the rise in popularity. Last year, Monster had a 35 percent share of the energydrink market based on volume, while Red Bull had 30 percent and Rockstar had 19 percent, according to Beverage Digest. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are far smaller players in the arena, with about 5 percent each. Investors have warmed up to the drinks as well. In the past two years, Monster’s shares have more than tripled, from about $22 and hit a high of about $79 in June. But on news of the FDA investigation, Monster’s shares plunged $7.59, or 14.2 percent, to close at $45.73 in trading on Monday.

The increase in popularity has brought heightened scrutiny. The levels of caffeine in the drinks have raised worries: Although the FDA caps the amount of caffeine in soda to 0.02 percent, there is no such limit for energy drinks. In August, New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued subpoenas to energy drink makers, including Monster, as part of the state’s investigation of the industry. — AP

WASHINGTON: This March 28, 2012 file photo shows Janis Haddon of Atlanta, holding a glove with a message outside the Supreme Court in Washington as the court concluded three days of hearing arguments on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. America’s health care system is unsustainable. — AP

NEW YORK: Eating a cup of beans or lentils every day may help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar and possibly reduce their risk of heart attacks and stroke, according to a Canadian study.

Researchers, whose results appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that compared with a diet rich in whole grains, getting a daily dose of legumes led to small drops in an important measure of blood sugar as well as in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

After three months on the bean diet, study participants’ estimated 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease had fallen from 10.7 percent to 9.6 percent, according to the group.

“Legumes are good protein sources, and proteins tend to dampen the blood glucose response and they lower blood pressure,” said David Jenkins of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, who led the study.

“They are also good sources of fiber and that tends to be associated with lower cholesterol.” Legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils are already recommended for diabetics due to their low glycemic index, a measure of how far and how fast a given food sends up

blood sugar. But there are few studies of their direct effects on diabetes, according to Jenkins.

Jenkins and his team divided 121 people with diabetes into two groups, one of which was instructed to up their intake of cooked legumes by at least a cup a day. The other was told to eat more whole wheat products to boost their fiber intake.

After three months, the researchers found that hemoglobin A1c levels had dropped from 7.4 percent to 6.9 percent in people eating beans, while it had fallen from 7.2 percent to 6.9 percent tin those getting extra whole wheat.

The number reflects the average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months. Experts recommend keeping it under 7 percent. Jenkins said that even though the drops were not huge, they were impressive partly because the whole-grain comparison diet is a healthy one and in part because people in the study were already on diabetes and blood pressure drugs.

There was no reduction in blood pressure with extra whole wheat, but a drop from 122 to 118 points in systolic blood pressure - the

top number - with legumes and from 72 to 69 in diastolic. Blood pressure readings are considered normal is they are no more than 120 over 80.

Given the lower blood pressure, Jenkins and his colleagues calculated that diabetics getting a daily dose of beans would lower their 10-year risk of heart attack or stroke by just under one percentage point compared with people eating whole wheat.

By comparison, cholesterol-lowering drugs are thought to cut 10-year cardiovascular risk by about 20 percent, or two percentage points in people with a baseline risk of 10 percent.

The study didn’t find any more gastrointestinal complains in the legume group, apparently refuting the noting that downing lots of beans leads to excessive flatulence.

Jenkins did warn, though, that the comparison group also got a lot of fiber, which could have prevented a potential effect.

“The public should be doing some preventive strategies using these foods,” he said. “We are not introducing some novel ‘Frankenfood’ into the diet, this is really deep, traditional stuff.” — Reuters

Pharmacy linked to meningitis deaths sidestepped punishment BOSTON: The pharmacy tied to a deadly US meningitis outbreak fended off discipline from health regulators in 2006 that could have fatally damaged the company’s reputation and put it out of business, records released on Monday revealed.

The Massachusetts-based New England Compounding Center (NECC) faced three years of probation and a public reprimand amid allegations that the pharmacy violated accepted standards for compounding methylprednisolone acetate, the same steroid that is linked to the current fungal meningitis outbreak. Twenty-three people have died and nearly 300 have been infected after receiving the steroid treatment made by NECC. The proposed discipline, out-

lined in a 2004 letter from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy, is detailed in documents obtained

by Reuters through a Freedom of Information Act request.

NECC’s attorney, Paul Cirel, recognized the impact of a public reprimand and pleaded with regulators at the time not to resolve the complaint with a disciplinary sanction, records show.

“The collateral consequences to many, if not all of NECC’s 42 other licenses, would be potentially fatal to the business,” Cirel said in a Nov. 11, 2004, letter to the pharmacy board, referring to the company’s licenses in other states. “Such a catastrophe is clearly not the intended result of the proposed reprimand, nor is it warranted in

this case.” A footnote at the bottom of Cirel’s letter reads, “Once disclosed, the reprimand surely will result in inquiries/investigations in those other jurisdictions.

Regardless of the derivative actions taken, the attendant legal and administrative costs will be devastating.” Two years later when the case was finally resolved, NECC escaped discipline. The initial proposal for punishment was three years of probation and a public reprimand, records show.

The 2006 settlement was a “nondisciplinary agreement” with the pharmacy board and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, records show. But it did require NECC to improve its standards and hire an outside firm to evaluate its facility and procedures.

“New England Compounding Center worked cooperatively with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy to resolve to the Board’s satisfaction any issues brought to the company’s attention,” NECC said in a statement on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services said Monday evening that it is investigating the 2006 settlement. “As part of our active investigation into NECC, we are looking at the events surrounding the signing of the consent agreement,” Alec Loftus, a spokesman for the department said. “This consent agreement was signed under the previous administration and it is troubling to say the least.” — Reuters

Wait longer between Pap tests, doctors say NEW YORK: Most women can wait three to five years between Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer, according to guidelines released by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG. The latest recommendation, which appeared in Obstetrics and Gynecology and is in line with earlier sets of recommendations, marks a further shift away from annual Pap testing, which was once the standard advice.

Now ACOG and the other groups say most women aged 21 to 29 should have a Pap test no more than every three years. For women ages 30 to 65, the best option is to have a Pap test, along with a test for human papillomavirus (HPV), every five years. Otherwise, a Pap test alone every three years is “acceptable.”

“Women can feel very comfortable with this,” said David Chelmow, who heads obstetrics and gynecology at Virginia Commonwealth University and led the development of the ACOG guidelines. “The bottom line is, this is enough.”

Cervical cancer is caused by long-term infection with certain types of HPV, a virus that causes warts, including genital warts. But there are over 100 strains of HPV, only some linked to cervical cancer.

The Pap test is done to look for abnormalities in cervical cells that may or may not become cancer. The HPV test helps refine things by showing whether a woman has a strain linked to cervical cancer.

But women younger than 30 should not have the HPV test, Cherlmow said. That’s because women that age commonly carry the virus, but for a relatively short time before the immune system wipes it out. So testing young women would largely catch short-lived HPV infections that would not contribute to cancer later.

All the new guidelines, Chelmow noted, are aimed at giving women and doctors clear-

er direction on how often to do cervical cancer screening - and avoid over-testing. There is now a vaccine against HPV, and women who have gotten it may wonder if they need cervical cancer screening.

The answer is yes, Chelmow said. “They

should follow the same screening recommendations as everyone else.” The American Cancer Society estimates that about 12,200 US women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year, and 4,200 will die from the disease. — Reuters

SOFIA: A woman walks under a canopy of 400 pink umbrellas, part of a campaign to raise awareness and promote prevention and treatment of breast cancer, in the center of Sofia yesterday. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

health & science

Top Italy scientists resign in protest at quake ruling Verdict was ‘a big mistake’ ROME: The head of Italy’s top disaster body quit in protest yesterday after seven of its members were sentenced to jail over a deadly earthquake in a shock ruling that the global science community warned dealt a dangerous blow to scientific freedom.

Luciano Maiami, the head of the Major Risks Committee, and several top scientists resigned after seven of the body’s members were found guilty on Monday of manslaughter for underestimating the devastating L’Aquila quake which killed 309 people in 2009.

Maiami, one of Italy’s top physicists and a former head of top particle physics laboratory Cern in Geneva, described the verdict as “a big mistake” and said he had resigned because “there aren’t the conditions to work serenely”.

The verdict has provoked deep anger and concern in the global science community, with top experts warning of the repercussions and saying their colleagues had been used as scapegoats. The seven defendants are appealing the ruling by the court in the medieval town of L’Aquila in central Italy. Under the Italian justice system, they remain free until they have exhausted two avenues of appeal.

“These are professionals who spoke in good faith and were by no means motivated by personal interests, they had always said that it is not possible to predict an earthquake,” Maiami told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

“It is impossible to produce serious, professional and disinterested advice under this mad judicial and media pressure. This sort of thing doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world,” he said.

“This is the end of scientists giving consultations to the state.” All seven defendants were members of the Major Risks Committee which met in L’Aquila on March 31, 2009 — six days before the 6.3-magnitude quake devastated the region, killing 309 people and leaving thousands homeless.

One of the seven, Mauro Dolce, resigned as head of the Civil Protection’s seismic risk office yesterday, and the rest of the committee were preparing to follow suit, according to Maiami.

Committee member Roberto Vinci from the National Research Council said he had resigned “to show support for those who, perhaps having reacted with a certain naivety and certainly under great pressure, have been accused of manslaughter”. Michael Halpern of the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists said that without the right to

speak freely, they would be vulnerable to scapegoating and persecution. “Scientists need to be able to share what they know-and admit what they do not know-without the fear of being held criminally responsible should their predictions not hold up,” he said in a blog.

The appeal hearings are due to take place in the final months of 2013, according to Marcello Melandri, lawyer for Enzo Bosci, the head of Italy’s national geophysics institute (INGV) at the time of the quake.

“We will wait to read the grounds for the verdict and then the defence lawyers will work on the appeal, hoping for a better outcome,” he said. “I am still incredulous,” he said of judge Marco Belli’s decision to give the scientists an even harsher sentence than the four years called for by the prosecutor. The defendants were also ordered to pay more than nine million euros (almost $12 million) in damages to survivors.

In L’Aquila and the surrounding towns, where rubble from crumbled houses and churches still lies in vast piles in off-limit zones, survivors and families of those killed said they were shocked by the reaction.

“There has not been any trial against science,” said Anna Bonomi, spokeswoman for the 3and32 survivors’ group which has campaigned for justice.

“If anything, there has been a trial against a system of power,” she said, referring to the widely-held belief that the government had conjured up a media-friendly reassuring message to calm skittish citizens before the quake.

“They may convince Italians (that the trial was unfair) but they will not convince us residents: they played with people’s lives,” she said. Maiami said that rather than blaming the scientists, prosecutors should be going after the architects and builders who put up poorly built apartments.

It is “deeply wrong that there is no investigation into who constructed houses in a seismic zone in such an inadequate fashion,” he said. Geophysicist Dario Albarello, who heads a project into shortterm quake forecasts for the INGV, said “it is not earthquakes that kill, it’s badly built buildings that collapse,” and described the trial as “a witch hunt.”

The government committee met in 2009 after a series of small tremors in the preceding weeks had sown panic among local inhabitants-particularly after a resident began making worrying unofficial earthquake predictions.

Italy’s top seismologists were called in to evaluate and the-then deputy director of the Civil

Protection agency Bernardo De Bernardinis gave press interviews saying the seismic activity in L’Aquila posed “no danger”. He advised local residents to relax with a glass of wine. About 120,000 people were affected by the quake, which destroyed the city’s historic centre and medieval churches as well as surrounding villages. In May this year, northeast Italy was hit by two earthquakes which devastated churches, buildings and factories, leaving 25 people dead and over 15,000 people homeless. — AFP

This undated photo provided by the US Navy shows a male Beluga whale that scientists say made human-like sounds. An acoustic analysis revealed the human-like sounds were several octaves lower than typical whale calls. The research was published online on Oct 22, 2012 in Current Biology. — AP

Japan’s radiation monitoring unreliable: Greenpeace TOKYO: Government radiation monitoring in areas near Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is unreliable, Greenpeace charged yesterday, with heavily populated areas exposed to 13 times the legal limit.

The environmental group said authorities were wasting time cleaning up evacuated areas and should prioritise decontamination efforts in places where people live, work and play. Greenpeace found that in some parks and school facilities in Fukushima city, home to 285,000 people, radiation levels were above three microsieverts per hour. Japan’s recommended radiation limit is 0.23 microsieverts per hour. “We also found that official monitoring posts placed by the government systematically underestimate the radiation levels,” said Rianne Teule, Greenpeace’s radiation expert, adding that some machines are shielded from radiation by surrounding metal and concrete structures. “Official monitoring stations are placed in areas the authorities have decontaminated. However, our monitoring shows that just a few steps away the radiation levels rise significantly,” she said.

“Decontamination efforts are seriously delayed and many hot spots that were repeatedly identified by Greenpeace are still there,” Teule said.

“It is especially disturbing to see that there are many hot spots around playground equipment, exposing children who are most vulnerable to radiation risks,” she said.

In tests carried out over four days last week, Greenpeace also found that radiation levels in Iitate village, where the government is hoping to soon return evacuated residents, are still many times over the limit, with decontamination efforts patchy.

TOKYO: Greenpeace International Energy Campaigner and radiation expert Rianne Teule answers questions during a press conference in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP Greenpeace’s Japan nuclear campaigner Kazue Suzuki said attempts to clean up were “misguided”. “One home or office may be cleaned up, but it is very unlikely that the whole area will be freed of radiation risks within the next few years,” given the mountainous and heavily forested nature of the region, she said.

“The government continues to downplay radiation risks and give false hope (of returning home) to victims of this nuclear disaster,” said Suzuki. A huge tsunami, sparked by a massive undersea quake, swamped the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March last year.

Reactors went into meltdown, spewing radiation over a large swathe of Japan’s agriculture-heavy northeast, in the planet’s worst atomic disaster for a generation. The natural disaster left around 19,000 people dead or missing. — AFP

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

WHAT’S ON

HDFC presents ‘India Homes Fair’ Your own home, back home...

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! This summer, let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

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Congratulations!

Shruti Pandey (HDFC Dubai), Fahad Jameel (Head - HDFC Kuwait), Rajpal Tyagi, Renu Sud Karnad (Managing Director - HDFC Ltd, India) Ajay Sachdewa (GCC Head - HDFC) and Satish C Mehta (Indian Ambassador to Kuwait) or NRIs wanting to own a home, back home in India this was a great opportunity. HDFC Ltd, India’s Premier housing finance company hosted ‘India Homes Fair’, a property event exclusively for the NRI audience in Kuwait.

This property event wasrganized on the 19th (Friday) & 20th (Saturday) October, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza, Farwaniya , and featured 35 renowned and well-reputed developers who showcased prime properties from across India. The event was inaugurated by Satish C Mehta - Indian Ambassador to Kuwait in the presence of Ms Renu Sud Karnad, Managing Director - HDFC Ltd., Ajay Sachdewa, Regional Head-GCC, Fahad Jameel, Head - Kuwait along with members of the HDFC GCC Team.

Speaking on the occasion Ms Renu Sud Karnad, Managing Director, HDFC Ltd. said, “HDFC has had a presence in the GCC Region for over 2 decades to serve our NRI customers. HDFC has always believed in the concept of promoting home ownership.

Through Property Events like this, we provide a platform to enable our customers to interact directly with senior representatives from the developers and evaluate from an array of properties to find the best home for themselves back in India. Customers can also avail of home loan services, professional guidance on legal & technical documentation from the HDFC counselors all under

F anjay Samuel Mathew and Aleena Mary Santhosh of Gulf Indian School were the runners-up in the 16th KITCO interschool quiz competition organized by the Bengali Cultural Society. In the preliminary round they were the top scorers among the 12 schools that participated.

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EDA quiz - 2012 rnakulam District Association, Kuwait (EDA) had organized an ‘On-line Quiz’ for its members’ children during the summer holidays. The aim of conducting such events was to engage its’ children in various extra curricular activities and to ensure these children’s time was spent in a useful manner. The winners were declared by EDA President, Roy Yoyaki in last EDA executive committee meeting. Madhu Warrier, EDA Gen. Secretary, congratulated the participated children and the parents who supported EDA’s Quiz program. Madhu Warrier extended the committee’s appreciation to Radha Gopinathan who was responsible for conducting this Quiz which was controlled at 6 different levels.

The declared winners are Abiya Bini Biju (1st prize sponsored by Vefpsa); Anand Balakrishnan (2nd prize sponsored by Madhu Warrier); Mukul Desh (3rd prize sponsored by a well-wisher). In addition to this, Adithya Kishorekumar, Anusree Dinesh, Ashley Mary Bejoy, Ben Joseph Ramapuram, BiyaThankachan, Georgy Jose, Merin Jose, Riya George were selected for consolation prize.

The mentioned distinguished children will be honored in the event of ONAM-EID 2012 celebration on Friday, 26th October 2012 at the Indian Community School Auditorium, Khaitan.

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VPA celebrates ‘Onam 2012’ enmony Pravasi Association (VPA) celebrated its 12th Onam Celebrations “Onam 2012’ with its full spirit and fervor on Friday, 7th September at United Indian School, Abbassiya. The program begins with the arrival of the Mahaballi Thamburan accompanied by thalapoli, chendamelam, muthukuda etc....

General Secretary Ramesh Puthiyamadom welcomed the gathering. The function was inaugurated Dr. Narayanan Nampoory, Chairman, Indian Doctors Forum by lighting the traditional lamp. The Vice President Yohanan Thomas presided over the meeting; Patron Rajan Daniel, Venmony Paravsy Association felicitated the occasion.

The public meeting was followed by farewell meeting for Mr. Varghese M. C who has completed 24 years in Kuwait and felicitation speeches given by George Varghese and Jacob John.

The public meeting was followed by variety of cultural programs. The traditional “Onasadya” served in the traditional plantain leaf, which was enjoyed by all.

The vote of thanks extended by the General Convener Gee Varghese Thomas. The whole program was observed by the program convener Rajan K. John.

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one roof.”

“It is being observed that the demand fundamentals in Indian real estate are now focused around all cities that have sufficient economic activity, be it industrial, service sector-driven or incentive-driven programs by the state government and most of these are Tier II and Tier III cities. We have also being witnessing very good demand for housing loans and therefore properties from Tier II and Tier III cities. The expected decline in interest rates in the short to medium term and improved liquidity conditions will further improve housing demand. The recent slew of announcements by the Union government have gone a long way to improve sentiments, she added At HDFC’s ‘India Homes Fair’, 200 projects were on display from across Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi/NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad,

Chandigarh, Jaipur, Kochi & Coimbatore. They included varying options like flats, villas, plots, etc. Customers can choose from a wide range of properties starting from INR 20 lakh to premium properties up to INR 10 crore with sizes ranging between 700 sq. ft. to 5,000 sq. ft. Customers got exclusive offers and value-added benefits during these two days of the exhibition.

HDFC is quick to recognize the market pulse and thereby set higher benchmarks of service delivery on a continuous basis. Customer satisfaction has always been at the core of all HDFC offerings. With a view to maximize customer convenience, HDFC through its team of specialized counsellors, is providing its customers personalized home loan counselling, legal and technical advice relating to property related documentation and a full range of home loan options and flexible

repayment options tailor made to suit their requirement. The team will ensure they guide customers to seamlessly purchase their property in India.

List of Developers exhibiting were ‘India Homes Fair’ Arun Excello, Unitech, Hiranandani Construction, Puravankara, House of Hiranandani, Nahar, EMAAR, G Corp, Kalpataru, Godrej Properties, Vatika,

Mantri, Lodha, Kolte Patil, Samskruti, Seth, Ajmera, Rustomjee, Paras, Shanders, Isha Homes, ATS, UKN, Oyester, Runwal, Vipul, Aparna Construction, Asten Realtors, Waves, Hubtown, Expat, Supertech, Brigade.

KDNA to hold mega, carnival ‘Malabar Mahotsvam on Nov 2

By Sajeev K Peter ozhikode District NRI Association, popularly known as KDNA, will hold a mega carnival titled ‘Malabar Mahotsavam 2012’ on Friday, November 2 at the Indian Central School, Abbassiya.

Addressing a press conference on Monday evening, the KDNA office-bearers informed that the day-long carnival will showcase the rich cultural heritage of Kozhikode district and display some of Malabar’s diverse and distinct cuisines before the expatriate community in Kuwait.

Popular Malayalam actor Sudheesh will attend the event as the chief guest while well-known comedian Ajai Kallai and team will present Time Jokes Calicut’s Comedy Show. In addition to a wide range of cultural programs, renowned magician Prasoon’s magic show will be a highlight of the ‘mahotsavam’. The ICS, Abbassiya, the carnival venue will be bubbly from 9.30 am onwards with people moving around food courts that display the rich diversity of Malabar’s delicacies and dishes, exhibition halls that showcase paintings and photographs of old Calicut and garment stalls that sell various clothing brands.

“The phenomenal success of last year’s

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carnival has inspired us to hold ‘Malabar Mahotsavam 2012,’ on a grand scale, said Zubair MM, KDNA president said.

Cooking competition and ‘mehndi’ contest for exclusively for ladies will be other attractions of the event, Rasheed Payanthong, media secretary added.

As a finale to the entire show, the KDNA office-bearers will lead a colorful procession with the accompaniment of a dazzling pageant and ‘chenda melam’ around 5pm.

Indian Ambassador Satich C Mehta will inaugurate the cultural conference that follows the procession.

KDNA, a social, secular and non-political voluntary organization of the expatriates from Kozhikode district, earmarks its huge share of its income for charity programs, the organizers said.

“Our motto is the welfare of the community members,” said Suresh Mathur, KDNA General Secretary. In addition to various humanitarian services, the association promotes cultural and business talents from Kozhikode district in Kuwait.

Others who attended the meeting included Santosh Punathil, treasurer, Krishnan Kadalundi, advisory board member, Nasir Thikkodi, joint convener MM 2012 and Suhesh Kumar, joint convener.

Celebrate Eid at Sheraton Kuwait & Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait n the occasion of Eid Al Adha, Sheraton Kuwait and Four Points

by Sheraton Kuwait are offering guests a variety of the finest global cuisines to titillate every palate, whilst listening to live music that captures the happiness of Eid. Enjoy refined Italian dining at Riccardo and indulge in ultimate Italian delights, relish the taste of exotic India at Bukhara, take pleasure in matchless Lebanese cuisine in the warm hospitality of Le Tarbouche offering a wide range of mezza, grills and much more.

Experience extravagant Iranian dishes at Shahrayar and enjoy the freshness of the tandoori bread. Al Hambra at Sheraton and Asseef at Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait offer spectacular

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extended Eid buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner accompanied by live music for lunch and dinner at Al Hambra.

For those looking for a moment of respite in a sophisticated atmosphere, The English Tea Lounge is the perfect venue to head to, available in two locations namely at the Sheraton Kuwait and at Kuwait’s biggest shopping mall “The Avenues”. The English Tea Lounge offers you an array of quintessential English delights such as scones, mini sandwiches and other tantalizing choices that include mouthwatering chocolate fondue.

KALA drama competition

PDA Onam on Saturday

azhcha Kuwait’s ‘Dhaham’ got best drama in KALA drama competition. Team members: Rajan Chakko Thottungal (team manager), Wilson Manjay, Sherine Biju Kadavi, Anto Chirayath, Mini Wilson Chirayath (best actress), Ramanda Prasad, Wilson Chirayath (director).

athanamthitta District Association, Kuwait (PDA) is holding its Onam 2012 celebrations on Saturday 27th Ocotber 2012 at Abbassiya Indian Central School from 10 am to 7 pm with cultural programs and variety entertainments. The highlights of the cultural programs are “GANAMELA” featuring Cine Playback Singer, Abdul Rehman (Songs in Arabi Ottakam, etc.), Anwar Sarang, Idea Star Singer fame, Neelima, Singing Superstar winner Julia Anil and talented local artists, Comedy Show featuring Kalabhavan Abbi and Film Actor Kalabhavan Sudhi (Kottiyam Sudhi), “Naadenpattukal” by Kadambanadu Jayachandran, Mimics by Kerala University Kalathilakom, MS. Divya, and performances by talented School going children of the Association members.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

WHAT’S ON

GUST English department organizes film week he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) Department of English Language and Literature organized the first ever Film Week; a week dedicated to watching literaturerelated films which were adapted from books and famous literary works.

Film week was created for students to get more involved in what they’re studying and reading. Literature has always been a part of our day to day lives whether it is from casual reading to research writing and so, the department decided to take advantage of our exposure to the English language by using it in a way that is entertaining as well as educationalfor our students.

Through Film Week, students and professors saw how literature transforms from words into movement, speech and acting thus rounding it into a more interactive experience that everyone can enjoy. The objectives of Film Week were to: start an interaction between students and professors outside of the classroom sphere, educate students in an entertaining way, take books that the students are reading and screen them so they can grasp dif-

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Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office).

In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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ferent angles of learning, get students more involved in university activities and by watching movies based on literary books, students are more capable

of relating to them.

The films screened were Jane Eyre (2011), A Beautiful Mind (2001), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002),

Wuthering Heights (2011) and The Help (2011).

Jumeirah Messilah Beach appoints Stephane as director of sales umeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait has announced the appointment of Stephane de Robien as Director of Sales and Marketing.

A French national, StÈphane has 20 years of sales and marketing experience for luxury hotels. He started his career with Forte Hotels in Paris then worked as Director of Sales and Marketing for several luxury resorts on the French Riviera, including the Negresco in Nice from 2004 until 2008.

In 2009, he launched the Garrigae Resorts brand in Southern France; then

Embassy

was appointed Group Director of Sales & Marketing for Palmeraie Hotels & Resorts, a Moroccan luxury resort group based in Marrakech. Prior to joining Jumeirah, he was Director of Sales and Marketing for Melia Hotels International in charge of Opening Melia Zanzibar. He studied in ?cole des Cadres Business School, and holds a degree in management of hotels and tourism companies from CEFSI/INFATH Paris.

In his new role, StÈphane will coordinate the Sales & Marketing activities for the pre-opening team of Jumeirah

Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait.

The hotel, expected to open in Winter 2012/2013, is a luxurious beachfront development featuring 408 rooms and suites including 12 villas. Guests of the hotel will also have access to ten restaurants and lounges, a 3500 m2 Talise Spa, a 200-meter private beach, two swimming pools and children’s play area, in addition to extensive conference and banqueting facilities comprising a 1950 m2 Ballroom.

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Stephane de Robien

Workshop on understanding and helping children with learning difficulties on Bosco School known as Indian English Academy School (IEAS) in Kuwait is celebrating 10 years of its existence in the Gulf region; to mark its presence here in Kuwait a lot of different events are being organized one of them was to invite the guest speaker from Mumbai.

Dr Fr Ajoy Fernandes, sdb a Masters in Philosophy and Theology and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology conducted a workshop on ‘Understanding and Helping Children with Learning Difficulties’ on 12th September from 8 am to 1 pm for 16 Indian schools in Kuwait, out of which 15 attended with a total strength of 55 participants both teachers and counselors. The workshop started with a brief introduction by Carmen Panikker IEAS Counselor thereafter Fr Blany Pinto the Parish Priest of Salmiya Parish led us in prayer and Fr Francis Kharjia Director of IEAS welcomed Dr Fr Ajoy Fernandes. He immediately started imparting his knowledge and expertise on the subject through a power point

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presentation with great enthusiasm and clarity in simple easy to follow steps which kept all of us engrossed and captured our attention throughout the programme. Group discussions were energizing and enriching for the participants. The Thank You speech was addressed by our very own ‘Lion of Kuwait’, Fr Lionel Braganza the Principal of IEAS. Teachers and counselors were very much appreciative of near to perfect hosting of such an interesting programme which is the need of the hour for our school children. They expressed that they felt enriched with the inputs of the workshop and went home with some valuable material (handouts) provided by Dr Fr Ajoy Fernandes for future reference.

Thank you Dr Fr Ajoy Fernandes you stirred up our hearts when you got emotional and had tears in your eyes while speaking of yourself as a dyslexic person.

New Kuwait Philippine Int School holds UN day ew Kuwait Philippine International School Jleeb Al Shuyoukh celebrated their United Nations Day on October 18, 2012.

The following students from forth year high school presenting Mexico (country) with their Mexican costume, and third year high school student presenting Brazil (country) with their Brazilian costume.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Canadian Embassy in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 7:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 13:00. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF FRANCE The Embassy would like to inform that starting September 2nd, 2012, visa demands for France will be handled by the outsourcing company “Capago - MENA Company”. Capago - MENA’S Call Center will be operational starting Sunday August 26 for setting appointments beginning September 2nd (+965 22270555).

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EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed today - Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami) ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NEPAL On the happy occasion of Vijayadashmi and Eid Al-Adha, the Embassy of Nepal will remain closed from Monday, October 22 to Saturday, October 27, 2012. The office will resume on Sunday, October 28, 2012.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE

The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to remind that the external polling station No 90046 was created in the Embassy’s premises at the following address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str. 6, build. 5. The working hours of the polling station: Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Monday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Tuesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Wednesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Thursday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Friday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm; Saturday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm On October 28, 2012 the working hours of the polling station from 8.00 am to 20.00 pm. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your data in the Electoral Register as well as to pick up your personal invitation from the polling station if you did not receive this document by post.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

TV PROGRAMS 23:40 Sport Science 20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 00:45 Lions And Giants 01:35 I’m Alive 02:25 Sharkman 03:15 Safari Vet School 03:40 Safari Vet School 04:05 Wildest Africa 04:55 Predator’s Prey 05:20 Escape To Chimp Eden 05:45 Wild Africa Rescue 06:10 Wild Africa Rescue 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Talk To The Animals 07:25 Growing Up...

08:15 Dogs 101 09:10 Bad Dog 10:05 Wildest Africa 11:00 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 11:55 Vet On The Loose 12:20 Vet On The Loose 12:50 Wildlife SOS 13:15 Shamwari: A Wild Life 13:45 Animal Cops Houston 14:40 Wildest Africa 15:35 Escape To Chimp Eden 16:00 Talk To The Animals 16:30 Your Very First Puppy 17:25 The Jeff Corwin Experience 18:20 Dogs 101 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Shamwari: A Wild Life 20:10 Predator’s Prey 20:35 Escape To Chimp Eden 21:05 Wildest Africa 22:00 The Magic Of The Big Blue 22:55 Speed Of Life 23:50 Animal Cops Houston 23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:30 Antiques Roadshow 01:25 Holmes On Homes 02:15 Holmes On Homes 03:05 Living In The Sun 04:00 Saturday Kitchen 04:25 Saturday Kitchen 04:55 MasterChef 05:20 Living In The Sun 06:15 MasterChef 06:40 Saturday Kitchen 07:10 MasterChef Australia 08:00 MasterChef Australia 08:25 Holmes On Homes 09:15 Holmes On Homes 10:05 Bargain Hunt 10:50 Antiques Roadshow 11:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:25 Gok’s Fashion Fix 13:15 10 Years Younger 14:05 10 Years Younger 14:55 Bargain Hunt 15:40 Antiques Roadshow 16:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:15 Gok’s Fashion Fix 18:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 18:30 Gino D’acampo: An Italian In Mexico 18:55 Rhodes Across China 19:45 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt 23:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 23:45 Gok’s Fashion Fix EditionEdition 00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:05 15:30 16:25 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

You Have Been Warned Body Invaders Rattlesnake Republic Mythbusters Border Security Auction Hunters Auction Kings How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Extreme Fishing Street Customs Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Auction Hunters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made You Have Been Warned Body Invaders Rattlesnake Republic Border Security Auction Hunters Auction Kings Ultimate Survival Street Customs Extreme Fishing Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Border Security Auction Hunters Auction Kings Dynamo: Magician Impossible Mythbusters Mythbusters

23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:35 01:25 01:50 02:15 03:05 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:40 08:43 09:12 09:40 10:30 10:55 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:03 16:32 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:50

Building The Biggest Stuck With Hackett Stuck With Hackett Moon Machines The Gadget Show Sport Science The Science Of Star Wars Scrapheap Challenge Building The Biggest Catch It Keep It Moon Machines Head Rush Tech Toys 360 Patent Bending The Science Of Star Wars The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Building The Biggest Scrapheap Challenge Catch It Keep It Moon Machines The Science Of Star Wars The Gadget Show Head Rush Tech Toys 360 Patent Bending Building The Biggest Race To Mars Scrapheap Challenge Space Pioneer Meteorite Men The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Space Pioneer Meteorite Men

00:15 00:40 00:55 01:10 01:30 01:55 Pooh 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:20 03:40 04:05 Pooh 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:15 05:30 05:50 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:45 07:00 07:15 07:45 08:10 08:20 08:35 08:50 09:05 09:15 Pooh 09:20 09:35 09:45 09:55 10:20 Pooh 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 Pooh 12:10 12:25 12:40 13:05 13:15 13:30 13:55 14:20 Pooh 14:45 15:00 15:15 15:25 15:50 16:05 16:30 16:45 17:10 17:40 17:55 18:10 18:20 18:35 19:00 19:05 19:25 19:40 Pooh 20:05 20:20 20:30 Pooh 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:00 21:25 21:40 21:55 Pooh 22:20 22:30 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:35 23:50

Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Lazytown Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Mouk Mouk The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse New Adventures Of Winnie The Art Attack Imagination Movers Lazytown Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Handy Manny Jungle Junction Imagination Movers The Hive Special Agent Oso Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse New Adventures Of Winnie The Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Art Attack S2 Doc McStuffins Art Attack Jake And The Neverland Pirates Art Attack Lazytown Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mouk Imagination Movers A Poem Is...

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jungle Junction New Adventures Of Winnie The Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mini Adventures Of Winnie The A Poem Is...

A Poem Is...

Mouk Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Special Agent Oso New Adventures Of Winnie The Timmy Time Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Lazytown

ecial Agent Oso 23:50 Lazytown 00:25 00:50 01:20 02:15 03:10 04:05 04:30 05:00 05:55 07:00 07:25 07:55 08:20 08:50 09:15 09:45 10:40 11:05 11:35 12:30 13:25 14:20 15:15 15:40 16:10 16:35 17:05 17:30 18:00 18:55 19:50 20:45 21:40 22:05 22:35 23:30

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40

Wrestling With Reality Wrestling With Reality Pro Bull Riders 2011 World Combat League TNA: Greatest Matches Crusty Demons: No Borders Crusty Demons: No Borders Enfusion Pro Bull Riders 2011 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 Tread BMX Tread BMX Ticket To Ride– 6 2012 Ticket To Ride– 6 2012 Winter Dew Tour 10/11 Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2011 Mantracker Superstars USA World Combat League Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Tread BMX Tread BMX Ticket To Ride– 6 2012 Ticket To Ride– 6 2012 Mantracker Pro Bull Riders 2011 Superstars USA World Combat League Crusty Demons: No Borders Crusty Demons: No Borders TNA: Greatest Matches Enfusion

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Guy’s Big Bite Grill It! With Bobby Flay Grill It! With Bobby Flay Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Guy’s Big Bite Outrageous Food Unique Sweets Chopped Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa Iron Chef America Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa Unique Sweets

09:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 09:30 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 09:55 Cooking For Real 10:20 Cooking For Real 10:45 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 United Tastes Of America 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Guy’s Big Bite 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Barefoot Contessa 14:30 Unique Sweets 14:55 Charly’s Cake Angels 15:20 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 15:45 Food(Ography) 16:35 Barefoot Contessa 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Guy’s Big Bite 18:40 Unique Sweets 19:05 Charly’s Cake Angels 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Charly’s Cake Angels 21:35 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:00 Unique Sweets 22:25 Unique Sweets 22:50 Kid In A Candy Store 23:15 Kid In A Candy Store 23:40 Guy’s Big Bite

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 Jones 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

00:15 00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 05:45 06:15 Planet 06:40 Planet 07:10 07:35 08:05 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:45 12:40 13:05 13:35 14:00 14:30 14:55 15:25 16:20 17:15 18:10 19:05 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:25 22:55 Planet 23:20 Planet 23:50

Ghost Lab A Haunting Fatal Encounters Killer Kids Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab A Haunting Disappeared Mystery ER Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery ER Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Murder Shift Disappeared Forensic Detectives Street Patrol True Crime With Aphrodite Stalked: Someone’s Watching Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Behind Mansion Walls American Greed Dr G: Medical Examiner

David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 3

By Any Means Ultimate Traveller Which Way To Don’t Tell My Mother Long Way Down Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3

By Any Means Ultimate Traveller Which Way To Don’t Tell My Mother Long Way Down Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Food School Food School David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3

By Any Means Ultimate Traveller Which Way To Don’t Tell My Mother Long Way Down David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 Food School Food School Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Food Lover’s Guide To The Food Lover’s Guide To The

22:00 Homecoming-18

02:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 09:30 Cougar Town 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 15:00 Cougar Town 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 19:30 New Girl 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The Boondocks 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fall on 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:00

Fairly Legal Breaking Bad Homeland Grimm Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Fairly Legal Emmerdale Coronation Street Castle The Ellen DeGeneres Show Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Castle Fairly Legal Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Royal Pains Body Of Proof Franklin & Bash Combat Hospital Supernatural Grimm Grimm23:00 Grimm

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:15 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Walled In-PG15 The Keeper-18 The Warrior’s Way-PG15 Hidalgo-PG15 Twins Mission-PG15 The Warrior’s Way-PG15 Last Breath-PG15 Twins Mission-PG15 Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?-PG15 Full Metal Jacket-18 Kalifornia-18 The Morgue-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

28 Days-PG15 High Fidelity-PG15 Rebound-PG Airheads-PG15 Easy A-PG15 Baby Geniuses-PG Joe Dirt-PG15 Morning Glory-PG15 Baby Geniuses-PG The Joneses-PG15 Fever Pitch-PG15 The Answer Man-PG15

22:00 Frenemy-18 00:00 The Joneses-PG15 02:00 Fever Pitch-PG15 04:00 Baby Geniuses-PG 06:00 Joe Dirt-PG15 08:00 Morning Glory-PG15 10:00 How The Grinch Stole Christmas-PG 12:00 Below The Beltway-PG15 14:00 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son-PG15 16:00 How The Grinch Stole Christmas-PG 18:00 The Trip-PG15 20:00 Friday After Next-18 22:00 Youth In Revolt-18 Square Grouper-18 00:45 Quiz Show-18 03:00 Restless-PG15 05:00 The 19th Wife-PG15 07:00 Justin Bieber: Never Say NeverPG 09:00 Once Brothers-PG15 10:30 Green Lantern-PG15 12:30 On Strike For Christmas-PG15 14:00 The Way-PG15 16:30 Once Brothers-PG15 18:15 Transformers: Dark Of The Moon-PG15 21:00 Snowtown-PG15 23:00 Take Me Home Tonight-18

Delinquent Gourmet

23:00 Naked Science 00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 22:00 23:00

Rescue Ink Hooked Untamed Americas World’s Deadliest GPU Prehistoric Predators The Living Edens American Eagle Untamed Americas World’s Deadliest GPU Prehistoric Predators Moray Eels: Alien Empire Monster Fish of The Congo Hunter Hunted Fish Warrior Untamed Americas World’s Deadliest GPU Prehistoric Predators Freaks & Creeps Spine Chillers: Vampire Bats Hunter Hunted Untamed Americas World’s Deadliest GPU Prehistoric Predators Moray Eels: Alien Empire Monster Fish of The Congo Zoo Confidential Dangerous Encounters

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

And Soon The Darkness-PG15 The Perfect Host-PG15 The Keeper-18 Patriot Games-PG15 Inside Out-PG15 Triassic Attack-PG15 Biker Boyz-PG15 Inside Out-PG15 Dad Savage-PG15 Biker Boyz-PG15 Sinners & Saints-18 Survival Of The Dead-18

20:00 Fighting-PG15

00:00 Moomins And The Comet Chase-FAM 02:00 Marco Antonio-PG 04:00 The Muppets-PG 06:00 The Adventures Of Don Quixote-FAM 08:00 Moomins And The Comet Chase-FAM 10:00 Marley & Me: The Puppy YearsPG 12:00 The Muppets-PG 14:15 Princess Lillifee-PG15 16:00 Turtle Hero: Part I-FAM 18:00 Marley & Me: The Puppy YearsPG 20:00 Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure-PG 22:00 Princess Lillifee-PG15 22:15 Resident Evil 4: Afterlife-18 00:30 Challenge Series Golf Highlights 01:00 Futbol Mundial 01:30 Wake The Line 02:00 Kiteboard World Cup 02:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 03:30 Premier League Snooker 07:00 Challenge Series Golf Highlights 07:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 08:30 Currie Cup 10:30 Futbol Mundial 11:00 ITM Cup 13:00 Premier League Snooker 17:30 Challenge Series Golf Highlights 18:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 19:00 European Challenge Cup 21:00 Futbol Mundial 21:30 Trans World Sport 22:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 23:00 International Rugby Union

KUWAIT

KNCC PROGRAM FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (18/10/2012 TO 24/10/2012) SHARQIA-1 TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-2 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3 LOOPER (DIG) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-1 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 1:30 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 4:00 PM NO FRI+SAT CAMERAMAN GANGATHO RAMBABU (DIG) (Telugu) 4:00 PM FRI+SAT THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) 7:00 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 9:00 PM THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) 11:00 PM THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) 1:00 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-2 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) NO FRI+SAT DAMARUKAM (DIG) (Telugu) FRI+SAT LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 5:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-3 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-1 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-2 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-3 STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)1:30 PM NO THU THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 1:30 PM THU THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 4:45 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)7:00 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)10:00 PM THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 1:00 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-4 THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-5 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-1 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-2 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-3 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 2:30 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 4:45 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 7:00 PM

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 9:15 PM HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET 11:30 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED

THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-2 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D THE EXPATRIATE: 2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-3 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

360 º- 7 THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 2:00 PM THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 4:15 PM THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 6:30 PM NO THU (18.10.2012) French Film Festival Show“War is declared” 6:30 PM THU (18.10.2012) French Film Festival Show“The Artist” 8 : 3 0 PM THU (18.10.2012) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 8:45 PM NO THU (18.10.2012) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D 11:00 PM

AVENUES-4 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-5 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-6 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-7 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) 12:45 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)3:30 PM NO THU AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) 3:30 PM THU AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) 6:30 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)9:30 PM AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) 12:30 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-8 THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH THE IMPOSTER THE IMPOSTER THE IMPOSTER THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

AVENUES-9 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-10 THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-11 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

360 º- 1 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 2 AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

360 º- 3 PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D PREMIUM RUSH (2D-Digital) THE APPARITION :2D LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

360 º- 4 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 5 THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH:2D FRI+SAT THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH:2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH:2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 360 º- 6 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D)

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM 12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM

9:30 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 8 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 9(VIP-1) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

360 º- 10(VIP-2) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 12:45 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 3:00 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 5:15 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 7:30 PM NO THU (18.10.2012) Special Show “PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG)” for Ms. Lulwa Salem Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 7:30 PM THU (18.10.2012) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 9:45 PM PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) 12:05 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 11 THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG)

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

360 º- 12 TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 13 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

360 º- 14 TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital) TETA RAHIBA(2D-Digital)

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

360 º- 15 STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)2:30 PM NO THU AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) 2:30 PM THU AIYYAA: 2D (Hindi) 5:30 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)8:30 PM STUDENT OF THE YEAR (DIG) (HINDI)11:30 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED AL-KOUT.1 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) THE RAID: REDEMPTION(DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.2 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) THE EXPATRIATE: 2D PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.3 LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) LOOPER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.4 HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET AL SULTAN AL FATIH (Turkish) HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-1 THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) THE ILLUSIONAUTS (DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-2 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR JZR JZR QTR ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR QTR THY DHX JZR KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC THY JZR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ETD ABY GFA QTR FDB IRA IRA ETD BAB IRC GFA UAE FDB MEA JZR MSR IRM MSC JZR JZR CLX MSR KAC RJA GFA FDB JZR QTR SVA KAC JZR QTR IRA JZR KAC IYE ETD IRC UAE MSR UAL SVA GFA JZR UAE JZR ABY KAC QTR KAC BAB FDB MSR MSC RBG JZR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA JZR ALK KLM JZR UAE BBC ETD ABY QTR AIC FDB GFA UAL JZR RJA DLH FDB MSR FDB THY THY

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 24/10/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 6058 AMSTERDAM 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 289 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 5594 ESENBOGA 557 ALEXANDRIA 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 344 CHENNAI 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 933 ABU DHABI 125 SHARJAH 223 BAHRAIN 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 3407 TEHRAN 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 6589 MASHAD 213 BAHRAIN 871 DUBAI 8053 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 606 LUXOR 5066 MASHAD 2401 ASSIUT 561 SOHAG 175 DUBAI 792 LUXEMBOURG 610 CAIRO 672 DUBAI 640 AMMAN 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 173 DUBAI 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 3409 MASHAD 535 CAIRO 538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 824 SANAA 303 ABU DHABI 6791 MASHAD 857 DUBAI 3991 CAIRO 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 510 RIYADH 215 BAHRAIN 177 DUBAI 3853 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 166 PARIS 438 BAHRAIN 63 DUBAI 620 ASSIUT 2405 SOHAG 3553 ALEXANDRIA 787 RIYADH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 102 NEW YORK 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 393 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 481 SABIHA 229 COLOMBO 417 AMSTERDAM 135 BAHRAIN 859 DUBAI 43 DHAKA 307 ABU DHABI 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 975 CHENNAI 59 DUBAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 5554 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 8061 DUBAI 614 CAIRO 8067 DUBAI 772 ISTANBUL 5592 ANTALYA

Time 0:15 0:20 0:30 0:50 1:45 1:45 2:20 2:25 2:30 3:10 3:20 3:25 4:35 5:00 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:30 7:35 7:35 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:15 8:20 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:30 8:40 9:00 9:20 9:25 9:30 9:30 9:35 10:00 10:00 10:45 10:50 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:55 12:00 12:25 12:30 13:15 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:15 14:25 14:30 15:00 15:00 15:15 16:00 16:00 16:10 16:35 16:35 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:30 23:35 23:35 23:40 23:50

Airlines AIC UAL JZR DLH MSR PIA THY ETH UAE QTR FDB ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA THY JZR KAC BAW FDB THY KAC JZR ABY JZR JZR KAC GFA KAC KAC UAE KAC QTR FDB ETD BAB IRA ETD JZR GFA IRC IRA FDB KAC MEA MSR JZR UAE KAC MSC JZR JZR IRM GFA FDB MSR RJA CLX KAC KAC SVA JZR QTR KAC ETD JZR IRA IYE JZR MSR QTR IRC UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA JZR UAE QTR FDB BAB RBG MSR MSC JZR KAC KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA JZR DHX ALK KLM ABY ETD KAC UAE QTR KAC KAC JZR BBC QTR AXB FDB GFA KAC JZR

Depature Flights on Wednesday 24/10/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 556 ALEXANDRIA 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 206 LAHORE 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 6058 DOHA 68 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 174 DUBAI 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 5467 ISTANBUL 175 FRANKFURT 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 534 CAIRO 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 224 BAHRAIN 787 JEDDAH 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 437 BAHRAIN 602 MASHHAD 934 ABU DHABI 172 DUBAI 214 BAHRAIN 6590 MASHHAD 3406 MASHHAD 8054 DUBAI 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 619 ASSIUT 776 JEDDAH 872 DUBAI 103 LONDON 2406 SOHAG 480 ISTANBUL 176 DUBAI 5065 MASHHAD 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 792 GIALAM 673 DUBAI 617 DOHA 503 JEDDAH 786 RIYADH 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA” 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 3408 MASHHAD 824 RIYAN MUKALLA 538 CAIRO 3992 SHARM EL SHEIKH 141 DOHA 6792 MASHHAD 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 3854 DUBAI 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 3554 ALEXANDRIA 621 ALEXANDRIA 2402 ASSIUT 184 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 361 COLOMBO 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 417 DAMMAM 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 381 DELHI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 44 DHAKA 147 DOHA 394 KOCHI 60 DUBAI 218 BAHRAIN 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:25 0:30 0:35 1:25 2:15 2:45 3:45 3:45 3:50 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:55 7:05 7:10 8:20 8:20 8:25 8:25 8:50 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:10 9:20 9:25 9:35 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:25 10:30 10:45 10:45 11:00 11:00 11:25 11:30 11:55 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:30 13:00 13:15 13:20 13:25 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:35 14:45 15:05 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:15 16:25 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:45 17:50 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:05 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:45 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:30 23:50 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION An apartment for rent in Farwaniya, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, including a master room, good location, rent KD 205 per month available starting from 1/11/2012.

Contact: 99977472.

Single bedroom flat available for family in Salmiya with furniture, appliances plus a Mercedes B200 car, 2008. Contact: 94427060/ 66982274. (C 4188) 24-10-2012 Room with attached bath available in a C-AC flat in Abbassiya near High Way Center, couple or ladies are preferred.

Contact: 66552905. (C 4185) 22-10-2012 Sharing accommodation Salmiya Bahrain street, near big jamiya, Gadeer Clinic.

Tel: 66792392, 60625120, 66047295. (C 4184) 21-10-2012 A room available in a furnished 2 bedroom flat in Salmiya ñnear the bus stop for a working class lady.

Please call 99702658.

18-10-2012

SITUATION WANTED Young Indian, 3 years experienced CCNA & MCITP professional 18 no. visa, looking for suitable job in IT field. Contact: 55341119.

(C 4189) 24-10-2012

LOST Policy No. 6330001223 issued by the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan Gulf zone on the Life of Mr. Mohammad Sultan Kaler Mushtaq Ahmed is reported to have been lost. Anyone finding the same or claiming any interest in it should communicate with the Manager (PHS) State Life P.O. Box No. 11278, Dubai, UAE within one month from this date.

18-10-2012

TUITION

FOR SALE Mercedes 280s 1994 dark blue registered valid to July 2013, KD 1,000 please call 99633674 after 5 pm.

(C 4186) Mazda (3) white color, 2012, excellent condition, km 12000, KD 2850. Tel: 50699345. (C 4187) 22-10-2012

Maths teacher over 20 years experience. Tuition: KS2/3, IGCSE, AS/A2, CIC2C3C4, S1S2, M1M2, familiar with all boards.

Contact: 66710630.

(C 4183) 20-10-2012

112 Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw Prayer timings

SITUATION VACANT Live-in maid wanted for a small family in Farwaniya.

Full time.

Contact: 50833103.

10-10-2012

Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

04:36 11:32 14:44 17:09 18:26

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TATE T OF K KUW WA AIT

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENERAL GEN OF CIVIL AVIA V AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY Y: Tuesday

Issue Time

BY Y NIGHT:

Humid weather especially over coastal areas with moderate becoming light gradually south easterly wind, with speed of 08 - 30 km/h with a chance for fog forming early morning

BY Y DA AY:

Humid weather especially over coastal areas with variable wind changing to light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 10 - 30 km/h and some scattered clouds will appear

WA ARNING

No Current Warnings arnin a

KUW WAIT A CITY

33 °C

28 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

36 °C

23 °C

22456536

NUW WA AISEEB

36 °C

25 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

39 °C

24 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

36 °C

21 °C

Jabriya

25316254

ABDAL LY

37 °C

24 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

JAL ALIY YA AH

36 °C

23 °C

FA AILAKA Bayan

25388462

32 °C

28 °C

AHMADI POR RT

32 °C

28 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

33 °C

28 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

31 °C

25 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

DA AY

DA ATE T

West Jahra

24772608

Weednesday

24/10

Thursday

25/10

Friday

26/10

Saturday

27/10

SFC. CHART

23/10/2012 1200 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures WEA ATHER T

Wind Speed

Wind Direction

MAX.

MIN.

humid + scattered clouds

37 °C

24 °C

VRB-SE

10 - 30 km/h

Relatively humid + scattered clouds

37 °C

24 °C

SE-S

12 - 35 km/h

humid

37 °C

24 °C

VRB-SE

10 - 32 km/h

partly cloudy + scattered rain

36 °C

22 °C

NE-NW

15 - 40 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Fajr

04:35

MAX. Temp.

38 °C

24892674

Sunrise

05:55

MIN. Temp.

23 °C

Zuhr

11:32

MAX. RH

79 %

24719048

Asr

14:44

MIN. RH

10 %

N.Kheitan

24710044

Sunset

17:09

MAX. Wind

S 36 km/h

Isha

18:27

TOT TAL AL RA AINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

Fintas

23900322

PRA AY YER TIMES

AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT RECORDED YESTERDA

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

.03 mm

23/10/12 14:48 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

19:00

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

MIN. N. EXP P.

Al-Omariya

Al-Shohada’a

Ext.: 26 2627 - 2630

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

MAX. REC.

Firdous

22418714

Fax: 24348714

23/10/2012

ST TATION T

Al-Madena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

New York court date in Lohan car accident case cancelled mbattled US actress Lindsay Lohan appears to be off the hook after being arrested forleaving the scene of an accident last month when her Porsche allegedly clipped a pedestrian in an alley behind an upscale Manhattan hotel. New York prosecutors said Lohan’s scheduled court appearance on Tuesday had been cancelled.

No future court date was scheduled; an indication the district attorney has decided not to move forward with the case. “Apparently prosecutors agreed that there wasn’t enough to proceed.” said Lohan’s spokesman, Steve Honig. “This turned out to be nothing just like we said from the very beginning.” The 26-year-old actress, who has been in and out of court, rehab and prison since a 2007 drunk driving arrest in Los Angeles, was charged on Sept. 19 with a misdemeanor after a man said he had been hit by the actress’ car behind the Dream hotel. Police issued Lohan a ticket with a court date of Oct

E

23. A spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney’s officedeclined to comment on why the case against the “Mean Girls” actress was not moving ahead. A week after the incident in New York, Lohan reportedly got into a public spat with a man who she said refused to delete pictures he had taken of her from his phone. She claimed the man assaulted her, but charges were later dropped. Earlier this month, police on Long Island responded to an early-morning 911 call about a verbal dispute involving Lohan and her mother, Dina, but made no arrests, a spokeswoman for the Nassau County police said.

Lohan remains on probation in California until 2014 in connection with a jewelry theft case.

Bonham Carter thinks Burton has made her cool

Gomez

feels ‘used’ by Benson elena Gomez feels “used” and “punched in the face” by Ashley Benson. The ‘Spring Breakers’ co-stars are said to have fallen out after Ashley dumped her boyfriend Ryan Good - a close friend of Selena’s man, Justin Bieber - to date James Franco. A source told RadarOnline.com: “Selena feels used and kind of punched in the face, seeing as though she got Ashley the role and Ashley just used the opportunity to break her friend’s heart. “After Emma Roberts turned down the role because she didn’t want to gain weight for it, Ashley practically begged Selena to get her in front of producers for the part. “She did, because she thought they were all friends, but it was clear early on that Ashley had something going on with James.” The friend added Ryan started to feel something was wrong when Ashley, 22, started to withdraw, and suddenly started showing great interest in James, 34. The source added: “Once the shoot wrapped, Ashley told Ryan they needed to ‘slow down’ and then booked a flight to New York City to go see James’ art gallery showing. “Selena is angry that she went out of her way to vouch for Ashley, only to have her dump Ryan. [Ashley may have] got the role and got the man, but she lost a good friend.”

S

elena Bonham Carter thinks Tim Burton has made her cool. The 46-year-old actress - who has two children, Billy, eight, and Nell, four, with her partner of 11 years - likes being labeled “mystical” and credits the ‘Frankenweenie’ director with making her seem more eccentric and exciting. Helena said: “Being called mystical is nice. But I think we have also had a hell of a lot of other things said about us like messy, badly dressed, that sort of thing. I remember they put me on a cover once and there was this whole article about how uncool and unhip I was! “But that was before I met Tim. Obviously now he has showered me with coolness. Together we are the ‘slightly bonkers couple’.” The couple met while filming ‘Planet of the Apes’ together in 2001 and although it wasn’t love at first sight for Helena she soon fell for his quirky mind and honest personality. In an interview with the UK edition of OK! magazine, she joked: “Our relationship started when filming finished. He hardly said a thing to me as we made it - well, nothing that wasn’t film related. He snores. He’s very creative with a certain sort of mad exterior to him, but behind all that he’s intensely efficient. Very practical and very sane. Very honest, very dedicated and a thrill to be with.”

H

Beckham won’t care if Harper’s a tomboy ictoria Beckham will not care if Harper grows up to be a tomboy. The fashion designer - who also has three sons, Brooklyn, 13, Romeo, 10, and seven-year-old Cruz, with her soccer star husband David gave birth to her much-longed for girl 15 months ago and while she loves dressing her up in pretty outfits, she won’t put any pressure on her to be ultra feminine when she is older. She told France’s ELLE magazine: “If she turns out to be a tomboy - with three brothers, it can happen - I’ll be OK with that.” While she loves dressing her children in fashionable clothes, Victoria has no plans to be bring out her own children’s wear line, saying: “Let me breathe! I have four kids. I always wonder what I will do next ... I will move forward, slowly but surely.” Harper’s dad David recently revealed how the tot is taking after both her parents by being into “soccer and handbags”. He said: “She is a mixture of us both.

She is walking and running around and the boys are running with her to make sure she doesn’t fall. “She is also kicking the ball around while she is carrying handbags.”

V

Pattinson ‘ridiculous’ intimate scenes with stewart obert Pattinson found filming intimate scenes with Kristen Stewart “ridiculous”. The Hollywood heartthrob who recently rekindled his romance with the actress after she cheated on him with director Rupert Sanders - says shooting the intimate moments between their respective characters Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in the vampire movie was not easy because they had to look sexy while still making the movie suitable for a younger audience. Speaking about the scene in ‘Twilight Saga: Break Dawn - Part 2’, Robert said: “The intimate scene in this one is pretty ridiculous as well, you’re shooting stuff to be PG, you’re trying to think of things to make it sexy, it’s supposed to be about the greatest vampire sex you’ve ever had. You try and give a face of ecstasy; guy’s faces I don’t think are really designed to do that.” The film is the final installment of the ‘Twilight Saga’ franchise and Robert admits he’ll miss all of his castmates once the promotional tour is over but he will try to stay in touch with everyone. Speaking on ‘The Kyle and Jackie O Show’ on Australian station 2Day FM, he said: “I used to be really close with Kellan (Lutz) ... Jackson (Rathbone) has had a baby now ... Kellan is always in Korea and shooting movies in bizarre places. But I mean once you’ve had this sort of life altering experience with people it kind of stays with you for a long time.”

R

Jennifer Aniston

Houghton and Reid have call a truce hantelle Houghton and Alex Reid have stopped fighting for the sake of their baby Dolly.

The reality stars - who split last month shortly after the birth of their five-month-old daughter - have called a truce on their feud and have reached an “amicable” relationship for the sake of Dolly, but Chantelle is still struggling to cope in the wake of the break-up. The blonde beauty told new! magazine: “I’ve managed to get myself into a different place emotionally now.

Alex and I are talking and things are a lot better between us. I feel like we’ve both had our say. “He came to see Dolly last week and we chatted. It was amicable. I still get really upset, because it’s a reminder ... there’s a gaping hole when he goes. It’s so hard.

“When you have a baby together, it connects you forever so part of me is bound to still love him. We might not be together, but at least Dolly can see we’re OK. It’s all about her now.”

Chantelle felt “utterly betrayed” when she discovered Alex liked to dress up as his female alter-ego Roxanne and couldn’t cope with his irrational behaviour, but she has decided to put their differences behind her and focus on Dolly. However, that didn’t stop her from angrily tweeting this weekend: “Another day, another girl messaging me saying Alex is asking them for sex.

Knock yourself out the lot of you.”

stays slim by smiling

C

he ‘Wanderlust’ actress - who is engaged to actor Justin Theroux - has learnt that dieting is no longer important to keep trim, and instead likes to spend time in the sun with a big grin on her face.

She said: “I stopped dieting when I figured out that you just have to ear regularly and properly within moderation. “The fads are too much. I think it’s really about - honestly, this is going to sound silly - going in the sun for 20 minutes a day is really important, vitamin D, because we are now having a vitamin D deficiency because of all the SPF. And I think being happy and smiling and laughing a lot.” All of the sun and smiling keeps Jennifer comfortable in her own skin, and she admits she is not terrified of doing nude scenes in films. The 43-year-old actress told Britain’s OK! magazine: “There’s a little bit of nerves (with nude scenes). Adrenaline takes you through it. The girls come in and cover you up immediately. I got very comfortable with seeing nude people pretty much immediately. It was very bizarre.”

T

Pink quit drugs after bad experience ink quit drugs after a bad experience with them when she was 15. The ‘Blow Me (One Last Kiss)’ singer experimented ecstasy, crystal meth and LSD in her teen years but after a scary experience in a club, she made a vow never to take drugs again. She told Shape magazine: “It wasn’t to the point of going to the hospital, but I remember getting up off the floor in the morning - and that was the last time I ever touched a drug again. “It was also the day a DJ offered to let me sing on hip hop night.

His only caveat was that I couldn’t do drugs, so I didn’t. That’s the thing with me - once I make up my mind, I’m done.” While she gave up drugs a long time ago, the 33-year-old star still likes to drink.

However, one vice the singer can’t give up is swearing, and she admits she only became aware of her potty mouth when she became a mother to her 16-month-old daughter Willow Sage - her child with Carey Hart. She said: “Now I’m a momma I’m more aware of it. I get it why my friends are angry with me when they have kids in the car and my songs come on. “The record company always says, ‘Have you got a clean version?’ And I say, ‘No, just bleep it.’ —Bang Showbiz

P

37

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Korean food in the heart of Kuwait City Koryokwan: Absolutely authentic, delicious

Mouth-watering recipes Mixed rice or simply called Bibimbap, it’s one of their main courses and is famous with both expats and locals. Bibimbap is made from

sticky rice, colored mixed vegetables, herbs and meat. The plate is topped with pepper paste, sesame oil, sesame seeds and friend eggs. Since it basically contains various nutrients mostly from mixed vegetables, Bibimbap is considered by many as healthy food, among other Korean dishes. Kanpunggi is another pride of Koryokwan restaurant.

It has slices of fried chicken cooked in sesame oil, tomato chili sauce and is sprinkled with spring onions and decorated with some cucumbers and fresh tomatoes. Another top Koryokwan item is Bulgogi. Bulgogi is a tender and delicious thin sliced barbecued beef cooked in special sauce and served in sizzling plate. The taste is splendid and considered by many as one of the best Korean dishes ever. A restaurant will not be a genuine Korean eatery if there are no selections of Korean Kimchi.

Korean Kimchi is fermented mixed vegetables usually made from cabbage, lettuce, spring onions, garlic, ginger, and so on. The Kimchi recipe is ready when the pickled vegetables in chili powder and fish sauce are well-mixed and have a slightly sticky consistency. Korean Kimchi has been considered healthy for gener-

Koryokwan

Kimchi stew

By Ben Garcia hen you think about Korean restaurants, it’s certainly all about healthy food, fresh vegetables in addition to spicy Kimchi-a well-known appetizing side dish. Established 32 years ago in the heart of Kuwait City, (inside Carlton Hotel) Koryokwan, serves absolutely authentic and delicious Korean food. Koryokwan especially orders their basic ingredients from their native land to deliver the taste of Korea to both local and expatriate populations. Derived from an old name, Koryokwan takes pride in their mouthwatering cuisine from appetizers to desserts to delicious green tea. Koryokwan is best described by many as a unique place to dine and treat family and friends in a very cool and traditionally designed Korean environment.

Koryokwan serve tens of menus available to all their ever-loyal customers.

W

ations as it contains anti-cancer properties.

Among the famous Kimchi recipe is Kimchi stew, slice beef cooked in a Kimchi sauce which helps fight obesity. Kimchi stew is made of beef, tofu, mushrooms and special tomato sauce.

Owned by Oak Hee Gile, who took over the restaurant 15 years ago, the restaurant is now being managed and run by Song Kyoung Kim. “We have been in the restaurant business over the last 15 years of 32 years of Koryokwan and we have served generations of locals and expats alike. We have several loyal customers and we hope to gain more,” Kim noted.

Koryokwan can accommodate up to 60-70 customers per day. They accept home order but no delivery, but they can pick their orders at the restaurant instead. The restaurant also houses several cabins especially designed for families and small groups of people.

Kanpunggi

Bibimbap

n 2012, Bulgari honours one of the most emblematic symbols of its timeless style: Serpenti. Indeed, the new collection of jewellery and watches plays with the sinuous forms of the creature that, more than any other, is distinguished by sensuality and elegance. Realised in yellow or pink gold, the new jewels are conceived as parures, complete with bracelets, rings, earrings and for the first time in a Serpenti collection enchanting necklaces, notable for their suppleness of form and purity of design.

The bracelets and rings, characterised by the famous stylised spiral form, come with one or two coils. A series of elaborately crafted elements masterfully simulate the scales of the creature, which are connected by the skilful interlocking of extremely fine gold pins, completely invisible and harmonisde to form elegant spirals.

The core of each jewel is constituted by an internal gold spring that ensures the extraordinary flexibility of Serpenti jewels. Each individual scale vaunts a sumptuous surface of diamond pave. The ingenuity of the architecture of a Bulgari jewel is all the more striking when one examines the details. In this case, the coils of the serpent reveal a meticulous system of openwork along the sides and back, for the purpose of allowing light to penetrate and maximize the sparkle of the pave. And for the first time, perfect cuts of rubellite or peridot bring surprising life to the reptile’s head. The infinite facets of these rare stones of the highest quality provide a counterpoint to the nuances of the gold and the luminosity of the diamonds, making these new creations all the more unique and precious.

In the necklaces, perfect harmony is achieved in the alternation between diamond-studded scales, the beads of rubellite or peridot and the subtleties of a singularly fascinating stone, the moon quartz. The rigour of the design blends fluently into the lightness bestowed by the delicate chromatic chords, based on softly transparent and luminous hues in harmony with the supporting structure of gold.

The same compositional principles find expression in the earrings that accompany the necklaces.

The innovations of the new Serpenti watches are no less intriguing. The new models wrap the wrist in spirals of pink gold covered in scales of glossy black or ivory white with brilliant-cut diamonds, created with the same traditional techniques used for the jewels. The watch case, in the form of a serpent’s head, is the natural extension of the bracelet and contains a Swiss quartz movement specially designed by Bulgari. Both sides present 6 brilliant-cut diamonds that frame black sapphire or white mother-of-pearl, white 12 additional diamonds mark the hours on the dial.

After some 60 years since the creation of the first Serpenti, with its powerful symbolism of eternal renewal, the new collection confirms this famous motif’s status as contemporary icon, with a history that has since become legend.

The new Serpenti creations will be available starting this summer at all Bulgari boutiques.

I

Serpenti collection

Madam Nidal Al Marzouq (middle) Taiba Al Ibrahim & Stylist Fahed Al Marzouq Serpenti collection launching in Kuwait

Watches from Serpenti collection

Serpenti Accessories collection

Serpenti collection launching in Kuwait

Jewllery from Serpenti collection

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

lifestyle T r a v e l

Customers enjoying their meals at a beef restaurant frequented by South Korean rapper Psy.

A luxury restaurant, which presents Korean cuisine with fine beverages A waiter serving dishes at a luxury restaurant which presents Korean cuiand deserts, waiting for customers. sine.

H This photo taken on October 10, 2012 shows three young women chatting with flowers around their necks at a private party in a high-end social club at the Grey Box building offering a cafe, a bar and a grill together in the Gangnam district of Seoul. — AFP photos

A businessman with a top foreign-brand cigar in his mouth, walking with his pet dog along a street lined with fancy fashion stores and plush restaurants in the Gangnam district of Seoul.

O

nce the refuge of pious Tibetan monks and a few hippie travelers, Dharamshala in the Himalayan foothills is today a crowded and chaotic town where long-term residents fear for its future. More correctly known as McLeod Ganj, it suffers from the same traffic jams, wail of car horns, construction work and stinking piles of rubbish that afflict India’s largest cities. Dharamshala’s scant resources are being stretched to bursting point by a huge rise in visitors as domestic Indian tourists pour into the cramped streets to join pilgrimage groups from across Asia and young Western backpackers.

For those who remember the sleepy hill town where India provided a safe haven for Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama and his followers fleeing China after 1959, the modern reality is often ugly and depressing.

“Before, there were virtually no private vehicles, so everyone would walk up and down the steep mountain paths,” said Tenzing Sonam, a well-known filmmaker who first lived in Dharamshala 35 years ago. “The town was tiny and there was a close-knit community of the generation who first fled Tibet and their children.

Everyone knew everybody. “The place felt very cut-off from the rest of India, and the only visitors were a small number of the hippies and Buddhist seekers.”

As hotels, restaurants and multi-storey car parks sprout from sites excavated into the hillsides, Dharamshala’s image as a sanctuary from religious persecution and a place for quiet contemplation are fading. “It is hard to be critical as people benefit from the economic activity, but it is impossible to expand like this on the side of a mountain,” said Sonam, 53, whose parents were close associates of the Dalai Lama’s family in Tibet. “Most upsetting is the unplanned and illegal development, with laws about height and position

undreds of millions have watched the dance and listened to the song-most without understanding a word-but very few have any idea what “Gangnam” is and what, if any, particular “style” it might have. The Gangnam in the title of the global hit by South Korean rapper Psy is Seoul’s wealthiest residential and shopping district, lined with luxury boutiques, top-end bars, night clubs and restaurants frequented by celebrities. But even among those Koreans who live or party regularly in Gangnam, which literally and unglamorously translates as “south of the river”, there is little consensus on what constitutes the district’s style.

Translating the song’s lyrics, which some see as satirising the district’s self-importance and ostentatious wealth, offers little in the way of concrete insights. Psy sings about being the “guy who downs boiling coffee in one shot” and who “goes completely crazy when the right time comes.” Kwon YuBi, a 23-year-old student and Gangnam night-life regular, said the song was less about any particular place and more about a new-found hedonism in Asia’s fourth largest economy.

“Gangnam is just a symbolic place and I think the song really reflects Korea, where young people, including myself, enjoy a hectic and crazy night out,” Kwon told AFP. A Gangnam residential address doesn’t come cheap, with the average apartment price-even with Seoul going through an extended real estate slump-set at around $720,000. One particular street, lined on both sides with outlets of global luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier and Prada has been compared to Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills in California.

For Kim Hoo-Yeon, 23, the real Gangnam style equates to nothing more than an obsession with conspicuous consumption. “Every time I go to Gangnam, I feel people come to show off how

flouted due to bribes being paid. If that is not fixed soon, the place will be destroyed.” Richard Gere a regular Sandal-wearing monks in saffron robes and Tibetan women wearing long dresses remain a striking feature of the town, but they are increasingly swamped by four-wheel-drive vehicles squeezing past open drains and bars selling beer and pizza. At Chonor House, a boutique hotel where actor and devout Buddhist Richard Gere is a regular, one sign of Dharamshala’s creaking infrastructure is bath tubs being replaced by showers to save on scarce water. “There is so much construction going on,” said manager Karma, who only uses one name. “All the hotels are booming, and water is becoming a serious issue.”

Karma says most of his guests are couples from the United States, Britain and Germany, while tour groups of Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese pilgrims stay in bigger hotels nearby. “We need a generator because of power cuts, and the roads are rough here because they get washed away by the monsoon,” Karma added.

The winding route up to the town is crumbling and congested, while pedestrians walking along the two narrow streets of McLeod Ganj in the busy summer months are assailed by noise and fumes from vehicles.

Rubbish disposal is also a serious challenge, with much refuse simply dumped off the side of roads, spoiling the enjoyment of walkers who head up forest tracks towards soaring peaks behind the town. According to the Himachal Pradesh state tourism department, last year 1.8 million Indians and 99,000 foreigners visited the district of Kangra-which includes Dharamshala-a sharp increase on 10 years ago.

“The new popularity is due to people coming to enjoy the cool climate when the plains are hot, adven-

much money they have,” she said. “I don’t even feel it’s worthwhile labelling it ‘Gangnam style’,” agreed 29-year-old Park Seong-Jun, who said the place was simply a magnet for anyone who could afford to go on a “crazy money-spending spree”.

The video that launched Psy and “Gangnam Style” to global fame and has notched up nearly 500 million views on YouTube certainly appears to poke fun at the district’s image of idle affluence. It features the rapper breezing through a world of speed boats, yoga classes and exclusive clubs-all the while performing an eccentric horse-riding dance accompanied by beautiful models.

The implied emphasis on superficiality over substance is reinforced by the fact that the real Gangnam is well-known for celebrity-frequented plastic surgery clinics. But Kim Soo-Mi, 49, who works as a pharmacist and has lived in Gangnam for 15 years, believes the image is a false one. “It’s a pity that only the negative sides of Gangnam have been known through the song, since there’s so much more to the area than that,” said Kim, who sees her neighbourhood as sophisticated rather than glamorous.

“When I visit other areas, that’s when I really feel Gangnam is a trendsetter-not just for fashion but for lifestyle in general,” she said. And J.H. Lim, the owner of a high-end restaurant in the area, said Gangnam’s style was one of refined taste that appealed to a mature clientele. “If someone’s looking for fast-paced fun and energy, there are other places in Seoul for that. Gangnam is more for high-profile adults, who want to enjoy the luxury and exclusivity”, the 55year-old entrepreneur said. — AP

ture sports such as mountaineering and religious places of interest,” Kangra deputy director for tourism Ashwani Sood told AFP. “People enjoy these things, and we want more visitors to come and experience them too.” The town’s new role as a popular weekend getaway for young crowds from New Delhi and Chandigarh has been underlined by Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket games played each year in the nearby stadium.

After the most recent matches in May, drunken

A waiter serving a dish at a luxury restaurant.

mobs of travelling fans from neighboring Punjab state gathered in the tiny main square of Dharamashala, clashing with police and throwing bottles at bars that refused them entry. Such scenes appalled many Tibetan exiles, who fear that long-standing relations with local Indian communities may be threatened by increasing commercialization.— AFP

This picture taken on September 25, 2012 shows a general view of hillside hotels, restaurants and shops on a slope in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala.

—AFP photos

A donkey carrying boulders to a nearby construction site through the market in McLeod Ganj.

Visiting tourists and locals walking in front of roadside souvenir and jewelery stalls, obstructing traffic along a narrow lane in McLeod Ganj.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

lifestyle M u s i c

File photo shows talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres posing atop her new star at her Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in Los Angeles. — AP photos

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ome of the nation’s top comedians hailed Ellen DeGeneres as a trailblazer Monday night as she received the nation’s highest humor prize. The Kennedy Center is awarding DeGeneres the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The show will be broadcast Oct 30 on PBS stations. On the red carpet before the show, DeGeneres said she doesn’t see herself as political with her comedy, even though she’s been a trailblazer. “I just want to make people happy and make people laugh,” she said.

Coming out on TV 15 years ago feels like another life, she said. “I did it because it was the right thing for me to do,” said DeGeneres, who is being honored as the nation’s top comedian 15 years after nearly losing her career . “It was the right thing for me to do to not live with shame. I happened to help a lot of people, and it happened to create a ruckus.” Jimmy Kimmel called it a milestone.

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Entertainer Ellen DeGeneres, second from front left, waves as she is intro- Entertainer Ellen DeGeneres with Portia de Rossi. duced, with Portia de Rossi, left, before DeGeneres receives the 15th annual Mark Twain Prize.

“For a lot of people, Ellen is their only homosexual friend,” he said. “She’s there in their living room every single day.”Sean Hayes said DeGeneres made his former show, “Will and Grace,” possible. He said her “fearlessness” was her biggest contribution. “She’s the one who went in there with a machete” and cleared the way for other shows with gay characters such as “Glee,” said “Glee” star Jane Lynch.

“Look where she is today,” Lynch added. Kristin Chenoweth said DeGeneres has always remained kind. “She’s not a mean girl comic,” she said.

When DeGeneres first heard she was receiving the same honor that Bill Cosby, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell won in recent years, she joked, “It really makes me wonder ... why didn’t I get this sooner?”DeGeneres, 54, began her career as a comedy club emcee in her native New Orleans. After a performance on Johnny Carson’s show in 1986, he invited

her over to his desk to chat. She was the first female comedian to receive that invitation from Carson.

Turning to acting, DeGeneres landed sitcoms on Fox and ABC, eventually starring in “Ellen” from 1994 to 1998.

She broke new ground and a taboo in 1997 when she came out publicly as a lesbian and her TV persona then became the first lead character on prime-time TV to reveal she was gay. A record 46 million viewers watched the episode. The show began to tank, though, and was canceled a year later. The feeling of rejection was enough to send DeGeneres into a depression. Still, “Ellen” paved the way for future shows to feature gay characters, from “Will and Grace” to “Modern Family.”

DeGeneres came back with a CBS sitcom, movie roles and even a stint as an “American Idol” judge. Forbes magazine has ranked her as the 47th most-powerful woman in

the world and estimated her earnings at $53 million last year. Her hit talk show that debuted in 2003 is now in its 10th season. Among other achievements, that’s where she eventually persuaded President Barack Obama to dance.

“She’s brilliantly shined a light on society, and that’s what Mark Twain did,” said Cappy McGarr, an executive producer for the Mark Twain Prize show, when the award was announced in May. The prize honors comedians in Mark Twain’s tradition of satire and social commentary.

Past winners include Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin and Whoopi Goldberg. — AP

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process.

“I’ll be able to say, hey, you want to take a line out of my AWARD-WINNING screenplay?” he joked. Seth Rogen presented the comedy award to writer-director Judd Apatow, whose film “This Is 40” opens at Christmastime.

“Perhaps the most amazing thing about this awards show tonight is that none of these movies have come out yet,” Rogen said. “I haven’t even heard of some of these movies yet. That’s how far out they are. “It’s nice because it kind of feels like these are the new Golden Globes,” Rogen continued. “No one knows what it is.

Who voted for this?” Festival founders say the awards are based on “bodies of work and/or a film or films released during the calendar year.”

“No one has seen my movie,” Apatow said as he accepted his trophy. “This is just based on an assumption that it’s good.” De Niro, Cooper and Russell were honored for “Silver Linings Playbook,” set for release later this year. Other honorees at the starry dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel included Ben Affleck and the cast of “Argo,” Amy Adams, Dustin Hoffman and Marion Cotillard. Richard Gere received a lifetime achievement award.—AP

ollywood warmed up for its awards season with a love fest that recognized top actors and directors for films that haven’t been released yet.

Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, director David O Russell and writer-director Quentin Tarantino were among the honorees Monday at the 16th annual Hollywood Film Awards, which bills itself as “the official launch of awards season.” The event recognizes films that are likely positioned as awards contenders, such as Tarantino’s anticipated “Django Unchained.” In accepting his award for screenwriter of the year, Tarantino remarked that it was strange to get an award for a film he’s still working on, but added that he could use it as ammunition to defend long dialogue scenes during the editing

Leonardo DiCaprio urges Antarctic ocean sanctuary

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eonardo DiCaprio urged a high-level Antarctic conservation meeting in Australia yesterday to approve a sweeping Southern Ocean marine sanctuary to protect thousands of polar species. The Hollywood star wrote an email to supporters of activist group Avaaz calling for a “people-powered surge” in favor of the sanctuary, which is headlining talks at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). The key theme of the 2012 CCAMLR summit, which officially opened in Hobart on Tuesday, is the establishment of a representative system of marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean as proposed

by Australia, France and the EU. The region is home to big populations of penguins, seals and whales found nowhere else on Earth, and also has unique seafloor features that nurture early links in the food chain, according to environmental groups. DiCaprio said most countries backed a marine haven off East Antarctica which, if approved in the size being advocated by green groups, would be the world’s largest ocean sanctuary sprawling over an area twice the size of India. “But Russia, South Korea and a few others are threatening to vote it down so they can plunder these seas now that others have been fished to death,” he said, advocating an online petition with more than 842,000 signatures.

“The whales and penguins can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to us to defend them. Let’s change negotiators’ minds with a massive wave of public pressure.”

Made up of 24 countries and the European Union, CCAMLR was established in 1982 with the goal of conserving marine life in the face of rising demands to exploit krill, a shrimp-like creature which is an important source of food for species in the Antarctic. —AFP

Robert De Niro, left, recipient of the Hollywood Supporting Actor Award, David O Russell, center, recipient of the Hollywood Director Award, and Bradley Cooper, recipient of the Hollywood Actor Award. — AP photos

Amy Adams, recipient of the Hollywood Supporting Actress Award for ‘The Master’.

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Dustin Hoffman, recipient of the Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award for the film “Quartet.”

op Gun” director Tony Scott had traces of anti-depressant and sleep-inducing drugs in his body when he killed himself by jumping from a California bridge, coroners said Monday. Scott did not have any life-threatening conditions including cancer, the Los Angeles County Coroner said.

Hollywood was left stunned when the 68-year-old, whose action thriller work also included “Days of Thunder,” died in August after jumping from the Vincent Thomas Bridge over Los Angeles Harbor.

The LA County coroner’s office said autopsy results showed therapeutic levels of the antidepressant mirtazapine, trade name Remeron, and the sleep aid zopiclone, trade name Lunesta, in his system. The cause of death was suicide caused by multiple blunt force

(From left) John Goodman, Bryan Cranston, Ben Affleck, Clea DuVall, Kerry Bishe and Scoot McNairy, recipients of the Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award, pose together backstage at the 16th Annual Hollywood Film Awards Gala.

Richard Gere, recipient of Actors Tom Holland, left, Ezra Miller, center, and John Magaro, recipithe Hollywood Career ents of the Hollywood Spotlight Award.

Achievement Award.

injuries and drowning, said coroner’s spokesman Ed Winter. Chief coroner investigator Craig Harvey told the LA Times that Scott had no serious underlying conditions. “There was no evidence of neoplasia-cancer-identified,” Harvey told the newspaper. Initial reports after his death suggested Scott had been diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer, but his widow Donna Wilson dismissed the rumors as “absolutely false” Scott was the younger brother of fellow film director Ridley Scott, the maker of Oscar-winning movies like “Gladiator” and “Black Hawk Down” as well as other hits like “Blade Runner.” Born in Britain in 1944, he made his mark in the mid-1980s when he directed “Top Gun,” an action-filled blockbuster about elite navy pilots featuring then-rising star Tom Cruise. Scott also directed

“Enemy of the State,” “Beverly Hills Cop II,” “Spy Game,” “Unstoppable” and “Crimson Tide,” a submarine thriller starring Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. A prolific filmmaker, Scott had more that 30 new projects in the pipeline, including “Top Gun 2,” a sequel to the original movie, where Cruise was again expected to play the lead role. Scott and Wilson, his third wife, had twin sons. — AFP

De Niro, Gere, Affleck feted at early film awards

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012

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An Indonesian model poses for photographers during the Asia Pacific Hair and Makeup Olympic in Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday. — AP

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akers of the new James Bond movie “Skyfall” have striven to combine the old-school values that made 007 such a success over the last 50 years with enough modern mores to keep the silver screen’s favorite super spy relevant in a post-Cold War world. The 23rd official Bond film, which has its royal world premiere in London on Tuesday, brings together Daniel Craig on his third outing on Her Majesty’s secret service with British director Sam Mendes making his franchise debut.

“Bond is very much within the old camp, which is that you have got to go and look people in the eye and ask them questions directly.

And there we have the clash of the worlds,” Craig said. In Skyfall, which features a new theme song performed by Adele, Bond travels between Istanbul, Shanghai and London as his loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her, while MI6 comes under attack from an unknown threat.

Craig as the modern Bond gives the audience

Actors, from left, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Daniel Craig, Berenice Marlohe and Judi Dench pose for photographs at the ‘Skyfall’ photo call at the Dorchester Hotel in central London on Monday. — AP The plot also puts veteran actress Judi Dench, 77, at the heart of the action as Bond’s superior M, and introduces Spanish Oscar-winner Javier Bardem as an uncharacteristically flamboyant villain complete with dyed blond hair.

Marking 50 years after the first Bond film “Dr No” premiered on London in 1962, Skyfall pays homage to Bond’s gadgets, his taste in fast cars and beautiful women and introduces enough humor to lighten the tone. But it also seeks to show why the modern Bond is still relevant in a world where technology is as important to international spy networks as human beings.

“He was a product of his time and we live in a different time and I hope this movie reflects the time we live in,” Mendes told reporters at a recent publicity briefing. He said the film served to answer questions about the relevance of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency (MI6) and the Bond character now that the Cold War is over.

“We are talking about old values, which are what the movie argues for-honor, trust, friendship, courage-and in a way it is deeply old fashioned in its values,” Mendes said. The tension between current intelligence gathering methods which rely more on satellites and computer hacking than Bond’s traditional sleuthing approach adds a degree of tension to the 23rd outing for the fictional spy character created by author Ian Fleming, Craig told Reuters in an interview.

ground during filming, according to Craig. This year has already seen exhibitions, auctions, a documentary and plenty of merchandising to mark the cultural phenomenon that is Bond. The film suffered a delay due to financial troubles at studio MGM, allowing for several script rewrites.

“It was in the back of our minds,” Craig said, adding that the joke on set was that Skyfall might be a huge flop spelling the end of the franchise after five decades. Instead, the movie tries to emulate the slick costume design and style of those 1960s Bond films, including bringing back the Aston Martin DB5. “I remember going to see Bond movies and being transported somewhere and that was what we aimed for on this,” Craig said. “It picks up things from those early movies.” Critics in Britain have praised “American Beauty” director Mendes for stronger characters and letting dramatic moments in the film breathe.

The film is released in Britain on Friday and on Nov. 4 in the United States. The 22 Bond films have made around $5 billion at the box office. Like the franchise, Craig said he will be “pushing 50” when he has completed the next two Bond films under his contract and promised to “completely” call it quits. In the meantime, “If you find yourself being bored of playing James Bond, then you are really ready to give up,” he said. — Reuters

In this undated photo provided by Sotheby’s Auction House in New York, ‘The Scream,’ by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch is shown. — AP

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useum of Modern Art in New York City is presenting a special six-month exhibition of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” which sold for nearly $120 million at auction. The exhibition opens today and will run through April 29. It will include a small group of works of the same period.

The painting is the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. It was purchased by an anonymous private collector at Sotheby’s in May. Munch created four versions of “The Scream” between 1893 and 1910.

This is the only one in private hands. The others are in Norwegian museums. The image of a man holding his head screaming under a streaked, blood-red sky has become a modern symbol of human anxiety. — AP

snippets of vulnerability that counter the allknowing cockiness of past Bonds. In Skyfall, he quickly learns he is dispensable, growing older and forced to face the ghosts of his childhood.

“He is a complicated character and that is worth looking at,” the 44-year-old Craig said, adding that even after his first Bond outing, “Casino Royale”, and then “Quantum of Solace”, released four years ago, he was still discovering the layers of Bond.

“I try to sort of hint at it, as opposed to exploring it.” Bond’s famed smooth charm, and his willingness to use women for personal gratification have earned him his fair share of critics over the years. But fans will still recognize the Bond of old, Craig said.

“Women are there to satisfy him, I think he still believes that. But if we put strong women in front of him, then there is going to be some friction. “But I kind of have to cling onto his chauvinism a bit, because I think it makes things more interesting.”Audiences can’t “be too PC about it,” said Craig, “It’s a gag. Everybody has got the gag for this long. We understand the gag. It’s about making sparks, you want sparks.

Death is sexy. Danger is sexy. It’s all about getting those elements into it.”

Early bond nods The pressure of marking the 50th anniversary of one of cinema’s most recognizable characters and valuable properties was pushed to the back-

Pakistani whirling dervish dancers from Shah Hussains Mazaar perform during the International Sufi Festival-2012 in Amritsar. Participants from various countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and India participated in the two days event organised by the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature SAARC Apex body and Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board Government of Punjab. — AFP