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MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

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Syria regime accused of massacre near Damascus

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SHAWWAL 9, 1433 AH

More than 300 killed in Daraya • Assad vows to resist ‘no matter the cost’ conspiracy theories

Insane measures

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

T

he gushing winds of the Arab Spring have reached everywhere and the Gulf. Amazing things surround us. The latest thrilling news I heard is that some MPs and influential people in the Arabian Gulf are asking their governments that if any of their citizens have been kidnapped in Lebanon, their countries should “sever ties” with Lebanon. Not only that. More interestingly, they want Lebanese citizens to be kicked out of the Gulf.

This is culture and enlightenment at its best amongst our nations. If gangsters in Lebanon kidnap anyone, all Lebanese around the world should suffer for it and pay the price. No exception - be it Lebanese Sunni, Shiite, Christian, Druze, without a sect etc - they should all pay the price. Is this fair?

How does this solve the problem of the kidnapped person? Do you think that kidnappers have the ethics to care for anybody? They are already criminals and live according to their own lawless rules.

Shall we make all Lebanese suffer because of them?

What is this principle in life? Which religion adopts such a principle? Show me one because I am not familiar with even one. You make everybody suffer for the guilt of one person or a group of persons.

Suppose that tomorrow a gang from India, Pakistan, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Russia or any other country - because criminals live in any country - kidnap someone somewhere. It could be for politics or money. Does this mean that the country of the kidnapped person should kick out all the citizens of the country of the kidnapper and make them pay a price for someone’s crime. Do we live in jungle land?

Imagine tomorrow a Gulf without any Lebanese.

What do we do? We take extra planes and trucks to load all Lebanese with their luggage, cars and pets and send them back. Will the governments send the army to their homes and take them out in their pajamas to the airport? What do these gentlemen have on their mind, suggesting such insane measures to handle kidnap cases. Imagine if our government listened and adopted this policy and these nationalities are kicked out from the Gulf. Can you draw the sad picture with me, guys?

Speaking of kidnappings, I love the way ex-MPs are barraging the ministers of interior and foreign affairs to rush and do everything in their capacity to release the kidnapped national Al-Houti. Do they think that the government is in a coma waiting for their statements to take action? Or is this the way they want to polish themselves for elections?

DARAYA, Syria: A handout picture released yesterday shows the shrouded bodies of children during the funeral of Syrians who activists said were killed by regime forces near Damascus. — AFP

Max 47º Min 30º High Tide 06:31 & 21:02 Low Tide 13:58

DAMASCUS: Syrian opposition activists accused the regime yesterday of a gruesome new “massacre” after several hundred people were reported killed in a town near Damascus in a ferocious five-day army assault.

Grisly videos issued by opposition militants showed dozens of charred and bloodied bodies lined up in broad daylight in a graveyard, and others lying wall-towall in rooms in a mosque in the town of Daraya. At least 320 people were killed in the five-day onslaught on Daraya by troops battling to crush insurgents who have regrouped in the outskirts of the capital, according to a toll from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Local Coordination Committees, a network of activists on the ground, described it as a “massacre” by President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and said many victims had been summarily executed and their bodies burnt. “The shabiha (pro-regime) militias... have been transformed into a killing machine that threatens the Syrian people and our future,” it said. The Daraya killings could prove to be one of the bloodiest episodes of the increasingly brutal conflict that has convulsed Syria for more than 17 months and shows no signs of abating.

Human rights groups have accused the regime of committing many atrocities since the uprising against Assad’s rule erupted in March last year, and a UN panel Continued on Page 13

NIG: Carlyle acted without license Group wants case heard in Kuwait KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti company suing the Carlyle Group over a $25 million investment that went bad is now accusing the private equity firm of marketing the deal without a license as it seeks to have its case heard in Kuwaiti courts. The latest claim by Kuwait’s National Industries Group adds a new twist to its more than two-and-a-half year legal challenge to Carlyle, and could complicate the American company’s relationships with other wealthy Mideast investors.

NIG’s lawsuit focuses on a Carlyle investment fund that was one of the earliest casualties of the financial crisis when it collapsed in 2008. The fund has been the subject of multiple lawsuits against Washington-based Carlyle. In a motion filed this month with a Delaware court hearing the case, NIG argues that the dispute should be heard in Kuwait because Carlyle lacked the legal basis to pitch the deal there in the first place. Selling foreign securities or shares in investment funds in Kuwait requires a license from local authorities, according to a declaration by lawyer Ahmed Zakaria Abdel-Magied filed by NIG attorneys. He added that marketing such investments without a license makes the underlying deal invalid.

NIG said yesterday it believes it is entitled to the return of its $25 million investment under Kuwaiti law. “Carlyle was more than happy to conduct its sales presentations in Kuwait and close its deals in Kuwait,” NIG’s general manager, Ahmed Hassan, said in a statement. “But now that the moment has come to deal with the ugly aftermath ... Carlyle would prefer to try its luck in Delaware.”

Carlyle has tried hard to woo clients in the oil-rich Gulf Arab states. It opened an office in the Mideast financial hub of Dubai in 2006, and its shareholders include Mubadala Development Co, an investment company owned by the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi. The Carlyle fund involved in the Kuwait case, known as Carlyle Capital Corp Ltd, went bust in March 2008. It used high levels of debt to invest in securities backed by bundles of home mortgages that had been given a seemingly safe AAA rating by credit rating agencies.

Carlyle declined to comment on the case yesterday. It has previously said it will fight NIG’s suit. “We believe these claims are without merit and intend to vigorously contest all such allegations and are currently unable to anticipate what impact they may have on us,” Carlyle said in its most recent quarterly report, filed on Aug 14.

Private equity firms such as Carlyle raise money from big investors and then use that money to invest in companies or other investments. The industry is under close scrutiny because of the US presidential election and presumed Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s former role as an executive at another private equity firm, Bain Capital.

Kuwait’s NIG started out in the 1960s as a building materials company and later began investing across a range of industries. It is partly backed by the Kharafi clan, one of Kuwait’s most prominent merchant families. A branch of the Kuwaiti government, the Public Institution for Social Security, is a minority investor.— AP

Iran seeks NAM support in nuclear showdown Haniya won’t attend summit TEHRAN: Iran opened a world gathering of self-described nonaligned nations yesterday with a slap at the UN Security Council and an appeal to rid the world of nuclear weapons, even as Tehran faces Western suspicions that it is seeking its own atomic bombs. Iran seeks to use the weeklong gathering - capped by a two-day summit of Non-Aligned Movement leaders - as a showcase of its global ties and efforts to challenge the influence of the West and its allies.

Among those expected to attend include UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh, whose nation remains an important Iranian oil customer as Tehran battles Western sanctions over its nuclear program.

The 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement, a holdover from the Cold War’s pull between East and West, is also seen by Iran and others as an alternative forum for current world discussions. Iran says it plans talks on a peace plan to end Syria’s civil war, but no rebel factions will attend because of Tehran’s close bonds with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi opened the gathering by noting commitment to a previous goal from the nonaligned group,

TEHRAN: An expert-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) takes place yesterday. — AP known as NAM, to remove the world’s nuclear arsenals within 13 years. “We believe that the timetable for ultimate removal of nuclear Continued on Page 13

Kuwait coach critical BELGRADE: Goran Tufegdzic, Kuwait’s national squad coach, is in critical condition after being shot at in a dispute with his neighbor over a plot of land in eastern Serbia, a daily newspaper reported Sunday. Tufegdzic, a 41-year-old Serbian citizen spending holidays in his hometown of Pozarevac, was shot in a thorax.

He underwent surgery but has still remained in a critical condition, hospital sources told the daily Vecernje Novosti.

His attacker, an 86-year-old neighbour, was arrested, the daily added.

Kuwait Football Association Chairman Sheikh Talal Al-Sabah said he had spoken to the coach’s wife and hopes “his health improves and that his family endures this crisis”. After playing for a local club Mladi Radnik Pozarevac, Tufegdzic became its coach. Tufegdzic, who has worked in the Middle East for a decade, was later

Goran Tufegdzic appointed assistant coach for Kuwait’s national squad, before replacing his superior in 2009. In 2010, the squad won the Gulf Cup and Western Asian Championship. — Agencies

Saudis foil ‘terror’ plot, bust two cells RIYADH: Saudi authorities announced yesterday they had foiled a “terror” plot by elements suspected of links to AlQaeda, mostly Yemenis, and busted two extremist cells in Riyadh and Jeddah. The interior ministry said in a statement the suspects were “in contact with the deviant organisation abroad”, a term usually used to refer to the Al-Qaeda jihadist network. The suspects were working on “recruiting elements to execute criminal attacks targeting security forces, citizens and foreign residents, as well as public installations”, it said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.

The ministry said two Saudis and six Yemenis were arrested, and it also named two nationals as wanted for questioning. “Investigations revealed that those elements were at an advanced stage... including preparing explosives and testing them outside Riyadh,” the ministry said, adding that one suspect accidentally lost a finger during the tests.

The first Saudi suspect turned out to be the head of the cell in Riyadh, and he gave “detailed information” that led to the arrest of the six Yemenis, who also confessed to taking part in the plot, it said. Police found “chemicals used for explosives as well as mobile phones wired to detonate explosive devices remotely,” at an annex of a mosque in the capital, the ministry said. Investigations also led to a link with the other cell in the western city of Jeddah, the kingdom’s second largest city. The ministry said that

RIYADH: A Saudi special forces new graduate bites off the head of a live desert snake in this June 26, 2011 file photo during a ceremony held at the special forces base near the capital. — AFP a Saudi member of that cell “who worked on preparing explosive chemicals” was arrested.

If any of those plots had succeeded, it would have been the first since the suicide bombing against assistant defence minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef in Aug 2009.

Continued on Page 13

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MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Nigerian Ambassador to Kuwait Tajudeen Epo Abdulkhader, signs the book of condolences.

KUWAIT: Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Shulan Primavera (standing) receives ambassadors at his embassy premises in Faiha yesterday.

KUWAIT: Some Ambassadors sign the book of condolences.

Robredo ‘an icon of good governance’

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait accepted condolences and sympathy yesterday for the untimely death of Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary (DILG Minister) Jessie Robredo. On Aug 18, 2012, while returning from a speaking engagement in Cebu, the Piper PA-34-200 Seneca 1 aircraft carrying Secretary Robredo crashed off the shore of Masbate City. He died along with two others, with one passenger surviving. Jessie Robredo was highly regarded as a brilliant leader and icon of good governance in the Philippines.

Ambassadors of Cambodia (Long Kem), Brunei (Pengiran Mustapa Aliuddin), Laos (Thongphachanh) and Nigeria (Tajudeen Epo Abdulkhader) were just four of the representatives Kuwait Times met during the signing of the book of condolences at their embassy in Faiha. Charge d’Affaires of Iraq (Yaser Wahib) and Indonesia

Philippine Embassy accepts condolences

(Budimanshyah) also offered condolences to the fallen DILG leader.

Long Kem, Cambodian Ambassador to Kuwait, said that with the untimely passing of Secretary Robredo, the Philippines have lost a dynamic leader. “I never met him personally, but I heard and read many good things about him.

When I heard about the plane crash, many articles came out about him. He was the best example of a good leader.

He was well loved and respected by many Filipinos and he deserves to be honored,” Kem said.

Thongphachanh Sonnasinhi, Ambassador from Laos to Kuwait, said that very few people are born like Secretary Robredo. “There are only a few good men born with a magic charisma like his. Very rare; but see the attachment made during his short stint in office; it was amazing and Filipinos loved him,” he said. Philippine Ambassador Shulan Primavera said the embassy staff and Filipinos in Kuwait joined the Filipino nation in mourning the untimely death

of Secretary Robedro. “He was a highly regarded leader in the country and described by many as an honest and dynamic official. He will be remembered and he will continue to serve as a role model for many in public service,” Ambassador Primavera said.

Primavera reminisced over his personal encounters with Secretary Robredo.

“Not only because we were born in the same city [Naga City], but because we were ‘kumpadres’ [co-parents] in weddings as well as baptisms of some of our relatives and family members. I met him several times and we knew how he was running the city when he was the mayor of Naga before transferring to the national office. He was the best example of an honest politician and is a role model for many,” he said. “Unfortunately, our encounters were not able to grow into a true friendship, since I was always away from home for the call of duty [diplomat], but I do remember him being the best public servant, and my meetings with him were all positive,” he added.

Robredo was accorded full honors on Friday as part of the state funeral ordered by Philippine President Aquino.

A state funeral includes arrival, departure, final military honors and the opening of a book of condolences for dignitaries in Manila and in foreign posts.

Malacanang also announced national days of mourning from Aug. 21, when Robredo’s body was recovered, until his final burial, and ordered all government buildings to lower the national flag to half-mast.

Military honors include elements such as a flag-draped casket, two uniformed personnel standing guard by the casket, a 19-gun salute, a three-volley salute, and taps. In recognition of his achievements as Naga City mayor, Robredo was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 2000, the first Filipino mayor to receive such an award, regarded as ‘The Nobel Prize’ of Asia.

Robredo will be laid to rest on Tuesday at a place he called ‘happy place’ in Naga City, his home town.

Big opportunities for small, medium-sized energy companies KUWAIT: AREF Energy is ranked among the top Sharia-compliant Investment Holding companies in Kuwait which does investments in the oil and gas sector. AREF Energy was incorporated in 1996 as ‘Excellent Education Foundation Company’ to focus on the education sector in Kuwait. The company was listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange in 2005, and was subsequently renamed in 2007 as ‘AREF Energy Holding Company,’ with the altered mandate of investing in energy sector companies.

When small is beautiful “AREF Energy is a medium-sized company,” Chairman, Walid K Al-Hashash, said to Marcopolis in an exclusive interview. “Kuwait is a small country which cannot absorb all the money,” he added.

This is why most of AREF’s investments (AREF Investment Strategy) are based outside mainly in MENA area. The holding’s portfolio worth KD 60.16 million is spread across nine investments.

“We are a holding company, not a normal operational one, so we have a basket of investment, assets, and we carefully pick our investments in such a way that they can serve our subsidiary in

Kuwait,” Al-Hashash explained.

In times of rallying oil prices and a rising cost base for the hydrocarbon industry, identifying innovative companies is

Walid Al-Hashash key to generate attractive rate of returns. SynFuels International in the US is one example of AREF’s investments abroad. AREF holds a quarter of the firm which developed a Gas-to-Liquid technology.

SynFuels developed a process to produce 95 octane fuel from natural gas.

AREF also holds a majority share of 75 percent in Nordic. Although the compa-

Kuwait’s property sales up 18pc in June KUWAIT: Real estate sales in Kuwait during June totaled KD266 million ($943 million), almost unchanged from June of last year, but up 18 per cent month-on-month, a report said.

The residential segment rallied while both the investment and commercial segments lagged, netting a small 1.2 per cent year-on-year (y/y) increase in sales, added the report. Residential sector sales totaled KD148.0 million in June, an increase of KD34 million y/y on the back of an increased number of transactions. The Ahmadi governorate saw the highest number of transactions for plots of land (65 per cent of total plot sales), with Mubarak Al Kabeer being a distant second. As for home sales, Hawalli governorate saw the most activity (25 per cent of home transactions), with Ahmadi governorate being a close second.

Sales in the residential sector continue to show robustness, in line with an overall view of a healthy household sector, the brief said.

The investment sector saw KD113.1 million in sales during June, down KD 22 million compared to last June. According to the report, the decrease in sales was a result of fewer transactions conducted during the month, whereas the average transaction size remained within its normal range. Beside some expected seasonal slowdown, the y/y dip was also due to a “basis effect” -sales in June 2011 were exceptionally high, making this June’s sales look relatively softer in comparison. The investment real estate sector should generally do well in 2012. The commercial sector saw just KD5.3 million in sales, a drop of KD 8.5 million compared to the same month of last year, said the brief. Two out of three transactions took place in Kuwait City, with the third being in Hawalli governorate. The low number of transactions and corresponding large variance in their size reflects the volatility of this sector. The Savings and Credit Bank (SCB) approved almost KD10 million in loans, spread out over 159 loan applications (for an average of about KD63,000). More than half of the approved loans were for the purchase of existing homes, while a little over a third were for new constructions. The SCB also disbursed another KD12.9 million in loans.

ny’s name might signal that is based in Scandinavia, Nordic is based United Arab Emirates with European partners.

How does AREF evaluate whether or not a targeted company is a good investment?

Chairman Al-Hashah: “The oil and gas sectors expertise are represented in AREF Energy, so they have the knowhow and they know the contacts. From this rich experience, we are reaching out for the right companies.”

However, AREF Energy does not regard its portfolio as stagnant but as a dynamic allocation of its assets.

“For holding companies, most of the revenue will come as proceeds upon exiting. After that, you reinvest, and so on,” said Al-Hashash.

Certainly Al-Hashah is also worried about the lack of political consensus which delayed and still delays the proper implementation of the $130 billion Kuwait Development Plan. The plan was adopted by the government in 2009 and 2010 but money is yet to be distributed.

AREF Energy’s financial reserves put the holding company in a comfortable position. They retain their own profits and they have maybe an excess of $50

million. So they are self-financed and do not seek government approval to initiate any ventures, deals, or projects.

AREF Energy’s investment policy was received positively by agency Capital Standards. On December 14, 2011 Capital Standards assigned, on a standalone basis, a first-time Corporate Credit Rating of ‘BB+’ on an international scale and ‘BBB+KW’ on a national scale to AREF Energy Holding Company. The outlook for the rating is Stable.

The rating could be higher if more of the investments were paying dividends.

Capital Standards noted: “Only one investment of AREF Energy - Kuwait Energy Company - paid dividends from its FY2010 earnings. The dividend paying ability of the rest of the portfolio components is limited, and therefore, the core income of AREF Energy is primarily driven by net gain on sale of investments.”

Nevertheless, “Potential for a rating upgrade is limited in the medium term, unless the credit quality of the portfolio improves significantly and the company develops a long track record of profitable divestments,” Capital Standards said. — Marcopolis.net

IIB investors receive fifth consecutive dividend MANAMA: Strong performance in the Tunisian market has enabled International Investment Bank (IIB), an Islamic investment bank based in Bahrain, to announce the distribution of dividends to its investors in IIB Automotive Ltd (IAL) for the fifth consecutive year.

IAL owns a significant equity stake in ARTES, a listed company on the Tunis Stock Exchange and the exclusive distributor of Renault, Nissan, and Dacia automobiles and their spare parts in Tunisia. Though the Tunisian market faced significant challenges in 2011 caused by the “Arab Spring”, ARTES managed an overall successful year, earning a total revenue of Tunisian Dinars 148.9 million through the sale of 7,500 cars.

Revenues in the first half of 2012 reached Tunisian Dinars 94.5 million, a 64.4% increase over the same period in 2011. This growth is mainly due to the recovering automobile market in Tunis, which has seen the number of Renault and Nissan cars sold rise during the first half of 2012.

IIB and its investors acquired an equity stake in ARTES in March 2008, its first investment both in Tunisia and in the car distribution sector. The ARTES IPO was one of the largest in Tunisia and was oversubscribed by more than ten times. The company is well positioned within the Tunisian market as it operates debt free, enjoying a strong net cash position, thus allowing it to invest its own resources into development, diversification and growth of its business in Tunisia with-

out resorting to bank financing.

According to Aabed Al Zeera, IIB’s Chief Executive Officer and ARTES Board Member, “Last year was a particularly challenging year given the aftermath of the financial crisis, the continuous downturn in the world

Aabed Al Zeera economy and the Euro Zone predicament which have all adversely affected investors’ confidence.

The MENA region was particularly badly hit, not least because of the Arab Spring, which began in Tunisia in late 2010 and resonated through the rest of the region over the course of 2011. The knock-on effects of these factors negatively impacted investment activity and business development, as well as consumer spending and confidence. ARTES was not spared from these effects, though it was more than ready to

meet the challenges they had on its operations”, he said.“ARTES has maintained a strong financial position and excellent market share in the Tunisian automobile industry for many years. With brands such as Renault commanding a market share of about 18.9% and Nissan which a somewhat smaller market share, ARTES was able to record steady sales and revenue throughout the year. We expect this strong performance to continue through this year to 2013”, he added.

International Investment Bank B.S.C. (c) (IIB) was incorporated as an Islamic investment bank on 6 October 2003, under commercial registration number 51867 as a Bahrain Joint Stock Company (closed).

Operating under an Islamic wholesale banking licence issued by the Central Bank of Bahrain, IIB commenced investment activities on 13 October 2003. IIB has an authorized capital of US$ 200 million and its shareholders equity is US$ 158 million as at 31 December 2010. The Bank’s shareholders are high net worth individuals, business houses and institutions from the GCC states.

The core business activities of the Bank include investing on its own account and investment, underwriting and placement in real estate and private equity in conformity with Islamic Shari’ah. It aims to offer its clients an internationally diversified range of investments generated through its network of strategic partnerships.a

‘Lebanon keen to end ordeal of abducted Kuwaiti citizen’ KUWAIT: Lebanon is eager to end the ordeal of abducted Kuwaiti citizen Issam Al-Houti in Lebanon soon, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said yesterday in a phone conversation with Kuwaiti counterpart Jassem Al-Khorafi.

“All Lebanese security agencies are on highest state of alert to find the Kuwaiti citizen and guarantee his immediate release,” Al-Khorafi quoted Berri as saying.

“Lebanese people do not forget the noble and supportive stances of Kuwaiti leadership and people,” he said, adding that Lebanese government will not condone any action that harms the special relations between the two Arab nations.

Berri noted that he is following up efforts exerted by security agencies to release Al-Houti. He asked AlKhorafi to convey his greetings to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Al-Khorafi thanked Berri for the great efforts and attention he and Lebanese government giving to the issue, hoping the ordeal of the abducted citizen will end as soon as possible. Al-Houti, 52, was seized at gunpoint after his car was intercepted by an unknown armed group in the Beqaa Valley in Saturday.

Berri said here yesterday that the current situation in the country was detrimental to tourism, citing that around 50,000 Kuwaitis left the country. Berri was giving an interview to Annahar news daily. The Lebanese speaker also touched upon the situation in the country and the measures that should be taken to safeguard all individuals. The Lebanese official also discussed the upcoming visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the country, hoping that it would occur when the situation in Lebanon calms down.

Lebanon condemned the abduction of Al-Houti in Lebanon. This was conveyed through a phone call that Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received from Lebanese foreign minister Adnan Mansour, who expressed the condemnation of the President, Prime Minister and people of Lebanon over the kidnapping.

Mansour said that the Lebanese authorities were exerting efforts to secure the release of the citizen. The Lebanese top diplomat said that top authorities in his country were in constant touch with the Kuwaiti side to brief them of whatever new information available over the abduction.

The abduction “is a personal act and is not related to the organized acts and aim at citizens of specific countries,” said Mansour. The abduction shall not undermine relations between Lebanon and Kuwait, said Mansour.

Meanwhile, despite receiving warnings from Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry, many citizens have refused to leave the country, insisting that they are capable of protecting themselves amid the unrest taking place there, a top ministry official said.

“The Foreign Ministry previously warned Kuwaitis in Lebanon of the unrest there and asked them to leave.

But unfortunately, few responded to the warnings while many asserted that they can protect themselves against danger,” said the insider who spoke to AlJarida.

These statements were made Saturday, the same day citizen Issam Al-Houti was kidnapped by armed men in Lebanon. The source indicated that Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah “assigned Kuwait’s ambassador in Beirut to carry out necessary procedures with Lebanese authorities to secure the release of the kidnapped citizen.”

Meanwhile, the source reiterated calls made to Kuwaitis remaining in Lebanon “to coordinate with the Kuwaiti embassy to return home as soon as possible”, noting that allocating flights to carry them back home remains an option “yet we hope that they do not return empty,” reported Al-jarida.

New rules to regulate SMS news services KUWAIT: The government plans to organize the work of news services sent through text messages to cell phone clients. They plan to issue a set of regulations that require these services be regulated by the Ministry of Communications.

This was announced by Abdulmuhsin Al-Mutairi Undersecretary Assistant for Legal Affairs, who indicated that the Ministry of Communications seeks to ensure that “news services’ licenses are organized and issued through the ministry,” while “maintaining cooperation” with the Ministry of Information.

“Nominal fees will be collected to issue news services’ license, according to Al-Mutairi, who further added that the MoC has asked the Information Ministry to provide all requests for licensing news services.

Several news services were licensed by the Ministry of Information in recent years, but these licenses were suspended pending regulations that organize their work since they do not fall under the ambit of the audio-visual or press laws.

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

LOCAL

Many businesses report busy Eid holiday period Good destination for tourists

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Eid is considered the high season for many businesses in Kuwait, as well as the region. This year, the Eid AlFitr came during the summer holidays, which encouraged more people to leave the country and take longer holidays.

The local press confirmed that more than 210,000 people left the country during the Eid holidays through land borders and more than 100,000 through the airport. Surprisingly, however, businesses related to Eid were not negatively affected, with the majority even confirming that this Eid they had more customers than in previous years.

Also, some hotels noticed an increase in their occupancy rate while others did not report a large difference over past years. “This year we welcomed more guests during Eid, when compared to last year. This year Eid fell on the weekend, and this encouraged more guests to come, especially from Saudi Arabia. Also, the political situation in the region, such as in Egypt, Beirut and Syria, convinced more people to shift to Kuwait. In addition, the popular destination of Dubai is fully booked and expensive, so this also shifted some customers to us. The geographic location of Kuwait made it a good destination for tourists from the region,” Wassim Tarabay, Director of Sales and Marketing at Hotel Missoni Kuwait, told the Kuwait Times.

He also expects similar occupancy during the coming Eid Al-Adha. “I think the hotel will be crowded next Eid, as well, as the holiday will be short and most people will not choose to travel abroad. Furthermore, we don’t expect much changes in the political situation in the region, so Kuwait will preserve its position. In addition, I think that our hotel is attractive for people due to our special services and the fact that guests consider us more of a resort, even though we are a hotel in the city,” added Tarabay.

From her side, Shireen Al-Munufi, Marketing Manager at the Holiday Inn Hotel, noted that the increase in guests

was not very significant compared to last year. “We are always occupied during Eid. Even our restaurant is crowded, as we always prepare special programs and

promotions for this special occasion. Our guests from abroad, especially the GCC countries, already know about our promotions and come to benefit from the

KUWAIT: Some of the hotels in Kuwait. Businesses related to Eid were not negatively affected, with the majority even confirming that this Eid they had more customers than in previous years.

KUWAIT: Some of the desert plants in Kuwait.

Kuwaiti plant-inspired names of areas KUWAIT: Naming areas after certain plants or the topography of that particular area is a common Arab custom. Kuwait is home to different plants that grow on its soil, and some of it grow only in particular areas and last for a very long period.

Researcher in Kuwaiti history Adel Al-Saadoun feels that Rumaithiya area, was named after ‘Ramath’ plants. He said that ‘Al Ramath’ are types of trees that grow up to a height of 60 centimeters, and its leaves resemble olive plants and it flowers in September and

October. It emits a pleasant smell and bears fruits by the end of October and November. The plants grows after it rains. Ramath is very important for camels, especially in summer.

Al-Saadoun said that ‘Al Hamatiyat’ area was named after ‘Al Hamat’ plant that grows to the south west of Kuwait and is situated in a deserted area. The plant grows to a height of about 30 centimeters, and has branches that that are full and lush.

It flowers anytime in the winter, spring and autumn. It grows in fer-

tile areas and sandy soil. Abu Halifa was named after a plant that sounds similar to ‘Halfa’ or ‘Al-Kafna’ and was used as a medicine to treat infertility in women.

The plant has a pleasant smell and grows to a height between 30 centimeter - 60 centimeter. It is first class desert plant. Abu Halifa is one of the oldest Kuwaiti villages located in Al-Ahmadi governorate along Adan coast, and is situated by 34 kilometers to the south of the Captial. It is considered as one of the agricultural areas in Kuwait. — KUNA

90,000 smart IDs for expats uncollected KUWAIT: Nearly 90,000 smart IDs issued to expatriates in Kuwait have yet to be picked up by their owners, announced a top official in the Public Authority for Civil Information, who noted that enforcing a maximum KD20 fine for delays in receiving the smart ID is under consideration.

On the other hand, Deputy General Manager for Civil Registration Affairs Ali Al-Gharba

added that during a recent interview with Al- Qabas, only 5000 smar t IDs were waiting to be picked up by their Kuwaiti owners, while the number of IDs for Kuwaiti citizens that have yet to be issued ranges between 70 and 80,000.

“Issuing smart IDs has been carried out as a gradual process as per a governmental plan to prevent

overcrowding at locations dispensing the IDs”, Al-Gharba indicated.

He went on to explain that the plan started with issuing IDs to Kuwaitis, then Gulf Cooperation Council citizens, followed by expatriates in the public sector “which is currently underway”.

“Issuing smart IDs for expatriates in the private sector will be the final step,” he added.

activities that we hold. We had children’s entertainment programs and promotions, including special prices on rooms and restaurants,” she pointed out.

Also, hair beauty saloons report not being affected by people leaving the country. “Although the difference is not big compared to last year’s Eid, we still felt that this year was better. Even if people are travelling, the saloon will still operate; not all people are out of the country, and our customers still usually come with friends and family. Even those who were travelling came before going on their vacation,” stated Sameera from Al Fay Saloon.

The car wash industry is also one of the most frequently used during Eid. “People like to have their vehicles clean during Eid as part of the holiday’s elegance, so they come to the carwash stations to clean and polish them to look great. Although our work lessens during the summer holidays as people are travelling, our wash center was still very busy from three days before Eid and during the Eid. The difference was not as significant as last year, but we were working on maximum,” stressed Ahmad from Qatami car washing station.

Sabah Al-Bader, Operations Director of Cuz Creationz, also noted that this Eid their business in cleaning and repairing cars had increased by 300 percent compared to last year. “Usually our business is not very heavy during Eid because we are new in the market, but this year we had much more business compared to last year,” he stated.

Further, restaurants noticed an increase in business, compared to last year’s Eid. “During the three days of Eid the restaurant was fully occupied and we even had a waiting list of customers,” said Nidal from Abdulwahab Restaurant.

Yousif from Burj Al Hamam Restaurant also said they served many more customers this year. “Every year during the Eid we are fully occupied, and this year was no exception, with a larger capacity due to our enlarging the restaurant, so it was much more crowded than last year’s Eid,” he said.

KUWAIT: Farwaniya security officials yesterday arrested four Asians for trading in illicit liquor.

Around 140 bottles of locally made alcohol were found in their possession. — By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Health Ministry launches ‘satisfaction measurement’ KUWAIT: Ministry of Health began here yesterday the application of measuring beneficiaries’ satisfaction of services provided by various health centers in the country, in addition to Al-Amiri Hospital, Al-Farwaniya Hospital and specialized hospitals.

Acting Undersecretary of Ministry of Health Dr Khaled Al-Sahlawi said in a statement today that the prject is being applied in the country for the first time in Kuwait within a framework of development.

He added that the results of this project “will shed light on the practical problems of health services and the of views of staff about it, as well as suggested solutions.”

Al-Sahlawi said that the project “will provide a great deal of information that will contribute to achieving developmental decisions and making future plans to improve these services.-” Meanwhile, health sources revealed that the medical stores and supplies sectors might face increasing problems in the coming months. The prediction stems from the decision issued by acting undersecretary Dr. Khalid Al-Sahlawi last week which ordered a end to enforcing Administrative Decision No. 2167/2010 which enforced advertising tenders in these sectors on the ministry website, as well as decision No.

4

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

Letter to Badrya Darwish

The officials in the middle

Good articles badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

By Dr Sulaiman Al-Khadhari

Hi,

in my view

Chronic problems in oil sector

By Ahmed Yousef two-month-old news report has resurfaced again making headlines. Iraq has overtaken Iran as OPEC’s second top oil producer, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). But eight weeks earlier, OPEC on its part reached that conclusion. Figures vary, but the bottom line is the same.

Iraq more or less pumped out 3.08 million barrels per day (bpd) in July - 15,000 bpd more than what it produced in June, while Iran recorded a 173,000 bpd drop to 2.82 million bpd, according to OPEC. That is one of the chronic problems facing the world oil industry in terms of having real time, credible information on what is really happening in terms of supply and demand.

The discrepancy in figures between two leading organizations like OPEC and IEA is just the tip of the iceberg that is well spread all over. The fanfare over the IEA report of Iraq overtaking Iran has something to do with the timing and of course, politics in the background, as it is the case that has to do with oil.

July is the month where the US sanctions on Iraq have really started to bite as Europe joined and even went a step further denying insuring Iran’s commercial oil deals. So the message is that sanctions are working and working well. More importantly, the new item is sending another message that Iraq is emerging as an alternative to Iran in terms of providing supplies.

The question was and remains - to what extent that could happen, and can the oil market really trust Iraq becoming a reliable supplier for times to come?

Interesting enough to note that Iraq was supposed to have taken over Iran’s production back in February if a marine terminal facility was inaugurated at the time to provide loading facility that can handle 90,000 bpd day and absorb increased supplies from Rumailah and West Qurna fields.

Press reports spoke of Iranian pressures that led to postponement of the inauguration of the $ 1.3 billion facility that should be one of five that could handle an extra 5 million bpd when completed in an ambitious plan through 2017. There is no question that Iraq has considerable proven reserves that needs tapping for the benefit of the country itself and its people, and

A

The discrepancy in figures between two leading organizations like OPEC and IEA is just the tip of the iceberg that is well spread all over. That has to do with oil. guarantee supplies to the world’s growing demand.

Various figures are running around. Of the more than 50 different contracts from services to Exploration, Production, Sharing Agreements (EPSAs) adopted by the autonomous Kurdistan region, Iraq is poised to raise its production to 3.4 million bpd this year and of that amount 2.6 million bpd can go to exports. That of course remains to take place.

Future forecast estimates Iraq’s production from 6 million bpd to 8 million bpd to 9 million bpd and even to 12 million bpd, figured out by the optimistic officials as a target to be achieved by the middle of next decade. But the issue is more complex given the complicated Iraqi scene. One of them is the relation between the central government in Baghdad and the regions led by Kurdistan. The constitution governing the country right now is quite ambiguous at this point of time. That intended ambiguity was understood in different ways by both Baghdad and Irbil.

Baghdad became adamant threatening any company signing an oil deal with Irbil that it will be denied access to the more lucrative Iraq reserves. Baghdad has a strong position to talk tough. It simply sits on 143 billion barrels of ‘proven’ reserves, while Kurdistan has only 40 billion barrels. Baghdad is afraid that if it is to concede to Irbil, other regions can make use of the precedence in addition to the fact that regions don’t have enough technical and legal abilities that can enable them strike deals that protect the interests of the Iraqis.

But there is a host of problems ranging from legal structures of the proposed oil contracts to their fiscal outcome and, more importantly, security situation, all of which have contributed to undermining the ambitious program to increase Iraq’s oil production.

Big international oil companies used to play the Erbil card signing some agreements as a way to put pressure on Baghdad to come up with better draft contract proposals.

But that seems not to happen fast enough because of the blurred political climate and specifically as far as Iran is concerned. One of the strategic ironies is that the US-led invasion of Iraq almost a decade ago ended up with Iran becoming the most influential player in the domestic politics, not the Americans.

As a result, American oil companies do not enjoy an expected favorable position. But aside from politics, and even if Iraq managed to increase its production and exports, in just two years Iraq should rejoin the OPEC quota system, which means putting a cap on its production. That is a headache OPEC usually tries to avoid.

uring a recent visit to Oman, a taxi driver - who I can proudly say happens to be an Omani citizen told me a story about amendments that a minister made to certain regulations which reflected negatively on many citizens who receive social aid in the Sultanate.

After the subject was directly referred to the Sultan, he gave orders to cancel all amendments that were not in favor of his people. The moral of the story that the taxi driver was trying to make is that while rulers select trustworthy officials to share management responsibilities, some officials who are found in the middle of the relationship between the ruler and the people, can act personally and in disregard to the public’s demands. This disregard can ultimately open the door for frustration wrongly directed against the ruler.

Aside from transcending rulers, I couldn’t help but see some parallels between the moral of the story and the current situation in Kuwait. Of course, there are certain substantive differences, as Oman doesn’t follow a policy of distributing wealth through creating job opportunities, as we do, and has no productivity level in the public sector similar to Kuwait. But I do find the part about incompetent officials acting as self-serving individuals applies perfectly in Kuwait.

While we have an overflowing public sector that includes the majority of national labor forces, it is natural that people clamor for the few available spots, leaving the door open for infighting and pressure from both inside and out. As it stands now, the leading post is used to create alliances and meet interests far from the general interest of the body they are working at.

All this happens in Kuwait, in light of a control level that remains weak for several reasons, including the difficulty of managing the extremely large jobs system. This has allowed some senior officials to freely make decisions that negatively impact the public’s interests. This information was based on reports forwarded by officials under them who do not necessarily tell the whole story.

I’m not even going to start with discussing how some officials in the middle, between the public and the government, are involved in corruption, and how serving some parties with influence has helped them stay in their positions for years.—Al-Rai

D

Good afternoon!

I am an American and I have lived in Kuwait for over two years and just wanted to say that I appreciate your articles. They are well written in English with no broken translations. I have tried signing on to post comments and am never able to. Not sure if it is a website error or not, but I wanted to tell you to keep up the great work!

kuwait digest

Dangerous situation

By Thaar Al-Rashidi e are now officially not getting into the ones who attended the sessions. I can say that they details. We are going through a state of keep- were honest in the wrong place. The National Action ing the constitution on hold after preventing Bloc abided by the constitution by attending the two the legislative authority from doing its work since last sessions, which is something praiseworthy for them June. It is following the verdict of the constitutional since they are followers of “as a matter of principal”. court, which ruled that the 2012 elections were void But non-attendance would have been better. We are and ordered the return of the 2009 council, which in a time without political logic and it is unjust to be could not adjourn. And almost four months later we logical. I know that the intention of the National are without real legislative authority. There is no Action Bloc is “national and protection for the constisupervision and no legislation. This state is very tution”, but their actions cannot change anything.

There are some political strange, as we have elected actions that have been MPs (memberS of 2009 made against the public and council) but we have no NA The National Action Bloc this is something that Council, and if you review members were the only ones should be returned. this with a political science Boycotting the sessions by who attended the sessions. I can expert he will retire from polthe opposition members itics and start an advertising say that they were honest in the was the correct thing to do. business, which is much betwrong place. The National Any politician who makes ter for him. sectarian declarations of any Action Bloc abided by the conWe have MPs but no kind is either trying to score council to adjourn, resulting stitution by attending the two some cheap election points in the majority of members sessions, which is something or work as per the agenda of refusing to attend the two escalating sectarian conflicts praiseworthy for them. sessions to which they were in the state, which is led by invited during the month of some powers who want conRamadan. The excuse for the opposition was that the council is a council of bribe fusion to continue in the state. takers which was ousted due to the public’s will. Very NOTE: What is happening in Kuwait is a very dangerwell, their excuse is acceptable and we shall not argue with it. But ex-government MPs and a number of ous thing. With the constitution on hold, and MPs having independent MPs have given excuses that are not immunity and receiving their salaries, which is good for clear at all, and most of them are MPs who make no them and their secretaries, yet we have no council. We excuses for any political decisions they take. Their have no legislative authority. But by keeping legislative compasses are not their own and are directed by oth- authority in the state on hold, do you think that we are ers. The National Action Bloc members were the only all right? - Al-Anbaa

W

kuwait digest

No democratic awareness

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij nfortunately, many are calling for adopting active party if they ever hope to even have a chance the single constituency and election by-list to be elected to the parliament. systems in Kuwait; a system that is found in no Even then, a political party will struggle to comdemocracy in the world besides Portugal, whose municate with half a million voters, unless they are democracy had its own share of troubles, and Israel-a the largest and richest political party in the state. state not even recognized by those demanding to This brings us to another topic, which is the improadopt its similar electoral system in Kuwait. All priety of creating political parties as part of a single democracies around the world, except for those two constituency system in a society still living under tribnations, have adopted an electoral system based on al influences and dominated by a sectarian mindset. multi-constituencies and a singular (or in some cases The largest political groups we have today contains double) vote. only hundreds of members, at best. Moreover, when The demands to adopt a single constituency, an the level of political awareness that MPs currently election by-list and political parties in Kuwait, repre- have is below zero, how can we expect that Kuwaiti sents a radical change in the candidates will live up to the electoral system that level of taking part in elecrequires high levels of public tions based on political parA real and clear mood awareness and understandties and election by-lists? towards oppressing freedom of ing. In the meantime, we still The best way to prove the opinion exists in Kuwait. suffer from having voters minimal political, constituFreedom here is reserved only with shallow political knowltional and democratic edge, having no political parawareness that the majority for reactionaries, who have ties, as well as having condiof MPs have is their commitabsolute freedom to express tions that are completely ment to enforce regulations their opinion, whether it be in unsuitable for adopting a that violate the constitution public, in the media or forced collective election mechaand basics of democracy. nism as requested by advoWith that being said, if that’s into students’ textbooks. cates of the single conthe level of our MPs, what do stituency proposal. you expect the voters’ level A real and clear mood towards oppressing free- to be like? dom of opinion exists in Kuwait. Freedom here is To those calling for a single constituency system, reserved only for reactionaries, who have absolute please show a little humility, as they remain too far freedom to express their opinion, whether it be in away from the national or political level of awareness public, in the media or forced into students’ text- required. And since our society is, unfortunately, sufbooks. Meanwhile the expression of different opin- fering continuous attacks against its unity, please ions is strictly prohibited. Likewise, freedom to pub- stop any risky political adventures, as we don’t have lish is highly restricted, and is only achievable by peo- time to waste on experiments. Instead, let’s revert ple with financial resources and influence. This, of back to the system in which the numbers of concourse, makes campaigning in a single constituency stituencies are increased, while also being reduced in system too costly for ordinary candidates to afford. It size; this is the most compatible with our current also means that a candidate must be a member of an political and social capabilities. — Al-Qabas

U

kuwait digest

Let Kuwaitis live in peace

By Aziza Al-Mufarej he “loud voiced” member of parliament said that he, along with his group, will form human rights committees that will belong to the National Front for the Protection of the Constitution in order to monitor any attempt by officers and policemen to attack any citizen that takes to the street. He said complaints will be submitted to the World Human Rights Committees in the violating officer’s name. We realize from this talk that this group plans on provoking policemen (as was the case was when the National Assembly was stormed), in an attempt to anger them. After provoking the police there will be probably be a reaction from the police, and these people will consider it an attack against them- although the opposite is correct.

We advise the Interior Ministry to behave like those countries that have human rights committees, such as Britain and America, and to protect the safety of all citizens. Today, with just the push of a button online, we can see police from both the US and Great Britain dealing violently with every person going overboard and not obeying police orders and the law. The Interior Ministry must set up a police line, declaring that the majority group must not cross it during the upcoming gathering, and must clearly declare that whoever crosses those lines will be dealt with accordingly. It must also make the announcement in the media to protect the ministry’s legal stand towards those who scare the people and disregard security and safety in the country.

I also advise police officers and individuals to seek the help of relatives and friends to film the provocative attempts by some of demonstrators using their mobiles.

This can then be used as evidence of civilians attacking policemen and keeping them from performing their duties. There are some MPs who are millionaires, who have business and widespread properties in many countries, so are we to suppose that those MPs are well satisfied to the point that they did not get into the assembly to increase their finances and profits through government tenders, and that they are so humble to a point that they did not get into the assembly for social prestige and a diplomatic passport, receptions at the VIP halls in other countries, and the ability to pass laws that benefit their businesses and interests? Are we supposed to believe that they arrived there only because they are good citizens who seek the service of Kuwait and its society, and that they spend their time and effort for them, even for free? If that is true, then why are they always behaving in a way that harms the country and its people?

One of those MPs wants to control the ‘ignorant’ so that they do not lead the country to destruction. So who are these ‘ignorant’ the respected MP is referring to? The ‘ignorant’ he is referring to are those who resort to specialists in courts in order to rule on differences and disputes, such as the issue of referring the five constituencies issue to the constitutional court in search of a constitutional solution to a problem, instead of resorting to satellite channels, microphones and Irada Square, and igniting the nation with destructive rage.

The ignorant he speaks of are those who refuse to attend gatherings in Diwaniyas, streets and squares to shout insults at officials, to scream in the face of the authorities and collect revolutionary signatures against them. Instead, these ‘ignorant’ citizens gather peacefully and advise in secret, as rational people used to do. The ‘ignorant’ he means are those who exert their efforts to keep Kuwait calm and stable, where the authority is not threatened on every issue, and where the opposition doesn’t exist solely to prey upon the instability they, themselves, foment. Those are the ignorant in the eyes of this MP, so we can only hope that the entire nation remains ignorant so that we can live in peace, as we used to do before this knowledge arrived. — Al-Watan

T

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

local

News

in brief

Complete course registration KUWAIT: Students expected to graduate in the 2012/2013 fall semester have to complete their course registration from Aug 26 to Sept 6, the Admission and Registration Office at Kuwait University (KU) announced yesterday. Students should visit the admission registration hall in Shuwaikh and reserve an appointment to enter the hall via the students information system, said the office in a statement.

Two batches of teachers arrive KUWAIT: The Education Ministry has announced that two batches of teachers who signed contracts in Egypt, totaling to 146 (male and female) have arrived in the country. Walid Al-Ghaith, Director of Public Services said that the first batch arrived in Kuwait last week (42 female and six male teachers), while the second batch included 70 female and 28 male teachers. He said the ministry is ready to receive all teachers on a contract.

The ministry will ensure that a quiet and comfortable atmosphere be provided to teachers during the appointment process and opening the files through coordination with concerned authorities such as Interior and Health Ministries, as well as the Public Authority for Civil Information and Kuwait Airways. He said the total number of teachers who have been recruited from abroad are 479 in all: 350 from Egypt, 97 from Jordan and 32 from Tunisia.

Gold prices poised for further gains KUWAIT: Gold prices are poised for further gains this week amid reports that US Federal Reserve will carry out a new quantitative easing process to help revive the US economy, a precious metals’ expert forecasted.

In statements to KUNA, Director of Bullion Department at Zoumuruda Group Rajab Hamid said that the remarkable hike in gold prices in last week’s trading was due to US Federal Reserve Chief George Ben Bernanke statements about fears of new recession if no action is taken to stimulate the economy. The yellow metal jumped to USD 1,670 per ounce in closing trading sessions of last week.

He pointed out that gold traders are awaiting the outcome of the next meeting of the US Federal Reserve on September 13, which will discuss adopting new stimulus measures to help economy, including new quantitative easing process. “If the United States conducted a new quantitative easing process, gold price will jump over USD 1,700 per ounce,” he said. Hamid noted that traders usually resort to gold and precious metals as safe haven assets in cases of recession or uncertainty about the future of the economy. — KUNA

GOAL! Skills Tournament a big success KUWAIT: Goal! Junior in partnership with 6alabat.com held a press conference recently at its Discovery Mall recreational center to announce the winners of the GOAL! Skills Ramadan Tournament 1st edition.

The tournament participants along with their parents and the media were invited to attend the final game and the prizes handover ceremony. Khalid Al-Askar, representing 6alabat.com handed over the prizes to all the winners.

The Press Conference was conducted and headed by Ghazi Al Hajiri, Goal! managing partner, Al Hajri congratulated the children on their achievements and thanked all who supported this event, with a special tribute to 6alabat.com, the Gold Sponsor, followed by the Silver Sponsors, Go Sport & Courir and Mais Alghanim.

Moreover, Al Hajiri added “GOAL! Skills game is unique in the country, its objective is to develop and sharpen basic football play-

ing skills while encouraging social interaction, good sportsmanship, fitness abilities and friendly competition.

It is certainly a fun football gaming experience. The rules of the game are simple; players/participants must hit moving targets within a 45 seconds period to score points and they can opt for 5 different individual or head-to-head skills games. I invite you all to try this thrilling game”.

The General Manager USC/GOAL, Eng. Ghassan Assi explained “One key element that I would mention is that players need to move from side to side in the game booth, both with and without the ball. This is to ensure they have the best possible chance of hitting the target that is active, and as importantly, that they are in the correct position to receive the re-bound, control the ball and then get the next shot as quickly as possible.

This is more efficient and reflects how professionals play these games”.

Opposition bloc discusses resignation ahead of protest Unionists to participate KUWAIT: The opposition bloc plans to discuss resignation from the 2009 parliament as a priority ahead of a public demonstration that will be held today for the first time since the government challenged the constitutionality of the electoral constituencies. According to sources, this decision prompted the bloc to hold a meeting originally scheduled tomorrow at MP Mubarak Al-Waalan’s dewaniya, yesterday afternoon instead “as a result of public pressure demanding that they live up to their resignation promises.”

The bloc, which consists of oppositionists who dominated majority seats in the annulled 2012 parliament, reportedly discussed the possibility of opposition lawmakers forwarding their written resignation “due to ambiguity in the political situation and the Parliament’s inability to convene as a result of lack of quorum.”

Sources who spoke to Al-Qabas explained that the MPs are still yet to file for resignation “because they know that failure to attend five consecutive sessions would automatically cost them their parliamentar y membership as per the Constitution and Parliament’s regulations.”

“After the Parliament was suspended, the opposition bloc intends to file their resignations officially before taking part in public protests,” sources added.

In the meantime, MP Dr Waleed AlTabtabaei confirmed that “the oppositionist minority in the 2009 parliament plans to resign within days,” explaining to Al-Rai that the delay came “in wait of the parliament’s dissolution after the Cabinet initially hinted that ministers will not attend its sessions.”

These developments happen while several opposition bloc members are set to participate in a mass demonstration today organized by the opposition-oriented Nahj group at the Iradah Square, pressing the government to take back the decision to refer the electoral system to the Constitutional Court, and go ahead with immediate procedures to dissolve the 2009 parliament reinstated by a ruling passed by the same court last June. The demonstrators are also expected to announce boycotting future elections should a verdict finds the current system which divides Kuwait into five constituencies - unconstitutional, and the govern-

ment subsequently changes the system by passing ordinances.

The opposition argues that the government seeks to amend the distribution of constituencies outside the Parliament so as to come up with a formula that favors chances of pro-government candidates in future elections. In the meantime, Al-Rai reported yesterday that the Cabinet plans next week to approach the opposition bloc for talks “to reach an agreement on a mechanism to later constituencies transparently, so that the government is not accused of carrying out the amendments solely to serve personal interests,” reported Al-Rai. A number of unionists announced participating in today’s protest, including Ajmy Al-Mutalaqem Acting President of the National Union of Kuwait’s Workers and Employees (NUKWE), and Ahmad AlEniz y Head of the General Customs Department’s labor union. Counter calls were made by other labor unions who believe that demonstration adds to the state of political instability in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliances announced plans not to take part in the ‘untimely’ and ‘unjustifiable’ protest,

calling in statements by Secretary General Khalid Al-Khalid that the demonstration is called off “for the benefit of the public good in an respect of the Constitution.”

Meanwhile, Annahar daily reported yesterday that the Cabinet is discussing a proposal mentioned by some ministers “about the need to form a crisis cell that handles preparations for emergency cases that could erupt from the projected public protests movement,” reported Annahar.

The Cabinet held its weekly meeting this morning with several “local and regional topics” on its agenda, starting with “addressing the use of social networks to discuss topics that negatively affect the relationship between the people of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates,” reported AlJarida yesterday quoting Cabinet insiders.

The meeting is also set to address the problem of spread of weapons in Kuwaiti society, which resur faced following a recent incident in which a citizen was killed on his wedding day using a celebratory gunshot, in addition to claims made

by MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei about “weapons’ warehouses” in several locations across Kuwait, reported Al-Jarida.

Debts blamed for 53,000 travel bans KUWAIT: Nearly 53,000 Kuwaitis and expatriates living in Kuwait are banned from traveling for different reasons, though mostly for being in debt, while there 26,000 subpoenas have been issued against indebted individuals, according to most recent statistics released by the Department of Execution in the Ministry of Justice.

The statistics, published by Al-Rai yesterday, show that the number of Kuwaitis wanted by authorities is larger than the number of expatriates, based on individual statistics of governorates, which indicates that nearly 13,500 subpoenas were issued for residents in Al-Ahmadi, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, and Al-Jahra, which includes a majority of Kuwaiti citizens.

On the other hand, the number of expatriates banned from travelling exceeds that of Kuwaitis, as shown by the statistics, (based on the number of orders per governante) which reports that governorates with dominating expat populations, such as Hawally and Farwaniya, have the largest numbers of travel bans, with 11,971 and 17,245 respectively.

The statistics further indicate that the 52,708 travel ban orders issued as of Aug 1, 2012 are actually a significant drop from a previous reading taken on June 1, 2012 when there were some 88,000. In that regard, head of the General Department of Execution, Ali Al-Dhababi, commented by saying that “the period that followed the announcement of a grant from HH Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah which covered expenses to help defaulters pay their debts perhaps prompted many companies and banks to reschedule debts of its Kuwaiti debtors in order to benefit from the grant”.

Tough time for foreign banks KUWAIT: Banking sources said that the majority of foreign banks in Kuwait have had little success since the first HSBC branch bank opened in 2005.

Sources said the difficulties and challenges the banking sector are facing, such as the weak credit market, a virtual halt in financing, weak spending and a lack of new projects, have dramatically slowed the banking environment.

The sources added that foreign banks in Kuwait also suffered from their own problems, such as the inability to open more than one branch in Kuwait and having to employ 60% of Kuwaitis, in addition to not being able to offer services that Kuwaiti banks are able to provide.

They further said that despite the increase this year in the number of foreign banks in Kuwait to ten, they still have not met their goals, and they have not made the profits expected from entering the Kuwait market.

They were not alone, however, as even the goal of the Kuwait government to widen the base of the banking system was not met.

KUWAIT: Garbage bags are seen piled up in front of a baqala located in Hasawi named ‘The Beautiful.’ — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

LOCAL

Text message leads to arrest of ‘weekend parties’ host Illegal activities at Salmiya apartment KUWAIT: Salmiya police arrested a man accused of turning his apartment into a location to host couples wishing to spend private time together. The arrest happened after the suspect advertised his illegal activities through text messages, one of which ended up on a senior Interior Ministry official’s cell phone. According to a security source with knowledge of the case, investigations took place as per orders of Acting Director of the Hawally Investigations Department Lt Col Waleed AlFadhel.

The source further said the officer had received a ‘WhatsApp’ message containing an advertisement for “weekend parties” at a Salmiya apartment prepared especially for couples looking for a place to spend some private time together.

The apartment’s renter was then caught in a trap in which an officer called, posing as a customer, and arranged to arrive that weekend with his girlfriend. The location provided by the suspect was surrounded by criminal investigators until they made sure he was inside before proceeding. The officers confirmed that the apartment was fully prepared to host parties, which the suspect admitted to following his arrest. The suspect told authorities that he had spent thousands of dinars on the apartment “in

order to prepare a place for his friends and their girlfriends”. The arrest reportedly happened only one week after the man decided to expand his illegal activity by inviting “new customers”. The man was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

‘Mentally unstable’ rapist A man accused of kidnapping and raping his girlfriend explained, following his arrest recently, that a psychological condition led him to commit the crimes. The Egyptian suspect was arrested in Hawally following investigations that began after his girlfriend approached local police to press charges for kidnapping and sexual assault. The victim, also an Egyptian, explained to officers that the suspect drove her to a remote location in Sulaibiya after she believed they were going out on a date, but was then raped at knifepoint. In an attempt to justify committing the crime, the man told police that he acted due to the pressure of psychological troubles he has been facing. He remains in custody pending legal procedures.

Heart attack A Kuwaiti man in his twenties died of a heart attack during a play showing at the Labor Union Theater in Maidan Hawally

Saturday. The victim reportedly collapsed five minutes after entering the theater with his wife and child. He was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics who arrived shortly after the incident was reported. The victim’s body was taken to the forensic department while a case was filed with local police.

Pedestrian killed A middle aged man was killed in Al-Nugra after he was struck by a car driven by a male driver who was then placed under arrest. The 52-year-old Lebanese man was pronounced dead on the scene before criminal investigators transported the body to the forensic department. The driver, a Kuwaiti man in his forties, was released on bail after being detained briefly at Al-Nugra police station where he was charged with manslaughter.

Shooting probed Investigations continue to reveal the mystery behind a case in which a Kuwaiti man accused an unidentified driver of shooting a gun, although at this point police have found no evidence at the scene to support his claims.

Security officers were called to a location in Salwa after a retired citizen reported being targeted by at least seven gunshots following a traffic dispute with another

driver, who escaped after the shooting. Despite finding no bullet shells or other traces that indicate a shooting happened at the scene, police filed a case for further investigations after the complainant insisted that the shooting had occurred.

Offensive graffiti Ahmadi investigators are reportedly working with State Security personnel to identify and arrest a person who wrote offensive graffiti outside a school’s wall and a nearby transformer in Fahaheel on six different occasions. According to a security source with knowledge of the case, efforts to identify the suspect began after investigations revealed that graffiti was found six times at the same location and was scrawled by the same person.

Corvette impounded A female driver was pulled over at the Abdul-Kareem AlKhatabi in Al-Rumaithiya after driving her sports car over 120km per hour. The woman reportedly refused to stop after being ordered to pull over, prompting police to chase her down. Upon questioning, the woman failed to produce a valid driver’s license so her Corvette was impounded. The woman was issued a traffic ticket and had to find a way home without her car. — Al-Rai, Al-Anbaa

KUWAIT: One of the gang members pictured after his arrest.

Five-member gang arrested

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Capital governorate police along with Hawally police arrested a fivemember gang belonging to different nationalities that specialized in armed robbery and also raped housemaids.

Several reports were received from citizens who registered cases against thefts and rape taking place at their homes.

Victims reported that criminals would knock on the door, claiming to be deliverymen. When the housemaid opened the door, the gang attacked family members and forcibly confined them to a room. They collected expensive items from the house and fled the scene. Some housemaids were also raped.

According to information received, the first suspect was in possession of an unlicensed gun and his financial status changed suddenly. Looking into his records, they found that he has a history of committing theft in the past.

Detectives were sure that the suspect was present at the crime scene, and was

identified by some victims. In coordination between capital governorate police and Hawally police, a special task force was formed and they arrested the first, second and third suspects. The suspects assaulted security men and resisted arrest. Guns and knives were confiscated from their possession and they confessed to committing crimes and divulged details about the place where the stolen items were sold. They were referred to the Public Prosecution Department.

The fourth suspect was arrested on Saturday by Hawally police. He confessed to participating in the crimes with other suspects. Police are seeking the hideout of the booty. Police also learnt that that the fourth suspect sold the stolen gold jewelry to the fifth suspect who worked in a jewelry shop. He melted the jewelry and resold it to a goldsmith so that it became impossible to identify the stolen gold. The 5th suspect and confiscated materials were referred to concerned authorities.

AL concerned over escalating violence in Syria CAIRO: Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi voiced concerns yesterday over the steadily escalating violence in Syria, which claimed the lives of thousands of civilians in the past months.

“The situation in Syria is moving from bad to worse in the past months,” Al-Arabi said in a joint press conference with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti.

Al-Arabi underlined that the Arab League is committed to the Arab initiative for peaceful power transition in Syria. The Arab League chief said he is discussing the situation in Syria and efforts exerted to resolve it with the UN-Arab Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on daily basis. For his part, Karti welcomed the recent appointment of Brahimi as an envoy to Syria.

Brahim is a highly professional and respectable Arab diplomat, Karti said, expressing optimism about his (Brahimi) chances to achieve success in his mission. Meanwhile, Iran Deputy

Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian left here for Beirut to discuss major regional and international developments with Lebanese officials.

Iranian News Agency (IRNA) reported that Amir-Abdollahian will hold separate talks with senior Lebanese politicians on issues of mutual interest.

In his talks with Lebanese officials, the Iranian diplomat will also review Tehran-Beirut relations.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Iran’s Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi arrived in Damascus, Syria for a two-day official visit, the agency said. The MP’s visit is aimed at negotiating with the Syrian officials on ways to promote parliamentary relations between the two countries.

The two Iranian officials’ visit coincide with the nearing of the NonAligned Movement (NAM) Summit scheduled to hold in Tehran August 29-31. — KUNA

Banking Studies Institute releases report on GCC banks KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Banking Studies Institute released its 24th report on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) banks with comprehensive data on performance, growth rates, and profitability of conventional as well as Islamic banks over the past three years.

Institute Chairman Dr Yagoub Al-Rifaei said the report included an analysis of data of 52 main conventional banks and 20 Islamic Shariah-compliant banking institutions in the GCC countries.

He said assets of banks reported at $250 million and higher. The report was issued supplemented with comparison graphs and tables for the main indices and points of interest for the period con-

cerned. The importance attached to this report is because it reflects the practical results of official bodies’ efforts realizing stronger monetary and economic cooperation and integration.

There is also the key role played by and the weight of the Gulf banking sector in comparison with non-state sectors of the GCC in local, regional, and international markets.

The chairman said that the report was issued in both Arabic and English to provide easier access to accurate data for those in the field, and he noted there is a summary of the main indicators and content of the report accessible via the institute’s webpage —KUNA

LONDON: Members of the Kuwaiti team with Ambassador Khalid Al-Duwaisan.

Kuwaiti flag hoisted at Olympic Village LONDON: The Kuwaiti flag was hoisted at London’s Olympic Village and the Kuwaiti national anthem was played at the Olympic Village on Saturday evening, ahead of the upcoming Paralympics scheduled to be held between Aug 29 and Sept 9.

The flag-raising ceremony was attended by Khalid Al-Duwaisan, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Kuwaiti Ambassador and members of the Kuwaiti Paralympics team, along with officials of the village who presented the Kuwaiti delegation with a commemorative token, received by the delegation president Mansour Al-Serheid.

Ambassador Al-Duwaisan said it was a source of great pride and relief to have the nation’s flag raised and national anthem played for the second time this year, the first time being at the Olympics which took place between July 27 and Aug 12.

“We now hope our athletes excel and have our flag raised at the medals ceremonies,” the diplomat stressed, adding that the Kuwaiti Embassy and all its staff are ready to serve the delegation in whatever manner necessary throughout the games.

Head of the delegation Al-Serheid noted that the team and delegation members are most appreciative of the embassy’s support and services, which inspired even more drive and determination to do well at the competitions.

He said the delegation was received upon arrival in London with all needed facilities and services, whether at the Olympic Village or elsewhere through the support of the embassy. “The moral support was especially appreciated.”

In terms of training for this event, the team is has just returned from two ‘successful’ training camps held in Tunisia and Warsaw, he said, and even the training in Tunisia held during the month of Ramadan was very successful.

The Kuwaiti team groups six players, five of which are competing in track and field events and a sixth athlete competing in fencing. Heavy rains impeded the raising of the Kuwaiti flag at the customary location at the Olympic Village and it was raised in an alternative location along with the flags of Oman, Lithuania, Belarus, and Tajikistan. — KUNA

LONDON: The Kuwaiti flag at the Olympic Village.

Kuwait participates in Venice international exhibition

KUWAIT: A team from the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate’s Public Relations Department and a team from KOC Fire Department paid a visit to Amghara scrap yard Saturday to spread awareness among workers employed there about preventing fire incidents. They distributed pamphlets, posters to convey the message to all employees belonging to different backgrounds. The aim is to inform them on steps to be taken in case a fire breaks out and how to store materials in the correct manner. Of late, the area has witnessed several fires. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

VENICE: Kuwait National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) is participating in the 13th International Architecture Exhibition (La Biennale di Venezia), which began its official activities here yesterday.

In the presence of the Biennale’s Chairman Paolo Baratta, Chief Supervisor of the exhibition and representatives of participating countries, the pavilion review process was launched by the technical evaluation committee in Giardini della Biennale and Arsenale, the old armory, which hosts the Kuwaiti pavilion.

The 13th International Architecture Exhibition entitled ‘Common Ground’ is organized to highlight and stress the presence of architectural culture, which is not confined to individual creations, but also the rich heritage of different ideas.

Moreover, Kuwait is participat-

ing in this significant international forum in Asenale, the special pavilion, which includes (Kathra), a long term project that will host discussions, workshops and events.

In addition, some 40 Kuwaiti artists and architects, including architect Zahra Ali Baba and Deema Al-Ghunaim are participating in this exhibition to shed light on the Kuwaiti pavilion.

Their participation has been praised and supported by the Kuwait Municipality and the Ministry of Public Works(MPW ) among others.

It is scheduled for the representatives of NCCAL and head of the Kuwaiti delegation, during the opening of the Kuwaiti pavilion and Kathra gallery on Tuesday evening to inaugurate the Kuwaiti pavilion. The Biennale is scheduled to run until Nov 25, 2012. —KUNA

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

Anti-nuclear protests signal new activism in Japan Page 11

Tropical Storm Isaac lashes Cuba, kills six in Haiti Page 10

YANAN: Police and rescuers remove the bodies from a burnt out double-decker sleeper bus after a collision with a tanker near Yanan in northern China’s Shaanxi province yesterday. At least 36 people died in the fiery collision between a methanol tanker and a double-decker sleeper bus in China’s worst traffic accident in more than a year. —AFP

Tanker-bus crash inferno kills 36 China’s worst traffic accident in more than a year BEIJING: At least 36 people died when a double-decker sleeper bus slammed into the rear of a methanol tanker and burst into flames yesterday in China’s worst traffic accident in more than a year.

Both vehicles caught fire and only three of the 39 people onboard the bus survived the motorway crash, which occurred in the early hours of the morning in Shaanxi province, the state Xinhua news agency said.

A traffic police official said the fact most the passengers were asleep at the time might account for the high number of deaths, while there were also suggestions they had been unable to escape because there was only one door. A total of 36 bodies were pulled from the charred shell of the bus and three people were taken to hospital. The driver and passenger of

the tanker were taken into police custody, Xinhua said.

It appears the bus slammed into the back of the tanker as it was re-entering the motorway from a service station in the northern Yanan City, according to a report on the website of the Shaanxi government.

Skid marks stretching for ten metres (32 feet) were clearly visible on the road, suggesting the bus had noticed the tanker in its path before the collision, the report said. “Only the shell remains, it is not possible to see even the luggage or the passenger seats in the wreckage,” the Shaanxi website said, quoting a report from state-run China Central Television (CCTV).

“The bus also only has one door, which could be a reason that the passengers could

not escape.” Pictures showed the front of the tanker was unscathed, while the bus had been almost completely destroyed by the blaze.

The accident was the worst in China since a fire on an overcrowded sleeper bus carrying flammable materials killed 41 passengers in central China in July last year, according to the country’s work safety watchdog.

Yue Jiuxiang, a local traffic police official in charge of the rescue operation, told CCTV: “Soon after the collision, the bus was engulfed by flames. “The front part of the bus was seriously damaged. Most of the passengers were sleeping. This is why so many people died.”

Police were investigating the cause of the accident, which happened on the BaotouMaoming Expressway, which spans the length of China from the northern city of Baotou to

the southern province of Guangdong.

The bus-which was not overcrowded-had departed Hohhot in Inner Mongolia at 5:00 pm on Saturday and was heading to the Shaanxi provincial capital Xian when the collision occurred, reports said.

An official at Yanan city government information department surnamed Liu confirmed the death toll. Separately, ten people were killed and two injured when a van and a truck collided in southwest China, Xinhua said, without providing more immediate details.

China’s roads are highly dangerous, with traffic laws and safety widely flouted, and truck drivers typically overworked. Last year, more than 62,000 people died in traffic accidents, state media said, citing police figures.

Vehicles carrying explosive materials-which

Syria’s Shara makes first appearance DAMASCUS: Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara made his first public appearance in over a month yesterday, following rumours that he had tried to defect and was under house arrest. Shara, who met the head of the Iranian parliament’s foreign policy committee, Aladin Borujerdi, was last seen in public at a state funeral for top security officials who were killed in a Damascus bomb blast on July 18.

Speculation has swirled since last week over the fate of Shara, the highest-ranking Sunni Muslim official in President Bashar al-Assad’s minority Alawite-led regime, since the opposition claimed he had tried to defect.

Assad’s regime has been rattled by several highprofile defections as the Syrian conflict has escalated, including former prime minister Riad Hijab and prominent General Manaf Tlass, one of Assad’s childhood friends.

The July 18 bomb attack claimed by the Free Syrian Army also dealt him a major blow, killling four top security officials including defence minister Daoud Rajha and his deputy Assef Shawkat, Assad’s brother-in-law.

After the opposition claims that Shara had defected, state television on August 19 quoted a statement from his office saying: “Mr Shara has never thought about leaving the country or going anywhere.” A former deputy oil minister who defected in March this year also said earlier this month that it was “well-known” that Shara had tried to leave the country and was under house arrest. Borujerdi, whose government is Damasus’s staunchest ally, was quoted by the state news agency IRNA as saying yesterday: “We see Syria’s security as our security. On this basis, we will stick by our Syrian broth-

DAMASCUS: Syrian Vice President Faruq Al-Shara (R) meets the chairman of the Iranian Shura Council’s Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security Alaeddin Boroujerd who is on an official visit to Damascus yesterday. Al-Shara made his first public appearance in over a month following rumors that he had tried to defect. — AFP ers.” Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem also announced on Twitter he had replaced Shara, saysaid the government would only look at negotiat- ing the information was “wrong” and that the foring with the opposition after “purging Syria of eign minister did not have a Twitter account.

Shara, 73, has served in senior posts for almost armed groups,” IRNA reported.

Borujerdi also met Assad, Syria’s state news 30 years under both Assad and his father and predagency SANA said, SANA had said on Saturday that ecessor Hafez al-Assad. Hijab, the highest profile a fake email had been sent out in its name claiming government figure to defect, said on August 15 that Shara had been sacked, adding that the “infor- after fleeing to Jordan that regime only controlled 30 percent of Syria’s territory and had “collapsed mation is completely wrong.”

It was also forced to deny that Muallem had militarily, economically and morally.” — AFP

must first get permission from the police before travelling on the roads in China-are involved in many accidents. Buses are also commonly involved in road accidents as operators often seek to cram as many people as they can into their vehicles to maximise profits and drivers hurtle down highways.

The July 2011 accident involved a doubledecker which was reportedly only designed to carry 35 passengers but had 47 people on board. It was taking people to southern Hunan province when it caught fire in the early morning. Twenty-three people were killed and three injured in April when a bus and truck collided in the eastern province of Anhui.

Another collision between a tour bus and a truck the same month left 13 dead and 21 injured. —AFP

New constitution by late September: Egypt PM CAIRO: Egypt will have a new constitution drafted by the end of September and ready to be submitted to a nationwide referendum, the country’s prime minister said yesterday. Hisham Kandil did not specify a date for the referendum, though, according to Egypt’s MENA state news agency.

The drafting of a new constitution has been a highly divisive issue in Egypt since last year’s uprising that ousted longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak. The new charter is expected to define limits on the president’s powers and the role of Islamic law. Liberals walked out twice from the panel tasked with writing the constitution in the past, complaining that the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s most powerful political group, was trying to monopolize its drafting.

The panel was appointed by members of the Brotherhood-led parliament. After the legislature was dissolved, the country’s military generals gave themselves the right to oversee the drafting process.

However, in a bold political move, President Mohammed Morsi, who is a member of the Brotherhood, forced the top generals into early retirement this month and seized back control of the constitution writing process.

Morsi has said that if the 100-member panel currently drafting the document does not finish its work for whatever reason, he will appoint a new one within 15 days and give it three weeks to finish its work. The draft will then be put to a vote in a national referendum within 30 days.

Separately, Morsi’s spokesman announced Saturday a number of presidential advisors from the around 15 that will be appointed by the president. The president has yet to name a vice president, but has promised to be inclusive.

Some of the names announced as advisors were a mix of opposition figures, and included women and a Coptic Christian.

Among them is Egyptian journalist Sakina Fouad, who is a member of the opposition Democratic Front Party, Samir Morcos, a Coptic Christian official, and Essam al-Haddad of the Brotherhood.

Despite attempts to bring various groups into the fold, average Egyptians continue to stage daily protests against poverty, social inequality and injustice.

Earlier Saturday, an Egyptian man doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire outside the presidential palace in Cairo to protest his years of unemployment. Arafa Kamel Khalifa was in critical condition after being rushed to a hospital, officials said.—AP

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MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

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

Australia reopens probe of 1982 anti-Israel bombings SYDNEY: Australian police yesterday reopened inquiries into the 1982 bombing of the Israeli consulate in Sydney and a Jewish club, reportedly after interviewing an extremist jailed over a blast on a Pan Am flight that year.

No one was killed but two people were injured in the attacks on the consulate and the Jewish Hakoah sports club in Bondi on December 23, 1982 — crimes that have gone unsolved for almost 30 years. But police reopened the case yesterday, publishing photographs of two male suspects, after a review of the Sydney bombings reportedly led them to convicted extremist Mohammed Rashed,

in jail for a blast on Pan Am flight 830.

A Japanese teenager died and 15 others were wounded when a bomb exploded on the flight from Tokyo to Honolulu on August 11, 1982. “This review, and a range of enquiries here and overseas, were able to establish that there were sufficient grounds to warrant a formal re-investigation into the bombings upon the Israeli consulate and Hakoah Club in 1982,” said assistant commissioner Peter Dein, head of the counter-terrorism squad.

“It was luck more than anything else that no one was killed in these bombings, and while it is almost 30 years ago we know there are people out there

living with the knowledge or guilt of these crimes.”

Dein refused to confirm the link to Rashed but several media reports citing police sources close to the case said the Jordanian-born explosives expert had been interviewed by officers in the US and was key to the case being reopened.

Rashed was part of an Iraq-based proPalestinian group, 15 May, that targeted US and Israeli interests in the 1980s, and he received leniency in his Pan Am sentence for cooperating with international authorities as an informant.

Sydney police have long believed 15 May, named for the date of the first Arab-Israeli war, was

linked to the Hakoah club and consulate bombings.

Dein said the investigation would apply “new technologies and investigative procedures to an historical crime”. Two people, including a Hungarian holocaust survivor, were wounded when a bomb went off in a stairwell of the Israeli consulate in central Sydney at 2:00 pm on December 23, 1982.The second bomb, detonated about five hours later in the Hakoah Club’s carpark, failed to explode properly and did not injure anyone, but there was extensive damage to the car it was in and two others nearby.

There were a “large number” of athletes inside the building at the time, according to police. —AFP

Hamas scales back hopes of open Egypt border Rafah crossing to open for six days RAFAH: Business is down because of an Egyptian security clampdown, but smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border keep operating under the supervision of Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

The militant Hamas had hoped the Islamists who took charge in Egypt this summer - fellow members of the region’s Muslim Brotherhood - would swiftly turn the shared border crossing into a free-flowing trade route, ending Gaza’s five-year isolation from the world and making the tunnels obsolete.

However, a senior Hamas official acknowledged that Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi hasn’t promised dramatic change, even as he tries to distance himself from the policy of his ousted predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, of

Gaza Egypt ties would deepen Gaza’s economic and political separation from the West Bank, located on the opposite side of Israel, and undercut already remote chances of melding the two areas into a Palestinian state.

Trade ties could also hurt Egypt’s own attempts to broker a unity deal between Hamas and its main rival, West Bank-based Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. An open border to Egypt would boost Gaza’s hobbled economy, strengthen Hamas and might make reconciliation even less desirable for the Islamic militants who balked in the past at giving Abbas a renewed say in Gaza for the sake of unity. Hamas seized the territory from Abbas by force in 2007.

Hamad, the Gaza official, said that because

RAFAH: A Palestinian Hamas policeman checks the passports of Palestinian women travelling to Egypt from the Rafah border crossing yesterday. Egypt decided to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Gaza it had mostly kept closed since a deadly attack in Sinai killed 16 Egyptian soldiers on August 5, the official MENA news agency reported. —FP keeping Gaza sealed. “I think it’s a mistake that some people expected a lot from the new political regime (in Egypt),” Ghazi Hamad, deputy foreign minister of Gaza and a key Hamas point man with Egypt, said in an interview this week. “Egypt is a big country and Gaza is not the only problem for Egypt.”

Gaza became a bigger problem for Egypt after an Aug 5 attack in which gunmen in the Sinai Peninsula, next to Gaza, killed 16 Egyptian soldiers. That raised new worries about the smuggling of weapons and militants through border tunnels, and Egypt is investigating whether the assailants had ties to Gaza.

Hamas denies anyone from Gaza was involved and said it is cooperating with the Egyptian investigation, but senior Hamas figures also complained about a subsequent Egyptian border clampdown.

Despite the Egyptian security sweep, Morsi has assured Hamas leaders Egypt wants a new border regime. Some in Hamas and even some Egyptian officials raised the idea of a free trade zone between Egypt and Gaza.

However, open cross-border trade could trigger unintended consequences. Stronger

of such constraints, he expects Egypt to offer only limited improvements on the border for now, such as allowing more people to cross and sending more electricity and fuel. A Hamas delegation left for Cairo on Saturday to discuss such arrangements.

“They want to move step by step,” he said of his Egyptian counterparts. “They move very carefully.” Last month, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood said Morsi will not lend a hand to suffocating Gaza, but was evasive when asked whether Egypt would allow regular trade.

In one hopeful sign for Gaza, the Rafah passenger terminal, Gaza’s gate to Egypt and the world, will resume operating six days a week, starting Sunday, a Gaza border official and the Egyptian news agency MENA said. After the Sinai attack, Egypt had closed the terminal for several days, then allowed only limited movement.

In a next step, Hamas wants Egypt to keep Rafah open for 12 hours per day, up from eight now, to reduce what Gaza officials say is a backlog of 40,000 people wanting to cross.

Hamas also wants Egypt to strike names from a blacklist of thousands of Gazans barred from

entering Egypt. Hamad said Egypt promised to study the requests.

Amid the uncertainty, tunnels remain Gaza’s safety net. The underground passages usually several hundred meters (yards) long, with white tents marking their entry points served as Gaza’s lifeline during the harshest days of the Israeli-Egyptian blockade after the Hamas takeover.

After Israel resumed shipping consumer goods to Gaza two years ago, tunnel operators shifted to building materials and other goods restricted by Israel. Since the Sinai attack, Egypt has closed dozens of tunnel openings. But previous security crackdowns failed because smugglers recoup, and an Egyptian security official said he expected a similar outcome this time.

One Gaza smuggler said Egyptian troops sealed his tunnel immediately after the attack, and he was told by his partners in Egypt that far fewer smuggled goods are now reaching the border because of a heavy troop presence in Sinai.

At some point, the Egyptians will ease up and he’ll try to reopen his tunnel, said the 41year-old who, like others interviewed about tunnel operations spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions.

Hamas has turned the border zone into a bonded area with checkpoints, where it levies taxes on goods coming through. On a recent afternoon this week, trucks loaded with cement and gravel from Egypt stopped at a Hamas-run gate, paid their fees and headed into the border town of Rafah.

Underground travel between Gaza and Sinai, a lawless haven for militants and smugglers, is also continuing. A 32-year-old Gaza man, who returned from medical treatment in Egypt several days before the Sinai attack, said sneaking under the border is “as easy as crossing the street.” Travelers are vetted by Hamas security, walk for about five minutes through a short tunnel and pay $25 in fees, he said.

Since the Egyptian clampdown, only one of several passenger tunnels is operating, said a Gaza fish importer and frequent traveler.

Returning to Gaza earlier this week, he was interrogated by Hamas security and had to pay $300 in bribes to Egyptian officers, triple the usual amount, he said.

Underground trade, with an estimated volume of hundreds of millions of dollars a year, has dropped by more than 50 percent since the Egyptian clampdown, said a Hamas security official.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said that Gaza needs the tunnels until Egypt can offer trade above ground, but that Hamas promises to monitor closely who and what gets into Egypt. “When the (Rafah) terminal is opened for goods and passengers, these tunnels are going to be completely sealed,” he said.

That may be a long way off. Hamad said Egypt is concerned that full trade ties will deepen the Palestinian split and provide an opening for Israel to “unload” Gaza. Israel occupied Gaza for 38 years, until a withdrawal in 2005, and many in the international community still hold Israel partially responsible for Gaza because it controls access. “We talk to them many times. We assure them that Gaza is part of the Palestinian homeland. Gaza is not part of Egypt,” he said. —AP

Israel ex-soldiers say troops abused Palestinian kids JERUSALEM: Former Israeli soldiers who served in the occupied territories say that mistreatment of Palestinian children by troops is “routine” and occurs even at times of relative calm. A collection of over 30 testimonies published yesterday by Breaking the Silence, a group of ex-servicemen critical of army practices, says physical violence, often arbitrary, is used against very young children.

“The testifiers depict a routine in which Palestinian minors, often under 10 years of age, are treated in a manner that ignores their young age,” says the 72-page booklet. Entitled “Children and Youth: Soldiers’ Testimonies 20052011,” it covers a period after the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, of 2000-2005.

“Although the events described

here took place after the peak of the second intifada, at a time perceived as calm and uneventful from a ‘security’ standpoint, the reality that emerges from the testimonies shows that harsh treatment of Palestinian children continues unabated,” it says.

In one example, a former staffsergeant, unidentified like most who give testimony, describes a punitive raid on a neighbourhood in the Ramallah area following earlier clashes with Palestinians.

He said a dozen soldiers with wooden clubs “beat people to a pulp. Finally the children who remained on the ground were arrested. The order was to run, make people fall to the ground,” he said.

“A slow runner was beaten, that was the rule,” he said. Another for-

mer staff-sergeant describes an operation against the West Bank village of Azzun, where stones had been thrown from a curve in the road at motorists from the nearby Israeli settlement of Maale Shomron.

“We got to the village, drove up to the houses closest to the curve, and then saw a group of children, 9-10 years old, running away,” he said. “First they ran, went onto the balcony of some house, and then the commander took a stun grenade and hurled it into that balcony. It blew up. I don’t think it hurt them or anything, but it made them run out of the balcony.”

He describes a chase after the children during which his commander cocked his firearm and aimed in the face of one of them

from close range. “The kid was just freaking out, certain he was going to be killed, and begged and pleaded for his life,” the soldier said.

“A kid has to beg for his life? A loaded gun is pointed at him and he has to plead for mercy? This is something that scars him for life.”

The Israeli military said in response that Breaking the Silence had not provided it with sufficient background material to enable it to investigate specific claims.

“By compiling testimonies over long periods of times and refusing to provide additional details, the organisation proves its true intentions-rather than facilitating proper investigation, the organisation seeks to generate negative publicity regarding the IDF and its soldiers,” it said in a statement. —AFP

TRIPOLI: A Libyan protester holds a sign reading ‘Libya isn’t Afghanistan’ during a demonstration next to the mausoleum of Al-Shaab Al-Dahman yesterday to condemn attempts to demolish it and to protest against Islamic extremism. —AFP

Libya’s interior minister quits TRIPOLI: Interior Minister Fawzi Abdelali resigned yesterday after coming under fire for the performance of security forces during a surge of violence that has rocked Libya, an official from his office told AFP. “He submitted his resignation to protest against congressmen criticising the government and to defend the revolutionaries,” the official said, referring to former rebels who now form part of the country’s security services. Libyan security services have come in for censure following double car bombings that killed two people on the day Muslims celebrated the feast of Eid al-Fitr a week ago in Tripoli and attacks on several Muslim shrines in the past few days.

The criticism has been led by the newly elected General National Congress, which yesterday accused the interior ministry’s High Security Committee of being lax or even implicated in the destruction of shrines, including those of the Sufi sect. Islamist hardliners on Saturday bulldozed part of the mausoleum of Al-Shaab Al-Dahman, close to the centre of the Libyan capital. The demolition came a day after hardliners blew up the mausoleum of Sheikh Abdessalem Al-Asmar in Zliten, 160 km east of the capital. According to witnesses another mausoleum, that of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Zarruq, had been destroyed in the port of Misrata, 200 km east of Tripoli.

Hardline Sunni Islamists are implacably opposed to the veneration of tombs of revered Muslim figures, saying that such devotion should be reserved for God alone.

The Sufi sect, which practises a mystical form of Islam and has played a historic role in the affairs of Libya, has increasingly found itself in conflict with Qatari- and Saudi-trained Salafist preachers who consider it heretical.

Prime Minister Abdelrahim al-Kib, meanwhile, defended the work of his government.

“The security organs have done their work effectively, they have foiled several plots and quickly arrested those responsible for acts of

sabotage,” he told a meeting of the General National Congress, Libya’s new authority. Kib called on the congress to “quickly adopt laws criminalising the carrying of weapons and attacking historical and religious monuments”.

Defence Minister Osama Juili told the congress that the main difficulty he faced was “the occupation of strategic military sites by groups of revolutionaries who refuse to join the department of defence”. Dozens of protesters responded to calls on Internet social networks and took to the streets of the capital yesterday to denounce the destruction of the mausoleums. “Libya is not Afghanistan!” shouted one woman protester, referring to the destruction by the Taliban of that country’s famous Buddha statues at Bamiyan.

The demonstrators marched from Algeria Square in the centre of Tripoli towards the ruins of the Al-Shaab Al-Dahman mausoleum several hundred metres away, where debris from the demolition was still being cleared away. Members of the security forces had closed the road off to traffic. “We reject extremism,” “No to the destruction of monuments” and “Islam rejects tombs being profaned” read some of the slogans on placards carried by protesters. Abderrazak Al-Badri, president of the local council in Tripoli, said security was being boosted around other mausoleums and also museums as security forces were alerted to extremist threats against the country’s heritage.

“All the museums have been closed, and the main monuments have been protected,” he said. “We carried out the revolution to found a state of law and institutions, not to instal chaos.” The High Security Committee comprises ex-rebels who fought Muammar Gaddafi’s forces last year in the conflict that ended in the dictator’s death last October.

The rebels had taken over security in the country after the fall of Gaddafi’s regime before they were integrated into the ministry of interior’s forces. —AFP

Egypt defends Syria contact group that includes Iran CAIRO: Egypt yesterday defended its idea of forming a regional contact group on Syria which would include Iran, a staunch Damascus ally, insisting that Tehran could “be part of the solution” to the Syrian crisis.

President Mohamed Morsi proposed at this month’s Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit in Mecca creating such a group made up of Egypt and Iran, as well as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, two countries supporting the rebels fighting President Bashar alAssad’s regime.

“If this group succeeds, Iran would be part of the solution and not the problem,” Morsi’s spokesman Yassir Ali told reporters.

“Solving the problem demands inviting all parties active in the region,” he said, noting that Tehran was an “influential partner ” of Damascus.

Morsi will attend the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran on August 30 when he will pass the movement’s presidency from Egypt to Iran.

It will be the first visit by an Egyptian head of state since the two countries severed diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago. Ali said that Morsi’s visit of “a few hours” would be dedicated solely to the summit.

“No other subject is expected,” he said when asked if the issue of resumption of diplomatic relations between Cairo and Tehran could be addressed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, in comments reported in Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper on Tuesday, said that Tehran was keen on establishing relations of “friendship and brotherhood” with Cairo.

“Egypt is the cornerstone of the region and has a special stature in the Arab and Muslim countries... and we want relations of friendship and brotherhood with it,” Salehi said, adding that Tehran hoped to restore “normal” ties with Cairo. “ We will pursue this path and restoration of relations depends only on protocol measures,” he said. Iran cut ties with Egypt in 1980 after the Islamic revolution in protest against the 1979 peace accords between Egypt and Israel.

Iran and Israel are arch-foes in the Middle East, with the latter not ruling out the possibility of a military strike against Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme. Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak regarded Iran as a destabilising factor in the Middle East. —AFP

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

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

Man charged in case of teen allegedly held captive WASHINGTON PARK: A southwestern Illinois man was charged Saturday with aggravated criminal sexual abuse in connection with a St. Louis teenager who told police she was held captive in his home for three years and conceived a child with him before escaping.

St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly said Saturday that 25year-old Steven Elliot Johnson had sex with the teenager when she was underage, but would not comment on whether the evidence supports the teen’s story of being held against her will. Johnson was charged with a total of five crimes, including a felony count of promotion of prostitution, but Kelly would not say if that was related to the teenager. The other counts were two felony drug charges and a felony gun charge. Johnson’s mother, 54-year-old

Owida Johnson, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment. The teenager, now 19, told police that the mother had helped detain her and falsify medical records when the now 2-year-old child was born. Kelly said the two counts of child endangerment involve two children, but would not say to whom the other child belonged. Two children were taken from the Johnson home on Thursday by a SWAT team.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Kelly told The Associated Press. “We consider everything as it related to the credibility (of ) the witnesses ... in deciding whether to issue charges.” The suspects are being held at the St. Clair County Jail. Steven Johnson was being held on $2 million bond, his mother on $15,000 bond. No court date has been set and Kelly said no defense

attorneys have been appointed.

The teenager is with family members, Kelly said. The children are now in the hands of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Kelly said that officials found unsafe and unsanitary conditions in the home, including exposed wiring, spoiled food in the refrigerator, animal feces and insects and vermin.

Police say the teenager told them she met the suspect through a social acquaintance and visited his home around the time she was reported missing. The man wouldn’t allow her to go back to her parents, she told police. Clark, the police chief, has said the teenager bolted from the home Monday and told investigators that her time in captivity included almost daily beatings and sexual assaults.

Clark said Friday investigators plan

to have the child’s DNA tested to determine whether Johnson is the father. Johnson’s brother, Eric Johnson, told the News-Democrat that the teenager wasn’t held against her will and frequently went to neighborhood stores and the child’s pediatrician.

He said his brother had thrown the teenager out of the home several times. “She always came back,” said Johnson, who also told the newspaper that he once offered to take her to a shelter after one of the couple’s numerous fights.

Eric Johnson also defended his mother, telling the newspaper that she “took good care of that boy.”

“When they took him out of the house, he was clean and not dirty,” Johnson said. Steven Johnson also faces charges of unlawful possession with intent to deliver a controlled sub-

stance, which Kelly identified as cocaine; possession with intent to deliver marijuana; and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. Kelly said Johnson had a previous conviction for residential burglary in 2005.

The five charges combined would bring a maximum sentence of 30 years. The teenager told police she repeatedly tried to escape the house, which is on Washington Park’s busiest street and next door to a convenience store, just a half mile from a freeway.

Washington Park is a village of 4,200 people tucked on the edge of East St. Louis. Known for its strip clubs and poverty, the community has grappled for years with corruption and violent crime punctuated by the 2010 shooting death of the village’s mayor, John Thornton. — AP

Tropical Storm Isaac lashes Cuba, kills six in Haiti Florida Keys in sights

PUNTO FIJO: A Venezuelan PDVSA state oil company worker walks after an explosion in Venezuelan largest oil refinery Amuay, part of the larger Paraguana Oil Refining Complex, on Saturday, in Punto Fijo, Falcon state, northwestern Venezuela. According to official sources the blast left at least 39 people killed, injured 80 others and caused extensive damage. — AFP

Venezuela in mourning after refinery blast PUNTO FIJO: Venezuela was in mourning yesterday after a massive explosion tore through the country’s largest refinery, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 80 others. President Hugo Chavez declared three days of national mourning Saturday, saying the tragedy affected “the great Venezuelan family, civilian and military.”

Among the dead were 18 members of the National Guard-who were protecting the state-owned refining facility in the northwestern town of Amuay-and 15 civilians, Vice President Elias Jaua said.

The bodies of another six victims had yet to be identified.

Falcon state Governor Stella Lugo had earlier told official television that a 10year-old child was among the victims.

Another 82 people were injured, Health Minister Eugenia Sader said. Fifteen of the injured remain in hospital, according to Jaua. Chavez expressed his sympathy to the families of the dead, urging calm because “fortunately, the greatest danger has been controlled.”

Ordering a “thorough investigation,” he vowed to help the people who have been displaced from their homes at the refinery complex, which also houses workers and their relatives, and in impoverished neighborhoods nearby.

Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said the explosion was triggered by a gas leak at the refinery, which is owned by state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the cause of which remained to be determined. “The gas cloud exploded, igniting at least two storage tanks and other facilities at the refinery,” he told VTV television. Ramirez, who is also president of PDVSA, said the refinery was shut down but operations would resume in two days. The blast damaged 209 homes and 11 shops, while 13 families saw their homes completely destroyed and were

temporarily moved to a naval base, according to preliminary figures.

Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control, though smoke was still billowing from the facility.

Jorge, a local police officer who lives just outside the refinery, said the scene after the blast was like an inferno. “First, there was a shock as if the house was hit by a truck,” said the officer, who declined to reveal his last name. “When the shock wave passed, then came the flames, which were all around.”

While officials said there was no risk of another blast, Jaua noted that response units would “continue fighting the flames all night.” Before the blast, the Amuay refinery, one of the biggest in the world, was able to process about 645,000 barrels of crude oil a day.

Venezuelan media has often reported on complaints about safety and maintenance standards at the country’s refineries, which authorities have rarely confirmed. The Latin American nation produces about three million barrels of oil per day, according to state figures, while the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries puts the number at 2.3 million barrels per day.

OPEC certified in 2011 that Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world at 296.5 billion barrels, surpassing Saudi Arabia, the country with the biggest refining capacity. In March, Venezuelan authorities reported even higher reserves, of 297,570 billion. Venezuelans are gearing up for October 7 elections, in which Chavez-Latin America’s most influential and outspoken leftist leader for more than a decade-is seeking a third term. Opposition candidate Henrique Capriles, the youthful former governor of Miranda state, has trailed Chavez in recent polls by some 15 percentage points. — AFP

TAMPA: (L-R) Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, and US Rep Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) prepare to give an interview ahead of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum yesterday in Tampa, Florida. The RNC is scheduled to convene today and will hold its first full-day session tomorrow as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens disruptions due to its proximity to the Florida peninsula. — AFP

HAVANA: Tropical Storm Isaac, back over warm ocean waters, lashed Cuba with winds and rain as it swept toward the Florida Keys, where it was expected to strike yesterday as a minor hurricane.

The storm left six dead in Haiti, still recovering from a 2010 earthquake, and at least three missing in the Dominican Republic after battering their shared island of Hispaniola on Saturday. No deaths or injuries had been reported in Cuba, which got off lightly when the storm crossed its eastern flank instead of raking up the length of the island as originally predicted, but still suffered damages.

Though still 205 miles (330 km) east-southeast of Key West, it was already causing problems in the United States.

Energy producers in the Gulf of Mexico were shutting in production and the US Republican Party said it would recess its national convention in Tampa, Florida for a day out of safety concerns as the storm bore down on the state.

The storm could force a short-term shutdown of 43 percent of US offshore oil capacity and 38 percent of its natural gas output, according to forecasters at Weather Insight, an arm of Thomson Reuters. Republicans, who will formally nominate former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as their presidential candidate for the November election, will convene their four-day meeting on Monday as scheduled, then recess until Tuesday.

Tampa, located on Florida’s west coast, could feel the effects of Isaac, whose tropical storm force winds extend 205 miles (335 km) from its center. In its latest advisory, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac was 215 miles (350 km) east of Havana and cruising northwest at 18 miles per hour (30 kph).

Its top winds were near 65 miles per hour (100 kph), but the center said it appeared to be gathering steam and was expected to be at or near hurricane strength when it reached Key West, 90 miles (145 km) north of Cuba.

A storm becomes a hurricane when sustained winds reach a minimum of 74 miles per hour (119 kph). After passing through the Keys, Isaac was expected to move into the northeastern gulf, add more punch and hit the Florida panhandle or further west as a Category 2 storm with 100 mile per hour winds (160 kph).

The Cuban Meteorological Institute warned the storm could do more damage to

the communist island because it was expected to run near and parallel to the northern coast all the way into the Florida Straits, which separate the US and Cuba. Radar showed most of Isaac’s powerful rainstorms were north of the island, but eastern Cuba, hit hard on Saturday, was still getting downpours that dropped more than three inches (80 mm) of rain in three hours. As the storm moved closer

not afraid. They’re accustomed to meteorological phenomena stronger than this,” he told Reuters. In Haiti, Isaac added to the misery of more than 350,000 survivors of the 2010 earthquake still living in flimsy resettlement camps as water gushed into tents and corrugated plastic shacks ripped apart by the wind.

Authorities said six people were known dead, including a 10-year-old girl killed when

SANTIAGO: Cuban workers carry food supplies to a safe place, as they wait for tropical storm Isaac in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba on Saturday. — AFP to Havana, wind gusts and driving rains intermittently hit the city. Baracoa, the island’s easternmost city, appeared to get the worst of the storm, which sent 13-foot waves crashing over the seawall and into the streets. Cuban TV reports said more than a thousand people had to be evacuated and 50 buildings were damaged.

“The force of the waves has destroyed the farmer’s market for small businesses, also the children’s area of a park and various homes,” said Baracoa resident Olider Aguilera by telephone. “But I can tell you that the people are

Bear kills man in Alaska park ANCHORAGE: A hiker in Alaska’s Denali National Park photographed a grizzly bear for at least eight minutes before the bear mauled and killed him in the first fatal attack in the park’s history, officials said Saturday.

Investigators have recovered the camera and looked at the photographs, which show the bear grazing and not acting aggressively before the Friday attack, Denali Park Superintendent Paul Anderson said.

A state trooper shot and killed the male bear on Saturday. The hiker was identified late Saturday as Richard White, 49, of San Diego. He was backpacking alone along the Toklat River on Friday afternoon when he came within 50 yards (50 meters) of the bear, far closer than the quarter-mile (0.4 kilometers) of separation required by park rules, officials said. “They show the bear grazing in the willows, not acting aggressive in any form or manner during that period of time,” Anderson said of the photos.

Officials learned of the attack after hikers stumbled upon an abandoned backpack along the river about three miles (5 kilometers) from a rest area on Friday afternoon. The hikers also spotted torn clothing and blood. They immediately hiked back and alerted staff park.

Rangers in a helicopter spotted a large male grizzly bear sitting on the hiker’s remains, which they called a “food cache” in the underbrush about 100 to 150 yards (meters) from the site of the attack on Friday.

Investigators examined the bear’s stomach contents, looked at White’s photos and used other tests Saturday evening to confirm that it was the animal that killed White, park officials said in a statement Saturday night. — AP

a wall fell on her and a woman crushed to death by a falling tree.

Many main roads were blocked or impassable and 14,000 people had been evacuated to shelters, they said.

In the Dominican Republic, officials said three people were missing, including the mayor of a town near Santo Domingo swept away as he tried to save another person from a flooded river.

They said 764 homes had been damaged by the storm and more than 9,600 people evacuated from storm-struck areas. — Reuters

At least four killed in Ivory Coast gunbattle ABIDJAN: At least four people were killed in an exchange of fire between soldiers and unidentified gunmen at an army checkpoint in southern Ivory Coast, the West African nation’s defence minister said yesterday.

The world’s top cocoa grower is struggling to cope with a spate of armed raids on police and military installations this month, raising fears of renewed instability following a conflict last year that killed 3,000 people. The government has accused a network of supporters of former president Laurent Gbagbo, both within Ivory Coast and abroad, of organising the raids to terrorize the population and scare off foreign investors.

Gbagbo’s political allies have dismissed the allegations and accused the government of using the violence as an excuse to crack down on the opposition.

Several leading members of Gbagbo’s party have been arrested over the past week. Defence Minister Paul Koffi Koffi said a gunbattle erupted on Saturday in the village of Irobo, about 80km (50 miles) west of the commercial capital Abidjan, when soldiers at a roadblock tried to stop a vehicle carrying a group of armed men. “There was a high-speed chase. When our men tried to stop the attackers at a checkpoint, they opened fire on our soldiers,” Koffi Koffi told Reuters. The minister said it was still unclear how many people had been killed and wounded in the exchange of

fire, which took place at 11 a.m. (1100 GMT ). “The initial toll was four dead.

Some civilians were hit. The death toll has risen among the assailants, but we do not want to give a figure yet. We are currently gathering and verifying the information,” he said. Two suspected gunmen were captured, Koffi Koffi said.

The army has been carrying out clean-up operations in the area after battles in the nearby town of Dabou last week in which gunmen attacked army and gendarme bases and freed more than 100 prisoners from the local jail. Before Saturday’s violence, at least 15 people had been killed in a series of attacks over the last three weeks. Gbagbo is awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague over crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the war that erupted last year after he rejected his election defeat by current President Alassane Ouattara.

After the war ended, Ouattara’s government issued around two dozen international warrants for former high-ranking military and political officials close to Gbagbo, most of them believed to be living in Ghana, Benin and Togo.

On Saturday Ivorian and Ghanaian officials announced the arrest of Gbagbo’s budget minister Justin Kone Katinan, who had been living as a political refugee in Ghana but remained a vocal supporter of Gbagbo and a critic of Ouattara’s government. — Reuters

11

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

international

Anti-nuke protests signal new activism in Japan Largest demonstrations the country has seen in decades

BEIJING: Tourists stand in front of the portrait of late leader Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square as the city prepares for the upcoming 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that will see a change in the county’s leadership, in Beijing yesterday. Xi Jinping is widely expected to be named head of the ruling Communist Party and become president in the country’s once-in-a-decade leadership transition. —AFP

Powerful typhoon lashes Japan’s Okinawa island TOKYO: The strongest typhoon to hit Okinawa in several years lashed the southern Japanese island and surrounding areas yesterday, injuring four people and cutting off power to about 30,000 households. Residents were told to stay indoors and warned that the storm’s powerful winds could overturn cars and cause waves of up to 12 meters (40 feet).

The center of slow-moving Typhoon Bolaven was expected to pass over the island last night, dumping as much as 500 millimeters (20 inches) of rain over a 24-hour period, weather officials said.

About 27,000 households on the island of Amami, north of Okinawa, were without electricity, and 3,100 households on Okinawa also lost power. Video footage from Naha, the prefectural capital, showed trees thrashed by the high winds, some with broken branches, and largely empty streets.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said wind speeds near the center of the typhoon were about 180 kilometers per hour (112 mph), with extremely strong gusts reaching 252 kph (155 mph).

Those winds could knock over telephone poles and overturn cars, while waves around the island could top 12 meters (40 feet), public broadcaster NHK warned. Okinawa disaster authorities said four people were injured. All domestic and international flights in and out of

Naha Airport were canceled. The typhoon, the 15th of the season, was expected to continue into the East China Sea without losing much power and then into the Yellow Sea, possibly affecting southern coastal areas of South Korea by Tuesday, Japanese weather officials said.

Gusts from the typhoon could equal or surpass the previous record for Naha of 265 kph (165 mph) in a 1956 typhoon, said Tsukasa Uezu, an official with the Okinawa Meteorological Observatory Weather Information Center. The storm’s relatively slow movement - 15 kph (9 mph) to the northwest - means “exposure to wind and rain will be that much longer,” and raises the possibility of serious damage, said Shun Miyagi, an official with the Okinawa Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Center. More than half of the 50,000 US troops based in Japan are stationed in Okinawa. At Kadena Air Base, one of the biggest bases on the island, all shops and service facilities were ordered closed and movement around the base was to be kept to a minimum. All entry into the ocean was prohibited.

Bolaven comes on the heels of Typhoon Tembin, which soaked southern Taiwan on Friday, largely sparing populated areas before blowing out to sea again. —AP

Taiwan seeks voice through author NEW YORK: Acclaimed author Lung Yingtai felt the force of China’s soft power when she spoke in New York last week on her first trip as Taiwan’s culture minister aiming to win friends for the isolated island.

Lung, whose best-selling book on China’s civil war is banned by the mainland government, had a firewall put around her name on the Chinese Internet almost immediately after she spoke at the Asia Society on Tuesday. She had pleaded, ironically, that culture should not be used as a “weapon.” “Supposedly after the talk, my name was blocked from inside China,” Lung told AFP in an interview. “I don’t know why. Probably, it has something to do with the use of the word weapon.”

Internet users in China confirmed that the name of the minister, who only switched from writer to minister in May, could not be accessed. In her personal life and as a writer, Lung, 59, has lived much of Taiwan’s agonizing drama since the division of China in 1949 between the communist and nationalist camps.

Her parents fled to Taiwan at the end of the civil war, leaving behind Lung’s baby brother. When they received a letter from their son in China years later, her parents “whispered in the back room, they cried all night and in the morning they burned the letter,” Lung told the Asia Society audience.

Her parents did not dare write back.

“During those days, to write to the other side might bring a death penalty,” Lung recalled.

In the 1980s, a collection of Lung’s essays entitled “The Wild Fire” led to death threats and she moved to Germany for 13 years. The work is credited with helping to end nearly four decades of martial law by the Kuomintang (KMT ) nationalists in 1987.

Her 2009 heart-wrenching account of events in the civil war, “Big River Big SeaUntold Stories of 1949,” has sold more than 500,000 copies in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and in other Chinese communities. But it is banned in China. Now, she is the first ministerial level head of culture in Taiwan, in a KMT government under President Ma Ying-jeou. Lung is aiming to strengthen Taiwan’s film industry-dwarfed by the resources of mainland movie moguls-while preparing to negotiate a

cultural accord with China and trying to use Taiwan’s artistic treasures to win friends abroad with new cultural centers in New York, Paris and other cities.

The ministry wants to open a cultural center in London soon and Lung said she wants to give Taiwanese pop singers and artists a wider international stage. China does everything it can to isolate the island of 23 million people, which it claims as a renegade province. Lung said world leaders who talk about democracy have let Taiwan down. Beijing says it wants a cultural accord, but Taipei is reluctant. The Chinese government controls nearly all film, television, media and writing. In Taiwan, Lung said, 90 percent is private.

“The message I gave to the other side was that I am also very keen on building up closer cultural relations and I do not at all reject the idea of signing something as long as the agreement, or the accord, brings real results rather than just words,” she said.

Lung said she hopes to invite Beijing officials to a symposium in early 2013. She wants to discuss “barriers to cultural exchanges,” including intellectual property and censorship and even why Taiwan’s national symphony orchestra has to pay a tax to take its instruments into China for a tour. Many Taiwanese film directors and actors have been tempted to move to the mainland. Political interference has made many wary, however. Gay issues and many political topics are completely taboo.

China banned Taiwan’s most profitable movie ever, “Cape Number 7,” in 2008.

Critics said Beijing frowned at the portrayal of Taiwan’s warm relationship with Japan, the island’s former colonial master.

Lung said she did not know if she would ever be allowed to go to China as a minister now because of her past as a writer.

She also said Ma took a risk naming her. “It really shows courage from his part, because he knows that I am the dragon type. I have my own mind, my own voice and when a president can tolerate or even appreciate a relatively free spirit like me, I think it is a credit to him,” Lung said. There is a downside to being a minister. “As a writer I used to criticize others and now I take criticism from others and I can’t even talk back,” she said, likening the politics to a “gang fight.” —AFP

TOKYO: This is Japan’s summer of discontent.

Tens of thousands of protesters - the largest demonstrations the country has seen in decades descend on Tokyo every Friday evening to shout anti-nuclear slogans at the prime minister’s office.

Many have never protested publicly before.

“I used to complain about this to my family but I realized that doesn’t do any good,” said Takeshi Tamura, a 67-year-old retired office worker. “So I came here to say this to his office. I don’t know if we can make a difference but I had to do something, and at least it’s a start.”

The government’s much-criticized handling of the Fukushima nuclear crisis has spawned a new breed of protesters in Japan. Drawn from the ranks of ordinary citizens rather than activists, they are a manifestation of a broader dissatisfaction with government and could create pressure for change in a political system that has long resisted it. What started as relatively small protests in April has swollen rapidly since the government decided to restart two of Japan’s nuclear reactors in June, despite lingering safety fears after the meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant triggered by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

As many as 20,000 people have gathered at the Friday rallies by unofficial police estimates, and organizers say the turnout has topped 100,000. Officials at the prime minister’s office say their crowd estimate is “several tens of thousands.” Either way, the two-hour demonstrations are the largest and most persistent since the 1960s, when violent student-led protests against a security alliance with the United States rocked Japan.

The protesters include office workers, families with children, young couples and retirees. “No to restart!” they chant in unison without a break. “No nukes!” Despite the simple message, the anger runs much deeper, analysts say.

“It’s not only about nuclear,” says writer and social critic Karin Amamiya. “It mirrors core problems in Japanese society, and the way politics has ignored public opinion.” Distrust of politics runs deep in Japan, and many think politicians are corrupt and only care about big business. Some voters were angered when the government rammed through a sales tax hike in July that had divided public opinion and the ruling party. The government has also done little to reduce the US military presence on the southern island of Okinawa despite decades of protests there, under the security alliance that had initially triggered violent student protests.

In a country not known for mass protests, the nuclear crisis has galvanized people to an unusual extent. Unlike other issues, it cuts across ideological lines. For Japanese from all walks of life, it has shattered a sense of safety they felt about their food, the environment and the health of their children.

That helps explain why the long-standing frustration with government exploded in protests after the restart of two reactors in Ohi in western Japan. They were the first of Japan’s 50 reactors to resume operation under a new regime of posttsunami safety checks.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was criticized for making the restart decision behind closed doors and calling the weekly chanting and drumbeating outside his office “a loud noise.” An apparently chastised Noda met with rally leaders, who have proposed talks, allowing them inside his

office compound for the first time Wednesday.

Noda also met with leaders of Japan’s influential business lobbies afterwards.

“It’s not a loud noise that we are making. It’s desperate voices of the people,” said Misao Redwolf, an illustrator who heads the weekly protests, as she demanded Noda immediately stop the two recently resumed reactors and eventually abandon nuclear energy. “We’ll continue our protests as long as you keep ignoring our voices.” Noda promised to listen to the people’s voices carefully before deciding Japan’s long-term energy policy, but refused to stop the two reactors. Protest leaders said they don’t expect anything to happen just because they met Noda, but at least hold on to their hope for a change.

“All these years, lawmakers have only cared

professor at Hokkaido University. “Even though a lot of people join demonstrations, that won’t bring a political change overnight. The movement may hit a plateau, and people may feel helpless along the way. But there could be a change.” Already, there are signs of change. Many lawmakers have converted to supporting a nuclear-free future amid speculation that a struggling Noda will call an election in the coming months and that nuclear policy will be a key campaign issue.

A new party, established by veteran lawmaker Ichiro Ozawa and about 50 followers who broke away from Noda’s ruling party after opposing the sales tax hike, has promised to abolish atomic energy within 10 years. Some lawmakers have launched study groups on phasing out nuclear

TOKYO: People stage an anti-nuclear demonstration march in Tokyo’s shopping district Shibuya yesterday. Some 200 protesters held an anti-nuclear demonstration calling for an end to nuclear power after last year’s Fukushima nuclear crisis. —AFP about vested interests, and that was good enough to run this country,” Kiyomi Tsujimoto, an activist-turned lawmaker, said at a recent meeting with protest organizers. “The government is still seen doing the same politics, and that’s what people are angry about. I think (the demonstrations) are testing our ability to respond to the changes.”

Masanori Oda, cultural anthropologist at Chuo University who heads a drum section of the protest, said many Japanese also contributed to prolong such a system “very convenient” to politicians by not getting angry or standing up against unfavorable policies.

“Now more Japanese are learning to raise their voice. Japanese politicians should develop a deeper sense of crisis about the situation,” Oda said. Separately, an even larger rally, joined by rock star Ryuichi Sakamoto and Nobel laureate author Kenzaburo Oe, drew 75,000 by police estimates on July 16, a public holiday. Organizers put the crowd at Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park at nearly 200,000. Thousands also ringed Japan’s parliament after sunset on July 29 and held lit candles.

Smaller rallies have sprung up in dozens of other cities, with participants gathering outside town halls, utility companies and parks.

“Obviously, people’s political behavior is changing,” says Jiro Yamaguchi, a political science

power. A group of prefectural, or state-level, legislators has formed an anti-nuclear green party.

The government was also forced to step up transparency about the method and results of town meetings to better reflect public views on energy policy to determine the level of Japan’s nuclear dependency by 2030. The options being considered are zero percent, 15 percent and 2025 percent. That already delayed the energy report for several weeks, and officials set up a new panel Wednesday to discuss how to factor in public opinion in policies. “If we carry on, we could get more people to join in the cause around the country,” said Mariko Saito, a 63-year-old homemaker from nearby Kamakura city, who joined the protest outside the prime minister’s office on a recent Friday. “I’ll definitely vote for an antinuclear candidate. Their nuclear stance would be the first thing I’ll look at.”

The rallies are peaceful compared to the 1960s, when activists wearing helmets and carrying clubs threw stones and burst into the parliament complex. One died and dozens were injured.

Today’s protesters hold flowers or handmade posters and even chat with police officers. “It’s almost like a festival,” journalist and TV talk show host Soichiro Tahara wrote in his blog. “The people have finally found a common theme to come together.” —AP

News

in brief

HENGCHUN: Taiwan soldiers help residents to clean areas affected by floods brought on by Typhoon Tembin in Hengchun Township in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan yesterday. Taiwan issued a warning, asking the public to heighten vigilance as storm Tembin was likely to return after setting off the worst downpours in over a century on the island’s southernmost tip. —AFP

Taiwan braces for return of Typhoon Tembin TAIPEI: Taiwan warned yesterday that Typhoon Tembin was likely to return as people struggled to clear mud-filled homes after the storm pounded the south of the island with the heaviest rains in more than a century.

The storm appeared to be heading back towards Pingtung county where people were still reeling from the flooding sparked

by Tembin when it swept across the southern tip of the island Friday.

Tembin weakened to a tropical storm after moving out to sea the same day but the Central Weather Bureau said it had intensified into a typhoon again yesterday. “Tembin regained strength and became a typhoon again early this morning. It was moving eastsoutheasterly,” the bureau said.

Although the typhoon was still hundreds of kilometres (miles) from the island, the bureau predicted downpours in the south and southeast and called on people there to take precautions. On its current track, Tembin was forecast to make landfall again in Pingtung and move northward off the

east coast. The storm’s unusual movement was largely affected by Typhoon Bolaven, which was gaining momentum and churning towards southern Japan and predicted to hit Okinawa. Bolaven was about 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of Taiwan.

Tembin, which forced more than 8,000 people to evacuate their homes islandwide, unleashed torrential rain in Pingtung county that was described as the worst in more than a century.

Weather bureau data indicated Pingtung as a whole received 724 millimetres (29 inches) of rain since Wednesday, while the township of Hengchun saw more than 600 millimetres of rainfall on Friday alone.

Television images yesterday showed soldiers helping people remove thick mud from their homes in the flooded area. As of 0330 GMT, Typhoon Tembin was around 400 kilometres southwest of the main southern city of Kaohsiung. With a radius of 180 kilometres, the typhoon was packing gusts of up to 119 kilometres per hour and moving eastsoutheast at eight kph. —AFP

6.4-magnitude quake strikes Indonesia JAKARTA: A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Moluccas islands yesterday, the US Geological Survey said, revising down a preliminary reading of 6.8. The quake struck in the Moluccas Sea, 169 kilometres (105 miles) northwest of the city of Ternate at around 11:05 pm (1505 GMT) at a depth of 69 kilometres. No tsunami warning was issued. “So far we have not received any information about what has happened, but there is no tsunami warning,” Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency technical chief Suharjono, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP. Sukarjan, an official of the country’s disaster management agency in Ternate, one of the Moluccas islands, said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. “People were sleeping and they ran out of their homes when the ground began to shake.

It lasted for 20 seconds, but so far we have no reports of casualties or damage,” he told AFP. The USGS initially reported the magnitude at 6.8, but later downgraded the intensity. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Nigerian gets death for drugs KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian court yesterday sentenced a Nigerian man to death after convicting him of trafficking more than 14 kilos (31 pounds) of marijuana over the land border with Thailand, a report said. The court said there was little doubt Moses Chinedu Nwosu, 50, was guilty of the crime-punishable with death by hanging-after the drugs were seized from him on the night of March 25 last year, Bernama news agency said.

The man’s lawyer could not be reached for comment.

The accused testified the drugs carried in a black bag belonged to another man he was travelling with from the Thai border to the northern Malaysian town of Alor Setar, Bernama said citing the judgment. “However, according to a witness, Moses was seen carrying the black bag... and its key was found in his pocket,” the judge said. The court decision is the latest in a clampdown by Malaysian authorities on alleged foreign drug traffickers. A Kuala Lumpur court charged 10 Iranians, an Uzbek and a local with trafficking methamphetamine last week. An Australian nurse and Nigerian man were also charged with trafficking drugs last month, a case which has attracted media attention worldwide.

Since 1960, more than 440 people have been executed in Malaysia, including two Australians sentenced to death in 1986 for heroin trafficking-the first Westerners to be executed under tough anti-drug laws.

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

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

NATO says combat operations unaffected by pullout logistics KABUL: A senior US logistics commander rejected accusations yesterday from frontline combat troops that the complicated rollback from bases across Afghanistan and packing up of military equipment was disrupting NATO-led operations against insurgents.

U.S. Brigadier-General Steven Shapiro said around 400 bases had been successfully closed or handed to Afghan security forces from a high of around 800 last October as part of a withdrawal of foreign troops from combat operations winding up in 2014.

“To the soldiers out on patrol, it’s transparent,” said Shapiro, in charge of transferring excess non-military equip-

ment to Afghan forces. “Most of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines who are operating those vehicles don’t see that business side of the army.”

The pullout of more than $60 billion worth of war-fighting equipment from Afghanistan is expected to be one of the most complicated logistical exercises in recent history, much more difficult than the pullout from Iraq.

On top of mountainous terrain and Taleban attacks, NATO’s task has also been complicated by unpredictable border closures enforced by Pakistan in retaliation against US air strikes, shutting down vital land routes and disrupting plans.

During the Iraq withdrawal, US and British forces were able to move men

and equipment out to neighbouring Kuwait for packing, repair and washing to remove contaminants, whereas in Afghanistan the job must be done on local bases.

Soldiers say that with one armoured vehicle taking days or weeks to ready for transport and with more than 60,000 vehicles to shift, the preparation is a major distraction to combat operations and training of Afghan security forces. Incoming US units have also been cut in size as part of a 28,000-strong reduction ordered by US. President Barack Obama to be completed by September ahead of November presidential elections. “It’s a nightmare. We barely have enough guys to cover our area, let alone get

ready to pack up,” a US officer recently told Reuters in volatile eastern Kunar province ahead of a pullout from several bases and transition to Afghan control.

But Shapiro said around 3,000 logistics troops were working out which non-military equipment would be left behind for Afghan forces, from base fridges to tables and chairs, to generators and air-conditioning units, easing the strain on combat troops.

And where they were handed over, bases would be fully operational, he said, with U.S. troops prioritising Afghan operational needs over American requests for vital equipment like generators.

U.S. commanders had learned les-

sons from the Iraq withdrawal, Shapiro said, the most important of which was the need for early planning to avoid bottlenecks and the buildup of equipment slowing the exit from the country. NATO’s Director of Engineering, Major-General Bryan Watson, earlier this month said that most bases closed or handed over so far were smaller combat outposts and observation positions, plus a handful of mid-size bases housing around 800 to 1,000 troops.

The biggest challenges would be ten to fifteen much larger bases like Shindand Air Base in western Herat province, as well as Kandahar and Bagram air bases, which are the size of small cities. — Reuters

Indian police quell protest over scandal Anti-corruption activists detained

KOLKATA: Missionaries of Charity Superior General Sister Mary Prema, center, prays during a mass in commemoration of birth anniversary of late Mother Teresa in Kolkata, India, yesterday. Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa, born on this day at Skopje, Macedonia, Slovenia in 1910, was a Catholic nun who spent 45-years serving the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying. —AP

Refugees on hunger strike in Australia SYDNEY: Up to 100 asylum-seekers in detention in Australia were on hunger strike yesterday after being informed they would be transferred to a remote Pacific island under a tough new refugee policy.

An immigration department spokesman said “around 100” asylum-seekers being held at the Christmas Island detention centre had launched the strike on Saturday night after they were told they would be sent to Nauru.

They will be among the first group transferred to the tiny and remote Pacific island to await the processing of their refugee claims under a strict new policy Canberra hopes will deter a record flow of people-smuggling ships.

“They were informed yesterday of the decision to transfer them to Nauru, and obviously it’s pretty difficult news to take,” the spokesman told AFP. “We’re managing that and trying to provide all the support and assistance we can, it’s obviously pretty difficult all round.”

Under new legislation passed by parliament this month asylum-seekers who arrive by boat will be sent to either Nauru or Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island for indefinite periods while their visas are assessed.

It represents an about-face by the Labor Party which abandoned the policy after winning power in 2007, after complaints people had languished for years on the islands before being resettled under the previous government.

Authorities have not clarified how

long people would have to wait on Nauru or Manus before being resettled and have admitted that the remote facilities are so run down they were not yet suitable for use.

Refugee activists said “around 67” detainees were believed to be on hunger strike in the Christmas Island facility and “scores” of police had also been sent to the remote immigration centre to head off any protests.

“The hunger strikers say that their treatment is unfair-they were not aware of any changed policy by the Australian government,” said activist Ian Rintoul.

There were reportedly similar starvation protests occurring at facilities in the northern city of Darwin, where refugee advocates said a group that included unaccompanied minors was “shocked” to learn they would also be sent offshore. “ The fact that unaccompanied minors... may be sent to remote locations for unknown periods of time should be a source of shame for the minister for immigration and the Australian government,” said Darwin activist Peter Robson.

“There is little wonder as a result that there are reports that there are large hunger strikes now occurring in Darwin.”

The immigration spokesman said food, water and medical assistance was available to all detainees and they were “obviously encouraged” to eat and drink.

“These sorts of protests and activities don’t have any effect on the outcome of their case, and likewise it won’t alter government policy,” he said. — AFP

S Lanka says oil spill ‘contained’ COLOMBO: An oil slick from a sunken cargo vessel has been contained and is no longer a threat to beach resorts popular with foreign tourists, Sri Lankan authorities declared yesterday.

The rusting ship went down in bad weather on Thursday night outside a Colombo harbour and had threatened a 50-kilometre (30-mile) stretch of coastline including resorts at Mount Lavinia and Negombo.

The spill-which was about 10 kilometres (six miles) long-had reached the shores of the capital Colombo. “We have contained the remaining oil slick and chemicals are being used to get rid of it,” Coast Conservation Department chief Anil Premarathne told AFP, cautioning: “We would remain vigilant for a few days more.”

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said volunteers, including security personnel, had cleaned up thin lay-

ers of furnace oil which washed ashore in several places on Saturday in and around the capital. “ The environmental damage is much less than what was initially feared,” DMC director Sarath Kumara told AFP. “The worst is over and the leaks from the sunken ship have stopped.”

Foreign holiday makers were seen in the sea at Mount Lavinia and Negombo, just outside the capital, yesterday.

Neither resort had been affected. The 15,000-tonne Thmothrmopolyseara, a Cyprus-flagged carrier, had been outside the Colombo harbour since 2009 following a dispute over its cargo of steel, local officials said.

The vessel had been detained by Sri Lankan courts following litigation over the cargo valued at over $300 million, according to local media reports.— AFP

NEW DELHI: Indian police detained scores of anti-corruption activists who tried to march yesterday to the homes of top political leaders to protest a scandal over the government’s sale of coal fields without competitive bidding.

Hundreds of activists lay down on the road outside the homes of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders in central New Delhi as police held them back with security barricades. They later broke through police cordons at many places, and police responded by firing tear gas and water cannons.

Officers dragged protesters to buses parked near the prime minister’s house and took them to nearby police stations. Police also used bamboo batons to beat back protesters who had climbed over a barricade near the prime minister’s office complex.

Roads in the heart of the capital were closed to traffic. Police said the detained activists would be held for a few hours and then released.

The protesters, members of India Against Corruption, a group led by prominent anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare, have said they would blockade the homes of leaders of both the ruling Congress party and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party because they blame both parties for India’s endemic corruption.

“Our protest today was to tell the country how the Congress and the BJP are hand-in-glove in looting the country,” said protest leader Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal was detained for

NEW DELHI: Indian protesters lie on a road during an anti corruption protest near the Prime Minister’s official residence in New Delhi, India, yesterday. Indian police detained scores of anti-corruption activists trying to march to the homes of top political leaders in New Delhi to protest a scandal involving the sale of coal fields without competitive bidding. — AP about an hour and then released separate hunger strikes in recent been implicated in scandals by police. He returned to address months by Hazare and yoga guru involving the hosting of the 2010 protesters who had gathered out- Baba Ramdev demanding the Commonwealth Games and the side the homes of Congress party creation of an independent reported loss of billions of dollars chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP ombudsman to prosecute politi- through the government’s hapcians and officials suspected of hazard sale of cellphone specPresident Nitin Gadkari. trum.

He said the protesters were corruption.

In the latest scandal, national Singh’s government has been ready to go to jail. “We have succeeded in exposing the corrup- hit by a slew of corruption accu- auditors said the government’s tion indulged in by this govern- sations, adding to public anger sale of coal fields to private ment. We are ready to make any over its failure to push through companies without competitive sacrifice to achieve our demands,” much-needed economic reforms bidding resulted in windfall profits of $34 billion for the to revive a slowing economy. he told cheering supporters.

Several senior officials have companies. — AP Yesterday’s protest follows two

Thousands flee Waziristan in fear of military offensive MIRANSHAH: Thousands of people have fled one of Pakistan’s troubled northwestern tribal districts in recent days, fearing a military offensive against Islamist militants, locals and officials said.

Panicked residents have hastily left the area of Nor th Waziristan despite officials repeatedly insisting that Pakistan has no immediate plan to launch an offensive in the volatile region, they added.

Nor th Waziristan, one of Pakistan’s seven tribal districts and riddled with militancy, is considered a stronghold of the Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives.

Although Pakistan has fought Taliban militants across much of the region it has so far withstood American pressure to move against the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network in Nor th Waziristan.

“Thousands of people have so far left the area, they are fleeing their homes due to the fear and rumours of a military operation,” Saif-Ur Rehman, a government official in the main town of Miranshah, told AFP. Tasleem Khan, another government official confirmed the evacuation. Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders North Waziristan, told AFP that thousands of people have reached several districts in his area.

Rumours started early this week after a spokesman for the Pakistani Taleban told local media that it had received “an exclusive intelligence report” about an

PESHAWAR: Mourners carry the casket of one of the victims of a mortar attack on a home in Achni Balla village, a suburb of Peshawar close to the Khyber tribal district, yesterday. Mortar bombs smashed through a house in a village in northwestern Pakistan early yesterday, killing six people, security officials said. — AFP offensive in North Waziristan. In an email sent to media, Tehreek-eTaleban Pakistan spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said the campaign was to be launched on August 26 and would last one month. Government and military officials have taken to local radio, asking people to remain calm.

“This is a peaceful area with a peaceful atmosphere. The government has no plan to launch any military operation here,” a radio announcement heard by local residents said. On Saturday,

some 2000 tribal elders and religious leaders warned the government to not to launch any offensive and threatened to move to Afghanistan “in case of any military operation”.

“We will migrate to Afghanistan, if Pakistan launches any military operation,” Maulvi Abdur Rehman, a religious leader who presided over the tribal Jirga said.

The Jirga held in Mirali Town of North Waziristan also requested residents to stay at home.

An AFP reporter in the area

witnessed people fleeing their homes in vehicles.

Washington has long demanded that Pakistan take action against the Haqqanis, whom the United States accused of attacking the US embassy in Kabul last September and of acting like the “veritable arm” of Pakistani intelligence.

Pakistan has in turn demanded that Afghan and US forces do more to stop Pakistani Taliban crossing the Afghan border to launch attacks on its forces. — AFP

NEWS

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

MINSK: A woman poses with her dogs during the FCI International dog show yesterday. — AFP

Aramco says most damage from computer attack fixed Saudis mulling Jeddah metro JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is preparing plans to build a metro system in its second largest city Jeddah, a project that would cost around 35 billion riyals ($9.3 billion), a deputy mayor of the city said yesterday. The metro system, the third one planned in the kingdom, would be 108 km long. It would have three lines and 46 stations, according to initial studies, said Ibrahim Kutubkhana, deputy mayor for projects and construction. “Now we are in the phase of completing the initial studies...and this is being carried out by the Ministry of Transport. Later it will be tendered to international consortia for engineering, procurement and construction,” Kutubkhana told Reuters. The time frame for the project will be set after the initial studies are completed, he added.

Jeddah, an expanding city of over 3 million people, has been struggling with inadequate infrastructure and is undergoing a multi-billion dollar overhaul that aims to transform the port city into a trade and tourist center. Saudi Arabia, helped by big budget surpluses on the back of high oil prices, is spending over $400 billion in the five years to 2013 to upgrade its infrastructure. It has no metro systems at present but the capital Riyadh and the holy city of Makkah have launched plans to build them. Earlier this month the Saudi government approved a $16.5 billion plan to modernise transport in Makkah, which will include a bus network and a 182 km metro system. Last month Riyadh pre-qualified four consortia for bidding to build its metro system. — Reuters

DUBAI: Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil producer, has resumed operating its main internal computer networks after a virus infected about 30,000 of its workstations in mid-August, the company said yesterday.

Immediately after the Aug. 15 cyber attack, the company announced it had cut off its electronic systems off from the outside world to prevent further attacks.

Yesterday, Saudi Aramco said the workstations had now been cleansed of the virus and restored to service.

Oil exploration and production were not affected because they operate on isolated systems, it said.

“We would like to emphasize and assure our stakeholders, customers and partners that our core businesses of oil and gas exploration, production and distribution from the wellhead to the distribution network were unaffected and are functioning as reliably as ever,” CEO Khalid Al-Falih said in a statement. However, one of Saudi Aramco’s websites which was taken offline after the attack - www.aramco.com - remained down yesterday. Emails sent by Reuters to people within the company continued to bounce back. The company said the virus “originated from external sources,” and that an investigation into the causes of the incident and those responsible were continuing. It did not elaborate.

Information technology experts have warned that cyber attacks on countries’ energy infrastructure, whether conducted by hostile governments, militant groups or private “hacktivists” to make political points,

Syria regime accused of massacre near...

Continued from Page 1 said earlier this month it was guilty of crimes against humanity. “Bodies were found in fields, basements and shelters and in the streets,” Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. He said 200 bodies had been identified so far, including 15 women and 14 children, and that many of the victims had died in shelling or were summarily executed. In the first reaction by a world power, Britain said that if confirmed, the Daraya massacre “would be an atrocity on a new scale”.

Assad, whose regime has been hit by a number of defections as the violence intensifies, vowed yesterday that Syria would continue to resist “at any price” what he said was a conspiracy against it by Western and some regional powers.

“What is happening right now is not just a plot directed against Syria but the region as a whole, of which Syria is a foundational stone,” he was cited as saying by state news agency SANA. “The Syrian people will not allow this plan to reach its goals, no matter the cost.” And Vice President Faruq Al-Shara - the regime’s top Sunni Muslim official made his first public appearance in over a month at talks with an Iranian official, following opposition claims he had tried to defect and was under house arrest.

Activists issued graphic videos of the scenes in Daraya, one showing dozens of bodies in dimly lit rooms, with a commentary referring to “an odious massacre committed by the gangs of the Assad regime in the Abu Sleiman Addarani Mosque”. In another LCC video, Daraya’s dead, among them at least two children, were shown being prepared for burial, their bodies lying in a hastily dug trench covered with blankets and strewn with palm fronds.

State media said Daraya, a conservative Sunni Muslim town of some 200,000 people, was “purified of terrorist remnants”. Pro-government television Al-Dunia said “terrorists” carried out the attacks, as it interviewed residents including traumatised children and showed a number of bloodied bodies lying in the streets. “Our valiant armed forces cleared Daraya of the remnants of armed terrorist groups which committed crimes that traumatised the citizens of the town and destroyed public and private property,” government newspaper Ath-Thawra said.

Activists described the offensive as a bid to crush “once and for all” the insurgency in Damascus after rebel Free Syrian Army fighters regrouped to the southern outskirts following an army offensive to retake the city last month.

The LCC accused the regime of blockading Daraya to choke

off supplies and indiscriminately bombarding the town with heavy weapons and warplanes, and carrying out doorto-door raids. “Afterwards the gangs of killers entered the town and carried out summary executions, before dismembering and setting fire to the bodies.” Reports by activists cannot be independently confirmed because of severe restrictions on media operating in Syria.

Meanwhile, the head of the Iranian parliament’s foreign policy committee, Aladin Borujerdi, vowed that Tehran will “stick by our Syrian brothers”. “We see Syria’s security as our security,” he said in Damascus, where he met both Assad and Shara, Iran’s state-owned IRNA news agency said.

Tehran - Damascus’s staunchest ally - has said it will submit a plan for ending the conflict to a Non-Aligned Movement summit it is hosting on Thursday and Friday.

The Iranian initiative comes as its foes in the West ramp up the pressure on Damascus, with Washington and London threatening action if it uses its chemical weapons and Paris voicing support for a partial no-fly zone. The Observatory also reported shelling or air strikes in other parts of the country on Sunday including the battered northern city of Aleppo and Daraa in the far south, the cradle of the uprising. A report by UN investigators this month said government forces and their militia allies had committed crimes against humanity and that rebels had also carried out war crimes, although on a lesser scale.

In particular, it held government forces responsible for a massacre in the central town of Houla in May when 108 civilians, including 49 children, were killed in an atrocity that shocked the world. August is already the deadliest single month of the conflict with at least 4,000 people killed, according to the Observatory, while around 25,000 have died since March 2011. The United Nations puts the death toll at more than 17,000 and has warned of a major humanitarian crisis with more than 200,000 refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries and 2.5 million in need inside Syria.

New international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who takes over from Kofi Annan next month, said on Friday he was “scared” of the enormity of the task he faces to try to end what he describes as civil war. Syria warned Brahimi yesterday not to follow the same path as Annan, with Ath-Thawra accusing the former UN chief who quit this month after the failure of his peace plan of “bowing to US and Western pressure”. Damascus said last week it would cooperate with Brahimi to try to pave the way for “national dialogue”, while also suggesting it was ready to discuss Assad’s exit as part of any negotiated solution. — Agencies

could disrupt energy supplies. Iran, the target of international economic sanctions on focused on its oil industry over its disputed nuclear program, has been hit by several cyber attacks in the last few years. In April, a virus targeted the Iranian oil ministry and national oil company networks, forcing Iran to disconnect the control systems of oil facilities including Kharg Island, which handles most of the country’s crude exports. Iran has attributed some of the attacks to the United States, Israel and Britain. Current and former US officials told Reuters this year that the United States built the complex Stuxnet computer worm to try to prevent Tehran from completing suspected nuclear weapons work.

An English-language posting on an online bulletin board on Aug 15, signed by a group called the “Cutting Sword of Justice”, claimed the group had launched the attack to destroy 30,000 computers at Saudi Aramco. It said the company was the main source of income for the Saudi government, which it blamed for “crimes and atrocities” in several countries, including Syria and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia sent troops into Bahrain last year to back the Gulf state’s Sunni Muslim rulers against Shiite-led protesters. Riyadh is also supporting Sunni rebels against the Syrian regime of President Bashar AlAssad. Before this month’s attack, the Cutting Sword of Justice was not widely known, and information security experts contacted by Reuters had no information on

the group.

Rob Rachwald, director of security for US-based data security firm Imperva, said in a blog posting last week that if the Saudi Aramco attack was carried out by hacktivists, it could be a milestone in computer hacking. “A group of hobbyists and hacktivists with several very strong-minded developers and hackers achieved results similar to what we have allegedly seen governments accomplish,” Rachwald wrote.

Symantec, one of the world’s largest internet security companies, said on the day after the Saudi Aramco attack that it had discovered a new virus that was targeting at least one organisation in the global energy sector, although it did not name that organization. “It is a destructive malware that corrupts files on a compromised computer and overwrites the MBR (Master Boot Record) in an effort to render a computer unusable,” Symantec said in a blog posting about the virus, which it called W32.Disttrack. “Threats with such destructive payloads are unusual and are not typical of targeted attacks.”

Saudi Aramco’s Falih said in his statement yesterday: “Saudi Aramco is not the only company that became a target for such attempts, and this was not the first nor will it be the last illegal attempt to intrude into our systems, and we will ensure that we will further reinforce our systems with all available means to protect against a recurrence of this type of cyber attack.” — Reuters

Saudis foil ‘terror’ plot, bust two cells Continued from Page 1 The prince suffered only superficial injuries after the bomber got close to him and detonated his explosives.

Saudi Arabia witnessed a wave of deadly attacks by AlQaeda between 2003 and 2006, which prompted the authorities to launch a crackdown on the local branch of the group founded by slain Saudi-born Osama bin Laden.

Following the crackdown, Saudi Al-Qaeda militants fled to neighbouring Yemen, joining ranks with their comrades there under the banner of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, taking advantage of Sanaa’s loose grip on power. In June, a Saudi court jailed 11 suspected Al-Qaeda members to between two and 15 years for

plotting attacking on US forces in neighbouring Kuwait and on oil installation in the energy-rich kingdom. In Jan 2011, cross-border police agency Interpol issued an alert to police worldwide for 47 Saudis with suspected links to Al-Qaeda, following a Saudi Red Notice. Saudi Arabia is a key US ally in the war against Al-Qaeda.

In May, a Saudi double agent who infiltrated AlQaeda in Yemen helped foil a plot to blow up a USbound airliner. The Saudi national who held a British passport was sent by Saudi counter-terrorism agents into Yemen as a mole after it was learnt that AQAP was developing an updated model of the underwear bomb that failed to explode in a Christmas Day 2009 attempt. — AFP

Iran seeks NAM support in nuclear showdown Continued from Page 1 weapons by 2025, which was proposed by NAM, will only be realized if we follow it up decisively,” he told delegates. Iran insists it does not seek nuclear weapons.

The US and allies suspect that Tehran’s uranium enrichment could eventually lead to warhead-level material.

They have imposed ever-tighter sanctions on Iran’s banking and oil exports in attempt to wring concessions. Israel has said that it would consider military options if diplomacy and economic pressures fail to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Salehi criticized Israel for remaining outside the UN main treaty governing the spread of nuclear technology. Israel refused to discuss the full range of its military capabilities, but it is widely believed to have a nuclear arsenal. Iran ally North Korea has withdrawn from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun arrived in Tehran yesterday to attend the meetings.

Outside the meeting site, Iran displayed three cars damaged by bomb blasts that Iran has blamed on agents from Britain, the US and Britain. At least five members of Iranian scientific community, including nuclear experts, have been killed since early 2010 as part of a suspected covert war with its main foes. Iran

and proxies, in turn, have been linked by investigators to a series of attacks and plots on Israeli targets around the world.

Salehi also complained about the perception of the “falling” clout of the UN’s general membership at the expense of the “rising power of the UN Security Council,” led by permanent members US, Britain, France, Russia and China. “Creating a more democratic Security Council should be considered an important part of U.N. reforms,” Salehi told the gathering.

Even before the first session got under way, however, a dispute flared over Palestinian envoys. Iranian officials said a political leader of Tehran’s ally Hamas has not been invited to the meeting in Tehran, contradicting Hamas claims that Prime Minister Ismail Haniya was asked to come by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Hamas later yesterday that Haniya has dropped plans to attend. The decision appeared aimed at avoiding a confrontation among Palestinians that could embarrass Hamas’ Iranian backers. The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had warned he would not attend if rival Haniya also takes part. The militant Hamas controls Gaza, while Abbas’ Western-backed administration governs parts of the West Bank. Abbas’ Foreign Minister Riad Malki also plans to travel to Tehran today. — AP

14

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

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Issues

US braces for holiday clash of tech giants

By Rob Lever t’s beginning to look a lot like a big season in the United States for mobile gadgets. A major event is the still-rumored launch by Apple in September of a new iPhone, expected to ignite fresh growth in the smartphone market in the US and worldwide. Apple is also widely expected to unveil a new tablet computer that will be a smaller version of the hot-selling iPad. But other big tech firms are not sitting idle. Microsoft is launching its new Surface tablet in late October, and will be pushing hard to sell Windows-powered smartphones. Google has already launched its own branded tablet and smartphone selling alongside other devices powered by its Android system from makers including Samsung.

And many analysts expect Amazon to unveil at least one updated model of its Kindle Fire tablet computer at a news conference Sept 6. “This season is going to be exciting,” said Rob Enderle, a technology analyst and consultant with the Enderle Group. “This is the first time Apple has faced competition on a number of critical fronts. And it’s the first time competition is coming from Google directly.” Enderle said he expects Microsoft to spend $1 billion on marketing for its new devices and its Windows 8 platform. “So the conflict in the fourth quarter is going to be legendary,” Enderle said. “And it’s an election year, so we are going to be awash in ads for voting and ads for buying.”

US consumers appear to be ready to shop. The Consumer Electronics Association projects record sales of electronics of $206 billion this year, the first time above the $200 billion mark. Tablet sales along are expected to reach $29.1 billion, up 83 percent, the association said. “Tablets are the fastest-growing product category in the history of the consumer electronics industry, and sales will continue to increase as more products hit the market,” said Steve Koenig, CEA’s director of industry analysis. US smartphone sales will total $33.7 billion in 2012, for more than 108 million units, according to the group.

Analyst Colin Gillis at BGC Partners said he sees “feverish” anticipation for the new iPhone, and predicts Apple will sell 10 million of the new phones at the launch and 14 million iPads in the fourth quarter.

Ramon Llamas, an analyst with research firm IDC, said Apple remains the company to watch in the mobile sector because of its rabid customer loyalty and ability to command premium prices. “Every year when the iPhone is released it should become a national holiday because of all the hype, all the long lines,” he said.

But he said there is strong potential for growth from the new Windows-powered phones expected from Nokia and others. “I don’t think the platform has been widely evangelized, but I like it,” he said. Sarah Rotman Epps at Forrester Research said Microsoft has been losing ground by being late to the party, and will cede more customers with its relatively late release of Windows 8 on Oct 26. “Every day Windows 8 is not in the market, Microsoft is losing opportunity with consumers,” she said. She noted that at the start of 2011, Windows was the preferred operating system for consumers but that has slipped as Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS dominate the market for mobile devices.

“Microsoft is rapidly losing mindshare among consumers, but once it hits the market, we do think it will gain traction,” she said.

Jack Gold of the consultancy J. Gold Associates said Samsung, the biggest maker of Android phones also expected to launch Windows-based devices, “is going to continue to be the market leader in smartphones” because of its “huge momentum”. Gold said the new competitive landscape may be good for consumers, possibly bringing down prices. “I think there is going to be tremendous pressure on Apple to lower their prices,” he said. “Apple has the high end of the market but that only works when they have a huge advantage.” One problem for Apple is that rivals such as Google and Amazon are subsidizing their devices to drive consumers to their content - books, music, film and shopping. Some analysts say the $200 Kindle Fire and Google Nexus tablets are sold at a loss.

“Apple will have to respond,” Gold said. Notably absent in the final months of the year will be BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, which delayed its new platform expected to challenge the market leaders until early 2013. Gold said that “it’s never good to be three or six months late”, although the delay may mean “they won’t have to compete with everyone else and can get visibility”. —AFP

I

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Far right shuns Breivik’s acts, flirts with ideas

By William Maclean and Catherine Hornby

man who behaved in a criminal way,” Borghezio told Reuters.

or wegian mass k iller Anders Behring Breivik may have failed to ignite a race war with Muslims, but he succeeded in stoking anxieties about the stability of Europe’s increasingly diverse societies. Though his talk of an international underground of killers - latter-day Crusaders he called the Knights Templar - seemed to be mere fantasy, and while his methods place him far beyond the pale of mainstream politics, many of his beliefs are to be found within the fold of antiMuslim, anti-immigrant populists. “His ideological ‘manifesto’ is a distilled representation of a cultural crisis that pervades the European continent and finds expression in an increasingly xenophobic populism,” Kirsten Simonsen, a professor at Denmark’s Roskilde University, wrote in “Bloodlands”, a 2012 series of essays about Breivik.

Some notions - that Europe and its indigenous cultures are being weakened by immigration and multiculturalism - have been helping reshape the continent’s right-wing politics for years.

These beliefs occasionally find an echo on the margins of centre-right parties, among politicians seeking suppor t from communities plagued by rising unemployment. Mario Borghezio is a case in point. The Italian politician set off a storm of outrage after Breivik’s gun and bomb massacre by declaring in a radio interview that its perpetrator had some “excellent” ideas. Borghezio exemplifies a trend among populist anti-immigration groups - the use of the language of Western counter-terrorist efforts against al Qaeda to pursue what amounts to an anti-Islamic cultural campaign.

Cheap Muslim Labour Tough regulation of immigrants, particularly Muslims, was essential, he said.

In many mosques in I taly, he said, Muslims in economic difficulty were encouraged by ex tremist Islamist organisations “to carry out antisocial and illegal acts”. His comments echo the public position of many in Europe’s far-right networks: a sense that the continent is under threat from Islamic extremists and is being betrayed by a rapacious political elite that values cheap Muslim labour above the economic welfare of its own communities.

Security specialists worry that far-

N

Call for a ‘European Spring’ Human rights groups are increasingly alarmed, not just at the far right, but at what many see as the pandering to its Islamophobic stereotypes by Europe’s mainstream parties. “We need our own ‘European Spring’ to overcome old and emerging forms of racism and intolerance,” Nils Muiznieks, the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, a governmental human rights body, wrote in a July 2012 blog. Muslims, he said, had become the primary “other” in right-wing populist discourse in Europe, and needed to be accepted as an integral part of society, entitled to equality and dignity.

Political parties in Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland had employed anti-Muslim rhetoric for political gain, he said. Borghezio’s Breivik comment was denounced by his party, the pro-devolution, anti-immigrant Northern League, which apologized to Norway and temporarily suspended Borghezio from their ranks. The European lawmaker argued the indignant reaction was misplaced, because he strongly condemned Breivik’s violence. And yet, a year on, he still sees Breivik ’s stance on some issues as attractive - particularly a perceived need to prevent Muslim immigration to Europe and combat Islamist extremism.

“Not all the ideas were criminal. It is the

British soil ever again,’ he said. US-based researcher Arun Kundnani, in a June 2012 paper for the Hague -based International Centre for CounterTerrorism, asserts that in the past two decades rightist violence in Europe has been comparable to Islamist bloodshed. By his count, since 1990, at least 249 people had died in incidents of far right violence in Europe, compared to 263 who have been killed by jihadist violence. A 2012 report by a leftwing anti-racist group, Hope Not Hate, identified more than 100 groups it said were par t of a so-called counter-jihadist movement promoting anti-Islamic agendas in Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, sharing antiIslamic commentaries, photos, videos

Self-confessed mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik appears on television screens inside an electronic superstore outside Oslo as he arrives in court on Aug 24, 2012. - AFP right social media commentary stigmatising Europe’s Muslims may help push enthusiasts towards militancy, much as Al-Qaeda propaganda opened pathways to violence for numerous Islamist radicals. In a 2012 report, European police agency Europol stated the threat of violent right-wing extremism “has reached new levels in Europe and should not be underestimated.

The threat will most likely come from lone ac tors, but organized, underground groups also have the capability and intention to carr y out attacks.”

Some argue Breivik might have had more chance of setting off the kind of religious war he imagined if he had targeted Muslims, so as to create a cycle of revenge killings, rather than killing young white Norwegians from the proimmigration Labour par ty, which encouraged a rallying behind common values.

and rock music. The groups, some of which Breivik quotes from in his manifesto, replaced the old racial nationalist politics of neo-Nazis with the language of cultural wars, Hope Not Hate said.

Immigration is an obsession with such groups. Fif teen to 20 million Muslims, out of a total population of 500 million, are estimated to live in the 27-member European Union as well as non-EU members Nor way and Switzerland. France, a nation of 60 million people, is home to Europe’s largest Muslim minority, estimated at about 5 million. Norway estimates two percent of its 5 million population are Muslims.

A 2011 Pew sur vey of 50 European countries said the Muslim share of the population was expected to grow from six percent of the region’s people in 2010 to eight in 2030, due in part to higher birth rates among Muslims than non-Muslims.

‘Counter-Jihadist’ Movement On Sept 3, 2011, six weeks after Breivik ’s Utoeya massacre, Stephen Lennon, a leader of the rightist English Defence League, took to a podium in central London and warned against any repeat of the 2005 attacks by British Islamists on London’s transport network that killed 52 people. “The Islamic community will feel the full force of the English Defence League if we see any of our citizens killed, maimed or hurt on

‘Adulterating’ Pure Norwegian Blood Breivik argued his 77 victims, mostly teenagers at the ruling Labour Party’s summer camp on Utoeya, deserved to die because they supported Muslim immigration, which he said was adulterating pure Norwegian blood. In Norway itself, Breivik ’s deeds rebounded against the right. The mainstream but anti-immigration Progress Party, briefly joined by Breivik, suffered a huge blow in municipal elections two months after

the attack. But a growing number of opinion sur veys show Europeans increasingly receptive to the notion that immigration, especially by Muslims, should be curbed or halted.

A July 2011 Pew Attitudes survey found that, when asked whether Muslims wanted to adopt local customs or stay culturally distinct, majorities of European populations chose the latter answer. A Populus research service poll in 2011 of more than 5,000 people in Britain for the Left-wing Searchlight Educational Trust found deep resentment among a range of communities about immigration.

‘Too Many’ Immigrants In June 2012 an Ipsos MORI poll on attitudes to immigration found that in seven out of nine EU member states surveyed the majority regarded immigration as having had a negative impact on their country: Sweden and Poland were the only exceptions.

Mainstream centre -political parties have tried to keep up with the trend, enacting a variety of measures in the social sphere that have sometimes inflamed tensions on the street.

France banned clothing that covers the face in April 2011 and Belgium followed suit in July of the same year, while similar legislation has been proposed in the Netherlands, Italy and some Spanish regions. Switzerland barred the construc tion of new minarets following a referendum in 2009. There is a broad European shift away from overt skin-colour racism to prejudices about culture and religion shaped in part by the West’s war on AlQaeda. “The whole focus of far right activity in Europe has shifted from race, the idea that ‘blacks are inferior’, to wider issues of identity,” said Ted Cantle, executive chairman of the Institute of Community Cohesion, a think tank.

Multiculturalism is another bugbear of the far right, which tends to define it as an excessive tolerance of immigrant communities that amounts to Western cultural suicide. Centre-right politicians who have also questioned multiculturalism and advocated the primacy of Western liberalism in recent years include British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President N icolas Sarkoz y. All did so facing domestic political pressure to take a tougher line on immigrants unwilling to adapt to host cultures. Another example is Dutch populist Geert Wilders, head of the anti-immigration, anti-euro Freedom Party.

Breivik’s manifesto reproduced antiIslamic comments Wilders made to the Dutch parliament. Wilders has denounced Breivik and his actions. Pepe Egger, head of Western European Forecasting for the UK-based Exclusive Analysis research house, says some of Breivik’s ideas are held quite widely among European political activists. “The bizarre thing is that his ideas, as Islamophobic as they are, are almost mainstream in many European countries,” he told Reuters. “The perceived need to defend Europe against ‘Islamisation’ is not that far removed from what you can find in the opinion pieces in large daily newspapers.” — Reuters

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

sp orts New champion eyes Geale

Hooligans fight over turf

Armstrong: ‘Don’t cry for me’

BERLIN: Germany’s new super middleweight world champion Arthur Abraham is planning his next bout for December 15 in Nuremberg with Australia’s Daniel Geale or compatriot Felix Sturm as possible opponents. Geale, the IBF middleweight world champion, takes on Sturm, the WBA super world middleweight titleholder, in Oberhausen, west Germany, on Saturday and Abraham will be eyeing the winner for a future world title bout.

The 32-year-old Abraham earned a unanimous points win over Germany’s Robert Stieglitz on Saturday in Berlin to claim the WBO super middleweight (76.2kgs) belt and has previously tried to lure Sturm into the ring. Having held the IBF middleweight (72.6kgs) title from 2005 until 2009, the chance to face the winner of the Geale-Sturm bout has obvious appeal for Abraham.

“We have twice made Sturm an offer (to fight Abraham), the last one was over two million euros,” said Abraham’s promoter K alle Sauerland. — Reuters

BUENOS AIRES: Five people were wounded in a gun fight between rival factions of Boca Juniors hooligans while Independiente coach Christian Diaz quit due to fan pressure over poor results as dark forces engulfed Argentine soccer at the weekend. “We’re worried. It’s a lamentable occurrence because there are people with bullet wounds,” Boca president Daniel Angelici told reporters after Saturday’s incident.

The shootout involving “barra bravas”, the Latin American equivalent of the European ultras, took place before Boca’s away league match at Union in Santa Fe. The barra bravas fight over turf rights such as free tickets, parking spaces and the sale of refreshments around the ground. Boca beat nine-man Union 2-1 to go top of the Argentine league before the rest of the programme of matches on Sunday and Monday.

Union had midfielder Pablo Bruna sent off in the 34th minute and defender Mauro Maidana in the 70th. Boca, who scored through defender Rolando Schiavi and striker Nicolas Blandi, have nine points from four matches, one point more than title holders Arsenal.

Independiente lost 2-0 at home to Arsenal, an 11th league game without victory which sees them stranded in the relegation places, and which prompted Diaz’s resignation. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Lance Armstrong was back on his bike on Saturday, urging his supporters not to ‘cry’ for him a day after the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) decision to strip his seven Tour de France titles and ban him for life.

In his first public appearance since announcing he would no longer fight doping charges brought by USADA, Armstrong finished second in a 36-mile mountain bike race in Aspen, Colorado, five minutes behind a 16year-old rider, Keegan Swirbul.

Wearing sunglasses and black and gold riding gear adorned with sponsors’ logos, Armstrong appeared unfussed by the media throng that had travelled to the mountain resort amid concerns his legacy has been irrevocably tarnished. Nobody needs to cry for me. I’m going to be great,” Armstrong told reporters. “I have five great kids and a wonderful lady in my life. My foundation is unaffected by all the noise out there. “I think people understand that we’ve got a lot of stuff to do going forward. — Reuters

MLB results/standings Colorado 4, Chicago Cubs 3; Oakland 4, Tampa Bay 2; NY Mets 3, Houston 1; Texas 9, Minnesota 3; Cincinnati 8, St. Louis 2; Atlanta 7, San Francisco 3; Baltimore 8, Toronto 2; Cleveland 3, NY Yankees 1; Detroit 5, LA Angels 3; Philadelphia 4, Washington 2; Pittsburgh 4, Milwaukee 0; Kansas City 10, Boston 9 (12 innings); Chicago White Sox 5, Seattle 4; San Diego 9, Arizona 3; LA Dodgers 8, Miami 2.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT NY Yankees 73 53 .579 Tampa Bay 70 57 .551 Baltimore 69 57 .548 Boston 60 67 .472 Toronto 56 70 .444 Central Division White Sox 70 55 .560 68 58 .540 Detroit Kansas City 56 69 .448 Cleveland 55 71 .437 Minnesota 51 75 .405 Western Division Texas 75 51 .595 69 57 .548 Oakland LA Angels 66 61 .520 Seattle 61 66 .480

GB 3.5 4 13.5 17 2.5 14 15.5 19.5 6 9.5 14.5

National League Eastern Division Washington 77 49 .611 Atlanta 72 55 .567 Philadelphia 60 67 .472 NY Mets 58 69 .457 Miami 57 71 .445 Central Division Cincinnati 77 51 .602 St. Louis 69 57 .548 Pittsburgh 68 58 .540 Milwaukee 58 67 .464 Chicago Cubs 48 77 .384 Houston 40 87 .315 Western Division San Francisco 71 56 .559 LA Dodgers 69 58 .543 Arizona 64 63 .504 San Diego 58 70 .453 Colorado 51 74 .408

5.5 17.5 19.5 21 7 8 17.5 27.5 36.5 2 7 13.5 19

Tigers maul Angels DETROIT: Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run double during a three-run eighth inning that sent the Detroit Tigers to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

The Tigers trailed 3-0 before scoring twice in the sixth and taking the lead in their last at-bat. With runners on first and third, Peralta hit a line drive just fair down the left-field line off Garrett Richards (3-3). Alex Avila added an RBI single.

Octavio Dotel (4-2) threw two scoreless innings for the win. Jose Valverde pitched a perfect ninth for his 26th save in 30 chances.

Vernon Wells homered for the Angels, who had won four straight. Dan Haren allowed two runs in 5 2-3 innings. Rookie pitcher Drew Smyly yielded one earned run over six innings for the Tigers in his return from a strained muscle in his right side. Albert Pujols missed a third straight game for the Angels with a right calf injury.

Indians 3, Yankees 1 In Cleveland, Justin Masterson handled New York’s power-packed lineup for 6 2-3 innings and Michael Brantley hit a three-run homer as Cleveland beat the Yankees to snap a nine-game skid.

It’s the second time this month that Masterson (10-11) has busted a long losing streak for the Indians. On Aug. 8, he beat Minnesota and stopped Cleveland’s 11-game slide, one loss shy of the club record.

Brantley homered in the first inning off Hiroki Kuroda (12-9), and the Indians, who were in playoff contention in late July, held on to win for just the fifth time in 27 games. Cleveland is 5-18 in August.

Chris Perez pitched a perfect ninth for his 33rd save. Despite the loss, the AL East-leading Yankees remained 31/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay. Athletics 4, Rays 2 In St. Petersburg, Brandon McCarthy pitched seven solid innings to lead Oakland over Tampa Bay. McCarthy (7-5) allowed two runs and four hits while improving to 9-0, including three wins this season, against AL East teams over 14 starts since 2009.

Chris Carter and Seth Smith homered off Jeremy Hellickson (8-9) for the

Athletics, who took two of three from the Rays and moved within a half-game of the AL wild-card leaders. Oakland has won eight of 10 to go a season-high 12 games over .500.

Sean Doolittle worked a per fect eighth and Grant Balfour got three outs for his 14th save. Desmond Jennings homered for the Rays.

Rangers 9, Twins 3 In Arlington, Ian Kinsler hit a leadoff homer and Mitch Moreland launched a 463-foot shot, sending Ryan Dempster and the Texas Rangers past Minnesota for their fourth straight win.

Kinsler homered in the first inning and hit a bases-loaded triple in the third that made it 9-0. He also singled. Dempster allowed two runs in six innings and improved to 3-1 since he was acquired from the Cubs on July 31. He was 5-5 with Chicago.

Moreland’s three-run homer was the third-longest shot at the Rangers’ stadium. The AL West leaders have won eight of nine against the Twins this season.

Justin Morneau went 4 for 4 with a home run for Minnesota, which has lost five in a row and 14 of 16. Brian Duensing (3-9) gave up a career-worst nine runs in 2 1-3 innings.

Orioles 8, Blue Jays 2 In Baltimore, JJ Hardy homered and scored three runs, rookie Steve Johnson allowed four hits over six innings and Baltimore beat Toronto to equal its win total of last season.

Hardy, Adam Jones and Matt Wieters each had two RBIs for the Orioles, who have won 14 of 20 since Aug. 3.

Baltimore (69-57) is in the thick of the AL wild-card chase and only four games out of first place in the AL East after going 69-93 in 2011. Johnson (2-0) gave up two runs and struck out seven in his second big league start.

Toronto lost its seventh straight, and the bad news didn’t stop there. Right fielder Jose Bautista left in the third inning with discomfort in his left wrist, one night after being activated from the disabled list. Bautista was sidelined for 51/2 weeks with inflammation in that same wrist. The Blue Jays fell 14 games under .500 (56-70) for the first time since Sept. 25, 2009. — AP

DETROIT: Tigers’ Jhonny Peralta hits a double in the eighth inning to drive in Prince Fielder and Andy Dirks against the Los Angeles Angels. —AP

Dodgers demolish Marlins and seven hits in six innings. He entered with a 7-1 record and a 3.12 ERA in nine career starts and two relief appearances against the Reds.

LOS ANGELES: Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run homer on the second pitch he saw in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, and Andre Ethier tied a franchise record with his 10th straight hit in an 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Saturday.

Clayton Kershaw (12-7) pitched three-hit ball over eight innings for the new-look Dodgers, hours after they acquired Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett in a blockbuster trade with Boston.

Ethier and Mark Ellis also went deep for Los Angeles. Ethier had his second straight four-hit game.

He gave the Dodgers a 7-2 lead in the fifth with a leadoff homer against reliever Wade LeBlanc and added a bloop single to center in the seventh for his 10th consecutive hit, tying a club mark set in 1919 by Ed Konetchy. Marlins starter Josh Johnson (7-11) threw 89 pitches in three innings, giving up six runs and 10 hits. He retired only nine of the 20 batters he faced in his shortest outing this season.

The two-time All-Star has lost his last four starts.

Mayberry Jr. homered to lead Philadelphia to its third consecutive victory.

Halladay (8-7) allowed two runs and seven hits, struck out six and walked one. The right-hander, who missed 42 games with a strained muscle, is 4-1 with a 2.75 ERA in his last five starts.

Steve Lombardozzi drove in both runs for Washington, which lost its third straight. Gonzalez

Braves 7, Giants 3 In San Francisco, Jason Heyward hit a three-run homer and Atlanta snapped San Francisco’s five-game winning streak. Michael Bourn had two hits and two RBIs for the Braves, who had lost six of seven but still lead the NL wild-card race. Reed Johnson and Martin Prado each drove in a run.

Atlanta left-hander Mike Minor (7-10) gave up three runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings. He also doubled, walked and scored twice.

Minor was 1-4 with a 2.22 ERA in his previous seven star ts.

Pinch-hitter Gregor Blanco had a two-run double for the NL Westleading Giants, who had won eight of 10.

Madison Bumgarner (14-8) allowed four runs and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings. He matched his season high with four walks and struck out five, losing for only the second time at home.

LOS ANGELES: Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez (right) congratulates relief pitcher Ronald Belisario after they defeated the Miami Marlins 8-2 in their baseball game. —AP

Phillies 4, Nationals 2 In Philadelphia, Roy Halladay outpitched Gio Gonzalez with seven solid innings and John

(16-7) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings.

After Antonio Bastardo struck out the side in the eighth, Jonathan Papelbon closed it out for his 29th save in 32 chances.

Reds 8, Cardinals 2 In Cincinnati, Brandon Phillips hit his first home run in August, Mike Leake pitched effectively into the seventh inning and the Reds strengthened their hold on the top spot in the NL Central.

Phillips and Ryan Ludwick had three hits apiece and Jay Bruce added a two-run homer as Cincinnati regained a sevengame lead over second-place St. Louis, which rallied to win the series opener 8-5 on Friday night.

Leake (6-8) yielded at least one hit in every inning except one, but kept the Cardinals mostly at bay. Leake, who also had two hits, lasted 6 2-3 innings, allowing 10 hits and two runs.

St. Louis left-hander Jaime Garcia (3-5) gave up four runs

Mets 3, Astros 1 In New York, RA Dickey helped his own cause for his 16th victory, driving in a run with an infield single and pitching seven solid innings to help the Mets stop a

six-game skid.

Justin Turner hit his first homer of the season and Jason Bay snapped an 0-for-14 slump with an RBI single in the eighth that ended a stretch of offensive futility for the Mets. New York went seven straight games without scoring more than two runs for the first time since September 1982.

Dickey (16-4) yielded just five singles in tying the NL’s Gio Gonzalez and Johnny Cueto and the AL’s Jered Weaver and David Price for the major league lead for wins.

Pirates 4, Brewers 0 In Pittsburgh, Jeff Karstens pitched seven-plus innings before leaving with an injury and the Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak.

Karstens (5-3) gave up seven hits, did not walk a batter and struck out four for his first win in nine career star ts against Milwaukee.

Karstens also had an RBI single and scored during Pittsburgh’s four-run fifth inning, but left with an injured right groin after the first two Brewers singled in the eighth.

Pedro Alvarez had two hits for the Pirates, who are one game behind St. Louis for the second wild-card spot. Shaun Marcum (5-4) did not allow an earned run in his first start since June 14 but took the loss due to two errors in the Pirates’ fifth. Aramis Ramirez had three hits for the Brewers, who had won four in a row.

Rockies 4, Cubs 3 In Chicago, Carlos Gonzalez used his speed to beat out a potential double-play ball in the seventh inning and drive in the go-ahead run in the Rockies’ victory.

Andrew Brown hit his first career homer and pinch-hitter Josh Rutledge had a two-run shot for Colorado, which has won six of seven. Carlos Torres (3-1) threw 2 1-3 scoreless innings as four Rockies relievers combined for five innings of one-hit ball.

Brett Jackson hit a two-run homer for Chicago, which has dropped five of six and seven of nine. Manuel Corpas (0-1) got the loss.

The Rockies grabbed the lead for good in the seventh. With runners on first and third and one out, Gonzalez hit a grounder to first baseman Anthony Rizzo and beat the return throw from shortstop Starlin Castro, allowing DJ LeMahieu to come home.

Padres 9, D’backs 3 In Phoenix, Yonder Alonso hit the last of San Diego’s three solo homers and added a two-run single to lead the streaking Padres past Arizona.

Chase Headley and Carlos Quentin also homered for the Padres, who have won six in a row. Clayton Richard (11-12) allowed three runs over eight innings, improving to 5-0 in seven career starts against Arizona.

Justin Upton celebrated his 25th bir thday with his first career inside-the-park home run and Aaron Hill also connected for the slumping Diamondbacks.

Arizona is 4-9 in its last 13 home games after winning eight straight at home in July. —AP

Garcia leads at Farmingdale FARMINGDALE: Sergio Garcia is on track for consecutive victories after the Spaniard took the outright lead at the Barclays tournament on Saturday, while Tiger Woods faltered slightly but remained inside the top 10.

Garcia, who won the Wyndham Championship on Monday, fired a two-underpar 69 to claim a two-shot cushion at 10under 203 as the greens at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, reached treacherous speeds.

American Nick Watney, who had a threeshot lead in the middle of the third round, ended up with a 71 to hold second at eightunder 205. Fellow American Kevin Stadler was third at 206 after firing a blistering 65, easily the round of the day.

Woods, who can return to the world number one spot with a victory, battled putting woes to post a 72, leaving him six off the pace at 209 in a tie for 10th.

He three-putted four separate greens for the first time in his PGA tour career after being unable to come to terms with the changing speed.

“I’ve never seen greens change like this, from what they were yesterday to today,” Woods said. “It’s unbelievable how slippery they were.

“You put the putter down behind the golf ball and it was slipping on the grass. It’s unbelievable how fast they got.” The 14-time major winner lamented the mistakes but remained confident of a Sunday charge. “I played the round I needed to play, unfortunately I didn’t

putt the way I needed to putt,” he said. “If you take the four three-putts away I’m right there in the ball game.

Garcia traded three birdies for as many bogeys over his opening 10 holes before taking the advantage with birdies on the 11th and 13th holes just as Watney faltered.

“The greens are just probably some of the fastest greens I’ve ever played,” Garcia said.

“Usually when you are putting on fast greens, you have an idea where the ball is going to stop. And today, you didn’t.

“You thought the ball was going to stop two feet behind the hole, and it went six. “I wouldn’t say it was unfair. It was borderline. It was very close.”

Watney, playing with Garcia in the final group, had four birdies and just one bogey in his opening 10 holes to be three clear before hitting the skids.

Bogeys on 11, 12 and 15 handed the momentum back to Garcia and although Watney rolled in a 35-foot birdie on the 17th, the only birdie on the tough par-three all day, he cancelled that out with another bogey on the last hole.

“It was definitely unfortunate and not what I wanted, but at the same time, there’s still so much golf to be played that you know, fortunately for me, they don’t give out the trophy after the 13th hole on Saturday,” Watney said.

“I’m just going to need to hang around. If Sergio goes out and shoots four or five under, you’ve just got to tip your hat. “But I’m super excited to be in the last group.” —Reuters

FARMINGDALE: Sergio Garcia, of Spain, hits his second shot on the fifth hole during the third round of The Barclays golf tournament. —AP

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

sp orts

Hamlin wins at Bristol

GERMANY: The winning team, French driver Sebastien Loeb (second right) and codriver Daniel Elena (second left) and second placed Jari-Matti Latvala, from Finland (left) and third placed Mikko Hirvonen from Finland (right) celebrate on the podium after the ADAC Rallye Deutschland. —AP

Loeb bags Germany title TRIER: France’s Sebastien Loeb won the Rally of Germany yesterday to claim his ninth win here in a decade with Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala second and Mikko Hirvonen finishing third.

Loeb finished 2mins 00.1sec clear of Latvala, with Hirvonen at 2mins 31.4secs, to claim the 74th win of his career and strengthen his lead at the top of the World Rally Championship drivers’ table.

Having led from the first timed practice on Thursday, Loeb proved again he is at home on the twisting roads around Trier in the Moselle valley having first won the Germany rally in 2002.

The 38-year-old Citroen driver opened a 20 second lead on Friday and extended the gap on Saturday as his Ford rival Petter

Solberg damaged his car’s rear-right suspension hitting a rock after an error. Loeb went into the final day with a lead of 1min 42sec and won the ninth rally in the WRC schedule by taking nine of the 15 stages including the final one Sunday on the streets of Trier.

“The Rallye Deutschland is a race where it is easy to make mistakes,” said Loeb. “A lot of drivers have made them. This is a tricky rally with narrow roads. “We managed to not make a mistake from the beginning and I drove very clean. “The result is there to see.” The next event on the WRC calender is the Wales Rally Great Britain starting on September 13 in Cardiff, the 10th of 13 in a season which culminates in Spain’s Rally de Espana on November 11.—AFP

Farah wins again in Birmingham BIRMINGHAM: Sleep-deprived double Olympic champion Mo Farah was almost caught napping during the two-mile race at a Diamond League meeting in Birmingham, England yesterday before easing to victory to the delight of a sellout crowd.

Britain’s Farah, whose wife gave birth to twin girls on Friday, had to produce his trademark turn of speed on the final lap when Italian Daniele Meucci suddenly attacked on the outside.

The London Games 10,000 and 5,000 metres champion kicked and pulled away from the field, sending the stadium wild, to win in eight minutes 27.24 seconds.

There was relief for American sprinter Tyson Gay after he safely negotiated his first competitive 200 metres for two years.

The former world champion started well but tightened up down the home straight and finished behind Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade, who won in 20.12. “It was pretty good, interesting,” Gay, second in 20.21, told the BBC. “It was my first race in two years and it feels good to finish,” added the Olympic 4x100m silver medallist, who had

concentrated on the short sprint in recent seasons after being suffering a series of injuries. Carmelita Jeter got the better of the woman who beat her to the Olympic 100 title, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, for the second time in four days with victory in a meeting record of 10.81.

Twice Olympic champion Fraser-Pryce, wearing a black and yellow ribbon in her plaited hair, was second in 10.90.

Racing next to each other, American Jeter eased ahead of her Jamaican rival early on and never looked like being caught

by Fraser-Pryce, who also finished second best in Lausanne on Thursday.

There were no nervous twitches from Aries Merritt in the 110 hurdles as the Olympic gold medallist, who was disqualified for a false start in Lausanne, held off world champion Jason Richardson for victory in 12.95. Merritt, who had said before the meeting he was targeting Cuban Dayron Robles’ world record of 12.87 still found fault with his run.

“I made a lot of technical errors. It wasn’t the best race for me,” Merritt said. “It was my first race since the Games.”—Reuters

MENDOZA: Argentina’s Los Pumas Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (left) runs with the ball facing South Africa’s Springboks hooker Adriaan Strauss during the Rugby Championship second round match. —AFP

Pumas prove their potential MENDOZA: Argentina’s 16-16 draw with South Africa represents a huge step forward for the Pumas-but they want even better results in the new Rugby Championship according to captain Juan Fernandez Lobbe.

The performance was confirmation that it was not a mistake to bring Argentina into the major annual competition they had lacked, expanding the Tri-nations into a four-team tournament.

The Pumas are not blinded, though, by the result and are fully aware that playing world champions New Zealand away next requires another big step up.

But then Argentine rugby has for more than a decade taken big strides forward from their first Rugby World Cup quarter-final in 1995 with a third place finish in 2007 to their credit. “It’s good what we achieved but this team wants to improve,” said Fernandez Lobbe. “Everyone saw our disappointed faces when the match ended. It s true we’ll remember this match all our lives, but we like to win and victory slipped away by very little,” he told reporters.

Argentina were a quarter of an hour from beating South Africa for the first time when centre Frans Steyn charged down a kick and scored the try that salvaged the draw with Morne Steyn’s conversion. Spectators at the

packed Malvinas Argentinas stadium or watching at home on television could see South Africa were not playing well, mired in Argentina’s “European type of game” as coach Heyneke Meyer put it.

Meyer said his team could play much better, and had done so at Newlands the previous Saturday, but Argentina sought to play in the Springboks half and succeeded for long spells especially in the first half when they scored 13 of their points.

“We had promised ourselves that this would be a day to remember,” Fernandez Lobbe said. Argentina thrived on home advantage, always important to the Pumas in building a formidable reputation since the amateur days not so far back, and correction of errors made in their 27-6 debut defeat by the Springboks a week earlier.

“In two weeks’ time we have to take another step forward,” Fernandez Lobbe added. The Pumas face the All Blacks in Wellington on Sept. 8. Coach Santiago Phelan was less outwardly emotional at his news conference about a day reporters and fans talked of as historic. “The result is positive beyond the fact we could have won the match. We work to improve our game and the result comes as a consequence-We try to take a step forward every time we play,” Phelan said.—Reuters

BRISTOL: They bumped, they banged and a helmet was tossed, too. It was just like old times Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, where tempers flared again much to the delight of track owner Bruton Smith.

Denny Hamlin didn’t mind, either. He used an old-school “slide job” to make a late pass for the lead that led to his first career Bristol win. More important, the victory was the third of the season for Hamlin and moved him into a fourway tie for the top seed in NASCAR’s championship race.

“You struggle to say what it means because I grew up watching this race and all the great finishes,” Hamlin said. “This is just a milestone race that you always want to win. They’ve got one of the best trophies of all tracks and it’s going to be one of my prized possessions and it’s obviously my biggest win.”

Hamlin flirted with Carl Edwards for the lead late in the race, and set up the move with 39 laps remaining Saturday night. Hamlin slid his way past Edwards on a track that was ground this summer by Smith in an effort to bring back excitement.

Edwards tried but failed to use a cross-over move to get back in front, and Hamlin drove away to the win. “That’s what you had to do. The only thing you could do was slide-job somebody,” Hamlin said of the pass. “Bruton ground the track, but you still had the old Bristol here. It’s one line, you still had to knock somebody out of the way to make a move.”

There’s two races left before the field is reset for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, and seeding is done by “regular-season” wins. Hamlin is tied for the series victory lead with defending champion Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski.

The four would be tied for the top seed right now, but all want at least one more win to break the logjam. “We’re not done winning yet. We’ve still got a few more to go,” Hamlin promised.

Johnson finished second and clinched a berth in the Chase, as did Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Matt Kenseth clinched at least a wild-card berth.

Jeff Gordon was third - giving Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet’s second and third - followed by Brian Vickers in a Toyota and Marcos Ambrose in a Ford.

Kyle Busch was a quiet sixth,

BRISTOL: Danica Patrick slows to a stop after crashing during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Bristol Motor Speedway. —AP Clint Bowyer was seventh and Joey Logano, winner of the Nationwide Series race Friday night, was eighth. Kasey Kahne and Paul Menard rounded out the top 10.

Edwards ended up 22nd.

The race was the first since Smith ordered a grinding of the top groove around the track in an effort to narrow the racing surface.

His goal was to bring back bumping and banging to Bristol after several consecutive disappointing crowds.

Although the race wasn’t a sellout, Hamlin noted “this is the biggest crowd I’ve seen here in forever.” But it created many unknowns as few were sure how the race would develop.

Asked Friday when it would become evident what the track changes had accomplished, Stewart mockingly said “exactly on lap 236. Not a lap before, not a lap after.” He was off by about 100 laps.

Stewart rallied from a lap down early in the race to put himself in position to challenge for the lead, but he ran out of track while running with Kenseth and the two cars collided. The damage briefly knocked Stewart out of the race and sent Kenseth to pit road for repairs.

Stewart then showed his displeasure with Kenseth with a twohanded toss of his helmet directly into the front grill of Kenseth’s car.

Stewart put all the blame squarely

on Kenseth immediately after the accident, vowing to “run over him every chance I get for the rest of the year.” As for the helmet collected by NASCAR officials on pit road?

“The hell with the helmet,” he said.

Kenseth was confused with Stewart’s anger, claiming he gave Stewart room earlier to avoid a wreck and Stewart didn’t do the same.

“I guess he just wanted to do all the taking, so that’s where we ended up,” Kenseth said, adding the two had incidents this season at Sonoma and Indianapolis, and Stewart refused to speak to him about the Indy accident.

“I just said ‘OK, that’s fine. I’m just going to race you the same way you race me,’” Kenseth said. As for Stewar t ’s threat to wreck Kenseth the rest of the year, Kenseth didn’t seem concerned.

“Look, Tony is probably the greatest race car driver in the garage. I don’t really have anything bad to say about Tony,” Kenseth said, adding he was expecting the helmet throw.

It briefly appeared that there would be two helmet throws during the race as Danica Patrick prepared her reaction following a wreck with Regan Smith. Patrick, who struggled mightily in Friday’s two practice sessions, had climbed to 19th on the board and was on the lead lap when her night ended.

As she approached the track on

foot, drivers called for her to throw her helmet at Smith. Alas, Patrick just wagged her finger at Smith as he circled passed.

“We were just racing hard, this is Bristol, this is why people love this track because you see a lot of that, you see tempers flare,” Patrick said.

She’s right. It’s not wrecks that fans missed at Bristol, but they for sure pined for the angry explosions that racing around the tight bullring seemed to create. Drivers had mellowed the last several years at Bristol, and Smith figured narrowing the track surface would bring back the bumping and banging that put fans in the seats.

The drivers almost unanimously opposed any changes, but their protests were ignored as Smith moved forward with the grinding project.

Keselowski, the winner of the previous two Cup races at Bristol, was critical of the track after a wreck sent his car behind the wall for repairs.

“I know the goal was to make a one-groove race track so there’d be more action, but it had an inverse affect to where now everybody is running up against the wall,” Keselowski said.

But Gordon, a five-time Bristol winner, thought the track was in terrific shape. “I say they grind the whole place. It was awesome,” he said. “It reminded me of old-school Bristol.”—AP

Rivals tip Serena as US Open favorite NEW YORK: With seven different champions in the last seven grand slam tournaments, it is nearly inconceivable that Serena Williams would be seen as the overwhelming choice to win the US Open.

But after her Wimbledon and Olympic triumphs, many of her rivals seem to think the year’s final grand slam is hers to lose. “Serena is probably the favorite coming in given her recent form,” said Australian Samantha Stosur, the defending champion. “No matter who you are, I don’t think you can really deny that.”

The US Open begins today at Flushing Meadows and Williams is seeded fourth, behind Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, who won this year’s French Open. Kim Clijsters, a three-time US Open champion is playing in the last tournament of her career, also tipped her hat to Williams.

“Serena is the best ever just because physically she just stands out,” Clijsters told reporters. “When she’s in good shape she just stands out tremendously.

“I mean, she’s fast, she’s strong, she has a very good eye, as well. It’s the combination. What we have seen over the last few months is the best player ever.”

Williams lost in the round of 16 at the Australian Open, was bounced in her first match at the French before returning to the form that has seen her claim 14 grand slam championships.

The three-time US Open champion is taking her status as the favorite in stride. “You’ve got to embrace it whether you’re the favorite or the one to beat or whether you are not,” she said. “And I embrace it. In Wimbledon I wasn’t the favorite. I embraced that. “Hopefully I can propel and do my best here.” Top-ranked Azarenka, who won the Australian Open earlier this year by beating Sharapova in the final, bristled at the talk Williams was the one to beat.

“When I go in the tournament I’m trying to think of just the girl or my opponent who I play today, you know, that particular day,” said the 6-foot-tall (1.83 m) Azarenka, who will face Russian Alexandra Panova in the opening round.

“Because the tournament is really long anything can happen on any day. You cannot feel great throughout the two weeks and play perfectly every match.

“You just have to take it really one moment at a time and don’t think what’s going to happen later or who’s the favourite or not. I never even think about that.”

Sharapova, a four-times grand slam champion, admitted Williams “gained a tremendous amount of confidence at Wimbledon” before striking gold at the London Games.

“When she got to the Olympics with every match she just improved,” said Sharapova. “She took that confidence and she played just really great physical tennis, served extremely well. “Who knows? Obviously of course she’s the favourite because she won those two big events back to back. But everybody is still in the draw here.

“It starts from the first round on, and that’s why everybody is here.” Barring an upset based on the seeding, Williams would play Radwanska in one semi-final, while Azarenka could take on Sharapova in the other. Williams, who last won the US Open in 2008, said it was difficult to compare winning the Olympics as a member of the United States team with a victory at Flushing Meadows.

“The Olympics is a totally different thing because you’re playing for your country and you’re rooting on your team mates and stuff like that,” she said. “So it’s just super, super cool. “It’s like Olympics is almost more fun.

Whereas you really want to win but if you don’t then you want the USA to win. Now here it’s back to being a oneperson sport.”—Reuters

NEW YORK: Novak Djokovic (center) of Serbia poses alongside USTA Chairman of the Board and President Jon Vegosen (second left), US Open Tournament Director David Brewer (second right) and members of the Emirates Airline Cabin Crew after being honored as the 2012 Emirates Airline US Open Series Men’s Champion during a press conference on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day prior to the start of the 2012 US Open. —AP

Federer delivers ominous warning to US Open rivals NEW YORK: Roger Federer is feeling the magic once again and that can only spell trouble for his opponents in the US Open.

The glitzy yet gritty final grand slam of the year begins today and Federer, fivetimes champion, is anxious to reclaim the title he last won in 2008.

A year ago, the Swiss virtuoso reached the semi-finals but lost a five-set thriller to Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the championship over Rafa Nadal.

“I felt good last year, but probably felt that maybe at times the matches were not always in my racquet, whereas maybe this time around I feel like if I’m playing well I can dictate who’s going to win or lose,” said Federer. “It’s going to take something special from my opponent to win. That’s kind of how it feels right now.”

The 31-year-old Federer won a seventh Wimbledon crown - his 17th grand slam title - this year and regained his spot as the best player on the planet. He is the top seed at Flushing Meadows and if the seeding holds form will play Olympic champion Andy Murray in the semi-finals after Murray beat the Swiss in straight sets to win the gold medal.

With an injury sidelining Nadal, Djokovic avoids Federer or Murray until a possible showdown in the final. But the Serb denied he had a dream path through the tournament. “I don’t think there is a perfect draw, to be honest with you,” he told reporters.

“The draw is something that you cannot affect. It’s a question of luck, obviously.

“There are 128 players here who have plenty of motivation to perform their best in the grand glam, the last major of the year, so I’m sure that they want to cause

some upsets in the opening round.

“I’m truly taking one step at a time. I had good and bad draws in the past, but it’s something I cannot affect, so I’m not calculating or predicting anything.

“I’m just trying to focus on my game, which is the most important thing.” Murray, who lost to Federer in four sets in this year’s Wimbledon final but gained his revenge at the London Games, comes into the twoweek US Open with some much-needed momentum. “Obviously winning the Olympics was the biggest win of my career, that’s for sure,” said the Scotsman, who is still searching for his first grand slam title.

“It meant a lot to me. The Wimbledon final, I mean, that’s the first time I have been there. I was happy with the way I played. “It was obviously disappointing, a tough one to take for a few days afterwards, but I don’t know. I feel confident in myself just now. That’s what’s important.”

Though he is playing well, Federer declined to predict a championship at Flushing Meadows, saying there is always the possibility of a first-round shocker.

“You have to always be very careful how you say it and how you then play,” he said. “I will take it one match at a time. There’s no doubt about that. I will never ever underestimate an opponent ever again. I did that enough when I was a teenager.

“I already reached my goal for the year becoming world number one and getting Wimbledon again and getting a medal for Switzerland. It’s been incredible. “But I do have this one left for me this year where I really, really want to do well, and I couldn’t be more happy returning here as number one. It’s super exciting.”—Reuters

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

sp orts

Australia win but Afghanistan impress SHARJAH: Australia won the match but Afghanistan won plenty of admirers before going down by 66 runs in their one-day international in Sharjah.

Playing only their second ODI against an established side, Afghanistan restricted Michael Clarke’s team to 272-8 before responding with 206 all out from 43.5 overs.

“It was a big occasion and we learnt a lot from the experience of playing Australia,” Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal told reporters through an interpreter.

“I’m satisfied with the performance of my team. We couldn’t put runs on the board in the top order but Australia are a major team and they know how to win.”

Clarke typified that know-how, scoring 75 from 94 balls after promoting himself to number three in the batting order having won the toss and opting to take first use of a pitch as hard as concrete and equally devoid of grass.

Clarke shared a second wicket stand of 131 in 28 overs with opener Matthew Wade, who also made 75, his highest score in ODIs, to help set the platform for Australia’s match-winning total.

Later, the Australia captain leapt high to his left at midwicket to pull off a spectacular catch to remove Afghanistan’s top-scorer Ashgar Stanizkai, who made 66 before becoming one of man-of-the -match Mitchell Starc’s four wickets.

“Afghanistan played quite well,” Starc told reporters. “They put up a fight, surprised us with how well they fielded and they batted quite well too. It was a competitive match for us.”

The match actually spanned two days, starting at 6 p.m. (0200 GMT) local time on Saturday and finishing at 1:30 a.m. the following day in an effort to combat the extreme heat of the United Arab Emirates summer.

There was no direct sunlight for the players to contend with but extremely high humidity allied to a temperature that never dipped below 30 degrees Celsius made it as much a case of the survival of the fittest as a cricket match.

Wade became visibly distressed towards the end of his innings and when he was out, Australia briefly lost their way, losing four wickets for 42 runs.

Mike Hussey (49), back in the side after missing the recent series in England for family reasons, and George Bailey (23) gave the innings late impetus, however.

Afghanistan’s Stanikzai struggled badly with cramp, although he and Mohammad Nabi (46) led a recovery from 49-4, adding 86 in 19 overs to briefly threaten Australia’s total after Starc (4-47) and James Pattinson (3-46) produced impressive new-ball spells.

The heat and humidity also meant bowlers from both sides regularly bowled full tosses, a legacy of sweaty hands unable to grip the ball properly.

“We thought it would be a drier heat but both balls towards the end (of the Afghanistan innings) were hard to hold onto,” said Starc. “It’s something we’ll have to look at in training before we start the Pakistan series (on Tuesday).

“Finishing a game at 1:30 a.m. is something we’ve now experienced and there are quite a few tired bodies in the dressing room now.”

Afghanistan, who lost by seven wickets to Pakistan in February in their previous ODI encounter with a leading side, now head to Trinidad to continue preparations for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka next month, which they have qualified for along with Ireland.

“We hope we can learn from this game and the West Indies tour,” said Mangal. “We want to cause a major upset at the Twenty20 World Cup.”—Reuters

SHARJAH: Afghan cricket fans cheer for their team during the One Day International cricket match between Afghanistan and Australia at the Sharjah cricket stadium.—AFP

Pistorius runs again, this time at Paralympics LONDON: The Olympic rings have disappeared across London, and the Paralympic symbols hoisted in their place. Let the games begin - again. Thousands of athletes have already arrived for Wednesday’s opening ceremony as the Paralympics return to their roots. The familiar face of Oscar Pistorius and his even more recognizable blades have helped to take the Paralympic movement to the masses - with 2.3 million tickets already sold. August has been a groundbreaking month for Pistorius.

The South African will be defending the three titles won four years ago at the Beijing Paralympics, just weeks after becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics.

“I am incredibly excited to be back in London,” said Pistorius, who raced in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay earlier this month in the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium.

“It was an incredible experience to compete at the Olympic Games and the reception from the crowd I will remember for the rest of my life.” The 25-year-old Pistorius had to contend with battles on and off the track to become the poster boy of the Paralympics, where he will be competing over 100, 200 and 400.

“He is massive,” London organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe said. “In Trafalgar Square this time last year for International Paralympic Day, (there was) a queue of kids who were screaming his name out and wanting autographs.”

But Coe stressed that the medals “are not nailed on for him” at the Paralympics.

“Sport is at its best when you have head to heads,” he added. The thrilling duel should come in the 100, with Pistorius no longer the fastest man on no legs.

The “Blade Runner” experienced his first defeat in Paralympic competition in seven years when Jerome Singleton of the United States beat him by 0.002 seconds to win the 100 world title last year, while Jonnie Peacock of Britain has the world record.

“The 100m will be the most competitive 100m race I believe we will have ever seen at the games,” Pistorius said. “I am very well aware of the competition that’s out there and I’ve never been one to be too selfassured or too brash,” he added. “I’m comfortable with where I am, as far as my speed work goes on the 100m but I’m very well aware that the other guys are posting quick

times.” Pistorius has helped shine the spotlight on the Paralympics more than ever before. “The Paralympic movement has come of age,” International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven said.

“Having a sellout is amazing. A sellout prior to the games starting is unheard of ... it makes you feel good as an athlete.”

Many of the 4,200 athletes from 165 countries will parade in the opening ceremony that will celebrate the visionary doctor who conceived the Paralympics.

Ludwig Guttmann used sport in the rehabilitation of servicemen injured in World War II, and organized a hospital games at the time of the 1948 London Olympics that evolved from 1960 into the Paralympics. “Without sounding too nationalistic or even jingoistic about it, it was created here in ‘48, we drove all the early stages of the movement,” Coe said. “A lot of us do feel they are coming home.”

And it’s a chance to raise the profile further. “ This really is an opportunity to change attitudes and confront some of the misconceptions that are still out there about disability,” Coe said.

That’s achieved by creating one festival of sport in the summer in London, with the Paralympics the second element, sharing the same “London 2012” branding.

“We have never treated it as an after show and I think Beijing was a great example of it never being an after show,” Craven said. But for all Craven talks about infusing “equal splendor” between the Olympics and Paralympics, there is frustration at the lack of parity with television coverage.

“It’s particularly a disappointment when I look at it from the view of the American public, they will have a great team over here,” Craven said.

“It just shows the USA isn’t (always) right at the forefront of new things and new ideas ... we know the American public is ready for Paralympic sport.”

U.S. audiences must contend with just 5 1/2 hours of programming, with some only airing after the 11-day competition in London has concluded on Sept. 9. But there will be widespread live coverage in Brazil, China, Britain and Australia. “Countries learn over time, they get to know the Paralympics, they don’t think it’s much to begin with and once they see it they can’t get enough of it,” Craven said.—AP

HYDERABAD: Indian cricket team captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (second left) with teammates Suresh Raina (left) and Virat Kohli (right) successfully appeal for a leg before wicket decision against New Zealand cricketer Chris Martin (second right) during the fourth day of the first Test match.—AFP

Ashwin spins India to massive victory HYDERABAD: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up a career-best 12 wickets as India crushed New Zealand by an innings and 115 runs within four days in the opening Test yesterday.

Ashwin’s 6-54, his second six-wicket haul in the match, and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha’s 3-48 bundled the visitors out for 164 in their second innings, giving India a 1-0 lead in the two-test series. The 25-year-old Ashwin, who took six for 31 in New Zealand’s first innings, grabbed 12 wickets for 85 runs in the match, the best by an Indian bowler against New Zealand in a Test.

The Indian spin duo once again shared nine wickets as they had done in the first innings when New Zealand were bowled out for 159.

“This performance is very satisfying,” India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said during the presentation ceremony. “There was a bit of turn but it was a wicket where you had to keep coming at the batsmen, bowling in the right areas.

“With the batsmen deciding ‘I’m not going to take you on’, it was very difficult to get them out.

Bowlers were patient, that was very important.

“We were also battling the weather because we never knew how many overs we’ll get. That was the main reason why we wanted the opposition to follow on.”

After a barren, rain-shortened morning session, India picked up five wickets in the afternoon session and completed the formalities soon after returning from the tea break.

Resuming on 41 for one, Brendon McCullum (42) and Kane Williamson (52) batted resolutely in the first session to deny the hosts a breakthrough.

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor, who was clean

bowled trying to shoulder arms to Ashwin, said the team needed to find a way to handle the offspinner better.

“We showed in periods that we could survive.

The way Kane and Brendon batted showed rest of the batters that it could be done,” Taylor said.

“We could not put enough pressure on the Indian bowling line-up. We need to learn how to play Ashwin and... play him a lot better.

“We will be a lot better side come Bangalore.”

Umesh Yadav, the only Indian paceman to grab a wicket in the first innings, got McCullum lbw to end the second-wicket stand of 72.

McCullum was unhappy with the decision as he

thought the ball had touched his bat before hitting the pad and trudged off shaking his head and muttering to himself. The dismissal opened the floodgates as New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 26 runs.

Ojha got his second wicket of the innings by bringing Williamson’s resistance to an end after the batsman had completed his half-century.

The start of play was delayed for the third day in a row due to morning showers. Most of Saturday’s play was washed out due to a heavy downpour.

The second and final test of the series will be played in Bangalore from Friday.—Reuters

SCOREBOARD HYDERABAD: Scoreboard after India’s victory on the fourth day of the opening test against New Zealand in Hyderabad yesterday: India won by an innings and 115 runs.

India first innings 438 New Zealand first innings 159 New Zealand second innings (following on, overnight 41-1) M. Guptill lbw b Ojha 16 B. McCullum lbw b Yadav 42 K. Williamson c Sehwag b Ojha 52 R. Taylor b Ashwin 7 D. Flynn lbw b Ashwin 11 J. Franklin c Sehwag b Ashwin 5

K. van Wyk lbw b Ashwin 13 D. Bracewell c Kohli b Ojha 1 J. Patel not out 6 T. Boult c Sehwag b Ashwin 0 C. Martin lbw b Ashwin 0 Extras (b-1, lb-10) 11 Total (all out; 79.5 overs) 164 Fall of wickets: 1-26 2-98 3-105 4-138 5-142 6145 7-148 8-160 9-164 10-164 Bowling: Ojha 28-9-48-3, Zaheer 13-5-17-0, Yadav 10-1-32-1, Ashwin 26.5-9-54-6, Raina 2-12-0.

India wins Under-19 World Cup TOWNSVILLE, Australia: India has won the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup for the third time, beating Australia by six wickets behind captain Unumkt Chand’s 111 not out on Sunday.

Australia made 225-8 after

being sent in to bat, with captain William Bosisto scoring 87 not out. India started strongly, then collapsed to 97-4 before Chand guided the winners to 227-4 in the 48th over.

Chand, who hit seven fours

and six sixes, shared in a 130-run partnership with Smit Patel (62 not out), who hit the winning runs with eight balls remaining.

Australia, which also has three under-19 World Cup titles, had never lost a final in the tourna-

ment. India 227-4 in 47.4 overs (Unumkt Chand 111 not out, Smit Patel 62 not out; Joel Paris 1-33), def. Australia 225-8 ( William Bosisto 87 not out; Sandeep Sharma 4-54) by six wickets.—AP

Pedrosa clinches Czech MotoGP BRNO: Spain’s Honda rider Dani Pedrosa won the Czech MotoGP here yesterday, beating world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo in a nervewracking final lap.

Pedrosa, who finished the 22 laps on the 5.4kilometre (3.4-mile) circuit in 42 minutes 51.570 seconds, has narrowed the gap on Lorenzo in the overall standings to only 13 points with six races to go this season.

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow on a Yamaha came in third for the first podium finish of his MotoGP career, ahead of Italian teammate Andrea Dovizioso. With last year’s winner Casey Stoner absent with a fractured ankle, Lorenzo and Pedrosa showed their dominance as they took off and gradually widened the gap on the rest of the pack, leaving Crutchlow more than 12 seconds behind.

Pedrosa took the lead from pole-sitter Lorenzo halfway through the race and held on until the last lap, when Lorenzo took it back.

“It was a difficult last lap because I knew Jorge was very fast in the middle of the corner and I could hear the bike full on me,” said the 26-year-old Pedrosa. “I knew just a small opening will make him go in and in fact in that left-hander I just opened the door a little more than normal and boom-he was immediately in,” he added.

But Pedrosa reacted immediately, fighting back to earn his third victory this season. “It was half a lap to go and I was a little more nervous than before but... on almost the last corner I got along with him, he tried to relase the brakes and we were head-to-head into the corner, but I could... win the race,” he said. Lorenzo said he was sure Pedrosa would never give up on the last lap.

“I was sure that Dani was going to try. I gave a little space to Dani to overtake me. I made a little mistake,” said the Yamaha rider. “I wanted to pass

him in the last corner but it was impossible,” added Lorenzo, the 2010 winner from the Brno circuit about 180 kilometres (113 miles) south-east of the Czech capital Prague.

Crutchlow said he was “very pleased” with what he called “a perfect weekend,” but admitted Pedrosa and Lorenzo were a different class.

“We never had the pace of the two guys, I knew that after a few laps in the race,” he said, adding he focused on making sure “Dovi wasn’t too close” to him. Lorenzo has 245 points at the top of the overall standings, while Pedrosa is second on 232 — but the leader has things to ponder as the Brno

winner has lifted the overall trophy in the five previous seasons.

Stoner remained in third place overall with 186 points despite failing to take part after travelling home to Australia for surgery, admitting that his chances of defending last year’s overall trophy were all but gone.

Having decided to retire at the end of this season, Stoner will be replaced at the Repsol Honda team by Spanish youngster Marc Marquez, who won a thrilling Moto2 race in Brno on Sunday, while Germany’s Jonas Folger took the Moto3 honors.—AFP

BRNO: Honda rider Dani Pedrosa of Spain (left) leads in front during the MotoGP at the Grand Prix of Czech Republic at the circuit in Brno. —AP

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MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

S P ORT S

Cowboys rope in Rams ARLINGTON: Tony Romo didn’t need much time or his top three pass-catchers to show he’s close to top form. Playing only a quarter in what was supposed to be his most extensive action of the preseason, Romo threw for 198 yards with two long touchdowns to Dwayne Harris, who got behind defenders and went through them to score in the Dallas Cowboys’ 20-19 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Saturday night.

Even with another preseason

receivers Miles Austin (hamstring) and Dez Bryant (right knee tendinitis) will be ready to play in New York. Seven-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, who sustained a lacerated spleen in the preseason opener nearly two weeks ago, is uncertain.

Their absence wasn’t an issue against the Rams (1-2), who lost 34-7 at Cowboys Stadium last October and have been inconsistent this preseason under new coach Jeff Fisher.

a 61-yard TD that put Dallas up 100 less than 9 minutes into the game. On the next Cowboys possession, after Greg Zuerlein kicked the first of two field goals longer than 50 yards for St. Louis (No. 28, AP Pro32), Harris caught a pass coming across the middle of the field. When Harris got close to the left sideline, where it looked like he might go out of bounds or get tackled, he instead split defensive backs. Craig Dahl and Janoris Jenkins ran into each other instead

ARLINGTON: St. Louis Rams running back Isaiah Pead (24) gets past Dallas Cowboys linebacker Alex Albright (55) and defensive back Mana Silva (36) during the first half of a preseason NFL football game. —AP game left to play, Dallas (2-1) is already starting to turn its attention to the regular-season opener Sept.

5 at the defending Super Bowl champion Giants. Romo and the most of the starters likely won’t play at home against Miami on Wednesday night, a week before that game in New York.

The Cowboys are confident

Romo completed 9-of-13 passes while playing three series, pushing the Cowboys (No. 15 in the AP Pro32) to a 17-3 lead. Kyle Orton was 9 of 12 for 99 yards playing both series in the second quarter.

Harris, a sixth-round pick last year now in the mix to be the No. 3 receiver after Austin and Bryant, got behind the Rams’ secondary for

of the receiver near the 15, and Harris sprinted up the sideline to finish a 38-yard score.

DeMarco Murray, who set a Cowboys’ single-game record with 253 yards rushing against the Rams in his first start last season, had five carries for 26 yards and caught four passes for 16 yards.

On the Cowboys’ opening 13-

play drive, Murray converted thirdand-10 when Romo scrambled out of trouble and dumped the pass to the running back, who made a quick move around two defenders.

But Dallas had to settle for Dan Bailey’s 38-yard field goal after Kevin Ogletree, considered a favorite for the No. 3 receiver spot, let a ball go through his hands on a third-and-6 play.

Sam Bradford played the entire first half for the Rams, and was 6-of17 passing for 64 yards. He was sacked twice and under pressure plenty of other times. The Rams had only 114 total yards before halftime, a week after scoring TDs on their first two drives against Kansas City in a 31-17 win. St. Louis lost 38-3 at Indianapolis in its preseason opener. Their deepest penetration before halftime came after Matthew Daniels took a direct snap on fourth-and-1 and gained 30 yards, and St. Louis got another first down on that drive when linebacker Baraka Atkins jumped offside on third-and-3 from the 14.

Even with that, the Rams didn’t score when Bradford had consecutive incompletions from the 5. That included fourth down when Fisher opted against a chip-shot field goal for Zuerlein, who made kicks of 55 and 52 yards.

Cowboys safety Danny McCray sustained a strained neck on that fourth-down play when he ran into one of his own teammates when the ball was knocked up in the air.

Harris finished with three catches for 118 yards and Ogletree, going into his fourth season, caught five passes for 75 yards.

Just before halftime, Harris had a 19-yard catch from Orton and Ogletree a 15-yarder that set up Bailey’s 31-yard field goal as time expired for a 20-6 lead.

Kellen Clemens threw a 2-yard TD to Austin Pettis in the fourth quarter for the Rams before a missed extra point, and Chase Reynolds ran for a 4-yard score.

New center Scott Wells and receiver Brandon Gibson made their preseason debuts for St. Louis. Gibson had one catch for 14 yards, on the Rams’ first offensive snap. —AP

ATLANTA: Seimone Augustus scored 23 points and Rebekkah Brunson added 21 as the Minnesota Lynx won their sixth straight game with an 84-74 victory over the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA on Saturday. The victory at Phillips Arena was Minnesota’s first since sweeping Atlanta in the WNBA finals last year.

Angel McCoughtry, who began the game leading the league with a 22.7 scoring average, finished with 14 points. McCoughtry did not play in the last two games because of personal reasons and was held out of the starting lineup. Sancho Lyttle added 14 points for Atlanta, which had won two straight and three of four. Augustus, the MVP of last year’s finals, scored eight points in the third quarter. She hit 17-foot jump shots on consecutive possessions to push Minnesota’s lead to 63-54 at the 3:20 mark. Minnesota improved the WNBA’s best record to 19-4. The Lynx are 8-3 on the road.

Fever 85, Mercury 72 At Phoenix, Briann January scored 22 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead Indiana to a win over Phoenix, handing the Mercury their 10th straight loss. Katie Douglas added 16 points and six rebounds for Indiana (14-8), which has won four of its last five games and moved three games behind first-place Connecticut in the Eastern Conference.

Diana Taurasi, in just her third game with the Mercury (4-19) this season, scored 19 points. It was Taurasi’s first game for Phoenix since leading the U.S. to a fifth straight gold medal at the Olympics.

Sparks 87, Liberty 62 At Los Angeles, Kristi Toliver scored 26 points and Candace Parker added 12 points, five rebounds and four blocks to help Los Angeles win its ninth straight game with a victory over the Liberty.

The Sparks (19-6) led wire-to-wire and got another excellent game from Toliver, who scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. Toliver, coming off a career-high tying 29-point game, made back-to-back 3-pointers to push the lead to 77-58 and another to make it 82-60.

L.A.’s last nine-game win streak was in 2003, when it started the season 9-0. Parker scored 10 points in the second half after she missed seven of her first eight shots of the game and DeLisha Milton-Jones added 12 points. —AP

Gilbert wins ninth Tour stage BARCELONA: Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert claimed the Tour of Spain’s ninth stage here yesterday, with local hope Joaquim Rodriguez retaining possession of the overall leader’s red jersey.

Gilbert prevailed in a dash for the line, with Rodriguez in second and Italian Paolo Tiralongo taking third at the end of a taxing 196.3km run from Andorra, the longest stage in this year’s Vuelta. The in-form Catalan-born Rodriguez was looking good for the stage win before being joined and eventually beaten by Gilbert.

But he will have been pleased with his day’s work as he extended his cushion in the overall standings over his main rivals for outright victory. He now leads Team Sky’s Chris Froome by 53sec, with former winner Alberto Contador one minute adrift.

Alejandro Valverde, who picked up his third stage win in this year’s Tour on Saturday, is 1min 7sec adrift in fourth.

Rodriguez, all smiles, said: “I gain a second

here and a second there like a good little ant. “I’m following this strategy because I realise I’m going to suffer in Wednesday’s time-trial. “If I continue to gain a few seconds here and there, then a podium place or even victory is not out of the question.”

Stage winner Gilbert reflected: “The Montjuic climb was very tough.

“And when I saw Rodriguez set off, I knew this was the moment if I wanted to win. Then, in the sprint, I knew that I was going to be quicker than him.”

Yesterday’s run from Andorra to the Catalan capital was marked by an early four-man breakaway comprising Martijn Maaskat (Garmin), Bert Lindeman (Vacansoleil), Mickael Buffaz (Cofidis) and Javier Chacon (Andalucia).

The quartet built up a five-minute gap at one point before being caught by the peloton 25km from the finish. The riders have a rest day today before the action resumes with Tuesday’s 190km 10th stage between Ponteareas and Sanxenxo. —AFP

Kvitova captures New Haven title

Lynx get past Dream

Silver Stars 91, Shock 71 At San Antonio, Jia Perkins scored 21 points and Danielle Adams added 18 to lead the Silver Stars to a victory over the Shock. Sophia Young added 15 points and Becky Hammon 13 for San Antonio (17-6).

Riquna Williams led Tulsa (4-19) with 17 points and Ivory Latta added 15. They were the only two players in double figures. Two days after having their 12-game winning streak snapped by the Sparks in Los Angeles, San Antonio extended its home winning streak to nine. The Silver Stars only loss at home came in their opener May 30 against Chicago. San Antonio outscored Tulsa 47-25 in the second and third quarters in securing its ninth straight victory over the Shock.

BARCELONA: Spanish cyclist Joaquim Rodriguez of Katusha team celebrates on the podium after retaining the leader’s red jersey at the end of the ninth stage of the Vuelta tour of Spain. —AP

WINSTON-SALEM: John Isner of the USA celebrates with the trophy after defeating Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic during the finals of the WinstonSalem Open. —AFP

NEW HAVEN: Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova claimed her second title of the season by beating Maria Kirilenko 7-6 (11/9), 7-5 in the final of the WTA Tour’s New Haven Open on Saturday.

The 22-year-old second-seeded Czech earned her ninth singles title by hammering seven aces and winning 56 percent of her first-serve points in the two hour, seven minute match. The hardcourt tournament served as a tune-up for the US Open which begins today in New York.

Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011, outlasted Kirilenko in a marathon opening set that took more than an hour. She then rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the second by winning five consecutive games. “In the tie-break I just played point by point-I wasn’t thinking about the score,” Kvitova said.

“In the end it was pretty close and I’m really glad I won it.”

“After that, I was down physically, without energy,” she said. “It seemed like I was walking, not running. I made a lot of mistakes and went 5-2 down-but then I tried not to think about my shots or tactics and started putting the ball into the court more.”

Saturday’s final came just weeks after the two met in the quarter-finals of the London Olympic women’s singles tournament, where Kirilenko won in straight sets.

“Even though I lost I still feel positive,” said Kirilenko, who was hurt by seven double faults. “I played really well this week. I played a good match today. Unfortunately, I was unlucky in the final today.”

Kvitova earned her her first title of 2012 with a victory over China’s Li Na in Montreal earlier this month. She earned $107,000 for the win.

Kvitova has secured the top spot in the US Open Series standings as a result of her performance in the tournaments heading into the final Grand Slam of the season.

That gives her a chance to collect a $1 million bonus if she wins the US Open.

She’s seeded fifth at the Open and will play her first-round match against Slovenia’s Polona Hercog today. “It’s unbelievable-I played three tournaments in a row and won two,” Kvitova said. “I’ve played a lot of matches and I’m feeling more relaxed and confident on the court. I hope all of this will continue into the US Open next week.” —AFP

Isner defeats Berdych for Winston-Salem title WINSTON-SALEM: John Isner won his second straight Winston-Salem ATP title Saturday, surviving three match points en route to a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11/9) victory over second-seeded Tomas Berdych.

Isner, seeded third, successfully defended a title for the second time this season to go into the US Open starting Monday at Flushing Meadows on a roll.

The towering American, who also retained his title at Newport this year, fired 22 aces and also got a little bit of luck in the third-set decider as a forehand struck by Berdych hit the net cord and bounced high and wide to give Isner a second match point at 10/9.

Isner made the most of his opportunity, sealing the victory with a forehand winner after two hours and 26 minutes. “It’s a great feeling. Both my titles this year are the exact same titles I won last year,” Isner said. “Defending a title is not easy.

There’s pressure on you coming into the tournament so I think for me to do that, at both Newport and here in Winston-Salem, it should help me a lot going forward in the coming years.

I’m absolutely thrilled.

“It was a very good match, an incredible atmosphere. It was a lot of fun to play out there,” added Isner. “There were certainly some tense times all throughout the match. At times probably wasn’t the prettiest of tennis, but I was able to gut it out and am very, very proud of that.”

Berdych, who had three chances to put away the match in the tiebreaker including one on his own serve at 6-5, looked stunned. After the players had shaken hands and returned to their chairs to pack up his frustration boiled over and he slammed his racquet to the ground.

“I won a couple of matches, which was the goal and the (reason) why I wanted to come here,” Berdych said. “I made it pretty successful, but still one I was missing.”

The Czech, a late wild card entry into the draw, had won three straight points to take a 53 lead in the tiebreaker, two of those points coming on errors by Isner. On his first match point, Berdych put a backhand volley into the net, and Isner saved another with a service winner for 7-7.

Berdych gave himself another chance with a service winner for 9-8, but Isner saved that one with an ace. It wasn’t Isner’s first close call of the week in his home state. He needed three sets to get past Martin Klizan in the second round and a third-set tiebreaker to subdue top-seeded JoWilfried Tsonga of France in the semi-finals.

Berdych in contrast, had dropped just one set in reaching the final. Now he heads to Flushing Meadows seeking to make it past the round of 16 at the final Grand Slam of the season for the first time. If he gets to the quarter-finals he could find Roger Federer waiting. —AFP

NEW HAVEN: Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic poses with the winner’s trophy after defeating Maria Kirilenko of Russia during the final of the New Haven Open. —AFP

19

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

SPORTS

Messi double saves Barcelona

ITALY: AC Milan’s Nigerian forward Prince Boateng (center) vies with Sampdoria’s defender Andrea Costa during the Italian Serie A football match. —AFP

Italian League

Sampdoria stun Milan ROME: Sampdoria consigned AC Milan to a shock 1-0 defeat at San Siro yesterday, Andrea Costa scoring the winner in the second half to give Milan the worst possible start after a traumatic close season. Milan, Serie A runners-up last term, had the spine ripped out of their squad over the summer, with superstars Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic sold to Paris Saint-Germain and a glut of long-serving players moving on.

Sampdoria, who start the new campaign with a one-point deduction over the ‘Calcioscommesse’ betting scandal, celebrated their first goal at San Siro since the 2007-08 season.

It came in the 59th minute when leftback Costa rose high above the home defence to head in a corner from the right. That stirred the hosts into action, with Mario Yepes and Kevin-Prince Boateng hitting the woodwork.

But Ciro Ferrara’s men held on to take the points, although there was an injurytime scare when Sampdoria’s Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero had to be at

his best to repel Boateng’s header.

Sampdoria were the worthy winners though, and could have even taken a first-half lead via lone Brazilian striker Eder. Yesterday’s late games include Inter Milan at Pescara and Roma hosting Catania.

On Saturday, Juventus overcame a sluggish first-half display to kick off the defence of their Serie A crown with a 2-0 victory at home to Parma.

A pair of quick-fire goals shortly before the hour from Stephan Lichtsteiner and Andrea Pirlo proved the difference between the sides, after Arturo Vidal had seen a first-half penalty saved. Juve have not lost in the league since May 15, 2011 and their unbeaten run now stands at 24 victories and 16 draws, which is a record in the Italian top flight. In the first match of the season, Fiorentina came from behind to beat Udinese 2-1 thanks to a brace from Montengrin attacker Stevan Jovetic, who claimed his decisive second goal in injury time.—AFP

German League

MADRID: Lionel Messi struck a late brace to give Barcelona a 21 win over 10-man Osasuna yesterday that took them to the top of the Spanish Liga table.

Barca appeared set for their first defeat under coach Tito Vilanova, who was sent from the dug-out for complaining to the referee midway through the second half, before Messi came to the rescue.

Osasuna was the scene of a Barca defeat last season that helped to turn the title race against them and they went behind this time after a 17thminute goal from Joseba Llorente.

After the visitors missed a hatful of opportunities, the game appeared to be going against them, until Messi rose to the occasion with strikes after 75 and 80 minutes.

Osasuna’s Francisco Punal was red-carded by the referee for protesting about the Argentine’s first strike, as he felt he was offside. Victory provisionally took Barcelona top of the early-season standings, above Rayo Vallecano on goal difference. Barca now turn their attention to the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Thursday, when they face Real Madrid at the Bernabeu with a 3-2 lead.

Madrid play derby rivals Getafe late yesterday.

Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes prevented Osasuna from taking the lead inside the first minute as he palmed away a close-range effort from Alvaro Cejudo, who had easily skipped past Gerard Pique. Then, at the other end, Andres Fernandez got down well to claw away a shot from Alexis Sanchez.

Osasuna, who lost at Deportivo La Coruna last weekend, aimed to hustle Barca out of their stride but the Catalans

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (right) celebrates a goal with Barcelona’s Chiliean forward Alexis Sanchez (left) during a Spanish Liga football match against Osasuna. —AFP began to find openings, with Andres Iniesta firing over and Cristian Tello hitting the post from 25 yards. However, it was with the visitors in the ascendancy that Osasuna snatched the lead on the break.

Roland Lamah sent a deep cross from the left wing that found Llorente-on loan from Real Sociedad-and he squeezed the ball in at the far post.

Barcelona responded, with Tello forcing another save out of Fernandez and Iniesta blazed over with the goal gaping, but at the back they looked hesi-

tant and uncertain.

Centre-backs Carles Puyol and Pique failed to communicate as Lamah bundled through and was denied by Valdes, before a follow-up strike from Llorente was charged down.

Messi and Iniesta failed to convert further chances before the break and then after the restart the game became cagey as Osasuna gave Barca little space to play in.

The game appeared to be going away from Barcelona but Messi popped up with two

goals in the last 15 minutes to rescue them, first touching in a Sanchez cross and then finishing clinically with his left foot to condemn Osasuna.

Madrid are unbeaten in the league in 2012 after a stunning march towards last season’s league title, but they are searching for their first win of this campaign as they could only draw 1-1 at home to Valencia in their opening game. Also late yesterday, Granada face Sevilla and Valencia entertain Deportivo.—AFP

Hanover hold Schalke Paralympic Games BERLIN: Champions League side Schalke were held to a 2-2 draw at Hanover yesterday as the hosts came from behind on the opening weekend of the Bundesliga’s 50th season.

The Royal Blues of Gelsenkirchen will discover their group stage opponents in Thursday’s Champions League draw, but threw away a 2-1 lead at Hanover, who have not lost at home for 18 months.

The hosts took the lead via a 43rdminute header from Brazilian defender Felipe, who was left unmarked in the area.

But Dutchman Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the league’s top scorer last season, levelled for Schalke on 52 minutes with a long-range drive before midfielder Lewis Holtby put the guests ahead 12 minutes later with a superb header.

Hanover’s Swiss midfielder Adrian Nikci, who had only been on the pitch for three minutes, became the hosts’ hero after converting a crisp pass from exGermany striker Jan Schlaudraff 10 minutes from time to claim a point.

“I am very disappointed with the 2-2 draw. We were clearly the better team, had the better chances and we controlled the game,” fumed Holtby.

Holtby’s team-mate, ex-Germany goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand, was more direct. “We led 2-1 and we should never, ever have allowed the game to escape our grasp,” he said.

Defending champions Borussia Dortmund kicked off the new campaign with a 2-1 home win over Werder Bremen on Friday night thanks to goals from Germany stars Marco Reus and Mario Goetze.

Bavarian giants Bayern Munich also got their campaign off to a flying start with a 3-0 win at newly promoted Greuther Fuerth on Saturday, as goals

from Thomas Mueller, Mario Mandzukic and Arjen Robben secured the win.

Bayern are still smarting after Dortmund won last season’s Bundesliga title, while Munich lost both the German Cup and Champions League finals. There was drama on Saturday night as Wolfburg claimed a late 1-0 victory over Stuttgart.

After Wolves’ goalkeeper Diego Benaglio saved a penalty from Stuttgart striker Vedad Ibisevic in the 88th minute, Wolfsburg’s 23-year-old Dutch forward Bas Dost headed in a 90th-minute winner on his Bundesliga debut.

Promoted Eintracht Frankfurt came from behind for a 2-1 win at home to Bayer Leverkusen thanks to an equaliser from Stefan Aigner and a late header from Martin Lanig.

Borussia Moenchengladbach responded after their home defeat by Dynamo Kiev in Tuesday’s Champions League play-off first leg with a 2-1 victory at home to Hoffenheim.

Striker Mike Hanke headed home on 33 minutes, only for Hoffenheim’s Roberto Firmino to equalise with a header on 66 minutes.

Gladbach’s Venezuela midfielder Juan Arango then unleashed a spectacular free-kick on 79 minutes to claim the points.

Hamburg’s season got off to a bad start with a 1-0 defeat at home to Nuremberg, whose new signing Hanno Balitsch, freshly arrived from Leverkusen, grabbed the winner 22 minutes from time.

Striker Dani Schahin had an afternoon to remember with both second-half goals for promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf in their 2-0 win at Augburg, while Freiburg were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Mainz.—AFP

GERMANY: Hanover’s striker Lars Stindl (left) and Schalke’s US midfielder Jermaine Jones vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match.—AFP

Gazan vows to bring home gold

FRANCE: Marseille’s French midfielder Mathieu Valbuena (right) vies with Montpellier’s French midfielder Romain Pitau (center) and Montpellier’s Brazilian defender Vitorino Hilton (left) during the French L1 football match.—AFP

French League

Gignac sends champions Montpellier into drop zone PARIS: French champions Montpellier remain without a win in Ligue 1 after a late Andre-Pierre Gignac goal saw them fall 1-0 at home to new leaders Marseille yesterday. The former Toulouse striker struck with 13 minutes remaining at Stade de la Mosson to send Montpellier into the bottom three and lift Marseille to the top of the standings after a third consecutive victory. Gignac is enjoying his best spell at Marseille since joining the club in 2010 and he looked the most likely source of a goal for the visitors throughout.

He had a penalty appeal waved away after being brought down by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa in the 13th minute, and then headed narrowly over from Mathieu Valbuena’s cross six minutes before half-time.

Montpellier’s best opening saw Souleymane Camara head narrowly wide from a Younes Belhanda corner early in the second period, before Gignac pounced.

A loose pass from Daniel Congre presented the ball to Morgan Amalfitano and he found Gignac, who turned inside Vitorino Hilton and threaded a low shot between goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren and his near post.

“We have nine points, which is a good thing, but it’s only three matches, so everything is provisional,” said Marseille coach Elie Baup.

“We’ll have to see where we are

after 10 matches. That’s when we can evaluate our potential.” After three matches, Marseille lead the standings by two points from Lyon, Valenciennes and Toulouse.

Champions for the first time in their history last season, Montpellier have picked up just one point from their first three games and find themselves in the relegation zone alongside Sochaux and promoted Troyes.

“There’s a lack of understanding compared to last season, which can be explained by all the changes to the team,” said Montpellier coach Rene Girard. “Today we didn’t make the right choices and we made stupid mistakes when we shouldn’t have.”

Saint-Etienne blew off the cobwebs in the other afternoon fixture, crushing Brest 4-0 at Stade GeoffroyGuichard to register their first points of the campaign.

Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang claimed a brace of goals in each half, book-ending strikes from new signing Romain Hamouma and Josuha Guilavogui.

Paris Saint-Germain host Bordeaux in Sunday’s late game, when the bigspending club from the capital will be bidding to record their first win of the season after draws against Lorient and Ajaccio. Lille needed a debut goal from right-back Djibril Sidibe to claim a 2-2 draw at Nice on Saturday, which leaves the 2011 champions four points behind Marseille in eighth place.—AFP

GAZA CITY: After winning medals in Arab and international competitions, Gaza Paralympian athlete Khamis Zaqout is hoping to set a new world record when he competes in the London Games.

Zaqout, a 47-year-old father of nine who comes from Khan Yunis refugee camp in southern Gaza, will participate in three disciplines-shot, discus and javelin-after qualifying earlier this year.

A construction worker by trade, Zaqout had a bad accident while working in Israel in 1992 which left him partially paralysed and confined to a wheelchair.

In his late 20s at the time, he was sent to the West Bank for treatment at the Khalil Abu Raya Rehabilitation Centre in the West Bank city of Ramallah where he spent several years learning how to live with his disability.

It was there that he began playing basketball and swimming. “I started in 1992 at the Abu Raya Rehabilitation Centre where we later started doing sports for the physically disabled in Palestine,” says Zaqout, who quickly excelled at wheelchair basketball. “I was exceptional among the athletes and then I was made team captain,” he says.

Two years later, Zaqout took part in the Paralympic qualifiers in Iran where his team came sixth in wheelchair basketball. The next year, Zaqout changed track after talks with his coaches, switching to the disciplines of shot, discus and javelin.

Following nearly two decades of training, during which the stocky Gazan took part in multiple international sporting events, Zaqout finally achieved his long-awaited dream in March during the Paralympic qualifiers in Dubai. “I set a new (shot) world record of 11.4 metres,” he says of the competition, which saw him return home with five gold medals in shot, discus and javelin. With the London tournament set to begin in just days, Zaqout is now eyeing the ultimate trophy-a Paralympic gold.

Palestinian athletes have never won any medals in the Olympic Games but have managed to win three medals in the Paralympics-a bronze for shot from Sydney in 2000, and two more from the 2004 Athens Games: a silver for shot and bronze for longjump.

This year, Zaqout, who competes in class 55/56 for wheelchair athletes who throw from a seated position, is one of just two Palestinians taking part in the 2012 Paralympics which begin on August 29.

His co-competitor is Mohammed Fannouna, a 32-yearold partially-sighted long jumper, who took home a bronze from Athens for a jump measuring 6.59 metres.

Fannouna, who competes in class 13 for athletes with a visual impairment, is also to participate in the 100 and 200 metres, as well the javelin.

Zaqout says Palestinian athletes face huge obstacles when training to compete at such a high international level, since they suffer from a lack of equipment and woefully inadequate facilities.

Although athletes and sportsmen across the occupied territories are affected by the financial crisis facing the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority as well as Gaza’s Hamas rulers, the situation is much tougher for those living in Gaza, which has been subjected to an Israeli blockade since 2006. “We don’t have the basic rights of any athlete,” says Zaqout, who was barred by Israel from leaving Gaza in early June to attend a pre-Olympics celebration organised by the British Consulate in Jerusalem and Ramallah. “We don’t have proper sports equipment, or training grounds-or even wheelchairs,” he explained.

“Each player should have at least 10 javelins but we have six people training with only four. And our team only has five discuses instead of a minimum of 20.”

In the run-up to the Games, Team Palestine spent 10 days training in Qatar before flying to London on August 23. “I know it’s not enough,” shrugs Zaqout. “You need to train for at least two months before competing.”—AFP

Ashwin spins India to massive victory

17

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

Messi double saves Barcelona

19

Rivals tip Serena as US Open favorite

Page 16

LONDON: Manchester City’s Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez (center) is tackled during an English Premier League football match against Liverpool at Anfield.—AFP

Man City force Liverpool draw Liverpool 2

Man City 2 LIVERPOOL: Martin Skrtel, scorer of Liverpool’s opening goal, gifted Premier League champions Manchester City their second equaliser, and a point, in an absorbing 2-2 draw at Anfield yesterday.

The Liverpool defender had performed superbly until the 80th minute when, under pressure from Edin Dzeko, he inexplicably played the ball back directly to Carlos Tevez, who rounded Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina and slotted in his 100th goal in English football to share the points.

But the consolation for Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, still searching for his first league victory since taking charge of the Reds, was that this was a much improved display following last week’s 3-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion.

Skrtel opened the scoring with a powerful and unstoppable header from a perfectly-delivered right-wing Steven Gerrard corner in the 34th minute, a goal which was thoroughly deserved given the enterprising manner in which Rodgers’s team had undertaken their daunting meeting with the champions. Yaya Toure pulled City level in the 63rd minute but it took the home team just three more to regain the lead through a magnificently-struck Luis Suarez free-kick after Jack Rodwell had been harshly judged to have handled as he blocked a Gerrard shot.

It was a dangerous position, some 22 yards from goal, and Suarez, who had looked low on confidence to that point, needed no second invitation to curl a superb strike around the City wall and beyond England goalkeeper Joe Hart into the bottom right-hand corner.

Anfield had an air of the big occasion about it for Rodgers’s home league bow, not least of all because the manager handed a full debut to teenage winger Raheem Stering, an almost cult figure with the Liverpool faithful.

It was easy to see why, in the 18th minute, when the 17-year-old planted the perfect left-wing cross onto the toe of Fabio Borini who volleyed wide from four yards. The miss might have proved costly as City launched a counter-attack with Tevez taking James Milner’s through pass and succeeding in rounding Reina.

The Argentine forward was forced wide but then saw his cross-shot almost put in by Martin Kelly whose attempted headed clearance struck the post and was gathered by a grateful Reina.

It was a fast-paced opening with Liverpool’s game plan upset after just four minutes when Lucas limped off with pulled leg muscle to be replaced by Jonjo Shelvey.

But as Liverpool gained momentum, City were forced onto the back foot and into conceding the opening goal.

In the second half Mario Balotelli, performing admirable but unfamiliar defensive duties, inadvertently played his team into trouble when the ball deflected off him into the path of Suarez but the Liverpool forward crossed into an empty

area. City manager Roberto Mancini threw on Rodwell and Dzeko in an attempt to breathe life into s fading performance and the tactic paid instant dividends with Yaya Toure’s equaliser.

Tevez broke down the right and his cross was dealt with unconvincingly by Reina, a half-hearted punch which rebounded off Martin Kelly and into the path of the alert Toure who converted from six yards.

City only remained level for three minutes before conceding a second goal although Skrtel’s moment of indecision helped make things all square again.

Thereafter, Skrtel tried to make amends with an 18-yard shot which cleared the City bar while Dzeko twice came close as City attempted to win a league game by a 3-2 scoreline for the fourth consecutive match. Liverpool substitute striker Andy Carroll might have secured the three points in the other direction in the closing minutes, however, as he rose to meet a Suarez cross and saw his header cleared off the line by Vincent Kompany.—AFP

Arsenal suffer another stalemate Stoke 0

Arsenal 0 STOKE-ON-TRENT: Arsenal were still searching for their first goal following the exit of Robin van Persie after they were held to a second consecutive goalless Premier League draw by Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium yesterday. The Gunners have won just once in five matches at the Britannia and struggled to break down a determined Stoke defence, who had chances to claim their own first win of the league season.

Stoke started the brighter side and, buoyed by a vociferous home crowd, had a ‘goal’ ruled out early on for offside. Jonathan Walters found the net from a Peter Crouch knockdown but referee Lee Mason halted the celebrations. Arsenal had numerous chances to break the deadlock before half time as they adjusted to life without van Persie, in their first away game since the Dutch striker moved to Manchester United.

A Lukas Podolski shot was blocked by Andy Wilkinson with replays suggesting an arm may have been used by the Stoke defender. As was the case against Sunderland on the opening day of the season, new Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla, a summer signing from Malaga, enjoyed plenty of possession in midfield.

It was Cazorla who fired wide after his initial free-kick had hit the Stoke wall as Arsenal searched for the breakthrough. Cazorla forced Asmir Begovic into a save before Podolski blazed over the crossbar. It was not all one-way traffic though and Stoke offered a renewed attacking threat of their own. A tame shot from the right from

Wilkinson was comfortably gathered by Arsenal keeper Vito Mannone, in the side because Wojciech Szczesny failed a fitness test on a rib injury. Mannone then saved well from a fiercely struck shot by Michael Kightly, Stoke’s summer signing from Wolves. The visitors could have had the lead before the break when Mason played advantage after Mikel Arteta had been felled in midfield, and Cazorla’s bending effort forced a save at full stretch from Begovic. The second half started slowly before Jermaine Pennant, the former Arsenal midfielder, had claims for a penalty waved away by Mason after a coming together with Kieran Gibbs.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis brought on forward Cameron Jerome for Pennant, meaning the hosts had three strikers on the pitch.

Peter Crouch could not reach a Wilkinson cross while home debutant Geoff Cameron, the American international, was taking over from Rory Delap as the Potters’ long throw specialist. At the other end, Cazorla’s effort was deflected wide, and from the resulting corner from the Spaniard, Olivier Giroud’s acrobatic effort missed the target. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger sent on England wingers Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott as he desperately looked to break the deadlock.

But the goal showed no signs of coming with Arteta slicing a shot wide before Abou Diaby lost his footing in the penalty area.

Pulis opted to go on the defensive as he replaced Crouch with Ryan Shotton but Stoke then had penalty claims for a handball by Arsenal full-back Carl Jenkinson.

Arsenal came closer to that elusive goal as OxladeChamberlain headed over Arteta’s corner and at the other end Kightly played in Walters whose weak effort was comfortably gathered by Mannone.

Then, a minute from time, Giroud’s spectacular 35yard effort came desperately close to beating Begovic before both teams were forced to settle for a draw.—AFP

LONDON: Arsenal’s French striker Olivier Giroud (right) vies with Stoke City’s English Defender Ryan Shawcross (left) during their English Premier League football match.—AFP

EPL results/standings Liverpool 2 (Skrtel 34, Suarez 66) Manchester City 2 (Y. Toure 63, Tevez 80); Stoke 0, Arsenal 0.

Played Saturday: Aston Villa 1 (El Ahmadi 74) Everton 3 (Pienaar 3, Fellaini 31, Jelavic 43); Chelsea 2 (Hazard 22-pen, Torres 45) Newcastle 0; Manchester United 3 (Van Persie 10, Kagawa 35, R Da Silva 41) Fulham 2 (Duff 3, Vidic 64-og); Norwich 1 (Jackson 11) QPR 1 (Zamora 19); Southampton 0, Wigan 2 (Di Santo 51, Kone 89); Swansea 3 (Rangel 20, Michu 29, Graham 64) West Ham 0; Tottenham 1 (Assou-Ekotto 74) West Brom 1 (Morrison 90).

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Chelsea 3 3 0 0 8 2 9 Stoke 2 0 2 0 1 1 2 Swansea 2 2 0 0 8 0 6 Arsenal 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 Everton 2 2 0 0 4 1 6 Sunderland 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 West Brom 2 1 1 0 4 1 4 Tottenham 2 0 1 1 2 3 1 Man City 2 1 1 0 5 4 4 Reading 2 0 1 1 3 5 1 Fulham 2 1 0 1 7 3 3 Liverpool 2 0 1 1 2 5 1 Man Utd 2 1 0 1 3 3 3 Norwich 2 0 1 1 1 6 1 Wigan 2 1 0 1 2 2 3 QPR 2 0 1 1 1 6 1 Newcastle 2 1 0 1 2 3 3 Southampton2 0 0 2 2 5 0 West Ham 2 1 0 1 1 3 3 Aston Villa 2 0 0 2 1 4 0

Rangers still searching for first away victory GLASGOW: Rangers manager Ally McCoist branded his side’s performance “unacceptable” after the fallen giants were held to a 1-1 draw at Berwick in the Scottish Third Division yesterday.

Rangers, kicked out of the Scottish Premier League and demoted to the lowest tier of professional football in the country after entering administration, took the lead through Andy Little in first-half stoppage time before Fraser McLaren equalised for the home side shortly after the hour mark.

Berwick could even have won the game, with Marc Lancaster going close with a fierce shot before Rangers goalkeeper Neil Alexander produced a fine save to tip the ball over the crossbar from McLaren. Chris Townsley then had the ball in the net for the home side in the last minute, only for the referee’s whistle to controversially disallow the goal. The result left Rangers still searching for their first away league win this season and McCoist said: “That performance is absolutely miles short, I can’t tell you how far short that was of what any Rangers supporter or manager or coach would expect from the team. “I’ve told the players that. It was just unacceptable what we got today,” the former Rangers and Scotland striker added. “You would struggle to find any of the boys to give pass marks to today; that’s how poor I felt we were.

“There’s a lot of hard work to be done. I’m up for it and, I tell you right now, they will be too because I’ll make

sure of it. “We will go through it and watch it because that was agony-and I’ll make sure they watch it again.”

The draw left Rangers fourth in the table, two points behind leaders Elgin City, and represented second-bottom Berwick’s second point of the season.

McCoist conceded his side were struggling to adapt to life in the bottom tier of the Scottish game, saying: “We don’t look confident, that’s for sure.

“It was pretty clear to me, there looked to be a lack of confidence throughout the team and that has to be a big concern.

“Brechin was a jolt, Peterhead was a jolt, Falkirk gave us a right good game. I don’t know how many jolts we are wanting.” Berwick famously knocked Rangers, the country’s most successful club, out of the Scottish Cup in 1967.

Yesterday’s result was not on a par with that victory but it was certainly a day to remember for fans of the club, who hail from the northern English town of Berwick-upon-Tweed but have been affiliated to the Scottish FA for over a century.

Berwick boss Ian Little was happy enough with the outcome. “I wouldn’t say I was disappointed,” he said. “With 10 minutes to go, at 1-1, you would be jumping through hoops for that. “I didn’t see much wrong with it (the disallowed goal) at the end and I haven’t seen it again on television. “But disappointed that we didn’t take the three points? Not really. I was really pleased with the way we played.”—AFP

Lanka stock market roiled by scandal Page 22

Euro hits seven-week high Page 23

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

Greece eyeing calmer EU waters after Samaras tour Page 24

Top economist ponders India’s trust deficit Page 23

DRESDEN: People throw colored powder into the air during the Holi Festival yesterday. The gloomy economic situation in Germany wasn’t able to dampen the spirits of young revellers.— AP

ECB bond buying ‘like a drug’ Bundesbank opposed to ECB buying member states’ bonds FRANKFURT: The head of Germany’s Bundesbank stepped up his opposition to the European Central Bank’s latest moves to battle the euro-zone’s debt crisis yesterday, saying that plans to buy bonds risked becoming a drug on which governments would get hooked. In the latest sign of a deepening rift within the ECB that has worried financial markets, Jens Weidmann warned in an interview in weekly Der Spiegel that the buying programme verged on the taboo for the bank of outright financing of governments. He also hinted he was not alone at the ECB in his concern over the programme - in contrast to indications by the bank’s President Mario Draghi that Weidmann had been isolated in expressing reservations.

The ECB is being forced to take a greater role in fighting the crisis while governments negotiate legal and political hurdles to coordinating a longerterm response, but the Bundesbank wants to limit the scope of central bank action. Draghi is expected to detail the bond-buying plan after a Sept. 6 meeting of the bank’s 23-member Governing Council.

“Such a policy is for me close to state financing via the printing press,” Weidmann told the weekly magazine. “In democracies, it is parliaments and not central banks that should decide on such a comprehensive pooling of risks.”

Financing governments has long been a line in the sand for the ECB. Weidmann’s predecessor as Bundesbank chief, Axel Weber, quit last year in protest at the ECB’s existing, but now dormant, bond-buying scheme - the Securities Markets Programme (SMP). “We should not underestimate

the risk that central bank financing can become addictive like a drug,” Weidmann said. The Bundesbank retains substantial influence within Germany and on financial markets due to its inflation-fighting credentials but, as just one of 17 constituents at the ECB, it is unlikely it could scupper Draghi’s plan.

Policymakers are posturing over the programme ahead of their Sept 6 meeting, at which markets will be looking for the central bank to spell out more details of the plan. Central bank sources told Reuters on Friday that the ECB is considering setting yield band targets under the new bond-buying programme to allow it to keep its strategy shielded and avoid speculators trying to cash in.

Weidmann said setting such yield band targets was a “sensitive notion” but rejected suggestions that he was isolated on the ECB Governing Council in having such reservations. “I hardly believe that I am the only one to get stomach ache over this,” he said.

ECB dispute Der Spiegel also reported that there was a dispute within the ECB over the form of the programme, with officials from countries like Spain and Italy pushing for unlimited ECB intervention in secondary bond markets. ECB officials from northern euro-zone countries only want the central bank to intervene in a “short, but energetic” way when bond yields “explode” upwards, the magazine said. Germany’s Finance Ministry is concerned the new ECB plan could endanger the

bank’s independence, Der Spiegel said.

As a condition for ECB support, a country will first have to seek an aid programme from the eurozone’s bailout funds. This is subject to approval by finance ministers, and central bankers are worried this makes their action dependent on politicians. To avert this risk, German finance ministry officials were exploring an option where Spain or Italy would make a commitment on economic reforms to the European Commission - an unelected body - as a condition for ECB support, rather than accepting an aid programme from the bailout funds, Der Spiegel said.

That option would avert the problem of ECB action being linked to decisions taken by governments, thereby protecting the central bank’s independence. However, such a commitment to the Commission would be less binding than the terms of a bailout. Weidmann wanted to “avoid monetary policy coming under the dominance of fiscal policy.”

He did not see an immediate inflation threat from the new bond-buying programme, but added: “If monetary policy allows itself to become a comprehensive political problem solver, its real goal risks moving further and further into the background.”

Weidmann warned against obligating the ECB “to guarantee keeping member states in the euro-zone at any price.”

On Greece’s position in the bloc, he said it was important that “no further damage to trust in the framework of the currency union arises, and that the economic policy requirements of the aid programme retain their credibility.” — Reuters

IMF loan, reforms both vital for Egypt CAIRO: IMF approval of Egypt’s request for nearly $5 billion in aid would come as a vital boon to its reeling economy but President Mohamed Morsi must at the same time enact tough reforms, analysts say. An economic slump following the February 2011 ouster of Hosni Mubarak aggravated the main problems inherited from his regime: budget-draining subsidies, extreme social inequality, corruption and poor energy infrastructure.

A chief concern is the decline in central bank reserves which have plunged from $36 billion at the start of January 2011 to $14.4 billion, threatening Egypt’s ability to import basic goods such as wheat and refined oil products. The budget deficit is projected to increase by 12.5 percent over the fiscal year from July 2012 to July 2013, to about $22.5 billion, official figures show. Tourism, one of the main sources of revenue and a job

provider for 10 percent of the population, has made a modest recovery but security concerns still keep the bulk of visitors at bay.

“Much-needed” support from international lenders “could weaken if the Egyptian authorities are unable to effectively address ongoing economic, fiscal and external challenges,” Standard and Poor’s warned on Thursday. SP also said it was keeping Egypt’s foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings at ‘B/B’ because the “outlook is negative” in light of social and political tensions.

But the agency also removed the ratings from CreditWatch in a nod to the working relationship between Morsi, who emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood, and the military after the removal of its chief, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. IMF director general Christine Lagarde, who was presented with the $4.8 billion loan request during a visit to

Cairo this week, said the lender “will accompany Egypt” as it undertakes its challenging journey of reform.

But Lagarde made no firm commitments, saying that the amount, details and terms of the loan programme-which Cairo hopes to seal by the end of the year were still under discussion. The IMF chief said its support was to be accompanied by an Egyptian economic programme incorporating fiscal, monetary and structural measures, which she said would require “determination” and “political courage”.

Some Egyptian commentators doubt that the new authorities could use this loan to sustainably improve the economic conditions of the population. “ This credit is intended to cover expenses (wages, food imports)... to allow the Muslim Brotherhood to comfortably reach the upcoming elections and to calm the economic situation,” writes Ibrahim Eissa of Al-Tahrir newspa-

per. In the end, “it is the Egyptian people who will cough up” the money to repay the loan, he says.

Ahmad Galal, an analyst at the Economic Research Forum, estimates that Egypt needs $10 billion to begin to stem the crisis, and will have to obtain “other resources” in addition to the $4.8 billion requested from the IMF. But the effort also requires deep internal reforms to be implemented over the years to come. “In the short term, we must stimulate economic activity and create jobs. In the medium term, it is necessary to reform the education system, upgrade infrastructure and tackle the informal sector,” among other steps, he said. Economist Angus Blair, founder of the Signet Institute in Cairo, told AFP that “sorting out the (petrol and gas) subsidies programme to make sure it is better targeted” should be a top priority, along with encouraging investment. —AFP

Dubai slips; Gulf markets mixed MIDEAST STOCK MARKET DUBAI: Dubai’s bourse slipped off its 16-week high yesterday as traders booked recent gains on technical cues, while other regional markets were mixed in lacklustre trade with many investors still away after Eid holidays. In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai’s index fell 0.9 percent to 1,573 points. Investors are booking gains in property stocks that have rallied after strong quarterly earnings signalled the start of a real estate market recovery in Dubai.

Bellwether Emaar Properties lost 1.7 percent, Deyaar Development dropped back 8.5 percent, after soaring 13 percent on Thursday because of a burst of buying in the last minute of trade, and contractor Arabtec shed 1.4 percent. “Some of the names in Dubai were stretched from a technical point of view and were looking to correct,” said Amer Khan, fund manager at Shuaa Asset Management. “A lot of people are still away - we’re not back to postEid trading levels yet. It’s better that names like Emaar correct on low volumes rather than when people are back.”

A negative 14-day momentum divergence at the recent high suggests the market’s uptrend may flag temporarily, though it will stay medium-term bullish technically while support holds on its uptrend line from June, now at 1,545 points.

Abu Dhabi’s benchmark climbed 0.2 percent to a fresh five-month high. Elsewhere, Doha’s measure ticked up 0.07 percent, extending its gains to close at a 15-week closing high.

The recent rally was mainly driven by local investors speculating in mid- to small-caps, but foreign institutional interest is also returning to Qatar, analysts say - although overall trading volumes remain a small fraction of last year’s levels.

“Foreign institutionals are cutting back on their caution for Qatar.

Within all the MENA region, Qatar is a safe haven and is looking attrac-

tive from a valuations perspective, while others seem close to hitting a top,” Khan added. Clarity on government spending and corporate earnings growth is also a draw.

Qatar Gas Transport (Nakilat), the world’s largest shipper of liquefied natural gas (LNG), rose 1.2 percent.

United Development gained 0.9 percent and Qatar Co for Meat and Livestock climbed 2.3 percent.

Saudi Arabia’s bourse struggled to extend gains after climbing to a near 15-week high on Saturday.

Investors are looking for further cues from global markets to increase risk. The kingdom’s index ended flat at 7,104 points, recovering early-session declines. The market has rallied more than 200 points so far in August, buoyed by optimism on global markets that further monetary stimulus will help the US economy.

Volumes were focused on midcaps. Property firm Dar Al-Arkan and Alinma Bank slipped 1.5 and 0.7 percent respectively. Telco Zain Saudi gained 2.4 percent. “ The index clearly broke above the key resistance of 7,000 level on Saturday, which is now a key support,” said Mohabeldeen Agena, head of technical analysis at Cairo’s Beltone Financial. “We might see a minor correction from 7,100 towards 7,000.

This should be followed by another upward move towards 7,300.” In Kuwait, Wataniya surged to a 53-month high, rallying for a third consecutive trading session since Qatar Telecom offered to buy a $2.2 billion stake in the telco.

Shares in Wataniya gained 4.2 percent to close at 2.5 dinars, their highest finish since March 2008.

Qtel offered 2.6 dinars a share for the remaining 47.5 percent stake in the firm that it does not already own. Kuwait’s index ended 0.2 percent lower at 5,767 points, with the next support seen at 5,679 points, the eight-year closing low hit on Aug. 12. —Reuters

22

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

BUSINESS

Euro-zone analysts see green shoots BRUSSELS: Is the euro-zone locked into a prolonged recession set to run right through 2013? Or do the latest economic data actually indicate that the crisis-hit currency area is turning a corner? With at least an outside chance that the region’s jobless could cross the threshold of 18 million when upto-date unemployment figures are issued next week, it might seem like an odd time for analysts to pose that question. Like the euro-zone’s political leaders, they are to an extent dividedbut keenly-watched growth statistics or indicators are increasingly being interpreted as evidence that austerity pain is starting to deliver long-term gain.

Late-August has seen the European Union announce that euro-zone

growth slipped back into reverse over the second quarter of 2012, with a 0.2percent contraction-but that the currency area also logged a record trade surplus (14.9 billion euros, or $18.4 billion) and bumper cash earnings from exports (12.7 billion euros) in the latest figures for June. Subsequent commercial surveys of private business activity also gave mixed signals, with a seventh monthly decline in a row in August marked by the rate of contraction gathering pace in Germany-while easing in France.

Rob Dobson of research firm Markit said the latest snapshot from its regular Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) implied that the euro-zone was facing a 0.5-0.6 percent drop in euro-zone gross domestic product (GDP) for the

third quarter. That would meet the widely accepted definition of recession, two successive quarters of economic contraction, and Dobson warned that “it would take a substantial bounce in September to change this outlook.” He said Germany ’s “export engine has slammed into reverse gear,” despite what Julian Callow of Barclays called a “significant depreciation” in the euro’s effective exchange rate, an annualised eight percent when measured against a trade-weighted index.

Slowing Chinese imports holds the key on that front despite sharply improved export performance over the past year for weaker Mediterranean economies, and Julien Manceaux of ING Bank said the PMI

data “confirms that the decline in eurozone GDP in the second quarter is likely to be the first leg of a technical recession.” More and more of these number-crunchers, though, say a way through the crisis maze is opening up.

Christian Schulz of Germany ’s Berenberg Bank says the data pattern confirms that “by tackling internal imbalances through structural reforms and front-loaded austerity, the 17 (euro-zone) countries are becoming more competitive on the global stage.

“Exports are the ultimate yardstick,” he said, and while “the weaker euro and lower commodity prices” boosted performance, he stressed “additional reasons for the success: austerity, unemployment and deleveraging have reduced demand for imports in many

Lanka stock market roiled by scandal

Which is right; Bond yield or gold price?

By Hayder Tawfik

decade Tamil separatist war, has raised concerns over the share market crisis. “From all credible accounts, Karunaratne (as SEC chairman) and his team were taking exactly the right steps to ensure that stock market participants obey the rules,” IMF representative in Colombo, Koshy Mathai told AFP. The government has not named a new regulator and is yet to formally comment on the crisis. However, Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the government is considering tighter laws. “ There is a debate on this,” Rambukwella told reporters last week.

“Different views have been expressed. We are ready to look at tighter laws if necessary.” The IMF’s Mathi stressed that a firm set of regulations and an active regulator were necessary to instil confidence in foreign and domestic investors and demonstrate that

low or stable and that is what exactly happening today. If inflation starts to rise sharply, then it will force central bankers in Europe and US to abandon the very low interest rates policy and start hiking rates up. This scenario is very much unlikely at present. In my opinion the world is more worried about economic growth than inflation threat. I think, there is always the hope for further quantative easing as was hinted by the latest FederalResave official minutes. The picture for equity investors is not at all thatgloomy.

Throughout this year equity investors have been reacting not to the economic fundamentals but to how they differ from their own expectations.

Also, they are looking forward into next year and beyond as all the bad news are fully discounted and they do not see how this bad news can be repeated going forward. So, if we say there will be a recession in 2012 then investors are looking for a sharp recovery in 2013 and beyond.

Also, smart investors have been buying shares in those companies with very strong financial positions. I think the best hope for equity investors is that gold and bonds are wrong in their price attitude.

We at Dimah Capital think that the global economy will muddle through the two extremes of inflation or recession as it has managed so many times in the past and equity investors will be rewarded handsomely for being patient.

oth bond and gold prices have been giving wrong indication of the future outlook for inflation. Can be both rights? No. Can both be wrong?

Yes. Gold price hitan all time high of $1,900 last year when US bond yield was trading just above 2 percent.

Today Gold price is trading around $1,600 and bond yield is down to 1.5 percent. I think there is two camp of investors; one who believes that the world will enter deflation and one who thinks that inflation will start again. Historically, whenever gold price and bond yields reached record levels, it was time to sell regardless. Remember, history always repeat itself at different time and different place.

If US bond yields stay where they are now or go lower than the US might enter recession a year down the road. But this is not happening and I don’t think the Fed will allow this to happen. So, as I have been saying in the past the low level of yields around the world is a trap for those investors who follow the crowd.

Why anyone wants to lend any governments at these low levels?

The hope for equity investors is that gold price is right and there will be inflation. Although equities may be a better hedge against inflation than government bonds, they will suffer too but far less than bond investors.

Equity valuations as measured by the price - earnings ratio tend to be highest when inflation is

B

Govt considers tighter laws COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s stock market, once a darling of investors, has seen its value plummet 26 percent in the past year and now faces a crisis of confidence after its regulator quit in a storm of controversy. The tiny bourse became the world’s top gainer soon after the country ended decades of ethnic war, but three years later it has imploded amid allegations of corruption. Market regulator Tilak Karunaratne quit on August 17, saying he could no longer battle against a “mafia of crooks” preventing probes into insider trading and “pump-anddump” scams in which investors drive up shares and then sell them.

Allegations of corruption are not new at the $14.5 billion exchange, but it is the first time the regulator had 17 high-profile cases of insider trading and other irregularities on his plate at the same time. Karunaratne’s predecessor, Indrani Sugathadasa, also resigned last year, saying she was unwilling to compromise her “principles”. The euphoria soon after troops crushed Tamil rebels in May 2009 sparked a bull run which has now been replaced by a search for scapegoats for the loss of over $5 billion in value at the Colombo Stock Exchange within six months.

The Colombo market’s slide has come on the back of impressive post-war growth. The economy expanded by more than eight percent for two years in a row and this year’s growth is expected to be 7.2 percent. Former foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera has accused the authorities of blocking independent regulators and undermining the credibility of Sri Lanka’s capital markets.

“The sad truth today is that the Colombo Stock Exchange has become the premier centre for money laundering east of the Suez canal,” said Samaraweera, who is an opposition legislator. The International Monetary Fund, which has extended a $2.6 billion bailout to Sri Lanka since the end of the island’s nearly four-

crisis countries.” Schulz argued that better growth figures in the United States and Japan stemmed from their relying, like Britain, “on their central banks to stimulate the economy and postpone painful adjustments.”

Colleague Holger Schmieding has gone further, stating that under the sort of “tough love” advocated by the European Central Bank, “we may be witnessing the birth pains of a stronger, more coherent and more dynamic economic and political entity in Europe.” Marie Diron of Ernst & Young Euro-zone Forecast said that the PMI data “supports our view that, while probably shrinking further, the eurozone economy is not falling off a cliff.”

She highlighted better results in the manufacturing sector. — AFP

the market was not designed for the benefit of a select few.

“This is an important issue for Sri Lanka as development of the capital markets is a key priority in ensuring the country’s continued rapid growth,” the IMF representative said. No one has been jailed in Sri Lanka for securities fraud and previous cases of insider trading have been settled by the parties agreeing to pay small fines without accepting guilt. A major player in Colombo, Sri Lankan-born financier Raj Rajaratnam is currently serving an 11-year US jail term for the biggest hedgefund insider trading case in US history. His market activities ended with his arrest in October 2009 and his Galleon Management Fund pulled out of Sri Lanka and was eventually wound up, but he never faced any allegations of wrongdoing in Colombo. — AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan investor Dilith Jayaweera gestures at a press conference to defend himself against allegations of wrongdoing in the Colombo Stock Exchange by him or companies associated with him. — AFP

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 .4440000 .3500000 .2910000 .2820000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0763250 .7436110 .3870000 .0720000 .7289780 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2811500 GB Pound/KD .4468600 Euro .3524920 Swiss francs .2934760 Canadian dollars .2842340 Danish Kroner .0473240 Swedish Kroner .0423440 Australian dlr .2955730 Hong Kong dlr .0362490 Singapore dlr .2259140 Japanese yen .0035780 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0765760 Bahraini dinars .7460530 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0749930 Omani riyals .7305440 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

3.553 5.072 3.053 2.141 3.173 220.090 36.173 3.425 6.439 8.876 89.338

.2860000 .4550000 .3600000 .3030000 .2950000 .3040000 .0067500 .0035000 .0770920 .7510840 .4100000 .0780000 .7353940 .0510000 .2832500 .4501080 .3551250 .2956680 .2863570 .0476750 .0426600 .2977810 .0365200 .2276010 .0036050 .0051620 .0021490 .0030120 .0034990 .0771480 .7516230 .4006360 .0755530 .7360010 .0067650

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.883 77.158 729.380 745.850 76.464

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.250 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.466 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.309 Tunisian Dinar 176.65 Jordanian Dinar 396.190 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.884 Syrian Lier 4.899 Morocco Dirham 32.64 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.700 Euro 354.52 Sterling Pound 441.820 Canadian dollar 274.79 Turkish lire 152.400 Swiss Franc 295.01 US Dollar Buying 279.500 GOLD 293.000 148.000 75.250

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH

297.500 751.540 3.720 287.700 555.000 46.000 48.600 167.800 48.840 358.200 37.120 5.370 0.032 0.161 0.236 3.690 400.470 0.191 93.420 44.500 4.340 232.700 1.830

49.500 734.060 3.080 6.980 78.170 75.450 227.320 36.480 2.692 451.700 43.300 298.500 4.400 9.380 198.263 77.050 283.000 1.360

10 Tola

GOLD 1,774.340

Sterling Pound US Dollar

733.880 3.003 6.710 77.740 75.450 227.320 36.480 2.132 449.700 297.000 4.400 9.240 76.950 282.600

COUNTRY

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 449.700 282.600

SELL DRAFT

296.000 751.540 3.463 286.200

227.300 46.448 356.700 36.970 5.095 0.031

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL CASH

300.31 289.93 300.09 358.04 281.95 451.77 3.67 3.460 5.108 2.133 3.209 2.991 76.83 750.74 46.35 401.68 733.80 77.86 75.40

311.000 290.000 298.000 355.000 285.000 450.000 3.630 3.580 5.300 2.350 3.650 3.150 77.450 750.000 47.700 399.000 736.000 78.000 75.800

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 400.440 0.190 93.720 3.210 231.200

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

294.845 747.915 76.890 77.545 75.295 398.225 46.425 2.133 5.088 2.985 3.452 6.695 692.977 4.585 9.140 4.380 3.290 91.070

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

282.500 288.760 447.765 354.205

Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

282.500 2.977 5.110 2.139 3.453 6.735 76.995 75.490 750.500 46.455 454.600 2.990 1.550 359.800 291.400 3.200

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

282.200 356.700 450.800 287.800 3.605 5.114 46.370 2.134 3.453 6.690 2.985 750.900 76.840 75.350

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

BUSINESS

Euro hits seven-week high

WEEKLY COMMODITIES UPDATE

Precious metals rise higher ahead of events

Fed reinforces quantitative easing hopes NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKET REPORT

L

ast week’s events took another sudden turn causing a shake up in the global markets. Major events revolved around eurozone leaders’ meeting to discuss Greece’s fiscal adjustment as well as the outcomes of the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting minutes. Markets reacted on speculation that ECB will take actions and may act soon to lower the borrowing costs of Spain and Italy, relieving some of the concerns about the region’s sovereign debt crisis. We have seen the euro rallying and plunging almost daily depending on the latest headlines from the euro-zone during the month of August.

The dollar was the major loser last week as it weakened against most of its counterparts as Federal Reserve policy makers signaled readiness to boost stimulus and add another round of quantitative easing unless they are convinced that the economy is showing some sort of recovery. This is shown in the performance of the Dollar Index, which weakened from an opening level of 82.57 to a low of 81.22 on Thursday.

The euro took a sudden turn and was seen trading as the major winner during the week against the dollar, and other major currencies as well. The currency started the week trading as low as 1.2295 and had a upward movement for most of the week, reaching a seven-week high of 1.2590 on Thursday, before losing some momentum and ending sessions at 1.2512. The pound had a somewhat similar performance during the week, opening at 1.5695 on Monday to a high of 1.5912 on Thursday, before closing the week at 1.5810 level.

The yen had a positive performance gaining some strength last week and seen trading as a safe haven, trading earlier during the week as high as 79.66, and a low of 78.28, and before closing the week as strong as 78.67. The Australian dollar had a mixed performance last week, opening at 1.0420 levels, and rallying to a high of 1.0545 towards the middle of the week, before erasing the gains and closing the week at 1.0403.

Consistent with most of last week’s performances, gold advanced to the highest in more than four months amid speculation that the Federal Reserve will add more stimulus to spur economic growth, rallying from an opening level of $1,616 to a high of $1,675 on Thursday, and had a closing level of $1,671.

On the other hand, oil had a somewhat positive performance before heading for its first weekly decline in a month amid concern of slowing economic growth in the US and speculation that European leaders aren’t making progress on resolving the debt crisis. The commodity was seen trading upward earlier during the week, reaching a high of $96.90 per barrel, before erasing these gains with a downward movement closing the week at $96.15 level.

sales of new homes increased at a faster pace last month than in June. The data showed that new home sales surged at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 372,000 in July, up by 3.6 percent from June’s 359,000 figure.

Existing home sales rise from 8-month low Sales of existing homes in the US climbed in July from an eight-month low. The recent data showed that purchases have increased 2.3 percent from a previous of 4.37 millions, to a 4.47 million during the month of July. Similarly,

Euro area services and manufacturing industries shrink European services and manufacturing output contracted for a seven straight month in August, adding to signs of a deepening economic slump as European leaders struggle to

Jobless claims climb while confidence sours Applications for US unemployment benefits increased last week to a one-month high, showing limited economic growth in the labor market that left Americans more pessimistic about the momentum the economy is taking.

Jobless claims climbed by 4,000 to reach 372,000 applications, compared with 368,000, previously.

Europe Euro-zone might take more action German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she and French President Francois Hollande will coordinate on their approach to Greece to keep pressure on the country to help their troubled economy ahead of Greece Prime Minister Antonis Samaras visit to Germany on Friday. Earlier last week, markets were filled by speculation that the European Central Bank may act soon to cap the yields and lower the borrowing costs of Spain and Italy. In fact, uncertainties over the effectiveness of ECB bond-buying and worries over the euro-zone’s debt and economic problems had kept the single currency firmly under the pressure.

However, recent talks rumored that the ECB is planning to put a hard cap on Spanish and Italian bond yields.

Initially, Greek Prime Minister proposed a two-year extension for the country’s fiscal adjustment program, urged European leaders to give it breathing space to restore the economy quickly ad raise state income. He initially emphasized that Greece does not demand any additional money and will stand by their commitments. However, towards the end of last week and after the meeting of Europe regional leaders, the euro fell and lost some momentum after a German lawmaker said Germany cannot make more money available for Greece and leaders do not seem to make any progress to contain the debt crisis.

contain the fiscal crisis. A composite index based on a survey of purchasing managers (PMI) in both industries in the euro-zone has increased. Moreover, euro area manufacturing PMI rose to 45.3 from a previous reading of 44.00 in July. A similar indicator for services output slipped from 47.9 to 47.5 during the month of August.

United Kingdom UK second quarter slump smaller than estimated The UK economy shrank less than the initial

estimates in the second quarter after construction and production outputs were revised to show a smaller slump. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.5, compared with a 0.7 percent decline estimated on July 25. The report showed the impact of slowing export demand on the economy, with net trade subtracting 1 percent from GDP, the most since 1998.

UK unexpectedly posted deficit as tax receipts plunged The nation unexpectedly posted a budget deficit in July as corporation tax receipts plunged, partly due to the closure of the Elgin gas field in the North Sea. The shortage, which excludes government support for banks, was 557 million Pounds compared with a surplus of 2.84 billion pounds a year earlier.

Commodities Gold rallies to a 16-week high The commodity advanced to the highest level we have seen in more than four months as a reaction on the speculation that the US may add more stimulus and take additional steps to help recover their slow growth economy. Gold has risen more than 3 percent last week and rallied as high as $1,675 levels as it brought back inflation concerns to the picture.

A combination of rising commodity prices and the chances of more easing coming in the US is stoking inflation worries.

Oil headed for weekly drop Towards the end of last week, oil headed for its first weekly decline in a month, buoyed by concerns of slowing economic growth in the US as well as speculation that talks to resolve the debt crisis in Europe is not reaching a hopeful decisive end yet. The commodity closed the week trading at $96.15 a barrel.

Kuwait The USDKD opened at 0.28190 yesterday morning.

Australian mining boom not over yet, say analysts SYDNEY: Australian Resources Minister Martin Ferguson may have declared the mining boom has passed, but the lucrative scramble to unearth the vast nation’s resources is not over yet, analysts say. Ferguson sparked a flurry of debate about the unprecedented boom which helped Australia dodge recession during the global financial crisis when he said Thursday: “You’ve got to understand, the resources boom is over.”

The minister later said while commodity prices had peaked, the boom in terms of construction would continue, with Aus$270 billion ($281.5 billion) in committed capital investment. But coming after BHP Billiton delayed its multi-billion dollar expansion of its Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine and reported its first profit slump in three years, his remarks raised doubts about the health of the minerals rush. Amid gloom in the euro-zone and weakness in the United States economy, there are fears that slowing growth in China-a major market for iron ore and coal could have a severe impact on Australia’s mining-powered economy.

With commodity prices falling, Deutsche Bank warned the country could slip into recession in 2013 as exports fell and cautioned against “over-confidence that the investment pipeline was locked in”. Countering this, Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said Friday he saw no immediate sign of an end to the mining boom. “Looking ahead, the peak of the resource investment boom as share of GDP-the highest such peak in at least a century-will occur within the next year or two,” Stevens told a parliamentary hearing.

“After that the rate of resource investment is likely to decline, while the export shipments of the resources themselves will pick up.” Quentin Grafton, chief economist at the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, said the surge in demand for raw materials generated by fast-growing economies such as China had triggered “the big daddy of them all” in terms of booms and would be around for some time. “The boom has most certainly not ended, the price phase... where prices are continuously rising-well, that certainly has passed,” he said. “We are now in a phase where investment is continuing to rise. At some stage or other that will eventually peak as well. And volumes are already rising and they will also continue to rise for quite a number of years to come. “There’s a lot of legs in this boom left. A lot.” Grafton said while price peaks were likely reached in 2011 and were now moderating, having fallen 20 or 30 percent in some cases, they were “still very much higher” than they were at the start of the boom in 2002-2003.

“So in that context, the boom still continues,” he told AFP. Adrian Hart, senior manager infrastructure and mining at BIS Shrapnel, said despite the gloom, the massive Olympic Dam project could still go ahead. — AFP

GAUHATI, India: Indian blacksmiths work in a roadside hut in Burhaburhi village yesterday. — AP

Top economist ponders India’s trust deficit NEW DELHI: For India to grow rich, must its citizens become more honest? It’s a question that preoccupied Kaushik Basu, the government’s chief economic advisor, during his term in office. “We talk of good moral values as useful in themselves, but the fact that economic development and economic functioning can depend on these values is usually pushed aside,” said Basu, who left his post last month. Better behaviour such as respecting meeting times and public spaces, as well as more moral behaviour in terms of less cheating or thieving, are both desirable and necessary for economic development, he believes.

“A modern market economy cannot function without a modicum of altruism and trustworthiness,” said the academic who once wrote a research paper called “Why we don’t try to walk off without paying after a taxi ride.” It concluded that “when people are not automatically fulfilling contracts, life becomes more cumbersome and costly.” In India’s case, a lack of trust due to pervasive cheating brings with it enormous costs.

“The biggest cost is that you don’t start up activities because the transaction costs are so high,” Basu told AFP from his office in the finance ministry before his departure.

Trading partners may cheat, delay or not deliver, while staff must be closely monitored when handling stock, cash or customers. Checks and balances con-

sume substantial amounts of time and money.

In a country where the outgoing head of a government anti-graft body said in 2010 that one third of Indians were “utterly corrupt,” they are particularly costly. “I can cut deals much more comfortably in Japan, for example,” Basu explains. The result in India is that entrepreneurs promote family members before other candidates, or do their best to keep business within their own ethnic or religious communities. “In a big society and to be a vibrant economy, you need anonymous trust,” he adds.

Japan and South Korea’s example While Basu says it it is much easier and cheaper to cut a deal in Japan than India, his research into behavioural changes during periods of economic growth showed him that it was not always like this. He refers to an account 100 years ago by a frustrated European engineer in Japan named Kattendyke who wrote about supplies not arriving on time, workers showing up once and never returning, and a pervasive lack of punctuality. “When you block out the Japan, it could be India,” added the economics professor, who is now returning to academia and his former role at Cornell University in New York State.

The stereotype of diligent, punctual workers in fellow Asian tiger South Korea was also challenged. — AFP

By Ole S Hansen

C

ommodities continue to benefit from geo-politics and tight supplies. This is particularly suppor ting energy prices while adverse weather is keeping key crops at elevated levels.

During the week the much followed and energy heavy S&P GSCI index recovered more than 20 percent from recent lows and it triggered news about a new bull market for commodities. A spanner in the works for this outlook however comes from iron ore, a key component in steel production, which fell below $100 for the first time since 2009 on reduced demand, especially in China where stockpiles are rising.

In China stocks fell to a three-year low as manufacturing activity continues to contract while in the US minutes from the latest Federal Open Market Committee meeting called for additional monetary stimulus should key economic data continue to disappoint.

These two events triggered a rise in expectations for additional stimulus being provided by both China and the US in the near future. The dollar was sold and commodities in general and especially precious metals continued to rally. In precious metals the rally wasstarted by platinum during the previous week.

With the US Federal Reserve clearly on economic data watch at the moment it is important to point out that some data following the last FOMC meeting has improved,thereby leavingChairman Bernanke in a difficult situation at the annual Jackson Hole symposium at the end of August as many investors have raised expectations for additional stimulus to be announced.

But with the US election approaching, retail gasoline prices moving towards four dollars per gallon and stock markets near multiyear highs we think the Federal Reserve could end up disappointing those who make their investment decisions purely on the back of expectations for additional stimulus.

Precious metals continued to build on the gains which initially got under way when platinum raced higher following the massacre at the Marikana platinum mine in South Africa. Silver was the star performer, once again showing off its high beta credentials, as it outran gold by a considerable margin.

The broadly based DJ-UBS CI (compared with the above mentioned S&P GSCI) put in its strongest performance in five weeks, rallying by more than two percent as gains were seen in all three major sectors.

Gains within the agriculture sector however were solely driven by grains as both softs, such as cocoa, coffee and sugar, and livestock suffered losses.

Crude oilrally losing momentum The rally that began in late June and which has now seen the price of Brent crude recover 70 percent from those lows has begun to run out of steam as questions have been raisedas to whether the market is now too far ahead of itself, given the current economic climate. High oil prices once again carry the risk of impacting economic activity in a repeat of the Q2 performance seen during the last two years where high Q1 prices triggered a slowdown in the following quarter.

With China showing increased signs of a slowdown, growth is becoming more elusive with only the US economy indicating some improvements. Support however continues to be driven by supply fears of “what if” Israel attacks Iran, Syria disintegrates fur ther and recent unrest in Iraq escalates.

Exacerbating this unseasonal tight supply situation Brent crude demand continues to be strong, affected especially by seasonally strong demand in Saudi Arabia where the burning of heavy subsidised fuel amountsto well above two million barrels per day.

The rally in Brent crude has now paused ahead of $116.60. This level has proven to offer both resistance and support several times during the last year. Some position adjustments could now be expected after such a strong run up and also ahead of Chairman Bernanke’s speech next Friday at Jackson Hole, which could potentially disappoint and thereby trigger additional selling. With geopolitical risks still elevated combined with a near-term hurricane threat in the Gulf of Mexico,selling could be limited to the 200 day moving average at 111.40.

Gold finally break its shackles - will it stick?

Following more than three

months of range bound trading activity precious metals, especially gold, needed a trigger to challenge resistance and generally apathy among hedge funds and other large speculative investors.

Such a trigger was provided by the mining strike and subsequent massacre of workers at the Marikana platinum mine in South Africa and the subsequent potential for labour disputes to spread as a spike in the price of platinum helped drag both gold and silver above previous resistance.

Platinum was initially the strongest performer, not least due to investors being forced to cut sold positions in the futures market as the gross short position ahead of the rally last week stood at a record 1.86 million ounces.

Once the rally spread to gold and silver it gathered momentum and resulted in a quick sprint higher.

Heightened expectations about additional quantitative easing from the US or at least an extension of the current policy of low rates until 2014 helped carry metals higher as it also resulted in inflation worries. This sawexpected real yields in the US sink deeper into negative territory thereby further removing one of the obstacles for more price appreciation in non-coupons on interest paying assets like precious metals.

Having rallied 65 dollars in just one week and moved back above the 200 day moving average for the first time in five months I would not be surprised to see gold stop and pause for breath ahead of some resistance at $1,680. Investors through exchange traded products have continued to pile into gold funds with August so far having seen holdings in ETPs rise by more than 1.6 million ounces, the strongest (not yet finished month) since October last year.

This is in stark contrast to hedge funds and other large investors who at least up until recently maintained a net long exposure close to a four year low.

This investor segment now needs to be convinced of the merits of this rally in order to engage properly and potentially drive the market the next leg higher and for this to occur we probably first need to check the strength of support, most noticeably between $1,625 and 1,630. When and if support is confirmed I see no reason why we should not make continued progress higher towards our end of year target of $1,800.

Copper initially moved higher assisted by a weaker dollar and raised hopes about additional stimulus being provided by China, the world’s largest consumer. Technically it is still stuck within its well established range and only a move above 360 cents per pound on High Grade copper would signal further upside but this probably needs to be combined with signs that high inventory levels have begun to shrink.

Soft commodities like coffee and sugar continue to seelower prices as the Brazilian harvestingweather continues to remain favourable for both commodities.

The downtrend in sugar has been given further strength by continued long liquidation of speculative positions with hedge funds as of August 14 still holding onto 11.5 million pounds of sugar, down from a 17.5 million pound peak just one month ago.

Livestock sector saw hog prices slide to the lowest since 2010 as current supplies have exceeded demand as the continued rise of feed, especially corn, forces producers to slaughter more animals. With the drought having left pastures in a very bad state the US herd of cattle has shrunk to the lowest level in 40 years with cattle futures and retail prices beginning to rise as a result.

Soybean prices rose to a new record this week and recorded their biggest weekly gain in five weeks as further evidence of the drought damage became apparent during the annual farmers sur vey. This resulted in some additional price outperformance over corn and the ratio between the two crops rose to 2.11 (soybean / corn) from a recent low of 1.94.

Hopes had otherwise been raised that soybean crops, due to their later harvestingtime, still could manage to gain in yield but these hopes now seem quashed and as a result the International Grains Council (ICG) now predicts that Brazil couldpotentially overtake the US this crop season as the world’s largest producer of the oily bean.

24

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

business Facing profits squeeze, luxury designers forsake Argentina BUENOS AIRES: Weary of high tariffs and currency restrictions that have dented their profits in Argentina, purveyors of luxury goods are abandoning this once lucrative market-a blow to a country which prides itself on its European-style flair. The latest store to say it will pack up its wares and leave for home is the American designer Ralph Lauren whose departure will leave a large hole on the chic Alvear Avenue, a symbol of Buenos Aires luxury. The departure of the Ralph Lauren store, a mainstay of the city’s upscale Recoleta neighborhood, follows that of Giorgio Armani in 2009 and the earlier exit of Escada and Yves Saint Laurent-high-end brands that had been fixtures in Buenos Aires for decades.

Media reports suggest that another luxury retailer, the famed Cartier jewelry boutique, likely will follow suit soon. “In Argentina, these brands are in trouble because of measures to control foreign exchange and the export obligation for an amount equivalent to the goods we import,” said luxury goods industry analyst Diego Schvartzman of the MDL Consulting Group.

“They are having a harder and harder time making a profit,” he said.

The exodus stems from a decision by President Cristina Kirchner to impose tough currency controls tightening measures to stem capital flight and protect foreign exchange reserves. The government also has ramped up import barriers to try to maintain a trade surplus. The new rules include restrictions on the sale of US dollars-including barring travelers from purchasing them unless the dollar is the currency of their destination.

In a statement sent to AFP, Ralph Lauren insisted that they are not abandoning Argentina altogether and that its absence

would be a short one. “We’re not leaving the country: We’ve reviewed our situation and decided to temporarily close our three stores,” the company said. But a resident of La Recoleta said she was not so sure, as she read the closure notice on the store window of the American designer’s shop.

‘The mercy of economic cycles’ “They will all leave because they cannot move their profits out of the country,” said the 65-year-old woman. Some luxury brands like Italian Ermenegildo Zegna, known the world over for its upmarket men’s clothing and present in Buenos Aires since 1999, have other solutions, and are weathering the tough times by trimming other costs. Zegna is not ready to abandon “one of the most important markets of South America with Brazil and Chile,” a source at the company told AFP, asking not to be named.

“Argentina is strategic for the brand and has always given good results,” the source said. Schvartzman said the difficulties facing these high-end brands are all the more absurd because the luxury goods market is doing well in other Latin American countries.

“The luxury market is booming in Latin America, especially in Brazil and Mexico, but also in Peru, Colombia-even more so in Chile,” he said. Even the revolving door openings and closings that some high end retailers resort to is far from ideal. “Stores here close and reopen at the mercy of economic cycles,” said the head of one real estate office here, with a hint of despair. Buenos Aires imposed the strict controls on foreign exchange operations late last year, after currency reserves needed to repay the country’s debt shrank nearly $6 billion to $46.6 billion in a matter of months.— AFP

Trade to limit harm of East Asia island spats Japan cancels finance ministers’ meeting BEIJING: China, Japan and South Korea are loath to let tensions over sea claims damage their sputtering economies, analysts say, but the emotional disputes could still slow longterm trade integration efforts. Political and security tensions have flared this month due to the long-running territorial rivalries, which pit Japan against China in one and against South Korea in another. So far, fallout has included demonstrators in China attacking Japanese cars, diplomats being summoned to hear formal protests, and exchanges of harsh words by officials.

Japan has cancelled a finance ministers’ meeting with South Korea and hinted at reviewing a currency swap deal with the country as well as possibly freezing a plan to buy its government bonds. “Unfortunately, things have reached a point where the (Japanese) people cannot simply accept that politics are politics and economics are economics,” Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Friday. Analysts, however, say that the stakes are too high to let deteriorating political relations harm business, especially when the world economy is still weak. “Huffing and puffing among politicians are one thing and economic reality is another,” said Kang Pan-Seok, a currency analyst at Woori Futures in Seoul. “Mutual cooperation is required at this time of global economic slowdown.” Japan and China, as well as Taiwan, claim a string of uninhabited islands in a potentially resource rich area of the East China Sea. Japan and South Korea, meanwhile, claim

islands farther north in the Sea of Japan, or what Koreans call the East Sea. Tensions spiked this month after Lee Myung-Bak became the first South Korean president to visit Dokdo-or Takeshima to the Japanese-which his country occupies with armed police. Tit-for-tat landings and flag-raisings on the East China Sea islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, by proChina activists sailing from Hong Kong and Japanese from nearby, further inflamed the regional situation. The disputes flare up periodically though have proven mostly a political irritant while trade has bloomed.

“We have witnessed similar incidents before but economic ties remained tight,” Zhang Zhiwei, economist at Nomura International in Hong Kong, said in an email. Takeshi Minami, economist at Norinchukin Research Institute in Tokyo, predicted at worst a “limited” economic impact from the Tokyo-Beijing dispute. “Scaling back economic ties would bring too many disadvantages to both sides,” he said.

China and Japan are Asia’s biggest economies and globally rank number two and three, respectively, after the United States.

South Korea, while smaller, is still the region’s fourth-biggest economy and a major world player in shipbuilding, autos and electronics.Robert Broadfoot, founder and managing director of Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, said Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul understand the economic risks that come with beating nationalist

drums and won’t allow things to explode. “All three of these countries play chess with each other,” Broadfoot said. “And they’re thinking 10 moves ahead.”

Signs of prudence are indeed visible. Japan, which recalled its ambassador to Seoul, has sent him back to the South Korean capital and Chinese state media have carried articles criticising the violent behaviour of some protestors.

“China for now seems to be trying to calm down the situation,” said Stephanie KleineAhlbrandt, Northeast Asia director for the International Crisis Group in Beijing.”But tensions in the East China Sea are not going to really diminish, and the use of economic measures-similar to those used in 2010 by Beijing following Japan’s arrest of its fishermen near the Diaoyu-Senkaku islands-cannot be ruled out,” she said.

During that flare-up, Japanese industry sources said China temporarily cut off exports of strategic rare earth metals vital to a range of high-tech products, though Beijing denied halting shipments.The problem, according to Political and Economic Risk Consultancy ’s Broadfoot, is longer term, in that the bickering could slow progress on economic cooperation and integration, including a proposed threeway free trade agreement, while other regions move forward. “There’s been a shift of emphasis on where the economic opportunities are to Southeast Asia this year,” he said, citing as examples vitality in Indonesia and the opening up of Myanmar. —AFP

Burgan Bank announces lucky Yawmi winners KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each tak ing home a prize of KD 5,000. Winner’s names will also be announced through Marina FM on a daily basis during their prime shows.

The lucky winners of the draw took home a cash-prize of KD 5,000 each, and they are: Athari K azem Mohammed Alsaleh and Narjes Ahmed Hussen Taqi.

The newly re -launched Yawmi Account is better, easier and faster than any day before. With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers

to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter the draw stands at KD 10.

The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone.

Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone

to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services, or log on to Burgan Bank’s www.burgan.com for further information.

Greece eyeing calmer EU waters after Samaras tour ATHENS: Greece voiced hope yesterday that a charm offensive around Europe

by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will halt a barrage of criticism as it labours to put delayed reforms on track and restore its credibility. Samaras met in succession with key EU leaders German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker to stress that his government intended to honour its commitments to EU and IMF creditors. “I’d like to believe that the meetings enabled us to slowly reverse a climate that existed against our homeland,” the prime minister told NET radio.

“I repeat, slowly, because everyone is asking for proof that we are changing course. The effort will continue,” Samaras said. “The main goal was to say ‘you have a credible interlocutor, that a new start has been made,” political commentator Panagiotis Panagiotou told state TV NET. “And secondly, to stop talk that Greece will be tossed out of the eurozone.” The meetings came as Samaras’ coalition government prepares for a battle in parliament in the autumn to push through reform legislation that could test the cohesion of his socialist and moderate leftist allies.

A technical team from the auditor mission that monitors Greece’s reform progress on behalf of its ‘troika’ of creditors-the EU, IMF and the European Central Bank-also returns to Athens this week. The auditors are working with Greek officials to finalise a cuts package of 11.5 billion euros ($14.3 billion) in 2013 and 2014. A positive report from the ‘troika’ is essential for Greece to get the next 31.5 billion euro instalment of funds, part of a 130-billion-euro bailout, to keep it afloat.

In his first foreign tour since becoming PM, Samaras called in Berlin and Paris for a halt in “toxic” statements which he said were hampering the country’s efforts to attract investors. “In recent weeks Greece had become a punching bag for the Germans, the Finns, the Dutch,” noted political commentator Antonis Papagiannidis.

Negative reports on Greece in German press The run-up to Samaras’ meetings was coloured by negative reports about Greece in the German press and renewed pressure on Athens by officials.

The tone did not markedly change on

Sunday. “Merkel may have said she wanted to keep Greece in the euro-zone but did not speak of possible concessions,” said Sueddeutsche Zeitung while Bild am Sonntag quoted the general secretary of Merkel’s sister party CSU saying that he “sees Greece out of the euro in 2013.” Berliner Zeitung contributed a cartoon that showed Samaras looking for the bathroom in the German chancellery and stumbling into a room labelled “Grexit Taskforce”.

According to a report in the Financial Times Deutschland, a secret cell has been set up within Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble’s ministry to examine the possible consequences of a Greek exit from the euro-zone.

The paper said the group was working on “calculating the financial consequences” and considering “how to prevent a domino effect onto other eurozone countries.” Merkel offered Samaras a ray of hope at their meeting, stressing that she wanted debt-burdened Greece to stay in the euro-zone and pledging German help.

“I want to say very clearly... that Greece is part of the euro-zone and I want Greece to remain part of the eurozone. This guides all our discussions,” Merkel said at a joint news conference with Samaras. “I am deeply convinced

that the new Greek government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Samaras, is doing everything to solve the problems that Greece is facing,” she said. Hollande had the same message, and he echoed the German leader by saying that the European Union would wait for a report on Greece’s progress due in September before deciding on any additional help for the country. For now, Greece had achieved little tangible progress in promised reforms that were stalled as the country held back-to-back elections in May and June until a workable government could be formed.

“Mr Samaras and the economic team have given all the right signals. But they have yet to carry out acts to radically change the climate in Europe,” commented liberal daily Kathimerini. The coalition’s junior partner, the Democratic Left party, this month raised objections to put thousands of civil servants on labour reserve, a plan originally unveiled last year to trim the state payroll. Samaras will also face resistance from unions on a privatisation drive promised by past governments that has failed to get off the ground. Samaras has claimed that the longer fiscal adjustment will not translate into more money for Greece but German officials say this is untrue. — AFP

HONG KONG: A man walks past a real estate agency in Hong Kong yesterday. The Hong Kong property market, famous for its sky-high rent and super-rich tycoons, has seen a slowdown this year with sentiment hit by the euro-zone crisis and plans to boost public housing. — AFP

25

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

business

Vietnam political battles heat up as economy falters HANOI: The arrest of one of Vietnam’s top banking tycoons reflects a wider power struggle among the Communist rulers over how to tackle the country’s deepening economic troubles, experts say.

Flamboyant multi-millionaire Nguyen Duc Kien, a shareholder in some of Vietnam’s largest financial institutions and a founder of Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), was detained on Monday, and ACB’s ex-head officially joined him in custody three days later. The arrests, for unspecified economic crimes, caused public panic, wiping some $5.0 billion in value from Vietnam’s stock markets and triggering a bank run as depositors rushed to pull hundreds of millions of dollars out of ACB. But “the bigger concern is the potential for political instability... Kien’s arrest could signify increasing discord among political elites and factions”, according to a report by intelligence group Stratfor.

Football-mad Kien, an instantly recognisable 48year-old financier with a shock of white hair, is widely reported to have close connections to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his daughter, a Swiss-trained private banker. Since the 1990s, as Vietnam opened up economically, power moved from the communist party to the state-and, since he assumed the post in 2006, to Dung, who is said to be the country’s most powerful prime minister ever. Dung, who was reelected to a second five year term in 2011, has used this power to aggressively push for high growth rates and champion a South Korean chaebol-style

development path, relying on huge state-owned companies to drive overall economic growth.

At first, Vietnam was notching up seven percentplus annual growth rates and quickly became a favourite of foreign investors including global banking giant Standard Chartered, which owns 15 percent of ACB. But with economic growth now just 4.4 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2012, foreign direct investment down nearly 30 percent in the same period and toxic debt in the fragile banking system at “alarming levels” according to the central bank, there has been increasingly vocal criticism of Dung. “Never has Vietnamese society faced so many unheavals which weaken the Party’s leadership and threaten the survival of the whole political regime,” a retired National Assembly deputy told AFP. “Some party leaders have lost patience, and feel it is time to act to eliminate these potential threats and regain public confidence,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity. In a scathing op-ed on Thursday, President Truong Tan Sang-one of Dung’s main political rivals-said that “Vietnam is now under not insignificant pressure because of broken stateowned enterprises.” He criticised “the degradation of political ideology and the morals and lifestyle” of officials-a swipe at wealthy tycoons like Rolls Royce-driving Kien-and called for economic reform and a new anti-corruption drive. A new round of factional fighting has begun and “the main battleground is economic reform and probity including the state-owned

sector and the banking sector and weeding out entrenched large-scale corruption”, said Vietnam expert Carl Thayer. “Sang and Party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong are now repeating an old but true refrain that corruption is one of the major threats to the legitimacy of Vietnam’s one-party system,” Thayer said. Public discontent over official corruption has bubbled over into violent protests several times this year. The case of a farmer who used home-made explosives to fight forced eviction by corrupt local officials dominated the front pages in January.

Thayer pointed to the significance of a decision earlier this month to remove control of the anti-corruption steering committee from the prime minister and hand it back to the party. Dung has previously come under pressure for corruption scandals in the stateowned companies he promoted, and in 2010 was forced to accept personal responsibility for the nearcollapse of state shipping giant Vinashin. While the moves against Kien are not expected to force Dung from his post, more of the prime minister’s allies are likely to be targeted, observers predict. Kien “may be the most prominent and wealthy” thus far, but he was not the first nor will he be the last, said Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Dung himself, in what experts see as an effort at self-protection, has praised the police efforts to investigate corruption in bank reform and called for punishment of culprits “no matter who they are”. — AFP

HANOI: This picture shows high school students walking past a propaganda poster marking the celebrations of the up-coming National Day (September 2) at a public park. — AFP

Guinea town paralysed as pay strike shuts aluminium plant Town ‘on brink of humanitarian catastrophe’

Pamela Gordon, owner of Macdecals.com, sells her products online at sites like Etsy, Amazon and Ebay. — MCT

Creative businesses find their niche on Etsy FORT LAUDERDALE: Painters, potters, designers and artists have found another forum to display and sell their work. Etsy, an online community for creative entrepreneurs who sell homemade and vintage gifts, art and supplies, hosts shops in a setting similar to Amazon or eBay. But unlike other websites, Etsy has created a community specifically for those who sell handmade goods and requires sellers to prove their items are authentic. “Etsy gives all these small, micro-businesses a place to start,” said Tim Adam, author of “Learn How to Make Money Using Etsy” and editor of the blog Handmadeology.com.

Pamela Gordon and her fiance, Bryan Loconto, started selling decorative sticker decals for Apple products, like Macbook laptops and iPad tablets, in December under the name MacDaddyDecal.etsy.com. They design, print and ship the unique and color skins and images from their Fort Lauderdale office. They have sold more than 300 items through Etsy, Gordon said. “Etsy is more affordable than sites like Amazon and eBay,” she said. “We sell items on our own website too, but we’ll always keep an Etsy account for that residual traffic we get because of the Etsy name.”

Etsy charges sellers 20 cents to list an item for up to four months, and takes 3.5 percent of the cost when an item sells. EBay charges sellers an initial insertion fee, which varies, and takes 9 percent of the cost when the item sells. The site has more than 17 million active users, and 800,000 shops have opened since it launched in 2005. Sales reached more than $525 million in 2011, according to the Etsy website.

Etsy users have to prove their products are homemade by sending photos of the process.

Gordon said the traffic they’ve seen on Etsy

has helped them land bigger sales, which include corporate clients that want to buy hundreds of identical decals at once.

Jacqueline Allard, of Plantation, Fla., has been selling her homemade pottery, tile dishware and other unique home decor creations on Etsy for three years.

“Etsy changed my life,” said Allard, whose shop, IslandGirlPottery.etsy.com, has sold more than 1,100 unique pieces through her Etsy shop. “There came a time in my life when I wondered if I could make this work as a fulltime job. There’s no doubt in my mind now.”

Allard said she was drawn to Etsy over other sites because of the sense of community it offers. She’s joined a pottery “team” so she can communicate with others who sell pottery items on Etsy.

“There’s a level of sophistication on Etsy you don’t see on other sites,” she said. “EBay attracts buyers who want to buy something for a discount. Etsy buyers are ones that appreciate handmade goods.” Shelley Mitchell, of Hollywood, has two Etsy shops.

She makes feminine aprons that mimic the look and feel of dresses on Kitschy Aprons.etsy.com and makes homemade stuffed animals and dolls for children at her ShelleyFaye.etsy.com shop.

“I’ve been sewing all my life, and this was just another way for me to continue doing it,” Mitchell said. In the late 1990s, Mitchell sold items on eBay as a full-time job. She said Etsy is a much more enjoyable site to work on.

“Prices on Etsy may be a little more than Amazon or eBay,” she said. “It’s hard to explain the value of homemade to people who are used to buying the same items in a chain store for much less. It can take me an hour to create one item I sell by hand.” — MCT

Market boosts society by hiring the homeless LOS ANGELES: In staffing his organic-oriented Fresco Community Market in Los Angeles early last year, Jon Murga looked for employees in an unlikely place: skid row. He hired 11 people then and one in July through a job development program at the Los Angeles Mission. Most were trying to stay off drugs, alcohol or both as they struggled to exit the ranks of the homeless. Some were trying to put criminal convictions in the past. To Murga, 47, it is the right thing for employers in the community to do: “It’s possible to change the conversation about the homeless situation.”

Still, hiring skid row’s denizens is a risk that few small businesses are willing to take, said Allen Ceravolo, who runs the mission’s career center. He tries to find jobs for those who go through the program’s rehabilitation process, tapping his database of as many as 100 businesses.

But to employers, his folks carry the stigma of homelessness, often lack a formal education and have a spotty work history and sometimes a criminal record. Fresco Community Market was different, though, Ceravolo said. Murga was one of the rare employers who came to the mission looking for people to hire. “He was unique because he initially wanted to

work with and help the homeless,” Ceravolo said.

For Sheila Curl, 54, a cashier job at Fresco was a blessing after “20 years of being lost” and ending up with a felony drug conviction. “I thank God I came to my senses,” Curl said. “Life is good.” From the outset, Murga, a home builder, envisioned a full-service grocery store with an emphasis on social responsibility. That meant a focus on organic and natural food, a return to the community in the form of charitable donations and a commitment to hire those most in need.

He said those ideals had been instilled in him in the past 10 years by his wife and business partner, architect Helena Jubany, a member of the Los Angeles Building and Safety Commission. Five years ago, he said, they had sensed a recession coming and decided on the grocery store, the first of what they hope will be a small chain, as a good business to help them through economic downturns.

And letting customers know that their purchases would help the community puts the business on the cutting edge, Murga said. “I believe we have the business model for tomorrow in retail,” he enthused. —MCT

FRIA: Guinea’s biggest mining town is stuck in desperate limbo as its key aluminium plant remains shut five months after a pay dispute saw Russian owners abandon their posts for security reasons. “We’re living through the end of Guinea’s most famous mine,” said trade union activist Mamadi Kourouma in the town of Fria, 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of Conakry and home to Africa’s first aluminium refinery. Owned by the world’s biggest aluminium producer Rusal, the Friguia plant ground to a halt in April after a lengthy pay dispute, leaving residents in despair and Russian management and Moscow bemoaning a “human catastrophe.”

Weeds stand high around the desolate town, which paces itself according to the rhythm of power cuts. “Fria is dependent on the factory for water and electricity. The same goes for the shops, the banks and administrative offices,” said Kourouma. “There is no state sector here. Fria and the workers will not get over this crisis. It’s been a real earthquake,” Kourouma said. “We’re now compelled to ration electricity,” said the deputy director of Friguia, David Camara.

Trouble erupted on April 4 when Friguia workers went on strike for higher pay. A Conakry court declared the strike illegal, but unions refused to return to work. By the time workers agreed to take up tools again, the Russian managers had left after the refinery was occupied by unionists, a spokeswoman from Rusal told AFP from Moscow on condition of anonymity.

“The subsequent occupation of the plant and forcible removal of the plant’s owners from its management have led to substantial violations of the technological process,” the spokeswoman said. She added that the halt in production and threat to the supply of water and electricity had put the town “on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.” The Russian government even spoke out about the situation in April, saying in a statement that Rusal had “practically found itself invaded by extremist syndicalists.”

“The security of the Russian employees was endangered,” read a Russian foreign ministry statement adding that plant supplies had

GUINEA: A photo shows a view of an aluminium extraction and processing factory, one of the most famous factories in Guinea. — AFP been “plundered”. Rusal has managed the bauxite mine, aluminium refinery and railway network since 2002 and privatised it in 2006, but its presence has been fraught with pay disputes and strikes.

Guinea is the world’s leading producer of bauxite, from which aluminium is extracted.

On Friday, Guinean unions asked the government to cancel Rusal’s contract, a demand the company said had “no legal grounds”, vowing to use all legal means to protect its ownership rights. “It is because the plant was sold off for a despicable price by the regime of former president Lansana Conte for $19 million (15 million euro) that we are asking the state to take responsibility and terminate the sale contract,” said Mamadou Mansare, secretary general of the National Confederation of Guinean Workers (CNTG).

The complex employs about 3,200 people, and produces 2.1 million tonnes of bauxite and 618,000 tonnes of alumina a year, according to the company’s website. While Guinea possesses vast mineral wealth, most of its population remains impoverished after decades of political mismanagement and

instability since independence from France in 1958.

The country held its first ever democratic election in 2010 and President Alpha Conde has since overseen the adoption of a new mining code to improve management of its resources. As the dispute drags on however, Fria has begun to resemble a ghost town. At its height, in the 1960s and 1970s, the boom town boasted an olympic swimming pool, night clubs and spacious and well-lit residential districts. Its refinery was the pride of the country’s mining industry.

Fria “is in danger of disappearing if the factory stops. Nobody ignores the fact that the plant gave birth (to the town),” its mayor Amara Traore warned. “Today I’ve got a starving population. People are selling their property, their homes, plots of land and even furniture to survive.” On Monday Traore met with Employment Minister Fatoumata Tounkara, urging her to ensure that work resumes at Fria, a source close to the minister told AFP. “If the factory dies, the Russians will go home and the Guineans will remain here crying,” the source said. — AFP

Corn surge expected to raise food prices PHILADELPHIA: Southwest Philadelphia resident Mona West has a simple strategy for combating rising food prices. “I buy less,” she said. West’s friend, Gail Glenn, of Pine Hill, NJ, has a different approach: “Just stomach it. You have to eat.” The two reacted recently to the prospect of higher food prices next year because of the severe drought searing the Midwest grain belt. The forecast for this year’s harvest of US field corn - not the sort bought at farm stands to eat off the cob - is down 27 percent from earlier this season because of weather that has scorched more of the nation’s farmland than any other drought in the last 50 years, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

The drought is not affecting produce markets - the corn humans consume - because such crops are either irrigated or in areas of the country that are not suffering from the heat and lack of rain. Anticipating an imminent shortage of the grain that is integral to the production of meat, milk and eggs - and, increasingly, fuel because of the ethanol mandate for gasoline - traders have sent the price of corn surging as much as 50 percent this summer.

Worries about rising prices for food and fuel at a time when individual income growth is weak could be trouble for the US economy, which has failed to hit its stride. The drought could also be a wild card in the presidential election. The USDA predicted last month that overall food prices would rise 3 percent to 4 percent next year. At the high end, that is not much more than the 3.7 percent increase last year, but one expert didn’t expect that benign forecast to stand when the USDA updates the prediction later this month.

“They are probably going to revise that up,” said Robert Pierson, chairman of the food science, nutrition and management department at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pa. “My guess is 6 percent,” he said. If Pierson is right, the average US household with children could see its food bill increase about $11 a week, based on data provided by Moody ’s Analytics in West Chester. The estimated weekly increase since 2010 is $23, or 13 percent.

The projected increase does not account for shoppers’ tendency to trim where they can. Glenn, for example, said she makes some

NEW JERSEY: Gail Glenn (left) of Pine Hill, New Jersey, and Mona West, of Southwest Philly pose for a recent portrait. — MCT

items, such as cornbread, that she used to buy. For meats, she aims to get more for your money by buying large quantities and freezing it, Glenn said. Philadelphia resident Duane Nelson was quick to say he eats out less and switches to lower-cost items. “Chicken is cheaper than beef,” he said.

Unfortunately for Nelson, chicken is likely to be the first of the meats to increase in price because of higher prices for corn in chicken feed and the quick production cycle for chickens. “It only takes 49 days to raise a chicken,” said James Dunn, an agricultural economist at Pennsylvania State University. That is why the USDA has predicted a bigger increase in the price of chicken this year than next. Chicken breasts that cost $4.59 per pound now could cost $4.77 per pound a year from now.

Beef prices, which are more volatile than food prices overall, will likely go down before they go up because farmers are finding it too expensive to feed some animals. “Dairy animals are being slaughtered because the cows aren’t really making any money for the farmers. That’s pushing beef onto the market right now,” Dunn said.

When the price of corn and other agricultural commodities rise, the greatest impact is on meat, dairy, and eggs because the cost of feed is a major component of their retail prices, Dunn said. By contrast, only 3 percent of the retail price of bread is from wheat.

Pressure from corn shortages may buoy gasoline prices in the future, but there is little evidence they are to blame in this summer’s spike in fuel costs: more than 25 cents per gallon nationally in the past month, AAA says.

Prices at the pump are driven by a complex mix of factors. —MCT

26

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

BUSINESS

Abdulrahman Barrak Al-Babtain launches i’m Watch KUWAIT: Abdulrahman Barrak AlBabtain Est. (ABB), the exclusive distributor of the i’m Watch smart watch in Kuwait and GCC countries, has recently announced that the world’s first real smart watch is available in Eureka Electronics showrooms. i’m Watch has revolutionized the telecom and smart phones industry with its amazing functionalities and by being the first smart watch able to connect to a variety of smart phones through Bluetooth thus allowing users to receive calls, messages and emails, listen to music, read news, check weather forecast, view their favorite pictures and use many oth-

er applications such as Facebook and Twitter on their wrist. In one word, it allows them the ability to stay connected and conduct vital

business without having to forage into their pockets looking for their phones.

Abdulrahman Barrak Al-Babtain

Est also announced that this Italiandesigned will bring a whole new concept in the smart phones industry with performances never seen before on such a small devices.

Available in many different colors (black, blue, red, pink, green, yellow), this seductive-looking watch will surely satisfy even the most sophisticated demands. It also includes different category lines such as the fashionable i’m Color, available in black and white, and i’m Color Alu characterized by the purity of aluminum merging with the simplicity of white or the sobriety of black, all of which are today available at Eureka showrooms.

i’m Watch is characterized by a high-definition touch screen with curved surface, and is an ultraresponsive and easy-to-use smart watch that will truly captivate you!

Abdulrahman Barrak Al-Babtain Est mentioned that this creative invention actually uses Android 1.6 OS, the most common operating system in the world, as well as the “i’m Droid” software, a new customized Android version especially designed to comply with the smart watch’s special features and functionalities.

ABB is today confident that the unique i’m Watch collection will definitely meet the different demands and tastes of all fashion

lovers with its different category lines, starting from the cheerful colors of the i’m Color collection, to the interactive designs of i’m Tech especially conceived for people with active lifestyles, and ending up with the luxurious and extravagant i’m Jewel collection. In the end, Abdulrahman Barrak Al-Babtain Est, the exclusive distributor of the i’m Watch smart watch in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman, is continuously focusing on launching the most innovative technologies worldwide and bringing its customers with products bred with an incomparable cuttingedge touch.

Productivity top priority with Xerox’s iGen 150 Press DUBAI: Every business wants a speedy road to profitability. For print providers, this means making job setup easy, production times fast and image quality precise and repeatable.

Xerox’s new iGen 150 Press arms them with one of the most productive digital cut-sheet color presses.

The iGen 150 is built on Xerox’s proven, award-winning iGen platform. Since its intro-

duction at drupa 2008, the iGen4(r) Press has been used by more than 1,000 customers to produce millions of profitable pages per month.

The iGen4 Press has been recognized to be the most productive system in its class, among those independently tested by the SpencerLab Digital Color Laboratory.

Gilmore Doculink - a commercial/digital print shop in Ottawa - has tested the iGen 150 and reports the device is going to be a real win for their operation. “The quality is indistinguishable, so our clients can have a short-run custom digital job produced on the iGen 150 and have it look the same as a longer offset run of 20,000,” said Brian Wright, executive vice president of Operations, Gilmore Doculink. “The

iGen 150 provides the color, quality and consistency we demand.”

Automation = productivity = more jobs With increased print speed of up to 25 percent, the 150 pages-per-minute press delivers 3,000 26-inch oversized sheets per hour - a pro-

ductivity boost that lets printers get more jobs through their shop.

Each page is created with patented imageon-image technology and matte dry ink for vivid color digital prints. The iGen 150 Press reduces the time and effort needed to achieve consistent high-quality output with the following features: A new 2,400 x 2,400 dpi imaging system - the most precise resolution available on an iGen system to date. New line screen delivers refined shape, sharp detail and text quality. An Auto Density Control System detects and corrects streaks before they occur.

Automated Color Maintenance replaces and eliminates manual steps by analyzing color and notifying the operator when the press is ready for production.

The press can handle a range of paper stocks such as textured, translucent and heavy coverweight papers. Print providers can easily create mixed paper jobs such as direct-mail campaigns with tear-out reply postcards or wedding albums.

Pricing and availability The Xerox iGen 150 Press will be available for order taking in June and installation in July worldwide. It will have a US list price of $722,000 for its base configuration.

Al-Tijari announces winners of Najma daily draw

Eden Rose, an office administrator at the law offices of Buckingham Doolittle & Burroughs, LLP, uses her iPhone to conduct her business. —MCT

A year of too much work - or too little For most Americans, 2011 was the year of overwork or underwork. Almost universally, stress hit an all-time high as American workers tried to cope with the new reality that work now follows them wherever they go with their mobile devices. Attorney Fred Karlinsky described his resistance to putting down his BlackBerry regardless of whether it’s 10 am or 10 pm. “I owe it to clients to respond when they need an answer,” he told me. Add that to the do-morewith-less attitude and obsession with productivity adopted by today’s bosses and that makes work/life balance even more difficult to achieve.

Earlier this year, I dared to put the question out there: Can you control after-hours work demands without getting fired or losing a customer? My favorite response came from Wayne A. Hochwarter, a professor of management at Florida State University. It’s all about communication, he said. Maybe you’re answering emails at 10 pm, but your manager doesn’t expect you to be on call at all hours. You may have inadvertently communicated the wrong message: that you don’t mind the infringement on your personal time. It’s possible to pull back - if you are clear about how you plan to handle their needs during the workday, he said.

Around mid-year, I saw the trend toward overwork intensifying and affecting relationships. People were making less time for spouses, and some were even feeling too exhausted for sex. How crazy is it that iPhone glare has replaced candlelight as the backdrop for bedroom romance? “If you want to stay together and be connected, you have to make time for intimacy and set boundaries,” expert Joel Block advised my readers. To communicate your needs as the spouse who wants attention, he said, don’t nag.

“Make a plan to spend time together. That’s much better than the blame message.”

He also advised taking on a new attitude: “When you are at work, work owns you. When you walk out, leave it behind.” This year, I heard heartbreaking frustration in the voices of people in my community. While those of us lucky enough to have jobs or own businesses struggled with the workload, millions of American workers were hunting for work. Some began to accept the reality of underwork as they cobbled together part-time jobs as their only means of income - at least for now. In a column this fall, I

described the new face of the part-time worker it emerged from a conversation with Luis. Luis used to be a mortgage banker, but he has been out of work for more than 20 months. Like others, he had become exasperated by the job hunt.

One day, while Luis was mowing his lawn, a neighbor offered him a few bucks to do his yard.

Word spread, plentiful rain caused Miami lawns to grow tall, and Luis cobbled together enough business to consider mowing lawns a part-time job. “At least it’s some income,” said the humbled executive. This year, I heard from frustrated employers, too. The Internet has changed the rules of the workplace, blurring the lines between workers’ personal behavior and employer liability. There are no easy answers to the scenarios unfolding, and technology is ahead of the law, I learned.A Starbucks employee’s rant on You Tube about rude customers and their annoying orders inspired a column on how employers are reacting when workers post job gripes online. Workers - on and off the clock - are taking to their Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts to complain about everything from jerky bosses to rude customers to slacking coworkers to crappy company policies. Some firings have led to lawsuits that employees have won. “Both parties need to be careful with what they do online,” said Mark Neuberger, a management-side labor lawyer with Foley & Lardner in Miami. “There’s no direct easy answer to what’s allowable.” In another column, I wondered how much privacy employees should expect when they use a company-issued cellphone. I shared this piece of advice from experts: Take a company phone and you get IT support and your bill paid. But know that your boss can track you with the GPS, read your text messages, ban you from talking or texting while driving and require you to respond immediately to client calls and emails.

“You are giving them a big keyhole to look through,” says William Amlong, a Fort Lauderdale labor attorney who represents employees. “Don’t have any expectation of privacy.” This year, when I personally struggled with work/life balance concerns, I wrote about them to help others. I found inspiration from the stories of supermoms like Youri Mevs, who somehow raises four kids and is managing shareholder of WIN Group, a private family conglomerate. —MCT

KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma Account draw yesterday. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Ahmed Al-Hamad. The winners of the Al Najma Daily Draw who won KD 7,000 are: Badriya Essa Ashour Bloushy and Abdulsatar Ali Al-Aiyshat.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on June 19 which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or two months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

GAC extends partnership with Sheffield United Football Club DUBAI: Global shipping and logistics company GAC has renewed its sponsorship deal with professional English football club Sheffield United FC. Since forming links with Sheffield United FC - nicknamed ‘The Blades due to Sheffield’s worldwide reputation for steel production - in 2009, GAC went on to become the club’s Official Logistics Partner and followed that by sponsoring the South Stand of its stadium in Bramall Lane.

Group Sales Director at GAC, Gurumurthi Shankar, expressed his delight at continuing the relationship saying: “We value long-term relationships with business partners, customers, suppliers and our own staff, and are extremely happy to have extended our current deal with the Blades.” “Wherever you go, you will find GAC people striving for excellence in everything they do, driven by a sense of urgency and a desire to meet customers’ every service need. That combination of the personal touch with fierce professional pride is our corporate signature,” he added. “These values are shared by all at Sheffield United and we look forward to our prosperous relationship going from strength to strength over the coming season.”

GAC is one of the world’s leading independent suppliers of logistics, shipping, marine and related services, giving multinational businesses a single, experienced source for all their shipping and transport requirements.

Sheffield United’s Commercial Director, Steve Coakley, talked about the importance of the ongoing relationship between GAC and the Blades. “It is great news that GAC has decided to extend their current deal with the Blades.”

“We are passionate about working with forwardthinking organisations that share our commitment to providing a quality service for our customers. Obviously that service is intrinsically linked to how the team perform and we are all looking forward to a successful season both on and off the pitch.”

FORT LAUDERDALE: Profile of financial guru Mark Grant appears on board his boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. —MCT

A grim financial guru finds fame MIAMI: Smoking a morning cigar poolside at his waterfront Fort Lauderdale, Fla., home, a top executive at a Wall Street bond operation recalls how he predicted the Greek debt crisis two years ago. That foresight is getting noticed. The Wall Street Journal this year called him “The Wizard” in a column devoted to his forecasts, borrowing a nickname Grant uses for himself in the investment newsletters he sends to clients. A wizard also graces the burgee of the 83-foot yacht docked behind his home. Name: Wishes Granted.

“Besides making money, which is good, I’m also having a wonderful time,” said Grant, 61. “That’s as good as it gets in this life.” Life has certainly been good to Grant, who has owned five yachts named “Wishes Granted.” But now he’s enjoying a new windfall: fame. Thanks to an early hunch that Europe might swamp the US recovery, Grant is quickly becoming perhaps the most prominent financial commentator in South Florida.

“Soon, everybody could know Mr Grant,” New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin wrote in June, dubbing Grant the “Dr Doom” of the Greek crisis. Grant’s ultra-bearish instincts came out Friday amid Wall Street euphoria over news that European leaders were readying a new bailout for beleaguered banks in Italy and Spain. Grant wasn’t buying it, and urged his clients not to buy into it. “I advise against investing on hopes, prayers and grand schemes that have too often gone astray in Europe,” he wrote in an email note 21 minutes after the markets began surging Friday morning. “I think the rally fades as people look past the headlines.”

The coming weeks will show whether Grant’s latest bet against a brighter day will prove correct. He still sees his early predictions of a Greece meltdown largely coming true, the first step in what he sees as a much broader crisis. With Spain following Greece into insolvency and Italy on the brink, Grant predicts a broad European banking meltdown. That will push the United States into a recession as early as this fall. With the downturn, Grant also sees South Florida’s real estate rebound ending and prices dropping again.

“I thought it was going to get bad, and it got bad,” Grant said in an interview. “It’s a big mess.” Grant was on a yacht in the Bahamas when the Lehman Brothers investment bank collapsed in 2008, sparking a financial crisis that put the United States at risk of a depression.

Grant turned the yacht around and raced back to Fort Lauderdale.

To prevent a national bank run, Washington began buying preferred stock in insolvent financial institutions.

Grant saw an opportunity in the rescue: buy the banks’ own debt, since bondholders would be paid back ahead of stock holders in the event of a bankruptcy. “Many of you are staring at the table and haven’t yet noticed the present that is sitting there,” he wrote in a Nov 12, 2008, note to clients. “Smell the roses, wake up to the glorious dawning of a new day ... “ The downturn was apparently good for Grant. In 2009, Grant paid $3.2 million for his 6,000-square-foot house, including a three-car garage that now houses a

Bentley, Ferrari and a Rolls Royce. In 2009, he also bought the latest Wishes Granted. In 2010, he set sail for a threemonth working vacation aboard the yacht, joined by his private captain, chef and stewardess. “What I do for a living is serious,” he said in an interview, “but you also get a sense of enjoying life.” As he wrote in his 2011 book, “Out of the Box and onto Wall Street”: “I’ve learned that a solid work ethic is mandatory for success, but a solid play ethic is also a necessary part of winning.”

To his role of grim guru, Grant brings a particularly sunny persona. For his regular CNBC appearances, Grant usually finds himself the only male on the panel without a tie. His postings on investment message boards feature a profile picture of a man in a fake white beard and a sorcerer’s cap. Grand Marnier makes occasional cameos in the investment newsletter the lifelong bachelor sends out daily to clients and journalists, as he recounts various cruises and sojourns.

“I don’t think I’ve met anybody who enjoys what he does half as much,” Randall Forsyth, editor-in-chief of Barrons.com, wrote in an email about Grant. Grant keeps an office off Las Olas Boulevard. but he often works out of his house. He typically rises at 3:30 am to check the overnight news from overseas.

Grant keeps six pairs of glasses on the antique French desk in his home office, where he sits inches away from a jumbo monitor with four screens blinking a matrix of currency spreads, financial headlines, bond rates and other market arcana.

He grew up in Kansas City, Mo, the son of an advertising-executive father and a mother who worked in public relations but was also active in local politics and charities. His career began on the trading floor of a local bank, but he soon was working for some of the top investment banks on Wall Street.

He moved to South Florida about 20 years ago after taking his powerboat down the Mississippi River for an extended cruise in the Gulf and East Coast. He’s now the director of structured finance and the syndicate department for Southwest Securities, a Texas-based securities brokerage and investment bank with about $24 billion in assets under management.

Both Southwest positions put him in charge of selling corporate debt to large investors in complex arrangements, but he does not manage investments for clients. As a broker, Grant makes most of his money off commissions from clients buying or selling stocks and bonds. He spends most of his day on the phone advising those clients: insurance companies, money-management firms, pension funds and other large, institutional investors.

Those clients also get his daily economic commentaries - analysis of the day’s financial landscape, with Grant as the courtly narrator. At times, his two rescued Australian shepherds, Princess and Mr. Trooper, wander into the narrative as “The Sages.” He’ll quote Aristotle, Marx and Tolkien. In 2010, he cast Europe’s debt woes as a dysfunctional family dinner, with “Cousin Tony” who is about “to lose his Greek diner... and wants to eat for free.”

27

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Slovak media paywall seeks to expand abroad BRATISLAVA: Piano, a cutting-edge media paywall which seduced thrifty Slovaks into shelling out for online content, is looking to prove its model with an expansion to much larger Poland. With print media sales plummeting the world over, this Central European start-up may have found the formula to successfully charge for online content without losing readers long used to getting news on the Internet for free. Piano, which started in Slovakia in May 2011 and has since moved into Slovenia, decided to use the cable T V model to charge for online newspapers and magazinessubscribers pay a monthly fee to get a a package of content from various

publishers available behind the paywall. It is a similar model to Netflix, which lets viewers in a handful of countries including the United States and Britain to stream movies and television shows for a low monthly price. Now Piano is looking to prove its formula can work in a big market, and is set to launch next month in Poland, which with a population of 38.2 million far outstrips Slovakia’s five million and Slovenia’s two million people.

“This is an opportunity to prove that Piano works not only in small countries (...) but in larger markets as well,” Tomas Bella, CEO of Piano Media told AFP in Bratislava. “The biggest challenge is to explain the people who for fifteen years

have been used to getting everything on the Internet for free why they should pay for content,” Bella said. The monthly fee is an affordable 3.90 euros ($4.80) in Slovakia, where an average salary is around 770 euros.

All three of Slovakia’s leading broadsheet daily newspapers and several smaller magazines and websites decided to charge for exclusive content such as opinion pages, but have kept general news free. Readers can also pay for priority access to stories, which are later unlocked and available for free. Piano pockets 30 percent of the money readers pay for subscriptions, while 40 percent goes to the website which first attracted the sub-

scriber and 30 percent goes to all partners based on how much time a reader spends on their sites.

Over the past five years printed daily newspaper circulation in Slovakia has dropped by 30 percent, but the visitrate on the corresponding websites grew by more than 17 percent between 2010 and 2011, Branislav Ondrasik, a media analyst at the Bratislava-based Paneuropean Univerisity told AFP. While the paywall helps publishers weather losses from falling sales in print, at the same time it puts pressure on journalists to focus on the quality of their stories.

With a free access to general news, newspapers have to identify the unique

content that attracts the readers enough to make them want to pay for it. “I think it’s better when journalists feel that they are paid by readers rather than advertisers,” says Bella, who used to be a journalist himself. After September’s launch in Poland, Piano is already eyeing a fourth as of yet undisclosed market to be announced by the end of this year. “At first they told me Piano won’t work in Slovakia because the publishers would never unite under one paywall. Then they told me it won’t work outside Slovakia. Then they told me it won’t work in a bigger market like Poland. So the next big goal is to prove it can work in a country which speaks a world language,” Bella hinted. —AFP

Twitter shakes up US election fight Analysis shows Obama tweets 10 times more than Romney

Horacio Gutierrez, pictured May 14, 2012, Microsoft’s deputy counsel of intellectual property, is known for his legal acumen as well as his good humor. —MCT

Microsoft’s Gutierrez safeguards patents SEATTLE: Forget that his face adorns lunchboxes. Darth Vader is supposed to be menacing.

But when Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s deputy counsel of intellectual property and licensing, dressed up as the ominous Star Wars Sith Lord one Halloween? Not so much. “I’ve never seen a happier Darth Vader,” said Gutierrez’s boss, Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith. In some ways that image captures perceptions of Microsoft in the patent battles now raging among tech companies - and Gutierrez’s role in them.

Microsoft has signed a number of licensing agreements with - or filed lawsuits against companies it says infringe on its patents, most notably manufacturers of devices using Google’s Android operating system. To some, Microsoft is a menace that wields its power to extract sizable royalty payments on Android devices even as its own Windows mobile devices flounder. In that view, Microsoft uses patents as a cash cow rather than a way to protect inventions.

To others, Microsoft leads the way in how intellectual-property disputes should be settled, with a preference for licensing over litigation and an eye toward fair settlements - while protecting its vast investment in research and development over the years. Gutierrez, too, embodies those dual perceptions.

In his role heading the company’s patent, trademark and copyright work, the 47-year-old attorney is in a position to stare down some of the largest technology companies in the world.

The work he and his team produce makes headlines, from broad agreements with Samsung to battles with Motorola in courtrooms worldwide.

The consequences can be sweeping, from billion-dollar deals to import bans on products.

But within Microsoft, Gutierrez is known as much for his good humor as for his legal acumen. The patent arena is “filled with conflict, disagreements and complicated technologies. A little humor goes a long way,” said David Kaefer, general manager of intellectual-property licensing, who works for Gutierrez.

The kind of role Gutierrez plays is becoming increasingly visible as high-profile tech companies wage patent battles in courts worldwide over products used daily by millions of people.

At Microsoft, Gutierrez leads the team devising strategies on which patents to acquire, what to do with the ones it has, and how to protect its new technologies. He also leads some of the negotiations for licensing deals himself including a major 2011 deal with Samsung.

Gutierrez says he thrives on tense negotiations, seeing it as a challenge to break through with humor, empathy and attempts “to think of ways in which the interests of both companies can be aligned.” “He’s just creative in finding ways to get the deals done,” said Terry Myerson, head of Microsoft’s Windows Phone division.

“Licensing intellectual property - doing it in a reasonable but win-win manner -requires incredible creativity and understanding of tech and global intellectual property.” When the Kinect - Microsoft’s motion- and voice-sensing technology - was being developed, Gutierrez immediately saw the opportunities for the company, recalled Rich Wallis, deputy general counsel of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment division.

“I remember being in meetings with him where he was so excited about the technology,” Wallis said. “It was visibly palpable. He’s a high-energy person. His voice gets a little quicker. His eyes light up. The hands start moving.” Gutierrez showed such gusto and ambition from early on. Born and raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela, the son of an attorney father and a homemaker mother, Gutierrez started law school at 16, graduated by 21, and became a partner at a law firm in Venezuela by 28.

He spent a year as a Fulbright Scholar at Harvard University, earning a master’s of law degree, then came to the U.S., working at an investment bank before joining a law firm in Miami and earned his doctor of laws degree from the University of Miami at the same time. —MCT

48 percent of users use smartphones on vacation As wireless Internet access - including the use of cellular networks - grows in popularity, users are increasingly using their mobiles as a replacement for desktop computers. According to a survey May 2012 conducted by O+K Research for Kaspersky Lab, 17 percent of iPhone owners, 7 percent of Blackberry users and 48 percent of other smartphone owners use them on vacation if a computer or a laptop is unavailable.

A significant proportion of users - 25 percent - is content to use a smartphone if they do not have a computer at hand, although the fashion for tablets seems to be slightly behind the convenience of a pocket-sized smartphone: for example, only 15 percent of surveyed use Apple iPad on vacation. 8 percent of respondents prefer to spend their holidays entirely cut off from any mobile devices.

Mobile devices at work or on vacation are most often used for email communication - this activity was selected by 62 percent of tablet and 54 percent of smartphone owners. Next comes social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter with 59 percent and 54 percent respectively. 47 percent

of respondents use their mobile devices for IMS communication.

Multimedia entertainment is only slightly less popular, with 58 percent of tablet owners using their devices to watch online video. Not surprisingly, perhaps, smaller smartphone screens are less attractive for viewing - just 30 percent of mobile users tune in to online shows. 41 percent of mobile device users regularly listen to music online, including various Internet radio stations. 20 percent of tablet owners and 12 percent of smartphone users post and view photos on the Internet.

The data collected by O+K Research show that smartphones and tablet are ever more frequently used in place of computers, at least when it comes to communication and entertainment.

They are also often used to store important personal information which must be reliably protected from malicious activity and unauthorized access in case of loss or theft. This can be done with the help of two specialized products from Kaspersky Lab Kaspersky Mobile Security designed to protect smartphones and Kaspersky Tablet Security which guards tablets.

WASHINGTON: Will tweets make the difference in the 2012 US presidential election?

Twitter and other social media are being used by candidates to energize supporters, raise funds and shift the focus of the public debate for what some call the nation’s first “social election” in November. Twitter has the potential “to sway the national narrative,” said Zach Green, head of the media consultancy 140Elect, which advises candidates on how to use Twitter. Because Twitter democratizes the delivery of information, tweets can help a candidate by getting out a message that might not be seen on traditional media like newspapers and television.

“Twitter is a way of injecting a message into the national conversation... before anyone writes the story you can get your side out there,” Green told AFP. “You can also go around the national discussion because Twitter allows candidates to reach their constituencies without a gatekeeper.” Tony Fratto, a former White House and US Treasur y spokesman in the George W Bush administration who is now a partner in the consulting firm Hamilton Place Strategies, said Twitter can be a game-changer.

“It has made it possible for campaigns to immediately communicate with large numbers of potential voters in about the cheapest way you can imagine,” Fratto said. “Not only can you impress a message on millions of people, but you can respond to charges quickly. In the old days, you would have someone put a television ad, and it would take time to write a press release or produce an ad” to counter that, he said.

“With Twitter, the moment the charge or a critical ad or news report hits you are in a position to respond in your own voice immediately and to generate responses from your supporters.” President Barack Obama has a huge head start on Republican rival Mitt Romney on Twitter. The incumbent has some 18.7 million Twitter followers to fewer than 900,000 for Romney. Green’s analysis shows Obama tweets 10 times more often as Romney, and gets additional support on Twitter from his campaign. But Romney’s tweets are more often shared and retweeted, suggesting his supporters are more “engaged,” said Green.

Jeanette Castillo, a Florida State University professor specializing in digital media, said Romney has more money and support from political action committees, “so I’m watching to see how much the social media capital is worth.” “The extent to which it mobilizes people and gets them out will be interesting to watch,” Castillo said. In the 2008 election, Twitter was just getting started and had a limited impact, Castillo noted, because it had fewer users-mainly younger people-and was not as important for news media.

Now, Twitter is a major driver of news and the so-called “national conversation.” This was highlighted, Castillo said, by the furor created

by US Senate candidate Todd Akin’s comments on “legitimate rape” and earlier this year by the shooting death of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin. “Twitter is a very democratic platform,” she said.

“I think it’s becoming part of a bigger landscape and to the extent that it influences the

mainstream media, it will have power.” Fratto said Obama had a “huge advantage” in the 2008 campaign over Republican John McCain but that in 2012, the Romney campaign has “a very sophisticated digital communication strategy.”He noted that while Obama tweets more often, some tweets from @BarackObama are not directly from him, but written in the third person.

“You should tweet more often but do it in your own voice,” Fratto said. A study by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism said the Obama campaign “holds a distinct advantage” in its use of digital technology to communicate with voters, particularly Twitter. More crucially, the Obama campaign is using digital means to target key groups such as Hispanics and women voters.

PEJ director Tom Rosenstiel said an effective online strategy is now essential for a candidate. “While more digital activity does not necessarily translate into more votes, historically, candidates who are first to exploit changing technology have an advantage,” said Rosenstiel. The Pew report said that candidates who use these technologies demonstrate they are keeping up with the times.

“From Franklin Roosevelt’s use of radio, to John F Kennedy’s embrace of television, to Ronald Reagan’s recognition of the potential for arranging the look and feel of campaign events in the age of satellites and video tape, candidates quicker to grasp the power of new technology have used that to convey a sense that they represented a new generation of leadership more in touch with where the country was heading,” the report said. —AFP

Nintendo 3DS faces app game challenge LOS ANGELES: Nine-year-old Oscar Auerswald Carroll’s hazel eyes widened with bewilderment when asked which game device he preferred - his Nintendo 3DS or his mother’s iPhone 4. After a long pause, the soon-to-be four th-grader chose his 3DS “because it has two screens.” The Los Angeles boy’s momentary struggle highlights the pitched battle between Nintendo and a new generation of smartphones and tablets for the hearts and minds of young gamers.

For now, the 3DS is holding its own. Sixteen months after launching the device, Nintendo sold 5.14 million 3DS consoles in the US by the end of June, fueled in part by a 33 percent price cut in August. The console, which features a 3-dimensional screen that doesn’t require players to wear special glasses, is outpacing Nintendo’s previous bestselling hand-held device, the DS, which sold 4.15 million units in 16 months after its launch in 2004.

The sales surge of 3DS has disproved critics, who pronounced it a dud after a lackluster launch. But it ’s not game over. Some question whether Nintendo can keep up the momentum amid a changing market. “Nintendo’s price cut clearly had a positive impact on retail sales and prevented a repeat of the declines we saw last summer,” said Mitch Lasky, a partner at Benchmark Capital who has invested in a number of game companies. “But I don’t believe it will be sufficient to reverse the larger trends.”

Those trends include a shift in the way parents buy such games.

“Ever yone is used to paying $1.99 for ‘Angry Birds’ now,” said Rebecca Levey, co-founder of KidzVuz.com, a site featuring thousands of game and toy review videos posted by kids under age 13. “Asking parents to pay $30 for a DS game that their kids may get bored with after a week has become a really hard sell. But for $1.99, you’re more

willing to take that risk.”

As a result, Nintendo’s share of the US portable games software market shrank to an estimated 36 percent in 2011 from 70 percent in 2009, said Peter Farago, an analyst with Flurry Analytics in San Francisco.

Meanwhile, revenue from games sold on Apple Inc.’s App Store and Google Inc.’s Android Marketplace exploded to 58 percent of the $3.3 billion market last year from 19 percent of the $2.7 billion market in 2009.

Scott Moffitt, Nintendo’s exec-

Nintendo learned last year when its relatively shallow selection of games kept players from buying the 3DS when it launched.

Alarmed, Nintendo’s chief executive, Satoru Iwata, slashed the 3DS price by more than a third to $169.99 and beefed up the game lineup. The stimulus plan worked. Sales of the 3DS in the US surged to 1.3 million from September to December from 470,000 units from June to August. The move, however, cost Nintendo dearly, plunging the Japanese game company to its

utive vice president of sales in the US, said Flurry’s figures don’t include purchases that 3DS owners make from the company’s eShop, an online store that bypasses traditional retailers and sells games for $2 to $9. He declined to say how much Nintendo generates in eShop sales. “We can say, however, that people who have gone on to buy a game from our eShop have bought an average of 4.7 games per person,” Moffitt said. “We continue to see momentum for the 3DS, and we’re excited about the upcoming holiday, when we’ll have one of our busiest game launch schedules ever.”

Titles lined up for the fall include “Paper Mario Sticker Star,” “Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon,” and “New Super Mario Bros. 2.” Moffitt’s emphasis on games reflects a painful lesson

first annual loss in at least three decades. Nintendo posted a $534.6-million loss on $8 billion in revenue its fiscal year that ended March 31, compared with a $960.5-million profit on $12.6 billion in sales the year before.

But the bitter side effects are supposed to be temporar y Nintendo in April said it expects to “cease selling (the 3DS) below cost by” this fall.

“There will always be room for Nintendo in the hand-held market,” said Edward Williams, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets. “The reason they’ve had so much success is not so much because of their hardware. It’s because of the strength of their game franchises, and they have a whole stable of them.”

Nintendo’s Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda remain powerful assets - adored by children and

trusted by parents, Williams said.

The longer-term question is whether Nintendo will stop making hardware and instead unleash its highly profitable games on a broader range of devices, such as Apple Inc.’s iPhones or iPads.

“Investors don’t think there’s much opportunity in hardware in the future,” said Evan Wilson, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities.

“The thinking is that there are 250 million iPhones out there versus 5 million 3DSes. It’s a huge revenue opportunity that they’re missing out on.” Nintendo has repeatedly brushed off such speculation over the years, insisting that its games shine only if they are played on its consoles.

Nintendo is launching a supersized version of the 3DS on Aug 19 - the 3DS XL, priced at $199.99.

The device boasts larger screens and a longer battery life. So far, demand for the new hand-held model, as measured by the number of people who paid a modest deposit to reserve a console, appears “strong,” said Bob McKenzie, senior vice president of merchandising for GameStop Corp., which operates more than 6,600 retail stores. He declined to say how many people reserved a 3DS XL. “The reality is that a lot of kids still yearn for a 3DS,” said Michael Cai, a game industry analyst at Interpret. “They see their friends at school with them. Peer impact is still a key driver for Nintendo.

That said, I don’t think the 3DS will be as successful as the DS.” Nintendo’s Moffitt ack nowledged that games on smar tphones and tablets are increasingly popular, but said that doesn’t necessarily spell doom for his company. “All the evidence we see suggests that this is not a zero-sum game,” Moffitt said. “As long as we continue to publish the best content, there will be a large portion of the market that will prefer to play those games on a dedicated gaming system like the 3DS.” —MCT

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Armstrong’s small step a giant leap for humanity WASHINGTON: When man first harnessed fire, no one recorded it. When the Wright Brothers showed man could fly, only a handful of people witnessed it.

But when Neil Armstrong took that first small step on the moon in July 1969, an entire globe watched in grainy black-and-white from a quarter million miles away. We saw it. We were part of it. He took that “giant leap for mankind” for us. Although more than half of the world’s population wasn’t alive then, it was an event that changed and expanded the globe.

“It’s a human achievement that will be remembered forever,” said John Logsdon, professor emeritus of space policy at George Washington University. Those first steps were beamed to nearly every country around the world, thanks to a recently launched satellite. It was truly the first global mass media event, Logsdon said. An estimated 600 million people - 1 out of every 5 on the planet watched.

The two historical events likely to be long remembered from the 20th Century are the moon landing and the first atomic bomb, said Smithsonian Institution space curator Roger Launius. “There is no way to overestimate that significance in human history and he is forever linked to that,” Launius said of Armstrong, who died Saturday at age 82. Just as the voyage of Christopher Columbus split historic eras 500 years ago, so will Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11, said Rice University historian Douglas Brinkley, a specialist in 20th Century history. “We may be living in the age of Armstrong,” said Brinkley, who conducted oral histories for NASA, including sessions with Armstrong.

The late science fiction author Arthur C Clarke

wrote that the Apollo 11 moon landing was “one of the great divides in human history; we are sundered from it forever by the moment when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped out on to the Sea of Tranquility. Now history and fiction have become inexorably intertwined.” Since that day, there’s been a common phrase: “If we can send a man to the moon, why can’t we ... ?” with the blank filled with a task that seems far less difficult.

Armstrong’s small step was that leap in confidence telling the world “if we can do this, we can do anything,” said Howard McCurdy, a professor of space and public policy at American University and author of the book “Space and the American Imagination”. “He took something that 20 years earlier was pure fantasy and turned it into reality and if we could do that for space we could do it for anything,” McCurdy said Saturday. The Apollo 11 moon

This July 20, 1969 photo provided by NASA shows Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface. — AP

landing was the finish line in a decade-long space race started by the Soviet Union. And so the first steps on the moon coming from an American civilian had many meanings. Getting there first showed American technological superiority, but Armstrong mentioned mankind - not Americans - demonstrating that this was a moment for the people of Earth, McCurdy said. Armstrong and Aldrin left a plaque on the moon that read: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 AD. We came in peace for all mankind.”

For all mankind. And that’s how the world took it. “The success for America (is a) success for every living man” reported the Swahili-language newspaper Nguromo of Dar. And if that wasn’t enough, Armstrong and Aldrin also left a patch to commemorate NASA astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts who had died in pursuit of space. “It was special and memorable but it was only instantaneous because there was work to do,” Armstrong told an Australian television interviewer this year.

The Cold War may have slightly muted the significance of the event at the time, but over the years the importance of the moon landing has only grown, Logsdon said. It’s permeated into culture.

The moon landing is in movies, television, books, songs and it was even Michael Jackson’s signature dance step. That’s probably because in some ways that moonwalk touched something that has been hard-wired into humanity: the need to explore. For 25,000 years, humans have been migrating and pushing into new places. Armstrong took it to new heights. John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, noted it was “the first time any human being set foot on a place other than Earth, and that’s a pretty big step.” — AP

Tributes pour in for ‘man on the moon’ Armstrong

In this 1969 photo provided by NASA the crew of the Apollo 11 mission (from left) Neil Armstrong, Mission Commander, Michael Collins, Lt Col USAF and Edwin Eugene Aldrin, also known as Buzz Aldrin, USAF Lunar Module pilot, are seen. — AP

Giant leap for mankind and Cold War rivalry WASHINGTON: At 9:32 am on July 16, 1969 a 2,900-tonne Saturn V rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying the Columbia lunar command module and the dreams of a generation. The mission was Apollo 11, the commander was 38-year-old former navy pilot Neil Armstrong and the destination was the Sea of Tranquility, on the moon.

For the United States, the mission was a Cold War maneuver, a bid to fulfil the vow made by President John F Kennedy that NASA could overtake the pioneering Russian space program and put a man on the moon.

But for spellbound audiences around the world, it was also an extraordinary and optimistic voyage of discovery and engineering. The huge rocket carried Columbia and its crew -Armstrong and fellow NASA astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins - into Earth’s orbit before the third and final booster stage catapulted them toward the moon. Columbia was docked with the Eagle lunar landing module, and three days later, the combined Apollo 11 craft found itself in orbit around the moon. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin uncoupled the Eagle and began their descent.

As they descended, monitored by NASA mission control in Houston and watched by an audience of millions around the world in an unprecedented live broadcast, a computer error in the navigation computer caused two alarms to sound. The computer recognized it was receiving spurious data and corrected itself, maintaining its descent. Propellant was also sloshing around Eagle’s tanks more than had been expected, triggering a premature low-fuel warning.

With co-pilot Aldrin calling out flight data, Armstrong guided the craft, touching down at 2017 GMT in a 300-m wide crater with only 25 seconds of fuel left. He and Aldrin began to work through their landing checklist. “We copy you down, Eagle,” called out ground commander Charles Duke. Armstrong confirmed his engine was off before responding with the now legendary phrase: “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” The commander, who died on Saturday aged 82, had another now famous remark prepared for the moment more than two hours later when he jumped from a short ladder onto the lunar surface, the first human ever on an alien world. “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind,” he said.

Twenty minutes later, he was joined by Aldrin and the pair spent 21 hours on the moon’s rocky and powdery surface, marveling at a view of Earth that no one had seen before, and gathering rocks as samples for study.

The journey home was no less complicated from a technical standpoint, the Eagle lander having to launch itself from the surface and rendezvous with Collins on Columbia before setting off to Earth.

On July 24, the crew capsule ditched in the Pacific Ocean, with the triumphant trio onboard, braced for a heroes’ welcome. Left behind them, planted firmly in the lunar dust, the Stars and Stripes symbolized America’s victory.

For, if Apollo 11’s mission had lasted just eight days, the moonwalk was also the culmination of a wager that had been made eight years earlier, when a young Kennedy had decided to challenge Moscow’s lead in the space race. The Soviet Union had put a satellite into orbit in 1957 and in 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. Moscow trumpeted its advance as a sign of Communism’s superiority over the Western model of liberal capitalism. With the Cold War foes locked in a nuclear standoff, the United States could not afford this slight to its technical expertise and economic strength. “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth,” Kennedy declared. Thanks to NASA, its astronauts and $25 billion - an estimated $115 billion in today’s dollars - he got his wish, and around 500 million television viewers around the world saw the star-spangled banner fly on the moon. In 1970, a few months after the lunar landing, Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov wrote in an open letter to the Kremlin that America’s ability to put a man on the moon proved the superiority of a democracy. There were six more Apollo missions and 12 more humans have walked on the surface of the Earth’s lone mysterious satellite that has fueled dreams and imaginations since the earliest humans walked the planet. But the last moonwalk was in 1972, and NASA’s manned space program has been limited since the space shuttle program was taken out of service last year. Extra-terrestrial exploration continues, however. Earlier this month, NASA landed the Curiosity rover, an unmanned buggy carrying scientific instruments, in the Gale Crater on Mars. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Tributes poured in yesterday following the death of Neil Armstrong, the humble US astronaut whose “small step” on the moon captivated the world and came to embody the wonder of space exploration. Armstrong, who died Saturday at the age of 82 from complications following heart surgery earlier this month, inspired generations to reach for the stars and etched his name next to one of the great milestones of human discovery. The grainy black-and-white broadcast of Armstrong’s moon walk on July 20, 1969 was seen by some 500 million people, his words capturing the promise of the still-young space age and briefly uniting a planet split by the Cold War. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” the earthbound heard Armstrong say, though he later claimed that an “a” before the word “man” had been lost in transmission. US President Barack Obama, who was just two weeks short of his eighth birthday when the historic mission succeeded, said Armstrong had “delivered a moment of human achievement that will never be forgotten.”

Praising Armstrong as a “reluctant American hero,” his family expressed hope his legacy would encourage young people to “work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves.”

The lunar pioneer was decorated by 17 countries and received a slew of US honors, but was never comfortable with his worldwide fame and shied away from the limelight. In a rare television interview in 2005, Armstrong said he did not deserve the attention he received for being the first man on the moon, just steps ahead of fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin. “I wasn’t chosen to be first. I was just chosen to command that flight. Circumstance put me in that particular role,” he said. Armstrong even stopped signing memorabilia after learning his autographs were being sold at exorbitant prices.

John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, recalled Armstrong’s legendary humility. “He didn’t feel that he should be out huckstering himself,” the former Ohio senator told CNN Saturday. “He was a humble person, and that’s the way he remained after his lunar flight, as well as before.” Aldrin said

he had hoped that he, Armstrong and Michael Collins, the third astronaut on the mission, would have met up in 2019 for celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. “Whenever I look at the moon, it reminds me of the moment over four decades ago when I realized that even though we were farther away from Earth than two humans had ever been, we were not alone,” Aldrin said.

Yesterday, more praise poured in from world leaders and fellow astronauts, with French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault saying that Armstrong’s “small step” had “realized the dream of generations of inventors, scientists, artists, poets or simply amateurs, of the beauties of space”. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he “vividly” remembered the night Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the “Sea of Tranquility,” saying Armstrong had “left an eternal footprint on our memories”.

Born in Wapakoneta, Ohio on Aug 5, 1930, Armstrong had an early fascination with aircraft and worked at a nearby airport when he was a teenager. He received his pilot’s license on his 16th birthday. A US Navy aviator, he flew 78 missions in the Korean War. Armstrong joined NASA’s predecessor agency, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in 1955. As a research pilot at NASA’s Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, he flew on many pioneering high-speed aircraft, eventually flying over 200 different models, including helicopters, gliders, jets and rockets.

He reached astronaut status in 1962, and was assigned as command pilot for the Gemini 8 mission, during which he performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. After retiring from NASA in 1971, Armstrong taught aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati for nearly a decade and served on the boards of several companies, including Lear Jet, United Airlines and Marathon Oil. In announcing his death, Armstrong’s family said they had a simple request to people in memory of Armstrong’s life. “Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink,” it said. — AFP

PARIS: This picture taken on July 10, 1979 shows Neil Armstrong, US astronaut of the first lunar mission Apollo 11, posing during a TV show. — AFP

Kidney for US patient’s transplant put in trash TOLEDO, Ohio: A nurse accidentally disposed of a kidney from a living donor this month at an Ohio hospital, and doctors tried unsuccessfully for at least two hours to resuscitate the organ in what medical experts describe as a rare accident, health officials said. “Human error rendered the kidney unusable,” University of Toledo Medical Center spokesman Toby Klinger said Saturday, but he declined to give more details, citing the hospital’s investigation into what happened and its respect for the privacy of the patients involved.

But one of the doctors involved told Dr. David Grossman, a Toledo-Lucas County health commissioner, that a nurse disposed of the kidney

improperly. Two nurses have been placed on paid administrative leave while the hospital reviews what happened, Klinger said. Grossman told the Blade newspaper in Toledo that a man had donated the kidney to his older sister. Both the donor and the intended recipient have been released from the hospital, Klinger said.

The hospital has voluntarily suspended the live kidney donor program while they review what happened and determine how to prevent errors in the future, according to Dr Jeffrey Gold, the medical center’s chancellor and vice president for biosciences and health affairs. He said that doctors tried to save the kidney, but “the

physician in consultation with the family decided to not take the risk knowing there was a good chance for another highly compatible donor.”

Grossman’s office is not involved in the investigation or connected to the medical center, Klinger said. Grossman could not be reached for comment Saturday. The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department was closed, and Grossman’s home telephone number was not available.

This kind of accident is unheard of in organ transplant centers and it was a good decision not to use the kidney, Dr William Harmon, director of kidney transplantation at Boston Children’s Hospital, told the Blade.— AP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

‘Pandamania’ bears take rocky French road to parenthood SAINT-AIGNAN, France: Like many normal young couples starting a life together, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi have moved into a new home, happily go about their daily business, and hopes are high for a baby. But nothing else is normal about them. Their residence costs more than a million dollars a year, 10,000 humans come to gawk at them every day, and bitter failure has met most of the chosen few who took the rocky road to parenthood before them. Not that any of that bothers Yuan Zi (“Chubby” in Chinese) or his female partner Huan Huan (“Happy”), or the hordes of tourists who are thrilled by the indolent exploits of the giant pandas in Beauval zoo in the French countryside.

Yuan Zi, as if to show his indifference, took a break from munching bamboos in morning sunshine to turn his rear end towards a crowd of excited onlookers

and, to cries of delight, produce a large, shining, green deposit. “They eat 35 kilos of bamboo a day and defecate about 30 kilos a day,” explained zoo director Rodolphe Delord, as he hosted yet another media crew reporting on the “pandamania” that erupted since they arrived in January.

Visitors to Beauval, whose tree-lined alleys and collection of 4,500 animals helped make it onto Forbes Traveller magazine’s list of the world’s 15 most beautiful zoos, last year welcomed 600,000 visitors, double the number from three years earlier. Attendance figures shot up by a further 50 percent in recent months, largely due to the cuddly black and white bears who are the star attraction in a new two-hectare Chinese section complete with pagodas and marble lion statues.

There they are monitored round the

clock by security guards and surveillance cameras, and during the day crowds swarm to see them snooze or eat the frozen apple, honey and ice treat they have been getting during a recent heat wave. A zookeeper comes to their enclosure every hour during the day and gives a presentation that explains that the panda is an endangered species with only about 1,600 remaining in the wild in China and some 300 others in captivity worldwide - mostly in China, but also in just 15 foreign zoos.

Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, who have just reached maturity at the age of four, came from China’s panda conservation centre in Sichuan province and are in Beauval on a ten-year loan - for which the private zoo is paying China around a million dollars annually. The pair are in France as another example of “panda diplomacy” - China’s bid to use “soft

power” to boost its image and strengthen diplomatic ties with a country by loaning the popular bears. There is immense pressure on Beauval to get the pair back to China in good shape. “We’re a little stressed because we’re accountable to them,” said zookeeper Astrid Bernasconi. There is also great pressure to make sure that the couple produces offspring. The section of the zoo where they are kept has an optimistic sign declaring that it is the “Conservation and Breeding Centre of Giant Pandas”. But captive pandas are notorious for their reluctance to breed. A stark reminder of that came just last week with the demise in Berlin Zoo of Bao Bao, at 34 the oldest known male panda in the world. He died cubless despite having procured a series of females since his arrival in Europe in 1980.

Other examples of panda reproduc-

SAINT-AIGNAN, FRANCE: Huan Huan (left) and Yuan Zi, two giant pandas that arrived last winter in France from China, eat ices on Aug 23, 2012 at Beauval zoo. — AFP

tive failure abound. A pair gifted to Britain in 1974 remained cubless to the end, while the last pair of pandas that lived in France were an embarrassing disaster in breeding terms. China’s Chairman Mao gave the couple to President Georges Pompidou but it soon emerged that they were in fact a pair of males, one of whom died after just a few months in France. Some of the more extreme methods used to get pandas to copulate have included showing them videos of other bears mating and even supplying the male with Viagra.

Here in Beauval the zookeepers including a pair from China who will stay throughout the bears’ 10-year French sojourn - are taking a more scientific approach. They take frequent blood samples and carry out other tests to make sure they don’t miss the mere 48 hours a year during which Huan Huan will be fertile. The bears live in adjacent but separate enclosures from which they can see but not touch each other, and as soon as it looks like the female is ready, zoo staff will open up the barriers to let them hook up. “We mostly keep them apart because if they get too familiar with each other, then they tend to lose interest,” explained zoo director Delord, adding that if nature does not take its course then they will try artificial insemination.

There is no guarantee that a cute little panda cub will result from the Beauval pair’s first coupling, as was illustrated earlier this year when Britain’s only pandas failed to mate during their brief window of opportunity. It was “close, but no cigar”, Edinburgh Zoo said, after Yang Guang (Sunshine) mounted female panda Tian Tian (Sweetie) several times, without full mating taking place.

Huan Huan and Yuan Zi meanwhile carry on with their daily 14 hours of feeding, blissfully unaware that here in Beauval they embody the claim in George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm” that all creatures are equal, but some are more equal than others. —AFP

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MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

WHAT’S ON

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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Greetings

Wishes for 13th wedding anniversary for K Ravichandran and Mani Melshalai on 27th August, from daughters R Divya, R Sandhya, Vani, Aravind, mother Lalitha and grand mother Sarada Natarajan.

‘Leniency of Islam’ n unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to- 97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

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Kannur KKMCC celebrates India Independence Day annur District Committee of Kuwait Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre has celebrated 66th Independence Day of India and distributed Annual Pension fund on 15th August. 2012 at Kannur. The Pension fund was inaugurated by V.K. Abdul Kader Moulavi, Vice President of Kerala State Chapter of Indian Union Muslim League.

The program was held at Police Club Auditorium.

Many of the senior office bears of Indian Union Muslim League Kannur and State committee leaders attended the function.

Sayyid Ghalib Al-Mashoor Thangal, President of KKMCC presided the event.

Vice President KKP Ummer Kutty welcomed the guests and Ibrahim Kutty, coordinated the names of more than 35 families who are eligible for the Pension fund. This is the 3rd year, Kannur committee is hosting

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such a Pension Plan. A group Iftar feast also held during the function.

In the first of its kind, KKMCC Kannur district committee also arranged 2 Excellence Awards for the Madrasa Muallim who have excelled their carrier in teachings for more than 20 years in a single Mahal (area) while serving the community and handed over the plaques and cash awards. K.M. Shaji, The Member of Kerala Legislative Assembly handed over the “Madrasa Muallim Excellent Awards plague encrypted the name of the winner. As well as cash awards of Rs. 5001/- for each one of the Muallim.

Advocate Sayid Nizar Thangal said that while we enjoy and celebrate India’s 66th National day, we should remember the sacrifices of jawans and freedom fighters who lost their lives in defending the nation from the

harsh British Rule. Advocates Zainudeen and Abdullatheef also wished the audience with the India’s 66th national day celebrations.

KKMCC Kannur committee thanked Al-Mashoor family of Kannur (Thana) for the major contribution of the pension fund for poor in memory of their Late father Marhoom Al-Haj Sayid Pookoya Thangal. A legend Philanthropist and staunch supporter of Indian Union Muslim League and pious personality among the residents of Kannur City and Thana.

Abdul Rahman Kallai and Attorney: Sayid Nizar Thangal handed over the “Top Marks Scorer” cash award and Mementos to Xth class and XII class students. Razak Padiyoor, Secretary Kuwait KKMCC also attended the event, Iftar was also served for more than 100 participants.

Register and Win promotion

Aware Diwaniya

at Q8India.com

he AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “Basic concepts of communication across cultures,” by Laurie Santos on Tuesday August 28 at 7:00pm.

If you have lived or worked in a culture that is different from the one in which you were raised then chances are that you have experienced some difficulty in communicating with others. Even when people speak the same language their cultures still play an important role in what they say and how they say it. In fact, the more differences that exist between two people’s cultures, the more difficult it can be for them to communicate effectively. This talk will introduce guests to some basic concepts from the field of intercultural communication, which is an area of research dedicated to better understanding the role played by culture in people’s interactions. By developing a greater awareness of culture (our own and others) we can find ways to better connect with one another. If you are interested in the topic, AWARE Center is the most appropriate place to be on August 28, 2012 at 7:00pm.

Laurie A. Santos, is a Certified Coach with a Master of Science in Law and Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology. She has over 15 years in Behavioral Sciences and her prior work includes several Managerial and Training positions, as well as a long career with the United States government as a Federal Parole Officer and liasion to federal judges.

While Laurie has lived all over the globe including Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa, she is currently calling Kuwait home but owns a home in Oakland, California.

For more information, please call 25335260/80 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw.

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ity Centre, Kuwait’s premier mega-market, in association with Q8India.com, a leading online Indian community portal, is holding a month-long ‘Register and Win’ promotion campaign. Any resident in Kuwait can participate in the promotion by visiting www.Q8India.com and registering their name, email and phone number. A winner will be picked each day (except Friday), from the list of names registered on the previous day, and receive a free shopping voucher worth KD10 from City Centre.

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Indian Embassy Announcements Indian Embassy passport and visa Passports and Visa applications can be deposited at the two outsourced centers of M/S BLS Ltd at Sharq and Fahaheel. Details are available at www.bls-international.com and www.indembkwt.org .

Consular Open House Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall at the Embassy. For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) can be contacted. Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances.

Indian workers helpline/helpdesk Indian workers helpline is accessible by toll free telephone number 25674163 from all over Kuwait. It provides information and advice to Indian workers as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. The help desk at the Embassy (Open from 9AM to 1PM and 2PM to 4:30PM, Sunday to Thursday) provides guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal and other issues. It also provides workers assistance in filling up labour complaint forms. For any unaddressed issues, the concerned attachÈ in the Labour section and the head of the Labour Wing can be contacted.

Legal Advice Clinic Free legal advice is provided on matters pertaining to labour disputes, terms of contracts with employers, death/accident compensation, withholding of dues by employers, etc. by lawyers on our panel, to Indian nationals on all working days between 1500hrs to 1600hrs.

Ambassador’s Open House The Open House for Indian citizens by the Ambassador is being held on all Wednesdays at the Embassy for redressal of grievances. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Akriti Kakkar

Jaaved Jaaferi

Audition for ZEE International Antakshari or the first time Indian Cultural Society brings you live excitement of ZEE - International Antakshari in Kuwait. Audition & first round will be held in Kuwait, thereafter followed by semi finals in India & Grand Finale in Dubai. Complete team of Carnival films & Zee TV will be in Kuwait for the final round of selection on Friday 5th October with Jaaved Jaaferi: Celebrity Judge, Akriti Kakkar: Female Bollywood singer & host of Antakshari, Manish Paul: Host for auditions, Sarfaraz Khan: actor, director and producer.

Michael Amin: Producer & director Carnival Films World. Musicians, male singers & many more for live performances......

Final audition at 10am & music show at 7.30 pm at AIS-Hawally.

Criteria for audition entry 1. Age - 15 years & above 2. Ability to sing 3. Bollywood trivia knowledge 4. Registrations are open to all nationalities residing

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Madhushree Bhattacharya in GCC countries. Participant should be present on audition date as per given time frame.

IMAX film program Effective from 26th August 2012 Today: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Space Junk 3D 10:30am, 8:30pm To The Arctic 3D 11:30am, 7:30pm, 9:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 12:30pm Journey to Mecca 5:30pm The Last Reef 3D 6:30pm Tuesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups To The Arctic 3D 10:30am, 6:30pm, 8:30pm Space Junk 3D 11:30am, 9:30pm Fires of Kuwait 12:30pm The Last Reef 3D 5:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 7:30pm Wednesday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups The Last Reef 3D 10:30am To The Arctic 3D 11:30am, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 9:30pm Space Junk 3D 12:30am, 6:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 8:30pm Thursday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups To The Arctic 3D 10:30am, 6:30pm, 8:30pm Space Junk 3D 11:30am, 5:30pm

Arabic courses

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The Last Reef 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 9:30pm Friday: To The Arctic 3D 9:30pm Journey to Mecca Born to be Wild 3D Space Junk 3D The Last Reef 3D

2:30pm,

4:30pm,

he AWARE Management is glad to inform you that Summer 3 Arabic language courses will begin on August 12, 2012 until September 26, 2012. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind.

The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector.

Arabic classes at the AWARE Center are unique because students are provided with the chance to practice their Arabic through various social activities that aim at bringing Arabs and Westerners together.

7:30pm,

3:30pm 5:30pm 6:30pm 8:30pm

Saturday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups To The Arctic 3D 10:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 8:30pm Space Junk 3D 11:30am, 4:30pm, 9:30pm The Last Reef 3D 1:30pm, 7:30pm Journey to Mecca 2:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 6:30pm Notes: - All films are in Arabic. For English, headsets are available upon request.

- “Fires of Kuwait” is in English. Arabic headsets are available upon request.

- Film schedule is subject to changes without notice.

For information call 1 848 888 or visit www.tsck.org.kw

AWARE Arabic courses highlights * Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics * Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic * Combine language learning with cultural insights * Taught in multi-nationality group settings * Provide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs.

For more information log onto: www.aware.com.kw.

31

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian ConsulateGeneral in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, AlBanwan 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 online at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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EMBASSY OF ARGENTINE

The Embassy of Argentina requests all Argentinean citizens in Kuwait to proceed to our official email ekuwa@mrecic.gov.ar in order to register or update contact information.

The embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the embassy. The registration process helps the Argentinean Government to contact and assist Argentineans living abroad in case of any emergency.

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Aquapark hosts Eid Al-Fitr celebration Aquapark hosted an Eid Al-Fitr celebration entertaining activities as part of a program presented by the Kuwaiti Stars Group. Aquapark’s Chairman of the Board Ibrahim Al-Haroun personally oversaw the process in which gifts and free tickets were distributed by the management.

—Photos by Fouad Shaikh

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN Consular section at the British Embassy will be starting an online appointment booking system for our consular customers from Sunday, 01 July 2012. All information including how to make an appointment is now available on the embassy website. In addition, there is also a “Consular Appointment System” option under Quick links on the right hand side on the homepage, which should take you to the “Consular online booking appointment system” main page.

Please be aware that from 01 July 2012, we will no longer accept walk-in customers for legalisation, notarial services and certificates (birth, death and marriages). If you have problems accessing the system or need to make an appointment for nonnotarial consular issues or have a consular emergency, please call 2259 4355/7/8 or email us on consularenquirieskuwait@fco.gov.uk. If you require consular assistance out of office hours (working hours: 0730-l430 hrs), please contact the Embassy on 2259 4320.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The Canadian Embassy will be closed on Sunday and Monday 19 and 20 August 2012 on the occasion of Aid Al Fitr. The Embassy will resume its duties on Tuesday 21 August 2012. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

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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). During a transitional period Al-Qabas will continue receiving visa applicants until August 27, then the visa section at the French Embassy (Mansouriah, Street 13, House 24, (+965 22582020) will handle those applications from August 28 until August 30, 2012.

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EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com.

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EMBASSY OF SLOVAKIA

The Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Kuwait would like to inform the public that on the occasion of the Anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, the Embassy will be closed on Wednesday, August 29, 2012.

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EMBASSY OF PHILIPPINES The embassy announces that today, the embassy will be closed for public transaction to mark their country’s ‘National Heroes Day’.

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Shark City 01:40 Animal Cops Houston 02:35 Monster Bug Wars 03:30 Wildest Latin America 04:25 Wild France 05:20 Great Ocean Adventures 06:10 Dogs 101 07:00 Karina: Wild On Safari 07:25 Austin Stevens Adventures 08:15 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Animal Crackers 09:35 Animal Crackers 10:05 Wildest Africa 11:00 Wildlife SOS 11:25 Orangutan Island 11:55 Animal Cops Houston 12:50 Vet On The Loose 13:15 Vet On The Loose 13:45 Animal Precinct 14:40 Wildest Africa 15:30 Karina: Wild On Safari 16:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 16:30 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 17:25 Cats 101 18:20 Cats 101 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Orangutan Island 20:10 Monkey Life 20:35 Snake Crusader With Bruce George 21:05 Wildest Africa 22:00 Dogs 101: Specials 22:55 Bad Dog 23:50 Animal Cops Houston

00:20 Gok’s Fashion Fix 01:10 DIY SOS 02:00 MasterChef Australia 06:45 Saturday Kitchen 07:15 MasterChef Australia 08:05 MasterChef Australia 08:30 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 09:15 Celebrity Fantasy Homes 10:00 Bargain Hunt 10:45 Antiques Roadshow 11:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:20 10 Years Younger 13:10 Gok’s Fashion Fix 14:00 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 14:50 Bargain Hunt 15:35 Antiques Roadshow 16:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:10 Come Dine With Me 18:00 Masterchef: The Professionals 18:30 Masterchef: The Professionals 18:55 Rick Stein’s French Odyssey 19:20 James Martin’s Brittany 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 Holmes On Homes

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:00 05:25 05:50 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:55 07:20 07:45 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05

Puppy In My Pocket Tom & Jerry Kids Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes Popeye Classics Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes The Scooby Doo Show Johnny Bravo The Flintstones The Jetsons Wacky Races The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry Kids Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Ha Ha Hairies A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Garfield Show Johnny Bravo Dexter’s Laboratory Pink Panther And Pals The Scooby Doo Show

10:30Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo 10:55 Dastardly And Muttley 11:15 The Flintstones 11:40 Wacky Races 12:00 Jelly Jamm 12:15 Baby Looney Tunes 12:40 Ha Ha Hairies 12:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 13:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 13:35 Puppy In My Pocket 14:00 Looney Tunes 14:50 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 15:15Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo 15:40 Dastardly And Muttley 16:00 Tom & Jerry 16:40 Pink Panther And Pals 17:30 The Garfield Show 18:10 Johnny Bravo 18:35 Dexter’s Laboratory 19:00 Jelly Jamm 19:15 Baby Looney Tunes 19:40 Ha Ha Hairies 19:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 20:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 20:35 Dexter’s Laboratory 21:00 Johnny Bravo 21:25 Pink Panther And Pals 21:50 Tom & Jerry 22:15 The Garfield Show 22:40 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 23:05 Popeye 23:20 The Jetsons 23:45 Duck Dodgers

00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 01:20 Powerpuff Girls 02:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:55 Angelo Rules 06:00 The Marvelous Misadventures...

06:25 Casper’s Scare School 07:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 07:15 Adventure Time 07:40 Johnny Test 08:05 Grim Adventures Of...

08:55 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:45 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:10 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 10:35 Powerpuff Girls 11:25 Chowder 12:15 Ed, Edd n Eddy 13:05 Ben 10 13:30 Sym-Bionic Titan 13:55 Foster’s Home For...

14:45 Angelo Rules 15:35 Powerpuff Girls 16:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 16:40 Johnny Test 17:05 Adventure Time 17:30 Regular Show 17:55 Green Lantern: The Animated Series 18:20 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 18:45 Young Justice 19:10 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 19:35 Adventure Time 20:00 Ben 10 21:15 Grim Adventures Of...

22:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Ben 10 23:40 Chowder

00:00 00:30 01:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00

Aiming For Gold World Sport World Report Backstory Talk Asia Fareed Zakaria GPS CNN Newsroom I Report For CNN World’s Untold Stories World Sport Inside Africa World Report World Sport World’s Untold Stories World Business Today Backstory African Voices World One Fareed Zakaria GPS

15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 19:00 World Sport 19:30 African Voices 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 22:00 Amanpour 22:30 CNN Newscenter 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

00:40 Weird Or What?

07:00 American Chopper 07:50 Mythbusters 08:45 Ultimate Survival 09:40 Border Security 10:05 Dirty Money 10:30 How Do They Do It? 10:55 How It’s Made 11:25 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 12:20 River Monsters 13:15 River Monsters 14:10 Border Security 14:35 Dirty Money 15:05 Ultimate Survival 16:00 American Chopper 16:55 Fifth Gear 17:20 American Loggers 18:15 Mythbusters 19:10 How Do They Do It? 19:40 How It’s Made 20:05 Border Security 20:35 Dirty Money 21:00 The Gadget Show 21:30 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 22:25 River Monsters 23:20 Robson Green’s Extreme Fishing Challenge

00:05 Stuck With Hackett 00:35 Curiosity: How Does Life Begin?

01:25 Engineering Thrills 02:15 Game Changers 02:45 Human Nature 03:35 Catch It Keep It 04:25 Curiosity: How Does Life Begin?

05:15 Sci-Fi Science 06:05 Game Changers 06:30 Game Changers 07:00 Human Nature 07:50 Head Rush 07:53 Weird Connections 08:20 Sci-Fi Science 08:50 Sport Science 09:40 Scrapheap Challenge 10:30 Game Changers 15:35 The Gadget Show 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 Weird Connections 16:30 The X-Testers 17:00 What’s That About?

17:50 Sport Science 18:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 19:30 Engineering Ground Zero 20:20 Man Made Marvels China 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Gadget Show 22:00 Engineering Ground Zero 22:50 Man Made Marvels China 23:40 Sport Science

00:10 01:00 01:50 02:40 03:05 03:30 04:20 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:25 09:35 09:45 10:00

Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Stitch Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Fish Hooks Timon And Pumbaa So Random Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mouk Jonas Los Angeles

WHO IS CLARK ROCKEFELLER ON OSN MOVIES HD

10:25 So Random 10:50 Hannah Montana 11:15 Fish Hooks 11:40 Jake & Blake 12:05 Sonny With A Chance 12:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:55 Phineas And Ferb 13:20 Timon And Pumbaa 13:45 Suite Life On Deck 15:00 Shake It Up 15:50 Jessie 16:40 A.N.T. Farm 17:00 Read It And Weep 18:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 18:45 Jessie 19:10 A.N.T. Farm 19:35 Good Luck Charlie 20:00 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 20:50 Suite Life On Deck 21:15 Jonas Los Angeles 21:40 Shake It Up 22:05 Good Luck Charlie 22:55 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:45 Kim Possible

00:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Then And Now 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15Kourtney & Kim Take New York 10:15 THS 12:05 Mrs. Eastwood And Company 13:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Giuliana & Bill 17:55Kourtney & Kim Take New York 18:55 THS 19:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 20:55 Ice Loves Coco 22:25 E!es 23:25 Chelsea Lately

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Unwrapped 00:55 Food Network Challenge 01:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:35 Unwrapped 03:25 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Meat & Potatoes 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Unique Eats 05:30 Chopped 06:10 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 06:35 Extra Virgin 07:00 Food Network Challenge 07:50 Unique Sweets 08:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:40 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:05 Cooking For Real 09:30 Hungry Girl 09:55 Food (Ography) 10:45 Unwrapped 11:10 Unique Eats 11:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Hungry Girl 14:30 Unique Sweets 14:55 Paula’s Best Dishes 15:20 Unwrapped 15:45 Iron Chef America 16:35 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Unique Eats 18:15 Food (Ography) 19:05 Unique Sweets 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 22:00 Extra Virgin 22:50 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 23:40 Meat & Potatoes

00:30 00:55 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:10 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Stalked: Someone’s Watching I Was Murdered Australian Families Of Crime American Greed Scorned: Crimes Of Passion Stalked: Someone’s Watching I Was Murdered On The Case With Paula Zahn Mystery Diagnosis Disappeared Forensic Detectives Undercover Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Street Patrol Undercover Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery ER Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Stalked: Someone’s Watching Scorned: Crimes Of Passion Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00

Kimchi Chronicles City Chase Rome Departures Travel Oz Travel Oz Don’t Tell My Mother Gone to save the planet The Best Job In The World Kimchi Chronicles City Chase Rome Departures Travel Oz Don’t Tell My Mother Gone to save the planet The Best Job In The World Kimchi Chronicles Kimchi Chronicles City Chase Rome Departures

15:00 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30

Travel Oz Don’t Tell My Mother On The Camino De Santiago The Best Job In The World Kimchi Chronicles Graham’s World Long Way Down Chasing Time Destination Extreme

00:00 The Killing Room-18 02:00 The Siege-18 04:00 Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown-18 06:00 The Net-PG15 08:00 Twins Mission-PG15 10:00 Arachnophobia-PG15 12:00 The Transporter-PG15 14:00 Twins Mission-PG15 16:00 Hidalgo-PG15 18:15 The Transporter-PG15 20:00 Street Kings 2: Motor City-18 22:00 Monsters-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

A Little Help-18 Last Of The Living-PG15 Red-PG15 Ice Age-FAM Last Of The Living-PG15 13-PG15 Helen-PG15 Justice For Natalee Holloway Backwash-PG15 Vampires Suck-PG15 Dirty Girl-18 Straw Dogs-18

00:00 Breaking In 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Friends 02:00 Friends 02:30 Seinfeld 03:00 Whitney 03:30 Last Man Standing 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Weird Science 06:00 Friends 06:30 Samantha Who? 08:30 Whitney 09:00 Weird Science 09:30 Two And A Half Men 10:00 The Office 10:30 Samantha Who? 11:00The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Friends 13:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 Last Man Standing 14:30 The Office 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Friends 18:00 Whitney 18:30 Raising Hope 19:30 The Office 20:00 Best Friends Forever 20:30 Breaking In 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Veep 22:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 23:00 Seinfeld 23:30 Best Friends Forever

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

Criminal Minds Top Gear (US) Grey’s Anatomy Switched At Birth Drop Dead Diva Grey’s Anatomy Criminal Minds Emmerdale Coronation Street Private Practice Top Gear (US) Switched At Birth Drop Dead Diva Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Private Practice Criminal Minds Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Private Practice Drop Dead Diva Switched At Birth Missing Top Gear (UK) Grey’s Anatomy

01:00 Alien-18 03:00 Alien Resurrection-18 05:00 AVP: Alien vs Predator-PG15 07:00 True Justice: Lethal Justice 09:00 Green Lantern: Emerald Knights-PG15 11:00 The Reunion-PG15 13:00 Fantastic Four-PG15 15:00 Green Lantern: Emerald Knights-PG15 17:00 The Warrior’s Way-PG15 19:00 Empire-18 21:00 Seventh Moon-18 23:00 4.3.2.1.-18

00:00 Out Cold-PG15 02:00 Cool Runnings-PG15 04:00 Rat-PG15 06:00 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song-PG15 08:00 Cool Runnings-PG15 10:00 My Sassy Girl-PG15 12:00 The Beverly Hillbillies-PG15 14:00 Last Holiday-PG15 16:00 My Sassy Girl-PG15 18:00 How Do You Know-PG15 20:00 The Guru-18 22:00 The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who...

00:30 Das Boot-PG15 04:00 Talhotblond-18 05:15 Lorenzo’s Oil-PG15 07:30 Freakonomics-PG15 09:15 Swansong: Story Of Occi Byrne-PG15 11:15 The Client List-PG15 13:15 Desperate Hours: An Amber Alert-PG15 15:15 Swansong: Story Of Occi Byrne-PG15 17:15 9-PG 19:00 Gilles’ Wife-PG15 21:00 Red Rock West-18 23:00 On The Edge-18

THE TRANSPORTER ON OSN ACTION HD

01:00 Brighton Rock-PG15 03:00 Paper Man-PG15 05:00 The Girl In The Park-PG15 07:00 The Open Road-PG15 09:00 Who Is Clark Rockefeller-PG 11:00 Lego: The Adventures Of Clutch Powers-FAM 13:00 Lord Of The Dance-PG 15:00 The Last Airbender-PG 17:00 Who Is Clark Rockefeller-PG 19:00 Easy A-PG15 20:45 Hereafter-18 23:00 Straw Dogs-18

00:00 02:00 03:45 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:15 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Free Birds-FAM Young Fisherman-PG Freddy Frogface-PG Free Birds-FAM The Thief Of Baghdad-PG Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG Young Fisherman-PG Marco Antonio-PG From The Crib-FAM Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG Yogi Bear-FAM Marco Antonio-PG

00:00 European Tour Weekly 00:30 PGA European Tour Championship 05:00 Olympic Women’s Basketball 07:00 Olympic Highlights 08:00 Olympic Highlights 09:00 NRL Premiership 11:00 Trans World Sport 12:00 Live NRL Premiership 14:00 Olympic Highlights 15:00 Olympic Highlights 16:00 Olympic Highlights 17:00 Rugby League Challenge Cup 19:00 Olympic Men’s Hockey 21:00 Olympic Highlights 22:00 Olympic Highlights 23:00 Olympic Highlights

01:30 Trans World Sport 02:30 AFL Premiership 05:00 This Week in WWE 05:30 Trans World Sport 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 PGA European Tour 11:30 AFL Premiership 14:00 Trans World Sport 15:00 NRL Premiership 17:00 Senior European Tour Highlights 18:00 The Rugby Championship 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 NRL Premiership 23:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights

01:00 Premier League Snooker 04:30 ITU World Triathlon Series 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Premier League Snooker 11:30 World Match Racing Tour Highlights 12:30 Ironman 13:00 Ironman 14:00 Ironman 15:00 Ironman 15:30 Golfing World 16:30 NRL Premiership 18:30 Ironman 19:00 AFL Highlights 20:00 Premier League Snooker 23:30 AFL Premiership

01:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 22:00 23:00

Prizefighter UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE Bottomline WWE Experience NHL V8 Supercars V8 Supercars WWE Bottomline WWE Experience WWE SmackDown UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed UFC 150 UFC Countdown UFC Unleashed

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30

Top Shot Underwater Universe How The Earth Was Made Top Shot The Universe Ancient Discoveries Decoded Pawn Stars Storage Wars The Universe Battle Of Britain Pawn Stars Storage Wars Ax Men Underwater Universe How The Earth Was Made Battle Of Britain The Universe Underwater Universe How The Earth Was Made Battle Of Britain The Universe Pawn Stars Storage Wars Ax Men IRT: Deadliest Roads Pawn Stars American Restoration

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:20 04:15 05:10 06:05 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:55 11:55 12:50 13:20 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:25 19:25 20:20 21:15 22:10 23:05

Jerseylicious Wicked Fit Videofashion Daily Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Married Away Clean House Videofashion News Videofashion News Videofashion Daily Open House Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Clean House Videofashion News Mel B: It’s A Scary World Clean House: New York How Do I Look?

How Do I Look?

Big Rich Texas Big Rich Texas The Amandas The Amandas Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Chicagolicious Fashion Police

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 Pokemon: Black And White 06:45 Rated A For Awesome 07:10 Kickin It 07:35 Phineas And Ferb 08:25 Pair Of Kings 08:50 Kick Buttowski 09:15 Zeke & Luther 09:40 I’m In The Band 10:05 Phineas And Ferb 10:30 Kid vs Kat 10:55 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 11:20 Aaron Stone 11:45 Rekkit Rabbit 12:10 American Dragon 12:35 Kick Buttowski 13:00 Phineas And Ferb 13:25 I’m In The Band 13:45 Kid vs Kat 14:10 Pair Of Kings 14:35 Zeke & Luther 15:00 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 15:25 Iron Man Armored Adventures 15:50 Rated A For Awesome 16:15 Kickin It 16:40 Lab Rats 17:30 Scaredy Squirrel 18:00 Kickin It 18:25 Phineas And Ferb 20:05 Zeke & Luther 20:55 Mr. Young 21:20 Aaron Stone 21:45 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:05 Buccaneer And Bones 00:30 Jim Shockey: Hal And Len Edition 01:45 Western Extreme 03:00 Excalibur’s Deer City USA 04:15 Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures 05:30 Buccaneer And Bones 07:00 Stihl’s Dogs And Logs 08:15 Buccaneer And Bones 09:30 Stihl’s Dogs And Logs 10:45 Speargun Hunter 12:00 Saltwater Series 13:15 Trout Unlimited On The Rise 14:30 Speargun Hunter 15:45 Saltwater Series 17:00 Trout Unlimited On The Rise 18:15 Speargun Hunter 19:30 Saltwater Series 20:45 Trout Unlimited On The Rise 22:00 Stihl’s Dogs And Logs 23:15 Buccaneer And Bones

00:15 Little Einsteins 00:40 Jungle Junction 01:10 Little Einsteins 01:30 Special Agent Oso 02:00 Lazytown 02:25 Little Einsteins 02:50 Jungle Junction 03:20 Little Einsteins 03:40 Special Agent Oso 04:10 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Special Agent Oso 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Lazytown 07:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:10 The Hive 08:20 Handy Manny 08:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:05 The Hive 09:15 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:20 Mouk 09:35 The Hive 09:45 Cars Toons 09:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:20 Lazytown 10:45 Art Attack 11:10 Imagination Movers 11:35 Lazytown 12:00 The Hive 12:10 Handy Manny 12:25 Jungle Junction 12:40 Imagination Movers 13:05 The Hive 13:15 Special Agent Oso 13:30 Lazytown 13:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:20 The Hive 14:30 Handy Manny 14:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:00 Mouk 15:15 The Hive 15:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:40 Cars Toons 15:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 16:20 Lazytown 16:45 Art Attack 17:10 Handy Manny 17:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:10 Little Einsteins 18:35 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 19:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:25 101 Dalmatians 19:40 Mouk 19:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:20 The Hive 20:30 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh

00:20 02:55 04:50 07:00 08:30 10:10 12:00 13:35 15:15 17:20 19:00 20:35 22:00 23:40

The Color Purple Boys’ Night Out-FAM The Unsinkable Molly Brown Each Dawn I Die-PG Hotel Paradiso-PG Meet Me In Las Vegas-FAM Penelope-FAM Singin’ In The Rain-FAM The Yearling-FAM The Wizard Of Oz-PG Manhattan Melodrama-PG Edge Of The City-PG Hooper-PG Elvis: That’s The Way It Is-FAM

Classifieds MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR ETH RJA GFA UAE ETD THY FDB MSR QTR ALK KAC THY DHX KAC BAW JZR KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY KAC QTR FDB ETD KAC GFA IRC UAE MEA MSR MSC JZR MSR OMA KNE QTR SVA MPH RJA KAC KAC QTR SYR KAC KAC ETD UAE UAL SVA GFA JZR BAB JZR ABY KAC KAC KAC MSC MSR KAC KAC KAC KAC JAI FDB MEA QTR GFA FDB ALK UAE JZR ETD QTR AIC GFA UAL TAR DLH CLX MSR THY KLM JZR PIA

Arrival Flights on Monday 27/8/2012 Flt Route 267 BEIRUT 620 ADDIS ABABA 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 768 ISTANBUL 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 549 ZURICH 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 555 ALEXANDRIA 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 284 DHAKA 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 344 CHENNAI 213 BAHRAIN 6521 LAMERD 871 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 618 ALEXANDRIA 401 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 645 MUSCAT 472 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 77 AMSTERDAM 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 341 DAMASCUS 118 NEW YORK 538 SOHAG 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 510 RIYADH 215 BAHRAIN 177 DUBAI 436 BAHRAIN 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 542 CAIRO 786 JEDDAH 104 LONDON 405 SOHAG 620 ASSIUT 774 RIYADH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 61 DUBAI 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 59 DUBAI 229 COLOMBO 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 136 DOHA 975 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 327 TUNIS 636 FRANKFURT 753 LUXEMBOURG 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 411 AMSTERDAM 539 CAIRO 239 SIALKOT

Time 0:50 1:45 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 3:10 3:20 3:25 4:05 4:10 4:35 5:00 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:35 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:45 9:00 9:20 9:30 9:45 10:00 10:15 10:45 10:55 11:25 12:00 12:25 13:30 14:00 14:15 14:25 14:30 14:40 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:55 16:00 16:10 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:40 18:45 19:00 19:10 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:35 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:20 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:40 23:45

Airlines AIC UAL DLH JZR MSR JAI PIA THY ETH THY UAE FDB ETD MSR QTR ALK QTR JZR RJA GFA THY KAC BAW ABY KAC UAE QTR FDB KAC ETD GFA IRC KAC KAC JZR MEA UAE MSR KAC MSC KAC JZR MSR OMA KAC KNE SVA KAC RJA KAC MPH QTR KAC JZR SYR ETD QTR UAE JZR GFA ABY UAL SVA JZR KAC BAB MSC MSR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC MEA FDB KAC GFA DHX ALK ETD UAE QTR KAC KAC QTR GFA KAC TAR JZR

Depature Flights on Monday 27/8/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 554 ALEXANDRIA 615 CAIRO 573 MUMBAI 206 PESHAWAR 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 550 COLOMBO 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 126 SHARJAH 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 537 SOHAG 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 6522 LAMERD 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 776 JEDDAH 405 BEIRUT 872 DUBAI 619 ASSIUT 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 646 MUSCAT 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 501 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 641 AMMAN 773 RIYADH 77 AL MAKTOUM 135 DOHA 741 DAMMAM 538 CAIRO 342 DAMASCUS 304 ABU DHABI 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 134 BAHRAIN 216 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 439 BAHRAIN 402 ALEXANDRIA 621 ALEXANDRIA 283 DHAKA 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 351 KOCHI 403 BEIRUT 60 DUBAI 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 147 DOHA 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 328 DUBAI 502 LUXOR

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:30 0:35 0:50 1:10 2:15 2:45 3:40 3:45 3:50 4:05 4:20 4:50 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 7:05 7:10 8:10 8:25 9:05 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:15 10:45 11:15 11:30 11:45 11:50 11:55 12:20 12:25 12:30 13:00 13:10 13:20 14:30 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:45 15:45 15:50 15:55 16:10 16:15 16:30 16:50 16:55 17:20 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:10 23:30 23:40 23:45 23:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

CHANGE OF NAME I, Murugesan Uma Mageswari, holder of Indian passport No. E2156446 have changed religion (embraced Islam). Hence I will be known as Safia Begum.

(C 4108) SITUATION VACANT Looking for a Table Tennis partner who knows good English, have a great sense of humor and can play from 9am to 10am (one hour) in the morning in Mansouriya, on Friday & Saturday and on another day during the working days. Please send your reply to email giving your age and photo. Email: hgharbaly@hotmail.com (C 4110) 27-8-2012

interested, please send your complete details to: matri3333@yahoo.com (C 4109) 27-8-2012

Prayer timings FOR SALE For sale villa furniture like new contains of one bed room , dining room, living room fully equipped kitchen. Washer & dryer.

Very reasonable price . Tel 97211688 27-8-2012

Fajr:

04:00

Duhr:

11:50

Asr:

15:24

Maghrib:

18:16

Isha:

19:36

No: 15550

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited from parents of professionally qualified and well settled boys for a beautiful RC/SC girl, 26 years, 170 cm, M.Sc nursing (final year), wheatish complexion, belonging to an aristocratic family from Thamarassery diocese. If

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

34

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 778

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Although you could use a day of rest you may find yourself involved with guiding or helping young people later today. You may find yourself coordinating outside activities, advising, etc. If you try to have authority over these young people, you may find yourself working at odds with them. This is more of a time of play than guidance; however, play can be used to guide. You may find yourself reflecting on your own youth. Communication with these young people may be difficult or combative if you do not take part in the activities as well.

Fortunately, you have a stick-to-itiveness that finds you in the thick of things, toughing it out, so to speak. Find time this afternoon to be by yourself for a time of relaxation.

There is a time to enjoy a loved one.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You usually keep your feelings and emotions to yourself, but today a friend shows you that your feelings are understood perfectly. This friend may teach you how to meditate or how to create a healing atmosphere for yourself. Positive thinking is usually your expertise—however, today someone else will add even more positively to your spiritual growth. All that is mystical in the best sense of the word mystical is your appointed territory for today. A variety of activities, such as group sports, poetry, art or music, may play a big part in your afternoon. These last days of August should be spent in careful coming and goings so that you do not fall over your own feet as you rush out the door or you run to catch the busy affairs of your world.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. The scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals.

5. A female domestic.

9. (Akkadian) Father of the gods and consort of Tiamat.

13. Type genus of the Hylidae.

14. Genus of prickly shrubs and small trees of the Caribbean region.

15. An oral poliovirus vaccine (containing live but weakened poliovirus) that is given to provide immunity to poliomyelitis.

16. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

17. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

18. A tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown.

19. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

21. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

23. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

24. A small nail.

28. A unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampereturns.

29. The cry made by sheep.

32. Extinct flightless bird of New Zealand.

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

37. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity.

38. An independent state within the British Commonwealth located on the Fiji Islands.

40. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

44. By bad luck.

45. Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all.

46. Rise or heave upward under the influence of a natural force, as on a wave.

47. Strike with disgust or revulsion.

49. (in golf) The standard number of strokes set for each hole on a golf course, or for the entire course.

50. Fairly small terrestrial ferns of tropical America.

54. A doctor's degree in music.

57. Any of several tall tropical palms native to southeastern Asia having egg-shaped nuts.

61. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

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

63. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

65. (informal) Roused to anger.

66. The compass point that is one point north of due east.

67. A person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or Coast Guard.

68. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. Relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body.

2. An ancient region on the coast of western Asia Minor.

3. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

4. A member of an agricultural people in southeastern India.

5. A master's degree in business.

6. A large fleet.

7. The eighth month of the civil year.

8. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

9. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

10. Meat from a domestic hog or pig.

11. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

12. The part of the eye that contains the iris and ciliary body and choroid.

20. Baby bed with high sides.

22. A light touch or stroke.

25. A member of an Indian people formerly living along the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Texas.

26. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

27. A Hindu prince or king in India.

30. Chief port of Yemen.

31. In bed.

33. A slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water.

35. A Gaelic-speaking Celt in Ireland or Scotland or the Isle of Man. 36. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

39. (Old Testament) The second patriarch.

41. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

42. Of southern Europe.

43. Preaching the gospel of Christ in the manner of the early church.

44. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

48. The state prevailing during the absence of war.

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

52. The compass point that is one point north of northeast.

53. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

55. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

56. An informal term for a father.

58. A caustic detergent useful for removing grease.

59. Of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand of its people.

60. A decree that prohibits something.

64. An associate degree in nursing.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Good money management and your business expertise have been in full gear this week. Today is a great day to enjoy whatever it is you want to do. General good feelings and a sense of support and harmony make this a happy time. The whole family or perhaps just your loved one will enjoy getting away from routine with you and doing something completely different for a day. This is a great time to reflect and have a little time-out, so to speak. A fun day calls for a lazy evening. A few chores come to your attention but after you stop, you will be ready to put your feet up and enjoy a recorded movie or a good book. Music or a recorded book is also enjoyable and it may be that you and a loved one can enjoy listening together.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others just now and are in a good position to communicate concerning groups and society in general. Your home environment, friends and life around you, gets your attention today. With the chores out of the way, you can become very motivated to enjoy all forms of communications: phone, voice, letters, computers, etc. You may find yourself wanting to catch up on the lives of your loved ones. There is a relentless drive to pursue knowledge and a library or a literary club holds a special fascination for you now. You are good at teaching the young—they love to be around you. You make a good mentor to young people and can make a positive difference in their lives.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) Being with friends and family in some fun or spiritual activity today creates a bonding time that instills the feelings of secure relations. Most of the late afternoon is spent in preparation for the week ahead. Any chronic health problem needs to be studied—perhaps a trip to a health food store is in order. Allergy problems may be part of this need to understand and make changes in your eating habits. You tend to be radical when it comes to self-analysis, which means analyzing your health care and perhaps the diet. Serving and caring for yourself and others are primary sources of inner growth and changes. Quick answers, great wit and a surplus of insights and solutions are available while enjoying the company of some new neighbors or friends tonight.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Hobbies and spiritual matters are the occupation of the day.

Intuition is a fact of life for you. You may sense when someone needs your guidance. You are sensitive, kind and gentle, a romantic too—with a tender heart. You always work for a real future, doing what has to be done. Close relationships have a big impact on your life just now. Old ones will be transformed or perhaps even ended and new ones will come on like gangbusters. Capturing the moment is your attitude and you live in the fullest way possible. This evening is a good time to relax with your loved one(s). Perhaps a quiet walk or a dinner outside your living area will give you opportunities to come face to face with each other in a positive atmosphere. Romance is possible.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Socializing may not be at the top of your list today but it easily takes precedence over the other things you thought you were going to do. Young people could talk you into most anything, particularly if you think your presence would be beneficial. You appreciate your particular situation and enjoy supporting others. A goofy friend wants to interest you in a leisure time pursuit as well. With a little luck, you could get a few of your peers together to help you round up the young people and make a fun afternoon of the gathering.

Perhaps a fair, an art show or circus is on the agenda. You have a great creative imagination and you know just how to guide others but most of all . . . you know how to listen. This is a good day.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Improvements in all walks of your life are available—but not without a bit of effort. Keep your concentration on the improvement of business during the week, but on days like today—have fun with the positive, upbeat and delightfully spirit-pleasing adventures. This could mean that today would be a good day to attend a music festival or some other similar event. Visiting relatives or friends, whether it is on the phone or in person, will be appreciated as well.

Although you may not be working on you at this time, you can bring incentive to others through your attention and praise where you see there is new development or improvement taking place. Others listen to your suggestions because you are doing so well with the work you are doing on yourself.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Today will set the emotional pace for the rest of this week.

Fortunately, the emotional upheavals of the past will not have to be repeated. You find new ways to relate to your loved one today. You show tolerance and are accepting of differences—you have good insights into a need for better communication. You will not need to be testing the emotional waters in order to check out the strength of a relationship. You will facilitate, compromise or otherwise show your breadth of possibilities. There is an opportunity for a social affair this afternoon and positive communication among friends, neighbors, relatives will put you in a good position to have your own needs met. Take the opportunity this evening to relax and enjoy a loved one’s company.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You value personal contact, cutting through all the externals and getting to the heart of things. You understand and appreciate vulnerability and have no compunction about presenting your own sensitive spots to others. You have been through some very sensitive times yourself these last few months.

Be patient with yourself and look at the positive transformations taking place this year.

When you love, you love with spirit and passion. Passion and enthusiasm are certainly what you have today. Slow down and enjoy not only the people that you care about, but your surroundings as well. You and a beloved discuss plans for the future and you discover interesting comparisons that you had not recognized before. Keep notes on these plans for review.

To

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Visiting with neighbors, catching up on chores and having some fun times with young people make up most of this day.

Ideas and thoughts will have greater meaning and form. You may be encouraged to try your hand at some creative project. You can appreciate an imaginative approach and may value some shared ideas. A movie would be fun! Refinement and relationships are the keys to emotional satisfaction now. Close personal ties are a focal point for your feelings—marriage and other partnerships could be a key arena for this. When you involve yourself with someone, you will not be satisfied with anything less than an open, loving relationship and this is what you aim for at this time.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

A love relationship can blossom now if you are willing for this person to move closer to you. A balance of give and take situations takes a little responsibility. An important situation needs your attention. Talking with your higher power may consist of sitting under the big oak tree in the park. Feeding the ducks, picnic lunch and people watching are among the ways in which you might enjoy spending your time today. Remember that too much work can certainly make you into a very dull person. This is just one of those great days to stop and be thankful for all you have—even if it may be raining. The best magic is what happens to your spirit when you meditate in solitude within nature’s arms—a sea drawing or a mountain view, etc.

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 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

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 WAIT A

el.: 161 Te

DIRECTORA ATE T GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A

WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

Hot and humid weather especially over coastal areas with variable wind changing to light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 06 - 26 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Relative hot and humid weather especially over coastal areas with variable wind changing to light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 08 - 28 km/h No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A

22459381

41 °C

32 °C

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

44 °C

29 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WAISEEB A

40 °C

29 °C

WA AFRA

ST TAT TION

44 °C

29 °C

SALMI

45 °C

28 °C

ABDAL LY

46 °C

29 °C

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

46 °C

29 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

39 °C

31 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

35 °C

32 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

36 °C

31 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

38 °C

28 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

SFC. CHART

Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA ATHER T

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

29 °C

VRB-SE

06 - 28 km/h

28 °C

VRB-NW

06 - 22 km/h

46 °C

28 °C

NW-SE

10 - 32 km/h

44 °C

27 °C

VRB-SE

10 - 32 km/h

MAX.

MIN.

24575755 Monday

27/08

Hot+Relatively humid

45 °C

West Jahra

24772608

Tuesday

28/08

hot

46 °C

South Jahra

24775066

Weednesday

29/08

hot + humid over coastal areas

North Jahra

24775992

Thursday

30/08

Hot+Relatively humid

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

26/08/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST

New Jahra

24892674

RA AYER Y TIMES PRA

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

03:59

MAX. Temp.

44 °C

Sunrise

05:22

MIN. Temp.

27 °C

Zuhr

11:50

MAX. RH

72 %

Asr

15:24

MIN. RH

07 %

Sunset

18:17

MAX. Wind i

S 28 km/h

Isha

19:38

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

00 mm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

23900322

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

BY Y DA AY:

KUW WAIT A CITY

Firdous

Al-Shohada’a

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

MIN. REC.

24884079

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

Al-Ardhiya

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

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

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

lifestyle G O S S I P

Dockery

working with

Knightley

ichelle Dockery had a “great” time working with Keira Knightley in ‘Anna Karenina’. The ‘Downtown Abbey’ actress found it a “real experience” to make her big screen debut alongside such high profile names such as the 27year-old actress, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson, and she was in awe of the “extraordinary” set used to film the 19th century period drama. She told BANG Showbiz: “The cast were all great to work with. I didn’t ask them if they were fans of ‘Downton’! “It was a real experience, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the result. I don’t think it will be what everyone is expecting,

M

enjoyed

that story. The camera literally moves in between each room in the building, it’s an extraordinary set.” While Michelle enjoyed shooting the drama movie - which is directed by Joe Wright and also stars Kelly Macdonald and Matthew Macfadyen - she admits it was an “intense” and “brilliant” experience working alongside dancers for two weeks. She added: “ The whole process was brilliant; we worked with dancers for two weeks in an intense rehearsal process as Joe Wright used them within the film quite intensely.”

Faris gives birth to baby boy she could become a grandmother. She said: “Chris and I both want a family. Mum has been saying to me for some time, ‘You had better start soon.’ “Talking about Chris, Anna claimed she fell for him because they were both small town people. She said: “When I fell in love with Chris it was great. We both grew up in little towns next to each other near Seattle and I found that very comforting. “My marriage didn’t work out the first time round but I am still a big believer in marriage. “We lead a boring life in LA on purpose. I never go out; I never go to premieres, don’t go to parties and don’t live a Hollywood lifestyle.

nna Faris has given birth to a baby boy.

The 35-year-old actress - who is married to ‘Parks & Recreation’ star Chris Pratt - gave birth to the child, who they have named Jack, Friday. A representative for the couple said: “Anna and Chris are happy to announce the birth of their beautiful baby boy Jack.

“He arrived earlier than expected and will be spending some time in NICU. The happy parents thank you for your warm wishes and ask that you honor their privacy during this time.” The ‘Dictator’ star - who was previously married for three years to Ben Indra - recently revealed her mother Karen had been pestering her for “some time” to have children so

A

Barton praises perfect Duchess

Flack ‘harder’

he 32-year-old T V presenter received a lot of criticism over her three-month romance with the One Direction singer but she has no regrets as she has learned lessons from the experience. Caroline told LOOK magazine: “I wouldn’t edit anything out of my life. I learnt the hard way that the easiest thing is to keep it to myself, with the whole Harry situation, about 95 per cent of what was written was false. “I didn’t really know where to begin. But I’ve developed thicker skin and become more hardened to it. I don’t get as upset as I used to, but I’m still human.” The bubbly brunette admits she was “surprised” by some of the extreme reactions the ‘One Thing’ hitmaker’s fans had, which included sending her death threats via twitter. Caroline said: “I’m surprised it’s tough. I didn’t kill someone, I just went out with someone younger, but there have been more positive reactions than negative ones.” The star has been single since splitting from the tousled-haired teen in January 2012, but insists she isn’t looking for a serious relationship. She said: “I’m single, happy and dating. I’m not looking for anything, just having fun and if I find a connection with someone then I’ll take it from there.”

T

Snooki of ‘Jersey Shore’ delivers baby boy nooki has welcomed her first child into the world. The ‘Jersey Shore’ star - real name Nicole Polizzi - welcomed 6lb 5oz son Lorenzo Dominic LaValle at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey yesterday. A representative for the star told MTV: “The world just got another Guido!

Lorenzo Dominic LaValle has entered into the world weighting 6lbs; 5oz. Nicole, Jionni & Enzo are doing great.” MTV - which hosts ‘Jersey Shore’ added their congratulations, saying they could not wait to see the little boy on the show. They said: “We couldn’t be happier for Nicole and Jionni on the healthy delivery of their baby boy! “We look forward to Lorenzo’s first trip to the Jersey Shore and can’t wait to see his first animal print onesie.”

Snooki - who is renowned on the show for her drunken antics - found out she was going to have a boy before she gave birth, but revealed she was secretly hoping to have had a girl. She said: “As long as it’s healthy, I’m fine. So if you’re a boy, I’ll still love you, obviously!”

Harry Styles made

S

ischa Barton “likes” Duchess Catherine’s “perfect” sense of style. The 26-year-old actress - who has her own range of handbags - enjoys the wife of Prince William’s “cute and pretty” fashion choices. She said: “I think she’s perfect. I like her style. She always looks put together, cute and pretty. I definitely wouldn’t change her.

Mischa enjoyed seeing Catherine - who was known as Kate Middleton before her marriage - taking in the action at the recent London Olympics because she is such a “positive role model” for the young girls who would have been tuning in to the event. “I think she’s a much more positive role model than most we see in ads and magazines.

During the Olympics it’s given people so many more positive role models and she’s been one of the existing ones we look up to who’s positive and healthy and cool.” Despite having never met Catherine, Mischa who now lives in Paris, France, is a fan of her brother James Middleton.

She added: “He was a very nice guy, a real gentleman. He came to dinner after a party with us. He and his girlfriend are very sweet.”

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Plant gets his ‘big voice’ back obert Plant has got his “big voice” back again. The former Led Zeppelin singer has been concentrating on softer projects, such as his ‘Raising Sand’ album with Alison Krauss, and his Band of Joy group, but after a recent concert in London, realized he has slipped back into full rock mode. He said: “That was the great thing about the adventures with Alison, and singing with Patty [Griffin, his partner] and [Band of Joy guitarist] Buddy Miller, that I started singing differently. “Somebody said to me in London when we played the Forum recently, ‘You had your big voice back.’ “I put the big voice away for quite a long time because I thought; we know how to do that. So it was good to get it out again. It’s all the same really; you just have to use the right colors

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for the right picture.” Robert has now formed a new band, Sensational Space Shifters, and is putting together a new album, which he describes as “12 tracks, 11 originals and no sentimental stuff,” and was informed by his recently going back to the Mississippi delta where blues music originated from. He added to the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “I don’t know when it was that I first came here. If I said I came looking for Robert Johnson...

I was actually just looking for clues. And I found clues. “When I came here in the 1980s, before the museum was here, when RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough were still playing, there was still an actual scene for that grinding [blues] stuff, so it was very easy for white kids to get on to that. I suppose that was the last really great flurry.”

Ora plans Kosovo show

ita Ora is planning a surprise show in Kosovo. The ‘How We Do (Party)’ singer - whose parents are Kosovo Albanian - is set to go back to her birthplace to celebrate 100 years of Albanian independence, after being invited by president Atifete Jahjaga. She exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “I have been invited by the president of Kosovo to go back on November 28 to celebrate the 100 years independence so I may do a few acoustic songs for them as a surprise.” Rita has a strong affinity with her home country, which she and her parents left when she was less than a year old due to the Balkan conflict, and is looking forward to going back for the first time since she signed her record deal. She added: “I used to go back there all the time in the summertime, but I’ve not been back for three years now. My favorite thing about it is the people; they love life and enjoy themselves a lot, and are really supportive of me, which I appreciate.” Kosovo is also home to one of Rita’s favorite dishes, and she’s looking forward to eating traditional spinach pie with her mum. She said: “I’m not a very good cook, but my mum makes the best spinach pie. I can make it with my mum and that’s my favorite one. It doesn’t sound that exciting, but it’s really good. It takes about three hours to make, with all the pastry and layers.” Rita’s debut album, ‘ORA’ is released on August 27. —Bang Showbiz

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Hayek still acting thanks to Stone alma Hayek is still acting thanks to Oliver Stone. The 45year-old star was fed up with the profession and didn’t take it “seriously” until the director offered her a part in his crime thriller ‘Savages’ - in which she plays cartel leader Elena - and the brunette beauty admits she would have taken any role on as long as he was helming the project. She said: “Roles like Elena don’t come along frequently. I didn’t want to do another movie to be honest.

Franćois [Henri Pinault, Hayek’s husband] convinced me of that. Actually I quit acting. “If at all I just wanted to do it for fun. I didn’t take it that seriously anymore. And then he [Stone] came. To be honest even if I didn’t like the part I still would have said yes just

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to work with Oliver.” While Salma is now delighted that she chose to return to acting in ‘Savages’, she admits her career isn’t as important to her as her husband and four-year-old daughter Valentina. She added to German Vogue magazine: “I am proud to have been involved in this film with all these great actors. Honestly, I hardly had any memories of what it is like to be Mexican. “My life is completely different now. My career isn’t as important to me anymore as other things that I’ve achieved. If someone said I could be the most famous and best paid actress in exchange for my current life - I wouldn’t do it. “My life with my daughter Valentina and my husband is amazing now. By the way, it’s easier to get an Oscar than a good husband.”

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

lifestyle M U S I C

‘American Idol’

&

M O V I E S

Rock-en-Seine music festival

winner makes feature film debut

Jordin Sparks

F

ive years after becoming the youngest female to win “American Idol,” Jordin Sparks restarts her career in a new movie role that the 22-year-old sees as remarkably close to her own life singing her way to fame. Just like her real-life parents, Sparks’ onscreen mother Whitney Houston cheered and coached her, off camera, as she rebounded from career changes and transitioned from music to the movie “Sparkle,” which hits theaters on Friday.

Houston, in the last screen role before her accidental death in February, plays a tough mother who is set on sabotaging her daughter’s dream in her last, feisty role before her accidental death in February. “‘Sparkle’” came at a moment where I was actually pretty unsure with what was happening in my career,” Sparks told Reuters.

The singer released two albums after winning “Idol” and was nominated for a Grammy for her collaboration with Chris Brown on the 2009 pop song “No Air”. A year later she tried her hand on Broadway like many past “Idol” alums, in the Tony Award-winning show “In the Heights”.

It all seemed to be going well, until things fell apart.

“My label was going through a transition and people were let go. Then I parted ways with my management and then I had some things personally going on,” Sparks said, but did not elaborate. “It just felt like everything was starting to not work out all at once. I was like, ‘This is it? Five years and that’s it?”

But along came the offer to play the sister named Sparkle whose stellar voice leads her to fame. Sparks said she saw parallels between her own ambition and that of the strong-willed singer who wanted more than anything to perform and wasn’t going to let anyone stand in her way. The major difference, Sparks said, is that unlike Houston’s role in the film, Sparks own parents have been “100 percent supportive of me from the beginning.”

“I knew that music was what I wanted to do. I knew that I was going to be a singer. I just didn’t know when, but I was going to do what it took to get there,” Sparks said. Sparks portrays one of three sisters - the other two are played by Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter - who form a girl group during the 1960s over the protestations of their mother only to find that fame can tear their family apart. The rise to music stardom is a climb that Houston, a huge pop star of the 1980s and 1990s with hits like “How Will I Know”, knew all too well, and by the time she made her acting debut, in 1992’s “ The Bodyguard”, she was a huge star. Houston drowned in a hotel bathtub last February at age 48.

Movie mother and mentor Houston provided Sparks a shoulder on which to lean and a voice of experience when making the film. “The biggest thing I took from Whitney was you’re never too big to sit down with somebody. You’re never too big to say ‘hello’ or to smile at someone,” Sparks said. “She would sit and talk like we had known each other for years. For that example to come from a superstar, somebody I idolized was just amazing.”

Playing a character like Sparkle, who is young and naive at the film’s beginning before blossoming into a young woman by the end, is a journey that resonates with Sparks who said she, too, feels like she is at the same stage - a new beginning. “I feel like I’m blossoming into a woman and coming in to my own,” she said.

On August 1, Sparks and her boyfriend, singer Jason Derulo, 22, celebrated their one year anniversary together. Sparks said during the filming of “Sparkle” turned more serious after both suffered setbacks. Derulo narrowly escaped paralysis when he broke his neck while rehearsing an acrobatic move while training for a tour. A few weeks later, Houston died and Sparks lost a new friend. “Both of us realized how much we really cared for each other,” she said. “Your priorities get in line when stuff like that happens. The feelings grew really, really deep.” Sparks, once known for wearing a purity ring to symbolize her dedication to avoid losing her virginity before marriage, blushed when told it was noticeably absent from her finger. —Reuters

US drummer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys Keys performs during the Rock-en-Seine music festival on August 25, 2012 in Saint-Cloud, near Paris. — AFP photos

Dream or disaster:

When musical producers take on the Oscars A

cademy President Hawk Koch has handed the keys to the Oscar show to a pair of producers best known for making musicals. Is that a good idea?

History suggests that it could lead to a fresh, lively show... or to a glitzy, cheesy one. Producers with strong musical backgrounds have tackled the Oscars before, and for everyone who’s won raves on the demanding Oscar stage, there’s another who’s fallen flat. Of course, we don’t know what Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have in mind for the 85th Academy Awards, which they were chosen to produce this week. Zadan told TheWrap that it would be “the obvious thing” to assume that their Oscars will be long on music, but that it wouldn’t necessarily be accurate.

Still, he admitted that the pair’s DNA is in musical films like “Chicago,” “Footloose” and “Hairspray,” and in Broadway musicals like the recent revivals of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and “Promises, Promises.” It’s probably safe, then, to figure that their musical theater background will influence what they put on the stage of the Dolby Theatre. And while it’s not fair to saddle the new guys with the hits and misses of their predecessors, it might be instructive to take a look at what other musical vets did with the Oscar stage when they had a shot at it. [Note: The Academy labels its shows by the year the contending movies are released, not the year in which the shows take place.]

1968: Gower Champion While previous Oscar producers like Mervyn LeRoy, Valentine Davies and George Sidney had experience making musicals, Gower Champion was Broadwaymusical royalty when he took the reins of the show at a time when screen musicals were thought to be going out of style. Recruited by Academy President Gregory Peck, Champion immediately had an impact on the show: He agreed to produce only if the Oscars were moved from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to the newer and more upscale Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown LA. Champion also said that it was “a bore” to always use Bob Hope as host, so he brought in 10 “friends of Oscar,” including Ingrid Bergman, Sidney Poitier, Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis. He also loosened the dress code, had a rock band play while dancers wearing the nominated costumes danced the frug and the jerk, and moved the Best Actor award to the middle of the show. Upon his arrival at the Governors Ball, guests greeted Champion with a standing ovation.

1970: Robert wise Two years after Champion’s show, “West Side Story” and “The Sound of Music” director - and future AMPAS

Bollywood’s ‘grand old man’ AK Hangal dies B

ollywood veteran and favorite character actor AK Hangal, dubbed the “grand old man” of Hindi cinema for his elderly roles, died yesterday morning aged 95. The actor’s son, Vijay Hangal, told reporters the news outside Asha Parekh hospital in Mumbai, where his father was recently admitted after he slipped and injured his thigh and back. “My father was put on a ventilator but his health kept deteriorating since yesterday.

He passed away at 9:00 am (0330 GMT) today,” he said. Hangal was born in Sialkot in now Pakistan, where he spent three years in jail for his freedom fighting against British rule. After partition, in 1949, he moved to Mumbai and joined a leftist theatre group.

The former tailor entered Bollywood relatively late in life but went on to appear in more than 200 films, making his name in roles as the on-screen elderly relative to big Bollywood stars. He was best known for his parts in films such as “Sholay” (Embers) and “Namak Haraam” (Traitor) in the 1970s, and he was honored with India’s civilian Padma Bhushan award in 2006 for his contribution to Hindi cinema. But he fell on hard times later in life, with his son appealing for help from Bollywood stars last year to pay Hangal’s medical expenses.

Various names of Hindi cinema paid tribute to the actor on Twitter. “The Marathon Man of Hindi Cinema reaches the final winning post. We will miss you,” said veteran actor Anupam Kher. — AFP

US singer Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys performs.

File photo shows Indian Bollywood veteran actor AK Hangal poses with actress Eleanor Sophie Hyatt during a fashion event in Mumbai. — AFP

president - Wise took the group-hosting concept to its extreme. Abandoning the idea of a host entirely, Robert Wise used 32 different “friends of Oscar” - or, as we might call them these days, presenters.

Wise also insisted that everybody appearing on the show be a true movie star - which meant, for example, that the Carpenters had to turn over the performance of their nominated song “For All We Know” to Petula Clark, because she had an onscreen career and they didn’t.

To a degree, Wise was hamstrung by the fact that only one of the acting winners showed up and that all the suspense revolved around whether the Best Actor award would go to George C. Scott, who had said he didn’t want to be nominated for “Patton” and wouldn’t accept if it won. He did win, and he didn’t accept. Afterward, according to the book “Inside Oscar,” Daily Variety summed it up: “At 43, Oscar looked tired.”

1985: Stanley Donen In 1998, director Stanley Donen gave one of the most delightful acceptance speeches in Oscar history, singing “Cheek to Cheek” while dancing with the honorary Oscar with which he’d just been presented. But a dozen years earlier, the director of such classic musicals as “Singing in the Rain,” “On the Town,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Damn Yankees” had produced the Oscars, with mixed results.

His show began with an elaborate and unfortunate opening number featuring film clips from “Flying Down to Rio” interspersed with shots of actress Teri Garr piloting an airplane and then climbing onto the wing with a chorus line of dancing girls. “After that, things improved considerably,” the Academy’s official history understates and, in fact, the rest of the show, which included Howard Keel serenading a bevy of leading ladies from MGM musicals, was for the most part enthusiastically received.

Despite the opening number, the New York Times called Donen’s work “the best Oscar show in years, maybe ever.”

1988: Allan Carr You might have heard about this one. To spice up the Oscars at the end of the ‘80s, the Academy turned to Allan Carr, who had worked on “Saturday Night Fever,” coproduced and written “Grease,” produced the Village People musical “Can’t Stop the Music” and produced the Broadway musical version of “La Cage aux Folles.”

Carr immediately proclaimed that he was going to stage the most fabulous Oscars ever. Instead, he staged the most infamous. His show opened with a monstrous 11-minute musical extravaganza whose most memorable moment came when Rob Lowe butchered a rewritten version of “Proud Mary” with an actress dressed as Snow White - a character for which Carr had forgotten to get

clearance. A later musical number, “I Wanna Be an Oscar Winner,” was almost as long and just as bad. Disney sued over the Snow White fiasco, the critics trashed the show, and many said that Carr never recovered from his very public failure.

1996: Quincy Jones Quincy Jones had made a bigger mark in the music industry, where he’s set the record for most Grammy nominations with 79, than he had in movies when the Academy asked him to produce the Oscars in 1996. But he’d also produced “The Color Purple,” written music for films and won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and he enthusiastically took the job with co-producer David Salzman, saying again and again that he was going to change everything about the Oscars. He didn’t quite accomplish that, and during rehearsals his Oscars appeared to be an impending train wreck, chaotic and disorganized.

But on the night of the show it all came together - and once you got past a silly fashion-model presentation of the costume awards, Jones’ Oscars had energy (Stomp), music (Bruce Springsteen), eloquence (Emma Thompson’s acceptance speech) and real emotion (Christopher Reeve’s first public appearance since being paralyzed in a riding accident).

2008: Bill Condon & Laurence Mark Writer-director Bill Condon, who tackled the Oscars with producer Laurence Mark, got the Academy job after directing one musical, “Dreamgirls,” and writing another, Best Picture winner “Chicago.” But he and Mark showed a theatrical flair in their Oscar show, with frequent Broadway leading man Hugh Jackman winning raves for his job as host.

If you can get past the incongruity of Jackman singing an opening number about a downsized, lower-budgeted Oscars while standing beneath a million-dollar crystal Swarovski curtain, the Condon and Mark show was the freshest and best of the recent Oscar shows, nicely restaging the Best Actor and Actress presentations and bringing a shot of adrenaline and intimacy to the entire enterprise.

2009: Adam Shankman (with Bill Mechanic) The year after Condon and Mark had their turn, “Hairspray” and “Rock of Ages” director Adam Shankman, who’d begun his career as a choreographer, teamed up with producer Bill Mechanic for an Oscars that was not exactly as successful as its predecessor. “It wasn’t the worst Oscars ever, but it may have been the most disappointing,” wrote Joe Adalian at TheWrap, complaining that the show was conventional and tired. —Reuters

Jerry Nelson, Count of J

‘Sesame Street,’ dies at 78

err y Nelson, the puppeteer behind a delightful menagerie of characters including Count von Count on “Sesame Street” and Gobo Fraggle on “Fraggle Rock,” has died. He was 78. Nelson, who suffered from emphysema, died Thursday night in his Massachusetts home on Cape Cod, the Sesame Workshop said Friday.

“Every description of his characters describes Jerry as well,” said “Sesame Street” executive producer Carol-Lynn Parente.

“Silly, funny, vulnerable, passionate and musical, for sure. That voice of his was superb.” Although he’d been in declining health for some time “his attitude was never bad,” Parente said Friday. “He was always so grateful for what he had in his life.”

“We’re having a rough day on the Street,” she said.

In a tribute posted online by the nonprofit Sesame Workshop, Nelson was lauded for his artistry and the “laughter he brought to children worldwide” with the Count and other Muppet puppets including Sherlock Hemlock, Herry Monster and the Amazing Mumford.

Nelson was part of other projects featuring Jim Henson’s Muppets, including the 1984 movie “ The Muppets Take Manhattan” and TV series including the 1980s “Fraggle Rock ” and 1990s “Muppets Tonight” In recent years, Nelson gave up the physically demanding job of operating the Count and other puppets on “Sesame Street” but still voiced the characters, the workshop said. The show ’s new season launches in

September and Nelson’s voice will be heard. In 2010, he released the album “Truro Daydreams,” the title that referred to the Massachusetts town. Survivors include Nelson’s wife, Jan, Parente said. Funeral plans were not immediately available.—AP

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

lifestyle T R A V E L

Jet Skis Ahoy dock staff give renters an orientation and help them launch on Washingtonís Lake Chelan. — MCT photos

A selection of wakeboards and water toys awaits customers at a rental dock at Washington’s Lake Chelan.

Rented watercraft a great way to enjoy

Washington’s Lake Chelan

By Brian J Cantwell

H

ere are three games you can play on a half-day outing aboard a rented motorboat as you explore this fjordlike lake, one of Washington’s favorite spots for sun fun: Barbie’s Dream House: Which classic lakefront cottage-or which varnished log-cabin mini-mansion-will be yours after you win “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

Baa, Baa Big Sheep: Which soaring lakeside promontory dotted with Ponderosa pines and Glacier Peak pumice is most likely to have at its tiptop a bighorn sheep silhouetted against a clear blue sky? (Bring binoculars for scoring.)

Driftwood Dodge’em: Kind of self-explanatory. Whoever rams a floating log loses.

My wife and I had plenty of time for all three recently when we rented a 17 -foot Bayliner runabout from an outfit called Jet Skis Ahoy and motored 21 miles up Lake Chelan and back.

Lake Chelan in summer is all about fun on the water, and you can take it by degrees: Swim from a sandy beach at a public park, paddle a kayak or paddleboard, or rent a personal watercraft-Jet Ski is the commonly used term, though it’s a trademark-and zoom around like a mad hornet (hornets get mad when wet, presumably). Or go the whole banana and rent a motorboat.

If a teenager or two are part of your retinue, towing them around on water skis, wakeboards

or tubes will likely keep your crowd pleased. You can stick to the calmer lower lake, called Wapato Basin, where you’ll have plenty of fun-loving company.

Or you can do as we did, pack a picnic and go exploring beyond the resorts, putt-putting past the checkerboard slopes of apple orchards and vineyards to where shore-hugging vacation homes thin and it’s pretty much just you and the 1,400-foot-deep lake. (Favorite factoid: Mountain-ringed Chelan, from a Salish word meaning “deep water,” reaches almost 400 feet lower than sea level.)

Beyond Manson, on the unbuilt eastern shore of the 50-mile lake, look for landmarks such as 5,400-foot Red Butte, Fourth of July Mountain and Poison Creek. To the west: Devils Backbone and 7,200-foot Stormy Mountain.

Our loosely defined goal was Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park, on the western shore, with a small-boat marina. (It’s the lake’s northernmost point reachable by highway.)

“You can get to Twenty-five Mile in about an hour, and you can get there and back on a tank of gas,” said Jeremy Shull, who checked us out at the boat-rental counter.

Another option some day-trippers prefer, he said, is on the isolated eastern shore about four miles farther north at Deer Point, a National Forest campground for boaters, though we’d read that the lake can get rough north of

Twenty-five Mile Creek (which, incidentally, is only about 20 miles up the lake).

On the advice of the rental outfit, we chose the morning for our half-day outing rather than the often wind-buffeted afternoon.

Leaving the dock at 9:20 am on a July weekday, we were the only ones out on the sun-glittered water. Pretty nice.

At 9:27 am, we had our first Jet Ski sighting.

At 9:37 came the first rollicking rider on a tube towed by another boat. Oh, well, so much for solitude. It’s Lake Chelan, not Walden Pond.

An experienced boater, I soon got the hang of the controls on the runabout, rated for up to seven passengers and powered by four-cylinder inboard Mercury with 135 horsepower. The speedometer didn’t work, but I found that throttling up to about 2,800 rpms on the tachometer put the boat on a comfortable, mile-eating plane. We were glad for the canvas top that provided shade.

We found that with great speed came great responsibility: keeping eyes closely peeled for floating logs, of which there were some potentially-boat-chomping whoppers. We got through safely, but boating newbies, beware.

Just over an hour into our cruise, craggy North Cascades peaks still streaked with snow came into view ahead in Lake Chelan National Recreation Area and North Cascades National Park. Soon came Twenty-Five Mile Creek. With

plenty of fuel and time remaining, we struck out for the wild eastern shore and Deer Point.

But the warnings of rough water in the upper lake were well-founded. We’d gone barely a mile farther before steep speed-bumps of water set our boat bouncing so hard that we had to slow or risk losing teeth. We traded the fast bouncing for equally uncomfortable slow rolling, with the occasional threat of a steep wave burying the bow. Twenty-Five Mile Creek looked like a good picnic stop after all. We turned back.

It was still early, so our picnic was more brunch than lunch at one of the vacant berths in the state park marina. There’s no charge for docking between 8 am and 1 pm (overnight fees start at $12), so it was just right for an early lunch. A family with toddlers played on a raft in shallow water, and a gaggle of teens in swimsuits wandered the sunny dock.

We sat in the boat’s bow seats, munched crackers and cheese and took in the view across the lake of basalt pinnacles resembling mini versions of Liberty Bell Mountain, the North Cascades Highway landmark some 40 miles to the northwest.

I applied binoculars to ridgelines right and left, but the fabled bighorn sheep were in hiding.

On our return to the lake’s south end, by the town of Chelan, we dawdled and watched amateur Jet Skiers zip and leap and fall flailing from their craft. Careful to heed the many no-wake

zones marked by buoys, we idled in for a closeup view of young swimmers lounging on a float in front of the landmark, 111-year-old Campbell’s Resort, or bouncing on a floating trampoline.

Sticky from sunscreen and with the day warming quickly into the mid-80s, we decided it was time to head for shore and freshen up with something wet and cool at the veranda pub at Campbell’s. Big lake, hot sun, good fun. It’s an old formula. On Lake Chelan, it still holds water.

Renter’s tips Inexperienced? Rental docks provide basic orientation. You’ll be required to read and initial a motor-vessel rental safety checklist issued by the state.

Check what comes with a boat. Some have canvas bimini tops for shade, a nice feature on a hot day. Jet Skis Ahoy offered wakeboards, towing tubes (for up to three people), kneeboards or water skis for no extra charge with a boat rental.

Our 17 - foot boat wasn’t suited to big waves in the upper lake. Rent a larger boat to get to Stehekin, at the lake’s north end. You’ll need at least a full day, or go overnight to one of the 15 boat-in Forest Service and National Park Service campgrounds. (A Lake Chelan Federal Dock Site Permit is required May-October; $5/day or $40/season, available at the Chelan Ranger District office in Chelan, Twenty-FiveMile Creek State Park and other locations.) —MCT

Enjoying the quieter side of Victoria, BC, by foot and bike

By Kristin Jackson

V

ictoria retains its compact, easygoing nature, with major sights clustered around downtown’s Inner Harbor.

But I decided to explore the edges of the city-or at least as far as I could leisurely go on foot, bike and a shiny-red rented motor scooter. It’s an ideal city to visit car-free.

From Seattle, visitors can zip to Victoria on the high-speed Clipper passenger-only ferries or the even faster Kenmore Air float planes. Dozens of hotels are within a 10minute walk of both companies’ Inner Harbor terminals.

By all means sightsee around the Inner Harbor. Indulge in calories, and Victoria’s English heritage, with afternoon tea at stately Fairmont Empress Hotel. Enjoy displays on British Columbia’s natural and native history at the Royal BC Museum. See the politicians and ornate architecture of the 19th-century Parliament Buildings.

Then do like the locals do and escape the tourist throngs for a walk or bike ride. Make a beeline, on foot or two wheels, for Greater Victoria’s alluring seashore that stretches for miles along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Or pedal along dozens of miles of rails turned trails. Among my favorite places to walk and bike:

Ogden Point breakwater The place: Stroll into the sunset atop this 2,500-foot-long breakwater that juts into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Walkers can go all the way to a small lighthouse at the end of the concrete and granite breakwater, built in 1916 to protect shipping berths. Gaze at the snowtipped Olympic Mountains rising majestically across the 25-mile-wide strait, and sailboats, ferries and freighters gliding past. At your feet the side of the breakwater is decorated with “Unity Wall” murals by First Nations artists to celebrate local native history. To get to Ogden Point, walk past the cozy century-old homes of the James Bay neighborhood behind the Parliament Buildings. Or walk around the Inner Harbor past the Laurel Point Inn. Stay as close to the water as you can, on a mix of waterfront pathways and sidewalks, and you’ll come to Ogden Point. Refuel: Ogden Point Cafe, at the breakwater’s entrance, offers coffee, light meals and big views from indoor and outdoor tables. http://members.shaw.ca/ope/index.htm Visitor’s tip: Hold tight to small children or keep them in strollers. It’s a steep drop-off from the breakwater, wide enough for four people to walk abreast but with no handrails. No bikes allowed.

Juan de Fuca and an English-style interior with manicured lawns, flower gardens, a cricket pitch and children’s petting zoo.

Walk or bike the park’s peaceful roadways and paths that wind among its 185 acres on the edge of downtown. (The park begins about a quarter-mile from the Parliament Buildings on the Inner Harbor.)

Refuel: Take a picnic or eat at one of the

Renting a motor scooter is a fun way to explore Victoria. scenic and easygoing seaside bike ride from the Inner Harbour. At Cattle Point, pillows of rock slope into the sea. Sprawl on the sunwarmed slabs and pick out the landmarks, from Washington’s Mount Baker and Olympics to San Juan Island, surprisingly nearby.

Cattle Point takes its name from its 19thcentury past as a transfer point for livestock.

Ships would edge close to shore and drop off cattle for a short swim and walk. The sprawling Uplands Park and luxurious houses occupy what was once farmland.

Refuel: Picnic. Or simply rehydrate at Cattle Point.

Visitor’s tip: A stairway near Cattle Point drops down to Willows Beach. You can carry a bike up or down the shortcut.

Beacon Hill Park The place: Victoria’s gem of a park has a wave-pounded rocky coast on the Strait of

Bicyclists cross the Selkirk Trestle Bridge on the Galloping Goose trail, a former railway line converted into a 34-mile biking and walking route in Victoria. many restaurants near the Inner Harbor.

Visitor’s tip: Enjoy the park’s interior, but don’t miss its seashore pedestrian path on a bluff above (with trails down to) pocket coves.

Another perfect place for strolls at sunset or any time of day.

Bicyclists take a break at Cattle Point along the scenic waterfront bicycling route in Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada. —MCT photos

Seaside bike route The place: Hop on your bike or motor scooter and go for a scenic spin along the seashore on a 7.5-mile route (one way) from the Inner Harbor through Beacon Hill Park and east to Cattle Point.

The well-signposted Seaside Touring Route, which follows Dallas and Beach roads among others, winds past sandy beaches, small parks and viewpoints, and lovingly tended homes with envy-inducing ocean views. It’s mostly level with a few short hill climbs, including up to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, an old favorite that’s being completely rebuilt as a luxury hotel and condos. It’s lovely

to bike, with easygoing traffic, or you can putter along on a motor scooter, leaning gently into the curves and the sea breeze.

Refuel: Picnic spots abound at beaches. Or get a burger or snack at the Kiwanis Willows Beach Tea Room, a no-frills cafe with a milliondollar beachfront setting at Oak Bay’s Willows Park. For more upscale and better meals, detour into the village-like Oak Bay area; find restaurants, coffee shops and pubs clustered along Oak Bay Avenue.

Visitor’s tip: The Seaside Touring Route goes for miles beyond Cattle Point. I explored that stretch on a rented scooter, grateful to motor rather than bike to the 700-foot summit of Mount Douglas Park (www.saanich.ca) in adjoining Saanich, with its sweeping views of southern Vancouver Island and Washington’s Cascades and Olympics.

Cattle Point The place: The perfect ending point for a

Galloping Goose Regional Trail The place: This 34-mile trail stretches from central Victoria west to the seafront community of Sooke. Cycle, walk or jog along what was once a railway line (roughly the first quarter of the trail, starting from Victoria, is paved).

To get to its start, cross the Johnson Street Bridge from Victoria’s Inner Harbour. Turn right at the end of the bridge on a paved path and follow Harbour Road (and other cyclists) for about 1/3 mile to the start of the trail. The first few miles make a fun, easygoing ride, including over the almost 1,000-foot-long wooden Selkirk Trestle bridge.

Refuel: Eat before or after in downtown Victoria. It’s where you’ll eat best.

Visitor’s tip: The Galloping Goose trail (named after an ungainly little 1920s passenger train that served the route) intersects with the Lochside biking trail, also a former railway line.

The 18-mile Lochside goes north from Victoria to Sidney and Swartz Bay which include, respectively, the Washington State Ferries terminal (from Anacortes) and BC Ferries’ terminal. Ardent bicyclists can ride onto the ferries and bike traffic-free into Victoria. — MCT

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

lifestyle T R A V E L

Where to sleep on your next stop in

Chicago

The Radisson Blu Aqua hotel occupies the first 18 floors of this residential tower in Chicago.

By Claude Peck

I

grew up in Chicago and still go there often. But since I’m visiting my family, I rarely stay in hotels. Friends post on Facebook about their weekends at the historic Burnham or the boutique James, the bargain Days Inn or the glitzy Wit; it all sounds very “downtown” and exotic compared with my mom’s suburban townhouse.

Recently, overcome with envy-and “on assignment”-I booked rooms at three Chicago hotels, all opened within the past nine months. Each of these newcomers has its own style, price point and charm.

It was a hectic trip, what with changing hotels each day, but it turned out to be a great way to experience three distinct parts of the city-Lincoln Park, with few hotels; the east Loop, which is thick with ‘em, and the walkable River North district.

looked Lincoln Park and the lake.

A gorgeous Sunday afternoon lured me outside, where the hotel has free bikes for customer use. I took one and pedaled through Lincoln Park, past the famous zoo that I visited as a child and out to the blue-green lakefront that makes Chicago one of the country’s great summertime cities. Turning north, I headed up to Belmont, where a big harbor was busy with pleasure boats. A few blocks to the west and I was in Lakeview, where I browsed at Unabridged Bookstore and drank coffee in the window of Intelligentsia, the best small-chain coffee place in town.

Nightlife seekers can head a few blocks south to Old Town, home of the Second City comedy club and chock-ablock with eateries.

Find a hearty breakfast at Nookie’s on N Wells, then stroll in the adjacent Old Town Triangle district, an old German enclave of quiet streets clustered around massive St Michael’s Church. With its narrow streets, small houses and apartments, shade-dappled sidewalks, birdsong and school playgrounds, it’s entirely charming, the kind of place you would want to live in if you moved to Chicago.

The continental breakfast at the Radisson Blu Aqua hotel in Chicago, Illinois, can fuel a guest for the day. —MCT photos Pocketbook issues: Total bill for one night in a corner room with walkout balcony was $458, which included a lavish, so-worth-it, room-service breakfast priced at $26. For Chicago, this is an expensive option, but it’s a splurge you won’t regret.

Hotel Lincoln Where: 1816 N Clark, at the bottom of the “V” where Clark and Lincoln converge, across the street from Lincoln Park and its famous zoo.

Rooms: 184.

Opened: Spring 2012.

Vibe: Retro, with a healthy splash of kitsch. Garage-sale paintings adorn a lobby stairwell, and Chicago-specific photos and art decorate the rooms.

Details: The lobby, which adjoins Elaine’s coffee shop and Perennial Virant, Chef Paul Virant’s farm-to-table restaurant, makes an appealing hangout.

My 10th-floor room was small but nicely appointed, with zillion-thread-count white sheets, 27 pillows, flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi and comfy rolling office chair. Its single window over-

The Acme Hotel features retro lamps and non-corporate art in Chicago.

Artwork lines the lobby staircase at the Lincoln hotel in Chicago.

Pocketbook issues: Total bill for one night in my singleking-bed room was $406, with no room service or minibar raiding. I’ve seen online offers at about half that rate, which is more in line with what it’s worth. At $406, it’s drastically overpriced, especially for a non-Loop location.

Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel

Visitors take in the Millenium Park concert shell in Chicago.

Acme

A contemporary look is featured in the rooms at the Radisson Blu Aqua hotel in Chicago.

Where: 221 N Columbus Dr, just east of the Loop and south of the river in the massive Lakeshore East development above the old Illinois Central rail yards.

Rooms: 334.

Opened: November 2011.

Vibe: Spare and clean, with sizable splashes of elegance and contemporary design.

Details: Bribe someone to get yourself booked here for an expenses-paid convention. Or simply splurge for a couple of nights with your sweetie. It is the first Blu in North America,

by Minneapolis-based Carlson hotel company; the second is set to open at the Mall of America next March.

The hotel occupies the first 18 floors of an 82-floor apartment tower by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects, one of the more beautiful tall buildings in a city with an outsized share of the world’s tall buildings. You will run down your camera’s battery shooting the wavy, shape-shifting balconies of the exterior from every angle and in every light.

A sleek blue-and-white check-in area at street level gives way to a giant

bronze-and-gold fireplace lobby that doesn’t seem to fit with the hotel’s name, but which makes a lot of sense in a city with long, blustery winters.

My corner room had floor-to-ceiling windows and a walkout balcony with views of both the city and Navy Pier.

Inside, the bare wood floors, blond built-in cabinets and giant, glassy, white bathroom made me think I was in a luxe condo in Copenhagen. You’ll need to fight the temptation to stay in your handsome room.

Hit the second and third floors for a fitness complex that includes indoor and outdoor swimming, a half-basketball court, sauna and steam rooms, locker rooms, cardio rooms and weights. A massive outdoor seating and walking area includes barbecue grills and windproof love nests. I did my morning run on the 1/5-mile cushioned outdoor track, with unmatched views of tall buildings and sun-struck Lake Michigan.

The Blu is in a bit of a no-man’s-land when it comes to finding, say, a coffee shop or a diner, but it’s a block from the biggest tourist attraction to hit Chicago since Navy Pier: Millennium Park. I joined thousands on the grass there for an outdoor concert by Jonathan Richman beneath the popcorned shapes of the stainless-steel Frank Gehry bandshell.

Also an easy walk from the Blu is the dock for the Chicago Architectural Foundation’s river cruise ($35-$38). In 90 minutes you see 100 years of the City of the Big Shoulders, from the not-terrible new Trump Tower to the massive Merchandise Mart and the former Montgomery Ward warehouse, with its 2.1 million square feet of space.

Expertly narrated by foundation docents, this is a must-do for anyone wishing to learn more about architecture in the city famed for “building, breaking, rebuilding.” The foundation’s walking tour of famous Loop buildings also is highly recommended.

Where: 15 E Ohio St, in River North, two blocks from the Magnificent Mile shopping district on Michigan Avenue.

Rooms: 130.

Opened: Spring 2012.

Vibe: Funky, arty, with lava lamps in the lobby and logo bathrobes fit for the boxing ring.

Details: This old-building conversion was the least expensive of my three hotels, and it showed in things like an AmericInn-style breakfast and a “workout center” that was a cage in the basement with a vending machine nearby. My room, though small, had a comfy bed and was nicely decked out in the now-common “Ace-like” manner: masculine, industrial fixtures mashed up with retro lamps, midcentury office chair, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV and non-corporate artwork.

Location-wise, however, the Acme puts you in a very desirable and walkable area. A 12-minute stroll brought me to the Goodman Theater, where I joined a sold-out crowd for five hours of Eugene O’Neill (“The Iceman Cometh”), with Brian Dennehy and Nathan Lane. Three blocks to the east and you are smack in the middle of the luxe shops along the Magnificent Mile. Across the street, the 1894 Tree Studios, for decades home to Chicago artists, house an attractive row of small shops and a great lunch place called Grahamwich (eat in the courtyard in back).

Also on the block is the Medinah Temple, converted into a Bloomingdale’s home store. It’s just a few blocks west of the Merchandise Mart. Extending north from there on Franklin Street for about six blocks is a concentration of design studios, art galleries, coffee shops and such upscale home-decor outlets as Artemide, Luminare, Roche Bobois and Poliform.

Also a short walk from the Acme is one of the great private houses of Gilded Age Chicago, the Driehaus mansion on Erie Street, at Wabash. The 25,000-square-foot, three-story “Marble Palace” had various owners since banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson, who built it, moved out. In this century, the house was established as a museum by hedge-fund director, collector and philanthropist Richard Driehaus, who poured a reported $20 million into the lavish interiors. You may tour it on your own or with a guide. (Driehaus has offices kitty-corner from this building, in a gorgeous Richardsonian romanesque structure that is, alas, not open for tours.)

Pocketbook issues: Total bill for one night in a room with a king bed was $221, which included no extras. —MCT

Bollywood’s ‘grand old man’ AK Hangal dies

MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2012

37

You can’t wear that

In this picture taken Saturday, German electronic music project ‘Kraftwerk’ performs during the Zurich Open air music festival in Ruemlang near Zurich, Switzerland. — AP

Airlines: A

irlines give many reasons for refusing to let you board, but none stir as much debate as this: How you’re dressed. A woman flying from Las Vegas on Southwest this spring says she was confronted by an airline employee for showing too much cleavage.

In another recent case, an American Airlines pilot lectured a passenger because her T-shirt bore a four-letter expletive. She was allowed to keep flying after draping a shawl over the shirt.

Both women told their stories to sympathetic bloggers, and the debate over what you can wear in the air went viral. It’s not always clear what’s appropriate. Airlines don’t publish dress codes. There are no rules that spell out the highest hemline or the lowest neckline allowed. That can leave passengers guessing how far to push fashion boundaries. Every once in a while the airline says: Not that far.

“It’s like any service business. If you run a family restaurant and somebody is swearing, you kindly ask them to leave,” says Kenneth Quinn, an aviation lawyer and former chief counsel at the US Federal Aviation Administration.

The American Airlines passenger, who declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press, works for an abortion provider.

Supporters suggested that she was singled out because her T-shirt had a pro-choice slogan.

A spokesman for American says the passenger was asked to cover up “because of the Fword on the T-shirt.” He says that the airline isn’t taking sides in the abortion debate.

In this Spring 2012 photo provided by a woman identified as Avital and made available to the blog Jezebel, Avital poses for a picture at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, showing what she was wearing after she says a Southwest Airlines gate agent approached her, alleging she was showing too much cleavage. — AP

Last week, Arijit Guha, a graduate student at Arizona State University, was barred from a Delta flight in Buffalo, NY, because of a T-shirt that mocked federal security agents and included the words, “Terrists gonna kill us all.”

He says the misspelled shirt was satirical and he wore it to protest what he considers racial profiling.

“I thought it was a very American idea to speak up and dissent when you think people’s rights are being violated,” Guha says. The pilot thought it scared other passengers. American and Delta are within their rights to make the passengers change shirts even if messages are political, says Joe Larsen, a First Amendment lawyer from Houston who has defended many media companies.

The First Amendment prohibits government from limiting a person’s free-speech rights, but it doesn’t apply to rules set by private companies, Larsen says. He notes that government security screeners didn’t challenge Guha; private Delta employees did. In short, since airlines and their planes are private property and not a public space like the courthouse steps; crews can tell you what to wear. In the early years of jet travel, passengers dressed up and confrontations over clothing were unimaginable. They’re still rare there aren’t any precise numbers - but when showdowns happen, they gain more attention as aggrieved passengers complain on the Internet about airline clothing cops. It’s unwelcome publicity for airlines, which already rate near the bottom of all industries when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Critics complain that airlines enforce clothing standards inconsistently. The lack of clear rules leaves decisions to the judgment of individual airline employees. Last year, a passenger was pulled off a US Airways jet and arrested at San Francisco International Airport after airline employees say he refused to pull up his low-hanging pants. The local prosecutor declined to file charges against Deshon Marman, a University of New Mexico football player.

Marman’s lawyer complained that the same airline repeatedly allowed a middle-age man to travel wearing women’s underwear and not much else. “You can’t let someone repugnant like that (the cross-dresser) on the plane and single out this kid because he’s black, wearing dreadlocks, and had two or three inches of his underwear showing,” says the lawyer, Joseph D. O’Sullivan. “They can’t arrest him for what someone perceives to be inappropriate attire.”

US Airways spokesman John McDonald says no passengers complained about the cross-dresser until his photo in women’s underwear circulated on the Internet after the Marman incident. He says the airline doesn’t have a dress code but that employees may talk to a passenger if other people might be offended by the way he’s dressed.

“It’s not an issue of a dress code, it’s one of disruption,” like watching pornography within sight of other passengers, McDonald says. An informal survey of passengers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport found much support for limits on clothing.

“Curse words on shirts always bother me,”

says John Gordon, who just graduated from film school in Florida and was dressed in khaki shorts and a T-shirt. “It’s an unspoken rule that when you go out in public, you should be respectful.”

But Leigh Ann Epperson, a corporate lawyer who had just flown in from Tokyo, says she wouldn’t be bothered if another passenger’s shirt bore the F-word.

“If people are paying the price for their tickets, they should be able to wear what they want,” says Epperson, who wore a black sweater over a low-cut blouse, black slacks and wedge -type heels. Airlines say they refund the passenger’s fare if they deny boarding for inappropriate attire.

Clashes over clothing and other flash points seem to be increasing, says Alexander Anolik, a travel-law attorney in Tiburon, Calif.

He blames an unhappy mix of airline employees who feel underpaid and unloved, and passengers who are stressed out and angry over extra fees on everything from checking a bag to scoring an aisle seat.

Anolik says that passengers should obey requests from airline employees. If passengers don’t, they could be accused of interfering with a flight crew - a federal crime. He says passengers should wait until they’re off the plane to file complaints with the airline, the US Department of Transportation or in smallclaims court. “They have this omnipotent power,” Anolik says of flight crews. “You shouldn’t argue your case while you’re on the airplane. You’re in a no-win scenario - you will be arrested.” — AP

Pure Gold Jewelers

launches gold engagement rings with diamonds

A

ward winning jewelry retailer Pure Gold Jewelers has introduced a pair of luxurious ‘His & Hers’ 18 carat gold rings with brilliantly cut diamonds. Designed to complement each other, both the rings have a line of dazzling diamonds in the middle and a satin finish on either side. The shine of the brilliantly cut diamonds reflect the happiness of a perfect union.

Both the rings have the same shape making them a pair.

According to Karim Merchant, CEO & MD of Pure Gold Jewelers, “The beauty and rarity of His & Hers rings makes it the most preferred engagement ring. Our exquisitely crafted rings are unique and designed with care and precision. The new His and Hers rings are for the most discriminating couple who take pride in style and elegance and is looking for a unique pair of rings for any special celebration or occasion.”

The bride’s ring features nine 6 cents diamonds with a gold weight of 6 grams at a price of KD 245. The groom’s ring is designed with nine 6 cents diamonds with a net gold weight of 6.60 grams and comes with a price tag of KD 285.

Centrepoint to deliver unparalleled shopping experience C entrepoint, the popular shopping destination in the Middle East, marked yet another milestone today with the launch of its 8th outlet located at Sulaibikhat. The new outlet was inaugurated by the chief patron for Landmark Group in Kuwait; Wedad AlAbdulrazzaq amidst office-bearers. The glitzy new showroom spreads over one level and offers the latest summer fashion trends in menswear, ladies wear, children’s wear, toys, nursery furniture, home dÈcor, home furnishing, cosmetics, footwear, accessories and other products.

With the launch of this store Centrepoint has established firm footprints across all regions, in GCC, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and India. The outlet is located on the mezzanine floor of Sama Sulaibikhat Complex and covers more

than 3290 sq meters.

Centrepoint’s offering of great value and in-house fashion merchandise, has enabled the brand to establish itself as a leading shopping destination. This growth is par t of Landmark Group’s expansion plans in the Middle East of not only introducing new retail brands into the region but also increasing the number of stores and outlets for existing brands and reaching out to its customers.

Saibal Basu, Chief Operating Officer, Landmark Group Kuwait stated that “We are happy to achieve this milestone in the region and in Kuwait. We thank all our customers for their loyalty and support and this will inspire us into the future. As a brand we are constantly innovating and striving to improve the customer shopping experience and the

same time offer products and merchandise of great value”.

“Centrepoint is now present in all the key shopping areas of Kuwait which makes us more accessible and efficient in customer service delivery. Our proximity allows us to provide the customers with the latest update on trends, sales and promotions. We will continue with such extensive expansions in the coming years and try to serve our customers in every possible manner,” concluded Basu.

Every season, Centrepoint produces a collection that is unique and fits with its overall philosophy. There’s a wide variety to choose from; do visit any of the stores located at Al Rai, Hawally, Salmiya, Kuwait City, Fahaheel, Fintas, Jahra and now Sulaibikhat. Opening Soon 9th outlet at The Avenues - Phase 3.

Wedad Al-Abdulrazzaq and Saibal Basu.