28th Aug

IO N CR IP T SU BS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

Jerusalem zoo offers rare meeting point for Jews, Arabs

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Stosur advances at rainy US Open

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Opposition protests moves to amend constituencies

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New Orleans in crosshairs as Isaac rains on Romney’s parade

17 beheaded at party in bloody Afghan day

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By Abdellatif Sharaa and Nawara Fattahova conspiracy theories

Under the poverty line

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

read an interesting article about a UN report discussing the cost of living and the standard of living. The global study had a part on Kuwait too. This is my main concern. According to the report, an average family with five children needs KD 1,000 to live above the poverty line. If their income is less than that, then they are considered living under the poverty line.

If we want to follow the UN study and rating of what is considered comfortable and poor in Kuwait, this study would fit the situation of most expats in Kuwait because the majority of them make smaller salaries than KD 1,000. Moreover, with this meager salary they have to pay everything from A to Z. They pay housing, electricity, school fees, living expenses and residential and health fees. Don’t forget that many expats are also responsible for other family members outside of Kuwait. They save and repatriate monthly to elderly parents, siblings or sick relatives. I wonder how they manage.

At least for us Kuwaitis, even if our salaries fall below KD 1,000 our education, health and housing expenses are covered. Of course, do not forget the subsidized food which we get. We have full subsidies for two years and after that we can still buy from the co-op staple ingredients at reduced prices. Expats do not enjoy this indulgence. Plus, if a Kuwaiti does not have a house, we receive subsidy or compensation for rent. It might not cover the whole rent but it covers a good amount of it. It is up to a person if he wants to rent a villa or a flat. If they choose a flat, then the government subsidy would cover it all.

If we work in the private sector, we are lucky enough to get some compensation from the government towards our salaries depending on the degrees we hold. Don’t forget that we enjoy social security which expats do not have and this is a crime against them. Many expats work for 30 or 40 years and at the end of the day they do not have any social security or income. By the way, we are talking about salaries of KD 1,000 and a bit less. I assure you that 50 percent of expats in Kuwait do not even get a KD 600 salary. How do these people manage only God knows.

According to statistics, they live under a real poverty line.

I do not think that the UN report fits the situation of Kuwaiti families at all. I think that whoever did it meant only the expats in Kuwait.

KUWAIT: Opposition MPs attend a protest outside the National Assembly yesterday to pressure the government to reverse its decision to consult the constitutional court on the constitutionality of the controversial electoral law. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Thousands of opposition supporters gathered late yesterday in the so-called Irada (Determination) Square opposite the National Assembly to protest the government’s decision to refer the five-constituency electoral law to the constitutional court for a ruling on its constitutionality. The rally was organized by the “Nahaj” group with the slogan “The People have the Sovereignty”. MPs from the 2009 and the annulled 2012 Assemblies were in attendance, along with other political bigwigs and youth activists. “We were born free and will die free, and any officer who has the audacity to beat any person will face a complaint at the human rights court, and there are those who are monitoring the situation,” warned MP Musallam Al-Barrak.

Member of the annulled 2012 Assembly Bader AlDahoum labelled the 2009 Assembly an assembly of shame, adding that the people led to its fall, and expressed regret at the way it was restored. “We reject stealing of the people’s will,” he said, adding that “this government will not be left alone” and described the Irada square as the square of pride and dignity. “We are free and will not fear anyone, and let it be known to all that powers of corruption go down here,” he charged.

He said the 2012 Assembly hurt many and confused the corrupt and considered the realignment of electoral constituencies as an invention because the error was procedural only.

MP Mubarak Al-Waalan said the gathering was for the sake of Kuwait, adding that “there are those who Continued on Page 13

Kuwaiti hostage freed in Lebanon BEIRUT/KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti national was freed by his kidnappers in Lebanon yesterday, state-run news agency KUNA said, and the man said he had been accused by his captors of funding the Syrian uprising.

Issam Al-Houti was abducted in Lebanon’s Bekaa region on Saturday. “The kidnappers

Issam Al-Houti

accused me of funding the Syrian revolution,” a Kuwaiti newspaper quoted Houti as saying after his release. He also said he had been severely beaten.

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday sent a cable to Lebanese President Michel Sulaiman to thank him for personally following the case of Houti. Sheikh Sabah expressed gratitude to Sulaiman for his endeavors and instructions to the security authorities which resulted in Al-Houti’s release, a matter that “mirrored the brotherly relations between Kuwait and Lebanon”. Sheikh Sabah also sent cables of gratitude for parliament speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Majib Mikati for their efforts that brought about the release of Houti.

HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday also called Sulaiman to thank him. Sheikh Nawaf expressed joy of Kuwait, HH the Continued on Page 13

Syria helicopter downed AMMAN/ALEPPO: A Syrian military helicopter crashed in flames under rebel fire in Damascus yesterday, and a government warplane fired rockets at targets on the capital’s outskirts for what rebels said was the first time. The focus of fighting appears to have returned to the outskirts of capital after weeks of battles centred on the northern city of Aleppo.

Opposition activists said at least 62 people had been killed in the assault on sub-

urbs of Damascus yesterday, some summarily executed, a day after they accused Assad’s troops and sectarian militia of massacring hundreds of people in the neighbouring town of Daraya. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the Daraya killings as “an appalling and brutal crime” that should be independently investigated immediately.

Continued on Page 13

MOMBASA: The daughter of Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo cries out as Rogo’s father holds the slumped and bloodstained body of his son in the vehicle where Rogo (seen inset) was shot dead near the Jomo Kenyatta Public beach yesterday. — AP

Riots in Mombasa after killing of Muslim cleric MOMBASA, Kenya: Deadly riots broke out in Kenya’s main port of Mombasa yesterday after the assassination of a radical cleric linked to Somalia’s AlQaeda-allied Shabab militants. At least one person was hacked to death as thousands of angry protesters took to the streets after Aboud Rogo

Mohammed - who was on US and UN sanction lists for allegedly supporting the Shabab - was shot dead. “A car behind us aimed at my husband, they shot him on the right side,” said his widow Haniya Said, screaming in grief after the killing by unknown attackers.

Continued on Page 13

in the

news

Concern as UAE ‘halts’ Bangladesh recruitment

Egypt bars entry to Bahraini dissident

Morsi names Christian as one of 4 assistants

DHAKA: The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing visas to workers from Bangladesh, recruiting companies said yesterday, in a move that threatens to strangle vital remittances for the impoverished South Asian country. The UAE has emerged as the biggest recruiter of Bangladeshi labourers in recent years, accounting for about 50 percent of all overseas employment opportunities after jobs dwindled in Saudi Arabia. “Since last week we haven’t had any working visas issued from the UAE,” said Shahjalal Majumdar, president of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA). Bangladesh’s Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters Sunday that the UAE government had “scaled down” manpower imports from several nations.

“We warned the government that too much dependence on a single market could be a big source of vulnerability,” said Tasneem Siddiqui, who heads local think-tank the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit.

CAIRO: A leading Bahraini opposition activist said she had been refused entry to Egypt at Cairo airport on Sunday, accusing Arab governments of continuing repressive security cooperation despite political change in the region. Maryam Al-Khawaja, the Denmark-based international spokesperson for the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said she had hoped to enter Egypt for a few hours to see friends on a stopover while flying to South Africa.

She said officials at Cairo airport first stamped her passport but then cancelled her visa after realising she was a Bahraini activist. “They said I wouldn’t be allowed in but wouldn’t tell me why,” she said by telephone shortly before flying out of Cairo on Sunday evening. An Egyptian airport official and a security source said Khawaja’s name was on a list of people to be denied entry at the airport.

“We’ve been having problems with Bahraini activists getting into Egypt for years. We thought with the revolution it would change, but it hasn’t,”

CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi named a liberal Christian, a hardline Islamist and a woman as assistants yesterday as he sought to reach out beyond his power base in the Muslim Brotherhood to rival groups. Morsi’s appointments, announced just before he left for China on a key trip abroad, were seen as a balancing act between Egypt’s Coptic minority, which has felt threatened by Morsi’s Islamist roots, and the Brotherhood’s ultra-conservative Salafist rivals. Samir Morcos, a Coptic writer engaged in the dialogue between Islam and Christianity, was named “assistant for democratic transition”, in a gesture to the minority community which has been hit by mounting violence since the overthrow of veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak early last year. As a counterbalance, Morsi named as “assistant in charge of relations with civil society” the leader of the Salafists’ Al-Nur party, Emad Abdel Ghafour. Morsi did reward one of his own, naming Essam Al-Haddad of the Brotherhoood’s Freedom and Justice Party assistant for “external relations and international cooperation”.

KUWAIT: A young Kuwaiti diver opens an oyster he picked from the sea to look for pearls in the port of Khairan, 100 km south of Kuwait City, yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Several Jahra residents from surrounding areas demonstrated Sunday night against the five constituency electoral system, demanding a change in constituencies’ distribution to achieve ‘justice and equality.’

Voters complained that the current system weakens votes cast due to the high population in their areas. — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Premier rejects Al-Saadoun’s initiative on constituencies Unprecedented legislative vacuum KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah reportedly rejected an initiative presented by MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun, through which he promised that the opposition would coordinate to amend the electoral system in agreement with the Cabinet within a month after new elections are held. This was published by Al-Qabas yesterday, quoting sources familiar with the meeting.

The meeting reportedly happened before

the Cabinet referred the electoral law to the Constitutional Court in order to contest the constitutionality of the current 5-constituencies distribution. “The proposal calls for immediate dissolution of the 2009 parliament followed by new elections, as per the current

electoral system. After that, the new parliament prepares a new law in agreement with the Cabinet within a month before it is dissolved again and new elections are held as per the new law”, explained the sources, who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity.

HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah reportedly rejected the proposal for a number of reasons, including “insisting on referring the current law to the Constitutional Court to protect

it from future appeals and avoid similar political crises to the present one”. The premier also cited “difficulties and the cost of carrying out elections twice within six months, which affects the state’s stability amid regional tensions”. Moreover, the sources revealed that

Sheikh Jaber “questioned the ability of the next parliament to finalize a new electoral law within a month from elections”.

This report came out the same day that the opposition-oriented Nahj group planned to stage a public protest at the Iradah Square to protest the government’s step to refer the electoral law to the Constitutional Court. In preparation for the event, twelve members from the Majority Bloc (a coalition of oppositionists who dominated majority seats in the annulled 2012 parliament), met at the Dewaniya of MP Mubarak Al-Wa’lan to put the final touches on their participation. The meeting also addressed the issue regarding the resignation of the opposition minority in the 2009 parliament, which Al-Wa’lan said “goes without saying”, in a statement following the meeting.

In the meantime, constitutional expert Dr. Adel Al-Khadhari told Al-Rai that “an unprecedented legislative vacuum in Kuwait’s history” will be created if the court finds the electoral law based on 5-constituencies unconstitutional, because that automatically results in a “lack of parliament, lack of electoral law and the Cabinet’s inability of changing the constituencies’ distribution through emergency decrees”. The best solution out of this ordeal would be “a political referendum held on the basis that sovereignty resides in the people, as per the constitution”.

Al-Khadhari further explained that while the referendum isn’t specifically mentioned in the constitution, it is, however, “considered a constitutional practice resorted to in exceptional cases in order for the government to get an authorization from the public to change the constituencies through an emergency decree.

Ministry issues revised SMS news regulations KUWAIT: Minister of Communications Salem Al-Othaina issued an order Sunday to cancel the licenses of all news service outlets sent to clients via SMS. An ultimatum has been issued, providing these outlets a grace period of ninety days to obtain new licenses under revised terms and conditions.

“The decision means that 29 companies operating through a licensed obtained from the Ministry of Information are required to approach the MOC to allow them to continue operating as long as they agree to new terms mentioned in the new decision,” said sources, adding that companies who continue operating without the Ministry of Communication’s approval will be prosecuted.

The new terms and conditions, drawn up in cooperation with the Information Ministry, includes 15 articles, perhaps the most notable of which is article 8 which indicates that news services that are professional nature concerning health, nutrition, education, legal and fatwa services, must only be operated by specialists licensed by the state to practice their professions. Moreover, the new conditions criminalizes sending text messages that contain blasphemous messages, insults the Holy Quran, Prophets, or other religious figures.

The new conditions also ban text messages that threaten the ruling family, or advocates the use of violence to change the state’s social and economic system as well as state-

ments that aim to damage the scoail fabric of the state, criticizes HH the Amir or quotes him without informing the Amiri Diwan. The terms also ban releasing news about confidential calls or treaties signed by Kuwait’s government before they are published or circulating topics that either offends certain individuals or tarnishes their personal lives.

Furthermore, the new conditions ban the use of SMS texts sent through news services as a mean to collect donations, unless an approval is obtained from appropriate authorities. Article 10 of the new regulations give the ministry the right to terminate the license of the company that violates any terms or conditions.

Electricity, water demand up 8% annually

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah met with the Ambassador of Turkey to Kuwait Umit Yalcin to discuss bilateral relations between Turkey and Kuwait as well as ways to boost cooperation between the two countries.

First woman from GCC wins seat at UICC board KUWAIT: Dr Samia Al-Amoudi became the first woman from the GCC to win a seat at the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) board, Secretary General of the Gulf Federation for Cancer Control (GFCC) Dr. Khalid Al-Saleh announced here yesterday.

“Al-Amoudi’s win is a major breakthrough for Gulf women and proof of the significant development of women in GCC societies,” Al-Saleh told KUNA by phone from a conference in Montreal, Canada. Al-Amoudi is from Saudi Arabia, one of the six founding members of GCC

(Gulf Cooperation Council).

Al-Saleh, who is also Vice Chairman of the Kuwaiti Cancer Aware Nation (CAN), said that UICC is considered the largest international organization in this area and includes more than 700 specialized associations.

With its headquarters in Geneva, UICC is uniquely positioned to take expert opinion and views of the cancer community to the global stage with official relations with the World Health Organization and special ECOSOC (UN Economic and Social Council). — KUNA

KUWAIT: Demand for electricity and water services in Kuwait has increased by eight percent annually, compared to an average of two to three percent in nearby countries, a local daily reported yesterday quoting a Ministry of Electricity and Water source.

The source indicates that 300,000 oil barrels are used every day to generate electricity and water desalination, adding that this rate is increasing and is projected to reach 20 percent of the state’s oil production by 2017.

The increase in electricity and water consumption reached 17.5 percent during the period between 2005 and 2009 alone, adding that Kuwait is among countries where there is highest water wastage “according to official statistics,” with a consumption average that reaches 500 liters per capita.

Meanwhile, a Kuwait Environment Protection Society member warned that Kuwait might use water treated from sewage treatment plants to meet the increasing public demand “as long as Kuwait continues to spend at least 30 percent of the national income from oil sale in water industry.”

Dr Fawziya Al-Ruwaih, Professor in Ground Water Geology at the Faculty of Science in the Kuwait University, indicates that water production increased to 450 million imperial gallons per day today, from only one million when the state began desalinating sea water in the 1950s.

She asked the government to come up with a future plan to secure water supply “because Kuwait has lost 40 percent fresh water resources following the destruction of the Um Al-Aish field, in addition to the fact that AlRoudhatain field works in half its full potential.”

KUWAIT: Majority Bloc members are seen at the dewaniya of MP Mubarak AlWa’lan Sunday. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Pressure on govt to reverse constituencies decision UWAIT: Kuwait’s opposition bloc has planned to stage a public gathering later yesterday as it seeks to exert public pressure on the government to reverse its decision to consult the Constitutional Court on the constitutionality of the controversial electoral law.

Several political groups and former lawmakers said that they will take part in the rally held at the Iradah Square to protest against the decision to review the five-constituency electoral system.

The opposition bloc is hopeful of mobilizing a large number of participants despite rifts emerging within its ranks.

The calls made by some opposition bloc lawmakers to push for demands to include the election of the government and the promulgation of political parties were rejected by other opposition groups, mainly those allied with powerful tribes. The divergent positions are likely to compound the delicate political situation in the country.

The National Democratic Alliance said that it will not participate in the protest.

Khalid Al Khalid, Secretary-General, said that the timing of the proposed demonstration was inappropriate and asked people to wait for the court’s verdict. A claim that the Kuwait Trade Union Federation (KTUF) planned to launch comprehensive strikes if the electoral constituencies were amended was denied by the labor organization on Friday. The union is non-political and only organizes action, it said in a statement as the war of words between those who support street tactics and opponents escalated.

The Cabinet on August 15, referred

the electoral law endorsed in 2006 to the Constitutional Court, requesting its view on the constitutionality of Articles 1 and 2 related to the five-constituency system and the number of candidates each voter can elect. The government argued that the arrangement was unfair to the constituencies and that it should be amended to ensure democratic practices and the representation of all sectors and groups in the Parliament.

The move by the Cabinet comes in the heels of a ruling by the court in June to dissolve the 2009 parliament and to call for new elections in February were unconstitutional. The decision that in effect dissolved the 2012 parliament and reinstated the former legislative body sparked a controversy in the country, and eventually resulted in a bitter political standoff that has led to a constitutional vacuum. The 2009 parliament could not convene despite two attempts made by its speaker, and the newlyformed government has not been able to swear-in. The government justified its decision to consult the constitutional court to ensure there are no constitutional or legal loopholes that could be used against constitutional institutions following months of bickering that have stalled several national projects.

However, the opposition charged that the government wanted to change the number of the constituencies to ensure greater support from lawmakers and avoid a repeat of the February elections dominated by MPs affiliated with tribes and Islamists. The constitutional court is set to start looking into the case on Sept 5.

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad AlHmoud Al-Sabah is seen receiving Masters and PhD thesis about a comparative study done between Egyptian and Kuwaiti laws, presented by new graduate Col Saad Al-Merri at the minister’s office yesterday morning.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

LOCAL

Ten injured in road accidents

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Loida being discharged from an ambulance at Kuwait International Airport. —Photos by Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Loida is seen here with her employer, extreme left, and some TROPA officers, just before leaving Kuwait on Sunday evening.

‘Let her die in hospital’ Filipina patient reunited with her family Kuwait Patient Helping Fund takes initiative

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Eight months after suffering a severe stroke, a Filipina patient, whose story appeared in the Kuwait Times last month, is now reunited with her family.

Loida Lai Dang Aeon’s (Dang-Awen) story captured the heart of many as she endured a heartbreaking battle after a severe stroke, coupled with unfriendly remarks by two Philippine embassy officials here who allegedly said to ‘let her die in hospital’; as the cost of repatriating a dead body is far cheaper than a bedridden one. The sad remark was denied, although her employer, who quoted the officials, said she would stand by her claim, submitting a twopage affidavit — a copy of which was given to the Kuwait Times.

Earlier, her employer submitted an appeal for assistance to the Philippine Embassy and also to government agencies back in Manila for help, since she admitted to having no job to shoulder the expensive costs of repatriating Loida. Her pleas for assistance have until now received no response. Loida at that time needed around KD4000 for her repatriation, but instead of extending

help, the embassy personnel allegedly told the employer to ‘let Loida die in hospital’ since the cost of repatriating a dead body is cheaper.

However, the employer did not stop appealing for help from various charitable organizations here. Filipino organizations also expressed a desire to help raise the amount, one of them being the True Oversea Pinoy Association ( TROPA). But even before they could raise the amount, the ‘Kuwait Patient Helping Fund’ took the initiative to shoulder the entire cost of repatriating Loida.

The money for Loida was approved

by Kuwait Patient Helping Fund in early August. “It was an answered prayer for Loida and her family. We at TROPA pray for her immediate recovery,” said Carlito Galaus, TROPA Vice President, who headed the fund drive initiative even before Kuwait Helping Fund shouldered the cost. He told Kuwait Times they were fully prepared to raise the amount in order for Loida to be reunited with her family. “When we read the news in Kuwait Times, we were all moved and ready to help in whatever way we could.

But when we heard about Kuwait

Helping Fund shouldering the entire cost, it was good news, so the initial amount which we already collected was also given to Loida. We had collected KD170 in just a few days, and it was mostly donations from our members and friends,” Galaus added.

Loida, who is from Abra, Philippines, suffered a severe stroke on January 25, 2012. She was admitted to Al-Amiri Hospital but was eventually shifted to Ibn Sina Hospital for an emergency decompressive craniotomy and was operated on for the second time the following day. Loida has recovered from the surgeries, but still is not able to talk.

She could only respond by smiling, and if requested could wave her right hand, although her left hand remains unresponsive.

She is no longer paralyzed. In fact, the initial KD4000 cost of repatriation was reduced to only a few hundred.

Loida was sent to the airport by ambulance from Ibn Sina Hospital on Sunday evening. Since she is still a patient and could not move her body alone, doctors advised her employer to send her with an assistant. Loida’s face seemed to convey great excitement while being trans-

KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received yesterday a delegation of the family of Kuwaiti citizen Issam Al-Houti, who was abducted in Lebanon on Saturday. Sheikh Sabah briefed the delegation about the Kuwaiti government and Foreign Ministry efforts to guarantee the safe release of Al-Houti. The meeting was attended by senior officials at the Foreign Ministry.

Philippines to phase out migration of domestic workers DUBAI: The Philippines government plans to stop the migration of domestic workers overseas in a bid to protect its people from abuses, UAE daily The National reported yesterday.

The move, which aims to provide alternative employment in the Philippines and other approved countries, is likely to affect about 180 nations. Of the 96,583 Filipinos who went abroad to work as domestic staff in 2010, more than half migrated to Arabian Gulf states, the report added.

Hong Kong received the most with 28,602, but Kuwait was the second highest destination with 21,554, the UAE with 13,184, Saudi Arabia 11,582 and Qatar 9,937, according to The National.

The report did not disclose which countries would be targeted in the five-year phase-out plan, which is likely to ready by the end of the year.

The UAE chapter of the migrant rights group Migrante has welcomed the move, adding that it felt the five -year period was ‘long overdue.’ Karen Tanedo, the group’s chairperson, told The National, “The procedures should be laid down properly to the HSWs [home service workers] who will be directly affected.”

“Plans must be disclosed to answer the real root cause of the programme, which is poverty.”

But not everyone approves of the plan. Lito Soriano, chief executive of LBS Recruitment Solutions in Manila, said many Filipino women were left with no choice but to find work overseas in order to feed their families.

“It will not work,” he said. “Filipinos will still leave the countr y and will be among those who are

undocumented or did not go through the overseas employment administration.” The Philippines would not be the first country to make such a move.

In 2011, Indonesia stopped the migration of domestic workers to Saudi Arabia after the execution of Indonesian maid Ruyati binti Sapubi, who stabbed her employer to death after years of abuse.

Lebanese PM calls for stricter security control BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati urged here yesterday to tighten control over the security situation in the city of Tripoli and enable investigations to uncover the truth of kidnappings that took place recently.

This came during a series of meetings held by Miqati with security officials, in which the situation in the city of Tripoli in north Lebanon and the series of kidnappings that occurred in the country in recent weeks.

The premier asked competent security agencies to intensify their investigations to uncover the circumstances of these incidents and ensure release of the hostages as soon as possible.

Miqati was also briefed by the commander of the armed forces on stages completed by the Lebanese army in the implementation of the overall security plan in Tripoli to stop the clashes between the areas of Bab Al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsin, calling for stricter control of the situation and arrest all violators.—KUNA

ferred from the ambulance to a wheelchair. But as to whether it was her real feelings, we don’t know, as she could not speak.

Casley Watamama, a Kuwait-based Philippine Overseas Labor Office personnel, was seen at the airport assisting Loida. He was advised to do so by Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait David Des Dicang, who assisted Loida through the immigration processing.

Dicang also promised assistance would be provided by OWWA and POLO personnel at the airport in Manila once they arrived. “Loida will be treated with the utmost care. We already informed the central office back in Manila about Loida’s arrival and they are expecting her tomorrow [yesterday]. She will be assisted and they are going to meet with her family,” Dicang told Kuwait Times.

Loida’s employer, who helped her from day one up until her final day in Kuwait, said: “I am very delighted to see her face happy. I did my best for her and I hope that she’ll be fine in Manila now that she is with her family. I will be sending some of the medicines she needs as soon as possible,” the employer noted.

KUWAIT: A 25-year-old Indian expat was trying to cross Istiqlal Street opposite Bneid Al-Gar when a passing car struck him, breaking his right leg. He was taken to Amiri Hospital.

A 27-year-old Egyptian expat was crossing Airport Road opposite Farwaniya when a passing car struck him, causing severe head injuries. He was rushed to Farwaniya hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit.

A car accident on the Arabian Gulf Road opposite McDonalds caused a 33- year- old Indian expat to suffer a broken neck. He was taken to Mubarak Hospital. A car accident occurred on the Fahaheel Express Way near Hadi Hospital. The accident left an 18- year- old Kuwaiti man with facial injuries, while a 19 year old Kuwaiti man broke his leg.

A car accident on King Fahad Road near the Nowaiseeb border resulted in a broken hand and elbow for a 24 year old Saudi man. He was taken to Al-Adan Hospital.

A car accident occurred on Fahaheel Expressway before the Al-Maseelah bridge, where a 30-year-old Egyptian man was taken to Al-Adan Hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit due to a head injury sustained in the crash.

A car accident on the Sixth Ring Road opposite Al-Dhajeej resulted in pain in the back for a 19year-old Kuwaiti man and a broken shoulder for a 24-year-old Kuwaiti man. Both were taken to Farwaniya Hospital. A 55-year-old Indian expat was crossing the road at the intersection of Al-Mubarak and Ahmad Al-Jabar Street when a passing car struck him, causing several injuries.

Infected livestock shipment rejected KUWAIT: A shipment carrying some 62,000 diseased sheep was returned to Australia after the discovery of the Pustular Stomatitis disease, which infected the livestock, a Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources official said.

“The PAAAFR made the final decision, given the fact that the disease is classified as category ‘A’ by the World Organization for Animal Health due to its serious damage to the health of animals and humans”, Public Relations Manager Shaker Awadh told Al-Rai daily.

Kuwait was notified of the tainted shipment by Bahraini officials who had previously rejected the shipment and were supposed to have unloaded the tainted cargo, before allowing it to continue on to Kuwait. The communication between the two nations came as part of a standing coordination between Gulf Cooperation Council countries regarding animal resources. (Rai) Al-Qabas Daily meanwhile quoted “informed sources” who indicated that the PAAAFR was subjected to pressure from the company that imported the shipment in order to allow it into Kuwait.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

The column

‘Poverty’ with high salaries

Back to business, maybe!

By Thar Al-Rashidi

O

n March 26, 2009 I wrote an article entitled “Government is responsible for the existence of bogus poorness.” I mentioned in that article that the phrase “bogus poorness”, which I used, is a concept that I don’t think exists scientifically. But I used it because I did not find any other phrase that describes the state of poverty which Kuwaitis experience, even with their high salaries.

I said in the article, “bogus poorness” occurs when a Kuwaiti man’s salary is KD 1200, yet he cannot reach the 10th day of the month from the date he receives his salary without finding his balance has fallen to KD 10, which is all the money that remains for him. To be more precise, I mentioned that bogus poorness is the state in which the salary of the Kuwaiti man is equivalent to $3600, and in spite of that he cannot buy a house until he announces the ending his state of poorness and gives up half of his salary in order to purchase his dream house, and divides the amount over 15 years with interest, which is equivalent to the original loan, while the concerned parties maintain complete silence.

I continued by saying that bogus poorness is when the salary in your country does not cover your necessary commitments, and unnecessary ones, as well as state fees, traffic citations and school costs, and as you finish paying some fees, you enter into others, such as school, Ramadan, Eids... etc, and on every occasion traders attack you and take your money after selling you what is worth KD 3 at a cost of KD 120.

All this happens while supervision is absent, and if this happened in a country that knows how to protect consumers, then seasons and Eids would cause no problem. Otherwise, how could Christmas in UK and other places become a season with merchandise on sale, while holidays here in Kuwait are a season for hiking prices?

I spoke in my article about housing applications which have become more than the average citizen can bear, and the exaggerated rent increases in 2009, which ate up half of a citizen’s income, if he hoped to live half decently.

I gave as proof that Kuwaitis started to fall under the poverty line in their country, and yesterday Al Rai daily published a report by our colleague Anwar Al Fikr based on international and local reports issued by the Kuwait statistics department, which proves what I mentioned three years ago. Al Fkir wrote in his report that the purchasing power of the Kuwaiti dinar in 2012 is equivalent to KD 0.650 in 2007, and he linked this to consumer indicators which pointed to the increase of the prices of foodstuffs over a small period to record limits and the increase of educational and health services by 3.9%.

The report also mentioned, according to statistics, that the share of a family consisting of five individuals is KD 3700 monthly from the national income, which I also raised in an earlier article on March 12, 2012. The article was entitled “Logical salary for a Kuwaiti citizen is KD 3666 monthly,” after making complicated calculations about the national income and number of people, as per simple arithmetic logic. All those facts prove that government, or let us say previous governments, were all directly or indirectly working to push us deeper under the poverty line, in spite of the richness which we are supposed to be living in.

Note: Kuwaitis are rich in name only. — Al-Anbaa

By Fouad Al-Obaid

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

I kuwait digest

Practicing what they preach against

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

T

he opposition and their supporters refuse to be accused of dishonesty, despite the fact the best thing they can do is lie and fail to live up to their promises. The main proof of that is their desperate attempts to insist that they are united on all main issues, despite the fact that the only thing they seem to agree unanimously on is their extreme hostility towards the former prime minister.

Months before the 2012 elections, the opposition launched a campaign called ‘anything but the constitution’ against a proposal by MP Ali Al-Rashid to carry out partial amendments to some articles of the constitution. Al-Rashid’s proposal aimed to help resolve confrontations between the parliament and cabinet by requiring collective efforts for filing grilling motions, as well as vote of confidence requests by increasing the number of MPs voting to file this request from ten to fifteen. While I personally don’t agree with this amendment, I don’t see the need for the opposition to carry out a huge campaign to claim defense of the constitution against any attempts to change it.

After the 2012 elections, in which the opposition dominated majority seats in the parliament, the ‘anything but the constitution’ motto suddenly disappeared as they revealed plans to introduce amendments that go as far as changing the political system completely through adopting a full parliamentary system and constitutional monarchy. The same goes for constituencies’ amendments, as the opposition gave priority following their victory in the 2012 elections to change the electoral system by adopting a single constituency, political parties and election by-lists.

This clearly demonstrates how the opposition is opportunistic and lacks credibility. Today, they stand against what they describe as “the government’s plan to solely change the constituencies’ system”, simply because they are in a race with them for the same goal. They seek to amend the system in accordance with their own benefits, as potential governmental changes can eliminate their chances of maintaining a majority in the parliament; a place where they can truly tamper with the electoral and constitutional systems.

Of course, the opposition argues that by solely changing the electoral system, the government would be taking away the people’s authority.

However, the same opposition did nothing when the government changed the electoral system in 1981 to help them politically. Ahmad Al-Saadoun, himself, as well as the same religious and tribal lawmakers, failed to say a word when the system was changed, because it gave them an advantage ahead of National Movements. That’s why the opposition is scared that the government plans to do the same thing again this year; only this time to eliminate them.

The 2009 parliament, which was legally elected by the Kuwaiti people, was initially dissolved following public pressure led by the opposition and highlighted by mass demonstrations in Iradah Square. On the other hand, the correct scenario as per the constitution calls for the change to come from the parliament through a non-cooperation motion, based on which the dissolution takes place. This is yet another perfect example of how the opposition practices what they preach against. — Al-Qabas

In my view

kuwait digest

A dialogue for unity

Provocative statements

By Ahmad Abdulaziz

By Mubarak Shafi Al-Hajri

D

uring the 1980s, cartoonist Ali Farzat drew a two-part cartoon: The first shows a man feeding a small “dhab” (a type of lizard native to the Arab peninsula), then in the second part the “dhab” grows bigger and ate the man!

Speaker of Iran’s Shoora Council Ali Larijani made several provocative and adversarial statements towards the Gulf countries that he did not apologize for, nor has he denied them. The Gulf people know that he is not speaking for only himself, rather he is working with a complete band that has old plans, known to those who read history very well.

In his latest statement, which was denied on his behalf by Kuwait’s ambassador Majdi Al-Dhafiri, he said “If Syria falls today, it means Kuwait will fall tomorrow and you should understand it any way you want.”

This statement was on Al-Manar Iranian T V Channel, which is broadcast from Lebanon and Iran and financed by the Iranian Republic and the Lebanese Hizbullah. It was a recorded statement the TV presenter relayed while Larigjani was speaking!

The channel did not deny the statement and did not apologize for it, despite Al-Dhafiri’s denial. All of the above may not be important, but what is important is the stand of the annulled MP Abdelhameed Dashti who said, “Some MPs went too far with their rude attacks against neighboring Iran, and making threats without justification after denying the statements.” Abdelhameed went on to say that he considered their statements a declaration of war.

Dashti, who was appointed secretary general of the general congress for helping the people of Bahrain, said all of this during the meetings broadcast in the media and social sites. Dashti, who said that he collected millions to support the Syrian regime in the face of the Syrian people’s revolution, said he also wishes for the removal of the Saudi regime during one of his gatherings in Bahrain. It is hard to believe that he is allowed to make these provocative statements, coupled with his accusations against the nation’s MPs, and that they should declare war against the eternal neighbor Iran, as he describes it. Larijani says: “Understand it the way you want! And I say after Dashti’s accusations of MPs: We understood it, and to Ambassador Majdi AlDhafiri: Relax! The Dhab is big now.” —Al-Watan

P

robably the single major achievement of the Islamic Solidarity Summit that concluded recently in Makkah is the recognition of the present pitiable conditions of the Muslim Ummah.

It was pointed out at the summit that Islamic nations make almost one-fourth of world’s population, and yet lack any type of political clout in world affairs - international politics, economics or culture.

Acknowledgement of the problem is the first step toward solving it. The Muslim world holds strategic geopolitical position, possesses natural resources and rich culture which together can ensure the progress of a nation and enable it to wield influence in world affairs, but unfortunately these don’t seem to have catapulted the Muslim world to a position of influence. Obviously, the primary cause of this condition is the lack of unity among Muslim countries, which hampers coordination and cooperation among them that could have been used for mutual benefits.

Although the reasons for the disunity were known, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah courageously pointed out that sectarian differences among the Muslims that take the form of sedition in some cases prevent Muslim unity.

Although King Abdullah’s call for unity serves the interests of Saudi Arabia, it is also in the interest of Muslim countries because the Ummah can only develop, progress and ultimately become influential on the world stage if they become united. Hence, King Abdullah called for a dialogue to

iron out sectarian differences among the Muslims.

Apparently, dialogue is meant among Sunni and Shiite Muslims represented by Iran and this is the most prudent and acceptable way to end differences. Indicators show that no country can have the upper hand in Middle East militarily or economically.

There are several reasons for that. Firstly, the conventional superpowers as well as the rest of the world will oppose the dominance of any regional country in the Middle East as they have a geopolitical interest in the area.

Secondly, there are viable preventive means available at the disposal of countries in the region to resist the dominance of any state.

Thirdly, the possible possession of a nuclear deterrence by any country in this region would not make it a superpower capable of sustaining the dominance of any type.

Middle East countries are geographically and culturally inseparable. For example, when the Iranian revolution took place in 1979, Sunnis overwhelmingly welcomed it.

Khomeini despite being a Shiite leader was hailed by the Sunnis. In fact, it was neither the Iranian theocratic ideology nor its revolutionary ideas that resonated among the Sunnis rather it was the Muslim Ummah idea in the broader sense that Khomeini claimed to actualize.

Building on this, one can say that the issue of Sunni and nonSunni did not exit in the minds of the Muslims, specifically the Sunni majority before and after the

Iranian revolution. This is because Sunnis did not separate Iran geographically and culturally from the region by considering it as a foreign element.

Also, it wouldn’t have been possible for Iran to exert influence on some countries in the region without the belief among Sunnis that Iran is geographically and culturally part of the region.

The same thing could be said about any Muslim country. For instance, Turkey had chosen to take the secular path and sought to be a member of the European Union. However, neither Turkey could have dropped its Islamic identity nor Europe could have forgotten this identity. It remained a Muslim country and turned back to its Islamic roots.

By walking alone, Turkey only grew stronger. As a result, though it is not an oil-producing country, it has become one of the greatest economies of the world. With Greek, Spain and other European countries in turmoil, one wonders what would have happened to its economy now had Turkey been a member of the EU? Islamic unity is the only path for the Ummah and its future is tied up with it. The overarching objective of the Islamic dialogue ought to be tolerance and coexistence. Respect of all faiths and human dignity should be the guiding principles for Muslims in their behaviors and interactions with others. This can be achieved by finding common ground in beliefs and practices and by limiting our differences. Publicly, we should not show disrespect or attack others’ religious beliefs.

t has been a week since the end of Ramadan, and the very gluttonous festivity of Eid. Yet it seems like yesterday that we were all living under the impression of a pious time. No sooner the devils - religious belief that demons are locked up during the month of Ramadan - released, people seem to be going back to their old ways: good and bad! More importantly, I believe that now is a time for reflection on the events that are unraveling.

August has been a month of bloodshed in Syria; blood that is spilling out over to beloved Lebanon, making the matter worse, families are now on hostage hunts. A fellow national leader and his wife are believed to be in captivity as we speak as leverage for a conflict that seems to be prolonging, with it, an increase in hostility between various religious sects.

The dangers if not clear, ought to be. When religion gets into a conflict as per history, it tends to last for decades if not centuries!

Closer to home, in Kuwait a new wave of political mongering is about to begin, now that Ramadan is over, it is time to focus on more ‘temporal’ matters.

Without clearly knowing whether we have a Parliament, and a government unable to hastily take decisions, the political vacuum is keen to the current state of affairs - limbo. Will we pass this phase and move on to the next one? Or, will the abyss of chaos linger on for many more lunar months making us journalists busy narrating and commenting on the events to fore come?

Either way, the trend these days seems to be of secular nature, an interesting article published on Aug 19, 2012, in The National - a UAE based English newspaper titled ‘Are Gulf youths increasingly drawn to Atheism?’

It is a very interesting question to answer; one that I have attempted to think about from a rational point of view. Are people drawn to atheism out of hatred of religion in an act of rebellion, or are they simply no longer credulous?

If one is to answer the question with the first proposition in mind, it would put the increasing number of supposedly atheist ‘Gulfies’ in a basket of rebellion, not too dissimilar from teenagers who have mood swings.

Alternatively, and more dangerous to the religious establishment in the region would be the increasing number of educated young adults that for the first time are able to extensively travel in mass; are tech savvy, and are able to communicated their ideas with peers all over the world.

The later, would be individuals who veer towards Atheism and Agnosticism not out of a desire to rebel, but according to several accounts, due to an awakening that has brought about many question, with little coherent answers to fill their intellectual void with!

Regardless, it leads me to a fascinating question that has lingered; the notion of the ‘Euthyphro dilemma’ whereby Socrates asks the following question: “Is the pious loved by God because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by God?” What the question is attempting to answer is whether as humans we ought to be good because it is the highest norm that we human should aspire to, or it is okay to act good waiting for a reward that would be delivered to us should we forgo our predisposition to do evil. In a sense, does God reward our deepest intention when they are pure, or is it our actions that are judged regardless of our inner purity?

kuwait digest

McDonald’s House

By Mohammad Al-Sabti

A

friend of mine told me a story about his recent trip to the United States where his daughter was to receive medical treatment.

After the doctor’s diagnoses, my friend noticed a hotel nearby called the Ronald McDonald House and decided to stay in it, along with his wife and two boys, after learning that it was built to providing a place to stay for families of sick children receiving treatment at that hospital.

“After checking with the hotel, I learned that my family could stay in a 2-bedroom apartment with full hotel services for only $5 a day”, my friend tells me, explaining that he stayed for nearly his daughter’s entire five month treatment period. During that time, the family enjoyed high quality room service, including access to refrigerators loaded with all kinds of food and desserts, as well as other generous touches, such as finding toys left every morning at the door step for their children.

Furthermore, a local company or family nearby would host a dinner party every week for the children in the hospital and their families. “All that for five bucks a day. And every time I would go to pay, I was told that I could request to stay at no cost if I wasn’t able to make the payment”, my friend adds.

This hotel is operated by the McDonald’s food chain company, and I’m not sure whether it is funded by the company’s income or donations people leave at the restaurant’s outlets. I’m not trying to make an advertisement for McDonald’s - not that they need one - and I realize the negative effects of bad food on our society, but I wanted to mention this story in order to demonstrate the importance of social solidarity and the role that companies play in helping people and improving societies. — Al-Rai

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

local

Internet ‘important tool’ in hands of job seekers Hiring Management in the MENA

LONDON: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah arrived here yesterday on a private visit. HH the Amir is accompanied by Deputy Chief of the National Guards Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. HH the Amir was greeted upon arrival at the airport

by Sheikh Shamlan Abdulaziz Al-Sabah and Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United Kingdom Khalid Abdulaziz Al-Duwaisan.

KUWAIT: Fatemah Al-Sabah, senior manager at Gulf Bank receiving the awards from 3rd Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards representatives.

Gulf Bank bags two awards KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced that it has won the ‘Best HR Strategy in line with Business’ and ‘Excellence in Training’ awards at the Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards ceremony held in Singapore. The Bank received the awards at a gala dinner, which was attended by guests from prestigious regional and international organizations and financial institutions.

The Bank won the award for ‘Best HR Strategy in line with Business’ for the success of its HR strategy and its delivery by the Bank’s HR team. The ‘Excellence in Training’ award was in acknowledgement of Gulf Bank’s exceptional commitment and effort in developing employees’ skills to help them provide excellent customer service and achieve increased customer satisfaction.

Fatemah Al-Sabah, Senior Manager, HR who received the awards at the ceremony on behalf of the Bank, said, “We are very proud to receive these prestigious awards from the Asia’s Best Brands Awards committee. This recognition is a further endorsement of our efforts to give our employees the support and resources they need to develop their skills on all professional levels.

“Gulf Bank has always believed in an HR policy that measures consistent improvement through organizational health and which actively encourages its employees to learn new skills to assist the Bank in achieving its business objectives. We value teamwork and empowerment and we will continue to focus on these aspects as we work with our employees in developing their knowledge and abilities. On behalf of Gulf Bank, I would like to thank the judging panel for their selection of Gulf Bank as this year’s winner of ‘Best HR Strategy in line with Business’ and ‘Excellence in Training’ awards.” The Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards are made annually and are hosted by Employer Branding Institute; World HRD Congress and Stars of the Industry Group, with CMO Asia as a Strategic Partner and Endorsed by Asian Confederation of Businesses.

Kuwaiti pavilion shines in Venice VENICE: The idea of the Kuwaiti pavilion stood out at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition (La Biennale di Venezia). The pavilion’s project was executed by a team of artists and architects, led by young Kuwaiti architect Zahra Ali Baba, and sponsored by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL).

All visitors of the ‘Kathra’ project in the Kuwaiti pavilion, were astonished by the essence of the idea, as the name ‘Kathra’ (Arabic for abundance), manifests the project’s two main horizontal and ground dimensions that have overlapped schemes of urban architectural developments in Kuwait over the decades on their surface.

The architectural project includes Mosaic columns that showcased the interactional aspects in the Kuwaiti society, depicting a pictorial map of cultural and social connections through urban architectural growth.

Curator Ali Baba said that the purpose of using the term ‘Kathra’ is to highlight an important aspect of excessive exuberance phenomenon in a prosperous society and its impact on social relations and human interactions in Kuwait.

On his part, General Coordinator and observer of bilateral foreign relations Mohammad Redha said that ‘Kathra’ expresses the Kuwaiti vision, which reflects the need for expanding urban architectural and cultural ideas to combine the concepts of heritage conservation and interaction with the current reality.—KUNA

DUBAI: According to a recent ‘Hiring Management in the MENA’ poll conducted by Bayt.com the Internet today is the most important tool in the hands of a job seeker when it comes to recruitment. In fact, the simple act of establishing an online profile is crucial for candidates seeking senior executive and management roles. Not only is the Internet the medium of choice for 50 percent of employers seeking potential hires, but 84 percent will take the time to research candidates online before making a final decision.

“Creating an online presence is now more essential than ever,” said Suhail Masri, Vice President of Sales, Bayt.com. “ The world is turning increasingly to the internet as a comprehensive source for employment needs. Bayt.com provides the tools job seekers need to boost their online presence, to give them the best possible chance at gaining employment.”

Masri added, “ With the wide spread popularity of social media, it is especially important that candidates monitor their internet presence by ensuring that they have a professional presence on the Web that employers can find quickly when they search for them. With more than eight out of 10 employers taking the time to search the Internet to find out more about their potential hires, maintaining a savory, professional online profile could be

the key to securing - or losing - a job.

That is why we rolled out Bayt.com’s Public Profiles platform last year: Bayt.com professionals can comfortably and easily create a professional online presence today that is targeted towards the region’s employers.”

Employers state that sourcing relevant candidates is one of the biggest challenges faced when hiring for senior executives and management positions (according to 29.2 percent of the poll’s respondents). This would suggest that the chances of employment are higher for candidates who have a prominent online presence, as they have more opportunity to stand out from the competition and get seen and contacted by top employers. In terms of what employers are looking for in senior executives and management candidates, one third of the poll’s respondents (34 percent) placed the most value in leadership and management skills. However, a candidate with technical excellence and industry knowledge is also considered highly attractive. The majority of employers (37.5 percent) prefer to have a well-rounded candidate who can satisfy the above -mentioned criteria in addition to several more, such as a track record of innovation, being a good cultural fit, as well as the quality and quantity of their relationships.

“Bayt.com has been catering to the online recruitment of managerial and senior executive professionals

since the jobsite’s inception in 2000 and more than 69 percent of Bayt.com’s community of over 8.5 million professionals today is comprised of mid-career, management and senior executive talent,” added Masri. “Bayt.com’s managerial professional talent pool includes seasoned practitioners and senior executive management talent from all the region’s hot growth industries including banking and financial services professionals, construction industry professionals, oil and gas industry professionals, IT industry professionals, hospitality industry professionals and senior management across the industry spectrum in sales, marketing, engineering, teaching, medical, manufacturing, design and other roles. Our InstantMatch tool is designed to give employers access to the best technology available when it comes to selecting the ideal candidate from such a large pool of choice.

Bayt.com employers benefit from the winning combination of unprecedented levels of choice with powerful search and screening technology to find the most relevant and attractive CVs in the easiest and most effective and expedient manner.”

According to the Bayt.com poll, choosing candidates from within the same industry is preferred by nearly eight out of 10 employers (77.3 percent), while 42.2 percent would prefer to fill their top-level positions with promotions from within of their

current employees. With more than half of the poll’s respondents (50.8 percent) claiming that their company has a clear management track, the potential for career growth within the same company in the MENA region is relatively high.

In terms of the actual recruitment process, 56 percent of poll respondents claim that it differs significantly when hiring senior executives to juniors. Six out of 10 employers (62 percent) are unhappy with their company’s process for hiring top level employees, and the process itself can take up to three months (according to 68.4 percent of respondents). In 18 percent of hiring situations, coming to a hiring can take six months or more. Once hired, however, senior executives and management are considered to be more stable than junior employees according to 63.2 percent of the poll respondents.

This could be because 45.1 percent of employees in those roles consider it gets harder to change jobs as you rise up the career ranks. Given that the majority of employers (31.1 percent) are currently predominantly hiring junior executives, this might be the right assumption.

Data for the Bayt.com Hiring Management in the MENA poll was collected online from June 21 to Aug 22, 2012, with 6,665 respondents covering more than 12 countries in the MENA region.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

LOCAL

Russian journalist found dead in Salwa apartment Foul play suspected KUWAIT: Investigations are ongoing to determine whether foul play was involved in the death of a Russian journalist, whose body was found in a Salwa apartment on Sunday. Police, accompanied by paramedics and criminal investigators, reported to the man’s house following an emergency call from his housekeeper, who found him lying unconscious in a pool of blood. The man, identified as a Russian news editor in his sixties, was pronounced dead on the scene. Several imported liquor bottles were found in the house. Preliminary investigations indicate that the man could have bled to death after falling and passing out. In the meantime, investigations are still ongoing in search of evidence of foul play that could have led to the fatal injuries. A case filed for the incident has yet to be classified pending the autopsy report.

Armed suspect A search is ongoing for two suspects who reportedly followed a Kuwaiti man in AlFaiha’a and threatened him with a firearm.

The suspects escaped after following the man to the area’s police station, where the man had headed to report the threat to police. In his statement to police, the man explained that one of the suspects pointed a gun at him while he was stopped at a traffic light, then they continued following him when the light turned green. They eventually managed to force him to stop his car near the police sta-

tion, after he collided with a tree while trying to escape. Soon afterwards the armed men stepped out of their car and again approached the man. The suspects escaped moments later when officers came out of the police station to investigate the source of the noise. A case was filed after the man explained the story to officers. Officers searched the surrounding area but were unable to find the suspects.

Suicide attempt A domestic worker was hospitalized with serious injuries after jumping out of a window in an apparent suicide attempt. The Asian woman was transferred to the Al-Razi orthopedic hospital after being diagnosed with multiple broken bones at the Mubarak Hospital. Preliminary investigations indicate that the maid jumped from the window of her employer’s apartment in Salwa. Police are waiting for her condition to stabilize to better understand her motives.

A newly appointed bank employee pressed charges against her supervisor, who she says had sexually harassed her during her first day of work. In her statements to officers, the Jordanian woman explained to officers that her colleague, who was assigned to train her, asked her to accompany him to the file room, where he harassed her before she escaped. A case was filed for investigation.

Coworkers row A search is underway for a female employee from the Kuwait Municipality and her male companion, who physically assaulted her manager when she called the male companion for help following a dispute. The manager had reportedly summoned the newly appointed employee when he learned that she had parked her car in his parking space and removed the sign that marked it.

Following a heated argument, the woman reportedly made a phone call, soon after which a man arrived and struck the manager, before he and the employee escaped. The manager filed a case with Salmiya police after receiving treatment.

Costly mistake Fintas police station officers are carrying out investigations to arrest a young man who reportedly threatened a female citizen with scandal if she didn’t comply with his sexual demands, after she accidentally sent a private photo to his phone. The 26-year-old Kuwaiti woman reportedly realized her mistake after a stranger called her and invited her to an apartment in order to have an illegal relationship. He added that he obtained her phone number after receiving her picture, which she intended to send to her cousin. She filed a case with police after he refused to delete her picture and assaulted her verbally when she called again. — Al-Rai, Al-Anba

KUWAIT: The drug traders pictured after their arrest yesterday.

Two drug peddlers arrested

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The General Department for Drug Control(GDDC) arrested an expat for being in possession of seven kilograms of drugs. Police were tipped about the activities of an unemployed expat residing illegally, but was actively peddling the contraband. After confirming the information, he was arrested in a flat that he had rented to be used as a warehouse for storing drugs. Police confiscated four kilograms of hashish and three kilograms of opium, some heroin and other types of drugs. He admitted to trading in drugs and smuggling them

from outside Kuwait. He was referred to the concerned department.

In other news, police from GDDC arrested an Arab expat after finding 2,402 drug pills (Tramadol drugs) in his possession. Information was received about his illegal activities. The 31-yearold Arab national was caught after being trapped by an undercover agent. He struck a deal with suspect to buy some Tramadol pills. He was caught at the time of the contraband’s delivery. Police then searched his place of residence and found 2,402 pills and a thermal nylon equipment to seal bags. He was referred to higher authorities.

13,000 drug-related convictions, 71 death sentences in 10 years KUWAIT: More than 13,000 individuals were convicted in drug-related crimes during the past decade in Kuwait. Also, 71 death penalties were issued, while 711 life imprisonment verdicts were passed.

These figures were published by Al-Qabas yesterday, quoting statistics released by the Ministry of Justice about drug crimes in Kuwait during the period from 2001 to 2010.

The statistics show that out of 13,694 suspects arrested in 8,937 drug trade or abuse cases filed during that period, 7,894 of them (or 50 percent) are citizens. The report also indicates that 6,061 suspects were also sentenced to different jail terms.

The statistics were compiled as part of a study prepared by the ministry’s Statistic and Research Department. It concluded that drug cases are “continuously increasing” in Kuwait, which in turn increases criminal activities related to it such as thefts and money laundering.

The study suggests “tougher penalties” as a method by which the government tackles the spread of drug crimes, especially trafficking.

Task force raids cafes, haj offices KUWAIT: MP Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash launched a campaign to collect donations for victims of violence in Syria, as well as the Free Syria Army to buy arms. The campaign is a joint project with several other lawmakers, including Faisal Al-Mislem, Mubarak Al-Waalan and Waleed Al-Tabtabaei. —Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

95% KAC flights after Ramadan booked KUWAIT: Kuwait Air ways Corporation (KAC) Regional Director Bader Al-Amiri said yesterday that 95 percent of seats are booked during the second half of the summer season following the Holy month of

Ramadan heading to the Middle East, Europe, and New York.

He added in press remarks, that KAC is keen to offer all possible services and facilities to its passengers. KAC flights heading to Makkah

during Ramadan were sought by 14,000 pilgrims, with 90 percent of seats booked.

This is an increase of 12 percent compared to 2011, the statement said. —KUNA

NBK launches health awareness program among employees KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) launched its annual health awareness program among its employees. The program aims to increase employees’ awareness to avoid health problems and includes breast cancer awareness, blood donation campaign, dental checkup as well as many health initiatives.

The health awareness program comes as part of a comprehensive agenda aiming at building up a healthy lifestyle among NBK employees focusing on raising awareness on serious health threats. The breast cancer awareness aims at protecting female staff against breast cancer by encouraging them to go through medical checkups.

The blood donation campaign is a commitment towards all patients who are in dire need of blood, and is held to support the mobile blood unit of the Blood Bank. The program is held under the supervision and direction of dietitians and specialized doctors who constantly follow up with the employees and monitor their progress.

NBK strongly supports health care awareness.

Throughout the years, NBK also organized several social awareness programs including blood donation drives and breast cancer awareness campaigns.

Iran keen to take initiative on solving Syrian conflict DAMASCUS: Iran said it intends to host talks between the Syrian government and the opposition and to form its own “contact group” of 30 nations amid aims to solve the political unrest in the Arab country.

“As Syrian authorities have agreed to this, we can start pratical procedures in this respect, accordingly,” Iran’s Shura Council Foreign Security and Political Committee chief Alaa Al-Din Brojerdi said, upon his departure from Damascus after having met several senior Syrian officials.

“There are a number of opposition groups that have announced readiness to attend such dialogue,” he added.

Iran is also proposing hosting an international parliamentary conference to discuss the matter, according to the lawmaker, who added that opposition groups were also welcome to attend such talks.

A proposal by Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi calling for a four-point meeting on Syria between his country along with Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey - was also welcome by the Iranian official. He however stressed Iran’s reservation that the proposal was at an initial stage, pending a meeting between Morsi and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran later this week, and that any such talks should include the Syrian government as a conferring side, “otherwise they will not see the light.”

Brojerdi reiterated his country’s objection to the suspension of Syria as a member of both the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. He also noted to the conflicting views on Syria within the Security Council, whereby Russia and China still oppose current international policies taken against the Syrian regime.

“We believe that positive steps have been taken on the matter, including (amendments to) the constitution, the publications law, the party formation law, the annulment of the emergency law and the holding of legislative elections,” he said.

Brojerdi had met Syrian President Bashar AlAssad, his deputy Farouk Al-Shara, Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem and his counterpart Mohammad Jihad Al-Laham during stay in Damascus. —- KUNA

KUWAIT: The Hawally municipality in coordination with Interior Ministry and Kuwait TV raided cafes and Haj offices. The Public Relations Department at the Municipality stated that the campaign aims to enforce the law banning infringement upon spaces that lie in front of the premises and to implement Article 149/2006 and not to use public squares without obtaining prior approval from the Municipality.

Abdulaziz Al-Yahya, Director of Administration said that during the campaign, two prefabricated houses which violated haj offices premises were raided.

Warnings were issued earlier but they failed to respond to them.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

Insurgents behead 17 in Afghanistan

Syria mom’s contribution to uprising: Sons, food, shelter Page 8

Page 11

JERUSALEM: Israeli and Palestinian families take turns on a swingset in Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo. — AFP

Zoo offers rare meeting point for Jews, Arabs Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo brings friends, foes together

News

in brief

Dozens feared drowned CAIRO: Egypt yesterday launched search and rescue operations with the help of Libyan coastal authorities after dozens of people were feared drowned when their boat capsized, officials said. Three bodies were recovered and five people plucked alive from the Mediterranean near the maritime border between the two countries, Egyptian security officials said, adding that Libya had alerted Egypt of the disaster. The search for survivors was continuing in the Burdi area, the officials in Cairo said. In Libya, the state news agency Lana reported that the boat was carrying around 40 illegal migrants and capsized off Libya’s east coast near the border with Egypt, with only one passenger surviving the tragedy. “All the migrants who were on board died, except for one person who survived and was able to alert local authorities and inform them of the tragedy,” Lana said, quoting a local official. It was not immediately clear who the passengers of the boat were but they are widely believed to be asylum seekers trying to get to Europe in search of jobs and a better life.

Floods kill 10 in Nigeria KANO: Flooding in eastern Nigeria has killed at least 10 people and displaced an estimated 20,000 following heavy rains and the release of water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon, an official said yesterday.

“The flooding swept away more than 40 villages and killed at least 10 people while many others are still missing,” said Shadrach Daniel, head of the emergency management agency in Nigeria’s Adamawa state, where the flooding occurred. “There are now around 20,000 displaced people sheltering in temporary camps who are in dire need of basic provisions like food, water, clothing and blankets.” He said water was recently released from the Lagdo dam in neighboring Cameroon after officials there warned Nigeria several weeks ago. The opening of the dam led to flooding along the Benue River in Nigeria. “The people along the Benue River were advised to leave but did not heed the warning,” he said. “Thousands of hectares of crops and homes were destroyed in the flooding. We have started a situation assessment to see how best we can assist the affected people.”

Algerian man jailed for funding bomber LONDON: An Algerian national was jailed for seven years by a Scottish court yesterday for funding a man who carried out the first ever suicide bombing in Sweden. Nasserdine Menni was convicted of transferring money to sports therapist Taimour Abdulwahab, who blew up his car and then himself in a botched attack near a busy shopping street in Stockholm on December 11, 2010. Abdulwahab killed himself and injured two people in the bombing. Menni sent a total of £5,725 ($9,044, 7,227 euros) to a bank account in Abdulwahab’s name in the knowledge that it could be used for terrorism purposes, Glasgow High Court heard.Judge Hugh Matthews told Menni: “Funding provides assistance for those who would carry out terrorist acts. “The sentencing of the court must reflect the potential use.” Menni, whose age is not known, was also convicted of fraudulently claiming benefits and pretending to be a Kuwaiti asylum-seeker fleeing persecution in order to stay in Britain. But he was cleared after a 12-week trial of a charge of conspiring to murder members of the Swedish public. The court heard Menni intends to appeal against his conviction.

Abdulwahab, a 29-year-old whose family fled from Iraq to Sweden in 1991, had lived with his wife and three children in Luton, north of London before the botched attack.

JERUSALEM: Gripping the guardrail by a small lake in Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo, six-yearold Zeinab and seven-year-old Tali gaze in fascination at Siamang gibbons swinging from vines and screeching at visitors. After a while, the girls turn away and join their respective families picnicking a few meters from each other on the lawn nearby. The now-sprawling zoo, founded in 1939 when the country was still under British mandate, was set up with the aim of gathering together all the animals mentioned in the Bible. It has also brought together two groups who rarely rub shoulders at recreational sites in the Holy City-Jewish and Arab families.

“Here Jews and Arabs mix, we work together,” said zoo staffer 20-year-old Ulfat Abu Katish who greets visitors with a broad smile at the zoo’s main gate. “We forget politics for a moment, even though each has his own ideas and no one is willing to give them up,” said Katish, in a purple headscarf as well as the dark green t-shirt worn by all employ-

ees at the zoo. Young Zeinab has come with her parents Sherihan and Mohammed Abu Sbitan, from Al-Tur on the Mount of Olives in largely Arab east Jerusalem. And Tali, who lives in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Geula, is with her sister Shira, 16, who is watching over her five younger siblings.

“We do everything to accommodate our Arab visitors. Our explanatory notes are translated into Arabic and many of the zoo staff are Arabs, especially among the guides,” said Sigalit Dvir-Hertz, a spokeswoman for the zoo. Originally set in central Jerusalem, the zoo was founded by the late Aharon Shulov, a professor considered one of the pioneers in zoology at Hebrew University. It switched locations several times, notably after the Arab-Israeli war in 1948 - the year the state of Israel was created and a milestone in the conflict over land ownership that still opposes the two sides today.

In 1993, the zoo moved to its current home, 250 dunams (25 hectares, 62 acres) on

the slopes of a sweeping valley overlooked by pine-covered hills in south Jerusalem. ‘The conversation ends there’-The facility has preserved several species of animals that are mentioned in scripture but considered endangered in the modern-day Holy Land, including the Asian lion, the Syrian brown bear, the cheetah and the Nile crocodile. It has even reintroduced some species back into the wild, notably the Persian fallow deer.

More than 120 species of animals are named in the Bible, according to Dvir-Hertz who said it is difficult to give an exact figure because the ancient Biblical names are not always accurate.

Dozens of these are represented in the zoo today. The lush vegetation of the site was also carefully selected from the trees and plants spoken of in the Bible, the spokesman said.

But even the relaxing pastoral setting of manicured lawns, flower beds and waterfalls is not always enough to break down years of mutual suspicion and barriers between Jews and

Key political risks to watch in Saudi RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, which has a fifth of global oil reserves, holds large dollar assets and has the biggest Arab stock exchange. It is a linchpin of US security policy in the Middle East and wields influence over the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims through its guardianship of Islam’s holiest sites in Makkah and Medina. Here are some political risks facing the kingdom: SUCCESSION The death of Crown Prince Nayef in June meant King Abdullah, 89, had to choose an heir for the second time in eight

months. The new one is Crown Prince Salman, 76. Prince Ahmed, 71, the new interior minister, is seen as a likely candidate for crown prince when Abdullah dies and Salman becomes king.

The succession will become more complicated when the line of brothers born to the kingdom’s founder Ibn Saud, which include all previous kings, Crown Prince Salman and Prince Ahmed, is exhausted and power has to move to the next generation.

DOMESTIC WORRIES King Abdullah has pushed some economic and social reforms to address youth unemployment, corruption and a lack of housing. In 2011 he promised $130 billion in social spending that helped avert protests, but offered no significant political reform. Tensions exist between those who want more social change, such as bringing more women into the workplace, and powerful conservatives who condemn such reforms as unIslamic.

REGIONAL TENSIONS The aftermath of last year’s Arab uprisings has undermined old Saudi allies and destabilized the region against a backdrop of Riyadh’s overarching rivalry with Shiite Muslim power Iran. Saudi Arabia has joined regional Sunni powers to aid rebels in Syria, an ally of Iran, but fears Tehran is stirring unrest in Shiite-majority Bahrain whose rulers are close to Riyadh.

SHIITE MINORITY Anti-government protests among minority Saudi Shiites have resulted in the deaths of 10 demonstrators and one policeman in shooting incidents in Qatif district since November. Shiites complain of entrenched discrimination, which Riyadh denies. Older, more moderate Shiite leaders say they fear violence may radicalize youths and dissuade the path of dialogue. —Reuters

Arabs. “An Arab family? Where?” asked Shira, the ultra-Orthodox teenager babysitting her siblings and pretending not to notice the Abu Sbitans sitting under a tree nearby.

Throughout the park, there are countless references to the Zionist ideas of Jews returning to their ancestral lands.

Yet Mohammed, a security guard, said “it’s nice here.” “I come mainly for my daughter to have fun on the grass and to see the animals,” he said with little Zeinab perched on his lap.

“If the Jews speak to me I reply, but the conversation ends there. Everyone goes their own way, with their family. We don’t really have contact,” he said. There are also hints of disharmony among the staff at the zoo.

“There is no conflict between Jewish and Arab workers, but as usual in Israel there is wage discrimination against the Arabs,” said one embittered gardener, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity. “When there is peace the Arabs will be treated the same as the Jews.”— AFP

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

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

Evidence mounts of new Syria massacre BEIRUT: Row upon row of bloodied bodies wrapped in colorful blankets laid out on a mosque floor in a Damascus suburb. Long narrow graves tightly packed with dozens of victims. Nestled among them, two babies were wrapped in a single blood-soaked blanket, a yellow pacifier dangling beside them from a palm frond. Evidence mounted on Sunday of a new massacre in Syria’s deepening civil war, with activists reporting a killing spree by government forces after they seized the suburb of Daraya from rebel control three days ago. Reports of the death toll ranged from more than 300 to as many as 600.

Video footage posted by activists showed lineups of corpses, many of them men with gunshot wounds to their heads. During mass burials on Sunday, bodies were sprayed with water from hoses - a substitute for the ritual washing prescribed by Islam in the face of so many dead. The gruesome images appeared to expose the lengths to which the regime of authoritarian President Bashar Assad was willing to go to put down the rebellion that first broke out in March last year. In an ominous commentary, Assad was quoted by his official media as saying his regime would carry on fighting “whatever the price.” “It is clear that was collective punishment,” Khaled Al-Shami, an activist from Damascus, said of the killings in Daraya. “I am certain that the coming days will reveal more massacres, but by then others will have taken place and people will forget about Daraya.” The

video footage and death toll were impossible to independently verify because of severe restrictions on media coverage of the conflict.

However activists and residents have reported excessive use of force by the regime, with indiscriminate bombing from the air and ground. “Daraya, a city of dignity, has paid a heavy price for demanding freedom,” the Local Coordination Committees activist group said in a statement, adding that the Assad regime targeted residents with executions and revenge killings “regardless of whether they were men, women or children.”

With a population of about 200,000, Daraya is part of “Rural Damascus,” or Reef Damascus, a province that includes the capital’s suburbs and farmland. It has been a stronghold of support for the rebels fighting the government since the start of the uprising, posing a particularly grave threat to Assad’s seat of power. Troops backed by tanks stormed the town on Thursday after a siege that lasted several days during which no one was allowed to enter or leave, activists and residents said. The rebels were no match for Assad’s tanks and helicopter gunships.

Most of the killings, according to activists, took place Friday and Saturday.

But the extent of the carnage only began to be revealed Sunday. The British-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 45 more dead bodies were found in the streets of Daraya on Sunday and that

they had been killed by “gunfire and summary executions.” Among them, it said, were three women and two children. It said the toll for the past week was at least 320.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, the observato-

ing that hundreds more might turn up dead.

Video footage posted by the group showed rows of bodies wrapped in blood-soaked blankets, with date palms and tree branches strewn over them.

DARAYA: A handout picture shows bodies lying on the ground as several hundred bodies were found in Daraya near the capital Damascus after a ferocious assault by the Syrian army. — AFP ry’s director, said activists on the ground identified 207 of the 320.

The Local Coordination Committees also reported 45 deaths Sunday and said 300 bodies were discovered a day earlier in Daraya, with a total of 633 people killed there since the government launched its assault. It said 1,755 people had been detained in Daraya, suggest-

Someone was shown spraying the bodies with a hose, a substitute for the ritual washing of the dead prescribed by Islam’s teachings. Another video posted on the Internet and dated Saturday showed dozens of bodies on the bloodsplattered floor of a mosque. Pieces of paper were placed on some of them, presumably identifying them.

The anonymous commentator, his voice choking, said there were at least 150 bodies there and blamed a pro-government militia known as shabiha for the killings. A third video showed several dozen bodies, some in white shrouds, stacked next to each other in what appeared to be a courtyard of a mosque or a large home. A photograph circulated by the Shaam News Network showed two babies, their pajama tops soaked in blood, wrapped in a blanket decorated with blue and white flowers. It said they were among dozens of victims buried Sunday in a mass grave.

Al-Shami, the Damascus activist, and Abdul-Rahman said Daraya was under a de facto curfew Sunday, as Assad’s forces carried out house-to-house searches as well as execution-style killings. The Internet had been disconnected by authorities, said Al-Shami, who did not use his real name for fear of reprisals.

The fighting in Dayara, according to activists, is being carried out by the Syrian army’s elite 4th Division, which is led by Assad’s brother, Maher. The division is by far the best trained and armed outfit and is primarily tasked with securing the capital.

One theory as to what triggered such a large-scale military operation was that rebel mortar teams have targeted the capital’s military Mazzeh airport, which abuts Daraya. Activists said the regime was intent on protecting the facility as a potential gateway out of the capital for Assad and pillars of his regime if the situation dramatically worsens. —AP

Muppet urges Israelis to prepare for emergency Pamphlet follows stepped-up distribution of gas masks JERUSALEM: The Israeli muppet on the cover of a new, emergency pamphlet being distributed nationwide puts a happy face on some grim warnings in a country preparing for possible war with Iran. Israelis, the military-issued booklet says, would have only between 30 seconds and three minutes to find cover and hunker down between the time air raid sirens sound and rockets slam into their area. The 15-page pamphlet has started to appear in mailboxes across the country, and instructs Israelis how to prepare a safe room or shelter for emergency situations.

On the cover a smiling Moishe Oofnik, the Israeli muppet version of Oscar the Grouch the resident pessimist of the US children’s show Sesame Street - sticks out of the trash can he calls home. He strikes a more pensive ALEPPO: Fatima Zahra, 45, speaks to an AFP journalist at her house outside the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. When the Syrian uprising started, Fatima Zahra sent her five sons off to join the rebel forces and battle the regime, but she wanted to find a way to do more.— AFP

Syria mom’s contribution to uprising: Sons, food, shelter OUTSIDE ALEPPO: When the Syrian uprising started, Fatima Zahra sent her five sons off to join the rebel forces and battle the regime, but she wanted to find a way to do more. So over the course of several months, she transformed her house into a rear base of support for the Free Syrian Army, cooking up massive meals for distribution to the rebels, offering basic medical treatment and care, sheltering army defectors, and even storing weapons in the rooms of her home.

“Since I was a child, I’ve wanted to see the end of the regime, so when my chance came, I knew I would help any way I could,” she says, as her husband prepares coffee and offers it around to guests. Zahra’s father went into exile in Kuwait in the 1980s as the regime cracked down on members of the Muslim Brotherhood. He wasn’t part of the group, but he was an educated, religious man, and feared he would soon be targeted.

“We lived in total fear before the revolution, even behind closed doors you wouldn’t utter the name Bashar or Hafez,” Zahra says, referring to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his father and predecessor Hafez Al-Assad. But now, Zahra says, she is no longer afraid, proudly describing her decision to stay and aid the rebels, even as her neighbors fled security raids and nightly shelling. “I cook, I treat wounded people as best I can, and I provide a place for people who are defecting from the army to stay, as long as they need.”

Two of her sons are fighting on the frontline in Aleppo, two others are helping refugees cross into Turkey, and the youngest, a 16-year-old, ferries messages and weapons to the rebel forces. Zahra’s husband Ahmed looks on proudly as his wife describes the family’s sacrifices. “What my wife is doing is normal. We would give the rebel forces our eyes if we could,” he says emphatically. “I only wish there was more that we could do.” Among those benefiting from the help provided by Zahra are two army defectors currently using her home as a safe house. Abu Mohamed defected from his Damascus unit two months ago,

when they were stationed nearby.

“What Fatima is doing is unbelievable. She helps us enormously. She treats us even better than family,” he says. The 23-year-old was manning checkpoints for the army when he decided to switch sides. “I defected when I realized we were protecting certain people, not the nation. They told us to shoot any car that approached our checkpoint, whether there were women and children inside or not.” Abu Fahd was stationed in the area with a unit from Homs, and decided to defect after managing to sneak a phone call to his family and learn about the revolution.

“We didn’t have television or radio or any communications inside the army.

They told us we were fighting terrorists and everyone believed them, me included,” the fair-skinned 24-year-old says. “But when I spoke to my family, I realized what was happening. I found out I’d been shooting innocent people and I decided I had to leave.” He got in touch with a friend who had already defected, and prepared to jump the wall of his base and rendezvous with a rebel contact. But as he threw himself over the top of the wall, his former comrades opened fire, forcing him to scramble through fields for kilometers, fearing for his life. “These are my sons,” Zahra says proudly, “all the rebel forces are my sons.”

There are a handful of other women providing similar support to the Free Syrian Army, but most of them offer only food, she says. “They are scared, a lot of them have left already. But I draw my strength from God, and when I see what the Assad troops do, my strength is renewed by the injustice and oppression.” Zahra’s sister, 40-year-old Um Ahmed, walks into the house, ready to help with the daily cooking duties. She sent four of her nine children to join the rebel forces, and lost one of them two months ago to a sniper bullet in the city of Al-Bab. “Whenever my fouryear-old son sees a plane overhead, he picks up a stick and points it like a gun,” she says, beginning to weep. “He keeps asking me ‘Why did they kill my brother?’”-—AFP

pose inside the booklet, resting his head on his hand under instructions on what to do when sirens wail. Stepped-up rhetoric by Israeli officials in recent weeks has suggested Israel might soon attack an Iranian nuclear program its sees as an existential threat, raising international concern about regional conflict. Israeli ministers have said up to 500 civilians could die in any war following a strike on Iran. An Israeli military source said on Monday the emergency pamphlet was part of a regular, public awareness campaign and noted it also included advice on how to act in the event of an earthquake. “There are always innovations the public needs to know about, it doesn’t mean anything is going to happen today, tomorrow or the next day,” the source said. Iran denies it is seeking atomic weapons

and has promised to retaliate strongly if it is attacked.

Israel fears that Iran’s Hezbollah guerrilla allies in Lebanon and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip could also launch rocket strikes.

Israel stepped up the distribution of gas masks and other protective gear to the public some weeks ago, but the mailing of what-todo information suggested an escalation in preparation for possible conflict. The pamphlet urges Israelis to have a “family talk” about getting ready for any national emergency. “You should find the proper time to have the conversation-not during mealtime or when you are watching television. It should not be held after a family argument or when you are agitated about some other pressing matter,” it advises.— Reuters

Minister quits over Maliki interference BAGHDAD: Iraqi Communications Minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi said he quitted his post yesterday, accusing Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki of “political interference” in his ministry. Allawi’s resignation is the first by a cabinet minister since Iraq’s national unity government was formed in December 2010, and comes just months after opponents of Maliki attempted to oust him via a no-confidence motion.

“I resigned because Maliki refused to... (stop) political interference in my ministry,” Allawi said by telephone from London, referring to demands he made in late July for an end to meddling in his ministry. He specifically pointed to attempts to control who could appoint and transfer senior officials, alleging that the prime minister asked that a number of director-generals in the communications ministry be transferred to different ministries against Allawi’s wishes.

“Some of our DGs who are very truthful, they are working very hard, he (Maliki) asked me to transfer them back to their previous ministries,” Allawi said. “I asked to keep them but he refused.” Communications Ministry spokesman Samir Al-Hasoon said that the ministry had received official documentation confirming Allawi’s resignation. His resignation is the first of Iraq’s national unity government. Last year, electricity minister Raad Shallal Al-Ani was fired for signing off on $1.7 billion in allegedly improper contracts.

Allawi is a member of the mostly Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc that attempted earlier this year to withdraw confidence from Maliki’s government.

“I required certain conditions from the prime minister, to stop the political interference in my ministry,” Allawi said. “Otherwise, I told him I am not ready to work at the ministry with this big interference.” “I told him, either you fulfil those conditions or accept my resignation. He decided after one month to accept my resignation.” Allawi said he made the demands to Maliki on July 28. Allawi’s resignation is the latest bout in a protracted political row between Maliki and his opponents, who have accused him of monopolizing power and exhibiting dictatorial tendencies.

Maliki, for his part, insists he is being restricted by an unwieldy coalition government.

The dispute erupted in December when Iraqiya staged a parliamentary boycott and authorities issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Tareq AlHashemi, a senior Iraqiya leader, on charges he ran death squads. Hashemi has persistently dismissed the accusations as politically-motivated. The communications ministry under Allawi had been planning several large projects that remain unfinished, including the potential issuing of a license for a fourth mobile phone operator, and the allocation of 3G spectrum to boost mobile data speeds in Iraq, where users still rely on slower 2G transfers.— AFP

TEHRAN: Arab diplomats talk prior to the start of an expert-level meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, NAM, in Tehran. — AP

Iran primes summit amid high security TEHRAN: Formidable security surrounded a meeting in Tehran yesterday of officials from Non-Aligned Movement nations preparing for a summit later this week that Iran is determined to use to bolster its international status. Some 110,000 police were deployed across the country, but especially in the capital, where they were manning street corners and hundreds of vehicle inspection stops.

The heavy security underlined the authorities’ resolve to ensure no incident upstages an event they were portraying as a diplomatic coup against US-led pressure.

“God willing, a glorious holding of the summit will mark a victory for Iran in the mediapolitical battle” against the West, the head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, told the Guards’ website Sepah News. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is expected to reinforce that message when he opens the two-day NAM summit on Thursday.

NAM foreign ministers were on Tuesday to take over from their aides to finesse the details of the summit, which will bring together heads of state and government from more than 30 countries, according to organizers. The NAM, a Cold War grouping founded in 1961, has 120 members representing most of the developing world and which see themselves as independent of Washington and Moscow influence.

Although the organization had increasingly been seen as an anachronism in the past couple of decades, Iran is seeking to revive

it as a counterweight to perceived domineering by permanent UN Security Council members Britain, France, China, Russia andespecially-the United States.

“We share the concern of many members that the UN Security Council has increasing power in the face of decreasing power in the (UN) General Assembly,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Sunday as he opened the NAM preparatory meetings. He backed a longstanding call for reform of the Security Council. Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, the deputy chief of the Islamic republic’s armed forces, told Sepah News that the NAM must create “an atmosphere to influence the United Nations and revise the veto rights of the permanent members of the Security Council.”

SYRIA A KEY ISSUE NAM delegations, however, were likely to have their attention focused on more pressing issues, chiefly Syria. The vicious, 17-month conflict tearing Iran’s ally apart has confounded several diplomatic quests to find a solution. Egypt’s new president, Mohamed Morsi, is to make another stab during the summit by talking about his idea of a contact group on Syria including Iran-which backs the Damascus regimeand Saudi Arabia and Turkey-which support the Syrian opposition. “If this group succeeds, Iran would be part of the solution and not the problem,” Morsi’s spokesman Yassir Ali told reporters on Sunday.—AFP

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

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

France resumes controversial Roma expulsions PARIS: French police yesterday dismantled a Roma camp near Paris, sweeping 70 people, including 19 children, onto the streets just days after the government promised a fresh approach in its controversial handling of the ethnic minority migrants. Police in the suburb of Evry moved in at dawn to clear the camp following an expulsion order issued by local mayor Francis Chouat on safety and public health grounds. The move pre-empted by 24 hours a court hearing scheduled to review the mayor’s decision. The government pledged last week that it would seek court orders for clearances but that requirement was over-ridden by the mayor’s ruling that the camp’s proximity to a commuter rail line made it dangerous.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who has sanctioned the clearance of several Roma camps since the new Socialist government came to power, backed the move, describing sanitary conditions in the Evry settlement as “unbearable.” An estimated 15,000 ethnic Roma currently live in similar camps across France and their presence, almost invariably the subject of hostility from local residents, has become a major political headache for the Socialists. Valls has continued the previous administration’s approach of periodically dismantling camps and offering free flights and financial incentives for Roma to return to their countries of origin.

But the policy, decried as reminis-

cent of Nazi-era persecution when it was launched by former President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010, has had little impact on overall numbers and Valls has come under fire from some of his own colleagues, human rights groups and the European Commission. The government moved last week to appease its critics by announcing that it would ease restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian migrants’ access to the jobs market.

It also said clearances would only be carried out on the basis of court

orders and ideally with a plan for alternative accommodation having been established first.

That was not the case in Evry, where the expelled Roma trudged wearily from a site that has been their home for several months, their possessions stuffed into cases and plastic bags or piled up on prams. “The police arrived at 5am,” said Lakatos, a 22-year-old who has been in France for three years and had lived in the camp for the last three months. “I’ve no idea where we are going to go.” Serge Guichard, who

works for a Roma support group, said the expulsion had taken place without any involvement from social services.

“The only people that have come to see them are the police,” Guichard said.

“There were 19 kids in this camp, all of them were going to school. Now they risk ending up on the streets.”

Even the mayor ’s own deputy, Herve Perard, questioned whether the expulsion was really necessary. “I don’t understand why we did not wait for the court hearing. I don’t understand why it was so urgent,” said Perard, a

EVRY: People from the Roma community with their belongings, walk outside their camp in Evry, near Paris, as Roma community are expelled by police yesterday. (Right) Gypsies rest in a Gypsy camp in Evry yesterday as another ramshackle camp in Evry was dismantled yesterday. — AP

Labor strife returns in S Africa platinum belt Situation a political threat to Zuma MARIKANA: Labor strife returned to South Africa’s platinum sector yesterday, derailing London-based Lonmin’s efforts to restart mining and fanning fears of a resurgence of the violence that has killed 44 people this month. Workers blocked colleagues from going down mine shafts and used threats of violence to snarl transpor t at Lonmin’s Marikana mine - where 10 people were killed in a union turf war and police shot dead 34 striking miners.

Last week, South Africa held a week of mourning for those killed in the worst violence of its kind since the end of apartheid, which drew attention to the persistent inequality in pay and living standards in Africa’s biggest economy. The miners’ strike has raised fears of cuts in supplies of the precious metal and pushed the spot price of platinum up 10.5 percent over the past fortnight. South Africa has some 80 percent of the world’s known platinum reserves. Suspected police brutality and the problems the government faces in brokering a deal between the rival unions have turned up the heat on the ruling African National Congress and stoked concern about wider labor disputes in the country.

“What we have seen is that if you don’t stand up as people, nothing is going to change,” said mine worker Thebe Seshanke.

Lonmin, which has suspended most operations for the past two weeks because of a wage strike by 3,000 workers, said only 13 percent of its 28,000-strong workforce had shown up yesterday morning - far too few to restart mining operations. “There have been incidents of intimidation towards bus drivers

overnight as well as intimidation of Eastern workers this morning, preventing them from coming to work,” Lonmin said in a statement, referring to its eastern operations, which had avoided such incidents until now.

Police said there had been reports yesterday of assaults, but gave no details. Lonmin is the world’s third largest producer of platinum, the white metal used in car catalytic converters and jewelry, and accounts for 12 percent of global output. It is losing about 2,500 ounces a day. The violence stemmed from a bloody turf war, which has been spreading through the sector, between the dominant National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the small but militant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).

DISSATISFACTION WITH NUM About 2,000 workers, some carrying sticks and whips, gath-

ered yesterday near a hill where police shot dead striking miners on Aug 16.

Five armored police vehicles were parked nearby and a police helicopter had earlier hovered overhead. The AMCU has tapped a swelling vein of discontent with the NUM, whose leaders are increasingly seen as out of touch and too close to their political ally - the ruling ANC. The strikers, who are rock driller operators, have been demanding a monthly wage of 12,500 rand ($1,500) for their tough and dangerous job.

The company says they get about 9,800 rand with an average monthly bonus of 1,500 rand.

Separately, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate said it was investigating more than 100 cases in which police are suspected of assaulting protesters in custody.

About 260 miners appeared in a court near Marikana to face charges ranging from murder

and attempted murder to intimidation. ANC insiders say the situation could undermine President Jacob Zuma’s populist appeal and hurt his chances of being reelected ANC leader in December..

The Aug 16 shootings, dubbed the “Marikana Massacre” by local media, have hit Zuma’s suppor t base, widening the divide between him and his former backers in the ANC Youth League and straining his ties with labor. In another development Eastern Platinum, a small producer, said its operations near Lonmin’s were up and running.

The NUM had said earlier that workers there were facing intimidation.

Lonmin has said it may issue new shares to shore up a balance sheet hit by lost output and revenue, and the prospect of further losses - at a time when the whole platinum sector is struggling with soaring power and labor costs and weak demand. — Reuters

MARIKANA: Striking mine workers gather yesterday, at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana. —AFP

Nigeria in back-channel talks with Boko Haram ABUJA: Nigeria’s government has reached out to members of Islamist militant group Boko Haram through back-channel talks in a bid to end an insurgency that has killed hundreds, the president’s spokesman said Sunday. “The form of the dialogue is that backroom channels are being used to reach across with the sole objective of understanding what exactly the grievances of these persons are, what exactly can be done to resolve the crises,” Reuben Abati told journalists. He said the effort was being made “in the overall best interest of ensuring peace and stability in Nigeria and the security of life and property.”

Abati’s comments were the first official government confirmation of back-channel talks with the Islamists, though the information minister has previously signaled some form of dialogue was underway.

They also came on the one-year anniversary of a suicide attack on UN headquarters in the capital Abuja, which killed at least 25 people and marked a sharp escalation in Boko Haram’s insurgency. What is believed to be the main branch of Boko Haram has

member of the Greens, the Socialists’ minority partners in government. Valls meanwhile announced that he and European Affairs minister Bernard Cazeneuve would be visiting Romania in September for talks on the Roma issue. The interior minister believes France is paying the price for Romania’s failure to address centuries of discrimination against the Roma. “I want to understand why strong integration policies are not being implement in the countries of origin,” Valls said. — AFP

however repeatedly ruled out dialogue, though the group is believed to have a number of factions with differing aimssomething Abati also spoke about.

Boko Haram is accused of killing more than 1,400 people in northern and central Nigeria since 2010. The group has continually widened its targets, moving from assassinations to increasingly sophisticated bombings.

Boko Haram members are believed to have received training from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in northern Mali.

While Muslims have often been its victims, it has recently specifically targeted churches, and President Goodluck Jonathan has accused the group of seeking to incite a religious crisis in a country roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

The group has pressed for the creation of an Islamic state in Africa’s most populous country and biggest oil producer, though its demands have repeatedly shifted.

A previous attempt at dialogue earlier this year collapsed when a mediator quit

over leaks to the media and a purported Boko Haram spokesman said the government could not be trusted. Nigeria’s recently appointed National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, a prominent figure in the country’s north, has spoken of dialogue through local institutions, including religious leaders.

Heavy-handed military raids have so far failed to stop the Islamist attacks, and in some cases have provoked anger and fear among the civilian population, with the army accused of major abuses.

Abati said the president intended to employ other options in addition to the use of the military and police. Describing the strategy, he said, “there would be leaders in these communities, in these villages, in these towns, who may have an idea and such persons needed to be carried along to assist in addressing the Boko Haram issue. “ When government adopts this approach, it does not mean government is abdicating its responsibility to ensure that persons who go against the law are sanctioned.” — AFP

24 S Sudan soldiers killed JUBA: Rebels killed at least 24 soldiers when they ambushed a South Sudanese army convoy, a military spokesman said yesterday, in the latest outbreak of violence in restive Jonglei state. The country seceded from Sudan a year ago under and is awash with weapons after a decades-long civil war with Khartoum that killed an estimated two million people. The government, run mostly by former guerrilla fighters, has struggled to assert control over its vast and restive territories since declaring independence.

A group led by rebel leader David Yau Yau - one of several militias fighting the government - attacked the convoy of 200 soldiers near Pibor, a remote corner of the eastern state on Jonglei, army spokesman Philip Aguer said.

Twelve soldiers were wounded in the attack on Wednesday and 17 are missing, he said. The troops had been sent to investigate reports that Yau Yau had been sighted in the area, Aguer said. He said he suspected the rebels were joined

by youth from the Murle tribe who are resisting government efforts to give up their weapons. South Sudan launched a disarmament campaign in Jonglei - the country’s biggest state - in response to inter-communal violence which began before independence and has killed thousands.

Nearly 900 people died when about 7,000 armed youth of the Lou Nuer tribe attacked Murle villages in the Pibor area at the end of last year, according to the United Nations.. Last week Human Rights Watch issued a report saying soldiers had raped, beaten and killed civilians during the disarmament campaign, allegations denied by the government. South Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence from Sudan in a 2011 referendum promised under a 2005 peace deal that ended the civil war. The two countries are still negotiating issues including border security and disputed territories, and the two armies have clashed in border states since secession. — Reuters

Troops seize port of Marka from Islamists MOGADISHU: African Union and Somali troops captured the key port of Marka from Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents yesterday, the latest in a string of bases to be wrested from the extremists, officials said. “We have taken Marka, we entered alongside the Somali government forces this morning,” said Colonel Ali Houmed, the spokesman for the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

“There was some fighting, but not so heavy, most of the Shebab had fled.”

The loss of Marka, some 70 kilometers south of the capital Mogadishu, is another major blow for the insurgents, who have been on the back foot for several months. AU and Somali troops have made significant gains in recent months against the Shebab, although the Islamists remain a major security threat. Ethiopian troops are also battling the militants from the south and west.

The loss of Marka leaves the Shebab with two major ports in southern Somalia-Barawe and the key rebel bastion of Kismayo-although an international naval blockade has already greatly squeezed maritime access there. The Shebab abandoned their last fixed bases in Mogadishu a year ago, where they have since reverted to guerrilla tactics, claiming a series of suicide attacks and roadside bombs.

The latest defeat for the Shebab comes as candidates for Somalia’s powerful position of parliamentary speaker campaign a day ahead of the expected vote, a key step in setting up a new government for the war-torn nation.

Somalia has not had a stable central government since the 1991 ouster of Dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, which sparked rounds of bloody civil war. The United Nations-backed process, which has already selected the majority of a new parliament and will culminate in a vote for president, is the latest bid to end two decades of instability in the Horn of Africa nation. “ We are facilitating the timely implementation of this important political step,” the UN political office for Somalia (UNPOS) said Monday, adding it was hopeful the already-delayed vote would go ahead on Tuesday as planned.

Secret ballots in parliament for the posts of speaker and two deputy speakers have been delayed several times. Bitter arguments have begun between challengers for the top jobs, divided along Somalia’s notoriously fractious clan lines. Six candidates are running for the post of speaker, including two former prime ministers, Hassan Abshir Farah and Ali Khalif Galayr, both from the Darod clan and the northern semi-autonomous Puntland region.

Mohamed Osman Jawari, a former minister under the regime of Siad Barre, from the Rahanweyn clan from the southern Baidoa region, is also running for the post. The selection of speaker will impact the subsequent parliamentary vote for president, as Somali politics have traditionally tried to share out the seats between rival clans. Around 260 of the new parliament’s 275 members have been selected by a group of 135 traditional elders under the UN-backed process. Most were sworn into office last week on the tarmac of the capital’s airport, protected by AU troops.

In another development, at least five Somali children were killed and more than 10 others wounded in a large blast in a school yesterday, after they played with explosives left over from fighting in the area, officials said. “ There was a heavy explosion, we believe caused by an explosive device that they had been playing with,” said Abdi Jinow Alasow, governor for the Middle Shabelle region. “At least five children have died and more than 10 others were injured,” he added. “The death toll could rise as most of the victims have suffered serious injuries.”

The explosion in the town of Balad, some 30 kilometers north of the capital Mogadishu, took place shortly after the school opened on Monday morning. The town was recently wrested from the control of Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab insurgents by African Union troops alongside government forces. “I heard a very loud explosion, and minutes later I saw mothers crying,” said Abdifatah Mohamed, a witness. “There were nearly 20 children who were attending the class when the explosion occurred, most of them were either killed or seriously injured.” — Agencies

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

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

American Taleban seeks group prayer in prison INDIANAPOLIS: The US government claims it has the ultimate proof that American-born Taleban fighter John Walker Lindh might foment hate and violence among fellow Muslim inmates if they’re allowed to pray together daily. He has already tried, it argues. But Lindh, 31, accuses the government of going too far in its drive for security and trampling on his freedom of religion by restricting group prayers among Muslim inmates in the Terre Haute, Ind., prison unit where he has been housed since 2007.

Lindh is expected to testify in federal court in Indianapolis during the first day of a trial that will examine how far prison officials can go to ensure security in the age of terrorism. Muslims are required to pray five times a day, and the Hanbali school to which Lindh belongs requires group prayer if it is possible. But inmates in the Communications Management Unit are allowed to pray together only once a week except during Ramadan.

At other times, they must pray in their individual cells. Lindh claims that doesn’t meet the Quran’s requirements and is inappropriate because he is forced to kneel in close proximity to his toilet. Thomas Farr, a former diplomat

who now teaches at Georgetown University and studies religion and terrorism, said common sense suggests that the prison’s need for security would outweigh Lindh’s religious rights. “The foremost responsibility of prison officials, as de facto proxies for the American people, is to prevent Lindh from obtaining any capacity to plan or carry out attacks on them,” he wrote in an email.

“That is why he is in prison, and if that is not a compelling state interest, I do not know what is.” The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, which is representing Lindh, contends the policy violates a federal law barring the government from restricting religious activities without showing a compelling need. “This is an open unit where prisoners are basically out all day,” said ACLU legal director Ken Falk, who noted that inmates are allowed to play basketball and board games, watch television and converse as long as they speak English so the guards can understand.

“They can do basically any peaceful activity except praying,” he said. “It makes no sense to say this is one activity we’re going to prohibit in the name of security.” Attorneys for the govern-

ment maintain that Lindh’s own behavior since he was placed in the unit in 2007 proves the risks of allowing group prayer. The government says in court documents that Lindh delivered a “radical, all-Arabic sermon” to other Muslim prisoners in February that was in keeping with techniques in a manual seized from Al-Qaeda members that details how terrorists should conduct themselves when they are imprisoned.

Lindh’s sermon proves “that religious activities led by Muslim inmates are being used as a vehicle for radicalization and violence in the CMU,” the government claims. Falk said Lindh’s speech wasn’t radical and was given during the weekly prayer that inmates are permitted.

He said Lindh was not disciplined for the speech. The self-contained unit in which Lindh resides has 43 inmates, 24 of whom are Muslim. Inmates are under open and covert audio and video surveillance, and except for talks with their attorney, all of their phone calls are monitored. Prisoners are not allowed to touch their family members when they come for their tightly limited visits. They must speak English at all times except when reciting ritual prayers in Arabic. Without such tight

security, the government claims, the prisoners would be able to conspire with outsiders to commit terrorist or criminal acts. Joe Hogsett, the US attor-

American Taleban fighter John Walker Lindh ney for the Southern District of Indiana, said he believes decisions about prison regulations are best made by prison officials, “not by con-

victed terrorists and other dangerous criminals who reside there.”

“Lindh is allowed to pray in his cell; he’s allowed to pray wherever he happens to be as many times every day as his religion suggests to him that he should,” Hogsett said. “Where the rules must draw the line is, how often must prison officials allow prisoners to congregate together?” According to court documents, daily prayers were allowed from the time the unit opened in 2006 until May 2007, when Muslim inmates refused to stop in the middle of a prayer to return to their cells during a fire emergency.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2009 by two Muslim inmates in the unit. Lindh joined the lawsuit in 2010, and the case has drawn far more attention since then. The other plaintiffs have dropped out as they were released from prison or transferred to other units. Lindh had been charged with conspiring to kill Americans and support terrorists, but those charges were dropped in a plea agreement. He is serving a 20-year sentence for supplying services to the now-defunct Taleban government of Afghanistan and carrying explosives for them. He is eligible for release in 2019. — AP

Earthquake swarm puts California town on edge Series of earthquakes rattle South California

FLORIDA: A Monroe County Utility worker repairs power lines after Tropical Storm Isaac moved through the Florida Keys yesterday. — AFP

Isaac slogs toward the US Gulf Coast NEW ORLEANS: Tropical Storm Isaac churned across the Gulf of Mexico yesterday, disrupting US offshore energy production and threatening to hit Louisiana on the anniversary of devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The storm swiped south Florida on Sunday before moving into warm Gulf waters, where it is expected to strengthen into a hurricane. On its current track, Isaac was due to slam into the Gulf Coast anywhere between Florida and Louisiana

by Tuesday night or early Wednesday, the seventh anniversary of Katrina hitting New Orleans, the US National Hurricane Center said.

“The weather is going to go downhill well in advance of that and that’s why today is the day of preparation,” said NHC director Richard Knabb. Speaking in an interview with CNN, Knabb said coastal flooding or storm surge up to 12 feet was the biggest threat posed by Isaac, with mandatory evacuations possible across southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The governors of all three states have declared states of emergency as a hurricane warning went into effect for the northern Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

It included New Orleans, devastated when Hurricane Katrina swept over the city on Aug 29, 2005, killing more than 1,800 people and causing billions of dollars of damage along the coast. “It is difficult to realize that to the day - seven years after Katrina - another hurricane is headed our way,” Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant said. Yesterday morning, Isaac was about 360 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River with top sustained winds of 65 mph and moving west-northwest at 14 mph.

It was expected to be centered over the Gulf Coast no later than tomorrow.

Evacuation orders for some low-lying parts of the Gulf Coast already were in effect. Energy producers in the Gulf worked to shut down some of their operations ahead of what could be the biggest test for US energy installations since 2008, when Hurricanes Gustav and Ike disrupted offshore oil output for months and damaged onshore natural gas processing plants, pipelines and some refineries.

Gulf residents started stocking up on supplies and securing their homes. In New Orleans, long lines formed at some gas stations and in Gulfport, Mississippi, people crowded supermarkets to buy bottled water and canned food. “I sense a high level of anxiety,” said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “The timing, as fate would

have it, on the anniversary of Katrina has everybody in a state of alertness, but that is a good thing.” Isaac is forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday.

In its latest advisor y, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the storm was not expected to strengthen beyond Category 1, the weakest type on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity.

NHC meteorologist Jessica Schauer said the hurricane warning area included “quite a few oil rigs” but not perhaps the heart of the US offshore oil patch, which produces about 23 percent of US oil output and 7 percent of its natural gas. With the threat to offshore oil infrastructure and Louisiana refineries, US crude oil prices were off in morning trading after being up earlier in Asia. US oil prices were down about $1.15 at $95.

SHUTTING OIL PRODUCTION Meteorologists at Weather Insight, an arm of Thomson Reuters, predict the storm will spur short-term shutdowns of 85 percent of the US offshore oil production capacity and 68 percent of the natural gas output. Once ashore, the storm could wreak havoc on low-lying fuel refineries along the Gulf Coast that account for about 40 percent of US refining capacity.

That could send gasoline prices spiking just ahead of the US Labor Day holiday, analysts said. “It’s going right in the heart of refinery row,” Phil Flynn, an analyst with Price Futures Group in Chicago, said on Sunday. London-based BP Plc, the biggest US Gulf producer, said it was shutting production at all of its Gulf of Mexico oil and gas platforms and evacuating all workers on Sunday.

Issac’s westward track meant the worst of its weather would miss Tampa, Florida, where the Republican National Convention was to open its four-day meeting yesterday.

Official convention events were delayed until today because of the storm.

Tampa, located on Florida’s west coast, still faces total rain accumulations of about 15 inches, forecasters said. In south Florida, winds from Isaac forced cancellations of hundreds of flights in and out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and other south Florida airports on Sunday.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez reported more than 500 cancellations affecting Miami International Airport alone. The storm killed at least 20 people and caused significant flooding and damage in Haiti and the Dominican Republic before sweeping across the southern tip of Florida on Sunday. — Reuters

BRAWLEY: A series of small to moderate earthquakes that shattered windows and knocked trailer homes off their foundations is putting this small farming town east of San Diego on edge as they continue to feel jolts that scientists said could last for days. The largest quake, registered at a magnitude 5.5, struck at 1:57 pm Sunday and was centered about three miles northwest of Brawley, said Robert Graves, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey. Another quake about an hour and a half earlier registered at magnitude 5.3.

No injuries were reported. More than 30 additional earthquakes with magnitudes of at least 3.5 shook the same area near the southern end of the Salton Sea, Graves said. “The type of activity that we’re seeing could possibly continue for several hours or even days,” Graves said. The quakes pushed 20 mobile homes at a trailer park off their foundations and rendered them inhabitable, said Maria Peinado, a spokeswoman for the Imperial County Emergency Operations Center. A red-

tiled roof apparently collapsed and landed on a wooden fence.

Sporadic power outages, at one point affecting 2,500 Imperial Irrigation District customers, also prompted authorities to evacuate 49 patients from one of the county’s two hospitals, Peinado said.

Police also received numerous calls about gas leaks and water line breaks. By late Sunday, a magnitude-5.1 quake followed by several more with magnitudes of at least 4.0 shook the area. “It’s not uncommon for us to have earthquakes out here, but at this frequency and at this magnitude it’s fairly unusual,” said George Nava, the mayor of Brawley, a town of 25,000.

“And the fact that the aftershocks keep coming are a little alarming,” he said. At the El Sol Market, food packages fell from shelves and littered the aisles. “It felt like there was quake every 15 minutes. One after another.

My kids are small and they’re scared and don’t want to come back inside,” said Mike Patel, who manages Townhouse Inn & Suites. A TV

came crashing down and a few light fixtures broke inside the motel, Patel said. The first quake, with a magnitude of 3.9, occurred at 10:02 am. The USGS said more than 300 aftershocks struck the same approximate epicenter.

Some shaking was felt along the San Diego County coast in Del Mar, some 120 miles from the epicenter, as well as in southwestern Arizona and parts of northern Mexico. USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said earthquake swarms are characteristic of the region, known as the Brawley Seismic Zone.

“The area sees lots of events at once, with many close to the largest magnitude, rather than one main shock with several much smaller aftershocks,” Jones said.

The last major swarm was in 2005, following a magnitude -5.1 quake, she said.

Sunday’s quake cluster occurred in what scientists call a transition zone between the Imperial and San Andreas faults, so they weren’t assigning the earthquakes to either fault, Graves said. — AP

Venezuela struggles with blaze after deadly blast PARAGUANA: Venezuelan firefighters struggled on Sunday to put out a blaze at the country’s biggest refinery sparked by an explosion that killed 41 people in one of the global oil industry’s deadliest accidents. Officials at the 645,000 barrel-per-day Amuay refinery are trying to stop the fire still raging at two storage tanks from spreading to other nearby fuel storage facilities. That would delay Amuay’s restart beyond the current estimate of two days.

T he incident may support world fuel prices , which are already expected to rise with crude oil as tropical storm Isaac threatens to disrupt industry operations in the Gulf of Mexico. On Sunday, the skeletal remains of a National Guard barracks destroyed in the blast sagged amid broken concrete and rubble, against a backdrop of flames and huge plumes of smoke coming from the two burning tanks. Officials said a gas leak caused the explosion and that more than 200 homes were damaged by the shockwave. Some were just across the street from the refinery, which is on a peninsula in the Caribbean Sea in western Venezuela.

Puddles of petroleum mixed with water covered roads in the area. The victims from Saturday’s blast included 18 National Guard troops and 15 civilians; six remain unidentified. On Sunday, two of the dozens of people wounded died in hospital, a National Guard general told reporters. President Hugo Chavez, who visited the scene on Sunday, said there were still several people unaccounted for, as well as at least 35 people still in hospital, so the death toll could rise. Ramon Diaz, 32, who lives in the nearby slum of Ali Primera, told Reuters the blast blew off the roof of his house. “The fence was pulled up. The windows came out and broke on top of the kids’ beds. It was horrible,” he said. “We are still scared. We look at those flames and we’re still scared.”

State TV broadcast footage of flames hovering close to spherical storage units that hold liquefied natural gas. They were not among the nine storage tanks affected by Saturday’s blaze. State oil company PDVSA said it will focus on extinguishing one of the two burning tanks by spraying it with foam. If they cannot put it out on Sunday, they will wait for the fire to burn out on its own - which could take two to three days. Ramirez told Reuters that PDVSA was considering seeking floating storage in the area-using tankers to store oil and fuel offshore while the company repairs the main tanks. The incident follows a decade of repeated outages and accidents at PDVSA installations that have prompted allegations of mismanagement by Chavez’s government. In extensive remarks to reporters during his visit to Amuay, Chavez rejected suggestions that negligence had caused the blast. “Lack of maintenance? Who could possibly say this? Only someone who is irresponsible,” Chavez said. — Reuters

TAMPA: Tea Party supporter Sandra Stuart prays before the start of the Tea Party Unity Rally at The River at Tampa Bay Church ahead of the Republican National Convention. — AFP

Tea Party pushes for change at convention TAMPA: The Republican National Convention here will be shortened one day by bad weather, but activists from the conservative Tea Party movement heralded advancing Tropical Storm Isaac as a timely symbol of big changes ahead after November’s election, when they vow to reclaim the White House. “We are looking at a hurricane here in Florida,” said Michele Bachmann, a Tea Party founder and conservative member of the House of Representatives, late Sunday to a rally Christian conservatives and Tea Party faithful on the margins of the convention.

“We’re looking at a political hurricane,” she said in a speech electrifying her supporters. “We’re looking at a spiritual hurricane,” she said, further whipping up the crowd. The Tea Party-a powerful faction Republican faction responsible in large part for the return of the House of Representatives to Republican control in 2010 — is to play a relatively small role at this week’s convention, which has been curtailed from a four-day gathering to just three here in the Gulf Coast city of Tampa. But they made a show of force at the afternoon and evening of rallies and prayer meetings Sunday at a local megachurch-an event meant to rouse the support of this most conservative of the Republican party’s faithful. “It’s time for

each of us to show up and suit up and stand up,” Bachmann exhorted the crowd, to thunderous applause. The meeting here, several miles away from the official Republican convention events downtown, provided a needed outlet for conservatives who have always been lukewarm toward former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who this week will formally named the party’s presidential nominee.

The pre-convention gathering at The River at Tampa Bay Church, which was billed as a “unity rally,” gave conservatives a chance to celebrate their considerable clout in the Republican party after scarcely three years’ existence. At a different forum earlier Sunday however, another Tea Party favorite was in a far less conciliatory mood.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul, a perennial presidential contender, including his failed bid earlier this year, led a rally of devoted followers Sunday, in sounding almost defiant as he exhorted his followers to continue to press for greater change from within the party. Paul, 77, who is leaving Congress at the end of this year, was not given a speaking role at this year’s convention, despite being one of the Republicans’ most prominent figures-although he is to be celebrated with a video tribute today. — AFP

11

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

international

India PM drowned out in growing furor over ‘coalgate’ Opposition paralyses parliament for 6th day NEW DELHI: Indian lawmakers chanting “quit prime minister” drowned out Manmohan Singh yesterday as he sought to defend his government’s role in an affair dubbed “coalgate” that has paralyzed parliament and created a sense of political crisis. The controversy has stalled reform efforts at a time when the economy is suffering a sharp slowdown and investors are pressing for changes to rules to allow more foreign investment in the pension, retail, banking and insurance industries.

“Coalgate” is a short-hand reference to a state auditor’s report published on Aug 17 that questioned the government’s practice of awarding coal mining concessions to companies without competitive bidding, potentially costing the treasury billions of dollars in lost revenues. “I wish to say that any allegations of impropriety are without basis and unsupported by facts,” said Singh, who is not expected to yield to the opposition’s demands for him to go. Until yesterday, Singh had been silent about the report, which partly covered a period when he was also coal minister. His silence has proven politically costly as it has allowed the

opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to control the narrative and keep the government on the defensive.

While the state auditor’s report did not allege criminal wrongdoing by Singh’s fragile coalition government it raised concerns about the non-transparent practice of awarding coal blocks by an inter ministerial committee, which it said unduly benefited private and state power and steel companies. The report was fodder for noisy political theatre in India’s parliament on Monday, where BJP lawmakers and members of the ruling Congress party engaged in a shouting match. On the eve of a trip to Iran, Singh appeared in the lower house of parliament to offer a comprehensive four-page rebuttal of the main allegations in the auditor’s report but only managed to utter a few words before the din forced him to sit down.

“Prime minister tender your resignation,” opposition lawmakers shouted. Singh was silenced by similar chants when he tried to deliver the same rebuttal in the upper house of parliament a few minutes later. In his written statement, Singh denied his government had done anything

wrong, blamed the delay in introducing competitive bidding for coalfields on resistance from major coal-rich states that were ruled by opposition parties and said the findings of the

state auditor were “clearly disputable”.

The last time coal blocks were allocated under the old regime was in 2008.

New legislation means that in future allocations will be made by competi-

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wipes his face at a function in New Delhi, India yesterday. After being shouted down by opposition politicians in Parliament, India’s prime minister took to Twitter yesterday to defend himself against a coal scandal roiling the country. —AP

tive bidding, though the modalities of the process are still being worked out.

POLITICS OF OBSTRUCTIONISM The auditor general alleged that the government’s under-priced sale of coal blocks may have cost the exchequer potential revenues of $33 billion, although industry watchers and the government have cast doubt on this figure. Singh said the government had continued with the allocation system for coal blocks while preparing to make legislative changes to avoid “lower energy production, lower GDP growth and also lower revenues”.

The BJP has disrupted parliament for more than a week, refusing to stop until Singh steps down. It is not yet clear whether it intends to pursue this strategy for the rest of the session, which ends on Sept 7. “Parliamentary obstructionism should ordinarily be avoided. However, in the rarest of rare cases, obstructionism also brings its dividends,” BJP leader Arun Jaitley wrote at the weekend. The BJP seeks to keep the media focus on an issue that is potentially damaging to the government ahead of state elections due later this year and national elections in 2014.—Reuters

17 Afghans beheaded Insurgents attack ‘dance party’

AHMEDABAD: Migrants from Banas Kantha region of India’s Gujarat state prepare flatbread in an open field near Sanand town yesterday. A lower than average monsoon season has forced some migrant agricultural workers from the Sabar Kantha region of Gujarat to head towards main cities and towns in search of labor for their livelihood. —AFP

Poor monsoon rains hit millions of India farmers KATHURA: The farmer walks past muddy fields of stunted sugarcane and damaged rice paddies as a light drizzle falls. “Too late, too late,” he says of the rains he has been praying for since many weeks ago.

For nearly two months, Satyavan Narwal’s eyes scoured the heavens looking for the monsoon rains that would nourish his crops, but he found nothing and was left with parched earth. Now monsoon showers are soaking the fields - but late August is much too late for him.

This year’s fickle monsoon has played havoc with millions of Indian farmers. The showers, which normally run from June to September, are crucial in a country where 60 percent of the population works in agriculture and less than half the farmland is irrigated. “Here farming is entirely on God’s mercy. If nature doesn’t bless us, the farmer can’t do anything,” Narwal says.

India’s Meteorological Department has said it expects the country to get at least 10 percent less rain this year than during a normal monsoon, but large parts of the country have been hit much harder.

In the northwestern state of Haryana, where Narwal’s family has farmed for generations, rainfall is less than half what it should have been. And when the rains finally did come, the crops were already nearly dead, fit only to be used as animal feed. Shriveled old men share a water pipe and one of them points to the skies and shouts “What now, brother?” as they watch men and women carry damaged sugar cane to feed to their cattle. At the edge of fields, young men stand, hands on hips, shaking their heads in dismay. The village is 140 kilometers northwest of New Delhi.

By now the sugar cane crop should have been at least eight feet tall. Rice paddy crops would have been lush and emerald green. Small patches of pearl millet, corn and sorghum would have dotted the landscape. But the sun shone on with determination through all of July and most of August so that the cane is now only knee-high at best and most of the rice crop is burnt. The lack of monsoon rains has also been partly to blame for the worst blackout in world history, which cut power to half of India last month. Largescale farmers were using extra power to pump water from deep aquifers, and little electricity was being generated by hydropower projects.

Across the country rains in June and July - a crucial time for farmers - were nearly 20 percent below normal. “Now some of the crop is so dry and damaged even our cattle won’t eat it,” says farmer Mahinder Singh, as he watches over the cleaning up of his sugar cane fields.

Punjab, the unofficial breadbasket of India, has received less than 40 percent of the rain it should have. Large swaths of western Gujarat and Maharashtra have been declared drought-stricken. The gov-

ernment has said it’s not worried about food scarcity because millions of tons of rice and wheat from earlier bumper harvests are spilling out of state-owned granaries.

But for the average farmer, who lives and earns from season to season, a poor monsoon means that food must be carefully rationed because he has little money to spend. With dreams of a good harvest, most small- and medium-scale farmers borrow money, often at exorbitant interest rates, from local money lenders to buy seeds and fertilizers and hire tractors to plow the fields. “Now even they won’t give farmers money. They know there are no crops so there’s no chance of recovery,” said Ranbir Singh, as he cleaned up his three acres of dead sugarcane. He already has to pay off loans of 300,000 rupees ($5,400), a fortune for a poor farmer.

“Now I will need to borrow more money to feed myself, but lenders will hold back,” he said. With nearly 70 percent of India’s population living in rural areas, farming is vital to the economy. A poor monsoon is expected to further dampen already disappointing growth this year, according Citigroup economist Rohini Malkani. Poor agricultural output could result in growth as low as 5.4 percent in the current fiscal year, down from the bank’s earlier estimates of 6.4 percent, according to the economist ’s August report. “If drought conditions worsen, headline growth could come in lower at 4.9 percent,” she writes.

The federal government and many state governments have hesitated to declare a drought for fear of causing panic and because it requires them to assess each farmers’ losses and compensate them. Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh state, which have not been given declarations of drought, are losing patience. “What will it take for the government to declare a drought?” asks Narwal. “Will all the farmers have to die first?” Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said Cabinet ministers would meet later this week to discuss the impact of the poor monsoon.

In Kathura village, however, Pankaj Aggarwal, the top district official, brushes aside talk of a drought, saying that the few recent days of rain will revive the crops.

Meanwhile, farmers lament the lack of government investment in irrigation and other infrastructure that could protect farmers from the vagaries of the monsoon. “Where are the irrigation canals, the irrigation pumps, the electricity supply that the government keeps promising the farmers?” asked Dharmendra Malik, a farmer and activist in Uttar Pradesh. “You have food grains in your stocks so you’re not worried, but that doesn’t mean you abandon 600 million of your people who tend the fields,” he said.—AP

KABUL: Insurgents beheaded 17 civilians in a Taleban-controlled area of southern Afghanistan, apparently because they attended a ‘dance party’ that flouted the extreme brand of Islam embraced by the militants, officials said yesterday. The killings, in a district where US Marines have battled the Taleban for years, were a reminder of how much power the insurgent group still wields in the south - particularly as international forces draw down and hand areas over to Afghan forces. The victims were part of a large group that had gathered late Sunday in Helmand province’s Musa Qala district for a celebration involving music and dancing, said district government chief Neyamatullah Khan. He said the Taleban slaughtered them to show their disapproval of the event. All of the bodies were decapitated but it was not clear if they had been shot first, said provincial government spokesman Daoud Ahmadi. Information was only trickling out slowly because the area where the killings occurred is largely Taleban controlled, Khan said. The Taleban spokesman for southern Afghanistan could not be reached for comment.

Many Afghans and international observers have expressed worries that the Taleban’s brutal interpretation of Islamic justice will return as international forces withdraw. Under the Taleban, who ruled the country from 1996 to 2001, all music and film was banned as un-Islamic, and women were barred from leaving their homes without a male family member as an escort.

Helmand is one of the areas seeing the largest reduction in US troops, as the force increase ordered up by President Barack Obama departs. The US started

drawing down forces from a peak of nearly 103,000 last year, and plans to have decreased to 68,000 troops in country by October. One of the most worrying trends to accompany the drawdown has been a surge in attacks

by Afghan forces against their international allies, and another shooting came on Monday morning, though it appeared to be accidental. Two American soldiers were shot and killed by one of their Afghan colleagues in the

The incident unfolded when a group of US and Afghan soldiers came under attack, said Noman Hatefi, a spokesman for the Afghan army corps in eastern Afghanistan. When the troops returned fire and ran to take up fighting positions, an Afghan soldier fell and accidentally discharged his weapon, killing two American soldiers with the stray bullets, he said. “He didn’t do this intentionally.

But then the commander of the (Afghan) unit started shouting at him, ‘What did

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai displays a case containing a pen that belonged to former Afghanistan King Shah Amanullah Khan, who ruled the country from 1919 to 1929, during a ceremony at the presidential palace yesterday. The pen will be transferred to the Afghan National Museum. —AP east, military officials said, bringing to 12 the number of international troops - all Americans - to die at the hands of their local allies this month. But Afghan officials said Monday’s attack in Laghman province was a separate case from the rash of recent insider attacks on international forces, because it appeared to have been unintentional.

Nepal risks handing power to extremists KATHMANDU: A leading international think tank warned yesterday that Nepal risks handing power to extremists unless its major political parties act urgently to revive its dissolved parliament or vote in a new chamber. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said the country’s warring political parties had failed to communicate with voters and each other over plans for its first post-war constitution and future federal structure. “To get the constitution-writing process back on track, mainstream politicians have to manage their parties better, listen to diverse opinions and clarify their own agendas,” said Anagha Neelakantan, ICG’s senior analyst for south Asia.

“Otherwise they risk ceding political space to extremists who might appear more action-oriented or sympathetic to a frustrated polity.”

In May Nepal’s political leaders failed after years of wrangling to meet a deadline to write the constitution and parliament was dissolved, leaving the restive Himalayan nation with no legal government and no roadmap for elections. Nepalis had voted in the 601-member Constituent Assembly in 2008 to draw up the constitution for a new social and political order in a country that remains deeply unequal six years after the end of a decade-long civil war which claimed 16,000 lives.

Nepal has more than 100 different ethnic groups, and marginalized lower castes are looking for a greater say in running the country and increased access to jobs and education four years after the abolition of Nepal’s Hindu monarchy. Ethnicallydriven organizations with varying demands have organized increasingly violent protests, with recent deaths in bomb attacks in Kathmandu and in the southern plains, known as the Terai. While the Maoists want the creation of up to 14 states named after ethnic groups, their rivals say dividing Nepal along such lines will fuel unrest. In two reports released yesterday the ICG said Nepal’s political parties had often not listened to their own members and done very little to explain their “sometimes haphazard” proposals for federalism to the public. The think tank called on the country’s leaders to urgently start transparent and inclusive negotiations on a roadmap to peace. “Nepal is undergoing a democratic transition and its political parties must use this to enhance the practice of participatory democracy at all levels,” said Paul Quinn-Judge, ICG’s acting Asia program director. “Negotiating a broadly acceptable constitution is at the heart of this process. Difficult as it might be, this project cannot be abandoned.” —AFP

you do? You killed two NATO soldiers!’

And so he threw down his weapon and started to run,” Hatefi added.

The US troops had already called in air support to help with the insurgent attack and the aircraft fired on the escaping soldier from above, killing him, Hatefi said. NATO spokesman Lt Col Hagen Messer of Germany confirmed

that two international soldiers were killed by an Afghan soldier in Laghman province, but declined to give further comment. Insider attacks have been a problem for the US-led military coalition for years, but it has exploded recently into a crisis. There have been at least 33 such attacks so far this year, killing 42 coalition members, mostly Americans.

Last year there were 21 attacks, killing 35; and in 2010 there were 11 attacks with 20 deaths.

The chief spokesman for NATO forces in the country said coalition forces were not pulling back from collaborating with the Afghans because of the attacks. “We are not going to reduce the close relationship with our Afghan partners,” Brig Gen Gunter Katz told reporters in the capital. Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that he could not confirm any link between the attacker in Monday’s shooting and the insurgency.

In previous insider attacks, the Taleban have quickly claimed responsibility and named the assailants. Mujahid did not comment on the other attacks in the south, which is watched over by a different Taleban spokesman.

Meanwhile, Helmand officials reported that 10 Afghan soldiers were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in the south, and five were either kidnapped or joined their assailants.

Ahmadi, the provincial spokesman, said insurgents attacked the checkpoint in Washir district Sunday evening. Another four soldiers were wounded he said. The Afghan Defense Ministry said the checkpoint was attacked by more than 100 insurgents. Ahmadi said the five missing soldiers left with the insurgents but it was unclear if they were kidnapped or went voluntarily. —AP

Pakistani court gives PM more time to obey order ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top court yesterday gave the country’s prime minister three more weeks to decide whether to obey its order to reopen an old corruption case against the president or face the prospect of being ousted from office like his predecessor. The decision followed an appearance by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf before the judges and was seen as a rare conciliatory gesture by the Supreme Court toward the government after months of conflict over the issue.

With the reprieve, the judges may be responding to criticism from the public for relentlessly pursuing the case. Some have suggested the court should focus on legal matters affecting ordinary citizens and leave the government alone to tackle pressing problems like the country’s ailing economy and fight against the Taleban. The dispute centers on a graft case in a Swiss court against President Asif Ali Zardari dating back to the late 1990s. The Pakistani Supreme Court has demanded the government write a letter to Swiss authorities asking them to reopen the case. The government has refused, saying Zardari enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office.

Zardari is in little immediate danger of being tried - the Swiss have indicated they have no plans to continue with the case, at least not while the president is in office. But the Supreme Court still wants the government to write the letter. The court convicted then-Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of contempt in April and ousted him from office two months later for refusing its order. The ruling Pakistan People’s Party rallied support to elect the new premier, Ashraf, and has given no indication it plans to implement the court’s decision.

Many expected the judges to announce that they would charge Ashraf with contempt for also refusing to write the letter.

But they gave the prime minister until Sept.

18 to decide whether he would follow the court’s order after he argued he needed more time to find a way to resolve the crisis - an argument the government has made in the past when faced with similar deadlines.

“The government and I have full respect for the courts, and I have a strong desire to resolve this issue amicably so the prestige and respect of the judiciary is not only maintained, but is increased,” Ashraf said.

It is unclear what sort of compromise could end the dispute. Zardari has said in the past that his government will never write the letter. Some have criticized the court for its persistent pressure on the first civilian government in the country’s history poised to finish its five-year term. Past governments were toppled by direct or indirect intervention by the country’s powerful army, often with help of the judiciary. The current government’s term ends in early 2013. There is little chance of a coup, but the government might have to call early elections. Also yesterday, two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on a car carrying Shiite Muslims in southwestern Pakistan, killing three of them, said senior police officer Wazir Khan Nasir. Two Shiites were also wounded in the attack in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, he said. No one claimed responsibility. In a separate incident late Sunday, gunmen killed five Sunni Muslims in the town of Mach in Baluchistan, government official Pervez Ahmed said. Baluchistan is the site of a long-running insurgency by rebels who want a greater share of the region’s resources and more autonomy. It’s also home to Islamist militants who frequently target Shiites. Shiites make up a sizeable minority in Pakistan, but many Sunni extremists do not view them as true Muslims. —AP

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

international

North Korea, Japan to hold first direct talks in 4 years BEIJING: North Korea and Japan this week hold their first direct talks in four years with attention focused on whether they can show progress in overcoming deeprooted suspicions that have hamstrung ties. The two countries, at odds for decades, have never had formal diplomatic relations. When they do talk, they sometimes choose the neutral and geographically convenient venue of China’s capital.

For Japan, North Korea’s past abductions of its citizens, sabre-rattling ballistic missile tests over Japanese territory and underground nuclear experiments have curbed progress on normalizing relations.

North Korea, meanwhile, criticises

Japan’s military alliance with the United States, colonisation of the Korean peninsula in the first half of the 20th century and treatment of ethnic Koreans in Japan. The one-day working-level talks Wednesday in Beijing are also being closely watched for clues about the foreign policy of North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-Un, who took over after his father Kim Jong-Il died in December. Toshimitsu Shigemura, professor of Korean studies at Waseda University in Tokyo, expects little progress, noting Japan wants to discuss the abductions though it is unclear if Pyongyang will go along.

“If the North rejects Tokyo’s wishes, the talks could easily be deadlocked,”

Shigemura said. “The North has different objectives from the meeting, which are money and food, while Tokyo’s priority is to talk about the kidnapping.” Pyongyang admitted in 2002 its agents kidnapped Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to help train spies, by teaching them the Japanese language and culture. It allowed five of them and their family members to go home, while claiming the rest died. Many Japanese believe some are alive. Jin Matsubara, Japan’s state minister for the abduction issue, said Friday that further progress could yield big dividends in humanitarian aid.

Heavily militarized North Korea, with the

exception of its showcase capital Pyongyang, is largely impoverished and struggles to feed its people. Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, expressed optimism the meeting could lay the groundwork for improved ties if Japan shows patience. “North Korea needs money more than ever, and Japan has the idea it needs to improve relations with the North even on a restricted basis,” he said, adding Tokyo could use the encounter as a “stepping stone” to discuss the abductions.

The meeting also comes as Japan is locked in a bitter territorial dispute with South Korea, North Korea’s arch-rival, over

competing claims to small islands controlled by Seoul. A visit to the islands-called Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan-this month by President Lee MyungBak, the first by a South Korean leader, has provoked anger in Japan. Ralph Cossa, president of Pacific Forum CSIS in Honolulu, said using the meeting to get in digs at South Korea may be a point of mutual interest for Pyongyang and Tokyo. “It could put pressure on Seoul and could remind them that Japan’s not going to bend over backwards to cooperate with the South when the South is suddenly starting to play the anti-Japan card in its domestic politics,” he said. —AFP

Don’t drop the ball on nuclear safety Conference aimed at enhancing nuke standards VIENNA: Improving global nuclear safety after last year’s Fukushima disaster must remain an urgent concern, despite improvements already made, the UN atomic agency chief said yesterday. “Much work remains to be done and we must not relax our guard,” said Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy

extraordinary meeting of the 75-nation Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS), which was negotiated after the 1986 nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear plant near Kiev, which sent radioactive dust across Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Western Europe.

Li Ganjie of China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration, president of the

VIENNA: Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Yukiya Amano from Japan adjusts his earphones during the Nuclear Safety Convention Review Meeting at the International Center, in Vienna yesterday. —AP Agency, at the start of an IAEA-hosted conference aimed at enhancing international standards to prevent any repeat of Japan’s reactor meltdowns.

“The accident may have faded from international headlines but it is essential that all of us - member states, the IAEA and other key stakeholders - maintain our sense of urgency,” the veteran Japanese diplomat said. He was addressing delegates at the

week-long meeting, said nuclear safety “must know no boundaries”, even though this may raise costs. “Without nuclear safety there can be no nuclear power development.” Meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami sent radiation spewing over large areas, forcing more than 160,0000 people to flee. In the following months, all Japan’s remaining reactors

were shut for safety checks. Two reactors resumed operation last month.

FUKUSHIMA REACTORS ‘STABLE’ The worst such accident since Chernobyl also cast a question mark over the future of nuclear energy elsewhere in the world. In Europe, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium decided to move away from nuclear to increase their reliance on renewable energy. The IAEA has said it believes, however, that global use of nuclear energy could increase by as much as 100 percent by 2030 on the back of growth in Asia, including in China and India.

Amano said “significant progress has been made in several key areas” after the adoption of an IAEA safety action plan last year, including assessments of safety vulnerabilities of nuclear power plants and improvements in emergency preparedness. “I know you will make good use of this opportunity to consider further measures to strengthen nuclear safety throughout the world,” Amano told the CNS states, which include all countries with nuclear power plants except Iran.

Some nations criticized the IAEA plan, approved six months after the Fukushima accident, for recommending voluntary steps instead of mandatory measures. A senior Japanese official, Shinichi Kuroki, later briefed the conference about conditions at Fukushima, saying the reactors were stable but that decommissioning posed challenges. Fukushima “is not in a position where we expect any further accidents,” said Kuroki, deputy director general of Japan’s nuclear and industry safety agency, NISA. The reactors are “being cooled off in a stable manner” and there is “containment of further radioactivity emitted”, he added. —Reuters

Mohegan Indians seek success in Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY: An unusual arrangement is coming soon to Atlantic City in which the Mohegan Indians will buy a piece of Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City and run its dayto-day affairs. The deal centers on a $35 million expansion that will bring a Margaritaville restaurant to the casino, splashing palm trees and parrots across its facade. But the casino’s existing Roaring ‘20s theme, adopted to take advantage of interest in the hit HBO series “Boardwalk Empire” about Prohibition-era Atlantic City, is staying, too.

The idea is to bring new excitement (and new customers with their new money) to a casino that has struggled since nearly having to close two years ago. The alliance with the Mohegans and their well-established casinos in Connecticut and Pennsylvania should give a big boost to Resorts, which was the first casino in the United States to open outside Nevada. “We are really excited about this,” said Mitchell Etess, CEO of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority. “It’s a win-win for ever yone involved.” The arrangement must be approved by New Jersey casino regulators. A vote has yet to be scheduled, but one could come next month.

It became necessary following the sudden death of Resor ts co - owner Dennis Gomes in February. A veteran of the casino industry, and the inspiration for the hit movie “Casino,” Gomes had been working to turn Resorts around from years of losses under previous ownership to bigger, newer competitors in Atlantic City and in surrounding states. Following Gomes’ death, Resor ts owner Morris Bailey began discussing a marketing alliance with the Mohegans, but talks progressed quickly into a deal to have the tribe’s management arm, Mohegan Gaming Advisors, provide the experience and know-how that was missing without Gomes at the helm.

Etess is par ticularly proud that the Mohegans are being called on to run an

established commercial casino. “What it shows is how the gaming industr y has changed, and how tribal gaming has grown,” he said. “It used to be that commercial casino companies would help tribes build and run casinos. Now it’s the other way around; things have progressed to the point where commercial casinos want us to come in and help them.” Etess said he hopes to have the Margaritaville restaurant running by the end of May next year. It will occupy the Boardwalk frontage of the casino where two smaller restaurants now sit.

Across the Boardwalk, a Landshark Bar & Grill will be built on the sand, along with bocce ball and volleyball courts.

“Margaritaville is a big draw; it’s the highest grossing restaurant in Las Vegas, and the one we have (in Connecticut) does very well - and neither one of them is anywhere near a beach,” Etess said. “The potential for this k ind of attraction literally right on the beach is just fantastic.” Margaritaville, named after Jimmy Buffett’s most famous song, nearly came to Atlantic City four years ago when a New York developer inked a deal to buy what was then the Trump Marina Hotel Casino and re-brand it. But that deal fell apart, and the casino was bought by the owners of the Golden Nugget.

Aside from Margaritaville, the biggest part of the deal is the affiliation of Resorts with Mohegan Sun properties in Connecticut and Pennsylvania; players will be able to use comps and credits at any of the three casinos interchangeably. That’s exactly what Carol Gleason of Saddle Brook, New Jersey, plans to do. “We go to Foxwoods now, but I’ll have to try Mohegan Sun,” she said during a morning of craps and slot machine gambling at Resorts. “That sounds nice.” Steve Norton, an Indiana casino consultant who was vice president of Resorts when it opened in 1978, says there’s a lot to like about the deal, citing the group’s casino experience.

“Mohegan, which was recently refinanced,

brings a stronger balance sheet to the partnership, which is paramount in today ’s Atlantic City,” he said. “The tribe and its excellent player base in New York and nor th Jersey can be shared by Resor ts.”

Nonetheless, Resorts still has problems, Norton added. “The picture is bleaker over the next six to nine months, starting after Labor Day ” in early September, he said.

“Resorts has positive impacts coming from the addition of Jimmy Buffett ’s Margaritaville; but it remains to be seen if this type expansion will put customers in beds those 200 mid week nights from September thru next June.” Gomes’ son Aaron, Resorts vice president, has been helping to run the business since his father’s death, and Resorts has inched back toward profitability. It posted a gross operating profit of $199,000 in the second quarter of this year compared with a $5.9 million quarterly loss a year ago. Etess has asked the younger Gomes to stay on under the new regime, but he has yet to decide whether to do so.

Etess said Resorts will keep its Roaring ‘20s theme in the non-Margaritaville portions of the property. The hotel, which was built in the 1920s, has marble and wood that would be costly to replace, but that still looks elegant, he said. Staying, too, are the flapperstyle costumes that female beverage servers wear (and that have generated two lawsuits from older workers who claim they were fired after being judged insufficiently sexy in them). Etess said the Mohegans have wanted to enter the Atlantic City market for years, but did not want to spend $1 billion or more to build a casino from scratch.

This deal provides an affordable entry to the market, currently ranked third in the US after Nevada and Pennsylvania. He also said the tribe has no plans to eventually buy Resorts outright. But if it does a good job running it and restoring it to profitability, that could open the doors to other management jobs at non Indian casinos. —AP

SAMPANG: This photo taken in Sampang, East Java shows two men attacking a house in Sampang. —AFP

Muslim mob attack in Indonesia kills 2 SAMPANG: A mob attack on Shiites in Indonesia saw two men killed with sickles and dozens of homes torched, police and a human rights group said yesterday, in the latest sign of rising intolerance in the world’s largest Muslim country. Around 500 villagers, mostly Sunnis and many armed with machetes, attacked a group of Shiite students in the town of Sampang in East Java province Sunday, Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace researcher Ismail Hasani said. “Our sources on the ground said it was an attack by Sunnis on Shiites. There were similar incidents before,” he said.

“There is rising religious intolerance as there was never a strong law enforcement in handling violence, which encouraged militancy among the ordinar y citizens,” he added. East Java provincial police spokesman Hilman Thayib said two men were killed and six were injured, while 39 homes were set alight during the clash. He said nearly 2,000 police and security forces had been deployed to guard the area. “The men died from being attacked with sickles. One died on the spot yesterday and another this morning,” he said.

“We also arrested eight people over the incident,” he said, but refused to say whether it was a clash between Sunnis and Shiites, apparently due to the sensitivity of the issue in the Sunni-majority nation of 240 million people. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday ordered law enforcers and ministers to take firm action against the perpetrators to prevent further violence, but also made no mention of Shiites or Sunnis.

“It’s a complex issue, on the one hand it has to do with faith and on the other on an internal family conflict... which resulted in this regrettable violence,” he told a press conference.

Indonesia’s constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of religion. But rights groups have said Indonesia has become less tolerant over the past decade and the government is turning a blind eye to the problem. This is not the first incident of violence in the area, according to Human Rights Watch. In late December, Shiites in Nangkernang were attacked by Sunni extremists who set fire to hundreds of homes and a Shiite Islamic school, forcing 500 Shiites to flee their village, the international watchdog said.—AFP

Brazil cracking down on cocaine trafficking BRASILIA: Faced with rising cocaine consumption linked to economic prosperity, Brazil is cracking down harder on trafficking along its borders with three top neighboring coca leaf producers: Bolivia, Peru and Colombia. “Our country is making headway economically and rising income translates into higher drug use,” said Oslain Santana, head of the federal police’s anti-organized crime task force. “Cocaine consumption is the highest in the south and the southeast, where 60 percent of the population and 75 percent of the country’s GDP are concentrated,” he added.

Brazil is, behind the United States, the world’s second biggest consumer of cocaine and crack, a cocaine derivative with devastating effects which has seen a tenfold increase in the number of users from 2003 to 2010. One percent of this South American powerhouse’s 191 million people consume cocaine or crack, according to official statistics.

Federal police say 90 percent of the drug enters the country through Bolivia and Peru and the other 10 percent through Colombia while Paraguay supplies 80 percent of marijuana demand.

Amd growing nationwide calls for decriminalizing soft drugs, President Dilma Rousseff late last year launched a new military-police offensive against cocaine smuggling from the border areas to urban centers where prisons are chock-full of small-time dealers. The plan calls for a legal reform to quickly destroy confiscated drugs to prevent their diversion and includes medical treatment for addicts. It also provides for joint operations with police forces of neighboring countries under bilateral accords. A total of 3,500 police personnel, 1,000 more than a year ago, have been assigned to the war on drugs, from the border areas to the cities’ shantytowns.

“Our main strategy is to identify the

big narcotraffickers and hit their wallets, attack their profits,” Santana said.

This week, some 17,000 troops were deployed as part of Operation Agata 5 along the borders with Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.

These countries, were given advance notice of the deployment and sent observers, except Paraguay. Over the past two weeks, 31 people have been arrested and six tons of drugs seized, according to the defense ministry. Last year, federal police seized 24 tons of cocaine, compared with 27 tons in 2010.

Unlike in Mexico and Colombians, trafficking in this country is not controlled by cartels but instead by medium-sized rings led by Brazilians. “Our big traffickers do not yet resist when captured because they know they can afford the best lawyers to reduce sentences and resume their activities.

That’s why we are trying to hit them where it hurts... their wallets,” Santana said. Brazil’s tougher stance elicits no criticism from neighboring countries but has come under fire domestically.

Professor Beatriz Vagas, a narcotics control expert, deplored the fact that the government was “resorting to policies which have failed elsewhere at a time where there is a growing debate over drug legalization.”

Questions are being raised about a 2006 law which imposes prison sentences on drug users but let police, when they make arrests, decide who is a consumer and who is a dealer depending on the quantity of drugs found. The result is that the number of people in custody has jumped from 60,000 in 2006 to 125,000 in early 2012, a 24 percent hike in the total number of detentions for drug offenses, said Rubem Fernandes, head of a non-governmental organization advocating drug decriminalization.—AFP

NEWS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

An Afghan juggler rehearses in front of a sign reading circus before the 7th Afghanistan Juggling Championships in Kabul yesterday. The juggling championship, organised by the Mobile Mini Circus for Children, brought together the best jugglers from different Afghan provinces for the competition. — AFP

Syria helicopter downed Continued from Page 1 State television confirmed a helicopter had crashed in Damascus but gave no details. Opposition activists said rebels had shot it down; opposition video footage showed a crippled aircraft burning up and crashing into a built-up area, sending up a pillar of oily black smoke. The possible shooting down of the helicopter, the latest of several such successes claimed by lightlyarmed rebel fighters, bolstered morale in their 17month struggle battle to bring down Assad. However, even more intense army bombardments followed the helicopter crash, witnesses said.

“It was flying over the eastern part of the city and firing all morning,” an activist calling himself Abu Bakr told Reuters from near where the helicopter came down in the eastern suburbs. “The rebels had been trying to hit it for about an hour,” he said. “Finally they did.” Video footage carried the sound of people celebrating the helicopter’s dive with shouts of “Allahu akbar” (God is great). Although rebel commanders have asked foreign governments for anti-aircraft missiles, Western nations are unwilling to supply such

weapons for fear of them falling into hostile hands.

There was no indication fighters in Damascus had used any missiles.

Later footage showed a fighter jet swooping on a built-up area. An explosion is heard and a voice says: “It is firing rockets.” Activists said it had struck targets on the eastern outskirts of the capital. “This is the first time a warplane strikes the edges of Damascus,” a Damascus-based activist told Reuters by Skype. “This plane was swooping over the area all afternoon.”

Activists said 11 of yesterday’s dead were killed in the district of Jobar, where the helicopter came down.

Five of the Jobar victims had been captured and summarily executed by security forces, and the others died when their homes were hit. Army helicopters had been rocketing and strafing crowded working class suburbs on the eastern outskirts of the city since Sunday. “ The sound of gunfire and mortar shells exploding hasn’t stopped,” an opposition activist, Samir al-Shami, said from the area. “I see smoke rising everywhere.” Video from campaigners showed 20 bodies on the floor of a mosque, including three children. — Reuters

Opposition protests moves to amend...

Continued from Page 1 sacrificed their chairs for the sake of Kuwait and they are doing so today”. He said there is no good in assemblies “that cause the loss of our dignity, and the gathering is to restore this dignity”. “You made us doubt everything including the judiciary in which we trust second to Allah, and you thought the people are stupid, but they are more clever than you and your supporters.” He said the government is repeating the same scenario of the national council of the 1980s, and “if we have foreign agendas, we would not have sacrificed for the sake of the (ruling) family in 1990”. He said that those who built Kuwait are the seafarers and bedouin knights, not those who went to the British High Commissioner and told him we are not among the Kuwaiti people.

Waalan said that the government and the ruling family are the ones who distorted the National Assembly by supporting every ignorant person to reduce the worth of the legislative authority, adding that the government failed to bribe the MPs, so it attempted to break up the majority.

“Kuwait is larger than Nasser Al-Mohammad, Ahmad AlFahd and Mubarak Al-Abdullah,” he warned. He then addressed HH the Amir: “Your Highness, Kuwait is larger than the ambitions of Meshal Al-Ahmad and Nasser AlMohammad and the tactics of Ahmad Al-Fahd and AlAbdullah’s conferences.” “I am among those who believe that history repeats itself, and what took place in the 90s is being repeated now,” Waalan said.

“We came today to say what is right and we do not fear anyone, and we are calling for reform and development, as we are spearheads against corruption and corruptors,” member of the annulled 2012 Assembly Mohammad AlDallal said. “People are an integral partner in the authority, and sovereignty is for the people which fulfilled it by choosing the government and its representatives.” Dallal also sent a message to the judiciary. “Don’t be politicized by the authority, and we support the judiciary’s independence and back its authority.”

Member of the annulled 2012 Assembly Faisal Al-Yahya said it is the people who make the decisions, and all the rest are employees of the nation. He said corruption is on the increase since 2003, and “now there is the corrupt media that introduces an alien language and the government is its sponsor”. Yahya said there should be a complete parliamentary system to fulfill our forefathers’ hopes as they wrote the constitution. “Yes the monarchy is for Mubarak’s lineage, but the ruling is for the people, as the constitution stated.”

“What is going on in Kuwait nowadays is a ridiculous drama, as former MP Meshari Al-Anjari described it in his

column,” MP Abdelrahman Al-Anjari said, adding that the government of Prime Minister Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah succumbed to this heinous game by sending the constituencies law to the constitutional court. He said the majority of the 2009 Assembly exposed the weakness of former PM Nasser Al-Mohammad’s government, and we did not hear from that majority anything about realigning constituencies, and described Jaber Al-Mubarak and Nasser Al-Mohammad as two faces of the same coin. He said “one of our sisters charged us with not obeying the ruler, although she submitted a contestation against his decree!” To Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi, Anjari said: “You were supposed to be the first to disown this Assembly!”

Earlier, Khorafi said the government’s decision to challenge the constituencies law before the constitutional court was a “constitutional right”. “This is a constitutional right (of the government) that should be respected by all,” Khorafi told reporters after attending a session of the parliament office. Khorafi however said he respects the right of the opposition to protest against the government’s move. “Our brothers in today’s gathering have the full right to express their views, but all of us have to respect the constitutional procedures,” he said. Khorafi said that the government also has the right to pass laws if the parliament is in recess or dissolved. Any law the government passes during the parliament’s suspension, recess or dissolution will be reviewed by the Assembly once it resumes work for approval or annulment, Khorafi explained.

Khorafi denied reports that a large number of MPs of the 2009 Assembly have tendered their resignations. “Only three MPs have tendered their resignation, namely Shuaib AlMuwaizri, Mohammad Al-Mutair and Mohammad AlHuwaila,” the speaker said, noting that the parliament has not approved or rejected any of these resignations due to the failure to get a quorum. Moreover, Khorafi disclosed that salaries and incentives are still being transferred to the MPs’ accounts. The speaker added that if the parliament approves the resignation of any MP, he will inform the interior minister about the vacancies to take constitutional measures to fill them. He pointed out that the 2009 Assembly will continue till the state budget is approved or a decree is issued by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to end the dilemma.

Meanwhile, Khorafi said that the parliament office discussed in its meeting yesterday a wide array of administrative issues. “A number of decisions were taken to upgrade the administrative work of the National Assembly,” he said. “The office approved the retirement applications of some employees and will appoint new ones to inject new blood in the veins of legislative body,” he concluded.

Kuwaiti hostage freed in Lebanon Continued from Page 1 Amir, the government and people for the happy news which reflected “constructive cooperation and faithful efforts” over the past hours to bring about the safe release of Houti. This act, said Sheikh Nawaf, further cemented the historic relations between Kuwait and Lebanon at all levels. Sheikh Nawaf praised bilateral cooperation for the service of common interest, asserting that Kuwait was keen on bolstering relations and cooperation with Lebanon in all domains. He also thanked Mikati, ministers and all security bodies that contributed to the release of Houti. “We are always looking forward that Lebanon be a beacon for security, progress and prosperity,” said Sheikh Nawaf.

Houti, 52, was seized at gunpoint after his car was intercepted by an unknown group in the Bekaa Valley early Saturday. Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel had previously said Houti’s abduction was not politically motivated. Parts of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley has been outside of government control for years. A number of people have been kidnapped by criminal gangs there seeking ransom.

Separately, a former Lebanese minister has confessed to plotting sectarian killings along with Syria’s security chief, according to alleged leaked security documents published by a local newspaper yesterday. Former infor-

mation minister Michel Samaha, who has close links to the Damascus regime, was charged earlier this month by Lebanon’s chief military prosecutor with planning attacks in Lebanon and of transporting explosives.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper yesterday published a picture of Samaha allegedly giving a bag stuffed with cash to an undercover agent at his Beirut home, along with 10 pages of documents alleged to be records of the investigation. “I put the bombs in my car while I was at Mamluk’s office in Damascus,” Samaha was quoted as saying in the documents, referring to feared Syrian security chief Ali Mamluk. Samaha allegedly singled out religious and political figures suspected of supporting the Syrian opposition as targets for assassination, including Malek Al-Shaar, the highest ranking Sunni cleric in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

A senior Lebanese security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the documents published by AlJoumhouria were “most probably” the official investigation file. Lebanon has been rocked by several incidents of Syriarelated violence, including a spate of kidnappings of Syrians and deadly clashes between pro- and antiDamascus communities in Tripoli this month. Syria dominated its smaller neighbour for nearly three decades until 2005, when its troops were forced to pull out of Lebanon under international pressure. — Agencies

Riots in Mombasa after killing of Muslim...

Continued from Page 1 “One person has been killed, he was slashed to death during the protests,” said regional police chief Aggrey Adoli.

Cars were set on fire and two churches were looted in the city - Kenya’s main port and a key tourist hub. “There is chaos in town now, and our officers are on the ground dispersing the rioters to maintain peace,” added Adoli.

“They are demonstrating against the killing of Aboud Rogo, who was shot by unknown people.” Witnesses said that Rogo’s car was riddled with bullets, and a photograph released by his supporters showed his bloody corpse slumped behind the wheel of a car. “He died as we rushed him to hospital. Why have they killed my dear husband?” his widow added, before she and her children were taken to the hospital.

Rogo was placed on a US sanctions list in July for “engaging in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security or stability of Somalia”, specifically for recruiting and fundraising for the hardline Shebab. The United Nations Security Council placed a travel ban and asset freeze on the cleric in July, saying he had provided “financial, material, logistical or technical support to AlShabab”. He was the “main ideological leader” of Kenya’s Al Hijra group, also known as the Muslim Youth Center (MYC), the UN said. The group is viewed as a close ally of the Shabab in Kenya. Rogo “used the extremist group as a pathway for radicalisation and recruitment of principally Swahili-speaking Africans for carrying out violent militant activity in Somalia”, the UN said.

MYC leader Sheikh Ahmad Iman Ali, in a message posted on Twitter, said: “We are on the right track when our leaders get shahadah (martyrdom).” “He will remain in our hearts forever,” the MYC added, while another message offered the grim warning that the “kuffar (infidels) will pay” for his death. “The whole city is on fire, there are looters in the streets, cars have been damaged, some have been burnt,” said Francis Auma, from the local organisation Muslims for Human Rights. “An imam in the mosque shouted through the speaker ‘blood for blood’, and immediately youths started stoning cars,” said witness Dennis Odhiambo, whose car was damaged and who was forced to flee into a police station for safety.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga condemned Rogo’s “horrific” murder, adding the government was “committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice”. “I appeal to our people not to use this sad act to inflict more pain and suffering on our country,” he said in a statement. The local Muslim Human Rights Forum also condemned the assassination, claiming it “mirrors” the recent killings or disappearance of others “on the country’s terrorism watch list”. The rights group said another Mombasa-based Muslim preacher, Samir Hashim Khan, together with a blind colleague, Mohamed Bekhit Kassim, were abducted in April, and Khan’s badly mutilated body was found dumped at a national park near Mombasa. His colleague’s whereabouts are unknown.

Later many shops were shuttered and streets usually thronging with shoppers and foreign tourists were deserted as many barricaded themselves indoors. Tourist operators said they feared the violence could hit their business. “It is too early to tell, but already the demonstrations are not good for us. They send a negative signal... violence is dangerous for our tourism,” said Mohammed Hersi, who runs the Whitesands Hotel, the largest resort on the coast, as well as an association that acts as an umbrella group for tour operators.

Rogo “repeatedly called for the violent rejection of the Somali peace process”, the US Treasury said, noting he had often advocated the use of violence against both the UN and the African Union force battling the Shabab in Somalia. He “urged his audiences to travel to Somalia to join Al-Shebab’s fight against the Kenyan government”, the Treasury added.

Kenyan police arrested the preacher in January, seizing firearms, ammunition and detonators, but later released him on bail. He was previously acquitted of the 2002 bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel near Mombasa which killed 15 people - 12 Kenyans and three Israelis as well as three suicide bombers. The cleric is also alleged to have introduced Fazul Abdullah Mohammed the late head of Al-Qaeda’s east Africa cell, shot dead last year in Somalia’s war-torn capital Mogadishu - to at least one of the men who helped him carry out the twin US embassy bombings in 1998. The bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam killed 224 people. Rogo, born on Kenya’s Lamu island, was aged between 43 and 52, according to different aliases. — Agencies

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

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Issues

Mine killings could hurt Zuma ahead of vote

By Peroshni Govender outh African’s President Jacob Zuma rose to power as a man of the people but seemed a world away from the masses when he stood in a suit under a parasol to speak to destitute miners about the deadliest police killing since apartheid ended. The deaths of 44 in a labour dispute this month at Lonmin’s Marikana mine, including 34 armed miners shot by police, could undermine Zuma’s populist appeal and threaten his chances in a December vote where he seeks re-election as the leader of the party that dominates politics.

Zuma’s critics say the day last week he spoke to miners for a few minutes under the blazing sun showed him more beholden to special interest groups than to millions of South Africans waiting for him to ease poverty.

He took more time to speak to Lonmin’s executives than miners and then left the mine to dance in front of cameras at a ruling African National Congress event, despite declaring a week of mourning. “Our government is becoming a pig that is eating its own children,” Julius Malema, the ANC Youth League expelled from the ruling party after crossing swords with Zuma, said at a memorial service on Thursday for the victims. “Our government is failing to intervene in mines because our leaders are involved in mines,” Malema said.

It is too early to tell how much damage Zuma will suffer from the killings at the Marikana mine, northwest of Johannesburg, but the president’s foes have been using the event to store ammunition before December’s vote. “The fact that Zuma ordered police to bring the Lonmin strike under control has exposed him to accusations of complicity in the miners’ deaths,” Mark Rosenberg wrote in a note for the political risk consultancy Eurasia Group.

Banished from the ANC, Malema is in a position to say things ANC leaders cannot in public because the party prefers to confine debate to behind closed doors. It also makes Malema influential to those who want to unseat Zuma. The incident, dubbed by local media the “Marikana Massacre” has hit the base of support that brought Zuma to power, widening a divide between him and his former backers in the Youth League. The staunch support Zuma once had from the powerful COSATU labour federation has also been called into question with its flagship group, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), finding itself isolated by miners who say it has lost its focus on workers by cozying up to the ANC and mining giants.

Prior to the killings, Zuma seemed headed to a victory at the ANC election, which would put him in a position to remain as South Africa’s president until 2019. While he is still in the driver’s seat, the road has become a lot bumpier.

“Before Lonmin, with NUM in his corner, the race was going to be easy but it’s going to be difficult to get a clear consensus from COSATU when there are big people who are antiZuma,” said a senior union official campaigning for Zuma’s reelection who did not want to be named.

Nominations for the race open in October and the ANC forbids potential candidates from lobbying ahead of time.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is the most viable choice. Insiders say the man who served as caretaker president for eight months from Sept 2008 when the ANC recalled former President Thabo Mbeki to make way for Zuma, will only raise his hand if he knows he can win. Before Marikana, Zuma’s supporters are believed to have courted Cyril Ramaphosa, the former leader of NUM who is now an ANC heavyweight and one of the country’s richest businessmen - offering him the position of deputy president. The former labour leader and anti-apartheid activist Ramaphosa now sits on Lonmin’s board as a non-executive director and has been called a sellout by Zuma’s critics, such as former youth leader Malema. “It’s a different ball game now and Cyril is tainted,” the Zuma campaign official said.

The incident has also laid bare cracks in society with an electorate complaining of growing levels of income inequality and the government’s slow pace in addressing apartheidera infrastructure backlogs in housing, education and healthcare. Unemployment has inched up under Zuma while the country has slipped in Transparency International’s rankings of perceived corruption. Several Zuma allies are being probed on suspicion of using political connections to line their pockets. COSATU Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi, a potential kingmaker and critic of what he calls a “predatory elite” among the political class, may be looking to garner support from unions in the federation to oppose Zuma’s re-election, a senior union official said. “Something like this (Marikana) is what Vavi and his followers were waiting for. It shows exactly what they were saying,” the official said.

COSATU, with 2 million members and in a governing alliance with the ANC, has been a powerful vote gathering machine for the ruling party. “Those who want to unseat Zuma could not ask for anything better,” said a member of the ANC’s national executive committee. —Reuters

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How Apple overwhelmed Samsung’s tactics

By Dan Levine and Poornima Gupta n Aug 2010, just a few months after Samsung Electronics launched its Galaxy smartphone, a team of Apple Inc lawyers flew to South Korea. Apple’s late co-founder, Steve Jobs, had already told Samsung executives at a meeting earlier that summer that he considered the Galaxy S, based on Google’s Android operating system, an illegal copy of the iPhone. But given the extensive business ties between the two companies - Samsung is one of Apple’s key component suppliers - a negotiated solution seemed most likely.

The Apple attorneys were blunt: “Android is designed to lead companies to imitate the iPhone product design and strategy,” read the second slide in their presentation. But the meeting did not go well, according to a person familiar with the case. Samsung attorneys bristled at being accused of copying, and produced a set of their own patents that they said Apple was using without permission. The meeting brought to the fore a fundamental disagreement between the two companies, and set the stage for a bitter, multi-country patent dispute that led to Friday’s US jury verdict that Samsung had violated Apple’s patents. The jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages, which could be tripled as the jury found Samsung acted willfully.

Samsung could now face a costly ban on sales of key smartphone and tablet products.

Shares in Samsung - the world’s biggest technology firm by revenue - tumbled more than 7

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percent yesterday, set for its biggest daily percentage drop in nearly four years, wiping $12 billion off its market value. Samsung says it will seek to overturn the decision, and the worldwide patent battles among tech giants are hardly over. But for now at least the decision in what was widely seen as a critical case promises to re-set the competitive balance in the industry.

The vast majority of patent disputes settle before trial, particularly between competitors.

In this case, though, the stakes were just too high - and the two companies ultimately had very different views of the often murky legal issues. Samsung believed its wireless communications patents were strong and valuable, and would serve as a counterweight to any Apple showing of infringement, people close to the case say. The South Korean company also didn’t believe Apple could or should be allowed to claim patent protection on design elements like the form of a rectangle, or the front flat surface embodied on the iPhone.

Apple, for its part, considered its feature and design patents to be very high up on the intellectual property food chain - and demonstrating their validity was critical to a much wider war against Android. The two companies never came close to settling their differences, according to courtroom testimony, trial evidence and interviews with several sources close to the case. And when it came to the trial, Samsung’s lawyers miscalculated in arguing that a verdict for Apple would harm competition in the marketplace. The jurors, led by a foreman who

holds his own patent, were more persuaded by Apple’s pleas to protect innovation. For them, it ultimately wasn’t even a close call. A spokesman for Samsung in Seoul had no immediate comment.

Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, revolutionizing the mobile phone market. But later that year Google, then still an ally of Apple’s, unveiled the Open Handset Alliance, with the aim of distributing its Android smartphone software to all-comers. Google’s open approach quickly caught on among manufacturers looking to compete with Apple. The strategy infuriated Jobs, and by 2009 relations between the two companies had soured and Google’s then-CEO, Eric Schmidt, left Apple’s board. Jobs’ biographer famously quotes him as accusing Google of “grand theft” and vowing to “go to thermonuclear war” over the issue.

In Jan 2010, Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC Corp launched a touch screen, Androidbased smartphone that sported features very similar to the iPhone. Apple sued in March of that year, and the Android smartphone patent wars were on. HTC, though, was a minor player compared with Samsung. After the cordial but failed Aug 2010 meeting, attorneys from Apple and Samsung talked in a series of meetings both in South Korea, California and elsewhere in the United States. Apple’s attorneys set to work putting a price tag on a royalty demand.

By Oct 2010, they had concluded that Samsung should pay $24 per smartphone, and $32 per tablet. Based on Samsung’s own estimation of its profits, Apple’s royalty payments would

effectively wipe out more than half of Samsung’s margins on any phone priced less than $450. And, Apple’s offer wouldn’t have covered the “unique user experience” patents Apple holds dear. “We made that clear,” said Apple licensing chief Boris Teksler. By the end of 2010, the meetings stopped as the two sides were too far apart.

Apple hoped its relationship with Samsung would make filing an actual lawsuit unnecessary. Yet instead of wilting under Apple’s pressure, Samsung instead pressed its own patent claims, including a critical one relating to how mobile products send and receive information over wireless networks. Samsung eventually would request a 2.4 percent royalty on those patents, or $14.40 per device. But Samsung had committed to license its wireless patents on fair terms to competitors over the years, in exchange for the technology becoming part of the industry standard. Courts have generally been reluctant to bar companies from using such “standards essential” patents, and thus they are often less valuable than other types of intellectual property.

Then, in early 2011, Samsung released the Galaxy Tab 10.1. To Apple, it was a clear rip-off of the iPad, and showed Samsung had no intention of modifying its products. Apple sued Samsung in a San Jose, California federal court in April 2011, saying the Korean company “slavishly” copied its designs. Samsung quickly counter sued, and the dispute bled into at least 10 courts around the world, including Australia and South Korea. — Reuters

Akin row shows GOP’s social-fiscal rift

By Charles Babington very now and then, an event awakens the ever-slumbering tensions between the Republican Party’s two core wings: social conservatives and corporate interests.

A Missouri congressman’s comment about rape and pregnancy was one such moment, and it came just as Republicans were hoping for a united front at their convention to nominate Mitt Romney for president. A full-blown rupture - such as the one at the 1992 convention, when a defeated candidate declared a national “culture war” - seems unlikely. But even a modest squabble between key party factions might raise concerns in a tight presidential race.

Romney joined other mainstream Republicans in denouncing the Aug. 19 remarks by Rep. Todd Akin, the party’s Senate nominee in Missouri. Akin said rape victims can generally avoid pregnancy because “if it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down”.

Romney called Akin’s comments “offensive and wrong”. He unsuccessfully urged Akin to quit the Senate race.

Like many other top Republicans, Romney stopped short of criticizing Akin’s stand on abortion, as opposed to his comments about rape and conception. Akin opposes abortion in all cases, including rape. Romney would allow abortions in instances of rape and incest. He showed no interest, however, in picking a fight with his party’s most ardent abortion opponents, a crucial source of GOP votes and volunteers. And he downplayed the fact that his running mate, Rep Paul Ryan, has often joined Akin in anti-abortion measures, including some that sought to differentiate between forcible and non-forcible rapes. It’s hardly surprising that Romney, who’s running mainly on economic issues, is trying to maintain a quiet balance between fiscal and social conservatives. The Republican Party cannot win national elections without an alliance between the two groups. Corporate titans know they must hold hands with anti-abortion crusaders to elect politicians who will keep government regulations and taxes low. Evangelicals and

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other social conservatives realize they must join ranks with business executives - even if they would never mingle at a country club to elect champions of public prayer, abortion limits and so on. Romney, who made a fortune heading the private equity firm Bain Capital, comes from the corporate wing. He seems less convincing when talking about the social issues that animate many on the right. As Massachusetts governor, Romney supported abortion rights, gun control and gay rights. He abandoned those positions as he prepared to run for president in 2008, but many “movement conservatives” remain wary of him. Romney had to struggle for their support during the Republican primaries, when Newt Gingrich briefly depicted him as a “vulture capitalist”. Romney’s most persistent rival was Rick Santorum, a hero to anti-abortion activists and home-schoolers.

Now that the primaries are over, and unaffiliated voters are crucial this fall, Republican

leaders would rather keep the abortion debate to a simmer, not a boil. Last week, the party’s platform committee approved a provision that backs the “Human Life Amendment,” a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban abortion, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The Republican platforms in 2004 and 2008 did the same. That might surprise some GOPleaning centrists, who rarely hear Republican presidents or congressional leaders make loud, full-bore pushes to outlaw abortion.

“Ronald Reagan used to talk about the party’s three-legged stool: fiscal conservatives, social conservatives and national-security conservatives,” said Dan Schnur, a former Republican adviser who now teaches political science at the University of Southern California. “At best, it’s a three-legged stool,” Schnur said. “At worst, it’s three scorpions in a bottle.” The party’s factions usually coexist peacefully, he said, but “the Akin matter

William Temple (center), in colonial dress, and other Tea Party supporters cheer at the Tea Party Unity Rally at The River at Tampa Bay Church ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida on Sunday. — AFP

makes it a lot harder”.

The visibility and prominence of nationalsecurity conservatives have waned in recent years, partly because of widespread disillusionment with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But business-oriented fiscal conservatives remain vitally important, as do social conservatives, who play big roles in swing states including Iowa, Florida and North Carolina. The Akin episode ignited new tensions between the groups. Mike Huckabee, the Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor, ripped into establishment Republicans for trying to force Akin from the Senate race. In a conference call monitored

by CNN, Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008, likened the National Republican Senatorial Committee to “union goons” trying to kneecap rivals. Romney needs as much peace between the factions as possible.

Corporate conservatives provide a disproportionate amount of funding for the GOP. Casino owner Sheldon Adelson, for instance, has pledged more than $10 million for groups opposing President Barack Obama.

The wealthy industrialist brothers David and Charles Koch have donated and helped raise millions more. Religious conservatives and anti-abortion activists, meanwhile, provide thousands of foot soldiers to knock on doors and make phone calls for candidates they support.

“The Akin case shows that the Republican establishment will pander to the social conservatives until they become a liability,” said Democratic strategist Doug Hattaway. “But the Wall Street/country club set still rely on the right-wing religious vote to prop up the party at the polls.” Some veteran Republican operatives question why Romney maintains ties with Donald Trump, who continues to question whether Obama was born in the United States. A hard, clean break with Trump, however, might alienate a small but fervent group of conservatives who, for now, are in Romney’s corner. In a presidential race that conceivably could turn on a few votes in one or two states, the loss of a tiny faction led by Donald Trump, Todd Akin or someone else unloved by the Republican establishment - could prove crucial.— AP

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

sp orts Malafeyev’s career on hold

Eto’o refuses to return

Stoner targets Phillip Island

MOSCOW: Russia and Zenit St Petersburg goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeyev has decided to take an indefinite break from international duty just days before the start of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The 33-year-old, whose wife Marina was killed in a car crash in March last year, said he wanted to spend more time with his two young children.

“Quitting the national team was a very difficult decision both in human as well as professional terms but at the moment it is the best one for my family,” the keeper said on his website (www.malafeev16.ru) yesterday.

Malafeyev said he had already informed Russia coach Fabio Capello about his decision to stop playing in the national team for the time being.

The St Petersburg native has replaced CSKA Moscow keeper Igor Akinfeyev as Russia number one this year, starting all three of his country’s group matches at Euro 2012. Malafeyev has 29 international caps after making his Russia debut in a Euro 2004 playoff against Wales in November 2003.

Akinfeyev, 26, will likely regain his first-choice status when Russia open their World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Northern Ireland on Sept. 7. They face Israel four days later. —Reuters

PARIS: Samuel Eto’o has rejected the chance to make a comeback for Cameroon, saying the team environment is still plagued by “amateurism and bad management”.

The 31-year-old forward was recalled last week for the African Nations Cup final round first leg against Cape Verde Islands on Sept. 8, eight months after he was suspended for having led a player strike over unpaid bonuses. The row caused Cameroon to cancel a friendly in Algeria.

“I regret to inform you I’ve decided not to participate in any game with the national team since the flaws I kept denouncing as a captain have not been solved,” Eto’o wrote in a letter to the Cameroon soccer federation published on his website (www.samueletoo-officiel.com).

“The national team environment is still made up of amateurism and bad management which do not suit the requirements for highlevel sport,” added the four-times African Footballer of the Year who has played for his country more than 100 times.

“I am sure all (Indomitable) Lions lovers will understand my move which is only aimed at drawing attention on the necessity to have a more professional management of this team,” added former Inter Milan and Barcelona player Eto’o. —Reuters

TOKYO: MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner, who is to have surgery this week to repair damaged ankle ligaments, hopes to be fit enough for a tilt at a record sixth successive win at Phillip Island in October. The Australian told local media yesterday he wanted to race at his home grand prix on Oct. 28 before retiring in November.

Stoner, who expects to be sidelined for up to seven weeks following surgery, said: “Being at Phillip Island is definitely my goal at the moment.” The Honda rider, third behind Spaniards Jorge Lorenzo (Yamama) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda) in the title standings, ruled out racing next year to try to end his career on a high.

“I’m not in this championship to wait and finish it perfectly in a big fairytale,” he said. “I’m not racing next year. “I could have a similar issue and something else could go wrong. I still have a season to complete, I want to get back to racing as soon as possible.”

Stoner added that he would like to squeeze in one race before Phillip Island-the Malaysian Grand Prix on Oct. 21. “As long as I can’t cause any more damage, then I’ll have a go,” the 26-year-old told Australia’s AAP news agency.

Phillies see off Nationals PHILADELPHIA: Cliff Lee tossed seven sharp innings to earn his first home win in nearly a year and the Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game sweep against the major league-leading Washington Nationals with a 4-1 victory on Sunday. The Nationals have lost four straight for the first time since June 15-19.

Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer and Laynce Nix had a solo shot to back Lee (3-7). The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner hadn’t won at Citizens Bank Park since Sept. 5, going 0-6 in his previous 12 starts.

Lee outpitched Jordan Zimmermann (9-8) by allowing one run and seven hits, striking out five. Jeremy Horst got an out in the eighth and Josh Lindblom got the last five outs for his first career save. Jonathan Papelbon had the day off after closing three straight games.

DETROIT: Tigers’ Delmon Young rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the sixth inning of a baseball game. —AP

Tigers roll over Angels DETROIT: Prince Fielder and Delmon Young homered on consecutive pitches in the sixth inning to support Max Scherzer and help the Detroit Tigers beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 on Sunday.

Scherzer (14-6) gave up one run and struck out nine over seven innings.

Joaquin Benoit struck out two more in a perfect eighth, and Jose Valverde struck out another batter while closing it out.

Angels right-hander Ervin Santana (711) allowed four runs and five hits over seven innings. Detroit and Los Angeles, each vying for an AL wild card with 30-plus games left in the regular season, both rested one of their stars heading into an off day on Monday.

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was out of the lineup for the first time this year, nursing his sore right ankle with the expectation he will be able to play third base Tuesday at Kansas City. Albert Pujols missed his fourth straight game with an injured right calf and the Angels also are targeting Tuesday for his return at home against Boston.

Red Sox 8, Royals 6 In Boston, James Loney hit a tying single in his Boston debut and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in the go-ahead run as the revamped Red Sox bounced back from a nine-player trade and a 12-inning loss.

A day after he was the only major leaguer coming to Boston in a deal that sent Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto and more than $250 million in salary to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Loney went 1 for 5. Pedro Ciriaco had three hits for the Red Sox, who won for just the fourth time in 12 games. Pedro Beato (1-0) allowed two runs in two-plus innings but got the win on the same day he was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Mark Melancon pitched the ninth for his first save. Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run homer for the Royals. Will Smith (4-6) got the loss.

Yankees 4, Indians 2 In Cleveland, Curtis Granderson hit his 200th career homer to help the Yankees get the win. The Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the second inning off Ubaldo Jimenez (913). Granderson’s 33rd homer in the sixth made it 4-2 and gave New York a record

eight current players with 200 or more career homers. The Yankees took two of three in the series following a three-game losing streak, opening a four-game lead in the AL East over idle Tampa Bay. Jason Kipnis had three hits and three stolen bases for Cleveland, which has lost nine of 10 and is 5-23 since July 26. Boone Logan (5-2) pitched 1 2-3 innings of relief for the win. Rafael Soriano got four outs for his 33rd save in 35 chances.

White Sox 4, Mariners 3 In Chicago, Tyler Flowers hit a go-ahead homer just before the final downpour as the White Sox earned their sixth straight victory.

Immediately following a 6-minute rain delay in the seventh inning, Flowers launched a two-run shot off Kevin Millwood (4-11) to lift AL Central-leading Chicago to its second consecutive series sweep.

Rain continued to pour until the tarp was put on to stay two batters later, and the game was called after a wait of nearly 2 hours.

The start was delayed for 1 hour, 51 minutes due to showers that persisted throughout the game before it was finally stopped.

Chicago starter Gavin Floyd left after two innings with right elbow discomfort.

Nate Jones (7-0) earned his second win in two days. Casper Wells hit a two-run homer for Seattle.

Twins 6, Rangers 5 In Arlington, Ben Revere had four hits, Cole De Vries won for the first time in nearly two months and Minnesota snapped a five-game losing streak.

The Twins avoided getting swept in the four-game series. They finished a 10-game road trip with a 2-8 record. Josh Hamilton hit his 35th homer for Texas and drove in four runs, giving him a major league-leading 111 RBIs. De Vries (3-5) was 0-4 in 10 starts since beating Kansas City on June 30. The righthander gave up two runs and struck out five in five innings. Glen Perkins worked a perfect ninth for his seventh save in 10 chances. Scott Feldman (6-10) lost his fourth straight start. He gave up six runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings. —AP

Cardinals 8, Reds 2 In Cincinnati, Matt Holliday had four hits and four RBIs, Adam Wainwright won his fifth consecutive start and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Cincinnati. Allen Craig homered and drove in three runs as St. Louis handed the Reds just their second series loss in 13 sets since the All-Star break.

The Cardinals have won five of six to move within six games of the NL Central-leading Reds. St. Louis’ 17 hits were the most allowed by Cincinnati in a game this season.

Wainwright (13-10) gave up two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings while improving to 6-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last seven starts overall.

Reds right-hander Homer Bailey (10-9) gave up five runs in six innings while falling to 1-3 with a 6.04 ERA in five August starts.

Braves 7, Giants 1 In San Francisco, Tim Hudson pitched seven strong innings for his seventh consecutive victory and Paul Janish tripled home two runs to help Atlanta beat San Francisco. Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Juan Francisco homered for the Braves, who won their second straight after losing six of seven. Martin Prado and Brian McCann also drove in runs for the NL wild-card leaders. Hudson (13-4) gave up five hits and beat the Giants for the sixth straight time. He hasn’t lost since July 1.

Tim Lincecum (7-14) lasted five innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. Heyward and Freeman homered on successive pitches in the ninth. Heyward has connected in three straight games.

Marlins 6, Dodgers 2 In Los Angeles, Rob Brantly gave Miami the lead for good with his first major league home run, and the Marlins also got long balls from Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Reyes and

Brewers 7, Pirates 0 In Pittsburgh, Carlos Gomez and Aramis Ramirez homered off Erik Bedard, leading Mark Rogers and the Milwaukee Brewers over the wobbling Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bedard (7-14) lasted only 4 2-3 innings and leads the majors in losses. The Pirates have lost five of six.

They trail St. Louis by two games for the second NL wild-card spot, with the Cardinals coming to PNC Park for a three-game series starting

complete their second sweep in the desert this season.

Volquez (9-9) recovered after a shaky first inning and San Diego’s bullpen escaped some sketchy moments of its own to win its sixth straight over Arizona. Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer off Brad Brach in the eighth to pull Arizona within one, but Luke Gregerson escaped a jam to finish off the inning and pitched a perfect ninth for his first save since 2010.

Cubs 5, Rockies 0 In Chicago, Chris Volstad ended a 24-start winless streak, allowing three hits in 6 2-3 strong innings as the Chicago Cubs beat Colorado in a game shortened to eight innings by rain.

Volstad (1-9), acquired from Miami for Carlos Zambrano, earned his first win since he beat Houston while pitching for the Marlins on July 10, 2011. He was 0-14 during his skid.

The major league record for consecutive winless starts is 28, shared by Jo-Jo Reyes, Matt Keough and Cliff Curtis. Shawn Camp got his second save, completing a four-hitter.

The start of the game was delayed 2 hours, 23 minutes by rain.

With Chicago leading 5-0, there was another delay after the eighth and the game was called 30 minutes later. Jhoulys Chacin (1-4) gave up a run and five hits in five innings.

PHILADELPHIA: Phillies starting pitcher Cliff Lee throws against the Washington Nationals in the first inning of a baseball game. —AP Carlos Lee to beat the revamped Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of an 11-game road trip. Mark Buehrle (1211) won his third straight start, allowing a run and six hits in 5 2-3 innings.

He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by retiring Hanley Ramirez on a popup and Andre Ethier on a grounder with the Marlins holding a 3-1 lead. Steve Cishek retired new Dodgers slugger Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded to end the eighth, then pitched a hitless ninth for his 11th save after Reyes and Lee homered back-to-back against rookie Shawn Tolleson in the top of the inning. Aaron Harang (9-8) allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Monday night.

Rogers (2-1) allowed three hits in five innings, helping the Brewers win for the fifth time in six games.

Rogers won six days after picking up his first victory in the majors. He walked three and struck out five, throwing 101 pitches.

Padres 5, D’backs 4 In Phoenix, Edinson Volquez pitched seven effective innings and the San Diego Padres extended their winning streak to a seasonhigh seven games by beating Arizona.

The Padres roughed up Trevor Cahill (9-11) and had at least 10 hits for the sixth time in eight games to

Mets 2, Astros 1 In New York, Ike Davis hit his second homer of the day with one out in the ninth inning soon after new left fielder Lucas Duda cut a runner down at the plate, lifting the New York Mets over Houston for their first series win at home since early July.

Mets rookie Jeremy Hefner took a shutout into the ninth before giving up a tying double to Marwin Gonzalez. Gonzalez then tried to score on Ben Francisco’s single off Bobby Parnell (3-3) and Duda, recalled from Triple-A Buffalo earlier in the day, made a strong throw home. Davis’ drive off Wilton Lopez (5-2) just cleared the top of the rightfield wall - and the glove of a leaping Francisco - for the second gamewinning hit of his career. —AP

Japan clinches LLWS title SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT: Fast friends in the Little League dorms, the boys from Japan and Tennessee played one last game Sunday to decide which team would be crowned World Series champions.

Noriatsu Osaka’s big bat helped send the team from Tokyo home with the title banner. Osaka’s third home run of the game put an exclamation point on Japan’s 12-2 victory over Tennessee in five innings in the Little League World Series championship game Sunday.

The 12-year-old Osaka added a triple for good measure in his 4-for-4 afternoon. In a symbolic gesture, Japan’s players jogged the traditional postgame victory lap carrying the flags for both their home country and the United States.

“We had such a great time in Pennsylvania and we really played a good game today. It was kind of a, ‘Thanks,’” Osaka said through an interpreter.

Starter Kotaro Kiyomiya struck out eight in four innings and added an RBI single for Japan. The game ended in the fifth after Osaka’s third homer made it a 10-run game.

“We thought we played the best in the tournament so far, especially to win by the 10-run rule in the finals,” said 12-year-old Rintaro Hirano, who homered in the fourth to make it 10-1.

A day after pounding out a 24-16 win over California in the US title

game, the Goodlettsville, Tenn., sluggers could only muster two hits - solo homers by Brock Myers and Lorenzo Butler.

It was a bittersweet final for two teams that grew close during their two weeks in South Williamsport. They exchanged customary postgame handshakes at the plate before Japan

of the team’s giddy cheering section as proud family members and friends stood shoulder-to-shoulder to take pictures through the infield fence.

There were so many highlights, including five home runs off Tennessee pitching. That was more than enough offense for 13-year-old ace Kiyomiya, who had a fastball

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT: Tokyo, Japan’s Noriatsu Osaka (10) rounds the bases past Goodlettsville, second baseman Lorenzo Butler (8) after hitting a walk-off, two-run home run in the fifth inning of the Little League World Series. —AP received the World Series championship banner and took their warningtrack run. “Tennessee was our best friends in the U.S. division,” Kiyomiya said.

Japan’s jog finally stopped in front

clocked in the high-70s. The righthander with the hitch in mid-delivery pitched like a big league ace in allowing just one hit.

Regardless, this is still a banner year for Goodlettsville after its

exhausting victory Saturday over Petaluma, Calif., for the US championship. That game set a record for most combined runs in the World Series. The thrilling victory kept the Tennessee players and their families up late into the night. “(The parents) must have partied harder than the kids did,” manager Joey Hale said. “I knew we’d be flat today.” Tennessee lost a 10-run lead in the bottom of the sixth of that game before scoring nine times the next inning to finally put away Petaluma in a Little League classic.

Even more impressively, Butler had three homers and a record nine RBIs a feat so unique the 12-year-old’s name became a trending topic on Twitter.

Butler went deep again off reliever Osaka in the fifth - Butler’s fourth homer in two days - to cut the lead to 10-2 and give Goodlettsvile some hope. Tennessee’s mini-mashers have proven they can break out any time at the plate.

“It feels really good and it was really great,” Butler said simply about his hitting exploits. He said his three homers Saturday were the longest he had hit all season. Its pitching depth sapped, Tennessee turned to right-hander Justin Smith to start against Japan - the first time the 12year-old had pitched in the World Series or in Southeast regional tournament. —AP

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

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Watney surges to three stroke win at Barclays FARMINGDALE: American Nick Watney won the Barclays Tournament in Farmingdale, New York by three shots on Sunday, shooting down Sergio Garcia’s quest for consecutive victories and moving to top spot in the PGA Tour playoffs.

Watney fired a two-under-par 69 on the final day to finish at 10-under 274 and claim his fifth PGA Tour victory, three clear of fellow American Brandt Snedeker (70) who was alone in second at 277 and four ahead of overnight leader Garcia (75) and defending champion Dustin Johnson (68) on 278.

Former world number one Lee Westwood, former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, Canadian Graham DeLaet and American Brian Harman shared fifth at 279.

Tiger Woods free fell down the leaderboard with a final round 76, dropping from a tie for 10th into a tie for 38th. Woods was even par over the first 11 holes before playing a five-hole stretch in five over thanks to three bogeys and a double bogey.

Watney won twice in 2011 but had managed just three top 10s in 2012 before the win which guaranteed him a place at the season ending Tour Championship and a shot at the FedEx Cup and its $10 million dollar bonus.

“I’m just very, very happy right now,” Watney said.

“It’s been not quite the year I would have wanted, but this really makes it all forgotten.

“Winning a tournament is hard, but winning out here and against this field was very, very difficult. I’m

kind of still on a high right now.” Starting two behind Garcia, Watney made a move early with a birdie on the second hole to tie for the lead following an opening-hole bogey from the Spaniard.

But Watney slipped back once more when he three-putted the fifth green for a bogey and Garcia dropped a 38-foot birdie on the sixth to reopen a two-shot lead. Watney clawed within a stroke with birdie on the seventh but the defining moment of the tournament came on the par three eighth. Garcia was short and left in a greenside bunker and failed to get up and down for par while Watney nailed a slippery downhill curling 28-foot birdie putt to lead by one.

He led by three after a birdie on the 10th bested another Garcia bogey but showed a few nerves with

back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12 to give the field a sniff. A solid birdie on the 14th once again gave the American breathing room and despite a bogey on the 16th he stamped his victory with authority with a birdie on the final hole.

Garcia, who won the Wyndham Championship just last week, could not maintain the pace but is all but guaranteed a place in the Tour Championship.

“It’s been two very good weeks,” he said.

“Obviously I would loved to finish in a different way but to be able to win last week and put myself in contention here again this week was good.”

The playoffs move to TPC Boston next week for the Deutsche Bank Championship where the top 100 golfers compete for a spot in the final 70. — Reuters

Poulter, Colsaerts get Ryder Cup wildcard

COQUITLAM: Fifteen-year-old Lydia Ko, of New Zealand holds up the trophy after winning the CN Canadian Women’s Open LPGA golf tournament at the Vancouver Golf Club. — AP

Ko’s win ‘most significant’ event in NZ women’s golf WELLINGTON: Lydia Ko’s victory in the Canadian Women’s Open on Sunday was the “most significant” event in New Zealand women’s golf according to the governing body in her homeland.

Ko, 15, shot a five-under 67 to win by three strokes and become the youngest winner on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour.

“No New Zealand woman has ever won on the LPGA tour before and in terms of significant golfing achievements this is probably the most significant by a New Zealand female golfer,” New Zealand Golf (NZG) chief executive Dean Murphy said in a telephone interview from Auckland.

“It’s not unexpected, but she does just dazzle us every time she plays. To win on the LPGA Tour, against a quality field is just a stunning achievement. We are so delighted.”

Murphy said a NZG conference for golf club managers had been interrupted as people huddled around computers watching Ko’s progress over the Internet. He said he expected her victory would give the sport an enormous boost.

“This should be an enormous story. It should do wonders for golf for the profile, and to encourage young girls into golf,” Murphy added.

“They have seen what Lydia has done and (to think that) any Kiwi girl can do that is inspiring. But

this is a very big deal for us and should do wonders for the profile of golf.”

The victory in Vancouver is the second professional tournament win for Ko. She became the youngest golfer to win a professional event at the New South Wales Open in January, aged 14, eclipsing the mark set by Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, who was 15 years and eight months when he won a tournament on the Japan Golf Tour.

Ko, the world’s top ranked amateur, won the US Amateur championship earlier this month, though Murphy said she was not in any hurry to turn professional.

“She has got a very solid plan. She wants to keep developing. Keep being a 15-year old and in a couple of years time the pathway will wend its way to professionalism,” Murphy said.

“She is very set in what she wants to do and we’re right there to support her. “The idea is to get her to play as many professional events as she can (about seven to 10 a year) and get as much experience so when she does turn professional in a couple of years she is ready to go.

“But she is (already) clearly performing on a very high level and we have just got to keep that growth going in the lead up to her turning professional.” — Reuters

Hussey: Australia must improve to beat Pakistan DUBAI: Australia will have to improve in all areas from its performance against upstart Afghanistan if it wants to beat Pakistan in the one-day international series that starts today, batsman Mike Hussey said. Australia is looking to regain the form that saw it dominate the one-day format until a recent slip. It was the topranked team until a 4-0 loss to England and other results dropped it to fourth in the ICC rankings - its lowest ever position.

While praising its performance against Afghanistan over the weekend, Hussey said Monday his fellow batsmen will have to be ready for much better Pakistan bowlers as well as the batsmen who “will be a lot better at rotating good balls and getting off strike and using angles a lot better than” the Afghans. He also said the team has to be more aggressive when it comes to fielding.

“We have got to improve in a lot of areas - even in the field I thought we tried to conserve energy a little bit and not do little things that we always did like outfielders coming in and making sure it was a bit of a fortress with our throws coming and, if there was a ricochet, we were ready for it,” Hussey said. “Maybe we were a little lazy in that respect.”Hussey also said it was also important Australia batsmen are not intimidated by Pakistan’s spin bowlers.

Famous for its spinners, Pakistan has included Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal in its squad.

“I’m not saying play carefree but I’m saying have that positive intent and trust our game,” said Hussey, a former top-ranked ODI batsman and one of the team’s senior players. “If you play defensively and tentatively, you are going to one, put the team under a lot of pressure by not scoring and rotating the strike. But two, you are going to give them a chance to get into their groove and then you will get a ball that will spin a bit and you will get out anyway. “I prefer to be positive, confident and put pressure back on them a little bit without being reckless.”

Hussey is making his return to the squad after pulling out of the England series following the premature birth of his fourth child. Upon his return, he said he found a team that was “extremely determined” rather than despondent over that defeat to England. He also showed he was ready to contribute by scoring 49 runs from 37 balls against Afghanistan in a knock that included three sixes.

That prompted talk of Hussey opening the batting should the tough conditions not suit Matthew Wade, who opened against Afghanistan. “I’m open to it. It doesn’t bother me,” said Hussey, who is used to the humid conditions after playing in Chennai in the Indian Premier League. “Whatever the team needs, I’d be more than happy to help out as long as I’m somewhere in that batting order,” he said. “If (Wade) made 100 and had to go out and keep, I think initially that would be tough. He might need a break.

“Say if we were chasing and there were extremely hot conditions and he fielded the whole 50 overs and didn’t feel he could 100 percent concentrate on opening the innings for us, that is something we could look at. But he is a pretty fit guy, Wadey, and I think he plays that role pretty well.”—AP

Australian batsman Matthew Wade

ILLINOIS: England’s Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium were named by captain Jose Maria Olazabal yesterday as Europe’s two wildcard picks for next month’s Ryder Cup. World number 26 Poulter and 35th-ranked Colsaerts join 10 automatic selections in the 12-man team for holders Europe for the Sept.

28-30 match against the United States at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois. “Every one of you pretty much guessed Ian was going to be there. That was not a difficult pick because he has a great Ryder Cup record and he’s playing well,” Olazabal told a news conference at Gleneagles, Scotland.

“He had some issues earlier this season when he got ill and couldn’t play as much as he wanted. But his attitude and his spirit in the Ryder Cup has always been great and he is a player that likes to be in that environment.

“It gets the best out of him. At Valhalla in 2008 and at Celtic Manor in 2010 you didn’t need to motivate him. Just by looking into his eyes you could tell he was going to give everything he had,” added Olazabal, an assistant captain in the last two editions of the biennial team event.

The 29-year-old Colsaerts, one of the longest hitters on the tour, will become the first Belgian to play in the Ryder Cup. “Nicolas is going to be the only rookie in an experienced team but his match play record is very good - he won the World Match Play Championship in Spain this year,” said Spaniard Olazabal.

“He has had a very solid season and on top of that he has made the extra effort to try and get in the team - that showed me he wants to be a part of it.

“Nicolas has shown a lot of heart, a lot of character, and I think he has got the game and the desire to do well. It’s also a long course at Medinah and he can take advantage of that, he will be suited to it.”

There was no place in the team for triple major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland, who failed to qualify for this year’s World Golf Championship tournaments, the events that are one rung down from the four majors.

“I talked to the next few guys on the points list - David Lynn, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Gonzalo

Fernandez-Castano, Alvaro Quiros and Padraig,” said Olazabal.

“I made those phone calls and it wasn’t easy. They were disappointed not to make the team but they all took my decision well.

“Padraig played well at the US Masters, finishing eighth, he also had a good U.S. Open (fourth) and a good Irish Open (seventh) but he is 19th on the points list and he was just a little bit too far down.

“I know he’s a great player and I would have loved to have him in the team, in the

“They will also set up the course the way they want and we are going to have to play really well to have a chance to win. “The atmosphere will be electrifying so I need to prepare my players for that and make sure they don’t allow themselves to be bothered by it,” said Olazabal.

“Luckily the guys have the experience to make that easier. We are playing great opponents but anything can happen.” Europe won 14 1/2-13 1/2 in the previous edition at Celtic Manor, Wales.

GLENEAGLES: European Ryder Cup team wildcard selection Nicolas Colsaerts (left) and team captain Jose Maria Olazabal during a press conference. European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal named England’s Ian Poulter and Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts as his two wild-card picks yesterday. — AP same way I’d have loved to have Paul Casey, Robert Karlsson, Henrik Stenson - but you need to be playing well too,” said the Spaniard.

Olazabal believes the Europeans and the Americans, captained by Davis Love III, will be evenly matched at Medinah.

“Both teams are strong and I don’t see that there is a favorite,” he said. “But the support of the home crowd will be massive to the US.

Full European team Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Justin Rose (England), Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland), Paul Lawrie (Scotland), Francesco Molinari (Italy), Luke Donald (England), Lee Westwood (England), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Peter Hanson (Sweden), Martin Kaymer (Germany), Ian Poulter (England), Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) (Editing by John O’Brien). —Reuters

Ashwin emerges as India’s new spinning spearhead MUMBAI: A stalwart of the team that soared to number one in the rankings, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s chances of a return to the test arena are looking remote with Ravichandran Ashwin’s emergence as India’s new slowbowling spearhead.

The 32-year-old Harbhajan, who has taken more than 400 test wickets, struggled during India’s dismal tour of England last year in which he claimed two wickets in the first two tests before an abdominal strain cut short his trip.

The team was whitewashed 4-0 in the test series and went on to lose their number one ranking without winning a single match on the tour.

With Harbhajan unavailable, India selectors turned to Ashwin and the 25-year-old spinner has not let them down. Hailing from the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Ashwin has made full use of his chance to shine on the big stage and racked up 34 wickets in four tests on home soil.

He picked up the man-of-the-series award in his debut series against West Indies and took a career-best 12 wickets against New Zealand in Hyderabad to help guide India victory by an innings and 115 runs in the opening test on Sunday.

With England and Australia each scheduled to play a four-match series in India later this season, the hosts have an ideal opportunity to make up for their eight consecutive away test defeats to the same opponents last year.

In Ashwin, India have found a potent weapon to torment the visitors on the slow pitches at home as New Zealand captain Ross Taylor was quick to point out.

“We need to learn how to play Ashwin and... play him a lot better,” Taylor said after the heavy defeat in the opener of the two-match series.

Ashwin has forged a strong partnership with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, the duo sharing 60 wickets in the four tests they have played together.

They may still be a long way from becoming a strikeforce similar to the one formed by leg-spinner Anil Kumble and Harbhajan, but all the early signs are encouraging.

“Ojha is someone who I have played with since I was 16 and we have always enjoyed each other’s company,” Ashwin told reporters on Sunday.

“I was a batsman then when Ojha was a prime bowler but I still used to bowl in one-day games. We always used to bowl well together because we used to build pressure very well.”

Ashwin may lack the variation of Harbhajan but he does possess excellent control over his line and length, and bowls very few loose deliveries.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his spin twins for their ability to maintain pressure on opposing batsmen. “I think the bowlers bowled brilliantly. They didn’t give any loose deliveries to score runs which meant even if the opposition batted for one or two hours, the score was

not picking a lot,” Dhoni said. “That really made the difference as we could have those catching fielders and put pressure on them.” Ashwin has the advantage of height, which he uses well to extract bounce off the wicket, and his ‘carrom ball’ is also very effective on turning wickets.

He is also a useful batsman lower down the order, already boasting a test hundred and a batting average of more than 35, which makes Harbhajan’s comeback even more unlikely. — Reuters

India’s bowler Ravichandran Ashwin

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

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US women win first 3x3 world basketball title

UNCASVILLE: Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot (22) is fouled by Connecticut Sun’s Tina Charles in the second half of a WNBA basketball game. —AP

Sky snap losing streak UNCASVILLE: Epiphanny Prince scored 15 points as the short-handed Chicago Sky snapped a nine-game losing streak with an 82-70 victory over the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA on Sunday.

Olympic center Sylvia Fowles and forward Tamera Young missed the game because of personal reasons. Sky coach Pokey Chatman said Young had a death in the family.

Reserve center Carolyn Swords started in Fowles’ absence and had a career-high 14 points and added six rebounds for the Sky (9-14). Swin Cash had 14 points and six rebounds, and Courtney Vandersloot added 11 assists and four steals.

Allison Hightower had 17 points and five assists for the Eastern Conference-

leading Sun (17-6). Connecticut played its fifth straight game without Olympic forward Asjha Jones, sidelined by a strained left Achilles tendon. Kara Lawson had 16 points and six assists for Connecticut, and Tina Charles added 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.

Storm 84, Liberty 66 At Seattle, Sue Bird had 18 points and 10 assists, Lauren Jackson scored 16 points and Seattle snapped a threegame losing streak with a victory over New York. Camille Little added 15 points, and Shekinna Stricklen had 12 for Seattle (11-13). Cappie Pondexter, the WNBA’s second-leading scorer, had 23 points for the Liberty (9-15). —AP

Cheating at Paralympics could involve self-harm LONDON: To ensure there is no cheating at the Paralympics, officials will be testing not just for the usual banned drugs, but for a practice called boosting, where wheelchair athletes do things like break a toe to cause a blood pressure spike to enhance performance.

In able-bodied athletes, intense physical exercise automatically raises the heart rate and blood pressure. Athletes with a severe spinal cord injury, however, don’t get that natural boost.

To get a rapid rise in blood pressure, wheelchair-bound athletes may resort to another solution: inducing a state called autonomic dysreflexia. That is a reflex that occurs when the lower part of their body is exposed to painful stimuli, like filling the bladder to capacity, using tight leg straps, or sitting on a sharp object.

This elevated blood pressure can cause a heart attack or stroke - but since the athletes can’t feel it, some think the risk is worth taking. Studies have shown athletes with a spinal cord injury who boost can get up to a 10 percent improvement in some races.

“It’s an extreme thing to do and we have to constantly remind athletes it’s very dangerous,” said Craig Spence, a spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee.

The IPC banned the practice in 2004 and says it doesn’t have evidence boosting is widespread. At the Beijing Paralympics, 37 athletes competing in events thought to be at high risk of boosting were tested. None were positive.

According to a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency, about 10 out of 60 athletes surveyed at the Beijing Paralympics admitted having boosted at a major competition.

Spence said there are only about 100

athletes at the upcoming Paralympics who would benefit from boosting, given their disability and their event. “At the end of the day, it’s only a handful of athletes who are actually self-harming,” he said.

Spence added that the IPC would conduct blanket testing in sports where athletes might be tempted to boost at the upcoming Games and officials would also examine athletes with symptoms of boosting, like having a red face or sweating before the race.

Athletes found to have high blood pressure will be asked to wait about 10 minutes before being tested again. If their second test is the same, they won’t be allowed to race for health reasons.

“There’s a limit to how we can test for this,” Spence said. “We can’t really ask people to drop their trousers so we can check there’s nothing unusual in there,” he said, noting they have found competitors who stuck pins into their testicles to get the desired effect.

Spence said those suspected of boosting aren’t penalized in the same way as those caught doping. “Their punishment is they can’t compete unless they have a doctor’s certificate to explain why their blood pressure is high.”

Some experts have said paralyzed athletes may simply accept the health risks of boosting as a necessary cost of victory.

“These athletes don’t feel the pain of the injury and the pursuit of elite sport is in some ways already unhealthy,” said David James, a senior sports engineer at Sheffield Hallam University. “We accept harm in all sorts of sports, like boxing,” James said. “They may think this is just another form of that,” he said. Others said we shouldn’t expect Paralympic athletes to behave any differently than athletes in any other elite sport. — AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Oracle Team USA Spithill (right) races against Luna Rossa Swordfish of Italy (left) during the fleet finals of the America’s Cup World Series sailing event. — AP

Spithill wins ACWS title SAN FRANCISCO: Oracle Racing’s Jimmy Spithill won the fleet racing and overall championship in the opening regatta of the 2012-13 America’s Cup World Series.

Australian-born Spithill, who skippered Oracle Racing to victory in the 2010 America’s Cup at age 30, took second place in Sunday’s fleet race finale to take a one-point edge in the overall standings.

Oracle Racing’s other skipper, Russell

Coutts, took out Spithill to claim the match racing championship. In a race that saw the lead change had three times, New Zealander Coutts, a four-time America’s Cup winner, eked out a onesecond victory with both boats screaming across the finish line overlapped in 20-plus knots of wind.

The ACWS is a prelude to the 2013 America’s Cup, which will be sailed on San Francisco Bay. —AP

ATHENS: The United States women’s team won the inaugural 3-on-3 world basketball championship Sunday, beating France 17-16 in the final.

Notre Dame University’s Skylar Diggins, Connecticut University’s Bria Hartley and Chiney Ogwumike of Stanford University teamed with Ann Strother for the US team.

Serbia won the men’s title with a 16-13 victory over France. The US men were eliminated

by Serbia in the quarterfinals, losing 20-16. “I am very proud of teammates. They took the hits and gave some back. This was definitely very physical, very different from America,” Diggins said.

Diggins, Hartley and Ogwumike, along with Alyssa Thomas easily won a six-team qualifying tournament in early July, in which Strother took part, with another team. With Thomas unable to make the trip to Athens, Strother was called in as a last-minute replacement.

“We had reserved a space in the women’s (qualifying) tournament for women who were former national team players,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball’s executive director and CEO. “It was very easy to learn to play with these girls,” Strother said. “They are smart, they are talented, they are competitors.”

The US women went 9-0 in the four-day tournament, cruising through the initial group stage, the round of 16 and the quarterfinals but were pushed hard by Australia in the semifinals earlier Sunday, winning 19-18.

In the final Ogwumike, who had been used to dominating the boards and blocking or altering shots, had a tough time with France’s Helena Ciak.

“She was the most physical player in the tournament and she set the tone for the others. But, in the end, it’s better to be physical than to play like girls,” Ogwumike said.

FIBA, the world basketball federation, is certainly investing a lot in the 3-on-3 game, or 3x3 basketball, as it calls it. “What FIBA wants is to create a new generation of players...and take the game into new places. You saw here teams from Guam, from Nepal,” Tooley said.

Patterned after streetball, 3x3 basketball is played on a halfcourt and lasts just 10 minutes, unless one of the teams reaches 21 points before that, something the U.S. women did in their first seven games. There is a 12second shot clock. One point is awarded for free throws and shots inside what is the 3point arc in the “regular” 5-on-5 game, and two points for shots beyond that arc.

The teams have four athletes each, with on sitting on the bench at any time and they act as their own coaches, taking timeouts and deciding on the timing of substitutions.

Actual coaches are not allowed in the court and are not allowed to shout instructions from the sideline, although, in this tournament, several flouted the rule and were not always warned by the referees.

There are two referees in each game.

Having managed to include the 3x3 event in the inaugural Youth Summer Olympics, held in 2010 in Singapore, and to organize a world Youth Championship in 2011, the FIBA staged the event as a showcase for its push to have the 3-on-3 format included at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“This is a great historical setting,” said FIBA

inclusion of the event. “Imagine, to have Copacabana as the setting for 3x3 basketball.

It would be fantastic,” he said.

If 3x3 ball becomes an Olympic event, all U.S. athletes said, they would jump at the chance to represent their country. “Of course, I would prefer to be part of the 5-on-5 team,” Diggins said. “But I would do whatever my country wants me to do.” “I would definitely try that,” agreed Tyree Hardge, one of the men’s US team members.

Hardge, along with teammates Ira Brown and Allen Williams, are all former college players and veterans of the 3x3 circuit. The fourth

ATHENS: Bria Hartley of USA reacts as Sylvie Gruszczynski of France tries to block her during the final basketball game for the 3X3 World basketball Championship. —AP General Secretary Patrick Baumann, pointing to Athens’ Zappeion Hall looming over the four temporary basketball courts assembled for the competition. “This is where the fencing was staged in the inaugural modern Olympics (held in Athens in 1896) and where the press center was.”

Baumann, also a member of the International Olympic Committee, said FIBA’s intent was to stage the inaugural 3x3 World Championship at the Panathinaiko Stadium, the actual central venue of the 1896 Games.

But archaeological authorities would not have allowed the displaying of the sponsors’ logos there and the event was moved to the Zappeion Hall, a few hundred yards away.

Baumann said the IOC will discuss including the 3x3 in the Summer Olympics in November but will not make a final decision until late 2013. He is optimistic about the

member, Adetayo Adesanya, was a track and field All-American in the long jump and high jump and played high school basketball. The US men were 5-2.

“The men represented us well, on and off the court ... they came through the grassroots system in the US” said Tooley, adding that USA basketball would consider recruiting top college or pro players to try for future 3x3 teams.

“We could have done better, but we are excited about representing our country. In the following years, the US will do much better,” said Hardge, adding that the four would consider whether they will continue as a team.

As for the women, Strother, who has retired from pro 5-on-5 play, will continue working the 3x3 circuit. “This (win) was right up there with the college championships” she won at UConn in 2003 and 2004,” she said. —AP

Briscoe holds off teammate Power to triumph in Sonoma SONOMA: Ryan Briscoe hadn’t celebrated an IndyCar victory in two years, so it’s no wonder he stalled his car during his postrace burnout. Will Power and Chevrolet also are leaving wine country with reasons to celebrate - hopefully with a bit more style.

Briscoe got past teammate Power out of a pit stop Sunday and held off the two-time defending Sonoma champion for his seventh career victory, capping a masterful weekend for Chevrolet and Penske Racing.

“We always get excited when we come to this race,” Briscoe said. “For whatever reason, Team Penske cars are always strong. Will and I kind of dominated all weekend.”

Although Briscoe got the traditional goblet of wine, he wasn’t the only big winner.

Chevrolet clinched the manufacturers’ championship in the first season of its return to IndyCar with six of its cars in the top 10 - including another dominant per formance by the Penske team, which took three of the top six spots. “ To see them win the manufacturers’ championship in their first year is very rewarding,” owner Roger Penske said.

“To come from Detroit and have Chevrolet in the race with the engines has been terrific, and certainly the reliability has been excellent.”

And even with his frustrating second-place finish, Power took command of the overall championship race when his three closest competitors all had problems. Power began the weekend leading by five points, and increased that to 36 over Ryan Hunter-Reay heading to Baltimore next weekend.

“It’s tough when you lead so many laps and have the quickest car,” Power said. “I love to win, but we still got the points and made the most out of the situation that it was. I can’t help but be disappointed, but full congratulations to Ryan.”

Briscoe figured he was long

overdue for a blemish-free afternoon, and he got it after star ting next to pole -sitter Power. Briscoe has never finished outside the top four at Sonoma, and the hazards that have slowed him on other courses in recent months all seemed to befall his competitors this time.

“The last year was the first year that I hadn’t won a race in a while,” Briscoe said about 2011.

“You’ve just got to keep plugging away, keep pushing hard.

We’ve been fast, there’s no doubt - several poles this year and front-row starts - but we had trouble executing, and today we executed flawlessly, thanks to the guys in the pits.

There was absolutely no trouble at all. It was a straight free race.”

After Power led for most of the race, Briscoe slipped into position for the win when Power got caught in traffic following a scar y crash for Sebastien Bourdais and Josef Newgarden.

Both drivers apparently avoided serious injury when Bourdais lost control on cold tires and slammed Newgarden

into a protective barrier, with Newgarden only injuring his left index finger.

Power also lost a few seconds of his lead on a slow pit stop before the crash, but said he blamed the loss on getting held up by drivers who were “dawdling around because they were a lap down or whatever.”

He barely failed to win his third straight race in Sonoma after starting his 100th IndyCar race from the pole at the track where he broke his back in 2009, yet Power clinched the Mario Andretti Road Trophy and left Sonoma in prime position to replace three-time defending champion Dario Franchitti as the championship winner.

Hunter-Reay was left fuming after Alex Tagliani spun him out with 10 laps to go, and he finished 18th. Helio Castroneves was penalized after making contact with Scott Dixon on the opening lap and never got back in the hunt, eventually finishing sixth, while Dixon came in 13th after making contact with Hunter-Reay.

Penske still put its three racers in the top six after Power,

Briscoe and Castroneves swept the podium in Sonoma last year.

Franchitti finished third, and Rubens Barrichello finished a career-best four th. Graham Rahal was fifth.

IndyCar had a contact-filled afternoon after two straight races run under all green flags.

The circuit had gone 226 consecutive laps without a caution until the crash.

Bourdais accepted responsibility for the crash, saying he couldn’t turn his car and picking up debris on his tires at Turn 7, which was modified this year into a difficult hairpin.

Bourdais eventually drove through the dirt and slid into Newgarden, who hit a barrier head-on and injured his finger, which will be re-evaluated back in Indianapolis.

“It was a pretty bad hit,” Bourdais said. “I don’t know for sure what happened. The car refused to turn. Everything was working out great.”

Hunter-Reay had an animated discussion with Tagliani, who was penalized for avoidable contact that left Hunter-Reay stalled on the track.—AP

SONOMA: Ryan Briscoe, of Australia, races during the IndyCar Series auto race. —AP

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

S P ORT S

Real crash to shock defeat

ARGENTINA: River Plate’s Leonardo Ponzio (right) is chased by San Lorenzo’s Luis Aguiar during Argentina’s league soccer match in Buenos Aires. —AP

Boca Juniors back to top BUENOS AIRES: Boca Juniors are back on top in Argentina’s first division after a 2-1 victory over Union. Nicolas Blandi scored the winner for Boca late in the second half on Saturday. Rolando Schiavi scored in the 18th minute for Boca with Nicolas Correa scoring early in the second half for Union.

Boca has nine points from four matches. Four clubs have eight points: Arsenal, Quilmes, Racing and Newell’s. Off the field, the head of a Boca hooligan faction was in stable but critical condition on Sunday after being shot in a gun battle with a rival Boca gang, the state -run Telam news agency reported.

Hospital officials in Rosario, located northwest of Buenos Aires, identified the shooting victim as Mauro Martin. Officials said he was hit in the abdomen in a shootout on Saturday before the match.

Four other gang members were also shot but were not in a life-threatening

condition. Hooligan violence plagues almost every top club in Argentina, and confrontations are commonplace between rival gangs who vie for control of lucrative concessions around the stadiums.

In Sunday matches it was: Belgrano 0, Newell’s 0; San Martin 0, Velez 3; Rafaela 1, Quilmes 1; Lanus 1, Racing 1; River Plate 0, San Lorenzo 0.

Gino Peruzzi, Francisco Cerro and Federico Insua scored in Velez’s lopsided victory. Facundo Diz scored in second-half injury time to rally Quilmes to the draw, while Ivan Juarez scored in the 36th for Rafaela. Gonzalo Castillejos put Lanus ahead in the 44th, but Gabriel notched the equalizer for Racing in the 66th. In other weekend matches it was: All Boys 2, Tigre 2; Argentinos Junior 2, Godoy Cruz 1; Independiente 0, Arsenal 2. Estudiantes play Colon late yesterday.—AP

MADRID: Real Madrid’s troubled start to the season continued when the champions squandered the lead and slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat at city rivals Getafe on Sunday to slip five points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

The rare domestic reverse for Jose Mourinho’s side, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Valencia last weekend, ended a 24match unbeaten run in the league, their longest in 15 years.

They looked comfortably in control when Gonzalo Higuain fired them ahead from close range in the 27th minute at the Coliseum in Madrid.

But their failure to capitalise on long periods of possession ultimately cost them and lowly Getafe levelled eight minutes after the break when Juan Valera nodded past Iker Casillas from a free-kick.

It went from bad to worse for the visitors 15 minutes from time when substitute Adrian Colunga set up Abdelaziz Barrada to smash the ball high into the net and secure a famous victory. Real’s misery was compounded when defender Fabio Coentrao was sent from the bench for protesting late on and will be suspended for next weekend’s match at home to Granada.

“We were unable to close out the game,” Real’s Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso said in an interview with Spanish TV. “Obviously we have to improve and we are self-critical but we have to take things slowly.

“It was a setback we really weren’t expecting and we have to change the dynamic as soon as possible.” Lionel Messi had earlier saved an offcolour Barca from a first defeat of the campaign when he struck twice in the second half in a 2-1 comeback victory at 10-man Osasuna.

Barca have six points from two games and top the table on goal difference from Rayo Vallecano, who also have six after their 2-1 win at Real Betis on Saturday.

Valencia failed to build on their impressive result at Real when they let slip a 2-0 lead and had Ricardo Costa sent off in a 3-3 draw at home to promoted Deportivo Coruna in the late kickoff and are 12th on two points.

Real, who lost a league match for the first time after leading at the break in more than five years, have a solitary point and are down in 15th. They now need to regroup for Wednesday’s Spanish Super Cup second leg at home to Barca, when they will be attempting to

overturn a 3-2 deficit from last week’s first leg at the Nou Camp.

Barca fell 3-2 to Osasuna on a freezing February night last season but there was to be no repeat on a balmy summer evening in Pamplona as World Player of the Year Messi took his tally to four goals from two games.

Joseba Llorente gave the Navarrans a surprise 17th-minute lead when he hooked in at the far post from a tight angle.

Clad in their unfamiliar bright orange and yellow kit, Barca struggled to create chances and almost fell two behind midway through the second half when substitute Nino broke clear, but his shot spun out of play off the outside of a post. The game turned in the 76th minute when Messi stretched to poke in an Alexis Sanchez centre, after which Osasuna midfielder Patxi

Punal was shown a straight red card for his furious protests.

Messi, who set a La Liga scoring record of 50 goals last term, grabbed the winner 10 minutes from time, stroking a Jordi Alba centre low into the net from the edge of the area.

Barca’s new coach Tito Vilanova, who replaced Pep Guardiola at the end of last season, blotted his away league debut when he was sent from the bench for protesting a decision moments after Nino’s failed effort.

“The sending off was excessive as I didn’t say anything that strong,” he told a news conference. “ We have to praise the capacity we showed in turning the game around.

“That means we are strong because doing that at this stadium you have to be mentally tough and ambitious.”—Reuters

SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata (right) vies for the ball with Getafe’s Xavi Torres during a Spanish La Liga soccer match.—AP

Real agree on Modric deal

MEXICO: Pumas’ Martin Bravo (right) fights for the ball with Cruz Azul’s Israel Castro during a Mexican soccer league match.—AP

Cruz Azul clinch Mexico City derby against Pumas MEXICO CITY: Cruz Azul won the Mexico City derby against Pumas 1-0 on Sunday to remain undefeated in the Mexican first division after the sixth round. The victory moves Cruz Azul to fourth place in the standings. Toluca remained in first place after its 1-1 draw on Saturday against Tigres, which improved Toluca to 16 points.

Tijuana defeated America 1-0 on Saturday to go into second on 13 points, while Morelia’s 3-1 win over Leon on Friday moved it into third on 12 points.

In other results this weekend, Monterrey overcame Chivas 2-1, Puebla won 1-0 against San Luis, Pachuca and Santos Laguna drew 0-0, Atlante beat Atlas 1-0 and Jaguares defeated Queretaro 2-1.

Argentine Mariano Pavone headed home a right wing cross in the 69th minute to give Cruz Azul a deserved victory against rivals Pumas.

Toluca won its first five matches to start the season and took the lead in the 7th when Brazilian Lucas Silva struck a shot from 25 yards (meters) into the top left corner of the net. Lucas Lobos equalized for Tigres nine minutes later with a header.

America’s Christian Benitez penalty attempt sailed over the crossbar in the seventh minute of second-half injury time, meaning Cristian Pellerano’s 25-yard (meter) strike in the 40th minute was enough to give Tijuana the three points.

Morelia was two goals up at halftime against Leon, with Ecuadorean Joao Rojas opening the scoring in the 16th and Joel Huiqui getting the second in the 26th.

Matias Britos pulled one back for Leon five minutes after halftime, before a weak shot

by Rojas went through goalkeeper Edgar Hernandez’s legs and into the net in the 78th.

On Sunday, Chilean striker Humberto Suazo came off the bench at halftime and scored two second-half goals to overturn Chivas’ first half lead. Rafael Marquez Lugo put Chivas ahead in the 16th.

Puebla picked up its first win of the season, also Sunday, courtesy of a 3rd minute goal from Diego de Buen. San Luis remains winless in the league.

Pachuca had the better of the chances and possession against reigning champions Santos Laguna, but could not manage its first home win of the season.

Paraguayan international Osvaldo Martinez scored with a delicate chip for Atlante three minutes before halftime against Atlas.

An own-goal from Efrain Cortes in the 89th minute completed Jaguares* comeback victory.

Queretaro took the lead in the 62nd on a goal from Mitchel Oviedo, with Luis Gabriel Rey equalizing for Jaguares in the 77th. —AP

MADRID: Real Madrid have agreed to sign Croatia playmaker Luka Modric from Tottenham Hotspur on a five-year contract as the stuttering Spanish champions look to tap into his guile and creativity to get their season back on track. “Real Madrid CF and Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement for the transfer of the player Luka Modric, who will remain tied to the club for the next five seasons,” Real said on their website (www.realmadrid.com) yesterday.

Tottenham, who also confirmed the deal on their site (www.tottenhamhotspur.com), said it was subject to a medical and included a par tnership agreement for the two clubs to work together “in respect of players, coaching, best practices and commercial relationships”.

While neither club gave financial details, Spanish media reported Real would pay 35 million euros ($43.81 million), plus a possible seven million in addons, for Modric, who joined Spurs from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008.

The 26-year-old’s arrival in the Spanish capital may help Real put a poor start to the season behind them, during which they have taken one point from two La Liga outings and lost Thursday’s first leg of the Spanish Super Cup 3-2 at Barcelona.

They crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat at city rivals Getafe on Sunday, which prompted a rare

burst of public criticism of his underperforming players from coach Jose Mourinho.

Real have a chance to get their season back on track in Wednesday’s Super Cup return leg at the Bernabeu when Modric, who will be presented to the media later on Monday, could make his debut.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, who fought off bids from Chelsea and Manchester United for the fan favourite a year ago, said he was reluctant to let Modric leave.

Modric himself said last year he wanted to move to Chelsea but Levy blocked any deal with

the club’s London neighbors.

“Luka has been a terrific player for us and, while we preferred not to par t with him, we are pleased that it is to Real Madrid, a club with which we now look forward to sharing a long and productive partnership,” Levy said in a statement. Modric joined Tottenham from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008 for 16.5 million pounds ($26.09 million) and after initially playing as a defensive midfielder, became a key element in the club’s resurgence under former manager Harr y Redknapp.

After a poor start to the sea-

Tottenham Hotspur’s Luka Modric

son under Juande Ramos, the Spaniard’s replacement Redknapp deployed Modric as attacking midfielder and Spurs rapidly improved.

With Redknapp at the helm, Spurs enjoyed two top-four finishes and reached the Champions League for the first time in 2010 when Modric’s deft touches and inspired vision set him apart.

In all, he played 160 times for Spurs, scoring 17 goals, and was the creative heart of the side, whose attacking, expansive style was widely regarded as being among the most attractive in the Premier League last season.

Despite finishing fourth last season, Spurs were deprived of a Champions League berth after sixth-placed Chelsea earned the right to defend their title when they became European champions in May. With Spurs only able to offer the Croatian Europa League football, their chances of keeping Modric at White Hart Lane were diminished.

His move to Madrid could now spell the end of Kaka’s stint at Real, the Brazilian playmaker who has failed to live up to expectations since arriving from AC Milan for around 65 million euros three years ago. Milan wanted to take the 30-year-old back on loan, although Real were holding out for a sale, the Italian side’s vice president Adriano Galliano said on Sunday.—Reuters

Ronaldinho scores, keeps Atletico ahead in Brazil SAO PAULO: Ronaldinho scored one goal and set up another as Atletico Mineiro drew 2-2 with rival Cruzeiro on Sunday to keep its lead at the halfway point of the Brazilian league.

Ronaldinho put Atletico Mineiro ahead in the 84th minute before Cruzeiro equalized in injury time, but the draw was still enough to give Atletico a one-point lead over second place Fluminense, which edged Vasco da Gama 2-1 on Saturday.

Atletico Mineiro, which still has a game in hand, has 43 points from 19 matches.

Fluminense has 42 points, Gremio 37 and Vasco 35.

Also Sunday, former Brazil striker Luis Fabiano scored twice as fifth place Sao Paulo beat defending champion Corinthians 2-1 at the Pacaembu stadium, while Flamengo drew with rival Botafogo 0-0 in Rio de Janeiro. On Saturday, Neymar scored twice to give Santos a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Palmeiras, which is now in the relegation zone.

Cruzeiro opened the scoring at the Independencia stadium in Belo Horizonte with a goal by striker Wallyson in the 17th, but defender Leonardo Silva equalized for Atletico in first-half injury time with a well-placed curling volley from inside the area after a corner taken by Ronaldinho.

The former two-time world player of the year then scored after getting past a defender

inside the area and firing a low shot past Cruzeiro goalkeeper Fabio.

Cruzeiro, which went a man up when Atletico Mineiro midfielder Pierre was sent off in the 82nd, pressed forward until getting the equalizer by right back Mateus after a pass by Argentine playmaker Walter Montillo in the fourth and final minute of injury time. Montillo had struck the crossbar with a free kick in the 90th. The result extended Atletico Mineiro’s unbeaten streak to 13 matches.

The game was briefly interrupted early in the second half because Cruzeiro fans began throwing objects on the field after Atletico striker Bernard and Cruzeiro midfielder Leandro Guerreiro got into an altercation that eventually prompted both players to be sent off. Also Sunday, Sao Paulo ended a seven-year winless streak against Corinthians at the Pacaembu, the stadium where the rival hosts its matches.

Corinthians, 12th in the standings, scored first with striker Emerson just five minutes into the match, but Fabiano equalized in the 62nd and netted the winner in a breakaway in the 69th.

Flamengo had most of the scoring opportunities against Clarence Seedorf’s Botafogo but was not able to capitalize on its chances at the Joao Havelange Stadium, known locally as the Engenhao. In Flamengo’s best chance, substi-

tute striker Liedson struck the crossbar with a late header. Flamengo, still without recently signed striker Adriano, is ninth in the standings, while Botafogo is seventh.

On Saturday, Fluminense stayed close to Atletico Mineiro after playmaker Thiago Neves scored in the 72nd and 86th minutes to give the team its fifth win in six matches. Vasco, last year’s runner up to Corinthians, got on the board with an own goal by Fluminense defender Gum in the 73rd. Also Saturday, Santos snapped a winless streak that lasted more than three years against Palmeiras.

Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team opened the scoring at the Pacaembu with a goal by midfielder Correa in the 41st, but Neymar rallied Santos to the win by converting a long range free kick in the 43rd and scoring the go-ahead goal in the 63rd with a low shot from outside the area. It was Santos’ third win in a row in the national league. The result moved Santos to 10th, while Palmeiras continues to struggle and is only 17th in the standings with 16 points from 19 matches, in the relegation zone. Palmeiras has lost three of its last four matches. In other results Sunday, World Cup veteran midfielder Elano scored early in the first half to give Gremio a 1-0 win over rival Internacional at the Beira-Rio stadium in Porto Alegre, while striker Aloisio scored a hat trick in Figueirense’s 3-1 win over Coritiba in Florianopolis.—AP

19

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

SPORTS

London ready to be ‘blown away’ by Paralympic Games LONDON: Though the reverberating success of the London Olympic Games will be a hard act to follow, organizers of the Paralympic Games are confident that the roars, smiles and cheers will return.

Already, the desire of Britons and foreign visitors to experience the “Olympic buzz” again has prompted a surge in ticket sales, with the London 2012 Paralympic Games set to become the first sell-out in their 52-year history.

“I think a lot of people are going to be taken by surprise when they see the quality of Paralympic sport. Some were probably watching Olympic sport for the first time during those Games, but when they see Paralympic sport for the first time they are going to be blown away by it,” said Sebastian Coe, chief of organizing committee LOCOG. “I think we can genuinely say we can raise the bar over the next few weeks,” said Coe, predicting that the Paralympics would capture the imagination of people of all ages.

According to latest figures, more than 2.3 million of the total of 2.5 million spectator tickets available for the Paralympic Games, which run from Aug 29 to September 9, have been sold.

In addition, 100,000 tickets are available for visits to the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, which proved a popular attraction during the Olympic Games.

Organizers have had just over two weeks to adjust existing Olympic venues and to create new ones, as well as making alterations to the Park, its buildings and visitor attractions.

“The transition to what will be the largest Paralympic Games ever is a huge operation in a short time period. We’re getting ready to welcome the world’s Paralympians and deliver truly spectacular Paralympic Games,” said LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton.

Organizers said it had taken just five days to transform the Olympic village which hosted more than 10,000 Olympic athletes, to accommodate 4,280 Paralympic athletes, 3,500 team officials, 1,225 Games officials and 22 assistance dogs.

Provisions include a wheelchair repair centre.

Up to 166 National Paralympic Committees

LONDON: Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias who will be competing in S5 swimming classification races, packs away to leave after a training session before the 2012 Paralympics. —AP

(NPCs) are represented - the largest number ever to attend a Paralympic Games. Newcomers include Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, the United States Virgin Islands and San Marino.

There will be 1,800 wheelchair users among the competitors across 21 disciplines and 503 events, to be held at 19 venues - 17 less than at the Olympics.

But it will be the much-praised “spirit” of the London Games, reflected as much by their relaxed and friendly atmosphere as by the impressive success of Team GB - which gained third position on the medal table - that competitors and visitors will seek to emulate.

“It will be fantastic to compete on home ground, inspired by the success of Team GB at the Olympics,” said Nick Beighton, a British rower competing in the mixed double sculls.

At London’s Heathrow airport, Paralympic athletes were welcomed and assisted with a smile by uniformed volunteers who - as Games Makers already made their mark during the Olympics.

London, meanwhile, has put on its festive dress for the Paralympics. Regent Street, in the main shopping area of central London, remains bedecked with the flags of Olympic nations, and shop windows display sporting themes.

The giant Olympic rings that were suspended from Tower Bridge and other landmarks during the Olympic Games have been replaced by the Agitos, the official symbol of the 2012 Paralympic Games.

The Agitos, consisting of red, blue and green circling arcs representing motion, are displayed across the city. Security has been scaled down, with a new mix of 3,500 soldiers and between 4,000 and 5,000 private guards on duty at the Games. In addition, around 7,000 police officers will be on duty in London each day.

“The numbers are down but the security is the same,” said Chris Allison of London’s Metropolitan Police, who is responsible for security at the Games.

Transport, meanwhile which worked unexpectedly smoothly during the Olympic Games, could present more of a challenge as London gets back into swing after the summer holiday season.

However, operators Transport for London (TfL) have pointed out that Paralympic events are more concentrated in the Olympic Park, rather than being spread across the city.

There will also be fewer restricted “Games Lanes” used to transport athletes, officials and media around the capital.—dpa

LONDON: South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius trains at Mayesbrook Park Arena, Barking, England. The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between Aug. 29 to Sept. 9. —AP

Should parents just say no to football?

NEW YORK: Break out the face paint.

Study up for those fantasy league drafts. Make sure the big-screen television and comfy recliner are in the perfect working order. Yes, we’re ready for some football! Just as long as it’s not our children playing that barbaric game.

On any given day, a new report seems to emerge about some explayer who no longer knows what planet he’s on because of all the blows he took on the gridiron. Most of us are familiar with someone who’s walking proof — if they can still walk — of the damage caused by those Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: the 40-year-old with the crippled knees of someone twice his age; the middle-aged guy who can no longer stand up straight because he spent too much time using his body as a battering ram.

We all know that football is bad for the body, which brings up a troubling dilemma for moms and dads: Should they let their kids play?

This debate should be playing out in kitchens and bedrooms all across this land. Maybe there should put a prominent label on every helmet, sort of like they have cigarettes cartons.

“Warning: Playing football is dangerous to your health.” Bob Cook, who blogs on youth sports, faced that issue with his own son. Admittedly, he didn’t want his child to play. In fact, he talked the kid out of joining his high school team as a sophomore.

But his son kept pressing, and Cook finally relented. A few weeks ago, he dropped off his 15-year-old - who weighs all of 132 pounds - for his first practice. “I can’t say my wife and I are thrilled that he’s doing this,” Cook wrote, “but we’re not stopping him, either. It’s one of those many makeor-break ... parenting moments in which you weigh your desires against your child’s, and it’s one of those moments in which you’re never 100 percent sure whether you’ve made the right decision.”

There are those who surely see the game as a necessary rite of passage for males, instilling the values of teamwork and effort, camaraderie and desire, toughness and resiliency.

Sure, it’s dangerous, but so is hockey, and skateboarding, and skiing.

But football stands apart from most other team sports (boxing and mixed martial arts are obviously in a

totally different class), in that the very purpose of the game involves inflicting pain on the other guy. When an opponent has the ball, your job is tackle him, take him to the ground, the harder the better. Intimidation and bravado are part of the package.

If you can make him flinch next time, you have the upper hand. At least things have improved significantly, especially when it comes to head injuries.

There’s much more awareness at the pro and college levels, no doubt pushed along by myriad lawsuits filed by former players who believe the NFL was aware of the terrible toll but never informed them. That caution has trickled down to the high schools, the middle schools, even to the Pop Warner youth leagues, which just this summer instituted new rules that severely restrict the number of contact practices and require that players start out no more than 3 yards apart when they are hitting each other.

“The drills we grew up with, all those high-speed, head-on collisions, are not allowed the Pop Warner level anymore,” said Dr. David Marshall, director of sports medicine at Children’s Heathcare of Atlanta. He’s relieved about that. Still, there’s always a significant increase in the number of concussions around this time of year. One of his colleagues treated six of them in a single day this week.

After all, it’s football season. “The object of the game is to hit the other guy as hard as you can,” Marshall said. “You’re not just trying to knock him down. You want to knock the ball loose.”

The doctor used to think every boy should play at least one season of football. They needed to be toughened up a bit, learn what it’s like to get knocked down and have to get back up again. His own son played, for two seasons in fact, beginning when he was 8 years old. He only quit because he didn’t enjoy playing on the line.

Now, Marshall looks at things differently. While most of the focus is on concussions, younger kids don’t really run fast enough to cause the sort of devastating brain injuries one sees at the higher levels. But what about all the non-concussive blows? What damage is being done there?

“Maybe they don’t have outward

signs of a concussions, but does it does matter when you take hundreds and thousands of these during a football career?” Marshall said. “The fact is, we just don’t know. But that’s a questions a lot of parents are asking themselves this summer when they’re trying decide should they sign their kid up to play football.

At the turn of the 20th century, President Teddy Roosevelt - no shrinking violent, to be sure - was so appalled by the brutality of the game that he threatened to outlaw it by executive order. There’s no danger of that happening now.

Despite all the reports of maimed bodies and brains turned to mush, the sport has never been more popular with its fans. Television ratings are through the roof. Stadiums are filled every weekend. Football is more than just a game, it’s a part of who we are, a cultural phenomenon that has transformed events such as the Super Bowl into national holidays.

What that says about us is rather troubling. “As fans, we like it, but it’s sort of in the same way the Romans liked watching gladiators,” said Jason Chartraw, a former sportswriter and father of an 18 month-old son. “They were like, ‘Hey, it’s fun to watch, but don’t put me in the ring with the lion.’” At the very least, parents should give serious thought to whether they want their kids getting in the modern-day ring. Chartraw doubts that he would let his son play, certainly not the way things are now.

Then there’s Marshall, who is not anti-football by any means, and makes sure to point out that the risk of serious injury is still rather small.

But, when it comes to his own son, now 13, he’s not sure he would make the same decision today that he did five years ago.

“I would probably highly discourage him from playing football,” the doctor said, “and I may just forbid it.”

Thankfully, my 13-year-old son has not asked to play.

He’s certainly got the size for it, and he’s occasionally been approached at his middle school by teachers or fellow students, wondering if he’d like to try out for the football team. So far, he’s shown little interest. But, if he ever does come to his parents with a request to suit up, we know what the answer will be.

No.—AP

Preview

Celtic, Malaga have group stage in sight PARIS: Celtic will rely on an impressive European home record as they seek to finish the job against Helsingborgs on Wednesday and reach the Champions League group stage for the first time in four years. Neil Lennon’s side are 2-0 up from last week’s first leg in Sweden, with goals from Kris Commons and Giorgos Samaras leaving the Scottish champions in the driving seat.

Celtic’s recent record in continental competitions has been poor, hence their absence from the Champions League proper since 2008-09, when they bowed out with just five points from six group games.

However, their Parkhead home has always been a testing venue for visiting sides, with Celtic having lost just one of their last eight European games in Glasgow’s east end. After watching his side win 4-2 at Inverness on Saturday to return to the top of the Scottish Premier League, manager Lennon is now keeping his fingers crossed that they can finish the job in Europe.

“The tie is still to be won,” said the Northern Irishman. “The expectation level has gone through the roof and everyone has us in the Champions League already. “I don’t. We still have to play a really tough game. But I’ve had a good feeling from the players.

They really are motivated. They are in a great position after the first leg. “Helsingborgs proved they are good opposition but with our form at home, I’d expect us to play strongly.”

Meanwhile, Malaga are chasing qualification for the group stage for the first time in their history.

After a summer marred by financial difficulties off the pitch, the Spanish club beat Panathinaikos of Greece 2-0 in last week’s first leg and are now on the brink of joining their more illustrious compatriots from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia in the group phase. But coach Manuel Pellegrini, who led Villarreal to the semi-finals in their debut Champions League appearance in 2005-06, had a warning for his players ahead of their trip to Athens.

“We can’t take our place in the group stages for granted,” said the Chilean. “But it was a very mature performance from the team in the first leg despite our inexperience in the Champions League and in Greece we will go out looking for an away goal from the off.”

If they can get through, Spain will join England in having four representatives in the group stage, but the prospect of Germany having a quartet of clubs now appears slim. Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Lucien Favre admitted that the Foals, European Cup finalists in 1977, have their work cut out if they are to overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit when they face Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine. “When you make mistakes like we did, it is hard to get a good result,” he said after seeing his side surrender an early lead in Germany. “But in football, anything is possible.”

Elsewhere, Lille of France will have to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they host FC Copenhagen, while Udinese are aiming to finish the job at home to Sporting Braga after drawing 1-1 in the first leg in Portugal. —AFP

Armstrong’s fall is mind-boggling FRANCE: On the hot road to this village in the deepest south of France, we passed the forbidding, barren mountain where Lance Armstrong, the cyclist, took a giant step toward becoming Lance Armstrong, the sporting myth.

It was 12 years ago this summer. Riding hard, Armstrong fiddled with the collar of his bright yellow Tour de France leader’s jersey and tugged its back, getting comfortable in the saddle for one of his trademark attacks.

Then, a few minutes later, he was off, literally like a rocket, leaving rivals for dead and making the towering Mont Ventoux look like little more than a speed bump.

The physical strength he showed that July 13 at the 2000 Tour was mind-boggling. And there were so many other equally mind-boggling moments in the other six Tours he won.

I was there for some of them. The power of Armstrong on the bike, the mix of steely charm and cold, single-minded determination, was like nothing I’d ever seen - both then and since. Which is why it’s even more mind-boggling to think that none of this really happened. Gone. Expunged. Erased by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and its finding that the bulk of his career was built on lies and banned performance-enhancing drugs.

The utter destruction of the Lance Armstrong myth, the man seemingly so tough that he not only beat cancer but won the world’s toughest bike race a record seven times, is going to take quite some time to digest. Other commentators will talk about how this will affect the cancer survivors Armstrong inspired and the foundation he set up to fight the disease. And only the most cynical will say that that side of Armstrong should

crumble along with his status as a sporting icon.

They will examine how the fall of the only rider who held a candle to Eddy Merckx as cycling’s biggest ever star will affect the sport and the Tour and whether the yellow jerseys Armstrong took back to his Texas home

that the only way they were going to succeed in the drug-addled sport was by pricking themselves with syringes of EPO or swallowing drops of hormones like so many others.

Yes, they were cheats. But there were many victims of the doping culture, too, seemingly including Armstrong, who burned so badly to

Lance Armstrong (right) of Austin, Texas should go to other competitors.

The answer there should be ‘non.’ Let the titles remain vacant - a black hole in the record books for the black hole in the 1990’s and 2000’s that many riders, presumably now including Armstrong, stared into - realizing

be more than simply an athletic young kid from a broken home in Plano, Texas. There will be discussion about the fairness of the process that led USADA to ban Armstrong for life and strip him of nearly everything he won. Some will argue that Armstrong simply tried to pro-

tect what’s left of his name and reputation by turning his back on USADA, portraying himself as the victim of what he says is its witch hunt.

And they are already saying that we shouldn’t have allowed ourselves to be sucked in by Armstrong in the first place, because sporting performances which look too good to be true probably are.

That is grossly unfair to all those athletes who don’t dope. And that horrid cynicism kills not only our pleasure in watching sport but the very idea that people can do mind-boggling things.

They can. According to USADA, Armstrong no longer can be said to have won the Tour seven straight times. But we should all fight tooth and nail for the ambition that perhaps one day, someone could and that they could do it clean. Otherwise, why get out of bed in the morning?

Now on holiday in some of the same parts of southern France from where I reported on the Tour, I ask myself where did we go wrong?

And did we go wrong?

I remember a journalist once asking Armstrong about the color of his socks and I think, “Should we have asked tougher questions?”

In light of what USADA dug up, yes. But the doping questions were asked over and over and his answers were invariably the same: I train hard, have nothing to hide and how mad would I have to be to pump drugs into a body that barely survived late-stage cancer?

In hindsight, the notion of Armstrong apparently risking his health with doping is one of the most mind-boggling aspects of USADA’s findings. —AP

Sky snap losing streak

Ko’s win ‘most significant’ event in NZ women’s golf

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

Briscoe holds off teammate Power to triumph in Sonoma Page 17 NEW YORK: Marion Bartoli of France stretches to play a forehand during her women’s singles first round match against Jamie Hampton of the United States during Day One of the 2012 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.—AFP

Stosur advances at rainy US Open NEW YORK: Reigning US Open champion Samantha Stosur began her title defense with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Croatia’s Petra Martic yesterday before rain halted the first day of play at the Grand Slam showdown. Only four matches were completed on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts before showers arrived, a nagging reminder that the men’s final has been played a day late for the past four years as a result of downpours in the fortnight.

World number ones Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka were scheduled for later matches on the first day of the fortnight with Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters also booked in for Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Seventh-seed Stosur, seking her first title since upsetting Serena Williams in last year’s US Open final, fired 10 aces to advance in 51 minutes on the same Ashe Stadium court where she hoisted the trophy a year ago. “It was great to get out there again,” Stosur said. “I felt like I was ready to go. It was

a good start. I certainly won’t complain about being out there. I’m really happy with the way I played.”

Stosur, connecting on 69 percent of her first serves without facing a break point, began the match by winning the first 19 points in a row before a double fault ended her bid for a golden set.

“I knew at 4-0, 40-0 that I hadn’t missed a point and the match had been going pretty quick,” Stosur said. “It did pop into my head for a split second.

Then I hit the double fault and it was erased and I was quickly on with the next point.

“It was 19 points in a row. You knew you were going to lose one at some point. It’s just the way it goes.” Stosur, a semi-finalist at the French Open, made a first-round exit from the Australian Open and the Olympics but avoided joining Svetlana Kuznetsova as the only US Open defending women’s champion to lose in the first round.

“First round you are always going to have a little bit of nerves,” she said. “I felt prepared the best I

could. I had done everything I could. The way I felt going into it, I felt pretty relaxed.”

The 28-year-old from Brisbane will face a qualifier in round two-either Swiss Stefanie Voegele or Romania’s Edina Gallovits-Hall. Aussie Casey Dellacqua advanced in 69 minutes with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko. She will face Chinese ninth seed Li Na or Britain’s Heather Watson next.

Georgia’s Anna Tatishvili reached the second round by eliminating France’s Stephanie Foretz Gacon 6-2, 6-0 and Czech Lucie Hradecka ousted Spanish 27th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 63, before the showers struck. Meanwhile, three-time US Open champion Kim Clijsters is ready to give up the globe-trotting tennis star life at the age of 29 in order to spend more time as a wife and mother. But first, she’s going to give winning a Grand Slam title one last try. Clijsters was set to begin the final tournament of her WTA career late yesterday at the US

Open against American Victoria Duval at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where she captured women’s crowns in 2005, 2009 and 2010.

“I’ve trained very hard for the past year to try and stay in shape. I’m not worried that I’m not physically ready for it,” Clijsters said. “Just like every other Slam, take it one match at a time. I have an opponent first round, a girl I don’t know and have never played against. They can be tricky as well. I’m just focused on playing my best.” Clijsters, whose Grand Slam title haul also includes last year’s Australian Open, has a 24-match US Open win streak. However, she has missed five of the past eight Flushing Meadows fortnights due to injury or retirement breaks.

The Belgian gave birth to daughter Jada, 4, in 2008 and has brought the child along with her in her global tennis travels. But Clijsters said she knows the time is right to depart the sport now even though older players are still winning Grand Slams.

“You feel it when it’s right,” Clijsters said. “It’s a feeling

No TDs for Jets in loss to Panthers EAST RUTHERFORD: The New York Jets’ offense has been grounded for three games. Whether it’s Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow at quarterback, it hasn’t mattered. The Jets’ anemic offense just hasn’t been able to get into the end zone. Three preseason games. Seven field goals. No touchdowns.

“We’ve got to score touchdowns instead of field goals to win,” Sanchez said after a 17-12 loss to Carolina on Sunday night. “We understand that.

We’ll keep improving.” They better, and soon because they’re running out of time. Sanchez, Tebow and most of the starters will not play Thursday night in the preseason finale at Philadelphia, so the Jets (0-3) certainly have a lot to work on before the regular-season opener against Buffalo on Sept. 9. All of that sneaky wildcat stuff the Jets have planned with Tebow will have to wait a few more weeks - when the games actually count.

“When Week 1 comes around, all bets are off,” wide receiver Santonio Holmes said, “and the guns are firing.”

They sure weren’t in this one - for either team. But, Tebow almost got the Jets into the end zone with a late drive in the final seconds. Almost.

The Jets (No. 17 in the AP Pro32) are the first team since the 1977 Atlanta Falcons, according to NBC, to go without a touchdown in its first three preseason games. That’s a span of 12 quarters, 35 drives and 174 plays. “Well, I’ve said it before,” Sanchez said. “We’re saving our good stuff for the regular season.” Jets fans sure hope so because they haven’t seen much to be excited about so far - particularly from the offense. The Panthers, though, were pretty proud of themselves.

“Any time you can hold a team to field goals, I think you’ve accomplished something,” coach Ron Rivera

said. Tebow, who entered in the third quarter, got the fans at MetLife Stadium fired up with a dazzling 20yard run in the fourth, but threw an interception three plays later.

Tebow faced a third-and-16 from the Jets 34 and ran around in the backfield, eluded Ryan Van Bergen and then took off and slipped through a few other tackle attempts by the Panthers (2-1) before being taken down for a 20-yard gain by Reggie Smith. Tebow pumped both fists and yelled at the crowd chanting “Teeboww! Tee-boww!”

But three plays later, Tebow was intercepted easily by Smith. “It was kind of good news, bad news with Tim,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. Tebow got the Jets in scoring position again in the closing moments, again with the fans chanting his name, but threw four straight incompletions from the Panthers 27 to end the game.

“I felt like we had it the whole time,” Tebow said. “I still feel like we should have had it. I feel like we just came up one or two plays short.”

Tebow finished 4 of 14 for 55 yards and the interception, but certainly had the Panthers (No. 20) nervous. He ran five times for 45 yards.

“It’s a nightmare,” Rivera said of facing Tebow. “Heck, I was in San Diego trying to stop him when he was in Denver. He’s an exciting football player. There are things he does that brings excitement and gets his teammates going. He’s a guy if you keep the game close gives you a chance to win. He’s a different type of football player, a different type of quarterback.”

Cam Newton was held mostly in check by the Jets, going 6 of 15 for 60 yards, but he got the Panthers (No. 20) into the end zone with a touchdown pass to Louis Murphy.

“Offensively, we have to do a bet-

you need to have inside if you still want to keep going and you want more of those adrenaline rushes. I just know for me the time is right.”

Not even another US Open title will keep her from a second and final retirement, Clijsters said, a fact that left men’s and women’s stars saddened.

“As a person, which is much more important than the tennis, she’s a lovely person,” reigning Olympic champion Andy Murray said. “I’m sure she will be remembered as one of the best players over the last 15 or 20 years and also one of the best people.” Reigning US Open men’s champion Novak Djokovic was also confident that Clijsters will perform well in her final bow. “A great, very successful player. She’s going to be missed,” he said. “She’s very popular around here. Hopefully she can make a great last US Open.” Women’s top seed Victoria Azarenka expects to see nothing less than Clijsters at her best. “To me personally she has been a great inpsiration,” Azarenka said.—AFP

Federer targets record sixth US Open

EAST RUTHERFORD: Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kealoha Pilares (81) is tackled by New York Jets cornerback Isaiah Trufant (35) during the first half of a preseason NFL football game.—AP ter job sustaining drives,” Newton said.

“We got some first downs, but we stalled at the end.”

Backup QB Derek Anderson put Carolina ahead to stay with a 1-yard touchdown toss to Gary Barnidge, making it 17-12 with 11:31 left.

Sanchez played well into the third quarter, going 11 of 18 for 123 yards and an interception, but got little help from his receivers. On consecutive plays in the third quarter, Sanchez hit Holmes in the mask and the receiver couldn’t corral the pass.

On the next play, Sanchez hit Stephen Hill in the chest, but the rookie couldn’t control the ball and it bounced off his arms and into the hands of cornerback Captain Munnerlyn.

Five plays later, Newton connected with Murphy, starting for the injured Steve Smith, for a 9-yard touchdown that put the Panthers up 10-9 with 1:16 left in the opening half. Jonathan Stewart was injured on the drive, twisting his right ankle when he took a handoff and went down the right sideline for 7 yards

before he was knocked out of bounds on a hard hit by LaRon Landry. Rivera said X-rays “were completely negative” and he didn’t believe it was a high ankle sprain.

Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis had a sack in his first game since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last September.

“It was unbelievable,” Newton said. “I went over to him when we were on the sideline and flat out told him it’s fun to see him out there, and especially how passionate he is and how much he means to this team.”

The Jets lost three key players to injuries as tight ends Dustin Keller (hamstring) and Josh Baker (right knee) and linebacker David Harris (ankle) all left in the first half.

Baker appeared to sustain the most serious injury in the second quarter, when he was hit on the right knee by a Panthers defender while trying to catch a pass from Sanchez in the end zone. Baker stayed down for several minutes, was helped to the sideline and then carted to the locker room.—AP

NEW YORK: Roger Federer aims to cap his dramatic renaissance by becoming the first man in 87 years to win six US Open titles when the season’s last Grand Slam event takes place.

World number one Federer currently has five New York wins, a mark he shares with US legends Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors, an equal-best performance in the Open era.

But the last man to win six was Bill Tilden, who achieved the feat in the strictly amateur days of 1925 before finishing his career with seven in 1929.

Having just turned 31, Federer is back at world number one thanks to a recordequalling seventh Wimbledon title, his 17th Grand Slam trophy.

He was a silver medallist at the Olympics and has six tour titles in total this year, a statistic capped by a record fifth Cincinnati Masters where he swept past Novak Djokovic in the final. Federer won his five straight US Open titles between 2004 and 2008 but missed the chance of a sixth in 2009 when he lost a fiveset thriller to Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro.

Rafael Nadal, missing through injury this year, and Djokovic claimed the 2010 and 2011 editions.

Federer’s record at the majors remains one of outstanding consistency-he has reached the quarter-finals or better at 33 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments.

Twelve months ago, he squandered match points and lost to Djokovic in the semi-finals in New York, but has gone 56-7 in 2012.

“There have been a lot of sacrifices,” said the top seed. “I took some time to assess the situation and how should I move forward.

“It has been a great last 12 months. I always did believe that if things turned for the better for me I was always going to be very near to World No. 1. I wasn’t far off.

“You have to be patient sometimes and just keep working hard and believing that what you’re doing is the right thing as well.”

Djokovic, the Australian Open winner and defending champion in New York, is hitting form at the right time-his runner-up spot in Cincinnati came on the back of a Toronto

Masters triumph seven days earlier. The draw has also favoured him-he can only meet either Federer or third-seeded Olympic champion Andy Murray in the final.

“I feel this energy, I love playing in this tournament. Twice I played the final, semi-finals, and won eventually the title in 2011,” said Djokovic.

“It’s incredible and a very unique feeling to come back to New York as defending champion. It’s one of the most exciting cities in the world.”

In the absence of seven-time French Open champion Nadal, who hasn’t played since his shock second round exit at Wimbledon, Murray will start as third seed.

The Scot won the Olympic gold medal, a triumph which helped ease his tearful defeat to Federer in the final at Wimbledon in July where he was the first Briton to reach the championship match in 74 years.

But he goes into the US Open, where he was runner-up to Federer in 2008, under a fitness cloud having withdrawn from Toronto after one match with a knee injury and then losing to French lucky loser Jeremy Chardy in his second match at Cincinnati.

“Winning the Olympics was the biggest win of my career, that’s for sure. It meant a lot to me,” 25-year-old Murray said.

“I feel confident in myself just now. That’s what’s important. I prepared well. I trained hard the last five or six days so I’m ready to go.”

Outside of the big three, the likes of David Ferrer, Del Potro and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be favoured to pounce in case of a slip-up.

Spanish world number five Ferrer, a semifinalist at the French Open and quarter-finalist at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, has a best New York finish of the semi-finals in 2007.

World number eight Del Potro is still to back-up his 2009 US Open triumph after missing the 2010 season with a wrist injury.

Tsonga, the world number six, was a Wimbledon semi-finalist for a second successive year in July, made the last eight in New York in 2011, his best performance in four visits.—AFP

Saudi hits fresh 15-week high, Gulf markets lower Page 22

Russia’s Rusal to cut production as profit falls Page 23

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

India invites Chinese companies to invest Page 24

Asian shares drift lower, Samsung stocks tumble Page 25

SEOUL: This photo taken on August 16, 2012 shows South Korean women looking at job-offering notices while searching for employment at a women’s university in Seoul. There is a growing number of highly-educated young South Koreans who face grim job prospects amid a worsening graduate glut and slowing growth after decades of rapid development. —AFP

Stocks up, eyes on central banks World shares steady, Apple hits new high NEW YORK: Global stocks edged higher and US Treasuries prices rose yesterday as expectations of further stimulus from top central banks gave support to markets, while oil prices were volatile on concerns over a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico.

US stocks rose, led by gains in Apple, which hit a new high above $680 after a patent court win over South Korea’s Samsung Electronics on Friday. Investors are looking ahead to a meeting of central bankers at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on Friday for clarity on what the Federal Reserve will do to stimulate the economy and how the European Central Bank will tackle the bloc’s credit

crisis. “There’s not much going on as we look ahead to Jackson Hole, and we might make some new lows in terms of trading volume going into that as investors wait,” said Dan Veru, chief investment officer at Palisade Capital Management LLC in Fort Lee, New Jersey, which oversees $3.8 billion. Last week, volume in US equities was among the lowest so far this year and a holiday in the UK kept trading light in Europe yesterday. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.31 point, or 0.00 percent, at 13,157.66.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was up 2.89 points, or 0.20 percent, at 1,414.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 10.89 points, or 0.35

percent, at 3,080.68. A gauge of world equities was up 0.2 percent and the pan-European FTSE 300 stock index provisionally closed up 0.5 percent. U.S. crude fell 1.1 percent to $95.06 a barrel, while Brent crude futures fell 0.8 percent in volatile trading after giving up gains of more than $1 per barrel as tropical storm Isaac approached the Gulf of Mexico and traders assessed the prospect of lower crude oil use by temporarily closed U.S. refineries.

“Traders realize that there is more refining capacity at risk from this storm, and that the risk is also to oil consumption,” said analyst Tim Evans at Citi Futures Perspective in New York. “That’s why we see today that

crude prices are off and near-term gasoline prices are rising. It is similar to the price action we had ahead of Hurricane Katrina.”

The euro was little changed against the US dollar, holding most of its recent gains after a biggerthan-expected drop in German business sentiment raised hopes the euro zone’s largest economy will do more to revive the bloc’s growth.

The euro edged up less than 0.1 percent to $1.2513 holding below a seven-week peak of $1.2589 set last Thursday. “The news clearly shows that Germany cannot escape unharmed if the rest of the euro zone falls into a deep recession,” said Boris Schlossberg, managing director

of FX Strategy at BK Asset Management in New York.

“Therefore policymakers may now temper their insistence on austerity and instead will pursue more stimulative policies in order to revive growth.” This view got a boost on Monday from Chicago Federal Reserve Bank President Charles Evans, who said in remarks prepared for delivery in Hong Kong that the Fed should start a new round of monetary stimulus immediately, buying bonds for as long as it takes to produce a steady decline in the jobless rate.

The possibility of more bond buying from the Fed lifted prices of US Treasuries. The benchmark 10-year

U.S. Treasury note was up 10/32, with the yield at 1.6506 percent. European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi signaled earlier this month that the bank may start buying government debt to reduce crippling Spanish and Italian borrowing costs, comments that fueled a broad-based upturn in sentiment on global markets.

However, over the weekend Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann likened the ECB’s bond-buying plans to a dangerous drug, pointing to growing unease over the policy.

Gold prices hit their highest since mid-April on bets of more Fed easing, but then steadied on caution ahead of the Jackson Hole meeting.— Reuters

Debate rages on over ECB bond-buying plan FRANKFURT: Debate raged on among Europe’s top bankers yesterday over the merits of a proposed plan for the European Central Bank to buy government bonds to lower borrowing costs for financially troubled governments.

Germany’s national central bank, the Bundesbank, is increasingly isolated in its opposition to the plan, saying it would expose taxpayers to potential risks and could leave countries dependent on the financial relief as though on a drug.

Bundesbank head Jens Weidmann says bond purchases would also be too close to an outright bailout of governments, which the ECB is forbidden from doing by treaty. The European Union treaty’s provisions are meant to prevent the ECB from printing money to cover government debts, a practice which can cause inflation and compromise the bank’s political independence. It is also meant to keep it from bailing out one member country at the expense of the others without governments having a say.

But Joerg Asmussen, the top German at the ECB and a member of the six-strong executive board, which runs the bank daily, countered that any purchases of government bonds will be carefully designed to avoid violating the treaty.

Asmussen said details were still being worked

out and will be discussed at the next meeting of the bank’s governing council on Sept. 6. However, he said “any concerns about treaty-violating financing of governments will be removed.” “We will only act within our mandate,” he said in the text of a speech to be given in Hamburg.

Both Weidmann and Asmussen are part of the ECB’s broader 23-member governing council, which sets policies monthly. When they meet in that capacity, neither represents German interests but those of the 17-country eurozone as a whole.

The remarks by Asmussen suggest German elite opinion is not unanimously against the idea.

Chancellor Angela Merkel sounds open to the ECB plan as well, and Weidmann was the only member of the governing council to oppose the idea.

Weidmann warned in an interview in der Spiegel magazine that bond purchases could “be as addictive as a drug” because they can lead to governments depending on such outside help rather than doing politically painful things such as cutting budget deficits.

He has only one seat on the ECB’s 23-member government council, but has support from many economists, legislators and voters in Germany.

Analysts say any measures to fight the eurozone debt crisis will have difficulty succeeding if Germans

aren’t broadly willing to support them. German opinion counts because it’s the biggest eurozone country and ultimately the biggest financial backer of any bailout effort.

Asmussen conceded that the bank’s emergency tactics meant that some might doubt the bank’s commitment to its policy “pillars” - fighting inflation, remaining independent of politicians, and not engaging in bailouts.

“I am aware, that many ask, to themselves or publicly, whether these pillars are still standing...We must take these concerns seriously,” he said. ECB president Mario Draghi said on Aug. 2 that the bank may buy government bonds to drive down excessively high borrowing rates for heavily indebted governments. The purchases would push bond prices up and lower interest yields, since yield and price move in opposite directions. Lower yields would then be reflected in government borrowing costs when they sell bonds. Draghi said the purchases would be aimed at making sure the central bank’s low interest rates are reflected in other short-term interest rates throughout the eurozone - a purpose consistent with its legal mandate. Countries that want the help must apply first to the eurozone bailout fund and agree to conditions that would reduce their deficits and debts. — AP

ROME: The Trevi fountain is reflected in a shop’s window displaying a placard announcing promotional sales up to 70%, in Rome, yesterday. Economists have been warning that the debt crisis in the 17-country eurozone could eventually catch up with Germany. The country’s economy has over the past few years done better than the currency union as a whole, which is struggling with a crisis over too much government debt and recessions in several countries. — AP

22

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

BUSINESS

Saudi hits fresh 15-week high, Gulf markets lower Kuwait’s benchmark climbs 0.4% DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s small and mid-cap stocks drove the market to a fresh 15-week high yesterday amid optimism over further policy action by the US Federal Reserve, but most other Gulf bourses slipped on profit-taking following recent gains.

The kingdom’s index rose 0.5 percent to its highest finish since May 13. Major real estate developer Dar Al Arkan climbed 0.5 percent, Nama Chemicals jumped 5.5 percent and Alinma Bank added 0.4 percent.

Insurance stocks, a favourite of local retail investors, rallied with the sector’s index advancing 1.0 percent. “Typically small-cap names moving up is indicative of retail coming back i.e. risk is back on, according to them,” said Rakan Himadeh, equity portfolio manager at Al Mal Capital. “The perception they have is that stimulus measures are close.”

Central bankers and economists at the annual US Jackson Hole meeting later this week are expected to discuss the possibility of strong policy easing by the Federal Reserve.

Meanwhile, central bank sources told Reuters on Friday that the European Central Bank was considering setting yield band targets for its bond-buying programme to shield its strategy from speculators; the decision would not be made before its Sept. 6 policy meeting.

In the United Arab Emirates, however, Dubai’s bourse declined for a second session from Thursday’s 16-week high, as short-term technical cues - a negative 14-day momen-

tum divergence at the recent peak - pushed investors to sell. The index dropped 0.9 percent.

Drake and Scull shed 2.1 percent to 0.89 dirhams a share. SICO Investment Bank cut the construction and engineering firm’s price target to 0.98 dirhams from 1.15 dirhams.

Bellwether Emaar Properties and Air Arabia declined 1.2 and 1.1 percent respectively.

Abu Dhabi’s measure ended 0.4 percent lower, easing from Sunday’s five-month high.

Stocks that are usually targeted by retail investors were the main drag on the index.

Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate shed 1.6 and 1.8 percent respectively. Dana Gas fell 2.6 percent.

“We are seeing a shift in liquidity from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, with mild (downward) pressure on property stocks,” said Firass Yaish, head of business development at Trust Capital. “Investors are trying to adjust their portfolios to create the most profit, and this time of the year is good to reshuffle the cards.”

In Qatar, the index declined 0.1 percent from Sunday’s 15-week closing high. Some technical analysts expect a correction in the index towards 8,360 points, near where it peaked in mid-July. Masraf Al Rayan dipped 0.6 percent and Barwa Real Estate shed 0.9 percent. Losers outnumbered gainers nine to seven.

Elsewhere, Kuwait’s benchmark climbed 0.4 percent, posting its seventh gain in the

Oil sinks on reserve release speculation

last eight sessions. The market however is recovering from an eight-year low it hit on Aug. 12 amid a worsening political and constitutional crisis.

National Industries Group added 1 percent.

The firm, which filed a fraud suit against Carlyle in 2009 in Kuwait, has sought approval from a Delaware court to move the case to Kuwait, saying the US firm did not have a securities licence to offer investment products in the Gulf state.

MONDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS SAUDI ARABIA The benchmark gained 0.5 percent to 7,138 points.

DUBAI The index fell 0.9 percent to 1,559 points.

ABU DHABI The benchmark slipped 0.4 percent to 2,590 points.

QATAR The index shed 0.1 percent to 8,498 points.

KUWAIT The measure advanced 0.4 percent to 5,787 points.

OMAN The measure eased 0.4 percent to 5,515 points.

BAHRAIN The measure slipped 0.5 percent to 1,072 points. — Reuters

BERLIN: A protest sign against the rising rents (“stop rising rents”) is fixed in front of residential houses in the borough Berlin Kreuzberg, on August 8, 2012.—AFP

German business confidence down more than expected FRANKFURT: German business optimism fell more than expected in August, according to the Ifo survey published yesterday, another sign that Europe’s largest economy faces trouble from the eurozone debt crisis.

The index fell to 102.3 points in August, down from a revised 103.2 in July. Market analysts had expected a smaller dip to 102.6 points. Economists have been warning that the debt crisis in the 17-countr y eurozone could eventually catch up with Germany. The country’s economy has over the past few years done better than the currency union as a whole, which is struggling with a crisis over too much government debt and recessions in several countries. Germany grew 0.3 percent in the second quarter and unemployment remains low.

But the debt crisis is having an increasing impact on Germany as orders fall from its eurozone trading par tners and businesses and consumers hold off on spending and investment out of fear of the future.

The Ifo index is based on a survey of 7,000 German businesses which are asked about their views of current business conditions and their expectations for the next six months. While views of how things are now were only slightly more downbeat, expectations for the future darkened significantly across several sectors, including manufacturing and retailing.

“Enterprises are increasingly pessimist about their business development,” Ifo president Hans-Werner Sinn said in a statement. “ The Germany economy is weakening fur ther.”

Troubles elsewhere are starting to make themselves felt. Italy and Spain, the No. 3 and No. 4 eurozone

Gold hits high on Fed stimulus hopes

NEW YORK: The price of oil fell yesterday as the threat to production from Tropical Storm Isaac appeared to lessen and traders speculated about a release of oil from US reserves. Forecasts for Isaac have moderated, easing concerns that the storm could damage key oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center now predicts it will grow to a Category 1 hurricane instead of a stronger Category 2.

“The production centers in the Gulf can withstand those low-level hurricanes,” said Gene McGillian, oil analyst for Tradition Energy. About one-quarter of the nation’s oil is produced in the Gulf of Mexico. As of Sunday afternoon, about 24 percent of Gulf oil production was suspended, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Benchmark oil fell $1.11 to $95.04 a barrel in midday trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent crude dropped $1.20 to $112.39 on the ICE Futures exchange.

The potential for a release of oil by the Obama administration from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve also depressed the price of oil. The White House has said a release is one option to combatting higher oil prices.

Benchmark US oil has risen 22 percent since late June.

Brent crude, which is used to price international blends that many US refineries turn into gasoline, is up 23 percent in the same period.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the US rose to $3.75 (about $1 a liter) yesterday, the highest since May 9 and up about 42 cents from the low reached on July 2. Analyst and oil trader Stephen Schork said in a daily newsletter that gasoline could rise as high as $3.90 by early October, increasing the odds that the administration will tap the SPR in an effort to bring down oil and gas prices. — Reuters

SINGAPORE: Gold rose to the loftiest level since mid-April yesterday, extending strong gains from last week as expectations for further monetary easing from the US Federal Reserve kept sentiment buoyant.

The Fed had room to deliver additional monetary stimulus to stoke economic growth, said the central bank’s chief Ben Bernanke, boosting anticipation for easier monetary policy, which would lure investors to gold, a hedge against inflation as a result of rampant cash-printing.

“There are very strong expectations for the Fed’s action, and the technical breakthrough last week will continue to boost prices,” said Li Ning, an analyst at Shanghai CIFCO Futures.

Investors will closely watch the central bank symposium due to take place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, later this week for clues on the next steps central banks will take to curb the euro zone debt crisis and stimulate global growth.

Spot gold was up 0.3 percent at $1,674.89 per ounce by 0324 GMT, after posting a 3.4-percent rise last week. US gold rose 0.3 percent to $1,677.80.

Technical analysis suggested that spot gold could rise to $1,693 per ounce during the day, said Reuters market analyst Wang Tao. The European Central Bank is

considering setting yield band targets under a new bond-buying programme to allow it to keep its strategy shielded and avoid speculators trying to cash in.

Meanwhile, the Bundesbank likened ECB bond-buying plans to a dangerous drug, and a conservative ally of German leader Angela Merkel said Greece should leave the currency bloc by next year.

Speculators raised their net long positions in US gold futures and options to 140,126 lots in the week ended Aug. 21, the highest since the beginning of May, said the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Investors also piled into physically backed exchange-traded gold funds, lifting the holdings of gold ETFs tracked by Reuters to a historical high above 71.4 million ounces. “The key is Jackson Hole,” said Nick Trevethan, senior commodity strategist at ANZ in Singapore, “Everyone is expecting Bernanke to play up the possibility and willingness to stimulate.” CFTC data also showed net longs in silver shot up nearly two-thirds to 17,452 lots, the highest level since early April, as silver prices rallied. Spot silver hit $31.20, the highest in nearly four months, before easing slightly to $31.05, building on a weekly rise of nearly 10 percent, its strongest week since October. — Reuters

economies, are in recessions as they try to reduce budget deficits and struggle to refinance their debts in bond markets. Greece, Portugal and Ireland have been bailed out by loans from other eurozone countries.

So far, exports of cars and industrial machinery to growing economies in Asia and the United States have helped Germany grow, while low unemployment has buoyed consumer spending at home. But those advantages may not be enough for much longer against the undertow from the eurozone crisis.

“Exports and domestic consumption have shielded the German economy against the euro crisis virus up to now,” ING analyst Carsten Brzeski wrote in a note to investors. “This immunity, however, has been crumbling away quickly over recent months. As a consequence, it looks as if the German economy will, at best, be treading water in the coming months.”

He said the evidence points to a contraction of the economy in the third quarter of the year. “However, let’s be clear, given the sound fundamentals of the economy, any contraction should hardly feel recessionary in Germany,” he said. Andreas Rees, chief German economist at UniCredit Research in Munich, said “psychological headwinds” were playing a role.

Germany’s job market is still strong, and some workers have won big raises, most notably a 4.3 percent raise won by the biggest industrial workers union, IG Metall. That should boost consumer demand in stores, yet retailers were more pessimistic in the survey. “Fears about the eurozone crisis were obviously outweighing these positive factors,” Rees said. — AP

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .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 .4350000 .3600000 .3030000 .2950000 .3040000 .0067500 .0035000 .0770920 .7510840 .4100000 .0780000 .7365340 .0510000 .2832500 .4501980 .3551250 .2956680 .2863570 .0476780 .0426600 .2977810 .0365200 .2276010 .0036050 .0051620 .0021490 .0030120 .0034980 .0771480 .7516250 .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

297.100 751.540 3.720 288.400 555.000 46.000 48.600 167.800 48.840 357.700 37.120 5.370 0.032 0.161 0.236 3.690 400.470 0.191 93.720 44.500 4.340 232.700 1.830

49.500 734.060 3.080 6.980 78.170 75.450 227.320 36.480 2.692 450.900 43.700 296.500 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 6.695 77.140 75.450 227.320 36.480 2.133 448.900 297.000 4.400 9.240 76.950 282.600

COUNTRY

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 448.900 282.600

SELL DRAFT

295.600 751.540 3.453 286.900

227.300 48.448 356.200 36.970 5.085 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

297.80 289.39 298.88 356.63 282.15 449.72 3.66 3.462 5.074 2.136 3.184 2.989 76.89 751.27 46.43 401.97 734.32 77.91 75.45

SELL CASH

311.000 290.000 298.000 355.000 284.000 450.000 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

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

282.600 288.830 443.975 348.970

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

290.575 748.180 76.920 77.570 75.325 398.365 46.498 2.138 5.081 3.002 3.454 6.702 693.220 4.580 9.060 4.385 3.285 90.285

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

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 2.974 5.097 2.139 3.453 6.735 76.995 75.490 750.500 46.398 452.100 2.990 1.550 359.100 290.900 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

282.500 356.000 448.700 286.700 3.605 5.096 46.395 2.136 3.458 6.695 2.985 751.350 76.920 75.420

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

BUSINESS

Congo’s new airlines brave African skies KINSHASA: Its tarmac littered with dozens of dilapidated planes, the airport in Congo’s capital Kinshasa makes clear the dire state of aviation even by Africa’s generally low standards. The planes have been abandoned either as mechanical failures or by companies that went bust in a sector where a lack of proper infrastructure means pilots sometimes navigate with the help of Google Maps and sat-nav devices like those found in cars.

“Crazy things happen here. We have to stop those crazy things happening,” says Frenchman Jean Marc Pajot, who with his new FlyCongo airline is setting out to prove there is a market for those determined to make it work.

On the face of things, it looks like a good business. An airline can charge $700 for a seat on the 1,600 km (1,000 mile) flight from Kinshasa to Congo’s copper mining centre of Lubumbashi.

To fly a similar distance between London and Lisbon - and back - a ticket can be had for less than $100.

With economic growth forecasts of around 7 percent until 2015 thanks to its mines, Democratic Republic of Congo’s business propsects look healthy alongside regional peers. Air passenger numbers more than tripled in the decade to 2010, growing nearly twice as fast as they did globally.

But as in much of Africa, a spurt in growth after decades of decline has not translated into an improvement in infrastructure for airlines or anyone else. A lack of equipment that would be standard elsewhere, haphazard safety measures and challenging weather conditions make Congo one of the world’s riskiest places to fly.

Last year Congo was behind only Russia with 111 flying fatalities according to the Aviation Safety Network, but Russia had some 30 times more passenger journeys. Only the much smaller African countries of Gabon, Sierra Leone and Djibouti scored lower in terms of overall safety in a survey by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The background to Pajot’s FlyCongo could appear less than auspicious: it took over the assets of Hewa Bora, Congo’s largest airline until it lost its licence last year when one of its planes crashed in a thunderstorm, killing 70 people.

Pajot has already broken up six planes for scrap to streamline the company and as a gesture of its commitment to safety. He has five planes left. Pajot complains that airports don’t even have proper control towers: his staff go out to runways with walkie-talkie radios to give the pilots a picture of landing conditions.

Another new airline, Korongo, in which Lufthansa subsidiar y SN Brussels is a partner, has put some $3 million of its $12 million investment into infrastructure - going as far as to pay for airport firefighters.

The need for a functioning aviation network is clear in Africa’s second largest country. It has hardly any roads. Pilot Hugues Gendre recalls taking one priest to his parish deep in the equatorial forest in little over an hour, a journey which previously took 10 days and 10 nights of non-stop travel by canoe.

But Gendre, who flies aid workers around, is sceptical a safe and viable airline can run in Congo. “Firstly there’s

a lack of competence, then there’s also the phenomenon of generalised corruption, and there’s no strong central government,” said Gendre, president of Aviation Without Borders, a non

reverse decades of mismanagement, said Emile Bongeli, who heads the state organisation which runs Congo’s airports. Runways are being redone and a national communications sys-

KINSHASA: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo (3rd L) arrives yesterday for the opening of a three-day forum in Kinshasa on the means of improving the business climate, notably regarding taxation and the fight against corruption. — AP tem is being set up. governmental organisation.

Longer term, Congolese airlines “Little by little, training erodes, standards go down, and it ends in an seek their removal from U.S. and accident.” President Joseph Kabila lost European safety blacklists so they can his closest adviser in February when fly the foreign routes that mining comthe plane carrying him overshot a panies use to bring in staff and equiprunway. To support peacekeepers in ment. But there is no sign of that hapthe far reaches of a country the size of pening soon.

“It’s not going to stop us working to Western Europe, the United Nations operates its own air service. Many improve security,” said Bongeli. diplomats are barred by their Foreign airlines currently link Kinshasa embassies from using Congolese air- with Europe and also fly from lines.The government has resolved to Lubumbashi to the African hubs of

Nairobi and Johannesburg. Air France, which has four flights a week to Paris, said it was looking at Congo as a long term growth market.

For decades, Congolese aviation has been tarnished by short-lived airlines that were sometimes founded more for laundering the proceeds of corruption than as profitable enterprises.

The new operators are setting out to be different. For most of his career, Pajot, 52, was a manager in the information technology sector, although he spent the past three years as a commercial pilot and flight instructor.

His airline flies to five Congolese cities from Kinshasa.

“We have to go by the book,” he said. “I love big challenges, and this is certainly a big challenge.” The other start-up - the Korongo joint venture of SN Brussels and Congolese company Malta Forrest has put its planes under the oversight of Belgian authorities to try to tackle the foreign safety concerns.

Korongo chief executive Christophe Allard believes operating to international standards will encourage local companies to follow suit. Korongo flies between Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Johannesburg.

Despite the difficulties of navigating Congo’s politics - Korongo’s launch was blocked for more than a year because of internal wranglings Allard believes the government is catching on to the need to improve the sector. “We told the Congolese that the game is over, that they have to accept modernity,” he said. “Now they can prove they’ve chosen to move in the right direction.” — Reuters

Wen calls for steps to stabilize exports China pumping money into the economy in construction

SAYANOGORSK: This file picture taken on October 20, 2009 shows a general view of the Rusal Sayanogorsk aluminum smelter in Sayanogorsk. Hong Konglisted Russian aluminium giant Rusal said yesterday it would cut production after seeing its net profit fall 95.25 percent in the first six months of the year, hit by falling prices and rising costs. — AFP

Russia’s Rusal to cut production as profit falls HONG KONG: Russian aluminium giant Rusal said yesterday it would cut production after seeing its net profit fall 95.25 percent in the first six months of the year, hit by falling prices and rising costs. The Hong Kong-listed company said net profit for the six months ending June 30 was $37 million, from $779 million a year earlier. Revenue fell 9.66 percent to $6.32 billion. The world’s biggest aluminum producer said it expects to cut up to 150,000 tons of aluminum production capacity by the end of 2012 to improve efficiency.

“During the first half of 2012, continuing financial problems in the eurozone and a slower-than-expected growth in emerging economies resulted in a further weakening of global economic recovery,” Chief Executive Oleg Deripaska said in a statement.

“These challenging market conditions put a significant pressure on the aluminium industry, especially in the second quarter of 2012, leading to a sharp downturn in the price of aluminium,” he added.

The aluminium price has slumped to close to its lowest level for three years on the London Metal Exchange, hitting a low of $1,810 a tonne at the end of June. “The market conditions have warranted the company to introduce a series of costcutting measures to sustain its profitability,” Deripaska said, adding these would

be helped by the weaker ruble.

The efficiency drive would see the “curtailment of high-cost smelting capacity, with the possibility of idling the corresponding alumina production in order to achieve the production capacity balance”.

Deripaska said that although global economic sentiment was expected to remain weak in the mid-term, there was “clear evidence of a stronger physical demand for aluminium, especially in North America and Asia”.

Chairman Barry Cheung Chun-yuen said the spread of the eurozone crisis to Italy and Spain was “alarming”. “New lows in aluminium prices compounded with uncertainty as to when prices would rebound have made planning especially difficult,” he said in the earnings report.

“As for the second half of 2012, uncertainty is likely to continue to cloud the global economic outlook.” Rusal in March reported a 91.7 percent drop in 2011 net profit, citing a write-down of its holding in the Norilsk Nickel miner and a steep fall in aluminum prices last year.

The company posted a net loss of $974 million for the fourth quarter of 2011 compared with a net profit of US$1.45 billion the previous year. Rusal’s share price slipped 0.23 percent to HK$4.34 on the Hong Kong exchange in morning trade. — AFP

Chinese investment focus of Egypt president visit CAIRO: Chinese investment, including in industrial and technological projects, is the primary focus of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s visit to Beijing starting today, state media and officials said.

Morsi leaves for China late yesterday on his first visit outside the Arab world since becoming president in June. He will then head to Tehran for the NonAligned Movement summit on Thursday. The visit aims to “attract Chinese investment in Egypt,” said presidential spokesman Yasser Ali. Cairo and Beijing are to sign agreements for seven major projects, including a power station in Upper Egypt, a desalination plant, industrial bakeries and Internet development, according

to assistant planning minister Nabil Abdel Hamid. Egypt will also propose development of a high-speed train line between Cairo and Alexandria, Hamid told state daily Al-Ahram. Coinciding with Morsi’s visit, a joint business forum will be held in Beijing attended by some 80 Egyptian business leaders, the investment ministry announced.

Egypt’s imports from China in 2011 reached $7.5 billion, versus exports valued at $1.5 billion, as trade between the two countries rose to a total of $9 billion, according to official figures.

Ousted former president Hosni Mubarak had already made trade with China a priority, as volume rose from $610 million in 1998 to $6.2 billion 10 years later. — AFP

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called for efforts to stabilize weakening exports amid signs the country’s economy is weakening despite stimulus efforts. Wen’s weekend comments during a visit to Guangdong province, an export center in the southeast, follow a wave of bankruptcies that has raised the threat of job losses and unrest.

That comes at a sensitive time as the Communist Party prepares to hand over power to younger leaders.

“The third quarter of the year is a critical period for China to realize the year’s export growth target and we should take targeted steps to stabilize growth,” Wen said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The report gave no indication of possible measures but Beijing previously has promised tax cuts and loans by state banks to help struggling exporters. Export growth in July fell to just 1 percent, well below forecasts, from the previous month’s 11.3 percent growth due to weak demand in debt-crippled Europe, China’s biggest export market, and the United States, which is struggling with a sluggish recovery.

Beijing cut interest rates twice in June and is pumping money into the economy through higher spending on public works construction. Authorities have resisted pressure for more aggressive stimulus after huge spending in response to the 2008 crisis fueled inflation and a wasteful building boom.

China’s August manufacturing activity fell to a nine-month low, according to the preliminary version of HSBC Corp.’s monthly purchasing managers’ index. It said new export orders fell at their fastest rate in three years.

Trade contributes a much smaller share of China’s growth than it did a decade ago but export-dependent manufacturers that supply the world with clothes, toys, shoes, furniture and other goods employ millions of people.

The plunge in demand since the 2008 crisis has forced thousands of small producers out of business and survivors have cut payrolls.

The International Monetary Fund and private sector forecasters expect China’s economy to grow by about 8 percent this year. That is robust compared with low single-digit growth expected in the United States and a

contraction in Europe but painful for Chinese companies accustomed to a rapid expansion.

Analysts expect China to rebound late this year or in early 2013 but say a recovery will be too gradual and weak to drive global growth if the United States and Europe fail to improve. The government set a target of 10 percent trade growth this year. Trade grew by 9.2 percent over the first half but that rate fell to 7.8 percent for the first seven months of the year, making the annual target look increasingly hard to meet.

In the southeastern port of Wenzhou, an export center, a local business association says 10 percent of its 3,000 member companies have closed and 20 percent are in trouble, the government newspaper China Daily reported yesterday. Chinese leaders have

key export markets are hurt by Europe’s debt crisis and the sluggish US recovery.

The country’s shipbuilding association says orders for new ships from foreign and domestic customers in the first half fell by 50.3 percent from a year earlier. State media 46 shipyards might close for lack of orders.

The slowdown has led to a backlog of inventory among exporters and producers of basic materials such as steel. Total profits at steel makers fell by 96 percent in the first half, according to data from the state sanctioned China Iron and Steel Association cited by JP Morgan.

“Even with some degree of improvement in downstream demand, the need to digest significant stockpiles of finished goods and many growth-sensitive commodities will tem-

BEIJING: A man walks past an image of photographers shooting a tree, on display in Beijing yesterday. Chinese state media has reported that camera manufacturers expect the Chinese camera market to become the world’s largest as early as 2015, overtaking the US. — AFP talked repeatedly about the need to stabilize foreign demand but they have few ways to encourage consumer spending abroad when

per China’s gradual demand recovery,” said Jing Ulrich, JP Morgan’s chairwoman for China equities, in a report yesterday. — AP

Best Buy’s founder Schulze allowed to pursue buyout NEW YORK: Best Buy Co. Inc. and its founder and former chairman Richard Schulze say they have an agreement that will allow Schulze to pursue his plan to try to buy the largest US consumer electronics chain.

The news sent Best Buy shares up more than 7 percent to $18.55 in morning trading yesterday. Best Buy said the agreement will allow Schulze to get access to confidential financial statements and allow him to form an investment group with private equity sponsors to make the bid. He already owns 20 percent of the company’s stock.

The retailer says the agreement establishes a non-exclusive orderly process for a bid while protecting the interests of all shareholders.

Schulze says the agreement will allow him to examine the company’s books in detail.

Earlier this month, Schulze suggested he could pay $24 to $26 per share for the chain. Best Buy had said it was considering the overture. The talks stalled a week ago, with the two going back and forth in public exchanges.

Under the agreement disclosed yesterday, Schulze and his potential partners will then have 60 days to present a fully financed proposal. If Best Buy ’s board reject’s Schulze’s proposal, they will have until January 2013 to present a second proposal. Best Buy’s board would have 30 days to review the second proposal before Schulze can take the offer directly to share-

holders at the company’s annual meeting or a special meeting. If the second offer is turned down by both the board and Best Buy’s shareholders, he would have to wait one year before offering another proposal.

Best Buy’s public fight over its future comes as it has been engulfed in mounting controversy since April when former CEO Brian Dunn resigned amid a company investigation into an “improper relationship” with a 29-year-old female employee. Schulze resigned as chairman a month later after the probe found that he knew about the relationship and failed to alert the board or human resources. The series of bad news that has followed is happening as

Best Buy fights to reverse a decline in its business due to a weak global economy and consumers’ changing shopping habits. Best Buy’s stores are becoming unprofitable as customers increasingly use them to browse for electronics, then buy them cheaper online or elsewhere. On top of that, shoppers are no longer snapping up big TVs and computers at a fast clip like they used to, instead opting for smaller gadgets like cell phones and tablets.

Last Monday, the day after talks with Schulze stalled, Best Buy announced it had tapped Hubert Joly, the former head of global hospitality company Carlson and a turnaround expert, as the new CEO and president. — AP

24

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

business

Samsung, Apple unlikely to damage parts deal SEOUL: While Samsung Electronics is reeling from a patent pounding by its smartphone rival Apple Inc, this is unlikely to damage the other part of their relationship - where Samsung is the sole supplier of Apple-designed chips that power the iPhone and iPad. At an emergency meeting in Seoul early on Sunday following the damning US legal defeat, the South Korean group’s post mortem was led by vice chairman Choi Gee-sung and the head of the mobile busi-

ness JK Shin, rather than by CEO Kwon Ohhyun, whose primary role is in charge of the components business.

The clear message from Samsung is that a strict internal firewall between its handset business and its components operations remains intact. While it plans to appeal the US verdict, and a damages bill for $1.05 billion for copying critical features of Apple’s popular mobile devices - a sum that could be trebled - Samsung will not want to put at risk its Apple supply contract

SEOUL: An electronic stock price board shows the 7.45 percent nosedive of Samsung Electronics Co. share price, to 1,180,000 won ($1,039.65), at a bank in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday.

Asian markets drifted lower yesterday in early trading as Apple’s court victory in a high-stakes patent dispute sent shares of Samsung Electronics and its affiliates into a tailspin. The letters on a screen read “ Samsung Electronics Co”. — AP

which is worth billions of dollars. As well as being the only supplier of micro processors for the iPhone and iPad, Samsung also supplies DRAM and NAND-type memory chips and flat screens used in the popular Apple gadgets. Samsung products comprise 26 percent of the component cost of the iPhone, Samsung’s lead counsel Charles Verhoeven was quoted as saying in the media. Samsung’s component sales could hit $13 billion next year and bring in $2.2 billion in operating profit, according to a recent estimate by Morgan Stanley. That’s nearly 8 percent of estimated group operating profit for next year.

Experts and analysts said the symbiotic business relationship between Samsung and Apple is too important for either to put at risk. “Apple needs Samsung to make the iPhone and iPad. Period. Samsung is the sole supplier of Apple’s processing chips and without Samsung, they can’t make these products,” said James Song, an analyst at KDB Daewoo Securities in Seoul.

“Samsung might be considering lots of options to leverage its components business’ importance and pressure Apple, and Apple could be also well aware of this.”

With that in mind, Samsung had sought to resolve the patent dispute with Apple which Apple first brought up shortly after Samsung launched its first Galaxy model in 2010 - through negotiation rather than in the courtroom.

“We initially proposed to negotiate with Apple instead of going to court, as they had been one of our most important customers,” Samsung said in an internal memo sent to employees and released to the media yesterday. “However, Apple pressed on with a lawsuit, and we have had little choice but to counter sue.”

While Samsung has been found to have copied innovative features of the iPhone and iPad, the Korean group’s lawyers have emphasized that its own innovative components and wireless technology patents, which the US jury ruled that Apple did not violate, made Apple’s products a reality.

“Apple isn’t that stupid (to risk its Samsung parts deal). Apple’s agreements with Samsung will ensure that Samsung has no choice but to comply and supply,” Florian Mueller, an intellectual property consultant, posted on his blog.

“Also, Samsung’s other customers would lose faith if it turned out unreliable. And since Apple threatened Samsung with litigation two years ago, it’s had plenty of time to identify alternatives.”

Samsung itself shrugged off market concerns that its component contracts were at risk due to the litigation. Samsung shares tumbled more than 7 percent yesterday, wiping $12 billion off its market value. “(The) supply contract remains a separate issue from the litigation and there’ll be no change to it going forward,” said an executive who took part in Sunday’s meeting, which was not attended Jay Y. Lee, chief operating offer and heir apparent to Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, according to the executive.

Kwon was promoted to CEO in June, with JK Shin and BK Yoon leading the telecommunications and consumer electronics divisions respectively so as to avoid potential conflicts of interest, as Samsung supplies parts to its main rivals such as Apple, Nokia, HTC Corp and Sony Corp.

As demand for mobile gadgets has soared, Samsung announced just last week a $4 billion investment to boost output at its U.S. chip plant, where it makes chips for

the iPhone and iPad. That comes on top of $2 billion of spending Samsung unveiled two months ago to build a new chip plant and the conversion of existing chip lines to make logic chips to power mobile gadgets.

Apple has been looking to spread its supply chain to reduce its reliance on Samsung. The US firm frequently faces a supply crunch when a new product is launched, triggering a consumer stampede that drives demand far in excess of supply and production capability.

Earlier this year, a source told Reuters that Japan’s Elpida Memory Inc was selling more than half of its mobile DRAM chips to Apple. Samsung mainly competes with Toshiba Corp and Korean rival SK Hynix in supplying memory chips for Apple, and LG Display in flat-screen panels.

Samsung has around 70 percent global market share in mobile DRAMs, but Apple sources only 40 percent of its mobile DRAM chip requirement from Samsung, a boon to the likes of Elpida and SK Hynix, analysts say. Shares in LG Display, which is widely speculated to supply a new and thinner panel for the next iPhone, jumped more than 4 percent yesterday. SK Hynix slipped 0.5 percent in a flat market. “For its part, Samsung is also diversifying its customer base to reduce its reliance to Apple adding new ones like Qualcomm, and that’ll prove to be a good strategy longer term as Apple component margins are generally low due to its huge bargaining power,” said Daewoo’s Song.

“Other suppliers may benefit from a worsening Apple/Samsung relationship in the short term, but in terms of margins, I’m doubtful they can make good money from any Apple cookie crumbs that Samsung throws away.” — Reuters

Polish firms feel slow down pain as miracle fades DOBRA NADZIEJA: The name of the town where Piotr Wysocki runs his saddle-making business translates as “Good Hope,” a commodity that’s in short supply since the economic slowdown ravaging the rest of Europe finally arrived in Poland.

Through a combination of European Union money, solid economic management and heavy public investment, Poland has managed to hang on to robust growth even when its neighbours were slumping into recession.

But a series of gloomy economic indicators show that the economic miracle, as some people call it, is coming to an end. Growth is slowing sharply and many economists believe things could get even worse.

Wysocki’s saddle-making firm, Daw-Mag, sells 70 percent of what it manufactures to other European Union countries, making it particularly vulnerable to a downturn across the euro zone which has finally reached Germany, Polish exporters’ key market.

He said clients from Britain and Denmark, among other countries, had cancelled their orders. The firm has tried to fill the gap by diversifying into other products, like leather upholstery.

“Because of the slowdown, we also had to suspend investments.

We had planned to expand our manufacturing operation, but those plans need to be put aside

for better times,” said Wysocki. By the standards of many of its shrinking euro zone neighbours, Poland’s plight is not that bad.

However, for Poles - accustomed to 20 years of almost uninterrupted growth since they threw off Communism - the slowdown is difficult to swallow.

Across the biggest of the eastern economies to join the European Union in the past decade, people and businesses are feeling the pain from slowing growth: order books thinning out, customers delaying payment, and more people chasing fewer jobs.

Nearly 80 percent of Poland’s exports go to the EU, where recession and a debt crisis have crippled demand for goods. In the capital Warsaw, Rafal Nawloka, the chief executive of express delivery company DPD Polska, said his firm had registered double-digit annual rises in the number of deliveries it was handling over the past few years. This year, the increase will be in single digits.

Delivery firms are a useful barometer of the health of the economy since they have customers from every sector of business. “This all gives a picture of stagnation,” said Nawloka. “There are no factors on the horizon that could give the economy an impulse to grow.”

Another firm in the sector is experiencing similar difficulties.

“We are feeling a severe slow-

down,” said Arkadiusz Sienkiewicz, co-owner of express delivery broker Kurier Polska. “It is a tragedy.

Firms are going bankrupt.”

“We have half the numbers of orders that we did a year ago. Last year, many people were bringing in 10 to 15 orders a day. Now they bring one or two,” he said.

Up to now, the Poles have been insulated from the euro zone slowdown by a massive programme of public investments, including new roads and stadia for the Euro 2012 soccer tournament, which it cohosted with its neighbour Ukraine.

That spending is now tailing off, leaving a harsh economic reality that its European peers have already been living with for four years.

Still, many European entrepreneurs would envy Tomasz Urbanski because his firm, which lays carpets for commercial clients, is still growing. He said sales at the company, Coniveo, are expanding by 2 to 3 percent.

But that is a big drop on the 2030 percent growth in sales the firm had been enjoying in previous years. “We are still growing but the difference is obviously huge,” he said.”

“This is another example that shows how things are: three years ago we needed to hire a receptionist. We received 300 CVs. A few months ago we had to hire a receptionist again. We received 900 CVs.” — Reuters

India invites Chinese companies to invest NEW DELHI: India’s trade minister said yesterday that Chinese companies would be invited to invest in new manufacturing zones being set up by the government after talks with his counterpart from China. Anand Sharma said that China had also pledged to help increase imports from India to help reduce New Delhi’s huge trade deficit, which has been a major economic irritant between the two Asian giants.

“We have invited China to participate and support in the establishment of one or more of the National Investment and Manufacturing Zones that we have decided to establish under the National Manufacturing Policy,” Sharma said in a statement.

“We are very happy. The response has been positive and encouraging,” he added after discussions with China’s Chen Deming in the Indian capital. India’s trade deficit with China leapt 42 percent to nearly $40 billion in the last fiscal year ended March 31 while total bilateral trade climbed 27 percent to $75 billion.

Relations between China and India are prickly because of a long-standing border dispute and the presence of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in India.

Leaders from both countries insist that the world is big enough to

accommodate the rise of both countries and that they are increasingly inter-linked trading partners, not rivals. The commitments by the two ministers came as part of an agreement “to work on a five-year plan between India and China on econom-

ic cooperation,” Sharma said. The two sides agreed to address concerns over the “adverse imbalance of trade between China and India,” and “to seriously look at encouraging investment,” Sharma said in remarks released by his office. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Chinese Commerce Minister Deming Chen (C) talks with a delegate during a meeting with Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma in New Delhi yesterday. Commerce ministers of India and China met during the 9th Session of IndiaChina Joint Group on Economic Relation, Trade, science and Technology (JEG) meeting.— AFP

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

business

Japan’s Sharp to keep Hon Hai investment under 10% TOKYO: Sharp Corp will keep its Taiwanese partner’s stake in the firm below 10 percent, a report said yesterday, after a huge share price drop at the Japanese electronics giant threw the deal into doubt.

The top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun quoted Sharp’s president Takashi Okuda as saying that an earlier agreed deal to sell almost 10 percent of the firm to Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision would remain

in place. “I don’t intend to change the 9.9 percent stake in our shares,” Okuda said.

Earlier reports had said the $800 million investment would be renegotiated after Sharp shares tumbled to four-decade lows this month on dire financial results, with Hon Hai to get as much as 20 percent of the struggling Japanese firm, which makes a range of products including Aquos-brand televisions.

But a spokesperson for Hon Hai, bet-

ter known as Foxconn, which assembles Apple products in China including the iPad and iPhone, said the deal’s 550 yen per share purchase price might still change.

Sharp shares, which dropped as low as 164 yen this month, traded 3.12 percent higher at 198 yen in Monday afternoon trade. “ Without changing the investment ratio of 9.9 percent, we will review the purchas-

i n g p r i c e p e r s h a re,” the Hon Hai spokesperson said yesterday.

The drop was sparked by the company saying it had lost about $1.76 billion in the April-June quarter while warning of a bigger-than-expected full-year loss.

Sharp’s tie-up with Hon Hai was part of a corporate overhaul that could see as many as 8,000 job cuts, or about 15 percent of Sharp’s global workforce.

Okuda said about 5,000 jobs would

be cut through early retirements, with another 3,500 job reductions tied to a possible sale of Sharp’s television assembly plants in China and Mexico to Hon Hai. Sharp, which has seen its mainstay television, LCD and solar panel products struggle, said the job reductions were part of a bid to cut annual fixed costs by 100 billion yen ($1.27 billion) to shore up its dented balance sheet. — AFP

Asian shares drift lower, Samsung stocks tumbles Investors looking ahead to Fed chairman’s move

HONG KONG: Protesters relax on a sofa in the “Occupy” movement campsite area outside the HSBC bank headquarters in Hong Kong yesterday. A Hong Kong court on August 13 approved the eviction of protesters camped outside the HSBC bank headquarters, giving them until yesterday to leave the courtyard of the bank’s downtown office tower, after which HSBC would be entitled to reclaim the site, in a major blow to the last outpost of the “Occupy” movement in Asia. — AFP

Strikes hurting sales of S Korea’s Hyundai SEOUL: Hyundai Motor’s labour union said yesterday employees plan to halt work for three days this week following a series of partial strikes that have cost the Korean giant more than $1 billion in lost sales.

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors, which together form the world’s fifth largest automaker, are struggling to reach agreement with their unions over demands for higher wages and an end to night shifts.

The latest strikes, planned for tomorrow through Thursday, will add to partial stoppages over the past six weeks that have cost the company 2.1 trillion won ($1.85 billion) in lost production of 109,474 vehicles.

Hyundai’s 44,000-strong union has staged partial strikes 10 times for up to four hours since stoppages began on July 13,

and Kia has seen similar industrial action.

Hyundai said the prolonged dispute could undercut sales in the United States because inventories stood at record-low levels.

Total exports of Hyundai and Kia vehicles from South Korea fell 23 percent to 120,493 vehicles in July from 156,200 the previous month. Both companies said inventories were at unprecedentedly low levels, causing a shortage of vehicles for US dealerships.

“The situation is still manageable, but prolonged strikes are feared to aggravate a shortage of vehicles and hurt sales in the US market,” a Hyundai official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Hyundai has predicted steady growth in the second half thanks to robust overseas sales, especially in the United States. — AFP

Samsung to invest 779m euros in Dutch chipmaker ASML THE HAGUE: South Korean electronics group Samsung is to invest 779 million euros ($975 dollars) in the Dutch microchip maker ASML, with about onethird earmarked for research and development, it said yesterday.

An ASML statement said that “Samsung Electronics has joined its Customer Co-Investment Program for Innovation and has committed to contribute 276 million euros to ASML’s research and development of next generation lithography technologies over five years.” An additional 503 million euros will buy three percent of the equity in ASML under the same conditions as other programme participants, it added.

They include Intel Corporation of the United States, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

Between the three groups, Samsung, Intel and TSMC are to own 23 percent of the shares in ASML, and allow the Dutch group to reach its target of raising 1.38 billion euros for R&D. Intel paid three billion euros for a 15-percent stake, while TSMC bought five percent of the Dutch company for 1.1 billion euros.

ASML is considered a bellwether for the micro-processor industry, as it produces machines used to make integrated circuits and computer microchips. It employs almost 8,000 people and is present in 16 countries. — AFP

Rich-poor gap hinders ASEAN integration PHNOM PENH: Southeast Asian nations must redouble efforts to bridge development gaps which threaten the region’s efforts to create an EU-style single market, Cambodia’s prime minister said yesterday.

Building an ASEAN economic community by 2015 is the “top priority”, Hun Sen said as he opened the annual meeting of economic ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Cambodian tourist hub of Siem Reap.

Emulating the European Union’s example, ASEAN wants to establish a single market and manufacturing base of about 600 million people-a goal that has been spurred by intensifying competition from China and India.

With less than three years to go, ASEAN must “address challenges and bridge the development gap, which hinders the realisation of (the) ASEAN Economic Community as planned”, said Hun Sen, according to an official translation.

The development gap among ASEAN nations “is still huge”, he said.

The bloc’s 10 member states range from deeply impoverished Myanmar to advanced city state Singapore and emerging powerhouse Indonesia. “ This requires us to double our efforts to promote further growth and improve equitable distribution of the fruits of growth at both national and regional levels,” Hun Sen said.

In a step towards narrowing the gap between richer and poorer nations

and achieving regional integration, the bloc last year set up a nearly $500 million ASEAN infrastructure fund offering loans to build roads, railways and other projects without direct foreign assistance. But according to Hun Sen, whose country currently holds the ASEAN chair, the fund “is still very small”. He urged the bloc’s economic and finance ministers “to attract more financing partners to increase the fund size” by approaching dialogue partners such as Japan, China, South Korea.

ASEAN economies grew by 4.7 percent in 2011, Hun Sen said, despite the weak global economy, high oil prices and volatile capital flows. The figure was down from 7.6 percent growth in 2010, according to ASEAN data.

Despite a slowdown in exports, ASEAN countries posted a combined trade surplus of more than $90 billion in 2011, Hun Sen said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

During their week-long meeting, the economic ministers will also seek to deepen economic engagement in talks with other nations including China, the United States, Russia and India.

The meeting marks the first gathering of ASEAN members since a foreign ministers’ meeting in July ended in disarray over a maritime dispute in the South China Sea, exposing deep divisions within the bloc. — AFP

HONG KONG: Asian stocks edged lower yesterday despite hopes for new US easing measures as shares in electronics giant Samsung plunged after a legal setback in a high-stakes patent dispute with arch-rival Apple.

Markets were rife with speculation over possible fresh stimulus in the world’s biggest economy after minutes released last week from the Federal Reserve showed US central bankers worried about slowing growth.

But that failed to spark markets into life. Hong Kong stocks ended down 0.41 percent, or 81.36 points, at 19,798.67, and Sydney slipped 0.12 percent, or 5.2 points, to 4,343.7. Shanghai ended down 1.74 percent, or 36.39 points, at 2,055.71, while Seoul was down 0.10 percent, or 1.94 points at 1,917.87, dragged lower by the sharp fall in Samsung shares.

Tokyo bucked the general trend, climbing 0.16 percent, or 14.63 points, to 9,085.39. Shares in Samsung-the world’s biggest technology firm-tumbled 7.5 percent, the biggest single-day percentage drop the firm has seen in nearly four years, after a California jury last week said the firm had infringed on half a dozen patents held by Apple.

Shares of other Asian smartphone makers which run Google’s Android operating system, the partial target of Apple’s lawsuit, were also lower. Analysts said the fine of $1.05 billion was not a major issue for Samsung but the jury verdict raised concerns about a possible ban on some US sales when the judge in the case makes her final ruling.

Meanwhile, investors are looking ahead to Fed chairman Ben Bernanke’s speech at an annual economic policy symposium to be attended by central bankers and economists later this week for further clues on possible easing.

“We have got through a quiet August,” said Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy and chief economist at AMP Capital in Australia. “And we are now coming

SHANGHAI: Pedestrians cross a road in front of a property billboard in Shanghai yesterday. China is studying new measures to beef up controls on the property sector, state media said, amid signs of rebounding housing prices. — AFP

up to a peak period in terms of events where the market patience might wear out if the policy action doesn’t come out,” he told Dow Jones Newswires.

Europe was also in the spotlight after Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, with both leaders affirming they wanted Greece to remain in the eurozone.

But markets were braced for further tough negotiations as Merkel said she was awaiting a report by global lenders reviewing the debt-burdened country’s performance on reform targets before agreeing to revisit any terms.

Merkel warned at the weekend that every day counts in Greece’s efforts to comply with its austerity commitments and safeguard its eurozone membership.

The European common currency bought $1.2526 and 98.59 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade, compared with $1.2512 and 98.43 yen

in New York late Friday.

The dollar bought 78.69 yen against 78.67 yen in US trade. In oil markets, New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for October delivery, soared $1.03 to $97.18 a barrel in the afternoon and Brent North Sea crude for delivery in October gained $1.25 to $114.84. Gold was at $1,670.90 at 1030 GMT, compared to $1,665.90 on Friday.

In other markets: Wellington was flat, rising 0.02 percent to 3,623.22. Telecom Corporation was off 3.97 percent at NZ$2.42 and Air New Zealand was down 2.19 percent to NZ$0.89.

Taipei fell 0.12 percent, or 9.31 points, to 7,468.22. Hon Hai Precision gained 0.69 percent to Tw$87.5 while Formosa Plastics dropped 0.73 percent to Tw$81.6.

Singapore closed down 0.20 percent, or 6.00 points, to 3,044.49. Singapore Airlines fell 1.01 percent to Sg$10.74 and

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation shed 0.76 percent to Sg$9.20. Kuala Lumpur ended flat, edging down 0.01 percent to 1,648.13. British American Tobacco lost 1.9 percent to 62.60 ringgit, while Bumi Armada added 1.6 percent to 3.77 ringgit.

Bangkok fell 0.28 percent, or 3.46 points, to 1,233.73. Mobile telephone giant Advanced Info Service dropped 5.73 percent to 214 baht while retailer Siam Makro gained 4.17 percent to 375 baht.

Jakarta was flat, gaining 0.479 points to end at 4,145.88. Tin mining company Timah rose 4.4 percent to 1,410 rupiah, while coal company Bumi Resources fell 5.3 percent to 890 rupiah.

Mumbai fell 0.59 percent, or 104.40 points, to 17,678.81 Private steel producer Jindal Steel slid 5.16 percent to 377.15 rupees while the largest commercial bank State Bank of India fell 2.58 percent to 1,845.95 rupees.

Manila was closed for a public holiday. — AFP

Ford breaks ground on new plant in southwest China CHONGQING: Ford Motor Co. is building a sixth plant in China as part of an effort to increase its sales in the world’s largest auto market. Ford CEO Alan Mulally attended a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the new $600 million assembly plant in the southwestern city of Chongqing. It will have the capacity to make 250,000 vehicles per year when it’s finished in late 2014.

The plant is Ford’s third in Chongqing, including one that began producing the Ford Focus in February. Ford plans to double its production capacity in China to 1.2 million vehicles by 2015, making this the company’s most rapid expansion in 50 years.

Ford hasn’t said which vehicles will be made at the new plant, but it will be equipped to make seven different models. Ford is planning to introduce 15 new vehicles here by 2015, including the EcoSport and Kuga small SUVs, which will be made at the new Focus plant in the Chongqing complex starting next year.

China’s auto market last year overtook the US as the world’s largest, with sales up 32 percent to more than 18 million vehicles. The pace has slowed this year, to an increase of just 2.9 percent in the first six months, but the Chinese market is still expected to be the largest in the world.

“Asia Pacific is such a fantastic growth market, even though it has slowed a little bit,” Mulally said. Sales are expected to grow in the coming years as more rural Chinese buy cars for the first time. Even with 30 million cars on the road, China still has just 28 vehicles for every 1,000 people, far below the US level of 800. Some 80 percent of purchases are by firsttime buyers.

Ford, which sells seven models in China, is racing to catch up to rivals like General Motors Co. Ford currently controls about 3 percent of the Chinese market and sells only Ford-branded cars. GM, by contrast, sells 30 different vehicles under six brands in China. GM’s Chinese market share hasn’t been as low as Ford’s share since 1998. Last year, GM controlled 14 percent

CHONGQING: In this photo released by Ford Motor Co., workers assemble a car at a new Ford/CFMA Chongqing Plant after its launching ceremony in Chongqing, China, yesterday.

Ford Motor Co. is building a sixth plant in China as part of an effort to increase its sales in the world’s largest auto market. — AP

of the Chinese market.

But Marin Burela, president and CEO of Ford’s joint-venture partnership, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., said Ford has grown exponentially since 2003 when it sold just 17,000 vehicles in China. New products and more dealerships will help the company gain market share, he said, especially in the fastgrowing cities in western China. Ford had 340 dealerships in China at the end of 2010; it expects to double that by 2015.

Also yesterday, Ford confirmed that a plan to drop Mazda from the joint-venture partnership won regulatory approval from China’s National Development and Reform Commission. The plan must still be approved by the Ministry of Commerce. Ford wants to

change the joint-venture structure so that it has a 50-percent share with Chinese automaker Changan Automotive, versus the 35-percent share it now has with Mazda as a partner.

Lin Zou, 37, a medical researcher at a children’s hospital in Chongqing, said she bought a red, two-door Ford Focus sedan five years ago because the brand was well-known and she considers US cars to be safe. She also has a friend at a dealership in Chongqing, where many of her friends also drive Fords.

“If something goes wrong, I thought it would be very easy to repair because it’s from Chongqing,” she said. The only negative: Her older Focus doesn’t get very good gas mileage.

But she says she’ll consider Ford SUV when it’s time for her to buy a new vehicle. —AP

26

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

BUSINESS

MasterCard Egyptair to bring cardholders more value this summer KUWAIT: MasterCard and Egyptair, Egypt’s flag carrier airline, have jointly introduced a cash back promotion for MasterCard cardholders from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates travelling to Egypt this summer.

With the new promotion, MasterCard cardholders are eligible for 5% cash back while booking tickets online on the

Egyptair website, www.egyptair.com. To take advantage of the ongoing promotion, MasterCard cardholders simply need to register on the Egyptair website while making flight bookings until August 31st, 2012.

The new cash back promotion which has been introduced during the ongoing summer vacations is expected to benefit

travelers who intend to visit Egypt during this festive period and beyond.

“The launch of this promotion with MasterCard underscores Egyptair’s commitment to support the growth of country’s thriving tourism sector. Egypt has traditionally been a high appeal destination and we are confident that tourists from key markets like Kuwait will once again be

driven to discover and experience the wealth of culture and entertainment that Egypt has to offer,” said said Mrs. Magda Metwally, General Manager Marketing, Egyptair.

“MasterCard’s recent Global Destination Cities Index ranked Cairo as fifth in the Middle East and Africa’s top cities by expected international visitor spend in

2012, showing an annual growth of 8.4%.

We expect 3.3 million travelers to visit Cairo this year, and in order to offer value added benefits to consumers, we will continue to collaborate with industry leaders like Egyptair. It is offers like these that truly make MasterCard cards the perfect travel companion,” said Magdy Hassan, country manager - Egypt, MasterCard Worldwide.

UAE’s Power Sector growth exceeds consumption growth KUWAIT: Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz” recently published the executive summary of their infrastructure series covering: Power, Airports, Seaports, Roads & Railways, ICT and Water. In this research note, Markaz tackles UAE Power sector in terms of highlighting demand-supply trends, growth drivers, and future investment areas.

Power sector in the Emirates had been seeing a rise in tandem with the economic growth it has achieved over the last decade. Power generation capacity in the country grew at a compounded rate of 12% pa during the last 5 years and current capacity stands at about 30,000MW. Power consumption meanwhile grew at a slightly lesser pace of 8% pa during the same period.

Currently 98% of the power plants are fired by Natural Gas and the remaining 2% are run by liquid fuels. Contribution of natural gas as fuel in the power sector is just 49% in Saudi Arabia and 29% in Kuwait. This gives UAE an advantage as gas fired plants are efficient and the fuel is cheaper as well compared to Oil. Although the country’s gas consumption has outpaced production, it imports natural gas from Qatar through the Dolphin gas pipeline.

Power sector in the Emirates is operationally controlled by four main regulators - Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA), Sharjah Water and Electricity Authority (SEWA) and Federal Water and Electricity Authority (FEWA) which oversees the operations in the northern emirates. Of this, ADWEA is the largest, accounting for 42% of total generation capacity.

Over the next four years, we estimate

consumption to grow at 8.5% annually, with much of the growth coming from Abu Dhabi. While Dubai expects consumption to grow at 3.5% over the next decade and at 2.5% from 2020-30, Abu Dhabi expects demand to grow by 11% annually till 2015. Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company (ADWEC) supplies electricity to Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and also exports the surplus to Northern Emirates.

Additionally, by 2014, FEWA is expected to stop its generation and rely on ADWEA for power. According to ADWEC estimates, power exports to northern Emirates are expected to increase from 2,400 MW in 2012 to 5,827 MW in 2020.

We expect large investments in alternate energy space. Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision - 2030 aims at generating 7% of its energy requirements from the renewable resources. Masdar, also called Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, concentrates on carbon free power generation. Masdar Power is developing a 100MW Shams 1 Concentrated solar power (CSP) power plant in the western parts of Abu Dhabi.

They are also working on a 30MW wind farm in addition to a plan to construct the world’s largest hydrogen power plant by 2015.

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) was formed to harness the power of nuclear energy. By 2017, they envisage constructing the first nuclear power plant and by 2020 UAE will have 4 nuclear power plants in total with a gross installed capacity of 5,600MW with an estimated capital cost of around USD 20bn. In January 2012, Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy unveiled its 1000 MW solar park estimated to cost around USD 3.5bn.

Samsung unveils the world’s thinnest notebook in Kuwait KUWAIT: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, yesterday announced the launch of their new flagship notebook, Series 9 in Kuwait. The New Series 9 notebook is designed to continue to lead the market with its impossibly thin and impeccably crafted design by using the latest third generation Intel i5/i7 processors.

Available in two variants, the 13inch model of the Series 9 is the world’s thinnest and most compact 13-inch notebook1 while the 15-inch version is the world’s thinnest and lightest 15inch notebook2. Following the former model, the second generation Series 9 represents Samsung’s advanced innovative craftsmanship in the premium notebook category. Its refined aerody-

namic design represents the best of Samsung’s design with top performance and func tionalit y. I ts unique design and innovative engineering breaks all common perceptions of premium notebook PCs. Super-slim components were tailor-made to fit into the innovative single shell body of the new premium notebook. “ The new generation Series 9 notebook packages the best of Samsung’s precision engineering and premium design with top class performance and functionality.

With its unique craftsmanship, the New Series 9 is the world’s thinnest, lightest and most compact notebook yet and we are very proud to bring it to the Kuwaiti market,” said Denzil D’souza Business Head of Notebooks at Samsung Gulf Electronics. “ The first generation of the notebook struck the right chords with our consumers and we are positive that the New Series 9 will be equally well received.”

The World’s Thinnest Samsung New Series 9 attracts its consumers with its unparalleled design that is incredibly thin and impeccably crafted. The body shell is made of 100% aluminum with a matte surface that is comfortable to touch.

Using Samsung’s MaxScreen technolo-

gy, the new Samsung Series 9 offers a vivid 15-inch display fitted into a stylish 14-inch chassis. The truly flat 14.9mm thin design weighing just 1.59kg makes the 15-inch Series 9 almost 50 percent more compact than any existing 15-inch thin and light notebooks. The 13-inch Series 9 measures only 12.9mm and weighs just 1.16kg, which is 28 percent smaller than its previous model.

Prestige Features and Performance Power and performance is assured with a 3rd generation Intel(r) Core(tm) processor, 4GB/8GB* memory and 128GB/256GB* SSD. The Samsung New Series 9 adopts the Anti-aging battery technology, allowing up to 10 hours of usage on their 15-inch notebook while offering up to 7.3 hours of usage on its 13-inch notebook. In addition, with the Samsung Fast Solutions, the new Series 9 boots in 9.8 seconds while Fast Start ensures a 1.4-second wake-up and Fast Browsing provides a 2-times faster web browsing.

The Samsung New Series 9 also features its new monitor display. The new product is furnished with an LED HD+ screen display with up to 400nit brightness, which is up to two times brighter than an average display (220nit) and has an anti-glare design that can reduce light reflection. By offering a superior and high quality visual experience, users can now enjoy the Samsung New Series 9 both indoor and outdoor, and enjoy richer, more vivid, clearer and more realistic videos and images.

An Intelligent Notebook Experience Samsung’sNew Series 9 is equipped with a backlit keyboard and display screen that can intelligently adjust its brightness based on the user’s background environment. This can save users the time to go through complicated settings and allow them to enjoy the same level of visual experience in any environment; it is also environmentally friendly by reducing electricity consumption.In addition, Samsung’s New Series 9 pampers its users with an extra-large touch pad that supports a wide range of gesture commands, coupled with 3D imaging touch technology that can increase its touch sensor while reducing sensor error. The touch pad can also sense a variety of gesture commands that allow users to work without having to manually touch the ClickPad, which in turn enhances work productivity.

Veloster named one of the top 10 coolest cars Hyundai Veloster - officially one of the coolest cars around DUBAI: The Hyundai Veloster has been named one of the “10 coolest new cars under $18,000” by the leading US automotive valuation company, Kelly Blue Book. It applauded the Veloster for its unique three-door styling and innovative technology, which have also contributed to the new model being shortlisted in its category in the prestigious 2012 Middle East Motoring Awards.

Two criteria - being fun-to-drive and fun-to-own - are critical among the deciding factors for Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com), which is a trusted new and used car information resource in the US. The Veloster was launched in the Middle East in August 2011 and is already proving popular with young buyers. This year it has been nominated by the influential jury of motoring journalists in the Middle East Motoring Awards for the ‘Best Hatchback’ award, which will be announced at the end of November.

Tom Lee, Head of Hyundai’s Middle East regional headquarters,

commented: “The Veloster being named one of the coolest cars proves what Hyundai has set out to do, to make a vehicle that is unique and boasts individuality, with its charismatic, fluidic sculpture and

of the crowd and be seen.”

Hyundai has entered a new market segment with the Veloster, targeting the youth market by bringing together the functionality of a hatchback with the sporty feel of a

2+1 doors that has never been seen before. It is a car that is aimed at the next generation of drivers and drivers who want to standout

coupe. Featuring a wealth of standard kit that includes an engine stop/start button, cruise control, fully automatic air conditioning and an

advanced multimedia system with a seven inch colour touch-screen display and MP3 compatibility/iPod connectivity, the Veloster is ideal for cool urban living.

The Veloster continues Hyundai’s ‘Fluidic Sculpture’ design ethos, its flowing lines combining to create a distinctive form with strong proportions and an immediate sense of movement and balance. The Veloster also boasts a truly unique feature, with one door on the driver’s side, and two on the passenger’s side, helping aerodynamics and safety, it stands apart from any other car on the market.

In the Middle East the Veloster is available in a variety of fun and vibrant colours and is powered by a 1.6-litre MPI petrol engine, delivering 130 PS @ 6300rpm and torque of 157 Nm (116 lb.ft) @ 4850rpm, powering it to a top speed of 200kph. To maximize fuel economy, reduce emissions and enhance refinement, every Veloster is fitted with a sixspeed automatic transmission.

Global surveillance industry witnesses phenomenal growth KUWAIT: The surveillance industry has witnessed phenomenal growth both in the region and around the world in recent years. One such leader in the field of surveillance is Axis Communications. The Swedenbased company, established in 1984, set up operations in the region in 2007. Baraa Al Akkad, Axis Communications’ regional sales manager, is responsible for Axis’ sales and marketing activities in the region. Based in the company’s regional headquarters of Dubai, Baraa discusses the company’s operations in the region and strategy for growth.

one of the fastest growing markets for Axis, with network video surveillance solutions seeing increasingly large-scale deployments. The lower total cost of ownership and enhanced HDTV capabilities are clear advantages that digital network video has

and recordings and allows for automatic incident alerts and alarms. We also provide tailormade solutions for educational institutions, governmental depar tments, bank ing and finance, city surveillance, and the healthcare industry.

Q - Tell me about your company?

Axis is an IT company and global market leader in network video. Our products and solutions focus on security surveillance and remote monitoring, and are based on innovative, open technology platforms.

Founded in 1984, Axis operates worldwide with offices in more than 20 countries, cooperating with partners in more than 70 countries.

Q- Can you elaborate on your operations in the region?

Axis opened operations in the Middle East in 2007 and prior to this the company worked closely with distributors in the region.

With increasing demand for surveillance systems around the world, we’re commited to driving the shift from analogue to digital video surveillance in the region.

To achieve this, Axis has established a regional office in Dubai, with offices in Turkey, Johannesburg and Capetown. We are further expanding our operations and are working closely with distributors in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Axis works with more than 900 partners across the region to market its products.

Q - How do you see the growth of surveillance in the region?

The Middle East has become

Q- What is your strategy for the region?

Our long-term strategy for growth is based on three core elements: a strong partner network, a broad and innovative product portfolio, and sustained global expansion. Traditionally, the technology shift to remote and networked video surveillance always took place in largescale installations. But now we see huge potential for installing

Axis M30 III

Baraa Al Akkad when compared to analog solutions.

Q- What business sectors do you serve?

We offer solutions to fit almost any industr y. For the retail sector - Whether you run a single shop or a whole chain of malls, our solutions make a noticeable improvement to your bottom line. When it comes to industrial sectors, factories and warehouses often contain valuable goods which are prone to theft. Therefore it is important to have an efficient surveillance system to protect property and assets. The transport industry has also benefited from networked IP and digital surveillance. It brings clients crystal clear images, both in real-time

Q- Of the above sectors, where do you see most growth?

The retail, transportation and oil and gas sectors are major growth areas for Axis in the region. The regional security sector is also seeing increased demand, in line with global trends.

Q- What has your year-on-year growth for the business in the region been? And do you have plans to expand the channel business?

We’ve witnessed double-digit growth in the region. Globally, our growth rate has reached 33% yearon-year. Axis is investing heavily in further developing our partner network in the Middle East. Our focus is not merely to increase in size but also select the right partners that can offer the best added value to the markets we operate in.

video solutions in the small to medium size business segment, for example, solutions requiring less than 10 cameras.

Q - What is your latest product offering?

I n June we launched our affordable mini HDT V surveillance solution, the M30 Network Camera. The M30 Net work Cameras are small, easy to install on either walls or ceilings and competitively priced with superb HDTV performance. The cameras provide price-sensitive market segments with an attractively priced HDTV surveillance solution.

Technically speak ing, the palm-sized, dust-resistant AXIS M30 cameras are designed for quick and flexible installation and easy mounting. They also come auto-focussed, which further shortens installation time.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Night skies changing colour because of new lighting technology BERLIN: The colour of night-time skies above cities is changing, according to research carried out in Berlin.

Above the German capital for example there is currently a reddish glow, Free University of Berlin physicist Christopher Kyba and his colleagues have determined in recent studies.

The reason for this is chiefly to be found in yellow-orange street lighting, the kind which is predominant in Berlin. With a transition to LED (lightemitting diodes) lighting which radiates a colder, pale light, researchers expect the skies over cities

will be considerably more blue at night.

“This will particularly visible when the skies at night are cloudy,” Kyba told dpa. Under such conditions, the light is especially strongly reflected.

“The current worldwide trend to replace gas discharge tube lights with LED lamps will again change the brightness and the light spectrum of the night skies,” Kyba predicts. “In a couple of years this will probably mean that blue is the new red.”

Since the end of 2009 Kyba, as part of a crossdisciplinary research group called “Loss of the Night,” has been measuring the colour of night-

time skies with a special monitoring instrument.

And he clearly sees one colour - red.

“In the past one spoke of a pitch-black stormy night. This has long since stopped being the case.

Today, on stormy nights it is much brighter because of the clouds than on a clear night,” Kyba points out. In Berlin, the blue light of a cloudy sky is seven times brighter than on cloudless nights, and red light is even 18 times greater.

This can also have an effect on the animal world.

For many animals, cloudy nights in high population density areas are 1,000 times brighter than just a

few decades ago, study co-author Franz Hoelker of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries notes. The results of the study are now being published by the Royal Astronomical Society.

In a cloudless sky the short-wavelength blue light is particularly strongly dispersed by the atmosphere. Researchers recommend that the new LED lighting should be pointed downwards and should emit a warm, pale light with a low proportion of blue. “Otherwise on clear nights the skies will look like a horror film,” said Kyba. — dpa

Near field communication awaits breakthrough Big plans, small chips

SEOUL: A woman walks past a signboard of Samsung Galaxy S3 at a mobile phone shop in Seoul. Shares in Samsung Electronics opened 6.75 percent lower yesterday. — AFP

Samsung shares plunge after Apple patent ruling SEOUL: South Korea’s Samsung sought yesterday to rally employees after a $1.05 billion US court judgment in favour of archrival Apple pushed its shares sharply lower amid fears about the fallout in the key American market.

Samsung shares tumbled 7.5 percent, the biggest single-day percentage drop the electronics giant has seen in nearly four years, after a California jury last week said the firm had infringed on half a dozen patents held by Apple.

Shares of other Asian smartphone makers which run Google’s Android operating system, the partial target of Apple’s lawsuit, were also lower.

Analysts said the fine was not a major issue for Samsung, the world’s biggest technology firm, but the jury verdict raised concerns about a possible ban on some US sales when the judge in the case makes her final ruling.

This was expected on September 20 but could be delayed. The jury in San Jose, California decided Friday that Samsung “wilfully” infringed six Apple patents for smartphones or tablet PCs. Samsung, in a blog message to staffers, said it was “very disappointed” at the ruling-part of a legal battle in nine countries between the two technology titans.

But the company, which has announced it would contest the verdict, said it would “continue to do our utmost until our arguments have been accepted”.

Samsung said courts in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Korea had previously ruled it had not copied Apple’s designs. Without naming its US rival, it decried the “outright abuse” of patent law.

“We trust that the consumers and the market will side with those who prioritise innovation over litigation, and we will prove this beyond doubt.”

Analysts said the judge could later decide to triple the damages because

jurors found Samsung acted “wilfully”, and order a partial product ban.

If the ruling leads to a US sales ban on the Samsung products subject to dispute, said Hi Investment and Securities analyst Song Myung-Sup, it will start eroding the company’s revenue from the fourth quarter.

Some analysts said the key point would be whether the patents battle spreads to Samsung’s flagship Galaxy SIII phone.

The products ruled to have infringed Apple’s patents are all older models.

The jury did not make any recommendation about banning their future sale.

“Samsung’s profit is expected to reach 7.5 trillion won during the third quarter.

One trillion won (about one billion dollars) is not a problem for Samsung,” said James Song of Daewoo Securities.

Song said the share plunge partly reflected fears that the popular Galaxy products would be banned from the US, and concern that the SIII and subsequent models could also be subject to litigation.

However, considering the design changes and other modifications, “it’s unlikely that anyone will confuse the Galaxy series with the iPhone from now on”.

Despite the strong reaction by stock market investors, Song said most of the models subject to a possible ban were not widely sold any more.

“I’m guessing about five percent or two million gadgets will be banned,” he told AFP. Daishin Securities analyst Jeff Kang said the US verdict would have no immediate impact on the worldwide operations of Samsung, which had an estimated 20 trillion won in cash reserves.

But US operations would be affected.

While the legal battle would continue, “Samsung could also opt to do business after paying royalties or unveil new models to avoid further suits”. — AFP

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (second right) poses with school children during an event in Sydney yesterday. Gillard was launching a multiyear partnership between the Telstra Foundation and The Alannah and Madeline Foundation to develop and deliver across Australia, eSmart Libraries, a world-leading cybersafety system. — AFP

MUNICH: Soon all smartphone functions will be able to be activated without touching the screen, when payments can be made by waving a mobile phone at a cash register and when gadgets can effortlessly trade data just by being near one another. When that time comes, people will have near field communication (NFC) to thank. But, before it can get here, experts see some security kinks they need to work out, and vendors need to decide which standard will become predominant.

“The topic of near field communication has been filtering through the media for years,” says Marc-Oliver Reeh of the Centre for Near Field Communication at the University of Hanover in Germany. But, he notes, “not a lot has happened yet.” That means there are not yet a lot of functions that work with NFC. For now, most NFC devices are tags or stickers which can be affixed to or used with a smartphone.

That said, NFC mobiles with Android 4.0 or higher can trade contact information, pictures and music, just by holding them up to one another briefly. There is also work underway to make sure smartphones can employ NFC to make faster connection to peripherals, like Bluetooth headsets or adapters that convey music from a smartphone to a stereo set.

Experts like Reeh see a lot more potential.

“One’s surroundings could become smarter,” he notes. That could mean an NFC tag could be integrated into the floor of a home, sending out an alarm if it notices that a person with disabilities falls down.

Others foresee a day when an NFC-equipped mobile could double as a car key or a library card. But the “killer app” will come when NFC can be used to allow touchless payment via mobile phones.

So far, there are some credit cards that have been affixed with NFC transmitters, allowing payments of between 20 and 25 euros (25 to 31 dollars) that occur when the card is held up near a reader. PIN codes or signatures are required when the purchase exceeds the limit.

But, even though experts are convinced there should be no technology hurdles, security concerns have kept payment systems from being integrated into mobiles. The major concern is that personal data might be pulled off a mobile during a payment transaction, especially since information is transferred in unencrypted form during NFC payments.

“We’re obviously very shocked that the account information is transferred in unencrypted format,” says Karin Thomas-Martin of the

Consumer Centre of the German state of Baden Wuerttemberg.

But Dorothee Wiegand of German computer magazine c’t notes that the only information transferred is that which is already on the card.

“Any waiter in a restaurant can see this information,” she notes. In reality, anyone with a reader could grab the data.

Thomas-Martin says her group is pushing for security improvements: “If the data is copied illegally during a transfer, then the customer can’t be held responsible.”

Reeh says he’s not worried. NFC “is a relatively safe technology,” he says, pointing out that signals are only transmitted a few centimetres, meaning most criminals would not be able to get close enough to access information.

Reeh says another problem is standardization. Until manufacturers agree on one standard, he would advise waiting to jump into NFC. Otherwise, one might end up with a device that can’t communicate with one’s bank or mobile service provider.

And to be extra sure about criminals, wrap an NFC card in aluminium foil or buy a special metal container, which will keep out prying eyes. Of course, this won’t work once the chip is embedded in a smartphone. — dpa

Old monitor might have some life in it yet FRANKFURT: As people migrate to laptops, desktops are fading in importance and many are wondering what one does with an old monitor. There are all kinds of options... from a backup display for a laptop to a replacement for your TV. As an extra display for a laptop, a monitor delivers some clear health benefits. One no longer has to look down at a laptop screen, meaning, in the long run, benefits both for the back and eyes. This is especially important for people who have to spend long hours in front of their laptops.

Those with original monitors that have small displays, or those wanting to upgrade to a flat screen monitor, could also benefit.

“The prices have, on average, sunk to about 170 euros ($210),” says Roland Stehle of the German Society for Entertainment and Communications Technology (gfu).

Most new models usually have high-definition (HD) resolution. full HD - 1,920 X 1,080 pixels - is almost standard.

There is a choice between TN, IPS and PVA/MVA models. Twisted Nematic (TN) is the oldest technology, offering fast reactions and only limited blurring during movement.

But contrast can be a problem, especially with a limited viewing angle.

In-Plane-Switching (IPS) models are more expensive, but offer solid contrast and colour. An updated S-IPS version provides reaction times that are good for gaming, as well as good visibility at angles.

MVA (multi-domain vertical) models offer the best contrast from all viewing angles, an aspect that’s even improved upon with patterned vertical alignment (PVA).

However, neither has reaction times that match TN models. Always consider what you plan to use the monitor for before making a purchase. “If you just want a monitor for data crunching, then you don’t need to worry so much about reaction time,” says Stehle. But for gamers and those who want to watch HD films reaction times of more than three or four milliseconds are important.

These models will come with higher resolutions, which, in turn, means they need a more powerful graphics card. And bear in mind that not every game can manage these resolutions. Make sure to get a monitor that fits on your desk. You should also be able to rotate it and set its height. “Anyone who can’t set the display optimally is going to be dealing with neck pain before long,” according to a test in the German computer magazine Chip Test & Kauf.

HDMI, a standard port for televisions, is becoming the way to go with monitors, and more common than other ports like DVI and DisplayPort. But most manufacturers do not deliver an HDMI cable along with the monitor. Some come with two HDMI ports, while others offer a variety to make sure users won’t need an adapter to hook up their monitor. The differences continue to melt away between monitors and televisions. Some flat screens already come with a tuner for digital television or a built-in media player. —dpa

NEW YORK: Noah Rosenberg works on his iPad at local coffee shop Smooch on August 21, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Rosenberg is part of a ‘slow’ journalism trend that concentrates on in-depth local stories.— AFP

US in-depth journalism rebirth defies Twitter age NEW YORK: The Twitter age is killing in-depth journalism, while local newspapers are becoming extinct-right?

Then what is a talented young New York Times reporter doing founding a website devoted to indepth local reporting?

News aggregators, 24/7 news cycles, 140-character Tweets and attention-span-challenged web users have transformed much of the US media into the journalistic equivalent of McDonalds: quickly produced, easily consumed. Times freelancer Noah Rosenberg says his “Narratively” website, which he hopes to launch next month, will be more like a long-simmering stew.

“There’s been a push against the 24/7 bubble, the echo chamber,” Rosenberg said at a Brooklyn cafe that sometimes doubles as his start-up’s office. “We’re really slowing things down.”

Narratively’s stable of about 30 young New York journalism high-fliers will ignore breaking news for original, behind-the-scenes material that takes a long time to report and-at 5,000 words-a good while to read.

There’ll be no breaking news, Rosenberg said, but stories “you can dust off in one year, two, three years down the road and they’ll still have some meaning.” When the popular BuzzFeed homepage carries of slideshows like “Cutest Pictures Of Cats And Babies,” Yahoo.com’s “Trending Now” is mostly showbiz, and big media organizations chase in herds after the same news, Narratively’s ambitions might seem quixotic.

But Rosenberg is part of a surprising revival in which sites like Atavist.com and Byliner.com, both founded last year, and Longform.org, founded in 2010, are finding new ways to turn high-quality, lengthy non-fiction into a business.

“We’re really tapping into this energy out there,” the 29-year-old said.

The collapse in newspaper advertising revenues has reduced the number of publications with resources to produce long-form journalism to a small elite-the likes of the The New Yorker, The New York Times’ magazine and a few others.

Where the new in-depth outlets are different is that they appear only online, meaning they never run out of space on the page and can more readily explore the possibilities of digital technology.

Paul Janensch, a journalism professor at Quinnipiac University, says that’s good news, because the traditional US media has often allowed long-form journalism to become verbose and self-indulgent.

“I don’t have the time for that and I wonder how many people will wade through it. It’s very forbidding,” he said. “My hope is that with the Internet there’ll be not just long form, but new ways of conveying a lot of complicated information.” Brooklyn-based Atavist sells online non-fiction articles that are longer than would appear in magazines, but shorter than books. Atavist’s own software then allows those stories to be told in multi-media format on iPads and other handheld devices.

Readers hear, as well as read the author, see maps, photos and video, creating an experience quite different to sitting down with a paper magazine. Atavist co-founder Evan Ratliff says that embracing technological innovation is crucial.

“There are plenty of people who want to read things with depth, things with reporting, things with narratives,” he said in a telephone interview.

“The question is not ‘are they reading,’ but ‘can you get to them?’”

Other sites, like Longform.org and Longreads.com, build a community of readers who share favorite long-form pieces, whether gleaned from other websites or their own original work. Byliner.com is more ambitious, carrying long articles picked up from across the web, while also commissioning original works between 5,000 and 30,000 words sold through Amazon and Apple.

Rosenberg hopes to exploit the same model: original reporting, digital firepower, and bending over backwards to engage audiences. Narratively aims to produce one themed package a week on life in New York. Death, sex, hustlers, and all the different ways that New Yorkers keep on the move will be among the first issues.

Unlike a traditional magazine investigation, each package will consist of extra-length text stories, but also short documentaries, animation, and photo essays. Each Friday there’ll be an interactive session with readers, including Q&As and podcasts.—AFP

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Benefits of circumcision outweigh risks: Pediatrics New guidelines stop short of universal recommendation

FLORIDA: (From left) this file picture taken on July 19, 1969 shows US astronauts, crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, Edwin Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins during a press conference.—AFP

China eyes next lunar landing as US scales back BEIJING: Neil Armstrong’s 1969 lunar landing marked a pinnacle of US technological achievement, defining what many saw as the American century, but the nex t person to set foot on the moon will likely be Chinese. As the United States has scaled back its manned space program to cut costs-a move strongly criticized by Armstrong, who died on Saturday-Asian nations have aggressively expanded into space exploration. China, Japan and India all have their own space programs. New Delhi, which envisages its first manned mission in 2016, recently unveiled ambitious plans to launch a space probe that would orbit Mars.

Japan par ticipates in the International Space Station program and launched its first lunar probe in 2007. It is planning a follow-up that it hopes will find “organic substances or minerals containing water” on an asteroid. But experts say that China, which as recently as the 1980s was focused solely on developing satellites, is the closest to landing an astronaut on the moon. Beijing launched its manned space program in 1999 and has developed rapidly since, sending its first astronaut into space in 2003 and completing a space walk in 2008. This year, it conducted its first manned space docking-the latest step towards setting up a space station-during a mission that included its first woman in space.

In its last white paper on space, China said it was work ing towards landing a man on the moon-a feat so far only achieved by the United States, most recently in 1972 - although it did not give a time frame. It will attempt to land an exploratory craft on the moon

for the first time in the second half of 2013 and transmit back a survey of the lunar surface. “Nobody knows where the next astronauts on the moon will come from. But I expect there is a good chance that they will be Chinese,” said M orris Jones, an Australian space expert. “China’s space program is moving steadily forward. If they continue at this pace, they will develop the capability to reach the moon around 2030.”

China’s space program remains far behind that of the United States-as evidenced by the fact that the recent manual space docking trumpeted by Beijing was mastered by the United States in the 1960s. US President Barack Obama said in 2010 he would drop the costly Constellation space program, killing off future moon exploration. But the United States is developing a new rocket, and this month landed a rover the size of a car on Mars for a two-year mission to explore the Red Planet for signs it could support life. Beijing has spent about 39 billion yuan ($6.1 billion) on its manned space program since it began 20 years ago, state media have said. It sees the program as a symbol of its rising global stature, growing technical expertise, and the Communist Party’s success in turning around the for tunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.

Experts, however, say national pride is just one of the motivating factors in China’s ambitious space program. “ Trips to the moon have always involved prestige, but there is also science,” said Jones. “A new trend could involve mining the moon for nuclear fuel. China has made no secret of their interest in this possibility.”— AFP

Unrest harming anti-polio efforts KANO: A deadly Islamist insurgency in northern Nigeria has harmed efforts to eradicate polio in the region, the WHO says, with a resurgence of the potentially paralyzing virus reversing gains.

Nigeria, one of only three countries still considered to have endemic polio, alongside Pakistan and Afghanistan, has accounted for 72 of the 123 polio cases recorded so far this year, a World Health Organization report said. The resurgence of the contagious virus also threatens to spread to neighboring nations such as Niger, it said.

The report, the WHO’s latest weekly update on the global polio situation, said insecurity in Nigeria’s northeast, where the Islamist insurgency has been based, was harming efforts to attack the virus. “Insecurity remains a challenge in parts of the country, notably in Borno and Yobe states, particularly in the capital cities of both of these states,” said the report issued last week. Islamist militant group Boko Haram has carried out increasingly sophisticated bombing and shooting attacks in nor thern and central Nigeria, with northeastern Borno and Yobe states considered its stronghold.

A polio surveillance official at the Nigerian office of the WHO said the security challenges affect the whole region and had slowed vaccination efforts. “The report was only being specific on Borno and Yobe on the security factor, but the situation is the same throughout the north,” the WHO official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. “Polio immunization coverage has dropped in areas where Boko Haram attacks occur because immunization personnel would not want to go into such areas for safety reasons.”

He said this partly explained the upsurge in new polio cases, though other factors, including spotty support

from local officials and conspiracy theories about the vaccine among the population, have also been cited. The country’s north has been particularly hit by the “wild poliovirus type III” strain-one of three types of polio.

“Nigeria is the only country in the world to report wild poliovirus type III (WPV3) in the past four months,” the report said. It added later: “Northern Nigeria is now the global epicenter of WPV3 transmission.”

Polio cases in Nigeria dropped to 21 in 2010 from a staggering 388 cases in 2009 due to a massive effort to immunize the population. But officials repor ted an uptick to 62 cases in 2011, and the 2012 numbers so far show that the situation has only worsened. Nigeria has faced severe difficulties in dealing with the virus in the past. In 2003, Kano, the most populous state in the north, banned polio immunization for 13 months following claims by Muslim clerics that the vaccine was laced with substances that could render girls infertile as part of a US-led Western plot to depopulate Africa.

The ban caused mass rejections of polio immunization by parents in the region, which led to the spread of the virus to other parts of the continent that were previously considered poliofree. The WHO report also expressed concern over an upsurge in polio cases in Katsina state on the border with Niger, which could lead to the virus spreading to Nigeria’s northern neighbor, where no new cases had been registered so far this year. Katsina has recorded 14 new polio cases this year, eight of them in the past three months, the report said. “The possibility of conducting immunization campaigns across the border in Niger is being explored, to minimize the risk and consequences of polio spread from Katsina,” said the report. —AFP

CHICAGO: The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines saying the health benefits of infant circumcision outweigh the risks of the surgery, but the influential physician’s group has fallen short of a universal recommendation of the procedure for all infants, saying that parents should make the final call.

The change was prompted by scientific evidence that suggests circumcision can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections in infants and cut the risk of penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and the human papillomavirus or HPV, which causes cervical and other cancers.

Although the AAP’s 1999 statement was fairly neutral, the new statement, published yesterday in the journal Pediatrics, comes down in favor of the procedure, saying the health benefits of newborn male circumcision “justify access to this procedure for families who choose it.” “We’re not saying you have to have it,” said Dr Andrew Freedman, a pediatric urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles who chaired the AAP’s circumcision task force. “We’re saying if a family thinks it is in the child’s best interests, the benefits are enough to help them do that,” he said.

Based on a review of more than 1,000 scientific articles, the task force said male circumcision does not appear to adversely affect penile sexual function, sensitivity of the penis or sexual satisfaction. The AAP said parents should be given unbiased information about the procedure and be allowed to make the call on their own.

But the group did say it is imperative that those performing circumcision are adequately trained, that they use sterile techniques and offer effective pain management.

Growing debate Circumcision, the surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis, is a ritual obligation for infant Jewish boys, and is also a common rite among Muslims, who account for the largest share of circumcised men worldwide. The wider US population adopted the practice due to potential health benefits, but those advantages have become the subject of debate, including recent efforts to ban circumcision in San Francisco and Germany.

In Germany, the debate over circumcision has landed in the courts. Last week, an unnamed doctor in Germany filed charges against a rabbi for performing ritual circumcisions on infant boys, two months after a court in Cologne angered Jews and Muslims by banning the practice. In the United States, the new guidelines may begin to turn the tide on infant circumcision, which has begun to fall in recent years as insurers have balked at paying for a procedure

without a strong medical justification.

In as many as 18 US states, the Medicaid program for the poor has stopped paying for the procedure; a trend some doctors fear could significantly increase US health costs because of increased cases of urinary tract and HIV infections. “The American Academy of Pediatrics had formerly been on the discouraging side,” said Dr Peter Richel, chief of pediatrics, at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York.

“If, indeed, we can cut down on a greater incidence statically of HIV or HPV, then I am certainly all for that.”

‘Short shrift’ In a statement issued on Friday in anticipation of the guidelines, the anti-circumcision group Intact America said most of the studies underlying the new guidelines are based on research done on adult men in Africa. “The task force has failed to consider the large body of evidence from the developed world that shows no medical benefits for the practice, and has given short shrift, if not dismissed out of hand, the serious ethical problems inherent in doctors removing healthy body parts from children who cannot consent,” said Georganne Chapin, the group’s executive director.

Dr Douglas Diekema, a pediatric bioethicist from the Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the University of Washington who served on the task force, said the group considered a wide range of ethical issues, including pain experi-

enced by the child and whether parents have the right to make the decision without the child’s consent. “There is no decision you can make that doesn’t potentially put a child at risk.

If you choose to circumcise, there is a risk he’ll grow up to be a man who wishes he wasn’t circumcised,” Diekema said.

Diekema said waiting until the child is older to make the choice about circumcision would lose much of these early benefits, and because the foreskin is thicker in a teen than in an adolescent, the procedure carries more risks. “I really don’t think there is an easy answer,” he said.

What was clear, Diekema said, was the issue of pain. “We were unanimously agreed that it’s inappropriate to do this procedure without adequate pain control. That, in many ways, is one of the biggest ethical issues,” he said.

Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of the Ahavath Torah congregation in Englewood, New Jersey, and president of the Rabbinical Council of America, said circumcisions done for religious purposes do not typically involve pain medication, but he noted that the procedure is quick and has a long tradition of success. “We’ve performed it for centuries with no adverse effects to our children.”

Even so, he worries about the lawsuits in Germany trying to ban circumcision. “For us, it is such a critical component of our religious life that an attempt to eradicate it is an attempt to eradicate our religion. To have this happening in Germany, given our history, is particularly saddening to us.” —Reuters

BERLIN: Picture taken on June 30, 2012 shows people walking past the entrance to the Jewish Hospital in Berlin’s Wedding district.—AFP

Once again with feeling: Australia science tugs heart-strings SYDNEY: Do humans really wear their hearts on their sleeve? An ambitious Australian neuroscience project aiming to translate emotional impulses directly into music is hoping to find out. Canadian ar tist Erin Gee describes it as “human voices in electronic bodies”, and there is a definite futuristic feel to her collaboration with the University of Western Sydney ’s medical school. A fingerprint scan is required to gain entry to the labs where her first subject, Ben Schultz, 27, is strapped to a bed, connected via a complex maze of wires to monitors not unlike those seen in a hospital.

Neurophysiologist Vaughan Macefield plays with a needle attached to a wire feeding directly into Schultz’s leg, listening carefully for changes in the white noise crackling from a speaker in the corner. “That’s the sound that’s being picked up from the nerve,” Gee explains. “That’s the translation of what’s happening electrically.”

Schultz said the needle was uncomfortable when it was moved but was not painful. Tapping into a very precise part of the nerve will allow Macefield to eavesdrop directly on the brain’s signals to the body as Schultz is shown a series of images designed to elicit emotion, such as mutilation and erotica.

And that is where the music begins. “ While we cannot read Ben’s mind and tell you why he’s feeling emotions, the technology exists today that we can actually definitively tell you that he is feeling emotions, and we can tell you exactly how much emotion he’s feeling,” Gee said. “I can bottle Ben’s emotions and save them for later.”

Along with the ner ve reading, Schultz’s blood pressure, breathing speed, skin sweat and heart activity are being recorded and fed into Gee’s computer, where custommade software converts them into a chorus of chimes and bells.

The experiment will be repeated with several other subjects so

Gee and Macefield can fine-tune their methods and sounds for a live “emotional symphony” performance that promises to be unlike any other attempted before.

‘Affective computing’-Two actors attached to the various monitors will perform an “emotional score”Gee is not quite sure what it will look like yet, but it will require them to summon a series of emotions. The music their feelings produce - “what happiness sounds like” for instance-will be performed by small robotic pianos that will also flash lights as different moods are detected.

The team has chosen actors as subjects because they routinely need to manifest emotion on demand. “It will be like seeing someone expertly playing their emotions as they would play a cello,” said Gee, whose first show is scheduled for Montreal next year.

Macefield said the research would feed into the field of “affective computing”, which deals with

machines that can understand and respond to human inputs.

Computers that can connect directly to the brain, allowing users to search for information simply by thinking about it, are currently in development and Macefield said he was interested in how machines could help people. Many mental illnesses and disorders are associated with heightened or blunted emotional responses and Macefield said technology could have therapeutic benefits. Children with autism disorders, for example, struggled to understand the emotions of others or to express themselves, and Macefield said Gee’s robotic technology could be used to teach them how to identify feelings by externalizing and exaggerating them into forms like music. “It may well be that by amplifying people’s emotions they can read them better; it may be that by amplifying their own emotions that people can read them better,” he said.— AFP

A pill that treats and tells CALIFORNIA: If you have trouble remembering whether you took your pills on time, your medicine may soon have the answer for you.

Pills for anything from the common cold to diabetes or cancer can be embedded with tiny ingestible chips that keep track of whether a patient is taking their medicine on time. The digital feedback technology, devised by Redwood City, California-based Proteus Digital Health Inc, can also prompt patients to take their medicine and even ask them to take a walk if they have been inactive for too long.

“Overall, people only take their medications half of the time ... adherence is a really big issue across all treatments,” Eric Topol, chief academic officer of Scripps Health, a non-profit medical service provider, told Reuters. Some patients might not like their pill-taking being tracked but the system can help manage patients’ complicated medicine routines, such as diabetes or heart conditions. “This is a way to have a “friend” helping look after me, since my doctor can’t be there most of the time,” said Kelly Close, a diabetes patient and the founder of diaTribe, a newsletter for people with diabetes. She has not yet used the pill.

The sensor was last month approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and Proteus has attracted investments from Swiss drug giant Novartis and Japanese drug firm Otsuka Holdings Co Ltd Other investors in the company include medical device companies Medtronic Inc and St Jude Medical Inc, and

chipmaker ON Semiconductor Corp. “ The point of this technology is not to say you are being a bad patient. The point is to have accurate data,” Proteus’ co-founder and Chief Medical Officer George Savage said.

Pill telegraph The swallowed sensor is linked to a skin patch worn on the patient’s torso, which captures the report sent by the sensor. About the size of a grain of salt, the sensor has no battery or antenna and is activated when it gets wet from stomach juices. That completes a circuit between coatings of copper and magnesium on either side, generating a tiny electric voltage for a few minutes. The skin patch records the digital message, along with the patient’s heart rate, body angle and activity, and sends the data to a bluetooth-enabled device such as a phone or computer. “Think of this as a high-tech version of an old-style Morse code telegraph key,” Savage said.

The data is then uploaded to a computer network for viewing by patients, caregivers and physicians. The system allows users to set up alarms to remind them to take medicines or to issue an alert if the patient is inactive for a certain time. Novartis is testing Proteus’ sensor in renal transplantation patients-a group that is required to maintain a strict regimen of anti-rejection drugs. “Study results show that when used properly, the Proteus system was observed to monitor patients’ medication-tak-

ing behavior with very high accuracy,” Novartis spokeswoman Julie Masow said.

The Swiss firm has made a $24 million upfront payment to access the technology, with royalties due to Proteus from future sales.

Savage said Proteus was working on generic versions of big-selling drugs for type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure and mental health disorders that would incorporate the sensor. Savage did not name the drugs.

Testing included 254 people using the system for a collective 3,828 days involving patients being treated for tuberculosis, congestive heart failure and hypertension, Proteus said.

Tracking TB Proteus has a partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention to test the technology in tuberculosis treatment. The Gates Foundation awarded a $560,000 grant to Proteus to support a pilot study of the technology in Chinese TB patients. Highly contagious tuberculosis is typically treated by powerful antibiotics that have unpleasant side effects, leading to patients dropping treatment and putting others at risk. Health experts say that raises the question of acceptance of the system among some patients who would most benefit from it. “People may not want to wear the patch and have the medications because they might feel like big brother is watching,” Topol said. —Reuters

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

Mumbai dogs bite man-more than 200 times a day MUMBAI: More than 200 people were bitten by dogs every day last year in India’s commercial capital Mumbai, up 50 percent in four years due to a surging population of strays, a report said yesterday. The number of bites recorded since 2001 is 650,000, and last year’s average of 221 a day up was up by 50 percent from 2007, according to data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC),

published in the Mumbai Mirror. The newspaper said the number of stray dogs roaming the chaotic city has doubled to 150,000 since 2007. But fewer deaths related to dog bites have been recorded, probably because sterilization and vaccinations have improved. Six dog bite-related deaths were registered in 2011, down from 14 in 2010.

The figures were released in response to a

Right to Information request. Abodh Aras, chief executive of the Welfare of Stray Dogs trust, said he was unsure how the BMC’s figures had been derived, but the increase in registered bites did not necessarily mean more dogs had started biting.”It’s very clear that awareness has gone up,” he told AFP, so people are more likely to go for anti-rabies medication and get their bites recorded.—AFP

Nerve-deadening devices impress EU heart doctors Renal denervation reduces stubbornly high blood pressure MUMBAI: In this photograph taken on February 1, 2012, stray dogs are seen inside the gates of The Turf Club.—AFP

Caged big cats stuck on Paraguay border ASUNCION: Imagine being stuck in a cage for two months while going through customs. That’s the border limbo 16 tigers and lions have faced in Paraguay because Argentine officials refuse to approve their paperwork for re-entry. The nine Bengal tigers and seven African lions belong to an Argentine circus that performs in the Paraguayan capital each August. Their owner, Oswal Wasconi, brought them back for this year’s circus only to learn that a new law in Paraguay bans live animal acts at circuses.

With no chance of per forming, Wasconi tried to ship his big cats back to Argentina. But then they got stuck at the border. Estela Gomez, director of Paraguay’s wildlife agency, said the animals all have good-health certificates, but their entr y to Argentina was blocked by officials demanding more

information about the protec ted species. Aides to Argentina’s quarantine office director, Raul Castelli, said he was in a meeting and could not explain the holdup.

After inquiries from The Associated Press on Friday about the cats’ plight, Gomez said her ministry decided to move the big cats two by two to the Asuncion zoo, “so that they can live in some comfor t and not in a strange area.” Fur thermore, she said that “Wasconi has promised to provide them with food and liquid because these animals are physically quite large.” “In the next few days we will continue investigating the true reasons why the Argentine authorities aren’t authorizing their return,” she said. “I can’t anticipate whether these beasts will remain forever in Paraguay or eventually go to Argentina.”— AP

MUNICH: Europeans suffering from stubbornly high blood pressure, despite swallowing multiple pills, now have a new treatment option in the form of devices that deaden nerves in the kidneys - and doctors are impressed. The United States has yet to approve the technology, known as renal denervation, but several products are already available in Europe and researchers yesterday reported encouraging results from a series of studies testing them out in practice.

Teams from Germany, France and the Czech Republic told the European Society of Cardiology annual meeting that the new procedure offered benefits to a range of patients and seemed to effectively rejuvenate ageing blood vessels. “This suggests that renal denervation might be a fountain of youth for blood vessels in patients with therapy-resistant hypertension,” said Klaas Franzen from the University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein.

Millions of people have hypertension that is resistant to drug therapy, putting them at risk of heart attacks and stroke. That has encouraged several medical technology companies to invest in device-based high blood pressure treatments, which industry analysts believe will develop into a multibillion-dollar market.

Brokerage Jefferies has forecast annual sales could reach $2.8 billion by 2020. Device makers that have already received approval to sell hyper tension devices in Europe include Medtronic, the frontrunner, as well as Covidien,

St Jude Medical, ReCor Medical and Vessix Vascular.

The new devices work by creating tiny scars along nerves in the kidneys - organs which play a pivotal role in regulating blood pressure by sending signals to the brain that can cause blood vessels to constrict. The scarring process is carried out by threading a catheter through the renal arteries from the groin. It deadens the nerves and decreases blood pressure. So far, there do not seem to be any worrying longterm side effects. Cardiologists meeting in Munich said the technique had the potential to change blood pressure management and could in future be offered to a wider range of patients, not just those with the most obstinate hypertension.

“It is potentially a revolution,” said Dr Gordon Tomaselli, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins and president of the American Heart Association.

“Right now it is for resistant hypertension. But my guess is that in five years, if the studies continue to show benefits, it is going to move into less resistant hypertension ... all forms of hypertension theoretically could be treated this way.”

Dr Michael Boehm of Germany’s University Hospital, Saarland, said around 12,000 patients had now been treated in Europe, most of them in Germany, although the procedure was expensive, with each catheter costing approximately 3,750 euros ($4,700). It was not clear whether some catheters were being re-sterilized for use in more than one patient, he added.

Artery stiffness reduced Franzen’s study in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, looked at renal denervation in 21 patients and found it not only cut blood pressure but also reduced arterial stiffness. In fact, Franzen’s team concluded the improvement in stiffness was equivalent to a 10-year reduction in ageing. Stiffness is the artery walls is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. A 26-patient Czech study, meanwhile, found the new technique improved the ability of the left side of the heart to contract by more than 10 percent in patients with heart failure. A second German study involving 173 patients found renal dener vation reduced rates of depression and improved sleeping patterns, while a French trial with 35 patients found the technique worked well in day-to-day practice.

As the process involves an invasive procedure, there can be complications, such as haematomas, or the collection of clotting blood under the skin. But Dr David Holmes of the US Mayo Clinic College of Medicine said the overall risks seemed low, reflecting the fact that the renal artery was quite large and the procedure did not involve any permanent implant. At the Munich meeting, Medtronic announced updated results from a clinical trial of its market-leading Simplicity renal denervation system, which was the product used in other independent studies. This showed the device continued to provide sustained blood pressure reduction for up to 18 months. —Reuters

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

WHAT’S ON New GM and chef at Safir Hotel Fintas 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

Happy birthday to Amber Renee. May the good Lord bless you and crown all your efforts with success. Greetings from husband, sons, friends and well-wishers.

afir Hotel & Residences Kuwait - Fintas is pleased to announce the appointment of Saif Mohammed as the new General Manager. Mohammed brings with him over 20 years of extensive hospitality experience where he worked in several countries including Dubai and Kuwait for international hotel properties such as Marriott International Hotels, Renaissance, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard by Marriott and JW Marriott. He expressed his delight in joining the Safir Hotel and Residences - Fintas family for its five-star services for business travelers, tourists and families.

Likewise, the recent appointment of Chef Frank Funke as the Executive Chef in charge of the Food and Beverage Department has brought another strong addition to the Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait - Fintas’ management team.

Bringing with him more than twenty-five years of culinary experience, Funke conveys his enthusiasm to share his expertise gained through his work with international hotel properties such as Marriott International, Movenpick, Sheraton, Princess Cruise and Schweitzerhof in several countries, such as Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia, United States of America, Alaska and the Caribbean to the success of the hotel.

Mohammed added, “It gives me

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a great pleasure to tell everyone that Safir Fintas constitutes a range of luxurious rooms, suites and furnished apartments situated in a fantastic location overlooking the picturesque coastline of al Arabian Gulf. Equally varied are the dining options as Al Roshinah Restaurant

and the Sky Lounge which offers a unique dining venue at the hotel’s roof top overlooking the Arabian Gulf. Taking care of every detail, the hotel’s beach garden and ballroom presents a perfect venue for open days, family gatherings, weddings and special occasions. For business

that offers traditional Kuwaiti cuisines, Flavors Restaurant - the all day dining restaurant of the hotel that serves international buffets and features live stations, Chit Chat CafÈ Restaurant which offers an ideal setting for informal meetings serving light snacks, Lounge CafÈ located at the lobby, Anchor Beach Bar for superb outdoor dining experience

events, the hotel’s fully equipped meeting rooms are the perfect solution.”

Safir Hotel and Residences Kuwait - Fintas opens its doors to everyone who wants to experience and truly “Enjoy a World of Hospitality”.

NSS Kuwait Onam celebrations on Sept 28 SS Onam will be celebrated on September 28 (Friday), at Carmel School, Khaitan from 9:30 am.

Nair Service Society (NSS) Kuwait is one of the largest socio-cultural organization in Kuwait formed in the year 2001 and now has more than 3,000 Indians as members. On Sept 28, a full day variety entertainment program depicting the rich heritage and art forms of Kerala has been planned and the major attractions are drama “Aaal Roopam” (Dummy) directing by Shemej Kumar and musical drama “Ravanaputri” a unique art form, organizing by NSS Vanitha Samajam.

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Raveendran Nair, President of Nair Service Society (NSS), Kuwait will preside over the function and . KR Rajan, Secretary, HRD, Nair Service Society (NSS), Changanassery, Kerala will be the Chief Guest. Nair Service Society (NSS) Kuwait is introducing first time in Kuwait “Onam Valla Sadhya” a vegetarian banquet with around 50 dishes. The renowned Master of the Kitchen Aranmula Nadamangalath Vijayan and his team, will be supervising NSS Kuwait’s Onam Sadhya kitchen this year. This year more than 1500 people are expected to enjoy the NSS taste of Vijayan.

Places of interest

Happy birthday to Syed Razzak Uddin (Saif).

Best wishes from Sami Uddin Ateeq.

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

Sadu House Al Sadu House stands on Arabian Gulf Street near the National Museum, representing one of the last preserved pre-oil era dwellings in Kuwait. Al Sadu House became a centre for Bedouin art and the sale of traditional goods In 1979. Visitors can observe Bedouin women weaving at their looms, handmaking carpets, camel bags and tent screens.

Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 1:00 p.m and from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m daily except Friday. (Tel: +965 2243.2395) Admission is FREE. Science & Natural History Museum A wealth of education awaits the visitor to the Science and Natural History Museum on Abdulla Al Mubarak Street. Each gallery contains either a collection or an exhibit covering a wide range of themes. Collections on display Include fossils, stuffed animals, skeletons, and dried flowers.

There are exhibits on health, petroleum, space travel, and electronics, among others. Forming part of the National Museum complex, the wonderful, modern Planetarium In the museum complex has shows at around 18:00 daily: local children, convinced the room is spinning, clap In syncopated beats every time the accompanying music begins.

A museum planetarium shows: Mornings: 1st Show: 10:00 a.m; 2nd Show: 11:00 a. m; 3rd Show: 12:00 p.m Evenings: 1st Show: 5:00 p.m; 2nd Show: 5:45 p.m; 3rd Show : 6:00 p.m. Note: Friday & Saturday no morning shows. (Tel: +965 22451195; +965 22456534).

Admission is FREE. The Dickson House The house of the first British political agent In Kuwait is still standing. The Dickson House, located across from the dhow harbour east of Sief Palace, was originally a Kuwaiti home built in 1870, but was given to Britain to use as residential headquarters.

The compound was expanded several times over the years, but stands as an excellent example of early Kuwaiti architectural styles.

Opening hours are from Saturday to Thursday 8:30 a.m12:30 p.m and 4:30 a.m-8:30 p.m Friday 4:30 a.m - 8:30 p.m.

Admission is FREE. Al-Qurain Museum Located in the residential suburb of Qurain, This small museum is a memorial to a cell of young Kuwaiti patriots who tried to resist arrest in February 1991.

Early In the morning, Iraqis bom-

barded the house for hours with machine guns, bombs and eventually a tank.

Monday to Saturday 8.30 a.m 12.30 p.m; 4.30a.m -8.30 p.m Friday morning off. Afternoon: 4.30 a.m-8.30 pm. Winter Visiting hours: 4-8.30 pm. 1st Day of Eid off. Tel: +965 25430343 Al Hashemi Marine Museum The World’s largest wooden dhow, owned and build by Hussein Marafie,Al Hashemi is a ‘Baghalah’ of monumental proportions. Baghalah is a large wooden cargo vessel which sailed the seas in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Constructed next to Radisson SAS Hotel, the double-decked AlHashemi II is dry-docked next to pre-oil era Kuwaiti village and marine museum containing models of extinct and modern dhows The lower deck has the grand ballroom - one of the finest in Kuwait. Al-Hashemi II has earned the distinction of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. The museum is opened Sat. Thu. from 9 am till 5 pm.

Admission is FREE. Oil Display Centre The Oil Display Centre at Kuwait is located 20 kilometers in the southern direction from main city of Kuwait. Oil display center In Kuwait is set In the Ahmadi area, which is the primary hub of Kuwait’s oil production where many oll-fields and oil wells are located. This center is a learning ground for all those who wonder how oil processing is done. It gives an opportunity to the tourists to know all about the history beginning from how oil was explored, drilled, produced and processed In Kuwait.

The Oil Display Center Is located 20 kilometers away from Kuwait City, in the southern direction. This small center throws an insight into Kuwait’s oil business and the work of the Kuwait Oil Company, which owns it. It is definitely worth a visit. Opening hours Sat - Wed 07:00 am -3:00 pm. It is open by appointment. Tel: +965 23982393; 23989111; 23981678.

KOC can also arrange for groups to tour the oil fields themselves.

Kuwait Memorial Museum Before the Iraqi invasion, the museum housed a collection that has been acclaimed by International art historians as one of the most comprehensive collection of Islamic arts. Located near the National Assembly, comprising of four buildings and a planetarium. In 1997, the Muhallab II, the replacement for the magnificent trading dhow from the 1930

that graced the front yard of the museum before it was burned by the Iraqis, was constructed on site and now is open to visitors. Tel (2451195) Tareq Rajab Museum Tareq Rajab opened his private collection of Islamic art treasures to the general public in 1980. The Tareq Rajab Museum in Jabriya features ceramics, silver and gold jewelry, and musical instruments.

It also houses one of the finest collections of old Qurans and at her Arabic manuscripts in the world.

All artifacts are of Arab or Muslim origin and are labeled for easy viewing. Visiting hours are from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon and from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Saturdays through Thursdays. On Fridays, the museum is open to the general public only in the mornings, with afternoons reserved for tours. Opening hours 9:00 -12:00 noon; 4:00-7:00 pm; Ramadan open on weekdays: 09:00-12:00; noon 7:00 pm-10:00 pm; Fridays usual time. (Tel: +965 25317358) Entry is KD2 / Adult. Children and students are FREE. Al Shaab Leisure Park Located on Arabian Gulf Street, this park has variety of games & amusements for young & old including carousels, dodmegs, bowling hall, billiards, snooker and tennis as well as a theatre and a cinema. All the amusements are linked by paths that meander through gardens and around water fountains. There is a restaurant block containing branches of most fast food outlets in Kuwait.

Open daily from 4 pm to midnight (from 10 am on weekends), entry is 500 fils a head and games cost 250 to 750 fils a go, though a full ticket may be purchased for a KD 2.500 (Tel: 5613777) http://www.shaabpark.com The Scientific Center Kuwait Scientific Center in Kuwait is located on the waterfront at Ras Al Ardh in the Salmiya region in Kuwait which serves as a center for environmental education of the gulf region. Kuwait Scientific Center at Kuwait was initiated by late Sheikh Jaber AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and its compound covers an area of over 80,000 square meters with the building itself covering over 18,000 square meters.

The major attractions of the Kuwait Scientific Center in Kuwait which the tourists must see are the Aquarium and the interesting Discovery place. There is also a 250 seat IMAX film theater. (Tel: +965 1848888) http://www.tsck.org.kw

Aware Diwaniya 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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Arabic courses 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.

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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.

Focus Kuwait 6th annual day s a part of the 6th anniversary celebrations, Forum of Cadd Users (FOCUS Kuwait), a nonpolitical, non-religious organization is set to stage a mega cultural event “Focus Fest-2012”. This mega event will be a blend of traditional and contemporary dance & musical extravaganza by renowned South Indian playback singers Jyotsna and Sudeesh.

Scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, 12th Oct, 2012, at the Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed School Auditorium, Hawally, the mega musical show, is expected to be a super-hit in Kuwait. Joseph Panicker, Chairman of the Institution of Engineers India (IEI) has released the Raffle Coupon of “Focus Fest-2012” handing over a copy to Thomas Itty, one of the Conveners of Program Committee, in the function held at Ebenezer Auditorium, Abbassiya on the evening of 13th August. An attractive program flayer also has been released by him handing over a copy to Sam Pynumood, the popular social activist and former advisory board member of FOCUS. The function was presided over by FOCUS President Sasi Thompson. General Secretary M N Saleem, Vice President Manoj George, Joint Secretary Shaheed Labba and various sub-committee conveners and members present on the occasion.

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‘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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Register and Win promotion at Q8India.com 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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31

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 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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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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More than 35,000 people visited the Scientific Center during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, which saw the premier of the ‘To The Arctic 3D’ movie the IMAX theater, in addition to adding new species to the aquarium as well as several activities at the Discovery Place. Managing Director and Chairman of the Board Mejbel Al-Mutawa’a meanwhile announced that the Discovery Place will be closed until Sept 9, 2012 for renovation.

IMAX film program Effective from 26th August 2012 Today: ** 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 The Last Reef 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 9:30pm

To The Arctic 3D 5:30pm, 8:30pm Space Junk 3D The Last Reef 3D Journey to Mecca Born to be Wild 3D

Friday: To The Arctic 3D 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 9:30pm Journey to Mecca 3:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 5:30pm Space Junk 3D 6:30pm The Last Reef 3D 8:30pm Saturday: ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups

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

7:30pm,

10:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 11:30am, 4:30pm, 9:30pm 1:30pm, 7:30pm 2:30pm 6:30pm

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 NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax- 25387719.

Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

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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.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 I Was Bitten 01:40 Untamed & Uncut 02:35 Dogs 101: Specials 03:30 Bad Dog 04:25 Wildest Africa 05:20 Monkey Life 05:45 Snake Crusader With Bruce George 06:10 Vet On The Loose 06:35 Vet On The Loose 07:00 Karina: Wild On Safari 07:25 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 08:15 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 10:05 Wildest Africa 11:00 Wildlife SOS 11:25 Orangutan Island 11:55 Animal Cops Houston 12:50 Wild Animal Orphans 13:15 Wild Animal Orphans 13:45 Animal Precinct 14:40 Wildest Africa 15:30 Karina: Wild On Safari 16:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 16:30 Growing Up...

17:25 Cats Of Claw Hill 17:50 Cats Of Claw Hill 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 Animal Airport 22:25 Animal Airport 22:55 Wildlife SOS 23:50 Animal Cops Houston

00:05 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 01:25 Cash In The Attic 02:10 Cash In The Attic 02:55 Bargain Hunt 03:45 Bargain Hunt 04:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 05:50 Come Dine With Me 06:40 MasterChef Australia 07:30 MasterChef Australia 07:55 MasterChef Australia 08:40 MasterChef Australia 09:30 MasterChef Australia 10:15 MasterChef Australia 10:40 MasterChef Australia 11:30 MasterChef Australia 11:55 MasterChef Australia 12:45 MasterChef Australia 13:30 10 Years Younger 14:20 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 15:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 15:45 DIY SOS 16:10 DIY SOS 16:40 Holmes On Homes 17:30 DIY SOS 17:55 DIY SOS 18:20 DIY SOS 18:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 19:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 20:10 Out Of The Frying Pan 21:00 Masterchef: The Professionals 21:55 Masterchef: The Professionals 22:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 23:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00

BBC World News America BBC World News America Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News

05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 BBC World News 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 BBC World News 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 BBC World News 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 BBC Focus On Africa 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 23:30 Hardtalk

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 10:30 Doo 10:55 11:15 11:40 12:00 12:15 12:40 12:55 13:20 13:35 14:00 14:50 15:15 Doo 15:40 16:00 16:15 16:40 17:05 17:30 17:55 18:10 18:35 19:00 19:15 19:40 19:55 20:20 20:35 21:00 21:25 21:50

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 Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley The Flintstones Wacky Races Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Puppy In My Pocket Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show The Garfield Show Johnny Bravo Dexter’s Laboratory Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Dexter’s Laboratory Johnny Bravo Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry

22:15 22:40 23:05 23:20 23:45

The Garfield Show A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Popeye The Jetsons Duck Dodgersr

00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 00:55 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 05:30 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...

14:20 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 20:25 Ben 10 20:50 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 Amanpour 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 02:00 World Report 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Quest Means Business 06:00 The Situation Room 07:00 World Sport 07:30 African Voices 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Talk Asia 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 Amanpour 12:30 World’s Untold Stories 13:00 World One 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 19:00 World Sport 19:30 World’s Untold Stories 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 22:00 Amanpour 22:30 CNN Newscenter 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

00:15 Weird Or What?

01:10 Mobster Confessions 01:35 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 02:30 River Monsters 03:25 Robson Green’s Extreme Fishing Challenge 04:20 Weird Or What?

05:15 How Do They Do It? 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 American Loggers 07:00 American Chopper

07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Dirty Money How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Daredevils Finding Bigfoot Against The Elements Border Security Dirty Money Ultimate Survival American Chopper Fifth Gear American Loggers Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Border Security Dirty Money The Gadget Show Life On A Wire Finding Bigfoot Moonshiners

00:35 Kings Of Construction 01:25 What’s That About?

02:15 Engineering Ground Zero 03:05 The Gadget Show 03:35 Scrapheap Challenge 04:25 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 05:15 Kings Of Construction 06:05 What’s That About?

07:00 Engineering Ground Zero 07:50 Head Rush 07:53 Weird Connections 08:20 The X-Testers 08:50 Sport Science 09:40 Scrapheap Challenge 10:30 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 10:55 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 11:20 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 11:45 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 12:10 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 12:35 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 13:00 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 13:25 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 13:50 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 14:15 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 14:45 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 15:10 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 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 Race To Mars 19:30 Catch It Keep It 20:20 Scrapheap Challenge 21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Gadget Show 22:00 Stuck With Hackett 22:25 Stuck With Hackett 22:50 Scrapheap Challenge 23:40 Sport Science

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 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 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:40 19:05 19:30 19:55 Fairies 20:25 Fairies 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:55 23:20 23:45

Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents 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 So Random Hannah Montana Fish Hooks Jake & Blake Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Timon And Pumbaa Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Austin & Ally Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Jessie A.N.T. Farm Let It Shine Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie The Adventures Of Disney The Adventures Of Disney Suite Life On Deck Jonas Los Angeles Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Kim Possible

00:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 00:55 Style Star 01:25 THS 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 THS 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Scouted 10:15 Christina Aguilera 12:05 E! News 13:05 Ice Loves Coco 13:35 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:55 E! News 18:55 THS 19:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 20:55 Mrs. Eastwood And Company 21:25 Giuliana & Bill 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Fashion Police

HIDALGO ON OSN ACTION HD

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:30 02:55 03:45

The Haunted Crime Scene Psychics Stalked: Someone’s Watching Stalked: Someone’s Watching Scorned: Crimes Of Passion Extreme Forensics

04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:25 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

The Haunted Crime Scene Psychics Disappeared Forensic Detectives Undercover Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Street Patrol Street Patrol Murder Shift 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 Diagnosis Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Fatal Encounters Killer Kids Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 Planet 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Chasing Time Destination Extreme The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Meet The Natives: USA Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Chasing Time Destination Extreme The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Meet The Natives: USA Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Destination Extreme Destination Extreme The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Meet The Natives: USA Around The World For Free Travel Madness Travel Madness Food Lover’s Guide To The

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 Planet 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Chasing Time Destination Extreme The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Meet The Natives: USA Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Chasing Time Destination Extreme The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Meet The Natives: USA Around The World For Free Graham’s World Graham’s World Long Way Down Destination Extreme Destination Extreme The Best Job In The World The Best Job In The World Meet The Natives: USA Around The World For Free Travel Madness Travel Madness Food Lover’s Guide To The

One Man & His Campervan David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan Deadliest Journeys 2 The Best Job In The World

One Man & His Campervan David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan Deadliest Journeys 2 The Best Job In The World

00:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 01:00 Secrets Of The Cross 02:00 Is It Real? S3 (1 hour) 03:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 04:00 A Traveler’s Guide To The Planets 05:00 Hunter Hunted 06:00 Nomads 07:00 Naked Science 08:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 09:00 Secrets Of The Cross 10:00 Is It Real? S3 (1 hour) 11:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 12:00 A Traveler’s Guide To The Planets 13:00 Hunter Hunted 14:00 Nomads 15:00 Naked Science 16:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 17:00 Stonehenge Decoded (2 hours) 19:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 20:00 Blowdown 21:00 Insect Wars 22:00 Adventure Wanted 23:00 Naked Science

00:00 Predator CSI 01:00 Monster Fish 01:55 Hidden Worlds 02:20 Hidden Worlds 02:50 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 03:45 Freaks & Creeps 04:40 Nordic Wild 05:35 Built for the Kill 06:30 Hidden Worlds 06:55 Hidden Worlds 07:25 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 08:20 Freaks & Creeps 09:15 Animal Superpowers 10:10 Animal Autopsy (Inside Nature’s Giants) 11:05 Hunter Hunted 12:00 Monster Fish 13:00 Hidden Worlds 13:30 Hidden Worlds 14:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 15:00 Freaks & Creeps 16:00 Cameramen Who Dare 17:00 Animal Autopsy (Inside Nature’s Giants) 18:00 Hunter Hunted 19:00 Hidden Worlds 19:30 Hidden Worlds 20:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 21:00 Freaks & Creeps 22:00 Animal Superpowers 23:00 Animal Autopsy (Inside Nature’s Giants)

HELEN ON OSN CINEMA

00:00 Predator CSI 01:00 Monster Fish 01:55 Hidden Worlds 02:20 Hidden Worlds 02:50 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 03:45 Freaks & Creeps 04:40 Nordic Wild 05:35 Built for the Kill 06:30 Hidden Worlds 06:55 Hidden Worlds 07:25 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 08:20 Freaks & Creeps 09:15 Animal Superpowers 10:10 Animal Autopsy (Inside Nature’s Giants) 11:05 Hunter Hunted 12:00 Monster Fish 13:00 Hidden Worlds 13:30 Hidden Worlds 14:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 15:00 Freaks & Creeps 16:00 Cameramen Who Dare 17:00 Animal Autopsy (Inside Nature’s Giants) 18:00 Hunter Hunted 19:00 Hidden Worlds 19:30 Hidden Worlds 20:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy 21:00 Freaks & Creeps 22:00 Animal Superpowers 23:00 Animal Autopsy (Inside Nature’s Giants)

00:00 Gridlock’d-18 02:00 Street Kings 2: Motor City-18 04:00 Monsters-PG15 06:00 The Transporter-PG15 08:00 Wild Bill-PG15 10:00 Hidalgo-PG15 12:15 Anaconda-PG15 14:00 Wild Bill-PG15 16:00 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 18:00 Anaconda-PG15 19:45 Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans-18 22:00 Blood Out-18

01:00 Skirt Day-PG15 03:00 Backwash-PG15 05:00 Helen-PG15 07:00 Justice For Natalee HollowayPG15 09:00 Backwash-PG15 11:00 A Trace Of Danger-PG15 13:00 African Cats: Kingdom Of Courage-PG 15:00 Mars Needs Moms-PG 17:00 Coyote County Loser-PG15 19:00 The Conspirator-PG15 21:00 Bad Teacher-18 23:00 Saw VII: The Final Chapter-R

00:00 Breaking In 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Friends 02:00 Friends 02:30 Seinfeld 03:00 Whitney 03:30 Raising Hope 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:00 Friends 06:30 Samantha Who? 08:30 Whitney 10:00 The Office 10:30 Samantha Who? 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Friends 13:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 Raising Hope 14:30 The Office 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Friends 18:00 Bent 18:30 Community 19:00 The Cleveland Show 19:30 The Office 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 23:00 Seinfeld 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 Switched At Birth 01:00 Top Gear (UK) 02:00 Missing

03:00 04:00 05:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Drop Dead Diva Glee Good Morning America Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Glee The View Switched At Birth Drop Dead Diva Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar Royal Pains House Perception Glee

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 (UK) Grey’s Anatomy Switched At Birth Drop Dead Diva Grey’s Anatomy Criminal Minds Emmerdale Coronation Street Private Practice The Ellen DeGeneres Show Missing Drop Dead Diva Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Private Practice Warehouse 13 Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Private Practice White Collar Royal Pains Homeland Perception Grey’s Anatomy

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 08:45 11:00 13:00 PG15 14:45 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Empire-18 Seventh Moon-18 The Warrior’s Way-PG15 Fantastic Four-PG15 In The Line Of Fire-PG15 The Warrior’s Way-PG15 True Justice: Brotherhood-

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 PG15 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:00

How Do You Know-PG15 Last Holiday-PG15 My Sassy Girl-PG15 The Beverly Hillbillies-PG15 Last Holiday-PG15 Inspector Gadget (1999)-

In The Line Of Fire-PG15 Men In Black-PG15 Carriers-PG15 Blood Out-18 Assassination Games-18

Snow Dogs-PG The Chaperone-PG15 Inspector Gadget (1999)My Last Five Girlfriends-PG15 Letters To Juliet-PG15 Barry Munday-18

01:00 The Game Of Their LivesPG15 03:00 Red Rock West-18 05:00 Gilles’ Wife-PG15 07:00 Desperate Hours: An Amber Alert-PG15 09:00 Love The Beast-PG 11:00 9-PG 13:00 Strength And Honour-PG15 15:00 Love The Beast-PG 17:00 Lies In Plain Sight-PG15 19:00 Eight Below-PG 21:00 Heart And Souls-PG 23:00 Kings And Queen-18

01:00 The Guru-18 03:00 Lego: The Adventures Of Clutch Powers-FAM 05:00 Lord Of The Dance-PG 07:00 The Last Airbender-PG 09:00 Prom-PG15 11:00 Easy A-PG15 12:45 The Great Debaters-PG15 15:00 Ways To Live Forever-PG15 17:00 Prom-PG15 19:00 Little Fockers-PG15 21:00 The American-18 23:00 Friends With Benefits-18

00:00 MSNBC Hardball W/ Chris Matthews 01:00 MSNBC Politicsnation 02:00 Live NBC Nightly News 02:30 ABC World News W/ Diane Sawyer 03:00 MSNBC The Ed Show 04:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 05:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 06:00 NBC Nightly News 06:35 ABC Nightline 07:00 ABC World News W/ Diane Sawyer 07:30 Live NBC Nightly News 08:00 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 09:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 10:00 ABC World News Now 10:30 Live ABC World News Now 11:00 NBC Early Today 11:30 ABC America This Morning 12:30 Live ABC America This Morning 13:00 Live ABC America This Morning 13:30 MSNBC First Look 14:00 Live NBC Today Show 17:57 Live MSNBC Hardball W/ Chris Matthews 18:38 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 19:19 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 20:00 MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports 21:00 MSNBC Newsnation 22:00 Live MSNBC The Cycle 23:00 MSNBC Martin Bashir

00:00 Futbol Mundial 00:30 Premier League Snooker 04:00 Rugby League Challenge Cup 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Olympic Highlights 09:00 NRL Premiership 11:00 Trans World Sport 12:00 Super Rugby Highlights 13:00 Olympic Highlights 15:00 Senior European Tour Highlights 16:00 Live Cricket One Day International

00:30 The Rugby Championship 02:30 PGA European Tour 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Rugby League Challenge Cup 10:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 11:30 Futbol Mundial 12:00 Senior European Tour Highlights 13:00 Premier League Snooker 16:30 Futbol Mundial 17:00 The Rugby Championship 21:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 22:00 WWE SmackDown

02:00 AFL Highlights 03:00 Golfing World 04:00 Ironman 08:00 AFL Highlights 09:00 Ironman 10:00 Triathlon 12:30 Golfing World 13:30 World Match Racing Tour Highlights 14:30 Super Rugby Highlights 15:30 AFL Highlights 16:30 AFL Premiership 19:00 Golfing World 20:00 NRL Full Time 20:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 21:00 Futbol Mundial 21:30 AFL Highlights 22:30 World Match Racing Tour Highlights 23:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights

00:00 01:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

UFC The Ultimate Fighter Prizefighter UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed UFC Countdown WWE NXT WWE Bottomline NHL Mobil 1 The Grid V8 Supercars WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage V8 Supercars V8 Supercars WWE SmackDown WWE NXT WWE Experience UFC UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Countdown

Classifieds TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR MEA RJA GFA UAE ETD OMA THY FDB MSR RBG QTR MSC JZR KAC THY JZR DHX JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD IRA GFA UAE MEA JZR MSR MSC JZR MSR GFA KAC KAC FDB KNE JZR QTR SVA KAC RJA JZR KAC QTR JZR ETD KAC JZR UAE UAL GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY KAC KAC QTR SYR KAC KAC FDB KAC MSR MSC JZR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK KLM UAE JZR ETD ABY QTR KAC QTR JZR AIC FDB GFA UAL JZR DLH JZR MSR THY PIA

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 28/8/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 408 BEIRUT 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 768 ISTANBUL 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 3553 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 2401 ALEXANDRIA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 1541 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 301 ABU DHABI 619 LAR 213 BAHRAIN 871 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 401 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 514 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 535 CAIRO 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 562 AMMAN 640 AMMAN 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 173 DUBAI 303 ABU DHABI 1802 CAIRO 787 RIYADH 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 502 BEIRUT 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 341 DAMASCUS 166 PARIS 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 624 SOHAG 403 ASSIUT 325 NAJAF 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 415 AMSTERDAM 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 614 BAHRAIN 6130 DOHA 539 CAIRO 981 CHENNAI 59 DUBAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 513 SHARM EL SHEIKH 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 205 LAHORE

Time 0:15 0:20 2:05 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 2:50 3:10 3:20 3:20 3:25 3:30 3:55 4:10 4:35 4:55 5:00 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:35 7:15 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:20 9:20 9:30 9:40 10:00 10:45 10:55 11:05 11:25 12:00 12:25 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:30 16:35 16:40 16:40 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:50 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:30 23:35 23:40 23:59

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR KLM PIA THY MEA THY UAE FDB OMA RBG ETD MSR MSC QTR QTR JZR RJA JZR GFA THY JZR KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR KAC KAC FDB ETD IRA IRA GFA JZR KAC KAC MEA KAC JZR UAE MSR MSC KAC JZR JZR GFA FDB MSR KAC JZR KNE SVA KAC JZR RJA QTR KAC KAC ETD JZR JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA JZR KAC QTR FDB SYR KAC MSR MSC JZR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA DHX ALK KLM JZR ABY ETD KAC UAE QTR KAC KAC JZR QTR AXB FDB QTR GFA KAC JZR

Depature Flights on Tuesday 28/8/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 411 AMSTERDAM 240 SIALKOT 773 ISTANBUL 409 BEIRUT 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 3554 ALEXANDRIA 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 2402 ALEXANDRIA 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 534 CAIRO 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 561 AMMAN 671 DUBAI 856 DUBAI 133 DOHA 101 LONDON 1801 CAIRO 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 604 ISFAHAN 618 LAR 214 BAHRAIN 172 DUBAI 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 872 DUBAI 623 SOHAG 404 ASSIUT 785 JEDDAH 786 RIYADH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 673 DUBAI 538 CAIRO 473 JEDDAH 501 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 324 AL NAJAF 641 AMMAN 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 741 DAMMAM 304 ABU DHABI 512 SHARM EL SHEIKH 238 AMMAN 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 613 BAHRAIN 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 283 DHAKA 607 LUXOR 402 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 415 DAMMAM 1540 CAIRO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 381 DELHI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 147 DOHA 390 MANGALORE 60 DUBAI 6131 DOHA 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 0:55 1:00 2:15 3:05 3:40 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:05 4:20 4:25 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 6:55 7:05 7:10 7:30 8:10 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:15 9:20 9:40 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:15 10:20 10:40 10:45 11:20 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:20 12:25 13:00 13:10 13:15 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:15 15:45 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:30 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:00 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:20 23:30 23:40 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Three bedroom CAC flat available with a South Indian family for Indian executive lady or bachelor. Contact: 99515956.

28-8-2012

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

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 interested, please send your complete details to: matri3333@yahoo.com (C 4109) 27-8-2012

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

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

Prayer timings Fajr:

04:01

Duhr:

11:49

Asr:

15:23

Maghrib:

18:15

Isha:

19:34

112 Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

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

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 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

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A

262 - 2630 Ext.: 2627

WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

Hot with light variable wind changing to light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 08 - 30 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Relatively hot with light variable wind changing to light to moderate south westerly wind, with speed of 06 - 28 km/h No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A

22459381

44 °C

32 °C

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

45 °C

27 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WAISEEB A

42 °C

29 °C

WA AFRA

ST TAT TION

43 °C

25 °C

SALMI

43 °C

29 °C

ABDAL LY

45 °C

28 °C

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

44 °C

28 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

43 °C

28 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

38 °C

33 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

38 °C

33 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

42 °C

24 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

SFC. CHART

27/08/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

New Jahra

24575755 Tuesday

28/08

humid over coasts

45 °C

26 °C

VRB-SE

08 - 30 km/h

West Jahra

24772608

Wednesday e

29/08

humid

44 °C

30 °C

SE

12 - 35 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

Thursday

30/08

very hot

47 °C

29 °C

N-NE

06 - 26 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

Friday

31/08

very hot + raising dust

47 °C

29 °C

NW

20 - 40 km/h

North Jleeb

24311795

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

RA AYER Y TIMES PRA

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:00

MAX. Temp.

47 °C

Sunrise

05:22

MIN. Temp.

29 °C

Zuhr

11:50

MAX. RH

65 %

Asr

15:24

MIN. RH

04 %

Sunset

18:16

MAX. Wind i

N 36 km/h

Isha

19:36

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

Al-Madena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Mel B

makes family proud with her performance el - who is estranged from her younger sibling - was joined by her Spice Girls bandmates Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Mel C and Emma Bunton on stage at the event earlier this month, and she admits she “cried” when she saw it. She said: “I’ve watched it about 100 times.

I’m just so proud of her for doing that. It’s amazing they can all get together years down the line and create that magic. “I thought Mel looked gorgeous. I would’ve preferred her hair a lot bigger, mind. I’d love them to do a one-off gig in Vegas. I was crying while I was watching it. We were always so close.”

Danielle, Mel B’s sister, claims she has tried to stay in touch with her sister, but Mel’s husband, Stephen Belafonte, has banned them. She added: “I’ve never had a bad word to say about her. I just wish I had a reason why we’ve been cut off. “My mum and dad have had their grandchildren ripped from them.

Stephen told my mum, ‘You’ll never ever see your grandchildren again.’ He’s clearly a man of his word.”

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Snooki’s baby son ‘the cutest’ er ‘Jersey Shore’ co-star Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley took to twitter to congratulate the pint-sized star and fiancee Jionni LaValle following the birth of Lorenzo on Sunday, and added she was “proud” of her.

She wrote on the social networking site: “So proud of Snooki and Jionni LaValle. Lorenzo is the cutest baby I’ve ever seen. Love him already.” Fellow reality star Kendra Wilkinson also congratulated Snooki. She wrote: “Yay congrats Snooki. So happy for you. Can’t wait to see pics of Lorenzo! (sic)” Snooki responded: “Thanks girl. I love him!” The star - who has previously been known for her partying and drinking on the show - was said to be doing well following the birth at the Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey. A representative confirmed: “The world just got another Guido! Lorenzo Dominic LaValle has entered into the world weighting 6lbs, 5oz. Nicole, Jionni & Enzo are doing great.” She 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!”

H ‘Brangelina’ holidaying in France he soon-to-be-married couple - who have six children together - took their brood via helicopter from London, where Brad is shooting a movie, to the town of Le Torquet for a family vacation, where they were seen perusing the shops and heading out for dinner. In one toy shop the couple spend $215 on toys, including dolls, dinosaur figures and Barbie clothes, and one employee confesses to have not even noticing they were the famous couple. The staff member told People.com: “I wasn’t notified of their visit. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t even recognize them. I said Bonjor like I do to all my clients and then I saw Brad Pitt. I asked him for an autograph. “Since Angelina was here with her son last year, the shop has moved, but they found us. I think she must really love the store.” It was recently revealed the pair’s four-year-old daughter Vivienne had landed her first film role, alongside her mother in ‘Maleficent’. A source said: “Ange thought it would be a fun experience for her and Viv to share and Viv is a natural. “The other kids are now nagging Ange and Brad to land them roles.”

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Ora not in it for making money he ‘Party (How We Do)’ singer has enjoyed three number one singles in a row in the UK and keeps a busy performance schedule, but has no idea how much wealth her success has brought her. When asked if she has made lots of money from her fame, she replied: “I’m not bothered about that now; I leave it to my management to deal with. I’m just trying to keep getting the number ones and enjoy myself at the same time.” When the royalty money does come in, Mischa 21, hopes to buy a house for herself, and wants to make sure it’s close enough to her parents’ home - but far enough away for her to keep her independence. She added: “The first thing I’d want to buy would be to buy my own house, I’d love to keep living in London, I used to live in Portobello with my parents, so maybe Notting Hill Gate, to go up the hill a bit.

I’d love to live on my own.” Although Rita - who was born in Kosovo, but moved to the UK when she was one - is signed to US label Roc Nation and always splitting her time between the US and England, she has no plans to move countries. She exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “I have a flat in London that I live at when I’m there, but I’m travelling around all the time. I love Los Angeles and New York, but I wouldn’t want to move there now, maybe in a few years, but right now I love London, I’m very happy here. “I also loved Toronto and Miami. We went to the dance music conference there, it was mad.” Rita’s debut album, ‘Ora’ is released yesterday.

Barton

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‘found herself’ in Paris he former ‘OC’ actress decided to move away from Los Angeles to focus more on herself and become less of a “punch bag” and has enjoyed spending time in the French capital. She said: “I was ready to go and live in Europe for a minute. You know when you’re maxed out? I’d spent a lot of time in the public eye. “I’d become people’s punch bag and was ready to get out. Living in Paris was really formative for me. I found myself again and made new friends.” Mischa has juggled an acting and a fashion career since rising to fame on ‘The OC’, and admits her work has not always been successful. She said: “Everyone’s career has different levels of momentum. It’s very rare you see a career which has a perfect trajectory. In general, everyone goes through their ups and downs. “As an actor, you can only enjoy what you’re doing and be behind projects, that’s always been my philosophy having done a few successful cult indies.”

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Welch plans to take year off

Berry still not forgiven Downey Jr for broken arm he actress suffered the injury when they were filming ‘Gothika’ together in 2003, but she doesn’t feel he sufficiently apologized about the incident, and still avoids him around Hollywood. A source said: “She didn’t think he was sorry enough. He didn’t even send flowers. Whenever she sees him in town she won’t talk to him.”

Halle has talked of the injury, which lost her weeks of work, hinting that it happened carelessly. She said: “It wasn’t like I was trying to fall 50 feet and just fell wrong or did something crazy. I was shooting a scene with Robert and he grabbed my arm the wrong way and broke it.” Robert has also previously talked about the injury, playing down that it was entirely his fault. He said: “It was an accident, I’m sorry if she’s still upset. I did everything I had to do to keep my side of the street clean. I wish her the best.” —Bang Showbiz

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he Florence and the Machine frontwoman - who recently celebrated her first UK number one hit - will be taking her time with her next record and plans to be out of the public eye for 12 months. She said: “There’s a big ‘take a year off’ plan. The record company have put no pressure on for the next album. They’ve said I can have as long as I want.” The 25-year-old star may make use of her time by hanging around in East London, where she likes to play a game called hipster safari. She told Style magazine: “Nobody notices me in London. I think it’s because I don’t feel very starry when I go out. People expect me to be louder and wearing a huge bat-winged jumpsuit or something, but I’m quite quiet really. “I like playing hipster safari.

It’s like people watching, people watching, but in east London. I like walking around, looking at everyone’s clothes. Its like, ‘Yep, I used to go to college with them. Yep there’s that fashion blogger wearing a snazzy outfit.’

“You have a list and tick the east London clichÈs off as you go.”

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

A statue from Amarna is on display at the permanent Egyptian exhibition.

An unfinished head of a Queen Nefertiti statue from Amarna is on display at the permanent Egyptian exhibition of the Neues Museum, (New Museum), yesterday.

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File photo the famous 3,300-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti on display at the ‘Neues Museum’, (New Museum), in Berlin, Germany.

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enice is putting its faith in sex and Scientology this year to generate the kind of buzz the world’s oldest film festival needs to stay ahead of a growing field of rivals. Celebrating its 80th anniversary, the annual cinema showcase on the Lido Island across the water from the Canal City has long competed with overlapping Toronto to attract the best movies and biggest stars to its red carpet and glitzy party circuit. It has another challenger in the form of the Rome festival held in November, which has bolstered its credentials by hiring Venice’s respected outgoing artistic director Marco Mueller. He is replaced by Alberto Barbera, who is well aware that high prices and creaking infrastructure on the Lido have played into rivals’ hands. “Rome and Venice are coming into their new editions like boxers going into a ring,” said Jay Weissberg, Hollywood trade paper Variety’s Rome critic who closely follows the Italian festival scene. “The war of words has already played out in the press for the last couple of months.”

Barbera has introduced a small film market this year to make Venice more commercially attractive for studios, although there are doubts over how much business the initiative will generate. But his main task is to lure a selection of movies that ensures A-list star power, media buzz and a global spread of low-budget, high-quality cinema.

On paper, the outlook for the Aug 29-Sept 8 event looks promising. There is no George Clooney, a Venice regular, and the festival will not feature heavyweights like Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. But a band of up-andcoming performers will partly compensate and help banish Venice’s fusty image.

Zac Efron and Shia LaBeouf, popular American actors in their mid-20s, are looking to break away from movie musicals and blockbusters, while Disney actress/singer Selena Gomez, who is dating Canadian chart-topper Justin Bieber, is in town to promote one of a string of films she has made this year. Robert Redford and Julie Christie represent the older generation, and with Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck and the unpredictable Joaquin

Portrait study from Amarna is on display.

Phoenix are among the big draws doing the rounds of interviews and photo-shoots to promote their movies.

Religious cult The most talked-about movie in Venice could well be “The Master”; Paul Thomas Anderson’s story about a religious cult which film critics who have seen clips say bears clear similarities to Scientology. Anderson has been quoted as saying that the role of Lancaster Dodd, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, was inspired by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. And distributor The Weinstein Company features a news report on its website that calls The Master a “Scientology-tinged religious drama”. Yet both Anderson and Har vey Weinstein have played down parallels with the selfdescribed religion that counts Tom Cruise and John Travolta among its followers but has been cast by opponents as a cult that harasses people who seek to quit and coerces followers to think like they do.

Sex is high on the agenda, with Brian De Palma’s revenge thriller “Passion” working up an early head of steam through its racy trailer featuring McAdams and Noomi Rapace. Sex and religion combine in South Korean director Kim Ki-duk’s “Pieta”, while Terrence Malick, back on the European festival circuit a year after “The Tree of Life” won the Palme d’Or in Cannes, presents “To the Wonder”, which has been given an “R” rating for scenes of nudity and sex.

Also in a slimmed-down main competition of 18 films is Marco Bellocchio’s “Bella Addormentata” about Eluana Englaro, a woman left in a vegetative state by a car crash who was at the centre of a lengthy right-to-die case that divided opinion in Italy. “Collateral” director Michael Mann leads the jury that must decide who wins the coveted Golden Lion for best picture. Last year the prize went to “Faust” by Russia’s Alexander Sokurov. Out of competition, Redford arrives with political action thriller “The Company You Keep” in which he also stars as a former US left-wing militant pursued by an aggressive

— AP photos

erlin is to honor the centenary of the discovery of a famed bust of Egypt’s Queen Nefertiti - one of the city’s top tourist attractions - with an exhibition of works from the Amarna site where she was found, many of them freshly restored.

The Egyptian Museum said yesterday that the show, “In the Light of Amarna,” will open Dec 6 - the 100th anniversary of the day when a German excavator unearthed the 3,300-year old limestone bust of Nefertiti, wife of Pharaoh Akhenaton, at Amarna in southern Egypt.

The show will include some 600 objects, many of which have been held in the Berlin museum’s stores and which organizers hope will illustrate everyday life in ancient Egypt. They include some 200 being restored in time for the exhibition. — AP

young reporter, played by LaBeouf.

The opening film is Mira Nair ’s “ The Reluctant Fundamentalist” which follows a Pakistani immigrant in the United States who sees his life overturned by 9/11.

The Indian director is one of several female film makers in Venice, and among them is Saudi Arabia’s Haifaa alMansour, who says her movie “Wadjda” is the first fulllength feature to have been shot entirely in the Kingdom.

And Spike Lee brings Michael Jackson documentary “Bad 25” celebrating the 25th anniversary of the singer’s album “Bad”. — Reuters

File photo shows French singer and actor Johnny Hallyday giving a news conference in Moscow about a performance he will give at the Kremlin on October 27. — AFP

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he Venice film festival opens tomorrow. Following is a selection of movies to look out for, both in the main competition and screening in other line-ups at the Aug 29-Sept 8 event.

At Any Price Former “High School Musical” heartthrob Zac Efron continues his quest for roles in small-budget, cutting-edge movies in a father-and-son tale set against the competitive world of modern agriculture.

Bella Addormentata Marco Bellocchio tackles the theme of the right to live or die in this dramatization of the final days in the life of Eluana Englaro, who was left in a vegetative state following a car accident.

The Company You Keep Veteran actor/director Robert Redford stars and directs this political thriller, about a former left wing militant in the United States who is exposed by an aggressive and ambitious young reporter played by Shia LaBeouf. The cast includes Julie Christie, Sam Elliott, Brendan Gleeson, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Nick Nolte, Chris Cooper and Susan Sarandon.

Fill the Void Director Rama Burshtein tells the story of 18-year-old Shira, who is forced to choose between the man she wants to wed and the man her Orthodox Hassidic family believes it is her duty to marry.

Workers setup the entrance of the Lido Casino hosting the Venice film festival yesterday in Venice. The 69th Venice film festival, the cinema mostra, will run from August 29 to September 8, and will feature 51 world premieres. — AFP

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rench rocker Johnny Hallyday, a legend in his homeland, was being treated yesterday in a Caribbean hospital after being rushed there by helicopter with heart problems, sources close to him said. The latest incident came two and a half years after a health scare that nearly killed the singer, dubbed the “French Elvis”, in Los Angeles.

French radio said the 69-year-old was holidaying on the French Caribbean island of Saint Barthelemy, a destination frequented by millionaires, when on Saturday he suffered a bout of tachycardia, or abnormally fast heartbeat. He was taken by helicopter to Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe, a nearby French island in the Caribbean, the radio said, adding that his young wife Laeticia and other members of his family were with him in the hospital.

The singer’s press office said it could not immediately confirm the reports, while his producer Gilbert Coullier said he would make a statement later yesterday. A source close to the singer however confirmed the radio reports.

Hallyday underwent emergency surgery and was briefly put into an induced coma in December 2009 after falling ill on a flight to Los Angeles from Paris, where he had had a hernia operation days before. Despite being a French national icon, Hallyday moved to Switzerland in 2007, becoming a symbol of an exodus of high-earners fleeing France’s relatively high tax rates to neighboring jurisdictions. He is currently in the middle of a major tour. — AFP

The Master Paul Thomas Anderson returns to the big screen after directing the 2007 critical hit “There Will Be Blood” with a tale that touches upon Scientology, ensuring plenty of press interest given the self- described religion’s controversial profile in Hollywood and beyond. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Lancaster Dodd, loosely based on Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, and Joaquin Phoenix is Freddie Sutton, an unsettled navy veteran who returns from war and is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader.

Passion Brian De Palma returns to Venice with this erotic thriller, with Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace as business colleagues whose rivalry turns into a dangerous game of seduction, manipulation and violence. De Palma is best known for “Carrie” and “Scarface”, but in 2007 he shook up the Venice film festival with “Redacted”, an Iraq war drama which polarized critics and audiences.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Indian director Mira Nair has adapted a novel of the same name by Mohsin Hamid, and the movie follows a young Pakistani man who is rising through the ranks on Wall Street when the attacks of 9/11 throw his life into turmoil.

Spring Breakers Harmony Korine’s tale of four wild college girls preparing for their spring break should create plenty of buzz, with former Disney actress/singer Selena Gomez, who is dating Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, in a leading role.

Wadjda Groundbreaking female Saudi film maker Haifaa alMansour says this tale of hope and perseverance is the first full-length feature film to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia. It follows a 10-year-old girl living in Riyadh who dreams of buying a beautiful green bicycle, but her quest brings her up against discrimination which the director wants to challenge.

To the Wonder In a career spanning over 40 years, Terrence Malick has directed just six feature-length movies. Yet two of those have arrived in two years, with To the Wonder coming a year after “The Tree of Life” won the Palme d’Or in Cannes. To the Wonder, rated “R” for scenes of sex and nudity, stars McAdams, Ben Affleck and Javier Bardem in a romantic drama in which a man reconnects with an old friend after his marriage to a European woman falls apart. — Reuters

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

lifestyle F a s h i o n

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Shoes worn by Bobby Jones (top), Clyde Drexler (center), and Rick Mahorn sit on display at the Shoe Kings store in Camden, New Jersey. — MCT photos

rowing up in Camden, NJ, in the 1980s, brothers Byron and Darien Gans were all about basketball. Not only was it the era of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, but Camden High School was a basketball powerhouse, creating NCAA champions and NBA players. The Gans brothers played street ball after school and, just like the players they admired, wore the latest trending sneakers-whether high-top or low, white or colorful, leather or canvas. Often Byron would paint his sneakers to match his outfit.

“It was a very experimental time,” Byron, a 1990 Camden High School graduate, said of his middle and high school years. In the years that followed, the brothers accumulated hundreds of pairs of sneakers and, in turn, the knowledge for their future niche business. “People started calling us ‘the shoe kings,’” Byron, 41, recalled. And so, their business was named.

Their store opened on Philadelphia’s Mount Ephraim Avenue in 2007 and is now a vintage sneaker haven, showcasing the first Air Jordans, the Weapon, and other big-name shoes from back in the day. The walls are lined with NBA posters from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, and a large display case has shoes worn and signed by Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and other NBA stars.

But more than a vintage shoe collection, say those who know the brothers, the shop is a place where friends come to chat about city politics and where neighborhood children travel back in time, possibly inspiring them.

“Kids come in and say, ‘Oh, I just want to look around,’” said Darien Gans, a 1991 Camden High graduate. “We never turn them away.” Born in West Philadelphia and raised in Camden by their grandmother and mother, the Gans brothers agree that their hobbies kept them out of crime, including playing basketball at the Salvation Army courts in Parkside or break-dancing with friends, and, of course, collecting sneakers.

“You don’t see that anymore,” said Darien, 39.

“We always had an outlet. Doing this (collecting

Darien Gans, left, holding a Converse Weapon, and Byron Gans, with a 1987 Ellesse Maurice Cheeks model, run the Shoe Kings store on Mount Ephraim Avenue in Camden.

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hat do you wear to an awards show where the average audience member is under the legal drinking age, the main attraction is the cast of the “Twilight” film series and the awards are rainbow surfboards? The correct answer is whatever you please.

Young stars flooded the pink carpet at the recent Teen Choice Awards at the Gibson Amphitheatre in anything and everything from jeans and leather pants to cheeky cocktail dresses and skintight minis. Justin Bieber arrived in casual white pants and a camouflage tee, while girlfriend Selena Gomez sported a Dsquared2 Resort 2013 flirty pink pleated mini.

On the dressier side were Choice Action Actress Zoe Saldana in a matching patterned crop top and skirt by Jonathan Saunders and “Glee” star Lea Michele, shining in a metallic Versace mini.

Power couple Ellen DeGeneres (who won the award for Choice Comedian) and Portia de Rossi stood out as a fun, stylish pair who looked chic but didn’t take themselves too seriously.

DeGeneres chose a menswear-inspired look in a plain V-neck tee, black blazer, khaki pants and a Repp stripe tie belt.

De Rossi appeared laid back but elegant in a black tunic tucked into shorts and strappy heels.

sneakers) always helped us stay focused.” Now the men want to give back to the city by expanding their business and putting together a youth basketball program. “There’s not too much inspiration out there. ... We want to create that inspiration or that momentum that maybe will help turn around a kid,” Darien said. In addition to Shoe Kings, Darien works as a city firefighter. A member of Engine 11, he works out of the Cramer Hill firehouse two days a week. Byron, a former barber, works in the store six days a week.

Though there isn’t hard data, anecdotally not many Camden High graduates open up businesses in the city that raised them, say some alumni.

“Those who are business-minded have moved to another area or after college stayed in their college town,” said Darryl Johnson, a 1978 Camden High graduate and alumni group member who runs a graphic design business out of his Camden home. The first couple of years were tough in the city, but word of mouth has helped the Gans brothers.

Last year, Shoe Kings sold between 500 and 1,000 pairs of sneakers, both retail and collector’s items. Retail sneakers sell for about $50 a pair and the collection items can range from $100 to $600 or more, “depending on the rarity of shoe,” Darien said.

The brothers hope that once their website is updated, international business will take off. A year ago Shoe Kings sold a pair of original 1987 Maurice Cheeks-endorsed Ellesse tennis shoes for $1,000 to a customer in Germany. In addition to the hundreds of collectible shoes they have on display and in the back room (soon to be opened for the “high-rollers,” they say), the shoe kings also keep a retail line of the latest everyday sneakers, such as Nikes and Adidas, for walk-in customers.

“We get a lot of foot traffic of people saying, ‘I was walking by and just had to come in,’” Darien said. The store, nestled between two vacant storefronts, still holds a lot of the original wood paneling of what the Ganses say was a candy shop in the 1950s. Once a major commercial corridor in Camden, Mount Ephraim Avenue is now mostly lined with corner stores, hair and nail salons, and barber shops.

Keeping with the “kings” theme, red velvet, crowns, and knights adorn the store in abundance. Darien, a flea market and antique shop aficionado, scavenges memorabilia that fits the Shoe Kings business model. Aside from the icons from the late-20th-century NBA teams, the Shoe Kings have paid tribute to the early 1980s Camden High School basketball teams that featured Milt Wagner, Billy Thompson, and Kevin Walls, all of whom played on the 1986 NCAA champion University of Louisville basketball team.

Walls, now 47, is a frequent visitor to the Mount Ephraim Avenue basketball mecca. “They always surprise me. It seems like every time I go in they have something new to show,” said Walls, a state corrections officer who still lives in Camden. He has helped the Gans brothers get in touch with other famous Camden High basketball players.

To get DeGeneres’ preppy menswear look, try the American Eagle Outfitters Boyfriend blazer in true black for $69.95 from Ae.com, the Bennett chino from JCrew.com for $79.50, the navyand-red Repp stripe tie belt from Credbrand.com for $24.99, the DV Dolce Vita oxfords in clay from Bloomingdales.com for $79 and a wardrobe must-have staple, the Hanes classic three-pack V-neck tees for $24 from Kohls.com. These V-neck tees are perfect to have on hand for any occasion.

For De Rossi’s more feminine, dressier ensemble try the Michael Kors’ peasant tunic top from Zappos.com for $70.99, the chino shorts for $15.99 from Lands’ End Canvas and the Kenneth Cole Reaction rise guy slingback sandal from Endless.com for $68.87.

Try Ellen’s look for a backyard barbecue or go glam like Portia for your next party. Both looks are versatile enough to wear all summer long. — MCT

To connect with NBA greats, the Gans brothers travel to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., at least once a year, armed with sneakers, posters or other memorabilia that they want autographed by particular players.

“They can’t believe we have their shoes,” Darien said of players’ reactions when presented old

game shoes. Gans usually tosses in a line or brochure on their businesses. Some think it’s a cool idea; others don’t have much of a response.

Pictures of some of those meet-and-greets hang behind the store counter. Even Pat Riley and other coaches have made the Gans’ wall of fame.

Friends say, though, that the old-school sneakers display, many of which are part of Darien’s personal autographed collection, is the most impressive part of the store. “It’s a lot of sneakers we wore as children but children today have never seen,” Walls said.

The autographed player shoes from earlier decades are not necessarily for sale but that could be negotiated, Darien said with a laugh. “We have shoes from that time that we can bring out,” which are for sale, Darien said. He still gets excited about showing off certain shoes he keeps in the back like the Dr J Converse sneakers or the original 1984 Gucci tennis shoes. Neighborhood children who come in to the store often get a basketball history lesson as the brothers start explaining their collection. And that is something Darien and Byron can use to make a difference, said Asanti Wilson, a friend of the brothers and fellow firefighter with Darien. A lot of Camden youth “don’t have a strong support at home,” said Wilson, 30.

“When they come in, (the Gans brothers) try to give them that support. Little things like that go a long way.” — MCT

A pair of Ralph Sampson’s shoes sits on display at the Shoe Kings store in Camden.

To get Ellen DeGeneres’ preppy menswear look, try the Hanes classic three-pack Vneck tees from Kohls.com.

For a similar look of Portia de Rossi worn at the Choice Teen Awards, try the chino shorts from Lands’ End Canvas.

For a similar look of Portia de Rossi worn at the Choice Teen Awards, try these Kenneth Cole Reaction rise guy slingback sandal.

Try the navy-and-red Repp stripe tie belt from Credbrand.com.

Bennett chino from JCrew.com.

Michael Kors’ peasant tunic top from Zappos.com.

To get Ellen DeGeneres’ preppy menswear look, try the DV Dolce Vita oxfords in clay from Bloomingdales.com.

— MCT photos

To get Ellen DeGeneres’ preppy menswear look, try the American Eagle Outfitters Boyfriend blazer in true black from Ae.com.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Jennifer Bottiglier, 27, graduate student, says with being accepted to graduate school, she needs new clothes, more professional because of internships. — MCT photos

Marina Milutinovic, 20, left, and Carly Mayer, 21, model backto-school must-have clothing.

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Joel Sedlacko, 22, graduate student, says his priorities for back-to-school is ink for a printer first and foremost.

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here’s no ivory tower surrounding J Crew CEO Millard “Mickey” Drexler. He visits every office, store and distribution center, and makes an effort to meet every new employee, although he’s always Mickey, not Mr. Drexler. He’ll notice if light bulbs are too dim, or how long the water cooler has been broken. And it’s up to him to remember his cousin’s birthday, although one of his assistants jots down the note once he says it aloud and she’ll gently remind him later.

There have to be some perks to being in charge of a company that has steadily gained style cred since Drexler took over in 2003. It’s also expanded from its signature prepster khakis and T-shirts that launched 30 years ago as a catalogonly business to a high-design collection of casual and dressy clothes in bold colors and prints in 287 free-standing stores, including its Madewell label, and is available in 103 countries online.

Michelle Obama famously told comedian Jay Leno on his talk show during the 2008 presidential campaign that she would order J. Crew clothes online late at night. J Crew lands in China this fall with its first retail presence outside North America in Lane Crawford department stores. The company even previews at the upcoming New York Fashion Week, sandwiched on the schedule between Tory Burch, Badgley Mischka and Vera Wang. Under Drexler’s leadership, J Crew has carved out a place in the fashion hierarchy that’s just between trendsetter and accessible, and he seems to like living in that space.

His name means something, and he can get a reservation at any restaurant he wants, but, he says, he’ll judge that hot, hip eatery by how they treat people on his staff when they call for their own table. “I used to be not me, ‘Mickey Drexler.’ I was me, just regular Mickey Drexler, the rest of my life, and I remember that,” he says. It takes a little effort to keep up with Drexler, 68, who previously served as CEO of Gap Inc and is a director at Apple. He jumps from topic to topic as if he’s playing ping pong but never seems to take his eye off the ball.

He gives more than a cursory glance to an email blast about the brand’s new ironless shirts for men. The pitch is good, although he personally isn’t completely sold on the ironless shirt - he is, after all, in a slightly rumpled pinstripe buttondown that is part of his daily uniform with darkwash jeans and a navy single-breasted, doublevent Ludlow blazer - but, he rationalizes, it’s what some customers want. And what customers want, he tries to deliver.

He’s been known to personally respond to a letter from a shopper who has a problem or a suggestion. “People think it’s special if we respond, but it shouldn’t be that way. For us, it all starts at the store and with our customers.”

Joel Guillen, 16, displaying a plain blue Forever 21 Tshirt.

ost students seem to be in denial-not ready to admit that the back-to-school countdown has begun. Pretty soon-too soon for kids and not soon enough for parents-summer will be over and it’s back to the classroom grind.

With that in mind, I took to the street, stopping students and asking them to address reality for a moment and tell me their back-to-school must-haves. Not surprisingly, it was shopping-loving college women who had given this topic the most thought with extensive lists of clothes they’d like to own, preferably at fabulously discounted prices. Young men, by contrast, were either bored with the question or task oriented-or both.

Marianne Oviatt, 35, homemaker, with sons Carter, 7, left, and Connor, 8 What’s on the “gotta get” list for back to school? Marianne: “I’m procrastinating. ... They don’t really care about name brands, thankfully. This is what they like to wear (shorts) until it snows. They don’t wear (long) pants unless they have to.”

Connor: “A teacher.”

Carter: “Pencils.”

Joel Guillen, 16, high school junior (who was shopping with his sister Maria Guillen, 25, a recent graduate and job seeker). What will you shop for when you go looking for

It nags at him that a sales associate reported moms have complained about the scratchiness of some embellished shirts in the company’s children’s line. Drexler seems to be honest and candid with his employees, sometimes resulting in criticism but more often he’ll give a happy shout-out.

During a recent tour of a J Crew store in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, not far from company headquarters, the staff isn’t surprised to see him. They tell him the new bridal salon in that location is doing well, better than J.

Carter Oviatt, 7, from left, with mom Marianne Oviatt, and 8year-old brother Connor Oviatt pose for portrait.

back-to-school stuff?

Maria: “We already started.”

Joel: Displaying a plain blue $5.90 Forever 21 T-shirt that his sister paid for, “I need shirts. Just simple” without logos, graphics or designs.

Courtney Jordan, 18, left, and Delaney Morgan, 17 Tell me your back-to-school list.

Delaney: “New jeans, sweaters, shoes, Toms and Vans.

Those are my staples. Earrings. I love earrings. That’s my thing. I don’t care about shirts, but jeans are like a big thing, and I like a new backpack every year because they get ripped.”

Courtney: “Boots, like Uggs and stuff.”

What jeans do you like?

Delaney: “Hollister is the best, but they’re so expensive.

Forever 21 are $10, and Hollister are $50.”

Courtney: “Forever 21. They’re just as cute.”

Marina Milutinovic, 20, left, and Carly Mayer, 20, college juniors What’s on your back-to-school shopping list?

C a r l y : “A g o o d p a i r o f s h o e s . Yo u’r e w a l k i n g everywhere. I used to wear Toms a lot. I want to do

usual routine, but maintaining relationships with the business community is part of his job.

Later, he was breaking bread with the company’s 27 corporate interns. “I gave them all an assignment yesterday. I said, ‘If they had the power to make the department they’re working in better, what would they do?’” Drexler says. “And I want individual answers, not a ‘group.’ I want people who are looking to do things better. ... I’m an agent of change all day long, and I want to meet other people like that.”

something similar.”

Marina: “Cardigan sweaters, boots, skinny jeans.”

Carly: “I’m going to go with leggings and loose blouses, and you’ve got the boots going on.”

Marina: On the topic of wearing leggings: “You’ve got to cover your butt!” On boots she yearns for: “Riding boots are in style. Brown leather ones.”

Joel Sedlacko, 22, graduate student Your shopping priorities for back-to-school?

“Ink for a printer first and foremost. I usually go to Sam’s Club because I buy it in bulk. And a good set of pens. (Pilot) G2 because I’m left-handed, and I discovered they don’t smear. And a good coffee mug-especially if you’re a grad student working part time to get you going in the morning.”

Jennifer Bottiglier, 27, graduate student Do you have a back-to-school shopping list?

“I just got accepted to graduate school, so I need new clothes-more professional because I have internships. The whole city life is new to me. Probably a suit. Business casual, whatever that is. I’ll have to Google it.” — MCT

help. Right now, not enough people seek the expert fashion guidance they can get for free, Drexler says. Maybe it’s because they think they’ll be in for the hard sell or they’ll end up with a look that’s not really who they are, he muses, but everyone can use a second opinion and a little friendly advice.

Drexler asks a new sales associate - someone who’s been on the job in the men’s department for just two days - what style of jeans he should wear. “Vintage straight,” the employee answers

File photos show J Crew CEO Millard “Mickey” Drexler posing at a J Crew store in New York. — AP photos Crew bridal was doing as a stand-alone shop on Madison Avenue. When it comes to light that the Goldsign Jenny-style skinny jeans (with a $288 price tag) are popular with shoppers, he calls the office to congratulate the denim team. “Put me on the loudspeaker,” Drexler says.

He makes regular announcements at headquarters, sort of like the principal of a school.

“When you say something and a thousand people are hearing it, you hope you leave an impression.

I’m also sort of advertising.” He adds, “I don’t know who listens and hears me, but someone is.” In reality, all the people within striking distance seem to have at least one ear trained on what Drexler is saying. In the open-space office, people respond to his questions without him even really asking.

They also keep him moving on schedule, nudging him to this meeting or that. Drexler often takes the long route there, just to pass by others’ work spaces to check in on what they’re working on or the daily buzz. Having breakfast with investment bankers - like he did on this day - isn’t his

This talk about interns leads Drexler back to his management training days at Bloomingdale’s. He was in the program with the son of the CEO of Macy’s. Meanwhile, Drexler and his new wife - to whom he’s now been married 42 years - had just bought a couch from Macy’s that left them cold.

“Too big, too expensive, all wrong,” Drexler describes. They tried to return it, or even exchange it, but they didn’t get anywhere until Drexler tapped his relationship with the CEO’s son.

Not long after that, the couch was gone, but they still had to pay a return charge, and Drexler says he still thinks about it. “Service drives a lot of my decisions,” he says. This month J Crew relaunched its personal shopping program, renaming it Very Personal Stylist. It will be available at all stores with an emphasis on accommodation, whether that’s body type, budget or time.

“I didn’t like the name ‘personal shopper.’ That makes it sound like too much of a commodity and not personal enough,” Drexler says. He also hopes the new approach takes the sting out of asking for

without hesitation. Yes, he’s in the fashion industry, but he’s not a fashion guy. He relates more to the hospitality business, Drexler explains, which is why he uses a lot of food metaphors and compares J Crew to a fine restaurant or hotel more than he does other retailers. “The No 1 thing is the product. The goods have to be good, but I care about how you feel about it,” he says, noting that he doesn’t believe any advertising - not the company’s new ad strategy that broke in September fashion magazines or its 40 million catalogs a year - can compare with word of mouth. “Treat others as you want to be treated,” Drexler says. “Isn’t that in the Bible or something?”— AP

Elderly ‘French Elvis’ rushed to hospital with heart trouble

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

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In this photo taken on Sunday, a giant paper statue of the Chinese deity “Da Shi Ye” or “Guardian God of Ghosts” burns during the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival in Kajang, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.— AP

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aghdad’s embattled residents can finally get their milkshakes, chilicheese dogs and buckets of crispy fried chicken. Original recipe or extra spicy, of course. A wave of new American-style restaurants is spreading across the Iraqi capital, enticing customers hungry for alternatives to traditional offerings like lamb kebabs and fire-roasted carp. The fad is a sign that Iraqis, saddled with violence for years and still experiencing almost daily bombings and shootings, are prepared to move on and embrace ordinary pleasures like stuffing their faces with pizza.

Customers leave Lee’s restaurant in Baghdad, Iraq.

Iraqi entrepreneurs and investors from nearby countries, not big multinational chains, are driving the food craze. They see Iraq as an untapped market of increasingly adventurous eaters where competition is low and the potential returns are high.

“We’re fed up with traditional food,” said government employee Osama al-Ani as he munched on pizza at one of the packed new restaurants last week. “We want to try something different.”

Among the latest additions is a sit-down restaurant called Chili House. Its glossy menu touts Caesar salads and hot wing appetizers along with all-American entrees like three-way chili, Philly cheese steaks and a nearly half-pound “Big Mouth Chizzila” burger. On a recent afternoon, uniformed servers navigated a two-story dining room bustling with extended families and groups of teenagers. Toddlers wandered around an indoor play area.

The restaurant, located in the upscale neighborhood of Jadiriyah, is connected to Baghdad’s only branch of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, a US chain concentrated in a handful of Midwestern and Southern states. Azad al-Hadad, managing director of a company called Kurdistan Bridge that brought the restaurants to Iraq, said he and his fellow investors decided to open them because they couldn’t find decent fried

Waiters serve customers in Lee’s restaurant in Baghdad, Iraq.

— AP photos

chicken and burgers in Iraq. He called the restaurants a safe investment for companies like his that are getting in early. He already has plans to open several more branches in the next six months.

“Everybody likes to eat and dress up. This is something that brings people together,” he explained. “People tell us: ‘We feel like we’re out of Baghdad. And that makes us feel satisfied.’” Baghdad’s Green Zone and nearby US military bases once sported outposts of big American chains, including Pizza Hut, Burger King and Subway, but they shut down as American troops left last year.

Because they were hidden behind checkpoint-controlled fortifications, most ordinary Iraqis never had a chance to get close to them, anyway.

Yum Brands Inc, owner of the Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC chains, has no plans to return to Iraq for now, spokesman Christopher Fuller said. Burger King declined to comment on its Iraq plans, and Subway did not respond. Dining out in Iraq is not without risk. Ice cream parlors, restaurants and cafes were among the targets of a brutal string of attacks that tore through Iraq on Aug. 16, leaving more than 90 people dead.

Iraqis say the chance to relax in clean surroundings over a meal out is worth the gamble. For them, the restaurants are a symbol of progress. “This gives you a feeling the country’s on the right track,” said Wameed Fawzi, a chemical engineer enjoying Lee’s fried chicken strips with his wife Samara.

Baghdad’s Mansour district is the heart of the fast-food scene. At the height of sectarian fighting in 2006 and 2007, it was tough to find shops open along the neighborhood’s main drag. Militants targeted shop owners in a campaign to undermine government efforts to restore normality. These days, roads are packed with cars. The traditional Arabic restaurants long popular here now find themselves competing against foreign-sounding rivals such as Florida Fried Chicken, Mr Potato, Pizza Boat and Burger Friends.

There is even a blatant KFC knockoff called KFG, which owner Zaid Sadiq insists stands for Kentucky Family Group. He said he picked the name because he wanted something similar to the world-famous fried chicken chain. And he believes his chicken is just as good. “In the future my restaurant will be as famous as KFC. Why not?” he said. One

of Mansour’s newest additions is Burger Joint, a slick shop serving up respectable burgers and milkshakes to a soundtrack that includes Frank Sinatra. It is the creation of VQ Investment Group, a firm with operations in Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.

Its Mansour store is outfitted with stylish stone walls and flat-screen televisions.

Another branch just opened across town in the commercial district of Karradah.

The group also runs the Iraq franchises of Pizza Pizza, a Turkish chain, and is planning to launch a new hot submarine sandwich brand called Subz. Mohammed Sahib, VQ’s executive manager in Iraq, said business has been good so far. Even so, running a restaurant in Iraq is not without its challenges.

Burger Joint’s servers had to give up the iPads they originally used to take orders because the Internet kept cutting out, he said. Finding foreign ingredients such as Heinz ketchup and year-round supplies of lettuce is also tricky, and many customers need help understanding foreign menu items like milkshakes and cookies.

Health experts are predictably not thrilled about the new arrivals. “The opening of these American-style restaurants ... will make Iraqis, especially children, fatter,” said Dr Sarmad Hamid, a physician at a Baghdad government hospital. But even he acknowl-

edged that the new eateries aren’t all bad.

“People might benefit psychologically by sitting down in a quiet, clean and relatively fancy place with their families, away from the usual chaos in Iraqi cities,” he said.

Purveyors of traditional Iraqi specialties, who might be expected to oppose the foreign-looking imports, don’t seem to mind at all. Ali Issa is the owner of fish restaurant alMahar, which specializes in masgouf, the famous Iraqi roasted carp dish. He said every country in the world has burger and fried chicken restaurants, so why shouldn’t Iraq?

Besides, he said, he and his family are fans of “Kentucky,” the name Iraqis use for fried chicken, regardless of where it’s made.

“Sometimes we need Kentucky. Not just fish, fish, fish,” he said. — AP

A customer stands outside Burger Friends restaurant.

Customers eat in Lee’s restaurant.