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Rockets pound Israel after air raid kills five in Gaza

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Qantas grounds entire fleet amid dispute

Arsenal stun Chelsea, United bounce back to win

US celebrates Statue of Liberty’s 125th birthday

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UN urges end to Syria killings as dozens die Bloodletting spurs new Arab warning

Saudis swear allegiance to crown prince RIYADH: Saudis swore allegiance yesterday to new Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, described by the local press as the “man for the job” and praised in Washington for his commitment to fight terrorism.

Nayef, who served as interior minister for nearly four decades and led a crackdown on Al-Qaeda in the kingdom, was named in a royal decree on Thursday to succeed Prince Sultan who died in the US last week following a long illness and was buried in Riyadh.

In his first statement after his promotion, Crown Prince Nayef thanked the monarch for his “trust,” saying in remarks aired yesterday on state television that he Prince Nayef “appreciates the responsibility” of the new post. Nayef also praised King Abdullah for his leadership during a troubled time in the Arab world, with protests that have largely spared the kingdom sweeping several countries, unseating three presidents so far. “He has succeeded in making the kingdom peaceful and stable... thanks to his wise leadership.

Otherwise, we would have been hit like others. But thanks to Allah, we have a good and capable king, and a decent people,” he added.

The new crown prince received his subjects in a royal palace in Riyadh, according to state media. The ceremony was open to all citizens, who poured in to greet Continued on Page15

LONDON: A man holds a placard during a demonstration against the regime of Syrian president Bashar AlAssad outside the Syrian embassy yesterday. — AFP

Riyadh jails ‘Qaeda lady’ for 15 years

KABUL: US soldiers gather by bodies of victims of a suicide car bomber yesterday. — AP

Kabul suicide bomb kills 13 US soldiers KABUL: A Taleban car bomber struck a NATO military convoy in the Afghan capital yesterday, killing 17 people, including 13 US troops, in the latest in a string of major attacks to rock the war-torn nation. The attacker blew up his Toyota sedan next to a US-run bus travelling through the southwest of Kabul at 11:20 am (0650 GMT), raising tensions in the

city already troubled by a spate of recent high-profile insurgent attacks. The bombing was one of three deadly incidents for foreign forces across the country and comes as NATO prepares to hand large areas of Afghanistan to local forces, and ahead of two international conferences aimed at bridging peace.

Continued on Page15

RIYADH: A Saudi court yesterday jailed for 15 years a Saudi woman known as “Al-Qaeda lady” for being the first woman in the kingdom tried for involvement in violence by the jihadist network, state media said. “A Saudi woman was sentenced to 15 years in jail starting on the date of her arrest, followed by 15 years of a ban on travelling after her release,” SPA state news agency reported. The trial of the unnamed woman began on July 31. The list of charges over which the specialised criminal court convicted her included “sheltering people wanted for security related matters and inciting terror acts in the kingdom”, SPA said. She was also condemned for “possessing two pistols” that she gave to militants and “financing terrorism and terror acts through collecting more than one million riyals ($267,000) and sending the money to Al-Qaeda organisation”.

In August, Okaz daily identified the woman only as the “Al-Qaeda lady,” saying she was 45 years old and was arrested last year in Buraidah, Qassim’s provincial capital. In June 2010, Saeed Al-Shihri, a prominent Saudi leader of Al-Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen, urged supporters in Saudi Arabia to kidnap Continued on Page 15

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DAMASCUS: UN chief Ban Ki-moon yesterday urged Syria “immediately” to end attacks on civilians, a day after dozens of people were killed in a fierce crackdown on dissent and 17 troops died in clashes with suspected army deserters. Ban’s appeal follows condemnation by the Arab League of the deaths of 36 people on Friday activists said were killed by security forces during mass protests calling for the imposition of a Libya-style no-fly zone on Syria. A rights watchdog meanwhile said another four civilians were killed yesterday and that fighting flared again between troops and suspected defectors after clashes overnight killed 17 soldiers.

Ban “appeals for military operations against civilians to stop at once,” said his spokesman Martin Nesirky.

“The violence is unacceptable and must stop immediately,” he added. “The calls of the Syrian people for change must be answered with far-reaching reforms, not repression and violence.”

Friday’s violence, the worst in months, prompted fresh condemnation from the foreign ministers of the 22-strong Arab League, which has been trying to broker an end to the unrest that has rocked Syria since antiregime protests erupted in March. “The Arab ministerial committee expressed its rejection of the continued killings of civilians in Syria and expressed its hope that the Syrian government will take the necessary measures to protect them,” they said in a statement.

An Arab League task force met Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Wednesday in Damascus and is due to hold talks today in Qatar with top Syrian officials to try to reach “serious results and an exit to the Syrian crisis,” it said. The Syrian foreign ministry accused the Arab committee of stoking dissent and said that Foreign Minister Walid Muallem will “inform the committee tomorrow of the true situation in Syria,” the state-run news agency SANA reported. The Arab task force is being influenced by “lies spread by television channels” and should have “helped to calm (the situation) and reach a solution to ensure the security and stability of Syria instead of reviving dissent.”

Continued on Page14

Lebanon Christians fear Islamic revival BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Christian community is beginning to fear for its wellbeing amid signs that pro-democracy revolts could end up giving more power to less tolerant strands of Islam. “We saw what happened to the Christians in Iraq after Saddam (Hussein) was ousted: many of them fled the country and are now living as refugees in Lebanon and Syria,” Bilal Haddad, a Christian banker who used to live in Syria, told dpa. In Tunisia, where the so-called Arab Spring was born, an Islamic party banned under the rule of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has won the country’s first free election.

In Egypt, Coptic Christians and Muslims have continued to engage in violent clashes well after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. And in Libya, victorious anti-Muammar Gaddafi rebels have announced their support for sharia law. “All this seems to confirm that early critics of the Arab Spring revolutions may have been correct - that the hated dictators that were deposed may not have been as bad as they seemed to be and that some minorities who lived under their rule were protected then more than now,” Christian analyst George Deeb told dpa.

“From these outcomes, Christians in the Middle East are becoming increasingly fearful of the tremendous political and social change sweeping the region,” Deeb said.

Christians in Lebanon, where they represent about 39 per cent of the population, and in neighbouring Syria, have so far enjoyed a protected status. But given the growing influence of Islamic movements in post-revolutionary North Africa, they are now beginning to question where their loyalties should lay. The head of the Christian Maronite community, Patriarch Bishara Boutros Al-Rai, recently described Syria’s despotic president, Bashar Al-Assad, as an “open-minded” leader who should be given more time to implement reforms rather than be ousted because of his brutal crackdown on pro-democracy activists.

He also expressed concern about “a transitional phase in Syria that might threaten the Christians of the Middle East”. “Of course we are going to be afraid that extremists will come, because the entire region is boiling and we cannot bear any more fundamentalists,” said Sana Maroun, a Christian living in Beirut. Former Lebanese president Amin Gemayel, himself a Christian, wants his country to introduce a new bill to ensure that Christians “no longer remain victims”.

The revolts should abide by certain principles to assure the people that they are keen on reaching democracy and freedom without threatening any other sect living in the same country, he said. — dpa

news

Royal offers reward for capturing Israeli troops RIYADH: A Saudi royal yesterday offered a $900,000 reward to anyone who captured an Israeli soldier. Prince Khaled bin Talal, the brother of business tycoon Walid bin Talal, told the Saudi-based broadcaster Al Daleel that the captive would then be released in exchange for Arabs held in Israeli prisons. Khaled’s offer comes days after the prominent Saudi cleric Awad Al-Qurni put $100,000 on the head of every Israeli soldier. Al Qurni’s statement was severely criticized, and messages posted online even warned of death threats. Khaled told the broadcaster: “My offer also comes in response to the threats made against Sheikh Al-Qurni.” On Oct 18, 477 Palestinian prisoners were exchanged for an Israeli soldier, held in the Gaza Strip for more than five years, under a swap deal between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

Tehran hails Tunisia ‘Islamic awakening’

Accounting error found, Germany richer by €55bn BERLIN: The discovery and deletion of a €55.5-billion ($78.5-billion) accounting error at a troubled bank under government protection should ease Germany’s debt levels, the Finance Ministry reported yesterday. German media were agog at the discovery, caused by a double booking of debt held

by FMS Wertmanagement, the so-called “bad bank” created from the insolvent parts of HRE bank, which was nationalized in 2009. Freeing up the cash means that German debt, as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), should slide from 83.7 per cent to 81.1 per cent, said the ministry. The ministry said the problem was caused, essentially, when staff subtracted funds when they should have added them. “This is not the kind of sum that a Swabian housewife puts into a cookie tin and forgets about,” said Thomas Oppermann, a parliamentary leader for the opposition Social Democrats. (See Page 22)

HAJAR, Bahrain: Shiite opposition cleric Sheikh Ali Salman gestures as he speaks at a Bahraini flag-draped podium yesterday during a rally in this western village organized by several Bahraini opposition societies to pay tribute to the so-called Arab Spring. Salman demanded freedom for all political prisoners in Bahrain. — AP

TEHRAN: Iran said yesterday that the victory of Islamists in Tunisia proved an “Islamic awakening” in the Arab world, the ISNA news agency reported. “The victory of Rachid Ghannouchi and his Ennahda party showed that the uprisings in the region are due to Islamic awakening of the people,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said in a press briefing. This was Tunisia’s first election since a popular revolt toppled dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Ennahda, which was banned under Ben Ali, was confirmed early Friday as winning 90 seats in the 217-seat constituent assembly, making it the clear winner. Tehran says that the Iranian Islamic revolution in 1979 was the motivation behind this year’s uprisings in the Arab world.

“We hope to soon witness formation of the new Tunisian government and start an active diplomatic exchange,” Salehi said. The chairman of the parliament’s foreign policy committee, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said that what happened in Tunisia would also be repeated in the elections in Egypt.

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‘Boycott MPs’ plan to start from scratch Grilling motion against premier

KUWAIT: Kholoud Al-Feeli receiving the trophy from KIB officials.

Police sports union honors KIB KUWAIT: The Kuwait International Bank (KIB) has recently been honored by the International Police Sport Union for their efforts in supporting and developing cooperative relationships between both organizations.

The delegation from the International Police Sport Union included Kuwait Office Manager Khalid Al-Najjar and Public Relations (PR) Officer Khalid Al-Najjar, who visited KIB headquarters and presented a trophy to KIB head of PR, marketing and media and head of business development, Kholoud Al-Feeli. Also in attendance was KIB marketing manager Tareq Al-Ajlan and senior PR and senior

PR officer Fahad Al-Sarhan.

The trophy was presented as an expression of gratitude from Union Chairman General Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for KIB’s continuous effort to mainta strong relationship between both parties.

Al-Feeli said “On behalf of KIB I would like to thank the Union delegation for this kind initiative. We are, as a bank, so keen to maintain a high level of cooperative relations with the Union.” Al-Feeli also added “We will always work on building good relationships with different civil and social institutions in Kuwait for the benefit of the society we are committed to.”

KUWAIT: A grilling motion regarding the cash-deposits scandal due to be filed against His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammed Al-Sabah is set to be postponed until at least the end of the Eid Al-Adhha holiday, a report quoting oppositionist sources claimed yesterday. Meanwhile, 19 oppositionist MPs who boycotted last Tuesday’s parliamentary committees elections were set to meet soon to coordinate their future actions. A source close to the MPs indicates that the group intends to “start from scratch” with its efforts, whether that be boycott campaigns or the submission of grilling motions.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the source fur ther revealed that the oppositionists are prioritizing debate over the grilling motion filed by MPs Adel Al-Saadoun and Abdurrahman AlAnjari in light of the recently Constitutional Court ruling regarding constitutional articles pertaining to a grilling motion. “[ The

oppositionists] want to act quickly and before any government attempt to abor t the grilling motion,” the source reported, in reference to a possible attempt by the Cabinet to use the Constitutional Cour t ruling to deem the grilling motion unconstitutional.

The same source also reports that MPs Al-Saadoun of the Popular Action Bloc (PAB) and Faisal Al-Mislem of the Development and Reform Bloc (DRB) are yet to agree on a final draft of the grilling motion concerning the cash-deposits scandal.

The two purportedly remain undecided over whether to include foreign transactions in the list of accusations due to be made against HH the premier.

In related developments, oppositionists are reported to believe that the Cabinet will find itself under greater pressure if Public Funds Protection Committee head, MP Salwa Al-Jassar, annuls reports finished by the previous commit-

tee. It is thought that this would in turn push PAB members and independent MP Hassan Jowhar to join the ‘boycott MPs’, swelling their ranks to 25 individuals. The ‘boycott MPs’, meanwhile, are due to meet with HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah “to discuss all points of contention between the executive and legislative authorities,” said MP Al-Anjari in a statement on Friday.

Elsewhere, a government source has indicated that the Cabinet is prepared for the Nov 15 session during which Al-Anjari and Al-Saadoun’s grilling motion is scheduled to be debated.

According to oppositionist MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, however, the Cabinet “has no other choice but to evade this, as nearly 26 MPs already support a vote of no cooperation [the vote preceding a vote of no confidence] with HH the premier.” Dr Al-Tabtabaei added that the boycott of the parliamentary committees elections was not a bad move, “as the main goal is to

have a new Cabinet with a new premier.” Dr Al-Tabtabaei added that oppositionists will also call for a dissolution of Parliament, “which has been abducted by some MPs who waived their official roles and allowed the Cabinet to destroy the country.” In other news, MP Dr AlTabtabaei was criticized after using his Twitter account to congratulate Prince Nayef Bin Abdel Aziz AlSaud on his appointment as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, in which he expressed hope that premier’s post in the kingdom would be separated from that of the king in the future. “I urge fellow MPs to avoid interfering in other countries’ internal affairs,” said MP Saleh Al-Mulla commenting on Al-Tabtabaei’s statement, suggesting that Kuwait already offers numerous issues to occupy MPs’ time.

MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak also urged MPs “who stick their noses into other people’s businesses to avoid interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.”

— Al-Qabas, Al-Rai and Al-Jarida

Govt study to address salary demands KUWAIT: A report quoting a government insider has indicated that the government is at present halfway through a comprehensive study of the financial demands made by public sector employees, due to be finished in mid-December.

Speak i ng on t he co n d i ti o n o f anonymity, the source reported that the government is currently investigating demands made by 50 state departments, demands the source described as having “catastrophic effects” on the state budget. “New demands are appearing everyday in light of the increasing strikes and protests,” the source explained, criticiz-

ing the “irresponsible demands that are negatively impacting the state budget.”

The source also clarified that the government study will seek to reorganize the public sector payroll by setting classifications for professions based on which salaries and allowances will be paid. It is hoped that this new system will address the present inequities, whereby employees in particular departments are paid less than their opposite numbers in other departments. Equality in pay has b e e n a re c u r ren t t h e m e d u r i n g t h e re ce nt wave of public sec tor labor strikes. — Al-Qabas

Eight injured in fires

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 21-year-old Saudi woman sprained her ankle when escaping a fire that broke out at her Sabah Al-Nasser home. A Kuwaiti woman of the same age and her 34-year-old Eritrean housemaid were treated for shock at the scene.

Elsewhere four Kuwaitis and a Filipino woman were rushed to the Amiri Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation resulting from a fire that broke out in their Faiha home. The severity of the fire warranted five ambulances to be dispatched to the scene, as paramedics feared greater casualties.

Toxic consumptions A security source has reported that a three-year-old was recently rushed to Farwaniya Hospital after accidentally consuming liquid detergent.

Elsewhere, a 12-year-old Kuwaiti was rushed to Mubarak Hospital when she accidentally overdosed on a prescription medication. A security source indicated that the patient appears to have not followed her doctor’s instructions.

Car accidents A 32-year-old Bangladeshi was killed when he was run over by a speeding vehicle as he crossed Airport Road.

Elsewhere a 29-year-old Indian sus-

tained facial wounds and bruises to his right leg when he was run over by a speeding vehicle in Mahboula, said security sources, noting that the man was rushed to Adan Hospital for treatment.

Two Kuwaitis, 19 and 20-years-old, sustained various head injuries and bruises when they lost control over their motorbikes on Arabian Gulf Street. The pair was taken to Mubarak Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, an accident was averted when a 37-year-old Saudi was arrested when a police patrol stopped him along Arabian Gulf Street and found that he was drunk, according to a security source.

Knife injury A 33-year-old Pakistani was rushed to Adan Hospital with knife wound to his right thigh, sustained during a fight at Qurain Market.

Knock-offs destroyed An informed source at the customs department reports that a large volume of pirated brand-name products confiscated over the past few months was destroyed in the presence of special supervision teams.

The source estimated the destroyed shipment valued at KD 10,000 and stressed that such replicas inflict considerable financial losses on agents importing the same genuine brands.

KUWAIT: (Left) British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker addressing ‘Diary of Hope’ concert with Dr Sabreya Saleh at the venue. (Right) The cross section of the audience (See page 31).—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Concert of ‘hope’ enthralls audience

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: A successful charity concert [Diary of Hope III] was held last Friday to a packed audience that thronged the Al-Hashemi Grand Ballroom, Radisson Blu Hotel. The event, organized by the Hope Foundation showcased performances by students from Kuwait English School and the British School of Kuwait. Guest performer artiste Rahmani, winner of ‘Arabs Got Talent’ was the highlight of the evening.

International performers, masters and the Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia held rousing per-

formances too.

The event was held under the patronage of British Ambassador to Kuwait, Frank Baker.

Dignitaries and distinguished guests arrived an hour earlier for the 7 pm scheduled concert and were welcomed by the British Ambassador and Hope Foundation President Dr Sabreya Saleh.

In his welcome speech, Baker greeted attendees and wished them a blissful evening.

“Kuwaiti talents amaze me, and I am amazed at how Kuwait is surrounded with many young talents, locals and foreigners alike. They’ll be performing in front of us tonight and I am sure

Interior permits Syrians to demonstrate against Assad KUWAIT: In an unprecedented development, the Ministr y of Interior on Friday permitted a group of Syrian residents to hold a public rally in front of the Syria Embassy in Mishref.

The demonstration on Friday night included MPs, political activists and Kuwaitis who wished to show support for the anti-gov-

ernment protestors in Syria.

Demands were also made to recognize Syria’s National Transitional Council and to expel Syria’s ambassador to Kuwait.

MPs Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash, Mohammad Al-Hayef and Falah Al-Sawwagh concurred that the current Kuwaiti and Arab stances regarding the

Water-saving taps due in Kuwait soon KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) is expected to enforce regulations by which local suppliers will be obligated to import water-saving taps over other varieties.

According to Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Training Dr Meshan Al-Otaibi, the MEW intends actively encourage water conservation. Plans are reportedly already underway to assign inspectors to detect and report violations of regulations pertaining to water-wasting.

“Among the solutions that the MEW has

reached is limiting the local market’s supply of taps to those that help save water,” Al-Otaibi said, noting that the taps will be widely-available as all suppliers will be permitted to distribute them. Al-Otaibi further explained that the water-saving taps meet international standards and can reduce water consumption by up to 50 per cent by reducing tap outputs from the usual 12 liters per minute to six. The new water-saving taps, according to Al-Otaibi, have already proven successful during a MEW trial operation. — Al-Qabas

Low quality tobacco products invade local markets KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health (MoH) recently confiscated large quantities of low-quality cigarettes and tobacco products that failed to match market standards. The ministry explained that tobacco was reportedly smuggled into Kuwait without being inspected, posing a major health hazard to consumers.

Health Official Dr Ahmed Al-Shatti stated that he had compiled a report on the presence of fake products in local markets, urging both the Customs

Depar tment and the M inistr y of Commerce and Industry to take proper measures to prevent the smuggling of tobacco products through all border outlets, reported Al-Watan.

Al-Shatti also said that by monitoring regional markets, it was found that the availability of low-quality tobacco was widespread in 12 countries including GCC states and Kuwait. It was mainly sold in wholesale outlets in Shuwaikh, Jleeb, Mahboula and Fahaheel.

you’ll be amazed too, as we enjoy their music,” the ambassador said.

Rahmani opened the night of music with a song entitled ‘O Sole Mio’ followed by a Saxophone ensemble, piano recitals and several other solo per formances. Spectators were indeed treated to selection of music that kept them glued to their seats. Sumptuous food was served at the interval. Proceeds of the event will be donated to the charities supported by The Hope Foundation to build hospitals, care for the sick and old and help rebuild the lives of victims in war-torn countries.

KUWAIT: Upon orders from Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar to municipality director Ahmed Al-Subaih, capital municipality inspection teams recently launched a campaign to remove unlicensed ads. The eight-hour effort removed unlicensed banners and billboards advertizing the sale of sheep and the services of ‘wandering butchers’ for Eid AlAdha, according to team leader Tareq Al-Qattan. The campaign covered Surra, Qortoba, Yarmouk, Roudha, Nuzha, Kifan, Abdullah Al-Salem, Shuwaikh, Shamiya, Sulaibikhat, Doha and Qairowan.

—Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Syrian people are “weak”, especially compared to the support offered to the people of Libya during their revolt against the Qaddhafi regime.

The decision to allow Syrian residents to partake in the event was made personally by Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hamoud Al-Sabah, after he was contacted by a senior security official upon a

request from MPs. While Al-Tabtabaei has officially recognized the Syria’s National Transitional Council, Al-Hayef revealed that a petition for the council’s recognition will soon be started. Al-Hayef added that 28 MPs have so far signed a petition to expel the Syria’s ambassador to Kuwait. — Al-Qabas

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KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works Fadhel Safar launching the Q8 Build 2011 Exhibition on Thursday.

KUWAIT: Fadhel Safar at one of the participating booths. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Govt exerting all efforts to execute development plan Construction materials exhibition opens

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Showcasing a variety of companies offering construction materials and services, the Kuwait International Fair Grounds (KIF) is currently hosting the Q8 Build 2011 Exhibition. It was inaugurated on Oct 27 and will go on till Nov 2. Nearly, 32 local and international companies specialized in providing solutions to all sectors in the field of construction are participating in this exhibition. The Ministry is exerting all efforts to execute Kuwait’s annual development plan.

Organizing such exhibitions is a part of this plan.

At this exhibition, the individuals and companies working in this field can choose the best products out of the wide variety of mod-

ern building materials that are suitable for the local environment,” said Fadhel Safar the Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Municipal Affairs. He was speaking during the launch of the exhibition yesterday morning.

Some of the services in the offing are related to carpentry, interior decoration, aluminum and metal works, ceramics, floors, painting colors, electrical installations, airconditioning systems, plastic pipelines, kitchens, engineering services, security systems, elevators, water tanks and others.

Companies from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, United Kingdome and Egypt are making their mark in the event.

“This exhibition provides an ideal opportunity for companies working in the building

Burgan Bank ‘Crush It’ seminar a big success KUWAIT: Burgan Bank’s latest strategic sponsorship of the ‘Crush It!’ seminar recently concluded successfully and highlighted the important role that social media plays in helping companies across Kuwait communicate with their audiences. The event, which took place at the Salwa Al-Sabah Ballroom, served as an interactive platform to share best practices using social media for businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals.

During the event, attendees were engaged directly in asking questions to shed light on how social media has created an environment where communication, collaboration and coordination exists without barriers.

Social media is rapidly changing the way that individuals consume information and journalists report news. As a result, communication is rapidly shifting to online media through the development of creative content, consistent interactivity between organizations and their audiences, and the identification of influencers and conversations that brands should be part of.

The ‘Crush It!’ seminar also covered a wide range of topics, including building personal brands through social media, how to grow and nurture businesses through digital communications, the data that social networking provides in order to identify and map out trends and as well as financial opportunities, sound marketing strategies and leveraging social media to develop strong stories for companies to communicate to their audiences.

In social media, the conversation, in whatever form, is the building block and the connecting point that ensures a successful communications strategy, which, in turn, can eventually yield positive results.

‘Reduce expats to 45% of population’ KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior is reviewing a feasibility study that outlines problems related to trim the country’s expatriate strength to account for 45% of the total population.

According to sources, the feasibility study commissioned by the Cabinet recommends implementing a strict quota system to help achieve a balance between different expatriate communities, also in relation with the local population. The system also plans to effectively eliminate resettlement in the country and lay down a clear policy to control expatriates’ settlement in Kuwait.

It has been proposed that a cap be placed on the duration of expatriate workers’ stay in Kuwait, suggesting that unskilled workers be allowed to stay for six years, unmarried skilled workers be allowed to stay for eight years, married skilled works be allowed to live and work for 10 years.

However, those accomplished in rare specialties will not be subjected to similar regulations.

“The study calls for improving the mechanism of hiring workers based on professionalism and quality standards as conditions for issuing work permits,” said sources. They added that the study will recommend doing away with the practice of transferring visit visas to work permits, while limiting them to businessmen and postgraduate degree holders, reported Al-Rai. It will also recommend that new proactive measures be taken to nab residence permit violators, including boosting deportation regulations and finding solutions to offender’s financial liabilities that result in deportation procedures being withheld indefinitely.

and construction field to meet with the public. “These companies have gathered under one roof to present their products.

This exhibition offers a very good opportunity for the new companies to promote themselves. On the other hand, it’s a great opportunity for reputed companies to exhibit their newest products.

As always, new materials are produced,” Abdulrahman Al-Nassar, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, KIF told the Kuwait Times.

“By participating in these exhibitions, the companies can ensure that they have drawn up contracts for six months. The participants will always have new products to present during the fair in addition to offering special promotions for visitors,” added Al-Nassar.

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LOCAL

Local Spotlight

satire wire

Smokers’ haven

A slap in the face is bad manners

By Sawsan Kazak

Muna Al-Fuzai

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

muna@kuwaittimes.net

he world-renowned Arab actor Omar Sharif actually slapped a woman at the Tribeca Film Festival held in Qatar last Thursday. No this wasn’t a scene in his upcoming movie or a demonstration in an acting class, the 79-year-old actor got upset with a female fan trying to take a picture with him on the red carpet. Apparently, the woman cut in line and tried to get her picture taken with Sharif, and being a stickler for manners and order, the actor turned around and slapped the young woman in the face while screaming at her in Arabic to wait her turn.

I can see how Sharif could get really upset that a fan would want his or her picture taken with him so bad that they would cut the line. And of course, who doesn’t express their feelings of unhappiness with a hardy slap in the face. I cannot imagine any other way he could have handled this situation. Talking to the young woman, moving away from her to not allow for the picture or maybe just taking the picture and getting it over with are all options that seem useless when compared to a slap in the face.

I hope you have by now picked up on my sarcasm as I am laying it on pretty thick. This story would make a little more sense if the actor was hitting someone that was attacking him as this would be an act of self-defense or at least someone that was insulting him. Being an actor for over 50 years, you would think that he would be used to overly eager fans approaching him for a picture.

Within a few hours the video of the incident surfaced on the Net where the entire exchange was captured.

Having watched the video, I can clearly say that there was a slight exaggeration by the Arab actor. While he was looking away the young lady slowly moves herself closer to him and stands beside him, to which he turns around and slaps her. The most disturbing part is when the young woman apologizes to him and sticks around for her turn to take a picture. You can clearly see on her face that she was in shock as she tries to smile for the cameras. For a man defending manners, he went about it the wrong way. Cutting in line is a clear no-no when it comes to proper manners but a slap in the face is not much better.

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kuwait digest

Making room for future generations

By Ahmad Jabr n Monday, Oct 31, 2011, the world’s population is predicted to reach seven billion according to UN estimates. Apart from the fact that there are going to be seven billion of us living on this planet, reaching this milestone also means that we have more reasons to be worried about. Global economies are experiencing a tumultuous phase with rising rates of unemployment and poverty.

The surge in population growth is attributed to many factors, but the advancements in science and medicine are mainly credited for making people healthier and living longer. It has also resulted in soaring birth rates when compared to death rates.

While this sounds like good news, population growth is problematic in countries where parallel economic growth rate does not exist. This sparked discussions on the need to control population in places like South Asia and Africa where growth rates are the highest, according to official statistics.

Population control basically means limiting the number of children each family can have.

As much as I understand the need for population control to bring about future well-being, I don’t agree with this idea. I feel it infringes upon a person’s right to raise a family the way he or she desires. Of course, this might not sound like good idea to be endorsed in underdeveloped societies where the slow pace of economic growth fails to keep up with the rise in population.

However, population control also means people are being asked to pay a price when they were never the reason why poverty and unemployment were caused in the countries where they live.

Population increase is not the main reason for the spread of poverty. It’s a major factor but is not the only reason. We can’t tell people to stop having kids by ignoring the fact that governments aren’t doing a good job in providing equal opportunities to citizens.

There aren’t enough jobs? Jobs can be made.

People with proper education can become productive citizens - they’ll work and bring profitability to their country. The income generated through their productivity can be used to provide more jobs, better education and better living standards in general.

But yes, it’s just easier to tell people to limit the number of children they can have, while letting the money they make be completely misused.

I can see how this is slowly turning into a little rant, and I know some people are going to say that it’s all easier said than done. It’s just that I always believed that the improper distribution of resources, rather than the lack of them, is our main problem. The world is worried today that more people coming into this world wouldn’t find food to eat or jobs to take in a few years from now. Perhaps the world should be more worried about exerting effor ts to help societies utilize resources and become self-efficient. This is so that they can achieve sustainable development for the years to come. Instead of being concerned about population numbers, maybe the world should be more alerted by statistics indicating that illiteracy has increased by around ten percent globally in the past twenty years (according to UNESCO statistics). The Earth is our home. A home can never be too small for its inhabitants when they live like a family.

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sometimes wonder if the Kuwait Airport and public restaurants can be made smoke -free zones. Not in this lifetime!

Kuwait is a smokers’ paradise. They can enjoy smoking everywhere and anywhere all day. I’m sure we have all encountered mindless motorists who callously hurl butts out of car windows. Why do they act this way? They probably feel a strong urge to keep cars clean, failing to realize that they are inconveniencing others!

It is okay to emit pollution and fill the roads with garbage as long as the cars are kept clean! The general perception is that passive smokers like myself and many others are not of much interest to cigarette companies who do good business here by selling their products. Some may claim that cigarettes are strictly sold only to those aged 18 and above. Come on, all the smoker kids are smart enough to regularly send their maids to do some illegal shopping!

They should take stricter measures to curb cigarette sale, confining it to special corners. A shop that sells the product should do so only after obtaining a copy of the buyers’ Civil ID card. It should not be made readily available to teenagers that have the nerve to hold a cigarette between fingers and roam about in malls or public places.

Also, I have seen separate seating arrangements made at restaurants for smokers and nonsmokers without proper demarcations or arrangements being made. The practice should be banned in all restaurants instead of reserving separate tables. This so-called smoking room designated in the Airport is dangerous. The airport is a closed area that has little room for ventilation. Why should non-smokers suffer because of a few people’s addiction?

All over the world, smoking in public places has been banned to protect the health of non-smokers.

That of course, is not applicable here . Smokers who are forced to abide by regulations may eventually consider quitting. Unfortunately, there are no support groups that can help smokers kick the habit.

I hope a law that bans smoking in the airport and restaurants can be passed. This is a wish I have added to my long list.

kuwait digest

No light at the end of the tunnel

By Abdullah Al-Naibari uwait’s current political situation is not promising. an approach which could give the government and its loyRather than being resolved, our problems are becom- alists an opportunity to avoid accountability. The opposiing bigger and more serious, making the political tion should have used democratic tools to contain corrupscene too dark for us to see any light at the end of the tun- tion rather than boycotting the process of elections for parliamentary committees memberships, I was hoping that the nel.

A few weeks ago, the multimillion-dinar deposits’ scan- 17 oppositionist MPs who walked out of the parliament dal dominated the spotlight of public attention; it was would have run for election to committees such as the quickly joined by a wave of labor strikes demanding finan- financial and budgets committees, in addition to forming cial privileges. This happened as a result of the imbalance in an investigation committee in order to investigate ways to the public sector’s payroll, which led employees left out of tackle corruption and expose information about the two previous pay increase decisions to take action to demand cases in hand (the graft scandal and suspicious transfers) to the public. I also hoped they’d take part in committees in pay parity.

And just as we got busy with all of that, MP Musallam Al- order to pass the long overdue anticorruption legislation.

We can say that the oppositionists are currently conBarrak dropped a bombshell during a mass rally when he exposed documents showing allegedly suspicious transac- fused, because while they boycotted membership of all tions of up to KD70 million made by the Prime Minister; the parliamentary committees, they returned to vote on the least that can be said about this matter is that it’s made the teachers’ pay bill, while they still plan to file a grilling Kuwaiti people even more suspicious and frustrated at their against the prime Minister. So, they are only partially boycotting the parliament. I government’s performsuggest that the opposiance, a feeling that has been growing steadily The opposition who have a winning case tion should seriously reconsider their current since the emergence of against the government, had stances and take into the graft scandal. unfortunately adopted an approach account the reflection As if this weren’t enough, next the Consti- which could give the government and its that their actions will have on public opinion. tutional Court issued its loyalists an opportunity to avoid They shouldn’t limit ruling on a grilling motion accountability. The opposition should their action to public filed by MPs Ahmad AlSaadoun and have used democratic tools to contain demonstrations, which regardless of how many Abdurrahman Al-Anjari corruption rather than boycotting the participants they can against the Prime Minister, igniting heated legal, conprocess of elections for parliamentary have, they still do not represent all parts of the socistitutional and political committees memberships. ety. Therefore, I urge the debate between those opposition to utilize all who believe the ruling makes the grilling unconstitutional, and those who insist it’s constitutional and legal tools they can use to combat corruption. I’m sure citizens who are concerned about the merely an interpretation of certain constitutional articles.

It was also notable that some people expressed concern welfare of their country will be watching their back closely that the ruling would provide a form of immunity for the and will defend them to the hilt.

Many people today are looking at the current cases as premier against accountability since it states that he shouldn’t be held accountable for matters which fall under being mere speculation, insisting that a suspect is innocent until proven guilty. This is why opposition MPs must the jurisdiction of other ministers.

The people who have expressed these concerns feel that focus on revealing the truth behind these suspicions this interpretation contradicts with the basics of the demo- instead of making demands and shouting slogans during cratic system, which is based on monitoring the responsibil- public rallies.

Some people might argue that the opposition can’t ity of the executive authority, represented in the first find ways to enforce deterrent anticorruption regulations instance by the Prime Minister.

After this, we had the inaugural session of the new par- and launch an unbiased probe into the graft and foreign liamentary term, which only made things worse, hard deposits cases, when the parliament itself contains memthough that might be to imagine. The government on its bers who are mired in corruption. I believe this can still part insisted on adopting its usual approach as if nothing happen with public pressure, however, because if the govhas happened since the previous term, and as if the resig- ernment and its allies stand in the way of these regulanation of a minister of the magnitude of Sheikh Dr. tions, that could be a way to expose who really is involved Mohammad Al-Sabah was a normal occurrence, even when in the case. It’s also worth mentioning that most, if not there was widespread speculation that he stepped down in all, the gains attained by MPs have happened in parliaprotest after transactions were made through the Foreign ments that contained corrupt members. The opposition never had a majority in the parliament, yet gains Ministry behind his back.

On the other hand, the opposition who have a winning were always achieved by a minority backed by public case against the government, had unfortunately adopted pressure. — Al-Qabas

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kuwait digest

The national economy

By Waleed Al-Rujaib t is expected that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah will soon be presented with the final report of the high advisory economic committee.

Expectations have it that the report will be influenced by recommendations made previously by former British PM Tony Blair and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in their respective reports on Kuwait.

These recommendations, if adopted, will have catastrophic effects upon Kuwait, especially on the working class and those with limited income.

In its report, the IMF recommended that Kuwait prioritize to tax reform by introducing a Value Added Tax on goods. It also advocated reconsidering the Kuwaiti government’s social support schemes and the financial privileges it accords to its citizens. The advisory committee, it is expected, will call for the enforcement of privatization laws and for adoption of the IMF recommendations.

These are the same IMF policies that have failed to save numerous nations from collapse and instead have made the minority rich richer, leaving the majority living in greater poverty and with higher unemployment. This is especially true among the working class. Recent demonstrations around the world evidence the failure of capitalist policies, which aim to save monopolistic companies at the people’s expense.

The recent Alshall report indicates that the advisory committee must focus its recommendations on “closing the gap between classes that the government widened,” adding that “greater distribution of wealth instead of investment will create many ‘Bouazizis’ among less fortunate classes. [...] Kuwait today is quickly creating its own

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version of the Arab Spring.”

This warning, from the prestigious Alshall, explains how the social gap in Kuwait is increasing every day and that the middle class is slowly merging into the tier below.

This will lead to a situation in which the wealth of a limited number of capitalists and monopolists in Kuwait will continue to grow while the majority of people will continue to suffer from difficult living conditions.

The increasing rate of labor strikes did not emerge out of nowhere. They came as a result of an imbalance in pay and living costs. Kuwait’s economy suffers a structural imbalance as a result of being based on an unproductive economic structure. The Kuwaiti economy is also hamstrung as it is directly connected to global capitalism, which takes countries’ financial and human resources away from their rightful place, which is boosting individuals’ basic interests.

The national economy must be boosted and diversified by establishing national petrochemical industries and improving the performance of national labor forces in management and technical positions. We also require a long-term and rational plan for the national wealth.

Reaching an agreement with other OPEC countries to disengage from the dollar would be a step in right direction, as would be the use of solar power in generating electricity and water desalination. Furthermore, the state needs to impose income taxes on companies and those with higher salaries. The public sector, which can ensure increase in production and fairness of distribution, should be cared for as well. — Al-Rai

kuwait digest

Am I in trouble?

By Dr Sajed Al-Abdali n a story, which I believe is not true, it’s said that Avicenna (Ibn Sina) once examined a patient who was examined by many physicians that failed to diagnose his condition. Speaking to him, Ibn Sina realized that the man was madly in love but refused to reveal the name of his beloved.

Ibn Sina deduced that the man could only be treated when his beloved is identified.

The story goes on to state that Ibn Sina summoned someone who knows all neighborhoods and their tenants by heart, and asked him to list the names of neighborhoods while he held the patient’s wrist monitoring any change in his pulse rate. It accelerated upon hearing a certain neighborhood’s name. Ibn Sina then asked the man about the streets and the patient’s pulse accelerated upon hearing a certain street’s name. The same happened after he heard a certain name. The tenants of that house checked the patient’s pulse. ‘Is that your beloved?’ asked Ibn Sina and the man nodded. I read this story in Basel Sheikho’s ‘Is It Too Late To Start Over?’ And I don’t know for sure

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Recent scientific studies show that 20 percent of lower back pain, the prime reason why employees and clerks take sick leaves are caused by psychological factors. The studies also argue that these factors are responsible for complaints like gastric disorders, headaches and sleep disorders. whether Ibn Sina managed to bring the lovers closer. The moral of the story, however, is that once the disease or the problem is diagnosed, remedies can be easily reached. This includes psychological problems such as stress at work, at home or even on streets. This might create physiological symptoms like the accelerated pulse rate of Ibn Sina’s patient.

Recent scientific studies show that 20 percent of lower back pain, the prime reason why employees and clerks take sick leaves are caused by psychological factors. The studies also argue that these factors are responsible for complaints like gastric disorders, headaches and sleep disorders.

The studies also show that those who are not aware of such effects, tend to ignore them and get into endless trouble while the treatment takes only a while to take effect. All we need to know is to admit the existence of a problem that we can’t handle alone.

Let’s all look deep within ourselves and check if we are one of those in need for help. Let’s ask simple questions like: “Am I investigating my problem wrongly? Do I need help?” Identifying the problem is the first step towards solving it and treating any disease. — Aljarida

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Years

LOCAL

Omar Al-Sameraei

Fountain Park to host special Eid programs KUWAIT: The Fountain Park will host special activities as part of the Eid Al-Adha celebrations, in co-operation with the D1 Shows under the supervision of Zain Telecommunications. This announcement was made by a senior official at the Touristic Enterprises Company(TEC).

“Zain is coordinating with D1 Shows to host celebrations during the second and third days of the Eid, featuring exciting shows presented by international groups,” said Ice Skating Rink and Fountain Park Supervisor Omar Al-Sameraei in a press statement. A laser show, a fireworks display, a magic show, cartoon characters’ show, as well as special Japanese and Russian folklore performances are in the offing.

Carnival parades will take place between 7 pm and 10 pm on Nov 7 and 8 respectively at the Fountain Park Theatre at the rate of a KD 5 entrance fee. Al-Sameraei also noted that a face painting event will be held for children, in addition to distributing gifts to them.

Youth gang attacks Kuwaiti house following a dispute Complaint prompts shooting KUWAIT: A search is ongoing for suspects who shot at a Kuwaiti’s house following a dispute. In his statement to police, the Al-Naseem resident explained that he had asked the youth gang to leave his front yard, where they had been driving recklessly. The suspects reportedly left following a brief confrontation with the victim’s son, only to return ten minutes later with the intention of attacking the complainants. The father and son reportedly locked themselves inside while the suspects fired shots at the house before driving away.

Investigators recovered rifle bullets at the scene.

Family feud A Kuwaiti was recently arrested after stabbing his brother-in-law during a family feud at a Salwa house. The suspect rushed to his sister’s aid after she asked for help in resolving a dispute with her husband. The ensuing argument between the two men turned violent, with the brother attacking the husband repeatedly with a knife.

Paramedics and police arrived at the scene after the incident and reported that the victim was taken to Mubarak Hospital, while the suspect was arrested and is now facing charges.

Vying for affection Two men were arrested recently after they attacked a third in an

argument over a woman and left him in a critical condition. The victim was taken to Mubarak Al-Kabeer hospital with a severe head injury, where he gave a statement to police. Shortly later the two suspects were arrested at their AlFedouns residence in Salmiya.

Under interrogation the suspects confessed that they had attacked the victim in fight over winning affection from a woman they had met at a party. The attackers remain in detention pending further action.

Assault thwarted Police are searching for a man who attempted to gain unlawful entry to an apartment and sexually assault its female resident. The Indonesian woman told police that when she opened the door late one night, an individual dressed as a policeman yet clearly inebriated tried to force himself inside. She reports that she screamed for help and the suspect eventually fled fearing neighbors’ intervention.

Airport intrusion A Kuwait International Airport employee was detained momentarily after reportedly mistakenly straying into a restricted zone at the civilian airport used by the US Army.

Airport security was notified of the alleged intrusion by US Army management and the control tower officer was immediately seized but later released when explained he had

been lost and strayed into military annex accidentally.

Valuables stolen Investigations are ongoing into a case of thef t at an Al-Nugra h ouse. Th e vic tim, a Pak istan i technician, told police in a statement that seven computers, a KD3,000 gold watch and KD 1,000 in cash were stolen from his house.

Officers attacked Three police officers were injured when they were attacked by a criminal they were apprehending. The officers were placing the suspect in drugs-related offences under arrest when he began to violently resist them, eventually injuring them and escaping before backup police arrived. The three officers were taken to Mubarak Hospital for treatment and the search for the suspect is ongoing.

Explosion averted Firefighters were able to control a potentially-hazardous situation at an Al-Jahra gas station after a gas leak was reported from a severed hose.

Upon their arrival minutes after the report, firefights sprayed the area with water to contain the gas leak and to prevent the gas’ ignition. It was later revealed the hose was severed when a customer attempted to drive off before the attendant removed the hose from his car.

—Al-Rai, Al-Anba, Al-Watan

Top priority for promotion of culture, education: Al-Mulaifi PARIS: Kuwait is committed to promoting culture and education, providing all individuals with equal opportunities to expand their knowledge and understanding, said a Kuwaiti minister yesterday.

Speaking to the 36th General Assembly of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Ahmad Al-Mulaifi said that Kuwait provided 198 scholarships annually for students around

the globe to continue to pursue knowledge. Al-Mulaifi also stressed that his nation provided equal educational opportunities for students of both genders as well as students with disabilities. He noted that Kuwait cooperated with UNESCO within such domains, opening, for example, 45 schools and two clubs that were dedicated to sustainable development.

Kuwait is also eager to promote scientific research and to protect the environment via the efforts of

several local institutes, said AlMulaifi. He also spoke on Kuwait’s interest in a UNESCO objective of protecting world heritage sites, stating that Kuwait is very interested in preserving the cultural heritage of the Palestinian people via cooperation with UNESCO. Al-Mulaifi concluded by expressing his hope that the current assembly, which opened last Tuesday, would allocate a portion of its agenda to address UNESCO’s global development goals. — KUNA

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

Turkey’s post-quake relief races against cold winter

ICC warns Libya’s Saif Al-Islam against fleeing Page 9

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SANAA: Yemeni University of Sanaa students hold an anti-regime demonstration in the capital yesterday. — AFP

‘75 killed’ in rebel attack in Sudan Notorious rebel fighter Colonel Ruadheal Gatwech dead JUBA: Seventy-five people were killed yesterday when government forces in the oil-rich South Sudanese Unity state repelled an attack by rebel militia, in which 15 civilians also died, the state’s information minister said. “There was a militia attack at 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning (0200-0300 GMT) in Mayom county,” said Gideon Gatpan Thoar, adding that another 18 were wounded. Thoar said rebels, most of them fighting under the banner of the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), attacked Mayom town and that the majority of the civilian casualties were residents gunned down while “running for shelter.”

“We are counting the bodies now but over 60 militias were killed and many more wound-

ed,” said Thoar, adding that 15 civilians were killed in the attack. Among the dead was the notorious rebel fighter Colonel Ruadheal Gatwech, he said, adding that SPLA government forces also captured one soldier in Mayom town and three more in the east of the county.

“The situation is under control by the SPLA. The rebels are still being chased away,” Thoar told AFP seven hours after the attack. Thoar said the last serious attack in Unity was early October, when the rebel group was suspected to have laid an anti-tank mine that killed 20 people in a passenger bus, and before that another mine incident in September. On Friday, the SSLA gave the UN and aid agencies

one week to evacuate Unity state, promising to “violently resist the regime of Governor Deng Taban,” who the rebels accuse of human rights abuses.

“SSLA is calling upon all NGOs and UN personnel to leave Unity State within a week for their own safety,” the group said in a statement from their Mayom headquarters. The rebels claimed Governor Taban ordered SPLA troops to confiscate 600 cattle from SSLA Commanders family members, who were allegedly detained in unknown locations and beaten. Cattle are vital for a dowry under local tribal customs of the Nuer people. Thoar denied the groups claims. “All these allegations have no basis at all.”

Israeli airstrike kills 5 Gaza militants JERUSALEM: Israeli aircraft yesterday killed 5 Palestinian militants from the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza whom it says were responsible for recent rocket attacks on Israel, Israel’s military said. Islamic Jihad took responsibility for firing more rockets a few hours later which injured one Israeli. The Israeli military said it targeted the same group of militants that fired rockets that exploded near the southern Israeli city of Ashdod Wednesday night.

No Israelis were injured in that attack. A military spokesman said the militants were hit as they were preparing to launch more rockets at Israel. The military “will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli civilians,” he said. He spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with military protocols. Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Adham Abu Salmia said 5 men were killed and another 11 injured in an explosion inside a militant training site in the southern part of the coastal territory. Palestinians launched another a volley of rockets at Israel a few hours later, the military said. One person sustained shrapnel wounds in the small town of Gan Yavneh and others in the Ashdod region were treated for shock, the spokesman said.

Israel’s Channel 2 television repor ted that one rocket hid a school, causing massive damage.

No one was hur t because the school was closed for the Jewish Sabbath, Ashdod Mayor Yehiel Lasri said. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that Israeli forces were on high alert and patrols were beefed up in southern cities. Islamic Jihad said later that it carried out the rocket attacks. Islamic Jihad is one of the militant groups in Gaza that frequently fires rockets into southern Israel, prompting Israeli reprisal strikes.

The group vowed revenge for the airstrike in a text message sent to reporters. “Our response shall be in the depths of the Zionist entity,” it said in reference to the Israeli heartland. Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Ahmed said one of its local field commanders, Ahmed Sheikh Khalil, was killed. He said Khalil was one of the group’s chief bomb makers.

“Today it was a great loss for us in the Islamic Jihad,” he said. “The size of our retaliation will equal our loss.”

The Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad took responsibility for multiple suicide bombings and shooting attacks against civilians in Israel during the second Palestinian intifadah, or uprising, in the first

half of the last decade.

Israel and Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, blamed each other for the flare up in violence yesterday. “The Hamas terror organization is solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military said. Israel as a matter of policy holds Hamas liable for violence perpetrated by any of the different armed groups in the coastal territor y. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum meanwhile said Israel is “fully responsible for all the results of this dangerous escalation.”

In the winter of 2008, Israel launched a broad military offensive inside Gaza aimed at stopping almost daily Palestinian rocket fire at Israeli communities. Since then, violence has continued sporadically along the border and Palestinians continue to launch mortars and rockets at Israel, but to a much lesser degree. On Wednesday, militants fired a long-range Katyusha rocket that exploded near Ashdod in the south of the country. Sirens also went off in the central Israeli city of Rehovot, which unlike many southern Israeli cities is not accustomed to rocket fire, causing panic. The Israeli army says that it is investigating why the alarm went off. — AP

“They do with the intention of interrupting the peaceful program of disarmament and to recapture the civilian guns.” Thoar said the voluntary disarmament program had collected 1000 guns, over half of which came from Mayom county. The rebel group is made up of forces formerly loyal to Peter Gadet, who accepted South Sudan President Salva Kiir’s offer of amnesty in August, a month after the country gained independence from the north after a 22-year civil war. While Gadet was reintegrated into the SPLA, an unknown number of men rejected the ceasefire, accusing their former leader and renegade SPLA general of accepting government bribes.

The UN Mine Action Coordination Centre

has said it will ramp up efforts in Unity state due to the increase in incidents and the approach of the dr y season, when rebel groups are more active. Insecurity is one of the fledgling nation’s biggest challenges. Rebel militias in Unity state threaten not only the country’s economic lifeblood but also aid access and the livelihood of many civilians in the largely pastoral state plagued by fear of mines and violence.

Dozens of aid agencies like Care International, The International Rescue Committee, Medecin Sans Frontieres, The International Committee of the Red Cross are working in Unity state alongside a large UN presence. — AFP

Police raid Bosnia village after US embassy attack GORNJA MAOCA: Special police units raided homes yesterday in a Bosnian village linked to the gunman who fired an automatic weapon at the US Embassy in Sarajevo in what authorities called a terrorist attack. The raids came as 17 suspected associates of the shooter, all said to be members of the ultraconservative Wahhabi Muslim sect, were briefly detained in Serbia.

A convoy of police vehicles entered the isolated northern village of Gornja Maoca, known to be inhabited by many Wahhabis, and officers wearing black masks and camouflage uniforms surrounded several houses, according to an Associated Press video. The reporter saw the security forces enter some homes before officers asked him to leave. The gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Mevlid Jasarevic, is accused of shooting at the embassy building in Sarajevo for at least 30 minutes Friday, wounding a policeman guarding the facility, before a police sniper immobilized him with a shot in his leg.

An amateur video obtained by the AP shows what appears to be Jasarevic roaming a deserted intersection, waving his gun and occasionally turning toward the embassy building, shooting at the fence and facade.

Another video caught him dropping on the ground after the sniper shot him. Jasarevic is believed to be a follower of the Wahhabi sect, and police said he visited Gornja Maoca several times this and last year. Both the gunman and the police officer were hospitalized and their wounds weren’t considered to be life-threatening, authorities said.

Bosnian and Serbian police have coordinated the response to the embassy attack, and the raid in Bosnia yesterday were part of a joint operation. The village appeared blocked with police setting up checkpoints,

stopping cars and searching them. Some of the drivers asked to leave the cars had beards and wore clothing often seen on Wahhabis.

Police were searching several locations in Bosnia and questioning people, State Prosecutor Dubravko Campara said. “We are cooperating with colleagues in Serbia, working with them and the US Embassy,” he said. In Serbia, police said in a statement that as part of the detentions of suspects, some 18 houses were searched and computers and mobile phones confiscated. The 17 people held were later released after questioning, police said.

Wahhabism is a very conservative branch of Islam that is rooted in Saudi Arabia and linked to religious militants in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Police raided Gornja Maoca in February 2010 because its residents were accused of posing a security threat in Bosnia by promoting racial and religious hatred and illegally possessing weapons. Bosnian Muslims are extremely protective of their relations with the US because it was the driving force behind NATO military intervention against the Serbs during the 1992-95 war and brokered a peace agreement that ended the conflict. Furious callers on live radio shows suggested the Wahhabi movement should be banned and its members expelled.

“Here I am searching the newspapers every morning looking for news about foreign investments so this place can move forward and then an idiot like this comes and destroys everything. It will take years for us to wash this,” cab driver Ismet Besic said. “It looks as if he was just waiting for cameras to show up, to be seen all over the world,” Nermin Muftic, 38, said watching videos of the shooter on YouTube on his mobile phone with his friends during morning coffee. — AP

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

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

‘Tortured’ prisoner’s death angers Egyptians CAIRO: The death of a prisoner, allegedly under police torture, has sparked public anger against Egypt’s ruling military council, accused by rights groups of pursuing security practices familiar from the era of ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

Essam Atta, 23, died in Tora prison south of Cairo on Thursday, according to the Nadeem Centre for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture. A military court had jailed him for two years in February for offences including “thuggery”. Protesters carried his body on

Friday from the morgue to Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the anti-Mubarak uprising, chanting against the military council and Interior Ministry.

“Since we started operating in 1993 till now, torture hasn’t stopped for one day,” said the Nadeem Centre’s director, Aida Seif el-Dawla, who said both the police and military now practiced it, a charge the authorities deny. Atta’s family accused prison officers of torturing him by inserting a hose in his mouth and anus and pumping water and soap into his body

causing mass bleeding that led to his death. The Interior Ministry said he had died of “poisoning”.

Human rights campaigners have compared Atta’s death to that of Khaled Said, an online activist whose killing by police in Alexandria helped ignite the revolt that toppled Mubarak. According to Atta’s brother Mohamed, his mother gave her son a mobile phone card on Oct 25.

Another prisoner told prison police, saying Atta was smuggling drugs.

“Police officers ended the visit and

started beating him; his mother could hear his cries calling for help from outside the room,” Mohamed Atta told Egypt’s AlNahar satellite channel. He said he had seen his brother’s body in hospital after Atta’s cellmates called him to tell he was dead. “I saw him bleeding from everywhere and bubbles on his body,” he said.

Mahmoud Afify, a spokesman of the April 6 movement, which helped mobilize crowds against Mubarak, cast doubt on the Interior Ministry account. “Our previous experiences prove that they are

liars,” he said, citing the Khaled Said case.

An Egyptian court jailed two policemen on Wednesday for seven years for their “cruel” treatment of Said. The military council which took over after Mubarak quit on Feb. 11 has come under fire for prosecuting civilians in military courts and repressing protests-including one this month in which 24 Coptic Christians were killed. Atta’s death roils the atmosphere in Egypt less than a month before the first round of voting in parliamentary elections.—Reuters

ICC warns Libya’s Saif Al-Islam against fleeing Saif Al-Islam may consider surrender safest option

SOMALIA: In this file photo, Kenyan military are seen near Liboi. — AP

Kenya will stop Shabaab fight when nation is safe NAIROBI: Kenya will end its military campaign against the Islamist Al-Shabaab rebels in Somalia when it is satisfied it has stripped the group of its capacity to attack across the border, its head of military said on yesterday.

The east African nation moved its troops into Somalia mid-this month in pursuit of the Somali insurgents who it blames for a series of kidnappings on Kenyan soil and frequent assaults on its security forces in the border province of North Eastern.

“A key success factor of this campaign will be in the form of a highly degraded AlShabaab capacity,” Kenya’s Chief of Defense Forces, General Julius Karangi told a news conference. He said the government decided to move against Al-Shabaab in early October following near daily attacks on Kenyan forces on the border, and the kidnapping of two soldiers in July this year as well as Western tourists and aid workers.

Karangi rejected claims that the plan to go after Al-Shabaab had been planned carefully for many years with a view to annexing Somali territory to create a buffer zone between the two countries, with the help of Western nations. “When we feel as a country we are safe enough from this Al-Shabaab menace, we will come back where we belong, to our common border,” Karangi said, adding there was no fixed deadline for the operation to end. “We absolutely have no appetite for anybody’s territory.”

He confirmed that Kenya suffered its first casualty from combat on Friday when a soldier died from wounds after al Shabaab fighters ambushed a group of Kenyan troops.

Emmanuel Chirchir, the military spokesman, tweeted that the dead soldier had been shot in the neck. Fewer than five others have been

injured in combat, Karangi said, adding that losses on the rebel side are conservatively estimated at several hundred dead.

Together with soldiers from the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, the Kenyans have chased Al-Shabaab from the whole of Gedo region, Karangi said. The military chief accused Al-Shabaab of recruiting impressionable Kenyan youths for radicalisation in Somalia, before deploying them to launch attacks on their own country.

Grenade attacks Nairobi was stunned by two grenade attacks at a bar and a bus terminus that killed one person and wounded more than 20 on Monday, two days after the US embassy had warned of an imminent threat in Kenya. A Kenyan man pleaded guilty to one of the grenade attacks and membership of AlShabaab and was sentenced to life in prison by a Nairobi court. Two other Kenyan suspects are facing similar charges.

Kenyans have rallied around the government’s move to take the war to Al-Shabaab, a group they see as a significant threat to the country’s $35 billion a year economy. The kidnapping of Western tourists has raised the threat of massive cancellations, ruining a tourism season that had been on track for a record year. Businesses have also complained of rising costs of shipping due to piracy off the coast of Somalia. But the Kenyan public’s resolve to support the military action is being tested by the attacks this week.

Four police officers drawn from the paramilitary General Service Unit were injured when a makeshift bomb went off on a road in northern Kenya as a convoy of police vehicles passed by. — Reuters

Turkey’s post-quake relief races against cold winter ERCIS: Authorities overseeing relief efforts after Turkey’s biggest earthquake in over a decade were confident emergency needs for tens of thousands made homeless would be met by yesterday in hardest hit urban areas.

Search and rescue operations continued at nine sites in Ercis, a town of nearly 100,000 that suffered the most damage in last Sunday’s quake, but no survivors have been found since a 13-year-old boy was dragged out of the rubble in the early hours of Friday.

The death toll from the tremor was at least 575, and the number of injured stood at 2,608, according to the official count. While 187 people were rescued over the past six days, chances of finding more alive were slim.

One of the bodies found on Friday was the father of a two-week-old baby girl called Azra whose rescue, along with her mother, on Tuesday had briefly uplifted the nation. The government was criticised for responding slowly during the initial days of the crisis, with anger focused largely on the shortage of tents as thousands of people endured freezing nights waiting for shelter to be provided.

“Our primary concern are the kids, we will be fine somehow but what will happen to these kids?” Nezihe Saglam, a 38-year-old housewife, as she sat around a small camp fire with other family members who had pitched three tents in a garden.

“We have a stove in the tent but it’s freezing at night, and the stoves can’t help the freezing temperatures. What if the kids get infections?” she said. “We haven’t had any warm food since the earthquake, we are living on cheese and bread and olives. Tents, beds and warm food are the priorities, we need a soup kitchen in every neighborhood,” she said. No official figures were available for the homeless. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies put the number of “affected people” at 50,000.

Niyazi Dogac Gucbilek, a senior health official drafted in from Istanbul, to run a mobile hospital near a camp of more than 330 tents, said 10 babies had been born there in the past five days, all perfectly healthy.

After dealing with trauma injuries and cardiac

TRIPOLI: The International Criminal Court said yesterday Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi was in contact through intermediaries about surrendering for trial, but it also had information mercenaries were trying to spirit him to a friendly African nation.

The ICC has warned the 39-yearold, apparently anxious not to be captured by Libyan interim government forces in whose hands his father Muammar Gaddafi was killed last week, that it could order a midair interception if he tried to flee by plane from his Sahara desert hideout for a safe haven. The ICC’s comments offered some corroboration of reports from Tripoli’s new National Transitional Council (NTC) leaders and African neighbors that he has taken refuge with Tuareg nomads in the borderlands between Libya and Niger.

“There are some people connected with him that are in touch with people connected with us ... it’s through intermediaries,” ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Reuters in an interview during a visit to Beijing.

“We have some information that there is a mercenary group trying to help him to move to a different country, so we are trying to prevent this activity,” said Moreno-Ocampo.

“We are also working with some states to see if we can disrupt this attempt. Some of them are South Africans allegedly.”

Moreno-Ocampo said the ICC was not making any deal with Saif al-Islam but was explaining through the contacts that he had to face trial because he had been indicted for war crimes. “He says he is innocent,” said the prosecutor.

NTC officials said this week that monitoring of satellite calls and other intelligence indicated Saif alIslam was considering surrendering to the ICC, and trying to arrange an aircraft to get him there and out of reach of NTC fighters.

Desert friends However, surrender is only one option. The Gaddafis made friends with desert tribes in Niger, Mali and other poor former French colonies in West Africa, as well as farther afield in countries such as Zimbabwe and Sudan, some of them also recipients of largesse during the 42-year rule of Gaddafi, a self-styled African “king of kings”.

France, a key backer of February’s

TRIPOLI: Libyan chefs cut a 17 meter long cake decorated in the colors of the new Libyan flag during celebrations marking the start of the February 17th push by rebel forces to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. —AFP revolt, reminded African states of Gaddafis, Saif Al-Islam may be in speaker of the European their obligations to hand over the the company of mercenaries from Parliament, yesterday. NTC leaders two surviving Libyans indicted by elsewhere in Africa, including possi- would like to run their own trials, the ICC-former intelligence chief bly South Africa, NTC officials say. A but acknowledge that their writ Abdullah al-Senussi and Saif Al- South African newspaper, in an barely runs in the deep south. unconfirmed report, said South NATO countries, now winding up a Islam.

“We don’t care whether he (Saif African mercenaries were working mission that backed the revolt, Al-Islam) goes on foot, by plane, by to fly him out. A bodyguard who have expressed little enthusiasm boat, by car or on a camel, the only saw Saif al-Islam as he fled last for hunting a few individuals across thing that matters is that he week from one of the last pro- a vast tract of empty continentbelongs in the ICC,” said Foreign Gaddafi bastions near Tripoli told though French troops based in Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero. Reuters that he seemed “nervous” West Africa might be best placed to Niger, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso, and “confused”. He escaped even step in with transport if Saif al-Islam a swathe of arid states to the south though his motorcade was hit by a did choose to surrender.

A US military aircraft flew 25 of Libya, are all signatories to the NATO air strike as it left Bani Walid treaty that set up the ICC, estab- on Oct 19, the day before his father seriously wounded NTC fighters out of Tripoli yesterday for medical lished to give a permanent interna- died in Sirte.

Three of Saif Al-Islam’s brothers treatment in the United States. tional tribunal for crimes against humanity after ad hoc bodies set were killed in the war. Another, They were sent off from Mitiga airup for Rwanda, the former Saadi, has found refuge in Niger. base at a ceremony attended by US The arrest or surrender of Saif Al- ambassador Gene Cretz. Britain has Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone.

Without its own police force, the Islam would bring a new promi- also taken in wounded NTC fighters ICC depends on cooperation from nence for the nine-year-old ICC, for treatment. Saif Al-Islam was member states, which do not whose highest profile suspect to once seen as a liberal reformer, include world powers the United date is Sudanese President Omar architect of a rapprochement with States, Russia and China. Algeria, Al-Bashir, who remains defiantly in Western states on whom his father which took in Saif al-Islam’s mother, office, defended by many fellow waged proxy guerrilla wars for sister, brother Hannibal and half- Africans. Following Gaddafi’s killing, decades.

But he responded with belligerbrother Mohammed, is not a signa- most probably at the hands of tor y. Nor is Sudan or Robert fighters who filmed themselves ent rhetoric after the revolt erupted battering and abusing him, in Libya. The ICC accuses him of hirMugabe’s Zimbabwe.

Western allies of Libya’s new lead- ing mercenaries to carry out a plan, ers urged them to impose respect worked out with his father and African mercenaries Senussi, to kill unarmed protesters As well as enjoying protection for human rights.

NTC leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil inspired by “Arab Spring” uprisings from Tuareg allies who traditionally provided close security for the was due to meet Jerzy Buzek, the elsewhere.—Reuters

Iran wants US relations, but not now

ERCIS: Azeri Roman Akisen carries Cip, a 5year-old German shepherd who on Thursday found 18-year-old youth Imdat Padak alive under the rubble of a collapsed building more than 100 hours after Sunday’s 7-2-magnitude quake. —AP arrests over the past few days, the number of emergency crews and doctors would be cut by half on Saturday, Gucbilek said. The next phase would be countering acute respiratory illnesses and blood pressure problems, with winter fast approaching. “Cold is the biggest problem now. We had many diarrhea cases In the first few days but now it is down to normal levels,” he told Reuters.

International aid People of the region are predominantly Kurdish, and the government is trying to build bridges with the ethnic minority while fighting a long-running separatist insurgency, making it particularly sensitive to any accusations of mismanaging the relief effort.

Overseeing relief operations in the quake zone, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said there was no more need for tents or blankets, and there was no problem with the provision of food and water. “We see that everything is normalizing. — Reuters

TEHRAN: Iran would like to have friendly relations with the United States one day, but not under current conditions, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said yesterday. Commenting on remarks by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier this week that Washington supported the Iranian people while opposing the policies of their government, her Iranian counterpart said her message did not add up.

“We have heard such statements over and over again but unfortunately they are full of contradictions,” Salehi told a news conference. Iranian leaders routinely blame the United States for many of their country’s ills, often calling it “the great Satan”. The two countries broke diplomatic ties following the 1979 Islamic revolution and the storming of the US embassy in Tehran.

Relations remain tense, with Washington accusing Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons and sponsoring terrorism, charges denied by Tehran.

“Our policy is the establishment of (good) relations with all countries of the world except the illegal Zionist regime (Israel),” Salehi said. “However the re-establishment of ties would have meaning (only) when the two parties enter negotiations on an equal basis, on the same level, free of any preconditions.” Nuclear talks between Tehran and world powers, including the United States, have stalled. Washington is pressing for new sanctions on Iran after uncovering what it says was an Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington.

It is not the first time Iran has sent a signal that reconciliation with Washington might be possible some day under different circumstances. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly said he “loves” the American people. “We have no problems of the people of the United States. We love them. We have problems with the government of the United States,” he said in a recent interview with CNN. — Reuters

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Anti-piracy guards on ships stir debate CAPE TOWN: Privately armed merchant ships have a 100-percent success rate against Somali pirates, experts say, but using guards is wrapped in red-tape and dogged by fears over sending hired guns to sea.

Spiralling attacks off the lawless East African state have forced shipping companies to turn to private guards to shepherd crew and cargo through waters that reamin dangerous despite international naval patrols. “They’re crying out for it and it’s a massive trend,” Graham Cormac, director of South African firm Specialist Maritime Services, said. “At the moment, demand outstrips supply.” His company charges up to $5,000 a day for four guards. “The biggest problem that governments have is to do with their sovereign legislation pertaining to weapons,” Cormac added.

“Policy has not kept pace with the evolving threat and without policy you can’t adapt or change legislation.” Each country must grant permission for private guards in its waters, which can conflict with local weapons laws. There are concerns too about

the use of mercenaries, a spike in arms, questions of liability, and private militarization of the seas. “This is a contentious topic,” said Joyce Marangu, Kenya Maritime Authority research and business development officer. Private security had brought “some solutions but also serious challenges”. Ships carrying armed guards are meant to get clearance where they are registered, known as a flag state, before leaving on a voyage.

“We are however witnessing an increase in merchant vessels with armed guards onboard without the authorisation from these flag states,” Marangu told a recent conference on African coastal security in Cape Town. “Most ship owners find the process rigorous and avoid obtaining clearance so as not to lose windows at their next ports of call.” Equally, some ships choose not to report onboard security to regional authorities for fear that international patrols will regard them as self-armed and ignore them.

The UN maritime agency does not endorse armed guards. It promotes practices such as deter-

rent razor wire, water cannons, dummy look-outs, and electric fences to repel raiding pirates. But it is also drawing up guidelines to adapt to the current realities at sea. “The armed guards being on ships has had a positive effect to the defense of the shipping industry,” Philip Holihead of the International Maritime Organisation’s security division told AFP. “They have a 100-percent success rate but I believe that is a figure that is just waiting to be toppled,” Holihead, former a captain in Britain’s Royal Navy, added. Some smaller companies were hiring a single guard for a ship, he said. By October 21, pirates had attacked 369 ships worldwide this year.

Somalis in search of hefty ransoms were responsible for 208 raids and had hijacked 24 ships out of 36 worldwide. Currently they hold 13 vessels and 249 hostages. The knock-on effects are vast: from bloated insurance premiums to millions in ransoms. And Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam has not docked a single cruise ship this year.

While several countries allow arming of ships,

with up to 20 percent of vessels estimated to have onboard firepower in risky waters, South Africa is sceptical. “We need to vet these people to know who is funding them,” said South African navy chief Vice-Admiral Johannes Mudimu. “At the same time, we don’t want weapons proliferation in Africa because it will worsen the problems of Africa.”

The International Chamber of Shipping has warned that private guards are not a long-term solution, but it has also argued that governments have shown little willingness to increase navy patrols.

“Many shipping companies have concluded that arming ships is a necessary alternative to avoiding the Indian Ocean completely, which would have a hugely damaging impact on the movement of world trade,” said spokesman Simon Bennett.

“Despite our recognition of the need for armed guards to be an option, there is real danger that this will simply escalate the level of violence used by the pirates and increase the possibility of seafarers being killed.” — AFP

Ticket fixing scandal rocks New York cops Undercover probe taps more than 10,000 calls

BISHKEK: Election commission officials wait as an elderly Kyrgyz woman (left) casts her ballot at home in the village yesterday. — AP

Kyrgyzstan holds ‘day of silence’ ahead of polls BISHKEK: Volatile Kyrgyzstan suspended campaigning yesterday for a cooling-off day ahead of the first presidential election since last year’s bloody revolution and deadly ethnic violence. If the poll oday is successful, it will mark the first peaceful transition of power in Kyrgyzstan’s 20-year independent history, as well as in the entire Central Asian region largely controlled by strongmen. A key issue in today’s poll will be whether incumbent Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev will muster more than 50 percent of the votes to avoid the second round, as initial polls suggest.

The moderate prime minister faces challenges by two Kyrgyz nationalists. A win by either Kachimbek Tashiyev of the Ata Zhurt party or ex-parliament speaker Adakhan Madumarov would be a disappointment for the West, which relies on Kyrgyzstan for some of its anti-Taleban operations in Afghanistan.

Kyrgyzstan banned all campaigning and publication of polls from yesterday morning for a “day of silence” to allow voters to make up their minds, although billboards still promoted candidates in the capital Bishkek, which was overcast and cold.

Voters in Bishkek, Atambayev’s stronghold, told AFP they had already made up their minds. “I’ll vote for Atambayev myself. There’s no one else. He’s the most on-the-ball and speaks Russian well,” said an ethnic Russian taxi driver who gave his name only as Vladimir. “I’ll vote for Atambayev. He’s a businessman himself and knows our problems and solves them as well as he can,” said Artur, 49, an ethnic Tatar owner of a car parts store.

But lawyer Ashim Abdykarov, 57, disagreed.

“There is no one decent on the list. Today we

need a harsh, authoritarian person. And Atambayev is a doormat. Even if he gets elected, I don’t think he will last long, maybe a year and a half at the most. He can’t lead the country. He is too weak.” Tashiyev, a former boxer, draws his support from the divided south, where almost 500 people died last June in ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks that forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. Both Tashiyev and Madumarov have warned of mass protests if the elections are judged to be fraudulent.

Madumarov told AFP he would organise protest rallies in the case of fraud, while Tashiyev told a news conference on Friday that “millions” would rise up if the elections were seen as unfair. Interim President Roza Otunbayeva, a former diplomat who led the uprising that toppled the Kyrgyz nationalist Kurmanbek Bakiyev from power in April 2010, is not allowed to stand in today’s race but is a close ally of Atambayev. Underscoring the importance of the elections in a televised address on Friday, she warned candidates against inciting “illegal acts that destroy stability.”“I will regard this as acts against our statehood,” she said, calling the peaceful transfer of power through elections a matter of “paramount significance” for Kyrgyzstan.

Bishkek residents said they did not want a repeat of last year’s violence. “Peaceful citizens don’t care what the regime will be,” said Ruslan, 23, a law graduate. “The main thing is that the change of regime should not come along with wars.” The April 2010 uprising was the second revolution of Kyrgyzstan’s independence after the 2005 Tulip Revolution that ousted post Soviet leader Askar Akayev and installed Bakiyev in his place. — AFP

MEXICO CITY: Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva listens to a speech during a ceremony at the Palace of Mining. — AFP

Ex-Brazilian prez Lula diagnosed with tumor SAO PAULO: Former Brazilian Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was diagnosed yesterday with a tumor in the larynx and will undergo chemotherapy in the coming days. Lula, as the former president is universally known, was being treated at Sao Paulo’s Sirio Libanes Hospital, the same hospital where current Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was treated for cancer before taking office last January. The hospital, a renowned cancer treatment center, said in a statement that Lula was doing well and would start undergoing chemotherapy in the coming

days as the first course of action. Lula, 66, is a former union leader who rose from poverty to become Brazil’s first working-class president. He led the country between 2003 and 2010, a period of robust economic growth in which more than 20 million Brazilians were lifted out of poverty and joined the middle class. The diagnosis casts doubt on Lula’s political future. Speculation has swirled that Lula could seek the presidency in 2014 if Rousseff, his political mentor, were to decide not to seek reelection. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Sixteen New York Police Department officers pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of widespread fixing of traffic tickets as well as more serious crimes, including robbery and drug dealing. Five civilians were also netted in the nearly three-year undercover probe that involved the wire tapping of more than 10,000 phone calls and resulted in indictments containing some 1,600 misdemeanor and felony counts.

Although most charges were for relatively minor crimes of tampering with traffic tickets to help friends and relations, the probe bared an ugly side to New York’s so-called “Finest” just days after the arrest of officers in an unrelated gunrunning scandal.

“It’s difficult to have to announce for the second time this week that police officers have been arrested for misconduct,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. “Their misdeeds tarnish the good name and reputation of the vast majority of police officers who perform their duties honestly and often at great risk to their own personal safety.” It was also a rare assault by prosecutors on the police and their powerful union, the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. Hundreds of police and friends crowded the courthouse entrance in a muscular show of support for the accused men.

UK may consider time zone switch LONDON: Britain’s government may reconsider long-touted proposals for the UK to switch to Central European Time, a move which advocates insisted yesterday would bring lighter evenings and possibly offer the country’s sluggish economy a boost. Campaigners claim a lawmaker’s proposal made earlier this year to permanently switch Britain’s clocks 60 minutes ahead of current settings would extend the tourism season, cut road deaths and help promote outdoor activities.

Debate over the change, which would see British clocks synchronized with those in continental Europe, has rumbled for years and seen repeated attempts by legislators to press forward the case for reform. However, opponents insist that northern regions would be badly affected, with darker mornings across northern England and Scotland. Some critics claim that the sunrise in Scotland could come as late as 10 am during some winter months.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking during a visit to Australia, said he continued to be interested in the idea of changing the country’s time zone - but stressed that semiautonomous authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would need to agree. “Discussions are under way across Whitehall and with the devolved authorities but that’s the key, you can only do this if there is real national consensus and pressure between all the nations of our United Kingdom,” Cameron said.

Clocks in Britain go forward by one hour in the spring when daylight savings time takes effect and are turned back in the fall, a regime adopted in 1916 and known as British summer time. During World War II, summer time was set two hours ahead, and the country has previously experimented with year-round summer time from Feb. 18, 1968, to Oct 31, 1971, drawing protests in Scotland. Scottish Nation Party lawmaker Angus MacNeil said that northern parts of Britain would likely oppose any changes. Any reform “would have massive implications for the safety and well-being of everyone living north of Manchester,” MacNeil said, referring to the city in northwestern England. — AP

Initially the probe began with an undercover operation against a uniformed officer, Jose Ramos, who is accused of using two Bronx barbershops he owns-both called “Who’s First”-as sales points for “large quantities of marijuana,” the District Attorney’s office said. An alleged drug dealer managed the barbershops, used Ramos’ car and his phone to organize deals, while Ramos himself is accused of transporting what he thought was heroin, as well as attempted robbery.

Three more civilians and an NYPD sergeant were charged in connection to Ramos’ alleged activities. It was during that inquiry, however, that investigators say they came across a seemingly endless web of officers using their authority to make traffic tickets and parking tickets go away as favors to friends. “Evidence was uncovered linking a large number of police officers to incidents of ‘ticket fixing’ or solicitation to ‘fix tickets,’” the Bronx district attorney’s office said.”Criminal charges have been brought against only those alleged to be the most serious repeat offenders.”

In addition, the investigation exposed an alleged failure by police to arrest an assault suspect who had a police union connection-and then an attempt to cover up the alleged crime.

Union spokesman Pat Lynch told the New

York Post that he was outraged by the probe.

“Right now, this has been laid on the shoulders of police officers,” Lynch said. “When the dust settles, and we have our day in court, it will be clear that this is part of the NYPD at all levels.” But Kelly condemned attempts to brush the scandal under the carpet. “Those actions-crimes under the lawcan’t be glossed over as ‘courtesies’ or as part of an acceptable culture. They are not. Those who try to rationalize them as such are kidding themselves, especially if they think the public finds it acceptable.”

It has been a bad week for the New York Police Department, one of the most sophisticated forces in the world. On Tuesday, eight serving or retired officers were among 12 people arrested on charges of conspiracy to smuggle assault rifles, handguns and other items worth more than $1 million. A two-year sting operation by police and the FBI nabbed the alleged gang when it brought in an out-of-state arsenal that included three M-16 military rifles, a shotgun and 16 handguns, as well as cigarettes and slot machines. The goods were believed by the gang to have been stolen and most of the handguns had had their identification numbers erased, making them more attractive to criminals, prosecutors and police said. — AFP

Polish transsexual makes history as first lawmaker WARSAW: Anna Grodzka is still coming to terms with being elected Poland’s first-ever transsexual lawmaker. “Everything that’s important to other people is important to us. But of course I want to show other people that our interests are important too,” she tells AFP as she flicks her hair and gently shoos away her cat. “I’m not a single-issue politician,” said the 57-year-old who only recently completed what she calls her identity correction.

Grodzka will take up her parliamentary seat for an anti-clerical party that is locking horns with conservatives in overwhelmingly Catholic Poland on November 8. “Going into politics isn’t just about representing transsexuals, but about social issues,” the long-time left-winger said in an interview at her home in a leafy Warsaw suburb. In the October 9 polls, the declared atheist was voted in with almost 20,000 votes in the southern city of Krakow, which has a conservative reputation but is also home to a large student and artist community.

Grodzka will be the world’s only openly transgender lawmaker-a broader term than transsexual including those who have not had a sex-change but plan to, or simply opt to live under a different gender. The first recorded transsexual politician was New Zealander Georgina Beyer, elected as a mayor in 1995 before sitting in parliament from 1999-2007. Transgender Italian Vladimir Luxuriastill legally male but living wholeheartedly as a woman-followed in 2006-2008.

“I could not be more proud of and pleased for Anna’s success,” Beyer told AFP by email. “It is a great credit to the party she belongs to and to the voters of Poland that in this day and age people of diversity can participate in and contribute in a positive manner to their societies,” she said. Grodzka ran for the 460-seat parliament for the new opposition Palikot Movement, led by flamboyant tycoonturned-politician Janusz Palikot.

It came third with 40 seats behind the centrist Civic Platform, which won a new term in government, and the conservative opposition Law and Justice party, which placed second overall. Palikot is pushing to liberalise Poland’s restrictive abortion law, and for the legalization of soft drugs and gay marriage. Such issued have been shunned by traditional parties in a nation of 38 million where the Church has had major clout since the fall of communism in 1989.

But Palikot tapped into a new generation of liberal-minded voters. Born in 1954 as Krzysztof, Grodzka said she knew she was in the wrong body.

“I always felt like a girl, and then a woman. But unfortunately I couldn’t be what I wanted,” she said.

“I didn’t even know transsexuals existed.” She began writing her name as Anna in her secret diary aged 11. “It wasn’t simple for a youngster to deal with. Anna was inside me all the time, under my skin. But I learned to fit in with boys and men,” she said. “It was tough, like being an actor who has to stay on stage the whole time and can never go into the wings,” she added. “I was often on the edge of

depression. I threw myself into my work,” said Grodzka, who has been a publisher and more recently a filmmaker.

While still a man, she married and fathered a son. “I was very close to my wife, I loved her deeply,” she said. She first discussed her desire to become a woman with doctors two decades ago, but was hesitant. She said she knew a sex-change would mean the end of her marriage, and her son was still a child. She finally took the plunge after getting divorced in 2007, starting a process of counseling and hormonal treatment, capped by surgery last year in Thailand, known for its affordable sexchange clinics.

Grodzka’s life story has become tabloid fare since the election. “Unfortunately, that’s how it is,” she acknowledges. She is guarded about her private life, saying she regrets having little contact with her ex-wife but declining to elaborate. She still sees her son, a Polish Senate staffer in his late 20s, but refused to say more. Grodzka, who has since 2008 run the Transfuzja foundation to counsel others like her, says she believes dyed-in-the-wool attitudes are changing. “I’ve encountered hatred, but that’s rare. I often meet with misunderstanding, but it soon turns into kindness,” she said. — AFP

WARSAW: Poland’s first transsexual lawmaker Anna Grodzka waves after an interview. — AP

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Peru reopens probe of forced sterilizations LIMA: Peruvian prosecutors have reopened an investigation into evidence that thousands of women were forcibly sterilized during the 19902000 government of Alberto Fujimori, a practice rights groups say was official state policy and constituted a crime against humanity. Rights groups say they have proof more than 2,000 Peruvian women were forcibly sterilized under Fujimori. But they believe the number is closer to 200,000. Most of the victims lived in rural areas, were poor and barely educated or illiterate. The goal was to reduce poverty by lowering the birth rate among the poor, who at the time accounted for one in two Peruvians, the groups say.

“It was a premeditated development policy because it was done fundamentally, in areas of extreme poverty, rural and Andean,” said Francisco Soberon, executive director of APRODEH, Peru’s leading human rights organization. It was also racist because it chiefly targeted indigenous Quechua speakers, Soberon said. Alejandra Cardenas of the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights said that not since Nazi Germany has a government employed forced ster-

ilization an instrument of state policy. Officials in the Fujimori administration have denied that women were forced to undergo sterilization and said they signed consent forms. But activists say the women were deceived or threatened.

All related investigations were shelved in 2009, but President Ollanta Humala revived the sterilization cases as a campaign issue before defeating Fujimori’s daughter Keiko in a June runoff election for the presidency. On Wednesday, a senior official from the Peruvian attorney general’s office informed the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights in Washington that the chief prosecutor’s office, a separate agency, had decided on Oct 21 to revive the cases. “It was a surprise,” said Cardenas, who was at the meeting. “It was pretty amazing.” The prosecutor who will oversee the case, Victor Cubas, said through a spokesman that he was too busy Friday to answer questions about the investigation. Cardenas said the Peruvian representative told activists on Wednesday that the government was looking into assuring it would have the necessary resources to reopen all the cases. “We know that we will have to keep putting on

pressure,” she said. The formal resolution by the prosecutor’s office on reopening the investigation found merit in the conclusion by the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights that a case it took up indicated crimes against humanity might have been committed.

That could potentially mean another criminal case against Alberto Fujimori, who is already serving a 25-year prison sentence for corruption and human rights abuses related to death squad killings. In 1999, a year before Fujimori fled into exile amid a corruption scandal, his government reported that 300,000 women had undergone sterilization in the previous five years as part of a birth control program.

Rights activists say they believe Fujimori personally ordered the coercive sterilizations, and three consecutive health ministers carried it out.

One of them, Alejandro Aguinaga, claimed at the time that “all the patients signed consent forms in order to submit to the operation.”

Aguinaga was an adviser during this year’s presidential campaign to Keiko Fujimori, who when asked about the sterilizations by Humala during a

debate responded that the cases had been closed.

The case championed by the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights involved Mamerita Mestanza, a 33-year-old mother of seven who died in 1996 after being pressured into tubal ligation surgery. “Mestanza was told that a law had been passed and that she and her husband were going to be fined or imprisoned because they had (more than) five kids already,” said Cardenas of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

Mestanza was thus coerced into signing a consent form, submitted to the surgery, returned to the clinic where the operation was performed complaining of internal bleeding and died a few days later, Cardenas added. In a 2003 settlement with the rights commission, Peru agreed to pay Mestanza’s survivors more than $100,000, provide her children with free education and other benefits. Six years later, the investigation died when the chief prosecutor’s office ruled that neither the Mestanza case nor 2,063 others registered of forced sterilization constituted a severe violation of human rights and thus should be shelved under the statute of limitations. — AP

For Cain, momentum is on with focus on the South Cain survives high-profile campaign blunders HOMEWOOD: Herman Cain’s rise in the polls appears to be no fluke. Unlike some other Republican presidential contenders who have flamed out fast after auditioning as the conservative antidote to Mitt Romney, Cain is still riding high atop public opinion surveys. “They said I was the flavor of the week,” the Georgia businessman said at an appearance Friday on a campaign swing through Alabama. “But four weeks later the Cain campaign still tastes good!” Cain lacks the money and organization of his top-tier Republican competitors. But, so far, he’s survived several high-profile campaign blunders and an onslaught of attacks on his signature 999 tax overhaul plan. And despite the sudden rise to the top tier of the Republican Party, Cain

is still doing things his own way.

He’s carving out an unorthodox - and some say impossible - path to the White House, largely eschewing early voting states to focus heavily on the South - where tea party groups, social conservatives and evangelical voters that make up the backbone of his support hold sway. It’s been weeks since Cain has set foot in Iowa or New Hampshire. Instead, he’s barnstormed through Tennessee and Alabama, states that don’t hold primaries until March. “The South looks very, very good for us,” Mark Block, Cain’s campaign manager, said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Do the early states matter? Of course. But they are not everything.”

Block argues that next year’s compressed pri-

TALLADEGA: Campaign buttons for Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain are seen on sale as he campaigned in Talladega, Alabama, Friday, October 28, 2011. — AP

mary calendar means more states will play larger roles. So instead of tromping around New Hampshire trying to win over skeptics, the campaign team is revving up support in states where Cain’s small government, anti-tax message and church revival-style delivery resonate with voters. Cain was trying to show that in Alabama, which won’t hold its primary until March 13, and where he was greeted with enthusiastic overflow crowds at every stop. In Talladega, residents were visibly excited by the first visit from a presidential candidate in modern memory.

“I heard that FDR waved from the train once when he came through,” said Jeanne Rasco, who had turned out for a packed Cain rally at a historic theater on the city square. “I think it shows he cares about our values. He’s one of us,” she said. Cain himself plays up his Southern roots: His drawl grows a little thicker and he mentions God a little more frequently, to suit the crowd. “I am in Alabama because Alabama matters,” Cain said at the state’s party headquarters. “Y’all are my neighbors.” And in the South, some Cain supporters say that supporting an AfricanAmerican could turn long-held racial perceptions around. No Deep South states supported Barack Obama in 2008 and elected representatives in the state have become more racially polarized in recent years. Scott Beason, a Republican Alabama state senator, said a Cain win, especially in the Deep South, would be a visible sign of progress.

“It would change the stereotypes that still exist about how people make their decisions down here,” Beason said. “I think it’s ironic that he will do better here than in the so-called enlightened states up north.” “What folks are doing is listening to what is he saying and he is not afraid to say what he thinks.” But is the Cain bubble going to burst? Cain himself says no and mocks rumors that he’s simply in the race to promote his brand. “I’ve written some books,” he said. “I don’t want no TV show.” — AP

Bachmann exaggerates directive in criticism DAVENPORT: Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said Friday the Obama administration is striking all references to Islam from Justice Department training manuals, exaggerating a directive from federal officials to evaluate procedures for religious and cultural sensitivity.

Bachmann, a Minnesota congresswoman and a member of the House Intelligence Committee, equated the effort to strike offensive references to Islam from material to removing suspicion of Islamic terrorism from department policy.

A conservative popular with tea party activists and evangelical conservatives, she later linked President Barack Obama with “4,400 American lives” lost in Iraq. However, the death toll in the 8year-old war that began under President George W. Bush had already reached 4,229 when Obama was inaugurated in 2009. It now stands at no fewer than 4,481. As she campaigned in Iowa, now the focus of her effort to win the Republican nomination, Bachmann accused the administration of making changes in training manuals under pressure from pro-Islam groups with terrorist links. “And now Obama is allowing terror suspect

groups to write the FBI’s terror training manual,” she told about 75 Republican activists in an eastern Iowa hotel conference room. The FBI has not removed Islam from training material, said an FBI official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and requested anonymity. The FBI has been conducting a comprehensive review of its training materials after it was revealed that what officials termed an inaccurate description of Islam, one that linked the religion to terrorism, was being used in some of the bureau’s training programs. Last month, FBI officials said the agency was undertaking the review in light of an analyst’s criticism of Islam during a lecture last spring.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole said last week he had asked that all aspects of the department be broadly re-evaluated for “sensitivity for all peoples of faith” in its training efforts.

“Examples include the efforts of our law enforcement components to ensure that their interactions with the community - whether in responding to an attack on a mosque or arresting a suspect in a counter-terrorism investigation - convey

a sense of basic respect to the rule of law and the rights of all who have made this nation their home,” Cole said.

In her remarks Friday, Bachmann broadly painted the effort as trying to remove the link between Islam and anti-American terrorism sponsored by radical Islamic extremists. “And so now the White House has scrubbed all Islamic terms from the national counterterrorism strategy. The White House has removed all Islamic terms from the Pentagon’s report on the Fort Hood shooting.

And now, Obama is allowing terror suspect groups to write the FBI’s terror training manual,” she said. The White House declined to respond to Bachmann’s criticism. In an interview with CNN on Friday, Bachmann said Obama’s foreign policies were worse than his economic ones and linked Obama to the war’s overall death toll as well as its cost. “Under Barack Obama’s watch, we’ve expended $805 billion to liberate the people of Iraq and, more importantly, 4,400 American lives,” she said. Bachmann is on the first leg of a three-day campaign trip to the leadoff caucus state. —AP

Magnitude-6.9 quake shakes Peru’s coast LIMA: A magnitude-6.9 earthquake centered off Peru’s central coast sent people running panicked into the streets Friday in cities badly damaged by a killer quake four years earlier. There were no reports of damage though hospital directors reported at least 20 injuries. People who had lost loved ones and homes in the earlier quake were badly shaken and some broke into tears. “It felt like the one in 2007 because it was very strong,” Felix Sihuas told RPP radio. He said he was buried under rubble for six hours in the Aug. 15, 2007, quake, which killed 596 people and largely destroyed the town of Pisco.

Friday’s quake was considerably less violent in Lima, a city of 8.5 million people. The capital shook for about 30 seconds in a series of moderate, swaying movements. Several aftershocks followed with magnitudes up to 5.5, said the US Geological Survey. It said Friday’s quake was centered 31 miles (51 kilometers) south-southwest of Ica, a provincial capital of about 200,000 people which suffered widespread damage in the 2007 quake. It was at a depth of 21.7 miles (35 kilometers).

The directors of two hospitals in Ica told RPP that 20 people were treated for non life-threatening injuries including two for broken bones. Peru’s government-run Institute of Geophysics put the quake’s magnitude at 6.7 and put its depth at 19 miles (30 kilometers). The USGS said the killer 2007 quake was centered 24 miles (39 kilometers) deep. —AP

ICA: People remove bricks after a magnitude-6.9 earthquake hit the area, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. — AP

ST LOUIS: In this file photo, President Barack Obama speaks at a fundraiser in St Louis. — AP

Need a speaker? Prez Obama may be available WASHINGTON: Looking for a big-name speaker? Now may be the time to send President Barack Obama an invitation, especially if your group represents a key political constituency. Obama has been making the rounds of Washington’s awards dinners and black-tie galas this fall, donning a tuxedo or dark suit and heading to ballrooms across the nation’s capital to speak to organizations representing blacks, Hispanics, women and gays. This weekend, he adds Italian- Americans to that list.

With the 2012 campaign picking up steam and Obama struggling to recapture the enthusiasm of 2008, the president’s role as headline speaker has plenty of political undertones. He needs the well connected, politically active leaders of these groups to help him motivate their members, raise money for his re-election and get people to show up to vote in next year ’s election. And the president ’s remarks give him a chance to address specific criticism from some supporters, and tout lesser-known administration actions that target their needs. Since September, Obama has been the featured speaker at dinners for the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a forum on American Latino Heritage, and the annual gala for the Human Rights Campaign, a leading gay rights group. The president will speak late yesterday at a black-tie dinner for the National Italian American Foundation, and in early next month, at an awards dinner for the National Women’s Law Center. The Union for Reform Judaism also says Obama will speak at its December conference.

Obama is following the path of many of his predecessors, who have also tried to curry favor with influential Washington-based organizations, particularly those with simi-

lar political leanings. The president has also sent out his own invitations, bringing influential constituencies to the White House for Tribal Nations conferences, for Passover Seders, for Iftars. With a presidential election just about a year away, the outreach to key voting blocs is more critical than ever.

The president’s approval ratings have dipped into the mid to low forties amid persistently high unemployment. And with sagging enthusiasm among some core supporters, Obama’s campaign could face challenges in getting the first-time voters who helped him win the White House, particularly blacks, Hispanics and young people, back to the polls next November. White House officials won’t say exactly how aides decide which events the president attends.

But it’s little surprise that Obama rarely finds himself in front of anything less than a supportive audience. The president often shows up just before he’s scheduled to speak, and rarely stays for dinner. His speeches, sometimes delivered before a crowd of thousands, pull from his day-today messages on the economy and jobs, but are typically tailored to his audience.

During a fiery speech this month at the annual gala for the Human Rights Campaign, Obama heralded his role in ending the military’s ban on openly gay service members and his administration’s decision to stop enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. He also used the opportunity to jab Republican presidential candidates for failing to stand up for a gay service member who was booed by an audience at a GOP debate. “You want to be commander in chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient,” Obama said. —AP

US admits flying drones out of Ethiopia WASHINGTON: The United States acknowledged Friday it was flying drones out of Ethiopia under a counterterrorism campaign in the Horn of Africa but said the aircraft were unarmed and not carr ying out raids. “ The US has unarmed and unmanned aircraft at a facility there to be used only for surveillance as part of a broad, sustained integrated campaign to counter terrorism,” Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby told AFP. “These unmanned aircraft are being used only for surveillance and not conducting strike missions.”

The Pentagon, the White House and the State Department confirmed the drone flights out of the airfield in Arba Minch after The Washington Post first reported the operation late Thursday.

But officials insisted the Reaper drones were not armed as the Post initially reported, citing unnamed officials. The US Air Force’s presence in Ethiopia is a delicate political issue there and American officials are anxious to downplay the role of the military and intelligence agencies across the region.

“There are no US military bases in Ethiopia. It’s an Ethiopian airfield,” Kirby said. In support of Ethiopia’s 2006 invasion of Somalia, US warplanes carried out attacks from a base in Ethiopia. The government, however, ended the

arrangement once it became public.

Kenya sent forces into southern Somalia this month to chase Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab militants, but has denied the United States or other Western countries are actively involved in the operations.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the United States was determined to press ahead with counter-terror efforts, which have increasingly focused on Al-Qaeda’s network in the Arabian peninsula and Shebab militants. “We are harnessing every tool of American power-military, civilian and diplomatic. The United States is strengthening its intelligence, military and security capabilities and drawing from the full range of enforcement tools in coordination with partners around the globe,” Carney told reporters.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States has turned to drones to carry out a covert bombing campaign against Al-Qaeda and allied militants in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The raids are conducted under the authority of the Central Intelligence Agency, not the military, but special operations forces and drone aircraft can be assigned to the spy agency for the strikes. The covert strikes are an open secret but top US officials decline to publicly acknowledge the raids. —AFP

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

Years

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News

in brief

Misbehaving S Korean diplomat ordered home SEOUL: A senior South Korean diplomat has been summoned home from Russia for behaving in an offensive manner under the influence of alcohol at an event that took place just three days after he started his job. The consul general in Russia’s Irkutsk City, whose name was withheld, has been under fire for being drunk and disorderly at a dinner on October 20.

“The ministry has decided to pull him out of Irkutsk as a disciplinary measure,” a senior official from the foreign ministry told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“When he returns home, he will be put under investigation about the incident,” he said. It happened when South Korean tourism officials and hospital operators were meeting with Russian authorities in the Siberian city as part of efforts to promote medical tourism in South Korea. During the dinner, he reportedly disturbed speeches by participants, and gestured as if he were licking the hand of a Korean female professor.

The summons came after Foreign Minister Kim SungHwan said on Monday that no leniency would be granted in cases of lapses in discipline among diplomats. In March this year, Seoul disciplined 10 diplomats at its Shanghai consulate who were embroiled in a sex-for-favors scandal that saw some of them conduct affairs with a married Chinese woman.

Japanese fishermen net bag with nearly $150,000 TOKYO: A fishing boat off Japan has netted a bag packed with 11 million yen ($145,000). The cash-laden catch was found off the country’s northeastern coast that was devastated by an earthquake-triggered tsunami seven months ago. Ofunato city official Kou Ueno said yesterday that a trawling fishing boat pulled the bag with more than 1,000 notes worth 10,000-yen ($130) from the bottom of the sea on Oct. 8 off the coast of the city in Iwate Prefecture (state). Ueno said the money was likely swept away from its stillunknown owner by the March 11 tsunami. Safes and envelopes filled with cash have been turning up in droves since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake devastated this nation’s coastal area, setting off a giant tsunami that left about 20,000 people dead or missing.

NARITA: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama speaks to the media during a news conference at a hotel yesterday. — AP

China policy caused monk immolations TOKYO: Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, pointed to what he called China’s “ruthless policy” as prompting the recent deaths of Tibetan monks who set themselves on fire in protest. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate called on Beijing to change its approach to ruling over the Himalayan region. “For their own interest, not just the interest for certain sort of problem here and there, but for the whole country’s sort of future, they have to act (with a) realistic sort of policy,” he told reporters yesterday at a Tokyo hotel, while in Japan to visit victims of the devastating March 11 tsunami. At least nine Tibetans in their late teens and 20s have self-immolated since March in protest of Chinese rule, and five of them have died of their injuries. Many Tibetans consider the Dalai Lama as their rightful leader.

The self-declared Tibetan government-in-exile has described the self-immolations as tragic acts and called for the international community to urge Beijing to open a dialogue on its policies in Tibet and traditionally Tibetan regions of western China. “Actually, the local leader must look what’s the real causes of death,” the Dalai Lama said of the China. “It’s their own sort of wrong policy, ruthless policy, illogical policy.”

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama and his supporters of encouraging the immolations. The Dalai Lama fled the Himalayan region in 1959 amid an abortive anti-Beijing uprising and is reviled by China’s communist government. — AP

China passes law to help battle ‘acts of terror’ BEIJING: China passed a new law yesterday to give a clear legal definition of what constitutes an act of terror as it steps up the fight against what the government views as a “real threat from terrorist activities”. The law defines how security forces should deal with such acts, and gives the government the power to name publicly those it suspects of involvement and freeze their assets, officials said. “Our country is facing a real threat from terrorist activities, and the fight will be longterm and complex, and it gets more acute day-by-day,” legal official Li Weishou told a news briefing.

The lack of one unified law to tackle the problem had resulted in uneven enforcement, he said, and lists of suspects and terror groups would be published as the government saw fit. The new law will help China’s international participation in fighting those who support the use of terror, Li said.

State media said the law will define “terrorist acts as those which are intended to induce public fear or to coerce state organs or international organizations by means of violence, sabotage, threats or other tactics”. “These acts cause or aim to cause severe harm to society by causing casualties, bringing about major economic losses, damaging public facilities or disturbing social order,” the official Xinhua news agency said earlier this week.

“Instigating, funding or assisting with other means are also terrorist acts,” it said. China says that militant groups allied with al Qaeda and Central Asian militants operate in its restive far western region of Xinjiang, seeking to set up an independent state called East Turkestan. Many experts do not consider al Qaeda or its supposed ally in Xinjiang, the “East Turkestan Islamic Movement”, to have anywhere near the influence China portrays. — Reuters

Bangkok flood defenses hold amidst high tides At least 381 killed since July BANGKOK: Receding floodwaters north of Bangkok have reduced the threat to the Thai capital, the prime minister said yesterday, but high tides in the Gulf of Thailand will still test the city’s flood defenses. “If things go on like this, we expect floodwater in Bangkok to recede within the first week of November,” Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on national television.

Bangkok’s main waterway, the Chao Phraya River, overflowed its banks in some areas yesterday during high tides in the Gulf of Thailand, about 20 km (12 miles) to the south. The high tides will last until tomorrow.

The city’s normally bustling Chinatown was flooded, as were the streets around the glittering Grand Palace and Temple of the Reclining Buddha, areas usually thronged with tourists. Buildings across Bangkok have been sand-bagged or walled off for protection. Many people have left their cars on elevated roads, although most of the inner city is dry. Many others have taken advantage of a special five-day holiday to flee the city. Those left behind have stocked up on water, food, life jackets and even boats.

Thailand’s worst floods in half a century have killed 381 people since July, wiped out a quarter of the main rice crop in the world’s biggest rice exporter, forced up global prices of computer hard drives and caused delays in global auto production after destroying industrial estates. The death toll rose overnight when a boat carrying a family of four capsized in strong wind, drowning the father, mother and eldest son in three-meter (10 feet) floodwater. Their 6-year-old daughter, the only one wearing a life vest, survived.

In Bangkok, which was sunny yesterday, prices of eggs have quadrupled as jittery residents stockpile staples. Many shop shelves are empty but the government said flood victims would have enough

bottled water, dairy products, and chicken. Cash was also in heavy demand. The Bank of Thailand has repeated that there is enough money circulating to meet demand for three months following a crush of withdrawals. Nearly 400 bank branches have closed across the country due to the floods.

through canals and pumps, had reduced the risk of large volumes bearing down on Bangkok, which sits only two metres (6 1/2 ft) above sea level. “In this critical situation, there is some good news for us. Our water-management plan went smoothly during previous days,” she said, offering the city the first

tor of the Disaster Warning Centre at Rangsit University, said coordination between city, provincial and national authorities was critical. “If the government can manage the pumping system smoothly, with good cooperation, we may see the water receding by early November,” he said.

BANGKOK: A policeman uses a microphone and a loudspeaker to direct traffic through floodwaters on the main road yesterday. — AFP The floods, which followed unusually heavy monsoon rain, have submerged 4 million acres (1.6 million hectares) of land, an area roughly the size of Kuwait or Swaziland, turning some towns into urban reservoirs. In some areas, crocodiles have escaped from flooded farms and snakes searching for dry land have slithered into homes.

Yingluck said the ebbing flood in northern provinces, thanks to the draining of water into the sea

encouraging words in days.

Maintaining the dikes Experts were also cautiously optimistic central Bangkok’s network of embankments and sandbag walls would hold. “We have to conclude that it’s under control but we still have to do as much as we can to maintain the dikes,” said Anon Sanitwong Na Ayutthaya, an academic on the government’s flood team. Seree Supharatid, direc-

Although Yingluck expressed confidence inner Bangkok could be spared, the city’s suburbs faced growing misery. Authorities expect the whole of Thonburi district, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, to be inundated within three days and Yingluck said the water would remain high due to a lack of canals.

Seventeen roads across Bangkok are closed. The Pinklao district of Thonburi, packed with restaurants, shops and homes, was under waist-

deep water. Some residents waded through the flood, lugging televisions and furniture.

People in Bangkok’s northern Sai Mai district sat on rafts built of plastic bottles and wooden crates. Shop owners perched on sandbags, staring out at roads turned into rivers.

Water levels appeared to have risen in the riverside Bang Phlad district, also to the west, with many people using boats to make their way through the rubbish-strewn flow.

The Chao Phraya is rising as much as 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) above sea level over the high tides and many governments have warned their citizens against non-essential travel to the city of 12 million people .

Singapore Airlines said it was suspending its Bangkok flights from next Tuesday to Thursday.

Authorities have called for evacuations in four of Bangkok’s 50 districts. Japanese engineers have been flown in to advise on how to protect the main international airport and the subway. Authorities have built a 23.5 km (15 mile) dike around the airport and have reassured travelers it would hold.

Bangkok accounts for 41 percent of Thailand’s $319 billion economy.

But even if the inner city is spared, the deluge in industrialized provinces to the north has had a global impact. Thailand is the second-largest exporter of computer hard drives and Southeast Asia’s biggest auto production hub.

Global prices for hard drives are rising due to a flood-related shortage of major components used in personal computers.

Drive manufacturers have raised prices by 20 to 40 percent since water poured into factories this month, Chuck Kostalnick, senior vice president of international electronics distributor Avnet Inc, told Reuters. “The word we’re getting is that prices are going to continue to go up,” he said. “This isn’t going to be a one-time event.” — Reuters

Malaysia’s Bakun dam online BAKUN DAM: The first turbine is spinning, electricity is pulsing out, and the water level is climbing in the Borneo jungle behind Malaysia’s huge $2.2 billion Bakun hydroelectric dam. But questions continue to swirl around the viability of a project described by critics as a graft-plagued human and ecological disaster-and as opposition mounts against a dozen other planned dams in Sarawak state. The first turbine from French giant Alstom began producing electricity in August and the dam’s reservoir in the Malaysian portion of Borneo island has swelled to the size of Singapore since impoundment began a year ago.

After years of warnings about the impact on Sarawak’s pristine jungles and the forced removal of thousands of local tribespeople, the dam’s head Zulkifle Osman sees light at the end of the tunnel. During a tour of the facility, the managing director of Sarawak Hidro who has overseen construction since 2000 defended the dam despite an electricity surplus in the state and the lack of a market for its power. “It is a chicken-and-egg game,” Zulkifle told AFP. “I am confident there will be a lot of demand for electricity in Sarawak.” But dam opponents say the situation confirms warnings about Bakun as an ill-planned and unnecessary boondoggle. The facility is located on the Balui River, a mighty waterway that drains a vast rainforested area of northern Borneo-home to orangutan, spotted leopards, rare plants, and a renowned biodiversity. The project was first approved in 1986 under then-premier Mahathir Mohamad as a cheap electricity source for more-developed peninsular Malaysia even though the country is a net oil and natural gas exporter.

But in a 2005 report, anti-graft watchdog Transparency International termed the dam one of the world’s “Monuments of Corruption,” citing years of delays, ownership changes, and overall costs that more than doubled. “No users have made any legal written commitment for the usage of the energy,” said Elli Luhat, a former Sarawak forestry official, now an environmental activist.

“I have a real fear that Bakun dam will one day become a white elephant.” Tribal residents say warnings about the dam’s ecological and human impact are coming true. Residents living in the shadow of the dam, one of the world’s highest at 205 metres (673 ft), say the

river’s biodiversity has degenerated, fish catches have plunged, and once-clean waters smell foul and are unsafe to drink. Silting has occurred, inhibiting navigation in the river, natives say.

‘Not enough for my family’ Climbing into his boat in Uma Nyaving village about 10 kilometres (six miles) from Bakun, Kayan tribesman Richard Let complained of the thinning fish numbers. “Now there is not enough for my family and the fish are small. The river is choking under silt and is making it difficult to fish with our boats,” said Let, 31. Downstream from the dam, nearly 12,000 indigenous Kayan, Kenyah, Ukit and Penan people live in traditional wooden longhouses in a resettlement area in the town of Sungai Asap.

Their ancestral homes are now underwater. They enjoy amenities unknown when they dwelt in the forest-piped water, electricity, schools, Internet access and health services. But Bulan Merang, 43, who moved to Sungai Asap 12 years ago, struggles to feed her eight children amid high food prices and new social strains. “Children no longer respect their elders. Even my 21-year-old son says I am a useless woman whenever he gets drunk,” she said.

The tribes, who previously grew rice and bananas and hunted wild boar, say their new land is infertile. Age-old hunting grounds are submerged and they must purchase staple foods. “We were not dependent on money (before). Here everything is money,” Bulan added. Ironically, Sungai Asap’s electricity comes not from Bakun but from a huge diesel-powered generator-the dam’s electricity is sent away on power lines criss-crossing the green terrain, headed to a state grid already at capacity.

Sarawak is rich in natural resources but poverty is rampant. Its leaders are keen to diversify from mining, agriculture and forestry and into high-tech industries and say ample power sources are needed to lure foreign investment. “I am confident the power from Bakun will be taken up. MITI (the Ministry of International Trade and Industry) is working hard to get investors,” Zulkifle said. Zulkifle brushed aside concerns over the safety of Bakun, one of the world’s largest rock-filled embankment dams, calling it “sound.” —AFP

BAKUN DAM: This picture shows a general view of the Bakun Hydroelectric Dam on the Balui River west of Belaga in Malaysia’s Sarawak state on the island of Borneo. — AFP

PERTH: Tim Mathieson, partner of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, holds a southern hairy nose wombat as he talks with Julie Shanel of Solomon Islands (left) and Salma Kikwete of Tanzania (second right), wives of Commonwealth leaders, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) yesterday. — AFP

Commonwealth defers rights commissioner PERTH: A Commonwealth leaders summit yesterday failed to agree to appoint a human rights commissioner, despite Australia, Britain and Canada backing the move seen by rights advocates as vital for the 54-nation group to remain credible. Leaders of the mostly former British colonies are meeting in the remote Australian city of Perth under pressure to reform and toughen measures against human rights abuses in member states. But after two days of talks the leaders only agreed to take tentative steps to deal with human rights, an issue which has focused squarely on Sri Lanka and accusations of war crimes in the final stages of its civil war that ended in 2009.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, chair of an eminent persons group set up to recommend Commonwealth reforms, said failure to adopt the groups’ proposals which include the commissioner would be a failure. “If this CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) does not deliver such reforms it is our duty to sound the caution to you that this CHOGM will be remembered not as the triumph it should be, but as a failure,” he said. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the leaders agreed to be more proactive with the Secretary General intervening early to protect political and human rights, but deferred the proposal for a commissioner.

“Australia and a number of delegations indicated they were supportive of this proposal but there were a number of delegations concerned by it,” said Gillard. Many states were concerned a human rights commissioner would overlap the work done by the Secretary General and Commonwealth watchdog, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group. “To address these concerns leaders agreed that the Secretary General and Commonwealth

Ministerial Action Group should further evaluate this proposal and report back,” said Gillard.

Sri Lanka opposed the plan for a high commissioner. “Such a commissioner ... could be intrusive,” presidential spokesman Bandula Jayasekara told Reuters.

Sri Lanka is under international pressure to allow an independent inquiry into accusations of war crimes during its 25-year civil war. It says will wait for the results of its own investigation next month, calling the pressure over human rights a propaganda war waged by the defeated Tamil Tigers. Canada, home to a large ethnic Tamil community, has said it will boycott the 2013 Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka unless the host country improves its human rights record.

The eminent persons group said the Commonwealth in recent years had failed to maintain its strong stance in defense of human rights seen during its campaign for an end to South African apartheid. “ The Commonwealth faces a very significant problem. It’s not a problem of hostility or antagonism, it’s more of a problem of indifference,” said group member former British defense minister Malcolm Rifkind.

“Its purpose is being questioned, its relevance is being questioned and part of that is because its commitment to enforce the values for which it stands is becoming ambiguous in the eyes of many member states,” he said.

Badawi’s panel decided to make its report public with Rifkind calling it a “disgrace” that Commonwealth leaders had not authorized its release themselves. Leaders spent yesterday in seclusion in the west Australian city’s King’s Park and are expected to finalise their communique today. Some leaders, including British Prime Minister David Cameron, are due to fly out before today’s final day. —Reuters

14

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Issues

Quartet on mission impossible in Mideast logjam

By Tom Perry orld powers trying to revive peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians may be flogging a dead horse and their repeated failure is eroding what credibility they have left as mediators. Some political analysts argue it is now time for them to scale back their ambitions. With faint hope of a deal, would-be peacemakers may inevitably find themselves seeking to manage rather than resolve the generations-old conflict. The latest effort by the Middle East Quartet - a body comprising the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - was arguably a failure before it began.

Quartet representatives held separate meetings with the parties in Jerusalem last Wednesday, falling short of their stated aim of bringing them to the same table for talks on how to resume direct negotiations on a permanent peace deal. The mediators said the sides had agreed to make proposals on issues of territory and security within three months. But Palestinian and Israeli analysts saw little hope the latest push could succeed where years of direct talks have failed.

“The Quartet is irrelevant because it is stuck on a road which is not leading anywhere,” said Shlomo Avineri, a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a former director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. “I find it laughable, ridiculous,” said George Giacaman, a Palestinian political scientist at Birzeit University in the West Bank. “There have been 20 years of negotiations and they haven’t arrived anywhere.

It’s a mantra they keep repeating. “They have to keep trying or someone will say the emperor is naked,” he said.

“They have to keep moving to stay in the running, but I doubt they themselves believe they will be successful.”

Established a decade ago, the Quartet has in recent months taken a leading role in attempts to broker new talks. It has stepped into the fray following the failure of US President Barack Obama’s administration to resuscitate negotiations. Unsurprisingly, Quartet envoy Tony Blair has run into the same set of problems that bedeviled Obama’s efforts. The immediate obstacle is the standoff over Israel’s expansion of Jewish settlements on the land where the Palestinians aim to found an independent state. World powers view the settlement as illegal under international law.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants talks now, the Palestinians say he must halt all settlement-building before they come to the table. That is something his government will not do. The dispute points to the deeper problem: what some now see as an unbridgeable gap between the Palestinian quest for independence and an end to occupation, and Israel’s attachment to land it deems of strategic and spiritual importance. Even at the pinnacle of the peace process in 2000, Israelis and Palestinians were unable to agree terms for a permanent solution to their conflict through the creation of a Palestinian state next to Israel in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem - territories Israel occupied in a 1967 war.

Today, mediators face a layer of added complications.

The list is long and includes the emergence of rival Palestinian administrations in the West Bank and Gaza, controlled since 2007 by Hamas, which is hostile to Israel.

In Israel, there has been a swing to the political right, a shift helped by the last Palestinian uprising. Add to that the fact that half a million Israelis have now settled in the would-be Palestine, and hopes for a deal seem farfetched. “I don’t think the conflict is resolvable in the foreseeable future,” said Moty Cristal, a negotiator who served four Israeli prime ministers between 1994 and 2001. “This is something that Israelis and Palestinians cannot do at the moment ... at it’s current stage, the maximum it could be is manageable.”

The Quartet’s failure stands in stark contrast to Egypt’s recent success in brokering a prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas, which exchanged an Israeli soldier captured by gunmen in 2006 for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. The deal disheartened Palestinian leaders in the West Bank who, unlike Hamas, oppose armed conflict with Israel and believe peace talks are the way to end the conflict. President Mahmoud Abbas’ strategy of negotiating with a far stronger adversary has always hinged on an assumption that world powers would not simply mediate talks, but also put pressure on Israel to give ground. For the Palestinians, the Quartet’s inability to secure a full settlement freeze has come to symbolise its impotence. — Reuters

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

Yemen’s conflicts hasten state collapse

By Erika Solomon ven if negotiators manage to prise President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power, Yemen’s descent into anarchy and deprivation looks irreversible, posing vast risks for its people and their neighbours, not least oil giant Saudi Arabia. Anti-Saleh demonstrations spiralled in Yemen after the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February, in a new twist to the myriad, chronic crises that had already ignited fears of state failure or civil war in the poorest Arab country. For months, Yemen has muddled on through protests, privations and bursts of deadly violence. Citizens press on with daily life as soon as the crash of rocket fire tapers off. Gulf and Western mediators have sought to induce Saleh to sign a deal with opposition parties under which, broadly, he would quit in return for immunity from prosecution anathema to street protesters demanding his removal and prosecution. Saleh backed away from the deal three times before he was badly wounded in an assassination attempt in June and few Yemenis believe he will ever relinquish power willingly.

The struggle to end the president’s 33year rule is muddied by the ambitions of elite tribal and military leaders, but even a diplomatic solution will not reprieve Yemen from the breakaway revolts fraying its fabric or the resource crunch pushing a fast-growing population into a battle for survival. “Yemen has entered an almost permanent deterioration that will take years, if not decades, to reverse,” said a Western diplomat in Sanaa, who asked not to be named. “It’s hard to accept, but we’re not going to get closure with a political deal. We are in for a long haul for decades.”

The unstable political stalemate has encouraged insurgents, tribesmen and

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Islamic militants to chip swathes of the country away from government control, never very strong in Yemen. Al-Qaeda-linked militants have seized some coastal cities in the south, armed southern separatists sever major highways and Shi’ite rebels in the north have free rein on the Saudi border. “Saleh is just the strongman of the strongest faction in the country, which is all factions now,” said one Yemeni official, who asked not to be named.

Yemen’s tribal networks have often challenged government control, often seeking cash or development projects in return for accepting it, but recent land grabs may mark a darker trend. “These takeovers have a more political agenda with separatists groups gaining ground,” said Yemeni analyst and journalist Sami al-Ghalib. “Disintegration will spread as we see local groups establish their own cantons or emirates.” “Houthi” rebels from the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam have taken over Saada province bordering Saudi Arabia and are fighting for control of nearby Al-Jawf province.

Saudi Arabia, bastion of Sunni Islam and wary of anything that might embolden its own Shiite minority, intervened militarily to help the government battle the Houthis in 2009. “Right now the Houthis are not a direct threat, but in the future if they have their own territory, their fighters could transition and push the boundaries,” Ghalib said.

In the south, tens of thousands have fled the coastal Abyan province where Yemeni troops are battling Islamist militants in a conflict that Saleh’s critics say he has exploited to stir international fears that security will crumble without him. A senior diplomat cited Western intelligence sources as saying that Yemen has the military might to beat the militants. “That they have not done this points to political reasons.” People displaced from

Abyan told Reuters security forces abandoned provincial capital Zinjibar without a fight when militants first entered in March.

Neither Saleh loyalist troops or defected units backing the opposition put up any defence.

“What’s happening is a joke,” said Ahmad Mohammed, 21, who fled Zinjibar when shelling burned his home to the ground. “A five-month war by the Yemeni army, backed

by America, against what, some 500 militants? Does that sound right?” Western and Gulf powers want Saleh to sign a transition deal in the hope that this would restore stability and allow the government to suppress Al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based wing.

But turmoil has widened as pro- and antiSaleh army units, each backed by tribal factions, face off in Sanaa and elsewhere, eclipsing the peaceful pro-democracy movement which threw up a co-winner of this year’s Nobel peace prize, Tawakul Karmon.

Government forces hold the craggy mountain tops surrounding Sanaa, training their guns on the troops whose commander, General Ali Mohsen, defected to the opposition in March.

A Yemeni official said troops loyal to Saleh are three times stronger in numbers and equipment than their foes in the capital, an imbalance that many say has prompted Mohsen to start recruiting the unarmed protesters he had sworn to protect.

Mohsen and pro-opposition tribes are also trying to weaken the government troops by attacking them in other regions. “I don’t think anything can happen soon,” one negotiator said. “Neither side can win and we have told them this, but we can’t force them to do anything, we just have to keep talking and convince them the only way forward is a deal.”

Some analysts, such as Ghanem Nuseibeh, the founder of the Cornerstone Global Associates consultancy, question the sincerity

of Western and Gulf mediators, saying they had the ability to swing a solution, but lacked the political will. “They haven’t been able to show Saleh the door and it is not because he is strong,” he said. “They haven’t done so because they can’t actually think of an alternative to Saleh.” The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Oct 21 deploring the excessive use of force on protesters and urging Saleh to sign a deal, but so far it has had little impact.

Aggravated by political deadlock and the accompanying violence, Yemen’s gravest long-term threat is a swelling humanitarian disaster as oil and water resources disappear.

Experts estimate that last year’s 35 percent unemployment rate has more than doubled, while two thirds of Yemen’s 24 million people may now be living below the poverty line.

That has prompted an increase in emergency humanitarian aid, but insecurity has halted crucial development work. “You can do as much as you want to save lives, but if no one is offering support to rebuild, the likelihood people will slide right back is much higher,” said one aid worker, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Many Yemenis say they have no more money to send to their large families in poor rural areas who rely on them to survive.

UNICEF, the UN children’s fund, warns that malnutrition rates in some areas are now on a par with famine-struck Somalia. Many aid workers and diplomats marvel at how Yemenis retain any semblance of normal life under such conditions. “Why haven’t things gotten as bad as we expected by now?” one Western diplomat asked. “Many Yemenis have low expectations because they already lived in poverty, and Islamic and tribal norms create a culture of sharing.”—Reuters

Defections test Assad crackdown

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis racks in Syria’s military are widening along sectarian lines, say analysts, fuelling an armed mutiny that may pose an even greater threat to President Bashar Al-Assad than the street protests which have rocked the country for months. Diplomats and military experts say army cohesiveness is fraying and defections increasing as the leadership, largely from the minority Alawite sect, sends troops out to crush unrest across the mainly Sunni Muslim country of 20 million.

“The crackdown is looking increasingly unsustainable. Assad is more unable to rely on the majority Sunni rank and file. It is costing lots of money to move already exhausted core troops and his capability of launching simultaneous strikes on protest centres is diminishing,” a European diplomat said. “ The Sunni back lash against him is growing, and we could see a scenario where he will lose the countryside.”

The ruling elite faces a nascent armed insurgency emboldened by the overthrow and killing of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, opposition sources say. Defectors from the military have in recent weeks launched more deadly guerrilla raids on convoys and fortifications in the province of Idlib near the border with Turkey, and along the main Damascus-Aleppo highway in Hama and Homs to the south.

Dozens of soldiers have been killed in Homs, Hama and Idlib, opposition sources say. Authorities say “armed terrorist groups” have killed 1,100 soldiers and police since the uprising broke out in March. Unlike Libya’s successful rebels, defectors from Syria’s military lack international support. A protracted conflict, with Assad holding on to main cities such as Damascus and Aleppo while opponents challenge his control of smaller cities and rural regions bordering Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.

Core troops from Assad’s Alawite sect, mainly assigned to the best-equipped Republican Guards and the Fourth Armoured Brigade, show no sign of

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abandoning Assad. They are backed by Alawite-dominated Military Intelligence and Air Force Intelligence, two units in charge of preventing dissent within the military as it presses on with a crackdown which the United Nations says has killed 3,000 people. A repeated tactic of security forces is to deploy Sunni conscripts in rings around cities and towns, under the scrutiny of Alawite intelligence agents.

Hundreds have been killed for refusing to obey orders, antiAssad activists say.

The military is effectively commanded by Assad’s younger brother Maher and their brother-in-law Assef Shawk at, who diplomats say has been given enhanced responsibilities in leading the repression of protests. Defectors from the military are helping defend Sunni neighbourhoods coming under assault by the military and a pro-Assad militia in the central city of Homs, 140 k m nor th of Damascus.

Ali bin Abi Taleb brigade, a defector unit named after the cousin of

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is operating in the Homs countryside, residents said. Another brigade, Khaled bin Al-Walid, fought Assad’s forces for 10 days before withdrawing from the town of Rastan. Rebel sources said 100 defectors and insurgents were killed in the battle for Rastan, with loyalist forces sustaining heavy losses. Authorities said seven security police were killed.

In that battle, Captain Abdelrahman Al-Sheikh emerged as a leading figure among defectors. “He proved to be astute on the battlefield. The (other, more senior) defectors in Turkey are playing little role,” said an opposition source.

“The problem is that they lack more effective weapons, such as shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles. And that international support is needed to move the large amounts of cash needed to buy weapons and support them,” the source said.

W Andrew Terrill, professor at the US Army War College, said insurgents were small in number but could inflict serious casualties because the Syrian army is structured to fight Israel and control Lebanon, not deal with guerrillas and urban warfare. “Right now (armed rebels) seem to be mostly fighting defensively against regime forces entering areas sympathetic to the rebels. The trend seems to be towards more defections from the army and more confrontations between defectors and soldiers,” he said. “Trends can be reversed, and we are still not at a tipping point, but things are definitely worse for Assad.”

Terrill said that if controlling Syria eventually looked “hopeless” for Assad and his supporters, they might consider retreating to Alawite regions around the city of Latakia.

“Ceding territory to the rebels means that they (the rebels) could set up something like Libya’s Transitional National Government and request foreign recognition and aid,” he said. Major General Moussa Hadid, a former Jordanian army strategist, said Syria’s military command had intensified censorship and cut holidays to try to prevent Sunni conscripts from finding out about the extent of killings by the security forces in their home regions. “They send conscripts from the south to the north and vice versa. Despite all the controls over the senior officers and army and soldiers a lot of them are now becoming more distrustful of the regime and are awaiting the opportunity to support the uprising,” Moussa said. — Reuters

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Fears of attack grow as Kenya battles rebels NAIROBI: As Kenyan troops make slow progress against Islamist rebels in war-torn southern Somalia, experts and officials are warning of the risk of revenge attacks from home-grown militants back home. Almost two weeks since its forces crossed into Somalia to battle the Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab, Kenya has already suffered grenade attacks blamed on the extremist militia. Two grenade blasts earlier this week in Nairobi killed one person and wounded dozens of others. Another four people meanwhile were killed by a rocket propelled grenade near the Somali border, an attack also blamed on Shehab fighters.

A 28-year old man from western Kenya was sentenced to life imprisonment Friday for his role in the grenade attacks and being a member of the Shebab The police said he had been trained in Somalia earlier this year. “We knew that there would be repercussions within Kenya itself,” said police chief Mathew Iteere. “We have credible information there is quite a number of young people who have crossed into Somalia to fight for Al Shebab,” he added. “These are

Kenyans, not necessarily of Somali origin... We are talking about the bad elements from any of the communities.”

On Thursday, top Shebab commander Mukhtar Robow Ali called on Kenyan operatives to launch attacks. “Now is the time to act... there is a need to make a huge explosion,” he said. Andrews AttaAsamoah, a Nairobi-based member of South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies, warned that radicalised youth were inspired by Shebab orders rather than operating under their command. “The threat is becoming more amorphous because he (Robow) asked them to take individual decisions... We should be expecting individual actions from sleeping cells,” he said. “They (the Shebab) are not necessarily giving direct instructions to the group, but they are counting on the group to rise to the challenge on the ground.”

International experts have long warned of the risk inside East Africa, linking Kenyan and Ugandan operatives for July 2011 bombings in the Ugandan capital Kampala that killed at least 76 people,

claimed by the Shebab. J Peter Pham of the Washington-based Atlantic Council, gave a similar warning. Even if Kenya was able to smash rebel bases in Somalia, Nairobi should also be worried about threats “already present deep inside the country,” he said. Attacking Shebab bases in Somalia raised the “risk of ‘sleeper cells’ or even self-radicalised ‘lone wolf’ sympathisers to respond by carrying out attacks within Kenya,” Pham said.

The UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea warned in a July report that Kenyans constituted the “largest and most structurally organised non-Somali group within Al-Shebab”. In the past, Kenyan supporters were based primarily within the ethnic Somali community, the report added. But since 2009 the Shebab had “rapidly expanded its influence and membership to non-Somali Kenyan nationals.”

It detailed evidence of an “extensive and complex financial support system” it said showed the recruitment of fighters and fundraising. Some of that was done through a mosque that owned the land of Kenya’s largest second-hand clothes market, it

alleged. One Kenyan, Ahmad Iman Ali, who heads the Nairobi-based Muslim Youth Centre, was “believed to command an estimated force of between 200 and 500 fighters, most of whom are Kenyans,” the report said. The Shebab not only pose an “increasingly acute regional and international threat” but are also “giving rise to a new generation of East African jihadist groups,” it added.

Kenya’s unprecedented military incursion into Somalia was to fight rebels it blames for attacking its territory and abducting foreigners inside the country. But the operation has raised fears about the risk from Shebab sympathisers within Kenya’s some two million ethnic Somalis and half-a-million Somali refugees. “If the head of the snake is right here in Eastleigh, why did we go to Somalia?” the Daily Nation newspaper asked earlier this week, referring to a Nairobi district dominated by ethnic Kenyan Somalis. “Somebody should explain why we are pursuing Al-Shebab militants deep inside Somalia instead of taking out the nexus right here at home.” — AFP

BELLEFONTE, Pennsylvania: Jill Shapiro takes photographs of the falling snow at a park yesterday. A classic nor’easter is moving along the East Coast and is expected to dump anywhere from a dusting of snow to about 10 inches throughout the region starting yesterday, a decidedly unseasonal date for a type of storm more associated with midwinter. — AP

Kabul suicide bomb kills 13 US soldiers Continued from Page 1 The interior ministry said three bystanders and a policeman were killed, while NATO’s alliance force said at least 13 Western military forces died and US officials confirmed they were all American. “Initial reports indicate that 13 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) service members died following an improvised explosive device attack in Kabul earlier today,” the force said in a statement. At least one other soldier was wounded in the massive explosion, US officials told AFP, warning that the death toll could rise.

Thick black smoke could be seen rising from an fire still raging at the scene, cordoned off by Afghan and ISAF soldiers, while fire hoses were putting out another blaze nearby, footage on private television channel Tolo showed.

NATO’s coalition forces were seen carrying the charred bodies of some of those killed away on stretchers from the wreckage of the bombed bus. “It was a huge explosion, I saw at least 10 bodies of foreign forces taken out of their capsized bus and evacuated by two helicopters,” one witness told AFP at the scene.

Half a kilometre from the explosion, shattered windows and scattered pieces of twisted metal showed the scale of the massive blast. The attack was the deadliest for the coalition since the death of 30 US troops, including 25 US Special Operations Forces, whose helicopter was shot down in mid-August south of Kabul in Wardak province. Over the past few months a series of attacks in the capital have shown the resilience of the Taleban, more than ten years

after the Islamist movement was toppled from power by a US-led invasion.

Eight other major incidents have hit Kabul since the beginning of the year, including a complex attack on a luxury hotel that killed 21 people in June, a deadly suicide bombing on a British cultural centre and a siege of the US embassy and NATO headquarters that killed at least 14 in a 19-hour siege. The assassination last month of the government’s chief peace broker, former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, also in Kabul, underscores the vulnerability of the capital as Western governments look to withdraw their troops from the war.

A regional conference is to be held in Istanbul next week at which President Hamid Karzai is to give a list of areas in up to 17 provinces that will soon see a handover from NATO to Afghan control. But there are deep doubts over the ability of the fledgling Afghan army and police to secure the country, with the Taliban proving with recent attacks in the once-peaceful north of the country that they can strike anywhere.

In the volatile southern province of Uruzgan also yesterday, three Australian army trainers were killed when an Afghan soldier turned his gun on them, NATO and Afghan army officials said. In the eastern city of Asadabad in Kunar province, a female suicide bomber blew herself up outside a local branch of Afghanistan’s spy agency, wounding two guards, a spokesman for the Kunar provincial governor said.

The insurgent group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Kabul and Kunar. — Agencies

Saudis swear allegiance to crown prince Continued from Page 1 him in keeping with the tradition in the absolute monarchy. Citizens in other regions in the vast desert kingdom will be able to pledge allegiance today to provincial governors, all of whom are members of the Al-Saud royal family. Thursday’s appointment of Prince Nayef, 78, as crown prince, “was a source of satisfaction for all Saudis”, Al-Watan daily said, praising him as having the qualities of a “man of state”.

He “well deserved the position given his security and political experience,” said Al-Riyadh daily of Nayef, who was promoted from second vice prime minister to first deputy. Nayef has also headed the ministry of interior for 36 years. “He is the man for the job,” because internal and regional dynamics “require an experienced and determined man” in power, said Al-Jazeera, another Saudi paper, in an editorial under the title “the man for difficult missions.”

US President Barack Obama welcomed the choice of Nayef as a successor to the throne of the oil-rich kingdom, a major US ally in the Middle East. “We in the United States know and respect him for his strong commitment to combating terrorism and supporting regional peace and security,” Obama said in a statement on Friday. Reputed for being an iron-fisted man, Nayef has become a bastion of the Al-Saud dynasty,

overseeing a highly-successful fight against Al-Qaeda, but also dealing swiftly and sternly with all forms of opposition.

Under his leadership, the interior ministry faced the rise of Al-Qaeda in the kingdom with a bloody wave of attacks between 2003 and 2006. He cracked down on the network, forcing its leaders and its members to flee to Yemen where they continue to threaten Saudi interests. He also dismantled charitable organisations that collected donations for the network. Nayef also oversees security measures during the annual hajj pilgrimage to Makkah, which attracts around two million people from abroad, and whose rites for the year begin next week.

Liberals and rights activists appear worried by the further strengthening of the powers of Nayef, who is known for being close to the conservatives. A petition signed by 91 activists yesterday urged him to “release thousands of political prisoners” and to lift an “unrightful” ban on travel imposed on some activists. “Perhaps the first thing to do in your new post is to end the suffering of the families of the prisoners and bring them together to make them happy and end their misery,” the petition said. Meanwhile, the king has not named a new defence minister to replace Sultan who held the portfolio since 1962, raising questions over disputes within the royal family. — AFP

UN urges end to Syria killings as dozens die Riyadh jails ‘Qaeda lady’ for 15 years Continued from Page 1 The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces killed 36 people on Friday during the protests while reporting that 17 soldiers later died in overnight clashes between troops and suspected deserters in Homs. Most of Friday’s killings took place in Homs and Hama provinces, which have been at the forefront of the anti-government protests that have been brutally put down by the security forces at a cost, according to the UN, of more than 3,000 lives, mostly civilians. The Observatory said more than 100

people were wounded and 500 arrested during Friday’s protests.

Yesterday, another four civilians, including a woman, were killed and several wounded by gunfire from Syrian forces and snipers in Homs province, the Britain-based watchdog said. Clashes also resumed yesterday in Duwar al-Rayess neighbourhood of Homs, where a loud blast was heard after an armoured car was hit, the Observatory said, adding that smoke could be seen billowing from a government building. In northwest Syria, hundreds of soldiers deployed in Sarakeb, in Idlib province, the Observatory said,

quoting local activists who feared the army could be preparing an “invasion” of the town.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that Homs had seen the “highest number of martyrs to date,” accounting for 40 percent of protesters’ deaths over the past seven months. The latest violence was the deadliest in nearly six months to occur on a Friday, the day worshippers emerging from weekly prayers at mosques defy the security forces and swarm the streets to rally against the regime. The bloodiest Friday was on April 22, when the death toll reached 72.— AFP

Continued from Page 1 Christians and Saudi princes to press for the release of a female militant nabbed north of Riyadh whom he identified as Heila Al-Qsayer. At her family’s request, the trial is taking place in private and without media presence.

The woman had denied the charges, claiming she had been held captive by two men to whom she had been married in the past and who were members of Al-Qaeda.

One of them is in prison over connections to Al-Qaeda, while the second was killed by security forces a

few years ago in Riyadh, according to several sources. The verdict can be appealed within 30 days.

Meanwhile, five Saudi men and two Egyptians went on trial yesterday over charges including supporting Al-Qaeda and “incitement” against authorities, according to SPA. Eighty-five suspects went on trial in a special Saudi security court in June in connection with deadly attacks in the kingdom. The defendants face charges of belonging to Al-Qaeda, of taking part in attacks on public buildings and residential compounds, and of smuggling and possession of weapons. In April, a judi-

cial source said 5,080 terrorist suspects either faced trial or had already been tried before the special court which has come in for criticism from lawyers.

Saudi Arabia witnessed a wave of deadly attacks by Al-Qaeda between 2003 and 2006, which prompted authorities to launch a security force crackdown on the local branch of the jihadist network founded by Saudiborn Osama bin Laden. Al-Qaeda remains very active in neighbouring Yemen, where the Saudi and Yemeni franchises of Al-Qaeda joined forces under the banner of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. — AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

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Levski coach quits as police clash with fans

Nigeria’s Siasia sacked CAPE TOWN: Nigeria’s Samson Siasia has become the third African coaching casualty in a week as the fallout from the Nations Cup qualifiers continued to claim victims. Siasia was dismissed after a meeting of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) on Friday, before his removal was confirmed by officials a day later. His sacking follows the departures of Javier Clemente at Cameroon and Tom Saintfiet from the Ethiopia post in the last seven days.

The 44-year-old, who played for Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup and later coached the country’s under-23 team to the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was fired after Nigeria’s shock failure to qualify for next year’s finals.

Nigeria finished runners-up in their group after failing to beat Guinea at home in their decisive group game earlier this month. A statement said Siasia and his assistants “breached a key proviso in their contract with the NFF and their services are therefore promptly dispensed with,” a reference to the minimum requirement of qualifying for the Nations Cup. —Reuters

SOFIA: Levski Sofia coach Georgi Ivanov resigned after a 1-0 defeat at city rivals CSKA in a tense derby which saw 44 fans arrested for clashing with police on Friday. “I submitted my resignation, the owner will decide now,” said Ivanov after the biggest fixture of the Bulgarian season. “Everything will be clear within two days. There’s no way I can be ashamed of my work at Levski.” His title favorites have already suffered four defeats this season and lie fourth, seven points behind leaders CSKA. Levski supporters clashed with police, demolishing part of the barriers at the Vasil Levski national stadium. Fans also invaded the athlet-

ics track, throwing bottles, metal sticks and other objects. Police said national fan clubs’ chairman Vladimir Vladimirov was among those detained. Local media reported that CSKA and Bulgaria defender Ivan Bandalovski’s car was torched in the Sofia district of Hadzhi Dimitar. He missed the match through injury. It was a winning start for Dimitar Penev in his latest spell as CSKA coach.

Romania striker Ianis Zicu, the league’s top scorer, was left unmarked following Boris Galchev’s corner and made no mistake midway through the first half, taking his tally to nine goals.—Reuters

Mthalane stops Sarritzu CAGLIARI: South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane successfully defended his IBF flyweight title for a third time as he stopped home favorite Andrea Sarritzu in the seventh round on Friday. Sarritzu put up a courageous battle but was left reeling midway through the seventh round and, after the referee intervened, the Italian threw in the towel. Mthalane won the belt with a points victory against Julio Cesar Miranda in November, 2009, and retained it by defeating Zolani Tete and Johnriel Casimero, stopping both in the fifth round. Sarritzu (32-4-5, 12 KOs) went further than both of them, but was unable to get the better of the South African, whose record improves to 28-2 (19 KOs). The bout got off to a tense start with Sarritzu particularly cagey, given Mthalane’s record. However, the Sardinian managed to land a good right jab halfway through the first round, much to the home crowd’s delight, as well as another significant blow at the end of the round. Sarritzu was ducking and diving to avoid Mthalane’s punches, and the 35-yearold didn’t stop moving. However, as the fight went on, Mthalane was landing more blows, including several good combinations at the end of the third round.—AP

Jets clinch wild win over Flyers

ST LOUIS: Cardinals’ Jason Motte and Lance Berkman hold up the Commissioner’s Trophy after Game 7 of baseballís World Series against the Texas Rangers. —AP

Cardinals win World Series ST. LOUIS: Chris Carpenter was his usual stingy self on short rest in Game 7 of the World Series as he put the clamps on the Texas Rangers’ dangerous offense.

After a shaky start, the 36-year-old Carpenter led the way in 6-2 victory that gave St. Louis its second championship in six seasons. Manager Tony La Russa discussed the move with pitching coach Dave Duncan on Friday morning after getting a few hours of sleep following the Cardinals’ dramatic Game 6 victory.

“I said ‘How about the alternatives?’” La Russa said on the field after the clincher. ‘He said, ‘Are you kidding? It’s Chris Carpenter.’

And he hung up on me.” Though just an 11game winner this year, the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner was 10-2 in the second half. He stayed on a roll in the postseason, going 4-0 with wins in Games 1 and 7 against Texas.

A rainout on Wednesday gave Carpenter a shot to start on three days’ rest for just the second time in his career in Game 7 - and the second time this postseason. He allowed two runs in six-plus innings.

“Obviously it’s not my decision, it’s Tony’s, but I was hoping to have an opportunity to go ahead and pitch,” Carpenter said.

“Fortunately, it worked out.”

Carpenter struggled to find the strike zone early and put the Cardinals in a quick hole, allowing consecutive RBI doubles in the first inning. The next five innings, the Rangers had just one runner in scoring position. “I didn’t know how long they were going to let me go,” Carpenter said. “I was just trying to do everything I could to get one out at a time.

“Nobody said anything about it to me, so I just went out and tried to continue to make pitches,” he added. In his later innings, Carpenter threw a lot more breaking pitches.

“They’ve seen Carp three times in this series, they’ve got a pretty good idea, so we had to be creative,” catcher Yadier Molina said. “That’s what we did.” Carpenter left with a 5-2 lead after David Murphy’s leadoff double in the seventh.

“It started off a little rough in the first but I was able to collect myself, make some pitches and our guys did an awesome job to battle

back,” Carpenter said. “And I mean, it’s just amazing.”

Duncan gave Carpenter the thumbs up after a meeting after Game 6. Carpenter won his ninth postseason game, extending his franchise record, and had a 2.84 ERA in the World Series. “Dave had a real heart-to-heart with him to gauge just how ready he was to pitch just physically, not mentally but physically,” La Russa said before the game. “And then I think if he would be available to pitch, he probably would have pitched in this game sometime.

The bottom line: the Cardinals wanted their best pitcher on the mound.

“He’s the guy our club wants to have out there, and he’s ready to take it,” La Russa said.

“Plain and simple. He’s our guy.” La Russa could have chosen Kyle Lohse or Edwin Jackson, both well rested.

Carpenter started on short rest for the first time in the first round of the NL playoffs against the Phillies and lasted only three innings, allowing four runs on five hits in his shortest outing of the year.

La Russa tried it in Game 2 so Carpenter would be ready on regular rest for a potential Game 5, and Carpenter threw a three-hit shutout in the deciding game, outpitching Roy Halladay.

La Russa said Duncan’s conversation with Carpenter indicated the pitcher had learned from the time, and how he would “adjust or compensate” in Game 7. La Russa said the pitcher actually began making adjustments after struggling early in his first outing on three days’ rest.

“Part of what he learned from that is why he gets the ball,” La Russa said. “And we expect him to be more effective.”

La Russa had no expectations that Carpenter might go deep. Carpenter led the NL in innings and finished with 273 1-3 innings, the most of his career.

“Carp proved he’s one of the best pitchers in the game,” Molina said. “He got hit in the first inning but after that he slowed down their offense. “Every time he takes the mound we’ve got a pretty good chance to win,” Molina said.—AP

14-year-old Russian leads women’s short MISSISSAUGA: At 14, Elizaveta Tuktamisheva is already turning heads after earning 59.57 points for her short program Friday to take a big lead in women’s singles at Skate Canada International.

The Russian teenager is so good that Alexei Mishin, the veteran Russian coach helping guide Tuktamisheva, calls her “the main hope for the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics” in 2014. Tuktamisheva won’t meet the International Skating Union age requirement to compete in a senior worlds until 2013. But she certainly appears ready to take full advantage of the green light the ISU gave her to enter senior Grand Prix meets this season.

Tuktamisheva, the 2011 world junior silver medalist, was the only skater to cleanly land a triple-triple combo. She needs to improve her spins, but she clearly has huge potential.

Americans Ashley Wagner (54.50 points) and Rachael Flatt (54.23) followed.

“I was very satisfied with that program,” said Wagner, 20, who was sixth at the 2011 US nationals. “It was solid. I stood up on everything, which was my main goal. I would have preferred that the lutz had not been such a death-defying act on the ice, but I stood up and that’s really all that counts in the long run.

“I think it’s a great start to my Grand Prix

season and, hopefully, it’s only up from here.”

The 19-year-old Flatt, a silver medalist at her nationals last winter, was 12th at the world championships. “I haven’t started out this well at a Grand Prix in a while,” she said. “I’m very pleased.”

In the men’s program, world champion Patrick Chan of Canada was third after the men’s short program, behind Javier Fernandez of Spain and Daisuke Takahashi of Japan.

Fernandez has 84.71 points, Takahashi has 84.66 and Chan has 83.28, meaning the gold medal is up for grabs going into late yesterday’s free skate.

“It’s a great position to be in,” Chan said. “It’s better than I did at Skate Canada last year. I didn’t fall three times this time.”

Chan landed a quad toe loop jump but a sloppy landing with a hand on the ice led him to omit his combo’s scheduled triple toe loop.

He then reduced his triple Axel to a double. He then added a triple toe to his triple Lutz to score the required combo.

In pairs, world silver medalists and Russian champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov earned 70.42 points to outdistance their closest rivals in the short program: Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada.

They were elated to be second. —AP

PHILADELPHIA: Andrew Ladd scored the game-winner with 1:06 remaining on a one-timer from close range to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a wild 9-8 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

Fifteen players scored in the wide-open game in which both clubs set season highs for goals scored and goals allowed, and the Jets tied a franchise record for goals in a game.

Philadelphia’s Danny Briere and James van Riemsdyk were the only multiple goal scorers with two each. Kimmo Timonen had four assists and Scott Hartnell added a goal and assist.

Claude Giroux and Max Talbot also scored for Flyers.

Nik Antropov and Tanner Glass each had a goal and two assists for the Jets. Evander Kane and Alex Burmistrov each added a goal and an assist and Blake Wheeler had three assists for Winnipeg.

Maple Leafs 4, Rangers 2 At New York, Joffrey Lupul and Clarke MacArthur scored 4:22 apart in the third period as Toronto broke open a tied game and spoiled New York’s longawaited return to renovated Madison Square Garden.

Lupul scored off a rebound in a scrum in front of Henrik Lundqvist to make it 2-1 with his fifth of the season, and MacArthur made it a two-goal edge with his first - firing a shot from the left circle during a 2-on1 break that eluded Lundqvist’s leg at 6:33. Matthew Lombardi scored his first in the second period, and Mike Brown made it 4-1 in the third.

Oilers 2, Capitals 1 At Edmonton, Alberta, Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist, and Nikolai Khabibulin made 34 saves as Edmonton handed the Washington its first loss of the season. Taylor Hall also scored for the Oilers, who have won three in a row. Karl Alzner scored for the Capitals, who lost for the first time this season after a 7-0 start.

The Capitals were one of just 10 teams in NHL history to start a season 7-0.

Penguins 3, Islanders 2, SO At Pittsburgh, Evgeni Malkin’s shootout goal capped a rally from a two-goal deficit in the third period as Pittsburgh extended its winning streak to five with a victory over the New York Islanders.

Pittsburgh’s second shooter of the shootout, Malkin walked in against Rick DiPietro - inserted into the game to relieve Evgeni Nabokov when the shootout began - made multiple dekes in close and slid the puck under a sprawling DiPietro with his backhand. Chris Kunitz and James Neal scored 2:46 apart early in the third period less than a minute after Matt Martin had given the Islanders a 2-0 lead.

Sabres 4, Blue Jackets 2 At Buffalo, New York, rookie goalie Jhonas Enroth made 41 saves, and Jason Pominville had two goals and an assist as Buffalo sent the sliding Columbus to another defeat.

Brad Boyes had a goal and assist, Patrick Kaleta snapped a third-period tie, and Thomas

DENVER: Edmonton Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk (40) makes one of 40 saves against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period of an NHL hockey game. —AP

the net with 2:07 left as Ottawa went on to even its record at 5-5.

Vanek added three assists for the Sabres (6-3-0), who won for the first time in three games played in Buffalo by snapping a twogame losing streak.

Ducks 3, Wild 2 At St. Paul, Minnesota, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf each had a power-play goal and an assist, and Teemu Selanne totaled three assists to help Anaheim hold on to beat Minnesota and end a three-game winless streak.

Bobby Ryan scored, too, and Jonas Hiller made 23 saves, giving the Ducks a sparkling night of production from their stars on the second stop on their sevengame road tour.

Jared Spurgeon and Matt Cullen scored to give the Wild’s sagging power play a lift, but Cullen’s goal on a deflection of Mikko Koivu’s shot came with 6:06 remaining in the game with the Wild trailing by two - too little too late.

Canadiens 2, Bruins 1 At Boston, Tomas Plekanec put one in each net, making up for an own goal by scoring the tiebreaker with 9:14 remaining to give Montreal a victory over Boston.

It was the teams’ first meeting since a seven-game series in the first round of the playoffs that Boston won en route to its sixth Stanley Cup championship.

All of the old animosity was still there, with Brad Marchand and P.K. Subban the latest to brawl in an Original Six rivalry that’s nearly a century old.

Senators 4, Panthers 3 At Ottawa, Nick Foligno scored with 2.5 seconds left in the third period as Ottawa extended its winning streak to four games with a victory over Florida.

Foligno put away a rebound of Daniel Alfredsson’s slap shot for the winner after Florida’s Kris Versteeg scored with 47.1 seconds left to tie it at 3.

Colin Greening scored at 17:53 to put Ottawa up 3-2, setting the stage for the wild finish. Greening beat Jacob Markstrom with a wrist shot into the right side of

Predators 5, Lightning 3 At Nashville, Tennessee, Mike Fisher scored two goals and added an assist to lead Nashville over Tampa Bay. Sergei Kostitsyn, Patric Hornqvist, and Nick Spaling also scored for Nashville. Steven Stamkos had two goals and Teddy Purcell had one for the Lightning.

The victory gave the Predators their first home win of the season

in their fourth attempt. Tampa Bay saw its three-game winning streak end.

Coyotes 5, Devils 3 At Glendale, Arizona, Ray Whitney had two goals and an assist to help Phoenix bounce back from a disheartening loss with a win over New Jersey.

The Coyotes were frustrated two nights earlier after giving up a late goal to Dallas, but Whitney wouldn’t allow another letdown.

Zach Parise, Mark Fayne and Nick Palmieri each scored for New Jersey.

Kings 5, Stars 3 At Dallas, Slava Voynov scored his first two NHL goals, including the go-ahead tally with 6:52 remaining, as Los Angeles handed Dallas its first home loss of the season.

With the game tied at 3-3, Voynov took a shot from the right point that got past screened goaltender Kari Lehtonen.

Scott Parse and Justin Williams also scored for the Kings, who improved to 3-0-1 on the road this season. Dustin Brown had an empty-netter with 26.3 seconds left and added two assists for the Kings. Michael Ryder and Eric Nystrom notched third-period goals as Dallas came back from a 3-1 deficit.—AP

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Friday.

Carolina 3, Chicago 0; San Jose 4, Detroit 2; Edmonton 3, Colorado 1; Calgary 3, St. Louis 1.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF Pittsburgh 8 2 2 36 Philadelphia 5 4 1 36 New Jersey 4 3 1 19 NY Rangers 3 3 2 16 NY Islanders 3 4 1 16

GA 24 35 21 18 20

PTS 18 11 9 8 7

Chicago Detroit St. Louis Nashville Columbus

Western Conference Central Division 5 2 2 27 5 3 0 22 5 5 0 26 4 4 1 21 1 8 1 23 Northwest Division 6 2 2 21 6 4 0 29 4 4 1 22 3 3 3 20 4 5 1 24

7 6 5 5 4

Toronto Buffalo Ottawa Montreal Boston

Northeast Division 6 2 1 30 6 3 0 27 5 5 0 31 3 5 2 25 3 6 0 20

29 19 39 28 21

13 12 10 8 6

Edmonton Colorado Calgary Minnesota Vancouver

Washington Carolina Florida Tampa Bay Winnipeg

Southeast Division 7 1 0 31 4 3 3 27 5 4 0 23 4 4 2 32 3 5 1 26

16 30 23 35 35

14 11 10 10 7

Dallas Los Angeles Anaheim San Jose Phoenix

Pacific Division 3 0 25 2 1 22 3 1 21 3 0 25 3 2 27

23 22 27 26 34

12 10 10 9 3

16 27 23 23 29

14 12 9 9 9

22 16 22 19 28

14 13 11 10 10

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

S P ORT S

Robles wins 110 hurdles gold

KOLKATA: England’s batsman Jonathan Bairstow (left) celebrates their win over India in the Twenty20 international cricket match. —AP

England end India tour with T20 win KOLKATA: Kevin Pietersen smashed 53 off 39 balls as England finally found success on their Indian tour with a six-wicket victory in the lone Twenty20 international in Kolkata yesterday.

The tourists enhanced their reputation as the reigning world Twenty20 champions by keeping the hosts down to 120-9 before surpassing the modest target with eight balls to spare.

England silenced some 40,000 fans at the Eden Gardens by ending the tour on a high after being blanked 5-0 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s India in the preceding one-day series.

Fast bowler Steven Finn grabbed 322, and Tim Bresnan and Ravi Bopara picked up two wickets each, to set up the emphatic win after India elected to take first strike on a slow pitch.

Pietersen, who was dropped on one

by Suresh Raina, led England’s charge with three sixes and four boundaries.

Samit Patel helped Pietersen add 60 for the third wicket after two wickets had fallen by the seventh over with the score at 40.

Graeme Swann, who led England in the absence of injured Twenty20 skipper Stuart Broad, said he was relieved by the win.

“It’s been a very tough month for us,” said Swann. “We played some abjectly horrible cricket on the tour, but it came together today. However, one swallow does not make a summer. We need to improve.” Pietersen, who was named the man of the match, conceded the dropped catch helped his cause.

“It was a tricky wicket,” he said. “It was one of those wickets where you had to take a risk in the first six overs. Luckily I was dropped.”

Speaking about the tour, Pietersen said: “India is a good place to come and play as a batsman, but a lot of us under-

performed. But believe me, we tried our hardest.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do technique-wise here in the sub-continent.

We’ve tried really hard on this trip, although we came unstuck in the onedayers.”

Dhoni, who will get a few days off before the Test series against the West Indies starts on November 6, said his team had only fallen 15 runs short of a decent total.

“It was the sort of wicket where you would aim for around 150 runs,” he said.

“It was very difficult to score runs. It will be good to take the next few days off before we go to the Tests.”

Earlier, Raina top-scored in India’s innings with 39 off 29 balls, including two sixes and four boundaries, while Dhoni made 21 before being run out off the final delivery.

The ninth-wicket pair of Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin (17 not out) boosted the total by taking 25 runs from the last two overs.

The tourists made a flying start by removing both openers, Ajinkya Rahane and Robin Uthappa, in the first eight deliveries to catches by wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter.

It soon became 26-3 as Alex Hales took a brilliant running catch on the deep mid-wicket fence to remove Virat Kohli for 15 off Bresnan.

Manoj Tiwary settled in with Raina to help India reach 65-3 in 10 overs, before he was bowled by Patel for 15. Finn struck twice in two balls, having Raina caught at point before bowling Ravindra Jadeja first ball, to reduce India to 74-6 in 12 overs.

Bopara then claimed two wickets in one over as be bowled Yusuf Pathan and Praveen Kumar in the space of three deliveries. —AFP

Scoreboard KOLKATA, India: Full scoreboard of the Twenty20 international between India and England at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata yesterday: India: R. Uthappa c Kieswetter b Bresnan 1 A. Rahane c Kieswetter b Finn 0 V. Kohli c Hales b Bresnan 15 S. Raina c Bairstow b Finn 39 M. Tiwary b Patel 15 M. Dhoni run out 21 R. Jadeja b Finn 0 Yusuf Pathan b Bopara 10 P. Kumar b Bopara 0 R. Ashwin not out 17 Extras: (lb1, w1) 2 Total (for nine wickets, 20 overs) 120 Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Rahane), 2-5 (Uthappa), 326 (Kohli), 4-66 (Tiwary), 5-74 (Raina), 6-74 (Jadeja), 7-91 (Pathan), 8-91 (P. Kumar), 9-120 (Dhoni).

Bowling: Finn 4-0-22-3, Bresnan 4-1-19-2,

Dernbach 4-0-26-0, Patel 3-0-13-1, Swann 2-023-0, Bopara 3-1-16-2 (w1) England: A. Hales c Rahane b Pathan 11 C. Kieswetter c Tiwary b Jadeja 12 K. Pietersen lbw b Raina 53 S. Patel c Tiwary b Kohli 21 R. Bopara not out 15 J. Bairstow not out 2 Extras: (lb3, w4) 7 Total (for four wickets, 18.4 overs) 121 Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Kieswetter), 2-40 (Hales), 3-100 (Patel), 4-106 (Pietersen).

Bowling: Ashwin 4-0-20-0 (w1), Pathan 3-0-341, Jadeja 4-1-9-1 (w1), Praveen 1-0-13-0, Vinay 2-0-19-0, Kohli 2.4-0-14-1, Raina 2-0-9-1 (w2) England won by six wickets

GUADALAJARA: Dayron Robles was too far ahead of his rivals to get into any trouble this time, winning his second straight Pan American Games gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles Friday.

The Cuban world-record holder, who set a Pan American Games record by winning in 13.10 seconds, also finished first in the race at the world championships in August but was stripped of his title for obstructing Chinese runner Liu Xiang. There was no dispute this time.

“I knew I was going to cross the finish line first, and with just a little more effort I knew I could get the record. It wasn’t that hard,” said Robles, who also won the gold four years ago in Rio de Janeiro. “I was able to run at about 90 or 92 percent and it was still enough to win.”

The previous Pan American Games record of 13.17 was set by Anier Garcia of Cuba in 1999 in Winnipeg. Robles holds the world record of 12.87, which he ran a couple of months before winning the Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.

“I wanted to go even lower, but I wasn’t fully confident because of an injury in my attack leg,” Robles said. “I had a small muscle injury in my attack leg, but thanks to the doctors here I was able to race.”

At the worlds in South Korea, Robles finished first but lost his medal after the Chinese protested that the Cuban impeded Liu by making contact with him several times over the last few hurdles. Jason Richardson of the United States ended up with the gold medal, while Liu earned silver and Andy Turner of Britain got bronze.

Robles started off another strong day for Cuba on the track. A day after winning five golds, Cubans athletes added seven more to move into second place in the medals table behind the United States.

The Americans lead with 86 gold and 220 overall, while Cuba has 52 gold and 124 overall. Brazil dropped into third place with 45 gold and 128 overall.

Besides Robles, Yarelis Barrios won the women’s discus, Andy Gonzalez won the men’s 800, Lazaro Borges won the men’s pole vault, Guillermo Martinez won the men’s javelin and both 1,600 relay teams claimed gold.

“We came here with the idea of winning the gold medal since we left Cuba,” said Diosmely Pena, a member of the women’s relay team. “We had the Brazilians as our biggest rivals ... but we came here to win and we did it.”

The Cubans also won four of the six boxing gold medals and two more in judo. The other

two came in canoeing.

The United States claimed two big qualifying spots for the London Olympics in women’s field hockey and women’s water polo. Both teams won gold Friday, unexpectedly in field hockey and tougher than planned in water polo.

Overall, the Americans stayed at the top of the medals table by winning seven golds on Day 14 of the games to bring their total to 86 gold and 220 overall. Cuba, however, moved

MEXICO: Trinidad and Tobago’s Cleopatra Borel makes a throw during the women’s shot put finals of the athletics competition at the Pan American Games. —AP into second place ahead of Brazil with 42 golds by winning 15 of them Friday.

The American field hockey team scored its biggest upset ever, defeating world champion Argentina 4-2. “We were always fighting, always working,” US captain Lauren Crandall said. “Argentina is capable of scoring three goals in a minute. We stayed focused to the end - well let’s say the last five seconds.”

In women’s water polo, the Americans rallied from a 5-2 halftime deficit to send the game into overtime at 8-8. No one scored in the extra two periods, but the Americans held on to win a marathon shootout 19-18.

“We prevailed because we believe in ourselves. There is no panic even when we are down by three or four,” US attacker Courtney Mathewson said. “I think we believed in each other and that was the difference. It was just

to make it to this point,” Ruggeri said. “I would work so hard and was never really sure if it was possible, but now all that hard work is finally paying off.”

Jeronimo Amione scored in the 75th minute as Mexico defeated Argentina 1-0 to win the men’s football gold. Also, Canadian wakeboard silver medalist Aaron Rathy became the first athlete to test positive for doping during competition at the games.

Rathy tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine and his medal has been withdrawn, according to games officials.

“Aaron and Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada have cooperated fully with the investigation and will accept the findings of the Pan American Sport Organization Disciplinary Committee,” Canadian officials said in a statement. —AP

Ajmal sets up Pakistan’s nine-wicket victory DUBAI: Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took his fourth five-wicket haul in tests as Pakistan completed a facile nine-wicket win within four days in the second Test against Sri Lanka yesterday to take a 1-0 lead in the threematch series.

Needing 94 for victory, opener Mohammad Hafeez remained unbeaten after scoring a quickfire 59 and knocked off the runs with Azhar Ali (29) after Pakistan lost Taufeeq Umar early.

Pakistan bundled out Sri Lanka for 257 in their second innings and restricted the visitors’ lead to a paltry 93. The 34year old Ajmal with five for 68 led the Pakistan spinners, who took eight out of the 10 second innings wickets to fall, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Ajmal ran through the Sri Lankan tail, keeping the batsmen guessing with his ‘doosras’, after fellow left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman (2-65) broke a stubborn seventh wicket stand by dismissing Dhammika Prasad.

Angelo Mathews (52 not out) and Prasad (33) added 56 for the seventh wicket to take the lead closer to the 100-run mark.

Pakistan dismissed opener Tharanga Paranavitana (72) and wicketkeeper batsman Kaushal

Silva (eight) before tea after scalping Sri Lanka’s batting mainstays Kumar Sangakkara (30), Mahela Jayawardene (5) and captain Tillakaratne Dilshan (3) in the morning.

Sangakkara, who scored a double century to save Sri Lanka in the first test in Abu Dhabi, added 73 for the second wicket with Paranavitana before he was given out lbw to Rehman.

A fuming Sangakkara stormed back to the pavilion, clearly unhappy with the decision, and was soon followed by Jayawardene, who struggled during his 34-ball stay before being bowled around his legs while trying to sweep Ajmal.

Captain Dilshan was undone by some superb reverse swing bowling from left-arm seamer Junaid Khan and was struck right in front of the stumps to a delivery that came in after pitching.

Junaid bowled around the stumps to the right-handers and was able to get the old ball to swing both ways, making life difficult for the batsmen on a wearing pitch.

Pakistan are playing “home” tests in the Gulf region because of security fears in their own country. The final match of the series is at Sharjah from Nov. 3. —Reuters

DUBAI: Pakistan’s cricketer Mohammad Hafeez (center) plays a shot as wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva (left) looks on during the fourth day of the second cricket Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. —AFP

Scoreboard DUBAI: Scoreboard from the second test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai yesterday.

Sri Lanka first innings 239 Pakistan first innings 403 Sri Lanka second innings (overnight 88-1) T. Paranavitana c Y. Khan b Ajmal 72 L. Thirimanne b Hafeez 8 K. Sangakkara lbw b Rehman 30 M. Jayawardene b Ajmal 5 T. Dilshan lbw b J. Khan 3 A. Mathews not out 52 K. Silva c Ajmal b J. Khan 8 D. Prasad b A. Rehman 33 R. Herath c Misbah b Ajmal 15 C. Welegedara lbw b Ajmal 4 S. Lakmal b Ajmal 8 Extras (b-14, lb-3, nb-2) 19 Total (all out, 109.5 overs) 257 Fall of wickets: 1-22 2-95 3-113 4-116 5141 6-166 7-222 8-243 9-247 Bowling: U. Gul 15-3-39-0 (1nb), Junaid

West Indies have the edge after day one

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s player Nasir Hossain (left) celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of West Indies player Shivnarine Chanderpaul during the first day of the second cricket Test match. —AP

an amazing game to be a part of.”

The men’s water polo team will face Canada in another final Saturday - with another Olympic berth on the line.

Sara Hall added a gold by winning the women’s steeplechase, while Carrie Johnson won the women’s K1 500-meter kayak event, the men’s foil team and women’s sabre team added two more in fencing and Paul Ruggeri III won the men’s high bar in gymnastics.

“Ever since I was a little kid I have wanted

DHAK A: Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards all hit half-centuries as West Indies held the edge in the second and final test against Bangladesh, reaching 253 for five at close on the first day yesterday.

Bangladesh restored some parity in the final session with off-spinner Nasir Hossain striking twice before Shakib Al Hasan bowled night watchman Kemar Roach for six.

Edwards kept the prospect of his second century in his third test alive, staying 71 not out overnight alongside Marlon Samuels (16 not out).

Edwards helped build on a 100-run opening stand between Brathwaite (50)and Powell (72) who both hit their

maiden test fifties after West Indies captain Darren Sammy won his first toss on the tour and opted to bat.

Bangladesh had to toil before they made their first breakthrough when Brathwaite edged paceman Rubel Hossain to Imrul Kayes at slip.

Powell, who replaced injured Lendl Simmons for the match, was bowled by debutant left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo. He had looked solid until misjudging the line of the delivery that gave Shuvo his first test wicket.

Nasir Hossain trapped Darren Bravo (12) lbw for his first test wicket before he had Shivnarine Chanderpaul caught by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim for 18. —Reuters

Khan 17-4-38-2 (1nb), M. Hafeez 14-2-301, A. Rehman 33-7-65-2, S. Ajmal 30.5-968-5 Pakistan second innings M. Hafeez not out 59 T. Umar b Herath 1 A. Ali not out 29 Extras (b-4, lb-1) 5 Total (one wicket; 24.1 overs) 94 Did not bat: Y. Khan, Misbah-ul Haq, A. Shafiq, A. Akmal, U. Gul, S. Ajmal, J. Khan, A. Rehman Fall of wicket: 1-17 Bowling: D. Prasad 3-0-23-0, C. Welegedara 2-1-1-0, R. Herath 10.1-2-291, T. Dilshan 9-0-36-0 Result: Pakistan won by nine wickets Pakistan lead three-match series 1-0

Scoreboard DHAKA: Scoreboard at the close of the first day of the second test between Bangladesh and West Indies yesterday.

West Indies first innings K. Brathwaite c Kayes b R. Hossain 50 K. Powell b Shuvo 72 K. Edwards not out 71 D. Bravo lbw b N. Hossain 12 S. Chanderpaul c Rahim b N. Hossain 18 K. Roach b Al Hasan 6 M. Samuels not out 16 Extras (b-2, lb-3, w-2, nb-1) 8 Total (five wickets; 90 overs) 253 Fall of wickets: 1-100 2-155 3-180 4-226 5-232 To bat: D. Sammy, C. Baugh, F. Edwards, D. Bishoo, Bowling (to date): S. Hossain 16-1-76-0 (1nb), R. Hossain 16-1-50-1 (2w), S. Al Hasan 23-10-31-1, N. Hossain 17-4-31-2, S. Shuvo 14-2-46-1, N. Islam 4-014-0.

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Red Bull’s Vettel takes pole for Indian GP NEW DELHI: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel took another Formula One record after claiming pole position yesterday for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, amid speculation that the team will try to engineer a win for his teammate Mark Webber in Sunday’s race.

Vettel, the first pole-sitter ever in India, moved equal with F1 great Juan Manuel Fangio on the career poles list at 28. By taking his 13th pole of the season, he also moved within one of the record set by Nigel Mansell in 1992.

His time of 1 minute, 24.178 seconds around the Buddh International Circuit was three tenths of a second faster than McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who qualified second but will start from fifth in the race after a rule infringement during Friday practice.

Webber qualified third, ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, McLaren’s Jenson Button and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, who snapped his right front suspension on a curb on his last lap, skidding into a barrier. That accident brought out the yellow flags and created a disappointing finish to qualifying as most drivers did not complete their second flying lap. Vettel has translated pole positions into wins more often than not this season, but with the drivers’ and constructors’ championships already safely secured, today may become a temptation for Webber taste victory for the first time this season.

Team orders may be officially banned in Formula One after past instances of manufactured results between teammates, but it is notoriously hard to police as leading drivers can disguise ways to let

teammates pass. Webber, whose relationship with teammate Vettel can be characterized as more professional than friendly, was not enthused by the idea of the German moving aside for him, even if team principal Christian Horner had said that a one-two finish in the championship and a Webber win were the last boxes for the team to tick in completing a perfect season.

“There has been a lot of talk from the team but not from me,” Webber said. “I don’t want any positions from Seb for the rest of the year - nothing will change.”

One factor that may count against the chances of Vettel waving Webber through is that the German can equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in a season by winning the three remaining races.

Such statistical milestones are piling up for the young German, including the

remarkable feat of equaling the pole record of Fangio, the sport’s original iconic figure.

This is Vettel’s 78th race while Fangio raced in only 51.

“Its special to be part of a sport that has so much history because it allows you to compare yourself in many ways,” Vettel said.

“I am not really jumping in the car and thinking ‘one more and I am equaling, in this case, Fangio’. I am still motivated even without knowing too many numbers or statistics.”

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Toro Rosso pair Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari completed the top 10.

Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher will start from 12th after struggling with his Mercedes vibrating throughout qualifying.

“It might be something to do with how we prepare the tires. We need to get on top of it,” Schumacher said. Hamilton said he was surprised he was able to split the Red Bulls on qualifying time, and remained upbeat about his chances for victory with good overtaking chances even though the penalty dropped him to fifth on the grid.

“We’ve still got good pace,” Hamilton said. “I’m still optimistic.” Sauber’s Sergio Perez also received a three-grid place penalty for a similar rule infringement in practice, while Hispania’s Narain Karthikeyan was handed a five-place penalty for blocking Schumacher in the first sector of qualifying. That will drop the Indian back to last on the grid - a disappointment for the local fans after he had done a creditable job by outqualifying the two Virgin cars.—AP

Messi slams hat-trick as Barcelona cruise

ITALY: AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden (left) fights for the ball with AS Roma’s Jose’ Angel of Spain, during the Serie A soccer match. —AP

Ibrahimovic’s brace sends Milan on top ROME: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a brace as AC Milan downed Roma 3-2 in the capital’s Stadio Olimpico yesterday to send the rossoneri top of Serie A for the first time this season.

Alessandro Nesta scored the other goal for the champions, who could lose top spot later this weekend if any of Juventus, Udinese and Lazio win, while Nicolas Burdisso and Bojan Krkic netted for Roma.

Meanwhile Napoli finished with 10-men and lost ground in the title race as they were beaten 2-1 at Catania. Ibrahimovic gave Milan the lead with the first clear chance of the game as he got ahead of marker Juan to head home Alber to Aquilani’s pin-point cross on 17 minutes.

Robinho then tried to catch out Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekenlenburg with a shot from the halfway line but it sailed wide.

Roma equalised on 28 minutes when Burdisso out-muscled Gianluca Zambrotta to head home Miralem Pjanic’s corner.

But the hosts couldn’t stay level for long and Alessandro Nesta headed home from 10 yards out when a sea of red shir ts around him parted invitingly as Robinho swung over a corner. Roma almost hit straight back but Pjanic’s free-kick went inches past the post.

Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati came to Milan’s rescue in the second period to save a point-blank header from Pablo Osvaldo as Roma pushed for an equaliser.

But Ibrahimovic killed the game with another header from another Aquilani cross following a short-corner routine 12 minutes from time.

Bojan gave Roma late hope three minutes from time as he swept home the rebound after Abbiati spilled Erik Lamela’s

low shot.

Edinson Cavani gave Napoli a lightning start but goals from Giovanni Marchese and Gonzalo Bergessio condemned them to defeat after Mario Santana had been dismissed.

Napoli stunned their hosts in just 29 seconds as Andrea Dossena crossed from the left and Cavani got between two defenders to poke home from close range.

It was his first goal since September 18th in the 3-1 win over Milan.

However, thereafter it was Catania who took control and Marchese equalized when a shot from Alejandro Gomez hit Juan Zuniga and fell kindly for him.

Another rebound presented Gomez with a chance but he fired wide of the far, top corner.

A slick move saw Sergio Almiron arrive 20 yards out to fire a shot with the outside of his boot that had Morgan De Sanctis well beaten but flashed just the wrong side of the post.

Napoli’s task was then made much harder as a rash challenge from Santana saw him pick up a second yellow card three minutes before the break.

And things went from bad to worse for the visitors three minutes after the break as Bergessio headed home Adrian Ricchiuti’s cross from the left.

Gomez should have killed the game on the counter but fired wide of the upright with only De Sanctis to beat. The 10 men were not out of it and Ezequiel Lavezzi flicked a shot just wide of the post before teeing up Cavani who from the penaltyspot made a complete mess of his attempt.

Nicolas Spolli then cleared off the line from Blerim Dzemaili as Napoli threw everything at their hosts.—AFP

Arsenal face Man City in League Cup draw LONDON: Manchester United were drawn against Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the League Cup yesterday, while Arsenal were handed a daunting home tie against Manchester City.

Arsenal could line up against former player Samir Nasri when they entertain City at the Emirates in the most eye-catching quarter-final.

Nasri joined City this summer following an acrimonious transfer saga and is sure to receive a hostile reception by his former club’s fans.

United, who downed Aldershot this week to reach the last eight, will take on Palace at Old Trafford in a re-match of the two clubs’ famous 1990 FA Cup final meet-

ing at Wembley, which United won in a replay.

In other matches, Chelsea will resume their cup rivalry with Liverpool, the latest in a series of several meetings between the clubs in recent years.

The match also pits Chelsea striker Fernando Torres against his former club in what will be the third encounter between the two teams since the Spaniard headed to Stamford Bridge in a £50 million ($80.6m) deal in January.

Second-tier Cardiff’s reward for reaching the last eight is a home tie with Blackburn Rovers, who advanced to the quarter-finals after a dramatic 4-3 win over Newcastle in mid-week.—AFP

MADRID: Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick as Barcelona beat Mallorca 5-0 yesterday to top La Liga temporarily ahead of Real Madrid’s game at Real Sociedad and leader Levante’s visit today to Osasuna.

Goals from twenty-year-old Isaac Cuenca and Dani Alves rounded the night off for a dominant Barca in a one sided game.

The Catalans started without key midfielders Cesc Fabregas, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta or Pedro Rodriguez, giving Mallorca initial hope of taking something from the game.

All that was proven in the end was Barca’s strength in depth and that a long line of youth players await their chance with the current Spanish and European champions.

It was Mallorca who had the first clear chance when midfielder Joao Victor missed from close range on six minutes. It was to be their last attack of the game and within 30 minutes Messi had hit his hat-trick to kill off the Balearic challenge.

The Argentine only had to wait 12 minutes for the chance to redeem himself from the penalty spot, in front of the same Nou Camp crowd that saw him miss a crucial penalty with the last kick of the game against Sevilla seven days ago.

It was Messi himself who played a long crossfield pass to Adriano in the Mallorca area, when the Brzilian headed the ball back it struck an unfortunate Emilio Nsue on the arm, leaving Messi to fire home from the spot.

The second came in 21 minutes when Cuenca, starting his first game in the Nou Camp, crossed from the right and Adriano played in Messi for a simple right-footed finish.

Eight minutes later Dani Alves crossed from the right to find Messi making a clever run behind the Mallorca defence and again one touch was all the Argentinian needed, this time with his left foot, to steer the ball home.

Again it was Adriano involved on 50 minutes.

His pass found Cuenca, who skipped round the advancing Mallorca goalkeeper Dudu Aouate before finishing from a tight angle for his first goal

for the club.

The winning margin gave Barca the chance to take their foot of the gas ahead of their trip to the Czech Republic to face Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola introduced 17-year-old winger Gerard Deulofeu for his official first team debut with 30 minutes remaining and the chances continued to flow.

Earlier yeterday fourth-placed Valencia beat Getafe 3-1 and took the opportunity to make up ground on their local rivals Levante at the top of La Liga.

Two goals from Frenchman Sofiane Feghouli and one for Aritz Aduriz were enough for ‘Los Che’ who face Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday in a Champions League game they must win if they hope to progress.

Diego Castro snatched a first-half equaliser with a wonderful back-heel for Getafe but Valencia deserved their victory.

Also yesterday Villarreal warmed up for their Champions League tie at home to Manchester City on Wednesday by defeating Rayo Vallecano 2-0 with goals from Bruno Soriano and Borja Valero.

The much needed win was their first in six games. A free header from Soriano on 20 minutes from a Valero cross eased the pressure on coach Juan Carlos Garrido who is being heavily criticised for his team’s poor start to the season.

Ex-Spanish international midfielder Marcos Senna had a penalty saved by Rayo goalkeeper David Cobena just before half time, but Valero added the second on 66 minutes to help Villarreal ease home.—AFP

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina, reacts after scoring against Mallorca during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium. —AP

Celtic’s SPL slide continues GLASGOW: Celtic slipped 12 points behind rivals Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League after they were held to a goalless draw by Hibernian at Parkhead. Rangers continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 2-1 win away to Aberdeen thanks to goals from Kyle Lafferty and Nikica Jelavic, but the win was overshadowed by a serious knee injury suffered by Steven Naismith in the first-half.

The Hoops had easily knocked Hibs out of the League Cup in midweek thanks to a rampant second-half display in a 4-1 win at Easter Road.

But there was none of that urgency on show at Parkhead as a much changed Hibs side frustrated Neil Lennon’s side for 90 minutes.

“Our play in the final third was very

flat with no real quality apart from Forrest again,” the Celtic manager said.

“Particularly in the second-half there was no real urgency to go and win the game and I’m very angry and disappointed with the players.”

Counterpart Colin Calderwood was very happy with the point. “I think we got better as the game went on and I think we used the ball well,” the Hibs manager said. “It is a good scoreline for us and a good point at a difficult place.”

Gary Hooper hit the post and James Forrest smacked the crossbar while Hibernian’s Leigh Griffiths and Ivan Sproule came close. But neither keeper was really tested in a match that keeps Celtic third, three points behind Motherwell, albeit with a game in hand.

At Parkhead, a slip from Paul Hanlon

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Tottenham v QPR ...........................19:00 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3

Spanish League Sporting v Bilbao ..........................14:00 Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD Osasuna v Levante ........................18:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2 Racing v Real Betis ....................... 20:00 Al Jazeera Sport +8 Atletico v Zaragoza ...................... 22:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2 Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD

Italian League Siena v Chievo .............................. 14:30 Al Jazeera Sport +1 Udinese v Palermo ....................... 17:00 Al Jazeera Sport +1 Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD Parma v Cesena ............................ 17:00 Al Jazeera Sport +7 Lecce v Novara .............................. 17:00 Al Jazeera Sport +4 Fiorentina v Genoa ...................... 17:00 Al Jazeera Sport +9 Bologna v Atalanta ...................... 17:00 Al Jazeera Sport +5 Cagliari v Lazio ..............................22:45 Al Jazeera Sport +1

allowed Anthony Stokes to whip in a cross that a bounced off strike partner Hooper and straight to Graham Stack.

Stokes then swapped sides and cut in from the left and his low shot was flicked away by the outstretched leg of Stack. Hibs looked dangerous on the counter-attack and a good passing move set up Garry O’Connor at the edge of the box but his first-time effort flashed wide. Hooper created a great chance for the opener when he played a one-two with Stokes but his shot hit the outside of the post before Stack had to dive low to his left to stop a 25-yard shot from Forrest as the hosts tried to break the deadlock.

Hibs began the second-half on the front foot and both Daniel Galbraith and Griffiths tested Fraser Forster with free-

kicks from 25 yards out.

The pace of on-loan Wolves striker Griffiths saw him find Galbraith with a cut-back which was deflected on to the roof of the net by Mulgrew.

Forrest, who scored a double in the midweek League Cup game between the same two sides, saw his thunderbolt strike from 20 yards clip the bar on its way out. Hibs were winning the midfield battle and the Hoops brought on Paddy McCourt and Victor Wanyama in an attempt to get a grip of the game.

Substitute Ivan Sproule wasn’t far away with a late shot as Hibs came close to snatching a winner. At Pittodrie, Rangers lost Naismith to an early knee injury and it was his replacement Lafferty, who fired an angled shot past Gonzalez to give his side a 58th minute lead. —AFP

Bayern rout Nuremberg BERLIN: Bayern Munich warmed up for Wednesday’s visit of Napoli in the Champions League with a 4-0 hammering of Bavarian neighbors Nuremberg yesterday at home in the German league.

It was Bayern’s eighth straight home win as Germany stars Mario Gomez, twice, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, plus France playmaker Franck Ribery, all netted.

But the victory may have come at a high cost as Schweinsteiger limped off in the 71st minute and is an injury doubt for the Napoli game.

“Bastian took a kick to the calf. That is normally a very difficult injury, which takes time to recover,” explained Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes. “We have to wait and see whether or not it is a calf strain. Then we can say more, but at the moment it doesn’t look good.” Borussia Moenchengladbach were the last visiting team to score in Munich when they poached a shock 1-0 win on August 7 and Bayern have since turned the Allianz Arena into a fortress by scoring 33 goals without reply.

The win extends Bayern’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to four points, while they are two points clear at the top of Group A in the Champions League. “You can see from the reaction of the players they are having fun. That is very important to help play successfully,” added Heynckes.

“During the half-time break, I appealed to the players to keep a clean sheet and that’s exactly what they did.” Before the weekend, goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller of defending champions Borussia Dortmund said the Bundesliga title race was far from over, but on this sort of form, Bayern look unstoppable.

Gomez opened the scoring after just two minutes before Schweinsteiger hit a thunder-bolt shot from the edge of the area on 19 minutes.

Ribery then made it 3-0 at the break when he found the net with a superb individual goal six minutes before half-time.

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos set up Gomez for his 50th goal since joining Bayern in June 2009, beating the defence and crossing for his international team-mate to turn the ball into an empty net on 68 minutes. Dortmund drop to third in the table after they were held 1-1 at Stuttgart, where the kickoff was delayed by 15 minutes as the guests were caught in a motorway traffic jam en route.

Germany defender Serdar Tasci put Stuttgart ahead on 22 minutes, but on the stroke of half-time teenage Germany star Mario Goetze put in a superb ball for Shinji Kagawa to square for Lukasz Piszczek to put Dortmund level.

Schalke 04 take over second in the table, four points behind Bayern, after they enjoyed a 2-1 win over Hoffenheim. Gladbach are fourth in the table after Germany’s rising star Marco Reus scored both their goals in a 2-1 win over Hanover.

Werder Bremen have the chance to get among the league leaders if they can beat Mainz late yesterday. Michael Ballack could be doubtful for Bayer Leverkusen’s visit to Champions League Group E opponents Valencia on Tuesday after fracturing his nose during the 1-0 win over rock-bottom Freiburg on Friday.

Ballack scored the only goal of the game after two minutes to boost his side’s flagging league campaign, only to be forced off in the 65th minute after a clash with Freiburg’s Jan Rosenthal.—AFP

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

S P ORT S Soccer results/standings English Premier League results Chelsea 3 (Lampard 14, Terry 45, Mata 80) Arsenal 5 (Van Persie 36, 85, 90, Santos 49, Walcott 55); Ever ton 0 M an Utd 1 (Hernandez 19); Man City 3 (Dzeko 52, Kolarov 67, Johnson 90) Wolves 1 (Hunt 75pen); Norwich 3 (Morison 53, Johnson 82, Holt 90-pen) Black burn 3 (Hoilett 45, Yakubu 62, Samba 64); Sunderland 2 (Wickham 38, Sessegnon 89) Aston Villa 2 (Petrov 20, Dunne 85); Swansea 3 (Allen 49, Sinclair 57-pen, Graham 90) Bolton 1 (Graham 73-og); West Brom 0 Liverpool 2 (Adam 9-pen, Carroll 45); Wigan 0 Fulham 2 (Dempsey 41, Dembele 86).

(Laffer t y 58, Jelavic 70-pen); Celtic 0 H ibernian 0; Dunfermline 1 (K irk 55) Dundee Utd 4 (Dixon 13, Dalla Valle 18, Russell 75, Mackay-Steven 82); Hearts 0 Kilmarnock 1 (Shiels 55-pen); Inverness CT 2 (Davis 4, Shinnie 76) M other well 3 (Hutchinson 39, Lasley 77, Hateley 87); St Johnstone 0 St Mirren 1 (McLean 81).

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

Second Division Airdrie 1 East Fife 3; Arbroath 1 Stenhousemuir 0; Brechin 1 Cowdenbeath 0; Forfar 0 Albion 2; Stirling 0 Dumbarton 1.

Playing today Tottenham v QPR Playing tomorrow Stoke v Newcastle

Third Division Stranraer 2 Queen’s Park 3

English Football League results Championship Barnsley 1 Bristol City 2; Birmingham 0 Brighton 0; Burnley 3 Blackpool 1; Crystal Palace 0 Reading 0; Derby 3 Portsmouth 1; Doncaster 1 Coventry 1; Millwall 4 Ipswich 1; Nottingham Forest 0 Hull 1; Southampton 3 Middlesbrough 0; Watford 3 Peterborough 2; West Ham 3 Leicester 2.

Playing today Leeds v Cardiff Division One Brentford 2 Chester field 1; Bur y 1 Stevenage 2; Carlisle 3 Oldham 3; Colchester 4 Notts County 2; Hartlepool 0 Charlton 4; Preston 1 Bournemouth 3; Rochdale 0 Leyton Orient 2; Scunthorpe 4 Tranmere 2; Sheffield United 4 Exeter 4; Walsall 0 Milton Keynes Dons 2; Wycombe 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2; Yeovil 0 Huddersfield 1.

Division Two Aldershot 3 Crewe 1; Barnet 3 Burton 6; Bristol Rovers 2 Dagenham and Redbridge 0; Cheltenham 2 Plymouth 1; Crawley 1 Accrington 1; Macclesfield 0 Southend 2; Morecambe 2 Gillingham 1; Northampton 1 Rotherham 1; Oxford 2 Por t Vale 1; Shrewsbury 0 AFC Wimbledon 0; Swindon 0 Bradford 0; Torquay 2 Hereford 0.

Scottish Premier League results Aberdeen 1 (Foster 82) R angers 2

German League results Borussia Moenchengladbach 2 (Reus 21, 51) Hanover 1 (Pogatetz 26); VfL Wolfsburg 2 (Mandzukic 31, Schaefer 84) Hertha Berlin 3 (Raffael 27, Kobiashvili 37-pen, Lasogga 85); Bayern Munich 4 (G omez 2, 68, Schweinsteiger 19, Ribery 39) Nuremberg 0; Schalke 04 3 (Raul 28, Huntelaar 73-pen, 76) Hoffenheim 1 (I bisevic 63); VfB Stuttgart 1 (Tasci 22) Borussia Dortmund 1 (Piszczek 45+1); Mainz 05 1 (Bungert 23) Werder Bremen 3 (Pizarro 29, Hunt 47, Proedl 78).

Playing today: FC Cologne v FC Augsburg; Hamburg v Kaiserslautern Played Friday: SC Freiburg 0 Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Ballack 2) Italian Serie A results Catania 2 (Marchese 25, Bergessio 48) Napoli 1 (Cavani 1); Roma 2 (Burdisso 28, Bojan 87) AC Milan 3 (Ibrahimovic 17, 78, Nesta 31).

English Premier League table

10 10 10 9 10 8 10 10 10 10 9 9 10 10 10 9 10 10 10 10

9 7 6 5 5 5 5 3 2 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 1 2 1

1 2 1 4 3 1 1 4 6 3 3 3 2 4 4 1 2 3 0 2

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

36 27 23 12 14 15 20 14 13 12 7 7 9 14 13 10 9 13 13 6

8 12 15 6 10 13 21 15 13 15 11 14 13 12 12 13 17 23 27 17

English Football League tables Championship Southampton 14 9 3 2 31 14 West Ham 14 8 3 3 26 13 Crystal 14 7 3 4 18 12 M’brough 14 6 6 2 16 11 Derby 14 7 3 4 20 17 Hull 13 7 3 3 13 11 Leeds 13 6 3 4 24 19 Birmingham 12 6 3 3 18 13 Cardiff 13 5 5 3 23 19 Brighton 14 5 5 4 17 16 Ipswich 14 6 2 6 19 24 Peterborough 14 6 1 7 28 25 Blackpool 14 5 4 5 20 19 Leicester 14 5 4 5 17 17 Burnley 13 5 3 5 18 17 Reading 14 4 6 4 15 14 Millwall 14 3 6 5 16 17 Portsmouth 14 4 3 7 16 18 Barnsley 14 3 6 5 15 18 Nottingham 14 4 2 8 14 24 Watford 14 3 4 7 14 25 Coventry 14 2 6 6 11 17 Doncaster 14 2 3 9 9 23 Bristol City 14 2 3 9 11 26

28 23 19 19 18 16 16 13 12 12 12 12 11 10 10 10 8 6 6 5

30 27 24 24 24 24 21 21 20 20 20 19 19 19 18 18 15 15 15 14 13 12 9 9

Division One 16 11 4 1 16 9 7 0 16 10 2 4 16 8 5 3 16 7 6 3 16 8 3 5 16 7 4 5 16 7 4 5 16 7 4 5 16 6 5 5 15 7 2 6 16 5 7 4 15 6 4 5 16 6 4 6 16 3 9 4 16 5 3 8 16 4 5 7 16 4 4 8 16 4 3 9 16 3 5 8 16 3 5 8 16 3 3 10 16 3 3 10 16 2 5 9

34 34 31 30 27 29 19 20 24 22 29 25 21 22 23 18 18 19 15 15 19 19 16 16

12 13 23 20 16 22 16 18 27 17 29 24 23 25 23 25 27 26 28 20 30 29 26 26

37 34 32 29 27 27 25 25 25 23 23 22 22 22 18 18 17 16 15 14 14 12 12 11

Division Two Southend 16 11 2 3 Crawley Town 16 11 2 3 Morecambe 16 8 5 3 Oxford Utd 16 8 5 3 Cheltenham 16 9 2 5 Shrewsbury 16 8 4 4 Swindon 16 8 2 6 Burton Albion 15 7 5 3 Port Vale 16 7 4 5 Gillingham 16 7 3 6 Macclesfield 16 7 3 6 AFC Wimbledon 16 7 3 6 Torquay 16 5 6 5 Rotherham 16 5 6 5 Bristol Rovers 16 6 3 7 Aldershot 15 6 2 7 Crewe 16 6 1 9 Northampton 16 4 4 8 Accrington 16 3 7 6 Hereford 16 4 4 8 Bradford 16 3 5 8 Dagenham 16 4 1 11

31 33 33 25 23 21 25 25 32 27 19 25 25 28 22 20 19 17 14 13 18 15

14 22 16 14 17 17 15 20 24 21 16 30 25 29 27 18 23 24 21 27 24 28

35 35 29 29 29 28 26 26 25 24 24 24 21 21 21 20 19 16 16 16 14 13

Charlton Huddersfield Sheffield Sheffield Utd Milton Keynes Notts County Tranmere Brentford Carlisle Stevenage Preston Colchester Hartlepool Oldham Scunthorpe Bury Leyton Orient Bournemouth Exeter Walsall Rochdale Chesterfield Wycombe Yeovil

West Brom 0

Liverpool 2

BIRMINGHAM: Liverpool boosted their push for a top-four place after first-half goals from Charlie Adam and Andy Carroll secured a 2-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

Adam scored a ninth-minute penalty at the Hawthorns before Carroll made certain of the three points in first-half injury-time as Baggies manager Roy Hodgson failed to mastermind a repeat of last season’s triumph over his former club.

Following draws against Manchester United and Norwich, it was a first Premier League victory in three games for Kenny Dalglish’s team, who are now seven games unbeaten in all competitions and up to fifth, within a point of third-placed Chelsea.

Steven Gerrard was a notable absentee

Playing today Siena v Chievo, Bologna v Atalanta, Fiorentina v Genoa, Lecce v Novara, Parma v Cesena, Udinese v Palermo, Cagliari v Lazio.

Barnet Plymouth

16 16

3 3 10 19 36 12 2 2 12 12 33 8

Scottish Premier League table Rangers 13 11 2 0 27 5 Motherwell 13 8 2 3 17 15 Celtic 12 7 2 3 23 12 St Johnstone 13 5 4 4 15 11 Hearts 13 5 3 5 13 9 St Mirren 13 4 4 5 12 13 Kilmarnock 13 3 6 4 16 18 Dundee Utd 13 3 5 5 19 23 Hibernian 13 3 4 6 14 21 Aberdeen 13 3 3 7 13 16 Dunfermline 12 2 4 6 13 27 Inverness CT 13 2 3 8 13 25

35 26 23 19 18 16 15 14 13 12 10 9

Scottish Football League tables First Division Ross County 11 6 4 1 17 10 Falkirk 11 5 4 2 16 12 Livingston 11 3 7 1 16 12 Partick 11 4 3 4 19 13 Hamilton 11 4 3 4 16 12 Morton 11 4 3 4 13 19 Raith 11 3 3 5 11 13 Ayr 11 3 3 5 12 23 Q of South 11 3 2 6 11 14 Dundee 11 3 2 6 10 13

22 19 16 15 15 15 12 12 11 11

Second Division Cowdenbeath 11 7 2 2 26 Arbroath 11 7 2 2 26 Stenhousemuir 11 5 3 3 19 East Fife 11 5 1 5 17 Dumbarton 11 4 2 5 20 Brechin 11 3 4 4 14 Airdrie Utd 11 3 3 5 20 Stirling 11 3 3 5 16 Forfar 11 3 2 6 17 Albion 11 3 2 6 12

13 15 17 20 24 15 21 18 22 22

23 23 18 16 14 13 12 12 11 11

Third Division Annan Athletic 9 7 1 1 Stranraer 10 6 1 3 Queens Park 10 5 2 3 Alloa 9 5 2 2 Elgin 9 5 1 3 Clyde 9 4 2 3 Berwick 9 3 2 4 Montrose 9 3 0 6 Peterhead 9 1 1 7 East Stirling 9 1 0 8

21 23 18 16 17 16 15 12 10 6

11 13 16 16 10 10 15 20 18 25

22 19 17 17 16 14 11 9 4 3

German league table Bayern Munich 11 8 1 2 30 Schalke 11 7 0 4 22 Dortmund 11 6 2 3 21 Bremen 11 6 2 3 20 M’gladbach 11 6 2 3 13 Stuttgart 11 5 3 3 17 Hanover 11 5 3 3 14 Leverkusen 11 5 2 4 13 Hoffenheim 11 5 1 5 14 Hertha Berlin 11 4 4 3 15 Wolfsburg 11 4 1 6 14 Cologne 10 4 1 5 15 Nuremberg 11 3 3 5 12 Kaiserslautern 10 3 2 5 8 Mainz 11 2 3 6 13 Augsburg 10 1 5 4 8 Hamburg 10 2 2 6 12 Freiburg 11 2 1 8 14

3 16 8 14 8 9 15 14 12 15 20 23 18 13 22 17 22 26

25 21 20 20 20 18 18 17 16 16 13 13 12 11 9 8 8 7

Italian Serie A table AC Milan 9 5 2 2 19 14 17 Juventus 8 4 4 0 13 6 16 Udinese 8 4 3 1 10 3 15 Lazio 8 4 3 1 12 8 15 Napoli 9 4 2 3 13 7 14 Catania 9 3 5 1 12 12 14 Cagliari 8 3 4 1 9 6 13 Palermo 8 4 1 3 11 10 13 Genoa 8 3 3 2 13 11 12 Roma 9 3 2 4 11 11 11 Siena 8 2 4 2 7 5 10 Atalanta 8 4 3 1 11 9 9 Fiorentina 8 2 3 3 9 8 9 Chievo 8 2 3 3 6 7 9 Parma 8 3 0 5 10 17 9 Inter Milan 8 2 2 4 10 14 8 Bologna 8 2 1 5 5 12 7 Novara 8 1 3 4 11 16 6 Lecce 8 1 1 6 6 15 4 Cesena 8 0 3 5 3 10 3 Note: Atalanta deducted six points at start of season for match-fixing.

from Liverpool’s line-up after an ankle infection prompted him to be left out as a precautionary measure. The Reds were also without Jamie Carragher, who was sidelined with a calf injury. Hodgson selected Somen Tchoyi in place of the injured Shane Long in the only change to his Baggies team which defeated Aston Villa. The Baggies benefited from a controversial decision by the referee’s assistant in that match last weekend when Chris Herd was red carded, however this time they were on the receiving end of one.

Referee Lee Mason appeared ready to let play continue when Luis Suarez tumbled inside the area under a challenge from Jerome Thomas yet, despite the absence of claims from the Reds forward, his assistant Gary Beswick flagged for a penalty.

Following a lengthy delay as the Baggies angrily continued their protests, Scotland midfielder Adam kept his composure to roll the resulting penalty into the bottom-left corner. Liverpool soon had another penalty appeal when England striker Carroll went down as he jostled with Jonas Olsson, however Mason instead awarded a free-kick in the Baggies’ favour.

Thomas attempted to make amends in the 15th minute but the West Brom winger dragged his low shot well wide of the left post. The Baggies failed to extend Jose Reina in the entire first half, with a routine save to collect a tame Peter Odemwingie header the only occasion the Spanish goalkeeper was called into action.

Mason waved away yet more Reds penalty claims when Carroll’s header hit Steven Reid’s hand from point-blank range, while Uruguay international Suarez curled a 25yard free-kick over the crossbar after half an hour.

In-form Suarez was guilty of an uncharacteristic miss six minutes later when he fired wide of the goal from 10 yards after being picked out by Martin Skrtel.

But the former Ajax striker atoned on the stroke of half-time when his threaded pass picked out the unmarked Carroll, who slotted superbly beyond the advancing Ben Foster with the outside of his outstretched left boot.

Hodgson was evidently furious with his team’s defending, removing his coat and throwing it down in frustration. — AFP

Sunderland fight back for draw Sunderland 2

Aston Villa 2

Playing later Inter Milan v Juventus

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Man City Man Utd Chelsea Newcastle Liverpool Tottenham Arsenal Norwich Aston Villa Swansea Stoke QPR West Brom Sunderland Fulham Everton Wolves Blackburn Bolton Wigan

Adam and Carroll bag Liverpool win

SUNDERLAND: Sunderland twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa as Darren Bent endured a disappointing return to the Stadium of Light.

Stephane Sessegnon’s 89th-minute header clinched a vital point for Steve Bruce’s side after Villa defender Richard Dunne looked to have won the match for the visitors with an 85th-minute goal which made it 2-1.

The thrilling finale came af ter a game which saw England international Bent who infuriated Sunderland fans with his move to Villa in January-struggle to find the route to goal.

Stiliyan Petrov had shot Villa ahead with a stunning strike on 20 minutes, lashing in after receiving the ball from Alan Hutton for only his sixth goal in 167 games for Villa.

But the Bulgarian international’s opener was cancelled out seven min-

utes before half-time when summer signing Conor Wickham bagged his first Premier League goal.

The Sunderland youngster rifled in a left-footed effort from 10 yards after being played in by Hutton to make it 11. Sunderland continued to live dangerously however and Villa almost regained the lead when Petrov’s freekick rolled across the face of goal but just failed to cross the line.

An injury to Sunderland’s Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet opened the door for Black Cats’ substitute goalkeeper Keiren Westwood on 52 minutes.

Sunderland got on top and James Collins came to Villa’s rescue twice with clearances from dangerous positions.

Sunderland also had claims for a penalty waved away on 63 minutes, believing Hutton had handled as he blocked Nicklas Bendtner’s header.

Sebastian Larsson also went close in the 70th minute after Villa defender Chris Herd fouled Bendtner on the edge of the box only to see his curling freekick saved by Given.

A rare foray from the largely anonymous Bent almost proved costly for Sunderland but the striker was adjuged to have fouled Wes Brown as he sought to break clear. — AFP

Norwich fightback rocks Blackburn Norwich 3

Blackburn 3

NORWICH: Norwich staged a dramatic late fightback from two goals down to snatch a 3-3 draw against Blackburn at Carrow Road yesterday.

Paul Lambert’s side looked set for their fourth Premier League defeat of the season as Rovers raced into a 3-1 lead with two goals in two minutes in the second half.

But Norwich refused to surrender and Bradley Johnson reduced the deficit with eight minutes left before Canaries captain Grant Holt netted a stoppage-time penalty to rescue a point.

David Hoilett had put Blackburn ahead on the stroke of half-time but Steve Morison levelled for Norwich with a brilliant strike.

Goals from Ayegbeni Yakubu and Christopher Samba seemed to have put the visitors in charge until Norwich found their rhythm in the last eight minutes. Norwich’s revival could not stop Blackburn moving off the bottom of the table, but the manner of Rovers’ late

meltdown is sure to increase the pressure on under-fire boss Steve Kean.

Blackburn were on top early on and Norwich keeper John Ruddy dropped a corner that Yakubu flicked goalwards, only for Kyle Naughton to clear off the line. In first-half stoppage time, Rovers snatched the lead when Canada-born youngster Hoilett cut in from the left and curled a shot over Ruddy into the far corner. There was more urgency about Norwich at the start of the second half and former Millwall striker Morison levelled on 53 minutes with a fine finish.

Wes Hoolahan knocked the ball back into the Rovers box and an attempted clearance dropped to the Wales striker on the edge of the penalty arc.

Morison calmly controlled the bouncing ball with his left foot before then dispatching it back with his right over Robinson. Rovers, though, refused to roll over and were back in front after 62 minutes. Yakubu got ahead of the Norwich defence to reach a pass from Mauro Formica and drill the ball past Ruddy at the near post.

Before Norwich could regain their composure they were 3-1 down. Morten Gamst Pedersen’s free-kick was met by Samba at the far post and he headed home. Norwich had a lifeline with eight minutes left when Johnson’s deflected 20-yard shot looped up off Jason Lowe and over a stranded Robinson. — AFP

LONDON: Blackburn Rovers’ David Hoilett (left) scores against Norwich City during the English Premier League soccer match at Carrow Road. —AP

LONDON: Aston Villa’s Darren Bent (right) jumps with Sunderland’s Wes Brown during the English Premier League soccer match. —AP

Swansea pile on misery for Bolton SWANSEA: Swansea piled on the misery for struggling Bolton Swansea 3 with a 3-1 victory at the Liberty Stadium yesterday which left the visitors stuck in Bolton 1 the Premier League relegation zone.

Brendan Rodgers’ side took full advantage of Bolton defender Ricardo Gardner’s red card early in the second half as goals from Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham maintained Swansea’s unbeaten home record.

Graham’s own goal had given Bolton a brief glimmer of hope, but Wanderers have slipped to second bottom after their seventh defeat in their last eight league games.

Swansea came close to the opening goal when Sinclair just failed to get a touch on Nathan Dyer’s inviting ball across the box.

But it was Bolton who had the best effort of the opening 45 minutes as David Ngog’s smart turn and volley forced Michel Vorm to tip over the bar.

Swansea received a huge boost within four minutes of the restart as they took the lead moments after Bolton were reduced to 10 men. — AFP

Fulham leave Wigan deep in doldrums WIGAN: Fulham left Wigan deep in the doldrums at the foot of the Wigan 0 Premier League yesterday with a 2-0 win that propelled the Londoners Fulham 2 out of the bottom five.

Fulham leapfrogged Everton and Wolves as goals in either half from Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele handed Wigan their eighth consecutive defeat in a keenly fought affair at the DW Stadium. The Latics had their chances but missed them as Gary Caldwell headed over before the break and then Victor Moses and Maynor Figueroa both struck the woodwork afterwards.

Dempsey made them pay as he scored on a 41stminute breakaway and then Dembele bagged the second on 86 minutes to earn the visitors their first away victory of the season and only their second win of the campaign to date. Mark Schwarzer performed heroics in the Fulham goal on the half-hour mark, keeping the score goalless when it seemed Wigan would go in front. — AFP

Robles wins 110 hurdles gold at Pan-Am Games

Cardinals win World Series

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LONDON: Arsenal’s Robin van Persie guides the ball towards the goal during their English Premier League soccer match against Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge Stadium. —AP

Van Persie treble stuns Chelsea Chelsea 3

Arsenal 5

LONDON: Robin van Persie’s hat-trick helped Arsenal secure an astonishing 5-3 victory at Chelsea yesterday as the Gunners surged back into the race for a top-four spot.

Van Persie’s heroics fired Arsenal to an eighth win in their last nine games in all competitions, with Arsene Wenger’s sixthplaced side twice coming from behind

after trailing to goals from Frank Lampard and John Terry. Terry was included in the Chelsea line-up after a difficult week when he found himself at the centre of an FA investigation into allegations of racial abuse directed at QPR defender Anton Ferdinand last weekend.

But the afternoon belonged to Dutch forward van Persie, who struck twice in the final five minutes to clinch the points after Juan Mata had levelled the scores at 3-3. Andre Santos and Theo Walcott also scored for the Gunners and the manner of their victory will strengthen Wenger’s view that his side have moved on from a difficult start, which included a traumatic 8-2 defeat at Manchester United. For Chelsea, though, a troubled week got

worse with a second successive league defeat. Terry was always going to be the focus of attention coming into the game after another troubled week for the Chelsea captain saw him accused of racism. Against such a background, Terry might have allowed himself to be distracted by the off-field saga but his goal on the stroke of half-time confirmed his attention was trained solely on the game.

The same could not be said for a number of other defenders on both sides, however, whose lapses in concentration contributed to a hugely entertaining game. From the moment Ashley Cole eased his way past Arsenal’s makeshift right back Johan Djourou to set up a second-minute chance for Fernando Torres, it

was clear this would be an open game.

Lampard gave the home side the lead with a 14th-minute header from Mata’s cross, immediately after van Persie and Gervinho had spurned glaring opportunities for the visitors.

But with chances appearing at either end, it was quickly apparent that that would not be the final goal of the game.

Daniel Sturridge wasted a good chance to double the home side’s lead in the 29th minute and once again the miss proved to be costly, with van Persie responding with the equaliser seven minutes later.

The goal came from a swift, incisive passing move between Aaron Ramsey and Gervinho that ended with van Persie slotting in his 10th goal of the season.

City down brave Wolves

past Cech. The momentum of the game had swung Arsenal’s way and Chelsea appeared to be fast running out of ideas.

But Mata, so often Chelsea’s creative force this season, dragged them back into the game with a long-range effort that flew past Wojciech Szczesny. Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas would have expected his side to press on and clinch all three points. Instead, the opposite happened.

Terry slipped as he attempted to recover a misdirected pass from Florent Malouda, allowing van Persie to slot in Arsenal’s fourth in the 85th minute. Then the Dutchman completed his hat-trick in added time with a powerful left-foot finish to take his recent goal tally to seven in his last three league games.—AFP

Hernandez strikes as United bounce back

Man City 3

Everton 0

Wolves 1

MANCHESTER: Manchester City punished an error-strewn performance from Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to clinch a 3-1 victory yesterday to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table.

Edin Dzeko, Aleksandar Kolarov and Adam Johnson scored the goals for City, who were reduced to 10 men when captain Vincent Kompany was sent off for a foul which led to a penalty duly converted by Stephen Hunt. Hunt’s 75th-minute spot-kick reduced City’s lead to 2-1 and ensured a more anxious finale than should have been the case for the league leaders. City took the lead after 51 minutes when Hennessey saw a routine clearance charged down by Sergio Aguero. The ball broke kindly for Dzeko who had the simple task of steering the ball into an open net from the edge of the area.

Hennessey was also at fault after 66 minutes when Aguero found David Silva whose 18-yard strike was fumbled by the Wolves keeper, allowing Kolarov to react first and net the rebound from close range.

Finally, in the first minute of stoppage time, City’s nerves were eased after substitute Mario Balotelli broke down the right and squared the ball to Yaya Toure who, in turn, fed Johnson. The England winger took his time before delivering a superb finish into the bottom left-hand corner.

City had seemed in the mood to continue where they left off in the 5-2 midweek League Cup romp

Chelsea then gained their reward for shading the first half when Lampard’s corner was turned home by Terry. Wenger maintained during Arsenal’s difficult start to the season that his side lacked nothing in character and team spirit.

And they drew on those qualities to force their way back into the game at the start of the second half. Santos made up for his poor first-half showing four minutes after the break, taking advantage when Jose Bosingwa was caught out of position to fire home from just inside the area. Then six minutes later the Gunners were ahead when Walcott was allowed to recover his footing after falling over and work his way through a knot of Chelsea defenders before drilling a right-foot shot

Man United 1

LONDON: Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Roger Johnson (top) tumbles over Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli during their English Premier League soccer match. —AP at Wolves with Kolarov’s first minute corner causing problems for the visitors and falling for Samir Nasri, on the edge of the area, whose terrific strike was tipped over, acrobatically, by Hennessey.

Perhaps the start was too comfortable for City, or at least for full-back Micah Richards, because he was badly at fault in the seventh minute when he miscontrolled a simple through ball and delivered it to Hunt whose pass allowed Kevin Doyle to send a low shot skidding just wide of the City goal.

Soon however, Silva and Aguero were linking neatly with the latter’s shot passing high and wide of the goal before Dzeko sent Richards down the right with the forward almost netting the resulting cross via a deflection from Roger Johnson.

Silva’s short pass found unmarked Aguero 20 yards out at the midpoint of the first half and his thunderous shot was turned round his post by

another smart piece of goalkeeping from Hennessey.

Nasri showed persistence after 35 minutes when he dispossessed Adlene Guedioura and twisted into the Wolves area where his cross looked like being met by Dzeko until the forward appeared to be held down by Richard Stearman.

Finally Silva’s pass sent Dzeko sprinting ahead of the Wolves back-line with the City forward showing a neat turn of pace before shooting from the edge of the box and forcing Hennessey into the latest of a number of impressive saves.

Silva missed a near-post chance from Aguero’s cross soon after the restart although going a goal behind seemed to inspire their opponents.

Hunt beat the City defence just after the hour before delivering a centre which might have brought an equaliser. But, with Aguero and Silva benefiting from increasing space at the back, City were a constant threat. —AFP

LIVERPOOL: Manchester United recovered from their derbyday humiliation to return to winning ways thanks to Javier Hernandez’s first-

half goal at Everton here yesterday.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were far from their best, but it was about earning the result rather than the performance and that was achieved thanks to Hernandez’s fourth goal of the season. The win maintained the pressure on Premier League leaders Manchester City, who thrashed their rivals 6-1 last time out. But normal service was resumed at Goodison Park, with the visitors surviving few scares to earn a first win at the Toffees since 2007. Ferguson vowed there would be a response and made five changes from the side that suffered their Manchester derby drubbing.

Nemanja Vidic was recalled to the Manchester United defence as Rio Ferdinand was among those to pay the price for the heaviest home defeat since 1955.

Ferguson was keen to address a defence that had conceded more chances, and goals, than normal as he sought some protection for goalkeeper David De Gea. Yet the reshuffle still failed to stop the Spaniard being called into action with just 16 seconds on the clock. Seamus Coleman’s jinking run took him inside two defenders, only for the Irish winger to shoot straight at a relieved De Gea. It set the tone for an open start to the game, with Ferguson’s decision to include a three-pronged forward line underlining his intent to attack.

Danny Welbeck, one of the trio, found himself pushed out wide although a surging run and cross found Park Ji-Sung whose close-range shot was gathered by home goalkeeper Tim Howard with just three minutes played. But dominance followed and that final-

ly saw the visitors take a 19th-minute lead via Hernandez.

A fluent passing move saw the ball switched to Patrice Evra and the full-back’s cross found its way to an unmarked Hernandez as he swept into an empty net for his fourth goal of the season. It was the response the Manchester United manager wanted, and would have expected. Whether it was the early kick-off or the demands of facing the champions less than 72 hours after a League Cup tie with Chelsea that went into extratime, Everton looked flat and short of energy that has served them so well against the same opposition in recent times. This was all in stark contrast to the visitors, who dictated play and forced the home side, missing the injured Tim Cahill, on the backfoot.

The home crowd were becoming increasingly restless as they watched their side chasing shadows for long periods. They finally had something to shout about when Leon Osman collected Marouane Fellaini’s header to drive straight at De Gea in the 36th minute. If that was a warning, then Jack Rodwell issued an even bigger one seconds later as his driving run and shot flew inches past the post.

Everton’s first sustained concerted period of pressure continued and they could count themselves unfortunate not to have hauled themselves level in the 40th minute. After Vidic had blocked Fellaini, Leighton Baines’ 25-yard free-kick was lifted over the wall but bounced off the underside of the crossbar and to safety.

Ferguson would have been pleased for the respite of the changing room as the visitors began strongly once again after the half time break. But Everton were still creating chances as Rodwell’s shot was palmed out by De Gea in the 52nd minute.

It was the turn of Ferguson’s side to soak up the pressure and look to hit on the counter-attack, with Welbeck’s shot forcing Howard into a smart save on the hour mark. But the visitors survived few scares to hold out, despite being far from their best, to claim a vital win.—AFP

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Spinneys Group unveils ME expansion strategy Page 25 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

Kuwait bourse records marginal gains Page 24

NBK holds 4th Int’l Advisory Board Meeting Page 23

SINGAPORE: Passengers queue at Qantas check-in counters at Changi International Airport in Singapore yesterday. (Inset) Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard is seen in a video phone hand set as she speaks to the media in Perth yesterday. Gillard commented on the Qantas Airways global grounding of its fleet and the employee lockout. — AFP/AP

Qantas grounds entire fleet Travel chaos for passengers around the world SYDNEY: Australian flag carrier Qantas yesterday took the drastic step of grounding its entire fleet indefinitely in an escalating industrial dispute that sparked travel chaos for passengers around the world.

The airline, which has been hit by a series of strikes, said all employees involved in the action would be locked out from Monday evening without pay and flights grounded from 0600 GMT Saturday.

“We have decided to ground the Qantas international and domestic fleets immediately,” chief executive Alan Joyce said in a hastily announced press conference that surprised and angered the government.

The airline said pilots, engineers and baggage, ground and catering staff involved in the industrial action were essential to Qantas operations and their lockout made it necessary to take all planes out of service immediately.

Joyce said the airline would remain grounded “as long as it takes to reach a conclusion on this” and vowed not to bow to union demands. “That would destroy

Qantas in the long term,” he said.

“I’m actually taking the bold decision, an unbelievable decision, a very hard decision, to ground this airline.” Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard immediately intervened, taking the rare step of asking the industrial regulator to terminate the strike action because of the dangers it was now posing to the national economy. Canberra can get involved in industrial disputes if the economy or the welfare of Australia’s population is deemed to be under threat.

“I believe Australians want to see this sorted out. Businesses want to see it sorted out. Passengers want to see it sorted out. I want to see this dispute sorted out. That’s why we have approached Fair Work Australia,” she said. In its submission to the regulator, the government asked for the industrial action to be terminated or suspended for 90 days.

Fair Work Australia held a late-night hearing on the issue in Melbourne, hearing evidence from all sides with a decision on what happens next not expected until

today. Unions have been protesting against pay and restructuring plans that would see 1,000 jobs axed and the establishment of two new airlines focused on Asia. Unions fear many jobs will be outsourced to Asia.

The months of strikes have been costing Qantas Aus$15 million ($16 million) per week, with the total financial impact so far hitting Aus$68 million.

They have also been throwing people’s travel plans into chaos, a situation magnified by Saturday’s shock decision. Qantas said grounding the entire fleet affected 108 planes at 22 airports, with passengers across Australia as well as in regional hubs such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok feeling the impact.

The grounding of the fleet came a day after a heated annual general meeting, with Joyce being accused of running the carrier into the ground while reaping massive personal rewards.

Engineering union chief Steve Purvinas had warned that protests could stretch until mid-2012 while ground staff leader

Tony Sheldon threatened crippling 48-hour strikes. Australian pilots Saturday said Qantas was “holding a knife to the nation’s throat” and called for Joyce to be sacked immediately. “This is a stunning overreaction. It is straight-up blackmail,” said Australian and International Pilots Association vice -president Richard Woodward. “This is a grave and serious situation and the board should move to sack Mr Joyce immediately.”

But Joyce blasted the unions for running “utterly destructive industrial campaigns against Qantas and our customers, hurting all our employees and undermining Australian business”. “They are trashing our strategy and our brand,” he said, adding that company research showed an alarming increase in people who intended not to fly with Qantas. He said grounding the fleet would cost Aus$20 million a day.

The airline will offer hotel accommodation and try to find alternative flights for those who are mid-journey and cannot get home because of the grounding. — AFP

Iran downplays report India paying for oil via Russia BERLIN: Demonstrators hold up a banner as they take part in a protest march as part of the “Occupy Berlin” movement in Berlin yesterday to protest against the financial system. — AFP

Boubyan Bank plans 30 more local branches KUWAIT: Boubyan Bank said yesterday its fiveyear plan which began in 2010 includes plans to open a further 30 branches in Kuwait. Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Adel AlMajed said during the opening of the new Ahmadi branch, that this comes in response to the increased consumer demand for the bank’s services, in particular those of Islamic orienta-

tion. The bank aims to become the leading Islamic financial services provider in the country, he added.

Third quarter financial net profits posted by the bank were KD7 million, and Al-Majed viewed this as a “positive” sign brought about as a result of the bank’s newly-adopted Islamic services. — KUNA

TEHRAN: An Iranian Oil Ministry source played down yesterday a report that Indian oil buyers had started paying for their crude through a bank in Russia as a new way to get around sanctions-related difficulties in making international bank transfers. The semi-official Iranian Mehr news agency said on Friday that importers in India-Iran’s second biggest oil customer after China-were paying off oil debts through Gazprombank. “There has been no word of this at all ... No name has been mentioned, not Gazprom nor any other particular bank. These news reports are not valid,” said the ministry source.

Indian customers accumulated debts of some $5 billion in the first half of this year when the Reserve Bank of India scrapped a long-standing payment system, under pressure from Washington which is trying to isolate the Iranian economy. It has since paid off the debts through Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank but that conduit remains vulnerable if Washington applies more pressure

on Ankara to shut it down. In the Mehr report, Mohsen Qamsari, deputy head of the National Iranian Oil Company, said Tehran had “reached new agreements for receiving money for Iran’s oil exports,” but he did not specify any banks or countries involved.

“Iran’s central bank has different and diversified ways and methods for receiving its money from selling oil to India ... at the moment there is no Indian accumulated oil debt to Iran,” he told Mehr.

An Indian industry source said there had been talks about paying for Iranian oil via Gazprombank but no Indian companies had yet opened an account there and they were still paying through Halkbank.

The Iranian ministry source told Reuters: “Receiving oil money through different methods is being followed up as was always the case.”

Iran is India’s second biggest oil supplier after Saudi Arabia and exports total about $12 billion a year, meeting about 12 percent of India’s import needs. — Reuters

Portugal wants US help in euro crisis ASUNCION: Portugal asked Mexico yesterday to tell fellow G20 members next week that the United States should offer “financial help” to resolve the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis, describing it as a “systemic and global” problem, a Portuguese government source said.

Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho asked Mexican President Felipe Calderon to convey the message during the G20 meeting in Cannes next week, the source told reporters after the two leaders met at the IberoAmerican summit in Paraguay.

“The crisis isn’t in the euro zone. It is a systemic and global crisis and we hope that other big G20 countries intervene,” the source told reporters in the capital Asuncion, speaking on condition of anonymity. The source added that Washington should help resolve the crisis “by boosting trade and also with financial help.”

No one from Calderon’s delegation in Asuncion could immediately be reached for comment. Financial markets rallied strongly this week after European leaders hammered out a deal to recapitalize their banks, boost the firepower of a euro-zone rescue fund, and impose hefty losses on holders of Greek debt. However, economic analysts quickly warned that details of the rescue could still take weeks or even months to work out. — Reuters

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BUSINESS

Markaz golden sponsor of 3rd Kuwait Financial Forum PM to patronize forum from Oct 31 to Nov 1 KUWAIT: Kuwait Financial Centre SAK “Markaz”, announced that it is a golden sponsor for The Kuwait Financial Forum under the patronage of H H the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The Forum will be held on the 31st October - 1st November 2011 at Sheraton Kuwait.

The Forum, which is organized

by Al Iktissad Wa Aamal Group in cooperation with the Central Bank of Kuwait and Kuwait Banking Association, joined by a number of local and international institutions will discuss the global economy rocky path of recovery and the ongoing upheavals in a number of Arab countries that had a considerable impact on their economies imposing future challenges for these countries and the Arab region.

On this occasion, Micheline Najem, Vice President, Media and Communication Department,

“Markaz” said, “Following on the success of last year’s forum, and given the suppor t it receives from major governmental institutions headed by Central Bank of Kuwait and Kuwait Banking Association, we are looking for-

ward to witness the panel discussions in the forum’s agenda.

Different topics will be discussed in the forum that are significant to the current economical environment and is expected to attract the participation of heads and executive managers of most banks and financial institutions in the Arab world, as well as

international banks active in the region, Islamic banks, central bank governors, economists and banking experts.”

Najem added “Main topics on the Forum’s agenda will include the perspective of central banks,

main trends in the Arab economies in the period of political transformation, global economic prospects, the Arab banking industry facing the political upheaval in the region, regaining equilibrium in Arab financial markets and Prospects of future trends in world financial markets.

Markaz participation is an attes-

tation of its leading position in the fields of Investment Banking and Asset Management. Markaz brings along its thought leadership on the latest development and economic challenges that are effecting the industry locally and in the region.”

Markaz will participate in the panel discussion taking place in the second day of the forum where Manaf Alhajeri, CEO of Markaz will be a panelist in the 5th session titled “Can Arab Financial Markets Regain Momentum?” Joined by a number of leading financial figures from local and international institutions.

There will also be an exhibition featuring all the main sponsors, where “Markaz” team will be present to answer queries and provide all the information on the company, its products and ser vices, and the promising investment opportunities.

AUB reports 19.5% rise in net profit for first 9 months of 2011 KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank BSC (AUB) reported a net profit attributable to its equity shareholders of $240.3 million for the nine months ended 30 September 2011, a 19.5% increase over the same period in 2010 ( Y TD Q3/2010: $201.1 million). During Q3/2011, net profit attained was 20.6% higher, on a quar terly comparable basis, at $ 78.6 million (YTD Q3/2010: $ 65.2 million). The Group’s net operating income rose by 15.2% to $481.3 million over the same period last year, reflecting the Group’s resilience in operating in the current difficult regional and international environment. The resultant basic earnings per share was $4.8 cents for the period ended 30 September 2011( Y TD 30 September 2010: $4.1 cents).

Net interest income for YTD Q3/2011 increased by 12.3% to $415.7 million ( Y TD Q3/2010: $370.2 million). Fee income slightly increased to $91.2 million, a 1.7% increase on a YTD basis. Judicious cost control measures together with the intelligent spend culture adopted by

the Bank resulted in the cost income ratio improving to 31.6% (YTD Q3/2010: 32.7%), despite an unfavourable currency translation effect.

2010: 2.4%). Provision charge during the current period declined by 15.0% to $117.1 million. The overall provision coverage ratio (including collective

AUB Chairman Fahad Al-Rajaan Prudent risk management and monitoring of the risk asset portfolio sustained its asset quality with the non performing loans ratio contained at 2.5% as at 30 September 2011 (31 December

impairment provisions) increased to 137% as compared to 119% as of 31 December 2010.

Return on Average Equity for the nine-month period ended Q3/2011 of 13.1%, significantly

improved over the 12.1% level achieved in the same period in 2010. Return on Average Assets also improved to 1.3% ( Y TD Q3/2010: 1.2%).

Asset growth was prudently managed at $27.2 billion at 30 September 2011 up by 2.8% from $ 26.5 billion at 31 December 2010 which mainly resulted from a 3.6% increase in loans & advances to $15.0 billion.

Customers’ Deposits increased by 12.4% (+$1.8 billion) to reach $16.7 billion which enabled AUB to reduce its dependence on wholesale funding by $1.4 billion during the year.

“AUB continued its solid performance into the third quarter of 2011 against the backdrop of a very difficult regional and international operating environment.

The sustained growth in net operating income and net profit attained demonstrates AUB’s resilience and the effectiveness of its business model based on geographic and product diversification within a prudent risk framework” said Fahad Al-Rajaan, Chairman, AUB.

X-cite by Alghanim Electronics wins ‘Retail Partner of the Year’ resellers and retailers covering HP’s market segments. “This award reflects the unwavering commitment by X-cite to build and to deliver excellent customer value by leveraging the latest in technologies and bringing it as early as possible to our loyal customers.

We are delighted to have been selected by HP as Retail Partner of the Year” said Samer Sayegh, Vice President - Alghanim Electronics.

Earlier in the year X-cite won Super Retailer at the Reseller Middle East awards as well as Best Retailer at the Middle East Retail Academy (MERA) awards.

X-cite is the largest consumer electronics retailer in Kuwait and the Middle East. X-cite delivers a modern, dynamic and convenient shopping experience, with the sole objective of delighting its customers. With touch and feel displays, cash and carry shopping, highly trained multi lingual sales force and the latest gadgets and gizmos, shopping at X-cite is a superlative experience. Operating a network of 16 stores, its customers are offered an unparalleled shopping experience by providing most international brands under one roof and at guaranteed lowest prices. The experience is further enhanced by providing its customers with easy credit, 24-hour shopping in select outlets, extended warranty programs with 24hour free delivery and installation.

KUWAIT: X-cite by Alghanim Electronics took the IT Retail industry by storm by winning ‘Retail Partner of the Year’ at the 2011 HP Channel Awards held recently, at the Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai. X-cite emerged as a clear winner in the Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) as well the Personal Systems Group (PSG). The HP Retail partner of the year award is given to those who demonstrate leadership in defining the local IT market with breakthrough strategies.

X-cite won this prestigious award for achieving the highest supplies-to-hardware ratio in the Middle East as well as for being the first direct retail account for HP in the region. X-cite’s innovative marketing campaigns and strong partnership with HP have resulted in increased end user awareness of HP’s new PC and printing technologies, giving customers in Kuwait increased access to market-leading devices. X-cite has been successful in not only achieving an outstanding growth rate but have enabled more speed and agility in managing the business across the PC and Printing categories.

Representing the X-cite team were Samer Sayegh (Vice President - Electronics), Rohit Gandotra (Director - Category Management) and Mohamed Bazzy (Senior Product Manager -IT ) who received the award in the presence of more than 300 attendees comprising of distributors,

Germany finds 55bn euro after accountancy error Friday, adding the reason for the error still needed to be clarified.

The government nonetheless welcomed the news which pointed to a further reduction of Germany’s debt mountain, which remains above the European Union’s Maastricht requirement for 60 percent of GDP. However, the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) expressed astonishment at the extent of the accountancy error, for which they see the government as responsible. “This is not a sum that the Swabian housewife hides in a biscuit tin and forgets,” said SPD parliamentary leader Thomas Oppermann. “To overlook such a sum is completely irresponsible.” —Reuters

BERLIN: Germany is 55.5 billion euros ($78.7 billion) richer than it thought due to an accountancy error at the bad bank of nationalized mortgage lender Hypo Real Estate (HRE), the finance ministry said. Europe’s largest economy now expects its ratio of debt to gross domestic product to be 81.1 percent for 2011, 2.6 percentage points less than previously forecast, it said. The HRE-linked bad bank FMS Wertmanagement was set up after HRE was nationalised in 2009, so that HRE could transfer the worst non-performing assets to an off-balance sheet bank guaranteed by the German state. “Apparently it was due to sums incorrectly entered twice,” said a ministry spokesman on

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2720000 .4360000 .3800000 .3090000 .2710000 .2850000 .0040000 .0020000 .0742390 .7232880 .3810000 .0700000 .7090520 .0040000 .0430000

.2775000 .4460000 .3890000 .3200000 .2810000 .2950000 .0072500 .0035000 .0749850 .7305580 .4010000 .0760000 .7161780 .0072000 .0530000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2734500 .2755500 GB Pound/KD .4381900 .4415550 Euro .3825570 .3854940 Swiss francs .3114640 .3138560 Canadian dollars .2736280 .2757290 Danish Kroner .0513950 .0517890 Swedish Kroner .0421840 .0425080 Australian dlr .2874100 .2896170 Hong Kong dlr .0351900 .0354600 Singapore dlr .2169030 .2185690 Japanese yen .0035970 .0036250 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0056230 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0025100 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0031860 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0036350 UAE dirhams .0745200 .0750920 Bahraini dinars .7260180 .7315910 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3899580 Saudi Riyal/KD .0729790 .0735400 Omani riyals .7109260 .7163830 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0064120

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.664 5.626 3.165 2.491 3.462 221.350 35.373 3.603 6.444 8.999 0.271 0.273

GCC COUNTRIES 73.323 75.550 714.170 730.300 74.871

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 48.500 46.030 1.258 198.810 388.290 184.500 5.936 35.237

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 274.850 Euro 393.040 Sterling Pound 447.320 Canadian dollar 281.320 Turkish lire 157.690 Swiss Franc 324.840 Australian dollar 293.180 US Dollar Buying 273.650

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH 291.700 730.590 3.850 280.400 539.600 36.500 53.200 167.800 48.040 392.600 36.060 5.920 0.032 0.225 0.239 3.720 389.870 0.186 91.890 46.200 4.230 229.700 1.780

51.900 713.540 3.200 6.510 76.000 73.350 222.590 38.100 2.595 447.200 42.000 322.300 5.400 9.320 198.263 74.900 275.100 1.200

713.360 3.165 6.445 75.570 73.350 222.590 38.100 2.491 445.200 320.800 5.400 9.190 74.800 274.700

10 Tola

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 445.200 274.700

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL DRAFT 296.200 730.590 3.607 278.900

222.600 46.038 391.100 35.910 5.640 0.031

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

297.59 281.07 323.28 392.26 445.12 3.68 3.623 5.626 2.493 3.522 3.168 74.76 730.56 46.04 390.75 713.79 75.73 73.33

292.00 278.25 317.00 388.50 444.10 3.62 3.705 5.800 2.595 4.250 3.220 75.00 731.00 48.15 392.00 717.00 76.10 73.50

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 389.270 0.185 91.890 3.540 228.200

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate 274.950 274.585 439.935 384.350 311.290 728.985

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

74.835 75.470 73.280 387.025 46.049 2.491 5.523 3.175 3.621 6.354 674.425 3.700 8.965 5.790 3.540 91.330

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,796.660

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

GOLD 318.000 160.000 82.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran) US Dollar 274.600 Pak Rupees 3.165 Indian Rupees 5.570 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.505 Bangladesh Taka 3.620 Philippines Peso 6.410 UAE Dirhams 74.865 Saudi Riyals 73.380 Bahraini Dinars 730.100 Egyptian Pounds 46.015 Pound Sterling 445.400 Indonesian Rupiah 3.190 Yemeni Riyal 1.550 Jordanian Dinars 390.100 Syrian Pounds 5.750 Euro 389.700 Canadian Dollars 280.500 Nepali rupee 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 274.250 Euro 390.000 Pound Sterling 442.900 Canadian Dollar 278.500 Japanese Yen 3.630 Indian Rupee 5.626 Egyptian Pound 46.025 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.489 Bangladesh Taka 3.602 Philippines Peso 6.445 Pakistan Rupee 3.170 Bahraini Dinar 730.500 UAE Dirham 74.750 Saudi Riyal 73.300 *Rates are subject to change

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BUSINESS INSEAD report

Can environmental awareness spur on CleanTech innovation?

By Dr Yasser Al-Saleh

T

he Environmental Agency in Abu Dhabi has recently announced the results of a major survey conducted to gauge environmental awareness across the Emirate. The results confirmed expectations: in terms of environmental consciousness, there has been a gradual increase over the past few years.

However, the question is: Does a high level of awareness really matter when it comes to stimulating demand for sustainable energy technologies (including renewable energy products)?

Additionally, is there a strong case for grassroots innovation or a communityled approach to stimulate CleanTech innovation in the Arab world?

The success of the leading countries in the renewable energy arena can be explained in part by strong levels of public support. Take Germany for example where the public started to take a genuine interest in renewable energy after their country was first struck hard by the oil crisis of the 1970s, then witnessed the disastrous events of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 whilst also seeing European forests die off due to acid rain from burning coal. As a result of strong anti-nuclear and environmental movements driven by the public, the German government made a series of effective policy interventions that paved the way for a leading renewable energy industry in that country.

However, what has worked in Germany would not necessarily work here. The Arab world does not enjoy the high levels of citizen engagement and democracy that have existed for a long time in the west. In fact, the limited influence of public participation in policymaking in the Arab world makes one wonder about the true worth of public awareness campaigns.

Educating the public about the environment is, of course, important when it comes to rationalizing domestic electricity consumption or promoting recycling schemes. Even if governments provide the necessary recycling facilities and infrastructure, their efforts are deemed to be failures if the public does not collaborate and make such campaigns effective.

However, it is often not the case that strong public support for a certain cause will drive government policy in this region. So why are the Gulf governments, who preside over the world’s most substantive reserves of fossil fuels, pursuing a green agenda?

Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, some high profile topdown green initiatives are being rolled out. These include green building codes,

renewable energy centres of excellence, recycling initiatives, at least one zero-emission city and one international renewable energy agency.

While cynics might say many such green initiatives are driven by rivalry between neighboring countries and cities, the fact that sustainability has become a fashionable concept among the world’s biggest carbon producers can only be a good thing.

Whilst at first glance the GCC countries appear to be natural allies of fossil fuel-based energy, their ambitious economic diversification plans suggest otherwise. In addition, recognizing that sustainability is an important aspect of modern living, GCC governments are understandably keen on projecting their countries as twenty-first century places to work, live and do business. Not only has the GCC region become a home for a sizable number of highly-educated westerners but it is also home to an expanding local elite who are highly global in their thinking, outlook and values.

Until recently, public participation has been restricted to supporting government policies rather than influencing their direction, not to mention questioning the utility of these policies. It is interesting, therefore, to notice that in the GCC this has worked to the advantage of the sustainability agenda. A continuation in offering massive subsidies for petroleum-based products has neutralized the resistance to a green agenda which has been witnessed in some parts of the world. Furthermore, the GCC governments have not imposed any environmental taxes, but rather made extensive use of awareness campaigns and to a lesser extent regulations to change public behavior.

Elsewhere in the Arab world, the situation is likely to change as a result of the wave of democracy, commonly referred to as the Arab spring, which has recently swept many parts of the region. One would expect to witness an increase in the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) not only in terms of engagement with civil society but also in the promotion of transparent policymaking and grassroots-initiated innovation.

After all, citizen empowerment is a key component of the sustainable development that all societies aspire to attain.

For the time being, however, civil society and green NGOs continue to have limited bearing on formulating national policy choices and technology diffusion strategies in the Arab states, let alone any influence on related global issues such as climate change mitigation and the proliferation of nuclear energy.

Dubai Islamic Bank Q3 profit climbs DUBAI: Dubai Islamic Bank , the Gulf Arab emirate’s third-largest bank by market value, reported yesterday a 10.5 percent rise in third-quarter net profit, beating analyst expectations.

DIB made a profit of 298 million dirhams in the three months ended Sept. 30, up from a profit of 269.58 million dirhams in the comparable period one year earlier.

The lender beat analysts’ expectations. Two analysts polled by Reuters had estimated third-quarter profit of 247 million and 283 million dirhams. Provisions for impairment increased to 216.8 million dirhams in the third quarter. Total assets rose 3.7 percent to 93.5 billion dirhams, while customer deposits climbed 8.2 percent to 68.6 billion dirhams in the quarter.— Reuters

Kuwait crude price rises to $107pb KUWAIT: The price of Kuwait crude oil rose 77 cents in the Friday trading reaching $107.45 per barrel compared to $106.68 pb on Thursday’s dealing.

The rise of the price of the Kuwaiti crude coincided with a decision by the European states, adopting a package of measures to cope with the sovereign debts crisis in the euro-zone. The prices of oil have been affected with an agreement among euro-zone states to increase the resources for the financial

salvage fund one trillion euros. These decision by the European leaders tapered off fears vis-a-vis economic sluggishness that in turn affected demand for the crude.

These prices dropped on Thursday due to reports from Japan about slump in the industrial sector. Meanwhile, jitters remained prevailing across the global oil market. However, this unstable situation helped in keeping the prices at the level of $100-110 pb. — KUNA

Air France cancels flights as 5-day strike continues PARIS: Air France cancelled about one in five flights and warned of wider disruption as a five-day strike by flight attendants over employment terms began yesterday, in the middle of a busy holiday weekend. A spokeswoman for the airline said it aimed to ensure 80 percent of some 1,000 daily flights, short- and long-haul, at the two major Paris airports, Orly and Charles de Gaulle.

In a statement posted on its website, the carrier said that it had cancelled 10 longhaul flights to destinations such as New York, Tokyo, Montreal, Abu Dhabi as well as cities in West Africa. “We do not rule out other last-minute cancellations and delays,” the website advisory on www.airfrance.fr said. Several unions are urging cabin staff to strike until the end of Wednesday, raising the prospect of serious disruption during what is a busy travel period. One of their grievances is a plan to reduce staffing

on long-haul trips.

Tuesday, Nov 1 is a public holiday in France and many people take Monday off to extend the weekend break. It also falls during the mid-term school holidays.

Transport Minister Thierr y Mariani denounced the strikers, saying they were shooting themselves in the foot by disrupting air traffic in a peak period.

“Management has been very clear. There is no threat of job cuts,” he told LCI television. “If the company has problems, it’s not a five-day strike at a big exodus time that will improve its image and competitiveness.” Shares in Air France-KLM, which is due to publish financial results on Nov. 9, took a hit this week when a media outlet said it was preparing to issue a profit warning. The carrier said last Tuesday, in response to that media report, that it would not publish any financial information before Nov 9. —Reuters

NBK holds 4th International Advisory Board Meeting Discussions address challenges posed by ‘Arab Spring’ KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) held its fourth annual International Advisory Board (IAB) meeting in Kuwait to discuss the latest developments in the Arab world and their implications on the future of the region.

The meeting was chaired by John Major, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and attended by Amr Moussa, former Secretary General, League of Arab States, and Ayad Allawi, former prime minister of Iraq, as special guests.

The meeting shed light on the latest developments in the political, economic and security spheres in the region and addressed the forthcoming challenges posed by the “Arab Spring”. It has also provided insight for NBK’s future strategy.

In addition to John Major, NBK’s IAB brought together a selection of the most renowned and influential world figures and experts in the fields of business, economy, politics, strategic and academic studies. The list of participants included Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited from India, Anthony Cordesman, Arleigh A Bruke Chair, CSIS,

Mohammed El-Erian, CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO, Martin Feldestein, President Emeritus of NBER and Professor of Economics at Har vard University, William Rhodes, Senior Advisor and Former Vice Chairman at Citigroup from the United States, Peter Davies, Former Chief Economist, PB PLC, from the United Kingdom,

Abdulatif Al-Hamad, Chairman and Director General, Arab Fund, from Kuwait and Lubna Olayan, CEO of Olayan Financing Company from Saudi Arabia among others.

NBK International Advisory Board sets a precedent for Banks and Financial institutions in the Middle East.

BMW develops laser light for the car KUWAIT: As a globally successful carmaker within the premium segment, the BMW Group attaches the utmost importance to advanced technology in all sectors of automotive manufacturing. Exclusive innovations and technological leaps secure BMW’s lead amongst the competition. In the field of exterior vehicle lights, BMW also leads the way for example with full LED headlamps for the BMW 6 Series and with new developments such as the “Anti-dazzle High- Beam Assistant”.

After LED technology, laser light is the next logical step in car light development.

BMW engineers are currently already working on the introduction of laser light as a further pioneering technology for series production within a few years. Laser light could then facilitate entirely new light functions for even more safety and comfort and at the same time contribute significantly through its higher degree of efficiency towards a saving in energy and fuel respectively.

Laser light produces virtually parallel light beams.

By definition, laser lighting is radically different from sunlight, and also from the various types of artificial lighting in common use today. For a start, laser lighting is monochromatic, which means that the light waves all have the same length. And it is also what is known as a “coherent” light source, which means that its waves have a constant phase difference. As a result, laser lighting can produce a near-parallel beam with an intensity a thousand times greater than that of conventional LEDs. In vehicle headlights, these characteristics can be used to implement entirely new functions. Also, the high inherent efficiency of laser lighting means that laser headlights have less than half the energy consumption of LED headlights. Simply put, laser headlights save fuel.

The intensity of laser light poses no possible risks to humans, animals or wildlife

when used in car lighting. Amongst other things, this is because the light is not emitted directly, but is first converted into a form that is suitable for use in road traffic. The resulting light is very bright and white. It is also very pleasant to the eye and has a very low energy consumption.

Laser diodes are already in use today in the consumer sector. Completely safe laser lighting technology is already in use in a variety of consumer products, though in many cases this is a product feature that goes unnoticed by the customer. That won’t be the case when this technology is used in cars, however, as planned by BMW. Here the whole point is that the advantages should be noticeable and visible. A further advantage of laser lighting technology, and one which the BMW engineers intend to use to full effect, is its high inherent efficiency. It is not surprising that BMW is also planning to

take advantage of laser lighting technology to increase the efficiency of the overall vehicle. And appropriately enough it is in a concept vehicle from the new BMW i sub-brand, the BMW i8 Concept, that laser lighting will get its first airing. After all, BMW i stands for a new premium concept that is strongly oriented towards sustainability.

Laser lighting: high efficiency and safety.

Safety is a key consideration in the development of laser lighting for use in passenger cars. For BMW, the complete eye safety of this technology for all road users and its complete reliability in day-to-day use have top priority. Importantly, therefore, before the light from the tiny laser diodes is emitted onto the road, the originally bluish laser light beam is first of all converted by means of a fluorescent phosphor material inside the headlight into a pure white light which is very bright and pleasant to the eye.

Kuwaiti sailing enthusiasts invited to Dubai’s ‘Pre-owned Boat Show’ KUWAIT: Following the successful debut last year of the Middle East’s only ‘Pre-Owned Boat Show’, organizers Dubai Creek Marina along with title sponsor MIDEX AIRLINES are encouraging sailing enthusiasts from the Kuwait to attend this year’s expanded show, to be held from November 17th to 19th.

Kuwait is the largest market for marine vessels in the Middle East according to the latest figures from the government of Kuwait, with over 18,000 registered leisure boats.

With leisure boating being one of the most popular activities in the country, the market is still growing and the country’s marina network is expanding to absorb the increased demand.

The only event of its kind ever in the region, the Dubai Pre-Owned Boat Show brings together sellers and buyers of preowned yachts from around the region for a ‘one stop-shop’, providing yachting enthusiasts value and choice in a fun-filled family setting featuring entertainment for adults and kids alike. “ The inaugural event last year was a resounding success attracting over 5,000 visitors, including over 60 boats and over 20 retailers, with boats to the value of over KD 4.14 million on display. As successful as it

was, we are confident that this year’s event will be even bigger, so we have invited regional exhibitors and guests and have even expanded the exhibition area by 20%,” said Mustafa Al-Hashimi, Club Manager of Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.

Speaking about his expectations for this year’s event, Mustafa Al-Hashimi said: “With the expanded venue for this year’s Boat Show, potential buyers from Kuwait will have an even larger range of options of affordable crafts in different classes to choose from. The Boat Show will also provide an even larger audience of yachting enthusiasts from all around the region for exhibitors from Kuwait to showcase their crafts to. We welcome Kuwaiti buyers and sellers to register as soon as they can, as we anticipate high participation.”

With key par tners such as Arabian Scandinavian Insurance Co (ASCANA) on site to provide alternative modes of insurance and Gulf Finance on hand to provide marine finance for buyers, customers looking to purchase a pre-owned vessel are in a position to conveniently ‘buy it and sail it’ back home. For Kuwaiti buyers not able to sail back immediately, the Dubai Creek Marina will be able to berth their vessels in the state-of-the-art

facilities free of charge for up to a month.

From the basic to the exclusive, the Dubai Pre-Owned Boat Show will showcase a selection of boats that cater to all tastes and needs, ranging from 25 ft to 165 ft and prices of KD 2,258 to over KD 1.88 million. Especially attractive to the Kuwaiti market will be a range of boats that can be parked in dry lots.

Exhibitors can choose to display their boats on land or sea, at a cost of KD 2 per foot per day on water, or on land cost per day per bay for KD 38, with retail space starting from KD 94 per day.

Dubai Creek Marina, in association with its partners, has introduced specially designed travel packages for sailors from Kuwait. With “Awaken” package daily rates starting from KD 119 for a single room and KD 141 for a double room, visitors to The Dubai Pre Owned Boat Show will be able to buy it, sell it and sail it all while relaxing in the comfort of the idyllic Park Hyatt hotel, nestled in the Marina area on the Dubai Creek. Visitors can also take advantage of the “Awaken” package at other Hyatt hotels including the Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency.

Registration is now open for selling and exhibiting at the Dubai Pre-Owned Boat Show.

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BUSINESS

Kuwait bourse records marginal gains KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase of 0.11%, while the weighted index rose by 0.02% compared to the closings of the week before.

Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover dropped by 3.66%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 22.89 million, whereas trading volume average was 160.49 million shares, recording decrease of 3.79%.

KSE continued recording limited gains for the third consecutive week, as a result of positive speculations’ presence, which concentrated on small stocks, while the leading stocks were relatively less active.

On the other hand, the traders are waiting for the 9 months 2011 results for listed companies, as until mid of Thursday, only 13% of listed companies announced its results. The traders are looking carefully into the announcements, as many companies might get suspended from trading if not succeeded to announce its results within the legal time

BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT period. In addition, 7 out of 9 banks announced its results. Their total profits were KD 373.64 million, with 373.64% growth compared to the same period last year, where it was KD317.38 million.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 5,902.10 points, up by 0.11% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.02% weekly gain after closing at 413.86 points.

Sectors’ Indices Four of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other four recorded declines. Last week’s highest gainer was the non-Kuwaiti Companies sector, achieving 1.84% growth rate as its index closed at 5,430.0 points. Whereas, in the second place, the

Services sector’s index closed at 13,277.2 points recording 0.89% increase. The Food sector came in third as its index achieved 0.27% growth, ending the week at 4,381.9 points. On the other hand, the Insurance sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 2.42% to end the week’s activity at 2,520.2 points. The Investment sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.66%, closing at 3,708.2 points, followed by the Banks sector, as its index closed at 11,450.8 points at a loss of 0.62%.

Services sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 22.32% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 179.08 million shares. On the other hand, the Investment sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 28.32 million or 24.75% of last week’s total market trading value. The Services sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 27.71 million represented 24.22% of the total market trading value.

Sectors’ activity The Investment sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 362.37 million shares changing hands, representing 45.16% of the total market trading volume. The

Market capitalization KSE total market capitalization declined by 0.04% during last week to reach KD 29.15 billion, as six of KSE’s sectors recorded a decrease in their respective market capitalization,

whereas the other two recorded increases. The Insurance sector headed the decliners list as its total market capitalization reached KD 292.62 million, decreasing by 2.38%. The Food sector was the second in terms of recorded decline with 1.16% decrease after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 721.06 million.

The third place was for the Bank sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 12.82 billion by the end of the week, recording a decline of 0.76%. The Investment sector was the least declining with 0.13% recorded decrease after its market capitalization amounted to KD 2.20 billion.

On the other hand, the Services sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 7.30 billion, increasing by 1.63%. The Non Kuwaiti Companies sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 1.19% increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 1.76 billion.

For further details, please visit our web site: www.bayaninvest.com.

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ATC diamond sponsor of Horeca Kuwait KUWAIT: The Advanced Technology Company (ATC) announced its diamond sponsorship for the Horeca Kuwait, a catering and hospitality exhibition to be hosted at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel on the 22 and 24 January 2012. It will be organized by the Leaders Group for Consulting and Development in cooperation with Hospitality Services of Lebanon.

“The sponsorship is motivated by pioneering role played by ATC’s in several fields. This is the time when we aim to boost our experiences with the hope of solidifying our role as a leading supplier in health care, hospitality and kitchen requirements,” said Chief Executive Ghassan Mamlouk in a press statement.

The ATC’s pavilion will showcase the latest technologies in the kitchen industry, featuring major companies including MKN, Burlodge and Girbau.

“The ATC carried out expansions in major medical, hotel and real estate fields during the past few years in line with the country’s economic atmosphere. The government is encouraging the private sector to boost investment,” Mamlouk added, mentioning several

execution and equipping projects that his company has contributed to such as the Messila Beach Hotel, Hotel Missoni in Salmiya, as well as ongoing

Chief Executive Ghassan Mamlouk projects such renovating the Bayan Palace’s central kitchen, the Salmiya Hotel, kitchens of the new Ministry of Education building in south Surra.

Americans spending more with income almost flat WASHINGTON: Americans are making a little more money and spending a lot more. Under normal circumstances, that would be a troubling sign for the economy. But a closer look at some new government figures suggests another possibility: People are saving less money because they’re earning next to nothing in interest. Saving is already difficult because of more expensive gas and food.

It’s even tougher because of the lower returns - the flip side of super-low interest rates that the Federal Reserve has kept in place since 2008 to help the economy.

Critics say the Fed is punishing those who play by the rules - those careful enough to set aside money for savings or people who built up a nest egg and are living on fixed incomes that depend on interest.

Americans spent 0.6 percent more in September, three times the increase from the previous month, the government said Friday. Spending was especially strong on durable goods - things like cars, appliances and electronics.

At the same time, what they earned was mostly flat. Pay increased 0.3 percent, and overall income just 0.1 percent.

After deducting taxes and adjusting for inflation, income fell for a third straight month.

So to make up the difference, many have cut back on savings. The savings rate fell to its lowest level since December 2007, the first month of the recession - and right about the time the Fed started its dramatic series of interestrate cuts.

Considering how little you can get for parking your money at a bank, it hasn’t been a tough choice. “Consumers have hit a level of saturation in their savings,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with market research firm The NPD Group. “The propensity is to spend.”

The annual yield on six-month certificates of deposit was unchanged this week at 0.23 percent, according to Bankrate.com. Five years ago, it was 3.62 percent. If you put your money in the sixmonth CD today, you’d make about enough to buy a burger.

Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at

Capital Economics, said the trend could mean more spending by Americans. But it will take robust personal spending along with improvement in the depressed housing market - to get the economy going again.

Ashworth said his firm is not too concerned with the decline in savings because it partly represents “a sharp decline in debt servicing costs.” In other words, low interest rates mean it’s cheaper to borrow money. The Fed began cutting interest rates four years ago at the start of the financial crisis. The rate cuts took the federal funds rate, the key for short-term interest rates, from 5.25 percent down to near zero, where they have stayed since December 2008.

The central bank has said it will keep rates super-low into 2013 as long as the economy stays weak. While that means low returns for savers, it is designed to encourage people and businesses to borrow more.

Many borrowers tend to be young families who are spending most of their income anyway. The loss in interest income tends to hit older households, which are saving for retirement and counting more on bonds and other fixed-income securities.

Consumer spending is closely watched because it accounts for about 70 percent of economic activity. A sharp rise in spending over the summer helped the overall economy grow in July, August and September at the fastest pace in a year.

Still, the economy would have to grow twice as fast to put a dent in the unemployment rate, which has stayed near 9 percent since the recession officially ended more than two years ago.

At the same time savings accounts and other fixed-income investments are paying less, the cost of food and gas has gone up. Elizabeth Smith, who works in teacher education at the University of Arkansas, has cut her monthly contribution to her retirement savings in half to meet necessities.

“Every time I go to the store, butter, cheese and milk are more expensive,” she said. Child care costs for her two children have also risen this year. —AP

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Spinneys Group unveils ME expansion strategy KUWAIT: Spinneys, the premium grocery retailer in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), unveiled yesterday its regional expansion strategy, which includes actively expanding the company’s existing presence in Lebanon, Egypt and Qatar, opening its first store in Jordan, and identifying strategic opportunities to establish a presence in new markets across the MENA region.

The management of Spinneys, which was founded in 1924 in Egypt, highlighted the company ’s ambitious growth plans at a launch ceremony that took place in Beirut, Lebanon, to mark the opening of the seventh and largest Spinneys branch in that country.

The event, timed to coincide with the 13th anniversary of Spinneys’ current operations in Lebanon, was attended by representatives of the business community, partners, suppliers and the senior management of Abraaj Capital, the main investor in the Spinneys Group.

This new store, strategically located in Hazmieh, a bustling residential and commercial neighborhood, represents the single largest investment ever made by the Spinneys Group in the MENA region.

“The opening of our Hazmieh store underlines our confidence in the Lebanese economy and determination to contribute to its growth,” said Waqar Siddique, Chairman of the Board of Spinneys and Chief Operating Officer, Abraaj Capital Limited, speaking at the store opening ceremony.

“With active support from Abraaj Capital, Spinneys will continue to deliver on its regional expansion strategy, as demonstrated by planned store openings in Achrafieh, Jbeil and Mtaileb over the next 14 months,” Siddique said. “We anticipate opening stores in two additional locations in Lebanon 2013 and are very excited by the growth prospects this offers to the retail and commercial sector in Lebanon.”

Spinneys is also focused on ongoing expansion outside Lebanon, including entry into the Jordanian market, which will be

marked by the opening of a hypermarket in the new Taj Mall, located in the upmarket Abdoun area of Amman. Store rollouts are also planned in Qatar and Egypt in the coming weeks. Michael Wright, Chief Executive Officer, Spinneys Group said: “We constantly anticipate our customers’ expectations and work relentlessly to present inventive concepts that encourage them to enjoy an attrac-

The new store in Hazmieh being inaugurated. tive experience. This new store in Hazmieh is our flagship, showcasing our vanguard retail concept in a large sales area, bringing shoppers innovative offerings in terms of store layout, sections and traffic flow, and the best assortment of both locally sourced products as well as goods specially imported by Spinneys.”

Wright added: “On the occasion of the Hazmieh opening, we are delighted to

whilst never compromising on quality.”

The new Spinneys store in Hazmieh provides a retail selling area of 8,000 square meters on a single level with unique features that offer customers a differentiated shopping experience.

Visitors to the store will notice the ambience and exceptional finishing of the environment in the supermarket, reflective of the “shop in style” theme.

Ibero-American summit focuses on global crisis ASUNCION: Leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal were to wrap up a two-day summit here called to discuss the best way for their countries to weather the effects of the global economic slowdown. The economies of Spain and Portugal have been battered by the euro-zone crisis, which has ushered in new austerity measures and reduced European buying power.

According to economists, the ripple effect from the crisis has reached Latin America, which has seen its exports of raw materials to European nations dwindle.

Even as Europeans labored to put their finances on a healthy footing, Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo warned summit participants that the worst may not be over. “This year we are facing a more serious crisis than before created by developed countries,” Lugo told his counterparts. “And in the absence of a solution, this crisis appears to be getting worse every day.”

Ibero-American Secretary Enrique Iglesias of Uruguay, a former head of the Inter-American Development Bank, warned that in addition to the crisis in Europe, Latin American nations should closely monitor the situation in Asia, which, in his view, could deteriorate. “Our growth has been the result of solid macroeconomic policies and a good market for commodities, stimulated by a vigorous demand in

Asia,” Iglesias said.

Nevertheless, he cautioned, Latin America should prepare to “decisively face the probable imbalances in Asia.” He also urged countries not to rely excessively

drop “due to the crisis in Europe, and the demand in countries like China is less, this will have an important impact in the region.”

However, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, and several presidents from Central America. As regional leaders exchanged opening remarks, foreign ministers worked in private on the text of a

ASUNCION: General view of the plenary session of the XXI Iberoamerican Summit at the Conmebol Convention Center in Asuncion yesterday. Leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal were to wrap up a two-day summit here on the best way for their countries to weather the effects of the global economic slowdown. — AFP on exports. “Countries with social justice are not built based on commodity exports,” Iglesisas said. The World Bank issued a similar warning. Pamela Cox, a senior World Bank official for Latin America and the Caribbean, argued that if commodity prices

Japan, India to accelerate rare earth development

HIALEAH: Elsy Santiago (left) and her sister Betsy shop at a store in Hialeah, Florida. Consumers boosted their spending in September at three times the pace of the previous month but their incomes barely budged. They financed the gains from savings, sending the savings rate to the lowest level since the start of the Great Recession. —AP

announce the launch of the Spinneys loyalty card, which builds on the three years of success our customers have enjoyed with the Spinneys rewards scheme.

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TOKYO: The foreign ministers of Japan and India agreed yesterday at a meeting in Tokyo to accelerate a joint development of rare earth mineral deposits in the South Asian country.

Koichiro Genba and his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna also confirmed they would move forward stalled talks on a civilian nuclear cooperation pact at a joint news conference after their meeting. “The two countries will move ahead with a joint development,” of rare earth deposits in India, said Genba, quoted by Jiji Press, in line with an accord reached last year when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan. Japan has looked to diversify rare earth supplies for its high-tech industries-ranging from computer components to hybrid carsas China, which controls more than 90 percent of global supply, has tightened its export quotas.

Genba also said the two countries “will move forward talks on the civilian nuclear cooperation pact while paying consideration to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation,” according to Jiji. The pact would allow Tokyo to export its cutting-edge nuclear technology to the energy-hungry South Asian nation, a hotly contested market for atomic plants.

But negotiations on the deal have stalled after the March 11 quake and tsunami in northeast Japan triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, the world’s worst since Chernobyl 25 years ago. Japan-the only country to have suffered atomic bombings and a key voice in global denuclearisation efforts-has also expressed concerns because nuclear-armed India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. — AFP

Zapatero expressed confidence that the Ibero-American summit “could help strengthen relations among member nations.”

The start of the summit was marred by the absence of the leaders of economic powerhouses Brazil and Argentina,

final declaration.

According to Paraguayan Foreign Minister Jorge Lara, the declaration was expected to “focus on the imperative to shift the emphasis of economic development onto the needs of people.”— AFP

Europe bailout fund chief says yuan bonds possible BEIJING: The head of Europe’s rescue fund said the facility could provide investors some protection against initial losses and that it may issue bonds in yuan depending on whether Beijing wants it.

Klaus Regling, chief executive of the European Financial Stability Facility, said the EFSF could offer to take the first 20 percent of losses in a new investment vehicle that is aimed at drawing money from emerging countries such as China.

“The EFSF will take a certain tranche that will be a junior tranche, which means if something goes wrong, the first loss will be carried by the EFSF. It could be around 20 percent,” Regling said.

Regling, who is in China to persuade Beijing to invest in the fund and help Europe survive its debt crisis, was speaking at an academic discussion at Tsinghua University.

He said the fund has the authority to sell bonds in any currency, and that it could issue bonds in yuan if China approves of the arrangement.

But he noted this could be difficult right now.

Regling said he has met with various Chinese government officials to discuss how best to structure the EFSF to attract money from investors. He said he expects to submit a proposal on how the scaledup fund should look by November.

Regling is in cash-rich China just two days after euro zone leaders struck a last minute deal to boost the firepower of its rescue fund, recapitalise banks and reduce the debt burden on struggling Greece.

But European leaders are now under pressure to come up with a plan on how to expand the 440billion- euro EFSF to 1 trillion euros. European officials have said the expansion may be achieved either by offering insurance to buyers of euro zone debt in the primary market or via a new special purpose investment vehicle that it hopes would draw funds from China and Brazil, among other countries. — Reuters

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business US wealth gap shows need for fairer approach: Obama WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama, seizing on a report that showed America’s rich getting richer while the rest of the country struggled to get ahead, said yesterday that Republicans were thwarting a fairer approach.

“Republicans in Congress aren’t paying attention. They’re not getting the message,” the president said in his weekly radio and Internet address.

Obama, a Democrat, has tried to tap anger at the super-rich, which has sparked Occupy Wall Street protests nationwide, to push congressional Republicans to pass his $447 billion jobs bill.

Republicans oppose his jobs bill because it is funded by raising taxes on Americans earning more than $1 million a year, which they say would hurt, not help, employment creation.

The president, who must convince voters he has a better plan to cut the 9.1 percent unemployment rate than Republicans when he fights for reelection next year, has also been using the executive powers of his office to roll out smaller job initiatives all week to show he is striving to spur growth.

Citing a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office this week, which found incomes of the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans tripled between 1979 and 2007, Obama said most Americans agreed with his take on the problem.

“In this country, we don’t begrudge anyone’s wealth or success-we encourage it. We celebrate it. But America is

better off when everyone has had the chance to get ahead-not just those at the top of the income scale,” he said.

Obama, trying to paint Republicans as the party of the rich, was hammering home a message likely to be key in his campaign to retain the White House next year.

His opponents say the president is deliberately ignoring proposals to spur hiring that they have put before Congress in order to score political points as he eyes the 2012 election.

“Politics and pessimism won’t get America back on track,” said Representative Bobby Schilling of Illinois in the Republican weekly address. “Republicans have a jobs plan, one with some bipartisan support, but it’s stuck in the Senate,” he said. That was a reference to 15 job measures passed by the Republicancontrolled US House of Representatives that have not advanced in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The White House says none would lift growth in the short run. Estimates by private St. Louis-based research firm Macroeconomic Advisers found the Republican measures would mainly benefit the economy in the longer run by changing the incentives of people to work and invest.

Macroeconomic Advisers reckons Obama’s jobs bill, if enacted in full, would raise US economic output by slightly more than 1 percentage point in 2012 and create 1.3 million jobs. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Occupy Wall Street demonstrator Monica Hunken sings a song in front of Wells Fargo’s corporate headquarters during a march and rally in midtown Manhattan to deliver letters to bank CEOs at their corporate headquarters on Friday in New York. —AP

Many US cities leave Wall Street protesters alone NEW YORK: While more US cities are resorting to force to break up the Wall Street protests, many others Philadelphia, New York, Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon, among them - are content to let the demonstrations go on for now.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for example, said Friday that the several hundred protesters sleeping in Zuccotti Park, the unofficial headquarters of the movement that began in midSeptember, can stay as long as they obey the law. “I can’t talk about other cities,” he said. “Our responsibilities are protect your rights and your safety. And I think we’re trying to do that. We’re trying to act responsibly and safely.”

Still, the city made life a lot harder for the demonstrators: Fire inspectors seized a dozen cans of gasoline and six generators that powered lights, cooking equipment and laptops, saying they were safety hazards.

In the span of three days this week,

police broke up protest encampments in Oakland, California, Atlanta and, early Friday, San Diego and Nashville, Tennessee.

State troopers in Nashville cracked down after authorities imposed a curfew on the protest. Twenty-nine people were arrested and later released after a judge said the demonstrators were not given enough time to comply with the brandnew rule. They received citations for trespassing instead.

Several dozen people remained on the grounds after the new curfew passed Friday at 10 p.m. It was not immediately known how many protesters were arrested. More than 200 people came to a meeting Friday night to talk about the arrests and future plans.

Fifty-one people were arrested in San Diego, where authorities descended on a three-week old encampment at the Civic Center Plaza and Children’s Park and removed tents, canopies, tables and other furniture. — AP

When Congress vacillates, Obama promises action $447 billion growth plan stalemated WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama yesterday promised Americans not to hesitate to take the action needed to grow the economy and create jobs when Congress fails to act on his agenda.

“The truth is, we can no longer wait for Congress to do its job,” Obama said in his weekly and Internet address. “The middleclass families who’ve been struggling for years are tired of waiting. They need help now,” the president added.

“So where Congress won’t act, I will.” The comments came after Obama’s $447-billion proposal aimed at reviving economic growth

and curbing 9.1 percent unemployment got stalled in Congress. The White House has touted the jobs bill as a shot-in-the-arm for the economy, and accused Republicans of playing politics by blocking it.

Democrats have vowed to break the bill down and bring votes on each of its components, but the success of this strategy is far from certain given the firm control Republican have in the House of Representatives. Obama condemned congressional Republicans, saying they were not “paying attention” to the needs of American people and “not getting the message.” He added: “Over and over, they

Most Greeks negative on EU summit deal: Poll ATHENS: Most Greeks have responded negatively towards an EU agreement which slashed the country’s debt because they believe it harms their national sovereignty, according to a poll yesterday.

The survey published by newspaper To Vima and conducted immediately after Thursday’s summit agreement on a new 130 billion euro bailout package for debt-stricken Greece, showed that nearly 60 percent of Greeks viewed the deal as negative or probably negative. The package involves banks, pension funds and insurers- which hold more than 200 billion euros of Greek debt- accepting a 50 percent writedown to make Greece’s colossal debt mountain more sustainable.

Greece’s total debt of more than 350 billion euros is predicted to top 160 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year. Around half of those surveyed said the agreement signed in Brussels was a blow to Greece’s sovereignty, handing more control over economic affairs to the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

Only 36 percent of the 1,009 people questioned in the telephone poll said the package was positive or probably positive for Greece.

Anger at the latest round of austerity measures demanded by Greece’s international creditors after the government missed deficit targets erupted into protests in many towns and cities during a national holiday on Friday. A major military parade in the northern city of Thessaloniki was cancelled when protestors shouted “traitors” at President K arolos Papoulias and other officials, amid frustration at unemployment running at over 16 percent and falling living standards.

Nearly three-quarters of those questioned said they wanted Greece to remain in the euro, with less than one-fifth saying they wanted a return to the drachma currency. Yesterday’s opinion poll showed Greeks that the majority of Greeks — 55.5 percent-wanted their political parties to show more unity. Prime Minister George Papandreou’s Socialist government has faced bitter opposition from both sides of the political spectrum and from within its own ranks to measures to cut the public payroll and reduce wages and pensions.

The party was reduced to just 153 members in the 300-seat parliament after Papandreou expelled one legislator for voting against labor reforms last week, prompting speculation that tough votes in the coming weeks on the 2012 budget and approval of the EU summit decisions could force it toward elections. A large majority of those questioned, 75.6 percent, said they wanted the decisions from the EU summit to be approved by 180 lawmakers-implying that the opposition would have to vote in favor of it. But only 37.3 percent of those questioned said they wanted elections now.

The government, which has said the EU package will not trigger any fresh austerity measures, has rejected requiring a wider majority for the vote.

Most Greeks said they would not want Papandreou to be in charge of a national unity government, with former ECB Vice President Lucas Papademos as the most favored candidate followed by conservative opposition leader Antonis Samaras. Samaras’ New Democracy party was the most popular political group, with 22 percent suppor t, followed by Papandreou’s Socialist party on 15 percent. More than a quarter of Greeks said they were undecided on who they would vote for. — Reuters

Have you heard? Buy the dip WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: With the S&P 500 about to end its best month in almost 40 years, many would be happy to cash in gains and start packing for the ski slopes. But some underperforming investors are being cornered into putting yet more money into US stocks.

The S&P 500 on Friday closed its fourth week of gains and is up more than 13 percent in October alone. But many, including hedge funds, were caught wrong-footed by the rally. Even though some pullback may be expected next week, the clearer picture after the European deal “should give a green light for many of the funds to get back in risk assets,” according to Robert Francello, head trader at hedge fund Apex Capital, which manages about $2 billion in San Francisco.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to see some further gains into the year end,” he said. Hedge funds, among the equity market’s power players, are on average sitting on losses of 8 percent for the year according to Hedge Fund Research. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 is up for the year, if only a bit more than 2 percent. A JPMorgan note to clients following Thursday’s 3 percent rally on the US benchmark index argues for a “strong foundation for an equity rally into year end,” with a 1,400-1,475 target. That’s more than the 8

have refused to even debate the same kind of jobs proposals that Republicans have supported in the past-proposals that today are supported, not just by Democrats, but by Independents and Republicans all across America.”

The president highlighted the executive actions he took this past week to help families refinance their home mortgages, put veterans to work, and lower the cost of student loans.

“These steps will make a difference,” Obama said. “But they won’t take the place of the bold action we need from Congress to get this economy moving again.” —AFP

percent gain hedge funds would need to come out of the red for the year. “If you’re a hedge fund manager and you want to put money to work it feels like it has to be on the long side: buying stocks, buying risky assets,” said Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at the ConvergEx Group in New York.

“For the moment, you’ve taken away major risk in Europe and you’ve replaced it with a potential positive in stock valuations and no double -dip.” European leaders reached a long-awaited agreement to boost the region’s bailout fund and struck a deal with banks and insurers who will take a 50 percent loss on their Greek bonds.

A more disorderly default from Greece, and the possibility of sovereign defaults spreading in Europe, were part of the reason the S&P 500 closed its worst quarter since 2008 in September.

The market was also relieved after data earlier this week showed the US economy grew at its fastest pace in a year in the third quarter. A heavy flow of job market data, capped on Friday by the government’s monthly report of job payrolls, will be closely watched to confirm the upbeat macroeconomic trend. A Reuters poll of economists shows employers created 95,000 jobs

in October. More than 100 S&P 500 companies will report earnings next week, with Lowes, Pfizer and Kellogg among the highlights. Among the more than 300 that have already posted earnings for the past quarter, roughly seven out of 10 have reported better numbers than analysts expected.

Some expect the Federal Reserve to announce another round of asset purchases-similar to the quantitative easing plan set up last year that sparked a year-long rally in stocks. An equities rally following Fed purchases would most likely be led by commodity-related sectors, said Apex Capital’s Francello. “The Fed is beginning to lay the groundwork for another round of quantitative easing, so that should also put some wind in the back of risk assets,” he said.

The technical picture is also turning bullish, with the S&P moving this week above its 200-day moving average for the first time since early August.

At 1,285 the S&P faces resistance just below 1,300, an RBC Capital Markets note said, but the year-end trend for stocks points higher. “We’re still in a period of high volatility so you can’t take anything for granted,” said Colas from ConvergEx Group.

“Do you buy the dips? I believe that is the case.” —Reuters

PAMPLONA: Silvana Leonardi 19, born in Italy, begs in the street while protecting herself from the cold with a blanket, as young boy gives her a coin in Pamplona northern Spain yesterday. The carton reads” We are a pair who are on the street because of this crisis. I am pregnant. Please help us. We are from the Navarre region”. —AP

Occupy Wall Street raises $450,000 ALBANY, New York: A person close to the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City says the demonstrators’ first financial report will show they have raised $454,000 and have spent just more than $50,000 in the movement’s first five weeks.

The person provided the financial report to The Associated Press. The report was being released Friday evening in New York City’s Zuccotti Park, where

the protesters have an encampment.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the spreadsheet analysis hadn’t been released.

The spreadsheet shows most of the spending is for food, clothing, laundry, medical supplies and treatment, Internet services, cameras and telephone and computer expenses.

Park expenses, including sanitation, have cost more than $1,100. — AP

Fitch sees no slowdown in Macau’s gaming market HONG KONG: Ratings agency Fitch said yesterday Macau’s casinos were showing no signs of a slowdown despite China’s economic growth cooling, as the territory cements its role as the world’s biggest gambling hub.

Casinos in the former Portuguese colony posted large profit increases in their latest earnings season, even though investors were said to be increasingly concerned about a possible dip in Macau’s gaming market.

“Despite some recent concerns that casino operators in Macau may soon face a tougher revenue environment, Fitch sees no evidence that tighter credit conditions and slowing growth in China are pressuring Macau gaming demand,” the agency said in a statement. Fitch said the Macau market will continue to post solid growth “albeit at a decelerating rate moving into 2012”.

Shares in the casinos plunged earlier this month as concerns over China’s economic prospects triggered fears of a credit squeeze in the country, which would affect the mainland Chinese high-

rollers who have fuelled Macau’s rise.

China’s growth slowed to 9.1 percent in the third quarter, from 9.5 percent in the previous quarter, as government efforts to tame inflation and turbulence in Europe and the United States curbed activity.

Macau’s gambling revenue jumped 39 percent year-on-year in September and grew 46 percent in the JanuarySeptember period from a year earlier.

Analysts are bullish on its October figures, which could set a new monthly record. Since the city’s gaming sector was opened up to foreign competition in 2002, Macau has leapfrogged Las Vegas in gaming revenue and continues to post record-breaking growth.

The boom in the gaming industry in Asia stands in sharp contrast to US venues such as Las Vegas, previously a byword for gambling but which is now suffering the effects of the global downturn. Macau, which was handed back to China in 1999, is the only Chinese city where casino gambling is allowed. It has six licensed casino operators. — AFP

MACAU: People wait for the opening of the casino outside the City of Dreams complex in Macau. Ratings agency Fitch said yesterday Macau’s casinos were showing no signs of a slowdown despite China’s economic growth cooling, as the territory cements its role as the world’s biggest gambling hub. — AFP

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TECHNOLOGY

India shuts server linked to Duqu computer virus MUMBAI: Indian authorities seized computer equipment from a data center in Mumbai as part of an investigation into the Duqu malicious software that some security experts warned could be the next big cyber threat.

Two workers at a web-hosting company called Web Werks told Reuters that officials from India’s Department of Information Technology last week took several hard drives and other components from a server that security firm Symantec Corp told them was communicating with computers infected with Duqu.

News of Duqu first surfaced last week when Symantec said it had found a mysterious computer virus that contained code similar to Stuxnet, a piece of malware believed to have wreaked havoc on Iran’s nuclear program.

Government and private investigators around the world are racing to unlock the secret of Duqu, with early analysis suggesting that it was developed by sophisticated hackers to help lay the groundwork for attacks on criti-

cal infrastructure such as power plants, oil refineries and pipelines.

The equipment seized from Web Werks, a privately held company in Mumbai with about 200 employees, might hold valuable data to help investigators determine who built Duqu and how it can be used. But putting the pieces together is a long and difficult process, experts said.

“This one is challenging,” said Marty Edwards, director of the US Department of Homeland Security’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team. “It’s a very complex piece of software.” He declined to comment on the investigation by authorities in India, but said that his agency was working with counterparts in other countries to learn more about Duqu.

Two employees at Web Werks said officials from India’s Department of Information Technology came to their office last week to take hard drives and other parts from a server.

They said they did not know how the malware got on to Web Werks’

server. “We couldn’t track down this customer,” said one of the two employees, who did not want to be identified for fear of losing their jobs. An official in India’s Department of Information Technology who investigates cyber attacks also declined to discuss the matter. “I am not able to comment on any investigations,” said Gulshan Rai, director of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, or CERT-In. Stuxnet is malicious software designed to target widely used industrial control systems built by Germany’s Siemens. It is believed to have crippled centrifuges that Iran uses to enrich uranium for what the United States and some European nations have charged is a covert nuclear weapons program.

Duqu appears to be more narrowly targeted than Stuxnet as researchers estimate the new trojan virus has infected at most dozens of machines so far. By comparison, Stuxnet spread much more quickly, popping up on thousands of computer systems.

Security firms including Dell Inc’s

SecureWorks, Intel Corp’s McAfee, Kaspersky Lab and Symantec say they found Duqu victims in Europe, Iran, Sudan and the United States. They declined to provide their identities.

Duqu-so named because it creates files with “DQ” in the prefix-was designed to steal secrets from the computers it infects, researchers said, such as design documents from makers of highly sophisticated valves, motors, pipes and switches.

Experts suspect that information is being gathered for use in developing future cyber weapons that would target the control systems of critical infrastructure. The hackers behind Duqu are unknown, but their sophistication suggests they are backed by a government, researchers say. “A cyber saboteur should understand the engineering specifications of every component that could be targeted for destruction in an operation,” said John Bumgarner, chief technology officer for the US Cyber Consequences Unit.

That is exactly what the authors of Stuxnet did when they built that cyber

weapon, said Bumgarner, who is writing a paper on the development of Stuxnet.

“They studied the technical details of gas centrifuges and figured out how they could be destroyed,” he said. Such cyber reconnaissance missions are examples of an increasingly common phenomenon known as “blended” attacks, where elite hackers infiltrate one target to facilitate access to another. Hackers who infiltrated Nasdaq’s computer systems last year installed malware that allowed them to spy on the directors of publicly held companies. In March, hackers stole digital security keys from EMC Corp’s RSA Security division that they later used to breach the networks of defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp.

Researchers said they are still trying to figure out what the next phase of Duqu attacks might be. “We are a little bit behind in the game,” said Don Jackson, a director of the Dell SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit. “Knowing what these guys are doing, they are probably a step ahead.” —Reuters

YouTube launches broad entertainment venture Video site to unveil over 100 new channels

SEOUL: People walk past a billboard of Samsung Electronics’ new Galaxy Tab 10.1 at a subway station in Seoul on Friday. — AP

Behind the numbers: Samsung passes Apple in phones NEW YORK: For the first time, Samsung Electronics Co shipped more smartphones in the latest quarter than tech industry darling Apple Inc. On the surface, this may look like a big upset in a world that gives the iPhone maker adulation and outsized expectations. The real reason, however, has more to do with timing and Samsung’s variety of offerings and prices.

Apple sold 17.1 million iPhones in the third quarter, 3 million fewer than expected. The South Korea-based Samsung, meanwhile, shipped more than 27 million, according to analyst estimates. So what happened? For one, Apple’s latest iPhone, the 4S, didn’t come out until the quarter ended, so its sales are not included in the figure. People held back on buying older models in anticipation of the new iPhone, which came out Oct. 14. Apple said it sold more than 4 million units in its first weekend on sale, and that should be reflected in the count for the current, holiday quarter. “People were waiting,” said Francis Sideco, analyst with the research firm IHS. “We don’t see this as a signal that Apple is all of a sudden losing its edge.

It’s their normal thing. But while they are doing this normal thing, Samsung is (going strong) and they happen to have a really good quarter.”

Samsung’s quarter was helped by strong sales of its Galaxy phones, though Sideco said the numbers shouldn’t lead to the conclusion that the Samsung Galaxy beat the Apple iPhone.

“What beat it is Samsung’s lines,” Sideco said. Besides the Galaxy line, Samsung’s phones include Conquer, Replenish, Focus and Indulge. IHS estimates that Samsung sold about 40 different models during the third quarter. By comparison, Apple had just two - the 4 and the 3GS. Samsung does not disclose

the number of phones it ships. IHS, formerly known as iSuppli, estimates that Samsung shipped 27.3 million smartphones in the latest quarter. Jae Lee from Daiwa Securities puts the figure at about 28 million.

Analysts cautioned against reading too much into the numbers, but such comparisons are tempting given that the rivalry between the two companies has heated up and extended into the courtroom. Apple says the product design, user inter face and packaging of Samsung’s Galaxy devices “slavishly copy” the iPhone and Apple’s iPad tablet computer. Samsung fought back with lawsuits of its own, accusing Apple of patent infringement of its wireless telecommunications technology.

Even as Samsung sold more phones, Apple seems to be making more money on each. That’s one of the reasons Apple is now the most valuable tech company in the world, with a market value about three times that of Samsung. Apple competes on - and dominates - the high-end smartphone market. By contrast, Samsung has both cheap and expensive phones available. That means Samsung can appeal to a broader range of customers, but the company has to settle for a lower profit margin on lower-end smartphones. Sideco called both strategies good. Good, but different.

Apple, which is based in California, limits the market it addresses because it is safeguarding its profit margin on the iPhone, said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi. More expensive phones mean higher margins for the company, which so far hasn’t focused on the market for lower-end phones.

“It’s part of their plan,” Milanesi said. “If they wanted to capture a wider segment of the market, they would go with a lower-end device.” — AP

This image provided by NASA shows the liftoff of the Delta II rocket with its NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) spacecraft payload is seen shortly after launch on Friday at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. NPP is the first NASA satellite mission to address the challenge of acquiring a wide range of land, ocean, and atmospheric measurements for Earth system science while simultaneously preparing to address operational requirements for weather forecasting. — AP

NEW YORK: YouTube is making a bold step into original programming in an entertainment venture with some 100 content creators, from Madonna to The Wall Street Journal.

The Google Inc-owned video site said Friday that it’s launching more than 100 new video channels. The partners include an array of Hollywood production companies, celebrities and new media groups that will produce mainly niche-oriented videos.

YouTube is shelling out $100 million to producers, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The money is an advance on advertising money the videos will bring in, and Google will recoup its portion first before splitting the proceeds. Advances are as high as $5 million per channel, said another person familiar with the arrangement, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

Neither person was authorized to comment publicly on the matter. Google declined to offer financial details of the deals, but said the majority of revenue will go to partners.

Participants include Madonna, former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, comedian Amy Poehler, actor Ashton Kutcher, “Office” star Rainn Wilson, spiritual doctor Deepak Chopra and “Modern Family” actress Sofia Vergara. Most are creating channels through their production companies. Madonna is a partner with the dance channel DanceOn, while O’Neal plans the Comedy Shaq Network. Lionsgate is presenting a fitness channel, and other channels will be launched by news satire the Onion, professional wrestling’s WWE, online magazine Slate and news service Thomson Reuters.

The channels will roll out beginning this month, though most will premiere next year.

YouTube says the channels will add 25 hours of new original content daily, with dozens of Web series debuting at scheduled times.

Ultimately, YouTube is aiming to create a new

digital video platform that will rival television programming. In a blog posting Friday night, YouTube said the channels are being developed “specifically for the digital age.” The video site compared the expanded video offerings to the advent of cable television.

YouTube has tried to build a more advertiser-friendly product of professional-quality

ly produced content to its huge roster of usergenerated videos, to give users of its Google TV platform something to watch.

Major Hollywood networks such as News Corp.’s Fox and The Walt Disney Co.’s ABC have blocked their content from being shown on Google T V because the sides have been unable to come to a licensing deal that the

video, as opposed to simply user-created videos. Advertisers generally prefer to have their ads matched with known quantities.

YouTube has also previously tried to urge viewers to stay longer with TV-like services like the YouTube Leanback, which continuously plays a personalized selection of videos.

Google is also looking to add professional-

networks believes pays them fairly. Networks also don’t want to jeopardize their lucrative relationship with pay TV distributors like Comcast Corp. and DirecTV. Google is a platform that has been adopted by set-top box maker Logitech, which makes a device called a Logitech Revue that sells for $100. — AP

Thai flooding disrupts hard drive supplies WASHINGTON: The massive flooding in Thailand is disrupting supplies of hard disk drives (HDDs) for the world’s personal computer makers, according to companies and market intelligence firms.

Around 40 percent of all hard disk drives worldwide are produced in Thailand, making it the second-largest exporter of HDDs after China. John Rydning, research vice president for hard disk drives at technology consultant IDC, estimated that factories in Thailand currently affected by flooding account for some 25 percent of worldwide HDD production.

“There’s definitely going to be an impact on HDD customers this quarter and next quarter,” Rydning told AFP on Friday. “It’s going to take several months for the HDD industry to recover.” Apple chief executive Tim Cook told financial analysts last week he was “virtually certain” that the flooding in Thailand would lead to an overall industry shortage of hard disk drives.

“Like many others, we source many components from Thailand,” Cook said during the quarterly earnings call for the manufacturer of the Macintosh computer line. “There are several factories that are currently not operable and the recovery timeline for these factories is not known at this point,” he said. “It is something that I’m concerned about,” Cook said. “How it affects Apple, I’m not sure.” Fang Zhang, an analyst for storage systems at market intelligence and technology consultant IHS iSuppli Corp, said the flooding could cause a 30 percent drop in HDD production in the fourth quarter of the year. Fang said in a statement that the floods could

potentially lead to an HDD supply shortage this quarter that may last into the first quarter of next year.

Before the disaster, IHS iSuppli had forecast production of 176.2 million hard drives during the fourth quarter.

IDC’s Rydning stressed that not all of the HDD production in Thailand is being affected by the flooding and said the impact “is mitigated somewhat by HDD inventory that existed entering the flood period.

“Those inventories will help to satisfy some of the HDD requirements of major customers,” he said. “But we expect that any inventory available will be depleted, probably in the month of November.”

The three-month crisis triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rains has left at least 377 people dead and damaged millions of homes and livelihoods, mostly in northern and central Thailand. Floodwaters are now approaching Bangkok. Rydning noted that the flooding in Thailand was the second major natural disaster to hit the HDD industry this year, coming on the heels of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March. “But it’s a very resilient industry,” he said. “It really came out of the third quarter in pretty good shape, not only in terms of meeting demand but having inventories back at levels they were at prior to the earthquake and tsunami.” Apple is just one of the world’s computer manufacturers expected to be affected by the tightening of supply of hard drives. “Amongst all of the PC vendors the pain is going to be felt by everyone-more so by some of the smaller PC vendors than the bigger ones,” Rydning said. — AP

Coinstar’s Q3 earnings soar, Redbox prices up SAN FRANCISCO: Redbox’s DVD rental kiosks are attracting movie lovers fed up with Netflix’s video subscription service. But now Redbox’s owner, Coinstar Inc, is risking its own customer backlash by raising its prices, the same move that triggered Netflix’s recent loss of 800,000 US subscribers.

The plot twist emerged Thursday in Coinstar’s latest quarterly report. The company’s earnings nearly doubled, largely because of robust growth at Redbox’s more than 34,000 rental kiosks.

But the strong per formance was upstaged by Redbox’s decision to raise prices for standard DVDs by 20 percent beginning tomorrow. The new rental rate will be $1.20 per day, instead of the current $1 daily rate. Redbox prices will remained unchanged for Blu-ray discs at $1.50 per day and video games at $2 per day.

Redbox’s change isn’t as jarring as what Netflix did last month, when it hiked prices as much as 60 percent and then irked subscribers even more by announcing a now-aborted plan to split its DVD rentals from its Internet video streaming service.

But it spooked investors, especially because Redbox appears to be picking up customers still stewing over the higher prices at Netflix. Coinstar’s shares plunged 10 percent in Thursday’s extended trading.

Unlike Netflix, Redbox tested the price increases in several cities during the past year to see how they would change rental patterns. Management concluded there only would be a slight drop-off in DVD rentals.

“We didn’t take this lightly,” Coinstar CEO Paul Davis said in a Thursday interview with The Associated Press.

Coinstar, which is based in Bellevue, Wash., is charging more to help offset higher expenses for DVDs and processing debit card transactions.

Netflix raised its prices in hopes of generating more revenue to license more movies and TV shows for streaming over high-speed Internet connections. The plan backfired, though, leaving Netflix on track to start losing money next year as it tries to repair a badly damaged brand. Coinstar Inc. earned $37.1 million, or $1.18 per share, in the three months that ended in September.

That compared with $19.5 million, or 60 cents per share, at the same time last year. — AP

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H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

IMTD: Largest exhibition on Indian Healthcare in Kuwait KUWAIT: I ndia M edical Tourism Destination (IMTD), the exhibition and conference that aims to promote India as a global healthcare destination, is to take place at Hall 7 of Kuwait Fairgrounds in Mishref, on the 2nd and 3rd of November, 2011. The IMTD mega exhibition and conference is being organized by the Federation of I ndian Chamber of Commerce and I ndustr y and Trident Exhibitions in collaboration with the Embassy of India, Kuwait, and the Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait.

The two-day exhibition and conference, which will bring together top notch medical professionals and leading healthcare and medical services from India, will highlight the international quality of Indian healthcare and the tremendous advancements made by the industry in recent years. The exhibition intends to change perceptions about the Indian medical- care industr y among Kuwaitis as well as other expatriates in Kuwait.

By showcasing I ndia’s world- class healthcare facilities and huge advancements in medical industry, the exhibition will facilitate B2B meetings and opportunities for tie-ups and collaborations with leading medical centers in India. Through focused conferences and discussions, the exhibition will promote net work ing opportunities among industry profes-

sionals, academics and other stakeholders in the medical industry in Kuwait and India, and together help develop a new vision for the future of the medical care that operates without borders.

Impressions about India as a developing country with third-world medical facilities are no longer valid. Many of the leading hospitals in India are accredited by the United States’ Joint Commission International (JCI) and India’s National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare providers (NABH). Both these agencies are endorsed by the I nternational S ociet y for Qualit y in Healthcare (ISQua), which provides assurance that the standards, training and processes used by NABH and JCI to survey the performance of healthcare organizations meets the highest international benchmarks for accreditation entities.

Indian medical care professionals, whether they are doctors, nurses or other healthcare specialists, are respected and admired all over the globe for their highlevel of knowledge, experience, dedication and professionalism. For instance, more than 60,000 Indian doctors work in some of the best hospitals in the United States; a significant percentage of doctors in the British National Health Services are Indians. In addition, the large number of doctors and other healthcare providers employed in Middle-East hospitals also attest to the caliber of, and consequent demand for, Indian medical professionals worldwide.

The fact that Indian Healthcare has arrived on the global medical service landscape, and is fast becoming the preferred destination for medical tourists worldwide, is borne out by over 600,000 satisfied international patients who arrived in India in 2010 to experience its world- class medical ser vices, and its excellent pre and post operative care.

Today, internationally recognized hospitals in India employ the latest medical equipment and technologies to routinely per form some of the most advanced medical procedures, often at a fraction of what it would cost in Europe or the United States and without the long waiting periods that are customary in many developed countries.

Visitors to the show will realize that by opting for Indian healthcare services they can avail the best of 3 A’s - Access to the best healthcare professionals, Assurance of service from internationally accredited hospitals and easy Affordability. The presence of many leading Indian hospitals, including Apollo Hospitals, Ar temis Health I nstitute, Amrita I nstitute of M edical S ciences, For tis Healthcare, Manipal Hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals and Vijaya Group of Hospitals among others, as well as the many informational conferences on the sidelines of the show, will make IMTD a highly valueadded event for everyone who visits the exhibition.

Professionals turn out in force to discuss Treatments for Osteoporosis KUWAIT: More than 1000 healthcare professionals from across the GCC, Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe, recently gathered in Dubai to discuss new data and advancements in the field of osteoporosis.

Held under the official patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Industr y, UAE, and President of the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services, this was the first official regional meeting of the International Osteoporosis Foundation and the event coincided with World Osteoporosis Day on October 20, 2011.

Osteoporosis is a disease which significantly reduces the quality and density of bone, resulting in increased incidence of fracture. The most common areas of fracture include the hip, spine and wrist, and the risk of fracture increases significantly with age, par ticularly in women.

According to the World Health Organisation, Osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million women worldwide, with most sufferers over the age of 60.

Dr Basel Masri, Co-chairman of the Meeting Scientific and Organizing Committee of the congress was on hand at the four day event, where he commented on the significance of this disease across the region. Dr Masri explained: “Osteoporosis is a highly prevalent disease in this region and constitutes a major burden economically; post-fracture hospitalization may last for weeks, and can require a significant amount of medical attention.

Patients may also suffer on personal and societal levels, as they start to lose height,

self-esteem and progressively their independence.”

The meeting also highlighted clinical treatments of osteoporosis and presented regionally relevant statistics and information on the disease. Speakers from across the Middle-East and Africa along with international key opinion leaders presented cutting-edge scientific and clinical data related to osteoporosis. During the congress, a session was dedicated to recent findings on the efficacy of Strontium ranelate in preventing fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Prof. J-Y Reginster, President of the European Congress on Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ECCEO) commented on the efficacy and safety of Strontium ranelate in different patient profiles, explaining: “Strontium ranelate has been in the market for nearly a decade now and we are lucky to have this product for all healthcare professionals to manage their postmenopausal patients with Osteoporosis.

What makes Strontium ranelate different is its proven efficacy and safety in all types of patients whatever their baseline risk factors are. These benefits are due to its ability to help patients with osteoporosis build new, strong and healthy bone. In addition, patients can safely be protected over at least 10 years with no risk of atypical fractures and no need for a drug holiday”.

In addition to pharmalogical treatment, diets high in calcium and protein, exposure to Vitamin D and daily exercise are all credited with osteoporosis prevention.

UTAH: An undated photo released by Henry Fricke shows a sampling of dinosaur teeth from the Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Scientists analyzing 32 teeth of plant-eating dinosaurs found that they migrated from the lowlands to highlands in search of food and water during the late Jurassic period. —AP

Teeth study shows big dinosaurs trekked for food LOS ANGELES: What did giant plant-munching dinosaurs do when they couldn’t find enough to eat in the parched American West?

They hit the road. An analysis of fossilized teeth adds further evidence that the long-necked dinosaurs called sauropods - the largest land creatures - went on road trips to fill their gargantuan appetites. Scientists have long theorized that sauropods foraged for precious resources during droughts because of their pre served tracks and long limbs that were “ideal moving machines” and allowed them to cover long dis-

tances, said paleobiologist Matthew Bonnan of Western Illinois University.

The latest study is the best evidence yet that at least one kind of sauropod “took to the hills in search of food when times got tough in the lowlands,” said paleontologist Kristi Curry Rogers at Macalester College in Minnesota.

The new work, published online Wednesday by the journal Nature, was led by geologist Henry Fricke of Colorado College. The researchers analyzed 32 sauropod teeth collected in Wyoming and Utah. The teeth came from massive

plant-eaters that roamed a semiarid basin in the American West during the late Jurassic period about 150 million years ago.

The largest sauropods weighed 100 tons and were 120 feet long.

The type in the study was smaller about 60 feet in length and weighing 25 tons. Scientists can get a glimpse into the source of the dinosaurs’ drinking water by comparing the oxygen preserved in the tooth enamel to that found in ancient sediment. A chemical analysis showed differences in the teeth and the basin where the dinosaurs were buried, meaning

they must have wandered hundreds of miles from the flood plains to the highlands for food and water.

Fricke said the movement appeared to be tied to changing seasons. Sauropods left the basin in the summer for higher elevations - a trek that took about five months - and returned in the winter. In lush times, sauropods would have feasted on a diversity of plants including ferns, horsetails, conifers and moss, said John Foster, a curator at the Museum of Western Colorado, who had no part in the research.—AP

Health

in brief

New natural ‘Parachute Secrets’ for healthier hair launched in the Arab world KUWAIT: Parachute, the world’s largest packaged coconut oil brand produced by Marico, a leading consumer products and services company, has introduced to the Arab world its sensational new product ‘Parachute Secrets’ that promotes healthier hair.

Produced from a combination of natural extracts, Parachute Secrets nourishes hair from root to tip, and has proved its efficiency with ten days of usage. After extensive research and feedback from consumer groups, Marico has launched the product across the Arab world including the GCC region and Levant, providing Arab women a healthy choice in hair care.

Ayman Hamed, Head of Marketing, Marico Middle East, said: “Managing healthy hair, given the harsh weather conditions and the hard water that exists in parts of the region, has always been a challenge for Arab women.

With their preference for healthy hair, Arab women now have a perfect solution that fits their needs - the new Parachute Secrets.”

He added: “Arab women have traditionally relied on home-made concoctions mixing a number of natural extracts. With Parachute Secrets they can be assured of healthy hair through its mix of nourishing natural extracts.

It is also presented in four variants inspired by the traditional mixture used by Arab women, as oil or Hammam Zeit, each designed for different needs where coconut oil serves as the carrier for all natural ingredients.”

With proven capability to reduce hair loss by as much as five times, ‘Parachute Secrets’ Hair Fall Control will assist users in strengthening their hair and provide protection

against external factors. It is formed of a combination of coconut oil and watercress, and garlic and aloe vera extracts.

‘Parachute Secrets’ Weak Hair Repair boosts the hair and provides protection against external factors while also making hair five times stronger. Its ingredients include coconut and castor oils and extract of black seed and sedr plant.

Blending the goodness of coconut and jojoba oils, and honey and cactus extracts ‘Parachute Secrets’ Damaged Hair Repair is a natural hair oil that nourishes hair from root to tip and contributes to strengthening hair, providing protection against protein loss and reduces split-ends by twice.

Assuring 120% more visible shine to the hair right from the first application, ‘Parachute Secrets’ Dry Hair Repair is infused with coconut, sesame and olive oils as well as almond extract. It helps in moisturizing and hydrating dry, rough hair, by locking moisture and protein into the hair shaft and reducing protein loss.

Parachute coconut oil stands for purity and quality. Over the years, the brand has introduced several innovations in packaging, sizing and tamper-proofing. Parachute enjoys enormous loyalty in urban, semi-urban and rural sectors, across all its key markets.

Parachute Secrets is made from highly nourishing natural ingredients and coconut oil for solving hair problems. Coconut oil penetrates the hair shaft and provides thrice the nourishment for the hair. It penetrates deep into the hair ensuring ultimate nourishment from roots to tips.

Air pollution tied to lung cancer in non-smokers NEW YORK: People who have never smoked, but who live in areas with higher air pollution levels, are roughly 20 percent more likely to die from lung cancer than people who live with cleaner air, researchers conclude in a new study. “It’s another argument for why the regulatory levels(for air pollutants) be as low as possible,” said Francine Laden, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research.

More and more twins delivered by C-section NEW YORK: The proportion of twins who are delivered by cesarean section in the U.S. has shot up “dramatically” since the mid-1990s, according to a new study. While sometimes the babies’ position or other delivery complications make a C-section necessary, California researchers reported that the largest relative increase in the practice was seen in healthy moms and babies who were well positioned to be delivered vaginally.

Would-be fat-fighter Hoodia nothing but side effects NEW YORK: A new Unilever report reveals why the consumer goods giant chose to pull the plug on the alleged fat-fighting supplement Hoodia after spending a reported $25 million developing it. In a clinical trial, it turns out that Hoodia extract had no impact on appetite or food intake, but did have a lot of side effects, like vomiting, weird skin sensations and elevated blood pressure and heart rate.

Estrogen use tied to bladder control problems NEW YORK: Postmenopausal women who take estrogen for years are more likely to experience incontinence than those on the hormone for a shorter time or not at all, a new study finds. Of 167 women surveyed in the early 1990s and again in 2004, those who had taken estrogen for five years or more were three to four times more likely to report bladder control problems in the second survey than women who had not taken estrogen or took it for less than five years.—Reuters

Reused pacemakers safe option in poor countries Recycled pacemakers donated from US funeral homes could offer a safe way to get the heart devices to people in the developing world who otherwise might not be able to afford them, a US study said. An estimated 1 million to 2 million people around the world die each year because they have no access to a pacemaker, an implanted device that uses electrical pulses to the heart to maintain a normal heartbeat.

One potential, largely untapped source of pacemakers for the world’s poor could be the significant number of people in the United States who die with a still-functioning devicesome 19 percent of the deceased, according to one survey of morticians in the states of Michigan and Illinois. The large majority of those

are buried with the body or, if removed, thrown away as medical waste. But a small percentage are donated to developing nations through charities.

“Implantation of donated permanent pacemakers can not only save lives but also improve quality of life of needy poor patients,” wrote study leader Bharat Kantharia, of the University of Texas Health Science Center, in the American Journal of Cardiology. Kantharia and his team collected 122 pacemakers, half of which had enough battery life leftmore than three years- to be used again. They were partially sterilized, then sent to a hospital in Mumbai, India, where they were sterilized again and implanted in 53 heart patients.

New pacemakers in India cost $2,200 to $6,600, not including doctor and hospital fees or the cost of the wires connected to the pacemaker. All of the patients survived the surgery and fared well immediately afterwards, with no cases of infection or pacemaker malfunctions over an average follow-up of nearly two years. While a quarter of the patients lived in areas so remote they could not be followed up after the surgery, the rest did well, Kantharia said.

All but two of the 40 patients reported a marked improvement in their symptoms and quality of life.

Four died, but their deaths were not linked to the pacemakers. “All we are saying is, there are people who need a pacemaker and would not otherwise get one,” Kantharia said. “Maybe

this will help them live a normal life.”

A number of significant hurdles remain. One of the biggest is simply getting pacemakers from the United States to impoverished patients who need them. Another is the need for further safety studies. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approves pacemakers for one-time use in the United States, but researchers are trying to get FDA approval to study the effectiveness of the recycled pacemakers overseas.

“This study is suggestive that it’s safe,” said Thomas Crawford, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who is working on getting pacemakers to the developing world on a wider scale. “But definitive data is not available yet.”— Reuters

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Pythons’ big hearts hold clues for human health WASHINGTON: You don’t think of pythons as big-hearted toward their fellow creatures. They’re better known for the bulge in their bodies after swallowing one of those critters whole. But the snakes’ hearts balloon in size, too, as they’re digesting - and now scientists are studying them for clues about human hear t health. The expanded python heart appears remarkably similar to the larger-than-normal hearts of Olympic- caliber athletes. Colorado researchers report they’ve figured out how the snakes make it happen. “It’s this amazing biology,” said Leslie Leinwand, a molecular biologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, whose team reports the findings in Friday’s edition of the journal Science. “They’re not swelling up. They’re building (heart) muscle.”

Reptile biologists have long studied the weird digestion of these snakes, especially the huge Burmese pythons that can go nearly a year between meals with no apparent ill effects. When they swallow that next rat or bird - or in some cases deer - something extraordinary happens. Their metabolism ratchets up more than 40-fold, and their organs immediately start growing in size to get the digesting done. The heart alone grows a startling 40 percent or more within three days.

Leinwand, who studies human heart disease, stumbled across that description and saw implications for people. An enlarged human heart usually is caused by chronic high blood pressure or other ailments that leave it flabby and unable to pump well. But months and years of vigorous exercise give some well-conditioned athletes larger, muscular hearts, similar to how python hearts are during digestion.

So Leinwand’s team - led by a graduate student who initially was frightened of snakes - ordered a box of pythons and began testing what happens to their hearts. The first surprise: A digesting python’s blood gets so full of fat it looks milky. A type of fat called triglyc-

erides increased 50-fold within a day. In people, high triglyceride levels are very dangerous. But the python heart was burning those fats so rapidly for fuel that they didn’t have time to clog anything up, Leinwand said. The second surprise: A key enzyme that protects the heart from damage increased in python blood right after it ate, while a heartdamaging compound was repressed.

Then the team found that a specific combination of three fatty acids in the blood helped promote the healthy heart growth. If they injected fasting pythons with that mixture, those snakes’ hearts grew the same way that a fed python’s does. But did it only work for snakes?

Lead researcher Cecilia Riquelme dropped some plasma from a fed python into a lab dish containing the heart cells of rats - and they grew bigger, too. Sure enough, injecting living mice made their hear ts grow in an apparently healthy way as well.

Now the question is whether that kind of growth could be spurred in a mammal with heart disease, something Leinwand’s team is starting to test in mice with human-like heart trouble.

They also want to know how the python heart quickly shrinks back to its original size when digestion’s done. The experiments are “very, very cool indeed,” said James Hicks, a biologist at the University of California, Irvine, who has long studied pythons’ extreme metabolism and wants to see more such comparisons.

If the same underlying heart signals work in animals as divergent as snakes and mice, “this may reveal a common universal mechanism that can be used for improving cardiac function in all vertebrates, including humans,” Hicks wrote in an email. “Only further studies and time will tell, but this paper is very exciting.” The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and a Boulder biotechnology company that Leinwand co-founded, Hiberna Corp., that aims to develop drugs based on extreme animal biology.— AP

Global leaders pledge to fight polio Millions pledged in new funds PERTH: World leaders yesterday added their weight to a push to eradicate polio, pledging millions of dollars in new funds to bring an end to the crippling and potentially fatal disease.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, said her country would spend Aus$50 million ($53.5 million) over four years towards the global fight. “While polio remains anywhere in the world it is a threat to anyone,” she told a joint news conference with leaders from Britain, Canada and two of the world’s four polio endemic countries-Pakistan and Nigeria-by her side.

“We are here today to demonstrate our commitment to ending the fight against polio, that is ending polio for all time. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his country would commit further investments in polio surveillance and immunisations without giving a figure, while philanthropist Bill Gates pledged $40 million in new funding. “We’re at a crossroads,” Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said via a video message, adding that recent cases in China highlighted the risk of polio spreading back across the globe.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said he would raise annual spending on fighting polio from $17 million to $30 million from 2012.

Jonathan said while the disease had been reduced by 75 percent in the African nation, it remained present in some states and had started to make a comeback over the past year.

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, whose government in January pledged 40 million pounds ($64.5 million) to fight the disease, said the world was in sight of eradicating the disease.

“Today for the vast majority of countries polio has been eliminated and the harrowing images of children in iron lungs banished to the past,” he said. “But for all this progress we haven’t quite finished the job and the truth is that nearly eradicated is just not good enough.” Cameron said the world now ran the danger of going backwards on ending the disease which mainly affects children. “If we fail to get rid of polio we

run the risk of seeing it spread back to countries from which it has been eradicated,” he said.

Polio remains a challenge for the 54-nation Commonwealth, with three of the four of the world’s endemic countries-India, Nigeria and Pakistan-members. Afghanistan is the fourth state in which the highly contagious disease has not been eradicated. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said he was concerned that polio had re-emerged in his country, which shares a long, rugged and porous border with war-ravaged Afghanistan.

“This situation is totally unacceptable,” he said, adding that medical staff often had difficulty reaching those in need given the difficult ter-

rain and the problem of insurgents. In areas where the oral vaccine was most needed, he said, there were people who were “so fanatical they don’t let the doctors into this area”.

“But we are trying our best,” he added. Gillard said it was possible the disease, which in 1954 held Perth in its grip, preventing Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II from staying onshore during her maiden visit Down Under, could be ended for ever.

“Change is possible,” she said. “This is an issue which within our lifetime was a problem right around the world. Now we are in grasping distance of the end of polio worldwide and that is what we are determined to do.”— AFP

PERTH: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (L), Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan (2nd L), Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (C), British Prime Minister David Cameron (2nd R) and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani (R) attend a polio eradication press conference during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth yesterday.—AFP

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W H AT ’ S O N

Announcements Exhibition on healthcare The India Medical Tourism Destination (IMTD) exhibition and conference, which aims at promoting India as a global healthcare destination, is to take place on the 2nd & 3rd of November at the Hall No 7, Kuwait International Fair Grounds in Mishref. The two-day mega medical tourism exhibition and conference is being organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Trident Exhibitions in collaboration with the Embassy of India, Kuwait and the Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait.

EDA Onam 2011 Ernakulam District Association Kuwait (EDA) ‘Onam 2011” celebration will be on November 4th at Indian Community School, Salmiya (Senior Girls). It will be a full day entertainment from 9 am to 5 pm. Indian Ambassador Satish C. Mehta will be the chief guest. EDA family will be staging various cultural activities bringing back the nostalgic memories of a bygone era of prosperity, equality and righteousness under the golden reign of Mahabali. In addition, a sumptuous traditional meal “ONASADYA” will be served to all the members and invitees. All members and their families are requested to participate in the event. Contact Baburaj (66080256), Bipin (66024732) or visit our website www.edakuwait.com Free medical camp MES conducts their 12th Free Medical Screening Camp on Friday 11th November at Central School - Abbasiya in association with Kuwait Medical Association (KMA), Indian Doctors Forum (IDF), Kuwait Heart Foundation and Indian Dentists Alliance in Kuwait. The camp will be from 8 am to 2:30 pm. Around 50 specialized doctors from IDF will lead the examination. Thousands of poor and needy community members were benefited from the past 11 Medical Camps. Doctors specialized in Gynecology, Ortho, Cardiology, Surgical, Pediatrics, Diabetes, Ophthalmology, ENT, Skin, General Medicine and Dental are available in the camp. Applicant should bring any medical records he/she have i.e. X-ray, Lab Test Report.

Application forms are available at all the Branches of Gulf Mart, Tasty Restaurant, Al-Yaqza Book Shop (Kuwait City), Dress Mart (Fahaheel), Highland Supermarket (Abbasiya), Azizia Book Shop (Salmiya). Duly filled application will be acceptable maximum by 5th November 2011. For details contact Zubair (99826195) & Hassan Managad (99131104).

Art competition The eleventh Onam celebrations of Pathanamthitta District Association will be held tomorrow, October 28.

The association is holding an art competition in poetry and short story writings and the association is inviting poems and short stories from talented individuals among Malayalees in Kuwait. Persons interested in participating may send their writings with photograph to the following address Email: pta@ptadistrict.org, pdakuwait@gmail.com for more information, contact 97863052 or 66501482.

Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort hosts Asian athletes

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he Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort played host to an international delegation of athletes competing in the 4th Asian Air Gun Championships which took place at the Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Olympic Range complex at Sulaibiya, Kuwait, October 17-23.

The Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort has been chosen by the Kuwait Shooting Federation to host 165 guests for the duration of the competition, comprising athletes, coaches and referees,

from the Qatari, Singaporean, Chinese, Korean and Iranian teams. Through the Air Gun Championships, the Asian Shooting Federation seeks to raise the profile of shooting within the Asian region, and to develop young talent into the athletes of the future.

The athletes, both male and female, compete in three categories: senior, junior (under 21 years) and youth (15-18 years). Dani Saleh, General Manager at Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort said:

“It is an honour and a pleasure to host the Asian Air Gun Championships athletes at the Al-Jahra Copthorne.

There is a great buzz with such an international mix of people and we are proud to be able to show them true Kuwaiti hospitality. “ Part of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, one of the world’s largest hotel companies with more than 120 owned and managed hotels across 20 countries, the Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and

Resort is located in Al Jahra - a growing town within driving distance of the Saudi Arabian border, 25 minutes from the international airport and 20 minutes from Kuwait City Centre. Part of the “Slayil Al-Jahra Tourist Resort”, the hotel has access to a shopping mall, theme park and numerous restaurants nearby.

It offers an attentive, personal service as well as boasting business and convention centre services and an outdoor pool.

Indian Lawyers’ Forum Onam Indian Lawyers’ Forum will celebrate Onam, the unique, secular, harvest festival of Kerala on 18th November, 2011 Friday 10.30 am at Hi-Dine Restaurant Auditorium, Abbassia. Celebrations will include traditional variety entertainments, with the grand ‘ONASADHYA’. All Indian Lawyers & Law graduates working here in Kuwait are invited with their families.

For details contact Panicker 97203939, Pulikkal 97260159.

Email: advpanicker@gmail.com Tulukoota talent hunt Tulukoota Kuwait will hold a “Talent Hunt 2011” a chance to prove an inborn trait in you that confirms your individuality, uniqueness. For more information and registration form kindly log on to our Website: www.tulukootakuwait.org or visit our facebook page Tulukoota Kuwait Talent Hunt 2011. You could also email your form request to: secretary@tulukootakuwait.org or contact our area coordinators mentioned below. Mangaf, Fahaheel, Abuhalifa : Ronald Dsouza- 60035824, Shalini Alva- 23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq: Rekha Sachu65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty67712409.

BEC T10 Cricket tournament The BEC T10 Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament will be organized & played from 7th October to 11th November, 2011.

The Tournament being organized by RED N BLACK CRICKET CLUB and sponsored by BEC EXCHANGE will be played out in Abu Halifa cricket grounds. For registration and other queries please mail at mail@rednblack.org or call 66820148/ 66130940/ 66841653.

Assembly time for students at The Sunshine Kindergarten

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erm time assemblies started with gusto at The Sunshine Kindergarten in Salwa last week.

Students and teachers enjoy celebrating birthdays, achievements at school, listening to stories and movement to music during these half hour action packed sessions and this week’s assembly was no exception. As the photograph shows, this week’s story was The Toy’s Party and the students thought the ‘cake’ made by the character Kipper, aka Ali from KG10, was the funniest thing they’d ever seen. They all howled

with laughter as Miss Joanne, TSK Principal, helped Kipper to mix what was probably the worst looking birthday cake in the world. True to the story, this was no ordinary cake, but one made from cornflakes, ketchup, sugar, jam, baked beans and milk! What a mess, but what a lot of fun!

After the story, The Sunshine kindergarten Teaching Team led the students in an English and Arabic version of the song ‘Happy Birthday’ as students came up to celebrate their birthdays, receive their birthday certificates

Salwa Al-Sabah Club competes in female athletes’ games

Brain Bang Calling all students aged 11 and above, Support Group for Accelerated learning under the umbrella of FOCC (Friends of CRY Club, Kuwait), BRAIN-BANG invites you to join us in our fortnightly Friday Class from 11.45 am to 13.45 pm in Salmiya starting October 7th for the next 6 months. Successfully running for the seventh consecutive year.

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KGA Alemao Memorial Football Tournament The 3rd edition of Eslinda Alemao Memorial Football 7-aside tournament will be held on first day of Eid Al Adha Festival (6th November 2011) to be held at the MOH Grounds, Al-Sabah Hospital Premises, Shuwaikh under the auspices of Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF).

All KIFF affiliated teams are requested to contact the organizers, Kuwait Goan Association (KGA). For more info, Email: kgakuwait@gmail.com Tel: (+965) 94963677.

Youth Chorus competition Youth Chorus is organizing the sixth Christian Malayalam Group Song Competition on Friday, 18th November 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at the United Indian School Auditorium, Abbasiya. The team has to present one Christian Malayalam song within seven minutes. The minimum number of members in the team should be 7 and the maximum 20, including the orchestra persons.

The first, second and third prize winners will be awarded with rolling trophies and certificates. The following prestigious trophies will be awarded to the winners.

First Prize - Youth Chorus Ever Rolling Trophy Second Prize- Omana Jose memorial Ever Rolling Trophy Third Prize- Youth Chorus Ever Rolling Trophy All the other participating teams will be awarded a Youth Chorus memento. Please register the name of your team with the conveners on or before 10th November 2011. Tel: 66853100, 6651093 or to our e-mail address youthchorus@gmail.com

and to wear the birthday hat (as in the photo). The next certificates to be handed out were for achievement and as we can all see in the photograph, there’s plenty to celebrate at TSK. Students collected their certificates for success with drawing, cutting & sticking, settling into school and helping to tidy up their classrooms, before they all finished the session with an active song about flying to the moon.

Ruby Tuesday’s seafood sensations special

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uby Tuesday has introduced its spectacular seafood extravaganza, to all seafood lovers; Ruby Tuesday is now your destination! Serving scrumptious new dishes with fresh ingredients and spices.

Some of Ruby’s new seafood dishes are Shellfish Trio, which is a three of your favorite shellfish items in one dish, a premium jumbo lump crab cake, tender broiled lobster tail and grilled jumbo shrimp brushed with garlic scampi butter.

Blackened White Fish comes next, which is a tender filet of white fish blackened with creole seasonings, topped with

mango salsa, green peppers and ripe mangos.

You definitely don’t want to miss Ruby Tuesday seafood Mixed Grill, a signature combination of grilled salmon with house made mango salsa, basil pesto, white fish and jumbo shrimp brushed with garlic scampi butter. Other new mouthwatering platters include Tuscan Crab & Fish and Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta. Don’t forget to start your seafood sensational trip with Ruby Tuesday’s seafood appetizers, Shrimp Fondue and Shrimp Sampler. Put your masks and goggles on for a dive into Ruby’s Seafood Senations.

eneral supervisor of sports teams at the Salwa Al-Sabah Club, Fawziya Al-Yousufi, met with supervisors of the club’s teams in order to organize for taking part in a series of friendly matches organized by the AlOuyoun Female Athletes Club. The matches will be held every Thursday at the Al-Ouyoun Female Athletes Club’s hall, and features competitions in basketball, football, volleyball, handball and table tennis. “The Salwa Al-Sabah Club looks to boost the spirit of competition among its players through participating in these matches”, Al-Yousufi said in a press statement in which she also expressed gratitude to the Al-Oyoun Club’s management for organizing this event.

Fawziya Al-Yousufi

SOS’s annual function

Fitness program

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o All Filipinos In Kuwait ..” Tara Na, MagExcersice Na Tayo Tuwing Biernes!! The Filipino Cultural Club (FCC), coordially invites you to attend /participate in” FCC’s beach Clean-up and Physical Fitness” programme dubbed as “A Dance with the Sun by the Sea... Season -2” on 28 November, 7 am, McDonald’s Corniche, Gulf Road. Fitness program will run for four months evry Friday 7:00 am McDonald seaside. Come, join us and tag along your family and friends in this very exciting and stimulating activity. For details contact Bong -99530665, Maria99079341, Cynthia & Danny-99169310.

riends of SOS children’s villages Pakistan, Kuwait Chapter are in action once again.

The much awaited ‘Annual-Function’ has been planned. It will be an evening of entertainment for a noble cause. ‘Friends’ are engaged with SOS children’s villages for the past many years. We have Alhadulillah done a lot to support the villages in Pakistan. Our regular ‘Friends’ are well aware of the hospitality and joyful environment at the function. We are also looking forward to welcoming new friends from all communities. The venue is at GUST Auditorium, Mishref on Thursday 24th November at 7:30 pm. For details contact: Aziz Mamuji: 99837040

Ghazala Bano: 66385203.

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA The Austrian Embassy would request to take note that in respect of the official mourning in the State of Kuwait in memory of the former Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz of Saudia Arabia, the reception of the Austrian Ambassador on the occasion of the Austrian National Day on October 26th has been cancelled. The official reception is now rescheduled to Monday, October 31, 2011 from 19:00 to 21:00. nnnnnnn

The Vocal Ensemble perform ‘Chatanooga Choo Choo’ by H. Warren.

British Ambassador Frank Baker is pictured cutting the cake with Dr Sabreyah Saleh, the President of The Hope Foundation.

Rahmani performs to a packed audience.

Concert of Hope

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oncert of Hope 12 event was held on Friday, October 28 in association with The Kuwait Chamber of Philharmonia at Al-Hashemi Grand Ballroom, Radisson Blu Hotel. This was held under the patronage of Frank Baker, the British Ambassador of Kuwait. Local guest artistes as well as professional school bands performed to a packed audience. Many talented performers presented their music in a diverse variety. While the solo artistes are deserving of thanks and congratulations, the trainers, band masters, choir masters, logistics assistants, administrators, technical support staff and others played a key role in making the event a grand success.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait.

Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form.

All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed.

To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website. As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM 5257E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/52 56E.PDF. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

Saxophone Ensemble is pictured performing ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ by W.A. Mozart.

EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru announces the formal opening of the offices of the Embassy of Peru in Kuwait which is located at Al-Arablya Tower, Sharq, Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, on the 6th Floor. In the same place, as a part of the Chancellery of the Embassy of Peru in Kuwait, also is located the Showing Room of “PeruExpo-Tour, Trade & Invest.”

A String Ensemble is pictured.

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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 nnnnnnn

Sabine Khouri plays the piano.

Various ambassadors and officials are pictured at the event.

Ili Khouri plays F. Chopin on the piano.

EMBASSY OF US The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Leadership for Democracy Fellows Program is now accepting applications - deadline Nov 1, 2011. The MEPI Leaders for Democracy Fellowship (LDF) Program is an exciting, selective 3-month program in the United States for 20-25 young civic leaders from the Middle East and North Africa. The program begins with 6 weeks of academic coursework, where fellows focus on the concepts of leadership, democracy, communication, and conflict resolution among other issues.

After completing the academic portion of the program, participants engage in a 6-week professional assignment with a political, non-governmental, or public policy organization in Washington, DC. For more information about the program, please e-mail: kuwaitmepi@state.gov Visit us @ USEmbassyQ8 http://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyQ8 nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE Dear compatriots!

We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

The audience is pictured during the concert.

The registration desk is seen.

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00:45 Dogs 101 01:40 Into The Shark Bite 02:35 Maneaters 03:00 Beast Lands 04:00 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 05:00 Maneaters 05:25 Untamed & Uncut 06:20 Dogs 101 07:10 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 08:00 Project Puppy 08:25 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 09:15 Breed All About It 09:40 The Really Wild Show 10:10 Baby Planet 11:05 Natural Born Hunters 11:30 Jeff Corwin Unleashed 12:00 Crocodile Hunter 12:55 Dogs 101 13:50 Mutant Planet 14:45 Mutant Planet 15:40 Must Love Cats 16:35 Bad Dog 17:30 My Cat From Hell 18:25 Into The Pride 19:20 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 20:15 Queens Of The Savannah 21:10 Dogs 101 22:05 Beast Lands 23:00 Wildest Africa

00:05 Doctor Who 00:50 Doctor Who Confidential 01:05 The Jonathan Ross Show 01:55 Blackadder The Third 02:25 Blackadder The Third 03:00 Ray Mears Goes Walkabout 04:00 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 04:50 Doctor Who Confidential 05:00 One Foot In The Grave 05:30 Tweenies 05:50 Gigglebiz 06:05 Me Too 06:25 Charlie And Lola 06:35 Buzz & Tell 06:40 Buzz & Tell 06:45 Tweenies 07:05 Gigglebiz 07:20 Me Too 07:40 Charlie And Lola 07:55 Buzz & Tell 08:00 Buzz & Tell 08:05 Tweenies 08:25 Gigglebiz 08:40 Me Too 09:00 Charlie And Lola 09:10 Buzz & Tell 09:15 Buzz & Tell 09:20 Tweenies 09:40 Gigglebiz 09:55 Me Too 10:15 Charlie And Lola 10:30 Buzz & Tell 10:35 Buzz & Tell 10:45 As Time Goes By 11:15 One Foot In The Grave 11:50 Doctor Who 12:35 The Weakest Link 13:20 Casualty 14:10 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 15:00 The Weakest Link 15:45 The Weakest Link 16:35 Doctors 17:05 Doctors 17:35 Doctors 18:05 Doctors 18:35 Doctors

00:20 Antiques Roadshow 04:45 Holmes On Homes 07:50 Cash In The Attic USA 08:15 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 12:05 Come Dine With Me 12:55 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 13:20 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 13:45 New Scandinavian Cooking

With Andreas Viestad 14:10 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 17:15 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 17:40 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 18:05 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 18:35 Design Star 19:15 Design Star 20:00 Gok’s Fashion Fix 20:50 Gok’s Fashion Fix 21:40 Masterchef Australia

00:00 BBC World News 00:10 Tropic Of Cancer 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 Middle East Business Report 02:00 BBC World News 02:10 World Features 02:30 Newsnight 03:00 BBC World News 03:10 World Features 03:30 Talking Movies 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Dateline London 05:00 BBC World News 05:10 Tropic Of Cancer 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Click 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Newsnight 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 India Business Report 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 Fast Track 10:00 BBC World News 10:10 The Health Show 10:30 Talking Movies 11:00 BBC World News 11:10 World Features 11:30 Dateline London 12:00 BBC World News 12:10 World Features 12:30 Horizons 13:00 BBC World News 13:10 World Features 13:30 BBC World News 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 Newsnight 15:00 BBC World News 15:10 World Features 15:30 BBC World News 16:00 BBC World News 16:15 Sport Today 16:30 Click 17:00 BBC World News 17:30 World Challenge 2011 18:00 BBC World News 18:10 Tropic Of Cancer 19:00 BBC World News 19:30 India Business Report 20:00 BBC World News 20:30 BBC World News 21:00 BBC World News 21:10 World Features 21:30 BBC World News 22:00 Sports World Have Your Say 22:30 Sports World Have Your Say 23:00 BBC World News 23:10 This Week With Christiane Amanpour

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:15 01:40 02:05 02:30 02:55 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:15 07:40

The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons Tom & Jerry Popeye The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Yogi’s Treasure Hunt The Garfield Show The Addams Family Popeye

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:30 Of...

14:05 14:30 14:50 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 16:55 17:20 Doo 17:45 18:10 18:35 18:55 19:20 19:30 19:55 20:20 20:40 21:00 21:30 21:50 22:05 22:40 23:05 23:30

Paddington Bear Gerald Mcboing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Puppy In My Pocket Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Yogi’s Treasure Hunt The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes Scooby Doo And The Legend New Yogi Bear Show Tex Avery The Addams Family Droopy & Dripple The Flintstones The Garfield Show Duck Dodgers Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley The Jetsons Wacky Races Scooby Doo Where Are You! Popeye Classics The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Top Cat Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Wacky Races The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo

00:05 Robotboy - Elements 00:30 Squirrel Boy 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Cramp Twins 01:45 Chop Socky Chooks 02:10 Best Ed 02:20 Best Ed 02:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 02:45 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 03:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:25 Generator Rex 03:50 Adventure Time 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Generator Rex 04:50 Adventure Time 05:00 Adventure Time 05:15 Flapjack 05:40 Chowder 06:05 Powerpuff Girls 06:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 06:55 I Am Weasel 07:20 Squirrel Boy 07:45 Cow & Chicken 08:00 The Life & Times Of Juniper Lee 08:04 Cow & Chicken 08:25 Powerpuff Girls 08:50 Cartoon Network Dance Club 09:05 Angelo Rules 09:30 Chowder 09:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 10:20 Adventure Time 10:45 Gumball 10:55 Cow & Chicken 11:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 11:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 12:20 Generator Rex 12:45 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 13:10 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 13:35 Hero 108 14:00 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 14:25 Robotboy - Elements 14:50 I Am Weasel 15:15 Best Ed 15:40 Chowder 16:05 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 16:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 16:55 Cow & Chicken 17:20 Adventure Time 17:45 Codename: Kids Next Door 18:10 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 18:35 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders

BLOOD AND BONE ON OSN ACTION HD

19:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 19:25 Flapjack 19:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 20:15 Adventure Time 20:40 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 21:05 Chowder 21:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 21:55 Cow & Chicken 22:20 Best Ed 22:45 I Am Weasel 23:00 Ben 10 23:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:50 The Secret Saturdays

00:00 The Best Of Backstory 00:30 World Sport 01:00 World Report 01:30 Icon 02:00 World Report 02:30 Inside Africa 03:00 Your Money 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 The Best Of The Situation Room 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Icon 07:00 World Report 07:30 The Best Of Backstory 08:00 World Report 08:15 CNN Marketplace Middle East 08:30 Revealed 09:00 World Report 09:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 09:30 The Boss 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Icon 11:00 African Voices 11:30 Talk Asia 12:00 World’s Untold Stories 12:30 Inside Africa 13:00 World Report 13:30 World Sport 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps 16:00 State Of The Union 17:00 International Desk 17:30 Inside Africa 18:00 The Boss 18:30 World Sport 19:00 Prism 19:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 20:00 International Desk 20:30 Revealed 21:00 World Report 21:30 Icon 22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps

00:40 I’m Alive 01:35 I’m Alive 02:30 How It’s Made 03:00 How Stuff’s Made 03:25 How It’s Made 03:55 How Do They Do It? 04:20 How It’s Made 04:50 How Do They Do It? 05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How Do They Do It? 06:05 How It’s Made 06:35 How Do They Do It? 07:00 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 07:50 Desert Car Kings 08:45 Carfellas 09:10 South Beach Classics 09:40 Extreme Fishing 10:30 River Monsters 11:25 Ultimate Survival 12:20 How It’s Made 12:45 Cash Cab Us 15:05 Cake Boss 17:20 Mythbusters 18:15 Ultimate Survival 19:10 Deadliest Catch 20:05 Dual Survival 21:00 Mythbusters 21:55 Daredevils 22:50 Ross Kemp: Extreme World 23:45 Sons Of Guns

00:05 Green Wheels 00:30 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 01:20 What’s That About?

06:40 Green Wheels 07:10 Extreme Bodies 08:00 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 08:55 Head Rush 08:58 Sci-Fi Science 09:25 Weird Connections 09:55 Da Vinci’s Machines 10:45 Prototype This 11:35 What’s That About?

15:45 Head Rush 15:48 Sci-Fi Science 16:15 Weird Connections 16:45 Bang Goes the Theory 17:10 The Gadget Show 17:35 The Gadget Show 18:00 Future Weapons 18:50 Extreme Bodies 19:40 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 20:30 Moon Machines 21:20 The World’s Strangest UFO Stories 22:10 Speed Junkie 23:00 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 23:50 Moon Machines

00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:20 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:30 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05

Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Stitch Stitch Kim Possible Kim Possible Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Stitch Stitch Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates So Random Suite Life On Deck Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place

10:30 Thirteenth Year 12:00 So Random 12:25 Shake It Up 12:50 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 13:15 Good Luck Charlie 13:40 Fish Hooks 14:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 14:25 Stitch 14:50 Shake It Up 15:15 Fish Hooks 15:35 Good Luck Charlie 16:00 Phineas And Ferb 16:20 Phineas And Ferb 16:32 Phineas And Ferb 16:45 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 17:10 Shake It Up 17:30 So Random 18:00 Jonas 18:20 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 18:45 Wizards Of Waverly Place 19:10 Sonny With A Chance 19:30 Phineas And Ferb 19:55 Replacements 20:20 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 20:45 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 22:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place 22:40 Suite Life On Deck 23:05 Sonny With A Chance 23:30 Hannah Montana 23:55 Kim Possible

00:25 Fashion Police 00:55 Chelsea Lately 01:25 E!es 02:20 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kendra 09:45 Kendra 10:15 Giuliana & Bill 11:10 Ice Loves Coco 12:05 E! News 13:05 Fashion Police 13:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:05 THS 15:00 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:30 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:55 The Dance Scene 17:25 Behind The Scenes 17:55 E! News 18:55 Bridalplasty 19:55 Giuliana & Bill 20:55 Ice Loves Coco 21:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:25 E! News 23:25 The Soup 23:55 Chelsea Lately

00:30 01:15 02:05 03:40 04:25 05:15 06:10 07:00 07:45 08:35 09:20 09:45 10:05 10:50 11:40 12:25 Jones 13:15 14:00 14:50 15:15 15:35 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:45 19:10 19:55 20:20 Jones 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

The Haunted A Haunting I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting The Haunted Mystery Diagnosis Murder Shift Forensic Detectives Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol Ghost Lab FBI Files Murder Shift True Crime With Aphrodite Fugitive Strike Force Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Ghost Lab FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol True Crime With Aphrodite Fugitive Strike Force Cuff Me If You Can Forensic Justice Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Perilous Journeys 01:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 01:30 Pressure Cook 02:00 A World Apart 03:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 04:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 05:00 Long Way Down 06:00 Perilous Journeys 07:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:30 Pressure Cook 08:00 A World Apart 09:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 10:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 11:00 Long Way Down 12:00 Perilous Journeys 13:00 Food School 14:00 Market Values 15:00 Word of Mouth 15:30 Banged Up Abroad 16:30 Banged Up Abroad 17:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 18:00 Travel Madness 18:30 Madventures 19:00 Food School 20:00 Market Values 20:30 Market Values 21:00 Word of Mouth 21:30 Banged Up Abroad 22:30 Banged Up Abroad 23:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

The Alphabet Killer-PG15 Death Race 2-18 Ong Bak 2-PG15 Top Gun-PG15 The Three Musketeers-PG15 The Damned United-PG15 The Lost Future-PG15 The Three Musketeers-PG15 Ghost Town (TV Movie)-PG15 The Lost Future-PG15 Blood And Bone-18 Shutter Island-18

LOVE THE BEAST ON OSN CINEMA

01:00 Love The Beast-PG15 03:00 The Eclipse-PG15 05:00 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea-FAM 07:00 Desperate Hours: An Amber Alert-PG15 09:00 The Front-PG15 11:00 Love N’ Dancing-PG15 13:00 Leap Year-PG15 15:00 Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 17:00 The Open Road-PG15 19:00 Slipstream-PG15 21:00 Shrink-18 23:00 Ramona And Beezus-PG

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Party Down 02:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 03:00 Melissa And Joey 03:30 Mr. Sunshine 04:00 According To Jim 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Malcolm In The Middle 06:00 Coach 06:30 Weird Science 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 According To Jim 08:30 Melissa And Joey 09:00 Malcolm In The Middle 09:30 Hot In Cleveland 10:00 Community 10:30 Coach 11:00 Weird Science 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 According To Jim 13:00 Mr. Sunshine 13:30 Dharma And Greg 14:00 Coach 14:30 Hot In Cleveland 15:00 Community 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Weird Science 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 8 Simple Rules ...

19:30 State Of Georgia 20:00 Happy Endings 20:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 Party Down 23:30 Happy Endings

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

C.S.I. New York C.S.I. Miami Covert Affairs C.S.I. The Invisible Man The View Good Morning America Law & Order: Criminal Intent Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View C.S.I. New York C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Live Good Morning America The Invisible Man The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Law & Order: Los Angeles Charlie’s Angels Pan Am Covert Affairs Law & Order: Criminal Intent

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00

Law & Order Justified C.S.I. Miami C.S.I. New York C.S.I. The Good Guys Law & Order Two And A Half Men White Collar

09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

The Good Guys C.S.I. New York C.S.I. Miami Two And A Half Men White Collar Law & Order Two And A Half Men Burn Notice Law & Order: Los Angeles Charlie’s Angels Pan Am Justified The Good Guys

01:00 John Carpenter’s Ghosts Of Mars-PG15 03:00 Dead Snow-PG15 05:00 Outpost-18 07:00 Batman: Under The Red Hood-PG 09:00 Spiderman 2-PG15 11:15 Gothika-18 13:00 Deceit-PG15 15:00 Spiderman 2-PG15 17:15 Avatar-PG 20:00 Long Weekend-PG15 21:30 From Within-PG15 23:00 Last Breath-PG15

00:30 02:15 04:15 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 23:45

The Big Green-PG Fools Rush In-PG15 Nativity!-PG Cop And A Half-PG The Boys Are Back-PG Bandslam-PG15 All’s Faire In Love-PG One Hot Summer-PG15 The Big Green-PG Four Last Songs-PG15 Cop Out-PG15 Threesome-18 Julie And Julia-PG15

01:30 The Deep-PG15 03:45 Veronica Guerin-PG15 05:30 Coco Before Chanel-PG15 07:30 Romeo + Juliet-PG15 09:30 Secret Origin: The Story Of DC Comics-PG 11:15 Coco Before Chanel-PG15 13:15 End Of The Spear-PG15 15:15 Alice In Wonderland-PG 17:15 Glitter-PG15 19:00 Preacher’s Kid-PG 21:00 Gattaca-18 23:00 Ma Vie N’est Pas Une Comedie Romantique-PG15

01:00 Broken Embraces-18 03:30 Garfield-PG 05:00 Phoebe In Wonderland-PG 07:00 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 09:00 The Last Airbender-PG 11:00 Stone Of Destiny-PG15 13:00 Nanny Mcphee And The Big Bang-PG 15:00 Flash Of Genius-PG15 17:00 The Last Airbender-PG 19:00 Girl, Positive-PG15 21:00 Couples Retreat-18 23:00 Triage-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Zorro’s Secrets-PG The Country Bears-PG Last Of The Mohicans-PG The Nimbols (2)-PG15 Turtle Hero (1)-FAM True Story Of Puss’n Boots-PG The Country Bears-PG In Search Of The Titanic-PG15 Tangled-FAM True Story Of Puss’n Boots-PG A Simple Wish-FAM In Search Of The Titanic-PG15

00:00 The Nail: The Story Of Joey Nardone-18 02:00 My Last Five Girlfriends-PG15 04:00 Furry Vengeance-PG 06:00 My Dog Tulip-PG15 08:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 09:45 The Loss Of A Teardrop Diamond-PG15

12:00 Moon-PG15 13:45 Made In Dagenham-PG15 16:00 The Loss Of A Teardrop Diamond-PG15 18:15 Tooth Fairy-PG 20:00 Older Than America-PG15 22:00 Howl-18

00:30 02:30 04:30 05:00 08:00 10:00 12:30 14:30 15:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

Rugby League 4 Nations RWC Tournament Highlights RWC Matchday Live UFC 137 Scottish Premier League Live Super Formula Rugby League 4 Nations RWC Matchday Highlights Live European PGA Tour UFC 137 Countdown UFC 137 The Ultimate Fighter

00:30 02:30 04:30 07:30 09:30 11:30 14:30 16:30 17:30 18:00 20:00 22:00 22:30

Rugby League 4 Nations Scottish Premier League Masters Football Currie Cup Rugby League 4 Nations Masters Football Currie Cup Trans World Sport Spirit of Yachting Rugby League 4 Nations Scottish Premier League Futbol Mundial Rugby League 4 Nations

03:30 05:30 06:00 07:00 11:30 13:30 14:30 15:00 19:00 19:30 21:30

Currie Cup Total Rugby Trans World Sport European PGA Tour Scottish Premier League Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial Live European PGA Tour Total Rugby Rugby Union Currie Cup European PGA Tour

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 08:00 10:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 16:45 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE Bottom Line UFC Unleashed UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 137 Countdown Live UFC 137 Prelims Live UFC 137 WWE SmackDown Live Super Formula Aquabike World Speedway FIM World Super Formula Live Scottish Premier League UFC 137 Prelims UFC 137 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

01:15 Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia 03:05 Longtime Companion 04:45 The Border 06:10 Extremities 07:40 Nashville Beat 09:10 A Green Journey 10:45 Impasse 12:25 Mystery Date 14:00 Hickey And Boggs 15:50 Mgm’s Big Screen 16:05 Man Of La Mancha 18:10 Hannah And Her Sisters 19:55 Khartoum 22:00 Gothic 23:25 The Curse Of Inferno

00:15 The Fearless Vampire Killers 02:00 42nd Street-FAM 03:30 Yank At Eton, A-FAM 04:55 Wife vs. Secretary-FAM 06:20 The Angel Wore Red-PG 08:00 Father’s Little Dividend-FAM 09:20 Woman Of The Year-PG 11:10 The Trouble With Girls-FAM 12:50 To Have And Have Not-FAM 14:30 Ice Station Zebra-FAM 17:35 Seven Brides For Seven Brothers-FAM 19:15 Ziegfeld Girl-FAM 21:25 Code Name: Emerald-PG 23:00 Zabriskie Point

Classifieds SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in two bedroom flat for bachelors / small family with three executive bachelors near Garanada Cinema, Khaitan. Contact: 66502405 / 99775589.

(C 3714) 26-10-2011

CHANGE OF I, Bommireddipalli Adithya, s/o B.V. Ramana Murthy, having Indian Passport No. G9940168 and Civil ID No. 292050101237, shall hence-forth be known as Bommireddipalli Aditya Vighnesh Ramakanth.

(C 3716) 29-10-2011

FOR SALE Toyota Prado, model 2009, pearl white color, full option with sunroof, wood

décor, cruise control CD changer, original paint, price KD 8,700/-. Contact: 66636551. (C 3715) 26-10-2011 Chevrolet Captiva, 2007 model, silver color, Price KD 3,400/-. Contact: 66526872 Nissan Pathfinder 2003 model, 3.5 engine immaculate condition, only genuine buyers contact, price KD 2,400/-. Contact: 99705708 / 66228340.

(C 3711) Bus Mitsubishi L300 9 seater 2008 model, NATIVA 2007 model. Contact: 66052331.

(C 3713) 24-10-2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION `

Airlines LMU RBG JZR MLR ETH ETH THY UAE QTR DHX MSR FDB ETD RJA GFA SVA KAC DHX FAH JZR FCX KAC JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD IRA GFA FCX RBG SVA IRC JZR IRA MEA SYR MSR JZR GFA UAL KAC FDB KAC

Flt 1109 3564 267 1405 620 3612 772 853 138 370 612 67 305 642 211 4757 544 170 201 555 403 412 529 157 206 382 284 53 302 332 676 352 855 125 132 55 301 603 213 203 3555 4761 6801 165 615 404 341 610 201 219 982 774 57 1720

Arrival Flights on Sunday 30/10/2011 Route ALEXANDRIA ASSIUT BEIRUT COLOMBO/DUBAI ADDIS ABABA ADDIS ABABA ISTANBUL DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN CAIRO DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN MEDINAH CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DOHA MANILA/BANGKOK ASSIUT LONDON ISLAMABAD DELHI DHAKA DUBAI MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI COCHIN DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI SHIRAZ BAHRAIN DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MEDINAH AHWAZ DUBAI SHAHRE KORD BEIRUT DAMASCUS/ALEPPO CAIRO DAMASCUS BAHRAIN WASHINGTON DC DULLES RIYADH DUBAI MEDINAH

Tim 0:01 0:40 0:45 0:55 1:45 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:10 3:15 4:05 4:40 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:15 6:15 6:20 6:30 7:15 7:20 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:00 8:05 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:55 10:30 11:05 11:05 11:10 11:20 11:35 11:55 12:35 12:55 13:00 13:25 13:30 13:45 13:50 13:50

QTR KNE SVA RJA ABY KAC JZR JZR KAC QTR JZR KAC JZR ETD UAE GFA SVA RBG ABY JZR JZR FDB KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC ALK ALK FDB SVA JAI OMA AFG KAC MLR KAC DHX VOS MEA GFA QTR UAE KAC JZR UAL AIC JZR RLB AXB DLH JZR

140 745 500 640 123 788 257 241 550 134 561 1724 213 303 857 215 510 3557 127 777 177 63 166 502 542 787 786 1718 618 102 674 562 267 506 61 4759 572 647 405 1722 1407 512 372 81 402 217 136 859 172 135 981 981 239 1202 389 636 481

DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH JEDDAH BEIRUT AMMAN SOHAG DOHA SOHAG MEDINAH DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH SOHAG SHARJAH JEDDAH DUBAI DUBAI PARIS/ROME BEIRUT CAIRO RIYADH JEDDAH MEDINAH DOHA LONDON/NEW YORK DUBAI AMMAN COLOMBO/DAMMAM LONDON DUBAI MEDINAH MUMBAI MUSCAT KABUL/DUBAI MEDINAH COLOMBO/DUBAI TEHRAN BAHRAIN BAGHDAD BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN BAHRAIN CHENNAI/HYDERABAD/AHMEDABAD AMMAN BISHKEK KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE FRANKFURT SABIHA

14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 14:45 14:50 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:25 16:10 16:35 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:25 19:50 19:55 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:30 20:35 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:45 23:00 23:35 23:50 23:50

Airlines AXB LMU AIC RBG MLR DLH ETH THY VOS FDB UAE DHX MSR ETD QTR SVA JZR GFA RJA JZR FDB BAW KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR UAE ABY KAC FDB QTR ETD KAC IRA GFA FCX RBG KAC KAC IRC JZR KAC IRA SVA ETH MEA KAC SYR KAC JZR MSR GFA

Departure Flights on Sunday 30/10/2011 Flt Route 394 COCHIN/KOZHIKODE 1110 ALEXANDRIA 976 GOA/CHENNAI 3562 ALEXANDRIA 1405 COLOMBO 637 FRANKFURT 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 94 DUBAI/KANDAHAR 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 5757 MEDINAH/JEDDAH 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 200 DAMASCUS 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 549 SOHAG 256 BEIRUT 171 FRANKFURT 1719 MEDINAH 787 JEDDAH 560 SOHAG 212 ALEPPO/DEIREZZOR 240 AMMAN 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 117 NEW YORK 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 773 RIYADH 602 SHIRAZ 214 BAHRAIN 204 DUBAI 3558 SOHAG 1723 MEDINAH 541 CAIRO 6802 AHWAZ 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 614 SHAHRE KORD 5761 MEDINAH/JEDDAH 3613 DUBAI/ADDIS ABABA 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 342 ALEPPO/DAMASCUS 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 220 BAHRAIN

Time 0:15 0:45 0:50 1:25 1:55 1:55 2:45 3:15 3:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:00 4:55 5:35 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:30 8:25 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:25 9:30 9:35 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:20 10:25 10:40 10:40 11:45 11:45 11:50 12:00 12:10 12:15 12:30 12:35 12:40 12:45 12:55 13:00 13:35 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:20

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KAC FDB UAL KAC KAC KNE ABY RJA SVA KAC KAC JZR JZR KAC QTR VOS JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE GFA RBG ABY SVA JZR JZR FDB JZR KAC KAC FDB ALK DHX ALK KAC JAI OMA SVA MLR KAC DHX MEA GFA FAH FCX QTR KAC JZR UAE KAC KAC JZR UAL KAC KAC AFG

1717 58 982 561 673 746 124 641 503 617 1721 786 480 511 141 82 238 304 538 135 858 216 3556 128 511 266 134 64 184 283 361 62 506 171 267 351 571 648 5759 1407 543 373 403 218 102 102 137 301 554 860 205 343 502 981 416 411 406

MEDINAH DUBAI BAHRAIN AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH SHARJAH AMMAN MEDINAH/JEDDAH DOHA MEDINAH RIYADH SABIHA TEHRAN DOHA BAGHDAD AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH RIYADH BEIRUT BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI DHAKA COLOMBO DUBAI COLOMBO BAHRAIN COLOMBO COCHIN MUMBAI MUSCAT MEDINAH/JEDDAH COLOMBO CAIRO BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI ISLAMABAD CHENNAI LUXOR WASHINGTON DC DULLES KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA BANGKOK/MANILA DUBAI/KABUL

14:25 14:35 14:45 14:45 15:05 15:10 15:25 15:35 15:45 15:50 15:50 15:50 16:00 16:25 16:30 17:00 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:35 18:45 19:05 19:20 19:55 20:15 20:20 20:40 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:35 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:30 23:35 23:45 23:45 23:55 23:59

34

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 484

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your work or career is in real harmony with the rest of your life. You could gain from subordinates or young people during this time. There is the possibility of new visions or sudden insight into your working situation. Suggestions and proposals may be considered from the company for which you work. Perhaps some monetary rewards can be expected as your proposals or ideas may save the company much money. You will have some good opportunities to move forward in your career at this time. Community problems come to your attention this afternoon and changes are possible. This may involve transportation situations: school buses, city buses, parking, etc. A letter or presentation to the City Council will prove effective.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) There is a tendency to be too strict with your own life when you insist that whatever does not contribute to security and other long-term goals is trivial. Think outside the box and make plans that do not include such harsh restrictions on yourself. Positive results will depend on your actions. You attract money today. This could mean the promise of a raise or the sale of a piece of furniture or some other household item. Others may find you especially witty and eccentric this afternoon. You may have insights or breakthroughs regarding your living situation or life circumstances. You think of ways to save money and may find yourself in a group discussion with others that are as inventive as you are—fun! Your loved ones value you. Relax this evening.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Type genus of the family Myacidae.

4. United States filmmaker whose works include the first feature-length film with sound sequences (1902-1979).

10. The part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions of the smooth muscles and heart and glands.

13. The habitation of wild animals.

14. Of or relating to abasia (inability to walk).

15. The last (12th) month of the year.

16. An adult male person (as opposed to a woman).

17. Roman Emperor who succeeded Tiberius and whose uncontrolled passions resulted in manifest insanity.

19. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

21. A shape that sags.

23. In bed.

26. Jordan's port.

33. Having nine hinged bands of bony plates.

36. A case or sheath especially a pollen sac or moss capsule.

37. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion.

40. A tube in which a body fluid circulates.

45. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

49. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

51. With no effort to conceal.

55. A small piece of cloth.

58. (Greek mythology) Goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology.

59. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment.

60. Any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits.

62. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

63. A fixed charge for a privilege or for professional services.

64. A port city in southwestern Iran.

65. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

DOWN 1. Designer drug designed to have the effects of amphetamines (it floods the brain with serotonin) but to avoid the drug laws.

2. Not only so, but.

3. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

4. An angular shape characterized by sharp turns in alternating directions.

5. Lower in esteem.

6. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

7. (Sumerian) Sun god.

8. An alliance made up of states that had been Soviet Socialist Republics in the Soviet Union prior to its dissolution in Dec 1991.

9. One thousand periods per second.

10. The sixth month of the civil year.

11. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

12. The act of scanning.

18. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

20. A small cake leavened with yeast.

22. Assist or encourage, usually in some wrongdoing.

24. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

25. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

27. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

28. A defensive missile designed to shoot down incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.

29. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

30. A river in northwestern Russia flowing generally west into the Gulf of Finland.

31. Singing jazz.

32. Freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort.

34. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

35. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

38. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

39. A room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter.

41. A light touch or stroke.

42. Cut the head of.

43. A metric unit of length equal to one hundredth of a meter.

44. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

46. Feeling or showing extreme anger.

47. East Indian cereal grass whose seed yield a somewhat bitter flour, a staple in the Orient.

48. An Italian woman of rank.

50. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

51. A public promotion of some product or service.

52. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

53. A light springing movement upwards or forwards.

54. An informal term for a father.

56. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

57. A nucleic acid consisting of large molecules shaped like a double helix.

61. An associate degree in nursing.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Faith, optimism and a yearning to explore all kinds of new horizons are where some of the focal points are in your life at this time.

Travel, education and other ways to stretch your horizons open new doors of opportunity. Religious, philosophical and cultural matters are likely to have a special appeal for you and transmitting ideas on a broad scale brings gain. It is easy for you to make correct decisions at this time; there are plenty of life’s problems but they seem quite manageable. This is one of your rewarding days and it certainly makes up for all the stress that comes with the challenging days. You can enjoy the rewards of your hard work. If you are not traveling in the next few days, consider some time to enjoy a fun sport or some tourist attraction.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

If you need a loan, today is a good time to gather the information you need to request one. Positive results come from your investments and earning potential—a raise is in the works. There is a need to be the center of attention and perhaps a need to give and to be appreciated for your gifts.

This can be an expansive, creative and even romantic phase. You will look back on this time with pride and fondness. You may find yourself being put to good use by your friends this afternoon. All of this should go rather smoothly. You will use your common sense to move forward and help others to do the same. Being closely involved with another person may become your highest priority. Marriage, contracts and partnerships are seen as keys to happiness.

Leo (July 23-August 22) If professional advice is needed, you will have positive results today and tomorrow. Challenges provide you with many choices.

This is a good time to be creative and secure the positive. Your current situation may demand some reevaluation or otherwise challenge your ideas. It may be very hard for you to communicate what you mean to others. This is of short duration, however. This could be a crucial time during which—depending upon what age this takes place— you may reach new highs of determination and accomplishment. This will bring lessons of great discipline and concentration is very important. You show an ability to work hard—higher-ups are watching. This evening, provide a way for the whole family to gather and enjoy each otherís company.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) If you want to begin a diet, today and tomorrow are good times. You can appreciate an imaginative approach and may value unique and advanced ideas. You have a need to show your accomplishments to others so that there will be praise. You enter this time with an earnest desire for success.

You bring success to yourself as well as a group today. Perhaps through some type of competition, your group is focused and achievement oriented. Your energy can be enjoyed as you put your efforts into some volunteer service. This is the way to rise above the mundane and really feel your accomplishments. You encourage others to reach and achieve. You may enjoy a good movie or book to escape from the day-today realities this evening.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

By the end of this day you will find yourself going over the events of the day. You may wonder if you took advantage of all the opportunities to perform your work to your best ability. It is important to you that you put your best foot forward as you may suspect your company may be looking for a new supervisor and you know you are ready for that responsibility.

You might check to see if any new jobs have been posted within the company before you make a nervous wreck out of yourself. You may be pleased with your review of the day and a positive attitude is the best for your mind, body and spirit. You and a close friend may be talking about taking an interesting class soon; do more than talk about it . . . dive in and enjoy!

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You have no trouble putting your feelings into words; in fact, you may have to exercise some control over your tongue, for you are quick to say things and everything you communicate packs a wallop. Practice interesting ways to promote positive thinking and you will find positive results. Whatever you make up your mind to do today will be successful—focus. A bicycle ride later this afternoon could work off some of that extra energy. Considering that it may be time to take a new direction in your life, consider educational pursuits, travel, writing or publishing. Taking action to do something different that you really like to do may create a new outlet for your creativity. Spend the evening in relaxation to reflect and recharge your energies.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular job. Your professional abilities are in high focus. You demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of your teammates and are in a good position to communicate with groups and society in general, if needed. Guiding or teaching others may be part and parcel of the afternoon. Much can be accomplished with your guidance. A need to be the center of attention takes hold and you like the attention that comes from accomplishing difficult projects. This can be an expansive, creative and even romantic phase—you will look back with pride and fondness. You feel especially kind towards a friend this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

You love fine, unusual things. You enjoy being able to earn the money it takes to obtain these fine things. Your creative thinking is unique and becomes more and more finely tuned. You are very eloquent and considerate when it comes to teaching others the same style of working that you have learned. You might enjoy working for the government or as a librarian, tour guide, etc.

Regardless of the language, people just seem to understand just what you mean. The general circumstances you find yourself in at present may be important to help you move forward with your plans—nothing holds you back from growing. Achievements that win you reward and recognition are yours for the making. Enjoy an activity around water this evening.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) There are good practical job-related thoughts and ideas.

Outreach opportunities continue, particularly those involving publishing, broadcasting or the exchange of cultural programs or ideas. Isolation is counterproductive to your output. Remain involved and patient with yourself; all is good news at this time. Hold on to the present but educate yourself about the future. There are encouragements in your career direction. You may benefit from the advice of a senior or one in authority. Mental patterns and communication skills play a major role in your success. Develop your highest potential in the areas of communication and concentration. A neighbor visits you this evening and it is very important to stay away from gossip.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Work and career is a primary focus at this time. There is an opportunity to make good decisions—the clear choice is yours. You will prosper by your most earnest dream of how life could be. You are at your most practical and what happens now will have a lasting effect on your life direction.

Discovering new problem solving techniques may help shorten a time of sales promotion or product distribution. A change in financial status is possible now. There are new spending patterns, perhaps focused on high-tech interests—careful. There is an obstacle tonight that you can use as a stepping stone. It is a good idea to join some form of team sports to add vigor to your health and to enjoy the company of others away from work. Relax this evening.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

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25722291 22666288

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Madonna to play huge concert in London next year he 53-year-old singer will perform to 60,000 fans in Hyde Park next July when the UK capital will host the prestigious sporting event. A source close to the ‘Hung Up’ hitmaker - who recently took a break from music to direct new movie ‘W.E’ - told The Sun newspaper: “Madonna is planning a huge comeback and was determined to do it at Hyde Park while the Olympics are on. “She’s been out of the limelight musically for a while but is ready to jump back into the saddle and thinks there’s no better time to do it than when London hosts the Olympics.”

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Earlier this week, it was also revealed Madonna is to perform at next February’s Super Bowl, where she will headline the annual NFL match after beating off competition from Lady Gaga. A source said: “When Madonna heard Gaga was in the frame, she knew she had to step up her efforts. She is going to deliver the kind of show never seen before in NFL history.” In headlining the prestigious sporting event, Madonna is following in the footsteps of stars including the Rolling Stones, Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake and the late Michael Jackson.

Jackson caused his own death ichael Jackson probably caused his own death by injecting himself with Propofol, an expert anaesthesiologist claimed in court yesterday.

Defence witness Paul White took to the stand in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr Conrad Murray and directly challenged the testimony of the prosecution’s main medical witness Dr Steven Shafer.

Shafer had told the jury in his opinion the only plausible explanation for Jackson’s death on June 29, 2009, was that Murray had administered the anaesthetic Propofol and left it running into his system, even after the singer had stopped breathing the theory the prosecution has always maintained. Defence lawyer Michael Flanagan asked White: “You think it was self-injection of Propofol ... between 11.30 and 12 o’clock? (that caused Jackson’s death)” To which White - who performed clinical studies of Propofol for years before it was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration in 1989 - replied: “In my opinion, yes.” Later on in his testimony, White also corroborated a defence theory that the ‘Thriller’ singer swallowed several pills of the sedative lorazepam and that drug combined with the Propofol created a “perfect storm” of substances that killed him. White said: “The fact that there is even a tiny amount of free lorazepam is consis-

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tent with the theory that he took lorazepam orally.” Flanagan quizzed White on whether the drugs Murray admitted to giving Jackson in his police interview small injections of two sedatives and a half dose of Propofol - could have caused the singer’s passing, asking: “Would this present a dangerous situation here?” White said: “Not at all.” White also claimed the level of Propofol found in Jackson’s urine at his autopsy was consistent with his opinion that the pop legend gave himself the drug.

He also claimed he had been presented with no evidence that supported the prosecution’s claims Murray had been administering Jackson with Propofol via an IV drip at the star’s rented Los Angeles mansion.

During his testimony for the prosecution, Shafer argued the blood levels of Propofol in Jackson’s system did not support the defence’s self-injection theory. Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor has recessed the case - which has been running for five weeks - until tomorrow when the crossexamination of White, the defence’s final witness, will continue. Murray - who denies involuntary manslaughter - faces up to four years in prison if he is found guilty.

Kendra believes her son is a genius he reality TV star insists 22month-old Hank Baskett - her son with her NFL player husband Hank Baskett - is like a “sponge” and she is constantly amazed at how smart he is. The former Playboy model - who stars with her family in E! fly-on-the-wall show ‘Kendra’ - said: “The other night he said his ABC! He is a sponge right now he is learning so much and we love to piggy back on that and we love to teach him. Right now we know he is a sponge and we are just throwing stuff at him as much as we can for him to learn. He is the smartest kid, he can put together a five-piece puzzle right now. His concentration is amazing I can’t believe that when we are filming he can just sit down and put together a five piece puzzle so quickly, he has great concentration.” Kendra also revealed Hank Jr. likes to show off for the cameras when they are filming in the family home and really enjoys

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Bono’s friends trashed his car to make him ‘lighten up’

Pitt hides children’s computers

he U2 frontman thinks the band got “too straight” following their initial surge to fame in the 1980s and his old pals decided to teach him a lesson in order to bring him back to reality.

He said: “The band just got too straight in the 80s. “I mean, we were wrestling with some pretty big questions but I kind of lost touch with my friends. I remember one night at home in Dublin, my father woke me up and said, ‘There’s someone trying to steal your car.’ “He had an iron bar in his hand. I looked out the window... I had this tiny little Fiat Bambino.

They’d wrapped the entire car in toilet roll and were smashing eggs on it. I didn’t see it at the time but it was my mates saying, ‘You need to lighten up.’ “

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rad Pitt hides children’s computers because he thinks they spend too much time playing video games. The ‘Moneyball’ actor - who raises Maddox, 10, Pax, seven, Zahara, six, Shiloh, five, and three-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne with partner Angelina Jolie - is reportedly sick of his kids’ obsession with technology and wants them to spend more time playing together. A source told National Enquirer magazine: “The kids have five laptop computers that they share. Brad took them and hid them in storage. “He wants them playing in the dirt, reading books and interacting with each other. “Brad believes their minds are turning to mush from staring at the screens all day.” However, Brad’s war on computers was not well received in the Jolie-Pitt household with Maddox and Shiloh reportedly the most upset.

The source added: “The boys are into the video game ‘Forza Motorsport 4’ and the girls love ‘Just Dance 3’. Everyone - especially Maddox and Shiloh - threw a hissy fit after Brad pulled the plug on their online fun.” —BangShowbiz

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Tom Cruise was ‘inspiring’ to work with he 49-year-old actor - who plays American agent Ethan Hunt in the popular sequel - left co-star Paula Patton “paralyzed” when she first met him. Paula who plays Jane Carter said: “When you first meet him, if you think about meeting him then you’ll just get paralysed. So I didn’t think about him, and we had this really good connection. “Then I went home and was like ‘Oh my god! I just met Tom Cruise!’

He’s very compassionate; he can read a room and see who needs something. Because of that working with him is inspiring.” And Paula wasn’t the only co-star Tom impressed as Jeremy was also in awe of Tom’s talent. He added to Empire magazine: “I was hanging out of that building [The Burj Khalifa] with Tom, I said to him, ‘Tom, you do realise you don’t have to do this, don’t you?’

He just smiled at me. This massive grin. And then he did it. I guess that’s why he’s the biggest movie star in the world.”

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being in the TV show. But she insists she and her husband would stop the cameras from rolling if their son ever got upset. She explained: “He’s fine with them (the cameras). I don’t think he has cried one time when they’ve been there. And we would never force him to shoot, you know, to be on TV. He likes it. That’s the beauty about it, that he gets to do what he wants to do he doesn’t have a script and he’s not doing something that he doesn’t want to do. “But of course with the baby we have limits, we have to kick the camera out sometimes if the baby isn’t feeling good or anything, we don’t allow the cameras to go next to baby Hank.” ‘Kendra, Season 4’ premieres today only on E! Entertainment Television (Sky 151/Virgin 156).

Alice Cooper wants to erect a statue to the unknown chicken he singer and his theatrical shock rock band hit the headlines in 1969 when their audience at a show in Canada tore the live bird to pieces, and Alice feels proper tribute should be paid to the animal, whose bloodied body was thrown back at the group.

He said: “Here’s the kicker. The people in the first five rows were all in wheelchairs. They didn’t like the idea that the chicken could walk - that’s what flipped into my mind. “And this was the Toronto ‘Peace’ Festival! I am seriously thinking of erecting a statue there; Monument to the Unknown Chicken. The noble bird that lost its life in the service of rock ‘n’ roll and gave Alice Cooper a career.” Alice, 63, is not the only rocker to have had an encounter with animal slaughter at his show, as heavy metal group Metallica once recalled how one of their shows in Donington, England saw a fan shower the band with bits of recently-slaughtered pig. Singer James Hetfield previously explained: “There’s mostly demo tapes, flowers, flyers, underwear, bras, and other crap that get thrown up there [on the stage]. “At one of the Donington shows, we had pieces of pig flying up. Someone had slaughtered an actual pig and brought it along, threw it up there.”

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Trashy, boisterous ‘Anonymous’ aims for cheap seats lizabethan scholars may dispute the version of events recounted in “Anonymous,” Roland Emmerich’s exploration of who really wrote the plays and poems history attributes to William Shakespeare, but those of us in the cheap seats (with suitable temperament) will have to admire how the director of “2012” and “Independence Day” took a topic appropriate for a doctoral thesis and turned it into a melodramatic potboiler.

Think of “Anonymous” more along the lines of the bosomy intrigue and nighttime-soap operatics “The Other Boleyn Girl” and less akin to the more serious “Elizabeth,” and you’ll be in the right frame of mind for this trashy treat. Sir Derek Jacobi, one of this generation’s leading interpreters of the Bard, struts upon a Broadway stage and begins spelling out the case against the working-class, semi-illiterate Shakespeare having been the author of his timeless works. As Jacobi’s speech ends, we’re on the muddy, pestilent streets of 17th century London, where playwright Ben Jonson (Sebastian Armesto) is on the run from royal guards, hiding a cache of manuscripts.

The provenance of those papers takes us into multiple flashbacks, wherein Emmerich and screenwriter John Orloff (“Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole”) posit that the real author behind “Richard III” and “Romeo and Juliet” was Edward de Vere (Rhys Ifans), the 17th Earl of Oxford. Having to keep his identity hidden for a variety of reasons-most of them having to do with his powerful and treacherous father-in-law, William Cecil (David Thewlis) — Edward pays Jonson to take credit for his work. Having seen audiences moved by works of theater, Edward realizes that this medium can be used to rally the masses and score political points against those in power.

But since Jonson has his own writing career (with an ego to match), he winds up sub-contracting the gig as Edward’s front to William Shakespeare (Rafe Spall), a boozy actor who eventually lets his unearned fame go to his head.

“Anonymous” periodically pops out Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits like the assassination of Julius Caesar or Henry V giving the St. Crispin’s Day speech, always in a way that advances Edward’s political plotting of the moment. (If you were hoping for moments from “Cymbeline” or “Troilus and Cressida,” forget it; the movie sticks to the best-known works and only presents them in a plot-advancing context.) Knowing that non”Masterpiece Theater” audiences will grow fidgety over this sort of thing, Emmerich and Orloff throw in plenty of swordfighting, bear-baiting, and bodice-ripping. (The latter literally occurs when Queen Elizabeth I, played memorably by Vanessa Redgrave, loosens her corset over being so moved by the intrigues of “Hamlet.”)

Much of the villainy here is of the mustache-twirling variety. The palace intrigue is spelled out in broad strokes so that even the groundlings can follow it; it’s the sort of movie where the clouds burst forth only when it can rain on someone, significantly. But for all of its excesses, “Anonymous” is never dull, and it always looks terrific. Supervising art director Stephan O. Gessler and his team make everything from dingy pubs lit by firelight to the royal bedchambers feel lived-in and realistic.

Ifans, who has made his deepest impression playing literally shaggy characters in films like “Notting Hill,” cleans up extraordinarily well, giving Edward de Vere the soul of an artist combined with the necessary deviousness to survive in court.

(Jamie Campbell Bower, a vet of both the “Twilight” and “Harry Potter” franchises, comes off like a cross between Matthew Lillard and “the cute one” from any ‘90s boy band as the young Edward.) Redgrave and her daughter Joely Richardson make a nifty set of bookends as the older and younger Elizabeth, respectively, and best of all is Thewlis, who takes what could have been a cardboard bad-guy and imbues him with a chilling lust for power. His presence lingers on even after William Cecil’s death and helps make a long third-act monologue by Robert Cecil (Edward Hogg) — explaining everything that Edward and the audience hasn’t known up until that pointmore bearable.

Freshmen in English Lit classes of the future would be advised not to take the theories of “Anonymous” as gospel, but if you’re in the mood to watch people in doublets stab each other through curtains and angrily slam down flagons of ale, you’ll have fun with this tale of sound and fury. —TheWrap.com

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Acrobats perform at the Katara Cultural Village on the sidelines of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in the Qatari capital on Friday. —AFP

Iran actress in Australian film spared lashes, freed n Iranian actress sentenced to be whipped for her role in an Australian-produced film has been spared the lashes and been freed after having her term reduced on appeal, a source close to her family confirmed to AFP yesterday. Marzieh Vafamehr had her original punishment of a year in prison and 90 lashes cut to the three months detention already served and a 1,000-dollar fine instead of the whipping, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The source confirmed information given by Amnesty International in London that Vafamehr was freed this week.

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News of Vafamehr’s initial sentence sparked alarm and outrage in Australia, where the makers of the film, “My Tehran for Sale”, stressed that it had obtained the necessary Iranian permission to be made in Tehran. The Australian production company behind the movie, Cyan Films, based in Adelaide, expressed “deep shock and sadness” at the original sentence.

A spokesman for Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd had also spoken of “deep concern” over the case. Iran’s Fars news agency said the film-which contains a scene showing Vafamehr with a shaved head and not wearing the headscarf oblig-

atory under Iran’s Islamic laws-had not been approved for distribution in the country and was being distributed there illegally. Shot entirely in Tehran and directed by Iranian-Australian Granaz Moussavi, the 2008 film tells the story of a young actress in Iran’s capital whose work is banned by the authorities. It was partially funded by the South Australian Film Corporation.

Iranian cinema has come in for harsh repression in recent years, with several filmmakers and intellectuals close to the opposition being singled out by authorities following the disputed 2009 re-elec-

tion of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

More than a dozen directors and actors have been arrested, and some have been handed stiff sentences for “propaganda against the regime,” including a number of documentary makers accused of blackening the image of Iran.

The most prominent of them, internationally recognized director Jafar Panahi, has been sentenced to six years in prison and slapped with a 20-year ban on filmmaking, travelling or giving interviews after trying to make a documentary about the unrest that followed the 2009 election. —AFP

The Adventures of Tintin gets mixed reviews he Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn,” Steven Spielberg’s 3-D take on Georges Remi’s treasured comic books, is already a hit overseas with audiences. But what about the critics? Overseas opinionators vary wildly in their assessments, with some heaping on the praise and one British critic reacting violently against it. In Belgium, where the comic books originated, the newspaper Le Soir, takes a positive view of the film-we think. According to the translation program we ran their review through, “The Adventures of Tintin” is “a popular and general public film, which alternates in a tasty way the exotic film of adventure, play of track Hitchcockian and the picaresque comedy.”

So ... it’s eclectic? Alas, the film earned a huge thumbs-down from the Guardian’s literary critic, Nicholas Lezard. A self-professed lifelong Tintin fan, Lezard likens the film to a sexual

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assault. “Coming out of the new Tintin film directed by Steven Spielberg, I found myself, for a few seconds, too stunned and sickened to speak; for I had been obliged to watch two hours of literally senseless violence being perpetrated on something I loved dearly,” Lezard writes. “In fact, the sense of violation was so strong that it felt as though I had witnessed a rape.” In France, Spielberg’s interpretation of Tintin appears to be considered tres bien. L’Express lauds the filmmaker for crafting an adaptation that isn’t afraid to break with Remi’s vision, but remains lovingly faithful in its own way.

Spielberg allows [himself] to reinvent certain sides of history, and to make some winks,” the paper notes. Even so, the review adds, “One feels all the affection which it carries to its characters.” France’s Cinema Teaser praises the film’s “sublime” opening-credits sequence, as well as the much-ballyhooed

technology behind the film. It says that “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn” proves “that the performance capture can definitively cause life when it is used by a large scenario writer.”

England’s Empire Online also makes special note of the film’s performance-capture technology, noting that it lends itself to “endless chase sequences.” However, the review concludes that it’s the heart beating underneath the bells and whistles that makes “The Adventures of Tintin” a captivating read. “You have a job keeping up, but never at the expense of the sheer goodwill,” the review posits. “While luxuriating in its pre-existing universe, here is a film imploring you to join in. It would take a hard heart to resist.” Overall, Empire concludes, “The Adventures of Tintin” is “action-packed, gorgeous, and faithfully whimsical.” —TheWrap.com

‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ loses third director s the Jane Austen-zombie craze over? Lionsgate’s adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s horror and drawing room comedy mashup, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” has just lost its third director in a row. TheWrap has confirmed that Craig Gillespie (“Lars and the Real Girl”) has now followed Mike White and David O. Russell out the door as directors of the oncehot project.

What’s going on? This was an idea that had everyone chomping at the bit a year ago-Mr. Darcy! Flesh-eaters! — and based on a best-selling novel to boot. But momentum has now slowed to a paralytic halt. First Russell walked over budget issues (he needed more money), then White bowed out over scheduling, and now we’re hearing that Gillespie is leaving with casting still a big hole to be filled.

Natalie Portman was originally attached to the film, but she has opted to limit her involvement to producing the film. Several drafts of the script have now come and gone, including one by Russell and a recent polish by “Fright Night” writer Marti Noxon (brought on by Gillespie). Without a major star-and now a directorattached, the project is now back in limbo, robbing Lionsgate of a hotly anticipated film on its upcoming slate.

Lionsgate wouldn’t comment for this article. By the time the studio gets the project off the ground, the zombie craze may well be over. The 2009 horror-comedy “Zombieland” is a few years in the rear-view mirror now, “Shaun of the Dead” from way back in 2004 is practically ready for Turner

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US director Tanya Waxler, US actress Maggie Gyllenhaall, and British actor Rupert Everett pose on the red carpet of the movie “Hysteria”, at the 6th edition of the Rome International Film Festival in Rome, Friday.—AP

Classic Movies, and while “The Walking Dead” continues to be a ratings bonanza for AMC, zombies may have reached a critical mass. Getting the book to screen has slowed to the point where the film of GrahameSmith’s “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” which hit bookstores after “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” will actually be released in theaters before its predecessor.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and starring Rufus Sewell and Benjamin Walker, “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” debuts on June 22, 2012, at which point “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” might finally have a director. Lionsgate is often criticized for hedging its bets, most recently on the mixed martial arts movie, “Warrior.” The studio lost money on that film and on an even bigger bet, “Conan the Barbarian.” The Taylor Lautner film “Abduction” will breakeven, but it’s no break-out hit.

So it’s no surprise that Russell jumped ship over budget disputes with the studio.”I thought at $40 to $50 million was a bargain price to make a “Sherlock Holmes”-style period action romance that happened to have zombies in it,” Russell told the Wall Street Journal. “The studio budgeted it as a genre zombie movie and gave me $25 to $28 million. I was like, that’s not cool. We have crazy big action sequences in it. It’s very commercial; we have a major romance. It’s a period film. And we’re doing it on the budget that wedid ‘The Fighter?”“— TheWrap.com

Filmmaker Michael Moore addresses several hundred Occupy Oakland protesters outside City Hall in Oakland, Calif, on Friday. —AP

Moore addresses Oakland protesters eft-wing filmmaker Michael Moore addressed hundreds of anti-Wall Street protesters in front of Oakland’s City Hall, saying the events there over the past week have helped change the national discussion about the movement. Moore, who flew in from New York on Friday, said the Occupy demonstrations are “a movement of equals,” and that everyone had something to offer. The director of “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine” said the movement will not tolerate violence against demonstrators, referring to Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen, who was badly injured during a clash between protesters and police. Moore urged the protesters, many of whom are demonstrating against what they see as a growing disparity between rich and poor, to continue their movement until they run the country. —AP

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

lifestyle

China F A S H I O N

Fashion Week

Models present creations during the Chinese fashion house Garywat QuTingnan S/S 2012 collection at the bi-annual China Fashion Week in Beijing yesterday. The 10-day fashion extravaganza will highlight some 44 fashion shows and six contests hosting over 200 designers. — AP/AFP photos

Million-dollar windfall for Indian office worker A

n office worker too poor to own a television set has won an unprecedented $1 million in the Indian version of TV game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”. Sushil Kumar’s win last week drew comparisons with the plot of 2008 Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” and, like its fictional protagonist Jamal, the 27-year-old also watched the TV show as an escape from penury. This is the first time a contestant has won a million dollars on the popular TV show hosted by Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. The episode will be broadcast next week and Kumar takes home 3.5 crore rupees (about $720,000) after tax.

Kumar, who watched the show at a neighbour’s house because his family was too poor to afford a television set, said he had not made any grand plans for the money, a fortune in a country with a per capita income of $1,265. “I’m going to repair my house, fulfil a few basic needs and then move to Delhi to study for the civil service exams,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview. Kumar works as a computer operator in a government office in the impoverished eastern state of Bihar and earns 6,000 rupees (around $120) per month. “Our house has almost broken down and we have a lot of loans that have to be repaid,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for this money, I would have gotten old before I sorted out my life.” “I’ve been getting a lot of suggestions about what to do with the money, but right now I can only think about my dream of getting through the civil services exam,” he said. “Slumdog Millionaire”, shot in the teeming slums of Mumbai, tells the story of a young orphan who wins the TV game show against all odds.— Reuters

Models present creations by Chinese fashion house Qiuci Beauty Sun Xiuqin during the biannual China Fashion Week in Beijing yesterday.

Models present creations at the Famory Cup China Wedding Dress Design Contest 2011 during the biannual China Fashion Week in Beijing yesterday.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

lifestyle

Halloween doesn’t have to be gorge-fest to be fun

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ffer apples to trick-or-treaters and risk having your house get egged - maybe even by your own kids. But dentists and dietitians say you can still make Halloween reasonably healthy for little devils and witches without resorting to dracul-onian tactics, like no candy. “This is such a big adventure for them - let them have it, obviously with some caveats,” said Dr Rhea Haugseth, a dentist in Marietta, Ga., who’s president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry There are tricks for keeping Halloween fun without risking cavities and extra pounds, like handing out dark chocolate instead of chewy candies or even bribing kids with a toy in exchange for the Halloween loot. Some studies have suggested dark chocolate is good for the heart, and chewy candies stick to the teeth.

Just don’t go overboard on restrictions, says Cole Robbins, a Chicago 12-year-old and Halloween veteran. “Halloween is the one day of the year where we kids just kind of break out and overload on candy,” he said. To help prevent that kind of gorging, try to give children a healthy, filling meal before trick-or-treating, says Bethany Thayer, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association who works at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

Procrastinators, take heart. Thayer also recommends waiting until Halloween day before buying candy, so no one is tempted to indulge beforehand. “I know people who have to go back to the store because they’ve completely gone through their candy” before Halloween, she said. Haugseth suggests avoiding cavity-promoting treats like caramels that stick to the teeth, or lollipops that bathe teeth in a long sugary bath.

Also, having kids brush their teeth before trickor-treating helps reduce plaque and bacteria, which interact with sugar to produce toothdecaying acid, Haugseth said. Kids should also brush right after eating candy, she said. Ronni Litz Julien, a Miami nutritionist whose patients include overweight and obese kids, says another trick for parents is to ask kids not to dip into their loot bags until they bring it all home. That’s for safety, so parents can toss any suspicious-looking candy, but it also can prevent an “eating frenzy.”

She suggests parents help sort through the loot, have kids select their 10 favorite pieces, and give the rest away. Offer the choice of eating all 10 pieces at once, or over 10 days. That gives them a sense of control, without feeling shortchanged, she said. “You can’t deprive them. It’s Halloween, for God’s sake,” she said. President Barack Obama

joked this week on “The Tonight Show” that he’d warned his health-promoting wife that the White House would get egged if she gave trick-ortreaters fresh fruit and raisins instead of candy.

During festivities on Saturday, the Obamas will hand out White House M&Ms, cookies and dried fruit as they did the past two years.

Dr Janet Silverstein, a Gainesville, Fla. pediatrician and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ nutrition committee, says she doesn’t give out candy, offering fruit or pencils instead; so far her house is unscathed. When her own children were young, Silverstein would buy their candy for a nickel a piece. She recommends that to her patients’ parents, too - though not necessarily her other solution - she used to eat her kids’ candy. In some places, kids willing to give up their candy can make more than a nickel. About 1,500 dentists across the country have agreed this year to participate in a Halloween candy buyback organized by Operation Gratitude. The Californiabased group periodically sends care packages to U.S. troops overseas. Some dentists pay kids $1 per pound of Halloween candy; last year, the program brought in 250,000 pounds of candy, said Carolyn Blashek, founder of the Van Nuys, Calif.based group.

Blashek said troops overseas appreciate it as a token of gratitude, and Halloween candy brings back lots of fond childhood memories. Some have given their candy to Afghan children, she noted.

Entering your ZIP code on the group’s website, http://bit.ly/F1iSy will identify participating dentists.

Parents who plan to encourage giving up candy should be sure not to take it right away, says Brian Wansink, a Cornell University food behavior scientist and author of “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think.” That’s because of a psychology principle called “the endowment effect.” It refers to kids feeling a sense of ownership and putting a high value on candy they haul in.

If you let them eat several pieces first, that feeling can fade and they won’t even feel hungry anymore. That’s the time to offer a trade, Wansink said. He’s tried that trick with his own three daughters, aged 2, 4, and 6, and says “it works like a charm.” His girls eagerly give up the rest of their Halloween candy in exchange for a new trinket or other toy that won’t rot their teeth, he said. Young kids aren’t really aware of how much they brought home, and when “they sort of count their booty, that’s probably the age where kids shouldn’t be trick or treating anymore,” he said.— AP

People take part in a Zombie Walk event yesterday, 2011 in Bordeaux, western France, ahead of Halloween which falls every year on October 31.

Halloween is especially popular with children due to activities such as trick or treating, dressing up in costumes and carving pumpkins to make jack-o’-lanterns. —AFP Bette Midler poses alongside a skeleton statue at her Hulaween gala benefit for the New York Restoration Project, in New York Friday.—AP

Abu Dhabi delays Louvre, Guggenheim museums

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he oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi announced yesterday a delay in completing a museums complex, including satellites of the Louvre and Guggenheim, amid a reported scale-down in state projects. The Tourism Development and Investment Company, the government agency in charge of developing the Saadiyat Cultural District, said the plan to open the museums between 2013-2014 was delayed.

“TDIC’s initial plan was to open all these museums between 2013-2014; however, due to the immense magnitude of the work associated with the development of such consequential projects, the company has decided to extend the delivery dates,” a statement said.

It did not give a new date for completion, but said “this necessary review will only have a moderate impact on the delivery time line of the museums.”A source familiar with the project said the delay should not exceed five years.

“They will all be delivered not later than five years after the initial time frame,” the source told AFP. TDIC said it was “committed to the delivery of the Saadiyat Cultural District museums, including Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, which are strategic components of the Abu Dhabi government’s vision for the emirate.” It said detailed architectural designs of the museums have been completed, while all foundation and piling work have been done, adding that the acquisition of the art collections is already taking place.

The announcement came days after TDIC reportedly cancelled a major construction tender for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum, while a report by Aram Capital noted a scale-down in plans by the government of the wealthy emirate, according to Gulf News daily. —AFP

Sugarland

‘We are all changed’ by collapse A

packed house watched country duo Sugarland deliver an emotionallycharged free concert meant to “celebrate” healing, life and music while serving as a tribute to the victims of a deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair last August. Singer Jennifer Nettles told Friday night’s crowd - including some of those injured during the collapse - that the tragedy had changed them all.

Nettles opened the 2 1/2-hour show at a packed Conesco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis by telling audience members they were in store for an emotional night that would also be part celebration. She also told fans that Sugarland had visited the fairgrounds, where high winds toppled scaffolding and stage rigging on Aug. 13 into a crowd awaiting a performance by the country duo. Seven people were killed.

“Obviously we are here in October - we were supposed to do this show in August.

Obviously, the stage is different, you are different and we are different. We are all changed by what happened then,” she said.

“But we are going to try to give you the best show that we can and to celebrate healing with you and to celebrate life and music with you here tonight.”

Sugarland’s free concert came 10 weeks after the stage collapsed as a storm neared the fairgrounds’ Grandstand a few miles (kilometers) north of Friday night’s venue.

Attendees were asked to donate to a victims relief fund that already has raised nearly $1 million. Indianapolis resident Sue Humphrey, whose 17-year-old son, Brad, was left partially paralyzed when he was struck by falling stage rigging that night, attended Friday’s concert with her son,

who only decided Friday afternoon that he wanted to go. Humphrey said Brad was unsure if the concert would be too emotional for him, but she said it was herself, and not her son, who got choked up at one point during the show as her mind cast back to August’s tragedy.

She said Brad, a high school senior who attended the concert after finishing his first week back at school since he was injured, held up fine. Humphrey and her son, who is now in a wheelchair, sat in the venue’s handicapped section. Humphrey said she was touched when Nettles held up a flag

near the end of the concert with the word “Heal” painted on it and then walked through the audience holding it aloft.

“She usually has ‘Love’ on that flag, but this time she spray-painted ‘Heal’ on it and I thought that was a very, very good touch to the show,” she said. Rick Stevens, who served as an Army medic in Vietnam, said Sugarland “hit a home run” with Friday’s concert by balancing a remembrance of August’s stage collapse with several vibrant and powerful renditions of their songs, including “The Incredible Machine,” the name of their current album.

The American country music duo Sugarland featuring vocalist Jennifer Nettles, right, and guitarist Kristian Bush perform a benefit concert in Indianapolis, Friday.—AP

“I’ve seen them play five times and this is their most emotional, most heartfelt concerts I’ve seen. They just played their hearts out,” he said. “It was a slam dunk.” The 57year-old Terre Haute, Indiana, resident was among those who rushed into the tangled metal rigging to help people crushed in August’s collapse. He said he saw people at Friday’s concert whom he had rescued.

Indiana-based musician Corey Cox and actress Rita Wilson per formed before Sugarland took the stage.

Cox performed a few weeks ago at a benefit concert for a woman from his hometown of Pendleton, Indiana - 30-yearold Andrea Vellinga - who suffered severe head injuries in the stage collapse and still is struggling to recover. Vellinga’s family and friends attended the show. He dedicated one of his songs, “That’ll Take You Back” to his hometown “and every other small town across this country who came together the week after Aug. 13 and prayed and supported” the victims of the collapse.

A psychiatrist who specializes in treating survivors of disasters said attending the concert could help some of the roughly 40 people injured in the stage collapse and relatives of those killed come to terms with the tragedy. But he said there’s a chance it could deal others a setback, dredging up intense and painful memories.

“It’s good that this benefit concert should happen, but it may be too hard for some people to go through it,” said Anthony Ng, interim chief medical officer at The Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine. “Obviously everybody’s different and there’s no right way or wrong way to do this.”— AP

Spider-Man musical bids adieu to two original stars

B In this May 12, 2011 file photo, the cast of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark,” from left, Patrick Page, TV Carpio, Reeve Carney, and Jennifer Damiano pose for photographers outside the Foxwoods Theatre in New York after the first preview performance.

roadway’s “Spider-Man” musical is about to lose two of its original cast members. Producers said Friday that original stars Jennifer Damiano and T V Carpio will end their run in “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” next month when their contracts expire.

Damiano, who has played Mary Jane Watson since performances began last November, will be replaced by Rebecca Faulkenberry, who made her Broadway debut in “Rock of Ages.” Carpio, who has been playing the spider-woman named Arachne, will be replaced by Christina Sajous, who starred in “Baby, It’s You!” and

“American Idiot.” Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker and the webslinger, and Patrick Page, who is the Green Goblin, are sticking with the $75 million show, which after a difficult birth, has become a top Broadway earner.

The musical, Broadway’s most expensive, was plagued by accidents and delayed premieres before finally officially opening in June. By that time, the original director and co-book writer Julie Taymor had been ousted, and the musical’s songs by U2’s Bono and The Edge and the story line were reworked.

Carpio originally landed a part in the so-

called Geek Chorus - four comic book fans who framed the plot and represented Taymor, Bono, The Edge and co-book writer Glen Berger. But Carpio had been the understudy for several roles since joining the show in 2007 and was a natural choice when the original Arachne - Natalie Mendoza - pulled out after suffering a concussion in December.

During the show’s rocky spring, the role of Arachne was reworked and Carpio suffered whiplash when one of the performers playing Spider-Man toppled onto her in March. Damiano’s last performance will be Nov 6. Carpio’s will be Nov 13. — AP

‘Jackson caused his own death’

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

36

Fireworks explode over the Statue of Liberty in celebration of the anniversary of its dedication on October 28, 2011 in New York City. —AFP

US celebrates Statue of Liberty’s

125th birthday

Caroline DuCrey, of Albertville, France, jumps in front of the Statue of Liberty so her friends can take her photo, Friday.

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cores of people waved tiny flags after taking the oath of US citizenship at the foot of the Statue of Liberty on Friday, 125 years after the iconic American symbol welcoming visitors and immigrants was dedicated. “We are a nation of diverse people,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said during the naturalization ceremony on Liberty Island. “And that diversity strengthens our nation.”

The new Americans, 125 immigrants from 46 countries, pledged to renounce foreign power, then posed for photos with their citizenship certificates. The birthday party concluded Friday with a 12-minute fireworks display choreographed to patriotic music. “I feel like if you live in a place, you should have a say in the politics,” said Paul Currie, who moved to the US from South Africa eight years ago. “Otherwise, you’re an outsider.”

Silvia Hodges, who came to the US from Germany in 1999, said the ceremony made her feel “like I belong here - and I really want to vote.” The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, was conceived to symbolize the friendship between the two countries and a shared love of liberty. President Glover Cleveland dedicated the statue on Oct. 28, 1886. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “If anybody around this world wants to pick up their family and move so that their family can have freedom - freedom to speak, freedom to be in charge of their own destiny, all the freedoms that we have incorporated into the Bill of

Rights - they always come to America.” Actress Sigourney Weaver recited Emma Lazarus’ “ The New Colossus” and gestured to the statue behind her at the words “a mighty woman with a torch.”

On Friday, Cleveland’s grandson George, a dead-ringer for the former president, was on hand for the event and received a plaque from the National Park Ser vice. George Cleveland, a 59-year-old executive director of a senior center in North Conway, New Hampshire, said his grandfather was prescient when he said that “a stream of light shall pierce the darkness of ignorance and man’s oppression, until liberty enlightens the world.”

“We are still a work in progress,” George Cleveland said.Then, with a 3-2-1 countdown, webcams streaming views from the statue’s torch were switched on. The cameras offer panoramas of the Manhattan skyline, the Hudson River and Liberty Island.

“It’s really a wonderful way from people from around the world to connect with Lady Liberty using today’s technology,” said David Luchsinger, the superintendent of the statue and Ellis Island. Yesterday, the statue’s interior will be closed for renovations for about a year, though Liberty Island will remain open. Vacationers Benoit and Veronique Poullain of Rouen, France, were happy to see the statue on her 125th anniversary.

Veronique said it was “like New York, big!” She said the French are “very happy to have contributed this symbol.” — AP

Biography sees Jobs as crossroad of humanities, science A

genius for mixing the humanities and sciences coupled with a Svengali-like ability to motivate people powered Steve Jobs’s mission to change the world, biographer Walter Isaacson concludes in his exhaustive new study of the Apple co-founder. “Michelangelo knew a lot about how to quarry stone, not just how to be a sculptor,” Isaacson quotes Jobs as saying in one of the many interviews the Apple chief executive gave him in the months before Jobs’s death on October 5.

Isaacson’s “Steve Jobs” quickly became one of the most highly anticipated biographies of the year after the tech icon, the creative force behind products like the MacIntosh PC, iPod, iPhone and iPad, died of pancreatic cancer. The 571-page volume hit bookstores on Oct. 24 but was released earlier than expected on Apple’s iBooks online store and Amazon’s Kindle the day before.

Amazon later said it expected the book to be its top seller of the year. No doubt, Jobs would have loved that.

“Edwin Land of Polaroid talked about the intersection of the humanities and science,” Jobs tells Isaacson toward the end, when discussing his legacy. “I like that intersection. There’s something

magical about that place.” The book chronicles Jobs’s achievements but presents a rounded and colorful portrait, warts and all. It begins with a young, tearful Jobs trying to comprehend what it means to be adopted, a fact that some sources told Isaacson helped explain later behavior by Jobs such as his denying paternity of his first child. “ The real underlying problem was the theme of abandonment in Steve’s life,” Andy Hertzfeld, a former Apple colleague, told Isaacson.

The book portrays Jobs as a cutthroat businessman who championed aesthetic perfection over profit, with his character, aggressive behavior and startling inspirations tied part and parcel to his youthful search for identity. By the time he graduates high school, Jobs’s rebelliousness is ascendant as he dabbles with LSD, weird diets and “the mind-bending effects of sleep deprivation,” Isaacson writes.

“All of a sudden the wheat field was playing Bach,” Jobs said of one LSD trip. “It was the most wonderful feeling of my life up to that point.”

Isaacson, whose previous work included well received biographies of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, provides plenty of context at every stage of Jobs’s life (1955-2011).

His childhood neighborhood in the 1960s in what would later be part of the Silicon Valley he helped create was filled with engineers living in homes designed for the American “everyman,” which nurtured his interest in electronics and influenced his later passion for clean, simple design. Born in San Francisco, Jobs found the Bay Area the ideal incubator for his rebel ambitions.

Isaacson notes that in the 1970s the classified section of the San Jose Mercury-where Jobs spotted the ad for his job in 1974 at video game maker Atari-carried “up to sixty pages of technology help wanted ads.” By the early 1980s, Jobs’s personality had developed into a creative force. Friends and colleagues referred to his “reality distortion field,” a “confounding melange of a charismatic rhetorical style, indomitable will, and eagerness to bend any fact to fit the purpose at hand,” Hertzfeld said.

Driven by Jobs’s unrelenting refusal to accept anything less than his vision of a product, his employees completed staggering amounts of work within impossible deadlines. “If reality did not comport with his will, he would ignore it, as he had done with the birth of his daughter and would do years later, when first diagnosed with cancer,” Isaacson writes. —Reuters