4th Jul

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

Gitmo Kuwaiti’s lawyer slams Kuwait envoy to Washington

Voice of Mumbai attacks points finger at Pakistan

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Iran, US flexing muscles in rising war of nerves

Iran test-fires missiles • US moves new forces to Gulf

TEHRAN: Iran and the United States yesterday underlined their military readiness for conflict should faltering diplomacy over Tehran’s atomic activities fail, as tensions rose over tougher Western sanctions. Iran said it successfully fired several dozen missiles - including a medium-range Shahab-3 ballistic weapon with a range capable of striking Israel in war games in its central desert region designed to show its capacity for counterattack. US officials, meanwhile, detailed a quiet US military build-up in the Gulf region that includes the deployment of warships and F-22 stealth fighter jets.

The belligerent posturing came on the day technical experts from Iran and from world powers, including the United States, met in Istanbul in the latest round of talks. The negotiations have been downgraded from a senior political level after three previous rounds this year that failed to bridge vast differences held by each side. Iran refuses to bow to Western demands that it curb its sensitive uranium enrichment under the pressure of punishing economic sanctions that were ramped up last week to their most severe level so far.

“The sanctions imposed against our country are the harshest and strongest ever imposed. If the enemies think they can weaken Iran with these sanctions, they are wrong,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.

Tehran is demanding its “right” to enrichment be recognised and the “hostile” sanctions be eased for the talks to progress. It rejects Western suspicions that it is seeking a nuclear weapons “break-out” capability.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast accused the Western nations in the Continued on Page 15

conspiracy theories

Morsi, I love you!

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

liked the first thing President Morsi did since he took office. He asked his photos to be removed from all administrative offices and buildings in Egypt. Hooray! At last! A wise leader who thought that hanging his picture will not make him loved or hated more by the nation.

This issue of leaders’ pictures posted everywhere has been boiling inside me for years and years. Since I was a young child, I used to see the photos of our leaders everywhere. Their faces are in schools, on buses, on trains and in ministries.

When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you see is the image of the country’s leader. If you happen to be travelling and wake up in a hotel in an Arab country, of course the portrait of the leader of that country will be somewhere in the room or in the corridor.

The first thing that hits your eye in any administrative building in the Arab world is the leader or even his assistant smiling from the walls. Enter any official office in the Arab world I bet you the wall will be decorated with a portrait of the leader. Sometimes they even exaggerate and put the family members of the leader next to each other to please us. You can see first ladies and their children on the wall too. It has become like a piece of decoration. It has become normal that the pictures will be everywhere, not just in offices but on the streets and on electricity poles.

The idea of hanging photos also extend beyond government buildings to private sector companies, grocery stores, baqalas and coffee shops. Of course, the private sector will do it because they are afraid from the hypocrisy of secret police to chase them or to avoid harassment from pro-government officers. That is why they hang the leader’s picture. Sometimes people get so afraid that they even hang it in their own cars. Don’t tell me that the whole nation is in love with that leader. That leader is not so naive to think that people are putting his picture everywhere out of passion. Sometimes it is so funny that baqalas and small shops hang the leader’s picture peeking between rice and macaroni.

Educational institutes also are not saved from this culture. The first thing for students to learn when they start their ABCs are the faces of the country’s leaders and of course songs of praise not for the country but for the leader himself.

Since kindergarten till graduation, our kids recite poetry and songs about the leaders. Their pictures are everywhere starting from the gate of the school to any classroom.

I don’t mind all this, but please, for God’s sake, a leader’s picture inside a restaurant is beyond my tolerance. I don’t mind if he is going to pay for my dinner, lunch or coffee, but I don’t need to see his face while I am eating my steak and he is peeking over my meal. It is like the Mona Lisa, wherever your table is in the eatery, the leader will accelerate your digestion with a smile.

The only places where you cannot see leaders’ pictures are the mosques or churches. Thank God, their pictures are not there. Excuse me, guys! I am not being hilarious but this is true. Just travel around the Arab world and you will agree with me. Don’t get me wrong. I do not hate our leaders. Wallah (I swear by God) the pictures of leaders everywhere does not make us love them more. If we love them, we love them. If we don’t like them, we don’t like them, even if they put up a million pictures.

Thank you very much Morsi, I love you!

Max 49º Min 32º High Tide 00:34 & 11:02 Low Tide 04:57 & 18:19

IRAN: Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard celebrate after launching a missile during a maneuver in an undisclosed location in Iran’s Kavir Desert. (Inset) An Iranian long-range Shahab-3 missile is launched during the exercises. — AP/AFP

MPs warn on voting system changes

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The majority bloc is due to hold a meeting today to discuss its reform program for the forthcoming general elections and to review reports about plans to change the voting system during the expected elections, opposition Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash said.

Harbash said the meeting will take place at the diwaniya of former MP Hamad Al-Matar and will focus on reports that aim at changing the voting system to influence the outcome of the general elections to make it easier to control the next National Assembly.

Reports have surfaced that the government intends to reduce the number of candidates voters can elect from the current four to only two, with opposition lawmakers warning this would undermine the opposition’s chances of maintaining a majority in the coming Assembly. Another leading opposition MP Musallam AlBarrak meanwhile warned that the Kuwaiti people will face such a change with peaceful street protests.

Opposition MPs and activists have been pressing for swiftly dissolving the Assembly of 2009 that had been reinstated by a historical verdict by the constitutional court on June 20. Barrak called on the next prime minister that the Kuwaiti people, who brought down the 2009 Assembly, are awaiting a swift decision to “bury Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti men check their mobile phones during a power outage at a political gathering at the diwaniya of liberal MP Mohammad Al-Saqer yesterday. (Inset) Kuwaiti writer Reem Al-Maei is seen among the attendees. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Assad regrets downing jet BEIRUT: Syrian President Bashar Assad said he regrets the shooting down of a Turkish jet by his forces, and that he will not allow tensions between the two neighbors to deteriorate into an “armed conflict,” a Turkish newspaper reported yesterday. Syria downed the RF-4E warplane on June 22. Syria says it hit the aircraft after it flew very low inside its airspace, while Turkey says the jet was hit in international airspace after it briefly strayed into Syria. In an inter view with the Cumhuriyet daily, Assad offered no apology, insisting that the plane was shot down over Syria and that his forces acted in self-defense.

He said that the plane was flying in a corridor inside Syrian airspace that had been used by Israeli planes in 2007, when they bombed a building under construction in northern Syria. The UN nuclear agency has said that the building was a nearly finished reactor meant to produce plutonium, which can be used to arm nuclear warheads. “The plane was using the same corridor used

by Israeli planes three times in the past,” Assad told Cumhuriyet.

“Soldiers shot it down because we

did not see it on our radars and we were not informed about it.” Assad said: “I say 100 percent, I wish we did not shoot it down.”

Commenting for the first time on a UN-brokered plan for a political

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is seen during an interview with Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet yesterday. — AFP transition in Syria that was adopted by world powers at a conference in Geneva on Saturday, Assad said he was “pleased” that the decision about Syria’s future was left to its

people. The plan calls for the creation of a transitional government with full executive powers in Syria.

But at Russia’s insistence, the compromise left the door open to Assad being part of the interim administration and left its composition entirely up to the “mutual consent” of the Assad administration and its opponents.

Assad told Cumhuriyet he was not bent on staying in office come what may but gave no hint he was ready to quit. “If my staying or going saved my people and country, why would I hold on? I wouldn’t even stay one day,” he said. “If the opposite is true, that is, if the people don’t want me, then there are in any case elections. If the people wanted, they would send me away,” Assad was quoted as saying. “The Syrian people will decide on everything.”

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 14,000 people since the revolt began in March 2011, according to opposition estimates. The fighting has grown increasingly militarized in recent months, with rebel forces launching attacks and ambushes on regime targets. Even Continued on Page 15

Kuwaiti minors can’t stay alone in Dubai hotels Gazette goes online DUBAI: Kuwaitis under-18 years of age are required to be accompanied by adults when staying in Dubai hotels, the Kuwaiti consulate announced yesterday. The consulate told KUNA that Kuwaiti citizens visiting Dubai should keep hold of their civil identity cards, and keep them in a safe place.

Separately, the website of the Kuwaiti government’s official gazette Al-Kuwait Al-Yawm was launched in a ceremony at the Information Ministry yesterday. Speaking at its inauguration ceremony, Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Abdallah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said that “AlKuwait Al-Yawm has been held in high regard by decisionmakers, state and private bodies and the Kuwaiti society for around 60 years. I am honoured to see it today in its first electronic edition during the reign of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah”.

HH the Amir had aided the gazette’s launch back in 1954.

Heading a committee tasked with executive decisions in the country, he proposed its launch to fulfill the public’s need of official information on government decisions, circulars and announcements. “Despite its officially-themed content and basic appearance, it reflects the scale of transparency state and lawmaking institutions in the country assume their role.

“Offering news on government and private business transactions, this information will now be much more easily accessible to people on the Internet,” emphasized the minister. The move is the first phase by the gazette in its attempt to embrace e-information sharing, with phase two to focus on adding past editions to the site. — KUNA

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

KUWAIT: Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdallah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah launching the electronic website of ‘Al-Kuwait Al-Youm’ official Gazzette (www. Media.gov.kw) at the ministry building yesterday. Sheikh Mohammad said the Gazzettee received good attention from decision makers, government and private establishments as well as the various society groups for over 60 years.

Health Card or Civil ID? Patients in dilemma Some hospitals, clinics reject Health Card

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Middle aged Connie from the Philippines went to Salmiya Polyclinic last week, complaining of severe and recurrent stomach pains. Because she had lost her civil ID, she was refused to be seen by a doctor at the government polyclinic.

Instead of her Civil ID, Connie showed her medical card insurance that is issued once a residency is stamped in an expat worker’s passport. The valid health insurance card bears the name of the holder, civil identification number, nationality, the job field he is employed in, and the date of the residency issued. On the back of the card a text in Arabic says that the health card must be produced when visiting hospitals and polyclinics and that it does not serve as civil identification.

Technically, however, showing a valid health insurance

KUWAIT: Members of the Asian drug gang pictured after their arrest.

Police bust drug dealers

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Narcotics detectives arrested a gang of six Asians with the possession of 3 kg of marijuana, said security sources. Case papers indicate that detectives had been tipped off concerning the suspects and how they managed to smuggle the drugs hidden inside traditional Asian food items in order to sell them in local market later. Tracking the merchandise, detectives ambushed and arrested one of the suspects who confessed and led the police to his five accomplices. A case was filed and the suspects were referred to relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, an Iraqi was arrested for possessing hashish on his way back to Kuwait from his country, said security sources, noting that the suspect was arrested by custom men at the northern land border exit of Abdali. Similarly, airport custom inspectors arrested an Egyptian with the possession of hashish and marijuana on returning from his home country, said security sources.

Separately, a 31-year-old Indian was killed when he was run over by a speeding vehicle along the Fifth Ring Road near the Avenues, said security sources. A 47-yearold Indian sustained serious skull injuries when he was run over by a speeding vehicle along King Faisal road, said security sources. He was rushed in a critical condition to Farwaniya hospital ICU.

card can leave a patient in pain for as long as the civil ID is not produced.

Connie, a salon employee from the low-earning bracket, could not afford to go for private medical care and instead asked a pharmacist for advice. She was prescribed a medicine that “thank God helped me.”

Mohammad had a similar experience. He went to a polyclinic in Kuwait City to have blood work performed, but when he presented his health card, the polyclinic demanded a civil identification, instead. He returned home, picked up his civil identification, and only then was allowed to be examined by a doctor.

What happens to patients in Kuwait if they misplace, lose or still do not have a civil ID? Kuwait Times visited the two polyclinics where Connie and Muhammad asked for medical attention. This reporter posed as a genuine patient and both polyclinics granted him permission to see a doc-

tor without a Civil ID. “I think it depends on the person incharge at the reception; if she/he is inexperienced, they’ll require you to produce a civil ID, but when they know about the need, they’ll let you see a doctor,” a patient who was in the polyclinic said.

According to a Ministry of Health employee, requests can be granted depending on individual health cases. “The civil identification is more reliable than the health card,” said a ministry source who requested anonymity. “So when patients visit a polyclinic or hospitals we always demand to produce civil identification cards issued by the Public Authority for Civil Information. Because if you have the civil identification card it means you are a legal resident of Kuwait; you will not have the civil ID if you haven’t paid for health insurance, but you can have the health card even though you are not a legal resident of Kuwait,” the ministry source explained.

In Kuwait, to maintain orderly and proper management of patients, the government hospitals and polyclinics follow certain district coding procedures. For instance, if you reside somewhere in Salmiya, you will be allowed to visit Salmiya polyclinics and Mubarak Al-Kabeer will be your district hospital. The system is followed to avoid the frequent transfer of medical records and overcrowding.

Health cardholders are entitled to see a doctor by paying KD1 for a stamp [to a polyclinic] and KD2 for the hospital. If you are referred to a hospital from a polyclinic, then you will only pay the additional KD1 stamp in a hospital anywhere in Kuwait. Holding a valid civil identification means the KD50 required health insurance is paid. You will be entitled to a 50 percent discount on all major medical diagnostic procedures in hospitals throughout Kuwait and some medicine will be free, along with free doctors’ services.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

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Majority group facing coordination problems KUWAIT: Source revealed that the announced coordination from the majority group to run for the upcoming elections has reached a deadlock due to the many obstacles and problems. The first obstacle that faces the majority is the refusal of many tribal men to reelect their MPs from the 2012 council without going into new consultations.

This was very clear in the 4th constituency, when a number of candidates from Mutair tribe announced they will run for elections without being restricted to the last consultation sessions. This was also true in the 5th constituency, which currently is working to come up with new consultation meetings and bring along some of the old alliance. Such a situation indicates that majority MPs in both constituencies 4 and 5 are facing difficulties in reaching, once again, Abdullah Al-Salem Hall.

Source said that the 2nd obstacle among the majority MPs is in the constitutional document which some MPs of the majority group are asking everyone to sign, which is an undertaking to demand a constitutional emirate and elected government, and the independence of laws, which are cases

under dispute between the majority group MPs. This is especially so now that Salaf MPs are opposing those demands which call for popular government or elected government.

MP Mohammad Hayaf has put a condition for signing that document, which is a condition to amend article 2 of the constitution. This demand is shared also with a number of Islamist MPs and opposed by some liberals, which made this document a problem and source of differences and lack of coordination among the majority due to the differences in ideologies as MPs are divided between Islamists, liberals, independent, opposition and popular.

The most important obstacle that faces the majority group and might destroy their dreams to come back again in the coming elections is the information leaked which indicates that government intends to keep the same number of constituencies, but will change voting mechanisms.

It will be 2 votes instead of 4 votes, as it was, to overcome negatives faced in the last elections, as such change shall destroy the dreams of the majority group to return back to the N.A. Council.

Naturalization of 35,000 bedoons pending DNA tests KUWAIT: The Central Agency for Illegal Residents handed the Criminal Evidence General Department 35 thousand files for stateless residents who will be called for DNA tests to confirm paternity as part of naturalization procedures.

This was revealed by General Director of the department Major General Dr. Fahad AlDousari, who is quoted in a local daily’s report yesterday as saying that the department is ready to receive 200 cases each day instead of 100 before the new files were handed.

Al-Dousari further told Al-Rai that 12 thousand cases have so far been referred from the central agency since it started its work in 2010, and that for tests to issue birth certificates and prove linage for stateless residents. They include Ministry of Interior employees and other Bedoons eligible for naturalization, while the results are expected to be released by January 2013 according to Al-Dousary. “We are working hard to reduce the testing periods by increasing the number of staff”, he added.

Kuwait has a large population of stateless residents estimated at 100 thousand living in different places around the country but largely in Al-Jahra and Al-Ahmadi. They

demand citizenship as well as civil and social rights they are deprived from given their illegal residence status; which they argue is resulted from obstacles such as illiteracy and unawareness of the importance of citizenship procedures which prevented their Bedouin ancestors from filing for Kuwaiti citizenship following the state’s independence more than fifty years ago. In a bid to resolve this issue, the government established the Central Agency for Illegal Residents a couple of years ago to determine who were present in Kuwait before the earliest census was carried out in 1965 and thus become eligible for naturalization, in addition to residents who allegedly came afterwards and disposed their passports to seek citizenship in the oil-rich country.

Last year, the agency adopted measures to grant Bedoons several rights that include obtaining marriage, birth and death certificates. The agency was given a five-year ultimatum to resolve the decades-long issue that often becomes a source of criticism to Kuwait by international human rights groups. The term ‘Bedoon’ is Arabic for ‘without’, and is used as a loose reference to the fact that stateless residents live without a nationality since birth.

Gitmo Kuwaiti’s lawyer slams Kuwait envoy to US KUWAIT: In response to the statement released by the Kuwaiti Ambassador in Washington, Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Sunday in which he directly addressed me following a statement I issued concerning the dropping of charges against Fayiz Al-Kandari, I state that it is rather unfortunate that the Ambassador would make such a statement without carefully reading mine and that Embassy officials failed to correctly convey to him the real facts. So I do not blame him completely for the rather confused statement issued by him in which he failed to display diplomatic skills and decorum befitting of the position of an ambassador of a great nation like ours.

That being said, I will in this statement seek to clarify certain matters raised by the Ambassador in his statement which are for all intents and purposes lacking in credibility and truth.

Firstly, on the information made public by me in the last two days concerning the Kuwait Guantanamo detainees, I wish to state that as the only official attorney and legal representative of Fayiz Al-Kandari in Kuwait appointed by Al-Kandari to defend him and safeguard his legal interests in Kuwait has been conferred with the power to assess and determine which information are deemed unclassified and should be made available to the public and those that are not to be disclosed to the public. My statement informing the public of the decision by the US Government to withdraw allegations against Al-Kandari was in line with preserving the trust imposed upon me by Al-Kandari and also motivated by my principle of transparency with the Kuwait people which has been demonstrated throughout the course of this case.

Let it be therefore be known by the Ambassador that I will not accept guidance from him or anyone else concerning how to handle this case or how to proceed with its strategy.

Secondly, the Ambassador has claimed that the Embassy is vigorously working on the Guantanamo case.

This claim is rather unfortunate and completely false, though I am not unmindful that what our diplomats at the Embassy may claim to be ‘working

vigorously’ on this case may have involved hosting fancy dinners and issuing fleeting statements which have not produced any tangible result in this case. Is the Ambassador not aware that we had earlier submitted at the Embassy letters of proxy and documents issued by Fayiz AlKandari for authentication which were rejected by the Embassy with the reason, albeit laughable, that AlKandari must appear in person to authenticate the documents? Would such an action constitute ‘working vigorously’ on this case as maintained by the Embassy?

Thirdly, on the claim by the Ambassador that Lawyer Abdul Rahman Al-Haroun is the lawyer for the Guantanamo Bay detainees, it appears to me that the Ambassador is

Lawyer Adel Abdul Hadi not aware of all the latest developments in this case including matters contained in official documents. For the sake of being fair, I acknowledge that my colleague Al-Haroun was selected by the Kuwait Family Committee for Guantanamo detainees in 2002 based upon the principle that permitted relatives of detainees to issue powers of attorney on behalf of their relatives who were incommunicado.

Where such a relative was no longer incommunicado and was now accessible, such right conferred on the relatives ceased to operate as the detainee automatically regained his right to choose an attorney of his choice. Fayiz Al-Kandari is no longer incommunicado, has revoked all authorizations earlier given by the

Family Committee, and has appointed the members of his defense team to represent him, appointing me as his only legal attorney in Kuwait.

The Ambassador surely must be aware of the general legal principle applicable not only in Kuwait that legal representation can only be lawful where an official power of attorney has been issued. I therefore demand that anyone who claims to have Fayiz Al-Kandari’s mandate should provide the same or refrain from issuing statement or acting on his behalf.

Fourthly, the Ambassador’s categorical statement that the decision by the US to drop charges against AlKandari will not lead to his release comes to me as surprising as I wonder whether the Ambassador was happy to give such an interpretation to such a delicate issue. One would have expected more decorum from the Ambassador on this issue, knowing the effect such a statement issued by a person in his office would have on the Kuwait people.

Since the Ambassador has by his own estimation drawn up the conclusion that dropping the charges had no legal effect on the issue of release, I would like to remind the Ambassador of the principle of international law which states that “No person shall be detained without charges against him”.

Where the US administration had previously maintained allegations against Fayiz Al-Kandari and even raised such charges to the level of war crimes, from my legal point of view dropping these allegations through a letter signed by Admiral Bruce MacDonald which did not refer to the reason given by the Ambassador is indicative of the fact that the charges were baseless. International legal principle supports the fact that it is illegal to detain a person without charges raised against him. Therefore the Ambassador should have based his statement on this principle instead of seeking to justify the US Government’s policy on indefinite detention.

As I had mentioned before, the Ambassador failed to visit the Guantanamo detainees. This however was not the only evidence of his failure to carry out his duties. We have a large amount of information at our

disposal that reveals the negligence of the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington in its handling of the Guantanamo case. Such information however cannot be released by me being protected under confidentiality rules governing lawyer-client relationship.

I would in general want to restate to the people of Kuwait that any statement or information previously released by me or to be released by me in future, are accurate in all respects and have been studied carefully by Fayiz Al-Kandari’s defense team. The Ambassador’s statement that I should issue my statements carefully only shows that the Ambassador does not have up to date information on the case since my release of the information was made simultaneously with the announcement made by the Pentagon and published in the media. My announcement was made upon receiving the letter signed by ViceAdmiral Bruce MacDonald dropping all charges filed against Fayiz AlKandari in 2008. I am confident that this development has had a very positive impact on the families of the detainees and has brought joy to the Kuwait people being a sign of a light in the dark tunnel.

In conclusion, I have realized today that if this Ambassador is the representative of the State of Kuwait in the most powerful nation of the United States of America, may God assist the people of Kuwait who are resident in other countries. In the event that the Ambassador is handling with negligence and laxity and lack of information in a case that is important to the international community in general and specifically to the Kuwait people, a case which His Highness the Amir considers his first and last case and of high priority, then I convey my condolences to the Kuwait people for the demise of Kuwait diplomacy. I would have hoped that the Ambassador will, rather than focus on fruitless arguments, make serious efforts in this case being an imperative of his office.

Where he so clearly cannot perform the duties and tasks entrusted to him by virtue of his office, especially following up the wellbeing of Kuwait citizens in the United States, he should freely say so and relinquish his position as Ambassador.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

The column

A tough time ahead for Mursi

Please read before you dare speak

By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed

W

ith additional attention, we listened to the speech of the new Egyptian president, Muhammad Mursi, over the weekend. We all wanted to know the new president and his political inclinations better, which came out moderate although pompous.

An important point in the speech was Mursi’s pledge that his country would not interfere in the internal affairs of others. This was a clear message aimed at reassuring the GCC, Jordan and other countries in the region.

Although Mursi’s first speech was satisfactory to many people, he should recognize the fears of the others and reassure them in a number of suspended issues on which the Muslim Brothers had hostile or opposing attitudes during the time of former President Hosni Mubarak.

Although Mursi’s first speech was satisfactory to many people, he should recognize the fears of the others and reassure them in a number of suspended issues on which the Muslim Brothers had hostile or opposing attitudes during the time of former President Hosni Mubarak. For instance, Egypt did not have a firm or decisive stance on the slaughters the ex-ally of the Egyptian Muslim Brothers, Bashar Assad, is committing against his people in Syria. It was not enough to just condemn the massacres.

There are many questions we do not know Mursi’s answer to. His compass did not show us which direction he would take.

For instance: What would he do if Israel attacked Hamas in Gaza? Would he ask the Egyptian armed forces to intervene?

What side would he support in the continued differences over who will represent the Palestinian people - the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas or the dismissed transitional government in Gaza under Ismail Haniyeh?

We will closely watch to see if Mursi will receive the Israeli ambassador in Cairo or refuse to do so. We will also ask: If a new Israeli ambassador were appointed to Egypt, to whom would he present his credentials? Mursi had said he would honor his country’s agreements with the world. Does this mean he will continue to maintain ties with Israel? In this connection, will the Egyptian presidency stop the mediations Cairo used to make between the Palestinians and the Israelis?

What is his stand regarding the current events in Sudan, especially that President Omar Bashir, who is very much hated by his own people, had expressed happiness over the Muslim Brothers coming to power in Egypt?

His attitude regarding Iran is much more complex and embarrassing. Iran was a strong ally of the Muslim Brothers in Egypt. Will Mursi decide to resume relations with Tehran on the pretext that Iran has embassies and envoys in the Gulf countries? Or will he abstain from doing this so as not to give a misleading message to his Arab neighbors in the Gulf and to the West?

Will Mursi keep silent over Iran’s ideological and religious activities in Egypt, which increased by several folds since the downfall of Mubarak? Iran is extending support to some local groups and spreading the Shiite ideology among the Egyptians. Al-Azhar, the highest Islamic authority in Egypt, has criticized this work and warned that it might result in sectarian conflicts.

What is the attitude of the new Egyptian president vis-‡-vis terrorism? Would he be ready to give orders tomorrow to pursue and crush Al-Qaeda elements if the terrorist organization decided to target the tourist areas in Egypt? What will be the fate of the country’s security cooperation with the world, which was an important pillar in Mubarak’s anti-terror policies?

What would he do if the US or Saudi Arabia asked him to turn over some wanted Al-Qaeda members who entered Egypt?

In his speech, President Mursi pledged not to interfere in the internal affairs of others.

Here rises a question: What would he do if confrontations broke out between a country’s government and the Muslim Brothers in that country, such as Jordan? The most probable challenge remains to be: How will he deal with the human rights organizations and foreign ministries in the West when they criticize his government if it encroaches on freedom in the name of religion, allow courts to pursue artists, confiscate books and publications or close down satellite TV channels?

Challenges abound on the internal front.

The most prominent among them is the possible ideological collision. The religious beliefs of the Muslim Brotherhood are objectionable to a large number of Egyptian intellectuals. Is Mursi capable of respecting the cultural freedoms that existed during Mubarak’s reign?

Such issues may probably agitate the fanatic wing within the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafi groups. What will Mursi do in this case?

Will he send the police to arrest his brothers in the party or leave all sides to express their attitudes in the methods most suitable to them?

For all these reasons, one speech is not enough to know or judge the new Egyptian president.

By Fouad Al-Obaid

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

E kuwait digest

Trouble makers and ‘protests’

By Abdullah Abbas Bowair

S

o many citizens are currently thinking: What the Kuwaiti people that it was the constitutional do some MPs want? There isn’t a single official court and the Kuwaiti judiciary that created the curresignation from any of them and, yet, those rent political crisis. Judiciaries are the saviors and who claimed they would resign from the 2009 par- protectors of people’ rights everywhere.

A recent seminar that was organized at the deterliament changed their minds before the judge during a hearing to prosecute the intruders who mination yard under the title ‘We Will Never Give In’ stormed the parliament and insisted that they were and included very indecent and cruel words against specific people, such as still MPs so they could Sheikh Mesh’al Al-Ahmed, receive their parliamentary which included the message immunity.

Once in a while, most of A recent seminar that was ‘Leave’. To such people, we say ‘ENOUGH’, we are fed up them threaten to go to the determination yard, which organized at the determina- with giving advice to a powonly resulted in more bad tion yard under the title ‘We er that does not respect us.

This rude group ignored my words and insults with only Will Never Give In’ and advice when I said ‘Respect one goal, to create a new criWe respect You’. One of sis. included very indecent and Us, the protestors even warned This group apparently got used to insulting public fig- cruel words against specific the authorities, saying ‘Don’t Test Our Patience!’, “We are ures and celebrities. They people, such as Sheikh Free and Will Never be even began interfering with HH the Amir ’s authority, Mesh’al Al-Ahmed, which Enslaved to anybody ’ and ‘We Will Never Give Up the claiming that dissolving the included the message Public Amendments’. To all parliament for the fifth time nuts in Kuwait, I warn in six years had exhausted ‘Leave’. To such people, we the them that Kuwait has sharp the Kuwaiti people. Hence, they demand more restric- say ‘ENOUGH’, we are fed up talons.One of the protestors HH The Amir saytions on parliament being with giving advice to a pow- addressed ing: “Oh, your highness, only dissolved, while ignoring that such a right is the consti- er that does not respect us. faithful Kuwaitis will do you good, not the prison warden tutional responsibility of HH and his friends........I tell the the Amir, according to the descendants of Mubarak that constitution they claim to respect. The problem is that they are demanding an if they manipulate the people’s rights, we will elected government; one that is not chosen, accord- manipulate yours”. Another one said that the ing to the constitution, by HH the Amir. They even Kuwaiti people will stand firmly against bringing went so far as to demand a constitutional Emirate, back the bribed MPs and that it will never allow the which means that the Amir’s position becomes a return of corrupt governments. “No for Hatem’s return”, they stressed. symbolic and honorary one.

Dear MPs, we got used to your style and barDear readers, they were the ones who demanded dissolving the 2003 and the 2009 parliaments by barism in criticizing others. What’s been said about abusing their constitutional tools of legislation, Sheikh Mesh’al Al-Ahmed was without proof, yet it interpellations and immunity, which also led to dis- was just typical of you to defame the ruling family solving the 2006 and 2008 parliaments. They have members. Our great ancestors have chosen Alnot only participated in delaying legislation, but Sabahs ever since Kuwait was founded. All problems they also contributed to issuing immature proposals used to be solved by discussions and consultations that caused the country numerous problems in all between the ruler and his subjects. Kuwait will always remain a haven of security and stability sectors.

The current political crisis is not new, but some under the wise leadership of HH the Amir Sheikh parties found the recent court ruling a golden Sabah Al-Ahmed and his faithful Crown Prince, HH opportunity to strike at the judiciary by trying to tell Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah. — Al-Rai

kuwait digest

The opposition’s democracy

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

A

few days ago, the Al-Watan daily repor ted that the opposition planned to ask tribal communities to nominate those candidates that won in the 2012 elections to run again in the impending elections. I opted against commenting on the subject at the time because the repor t quoted anonymous sources whose information might be accurate, or not. However, a couple of days ago the Al-Rai daily quoted Ammar Al-Ajmi, who is identified as repporteur of the coordinating committee for the oppositionist Majority Bloc in the 2012 parliament.

Al-Ajmi is quoted in the report as calling on tribes to “carry out consultative discussions to nominate their representatives in the 2012 parliament who did not have a chance to work when the parliament was annulled four months after the elections”.

Today, the opposition is leading a revolution of reform against the “present unconstitutional situation” and demands full democracy, featuring a constitutional monarchy where the cabinet is formed by the political party that

wins the majority in parliamentary elections. In the meantime, they also endorse tribal consultative discussions, which is another name for the sectarian and unconstitutional primary elections that they try to add legitimacy to.

Today, the opposition is leading a revolution of reform against the “present unconstitutional situation” and demands full democracy, featuring a constitutional monarchy where the cabinet is formed by the political party that wins the majority in parliamentary elections.

I don’t know how a person can express purely democratic views while, at the same time, endorsing a sectarian concept that focuses on giving members of certain groups in society priority ahead of others. How can a politician calling for full democracy be elected via tribal primary elections, which basically works against securing equal opportunities to citizens, regardless of their backgrounds?

A politician elected through primary elections can become a prime minister in an elected cabinet, as the opposition hope to realize. Can the opposition guarantee that a premier, in this case, wouldn’t become biased toward the tribe he owes his victory to?

The fact is that the opposition today remains miles away from being regarded as fully democratic. They are still far away from being 100% committed to constitutional principles or the law, as they claim. It is sad that they still garner support, not only from spontaneous people, but also many politicians, as well as national and democratic activists in Kuwait. — Al-Qabas

ver since the dawn of man, man has attempted to seek ways to communicate and express feelings from as far back as 37,000 years ago in the Chauvet caves in southern France to our contemporary Whatsapp’s.

With the written word and the spoken language, we, as evolved primates, managed a feat that fellow cohabitants on this earth are, to the best of our knowledge, unable to do. This distinction is what makes us humans; what makes us so unique. Through time, in different places on earth we have created and developed a technology that is at the very epicenter of our lives and common human existence that today we no longer can live without, let alone begin to image a world void of language. Our ability to think is conditioned by our ability to speak.

Thoughts are but words constructed in frameworks of our minds; and yet, in order for them to be such, they ought to have been created first. Any coherent language known to us today has its basic set of principles and codes that center around clearly defined words that each mean something ver y specific. Most important, the words need to be understood by all who speak the given language to mean the same thing, or else confusion would arise.

For instance, if one speaks of apples and you understand them to be oranges, and the third person in the conversation understands them to be grapes, you can start to imagine the chaos that would ensue!

In fact, in the biblical story of the tower of Babel the paradigm of the scheme of men attempting to reach the heavens by building a tall tower was compromised by God, who confused the builders by making them speak different languages so as to not be able to properly communicate. Their inability to communicate effectively destroyed their ability to implement the construction of what is commonly referred to as the tower of Babel. Until humans were able to write down things, their lives were largely lived in the present, with no ability to really project meaningfully into the future in the form of complicated planning, and their understanding of the past was restricted to hearsay from town elders who ‘transmitted’ knowledge as best as their memories could remember in the form of parables, fables, and poetry.

It was only roughly 5000 years ago that man developed the ability to write down things, creating for the first time a tangible record of things and events. As time evolved, so did the practice and technology available to record events, and soon after, as language developed, so did the possibilities of humanity evolve. No longer restricted to the present, the past and the future became accessible and complex ideas started to flourish, and with it the various literate crafts. Yet, it took almost 4,500 years after that fast forwarding to the 15th century for a craftsman, Johannes Gutenberg, to develop the first printing press, allowing for the seamless copying of text mechanically. Prior to that, books had to be re-transcribed again and again manually. English philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon wrote that the printing press technology “changed the whole face and state of things throughout the world” as its development spearheaded, and to an extent facilitated, the ensuing period known in history as the Enlightenment era.

Fast forward to contemporary Kuwait, formal education developed about 100 years ago with the opening of the Al-Mubarkiya school - if you have not been to the recently opened education museum I highly encourage you to do so for it will be worth your time - and the gradual spread of contemporary knowledge and the sciences. We have, through concerted effort, attained an enviable level of literacy of well above 93% of the populace. In the technological era, digital literacy is respectably high, even amongst senior citizens. Yet, what we have gained in terms of formal schooling and literacy, we have lost in a culture that places little emphasis on knowledge and the art of reading.

The nomadic subsection of culture places great emphasis on memory, specifically the memory of poetry as a refined form of literature. Despite an initial post-independence attachment to high culture, the fad eventually faded and people stopped caring about the arts, except for a few irreducible who have attempted, and are today attempting, to revive this important aspect of contemporary life, which is at the very core of development and prosperity of societies. I dare you to prove me wrong by pointing out a culture that has evolved without a strong literate backbone?

Our society has been in a state of decay where talk has become cheap and where we have crowned ourselves as the kings of pointless speech and champions of inaction! Lest you want to change our current state and break the chain of pointless repetition; and should you want to develop as a person with a distinct personality, please read before you dare speak..

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

local

Fisherman catches illegal drugs near Ohah island Policeman caught with hashish KUWAIT: The Coastguard recently pulled up 109 kg of drugs from the sea which were tied to a piece of cork found floating near Ohah Island. The Coastguard was called to the scene where a fisherman reported finding the floating cork and called authorities upon becoming suspicious. O fficials report that a rope was tied to the cork and a heavy object, found to be drugs wrapped in plastic bags, was submerged. The drugs were sent to the Drug Control General Depar tment for testing while authorities seek the owner of the drugs.

Drug addict A police officer was arrested and charged with possession of drugs and driving under the influence.

The officer was ordered to pull over at Fahaheel Road by patrol officers who grew suspicious because of his reckless driving. Police soon determined that the man, who was in his police uniform at the time, was inebriated, before hashish was discovered in his possession. An initial investigation determined that the arrested man had recently returned to work on the International Airport Police Force after previously being dismissed due to drug abuse. The suspect remains in the custody of Drug Control General Department officers pending legal action.

Maid commits suicide A domestic worker was found dead inside her employer’s house in what investigators announced was a suicide case. Police were called to

a Qadsiya house when a family repor ted their housemaid had locked herself inside her room and was not answering her door. After police broke down the door the Filipina woman was found hanging from a rope tied to the ceiling of her room. Her body was taken to the forensic department after investigations were carried out at the scene. A case was filed at the area’s police station as authorities seek to determine the motives behind the suicide.

her building and led her to a secluded spot between two buildings. The girl, however, began screaming when the suspect touched her inappropriately, which caught the attention of passersby and prompted the man to flee. The suspect managed to run away after a brief quarrel with a passerby who tried to apprehend him. Patrol officers swept the area after responding to an emergency call, but failed to locate the suspect. A case was filed at the area police station.

Real estate swindler A fugitive was arrested in Salmiya following investigations into multiple swindles filed by people accusing the suspect of stealing money they invested in joint projects. Several complaints were reported to Hawally investigators about a young man of GCC nationality who disappeared after being paid money he told victims would be used to launch real estate projects. Officials located the man in Salmiya following investigations which revealed that he changed his place of residence periodically to avoid arrest. He was arrested in an ambush and taken to the proper authorities to face charges. Officials said the suspect had previously served a 3 month jail term.

Heroin addict A man lost his way after taking heroin and ended up in another man’s house, and eventually in police custody, after authorities were called on Monday. Police arrived at the house in Al-Qasr at dawn where a Kuwaiti man reported finding an inebriated stranger inside. The Bedouin (stateless) was arrested and taken to the Drug Control General Department after heroin was found in his possession.

Child molester Police are searching for a child molester who escaped after recently attempting to molest a girl in Hawally. The suspect approached the victim when she was walking to a baqala (small grocery store) near

Football fight Police were called to a Hawally cafe last Sunday night following a report about a fight between football fans watching the Euro 2012 finals between Italy and Spain. The brawl started after Spain scored its fourth goal, following which an angry Italian fan attacked a Spanish fan he thought was celebrating too enthusiastically. The situation was resolved after police took control and the two brawlers agreed to pay for damages they caused to the cafe. — Al-Rai, Al-Watan

High-achieving students to visit Turkey KUWAIT: Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) is preparing its third trip for the high-achieving female students to Turkey tomorrow in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Education in order to get acquainted with the most important projects of the Fund in Istanbul.

The idea of the trip stems from the Fund’s belief of the importance of motivating students to excel and

to encourage and develop their patriotism by introducing them the prestige Kuwait has achieved at the regional and international levels.

A Fund statement said that such trips contribute to the development of research skills and the knowledge of students.

The students will also visit the Fund’s various projects in Turkey, according to the statement. — KUNA

Participants of the ceremony pose for a group photograph.

Dar Al Shifa honors local media KUWAIT: Dar Al Shifa Hospital recently hosted a dinner at JW Marriott hotel’s Al Salhia Hall in honour of the local media to thank them for their overall support. The event included members of the hospital’s higher committee as well as heads of various medical departments.

Bader Jeraq, deputy general manager at Dar Al Shifa Hospital, said: “It gives us great pleasure in showcasing our gratitude to the media landscape in Kuwait for their continuous dedication and support towards the hospital’s activities.

Tonight was an acknowledgement of their contribution to the development of our offerings owing to the overall progression of the health industry.”

“Over the years, Dar Al Shifa Hospital has been consistent with advancing both the available technologies as well the medical staff.

Our local media representatives have partaken in our commitment to delivering better care and treatment and maintaining steady awareness to the people,” added Bader Jeraq.

During the dinner, Dr. Hossam Kamel, Dar Al Shifa Hospital’s medical director briefed the attendees on the hospital’s wide range of

accomplishments, highlighting the unique facilities available. Among the key milestone was the establishment of the cardiac catheterization and angiography lab, launched in June 2007, making it the first hospital to commence with open heart

Accreditations mentioned Dar Al Shifa as the first hospital to be accredited in Kuwait by Accreditation Canada in December 2007, reaccredited with platinum level in 2010, as well as recognized

by American Heart Association

Journalists receive awards during the event. surgeries in the private sector. Dar Al Shifa Hospital was also the first to introduce leading technology in radiology, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, neuroscience in Kuwait among other achievements.

(AHA) as the first private hospital in Kuwait to have an independent affiliated training centre to provide life support training courses to a number of hospitals and organizations across the country.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

LOCAL

Kuwait Metropolitan Rapid System

Arab League chief urges Syrian opposition unity CAIRO: Secretary General of the Arab League Nabil Al-Araby called here yesterday for fragmented Syrian opposition groups to set aside their differences and to get united instead.

Addressing a two-day conference that brought together some 250 members of Syrian opposition groups, Al-Araby urged them not to waste the chance presented by the meeting to overcome their differences and to work together to resolve the crisis of their country.

“There is an opportunity before the conference of Syrian opposition today that must be seized.

This opportunity must not be wasted under any circumstance,” he said.

“The sacrifices of the Syrian people are bigger than us and more valuable than any narrow differences or factional disputes,” he warned.

He criticized the Syrian government for failing to honor its commitments to the Arab League and resorted to using the military option, pushing Syrian groups to defend themselves.

He dismissed comparison between the strength of Syrian government forces and that of Syrian opposition groups, saying the former use heavy weapons.

The chief of the Arab League vowed that its body would seek to take UNArab Envoy for Syria Kofi Annan’s sixpoint peace plan to the UN Security Council for a resolution in this respect.

He reiterated the League’s total support for the Syrian people’s choice, freedom, peaceful change and the country’s territorial integrity.

The conference brought together various opposition groups - including members of the Syrian National Council and the Local Coordination Committees - to try to agree on a united body to represent them.

It comes following an international conference of world powers over the weekend in Geneva that accepted Annan’s new plan to form a transitional government in Syria to end the country’s crisis. — KUNA

Kuwait Metropolitan Rapid System

Umm Al-Hayman wastewater expansion

Kuwait infrastructure projects receive global recognition Most innovative and inspiring KUWAIT: Three projects in Kuwait have received global recognition after being chosen among the 100 most innovative and inspiring urban infrastructure projects in the world, in the much anticipated second edition of KPMG’s Infrastructure 100 report. KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Practice is releasing the Infrastructure 100 World Cities Edition today at the World Cities Summit in Singapore. It provides an insight into the infrastructure projects that make great cities, with a particular focus on the innovations that make them ‘Cities of the Future’ - places where people want to live and do business.

Profiles of the Kuwait Metro, New Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hospital, and the Umm Al-Hayman Wastewater are all featured in this second Edition, alongside other standout projects from around the globe. These projects in Kuwait beat-off competition from hundreds of submissions to be selected by a

regional judging panel.

Urban infrastructure is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. In Kuwait the Government recently announced a US12.6 billion investment in infrastructure development that will see 320 projects underway by 2013.

Anindya Roychowdhury, KPMG in Kuwait’s Partner in Transactions and Restructuring said “The world’s cities, which are home to more than half of the global population, are facing unprecedented pressure and demand for investment in infrastructure. These inspirational and innovative examples of infrastructure projects have radically altered the urban environment in the Kuwait to provide transport, healthcare and industrial facilities on a massive scale, which have been vital to economic growth.”

The projects showcased in the KPMG Infrastructure 100 are made up of approximately 20 projects selected by judging panels

of industry experts from five regions of the world, including: Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. Projects were then sorted into 10 project categories, including: Urban Mobility, Global Connectivity, Urban Regeneration, Education, Healthcare, Water, New and Extended Cities, Recycling and Waste Management, Urban Energy Infrastructure, and Communications Infrastructure.

The five regional judging panels assessed hundreds of submissions on the following criteria: feasibility, social impact, technical and/or financial complexity, innovation and impact on society. The Kuwaiti projects were highlighted in the Urban Mobility, Healthcare and Water categories, alongside projects such as the Gold Coast Rapid Transit, Queensland, Australia, Water and Sewerage in Peri-urban areas, Bolivia, and the IIUM Teaching Hospital, Kuantan, Maylasia.

Zain celebrates Social Media Day KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunication company in Kuwait, celebrated the International Social Media Day on June 30 gathering social media enthusiasts and entrepreneurs for a face-to-face interaction and engagement with the Zain brand. The event was par t of Zain CSR strategy to encourage entrepreneurship and market the organization’s business through interaction, networking and the use of social media tools.

In a press release Zain emphasized the importance of social media in today ’s fast-paced technological world. Zain is dedicated to the needs of its customers through the various social network ing channels.

Establishing special relationship with bloggers and Tweeps is “a great way to market and announce the Zain products.”

Zain hosted the Social Media Day event, an occasion that recognizes the digital revolution that is currently happening before our eyes, in the unique and high-end setting in Al-Hamra

Tower’s Sky Lobby on the 55th floor.

The event featured a diverse group of speakers, a standup comedy show, interactive games and valuable prices.

Also, the active participation of Zain’s management who attended this event fur ther demonstrated the importance of social media to Zain.

Omar AlOthman, a known blogger and TV personality hosted the event which witnessed the attendance of Kuwait known leaders in the field of social media.

Zain, the pioneering telecommunication company which has dedicated a special social media team, has been engaging with over 110,000 followers in all social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google Since the rise of new social media communications era.

Zain, seeks to further connect and engage with its large base of customers through Social media channels and promote young entrepreneurs by exerting great efforts in this growing media field.

Pile cap binding preparation

Jahra road project

Pile cap reinforcement

Jahra Road Development Project advances KUWAIT: The Authority in charge of supervising the Jahra Road development project - one of Kuwait’s globally leading infrastructure ventures - announced the latest in construction achievements yesterday by producing the first batch of pre-cast bridge segments at the project’s pre-cast yard and forming over 50% of production piles for the foundations of bridges. Also, upon advancing on roads and utility works, a total of thirteen traffic detours have been opened, to date, along the Jahra route along most phases of the project.

In a word on structural works from the Projec t Engineer of the Jahra road Development, Eng. Yasser Budastour, stated: “In the 150000m2 precast segment production yard, located in the Doha area, the first batch of five precast segments - which form the elevated carriageways - have been molded, fabricated and now stored until needed for

usage at the project’s construction sites, transported on low bed trucks to bridge work locations. Moreover on structures, 25 piers (bridge columns) have been erected and cured in phases 2 and 5 of the project, out of 505 total piers in all phases of the project.

“Six of the constructed piers have been completed with their pier caps lodged on top. A pier cap is a slightly larger structure flared to increase the surface area of the pier suppor ting the weight of the bridge so that it is transferred down to the pile caps (pier base) in which the underground piles are embedded. So far, we have completed 2600 out of 4575 production piles and 126 pile caps out of 499 in all phases of the project.”

Meanwhile, in an update on road and utility works, Eng. Yasser indicated that 13 traffic detours have been opened, thus far, along the Jahra road lines, giv-

ing reasons that by those detours the targeted existing traffic is being rerouted and altered, as its course lies in conflict with the location of foundations, as per the approved designs.

As a result, he commented that “a spacious area is being afforded for cranes, machineries and various other equipment to execute all construction and development works”.

The mainline length of the Jahra Road is 11.245km, which includes 7.265km of elevated bridge and 570m of depressed road. The five main objectives to be reached through founding this project are, primarily, to segregate between bypass traffic and local traffic flow and to increase the Jahra Road capacity in order to minimize traffic congestion.

Furthermore, all of the road facilities and services, as well as the safety features, are to be enhanced in order to meet future traffic demands.

Kuwait elected to PCA panel THE HAGUE: Kuwait was elected here yesterday as a member of the financial committee of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) for a three-year term, according to a press release by the Kuwait embassy.

The election of the three members of the committee including Kuwait, Germany and Sudan, followed a meeting of the administrative council of the PCA. Kuwait’s Ambassador to the

Netherlands, Hafeeth Al-Ajmi, who is a member of the administrative council , expressed his happiness and said it shows the international respect and influence enjoyed by Kuwait.

It also reflects the trust of international organisations in Kuwait and the high efficiency of its representatives, he noted.

Al-Ajmi congratulated Tariq Yuossef Al-Shumaimri, who will represent Kuwait in the financial com-

mittee of the court and wished him all success.

On his part, the PCA Secretary General Hugo Hans Siblesz congratulated the three countries and wished them alls success in their work.

The PCA, established by treaty in 1899, is an intergovernmental organization providing a variety of dispute resolution services to the international community. It has over 100 member states. — KUNA

ABK summer training program for high school students KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait announced the start of its summer training program for young Kuwaiti high school students for four weeks, encouraged by the immense success the same program has achieved over the recent years.

Hamza Enki, assistant general manager for human resources, expressed that ABK was keen to continue organizing such programs in keeping with the belief

of the bank’s role and obligations are vis-‡-vis the social responsibility towards the new generation of students.

Summer programs were extremely essential in order that the youth’s free time be put to constructive use, and in the belief that the rich experience of working in a leading bank brings good returns to their career graph, and in their future endeavors.

The program aims to familiar-

ize students with the banking sector and important methods and techniques developed and used in different departments of the bank, so as to build a positive and realistic idea of modern banking. Students, through this training program also imbibe the importance of the banking sector and its leading role in the economic sector, along with in-depth briefs on the latest methods of premium customer care.

KUWAIT: Ministry of Interior Assistant Undersecretary Lt Gen Dr Mustafa Al-Zaabi has decorated a number of officers in traffic department with military service medals. Al-Zaabi emphasized on the importance of continuing team work, pointing out that technical test is one of the important sections of the department.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

Diplomacy failing, West faces tough Syria choices Page 8

Bride’s new toilet points to social revolution in India Page 11

Market bombs kill 44 in Iraq Tensions rise as Shiites gather for imam’s birthday DIWANIYA: Bombs killed at least 44 people at markets in Iraq yesterday, and authorities said they bore the hallmarks of sectarian attacks on Shiite Muslims by Al-Qaeda Sunni militants. A bomb in a small truck exploded in a market in the city of Diwaniya, killing 40 people, and other blasts killed four more near the city of Kerbala, police and officials said.

The Diwaniya bombing was near a Shiite mosque where pilgrims gather on their way to Kerbala to celebrate the birthday of one of their most important imams, Al-Mahdi, this week.

Police announced a partial curfew and blocked all entrances to Diwaniya, 150 km south of Baghdad and 130 km southeast of Kerbala. Police sources said 75 people had been wounded. “All of a sudden the explosion happened, I felt the power of the blast, it was so strong, it broke all the glass in my windows,” butcher Ahmed Hassan, 23, said in his shop. “I smelled blood and gunpowder.”

He said a fellow shopkeeper had been taking dead bodies to the hospital morgue. “We even saw body parts on the top of building, we took them down,” said Hassan, looking pale and confused as he swept glass from his shop floor.

STICKY BOMBS Shoes, toys and vegetables were scattered across the ground and at least 15 shops were destroyed. Two burnt-out vehicles stood near the site of the explosion. Witnesses said the bomb appeared to have been planted in a delivery truck.

Earlier in the day, two bombs in a veg-

etable wholesale market killed four people and wounded 29 near the central Iraqi city of Kerbala, hospital and police sources said.

“The bombing happened because of sticky bombs attached to two parked cars which went off separately,” said Hussein Shadhan, a provincial council member, who was at the hospital. “Four of the wounded people are seriously injured and their medical situation is very critical.” Reuters pictures showed pulverized vegetables covering the blackened market floor. People picked their way through twisted pieces of metal and smashed wooden crates. Hospital and police sources said earlier they believed the attack had also been targeting Shiite pilgrims on their way to Kerbala. “Initial investigations show that today’s bombs bear the fingerprints of al Qaeda terrorist group,” Salim Hussain, governor of Diwaniya, told Iraqiya state television.

Iraq’s Al-Qaeda wing has claimed responsibility for some of the recent bombings against Shiites. Last month at least 237 people were killed and 603 wounded in attacks, mainly bombings, according to a Reuters tally, making June one of the bloodiest months in Iraq since US troops withdrew at the end of last year. The deadliest attack occurred on June 13 when bombers targeting Shiite pilgrims killed more than 70 people. Sunni insurgents often attack Shiite targets to try to reignite sectarian violence that killed tens of thousands of people in 2006-2007.—Reuters

BAGHDAD: People visit the Shiite cemetery in Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad yesterday. — AP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

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

Eulogizing Shamir, Netanyahu sends veiled warning on Iran Late leader’s Iraq record echoes Israel on Iran today JERUSALEM: Weighing risky military strikes on his country’s arch-foe, Israel’s hawkish leader sends Ehud Barak to warn the Americans in hope of getting them to step in with greater force instead. The scenario, played out nowadays as the allies debate ways of dealing with Iran, also happened during the 1991 Gulf war when Barak, currently defense chief to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an almost monthly visitor to Washington, was deputy commander of Israel’s armed forces.

To judge by the recollections of US officials from the period, the ambitious young general was persuasive in arguing Israel was primed to attack Iraq in retaliation for Saddam Hussein’s Scuds missile salvoes against the Jewish state. But whether then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir would have authorized such action, in defiance of Washington’s worries about keeping together an Arab coalition against Saddam, is a question discussed with unusual candour with Shamir’s death on Saturday.

That taps into a wider debate about whether Netanyahu, who has jarred the Obama administration by hinting he could go to war on Iran should US-led diplomacy not curb its nuclear program, is serious or pursuing a high-stakes bluff.

In a eulogy on Monday, Netanyahu, also of the rightist Likud party, said Shamir

had notified the Americans during the Scud salvoes “that Israel was about to take action in Iraq”.” Washington under-

defense minister, Moshe Arens, the imminent and unilateral Israeli assault on Iraq was pre-empted by a Gulf War ceasefire.

JERUSALEM: In this file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres (left) and Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir are seen in Jerusalem. — AP stood that “words and promises would not be enough” to keep Israel on the sidelines, Netanyahu said in comments reflecting his oft-stated message of selfreliance in dealing with the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran should negotiations and sanctions fail.

According to Netanyahu and Shamir’s

But this was disputed by Azriel Nevo, a retired brigadier-general who served as Shamir’s aide-de-camp for seven years.

“As someone who really escorted him and was with him behind the scenes, I can say that he reached the conclusion that he could not carry out something that would be contrary to the Americans’ will,” Nevo

told Israel’s Army Radio in an interview.

WHOSE WAR? “The Americans relayed to him all of the time, essentially, ‘This is our war. It’s not yours, though you’re taking fire.’ And indeed we took fire. But what was said back then was, ‘Guys, don’t disrupt things for us - for the sake of our coalition’s functioning,’” Nevo said. Differences between Iraq then and Iran now abound, of course not least in the fact that, a decade before the Gulf war, Israel had bombed Saddam’s atomic reactor, while Tehran today is enriching uranium, a process that can eventually yield fuel for nuclear warheads, despite ever-stiffer international sanctions.

But though Netanyahu may see a greater threat in the Islamic republic, which has denied seeking atomic weapons, it is also more challenging for Israel’s military. While reputed to possess the region’s only atomic arsenal, Israel lacks conventional means to deliver lasting damage that far out. By contrast, in 1991 Barak told the Americans that Israel planned to operate on a far smaller scale in Iraq, by inserting Scud-hunting commandos. Even that was too much for Washington. “Israeli (transport) planes would fly over Jordan or through Saudi air space (and) the Saudis would never accept such an Israeli intrusion,” the top

US general then, Colin Powell, wrote in his memoir, which recounted the talks with Barak.

But Powell also acknowledged Israel could slip all restraint if Saddam attacked it with non-conventional weapons - a spur to a more forceful US offensive against Iraq. “Israeli missile crews were reportedly on full alert. And who knew what they would be firing?” Powell recalled thinking. Among those meant to lead Israel’s Scud-hunters was Benny Gantz, now military chief. Gantz has signaled readiness to take on Iran, but his predecessor and other recently retired Israeli security figures have described that option as hasty and dangerous - to the fury of the Netanyahu government, which says such criticism undermined its credibility with Western powers.

US President Barack Obama, for his part, has like Israel not ruled out war as a last resort to deny Iran nuclear arms.

Speaking to Reuters yesterday, Arens described meeting then US President George Bush at the White House on Feb 11, 1991 - 17 days before the ceasefire - to warn him about imminent Israeli operations in Iraq. “He didn’t like it at all, but I didn’t go there to get his permission,” Arens said, adding that he followed the talks with Bush by meeting his secretary of defense, Dick Cheney, “to coordinate our military operations”.—Reuters

Diplomacy failing, West faces tough Syria choices Gulf states, Turkey ramping up support for rebels

ZINTAN: Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor (right) and her interpreter from Lebanon, Helen Assaf, who were part of a legal team from the International Criminal Court are seen following their release from detention in Zintan. — AFP

Libya releases detained ICC staff after apology ZINTAN: Libya has freed four officials from the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose detention since early June on spying allegations had plunged the interim government into its biggest diplomatic controversy since last year’s revolution.

Australian lawyer Melinda Taylor and Lebanese-born interpreter Helene Assaf were held in the town of Zintan and accused of smuggling documents and hidden recording devices to Muammar Gaddafi’s captured son Saif Al-Islam. Two male ICC staff who were travelling with Taylor and Assaf stayed with them. The four were freed on Monday after an apology from the ICC, whose president, Sang-Hyun Song, travelled to Zintan for the release after weeks of pressure from the Haguebased court, the UN Security Council, NATO and the Australian government.

“I wish to apologize for the difficulties which arose due to this series of events. In carrying out its duties (the ICC) has no intention to compromise the national security of Libya,” Song told a news conference in the western town. Taylor and Assaf emerged after the news conference from a small room where they had been waiting and were taken to another area where they ate lunch. They looked tired and were dressed in black Islamic robes with their hair partially covered, but were smiling.

They did not respond to questions from Reuters. The ICC staff were escorted by ambassadors for their countries to Tripoli’s

militar y airport on Monday evening.

Smiling and laughing, they boarded an Italian plane which was headed for Europe.

Taylor had been sent to Libya to represent Saif al-Islam, whom the ICC wants extradited to face charges of war crimes allegedly committed during the NATObacked revolt that toppled his father last year. Libya has so far refused to extradite Saif al-Islam, saying it would prefer to try him in its own courts. “The agreement was that there would be a continuation of the negotiations with the ICC,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel Aziz told the news conference. “If the ICC wants to send another team they will have to send one that respects Libyan sovereignty.”

Judicial experts say Saif al-Islam is unlikely to get a fair trial in Libya, where the arrests of the ICC officials only served to highlight the challenges the interim government faces in imposing its authority on the myriad militias who helped topple Gaddafi and are now vying for power. The western mountain town of Zintan is effectively outside central government control.

With Saif Al-Islam in its custody, the Zintan brigade gained leverage in dealings with the Tripoli government as it tries to negotiate his fate with the ICC. The arrest of the ICC officials also put the interim government in an awkward position where it was essentially negotiating a deal between his captors and the outside world. — Reuters

Israel to build military college in E Jerusalem JERUSALEM: Israel’s interior ministry has approved the construction of a military academy on land in the Mount of Olives in Arab east Jerusalem, Israeli activists and officials said yesterday. The plan is likely to spark controversy and has already been dubbed a “provocation.” “ This project to construct a national defense college in Jerusalem was voted on a month ago by the Jerusalem municipality planning committee and another interior ministry committee confirmed it on Monday,” Pepe Alalu, a council member in the Holy City said. The public has 60 days to appeal the plan before it can be formally approved. “ There’s little chance that an appeal will be accepted by the interior ministry given that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports this project,” said Daniel Seidemann, director of the NGO Terrestrial Jerusalem.

The project, which calls for an academy for officers is likely to stoke controversy, with the Palestinians objecting to any Israeli construction in east Jerusalem.

Israel captured the eastern half of the

city during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognized internationally, but the Palestinians want the east of the city for the capital of their future state. The project constitutes “a provocation that could deal a new blow to the chance of engaging in dialogue (with the Palestinians) on the future of the city,” Alalu said. “It would be better to build a school on the site rather than an Israeli militar y college,” he added.

Seidemann, whose NGO tracks developments in Jerusalem that could affect the peace process, including settlement construction, also criticized the plan. He condemned the decision to choose “a site as sacred as the Mount of Olives to build a military academy.”

The plan “cannot fail to produce opposition from Christian churches, even those best disposed towards Israel,” he said.

Several important churches are located on the Mount of Olives, which holds religious significance for Christians, who believe Jesus Christ was arrested there before his crucifixion. —AFP

LONDON: There are few signs diplomacy can stem Syria’s worsening conflict, leaving Western leaders - and even more so their Arab and Turkish allies - pushed ever further towards backing Bashar al-Assad’s ouster by force. In Geneva on Saturday, world powers attempted a vague show of unity by committing to support for a transitional government.

But diplomats led by United Nations envoy Kofi Annan failed to bridge differences between the West and Russia - backed by China - on whether or not that meant that Syria’s president must go.

In any case, neither Assad’s government nor his various opponents have shown great interest in such an accord. Instead, both sides look to be digging in for a long, winner-takesall struggle, ramping up the violence and turning to foreign sponsors in a confrontation that could last months, or years. A meeting in Paris this coming Friday of the loose alliance known as the Friends of Syria is likely see the United States in particular come under greater pressure from Turkey and the Syrian opposition’s Arab allies - principally Saudi Arabia and the Gulf state of Qatar - to increase its help for the rebels.

Washington has long worried about the wisdom of backing Syria’s opposition, which it sees as ill-organized, disparate and much too close to al Qaeda-linked militants. It has limited aid to “non-lethal” equipment, such as radios. And, in an election year, the White House is anxious to avoid anything that may look like an Afghan-style, open-ended military intervention. Yet it also acknowledges that some of its allies have opted to get more involved in actively support the rebel campaign. “We’re concerned about pouring more weapons into an already over-militarized situation,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Monday. “We’ve made our decision. “Other countries are making other decisions. Our goal now is trying to stay coordinated.”

Though public details on aid to the rebels are scant, US officials say Saudi- and Qatarifunded weaponry is finding its way, mostly via Lebanon, into Syria, to be used against Assad, whose Alawite religion and alliance with Shiite Iran distance him from the Sunni Muslims who run most other Arab states.

Some fear foreign powers may simply be making things worse. “The unfortunate truth is that it’s a very difficult situation and it’s hard to know where to go from here,” said Ari Ratner, a former State Department Middle East adviser to the Obama Administration and now a fellow at the Truman Project on National Security. “Other countries are being dragged into a proxy war ... which may in itself help perpetuate the violence.”

On Monday, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay complained both sides were receiving more and more weapons, creating more violence - though she did not say who was sending them. Assad has bought much of his weaponry from longstanding ally Russia. The Western powers remain publicly committed to other tools to weaken Assad’s grip on power - primarily financial sanctions. US officials say they hope Syria’s opposition will endorse the Geneva plan for sharing power with Assad loyalists when they meet in Paris on Friday, though for now opposition spokesman have been asking instead for weapons. Washington has flatly refused, although it says it cannot stop others from offering.

Compared to Assad’s forces - increasingly using not just tanks and armored vehicles but also artillery and attack helicopters - the Free Syrian Army remains desperately underequipped, capable of little more than hit and run attacks. While they have fought on for months in pockets such as Homs, where they benefit from weapons smuggled across the border from Lebanon, they can still barely hold ground. Nor do they have many military

ALEPPO: A Syrian man burns the remains of his damaged belongings in the town of Atareb in northern Aleppo province. The majority of residents in Atareb have fled the town due to heavy fighting between Syrian forces and rebels for the past few months.—AFP options when government forces withdraw from opposition areas only to then pound them with artillery shells supplied from either Russia or Iran.

Yet for all the concern about contributing to further bloodshed, some who wish to see Assad gone see arming the rebels as a better option than simply waiting, or than any form of direct Libya-style campaign committing warplanes or even troops. Turkish action in the past week - following the shooting down of a Turkish reconnaissance jet by Syrian air defenses - may be the clearest example yet of foreign action to redraw the lines of battle in favour of the rebels. Last week, Turkey moved heavy artillery and anti-aircraft missiles up to its border with Syria, publicly warning Damascus that any forces which approached Turkish territory might be liable to attack. The Assad government looks to have made occasional attempts to test Turkey’s resolve, but with Ankara scrambling fighter jets several times after Syrian helicopters approached its airspace, they have begun to pull forces back.

A Reuters correspondent of the border said that it appeared Assad’s ground forces had withdrawn some 30 km back into their own territory, although they were shelling presumed opposition areas only 8 km from the Turkish border. Some opposition activists complain the Turkish action has actually made things worse, as areas once garrisoned with Syrian troops are now simply being bombarded. Still, it has created something of a de facto buffer zone, increasing the freedom to maneuver of rebel fighters already operating from Turkey. With Syrian aircraft also likely to try to avoid attracting Turkish fire, some analysts say a de facto no-fly zone may also now effectively exist over the area.

Having sheltered leaders of the Free Syrian Army and allowed them to operate from its territory for months, Ankara now seems signaling much clearer support for the opposition. “What we now have today is a regime who has strayed so far away from a basic sense of rationality,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davotoglu told a Syrian opposition meeting in Cairo on Monday. “The only interlocutor for Turkey in Syria is now the Syrian people, ... that is the Syrian opposition, which means you.”

That seems likely to mean that Ankara will let the Gulf Arab states increase shipments of military supplies to FSA forces based in Turkey. For the opposition, they are sorely needed. Western intelligence and special forces operatives already believed to be operating in Turkey may also be pressured to provide much greater support. So far, officials in Washington in particular say their primary task has been less to assist the rebels and much more to find out who they are and whether it might ever be safe to work with them more closely.—Reuters

News

in brief

‘Qaeda financier’ charged PARIS: French authorities filed preliminary terrorism charges yesterday against a Tunisian administrator of an extremist French website who is suspected of playing a key role in financing and recruiting for AlQaeda and other violent groups. The announcement of the suspect’s arrest was unusually dramatic and public for French authorities, but it did not spell out what evidence has been culled or how much money may have been involved, or provide the man’s name.

It is the first publicly announced suspected terrorist arrest since President Francois Hollande took office in May. The suspect - whom prosecutors described as a “formidable financier of the bloodiest terrorist groups” - was questioned Tuesday by anti-terrorism Judge Marc Trevidic in Paris. Preliminary charges were filed against him for suspected plotting of terrorist acts and financing a terrorist enterprise, the prosecutor’s office said. Under French law, preliminary charges mean investigating magistrates have strong reason to believe a crime was committed, and allow further time for investigation before a decision is made on whether to send the case to trial.

Floods kill 2 in Philippines MANILA: Two people were killed by a collapsing wall as heavy rains pounded the Philippine capital yesterday, bringing floods that have been worsened by garbage clogging the city’s sewers and drains, officials said Waist-deep floods swamped low-lying areas of Manila after a dam near the city overspilled and had to open its gates, swelling rivers downstream, said Anna Orallo of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The capital recorded its first deaths from the weather yesterday when two residents of a northern Manila suburb were crushed to death after a “stone wall beside their house collapsed because of the rain”, Orallo said.

Teams were deployed throughout the capital to provide help in case the flooding worsened, said Francis Tolentino, head of the Metro Manila Development Authority. Tolentino blamed much of the flooding on waterways being clogged by garbage dumped into storm drains and sewers.

Heat kills 5,000 chickens VIENNA: Record heat in Austria claimed its first victims over the weekend: some 5,000 young chickens at a farm which were crushed or suffocated as they tried to escape an overheated barn. Temperatures rose in the barn in eastern Styria state, as the mercury outside hovered around 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), prompting the birds to flock to the exits for fresh air. In the panic, some 5,000 were crushed or suffocated, said the local fire department, which later disposed of the bodies. The barn had a ventilation and alarm system but stood in the sun, which is what probably caused the heat to build up inside, the farm’s owner told Austrian broadcaster ORF.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

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

French language takes center stage at Quebec forum QUEBEC CITY: The first global forum on French kicked off in the Canadian province of Quebec Monday aimed at strengthening the language of Moliere in a world dominated by English. “I could tell you that the French language is doing well, that it is spoken and taught on five continents, that the number of speakers is growing and that it promises to have a brilliant future, especially in Africa,” declared Abdou Diouf, secretary general of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), a union of French-speaking nations.

“But beyond these reassuring figures that we know, there are more sobering

facts. “I will say it strongly: a language cannot survive in isolation, it never circulates better than with its speakers. We cannot wish for the influence of the French language and, at the same time, close our borders to those who speak French, who study French, who create in French,” said the former Senegalese president before a 1,000-strong crowd that included the prime ministers of Canada and Quebec and the mayor of Paris.

The French Language World Forum, going on until Friday in historic Quebec City, is expected to draw more than 1,000 artists, speakers, business people, youth

and representatives from civil society.

Events and discussions will focus on four major themes: the economy, the cultural industry, the place of French in the digital world and the coexistence of languages.

“We must define the French language and its development according to what we want it to be first and foremost, in a context of linguistic diversity,” said Michel Audet, who is heading the forum.

There are some 220 million French speakers around the world, according to the OIF. But Diouf says, by the beginning of 2050, there should be more than 700 million French speakers, 80 percent of whom

will be in Africa. Forum participants will discuss concrete steps on how to facilitate the flow of artists, university students and business people among francophone countries, as well as how to increase scientific publication in French and promote trade. The issues are not likely to be resolved before the October summit of francophone governments in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The forum comes amid worries by some about creeping anglicization in Montreal and after a spring marked by unprecedented student protests about tuition hikes that soured the government’s image in the

French language media. “There are pictures that have hurt Quebec’s reputation around the world and those are ones of thugs and intimidation,” Christine St-Pierre, Quebec’s culture minister, said on the sidelines of a news conference about the forum, vowing: “We are going to rebuild that image.” Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe plans to meet representatives of the student movement during his time in Quebec. For five months, students, joined by anti-capitalists, have held sometimes violent protests against plans by the Quebec provincial government to increase tuition fees by 75 percent.—AFP

After 75 years, team hunts for Amelia Earhart’s plane Group seeks clues to US aviator’s 1937 disappearance

YUZHNO-KURILSK: Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev smiles while standing on a berth in the town of Yuzhno-Kurilsk yesterday, during his visit to the Kunashir Island. — AFP

Russian PM visits disputed islands MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev yesterday landed on one of the four Pacific Kuril islands claimed by Japan, in a visit that risks once again inflaming tensions with Tokyo. Medvedev arrived at Mendeleyevo airport on the island of Kunashir which lies just north of Japan’s Hokkaido Island for his second trip to the disputed Kuril Islands chain, the Russian government announced. His first visit in November 2010 - when Medvedev still held the post of president-sparked a furious reaction from Tokyo which condemned the trip as a “unforgiveable outrage”. The two nations have never formally signed a World War II peace treaty because Japan maintains its claim over the islands, which Russia has controlled and tried to develop since Japan’s surrender at the end of the war.

Tokyo claims the chain’s four southernmost islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, and the dispute continues to cast a cloud over Russian-Japanese relations and complicate investment and trade. Medvedev headed a major delegation to Kunashir including Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets, Russia’s Far East

supremo Viktor Ishaev and Regional Development Minister Oleg Govorun. He was expected to inspect a range of industrial and social objects as well as talking to local residents, Russian state media said.

Tensions surrounding the Kurils reached new heights after Medvedev’s first 2010 visit that even sparked fears of a conflict.

Russia in February 2011 announced it would boost military defenses on the islands.

However the dispute slackened somewhat after the earthquake and ensuing nuclear accident that shook Japan in March 2011 and prompted expressions of solidarity in Russia. In an apparently unrelated incident, a Russian soldier killed two accountants and then himself on Kunashir only hours before Medvedev’s visit. The soldier, named as Egor Bessalov, late Monday shot dead two accountants and badly wounded another at a branch of the Russian central bank he was supposed to be guarding on the Pacific island of Kunashir, military investigators said. “After committing these acts, Bessalov shot himself,” the investigators said in a statement.— AFP

US moving on nuke arms cuts decision WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is moving toward decisions that would further cut the number of US nuclear weapons, possibly to between 1,000 and 1,100, reflecting new thinking on the role of nuclear weapons in an age of terror, current and former officials say. The reductions under consideration are in line with President Barack Obama’s vision of trimming the nation’s nuclear arsenal without harming national security in the short term, and in the longer term, eliminating nuclear weapons.

The White House has yet to announce any plan for reducing the number of nuclear weapons, beyond commitments made in the recently completed New Start treaty with Russia, which obliges both countries to reduce their number of deployed long-range nuclear warheads to

no more than 1,550 by 2018. As of March 1, Russia had dropped its total to 1,492 and the US stood at 1,737. Obama has been considering a range of options for additional cuts, including a low-end range that would leave between 300 and 400 warheads. Several current and former officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said there appeared to be a consensus building around the more modest reduction to 1,000 to 1,100 deployed strategic warheads.

Officials have indicated that a decision could be announced this month. But given Republican criticism of any proposed further cuts and the heating up of the presidential election campaign, the White House might put the decisions on hold until after November.—AP

HONOLULU: Seeking to chronicle Amelia Earhart’s fate 75 years after she disappeared over the Pacific, researchers prepared on Monday to look for wreckage of her airplane near a remote island where they believe the famed US aviator died as a castaway. Organizers hope the 10-day expedition will conclusively solve one of the most enduring mysteries of the 20th century - what became of Earhart after she vanished during an attempt to become the first pilot, man or woman, to circle the globe around the equator.

A recent flurry of clues point to the possibility that Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, ended up marooned on the tiny uninhabited island of Nikumaroro, part of the Pacific archipelago Republic of Kiribati. “ The public wants evidence, a smoking gun, that this is the place where Amelia Earhart’s journey ended,” said Richard Gillespie, executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR). “That smoking gun is Earhart’s plane.”

The group’s research team had planned to set off by boat on Monday from Hawaii on a 1,800mile voyage to Nikumaroro accompanied by the technicians from a US Navy contractor called Phoenix International who recovered “black-box” flight-data recorders from an Air France crash from the floor of the Atlantic last year. But the departure was postponed for a day, until Tuesday, because of a delay in the arrival of a Kiribati customs official who is to accompany the expedition, said Stephanie Buttrill, a spokeswoman for the group. Previous missions to

Nikumaroro have unearthed tantalizing evidence that Earhart was there, including a cosmetic bottle from the 1930s that appeared to be jar of a once-popular brand of anti-freckle cream.

Also found were a clothing zipper from the ‘30s, pieces of a woman’s compact, a bottle of hand lotion, parts of a woman’s shoe and a man’s shoe, a bone -handled pocket knife of the type Earhart carried and human bone fragments. “We’ve found artifacts of an American woman castaway from the 1930s, but we haven’t found anything with her name on it,” said Gillespie. “We’ve tried to get contact DNA from things that were touched, and it didn’t work. The environment was too destructive.

The recovered bone samples were too small. The logical thing is the airplane.”

Earhart and Noonan were last

seen taking off in her twin-engine Lockheed Electra on July 2, 1937, from Papua New Guinea en route to tiny Howland Island, some 2,500 miles away in the central Pacific.

Radio contact with her plane was lost hours later after she reported running low on fuel.

A massive air-and-sea search, the most extensive such US operation at that time, was unsuccessful.

Earhart’s plane was presumed to have gone down, but it has never been known whether she survived, and if so, for how long. TIGHAR researchers theorize that Earhart and Noonan made an emergency landing on Nikumaroro, then called Gardner Island, about 400 miles southeast of their destination on Howland. Gillespie believes that within of days of its landing, the plane was washed over the island’s edge by rising tides and surf, and was pulled down the reef slope

OAKLAND: In this file photo American aviatrix Amelia Earhart waves from the Electra before taking off from Los Angeles, Ca on March 10, 1937. — AP

into as-yet unexplored depths.

A recently enhanced 1937 photograph, taken three months after Earhart’s disappearance by a British officer, shows what is now thought to be a detached landing gear assembly on the island’s Western reef. It is the same location where TIGHAR had hypothesized the plane might have landed and will be the geographic starting point in their underwater search.

Using underwater robotic submarines equipped with sonar, researchers will first map the sea floor, then probe the depths for objects that might be pieces of the aircraft. If they find something promising, a third, remote-controlled submersible vehicle with camera, lights and a robot arm will attempt to explore the object up close.

But Gillespie cautioned that the conditions for such a search were less than ideal, explaining that the sonar probe works best over a flat, sandy bottom, rather than the craggy, reef slope the team expects to encounter at the site. After 24 years of working on the Earhart case, Gillespie said he accepts that previous hypotheses have been disproved, and this seemingly promising one could be as well.

“That’s scary. What if you look there and you don’t find it? It might mean you’re wrong. Or after 75 years of dynamic, destructive ocean activity, we could be absolutely right and not find anything,” he said. “It’s hard not to see the parallel with Amelia’s trip. You prepare the best you can and recognize, well, you’re taking a risk.

We’re out to prove the case if it can be proven.” — Reuters

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, wife ‘separated’ WASHINGTON: Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and wife Anne Sinclair have been separated for about a month, a source close to the one-time French presidential hopeful confirmed on Monday. The source specified that the high-profile French couple, both 63 years old, are living at two different residences in Paris, and added that StraussKahn is “well” despite this “difficult” period in his life. The French economist, tipped to have been the Socialist Party’s presidential candidate until becoming engulfed by a string of sex scandals, has been separated from his wife of 20 years for a month to six weeks, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Strauss-Kahn and Sinclair, a leading French journalist, returned to Paris in September after scandal cost Strauss-Kahn his post as managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and ruined his presiden-

tial ambitions. After three and a half years at the helm of the IMF, he resigned on May 18 2011, four days after a Guinean housekeeper at New York’s Sofitel Hotel, Nafissatou Diallo, accused him of sexual abuse. The criminal case was dropped in August 2011 after the prosecutor expressed doubts about Diallo’s credibility, but a civil suit is still pending in New York.

Strauss-Kahn admitted to having a brief “inappropriate” sexual encounter with the alleged victim but denied all accusations of violence or constraint. Sinclair was a stoic defender of her husband throughout his very public trial, which caused anger back in France when Strauss-Kahn was given the “perp walk” and paraded in front of TV cameras in handcuffs. Sinclair, who is currently heading the French edition of The Huffington Post online news site, said at the start of his trial that she didn’t believe “the accusations

brought (against her husband), not for a second.” Life has not become any easier for the couple since criminal proceedings in New York came to a close. On March 26, a French court questioned Strauss-Kahn regarding his alleged involvement with a prostitution ring running out of the Carlton Hotel in the northern city of Lille. In May, the city’s public prosecutor ordered a preliminary investigation into events “that could be qualified as gang rape” that allegedly occurred in Washington in December 2010, as part of the case. Lawyers in France announced on Friday that the couple was suing the magazine Closer, which was first to report that they had split up.

“Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Anne Sinclair decided to sue this publication for an invasion of privacy,” lawyers said. “A summons will be delivered shortly to the Paris district court.”

Aides for the couple declined to answer AFP when questioned Friday on the matter.—AFP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

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

Florida man sees ‘cruel’ face of US justice Practice known as ‘stacking’ leads to severe sentence MIAMI: Quartavious Davis is still shocked by what happened to him in federal court two months ago. “My first offense, and they gave me all this time,” said Davis, a pudgy African American with dreadlocks who spoke with Reuters at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. “Might just as well say I’m dead.” Davis was convicted of participating in a string of armed robberies in the Miami area in 2010. His accomplices testified against him, saying he carried a gun during their crimes and discharged it at a dog that chased them after one of their burglaries. But Davis was not convicted of hurting anyone physically, including the dog.

Davis would occupy no place at all in the annals of crime if not for his sentence. Now 20 years old, he was sentenced to 1,941 months - almost 162 years - in prison without the possibility of parole. On the day of Davis’s interview with Reuters, the US Supreme Court decided that life sentences without parole for defendants under the age of 18 constituted “cruel and unusual punishment” even in cases of murder.

Unfortunately for Davis, he was 18 at the time of his crimes.

Nonetheless, Davis’s attorney will argue that Davis’s sentence to die in prison also constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” on the grounds

that Davis is a “first offender,” having never before been charged with a crime. “Just as the Supreme Court recently held that the Constitution bars taking away all discretion from judges in sentencing juveniles to life imprisonment for committing murder,” said the attorney, Jacqueline Shapiro, “so also is it cruel and extreme to allow unfettered prosecutorial discretion to force a sentencing judge to impose a life sentence on a teenage first offender convicted of lesser charges.”

Davis’s unusually long sentence results from a controversial practice known as “stacking,” in which each count of an indictment is counted as a separate crime, thus transforming a first-time defendant into a “habitual criminal” subject to multiple sentences and mandatory sentencing guidelines.

“Any law that provides for a mandatory term of imprisonment for a 19-year-old first offender that exceeds a century has got to be unconstitutional,” said Michael Zelman, the court-appointed attorney who represented Davis at his trial.

Zelman resigned from Davis’s case after filing a notice of appeal. If Davis’s new lawyer, Shapiro, has her way, the Supreme Court may ultimately decide the issue. The case will be appealed first to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

in Atlanta. Until then, Davis’s story will be a prominent case in point for both sides in an increasingly heated debate, pitting those who would protect society from the prospective dangers posed by serial criminals against those who see the United States - whose overcrowded prisons house fully one-quarter of all the prisoners in the world, most of them black - as a bastion of injustice.

ODD MAN OUT When he was arrested on Dec. 23, 2010, Davis was an unemployed high school dropout living with an aunt in Goulds, Florida, a poor, predominantly black neighborhood south of Miami.

According to expert testimony at his trial, Davis suffers from a learning disability and bipolar disorder. At the time of his arrest, he told Reuters, he was living on $674 a month in Social Security disability payments and hoping to get back into school to learn a trade. On Feb 9 of this year he was convicted of committing seven armed robberies at fast-food restaurants, a Walgreens pharmacy and other commercial establishments in the Miami area from August to October of 2010.

Davis, who still maintains his innocence, was the only one of the six men charged who went to trial. The others

cut plea deals that left them with sentences of nine to 22 years in prison. As the odd man out, Davis was convicted largely on the basis of his accomplices’ testimony, court documents show.

Davis, who was not identified as the group’s ringleader, claims he was never offered a plea bargain.

Davis’s ex-attorney, Zelman, declined to comment on this point, citing attorney-client privilege.

Prosecutors declined to comment on any aspect of this story. During the prison interview, Davis was advised by Shapiro not to discuss many specifics about his case.

According to the trial transcript, one of Davis’s accomplices testified that he fired his weapon on two occasions - at the dog who chased him and 11 days later outside a Wendy’s restaurant they had just robbed. He said Davis traded gunshots with a customer at the restaurant as he and three others sped away in their getaway car. The accounts of Davis’s firing his gun were otherwise uncorroborated. The armed customer outside Wendy’s, Dade County Public Schools maintenance worker Antonio Lamont Brooks, was unable to offer positive identification of the man with whom he exchanged gunfire. But he was uninjured and managed to squeeze off enough rounds from his

9mm handgun to leave one of Davis’s accomplices with a bullet wound in his left buttock.

TOUGH PROSECUTORS It is not clear why prosecutors decided to throw the full weight of the law at Davis. Florida, though, has a history of “very zealous” prosecutions, according to Marc Mauer, executive director of the Washington-based Sentencing Project, which advocates for reform in the criminal-justice system. For example, Florida leads in the number of juveniles sentenced to life without parole for lesser crimes than murder, sentences the Supreme Court declared to be unconstitutional in 2010. Florida and other states are now trying to determine how to resentence or grant parole to inmates affected by that ruling.

According to a recent study by the Pew Center on the States, Florida was first, among the 35 states reporting, in increases in time served in its prisons from 1990 to 2009. In one recent, highly controversial Florida sentencing, Marissa Alexander, an African-American woman in Jacksonville with no previous criminal record, was sentenced to 20 years for firing a pistol twice into the air while trying to ward off an attack by her abusive husband. — Reuters

Eastern US swelters as heat wave bites Power, telecoms outages leave Americans vulnerable

MEXICO CITY: Thousands of people gather for an assembly in front of the Monument of the Revolution in Mexico City. — AP

Mexico drug violence and poverty top Nieto agenda MEXICO CITY: Enrique Pena Nieto delivered a stunning return to power for Mexico’s once-reviled PRI party, but the president-elect faces a stiff challenge in cutting poverty and clamping down on rampant drug violence. Pena Nieto, the telegenic fresh new face of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), declared victory in the presidential vote after first official results late Sunday showed him with 38 percent of the vote, ending more than a decade in the political wilderness for the PRI. Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) took second with 31 percent but refused to concede, claiming to have data showing different results.

The PRI was synonymous with the Mexican state as it governed for seven decades until 2000 using a mixture of patronage, selective repression, rigged elections and bribery. “If these results are confirmed... Pena Nieto will be named president elect, and starting December 1, will be the next president of the republic,” President Felipe Calderon said just after the first official results were out.

Calderon’s ruling right-wing National Action Party (PAN) was third, losing support due to the brutal drug war that has claimed more than 50,000 lives since he came to power in 2006. “I assume the mandate that Mexicans have given me,” Pena Nieto said in his late Sunday victory speech, emphasizing that the country voted for a “change of course” and called for “the unity of all Mexicans.” On Monday, Pena Nieto, 45, tried to reassure the public that his election did not mean a return of the bad old days of the PRI. “There is no return to the past. This PRI that is coming into office has proven its democratic conviction,” he told a group of foreign reporters.

The president-elect also said he will maintain Calderon’s strategy of using the military to attack the drug cartels and capture crime capos, but will focus on bringing down crime. “Society clearly expects immediate short-term results ... like lower crime and kidnapping rates,” Pena Nieto said. An ex-governor of populous Mexico state, just west of the capital, Pena Nieto is married to glamorous soap opera star Angelica Rivera and benefited from family connections with powerful old guard PRI politicos, as well as a savvy

media team that carefully stage-managed his appearances. Leonardo Valdes, head of the independent Federal Electoral Institute (IFE), said the first official results late Sunday were based on returns from 7,500 polling stations and have a 0.5 percent margin of error.

In 2006, when Lopez Obrador ran for president and lost by less than one percent, he cried foul and organized protests that paralyzed Mexico City for more than a month. Far behind in the initial results was Josefina Vazquez Mota from Calderon’s PAN party with 25 percent, feeling the backlash from the incumbent’s failure to smash the drug cartels. PAN party head Gustavo Madero on Monday acknowledged the debacle, which included losing the governor’s mansions in key states like their stronghold of Jalisco. “It was a capital defeat,” he told local media.

Calderon’s military crackdown has turned parts of the country into war zones and despite presiding over a period of steady economic growth, he leaves as an unpopular president with a dubious legacy. The economy grew under Calderon, but so did poverty: 47 percent of 112 million Mexicans are poor, according to figures from the government, Latin America’s second biggest economy, closely tied to those of the United States and Canada in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Pena Nieto has promised public works like roads and bridges to increase employment.

Election officials worked hard to convince skeptics that the ballot would be clean but faced a raft of complaints in the lead-up to the vote.

The head of an observer team from a regional bloc, the Organization of American States (OAS), congratulated Mexico for the “calm, respect and order that prevailed” in Sunday’s vote. “Mexico enjoys today a robust and trustworthy electoral system, with an important amount of control that... should show the reliability of the electoral system,” said the lead observer, former Colombian president Cesar Gaviria. Media projections indicate that the PRI will have a majority in both chambers of Congress.

In the Senate, the PAN has the second largest number of legislators, while the PRD is second in the chamber of deputies. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Relentless heat gripped much of the eastern United States for a fourth straight day on Monday, with nearly 2 million homes and businesses without power after violent storms and soaring temperatures killed at least 18 people. Power companies warned it could take several days to restore electricity completely in some areas as much of the United States sweltered in a heat wave.

On Sunday, 288 temperature records were set nationwide.

“Above-normal temperatures will continue to affect a large portion of the country from the northern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic over the next few days,” the National Weather Service said. Severe thunderstorms, strong winds and hail ripped down trees and power lines in northern Minnesota, knocking out the phone system in the city of Bemidji and soaking Duluth, authorities said.

“It’s quite a big wind event,” said Dave Kellenbenz of the National Weather Service in nearby Grand Forks, North Dakota. Storms also struck in southern Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee, the weather agency said. Many areas will see temperatures from 90 Fahrenheit to more than 100 F (37.7 C), it said in a statement. Excessive heat warnings and advisories remained over much of the midMississippi Valley and southern states.

Emergencies were declared in Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington because of damage from a rare “super derecho” storm packing hurricane-force winds across a 700-mile stretch from the Midwest to the Atlantic Ocean.

Nearly 2 million homes and businesses from Illinois to New Jersey were still without power, with the biggest concentration in the Washington area. With power lines down across the region, the US government told federal workers in the Washington area they could take unscheduled leave or work from home on Monday and Tuesday. Two of the largest property insurers, USAA and Nationwide, said they had received more than 12,000 claims in total from the weekend storms. Most were for house damage. The storms capped a costly June for insurers, which were already facing losses of at least $1 billion from a hailstorm that ripped through Dallas.

DAMAGE TO POWER GRIDS Thunderstorms and high winds battered

eastern North Carolina on Sunday afternoon, causing three more deaths on top of at least 15 from deadly storms and heat in several states. About 93,000 customers in northeastern Illinois of Commonwealth Edison, a unit of Exelon Corp, were without power from the storms that brought wind gusts of up to 90

of two brothers, ages 3 and 5, in Tennessee who had been playing outside in temperatures reaching 105 F (41 C). St Louis reported three heat-related deaths over the weekend.

All were elderly and had air conditioners not in use.

Meanwhile, soybean and corn crops in the

COCKEYSVILLE: Jeff Grayson somersaults from a rope swing into a lake at the Beaver Dam Swimming Club in Cockeysville, Maryland. Residents of the Baltimore and Washington area continue to seek ways to avoid the heat with electrical power knocked out by storms 3 days ago still impacting almost half a million people. — AFP miles per hour (145 km per hour). Utilities in Ohio, Virginia and Maryland described damage to their power grids as catastrophic.

FirstEnergy utilities in states from Ohio to West Virginia had about 194,400 customers without power. Pepco, which serves Washington and much of its suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, reported about 201,900 customers without power.

Baltimore Gas & Electric said about 213,000 customers remained affected. Almost 1,200 utility workers from 12 states and Canada are helping restore power or are on their way to central Maryland, the company said. Storms killed six people in Virginia and left more than 1 million customers without power. Two people were killed in Maryland, officials said. A falling tree killed two cousins, aged 2 and 7, in New Jersey. Heat was blamed for the deaths

US Midwest are expected to get hit hard by the unrelenting heat and dryness. Corn, which is entering its critical pollination or reproductive stage of development, is seen as especially vulnerable.

“We’re still looking at a scenario providing below-average rainfall for at least the next 10 days,” said agricultural meteorologist John Dee of Global Weather Monitoring.

AccuWeather, a weather forecaster, said the “super derecho” storm that caused the widespread damage had raced 700 miles from northern Indiana to the Atlantic coast in 12 hours. A derecho - Spanish for “straight” - is a long-lasting wind storm that accompanies fast-moving thunderstorms or showers, AccuWeather said. The most powerful derechos are called “super derechos,” described by AccuWeather as a “land hurricane.” — Reuters

US soldier fights to recover after losing limbs VASSAR: Army Staff Sgt Travis Mills served two deployments to Afghanistan without suffering anything close to a major injury.

Then, in a second, everything changed. On patrol during his third tour in April, Mills put his bag down on an improvised explosive device, which tore through the decorated high school athlete’s muscular 6-foot-3 frame. Within 20 seconds of the IED explosion, a fast-working medic affixed tourniquets to all four of Mills’ limbs to ensure he wouldn’t bleed to death.

“I was yelling at him to get away from me,” Mills remembers. “I told him to leave me alone and go help my guys. “And he told me: ‘With all due respect, Sgt Mills, shut up. Let me do my job.’” The medic was able to save Mills’ life but not his limbs. Today, the 25year-old Mills is a quadruple amputee, one of only five service-

men from any military branch to have survived such an injury during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Maria Tolleson, a spokeswoman at US Army Medical Command. And instead of serving alongside his unit, he has been spending his days based at Walter Reed Medical Center, working on rehabilitation after the accident that dramatically altered the trajectory of his life.

Mills doesn’t dwell on that. Sitting in his hospital bed, he describes his situation plainly: “I just had a bad day at work.” His family - especially his wife, Kelsey - admires him for that. “I think he’s Superman. I really do,” she said. “It’s amazing to see just how lucky he is. I mean, he’s the luckiest unlucky guy.” Mills’ recovery is expected to last at least a year. Already, there have been victories: A procedure performed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center alleviated

the excruciating phantom limb pains Mills was experiencing in the first weeks he was stateside.

He approaches each therapy

session methodically, practically.

“There’s no reason to sit here and look out the window and feel sorry for myself,” Mills told. — AP

BETHESDA: Travis Mills is seen in his hospital bed with his wife Kelsey and daughter Chloe at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. — AP

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Bride’s new toilet points to social revolution in India VISHNUPUR KHURD: Spotlessly clean and decorated with plastic flowers and balloons for its opening ceremony, Priyanka Bharti’s toilet is seen as a gleaming symbol of the empowerment of Indian women. It has been built in the village of Vishnupur Khurd in Uttar Pradesh state due to the determination of Priyanka, a young bride who walked out of her new marital home when she was appalled to find she had to defecate in the open.

The ensuing drama soon became well-known in the area as the newlyweds’ scandalized families both tried to persuade her to return to her husband but she refused, saying the shame of squatting in the fields was too much to bear. “I was adamant that I could not stay in a home where people might see me go to the toilet outside in an unhygienic way,” Priyanka said after the lavatory, constructed by sanitation charity Sulabh, was ceremonially unveiled last week.

“I don’t know where I got the strength,” she said. “But I come from a family with many strong women and when I moved to my husband’s house I was without my relatives and friends and I was having to adjust to a new life.” Her firm

stance paid unexpected dividends after Sulabh, one of India’s largest social organizations, heard about her protest and adopted her cause as a way to promote better public health through proper toilet facilities. It even awarded Priyanka a 200,000-rupee ($3,600) prize that was presented at the official opening of the small toilet building, with the bride agreeing to move back in with her husband.

“We did not really believe the money was a true story, so we are shocked,” said Priyanka, whose marriage was arranged when she was aged just 14, although she was not taken to her husband until April when she turned 19. She stayed at her new home for just four days before fleeing when her family came to visit from their village 20 kilometers away. She refused to return to the marital home until the toilet was ready to use. “My parents were apprehensive and angry but I convinced them it was what I had to do. They had a basic indoor toilet, so for me to start going outside was too difficult,” she said.

Defecating in the open is a major social issue in India, touching on topics including women’s rights, health and hygiene, and the clash between traditional and

modern lifestyles. “Women will not go in the open during the day so they must visit the fields before dawn and then wait many hours again until after dusk,” Bindeshwar Pathak, who founded Sulabh in

is a public debate.”

Pathak, one of India’s most notable activists, has for decades campaigned for the use of simple indoor toilets and has also fought for low-caste Dalits (formerly

MAHARAJ GANJ: Neighbors watch as recently-wed Priyanka Bharti, who left her marital home in protest due to the lack of toilets in the household, return to the residence of her inlaws at Vishnupur village in Maharaj Ganj. —AFP 1973, said. “Walking barefoot in these areas is bad for catching tapeworm, bacteria and many other diseases, and is unhealthy for children who play. People used to not talk about this issue but now it

“Untouchables”) who often clean out other people’s bucket toilets.

‘Should be ashamed’-”We gave awards to Priyanka and two other brides who refused to live with their new families due to lack of

Voice of Mumbai attacks points finger at Pakistan ‘Get rid of these people. Kill them’ NEW DELHI: Forty-eight hours into the bloody assault on Mumbai in Nov 2008, smoke was billowing from the wreckage of the Taj Mahal hotel and commandos were flushing out the last gunmen holed up in the opulent landmark of India’s financial capital. A short distance away in the city’s southernmost peninsula, security forces were still battling at Nariman House, a Jewish centre where two of the Islamist militants had taken half a dozen people hostage, including a rabbi and his pregnant wife. “Remember that every one person you kill there is like taking 50 lives,” a coordinator of the rampage told the two men, according to the transcript of a telephone conversation picked up by Indian intelligence. “Get rid of these people. Kill them.”

All six in the centre were killed before the gunmen were slain by security forces. In all, 166 people were killed in the three-day frenzy of attacks on two upmarket hotels, Mumbai’s busy railway terminal and a fashionable cafe. India says the voice urging the 10 militants on to bloodshed was that of Indian-born Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, who was speaking from a “control room” in the Pakistani city of Karachi. Last month, after more than a year of painstaking diplomacy that involved India, Saudi Arabia and the United States, Ansari was quietly put on a plane in Riyadh, flown to New Delhi and arrested.

For India it is a huge breakthrough. New Delhi is hoping that Ansari’s capture will help prove its allegation - strenuously denied in Islamabad - that the Mumbai carnage was directed by people connected

catch at an undisclosed location. “It takes us one step closer to the role of Pakistani establishment in the attacks. That will be the big worry in Islamabad,” said Doval. Indian officials caution that they are unlikely to find a smoking gun leading directly to the headquarters of Pakistan’s powerful military, but they say Ansari’s arrest nonetheless provides crucial details suggesting some level of complicity. A Pakistani security official told Reuters there was quite simply no ISI involvement, and there wasn’t even a control room.

A Quiet and Shy Boy Ansari carried a Pakistani passport - a fake, the Pakistani security official said. He was born 30 years ago in India, and brought up in a village near the dusty town of Beed, some 350 km east of Mumbai. When he was about 15, his family moved to a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood in Beed town, a crowded and down-at-heel area with narrow lanes, dug-up roads, open drains, a vegetable market and two mosques.

Locals say that Ansari was a timid and quiet boy, coming off worst when there were street brawls and barely making a mark at school. “None of the teachers remember teaching him,” said Bharat Sonavane, principal at Beed’s Balbhim College for Art, Science and Commerce, where Ansari was a student.

Trained as an electrician, he found work that brought money for a family struggling to make ends meet, including one job re-wiring the local police headquarters. Ansari suddenly disappeared in 2006

MUMBAI: A gunman identified by police as Ajmal Kasab walks through the Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminal railway station in this file photo. —AP with Pakistan’s security establishment, particularly the shadowy ISI military intelligence agency. That could stir fresh tensions between South Asia’s nuclear-armed rivals, who have already fought three wars since their independence 65 years ago, and it could put further strain on the ragged relations between the United States and Pakistan. Ansari’s extradition from Riyadh which officials say came after pressure from Washington and despite pleas from Islamabad for him not to be sent to India - may also have delivered a jolt to Pakistan’s traditionally close relations with Saudi Arabia.

‘A Window into the Control Room’ Indian investigators say Ansari, who is also known as Abu Jundal and Abu Hamza, has confessed he was in the “control room” talking the gunmen through their operation by satellite phone. They believe that, alongside him there, was Hafiz Saeed, founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group whose emergence the ISI nurtured in the 1990s as a proxy to fight Indian forces in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. Earlier this year the United States placed a $10 million bounty on Saeed’s head, but he still moves freely around Pakistan. Ansari’s arrest may turn out to be far more critical to shedding light on the command and control of the 2008 attacks than Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the only gunman to be taken alive and who is now on death row in a Mumbai prison. “It is a window into the control room, who set it up, who was coming into it, who was going out,” said Ajit Doval, a former head of the Intelligence Bureau, India’s domestic spy agency, which has been questioning its prize

after police linked him to an arms haul case. For the next six years his family received no word of him, until last month when his bearded face was splashed on news networks announcing his deportation and arrest.

“We thought he might be dead by now,” said Ansari’s mother, Rehana, a 65-year-old diabetes sufferer who spoke to Reuters from her father’s tiny home in Beed.

“One night he just left home and we didn’t hear from him for almost six years. No phone call, no letter,” she said, holding back tears in pale green eyes framed by a black burqa, the all-enveloping garment worn by many Muslim women on the subcontinent. “It pains us ... we never imagined our Zubi would be linked to this.”

Attackers Coached in Hindi Shortly after nightfall on Nov 26, 2008, three inflatable speedboats pulled up on the shores of Mumbai.

The 10 men aboard had sailed across the Arabian Sea from Karachi for days, hijacking an Indian trawler on their way and killing its crew. When they were accosted by local residents, the men were prepared. Ansari told his interrogators that he had coached the gunmen to speak Hindi with a local accent so that their assault could be passed off as a home-grown attack rather than traced back to Pakistan: at one point during the operation he scolded them for not using the proper dialect. Indian officials who analysed the phone conversations with the gunmen had long suspected that one of the handlers was an Indian because he used words only a fluent Hindi speaker would use, while the others spoke the mix of Punjabi and Urdu common to large parts of Pakistan. Ansari, investigators say, has provided the names of four other people in the Karachi

control room, which New Delhi maintains could not have operated without some state support. Two of them he named as Sajid Mir, also known as Sajid Majid, and Sameer Ali. A Pakistani-American, David Headley, who was convicted of scouting targets in Mumbai ahead of the attacks, gave the same two names to a Chicago court last year as helping mount the operation. Headley identified Sameer Ali as a major in the ISI who had recruited him when he was briefly detained near the Pakistan-Afghan border in 2006 and Sajid Mir as a man handling foreign recruits for the LeT. Mir was also believed to be the handler of a Frenchman accused of plotting an attack in Australia soon after the Sept 11 attacks. French judge Jean-Louis Brugiere who investigated the case said he believed Mir was an officer of the Pakistani military. Ansari’s revelations could have a bearing on investigations in the United States, where families of six Americans who were killed in the Mumbai attack have filed lawsuits alleging that the head of the ISI at the time, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, and other operatives helped the LeT plan and orchestrate its operation. “We believe Ansari’s interrogation provides further corroboration of active ISI support in the attacks,” said an official of the Indian Intelligence Bureau. “They were physically present in the control room.”

Extremists in India’s Backyard Pakistan, which has conducted its own investigation into the Mumbai assault and indicted seven members of the LeT - an organisation it has officially banned - roundly rejects the charge that members of the ISI were involved. “The Mumbai plot came to the attention of the ISI in 2005 or 2006,” the Pakistani security official said. “The leadership of the LeT was contacted and told not to go ahead with it. But the LeT waited.

After Pasha took over as ISI chief, they managed to slip under the radar and carry it out.”

He said five handlers were scattered across Pakistan at the time, not together in a control room. Ansari himself was in the Sindh town of Thatta, speaking to the men in Mumbai from a Thuraya satellite phone. The Pakistani prime minister’s adviser on interior affairs, Rehman Malik, said Ansari’s involvement showed that India had extremists in its own backyard who were being sent to Pakistan. “I have the right to know how he was radicalised - was he radicalised through Muslim extremism or was he radicalised through Hindu extremism?” Malik told Reuters in an interview during a visit to London last weekend. Indian investigators said that after leaving his hometown in 2006, Ansari crossed the porous border with Bangladesh and travelled by air to Pakistan. But it was not until sometime in 2008 that they established his presence there. The security official in Islamabad said Ansari first went to Pakistan during a brief conflict with India in the Kargil district of Kashmir in 1999, which broke out after Pakistani soldiers and militants poured across the de facto border between the two countries there. “He thought he could just join the mujahideen on his own, but he didn’t manage,” the official said, describing Ansari as someone who “really believes Muslims are being suppressed around the world”.

Saudi Help Early last year, Ansari obtained his fake Pakistani passport and flew to Saudi Arabia, where - the official in Islamabad said - the LeT thought he could blend in with the many Pakistani labourers there. Indian police believe he was “talent-spotting” in Saudi Arabia in preparation for another “massive attack”. However, he was arrested there a few months later. That was the starting point for a year-long effort by Indian intelligence to convince Riyadh that - despite the Pakistani passport - he was an Indian citizen and must be sent back. “We kept telling them, don’t send him to Pakistan, he is our man and if he went there he would be lost to us. In July (last year) we told the US to prevent him from going to Pakistan,” the Indian intelligence bureau officer said. In May of this year, the United States put its foot down, telling Saudi Arabia there was overwhelming evidence that Ansari was an Indian national wanted for the attacks. “The decision of the Saudi authorities to transfer Ansari to Indian custody, mindful of the unhappiness of Pakistan, will be seen in Pakistan as a blow to its much-vaunted relationship with Saudi Arabia,” said Bahukutumbi Raman, a former head of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing. —Reuters

toilets,” he said. “We want them to be torchbearers whose example encourages better sanitation.”

India’s Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said recently that India “should be ashamed” that 60 to 70 percent of women are forced to defecate in the open and he vowed further funding to tackle the problem.

However, government schemes to build new facilities are often undermined by corruption, with recent allegations that in Uttar Pradesh alone, millions of toilets meant to have been built by state authorities were never constructed. According to the 2011 census, about 131 million households in India have no latrine in their premises, with eight million using public facilities and 123 million defecating in the open. Among those with an indoor toilet, 800,000 households use a bucket device cleaned by humans and 500,000 use containers left out for animals to eat from.

In Vishnupur Khurd, the new toilet block, with its freshly-painted yellow walls, stands out among the jumble of huts and houses made of rough bricks. The structure contains two cesspits, plus an attached storeroom and washroom as Sulabh organizers say they find

that a single new toilet with a lockable door often ends up being used for storage instead. For villagers such as Kamala Wati Sharma, 45, the new building-and the cash prize-are to be admired and perhaps envied. “We have nothing in our house,” she said during a break in the day-long opening ceremonies, which included blessings, speeches and dance performances organized by Sulabh and attended by hundreds of villagers.

“It is a problem for us to go to the toilet outside in the dark,” said the mother of five. “But it costs money for something like this.”

Sulabh, which has provided 1.2 million toilets to poor rural Indians, admits that the toilet built for Priyanka and her new family cost over $1,000 but says that more basic designs can be constructed for well under $30. Priyanka’s husband Amarjeet, 20, believes the most important thing is that his wife has at last returned to his home-though he adds he is amazed and proud that she has suddenly become the centre of a publicity campaign. “I was embarrassed when she asked ‘where is the toilet?’ and we had to tell her to go outside,” he said. “Now it is built we are going to maintain it and use it properly.” —AFP

Monsoon kills 81 in India GAUHATI: The worst monsoon floods in a decade to hit a remote northeastern Indian state have killed more than 80 people and forced around 2 million to leave their homes. Nearly half a million people are living in relief camps that have been set up across Assam state, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told journalists Monday in Gauhati, Assam’s capital. The rest of the 2 million displaced are living with relatives or sheltering under tarpaulin sheets.

Assam officials say 81 people have been killed over the past four days. Most were swept away when the mighty Brahmaputra River over flowed and flooded villages. Sixteen people were buried in landslides triggered by the rains. At least 11 people were missing in six districts, the state disaster management agency said. Air force helicopters were dropping food packets and drinking water to marooned people, Singh said after surveying the flood-hit districts. Army soldiers used boats to rescue villagers from rooftops of flooded homes.

Teams of doctors have opened health clinics in the 770 relief camps that had been set up across Assam, one of India’s main tea-growing states. The hilly tea growing areas have not been affected,

but lower rice fields have been washed away. Thousands of cattle have perished after being swept away by the raging water or getting stuck in the mud. The stench of rotting animal carcasses was adding to the woes of the people in tents at the relief camps, officials said. In the worst-hit Dhemaji district, raging waters of the Brahmaputra River swept away entire villages. Officials said the entire Majuli Island, one of the world’s largest river islands, was awash as the Brahmaputra rose above the danger level.

“This is one of the worst floods to hit Assam,” Singh said. He announced the national government would give immediate assistance of 5 billion rupees ($90 million) to the state. Railway workers were working round the clock to restore train services disrupted after railway tracks became submerged. “Restoration of the railway line is a priority,” Singh said. The situation was expected to improve over the next few days as the rain was tapering off and water was beginning to recede. Monsoon floods hit Assam, with a population of 26 million people, almost every year, with heavy rains swelling the Brahmaputra and its innumerable tributaries that crisscross the state. —AP

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Consensus cracking on US policy toward Myanmar WASHINGTON: The rare Washington consensus behind Obama administration policy toward Myanmar is showing signs of cracks as American businesses grow impatient to invest there and human rights groups push back.

Those fissures are becoming evident as the US rolls back its long diplomatic isolation of the military-dominated nation also known as Burma and looks to ease economic sanctions following democratic reforms there.

Sen Jim Webb, D-Va, last week criticized opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a figure revered by both US political parties and key to bipartisan support for administration policy. During a recent trip to Europe she had cautioned against foreign companies entering business deals with Myanmar’s murky state oil and gas enterprise. A prominent Republican, Sen John McCain of Arizona, echoed her concerns. Those differences of opinion underscore how the administration’s job of maintaining broadbased support for its Myanmar policy is getting trickier. Washington is trying to open up commercial opportunities for American companies in one of Asia’s last untapped markets without losing the high ground on human rights that has driven the US agenda for the past two decades.

It’s a debate playing out while

explosions of communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims in western Myanmar leave scores dead, and its military continues to clash with ethnic rebels in the remote north reminders that human rights concerns still loom large. Broadly, the rare political unity that has coalesced on the administration’s Myanmar policy endures. Democrats and Republicans alike back the easing of sanctions to encourage further reforms, and the Senate on Friday approved the appointment of Derek Mitchell as the first US ambassador to be based in the country in 22 years. Mitchell has served as a special envoy since August.

But even within the administration itself there are differences of opinion over how to allow US investment without feeding corruption and further entrenching Myanmar’s military-linked business elite. For US corporations, time is of the essence. European companies already are free to operate in Myanmar, and within two or three months its government will open bidding on 18 onshore oil and gas blocks an opportunity for Western companies to move in on a lucrative sector where China, India and Thailand currently dominate.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 3 million businesses and is a powerful lobbying

force in Washington, is urging the administration to get moving. The chamber has voiced disappointment that seven weeks after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged American businesses to invest in Myanmar, the administration has yet to issue the necessary regulations.

Webb, a longtime advocate of engagement with Myanmar who has teamed up with a conservative Republican, Sen James Inhofe of Oklahoma, to press for a comprehensive lifting of economic sanctions, chided Suu Kyi last week. Webb questioned whether “an official from any foreign government should be telling us what sectors that we should invest in and not invest in” - a highly unusual note of criticism directed at a figure who spent 15 years under house arrest before she was elected to parliament in April.

On the other hand, McCain has endorsed Suu Kyi’s comments, saying her concerns over the lack of accountability and transparency in the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, known as MOGE, must be addressed before letting U.S. companies invest in that sector. “We must prioritize our democratic principles,” McCain said in a statement.

Rights groups charge that the administration is now prioritizing American commercial interests instead.

“Suddenly there are new objectives

competing with the old ones that formed the heart of Burma policy for so many years,” said Tom Malinowski, director of the Washington office of Human Rights Watch. “This is about helping US companies not miss out on the natural gas blocks to be auctioned off in the next few months.” And judging from US officials’ public statements, there has been a marked shift in recent months, notwithstanding the administration’s continued statements of concern over ethnic violence, political prisoners and Myanmar’s military ties with North Korea. In early April, when the US announced a “targeted” easing of the investment ban, officials initially spoke of promoting investment in sectors like agriculture, telecommunications and tourism, rather than resource-based industries.

But by the time Clinton gave the details six weeks later, she was inviting American businesses to invest across all sectors of the economy, including oil, gas and mining. That angered activists like Moon Nay Li, coordinator of the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand, who says atrocities by the military are continuing in her native Kachin State in northern Myanmar. She launched a petition on the Internet that has gained 125,000 signatories in five weeks, demanding legally binding safeguards to ensure that American

businesses don’t become complicit in rights abuses.

“Foreign business and extreme violations of human rights are virtually inseparable,” she said by email, charging that investment projects often result in land appropriations and forced relocation of villagers. The Obama administration has said US companies would be expected to conduct due diligence and will still be barred from doing business with firms owned or operated by Myanmar’s military. The administration hasn’t said whether US oil and gas companies would be allowed to partner with state monopoly MOGE, a necessity for investing in the petroleum sector.

Patrick Cronin at the Center for a New American Security think tank said excluding US businesses, which are subject to rigorous American anti-corruption legislation when they operate abroad, would not help but hurt the course of reform in Myanmar, particularly when companies from Europe, Russia, China, India and other Asian countries are free to invest there. While companies will resist calls for additional reporting requirements - that might, for example, monitor what they pay to Myanmar’s government - Cronin says that could be the trade-off for investing in a country with major human rights problems. —AP

Myanmar frees 20 political prisoners Govt embark on series of democratic reforms YANGON: Myanmar’s reformist government granted amnesties for at least 20 political prisoners yesterday, but opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi called for the release of hundreds more still behind bars. Zaw Thet Htwe, who monitors prisoner releases for the opposition, said more than 20 of 46 detainees granted amnesties

by President Thein Sein were prisoners of conscience, and he was able to confirm that 14 had actually been freed. The office of 88 Generation Students, a group that spearheaded a failed uprising against the military in 1988, put the number slightly higher, saying 24 political prisoners were among those to be freed yesterday.

Freedom for political prisoners is a benchmark used by Western nations critical of Myanmar’s former military regime to judge Thein Sein’s administration.

Previous releases have been a major factor in decisions by those nations to ease economic and political embargoes they placed on the previous government for its poor human rights record and undemocratic rule. Thein Sein had served with the old regime, but came to office last year after a general election. He began a series of democratic reforms and opened a dialogue with the country’s pro-democracy movement, winning Suu Kyi’s praise for his efforts. She agreed to have her party contest by-elections in April, and she and other colleagues are now members of the small opposition faction in the military-dominated legislature.

Human Rights Watch says at least 659 political prisoners have been released over the past year.

Estimates by human rights groups of the number remaining in custody range from about 200 to about 600. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party says

the number is 330. “We will call for the release of all 330 political prisoners,” Suu Kyi, the country’s most famous former political detainee, told a news conference yesterday.

It was her first public appearance

nine women were being freed.

It said the decision had been made on humanitarian grounds “with a view to ensuring the stability of the state and making eternal peace (and) national reconcilia-

YANGON: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to the media during a press conference at the National League for Democracy Party headquarters in Yangon yesterday. —AFP since returning from a high-profile two-week tour of Europe, her first trip abroad in 24 years. The staterun New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported that 37 men and

tion.” “We are very happy that our fellow political prisoners are being released,” Ko Ko Gyi, a prominent former political detainee said.

“However, we will continue to

work for the release of all political prisoners.” Suu Kyi received a hero’s welcome during her European journey, but was criticized by Myanmar authorities for calling her homeland Burma during the trip. The election commission, which oversees laws pertaining to political parties, said Suu Kyi should stop using the name and “respect the constitution.”

Opposition activists have long referred to the Southeast Asian nation as Burma to protest against the former army junta, which held absolute power and changed the country’s English name to Myanmar in 1989. Suu Kyi retorted yesterday that the junta had altered the name two decades ago “without consulting any public opinion.” Suu Kyi was under house arrest at the time and said she heard the news over the radio.

“They shouldn’t have done it like that,” Suu Kyi said. “All these issues are concerned with the basic principles of democracy ... and as I believe in democratic values, I think I can use whatever term I want.”

In the official state language, the country and its people are both pronounced Myanmar, and the distinction between the names exists in English but not the local language. The former junta, which ceded power last year, justified the name change on the ground that the word Myanmar better reflects the country’s ethnic diversity. The term Burma connotes Burman, the dominant ethnic group in the country, to the exclusion of ethnic minorities. But regime opponents and exile groups from a range of ethnicities - as well as foreign governments including the United States - have persisted in calling the country Burma in protest against an undemocratic regime they long saw as illegitimate. —AP

Conduct code for drones unveiled PITTSBURGH: A trade group for drone aircraft manufacturers and operators has released the industry’s first code of conduct in response to growing privacy concerns. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International said Monday that the recommendations for “safe, non-intrusive operation” are meant to guide operators and reassure a public leery of the possibility of spy drones flying undetected over their homes. “We understand as an industry that we’ve got a public relations problem,” said Paul McDuffee, a director of the association who helped draft the recommendations.

Drones, small airplanes or helicopters operated remotely by pilots from the ground, can be equipped with sophisticated cameras and even weapons. They have been used to spy on and hunt down Al-Qaeda terrorists in Pakistan, but the rapidly declining size and cost of them has prompted fears that thousands could be operating in the US within a decade, with little effective oversight. Some of the drones weigh just a few pounds and can fit in a person’s hands.

Citizens, civil liberties groups and politicians have voiced worries that the small aircraft raise the specter of a “surveillance society.” Currently

there are only about 300 authorized federal permits to operate such aircraft, along with an unknown number of unlicensed amateurs, who are supposed to keep their aircraft within sight. The new recommendations by the association, a non-profit based in Arlington, Va., that has members in more than 60 countries, pledge to “respect the privacy of individuals” and the concerns of the public and to follow all federal, state and local laws. They also pledge to ensure that remote drone pilots are properly trained and to respect “other users of the airspace.”

The language on privacy is good, but it’s not enough, American Civil Liberties Union lobbyist Chris Calabrese said. “I think it’s really important that they’re paying attention to privacy. That’s to their credit,” Calabrese said. “But I can’t imagine they expect this to quell privacy concerns.” Calabrese added that ultimately even well-meaning guidelines from a private group aren’t legally binding on public and private organizations around the country. “I think Congress needs to step in. This is new technology. It’s potentially incredibly invasive,” he said.

“People are profoundly discomforted by the idea of drones monitoring them.”

Some law enforcement agencies have already purchased powerful drones. A county sheriff’s office in Texas used a homeland security grant to buy a $300,000, 50-pound ShadowHawk helicopter drone for its SWAT team. Randy McDaniel, chief deputy with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, said earlier this year his office had no plans to arm the drone, but he left open the possibility the agency might decide to adapt it to fire tear gas canisters and rubber bullets.

McDuffee, who works for Insitu, a Boeing Co. subsidiary that designs and builds drones in Port Orange, Fla, called the wide range of drone aircraft “the next latest and greatest thing in aviation,” noting that there’s interest from law enforcement, first responders, scientists and private industry, such as farmers who want to monitor or spray crops. The permits are issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, which is working on new rules that will greatly expand legal uses. The drone market is expected to nearly double over the next 10 years, from current worldwide expenditures of nearly $6 billion annually to more than $11 billion, with police departments accounting for a significant part of that growth. —AP

DARWIN: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (right) listens as Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono speaks during a press conference at the Northern Territory Parliament House in Darwin yesterday. —AFP

Australia and Indonesia crack down on people-smuggling SYDNEY: Australia and Indonesia yesterday agreed to work more closely to crack down on people-smuggling, with visiting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono saying his people were also victims of the trade. Talks between Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Darwin have focused on the issue of boatpeople coming to Australia, mostly via transit ports in Indonesia, after scores drowned en route in recent weeks.

“In the field of preventing or combating people-smuggling and also human trafficking we have agreed to enhance greater cooperation,” Yudhoyono told reporters. “Indonesia is also a victim of the acts of illegal people smuggling. We hope that we can prevent, as far as possible, the act of people-smuggling in our region.”

Dozens of people died last month when two crowded asylum-seeker boats sank off the remote Australian territory of Christmas Island, near Indonesia’s Java.

Rescuers saved 110 people after a boat sank on June 21 but an estimated 90 mostly Afghan men drowned, raising questions about Indonesia’s capacity to handle mass rescues at sea. Days later 130 were rescued by a passing commercial vessel that spotted a crowded wooden boat riding low in the water before it sank, killing at least four people. Gillard said Australia and Indonesia already cooperated strongly to deter boatpeople from making the voyage and would step up maritime assistance to prevent further deaths at sea. “Australia will work with Indonesia’s search and rescue agency to help strengthen its ability to communicate with merchant vessels during safety of life at sea incidents,” she said.

Yudhoyono also welcomed the release of some underage Indonesian nationals held in Australian jails after being detained as crew on people-smuggling vessels. “They are also

victims of acts of people-smuggling and no doubt we hope that the release of the remaining underage seafarers can be accelerated,” he said through an interpreter. Some 5,242 boatpeople have arrived in Australia so far in 2012, many from Afghanistan and Iran, and parliament last week failed to pass a law to allow them to be transferred to Malaysia-a plan the government hoped would deter refugees from making the dangerous voyage Down Under.

The broad-ranging talks between Gillard and Yudhoyono at the second annual Indonesia-Australia Leaders’ Meeting also covered growing trade and security links between the neighbors. It follows the unveiling of a major expansion in defense ties between Australia and the US, with some 2,500 Marines to be based in the nation’s north by 2016-17. Announced by US President Barack Obama during a visit to Australia in late 2011 and seen as a pivot of US forces to the Asia-Pacific, the plan rankled China and was initially received coolly by Indonesia.

But the current talks, which have included high-ranking ministers from both sides, have acknowledged Indonesia’s increasing strategic importance, with Defense Minister Stephen Smith saying joint military exercises were being planned. “It’s not just the rise of China,” Smith told the Australian Financial Review. “It’s the rise of India, it’s the rise of Asian nations. “And it is the ongoing economic strength of Japan, the Republic of Korea and the emergence of Indonesia as an international or global influence, not just a regional influence.” In a joint communique, the leaders later said they would also encourage Australian companies to invest in the Indonesian beef and cattle industry, after the live cattle trade was temporarily suspended over cruelty concerns, testing ties. —AFP

Philippines accused of South China Sea ‘plot’ BEIJING: China’s top newspaper accused the Philippines of orchestrating a plot to deliberately stir up tensions over the disputed South China Sea, and warned that Beijing’s patience should not be mistaken for weakness.

The Philippines may ask the United States to deploy spy planes over the area to help monitor its waters, President Benigno Aquino told Reuters on Monday, a move that could worsen tensions with its giant neighbor China.

China and the Philippines only recently stepped back from a months-long standoff at the Scarborough Shoal, a horseshoe -shaped reef near the Philippines in waters they both claim the latest round of naval brinkmanship

over the resource-rich sea.

China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia all have competing claims in the South China Sea, but China’s claims encompass almost all its waters. A commentary in Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece the People’s Daily yesterday said the Philippines was once more planning to stoke tensions over the issue at a key regional security summit starting later this week in Cambodia. “On the cusp of the ASEAN foreign ministers meetings, the Philippines is sparing no effort to stir up the South China Sea issue through all sorts of means, and we should be on guard against its plots,” the newspaper wrote. —Reuters

14

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

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Issues

In divided era, what does July 4th mean?

By Ted Anthony n the market for new designer eyewear this Independence Day? Look no further than Wize Eyes on Long Island. “So Proudly We Hail”, the chain advertised this week, “With Fashion Eyewear ... At Half The Price”.

Perhaps Competition Subaru of Smithtown’s flag-themed “July 4th Blast of Savings SALES EVENT” is more up your alley this year. Or possibly you need some last-minute hot dogs for your Fourth of July cookout? Don’t miss the Dietz & Watson “Grill-a-bration”. Look around, and one truth seems kind of self-evident. If you arrived in America with entirely fresh eyes, it would be easy to conclude that the summer’s day on which we celebrate our hard-won independence from England is merely a pause to blow up some colorful explosives, cook some meat over an open flame and get some good deals on major appliances. And, of course, drink beer.

But that can’t be all there is. Can it? In an era when everything from health care policy to immigration divides us more than it unites us, when the Internet allows us to tear apart our fellow Americans’ virtual throats from the comfort of our keyboards, what does a holiday like Independence Day mean? Is commercialism the only thing that keeps us together? Does this tribal-feeling nation of niches and special interest groups and online communities still have much use for a holiday that, at its most elemental, celebrates the societal-level version of “Hey - I’m sick of you, so I’m leaving”?

After 11 score and 16 years, we certainly know how the routine goes. We gather in our groups, with families and friends and neighbors, and we put politics aside. We cluster in community streets and sit upon community lawns to take in parades, then gaze up at the sky and see the bombs bursting in air and claim, for ourselves, some kind of collective proof that the flag is still there. But how many of us (and it would be a fair point to suggest that even the very term “us” is a bit ridiculous in America these days) actually stop and think about our political lot on Independence Day? Cynical though the notion may be, it’s hard to find a person who says, “Well, yes, actually, I do engage in discourse about the state of our republic with my fellow Americans between bites of potato salad.”

Independence Day can seem like a bubble, neither a unifier nor a divider. The American heroics discussed are yesterday’s, not today’s. Everything is torpid and summery and more about the pursuit of happiness than life and liberty. And in that way, it’s about as American as you can get.

It’s about community in the micro - about getting together for the fireworks show, not about where our country is these days. “It’s a romantic idealism. We remember what we think America should be,” says Tricia Quinn, an architect and a political independent who lives in Orlando. “My idealism is that on that day we agree we’re a wonderful nation of openminded democratic people who respect each other,” she says. “On Independence Day, we’re trying to put aside our differences and hope that we all believe in the same thing, that we’re playing from the same rule book.”

Rule book: an interesting term. Think about it for a moment. What do we celebrate Wednesday? A declaration of independence - a conception, really, rather than an actual birth. A decision that we will be a separate nation. But the work - most of the war to win it, and the compromises necessary to build it - was still ahead.

Independence was asserted in 1776, but the rule book we’re playing from, the Constitution, was still 11 years and countless casualties away.

It’s the American instinct to celebrate the big, epic, unifying event rather than the tortuous process of give and take and, yes, rancor that followed. Is it possible that we should be celebrating the Constitution rather than the declaration - the house that Americans actually built rather than merely the idea to build the house? “The Declaration is about our aspirations and the Constitution is about how we do it. And how we do it is messy and imperfect,” says Brian C Mitchell, a longtime educator and historian who was, most recently, the president of Bucknell University. “The Constitution is what precipitates and provokes debate,” Mitchell says, “But I think the Declaration is the right thing to celebrate. Because it’s about who we want to be.”

He’s an optimistic guy (yes, another American trait).

Beyond the broad contours of our society, much of what puts us at odds is emphatically that - deep-rooted disagreements about precisely who we want to be. More government or less? More immigrants or fewer? More assertiveness in global participation or a drawback? It’s not as if we’ve always been a very united United States. — AP

I

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‘Stop and frisk’ polarizes NY

By Chris Francescani, Janet Roberts and Melanie Hicken elly Hudgins has been stopped and frisked by the police too many times to count in the Brownsville, New York, public housing project where he lives. One occasion sticks in his memory. “I had my pajamas on and my slippers on and I’m emptying my garbage” at the trash chute. “They asked me for ID to prove I lived there. Who walks around in their pajamas with ID?” asked the black, 35-year-old counselor for the mentally handicapped. He says he complained about the search and was issued a summons for disorderly conduct.

Deborah Richardson, 60, a black postal worker, has delivered mail in east Brooklyn’s Brownsville for 14 years. She takes a different view of the New York Police Department’s contentious Stop, Question and Frisk policy. “I’d like to see more stops and frisks,” she said, leaning out of her postal truck. “This is a dangerous neighborhood. I won’t even go up in those monstrosities anymore,” she said, gesturing toward one of the towering housing complexes where she once pushed a mail cart. After four years of what she says was harassment from residents, many waiting for welfare checks, she got a transfer to a parcel truck delivery route.

For nearly two months the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy has drawn New York City into an emotional debate about race, policing and Fourth Amendment rights. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly have fiercely defended the program against an onslaught of criticism from judges, civil rights leaders and a vocal block of Democratic politicians. It has become a defining issue for next year’s mayoral election. For Bloomberg, an independent who will be stepping down next year after three terms, the question is central to his legacy. Having presided over an historic reduction in violent crime, he boasts that New York is “America’s safest city by far,” a place where tourists and residents can safely roam any neighborhood, even those traditionally considered dangerous, by day and most by night.

T

What Price Safety?

Critics, though, charge that this has come at a precious cost the civil liberties of hundreds of thousands who are stopped and searched each year. Police stops in New York City have climbed steadily to more than 685,000 last year from nearly 161,000 in 2003. Only 12 percent of those stopped were arrested or ticketed.

More than 85 percent were black or Hispanic, while they make up 51 percent of the city’s population.

A Reuters analysis of more than 3 million stops from 2006 through 2011 shows that by far the densest concentrations fell in areas of public housing, home to many of the city’s poorest families and where 90 percent of residents are black or Hispanic.

Although one would expect a heavy concentration of police stops in these densely populated areas, the stop rate is disproportionate: In 2011, police stopped people in these areas at a rate more than three times higher than elsewhere in the city, the analysis found. The study also shows that more than half the searches happened not on the streets and paths around these buildings but inside them - in stairwells, lobbies and corridors. The analysis used mapping software to plot six years’ worth of data and identify areas where stops were clustered the most. The software also helped identify stops that occurred in public housing areas, so the nature of those stops could be analyzed and compared with stops that happened elsewhere in the city. In some of the city’s safest neighborhoods, police make dozens of stops each year. In the most stubborn pockets of crime and poverty, police make thousands. Many residents there feel as if they are under siege - both from the high levels of crime that prompt aggressive policing and from the police activity itself. The controversy over stop-and-frisk is playing out in neighborhoods like Brownsville and a number of other high-crime public housing communities across the city’s five boroughs, where dense clusters of red-brick public housing towers rise up across hundreds of acres. This isn’t the same pleasantly untroubled New York that millions of tourists flock to see the New York of Fifth Avenue museums and boutiques, of Times Square lights and Greenwich Village restaurants. Neither is it anything like the neighborhoods where New York’s prosperous and middle class live. The average family income in the public housing areas is just over $20,000, almost two and a half times lower than the city median income for 2010. According to city data, 53 percent of households have no one who is employed. The policing contrasts are stark. In the 28-block heart of Brownsville, the stop rate was 572 per 1,000 residents last year. For young black men, the rate is far higher and can easily translate into several stops per year. Four miles away in upper-middle-class Park Slope, Brooklyn, police stopped people at a rate of 35 per 1,000 residents. For police, the focus on public housing is elemental. One in five murders in the city last year occurred in or on the grounds of public housing, as well as one in five shootings and one in nine reported rapes. One in every four guns were seized there.

Whose Disorderly Conduct?

Brownsville is in NYPD Precinct 73, which last year had 14.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Among the city’s 76 precincts, its violent crime rate was a close second to Precinct 41, in the Hunts Point-Longwood area of the Bronx. The rate may be significantly lower than its crack-cocaine-driven peak in 1990, but it is still almost three times the citywide rate. Precinct 78, which encompasses most of Park Slope, had 4.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 17 percent below the city rate.

Long the epicenter of NYPD stop-and-frisk activity, Brownsville was the subject of a New York Times report two years ago that found police were conducting stops there at a rate unmatched elsewhere in the city. (Disclosure: Co-author Janet Roberts worked on the New York Times story.) The Reuters analysis shows that is still true two years later. Residents tell stories of cops peering down from rooftops, monitoring movement with a ubiquitous network of security cameras, patrolling halls and occupying lobbies. In interviews conducted in the past few weeks, many Brownsville public housing residents claim they are regularly questioned, ticketed, often frisked and sometimes arrested on little or no pretense. They say police can be abusive, unnecessarily aggressive and indiscriminate. To these residents, civil liberties have withered with declining crime rates.

Last spring, years after the pajama incident, Hudgins stepped out of an elevator in his building as a pair of cops were getting in.

As it often does on Mondays, Hudgins said, the elevator smelled of alcohol. Police stopped him, saying they suspected he was drinking alcohol from the cup in his hand. They insisted he hand over his drink, sniffed it, and told him it smelled like alcohol, Hudgins said. No, he insisted; it was a mix of iced tea and lemonade. There in the lobby of his own building, at the age of 34 and with no criminal record, Hudgins was issued two tickets - one for disorderly conduct and another for having an alcoholic beverage in an open container.

Hudgins had had enough. He filed a formal complaint with the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board. Both summonses were eventually dismissed, according to court records provided by Hudgins. “You can be stopped on any given day, for anything,” he said. “It’s humiliating.” Police patrolling public housing enforce housing regulations, which dictate that to be inside one of its buildings you must either live there or be visiting someone.

Among the almost 600,000 stops police made in or around city housing in the past six years, they conducted more based on suspicion of trespassing than for any other suspected crime, according to the Reuters analysis.

Vanessa Chandler, 47, who is black, said she has lived in city housing on Brownsville’s Sutter Avenue since she was a child, and that aggressive policing in the area is intrusive. “If I go back to my building in the morning because I forgot my bus pass, they are on you with, ‘Why did you go into that building and back out again?’

Or if I walk outside to check the weather and go back in, it’s the same thing,” she said. “I mean, don’t you step outside to check the weather where you live, officer?”

Residents acknowledge the need for a strong police presence to counter violent crime. This is, after all, a place where many adults say they don’t leave their homes after dark. Still, the way in which the stop-and-frisk program is used weighs on them heavily.

“It’s not the stop-and-frisks that we’re upset about,” said Jay Bradley, 49, another black woman. “It’s the stupidity of the stops.”

‘Community’ Guns For the police, stop-and-frisk is a vital tool on New York City’s final frontiers of gun violence, gang activity, murder and drugs.

They say policing in and around places like Brownsville, where gangs engage in frequent gun battles, is a struggle. The NYPD floods areas where they detect crime spikes - known within the department as impact zones - with hundreds of officers fresh out of the police academy, energetic young cops who move through the ranks based on their performance on these early career tours.

The locations for low-level drug sales float, ghost-like, from building to building. Kids commit burglaries and robberies to prove their mettle. Teen gang members share “community” guns: The same weapon jammed behind a trash compactor one day is camouflaged in a courtyard leaf pile the next. Finding and seizing these weapons is the top priority. For NYPD Captain Joseph Gulotta, the Italian-American commanding officer of the 73rd Precinct, stop-and-frisk is part of a larger strategy to solve crime and prevent its spread. “This is without a doubt one of most violent precincts in the city of New York, hands down,” he said. “Has it gotten better? Absolutely. But we’re averaging a shooting a week here, and that’s way down from before.”

Gang investigators said the ranks of the larger, more structured gangs have been decimated by precisely the kind of policing that’s now under scrutiny. What’s left are fractured crews of young thugs who form and dissolve alliances weekly and square off against each other with guns - housing project versus housing project, and within each project, building versus building. In January, Brooklyn prosecutors indicted 43 members of the Hoodstarz and Wave Gangs on second-degree murder, weapons and conspiracy charges. For 18 months, police said, their 10-block Brownsville turf war resulted in six homicides, with 38 people wounded in 32 shooting incidents. Prosecutors said the crews paid for guns by stealing and reselling cell phones. The takedown of those two crews made Brownsville feel safer, residents and police agreed. Peace was short-lived.

Domestic Violence, Vertical Patrols For five hours last month, on Father’s Day, gunfire crackled through the streets of Brownsville again. When it was over, five people had been shot and a sixth murdered in three separate incidents in the area, blocks apart. The 25-year-old man who died that night was found riddled with 23 bullets in a public park. Then, last Thursday night, three young men were rolling dice on a Brownsville corner around midnight when two other men

approached them. One of the two fired a shot into the chest of one of the three players, killing him. Another was shot in the back as he tried to flee, and a third was slightly wounded. The attack remains unsolved. These are the scenarios that trouble people like Gulotta and NYPD Deputy Inspector Vincent Patti, a housing unit commander. Patti oversees 42 of the city’s most violent housing complexes - there are 334 in total - stretching from Brownsville to East New York, Brooklyn. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a day when there hasn’t been a call about a firearm,” he said. Patti has heard the complaints from residents about police abuses. He said housing police are unique within the NYPD because they spend a lot of time inside residents’ homes, hallways and lobbies as part of their patrols. Almost a third of the calls his unit responds to are related to domestic violence. “That means we’re coming into your home, and we’re possibly arresting mom or dad, or brother or sister,” he said. “That alone leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths.”

Patti said his police have good reasons for the stops they make.

They do “vertical” patrols of most city housing structures on each shift, starting on the roofs and descending through stairways and halls, to track drug dealing and prevent burglaries. When police see drug vials or envelopes in a stairwell, he said, they are likely to find drug sales on a nearby floor. When they stop an individual they believe is acting suspiciously, they often find there are outstanding warrants.

Patti acknowledged that infractions such as littering are enforced more aggressively on city housing grounds than in other parts of the city but said it is a quality-of-life issue the police pursue as part of their partnership with the housing department. “I’m not saying every person needs to be ticketed,” he said. But I’ve seen kids finish a Snapple, standing directly in front of a garbage can, and throw the bottle on the ground.”

For Gulotta, whose grandfather grew up in turn-of-the-century Brownsville when the neighborhood was populated by Italian immigrants, stop-and-frisk is a tool, not a question for debate. “The people I’m talking to are the people behind closed doors at night the good people who work hard and own businesses here, the clergy, the people that own private homes here, and they are not saying, ‘We’re living in a police state.’ They are saying the exact opposite, that we need more police work, not less. “Violence is absolutely my first priority. I have no other choice. We can say, you know, it’s better than a previous year, but one shooting is too many,” he said. “The baseline is zero.”

Crime, Not Census Reports The practice of stopping to question and sometimes search citizens has been a policing tool for decades, but it was first evaluated by the Supreme Court in 1968, in Terry v Ohio. In that case, the court came down on the side of “reasonable suspicion”, a lower standard than the Fourth Amendment’s probable cause. To stop someone, an officer must have a reasonable suspicion that a person has committed or is about to commit a crime; to search, a reasonable suspicion the person is armed.

Last month a federal judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York on behalf of four black men who said they were racially profiled by NYPD officers who stopped and frisked them without cause. In granting the status, the judge said NYPD performance standards that have driven stop rates up in recent years may have led to “thousands of unlawful stops”.

Critics say the program constitutes racial profiling. They point to the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk data, which shows that 58 percent of blacks and Hispanics stopped last year were subsequently frisked by police, an escalation that was true for only 44 percent of whites.

They also say heavy-handed policing can result in rough justice in places like Brownsville. Community leader Andre Mitchell, who runs an outreach program for young blacks called Man Up!, says that too often a stop-and-frisk can turn into multiple charges.

Challenging a trespassing or loitering charge can lead to a disorderly conduct charge, and then just a few more wrong moves can add a charge of resisting arrest or even assaulting an officer, a felony. “These things can spin out of control easily,” Mitchell said.

Police deny they punish people with extra violations for questioning the validity of a stop and say the city’s high-crime populations are predominantly minorities. Earlier this month thousands of New Yorkers marched in silence from lower Harlem down Fifth Avenue to Bloomberg’s townhouse across from Central Park, demanding an end to the practice. Bloomberg and Kelly have acknowledged criticism of the program in recent weeks and have pledged to retrain officers and hold precinct and borough commanders to account in regular crime statistics meetings with NYPD brass. On two successive Sundays last month, Bloomberg took his defense of stop-and-frisk to black churches in Brownsville and East New York.

At the Brownsville church, Bloomberg said that “in order to prevent crime, police officers have to be able to make stops based on crime reports, not census reports”. He then read the names, ages and neighborhoods of the 10 New Yorkers murdered during the first week of June. “All 10 were young men. All 10 were black and Hispanic,” he told parishioners. All the recent Brownsville shooting victims and suspected perpetrators both on Father’s Day and last Thursday were black, police said.

The mayor’s relations with the city’s black population are also going to be part of his legacy. In his first few years in office he worked hard to ease tensions among the city, its police force and black residents. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

NEWS

A man walks down a street late in the evening as monsoon rains pour on him in Mumbai yesterday. — AP

Pakistan agrees to reopen Afghan supply routes WASHINGTON: Pakistan has agreed to reopen its border to NATO supply convoys into Afghanistan after a seven-month blockade, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said yesterday, adding Washington was sorry for the loss of life in a botched US air raid last year. The supply routes have been shut since November, when an American aircraft mistakenly killed 24 Pakistan soldiers, aggravating already difficult relations between Washington and Islamabad. The announcement, following months of negotiations, will come as a relief to the United States and its NATO allies which need the routes for a planned withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan through 2014.

During a telephone conversation yesterday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar “informed me that the ground supply lines into Afghanistan are opening”, Clinton said. Islamabad has long demanded that Washington apologize for the deadly air raid before it would reopen the NATO routes, closed in anger after the US attack. “Foreign Minister Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives,” Clinton said in a statement. “We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military. We are committed to working closely with Pakistan and Afghanistan to prevent this from ever happening again.”

Earlier, Pakistan’s new prime minister acknowledged that keeping up the seven-month blockade would damage relations with the United States and other NATO member states. “The continued closure of supply lines not only

impinge our relationship with the US, but also on our relations with the 49 other member states of NATO,” Raja Pervez Ashraf told a meeting of top civilian and military leaders. A senior Pakistani official said the defense committee of the cabinet had met to discuss whether to end the blockade, but his office stopped short of announcing any decision after the talks ended.

The defense committee groups together the most senior cabinet ministers and military commanders. Pakistan’s powerful army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, and the head of the ISI intelligence agency, Zaheer ul Islam, were among those present.

The border blockade has forced the United States and its allies to rely on much longer, more expensive northern routes through Central Asia, Russia and the Caucasus. The cost of ferrying supplies by air and over northern railways and roads has cost the US military about $100 million a month, according to the Pentagon. Initial hopes of a deal on re-opening the routes had fallen apart at a NATO summit in Chicago in May, amid reports that Pakistan was demanding huge fees for each of the thousands of trucks that rumble across the border every year.

But Clinton said yesterday: “Pakistan will continue not to charge any transit fee in the larger interest of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region. This is a tangible demonstration of Pakistan’s support for a secure, peaceful, and prosperous Afghanistan and our shared objectives in the region.” Reopening the routes will help the United States and NATO to com-

plete its planned withdrawal of troops and equipment from Afghanistan “at a much lower cost,” Clinton said. “This is critically important to the men and women who are fighting terrorism and extremism in Afghanistan.”

Almost all foreign combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan at the end of 2014, some 13 years after the US invasion of 2001 which toppled the Islamic hardline Taleban regime. The deal on the supply routes will help ease tensions for troubled Pakistani-US relations, which are at their worst since the 9/11 attacks and still reeling from the unilateral American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011. Pentagon chief Leon Panetta welcomed the move, saying the United States remained “committed to improving our partnership with Pakistan and to working closely together as our two nations confront common security challenges in the region.”

The US commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, General John Allen, who held talks in Islamabad twice in the last six days, praised the decision as “a demonstration of Pakistan’s desire to help secure a brighter future for both Afghanistan and the region at large”. While Islamabad has demanded a formal apology for the deaths of its border troops, a US and NATO investigation said the killings were the result of mistakes made on both sides. The United States also has indicated it will free up funds for Pakistan that are supposed to reimburse Islamabad for counter-insurgency operations, officials said. — AFP

Iran, US flexing muscles in rising war of nerves Assad regrets downing jet Continued from Page 1 so-called P5+1 group (comprising the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China, plus Germany) of dragging out the talks and perhaps wanting them to fail. “Many people are starting to conclude that maybe there are specific goals in dragging out the talks and preventing their success.

One option is that perhaps there is a link with the US (presidential) election” in November, he said. “We hope Iran will seize the opportunity of this meeting to show a willingness to take concrete steps to urgently meet the concerns of the international community,” EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said ahead of the meeting.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, speaking on Monday to the ISNA news agency, said that, should the talks collapse, “the other alternative is confrontation”. Israel, which is not party to the talks, has warned it could launch preemptive air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities to hinder what it sees as a threat by the Islamic republic to its existence. US President Barack Obama has also repeatedly said that “all options” - including that of US military action - are on the table regarding Iran.

With that in mind, Iran yesterday test-fired missiles into its central desert region in war games dubbed “Grand Prophet 7” and meant to simulate counter-attacks on US military bases in Afghanistan and other neighbouring countries, and possibly on Israel. “The message of these Grand Prophet 7 manoeuvres is to show the determination, the will and the power of the Iranian people in defending their national interests and vital values,” the number two of the elite Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, said, according to IRNA. “It’s a reaction to those who are politically discourteous to the Iranian people by saying ‘all options are on the table’,” he said.

The launches included a Shahab-3 ballistic missile which has a maximum range of 2,000 km, enough to reach Israel, which is 1,000 km from Iran. The Fars news agency said “dozens” of different types of missiles were fired from different parts of Iran at a single target in the Kavir Desert. The target was a replica military base set up in the desert and made to look like a foreign facility, similar to those the United States has in neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan.

“In these exercises, we used missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometres, but the plan called for them to be fired only 1,300 kilometres,” Fars quoted the head of the Guards aerospace division in charge of missile systems, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, as saying. Seven “attack drones” also destroyed targets representing “enemy forces from outside the region”, the official IRNA news agency reported. It added that two types of short-range anti-ship missiles were to be fired at targets off Iran’s southern coast. Iran repeated its claim to be reverse-engineering the sophisticated US RQ170 drone that it says it brought down during a spying mission last year. “In this drone there are hundreds of technologies used, each of which are valuable to us in terms of operations, information and technicalities,” Hajizadeh was quoted

by ISNA. The United States warned such tests were in violation of

UN resolutions that ban Iran from any ballistic weapons activity. “This is not a positive development,” said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. “Iran has had these active missile development programs for two decades and has continued its development of advanced missile capabilities, including increasing longer-range systems. And these remain of acute concern,” she said.

Some 120 lawmakers in Iran’s 290-seat parliament have also signed on to a draft bill calling for the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the oil-rich Gulf to be closed to oil tankers headed to Europe in retaliation for an EU embargo on Iranian crude that came into effect on Sunday. Nuland insisted the Strait was an international waterway and all ships enjoy transit passage rights. “Any attempt by Iran to close the Strait or to require vessels to obtain Iranian consent would be inconsistent with international law and not recognised by the United States,” she told reporters. “We have over years and decades made clear that we intend to do what is necessary to maintain the openness of the Strait.”

“It’s a gesture at this stage,” said independent Britishbased Iran analyst Reza Esfandiari. “They want to emphasise that Iran can make life difficult for Europe and America. I think this is more of an attempt to offset falling crude prices. Financial markets are very sensitive to such talk. A lot depends on nuclear talks,” said Esfandiari. “If there’s no progress and the initiative is deadlocked, then these kind of actions will intensify.”

US officials responded to the announcement of the Iranian manoeuvres with comments to The New York Times newspaper stressing that Washington would view any attempt by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz as a “red line” triggering a US military reaction. “The message to Iran is, ‘Don’t even think about it,’” the daily quoted a senior Defense Department official as saying on condition of anonymity. “Don’t even think about closing the strait.

We’ll clear the mines. Don’t even think about sending your fast boats out to harass our vessels or commercial shipping. We’ll put them on the bottom of the Gulf.” The Navy has doubled the number of minesweepers in the region, to eight vessels, and stealthy F-22s and older F15C warplanes have been deployed to regional bases to reinforce existing carrier strike groups, the Times said.

Senior researcher Pieter Wezeman of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said Iran’s missiles were still relatively inaccurate and of limited use in conventional warfare. With conventional warheads, “their only utility is as a tool of terror and no more than that”, he said by telephone. He added, however, that they could be suitable for carrying nuclear warheads, especially the larger ones. The International Institute for Strategic Studies, said in a 2010 report that all Tehran’s ballistic missiles were “inherently capable of a nuclear payload”, if Iran was able to make a small enough bomb. Wezeman said Iran had a large standing armed force, but that its weapons were generally outdated. “And those weapons only get older and older and they don’t have access to new technology because they are under a United Nations arms embargo.” — Agencies

Continued from Page 1 as opposition figures meeting in Cairo pleaded for the international community to take action to save the besieged people of Homs - Syria’s devastated, third largest city - government forces continued to pound rebel-controlled districts there and in the towns of Talbiseh and Rastan north of the city.

Activists said at least 25 civilians were killed across the country yesterday, including three in Homs and nine in the suburbs of the capital Damascus. A convoy carrying UN observers in Syria headed to the besieged Damascus suburb of Douma yesterday to visit hospitals, but turned back due to the security situation in the town. A team from the International Committee for the Red Cross and the Syria Red Crescent was touring the suburb, ICRC Rabab Rifai said.

Syrian troops flushed out rebels from Douma on Saturday after a 10-day assault that left dozens dead, hundreds wounded and caused a major humanitarian crisis. But activists said fighting was still going on near the southern edge of the town. Activist Mohammad Saeed, who fled the town during the assault and was now in hiding nearby, said regime forces have stationed snipers on rooftops and that several people were killed yesterday.

Turkey has responded to the downing of its warplane by deploying anti-aircraft missiles on the Syrian border. It also scrambled jets yesterday for the third

consecutive day after it said Syrian helicopters approached its border. A search for the wreckage of the plane and its two missing pilots is still under way in Syrian waters. Assad said Syria had no intention of fueling tensions along its border with NATO-member Turkey. “We will not allow it to turn into an armed conflict that would harm both countries,” he said. “We did not build up our forces on the Turkish border and we will not.”

He said Syria “would have apologized” for the shooting if the plane had not been shot down in Syrian airspace. He said the rise of tensions could have been prevented if channels of communication between the two militaries remained open. “We are in a state of war, so every unidentified plane is an enemy plane,” the paper quoted Assad as saying. “Let me state it again: We did not have the slightest idea about its identity when we shot it down.”

Turkey, however, has insisted that the plane’s electronic signals, which indicate if an aircraft is friend or foe, were activated during the entire flight and that Turkey even intercepted radio conversations in which Syrian forces referred to the plane. Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper, citing intelligence sources, reported early last week that Syrian forces referred to the plane using the word for “neighbor” in an intercepted radio conversation. Turkey also insisted that the plane was not spying on Syria but just testing Turkey’s radar capabilities. — Agencies

MPs warn on voting system changes Continued from Page 1 the contaminated dead body of the 2009 Assembly in order to prevent further contamination in the country”.

He criticized Jassem Al-Khorafi, speaker of the revived Assembly, without naming him for saying that he did not know the actual reasons for dissolving the 2009 Assembly last December. That assembly was dissolved on Dec 6 a week after the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah was accepted and Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah was appointed to replace him. The

resignation of Sheikh Nasser came after youth-led street protests following allegations of two major corruption scandals involving former MPs and government officials.

Addressing the next prime minister, Barrak said that relenting to pressures to alter the voting system would lead to a confrontation between the Kuwaiti people and the regime and will only benefit those who are trying to seize the country’s wealth and resources.

Barrak insisted that any changes to the voting system must be studied and approved by the next Assembly.

HH the Amir is however expected

today to ask the outgoing premier Sheikh Jaber to form the new Cabinet that is expected to recommend dissolving the 2009 Assembly to hold fresh elections. The new Cabinet is expected to be ready by mid-July and dissolving the Assembly is expected to be around early August to open the way to hold fresh elections by Septemberend or early October. Opposition MP Ali Al-Deqbasi called on the government to fix a clear date for forming the new Cabinet and dissolving the Assembly in order to stop a flurry of predictions and expectations in the local press and on social networks.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

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Powell and Gay showdown

Chambers in British team LONDON: Sprinter Dwain Chambers, who was given a two-year doping ban in 2003, was included yesterday in Britain’s athletics team for the London Olympics.

The former world indoor 60 metres champion became eligible for selection in May when the British Olympic Association’s (BOA) policy of lifetime Olympic bans for drug cheats was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Chambers tested positive for the designer steroid THG nine years ago. He won the British trials in Birmingham last month in 10.25 seconds, outside the Olympic ‘A’ qualifying standard, but he did go under the mark last year.

The BOA announced 71 track and field athletes on Tuesday and they join the six marathon runners who have already been selected. “With an increase on the Beijing Olympic Games squad size of 68, UK Athletics head coach Charles Van Commenee has made it clear a target of eight medals - including at least one gold - has always been the aim for London 2012,” the BOA said on its website (www.teamgb.com).

“This ambitious tally would not only double the four medals won in Beijing but would represent Team GB’s best result since the Seoul 1988 Olympics.” The London Games start on July 27. — Reuters

Female F1 driver injured

LONDON: Jamaican Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay will go head to head in their final 100 metres before the Olympics at next week’s London Grand Prix.

The duo, hoping to upset sprint king Usain Bolt at the Olympics later this month, will meet in the Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace on July 13 “I’m looking forward to taking on Tyson,” the 29-year-old Powell said in a news release on Tuesday. “It’s good to have him back ... it’s going to make for a very competitive Olympic Games.

“Hopefully the world will be able to see the four fastest men ever ... in the 100 final in August in London - what a race that would be.” Gay, who has clocked the world’s second fastest time behind Bolt, said he was peaking at the right time after battling against injuries “My body is getting closer to where I want it to be,” Gay said.

“I’ve shown over the years that through all of the injuries I’m a fighter and I hope to be fighting for that Olympic gold in London.” —Reuters

LONDON: Female Formula One test driver Maria de Villota was in a hospital with lifethreatening injuries after a collision with a team vehicle during a testing session at an airfield in southern England yesterday. De Villota’s team, Marussia F1, said her car hit the team support truck at the end of her first run at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire at 0815 GMT. It was the first time the 32-year-old Spanish driver, who joined the team this season, tested the MR-01 car.

An ambulance spokesman said the injuries were life-threatening and De Villota was treated by paramedics at the scene before being moved to the nearby Addenbrookes Hospital.

Marussia confirmed De Villota’s crash in a statement on its website. “The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team’s support truck,” Marussia said. “Maria has been transferred to hospital.

Once her medical condition has been assessed a further statement will be issued.” De Villota is the daughter of former F1 driver Emilio de Villota and joined Marussia as a test driver at the start of this season, becoming the sport’s first full-time female driver since Italian Giovanna Amati with the Brabham team in 1992. —AP

Cardinals rip Rockies ST. LOUIS: Allen Craig hit a pair of home runs and Carlos Beltran extended his RBI streak to a major league-high nine games, helping Kyle Lohse and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 on Monday night.

Matt Holliday homered and drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who punished a pitching staff that entered with a major leagueworst 5.37 ERA. Tyler Colvin and Wilin Rosario homered for the Rockies, who have dropped five of seven.

Rosario homered for the third straight game, but Colorado pitchers totaled four wild pitches, eight walks and an error that allowed a run. Tyler Chatwood (1-1) got the loss.

ST PETERSBURG: Third base umpire Rob Drake (left) looks on as New York Yankees’ Chris Stewart (right) advances to third base off of Derek Jeterís fly ball in front of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Jeff Keppinger during the seventh inning. — AP

Rays roll over Yankees ST. PETERSBURG: BJ Upton and Carlos Pena homered as the Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of Mark Teixeira’s first error of the season to beat the New York Yankees 4-3 on Monday.

Pinch hitter Brooks Conrad’s RBI double with two outs in the seventh inning off David Robertson (0-3) made it 3-all.

Teixeira followed by misplaying Elliot Johnson’s sharp grounder over first base for his first error in 671 chances this year, enabling Conrad to score the goahead run.

Matt Moore (5-5) allowed three runs while scattering nine hits over seven innings to win his fourth straight decision. The Rays stopped a two-game losing streak that had dropped them a season-high 7 1-2 games behind the firstplace Yankees in the AL East.

Royals 11, Blue Jays 3 At Toronto, Mike Moustakas hit his first career grand slam, Everett Teaford pitched seven innings for his first win of the season as Kansas City beat Toronto.

Salvador Perez hit a two-run home run as the Royals snapped a three-game losing streak, matched their season high with 14 hits and beat Toronto for the first time in five meetings this season.

Jose Bautista hit his major league leading 27th home run and Colby Rasmus clubbed a solo shot off the facing of the fifth deck but it wasn’t enough for the Blue Jays, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Teaford (1-0) allowed three runs and five hits to win for the first time since last September. He walked two and struck out two.

Angels 3, Indians 0 At Cleveland, Jered Weaver carried a shutout into the eighth inning, squirming out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a win over Cleveland.

Weaver (9-1) allowed five singles, struck out two and remained unbeaten in Cleveland. He’s 5-0 with 1.52 ERA in eight career starts at Progressive Field.

Scott Downs worked out of a mess in the eighth and pitched the ninth for his seventh save.

The Indians loaded the bases in the seventh off Weaver, who got a force at the plate, foul pop and strikeout to end Cleveland’s best threat. Howard Kendrick homered in the seventh off Cleveland’s Ubaldo Jimenez (7-7).

Twins 6, Tigers 4 At Detroit, Trevor Plouffe hit a tworun single during Minnesota’s four-run fourth inning, helping Minnesota beat Detroit.

Minnesota had six singles in all during its big inning as it earned its fourth consecutive win to lift Ron Gardenhire to 900 career victories.

Anthony Swarzak (2-4) picked up the win, allowing a hit and one walk in 2 2-3 innings of relief. Alex Burnett allowed only one walk in 1 1-3 innings and Glen Perkins pitched the ninth for his third save in five chances in place of injured closer Matt Capps.

Mariners 6, Orioles 3 At Seattle, Casper Wells hit a goahead, three-run double with two out in the seventh inning as Seattle beat Baltimore. Miguel Olivo and Dustin Ackley added back-to-back homers in the eighth as the Mariners rallied for the win in their first game of the season against Baltimore.

Wells had a couple of scoring chances earlier in the game and failed to drive in any runners. But he came up in the eighth and drove an 0-1 pitch from Jason Hammel (8-4) into the gap in right-center. Ackley, Munenori Kawasaki and Ichiro Suzuki all scampered home to give Seattle a 4-3 lead.

Athletics 6, Red Sox 1 At Oakland, California, Josh Reddick and Brandon Moss homered against their former team to send Daisuke Matsuzaka to an early exit and lead Oakland to a victory over Boston.

Jarrod Parker (5-3) was the beneficiary of the home runs, allowing one run and six hits in 6 2-3 innings to get the win.

Parker allowed one run or fewer for 10th time in 14 career starts. He is the first pitcher since Ferdie Schupp of the New York Giants to do that in his first 14 starts, although Schupp was a spot starter who pitched mostly in relief when he did it from 1913-17. Matsuzaka (0-3) was knocked out before retiring a batter in the second inning. — AP

Reds 8, Dodgers 2 At Los Angeles, rookies Devin Mesoraco and Todd Frazier had three RBIs each, leading Cincinnati to the victory. Homer Bailey (6-6) allowed t wo runs and five hits in eight innings for NL Central-leading Cincinnati, which played without injured sluggers Joey Votto and Scott Rolen. He struck out seven and walked one.

Chad Billingsley (4-8) lost his four th straight start, giving up three runs and six hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.

Brewers 6, Marlins 5 At Milwaukee, pinch-hitter Norichika Aoki drove in the go -ahead run with a safet y squeeze in the eighth inning, lif ting Milwaukee over Florida.

Rickie Weeks sparked the winning rally with a leadoff double. He moved up on Martin Maldonado’s single to right and scored when Aoki greeted Randy Choate with a bunt single that gave Milwaukee a 6-5 lead. Justin Ruggiano hit a two-run homer and finished with a career-high four RBIs for Miami, which committed three errors that led to t wo unearned runs. Ryan Webb (3-2) got the loss.

Cubs 4, Braves 1 At Atlanta, Jeff Samardzija had a careerhigh 11 strikeouts and Luis Valbuena hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the seventh as Chicago earned its fourth consecutive win.

Anthony Rizzo connected for Chicago, which has won six of seven overall. Rizzo, one of the Cubs’ top prospects, has two homers in six games since he was recalled last Tuesday.

Samardzija (6-7) yielded one run and four hits in seven innings, rebounding from a rough June. Jeff Russell pitched the ninth for his second save.

Padres 6, D’backs 2 At Phoenix, Clayton Richard came within one out of a complete game, and Alexi Amarista hit one of three San Diego home runs in a win over Arizona.

Cameron Maybin hit a 485-foot drive and Yasmani Grandal also connec ted as the Padres picked up their third straight win.

Grandal has three career hits, all of them home runs. The last player whose first three

ST LOUIS: Colorado Rockies shortstop Marco Scutaro (right) fails to turn the double play as St. Louis Cardinals’ Matt Holliday is safe at second during the fifth inning. —AP

MLB results/standings Pittsburgh 11, Houston 2; LA Angels 3, Cleveland 0; Minnesota 6, Detroit 4; Kansas City 11, Toronto 3; Tampa Bay 4, NY Yankees 3; Chicago Cubs 4, Atlanta 1; Milwaukee 6, Miami 5; St Louis 9, Colorado 3; San Diego 6, Arizona 2; Oakland 6, Boston 1; Cincinnati 8, LA Dodgers 2; Seattle 6, Baltimore 3.

National League American League Eastern Division Eastern Division Washington 45 32 .584 W L PCT GB NY Mets 43 37 .538 3.5 NY Yankees 48 31 .608 Atlanta 41 38 .519 5 Baltimore 42 37 .532 6 Miami 38 41 .481 8 Tampa Bay 42 38 .525 6.5 Philadelphia 36 45 .444 11 Boston 42 38 .525 6.5 Central Division Toronto 40 40 .500 8.5 Cincinnati 44 35 .557 Central Division 43 36 .544 1 Pittsburgh Chicago White Sox 42 37 .532 St. Louis 42 38 .525 2.5 Cleveland 40 39 .506 2 Milwaukee 37 42 .468 7 Detroit 39 41 .488 3.5 Houston 32 48 .400 12.5 Kansas City 36 42 .462 5.5 Chicago Cubs 30 49 .380 14 Minnesota 34 45 .430 8 Western Division Western Division San Francisco 45 35 .563 Texas 50 30 .625 44 37 .543 1.5 LA Dodgers LA Angels 45 35 .563 5 Arizona 39 40 .494 5.5 Oakland 39 42 .481 11.5 San Diego 31 50 .383 14.5 Seattle 35 47 .427 16 Colorado 30 49 .380 14.5

hits were homers was Keith McDonald for St. Louis in 2000 - those turned out to be the only three hits he got in the majors. Richard (6-8) was pulled after 8 2-3 innings after allowing consecutive singles to Ryan Roberts and Gerardo Parra. Joe Thatcher struck out pinch-hitter Jason Kubel for his first career save.

Pirates 11, Astros 2 At Pittsburgh, G arrett Jones and Neil Walker hit back-to-back homers off the rightfield foul pole to ignite Pittsburgh’s offense

against Houston.

J a m e s M c D o n a l d ( 8 - 3 ) p i tc h e d s e ve n effective innings for the Pirates, who won for the fifth time in six games. Limited to one hit over the first three innings by Jordan Lyles, the first five Pirates to bat in the fourth had hits, highlighted by Jones’ two-run homer and Walker’s solo shot.

Jones finished with four hits and four RBIs, and Andrew McCutchen also went 4 fo r 5 fo r t h e Pi r a t e s, w h o s e 1 6 - 5 h o m e record since May 12 is the best in the majors. — AP

Silly Season not so silly anymore CHARLOTTE: Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin took themselves right out of NASCAR’s potential free-agent pool last week, long before anyone wondered about their future.

Kenseth announced his departure from Roush Fenway Racing after 14 years and Hamlin agreed to an extension with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team many expect to land Kenseth for next season. On the surface, neither move makes much sense.

Kenseth, the points leader, is in the middle of what could be a championship-winning season and is leaving the team that guided him to the 2003 title and a pair of Daytona 500 wins. Hamlin, who has made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in each of his first six seasons, agreed to the new deal last week even though his contract with the team that gave him his big break wasn’t set to expire until the end of next season. So much for seeing what the market could bear.

Look deeper and these decisions are more like no-brainers. Both drivers are with elite teams and there aren’t many jobs that would be considered an upgrade.

Kenseth is gambling that his No. 17 crew won’t quit on him down the stretch as he tries to win a second championship. But with teammate Greg Biffle also in the hunt, and Carl Edwards not ruled out of Chase contention, it’s possible RFR resources could shift away from Kenseth now that all the cards are on the table.

Kenseth could have retired driving for Roush, but sooner or later, the organization was going to have to make room in its Cup lineup for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has been mired in the Nationwide Series and is under contract to RFR

for many more years. Edwards signed a big deal last year, so he’s not going anywhere, and Biffle locked up a sponsorship commitment when he extended his contract last season.

That left Kenseth, who is already driving a sponsorship-challenged car that can’t pick up consistent funding despite his steady - and stellar - on-track performance. He has not said why he is leaving and Roush officials haven’t offered much insight, either. But assuming that JGR is his next stop, well, that’s a brilliant move by Kenseth. He likely knows his car funding is secure for next year and beyond. And JGR is equal in performance to

Roush, maybe even better.

Statistically, the Roush teams go through dips in which the drivers may win a race here and there, but they aren’t always legitimate title contenders across the board. JGR hasn’t won a title since Tony Stewart in 2005, but the team is usually good for at least two Chase berths between three drivers every season.

So from a performance standpoint, and likely a stability standpoint - and in fairness, Jack Roush has been committed to funding Kenseth’s car out of pocket - it looks like Kenseth has made a shrewd move. Hamlin? He likely left money on

SPARTA: Austin Dillon stands on his car after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race in this file photo. — AP

the table when he inked this new deal because there are teams out there willing to pay to get a 19-race winner who still has at least 10 years left in him.

Yet Hamlin knows he needs a team can give him the ride he needs to fill that championship gap, he is finally starting to emerge from the funk he slipped into after losing the 2010 championship to Jimmie Johnson, and it makes no sense for him to take more money while taking two steps backward in his pursuit of the big prize.

So why change the scenery? As is, Hamlin is already spending this season adjusting to new crew chief Darian Grubb after six years and 17 wins with Mike Ford.

There is only one place that’s an instant upgrade for Hamlin, but Hendrick Motorsports doesn’t have any current openings. The best Hamlin could have done was hope Jeff Gordon retires and the organization tabbed him - over everybody else in NASCAR - to fill the four-time champion’s seat.

Chances are, Hamlin did some homework and learned that the 40-year-old Gordon isn’t going anywhere during this current contract window.

That No. 24 seat is likely the only one that could have lured Hamlin away from JGR, and if he knows it’s not coming open then the grass at JGR is green enough for now. That’s likely the way it’s going to play out for some time as the top-name drivers begin to outnumber the amount of quality rides. It’s anybody’s guess if Kurt Busch is going to be able to slide back in with an elite team at the end of this season, or if Ryan Newman will end up at an organization below Stewart-Haas Racing on the food chain. —AP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

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Chinese men are coming, says ‘warrior’ Sun Yang

Kazuhito Tanaka seen in this file photo.

It’s a family affair for Japan gymnastics trio TOKYO: The competition at the London Olympics is already guaranteed to be intense but three Japanese gymnasts may have an extra source of motivation as they vie for gold medals: sibling rivalry. “When it comes to competing, of course I don’t want to lose to the younger two,” grinned Kazuhito Tanaka, 27, referring to his sister Rie and brother Yusuke.

“I’d lose my standing as the big brother,” he told reporters after a recent training session ahead of the trip to London, where all three siblings will make their Olympics debut.

It is rare for two siblings to become top-tier athletes, three is even rarer. This will be the first time Japan sends three siblings to compete in gymnastics at the Olympics.

For the Tanakas, whose parents were also gymnasts and their father a coach, a common dream and strong work ethic runs in the family, 25-year-old Rie told reporters at a separate practice session. “ The bond we have through hard work is really strong. And since we were little, we all wanted to go to the Olympics,” said Rie, who is captain of the Japanese women’s team.

Kazuhito was the first to follow in their parents’ footsteps and take up the sport as a child. Rie became interested after watching her big brother train, while Yusuke, 22, started because he did not want to be home alone bored.

Despite being such a family of gymnasts, their father went to surprising lengths to keep the sport from becoming too much of a focus in their home life, easing the pressure and helping them learn to appreciate gymnastics on

their own. “Our dad even made a rule that we couldn’t talk about gymnastics at home,” said Rie, who won her first national title in April.

“It was like being in any other home in that we’d pretty much forget about gymnastics with the conversations we were having,” she said.

Kazuhito, also a captain, will lead the men in their quest to recapture the team gold, which they won in Athens in 2004 before taking silver in 2008 in Beijing.

He said he took heart from having his brother on the same team, but he puts his focus squarely on the squad once they hit the gymnasium, with everyone on equal footing.

“I try to think of Yusuke more as a team mate than a brother, and I feel a sense of encouragement from no matter who my team mate is,” he said.

In the individual categories, the men will be looking to win their first gold medal since 1984, with Kohei Uchimura, who has won three consecutive world all-around titles, seen as a strong contender. Uchimura came close four years ago, having won silver in the all-around in Beijing. While the women have won only one medal, Japan’s female athletes have enjoyed a recent string of successes, most notably the women’s soccer team winning last year’s World Cup, and Rie is hoping some of the magic will rub off on her squad.

“We (Japanese women) are strong at rising to the challenge,” said Rie, who noted she was more excited than nervous about competing in the Olympics.

“We’ll use that strength as a weapon to do our best.”—Reuters

Australia’s Andrew Hoy in action in this file photo.

Hoy to be first Australian at seven Summer Games SYDNEY: Andrew Hoy is set to become the first Australian to compete at seven Su m m e r O l ym p ics af ter b eing named in the equestrian eventing team for the London Games yesterday.

The 53-year-old made his Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 1984 and also competed at Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens before missing out on Beijing four years ago.

N ow i n h i s 34t h year o n t he Australia team, Hoy won team gold at three Games and silver in the individual event on home soil in Sydney in 2000. “When I made my sixth Olympics I thought there might be a possibility of getting the record,” he said in an Australian team release.

“But when it comes to representing your countr y, that ’s not the record

you’re aiming for, it’s just a nice little extra. The goal is to be successful and produce a world class performance.”

Despite his longevity, Hoy is unlikely to be the most experienced competitor at the Greenwich Park equestrian venue for the July 27-Aug. 12 Games.

That honour looks set to go to 65year-old Canadian Ian Millar, whose Olympic career began at the 1972 Munich Olympics and who has been nominated to his country’s team for his 10th Games.

That would give him the record as the most experienced Olympian, a mark he would already own outright had Canada not boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics because of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.—Reuters

SHANGHAI: As a gangly 15-year-old at his first world championships in 2007, Sun Yang asked his mother whether he was fit to drink the “foot-bath water” of Michael Phelps and other swimming greats at the meeting.

Less than six years later, the 1,500 metres freestyle world record holder has no such doubts and stands on the brink of becoming China’s first male Olympic swimming champion.

“I feel like a tough warrior, with shield in hand, I am about to go all out,” Sun thundered in a speech in front of the national swimming team last week.

“I am ready, London. We are coming.

Chinese men are coming!” Sun will compete in his pet 1,500m event and also the 200 and 400m freestyle at the London Aquatics Centre from July 28-Aug. 4, searching for Olympic gold to cap his stunning rise.

The 1,500 title might seem a shoo-in for Sun, who smashed Australian Grant Hackett’s 10-year-old world record with a time of 14 minutes 34.14 seconds on the way to winning the world championship last year. Sun also holds the year’s fastest time in the 400m freestyle ahead of Olympic champion Park Tae-Hwan, who edged him to the world title at Shanghai.

Sun’s performances at the world championships, where he also won the nonOlympic 800m freestyle title, laid another milestone in China’s re -emergence as a swimming power, following a lean period in the wake of doping controversies in the 1990s.

After a clutch of swimmers failed doping tests before the 1998 world championships in Perth, Chinese authorities vowed to clean up the sport, which coincided with a dropoff in international performances.

China’s resurgence started in earnest at the Beijing Olympics, with gold to Liu Zige in the women’s 200m butterfly and a clutch of minor medals dominated by her female team mates.

The men have been slower to make an impression, and prior to Sun’s performances in Shanghai only Zhang Lin had clinched a world title, in the 800 freestyle in Rome in 2009.

China’s Sun Yang Sun’s success has been seen as the glimmer of a new dawn in the pool for Chinese men, who have benefited from foreign coaching in recent years and are literally growing in stature through improved diets and more advanced strength training.

Sun was born a 10-pound baby and raised in Hangzhou, a booming eastern city extolled in classical Chinese literature for its picturesque lake. His parents, both sports teachers, took him for a bone test at the age of seven and were told he would grow to 1.93 metres.

“With this height, it would look weird if he did not become an athlete,” his mother Yang Ming was quoted as saying by local media.

Entered in the local sports school which produced Luo Xuejuan, the women’s 100 breaststroke champion at the 2004 Athen Games, Sun quickly became a headache for his first coach Lou Hongmei.

His favorite trick — one he still indulges in occasionally was to suddenly push or kick his team mates into the pool, Lou told local media. “He has always wanted to be the centre of attention and he used every possible way to achieve the effect,” the coach

said. His mother worried that his son might have a hyperactivity disorder, until she learnt that American swimming great Phelps displayed similar patterns in childhood.

Sun swam his way to the Zhejiang provincial team and his mother would take longhaul drives to bring her son special soups she had cooked slavishly for hours.

Sun’s potential was recognised with a berth on China’s national team in 2006. He has since benefited from the training of Australian coach Denis Cotterell, who guided Hackett to his two Olympic 1,500m titles.

“Sometimes I swam sixty 200 metres a day, from 2:30pm to 7:30pm. It was devil’s training,” Sun told local television.

The offshore training has paid off and Sun boasts a washboard stomach to go with his lean 1.98 metre frame, on show in pictures posted on his Chinese microblog for his 7.3 million followers.

In the lead-up to the Games, Sun was awarded Communist Party membership.

“The Olympics is a war-field without the smoke of gunfire. Fast-tracking Sun’s application to enrol in the Party will motivate him,” a Zhejiang sports official told local media.—Reuters

Russia seeks to regain its superpower status MOSCOW: Russia is seeking to win a treasure trove of gold medals across a dozen sports at the Olympics to remind the world it remains a sporting superpower two decades after the USSR’s collapse.

Russia is targeting third place in the medal table and is offering up to $1 million cash incentives for a gold medal to prove it is a potent force even after the loss of the sports training infrastructure that drove the Soviet Red machine.

World famous pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and tennis player Maria Sharapova will be leading a charge that Russia hopes will yield at least 25 gold medals, two more than the 2008 Beijing Games.

Russia’s athletes will compete for Olympic glory in a variety of sports ranging from athletics and swimming to the big team sports of handball, basketball and volleyball.

“We want to finish among top three in the Games medal table,” Russia’s Olympic Committee (ROC) chief Alexander Zhukov said, setting the country’s Olympic team a target of 25 gold medals at London Games.

Russia’s sports experts-bred on a diet of Russian success-considered that in 2008 in Beijing the country ’s Olympic team performed beneath potential even though they finished third in the medal table with 23 gold.

“The competition between the countries at 2012 Games will be extremely tough,” Zhukov said.

Sports minister Vitaly Mutko also said he was hoping Russia will be third in the medal table adding, however, that it would not be a national tragedy if the country’s squad finish fourth.

“It’s objectively impossible to overcome the world sports leaders United States and China at the Games,” he said. “ The hosts Great Britain and Germany will be our main rivals in the race for the third place. And in some disciplines we will compete directly.

But I don’t think it’ll be a tragedy if our team take fourth place at the Olympics.”

Russia’s athletics squad will be among the most fancied teams with Isinbayeva now recovering the unstoppable form that already made her a two-time Olympic champion in 2004 and 2008.

But great things are also expected from the high jumpers with Beijing bronze medalist Anna Chicherova in the women’s event and Ivan Ukhov and Beijing Games champion Andrei

Silnov in the men’s among the red-hot favorites.

Other gold medals could come from long-distance runner Lilia Shobukhova, Tatiana Lebedeva in triple jump, Maria Abakumova in javelin as well as the women’s relay squads.

The 31-year-old veteran Yur y Borzakovsky, the Athens Olympic champion, who won the European title in Helsinki, is also among the favorites for the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 800m distance.

Russia’s track and field athletics federation boss Valentin Balakhnichev believes the athletics squad can grab six gold medals.

“There’s huge competition in the world track and field athletics,” Balakhnichev said. “But our share of the team’s Olympic medal income was always valuable and I believe this time we will be able to add up to six gold medals.” In swimming, backstroke specialist Anatastia Zueva will be among the Games favorites.

But Russia’s biggest aquatic star could be synchronised swimmer Natalya Ishchenko who won team gold in 2008 and has now won so many world and European titles across disciplines she is known as the Michael Phelps of synchro.

Russian male and female volleyball teams also have chances to win medals along with women’s handball and water polo squads, who are among the favorites.

Gold medals could also come from rhythmic and artistic gymnastics, weightlifting, fencing, shooting, wrestling, and boxing.

Sharapova, who completed her career Grand Slam earlier this year and will be Russia’s flag-bearer at the opening of the Olympics, will also be the focus of the country’s women’s tennis squad.

ROC deputy chief Ahmed Bilalov, who is also a Russian senator, said that athletes winning gold would receive up to one million dollars. “ We have the summer Olympic sports association, which is presided by (metals tycoon) Vladimir Lisin, one of the country ’s wealthiest men,” Bilalov said.

“The concrete size of reward for the Olympic medal winners depends on their federations, which are often headed by wealthy people, who set up the special prize funds for their athletes.”

“We are hoping we will be able to restore Russia’s status as an Olympic superpower at London Games.”—AFP

Michael Phelps

Phelps to swim seven events at the Olympics OMAHA: Michael Phelps has dropped the 200 metres freestyle from his schedule for next month’s London Olympics, leaving him with seven events for his Games swansong.

The American qualified for eight events at the US Trials, the same number he swam at Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008, but ditched the freestyle to focus on the relays.

“I looked at all of the events and it really just came down to the programme,” Phelp’s coach Bob Bowman told reporters.

“It came down to the 400 IM (individual medley) or the 200 free had to go. I think he’d be good in the in either one but it just made sense to drop the 200 free.”

Phelps triumphed in the 200m freestyle in the Beijing Games when he won an unprecedented eight gold medals but was beaten in the four-lap race at the last two world championships. The 27-year-old won the 200 at the Olympic trials but in a relatively slow time of one minute of 45.70, well outside the world record currently held by Germany’s Paul Biedermann. “What he did here was quite good but we realised that the level he did here will not be acceptable to win gold medals in London in most of the events,” Bowman said. “This allows him to focus all of his energy to the 4x100 relay on the second night of the meet without having to do two 200m frees the night before.”

By dropping the 200m free, Phelps will now swim seven events; the 100 and 200 butterfly, the 200 and 400 individual medleys and three relays, and has good chances in all of them and adding to his Olympic stockpile.

He already holds the record for the most gold medals at a single Olympics (eight) and overall (14) and needs just three more medals of any colour in London to surpass the overall mark of 18 held by former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.

Phelps has struggled for motivation after his amazing performance in Beijing and only got back into serious training 18 months ago. He had hinted that he would swim a reduced programme in London, which will be his fourth and final Olympic appearance, but it was only after he finished all his events at the trials that the decision to drop the 200m was made. “As Michael said all along, it wasn’t going to be eight.

He’s said that for the last four years,” Bowman said. “It makes sense. No-one should be expected to do that twice. Once was enough.”

His withdrawal from the 200 freestyle forced a reshuffle in the US team and left Ryan Lochte as the favorite to win gold.

Ricky Berens, who finished third in the trials to make the relay team, will replace Phelps in the individual race.

Davis Tarwater, who finished seventh, was added to the relay squad, although Phelps remains an automatic choice for all three relays. Lochte beat Phelps in the 200 freestyle final at last year’s world championships in Shanghai and finished a close second to his rival at the US trials when he was also swimming a gruelling programme.

US head coach Gregg Troy, who is also Lochte’s regular coach, said it made sense for Phelps to drop an event. “That’s a tough programme Michael swims, it’s really tough,” Troy said. “He’s a little bit older, and those older guys don’t recover quite as quickly, and it’s hard to do.”—Reuters

18

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

sp orts

Dilshan, Sangakkara lift gloom with tons

FRANCE: In this photograph provided by the Volvo Ocean Race, Groupama Sailing Team’s French skipper Franck Cammas (standing left) helms the yacht on their way to winning the Bretagne In-Port Race. —AP

French seal Volvo Ocean Race GALWAY: Franck Cammas became only the second French skipper to win the Volvo Ocean Race when he guided his Groupama team in to a rapturous welcome from more than 100,000 people in Galway yesterday.

The eight-month, 39,270-nautical mile (72,728km) race was decided when Cammas’s Groupama 4 boat finished second in the ninth and final leg, a short 550-mile sprint from Lorient in France.

The result gave Cammas an unassailable 24-point lead with the Galway inport race to complete on Saturday. “This is an incredible moment for me,” said Cammas, who follows 1985-86 winner Lionel Pean as the only French winner of the 39-year-old offshore event, formerly known as the Whitbread Round the World Race.

“It was always my dream just to participate in this race. The first book I ever read was about this race and it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

It was the first time that France had competed in the race for 18 years and Cammas was considered a big outsider despite a big reputation in his home country as a single-handed and team sailor. At one stage, Cammas and his team were 28 points behind Telefonica, winners of the first three legs, but a remarkable resurgence over the second half of the race, coupled with a drop in form for the long-term leaders, turned the tables completely.

“The race started badly for us but every single member of the team raised their level and that’s what saw us home,” Cammas said. —Reuters

Injuries hurt US NBA stars dream of gold WASHINGTON: Injuries to Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose and Chris Bosh have left the US Olympic team of NBA stars hurting as they gather to prepare to defend gold at the London Olympics.

The idea was to blend the best of talent from the 2008 Olympic champion and 2010 world champion squads into a formidable favored side for London, but injury setbacks have taken away two star big men in Howard and Bosh. “ We’ve taken four bullets,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said.

“It will now be a testimony to the infrastructure we put in with the national team roster.

“I feel very confident about our roster going forward. Adversity gives people opportunity, and guess what-it’s going to open up a couple of roster positions.”

Six players have been lost from the original set of finalists, leaving 16 others to fill 12 Olympic spots and a July 7 deadline, two days after the US training camp opens, for US coach Mike Krzyzewski to name a final roster.

“It is obvious why we have built a pool of players over the last seven years to take care of situations like these,” Krzyzewski said. “This opens up opportunities for other players in the pool to show their talents.”

Wade and Bosh helped lead the Miami Heat to the NBA title last month but Wade will require knee surgery.

Doctors told Bosh not to play in the Olympics because he could aggravate an abdominal strain that sidelined him during the playoffs.

Orlando’s Howard suffered a back injury during the season and Rose, last year’s NBA Most Valuable Player, tore a left knee ligament in Chicago’s first playoff game. Chauncey Billups of the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge are also out with injuries.

The Americans remain a formidable lineup led by LeBron James of the Heat, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant plus Russell Westbrook and James Harden of NBA Finals runner-up Oklahoma City. But New York’s Tyson

Chandler and Minnesota’s Kevin Love are the top big men remaining after the injuries. Other US candidates include New York’s Carmelo Anthony, Brooklyn’s Deron Williams, Lamar Odom of Dallas, new NBA Draft top pick Anthony Davis and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers. The United States looks for a fifth title in six tries since NBA talent debuted with the 1992 US “Dream Team” at Barcelona.

But NBA commissioner David Stern says the league needs to look at having the Olympics be an under-23 event with some exceptions, a nod to owners who object to injury risks to their superstar players, not just on the US side. “(Repeating) won’t be easy because the tournament will be tough,” Paul said.

“A lot of teams can fight for a medal, but the USA are a legitimate contender for winning the gold.”

Spain lost in the Beijing Olympic final but will feature Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka, the NBA’s top shot blocker each of the past two seasons, and a host of NBA talent, including 2.13m Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol.

“My expectations are high,” Gasol said.

“My teammates and I will fight for the gold medal. I think that we can win the tournament. We have a lot of talent and everyone will be very motivated to give it their all on the court. “ Winning a gold medal at the Olympics would be a huge satisfaction. It would be incredible for Spain. “We’re afraid of no one.” France, which lost to the Americans in the 2000 Olympic final, has such NBA talent as guard Tony Parker and center Joakim Noah.

“Playing in London will be a dream come true,” Noah said. “We will fight for a medal.” France also pushed Spain in last year’s EuroBasket final in Lithuania.

“It would be a huge mistake for everyone to consider USA and Spain as the only contenders for the gold medal,” Gasol said. American women have won six of the past seven hoops gold medals, settling for bronze in 1992 but winning the past four titles in a row, the past three by beating Australia in the final.

Another US-Aussie final is expected in London. —AFP

Dwyane Wade

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara smashed successive centuries against Pakistan to light up the rain-hit second Test in Colombo yesterday.

The hosts, replying to Pakistan’s first innings total of 551-6 declared, took their overnight score of 70-1 to 278-5 by stumps on the fourth day at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Dilshan scored 121 and Sangakkara was unbeaten on 144 as the pair put on 225 runs for the second wicket after opener Tharanga Paranavitana fell for zero on Monday.

Pakistan grabbed four wickets in the final session-two of them to left-arm seamer Junaid Khan-to leave Sri Lanka still needing 74 more runs to save the follow-on on the last day.

But a draw appears likely as rain once again wiped off two hours of play in the post-lunch session after bad weather on the previous two days restricted the bowlers to only 71 of the stipulated 180 overs.

More rain has been forecast for the final day. Sangakkara, however, refused to write off the match as a draw just yet, saying the first hour on Wednesday would be crucial.

“Our first target is to get another 74 runs, make sure the batsmen don’t miss an opportunity to score runs and continue to rotate the strike,” he said.

“I think Junaid made the difference at the end of the day. He bowled a pretty good spell and got some reverse swing. “Dilshan batted beautifully. It was unfortunate that he got out at that time and then Mahela also went. We need to be careful tomorrow.”

Sangakkara had scored an unbeaten 199 and Dilshan made 101 in the first Test in Galle last week which Sri Lanka won by 209 runs to take the lead in the three-match series.

Both settled down once again to pound the Pakistani attack on a dead pitch that provided no assistance to the bowlers.

Dilshan was the first to the landmark, lofting off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for a six to bring up his 14th Test hundred and the third against Pakistan.

Lef t-handed Sangak k ara surpassed Australian legend Don Bradman’s tally of 29 centuries with a single off Ajmal in the next over.

When Sangak k ara reached 60, he become the highest run-getter against Pakistan, surpassing Indian great Sunil

Gavaskar’s tally of 2,089 runs from 24 Tests.

Sangakkara, who is playing his 15th Test against Pakistan, has scored nine centuries against them with a top score of 230 in Lahore in March, 2002.

Dilshan was dismissed in the final hour of play when he was trapped leg-before by Junaid. He hit 13 fours and a six. Junaid then picked up his third wicket as skipper M ahela Jayawardene padded up to an incoming delivery and was declared legbefore by umpire Simon Taufel for no score.

“It was a wicket that reminded me of my

hero Wasim Akram,” the 22-year-old Junaid said. “He used to get a lot of reverse swing and I tried to do just that.

“Our morale is high. If there is no rain tomorrow, we want to dismiss them by lunch and enforce the follow-on. Hopefully we can do that.”

Ajmal removed Thilan Samaraweera for zero and Abdur Rehman sent back nightwatchman Suraj Randiv in the day’s last over to enable Pakistan to end the day on a high. The third Test will be played in Pallekele from July 8. —AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara (left) plays a shot as Pakistan wicket keeper Adnan Akmal watches during the fourth day of the second Test cricket match. —AP

SCOREBOARD COLOMBO: Scoreboard at the close of play on the fourth day of the second test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan yesterday: Pakistan first innings 551-6 declared Sri Lanka first innings (overnight 70-1) T. Paranavitana c Azhar b Junaid 0 T. Dilshan lbw b Junaid 121 K. Sangakkara not out 144 M. Jayawardene lbw b Junaid 0 T. Samaraweera lbw b Ajmal 0 S. Randiv lbw b Rehman 5

Chinese lifters look for Beijing repeat PARIS: Chinese weightlifters will bid to replicate their performance on home soil in Beijing at the London Olympics. China topped the medal table in 2008, claiming eight of the 15 golds on offer and one silver in an awesome display of lifting across the board. Some 260 athletes, 156 men and 104 women, will once again compete for the 15 medals at the ExCel arena, in east London’s docklands area.

The two competition lifts in order are the snatch, and the clean and jerk, with each lifter entitled to three attempts in each.

The combined total of the highest two successful lifts determines the overall result within a bodyweight category. The men compete in the -56, 62, 69, 77, 85, 94, 105 and +105kg categories and the women at -48, 53, 58, 63, 69, 75 and +75kg.

There is a quota of 10 lifters per National Olympic Committee, six men and four women, with a maximum of two per event.

Men’s weightlifting featured at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, with women’s weightlifting introduced at the Sydney Games in 2000.

Chinese women’s team took four gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 48kg, 58kg, 69kg and 75kg categories, but Chinese Weightlifting Association president Ma Wenguang has attempted to lower expectations for the London Games.

Two lifters surpassed three worlds records at China’s National Women’s Weightlifting Championships. Tian Yuan, world champion last year in Paris, stole the spotlight in the 48kg category, the 19-year-old jerking 126kg to finish with a total of 221kg, bettering both the world records in jerk by 5kg and the total by 4kg.

“I become more confident now, which will help me to get ready to London,” said Tian, who lifted a total of 207kg in the Paris Worlds.

“We all want to compete in London, so we have to lift more to get the chance. That’s why I tried my best in the National Championships.”

In the 53kg category, world bronze medallist Ji Jing snatched a world record 104kg in the snatch, 1kg more than the previous best set by injured teammate Li Ping. World silver medallist Li Xueying also impressed in the 58kg category, lifting a total of 250kg, just 1kg off compatriot Chen Yanqing’s world record set in 2006. But Association president Ma warned: “I’m very happy to see these good results but it’s too early to say we are fully confident to claim gold medals in these categories.

“We do have advantage in the light categories such as 48kg and 53kg, but there are not enough top lifters in each categories. If we have two or three in every division, I will be more satisfied.”

The women’s super-heavyweight category saw the absence of South Korea’s reigning Olympic champion Jang Mi-ran in the worlds after she struggled to battle injury and regain form.

While sidelined, younger lifters have stepped up and set world records in her +75kg division, Russian Tatiana Kashirina in the snatch (148kg) and China’s world champion Zhou Lulu in the total (328kg). “Obviously, I don’t have fond memories of 2011,” said Jang, one of the most decorated female weight lifters in history having also won four world titles and the Asian Games. — AFP

Extras (b-4, lb-4) 8 Total (for 5 wickets, 85.4 overs) 278 Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-236, 3-250, 4-259, 5278 To bat: A Mathews, P Jayawardene, N Kulasekara, R Herath, N Pradeep Bowling: Cheema 18-5-66-0, Junaid 19-3-563, Ajmal 26-0-77-1, Rehman 16.4-3-50-1, Hafeez 6-0-21-0.

China eye elusive diving sweep SYDNEY: China’s quest for diving perfection looks on the verge of fulfilment in London, where they are favorites to complete the first eight-title sweep and unite every Olympic and world gold medal.

It’s four years since the “Dream Team” fell agonisingly short in Beijing, where only a breathtaking final 10m platform dive by Australia’s Matthew Mitcham stopped China from winning all eight Olympic categories. But the intensively drilled squad, marshalled by militarytrained team manager Zhou Jihong, have looked unstoppable since they grabbed all 10 titles at last year’s world championships in Shanghai. That success raised expectations of a flawless haul in London, the first since Olympic diving grew to eight events in 2000. It’s a result which seems pre-ordained after they won five in 2000, six in 2004 and seven in 2008.

Since China returned to the summer games in 1984, their divers have claimed 27 of the 40 gold medals, making it the country’s most successful Olympic sport ahead of gymnastics (24), weightlifting (24) and table tennis (20).

Their exploits, honed by eight hours of training, six days a week, compare with the US divers who won every Olympic title between 1928 and 1952, when only four events were contested.

Yet relentless team manager Zhou, the 1984 Olympic platform champion, is demanding even more from her squad.

“Our opponents are progressing day by day. Chinese divers also need much higher standards both in techniques and minds,” Zhou told Xinhua news agency.

“Olympic Games are different from the championships,” she added. “Divers will get more pressure than in championships, and self-control is difficult.”

Wu Minxia, 26, a two-time Olympic synchronised springboard champion, gave an insight earlier this year into the Chinese team’s training regime as they pursue perfection.

She is part an elite group of Chinese sportsmen and women who eat, sleep and train at state-run facilities in Beijing.

“For people like us who live in a small circle, we meet people from similar backgrounds and have very simple lives,” said Wu, who has been in training since the age of six.

All-conquering Qiu Bo underlined China’s unwavering dedication when he reeled off 25 perfect 10s to score a historic 609.20 in the 10m event at last year’s FINA Diving World Series in Beijing.

Qiu, 19, the 2011 FINA male driver of the year, says his biggest challenge ahead of the Games is meeting his own exacting standards, rather than worrying about his rivals.

“The biggest challenge is from myself to beat myself. The aim is to win every-

thing,” Qiu said. “I enjoy the pressure.

That is the pressure that moves me to get stronger and stronger.”

In the face of such dominance, resistance has been fitful among China’s rivals, and home hopes in London will rest on British poster boy Tom Daley, 18, who lost his 10m platform world title to Qiu in Shanghai.

Daley’s past year has been inauspicious after he lost his father to cancer last May, and was scolded for his media appearances by British Swimming’s performance chief, who unflatteringly likened him to tennis pin-up Anna Kournikova.

Zhou Jihong Daley has responded by lowering his public profile, and he won the European title with a personal best in May. But the Briton knows he is up against it at the Olympic Park’s Aquatics Centre.

“Qiu Bo at the moment seems unstoppable to be honest. He’s winning by such big margins... he’s very much the gold medal favorite,” Daley said.

Australia’s reigning 10m champion Matt Mitcham, who has been battling abdominal injuries, will be hoping lightning can strike twice after he produced the highest scoring dive in Olympic history to snatch gold in 2008.

“I’ve beaten Qiu Bo before and the Chinese aren’t infallible,” Mitcham said.

“The way they train, they try to do it by repetition to take away any of the inconsistencies but they tend to have a problem at that really high level with stress and diving under pressure.” —AFP

19

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

SPORTS

Spanish masters turn soccer into art KIEV: Even in slow-motion replays, Spain still seemed to play at 1 million miles an hour. The Italians? Well, they looked as though they’d been locked inside a pinball machine, which, in a way, they had.

Is it heresy to liken the first team to ever defend the European Championship to other geniuses - Pablo Picasso, Antoni Gaudi and so on - that Spain has shared with us over the centuries?

If you’re a fan of soccer as art, then surely not. And to think there were those who accused Spain of being “boring” at Euro 2012, of playing selfish and tiresome keep-ball instead of devastatingly effective soccer. Eat your words. Because, as it turned out, Spain was saving its grand finale for a warm night in Kiev that ensured Ukraine and Poland got a send-off fitting for the fabulous tournament they co-hosted - the first Euros to venture this far east.

Fizz! A through ball from Xavi Hernandez, delivered with the clockwork timing of a Swiss watch. Bang! Jordi Alba, haring in at top speed, took Xavi’s gift of the pass and turned it into a goal. Simple.

2-0. And this wasn’t even over and out.

There were still 49 minutes of this lopsided

final to play. Spain wasn’t done, not even close. Even the erratic Fernando Torres found the net - a measure of how thoroughly Spain dismantled the Italians, whose unlikely trip to the final few would have banked on but which, given the flair and creativity they oozed to get this far, they fully deserved.

Italy arrived at Euro 2012 under the cloud of a match-fixing scandal at home. It can leave Ukraine with its head held high.

Coach Cesare Prandelli achieved his goal of demonstrating that Italians can move beyond the defensive style they were long famed for. Only, in the final, Spain never gave them enough time on the ball to reproduce the quick and effective attacks they mounted in previous matches. And Spain’s goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, proved unbeatable. He let in just one goal all tournament, in Spain’s first game - a 1-1 draw with, as it happened, Italy. In the rematch, he wasn’t going to let that happen again.

To be fair, Italy played the last half-hour of the final down a man. Thiago Motta was carried off injured when Prandelli had already used his three substitutions. But

would it really have made any difference had Italy been at full strength for 90 minutes? Not against this Spanish armada, not playing like this.

When Juan Mata made it 4-0, Italy striker Mario Balotelli sank to his haunches. His two semifinal goals got Italy to this game.

Mostly starved of the ball by Spain, he couldn’t get Italy’s hands on the Henri Delaunay cup. Aficionados will debate how Spain, the 2012 vintage, matches up against other great teams that seared their way into soccer history.

Did it have the sustained brilliance of Pele’s Brazil that scored 19 times in six games to win the 1970 World Cup? Was it even as good as the Spain side that won the Euros four years ago? And, if you’re really being picky, how might it also fare against some of the best club teams in the history of the sport? They include Barcelona, which supplied seven of Spain’s 23 players here and a fair chunk of its philosophy based on quick passing and movement, and starving opponents of the ball. But Spain’s unprecedented achievements speak for themselves - Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 in suc-

cession, a first. And Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva, Torres and Xabi Alonso now also form their own exclusive club of players who played in two winning Euro finals.

“We are very happy for all the country and for us. I think we deserved it, we were superior to Italy. We played a complete game and perhaps the best of the entire Eurocup,” Xavi said. “We made history and now we have to enjoy it with all those who supported us and our families.”

The first half Sunday, especially, was Spain at its best, passing, passing and passing again, gradually moving the ball up field from the back with relentless patience to mount sustained attacks on Gianluigi Buffon’s goal, splitting and dizzying his defenders with balls through every gap they left.

Who needs strikers? Spain proved at Euro 2012 that it can largely do without.

David Villa, Spain’s all-time leading scorer, top scorer at Euro ‘08 and joint top scorer at the 2010 World Cup, missed this tournament as he recovers from surgery on his left leg. He watched the final from the posh seats in the Olympic Stadium in Kiev.

Torres, an unconvincing stand-in for Villa, only came on for Fabregas when the game, in essence, was done, with just 15 minutes left to play. The midfield creativity of Fabregas, Silva and Iniesta together lends one to think that Spain will manage just fine at the 2014 World Cup should Xavi, who’ll be 34 then, be unable to play a major part.

Spain’s four goals in the final took the Euro 2012 total to 76. Spain scored 12 of those, the most of any of the 16 teams, for an average of two per game. Those are the exact same numbers Spain racked up in winning Euro 2008. So, on that evidence, Spain isn’t showing signs of slowing down or weakening, such is the depth of its talent.

Other top teams in world soccer, notably Argentina led by three-time world player of the year Lionel Messi, and 2014 World Cup host Brazil, will look at this tournament and see reasons to feel optimistic.

The Netherlands, the losing 2010 World Cup finalist, flopped out of the Euro 2012 group stage, losing all its games and scoring just twice. Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk promptly resigned.—AP

Spurs hire Villas-Boas

FRANCE: French L1 Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti gives instructions to his players during a training session.—AFP

Corinthians ready to make history SAO PAULO: Ten days ago, only the most fanatical Corinthians fans knew who Romarinho was. Today, he is a hero. The 21year old striker made his starting debut two weekends ago in the local derby against Corinthians’ arch-rivals Palmeiras, scoring twice to help the club to a 2-1 win.

Three days later he came off the bench in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final in Buenos Aires and grabbed the goal that brought his side level 1-1 with Boca Juniors.

That goal has made Corinthians favorites to lift their first ever Libertadores trophy when the sides line up for the return leg in Sao Paulo’s Pacaembu stadium today.

Corinthians are in the final for the first time, while Boca are in their tenth, seeking a seventh win that would bring them alongside fellow Argentines Independiente as the most successful team in the competition. However, while Boca have the experience, Corinthians have the form.

They are unbeaten in the tournament so far and have conceded just four goals in their 13 matches. For all that, they still have trouble scoring and have drawn uncomplimentary comparisons with Chelsea, who beat attack-minded Barcelona and Bayern Munich on their way to winning the Champions League this year. Like the

Londoners, Corinthians put organisation ahead of flair and like to pack players behind the ball.

Romarinho could be the answer to their goalscoring problems. The youngster fulfills all the requisites of a Brazilian footballing hero. Son of a poor family whose father cut sugar cane for a living, he was rejected by several top teams before finally coming good at lowly Bragantino.

Corinthians snapped him up last month after he scored six goals in 23 games in the Paulista State Championship earlier this year.

Although his name means little Romario, he is not related to the former Brazil striker turned federal Congressman, even if he reportedly shares the same penchant for nightlife and killer instinct in front of goal. “Romarinho is cool, he’s ice cold, and he had already showed that in the game against Palmeiras,” coach Tite said after the Boca Juniors match. “He’s deadly, you just have to give him the ball in the last third of the field to let him do what he knows how.” Both teams will be at full strength for today’s decider. Boca Juniors did not play at the weekend because the Argentina Clausura tournament is over, while Corinthians’ match against Botafogo was postponed to allow the team to prepare.—Reuters

France quartet face punishment PARIS: The French Football Federation has opened disciplinary proceedings against players Samir Nasri, Hatem Ben Arfa, Jeremy Menez and Yann Mvila for misbehaving at Euro 2012, the FFF said yesterday. The federation added that Didier Deschamps, who has just left Olympique Marseille and is the favourite to replace Laurent Blanc as France coach, needed time to work out whether he wanted the job. “Hatem Ben Arfa, Yann Mvila, Samir Nasri and Jeremy Menez are summoned to appear before the disciplinary committee,” FFF president Noel Le Graet told a news conference.

Nasri insulted a reporter after the 2-0 quarter-final defeat by eventual champions Spain while Menez did the same to captain Hugo Lloris. Ben Arfa was involved in a dressing-room argument with Blanc and Mvila did not shake the coach’s hand when he was replaced by Olivier Giroud against Spain. Blanc declined to renew his contract following the team’s defeat. Le Graet said he had contacted Deschamps to see if the former World Cup and European championship-winning midfielder was interested in the France job.

“I read this morning that Deschamps had said ‘no’. That’s a mistake. He’s a boy I would like to work with,” Le Graet said. “He said he was not in the right state of mind to think about it right now and asked for a delay.” Asked about when Deschamps needed to confirm his interest, Le Graet said: “By the end of the week would be good”. The new coach will be named “at the end of the week or the beginning of

next week,” the president added. Le Graet also said the individual bonus money of 100,000 euros ($125,800) due to the entire squad for reaching the last eight in Poland and Ukraine had been “frozen”.—Reuters

STUTTGART: New player of German First Division soccer club VfB Stuttgart, Tunay Torun from Turkey, joggles the ball with his head during a training session of the club.—AP

LONDON: Four months after being fired by Chelsea, Andre Villas-Boas was given the opportunity to rebuild his reputation in the Premier League when he was hired as head coach of fellow London club Tottenham yesterday. The Portuguese manager’s appointment was first announced on Tottenham’s official Twitter site. He joined on a three-year contract and will succeed Harry Redknapp, who was fired on June 14 after nearly four seasons in charge at White Hart Lane.

Having established himself as one of Europe’s most soughtafter coaches following a stunning stint at Porto, the 34-yearold Villas-Boas’ short managerial career nosedived during a troubled eight-month reign at Chelsea during which he was criticized for his reportedly detached style of man-management.

However, he has convinced Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that he is the man to take the north London club to the next level and will look to build on the work of Redknapp, who managed to threaten the dominance of England’s four major powers - the two Manchester clubs, Arsenal and Chelsea.

“Tottenham Hotspur is a great club with a strong tradition and fantastic support, both at home and throughout the world,” Villas-Boas said. “I feel privileged to be its coach. For me, this is one of the most exciting coaching positions in the Premier League.

“This is a squad any coach would love to work with and together I believe we can bring

success in the seasons ahead.”

The man known in England as “AVB” will take over a team that finished fourth in the Premier League last season but failed to qualify for the Champions League, ironically because of the amazing exploits of Villas-Boas’ successor at Chelsea, Roberto Di Matteo.

Villas-Boas’ departure and Di Matteo taking over sparked an upturn in fortunes at Stamford Bridge culminating in a surprise victory on penalties in the Champions League final over Bayern Munich, meaning Chelsea - which finish sixth in the league took Spurs’ spot in Europe’s leading competition.

Tottenham will instead play in the Europa League, one of four trophies won by Villas-Boas in 2011 at the end of his sole season in charge of Portuguese giants, Porto. During that short reign, Villas-Boas led Porto to an undefeated campaign to win the league and became the youngest manager ever to win a European title. “I am delighted that Andre has agreed to become our new head coach,” Tottenham chairman Levy said. “He has an outstanding reputation for his technical knowledge of the game and for creating well-organized teams capable of playing football in an attractive and attacking style.”

With winger Gareth Bale recently signing a new deal keeping him at Tottenham until 2016, Villas-Boas’ biggest task could be to keep hold of the club’s other star player, Croatia midfielder Luka Modric. Modric has been linked with a move away, with

Andre Villas-Boas Manchester United and Chelsea among those believed to be interested. By taking over at Tottenham, Villas-Boas may be waiving Chelsea compensation

that reportedly amounted to around 10 million pounds ($15.7 million) to cover the two years left on his deal at Stamford Bridge.—AP

Egypt absentees at Cup of Nations draw JOHANNESBURG: Record seven-time champions Egypt will be shock absentees when the final qualifying round draw for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa is made here tomorrow. The Pharaohs, whose seven titles include an unequalled three in a row between 2006 and 2010, were ousted by the Wild Beasts from the Central African Republic last weekend.

Egypt forced a 1-1 draw in Bangui, but the damage had been done in Alexandria two weeks before when they lost 3-2 against opponents who played more than half the game a man short after midfielder Salif Keita was red carded. The 4-3 aggregate defeat means the vast Arab nation will miss consecutive Cup of Nations tournaments for only the second time since the tournament was launched 55 years ago in Sudanese capital Khartoum.

It will also be a blow to the South Africans organisers of the Cup as it would have been much easier to ‘sell’ names like Essam Al Hadary and Mohamed Abou Treika to the public than Foxi Kethevoama and Hilaire Momi. Goalkeeper Al Hadary and midfielder Abou Treika have been among the best African footballers in their positions for more than a decade while goal poachers Kethevoama and Momi are virtual unknowns outside their homeland.

Apart from Egypt, 1972 champions Congo Brazzaville are the only winners of the competition out of the running for a place at the 2013 finals having surrendered a two-goal first-leg lead when crumbling 4-0 in Uganda last month.

South Africa are automatic qualifiers for the January 19-February 10 Cup of Nations and the draw at a cafe in a huge entertainment complex near Johannesburg international airport will split 30 countries into 15 home-and-away ties.

Defending champions Zambia head a list of 15 seeded nations that includes Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Sudan and Tunisia.

The unseeded countries are Botswana, Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Apart from pairing off the countries, there will be a separate draw to decide which one has home advantage first in the final round scheduled for the weekends of September 7-9 and October 12-14 this year. Equatorial Guinea are ranked 31 in Africa and appear the weakest seeds-a position they owe to reaching the last eight when they co-hosted the 2012 tournament with Gabon.

Unseeded teams best avoided would include Libya (ranked 4), Senegal (12), Central African Republic (22) and Ethiopia (39), the lowest ranked country to make the final round.

The seemingly odd situation where Libya are unseeded and Equatorial Guinea seeded is explained by the organisers considering results from the last threeCup of Nations tour-

naments and not the monthly FIFA Africa rankings. Just two of the 30 survivors-unseeded Central African Republic and Cape Verde Islands-have never qualified for the finals and while the Wild Beasts were eliminating Egypt, the Blue Sharks from Cape Verde devoured Madagascar. Libya were originally due to stage the next Cup of Nations in 2014, but the popular rebellion that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi also reduced some infrastructure to rubble, so 2017 hosts South Africa exchanged dates. Held in even-number years since Ethiopia staged the 1968 finals, the Cup of Nations switches to uneven-number years from 2013 to avoid every second tournament being staged in the same year as a World Cup.—AFP

MUNICH: (Left to right) German First Division Bundesliga football club Bayern Munich’s Press Officer Markus Hoerwick, President Uli Hoeness, newly named Sporting Director Matthias Sammer, CEO Karl Heinz Rummenogge and vice-president Karl Hopfner give a press conference. The Bundesliga 2012/2013 season starts on August 24.—AFP

Spurs hire Villas-Boas

Dilshan, Sangakkara lift gloom with tons

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

Egypt absentees at Cup of Nations draw

Page 19

Tour de France

FRANCE: A combo picture shows (from top, left to right) stage winner, Best sprinter’s green jersey, Slovakia’s Peter Sagan, celebrating on the finish line, Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish riding past a church, the leading men, France’s Sebastien Minard, Best climber’s polka dot jersey, Denmark’s Michael Morkov, Spain’s Ruben Perez Moreno (partly hidden) and Ukraine’s Andriy Grivko riding in a breakaway, and overall leader’s yellow jersey, Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara, celebrating on the podium at the end of the 197 km and third stage of the 2012 Tour de France cycling race.—AFP

Super Sagan seals second win FRANCE: Slovakian champion Peter Sagan continued his impressive start to his Tour de France debut with his second stage win inside three days yesterday.

RadioShack’s Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey at the end of a crash-marred day which witnessed the race’s first abandons.

Despite the near incessant drama on the tight, hilly roads leading to France’s number one fishing port, plenty was kept in reserve for the last of six punchy climbs on the 197 km stage from Orchies.

Having sprinted to victory on an uphill finish on Sunday to open his Tour stage account, Sagan produced another display of power to finish ahead of Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen and fellow Slovak Peter Velits.

Amid a breakout season which has seen him win multiple victories at the Tour of California (five) and Tour of Switzerland (four), Sagan said he was simply sticking to his plan.

“After my wins in California and Switzerland I hoped to come here and win a few stages,” he said, after also reinforcing his lead in the points competition for the green jersey.

“Now it’s done and I’m very happy. “Today I knew the sprinters wouldn’t be there at the finish and it ended up with (Ivan) Basso and (Vincenzo) Nibali working for me! “I would shine Basso’s shoes if he asked, so I really can’t say thank you enough to him.”

There was no change to the top five overall, with race favourite Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky in second at 7sec behind and Australian Cadel Evans

of BMC still 17 off the pace. However Wiggins’ Sky team were left having to “regroup”, according to team principal Dave Brailsford after they lost Belarusian rider Kanstantsin Sivtsov to a crash.

He became the first of the 198 riders to abandon, leaving Wiggins a man down well before the race hits the crucial mountain stages. “It’s a setback, but not a devastating setback,” said Brailsford. “He’a a very good climber so he can do that first part in the key mountain stages. But to be honest the climbing department, as it were, is probably where we’re at our strongest. “It’s a real shame, but not the end of the world.

“It’s like boxing-as long as you’re still fighting you can knock the other fella out. That’s the approach you’ve got to take to it.”

Sky and many other teams will be glad to have

limited their losses on a day that many had feared would take a toll. Garmin sprinter Tyler Farrar and Spaniard Pablo Urtasun (Euskaltel) came down in the same crash which took out Sivtsov, leaving many to scramble over grass verges with their bike in a bid to get moving.

More drama followed soon after when Spanish sprinter Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) crashed out of the race. Australian champion Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) flew over his handlebars while Italian Giampaolo Caruso of Katusha was caught up in the same spill.

Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel went on the attack in the closing stages and the OmegaPharma rider briefly became the race leader before being reeled in by a chasing peloton with 450 metres to go. Sagan, who had done well to stay in

Murray braced for Ferrer, Germans in rare double

Serena dethrones Kvitova, Kerber struggles through LONDON: Serena Williams produced a champion’s display to knock out title-holder Petra Kvitova as winning machine Angelique Kerber ousted Sabine Lisicki in the Wimbledon women’s quarter-finals yesterday. Kvitova tipped Williams to win a fifth Wimbledon crown after the US sixth seed used her experience and cool nerve to dethrone the Czech with a 6-3, 7-5 victory.

Meanwhile Kerber emerged victorious in the all-German clash with Lisicki after blowing four match points, the eighth seed triumphing 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5 to notch a tour-leading 45th win of the year.

Williams will take on either Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, the Belarusian second seed, or the unseeded, in-form Austrian Tamira Paszek in tomorrow’s semifinals.

Kerber faces either Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska or Maria Kirilenko, the Russian 17th seed, for a place in Saturday’s final. Kvitova believes Williams will now go on and win the tournament. “I think so,” the Czech fourth seed said. “It is very difficult (to beat her). I can’t say impossible. She’s human.

“That’s why she’s the great champion, because she knows what she needs to play in the important points. So I think that it’s really tough to beat her.

“It was great match from both of us, and she just served much better than me. There were some really important points that I could have played better. That was the difference.”

Williams said she had to step up a gear on Centre Court to get past the big-hitting Czech.

“You can’t play a defending Wimbledon champion or Grand Slam champion and not elevate your game. I had to weed out the riffraff and just get serious,” the 30-year-old said.

“It just feels like a good win. She was playing very well. I don’t know if it was more about

dethroning or going out there and playing the match and doing the best that I could.

“I really prayed about it, just to have calmness of mind and just go forward and do the best I can do, whether that’s winning or losing.”

Lisicki, the 15th seed, beat world number one Maria Sharapova in the previous round and showed plenty of the competitiveness that got her to the last eight.

But eighth seed Kerber got the better of her in a nervy encounter to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final. It was a roller-coaster affair for Kerber who squandered four match points. Lisicki saved two match points in the 10th game of the second set and another in the tie-break.

In the decider, there were six breaks of serve in 11 games before Kerber finally won through to claim her fifth win in five meetings against Lisicki, a semi-finalist here last year.

“I’m very happy that I won this very incredible match,” said Kerber, who was making her Centre Court debut. “I’m happy to be in the semis this year for the first time. She saved the match points but she played very well in these moments.

“It was unbelievable. Sabine played great tennis and I needed to be at my best to beat her,” said Kerber, who was making her debut on Centre Court.

Either Azarenka or Radwanska will become the new world number one after Wimbledon depending on their performances, thanks to Lisicki knocking out Sharapova.

Radwanska and Kirilenko will have to finish their quarter-final today after enduring a rainaffected, on-off day on Court One. They started their match at 2:20pm local time (1320GMT), but had to sit out two lengthy delays before a halt was called just before 8pm (1900GMT) with the pair locked at 4-4 in the deciding set.—AFP

the front of the pack, then pounced in the final 300 metres to go on and seal victory. Brailsford, lamenting Boasson Hagen’s runner-up place, could only watch and admire. “Sometimes it’s like watching Messi play football, you just tilt your hat and say ‘Chapeau’,” added the Team Sky chief. “He positions himself well and he deserves credit for it.”

Sagan, meanwhile, said his teammates had given him a pre-race challenge. “My teammates asked me to be like Forrest Gump. When you tell him to run, he runs. When they tell me to win, I win,” said Sagan, who explained his gesture at the finish line.

“I always like to produce a good performance for the watching public. “I’ve wanted to do that since since watching sport as a kid when my big hero was (motorbike racer) Valentino Rossi. “I like to provoke the same feeling.”—AFP

WIMBLEDON: Angelique Kerber of Germany reacts as she wins against Sabine Lisicki of Germany in a quarterfinals match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships.—AP

LONDON: Andy Murray yesterday reached a fifth successive Wimbledon quarter-final where he will meet Spanish bulldozer David Ferrer who has made the last eight for the first time at the 10th attempt.

British fourth seed Murray beat Croatian 16th seed Marin Cilic 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 as organisers scrambled to make up for lost time caused by heavy rain.

He will now attempt to go on to a fourth All England Club semi-final on the trot, but will first have to get past seventh-seeded Ferrer who put out former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Also making today’s quarterfinals were Florian Mayer and Philipp Kohlschreiber.

It’s the first time since Wimbledon in 1997 that two German men have made the last eight of a Grand Slam. Mayer, the 31st seed, defeated Richard Gasquet of France, 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in another match which was held over from Monday. For 27th-seeded Kohlschreiber, it was a particularly memorable day as he reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at the 33rd attempt by clinching a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win over American qualifier Brian Baker. Murray had led Queen’s Club winner Cilic, against whom he was defending a 5-1 career record, 7-5, 3-1 overnight when play was suspended due to Monday’s downpours.

They played two games yesterday before more rain sent them off Court One for an hour.

But on the resumption, the Scot was rarely troubled as Cilic struggled with his opponent and the damp, chilly conditions. “I don’t see Ferrer as a clay court specialist. He won last week on grass (in ‘s-Hertogenbosch), so he’s won, what, eight matches in a row on the grass,” said Murray.

“He’s been in the semi-finals of Australia and now he’s starting to play better on grass.” Only three of the scheduled last 16 men’s ties had been completed on Monday with Novak

Djokovic, Roger Federer and Mikhail Youzhny able to enjoy a day off before Wednesday’s quarter-finals.

Federer will play Youzhny today looking for a 14th win in 14 matches against the Russian.

Defending champion Djokovic will tackle Mayer, who has reached the quarter-finals for the second time, eight years after his first appearance, with his victory over Gasquet.

It was Mayer’s first win over 2007 semi-finalist Gasquet since 2004 and was sweet revenge for losing a Davis Cup quarter-final rubber to the French player in 2011 after being two sets to love ahead.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. Eight years ago I was here in the quarters, and now eight years later it’s happened again. So it’s a wonderful dream for me,” said Mayer.

Ferrer never got the chance to start his match on Monday, but the 30-year-old, now carrying Spain’s hopes after the elimination of Rafael Nadal, wasted no time against ninth seed Del Potro, racing home beneath the Centre Court roof in under two hours.

“Of course I prefer Rafael or another Spaniard here with me,” said Ferrer, who is tied 5-5 in career meetings with Murray.

Kohlschreiber will face French fifth seed JoWilfried Tsonga who reached the last eight for the third successive year by defeating American 10th seed Mardy Fish 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4.

“He’s a really great player. He’s a big server, he has a huge forehand, so that’s going to be of course tough to do something,” said the German, who has defeated the Frecnhman just once in six meetings.

“But I’ll try to keep him a little bit moving around, playing more to the backhand.” Tsonga needed treatment on a back injury at the end of the second set of a match which was twice stopped for rain after also being halted overnight on Monday with Fish in the ascendancy.—AFP

Qatar fund plans Harrods hotels in Malaysia, Paris Page 22

Boeing upgrades 20-year market forecast to $4.5tn Page 25

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

2013 Ford Taurus delivers more technology, better dynamics Page 26

Greece govt to present debt inspectors ‘alarming’ data Page 23

PARIS: French Members of Parliament applaud French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (left, standing at the rostrum) after his address, yesterday at the National Assembly in Paris, to present the French government’s general policy program. Ayrault urged the French people to rally behind the government to tackle a “crushing” and “unprecedented” debt crisis. — AFP

IMF cuts US growth forecast, warns of ‘fiscal cliff’ Germany urged to spur domestic demand if exports fall WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund yesterday pared its growth forecast for the US economy and warned that the Obama administration could be slicing the deficit too fast for the weak economy.

It also said the economy was under threat from the pre-programmed “fiscal cliff” combination of sharp spending cuts and tax increases at the year-end, and a worsening of the euro-zone crisis. The IMF estimated 2012 US economic growth at 2.0 percent, down from April’s forecast of 2.1 percent, and said even that outlook was at risk from both domestic and international threats.

“It is critical to remove the uncertainty created by the ‘fiscal cliff ’ as well as promptly raise the debt ceiling, pursuing a pace of deficit reduction that does not sap the economic recovery,” the fund said in its annual report on the US economy. The fiscal cliff is

the result of Congress’s failure to agree on a deficit reduction plan, resulting in mandated tax increases and spending cuts to take effect

by January 1, 2013. But Congress remains deadlocked over how to change the law that mandates the fiscal cliff measures. The IMF criticized President Barack Obama’s proposed fiscal 2013 budget, which calls for slashing the nation’s deficit by three percentage points to about 5.5 percent of gross domestic product. Even if as expected the deficit cutting is less than three points, the IMF warned that “this smaller reduction would be too rapid, given the weak economy.” “The composition of spending should be as growth-friendly as possible,” the IMF said, suggesting a larger deficit of about 6.25 percent of GDP would be appropriate. The global lender cited a litany of risks to US growth, including “the limited room for monetary policy to offset the fiscal

Bob Diamond quits as Barclays CEO LONDON: Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond quit his job yesterday, the biggest scalp in a financial markets scandal that has also seen the chairman announce his intention to resign and sown the seeds for another investigation into Britain’s banking sector. Jerry del Missier, appointed only last month as chief operating officer at the bank, resigned hours after Diamond left.

The resignations, which took effect immediately, come a day after Chairman Marcus Agius fell on his sword, too. However, Agius will leave the company only after a new chairman is found and will lead the search for a new chief executive. He will take on Diamond’s responsibilities until a new CEO is appointed. Barclays’ management has come under fire since the bank was fined $453 million last week by US and British regulators for submitting false reports on interbank borrowing rates between 2005 and 2009. Much of that activity originated from traders in Barclays Capital, the investment banking division which Diamond headed at the time. “ The external pressure placed on Barclays has reached a level that risks damaging the franchise - I cannot let that happen,” Diamond said Tuesday in the statement accompanying his resignation. “I am deeply disappointed that the impression created by the events announced last week about what Barclays and its people stand for could not be further from the truth.”

Britain’s Serious Fraud Office said Monday that it would decide within a month whether to pursue criminal charges in the case. The government, which has come under pressure to initiate a judge-led inquiry into the sector, also announced a parliamentary committee to investigate what went on and report by the end of the year. Barclays’ share price was up 1.2 percent at 170.4 pence in mid-afternoon London trading, retreating from earlier highs. “Although Diamond’s resignation

Barclays Bank Chief Executive Bob Diamond should take some of the ferocity out of the intense criticism heaped on Barclays there is little doubt that the risk of holding the stock has risen substantially in recent days,” said Nic Clarke, an analyst at Charles Stanley. “A cloud is likely to hang over the stock until a suitable successor is chosen.”

As well as facing intense media pressure over the past few days, Diamond has seen growing calls for his resignation from the political world. Both Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and opposition Labor Party leader Ed Miliband had called for Diamond, a 60-year-old American, to stand down.

“I think it is the right decision for Barclays, I think it is the right decision for the country,” said George Osborne, Britain’s Treasury chief. The bank said Agius, 65, would become full-time executive chairman until a new CEO is appointed.

“Clearly there’s a lot more to come from this story right across the sector, but that’s a significant scalp to be taken at this stage and now leaves a looming succession issue for the bank,” said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at Interactive Investor. Some analysts had thought Diamond’s position was secure because there was no obvious successor in the wings.— AP

drag” amid the Federal Reserve’s long-running support of ultra-low interest rates and other stimulus. The distressed labor market could also be further battered if the economy falters, saying there was a “risk that prolonged economic slack could reduce potential output through skill erosion” and the exit of discouraged workers from the labor force.

The International Monetary Fund yesterday praised Germany ’s strong economic record in the face of turmoil in financial markets and Europe’s debt crisis, but urged Berlin to take the opportunity to boost domestic demand in case exports drop off.

In an annual report on Europe’s biggest economy, the IMF said low unemployment and healthy pay increases for workers would normally lift consumer spending, and recommended the government allow this to happen. It also suggested that Germany should

take advantage of favorable economic conditions to encourage investment outside manufacturing, the country’s traditional area of strength. This year has seen significant pay rises for many workers in Germany, increases that came after a long period of relative restraint and two years of strong economic growth. In May, Germany’s biggest industrial union, IG Metall, secured a 4.3 percent pay raise over 13 months for some 3.6 million manufacturing workers. In March, some 2 million public-sector employees won a raise totaling 6.3 percent over two years.

Meanwhile, Germany’s year-on-year inflation rate hit an 18-month low of 1.7 percent in June and unemployment stands at 6.6 percent. “The performance of the German economic has been remarkable so far,” the IMF report’s lead author, Subir Lall, told reporters in a conference call. “With incomes rising and

UAE pipeline bypassing Hormuz to fully operate in August ABU DHABI: A pipeline the UAE is building to pump oil from east coast terminals and bypass the Iran-threatened Strait of Hormuz will be fully operational in August, an Abu Dhabi oil official said yesterday.

The Habshan-Fujairah pipeline, which will carry oil from fields in Abu Dhabi on the Gulf to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, is “approaching the phase of continuous operation,” said Ali Jarwan, CEO of oil and gas producer, Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Co ADMA-OPCO. “We expect that by August we’ll have regular flow of oil,” Jarwan said at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC). In late May, Fujairah ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sharqi told AFP the pipeline would start operating in June. Construction of the 360-kilometre (225 mile) pipeline began in 2008. According to Sheikh Hamad, the pipeline will have an initial capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day rising to 1.8 million bpd, which represents the bulk of the UAE’s current production of around 2.5 million bpd.

Fears of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz intensified earlier this year after Iran threatened to close the strategic outlet from the Gulf if Western governments kept up their efforts to choke off its oil exports in a bid to rein in its controversial nuclear program. Reports in Iranian media on Monday said Iranian MPs endorsed a bill banning Europe-bound tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz to punish EU nations that slapped sanctions on Iran. — AFP

UAE looks to open up oil sector to more partners ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is likely to allow more foreign partners, especially from Asia, to take stakes in its oil and gas concessions, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) said yesterday. Abu Dhabi, which has the largest share of the UAE’s oil, plans to invest $60 billion over the next five years to boost its oil production capacity from 2.7 million to 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) - and oil concessions lie at the heart of its ambitions. The concessions system allows oil and gas producers to acquire equity hydrocarbons from the OPEC member in return for investing in projects.

Western oil majors like ExxonMobil, Shell and Total have been partners with Abu Dhabi for decades, but concession renewals starting from 2014 could allow Asian companies to boost their presence in a country which now exports nearly all its oil to Asia.— Reuters

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde speaks during a news conference yesterday in Washington. healthy balance sheets you should expect naturally domestic demand to pick up,” he said, adding that by spurring domestic demand Germany would also benefit other countries in the troubled 17-nation eurozone. —Agencies

Saudi mortgage law lifts banks, Emaar rallies MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s bourse hit a five-week high yesterday after the government approved a long-awaited mor tgage law, with investors betting a large home finance market would develop, boosting construction and bank lending in the kingdom. Bank stocks surged, helping the sector’s index rise 5.1 percent. Heavyweight Al Rajhi Bank climbed 4.1 percent, Bank Aljazira surged 9.9 percent and Alinma Bank added 6.4 percent.

Investors targeted banks with large retail businesses in the belief these lenders would be the most likely to attract mortgage borrowers.

Finance Minister Ibrahim Alassaf was quoted by the Saudi Press Agency as saying the law would be implemented within 90 days, after the central bank completed designing its own rules for the sector.

The kingdom’s annual housing demand has been put at 150,000 and 200,000 units per year, according to real estate service company Jones Lang LaSalle. “Banks will have positive sentiment-driven performance for a few days because now they have the ability to give (mortgage) loans,” said Hesham Tuffaha, Bakheet Investment Group’s head of asset management. “But the status of the real estate market, with its sk yrocketing prices, doesn’t change.”

It is unclear how much new supply of land will come on the market as a result of the law, so housing prices may remain too expensive for many Saudi citizens to afford. The real estate index rose 2.5 percent. It

jumped 5.5 percent on Monday on speculation the announcement was imminent.

Yet many investors are doubtful real estate stocks can sustain gains, with some stocks already up nearly 40 percent this year.The main share index climbed 2.1 percent in its highest finish since May 30. It has gained 7.3 percent in 2012.

Elsewhere, Dubai’s Emaar Properties notched its largest one-day gain in more than five months, surging 6.6 percent as investors bet its Saudi unit would benefit from the mortgage law.

“We saw a nice move in Dubai on a combination of two catalysts Saudi’s cabinet approving the mortgage law and Brent resuming its bounce from $90,” said Sleiman Aboulhosn, assistant fund manager at Al M asah Capital. Emaar is a shareholder in Saudi-based Emaar Economic City , which rose 2.1 percent. “Emaar Economic City may be a direct beneficiary of the mortgage law in the medium-term, so we can see a certain level of optimism come back (in Dubai),” Aboulhosn added.

Other property and construction stocks also rallied, with contractor Drake and Scull up 3.7 percent and builder Arabtec gaining 2.8 percent.

Dubai’s index rose 2.6 percent in its largest one-day rally since March 11.

Brent crude gained $1.70 to $99.04 a barrel by 0910 GMT, after earlier hitting an intraday high of $99.15. In Egypt, the index climbed 0.8 percent to a seven-week high on continued optimism following the election late last month of a new president.— Reuters

22

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

BUSINESS

Qatar fund plans Harrods hotels in Malaysia, Paris $634m to be spent on Kuala Lumpur development DOHA/KUALA LUMPUR: Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund plans to take the Harrods brand global to cities such as Paris and New York, and will start by building a luxury hotel named after the upmarket London department store in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur.

Qatar Holding has signed an agreement with Malaysian partner Jerantas Sdn Bhd to build a hotel in Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Bintang shopping district. A hotel management company will be established to develop similar projects around the world, Qatar Holding said in a statement.

“The target plan is to open Harrods hotels at sites in key cities such as Kuala Lumpur, New York and Paris as well as in China.

Preference will be given to construct on sites already owned by Qatar Holding or its affili-

ates, for example at Chelsea Barracks in London or Costa Smeralda in Sardinia,” it said.

“Qatar Holding ultimately intends to grow Harrods into a global enterprise that defines the luxury retail and leisure sectors.”

Qatar Holding vice chairman Hussain Ali alAbdulla told reporters in Kuala Lumpur the Malaysian locality had been chosen because its “economy is growing.”

Construction will start in a year on the 5.5acre (2.2 hectare) site in Kuala Lumpur, with about 2 billion ringgit ($634 million) to be spent on the development, which will comprise as many as 300 hotel rooms, apartments and retail space, he said. Qatar Holding bought the famous London department store in 2010 from Egyptian-born businessman Mohamed al-Fayed in a deal reported to be

Dubai’s GGICO signs debt deal

Qatar evolves into active not activist investor DUBAI: Qatar’s demand that Glencore sweetens its offer to merge with Xstrata doesn’t mean the Gulf state has suddenly become a gutsy activist investor. But it does show that Qatar won’t sit by passively when a bid for one of its holdings puts it on the spot.

The decision by Qatar to speak out publicly last week on the proposed $71 billion commodities tie-up was a surprise.

Qatar Holding, the state’s direct investment vehicle, had built up an 11 percent stake in Xstrata without making any noise. The fund has been more active than other sovereign funds - it seeks board seats and has even offered cashstrapped targets cheap loans as part of its investment. But making statements on M&A terms marks a new departure and made Qatar looked a lot like an agitating hedge fund. In reality, Qatar is only catching up with the likes of long-term Western asset managers like Standard Life and Schroders. Qatar’s stake-building began before the deal was announced.

The fund felt compelled to speak out because the market was convinced -

DUBAI: Dubai-based Gulf General Investments Co (GGICO) reached a restructuring deal with 25 of its creditors to extend debt maturities, the company said yesterday, bringing an 18-month process to a conclusion.

The firm, which has investments in manufacturing, industrials and retail under its umbrella, has delayed its debt repayments for seven years through new amortizing facilities, it said in a filing to the Dubai bourse. The total figure of debt extended was not disclosed in the statement, although its first-quarter results said GGICO had 782.7 million dirhams ($213.1 million) of pending loans which the company had requested to be pushed out. HSBC Holdings was the financial adviser to GGICO and Al-Tamimi & Co acting as its legal adviser, with Allen & Overy the law firm working with the banks, the statement said.

GGICO began addressing its debt pile in early 2011 as part of a wider review of its business model, the statement added. The firm’s financial results for 2010 said at the time it had defaulted on debt worth 248.8 million dirhams during the course of 2010. Shares in the company have risen 53 percent year-to-date on the Dubai bourse. — Reuters

wrongly - that it supported Glencore’s offered terms for Xstrata, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Qatar is unlikely to start assaulting underperforming companies in need of a kick. Its portfolio contains several such potential targets that it has so far left alone. Take its holdings in inefficient French conglomerates Lagardere and Vivendi. These investments appear to be driven by a strategic concerns. As a sovereign investor, Qatar also has to tread more carefully around targets with government backing. Qatar’s small team of decision-makers is still too inexperienced and reliant on external advisers to pursue genuine activism.

But it doesn’t require many resources to demand more value from Glencore.

The cost will be measured in lost credibility if Qatar finally agrees to an offer pitched at substantially below the level it has indicated is acceptable. The rational interpretation of Qatar’s behavior is that it doesn’t care if the deal fails, and has bought into Xstrata as a genuine longterm strategic investment. —Reuters

Etisalat names new head, rejigs board

Saudi June PMI falls slightly, still high JEDDAH: Growth of business activity in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector slowed slightly in June but remained strong, a survey of over 400 private companies published yesterday showed.

The SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index, which measures activity in the manufacturing and services sectors, was 59.7 points in June against 60.4 points in May. The seasonally adjusted index stayed well above the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction. Output growth actually accelerated in June, to 63.8 points from 63.1 in May. “Anecdotal evidence suggested that a general improvement in market conditions had underpinned

worth around 1.5 billion pounds ($2.3 billion).

The sale brought to an end 25 years of ownership by Fayed, who became its honorary chairman.

Fayed, who also owns English soccer club Fulham, bought Harrods in 1985 for about 615 million pounds at a time when the group also owned the House of Fraser department store chain, which was later spun off. A colorful figure, he waged a long campaign claiming his son Dodi and Princess Diana, who died together in a Paris car crash in 1997, were murdered in a conspiracy.

Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has been the region’s most active in recent years, deploying the Gulf nation’s plentiful natural gas riches in assets ranging from German sports car maker Porsche to British bank Barclays. — Reuters

the latest increase in activity,” the survey said. New order growth continued but at a slower rate than in the previous two months, at 69.2 versus 70.6. “Over 49 percent of firms noted a rise in new orders since the previous survey period, against roughly 8 percent that registered a fall,” the survey added.

Employment levels grew at a slower rate of 53.6 in June, compared with 54.1 in May. Input price inflation accelerated marginally but output price inflation eased.

Analysts in a Reuters poll conducted in March predicted Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product would expand 4.5 percent this year, after an officially estimated 6.8 percent last year. — Reuters

DUBAI: Etisalat, the United Arab Emirates’ No 1 telecoms operator, overhauled its board yesterday, replacing long-serving Chairman Mohammad Omran and naming six new directors following a decree by the Abu Dhabi ruler.

The changes comes as Etisalat, which operates in 17 countries, tries to fend off stiffening competition from domestic rival du and improve the performance of its foreign operations, with the firm reporting declining profits in eight of the past nine quarters.

Eissa al-Suwaidi, who holds key positions in other Abu Dhabi entities, has been appointed chairman, replacing Mohammad Omran, who was also Etisalat’s former chief executive. Suwaidi is also the chairman of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank as well as a director of government-controlled institutions in the emirate such as International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC). Omran joined Etisalat in 1977 and was appointed chairman in 2005. — Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak (left) stands next to Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Azman Mokhtar (right) as they each hold IHH Healthcare prospectus launch booklets in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. —AFP

Malaysia’s IHH seeks to raise $2bn in IPO KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s IHH Healthcare said yesterday it plans to raise more than $2.0 billion from an IPO in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore this month, in the world’s third-biggest stock market flotation this year.

The IPO (initial public offering) from Asia’s largest hospital operator, with a target date of July 25, means Malaysian companies will have had two of the biggest public offerings this year.

Oil palm plantation giant Felda Global Ventures’ stock market launch last week raised $3.25 billion and was the second biggest of 2012 after Facebook’s disastrous debut, and came after several flotations were delayed in Asia amid deteriorating global conditions. In its prospectus unveiled yesterday, IHH Healthcare said it plans to raise 6.37 billion ringgit ($2.01 billion) by offering 2.23 billion shares on the Kuala Lumpur and Singapore stock exchanges, including 1.80 billion new shares.

An initial indicative price for each share is set at 2.85 ringgit or 1.18 Singapore dollars. The firm, majorityowned by Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional, said it would determine the final stock price on July 12. The listing could see IHH valued as the second largest listed private hospital operator in the world, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said at the launch, with an expected market capitalization of 23 billion ringgit. It is the first concurrent offering across two Southeast Asian stock exchanges, with 209 million shares earmarked for the Malaysia public offering and 141 million for Singapore.

Twenty-two so-called cornerstone investors, including international fund managers, have already committed to buying more than 60 percent of the stock, while the rest are for institutional placement.

Najib said the listing marked “very significant progress” in the country’s plans to divest government-linked companies.

“Our explicit strategy and objective is to support Malaysian businesses to become regional and global companies-and with this listing IHH can further cement its role as a leading force in the global healthcare sector,” he said.

IHH has ventures in several countries including Malaysia, Singapore and Turkey. Nazir Razak, chief executive of financial firm CIMB Group-and the prime minister’s brother-said Malaysia looked set to be Asia’s top IPO market for 2012.

CIMB is the principal adviser and lead underwriter for the listing.

“Malaysia is almost like an oasis of IPOs... We go into the deal with good momentum (supported by cornerstone investors),” he told reporters.

On its debut on the Kuala Lumpur exchange, Felda Global’s shares jumped nearly 20 percent to open at 5.39 ringgit ($1.69), defying global economic uncertainly and proving a contrast to Facebook’s debut.

Yesterday Felda Global stock was trading at 5.42 ringgit. Social networking giant Facebook raised $16 billion from its IPO in May but its shares have since plummeted. Global accountancy firm Ernst and Young has said the Kuala Lumpur exchange, Bursa Malaysia, was the third-biggest in terms of funds raised in IPOs in the second quarter of 2012, following NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange.

Analysts put the success down to factors including government efforts to encourage IPOs and boost the economy as elections approach, and a push to divest state-owned firms to woo foreign investors, as in the case of Felda.

The volatile economic environment has forced the delay of other major public offerings in Asia, including a planned $2.5 billion Formula One listing in Singapore. IHH plans to use about 90 percent of the gross proceeds from the exercise to repay borrowings within the next year. — AFP

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .4360000 .3490000 .2900000 .2720000 .2840000 .0040000 .0020000 .0757970 .7384640 .3850000 .0720000 .7239320 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2784500 GB Pound/KD .4364840 Euro .3505270 Swiss francs .2918000 Canadian dollars .2743760 Danish Kroner .0471490 Swedish Kroner .0401660 Australian dlr .2857590 Hong Kong dlr .0359090 Singapore dlr .2205540 Japanese yen .0034880 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0754810 Bahraini dinars .7388880 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0742730 Omani riyals .7235290 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

3.553 5.072 3.053 2.141 3.173 220.090 36.173 3.425 6.439 8.876 89.338

.2830000 .4460000 .3580000 .3000000 .2800000 .2920000 .0070000 .0035000 .0765580 .7458860 .4030000 .0780000 .7312080 .0072000 .0510000 .2820500 .4421270 .3550590 .2955720 .2779230 .0477590 .0406850 .2894540 .0363730 .2234060 .0035330 .0051900 .0021290 .0029920 .0034620 .0768210 .7484410 .3989390 .0752330 .7328830 .0068200

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.883 77.158 729.380 745.850 76.464

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.250 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.466 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.309 Tunisian Dinar 176.65 Jordanian Dinar 396.190 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.884 Syrian Lier 4.899 Morocco Dirham 32.64 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.700 Euro 354.52 Sterling Pound 441.820 Canadian dollar 274.79 Turkish lire 152.400 Swiss Franc 295.01 US Dollar Buying 279.500 GOLD 293.000 148.000 75.250

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL CASH

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

290.500 745.440 3.630 279.300 550.500 45.700 48.700 167.800 48.310 358.600 36.820 5.200 0.032 0.160 0.235 3.650 397.230 0.190 91.810 44.600 4.310 228.100 1.816

48.200 729.090 3.130 6.790 77.540 74.840 223.000 36.200 2.670 443.600 41.500 298.800 4.300 9.240 198.263 76.420 280.700 1.350

10 Tola

GOLD 1,681.310

Sterling Pound US Dollar

727.910 2.975 6.695 77.110 74.840 223.000 36.200 2.096 441.600 297.300 4.300 9.060 76.320 280.300

COUNTRY

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 441.600 280.300

SELL DRAFT

289.000 745.440 3.423 277.800

223.000 46.260 357.100 36.670 5.045 0.030

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

292.06 280.37 298.48 356.17 280.00 442.98 3.59 3.430 5.140 2.103 3.235 2.963 76.30 745.55 46.27 398.91 728.74 77.32 74.88

SELL CASH

288.00 279.00 299.00 357.00 281.25 442.00 3.65 3.550 5.950 2.260 3.650 3.200 77.00 745.15 48.20 397.50 732.00 78.00 75.15

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 397.190 0.189 91.810 3.170 226.600

Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

Selling Rate

280.750 278.155 438.550 351.875

Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

292.990 743.276 76.415 77.060 74.825 395.200 46.304 2.091 5.050 2.976 3.431 6.634 688.675 4.530 8.895 5.910 3.165 88.595

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars

280.200 2.963 5.055 2.110 3.424 6.680 76.390 74.875 744.900 46.249 445.500 2.990 3.130 1.550 360.600 281.300

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

280.350 355.600 442.000 277.900 3.550 5.118 46.325 2.102 3.421 6.705 2.970 745.700 76.250 74.800

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

BUSINESS

Japan’s ANA to issue $2.5bn in new shares TOKYO: Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) said yesterday it would issue new shares worth over 200 billion yen ($2.5 billion) this month, in a move that sent its stock into a nosedive, tumbling 14 percent by the close.

The company, which said the sale’s offering price will be set between July 18 and 20, added that much of the capital raised will be earmarked to buy Boeing 787s Dreamliners mainly for expanding its international routes. ANA ultimately expects to receive 55 of the aircraft which have been lauded as the future of aviation for their use of lightweight, fuel-saving materials.

The carrier credited a pickup in global travel and cost cuts for its record operating profit of about $1.2 billion in the year ended March, with

once-bankrupt rival Japan Airlines also booking a strong profit in the period. But investors dumped ANA shares on reports of the sale yesterday, with the stock plunging 14 percent to 193 yen in Tokyo, as they worried that the issue of about 914 million new shares would dilute the value of their investment. The move, which ANA confirmed after markets closed, would boost ANA’s outstanding shares by about 40 percent, and mark the biggest share sale in Japan this year for a non-financial company, the Nikkei business daily said.

“Through this offering of new shares... the company is seeking to promote investment in strategic aircraft that have high economic efficiency, chiefly the state of the art Boeing 787s,” ANA said in a statement. It said the public offering was intended

to help it in “establishing a financial base that is able to respond in a timely and flexible manner to future growth opportunities, aiming to establish a multi-brand strategy based in Asia”.

Earlier this year, ANA said it would aim to boost its international capacity by about 22 percent within two years and begin fresh routes as part of a new business strategy.

The carrier, the first to fly Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner late last year, said the plan for fiscal 2012 was meant to be a buffer against uncertainty in the global economy, high oil prices and a currency rate fluctuations. Japan’s aviation market has long been dominated by ANA and Japan Airlines, but this year sees the launch of a number of new low-cost carriers that are expected to provide

competition to the established airlines.

Flag-carrier Japan Airlines, which went bust in one of the nation’s biggest-ever bankruptcies in 2010, applied last month to re-list its shares in Tokyo by mid-September, according to local media.

The airline continued operating while it underwent an overhaul that included huge job and route cuts. “With Japan Airlines’ re-listing, rumored to be coming in the fall, ANA may be seeking to pre-empt JAL by raising cash now rather than risking it later,” said CLSA equity strategist Nicholas Smith. Jetstar Japan, a low-cost carrier part-owned

by JAL and Australia’s Qantas, made its maiden flight yesterday, traveling from Tokyo to Sapporo city on the northern island of Hokkaido. — AFP

Greece govt to present debt inspectors ‘alarming’ data Bid to renegotiate bailout terms

LONDON: A view of Barclays headquarters at London’s Canary Wharf financial district yesterday. Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond quit his job yesterday, the latest scalp in a financial markets scandal that has also seen the bank’s chairman announce his intention to resign and sown the seeds for another investigation into Britain’s banking sector. — AP

Barclays: A British bank with big ambitions LONDON: Barclays, the British bank which Bob Diamond led until his surprise resignation yesterday, is a major international player which has come a long way from its 17th century origins in the City of London.

Perhaps the most telling indicator of the scale of Barclays’ global ambition is the bank’s sponsorship of English football’s Premier League, watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world. The bank has over 4,000 branches in around more than 50 countries and has embarked on significant expansions in recent years. Barclays began developing as an international player in the 1980s and in 1986, it became the first British bank to have its shares listed on the New York and Tokyo stock exchanges.

Barclays Capital, its investment banking arm, was established in 1997, with Diamond building it up into one of the sector’s biggest players. A major step forward was the $1.75 billion acquisition of Lehman Brothers’ North American investment banking and capital markets businesses at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. This rare opportunity, overseen by Diamond, gave Barclays a major presence on Wall Street virtually overnight.

The bank has also expanded in emerging markets in recent years, stepping up its presence in countries like Indonesia and Russia.

It has said it wants to be one of the world’s top five banks-rubbing shoulders with giants like Citigroup. It currently stands 42nd in the world by market capitalization, worth $32 billion.

Diamond’s personal role in building up the investment banking side of the business was particularly significant, analysts say. The impressive growth of this branch of the bank to the retail and commercial side was thought to be a key reason for Diamond securing the job of chief executive.

“During the last decade he was very suc-

cessful, building up the investment banking bit of the bank,” said Giorgio Questa, a banking expert and visiting professor at City University London’s Cass Business School.

“There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that he made a lot of smart moves.”

Questa added that, unlike other Britishbased banks such as bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays did not need to take any public money to remain afloat during the financial crisis.

However, Barclays sought extra funds to shore up the books from investors in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. It would also have benefitted along with other banks from state guarantees and liquidity from the Bank of England.

Barclays slumped into the red in the first quarter of this year, suffering a net loss of £337 million in the three months to March, compared with a profit of £1.24 billion in the first quarter of 2011.

The results included an accounting charge of £2.62 billion on the value of its outstanding debt and a provision of £300 million to compensate clients who were mis-sold payment protection insurance in Britain, along with other lenders.

After those results, 27 percent of shareholders in April declined to back Barclays’ pay awards to bosses.The vote did not affect Diamond’s pay-he received £17.7 million in salary, bonus, benefits and long-term share awards for his work in 2011. At the time, he pledged to waive a large chunk of that if future performance did not improve.

In the end, it was not the wage issue which prompted Diamond’s resignation but a scandal over inter-bank rate-fixing. He said he was falling on his sword to protect a bank which he had worked hard to build up. “The external pressure placed on Barclays has reached a level that risks damaging the franchise-I cannot let that happen,” he said. —AFP

DP World sells Adelaide container port to Flinders DUBAI: Port operator DP World was forced to handover its 60-percent holding in Adelaide’s container terminal to Flinders Port after the Australian firm exercised its right to buy the stake, DP World said yesterday. The stake sale was triggered by a transaction entered by the state-owned Dubai firm last year to sell 75-percent of its Australian operations to private equity firm Citi Infrastructure Investors (CII) for $1.5 billion. Flinders, which owned the remaining 40 percent in the terminal, received the rights to acquire the DP World stake following that deal.

“Flinders Ports have remained insistent in exercising specific provisions in a shareholders agreement to acquire DP World Australia’s shareholding in the joint venture,” Ganesh Raj, managing director for DP World’s Australian business said.

“This was not a negotiated transaction and the total enterprise value, in excess of $235 million, representing 12.3 times historic earnings was determined by an independent expert valuer,” he said in a statement. DP World Australia also operates container terminals in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle. — Reuters

PARIS: The entrance of the French carmaker PSA Peugeot-Citroen’s factory.

Struggling French auto giant PSA Peugeot-Citroen might cut up to 10,000 jobs as it seeks to squeeze its operating costs, a union official said yesterday sending its stock price soaring. —AFP

ATHENS: Greece’s new government will present “alarming” data on its recession and unemployment to international debt inspectors this week, in a bid to renegotiate the terms of its bailout agreements.

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said in a television interview yesterday that the data would demonstrate that the current austerity program was counterproductive.

Greece is relying on rescue loans from its partners in the euro-zone and the International Monetar y Fund to avoid bankruptcy. In exchange, it has made painful austerity cuts, such as tax hikes and cuts to public sector jobs, pensions and salaries. Along with uncertainty over the country’s finances, those austerity measures have hit the economy hard - it is in a fifth year of recession, with unemployment topping 22 percent, roughly double the euro-zone average.

The Greek government will argue that it cannot withstand the current pace of austerity terms. Debt inspectors from the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF are due in Athens Wednesday. “We will present information that is astounding. It is alarming in terms of the recession and unemployment, and it shows beyond any doubt that the current policy does not bring results. It brings the opposite results,” Kedikoglou told private Antenna television.

Christos Staikouras, a deputy finance minister, said the recession was expected to deepen further later this year, quoting from a recent study by Greece’s Center of Planning and Economic Research, or KEPE, that carries out studies for the government. “The economy is in turmoil and the situation has reached an untenable point,” Staikouras said.

The economy contracted by 6.5 percent in the first quarter of 2012, he said. It is estimated to shrink a stunning 9.1 percent in the third quarter for a 6.7 percent contraction for the year

ATHENS: The head of a European task force created to speed up Greek recovery using EU support funds, Horst Reichenbach (center) arrives at the finance ministry in Athens for talks with Greece’s Finance minister, Yiannis Stournaras yesterday. — AFP as a whole, according to KEPE. That is almost twice as bad as official predictions made a few months ago.

Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has promised to seek more time to meet the deficit reduction targets, after winning a general election last month and joining traditional rival Socialists in a coalition government. Evangelos Venizelos, the Socialist leader, said a renegotiation of bailout terms was inevitable.

“Greece, regardless of which government represents it, cannot remain indifferent to this deep recession ... that is approaching an aggregate 20 percent of gross domestic product. No

government can remain indifferent to an unemployment rate that exceeds 22 percent and 55 among young people,” he said.

“The extension of the economic adjustment program is the cornerstone of the country’s strategy and of the basis of the coalition government’s cooperation.” Rescue creditors have so far appeared cool to the idea of extending Greece’s deficit reduction deadlines. On Monday, a senior official from the European Central Bank, Joerg Asmussen, warned that lengthening the program would simply put off unavoidable reforms, and could threaten efforts to make Greek national debt sustainable. —AP

Freight dispute risks delay in Iran oil to China

BOSTON: Worker Khan Simom, of Boston, glues cushions to unfinished shoes during the assembly process at the New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc factory in Boston. The Commerce Department reported yesterday, that factory orders increased 0.7 percent in May. — AP

US factory orders rose 0.7% in May WASHINGTON: Companies placed more orders with US factories in May from April, demanding more computers, machinery and other equipment that signal investment plans. The increase is a welcome sign after two months of declining factory orders. Still, manufacturing has slowed from the start of the year, adding to worries that weaker global growth could weigh on the US economy.

The Commerce Department said yesterday that factory orders increased 0.7 percent in May. And core capital goods, such as machinery and computers, rose 2.1 percent. That’s better than the 1.6 percent estimated in a preliminary report a week ago and is a good measure of companies’ plans to invest. The increase left orders for durable goods at $469 billion, up 43.5 percent from their recession low reached in March 2009. But orders are down 2.5 percent from their post-recession high hit in December.

Manufacturing has lost some vigor this year. US consumers and businesses are less confident in the economy and are spending less. Europe’s debt crisis has reduced demand for US exports. And manufacturing has slowed in big countries like China, which rely on US factories

for equipment, machinery and vehicles. A closely watched survey of purchasing managers said manufacturing shrank in June for the first time in nearly three years. Factory production and exports declined, and a measure of new orders plunged. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index fell to 49.7 in June - the lowest reading since July 2009. Readings below 50 indicate manufacturing is contracting.

Economists said the manufacturing figures from the ISM survey were consistent with growth at an annual rate of 1.5 percent or less. Such growth would be lower than the January-March quarter’s tepid annual pace of 1.9 percent. Growth of 1.9 percent typically generates roughly 90,000 jobs a month. That’s considered too weak to reduce the unemployment rate, which was 8.2 percent in May. Employers added an average of only 73,000 jobs per month in April and May, a sharp slowdown from the monthly average of 226,000 jobs added in January through March. The government reports Friday on June employment. Economists forecast employers added just 90,000 jobs last month and no change in the unemployment rate. — AP

BEIJING: The delivery of millions of barrels of Iranian crude to its top buyer, China, is at risk of delay due to a dispute between refining giant Sinopec and shipper National Iranian Tanker Co (NITC) over freight terms, Beijing-based sources said yesterday.

China has turned to NITC for delivery of the 500,000 barrels per day of crude it buys from Iran as a result of European Union sanctions. The EU measures took effect on Sunday and prohibit European insurers, who dominate the maritime sector, from offering cover on Iran crude. That left Sinopec unable to use Chinese shippers and forced it to use NITC. No vessels have been named to carry the 12 million barrels of crude that China has nominated for loading in Iran in the first 20 days of July, industry sources told Reuters. “ There is some problem between NITC and (Sinopec’s trading arm) Unipec over the freight issue,” said an Iranian oil official who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. “Unipec has proposed a number and it’s now under consideration by NITC. I hope this can be solved very soon,” the official said.

Iranian oil shipments have already tumbled 40 percent this year, according to the International Energy Agency, as the Islamic Republic’s top customers - China, India, Japan and South Korea - scale back or halt their purchases amid Western sanctions aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear program.

Industry watchers say Europe’s marine insurance sanction is the most effective by Western nations against Iran’s oil trade. The sanctions ban EU insurers from covering tankers carrying Iranian crude anywhere in the world.

About 90 percent of the world’s tanker insurance is underwritten in the West.

Unipec last month requested that Iran deliver July-loading crude cargoes to Chinese ports and provide price quotes on a cost-insurance-freight basis.

Before the EU sanctions, China typically paid Iran for the crude only and paid for its own freight and insurance. But in the absence of access to shipping insurance, it now has to rely on NITC’s vessels.

“I hope and believe the Iranian side will cooperate as it’s a small technical problem,” said a Chinese crude oil trader.

“They should not be wasting time on this. Otherwise they will face really big losses.”

Sinopec, through Unipec and state-trader Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp, had scheduled to lift some 500,000 bpd of Iranian oil this month, traders said.

However, Chinese traders said Sinopec’s import appetite could be limited after record imports in May and lackluster domestic demand that has forced it to cut production at its refineries.

The dispute over freight and insurance costs could disrupt the delivery of the Iranian crude to China. Its next deliveries consist of at least four NITC supertankers carrying as much as 8 million barrels of Iranian crude that are already on the water, shipping data shows. They were loaded last month before the sanctions came into force.

Sinopec slashed its purchases of Iran crude by more than half in the first quarter in a dispute with Tehran over the cost of the crude and payment terms as it negotiated a 2012 supply contract. —Reuters

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business

Where to invest if uncertainty does not dissipate soon?

KCIC INVESTMENT REPORT

By Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi KUWAIT: The year star ted with encouraging US economic data. In the EU, massive ECB support lowered sovereign yields and spreads, unfroze interbank lending, and reduced risk of disorderly defaults in the banking system. China and emerging markets slowed down, but did not hard-land.

With valuations below historical trends, risk-aversion declined. For the first time in decades, the earnings yield (annual profits divided by price) in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index (S&P500) rose above 7 percent, about 5 percent above the 10-year US Treasuries (10Y-UST) rate. Also, more than 40 percent of the stocks in the S&P500yielded more in dividends than the 10Y-UST in interest. Investors’ confidence rose and the hardest-hit assets became sought after. In emerging economies, short-term portfolio-flows chased high-yield, reflating asset in Asia and Latin America. Quickly, liquidity galvanized investors seeking higher returns. Although thinly-traded, global equities and commodities surged.

For the rally to last, a healthy global recovery and rising company earnings

are needed. But the whole world is slowing down. The US economy is showing signs of deceleration and could enter a soft patch. Consumers are cautious. Europe - UK included - is sliding into recession. China and India are unlikely to inject a sizeable stimulus in their economies. Going forward, growth will remain challenged. In advanced economies, household, financial-sector and public-sector deleveraging, spending cuts and reforms are needed and upcoming.

Fiscal consolidation will accelerate disinflation, and - as buyers anticipate lower prices - consumption will decline. “Tail risks” -low-probability, high-impact events that could have systemic consequences via negative feedback loops -could materialize, hampering the real economy and investor confidence. Indeed, global unemployment affects 200 million people (up 27 million since the start of the crisis) and could spark unrest. The Arab turmoil and Iran nuclear ambitions are unlikely to be frictionless. The euro-zone’s democratic deficit, rising sovereign risks and ongoing debt restructuring - where a Greek deal is likely to lead to a Portuguese one - are

sources of stress and possibly contagion. Policy mistakes, due to wait-andsee attitude or political deadlock, could induce a recession. Banks, in need of capital and allergic to regulatory reform, will foster financial sector jitteriness. Global politics look challenging, with presidential elections in the US, Russia, Yemen, and Venezuela, parliamentary elections in India, Iran, Libya, Jordan and Tunisia, the leadership transition in China and North Korea’s succession. Pak istan and Afghanistan could also contribute to geo-political instability.

As a result, corporations are on hold, lacking confidence to make significant business and investment decisions, since sales, profit margins and corporate earnings might suffer. The market seems to have moved ahead of fundamentals, and a correction looks likely. In 2012, because of excessive liquidity and high uncertainty, stock markets are likely to remain highly volatile. Investors might focus on news and events rather than longer-term trends. Given the slow-growth, disinflationary outlook, a fast “reversion to the mean” of returns is improbable.

Indeed, stocks could be cheap

because, as happened in Japan, they discount a deflationary trend. Taking fundamental directional bets (i.e. via long-only funds) is likely to prove disappointing .Earnings growth will soften, especially in emerging markets.

Financials are likely to suffer. Investors will privilege strong balance sheets and value. Blue chips income-producing multinational brands will do well, as a significant share of their revenues comes from emerging markets. Small luxur y companies, healthcare providers and the consumer sector are likely to generate returns.US stock markets are likely to outperform.

Core sovereign bonds (UST and German Bunds) might benefit from risk-off episodes, slowing economic growth and a reduction in long-term interest rates. Still, in absence of systemic shocks, high-yield corporate credit might perform well and emerging country bonds denominated in local currencies could deliver even higher returns. Inflation-linked bonds show more risk than returns.

The unfolding of the euro-zone crisis and the ongoing ECB monetization should weaken the euro. If a tail risk materializes, investors will retreat to

the USD, still the world’s primary trading and reserve currency and a global safe haven. The Swiss franc is likely to maintain it purchasing power.

With respect to the past decades, investors face a very different, and more difficult, investment environment. The probability of future financial shocks, and black swans, is high.

Capital preservation via a defensive asset allocation is priority. Over the next couple of years, cash could work as both an insurance against sharp downturns and the required seedingcapital to quickly seize opportunities.

Still, in the longer-run keeping liquid portfolios will result in low returns.

Illiquid assets, such as private equity and real estate are to be considered, but only if fully understood and professionally executed. In a few years, looking back to this post-crisis period with the benefit of hindsight, it is likely that unusual portfolios- less liquid and more volatile, thus considered of lower quality today - will perform better than accepted ones.

-Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi is Chief Economist, who also serves on the Management Team and the Investment Committee at KCIC.

Brent tops $100 on Iran tensions, stimulus hopes Tension between Iran and the West escalates LONDON: Oil topped $100 a barrel for the first time in three weeks yesterday as tension over Iran increased concerns about threats to supply and as investors bet on further policy action to support global economic growth.

Iran said yesterday it had successfully tested missiles capable of hitting Israel in response to threats of military action against the country. A European Union embargo against Iranian oil took full effect yesterday.

Brent crude was up $2.31 to $99.65 a barrel by 1236 GMT after climbing as high as $100.17 intraday, trading above $100 for the first time since June 11. US crude rose by $1.95 to $85.70.

“The recovery has been aided by supply-side risks, which until recently tended to be overlooked,” Carsten Fritsch, an analyst at Commerzbank, said.

“Not even weaker data such as the US ISM manufacturing index have checked oil’s advance. The situation would have been different a week ago, suggesting a change of mood on the commodity markets.”

Even after the rally, Brent oil is still down 22 percent from its 2012 high of $128.40 reached on March 1. Prices in the second quarter posted their

biggest quarterly drop since the 2008 financial crisis.

The euro zone debt crisis and weak economic data from the top two consumers of oil, the United States and China, have fuelled expectations of government measures to ease monetary policy, which gave a lift to European shares yesterday.

The European Central Bank is expected to cut interest rates to a record low tomorrow.

Reports this week, including from the American Petroleum Institute later on Tuesday, may show a further drop in US crude inventories on production cuts in the Gulf of Mexico because of Tropical Storm Debby.

Analysts in a preliminary Reuters poll expected a 2.2 million barrel drop in stocks.

Iran’s latest threat on Monday to disrupt oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz also supported prices. Its National Security and Foreign Policy Committee drafted a bill to try and stop oil tankers from passing through the strait to countries that support sanctions against it.

Iranian threats to block the waterway have increased in the past year amid tightening Western sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear work, which Iran

says is peaceful and the West suspects is aimed at weapons development.

About 17 million barrels a day of oil - almost a fifth of global production from the top Middle East producers sailed through the narrow strait in 2011.

Coinciding with the start of the EU Iranian oil ban, Iran on Sunday announced the missile tests and threatened to wipe Israel “off the face of the earth” if the Jewish state attacked it.

“Iran is always a factor and it has the potential to have a dramatic impact on oil prices,” said Ben Le Brun, a markets analyst at OptionsXpress in Sydney. “Traders are also expecting to see a policy response from China and a potential for more stimulus from the US Federal reserve to support the economy.” In Norway, an oil and gas workers’ strike has started to slow crude shipments from the world’s eighth-largest oil exporter, although unions yesterday decided against escalating the action for now. The strike has led to a delay in the export of a cargo of Oseberg crude, according to a trading source. Oseberg is part of the North Sea dated Brent benchmark used as the basis for many of the world’s trades. — Reuters

Japan’s Renesas eyes $550m savings, cutting 5,000 jobs TOKYO: Struggling Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics said yesterday it is looking to save 43 billion yen ($550 million) annually, mostly by slashing at least 5,000 jobs.

The company said in a statement it will offer an early retirement program to its domestic workers, saying “we expect 5,000 and some hundreds more people to apply.” It also said it will reorganize domestic production facilities to concentrate on its mainstay businesses. It will reduce output and hand over plants to other companies.

The announcement came after Renesas lost 62.6 billion yen in the year to March as Japan’s microchip sector struggles with a strong yen and fierce competition, especially from South Korean and Taiwanese rivals.

Japanese manufacturers were also hit by last year’s quake-tsunami disaster. Renesas will focus on overseas markets and microcontroller chips used for next-generation energy-efficient vehicles and various electronic appliances as part of a major overhaul of its business portfolio, it said.

The early retirement program, to be offered between September 18 and September 26, will ask workers to retire on October 31 with usual retirement allowances and additional payments.

“With this measure, we expect an annual cost-reduction effect of 43 billion yen from next fiscal year,” it said. The company’s president said last week he had won agreement for financial help from top share-

holders, the technology giants NEC, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Electric, along with creditor banks.

“The three top shareholders have expressed their basic agreement to our request for necessary capital.

We are still discussing details and conditions,” Yasushi Akao told a shareholders meeting in Kawasaki City, near Tokyo.

His comments confirmed reports that Renesas’s biggest investors, which own about 90 percent of its

shares, would help the firm that was created by the merger of their own chip divisions over the past decade.

In May, Renesas said it would boost the outsourcing of its chip production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., including a bigger share of its output of microcontrollers.

Yesterday, Renesas shares surged 9.77 percent to close at 348 yen before the announcement of its restructuring plan. — AFP

TOKYO: Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics president Yasushi Akao (right) is approached by members of the press as he leaves a press conference in Tokyo yesterday.

Struggling Japanese chipmaker Renesas said it is looking to save 43 billion yen ($550 million) annually, mostly by slashing at least 5,000 jobs. — AFP

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Saudi, UAE, Qatar, Jordan most attractive markets in MENA Ernst & Young Cleantech Survey DUBAI: According to Ernst & Young’s 2012 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Cleantech Survey Report, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Jordan are the most attractive markets for clean technologies.

Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar are at the top of the attractive markets list, according to the respondents, due to their government plans, budgets and long-term strategies. These countries have also demonstrated investments in large initiatives such as KACARE, Masdar and the ‘Green’ FIFA World Cup 2022. Although Jordan has limited financial resources, a new law was issued on renewable energy, which may help create new jobs by increasing local content requirements for investments in renewable energy.

Nimer Abu Ali, MENA Head of Cleantech, Ernst & Young says: “We see growing confidence in MENA Cleantech investments this year. The respondents were more optimistic than last year, mainly due to government support and various initiatives in the different countries in MENA. We

expect this trend to continue as more Cleantech projects are realized and more we see the immense benefits of renewable energy.”

79% of regional respondents expect an increase in Cleantech investments in the region over the next five years. They also expect considerable increases in Cleantech investments in the GCC, reflecting the impressions of investors after recent announcements in the GCC and ambitious plans of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 94% of these respondents were more optimistic about Cleantech investments increasing in the GCC, compared with 73% in North Africa and 67% in the Levant.

Desertec project The European Union and MENA governments and companies are planning to connect the region via an electrical energy grid capable of providing MENA countries with considerable electricity and Europe with 15% of its electricity needs by 2050 (the Desertec project). Electricity will be generated

mostly through renewable energy.

54% of the respondents still believe that the Desertec project will be realized compared with 62% last year, and 36% believe that the project could be realized but on a smaller scale and at a reduced size.

Drivers of Cleantech The survey indentified four main drivers of Cleantech growth across the MENA region: government policy, cost of the renewable energy, desire to reduce the use of fossil fuels and increased business efficiency. Job creation was also cited as an important driver for growing Cleantech investment in the Levant as a result of population growth and elevated rates of unemployment. According to Ernst & Young’s second quarterly RapidGrowth Markets Forecast, over 15 million young people will enter the region’s workforce over the next decade. Cleantech may create employment opportunities for the relatively young and fast-growing labor force in MENA.

Cleantech technologies Almost one-third of the respondents in MENA favor solar energy as the number one potential source of renewable energy irrespective of their territories. In a dramatic change from last year’s results, respondents selected energy efficiency as the second potential growth area across the region, with slight changes from one territory to another, followed by water and green buildings.

A majority of the respondents (75%) cited Photovoltaic (PV) as the main solar technology for the MENA region followed by just 19% that named Concentrating Solar Power (CSP). Respondents justified their selection mainly by the price per watt compared with the other technologies.

“We see a change in the contribution of solar, water and energy efficiency technology to per capita consumption in the region as the costs for each technology deployment is declining. For the GCC, energy efficiency and green buildings have become

hot topics due to climatic conditions and high electricity consumption,” added Nimer.

Barriers to investment Respondents cited insufficient government support as the main barrier to renewable energy investments across all countries in the MENA region. But respondents expressed diverging views about other challenges facing the development of renewable energy.

Price competitiveness is the main obstacle for the GCC countries as their direct cost of oil barrel production compared to investment in renewable energy is low. Price comparison is a lesser concern in the Levant and some North African countries that are net importers of energy.

“The absence of clear regulation and policy framework continues to discourage investors and the private sector from investments in Cleantech and these could be areas that governments can focus on in the coming months,” concluded Nimer.

Boeing upgrades 20-year market forecast to $4.5tn Demand for 34,000 aircraft seen

SEOUL: South Korean farmers and fishermen shout slogans during a rally to oppose a free trade agreement (FTA) with China in Seoul, South Korea, as the two countries began their second round of free trade talks yesterday. They protest against the prospect of the accord which they say could damage South Korea’s agriculture and fishery industries. The letters read “Stop the FTA between the South Korea and China.” — AP

France will meet 2012 deficit target, says FM PARIS: France will meet its target of cutting its budget deficit to 4.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said yesterday.

But without amendments, the deficit would hit 5.0 percent of GDP, he added.

With economic output at around 2 trillion euros, that suggested the government needed to find budget cuts worth roughly 10 billion euros. “Our objectives will be met: a deficit of 4.5 percent in 2012, then reduced to 3 percent in 2013 which is a considerable step - before returning to budget equilibrium in 2017,” Moscovici told a financial conference in Paris.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was due to outline the government’s policy agenda to parliament later yesterday.

Government sources have said the new Socialist administration plans new taxes on the wealthy and large corporations that would net it some 7.5 billion euros, money it would use to plug the budget gap. The state auditor said on Monday it was critical for France to hit its 3 percent deficit target next year in order to retain

market confidence. But doing so would entail more than 33 billion euros in austerity measures, it said, recommending cuts to public sector staffing to achieve that.

Moscovici said that France’s plans would not be disrupted by a one-off charge of some 5 billion euros next year in tax repayments to foreign investment funds following a recent European Union ruling against Paris. And on banking regulation, he said that French banks should not rush to implement the Basel III capital requirements ahead of a deadline if that meant slowing credit supply to the real economy.

“It’s important not to rush the implementation of these reforms vis-a-vis the calendar defined by the Basel committee, allowing a gradual implementation of these rules so as to avoid a too brutal impact on the financing of the economy,” Moscovici said.

He also said that France’s international partners, notably the United States, should press ahead with implementing the rules on time so as to ensure a level playing field for competition. — Reuters

Zimbabwe gives banks a year to hand over stakes HARARE: Zimbabwe has given foreign-owned banks one year to hand over 51 percent stakes to locals, according to a government notice, as President Robert Mugabe ramps up a drive to force all foreign-owned businesses to surrender majority control to blacks.

A government notice released last week said all foreign-owned banks with a minimum net value of $1 had one year to reduce their shareholding to 49 percent. The southern African state has already forced mining companies such as Rio Tinto and Impala Platinum , the world’s second-largest platinum miner, to turn over majority stakes in their local units to black Zimbabweans.

Emboldened by his success against miners, empowerment minister Saviour Kasukuwere is now targeting banks. Kasukuwere, a 41-year-old member of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party, has clashed with central bank Governor Gideon Gono and Finance Minister Tendai Biti over the banking sector.

Biti, a senior member from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change party and Gono, a Mugabe ally, have opposed Kasukuwere, arguing Zimbabwe only has four foreign banks

out of 26 financial institutions.

Kasukuwere could not immediately be reached for comment but he has previously vowed to pursue foreign banks which he accuses of refusing to provide loans to the agriculture industry and small black businesses.

“Foreign banks are safe because they deny you funding ... so we have got to transform them,” Kasukuwere was quoted as saying by the private NewsDay last Thursday.

Standard Chartered Bank Plc, Barclays Bank Plc and South Africa’s Standard Bank and Nebank all have operations in Zimbabwe and would be affected by the latest regulations.

ZANU-PF has been criticized over the past decade for patronage when seizing white-owned farms. Critics say many farms are now in the hands of party loyalists instead of the landless black peasants who were supposed to benefit.

Critics of the takeovers of mines and banks say ZANU-PF is using the policy to try and win votes ahead of elections which will be held in the next 12 months.

The government notice also said private schools, which used to be a preserve for whites but are now largely multi-racial, should in the next year be majority owned by blacks. — Reuters

LONDON: US planemaker Boeing Co hiked its 20-year market forecast, predicting demand for 34,000 new aircraft worth $4.5 trillion, on growth in emerging regions and as airlines seek efficient new planes to counter high fuel costs. Many airlines are facing tough conditions as consumers and businesses in austerity-hit regions cut back on travel, while high fuel prices are taking their toll on profit.

“I don’t think there’s any question that the forecast reflects the economic struggles we see today in some of the mature markets,” Randy Tinseth, vice president marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told a media briefing in London. The forecast did not take into account a possible collapse of the euro or the exit of any euro member, Tinseth said.

“We’re looking at a world economy, where, especially over the next few years, we slog through the situation here in Europe and then once you get into the 2014 time frame and beyond, you see more normal economic growth.”

Boeing said yesterday the market for new planes would become more geographically balanced over the next two decades, with the Asia-Pacific region leading the way in deliveries, as markets like China and India continued to grow. The company had last year forecast demand for 33,500 new passenger aircraft and freighters worth $4 trillion by 2030.

“Robust growth in China, India and other emerging markets is a major factor in the increased deliveries over the next 20 years,” Boeing said. The company said airline traffic was forecast to grow at a 5 percent annual

rate over the next 20 years, with cargo traffic seen growing at a rate of 5.2 percent. It saw the world fleet doubling over the next two decades. “Low-cost carriers, with their ability to stimulate traffic with low fares, are growing faster than the market as a whole,” the company said. Boeing said there was strong demand to replace older, less fuel-efficient aircraft,

aircraft - such as its 787 Dreamliner - worth $2.08 trillion and 790 large aircraft - the Airbus A380 or Boeing 747 - worth $280 billion over 20 years.

Two fifths of the demand for widebody long-range aircraft would come from Asian airlines, Boeing said. It cut its forecast for the freighter market, blaming a cargo market that

with replacements accounting for 41 percent of new deliveries in the forecast, which runs to 2031. There would be strong demand for replacement aircraft from Europe, the United States and Russia, Tinseth said. The Chicagobased company said it saw a market for 23,240 single-aisle aircraft over the next two decades - a category that includes its 737 and rival Airbus’s A320 - worth $2.03 trillion.

It predicted demand for 7,950 twin-aisle

remains sluggish. It said it expected the world freighter fleet to nearly double from 1,740 aircraft today to 3,200 by 2031. Last year it had forecast the fleet would reach 3,500 by 2030.

That market segment was flat last year and would perform below the long-term trend once again this year, hit by economic problems, high fuel prices and the fact that lower cost alternatives like shipping exist,” Tinseth said. — Reuters

Chrysler’s US sales rise 20% in June DETROIT: Chrysler’s US sales rose 20 percent in June on strong demand across its lineup, from the tiny Fiat 500 to the Ram pickup truck. The automaker’s sales increase last month was in line with expectations for overall industry growth of about 20 percent over last June. Sales were weaker last year because the Japanese earthquake depleted supplies. Other automakers report sales later Tuesday.

Demand for Chrysler’s Ram pickup - its best-seller - increased 12 percent as home building perked up. Cars saw much bigger increases. Sales of the Fiat 500 and the Chrysler 300 large sedan more than doubled over last

June. The pace of US sales is cooling somewhat from the start of the year. Earlier this spring, sales were on track to reach 14.5 million this year. The pace dropped to 13.8 million in May and is expected to stay below 14 million in June. But so far, carmakers aren’t panicking.

They say underlying demand remains strong, and new models like the Ford Escape and Dodge Dart - which both arrived in dealerships last month - will draw out buyers. Chrysler sold 200 Darts last month. “Although this softer sales rate may persist over the next few months, we believe that 2012, like 2011, will finish out strongly,” Barclays analyst Brian

Johnson wrote in a recent note to investors. Sales in the first four months of this year were boosted by mild weather and the postearthquake return of Japanese inventories. But since then, the economic picture has gotten cloudier.

In June, employers scaled back hiring and manufacturing shrank for the first time in nearly three years. Consumer confidence which needs to be strong for buyers to invest in new cars - fell for the fourth straight month. The news isn’t all worrisome. If sales come in at 13.8 million for the year, they would still be stronger than the 12.8 million in 2011. And they’d be much stronger than the

30-year low of 10.4 million during the recession in 2009. There continues to be a lot of demand from buyers who bought cars in the middle of the last decade and need to replace them. Annual sales hit a high of 17 million in 2005, and those cars are now seven years old.

Low interest rates and better credit availability could also lure buyers. The average interest rate on a 60-month new-car loan is now 4.5 percent, down from 6.98 percent two years ago, according to Bankrate.com. “ The affordability of cars is probably at an all-time high,” Chrysler Group sales chief Reid Bigland said last week. — AP

Fiat will raise stake in Chrysler to 61.8%

MOSCOW: Cows are seen in the Lenin State Farm, a former collective farm, now a successful enterprise outside Moscow. The impending July 10 vote in the parliament to ratify the WTO agreement crowns 18 years of Russia’s negotiations to join the organization. The Russian government is hoping that the WTO membership will help it attract more foreign investors. But some trade groups have claimed that it could ruin thousands of businesses. —AP

ROME: Italian auto giant Fiat said yesterday that it intends to boost its stake in Chrysler to 61.8 percent by buying about 3.3 percent of the US carmaker from the VEBA trust fund. “Fiat has notified VEBA of Fiat’s exercise of its option to purchase a portion of the interest held in Chrysler by VEBA,” the Italian auto maker said in a statement, adding that it would buy “approximately 3.3 percent.”

“Following the consummation of the purchase, expected to occur in the upcoming weeks, Fiat will hold 61.8 percent of the outstanding equity in Chrysler,” it said. The statement did not specify how much the operation will cost the company, but said it would “pay an exercise price... based on a market multiple applied to Chrysler EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) for the most recent four quarters less net industrial debt.” VEBA holds a 45.7-percent stake in Chrysler.

Fiat has held an option to purchase 40 percent of VEBA’s interest in the Detroit-based car maker since June 2009, with the right to buy stakes of up to 20 percent at a time from July 1, 2012 until June 30, 2016, the statement said.

Fiat took over management of Chrysler in June 2009. The Italian car maker took a 20-percent stake in exchange for sharing technology and providing trusted leadership as the US brand emerged from a government-backed bankruptcy.

Fiat then steadily increased its stake in Chrysler, and together they are set to produce up to six million vehicles a year by 2014 — putting the combined company among the top auto makers in the world. — AFP

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BUSINESS

2013 Ford Taurus delivers more technology, better driving dynamics Taurus tops large car category in JD Power and Associates’ 2012 Initial Quality Study KUWAIT: Debuting in the Middle East region this month, the new 2013 Ford Taurus delivers more of what large sedan customers really want for the 2013 model year - with even more technology, design refinement, improved craftsmanship, enhanced driving dynamics and better fuel economy.

“We have significantly upgraded Ford’s flagship sedan through obsessive attention to detail,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “This evolved Taurus builds on the transformation we achieved in the 2010 model. Delivering so many upgrades so soon fur ther underscores Ford’s leadership and commitment to bringing high-quality, fuelefficient cars for our customers.”

Larr y Prein, Ford Middle East ’s managing director said: “ We are excited to offer the 2013 Ford Taurus across our showrooms. The new refreshed model clearly takes the game to the next level and builds on Ford’s commitment to offer products of better fuel economy, with outstanding craftsmanship, attractive design, more technology and great driving dynamics.”

Ti-VCT 3.5-liter V6 engine The 3.5-liter V6 is offered as stan-

dard equipment in Taurus SE, SEL and Limited series models. In the new Taurus, this engine benefits from the addition of twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT), achieving better fuel economy, more horsepower and a reduction in part-throttle emissions compared to the previous

a fully counterweighted forged steel crankshaft, die-cast aluminum deepsump oil pan and four-bolt main bearing caps with side bolts through the engine block.

Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics are controlled and reduced through employment of a

365 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque.

Like all Ford EcoBoost engines, this engine produces peak torque across a broad plateau from 1,500 to 5,250 rpm. Peak torque building quickly off idle ensures responsive acceleration.

From the driver’s seat, the result is

standard Taurus V6. This engine delivers an expected increase of 2 mpg highway, with 10 percent more horsepower than the current model.

The engine has been engineered for durability with chain- driven camshafts, high-strength forged metal connecting rods with floating pins,

tuned composite upper and lower manifold, and a silent-chain camshaft drive.

linear power delivery. Combining direct injection and a pair of turbochargers, the V6 EcoBoost engine avoids lag by employing impellers that spool up quick ly for swif t response. This Taurus SHO combination of power, consistent torque delivery, all-wheel drive and up to 9.4

EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 engine The EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 - standard equipment in the high-performance Taurus SHO - is Ford’s most powerful EcoBoost offering, delivering

L/km on the highway is unmatched by competitors.

Six-speed transmissions Each Taurus engine is mated to a unique six-speed automatic transmission specially tailored to that application. Six-speed transmissions add fuel economy and performance, as they allow for lower gearing to be optimized for improved off-the -line acceleration, yet enable higher gears to help provide economical cruising by keeping engine rpm levels low.

Taurus equipped with the 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine features the 6F50 six-speed transmission, while the Taurus SHO spor t sedan mates a high-capacity 6F55 version of this gearbox to the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6.

All-wheel-drive Taurus models features an advanced array of mechanical clutches that engage and disengage unobtrusively to efficiently distribute torque to the wheels with optimum traction.

The Taurus interior keeps green with extensive use of recycled material in the cloth surfaces, in the headliner and in the NVH control components. Taurus seat cushions are made from soy-based foam, significantly reducing petroleum-based content.

Gulf Fertilizer industry to reach annual growth of 7.5% by 2016 KUWAIT: Converting sustainable development into value for Gulf fertilizer producers will be the theme of the Third Annual GPCA Fertilizer Convention, organized by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) in Dubai from September 17-19, 2012.

The convention will focus on developing long-term strategies to realize further industry growth, as well as opportunities for collaboration between industry players.

“The Gulf is undergoing massive expansion of fertilizer capacity, with the region heading for an estimated 7.5% annual growth in production capacity by 2016. In response to this, companies are looking to develop long-term strategies to provide a framework for sustainable growth of the regional industry,” said Dr Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General of the GPCA. “The Third GPCA Fertilizer Convention will host a wide variety of distinguished international speakers representing producers and their stakeholders, providing for a stimulating

debate on how such measured and sustainable development can be achieved.”

Dr Al-Sadoun added: “This year’s theme will address many of the issues facing the region as it increases its importance as a major fertilizer production hub.”

According to the GPCA, total production of fertilizers products is expected to reach nearly 32 million tons by 2016, compared to 21 million tons in 2011. Moreover, the Gulf is expected to account for 36% of global urea exports and 24% of the world trade in phosphate fertilizers by 2016. But the global economic downturn and political and economic uncertainty in both the Arab world and Europe present significant near-term challenges to growth.

The convention will address these and other critical industry questions, including the role of the Gulf fertilizer industry in meeting rapidly growing world food demand. The Food and Agriculture Organization claims food production will need to increase by 70% by 2050

Gulf Bank launches new salary offer KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has announced the launch of its new salary offer which provides any Kuwaiti employee with exclusive benefits when they open a new salary account at the Bank.

Yaser Sulaiman, Executive Manager, Consumer Banking Group at Gulf Bank said: “Gulf Bank is committed to offering excellent banking services and products for all its current and prospective customers.

The Bank’s latest offer provides customers with a comprehensive Yaser Sulaiman range of benefits in a single package, as well as the opportunity to receive the best and fastest banking services. New customers can take full advan-

tage of this offer by simply transferring their salary account to Gulf Bank to instantly be entitled to the numerous benefits.”

New customers opening a salary account at Gulf Bank can enjoy many benefits such as a KD100 Al Danah Account voucher, a free Visa or MasterCard credit card for the first year, a free internet card, KD75 voucher from X-cite by Alghanim, an opportunity to win one of four BMW’s by using their Gulf Bank credit card, chances to win millions of points upon using their Gulf Bank credit card, special vehicle discounts from Gulf Bank car dealership partners, loans up to KD70,000 loan payable over 15 years, as well as Gulf Rewards discounts at 100 outlets in Kuwait.

To find out more information about Gulf Bank’s new salary offer, customers and potential customers can visit any of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, or contact the Bank’s Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance, or log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s website.

Burgan Bank announces winner of MasterCard summer promotion 2012 KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced its winner Shaikha Abdullah Dakheel Al-Dalagan, a Burgan Bank MasterCard holder, who won an IPad, as part of the ongoing MasterCard Summer Promotion 2012.

This promotion, entitles customers to win will 10,000$ or one of 30 IPads automatically by using their MasterCard for any purchase locally and internationally.

Whether at home or travelling, MasterCard is a safe and convenient way to pay with access to over 1.9 million ATMS and 32 million retail stores worldwide. For more information on M asterCard, customers can visit www.mastercard.com/mel. To find out more about Burgan Bank services as well as its latest promotions, customers are required to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch or contact the call center on 1804080. For more information, customers can visit the bank’s website on

www.burgan.com.

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is the youngest commercial Bank based in Kuwait, with a significant focus on the corporate and financial institutions sectors, as well as having a growing retail and private bank customer base.

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

The Bank has continuously improved its performance over the years through an expanded revenue structure, diversified funding sources, and a strong capital base.

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

in order to feed an extra 2.3 billion people.

The outlook for key emerging markets such as India, China, Africa and South America will also be assessed during the convention, alongside trends in global agriculture, together with their implications for the Middle East fertilizer sector. “Adopting best practices to ensure the industry’s long-term sustainability in an uncertain economic climate is crucial,” said Dr Al-Sadoun.

Major industry organizations confirmed to present at the Third Annual Convention include The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA), SABIC , Ma’aden, Unilever, GPIC, CNCIC, EtherChem (Beijing), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Stamicarbon, Iraq Geological Survey, and Nalco. CRU, the event co-organizers and analysts, will also present in-depth market insights at the convention. This year’s event will begin with an afternoon of interactive technical sessions on September 17 at the InterContinental, Dubai Festival City.

Saudi mortgage reform faces major hurdles DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is conducting one of its biggest economic reforms in years by allowing housing mortgages to be offered in the kingdom, but structural problems such as high land costs may prevent the market from booming any time soon. After over a decade of study, the government approved the country’s first law permitting mortgages, the state news agency reported late on Monday. The news delighted the stock market; shares of banks and property developers jumped.

Lending for home purchases already takes place in Saudi Arabia but it is generally based on payments deducted by banks from salaries; the new law could allow the development of more flexible and competitive products, potentially igniting a surge of home buying and construction.

“It’s a good move in the long term,” said Paul Gamble, chief economist and head of research at Riyadh-based Jadwa Investment. “Affordable housing for low and middle-income groups is a huge issue in the kingdom, and this move will help remove some of the key problems for this category of home buyers.” Saudi Arabia’s housing market will need 1.65 million new homes by 2015 to meet demand, according to a report released by Banque Saudi Fransi last year. Private and public developers will need to build about 275,000 units a year for a population that has doubled in size since 1988 and is growing by more than 2 percent annually, it said.

The mortgage law, which includes regulations covering mortgage finance institutions, home leasing and legal mechanisms to settle disputes, could make it much easier to satisfy this demand for housing. Arqaam Capital predicted in a research note yesterday that the amount of lending to purchase housing would double from 6 percent of gross domestic product to 12 percent, as the lack of any law covering it had been seen as a major constraint. The law will add 1 or 2 percentage points to banks’ annual loan growth rates, it said.

By increasing supply of homes, the new law could ultimately help reduce Saudi Arabia’s inflation rate, which has been boosted by rising rents. At 5.1 percent in May, Saudi inflation is higher than rates in many of its neighbors.

Finance Minister Ibrahim Alassaf was quoted by the Saudi Press Agency as saying the law would be implemented within 90 days, after the central bank completed designing its own rules for the sector. Major questions hang over the new law, however. Details have not been released, so it is not clear how the law will deal with politically and religiously sensitive issues such as whether to let a bank take away a borrower’s home in case of a default. Whatever the law says, banks and their customers may initially use it only cautiously as they wait to see how administrative officials and courts will interpret it. Another problem is high land prices and limited supply in Saudi Arabia.

In some areas, large tracts are owned by influential families which feel little financial pressure to sell or develop the land; it remains to be seen whether the mortgage law will increase their potential returns enough to convince them to trade their holdings. —Reuters

Agility to provide logistics support to Gorgon project MELBOURNE: Agility, a leading global logistics provider, announced a new scope of work to support the Gorgon natural gas project in Western Australia.

The scope of work, estimated in value at A$232 million over two years, will have Agility providing logistics, stevedoring, and related services in support of the Marine Loading Facility in Henderson, Perth. Agility was further granted a twoyear extension of its existing contract to support supply base operations and transportation services, under which the stevedoring services have been added.

“The renewal of the Gorgon contract underscores Agility’s reputation for efficient, effective and highly dependable per formance on complex logistics assignments,” said Mick Turnbull, Agility’s Australasia CEO. “The additional services and extension of our contract is a testimony to the hard work and commitment that our team has shown. We are committed to working safely even in the most challenging environments, and look forward to continuing our successful partnership for some time to come.”

Agility has appointed Patrick Stevedoring Pty Ltd, part of Australia’s publically-listed Asciano Ltd, as the

prime subcontractor for the stevedoring services.

“We are pleased to be working with Agility on these additional services to offer support to the Marine Loading Facility in Perth and are confident that we can play an important part in this project,” said Philip Tonks, Patrick Stevedoring Division General Manager.

Bill Muir, Agility’s project manager for the Gorgon Project added, “The combination of Patrick Stevedoring’s specialized expertise with Agility’s in-depth knowledge and experience of large projects in remote and challenging environments will provide our customer with strong - and personalized - service.” The extended term of the contract (including the new stevedoring services) has now commenced and runs through April 28, 2014.

The Gorgon Project is one of the world’s largest natural gas projects and the largest single-resource project in Australia’s history. It is operated by Chevron and is a joint venture of the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron (47.3%), ExxonMobil (25%), Shell (25%), Osaka Gas (1.25%), Tokyo Gas (1%) and Chubu Electric Power (0.417%).

IKEA Kuwait launches limited edition ‘True Blue’ collection KUWAIT: IKEA Kuwait announced that the much awaited limited edition, ‘True Blue’ collection is now available in store. This product range was introduced as a means to offer the ideal setting to cool off the heat this summer season. Launched for the first time by IKEA Kuwait, the exclusive collection includes highquality, value for money integrated designer range furniture to create a bedroom, living room and bathroom in summer friendly shades of blue. IKEA’s designers to construct a collection that would reflect its customer’s distinct styles with items ranging from pillows, rugs, chairs, tables, textiles to glassware.

The True Blue campaign has an innovative

color palette that brings about a sense of relaxation making for a perfect break from every day’s busy life. The campaign is a onetime chance for color fans to rush to the store

and gain from this outstanding offer. For more information on current and upcoming promotions, log onto www.ikea.com.kw or call 18 40 408 to stay updated.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

SCIENCE

Site masterplan to support UAE bid to host World Expo KUWAIT: In a clear sign of the momentum behind the UAE’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, a team of leading international architectural and design firms are preparing the masterplan for the proposed Expo 2020 site, Dubai Trade Centre-Jebel Ali. Upon completion, the masterplan will be included in the UAE’s bid dossier to be submitted in December 2012 to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international organisation responsible for overseeing the bidding, selection and organisation of World Expos.

This 438-hectare site will be designed as a specialised, highly connected environment in support of the UAE’s bid to bring the Expo to the region for the first time in the event’s 160-year history. The masterplan will serve as a permanent attraction, contributing to Dubai’s longterm appeal as a premier destination for

global events.

Led by architecture and design consulting firm HOK, the team includes experts with significant experience in mega-events, including the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Partner companies involved in the masterplan of the Expo site include Populous, an architectural and planning firm, and Arup, a specialist design, planning engineering consultancy practice Thinkwell, an experiential design and development firm, has also been appointed to develop the entertainment masterplan to support the UAE’s bid.

Under the bid theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,” Thinkwell will bring the plans for Expo 2020 to life with a programme of shows, performances and events that will appeal to all generations, enhance the visitor experience and drive global tourist traffic to the Expo.

Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State and the Managing Director of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, said: “The UAE’s bid to host Expo 2020 is articulated through our theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future,’ reflecting Dubai’s unique ability to catalyse, facilitate, nurture and create connections that are sustainable, synergistic and beneficial. Those developing the masterplan will manifest our theme throughout the site, bringing the UAE’s natural role as a convener and connector to life for all Expo 2020 participants and visitors.”

“The masterplan for our proposed site for the 2020 World Expo will reflect the UAE’s focus on both connectivity and sustainability,” said Helal Saeed Al Marri, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai World Trade Centre and Member of the Higher Committee for Hosting the 2020 World Expo in Dubai. “We will use the lat-

est technology to develop state-of-theart infrastructure and ensure an entertaining, educational and seamless Expo experience for global visitors and participants, while also creating a lasting legacy for generations to come.”

Widely recognised for its expertise and international track record, the project’s lead consultant, HOK, has been involved in an architectural and planning capacity with a large number of landmark projects across the globe, creating sustainable and visionar y environments. Daniel Hajjar, Senior Vice President, HOK, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as lead consultant to oversee the development of the masterplan for Dubai Trade CentreJebel Ali. Working in close cooperation with our colleagues, we look forward to developing an innovative blueprint for the Expo 2020 site - and contributing to the architectural landscape of this

uniquely modern city.”

UK-based Populous has designed some of the world’s most recognisable sporting and entertainment venues, including Royal Ascot, Wembley and the Emirates stadiums and the new Centre Court at Wimbledon.

Arup has a strong Expo track record, having developed the award-winning masterplan for the Shanghai Expo 2010 with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and aided in the design of some of the most eye-catching pavilions, including those of Denmark and Singapore.

Dubai, UAE, is competing against four other candidate cities bidding to host the 2020 World Expo, including Ayutthaya ( Thailand); Ekaterinburg (Russia); Izmir (Turkey); and Sao Paulo (Brazil). The winning city will be announced in November 2013 following a vote by the 160 member nations of the BIE.

Scientists prepare to share new subatomic universe discoveries Cautious after decades of work

LUNGTAN: Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou looks at a model of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer II (AMS II) at the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Lungtan, northern Taoyuan county yesterday. Taiwan opened a space research control unit, as part of an ambitious multi-nation project aimed to explore the formation of the universe. —AFP

New Taiwanese centre to probe origins of universe LUNGTAN, Taiwan: Taiwan opened a space research control centre yesterday, as part of an ambitious international project aimed at exploring the origins of the universe.

Facilities at the Payload Operations and Control Centre in the northern Lungtan township started monitoring signals transmitted from the International Space Station immediately after the inauguration.

“This is a new milestone in Taiwan’s scientific and research development,”

President Ma Ying-jeou said at the ceremony attended by several Nobel laureates and scientists from NASA. The centre, the first of its kind in Asia, is part of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an international space research project launched in 1999.

Headed by Nobel laureate particle physicist Samuel Ting, the project measures cosmic rays, which among other things provide clues about the origins of the universe. —AFP

Peru’s ambitious laptop program gets mixed grades LIMA: Peru’s equipping of more than 800,000 public schoolchildren in this rugged Andean nation with low-cost laptops ranks among the world’s most ambitious efforts to leverage digital technology in the fight against poverty.

Yet five years in, there are serious doubts about whether the largest single deployment in the One Laptop Per Child initiative inspired by MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte was worth the more than $200 million that Peru’s government spent.

Ill-prepared rural teachers and administrators were too often unable to fathom much less teach with the machines, software bugs didn’t get fixed, Internet access was almost universally absent and cultural disconnects kept kids from benefitting from the machines.

“In essence, what we did was deliver the computers without preparing the teachers,” said Sandro Marcone, the Peruvian education official who now runs the program.

He believes the missteps may have actually widened the gap between children able to benefit from the computers and those ill-equipped to do so, he says, in a country whose public education system is rated among the world’s most deficient.

The volume of “education” computers delivered globally remains modest. Intel Corp. says it has shipped more than 7 million, about a third in Argentina. Venezuela boasts 1.6 million distributed, licensed by a Portuguese company.

Negroponte’s nonprofit OLPC foundation, which pioneered the idea of bootstrapping the developing world with information technology, was never able to achieve the $100 laptop price tag it desired but nevertheless won adherents.

More than 2.5 million of its $200 laptops, not just the green-and-white models for the early grades but also blue-andwhite machines with bigger keyboards for older kids, have been distributed in 46 countries since 2007.

OLPC laptops, which are rugged and energy efficient and run an open-source variant of the Linux operating system, are in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mongolia and Haiti, and even in the United States and Australia.

Uruguay, a compact South American nation of 3.5 million people, is the only country that has fully embraced the concept and given every elementary school child and teacher an XO laptop, as the machines are called.

No country, however, bought nearly as many as Peru. “It’s a really great idea,” said Jeff Patzer, a software engineer with a degree from the University of California at Berkeley who traveled from school to school in Peru’s rustic Cordillera Blanca

highlands in 2010 introducing and maintaining the laptops. “It’s just seems like there was some stuff that wasn’t thought through quite enough.” Inter-American Development Bank researchers were less polite. “There is little solid evidence regarding the effectiveness of this program,” they said in a study sharply critical of the overall OLPC initiative that was based on a 15month study at 319 schools in small, rural Peruvian communities that got laptops.

“The magical thinking that mere technology is enough to spur change, to improve learning, is what this study categorically disproves,” co-author Eugenio Severin of Chile told The Associated Press.

The study found no increased math or language skills, no improvement in classroom instruction quality, no boost in time spent on homework, no improvement in reading habits.

On the positive side, the “dramatic increase in access to computers” accelerated by about six months students’ abstract reasoning, verbal fluency and speed in processing information, the report said.

A study in Ethiopian schools by Dutch researchers from the University of Groningen, published last year in the journal Computers and Education, similarly found that OLPC laptops improved abstract reasoning. The teachers in those schools had received extensive training in the laptops, which the researchers said introduced an “information-rich novelty” into an environment previously starved for learning material. The laptops in Ethiopia, like those in Peru, were loaded with books, memory games, music composing software and other programs.

The Education Ministry official who ran Peru’s program until last year, Oscar Becerra, calls the abstract reasoning findings “spectacular” and disputes claims that, overall, the program has been a failure.

“We knew from the start that it wouldn’t be possible to improve the teachers,” he said, citing a 2007 census of 180,000 Peruvian teachers that showed more than 90 percent lacked basic math skills while three in five could not read above sixthgrade level.

Becerra took umbrage at the development bank’s finding that the computers didn’t motivate children to do school work.

“In a school that’s a disgrace, with teachers who are ignorant and lessons that are a joke, how is having computers going to improve motivation?”

Each teacher was supposed to get 40 hours of OLPC training. That hardly helped in schools where teachers had never so much as booted up a computer. In Patzer’s experience “most of them barely knew how to interact with the computers at all.”—AP

WELLINGTON: Scientists believe the “God par ticle” that might explain the underpinnings of the universe is real, and they are about to present their evidence to the world. Physicists at the world’s biggest atom smasher plan to announce today that they have nearly confirmed the primary plank of a theory that could shape the scientific understanding of all matter.

The idea is much like gravity and Isaac Newton’s discovery: It was there all the time before Newton explained it. But now scientists know what it is and can put that knowledge to further use.

The focus of the excitement is the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle that, if confirmed, could help explain why matter has mass, which combines with gravity to give an object weight.

Researchers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, say that they have compiled vast amounts of data that show the footprint and shadow of the particle all but proving it exists, even though it has never actually been glimpsed.

But two independent teams of physicists are cautious after decades of work and billions of dollars spent. They don’t plan to use the word “discovery.” They say they will come as close as possible to a “eureka” announcement without uttering a pronouncement as if from the scientific mountaintop.

“I agree that any reasonable outside observer would say, ‘It looks like a discovery,”‘ said British theoretical physicist John Ellis, a professor at King’s College London who has worked at CERN since the 1970s. “We’ve discovered something which is consistent with being a Higgs.”

CERN’s atom smasher, the $10 billion Large Hadron Collider on the Swiss-French border, has been creating high-energy collisions of protons to investigate dark matter, antimatter and the creation of the universe, which many theorize occurred in a massive explosion known as the Big Bang.

The phrase “God par ticle,” coined by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman, is used by laymen, not physicists, more as an explanation for how the subatomic universe works than how it all started.

Rob Roser, who leads the search for the Higgs boson at the Fermilab in Chicago, said: “Particle physicists have a very high standard for what it takes to be a discovery,” and he thinks it is a hair’s breadth away.

Roser compared the results that

GENEVA: A document provided on Dec 13, 2011 by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva shows a graphic presenting traces of proton-proton collision measured in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experience. US-based physicists reported yesterday finding strong hints of the Higgs boson, the elusive “God particle” believed to give objects mass, but said European data is needed to confirm any potential discovery. If physicists can confirm the existence of the Higgs boson, the last missing piece in the standard model of physics, the announcement would rank among the most important scientific breakthroughs of the last century. — AFP scientists will announce Wednesday to finding the fossilized imprint of a dinosaur: “You see the footprints and the shadow of the object, but you don’t actually see it.”

Fermilab, whose competing atom smasher reported its final results Monday after shutting down last year, said its data doesn’t settle the question of the Higgs boson, but it came tantalizingly close. “It’s a real cliffhanger,” said Gregorio Bernardi, a physicist at the University of Paris who helped lead one of the main experiments at Fermilab. He cited “strong indications of the production and decay of Higgs bosons” in some of their observations.

Fermilab theorist Joseph Lykken said the Higgs boson “gets at the center, for some physicists, of why the universe is here in the first place.” Though an impenetrable concept to many, the Higgs boson has until now been just that a concept intended to explain a riddle: How were subatomic particles, such as electrons, protons and neutrons, themselves formed?

What gives them their mass?

The answer came in a theory first proposed by Scottish physicist Peter Higgs and others in the 1960s. It envisioned an energy field

where particles interact with a key particle, the Higgs boson.

The idea is that other particles attract Higgs bosons and the more they attract, the bigger their mass will be. Some liken the effect to a ubiquitous Higgs snowfield that affects other particles traveling through it depending on whether they are wearing, metaphorically speaking, skis, snowshoes or just shoes. Officially, CERN is presenting its evidence this week at a physics conference in Australia but plans to accompany the announcement with meetings in Geneva. The two teams, ATLAS and CMS, then plan to publicly unveil more data on the Higgs boson at physics meetings in October and December. Each of the teams involves thousands of people working independently to ensure accuracy.

The scientific threshold for discovery is high. Scientists have to show with complex formulas that there’s a less than 1 in 1.7 million chance that the findings are a statistical fluke. With two independent experiments showing that there’s less than 1 in 16,000 chance of being wrong, it’s a matter of how their work is put together.

Scientists with access to the new CERN data say it shows with a high degree of certainty that the

Higgs boson may already have been glimpsed, and that by unofficially combining the separate results from ATLAS and CMS it can be argued that a discovery is near.

Ellis says at least one physicistblogger has done just that in a credible way.

CERN spokesman James Gillies said Monday that he would be “very cautious” about unofficial combinations of ATLAS and CMS data.

“Combining the data from two experiments is a complex task, which is why it takes time, and why no combination will be presented on Wednesday.” he said.

B u t i f t h e c a l c u l a t i o n s a re indeed correct, said John Guinon, a longtime physics professor at the University of California at Davis and author of the book “The Higgs Hunter’s Guide,” then i t i s f a i r to s ay t h a t “i n s o m e s e n s e we h ave re a c h e d t h e mountaintop.” Sean M. Carroll, a California Institute of Technology physicist flying to Geneva for We d n e s d ay ’s a n n o u n ce m e n t , said that if both ATLAS and CMS h ave i n d e p e n d e n t l y re a c h e d t h e s e h i g h t h re s h o l d s o n t h e Higgs boson, then “only the most curmudgeonly will not believe that they have found it.”— AP

This US summer is ‘what global warming looks like’ WASHINGTON: If you want a glimpse of some of the worst of global warming, scientists suggest taking a look at US weather in recent weeks.

Horrendous wildfires. Oppressive heat waves. Devastating droughts. Flooding from giant deluges. And a powerful freak wind storm called a derecho.

These are the kinds of extremes climate scientists have predicted will come with climate change, although it’s far too early to say that is the cause. Nor will they say global warming is the reason 3,215 daily high temperature records were set in the month of June.

Scientifically linking individual weather events to climate change takes intensive study, complicated mathematics, computer models and lots of time. Sometimes it isn’t caused by global warming. Weather is always variable; freak things happen.

And this weather has been local. Europe, Asia and Africa aren’t having similar disasters now, although they’ve had their own extreme events in recent years.

But since at least 1988, climate scientists have warned that climate change would bring, in general, increased heat waves, more droughts, more sudden downpours, more widespread wildfires and worsening storms. In the United States, those extremes are happening here and now.

So far this year, more than 2.1 million acres (850,000 hectares) have burned in wildfires, more than 113 million people in the U.S. were in areas under extreme heat advisories last Friday, two-thirds of the country is experiencing drought, and earlier in June, deluges flooded Minnesota and Florida.

“This is what global warming looks like at the regional or personal level,” said Jonathan Overpeck, professor of geosciences and atmospheric sciences at the University of Arizona.

“The extra heat increases the odds of worse heat waves, droughts, storms and wildfire. This is certainly what I and many other climate scientists have been warning about.”

Kevin Trenberth, head of climate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in fire-charred Colorado, said these are the very record-breaking conditions he has said would happen, but many people wouldn’t listen. So it’s I told-you-so time, he said.

As recently as March, a special report on extreme events and disasters by the Nobel Prize- winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of “unprecedented extreme weather and climate events.” Its lead author, Chris Field of the Carnegie Institution and Stanford University, said Monday, “It’s really dramatic how many of the patterns that we’ve talked about as the expression of the extremes are hitting the US right now.”

“What we’re seeing really is a window into what global warming really looks like,” said Princeton University geosciences and international affairs professor Michael Oppenheimer.

“It looks like heat. It looks like fires. It looks like this kind of environmental disasters.”

Oppenheimer said that on Thursday. That was before the East Coast was hit with tripledigit Fahrenheit temperatures (temperatures above 38 degress Celsius) and before a derecho - an unusually strong, long-lived and large straight-line wind storm - blew through Chicago to Washington.

The storm and its aftermath killed more than 20 people and left millions without electricity. Experts say it had energy readings five times that of normal thunderstorms.

Fueled by the record high heat, this was one of the most powerful of this type of storm in the region in recent history, said research meteorologist Harold Brooks of the National Severe Storm Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma. Scientists expect “non-tornadic wind events” like this one and other thunderstorms to increase with climate change because of the heat and instability, he said.

Such patterns haven’t happened only in the past week or two. The spring and winter in the US were the warmest on record and among the least snowy, setting the stage for the weather extremes to come, scientists say.— AP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E Small differences in birth time tied to test scores NEW YORK: Researchers have known that babies born prematurely are at risk for slowed brain development, but a couple of extra weeks in the womb might make a difference even among those considered “normal term” - between 37 and 41 weeks, according to a U.S. study. Children born on the shorter end of that range scored lower on math and reading tests as 8-year-olds than those born later, researchers wrote in the journal Pediatrics, but they added that the differences were small.

“Certainly the vast majority of 37weekers and 41-weekers would end up developing typically,” said Kimberly Noble, the lead author on the study from Columbia University Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Still, until more research is done, she said, “we would urge caution to both parents and physicians when considering early elective delivery.”

Noble and her colleagues compared birth records and third-grade standardized test scores for 128,000 children born in New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s who went to citywide public schools. All of them had been born between 37 and 41 weeks’ gestation. On both reading and math exams, where a score of 50 was considered average, kids born at 41 weeks scored about one point higher, in general, than those born at 37 weeks.

That’s equivalent to about a 1.5 point difference on an IQ test, Noble said. “That would not be a difference that would likely be noticeable from one child to the next,” she told Reuters

Health. “Where it is more noticeable is on the lower end of the (test score) distribution.” For example, children born at 37 weeks were 23 percent more likely to have at least moderate reading impairment, and 19 percent more likely to have moderate math impairment, than those born on the late end of the term range.

Noble said the finding doesn’t prove that being born early-term can slow kids’ brain development and hurt their academic achievement, since it’s possible that other factors are related both to early births and academic difficulties. Marie McCormick, a maternal and child health researcher from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, agreed that was one limitation of the study.

“Even if it’s an early term delivery, there may have been something going on that led to that child being born earlier in the process than later,” she said. Still, the findings are consistent with some previous research suggesting that babies born at 37 or 38 weeks may be different from those born slightly later, she added. The researchers agreed that although the findings shouldn’t be too concerning, they are something to consider for women who have some control over when their babies will be born, such as those scheduling a cesarean section. “The main thing is ... when you’re coming to the discussion about delivery and if you have a decision about the timing of that delivery, to really make sure that you’re as far along in pregnancy as you can get without getting out of the range of normal,” McCormick said.—Reuters

Amniotic fluid offers alternative stem cell source Amniotic stem cells could be frozen, banked for future use LONDON: Stem cells taken from amniotic fluid can be transformed into a more versatile state similar to embryonic stem cells and may offer an alternative to the medically valuable but controversial cells, scientists said yesterday. British researchers said they had succeeded in reprogramming amniotic fluid cells without having to introduce extra genes. This suggests the possibility that stem cells derived from donated amniotic fluid could be stored in banks and used for medical therapies and in research, they said, offering a less problematic alternative to embryonic stem cells.

Stem cells are the body’s master cells, the source for all other cells. Scientists say that by helping to regenerate tissue, they could offer new ways of treating diseases for which there are currently no treatments - including heart disease, Parkinson’s and stroke. Embryonic stem cells are harvested from embryos and have the potential to become almost any type of tissue.

Other types of stem cells, including adult or socalled “induced pluripotent” stem cells, are less controversial, but are also less flexible.

Alternatives to embryonic stem cells are always being keenly sought, partly due to ethi-

SAFED: They grow in a secret location in northern Israel. A tall fence, security cameras and an armed guard protect them from criminals. A hint of their sweet-scented blossom carries in the air: rows and rows of cannabis plants, as far as the eye can see. It is here, at a medical marijuana plantation atop the hills of the Galilee, where researchers say they have developed marijuana that can be used to ease the symptons of some ailments without getting patients high.

“Sometimes the high is not always what they need.

Sometimes it is an unwanted side effect. For some of the people it’s not even pleasant,” said Zack Klein, head of development at Tikun Olam, the company that developed the plant.

Cannabis has more than 60 constituents called cannabinoids.

THC is perhaps the best known of those, less so for its medical benefits and more for its psychoactive properties that give people a “high” feeling. But cannabis also contains Cannabidiol, or CBD, a substance that some researchers say has anti-inflammatory benefits. Unlike THC, it hardly binds to the brain’s receptors and can therefore work without getting patients stoned. “CBD plants are available in different forms all over the world,” said Klein, adding that the company’s plant is free of THC and very high in CBD. Tikun Olam began its research on CBD enhanced cannabis in 2009 and about six months ago they came up with Avidekel, Klein said, a cannabis strain that contains 15.8 percent CBD and only traces of THC, less than one percent.

Mexico’s current bird flu outbreak, H7N3, has occasionally caused human disease in various parts of the world, according to the UN, but has not shown itself to be easily transmittable between humans.

The outbreak was first detected on June 20. The FAO reported on Friday that 1.7 million birds had been contaminated and 870,000 had died at 10 breeding farms in the western state of Jalisco. The emergency declaration on Monday included provisions for quarantine, slaughter, vaccination, and the destruction of infected products. The agriculture ministry said poultry farming “contributes up to 40 percent of the total volume” of the country’s livestock production, and the “economic loss” from this epidemic “is and will be irreparable.”—AFP

Cannabis as medicine Marijuana is an illegal drug in Israel. Medicinal use of it was first permitted in 1993, according to the health ministry. Today cannabis is used in Israel to treat 9,000 people suffering from illnesses such as cancer, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and post traumatic stress disorder, according to Israel’s health ministry.

Drug companies have also been interested in cannabis as a medicine. Britain’s GW Pharmaceuticals, with Bayer and Almirall, sells an under-the-tongue spray called Sativex that is designed to minimise highs by manipulating ratios of active ingredients. Raphael Mechoulam, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said Avidekel is thought to be the first CBD-enriched cannabis plant with no THC to have been developed in Israel.

“It is possible that (Avidekel’s) CBD to THC ratio is the highest among medical marijuana companies in the world, but the industry is not very organised, so one cannot keep exact track of what each company is doing,” he explained. Although there have been no clinical trials in humans, Mechoulam, who is a leading researcher of cannabinoids, said that Avidekel showed promise as a potent anti-inflammatory.

Ruth Gallily of the Hebrew University who works for the company and has been studying CBD for more than 12 years, said she has found that the substance has impressive antiinflammatory qualities. She has been testing the effects of Tikun Olam’s CBD-enhanced cannabis on mice and expects clinical trials to begin in a few months. Avidekel is a new strain of a plant that is already permitted for medical use so there is nothing stopping patients who are already being treated with marijuana from trying Avidekel. About 10 patients began using it in the past six months, Klein said.

“The cannabis plant, enriched with CBD, can be used for treating diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, liver inflammation, heart disease and diabetes,” she said, adding there are no side effects. “It’s a huge advantage,” said one 35-year-old patient who asked not to be identified, “I can smoke during the day, function with a lot less pain and still be focused, work and drive. It is a great gift.” —Reuters

AUS to take sleep apnea monitoring app to the next level KUWAIT: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 100 million people worldwide suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). A recent sleep study which began in September 2011 at Rashid Hospital in Dubai suggests that around 10 per cent of the population in the UAE suffer from OSA. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by the repetitive reduction of airflow during sleep, which in turn causes pauses and reduced breathing. These recurring arousals from sleep due to a blockage of airway cause fragmented sleeping patterns and lead to the activation of the body’s sympathetic nervous system. The diagnosis is traditionally made through a polysomnogram - a laborator y-based sleep study that requires a minimum of 22 wires attached uncomfortably to the patient’s body while sleeping - and which will generally cost around US$3,000 per test.

Enter SAM; an award-winning sleep apnea monitoring mobile application, developed in the UAE by AUS engineering students, that allow users to get a sense of whether or not they are likely to have sleep apnea, before continuing with more expensive and advanced sleep tests.

Designed for Android and Windowsbased smartphones, SAM utilizes the device’s built-in microphone, accelerometer to measure breathing and movement patterns, in a cost-effective and much more comfortable manner. “The AUS Sleep Apnea App SAM has been undergoing rigorous testing since its inception and has already proven to be a success,” said Dr. Fadi A. Aloul, Associate Professor, Computer Science and Engineering. “Through SAM, the recorded data is securely sent to a server, where it is stored for analyzing results, diagnosing patients, and maintaining geographical studies of areas with sleep apnea patterns.

The system diagnoses and reports the level of the user’s sleep apnea. In addition, doctors can remotely monitor

users through the website, which is interfaced with Google Maps to keep track of user locations, and their analyzed records.”

Dr Aloul added: “We are now ready to take the app to the next level and commercialize it for mass use, but funding remains essential. The solutions developed at AUS are designed to support different local and regional business sectors, by providing them with the innovation needed to compete with global organizations.

That is why it is time for venture capital firms in the region to realize the local talent and invest in locally developed technologies, which stand up to global competitors.”

SAM has won numerous local and international awards and accolades including the du Mobile Development Award; second place in the Microsoft Imagine Cup UAE competition; second place in the 7th National Mobile Contest organized by Khalifa University and Khalifa Fund; third place in the IEEE (the world’s largest association for the advancement of technology) Engineering Day Competition as well as first place in the AUS College of Engineering Senior Design Competition.

The application was designed by Shamma Al Qassim, Mahdumeta Ganesh, ShaheenKhoja and Meher Zaidi, all computer Engineering students at the AUS College of Engineering. The project was advised by Dr. Fadi Aloul and Dr. Assim Sagahyroon, Professor and Chair of the Depar tment of Computer Science & Engineering.

“AUS has numerous patents and technologies developed on campus that people still don’t know about. The support of public and private organizations is crucial to bringing these technologies to life and positioning the UAE as a science and technology development hub among advanced nations. We extend an invitation to all organization to visit our labs and learn more about our technologies,” concluded Dr. Aloul.

Pluripotent “They have some potential to develop into different cell types but they are not pluripotent,” said Pascale Guillot, from the Imperial’s department of surgery and cancer. But she said their study had shown that these cells can revert to being fully flexible, or “pluripotent”, by adding a chemical that modifies the configuration of the DNA. Guillot’s team used stem cells from amniotic fluid donated by mothers who had undergone amniocentesis tests during the first trimester of a pregnancy.

The cells were grown on a gelatinous protein mixture in the lab and reprogrammed into a more primitive state by adding a drug called valproic acid. The researchers then carried out a series of tests and found the reprogrammed cells had become pluripotent - in other words

they had very similar properties to embryonic stem cells. The team also found that even after they had been growing in culture for some time, the reprogrammed cells were able to develop into many different types of functioning cells, including liver, bone and nerve cells.

They also maintained their pluripotency even after being frozen and then thawed out. UCL’s Paolo De Coppi, who co-led the study with Guillot, said the study confirmed that amniotic fluid is a good source of stem cells. Previous research has shown it is possible to make adult cells become pluripotent by introducing extra genes into the cells, often using viruses.

But the efficiency of this type of reprogramming is relatively low and there is a risk of problems caused by disrupting the DNA. “The advantages of generating pluripotent cells without any genetic manipulation make them more likely to be used for therapy,” De Coppi said.

Amniotic fluid surrounds and helps feed and protect the growing baby in the womb. It can be extracted through the mother’s belly using a fine needle in a process called amniocentesis which is sometimes used to test for genetic diseases during early pregnancy.—Reuters

What a drag, Israeli firm grows ‘highless’ marijuana

Mexico declares bird flu ‘emergency’ MEXICO CITY: The Mexican government declared a national animal health emergency on Monday in the face of an aggressive bird flu epidemic that has infected nearly 1.7 million poultr y.

More than half the infected birds have died or been culled, the agriculture ministry said of an epidemic that was confirmed on Friday by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“We have activated a national animal health emergency... with the goal of diagnosing, preventing, controlling and eradicating the Type A, sub-type H7N3 bird flu virus,” the ministry said. Health officials keep a close watch on such outbreaks in Mexico since so-called swine flu began there in 2009. The H1N1 virus spread into a global pandemic that claimed the lives of 17,000 people. The virus responsible for

cal concerns and also due to the limited availability of donor embryos. In this study, published in the journal Molecular Therapy, scientists from Imperial College London and University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Child Health said amniotic fluid stem cells are an intermediate between embryonic and adult stem cells.

Atlantic whale sanctuary not ‘scientific’ TOKYO: A proposal to create a whale sanctuary in the southern Atlantic lacked “scientific backing”, Japan said yesterday, after leading the charge to scupper the plan at an international meeting. “Japan carries out whaling on scientific grounds,” said Shigehito Numata of the Japanese Fisheries Agency’s whaling section. “The proposal lacked scientific backing.” Japan and its allies on Monday shot down the Latin American-led suggestion at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Panama, reigniting international tensions over Tokyo’s whaling program.

But Numata said the Japanese government had no regrets.

“We consider the defeat was appropriate,” he said. The IWC, which has long been torn by disputes, fell into familiar divisions just hours after officials opened the main session of their weeklong annual meeting in Panama City. Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Uruguay put forward a proposal to declare the southern Atlantic a nokill zone for whales, a largely symbolic measure as no whaling currently takes place there. Thirtyeight countries voted in favour and 21 voted against, with two abstentions. Under the rules of the Commission, proposals need 75 percent support for approval. In the wake of the vote, objections were raised about the make-up of the “no” camp, with Japanese financial aid seen as the prime motivation for some countries to raise

objections to the plan. “You can’t really believe that Nauru or Tuvalu has an interest or has studied the sanctuary. They are voting because Japan tells them to,” said Jose Truda Palazzo from Brazil’s non-governmental Cetacean Conservation Center. Truda Palazzo spearheaded the proposal when he was Brazil’s representative to the IWC. But Japan’s Numata said Tokyo’s allies in the vote had made up their minds on the issues. “We believe those nations cast votes from the perspective of sustainable use of marine resources.”

Each year Japanese whalers kill hundreds of the huge mammals in Antarctic waters that are already considered a sanctuary, infuriating Australia and New Zealand where whale-watching is a lucrative industry. Japan says it is techni-

cally abiding by a 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling as its activities are for research. The International Whaling Commission allows lethal science on the ocean giants, with the meat then going to consumption. Norway and Iceland are the only countries that openly defy the commercial whaling moratorium, although their hunts are confined to nearby waters. The two countries also voted against the proposed Atlantic sanctuary. Japan argues that whaling is part of its culture and accuses Western nations of insensitivity.

Environmentalists-including the militant USbased Sea Shepherd Conservation Society which routinely attacks Japan’s Antarctic expeditions-say few Japanese eat whale and that the country’s position is driven by its powerful fishing industry.—AFP

Cuba cholera outbreak kills three HAVANA: A cholera outbreak has killed three elderly people and sickened dozens more citizens in eastern Cuba, the health ministry announced yesterday. A government statement published in the daily Granma newspaper said 53 cases of the ailment had been identified so far, noting that the three people who died were aged 95, 70

and 66 respectively. Cholera is a water-borne disease generally spread by poor sanitation.

A major outbreak of the disease has sickened thousands in Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic over the past several months. In Cuba, recent high temperatures and heavy rains have exacerbated the problem.—AFP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

DETROIT: (Left) Audiologist Dr. Jordan Simmons of Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield, Michigan adjusts the headphones that Sara McGowen, 34 of Grand Blanc wears.

(Centre) The part worn on the ear looks like a tiny hearing aid with a microphone. (Right) Sara McGowen had been deaf for more than five years before the SoundBite.

—MCT Photos

Bone conduction is key to innovation in hearing aids DETROIT: Sara McGowen sat in a chair at Henr y Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield, Mich., as a team of doctors and technicians put a hearing aid in her mouth, positioning it on her teeth.

McGowen, 34, of Grand Blanc, Mich., had been deaf in her left ear for more than five years; the hearing loss came after surgery to remove a tumor on her acoustic nerve. It was early February and a doctor whispered in McGowen’s left ear: “What did you eat for breakfast?” McGowen was stunned. She thought she heard something, but she wasn’t sure. “Can I hear you?” she asked.

“Yes,” she was told. The doctor whispered again. “It was crazy,” McGowen said. “All of a sudden, you can hear again.”

McGowen can hear while wearing the SoundBite prosthetic device, a nonsurgical, removable hearing aid that transmits sound through the patient’s teeth and bone. “It’s freaky,” McGowen said. “But it works. I don’t understand the technology. It blows my mind that they can do something like this.” The pri-

mar y way that most people hear is through air conduction. “Sound waves enter the ear and wiggle the ear drum,” said Dr. Brad Stach, the division head of the audiology department at Henry Ford Hospital. “That sets the middle ear bones into motion and they talk to our inner ear, the cochlea. Through that, we hear sounds.” The second way people can hear is through bone conduction, which happens when sound waves travel through teeth and bone into the inner ear. “In bone conduction, we kind of bypass the outer ear, the floppy part of the outer ear,” Stach said. “We bypass the middle ear, and we stimulate the inner ear directly by vibrating the skull and hearing that vibration through the fluids of the inner ear.”

Stach said bone conduction is why a dentist’s drill seems to sound so loud and why it is hard to hear while you chew hard candy. “Your teeth are great conductors of vibration,” Stach said.

“Once you vibrate your skull, your ear is set up to hear those vibrations.” The SoundBite system consists of two small

devices-one is placed in the mouth and the other is worn on the deaf ear.

The device in the mouth looks like a retainer and fits over teeth. It contains a wireless receiver, a small vibrator and a rechargeable battery that lasts six to nine hours.

The device worn on the deaf ear looks like a tiny hearing aid with a microphone that is placed in the ear canal. This device transmits information to the vibrator on the teeth, which changes the audio sounds into imperceptible vibrations. “The device translates acoustic information to vibratory information and delivers it to the teeth,” Stach said. “We have known about bone conduction hearing forever. Putting a hearing instrument in the mouth is a new idea. It’s very clever.” It has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for patients with singlesided deafness. It is also approved for use by people with conductive hearing loss, which can be caused by chronic middle ear infections.

“The quality of the sound is excel-

lent,” Stach said. “The teeth are very good conductors. It sounds pretty darn good.” Amir Abolfathi, 47, of Petaluma, Calif., who founded the company that makes the SoundBite system, said that 1.5 million Americans could benefit from this technology. The product is available now in 35 centers across the United States, Abolfathi said, including at Henry Ford. “Next year,” he said, “we expect to be at 100 centers and then kind of ramp up from there.” Abolfathi said the device is still in the pilot launch stage. He said several hundred people have been fitted with the device across the country. The device is not worn during sleep and can be removed so the battery can be charged. No surgery or dental work or modifications to the teeth are required. Stach said the SoundBite system is an example of several advances in hearing-aid technology.

“If you haven’t seen a hearing aid in two years, you haven’t seen a hearing aid,” Stach said. “We have everything from fully implantable hearing aids to partially implantable hearing aids to extend-

ed-wear hearing aids to open-fit hearing aids, which are tiny, great amplifiers for some of the young-old people who need a little boost, but not too much.”

McGowen is one of six patients who have been fitted with the device at Henry Ford.

She said the device cost about $6,000 and it was covered by her insurance company, although not all insurance plans do. “Looking at me, you can’t tell I’m deaf,” McGowen said. “If I’m in a meeting, or at church, at a convention, I have to constantly look around to see if somebody is talking to me.” She used to position herself at church so nobody could sit on her left side. But those problems are gone now that she is wearing the device. And she said it has helped her at work at Creative Foam in Fenton, Mich. She works in customer service. “I’m on the phone constantly,” she said. “I go to trade shows, lunches with my customers. You kind of have to hear.” McGowen said the sound is crystal clear. “It is the weirdest thing,” McGowen said. “It has changed my life.”—MCT

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Announcements Indian Embassy passport and visa Passports and Visa applications can be deposited at the two outsourced centers of M/S BLS Ltd at Sharq and Fahaheel. Details are available at www.bls-international.com and www.indembkwt.org .

Consular Open House Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall at the Embassy. For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) can be contacted.

Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances.

Indian workers helpline/helpdesk Indian workers helpline is accessible by toll free telephone number 25674163 from all over Kuwait. It provides information and advice to Indian workers as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. The help desk at the Embassy (Open from 9AM to 1PM and 2PM to 4:30PM, Sunday to Thursday) provides guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal and other issues. It also provides workers assistance in filling up labour complaint forms. For any unaddressed issues, the concerned attachÈ in the Labour section and the head of the Labour Wing can be contacted.

Legal Advice Clinic Free legal advice is provided on matters pertaining to labour disputes, terms of contracts with employers, death/accident compensation, withholding of dues by employers, etc. by lawyers on our panel, to Indian nationals on all working days between 1500hrs to 1600hrs.

HSBC customers, staff in blood donation campaign cross its global network, HSBC participates and contributes in many activities which aim to serve the community, providing opportunities for staff to participate in a wide range of social programmers. In cooperation with the Kuwait Blood Bank, HSBC Kuwait launched a blood donation drive from its offices in Kharafi Tower yesterday. The drive, which coincides with Global Blood

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Donation Day, came as part of HSBC’s commitment to support the local community. HSBC staff members, customers and fellow occupants of the Kharafi Tower participated in this activity.

“The Kuwait Blood Bank is always looking for willing donors. HSBC staff proudly support community actions like these. As a member of the Kuwait community, HSBC wants to make a difference

through generous actions such as the blood donation drive,” said Simon Vaughan Johnson, CEO of HSBC Kuwait.

All HSBC bank staff, Kharafi Tower tenants and customers were invited to participate in the drive which was organized by a fully equipped team of healthcare specialists from the Kuwait Blood Bank.

Mohammed Hardan from Kuwait Blood Bank added “We appreciate and thank

HSBC for the efforts and contribution in this campaign and for the good organization to raise awareness among staff and for the unique response of the number of donors”.

‘Leniency of Islam’ An unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait. Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

Ambassador’s Open House The Open House for Indian citizens by the Ambassador is being held on all Wednesdays at the Embassy for redressal of grievances. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day.

Summer Scrabble for kids ood news for kids still here during the summer vacations. You can join up with me to learn some tricks, tips and how to play Scrabble the right way! Need to know more? Then register with me Rohaina at 66634224 or at rainaveer@hotmail.com. You will be given Scrabble boards and have loads of fun games, mind games and quizzes. If this sounds fun, then call soon. Classes will end on July 26th.

Classes are on Thursdays ONLY and from 2.30 4.00 pm. Loads of fun and games in store.

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Free Arabic course

Sathish C Mehta, the Ambassador of India to Kuwait, inaugurates a function held by Orma Foodstuff as Abey Varicad and other dignitaries look on.

IPC is opening an Intensive Basic Arabic Course for ladies commencing from June 3 to July 8, 2012. The class will be from 5-7 pm for three days a week. Registration is on! For information, call 22512257.

Aware Diwaniya he AWARE Center cordially invites interested Western expatriates to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “You and the environment: how can you make a difference?” by Dr Mohammed Al-Furgi.

Environmental issues are sometimes classified as academic or elite issues and we may feel that we as individuals do not have a role to play. We do have a role to play in improving our environment and an important one indeed. We (the individuals) are by far the majority and we are the ones that dictate what will happen to our environment. We are targeted as consumers and by making the right choice we could force the producers to change their products. Kuwait a country with a relatively small population but high consumption rate suffers from environmental problems, and we as citizens or residents could make a difference in alleviating these problems through simple practices. What can citizens and residents do to reduce littering and conserve water and energy? In his 25-minute presentation, Alforgi will discuss these questions and many more.

Dr. Alforgi graduated from the University of Tulsa, Tulsa Oklahoma with a B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering and an M.S. in engineering management. He also holds a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Wyoming, USA. Dr. Alforgi has taught petroleum engineering at the College of Technological Studies in Kuwait, as well as at universities in Libya, the United Arab Emirates and Wyoming.

He was a chairman of the Department of Petroleum Engineering Technology, at the College of Technological Studies. He wrote several papers on petroleum economics and takes deep interest in socio-economic changes that occur due to this particular resource.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

16 centers for free Malayalam classes ree Malalyalam Education Program organized jointly by KALA-Kuwait and Mathrubhasha Samithi has started classes at 16 centers in the Fahaheel region. The regional committee convener Anil Kukiri stated that that extensive propaganda was taken up by the committee including door to door campaign, soliciting and ensuring the maximum participation from our community. KALA-Kuwait also urged the parents to utilize this positive mission and ensure the smooth passage of our mother tongue, culture & heritage to the younger generation. For further information and participation classes, please contact 99715589, 90024829 or 97262978.

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Competitions in Patriotic songs ndo-Kuwait Friendship Society, Kuwait (www.indo-kuwaitfriendshipsociety.com) is planning to conduct competitions in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. This is the first time in Kuwait, an Indian Association is organizing contests in “Patriotic Songs” for both Indian and Kuwaiti School students. The first 3 places will be declared separately by Judges who are experts in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. Several prizes and awards will be handed over for the winning schools.

Pradeep Rajkumar and A K S Abdul Nazar said that IKFS wants let our children learn what they mean as a “Patriotic” to their home country. 4 pages of spot Essay competition related to “Patriotism” also will be held in the same day as a spot registration. 1 Girl and 1 Boy student from each School can participate in the ESSAY contest. Dr. Mohamed Tareq, Chairman of the First Indian Model School in Kuwait “ Salmiya Indian Model School (SIMS) already confirmed as a Co-Sponsor of the Program.

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Conditions apply: 1) The competitions are meant for all the Schools located in Kuwait and should be nominated by school authority.

2) Each school can select group of 7 students for the “PATRIOTIC SONGS (Indian and Kuwaiti)” and nominate separately.

3) Children of above 12 years till 17 years (VII classes to XII classes) are eligible for the contest. But if School is permitted 4) Musical instruments or KARAOKE mixer should be accompanied by the participating students/Children and the school team should operate and select the mixers.

5) Time frame: 7 minutes - Names will be called as “First come” in the Registration.

The Event will be held at the auditorium of “Salmiya Indian Model School” on Saturday, 27th October 2012 from 09:30 am onwards. It will be a full day program with fun and full of entertainments.

Food-stalls of different Kuwaiti and Indian tastes will installed.

Dr. Ghalib Al-Mashoor said in a press release that Invitations for all schools located in various parts of Kuwait are already been sent. Schools under one management but from different locations can also participate in the contest individually. As per the school directory, there 23 Indian schools in Kuwait.

The last date of receiving names of the Participants is scheduled on 2nd day of October, 2012 (INDIA’s GHANDI JAYANTHI DAY). The entry is free to all and due to 2nd day of Eid Al-Adha holidays, a large crowd is expected to attend in addition to, Senior Kuwaiti and Indian citizens will also grace the function.

All the applications of interest should be sent to: ikfsociety@gmail.com Phone:99430786

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian ConsulateGeneral in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency.

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EMBASSY OF BRITAIN Consular section at the British Embassy will be starting an online appointment booking system for our consular customers from Sunday, 01 July 2012. All information including how to make an appointment is now available on the embassy website. In addition, there is also a “Consular Appointment System” option under Quick links on the right hand side on the homepage, which should take you to the “Consular online booking appointment system” main page.

Please be aware that from 01 July 2012, we will no longer accept walk-in customers for legalisation, notarial services and certificates (birth, death and marriages). If you have problems accessing the system or need to make an appointment for non-notarial consular issues or have a consular emergency, please call 2259 4355/7/8 or email us on consularenquirieskuwait@fco.gov.uk. If you require consular assistance out of office hours (working hours: 0730-l430 hrs), please contact the Embassy on 2259 4320.

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EMBASSY OF KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishes to inform that it has moved to Mishref. New Address: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will be opened to the public on the following office hours: Saturday to Thursday Morning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm Lunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm Afternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform Kenyan residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that with effect from June 1, 2012 the Embassy has moved from its current location to a new location in Surra Block 1, Street 8, Villa 303.

Please note that the new telephone and fax numbers will be communicated as soon as possible. For enquiries you can contact Consular Section on mobile 90935162 or 97527306.

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—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Jordanian Engineers Union honors top graduates he Jordanian Engineers Union Kuwait Branch held its annual ceremony to celebrate top Jordanian and Kuwaiti high school graduates, in addition to children of union members also graduating from high school.

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Several parties contributed in rewarding students including the Al-Ahliyya Amman University whose rector Dr Sadiq Hamid was present at the event.

Vice President of the Cultural Correlation Committee at the union

Rasheed Al-Najjar delivered a speech during the event in which he hailed the bilateral relations between Kuwait and Jordan, and expressed gratitude to Jordanian Ambassador Mohammad AlKayed and all embassy staff for their

efforts in serving Jordanian citizens in Kuwait. The event took place this past Monday at the Holiday Inn in Salmiya.

EMBASSY OF MEXICO The Embassy of Mexico is pleased to inform that it is located in CLIFFS Complex, Villa 6, Salmiya, block 9, Baghdad street, Jadda Lane 7. The working hours for consular issues are from 9:00 to 12:00 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 14:00 to 15:00 hours for lunch break. The Embassy of Mexico kindly requests all Mexicans citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the e-mail: embkuwait@sre.gob.mx in order to register or update contact information. Other consultations or/and appointments could be done by telephone or fax: (+965) 2573 1952 ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, AlSalaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location.

Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NEPAL The Embassy of Nepal has moved to a new location in Jabriya, Block 8, St. 13, House No. 514, effective from 15th April, 2012. Till the new telephone connections are installed, the Embassy may be contacted by email: info@nepembku.org ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk ■■■■■■■

Visa cardholders win trip to London 2012 Olympics isa, a Worldwide Olympic Games Sponsor for more than 25 years, has announced Awatef Al Suhaib, Samer Baroudi, Mohamed El Mekdad, Anwar Alhufaiti, Khodor Salen Al-Azzam, Amjad Alsamhan, Saad Sulaiman F Alazmi and Hasan Mohammad Al Helo as the winners of a nationwide cardholder promotion to “Go World”. The promotion ran in Kuwait from 5th January to 5th March 2012. By simply using their Visa card, Awatef Al Suhaib, Samer Baroudi, Mohamed El Mekdad, Anwar Alhufaiti, Khodor Salen Al-Azzam, Amjad Alsamhan, Saad Sulaiman F Alazmi and Hasan Mohammad Al Helo

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will be traveling to London for the Olympic Games courtesy of Visa.

Along with travel and accommodation to the Games, the winners will also receive tickets to cheer on Olympic athletes and experience one of the world’s greatest sporting events firsthand. To help them get the most out of this exclusive trip, Visa also presented the winners with a Visa Prepaid card valued at $230 to put towards all those Olympics and London souvenirs.

All Visa cardholders were automatically entered for the chance to win a trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games by using their Visa card to pay for everyday

purchases during the promotion period.

“We wanted to reward Visa cardholders through our Olympic Games promotion by offering the unforgettable experience of attending the London 2012 Olympic Games. The winners will have the opportunity to cheer and support Olympic athletes from the GCC and worldwide, and be a part of this spectacular sporting event firsthand,” said Majeed Hujair, Country Manager Visa Kuwait and Bahrain.

“Visa’s longstanding support of the Olympic Games helps spread the Olympic spirit to fans around the world and demonstrates Visa card benefits to

consumers. We hope that this campaign will be an additional incentive for the Kuwait cardholders to use Visa payment cards more frequently at merchants.”

Visa is the exclusive payment services sponsor and the only card accepted at Games venues through 2020. Visa will also sponsor the upcoming Olympic Games including the Sochi 2012 Olympic Winter Games, Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and 2020 Olympic Games.

EMBASSY OF THAILAND The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishes to invite the Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s business and trade database.

The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE 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.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

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I’m Alive Untamed & Uncut Rescue Vet World Wild Vet Wildest Arctic Cheetah Kingdom Predator’s Prey Safari Vet School Karina: Wild On Safari Corwin’s Quest Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Breed All About It Growing Up...

Wildest Arctic Wildlife SOS Going Ape Animal Cops Philadelphia Rescue Vet Animal Precinct Wildest Arctic Karina: Wild On Safari Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Natural Born Hunters Your Pet Wants This Cats 101 Wildlife SOS Going Ape Cheetah Kingdom Predator’s Prey Wildest Arctic Monster Bug Wars Wildest India Animal Cops Miami

Bleak House Eastenders Doctors 20,000 Streets Under The Sky The Weakest Link After You’ve Gone Balamory 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Gigglebiz Teletubbies Boogie Beebies Little Robots Balamory 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Gigglebiz Teletubbies Boogie Beebies Little Robots After You’ve Gone 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Bleak House Mastermind Lead Balloon After You’ve Gone Eastenders Doctors Mastermind The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Casualty My Family Fawlty Towers Life On Mars Big Top Last Of The Summer Wine Peckham Finishing School For

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The Scooby Doo Show Johnny Bravo The Flintstones The Jetsons Wacky Races The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry Kids Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Ha Ha Hairies A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Garfield Show Johnny Bravo Dexter’s Laboratory Pink Panther And Pals Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Duck Dodgers Looney Tunes The Flintstones Wacky Races Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Looney Tunes Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Duck Dodgers Duck Dodgers The Looney Tunes Show Dastardly And Muttley Johnny Bravo Johnny Bravo Pink Panther And Pals

00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 01:20 Powerpuff Girls 02:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:55 Angelo Rules 06:00 The Marvelous Misadventures...

06:25 Casper’s Scare School 07:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 07:15 Adventure Time 07:40 Johnny Test 08:05 Grim Adventures Of...

08:55 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:45 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:10 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 10:35 Powerpuff Girls 11:00 Ed, Edd n Eddy’s Big Picture Show 12:15 Ed, Edd n Eddy 13:05 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 13:30 Sym-Bionic Titan 13:55 Foster’s Home For...

14:45 Angelo Rules 15:35 Powerpuff Girls 16:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 16:40 Johnny Test 17:05 Adventure Time 17:30 Regular Show 17:55 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 18:20 Batman Brave And The Bold 18:45 Young Justice 19:10 Hero 108 19:35 Ben 10 20:00 Ed, Edd n Eddy’s Big Picture Show 21:15 Grim Adventures Of...

22:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 22:50 Ben 10 23:40 Chowder

Blackadder The Third The Weakest Link Casualty

Puppy In My Pocket Tom & Jerry Kids Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes Popeye Classics Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes

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Amanpour World Sport Piers Morgan Tonight World Report Anderson Cooper 360 Piers Morgan Tonight Quest Means Business The Situation Room World Sport World’s Untold Stories World Report World Sport Inside Africa World Business Today

12:00 Amanpour 12:30 Inside The Middle East 13:00 World One 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Inside The Middle East 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 22:00 Amanpour 22:30 CNN Newscenter 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

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Weird Or What?

One Way Out Rattlesnake Republic Finding Bigfoot Wreckreation Nation Weird Or What?

How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Gold Divers American Chopper Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Auction Kings How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Dynamo: Magician Impossible Mythbusters Dirty Dozen Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings Ultimate Survival American Chopper Fifth Gear Gold Divers Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Border Security Auction Kings The Gadget Show Dynamo: Magician Impossible Mythbusters Dirty Dozen Mythbusters

00:35 Superships 01:25 Science Of The Movies 02:15 Stuck With Hackett 03:05 The Gadget Show 03:35 Smash Lab 04:25 Space Pioneer 05:15 Superships 06:05 Science Of The Movies 07:00 Catch It Keep It 07:50 Head Rush 07:53 Bang Goes The Theory 08:20 Sci-Fi Science 08:50 Sport Science 09:40 Smash Lab 10:30 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 15:35 The Gadget Show 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 Bang Goes The Theory 16:30 Sci-Fi Science

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Fairly Odd Parents Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mouk Fish Hooks Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Jessie Austin & Ally Harriet The Spy Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up

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Shake It Up A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb So Random Minute Men Wizards Of Waverly Place Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie So Random Suite Life On Deck Jonas Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Kim Possible

00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 E!es 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 25 Hottest Hollywood Cougar Tales 12:05 E! News 13:05 Khloe And Lamar 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kendra 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:55 Ice Loves Coco 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Outrageous Food 00:55 Guy’s Big Bite 01:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:35 Meat & Potatoes 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Outrageous Food 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Unique Eats 05:30 Chopped 06:10 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 06:35 World Cafe Asia 07:00 Food Network Challenge 07:50 Kid In A Candy Store 08:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:40 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:05 World Cafe Asia 09:30 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 09:55 Extra Virgin 10:20 Everyday Italian 10:45 Unwrapped 11:10 Unique Eats 11:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:00 Food Network Challenge 12:50 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Mexican Made Easy 14:30 Kid In A Candy Store 14:55 Paula’s Best Dishes 15:20 Extra Virgin 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Cooking For Real 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Unique Eats 18:15 Unwrapped 18:40 Andy Bates Street Feasts 19:05 Kid In A Candy Store 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Chopped 21:10 United Tastes Of America 22:00 Unique Eats 22:50 Unwrapped 23:40 Grill It! With Bobby Flay

00:30 The Haunted 01:20 Mysterious Journeys 02:05 Killer Kids 03:45 Extreme Forensics 04:30 The Haunted 05:20 Mysterious Journeys 06:10 Disappeared 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 FBI Case Files 08:40 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 09:30 Real Emergency Calls 09:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

10:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 11:10 Disappeared 12:00 Street Patrol 12:50 FBI Case Files 13:40 Mystery Diagnosis 14:30 Real Emergency Calls 14:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

15:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 16:10 Disappeared 17:00 Forensic Detectives 17:50 FBI Case Files 18:40 Real Emergency Calls 19:05 Mystery Diagnosis 19:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

20:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 21:10 Disappeared 22:00 American Greed 22:50 American Greed 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS ON OSN MOVIES HD

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62 Days At Sea Travel Madness David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Exploring The Vine Long Way Down Miracle On Everest 62 Days At Sea Travel Madness David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Exploring The Vine Long Way Down Miracle On Everest 62 Days At Sea Travel Madness David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 Exploring The Vine Long Way Down Asia Action Challenge 2000 Nomads First Ascent Food Lover’s Guide To The

Planet 21:00 Madventures 22:00 Graham’s World 23:00 Danger Beach

05:00 Ten Thousand Bedrooms-PG 07:00 36 Hours-PG 08:55 All The Fine Young CannibalsPG 10:50 Captain Blood-FAM 12:45 They Died With Their Boots On-FAM 15:00 Gone With The Wind-PG 18:35 Edward, My Son-PG 20:25 Billy The Kid-PG 22:00 Poltergeist

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Kill List-R The Grudge 3-18 Machete-18 Ong Bak 2-PG15 Triassic Attack-PG15 Star Trek: First Contact-PG Ip Man-PG15 Triassic Attack-PG15 Alive-PG15 Ip Man-PG15 A Nightmare On Elm Street-18 The Collector-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Home-PG15 Happy Ever Afters-PG15 Kings Ransom-PG15 Unmatched-PG15 Yogi Bear-FAM Happy Ever Afters-PG15 13-PG15 Last Of The Living-PG15 Backwash-PG15 I Am Number Four-PG15 Arthur-PG15 Salomaybe-PG15 Saw VII: The Final Chapter

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 02:00 Entourage 02:30 Enlightened 03:00 2 Broke Girls 03:30 Man Up! 04:00 Til Death 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 The Simpsons 06:00 Friends 06:30 10 Items Or Less 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Til Death 08:30 2 Broke Girls 09:00 The Simpsons 09:30 The Cleveland Show 10:00 Happy Endings 10:30 10 Items Or Less 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Til Death 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 10 Items Or Less 14:00 Man Up! 14:30 Happy Endings 15:00 The Cleveland Show 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 2 Broke Girls 18:30 Man Up! 19:00 Hot In Cleveland 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

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Royal Pains House Luck White Collar True Blood Good Morning America Terra Nova Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Royal Pains White Collar Live Good Morning America Terra Nova The Ellen DeGeneres Show Hawthorne Grimm Alphas Supernatural

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Unforgettable Luck House White Collar Royal Pains The Nine Lives Of Chloe King Unforgettable Emmerdale Coronation Street Smallville The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar House Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Smallville Unforgettable Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Smallville Hawthorne Grimm

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A Way With Murder-18 Machete-18 Four Brothers-18 The Last Airbender-PG Taxi-PG15 Four Brothers-18 Attack On Leningrad-PG15 Taxi-PG15 The A-Team-PG15 13 Assassins-18 Hustle And Flow-18 Julia’s Eyes-18

I AM NUMBER FOUR ON OSN CINEMA

00:00 The Lonely Guy-PG15 02:00 For Richer Or Poorer-PG 04:00 Kung Fu Dunk-PG15 06:00 That Old Feeling-PG15 08:00 For Richer Or Poorer-PG 10:00 Little Secrets-PG 12:00 The Beverly Hillbillies-PG15 14:00 Last Holiday-PG15 16:00 Little Secrets-PG 18:00 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry-PG15 20:00 The Royal Tenenbaums-18 22:00 Rag Tale-18

01:45 Tank Girl-PG15 03:30 The Smurfs-PG 05:15 Shanghai-PG15 07:00 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 09:00 Just Wright-PG15 11:00 The Smurfs-PG 13:00 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never-PG 15:00 City Of Life-PG15 17:00 Just Wright-PG15 19:00 The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice-PG15 21:00 Salomaybe-PG15 23:00 The Royal Tenenbaums-18

00:00 Free Birds-FAM 02:00 Emperor’s Secret-PG 04:00 The Adventures Of Don Quixote-FAM 06:00 Free Birds-FAM 08:00 Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG 10:00 The Wind In The Willows-PG 12:00 Gulliver’s Travels-PG 14:00 Cher Ami-PG 16:00 Inspector Gadget’s Last Case: Claw’s...-FAM 18:00 The Wind In The Willows-PG 20:00 Snow Dogs-PG 22:00 Inspector Gadget’s Last Case: Claw’s...-FAM

00:30 AFL Premiership 03:00 Volvo Ocean Race 04:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 04:30 Futbol Mundial 05:00 Super League 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Super League 10:00 Volvo Ocean Race 11:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 12:00 Futbol Mundial 12:30 Live Rugby League State Of Oirgin 15:00 Super Rugby Highlights 16:00 Live Cricket One Day International

00:30 UFC Countdown 01:30 Super Rugby 03:30 Super Rugby Highlights 04:30 Volvo Ocean Race 07:00 NRL Premiership 09:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 10:00 AFL Premiership 12:30 Super Rugby Highlights 13:30 Futbol Mundial 14:00 Prizefighter 17:00 Trans World Sport 18:00 UFC Countdown 19:00 Rugby League State Of Origin 21:45 Live Rugby League

01:00 NRL Full Time 01:30 AFL Highlights 03:00 City Centre Races 05:00 NRL Full Time 05:30 Futbol Mundial 06:00 World Pool Masters 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Ladies European Tour Highlights 09:00 Asian Tour Highlights 10:00 Adventure Sports 12:30 Futbol Mundial 14:00 Asian Tour Highlights 15:00 NRL Full Time 15:30 Rugby League State of Origi 18:00 AFL Premiership 20:30 Ladies European Tour Highlights 21:30 Euro Tour Weekly 22:00 Golfing World 23:00 Volvo Ocean Racen

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Prizefighter UFC Unleashed UFC 148 Countdown UFC Unleashed WWE Vintage Collection WWE NXT NHL UAE National Race Day Series Mobil 1 The Grid WWE This Week WWE Smackdown WWE Vintage Collection Mobil 1 The Grid UAE National Race Day Series V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Extra UFC 147 NHL

THE HISTORY CHANNEL 00:00 Pawn Stars 00:30 Pawn Stars 01:00 Ax Men 02:00 American Restoration 02:30 American Restoration 03:00 No County For Old Men 04:00 The Universe 05:00 Dogfights 06:00 Ax Men 07:00 Pawn Stars 07:30 Pawn Stars 08:00 The Universe 09:00 Dogfights 10:00 Pawn Stars 10:30 Pawn Stars 11:00 Ax Men 12:00 American Restoration 12:30 American Restoration 13:00 No County For Old Men 14:00 Dogfights 15:00 The Universe 16:00 American Restoration 16:30 American Restoration 17:00 No County For Old Men 18:00 Dogfights 19:00 The Universe 20:00 Pawn Stars 20:30 Pawn Stars 21:00 Ax Men 22:00 Wwii: Lost Films

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:20 04:15 05:10 06:05 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:55 11:55 12:50 13:20 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:25 19:25 20:20 21:15 22:10 23:05

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Clean House Videofashion News Mel B: It’s A Scary World Clean House: New York How Do I Look?

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Fashion Police Wicked Fit

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Kid vs Kat Pokemon: Black And White Rated A For Awesome Kickin It Phineas And Ferb Pair Of Kings Zeke & Luther Kickin It Zeke & Luther Rated A For Awesome Rekkit Rabbit Pair Of Kings Kick Buttowski Scaredy Squirrel I’m In The Band Zeke & Luther Fort Boyard - Ultimate

Challenge 15:25 Rekkit Rabbit 15:50 Rated A For Awesome 16:15 Kickin It 16:40 Ultimate Spider-Man 17:05 Zeke & Luther 17:30 Scaredy Squirrel 18:00 Iron Man Armored Adventures 18:25 Phineas And Ferb 19:15 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 19:40 Pair Of Kings 20:05 Zeke & Luther 20:55 Mr. Young 21:20 Aaron Stone 21:45 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:10 Phineas And Ferb

00:15 Little Einsteins 00:40 Jungle Junction 01:10 Little Einsteins 01:30 Special Agent Oso 02:00 Lazytown 02:25 Little Einsteins 02:50 Jungle Junction 03:20 Little Einsteins 03:40 Special Agent Oso 04:10 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Special Agent Oso 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Lazytown 07:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:10 The Hive 08:20 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 08:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 08:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:05 The Hive 09:15 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:20 Mouk 09:35 Mouk 09:45 Minnie’s Bow Toons 09:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:15 Minnie’s Bow Toons 10:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:45 Art Attack 11:10 Imagination Movers 11:35 Lazytown 12:00 The Hive 12:10 Handy Manny 12:25 Jungle Junction 12:40 Imagination Movers 13:05 The Hive 13:15 Special Agent Oso 13:30 Minnie’s Bow Toons 13:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:00 Minnie’s Bow Toons 14:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:30 Handy Manny 14:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:15 The Hive 15:25 Art Attack 15:50 Handy Manny 16:05 Art Attack 16:30 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:45 Art Attack 17:10 Handy Manny 17:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:10 Little Einsteins 18:35 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:00 Minnie’s Bow Toons 19:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:30 Minnie’s Bow Toons 19:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 20:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:20 The Hive 20:30 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:35 Minnie’s Bow Toons 20:40 Animated Stories 20:45 Mouk 21:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 21:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:40 Special Agent Oso 21:55 Little Einsteins 22:20 Timmy Time 22:30 Jungle Junction 22:45 Handy Manny 22:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 23:20 Special Agent Oso 23:35 Special Agent Oso 23:50 Lazytown

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR MEA JZR ETH RJA GFA UAE ETD THY DHX FDB MSR QTR KAC THY JZR DHX JZR KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC QTR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB IRA ETD BAB GFA MEA JZR MSR IRM JZR JZR IRC CLX KNE MSR RJA GFA KAC FDB JZR QTR KAC SVA ALK JZR KAC KAC KAC QTR KAC IYE ETD UAE UAL SVA GFA JZR JZR ABY KAC KAC QTR BAB KAC KAC FDB KNE MSR RBG JZR KAC KAC JAI KAC JZR KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK KAC JZR KLM JZR UAE ETD BBC ABY QTR DHX JZR AIC FDB GFA UAL FDB JZR DLH MSR THY

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 4/7/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 408 BEIRUT 527 ASSIUT 620 ADDIS ABABA 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 768 ISTANBUL 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 1541 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 6130 DOHA 53 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 606 LUXOR 5066 MASHAD 561 SOHAG 505 LUXOR 6791 MASHAD 792 LUXEMBOURG 472 JEDDAH 610 CAIRO 640 AMMAN 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 535 CAIRO 140 DOHA 790 MEDINAH 500 JEDDAH 549 COLOMBO 257 BEIRUT 788 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 502 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 824 SANAA 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 510 RIYADH 215 BAHRAIN 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 95 ABU DHABI 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 438 BAHRAIN 166 PARIS 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 460 MEDINAH 620 ASSIUT 3553 ALEXANDRIA 787 RIYADH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 572 MUMBAI 102 NEW YORK 175 DUBAI 774 RIYADH 393 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 514 TEHRAN 481 SABIHA 417 AMSTERDAM 135 BAHRAIN 859 DUBAI 307 ABU DHABI 43 DHAKA 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 539 CAIRO 975 CHENNAI 59 DUBAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 8051 DUBAI 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL

Time 0:15 0:20 1:00 1:40 1:45 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 4:10 4:35 4:55 5:00 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:30 7:45 7:45 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:20 8:25 8:30 9:00 9:20 9:25 9:30 9:35 10:00 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:55 12:25 13:10 13:15 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:40 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:15 16:10 16:35 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 20:55 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:55 23:10 23:35 23:40

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR PIA MEA THY ETH THY UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR RJA JZR JZR GFA THY JZR KAC KAC FDB BAW KAC JZR KAC ABY KAC QTR KAC KAC UAE KAC QTR FDB ETD IRA BAB GFA KAC MEA MSR JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR IRM KAC KNE IRC GFA FDB MSR RJA CLX KAC JZR JZR ALK KAC SVA JZR QTR KAC KAC ETD JZR IYE QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA JZR QTR FDB BAB KNE RBG MSR JZR KAC KAC KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA JZR DHX ALK KLM JZR ABY KAC ETD UAE QTR KAC KAC JZR DHX BBC QTR AXB FDB FDB GFA KAC JZR

Depature Flights on Wednesday 4/7/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 206 LAHORE 409 BEIRUT 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 504 LUXOR 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 534 CAIRO 545 ALEXANDRIA 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 175 FRANKFURT 256 BEIRUT 117 NEW YORK 126 SHARJAH 501 BEIRUT 6131 DOHA 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 789 MADINAH 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 437 BAHRAIN 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 619 ASSIUT 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 785 JEDDAH 480 ISTANBUL 176 DUBAI 5065 MASHHAD 95 ABU DHABI 461 JEDDAH 6792 MASHHAD 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 792 GIALAM 673 DUBAI 538 CAIRO 174 DUBAI 550 ZURICH 617 DOHA 503 MADINAH 786 RIYADH 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 824 SANAA 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 477 JEDDAH 3554 ALEXANDRIA 621 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 361 COLOMBO 153 ISTANBUL 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 417 DAMMAM 1540 CAIRO 120 SHARJAH 381 DELHI 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 373 BAHRAIN 44 DHAKA 147 DOHA 394 KOCHI 60 DUBAI 8052 DUBAI 218 BAHRAIN 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 1:25 2:00 2:15 2:45 3:40 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 7:30 8:10 8:20 8:25 8:25 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:05 9:15 9:15 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:25 10:45 11:30 11:55 12:10 12:15 12:30 13:10 13:15 13:20 13:25 14:00 14:10 14:15 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:35 14:45 15:05 15:10 15:25 15:25 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:15 16:25 16:25 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:45 19:55 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:25 23:30 23:50 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

CHANGE OF NAME JABIR HUSAIN holder of Passport No: J0978818 has change my name JABIR HUSAIN LAKHARA. (C 4060) 28-6-2012

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station 22434064 Al-Murqab Police Station 22435865 Al-Daiya Police Station

22544200

SITUATION VACANT

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Pajero 2000 model, maroon color, full option, good condition, price KD 1,250/-. Contact: 66395004. (C 4063) Mitsubishi Lancer GLX 2009, golden color, excellent condition, price KD 1,700/-. Contact: 50699345.

(C 4064) Toyota Prado (4 CLR), 2003 model, white color, 4 doors, price KD 3,650. Contact: 66729295. (C 4065) 1-7-2012 Apartment for sale 10x5 meters hall, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, well furnished in Salmiya, Block-10.

Contact: 66647327.

(C 4061) 30-6-2012

Full time live out maid/nanny for three months, starting mid July.

Must have own residency.

Work from 7am to 7pm, Saturday - Thursday in Salwa. Call 97687172 for interview.

2-7-2012

MATRIMONIAL NRI Orthodox parents invited from God fearing professionally qualified working boys from Orthodox, Jacobite, Marthomite for their daughter Kuwait Residence holder 26/160cm, BSc Nurse presently working in a reputed hospital in Mumbai arriving to Kerala middle of July. Please respond with recent photo and bio data to the e-mail: proposal201244@yahoo.com (C 4062) 30-6-2012

Al-Fayha’a Police Station 22547133 Al-Qadissiya Police Station 22515277 Al-Nugra Police Station

22616662

Al-Salmiya Police Station 25714406 Al-Dasma Police Station

22530801

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:18 11:52 15:26 18:52 20:24

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

34

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 726

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You can find new ways to relate to others today. You are very tolerant and accepting of differences—you have good insights into all social values—independent. You like to facilitate compromise and otherwise show the extent of your range—like a coat of many colors. If you are planning a social gettogether for this evening, it could be very important to put forth much effort in the work area first. You may find yourself working with the public this afternoon. You will have a natural sense of what the public wants and can make positive presentations. As usual, you will be the life of the party—able to loosen up even the most sober.

Someone may compliment you on your tastes or belongings. You will feel especially kind toward a loved one this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) All that work piled up on your desk can really get to you this morning; however, it will not take as long as you think to weed through and get your work accomplished. It is good that you have the work in front of you—so get on with it! A noon meal is important but try not to get into any one conversation too deeply . . . time is fleeting. This afternoon is a better flow of energy than this morning and if you deal with customers a familiar face may come into your view.

A slower time later today will give you time to contemplate changes that you could make to your schedule in the morning that would get you to work at a better time.

You may want to work a little overtime this evening to avoid all that rush tomorrow . . . business is picking up.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS

1. The act of slowing down or falling behind.

4. Norwegian writer of novels (1859-1952).

10. Of southern Europe.

13. A Turkish unit of weight equal to about 2.75 pounds.

14. A medicated lozenge used to soothe the throat.

15. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

16. The narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips.

18. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

19. Tag the base runner to get him out.

20. A unit of current equal to 10 amperes.

21. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

22. An Indian side dish of yogurt and chopped cucumbers and spices.

24. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.

29. A river that rises in northern Colombia and flows generally eastward to the Orinoco in central Venezuela.

33. Alternatively, a member of the family Nymphaeaceae.

35. An Eskimo hut.

36. How long something has existed.

37. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

40. An informal term for a father.

42. A woolen cap of Scottish origin.

43. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

44. Tropical New World lizard with a long tail and large rectangular scales on the belly and a long tail.

46. Marked by practical hardheaded intelligence.

51. 1 species.

55. A former British gold coin worth 21 chillings.

56. Either of two large African antelopes of the genus Taurotragus having short spirally twisted horns in both sexes.

57. A master's degree in library science.

58. To fix or set securely or deeply.

61. Wife of Ramachandra.

62. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

63. A genus of Ploceidae.

64. A town in north central Oklahoma.

DOWN 1. Australian moundbird.

2. Jordan's port.

3. (Greek mythology) Goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology.

4. A protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers.

5. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

6. A port city in southern Kenya on a coral island in a bay of the Indian Ocean.

7. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

8. 300 to 3000 megahertz.

9. (comparative of `near') Being the one of two that is less distant in space.

10. God of fire.

11. Singing jazz.

12. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

17. Perennial mountain rice native to Mediterranean region and introduced into North America.

23. A means of serving.

25. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

26. Any of a group of enzymes (trade name Lactaid) that hydrolyze lactose to glucose and galactose.

27. In bed.

28. The executive agency that advises the President on the federal budget.

30. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerine and grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin.

31. Wearing or provided with clothing.

32. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure.

34. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

38. Cooked in steam.

39. The boy whose upbringing was described by JeanJacques Rousseau.

41. Chief port of Yemen.

45. Coarse edible red seaweed.

46. A hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion.

47. A Polynesian rain dance performed by a woman.

48. (computer science) A kind of computer architecture that has a relatively small set of computer instructions that it can perform.

49. Shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain.

50. Fallow deer.

52. Most important element.

53. The basic unit of money in Peru.

54. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

59. A bachelor's degree in religion.

60. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You are in a place of much importance today and can draw from your natural wealth of eagerness and business expertise to accomplish whatever you set out to do. Given to clear-headed ideas, you take a distanced perspective—a cool appraisal. Logical, you love hard work and earned results. Survival is all important—do not forget that survival may sometimes depend on your ability to laugh and hope. This is a good time to be with others and to work together. Business is good and you make it even better! When money comes to you, take a little off the top and place it in savings—you will then have some money for a rainy day. Teach budgeting to the young. You will learn about budgeting when you teach it.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) This is a busy workday. Everyone around you seems as busy as you are—head down, pencil-to-paper, etc. This is a great time to get things accomplished. This afternoon is more of a group session time and with your management and directional abilities you are a high focus person that finds responsibilities a badge of honor. You can easily exhibit understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others and are in a good position to broadcast your ideas and any concerns. Everything points to your taking the lead. Now, it might be good to research the new trends in industry and work incentive and reward systems. You will feel a great deal of support from those around you. Interaction with friends will find you in a happy mood.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) Today is a great time to be with others and to work in groups.

You may be sought after as the perfect person for a particular job. A clear-minded insight into your own plans and methods is available to you. This is a very good time to verbalize your goals. Perhaps this is a day for employee review.

Whatever the case, it seems a good day for decisions. Other people’s first impression of you is that you are a very strong, confident and a dependable person. You have a take-charge sort of manner. If needed, you will help and support others. Your instinctive orientation is to heal any disturbance. Creating a work that will empower and maintain your ideals and principles become a high priority now. You are an inspiration to others.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Information comes to your attention that changes your perceptions about your co-workers. Your circle of friendships in your workplace widens with this new information. You need an organized arena in order to do your best but sometimes, you may be handed a mess to improve. Depending on the circumstances, you will usually not attack such a mess, but today the circumstances are different. You may have inherited this mess for some reason and the person(s) who made the mess are no longer available. You may want to request assistance and share the rewards of what you can do to save the day—so to speak. Whatever you decide success is the outcome. You are good at making the most of your abilities and you encourage others.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Stay away from speculative ventures today—put your money and time into a reliable endeavor. You may accomplish a great deal this morning if you can manage to work by yourself. Be particularly cautious with close associates because there could be a problem with communication. Your drive and fervor will return to a more workable place this afternoon. Legal matters can be resolved favorably later today. If you are looking for advice, look to the more experienced counsel. Your thoughts take on a special intensity. Look beyond the surface meaning of words. When you go home this evening, kiss your loved ones and encourage an attitude of gratitude in everyone you see. Objects that have been missing around the house will suddenly reappear.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This is a time when you might consider running a business from your home. At least you will gain experience in the field of management. In some sense, just being you is the goal itself and the means of traveling to that goal. Your dreams, visions and ideals propel you from within—always. You follow the inner guide and your ambitions are true and serve to show the way. Take care of yourself by eliminating the unnecessary stress in your life. Beyond whatever external considerations may be present, you exude a contagious fondness for things and people. These inner, loving qualities are experienced as a very real good. Your most essential quality has to do with the very real love you radiate to others. Make your plans to travel soon.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others just now. You are in a good position to communicate concerning groups and society in general. Perhaps some volunteer service is in order. Your most essential quality has to do with the very real love and compassion you radiate. Your sense of values and sheer appreciation for life are communicated to all who come to know you. You may be sought after for your advice and counsel regarding very personal and emotional issues. Perhaps this is a good time to think and study—you have a real appreciation for ideas and thoughts. This evening, you may find yourself enjoying a long conversation, writing a letter or making a special phone call.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Today may seem more like a Monday than yesterday.

Demands and questions from the workplace may come over the phone before you can even wake up this morning. Stress can quickly take its toll so stay focused. Keep your goals in sight and maintain that positive attitude of yours. In your personal life there may be plenty of distractions. Believe it or not . . . you have control, if you want it. This is your opportunity to rise above any difficulties and set examples for others to follow. Any blocks you have now can be removed quickly—if you wish. Learn meditation or biofeedback techniques and do not be timid when it comes to laughter! This evening, take some time to identify and eliminate any of those blocks.

To

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is an easy, calm day that should find everything running in a smooth manner. Work issues may call for active interaction with authority figures but working with—rather than against—the flow of activity should be easy to do. All of this workday should go rather smoothly. Your more reserved qualities are to the forefront and found to be valuable. This is a time for imagination and creativity when it comes to ideas and thinking. This, coupled with the ability to put your thoughts into words, allows you to captivate and spellbind. You could be teaching, lecturing or guiding others in some new technology. Taxes, investments and other financial obligations grab your attention this evening. It is time to do the bills. Allow music or a loved one to help you relax.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

This is a very good day for job-related events. If you put forth only a little bit of effort today you could find a few ways to help yourself obtain that raise or promotion you have been hoping for lately. You may be asked to speak for your company soon. You ideas are fluid and it is easy to understand your explanation, demonstration or illustration when it comes to educating the public about some new software or product that some people had found difficult. Soon you may be asked to demonstrate this same product for another company so that they can learn how to draw some interest from the public. Be careful that you do not become some sort of speed demon, for intense or passionate feelings and drive will be at your command for a long time.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla Al-Mirqab

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TATE T OF K KUW WA AIT

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

Very e hot h with light to moderate variable wind to light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 08 - 28 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Relatively hot with light to moderate north westerly to northerly wind, with speed of 06 - 26 km/h

No Current Waarnings arnin

WA ARNING MIN. REC.

KUW WA AIT CITY

47 °C

34 °C

22451082

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

48 °C

33 °C

22456536

NUW WA AISEEB

44 °C

30 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

48 °C

27 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

47 °C

29 °C

Jabriya

25316254

ABDAL LY

48 °C

30 °C

JAL ALIY YAH A

47 °C

29 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

47 °C

31 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

43 °C

34 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

37 °C

32 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YAN A

47 °C

28 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

SFC. CHART

03/07/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

Wednesday e

04/07

Thursday

05/07

very hot + blowing dust

48 °C

35 °C

NW

20 - 40 km/h

dusty

47 °C

36 °C

NW

25 - 50 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

Friday

06/07

dusty

46 °C

36 °C

NW

25 - 50 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

Saturday

07/07

very hot + raising dust

47 °C

34 °C

NW

20 - 45 km/h

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

PRA RA AY YER TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

03:18

MAX. Temp.

48 °C

Sunrise

04:52

MIN. Temp.

34 °C 16 %

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

11:52

MAX. RH

Al-Omariya

24719048

Asr

15:26

MIN. RH

03 %

Sunset

18:51

MAX. Wind i

N 39 km/h

Isha

20:23

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

Fintas

00 mm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

23900322

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

BY Y DA AY:

24710044

Al-Shohada’a

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

N.Kheitan

22418714

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours

ST TATION T

Al-Madena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Adele’s boyfriend plans to propose dele’s boyfriend was reportedly planning to propose marriage to the singer before he learned she was pregnant. The ‘Rolling in the Deep’ performer announced on Friday that she and her boyfriend of nearly a year, Simon Konecki, are expecting their first child together. However Adele could also be expecting a wedding as the 38year-old divorced dad apparently has an intention to pop the question. A source told the new issue of Us Weekly magazine: “He was planning to propose anyway!” The 23-year-old Grammy winner, who is nearly four months pregnant, wrote on her website last week, “I’m delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. “I wanted you to hear the news direct from me; obviously we’re over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time, Yours always, Adele xx.”

Adele was raised by a single mother and a friend revealed that she wants a low-key affair where her mother gives her away. The insider added that more than anything else in the world, she wants to be a wife and parent.

A

Bieber misses graduation

Jolie

T

finds family life easy

ngelina Jolie finds raising six children “easy”. The 37-year-old actress insist she and fiance Brad Pitt never worry about missing anything in their careers due to the demands of caring for Maddox, 11, Pax, eight, Zahara, seven, Shiloh, six, and three-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne because they enjoy family life so much. She said: “It’s just so easy for me to be looking after the kids even thought it takes a lot of energy and you don’t have much time for yourself. “The children are so much a part of my life and Brad’s that we don’t worry or stress ourselves about not working more often. However, the ‘Maleficent’ star admits

A

een heartthrob Justin Bieber has earned a diploma from a Catholic secondary school in his native Ontario, Canada, but did not attend the graduation ceremony, the head of the school told AFP. Tim Doherty said Monday that the 18-year-old star had been granted a diploma from St. Michael Catholic School in Stratford but did not attend the graduation ceremony on June 28.Bieber shot to fame in 2009 after posting several homemade music videos on YouTube, an in March 2011 set the record for the most views on the video-sharing site with his music video “Baby.”

As of Tuesday, the video had more than 750 million views.

her large brood means she often feels sleep deprived, though this is changing now the kids are getting older. She added to Britain’s OK! magazine: “I don’t feel as if I’m depriving myself from anything except maybe sleep.

But now that the twins are older, Mommy and Daddy are getting a little more rest and time to be together. “It’s always hectic but more manageable than when I had two very small babies who needed to be constantly with me. That was the most difficult time but even then it was also a very beautiful time in our lives.”

Kate feels lucky about daughter ate Beckinsale feels lucky that her daughter isn’t “screwed up”. The ‘Total Recall’ actress has 13-year-old Lily with former partner Michael Sheen and although she would love a child with husband Len Wiseman, Kate worries other kids wouldn’t deal so well with her complicated domestic situation. She told the UK edition of Glamour magazine: “I go back and forth on [the idea of more kids].

I feel very lucky in that we navigated a pretty bumpy situation and Lily’s OK. So my resistance is along the lines of ‘Do I want to upset the apple cart?’ “Given that I feel we did get away with it, and she’s not an incredibly screwed up kid, despite a lot of upheaval - London to LA, different schools, a stepdad, met several girlfriends of Michael’s - part of me goes, ‘Hmm, I don’t know whether that would be more than my share of luck to make that work as well.’ “However, the 38-year-old actress has admitted time is running out and she may soon not have a choice. She said: “At some point the decision will be made for me, when my ovaries dry up and die. We’ll see. There’s nothing that makes me go, ‘And now I must have triplets’.”

K

Minaj’s 3k chicken bill icki Minaj spent £3,000 on takeaway chicken last week. The ‘Starships’ hitmaker treated her entourage to tasty treats from Portuguese restaurant chain Nando’s following her concert in Manchester, North West England last Thursday, and the order was so big, it filled an entire vehicle. A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “The order included 550 chicken legs, 300 chicken wings and 60 bottles of coke. “The food filled a whole car.”

Nicki is known to be a fan of chicken as her backstage riders often include poultry. At a recent show in Australia she was said to ask for Belgian waffles and fried chicken, 12 cans of Red Bull - six at room temperature, six on ice - whipped cream, strawberries and 24 bottles of Snapple fruit drink.

Meanwhile, the singer - who wore a necklace featuring an imitation chicken wing during a gig last September - was specific about her poultry demands when she performed at the Super Bowl half time show with Madonna in February, requesting a 12piece bucket of “spicy” fried chicken with “lots of wings” and “no thighs” to be served alongside a cheese platter, cold meat tray and a set of silverware to eat with.

N

Baldwin quits twitter again

50 Cent: Injuries could be worse

he hotheaded ‘30 Rock’ actor - who married yoga instructor Hilaria Thomas on Saturday - signed off his personal account on the micro-blogging site with the words “It’s been fun” before updating the page to reflect its new function. It will now feature tweets related to the Alec Baldwin Foundation only, which he says aims to “support the arts and artists, amateur and professional”. Alec’s personal twitter page has previously featured a number of controversial tweets including “A ‘photographer’ almost hit me in the face with his camera this morning #allpaparazzishouldbewaterboarded” and in answer to the question “Would you be rather loved by CRITICS or ADORED by FANS??” he answered “I’d rather be licked by a dog (sic).” Alec first quit twitter last December after he was removed from an American Airlines flight for allegedly refusing to stop using his mobile phone but a friend said at the time: “He just takes time off and will likely return”. Last week Alec got into another physical altercation with a photographer, making it the second incident in two weeks. He was involved in a scuffle in New York City where he squeezed a paparazzo’s arm and verbally blasted him. The incident took place in the middle of the street outside the star’s apartment building where he was seen shouting profanities while holding a pink stuffed animal toy. After the photographer allegedly told a local resident to “Piss off” when he was asked to leave the area, Alec waded in. He said: “I want you to shut up ... leave my neighbor alone ... get outta here.

T

Cent thinks his injuries from a recent car accident could have been worse if he wasn’t travelling in a bulletproof vehicle. The ‘Candy Shop’ rapper was hospitalized last month after his SUV collided with a Mack Truck on the Long Island Expressway. 50 Cent spoke out about the collision, revealing that the driver of the other vehicle “lost control” because “his load shifted”.

He told MTV News: “He tried to break, his load shifted and he lost control and he ran into the back of [my] truck. “It did more damage to the Mack Truck than it did to my truck, because I’ve got a level six - it’s a bulletproof vehicle.

It’s the same standard as what they’re moving Obama around in.” 50 Cent also denied rumors that the incident was a publicity stunt ahead of the release of his attest studio album ‘Five (Murder by Numbers)’. He continued: “Trust me, I have enough money to not hit myself with a Mack Truck to try to get a few dollars. What’s the thought process on this? It makes no sense to me.

50

Usher ex-wife using stalker for custody sher’s ex-wife reportedly plans on using his recent alleged stalker incident to help her win custody of their two children. Tameka Raymond apparently wants to prove their offspring are not safe with the singer after an imposter was able to get into his home while the children were there. The 33-year-old singer has obtained a restraining order against 26 year old Darshelle Jones-Rake straw after she turned up uninvited at his home on June 23 to “harass” him and his family. The occasion could help to fuel Tameka’s case in a lengthy custody battle in court that is set to resume next month. Tameka has previously cited arguments which include Usher’s hectic tour schedule and his alleged drug use as to why she believes her ex-spouse should not have the privilege of sending the majority of time with their boys Naviyd Ely Raymond and Usher Raymond V. Sources told website TMZ.com that Tameka is scared for their safety as Darshelle was able to get into the property even though he lives in a gated community and has a security team.

U

Cowell uses special b’day wishes imon Cowell used an aerial sign writer to wish Cheryl Cole a happy birthday. ‘The X Factor’ boss hired five planes emit a computer-controlled and eco-friendly vapour that spelled out a message from a height of 10,000ft in the sky. The over-the-top display took place in Las Vegas, Nevada where the Girls Aloud singer was celebrating her 29th birthday with band mates Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. The message over the city’s Encore hotel read: “Cheryl - Congratulations you’re 30 next year! ha ha ha Love Simon x.” The writing could be seen from a 15-mile radius music mogul has been waiting since October to get revenge on Cheryl after she reminded him of his age. She sent a plane to fly around his house in Los Angeles 52 times with a banner attached saying: “Simon Cowell is 52 today! Ha ha ha! Love Cheryl xoxo.” According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, she explained at the time: “He didn’t want anyone to know it was his birthday it was a perfect opportunity for me.”

Everyone in a 15-mile radius saw it. He ALWAYS has to go one better, doesn’t he? —Bangshowbiz

S

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

lifestyle M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

Review

Stone back in bold form with

‘Savages’

US actress Katie Holmes leaves a TV studio on Times Square in New York on July 2, 2012. Holmes recently filed for divorce from actor TomCruise. — AFP

Holmes faces Cruise, Scientology in fight for Suri

A

ctress Katie Holmes faces two strong adversaries in her legal fight for sole custody of 6-yearold daughter, Suri, as she battles estranged husband Tom Cruise and his Scientology religion, experts said on Monday. The “Dawson’s Creek” actress, 33, made headlines last week when she filed for divorce from “Mission: Impossible” actor Cruise after nearly six years of marriage and one child.

While Holmes, Cruise and representatives for both have remained quiet about the reasons for the high-profile split, speculation in the media is that Suri, now at the age when she begins a formal education, and the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is a key member, are central to the breakup.

“What’s interesting is that there are three players in this case - the mother, the father and this very controversial concept of Scientology,” said New Yorkbased divorce lawyer Lubov Stark.

“The daughter is in the middle of this whole divorce. She seems to have been raised in Scientology up to this age, so if the judge comes in and gives custody to Katie Holmes, she can change (Suri’s) religion,” Stark said. The Church of Scientology was founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, and it describes its practices as a religion. The organization believes man is an immortal being whose experience extends beyond one lifetime, and it has attracted followers including Cruise and John Travolta. But some observers - including media mogul Rupert Murdoch - liken it to a cult. Critics think the group coerces followers to think like they do, and they accuse Scientologists of harassing people who seek to quit. On Sunday, following last week’s news of Holmes’ divorce filing, Murdoch took to Twitter and called Scientology “a very weird cult” and Scientologists “creepy, maybe even evil.”

SCIENTOLOGY AND THE MEDIA “Scientology is a potentially unsafe, if not dangerous, organization,” said Rick

Ross, a New Jersey-based expert on cults and controversial movements who has served as an expert witness in court cases. “I’ve received complaint after complaint over the years from former members.”

Ross said Holmes’ custody battle could hinge on whether Cruise decides to fight Holmes for custody of Suri and how much information comes out about Scientology practices, which the Church may not find in its interest.

Representatives for the Church did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. Ross said it is unlikely the Church would get directly involved in the custody battle as it could bring negative publicity, but he believed members could leak information to “intimidate or discredit” Holmes. Lawyer Stark said custody proceedings will differ substantially depending on whether they take place in New York, where Holmes filed, or California if Cruise can get the case moved to the state in which he resides.

In California, Stark said the courts presume joint custody, leading to a greater likelihood a judge would give both Holmes and Cruise the ability to make decisions for Suri. “If the judge says they should have joint custody in California, then Katie would not have the ability to take Suri out of this religion altogether,” said Stark. In New York, the courts look at the best interests of a child and who’s going to make decisions and care for the youngster. In that case, a judge might be asked to consider Cruise’s religion, although the possibility appears remote.

“Religion can always come into it, but it’s rare for a custody battle,” said Josh Forman, a matrimonial attorney and partner at Chemtob Moss Forman & Talbert in New York. Like Ross, Forman believed any negative publicity from a long trial might lead to a private settlement. “I don’t think it would be very good for Tom’s career if he is seen as having a huge, dragged-out custody battle with Katie. I think they should really settle, and I see this as settling.” — Reuters

This film image released by Universal Pictures shows Benicio Del Toro, left, and Salma Hayek in a scene from “Savages.”—AP

T

he sun, in its various hues and levels of intensity, plays an important role in Oliver Stone’s latest, “Savages.” In the beginning of this tale of sex, drugs, money and power, it illuminates an idyllic decadence. It warms everything in a glow that suggests anything is possible, in a way that’s hazy and almost hallucinatory. But such a lifestyle can’t be maintained forever - that’s just the way these stories tend to go.

And so eventually, especially in the film’s bloody desert climax, the sun bakes everyone mercilessly, bleaching away the colors and revealing the characters’ true natures. Regardless of which side of the battle they’re on, it’s clear they’ve all become savages. Sounds intense, and Stone’s film is indeed a lurid, pulpy film noir but with an erotic, even dreamlike California beach vibe. It’s an intriguing contrast, this mixture of a genre and an aesthetic that may not necessarily sound like they’d blend well together, but the result is the most explosively poppy film Stone has made in a long time.

“Savages” is darkly funny and stylishly violent but never reaches the overwhelming level of audiovisual assault of, say, “Natural Born Killers,” for example. Directing from a script he co-wrote with Shane Salerno and Don Winslow (based on Winslow’s novel), Stone draws us into this glamorous yet seedy world and draws strong performances from his eclectic ensemble cast.

Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson co-star as best friends and business partners Chon and Ben, young surfer-dude bad-asses who got rich quick growing a particularly strong strain of pot. Chon, an ex-Navy SEAL, came home after fighting in

Afghanistan with the potent seeds and, understandably, some residual jumpiness from the war. Ben, who studied botany at UC Berkeley, turned those seeds into a small, independent empire, but he’s a pacifist with philanthropic goals.

The two live in a spectacular Laguna Beach home with endless views of the Pacific Ocean.

They also happily share the affections of their mutual girlfriend, the gorgeous, blonde O (Blake Lively), a nouveau riche Orange County princess who benefits from this arrangement in every possible way. (And there is a whole lotta masculine, muscular nudity in this film, just FYI - nearly as much as there was last week in “Magic Mike.”)

Everyone’s happy until the leader of a Mexican cartel, the regal but ruthless Elena (a fantastic, scenery-chewing Salma Hayek) tries to expand her territory by taking over their business. First, she sends her trusted right-hand man (an elegant Demian Bechir) to approach them with a gentlemanly (if well-armed) proposition. When they politely decline, with phrasing that will come back to haunt them, she sends one of her heavies (Benicio Del Toro, amusingly cartoony) to make her point a little more clear. Then things start to get really ugly for these beautiful people.

Kitsch is in one mode - he’s the trigger-happy, intense muscle of the operation - but he’s consistent and believable. Johnson fares better - his character has more shading - and he proves once again how versatile he is following roles as young John Lennon in “Nowhere Boy,” the nerdy superhero of “Kick-Ass” and the handsome but illiterate boiler repair man in “Albert Nobbs.”

Miami rapper

Pitbull may

head to Alaska

P

Mel Gibson’s stepmother seeks stay-away order

M

el Gibson’s estranged stepmother filed for a stay-away order against the actor on Monday claiming he was violent with the elderly woman, who is embroiled in a bitter divorce from Gibson’s father. The legal action is the latest against Gibson, an Oscar winner for “Braveheart” and star of the “Lethal Weapon” movies, to raise issues of anger control.

Teddy Gibson, who married the actor’s father John Gibson in 2001, filed for the restraining order in the Superior Court in Los Angeles. A hearing is set for July 25.

Mel Gibson

“Mel has sunken to new lows over the last year by committing several acts of domestic violence against his 78-year-old stepmother,” the court papers state. The petition accuses Gibson of screaming at his stepmother after she questioned his preference for medical treatments in the care of his 93-year-old father.

John Gibson filed for divorce from his wife in June, citing irreconcilable differences. In her filing, Teddy Gibson claims she does not know why and needs the restraining order to talk to him without Mel Gibson present. In a sworn statement with the filing, Teddy Gibson claims there are “a lot of questions about (John Gibson’s) filing of divorce against me, and (I) need to speak directly to my husband without Mel’s interference so that I can make sure both he is OK and not being manipulated by Mel or into a course of action he does not wish to take.”

A spokesman for the actor had no comment on the request for a restraining order. This new action is the latest against Gibson, 56, to highlight anger issues since he was stopped by a California policeman in 2006 for driving under the influence of alcohol and launched into a rant that included an anti-semitic statement. More recently, he and former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva waged a bitter custody battle over their infant daughter during whom tapes of telephone messages surfaced in the media on which Gibson can be heard yelling and screaming at Grigorieva. In March 2011, Gibson admitted in cour t that he slapped Grigorieva with an open hand during an argument, and he pleaded no contest to domestic violence - the equivalent of guilty in California. He was sentenced to three years probation. — Reuters

Lively, meanwhile, continues to expand on the unexpected glimmers of strength she revealed in 2010’s “The Town,” in contrast to her glamorous persona on- and off-camera. She’s called upon for more physical and emotional rigors than ever before and, for the most part, rises to Stone’s challenge. As our guide through this shadowy world, she’s also saddled with delivering the film’s sometimes-smothering narration; some lines that perhaps read better on paper clang on the ear, like the one in which she states that she had orgasms while Kitsch’s character had “wargasms.” Approaching such language (and the voiceover in general) from the perspective that it’s intended as a fundamental piece of film noir-style filmmaking makes it more relevant, though not necessarily more tolerable.

Among the other colorful characters with something at stake in this increasingly are John Travolta as a DEA agent on the take and Emile Hirsch as the genius who finds complicated ways to hide the guys’ money. Stone clearly has a pro-drug message here - or at least an antiwar-on-drugs message: Everything falls apart once controls start being exerted. That’s unsurprising, given the open way in which he’s discussed drug use throughout his life. What is surprising is the fact that he’s not beating us over the head with it. “Savages” is an enjoyably gratuitous romp, but with something to say.

“Savages,” a Universal Pictures release, is rated R for strong brutal and grisly violence, some graphic sexuality, nudity, drug use and language throughout. Running time: 129 minutes.

Three stars out of four.

File photo shows musician Bobby Womack with his dogs, a French bull dog named Music, left, and a pug named Wo in Los Angeles. —AP

Bobby Womack makes his return with ‘Bravest Man’

B

obby Womack has been frustrated.

He’s re-launching his career after what amounts to a two-decade, selfimposed exile and he can’t get his doctor to cooperate. There’s so much to do, Womack says in a gravelly voice, which has aged like the most expensive single-malt whiskey. Yet his doctor has ordered him to shut down for nearly two weeks - an eternity for a restless man seeking a rare second act at age 68. “Can I tell you the honest truth? I’ve been through a lot, more than I’ve ever been through in my life, in the last two months,” Womack says in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles home. “You know, I had prostate cancer, then they got rid of that and discovered I had colon cancer. Then after that my lungs completely shut down and they had to put me on a machine and I was out in a coma for 10 days. Then after that I had walking pneumonia - twice. So there’s only so much the body can take. I want to go back to work, but the doctor says, ‘Man, you’ve got to rest 10 days and not do NOTHING.’ He said, ‘Because we done lost you,’ and he said, ‘it’s a miracle you’re walking around.’”And Womack can’t disagree, especially when you take the long view.

A gospel and soul singer, a songwriter and a guitar player with few peers, Womack is largely a forgotten figure today - but one who is getting a close re-examination. His

new album, “ The Bravest Man in the Universe,” was produced by Damon Albarn, and Womack has ambitious plans for a tour later this year - if his body and doctor cooperate. His return is a welcome development for those who recognize his deep contributions to modern music - as Sam Cooke’s guitarist, the writer of the Rolling Stones’ first hit and someone who scored many of his own during his solo career. Some worried Womack might not have the same vitality that made him one of the most inspiring and imitated artists of his generation. And even Womack wondered sometimes. He admits to having seizures during his tour with Albarn’s Gorillaz several years ago and his health problems loomed large.

“Yet as so often is the case with Bobby,” said Mark Rowland, executive producer of the “Unsung” series, “he gets counted out over and over in different ways throughout his career, and yet he keeps coming back.” The “Unsung” episode that aired in January on TV One featuring Womack was among the most watched and commented upon in the series. “There’s so much to say about his music and there’s so much to say about his life,” Rowland said. “He’s had a life that’s really even more dramatic than some of the more dramatic aspects of the songs he’s written.” Womack hopes for a little drama in the next chapter of his career and calls “Bravest Man” “a fresh start.” —AP

itbull might soon be chilling out in Alaska. In a marketing deal, Walmart will send Pitbull, aka Armando Christian Perez, to the store that gets the most “likes” on its Facebook page. Right now, the leading candidate is Kodiak, Alaska. And there might be a reason. A writer for The Boston Phoenix newspaper thought it’d be funny to send Pitbull to the most remote Walmart possible, and is encouraging people to “like” the Walmart in Kodiak. It seems to be working.

The Kodiak Walmart had more than 35,000 “likes” Monday, more than five times the town’s population.

Kodiak has a significant lead in the contest to land Pitbull, but actual numbers weren’t immediately available, Walmart spokeswoman Sarah Spencer said.

She says other Walmart shoppers have until July 16 to like their local stores and pull ahead of Kodiak. “I know Pitbull is hoping his Miami Walmart shoppers start liking their Facebook page,” she said. That would require some heavy lifting, with one Miami location

File photo shows rapper Pitbull smiling after accepting the award for the Song of the Year by a male performer during the Latin Billboard Awards —AP sitting tight with 45 “likes” Monday. “He’s definitely coming to Kodiak if Kodiak wins,” she said. It would be the rapper’s first visit to Alaska. Pitbull, who is touring Europe, seems to be taking the contest in good nature. “Wherever the fans want to have a party, I will be there,” he said in an emailed statement sent Monday from Austria.

Kodiak Island is about 225 miles southwest of Anchorage. Its home to the nation’s largest Coast Guard base, and the island is known for its Kodiak brown bear population. That fact wasn’t lost on Pitbull, who tweeted Saturday: “I hear there’s bear repellant at Kodiak, Alaska (at)walmart specials.” — AP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Christian

Dior

changes its face in couture day 1

Models present creations by Belgian designer Raf Simons for Christian Dior during the Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2012-2013 on July 2, 2012 in Paris. — AFP/AP photos

T

he start of haute couture week in Paris is a must on any self-respecting fashionista’s calendar. But day one of the French capital’s fall-winter 2012 shows was different: It’s what’s called a fashion event. Monday was the debut of Christian Dior’s new designer Raf Simons - the first chance to see into the future of a storied powerhouse. He is only their fifth designer since Christian Dior founded the company in 1946. The anticipation was evident in the front row turnout: a who’s who of influence, from Marc Jacobs to Donatella Versace, Pierre Cardin, Riccardo Tisci and Diane von Furstenberg.

Ever since last year’s dismissal of John Galliano, the house has been looking for a new, stronger direction. In Simons’ triumphant offering - which modernized the cinched waisted New Look - it would seem they’ve found it. Haute couture is an artisan-based method of making clothes that dates back over 150 years. The highly expensive garments, shown in collections in Paris twice a year, are bought by a core group of no more than 100 rich women around the world.

Other shows on a busy day included Giambattista Valli, who also channeled 1950s silhouettes in tulip and A-line silhouettes. Meanwhile, Moroccan-born designer Bouchra Jarrar went back to haute couture’s artisanal roots to produce an accomplished show of femininity.

cinched waists and full skirts that resembled inverted flowers. One thing’s clear: Simons has done his homework. In the four months since being named creative director, he’s delved deep into the house’s archives.

The result: a strong show in homage to Dior’s love of flowers, but never a servile one. Simons owned it. Fifty four diverse looks paraded through several sweet-scented salons, wall-towall in myriad multi-colored flowers. The first pieces were among the strongest. Simons truncated the New Look, pairing high-waisted A-line mini dresses with contemporary black pants.

These were followed by a series of clean A-line archive pieces in bright reds and pale pink. Their clean lines with large, hip-level pockets signaled a break from the vivacity of Simons’ predecessor, John Galliano. Dior’s been looking for fresh direction ever since Galliano was sacked last year for a drunken anti-Semitic tirade. This collection shows

CHRISTIAN DIOR Say it with flowers. That was the clear message from new designer Raf Simons in his 1950stinged haute couture debut for Christian Dior.

When the normally exuberant house first hired the Belgian designer, known for his minimalist and linear style, it raised eyebrows. But Monday’s show will win many over. He revitalized with panache the curved Dior “flower women” silhouette. It’s what Christian Dior, the man, used to describe his revolutionary 1947 New Look of

Giambattista Valli

they’ve found their man.

Simons aimed to create a new kind of couture.

He said it wasn’t “just about reaching for a typical satin duchesse, a silk...but new forms.” And this was certainly fresh territory. One bright yellow, show-stopping evening dress might have come in silk, but its skintight sheer top exposed the model’s nipple ring. Some of the looks in fur didn’t quite work, but the misses were outweighed by plays on traditional form. In a clever touch, Simons transformed the Bar Jacket into a tuxedo-dress, turning its cupped pockets into a Madonna-style conical bra. Simons’ show proves that change is a good thing. Now, Dior could well give Louis Vuitton and Hermes a run for their money.

BOUCHRA JARRAR Bouchra Jarrar is relishing her feminine side.

The lauded designer opened Paris’ haute couture week on a breeze of soft A-line silhouettes. The 22 highly wearable dresses - in a gentle palette of lavender, black and white - floated by with clean draped collars and backs with effortless elegance.

But the simplicity of the collection was deceptive.

At work here was the atelier of the last great embroider, Francois Lesage, who passed away last year - a huge loss to Parisian fashion. But here his techniques carried on. A perfect example was on one silk georgette knee-length dress with a deep green flash of crepe de chine. Its handwoven draped collar in tweed showed off couture’s accomplished fastidious technique. “It was like magic,” added Jarrar. “(The atelier) worked with Lesage for 30 years: you can see it in the clothes.” And you could.

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI Giambattista Valli explored the flora and fauna of Mother Nature in a cinched waisted 1950s offering. Models in billowing floral creations of lightweight silk organza and muslin fluttered by on Monday, some with butterflies covering their mouth. His signature style of clothing - known to be uber-feminine - is rapidly building up a strong following among fashion’s glitterati. It was - of course - a VIP-filled front row. “I’m dying to get into one of those dresses,” gushed Jessica Stam, one of the world’s highest paid models. “I just loved those butterflies.” The vibrant show was all about prints. For the garden, tulip shaped or Aline skirts were covered in rose prints. The silhouettes at times had a distinct feel of Christian Dior’s 1950s looks - this generating, on more than one occasion, shocked gasps from fashionistas. There were some sublime looks. In several ensembles the models’ head disappeared in the voluminous, petal-like muslin ruffles. But Valli took it too far.

One bizarre green feathered evening dress, the program notes described as “wild grass.” It looked more like a hedge needing a trim.

lifestyle

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

F A S H I O N

Bouchra Jarrar

Get tomorrow’s ‘vintage’ couture today at

Chanel

B

ohemian belles in feathers and sparkling faux-tweed glided past the white wicker tables of an old world spa as Chanel put its own spin on the vintage craze at the Paris haute couture shows Monday. Chanel’s designer Karl Lagerfeld took over a disused wing of Paris’ Grand Palais exhibition hall-his venue of choicewith a decor of black-and-white sketched doors and a giant fresco meant to suggest a genteel thermal resort.

Bejewelled snoods on their hair, Chanel’s women stepped out in daysuits of glittering faux tweed, grey with touches of pink, crafted from wool, tulle, wool and pearls and each one some 3,000 hours in the making. With elongated silhouettes, with skirts cut “a hand above the knee” and slender evening gowns slashed open or cut low at the back, Lagerfeld said the look was a nod to the fashionista appetite for vintage Chanel. ”My own suits from 30 years ago, you can buy them like vintage,” he told reporters after the show. “‘New Vintage’ is a proposition for something that could last-at least I hope so,” he explained. “This is the same attitude, the same spirit, the same name, same concept-but something for our time.” “Vintagebut it’s not vintage yet. You can have it before it’s vintage!” quipped the spirited German designer. “Plus, ‘New Vintage’ has a nice ring to it! ”So how long before the new collection can be stamped as vintage, with the prestige and premium that applies? Ten years? “In fashion the future is six months,” Lagerfeld mused. — AFP

Models present creations by Chanel during the Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2012-2013 collections shows yesterday in Paris. — AP/AFP photos

Holmes faces Cruise, Scientology in fight for Suri

37

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012

This file picture taken on April 27, 2002 shows a Japanese sportscar fan admiring a Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta Pininfarina during an exhibition of Italian sports car Ferrari and Maserati at the Tokyo Contemporary Art Museum. —AFP

Ferrari designer Pininfarina

dies aged 85

T

he Italian godfather of car design, Sergio Pininfarina, renowned for crafting sleek Ferrari race cars and revolutionizing the common automobile, died yesterday aged 85, Italian media reported. Born in 1926 near Turin, in Italy’s industrial north, Pininfarina dedicated his long career to collaborations with top carmakers, designing the Ferrari Testarossa, Fiat 124 Spider, Fiat Dino and Maserati GranTurismo, among others.

He joined the family car design company after graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, and quickly became involved in all aspects of the business, from designing the cars to engineering and manufacturing. Determined to change the common perception of cars as merely functional, he rose to stardom with beautifully sculptured and blood red Ferraris, from the 410 SA to the Dino Berlinetta Speciale, Ferrari F40 and Enzo Ferrari. He also applied his

talents to less exotic models like Peugeots and Mitsubishis.

Pininfarina had a passion for forward-looking technology, becoming an early supporter of reducing car emissions and increasing fuel economy. In 1972, he opened the first wind tunnel in Italy, one of the few in the world at the time.

In 2006, he handed over management of the company to his son Andrea. He was awarded dozens of honors throughout his illustrious career, including four honorary

university degrees in fine arts and industrial design. In 2011, the company announced it was stopping car production because it had seen its revenue plunge in a sector reeling from the financial crisis, but has continued to design and engineer, with a particular focus on electric cars. Born Sergio Farina, he was head of Italy’s business association Confindustria from 1988 to 1992 and was named senator for life in 2005. — AFP

Leroy Martinez, 29, comes out of a flip in the air as he performs with Peacemakers in Vacaville, California, on June 23, 2012. — MCT photos

Leroy Martinez, left, goes through a dance routine with Josh Peters, 15, center, and Ysela Sandoval, 9, right.

Gordon Ramsay’s

recipe for anger management I

n addition to overseeing a slew of restaurants and authoring we leave them with the remedy.” bestselling cookbooks, the Scottish-born Gordon Ramsay Q: You came under fire in 2010 after a former “Hell’s juggles three programs on FOX - “Hell’s Kitchen,” “MasterChef” Kitchen” contestant Joseph Cerniglia committed suicide. and “Kitchen Nightmares.” A fourth, due out later this year also Do you think that was fair? on FOX, is “Hotel Hell,” which will unleash the irascible host on A: “When you get blamed for the sadness and deaths like that failing hotels and inns in an effort to rescue them from ruin.

Individuals taking their own lives - it really hurts, because it’s Here, the enfant terrible of cooking shows holds forth on what’s a tragedy. But it’s also a very selfish thing to do - to jump off wrong with most restaurants, why people should avoid honeya bridge and to leave that restaurant and your family behind moon suites and what leaves him foaming at the mouth. with all the mess.”

Q: You have a reputation for having a terrible temper. Do Q: You’ve talked frankly about your father’s alcoholism and you think the image of you as this angry person is your brother’s drug addiction. Do you ever worry you’re deserved? sharing too much?

A: “Very few chefs would do what I do, because they want to A: “I’m just fed up with all the bad influences out there. I want to keep this cool facade so their customers will keep buying try to turn a negative into a positive. Growing up in Glasgow, that $20,000 bottle of wine. Every top chef in the world has a at the time I thought it was an amazing upbringing because fiery temper and a passion that is second to there was always food on the table. Now I look none. I’m one of the very few that doesn’t at it and it was a crap storm, and I was fighting have an agenda when it comes to TV. “ to get out of there. I got dealt a dysfunctional Q: Have you mellowed at all? card. Not just my father being an alcoholic, but A: “I don’t think I’ve mellowed. I still get upset. the level of potential failure going against me.”

A lot of people like to smile for the camera, Q: How were you able to overcome that and they’re like total idiots when the camrough upbringing? eras are gone. I could not care less. I am A: “I found myself at a very fortunate position what I am, and that’s what it is. You know, I at the age of 22, where I got my ass kicked in have a rough side. I have a smooth side but France and learned how to cook. And I always underlining all that is an honest side. I have say to my young chefs wherever they may be, an earnest desire to get things absolutely become vulnerable. Get yourself out of your right.” comfort zone. It’s a great learning experience. I Q: Is it part of your method on shows like think today everyone plays it safe too much.”

“Hell’s Kitchen” to break down contestQ: “Hotel Hell” looks at failing inns and ants and then build them back up again? Gordon Ramsay hotels, Any advice for travellers?

A: “Yes, I motivate them and become a mentor, A: “If they turn around and say, “Mr. and Mrs. but at the same time you have a firm hand on them.”

Ramsay, we’re going to upgrade you to the honeymoon Q: Do you ever worry that you’re too hard on the people suite,” decline it. For some bizarre reason everyone thinks it’s that come on your show? the most romantic place. I did a black light search [for germs] A: “Definitely. I wouldn’t have a conscience if I didn’t.” on the honeymoon suite at one of these hotels. I swear to Q: What bothers you? Why do you find yourself exploding God, it was like a freaking galaxy.” sometimes?

Q: What about restaurants? Is there anything that we should A: “Laziness. There’s laziness everywhere, whether it’s JPMorgan be concerned about? not checking where its $2 billion went or whether it’s a wait- A: “The American public should have the right at any time to er taking for granted his 20 percent tip so he doesn’t have to walk into the kitchen and see how the food is being prebust his balls at his tables.” pared. You go into a dentist’s office and you look around Q: How successful are the restaurants that you rehabilitate and you’re so comfortable with the pristine-ness. Kitchens on “Kitchen Nightmares?” Do most make it? should be the same way. —Reuters A: “Between 65 and 70 percent of them last. I treat these places like my own. I show up, I get rid of the dead wood and I motivate the talent. Whatever happens inside these places, The biggest problem today is that anybody can open up a

Hip-hop dancer is social media sensation

L

eroy Martinez didn’t expect all this attention.

Martinez, 29, of Lincoln, Calif., has been recognized at the mall, asked to pose for photos with people and late last month became the darling of the Twitterverse. Known by friends and family as the Panda Bear, he danced his way into America’s heart earlier this month when his audition on “So You Think You Can Dance” aired on Fox TV. The rotund 5-foot-4 Martinez popped, spun on his head and did back flips during his seven minutes on the air.

The judges didn’t give him a ticket to Vegas-the next phase of the contest-but he did win their accolades for his love of dance and involvement with Peacemakers, a Placer County, Calif., hip-hop crew that works with youths. Peacemakers performs at schools and churches, and offers classes that come with positive messages about nonviolence and character. Martinez described his tough upbringing to the judges, saying most of his male relatives spent time in prison.

“I’m in love with this guy,” said judge Adam Shankman repeatedly during the show’s taping.

And so, apparently was America. Hundreds of viewers used Twitter and Facebook to express their affection for Martinez. “Holding it down for us big boys” said one tweet, while others called

Leroy Martinez works as a pet sitter at Aunt Cynthia’s Bed & Biscuit Inn in Loomis. him “adorable,” “a great dancer” and “wonderful human being.” There were professions of love and at least one tweeted marriage proposal. Now folks are petitioning to have Martinez perform in the finale. —MCT