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THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

‘Open door’ draws aggrieved to Egypt palace

Djokovic, Federer book semifinal showdown

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Liberals call for legalizing parties, election commission Row rages over rumored election law changes

Max 49º Min 32º High Tide 01:23 & 11:54 Low Tide 05:55 & 19:03

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

KUWAIT: Two key liberal groups called yesterday for important democratic reforms that include establishing an independent election commission, legalising political parties and issuing legislation to combat corruption as part of democratic reforms necessary to resolve the political deadlock in the country. The National Democratic Alliance, an umbrella group of liberals, and the Kuwait Democratic Forum, made the calls in a joint statement which insisted that these are essential demands to gradually achieving a full parliamentary system of governance after 50 years of democracy.

Kuwait does not have an independent election commission and the ministries of interior and justice organize and manage the election process and declare results, whereas the constitutional court tackles challenges to election results or the election process. The statement also called for issuing legislation to guarantee more independence of the judicial authority and to support the constitutional court in order guarantee all factors for a fair judiciary.

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Why dig the grave now?

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

T

he whole world suspected that Yasser Arafat died of poisoning. At that time, many people said that he was poisoned and were later accused of spreading conspiracy theories. It went hush-hush and did not attract the attention of the authorities. Arafat was taken to France for treatment when he fell ill and the Palestinian hospitals could not help him. He died without the hospital announcing the cause of death. At that time, his wife Suha rejected an autopsy which the hospital wanted to do to investigate the reason for the death.

After eight years since his burial, Al-Jazeera channel decided to dig deeper and dig out the body of the former Palestinian leader to prove what most people speculated when he died. The funniest part is that his wife approves the autopsy now after she was approached by Jazeera and she knew that an autopsy was going to take place. Now there is a big plan to pass the autopsy and the follow-up investigation through the United Nations Security Council.

My other question is: French hospitals are so sophisticated. How come if he was poisoned with radioactive polonium, as it is alleged, can the hospital not recognize the symptoms of radioactive poisoning. I am sure most of you remember the thrilling story of the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov who was poisoned with platinum and iridium in 1978 by the communist secret police when he was pierced with a umbrella while walking on a street in London. I don’t buy it that the French hospital did not discover what was wrong with Yasser Arafat.

Only a few countries can produce the kind of radioactive poison that was used to kill Arafat, including Russia, USA and Israel. We exclude Russia because it is a good friend of the Palestinian authority. So we are left with two other options. Of course, 100 percent I clear the USA out of it. We are left with our regional best friends and occupier - Israel. Of course, as usual they denied it but Mossad are well-known for such dirty assassinations.

Only two years ago, more than 20 people of different nationalities came as tourists to Dubai and they assassinated a well-known Hamas member AlMabhouh. They entered on fake passports and later it was discovered that they were all Israelis. Then people on the Israeli streets were wearing stuff imitating the assassins and looking proud. They thought it was a Hollywood thriller. They were imitating the dark glasses and T-shirts with the Mossad logo on the back.

We all know who was behind the assassination but I am surprised why are we opening the subject now?

Whose interest is it to open the subject now? Who is behind it? Even if you prove it is Israel, what can you do? They have killed many Palestinians and they are still occupying Palestine. Why dig the graves now? Or is it to point the finger at somebody else besides Israel and create an Arab Spring in Palestine?

A Palestinian woman walks past a mural depicting late Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin (left) and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Gaza City yesterday. Arafat, who died in 2004, was poisoned by polonium, according to the findings of laboratory research carried out in Switzerland and cited in an Al-Jazeera report. (Inset) In this Dec. 24, 2002 file photo, Arafat talks to the media during a press conference at his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah. — AFP/AP

Arafat autopsy eyed after poison report Palestinians ready to exhume body JERUSALEM: New suspicions that Yasser Arafat was murdered, perhaps poisoned by radioactive polonium, prompted the Palestinian Authority yesterday to agree to exhume the body of the iconic leader. Israel, seen by many Arabs as the prime suspect behind the mysterious illness that killed the 75-year-old Arafat in 2004, sought to distance itself anew from the death of

the man who led Palestinians’ bid for a state through years of war and peace. A Swiss institute which examined clothing provided by Arafat’s widow Suha for a documentary by Qatar-based Al Jazeera television said its radiation protection experts had found “surprisingly” high levels of polonium-210, the same Continued on Page 13

MUSCAT: When the “Arab Spring” protests started to threaten - and eventually topple - the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt, the sultan of Oman took note and defused his own potential bombshell with promises of jobs and reforms. It seems to have mostly worked: nearly a year after scattered strikes and protests against unemployment and corruption, Oman had yet to experience anything like the anti-government protests in Gulf neighbour Bahrain, or those that paved the way for military intervention in Libya.

But a new wave of strikes - this time in the oil sector, which provides 70 percent of Oman’s revenue suggests discontent continues to simmer, and is even fuelling muted criticism of the sultan, now the longest-serving ruler in the Arab world. “The reforms that were taken, the handouts and promises, were not enough and the expectations are much higher,” said an Omani academic.

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Higgs-like boson found Scientists hail ‘milestone’ for mankind GENEVA: After a quest spanning nearly half a century, physicists said yesterday they had found a sub-atomic particle that may be the elusive Higgs boson, believed to confer mass on matter. Rousing cheers and a standing ovation erupted at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) after scientists presented astonishing new data in their search for the mysterious particle. Many hailed it as a moment in history, and white-haired veterans of the quest shed tears of joy. The new find is “consistent with (the) long-sought Higgs boson,” CERN declared in a statement. “We have reached a milestone in our understanding of nature,” said CERN Director General Rolf Heuer.

Diabetes: Dark side of Gulf’s economic boom DUBAI: Dhari Al-Fadli, a patient being treated at a diabetes clinic in Kuwait, is a victim of the dark side of his country’s economic boom. After his weight hit a peak of 123 kg, Fadli developed such serious diabetes that he had to inject himself with insulin before every meal.

Helped by the insertion of a gastric balloon into his stomach to reduce hunger, he has now lost enough weight to stop the injections, but still has to take diabetic medication. “We’re all overweight in my family...We have a saying that if you don’t have diabetes, you’re not a Kuwaiti,” said Fadli, a 49-year-old father of five.

In fact, more than one in five Kuwaitis suffer from the disease. Oil wealth has given Kuwait and nearby countries in the Gulf some of the highest per capita incomes in the world. But it has also created lifestyles - overeating, high-sugar diets, cushy jobs and heavy reliance on

Oman reform pledges have fallen short

automobiles for transport - that are leading to an explosion of diabetes in the region, experts say. Five of the 10 countries where diabetes is most prevalent are located in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an umbrella organisation of more than 200 national associations.

Kuwait is No. 3 while Qatar is sixth, Saudi Arabia seventh, Bahrain eighth and the United Arab Emirates No. 10.

The rest of the top 10 are Pacific island nations with much smaller populations, apart from Lebanon which comes in fifth. A staggering 21.1 percent of people in Kuwait are diabetes sufferers while prevalence rates are around 20 percent in other GCC countries, IDF figures show. In the United States, the rate is 9.6 percent; worldwide, it is 8.5 percent.

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He and others cautioned, though, that further work was needed to identify what exactly had been found. “As a layman I would say we have it, but as a scientist I have to say, ‘what do we have?’” Heuer told a press conference. “We have discovered a boson, and now we have to determine what kind of boson it is.” Finding the Higgs would validate the Standard Model, a theory which identifies the building blocks for matter and the particles that convey fundamental forces.

Peter Higgs, the shy, soft-spoken Briton who in 1964 published the conceptual groundwork for the particle and whose name became Continued on Page 13

MEYRIN, Switzerland: British physicist Peter Higgs arrives for a scientific seminar to deliver the latest update in the search for the Higgs boson at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva yesterday. — AP (See Page 27)

Iran can destroy US bases in ‘minutes’ DUBAI: Iran has threatened to destroy US military bases across the Middle East and target Israel within minutes of being attacked, Iranian media reported yesterday, as Revolutionary Guards extended test-firing of ballistic missiles into a third day. Israel has hinted it may attack Iran if diplomacy fails to secure a halt to its disputed nuclear energy program. The United States also has mooted military action as a last-resort option but has frequently nudged the Israelis to give time for intensified economic sanctions to work

against Iran.

“These bases are all in range of our missiles, and the occupied lands (Israel) are also good targets for us,” Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace division, was quoted by Fars news agency as saying. Hajizadeh said 35 US bases were within reach of Iran’s ballistic missiles, the most advanced of which commanders have said could hit targets 2,000 km away.

“We have thought of measures to set up bases and deploy missiles to destroy all these

bases in the early minutes after an attack,” he added. It was not clear where Hajizadeh got his figures on US bases in the region. US military facilities in the Middle East are located in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Turkey, and it has around 10 bases further afield in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Defence analysts are often sceptical about what they describe as exaggerated military assertions by Iran and say the country’s military capability would be no match for sophisticated US defence systems. — Reuters

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THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah toured yesterday the newly expanded Liberation Hall in Bayan Palace. Accompanied by HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Amir was greeted by Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs, and Abdulaziz Ishaq, Undersecretary of Administrative and Financial Affairs at the Amiri Diwan. HH the Amir listened to a detailed explanation about the newly expanded buildings and facilities in the Liberation Hall. — KUNA

Troubled political situation in Kuwait KUWAIT: Sources revealed that government is very much angry from the troubled political situation in the state under an explosive regional situation at any time. Sources said that inspite of the dangerous developments between Iran and the west, which reached to the point where the Iranian Parliament announced a suggestion to close Hormuz straights, through which all oil exports for Kuwait and Gulf State pass through. In addition to the military exercise of the Iranian forces which resembled the attack of foreign bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Emirates and Oman. Inspite of all those dangerous developments, the creation of crisis by the MPs is still their main concern, and example the last escalation by the majority MPs. Sources added that inspite of the importance of giving all time to the regional situation and follow that up to protect the state and citizen, yet entering in one political crisis after the other causes deviation for govt. work and disturb it. It is a situation that all political groups should put an end to it for the sake of the supreme interest of the state, and support society to do its role in protecting nation and citizens.

Sources said the current escalation by opposition and the protest and

demonstrations have occupied the security men and changed their attention from following the regional situation to monitor those escalations.

Inspite that there are reports indicating availability of Iranian sleeping calls, whose work concentrate near the beaches to do spying jobs and spinege in case of any show down between Iran and the Western countries and Israeli.

Sources demanded the Kuwaiti people to pressure those political group to ease up the political situation to give time to the authority to face up the worst possible scenarios expected from escalating the regional situations, as dangerous situation obliges all to join efforts and cooperate and give priority to the state interest even the personal agenda.

Sources explained that some of the GCC states has announced emergency state, and got ready for the dangerous situation in the area, yet here in Kuwait, the political powers and Parliament groups are still fighting govt. without giving any care to the regional situation. If this thing continues it will harm the state for sure if the fight in the region become armed forces fight and the Hormuz straight is closed.

Elections amendments a lure to convene 2009 parliament?

Opposition plans to postpone meetings KUWAIT: Rumors linking the government with potential plans to adjust the voting mechanism ahead of the impending elections could be an incentive to lure a majority in the 2009 parliament to attend a session in which the new Cabinet is sworn in, before a draft law for the proposed amendment can be discussed. This speculation was disclosed by sources close to the opposition who vehemently reject an idea to drop the number of votes a Kuwaiti voter has from four to two.

The cabinet wants to ensure that the reinstated 2009 parliament convenes at least once so that ministers can be sworn in before a dissolution decree is made. The opposition argues, however, that failure to convene due to lack of a quorum serves as grounds to warrant for a no cooperation letter, based on which HH the Amir can dissolve the parliament constitutionally. If the scenario mentioned above happens, the opposition will take this step as “a new crisis”, according to the sources who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity.

The Cabinet has been reassuring members that the desire to dissolve the 2009 parliament still stands since the Constitutional Court made its ruling two weeks ago, which annulled its original dissolution decree last December. However, the opposition feels “concerned given the government’s silence

about rumors speculating about amendments to the elections system”, the sources said. The Islamist-tribal opposition believes that cutting the number of votes per voter is an attempt to harm their chances to secure a dominant win, similar to their victory in last February’s elections. Their plan to react to this step, if taken, includes holding mass demonstrations and going as far as boycotting the elections, according to statements from a number of opposition members in the past few days.

In the meantime, MP Adnan Abdulsamad reiterated that a majority of the 2009 parliament members will not attend a session “held specifically as a prelude for a dissolution”, in a statement that adds to speculation that many in the reinstated parliament prefer that it be given a chance to continue its term.

The parliament was dissolved one month after former prime minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah resigned last November, and that after months of opposition-led public pressure that escalated following the exposure of a case last August in which 13 pro-government MPs were found to have received suspicious multimillion dinar deposits in their bank accounts. The case is currently under investigation to determine whether briber y allegations are true.

According to Abdulsamad, the 2009 parlia-

ment must not be dissolved on the grounds that it contains a corrupt majority until the court makes its final ruling in the case.

Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah is widely expected to be assigned to soon form a new cabinet; which is not predicted to feature a change exceeding the 10% to 15% barrier, according to cabinet insiders who spoke anonymously to AlQabas on Monday. Meanwhile, speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi reportedly assigned his deputy, Abdullah Al-Roomi, to handle speakership duties on an interim basis until he returns from a personal leave. (Qabas) In the meantime, the opposition reportedly plans to postpone meetings until the cabinet is formed in order to weigh its options.

This decision was taken after a meeting Monday night featuring Popular Action Bloc leaders Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Musallam AlBarrak, as well as Development and Reform Bloc members Jamaan Al-Harbash, Mohammad Al-Dallal, Hamad Al-Muttar, Abdullah Al-Bargash, Mubarak Al-Wa’lan and Osama Al-Shaheen. According to sources with knowledge about the meeting, the lawmakers discussed topics that include rumors about amending the elections mechanism, as well as preparations for the upcoming elections in which the opposition reportedly plans to enter with a unified program.

Kuwait elected to PCA financial committee THE HAGUE: Kuwait was elected here Tuesday 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 in The Hague.

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 interna-

tional organizations 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 committee 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.

Judicial authority’s recess may delay NA elections KUWAIT: Plans to hold parliamentary elections could face impediments because the judicial authority is on its annual summer recess till September, said an expert who believes that at least 700 judges are needed to oversee the campaign.

“Canvassing during Ramadan and the summer break followed will be very difficult to do,” said the source who spoke to Al-Qabas. It has been speculated that impending elections could take place in October, requiring candidates to campaign throughout the summer when most citizens spend their vacations abroad.

New elections will follow after the 2009 parliament is dissolved, reportedly pending technicalities that include forming a new Cabinet. It was reinstated by a

Constitutional Court verdict passed a couple of weeks ago. The verdict was described on Tuesday as “solidifying the principle of maintaining the law’s status and avoiding favoritism,” and that during a seminar hosted by member of the annulled 2012 parliament Mohammad Al-Saqr.

The liberal lawmaker said in a speech that “our gathering will send a message to whomsoever it may concern asserting that Kuwait’s political scene should not be controlled by one party, and patriotism is not exclusive to a certain group.”

“We face the future without a clear vision,” Al-Saqr proclaimed, adding that “the government’s mistakes do not call for questioning the Constitution.”

‘Export risks behind oil price hike’ KUWAIT: Oil prices are rising as a result of risks arising from Iran’s threats to block the Strait of Hormuz, creating a shortage in supply, a senior official in Kuwait’s oil sector told a local daily recently.

“The Iranian threat to block access of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz to countries enforcing sanctions on its exports is going to force oil prices to rise by around 10 percent,” said Sheikh Dr Khalifa Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, a board member from the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation(KPC).

The psychological factors add a ‘new geopolitical aspect’ to the present factors according to which Al-Sabah believes oil prices will increase.

“Prices have already increased after the European sanctions on Iran’s exports went underway,” he said, adding that the price is expected to reach $100 per barrel.

In other news, director of a planned project to produce clean fuel said that delaying the project beyond 2013 puts Kuwait on the risk of “wasting a

huge opportunity present if the project is carried out before that date.” “If the clean fuel project is not carried out by 2014-2015, the entire project would require new studies to be done to take into account the situation of the market at that time,” said Abdullah Al-Ajmi from the Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation(KNPC).

The clean fuel project, along with another mega project to build a fourth oil refinery in Kuwait, are two struggling major projects due to political reasons through which the state hopes to provide the global market with oil products.

Meanwhile, a number of experts in the oil field told Al-Rai that political interventions in oil projec ts “are scaring investors outside Kuwait.”

“Investment in Kuwait’s oil sector has become challenging due to the higher risks compared to neighboring countries which also feature lower costs compared to Kuwait.” They explained why most global investors prefer to invest in projects in Saudi Arabia and Qatar instead of Kuwait.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

local

Maneuvering between road traps, death manholes On the streets of Kuwait

By Sherif Ismail KUWAIT: After touring some streets in Kuwait with a camera, scenes of negligence, be it deliberate or unintentional, could be seen in areas inhabited by expatriates. The streets in Salmiya, Maidan Hawalli, Hawalli, Farwaniya and Khaitan appeared to be forgotten for ages.

It is a common sight to see bumps and ditches left behind by road-paving companies and contractors after they finish their task and leave the site without covering the ditches and holes.

On some streets, even newly laid asphalt layers erode quickly in a way that makes one suspect that some sort of agreement might have been made between such contractors and all 4X4 vehicle vendors!

The most dangerous of all these street occurrences is the theft of manhole and rain drainage steel covers which are later secretly sold at the scrap market. A crack in the street endangers traffic and creates hazardous traffic snarls. These occur because in the scrap market the stolen manhole steel covers are melted and resold as raw steel material. Such thefts pose a threat to pedestrians too. A few years ago, a child fell into such a manhole in Fahaheel.

On the streets of Kuwait, there are the piles of garbage and waste

that have become home to insects that spread disease. In some cases, this reporter discovered, the garbage was left uncollected for over a week. Residents from a building where a pile of garbage lay uncollected questioned their safety in case a cigarette butt is thrown at the pile. It would result in a catastrophic blaze, ravaging the entire building.

Some fires may also erupt because of extreme summer heat.

The third scenario that dominates some streets of Kuwait are people clambering into a huge garbage box, rummaging it. When this reporter approached a man, he explained that he was collecting cardboards. He then ran away with the cardboard collected.

An investigation showed that some merchants deploy such poor men to rummage through garbage sites categorizing the wastes into cardboard, paper, aluminum cans, electric wires, lumber and sponge so that they can sell them to some factories for recycling. The problem is that some of these materials, namely sponge, are sent to furniture factories in Hasawi and Jleeb where they are reused for furniture without being recycled and are sold in the Friday market in Al-Rai!

A cardboard collector — Photos by Sherif Ismail

KUWAIT: A coverless manhole filled with dirt and empty bottles (top) by nearby residents to save their children from falling into it. Wood and left over construction material wastes that are very inflammable seen on the road.

Time ban for trailers, trucks mostly violated

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The ban imposed on trailers and large trucks to avoid main roads/thoroughfares between 6:309:30 am and 12:30-3:30 pm is mostly ignored, an investigation conducted

by Kuwait Times revealed yesterday.

This reporter discovered non-compliance with the ban between 12 and 4 pm. There were several violations committed even in front of police officers patrolling the Fifth Ring Road.

Drivers are aware of the truck ban, it turns out. When Kuwait Times approached some truck drivers at Shuwaikh Industrial Area, where some trailers and trucks are

stationed, every single driver confirmed that the truck ban has always been effective, and was never interrupted except during holidays.

When asked why many trucking companies violate the ban, they answered in unison that they were simply following their superior’s orders and were not on the road by their own will. “We cannot say no to our boss. We are aware of the ban’s specific time, but we follow orders.

If we are stopped by the police, we will pull over and get a ticket. We will submit the ticket to our headoffice and they will pay the ‘karama’ [fine], it is up to our boss to deal with it,” said a truck driver on standby at Shuwaikh area.

KUWAIT: Concrete mixers and other vehicles using Kuwait roads during the ‘ban’ time. — Photo by Ben Garcia

The fine for this traffic violation is KD 10. “It is very cheap compared to the amount we deliver; so that is why the owner does not really mind paying,” the truck driver told the Kuwait Times. The truck ban was imposed many years ago to decongest the road and observe safety especially during rush hours in order to avoid fatal accidents and put the lives of drivers especially students in danger. Unfortunately, the Fifth and Sixth Ring Roads are just two examples of where the trucks and trailers continue to violate and defy the government ban, ignoring the signs and billboards posted at the beginning of the Fifth and Sixth ring roads. “It can never be enforced strictly because the owners are willing to pay fines which are very cheap when compared to the time and money they could save if they delivered the goods on time to their customers,” another driver opined. Trucks are fined from KD 10 per ticket, although some of the drivers said police could add more violations. “It depends on the violations. There could be more charges added.

Sometimes, the police will look for more trouble when they stop the truck, maybe speeding, or maybe not using the emergency light,” another truck driver said. “I have experienced that myself. I was fined more than KD 10 for committing these violations.”

Increase in national manpower could force expats’ layoff from banks KUWAIT: Local banks could be forced to cut some of its expatriate manpower if they are asked to increase the number of their Kuwaiti employees from 60 to 66 percent, a local daily reported yesterday quoting sources close to the banking sector.

The new condition comes as part of a state law released in 2009 by which private sector companies are required to increase the percentage of national labor forces among their staff periodically.

According to the sources who

spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity, local banks are still struggling from the effects of the global economic crisis, which forces them to follow one of two scenarios if they are forced to increase their Kuwaiti staff.

“The first scenario is laying off some expatriate workers to increase the percentage of Kuwaitis, while the second is fake hiring”, the sources said, referring to the method by which citizens are paid to stay at home.

Taking the first scenario could leave hundreds of expatriates in

the banking sector without jobs soon according to one source.

Meanwhile, another source warned that luring Kuwaitis to the banking sector remains difficult “given the highly increased financial privileges they would obtain in the public sector ”. “Many Kuwaiti jobseekers back away from applying to work at bank when they realize following the interview that they can get paid better while working with less productivity and less working hours at the public sector”, the source said.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

LOCAL

Iranian’s body found in hospital parking lot Boy saved from drowning KUWAIT: Investigations are ongoing to reveal the mystery behind the death of a man whose body was found recently in the Mubarak Hospital’s parking lot. In the meantime, a search is ongoing for a man who was seen leaving the body before driving off. The Iranian man was pronounced dead inside the hospital after paramedics rushed him inside. Also, police accompanied medical staff to the scene after a report was called in about a driver leaving a man unconscious in the hospital’s parking lot and driving away. The body was later taken for an autopsy while a case was filed at the nearest police station.

Syrian rebels A local shipping company is currently negotiating with a group of rebels in Syria who demand weapons in exchange for releasing cars intended to reach holidaymakers from Kuwait in Lebanon, a local daily reported yesterday. Sixteen Lebanese expatriates had paid for a shipment company to ship their cars to Lebanon, where they traveled for vacation. Two weeks after they arrived, they learned, after calling the company, that their vehicles were being held hostage at the Syrian border city of Daraa. The rebels reportedly told drivers of two trucks transporting the cars that they need to provide eight AK47 weapons for each of the sixteen cars were to be delivered. The drivers notified their company after the rebels allowed them to leave Lebanon. The company is reported-

ly negotiating with a group from the Free Syrian Army, which controls the area where the incident occurred. Moreover, Al-Rai daily quotes “information” they received from sources with knowledge of the case that a delegation from the company is expected to be sent to Syria to negotiate with the rebels.

Suicide in Cairo A Kuwaiti tourist died in Cairo, Egypt after falling from his 25th floor hotel room in an apparent suicide case, according to preliminary investigations. Local officers in Giza are currently carrying out investigations with staff members at the Sofitel El Gezira hotel in order to determine the circumstances behind the victim’s death. In the meantime, criminal investigators are still working to rule out whether foul play was involved in the death of the Kuwaiti, who is in his thirties, or to learn what were the motives behind his apparent suicide.

Members from the Kuwaiti Embassy in Cairo were present at the crime scene after the case was reported, according to an Al-Anbaa report, quoting sources with knowledge of the case.

Boy saved The quick response from swimmers at Al-Blajat Street helped save the life of a boy who nearly drowned before his condition stabilized at Amiri Hospital. The incident took place recently as the 10-year-old was taken out of the water after swimmers noticed he was drowning. The swim-

mers then performed CPR, which helped the boy to regain consciousness before paramedics arrived.

False charges An Arab woman remains in custody as Capital Investigations Department officers look into a case in which she falsely accused a security guard of sexual assault after having an affair inside Al-Sabah Hospital. The guard was summoned for investigations after the woman reported to police that he raped her while she was leaving the hospital after visiting her sick father. After the guard denied the accusations, investigators held the woman under intensive interrogation, during which she eventually admitted pressing false charges to cover up for an illegal relationship she had with her boyfriend. She provided her lover’s information, which had been used by police to place him under arrest.

Children’s sunstroke A female citizen approached police recently to press negligence charges against her Kuwaiti husband, who reportedly left their three children outside their vacation home, causing the children to suffer from sunstroke. The woman provided officers at the Mina Abdullah police station with medical reports from Al-Adan Hospital where the children were treated. The children were reportedly on a trip with their father at a chalet in Bnaidar when they were left outside from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. — Al-Rai, Al-Watan

Al-Tijari rewards customers with cash back offer KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait has announced the success of its marketing campaign ‘Shop and Receive 10 percent Cash-Back’ launched on April 2012 and continued until June 2012 in cooperation with Best United Electronic Stores.

The Bank fulfilled its promise to customers when the campaign came to an end by rewarding them 10 percent cash back of the value of their purchases and crediting this percentage to their credit card accounts.

The campaign achieved outstanding success where most of the Bank’s credit cardholders shopped

at Best United Showrooms to benefit from this offer.

On this occasion, Ramzi Al-Sabbour y, Executive Manager, Marketing and Sales Department said, “This offer was really a success for Commercial Bank of Kuwait, Best United and customers alike.

O u r c u s to m e r s’ p u rc h a s e s f ro m B e s t U n i te d increased, reflecting positively on the Company and our customer, benefiting 10 percent cash back on their purchases which helped us attain full satisfaction. It is a target that we endeavor to achieve and which was affirmed by the remarkable success of this campaign.”

NBK launches third session of its 2012 Summer Internship Program KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) will launch Sunday 8 July 2012 the third session of the 2012 Summer Internship Program. The program is custom-made for high school and college students aged between 15 and 20 years.

NBK Summer I nternship Program is specially designed for high school and college students as an extension of NBK’s education outreach services. The program demonstrates NBK’s long-standing

social involvement as well as its national commitment towards providing the young generations with the appropriate opportunities to experience first hand how the actual professional banking issues and transaction are handled and processed. The 5-hour daily sessions of two-week internship featured a mixture of theoretical and practical training dedicated to providing the interns with invaluable knowledge on a variety of

subjects such as; the team work, creative thinking, means of self expression and modern banking work procedure, in addition to helping interns to have greater exposure to daily banking work procedures.

NBK regularly organizes and designs events and packages for the youth of the country to familiarize them with the world of banking and make them responsible citizens.

Subsidized meat prices expected to be announced next week KUWAIT: Undersecretary Ministry of Commerce and Industry Abdulaziz Al Khalidi said he will issue a decision next week to subsidize meat prices set at KD 16.835 for each sheep and meat prices per kilo will be set at KD 1.250 with bones and KD 1.500 boneless.

The undersecretary was speaking following an inspection tour to the Al Odailiya cooperative society and food supply stores branch as per instruction from Minister of Commerce to check if the cooperative providing goods for the public at appropriate prices.

A large number of Ministry of Commerce inspectors joined in the inspection, along with the general director, Jasssem Al Awadhi. Al Khalidi praised the commitment of the Al Odailiya cooperative for its fair prices and standard of cleanliness, as well as the wide availability of a wide variety of goods.

During the tour, he emphasized that national companies working in meat trading and food supply will be given the opportunity to supply the nation with meat, and there will be a memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Commerce and those companies which are committed to maintaining agreed upon meat prices, as well as to provide a consistent supply of meat, and that each company should have at least 20 butcher shops with distribution throughout Kuwait.

Al Khalidi added that no particular group would be favored in the government’s subsidized meat program, which is open to all citizens and expats, provided that one can purchase one lamb, and selling will not be allowed to companies and restaurants to ensure that goods are sold to those who are most in need. All kinds of meat, fresh, refrigerated, and frozen, will be provided. Officials also said they will not impose limits on which countries they import meat from, though the quality of the meat will remain a priority.

Al Khalidi spoke about meat prices, which will remain unchanged for six months, and during this period price movements shall be reviewed, though prices could be reduced if suitable meat was made available at a lower cost, calling upon all companies who wish to participate to contact the Ministry of Commerce as business will be expedited, as long conditions on price and quality are met.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality’s efforts have contributed to the reduction in placing used cars for sale on pavements and public squares, which was widespread before. The Municipality signs (display of cars for sale is not allowed) has resulted in waning practice. Websites are full of pictures of cars for sale and many people come across them.

Al-Dawli launches credit card campaign KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank has announced the launch of its campaign titled “Use your Visa, Win Your Car” as a reward to its Visa Cardholders. The campaign gives customers the chance to enter a draw and win an Audi Q7 for every KD10 spent on their Visa credit or charge card in or out of Kuwait. The campaign is merely a part of the bank’s continuous attractive offers provided for Visa cardholders aiming to distinguish by adding value to their everyday banking experience.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Deema Al Mulaifi Credit Cards Department Manager said: “The campaign is valid between July 4th and September 30th, 2012 and is in line with our vision to make Visa the first choice for all our customers not only to enjoy the various benefits and privileges that will be available for them, but to have the opportunity of winning an Audi Q7 for every KD 10 purchased through their Visa credit cards. The draw will take place on October 11 2012 and will only be limited to credit cards issued before July 3rd, 2012.”

Al Mulaifi confirmed: “The bank is committed to providing the best products and services while ensuring the safety and flexibility in all their transactions and chanced to win

valuable prizes when using Visa International credit cards.” Worthy of mention, Visa International credit cards can be obtained from any of KIB’s branches

and include: Al Moyassara Visa Credit card available in both Classic and Gold, Al Momayaza Charge Card also available in Classic and Gold and Visa

Platinum, which are all designed to cater to the customer ’s affluent lifestyle by providing convenience and safe transactions wherever they are.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

local

Kuwait foreign policy hailed as ‘role model’ Balanced diplomacy, helping hand KUWAIT: Since the fall of the old regime in Iraq in 2003, Kuwait’s foreign policy has shifted from a look-south attitude to a helicopter view of the Gulf region. A look at the maps reveals that the northern Gulf state, as a neighbor to Iraq and Iran (by sea), has a much bigger need for a balanced diplomacy and foreign policy than the other Arab Gulf states. With regard to Iran’s disputed nuclear program, HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution. The Amir urged “dialogue, peaceful means and adherence to the principles of international legitimacy.” Kuwait could not afford a closure of the Straits of Hormuz. Iran has threatened to block the isthmus should the US and Israel opt for war against Tehran.

Kuwaiti tankers need the long sea-route to the south for exporting the country’s main source of income, which is oil.

In 2011, despite four rounds of UN sanctions and ongoing Western pressure on Iran, Kuwait and Tehran agreed to expand economic and trade relations. Both states share the Arash/Durra oil field in the Arabian Gulf.

Along with its southern neighbors, Kuwait is sitting economically and partly politically in one boat. Since 1981, the six oil-rich countries Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman constitute the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). The GCC is not quite the same thing as the European Union, as although the Arab Gulf states have implemented a common customs union, free movement of capital and people and have placed their defense policy under a common umbrella, they have not (yet) introduced a common currency or expanded.

“The GCC is not just a security pact, but also a cultural and economic pact because we share the same culture, and we have the same economic concerns as resource-based economies,” said Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs to IFC News.

The six member states also have some freedom to design their own foreign policy as long as they do not contradict common GCC agreements. In May 2007, Kuwait ended its currency peg to the US dollar and moved to a basket of ‘major currencies’

after the dollar dropped dramatically in value. While this issue seems at first glance to be a purely economic one, it showed that Kuwait was ready to pursue its own interests if necessary.

A year later, Kuwait re - opened its embassy in Baghdad after almost two decades of absence, a milestone in Kuwaiti foreign policy. Iraq followed suit and re-installed its diplomatic mission in Kuwait City in 2010.

However, despite increased trade between the two countries, relations remained delicate. On July 13, 2011, the Kuwaiti embassy in Baghdad was attacked with rockets by a group of unknown insurgents. “Is there a Cold War brewing?” the Dubai-based Gulf News asked, citing border issues between the two, as well as Kuwait’s port ambitions on the Boubyan Island, which Baghdad claims reduce its access to Gulf waters.

The heavily fortified border, where the Kuwaiti army has built man-high fences, trenches and barriers in reminiscence of the German-German line of demarcation during Soviet times, proofs that both countries have still a long way to go to reach mutual trust and reconciliation.

Progress was seen in March 2012, when the former enemies of war reached a debt deal worth $500 million. Under the agreed terms of the deal, Iraq will pay Kuwait $300 million as part of billions of reparations for war damages resulting from the 1990 invasion and subsequent seven-month long occupation by Saddam Hussein. Iraq also agreed to invest another $200 million in a joint Iraqi-Kuwaiti carrier. In exchange, Kuwait committed itself to lifting sanctions against Iraqi Airways.

Détente culminated on April 6, 2012, when Baghdad approved a request by Kuwait’s budget carrier Jazeera Airways, which demanded landing rights in Iraq’s capital and in Najaf, home to Imam Ali’s shrine, which is a holy site for the Shia fraction in Islam.

On a regional level, the Kuwaiti government was always among the first to help those most in need when disasters occurred. On April 24, 2012, the national news agency KUNA repor ted that the Kuwait Al-Rahma Society for Relief and Development would provide funds to 55

Syrian families who fled to neighboring Lebanon to escape fighting in their country.

Kuwait’s ruling family Al-Sabah has provided millions of dollars to the relief campaign for Syrians in need of help.

In 2006, Kuwait pledged $70 million to help Lebanon recover after Israel fought a reckless war which saw wide-scale bombardment of civilian buildings in the south of the country and in Beirut.

On an international level, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has been at the forefront of improving Kuwait’s image through supporting projects and humanitarian initiatives. In an exclusive interview with Marcopolis, Abdulwahab Al-Bader, the General Manager of the Fund, said “a great deal happens over the span of 50 years, but if we go over all of the events, it will never end, as there are always things to say,” adding that “there are a number of projects in Sudan, Morocco, Egypt... lately in Sudan we have a dam project, the Marwai Dam, which has been in the works for a long time and has doubled the electricity production in Sudan.”

According to Al-Bader, the Fund’s mission is a cornerstone of the Gulf state’s foreign policy. “I have always thought of Kuwait’s foreign policy as open-minded, and that we played a great part in it. We are open to everybody. This is what we are trying to do at Kuwait Fund: to be a constructive part of Kuwait’s foreign policy.”

In recent years, Kuwait has jumped onto the Go East-bandwagon. Kuwait has increased its relations with China, Malaysia and Indonesia, and the private sector supports these ambitions. Earlier this year in May, Kuwait China Investment, one of the top regional investment firms bridging businesses between the Middle and the Far East, rebranded to Asiya Investments and launched its advisory investment unit Asiya Investments Dubai Limited in the sheikhdom’s onshore financial free zone, DIFC. Never theless, Washington remains Kuwait’s closest ally. A destroyed Iraqi tank has been positioned in front of the US embassy in Kuwait as a memorial of the 1991 Gulf war. As a sign of thanks for the United States’ swift move to liberate Kuwait, the sign below the tank says: ‘We will never forget you.’ —Marcopolis

BAGHDAD: Kuwait’s delegation headed by Adnan Al-Rashid at the celebration.

KJA participates in Iraqi journalism anniversary KUWAIT: The participation of Kuwait Journalists Association(KJA) delegation in celebrating the 143rd anniversary of Iraqi journalism, produced outstanding results. Mutual journalistic relations were strengthened, unifying opinions at Arab and International journalistic fields.

The event was held in Baghdad in the presence of top officials, media people and artists from around the world, resulting in an agreement signed between two friendly countries to benefit from joint experiences and exchange visits between media delegations. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said that Iraq’s constitution guaranteed freedom of

opinion and expression, adding that he was proud that no journalists have been imprisoned for expressing their views. AlMaliki urged visiting delegation to take stock of the real situation in Iraq, and hoped that a true image is reflected without manipulation.

Adnan Al-Rashid, Head of Kuwait’s delegation said that Iraq’s journalism is trying to strike a balance between freedom and responsibility, with its ability to manage the new situation well. He said that Iraqi journalists are still cooperating very closely with their Kuwaiti counterparts, despite restrictions placed on Saddam’s regime.

Egypt to offer promising opportunities to investors KUWAIT: Chairman of Egyptian Trade Representation Office in Kuwait Jamal Faisal said yesterday the fact that Egypt has got a democratically-elected president heralds credibility and stability in the Egyptian economy which could be more attractive to Kuwaiti investors. “ The planned visit to Kuwait by Chairman of Egypt’s General Authority for Investment (GAFI) Osama Saleh aims to brief the Kuwaiti investors on the available opportunities and the potentials of major joint ventures and discuss the problems facing them,” Faisal said in a statement.

“During his stay in Kuwait, chairman Saleh who will lead a large business del-

egation will take part in a symposium to be held by the Trade Representation Office here on the advantages of investment in Egypt and the possible solutions to the current problems,” he pointed out.

“We pin high hopes that the new administration, to be formed in Egypt in the few coming days, will restore stability and revive the economy as soon as possible,” Faisal noted. The Egyptian-Kuwaiti trade volume remained stable prior and after the Egyptian revolution of Jan 25, 2011, hovering around some $288 million a year. The figure includes $220 million in Egyptian exports to Kuwait and $68 million imports. — KUNA

6

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

LOCAL

Local Spotlight

the column

SWOT analysis of a GCC Union

Hadas meeting needs of people

By Fouad Al-Obaid Muna Al-Fuzai fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid he Gulf Cooperation Council was formally established on May 25, 1981 with six member states that share commonalities in terms of history, culture, political structure and economic activity - mostly in the form of oil and gas exporting industries. The idea behind the creation of the GCC is dual; on the one hand the geopolitical realities of the region where the six Gulf states; regrouped into three small territorial states, two medium sized states, and the elephant in the room (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) that effectively spans two and a quarter million kilometer, are surrounded by neighbors that are militarily stronger with belligerent tendencies. The second intention is to group into an effective monarchy club fending off democratic tendencies.

The GCC secretariat official website mentions the following when it comes to the reasons behind the forming of the council and its objectives as the following: “the deepening and strengthening of relations, links and areas of cooperation among their citizens.”

Further adding, “The underpinnings which are clearly provided for in the preamble of the GCC Charter, confirm the special relations, common qualities and similar systems founded on the creed of Islam, faith in a common destiny and sharing one goal, and that the cooperation among these states would serve the sublime objectives of the Arab nation.” Concluding, “Deep religious and cultural ties link the six states, and strong kin relations prevail among their citizens. All these factors, enhanced by one geographical entity extending from sea to desert have facilitated contacts and interaction among them, and created homogeneous values and characteristics.”

This column will attempt to analyze the merit of the given claims in a SWOT analysis manner:

T

Strength The nature of the economics underlying the GCC states stand firmly on the ‘export’ ability of primarily two prime sources, oil and gas. Secondly, the revenues of the sale of hydrocarbons has generated surplus liquidity that forms the second major GCC export found in the form of excess capital being either parked or invested in largely Western economies. The two key exports have ensured that the region is not overlooked. Case in point, the 1990 invasion of Kuwait has shed light on the willingness of more powerful states to ‘rescue’ and liberate a country in record time due to the threat that such an invasion poses not directly on the country, rather on the region’s ability to safely export crude and refined oil, as well as gas to the global markets.

Weakness Economically powerful states are the envy of most states, when the given countries are territorially small and have a small citizenry in comparison to territorially larger neighbors with a clear numerical advantage.

When the given states not only have the ability to draft people in case of conflict and have done so for protracted conflict in the past, gaining tactical advantage. Armed envious neighbors increase the risk of conflict. The examples are multiple, the 1980s tanker war, the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, the continued occupation of three UAE islands by Iran and the troubled conflict between Saudi Arabian forces and the Houthi rebels highlighting the regions inability to truly enter into conflict, let alone sustain and win. Most pressing though is the Strait of Hormouz blocking that is the main transit point for the GCC hydrocarbon export.

Internally, the democratic deficit and the structure of governance in light of the ongoing changes in the Arab world are creating and pushing 0 citizens toward revolting against the leaderships in the various states.

The Saudi led-intervention in Bahrain highlights the volatility and viability of the GCC states -especially the smaller ones to maintain autonomy. Sovereignty/losswill question the domestic desire for greater control of what essentially as per the charter of the GCC is a Saudi-led project to unify the region under a Saudileadership. Furthermore, the challenge remains in balancing necessity to integrate the six-armed forces into a combined coherent force capable of ensuring the collective security of all the GCC states, and the desire of maintaining a high level of sovereignty and territorial integrity by the six-nation council.

Opportunities Closer cooperation could ensure the pooling of resources and energies in developing a cohesive master plan for economic diversification. Effectively, this will create a viable GCC-market opening up to greater inter-Arab trade. The financing abilities of the region should make the GCC more able to cope with cyclical global economical downturns. The over reliance on oil has benefited the region, now is the time to clearly set the foundation of the post-oil era.

The linking of the GCC power grid, the proposed inter-GCC railway, amidst an ever expanding global air-link via growing national carriers, along with existing and proposed seaports will continue to ensure the regions global relevance.

Threats The Arab Spring has brought about a renewed desire for greater involvement of the citizen in the decision-making process of the GCC states. The liberties are not equal amongst the six states, which is a cause of concern. The temptation by more restrictive states to limit the possibilities of change for fear of exporting rebellion, as has been witnessed in Bahrain.

Kuwait the most politically and socially outspoken of the six, will continue to create a desire for greater political participation. The threat of terrorism though subdued remains a constant, along with sabotage in the form of attacks on oil and gas installations. Most daunting would be the arrival of revolutionary trends to the region that could lead to a change in the leadership structure.

muna@kuwaittimes.net adas is the short term for Al-Harakat Al-Dosturiyat AlIslamiyah, or Islamic Constitutional Movement. It is a Kuwaiti Sunni Islamist Organization. It was established in 1991 after the liberation of Kuwait from the Iraqi invaders.

The people who started the Movement are Kuwaiti Islamists who follow the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Movement has put up male candidates in all the elections for Kuwait’s National Assembly since 1992.

Personally , I think of Hadas as a political movement, rather than a religious one. Although they have many female followers, they never supported a female candidate. That is a mistake, I believe. But, I think they will be forced to have a dialogue soon.

Today, I don’t wish to judge how well they did in Kuwaiti society, but to examine how they managed to stay still all this time with public support.

Hadas represent the conservatives and moderately religious Kuwaitis. It shows the normal development by the middle class in a Muslim society, along with their needs.

Hadas was able to restructure the internal system to allow any of its young and even unknown middle class members to become involved in elections, which allowed a younger generation of activists to come to the front stage.

They make calls for fighting corruption and the needs of the everyday man within the basic concern to keep society conservative and they avoid looking like businessmen and traders, while holding onto the image of conservative and religious people. They are also well organized when it comes to how to arranging their group and reshaping their strategies in times of crises. They know how to reach the top and stays there. The Arab Spring has given them more power and they have benefited from all its strong effects.

This is something the liberals of Kuwait could not achieve. The liberals are another political group, yet they have lost most of their power and representatives in the national assembly in recent years. The leak came when some of their key thinkers passed away, not leaving behind true followers or believers in their ideas, or a real desire to follow in their foot prints. Also, most of them came from rich families, and while they were interested in playing a social role in society, they were involved in running family businesses and trade to win bidding and hold positions to support their family business. Something that is seen as unethical and not appreciated by young activists.

Something which has led most of them into clashes with the public and makes them seen as businessmen, rather than national representatives, can carry everyday troubles. I think the liberals in Kuwait cannot adjust to the fact that society has changed. In Kuwait, liberalism is not popular for many reasons . I think there is a misconception as to what is a liberal.

I’m sorry to say that most of those who call themselves liberals see only part of the picture, because for them a man with a beard and a woman with a hejab, (head scarf) is old and backwards. They disregard that liberalism takes the best of other nations and civilizations, and it is not about clothes, but what’s inside brains and thinking.

Nowadays, the liberal influence on the Kuwaiti street is limited because they have committed mistakes which have been seen as unforgettable and also due to the lack of support they have among Kuwaiti society.

So far, Hadas in Kuwait is being seen as the most wanted, popular and as being closer to the people. I believe change is always made by middle class people, because they have the desire to upgrade their lives to a better standard. They have the motive. I doubt the liberals see that, especially now. So, the final word is that we have the Arab Spring even in the middle of July.

H

in my view

Into the weeds of the European debt crisis

By Byron Wien, Vice Chairman, Blackstone Advisory Group

rguably, the European Union is in trouble although fear of contagion to other weak countries because it was a bad idea in the first place. In would be more serious. Moreover, the Greek econothe post-war period, the leaders of Europe my accounts for two percent of the Eurozone - harddreamed of creating an alliance that would make ly a major trading partner. Even if Greece left the their continent as economically powerful as America. Union and devalued its currency, its economy might The framers of the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 con- not improve.

It has no broad manufacturing base, but does ceived of a political and monetary union, but that proved too much to swallow then. Recognizing the have a potentially vibrant tourism industry and some problem possibly caused by a fixed exchange rate of the world’s best olive oil. Its trade deficit is more across countries of differing economic strength, crit- than 10 percent of GDP and its economy is contractics like Milton Friedman and Mar tin Feldstein ing at better than 10 percent with unemployment believed the project was doomed from the start, but above 20 percent. A cheaper currency will not corthe EU moved forward until the financial crisis of rect that. Tourists may be attracted by the cheap prices, but ensuing social unrest could deter them.

2008, when weaknesses began to show.

The countries key to EU survival are Italy and The Bank Credit Analyst (BCA) recently observed the performance of the EU in achieving objectives Spain. Italy’s Monti has introduced reforms that have since inception. They concluded that intra-region reduced bloated government expenditures and trade flows did not improve as expected. For each made businesses more efficient. Italy has a large member country, trade with emerging markets debt-GDP ratio but its budget deficit is more modexpanded sharply, as expected. BCA also looked at est. Spain also has a relatively small budget deficit investment spending. France alone saw an improve- but has many bad loans on the books of the banks ment in non-residential spending. Residential invest- from the real estate boom in the last decade, coument in Ireland and Spain increased significantly pled with a major youth unemployment problem. after the common currency implementation, but Both countries have viable manufacturing bases and housing crashed in both places. The European with globally demanded products. Their current Central Bank (ECB) was able to dampen inflation, but account deficits are manageable.

If you look at the major economies of Europe, the objective of similar economic performance for member countries failed. This was due to reforms they can be split into two groups: the countries with instituted solely in Germany, resulting in periphery positive growth (France, Germany, the BENELUX and labor costs rises and declining competitiveness, Finland) with positive current account balances, and countries with negative GDP with current account exacerbating balance of payments problems there. deficits. Austerity becomes Yield differentials dangerous when the only across members of the EU The Bank Credit Analyst (BCA) way Europe can move forwere small before 2007, ward is through a combinawhich was seen as a sign recently observed the performance of tion of growth and time. If of economic converthe EU in achieving objectives since the countries experiencing gence, but as the current inception. They concluded that intracurrent GDP contraction are head of the ECB, Mario forced to implement severe Draghi, cited this was not region trade flows did not improve as austerity, it is hard to see an indicator of financial expected. For each member country, how they will gain strength integration; but rather, a trade with emerging markets expandto achieve long-term viabilsign of a systemic credit ity. Eurobonds have been risk under pricing.” ed sharply, as expected. proposed by European Additionally, cross-border leaders as a way to finance lending among financial institutions, did not take place. While the conclusion members through the transition period; Germany’s from this analysis is that many of the desired objec- Merkel was initially against this but is backing away tives have not been achieved, the EU has forced its from her stance favoring austerity, as she recognizes members to consider the possibility of fiscal integra- the risks involved.

What is happening in the rest of the world is reletion and to recognize the perils of profligate internal vant to Europe’s future. The US, Latin America and financial management.

The most immediate challenge is that weaker Asia are major markets for its products. It is imporcountry banks are facing a rapid withdrawal of tant that the US grow about 2.5 percent and that deposits. Because the fear that if the EU breaks up China has a ‘soft landing’ in 2012.

Other emerging markets must grow in the range and the euro ceases to exist, deposits in the PIIGS bloc might have half the purchasing power if con- of 4 to 5 percent to continue demand for European verted into local currency. Greek banks lost 17 per- products. I believe the rest of the world outside of cent of deposits over the past year and counting. Europe will meet its growth targets.

The most encouraging aspect of the Europe situaDepositors are moving euros to Germany, a pertion is that the leaders of the important countries are ceived haven.

They are also converting euros into dollars, which desperately seeking a solution to the current probhas accounted for the recent US currency strength. lems knowing they have more to lose than gain if the Since 2007 over €600 billion has been moved from EU dissolves and they return to national currencies.

PIIGS and into Germany. One measure would be for The dream of a unified Europe may have been idealthe ECB or another institution to offer a guarantee istic and much is be done to make it work. The ECB on all Eurozone deposits, as suggested by Monti, has done a good job but can only provide temporary which would only work if depositors were assured of relief to financial systems; it cannot implement the necessary structural reforms. Other financial institueuro survival.

If Greece defaulted now, the cost estimates range tions can also provide transitional assistance, but it is from several hundred billion euros to over a trillion up to the countries themselves to undergo the conbecause of contagion - much worse than the 2008 structive changes that will enable them to move forLehman bankruptcy. Liquidity to buy more time to ward and grow. The risk is that populist unrest makes adjust to the dislocations caused by Greece would the implementation of reforms impossible. We have seen signs of that in Greece and hopefully that social leave the Union, Europe and the world better off.

Since 2010, I believed that every effort would be unrest does not overwhelm sensible policy changes made to preserve the EU and euro but the current elsewhere. We may have further to go in decline, but problems may be so great, making long-term mem- I believe the outlook is improving. Three-quarters of bership questionable. If Greece were to default, the world’s GDP is in a growth mode. Inflation is low banks across the continent would suffer, but and oil prices are coming down. Europe is searching Portuguese sovereign debt has already been written for solutions to its problems. I am nervous but optidown substantially, lessening the incremental pain, mistic about the remainder of the year.

A

kuwait digest

What to write about?

By Dr Sulaiman Al-Khadhari ’m writing this article at the departure lounge waiting to board a flight to Cairo, where I am invited to attend a consultative meeting for the regional office of the World Health Organization. I’ll be honest; I made this introduction because I’m still struggling to decide what subject to write about at the present time, while I don’t wish to cut the habit of staying in touch periodically with my readers!

Of course, there are many topics in the political and many other fields to write about in Kuwait. In fact, a new problem or disappointment happens almost on a daily basis, making a rich reserve of subjects that help write hundreds of articles about. Even if there was a day in which nothing interesting to discuss would happen, I don’t think there are better people than Kuwaitis in making a mountain out of a molehill.

So, what’s the reason I can’t find anything worthy to write about today?

It’s not about the lack of ideas, per se, but it is about the question that often crosses my mind: what’s the purpose of writing? Many writers from time to time face this kind of frustrating situation when they try as hard as they can to contribute with solutions they believe would help address a present situation. When a writer feels that their arguments are going to be met with deaf ears by decision makers, no matter how logical they might seem, they start asking themselves: why bother making the effort? In fact, a writer in this case would need all the effort he can exert to keep himself from becoming frustrated about that situation in order to continue writing.

This, however, doesn’t apply to certain types of writers who write to serve certain agendas or meet personal political ambitions. Those can easily be identified by looking for writers who never seem frustrated, and never waste a chance to talk about any topic in politics, economics, sports, social affairs, etc, without, of course, forgetting to leave a sectarian hint. I’m afraid I have to end my column now in order to catch my flight. It’s remarkable that I was able to write all that when I didn’t even have anything in mind. How long my article would have been if I had an idea to write about?! — Al-Rai

I

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

Mulcaire must reveal phone hacking names

Accusations grow of vote-buying in Mexico Page 9

Page 10

DARAA: This citizen journalism image released by Shaam News Network taken Sunday, July 1, 2012 purports to show people praying during the funeral of Zahar Radwan Ibrahim Massalmeh who was killed in fighting with Syrian government forces in Daraa, Syria.—AP

Trail of carnage in trash bins of Damascus suburb Water, power, food supplies cut in heavy fighting BEIRUT: Syrians in the city of Douma have recovered mutilated corpses and sifted through trash for body parts hacked off by death squads who swept through anti-government districts after the army drove out rebel fighters, activists said yesterday. Video shot by opponents of President Bashar AlAssad in the city about 15 km (10 miles) north of Damascus on Tuesday displayed gory scenes in homes they said had been overrun by pro-government “shabbiha” paramilitary gangs, after army shelling over the weekend forced rebel fighters to retreat.

The state news agency SANA, reporting on a ministerial tour of Douma, painted a totally different picture which made no mention of killing or death. It did say that essential services had been damaged and that many Douma citizens had fled to the countryside to escape “terrorism”. “Minister of Health Wael al-Halqi stressed that the Ministry and Damascus Countryside Health

Directorate are working hard to rehabilitate Douma Hospital to resume provision of medical services to the people in Douma and its surroundings after its equipment was sabotaged by the armed terrorist groups,” it said.

Given obstacles to independent media coverage in Syria, there was no way of verifying the authenticity of the activist video or the information conveyed. One resident named Ziad told Reuters by telephone that 90 percent of Douma citizens had fled the city of around 110,000 inhabitants. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had stepped up humanitarian work in Douma, delivering a month’s food supplies to 118 families there, enough for some 600 people, ICRC spokesman Bijan Farnoudi told Reuters in Geneva.

SANA published photographs of welldressed officials touring tidy streets. Activist video, by contrast showed what it said was the aftermath of carnage by feared militia-

men. “These are pieces of our children we’re pulling out of dumpsters ... We found these body parts and we are still looking for more.

These are burned human body parts,” said a man picking through an overturned garbage bin. “These are male reproductive organs,” he said. Video clips showed rotting corpses lying in dried pools of blood in dark hallways, their faces covered with flies. One showed a woman and her child prone in a living room.

The activist narrating the video said they had been stabbed. A third video displayed pieces of charred flesh which activists said were severed genitals. “There was more here yesterday,” said a man wearing plastic gloves.” “But the dogs were taking them.”

FOOD BASKETS Activists said there were explosions and clashes in several suburbs of the capital Damascus at dawn. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported heavy fighting in

the town of Jaramana in an area near a branch of Air Force Intelligence, one of the most feared units of the secret police. There was no information on casualties and initial attempts to contact residents of Jaramana by mobile telephone failed.

The observatory said two people were killed by shelling in the southern province of Deraa, where the revolt against Assad began 16 months ago. Opposition leaders and Western governments say over 15,000 people have been killed. The government says “terrorist gangs” have killed several thousand troops and police.

In the northern province of Idlib, activists said four rebels were killed overnight in a security forces ambush. SANA quoted the health minister as saying that the emergency and outpatient clinics in Douma would be back into service quickly while other services would be restored gradually. The ministry would provide free health services to “those

11 killed in Iraq attacks ahead of Shiite rituals ZUBAIDIYAH: A car bomb blamed on Al-Qaeda at a market in central Iraq killed eight people yesterday and three others were murdered in Baghdad, the latest in a spike in unrest ahead of Shiite rituals. The violence came a day after a series of attacks across Iraq, the bloodiest of which was also blamed on AlQaeda’s front group in Iraq, killed 38 amid preparations for ceremonies tomorrow to commemorate the birth of a key figure in Shiite Islam.

In yesterday’s deadliest attack, a car bombing in the town of Zubaidiyah at 9:15 am (0615 GMT) killed eight people and wounded 37 others, a security official and a medic at a hospital in nearby Aziziyah said on condition of anonymity. The medical official said a child was among the dead, and women and children were among the wounded.

“This explosion bears the fingerprints of Al-Qaeda, and the followers of Saddam,” provincial governor

BAGHDAD: People gather at a bomb scene a day after an explosives-laden vegetable truck ripped through a crowded market in Diwaniyah, 80 miles (120 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq yesterday. —AP

Mehdi Hussein al-Zubaidi told AFP, referring to now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein. Zubaidi’s remarks echoed those of the governor of Diwaniyah province a day earlier, after it suffered a massive truck bomb that left 26 dead.

About a dozen shops were badly damaged by the Zubaidiyah bombing, an AFP correspondent at the scene said, adding that security officials imposed a vehicle curfew on the town in the aftermath of the attack. “It was a huge explosion this morning,” said Hussein al-Zubaidi, who owns a grocery store in the market where the bombing took place. “It was strange for us-it is the first time this has happened in our town. We have only one ambulance, so people worked together to evacuate the victims.”

In Baghdad, a series of assassinations by gunmen using silenced pistols left three people deadtwo police officers and a parliament official. In one shooting, policewoman Ibtisam Ibrahim was killed by gunshots to the head in the east of the capital, an interior ministry official and a medic at Al-Kindi hospital said. In west Baghdad, off-duty police First Lieutenant Ahmed Swadi, who was wearing civilian clothes, was killed, the interior ministry official and a doctor at Yarmuk hospital said.

And an employee working at Iraq’s parliament, Farhan Kadhim Mussa, was gunned down in the north of the capital, the interior ministry official and a medic at Medical City hospital said. Late on Tuesday night, an army major was killed while leading raids on two suspected Al-Qaeda safe houses where five alleged insurgents were detained, security officials said. —AFP

who were forced to move to another province due to the current circumstances and terrorist acts in their provinces”, it said.

Officials had also “inspected the situation of the service facilities and the ongoing rehabilitation and maintenance works for the electricity, water and telephone departments”. The water supply was back to normal and the electricity network was being repaired, the agency added. Food baskets were to be distributed during the day to needy residents, SANA quoted the minister as saying. He called on the residents of Douma to return to their homes “since the city is now safe and all the necessary services have been restored”. “If the government lets them back the rebels will move on to another area to fight,” said Douma resident Ziad. “If not they’ll do to Douma what they did to Homs,” he added, referring to the central city which has seen prolonged urban war. — Reuters

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

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

Islamists suspected in Egyptian student’s murder CAIRO: An Egyptian university student was fatally stabbed as his girlfriend looked on after three suspected Islamic militants confronted the couple in a park and told them they should not be together if they are not married, security officials said yesterday.

The murder is fueling fears that vigilante groups may be seeking to strictly enforce Islamic mores, emboldened by the election of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Moderate Muslims along with liberal and women’s groups worry that Morsi’s presidency will slowly eradicate Egypt’s entrenched secular traditions and change the social fabric of the mainly Muslim nation of 82 million people.

The student, 20-year-old Ahmed Hussein Eid, was attacked on June 25 in the Red Sea city of Suez east of Cairo while he was with his girlfriend in a quiet park that is a favorite spot for romantic rendezvous, according to the officials. It was not immediately clear what the two were doing when challenged by the three men who arrived on a motorbike.

But the officials, citing initial testimony of the girlfriend, said the men told the couple they should not be together because they were not married and

must immediately leave and go their separate ways.

An argument followed and one of the three men stabbed Eid in the upper left thigh, near his genitals.

He was hospitalized and died of his wounds a week later on Monday, according to the security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Suez is a stronghold of Islamists and voted overwhelmingly in support of Morsi in the June 16-17 presidential runoff against Ahmed Shafiq, a career air force officer and the last prime minister to serve under Hosni Mubarak before he was ousted in a popular uprising last year. Suez was a hotbed of the uprising. The killing took place just days after the runoff election and although the official result had not yet been announced, Morsi’s fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood group had already tallied the results and announced that he had won in the hours after the polls closed.

The Suez killing followed the murders last week of two musicians, also by suspected militants, in a Nile Delta province. Radical Muslims take a dim view of view music, considering it haram or prohibited, as

a distraction from religious duties. Such killings were very rare under the old regime, which repressed the Muslim Brotherhood. The security officials said there was no evidence to link the assailants in Suez to any of the main Islamic groups in Egypt. All these groups, including Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, denied any link to the murders.

Hussein Eid, the victim’s father, has said he would seek retribution for his son if the police don’t catch the culprits. He did not accuse militants of murdering his son when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday after his son’s funeral, which attracted about 3,000 mourners. Morsi, 60, has not mentioned implementing Islam’s Shariah laws - a longtime goal of the 84year-old Brotherhood - since he narrowly defeated Shafiq. That was a departure from his hardline Islamic rhetoric in the run-up to the first round of voting in May, when the field of 13 candidates included several Islamists.

But some in Egypt suspect that Morsi, who belongs to a conservative wing of the Brotherhood, may be doing so deliberately to enlist the support of non-Islamist political groups in his battle of wills

against the military generals who had taken over from Mubarak.

The generals have retained a great deal of authority after handing over power to Morsi on Saturday. The generals have given themselves legislative powers, a big say on drafting a new constitution as well as major foreign and domestic policy issues. They have also stripped Morsi of significant powers.

About a 100 activists, political parties and nongovernmental groups have issued a statement calling on Morsi to protect women against what it said was growing incidents of harassment against women, particularly those not wearing the Muslim veil.

“These incidents don’t constitute just assaults on women, but on the entire Egyptian society that has over many centuries been characterized by intellectual and cultural diversity,” said the statement. “They require swift measures from the relevant state institutions and the president that guarantee the protection and safeguarding of women’s dignity and the security and safety of the whole society.” —AP

‘Open door’ draws aggrieved to Egypt presidential palace Morsi presents image of ordinary, approachable president

JARUSALEM: In this Tuesday, May 8, 2012 file photo, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Kadima party leader Shaul Mofaz meet before holding a joint press conference announcing the new coalition government in Jerusalem. —AP

Israeli draft panel submits view, defies Netanyahu JERUSALEM: Israel’s vice premier demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept a panel’s contentious guidelines for reforming the country’s military draft rules - but stopped short of explicitly threatening to quit the governing coalition if the Israeli leader refuses. Shaul Mofaz, chairman of parliament’s largest party, Kadima, told reporters Netanyahu “crassly” violated their coalition agreement on Monday when he disbanded the panel, which proposed ending sweeping exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men and penalizing them if they dodge the draft. Many Israelis deplore the privileges that the ultraOrthodox receive, but Netanyahu is reluctant to alienate what are traditional supporters by adopting proposals they vehemently oppose. “If the proposals aren’t adopted we won’t be able to look our sons and daughters in the eye,” Mofaz said at the start of a Kadima faction meeting. “The ball is in the prime minister’s court. It’s a matter of days.”

Despite his tough talk, Mofaz gave himself plenty of wiggle room. He demanded that Netanyahu accept the “principles” of the panel’s proposals and not its details, and gave the prime minister no deadline for complying.

The two men don’t have much time to dither: Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to modify its draft law by Aug. 1 to end the privileges for the ultraOrthodox, who account for nearly 10 percent of the country’s 8 million people and maintain they are serving the state by serving God. The current law has exempted tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews from serving in the military, even though conscription in Israel is supposed to be compulsory, with men over 18 serving three years in the military and women two.

Those who cannot or do not want to serve can do community service in schools, hospitals and other public institutions under draft rules, but the ultra-Orthodox are currently exempted. Mofaz is a vigorous champion of universal conscription, and when he set aside his political rivalry with Netanyahu to join his government just two months ago, the two men said resolution of

the draft debate would be a main pillar of the expanded coalition’s agenda.

At the same time, Mofaz is known to reverse his positions, so his departure from Netanyahu’s government is far from assured. Netanyahu dissolved the draft reform panel after several members including the representative of the ultraOrthodox community - quit in protest. Two other committee members quit because the proposals didn’t include immediate recommendations for mobilizing the country’s large Arab minority for community service in lieu of the draft.

The Supreme Court ruling did not address national service for Israel’s Arabs, who make up 20 percent of the population and are largely exempt from the military.

The lawmaker assigned to oversee the reform of Israel’s draft law - a member of Mofaz’s party - held a news conference yesterday to lay out the proposals, in defiance of Netanyahu’s dissolution of his committee. Yohanan Plesner said the panel wants to see 80 percent of all ultra-Orthodox men of draft age mobilized by 2016 either for the military or community service.

Draft-dodgers would be fined thousands of dollars, stripped of government housing and tax benefits and liable to criminal prosecution. No more than 1,500 seminary students would be exempted each year. The draft privileges for the religious date back six decades, when Israel’s founders granted exemptions to 400 exemplary seminary students to help rebuild great schools of Jewish learning destroyed in the Holocaust.

The numbers of exemptions have steadily ballooned over the years, and today, an estimated 60,000 religious men of military age are exempted. The pattern of studying instead of serving continues long past draft age, with ultra-Orthodox men commonly spending their lives in religious study instead of working, while collecting welfare. The draft exemptions and dependency of the ultra-Orthodox on government handouts have become two of the most contentious issues in Israeli society, part of a broader struggle between the secular majority and an ultra-Orthodox minority over the nature of the country. — AP

SAAR, Bahrain: Bahraini senior nurse Rula Al-Saffar laughs with other doctors and medical workers yesterday. Saffar shows off jewelry made from 500 fils coins bearing the image of the monument that stood at the center of the Spring 2011 pro-democracy protests. The towering monument was destroyed after the uprising was crushed and the coins were pulled from circulation. Al-Saffar was acquitted last month during an appeal by several other doctors and nurses of uprising-related felony convictions.

The court postponed yesterday's planned verdict, adjourning the case until Sept 4.

At right is Dr Nabeel Tammam, one of 28 medics awaiting verdicts yesterday on alleged uprising-related misdemeanor offenses. — AP

CAIRO: Hundreds of Egyptians have been making their way to the presidential palace in Cairo to air their grievances and demand solutions directly from newly- elected President Mohamed Morsi. For days they have flocked to the palace in the upmarket neighborhood of Heliopolis after Morsi, who was sworn in as Egypt’s first civilian president on Saturday, said his doors would be open to all Egyptians.

A former official with the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi has tried to present an image of an ordinary and approachable president. Members of his staff have even allowed protesters inside the building to present their demands, an unprecedented move for a country where layers of security and bureaucracy have always stood between a citizen and the president.

Shehata Etman, who worked at the Pirelli tire factory in Alexandria, said he was forced to take early retirement and was not paid what he was due, and now wants Morsi to solve the problem. “We protested at the factory for two years; no one listened. We protested at the Italian embassy; no one listened. So we decided to come straight to the president. Maybe he can do something,” Etman told AFP. Workers from cement and textile factories wanting permanent contracts or better working conditions chanted and held up banners while activists demanding the release of political detainees organised a news conference outside the palace. One protester scaled an ornate iron door of the palace, trying to talk security into letting him in. Several women pushed their way towards a small door trying to squeeze through the door and into the building, as flustered security officers tried to hold them back.

The scene would have been unimaginable under ousted president Hosni Mubarak, whose twitchy security apparatus would not have let

CAIRO: An Egyptian protester (C-L) struggles to stop a public bus as hundreds of Egyptian protesters take part in a demonstration outside the presidential palace in Cairo yesterday to air their grievances and demand solutions directly from newly-elected President Mohamed Morsi. —AFP anyone near the place.

Yesterday afternoon, around 50 teachers at a government school who had been demonstrating for full-time contracts that would provide them with benefits, heard the news that the president had approved their demands.

“Morsi, you man of religion, thank you, thank you for the employment!” the ecstatic workers chanted. “The people know the way to the palace”, read a bold headline in the stateowned daily Al-Ahram. “One of the achieve-

ments of the January 25 (2011) revolution, is that it freed Egyptians of fear, fear of authority,” said the paper.

“Who would have dared under the former oppressive security regime to approach the doors of the presidential palace or complain to “his excellency”.” “The palace protests end the era of the square,” wrote the independent daily al-Tahrir, in reference to Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the rallies that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February last year. — AFP

Egyptian deported by CIA gets residency in Sweden STOCKHOLM: Sweden has granted permanent residency to a former Egyptian terror suspect who was deported from Sweden to his homeland by the CIA in 2001, and who said he was tortured as a result. Acting Migration Board General Director Mikael Ribbenvik said the decision regarding 49year old Ahmed Agiza was made around midday yesterday, and that the board took into account an evaluation of Agiza by Sweden’s security police, SAPO. He declined to give details of that evaluation.

In an exclusive telephone interview with Swedish tabloid Expressen, Agiza, who is in Egypt, said “at last, justice has won” and hailed Swedish authorities for the decision. Agiza and fellow Egyptian Muhammed Alzery were handed over to

US agents at Bromma Airport in Stockholm and taken to Egypt in December 2001. Their capture followed the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, and was part of a widely criticized program under former US President George W. Bush’s administration in which alleged terrorists were flown to countries that allowed harsh interrogation techniques.

The men claimed they were subjected to abuse, an account supported by human rights group Amnesty International. The rights group said the handover had taken place under “very degrading circumstances” and that the men were tortured while in Egyptian custody. Alzery was released in 2003 without standing trial, while Agiza was convicted of planning to overthrow the Egyptian government and sentenced to 15 years

Jordan biased over Palestinians from Syria AMMAN: Jordan is discriminating against Palestinians seeking refuge from violence in Syria by forcibly returning new arrivals and threatening others with deportation, a rights group said yesterday, prompting denials from Amman. While the New York-based Human Rights Watch praised Jordan’s admission of some 140,000 Syrian refugees, the report said that officials have arbitrarily detained Palestinians in a holding center without any options except to return to Syria. It also claimed that since April, Jordanian authorities have automatically detained all Palestinians who enter Jordan illegally without the possibility of release.

Jordanian Information M inister Sameeh Maaytah dismissed the allegations as “totally baseless.” “Jordan did not close its doors in the face of any refugee from Syria. Part of those I’m talking about are Palestinians who carry travel documents,” he told The Associated Press. HRW’s report could not be independently verified. The Palestinians are living in a heavilyguarded housing complex near the northern border, 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the Jordanian capital.

Jordan already hosts 2 million Palestinian refugees and their descen-

dants who fled or were driven out of their homes in Arab-Israeli wars. HRW researcher Gerry Simpson said a dozen Palestinians, including women and children, were detained recently for months with no possibility of release.

Nine others said they or relatives had been depor ted or threatened with deportation. “There can be no excuse for deporting people to a situation where there is a real risk to their lives,” Simpson said. “The authorities should issue clear orders to security officials on the border to protect anyone crossing from Syria who is seeking asylum in Jordan.”

Human Rights Watch has called on Jordan to treat Palestinian residents of Syria the same as Syrian refugees. But Maaytah insisted that Jordan does not discriminate against the Palestinians coming from Syria. “There are hundreds of them in the northern area in Jordan.

They are provided with all the living needs, just like the Syrians,” he said.

“They’re given residence, food, health and other services. All the conditions that apply to the Syrians, apply also on all others, including the Palestinians.

Nobody was deported, interrogated or detained. Jordan is allowing them in on humanitarian grounds. “ —AP

in prison. He was freed by Egyptian authorities last year.

The Swedish government has acknowledged blame for the circumstances of the deportation and that the men were tortured in Egypt. It has awarded them 3 million kronor ($433,000) each in compensation for circumstances related to their deportations. Agiza’s wife is a Swedish citizen. He told Expressen that it’s been hard to miss seeing his children grow up and that he also suffers from health problems after his time in the Egyptian prison system. “I’m one of the victims of the consequences of Sept 11. I had nothing to with that.

Extreme-right powers in the US wanted to use the situation to win political points at home,” he said. — AP

Sanaa police chief ‘escapes assassination’ SANAA: A Yemeni police chief in the capital narrowly escaped an assassination attempt yesterday as explosives planted in his car blew up just minutes after he exited the vehicle, he told AFP. Saleh al-Mustafa, police chief for Sanaa’s western Mathbah neighbourhood, said he suspects Al-Qaeda militants were behind the attack. “Thank God I wasn’t there (in the car) or I would have been a victim just like our colleague,” said Mustafa, referring to the assassination of intelligence officer Mohammed al-Qudami who was killed by a car bomb on Monday. “Of course, this (type of attack) bears the hallmark of Al-Qaeda,” he said, adding that the militants were “targeting security officials across the board.” According to Mustafa, AlQaeda militants “have a presence” in Sanaa’s Mathbah neighborhood and security forces have “been trailing them ... but they targeted us before we were able to capture them.” On Monday, Qudami was killed when a bomb strapped under the driver’s seat of his car exploded.

He died in hospital from wounds sustained in the blast which according to a security official took place “just a few metres from President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi’s house” in the capital. No group has claimed responsibility for either bombing, but the defence ministry late Tuesday announced it had made an arrest for Qudami’s assassination. In a statement on their 26 September website, the ministry said the suspect was arrested after being found wearing “black glasses mounted with a video camera that filmed the assassination of the officer.” —AFP

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

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

Accusations grow of vote-buying in Mexico Cardholders complain they didn’t get as much as promised MEXICO CITY: Thousands of people rushed to stores to redeem pre-paid gift cards they said were given to them previously by the party that won Mexico’s presidency, inflaming accusations that the weekend election was marred by widespread vote-buying. At least a few cardholders complained that they didn’t get as much as promised or that their cards weren’t working. Neighbors at one store in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Mexico City said the unusually large crowds prevented them from doing their daily shopping.

Some people shopping at the store said that they were told the cards would be valid only during the two days after Sunday’s election and that they had waited to cash them in until Tuesday because the store was packed Monday. Under Mexican election law,

giving voters gifts is not a crime unless the gift is conditioned on a certain vote or meant to influence a vote.

However, the cost of such gifts must be reported, and cannot exceed campaign spending limits. Violations are usually punished with fines, but generally aren’t considered grounds for annulling an election.

Some of the people lined up to use gift cards said they got them for supporting the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, whose candidate Enrique Pena Nieto won Sunday’s presidential election, according to the preliminary official vote count. Some wore red Tshirts and baseball caps or carried tote bags with Pena Nieto’s name printed in white. Maria Salazar, a 20-year-old university student, came with her 70year-old father, Antonio Salazar, to cash three cards. “They gave us the

NORTH CAROLINA: In this Oct. 17, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama stands in front of his bus as he greets people in Boone, N.C..—AP

Obama climbs back on the campaign bus WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama embarks today on his first bus tour of the 2012 campaign as he seeks to pointedly stir up more questions about rival Mitt Romney’s business record and subtly contrast himself with a Republican opponent who has struggled to connect with voters. The two-day swing will take him through several northern Ohio communities that were critical to his 2008 win in the state and then to Pennsylvania for an event in Pittsburgh. Obama won both states four years ago but Romney and Republicans are competing hard to win them. The president will campaign in the both states as the nation’s latest monthly job-creation assessment is released. Each state had an unemployment rate of 7.3 percent in May, below the national average of 8.2 percent.

Four months before the election, polls show Obama slightly leading Romney, a former Massachusetts and businessman, ahead of the Nov. 6 election. The race is close despite a topsy-turvy June that included the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Obama’s health care law and its split decision on Arizona’s 2010 immigration law. The president’s trip kicks off a new phase of his re-election campaign as he ratchets up his retail campaigning this summer before the September convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Underscoring the stakes, Obama is forgoing his traditional summer vacation on the resort island of Martha’s Vineyard to focus on the campaign, though he spent a long weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat.

Romney, in turn, was spending the entire week relaxing with his family at his lakeside estate in New Hampshire, where he’s been seen taking his grandchildren for ice cream, jet skiing with his wife and playing volleyball with his five sons. It’s a personal side of him the public has rarely seen during two primary campaigns in which he sometimes came off as awkward and forced, making clear that retail campaigning is not his strong suit. — AP

Questions raised on Venezuela joining Mercosur BRASILIA: More than six years after Hugo Chavez first said joining Mercosur was Venezuela’s destiny, the presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay decided last week that his oil-rich nation would finally become the fifth full member of the common market. Venezuela holds the world’s largest crude oil reserves and the move potentially links the region’s top energy and agricultural suppliers.

But the decision at last week’s summit to welcome Venezuela into Mercosur after the leaders temporarily suspended Paraguay has brought questions about the move’s timing and legality. Such decisions must be unanimous under Mercosur rules, and Paraguay’s senate has long objected to Venezuela’s entr y.

“Venezuela’s entry into Mercosur was carried out through an announcement ... but there’s no legal or diplomatic protocol that guarantees its entry. There’s nothing in writing,” said Paraguay’s new foreign minister, Jose Felix Fernandez.

Fernandez assumed that post after President Fernando Lugo was impeached by Paraguay’s congress, which led other Mercosur countries to criticize the action as an “institutional coup” and suspend Paraguay’s membership. Venezuela’s foreign minister, Nicolas Maduro, responded that his country has indeed achieved status as a full Mercosur member after years as an associate member. “Now the legal step will be taken,” he said.

Lugo had supported Venezuelan membership in Mercosur, but conservative Paraguayan lawmakers criticized Chavez as anti-democratic and opposed membership for Venezuela. Suspending Paraguay after Lugo’s quick impeachment trial removed the Paraguayan veto.

The full deal still needs to be signed July 31 at Mercosur’s next meeting in Rio de Janeiro. — AP

cards in the name of the PRI and Rep. Hector Pedroza (a PRI congressional candidate), and they said they were counting on our vote,” Maria Salazar said outside one store, as she carried plastic shopping bags packed with toilet paper, cooking oil, rice, saltine crackers and instant noodle soups.

Her father carried two more packed grocery bags and her 8-year-old nephew carried another. “They told us they were worth 500 pesos ($37.50), but when we got to the check-out, they were only worth 100 rotten pesos ($7.50),” Salazar said. Both she and her father said they had been told to turn in a photocopy of their voter ID card in order to get the gift cards. Another woman interviewed outside the same Soriana grocery store also complained that her card had only 100 pesos ($7.50) in credit. — AP

MEXICO CITY: Demonstrators protest outside an office of the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) in Mexico City, Tuesday. Demonstrators gathered two days after the elections to protest against the apparent victor of Mexico’s presidential race, Enrique Pena Nieto. —AP

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

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

Romanian MPs begin moves to impeach prez BUCHAREST: Pro-government Romanian MPs yesterday began moves to sack President Traian Basescu as the cabinet curbed the powers of top judges amid heightened feuding between Basescu and Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

Parliamentarians from the ruling centre-left coalition have called a special session of the house today and tomorrow to debate a call to strip the centreright president of his official powers, new speaker Valeriu Zgonea said.

At the same time the Liberal Social Union (USL) government approved an emergency decree reducing the authority of the Constitutional Court.

The decree signed by Ponta and Justice Minister Titus Colatean bars the court from ruling on parliamentary decisions, making it easier for the governing majority to impeach Basescu.

Under the Constitution the president can be deprived of his powers by parliament for “serious” violation of the basic law, but the 17-page document to be debated by parliament makes no specific accusations against Basescu.

If approved by parliament, Basescu’s sacking must be put to a referendum within 30 days. The USL already succeeded in suspending the president in May 2007 but he was restored to office by the subsequent referendum.

However his popularity has plummeted since, notably because of austerity measures he enforced in 2010 in agreement with the European Union and International Monetary Fund. The cabinet decree came only hours after Ponta’s Social-Democrat Party (PSD) said he had asked Colatean to withdraw all complaints lodged against

the judges of the Constitutional Court.

“The Prime Minister wants to send a strong signal through this gesture of the absolute respect of the independence of democratic institutions and on the integrity of the Romanian judiciary system,” a PSD statement said. The latest moves follow a decision to sack the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) speakers of both houses of parliament on Tuesday, sparking an international and domestic outcry.

Both the European Union and United States voiced deep concern about attacks on democracy in Romania, while the Romanian press weighed in yesterday. Newspaper Adevarul said the USL had “trampled on the rules of parliament and laws of the country,” while Romania Libera attacked “a violent assault against the rule of law” and “actions of a totalitari-

an character.” Rights groups said the rule of law was under “unprecedented attack” from the USL in an open letter to the European Commission.

The groups, including the local branches of democracy monitor Freedom House and human rights watchdog the Helsinki Committee, called on the commission to respond to this “drift towards a non-democratic regime.” “....serious steps taken in the last few days ... will potentially affect the independence of institutions and the separation of powers,” they wrote. The Constitutional Court, which on Tuesday issued a rare statement complaining of the government’s “virulent attacks” against it, infuriated Ponta last week by ruling that the president and not the prime minister should represent Romania at European Union summits.

Basescu and Ponta have been at odds since Ponta’s coalition took office in May after the centre-right government fell following a no-confidence vote. Parliamentary elections are scheduled later this year while Basescu’s mandate has two years to run. On Tuesday Basescu accused his rivals of seeking to take control of the judiciary in order to try to impeach him. “By seriously violating the laws and the constitution, they have put the Romanian state and its 22 million people in an extremely difficult situation,” he said.

Ponta’s moves have echoes of the situation in neighbouring Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has tightened his hold on institutions such as the judiciary and the media but at the cost of international isolation. —AFP

Teargas, clashes over language law in Ukraine President says snap election possible

KLIPTOWN: South African dancers perform during the opening session of a Social Cohesion Summit yesterday in Kliptown, Soweto. South African President Jacob Zuma opened talks to mend social rifts after outcry over a painting depicting his genitals which exposed racial differences 18 years after apartheid. —AFP

Nigerian capital on alert after shopping mall attack ABUJA: Nigeria’s capital was on alert yesterday after an explosion went off outside a popular shopping centre, in the latest attack likely to be blamed on Boko Haram Islamists. The first explosion happened at roughly 9:00 pm at a shopping plaza in the city’s Wuse II district, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Yushau A. Shuaib, said in a statement.

Rescue workers then rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area, where a unexploded bomb was later discovered, an official said. “When we were trying to find out what is happening, the antibomb squad discovered another one.

They just detonated it,” the head of NEMA’s Abuja office, Ishaya Chonoko, told journalists at the scene. “The good thing is that there was no report of human casualty,” he added.

The area was swarming with rescue workers overnight, as security forces kept journalists hundreds of metres (yards) away. When the cordon had been cleared early yesterday, an AFP reporter saw that the windows of shops adjacent to the Banex Plaza shopping mall had been shattered, but the main centre had not evidently been affected. The plaza in a prominent commercial area of Nigeria’s capital is popular with both Nigerians and foreigners. A police statement called

the blast “a low-level explosion” and said that “intensive” surveillance patrols were ongoing around the city that has been repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram.

A suicide bomb attack on UN headquarters in Abuja in August killed at least 25 people, while another at the Abuja office of one of the country’s most prominent newspapers left four dead. Most recently, on June 22, a blast went off outside a nightclub in Abuja that shattered the windows of nearby buildings but caused no casualties. No group has yet claimed the latest attack. The US embassy in Nigeria issued an “emergency message to inform U.S. citizens of potential threats against U.S. installations during the July 4 holiday week.”

The statement posted on the embassy website said the US government was working with Nigeria’s security to boost security measures through the independence holiday. In Abuja, Americans remain barred from visiting places of worship as well as nearby commercial establishments and must return to their homes by midnight, the statement said. Boko Haram has repeatedly attacked churches, typically on Sundays and holidays. Last month, Washington designated three Boko Haram leaders as global terrorists, and the group has previously threatened to strike American interests. — AFP

Mulcaire must reveal phone hacking names LONDON: A private investigator convicted of hacking phones for a Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid must reveal who at the newspaper ordered him to do it, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled yesterday. Glenn Mulcaire was jailed briefly in 2007 for eavesdropping on the voicemail messages of royal aides on behalf of the now-defunct News of the World. Hacking victims suing Rupert Murdoch’s News International want Mulcaire to provide evidence for their cases. The case before the court relates to a lawsuit by Nicola Phillips, an assistant to PR guru Max Clifford, who claims her phone was hacked.

Mulcaire attempted to refuse to name names under laws that prevent selfincrimination, but five judges from the country’s highest court unanimously rejected that argument. The judges ruled that the defense against self-incrimination does not apply to “proceedings for infringement of rights pertaining to any intellectual property,” and that Phillips’ business voicemails fell into that category. In a statement issued through his lawyer, Mulcaire said he would comply with the order, and would “consider with my lawyers what the wider implications of this judgment are, if and when I am asked to answer questions in other cases.” The judges did not set a deadline for Mulcaire to comply, but Phillips’ lawyer Mark Lewis, said he expected him to reveal the name within the next three weeks.

Mulcaire and former royal reporter Clive Goodman are so far the only people convicted of illegal eavesdropping in a scandal that continues to shake

Britain’s media, police and political establishments. The revelation that staff at the News of the World had routinely eavesdropped on the phones of people in the public eye in search of scoops led Murdoch to close down the 168-year-old newspaper, scuppered his bid for broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting and spawned a judge-led inquiry into media ethics and three major police investigations into media misbehavior.

More than 40 people have been arrested and several have been charged, including Rebekah Brooks, the former head of Murdoch’s British newspaper division. — AP

LONDON: In this Tuesday, May 8, 2012 file photo, private investigator Glenn Mulcaire leaves Britain’s Supreme Court in central London. Britain’s Supreme Court says yesterday, private investigator Glenn Mulcaire must reveal who ordered him to hack mobile phone voice mails on behalf of a tabloid newspaper. —AP

KIEV: Police fired teargas and used batons to disperse hundreds of protesters in Kiev yesterday after parliament voted to make Russian, rather than Ukrainian, the main language in schools and local government in some parts of the former Soviet republic. The clashes occurred after protesters, led by opposition members of parliament defending the role of Ukrainian as the only state language, ma ssed in front of a building where President Viktor Yanukovich was due to hold a press briefing.

The chamber rushed the language bill through on Tuesday, minutes after a surprise proposal by a pro-Yanukovich deputy, giving opponents little time to cast their vote and prompting scuffles both in parliament and on the streets.

Though the bill needs Yanukovich’s signature and that of parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn - who has offered to quit - to become law, protesters took to the streets and stayed there overnight to bring pressure to bear on the president. “There are millions of us and they cannot pretend that nothing has happened,” said Vitali Klitschko, the world heavyweight boxing champion who has founded his own opposition party - Udar (Blow), and took part in yesterday’s protest.

The two-metre (6ft 7 inches) Klitschko himself had to have his eyes washed out after being sprayed with teargas. His left arm was bandaged because of a cut sustained in the commotion. Protesters urged Yanukovich, who had planned a celebratory statement to crown the successful co-hosting of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament, to veto the bill, which was pushed through by his own majority Party of Regions. Opposition parties and millions who speak Ukrainian as their first language see the bill as a threat to sovereignty, keeping Ukraine in Russia’s sphere of influence after 20 years of independence following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

As black-helmeted riot police moved to push the crowds back, Lytvyn himself tendered his resignation, apparently siding with the opposition which complained of procedural irregularities. Yanukovich cancelled his briefing and called an urgent meeting with faction leaders and Lytvyn. He said Ukraine may have to hold an early parliamentary election if the crisis persisted.. But since an election is already set for Oct. 28, this seemed

more of a rhetorical flourish by Yanukovich aimed at preventing the situation from undermining his own prestige.

People in large swathes of Ukraine speak Russian as their mother tongue and the bill would recognise it as a regional language in predominantly Russian-speaking areas in the heavily industrialised east and southern regions such as Crimea. The bill will be welcomed particularly in neighbouring Russia

power base in the east of the country.

Opponents of the bill say it was pushed through by Yanukovich’s party in order to win back disenchanted voters in Russian-speaking regions ahead of the October poll. “This bill would push the Ukrainian language out of use,” said one of the protesters, 40-year-old entrepreneur Yuri Chernyak. “It might be too late but we must do something and not stay indifferent.” More protests were planned

KIEV: Opposition protesters spray tear gas against riot police in front of the Ukrainian House in central Kiev, Ukraine yesterday. Opposition activists have clashed with riot police during a protest against a controversial bill that would allow the use of Russian in official settings in Russian-speaking regions. —AP whose leaders have pressed Yanukovich to deliver on an election pledge in 2009 to upgrade the status of Russian. Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to visit Ukraine on July 12 for a meeting with Yanukovich in Yalta on gas supplies when the language law seems certain to crop up in conversation.

But given the level of protest, it is by no means certain that Yanukovich will sign the bill into law even though it will be popular in his

across the country, opposition party Batkivshchyna said.

Another opposition leader present at the scene of the Kiev protests, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said: “There are all signs of a real political crisis in Ukraine and it will develop further.” A protest also took place in the western city of Lviv where its activists blocked the entrance into the regional government building, Batkivshchyna said. —Reuters

EU Parliament rejects ACTA anti-piracy treaty BRUSSELS: The European Parliament over whelmingly defeated the international ACTA anti-piracy trade agreement yesterday after concern that it would limit Internet freedom mobilized broad opposition across Europe.

The vote - 39 in favor, 478 against and 165 abstentions - means that as far as the EU is concerned the treaty is finished, at least for the moment, though other countries

may well participate.

Supporters had said ACTA the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement - was needed to standardize international laws that protect the rights of those who produce music, movies, pharmaceuticals, fashion goods and other products that often fall victim to piracy and intellectual property theft. Opponents feared it would lead to censorship and a

Muslims call on lawmakers to protect circumcision COLOGNE: German Muslim leaders urged lawmakers yesterday to pass legislation protecting the right to circumcise boys after a court ruling against the practice when carried out on religious grounds.

Around 20 organisations representing most of Germany’s around four million Muslims said parliament must ensure religious freedom by eliminating the legal uncertainty surrounding the rite since the June 26 ruling by a court here.

“We call on the German Bundestag (lower house) and the government to act as quickly as possible to put an end to this legal insecurity and establish legal safeguards allowing the circumcision of boys,” said Gurcan Mert of the Turkish Islamic Union, speaking on behalf of the other groups. In a decision that also sparked outrage among Jewish groups and which could set a legal precedent, the regional court in this western city ruled against a doctor in Cologne who had circumcised a four-year-old Muslim boy on his parents’ wishes.

The judges found that the “fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents”. “The religious freedom of the parents and their right to educate their child would not be unacceptably compromised if they were obliged to wait until the child could himself decide to be circumcised,” the court added. But it specified that circumcision was not illegal if carried out for medical reasons. The ruling marked a “big blow against integration”, Ali Kizilkaya, spokesman for the Coordinating Council of Muslims in Germany, another of the groups issuing the appeal, told the same news conference. — AFP

loss of privacy on the Internet.

Many other countries - including the US , Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea - also have signed the trade agreement, though no one has ratified it yet, and the EU vote won’t affect them. David Martin, a member of the Parliament from Scotland and the person who reported to the European Parliament on the proposal, said before yesterday’s vote that the agreement was dead.

“No emergency surgery, no transplant, no long period of recuperation is going to save ACTA,” Martin said. “It’s time to give it its last rites. It’s time to allow its friends to mourn and for the rest of us to get on with our lives.” But EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht did not sound ready to give up altogether.

He said in a statement after the vote that he would push ahead with his plan to have Europe’s highest court determine whether the agreement, as written, would curtail any fundamental European rights, and would consider his next move in light of that opinion.

“It’s clear that the question of protecting intellectual property does need to be addressed on a global scale - for business, the creative industries whether in Europe or our partner countries,” De Gucht said.

“With the rejection of ACTA, the need to protect the backbone of Europe’s economy across the globe: our innovation, our cre-

ativity, our ideas - our intellectual property - does not disappear.”

But the overwhelming vote Tuesday would seem to indicate that the agreement in its current form has no chance to be approved.

The treaty was unanimously approved by the 27 EU heads of government in December. But EU efforts to ratify it ran into deep trouble almost immediately. For the EU to become a party to the treaty, all 27 member countries would have to formally approve it. Protests erupted on the streets of several European cities. A petition against ACTA garnered 2.8 million signatures. It began to look increasingly unlikely that all 27 countries would ratify the agreement - so much so that in February the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, suspended ratification efforts and instead asked the European Court of Justice to render its opinion. The hope clearly was to stall for time and try to resume ratification efforts, armed with a favorable court opinion, in a calmer atmosphere.

The failure to ratify the treaty is a humiliation for the EU, which was one of the prime movers in the multi-year effort to negotiate the agreement.

EU officials had maintained that ACTA would change nothing in European law, but would be simply an instance of the EU leading by example and exporting its strong copyright protection laws to other countries where safeguards are weaker. —AP

11

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

international

Pakistan prepares to reopen supply lines Washington apologizes over botched air raid

TAGAB: In this photograph taken on January 26, 2011, a soldier of the French Foreign Legion from the 1st section “Les Aigles” (the Eagles) of the 2nd REG (Regiment Etranger du Genie) watches an Afghan National Army (ANA) vehicle driving by, on the road near Tagab in Kapisa Province. The French military officially handed over control of the key Afghan province of Kapisa to local forces yesterday. —AFP

French army hands over key province to Afghan forces MAHMOOD-E-RAQI: The French military yesterday handed over a key Afghan province to local forces, completing an important stage in France’s accelerated withdrawal from the war-torn country.

The province of Kapisa was the last area of Afghanistan under the control of French troops, the bulk of whom are due to leave by the end of 2012, two years earlier than the main NATO deadline.

France is the fifth largest contributor to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is due to pull out the vast majority of its 130,000 forces by the end of 2014. Kapisa, an extremely unstable province where French troops have suffered numerous deadly attacks from the Taleban , lies to the northeast of Kabul, near the insurgent-infested provinces of Kunar and Nuristan.

In 2011, 24 French soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, all in Kapisa. The handover, marked yesterday by a ceremony in the provincial capital Mahmood-eRaqi, will have little noticeable effect on the ground, where the French soldiers will continue to help train local forces as preparations for the pullout go ahead.

Yesterday’s ceremony “lets everyone see that Afghans are taking over their security. But it is above all a symbol and does not change the transition process”, a French security source told AFP. Before his election in May, Hollande

promised to speed up France’s withdrawal from Afghanistan so it would be completed by the end of 2012 — a year earlier than Paris initially planned and two years before the NATO deadline. France plans to withdraw 2,000 troops fighting with ISAF against the decade -long Taleban insurgency this year, leaving behind around 1,500 soldiers to train local forces and help organise the return of military equipment.

On Tuesday Pakistan agreed to reopen overland supply routes to Afghanistan from its Arabian Sea port of Karachi, seven months after closing them in protest at a US air raid that killed 24 of its soldiers. The end of the blockade, which came after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said sorry for the deaths, will greatly ease the process of withdrawing 10 years’ worth of military equipment from Afghanistan.

Many observers have serious doubts about the ability of Afghan security forces to maintain security and keep the Taleban at bay after the NATO withdrawal. Kapisa, strategically located near the Afghan capital and close to the border with the Pakistani tribal areas which are a Taleban heartland, has the potential to become a real headache for Kabul. But Francois Guillermet, spokesman for the French army in Afghanistan, insisted local forces were capable of containing the insurgents. —AFP

KARACHI: Thousands of Pakistani truck drivers yesterday prepared to resume key NATO supply convoys into Afghanistan and end a bitter seven-month standoff, after Washington apologized over a botched air raid. Islamabad agreed to reopen the land routes into its war-torn neighbor after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she was sorry for the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers in an air strike in November.

The incident enraged Pakistan, prompting the closure of the supply lines and plunging ties with the United States to a new low, after the US raid to kill Osama bin Laden.

As part of the deal, which followed months of negotiations, Washington will release about $1.1 billion to the Pakistani military from a US “coalition support fund” designed to reimburse Pakistan for the cost of counter-insurgency operations. Islamabad, a key but wary US ally in the fight against Taleban militants, had steadfastly insisted on an apology for the November attack, but Washington had previously only expressed regret.

In the sprawling port city of Karachi yesterday, drivers and their helpers were cleaning hundreds of trucks that have stood idle during the seven-month layoff. Driver Mohammad Hassan, 45, said he was pleased the convoys would resume. “We were unemployed for a long time. Many vehicles broke down due to prolonged parking.

Now we shall have our livelihood again,” he told AFP. “This job is dangerous, but we have to make a living,” he said, while urging the government to provide the convoys with more protection. The deal, formally approved by the full cabinet yesterday, drew a swift warning from the Pakistani Taleban, who vowed to attack the trucks and kill the drivers if they resumed ferrying supplies to Afghanistan. The president of the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association Akram Khan Durrani

said the move would be welcome news for his 10,000 drivers and crew, but he urged the government to take action on security.

“The government should issue a regulation under which all NATO supply vehicles have a different colour and are given security cover, so that other vehicles are not

across the border every year.

Clinton stressed “Pakistan will continue not to charge any transit fee”. Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, the head of the opposition Movement for Justice, condemned the deal, saying it was unacceptable while the United States continued to carry out

MULTAN: A protester holds a burning US flag during a demonstration against the reopening of the NATO supply route from Pakistan to Afghanistan, in Multan yesterday.—AFP attacked by militants and we do our work without any fear,” he told AFP. Durrani said before the ban there were 5,000 oil tankers supplying Afghanistan, but this figure has fallen to 3,000 after many vehicles were dumped or converted to other uses.

The land routes into Afghanistan are vital as the United States and its NATO allies withdraw troops and equipment built up in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion. The blockade had forced the United States and its allies to rely on longer, more expensive

empty, as it will take days for the trucks to drive up from Karachi.

Customs officials were preparing for the influx of vehicles and some officials voiced concerns about about attacks. “For the moment some 550 security personnel are providing security but we will have to raise their number,” Miraj Khan, an administrative official, told AFP. Initial hopes of a deal on reopening the routes fell apart at a NATO summit in Chicago in May amid reports that Pakistan was demanding huge fees for the thousands of trucks that rumble

drone strikes on Pakistani soil. The deal was announced just days before a donor meeting on Afghanistan in Tokyo, as some of the international focus now shifts to rebuilding in Afghanistan with almost all foreign combat troops due to withdraw by the end of 2014. The US commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, General John Allen, praised the deal as “a demonstration of Pakistan’s desire to help secure a brighter future for both Afghanistan and the region at large”. —AFP

Bangladeshi ‘death squad’ tortures mutiny suspects

Sri Lanka FM hits back over criticism TOKYO: Sri Lanka hit back yesterday over claims it is clamping down on press freedom after criticism from rights groups and Washington for its shuttering of opposition news websites. “Look at the newspapers in Sri Lanka. Can you possibly say that there is no freedom of press in the country? There is so much,” Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris told reporters in Tokyo. “If you look at Sri Lankan newspapers, if you look at Sunday papers, they are full of the most abusive criticism, but nothing happens to those newspapers,” he said.

Sri Lanka, which lifted a state of emergency last year after concluding a decades-long ethnic conflict in 2009, is now beginning “a new chapter in our history, an exciting chapter, full of hope and promise,” he said.

Colombo faced criticism after its police shut down opposition news websites and arrested nine employees, including several journalists, last Friday.

The United States on Saturday joined rights groups in demanding Sri Lanka stop “harassing” media organisations. Peiris told reporters in Japan the police move was justified as a way to protect privacy and safeguard reputations. “There has been flagrant violation of those rights,” he said. “In order to comply with the applicable laws... actions in that case are necessary in exceptional situations.”

The foreign minister blamed the raided media organisation for turning “deaf ears” to repeated warnings to tone down their coverage. “There is no response at all,” he said. “These things happen not only in Sri Lanka but in many other countries. It is not something unique, it is not something that is happening only in Sri Lanka, but law enforcement measures... have been found to be necessary.” The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the media crackdown signaled Colombo did not tolerate dissent.

Both websites have been highly critical of President Mahinda Rajapakse’s government, already facing international censure over its human rights record amid unsolved murders of journalists and attacks on independent media. Rights groups and employees said srilankaxnews.com was the official news organ of the opposition United National Party (UNP), while the other website was closely linked to the UNP. They shared the same office in Colombo. The latest police crackdown comes three months after the defence ministry ordered all mobile phone operators to clear any security-related news reports before issuing them as SMS alerts. Sri Lanka lifted a state of emergency last year, but media rights groups have said journalists have been forced to self-censor their work amid fear of physical attacks. —AFP

northern routes through Central Asia, Russia and the Caucasus, costing the US military about $100 million a month, according to the Pentagon. At the Torkham border crossing, the main transit point for vehicles travelling into Afghanistan, the lone parking terminal for NATO vehicles was still

SANGAM: In this photo taken on Saturday, June 30, 2012, Kashmiri porters carry an Indian Hindu pilgrim on a trail during the traditional journey to the Amarnath cave, near Sangam, 135 kms (83 miles) from Srinagar, India.

Thousands of pilgrims annually go to the remote Himalayan shrine of Amarnath at 3,888 m (12,756 ft) above sea level to worship an icy stalagmite representing Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. —AP

DHAKA: Human Rights Watch (HRW) yesterday accused Bangladesh of torturing and killing paramilitary soldiers accused of involvement in a 2009 mutiny, the latest in a string of complaints against the country’s feared special police force. HRW said the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite crime-fighting unit it has previously labelled a “death squad” was alleged to have been involved in many of the abuses. “At least 47 suspects have died in custody,” said HRW, which interviewed more than 60 people for its report. “Detainees were subjected to beatings, often on the soles of their feet or palms of their hands, and to electric shock. Some victims described being hung upside down from the ceiling,” the group said in a statement.

“Torture is routinely used by security forces in Bangladesh,” it said. “Human Rights Watch and others have long documented the systematic use of torture in Bangladesh by its security forces, including the army, the Rapid Action Battalion and ... the country’s main intelligence agency.” The government denied the accusations. “Allegations made by HRW about torture leading to custodial deaths are totally baseless,” said Kamaluddin Ahmed, a senior official at the Home Ministry. “Post mortem reports of people who died in custody mentioned clear reasons (for the deaths) and there is no evidence of torture. The Bangladesh government acts according to law.”

Last May, HRW said nearly 200 people had

have been killed in operations by the RAB since the beginning of 2009, accusing it of extrajudicial killings as well as torture. In August, Amnesty International urged other countries to stop selling weapons to Bangladesh that can be used by the elite force.

The 2009 mutiny by Bangladeshi border guards, known as BDR, broke out in force headquarters in Dhaka and quickly spread to a dozen other towns. More than 70 people were killed. It shook the stability of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s newly elected government, which ended the revolt by negotiating a settlement.

“The army and other security agencies immediately began to round up thousands of suspects. Family members of detainees and the media soon reported allegations of torture and custodial deaths,” HRW said, the first time a foreign group has published the results of investigations into events surrounding the mutiny. About 4,000 people have already been found guilty of involvement in the mutiny, all in mass military trials. They have been jailed for up to seven years.

Those also being tried for killing, rape and arson face the death penalty, legal officials said. The government hopes to complete the trials by end of this year. Human Rights Watch urged Bangladeshi authorities to establish an independent task force with investigate and prosecute allegations of human rights abuses after the mutiny. —AFP

Tensions cloud India, Pakistan peace talks NEW DELHI: Top Indian and Pakistani foreign ministry officials met yesterday to bolster a fragile peace dialogue undermined by fresh tensions over the 2008 Mumbai attacks and political flux in Pakistan. New Delhi suspended a four-year peace process with Islamabad after the attacks on India’s financial capital by 10 Islamist gunmen that left 166 people dead.

The full peace dialogue only resumed in Februar y last year.

Yesterday’s meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani stretched to two sessions covering peace and security, confidence building measures and Kashmir. The two top civil servants in their respective ministries will hold further talks today-followed by a joint press conference.

The atmosphere of the talks was soured by India’s recent arrest of Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, suspected of being a key handler for the Mumbai attackers

who were members of the Pakistanbased Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group.

India says Ansari has admitted helping to coordinate the deadly assault from a command post in Karachi, and his testimony has renewed Indian accusations that “state elements” in Pakistan were involved.

“It is no longer possible to deny that though the incident happened in Mumbai, there was a control room in Pakistan before and during the incident,” Home Minister P. Chidambaram said yesterday. “Without state support, the control room could not have been established.” Returning Tuesday from a visit to Tajik istan, I ndian Foreign Minister SM Krishna said the information extracted from Ansari would have to be corroborated with other sources.

“That is when we will have to make a value judgement whether Pakistan can be trusted or not,” K rishna told reporters.

He also said it was a “matter of great regret ” that Lashk ar founder Hafiz

Saeed-accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks-was still “moving freely in Pakistan”. The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to Saeed’s conviction. Pakistan has indicted seven people for their alleged role in the Mumbai attacks but their trial, which began in 2009, has been beset by delays. Wilson John, a foreign policy analyst at the Observer Research Foundation, an independent think tank in New Delhi, said the wounds re-opened by Ansari’s arrest had set the revived peace process back.

“The blame game has started again... too much heat and dust has been stirred up at various levels,” John said.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since the sub-continent was partitioned in 1947, and the nuclear-armed rivals remain deadlocked on their core dispute over the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir. Since resuming their dialogue, they have sought to make progress on less contentious issues like bilateral trade, and have agreed to

enhance cooperation on terrorism, human trafficking, narcotics and cyber crime.

But analysts say the recent political upheaval in Pakistan has drained some of the momentum from the process.

Today’s foreign secretaries’ meeting was to have taken place at the end of last month, but was postponed in the uncertainty that followed the Pakistani Supreme Court’s dismissal of Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister. “No one should expect any substantive outcome from this diplomatic meeting,” G. Parthasarathy, former Indian envoy to Pakistan, told AFP. “ Who is the real leader in Pakistan and whom should India be talking to? The only significance of the meeting is: Yes, we met and we will continue to meet.” The foreign secretaries are expected to lay the the ground for another round of talks between their respective foreign ministers-originally scheduled for July 18 but also postponed with a new date yet to be announced. —AFP

12

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

international

Philippines investigates killing of Dutch activist MANILA: The Philippine government formed a task force yesterday to investigate the killing of a Dutch environmental activist as suspicions arose about whether he was killed in a plain robbery. Police say Wilhelm Geertman was gunned down Tuesday outside his office in nor thern Pampanga province’s San Fernando city by one of two motorcycle-riding gunmen who took his bag containing about 1.2 million pesos ($27,900) he had withdrawn from a bank.

The 67-year-old former religious missionar y helped poor farmers affected by illegal logging and min-

ing. Geertman also was an executive officer of the Citizens’ Disaster Response Network, which helps communities with disaster management, including environmental protection.

“Because of his close involvement with the oppressed and exploited, Geertman was a fair target of those whose political and economic interests were affected by his advocacies,” the Ecumenical Bishop’s Forum, a group of Roman Catholic and Protestant bishops, said in a statement.

Edwin Lacierda, spokesman for President Benigno Aquino III, said

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo had formed a task force to investigate the killing of Geertman. A neighborhood closed-circuit television camera recorded the gunmen on the motorcycle, which could help authorities identify the vehicle and the assailants, Lacierda said. Loren Villareal, a program officer for Alay Bayan Inc., a disaster relief group that Geer tman headed, said he was told by a staffer who witnessed the incident that Geertman was surprised by the gunmen, who followed behind him as he entered the gate to his Alay Bayan office. She said Geertman raised his

hands when he saw their weapons.

The gunmen grabbed the sleeves of Geertman’s jacket, turned him around and pushed him to the ground. He fell on his knees and then was shot in the back at very close range as he knelt, she said. She said it was “difficult to imagine” the police version that Geertman was killed during a plain robbery because “it was easy for them to just take the bag away from him without shooting him as he offered no resistance.” No one else was harmed by the gunmen, who wore baseball caps but were not masked, she said.

She said Geertman had expressed

grief over the killing Saturday of his friend and fellow environmental activist Romualdo Palispis, who was also an election official from northeastern Aurora province, where Geertman first worked as a missionary when he arrived in the country in the 1960s.

Another group, the Peasant Alliance of Central Luzon, said “military agents” were involved in Geertman’s killing because Geertman was an active supporter of farmers struggling against land-grabbing. Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc said the accusation was irresponsible and demanded evidence from them.—AP

Myanmar poised for cabinet shake-up: MPs Parliament to elect new vice-president NAYPYITAW: Myanmar President Thein Sein plans to reshuffle his cabinet and appoint a new vice-president to reduce the influence of antireform ministers and accelerate changes in the former pariah state, several lawmakers said. The imminent reshuffle could sideline some hardliners by reducing their responsibilities in the 37member cabinet or give them new roles, said the lawmakers. “He needs to make the cabinet more vibrant and effective and he has to remove some conservatives who are reluctant to accept his reforms,” said one lawmaker, who declined to be identified.

The first to go was first Vice-President Tin Aung Myint Oo, a former four-star general considered a leader of hardline remnants of the military junta that ruled for half a century and was close to its paramount leader, former dictator Than Shwe. The joint upper and lower houses yesterday endorsed Tin Aung Myint Oo’s resignation and house speaker Khin Aung Myint said the military delegates in both chambers would have until July 10 to choose his successor.

He was one of two vice-presidents chosen by

signed to become more central to the reforms, with Rail Transportation Minister Aung Min Thein Sein’s top peace negotiator - becoming a president’s office minister and Industry Minister Soe Thein, head of the country’s Investment Commission, given the National Planning and Economic Development portfolio.

He would replace Tin Naing Thein, who would become Finance Minister in place of former general Hla Tun. Tin Aung Myint Oo’s resignation as vice-president coincided with the opposition National League for Democracy party (NLD) - vilified for years by the former military government - filling several rows of seats in parliament, marking their transition from activists to lawmakers minus their most famous dissident.

SUU KYI CRITICISED Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi came in for criticism for not showing up for the start of parliament and delaying until Monday when she will sit in the chamber. She cited exhaustion following her 17-day European tour that ended on Saturday. “We have to recognise she is exhaust-

NAYPYIDAW: Myanmar union parliament speaker Khin Aung Myint, talks during the opening of the union parliament session in Naypyidaw yesterday. —AFP lawmakers and submitted his resignation on May 3. Thein Sein did not accept it and instead gave him leave for two months, say lawmakers and several government officials. That has stoked speculation about his role, including rumours of his deteriorating health. The pace of change in Myanmar, already dramatic, looks set to accelerate after Thein Sein, a former general, announced on June 19 a second wave of reforms that aim to triple the size of the economy in five years and modernize a backward state where a third of the population live below the poverty line.

Sources with knowledge of the reshuffle discussions expect two ministers to be axed when seven ministries are merged into three portfolios: agriculture, transport and electric power.

Two prominent ministers are likely to be reas-

ed but we feel she should have prepared to come here,” said Khine Maung Yi of a rival opposition party, the National Democratic Force (NDF). NLD lawmaker Susu Lwin said she was disappointed by the lack of debate in parliament. “The way it is conducted is very tense. It would be better if it was less formal and we didn’t have to submit questions in advance,” she said in an interview.

The successor to Tin Aung Myint Oo will be chosen by armed forces delegates and is therefore almost certain to be another military man.

The top contender is election commission chairman Tin Aye, a retired lieutenant-general well respected in the army and known as a moderate, who graduated from the elite Defense Services Academy in the same class as Thein Sein. Thein Sein faces pressure from allies to

strengthen his cabinet’s ability to carry out reforms, particularly with resistance from conservatives likely to stiffen in coming months as the government attempts to open up an economy that has long benefited an elite with strong ties to the military. Foreign investors have descended on Myanmar, but most appear to be window shopping, awaiting legislation including a foreign investment law that would protect their assets and clarify rules for foreign companies operating in the country. Tin Naing Thein, national planning and economic development minister, said in an interview yesterday he expected the investment law to be approved by parliament and endorsed by the president by the end of this month.

Some Myanmar business leaders are concerned the proposed investment law could hand too much influence to multinationals when domestic firms are still coping with the transition from state controls and cannot compete with international brands following this year’s suspension of US and European sanctions.

The government must also counter public pressure for faster change. Protests have erupted in recent months over chronic power outages, textile wages and farm land reform. Long-simmering tension in northwestern Rakhine state between mostly stateless Rohingya Muslims and majority Buddhists has flared into violence that killed at least 80 people. Being seen as moving too slowly on reforms could be devastating for Thein Sein’s ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) in the next general election in 2015. Suu Kyi’s NLD won by-elections in a landslide in April, sending an ominous signal to the military-backed USDP. “BIG ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT” Although the government insists there will be no backsliding on reforms, some freedoms are being at least partially rolled back. State censorship returned during the weeks of unrest in Rakhine state, and a much-vaunted media law has faced delays. Journalists covering this parliamentary session also faced tighter restrictions compared with the opening in February.

At that time, reporters could arrive early at the marble-floored complex with its soaring ceilings and freely interview members of parliament as they arrived. Yesterday, journalists were kept waiting more than an hour in a bus outside the complex until the members had taken their seats.

But lower house speaker Shwe Mann highlighted the media’s importance in his opening remarks to parliament. “It is essential for the lawmakers to listen to media’s criticisms and the opinions,” he said. Shwe Mann, once a powerful figure in the former military junta, also urged parliamentarians to set aside their differences - from religion to ethnicity - to work for democracy and reconciliation, a comment that carries resonance given fighting with autonomy-seeking rebels in Kachin state and in the wake of a nationalist backlash against Rohingya Muslims. The NDF’s Khine Maung Yi praised the reforms but suggested far more needed to be done. “Compared to the past it is more acceptable but there is big room for improvement,” he said. —Reuters

Australians board asylum boat found in rough seas

JAVA ISLAND: In this handout photo released by the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) yesterday and taken from an Indonesian Air Force Hercules C-130 aircraft shows a boat believed to be carrying up to 180 asylumseekers spotted off Indonesia about 50 nautical miles south of Java island and sailing towards Australian waters. —AFP

SYDNEY: Australian authorities yesterday boarded a boat packed with asylum seekers off Indonesia and began transferring the 164 on board to a navy ship after the vessel ran into trouble in rough seas. Australia’s Customs and Border Protection agency said two military ships, the HMAS Wollongong and HMAS Leeuwin reached the rickety vessel as night fell in waters south of Java after the boat had issued a distress call.

“A boarding party from HMAS Wollongong has boarded the vessel and initial reports are that 164 people are on board,” the agency said in a statement. “Due to concerns about the seaworthiness of the vessel attempts are being made to transfer the people from the vessel to HMAS Leeuwin,” it added. “Continuing rough sea conditions will mean the transfer may take several hours.”

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister

Jason Clare earlier told reporters that the boat, which issued an alarm just before dawn yesterday, “appears to be upright and in a stable condition but the weather conditions were very rough”. Someone on board had used a satellite phone to make a distress call to the Australian authorities saying the boat was taking on water as it was pounded by three-metre (10-foot) waves. The latest in a series of asylum boats incidents north of Australia’s remote Christmas Island territory, it came one day after Jakarta and Canberra agreed to boost cooperation on such rescues following a recent spate of deaths. Some 94 people are estimated to have drowned after two boats went down on the perilous sea route in recent weeks. One vessel capsized midway through its journey in an incident thought to have claimed 90 lives. —AFP

PYONGYANG: This undated picture released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (R) looking at clothing during a visit to a children’s department store in Pyongyang. —AFP

S Korea anthem talk draws disloyalty claims SEOUL: A South Korean lawmaker’s suggestion to replace the national anthem with a folk song popular in both Koreas does not at first glance seem like an act of disloyalty. The folk tune, “Arirang,” has no mention of socialism or glorification of North Korea’s ruling family. It is a song of longing, of the sorrow of separation, heavy on images of sunsets over mountains and stars shining in clear skies.

But the comments by Lee Seok-ki, a politician in a minor opposition party who has been hounded by claims of pro-Pyongyang views, have fed a media and political firestorm about the possibility that some lawmakers are secretly loyal to the North.

Critics say he should be kicked out of parliament for his views. “Commie!” screamed farmers protesting a South Korea-China free trade deal when Lee showed up at their rally this week. Some grabbed his collar, tried to smack him with a red balloon stick and yelled, “Why’d you come here?” The controversy highlights the unusual way North Korea is talked about in the South, where it’s illegal to praise Pyongyang. Even oblique statements that fall well short of outright support for the North can bring accusations of disloyalty. Lee’s suggestion has also created an uncommon, and probably short-lived, point of unity among ruling conservatives and mainstream opposition parties who are scrambling to voice their indignation and patriotism ahead of crucial presidential elections in December.

“When you criminalize the discussion, you get all kinds of weird behavior, and recently it’s been stepped up,” said John Delury, an assistant professor at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies in South Korea. The dispute is difficult to separate from election jockeying and from the contentious atmosphere that lingers over the Korean Peninsula. The Korean War ended in a 1953 truce, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. Many South Koreans remain jittery from two 2010 attacks blamed on Pyongyang that killed 50 South Koreans.

In April, North Korea unsuccessfully launched a rocket that it said carried a satellite. The United Nations called it a cover for a banned test of long-range missile technology. Pyongyang has since threatened to attack its rival, accusing Seoul of insulting its leadership. In his comments to journalists last month, Lee championed “Arirang” over the current national anthem, which dates to South Korea’s creation in 1948 as an anticommunist, pro-U.S. bastion. Lee’s office confirmed his comments but denied interview requests from The Associated Press.

Being forced to sing the anthem, which can be translated as “song of love for the country,” amounts to “totalitarianism,” Lee said. He did sing the anthem Monday when parliament opened, but his comments have been seen by many as a denial of South Korea’s foundations. Lee has been called an “anarchist,” and some conservatives say his views about the anthem mean he should be tossed out of parliament as a threat to democracy. The main opposition Democratic United Party, distancing itself from the controversy as the election season heats up, says North Korea sympathizers have no place in politics, though its members have also criticized conservatives’ enthusiasm for singling out such lawmakers in “witch hunts.” South Korean media and analysts - both conservative and liberal - say Lee is a leading member of a pro-North Korea faction within the United Progressive Party, which has 13 seats in the 300 mem-

ber National Assembly. UPP members deny support for North Korea in their ranks. But Lee’s comments can often seem provocative. In a May television interview, Lee said that being pro-U.S. is a more “serious problem” than being pro-North Korea. The United States stations 28,500 troops in South Korea as a deterrent against North Korean aggression. Lee’s comment about the U.S. was nearly identical to one made last month by North Korea’s Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.

That group also accused South Korean conservatives of ruining ties by oppressing “progressive patriotic groups.” Lee was sentenced in 2003 to 2 1/2 years in prison for playing a part in a pro-North Korea organization, a violation of the National Security Law, which makes it illegal to praise, sympathize or cooperate with the North, a Seoul High Court official said. Lee’s office says he was among thousands of people granted amnesty by the president several months later. Over recent decades, the views many South Koreans hold about their government and the North’s have changed greatly.

Many leading lawmakers here, both liberal and conservative, got their start as student activists who took to the streets in the 1970s and 80s, when the North’s economy was comparable to the South’s and Seoul was ruled by military-backed strongmen.

Now South Korea is a vibrant democracy and among Asia’s strongest economies, while North Korea faces international condemnation over its nuclear weapons program and is unable, according to the U.N., to adequately feed millions of its people.

Only a tiny fraction of South Koreans now support pro-North Korea ideologies, according to Shin Yul, a politics professor at Myongji University who says most voters know their country is far better off than North Korea.

One pro-North Korea activist, No Su-hui, plans to return to South Korea today after a three-month stay in the North, according to Pyongyang’s state media. South Korean police say they plan to arrest No when he crosses the border. The reaction to Lee’s comments points to a real fear some South Koreans have about the existence of lawmakers who may feel more allegiance to Pyongyang than Seoul.

Moon Jin-mook, a 37-year-old accountant in Seoul, supports kicking any pro-North Korea lawmakers out of parliament, saying their presence could lead to North Korea getting national security secrets that only lawmakers have access to. Despite the political rhetoric attacking Lee’s alleged North Korea views, however, it might be persistent vote-rigging allegations that end his time in parliament. South Korea’s ruling and main opposition parties have agreed to discuss ousting Lee and another UPP lawmaker from parliament over an internal UPP investigation that found primary improprieties that included more ballots cast than voters who showed up. Lee’s own party is pressuring him to resign from the UPP, but he calls the vote-rigging scandal “exaggerated and not based on facts.” Some South Koreans see the frenzy as just another in a series of long ideological battles. “I feel that conservative politicians and media are exaggerating the issue to distract people’s attention from other issues,” said Lee Dai-geun, a 34-yearold computer programmer in Seoul. “If a lawmaker told me about what a great place North Korea is, I’d just ask: ‘Why don’t you go live there yourself?’” —AP

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

NEWS

Members of the Native Sons of the Golden West carry a large American flag during the annual Fourth of July parade yesterday in Sausalito, California. The group was founded in 1875 and has preserved many of the landmarks of California’s pioneer days, purchasing and rehabilitating them and then donating them to the state or local governments. — AP

Oman reform pledges have fallen short Continued from Page 1 A country of just 2.8 million people perched on the shipping route through which a fifth of the world’s oil trade moves, Oman tolerates no political parties or other forms of political representation and invests virtually absolute power in the sultan over the government and armed forces. Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al-Said, who has wielded power in Oman since he deposed his father in 1970, is held by many to be above the country’s tribal and regional divisions.

Criticism of the ruler is taboo, so the government has borne the brunt of activists’ attacks on Internet forums in recent years. But in recent public demonstrations, protesters chanted slogans that made indirect references to the sultan and put them on placards, according to witnesses and people involved. Activists said one sign referred to horses being “more valuable” than people, for example - a reference to the sultan sending more than 100 purebred Arabian horses, part of the Royal Cavalry, on chartered

planes to Britain to participate in Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Another slogan criticised the sultan for spending time out of the country at a time of crisis.

Many ordinary Omanis are concerned about the turn of events, some political commentators said. “ The strikes themselves were divisive,” said an Omani who has worked in the oil industry and is familiar with the political sensitivities around the sector.

“Then to see this (insulting the sultan) in the streets, in the capital, was shocking. And a lot of people didn’t like that. The impulse to politicise the strike this way scared people, whatever they thought about it initially.”

The sultan’s reforms included sacking more than a third of the cabinet, creating thousands of public sector jobs and paying a dividend to the unemployed, which the IMF estimates amounts to a quarter of Omanis.

Wealthier partners in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council also promised - but not yet delivered - a $20 billion development fund to be split with Bahrain, where Saudi troops

intervened to crush anti-government demonstrations last year. An official in the Oman Employment Committee, part of the Ministry of Manpower, said the government created 50,000 jobs between May last year and April this year and was allocating $1 billion a year to create 40,000 additional jobs in the government sector.

But still sporadic protests have taken place since last year’s unrest, in which at least two people were killed as security forces sought to end sit-ins across the country. In the latest incident on Saturday, up to 200 young Omanis, many of them recent graduates, demonstrated in Sohar with placards demanding jobs, better living conditions and an end to corruption. The ministry official called the protests “isolated cases”. “The present protesters are job quitters who want to work only on unrealistic salaries, are lazy or just troublemakers,” the official told Reuters. “We are not worried by protests because they are isolated cases of job quitters who need to know to accept jobs at reasonable salaries.” — Reuters

Higgs-like boson found Continued from Page 1 associated with it, expressed delight. “I never expected this to happen in my lifetime and shall be asking my family to put some champagne in the fridge,” the 83year-old said in a statement. Higgs sat next to Belgian physicist Francois Englert, 79, who separately contributed to the theory. “I just want to say that my thoughts go to Robert Brout,” said Englert, his eyes moist with tears, as he lauded a fellow pioneer who died in 2011.

The Standar Model is a hugely successful theory but has several gaps, the biggest of which is why some particles have mass but others do not. Mooted by Higgs and several others, the boson is believed to exist in a treacly, invisible, ubiquitous field created by the Big Bang some 13.7 billion years ago. When some particles encounter the Higgs, they slow down and acquire mass, according to the theory. Others, such as particles of light, encounter no obstacle.

CERN uses a giant underground laboratory where protons are smashed together at nearly the speed of light, yielding sub-atomic debris that is then scrutinised for signs of the fleeting Higgs. The task is arduous because there are trillions of signals, occurring among particles at different ranges of mass. Over the years, tens of thousands of physicists and billions of dollars have been thrown into the search, gradually narrowing down the mass range where it might exist.

Two CERN laboratories, working independently of each other to avoid bias, found the new particle in the

mass region of around 125-126 Gigaelectronvolts (GeV), according to data they presented yesterday. Both said that the results were “five sigma,” meaning there was just a 0.00006 percent chance that what the two laboratories found is a mathematical quirk. “The results are preliminary but the five sigma signal at around 125 GeV we’re seeing is dramatic,” said Joe Incandela, spokesman for one of the two experiments. “This is indeed a new particle. We know it must be a boson and it’s the heaviest boson ever found. The implications are very significant and it is precisely for this reason that we must be extremely diligent in all of our studies and crosschecks.”

At a particle-physics conference in Melbourne, Australia, a participant said there was a “jaw-dropping” moment when the scientists reacted to the announcement. History was then feted with beer and champagne. Scientists began to pore over what the find could mean. “This is an important result and should earn Peter Higgs the Nobel Prize, but it is a pity in a way, because the great advances in physics have come from experiments that gave results we didn’t expect,” said cosmologist Stephen Hawking in an interview with the BBC. “For this reason I had a bet with Gordon Kane of Michigan University that the Higgs particle wouldn’t be found. It seems I have just lost $100.” CERN physicist Yves Sirois said that the result did seem to back the Standard Model but further surprises could be in store.

“It may be the Higgs boson, but it may also be something far bigger, which opens the door towards a new theory that goes beyond the Standard Model.” — AFP

Liberals call for legalizing parties, election...

Continued from Page 1 The two groups warmly welcomed the unprecedented verdict by the constitutional court about two weeks ago in which it nullified the February elections, scrapped the 2012 national Assembly and reinstated the 2009 Assembly which was dissolved by the Amir in December last year. I t said the ruling, which declared the two Amiri decrees as illegal, is a major gain for the Kuwaiti people and the Kuwaiti democratic system, describing it as a qualitative democratic development.

The two groups said that in order to strengthen, complete and develop the democratic experiment in a bid to achieve the desired civil society target, fundamental democratic reforms must be undertaken. The statement also called for ensuring the freedom of expression, of worship and the press and to criminalize hate speech that has succeeded in creating divisions in the society.

The statement by the two groups came a day after liberal MPs and activists organized a gathering that

appeared to counter that of the larger Islamist and conservative opposition which had controlled a majority in the annulled Assembly. Speakers at the gathering strongly lashed out at the alleged disputes within the Al-Sabah ruling family and indirectly blamed the opposition for spreading a culture of aggressive criticism and sowing tension in the society.

Reports that the government is planning to change the voting system in the forthcoming election has remained one of the top political issues in the country for several days with youth activist group Nahaj issuing a stern warning against any change. The group warned that any attempt to change the voting system in the absence of an elected Assembly amounts to “confiscating the will of the nation” and will drag the country into a crisis. It has been reported that the government was considering reducing the number of candidates that a voter can elect from the current four to two, which is seen as a measure targeting the opposition. An opposition member of the annulled Assembly Mohammad Al-Dallal said the change amounts to a breach of the constitution.

Diabetes: Dark side of Gulf’s economic boom Continued from Page 1 The problem is so widespread in Kuwait, said Abdulmuhsen Al-Shammari, an endocrinologist working at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital in the country, that “it is now normal for half a dinner party to be diabetic and for them to ask for each other’s medication after they eat”.

Genetic factors apparently contribute to the Gulf’s high incidence of diabetes, an incurable disease in which the body has difficulty absorbing sugars and which is closely associated with obesity, scientists say. It can lead to cardiovascular problems, blindness, strokes and kidney disease. “Research suggests that people (in the Gulf ) have a lower set-point at which their bodymass index levels trigger the onset of diabetes,” said Maha Taysir, endocrinologist at the Imperial College London Diabetes Clinic (ICLDC) in Abu Dhabi.

However, even expatriates living in the Gulf have a higher incidence of diabetes than they do in their home countries, Taysir said. This suggests lifestyles are a major reason for the region’s problem. Just two or three generations ago, many inhabitants of region made their living through strenuous work such as fishing, goat-herding and pearl-diving. The development of the Gulf’s oil riches changed lifestyles drastically, luring tens of thousands of people into comfortable jobs at lavishly funded state enterprises, or allowing them to live on ample unemployment benefits. Physically tough jobs in the GCC, such as construction and oil field operation, are almost entirely done by millions of foreign workers.

Gulf rulers responded to last year’s political unrest in the Middle East by increasing welfare benefits for their citizens to buy social peace, which some officials in the Gulf have conceded privately risks further reducing the pressure on people to work. “Exercise is the single most important factor for reducing diabetes ... but it takes a lot of work to get patients here to follow a lifestyle they really don’t want to,” Taysir said.

Some Gulf residents believe the first Gulf War against Saddam Hussein in 1990-1991 may have contributed indirectly to the spread of obesity by fostering a junk food culture. Fast food outlets blossomed in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other countries where thousands of US troops were stationed, and remained part of daily life after the troops withdrew. “The lifestyle, the luxury

we live in, the lack of activity and our fatty junk food culture are all contributing factors... Food is delivered, kids play sitting down at their computers... even physical education is a written exam,” said Fadli.

Even for the wealthy Gulf oil exporters, the financial costs of diabetes are unwelcome. Medical care is heavily subsidised, and the UAE spends $272 million on diabetes treatment annually. A study by Abu Dhabi health authority estimated the overall social costs of the disease at about $1.9 billion. “Now people are getting in to the later stage of the disease where it really begins to cost money, which is why governments are now pushing for prevention and early intervention,” said Andrew Miles, Gulf regional director at global medical products and services supplier MSD. Beyond the immediate financial costs, diabetes may threaten Gulf countries’ long-term plans for development. Aware that their dependence on oil leaves them vulnerable to global markets, the countries are trying to diversify their economies and bring more of their people into the workforce. “How can you develop your economy if one-fifth of your people are sick?” Miles said.

Governments are reacting to the problem by launching public awareness campaigns to encourage healthy diets, exercise and early medical testing. Since 2007, the ICLDC has worked on a national campaign in the UAE which includes a series of public talks, free blood tests, an annual walkathon and arranging sports activities in workplaces.

In Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, MSD has worked with authorities to introduce a training programme for nurses on counselling diabetics, a diabetic cookbook, and a Ramadan iPhone application to advise diabetics who fast during the holy month. But it may take many years to change the culture which is fostering diabetes, experts acknowledge. “You need greater coordination between the different government ministries so that the road traffic authority is thinking about pavements to facilitate walking at the same time as the health authorities are thinking about encouraging activity to decrease obesity and diabetes,” said Miles.

“There is more awareness of the need to coordinate between the various ministries and planners, but this will undoubtedly take some time to come into effect...

In the meantime, we need as much exposure and awareness of this disease as possible.” — Reuters

Arafat autopsy eyed after poison report Continued from Page 1 substance found to have killed a former Russian spy in London in 2006.

But it said symptoms described in the president’s medical reports were not consistent with the radioactive agent. “I want the world to know the truth about the assassination of Yasser Arafat,” Suha Arafat, 48, told Al Jazeera, without making any direct accusations, but noting that both Israel and the United States saw him as an obstacle to peace. Allegations of foul play - and of Palestinian involvement in it - have long marked factional fighting among Palestinians. The latest revelation coincides with renewed tensions within Arafat’s Fatah movement, now headed by his successor President Mahmoud Abbas, and between Fatah and Hamas, the Islamist movement which controls the Gaza Strip.

Abbas’ administration said it would approve Suha Arafat’s request to bring her husband’s remains out for autopsy from a limestone mausoleum built next to his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, without giving a date for such a move. “The Authority, as it always has been, is ready to completely cooperate with and clear the way for an investigation into the true causes leading to the martyrdom of the late president,” said Nabil Abu Rdeineh, spokesman for Abbas. Saeb Erekat, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), told Reuters the exhumation could take place as soon as “religious and family procedures” were complete. “If you ask me, it’s a matter of a days, not more than a few days,” he said. “Then we will be in

contact with the Swiss team or any other team that could come and exhume the body.”

Confined by Israel to his West Bank headquarters in Ramallah for three years after a Palestinian uprising erupted, an ailing Arafat collapsed in Oct 2004.

Foreign doctors flocked to his bedside from Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan amid public assurances from Arafat’s aides over the next two weeks that he was suffering from no more than the flu. But looking weak and thin - and telling aides “God willing, I will be back” - he was airlifted to a military hospital in France, where he slipped into a coma and died on Nov 11, 2004.

At the time, rumours flew that he had died from anything from stomach cancer to poisoning to AIDS. French doctors who treated Arafat in his final days said they could not establish the cause of death.

French officials, citing privacy laws, refused to give details of the nature of his illness. Israel denied involvement in Arafat’s death and the head of its Shin Bet intelligence service at the time, Avi Dichter, said yesterday it was for Palestinians to investigate: “The body is in their hands. It is in Ramallah, and really, all the keys are in their hands,” he told Israel’s Army Radio.

Polonium, apparently ingested with food, was found to have caused the slow death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. At high doses, polonium-210 causes damage to organs and tissues. Britain tried and failed to extradite from Russia a suspect who was a former Kremlin security officer. Israeli Army Radio said introducing

polonium into food was the only way to kill someone with the poison and asked Dichter, whose agency had overall responsibility for monitoring the Palestinians, whether it would have been possible with Arafat. “You’re asking me as his cook?” he answered, laughing. He continued: “No, we were focused on more serious things. Arafat’s food did not interest us. I think it interested those around him, in order, really, to keep his health up, as he was indeed known to be unwell. But the Shin Bet, or the State of Israel, were not involved in Yasser Arafat’s food.”

Pressed on the poisoning scenario, Dichter said: “Yasser Arafat had many enemies, domestically, abroad. But let them investigate ... The Palestinians know well how to investigate what goes on in their house. Let them investigate and find out.” A Hamas official, Salah Al-Bardaweel, called for an investigation, suggesting Palestinians might have helped Israel kill him, calling them “sinful hands that cooperated or facilitated the occupier’s mission to get these poisonous materials into the body of President Arafat”.

Commenting on the Al Jazeera report, Paddy Regan, professor of nuclear physics at Britain’s University of Surrey, said “there is not enough information in the public domain to be clear about whether polonium-210 was, or indeed could have been, the cause of death”. Regan said there could be several other explanations, such as naturally occurring radioactivity, for the high readings on Arafat’s clothing.

He said all such “natural sources” must be ruled out before concluding polonium210 was “a murder weapon”. — Reuters

14

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

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Issues

Shard: Divisive new star of the London skyline

By Nathalie Auriol welve years after it was first sketched out, London’s Shard tower will be inaugurated on Thursday to great fanfare - but Europe’s tallest skyscraper has won as many critics as it has admirers. The inauguration of the jagged-tipped tower, which at 310 m dwarfs nearby landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament, has been carefully timed. Branded “an icon for London” by its developers, the Shard will be completed just ahead of the Olympic Games, which open on July 27 and will see around two million visitors pour into the British capital.

With its striking silhouette, 95 floors and a viewing deck offering 360-degree panoramas, developer Sellar Property hopes the Shard can become a major tourist attraction. “It will become as essential a part of a visit to London as going to the top of the Empire State Building is for visitors to New York,” said Irvine Sellar, the company’s chairman. The inauguration will be as bold as the skyscraper’s shape, with a spectacular night-time laser show lighting up the city’s major landmarks to live music from the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Designed by Renzo Piano, the Italian architect behind the colourful Pompidou Centre in Paris, the glass tower sits south of the River Thames at the heart of a wider regeneration project in the London Bridge district. The idea, Piano told AFP on a tour of the construction site in February, was to build a “vertical city” with capacity for 12,000 people, featuring a five-star hotel, luxury restaurants, 600,000 sq m of office space, and shops.

There will also be ten flats with stunning views on floors 53 to 65 - the highest residential properties in Britain. But any would-be resident will need a hefty bank account as well as a strong head for heights, because the apartments will reportedly cost up to £50 million each ($78 million).

“The Shard is the perfect metaphor for modern London,” one commentator observed recently in the Guardian newspaper. “Expensive, off-limits and owned by foreign investors -the Shard extends the ways in which London is becoming more unequal.” The £450 million ($705.4 million) project teetered on the brink of cancellation in 2007, when developers struggled to find investors as the credit crunch set in. Qatar came to the rescue - funding 95 percent of the construction, and adding the Shard to a bulging portfolio of London properties that includes the Olympic Village and the famous Harrods department store.

The tiny Gulf state’s Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani will attend the inauguration on Thursday, alongside Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, Prince Andrew. Construction of the Shard began in 2009. Since then, it has shot up to overtake the 302-m Capital City Moscow Tower as the tallest in Europe. It joins several imposing skyscrapers on the city’s horizon, including the Gherkin and the Heron Tower in the City of London financial district.

The Shard has won critical acclaim for Piano, but its huge, futuristic form has angered traditionalists. English Heritage, the body responsible for protecting historic sites, says the skyscraper taints a view of St Paul’s, while UNESCO says it compromises the “visual integrity” of the Tower of London, one of its World Heritage sites. Piano has shrugged off the criticism, pointing out that St Paul’s, the original giant of the London skyline, was considered modern when it was built 300 years ago. “When you’re making a building like this, that’s so important for the city, you have to be absolutely sure that it’s the right thing to do,” said Piano. “As an architect, if you make a mistake it stays there for a long time.” —AFP

T

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West Bank high life masks economic crisis

By Noah Browning ast the Israeli sentry towers blackened by firebombs and the entrance to a refugee camp emblazoned with posters of rifle-clenching militants, downtown Ramallah sparkles. The scars of an intractable conflict and occupation melt away: cafes bustle with smartly dressed patrons, water-pipe smoke perfumes the air and basslines from trendy clubs shake the night. New model BMWs ply leafy avenues beneath villas and tall apartment blocks sprout from the West Bank hills. But it’s more mirage than miracle. “Thank God for loans,” said Ibrahim El-Far, owner of the newly-opened branch of the upscale Italian cafe chain Segafredo Zanetti in Ramallah, the Palestinians’ commercial capital and headquarters of their government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Growth in the West Bank is concentrated in Ramallah and in real estate and services even as many sectors like agriculture and construction languish. Government spending and living on credit at all levels of Palestinian society is rampant and, as the euro zone crisis has shown, may prove to be the economy’s undoing. Bank lending for personal consumption in the Palestinian territories has risen five-fold in the last two years to $417 million. Total credit for cars alone accounts for a further $119 million, according to the Palestinian Monetary Authority. “If you’re immersed in troubles, why not try to live well, have night life and good coffee? If we’ve been slapped once by occupation, the slap from the credit bill won’t hurt as much,” El-Far said.

Aid for the donor-dependent Palestinian Authority (PA), which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank under interim peace deals with Israel, has slowed to a trickle. Salaries for a swollen public sector again cannot be paid in full this

P

month. The productive base for the economy is shrivelling while unemployment climbs along with poverty. An economic crisis has deepened - growth is down from a peak of 9 percent in 2010 after the lows of the Intifada to 5.4 percent in the first quarter of 2012 from the same 2011 period. The Palestinian Authority accounts for almost a third of the $3.5 billion in credit given by banks in the Palestinian territories but, with donor aid flagging and revenues down, it is not clear how much longer that can last. A Palestinian request for a $1 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund was turned down, officials said this week. And foreign aid is waning partly because of global economic conditions and partly in a backlash to the Palestinians’ abortive bid for statehood at the United Nations last fall. Israeli-Palestinian violence has dropped off dramatically since the end of a 2000-2005 Palestinian uprising. But peace and coveted statehood remain elusive. Negotiations with Israel have been frozen since 2010 amidst bitter misgivings among Palestinians over Jewish settlement building in the West Bank.

The appeal of property becomes clear by looking out the windows of the stately 10th-floor office of Kareem Abdul Hadi, a manager in Palestine Development and Investment Inc, or PADICO, the biggest privately-owned enterprise in the Palestinian territories and a holding company for everything from swish eateries and luxury hotels to real estate and construction.

Cement high-rises surge from the ground in the middle of verdant patches of nothing - “bald spots”, Abdul Hadi dubs them rendered largely out of bounds to Palestinian administration and construction as per the 1994 Oslo agreements setting out different zones of control in the West Bank.

The wall built by Israel winds across the landscape - part of a barrier Israel says

ensures its security against suicide bombers but the international court of justice says is illegal and Palestinians decry as a land grab. While Israel’s controls hamstring commerce, they are a boon to the property market. “Land in Palestine is one of the only safe investments, both because the Oslo agreements made it more scarce and because it has historically never gone down in value,” Abdul Hadi said. “The same doesn’t apply for real estate, and while value hasn’t dropped, some housing projects are sitting empty, and people haven’t bought them up yet.”

Abdul Hadi’s firm is investing in a members-only executive club and spa with views of the sweeping Mediterranean littoral below, and importing a luxury restaurant from Jordan, but prospects for undertakings that would create a substantial number of jobs and spur growth have dimmed. Sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and construction actually contracted in the first quarter of this year, according to preliminary figures from the World Bank.

“The problem is an unfriendly investment environment, caused by the Israeli occupation’s wall and restricted access. It makes investors unsure about putting money into Palestine,” said Mohammed Shtayyeh, a minister in charge of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction.

Around two-thirds of the West Bank is policed and administered exclusively by Israel, and the Palestinian-run cantons float precariously in an interstice of Israeli settlements, military bases and roads. But Shtayyeh admits his government also deserves blame. “The PA is not the owner of the means of production, but it should have encouraged more interest by the private sector and foreign direct investment in developing the productive base here,” he said.

Beyond occupied land and limited

water, even the air waves in the West Bank offer no safe outlet for economic growth.

Israeli authorities deny the Palestinian Authority and therefore Palestinian mobile phone providers access to the high-tech 3G frequency, while granting it even to Jewish settlements. Sam Bahour, a telecoms entrepreneur-turned-business consultant, said any potential for a high-tech industry had been stymied by that move. “Israel is in total control of the assets that could make for a real economy, and we’ve been left to manage the crumbs,” he said. “It’s a donordriven economy and will remain one until the occupation ends.”

International organisations and the public sector concentrate in Ramallah, where 75,000 people live, pulling jobs and wealth from the rest of the West Bank into its orbit and leaving other towns and cities in its shadow. Poverty and joblessness have increased in the West Bank in 2012, both hovering at around a fifth of the population of 2.6 million. “The government focuses on growth regardless of how it is achieved so that it will get some compliments abroad,” Nasser Abdul Kareem, an economic analyst, told Reuters.

“Unfortunately, too much of it depends on government spending, which is neutral, and doesn’t distribute wealth among people and geography,” he said.

As division festers between the Gaza Strip, which is run by Hamas Islamists, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ dominant Fatah party in the West Bank, wealth disparities and the preoccupation with making ends meet are breeding alienation among a people already in no short supply of it. “Indebtedness and financial problems are taking a toll on society, and making people ‘Americanised’ in a way,” noted Bahour, the consultant. “The focus on the individual and his ownership is increasing, and the sense of community and the collective fades.” — Reuters

Pufferfish a hit in Japan, despite the risks

By Shingo Ito

very year in Japan people are hospitalised after eating pufferfish; sometimes the result is fatal. But despite apparent dangers, strict rules on serving the toxic delicacy in Tokyo are to be relaxed.

Aficionados say the tingle that the meat of the pufferfish leaves on your lips - caused by the potent neurotoxin it contains - is part of the appeal. Never mind that the numbness tetrodotoxin creates can progress to paralysis and breathing problems. Or that, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, consumption can prove fatal within four to six hours and “the victim, although completely paralysed, may be conscious and in some cases completely lucid until shortly before death”.

Diners at Shigekazu Suzuki’s restaurant, however, can be sure they are in no danger when they select their pufferfish - an ugly and, to the untutored eye, rather unappetising looking creature - from a tank near the kitchen. Suzuki is one of an exclusive coterie of Tokyo chefs who have undergone special training and licensing that allows them to serve the potentially fatal fish, known as fugu in Japan.

“It’s not easy for non-licensed people to clean fugu,” Suzuki said at his branch of the “Torafugu-tei” chain in upmarket Ginza, as he stripped the toxic internal organs from the freshly killed fish with his razor-sharp knife. “I have not eaten these bits because I’m scared,” he said, gripping the light yellow ovary -one of the most poisonous parts of the fish - and throwing it into a locked metal pot.

According to Suzuki, it takes about five years to pass the fugu licence exam, which includes paper and practical tests on how to distinguish poisonous parts from others. Stringent regulations are often credited with the low level of fatalities, but reports of fishermen dying after eating their own inexpertly-prepared catch continue to surface. And thrill-seeking diners sometimes ask

E

to be served the banned internal organs. Occasionally, a chef will oblige. In December, the Tokyo government revoked the licence for a chef at a Michelin two-star restaurant after he had served the fish’s liver to a diner who asked for it. She recovered after a few days in hospital. “Some people really want to try the dangerous parts because they think it might be really good,” said

Japanese chef Shigekazu Suzuki cuts and trims a pufferfish, known as fugu in Japan, to remove toxic internal organs at his restaurant “Torafugu-tei” in Tokyo on June 5, 2012.— AFP

Mahiro Shin, a 33-year-old customer at Torafugu-tei.

“And sometimes some people get sick, but most people like us don’t take such risks,” he said.

A set meal of fugu hot pot at Torafugu-tei costs roughly 5,000 yen ($63), but prices in some of the more exclusive restaurants in notoriously pricey Tokyo can rise to tens of thousands of yen. But, said diner Yohei Watanabe, the premium the seasonal delicacy attracts is easily justified. “It is a bit more expensive than regular fish but it’s definitely worth it,” he said.

According to Japan’s health and welfare ministry, 17 people fell ill after eating fugu last year. One of them died. Under the present system, restaurants in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, home to some 13 million people, can only serve fugu if they have a specially-trained chef working on site. But in a move that surprised some observers, the authorities in the capital earlier this year announced plans to relax the rules. From October eateries will be allowed to buy in ready-prepared fugu - packaged or frozen, for example - provided it came from a licensed chef. Unprepared fugu will continue to be banned from menus at restaurants without licensed personnel.

The rule change is more of a technicality to catch up with current practice, the authorities argue. Tokyo consumers have long bought fugu meat from other areas of the country via the Internet, most notably from the southern Kyushu region known for its food. “We have concluded that the revision of the regulation won’t lead to any chances of triggering fugu poisoning,” a Tokyo Metropolitan government official said.

Chef Suzuki said he was not worried about competition when the new rules come into force. “Due to the deregulation, more restaurants can serve fugu so that more customers can enjoy it and then will be properly aware of the culture of eating fugu,” the 44-year-old told AFP. “We licensed chefs will continue taking care of it properly,” he said. — AFP

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

sp orts Carter back for Chiefs

Nadal skips charity game MADRID: Rafa Nadal has pulled out of a charity tennis match at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium in order to recover from a knee problem in time for the Olympic Games, the world number two said yesterday. Nadal was stunned by Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round of Wimbledon last week, and was due to play an exhibition game against world number one Djokovic at Real’s ground on July 14. “I wish to apologise to all, especially the supporters who had already purchased tickets for this good cause,” said Nadal, who won gold at the Beijing Olympics, in a statement on the Real Madrid website. “Doctors have been examining my knee and say I suffer from tendonitis on the patellar ligament and that I must rest for 15 days, which prevents me from playing against Novak Djokovic as planned and announced. —Reuters

HAMILTON: All Blacks Dan Carter, Kieran Reed and Israel Dagg have all been recalled to the Canterbury Crusaders team for this week’s Super Rugby showdown with the Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton. The seven-times champions lost to the Wellington Hurricanes last week and defeat to the championship-leading Chiefs in their penultimate match on Friday would almost certainly leave them without a place in the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Carter was recalled at flyhalf after recovering from a hamstring injury to take back the kicking duties after replacement back Tyler Bleyendaal missed what would have been a matchwinning penalty from halfway last

MLB results/standings Milwaukee 13, Miami 12 (10 innings); Washington 9, San Francisco 3; Cleveland 9, LA Angels 5; Minnesota 8, Detroit 6; Pittsburgh 8, Houston 7; Toronto 6, Kansas City 3; Tampa Bay 7, NY Yankees 4; Atlanta 10, Chicago Cubs 3; NY Mets 11, Philadelphia 1; Chicago White Sox 19, Texas 2; Colorado 3, St Louis 2; San Diego 9, Arizona 5; Oakland 3, Boston 2; Baltimore 5, Seattle 4; LA Dodgers 3, Cincinnati 1.

American League Eastern Division NY Yankees Baltimore Tampa Bay Boston Toronto Chicago W Sox Cleveland Detroit Kansas City Minnesota Texas LA Angels Oakland Seattle

W L PCT 48 32 .600 43 37 .538 43 38 .531 42 39 .519 41 40 .506 Central Division 43 37 .538 41 39 .513 39 42 .481 36 43 .456 35 45 .438 Western Division 50 31 .617 45 36 .556 40 42 .488 35 48 .422

GB 5 5.5 6.5 7.5 2 4.5 6.5 8 5 10.5 16

Washington NY Mets Atlanta Miami Philadelphia Cincinnati Pittsburgh St Louis Milwaukee Houston Chicago Cubs San Francisco LA Dodgers Arizona San Diego Colorado

National League Eastern Division 46 32 .590 44 37 .543 42 38 .525 38 42 .475 36 46 .439 Central Division 44 36 .550 44 36 .550 42 39 .519 38 42 .475 32 49 .395 30 50 .375 Western Division 45 36 .556 45 37 .549 39 41 .488 32 50 .390 31 49 .388

3.5 5 9 12 2.5 6 12.5 14 .5 5.5 13.5 13.5

Brewers power past Marlins MILWAUKEE: Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run homer off Heath Bell in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Milwaukee Brewers to a 13-12 win over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.

Livan Hernandez (2-1) pitched the 10th and picked up the win. He struck out John Buck, got Scott Cousins to fly out to center, but Jose Reyes connected on a 3-1 pitch and homered into the second tier above the Marlins bullpen in right. Donovan Solano struck out to end the inning. Bell (2-4) came on in the bottom of the 10th. Carlos Gomez walked. Norichika Aoki sent a 3-2 pitch to the warning track in center, but Cousins caught it.

Ryan Braun, who hit a three-run homer in the sixth, struck out and on the play Carlos Gomez stole second. Ramirez hit a 0-1 pitch off the wall in center.His offense lifted the Brewers, who had blown a seven-run lead.

Pirates 8, Astros 7 At Pittsburgh, Drew Sutton hit a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth as Pittsburgh improved to eight games over .500 for the first time in 20 years with a win over Houston.

Acquired via waivers last week, Sutton homered for the first time since Oct. 3, 2010, lifting the Pirates to their sixth walkoff win of the season, the second via a home run.

The Pirates rallied from deficits of 4-0 and 62 to take a 7-6 lead on a Garrett Jones two-run homer in the seventh. But with Houston down to its last strike in the ninth, pinch-hitter Jason Castro drove in Jed Lowrie with a double.

Andrew McCutchen continued his recent torrid pace by going 3 for 4 with a home run, taking over the National League batting lead at .360.

Mets 11, Phillies 1 At New York, Jonathon Niese had a two-run single to back his fine performance on the mound Tuesday as David Wright hit a three-run homer to break open New York’s romp over Philadelphia. Niese (7-3) pitched a season-high eight innings and gave up three hits, one a homer to Carlos Ruiz. His hit in the second inning put New York up for good.

Daniel Murphy finished a homer short of the cycle, doubled twice, drove in four runs and made a leaping catch and diving stop at second base.

Nationals 9, Giants 3 At Washington, All-Star shortstop Ian Desmond hit his 14th home run, as Washington became the latest team to beat up on Tim Lincecum, pounding the struggling right-hander hard early and often.

The opener of the three-game series between first-place teams was barely a contest.

Jordan Zimmermann (5-6) pitched a rain-short-

ened six innings and again enjoyed the generous run support that had evaded him for so long, ensuring the Nationals would wake up on the Fourth of July with a 3 1/2-game cushion over the New York Mets atop the NL East.

Braves 10, Cubs 3 At Atlanta, newly chosen All-Star Chipper Jones delivered his first five hit game in a decade, driving in four runs to lead Atlanta over Chicago. Jones was added to the NL All-Star roster before the game. The 40-year-old third baseman replaced injured Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. Jones, who plans to retire after this season, went 5 for 5 for his third career five-hit performance and first since Aug. 11, 2002.

Rockies 3, Cardinals 2 At St. Louis, Jeff Francis worked five solid innings before the Colorado bullpen took over and Tyler Colvin hit a three-run homer in a win over St. Louis.

Matt Holliday hit his 14th homer for the Cardinals. Carlos Beltran was 0 for 3 with a walk to end a nine-game RBI streak in which he drove in 15 runs.

Matt Belisle retired four in a row to end the eighth, the biggest out coming on Holliday’s groundout with two runners on.

Padres 9, D’backs 5 At Phoenix, Chase Headley doubled in three runs as San Diego roughed up Arizona rookie Trevor Bauer in his home debut, winning its fourth straight and sending the Diamondbacks to their fourth loss in a row. Padres starter Andrew Cashner left the game after two innings with a strained muscle in his right side.

Leading 2-0 at the time, the Padres scored five in the fourth to break the game open.

Ross Ohlendorf (2-0) went 2 1-3 innings to get the victory. Arizona’s Jason Kubel hit his eighth career grand slam. Yonder Alonso hit a two-run homer for San Diego.

Reds 3, Dodgers 1 At Los Angeles, Luis Cruz doubled home the go-ahead run in his second game with Los Angeles and stole home on the next pitch, leading the Dodgers to a victory over Johnny Cueto and Cincinnati.

It was 1-1l in the seventh inning when James Loney singled with one out. Cruz followed with a drive to the gap in left-center and Loney barely getting his foot on the plate after catcher Ryan Hanigan stuck out his left leg to block him.

Cruz continued to third on the relay from shortstop Zack Cozart, then broke for home as Tony Gwynn Jr. tried to put down a suicidesqueeze bunt. Cueto’s pitch sailed off the tip of Hanigan’s glove and to the backstop.—AP

MILWAUKEE: Rickie Weeks No. 23 of the Milwaukee Brewers tries to turn the double play at second base as Jose Reyes No. 7 of the Miami Marlins slides into the base during the game at Miller Park.—AFP

Saturday. Number eight Reed, who has been in storming form for the Crusaders and New Zealand this year, has been cleared to play after a concussion, allowing Richie McCaw to return to his favoured position on the openside flank. Dagg missed last week’s match with an ankle injury but will bring his attacking flair back to the team at fullback for the match against the Chiefs, who would wrap up the New Zealand conference title with victory this weekend.“We really missed that experience last weekend,” Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder told local media. “When you look at the way they had been performing before injury, they were absolutely on fire. It’s great to have them back.”—Reuters

Dallas Stars sign Jagr TORONTO: The Dallas Stars signed Jaromir Jagr to a one-year, $4.55 million contract, hoping the prolific scorer can boost a struggling team that has not made the playoffs since 2008, the National Hockey League (NHL) team said on Tuesday.

Jagr, a five-time NHL scoring champion who returned to the NHL in 2011 after three seasons in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, was third on the Philadelphia Flyers with 54 points in 73 games last season. “Jaromir Jagr is, without a doubt, one of the best players in the history of this league, and he demonstrated last season that he remains incredibly skilled, productive and valuable,” Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk said in a statement.

“We see him fitting into our top two lines and contributing heavily to our offensive attack. We’re very excited about adding a player of Jaromir’s caliber to our club.”—Reuters

Rays dominate Yankees ST. PETERSBURG: Sean Rodriguez hit a go-ahead two-run homer, helping the Tampa Bay Rays continue their home dominance over the New York Yankees in a 7-4 victory over the American League East leaders on Tuesday.

Rodriguez, mired in a 17 for 100 slump dating back to May 21, finished with 3 for 4. After blowing a three -run lead, New York went ahead 4-3 on Eric Chavez’s RBI single during the fourth. Tampa Bay responded in the bottom half and grabbed a 5-4 lead on Rodriguez’s first homer since May 27 off Ivan Nova (9-3).

James Shields (8-5) gave up four runs and 10 hits over seven innings for the Rays, who have won nine straight at Tropicana Field over the Yankees.

Blue Jays 6, Royals 3 At Toronto, Adam Lind hit a three-run homer and Brett Cecil won for the first time in three starts as Toronto beat Kansas City. Lind’s sixth homer was the big blow in Toronto’s six-run fourth inning.

The win put the Blue Jays over .500 at 41-40 at the midpoint of the season. The Royals lost for the fourth time in five games since matching their season high with a four-game winning streak.

Cecil (2-1) allowed three runs and five hits in six-plus innings to win for the first time since June 17 against Philadelphia, his first start after being promoted from minor league Triple-A Las Vegas. The lefthander walked one and struck out three.

Indians 9, Angels 5 At Cleveland, rookie Zach McAllister lasted six innings, overcoming a throwing error and two home runs in the fifth, while Shelley Duncan homered in Cleveland’s win over the Los Angeles Angels.

McAllister (3-1) allowed three earned runs and eight hits, and he and the Indians recovered after blowing a four-run lead.

Duncan homered in the fourth off an ineffective Dan Haren (6-8).

Jose Lopez had three hits and Michael Brantley two RBIs for Cleveland.

Rookie Mike Trout hit a threerun homer and Albert Pujols had a solo shot but also made a crucial error in the fifth for the Angels, who lost for just the fourth time in 13 games.

White Sox 19, Rangers 2 At Chicago, Kevin Youkilis, Adam Dunn and Alex Rios homered in the first inning off Roy Oswalt, and All-

A.J. Pierzynski, not chosen for the AL All-Star team managed by Texas’ skipper Ron Washington, hit a three -run homer off reliever Yoshinori Tateyama- his 15th of the season - to cap a nine-run fifth inning and make it 16-0. Seven of the runs in the inning were unearned, thanks to an error on Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler.

Twins 8, Tigers 6 At Detroit, Josh Willingham and Trevor Plouffe hit homers in a fiverun third and Ryan Doumit had a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, lifting Minnesota over Detroit.

Joe Mauer had three hits, includ-

TORONTO: Casey Janssen No. 44 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch during MLB game action against the Kansas City Royals.—AFP Star Chris Sale won his 10th game as Chicago routed Texas.

Playing in his first home game with the White Sox since his trade from Boston on June 24, Youkilis had three hits and drove in four runs in a meeting of division leaders that saw Chicago score its most runs this season.

ing a solo homer to lead off the ninth that gave the Twins a two-run lead and helped earn a seasonhigh, five-game winning streak.

Jeff Gray (5-0) gave up only one hit in two innings after starter Nick Blackburn gave up six runs and eight hits over four innings. Kyle Waldrop and Tyler Robertson each

pitched another innings of scoreless relief and Glen Perkins pitched the ninth inning for his fourth save in six chances.

Athletics 3, Red Sox 2 At Oakland, California, Coco Crisp hit a game-ending sacrifice fly to go with his leadoff homer in the first innings as Oakland rallied to beat Boston.

The A’s got singles from Chris Carter and Brandon Hicks before pinch-hitter Brandon Moss’ tying single against Alfredo Aceves (0-6).

Then Crisp delivered his third career walkoff RBI and Oakland’s first game-ending sacrifice fly since Dan Johnson had one May 15, 2007, against Kansas City.

Jerry Blevins (2-0) worked 1 2-3 innings for the victory. The Red Sox squandered a scoring chance in the top of the ninth with two base running blunders, including Ryan Kalish’s caught stealing trying for third.

Orioles 5, Mariners 4 At Seattle, Robert Andino homered in the ninth inning off Seattle reliever Charlie Furbush to give Baltimore a win after starter Chen Wei-yin flirted with a perfect game for more than six innings.

Andino’s home run was his first since May 7 and fourth this season.

It ended Furbush’s (4-2) streak of 22 2-3 scoreless innings, the third longest by a reliever in Mariners history.

Jim Johnson pitched a perfect ninth for his 24th save. Darren O’Day (50) pitched just one-third of an inning, but picked up the win.

Baltimore reliever Pedro Strop struggled in the eighth when the Mariners scored three runs and tied the game.

Michael Saunders’ double ended Chen’s night. Strop faced Justin Smoak, who was 2-for-2 with a walk in his careeragainst Strop.—AP

At last, Pirates eyeing special season NEW YORK: With apologies to Bryce Harper and the first-place Washington Nationals — not to mention the individual brilliance of everyone from Josh Hamilton to Matt Cain — the Pittsburgh Pirates are the best story in baseball over the first half of the season. Yes, the Pirates. Sure, there are some non-believers, even in the Steel City. But this is a different Pittsburgh team.

Take Tuesday night, when the Pirates were one pitch from victory and blew it, just like they have so many times over the last two decades. Then in the bottom of the ninth, a baseball vagabond named Drew Sutton launched a massive drive over the centerfield wall, the first walk-off homer of his career.

Pittsburgh is tied for first in the NL Central and eight games above .500 for the first time since 1992, which is about the last time anyone paid much attention to this team.

Actually, the Pirates are a National League franchise with quite a proud history, not that anyone who has checked in on them during the last generation or so would know that they were anything more than a Triple-A team in disguise.

You see, Pittsburgh has managed to put up an astonishing 19 losing seasons in a row, the longest streak for any professional franchise in any of the four major Nor th American sports. Nineteen!

Pittsburgh became a baseball wasteland as soon as Sid Bream - a former Pirates first baseman, no less — slid across the plate to give the Atlanta Braves an improbable victory in the ‘92 NL championship series. Barry Bonds left town shortly afterward, and the Pirates were done.

Now, just by pure chance, a big league club should stumble into a winning season every decade or so, even if they aren’t really trying that hard. Heck, the Pirates could’ve broken their streak of total incompetence merely by winning as many as they lost one season. A .500 record isn’t a losing record, but even that rather modest task has eluded these guys.

This year is looking a whole lot different.

They’re cooking up something special in Pittsburgh, and for the first time in a long time we’re not just talking about the NFL Steelers or the NHL Penguins, both of whom have won championships during the Pirates’

long, bumbling run. “We’re playing for a lot more here,” manager Clint Hurdle was saying the other night. “We’re playing for a city, the goal being to re-bond the city with its ballclub.” Not surprisingly, a city that has been burned so many times isn’t rushing out to the ballpark in huge numbers. The Pirates rank next-to-last in the NL with an average turnout of less than 25,000 per night, but the fans are slowly coming around to the idea that this will be the year, finally, that they have more wins in the column than losses.

They might go even further than that.

Sutton’s homer gave the Pirates a wild 8-7 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night, a gutsy performance that set off a justifiably raucous celebration at PNC Park, complete with a Gatorade bath and a shaving cream pie to the face for the hero. But this was about far more than the final swing.

Pittsburgh trailed by four runs twice but rallied behind the play of Andrew McCutchen - rapidly establishing himself as the best all-around player in the game and an MVP candidate. But closer Joel Hanrahan couldn’t hold it in the ninth, one of his rare stumbles this season.

The Pirates, circa 1993-2011, might’ve folded right there. But, no, this team was just setting itself up for a truly memorable finish.

Sutton sent one soaring out of the deepest part of the park, throwing up his arms like a giddy Little Leaguer as he rounded first base.

A mob awaited him when he got to home plate, pummeling a player who has had very few experiences like this in his up-but-mostly-down career.

Sutton only turned 29 a few days ago, but he’s already bounced around to seven organizations. This year alone, he’s been with three teams - four, if you consider that the Pirates purchased him from Atlanta in May, sold him to Tampa Bay the ver y next day, then claimed him back from the Rays off waivers last week.

“Baseball is a roller-coaster, man,” Sutton said. “This reminds you why we do the grind we do as players, for little moments like this where it all melts away.”

Of course, the Pirates aren’t counting on a journeyman like Sutton to carry the load.

That role falls to the 25-year-old McCutchen, who doesn’t get as much attention as the Hamiltons and Harpers of the world but is

every bit the ballplayer they are - and then some. He’s leading the NL with a .360 average, ranks among the top 10 in homers (16) and RBIs (54), and is pacing his team with 14 stolen bases.

He is an MVP in the making if the Pirates can stay in the playoff race. “I played against him a little bit, but you don’t get an appreciation of how consistent he is until you see him on everyday basis,” Sutton said. “I totally underestimated him as player: his speed, his ability to hit in big situations, the amount of ground he covers in center field. It all makes a great player. He’s definitely a guy who’s carried this team the last month or two.”

McCutchen aside, the Pirates don’t exactly have a murderer’s row of a lineup, but their pitching looks strong enough to keep them in the race for the long haul.

There’s a bunch of hard throwers in the bullpen, with Hanrahan emerging as a normally reliable closer (20 saves), with Jason Grilli and Juan Cruz working the setup roles.

All three have ERAs in the 2s and are averaging more than one strikeout per inning. The starting rotation was bolstered by the salarydump acquisition of A.J. Burnett (9-2) and the emergence of James McDonald (8-3), who ranks sixth in the NL with a 2.45 ERA. “A group of men committed to one goal, (when) nobody cares who gets the credit, can do some pretty exciting things,” Hurdle said. “So far, three-and-a-half months into the season, that’s kind of the direction we’re headed right now.But we know how hard it is as well.”

Indeed, let’s remember the Pirates were leading their division a year ago in late July.

They still managed to drop 90 games, extending their streak of losing seasons with plenty of room to spare.

But, as the Parrot mascot planted himself on home plate after Sutton’s homer, waving a flag with that familiar and increasingly fearsome buccaneer logo, this didn’t look like the same ol’ Pirates.

“Right now, the way we’re playing, it’s nice. We’re earning our way,” Hurdle said.

“This city’s hungry for a winner. These guys are hungry to win. But we’ve got a whole bunch of National League teams in front of us trying to keep us from that. And that’s the challenge we’re looking forward to embracing the rest of the way.”—AP

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

sp orts

Engineers see Olympic future of spray-on suits LONDON: Sweaty sports changing rooms ripe with the stench of much-used trainers may soon become a relic of the past.

If sports engineers have their way, future Olympic athletes will use “spray chambers” to don sports gear that comes out of an aerosol can and 3D-printers to create personalised running shoes just moments before they compete.

As a new wave of a sports engineering comes out of the lab and into elite competitive games, experts say every sport - from swimming to skiing to the shot put - will benefit from scientific advances in materials, coaching techniques and tools that will continue to shave milliseconds off record times.

In a report on the future of sports engineering, scientists said they are keen to avoid accusations of “technology doping”.

They urged sports regulators and governing bodies to engage with scientists earlier to ensure technological advances push the boundaries as far as they can while staying within the rules.

“In sports engineering, the place we start is with the rules. And the rules of what is allowed are often quite strict, but the rules of what is possible are defined by Newton et al - they are the laws of physics,” said Steve Haake of Britain’s Sheffield Hallam University, who is regarded as one of the world’s leading sports engineers.

“We do a lot of horizon gazing. We will look for anything that might allow us to get some kind of advantage. We look at all the things that can be done, and then we see what would fit within the rules.” The report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, entitled “Sports Engineering: A unfair Advantage?”, said future advances could include

prosthetic limbs controlled by the nervous system and spray-on clothing which would mean triathletes could use “spay chambers” to change almost instantaneously between swimming, cycling and running events.

It also said performance analysis sensors of the type already embedded in some high-tech running shoes could soon be routinely embedded inside the body, giving continous data on physiological changes during an athlete’s training session.

“Sports engineers are undoubtedly pro-technology in sport, but they are also passionate about sport — they do not want a technology intervention that undermines the value system of a sport or diminishes the sporting challenge,” the report said.

It said the way to avoid this was for sports regulators, athletes and scientists to work together.

The report cited a row that engulfed elite swim-

ming after a 2008 decision by the sport’s international governing body FINA to approve a Speedo’s LZR Racer swimsuit for the Beijing Olympic Games.

After 94 percent of medals were won by swimmers wearing the suit, and 15 course records were broken, FINA was forced to reverse the decision amid accusations of “technology doping”.

Speaking at a briefing in London, which will host the 2012 Olympics in less than a month’s time, the IME report’s main author Philippa Oldham said sports engineers needed to be part of the regulatory process to help predict the consequences of the introduction of technologies in sport.

“They need to be able to defend the use of new technologies...argue their case based on robust evidence, and horizon scan for emerging technologies that may benefit performance without harming the spirit of sport,” she said. — Reuters

S Africa name Pistorius in London Games team JOHANNESBURG: Double-amputee Oscar Pistorius will compete in the individual 400 metres and the 4x400m relay for South Africa at the London Olympics, a member of South Africa’s Olympic federation said yesterday.

Pistorius’s inclusion in the relay team meant the double-amputee athlete would also be able to take part in the 400m individual race, Tubby Reddy, chief executive of South Africa’s Sports Confederation and

Olympic Committee (Sascoc) said.

Pistorius, who races wearing carbon fibre prosthetic blades, will become the first double-amputee athlete to compete on the track at an Olympic Games.

His chance of taking in the 400m individual event looked to have eluded him when he failed to reach a second A qualifying standard time before Sascoc’s cut-off on June 30.

The 25-year-old, known as the ‘Blade

Runner, had achieved the A qualifying time once this season when he clocked 45.20 in South Africa in March but Sascoc required their athletes to achieve the time twice, with one of the times being at an international meet. However, Pistorius’s inclusion on the relay team opened up his opportunity to race in the 400m.

“He was named in the Olympic team (in the 4x400m relay) and then the question arose as to whether he was allowed to run

DAEGU: A file picture taken on August 29, 2011 shows South Africa’s athlete Oscar Pistorius competing in the men’s 400 meters semifinals at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships. — AFP

Lee racing against time LONDON: Lee Chong Wei is making anxious progress in a race against time to be ready for the climax to his great career at the Olympics.

Lee, who has recently lost the world number one ranking to bitter rival Lin Dan after four years at the top, has been receiving stem cell treatment on torn ankle ligaments, which means he may not be at his absolute fittest when the Games start.

The brilliantly fleet-footed Malaysian passionately wants that gold, both to improve on the silver medal he won in Beijing four years ago, and to get the better of Lin at last in a major event.

However, after being ushered off in a wheelchair during the Thomas Cup finals in Wuhan in May, Lee only has the rest of July in which to rebuild the strength and movement to cope with the sensational Lin, the Olympic and world champion from China.

Lee was back in light training soon after his treatment but missed the $650,000 Indonesian Open.

“Naturally he will still have the fear of aggravating the injury but I will help him overcome it,” Malaysian Sports Institute physio Sandra Fidler said. Lin Dan’s comments were generous.

“We are long-time competitors, but our biggest enemy is not each other, but injury,” he said. “As his competitor, I wish him to come back to the court as quickly as possible.”

Lin saved two match points while beating Lee in perhaps the greatest ever World Championship final, at Wembley last year, and is now considering extending his career after saying he will retire at the Olympics.

However, Lee has avoided admitting that Lin, his barrier for more than six years, is the greatest player ever, as many people believe.

He preferred to suggest the accolade may belong to one of two retired world champions from China, Yang Yang and Zhao Jian-hua, or to Peter Gade, the former world number one from Denmark, who has been among the front runners for a record-breaking 17 years.

The 35-year-old Gade believes he can do well again because Olympic success depends so much on temperament.

“At some point you learn how to deal with pressure,” he said. “I’m an old guy now, so I’ve got that experience.”

Gade has had a moderate run-up to the Olympics and, after an early loss to South Korea’s Shon Wan Ho at the Indian Open in Delhi, fell from the world’s top four.

He claims he paid a price for pushing his body hard to qualify. This may result in his getting a tougher quarter-final opponent, possibly affecting his chances in the last major tournament of his career. Gade’s setback has enabled former world champion Chen Jin to cling to the world number four ranking, thus guaranteeing China a maximum three qualifiers.

The others are Lin, now ranked one, and Chen Long, three. China also has the maximum in the women’s singles, with a trio of Wangs- Wang Yihan, Wang Xin and

Wang Shixian-occupying the top three world ranking positions.

If an unexpected threat to China’s women’s monopoly is to emerge, it might come from Saina Nehwal, the Commonwealth champion from India, or Tine Baun, the former world number one from Denmark.

However the world’s most powerful badminton nation is top seeded in all three doubles events as well, and in four of the five events altogether, with Lin Dan an unofficial favourite in the fifth.

No nation has yet won all five badminton gold medals. However this time it looks very possible, China having captured all five titles in the last two World Championships. — AFP

Lee Chong Wei

the 400m and he can because he is part of the team,” Reddy told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“He has run the (individual) qualifying time but if he was not part of the relay team then he would not be going to the Olympics,” he added.

Pistorius was, understandably, excited about the chance to represent his country at an Olympic Games. “Today is truly one of the proudest days of my life. To have been selected to represent Team South Africa at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the individual 400m and the 4x400m relay is a real honour and I’m so pleased years of hard work, determination and sacrifice have all come together,” he said in a statement.

“I have run two Olympic ‘A’ standard times over the past twelve months and with the time I ran at the African Championships last week I know my speed and fitness are constantly improving so I will peak in time for the Olympics.

“I have a phenomenal team behind me who have helped get me here and I, along with them, will now put everything we can into the final few weeks of preparations before the Olympic Games where I am aiming to race well, work well through the rounds, post good times and maybe even a personal best time on the biggest stage of them all,” he added.

Peet van Zyl, Pistorius’s manager said his charge was now focused on showing what he can do at the Games in the 400m.

“That (the individual 400m) is the big thing for us. He has shown that he can run the times and he is just grateful for the opportunity to compete at the Olympics,” Van Zyl said. — Reuters

Past Olympics greats inspire players today LONDON: World number one Novak Djokovic had no doubts when asked to pick his all-time Olympic hero - Italian slalom skier Alberto Tomba.

Roger Federer was equally certain about his choice, opting for fellow Swiss tennis player Marc Rosset, who won gold in the men’s singles at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Unable to narrow it down to an individual, Rafal Nadal selected the entire Spanish Olympic team at the Barcelona Games after their 13-gold medal winning return.

To mark the July 27-Aug. 12 London Games, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has asked 35 of the world’s top players to explain what the Olympics meant to them and who inspired them the most.

The glossy volume is also liberally illustrated with intriguing shots of them posing with childhood pictures. “”I’m holding a white tennis ball. You can imagine how long a time ago that was,” said Federer, recalling the tennis club where he practiced as a child.

Federer, who met his wife at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, was the picture of unbridled joy in Beijing when he and compatriot Stanlislas Wawrinka won the men’s doubles. It clearly meant as much as a grand slam victory.

“We’re not playing for any money, we’re playing for the love of the game,” he said of his Olympic experience. In the book titled: “”Inspire, Aspire: celebrating tennis at the Olympics 2012”, four-times gold medal winner Michael Johnson is the most popular athlete selected, the American runner picked by Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils.

Next in line comes swimmer Michael Phelps, who was chosen by last year’s Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki.

The globe-trotting players in one of the world’s most glamorous sports may be the envy of many but all of them appear star-struck when it comes to the Olympics.

Used to five-star hotels as they jet around the world in opulent isolation, they revelled in the intimate democracy of the Athletes’ Village.

Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro cannot wait. “”To just be at the village and be part of the big event will be like a dream for me,” the former U.S. Open champion said.Nadal agreed. “”Life in the village is the best experience. For me to be there with all the sports families in the world is something great.” Johnson’s advice to Murray is pure and simple when it comes to handling the pressure. “”Looking back, my advice would be to do everything in your power to make the most of the opportunities to make histor y in front of the home crowd.”— Reuters

OMAHA: Michael Phelps adjusts his cap on the block prior to swimming in the championship final of the Men’s 100 m Butterfly during Day Six of the 2012 US Olympic Swimming Team Trials. — AFP

Turns out, seven is enough for Phelps OMAHA: Michael Phelps did a wise thing Monday: He gave up the chance to compete for another eight Olympic gold medals.

The move will allow him to rest properly at the London Games and have time to recover between races, which is much more important now that he’s 27 years old, his body battered by a dozen years of high-level swimming. He’s out of an event that might be more loaded than any other, one he certainly could’ve won - never bet against Phelps - but appeared more competitive than his other races.

But perhaps the most compelling reason to drop the 200meter freestyle from his program was not having to race against himself at his final Olympics. Eight is retiring.

“We’re not trying to recreate what happened in Beijing,” Phelps told The Associated Press during a hotel interview before he got out of Omaha. “Swimming that many times, it’s just brutal and there’s no need to put myself through that.”

Over the eight days of swimming in London, Phelps will have four mornings off and only a couple of dreaded doubles: two races in one session. The most difficult will be the night of July 31, when he’s got the finals of the 200 butterfly and 800 freestyle relay. The other comes on Aug. 2 and will be a bit easier: the semifinals of the 100 fly, which he won’t have to swim at top speed in order to advance, and the final of the 200 individual medley. He could still finish his career with a mind-boggling 21 Olympic gold medals.

That should be more than enough for the rest of us, but we were so eager to see if he could do the impossible one more time before he fades into retirement.

Even though his coach, Bob Bowman, had already cautioned that the chances of Phelps repeating his Great Haul of China were remote, we all got giddy with anticipation when he qualified in five individual events at the U.S. trials - the same five races he competed in at least two Olympics. Combined with the three relays, it looked as though Phelps would do the exact same program that worked to perfection in 2008. But Bowman never had any intention of entering Phelps in all eight. Early in the week, the coach planted the idea of dropping the 200 free.

Once Phelps won his last event, the 100 butterfly Sunday night, Bowman brought it up again. Phelps never flinched.

Seven is enough. More than enough. “He was absolutely fine with it,” Bowman said. “He and I had discussed it early in the week. I said, ‘Just put this on your menu. We’re not going to talk about it again, but think about it.’ And then, last night, he was more perturbed that I made him sit down with his management team and myself to go over it. He sat down and said, “OK, we’re scratching the 200 free. Anything else?’ I think he was hungry or something.”

That, in essence, epitomizes the totally unique relationship between this athlete and this coach. With 14 gold medals already in hand, more than any Olympic athlete, it would be totally natural for Phelps to exert more control over his career.

Heck, it’s rare for someone in an individual sport to stay with the same coach for their entire career. But the swimmer does much than just keep Bowman on the payroll, putting total faith in the coach to make the right call about everything that happens at the pool.

When someone raised the question Sunday night, asking Phelps point-blank if he would drop any events, there was total deferral to Bowman. “I don’t have anything to do with that.

That’s his call. He takes care of all that,” Phelps said, pointing at his coach. “I leave everything up to him training-wise and preparing me. He’s done an amazing job for my career, and I trust him fully.”

Bowman was most concerned about the second day of the swimming program, when Phelps would’ve had to swim the preliminaries of the 200 free in the morning, then return in the evening for two more events: the semifinals of the 200 free and the final of the 400 free relay - a race the American’s desperately wants to win, especially since Australia is a heavy favorite. “We respect the challenge that we’re up against,” Bowman said, breaking into a sly grin, “and perhaps we will be more ready than people think.”

With the 200 free out of the picture, Phelps’ schedule looks more manageable - especially since he admittedly hasn’t trained nearly as hard over the past four years as he did leading up to his first three Olympics.—AAP

17

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

S P ORT S

Good son Yadav wants boxing medal for father NEW DELHI: Indian welterweight Vikas Krishan Yadav will draw on all of his skill, discipline and determination to return from London with an Olympic medal and fulfil a promise he made to his father.

“Father told me ‘Get me a medal from London and I would not ask for anything from you again’. I, too, have promised him to give my best in London,” the 20-yearold boxer from the north Indian state of Haryana told Reuters.

“I have always listened to whatever he says,” Yadav said. Haryana has been steadily supplying the bulk of India’s boxers, including 2008 Beijing bronze medallist Vijender Singh, and Yadav offers an interesting explanation as to why the area is a hotbed for pugilists.

“People in Haryana are very hard working. There are not many rich people there, so a lot of people engage in sports like boxing.

“People there like fight movies.

We have that kind of culture in Haryana, naturally people are like

Vikas Krishan Yadav

that. People in South India like studying a lot, those in Haryana like boxing,” he said.

However, Yadav does admit to disliking some facets of the noble art of boxing. “Actually I don’t like playing this game,” said Yadav, who won the 60kg lightweight gold at the 2010 Asian Games before making the smooth transition up to welterweight.

“I like to avoid the time in ring because there you cannot be hitting all the time. You have to take some punches too, and no one likes that. I hate being hit,” he said.

Once he hangs up his gloves for good, Yadav is hoping to spend more time improving his chess skills. “I do like playing chess but now my younger siblings defeat me at the game. After I am done with boxing, I would like to try my hands at chess because there is no age-limit as such,” the soft-spoken Yadav added. —Reuters

Japan bid to topple China at Olympics PARIS: The Kohei Uchimura-inspired Japanese men’s gymnastics team will be bidding to topple China in the men’s all-around and team events at the London Olympics.

In Beijing, China dominated winning seven of the eight men’s titles including the team gold, beating 2004 winners Japan by more than seven points with the United States taking bronze.

China’s now-retired Yang Wei also won the individual men’s all-around gold, beating Uchimura to silver, with France’s Benoit Caranobe taking bronze.

Since Beijing, Uchimura has been undefeated, winning three consecutive world all-around gold medals, and the Olympic gold is seen as his to lose at the North Greenwhich arena.

The 23-year-old Uchimura took gold at the world championships last year in Tokyo ahead of Germany’s Philipp Boy and fellow Japanese Koji Yamamuro, who will also be among his challengers in London.

But despite his personal success Japan have failed to take the team title from China at the 2010 and 2011 worlds, and Uchimura has made this his priority, with the United States also a threat after finishing just 0.010 behind Japan at worlds.

“I am only thinking about the gold medal in the team event. Since the Beijing Olympics, we have only managed silver. I don’t want to feel the same disappointment any more,” he said.

But he has a good feeling about London where he won his first world title in 2009 as Japan compete against the formidable Chinese team of Chen Yibing, Feng Zhe, Teng Haibin, Zhang Chenglong and Zou Kai. “It was in London that I triumphed for the first time at the world championships,” he explained. “Moreover, the venue will be used for the Olympics again. I managed to perform well there and I believe I can do so this time, too.”

Uchimura will also be targetting gold on the floor and the horizontal bar. The Japanese star took the world title on floor in Tokyo, ahead of Olympic champion Zou, who won the world title on the horizontal bar with Uchimura claiming bronze.

Uchimura said he will not compete in the vault however in order to save energy for the team competition. “If I vault twice, it will sap my stamina. The individual apparatus is a personal matter. I don’t want to take a risk for that.”

The only title to elude the Chinese men in

Beijing was the vault with Poland’s Leszek Blanik winning ahead of France’s Thomas Bouhail.

And it is another Asian, South Korea’s world champion Yang Hak-Seon, who is among the favorites on that apparatus in London after taking gold in Tokyo ahead of Russia’s Anton Golotsutskov and Japan’s Makoto Okiguchi.

Li Xiaopeng won the parallel bars in Beijing, but American Danell Leyva won gold at last year’s worlds, defeating China’s Zhang Chenglong by one-tenth of a point.

On the rings Chinese team captain Chen

champion John Orozco.

Horton, 26, helped the US win a team bronze in Beijing, then added a silver medal on high bar.

None of the other four members are over 20 years.

In the women’s competition, China took two of the six gold on offer in Beijing - defeating the United States for the team crown with He Kexin winning on uneven bars.

But the USA are the reigning world champions ahead of Russia and China and are widely seen as the favourites for gold in London.

Japan’s Kohei Uchimura Yibing is the man to beat. Chen, 27, won his fourth career world rings title in Tokyo and is favorite to win a second Olympic title.

Hosts Britain have one of their best gold medal chances on the pommel horse with Louis Smith bidding to better his bronze in Beijing behind Olympic champion Xiao Qin of China.

Hungary’s Krisztian Berki is the reigning world champion.

Jonathan Horton will lead a young US team to London. Horton, a two-time medallist at the 2008 Beijing Games, will be joined by Leyva, Jake Dalton, Sam Mikulak and reigning national

Reigning world all-around champion Jordyn Wieber of the United States could be challenged in her bid to claim the Olympic gold by Russians Aliya Mustafina and Viktoria Komova.

Wieber was also upstaged at the US Olympic trials by 16-year-old Gabby Douglas, with the US team also including Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross.

Britain’s 2009 world floor champion Beth Tweddle will be bidding for gold on that apparatus and is also carrying home hopes on the uneven bars, on which she is a two-time world champion. —AFP

France and Norway plan to continue handball domination BERLIN: As the reigning world and Olympic champions, the French men’s handball team are the team to beat at the London games, while in the women’s tournament, it is all-conquering Norway who start as favorites.

Despite taking the gold medal at both the 2008 Beijing Games and last year’s world championships in Sweden, France’s men struggled during Januar y ’s European Championships, finishing 11th, and need to reassert themselves in London.

The French have several experienced stars noticeably left-back Nikola Karabatic and goalkeeper Thierry Omeyer, but face an anxious wait to see if Hamburg pivot Bertrand Gille is fit after shoulder surgery.

In London, the French face hosts Great Britain, France, Sweden, Iceland, Argentina and Tunisia in Group A, while Group B is a much tougher prospect made up of Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, European champions Denmark and Korea.

Spain, Croatia, Denmark and Serbia all reached the Euro semifinals in January, but the Danes

are in form having beaten Serbia in the final, and in left-back Mikkel Hansen, they have the world player of the year.

Despite his team’s relatively kind draw, France coach Claude

one: the first week of group games and then the one that starts in the quarterfinals. “The two pools are unbalanced and we inherit the easiest on paper. This draw can enable us to improve

Nikola Karabatic Onesta says he is taking nothing for granted. “We all know that the Olympics are not like any other traditional competitions,” said the 55-year-old Onesta.

“There are two competitions in

gradually, but our recent experience at the Euro makes me think that we need to worry about ourselves, not our opponents.”

Hosts Great Britain will have to produce something extraordinary

if they are to make an impact in either the men’s or women’s competitions as both teams were reformed to compete in London with only mediocre success thus far.

In the women’s event, Norway arrive in London as reigning world, European and Olympic champions, but face stiff competition from Denmark, the only other women’s team to have held all three titles simultaneously, and Russia.

Norway have drawn Korea, Sweden, France, Denmark and Spain in Group B, while Russia are in Group A alongside Great Britain, Montenegro, Russia, Croatia, Brazil and Angola.

The Norwegians beat Russia 32-27 in the Beijing final four years ago after racing into an early 10-point lead with wing Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth finishing the game having scored nine goals from ten shots. At the 2011 world final in Brazil, Norway took the title with a 3224 victory over France as the French lost their second consecutive world final having lost to Russia in 2009. —AFP

Mark Cavendish

Cavendish could set gold wheels in motion PARIS: As former teammates, Mark Cavendish and Matt Goss could spin a yarn or two about how to beat one another in cycling’s hotly-contested road races.

But at the London Olympics, their widely anticipated duel for gold on the opening day could set the wheels in motion for a Britain v Australia rivalry that has the potential to dominate the cycling events in London.

In all, 18 gold medals spread across four cycling disciplines-road racing (four), track (10), BMX (two) and mountain bike (two) — will be contested at the Games. And going on recent form, Britain and Australia are gearing up to hog the Olympic spotlight.

Now racing with different trade teams, Cavendish and Goss are among the favourites to claim the first cycling gold of the Games at the 250 km men’s road race on July 28.

It culminates on the pancake-flat home straight of The Mall, meaning the teams with sprint specialists-such as Cavendish, Goss, Germany’s Andre Greipel and Belgium’s Tom Boonen-will be doing everything they can to stymie dangerous late attacks.

Isle of Man sprinter Cavendish, who won the second stage of the Tour de France on Monday, is widely seen as the man to beat, especially after his triumph, ahead of Goss, at the world road race championships in 2011.

“I want to have a great season,” Cavendish said. “I would be telling a lie if I said I was not dreaming of the Olympic race. I have strong patriotic feelings and the Games in London is for me the chance of a lifetime.”

In the women’s road race the following day, Britain’s Lizzie Armitstead-currently locked in an internal leadership battle with reigning champion Nicole Cooke-fancies her chances in the event of a bunch finish at the end of 140 km.

“I think I’m the fastest of the British girls,” said Armitstead, who will still have a job in holding off the challenge of Dutchwoman Marianne Vos, Italian Giorgia Bronzini and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg of Germany among others.

It is on the track, however, that Britain and Australia’s rivalry will be given top billing during six successive days of competition (August 2-7).

Crowned kings of the velodrome at the Athens Games in 2004, Australia are once

again among the world beaters having flopped in the cycle leading up to Beijing, where Britain ruled the roost.

In part because of rules changes, meaning only one competitor per event is allowed, Britain have little chance of winning seven of the 10 track golds as they did in the Chinese capital.

Nevertheless, some mighty battles are on the horizon with both countries fancied to challenge for gold in most of the finals, with France (men’s sprint) and Germany (men’s and women’s team sprint) looking to muscle in.

“I don’t think I’m being unrealistic in saying that we’re in the hunt in most of the Olympic events,” Australia’s high performance director Kevin Tabotta said after the London leg of the World Cup. After the two nations fought a close battle for track supremacy at April’s world championships in Melbourne, his British counterpart, Dave Brailsford, was just as bullish.

“If we were maxing out, then there would be cause for concern,” said Brailsford. “But I think there’s no reason why we can’t step up again.”

Australia and Britain’s medal hopes in BMX are respectively Sam Willoughby (men) and Shanaze Reade (women), but in the highoctane sport known for its spills and thrills anything can happen on the day. Willoughby, a former world junior champion, claimed his senior world crown only weeks ago to give reigning Olympic champion Maris Strombergs some food for thought.

For Reade, London is a date she can’t even consider missing. On her way to a likely gold or silver four years ago the Englishwoman clipped wheels with Anne-Caroline Chausson going into the last bend.

The Frenchwoman won gold ahead of compatriot Laetitia Le Corguille leaving Reade facing a four-year wait for a shot at Olympic glory.

In mountain bike cross country the French pair, Julien Absalon and Jean-Christophe Peraud, also scored a 1-2 in Beijing. Now Absalon is targeting a third consecutive title in London.

“I’ve been focused on my Olympic goal for the past few years now,” Absalon said last month after winning a World Cup race in his native Vosges region. —AFP

Women move to centre stage on boxing debut PARIS: The duel between the best amateur male boxers from the United States and their counterparts from bitter enemies Cuba will take a backseat at the Olympics as women’s boxing enters the fray for the first time.

Quite what the Marquis of Queensberry would make of it is probably unprintable but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were persuaded by a polished lobbying campaign to allow it to take its place.

The men’s competition should be the usual high quality event and if a Cuban wins the super-heavyweight gold expect the medal to be dedicated not only to the country but also this time to the late great three -time champion Teofilo Stevenson, who died in June.

The women pugilists are delighted to have got their shot at Olympic gold and have some genuine talent coming through with Indian hopes high that their legend MC Mary Kom will deliver gold in the flyweight category.

However, Kom will want no repeat of the world championships result earlier this year in China as she lost in the quarter-finals to Englishwoman Nicola Adams putting her place in doubt for the Games.

Adams, though, saved her spot by defeating a Russian in the semis though she was to lose to China’s Ren Cancan in the final - and handing Kom a chance to fulfil her dream.

“Nicola has helped me get a chance to go to the Olympics so I will try my very best. It’s a dream to go to the Games as they are very special to me and India,” said the 29-year-old Kom also known as ‘Magnificent Mary’.

“I have fought in the World Championships many times but it’s important to go to the Olympics-it’s the highlight of my career,” said the diminutive Kom, who has been forced to move up a division in a bid to contest the lightest Olympic category, 51 kilos.

Ireland too will dream of a rare gold

with their outstanding lightweight Katie Taylor, the 25-year-old having won her fourth successive world title in China but even for someone as experienced as herself when the reality dawned on her she burst into tears.

“It ’s a dream come true, I can’t believe it really,” she said on gaining her Olympic slot after pulling herself together.

“It’s years and years of hard work just to get there, now I’m going to be an Olympian. I want to thank everyone for the prayers.”

Her father Peter - who is her coach and manager - said it was the fulfillment of a dream that had not always been a smooth one but now sees her needing to win just one bout at the Games to be assured of a medal.

“It’s been a hard journey for her, for the two of us to get there. You can’t explain, you can’t put it into words how it felt.”

However, critics are simply not convinced that it will act as a launching pad for the sport in general-in other words, the oxygen of publicity every four years will not spark a lucrative and popular professional circuit.

One such sceptic is the legendary promoter Bob Arum, who has tried his hand at promoting women’s boxing. “I used to have female bouts on the card, and they weren’t greeted by much enthusiasm by the writers. We couldn’t sell tickets, because women don’t follow women’s boxing and men look at it as a diversion.”

And Arum doesn’t expect Olympic inclusion to change that. “I really don’t think so,” he said, noting that since the US “Dream Team” of NBA stars played in the Barcelona Games, the NBA’s global popularity is “off the charts” but “the WNBA is struggling.”

“Unless the sport is going to be supported by women, it has no chance,” he said. “Men usually want to see men compete-tennis may be an exception.” —AFP

18

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

sp orts

Palestine judoka proud to earn London berth JERUSALEM: When Maher Abu Rmeileh makes his bow on the Olympic judo mat in London this month, he will become the first Palestinian to compete at a Games on merit. The 28-year-old father of two ensured his participation in the Olympic judo competition in the under-73 kilo division at a recent qualifying event in Japan and will be one of five Palestinian participants in London. “I am so proud to be the first Palestinian to have qualified ... this was a dream for me and finally I have fulfilled it,” he said.

“I am sure that every athlete dreams of competing at the Olympics through qualification and not with the help of a wild-card invitation.”

Abu Rmeileh has even more reason to be proud as he will carr y the Palestinian flag at the opening ceremony on July 27. “I am happy, full of hope and I am ready for everything,” he added.

At previous Olympics, Palestine sent swimmers and track athletes

under an International Olympic Committee’s programme for nations whose athletes have not managed to attain the qualifying minimum. Abu Rmeileh’s ticket to London is all the more remarkable considering his antiquated training facilities look as if they have been frozen from before World War II. His home base is a small gym at the Al Quds Sports Club, situated in a cramped alleyway in Arab East Jerusalem.

Chairs are stacked along the back wall of the hall and for each training session, young judokas and their mentors lay out mats on the stone tiled floor. The hall has no changing rooms or showers and participants hide behind a stage curtain to change.

While many of his opponents will dedicate most of their competitive lives to preparing for the Olympics, Abu Rmeileh said financial considerations meant working at his father’s scarf shop in Jerusalem’s Old City came first. “Work is my priority, but because I love judo and because I

have qualified for a very important event, I am trying to organise my work and my training,” he said.

“I open the shop in the morning and at around five or six in the evening I go to train. My father takes the strain off me when I have to train.”

As the Games draw near, he has increased his training regimen to two hours in the morning and two in the evening. For the last weeks in the leadup to London he will train abroad.

Abu Rmeileh said his dedication to judo was instilled through his family’s love of sport. His father was his first coach and he started to train at the age of seven.

He spoke with pride of his family’s love of sport. “My parents and grandparents love sport and the Abu Rmeileh family is well known for this in Palestinian circles,” he added. “There are many athletes among them, including my uncles and my brothers.”

Abu Rmeileh lives 10 minutes’ drive from West Jerusalem’s biggest martial arts facility, one of many where Israeli

judokas train, but he says he has never competed against any of them, nor taken advantage of the state-of-theart facilities.

Judo, along with windsurfing, is Israel’s most successful Olympic sport and has yielded the Jewish state three Olympic medals.

Abu Rmeileh’s coach, Hani Halabi, who is also the head of the Palestinian judo union, said that as long as there was no peace agreement with Israel there could be no cooperation.

“The Israeli union tried many times to arrange joint events but we have refused ... I cannot ask a Palestinian boy to compete against an Israeli while his father is in jail, or his house has been demolished and he can’t go through checkpoints,” Halabi said.

“Only when we have a real and just peace, no settlements, no prisoners in Israeli jails and we have free country, we will be ready to have joint activities,” he added.

The IOC has made efforts to facilitate cooperation between the two

national Olympic committees and has convened a number of meetings, which it said had been held in a “constructive and friendly atmosphere.”

Despite the proximity of the two, the Palestinians compete in Asia and Israel are affiliated with European sports bodies.

Zvi Varshaviak, chairman of the Israeli Olympic Committee, said that many offers had been made to the Palestinians to cooperate in various fields but that they had been declined.

“I don’t have details specifically on judo, but we have offered the Palestinians to cooperate and to take advantage of our facilities and so far they have refused. They have got cold feet for political reasons,” Varshaviak told Reuters. Ten Palestinians have competed at the Olympics since their flag first flew in Atlanta in 1996.

Runners Bahaa al-Farra and Worood Maslaha as well as swimmers Ahmed Jabreel and Sabin Hazboon are set to join Abu Rmeileh on the team for London. —Reuters

European paddlers set to dominate canoe/kayak

Slobodan Nikic

Superpowers in early water polo showdown SYDNEY: Confident Serbia expect to dent Hungary’s bid for a fourth straight Olympic water polo title when the sport’s superpowers meet on the first day of men’s competition in London.

Serbia, the European champions, are chasing the only major honour to elude them since the republic’s establishment in 2006, while their mighty Hungarian neighbours already have nine Olympic golds.

The two countries are supreme in world water polo with a combined six world championships and 12 Olympic gold medals between them, including Serbia’s three Olympic titles won as the former Yugoslavia. Their record makes for a spicy first day of competition in London when they get to grips in their opening round-robin game.

“This generation has won gold at the European and world championships, and is only missing a triumph at the Olympics,” Serb star Slobodan Nikic said.

“I think we deserve to win the gold and have shown we are the best in the world right now, even though we lost (87) to the Italians in Shanghai.”

Hungary, who downed USA 14-10 in the Beijing final, have extraordinary success at the Olympics and have missed out on a medal only five times.

Under national team coach Dejan Udovicic since 2006, Serbia have won two gold at the European championships (Belgrade 2006 and Eindhoven

2012), one silver (Malaga 2008) and one bronze (Zagreb 2010). The Serbs also won the world championship in Rome in 2009 and were silver medallists in Shanghai last year.

As well as Yugoslavia’s three Olympic titles in 1968, 1984 and 1988, Serbia also claimed a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Reigning world champions Italy are separated from Hungary and Serbia in Group A and the “Settebello” will have to contend with Spain and Croatia to get through to the medal rounds.

With two groups of six making up the draw, the four highest-ranked teams in each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.

In the women’s competition, Italy downed world champions Greece to win their fifth European title in Eindhoven in January, and they are in strong contention for the gold medal.

Italy, who won the women’s tournament at Athens 2004, will face stiff competition from 2000 winners Australia, Hungary and three-time Olympic medallists the United States.

“I think this Australian team is a lot stronger than the one in 2008 as we have a lot more outside shooters,” said Bronwen Knox, a member of Australia’s bronze medal-winning team in Beijing.

“That’s only going to help us even more when it comes to the crunch in London.” —AFP

Italian legend seeks sixth gold LONDON: Italian veteran Valentina Vezzali will seek to bring the curtain down on her career at the London Games by claiming a record sixth fencing gold.

If the 38-year-old pulls it off, she will also extend her country’s gold medal dominance of the sport which has featured at every modern Olympics since 1896. Vezzali is as close to a superstar that fencing can boast. She is married to a footballer-Domenico Giuliano-and is the first fencer to have won five Olympic gold in the Foil event. The mother of one has also collected 13 world championship golds and nine at the European level.

Vezzali is nothing if not determined.

In 2005, after taking time out to start a family, she returned to the sport just four months after son Pietro was born and retained her world title.

“Fencing is a mental sport and you must know how to manage when you are ahead but also when you are behind,” she said.

Highly-rated American fencer Mariel Zagumis is tipped to dominate the Sabre category. Zagunis won gold in Athens in 2004, when she was just 19, only after being called into the tournament as a last-minute replacement and defended her title in Beijing four years

later. The win in Greece was America’s first gold in the event for 100 years. The 27-year-old from Oregon has the Olympics in her blood — her parents were rowers, who met at the 1976 Olympic trials and competed at the Montreal Games.

“I love fencing. I love training. I love competing. I don’t want to stop. How many people can say they get up in the morning and love going to work and working out, and have this great feeling of working toward a goal?,” she said. — AFP

Valentina Vezzali

PARIS: European paddlers are set to dominate the canoe and kayak disciplines at the London Olympics, where 16 medals are up for grabs in flatwater and slalom events.

On flatwater, 158 men will compete in both single and double canoes and kayaks over 200m and 1,000m. There is a also a four-man kayak event over 1km.

The 88 women will race in a single (200m and 500m), as well doubles and quads kayak over 500m, with each country limited to one boat in each event, which equates to a total of 18 athletes (12 men and six women) across all events. The 200m distance has been introduced for this Olympics in place of the 500m used in Beijing.

In the slalom, the 61 men have races in a single and double canoe (in which athletes use a single-bladed paddle from a kneeling position), as well as a single kayak (in which the competitors sit in the boat and use a paddle with two blades). The 21 female competitors have just the single kayak.

The canoe sprint events will be held at Eton Dorney, a nine-lane, 2.2km-long facility 30km west of London. The canoe slalom, however, will be held between July 29-August 2 at the Lee Valley White Water Centre, northeast of the British capital.

Kayaking as a sport has come a long way since being discovered as the Arctic Inuits’ means of transport. It was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1924 as a demonstration sport, and in the 1972 Munich Games, canoe/kayak branched out into the dramatic white water version, the slalom.

The slalom events require the paddlers to negotiate 20 to 25 gates in turbulent water over a 250-metre course, water flowing at a rate of 13 cubic metres per second and dropping 5.5m from start to finish. Competitors aim to complete the course in the shortest time, factoring in penalties.

While flat racers must paddle continuously in a straight line, white water racers are pro-

pelled by the current of the water. They must develop the ability to slow down, stop, and turn around obstacles and racing gates.

White water canoeing was not, however, contested in the Olympics between 1976 and 1988, but returned to the Games programme in 1992.

As far as form ahead of this Olympics looks, one would be hard pushed to look beyond the Europeans, who absolutely dominate the

table with eight (three gold, two silver and three bronze) ahead of Slovakia (3-1-0), Hungary (2-1-1) and Belarus (2-0-1).

Five-time world champions, Slovakian twins Peter and Pavol Hochschorner became the first slalom canoeists to win three Olympic gold medals four years ago, and the pair are focused on going even better in London.

“The Olympic Games are like every other race, so we don’t make any changes in our

A canoe and kayak race underway in this file photo sport at international competition.

More than 90 percent of all Olympic medals in canoeing have been won by European nations and in Beijing there were only two gold medals that went outside of Europe: Chinese duo Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun won the men’s C 2500m, while Australian Ken Wallace claimed the men’s K-1 500m title. Germany topped the 2008 medal

preparations,” said Pavol Hochschorner. “We will try to have as many training sessions as possible at the Olympic course in London.”

He added: “We have already had three training camps and a race (at the Olympic venue). It seems very similar to the one in Beijing, only that there is not that much water and the difference in height is also not so great.” —AFP

USA, Brazil eye volleyball gold LONDON: The United States and Brazil will eye Olympic volleyball gold in London, but the tournament has been stripped of some its magic by the historic failure of Cuba to qualify.

For the first time since 1972, there will be no Cuban team at the Games. It’s a huge blow in particular for the women’s event as Cuba are three-time champions, winning gold in 1992, 1996 and 2000. But the seeds of decline have been in evidence for some time-that triple gold run slumped to a bronze in 2004 and no medal place at all in Beijing four years ago.

Having failed to make it out of their regional qualifying event, the Cubans were forced into a do-or-die battle in the last round in Japan where they also missed out on the final three.

They were humbled by unheralded Thailand in their last game, a low point for a squad who reportedly needed a financial bailout to meet their travelling expenses just to get them to Tokyo in the first place.

In the qualifiers, Cuba, who were also world champions twice in the 1990s, only recorded wins against little Peru and Taiwan. “Not only was the motivation missing as well as team spirit, there was also no responsibility being taken by a team famed for its tradition of fighting,” said newspaper Granma.

“For the first time in the history of volleyball on this island, neither team has qualified for the Olympics and we will also have no team sport representation.” The state newspaper summed up the women’s failure

as “inconceivable”. The team, known as “Morenas del Caribe”, are second only to Russia in women’s volleyball honours at the Olympics-the Russians have won four gold medals and three silver. Brazil are the defending Olympic women’s champions, having succeeded China in Beijing. Their biggest rivals are expected to include the United

sk ir ts of Sao Paulo last year.

Libero Sykora is keen to play in a fourth Olympics.

“I’m just not there yet. I’m not playing like Stacy Sykora can play,” she told Sports Illustrated.

“I’m doing all the things I can do for the team. Like instead of just thinking about myself and what I’m going through, what I can and can’t do, I’m thinking more

tion tournament, but we have a lot to improve, principally serve and counter-attack,” said Brazil coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes.

“We cannot think that we are fine because the level outside is higher than here. We have to get better in the physical part, the players need to get stronger.”

Brazil have now qualified for nine successive Olympic Games

Libero Sykora in action in this file photo States, the silver-medallists in 2008, who will be looking to Stacy Sykora for inside knowledge as she has played professional club volleyball in Brazil.

However, she has been fighting for a place in the team after suffering a brain injury when her team bus crashed on the out-

about the team, and what I can do for the team.”

Brazil secured their spot in London by coming through qualifying in May and will be looking to star players Fernanda Garay and Sheilla Castro to lead the way to another gold.

“We played a good qualifica-

after missing the first four. In the men’s tournament, the United States are the defending champions, having dethroned Brazil, who claimed gold in Athens.

But the Brazilians, who collected silver in Beijing, have won the last three world titles in 2002, 2006 and 2010. —AFP

19

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

S P ORT S

Button F1 win would be just the ticket LONDON: A per fect British Grand Prix afternoon for Jenson Button at Silverstone on Sunday would be one that almost cer tainly ends in tears.

Th e 3 2 - ye a r - o l d h a s b e e n a w i n n e r f ro m Australia to the Americas, triumphed on the streets of Monaco and been crowned Formula One world champion, but in more than a decade of tr ying he has never stood on his home podium.

A win this time round would be just the ticket - quite literally since the McLaren driver ’s face is on them this year as well as the wallet they come in, the spectator guide and assorted marketing material.

Button suspects he might shed a few tears if he gets on the podium and, with the huge and loyal following he and team mate Lewis Hamilton always command at home, will not be the only one struggling to contain his emotions.

“I’ve always thought about what it would be like to win the British Grand Prix, I’ve imagined it but you never know until it happens,” the 2009 champion told Reuters.

“I had the same thing when I was a kid thinking about racing in Monaco and winning the Monaco Grand Prix. And I did it in st yle (in 2009) by parking in the wrong place and running to the start/finish line. But I didn’t know I was going to do that.

“Winning when you have a lot of supporters there, people who have been supporting you for so many years and have really lifted you in

difficult times, that means so much to a driver,” he added. Button is by no means a favorite, having struggled to score points and get his car performing properly since winning the seasonopener in Australia, and his home record makes p a i n f u l re a d i n g. H e h a s b e e n fo u r t h t w i c e (2004, 2010) and fifth two times as well.

A podium finish was looking likely last year

until a wheel came off because a nut was not secured when he pitted 12 laps from the end.

Silverstone is one of the season’s fastest circuits and should play to the car’s strengths but that will make Hamilton, the last British winner at home in 2008, even more of a contender.

Unlike Button, he knows what it feels like. “I can’t really explain how special it would be to

Jenson Button in action in this file photo

win another Silverstone grand prix,” he said.

“To go back again and compete at the front and give the fans what they deserve and what they come for and hear the national anthem is the proudest moment for any sportsman.”

Other teams will also find it very much to their liking. Red Bull have been on pole for the past three years in Britain and their car was alarmingly quick at the last race in Valencia b e fo re a n a l te r n a to r p ro b l e m e n d e d wo r l d champion Sebastian Vettel’s runaway afternoon.

Sunday could confirm fears that the champions have taken another big step up. “They were clearly in a strong position with that car and those tyres. Silverstone has traditionally been a good race for them, it’s high speed with high speed corners... so let ’s see how it evolves,” Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn told a fan forum on Tuesday.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, winner in Valencia to go 20 points clear in the championship after eight of 20 races, won at Silverstone last year in a race clouded by technical argument over engine mapping systems. Mercedes and Lotus will be quick but Williams, winners in Barcelona with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado, and Sauber could be the dark horses.

“I think Sauber will be quick at Silverstone, which is something that will surprise quite a lot of people,” said Button. “ When you are driving behind their car in high-speed corners you notice they are very strong, so they’ll be up there, and they are also very efficient.” — Reuters

Heartbreak for Sangakkara, Pakistan Test ends in draw

Robin Van Persie

Van Persie turns down new Arsenal contract LONDON: Robin van Persie has rejected the offer of a new Arsenal contract, the striker announced via his official website yesterday.

The Dutch international has a year left on his current deal with the English Premier League club, who could now be tempted to cash in on their prize asset, rather than see him leave for nothing on a Bosman free transfer at the end of next season.

“I’ve thought long and hard about it, but I have decided not to extend my contract,” Van Persie, who scored 37 goals in 48 appearance for Arsenal last season, including 30 in the Premier League, said yesterday. “You guys, the fans, have of course the right to disagree with my view and decision and I will always respect your opinions,” added the 28-year-old, whose performances last season saw him named Player of the Year by both his fellow professionals in the Premier League and England’s Football Writers’ Association.

Premier League champions Manchester City and Italian title-holders Juventus are among the clubs to have been repeatedly linked with signing the Dutchman.

Van Persie added he had met with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis at the end of last season to discuss his future but had been disappointed by the answers he’d received regarding the Gunners’ ambitions.

Since signing from Dutch side Feyenoord in 2004, Van Persie has won just one major trophy with Arsenal-the 2005 FA Cup. It is a poor return for a player of his talent and he said it was a desire to win silverware that was behind his decision to leave the Emirates Stadium. “This is an update for the fans about my current situation,” Van Persie said. “I have kept quiet all this time out of respect and loyalty for the club and as agreed

with Mr Gazidis and Mr Wenger, but since there is so much speculation in the media, I think it is fair for you guys to know what’s really going on at the moment.

“As announced earlier this year I had a meeting with the boss ( Wenger) and Mr Gazidis after the season. “ This was a meeting about the club’s future strategy and their policy. Financial terms or a contract have not been discussed, since that is not my priority at all.

“I personally have had a great season but my goal has been to win trophies with the team and to bring the club back to its glory days.

“Out of my huge respect for Mr Wenger, the players and the fans I don’t want to go into any details, but unfortunately in this meeting it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal should move forward.”

He added: “I love the club and the fans, no matter what happens. I have grown up and became a man during my time with Arsenal FC. “Everybody at the club and the fans have always supported me over the years and I have always given my all (and more) on and off the pitch. I am very proud of being part of this fantastic club for the last eight years.”

As for his next move, van Persie added: “As soon as Mr Gazidis is back from his two-week holiday in America further meetings will follow and I will update you if and when there are more developments.”

Other players have left Arsenal in recent seasons to bolster their hopes of landing major medals, notably Spain’s World Cup and Euro 2012-winning midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who joined Barcelona in August last year two days later won the Spanish Super Cup. —AFP

Rangers booted out of SPL

LONDON: Rangers were dramatically kicked out of next season’s Scottish Premier League after rival clubs voted overwhelmingly to exclude the ailing Glasgow giants, it was confirmed yesterday.

The soon-to-be-liquidated Ibrox club had applied to rejoin the league after reforming as a new company (newco) but their request was turned down following a vote of the other clubs which make up the Scottish top-flight.

“At today’s General Meeting, SPL clubs today voted overwhelmingly to reject the application from Rangers newco to join the SPL,” an SPL statement said.

The statement came after more than five hours of talks at Hampden as Rangers’ new management clung on to the hope of staving off exclusion.

It caps a humiliating fall from grace for the most successful club in Scottish football history, who were plunged into crisis earlier this year after entering administration following a tax dispute.

It was not immediately clear where Rangers’ new incarnation will begin life next season. One option under consideration is to start in the First Division, the league below the SPL. Rangers chief executive Charles Green reacted to Wednesday’s snub by confirming that Rangers would apply to join the Scottish Football League (SFL).

“We are deeply disappointed that our application to rejoin the SPL has been rejected overwhelmingly by the member clubs,” Green said in a statement.

“We will now proceed as we had planned from late June to apply for membership of the SFL. “It is entirely a matter for them whether our application will be accepted or rejected and we will make no representation to any member club prior to that application being considered.

“If our application were to be accepted, Rangers will play in whichever division the SFL sees fit and we will move forward from there.”

The SPL, SFL and Scottish Football Association (SFA) are all mulling the First Division option, which would also include significant league reform and £1 million ($1.6m) payment for the second tier’s television rights.

Safeguarding the multi-million pound commercial deals on which all of Scotland’s professional clubs rely so heavily is central to the issue, with a new TV deal worth £80 million ($125m) over five seasons reputedly dependent on the screening of four Rangers v Celtic Old Firm derbies a season.

Broadcasters are said to be prepared to go no more than one year without these showcase matches, meaning Rangers may end up in the First Division. —AFP

COLOMBO: Kumar Sangakkara missed a double-century for the second successive match as the rain-hit second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a dreary draw in Colombo yesterday.

Sangakkara, who was stranded on an unbeaten 199 in the first Test at Galle, was dismissed for 192 after helping Sri Lanka avoid the embarrassment of a follow-on on the fifth and final day.

The hosts, who began the day needing 74 more runs to make Pakistan bat again, were all out for 391 in the post-lunch session in reply to Pakistan’s 551-6 declared.

Pakistan, leading by 160 runs on the first innings, made 100-2 in their second knock when skipper Misbah-ul Haq close the innings soon after tea to attempt an unlikely win.

Sri Lanka appeared disinterested in chasing the tough victory target of 261 in 37 overs and were 86-2 in 22 overs when the match was called off at the Sinhalese Sports Club. Sri Lanka will head for the third and final Test in Pallekele from Sunday with a 1-0 lead, having won the opening encounter in Galle by 209 runs.

Misbah said his team’s performance in the match will boost the tourists’ confidence for the last game. “We came into this Test needing to show a bit of character and I think the boys did just that by fighting back,” he said.

“We will take a lot of positives from this game. The batsmen found form with (Mohammad) Hafeez and Azhar (Ali) getting big hundreds. The bowlers also did well on a wicket that did not help them at all.”

Misbah was delighted at his young leftarm seamer Junaid Khan, who was named man of the match after picking up five wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings.

“Junaid showed a lot of promise with the way he worked up good pace even on this pitch,” the skipper said. “He adds a lot of variety to our attack.” Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said a draw was a fair result.

“I am not surprised at all that Pakistan played so well in this game after losing at Galle,” he said. “They are a quality side and we knew they will come back hard at us.

“It’s obviously disappointing for Kumar to miss a 200 again. But I am sure he will get over it soon and continue the fine form he is in.” Jayawardene said he was aware of the importance of the Pallekele Test, where Sri Lanka need a win or a draw to earn them their first series victory in three years.

“I know we need to get the monkey off our backs, we have not won a Test series in a while,” he said. “But the mindset will be positive going into Pallekele.” The home side, who began the day at 278-5, were steered out of trouble by a 89-run stand for the sixth wicket between Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews (47). But Mathews’ dismissal soon after lunch triggered a middle-order collapse in which Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for 21 runs.

COLOMBO: Pakistani cricketer Younis Khan (left) shakes hands with Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara (center) as Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq (right) looks on at the end of the second Test match. — AFP

SCOREBOARD COLOMBO: Scoreboard after the final day of the second test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Colombo yesterday: Pakistan first innings 551-6 declared (Mohammad Hafeez 196, Azhar Ali 157, Misbah-ul-Haq 66 not out, Taufeeq Umar 65; Rangana Herath (3-164) Sri Lanka - First Innings (overnight 278-5) T. Paranavitana c Azhar b Junaid 0 T. Dilshan lbw b Junaid 121 K. Sangakkara c Taufiq b Rehman 192 M. Jayawardene lbw b Junaid 0 T. Samaraweera lbw b Ajmal 0 S. Randiv lbw b Rehman 5 A. Mathews c Akmal b Junaid 47 P. Jayawardene c Akmal b Rehman 6 N. Kulasekera b Junaid 0 R. Herath not out 10 N. Pradeep c Ajmal b Rehman 1 Extras: (b-4, lb-5) 9 Total: (all out, 124.4 overs) 391 Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-236, 3-250, 4-259, 5278, 6-370,7-378, 8-379, 9-385, 10-391.

Bowling: Cheema 24-5-86-0, Junaid 28-6-73-5, Ajmal 34-0-106-1, Rehman 26.4-5-784,Hafeeez 8-0-29-0, Azhar 4-0-10-0.

Sangakkara looked set for his ninth double-century when he fell against the run of play after defying Pakistan’s attack for almost nine hours. The left-hander stepped out to loft Rehman and only managed a thick edge to Taufeeq Umar at square-leg.

Sangakkara, who hit 15 fours and a six in his 30th Test century, raised a cry of anguish before walking off to warm applause from less than 500 spectators at the ground.

Pakistan - Second Innings Mohammad Hafeez c Dilshan b Randiv 21 Taufiq Umar not out 42 Abdur Rehman b Randiv 36 Adnan Akmal not out 0 Extras: (nb-1) 1 Total: (one wicket, 18 overs) 100 Fall of wicket: 1-51, 2-99 Bowling: Kulasekara 5-0-23-0, Pradeep 8-048-0(nb-1), Randiv 4-0-28-2, Herath 1-0-1-0.

Sri Lanka - Second Innings T. Paranavitana lbw b Ajmal 32 T. Dilshan lbw b Rehman 28 K. Sangakkara not out 24 M. Jayawardene not out 1 Extras: (lb-1) 1 Total: (two wickets, 22 overs) 86 Fall of wicket: 1-48, 2-78 Bowling: Junaid 4-0-21-0, Cheema 2-0-11-0, Rehman 9-2-19-1, Ajmal 7-0-34-1 Result: Match drawn.

Sri Lanka lead three-match series 1-0. Third and final test at Pallakele starts on July 8.

Sangakkara is already the highest run-getter against Pakistan, having surpassed Indian great Sunil Gavaskar’s tally of 2,089 runs when he reached 60 on Tuesday.

He has nine three-figure knocks against Pakistan with a top score of 230 in Lahore in March, 2002. The Test was marred by bad weather, which allowed just 71 of the stipulated 180 overs to be bowled on the second and third days. — AFP

Tendulkar opts out, Sehwag, Khan return ODI in Sri Lanka MUMBAI: Opener Virender Sehwag and pace bowler Zaheer Khan have returned from injuries while Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of India’s upcoming limited-overs series in Sri Lanka.

Sehwag and Khan, who were not part of the squad for the Asia Cup in Bangladesh as well as a one-off Twenty20 game against South Africa at Johannesburg in March, were on Wednesday named in a 15-man squad for a series of five one-dayers and a solitary Twenty20 from July 21 in Colombo, Hambantota and Pallekele.

Pace bowler Umesh Yadav also returns to the side after an injury while allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, the costliest player in this

year’s Indian Premier League auction when he was bought for $2 million by Chennai Super Kings, has been dropped.

“We have selected the best possible side,” chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth said.

“We have a busy year with England and Australia due to tour here, so we hope this season starts with a bang.”

Srikkanth said Tendulkar was not available for the series and that his opting out was no surprise. “As we all know, Sachin has been selective in playing one-dayers. He must be aiming for the England and Australia series,” Srikkanth said.

Tendulkar, who became the first batsman to score 100 international centuries during

the Asia Cup, has limited his participation in limited-overs games for two years. The 39year-old Tendulkar has a record 49 centuries in one-day internationals.

Experienced offspinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been signed by English county Essex, continued to be ignored by selectors, who also dropped brothers Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan.

India: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha, Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav, Ashok Dinda, Rahul Sharma. — AP

S Africa name Pistorius in London Games team

16

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

Heartbreak for Sangakkara, Pakistan Test ends in draw

19

Tendulkar opts out, Sehwag, Khan return for ODI

Page 19

WIMBLEDON: Britain’s Andy Murray plays a backhand shot during his men’s singles quarter-final match against Spain’s David Ferrer on Day Nine of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament. —AFP

Djokovic, Federer in semi showdown LONDON: Defending champion Novak Djokovic and six-time winner Roger Federer face a titanic Wimbledon semi-final showdown after the two title contenders wasted little time on their last eight matches yesterday.

While third seed Federer pummelled Russian 26th seed Mikhail Youzhny into submission in a 90-minute 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 masterclass on Centre Court, Djokovic also took the express route against German 31st seed Florian Mayer, recording an emphatic 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 victory on Court One. Friday’s other semi-final between home favorite Andy Murray and French fifth seed JoWilfried Tsonga will produce a first-time Wimbledon finalist.

Djokovic will attempt to reach his second successive Wimbledon final by extending his current winning streak against Federer to four matches in

their first ever encounter at the All England Club.

The world number one has proved a thorn in Federer’s side of late, beating him in the semifinals of the US and French Opens, although the Swiss great holds 14-12 edge over their 26 career meetings.

“It’s always a pleasure playing against Roger.

I’m looking forward to it,” Djokovic said. “He is a great champion and has been so dominant and consistent at the Grand Slams. He is the ultimate challenge on grass courts.”

While Djokovic has every reason to feel confident, Federer, who has now reached a record 32 Grand Slam semi-finals, looked in peak form as he delivered a royal command performance in front of Prince William and Catherine.

“I played great. Maybe my game matches up well against Mikhail,” said Federer, who last won Wimbledon in 2009. “It helps when royalty and

other stars come to watch, it’s inspiring and a thrill and helps tennis.”

Federer, who is without a Grand Slam title since the 2010 Australian Open, cruised to a 14th win in 14 meetings against Youzhny and, just as importantly for the 30-year-old, there were no signs of the back pain which had dogged him in the fourth round against Xavier Malisse. Federer, chasing Pete Sampras’s record of seven Wimbledon titles, also put an end to a worrying sequence at the All England Club where he had been knocked out in the quarter-finals in the last two years. The most gripping of the four quarterfinals saw world number four Murray reach his fourth successive semi-final with a 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over Spain’s David Ferrer on Centre Court. Murray, hoping to end Britain’s 76-year wait for a male singles champion at Wimbledon, is now just one win away from

Greipel wins Tour stage ROUEN: Germany’s Andre Greipel roared with raw emotion after landing his first Tour de France victory this year in a finale devoid of British sprint king Mark Cavendish.

RadioShack’s Fabian Cancellera held on to the leader’s yellow jersey at the end of the 214 km ride from Abbeville to Rouen, where Greipel, known as the ‘Gorilla’ for his imposing physique, prevailed in a small bunch finish.

The closing stages were marked by a multibike pile-up less than three kilometres from the line with Cavendish among the casualties.

It left a reduced group of fast men racing for the line, with Greipel coming off the wheel of New Zealand teammate Greg Henderson in the final 200 metres to claim the second Tour victory of his career. Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) was second with Dutchman Tom Veelers (Argos-Shimano) third.

“It was a really emotional victory for me, we worked hard for this and I think we deserved this,” said Greipel. “I didn’t see the crash... it’s not nice to see those pictures, but it’s a part of racing and there was still a lot of quality guys there, so it’s no problem for me.

“I’ve just won a stage in the Tour de France, so it couldn’t be better.” As expected a day after the rigours of the first crash-hit stage on Tuesday left skin on the road and led to three abandons, the early breakaway which formed almost immediately was allowed to race on unhindered.

Japanese Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar) and French pair David Moncoutie (Cofidis) and Anthon Delaplace (Suar-Sojasun) were no threat to the bunch and soon built a maximum lead of nearly nine minutes.

With a pancake flat finish, however, they were at the mercy of the sprinters’ teams. They began to put riders at the front of the bunch to prepare the chase, which began in earnest

becoming the first British man to reach the All England Club final since Bunny Austin in 1938.

“Ferrer is a great player. He’s an unbelievably hard worker. I just played a bit better at the end of the sets,” Murray said.

“During the fourth set rain delay I went for a shower and threw some cold water on my face. It was a very intense atmosphere.

“If I lost that set it was going to be a very tough match. Tsonga will be tough, he’s serving very well, and I’ll have to play very well.”

Tsonga reached the semi-finals for the second successive year with a 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over German 27th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber.

The 27-year-old, who has lost five of his six meetings with Murray including on grass in the 2011 Queen’s final, knocked out Federer in last year’s quarter-finals after being two sets to love

down before losing to Djokovic in the last four. “I am happy to win and to get a second chance at a semi-final,” Tsonga said.

“Philipp played very well. He served well and was the better player from the baseline. It was tough out there.”

Meanwhile, Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny was so outclassed by Roger Federer at Wimbledon yesterday that he turned to the Centre Court Royal Box for help.

After slipping two sets to love down in his quarter-final, Youzhny appealed to tennis legends Rod Laver and Andre Agassi who were watching from their privileged positions alongside Prince William and wife Catherine. “Can you tell me what I’m supposed to do out here?,” said the 30-year-old, who went into yesterday’s match having lost all of his previous 13 meetings with Federer. — AFP

Rogge: No guarantee Saudis will send women to London

ROUEN: A combo picture shows (from top, left to right) stage winner, Germany’s Andre Greipel celebrating on the finish line, Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish riding after the crash, Cavendish reacting in anger after he crashed and Japan’s Yukiya Arashiro celebrating his best sprinter’s green jersey on the podium during the Tour de France cycling race. — AFP

30 km after Cavendish had beaten his sprint rivals for the green jersey points at the intermediate sprint at 140 km. Twenty kilometres further on, the day’s first crash took down Australian Jonathan Cantwell (Saxo Bank) and Frenchman Mickael Cherel (AG2R), but they were soon back on their bikes chasing.

It took an extra effort, however, for yellow jersey contender Vincenzo Nibali to rejoin the peloton after he suffered a flat tyre and had to wait for a new bike before being paced back to the bunch by two Liquigas teammates.

With 60 km remaining the trio’s lead had dropped to 5:00 and was almost halved by the time Arashiro took advantage of a small descent to try and distance his breakaway companions. His effort did not last long and the front trio were back together for a desper-

ate bid to get to the finish. But with sprinters’ teams like Orica-GreenEdge and Lotto beginning to up the pace their lead dropped to below a minute for the first time with 15 km to race, with the closing stages marred by the second major crash of the 99th Tour.

After the crash, Greipel’s Lotto team took over and he was quick to pay tribute to the teammates who wound up the pace.

“With 1.3 km to go (Marcel) Sieberg hit the front did a really long and fast pull, then (Jurgen) Roelandst started at 800 metres to 450,” added Greipel. “(Greg) Henderson was almost at top speed and then I hit the front with 200 to go.

It was a bit long but it did the job. “If we stick to our plan we are pretty strong, and that’s how it went today.” — AFP

LONDON: IOC President Jacques Rogge cannot guarantee “100 percent” that female athletes from Saudi Arabia will compete at the London Olympics, although he remains optimistic the Gulf kingdom will send women to the Games for the first time.

Rogge told The Associated Press in an interview yesterday that the International Olympic Committee is discussing the “operational details” with Saudi officials for ending their four-decadeold policy of sending only men to the Games.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei have never included women in their Olympic teams. While Qatar and Brunei have committed to sending female athletes to London, whether Saudi will do the same - and, if so, how many women will be included - remains uncertain just three weeks before the start of the London Games.

“I remain cautiously optimistic on the participation of women,” Rogge said. “I cannot guarantee it 100 percent today. I cannot say how many (athletes) because I don’t know. We are still discussing operational details with the authorities.”

He declined to elaborate, but both sides have been working on identifying a few Saudi women who could go to the Olympics. “I will tell you when I’m sure 100 percent,” Rogge said. “I will not speak out before.” Saudi Olympic Committee president Prince Nawaf said in April that female participation had not been approved by the country’s leaders and that Saudi-based women traveling to London would be contrary to the kingdom’s traditions and norms. But a statement released by the Saudi embassy in London last week said female athletes who qualify could be allowed to participate. Athletes in judo and in track and field are considered possibilities.

Saudi Arabia is a deeply traditional and ultra conservative Muslim society, and women are severely restricted in public life and are not even allowed to drive.

Because Saudi women may not meet the international qualifying standards, the IOC can grant them Olympic entry based on “special cir-

cumstances.”

On a separate issue, Rogge said the IOC has not received any notification that the head of Syria’s Olympic committee has been denied a visa for the London Games by the British government.

An official involved in the Olympic movement told the AP last month that Britain refused to give Gen. Mowaffak Joumaa a visa because of his links to Syria’s President Bashar Assad.

“We don’t know anything about that,” Rogge said by telephone from Lausanne, Switzerland.

“We have not heard anything, not a word. We have not been officially notified about such a decision.”

London organizers are required to notify the IOC when accredited Olympic personnel are rejected entry. “If we get a notification, we definitely would ask the government to tell us why the person has been denied entry and then we’ll look at it,” Rogge said.

The Syrian government’s crackdown on an uprising has killed thousands of people and led to broad sanctions and a European Union travel ban on Assad and other top officials. Joumaa is not on the list. Rogge said Syria’s national Olympic committee remains recognized by the IOC and Syrian athletes will compete under their national flag in London. The IOC is in contact with the Syrian committee to help with training and sports facilities, he said.

“We do the very best to have a good contingent of Syrians in London,” Rogge said. “I think it will be between eight and 10 athletes that will participate.”

Joumaa said last month that up to 10 athletes have qualified or been given wild-card invitations to compete in swimming, track and field, weightlifting, boxing, equestrian and shooting.

Rogge expressed confidence that London’s massive security operation for the Games will not overwhelm the event. The measures include deployment of thousands of military personnel and stationing of surface-to-air missiles at six sites in and around the capital. —AP

Business

S&P raises Philippine credit rating to BB+ Page 23

Shares dragged lower by grim economic data

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

Page 24

Portugal turns to natural resources in crisis times

Samsung unveils latest generation of tablets Page 23

Page 25

EL ENTREGO: This combination of pictures shows the series of events leading to a Spanish miner getting engulfed in flames after pouring petrol from a bridge to cut a road during a miner’s demonstration in El Entrego yesterday.

Spanish coal miners are staging a nationwide strike action organized by unions opposed to subsidy reductions from euros 301 million to euros 111 million. — AFP

Spain to unveil new austerity steps New spending cuts, taxes worth up to 3% of GDP MADRID: Spain’s government is putting finishing touches to an up to 30 billion euro ($38 billion) package of spending cuts and tax hikes to help it meet this year’s deficit targets, sources with knowledge of the matter said. Running over several years, the program could involve raising Spain’s main consumer tax, a new energy levy, reforms to the pension system, pay cuts for civil servants, new motorway tolls and another drastic reduction in ministry and regional spending, the sources said.

Some measures may be announced next week, when the EU is likely to grant the government an extra year to cut its deficit below 3 percent of output, and others could be presented over the summer and included in a multi-year budget plan due to be prepared in August.

Spain’s highly-indebted regions and banks badly hit by a property crash four years ago have put the country firmly in the sights of investors who

fear that, given its size, it could derail the entire single currency project if its economy collapses.

The new austerity drive aims to put Spain back on track to meet its deficit goals for 2012, though some questioned whether it would simply add to the country’s problems by entrenching its recession even more deeply. Data for the first five months of the year revealed spending and revenue slippage that makes the current objective unattainable without new cuts. “The idea is to implement cuts worth three percent of gross domestic product. Everything is under review,” said one of the sources with knowledge of the government’s thinking.

With Spain’s nominal GDP totaling about 1 trillion euros ($1.26 trillion) a year, the cuts would be worth up to 30 billion euros over several years and would come on top of savings plans of about 48 billion euros already passed. “The idea is to cut the cost of the public service, freeze

pensions, cut unemployment benefits,” the source said, adding that an increase in sales tax was a matter of intense debate with the government. Three other sources confirmed the measures were being looked at but said no decision had been yet taken on specific reforms or cuts, and that the package could fall well under 30 billion euros.

THE WRONG MEDICINE? Spain is negotiating an up to 100-billion-euro European rescue for its banks and pressing for an EU intervention on its bond market to cut soaring borrowing costs. But it is unclear if the new austerity plan will be well received by markets wary that too much belt-tightening would choke off any hope of economic recovery. “More austerity will only make things worse in the short-term,” said Nicholas Spiro, from Spiro Sovereign Strategy. “The market does not need to be con-

vinced that (Prime Minister Mariano) Rajoy’s government is serious about fiscal retrenchment.

While there are serious doubts about the government’s ability to enforce discipline in the regions, the real worry is the lack of growth,” he said. Both the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund have said Spain should not rush to cut its public deficit after the economy fell into its second recession in three years in the first quarter. The Commission has repeatedly called on Spain to shift the tax burden towards indirect consumer and energy taxes and to better control its devolved regions.

In its latest economic assessment, the IMF also urged Spain to raise its VAT rate - one of the lowest in Europe - and implement pay cuts for civil servants. Rajoy said on Monday he would speed up his structural reform and spending cuts drive, especially in the regions, while Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said the govern-

News

Bangladeshi workers send a record $13bn DHAKA: Bangladeshi migrant workers sent home a record $12.85 billion in the fiscal year ended in June as overseas jobs soared on the back of new opportunities in the Middle East, officials said yesterday.

The figure was a 10.26 percent rise from the amount remitted by Bangladesh’s eight million-plus migrants in the previous fiscal year, central bank executive director M Ahsanullah said. Ahsanullah said the much-needed foreign exchange, which accounts for more than 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), eased pressure on the nation’s balance of payment and bolstered the local taka against the US dollar. The taka lost around 15 percent against the dollar since December last year after a balance of payment crisis that prompted the government to seek a $1 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund in April.

Officials said a sharp rise in overseas jobs, mostly in the oil-rich Middle East helped raise remittances to a record figure. Some 374,837 Bangladeshis flew abroad to work mostly in the manufacturing, construction, farm and service sectors in the six months to June this year, said the Bureau of Manpower and Employment Training.

Migration from Bangladesh fell sharply during the 2008-9 global economic downturn as jobs dried up in the Gulf nations and export-oriented southeast Asia. According to government figures, eight million Bangladeshis now work overseas, although unofficial estimates put the figure at more than 10 million. Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world with a population of 150 million, counts on the inflow of foreign exchange from migrant workers to fund its imports. — AFP

in brief

Etihad posts 31% rise in Q2 ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, one of the Gulf region’s fastgrowing carriers, said yesterday its income grew 31 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier on surging passenger numbers. Revenues reached $1.25 billion, compared with $957 million for the corresponding period last year.

Total revenues so far for 2012 rose 30 percent to $2.4 billion from $1.73 billion in the first half of 2011. Passenger numbers shot up 34 percent to 2.55 million in the second quarter, bringing the total for the first half to 4.89 million, “thanks to increased overall capacity and improve seat factors,” the company said. “These results are an endorsement of our strategy, which has seen us widen and deepen our partnerships in addition to continued focus on our organic growth plan,” said CEO James Hogan. “In a quarter when many airlines have seen demand softening, we have been able to add more passengers than ever before, with growth outstripping our capacity increases,” he added. Etihad said the results were “boosted by the airline’s growing network of code shares and strategic partnerships,” which added 800,000 passengers to the airline’s network in the first half.

Irish unemployment hits 14.9%

DHAKA: Bangladeshi rickshaw drivers take shelter in their vehicles as others cycle during a heavy downpour in Dhaka. — AFP

Qatar to build Harrods hotels in Malaysia, Paris, London China KUALA LUMPUR: Gas-rich Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund plans to build luxury hotels in Malaysia, Paris, London and China named after Harrods, the world’s famous department store, a report said yesterday. Under a $636 million plan Qatar Holding will partner a local Malaysian firm Jerantas to construct a hotel in Kuala Lumpur’s golden triangle’s shopping district of Bukit Bintang.

Construction work is expected to begin next year on the development, which will comprise up to 300 hotel rooms, apartments and retail space covering a

ment would soon implement “severe” budget cuts. Economy Minister Luis de Guindos, who pledged to take any necessary additional step to meet the deficit targets, said the possibility of relaxing the deficit reduction path would be discussed at the monthly meeting of euro zone finance ministers next Monday in Brussels.

A European source said Spain is set to accept on that occasion the offer of the European Commission to take an extra year, until 2014, to cut its public deficit below the European limit of 3 percent of GDP. Madrid has so far stuck to a pledge to cut the deficit to 5.3 percent of GDP in 2012 and 3 percent in 2013, from 8.9 percent in 2011. “A decision will be taken in this direction.

There is no other choice,” said the European source. “The idea is to have more realistic objectives and at the same time take steps to show that Spain is really serious about achieving them.” — Reuters

5.5-acre site, the Star newspaper said. “ We are looking to invest more in Malaysia because we believe the local economy will grow over the next two years at around 5.0 percent,” Qatar Holding vice-chairman Hussain Ali AlAbdulla said.

Besides London where a Harrods hotel would be opened, Qatar Holding said: “The target plan is to open Harrods hotels in key cities such as Kuala Lumpur, New York and Paris as well as China.

“Preference will be given to construct on sites already owned by Qatar Holding...

for example at Chelsea Barracks in London or Costa Smeralda in Sardinia,” it said in a statement Tuesday. Qatar Holding bought Harrods in 2010 and plans to establish a hotel management company to conduct feasibility studies as part of a decision-making process to select suitable sites around the world for development of Harrods hotel properties. “Qatar Holding ultimately intends to grow Harrods into a global enterprise that defines the luxury retail and leisure sectors,” it said.

Egyptian-born businessman

Mohamed al-Fayed previously owned the popular London department store. In April SWF declared assets under management had far exceeded $100 billion.

It was one of the high-powered cornerstone investors in the recent listing of Malaysian palm oil giant Felda Global, the world’s second-largest IPO this year.

Qatar, a member of the oil cartel OPEC, celebrated in 2011 raising its production capacity of LNG to 77 million tons annually, boosting its position as the world’s largest producer. It pumps some 800,000 barrels per day of oil. — AFP

DUBLIN: Ireland’s unemployment rate jumped to 14.9 percent in June compared with the previous month, official data from the euro-zone nation showed yesterday. “The standardized unemployment rate in June 2012 was 14.9 percent, up from 14.7 percent in May 2012,” the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said in a statement. A total of 440,600 people signed on the country’s Live Register in June, the CSO added. The Live Register includes part-time workers and casual staff entitled to benefits. Debt-laden Ireland, which remains in recession, was ravaged by the global financial crisis and received an 85-billion-euro ($106-billion) EU-IMF rescue package in late 2010.

Bankia fraud case opened MADRID: A Spanish court opened a fraud case against former executives of lender Bankia yesterday amid mounting public anger against the state-rescued bank. The lawsuit was brought by one of Spain’s smaller political parties and accuses 33 officials, including former chairman Rodrigo Rato, of fraud, price-fixing and falsifying accounts. The High Court demands that Rato and the other executives appear in person, and that former Bank of Spain governor Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez appears as a witness. The government took over Bankia in May after it became clear the bank could not cope with losses stemming from indiscriminate lending during a property boom which crashed four years ago. The bailout forced Spain to seek a European rescue package. Bankia holds more than 10 percent of Spanish deposits and is the biggest bank likely to receive a capital injection when the European bailout funds materialize later this year. Under new management, the bank has requested a 19-billion-euro ($24 billion) bailout. Bankia’s rescue, and the subsequent heavy losses for thousands of retail investors who took part in a stock market flotation of the bank last year, has angered Spaniards who are suffering from swingeing government spending cuts.

22

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

BUSINESS

Syria reverts to socialist economic policies AMMAN: In a drab state-owned supermarket in the heart of the Damascus suburb of Midan, Nazeer Khatib’s shopping trolley is packed with everything from Thai rice to a Chinese-made electric fruit mixer, all on sale at prices far lower than in shops nearby. “I never used to go to the state consumer cooperative but now it really helps me get at least 30 percent less on essential items including my rations of rice and sugar,” said Nazeer.

A father of six, Nazeer is now living on paltry savings since his small carpentry business was burnt down last month in Harasta, a suburb that has been rocked by violence almost daily since the outbreak of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime 15 months ago. For many lowwage earners, who make up the majority of Syria’s 20 million population, cheaper prices at state supermar-

kets, reminiscent of those in the Soviet Union, offer some reprieve from the economic fallout of the uprising, which has hammered key hard currency revenues from oil and tourism and sent the Syrian pound plunging.

A product of a 1960s nationalization program, state supermarkets had lost some of their appeal after modest economic liberalization began in 2005, which boosted the variety of goods available in private shops, spurring a consumer boom. Now they are seeing a revival as the government is being forced to roll back moves to a more market-oriented economy as it tries to ease economic hardship for the poor and contain social unrest.

“Economic policy is now subordinate to political priorities and for the Assad regime this is retention of power,” said one senior Syrian businessman who serves on the board of several

quasi-government bodies. The IMF forecast last September that the Syrian economy would contract by 2 percent in 2011 and that it would grow this year, but it has since excluded Syria from its Middle East/North Africa forecasts due to the uncertain political situation. Independent economists say the economic contraction has deepened and large swathes of the country are now severed from major industrial centers of production due to the fighting between the Syrian army and rebel forces. Plans to gradually remove government subsidies on items such as petrol and electricity, announced before the uprising began in a bid to ease pressure on government finances, are now being reversed.

“We have reduced prices in our outlets between 15 to 25 percent in line with our policy of supplying basic items especially foodstuffs,” said

Ahmad Ismail Al-Kishek, manager of a state-owned supermarket in Reef alSham area, a rural area on the outskirts of the capital. Subsidies will account for at least 30 percent of the record $27 billion the government plans to spend this year, according to its 2012 budget. Economists and bankers say the government is drawing on its foreign reserves and printing money to finance a budget deficit, which is officially projected to rise sharply to around $6.7 billion this year, due to falling tax and customs revenues and the cost of subsidizing energy.

Inflation now stands at around 30 percent, economists say.

RISING DEFICIT Since the unrest began in March 2011 , the authorities have also stepped up a nationwide crackdown on unscrupulous traders who resell

Samsung unveils latest generation of tablets

Oil retreats, focus on grim economy Weak economic data heightens stimulus hopes LONDON: Crude oil prices fell yesterday af ter a sharp gain the previous day as investors returned their focus to the grim global economic backdrop. Trading volume was expected to be limited while US markets were closed for the Independence Day holiday and ahead of meetings of policymakers at the European Central Bank and the Bank of England scheduled for Thursday.

Brent crude oil was 95 cents lower at $99.73 per barrel by 1105 GMT, after jumping more than 3 percent in the previous session on short-covering before the US holiday.

US crude fell 72 cents to $86.94 after settling on Tuesday at its highest close since May 30. “After a strong rally yesterday, with the US liquidity out of the market, the market is moving to a level that is easier to defend,” Filip Petersson, an analyst at SEB in Stockholm, said.

“I expect it to be a bit bearish, but a 1 percent fall after several days with several percent rises is not a big move.” Brent crude had reached as low as $88.49 on June 22.

Tuesday’s oil price rise was supported by

expectations for more monetary stimulus and by rising tension over Iran’s nuclear program, which fed worries about disruptions to supply. Iran has threatened to destroy US military bases across the Middle East and target Israel within minutes of being attacked, Iranian media reported yesterday, as Revolutionary Guards extended test-firing of ballistic missiles into a third day.

STIMULUS HOPES Risk assets such as commodities and stocks have also been supported by hopes for more monetary stimulus to boost slowing economic growth. China’s services firms grew at their slowest rate in 10 months in June, easing back from a 19-month peak in May, bolstering expectations that Beijing will deliver fur ther measures to drive growth. The European Central Bank is expected to cut its main refinancing rate to a record low below 1 percent at its policy meeting today. Investors are also hoping for action from the US Federal Reserve.

However, the weak data was also seen as

limiting the prospects for demand growth for commodities such as oil.

Deutsche Bank and Societe Generale have lowered their 2013 Brent price outlooks on expectations of weak demand due to the gloomy economic climate. US crude oil stocks fell more than expected last week, according to data released by industr y group the American Petroleum Institute late on Tuesday, helping to support prices.

Crude inventories tumbled by 3 million barrels in the week to June 29, well above the 1.9 million barrel drawdown forecast by analysts, with Gulf Coast stocks off nearly 4.3 million barrels. Yesterday ’s US holiday pushed back the US Energy Information Administrations inventory data to 11 am today. Also supporting prices, Norwegian trade unions put off a decision to escalate a strike by offshore oil and gas workers until Friday, extending their battle with employers to nearly two weeks. Norway labor union Industri Energi said it did not expect easy talks with employers. Meditation over an oil strike was to resume later. — Reuters

Turkey to cut Iran oil imports further ISTANBUL: Turkey is prepared to cut its Iranian oil imports by no more than an additional 10 percent from next year to persuade the United States to extend sanction exemptions when they expire in December, a high-level Turkish source said.

Last month Washington granted exemptions to Turkey and six other countries from its financial sanctions on Iran’s oil trade in return for significant cuts in their

pressed Turkey to follow the 20 percent reduction in oil purchases with a further cut in six months, but did not specify how much.

“It is impossible for us to suddenly halt our Iranian oil purchases, because around 50 percent of our imports are from this country,” said the Turkish source, who is close to the matter but requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. “The

purchases of Iranian oil.

It gave Turkey a 180-day exception from sanctions from June 11 as a result of an initial 20 percent cut made by Tupras , Turkey’s sole refiner. The exception meant Turkey’s Halkbank was able to make payments to the Iranian Central Bank for oil shipments to Tupras without fear of being blacklisted by the United States. A US diplomat subsequently said Washington had

heavily subsidized cooking gas and diesel at three to four times the official price in a flourishing black market. As well as capping consumer prices, the government has intervened through state banks to preserve scarce foreign currency, by limiting the financing of imports and intervening more aggressively to prop up the Syrian pound, which lost as much as 30 percent of its value since the uprising.

Economic liberalization had opened the country to foreign banks, external investment and tourism and encouraged Gulf investors to pour millions of dollars into real estate projects. Today the private sector is struggling. “Private sector activity is down so they are trying to reduce the impact on the economy by spending more and increasingly will become more indebted,” said one senior banker in Damascus, who requested anonymity. —Reuters

Americans can be convinced by making a reasonable reduction at the end of the 180-day exemption period granted to Turkey.

This reduction will not be as much as 20 percent; it will be around 10 percent,” he said.

Turkey imported an average of 180,000 barrels per day of Iranian crude in 2011, although purchases soared in April and March before falling steeply in May. — Reuters

KUWAIT: Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd, a leading global mobile phone provider, yesterday unveiled its latest generation of tablets, GALAXY Tab 2 series in Kuwait. The AndroidTM 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich powered GALAXY Tab 2 series is available in 7inch and 10.1-inch variants. Light and portable, the GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) is the ideal personal on-the-go device; while the larger GALAXY Tab 2 (10.1) is well-suited for home and family use. The new generation of devices is the first Samsung tablets to be fitted with the latest AndroidTM 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. It offers users a complete multimedia experience; powerful performance; and fun and easy way to communicate with their friends and family. “With the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 series, we aim to expand the choice of tablets for our consumers. Our current tablet portfolio includes products with variations in sizes, hardware and features,” said Ashraf Fawakherji, General Manager of Telecommunication Group at Samsung Gulf Electronics. “The GALAXY Tab 2 series is an ideal choice for consumers seeking a tablet that provides a complete multimedia experience whilst ensuring a solid performance in a compact form factor.”

Based on the Google’s latest Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, the users of the GALAXY Tab 2 series benefit from an enhanced performance for web and apps, upgraded user interface, advanced features and functionality such face recognition and face unlock. In addition, users will gain quick access to GoogleTM Mobile Services with direct launch of embedded YouTube, Google Search, Google Talk and other indispensable apps.

To ensure a wholesome entertainment experience, the GALAXY Tab 2 series features easy access to rich content through the Samsung HubsServices including the readers, music, game and video Hubs. In addition, users can also access a wide variety of fun and exciting apps on Google’s Android Market(tm).

Using the Samsung proprietary AllShare Play feature, users can also connect with other multimedia devices to share, download and store content to play it later on DLNA enabled TV. The Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 series enables fun and easy communication for its users. The devices are packed with value-added features such as voice-call, video-call and Samsung’s free multimedia messenger service, ChatOn. Using the GALAXY Tab 2, users can host a group video call with up to 10 people at a time via Google+ Hangouts.

The new generation of tablets boasts strong dual core processors that generate top-rate performance and maximum usage across various demanding apps. It offers a smooth multitasking and seamless multimedia experience with faster download speeds and quick web browsing. Guaranteeing maximum portability, the new GALAXY Tab 2 series is thin and light with the 10.1-inch version weighing 588gms and the 7-inch version weighing 345gms. The device is fitted with a microSD card slot to allow users to expand the devices memory up to 32GB. The Samsung GALAXY Tab 2 series is available in 3G and WiFi options in a 7-inch and 10.1-inch variants across all major electronic retail stores in Kuwait. The GALAXY Tab 2 (7.0) is retailing at prices starting at KD128while the GALAXY Tab 2 (10.1) is available at prices starting at KD 158.

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 .4350000 .3490000 .2900000 .2730000 .2850000 .0040000 .0020000 .0758370 .7388600 .3850000 .0720000 .7243200 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2786000 GB Pound/KD .4358140 Euro .3499220 Swiss francs .2913460 Canadian dollars .2749700 Danish Kroner .0470550 Swedish Kroner .0401780 Australian dlr .2861080 Hong Kong dlr .0359290 Singapore dlr .2203240 Japanese yen .0034880 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0758820 Bahraini dinars .7392860 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0743130 Omani riyals .7239180 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 .2810000 .2920000 .0070000 .0035000 .0765990 .7462860 .4030000 .0780000 .7316000 .0072000 .0510000 .2822000 .4414450 .3544430 .2951110 .2785230 .0476630 .0406970 .2898050 .0363940 .2231710 .0035330 .0052040 .0021170 .0029970 .0034630 .0768620 .7488390 .3991510 .0752730 .7332730 .0068320

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.883 77.158 729.380 745.850 76.464

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.250 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.466 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.309 Tunisian Dinar 176.65 Jordanian Dinar 396.190 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.884 Syrian Lier 4.899 Morocco Dirham 32.64 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.700 Euro 354.52 Sterling Pound 441.820 Canadian dollar 274.79 Turkish lire 152.400 Swiss Franc 295.01 US Dollar Buying 279.500 GOLD 293.000 148.000 75.250

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH

292.400 746.240 3.640 275.000 551.100 45.700 48.500 167.800 48.360 357.100 36.860 5.320 0.032 0.160 0.235 3.620 397.650 0.190 91.760 44.400 4.310 229.200 1.818

48.100 728.870 3.130 6.910 77.620 74.920 223.590 36.240 2.673 443.700 41.400 297.800 4.300 9.280 198.263 76.510 281.000 1.350

10 Tola

GOLD 1,709.330

Sterling Pound US Dollar

728.690 2.977 6.730 77.190 74.920 223.590 36.240 2.110 441.700 296.300 4.300 9.130 76.410 280.600

COUNTRY

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 441.700 280.600

SELL DRAFT

290.900 746.240 3.427 273.500

223.600 46.330 355.600 36.710 5.150 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

292.73 281.36 298.60 356.32 280.15 441.73 3.59 3.431 5.155 2.104 3.228 2.971 76.34 745.95 46.31 399.13 729.13 77.36 74.92

SELL CASH

288.000 279.000 299.000 357.000 281.250 442.000 3.650 3.550 5.950 2.260 3.650 3.200 77.000 745.150 48.200 397.500 732.000 78.000 75.150

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 397.610 0.189 91.760 3.240 227.700

Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

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

280.500 2.967 5.155 2.100 3.429 6.760 76.475 74.955 745.700 46.318 445.200 2.990 3.250 1.550 359.000 284.500

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

280.650 355.400 441.400 278.800 3.550 5.160 46.315 2.097 3.420 6.720 2.975 746.050 76.350 74.850

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

BUSINESS

Google in crosshairs over gun ban WASHINGTON: Google has banned gun sales from its new shopping platform, a move drawing fire from hunters and weapons enthusiasts but praised by gun control activists. Google made the change May 31 when it transformed its “product search,” which had consisted of free listings, into “Google Shopping,” which has paid listings and is governed by the tech giant’s advertising policies. In its shopping service, Google “doesn’t allow the promotion of weapons or devices designed to cause serious harm or injury,” the website said, describing its advertising policies.

The ban includes “guns, gun parts or hardware, ammunition, bombs, knives, throwing stars, and brass knuckles,” it said. Even though the policy was announced more than a month ago, it drew notice only in recent days after it was pointed out by a blog called Outdoor Hub, dedicated to “outdoor enthusiasts.” Blog contributor Edward Pierz said Google “censors” firearm searches, and linked to a petition to “Tell Google not to interfere with our 2nd amendment rights,” a reference to the constitutional right to bear arms.

“If you wish to purchase a gun, you are required to do a background check and utilize an FFL (federal firearms license) holder to make the purchase regardless of whether you buy it online or through a gun shop,” the petition says. “The new policy will only effectively disable many law abiding citizens from acquiring legal weapons for legitimate purposes at reasonable prices, and hurt many small business’s income.” Other gun rights activists also poured criticism on the

California tech giant. A National Rifle Association statement said Google “has adopted a new and discriminatory policy with respect to the advertising of firearms, ammunition and related products.”

“This appears to be a calculated political statement

by Google at a time when most other large online retailers and search services are increasing the level of information they provide and the number of gun-related products they offer for sale,” the NRA said.

“Fortunately, with so many other options available to consumers, Google’s attempt to limit information about legal and constitutionally protected products will likely prove futile.” But Daniel Vice, senior attorney at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, welcomed the move.

“We applaud Google for acting to restrict sales of dangerous weapons that would frequently occur without background checks,” Vice said. “The Internet is a notorious source of guns for killers.

Vice said one recent study by Mayors Against Illegal Guns showed 62 percent of online gun sellers were willing to sell weapons to people who could not pass a background check. “It’s so easy online to find guns and buy them without a background check, so Google’s policy is more than reasonable,” he said. Bloggers in favor of gun rights were sharply critical, however. On the Texas Bowhunter blog, one contributor wrote: “Google is shooting themselves in the foot (pun intended). I guess they won’t mind the government’s attempt at censoring the Internet... ‘in the interest of consumer safety.’”

A Google spokeswoman declined to comment on the reasons for the policy. She said guns may show up on “an organic search” but not in shopping searches.

But the Shopping policies point out that Google “has a strong culture and values, and we’ve chosen not to allow ads that promote products and services that are incompatible with these values.” Matt McGee of the

tech blog Search Engine Land said the change “certainly seems to be within Google’s rights.” But he added it “seems like a slippery slope to use vague terms like ‘culture and values’ to determine who can and can’t list products in Shopping Search-a slope that’s likely to open Google up to further criticism if it continues to apply that principle to other industries.”— AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: A Google+ logo is seen at Google’s annual developer conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco. — AFP

Jordan’s private sector loans rise to $23.4bn Jordan seeks 830,000 tons oil products

SANTO DOMINGO: Photo shows the completed facilities of Pueblo Viejo mine in the Sanchez Ramirez province. One of the world’s largest gold mining operations, run by a joint venture of Canadian companies Barrick Gold and Goldcorp, is about to open in the Dominican Republic, where the industry has a toxic legacy of pollution that stained rivers a searing red and failed to lift the fortunes of this largely poor country. — AP

Gold hovers near two-week highs LONDON: Gold held near two-week highs yesterday and was set for its second successive weekly gain, thanks to a modest decline in the dollar that may sharpen investor appetite for the metal, although a US public holiday will likely temper any gains. Investment demand for bullion has flagged over the last few months, in light of the high degree of uncertainty over the impact of the euro-zone debt crisis on the global economy that has resulted in the dollar emerging as the safe-haven asset of choice, to the detriment of gold. Yet holdings of gold in exchange-traded funds, often used as a gauge of longer-term investor demand, have eased this week, but remain less than half a percent off March’s record high above 70.89 million ounces.

This week could be decisive in determining the likely course of monetary policy in both the United States and the euro-zone, where the low interest rates that prevail in both regions have been instrumental in creating demand for gold. The European Central Bank meets today to discuss monetary policy and is widely expected to cut euro-zone rates to a record low to try to contain the debt crisis, without resorting to buying the sovereign bonds of heavily indebted nations such as Spain and Italy to lower their borrowing costs.

More crucially for the gold market is US monthly employment data tomorrow, which will offer some proof of the ability of the economy to generate jobs and the scope for the Federal Reserve to take additional policy measures to stimulate growth. Spot gold was bid at $1,615.99 an ounce at 0953 GMT, down 0.1 percent on the day and was up nearly 1 percent on the week, set for its second consecutive weekly rally, its longest stretch of gains since late February. COMEX gold futures for August delivery traded down 0.4 percent on the day at $1,616.20 on the Globex electronic platform.

“We are still not seeing any notable pick-up on a sustained basis in physical demand from key Asian markets and I don’t think the bigger institutions are going to get heavily involved again until we get more certainty about the Fed’s actions,” Credit Suisse analyst Tom Kendall said. “For now, there is a pretty strong technical cap between$1,635 and $1,640.” The US monthly jobs report is expected to show 90,000 workers were added to non-farm payrolls in June and the unemployment rate held at 8.2 percent. The May report showed the

slowest growth in payrolls in a year and revived speculation that the Fed could resort to more asset purchases to anchor borrowing rates to boost the economy, particularly ahead of this November’s presidential elections.

FED TRUMPS ECB The ECB’s widely expected decision today to cut rates by 25 basis points to a record low 0.75 percent could prove positive for gold, even if shifts in US rates have more impact on the dollar-price of the metal. “Gold tends to benefit from easier monetary policy,” HSBC analyst James Steel said. “....while an ECB rate cut might be initially bearish for the euro it should ultimately help support the euro to the extent that it relieves financial market pressures in the euro-zone. Based on the positive correlation between the euro and gold prices, an ECB rate cut could therefore be near-term bearish but eventually bullish for gold.”

The correlation between the euro/dollar exchange rate and the gold price touched its strongest in 2-1/2 months yesterday, rising to 0.60 from below 0.40 in late June, meaning the two assets are more likely to move in tandem with each other than they were two weeks ago. In fundamental news for gold, output in China, the world’s largest producer, stood at 31.2 tons in May, up from 28.8 tons in April and the highest monthly figure this year. The steadier tone in gold extended to silver, to which it tends to be quite strongly positively correlated. The correlation between the two rose to 0.89, from around 0.85 late last week, the highest since March.

Silver was last flat on the day at $28.41 an ounce. Platinum slid 0.8 percent on the day to $1,470.29, while palladium rose by 0.3 percent to $596.25. The palladium price staged its biggest one-day rally since late December on Tuesday, when it rose by 3.82 percent. The previous session’s weakness in the dollar, which makes it more profitable for non-U.S. investors to buy dollar-priced assets, together with data that showed car sales in the United States beat expectations in June helped trigger the rally.

The figures, which showed a 22-percent rise in sales in the world’s second-largest car market last month, showed an annualized sales rate of 14.1 million vehicles, compared with analysts’ estimates of 13.9 million. Palladium is employed mainly in the catalytic converters of gasoline-powered vehicles, which are the most commonly used in the US market. — Reuters

AMMAN: Private loans extended by Jordan’s banks stood at 16.6 billion dinars ($23.4 billion) at end of May, up 2.46 pct since the end of December, showing signs of easier credit from risk averse banks, central bank data showed yesterday. Outstanding private sector loans made by the country’s 23 commercial banks stood at 16.2 billion dinars at the end of December 2011, Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) data obtained by Reuters showed.

They were up 3.5 percent year-on-year at the end of May compared with 16.03 billion dinars in the same period last year. Banks had become more cautious about extending new loans since a wave of Arab unrest swept the region, dealing a new blow to potential borrowers after the global downturn, which continues to slow growth and domestic consumption. But some banks have begun easing tight credit terms to top tier companies after months of slow lending

hurt banks’ profits, especially those awash with liquidity, bankers say.

In another development, Jordan Petroleum Refinery, the country’s sole refinery, is seeking 830,000 tons of oil products for delivery from September to December, trade sources said yesterday. A series of attacks on a pipeline running through Egypt, Israel and Jordan disrupted gas supply to the countries, forcing them to turn to oil products such as gasoil which are often used to fuel back-up power generators.

The refiner is seeking 500,000 tons of 0.5 percent sulphur gasoil, 210,000 tons of 3.5 percent sulphur fuel oil and 120,000 tons of 95-octane gasoline in a tender that is expected to be officially floated later on Wednesday, one of the traders said. The tender will close on July 31, with offers to stay valid for 10 days. The delivery period could extend to March if gas deliveries from Egypt are approved, a Jordan-based indus-

Emirates Islamic Bank prices $500m sukuk DUBAI: Emirates Islamic Bank, the sharia-compliant arm of Dubai’s largest lender Emirates NBD, priced a $500 million sukuk yesterday, as the lender took advantage of strong demand for Islamic debt from the Gulf Arab region. The sukuk, due to mature in January 2018, priced at par at a spread of 310 basis points over midswaps and carried a profit rate of 4.147 percent, lead arrangers said.

It is EIB’s second debt markets foray this year, after the lender issued a $500 million Islamic bond in January.

That issue carried a profit rate of 4.718 percent. That sukuk, maturing in 2017 was bid at 103.25 cents to the dollar yesterday, to yield 3.9 percent.

Following substantially oversubscribed bond sales from Dubai-based mall developer Majid Al Futtaim Holding and the Bahrain government last week, EIB would also have benefited from the recent tightening of spreads and increased international interest for regional debt. On Tuesday, EIB had issued initial price talk in the area of 330 basis points over midswaps. A significant tightening of guidance at launch indicates there was strong demand for the deal; arranging banks said books were around $3.75 billion ahead of launch. Emirates NBD Capital, Credit Agricole, Dubai Islamic Bank, HSBC Holdings and Standard Chartered Plc were bookrunners on the transaction.

TAMWEEL POSTPONES SUKUK SALE In another development, Islamic mortgage lender Tamweel has decided to delay the sale of a $235 million sharia-compliant asset-backed securitization after taking feedback from the market, the company said in yesterday. Investors and traders in the Gulf region said the deal structure was too complex by regional standards, which has only ever seen one previous Islamic asset-backed transaction. “Tamweel has decided not to proceed with the RMBS (residential mortgage-backed securities) at this time based on market feedback,” the company said in a bourse statement. Tamweel, a unit of Dubai Islamic Bank, completed roadshows for a potential deal at the end of June, which would have been backed by properties and receivables located in Dubai. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, UBS and Emirates NBD were lead managers on the deal, which would have been a rare example of a securitization from the Gulf Arab region. Tamweel shares closed 2.4 percent higher on the Dubai bourse before the sukuk announcement. —Agencies

try source said. Jordan’s crude oil and petroleum products import bill in the first quarter of the year surged 63.7 percent from the same period last year to 1.81 billion dinars ($2.55 billion).

Energy imports were almost 35.8 percent of total imports, the data showed. The burden of imported fuel costs has risen after the loss of regular cheap Egyptian gas supplies that previously covered nearly 80 percent of Jordan’s electricity generation. That forced the authorities to switch to more expensive fuel oil to run power plants. Jordan invited international contractors to pre-qualify for a crude oil and products terminal at its Red Sea port of Aqaba in May, after large import volumes put pressure on its only oil jetty, which can accommodate tankers of around 400,000 tons. Jordan last purchased 500,000 tons of gasoil for delivery over June to August from BB Energy at a premium of about $34 a ton to Middle East quotes. — Agencies

China scraps factory plan Authorities bow to violent protests SHIFANG: Police stood guard over hundreds of people gathered in a tense Chinese city yesterday, a day after authorities bowed to violent protests and cancelled plans to build a controversial factory. The protests in Shifang city highlighted and fuelled concerns around China over the impacts of rampant economic development on the environment, with millions of Chinese closely following developments on the Internet. Shifang authorities on Tuesday night announced they would not build the $1.6-billion metals factory-after two days of clashes during which riot police used tear gas to quell thousands of protesters. “Shifang from this day forward will not build this project,” Shifang Communist Party chief Li Chengjing said in a statement.

Authorities also announced they would release 21 of 27 people initially detained, giving in to another key demand of the protesters. The backdown over the factory and release of the detainees, which came a day after the government said initially that it would only suspend construction, appeared a rare win for grassroots environmental activism in China. Incidents similar to the one in Shifang are reported regularly around China, many over environmental concerns that locals say are linked to corruption, but authorities typically quash the protests and push ahead with the projects.

Some Shifang residents welcomed the government’s backdown, but others expressed caution that the announcement was not genuine and only aimed at ending the protests. “I think... that because there are too many mass protests, they just want to use this method to get rid of the crowds,” one resident, who asked not to be identified said. “I personally think (the factory will be built), but I don’t know for sure.” However, another resi-

dent expressed relief and said she believed the government. “We are very happy to hear the announcement that they will not build the plant any more,” she said. Adding to the uncertainty, an official with the company that was to build the factory, Shanghai-listed Sichuan Hongda, said it had not been officially informed that the plant had been scrapped.

“Our company has not received the official document from the government that the... project will not be built,” the official, who gave only his surname Lin said. Lin also insisted the environmental fears of the local community were unfounded. “In the project plan, the investment in environmental protection was very high and it would not have a very big impact on the lives of the local people.”

Hongda’s share price fell 9.24 percent yesterday, just shy of the 10-percent daily limit. In a sign of lingering tensions in Shifang, a few hundred people continued yesterday to gather around the main government office where the worst of the protests had occurred, an AFP photographer witnessed.

The people were not calling out, holding banners or protesting in other visible forms, but a heavy police presence stood guard around them. Elsewhere around the city of about 200,000 people, many police vehicles patrolled the streets, although there were no signs of the riot police that had sought to quell the protests on Monday and Tuesday.

Authorities also said they were still detaining six people for crimes such as smashing public property and overturning cars, as well as throwing flower pots and stones. Two people were killed in the protests, according to rights watchdog Chinese Human Rights Defenders, although the government denied anyone had died. — AFP

S&P raises Philippine credit rating to BB+ MANILA: Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services yesterday raised its credit rating on the Philippines to one notch below investment grade, a move likely to boost bonds and currency trades and further lift an equity market that has hit new peaks this week. The ratings move by S&P puts the country one rung below its Southeast Asian neighbor Indonesia, which bagged investment grade ratings from Fitch Ratings last year and Moody’s Investors Service early this year. S&P said it upgraded the long-term sovereign credit rating of the Philippines to BB plus from BB with a stable outlook, citing improved fiscal flexibility and strong external position, but said further rating improvements depends on Manila’s ability to raise income levels or sustain revenue reforms. “The foreign currency rating upgrade

reflects our assessment of gradually easing fiscal vulnerability, as the government’s fiscal consolidation improves its debt profile and lowers its interest burden,” S&P said in a statement.

“The rating action also reflects the country’s strengthening external position, with remittances and an expanding service export sector continuing to drive current account surpluses.” S&P said the country’s high, although declining, interest burden and weak revenues were rating constraints, along with relatively high government foreign-currency debt at 42 percent of the total. The Philippines is one of several Southeast Asian countries showing stronger signs of resilience to global turbulence than the rest of Asia as buoyant domestic spending offsets struggling exports.

Presidential press secretary Ricky Carandang said in a text message to reporters that the ratings move affirmed the government’s fiscal management strategy. “At a time when countries around the world are debating austerity versus stimulus, we have had the fiscal space to provide stimulus without weakening our fiscal position.”

Finance secretary Cesar Purisima said in a text message to reporters: “We can now clearly make our case for an investment grade status.” Manila wants to win its first investment grade rating before President Benigno Aquino steps down from office in 2016 to lower the country’s borrowing costs and widen its base of potential investors, as some funds have restrictions on holding sub investment grade debt.— Reuters

SHIFANG: Chinese paramilitary police guard the government offices in the city of Shifang in China’s Sichuan province yesterday; a day after authorities bowed to violent protests and cancelled plans to build a controversial metals factory. — AFP

24

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

business

How Stockton went broke: A 15-year spending binge Stockton’s fortunes linked to housing boom and bust SAN FRANCISCO: The man in charge of the biggest US city ever to file for bankruptcy is clear about the root of the crisis. It was a decision that gave firefighters full healthcare in retirement starting on Jan. 1, 1996, s aid Bob Deis, the city manager of Stockton, California. At the time, the move seemed cheaper than giving pay raises s ought by unions, officials involved in the decision said.

When other Stockton employees demanded the same healthcare deal in following years, the city agreed.

Deis, who signed Stockton’s bankruptcy filing last Thursday, slammed the decision to provide free healthcare to retirees as a “Ponzi scheme” that eventually left the city with a whopping $417 million liability. Before the turn of the millennium, things looked very different in California. The US stock market was booming, bolstering Stockton’s p ension funds. Real estate values were about to soar, too, bringing a flood of new tax revenue to the once quiet farming town of about 300,000 people about 85 miles east of San Francisco - in California’s Central Valley.

THE TRADE-OFF To counter demands for wage hikes from city workers in the 1990s, Stockton offered to extend their health insurance in retirement past age 65 - a benefit they embraced and assumed to be rock solid until the insolvent city’s officials put it on the chopping block in a bankruptcy plan last week. “It was a balancing act,” said Dwane Milnes, Stockton’s

city manager at the time. “The unions wanted retiree medical ... We said if you want to continue your medical for current employees and retirees, you’ll have to do it through wage containment.”

Milnes, who represented Stockton’s retirees in recent talks with City Hall, said the strategy was sound at the time. “We were satisfied that based on a conservative view of the economy and based on the medical inflation rate we were experiencing in the 1990s, the city could adequately fund retiree medical.” Detective Mark McLaughlin said Stockton’s labor unions embraced the trade - off, which in the police department’s case helped with recruiting and retention. “It was an easy sell,” he said, adding that city workers believed the money they gave up in pay increases would be able to pay for the health benefit.

SPEND, SPEND, SPEND Other US cities have also experienced boom and bust like Stockton. But analysts and investors generally see Stockton as an extreme case of fiscal mismanagement over the past two decades. Daniel Berger, a senior market analyst at Municipal Market Data, a unit of Thomson Reuters, said last week, before the bankruptcy filing, that the municipal bond market had viewed Stockton’s fiscal problems as “a slowmoving train wreck.” The possible bankruptcy filing, he said at the time, was seen as an “isolated occurrence.”

As the 2000s advanced, Stockton

continued to spend freely with the support of voters, politicians from both parties, employees and bondholders.

Rating agencies were quiet about any risks and only started to downgrade the city’s creditworthiness two years ago.

Generous pension deals were offered in the early 2000s. City officials, looking to transform their sleepy downtown, approved spending on large projects to raise Stockton’s profile and turn it into a bedroom community for San Francisco and the Bay Area.

Homebuilding went into overdrive.

Home prices skyrocketed to a median of nearly $400,000 in 2006 from a median of $110,000 in 2000. Stockton’s revenues jumped, too. Its general fund, which pays the city’s operating costs, swelled to $186.4 million in 2007 from $139.1 million in the 2001 fiscal year.

ROYAL PENSIONS Like other cities in California, Stockton chose to offer many public safety workers the same benefits as those mandated by a state law for highway patrol officers. The change allowed police officers to retire at 50 with pensions based on 3 percent of final pay for each year in service, up from 2 percent before. City employees in other unions also received more generous pensions with eligibility to retire at age 55 - with 2 percent of final pay multiplied by the number of years of service. This is in contrast to the vast majority of privatesector workers who cannot receive Social Security payments before they

are at least 62. By the 2000s, Stockton’s full-time employees were also entitled t o free healthcare for life. Still, there seemed little cause for concern. With huge stock market gains from the 1990s, city officials were confident about meeting pension costs. After all, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index index quadrupled between early Januar y 1990 and late March 2000. Police and firefighters continued to win further concessions. Generous allowances were offered to police officers to buy their uniforms, bonuses were introduced based on years of service, and retiring officers claimed cash payments for unused vacation days - accumulated over years in some cases.

Warning signs grew that retiree healthcare costs were rising fast. The city miscalculated the rate of inflation for medical costs during the 2000s. But Stockton’s leaders burned through their reserves and began planning new construction projects to make the city more appealing to new residents. A $47 million bond issue in 2004 was meant to finance construction of a sports and concert arena to revitalize t he city’s downtown. The arena was built, but it ended up losing money. A downtown high-rise building was acquired for a new City Hall. A revamp of Stockton’s downtown river front was financed, along with other projects, by more than $100 million in debt between 2004 and 2006 by the city ’s redevelopment agency.

Stockton ended up absorbing that

debt after California’s governor eliminated local redevelopment agencies last year. It seems unlikely that Stockton will be able to sell those real estate assets at a gain. “Most of the assets that look nice are under water,” said Deis, the city manager. A $125 million pension obligation bond sold by Stockton in 2007 also backfired.

Stockton passed the proceeds to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, or Calpers, to pay down unfunded liabilities at the pension fund. Then the fund suffered steep losses when financial markets plunged in 2008 and early 2009 and left Stockton with a 23 percent loss on its invested proceeds and in debt to investors who bought the bonds.

HOUSING BUST’S TRAIL OF PAIN The worst damage was done by the housing crash. Median home prices in Stockton slumped to $110,000 in 2009, erasing nearly a decade’s gains. General fund revenues in the current fiscal year are projected at $155 million, just above their level in 2001. The real estate bust made Stockton one of the foreclosure capitals of the United States.

Property-tax revenues tumbled. The city began its new fiscal year on July 1 with its 1,420-strong workforce down by a quarter from three years earlier.

Debt service has ballooned to $17.2 million a year from $3 million just six years ago. Stockton has already defaulted on about $2 million in bond payments since February.— Reuters

Shares dragged lower by grim economic data Euro struggles on weak data, ECB meeting LONDON: World shares, the euro and oil prices fell yesterday as weak data highlighted the headwinds facing the global economy, though hopes of more monetary stimulus from central banks limited the falls. Strong demand for safe-haven German debt at a bond auction also signaled that investors remain worried over the implementation of recently agreed measures to help ease the eurozone’s debt crisis, sending yields on Spanish and Italian debt higher.

Activity was subdued, however, with US markets closed for the Independence Day holiday and ahead of policy decisions from the European Central Bank and Bank of England today. In the quiet market Germany found it easy to sell 3.3 billion euros ($4.2 billion) of 5-year government bonds, receiving bids for 2.7 times the amount on offer at an average yield of just 0.52 percent. “What we are seeing is that ... this demand for safety remains intact,” said Michael Leister, rate strategist at DZ Bank.

After the auction 10-year Spanish bond yields rose 11 basis points to 6.38 percent, and the Italian equivalent rose 12 basis points to 5.76 percent. The euro shed 0.2 percent against the dollar to hit $1.2565, but was still holding above Tuesday’s low of $1.2559. Traders said the euro was under pressure from widespread expectations that the ECB is about to cut interest rates. The single currency fell to an 11-1/2 year low against the higher-yielding Swedish crown when Sweden’s central bank kept its key interest rates unchanged.

EQUITIES SLIDE European share markets ended three days of gains, with the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares falling 0.3 percent to 1,042.94 points, retreating from a two-month high set on Tuesday.

European equity markets began their latest rally on Friday, having fallen sharply for much of June, after European Union leaders agreed on new measures to support the region’s banks and address funding problems facing Spain at a summit meeting.

Investors have also been encouraged back into riskier asset markets by the belief that the ECB will cut rates today and that it may also inject fresh funds to help boost the region’s struggling economy. A Reuters poll of economists showed a majority of economists expect the ECB to cut its main rate 25 basis points to 0.75 percent today, while mon-

ey market traders are evenly split on whether the central bank will cut the deposit rate, a separate survey showed.

“Investors will also want to see if the ECB President will highlight downside risks to growth and inflation, which will set the ground for more easing,” said Paul Robson, currency strategist at RBS. The Bank of England is expected to launch a third round of monetary stimulus at its meeting.

GLOBAL SLOWDOWN Data releases from across the globe continue to add weight to the view that the world economy is slowing down. An index of activity among private Chinese service sector firms showed them growing at their slowest rate in 10 months in June as new order growth cooled, though the index has posted 43 months of consistent expansion. Another survey showed Germany’s services sector unexpectedly stagnated in June, ending an eight-month period of expansion as new order intake dropped.

A composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the whole euro area, which surveyed thousands of companies, was revised up in June, but has been below the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction for nine of the last 10 months. “Even Germany looks to have fallen into a renewed decline, though only a very modest drop in output is signaled. The pace of downturns in other major euro member states is far more worrying,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at data provider Markit.

He said output in Italy probably declined 1 percent in the second quarter, with steep downturns also on the cards in Spain and France.

COMMODITIES STEADY The prospect of further central bank monetary easing has supported the prices of gold and other commodities this week, but the increasingly grim news about the health of the world economy has sparked a retreat. “We believe that the euro-zone crisis, the US fiscal cliff, and the possibility of a hard landing in China will give the markets plenty to worry about and will keep risk appetite low and constrained,” Societe Generale said. The bank has lowered its price outlook for Brent crude by $5 a barrel to $100. Brent crude, which had also been gaining on rising tension over Iran’s nuclear program, was 90 cents lower at $99.80 per barrel after jumping more than 3 percent on Tuesday.

Brent crude was trading as low as $88.49 on June 22. Spot gold was little changed at $1,616.05 an ounce, after rising more than 4 percent since last Friday.

It hit a two-week high of $1,624.70 on Tuesday. The gold market is likely to remain steady ahead of the release of US monthly employment data on Friday, which may encourage talk the Federal Reserve will join with its European counterparts in taking additional policy easing measures. The US monthly jobs report is expected to show 90,000 workers were added to non-farm payrolls in June and the unemployment rate held at 8.2 percent. —Reuters

TOKYO: People watch the electric stock index display of a securities firm in Tokyo yesterday. — AP

Sri Lanka budget gap ‘not a worry’ COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s finance ministry yesterday said slower spending would help it meet a budget deficit aim of 6.2 percent of gross domestic product despite revenues falling far short of target in the first four months of the year. Sri Lanka’s budget deficit was 285.8 billion rupees ($2.14 billion) through April 2012, the finance ministry said, almost 61 percent of the full-year target of 468.9 billion rupees, as rising costs for imported fuel and higher interest rates dampened the economy.

But the finance ministry said slower spending planned for the rest of the year could allow it to meet the

target, a level agreed to with the International Monetary Fund as part of a $2.6 billion loan program aimed at easing balance of payments pressure. “I am quite comfortable of hitting 6.2 percent target. The first four months payment is front loaded and will not be the issue in the second half,” P B Jayasundera, secretary to the island nation’s finance ministry and treasury told Reuters.

Revenues rose 9.1 percent through April, but were outpaced by a spending jump of 29 percent compared to the same period last year.

An analyst said the finance ministry assessment seemed optimistic. “I

think a 6.2 percent deficit is a tough task,” Danushka Samarasinghe, the head of research at Colombo-based TKS Securities said.

“With economic growth also slowing, 6.2 percent is very difficult.

It could end somewhere around 7 percent this year, similar to last year.”

Sri Lanka was compelled in February to introduce sweeping policy changes as it faced a high trade deficit, which doubled to hit a record high of $9.7 billion last year. The IMF last month revised down Sri Lanka’s economic growth to 6.75 percent this year, from an earlier estimate of 7.5 percent.— Reuters

25

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

business

Microsoft takes $6.2 bn hit to account for ad woes SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft is absorbing a $6.2 billion charge to reflect that one of the biggest deals in its 37-year history turned out to be a dud. The non-cash charge announced Monday could saddle Microsoft Corp. with a loss for its fiscal fourth quarter ended in June.

Analysts polled by FactSet had predicted Microsoft would earn about $5.3 billion for the period. The company hasn’t suffered a quarterly loss during the past 20 years, according to its website.

Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Wash., is scheduled to release its latest quarterly results on July 19. The world’s largest software maker blamed the setback on the disappointing performance of aQuantive.

That’s an online advertising service that Microsoft bought for $6.3 billion in 2007 to mount a more serious challenge to one of its biggest

rivals, Internet search leader Google Inc. The aQuantive deal ranked as the most expensive deal in Microsoft’s history until it was eclipsed last year by the company ’s $8.5 billion purchase of Internet video chat service Skype.

Investors can only hope Skype works out better than aQuantive. Microsoft’s $6.2 billion charge represents a sobering acknowledgement that aQuantive didn’t bring in as much online advertising revenue as envisioned, forcing management to write off most of the purchase price. To add to Microsoft’s mortification, Google has been milking the acquisition of an aQuantive rival to widen its lead in the steadily growing online ad market.

Google bought DoubleClick for $3.2 billion about eight months after Microsoft took control of aQuantive, Since then, Google’s annual profit and advertising

sales have more than doubled.

Last year, Google earned $9.7 billion and collected $36.5 billion in ad revenue.

Microsoft’s online division has sustained losses totaling of nearly $9 billion since the company bought aQuantive. The online division generated $2.5 billion in revenue during Microsoft’s fiscal 2011, just $54 million more than in fiscal 2007.

Although the online division has been faring slightly better in the past year, “the company’s expectations for future growth and profitability are lower than previous estimates,” Microsoft said in a Monday statement.

Bing, a search engine that Microsoft unveiled four years ago, has been getting more usage, but most of its gains have come at the expense of a business partner, Yahoo Inc. Microsoft’s search technology has been powering searches on Yahoo’s website for nearly two

years, but that alliance hasn’t dented Google’s market share.

Google’s share of the US search advertising market has risen from 74 percent in 2010 to 78 percent this year, according to

the research firm eMarketer.

Meanwhile, Yahoo’s share U.S. search advertising has fallen from 10 percent in 2010 to less than 5 percent this year while Microsoft’s cut has remained

WASHINGTON: The Microsoft headquarters campus in Redmond, Wash. Microsoft Corp. said that it will take $6.2 billion charge for the declining value of online ad division. — AP

unchanged at 7 percent.

BGP Financial Partners analyst Colin Gillis doesn’t expect the hefty charge to dampen investors’ enthusiasm as the anticipation builds for the upcoming release of Microsoft’s latest version of the Windows operating system that remains the company’s biggest moneymaker.

The revisions in Windows 8, expected to hit the market this fall, are being counted on to help revive personal computer sales and establish Microsoft as a major player in the tablet computer market. “AQuantive didn’t work out, but everyone already pretty much knew that,” Gillis said.

“Now, they are just mopping up.” Microsoft shares shed 13 cents to $30.43 in Monday’s extended trading. At that level, Microsoft’s stock price has still posted a 17 percent gain so far this year. — AP

France slaps 7 billion euros in taxes on rich, big firms Govt under pressure to meet deficit targets

LISBON: A man sits on a bench next to the statue of the “Portuguese Migrant” in front of the Santa Apolonia station in Lisbon. — AFP

Portugal turns to natural resources in crisis times BOA FE: In the two centuries Rome ruled the Atlantic coast of Iberia, the army mined and shipped home 129,000 ounces of gold and 25 million ounces of silver. More than two millenia later, faced with recession, record-high unemployment and a stubbornly high debt, modern Portugal is following in the Romans’ footsteps to take advantage of its natural assets. The new government is trying to draw mining giants to extract everything from iron ore to gold, silver and tungsten in the hope of cashing in on the 4 percent of revenues it will gain from each operation.

Mining giant Rio Tinto and the Portuguese government are currently putting the finishing touches on an experimental concession contract to mine iron ore in the north of the country in an investment that could be worth over 1 billion euros. “With the strategy we have been pursuing for the mining sector, Portugal’s resources and its potential could rise up to twice current gross domestic product, which is to say more than 200 billion euros,” said Ricardo Pinto, a mining advisor at the economy ministry, estimating the value of all possible future mining projects.

It has granted 30 mining concessions since it came to power last year, which should add up to about 300 million euros in initial investments. About half of the concessions are at the prospecting stage, but many are expected to lead to production soon, drawing potentially much bigger investments. The gold deposits currently being investigated at Boa Fe in sunny Alentejo will be extracted in an open-air mine, which takes much less time to activate than an underground mine. Existing mines that have been abandoned are now being reactivated.

“We see mining taking a key role in Portugal’s recovery. The geology and infrastructure is excellent and it is a void the private sector will fill,” said Peter Rose, an analyst at London-based Fox Davies, an independent natural resources investment bank. Portugal’s mining industry is a “pretty compelling story,” Rose said, thanks to the high quality of resources, good local infrastructure and modest wages. The country’s very name comes from Porto, a town that owes its development to mining by

Romans along the Douro River, or ‘River of Gold’ as they named it.

WHY NOW? Under the terms of a 78-billion-euro bailout from the European Union and IMF, Portugal has launched sweeping austerity measures, with across-theboard tax hikes and wage cuts. Where the euro zone boom led previous governments to focus on public works financed by debt rather than on industries such as mining, the new centre-right government is homing in on mining as an economic driver for the future. Despite its wellknown natural riches, especially in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, Portugal has overlooked the sector for decades due to depressed metal prices and the financial crisis in the 1980s.

Its mining history goes far beyond gold. The country possesses several world class deposits, such as tungsten in Panasqueira and iron in Moncorvo, both in the north, as well as copper in Neves Corvo, in the south of the country. It is currently Europe’s fourth largest copper producer and a major producer of tin, tungsten and uranium. It produces 150 tons of wolframite ore per month in Panasqueira, while ravenous copper demand from China has pumped up production at Neves Cor vo, where Canadian-Swedish mining group Lundin mining estimates production of up to 57,000 tons of copper and 40,000 tons of zinc this year.

Moncorvo is about to be reactivated by giant Rio Tinto. Metal prices have risen to all-time highs over the last decade due to demand from China, but also India and Brazil. Prices have stabilized recently but demand remains resilient, and could provide a serious fillip for the country in these crisis times.

“Metal prices have 15-to-20-year cycles and its pressing that we take advantage of the positive trend, because mineral resources contribute in a very expressive way to economic recovery,” said Mario Machdo Leite, a board member of the National Geology Laboratory.

“Rising metal prices and technologic development make extraction and processing more effective, allowing us now to have greater expectations of a resumption of mining.” — Reuters

Burgan Bank offers Special discounts to card holders KUWAIT: Burgan Bank has announced that its credit card holders are entitled to a 15% discount during the summer months to some of the top hotels in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which include The Armani Hotel, The Address hotels, and Nuran Hotels. The United Arab Emirates, more specifically Dubai, has quickly become the vacation spot of choice for the region. Burgan Bank understands that our customers like to enjoy the finer things in life, and so we continuously strive to find ways to add to those experiences.

This promotion applies to all hotel room bookings and runs up until the end of September 2012.

Burgan Bank offers a variety of services and benefits to its card holders, in an effort to accommodate the needs of its diverse customer base. To find out more about Burgan Bank’s banking serves 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.

PARIS: France’s new Socialist government announced a raft of tax rises worth 7.2 billions euros yesterday, including heavy one-off levies on wealthy households and big corporations, to plug a revenue shortfall this year from feeble economic growth.

A one-off levy of 2.3 billion euros ($2.90 billion) on those with net wealth of more than 1.3 million euros and 1.1 billion euros in extraordinary taxes on large banks and on energy firms holding oil stocks were central parts of an amended 2012 budget presented to parliament ahead of a vote later in July. The measures, in line with President Francois Hollande’s elec tion campaign pledges, should be approved without hitches given the Socialists’ clear majority in parliament. Hollande, in power since mid-May, says the rich should pay their share as France battles to cut its public deficit from 5.2 percent of GDP last year to within 4.5 percent this year and 3 percent in 2013 despite a stagnant economy and rising debt.

The new budget followed a grim assessment of public finances on Monday by the state auditor, which warned that 6-10 billion euros of deficit cuts were needed in 2012 and a hefty 33 billion euros in 2013 if France was to achieve its deficit goals and avoid the risk of a spiral in public debt.

“The immediate effort will come from tax revenues but there will be an effor t on spending during the rest of the government ’s term,” Budget M inister Jerome Cahuzac told a news conference, referring to the government’s strategy of paving the way for painful austerity measures with taxes on the rich. “Cutting spending is like slowing down a supertanker: it takes time,” he later added.

TAX DIVIDEND The government said the amended budget was necessary after the previous conservative government of President Nicolas Sarkozy systematically overestimated economic growth and the responsiveness of tax revenues. Prime Minister JeanMarc Ayrault on Tuesday slashed this year’s official growth forecast to 0.3 percent of GDP from a previous estimate of 0.7 percent, and to 1.2 percent in 2013 from 1.75 percent previously.

By eliminating a tax exemption on overtime introduced by Sarkozy, the Socialists

aim to raise 980 million euros this year.

Repealing a law which shifted labor charges onto a rise in VAT sales tax will also have a net positive effect for 800 million euros, and a doubling of a tax on financial transactions to 0.2 percent will bring in 170 million euros. Other tax measures in the budget include a 3 percent tax to be paid by companies on dividends distributed to shareholders, in an effort to encourage firms to use their cash flow for investment as France seeks to overturn a widening competitiveness gap with industrial powerhouse Germany. — Reuters

PARIS: French President Francois Hollande (right) flanked by chief of staff Benoit Pugat reacts during a military ceremony in the Hotel des Invalides in Paris. — AP

Weak services growth points to UK Q2 slump LONDON: Britain’s dominant services sector endured one of its worst months in the past three years in June despite cutting prices, a business survey showed yesterday, suggesting the country stayed in recession in the quarter that ended last weekend. The latest bout of gloomy data solidified expectations the Bank of England will restart the printing presses and support the economy with another round of bond purchases when it meets today.

The Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for services, which account for around three quarters of the country’s economic output, sank to an eight-month low of 51.3 from May’s 53.3, despite firms cutting prices and running down existing orders. “The services economy saw one of its worst months since the recovery began three years ago, with the June survey showing signs of growth stalling. The services PMI probably cements the case for further stimulus from the BoE,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at data compiler Markit.

The reading, the second lowest since April 2009, was well shy of expectations for a more moderate easing to 52.8 but held above the 50 mark that signifies growth for the 18th month. Separate PMIs earlier showed construction activity fell at its fastest pace in two-and-a-half years during June and that the manufacturing sector contracted for the second month running. Markit said the June surveys pointed to one of the weakest months in more than three years and suggested the British economy contracted 0.1 percent in the second quarter. Britain fell back into recession at the start of the year and economists see tepid growth ahead at best with only a small bounce from London’s hosting of the Olympic Games, leading to calls for the government and BoE to act.

Worryingly for policymakers, once again some of June’s minimal services sector growth was generated by fulfilling existing orders. With the slowdown becoming entrenched, firms were less optimistic about the future and the business expectations index, while remaining positive, fell to a six-month low. “The decline in confidence is also a genuine concern. — Reuters

No let up in gloom for Europe big economies LONDON: All of Europe’s biggest economies are in recession or heading there and there is little sign things will improve soon, surveys showed yesterday, backing a growing view the region’s major central banks are poised to ease policy this week. Business surveys covering thousands of companies suggested the euro-zone economy contracted again between March and June, and that Britain’s mild recession extended into a third straight quarter.

The latest batch of purchasing managers’ indexes did nothing to alter expectations the European Central Bank will cut interest rates to a new record low today, or that the Bank of England will turn its printing presses on again to buy bonds. “The PMIs are bottoming out at a level consistent with further contraction of activity in the second quarter,” said James Nixon, chief European economist at Societe Generale, of the euro-zone PMIs. Markit’s Euro-zone Composite PMI was revised up in June to 46.4 from a preliminary reading of 46.0 that matched the May figure, but the index has undercut the 50 mark that divides growth from contraction for nine of the last 10 months. “We are looking for GDP to decline by 0.3 percent in the euro area in Q2 and these numbers are perfectly consistent with that,” Nixon said. PMI compiler Markit said the surveys were consistent with a 0.6 percent contraction for the euro-zone economy in the second quarter, and 0.1 percent for Britain.

Worryingly, there were clear signs that Germany, Europe’s biggest economic engine, is also entering a modest downturn. Its services sector unexpectedly stagnated in June, as its PMI reading fell to its lowest since September last year.

“Germany looks to have fallen into a renewed decline, though only a very modest drop in output is signaled. The pace of downturns in other major euro

member states is far more worrying,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at PMI provider Markit. He said output in Italy probably declined 1 percent in the second quarter, with steep downturns also on the cards in Spain and France.

Perhaps the only bright spot in the PMIs was a sharp drop in price pressures among companies in the euro-zone, suggesting inflation will decline in coming months. A sharp fall in oil prices held inflation steady at a 16-month low of 2.4 percent in June, cited by many economists as a major reason why the ECB may cut interest rates this week by 25 basis points to a record low 0.75 percent. News euro-zone retail sales rose 0.6 percent in May after falling 1.4 percent in April failed to overcome the gloomy mood in markets, as European shares retreated from two-month highs on Wednesday after three days of gains.

JOB WORRIES The PMIs showed little sign of relief for workers - euro-zone firms cut jobs for the sixth straight month in June, suggesting the currency union’s record unemployment rate of 11.1 percent in May has further to climb. “Job losses are mounting as a result of falling demand, as companies seek to reduce costs and prepare for the possibility that worse is to come,” added Williamson. While the euro-zone’s services PMI also edged up slightly to 47.1 in June from 46.7 in the previous month, it was still anchored below the 50 mark for a fifth straight month. Britain’s dominant service sector, which accounts for the vast majority of its private economy, grew at a much weaker pace than expected last month, as the PMI fell to 51.3 from May’s 53.3 compared with an expected 52.8. The latest round of gloomy data will solidify expectations the Bank of England will start another round of quantitative easing (QE) asset purchases when it meets today. — Reuters

26

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

BUSINESS

GE Energy Manufacturing Tech Center marks ’versary Manufacturing Technology Center marked a SAR 1 billion ($250 million) investment by GE, underlining the company’s longterm commitment to the Kingdom. Joseph Anis, President and CEO for GE Energy in the Middle East said: “Not only is the Center a fulfillment of our promise of better service through localized technology to our customers, it is testament to our long-term commitment to the Kingdom. Through the Center, GE is proud to be serving the technology and service needs of its long-term customers including Saudi Electricity Company, Saudi Aramco, Marafiq and SABIC. We are also proud of the Center’s focus on technical talent development to support the Kingdom’s growing energy infra-

KUWAIT: Achieving a series of firsts in technology, customer services and the development of local talent, the Dammam-based GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Center has successfully completed its first year of operations. The Saudi technology Center achieved key milestones in the delivery of service technology to Saudi and global customers, enabling enhanced operational efficiencies along the entire energy value chain, while continuing to drive the development of Saudi human resources.

These achievements are in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2020 goals of promoting localization and empowering national talent towards a knowledge-based economy.

As GE’s largest energy facility of its kind today, the GE Energy

structure and further establish the Kingdom as a technology

development goal outlined in Saudi Vision 2020, the facility is

hub for the global energy industry.” To complement the human

employing about 400 technologists and training another 100

under the Saudi GE Joint Technical Program (JTP). Program participants are being trained in key areas of maintenance and repair of gas turbines, electrical motors and generators that are critical to the efficient generation of electricity in the Kingdom.

Over 60 percent Saudization has been achieved to date at the technology Center. In its first year, the Center has serviced 450 gas turbines that power the Kingdom, with GE today supporting the generation of half of the Kingdom’s electricity through over 500 turbines installed at various sites. The Center also extended service to more than 50 key customers based in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, underling its competencies to help local and global customers

achieve operational efficiencies with advanced and localized technology and services.

A joint venture with Ali A Tamimi Co, the Center consists of three key main components: a manufacturing facility of high technology equipment for the power, water and oil and gas industries; a service and repair center for advanced turbine equipment; and a training center that offers the latest technology and managerial courses for college students, field engineers and other power industry professionals throughout the region.

Recently, GE signed another strategic partnership agreement with TVTC that will train annually 150 select Saudi technical graduates in the GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Center.

Qatar, UAE lead Middle East in ‘Innovation Performance’ Switzerland retains 1st-place position ABU DHABI: For the second year running, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates lead the Middle East in overall innovation performance according to the Global I nnovation I ndex 2012 (GII): Stronger Innovation Linkages for Global Growth, published by INSEAD, the leading international business school, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations.

The GII 2012 benefits from the experience of Knowledge Par tners Alcatel-Lucent, Booz & Company, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), as well as an Advisory Board of eleven international experts. The list of overall GII top 10 performers has changed little from last year. Switzerland, Sweden, and Singapore are followed by Finland, the United K ingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Hong Kong (China), Ireland, and the United States of America.

The Global Innovation Index ranks 141 countries/economies on the basis of their innovation capabilities and results. It is calculated as the average of two sub-indices.

The Innovation Input Sub-Index gauges elements of the national economy which embodies innovative activities grouped in five pillars: (1) Institutions, (2) Human capital and research, (3) Infrastructure, (4) Market sophistication and (5) Business sophistication. The Innovation Output SubIndex captures actual evidence of innovation results, divided in two pillars: (6) Knowledge and technology outputs and (7) Creative outputs.

The GII includes 15 economies from the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA), of which two-Qatar (33rd) and the United Arab Emirates (37th) -rank among the top 40 overall. Similarly, the UAE (28th) and Qatar (30th) rank highest among MENA countries in the input sub-index and rank in the top 20 on several pillars. Where most MENA countries trail innovation leaders is in innovation outputs. Qatar, Jordan and the UAE lead the regional ranking, although they score below the top forty with Qatar at 41st place, Jordan at 46th and the UAE at 51st.

Consequently, most MENA countries underperform on the Innovation Efficiency Index -a measure calculated as the ratio of the output sub-index over the input subindex and that shows how innovation inputs are best translated into innovation outputs. Jordan ranks highest in efficiency at position 21 followed by Kuwait in 54th place out of 141 countries. Such examples from Jordan and the GCC demonstrate rising levels of innovation achievements in MENA as a result of improvements in institutional frameworks, a skilled labor force (with an expanded tertiary education), and deeper integration with local and global investment and trade markets.

These examples also point to the need for improvement in knowledge outputs such as scientific journals and patents that ultimately result in creative goods and services for both local and global consumption. “The GII is a timely reminder that policies to promote innovation are critical to the debate on spurring sustainable economic growth,” WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said. “The downward pressure on investment in innovation exerted by the current crisis must be resisted. Otherwise we risk durable damage to countries’ productive capacities. This is the time for forward-looking policies to lay the foundations for future prosperity.”

At the pillar level, Qatar ranks 14th, 8th and 19th among 141 countries in Human capital and research, Business sophistica-

Karim Sabbagh tion and Creative outputs respectively.

Similarly, the UAE shines in Infrastructure, Business sophistication and Creative outputs where it ranks 17th, 16th and 20th respectively. Other MENA countries managed to secure high rankings in several pillars. For example, Oman scored a high 33rd position in Institutions, Saudi Arabia ranks 36th in market sophistication and first in MENA. Similarly, Bahrain’s human capital and research ranks 18th overall, second only to Qatar in the region. In Knowledge and technology outputs, Lebanon comes first in MENA at position 48 overall.

S o u m i t r a D u t t a , R o l a n d B e rg e r Professor of Business and Technology at INSEAD and the founder of the GII noted, “The GII seeks to update and improve the way innovation is measured. Today’s definitions must capture an environment which is context-driven, problem-focused and interdisciplinary. The 2012 variables were broadened in an effort to find the right mix which captures innovation as it happens today.” The study shows that the

dynamics of innovation continue to be affected by the emergence of new successful innovators, as seen by the range of countries across continents in the top twenty GII ranking, as well as the good performances of emerging countries such as Jordan (56th).

The Repor t also highlights those economies that are over-performing countries/economies with similar income levels (as measured by GDP per capita in PPP$).

Jordan is placed among the innovation learners, Tunisia, Lebanon, Morocco, and Egypt achieve GII scores that correspond to their income levels, while the remaining countries in the region achieve positions below their potential. “I nnovation is becoming the spearhead of competition at a regional level, on a national level, and for companies,” said Ben Verwaayen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent. “How to deal with that challenge will determine the destiny of competiveness for all players.”

China (34th) is the top-ranked emerging economy while Russia is ranked (51st), Brazil (58th) and India (64th). The report notes a need for the BRIC countries (Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, and China) to invest further in their innovation capabilities to live up to their expected potent i al. C hi na’s p e r fo rm a n ce o n t h e k e y knowledge and technology outputs pillar is outpaced only by Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore, and Finland. However, the report notes that both China and India have weaknesses in their innovation infrastructure and environment.

“By cultivating human capital, promoting research and development (R&D) and developing traditional and nascent sectors, the GCC and other MENA countries have, undeniably, made significant progress to further expand their innovation capabilities in past years”, said Karim S a b b a g h , S e n i o r Pa r t n e r w i t h B o oz & Company. However, MENA countries must focus their efforts on a coherent capabilities-driven strategy to unlock value creation on a reliable and sustained basis.

In particular, MENA countries need to pursue a clear strategic direction, build a system of differentiating capabilities consistent with that direction, and create products or services that thrive within that system. When these three elements are aligned and mutually reinforcing, countries of the region would be able to have a global comparative advantage. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII said, “Every country can aspire to be an innovationdriven economy. The more resource-constrained an economy is, the more prone to innovation it actually can be. Importantly, innovation is about acts which improve ever yday lives and a journey towards faster-sustainable-inclusive-growth”.

ABK’s cardholder wins trip to London Olympic KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait and Visa, a Worldwide Sponsor for the Olympic Games for more than 25 years announced AlAzzam as one of eight winners of the nationwide cardholder “London 2012 Olympic Games campaign.” The promotion ran in Kuwait from 5th January to 5th March, 2012. By simply using his ABK Visa credit card, AlAzzam has an opportunity of a lifetime to travel with a guest to London for the Olympic Games, courtesy of Visa. Along with travel and accommodation to the Games, the winners will also receive tickets to competition matches to cheer Olympic athletes and experience one of the world’s greatest sporting events firsthand. 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.

Stewar t Lockie, the GM of Retail Banking, ABK said, “We are

Stewart Lockie extremely proud to announce that one of our customers was the winner in Kuwait of such a fabulous prize, and we look for-

ward to partnering with Visa on future campaigns, and the chance for other ABK customers to become exclusive winners.

ABK Emirates cards are in any case an increasingly popular mode of payment as users earn free Skywards Miles on Emirates on every KD1 spend using the card. Collected Skywards Miles can then be redeemed for free flights, upgrades, hotel reservations and much more. “ “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 all around the world, and be a part of this spectacular sporting event live,” said Majeed Hujair, Country Manager of 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 Kuwaiti 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 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and 2020 Olympic Games. For more information about the campaign and rules of participation, please visit www.visa.com/olympicmediakit

Sharjah Islamic Bank launches visually impaired friendly ATM KUWAIT: Sharjah Islamic Bank has announced the launch of the first visually impaired friendly Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in the country and region.

The announcement was made during a press conference that was held at the Emirates Association for the Blind in Sharjah, under the patronage of Sheikha Jamila bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), in the presence of HE Mohammed Abdullah, CEO of Sharjah Islamic Bank, Mr Adel Al Zamar, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Association for the Blind in Sharjah, a number of senior directors of departments and branches and representatives of the IT solution provider.

The launch of the first visually impaired friendly ATM is consistent with the country’s intention to meet the needs of people with special needs and is in line with the eagerness of HH Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah to remove all obstacles which stand in the way of carrying out projects in aid of the visually impaired. HH Ruler of Sharjah has recently ordered banks to offer facilities to the blind in response to a telephone call made

by Manar Al Hamadi, a blind lawyer, to Al Bath Al Mubasher Program. SIB has opened a bank account for her and soon after announced the launch of the new ATM. Speaking on the occasion, HE Mohammed Abdullah, CEO of Sharjah Islamic Bank, said, “ We are thrilled to launch the first visually impaired friendly ATM in the region. We have many reasons to be proud, as we have succeeded to live up to the ambition of His Highness Ruler of Sharjah in serving the visually impaired who are part and parcel of mainstream society. We have set a new precedence in our country in this field and proved, once again, our commitment to carry out our corporate social responsibility programs.

This step will boost the banking sector, in general, and Islamic banking, in particular.”

Meanwhile, Adel Al Zamar, Vice Chairman of SCHS, said, “The launch of this service reflects both the interest of decision makers in the role of the visually impaired in

society and the commitment to help, support and take extra care of this important segment of society. This step is a good omen of many other services to come. The initiative demonstrates the SIB’s leadership in offering this high end service which significantly benefits the Emirates Association for the Blind.” The new ATM features a large Braille keypad, high resolution screen, wide keys, headphone and external speaker to ensure the user’s privacy. The system has fewer options than the normal one for greater user convenience. The machine is designed for the visually impaired, but can be also used by others.

CNS, the local agent of the German Wincor company, said. “As a result of our negotiation with the Sharjah Islamic Bank, we speeded up in implementing the directives of designing an innovative product for visually impaired people. We have developed a solution that facilitates banking services for the blind through a sophisticated ATM. We are proud to celebrate offering this technology to the visually impaired within record time. In the coming period, we will be taking further steps in this direction to provide more comprehensive and inclusive service.”

The company asked the journalists and media representatives at the press conference to inaugurate the machine by closing their eyes to feel the experience and develop a greater understanding and sympathy for the service that will be offered to the blind. Journalists highly appreciated the experience of the functions and services it will deliver to users. They asked that this service be enabled cover as large an area the country as possible in the soonest time possible.

The ATM is located in the Emirates Association for the Blind in Sharjah’s headquarters where the visually impaired people will be trained to use the machine by a team from the bank in collaboration with the EABS. There will be a trial period, the length of which will be determined depending on the monitoring of users interface with the system’s functions and mechanisms. SIB is set to expand their services for the visually impaired in the coming period.

Wataniya welcomes Jazeera Airways to Rewards Program KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom has recently announced that Jazeera Airways is the newest addition to its award winning Wataniya Rewards Program. This partnership stems from Wataniya’s mission to expand and enrich its network of partners as part of the best loyalty program in the Middle East and in an effort to maintain customer satisfaction and meet customer expectations. In collaboration with Jazeera Airways, the largest airline serving the region out of Kuwait, Wataniya Rewards members will be able to redeem the points they collect for Jazeera Airways gift vouchers through a simple process. Public Relations Director at Wataniya Telecom Abdolaziz Al-Balool proudly expressed his delight regarding the partnership with Jazeera Airways and is looking forward to a fruitful cooperation between both companies.

Al-Balool said: “Wataniya’s efforts continue to find new ways to provide members with a wide range of choices on rewards because they deserve to be

appreciated and valued for their loyalty and dedication. The partnership with Jazeera Airways is another distinguished achievement to the program especially after it has been awarded The Best Loyalty Program in the Middle East by Customer 360 ME.” “We are equally excited about being part of this program”, said Jazeera Airways Vice President of Sales, Rafik Boghdady. “And we look forward to welcoming all Wataniya customers on board”, he added.

All Wataniya customers can enroll to the Wataniya Rewards Program for free by sending an SMS with the letter R to 129 or by visiting the website www.wataniya.com/rewards and start earning points on every service they use. For more information on Wataniya’s services and products, please visit www.wataniya.com , or follow them on Twitter www.twitter.com/wataniyatelecom, or check latest updates on www.facebook.com/wataniya or get the latest news on Wataniya’s blog www.wataniya.com/blog.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

For India, particle is as much boson as Higgs NEW DELHI: The release yesterday of dramatic new data pointing to the existence of the Higgs boson “God particle” sent a special flutter of pride, mixed with frustration, through India’s scientific community. The “Higgs” of Higgs boson is well known to refer to Peter Higgs, the British researcher who in 1964 laid much of the conceptual groundwork for the presence of the elusive particle. What is largely unknown, at least to non-specialists, is that the term “boson” owes its

name to the pioneering work of the late Indian physicist, Satyendra Nath Bose. Born during British colonial rule in 1894 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bose was a lecturer at both the universities of Calcutta and Dhaka.

In 1924, he sent a paper to Albert Einstein describing a statistical model that eventually led to the discovery of what became known as the Bose-Einstein condensate phenomenon. The paper laid the basis for describing the two fun-

damental classes of sub-atomic particlesbosons, named after Bose, and fermions, after the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi. While several Nobel prizes have been awarded research related to the concepts of the boson, Bose himself was never honoured by the Nobel academy.

Archan Majumdar, an astrophysicist at the eponymous Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences in Kolkata, said Bose’s name would be better known if his discoveries

hadn’t been made during the colonial era. “If India had been an independent nation he could have got more recognition than he has,” Majumdar said.

“Also, if he had the Nobel prize which he deserved more than many others he would have been more known, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.” In 1954 Bose awarded the Padma Vibhushan-India’s second highest civilian honor.

He died in 1974.— AFP

Google bidding to dodge European antitrust fine

GENEVA: The magnet core of the world’s largest superconducting solenoid magnet (CMS, Compact Muon Solenoid) is seen in this photo. The head of the world’s biggest atom smasher is claiming discovery of a new particle that he says is consistent with the long-sought Higgs boson known popularly as the “God particle” which is believed to give all matter in the universe size and shape. The results of the experiment were announced yesterday. — AP

Higgs particle - what it is and what it does GENEVA: Scientists at the CERN research centre near Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday unveiled the latest results in their search for the Higgs boson, a subatomic particle believed to be key to the formation of stars, planets and eventually life after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago.

WHAT IS THE HIGGS BOSON? The Higgs is the last missing piece of the Standard Model, the theory that describes the basic building blocks of the universe. The other 11 particles predicted by the model have been found and finding the Higgs would validate the model. Ruling it out or finding something more exotic would force a rethink on how the universe is put together.

Scientists believe that in the first billionth of a second after the Big Bang, the universe was a gigantic soup of particles racing around at the speed of light without any mass to speak of. It was through their interaction with the Higgs field that they gained mass and eventually formed the universe. The Higgs field is a theoretical and invisible energy field that pervades the whole cosmos. Some particles, like the photons that make up light, are not affected by it and therefore have no mass. Others are not so lucky and find it drags on them as porridge drags on a spoon.

Picture George Clooney (the particle) walking down a street with a gaggle of photographers (the Higgs field) clustered around him. An average guy on the same street (a photon) gets no attention from the paparazzi and gets on with his day.

The Higgs particle is the signature of the field - an eyelash of one of the photographers. The particle is theoretical, first posited in 1964 by six physicists, including Briton Peter Higgs. The search for it only began in earnest in the 1980s, first in Fermilab’s now mothballed Tevatron particle collider near Chicago and later in a similar machine at CERN, but most intensively since 2010 with the start-up of the European centre’s Large Hadron Collider.

WHAT IS THE STANDARD MODEL? The Standard Model is to physics what the theory of evolution is to biology. It is the best explanation physicists have of how the building blocks of the universe are put together. It describes 12 fundamental particles, governed by four basic forces. But the universe is a big place and the Standard Model only explains a small part of it. Scientists have spotted a gap between what we can see and what must be out there. That gap must be

filled by something we don’t fully understand, which they have dubbed ‘dark matter’. Galaxies are also hurtling away from each other faster than the forces we know about suggest they should. This gap is filled by ‘dark energy’. This poorly understood pair are believed to make up a whopping 96 percent of the mass and energy of the cosmos.

Confirming the Standard Model, or perhaps modifying it, would be a step towards the holy grail of physics - a ‘theory of everything’ that encompasses dark matter, dark energy and the force of gravity, which the Standard Model also does not explain. It could also shed light on even more esoteric ideas, such as the possibility of parallel universes. CERN spokesman James Gillies has said that just as Albert Einstein’s theories enveloped and built on the work of Isaac Newton, the work being done by the thousands of physicists at CERN has the potential to do the same to Einstein’s work.

WHAT IS THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER? The Large Hadron Collider is the world’s biggest and most powerful particle accelerator, a 27-km (17-mile) looped pipe that sits in a tunnel 100 meters underground on the Swiss/French border. It cost 3 billion euros to build. Two beams of protons are fired in opposite directions around it before smashing into each other to create many millions of particle collisions every second in a recreation of the conditions a fraction of a second after the Big Bang, when the Higgs field is believed to have ‘switched on’. The vast amount of data produced is examined by banks of computers. Of all the trillions of collisions, very few are just right for revealing the Higgs particle.

That makes the hunt for the Higgs slow, and progress incremental.

WHAT IS THE THRESHOLD FOR PROOF? To claim a discovery, scientists have set themselves a target for certainty that they call “5 sigma”. This means that there is a probability of less than one in a million that their conclusions from the data harvested from the particle accelerator are the result of a statistical fluke. The two teams hunting for the Higgs at CERN, called Atlas and CMS, now have twice the amount of data that allowed them to claim ‘tantalizing glimpses’ of the Higgs at the end of last year and this could push their results beyond that threshold. — Reuters

BRUSSELS: Google chairman Eric Schmidt has submitted a proposal to European regulators in Brussels aimed at avoiding a showdown on the some of the Internet search leader’s business practices. The European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia began investigating Google in 2010, and in May of this year warned the company it needed to quickly propose changes to several practices - notably including the way it promotes its own offerings in search results - or face possible fines. “We have made a proposal to address the four areas the European Commission described as potential concerns,” said Al Verney, a Google spokesman in Brussels. “We continue to work cooperatively with the commission.”

Almunia’s spokesman, Antoine Columbani, confirmed receiving a letter from Schmidt on Monday, but did not disclose details. It is not clear what changes Google has offered to make. The four areas the Commission criticized were: how Google favors its own services in its search results, how it displays content from other websites, how it manages the ads appearing next to its search results, and how its actions affect marketers’ ability to buy ads on rival networks.

If a settlement isn’t reached and the European Commission files a case against Google, it will set the stage for a lengthy process that could result in the company being fined up to 10 percent of its annual revenue. In theory that could mean a fine of as much as $3.8 billion, based on Google’s revenue last year. But in a shift of tactics from previous commissioners, Almunia said in May he would prefer to end market abuses as soon as possible, rather than fine misbehavior retroactively, especially in the Internet industry. “I believe that these fast-moving markets would particularly benefit from a quick resolu-

SENDAI: Country manager of Twitter Japan James Kondo (2nd right) answers questions during a press conference for an international conference in disaster preparedness and relief in Sendai, northern Japan as senior vice president of Google Rachel Whetstone (left), special representative of the UN secretary-general for disaster and risk reduction Margareta Wahlstrom (2nd left) and vice president of Google Brian McClendon (right) look on. Google hosted the one-day international conference to study the role of technology in disaster preparedness and relief. — AFP tion of the competition issues identified,” he said then. “Restoring competition swiftly to the benefit of users at an early stage is always preferable to lengthy proceedings, although these sometimes become indispensable to competition enforcement.”

Microsoft last week lost its final appeal in a decade-long fight against the Commission that cost it well over a billion euros. Almunia said Google “has repeatedly expressed to me its willingness to discuss any concerns that the commission might have without having to engage in adversarial proceedings. This is why I am...giving Google an opportunity to offer remedies to address the concerns we

have already identified.” Google also faces antitrust investigations in the United States, South Korea and India. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission is looking into whether the company has been unfairly highlighting its own services in its influential search results and rigging its recommendations in a way that drives up online advertising prices. The FTC recently signaled it is girding for a potential legal battle by hiring a prominent trial lawyer, former Justice Department prosecutor Beth Wilkinson, to assist in its investigation.

Almunia is expected to rule on Google’s proposal within several weeks, but no date has yet been set. — AP

Shy physicist whose name will live on in Higgs boson PARIS: Forty-eight years ago, British scientist Peter Higgs had a eureka moment when he realized there could be a particle that confers mass, one of the greatest puzzles in physics.

“He said: ‘Oh shit, I know how to do that!’” former colleague Alan Walker told AFP of the breakthrough as recounted to him by Higgs, now 83, who today is hailed for widening our understanding of the Universe. Higgs published a paper on his theory in 1964, becoming the flag bearer of a scientific premise to which several scientists had contributed over the years, but which, at the outset, found few backers.

Shy and unassuming, he lives quietly in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, but was present in Geneva yesterday when the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) said it had found a subatomic particle “consistent” with the long-sought boson that carries his name. Higgs received a standing ovation as he arrived at the auditorium for the presentation wearing a grey suit and a white, opencollared shirt. “It’s an incredible thing that this has happened in my lifetime,” the bald, ruddycheeked physicist said on his arrival, seemingly disconcerted by the media scrum that met him.

The elusive Higgs boson is believed to confer mass to some of the fundamental particles that make up matter. Remembered for his high intelligence by people who worked with him, Higgs had his first paper on the boson rejected by the journal Physics Letters, edited at the time by the CERN, the same organization which later embarked on a years-long,

ESET picks Soft Trends as distributor in Egypt DUBAI: ESET Middle East, the leading security solution provider, announced today the appointment of Soft Trend as its distributor in Egypt.

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multi-billion-dollar quest to find it. “He thought, well, they don’t understand it,” said Walker. A second, more elaborate version of the paper was published by the journal Physical Review letters in the United States.

“He is a very mild mannered and very gentle man, but he actually does get a little tenacious if you say something wrong that (has to do with) physics,” said Walker, a retired physicist who worked as a junior lecturer under Higgs. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Higgs holds a PhD from King’s College. He also has several honorary degrees and has received numerous awards, including from the Royal Society, the Institute of Physics, the European Physical Society and the American Physical Society.

He has been mentioned as a possible Nobel contender. A modest man, Higgs is said to have cringed every time the term “Higgs boson” was used in his presence and studiously avoided using it. But as a self-proclaimed atheist, Higgs disliked the boson’s other name, “God particle”, even more. “I think that actually would probably have provoked him into relenting and calling it the Higgs boson after all,” said Walker, who travelled with Higgs to Geneva. Higgs has shared some of his numerous awards with other physicists who contributed to the boson theory-including the Belgian scientist Francois Englert, 79, who sat next to him at Wednesday’s briefing with tears in his eyes as the announcement was made.

Posing a stark contrast to the more sedate Higgs, Englert appeared on a CERN video

British physicist Peter Higgs afterwards in a pink-striped shirt and bright blue tie, saying the discovery was “extremely important” as it showed the theory “is in place”. Robert Brout, Englert’s colleague at Brussels’ Free University, died last year at the age of 82. The trio had shared the 2004 Wolf Prize, one of the top awards in physics. Others credited with contributing to the Higgs theory include Americans Gerald Guralnik, 75, Carl Hagen, 75, and Briton Tom Kibble, 80, who jointly separate paper on the mechanism in the same year as Higgs. American Nobel Prize winner Philip Anderson, 88, has reportedly claimed to have come up with the concept two years earlier. — AFP

US ‘reviewing’ UN IT supplies to Iran GENEVA: The United States said yesterday it was reviewing a UN agency’s dealings with sanctioned countries such as Iran after documents showed the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) had supplied IT equipment to the Islamic Republic. The Geneva-based WIPO, a 185-member body that includes Iran, sent IT equipment to Iranian authorities, according to correspondence between WIPO and the Iranian agency dealing with intellectual property, dated August 2010 and provided to Reuters by a source close to WIPO. UN sanctions passed in 2008 to curb the development of Iran’s disputed nuclear program prohibit the supply, sale or transfer of a range of materials and technology. Iran is also under much tougher US and European Union trade embargoes.

“We have made several inquiries to the WIPO Secretariat and requested any related documentation. We have received several project documents and are in the process of reviewing them,” said David Kennedy, spokesman for the US Mission in Geneva. “We are also working with

like-minded countries to urge (WIPO) Director General (Francis) Gurry to conduct an independent, external investigation into past WIPO projects in countries under UN Security Council sanctions,” he added.

WIPO’s staff association has also complained internally that the organisation’s assistance to North Korea may be violating two UN Security Council resolutions. In a letter to the head of WIPO’s inspection unit, the staff association said WIPO’s help with a “controlled intranet system” for North Korea raised ethical concerns, since it would not be necessary if North Korea allowed its citizens to access the Internet.

Gurry, an Australian who has headed the agency since 2008, said WIPO had sent some equipment to sanctioned countries like North Korea, but denied that the transfers represented a breach of UN sanctions. “We have a program for improving office efficiency in the procurement of patents and trademarks and other intellectual property ... which we are doing in over 80 countries around the world. —Reuters

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Tibetan monks tackle science in the Indian hills Are Tibetan beliefs in mysticism provable through science?

Sarah: Monks meditate at a temple.

Concern for H1N1 outbreak in Bolivia LA PAZ: An epidemic of H1N1 flu has infected almost 900 people and claimed 11 lives in Bolivia, health officials said Tuesday.

Although most of the cases occurred in the last few weeks, the outbreak does not rise to the level of a national epidemic, officials said.

“At the national level, the situation is under control. The most affected area is in the west,” Johnny Rada, director of the ministry of health’s epidemiology service, told AFP. According to official tallies, 873 cases have been reported across the country, of which 606 are in the western department of La Paz and 60 in the department just south of it, Oruro. There have also been 167 cases reported in the large eastern department of Santa Cruz, and 36 in central Cochabamba department. A health alert has been issued for La Paz and Oruro, which, according to Rada, will permit health workers to intensify

preventative measures. Deputy Health Minister Martin Maturano also urged Bolivians to take precautions, such as eating well and frequently washing their hands.

Bolivian authorities have not said whether the strain of the virus originated as swine or avian flu-in other words whether it first spread to humans from pigs or birds. In 2009, an H1N1 epidemic erupted in Mexico and spread into a worldwide pandemic that caused at least 17,000 deaths.

Bolivia’s current outbreak has primarily affected young children, the elderly, and those whose systems are already weakened by illness or chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Eight of the deaths were identified in the department of La Paz department, while the remaining three were in the eastern department of Santa Cruz.—AFP

Aboriginal whaling wins partial victory PANAMA CITY: The world’s whale body narrowly agreed Tuesday to extend whaling rights for indigenous peoples in the United States, Russia and the Caribbean but opposition mounted to a hunt in Greenland. The International Whaling Commission is notoriously polarized over whaling expeditions by Japan and Norway.

Aboriginal hunts have generally been less controversial as they are much smaller in scale and impact. But at annual talks held in Panama City, proposals for new indigenous whaling quotas for the US state of Alaska and Russia’s far northeast hit a snag as they were presented in a package with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The small Caribbean nation kills humpback whales, which are renowned for their intelligence. Activists charge that the hunt uses cruel methods and is not truly aboriginal as it was started in the 19th century by white settlers. The Commission voted 48-10 to authorize indigenous whaling for the next six years in the three countries, barely achieving the 75 percent needed to approve decisions.

It put off a vote on a separate bid by Denmark that looked set to fail. That proposal would allow indigenous people in Greenland to hunt up to 1,326 whales between 2013 and 2018 — including 10 humpbacks a year.

Australia, a staunch opponent of Japan’s whaling near its waters, said that Denmark was reneging on promises made two years ago when the Commission agreed after intense debate to let Greenland resume the killing of humpbacks.

Australian Environment Minister Tony Burke said that Denmark had promised to reduce the overall number of hunted whales due to the higher yield from humpbacks. “I think it’s important to be quite clear here that the resolution in front of us is about abandoning a consensus position,” Burke said. The US-based Animal Welfare Institute has reported that 77 percent of restaurants in Greenland serve whale, leading the advocacy group to charge that the island is conducting commercial rather than subsistence whaling. Denmark’s envoy Ole Samsing said that Greenland had a longstanding “non-racial” policy of not prohibiting ethnic groups from eating whale. He also rejected charges that the hunt of the ocean mammals was inhumane.

“There are no rules and regulation within the

IWC as to the humanity of the hunt in aboriginal society. If you can catch a whale with a baseball bat, then you are allowed to do that,” he said.

Samsing said that Greenland was spending heavily for more “decent” ways to hunt whales with cannons and grenades. Australia, India and other nations that did not block the US, Russian and Caribbean package indicated that they would oppose Denmark’s proposal. A vote could be called later in the week-long talks. Latin American nations are also strongly against Denmark’s bid after unsuccessfully trying to vote down whaling in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Brazil and Argentina are among Latin American countries that have been active in whale conservation. They attempted Monday to declare a whale no-kill sanctuary in the southern Atlantic, a proposal defeated by Japan and its supporters. Saint Kitts and Nevis, a tiny Caribbean nation allied with Japan, furiously criticized Latin American countries that opposed whaling in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Some countries are trying to impose their will on a small vulnerable country,” delegate Daven Joseph said, charging that whaling opponents showed “colonialism rebirth” and “elements of racism.” But Louise Mitchell Joseph, an environmentalist and daughter of a former prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, said that most residents did not eat whale meat and that it was a delicacy for a small niche. She said that islanders had more economical ways to obtain protein and that whaling hurt tourism, the most vital industry for the Caribbean nation.

“It is a practice that we simply cannot afford as a country to continue. The whaling activities of a small community should not be allowed to have such devastating impact on the rest of society,” she said. The World Society for the Protection of Animals criticized the European Union for supporting the package, saying in a statement that its members “had the power to stop this unnecessary slaughter of humpback whales.” Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will now have the right to kill up to 24 humpbacks between 2013 and 2018.

Russia’s Inuits and other indigenous people will be able to hunt up to 744 gray whales between 2013 and 2018, while native Alaskans will have the right to kill up to 336 bowhead whales over the same time period.—AFP

PANAMA: Handout photograph given by Spectral Q/Whaleman Foundation showing people gather in Panama in demand of a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary on the day before of the start of the 64th International Whaling Commission Meeting on July 1, 2012 in Panama.—AFP

SARAH: The shouts of more than a dozen Tibetan monks echo through the small classroom. Fingers are pointed. Voices collide. When an important point is made, the men smack their hands together and stomp the floor, their robes billowing around them. It’s the way Tibetan Buddhist scholars have traded ideas for centuries. Among them, the debate-as-shouting match is a discipline and a joy. But this is something different. Evolutionary theory is mentioned - loudly. One monk invokes Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle.

Other shouts about the subatomic nature of neutrinos. In an educational complex perched on the edge of a small river valley, in a place where the Himalayan foothills descend into the Indian plains, a group of about 65 Tibetan monks and nuns are working with American scientists to tie their ancient culture to the modern world.”I’d like to go back to my monastery ... to pass on my knowledge to other monks so that they might bring the (scientific) process to others,” said Tenzin Choegyal, a 29-year-old monk born in exile in India.

If that seems a modest goal, it reflects an immense change in Tibetan culture, where change has traditionally come at a glacial pace.

Isolated for centuries atop the high Himalayan plateau, and refusing entry to nearly all outsiders, Tibet long saw little of value in modernity.

Education was almost completely limited to monastic schools. Magic and mysticism were and are - important parts of life to many people.

New technologies were something to be feared: Eyeglasses were largely forbidden until well into the 20th century. No longer. Pushed by the Dalai Lama, a fierce proponent of modern schooling, a series of programs were created in exile to teach scientific education to monks, the traditional core of Tibetan culture.

At the forefront is an intensive summer program, stretched over five years, that brings professors from Emory University in Atlanta. For six days a week, six hours a day, the professors teach everything from basic math to advanced neuroscience.

“The Buddhist religion has a deep concept of the mind that goes back thousands of years,” said Larry Young, an Emory psychiatry professor and prominent neuroscientist. “Now they’re learning something different about the mind: the mind-body interface, how the brain controls the body.” But why are Tibetans now embracing modernity? Many of the roots can be traced to 1959, when Chinese soldiers invaded Tibet amid a aborted uprising. The Dalai Lama and thousands of his followers fled across the Himalayas

and into India, creating an exile community that now numbers an estimated 150,000 people around the world.

Beijing says Tibet is an integral part of China.

And while the Dalai Lama insists he only wants autonomy for his homeland, Beijing disparages him as a quasi-terrorist intent on wresting control away from China. The Tibetan culture, meanwhile, is increasingly imperiled. Ethnic Han Chinese, encouraged by generous government subsidies, now outnumbers Tibetans in much of Tibet. The traditional Tibetan herding culture is dying out as people move to cities. Many young Tibetans now speak a tangle of Chinese and Tibetan. The shifting cultural landscape has torn at Tibet, sparking violent uprisings every decade or so. In the most recent wave, some three dozen people have burned themselves alive over the past year in ethnic Tibetan areas of China, protesting Beijing’s policies. Amid such tumult, the Dalai Lama - a man raised to live in regal isolation as a near-deity - has instead spent much of his life seeking ways that Tibetans can hold onto their traditions even as they find their way in the modern world.

He has encouraged modern schooling for exile children, and a democratic system to choose the Tibetan political leader (he renounced his political powers in 2011). There are job programs for the armies of unemployed young people. And, for a few dozen monks and nuns, there is science. The first group from the Emory program - 26 monks and two nuns - have just finished their five years of summer classes.

While they earned no degrees, they are expected to help introduce a science curriculum into the monastic academies, and will take with them Tibetan-language science textbooks the program has developed.

The Dalai Lama realizes that “preservation of the culture will occur through change,” said Carol Worthman, a professor of anthropology in Emory’s Laboratory for Comparative Human Biology. “You have to change to stay in place.”But change is a complicated thing, Particularly with a culture like this one. The monks and nuns in the Emory program are “the best and the brightest,” Worthman said, brought to the Sarah complex from monasteries and convents across India and Nepal. While most are in their 20s or 30s, some are far older and long ago earned highlevel degrees in Buddhist philosophy. Still, few learned anything but basic math before the Emory program. Because of the way they study focusing on debates and the memorization of long written passages, but doing comparatively little writing - few are able to take notes during

classroom lectures. Many were raised to see magic as an integral part of the world around them.

To watch them in class, though, is astonishing. No one yawns. No one dozes. Since almost no one takes notes, it’s easy to think they’re not paying attention. But then a monk or a nun in a red robe calls out a question about brain chemistry - or cell biology, or logic - that can leave their teachers stunned. Though most studied only religious subjects after eighth grade, they regularly traverse highly complex concepts: “They really understand how neurocircuits work at a level that’s comparable to what we see at a senior (undergraduate) neuroscience classroom in the United States,” said Young, the neuroscientist.

For most of the monastics, though, the challenges are not in the academic rigor. They see nothing astonishing about their ability to process vast amounts of information without taking notes, or to remain attentive for hours on end. It is how they have been trained. For them, the challenges lie in weaving modern science with traditional beliefs. The science program “was sort of like a culture shock for me,” said Choegyal, who is based at a monastery in southern India. While Tibetan Buddhism puts a high value on skepticism, conclusions are reached through philosophical analysis - not through clinical research and reams of scientific data.

So it was difficult, at first, for many of the students. And the questions ranged across science and philosophy: Are bacteria sentient beings?

How does science know that brain chemistry affects emotions? Are Tibetan beliefs in mysticism provable through science? At times, the program can seem incongruous, given the widespread belief in magic. Such beliefs go all the way to the top: The Dalai Lama still consults the official state oracle, a monk who divines the future from a temple complex notfar from here.

But after five years, Choegyal says he has managed to hold onto his core beliefs while delving deeply into science. “Buddhism basically talks about truth, or reality, and science really supports that,” he said. Questions that science cannot address, like the belief in reincarnation, he brushes aside as “subtle issues.” Instead, he mostly finds echoes across the two cultures. He points to karma, the ancient Buddhist belief in a cycle of cause and effect, and how it plays into reincarnation. Then he points to the similarities with evolutionary theory. “Everything evolves, or it changes,” he said, whether in evolution or in reincarnation. “So it’s pretty similar, except some sort of reasoning.”—AP

SARAH: (Left) A Tibetan Buddhist monk works on his laptop computer during a computer class. (Right) Monks meditate at a temple on the premises.—AP Photos

Doctors remove 51 pound tumor from New Jersey woman NEW YORK: New Jersey surgeons removed a rapidly growing, 51-pound (23-kg) cancerous tumor from a woman who had delayed treatment for more than a month until she became Eligible for health insurance, her doctor said on Tuesday.”She was a skinny lady with a huge belly. I mean it looked like she was literally pregnant with triplets,” said Dr. David Dupree, who led the surgery on the 65-year-old woman, at Riverview Medical Centre in Red Bank, New Jersey.

“She was just all belly,” he said in describing his first meeting with the patient, a homemaker from nearby Union Beach, New Jersey, who asked to be identified only as Evelyn, her first name. About six to eight weeks before she showed up at the hospital, Evelyn noticed discomfort in her abdomen and that her normally 120-pound frame was rapidly ballooning.

Dupree said she sought medical help on June 4, just days after her 65th birthday, when she would qualify for Medicare, the US Healthcare program for seniors. “The reason she didn’t go earlier was because she had no insurance,” he said. By now, she weighed more than 170 pounds, her legs were swollen with trapped blood, she was badly dehydrated, and, scans showed, the tumor - a malignant sarcoma - was crushing her inferior vena cava, one of the main veins returning blood to the heart, and putting her life in danger. With her body too weakened to be operated on immediately, Dupree scheduled surgery for the following Monday, allowing time for her to become rehydrated and for her blood pressure to be brought under control.

But after she became short of breath on Sunday evening, Dupree brought the surgery forward. “I knew that she wasn’t going to make it through the night,” he said. “Either she goes now or she dies tonight,” he recalled thinking. Opening her up, Dupree and his team found the tumor, which appeared to have originated out of the fatty tissue around her large intestine, had engulfed many of her internal organs, and had to be sliced away “millimeter by millimeter” over the course of the five-hour surgery. Evelyn was still recovering from the operation in a rehabilitation center on Tuesday, Dupree said. She declined to be interviewed.

Although the immediate threat to her life has passed, she must still see an oncologist about treatment for her cancer, which may not have been completely eradicated by the surgery, and may require chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Dupree said he would advise uninsured patients to see a doctor immediately if they knew they were unwell no matter how near their 65th birthday might be. He said the hospital would have operated on Evelyn regardless of her insurance status, but added he did not know whether doing so would have cost her more money.—Reuters

Methadone linked to 30 percent of painkiller od’s WASHINGTON: The prescription drug methadone is linked to over 30 percent of painkiller overdose deaths, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Tuesday.

“Death from opioid overdose has increased four-fold in the past decade, and methadone now accounts for nearly a third of opioid-associated deaths,” said CDC Director Thomas Frieden.

Still, the drug accounted for some two percent of total painkiller prescriptions in the US in 2009. Researchers assessed national data from 1999 to 2010 as well as data for 2009 from 13 states covered by a

drug-related death surveillance network.

Six times as many people died of methadone overdose in 2009 than in 1999.

Methadone has been used as a successful treatment for drug addiction for several decades. In recent years, more doctors have prescribed the drug as a painkiller.

Risks associated with methadone are greater than other painkillers, because the drug often builds up in the patient’s system and may disrupt breathing and heart rhythm. Methadone used as a heroin substitution treatment did not appear to be a part of rise in overdose deaths, the CDC reported. —AFP

Over-the-counter pain drugs not tied to miscarriage NEW YORK: Women who use certain overthe-counter painkillers such as aspirin early in pregnancy may not have an increased risk of miscarriage, according to a US study.

Researchers writing in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology looked at the possible connection between miscarriage and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include common painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.

Some studies have hinted at an increased miscarriage risk among women who use NSAIDs around the time they conceive or in early pregnancy, but other studies have failed to find a connection. “Our findings suggest that use of non-prescription over-the-counter NSAIDs in early pregnancy does not put women at increased risk of spontaneous abortion,” wrote study leader Digna Velez Edwards from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Much of the evidence suggesting a risk has been based on prescription NSAIDs, Edwards said, but most women of childbearing age use overthe-counter NSAIDs for occasional aches and pains. So Edwards and her colleagues looked at use of the over-the-counter drugs among nearly 3,000 pregnant women who were part of a larger study. Overall, 43 percent said they’d used the painkillers at some point

around the time they conceived or in their first six weeks of pregnancy. Thirteen percent of all women suffered a miscarriage during the study, but the risk was no greater for women who’d used NSAIDs regardless of the number of days they took the drugs, the researchers found. On the other hand, Edwards said, “we can never know whether NSAIDs or any other medication are completely safe for pregnant women.”

Ethically, researchers can’t do clinical trials where they randomly assign pregnant women to take a medication or not. Instead, they have to rely on studies like this one, which have limitations such as relying on women’s memories and ability to accurately report their NSAID use. There are biological reasons to believe that NSAIDs could pose a miscarriage risk, Edwards added. The drugs affect hormone-like substances called prostaglandins - and it’s possible they could interfere with the normal prostaglandin changes that happen early in pregnancy. But nobody really knows for sure.In general, experts recommend that women limit their medication use during pregnancy, if possible. It’s thought that acetaminophen is the safest option for occasional pain relief during pregnancy. The study was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.—Reuters

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Chimpanzees cleared after mauling American in S Africa JOHANNESBURG: Two chimpanzees who mauled an American student in South Africa will not be killed because authorities found the animals defended their territory against a trespasser, a park director said Tuesday. Andrew Oberle, 26, lost an ear, several fingers and toes and a testicle in the attack on Thursday when he entered a restricted enclosure at Jane Goodall Institute Chimpanzee Eden in the northeast of the country, the national parks board found. “They don’t believe the chimpanzees should be put down because they were in defence of their territory and they did not escape or try to climb over the fence with the intent to hurt anyone or to attack any tourist,” said “Chimp Eden” director Eugene Cussons. Oberle, a Masters student in anthropology and primatology at the University of Texas at San Antonio, was doing research at Cussons’ sanctuary for abused and orphaned chimps. While taking tourists on a visit of the facility he climbed over an outer safety fence to a restricted zone in front of the 4.5-hectare encampment fence to fetch a stone that the apes might try to throw at people. “Andrew was never trained to do so. There are only a few people that are trained at the highest level that actually go into the no-go zone,” Cussons told AFP Oberle stepped onto an outer wire mesh of the camp, which triggered the defensive instincts of the pack leader, Amadeus, and his second-in-command Nikki. They grabbed his one foot and dragged him down, pinning him under the fence. “This fierce struggle that went on between him and the chimpanzees damaged that section of the fence and the two male chimpanzees used that damaged section to be able to crawl underneath and exit.” They then dragged him 30 meters (100 feet) away.

Cussons was called to kill the animals if

necessary when first rescue attempts did not work. He fired two warning shots, and then retreated to his car when one of the chimps charged. “Nikki jumped onto the bonnet of the vehicle and started smashing the bonnet and the windshield trying to get into my vehicle.” “I fired a round through the windscreen and hit him in the abdomen.” As the ape retreated, Cussons used intimidation to regain control. “I ran after him still pointing the firearm at him so he could understand that I was now the dominant presence.”

He then stabilised Oberle until paramedics arrived. “He was conscious, he was speaking to me. He was badly injured. He had deep lacerations. He had injuries to his feet and hands and lacerations all over his body,” Cussons told AFP. The student was being kept unconscious in hospital, said Cussons.

“Andrew is in a drug-induced coma for his own comfort. He is in a stable condition now.” His family has flown to the country from the United States. Chimp Eden gained fame through an Animal Planet TV series called “Escape to Chimp Eden”. The sanctuary currently keeps 33 chimps, which do not naturally occur in South Africa, in three large camps.

Seven were in the third camp for worst abused chimpanzees, where the attack happened. Amadeus was rescued from Angola when he was three. His parents were killed in the bush meat trade. Nikki came all the way from Liberia on the other side of the continent when he was four. He had been kept as a pet. Both apes are around 16 years old. Nikki’s gunshot wound was treated at the Johannesburg zoo and he was doing well, said Cussons. “I had to make sure Andrew’s life is protected. Once the chimp’s behaviour was submissive there was no reason for me to hunt them down and kill them.”—AFP

(Left) This undated handout photo provided by Orasure shows the OraQuick test, which detects the presence of HIV in saliva collected using a mouth swab. (Right) A model demonstrates the OraQuick test, which detects the presence of HIV in saliva collected using a mouth swab.—AP photos

US approve first rapid, take-home HIV test WASHINGTON: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter HIV test, allowing Americans to check themselves for the virus that causes AIDS in the privac y of their homes. The OraQuick test detects the presence of HIV in saliva collected using a mouth swab. The test is designed to return a result within 20 to 40 minutes.

Government officials estimate one-fifth, or about 240,000 people, of the 1.2 million HIV carriers in the US are not aware they are infected.

Testing is one of the chief means of slowing new infections, which have held steady at about 50,000 per year for two decades.

FDA officials said the test is aimed at people who might not otherwise get tested. The company’s marketing efforts will focus on populations at greatest risk of being infected, including gay and

bisexual men, African Americans and Hispanics. HIV awareness groups hailed the approval as an important step in expanding testing for the virus.

“This test will allow anyone to empower themselves to k now their HIV status when, how and with whom they want to,” said Tom Donohue, founding director of Who’s Positive. HIV eventually develops into AIDS, unless treated with antiviral drugs. AIDS causes the body ’s immune system to break down, leading to infections which become fatal.

The FDA previously approved several HIV test kits designed to be used at home, although those kits - which usually require a blood sample - must be sent to a laboratory to be developed. FDA stressed in its approval announcement that the test is not 100 percent accurate. A trial conducted by Orasure

showed the home test correctly detected HIV in those carrying the virus only 92 percent of the time.

That means the test could miss one person for every 12 HIV-infected people who use the kit.

The test was accurate 99 percent in ruling out HIV in patients not carrying the virus. That means the test would incorrectly identify one patient as having HIV for every 5,000 HIV-negative people tested.

People who test negative should get re-tested after three months because it can take several weeks for detectable antibodies to HIV to appear, according to Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HIV unit.

Orasure has marketed a version of OraQuick to doctors, nurses and other health care practitioners since 2002. When used by professionals, the test is shown to accu-

rately identify both carriers and non- carriers 99 percent of the time. While it’s not clear why the test appears less accurate in consumer trials, company researchers said they expected the test’s specificity to drop when used by consumers versus professionals.

Orasure plans to launch the test in October, selling it through retailers like Walgreens, CVS and Walmart, as well as online pharmacies.

Whereas the test marketed to health professionals costs about $17.50, Orasure expects the consumer version to sell for more. The company is not announcing a price yet, but said it would be less than $60. CEO Doug Michels said the additional cost will help pay for a toll-free call center to provide counseling and medical referrals to test users. Shares of Orasure Technologies rose 59 cents, or 5 percent, to $12.09.—AP

30

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

WHAT’S ON Greetings

hatever you want to do tomorrow, do it today. And whatever you desire to do today, do it now because nobody knows in this uncertain world what will happen in a moment.

Celebrate life as you celebrate your birthday.’ Happy birthday Cherish. With immortal greetings from Alma & Liva.

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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.

Movenpick holds Euro 2012 closing ceremony ovenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait held the closing ceremony or the Euro Cup 2012 on July 1, 2012. The closing ceremony was organized in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait, and was held at “Layali Al Bida’a Tent”.

Attendees included the Ambassador of Spain to Kuwait and Ambassador of Iraq to Kuwait among diplomats

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from other nations, representatives of the sponsors of the event and others.

“Layali Al Bida’a Tent” was created especially for football fans in Kuwait to watch the Euro Cup matches with friends and family, while enjoying Movenpick’s great atmosphere and unparalleled hospitality.

The event was very successful and had full audience throughout the whole period. “Layali Al Bida’a Tent”

was generously sponsored by Zain Telecom, KLM- Air France, TAF, Vio and Rauch.

“We are proud to be part of this important sporting event, which shows our continuous commitment to stay relevant to the world’s events,” said Maged Gubr, the hotel’s General Manager.

Legal Advice Clinic Free legal advice is provided on matters pertaining to labour disputes, terms of contracts with employers, death/accident compensation, withholding of dues by employers, etc. by lawyers on our panel, to Indian nationals on all working days between 1500hrs to 1600hrs.

Ambassador’s Open House The Open House for Indian citizens by the Ambassador is being held on all Wednesdays at the Embassy for redressal of grievances. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day.

Mary S. Saju

Maryam Ansari

Nicole Coelho

Mohd Saiful Islam

Shabbir Daruwala

Musaed Khokar

Joaquim Dias

Mohammed Asad

Abrar Parkar

Abdul Wadood Antuley

Mohd Hisham

Kappala V Peter

‘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.

Aware Diwaniya The AWARE Center cordially invites interested expatriates to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “Fasting in Islam, Judaism and Christianity,” by Iman Martin on Tuesday July 10th, 2012 at 7:00 pm. Is fasting unique to Muslims only? When and how do Jews and Christians fast? Is there any difference in Islam between fasting during Ramadan and other types of fasting? What is the meaning of Ramadan? What were the main reasons as to why people observed fasting in the past? In her 20minute presentation, Iman will answer all the questions and many more.

For more information, call 25335260/80 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw.

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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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

NIOS declares results he National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), with international recognition and presence, provides quality school education and training through the convergence of open schooling organizations, resulting in an inclusive learning society, human resource development and global understanding.

NIOS, set up by the central government of India (Ministry of HRD, New Delhi), is the largest open schooling system in the world. It declared the secondary and senior secondary annual examination result of 2011-12 Block A batch for Kuwaitís Accredited Center. The management and staff take great pride in congratulating all the students for the good performance and whole hearted cooperation that

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they have shown during their study with us. All students are requested to contact MEI for University Services/Kuwait Educational Center for detailed results.

The following students have topped their batch and subjects: Senior Secondary: Mary Sumya Saju, Maryam Ansari, Nicole Rochelle Coelho Secondary: Abdul Wadood Antuley, Mohammed Hisham, Kappala Varshitha Peter Senior Seondary: English: Mohd Saiful Islam Business Studies: Shabbir Hussain Daruwala Accountancy: Musaed Mohammed Khokar

Data Entry Operations: Mohammed Asad, Abrar Ahmed Daniyal Parkar Economics: Mary Saumya Saju Home Science: Mary Saumya Saju Mass Communication: Jaquim C Dias Word Processing: Maryam Ansari Secondary: English: Chaudhry Sajjad Hussain Business Studies: Abdul Wadood Antuley Psychology: Kappala V Peter Data Entry Operations: Abdul Wadood Antuley Economics: Abdul Wadood Antuley Home Science: Abdul Wadood Antuley Word Processing: Kappala V Peter

Chaudhry Sajjad Hussain

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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THURSDAY, JULY 5, 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

Hadeel Al-Fadhli, Manager, External Communications, receiving the token of appreciation on the behalf of Gulf Bank from Dr Qais Al-Duwairi, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Health during the event.

A scene from one of the educational animation movies that was part of ‘Club 25 Educational Initiative’ which was sponsored by Gulf Bank, was played during the event.

Gulf Bank hails success of ‘Club 25 Educational Initiative’ ulf Bank hailed the successful conclusion of its exclusive sponsorship of the ‘Club 25 Educational Initiative’, a campaign organized by the Central Blood Bank and designed to celebrate World Blood Donor’s Day. The celebration took place at the Central Blood Bank in Jabriya and was held under the patronage of Dr Ali Al-Obaidi, Minister of Health and was attended by Dr Qais Al-Duwairi, Undersecretary of the Ministry.

The educational campaign, which was organized by the Central Blood Bank and Club 25 Kuwait, was one of many activities conducted on this day to spread awareness on the importance of donating blood. The activity was also based on a creative educational tool

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and comprised of three bilingual educational info-graphics and short animation movies about blood donation.

Gulf Bank, Central Blood Bank and Club 25 Kuwait used the educational movies in several social media tools, such as YouTube as well as LED advertisements, in an effort to emphasize the importance of blood donation. The educational animation movies will be showcased through different promotional campaigns and activities that Club 25 Kuwait intends to hold in the future, at shopping malls, universities, colleges and schools.

Commenting on the success of the Bank’s sponsorship, Hadeel Al-Fadhli, Manager, External Communications at Gulf Bank said: “Our sponsorship of the

‘Club 25 Educational Initiative’ sprung from our core belief of spreading awareness within the community on the importance of blood donation. Gulf Bank has been celebrating World Blood Donors Day for four consecutive years and this year we wanted to further reinforce our position in supporting this cause, and have a leading role by exclusively sponsoring the ‘Club 25’ educational campaign.” Gulf Bank will continue to portray its commitment to the Kuwaiti society through its ongoing support to the different sectors, reaffirming its position as a socially responsible financial institution,” added AlFadhli.

Club 25 Kuwait is part of a 10-year old global initiative that originated in

Africa, specifically in Zimbabwe, to encourage youth to live healthy lifestyles and play an active role as blood donors. The concept is to encourage them to donate blood at least 25 times throughout their life. Club 25 Kuwait initiative is the 61st worldwide and first of its kind in the Middle East. Gulf Bank’s 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility strategy entails blood donation as its primary cause. This support is clearly revealed through the Bank’s blood donation movement, ‘Give Life’ which was launched early this year.

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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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Kuwait City Marthoma Church’s Rev Fr K O Philipose presents a memento to V A Abraham and his wife Omana Abraham during a sendoff function at Marina Hall, Abbassiya. Abraham is leaving Kuwait after 32 years of service at the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Kuwait. Abraham and his family will be settling in Canada.

Kala (Art) Kuwait Malayalam classes in Salmiya & Mangaf lasses for learning Malayalam have started in Salmiya & Mangaf by Kala (Art) Kuwait. The inaugural ceremony was held in Salmiya during which Renuka Bhaskaran, Advisory Member, opened the class and Binu Sukumaran, Treasurer, opened the class in Mangaf. The function was welcomed by Kala (Art) Kuwait General Secretary Jaison Joseph and presided by President Sam Kutty Thomas.

Salmiya Unit Executive Members Noushad, Lakh Chakkola, and Central Executive Members Mukesh VP, K Hassan Koya, K Sadik, Santhosh Joseph were addressed the function.

The class is aimed at Keralite students in Kuwait who are willing to learn their mother tongue since they have no such facility in their schools here. The course offered free to all students. Those who are willing to attend the class may be contacted at phone nos. in Salmiya 66261765 (Noushad), 99530326 (Lakh) & Mangaf 99358911 (Binu), 66207064 (Santhosh).

Also by e-mail kalakuwait@gmail.com.

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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 ■■■■■■■

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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Muthamizh Arigkar Narpani Mandram-Kuwait celebrated the 89th birthday of the great Tamil leader Dr Kalaignar Karunanidhi with a birthday cake on 08-06-2012 at Mann-o-Salwa in Mirqab.

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.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 05:45 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 08:15 08:40 09:10 09:35 10:05 11:00 11:25 11:55 12:50 13:15 13:45 14:40 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:25 18:20 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

I’m Alive Untamed & Uncut Monster Bug Wars Wildest India Wildest Arctic Cheetah Kingdom Predator’s Prey Rescue Vet Rescue Vet Karina: Wild On Safari Crocodile Hunter Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Breed All About It Natural Born Hunters Natural Born Hunters Wildest Arctic Wildlife SOS Going Ape Animal Cops Philadelphia Clinically Wild: Alaska Clinically Wild: Alaska Animal Precinct Wildest Arctic Karina: Wild On Safari Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Penguin Safari Bad Dog Cats 101 Wildlife SOS Going Ape Cheetah Kingdom Predator’s Prey Wildest Arctic Whale Wars: Viking Shores Max’s Big Tracks Miami Animal Police

00:45 01:15 01:45 02:35 03:05 03:35 04:05 04:25 04:35 04:45 05:00 05:25 05:40 05:50 06:10 06:20 06:30 06:45 07:10 07:25 07:35 08:05 08:35 09:10 09:40 10:10 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:35 14:05 14:35 15:25 15:55 16:25 17:10 17:40 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:50 21:20 21:50 22:40 23:10 23:55

Eastenders Doctors Life On Mars My Family Last Of The Summer Wine Big Top Balamory 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Gigglebiz Teletubbies Boogie Beebies Little Robots Balamory 3rd & Bird Bobinogs Gigglebiz Teletubbies Boogie Beebies Little Robots My Family Last Of The Summer Wine Big Top Eastenders Doctors Casualty Bleak House Bleak House My Family Last Of The Summer Wine Big Top Eastenders Doctors Casualty Bleak House Bleak House The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Monarch Of The Glen Keeping Up Appearances Blackadder The Third Great Ormand Street Lab Rats The Old Guys New Tricks Twenty Twelve The Weakest Link Monarch Of The Glen

00:30 01:20 02:10 02:35 03:05

What Not To Wear What Not To Wear The Boss Is Coming To Dinner Delicious Iceland The Hairy Bikers Ride Again

03:30 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey 04:20 MasterChef 04:50 MasterChef 05:15 Living In The Sun 06:05 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 06:30 Delicious Iceland 07:00 Living In The Sun 07:50 MasterChef Australia 08:35 MasterChef Australia 09:25 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 09:45 Bargain Hunt 10:30 Antiques Roadshow 11:20 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 12:00 10 Years Younger 12:25 10 Years Younger 12:50 10 Years Younger 13:15 Masterchef: The Professionals 14:05 Masterchef: The Professionals 14:30 Bargain Hunt 15:15 Antiques Roadshow 16:05 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 16:50 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 17:10 Come Dine With Me 18:00 Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers 18:30 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 18:55 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey 19:45 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Bargain Hunt 22:05 Antiques Roadshow 23:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 23:45 Come Dine With Me

00:00 BBC World News America 00:30 BBC World News America 01:00 Newsday 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 Newsday 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 BBC World News 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 BBC Focus On Africa 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:00 05:25 05:50 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:55 07:20 07:45 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:15 11:40 12:00 12:15 12:40 12:55 13:20 13:35 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:15 15:40 16:00 16:15 16:40 17:05 17:30 17:55 18:10 19:00 19:15 19:40 19:55 20:20 20:35 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:15 22:40 23:05 23:20 23:45

Puppy In My Pocket Tom & Jerry Kids Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes Popeye Classics Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes The Scooby Doo Show Johnny Bravo The Flintstones The Jetsons Wacky Races The Garfield Show Tom & Jerry Kids Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Ha Ha Hairies A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Garfield Show Johnny Bravo Dexter’s Laboratory Pink Panther And Pals 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 Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show The Garfield Show Dexter’s Laboratory Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Dexter’s Laboratory Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Duck Dodgers Looney Tunes The Garfield Show A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Popeye The Jetsons Duck Dodgers

00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 00:55 Bakugan: New Vestroia 01:20 Powerpuff Girls 02:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:55 Angelo Rules 06:00 The Marvelous Misadventures...

06:25 Casper’s Scare School 07:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 07:15 Adventure Time 07:40 Johnny Test 08:05 Grim Adventures Of...

08:55 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:45 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:10 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 10:35 Powerpuff Girls 11:00 Codename: Kids Next Door: 12:15 Ed, Edd n Eddy 13:05 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 13:30 Sym-Bionic Titan 13:55 Foster’s Home For...

14:20 Foster’s Home For...

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET ON OSN ACTION HD

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 Codename: Kids Next Door: 21:15 Grim Adventures Of...

22:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Ben 10 23:40 Chowder

00:00 Amanpour 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 02:00 World Report 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Quest Means Business 06:00 The Situation Room 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Talk Asia 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Eco Solutions 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 Amanpour 12:30 Living Golf 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 18:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Living Golf 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 21:45 CNN Marketplace Europe 22:00 Amanpour 22:30 CNN Newscenter 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

00:15 01:10 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 22:50 23:20

Weird Or What?

One Way Out Dynamo: Magician Impossible Mythbusters Dirty Dozen Mythbusters 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 American Guns Battle Machine Bros Extreme Explosions 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 American Guns Mobster Confessions Mobster Confessions Surviving Disaster

00:35 Superships 01:25 Science Of The Movies 02:15 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 03:05 The Gadget Show 03:35 Smash Lab 04:25 Space Pioneer 05:15 Superships 06:05 Science Of The Movies 07:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 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 Things That Move 15:35 The Gadget Show 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 Bang Goes The Theory 16:30 Sci-Fi Science 17:00 Science Of The Movies 17:50 Sport Science 18:40 Space Pioneer 19:30 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 19:55 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 20:20 Weird Or What?

21:10 The Gadget Show 21:35 The Gadget Show 22:00 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 22:25 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 22:50 Weird Or What?

23:40 Sport Science

00:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 00:55 Style Star 01:25 Too Young To Kill 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 Khloe And Lamar 09:45 Khloe And Lamar 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Kendra 13:35 Kendra 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 14:30 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Ice Loves Coco 17:25 Ice Loves Coco

17:55 E! News 18:55 THS 19:55 Giuliana & Bill 20:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:25 Fashion Police 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

The Haunted Mysterious Journeys American Greed American Greed Extreme Forensics The Haunted Mysterious Journeys Disappeared Forensic Detectives FBI Case Files Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Street Patrol Street Patrol FBI Case Files Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives FBI Case Files Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Nightmare Next Door Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Going Bush 01:00 First Ascent 02:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:00 Madventures 04:00 Graham’s World 05:00 Danger Beach 06:00 Going Bush 07:00 First Ascent 08:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 09:00 Madventures 10:00 Graham’s World 11:00 Danger Beach 12:00 Going Bush 13:00 Perilous Journeys 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 15:00 Madventures 15:30 Danger Beach 16:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 17:00 Bondi Rescue 18:00 Into The Drink 19:00 A World Apart 20:00 Food School 21:00 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 22:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 23:00 Extreme Expeditions

00:00 Ancient Megastructures 01:00 Warrior Road Trip 02:00 Stonehenge Decoded (1 hour) 03:00 Ancient Megastructures 04:00 Living On Mars 05:00 Animal Mega Moves 06:00 Banged Up Abroad 07:00 Air Crash Investigation 08:00 Ancient Megastructures 09:00 Warrior Road Trip 10:00 Stonehenge Decoded (1 hour) 11:00 Ancient Megastructures 12:00 Huge Moves 13:00 Animal Autopsy (AKA Inside Nature’s Giants) 14:00 Banged Up Abroad 15:00 Air Crash Investigation 16:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest 17:00 Warrior Road Trip 18:00 Apocalypse: The Second World War 19:00 Ancient Megastructures 20:00 Salvage Code Red 21:00 Animals At The Edge 22:00 The Border 23:00 Air Crash Investigation

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:15 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 08:45 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Wildlife Rescue Africa Built For The Kill Live Like An Animal Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Night Stalkers Africa’s Deadliest The Real Serengeti Fish Warrior Live Like An Animal Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Night Stalkers Built for the Kill 4 Built for the Kill 4 The Pack Journey Into Amazonia Ultimate Predators GPU Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Leopard Queen Hyena Queen Bonecrusher Queens Fish Warrior Live Like An Animal Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Night Stalkers Built for the Kill 4

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:15 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 08:45 09:15

Wildlife Rescue Africa Built For The Kill Live Like An Animal Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Night Stalkers Africa’s Deadliest The Real Serengeti Fish Warrior Live Like An Animal Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Night Stalkers

TYRANNOSAUR ON OSN CINEMA 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Built for the Kill 4 Built for the Kill 4 The Pack Journey Into Amazonia Ultimate Predators GPU Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Leopard Queen Hyena Queen Bonecrusher Queens Fish Warrior Live Like An Animal Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Night Stalkers Built for the Kill 4

00:00 02:00 04:00 05:45 07:45 09:45 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

My Bloody Valentine-R A Nightmare On Elm Street-18 The Collector-18 Ip Man-PG15 Drunken Master-PG15 Alive-PG15 Shanghai Noon-PG15 Drunken Master-PG15 Vengeance-PG15 Shanghai Noon-PG15 Ronin-18 The Daisy Chain-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 PG15 21:00 23:00

Tyrannosaur-18 I Am Number Four-PG15 Last Of The Living-PG15 Backwash-PG15 I Am Number Four-PG15 Ice Age-FAM Coming & Going-PG15 Ice Dreams-PG15 Bound By A Secret-PG15 It’s Kind Of A Funny StoryKiller Elite-18 Blue Valentine-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:00 Hung 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 Hot In Cleveland 10:00 Hot In Cleveland 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 Hot In Cleveland 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 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 Cougar Town 19:30 How I Met Your Mother 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 The League 23:00 Enlightened 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:30

Grimm Alphas Supernatural Hawthorne True Blood Good Morning America Terra Nova Coronation Street

09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Alphas Hawthorne Live Good Morning America Terra Nova Parenthood One Tree Hill GCB Scandal True Blood

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Unforgettable Supernatural Grimm Alphas Hawthorne The Nine Lives Of Chloe King Unforgettable Emmerdale Coronation Street Smallville Supernatural Alphas Hawthorne Emmerdale Hot In Cleveland The Ellen DeGeneres Show Smallville Unforgettable Emmerdale Hot In Cleveland The Ellen DeGeneres Show Smallville Parenthood One Tree Hill GCB Scandal Boardwalk Empire

01:15 03:30 05:30 07:15 09:15 11:00 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:15 21:00 23:00

13 Assassins-18 Hustle And Flow-18 Taxi-PG15 Attack On Leningrad-PG15 Jonah Hex-PG15 The A-Team-PG15 Inside Out-PG15 Jonah Hex-PG15 Hidalgo-PG15 Dorothy Mills-18 Drag Me To Hell-18 From Within-PG15

00:15 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry-PG15 02:15 Last Holiday-PG15 04:15 The Beverly Hillbillies-PG15 06:00 Little Secrets-PG 08:00 Last Holiday-PG15 10:00 My Best Friend’s WeddingPG15 12:00 Big Fat Liar-PG 14:00 The Chaperone-PG15 16:00 My Best Friend’s WeddingPG15 18:00 Submarine-PG15 20:00 She’s Out Of My League-18 22:00 There’s Something About Mary-18

01:15 Romeo Is Bleeding-18 03:15 Up Close And Personal-PG 05:30 Don’t Look Back-PG15 07:30 MacHEADS-PG15 09:00 Oceans - Into The Deep-PG 10:45 The River-PG15 13:00 Blind Mountain-PG15 15:15 Oceans - Into The Deep-PG 17:00 Family Gathering-PG15 19:00 The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee-PG15 21:00 American History X-18 23:15 Red Rock West-18

01:00 Up Close And Personal-PG 03:15 The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice-PG15 05:00 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never-PG 07:00 City Of Life-PG15 09:00 The Winning Season-PG15 11:00 The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice-PG15 13:00 Waiting For Superman-PG15 15:00 Wall Street: Money Never

Sleeps-PG15 17:15 The Winning Season-PG15 19:00 The Adjustment Bureau-PG15 21:00 Killer Elite-18 23:00 Get Him To The Greek-18

00:00 Devil-PG15 02:00 Jane Eyre-PG15 04:00 Rango-FAM 06:00 Lego: The Adventures Of Clutch Powers-FAM 08:00 Uncorked-PG15 10:00 Kung Fu Magoo-FAM 12:00 Jane Eyre-PG15 14:00 The Marc Pease ExperiencePG15 16:00 Uncorked-PG15 17:30 Transformers: Dark Of The Moon-PG15 20:00 Beautiful Boy-18 22:00 The Rite-18

00:00 Trans World Sport 01:00 Rugby League International Oirgin 03:00 Cricket One Day International 10:00 Rugby League State Of Oirgin 12:00 Rugby League International Oirgin 14:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 15:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 15:30 Live PGA European Tour 19:30 Futbol Mundial 20:00 Rugby League International Oirgin 22:00 Rugby League State Of Oirgin

00:00 02:30 03:30 04:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 15:00 15:30 17:30 20:30 21:00

Rugby League State Of Origin Super Rugby Highlights Futbol Mundial Prizefighter Rugby League State Of Origin Super Rugby Highlights Trans World Sport PGA European Tour Highlights Masters Football Futbol Mundial Rugby League State Of Origin Prizefighter PGA European Tour Weekly PGA European Tour

00:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 01:30 Euro Tour Weekly 02:00 Adventure Sports 06:00 World Pool Masters 08:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 09:00 Total Rugby 09:30 NRL Full Time 10:00 Triathlon 12:30 NRL Full Time 13:00 Golfing World 14:00 Total Rugby 14:30 Rugby League International Origin Series 16:30 AFL Premiership Highlights 17:30 Super League 19:30 Super Rugby 21:30 Super Rugby Highlights 22:30 AFL Premiership Highlights 23:30 Total Rugby

01:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Prizefighter UFC 148 Countdown UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE SmackDown NHL UAE National Race Day Series UAE National Race Day Series WWE Experience WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line Mobil 1 The Grid V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Extra UAE National Race Day Series Mobil 1 The Grid WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 148 Countdown UFC Unleashed NHL

Classifieds THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR LZB JZR MEA SAI ETH CLX RJA GFA UAE ETD THY DHX FDB MSR QTR JZR KAC THY KAC JZR DHX JZR KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY IRA QTR IZG IRA FDB ETD BAB GFA MEA JZR MSR KNE MSC SYR JZR MSR KAC GFA KAC FDB OMA KNE JZR QTR SVA JZR RJA KAC JZR KAC QTR FDB KAC JZR ETD UAE UAL GFA SVA JZR TAR JZR ABY KAC KNE KAC KAC QTR JZR BAB KAC FDB KAC MSR MSC RBG KAC KAC KAC JAI JZR KAC KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK FDB UAE JZR ETD BBC ABY QTR DHX JZR JZR AIC GFA UAL JZR DLH MSR THY KLM JAI

Arrival Flights on Thursday 5/7/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 7787 VARNA 267 BEIRUT 408 BEIRUT 441 LAHORE 620 ADDIS ABABA 792 LUXEMBOURG 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 768 ISTANBUL 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 154 ISTANBUL 1541 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 605 ISFAHAN 132 DOHA 4161 MASHAD 617 AHWAZ 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 470 JEDDAH 401 ALEXANDRIA 341 DAMASCUS 200 DAMASCUS 610 CAIRO 1802 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 645 MUSCAT 472 JEDDAH 535 CAIRO 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 241 AMMAN 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 8053 DUBAI 118 NEW YORK 357 MASHAD 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 177 DUBAI 328 TUNIS 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 176 GENEVA 474 JEDDAH 502 BEIRUT 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 125 BAHRAIN 438 BAHRAIN 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 624 SOHAG 405 SOHAG 3553 ALEXANDRIA 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 572 MUMBAI 175 DUBAI 774 RIYADH 562 AMMAN 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 59 DUBAI 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 43 DHAKA 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 513 SHARM EL SHEIKH 539 CAIRO 981 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 411 AMSTERDAM 574 MUMBAI

Time 0:15 0:20 0:30 0:50 1:00 1:30 1:45 2:05 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:10 4:35 4:55 4:55 5:00 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:35 9:00 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:30 9:35 10:00 10:55 11:05 11:25 11:35 12:00 12:05 12:30 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:00 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:55 16:00 16:20 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:45 17:55 18:00 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:05 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:40 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:50

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR LZB MEA THY SAI ETH CLX THY UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR QTR RJA JZR KAC JZR GFA THY JZR KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY JZR KAC KAC IRA UAE QTR KAC FDB ETD IRA BAB JZR IZG GFA KAC KAC MEA KAC JZR MSR KNE MSC SYR KAC JZR GFA FDB MSR KAC OMA KAC JZR KNE JZR JZR KAC RJA JZR SVA QTR KAC KAC FDB ETD JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR TAR ABY UAL SVA KNE JZR QTR FDB BAB KAC RBG MSR MSC JZR JAI FDB KAC KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC KAC GFA FDB DHX ALK JZR ABY ETD UAE QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR DHX BBC QTR AXB GFA KAC KAC JZR

Depature Flights on Thursday 5/7/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 7788 VARNA 409 BEIRUT 773 ISTANBUL 442 LAHORE 621 ADDIS ABABA 792 HONG KONG 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 1801 CAIRO 201 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 534 CAIRO 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 240 AMMAN 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 606 MASHHAD 856 DUBAI 133 DOHA 101 LONDON 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 616 AHWAZ 437 BAHRAIN 356 MASHHAD 4162 MASHHAD 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 623 SOHAG 471 JEDDAH 406 SOHAG 342 DAMASCUS 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 651 AMMAN 646 MUSCAT 673 DUBAI 538 CAIRO 473 JEDDAH 174 DUBAI 124 BAHRAIN 617 DOHA 641 AMMAN 512 SHARM EL SHEIKH 505 JEDDAH 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 613 BAHRAIN 8054 DUBAI 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 328 TUNIS 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 475 JEDDAH 266 BEIRUT 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 283 DHAKA 3554 ALEXANDRIA 607 LUXOR 402 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 343 CHENNAI 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 153 ISTANBUL 222 BAHRAIN 60 DUBAI 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 1540 CAIRO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 188 DUBAI 554 ALEXANDRIA 373 BAHRAIN 44 DHAKA 147 DOHA 390 MANGALORE 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 1:30 2:00 2:15 2:30 2:45 3:35 3:40 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:00 7:05 7:10 7:30 8:10 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:20 9:35 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:15 10:25 10:30 10:35 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:25 12:25 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:40 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:15 15:25 15:30 15:45 15:50 15:55 16:00 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:35 17:20 17:30 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:45 18:50 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:45 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:35 20:40 20:50 20:55 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:30 23:40 23:50 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

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

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station 22434064 Al-Murqab Police Station 22435865

SITUATION VACANT

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Pajero 2000 model, maroon color, full option, good condition, price KD 1,250/-. Contact: 66395004. (C 4063)

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

SITUATION WANTED 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 Toyota Corolla 2011 model, white color, well maintained low mileage, excellent condition, wanted price KD 3,750/-. Contact: 60099305. (C 4056) 26-6-2012

CHANGE OF NAME JABIR HUSAIN holder of Passport No: J0978818 has change my name JABIR HUSAIN LAKHARA. (C 4060) 28-6-2012

MATRIMONIAL NRI Orthodox parents invited from God fearing professionally qualified working boys from Orthodox, Jacobite, Marthomite for their daughter Kuwait Residence holder 26/160cm,

Academic teacher 33 years experience in teaching classical Arabic and Kuwaiti dialect all levels for foreigners and ASK, BSK students.

Also German language.

Contact: 99538080.

(C 4067) 5-7-2012 Sri Lankan lady (housemaid) looking for part-time job, only Monday, Wednesday and Saturday (only English family).

Contact: 55680045.

(C 4058) 26-6-2012

No: 15499

Al-Daiya Police Station

22544200

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

34

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 727

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You may tend toward impulsiveness today. The slowness of yesterday and perhaps, someone else playing catch up, may have you in a dither. You should not be too quick to act. It is wise of you to carefully examine your work or the work of others in order to make any necessary adjustments or to catch mistakes that others would rather you overlook. You have a great deal of drive and may feel compelled to accomplish much in your workplace. This desire to constantly succeed may affect your personal relationships, particularly if you work overtime. Maternal instincts may come to the forefront this evening; you may make every effort to appease any discord in the home. Also, there is a strong wish to make your surroundings pleasant.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Activity around you tends to slow you down just now. You are more realistic about your abilities and expectations for success. This is an excellent time to sit down alone and get many things accomplished—you take your work more seriously than usual. A lot of motivation goes into getting things scheduled and organized; you are motivated. The nail that sticks up gets hammered down, so to speak. You could, occasionally, be challenged to prove yourself to others.

This is the time to use your whole being in a most constructive way: being slow to frustration. The challenges you face now have easy solutions—patience. It is also a time of deep spiritual insights that enable you to come out the other side of problems or struggles with winning colors.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. The molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams.

4. A town in southwestern Idaho.

9. A island in the Netherlands Antilles that is the top of an extinct volcano.

13. Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all.

14. A unit of magnetic flux equal to 100,000,000 maxwells.

15. Decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers.

16. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

18. An informal term for a father.

19. A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it.

20. A non-aromatic saturated hydrocarbon with the general formula CnH(2n+2).

23. Ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite side.

24. Before noon.

25. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

28. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

31. A period of time spent sleeping.

32. A state in midwestern United States.

34. Lower in esteem.

37. A city of east central Mexico (west of Veracruz).

41. (Scotland) A small loaf or roll of soft bread.

43. A human limb.

44. An ancient city in southeastern Greece.

48. A river in northern Italy that flows southeast into the Adriatic Sea. 51. US slang for Canadians in general and French Canadians in particular.

53. Relating to or characteristic of the Celts.

57. A reptile genus of Iguanidae.

58. Read anew.

61. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

62. Any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue.

63. Produced by inbreeding.

64. Being five more than one hundred fifty.

65. An inflammatory complication of leprosy that results in painful skin lesions on the arms and legs and face.

66. The 3 goddesses of fate or destiny.

67. The dialect of Chinese spoken in Canton and neighboring provinces and in Hong Kong and elsewhere outside China.

DOWN 1. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

2. German industrialist who was the first in Germany to use an assembly line in manufacturing automobiles (1871-1948).

3. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

4. The compass point midway between north and west.

5. Yellow-fever mosquitos.

6. A master's degree in business.

7. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

8. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

9. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

10. An organization of military land forces.

11. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

12. A unit of resistance equal to a billionth of an ohm.

17. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

21. A genus of bee.

22. Relating to or near the ulna.

26. 4-wheeled motor vehicle.

27. An index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer.

29. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

30. The lower house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland.

33. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

35. French writer whose novels described the sordid side of city life (1804-1857).

36. A graphical record of electric currents associated with muscle contractions.

38. The imperial dynasty of China from 1122 to 221 BC. 39. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

40. Small creeping evergreen shrubs.

42. A public promotion of some product or service.

45. A switch made from the stems of the rattan palms.

46. Something twisted and tight and swollen.

47. A firm open-weave fabric used for a curtain in the theater.

48. A potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry.

49. A cushion on a throne for a prince in India.

50. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

52. A game in which numbered balls are drawn and random and players cover the corresponding numbers on their cards.

54. Made of or resembling lace.

55. An Eskimo hut.

56. An underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea v 1.

59. A run that is the result of the batter's performance.

60. To make a mistake or be incorrect.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) There is a lot of eagerness to see your work through to the end. Be aware that pushing too hard creates frustration. Expect a sense of support and goodwill from those around you. This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may be asked to perform an extra step in your routine today. Your management and directional abilities are in high focus— this day has the possibilities of being a very successful one. This afternoon you will be in touch with someone who is temporarily confined to a place away from his or her own home. Your encouragement is helpful to that person’s progress. You enjoy what is practical but tonight you may learn something unusual and fun from a young person

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You find yourself fighting to realize your ambitions amidst a sea of fuzzy dreams. Patience may be of uppermost importance on this workday. Solving dilemmas may call for some self-talk. You do not seem to trust your own idealizations; you may struggle between your sense of ideals and your more realistic ambitions. New information may come to light that will make it clear a change in plans is due. A new outlook may be needed to preserve some sort of security. Keep your eyes open and an alert ear. You are in a learning phase now and that means adapting to changing circumstances. Failure to do so can set you back in one way or another. Your interest in relationships, romantic and otherwise, is strong this evening.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) It is natural for you to put your practical and decision-making abilities to work, even if you are not asked. Your keen organizational skills and clear insight into how things work make you a company asset. A management position is possible. This afternoon you may enjoy the company of your eccentric friends. There are opportunities to speak in some kind of group oriented matter that has a humanitarian flavor. You have very original ideas when it comes to your community and making our collective dreams into a reality. Your desire to make the world a better place is just part of your makeup. You learn and grow through your efforts to help others and to make your inner vision a reality. This is a successful and progressive day.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Ambition and achievement are qualities you hold in special regard. This is a time for getting ahead, a time for combining business and pleasure and to enjoy your career and savor its rewards. You enjoy deliberation and have a very methodical mind. You will continue to work at developing your sound logic. You enjoy arguments that go somewhere—productive, educational and insightful. You would make a good student if you decided to complete or further your education. A fertile thinker, you are slow and steady—always down to earth. Travel and further education can help bring your dreams into focus. Do not ignore the family or friends that come to you in need of a listening ear. You are in a position to lend help if help is needed.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Your professional life is running smoothly. You have a clear idea of your own plans and methods today. This is a very good time to communicate your goals and put them into words—a good time for decisions. You have emotional support and a sense of security from your friends and loved ones.

There is a need for change and a desire to break with old patterns from the past. There is a longing for something new and intellectually stimulating. Friends, co-workers and plain old lucky circumstances offer encouragement and backing for whatever changes you want to set out to achieve. This afternoon you devote a lot of time to appearances—how things come across or might appear to others. This is a good time to set appointments and make your plans.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) New inspiration will boost your spirits this morning. You are feeling better and your attitude is most positive. Your mind is quick and sharp and you know just what to say in order to make the most positive impact. You have insight into your emotions and drive. This is a good time to get ahead by taking action. Don’t be afraid to project your image—make those dreams real. Teaching or guiding young people this afternoon brings about memories of your own youth. Continue your usual attitude of looking for the positive in all things. People learn from this and healings often take place after a conversation with you. Plan to spend as must time as possible with a good friend this evening—your influence is positive for all.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Today may be challenging from a career standpoint. Self-discipline and a sense of self-worth become important issues as a new phase begins for you. A fear of asserting yourself can hold you back—as can coming on too strong. The trick is learning to make the most of your personal talents and abilities, working within your limitations instead of feeling hemmed in by them. You could enjoy a career working with people as a go-between, negotiator, translator or mediator—you can be all things to all people—the mirror. Keep focused on your own personal goals by placing a picture, or secret word of what represents your dreams, in front of you. With your sense of duty, an interruption or side track will not slow your progress for long.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Obstacles to self-discipline or to your sense of organization may appear today. Try to avoid doing too many things at once—perhaps you can work a trade of some sort. Someone may help you today and you could return the favor tomorrow, etc. Bide your time. You are professional enough to know—delays happen. You always seem ready to move forward with the next project, but for now, the important thing is to make sure that what you started will be completed—whether by you or someone else matters not. Teaching or attending a class now could help increase your job earnings or teach you about a new hobby. This is a good time to learn the art of meditation. Spend some time with a friend, even if you do not particularly feel like it.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) A co-worker asks a question today and you may go in a different direction. It may take work to listen carefully to what other people are really saying—but you can do it. Although this is a workday, a sense of nostalgia and domesticity begins, emphasizing a need for security and a sense of roots.

Family, home, relatives and real estate may play on your mind today. You may find yourself looking through the local paper in the real estate adds—searching for a home. A shopping expedition could have you wanting all of the things you see . . . everything could take on added value and importance. Be careful that you do not indulge too much this evening. Conversations about future goals create some ideas that help you to progress.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Self-discipline and a sense of self-worth become important issues. There is excitement in the air and plans could be in the works to have a big company picnic or family reunion of sorts. All of the outside interference will calm eventually, but in order to get things accomplished for now focus is an important issue. Do what you can to cut down on interruptions—perhaps a cute sign on your desk, indicating that a writer is at work. Your high degree of mental concentration makes you an excellent student, able to excel in speaking, writing and all types of communication skills. Your ambitions go hand-in-hand with communication and using the mind; the two should never be far apart. Your optimum job is just being you, which often indicates a career in public affairs.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 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

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

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Kaizen center

25716707

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

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

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. 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

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

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

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

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

INTERNATIONAL CALLS 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

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

&

M o v i e s

Mission Impossible? Tom Cruise under fire at 50 om Cruise was named the highest paid actor in Hollywood on Tuesday, on his 50th birthday-but the “Mission Impossible” star has little to celebrate. Days after his wife filed for divorce, apparently taking him by surprise, questions are stacking up about the role of his controversial Scientologist faith at the end of his five-year marriage to Katie Holmes. The “Top Gun” actor-who has been in Iceland shooting his latest movie ahead of the landmark birthday, according to reports-has remained tightlipped since his wife’s bombshell announcement last week. “Tom is deeply saddened and is concentrating on his three children,” his spokesman said Friday, adding nothing since despite mounting speculation about what led to Holmes’s decision.

T

Their fairytale love affair had started so well. Cruise famously jumped up and down on Oprah Winfrey’s couch professing his love for Holmes during a whirlwind courtship that culminated in a proposal under the Eiffel Tower. But the divorce will be the third for Cruise, following his marriage to US actress Mimi Rogers from 1987-1990 and Australian Nicole Kidman from 1990-2001. He also had a threeyear relationship with Spanish star Penelope Cruz. Critics might suggest that, for all his blockbuster achievements on the big screen over the three decades, Cruise has been less successful in his personal life.

And he now faces a court battle royale for custody of the couple’s six-year-old daughter Suri, after reports that Holmes is seeking sole custody because she fears Cruise wants to draw the child deeper into Scientology. A lawyer for the Church of Scientology-of which Cruise is a prominent mem-

ber-denied Monday sending anyone to follow Holmes, or that Cruise wanted Suri to join the Sea

to follow or surveil Katie Holmes,” lawyer Gary Soter told AFP in an emailed letter. In the 26 years

In this publicity photo provided by Paramount Pictures, actor Tom Cruise, center, is Jack Reacher in film, ‘Jack Reacher,’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions. —AP Organization, described as a boot camp for the religion. “There is no truth whatsoever to the TMZ.com report (or any other report) that the Church of Scientology has sent anyone

since he made his name in the first “Top Gun” movie in 1986, Cruise has established himself as one of the most powerful and bankable players in Hollywood.

That was confirmed again

Tuesday when the latest Forbes list of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors put Cruise firmly at the top, with earnings of $75 million between May 2011 and May 2012. But TMZ reported that Holmes would get virtually nothing from a prenuptial agreement the couple signed-reports that she could get $15-20 million are “absurd”-but that she does not mind. “Money is not that important to her. She makes plenty on her own,” it quoted a source close to Holmes as saying, adding that the only thing she will insist on is child support, which could turn into a “big ticket item.”

A lawyer for Cruise, Bret Fields, said the Hollywood A-lister will file a rival divorce case, but for the moment is content to let Holmes’s camp have the spotlight. “We are letting ‘the other side’ (Katie and her team), play the media until they wear everyone out and then we’ll have something to say,” he told BBC radio. “Tactically we can’t say where Tom will file a divorce case and if he’ll be

‘Savages’ star Kitsch hopes third film’s a charm e is the face of Hollywood’s two costliest US box office flops in 2012, so far, “John Carter” and “Battleship,” but actor Taylor Kitsch isn’t letting that stand in his way in his quest for good roles and movie stardom.

On Friday, the 31-year-old actor returns to movie screens in Oliver Stone’s “Savages,” based on author Don Winslow’s book of the same name set in southern California’s world of drug dealers, marijuana growers and crime gangs. If all goes well, a solid box office and critical hit might help Kitsch overcome his two earlier bombs. If not, he vows to stay focused and keep working on his long-term goals. “To be in this film was a dream,” Kitsch told Reuters. “I’ve been in the (acting) game for probably eight years. It’s not about just being on screen, but attaining things in your life that no one can take from you, and this is one of them.” Both “John Carter,” an adventure on Mars, and “Battleship,” about the U.S. Navy fighting aliens, had production budgets over $200 million and came out with all the studio hype that precedes major movie releases. Had either been a blockbuster, Kitsch, straight from the TV show “Friday Night Lights,” would have vaulted to superstardom.

“John Carter” made only $73 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices, and “Battleship” is current-

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ly around $65 million. The two did much better overseas and enjoy global ticket sales around $300 million apiece. Even so, typically in Hollywood only about half that revenue comes back to a film’s makers. Earlier this year, Walt Disney Co reported a firstquarter operating loss of $84 million for “John Carter” at its movie studio division due in large part to the movie’s poor performance in domestic theatres. Final “Battleship” figures have yet to be compiled as it is still in theatres.

In “Savages,” the actor is seeking a rebound as a man named Chon, a former Navy SEAL who with best friend Ben (Aaron Johnson) runs a lucrative business growing marijuana. The pair share a girlfriend, O (Blake Lively).

When they refuse to yield to demands by a Mexican drug gang to give away their business, the thugs kidnap O, causing Chon and Ben to go after them.

“Savages” features an A-list cast that includes Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta. Director Stone is a threetime Oscar winner for movies such as “Platoon” and “JFK.” From homeless to hollywood While the up-and-coming star is looking for a hit, another misfire wouldn’t trouble him because he has faced worse in life, he said.

The Canadian-born actor moved to New York in 2002 to model and

study acting, only to find himself homeless. “Living on the subway in New York City was by far the lowest point,” Kitsch said. “That’s where I slept for weeks. But that’s a different low. Not, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever make it as an actor.’... It

ing supporting roles in major studio flicks like “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and starring in lowbudget dramas such as “The Bang Bang Club.”

When “Lights” ended in 2011 after five seasons, Kitsch chose to

File Photo shows actor, Taylor Kitsch, who appears in Oliver Stone’s new film “Savages,” posing for a portrait in Beverly Hills, California —AP was pure survival.”

He moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to try his luck in Hollywood, and two years later landed the lead in director Peter Berg’s TV drama about life in a small Texas town, “Friday Night Lights.”

The show was a critical hit but never found a large audience.

Kitsch filled his spare time by tak-

remain in Texas, calling the city of Austin home. When asked how “John Carter” and “Battleship” may affect his career, Kitsch spoke like a movie industry veteran who has seen numerous box office ups and downs.

“It’s what you make of it,” he said. “If you told me 10 years ago when I was homeless in New York

City that my first two movies where I was the lead would make close to $600 million, I would have laughed at you. “I gave everything I had into them,” he continued. “I passed out from exhaustion on ‘Carter.’ There’s nothing more I could have given to that project. (Director) Andrew Stanton knows that. So do my castmates and crew.”

Kitsch said he would still make the same career choices. He has been able to work with top directors like Stone, Stanton and Berg, and he plans to continue working with them in the future. He also notes that one role led to another, and credits “John Carter” and “Battleship” with giving him the Hollywood clout to make independent dramas, such as a $3 million movie he might make in January that he claims was “funded overnight” on the basis of his appearing in it.

“If I hadn’t done those films, there’s no way I could get (these low-budget films) made,” he said. “What they have done for me personally is given me independence and the ability to greenlight dream roles coming.

“It really is a marathon, and my goal is to be in this game for a long time,” he added. “I feel that I’m on track.” —Reuters

Chris Brown’s ‘Fortune’ a miss for critics &B singer and rapper Chris Brown may be trying to redeem his tarnished image, but he has failed to impress critics with his latest album “Fortune,” which was released on Tuesday.

Brown’s fifth studio album follows on the heels of his 2011 record “F.A.M.E,” which debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 album chart in March last year and won a Grammy for best R&B album. But if early reviews are any indication, Fortune appears to be a misfire, as most critics appear to have been unable to ignore Brown’s history. The 23-year-old singer is currently midway through a five-year probation sentence after pleading guilty to beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of the Grammys in February 2009.

Three years later, he is unable to shake his bad-boy reputation-last month, he and rapper Drake made headlines after a bloody bar brawl among their respective followers. Time Magazine’s Melissa Locker gave both Brown and “Fortune” a damning review, questioning why the music industry had forgiven the singer for his crimes and calling the album “boring.”

She urged readers to avoid buying it.

Randall Roberst of the Los Angeles Times gave two out of four stars, calling Fortune “the work of an artist who has gone all-in with a handful of commercial tracks designed to get Our Hero paid and back in America’s good graces.”

The album scored 40 out of 100 on the review website Metacritic.com.

Entertainment Weekly’s Kyle Anderson said the album “furthers the uncomfortable and frustrating disconnect between Brown’s hotheaded personal life and his oddly edgeless musical persona,” and gave it a ‘C-minus’. In Britain

R Carly Rae Jepsen

Top 10 on iTunes Store iTunes’ Official Music Charts for the week ending July 2, 2012 Top Songs: 1. “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen 2. “Wide Awake,” Katy Perry 3. “Payphone (feat. Wiz Khalifa),” Maroon 5 4. “Good Time,” Owl City, Carly Rae Jepsen 5. “Somebody That I Used to Know,” Gotye 6. “Lights,” Ellie Goulding 7. “Titanium (feat. Sia),” Sia,David Guetta 8. “Whistle,” Flo Rida 9. “Scream,” Usher 10.“Where Have You Been,” Rihanna Top Albums “Overexposed,” Maroon 5 “LIVING THINGS,” Linkin Park “MMG Presents: Self Made, Vol. 2,” Various Artists “Believe,” Justin Bieber “Welcome to the Fishbowl,” Kenny Chesney “Up All Night,” One Direction “PTX, Vol. 1,” Pentatonix “Rock of Ages (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack),” Various Artists 9. “Project X (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack),” Various Artists 10.“Write Me Back (Deluxe Version),” R. Kelly —AP 1.

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critics have been unimpressed too. The BBC’s Nick Levine said the work delivered “unremarkable mid-tempo RnB,” and called it “cripplingly pointless.”

Despite the poor reviews, Fortune topped the iTunes album chart after its release on Tuesday, and Brown has been defiant. In March, he stormed out of an interview on Good Morning America, tweeting “HATE ALL U WANT

album features a mix of musical styles, including dance beats on tracks such as the Benny Benassi-produced “Don’t Wake Me Up,” heavy bass and electronica on “Bassline” and steamy R&B on “2012” and “Sweet Love.”

Brown also tries to convey his softer side through ballads such as the pianoled “Stuck On Stupid” and acoustic love song “4 Years Old.” Listeners seeking

This CD cover image released by RCA Records shows the latest release by Chris Brown. “Fortune.” —AP BECUZ I GOT A GRAMMY Now,” after his win in February.

The rapper has avoided interviews to promote the album, but has been plugging it hard on Twitter and doing high-profile performances of its hit single, “Turn Up The Music,” at awards shows. The lead single is an electronic dance and club-friendly track that has reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Elsewhere, the

references to Brown’s troubles need look no further than “Don’t Judge Me,” in which he sings “Just let the past just be the past ... take me as I am, not who I was.” —Reuters

seeking joint custody of Suri.”

Amid all the bad news, Cruise had at least one supporter on Tuesday: Paramount came out swinging for him, as a trailer for his next movie “Jack Reacher”-due out in December-was launched in theaters. “Tom is a huge movie star for the right reason, he’s a very talented actor whose movies have entertained millions of fans,” the studio said in a statement cited by The Hollywood Reporter. “His ability to make a great movie, as we saw with the most recent installment in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchisethe most successful of the series to date-is the thing that moviegoers remember above all else.”—AFP

Review

‘Waltz’ explores fleeting nature of love ere’s how masterfully Sarah Polley manipulates tone in “Take This Waltz,” just her second film as writer and director: She takes the Buggles’ peppy ‘80s anthem “Video Killed the Radio Star,” best known as the song that launched MTV, and finds unexpected poignancy in it. She actually uses it a couple of times in the film, in very different ways, and in both instances the mood she establishes is wistful and assured.

Following Polley’s 2006 debut “Away From Her,” which features the loveliest performance of Julie Christie’s career, “Take This Waltz” further establishes the young Canadian as an exciting filmmaker to watch, one with a maturity beyond her years. She takes risks, isn’t afraid to explore raw emotions and is willing to let her characters make mistakes that could make them unlikable. At the same time, Polley (who’s been an actress herself ) never judges these people she’s created.

Instead, she depicts the giddy, fleeting and illusory nature of new love, and lets us get caught up in it, too.

Michelle Williams gives the kind of subtle, complex performance we’ve come to expect from her as Margot, a freelance writer living in downtown Toronto with her husband of five years, Lou (Seth Rogen, surprisingly good in a more low-key, dramatic role), a cook who spends his days in the kitchen working on chicken recipes. They tease and play pranks on each other and share cutesy games of verbal one-upmanship while snuggling in bed in their colorfully bohemian home.

At first, these exchanges may seem a bit too cloying,

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This film image released by Magnolia Pictures shows Seth Rogan, left, and Michelle Williams in a scene from “Take This Waltz.” —AP too self-conscious. But as Polley comes back to them consistently, you realize she’s crafting a very specific, very intimate portrait of a relationship. Lou is probably a good guy and, for the most part, they seem happy. But their quiet moments, especially the uncomfortable misunderstandings over nothing, are the most telling, as if we’re watching a Canadian hipster version of “Scenes From a Marriage.” While out of town for an assignment at the film’s start, Margot meets Daniel (the soulful, sexy Luke Kirby). Their chemistry is immediate but it becomes even more obvious once they find they’re seated together on the flight home. Then as they share a cab from the airport, it turns out they just happen to live across the street from each other. Yes, this qualifies as the kind of meet-cute you only see in romantic comedies; the rest of the film is rooted in reality.

As Margot and Daniel accidentally bump into each other a couple times, then intentionally bump into each other a couple more times, the flirtation and tension steadily build. She knows what she’s doing is wrong we know what she’s doing is wrong - and yet there’s such undeniable excitement each time they meet, you can’t wait to see where this amorphous, would-be fling might go next. Eventually it goes to a bar for martinis at 2 in the afternoon, where Daniel explicitly lays out what he’d like to do to Margot in one, long, breathtaking monologue. With that scene alone, Polley has created a genre that might sound like an oxymoron: Canadian erotica.

As Margot’s feelings for both of the men in her life evolve, Polley remains constant in her eye for detail. She notices everything: Margot’s blue toenail polish as she walks barefoot across the kitchen; the glistening of light sweat on her forehead as she bakes muffins; the way the sun throws shadows across the couple’s bedroom during the course of a day. “Take This Waltz” is a sensory experience, including a tour de force, circular shot around a room which seamlessly depicts the passage of time. But it’s always grounded - it’s always about real people making real decisions, for better or worse. That includes an unexpectedly strong supporting performance from Sarah Silverman as Lou’s recovering-alcoholic sister. Silverman is one of several cast members who lay themselves bare - literally and metaphorically - for this film. Polley asks a lot of her actors, and they deliver.

“Take This Waltz,” a Magnolia Pictures release is rated R for language, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity. Running time: 116 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. —AP

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

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tlantis, The Palm offers something for everyone in the family to enjoy this summer! Starting from only AED 990 per room per night from 8 May to 30 September 2012, this sizzling summer rate also includes unlimited complimentary access to Aquaventure, a water playground of over 18 million litres of water, The Lost Chambers marine exhibit and preferential rates to swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Bay. Kids will be stimulated and Mum and Dad can enjoy some alone time together thanks to the multitude of different dining, relaxation and entertainment experiences.

The Visa Family Fun package AED 1,595 (valid 10 June to 30 September 2012) includes a one night stay in a Deluxe Room, AED 800 dinner voucher at a choice of three restaurants (Ronda Locatelli, Rostang, The French Brasserie or Levantine), breakfast for two adults and two children, a 2 for 1 treatment voucher at ShuiQi Spa & Fitness and an afternoon session at Kids Club for two children. Offer may be redeemed by presenting your VISA card. Visit http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/promotionpages/visa.as px for more information.

Enjoying a dolphine Encounter at Dolphin Bay at Atlantis.

The Lost Chambers, home to over 65,000 marine animals is holding a series of Family Fun Days over the Summer4 May, 8 June and 7 September 2012 allowing families to discover the mysteries of the ocean and all-age activities together. ‘Shark Man’ Mike Rutzen is special guest on 4 May for exciting tales of the ocean. The events will offer educational experiences on marine animals, facepainting, games and competitions. Hotel guests enjoy unlimited complimentary access to The Lost Chambers and UAE residents will receive a special rate during the summer of AED 75 for adults and AED 50 for children. Guests to Family Fun Days can also enjoy an offer of one child free with each paying adult.

Slip and slide through the world of AQUAVENTURE, with unlimited complimentary access when staying at the resort to the region’s largest water park with extraordinary rides tidal waves and rapids, and the Mesopotamian-styled Ziggurat temple reaching over 30 metres into the sky and featuring seven heart-pumping water slides - two of which catapult riders through shark-filled lagoons; as a hotel guest and special UAE resident rate for adults of AED 140 and children AED 115 for non-hotel guests. AQUAVENTURE is the ultimate place for fun and excitement!

Have a once in a lifetime experience at Dolphin Bay, where swimmers and non-swimmers have an opportunity to get up-close and personal with the dolphins through a range of interactions including Dolphin Encounter (Shallow Water) Dolphin Adventure (Deep Water) Royal Swim (Deep water special interaction) Dolphin Scuba Dive and Dolphin Photo Fun (for guests who don’t want to get in the water.) Enjoy preferential rates for the Dolphin Encounter (shallow water interaction) experience as a hotel guest when the summer offer is booked, starting from AED 550 per person, from 6 May to 30 June 2012 and from AED 495 per person, from 1 July to 30 September 2012. Non hotel guests enjoy a summer rate of AED 595 per person including complimentary same day access to Aquaventure.

Arabian Court Deluxe Room1

Atlantis Club Rush Summer Camp No matter what your children’s tastes and dietary requirements, the resort’s 20 restaurants cater for them, with special allergy-conscious menus and a variety of food from around the world from sushi to pizza. Atlantis is home to three restaurants by world-renowned chefs, making the resort the culinary destination in Dubai - Nobu by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Ronda Locatelli - an Italian eatery by Michelin star chef Giorgio Locatelli with a central stone oven with fresh-baked pizzas and Rostang-The French Brasserie by Parisian two star Michelin chef Michel Rostang. Families can also enjoy the variety available at the resort’s two interactive buffets, Saffron and Kaleidoscope.

Traditional Arabic restaurant Levantine continues its successful Lebanese Nights event every month, bringing a top leading celebrity to perform, plus Emirates NBD Visa cardholders also enjoy 25% discount off at all Atlantis dining experiences from 1 June to 30 September 2012. For a casual dining experience The Burger Joint (TBJ) provides a fun and fast paced feel of a New York style burger joint.

ShuiQi Spa & Fitness provides a sublime range of exclusive treatments, bathing options, traditional and water therapy spa taster packages, awakening the senses in an awe-inspiring and serene water surrounding. Relax & Revive Spa Sample Package: back, neck and shoulder massage + express facial; the Renew & Recover Spa Sample Package: back, neck and shoulder massage + lime blossom scalp massage + foot massage; and the Revitalize & Refresh Spa Sample Package: body scrub + body wrap. Each package is 60 minutes and priced at AED 495.

Other summer activities to keep children busy with at Atlantis, The Palm include the Atlantis Kids Club (3 - 12 years) summer camps. These ten different action packed Summer Camps focus on adventure, fun and exploration through group play. The Sizzling Kid’s Club AED 650-1850 includes entry to the Kid’s Club, including lunch, for 3-10 day duration. Kids aged 8 to 12 years can participate in the 5-day Atlantis Aqua Camp AED 2750 and go behind-thescenes to learn about the vast marine life living at Atlantis.

This camp will be sure to entertain, inspire, and even let them try their hand at scuba diving with our Padi Certified Dive Centre. Atlantis Adventure Camp AED 1750 offers kids aged 3 to 12 years the chance to participate in the 5-day program that will be filled with exciting activities! For the youngest guests (children under 3), Atlantis, The Palm offers a full range of professional nannies equipped with endless activities to assist with in-room care.

Teens (ages 13 - 18 years old) will have an opportunity to escape to a fully supervised ‘No Kids or Adults’ environment at Club Rush. They can watch movies on the big screen, grab a snack or smoothie from the bar, make use of the latest games and consoles, stay connected in the internet lounge, or listen to the latest tunes while dancing the night away.

New this summer are the five AAA Summer Camps at Club Rush offering summer programs and workshops. The Access All Areas camps will go behind the scenes and offer something for every teen; a great way to beat the heat and a chance to make new friends! Camp Active AED 1335 is a sports lovers paradise! Football, basketball and lots of time in the Aquaventure is topped off with a fun pool party.

Camp Aqua AED 2185 will involve all things water; Junior Lifeguard Training, Padi Dive Centre Experiences and Aquaventure visits allow teens to make a splash during the summer months. Camp Adventure AED 1456 is the chance to have Atlantis as your playground! Sports, photography and learning some DJ ‘spinning’ skills are just a few of the items on the agenda.

Catamaran1 at One&Only Royal Mirage

Atlantis Kids Club Summer Camp * Please note that the AED 990 rate is for room only, per room, per night and does not include service and authority fees. Valid for stays from 8 May to 30 September 2012 only.

Residence & Spa Esplanade

Fun for the whole family at Aquaventure at Atlantis.

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

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utterflies floating from a dress onto a video screen: Frank Sorbier reached for the high-tech future of haute couture in Paris yesterday with a visually-gorgeous retelling of a dark fairytale. Sorbier took as his cue the 17th-century French fairytale “Donkeyskin”, about a widowed king set on marrying his own daughter, who escapes his clutches only by demanding a series of impossible gowns, the colour of the sky, moon or sun. “The idea was to tell a story. And this was a good place to start!” the designer told AFP backstage.

For his avant-gardist autumn-winter collection, Sorbier cut just two dresses, a low-cut white ball gown worn on stage by his princess, and the sculptural black dress and pointed headdress of sorceress. As the curtain rose in the Paris theatre hosting the show, his black magician called forth computer generated images onto the folds of the princess’ dress and a giant screen behind her.

Setting the scene, a candle chandelier flickers on the princess’ gown, before a surrealist image of a castle perched on a rock in the sky.

Images of the aurora borealis, of morning dew or underwater reeds undulating on her dress evoke the princess’ fragile beauty, and the warped desire it arouses in her father whose image looms behind on screen. When the king manages to produce the extravagant gowns, the princess has no choice but to

flee, disguised in a donkeyskin, an escape suggested through imagery of the open road. She finds refuge working in the kitchens of a royal farm, evoked by a dress of exquisite stucco motifs, set against a dreary domestic backdrop.

For the happy ending, when she wins the love of a royal prince, a beating heart appears on a blood red gown, giving way to a white dress with iridescent butterflies fluttering up and away, into the blue sky beyond. “The collection is a bridge between the past, the present and what the future could be,” explained Sorbier, who teamed up with the software giant Intel for the high-tech side of the project. “It’s about how with a little imagination you can bring together two worlds that are diametrically opposed,” he said. “And it is about how we can take haute couture into the future to ensure it survives.”

To wrap up the show, Sorbier sent forth 19 looks from his past collections, meant to illustrate the timeless nature of couture, the models joining the fairytale characters on stage, before breaking into a little dance.—AFP

Models wear creations designed by French fashion designer Frank Sorbier for his Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2013 collection presented in Paris, yesterday. — AP photos

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ax is back with its fun summer collection for all family members preparing for an exciting summer vacation this year. Step into Max this season to capture the hottest trends ruling the catwalks. Max introduces the ‘Holiday Shop Collection’ for all fashionistas in love with tropical prints and florals. Widely trending this summer are maxi dresses, blouses, kaftans, halter tops, skirts to leggings with a variety of standout prints. Bright colors are perfect to make a strong statement; choose from vivid fuchsias and tangerines to sunny yellows, cobalt blues, and jade greens.

Explore the ‘Channel Safari Chic’ with the belted linen shirt dresses and tunics in both classic white and dazzling colors, including mouthwater-

ing coral and lime. Paneled, A-line linen skirts; floral printed linen shirts and blouses; and the classic linen trouser are all available in store in now.

The Aztec and tribal trend are also strong this season with an array of colors including paprika orange and cobalt blue. Key items include the Aztec print in hi-low hem dresses, halter neck maxi dresses, kaftan style blouses with cut-out sleeves, printed tie front tops, graphic tees with placement prints, and of course the ever-trendy harem pants and palazzo also coming in solid colors. Summer is all about cottons and denim; check out the range of striking fabrics like broidery anglaise, eyelet embroideries, and cotton crochet lace. Key items are the broidery anglaise dress and blouse, crochet lace trimmed shrug, and the tiered maxi skirt. Mix and match these with faded denims for a look that spells summer cool.

Menswear at Max this summer is casual with on-trend shades reflecting the true summer spirit.

Bright graphic tees with surf themes, muscle tees, solid and striper polos, and surfer shorts will complete your holiday essentials.

It is a season for stripes; pick your tee tops and jerseys in stripes and pattern blocks as your latest additions. Choose from our vast selection of ontrend graphics that reflect surf, photographic, cityscape, varsity, and urban themes.

If there is one thing to be owned this season, it should be the washed chino in saturated brights and classic colors. Check out the great range of garment dyed colored chinos and shorts in saturated brights and new pastels. The theme is slim with tapered legs worn rolled up at the hem.

Linen is big with summery tops and trousers to perfectly compliment your light feel this season.

Shorts are also part of the essentials list, available in the long plaid style, surfer, and classic cuts in washed fabrics and saturated brights. They can be

matched with casual plaid shirts or graphic tees for a laid back summer vibe.

Blue remains the color of choice in denims with tints ranging from indigo, mid blues, to icy blues.

Choose from the wide range of jeans that come in varied fits and washes and wear with great style.

Kids wear is all about fun prints and colors to welcome summer time.

The ‘Infant Boys’ collection introduces the Mini Men, Monkey Surf, and Jungle Jim Key in vibrant reds, citrus yellows, apple greens, and blue hues.

An extensive range of all-over printed shorts and t-shirts with fun graphics is also available.

Think Tropical, Secret Garden, and Nautical themes are part of the ‘Infant Girls’ collection that come in a range of purple, orange, candy pink, and soft blue hues. The lines include Pretty A-line woven tops with cute trim details and bows in a variety of patterns and colors, as well as woven top and bottom sets in matching combinations to name a few.

The ‘2-8 Boys’ is adventurous with the Think Sea Explorer, Construction, Wind Surfing, Safari, and Varsity styles in classic blues, reds, and yellows, punctuated with accents of greens. The ‘2-8 Girls’ enjoys the Tropical, Butterfly, and Floral themes with a fun palette of pinks, reds, yellows, and oranges teamed with cool blues and greens.

For the ‘8-14 Boys’ summer range, key themes include Music, Surfing, Varsity, and Skate Jam. Choose your favorite picks from blues, mustards, greens and reds, very much in tune with this season’s color blocking trend. The ‘8-14 Girls’ line is full of exciting and stylish themes like the Bohemian Charm, Gypsy Chic, and Tropical. Key colors for the season are chalky pastel hues of yellows and dusty pinks teamed with a more neutral palette.

Visit your nearest Max store now in Hawally,

Fahaheel, Al Rai, Salmiya, Khaitan, The Avenues, and Jahra and make a statement this summer (opening soon in Al Jawhara Complex, Kuwait City).

THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

lifestyle F a s h i o n

Models present creations by French designer Stephane Rolland during the Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2012-2013 collections shows on July 3, 2012 in Paris.

— AFP/AP photos

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n day two of Paris’ haute couture week, Giorgio Armani took fashion on a midnight romance, Stephane Rolland channeled Supergirl-style capes and Chanel got nostalgic for past vintage styles. It was certainly a diverse collection of creations from A-lines to dropped waists, palettes that were muted or bright, and styles spanning decades. But Tuesday’s shows had one key thing in common: imagination. “Haute couture will exist as long as people want to dream,” Didier Grumbach told The Associated Press.

The French fashion president, one of the most discreet yet powerful figures in the world of fashion thus answers detractors who predict the demise of the age-old tradition. Grumbach believes that couture - an artisanal clothes-making method that exists only in Paris- has many healthy years ahead. Haute couture exists against all the odds: creations which range in price from $19,000 to $125,000 being bought by women thought to number no more than 100 in the world. “But Armani’s coming here to Paris, it shows that fashion needs haute couture. ... It’s not just about selling clothes: it’s an advert, an ideas factory,” added Grumbach. Strong showings both from Armani Prive and Chanel prove that couture - 150 years since its birth - still has a lot to say.

Giorgio Armani Prive Giorgio Armani found romance in the midnight sky in a sumptuous haute couture collection that followed the changing hues of the sun.

His accomplished fall-winter collection 2012 on Tuesday began with daybreak of sorts, in lighter shades of mauve and lavender in organzas and double crepe. Shoulders were emphasized, some with upward scooped tailoring. Others had upper bodices in graduated shades of pink - dawn’s first rays of sunshine. Then as the sun set, the couture got to work. Embroidered veils appeared, signaling the dimness of dusk. Geometric embroidery accompanied black tulle tops with Swarovski crystals. Spectators gasped as the show climaxed

at midnight (in blue, naturally) with some of the most sumptuous dresses seen this season. A blue silk bustier dress - the program notes say, made of triple organza - rippled with its generous overlaid skirt and a gentle tulle shoulder shrug. The subtlety proves one thing: Armani lives up to his reputation for versatility. Only last month, in Beijing he staged a show with bright va-va voom, mermaid silhouettes. Here, things were more restrained and the looks, mirroring the cycle of time, oozed elegant sensuality. And what better advertisement for elegance across time is Sophia Loren? The beautiful 77-year old film star sat in the front row. “It was magnificent,” she said.

Stephane Rolland Haute couture shows are often celebrity circuses. But rarely does the front row presence upstage a show, as reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend, musician Kanye West, did during Stephane Rolland’s rather predictable fall-winter 2012 offering. The couple’s entrance and exit triggered a crowd that spilled out into the street.

The media scrum caused a mother and her young daughter to be shoved to the side. But the celebrity presence here is no great surprise. The French designer - responsible for singer Cheryl Cole’s red and white mermaid dress at Cannes has been courting stars for several seasons now.

Last season, Yasmin Le Bon was Rolland’s muse. In this show, he went East and chose Chinese actress Fan Bing-Bing. With the celebrity hullabaloo, fashion insiders momentarily forgot the reason they came: the clothes. The trains and long capes in many of the ensembles, like last season, floated past giving the model a Supergirl silhouette. But the lack of new ideas, made the show feel more like a diluted superhero sequel.—AP

Models wear creations by Italian designer Giorgio Armani as part of his presentation for Women’s Fall Winter 2013 haute couture fashion collection.

Chanel and Armani fly high in couture day 2

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THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2012

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lie Saab used Ottoman motifs to give his fall-winter 2013 show an imaginative lift. The move expanded his strict repertoire of va-va voom column dresses and created a strong offering for this year’s couture season. A superb array of embroidered black gowns in tulle, lace and georgette which opened the show - was the best sequence. Pearls glistened alongside sequins in decorative shapes.

“The black was fantastic, this season he’s put in much thought,” said stylist Susan Tabak.

The blacks then gave way to a typical Saab palette of champagne, pink and sky blue. And the money-shot came at the end: an embossed organza bridal gown with gold brocade leaves. Saab’s program notes said the patterns had been “lifted from a palace along the banks of the Bosphorus” - and the glimmering decorative effects did endow the show with a certain Imperial element.

Saab - a designer beloved by the red carpet crowd - made no big creative leaps here. But then again, he doesn’t need to.—AP

Fashion designer Elie Saab acknowledges applause from the audience.

Models wear creations by fashion designer Elie Saab during his Women’s Fall Winter 2013 haute couture fashion collection in Paris, France yesterday. — AP /AFP photos

Competitive eater from Canada retains hamburger title

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one-time anorexic from Toronto turned world-class competitive eater clinched his fourth straight hamburger title in Washington on Tuesday on the eve of New York’s iconic hot dog classic.

Peter Czerwinski, 24, ate 15 hamburgers in the space of 10 minutes at the Z-Burger Independence Burger Eating Championship to win a $1,000 prize plus a similar amount of gift cards for the local burger chain. “Right now, I feel full, but I’m excited I defended my title,” said Czerwinski, who holds Guinness records for eating a raw onion in 43.53 seconds and for swallowing the most Ferrero Rocher chocolates-nine-in a minute. “Some people will find this very gross, but they’re still watching. They can’t turn away.”

Czerwinski, who claims to have won most of the competitive eating events that he has entered, was hospitalized for anorexia 10 years ago. Today, he lists bodybuilding among his passions. In New York, world champion hot dog eaters prepared to flock to Coney Island yesterday, the

Independence Day holiday in the United States, to determine who can wolf down the most wieners and buns in 10 minutes.

Some 40,000 people are expected to descend on Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand on the iconic Brooklyn beach for the competitive eating classic that is held every Fourth of July. At a weigh-in Tuesday outside New York city hall, current male champion Joey Chestnut and his female counterpart Sonya Thomas expressed confidence that they will retain their respective titles. Chestnut, 28, undefeated since 2007 when he ate a record 68 hot dogs, said he has been on “a three-day fast (with) no solid food” to prepare for the tournament that dates back to 1916.

Thomas is meanwhile aiming to surpass the 41 hot dogs she consumed at the first-ever women’s event last year. “I am going to turn 45, so I want to eat 45,” she said with a smile. She welcomed the fact that women and men compete separately, because men “have bigger throats and we cannot swallow as fast.” Thomas prefers seafood, her spe-

cialty, and since 2005, has held world records in every category for oysters, after consuming 564 in eight minutes at a competition in New Orleans.

In the past decade, Thomas has only eaten once a day and has obtained 39 world records total. Thomas works at a fast food restaurant near Washington and eats french fries daily. “I have no health problem,” Thomas said, explaining that she is accompanied by a doctor. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, attending the weigh-in, punned: “Let me be frank: this is one of my favourite traditions... No question it’s going to be a dog fight.” — AFP

‘Furious Pete’ Czerwinski stuffs a hamburger in his mouth.