9 Sep

Stereotypes, racism and favoritism in Kuwait

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www.kuwaittimes.net

NO: 15204- Friday, September 9, 2011

Dead or alive

MISRATA: The National Transitional Council-adopted Libyan flag flies behind the iconic golden-fist monument taken from fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s Bab Al-Azizya compound in Tripoli, at a military base in Misrata, yesterday. (Inset) A Libyan woman reads a copy of the newly-issued daily newspaper Arus Al-Bahr (Mermaid), bearing a doctored image of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi dressed as a woman in traditional outfit, in Tripoli yesterday. — AFP

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Travelling with

pets

If you can’t afford to put your cat in a hotel and you have to put it at a friend’s house, make sure your friend doesn’t own another cat or children younger than five

By Sahar Moussa

I

know many people who are obsessed with their pets, and treat them like their own kids. I am one of them. I have a spoiled brat cat that refuses to admit it’s a cat. He is so spoiled that my friends ask me if they can swap him to live with me!

He eats only specific cat food, drinks only from a bottle and sleeps on my bed and considers the entire house his own territory. He meows when he wa nts to eat, sit in the balcony if he feels bored or wants to take a stroll in the hallway!

And God help me if I fail to answer his request or ignore him altogether. It is because he has such an attitude that one regrets for having ignored him. I’m sure I’m not the only one who shares the same pet interest. Living as an expat in Kuwait and working as a journalist, I travel a lot. I find it difficult to lea ve my cat alone or with a friend. So I had to find ways to pamper my cat and give it the best comfort without worrying too much.

Hotels for cats Two years ago, I had to travel to Egypt and I needed a place to put my cat. To my relief, I found a few sites online about pet hotels in Kuwait. So I took an appointment after answering a series of questions about my cat. The hotel wanted to know his favorite toy, food, and his habits and

asked me to bring his blanket and one piece of my clothing so that he would not feel lonely. When I visited the place, I felt comfortable. It was clean and tidy and each cat was pampered with its own bed, cat dishes and cat litter box. What was interesting was that the people working there asked me about my phone number while abroad, and insisted that I check on my cat constan tly. The pet hotel was not cheap, but worth the expense.

One piece of advice I would offer: If you can’t afford to put your cat in a hotel and you have to put it at a friend’s house, make sure your friend doesn’t own another cat or children younger than five.

Pet passport When my cat was a kitten, I really couldn’t leave him behind so I decided to take him with me wherever I went. I didn’t know that cats actually need a passport to travel. I realized that pet immigration rules are specific to each country worldwide, and you need to be familiar with these rules before traveling to avoid pet quarantine in countries that require it. So planning in advance of traveling with a pet is key to avoiding problems while entering a country. That’s what I did.

Regulations for bringing pets in Kuwait I discovered that pet owners should get a pet passport which is obtained from

an Import Permit prior to entering the country. According to pettravel.com, the pet immigration rules in Kuwait are as follows: “If you are traveling into Kuwait with your pet, there are no quarantine requirements. However, an import permit must be obtained from PAAAFR (also known as the Animal Health Ministry), before your animal will be permitted to enter Kuwait. Import permits are normally valid for one month but can be extended to over three months, the website stated.

It is worth pointing out that it is much cheaper to bring the animal on the same flight with you, than sending a pet as unaccompanied ‘cargo’.

According to pettravel.com, “Your pet cat or dog must be vaccinated for rabies at least 30 days but not more than 12 months prior t o entry into the country.

Within 10 days of travel, a USDA (or CFIA) accredited veterinarian must then complete the Kuwait Veterinary Certificate and attach the Rabies Certificate for certification by the USDA or CFIA if traveling from the United States or Canada. If you are not traveling from either of these countries, the Governing Authority of your country should certify the forms.”

Safe pet trip On e of my biggest concerns was not leaving my cat to be thrown like a bag in the cargo. I know many pet owners are

disturbed by the idea when traveling by airplane with their pets, whether in-cabin or cargo. So after checking the procedures, it was a relief to know how it actually goes. According to pettravel.com, “if you decide to transport your dog or cat by air, there are some things to check for in order to be in compliance with applicable laws, and to assure the safest and most comfortable trip for your pet.

If you are traveling with a smaller dog or cat, generally under 13 pounds, you should be able to bring the pet into the cabin with you and should always check with the airlines to find out the dimensions under the seat in front of you. If you cannot accompany your pet, or they are too large to fly in the cabin, dogs and cats typically are transported as cargo or as checked baggage.”

Each airline has its own pet policy, but one thing remains the same. You must call the airline as early as possible and tell them that you are traveling with a pet.

Most airlines will only allow a certain number of pets in the cabin, the website states. Additionally, there will be a cost to bring your pet in the cab in with you. Your pet’s ticket cannot be purchased online from any airline that we are aware of.

On a final note, make sure when you are travelling that you choose a petfriendly hotel or you risk being kicked out, along with your pet.

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

local spotlight

Satire Wire

It’s never worth it

Expats’ visa quagmire By muna al-fuzai

By Sawsan Kazak muna@kuwaittimes.net

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

H

aving spent a few years in Kuwait now, the sight of car accidents and banged-up vehicles on the side of the road does not faze me anymore as it did when I first arrived; or at least I thought I was desensitized. Recently, I have noticed a larger number of these scrap-yard looking cars. Now, I’m not sure if the actual number of serious car accidents has increased or I’ve just become more aware of them, but they have been disturbing these days.

Before coming here, I had never seen a car flipped over on the sidewalk or one that is so badly decapitated, you can’t even tell what makes it the way it is anymore. It doesn’t matter what road I take or what time of the day it is, there is always a brokendown, beaten-up car somewhere on the side.

Discarded like garbage, the windows broken, the hood crunched in like a soda can and the engine practically dismantled. The sight of such wreckages makes me wonder what

could possibly be so important that the driver would need to be speeding so much? What life-or-death situation would necessitate putting your life as well as others in danger?

Other countries have black ice, snowstorms, torrential rains, and tornados and still don’t witness the kinds of accidents we have here. The roads in Kuwait are well paved; well the ones on the main roads anyway. We have clean, smooth and ice-free roads, what could be causing such disasters then?

The only way a car could cause so much damage is if it was going at uncontrollable speeds.

Drivers in Kuwait seem to think that it is a good idea to try and see how fast their cars can go while swerving past through traffic, smoking a cigarette and talking over the phone. I have to admit, I don’t always respect the speed limit, and sometimes speed if I’m late for an appointment. But as soon as I see one of those battered cars, I suddenly become more aware of my driving and the predicament I

could be in if I don’t slow down. The many speeding cameras in the country do not seem to be doing much to deter drivers from placing the pedal to the metal - we all know where they are and slow down correspondingly.

The thing I always wondered was if it’s illegal to go over 120 km per hour, why do carmakers make cars that could do that? Why don’t the cars only go up to the maximum speed limit of the given country? It is like a company making a drug that is illegal to consume in the country it is sold in.

When it comes down to it, the consequences of speeding are never worth it. If you are in a hurry and a cop catches you speeding, him pulling you over will take twice as long for you to get there. If a camera snaps you while you zoom by, paying KD 40 or more is definitely not worth it. And if you get into an accident, you will not get there at all. Anyway, speeding might get you there a few minutes earlier, slowing down will get you there alive.

I

think the visa issue worries expatriates in Kuwait the most. It is the most complex issue to understand or deal with. I don’t mean that complications exist in terms of visa categories. Frequently changing rules and regulations, with one shifted from to the ambit of another article causes most of the confusion. Recently, a new governmental resolution was issued banning the transfer of commercial visit visas into work permits in the country starting Sept 1.

Let us suppose that a prospective candidate wants to come to Kuwait on a visit visa before obtaining a work contract because they are still unsure about settling down in this place. Many would like to get to know the country better and decide to look out for a job. Thanks to this regulation, they won’t be able to due to the nature of the visa they hold!

I know that this regulation was enforced by authorities to ensure that a person who enters the country on a visit visa should exit the country. If he or she wants to return, they will have to use a new visa. There are some who claim that this regulation will be discussed and maybe re-evaluated or even cancelled.

Only time will tell if the move will have good or bad repercussions. If it is to be revoked a few days following its enforcement, then why did authorities take the trouble of issuing it in the first place? I think visa regulations should be simplified and issued based on a strategic objective. It is time to stop turning it into nightmare.

Muna Al-Fuzai’s app is available on the App Store.

Kaffeeklatsch

Instant gratification

By Shakir Reshamwala

shakir@kuwaittimes.net

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KUWAIT: An array of spoons shimmer in the soft lighting of a restaurant. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

hen you mention cities that never sleep, New York, London or Bangkok come to mind. Even Cairo or Bombay for that matter. Kuwait (or Kuwait City) are obviously nowhere on this list, not even by far. But those who’ve lived in Kuwait for a while know that’s not true.

Kuwait may have no “nightlife”, but the night here is always alive.

While in other cities the nights are for the night birds, clubbers and partiers, in Kuwait they’re more family-friendly.

It is not unusual to see entire families with gaggles of kids relaxing by the beach at 3 am in the morning or shopping at all-night supermarkets in the small hours of the night, sights that are impossible to even comprehend in the big, bad cities of the world, where crime is a major concern even during the day.

It is also no surprise that the main 24/7 operations in Kuwait are connected to shopping and eating, the top two favourite pastimes here. Midnight hunger pangs can be sated by a mere phone call, and the hardest part is just the wait before food is delivered to your doorstep. And if at 2 am you suddenly want that latest smartphone, a major electronics retailer has showrooms open 24/7 in various parts of Kuwait.

After you’ve made your purchase, you can also buy a talk

plan from the many all-night outlets of the three telecom providers in Kuwait.

School reopening tomorrow and there’s no schoolbag or stationery? No problem - just head to one of the big wholesale centers or even cooperative stores that are open throughout the night to shop for “Back to School” supplies and the contents of the kids’ lunchboxes for the next day.

Ditto for groceries and toiletries.

Even falling ill in Kuwait is nothing to sweat about, no pun intended. Big hospitals operate 24/7 to dispense nearly free treatment, and almost all areas of Kuwait have all-night pharmacies. Compare this to many so-called developed countries, where falling sick is a dreaded nightmare and healthcare costs can lead to bankruptcy.

And if you want to shop, eat, pay your phone bills and hang out at the same time under one roof, head to the airport. Yes, that’s right - the airport. There you’ll find more nocturnal shoppers and diners than travelers. You can also hop on a plane to Dubai if you feel like extending your shopping and eating binge!

To the outsider, Kuwait may look like a sleepy, boring place, but insiders are living it up - till the wee hours of the night.

Local FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Stereotypes, racism, favoritism in Kuwait “Country! Country! Country!”

By Chidi Emmanuel KUWAIT: “Egyptian! Oh no, I will not sell my car to an Egyptian,” replied an Indian man who advertised his Chevrolet jeep for sale on the Indiansinkuwait.com website. Sameh Omar, the Egyptian expatriate who wanted to buy the vehicle, was bewildered by the seller’s reaction, asking, “What does he actually want?

The money or the nationality of the buyer?”

To confirm Sameh’s story, Kuwait Times called some of the people (mostly Indians) who placed some adverts on the website. Surprisingly, some of them - though not all - were so keen on knowing the nationality of the callers responding to their ads.

“Indian! Kerela? One of them asked when one of the Kuwait Times staff called to buy a two-door refrigerator advertised on the website.

“Pakistani,” answered the undercover Kuwait Times staff member, only to receive the brusque reply, “Sorry it has been sold.” When another Indian man called using the advertiser’s language, however, the story inexplicably changed from “It’s been sold” to ‘When will you come and see it?’

There is a great deal of emphasis on people’s nationality here in Kuwait. Most of the time, the motive behind it is not merely being inquisitive or friendly, but weighing up your worth and how to rate you. People from different countries receive different treatment. Ameriki (Americans), Bengalis (Bangladeshis), Masri (Egyptians), Filipini (Filipinos), Sudani (Sudanese), Hindi (Indians) and Afrikan (Africans), amongst others, are regularly discriminated against and stereotyped in one way or another. In this case, not only is the discrimination practiced by Kuwaiti citizens against expatriates, but also by expatriates against fellow expatriates.

Cab drivers The first thing some cab drivers in Kuwait will ask you when you get into their taxi, before even mentioning the fare, is your nationality. “Country!

Country! Country!,” a cab driver stammered in a staccato grammatical Molotov cocktail. “I pretended I hadn’t heard him but he continued, ‘Me Bangali, you Sudani?’” says Marcilinus Grant, a black American living in Kuwait, recalling a taxi driver’s inquisition. He continued, “When I finally told him I am an American, his countenance changed. After he

dropped me in Shuwaikh, he demanded KD 5 from me. I guessed he wanted KD 5 because he thinks Americans have a lot of money to spend, not because the taxi fare from Kuwait City to Shuwaikh is KD 5.”

In the workplace Many establishments and organizations prefer to employ people with Western nations’ passports, regardless of their credentials. “With a British, American, Canadian and sometimes an Australian passport, you can easily grab an executive job in Kuwait with or without a degree,” explains Innocent Ona, a sociologist.

He adds, “It would be better to judge specific individuals rather than the groups of which they’re part.”

Supporting Ona’s observation, another Western expatriate, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “I have never been asked about my degree certificate since I came to Kuwait. They [employers] always assume that I have it. Yeah, I think they prefer the accent and the passports more than the certificate.”

Renting a home Some apartment block janitors, known in Arabic as haris, have joined the bandwagon. “La! La! Laa! La!” a haris shouted, rejecting a Pakistani friend’s offer to rent my former apartment in Riggae. When asked about the reason for his rejection, the haris explained that he prefers people from other nationalities to those from the Asian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan etc), saying, “I don’t want this house to be painted red” (referring to the red spittle trails left by paan and guthka chewers). At another building in Salmiya, however, the haris told Kuwait Times that he prefers to rent flats to the Indians. “Americans, Africans, Europeans bring girlfriends but Indians don’t. They [Indians] come with their families and they don’t cause problems,” he said.

Defined as a conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image of a group of people, stereotypes are qualities assigned to groups of people solely on the basis of their race, nationality or sexual orientation, to name only a few categories. Stereotypes generalize about groups of people in a manner that lead to discrimination and ignores the diversity within groups.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

A major barrier stopping expatriates from learning Arabic is often discomfort and embarrassment in fears of making a mistake

Speak

the local lingo!

By Lisa Conrad

F

or a pocket-sized book, ‘Speak Kuwaiti’ is leaving a pretty big mark. The 135-page guide is aimed at realistic expatriates or tourists who want to be able to communicate effectively in Kuwait. Author of the book, K Ahmad Ali, is realistic about how, and why, people should learn at least basic Arabic in the local dialect: “Learning Modern Standard Arabic isn’t very useful if you want to speak Arabic. You need to learn a colloquial dialect, and since we’re in Kuwait, why not Kuwaiti? Secondly, learning Arabic isn’t just about the convenience it brings to your interactions, but it’s also about the impression it makes when you’re learning from the culture, making the effort to pick up the terms and using them with confidence. This is a boost not only personally, but also professionally.”

With sections covering greetings, useful terms for the pharmacy and even complaints and cursing, it’s likely that you’ll find what you’re trying to say, or at least a close alternative, pretty quickly. With terms including ‘Abi arid floosi’ (I want a refund), ‘Ma yhimmini ent minu’ (I don’t care who you are) , ‘Reehtik waayid helwa’ (you smell nice), ‘Chinnek da’faan?’ (Have you lost weight?) and ‘Saarlee saa’ah naatrik’ (I’ve been waiting for you an hour), compliments will be as easily accessible as complaints. ‘You smell nice’ and ‘I don’t care who you are’ should possibly be used with constraint, of course.

Ali kept functionality as a priority when he began: “Many guides teach Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) solely. While MSA is certainly useful for reading and writing, it’s not as useful in terms of interaction.” MSA, he adds, won’t help with communication because it’s not used in conversation, so although you may be able to speak and be understood, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to understand when a person responds in colloquial Arabic.”

Communication in Kuwait is complicated, adds Ali, as the wide variety of nationalities creates an incredibly diverse mix. This mix can occasionally create gaps in understanding where there is no mutual language between either party: “I’ve been observing the expats living in Kuwait. They don’t usually speak Arabic when they arrive, which can pose a serious problem for them. For example, if someone speaks just English, and they’re trying to communicate with someone who speaks Urdu and Arabic, it’s unlikely that either party will understand the other.”

A major barrier stopping expatriates from learning

Arabic is often discomfort and embarrassment in fears of making a mistake. Ali insisted that this paled in comparison to the effects of not being able to communicate fully: “Not being able to communicate imposes large consequences on people, especially in tasks that we’d usually take for granted. For example, pharmacies. Pharmacists here often speak their native language plus English. So if you don’t speak English, or share their native language, communicating can become strained. If you both speak the native language of the country, Arabic, then there’s a reliable way to bridge that gap.”

It’s useful to understand basic Arabic for ministry visits, adds Ali. “Not everyone speaks English in the ministries. This is especially true in the case of gatekeepers. They will try and muster up some English with Westerners, but with other expats they’ll usually stick to Arabic because it’s assumed that they will understand it. In either case, it makes things much easier if the expat can communicate and understand in Arabic.”

However, American expat, Laura, said, “I feel that it sounds stupid when I try and speak Arabic, and when I do, whoever I’m speaking with usually laughs.” Ali, however, insisted that this isn’t a negative thing: “When expats begin speaking Arabic, Arabs do laugh or smile. This isn’t because they’re mocking, it’s because it’s quite rare, for a Westerner especially, to be speaking with them in Arabic instead of English. It really turns around how things usually go. It’s sometimes quite a surprise, but certainly a pleasant one.

The laughing and smiling are because they’re surprised at your efforts, and happy that you’re making the effort.”

Arabic for social growth Ali adds that pleasantly surprising people with your Arabic skills can be great for career: “It makes a great example if you make the effort to speak Arabic with your boss. It’s an indication that you’re taking the initiative and that you’re passionate about the language. It’s not a matter of becoming fluent overnight, and this certainly isn’t a comprehensive grammar and vocabulary book, but it’s about being able to pick up common terms and utilize them whenever needs be.

It’s a stepping stone toward language learning, which starts with confidence. Ali discovered this from personal experience, explaining: “Many years ago, I wanted to get in touch with a Chinese construction company in Kuwait. When I spoke with them in English, they seemed annoyed and were quite short with me. I researched few basic terms in Mandarin, and when I called again to speak with them, they were so much more friendly and helpful and seemed to really appreciate the effort. It’s a priceless tool to use in an environment where you’re out of your comfort zone.”

Varieties of dialect Even expatriates from within the region can struggle with the local dialect. Although Arabic is used throughout the region, each country uses their own colloquial version of it. “Even some Arabs don’t fully understand the Kuwaiti accent, maybe because they want to preserve their own dialect or because they haven’t had the chance. It provides insight to Arabic speakers, and works as a helping hand for non-Arabic speakers,” said Ali. “The difference between words can be vast, for example in Lebanese Arabic window is ‘shubbak’, but in Kuwaiti Arabic its ‘dreesha’.

A Syrian I know, who was born here, didn’t understand the word ‘aish’ (rice) because in his dialect it is ‘riz’.” Ali seems to have tapped into a major gap in the market, as ‘Speak Kuwaiti’ soared to one of Virgin megastore’s highest selling books and was picked up by retailers across the country. “People have given us great feedback on the book. We’ve had people reporting the freedom it has given them in communicating and getting along within the Kuwaiti context.

It’s designed for every expat, because it gives both language assistance and social pointers.”

Content with responses to the book and its success so far, Ali adds “This book is my way of giving back to the country.”

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Milking the Ship of the Desert An old tale tells of how the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra used to bathe daily in a tub of camel’s milk, which led to her fabled porcelain complexion

By Lama Alhaqhaq

“I

would like to try camel milk just for the experience. But I’m scared it’ll smell like camel,” says Rania K Hatab, an Arab expat. “It might taste great but I won’t know if I let the smell, if there is one, distract me.” Milk has always been an essential part of the human diet thanks to its impressive nutritional value.

The standard milk that most people drink is the popular cow’s milk. However, another type of milk has become popular for it contains an even larger amount of health benefits - camel milk.

Camel milk used to be the main staple in the diets of Arabs who lived in deserts. The milk is so nutritious, that it is said that it would be possible to survive on the milk alone. These Arabs did not just drink the milk, though, but also used this milk in their cooking.

The reason that camel milk was so highly regarded and depended on lies in its components. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it contains three times the amount of vitamin C than that which is found in cow’s milk, as well as 10 times the iron. The FAO has also stated that it is lower in fat than milk from cows.

Other than its nutritional benefits, camel milk has proven to be beneficial in the treatment of several diseases. Studies by researchers at the Sardar Patel Medical College in India showed that patients with type I diabetes required lower doses of insulin after regularly consuming camel milk. It is believed that this is due to the high concentration of insulin-like protein which can be found in the milk. Researchers at the Anand Agricultural University also confirmed the benefits of camel milk with regards to diabetic patients. Additionally, a group of researchers in Sharjah, UAE have announced that they may have found a medical formula to treat cancer.

This formula consists of a combination of camel’s milk and camel’s urine.

Despite the many health benefits that come

with the consumption of camel milk, many people still cannot wrap their heads around the idea of actually drinking it. Many would rather stick to the milk they are more familiar with. “It isn’t a necessity,” Omar Al-Nafisi, a Kuwaiti, said. “In terms of flavor, cow’s milk is much better.”

An old tale tells of how the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra used to bathe daily in a tub of camel’s milk, which led to her fabled porcelain complexion. The validity of this tale is debatable, but what has been confirmed is that camel’s milk can effectively contribute to the world of beauty products. An anti-wrinkle cream, which is made from the milk itself, has been developed by researchers at the National Research Centre on Camel (NRCC) in India. They explained that there are several fatty acids which can be found in the milk, and are the substances which help to control wrinkles as well as improve skin tone.

As can be assumed, several products can successfully be made from camel’s milk. These products range from creams and soaps, to chocolates, ice creams, cheeses and yoghurts. Camel milk ice-cream became quite popular in 2006, and was distributed in the UAE by Al Ain Dairy. The UAE also took the initiative of introducing camel milk chocolate to the world through Al-Nassma.

Most of these products can be found in several areas in Kuwait. Camel milk can be found in a store called ‘Laban ou Zebdah’ in the Qrain Souqs. It is also said that on the road to Wafra, a man can be found on the side of the street who will milk the camel on the spot and sell the fresh milk to you. Along with milk, the store ‘Alban AlShuwaikh Al-Tazijah’ sells camel milk ice cream.

Also, Al-Nassma’s camel milk chocolate can be found at its own store which opened in AlMuhallab Complex in Hawalli.

Camel milk is generally expensive in comparison to other milks, especially when used in different products. This is due to the tedious process of actually milking the camel, as well as turning the milk into other products. An example of the difficulty of this process would be

turning camel milk into butter. This cannot be done by the usual method of churning as it does not set easily due to the fewer number of milk solids it contains.

Numerous benefits and advantages can be gained through the consumption of camel’s milk, yet these don’t seem to be enough to convince everyone to try it. “I can barely stand normal milk, so I wouldn’t really drink camel milk,”

Winter, a 2-week-old Dromedary camel, nurses from his mother, Sage, in a barn at Ferncroft Farms in Franklin County, March 17, 2009, in Raleigh, North Carolina. — MCT Majid, an Arab expat, said. Still, while they’re not all particularly enthusiastic about it, some people are open to the idea of trying this milk. “If there comes a time in which camel milk is the only thing available, then I’d drink it,” Al-Nafisi said.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

The philosophy of

working out

in Kuwait

By Sawsan Kazak

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ou step into the gym and your brain remembers every empty calorie, useless night and bad choice you’ve made all week.

You rush to the nearest machine and begin to mentally calculate the amount of effort needed to undo all the ‘evil’ you subjected your body to. In other countries around the world, working out or exercising is done to get healthy, lose weight and live longer. In Kuwait, however, working out is done to burn calories and try to not gain anymore weight. Temptation is all around us and, more often than not, we end up giving in. We say yes to that chocolate cupcake for breakfast, yes to the fries with our lunch and

yes again to that bread and butter before dinner.

By the time the day or week is over and you find yourself at the gym once again, the damage is already done. You have probably got off your diet multiple times, indulged more than made proper choices and moved less in your waking hours than you did in your sleep. At the gym your guilt catches up with you, and your whole workout becomes about going back to ‘normal’ and less about leading a healthy lifestyle.

Most of us live such sedentary lifestyles that when put in a gym and made to workout, your bodies are a little o ut of touch with ‘moving.’

Sweating is what we do when it’s hot, not when overworked. In Kuwait, workouts are usually seen as a way to catch up with the food you are injecting. But with the large amount of consumption and the little amount of movement, the food usually wins the catch up game.

Instead of us catching up

with the calories and annihilating them, they find a home on our bodies.

Cardio Cardio-vascular activity is the first option on your to-do plan. You get on the machine and start running as fast as you can, all the time eying the corner of the machine that indicates the calories burnt. At the end of a half-hour workout the machine indicates you have burnt a total of 452 calories; barely enough to cover breakfast. You tap in another 20 minutes of high intensity cardio and start all over. After an exhausting second go at the machine, the calorie indicator gives you an even more pathetic number. Your will broken, you decide to move on to your next step in the workout schedule.

Sit-up, push down, pull up After a disappointing cardio session, you turn your attention to the sit-ups and push-ups that are part of your workout. Laying on the floor, trying your hardest to pull yourself up, your only thought is to get your tummy back to its original location and not a foot forward as it is now.

Muffin tops are great snack, but horrible body parts. Also known as love handles, that little flap of skin over your belt is never an attractive sight.

And with the relentless ‘low-waist’ fashion trend, there is nowhere to hide that unsightly bulge. You twist and turn, punch and tick, all in the hopes of tightening that mid-section. But at this point, you would settle for simply normal tummy.

You walk over to the weights and attempt a few arm curls, but soon realize lifting five pounds will do nothing to undo that strawberry cheesecake you had two days ago, or that large plate of nacho cheese fries.

Easy sweat Giving up on hard physical labor, you head to the steam room. You read somewhere in a fashion magazine that you could lose at least two pounds of weight if you sit for a few hours in the steam room.

Having sweated your last bead of sweat, you console yourself in the fact that you had a good workout and finally leave the gym.

Unraveling You leave the gym and get a phone call. It’s your friends and they are meeting up for a bite to eat. You hesitate joining them in fear that you will undo all the good that you have just done. But with enough convincing, your mind is changed and you meet up.

You allow yourself one bite of reward, then another and another. Finally, you find yourself sitting in front of a triple layer chocolate cake you ordered while in a food coma daze. And the vicious cycle starts all over again.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Scandal plunges Kuwait into deep crisis KUWAIT: Kuwait appeared headed yesterday for a major political crisis over allegations of corruption involving several members of parliament and former ministers. Media reported that a number of banks planned to refer as many as 15 MPs, and possibly former ministers, to the public prosecution to investigate “suspicious” huge cash deposits into their accounts. Citing informed sources, Al-Rai daily said local banks are likely to refer between 15 and 20 MPs in the 50-member parliament to the public prosecution to probe suspicions of money laundering.

It said a number of former ministers could be involved in the scam.

Late on Wednesday, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Ali Al-Rashed denied reports that incumbent ministers were involved in the alleged scandal. The government has instructed the Central Bank and the finance ministry to “take all necessary legal measures” to deal with the allegations. The scandal, as opposition MPs describe it, was exposed by Al-Qabas newspaper in an unsourced report two weeks ago that

cash funds totalling KD25 million had been deposited into the accounts of two MPs. The report claimed the deposits were linked to domestic political events including grillings before parliament, indicating that the deposits were used to buy the support of the lawmakers in crucial voting.

Kuwaiti political analyst Saleh AlSaeedi expected the corruption charges would plunge the country into yet another political crisis. “It will certainly lead to a deep political crisis...

But I think the government will be able to survive because it has a parliamentary majority, unless major popular protests take place,” Saeedi told AFP. Independent Shiite MP Hassan Jowhar, however, expected the issue to develop into a major political crisis that will lead to parliament being dissolved and snap polls, which would be the fourth since May 2006.

Youth activists campaigning to oust Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, plan to stage a new rally on Sept 16 and the

corruption charges could energize them. Kuwaiti opposition MPs demanded the recall of parliament from summer recess for an emergency session on Sept 22 to review government measures on the allegations, and to debate and pass a number of anticorruption laws.

Jamaan Al-Harbash, a leading Islamist opposition MP, warned of “serious political consequences” if the government tries to foil the emergency session. “The alternative to preventing the session is going to the street, and this could lead to serious political consequences,” Harbash told reporters.

Thanks to high oil prices, OPEC’s thirdlargest producer has posted a budget surplus in each of the past 12 years, amassing surpluses of more than $200 billion. Its foreign investments currently top $300 billion, the largest ever.

But corruption has been on the rise.

Between 2003 and 2009, the state slipped 31 places to 66th position on the Berlin-based Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index among 178 nations. In 2010,

Kuwait improved 12 places to the 54th position but still came last among the six-nation energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), behind Saudi Arabia.

Opposition MPs have questioned several ministers and the prime minister himself in parliament on corruption allegations, and also filed no-confidence motions against them, but without success. According to WikiLeaks, a document sent by the US embassy in Kuwait City in mid-2006 stated that the “rapid rise in oil prices and the accompanying oil boom has fuelled corruption in Kuwait”.

The cable said that between 2003 and 2006, Kuwaiti revenue rose from $25 billion to $47 billion. Last year, state income jumped to a record $79 billion and is forecast to top $100 billion for the first time this fiscal year. An International Monetary Fund report released early in September spoke of some flaws in Kuwait’s implementation of a 2002 law against money laundering, and combating the financing of terrorism. — AFP

MPs criticize premier over Iraq ‘apology’ 4 more MPs needed for emergency session

By B Izzak KUWAIT: MP Musallam Al-Barrak and several other opposition lawmakers strongly criticized the prime minister for allegedly offering an apology to his Iraqi counterpart over Kuwait’s coastguard arrest of 12 Iraqi fishermen in Kuwaiti territorial waters. The news was announced by the Iraqi prime minister’s office on Wednesday, saying that Sheikh Nasser made the apology in a phone conversation.

But late Wednesday, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Ali Al-Rashed denied the report, saying that Sheikh Nasser called the Iraqi prime minister to exchange greetings on Eid Al-Fitr. He added that during the conversation, Sheikh Nasser said it was unfortunate for such incidents to take place between the two nations and that he did not

apologize. But Barrak accused Sheikh Nasser of humiliating the people of Kuwait for exercising their right in arresting the Iraqi fishermen in Kuwaiti territorial waters. Several other MPs also criticized the prime minister over the report.

Meanwhile, 27 MPs have signed the request to hold an emergency session on Sept 22 and two other MPs, currently abroad, have expressed the desire to sign, leaving just four more MPs needed to call the session to discuss the huge illegal bank deposits into the accounts of MPs. Lawmakers were supposed to have submitted the request to the National Assembly yesterday after having the necessary 33 signatures, but the submission will now be delayed until the required number of signatures is secured. Opposition MPs who prepared the request now pin their hopes on a

number of MPs who are currently travelling as part of official parliamentary delegations and are due to come back next week.

The new developments come amid unconfirmed reports that several local banks are planning to refer the accounts of several MPs and former ministers to the public prosecution to investigate suspicious huge deposits. Islamist MP Falah Al-Sawwagh yesterday appealed to “higher authorities” to dissolve the Assembly and dismiss the government, ahead of calling for fresh polls. Under Kuwaiti law, only the Amir has the power to dissolve the Assembly and sack the Cabinet. Opposition MPs have already expressed fear that the government and its allies in the Assembly may be plotting to block the emergency session and have already warned of dire political consequences.

LONDON: HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (right) is seen off by National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi as he headed to the United States on a private visit yesterday. — KUNA

Premier chairs meeting of development committee

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah presides over a ministerial development committee meeting yesterday. — KUNA

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah presided over the fifth meeting of the ministerial development committee at Seif Palace yesterday. Following the meeting, Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs Abdulwahab Rashid Al-Haroun said the ministers reviewed progress and administrative performance on the state’s major projects. He specified projects related to the Public Authority for Housing Care in Jaber Al-Ahmad, Saad Al-Abdullah, and Sabah AlAhmad residential cities and said there was a review of measures taken to facilitate swift progress and completion of these important projects.

He added the committee also reviewed progress in projects of the Ministry of Public Works, specifying

Mubarak Al-Kabir Port, connecting of Jamal Abdulnasser and Jahra highways, Jaber Al-Ahmad Bridge, expansion at Kuwait International Airport, Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital, Boubyan Island development projects, and Silk City projects. The aim, he pointed out, was to speed up execution of works and find means to overcome any administrative or financial obstacles.

Al-Haroun said Sheikh Nasser stressed it was vital for officials at all state bodies to follow up closely on the projects their institutions are involved with and also the importance of adhering to budgets and to time limits, and the need for assessment of performance of executive officials to accommodate the country’s development initiatives. — KUNA

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MPs hail Luxembourg ties LUXEMBOURG: A Kuwaiti parliamentary group ended yesterday their four-day official visit to Luxembourg, expressing satisfaction over the results of their meetings and discussions.

The Kuwaiti MPs met yesterday the minister of economy and foreign trade of Luxembourg Jeannot Krecke and discussed bilateral economic and trade relations. “The discussions we had showed two things affirming the very good political relations we had with Kuwait and we should take advantage of these special links to get business cooperation much more than it is currently,” Krecke told the Kuwait news agency, KUNA, after the meeting.

Krecke said he was glad to hear from the Kuwaiti parliamentarians what kind of sectors Luxembourg could enter in Kuwait and noted that the Kuwait Investment Authority could be active in Luxembourg. “Our investment companies should be aware what is possible in Kuwait and the region of the Gulf,” he said. The two sides also discussed cooperation in the Islamic finance, cargo and logistics sector and in construction of ports and railways.

The head of the six-member Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation Mubarak Al-Khrainej, who is the president of the KuwaitLuxembourg inter-parliamentary friendship group and chairman of the foreign affairs committee expressed his appreciation and thanks to the president of the Luxembourg parliament and the other government officials in Luxembourg for their warm hospitality during their stay. “This was a successful visit by all means. We not only discussed political issues but also economic issues. Our last meeting during this visit was with the minister of economy who has visited Kuwait several times in the past,” he told KUNA. Al-Khrianej said Kuwait has investments in Luxembourg where it has a number of Q8 petrol stations. “We hope from the Kuwaiti government in future to increase investments here,” he added. He also expressed his special thanks to “our distinguished ambassador Nabeela Al-Mulla for all her efforts in organising this visit”. He thanked the staff of the Kuwait embassy in Brussels including First Secretary Abdullah AlShatti and Second Secretary Mubarak Al-Hajri for their efforts in making their stay in Luxembourg comfortable. “This is an evidence of the distinguished Kuwaiti diplomacy which we need at this time,” he said and also expressed his thanks to KUNA and the Kuwait TV for covering their visit.

MP Dhaifalla Buramia told KUNA that they held fruitful talks with the minister of economy and there is growing focus of Luxembourg on the Gulf market and Kuwait is considered to be the launching pad to the markets in the Gulf, East Asia, Iran, and Russia. “There are many common points between Kuwait and Luxembourg, both are small countries with strong economies and huge investments. Luxembourg is the second largest investment centre in the world after the US and they are interested in Kuwaiti investments,” he noted. “We will encourage the Kuwaiti government to invest in Luxembourg and these investments will benefit Kuwait and Luxembourg, the latter wishing to invest in the sea and air ports in Kuwait.

They also have a lot of experience in logistics,” he said.

Commenting about Islamic finance, he said Luxembourg found out that Islamic finances are the most successful investments and are safe from the dangers which other traditional

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti lawyers Ayed Al-Sibie, Faisal Al-Otaibi, Mohammed Al-Ajmi and Bashayer Jaafar arrive back to Kuwait from Egypt where they had gone to voluntarily join the defence team of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

investments are facing.

MP Khalid Sultan told KUNA that the visit was “successful and useful in gaining information about this country”. “We were surprised to find out about the huge industrial and investments capabilities of this small country,” he added. MP Saad Al-Azemi said “this was a very good visit and we were received warmly. This is a good country and we enjoyed our

visit.” During their four-day stay, the Kuwaiti MPs visited the parliament in Luxembourg and financial and educational institutions and held talks with the minister of economy and foreign trade. The Kuwaiti parliamentarians will leave Luxembourg today morning for Algeria. The Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation also included MPs Saifi Al-Saifi and Khalaf Al-Anezi. — KUNA

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TEHRAN: The Kuwaiti media delegation is seen with Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Sayyed Mohammed Husseini during a meeting yesterday. — KUNA

Iran invites Kuwaiti artists TEHRAN: The Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Sayyed Mohammed Husseini yesterday invited Kuwaiti media figures and artists to participate in Iranian cultural festivals, weeks and exhibitions.

Speaking during a meeting with a Kuwaiti media delegation led by KJA Chairman Ahmed Behbahani currently visiting Iran and with Kuwait’s ambassador to Tehran

Majid Al-Thafieri, Husseini also stressed that Iran was willing to take part in various cultural and artistic activities in Kuwait.

“The Islamic civilization reached its peak in the fourth century through the integration of both Arab and Persian intellects and sciences when hundreds of Iranian scientists migrated to Arab countries and taught in their

universities,” he said pointing out that Iran has over 3,000 publications and newspapers. Husseini also underlined that Iran had very special relations with all neighboring countries, including Kuwait. “Our relations with Kuwait are deep-rooted,” he said, urging all Muslims to work on refuting Western allegations and Islamophobia and show the real image of Islam. — KUNA

Drug peddlers busted Hoax bomb call at private school

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Pakistani taxi driver was arrested with the possession of seven capsules that contained 50 gm of heroin in Riqqa. Also, an Egyptian national was recently arrested at Kuwait International airport with possession of 20,000 ‘Tramadol’ tablets that were hidden in frozen meat. The suspect was referred to higher authorities.

Transvestite arrested A 17-year-old Kuwaiti transvestite was arrested in Salmiya while harassing girls posing as a young man. During interrogation, it was learnt that the girl had an Asian mother and her Kuwaiti father was too old and aged to look after her. A case was filed and the girl was referred to relevant authorities.

Fire at workers’ camp A fire broke out at the camp of a construction worker employed at Sabah AlAhmed City project site. The flames spread over six sheds that were used as laborers’ quarters that covered an area of 1,000 sq m. Wafra fire brigade reached the scene and put out the flames. No casualties were reported.

reported that thieves broke into her vehicle and stole some spare parts, including a screen and headlights. She filed a police complaint stating that she suspected an individual with whom she shared difficult relationship.

A case was filed and further investigations are in progress. In a similar case, a citizen working for the National Guard reported that upon leaving his home in the morning, he found his vehicle dismantled and some of its parts stolen.

Son transfers domestic worker’s visa A citizen reported that his son, with whom he had an altercation, transferred his housemaid’s sponsorship without the father’s knowledge, an accusation the son has denied. A case was filed with the police and the son was referred to relevant authorities.

Drugs seized An Asian was arrested with possession of heroin in addition to 1,500 hallucinogen pills and an additional 50 grams of heroin that were concealed at his home in Salmiya.

Hit and run case A 30-year-old Asian died instantly after being run over by a speeding vehicle along the Airport Road.

Thwarted bribery attempt A company representative (mandoub) was recently arrested while trying to bribe an employee at the Vehicle Testing Center with KD 900 so that he would pass 38 vehicle transactions without bringing the actual vehicles for checking.

Case papers indicate that upon learning of the suspect’s intention, the employee informed his superiors about the incident and the suspect was arrested.

Cars damaged A Ministry of Information employee

Asian ends life An Asian committed suicide by swal-

Hoax call A police bomb squad thoroughly inspected a private school in Riggae after receiving a hoax call from a GCC state reporting that a bomb was planted there.

lowing a poisonous chemical at his sponsor’s house in Sabah Al-Nasser. The sponsor reportedly found the man’s corpse in his room.

KD 30,000 stolen A citizen reported to police that her Fintas home was rummaged, the cupboard locks broken with KD 30,000 stolen. A case was filed and further investigations are in progress.

Police respond to a hoax call at a Riggae school.

Suspect nabbed In a follow-up to the case in which a citizen stabbed his father in Sulaibiya, police said that the suspect was arrested and referred to higher authorities.

Caller insults police, ruling family A police control room operator reported receiving a call reporting that a black Yukon that was reportedly involved in killing citizen Mohammed Al-Maimouni during interrogation has been recovered. According to the informant, the vehicle had a commercial license plate. Sources added that the operator denied that such vehicles could have commercial license plates, which angered the informant and he insulted the operator, even some ruling family members before switching off his mobile phone. A case was filed and further investigations are in progress.

Woman elopes with lover A citizen reported that his 21-yearold daughter eloped with her lover whom he had disapproved of. The father added that one day he found a message that his daughter had left behind informing him she was getting married and sought the family’s blessings.

A taxi driver is seen with heroin tablets.

‘Tramadol’ tablets hidden in frozen meat.

The burnt out workers’ camp. —Photos by Yasser AlZayyat and Hanan Al-Saadoun

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Kuwait gets more competitive Gulf states on upward trend in Global Competitiveness ranking KUWAIT: Kuwait has climbed one raking in this year’s Global Competitiveness Report released yesterday on 34th place following Qatar (14th), Saudi Arabia (17th) and the United Arab Emirates (27th). In the Arabian Gulf, Kuwait comes ahead of Bahrain (37th). According to the report, most Gulf states continue their upward trend of recent years.

Switzerland tops the overall rankings in The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012, released yesterday by the World Economic Forum. Singapore overtakes Sweden for second position. Northern and Western European countries dominate the top 10 with Sweden (3rd), Finland (4th), Germany (6th), the Netherlands (7th), Denmark (8th) and the United Kingdom (10th). Japan remains the second-ranked Asian economy at 9th place, despite falling three places since last year.

The report says that the United States continues its decline for the third year in a row, falling one more place to fifth position. In addition to the macroeconomic vulnerabilities that continue to build, some aspects of the United States’ institutional environment continue to raise concern among business leaders, particularly related to low public trust in politicians and concerns about government inefficiency. On a more positive note, banks and financial institutions are rebounding for the first time since the financial crisis and are assessed as somewhat sounder and more efficient. According to the report, over the past year, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been affected by a great deal of turbulence that will have an impact on national competitiveness and might further exacerbate the competitiveness gap between the Gulf economies and the rest of the region. “This trend is reflected in this year’s GCI results, where most Gulf countries continue to move up in the rankings, while the competitiveness of many countries from North Africa and the Levant stagnates or deteriorates,” the report said.

Qatar reaffirms its position as the most competitive economy in the region by moving up three places to 14th position, sustained by improvements in its macroeconomic environment, business sophistication, and innovation, the report said.

Its strong performance in terms of competitiveness rests on solid foundations made up of a high-quality institutional framework where it ranks 14th overall, a stable macroeconomic environment (5th), and an efficient goods market (17th). “Low levels of corruption and undue influence on government decisions, high efficiency of government institutions, and high levels of security are the cornerstones of the country’s very solid institutional framework,” the report said.

Going forward, as noted in previous editions of this Report, reducing the country’s vulnerability to commodity price fluctuations will require diversification into other sectors of the economy and reinforcing some areas of competitiveness. Despite efforts to strengthen the financial sector, its trustworthiness and confidence and the soundness of banks are assessed as low by the business community (80th) and legal rights of borrowers and lenders are seen as underprotected (105th). Given its high wage level, diversification into other sectors will require the country to raise productivity by continuing to promote a greater use of the latest technologies (33rd) and by fostering more openness to foreign competition, currently ranked at 53rd - reflecting barriers to international trade and investment.

Saudi Arabia maintains the second-best place in the region and moves up by four ranks to reach 17th position. The country has seen a number of improvements to its competitiveness in recent years. Germany maintains a strong position within the Eurozone, although it goes down one position to sixth place, while the Netherlands (7th) improves by one position in the rankings, France drops three places to 18th, and Greece continues its downward trend to 90th. Competitiveness-enhancing reforms will play a key role in revitalizing growth in the region and tackling its key challenges, fiscal consolidation and persistent unemployment.

For the second year in a row, the United Arab Emirates loses two places in the GCI to take the 27th position. The drop reflects deterioration in a number of areas, but the most striking is the country’s loss of its ability to harness the latest technologies for productivity improvements. The country’s overall competitiveness reflects the high quality of its infrastructure, where it ranks a very good 8th, as well as its highly efficient goods markets (10th), the report said. Strong macroeconomic stability (11th) and some positive aspects of the country’s institutions - such as an improving public trust in politicians (8th) and high government efficiency (5th) -round up the list of competitive advantages. However, over recent years, we have observed a lower assessment of institutions overall - an assess-

ment that was probably affected by the particular severity of the country’s economic crisis. According to the report, the resulting reorientation of the country’s development model will demand solid foundations in competitiveness and a continuation of competitiveness-enhancing structural reforms to reduce the risk of asset bubbles and put economic development on a

more stable footing. Priorities in this context should include further investment to boost health and educational outcomes.

Raising the bar with respect to education will require not only measures to improve the quality of teaching and the relevance of curricula, but also incentivizing the population to attend schools at the primary and secondary levels.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

UK releases findings of Iraqi abuse inquiry

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Berlin police detain two suspects in bomb plot

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Groups claim responsibility for Delhi bomb blast

17 BANI WALID: A Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) fighter cleans his weapon near a newly set up checkpoint on the road from Tarhuna to Bani Walid, one of the strongholds of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi south of the capital Tripoli yesterday as the latter dismissed as lies reports he had fled to Niger. —AFP

Gaddafi denies fleeing, ‘sold 20% of gold’ Former leader slams ‘Psychological warfare’ TRIPOLI: Muammar Gaddafi dismissed as lies reports yesterday that he had fled to Niger, as the central bank said the fugitive ex-leader had sold more than 20 percent of the country’s gold in his regime’s dying days. With remnants of Gaddafi’s battered forces pinned down, Libya’s new leadership and the United States called on neighboring countries to close their borders to Gaddafi stalwarts.

The former leader, whose whereabouts are unknown, remained defiant in his first address for several days, telling his countrymen: “They have nothing else to resort to apart from psychological warfare and lies.”

Speaking by telephone on the Damascus-based Arrai Oruba television channel, he added: “They last said Gaddafi had been seen in a convoy heading towards Niger. “They want to weaken our morale.

Do not waste time on this weak and ignoble enemy.” Gaddafi also said NATO, which has been carrying out daily air raids against his forces under a UN mandate since March 31, “will be defeated” as its “logistical capacities will not allow it” to press on.

“We are ready in Tripoli and everywhere to intensify attacks against the rats, the mercenaries, who are a pack of dogs,” he said. Since his Tripoli headquarters

was overrun on August 23, Gaddafi has made several appeals for resistance in tapes aired by Arrai, which is run by former Iraqi Sunni MP Mishan alJuburi.

Juburi, the only media personality able to contact Gaddafi since he went into hiding after forces of the National Transitional Council (NTC) took Tripoli, said the ex-leader and his son Seif al-Islam were still in Libya. “I can tell you that I spoke with Gaddafi very recently,” Juburi told AFP. “He is in Libya, in very good spirits, feels strong, is not afraid, and would be happy to die fighting against the occupiers,” Juburi said by phone. “His son Seif alIslam is in the same state of mind,” added Juburi, whose channel has broadcast a number of audio messages from the Gaddafis. The NTC fears Gaddafi will try to slip over one of Libya’s borders, and Niger strongly denied he was in the country after a convoy carrying other senior ousted regime officials fled there on Monday.

The United States said Gaddafi was not believed to be among them. In a bid to cut off Gaddafi’s potential escape routes, the NTC said it had dispatched a team to the Niger capital Niamey, and the United States said Gaddafi aides

who entered Niger were being detained. None of those crossing into Niger earlier this week appeared to be on a list of persons subject to United Nations sanctions, said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. “Our understanding is that the convoy included some military and senior officials under Gaddafi’s former regime,” she said. “They are now being held in the capital ... and they are being monitored closely by Nigerien officials.” Also, Washington “is in contact with Mali, Mauritania, Chad and Burkina Faso to emphasise the importance of respecting the UN Security Council resolutions and of securing their borders”, Nuland said.

Niger Foreign Minister Mohammed Bazoum, attending a conference in Algiers, said neither Gaddafi nor any other wanted fugitives had arrived in his country. Gaddafi could cross into Niger but “to go where? It doesn’t make sense,” Bazoum said, adding that if Gaddafi has “to roam, he would roam around Libya, not across Africa.” New regime forces, meanwhile, were poised to battle loyalist troops still holding out in the strongholds of Bani Walid, southeast of Tripoli; Sabha in the deep south and the coastal city of Sirte, Gaddafi’s hometown.

In Brussels, NATO said it had hit a number of armored fighting vehicles in the vicinity of Sirte on Wednesday and surface-to-air missile systems at the desert oasis of Waddan, 280 kilometers south of there. Gaddafi’s remaining forces have been given a deadline for today to surrender, in a bid to spare further bloodshed. A pro-NTC commander at Rafa al-Jeibi, 150 kilometres northwest of Sirte, said: “We are awaiting the end of negotiations on Saturday. Until then, we won’t move. We will defend ourselves if attacked, but that is all.”

An AFP correspondent said the frontline west of Sirte had been calm for the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Libya’s central bank governor claimed Gaddafi had sold a large chunk of the country’s gold reserves in the dying days of his regime.

Qassem Azzoz said Gaddafi had sold 29 tonnes of gold, worth more than $1 billion, to local merchants and that it had probably made its way out of the country. He also told a press conference in Tripoli that the bank’s total assets stand at $115 billion, of which $90 billion is abroad. And the International Energy Agency said the country’s key oil exports are unlikely to return to their pre-war level before 2013. —AFP

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Syrian forces storm village, kill 3 defectors: activists DAMASCUS: Syria, accused by France of “crimes against humanity,” yesterday sent its security forces storming into a northwestern village where they killed three military defectors, rights activists said. “A force comprising seven armored vehicles and 10 jeeps stormed the village of Ibleen in Jabal Al-Zawiyah (region) in search of people wanted by the security services,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement. “Heavy gunfire was heard as the forces stormed the village,” the Observatory said in a statement received by AFP in Cyprus. The head of the Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, later told AFP the killings occurred during a raid on the house in Ibleen of a brother of one of defectors, Hussein Harmouche.

Two other deserters were arrested, Abdel Rahman said, reached by telephone from Nicosia. Harmouche, an officer, announced his defection in a June video widely distributed on the Internet and broadcast on Arab satellite channels, giving as the reason his

refusal “to fire on unarmed civilians.”

The United Nations says 2,200 people have been killed, most of them civilians, since democracy protests flared in Syria in mid-March. The assault on Ibleen comes a day after regime forces, according to an updated toll by rights activists, killed another 31 people, 29 of them in a tank-backed raid on the flashpoint central city of Homs. The brutal crackdown on protesters has been widely condemned by world powers, some of which have slapped sanctions on the Damascus regime. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe pulled no punches during talks on Wednesday in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

“The Syrian regime has committed crimes against humanity,” Juppe said.

“The way it (the Syrian regime) suppressed the popular protests is unacceptable,” he said, expressing hope that Russia would change its stance and back UN condemnation of the crackdown. The Syrian authorities, he said, should be sent “a powerful signal that

such actions cannot continue.” But Lavrov gave no signs of being ready to ease a Russian position that last week saw Moscow lash the European Union for imposing a crippling oil embargo on Syria. “We are convinced that the essential thing is to start dialogue at the talks table,” Lavrov said. “We consider that inciting certain forces within the opposition to boycott the invitation to dialogue is a dangerous path and risks a repetition of the Libyan scenario, which neither Russia nor France wants.”

Russia has staunchly opposed attempts by Western governments to push through a UN Security Council resolution targeting President Bashar al-Assad and has circulated an alternative draft calling for him to implement reforms. European Union nations are considering fresh sanctions against Syria, a diplomatic source who asked not to be identified said in Brussels.

“There is preliminary political agreement” between EU nations on slapping a ban on oil-sector related investment as part of a seventh round of sanctions

against the Assad regime, the source said. The head of the Arab League, Nabil al-Arabi, is due in Damascus on Saturday after a planned visit on Wednesday was postponed. Damascus had postponed the trip at the 11thhour “due to circumstances beyond our control.” Arabi has been commissioned by the 22-member Cairo-based panArab organization to travel to Damascus with a 13-point document outlining proposals to end the bloody crackdown on dissent and push Syria to launch reforms.

According to a copy of the document seen by AFP, Arabi is to propose that Assad hold elections in three years, move towards a pluralistic government and immediately halt the crackdown.

The initiative, agreed by Arab foreign ministers last month, angered Syria which said it contained “unacceptable and biased language.” Syria’s regime, which has promised to launch a wide range of reforms to appease protesters, blames the unrest on foreign-backed “armed terrorist gangs.” — AFP

UK releases findings of Iraqi abuse inquiry Iraqi victim died after sustaining 93 injuries while in custody

DAIH: Well-wishers welcome Dr Ali al-Ekri, front right, at his home Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011. Al-Ekri was one of several medical workers released from jail Wednesday pending a verdict in his trial on charges stemming from the spring uprising in the Gulf island monarchy. — AP

101 activists on hunger strike: Bahrain panel MANAMA: More than 100 jailed Bahraini activists - including doctors who treated injured protesters during months of antigovernment protests and crackdowns in the Gulf kingdom are on hunger strike, an international panel said Wednesday.

The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry said in a statement that 84 opposition supporters are on hunger strike in prison. In addition, 17 detained activists have been hospitalized by the Interior Ministry for their refusal to eat. Hundreds of activists have been imprisoned since February when Shiite-led demonstrations for greater rights began in the Sunni-ruled Bahrain, the home of the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. More than 30 people have been killed since protests inspired by Arab uprisings began in February.

Large clashes broke out between riot police and youth protesters after a celebration over the release of one of the doctors from prison in northern city of Dih. An unknown number of protesters were wounded when security forces fired shotguns, according to witnesses. Clashes between youth and police are a near nightly occurrence in Bahrain, but Wednesday evening’s clashes in Dih were the largest in weeks, witnesses said. The five-member panel has been set up in June to investigate the unrest. Wednesday’s statement said an international expert on hunger strikes will join the panel to visit the striking detainees and evaluate their condition.

“Medical advice will be provided and the expert will discuss the challenges of hunger strike,” the statement said, adding that the hunger strike started nine days ago. — AP

LONDON: An Iraqi man beaten and killed while in the custody of UK troops was the victim of “an appalling episode of serious gratuitous violence” and a serious breach of discipline, an investigation found yesterday. Baha Mousa, 26, was working at a hotel in the southern Iraqi city of Basra that was raided by soldiers looking for weapons in September 2003. He was taken to a British base where he sustained 93 injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken nose. An autopsy said he died of asphyxia, caused by a stress position that soldiers forced him to maintain.

William Gage, who chaired the inquiry into the military’s abuse of Iraqi prisoners and Mousa’s death, said British soldiers bore a heavy responsibility for the tragedy. “Such an incident should not have happened and should never happen again,” Gage said.

Gage called the use of certain interrogation techniques, such as hooding prisoners, unacceptable and condemned a culture where soldiers failed to report abuses. The report also criticized a “corporate failure” at the Ministry of Defense in allowing interrogation techniques that had been banned by the UK in 1972 - such as hooding and forcing prisoners to stand in uncomfortable positions - to be used by soldiers in Iraq. Gage condemned the ministry for losing track of its own doctrine on the techniques and failing to communicate and train soldiers on what interrogation tactics were banned. However, the report stopped short of finding systematic and widespread abuses, saying the incidents were a stain on the Army’s reputation but “did not amount to an entrenched culture of violence.” Britain’s defense ministry has apologized for the mistreatment of Mousa and nine other

Iraqis and paid a 3 million pound settlement.

Six soldiers were cleared of wrongdoing at a court martial in 2007. A seventh pleaded guilty to inhumanely treating Iraqi civilians and served a year in jail. Cpl. Donald Payne, whose guilty plea made him Britain’s first convicted war criminal, told the inquiry that some of his fellow soldiers frequently beat Iraqi detainees and said he had downplayed some of the abuses allegedly committed by his unit for fear it would harm his regiment’s reputation. Gage described Payne as a “violent bully” who inflicted a “dreadful catalog of unjustified and brutal violence” on Mousa and the other detainees while encouraging other, more junior sol-

diers to do the same. The inquiry condemned the “lack of moral courage to report abuse” and a loss of discipline within the battalion, saying several officers must have been aware of the abuse.

Gage said he accepted that the battalion’s commanding officer was not aware of beatings carried out by his men in a detention center but said he “ought to have known what was going on.” The public inquiry examined Mousa’s death and whether troops used banned techniques during interrogations. It got underway in July 2009 and cost an estimated 13 million pounds. The 1,400 page final report does not rule on civil or criminal liability. — AP

BASRA: This file picture taken on July 20, 2005 shows Hassan (L) sitting with his younger brother Ali as they show off a family photo of them posing with their late father Baha Mousa and their mother, at their home in Basra, 500 kms south of Baghdad. — AFP

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US says no decision on keeping troops in Iraq BASRA: The Obama administration favors keeping a smaller military force in Iraq beyond this year than US commanders believe is necessary, officials said Wednesday, although even a relatively tiny US contingent may be too big for White House advisers who are worried about the slumping US economy and the president’s re-election chances. US officials in Iraq and in Washington said the matter is still under discussion and no decisions have been made. Two US officials said Wednesday the administration is proposing a residual military force of about 3,000 to continue training Iraqi security forces after Dec. 31, the deadline for all US troops to leave under a security agreement negotiated in 2008. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations; one said the residual force could be as big as 5,000.

A force of only a few thousand US troops

would do little to allay Iraqi and US fears about a recent spike in violence in Iraq.The US has been considering a force of up to 10,000, much of it for training of Iraqi units.

Iraq has not formally asked for any change to the current agreement under which all US forces would leave at the end of this year, and frustrated US officials say time is growing short to decide. The two US officials in Washington said a 3,000-strong force would enable the US to conduct more extensive training of Iraqi security forces, beyond the standard new-equipment training that a US Embassy Office of Security Cooperation program could provide alone. But it would not be enough to continue the “advise and assist” role that US troops currently are playing, in which they partner with Iraqi security units in the field. US Ambassador to Iraq James F. Jeffrey dismissed as false news reports that

the administration has settled on the 3,000troop figure, reflecting an apparent disconnect between what US officials in Washington and in Baghdad believe is the best way forward. Jeffrey said the 3,000 figure has not been part of ongoing discussions in Baghdad, where both governments have been weighing whether as many as 10,000 US forces should stay. “That number has no official status or credibility,” Jeffrey told The Associated Press in informal comments after a Wednesday ceremony in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, where the US Army’s 25th Infantry Division replaced several thousand troops who are headed home. Gen. Lloyd Austin, the top US commander in Iraq, has indicated he thinks as many as 17,000 US troops should remain beyond this year. He believes the Iraqis need additional help in several areas, including defense of their air space, bor-

ders and territorial waters. In Washington, designated Joint Chiefs chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey and Undersecretary of State nominee Wendy Sherman separately said there has been no decision on how many troops might stay.

Many Iraqi officials were alarmed by reports of the 3,000 figure, which they privately consider not nearly enough troops to ensure Iraqi stability. It was unclear whether US officials in Washington floated that number to push Baghdad into making a quick decision. Iraqi leaders are reluctant to issue a formal invitation for US forces to stay, fearing a political backlash among their own followers, including some who have threatened widespread violence and attacks on the troops if they do not leave. Shiite militias have stepped up attacks on US soldiers and bases in Iraq this year. —AP

Missing weapons from Libya arms caches raising fears 100,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines found at site

BEIRUT: Syrian regime supporters carry pictures of President Bashar Al-Assad during a rally a few meters from a gathering organised by supporters to the Syrian people’s uprising in Syria, in downtown Beirut yesterday.

Thousands of Syrians have fled into Lebanon in recent months, often using illegal border crossings, to flee the unrest gripping their country. — AFP

Ashton plans resume of talks on Palestinian UN push next week BRUSSELS: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is to travel to the Middle East next week for talks on the Palestinian push to win UN statehood, an EU source said yesterday.

Ashton will leave early next week for Cairo to meet Arab League ministers and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, said the source, who asked not to be identified. She will also travel to Israel as part of her efforts to ensure the Palestinian resolution to be put to the UN later this month “can get broader support,” the source added. News of her visit came as the Palestinians launched a campaign in support of their bid to become the UN’s 194th member state.

At talks in Poland last weekend, European Union foreign ministers struggled to find common ground on the Palestinian bid, hotly criticised by some nations, notably Israel and the United States. Split between themselves on the move, EU ministers urged both Israel and the Palestinians to return to direct peace talks while offering to take a lead role in hammering out a solution acceptable to all sides. “Our idea is to work to find the grounds for a resolution that would be acceptable to the different parties,” said French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe. “It is possible to find such a balance.” As Israel’s leading economic partner and the Palestinians’ leading donor, Ashton urged the EU to remain united while insisting there could be no common position, other than the need for a resumption of peace talks, until the Palestinians issued further details on the push. “There is no resolution before the UN yet,” she said. Washington has warned it will block the move in the UN Security Council. If the bid is vetoed there, the Palestinians plan to turn to the General Assembly where they are expected to easily win the votes needed to upgrade their representation from observer body to non-member state. —AFP

TRIPOLI: Crates of mortar shells sit unguarded and empty boxes for missiles to blow up tanks and bring down airplanes are strewn about arms depots around the Libyan capital. Former rebels say they took some ammunition for the fight against Muammar Gaddafi, but US officials and others have expressed fears Libya’s weapons could fall into the wrong hands.

The six-month civil war that ended Gadhafi’s 42-year rule and sent him into hiding also threw open the gates to his regime’s extensive armories. The country’s new leaders, who are struggling to establish a government, have failed to secure many of the caches, making them free game for looters, former rebel fighters or anyone with a truck to carry them away.

Since Gadhafi’s fall last month, American and U.N. officials have warned that the failure to control Libya’s weapons could destabilize the whole of North Africa.

Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called on Libya’s new leaders to secure the ousted regime’s weapons. “They still have a huge hill to climb,” Clinton said. “But they are working with the international community to secure both chemical weapons stockpiles as well as conventional weapons.”

However, visits by The Associated Press to weapons caches around Tripoli show that many remain poorly guarded and have already been heavily looted. About a dozen rebels wandered around one site the AP visited on Wednesday, where a large hangar was strewn with the boxes of missing weapons. Rebels at another site were leaving with a load of tank shells they said they were taking to a safe place for storage. They acknowledged, however, that they’d found the site unguarded.

It remains unclear how many weapons have been uncovered in Tripoli since Gadhafi’s fall, said Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch, who has been searching the city for them. Lots of munitions appear to have been hidden in civilian buildings to avoid airstrikes by NATO, which bombed regime military targets under a United Nations mandate to protect civilians. At one unguarded site, Bouckaert

ABU SHWEICHA: Boxes of munitions are piled high inside one of the 5 warehouses as Libyan rebels check inside a former Gadhafi Military base in Abu Shweicha, outskirts of Al Ajaylat, 120 km west of Tripoli, Libya, Wednesday, Sept 7. — AP said he found 100,000 anti-tank and antipersonnel mines. Elsewhere, he found weapons caches hidden under fruit trees.

“The problem is that the locals usually find out first and by the time we arrive and we can get some guards there, a lot of the most dangerous weapons have already been taken away,” he said. A green sign at the entrance of a site the AP visited Wednesday said the facility belonged to the Libyan Education Ministry. The large hangar was strewn with hundreds of crates of mortars and tank shells.

Empty boxes of rifle ammunition and the anti-aircraft guns the former rebels fixed to the backs of trucks to fight Gadhafi’s soldiers were scattered on the floor. Among them were dozens of long skinny boxes for missiles - all of them empty. Numbered codes on the boxes and packing slips inside indicated some were Russian-made anti-tank missiles. Others held shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles designed to bring down airplanes, helicopters or drones. Salim Badi, a rebel who said his brigade came the day before to secure the site, said he’d been there 10 days earlier and found many more weapons. He

guessed the rebel fighters had taken the rifle and anti-aircraft ammunition, but doubted they’d taken the missiles. “None of the rebels would take this stuff,” he said, standing over an open box of tank shells.

“These here, we don’t even know what to do with them.” Bouckaert said the missing missiles could be used to down airplanes.

“If these weapons start flooding around, it’s an absolute disaster for commercial flights in this region,” he said. Neither of the warehouses the AP visited had traces of chemical weapons, and Bouckaert said he’d seen no evidence of chemical weapons in his search. The U.N. chief weapons watchdog said Wednesday that Libya’s remaining chemical weapon stockpiles are believed to be secure. Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said his inspectors left the country in February when the antiGadhafi uprisings started and will return “when the conditions allow us.” Uzumcu said Wednesday he had heard from sources that the “remaining stockpiles of chemical weapons are secured.” He did not identify his sources.— AP

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Turkey’s gunboat diplomacy makes waves in region ANKARA: Turkey’s plan to flex its naval muscles in the eastern Mediterranean risks being perceived as an over-reaction in Ankara’s dispute with former ally Israel and as an assertion of regional power that could alienate even its new Arab admirers.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s ploy may fuel Western unease over Turkey’s reliability as a NATO partner and its penchant for actions designed to court popularity in the Muslim world. Turkey’s mix of economic growth and secular democracy under an Islamist government has fascinated Arab countries eager for a new model, but even those in the throes of popular uprisings may feel qualms if Ankara starts throwing its military weight about.

Stung by Israel’s refusal to apologize over last year’s killing of nine Turks during an Israeli commando raid on an aid ship bound for Gaza, Erdogan said Turkish warships would be seen in waters where Israel’s navy operates, raising the risk of a clash between the once close allies. Bolstered by a booming economy and unprecedented political stability at home, Turkey has seen its “soft power” rise in the region under Erdogan’s AK Party, rooted in political Islam. Conservative on social and religious issues and liberal on economic ones, the AK government has cemented business ties in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa and pursued a foreign policy of “zero problems with neighbors”-a policy buffeted by the dispute with Israel and ten-

sions with Syria.

But threats to deploy warships show that Turkey, a prickly NATO member and European Union candidate, is now tempted to use its military power to push its interests in a changing region.

“Erdogan is taking a very aggressive stance to assert Turkey’s status as a regional power instead of using the soft power we have seen until recently,” said Gareth Jenkins, an Istanbul-based security analyst. “There is a sense in the AK Party that Turkey is a major regional power and that the Mediterranean is its sphere of influence. But NATO and the West increasingly see Turkey as a loose cannon,” he said.

“Turkey played its cards well in the past when it had good relations with everyone, but now it is playing them very badly.” Jenkins said non-Arab Turkey behaving like a neighborhood bully would be regarded with grave concern by Arabs, who were subjects of the Ottoman empire for centuries.

“The Arabs distinguish between a Turkey that stands up to Israel and engages with them and a Turkey that wants to dominate the entire region,” Jenkins said. Omer Taspinar, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said Turkey might be using Israel as a convenient punching bag following a series of diplomatic setbacks and domestic failures, including the Kurdish problem.

Turkey’s ties with Syria, a former friend, are near breaking point-President Bashar al-Assad has

defied Turkish calls for him to end a bloody crackdown on protesters. Shi’ite Iran, another close ally of Turkey, has reacted frostily to Ankara’s decision to host a NATO early-warning radar system. “Turkey is going through a difficult period and Israel has given Erdogan the chance to demonstrate he is a strong leader in a strong country,” Taspinar said.

“Turkey has experienced a period of economic growth and political stability and it feels very powerful. But they don’t realise there is a price to pay for this sabre-rattling.” A larger presence of Turkish vessels in the eastern Mediterranean would be unsettling Greece and for the divided island of Cyprus as it eyes oil drilling exploration. Turkey says oil deals granted by the Greek Cypriot government, which represents the island in the European Union, are illegal as the borders of Cyprus remain undetermined while Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots pursue reunification talks.

Turkey and Greece, also a NATO member, have a history of territorial disputes, and their navies were involved in a standoff in 1996 over an uninhabited islet in the Aegean Sea. Balance of forces Turkey is NATO’s second biggest military and its navy is considered to be far superior to that of Israel, although the Jewish state is widely assumed to have submarines that carry nuclear-tipped cruise

missiles. Israel has expanded patrols in the eastern Mediterranean to enforce the Gaza blockade it says is needed to prevent arms smuggling to the Palestinian group Hamas and to deter any Lebanese Hezbollah militant attack on offshore gas platforms. Few Turkish analysts believe Turkey is planning to send frigates in open defiance of Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which the United Nations has declared legal, but their mere presence in international waters not far from Gaza could risk a clash.

It seems implausible that Turkey, as a NATO member, could get involved in actual hostilities with Israel.

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday that the Turkish-Israeli relationship was a “bilateral matter” and urged the two to find ways to ease tensions. However, Erdogan’s words that Turkish naval bases have “the power and opportunity to provide escorts”, suggesting that Ankara could put a future aid flotilla under its protection, set off alarm bells. “They have created the conditions for another flotilla to challenge the blockade,” said Henri Barkey, a Turkey expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. “What is the Turkish navy going to do if another flotilla decides to go in?

They would have to keep their promise and escort the flotilla. This puts the US administration in a terrible position.” —Reuters

Berlin police detain two suspects in bomb plot Suspects of Lebanese and Palestinian origin KIEV: An Orthodox priest is seen in front of riot policemen blocking supporters of former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko near the Pecherskiy District Court during next hearing of her “gas case” yesterday. —AFP

Nabucco pipeline matter of EU ambition: Yushchenko KRYNICA: Ukraine’s former president Viktor Yushchenko urged the EU yesterday to get serious about the uncertain Nabucco natural gas pipeline designed to bypass Russia to bring Caspian gas to Europe. “I would say that Nabucco has the chance to be realised only under one condition: When the EU will have the necessary will and they will not look at this project as something which is additional,” Ukraine’s Orange Revolution hero said on the sidelined of the XXI Krynica Economic Forum in southern Poland, dubbed the “Davos of the East”. “It’s a question of ambition and of creating an honest (energy) security mechanism,” Yushchenko said. The Nabucco pipeline designed to pump up to 31 billion cubic metres of gas per year from the Caspian Sea via Turkey to Austria-thereby avoiding Russia and Ukraine-is meant to help diversify gas sources for the 27-member European Union.It would reduce dependency on Russia, as well as on Ukraine as a transit country.

Politically-charged gas transit rows between Moscow and Kiev have hit supplies to the EU over recent years thus compromising its energy security. The initial plan was for the pipeline, estimated to cost about eight billion euros, to begin pumping gas by 2015, but this target has since been pushed back to 2017. Nabucco is in competition with the South Stream pipeline plan pushed by Russian gas Goliath Gazprom and Italy’s ENI, which also aims to pump Caspian supplies to Europe. “If you make a South Stream (pipeline), then after the (supply) monopoly of Russia you also give to Russia a transport monopoly,” Yushchenko warned. “So I would like to ask how are you (taking responsibility) for the energy security of your countries, for the diversification of risks?” he quipped. —AFP

BERLIN: Berlin authorities said they arrested two men yesterday on suspicion of acquiring chemicals for a possible bombing, ahead of the September 11, 2001 attacks’ anniversary and a papal visit this month. Police took a 24year-old German of Lebanese origin and a 28-year-old Palestinian from the Gaza Strip into custody and raided their homes as well as a mosque in the working class neighborhood of Wedding, a spokesman told AFP. He said authorities had launched the investigation, reportedly codenamed “Rainshower”, several months ago but did not provide further details. He also declined to comment on a possible link to the September 11 anniversary or the September 22-25 visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Germany, which will start in Berlin.

A spokeswoman for the public prosecutor’s office said it had launched a probe against the men on “suspicion of preparing a major violent crime against the state”. Authorities say they had acquired several coolants and an acid normally used in farming with the aim of building an explosive, the daily Berliner Morgenpost reported online. The suspects regularly attended the mosque in Wedding and occasionally spent the night there, the newspaper said, adding that the probe began when the firms where the chemicals were ordered reported the suspicious purchases to police. Authorities declined to confirm this.

The Tagesspiegel newspaper said on its website that authorities had had the men under round-the-clock surveillance.

“We barely had mobile operations commando forces available for other duties because they were all committed to the

terror cell,” an unnamed investigator told the paper. The GdP police union said the arrests underlined the risk factor posed by the Islamic militant scene in Germany. “Those who think that the situation has returned to normal 10 years after the terrible attacks in the

killing two US airmen who were heading to Afghanistan from the western city of Frankfurt in March, in what has been called the first jihadist attack on German soil. In 2007 police thwarted a major plot to attack US soldiers and civilians in Germany. In 2006, Islamic militants

BERLIN: German police officers stand guard outside an Islamic cultural center as others conduct a search in Berlin yesterday. —AP United States and the death of (AlQaeda leader) Osama bin Laden have once again been put right,” GdP chairman Bernhard Witthaut said.

Germany opposed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq but has around 5,000 troops in Afghanistan under NATO command. Authorities say the Islamist scene is large and dangerous, with about 1,000 members across the country. A 21-yearold Kosovan went on trial last week for

placed suitcases with homemade bombs on two regional trains at Cologne’s main station. They failed to detonate, averting an almost certain bloodbath. And three of the September 11, 2001 suicide hijackers including their ringleader Mohammed Atta, who flew the first plane into the World Trade Center, lived in the northern port city of Hamburg before moving to the United States. —AFP

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Be happy, no butts, Bhutan’s smokers told Monk imprisoned for 3 years, caught with smoking tobacco

BAGHDAD: A farmer looks at the fruit of a small date palm on the outskirts of the capital Baghdad on August 9, 2011, as officials push for the re-planting programs for the country’s date palms, which are famed across the Middle East as the region’s best but have suffered terrible losses in past decades. —AFP

Date palm decline: Iraq looks to rebuild BAGHDAD: Iraqi officials are pushing re-planting programs for the country’s date palms, which are famed across the Middle East as the region’s best but have suffered terrible losses in past decades. The trees were celebrated during Babylonian times for their strength and majesty, but more than three decades of conflict, sanctions and mismanagement have seen their numbers dramatically fall. “In ancient times, people were heavily dependent on this tree,” from which they derived not only food, but wood for fashioning tools, furniture and baskets, said Kamel al-Dulaimi, head of the date palm department at Iraq’s agriculture ministry.

“It is a symbol (of Iraq) for many reasons,” he added. In response, the Iraqi government is pushing a $150-million project to triple the number of date palm trees-whose fruit are a popular and traditional fast-breaking ritual during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan-by 2021. The program, which originally started in 2005, involved the ministry planting around 30 date palm farms. The government is courting private investors to cultivate additional sites in Iraq’s western desert. Thousands of seedlings have also been provided by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Arab Emirates. It comes as part of a nationwide effort to rebuild Iraq’s shattered infrastructure, economy and culture, Dulaimi acknowledged.

He pointed out that one of the sites being planted with the trees was the route connecting Baghdad’s airport to the capital, long infamous as the target of regular bombings and rocket attacks. Overall, the government program aims to increase the number of trees to 40 million in 10 years-Dulaimi said that while date palm trees numbered 32 million in the mid-20th century, that figure dropped to 12 million by 2000. He added that officials were hoping to increase the variety and quality of dates produced. Authorities have so far collected 520 types of trees, and are looking to increase that number. Three quarters of date palm trees in Iraq right now, however, are of just one variety. Before the 1980s, Iraq had more than 600 varieties of dates, also reputed in Iraq as a source of virility for men.

The death of the trees The decline has come as a result of Iraq’s numerous conflicts since 1980, before which time dates were the country’s second largest export revenue earner after oil. The outskirts of Basra, the country’s main commercial hub in the south and the most fertile land for the trees, are now littered with trunks, dubbed a “palm tree desert”, which are a legacy of the 1980-1988 war with Iran. Just two million trees have survived. And the embargo that followed the 1990 invasion of Kuwait deprived farmers of modern agricultural equipment, while water has become increasingly scarce as dam-building in neighboring Turkey and Iran has reduced the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq. The US-led invasion of 2003 also indirectly hurt the industry as all aircraft that sprayed insecticides and other necessary chemicals were grounded for around two years for security reasons.

All those factors have combined with long-term soil salinisation, shortfalls of electricity and official negligence, according to date palm farmers, to slash date palm numbers and deeply harm their industry. Despite the decline in numbers, the tree’s fruit remains extremely popular among Iraqis, who need little prodding to trumpet it as the best of its type in the region. A reduction in supply for sale, however, has put countless farmers out of the business, and of the ones who have survived, many are hanging on by a thread. “We used to produce tons, and now we produce dozens of kilograms,” said Nur Abbas Hashim, a plantation owner in Basra. —AFP

THIMPHU: In the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu, a street vendor offering snacks and drinks is secretly selling cigarettes to two customers-a transaction that could put him in jail for five years. In hushed tones, the young men ask for a packet of 10 and the contraband is handed over wrapped in paper and hastily shoved inside the large pouch at the front of their traditional tunics. “You can find them all over, but you need to know someone,” one of the buyers said as he scuttled away. “It’s dangerous though. He (the seller) could land in jail.”

Anyone in Bhutan selling tobacco or found with cigarettes that have not been declared to customs has committed a non-bailable offence that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

Bhutan, an insular and isolated Himalayan kingdom sandwiched between India and China, brought in the strictest anti-smoking laws in the world this year in a bid to stub out the damaging habit. The sale of tobacco in Buddhist-majority Bhutan was already banned, as was smoking in public places, but the new law sought to crack down on smuggling by introducing a prison term for offenders. Known as the Tobacco Control Act, the legislation does not make smoking illegal, but it restricts smokers to private use of a maximum of 200 grams of tobacco and 200 cigarettes per month that can be legally imported. Users have to keep the customs receipts to prove that duties of up to 200 percent have been paid. In March, a 23-year-old monk became the first person convicted and sentenced to three years in prison after he was caught with just 2.50-dollars worth of undeclared chewing tobacco.

Since then, more than 50 people have been arrested, including an 81year-old man and a 16-year-old boy.

“We are doing this for the good health and well-being of our people,” explains Kinley Dorji, the executive director of the Bhutan Narcotic Control Agency, which has overseen the implementation

of the law. “People in the world are full of habits and addictions and sometimes they are not easy to give up,” he told AFP. But sending small-time users to jail, particularly those in apparent ignorance of the law, has caused an outcry and proved a test for Bhutan’s fledgling democracy.

‘Don’t have the right balance’ “We don’t question the good inten-

absolute monarchy which came to an end in 2008 — new guidelines have been brought in recommending fines for small-time users. Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley admitted to AFP in an interview that the law imposed “excessive punishment” on those caught in possession of small quantities of tobacco and this would be reviewed later this year.

“I don’t think we have the right bal-

THIMPHU: Bhutanese youth smoke at a night club in the capital city of Thimphu. Anyone in Bhutan selling tobacco or found with cigarettes that have not been declared to customs has committed a non-bailable offence that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence. —AFP tion. Tobacco kills people, but smoking has been there for centuries. Overnight people cannot stop,” says 39-year-old Tashi Gyeltshen, who has spearheaded protests on Facebook. “Everyone agrees that the prison term is a mistake,” he told AFP. Parliamentary opposition leader Tshering Tobgay has also been a vociferous critic. Faced with hostile media coverage and public dissentunheard of in Bhutan during the days of

ance,” he said in his office. “I am hoping that we will be able to make amendments... The kind of punishment is something that I think needs to be looked at.”

The government argues, however, that the law will ease the tobacco-related burden on the country’s free healthcare system and ultimately help users, many of whom confess to wanting to give up anyway. —AFP

S Africa makes small dent in high violent crime rate PRETORIA: Violent crime in South Africa dipped slightly over the past year but still remained at levels that made the country one of the most dangerous states in the world outside of a war zone, police data released yesterday showed. The country’s murder rate dropped by 6.5 percent in 2010/2011 but still ranked near the top in the world with about 44 people killed every day, while about 181 people a day were raped or sexually assaulted. The high crime rate has tarnished the reputation of Africa’s biggest economy, been a drag on foreign investment, made it more difficult to recruit high-level talent from abroad, retain talent at home and added costs to businesses for security and insurance.

“The crime statistics confirm our assertion that indeed the tide against crime is turning and that police, joined by society are gaining

the upper hand against vicious criminals,” Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa told a news briefing. “Victory against crime is now an achievable goal. This goes against the critics and sceptics who say this is impossible,” he said. Experts say South Africa may never make a significant dent in its high crime rate until it fixes the economic inequality that causes the country to have one of the highest wealth gaps in the world between the haves and have-nots.

Successive governments have pledged to cut crime, putting more police on the street and launching high profile campaigns that have done little to reduce the violence.

Massive unemployment, poverty, easy access to weapons and the lingering effects of the racial oppression of apartheid have been cited by as reasons for the persistently high lev-

els of violent and property crime. “Until we actively begin to address these conditions, we will see fluctuations in our crime levels but I do not expect to see our situation drastically improve until we find a way of dealing with these deeper rooted, social and economic problems,” said Johan Burger, a specialist on crime at the Institute for Security Studies.

“The cost of security is a huge consideration for most business people and from an investment perspective. There is no doubt that crime is costing us a lot in terms of finances and resources and potential development,” he said. South Africa’s per capita murder rate is among the 10 highest in the world with only central and south American countries plagued by the narcotics trade having comparable murder figures. —Reuters

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Rivals groups claim responsibility for Delhi High Court bomb blast NEW DELHI: Indian federal investigators examined yesterday two unverified claims by militant groups that they were behind a deadly bomb blast at New Delhi’s High Court that left 12 people dead. One emailed claim purportedly sent from Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI), a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group, was traced to an Internet cafe in Kishtwar, a town in the volatile Muslimmajority region of Indian Kashmir. Local police told AFP that two brothers who owned the cafe and one employee were taken in for questioning, but no formal arrests had been made. A separate email sent to media organizations yesterday said the bomb was the work of the home-grown Indian Mujahideen outfit and threatened another attack on a shopping mall next week.

Neither claim was confirmed by police as genuine, but Internal Security Secretary UK Bansal said intelligence agencies were “seriously examining” both mails. Wednesday’s powerful blast ripped through a crowd of litigants queuing to enter the court complex in the heart of the Indian capital, killing 12 people and injuring nearly 80. It was the latest in a long list of bombings in Indian cities and prompted searching questions in the national media about the authorities’ inability to prevent such attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice. Police separately released sketches of two suspects seen at the site of the blast.

“We have some leads but it is too early to say which group is behind it,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters on his plane as he returned late Wednesday from an official visit to Bangladesh. “There are obviously unresolved problems and weaknesses in our system and the terrorists are taking advantage of that,” Singh said. “We must work hard to plug those weaknesses,” he added. It was the first major attack on Indian soil since triple blasts in

DELHI: An officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) stands with the evidence collected from the site of a blast at Delhi High court in New Delhi, India, yesterday. — AP Mumbai on July 13 killed 26 people. It twice in such a brief space of time. “This has still not been established who car- speaks of an extraordinarily lax security ried out those bombings. The Delhi High culture,” the Times said. Home Minister Court had also been targeted four P. Chidambaram held a high-level meetmonths ago, when a low-intensity bomb ing yesterday at which National Security exploded in the parking lot, causing no Advisor Shivshankar Menon was also casualties and only minimal damage. present to take stock of the situation.

With some experts suggesting the May The United States, France, Britain and attack had been a dry run for Pakistan all condemned the bombing, Wednesday’s blast, a number of editori- with Washington describing it as “cowals in the press questioned why security ardly”. The attack came just a few days before the 10th anniversary of the at the court had not been tightened.

“With cars spilling out of the car park September 11 attacks on the World and no security check worth its name Trade Centre in New York and the installed, it was a veritable invitation for Pentagon. The area around the High anyone seeking to perpetrate violence,” Court remained cordoned off as forensic said the Hindustan Times. “The excuse teams picked through the rubble of the of ‘not being able to prevent every bomb that blew out a deep crater next attack’ is wearing perilously thin,” the to one of the court’s main entrances. newspaper said. Highlighting the fact The investigation is being run by the that no blast case in the last two years National Investigation Agency (NIA), a has been solved, The Times of India said body set up in the wake of the 2008 it was “truly shocking” that the court Mumbai attacks by Islamist gunmen could have been successfully targeted that left 166 people dead. — AFP

Japan’s new PM visits crisis-hit Fukushima TOKYO: Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited Fukushima yesterday for the first time since he took office a week ago, paying tribute to hundreds of workers battling to contain the nuclear crisis. Noda told some 200 workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, that “without the rebirth of Fukushima, there will not be a rebirth of Japan.” “An end to the accident is what our country and the world is hoping for,” said the premier, who was clad in white protective gear, according to local media. “You hold the key to the solution to the problem,” he told the workers, many of whom have spent nearly six months struggling to stabilize the world’s worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Noda, who was sworn in la st Friday, made his comments in the operations room of the plant, which has been leaking radiation since the March disaster, then viewed the exterior of some of the damaged reactor buildings. In a meet-

ing later with Fukushima governor Yuhei Sato at his office, some 60 kilometers to the west, Noda apologized for the nuclear crisis, according to media.

He also promised to secure sufficient funds for reconstruction of the region-including money to decontaminate areas affected by radioactive leaks. Earlier in the day, Noda visited a sports complex, built by the plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Co., which has become a makeshift base camp accommodating hundreds of emergency workers.”Since the accident occurred, you all have worked on the front line for the Japanese people. I express my heartfelt gratitude,” Noda said as he bowed to hundreds of workers. He also praised troops dispatched to the area, saying they had worked “tirelessly” for the benefit of Japan.”I feel proud from the bottom of my heart as the commander-in-chief of the Self Defense Forces,” he said.

Noda came to power on Friday, replacing Naoto Kan who stepped

down amid criticism over his handling of the aftermath of the triple disaster-a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, a tsunami and nuclear accident. The towering wall of water battered cooling systems at the Fukushima plant, 220 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, triggering reactor meltdowns and the spewing of radiation into the environment. The government has said some areas close to the plant may be uninhabitable for years due to dangerous contamination, amid an erosion of public faith in how forthcoming officials have been about the consequences of the disaster. Tens of thousands of people within a 20 kilometer radius and in some pockets beyond the plant have been evacuated, but many activists and scientists have called for a wider exclusion zone. Japan is struggling to bring the crippled reactors to a state of cold shutdown by a January target. Noda also plans to drive around the no-go zone and observe local residents’ decontamination work in Date city, just outside of the evacuation zone.— AFP

Sonia Gandhi returns home after US surgery NEW DELHI: Sonia Gandhi, the key powerbroker of Indian politics, returned home yesterday after undergoing surgery in the United States five weeks ago for an undisclosed condition.

Gandhi, president of the ruling Congress party, was absent during a difficult period for the government with a deadly bombing in New Delhi and the sudden emergence of a nationwide anti-corruption protest movement. The 64-year-old widow of former premier Rajiv Gandhi is the influential patron behind Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and she is widely thought to lead the government on daily and strategic decisions. “Sonia Gandhi arrived early this morning, she is doing fine,” Congress spokesman Janardan Dwivedi told AFP without giving further details about her recovery.

Party officials announced on August 4 that Gandhi had been operated on in the US. Since then there has been a total news blackout on her condition and even where she was admitted to hospital. Italian-born Gandhi is often said to be preparing the ground for her only son Rahul to become prime minister at some stage after premier Singh, 78, steps down. Rahul, 41, who sits in the lower house of parliament, has had joint charge of the Congress party while his mother has been away, but he adopted a low profile during a government crisis over mass anti-corruption protests. Authorities were criticised for making several blunders in dealing with popular anti-graft activist Anna Hazare, who went on a 13-day hunger strike at a public venue in New Delhi. Hazare was given a blaze of publicity when police briefly arrested him, while premier Singh seemed unable to respond to the huge public protests that erupted in support of the campaign. Singh, a taciturn former academic, at first denounced Hazare in parliament before changing his tune and trying to end Hazare’s public fast by showering him with praise. The government is also under pressure over security failures after a bomb outside the New Delhi High Court on Wednesday killed 12 people and injured nearly 80. India has been hit by a series of bomb attacks in recent years, many of which remain unsolved.

“Sonia Gandhi’s role is substantial and strategic at both party and national level and her absence was clearly felt,” VR Raghavan, director of the Delhi Policy Group think-tank, told AFP. “What has been missing during the last weeks was a guiding hand. She might have been tougher or more tolerant with Hazare, but without her, the government looks discordant and was pulling in different directions.” Raghavan added that Gandhi, who was thrust into politics after the assassination of her husband, commands complete loyalty in the Congress party and is responsible for all senior ministerial appointments. She led the left-leaning Congress to a surprise win in 2004 elections, but its second term since 2009 has been beset by corruption scandals, slowing economic growth and accusations of weak leadership. The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has no link to independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, has exerted great influence in India since Jawaharlal Nehru became the country’s first prime minister after independence from Britain in 1947. — AFP

JALPAIGURI: This file photo shows Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi gesturing as she attends a function for the Jalpaiguri Constituency. Sonia Gandhi, the key powerbroker of Indian politics, returned home yesterday after undergoing surgery in the United States a month ago for an undisclosed condition, a spokesman told AFP. —AFP

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Muslim militant group claims deadly western China attacks BEIJING: A militant Muslim group has released a new video claiming responsibility for recent attacks in western China that killed at least three dozen people, a US group that monitors such organizations said this week. The video was purportedly made by the Turkistan Islamic Party, which seeks independence for China’s western Xinjiang region, the SITE Intelligence Group said. The militants are believed to be based in Pakistan, where security experts say core members have received training from al-Qaida. Xinjiang is home to largely Muslim ethnic Uighurs (pronounced WEE’-gur) who say an influx of China’s majority Han to the region has led to their marginalization. The region erupted in violence two years ago with ethnic riots in which at least 197 people were killed.

Since then security in the region has been stepped up, but that wasn’t enough to prevent violence in the cities of Hotan and Kashgar in July that left dozens dead in a spree of slashings,

arson and hit-and-run attacks. The more than 10-minute video released in late August features Turkistan Islamic Party leader Abdul Shakoor Damla, whose face is blotted out, saying those attacks were revenge against the Chinese government. Ben Venzke, of Washington-based IntelCenter, another agency that monitors militant groups, said the group had threatened to attack the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and should be taken seriously. “Their profile has been heightened since threats made during the Olympics and videos have shown us that they have even received recognition from senior al-Qaeda leaders recognizing their presence in China,” Venzke said.

In 2008, TIP released videos claiming responsibility for several bus bombings in China and warned Muslims to stay away from any place Han Chinese were, including buses, planes, buildings and trains. “TIP is a very real jihadist group and their threats should be taken seriously. In addition to being active in

China, we also have seen videos of them conducting operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Venzke said. The latest video shows a brief biography and footage of what it says is Memtieli Tiliwaldi wrestling with other fighters in a TIP training camp. Police in the region had identified Tiliwaldi as a suspect in the July attacks, and said they fatally shot him in a corn field a couple of days later. In the video, group leader Damla speaks in the Turkic language of the Uighurs, who have with a long history of tense relations with the central government.

Militant Uighurs have for decades been fighting a low-level insurgency to gain independence for lightly populated but resource-rich Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and several unstable Central Asian states. Beijing blames the violence on militants based overseas, specifically ones from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement who it says trained in militant camps in Pakistan.

While some terrorism experts say ETIM is affiliated with the Turkistan Islamic Party, others say they are part of the same group operating under different names.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said he had no information on the video and claims. He repeated China’s assertion that Xinjiang separatists are carrying out “rampant, violent terrorist activities within China’s border, which seriously undermine China’s national unity and regional peace and stability.”

Liu said China was willing to join and strengthen international efforts to combat terrorism. Uighur activists and security analysts blame the violence on economic marginalization and restrictions on Uighur culture and the Muslim religion that are breeding frustration and anger among young Uighurs. China’s leaders say all ethnic groups are treated equally and point to the billions of dollars in investment that has modernized Xinjiang. — AP

Fearful China billionaires steer clear of rich lists

BEIJING: A young man uses a computer at an Internet bar in Beijing yesterday. Beijing has moved to stem a tide of online criticism by tightening its grip on China’s hugely popular microblogs, but experts say it will struggle to control the country’s online masses. — AFP

China struggles to tame microblogging masses BEIJING: Beijing has moved to stem a tide of online criticism by tightening its grip on China’s hugely popular microblogs, but experts say it will struggle to control the country’s online masses. China, which has the world’s largest online population with 485 million users, constantly strives to exert its control over the Internet, blocking content it deems politically sensitive as part of a vast censorship system. But the huge and rising popularity of weibos-microblogs similar to Twitter that have taken China by storm since they first launched two years ago has posed a major challenge to the censors.

More and more Chinese people are turning to weibos to vent their anger over government corruption, scandals and disasters in a country where authorities maintain a tight grip on the media. Though censors, many employed by the companies themselves, erase offending messages from the web as rapidly as they can, some stay online for hours or days before they are caught. “This is where public opinion is being formed,” said Peking University journalism professor Hu Yong. Hu said the decision by authorities in the booming east coast city of Dalian to relocate a controversial chemical plant owed much to a largely middle class public protest one Sunday in August that had its origins in weibo posts. “The Dalian party secretary came out and gave a speech promising to shut the chemical plant,” he said. “We seldom see this. This is significant.” Weibo users more than tripled in the first half of 2011, official data showed. Internet giant Sina.com said last month its weibo, by far the most popular, now has over 200 million users.

Weibo users can post commentary on others’ messages, videos and images-including pictures of sensitive documents that might otherwise be censored-allowing information to spread rapidly in a country of 1.3 billion people. — AFP

SHANGHAI: Growing numbers of China’s rich want to avoid publicizing their wealth, Forbes said, reflecting fears of official scrutiny amid a vast and growing rich-poor divide after several billionaires have ended up in jail. Rural incomes have been rising more slowly than urban incomes for two decades-a factor that could threaten social stability and the ruling Communist Party’s grip on power in a country where 150 million people still live on just $0.50 a day. More of the newly rich than in recent years asked to be left out of Forbes Asia’s latest China rich list, said Russell Flannery, a senior editor at the magazine who oversaw the compilation of the list, which was released yesterday. “I think it’s a reflection in a bit of a sea change in Chinese society right now,” said Flannery. “...There’s a lot of concern in China about the wealth gap.” Several once high-flying members of earlier rich lists have ended up in jail, including Huang Guangyu, the founder of Gome Electrical Appliance Holding Ltd , and Shanghai property tycoon Zhou Zhengyi. CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets in a study released yesterday estimated that China will account for 60 percent of the rise in high net-worth individuals’ wealth in Asia over the next five years.

Earth-moving magnate The latest rich list pitted stolid industrial muscle against high-tech, with the head of an earth-moving company pipping the co-founder of the nation’s biggest Internet search engine for the top spot. Liang Wengen, the chairman of Sany Heavy Industry, came in at number one on the Forbes list, a day after the rival Hurun Rich List also gave the top spot to the magnate, whose company makes earth-movers, pile drivers and concrete mixers powering the nation’s urban transformation. Forbes estimated Liang’s wealth at $9.3 billion.

“This is a remarkable story of people growing up dirt poor in Changsha in Hunan Province, and from one group of

SHANGHAI: A garbage collector sits next to an advertisement of a clothing shop in Shanghai yesterday. Growing numbers of China’s rich want to avoid publicizing their wealth, Forbes said, reflecting fears of official scrutiny amid a vast and growing rich-poor divide after several billionaires have ended up in jail. — AP people, getting seven of them on the Forbes China Rich List, including four billionaires,” said Flannery. Along with Liang, three other entrepreneurs associated with Sany are on the rich list: Tang Xiuguo, Mao Zhongwu of Xiang Wenbo.

Liang, Mao and Tang were all founders of the company. Other members of the Forbes top-ten included Liu Yonghao, an agribusiness magnate, and several real estate investors. Sany’s success partly reflects the rapid growth of China’s high-value added manufacturing sector over the past decade, with exports from makers of pricy machinery and construction equipment advancing faster than low-value goods like toys.

Sany is based in Changsha, the capital of Hunan in southern China. “We’ve seen a structural change in Chinese exports that started several years ago. If you look at the export compound annual growth rate from 2003-2008, you can see that low value goods are not grow-

ing fast-usually single digit or at most low teens. High value are growing at 4050 percent,” said David Lee, a Chinabased partner with Boston Consulting Group, who specialises in industrial goods. The company says it has over 60,000 employees and sales revenue of 50 billion yuan last year. Despite the gritty image of earth-moving equipment, the company also says it channels at least 5 percent of that revenue into research and development and has production plants in the United States, Germany, India and Brazil. Forbes gave the second place to Robin Li, a founder of Baidu, China’s dominant Internet search engine, who the magazine said had personal wealth of about $9.2 billion. Li could have snatched the top spot if it wasn’t for the volatility of share markets in the United States, where Baidu is listed. All in all, Forbes estimated that China’s crop of billionaires grew from 126 last year to 146 now.— Reuters

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WASHINGTON: Union worker Dave Pierce, from Woodland, walks ahead of a grain train as he and other union workers blocked the train in Longview, Wash on Wednesday.

Longshoremen blocked the train as part of an escalating dispute about labor at the EGT grain terminal at the Port of Longview. — AP

Showtime for US debt ‘SuperCommittee’ No improvement in weekly jobless claims WASHINGTON: A US Congress “SuperCommittee” yesterday takes up its mission to reduce debt by at least $1.2 trillion over 10 years, facing a tight schedule for success in a poisonous political climate. The 12-member Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, forged in the angry summertime debtlimit fight, has 11 weeks to nail down an elusive compromise to avert draconian automatic cuts to health care and the military. “Failure is not an option,” Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday. “We fully anticipate they will meet their goals. And we’ll see whether they can even go beyond that.” Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who crafted what has come to be known as the “SuperCommittee,” gave the panel a “better than 50-50 chance” of succeeding where the rest of Congress has failed.

In a clever bit of Washington self-awareness, the committee must deliver its recommendations to the Democratic-held Senate and Republican-led House of Representatives by November 23, the eve of the cherished Thanksgiving holiday.

Then the polarized congress has until December 23, just two days before Christmas, to approve the package or trigger the automatic cuts, effectively leveraging lawmakers’ attachment to the two hugely popular holidays.

The possible cuts to military and health care programswhich would take effect in January 2013 - after the November 2012 elections in which President Barack Obama seeks a new term-were designed to compel a compromise. Any deal would require majority approval on the committee, which is

evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, and would enjoy fast-track consideration by the whole Congress.

The panel was expected to battle over tax hikes on the wealthy and rich corporations, which Republicans oppose, versus cuts to social safety net programs dear to Democrats.

The committee’s first formal meeting was set for 10:30 am (1430 GMT), hours before Obama seizes the spotlight by rolling out his new jobs plan to battle 9.1 percent unemployment and bolster his sagging reelection chances. Obama, eager to allay voter worries about the ballooning US national debt, will also showcase his own deficit-reduction plan “relatively soon,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Wednesday.

Carney insisted that the president was “absolutely committed” to protecting the Medicare and Medicaid health programs and Social Security retirement program while making “tough choices” to stem a tide of red ink. Obama will lay out “how we go big on deficit reduction and debt reduction” with a “balanced” approach, code for a blend of tax hikes on the rich and cuts to government spending, including the social safety net, Carney said. The embattled president had sought a roughly $3$4 trillion “grand bargain” on deficit reduction this summer with Republican House Speaker John Boehner, only to see it collapse in the face of Republican opposition to raising taxes.

JOBLESS CLAIMS New claims for US jobless benefits ran at 414,000 last week,

little changed from the previous week as high unemployment continues to dog the US economy, the Labor Department said yesterday. The number of people making initial claims for unemployment insurance in the week to September 3 rose 2,000 from the revised figure of the previous week, and remained in the general range of the past eight months. The number of people in the country receiving unemployment benefits was 7.17 million, 167,000 less than the previous week and slightly over half the official total number of jobless Americans. The official unemployment rate for the country is a high 9.1 percent.

TRADE DEFICIT NARROWED American manufacturers sold more cars, airplanes and industrial machinery in foreign markets in July, sending exports to an all-time high and pushing the trade deficit down to its lowest level in three months. The Commerce Department says the trade deficit narrowed to $44.8 billion in July, down 13.1 percent from June.

The improvement reflected a 3.6 percent rise in exports to a record level of $178 billion, reflecting strong sales of a variety of manufactured goods. Imports dipped 0.2 percent to $126.9 billion as the bill for imported oil dropped 6 percent to $35.5 billion as crude oil prices fell. The big jump in exports should provide critically needed support for US growth at a time when the economy has been in danger of toppling into a recession. — Agencies

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Protectionism at bay despite currency war fears LONDON: The world economy might be going through a crisis of capitalism, but, paradoxically, globalization is alive and well. The Swiss National Bank’s dramatic step this week to cap the Swiss franc by pegging its value against the euro fanned fears of a new currency war as countries tried to shield themselves from unwanted capital inflows. That possibility is a headache that finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrial nations, who meet on Friday in the French port city of Marseille, could do without.

But what is striking is that the clamor for protection against flows of trade, investment and finance is so muted despite the weakest recovery from the deepest recession since World War Two. According to the World Trade Organization, only 1-2 percent of world commerce has been affected since the onset of the crisis by trade curbs of one sort or another. The WTO’s own rules have played a part, but Razeen Sally, director of the European Centre for International Political Economy, a

Brussels think-tank, said this was not the whole story.

“The main reason why we haven’t seen an increase in traditional protectionism is globalization itself. It’s the existence of supply chains, which have provided spontaneous disciplines on governments and businesses not to raise the obvious barriers. That’s testament, if you like, to the strength of globalization,” Sally said. So while protests proliferate in Europe against austerity and the loss of jobs to Asia, economic insecurity has not translated into widespread rejection of the global production and outsourcing that puts cheap goods on Western shop shelves.

Crucially, big businesses have a vested interest in keeping their supply chains operating. Tellingly, a U.S. move in 2009 to restrict imports of cheap Chinese tyresa curb that the WTO this week ruled to be legal-did not trigger copycat curbs.

“Politicians may not make the case for globalization generally, but they’re instinctively aware of the costs of doing

further harm when that further harm is obvious like putting up a tariff or quota or slapping on a licensing arrangement.

They’ve probably been lobbied by businesses accordingly,” Sally said.

CAPITAL VS CURRENT ACCOUNT George Magnus, a senior economic adviser to UBS in London, agreed that the degree of protectionism was nowhere near as severe as might have been expected, partly due to the need to keep intra-company supply chains intact. But he said there were no grounds for complacency. A renewed recession, or a combination of protracted anaemic growth in Europe and America in conjunction with a slowdown in China after 2013, could spell trouble. “That’s the sort of environment where the populist demand for protection from foreigners might take root,” Magnus said.

One straw in the wind is a pledge by Republican US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to slap duties on Chinese imports unless Beijing swiftly floats its

currency. David Bowers, a managing director of Absolute Strategy Research in London, said the real risk to the global economy lay not with barriers to trade but to the funding of trade. “What we have to worry about are capital account wars, not current account wars,” Bowers said.

He said he feared regulators, in their zeal to protect banks in their jurisdiction, could create a home bias that would throw a wrench in the gears of global finance. Far more disturbing than the Swiss National Bank’s actions, Bowers added, was the way US money market funds abruptly reduced their lending to European banks in early August, contributing to a confidence-sapping slump in equity markets. “What was striking before the crisis was how deep private cross-border capital flows were. They made globalization possible. The biggest threat is that, through myopic national bank re-regulation and deleveraging, you begin to pick away and fragment the idea of a global capital market,” he said. —Reuters

Gulf Petrochem eyes booming Asia market Mideast trader targets oil storage in India, Singapore

HONG KONG: Journalists look at the Toy Story Land attraction site main entrance during its launch in Hong Kong yesterday. Hong Kong Disneyland, which has been struggling to attract visitors, said its Shanghai counterpart was not a threat as it prepares for the opening of a new attraction this year. —AFP

Global tourism hits new record MADRID: International tourism grew by almost five percent in the first half of the year, recording a record 440 million arrivals, the World Tourism Organization said yesterday. The results show that “in spite of multiple challenges, international tourism continues to consolidate the return to growth initiated in 2010,” the UN body said in its report.

“Between January and June of this year, the total number of arrivals reached 440 million, 19 million more than in the same period of 2010,” the body said from its Madrid headquarters. The rise of almost five percent in international tourism over the period set “a new record of 440 million arrivals,” the tourism organization reported. The emerging economies are the motor for this rise of the sector from the economic crisis which scarred all sectors in 2008. These nations saw a 4.8 percent growth in their international tourism sectors. The Middle East posted an 11 percent drop in the sector, while North Africa was down 13 percent after the “Arab spring” of popular uprisings hit the tourist sector hard.

Over the same six-month period sub-Saharan Africa continued to perform “soundly,” showing a rise of nine percent, the World Tourism Organisation said. Asia and the Pacific grew at a comparatively slower pace of five percent, but this came after bumper 13 percent growth last year, and also includes drops in Japan’s figures following its devastating earthquake and tsunami. “Results from recent months show that destinations such as Egypt, Tunisia or Japan are seeing declines in demand,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. —AFP

SINGAPORE: United Arab Emirates-based trader Gulf Petrochem is looking to expand into the Asian market by setting up a trading and bunkering desk in Singapore before the end of the year, the company’s chief executive said. Strong oil demand from Asia has prompted Middle Eastern oil majors as well as traders to expand operations in a market that is rapidly growing in contrast to the economic gloom in Europe and the United States.

“We will start fuel oil and distillates trading as well as bunkering out of Singapore,” Sanjeev Sisaudia said late on Wednesday on the sidelines of Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) in Singapore. “At the moment we have six people in Singapore mainly dealing with base oil. We’re looking to hire 3-4 people until the end of the year,” Sisaudia said, adding that the company will further expand its team in 2012.

As sign of its ambitions in Asia, Gulf Petrochem, which is not a regular participant in Asian fuel oil spot tenders, won a semi-term fuel oil tender from India in early August. “That was a strategic move,” said Gulf Petrochem trader Kalrav Dixit, who was instrumental in securing the deal. “The idea was to position ourselves

in the market.” An expansion of the draft at headquarters, the Hamriyah Free Zone on the west coast of the UAE, will allow the company to handle much larger vessels and bigger flows, Sisaudia said. “Until now, the bottleneck for us was the 4.5 meter-long draft. This will now go up to 12 meters,” he said.

As the company bets on handling larger volumes, it is also expanding its oil storage facilities at the free-zone, where it currently has 60,000 cubic meters of oil storage for clean and dirty products. “To meet the increasing demand, we are adding 15,000 cubic meters,” Sisaudia said. Capturing more oil storage space in the Middle East is a priority for oil traders, who are pouring millions of dollars to build new tanks that will give them more flexibility in supplying their biggest customers in Asia. Leasing out these tanks to oil companies or other traders is also a major source of revenue. All of Gulf Petrochem’s tanks at Hamriyah are currently full, Sisaudia said, with some of them allocated to the company’s usage and the rest leased out to other traders.

FUTURE IN OIL STORAGE With oil traders rushing to grab stor-

age space, ports in the Middle East Gulf also are set to expand. The UAE’s Fujairah port, the world’s top bunkering hub after Singapore and Rotterdam, is planning to more than double its oil storage capacity to 7 million cubic meters in the next two to three years. Gulf Petrochem is among the investors in Fujairah. The company will spend $134 million to build 412,000 cubic meters of oil storage, or 17 tanks, due to become operational by April-May 2012, Sisaudia said.

Nine tanks have already been built and the company will allocate 25 to 30 percent of the storage capacity for its own use and will lease out the rest.

“We’re already in discussion with potential parties to lease,” Sisaudia said, declining to name any possible tenants. All the major trading houses and oil companies have rented tanks in Fujairah. “Many players are trying to come to the Middle East market but the storage tanks are just not there,” he said. Some traders in the Gulf Mideast say the oil storage flurry could lead to an oversupply in the future, but Gulf Petrochem plans to increase its Fujairah capacity to 1.2 million cubic meters in the next five years. —Reuters

Tired Western brands find new life in Asia HONG KONG: Faded and forgotten Western brands are being dusted off and brought back to life by companies in Asia targeting the burgeoning number of people looking for labels to match new middle class lifestyles. Asians have been buying or licensing fashion names - many of them European with long and rich histories including royal connections or haute couture origins - that have fallen out of favor back home, as they seek to lure the

region’s newly affluent.

Among them are Aquascutum, founded in 1851 and whose trenchcoats were worn by British officers in the Crimean and two World Wars. The British label was popular with movie stars in the 1950s and ‘60s but in later years its appeal fizzled. Various owners tried to turn it around before a Hong Kong company snapped up the Asian rights in 2009 and now runs dozens of Aquascutum stores in

China and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Westerners are picking up on the idea, with one British startup aiming to bring dormant luxury pen, whisky and British butcher shop brands to Asia’s growing middle classes. The strategy of acquiring and revitalizing tired brands has proved to be especially successful in China, home to a huge number of nouveau riche combined with a culture that is extremely brand and status conscious. —AP

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Australia jobless rate jumps to 5.3 percent

Asian stocks run out of steam, euro vulnerable

SYDNEY: Australia’s jobless rate unexpectedly rose yesterday to 5.3 percent, its highest level in almost a year, as the miningpowered economy showed signs of flagging. The Australian Bureau of Statistics said unemployment jumped for a second straight month in August, exceeding the steady 5.1 percent expected by economists, who had tipped 11,000 jobs to be created. Yesterday’s figures revealed 9,700 jobs had been lost.

It is the highest level since last October, when the jobless rate hit 5.4 percent but employment growth was considered much stronger, with record workforce participation. “The disappointing jobs report adds to the sense that the Australian economy is slowing,” said Westpac currency strategist Rob Rennie.

A number of major companies have announced job cuts in the past month, citing the strong Australian dollar and tough world markets, and analysts have tipped a steady increase in unemployment over coming months. Canberra has forecast unemployment to fall to 4.5 percent by mid-2013. Renewed global turmoil due to US and European debt fears has seen consumer confidence slump in recent months, with retail sales falling sharply and the housing market also notably softer.

Australia’s economy contracted in the first three months of 2011 due to unprecedented flooding and cyclones, which hit mining and agriculture exports.

Though it rebounded strongly to record 1.2 percent growth in the three months to June, economists said the economy was losing momentum, due in part to high interest rates and the persistently high Aussie dollar hitting non-mining industries. Jobs Minister Chris Evans said the data reflected the dual-speed nature of Australia’s economy, which has seen the mining industry and dollar boom at the expense of sectors including manufacturing and tourism. “But the Australian fundamentals remain very strong,” he said. “The reality is we’re dealing with those global factors, the loss of confidence in the international economy and the downturn internationally is having its impact on our trade-exposed sectors,” added Evans.

The central bank held the official cash rate steady at 4.75 percent again this month-unchanged since last November-but the weak jobs figures were seen as supporting a cut by year’s end. “The pace of deterioration in this would be of concern for the (bank),” said ANZ’s Grant Turley. “They can’t still characterize the unemployment rate as unchanged. This will reinforce market pricing for rate cuts.” The Australian dollar plunged on the data, which also prompted a stock market sell-off. The benchmark S&P/ASX closed marginally higher, up 4.6 points at 4,188.0, while the dollar was fetching $1.0590 in late trade, down from $1.0644 earlier.

ICAP analyst Adam Carr said the jobs figures reflected potentially contagious anxiety amongst employers. “The risk of us talking ourselves into a recession is very real,” he said.

Australian flag carrier Qantas and Bluescope Steel, the nation’s largest steelmaker by output, both announced sweeping job cuts last month which will show up in future data. Bluescope said manufacturing was in “crisis” while Qantas is planning an Asia-focused shakeup of its international arm in response to soaring competition in the region, rocketing fuel prices and global uncertainty. —AFP

Gold rises 1 percent to around $1,835 an ounce SINGAPORE: A rebound in Asian stocks ran out of steam yesterday, as worries over the widening impact of the euro zone crisis and the faltering US economy gnawed at investor confidence. The euro slipped ahead of a European Central Bank rate-setting meeting later in the day, and remained vulnerable to concerns that efforts to contain the twoyear-old sovereign debt crisis are not moving quickly enough, while the Australian dollar was hit by unexpectedly poor employment data. “Volatility still persists and the market is likely to continue to dance to the tune of policy risks involving the US and European economies,” said Kim Hyung-ryol, a market analyst at Kyobo Securities in Seoul. Global equities suffered their worst correction since 2008 in August, on fears of renewed recession in the United States and worries about Europe’s widening crisis. Despite a modest bounce in recent sessions, the MSCI AllCountry World index remains 16 percent below its 2011 high, reached in May. Japan’s Nikkei inched up 0.2 percent, paring earlier gains, while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.1 percent. US S&P futures fell 0.3 percent during the Asian day, pointing to a softer opening on Wall Street later in the day. Germany’s top court on Wednesday rejected lawsuits aimed at blocking Berlin’s participation in bailout packages for Greece and other heavily indebted euro zone countries, offering some temporary relief to global markets.

European stocks rose 3.1 percent and on Wall Street the S&P 500 rose 2.9 percent. The euro, after jumping on the German court decision, eased on Thursday to around $1.4060.

spreads could rise again and hurt investor sentiment,” said Junya Tanase, chief strategist at JPMorgan Chase.

US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is due to speak later yesterday, at 1730 GMT, and President Barack Obama will outline to Congress his plans for reviving the faltering economy at 2300 GMT. With unemployment stuck above 9 percent, Obama will lay out a plan to spur job creation. Some ana-

CHANGE OF TACK The ECB is the only major Western central bank to have raised rates since the end of the global financial crisis, but is expected to signal a change in policy tack and halt its tightening cycle in response to the sovereign debt crisis and slowing economic growth.

Market players will be closely watching for any comment from ECB President JeanClaude Trichet on the central bank’s buying of Italian and Spanish bonds to force down yields, a policy that has deeply divided its governing council. “If Trichet makes cautious remarks on bond buying, Italian and Spanish

lysts think Bernanke may hint at further easing steps to try to stimulate the economy, which could put downward pressure on the dollar, although divisions within the Fed could lead him to stay his hand for now. “He really can’t break new ground given a divided Federal Reserve,” said Allen Sinai of Decision Economics.

The US currency was a little firmer against the yen at around 77.38 , while the dollar index , which measures its performance against a basket of major currencies, edged up around 0.2 percent. The Australian dollar fell 0.6 percent to around $1.0590 after

employment unexpectedly fell in August, prompting the money market to price in rate cuts of nearly 0.75 percentage points by the end of the year. Gold rebounded nearly 1 percent to trade around $1,831 an ounce , after tumbling 3 percent in the previous session.

The precious metal has hit a succession of records, most recently at $1,920.30 on Tuesday, driven by its appeal as both a safe

RASON: North Koreans gather at the entrance to the Rason Free Trade Market in Rason city, North Korea. The market, a 13-year-old experiment in small-scale capitalism, has been so successful that the Chinese managing company, the Tianyu Group, is planning to expand the jampacked 54,000-square-foot market to 320,000 square feet , Tianyu vice director Zheng Zhexi said. —AP haven in times of economic uncertainty and as a hedge against inflation, which some fear will be the eventual consequence of the ultra-loose monetary policies being pursued in much of the developed world. “Concerns about economic growth in the United States and euro zone will keep supporting gold prices. Even though we may see liquidation repeatedly along the way, gold will rise towards $2,000,” said a dealer at a Tokyobased bullion house. Oil was little changed, with US crude edging up to $89.43 a barrel and Brent crude down 0.2 percent at $115.64. —Reuters

Indonesia central bank lowers interbank band JAKARTA: Indonesia’s central bank left its main policy rate unchanged yesterday for a seventh straight month, choosing to ignore a temporary upward blip in inflation in favor of caution as the global economic outlook deteriorates. At the same time, Bank Indonesia lowered the floor of the trading band for interbank overnight rates by half a percentage point to give its banking system the flexibility to deal with fickle cash conditions and fluctuating money market rates. Core inflation in August rose above the 5 percent mark that one central bank official suggested is the threshold for a policy shift. Yet yesterday’s decision to hold the policy rate at 6.75 percent confirmed that the central bank views the upward blip in food, clothing and gold prices during the Ramadan festivities as temporary.

It also put Indonesia in the growing camp of

central banks shifting focus away from inflation to growth as they brace for a protracted period of weak global demand. South Korea left rates on hold for a third month at a review yesterday, Australia’s did the same earlier this week.

Inflationary pressures in Southeast Asia’s largest economy are subdued and growth is robust in the largely domestic-driven economy. Analysts therefore suspect the fear of financial contagion and market volatility is behind Bank Indonesia’s decision to err on the side of caution.

That seemed to be the reason Bank Indonesia widened the floor of its interbank overnight rate to 150 basis points below the policy rate, from 100 basis points below previously. “This decision is taken by considering the need to guard economic stability amid rising uncertainties in the global financial system triggered by the US and Europe debt problems,”

Bank Indonesia said in a statement. Indonesia’s stock market, Asia’s best performing this year, has been spared a lot of the volatility spawned

by Europe’s debt crisis and faltering global growth. But, having used a rising rupiah to keep price pressures in check, the central bank is worried about market turbulence and potential capital outflows from Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

JUST AS EXPECTED All 12 analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a rate hold. BI made a surprise move to raise the policy rate by 25 basis points in February to address inflation worries. Core inflation in August accelerated to 5.15 percent, though broader inflation remained manageable at 4.79 percent as Muslims spent more on foods, clothes and transport to celebrate Eid.

Analysts also expect Bank Indonesia to leave the rate unchanged for the rest of 2011 as part of efforts to maintain solid growth at a time of increasing worry about the global economy, given woes in Europe and the United States. “The focus has switched back to growth instead of inflation,” said Eugene Leow, an economist with DBS in Singapore. “With the external economy more uncertain, the central bank has to be seen to help to boost the economy and is likely to keep rates low. It looks unlikely that they will be willing to hike rates this year. “Inflation has been surprisingly tame so looks like this sweet spot will continue for a while more,” Leow said. BI Governor Darmin Nasution told Reuters in an Aug. 25 interview that the bank would prefer to continue using monetary policy tools rather than rate rises to counter increasing prices or to slow loan growth. —Reuters

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Four Asian central banks hold rates as risks grow Growing worries about outlook for US, Europe JAKARTA: Four Asian central banks held interest rates steady yesterday, pausing in the fight against inflation while they assess how much their economies may suffer from a slowdown in US and European growth. South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia all kept benchmark borrowing rates unchanged and some economists predicted that officials may hold off on tightening through the end of the year if inflation abates in the coming months.

Central banks in Australia, Japan, Canada and Sweden all held rates steady at meetings this week, reflecting the growing caution globally over the health of the world economy.

Price pressures intensified in South Korea and Indonesia in August, and South Korea acknowledged yesterday it might miss its 2011 inflation target of 4 percent. However, Europe’s debt troubles and worries that the United States might slip back into a recession put Asia’s policymakers in wait-and-see mode. “There is no difference of opinion among monetary policy committee members that we need to keep raising interest rates to achieve price stability, but I think it will be difficult to change interest rates if global uncertainty continues,” Bank of Korea Governor Kim Choong-soo said.

Just two months ago, most economists expected the Korean central bank to keep tightening monetary policy to put a lid on inflation, which hit a threeyear high of 5.3 percent in August. The benchmark interest rate of 3.25 percent is still 2 percentage points below the level

before the financial crisis exploded in 2008, meaning BOK has a long way to go before borrowing costs are back to normal. “The BOK missed its chance and should have raised rates two months ago,” said June Park, a senior economist with Meritz Securities.

Since then, the US sovereign debt downgrade and a series of disappointing economic readings have deepened fears of another recession in the world’s biggest economy. Europe has struggled to convince investors that it has the political will to solve its government debt troubles. Indeed, a Reuters poll conducted after the BOK’s latest policy decision showed most analysts think the central bank will not raise rates again this year given growing worries about the US and European economies. The European Central Bank and Bank of England are scheduled to meet yesterday as well, and economists polled by Reuters expected them to hold rates steady too.

INFLATION ABATING? Bank Indonesia kept its benchmark borrowing rate unchanged at 6.75 percent, as expected, but adjusted its interbank lending rate, widening the band to 1.5 percentage points below the policy rate from 1 point previously. The widening would give banks the flexibility to adjust to wild swings in cash conditions and push market rates lower when required. “In some sense, to us it comes across as an implicit easing in policy,” said Prakriti Sofat, an economist with Barclays Capital in Singapore. “The cen-

tral bank is definitely much more comfortable about its inflation outlook and inherently there is a growth bias, so I think the move is a reflection of those dynamics.” Bank Indonesia has held rates steady since a hike in February, making it far less aggressive than some of its Asian peers, even though it has struggled to keep inflation in check.

Core inflation, which strips out some of the more volatile components, hit 5.15 percent in August, above the 5 percent mark that one central bank official has said would likely prompt a rate hike.

Many economists argue that August marked the peak for inflation because global commodity prices have cooled.

Indonesia, however, has seen prices rise for an assortment of goods including gold, and it could take longer for those effects to fade away. The central bank said a global slowdown may crimp Indonesia’s growth, but should also help bring down inflation.

In the Philippines, the central bank kept the overnight borrowing rate at 4.5 percent for a third straight month and expressed confidence that inflation was abating, giving it room for a prolonged pause. It lowered its 2011 and 2012 average inflation forecasts. Malaysia, which kept its benchmark rate at 3 percent, drew a similar conclusion on inflation.

“While inflation remains a concern, the increased uncertainties on the global and domestic economic growth prospects and their potential consequences could have a moderating impact on inflation,” the central bank said. — Reuters

BoE keeps rate at record-low 0.50% LONDON: The Bank of England voted as expected yesterday to keep its key interest rate at a record low 0.50 percent to support Britain’s faltering economy but resisted calls to pump out more new money. Its main lending rate has stood at an all-time low since March 2009, when the central bank also decided to begin injecting £200 billion ($321 billion, 228 billion euros) into the economy under a policy known as quantitative easing.

“The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee today voted to maintain the official Bank Rate paid on commercial bank reserves at 0.5%,” said a statement.

“The Committee also voted to maintain the stock of asset purchases financed by the issuance of central bank reserves at £200 billion.” Britain’s central bank will provide reasons behind its decisions on September 21 when it publishes minutes from the latest monthly meeting.

Later yesterday, the European Central Bank is widely expected to signal a halt to its rate hike cycle at its meeting and keep borrowing costs at 1.50 percent, as the eurozone debt crisis undercuts growth in the 17-country bloc.

After two controversial rate increases in April and July, some even expect a reversal in policy with interest rate cuts in the coming months, after core economies France and Germany reported a sharp slowdown in growth. In Britain, which is not a member of the eurozone, some business leaders are calling upon the Bank of England to carry out more quantitative easing (QE), or the pumping out of new money via the purchase of government and private assets.

Britain’s economy slowed sharply in the second quarter, posting growth of only 0.2 percent after 0.5 percent in the first three months of the year, according to recent official data. Opponents of QE argue that fresh stimulus would fuel inflation, which in Britain is already far above the Bank of England’s target rate. British 12-month inflation stood at 4.4 percent in July, while the BoE is forecasting it to hit 5.0 percent later this year, driven by soaring domestic energy bills. The British central bank’s main task is to use monetary policy as a tool to keep the annual inflation rate close to a target of 2.0 percent. — AFP

Japan’s account surplus, machinery orders shrink TOKYO: Japan’s current account surplus shrank 42.4 percent from a year earlier in July, government data showed yesterday, the fifth consecutive decline in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Separate data showed a decline in machinery orders in July, an indication that corporate capital spending was being deterred as a strong yen makes firms less profitable, amid concerns of a global slowdown , said analysts.

“Japanese firms’ sentiment is becoming more cautious about capital investment compared to their attitude before and immediately after the March disaster,” said Hidehiko Fujii, chief economist at Japan Research Institute.

The more-severe-than-expected narrowing of the surplus came as exports shrank 2.3 percent. Japanese companies are working to restore postquake production levels but there are concerns a strong yen could undermine their recovery. Imports surged 13.6 percent, partly due to higher oil prices, with Japan forced to boost fossil fuel consumption to compensate for the shutdown of most of its reactors after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

“The growth in fuel imports due to the greater reliance on thermal power plants was a big factor in the higher import figure,” a Ministry of Finance

official told reporters. Another factor behind the lower surplus was a 306.2 billion yen ($3.96 billion) deficit in the services trade balance, which fell as the number of foreign visitors to Japan has plunged in the wake of the disasters.

The surplus in the current account, the

broadest measure of Japan’s trade with the rest of the world, stood at 990.2 billion yen in July before seasonal adjustment, finance ministry data showed.

The result was worse than expectations of a 31.8 percent year-on-year fall according to a survey of economists by

TOKYO: Models display NTT DOCOMO’s new tablets ‘docomo tablet Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE SC-01D’ (left) and ‘docomo Tablet ARROWS Tab LTE F-01D’ during a press preview in Tokyo yesterday. DOCOMO will put the two tablet models, the SC-01D and “docomo Tablet ARROWS Tab LTE F-01D” onto the Japanese market next month. — AFP

Dow Jones Newswires and the Nikkei business daily.

While the data missed expectations, the rate of decline slowed from 50.2 percent in June, 51.7 percent in May and 69.5 percent in April. The current account measures trade in goods, services, tourism and investment. The March disasters left 20,000 dead or missing, destroyed entire towns along Japan’s northeastern coast and triggered the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years ago. The damage and devastation brought by the tsunami also shattered crucial component supply chains, forcing companies to shut down factories, slowing the nation’s output and exports as the economy tipped into recession. While Japan’s producers have raced to restore output more quickly than expected, there are concerns that effort could be undermined by a strong yen that erodes repatriated profits, as demand wanes amid a global economic slowdown. Evidence of this impact could be seen in data showing Japan’s core private-sector machinery orders, a leading indicator of corporate capital spending, fell 8.2 percent in July from the previous month, after rising 7.7 percent in June. The core data, which exclude volatile demand from power companies and for ships, showed a decline that was steeper than forecasts of a 4.0 percent fall. — AFP

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Finnish discontent over slack EU behind bailout row HELSINKI: Finland’s standoff with Greece over collateral for loan guarantees is really about Helsinki’s political efforts to placate Finns who resent slack economic discipline in the European Union, analysts say.

They note a growing sense of injustice in Finland that countries which have their finances in order because they undertook tough austerity measures themselves-as Finland did in the early 1990s-should not have to bail out those countries that did not make the effort.

A demand for collateral is not really the real issue. “I think every economist is secretly of the opinion that this is a pretty minor issue in the big picture,” chief economist for Handelsbanken Finland Tiina Helenius said, saying the collaterals demand was “a purely political issue.”

Speaking at a public debate on the subject on Wednesday, Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen said that many Finns “are troubled by the injustice that stems from the fact that not everyone in the monetary union has played by the agreed-upon

rules... Many are asking what right others have to live large and then demand from us things they have no right to.”

Finland, which joined the EU in 1995, has for months demanded collateral in exchange for backing Greece’s debt rescue package. The dispute points to a worrying development of “bailout fatigue” which is undermining political will to solve the debt crisis, Helenius said.

“Maybe it’s not just populism that (has) politicians and the public asking whether this is hopeless,” she said. In Finland, the spark of discontent was fanned to a blaze during the April general elections, when the EU bailout packages became the top issue and voters flocked to parties that embraced a more eurosceptic attitude.

“Timo Soini, the chairman of the (populist) Finns Party, was saying that all our problems are connected to the EU and the monetary union... and this has spread to other parties,” Helsinki University political expert Jan Sundberg said. The vehemently anti-EU Finns Party went from

Germany warns on Greece and banks BERLIN: Germany’s finance minister yesterday warned of “worrying news” coming from the eurozone and said Greece must fulfill the conditions required if it wants more help to combat its debt crisis. Speaking in parliament, Wolfgang Schaeuble said it was “very important, especially given the worrying news from the eurozone, that the fund can, if necessary, release short-term funds to recapitalise banks.” “It is very important that we combat the danger of contagion in the banking sector by providing access to additional capital,” he said.

And ratcheting up the pressure on Athens, Schaeuble said it was “very premature” to talk about a second bailout package for Greece before it had implemented the reforms required to receive its first full disbursement. “The debate over a second aid package to Greece is very premature given the current difficulties around the payment of the first package,” said the minister. The European Union and International Monetary Fund bailed out debt-wracked Greece in May 2010 with a package worth 110 billion euros (155 billion dollars). Athens was due to get its next eight-billion-euro payout from the fund later this month but must first demonstrate it has achieved the fiscal targets laid down by its international partners.

However, EU and IMF auditors promptly left Greece last week saying more work was needed, sending the markets crashing and raising fears that Greece would not live up to its fiscal promises. In July, EU leaders agreed a second bailout package worth some 109 billion euros, this time with a oneoff contribution from the private sector. “We understand the problems in Greece. Reducing a deficit ... results in serious strains for the population concerned,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, it is up to Greece itself to decide whether it is ready to take the necessary measures to reduce its deficit and its too-high debt,” added Schaeuble. Anger is growing in Germany, which contributes the lion’s share of the guarantees for the rescue funds, over Greece’s perceived backsliding in implementing reforms, with some politicians calling to Athens to leave the euro. “The situation in Greece is serious,” Schaeuble told deputies. — AFP

being the smallest party to becoming the third-biggest of eight parties, while the usually pro-EU Social Democrats also made significant gains after pushing for a collaterals clause. Although the prime minister’s staunchly pro-EU National Coalition Party won the elections, Katainen was forced to cobble together an unstable six-party coalition with a precarious consensus on the bailout issue.

The government’s cohesion is becoming frailer as public dissent mounts against the bailouts.

A poll published by Finland’s leading daily Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday showed that 18 percent of nearly 1,200 respondents feel Finland should abandon the euro and reclaim the national currency the markka-up from 12 percent in January. And 53 percent said Finland should stick to its collateral demand even if it causes difficulties for Finland and other eurozone nations.

Finland suffered a devastating recession in the mid-1990s which saw the col-

lapse of the banking system, 20 percent unemployment and a debt crisis whose shockwaves can still be felt. The country recovered by completely rebuilding the banking sector and implementing nearcrippling austerity measures. “Finland starved itself out of the crisis without help from the EU or any international help at all, that’s the feeling,” said Sundberg, saying the sentiment has only grown stronger as reports out of Athens show the country has not done as much belttightening and restructuring as it pledged to do.

Economist Helenius said the Finnish public isn’t being told how badly the eurozone debt crisis could impact Finland if the bloc fails to quickly implement the rescue package: Greece’s default could put other European banks in jeopardy, forcing states to tap into taxpayer money to support their own banks.

“Is Finland risking a bigger economic meltdown over a minor political point?” asked Helenius. — AFP

Eurozone crisis could deepen OECD sees threat of recession PARIS: A new recession stalks some rich countries and the eurozone crisis could deepen, the OECD warned yesterday urging most central banks not to raise, and maybe to cut, interest rates. “Growth is turning out to be much slower than we thought three months ago and the risk of hitting patches of negative growth going forward has gone up,” OECD Chief Economist Pier Carlo Padoan said. In its latest analysis, the OECD insisted on the urgency for the eurozone to apply rescue action agreed in July and to tighten financial discipline.

To stop further contagion and restore confidence in the eurozone, banks had to strengthen their capital because of their exposure to eurozone debt. Eurozone financial governance must also be improved, the OECD argued. The OECD also urged emerging countries to withdraw monetary tightening as soon as inflation targets were met and allow for the appreciation of their exchange rates, noting that trade imbalances continue to widen. The organization revised sharply down its growth forecasts for the rest of the year for Group of Seven (G7) rich industrialized countries and expected at least one quarter of contraction in Germany and Italy.

The warning of shrinkage in Germany contrasted starkly with recent data showing dynamic, albeit possibly slowing, activity in the German economy. The organization gave different emphasis to the threat of recession in the French and English versions of its forecasts. In French it said: “The possibility of recession is not ruled out in some big economies in the OECD.” However, the English version read: “The risk of more negative growth going forward has become higher in some major OECD economies.”

Both versions added: “But a downturn of the magnitude of 2008-2009 is not foreseen.” Just before the Bank of England and European Central Bank were to announce their interest rate decisions, the OECD said: “Policy rates in most OECD economies should be kept on hold. The British bank held its rate. “If in the coming months signs

ROME: Demonstrators scuffle with Italian Carabinieri (paramilitary policemen) in front of the Senate during a protest against Government’s austerity measures in Rome. — AP emerge of the weakness enduring or the economy risks relapsing in recession, rates should be lowered when there is scope.” It said: “The sovereign debt crisis in the euro area could intensify again.”

The US economy would grow by 1.1 percent in the third quarter of this year from the previous quarter, and by 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter, the OECD said. The eurozone was set for third-quarter growth of 1.4 percent but switching into a downturn of 0.4 percent in the last quarter. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development stressed the high level of uncertainty mainly because of the impact of debt problems in the United States and in Europe. A recession is generally considered to occur if quarterly growth is negative from output in the previous quarter, twice in a row. Padoan said that the policy imperative for OECD countries in order to stave off recession was to rebuild confidence.

Consumer and business confidence in major OECD economies, hurt by the eurozone debt crisis and political gridlock in the US, had weakened in recent months. The report warned however that “the impact of

the sovereign debt woes in Europe and the United States and the associated turbulence in stock markets over the summer have not yet fully fed through into the indicators underpinning the projections.” In a particularly grim interim assessment, the OECD said the Japanese economy could grow by 4.1 but would then show zero growth in the fourth quarter.

The main driving force in the eurozone, Germany could grow by 2.6 percent in quarter three but was set to contract by 1.4 percent in the fourth quarter. For France the estimates were plus 0.9 and plus 0.4 percent, for Italy minus 0.1 percent and then plus 0.1 percent, for Britain plus 0.4 and plus 0.3 percent and for Canada plus 1.0 and plus 1.9 percent. For both countries, the OECD noted that the unwinding of stimulus measures that affected growth in the second quarter “may prompt sharper than projected rebound in activity in the third quarter”.

The OECD said that world trade stagnated in the second quarter with China and oil producing countries still showing widened trade surpluses, leaving large current account imbalances globally. —AFP

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Egypt economy growth ‘modest’ Investors deterred by ongoing protests CAIRO: Egypt’s economy grew by a slower-than-expected 1.8 percent in the financial year to June 2011 and is forecast to expand 3-3.5 percent in 2011-12 although continued protests and unrest are holding it back, the Planning Ministry said yesterday. Egypt was hit hard by an uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak on Feb 11 that sent investors and tourists packing. Some have started returning but many remain wary of the political uncertainty and ongoing demonstrations.

“We had investor delegations who were planning to come to Egypt before the ‘million march’ of July 8. They all cancelled after the protest,” Planning Minister Faiza Abu el-Naga told a news conference, citing one example of the impact. The government had expected growth of 2.6 percent in 2010-11 but the economy ended up expanding by a slower 1.8 percent, she said. Egypt’s financial year runs July 1 to June 3. In the three months running January to March, the economy contracted 4.2 percent but expanded by 0.4 percent in the following quarter, the ministry said.

Egypt’s economy had sailed reasonably unscathed through the global financial crisis, and was heading back to

growth rates of 6 percent until the uprising that erupted on Jan 25. “There are internal and external hands for whom it is in their interest that riots and disturbances continue to prevent Egypt from moving forward and becoming more stable,” she said with-

out giving further explanation. She said growth was forecast to be 3-3.5 percent in 2011-12. “We are always optimistic when we put expectations and we hope that the developments undergone in this quarter will continue and reflect positively on the coming year,”

CAIRO: An anti-Mubarak protester sits on the ground as she attends a protest outside the police academy court in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday, Sept 7, 2011. — AP

Fitch warns of rising China credit risk TAIPEI: Fitch Ratings says credit risk in China has increased because too many loans have been taken out by local governments. Yesterday’s statement by the rating agency comes amid concerns that borrowings by local authorities for expensive public work projects may overwhelm the ability of some local governments to repay banks. Senior Director Jonathan Lee of Fitch Ratings in Taiwan said a large chunk of the lending has gone into unprofitable infrastructure, raising the prospect of default. Chinese local governments increased their borrowing after Beijing ordered higher spending in response to the 2008 global financial crisis. In June, Beijing revealed local governments have piled up 10.7 trillion yuan ($1.6 trillion) in debt, 25 percent of China’s annual economic output.

New market obstacles China is setting up new obstacles for foreign companies wanting to invest in the world’s second largest economy, a grouping of European businesses said yesterday.

The claim by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China’s annual report follow repeated calls from Beijing’s main Western trading partners to ensure a level playing field for foreign firms. “Recent measures to further constrict market openness raise questions about stated intentions to create lasting opportunities for all market actors to compete on an equal footing,” the EU Chamber of Commerce in China said.

Launching its 12th annual report, the grouping raised the example of a new government rule that stipulates foreign firms can only own a maximum of 50 percent of a joint venture making components for clean technology cars. A similar new rule applies for offshore wind farms.

Overall though, foreign ownership in key industries-such as the auto, telecommunications, finance and refinery sectors-remains limited, the grouping said. Davide Cucino, head of the chamber, welcomed China’s new five-year plan for economic development, which focuses on developing the domestic market, consumption and services in a bid to move away from a dependency on exports. —Agencies

she said. Tourism, a pillar of the economy, was initially hit hard but has been slowly recovering. The ministry said revenues in 2010-11 were $10.6 billion compared to $11.6 billion in 2009-10.

Despite sturdy growth before the uprising, many Egyptians said the benefits were being enjoyed by the rich, elite allied to Mubarak, while swathes of Egypt’s 80 million people were left in poverty. Those complaints drew many onto the streets. Officials say they aim to make a fairer economy. Economists say the government needs to ensure rebalancing does not lead to populist policies that will further strain state finances.

Egypt’s budget deficit was 29.8 billion Egyptian pounds ($4.99 billion) in the April to June quarter, compared to 31.6 billion pounds the previous quarter, the ministry said. The government has forecast a deficit of 8.6 percent of gross domestic product this year.

Economists have said that may be an optimistic expectation. “In few days a report will be issued on the internal and external sources who would like to participate in developments,” the minister said, adding that the government was working with civil society organizations on development projects. — Reuters

G7 meeting aims to revive global growth Top financial leaders try ease debt crisis PARIS: The world’s top financial leaders meet today in France to work on a plan to solve the European debt crisis that is rattling markets and to avoid another recession by boosting growth. The finance ministers and central bankers from the G7 major industrialized economies will also focus on the health of European banking system, which in August was shaken by sudden sell-offs sparked by investor anxiety.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde will also join the ministers from Canada, the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France and Italy at the meeting in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille. France-the host and this year’s head of the G7 and the wider G20 — said this week it wanted the two-day meeting to reach a “coordinated response” that would boost growth, create employment and help pay off debt. Financial regulation will also be tackled in a debate hosted by future European Central Bank head Mario Draghi.

Libya’s new administration-whose fighters have just ousted longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi-has also been invited in a follow-up to the economic support for the so-called Arab Spring announced at a G7 meeting in May. The fledgling Libyan administration will join Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan as they explain how they plan to relaunch their economies and

hear what help they can expect from the world’s major powers. The Marseille meeting opens a day after President Barack Obama was to make a crucial speech aimed at tackling zero US job growth and jolting the economy back into life and away from a double-dip recession.

The plan includes injecting $300 billion in tax cuts, infrastructure spending and aid to state and local governments, US media reported. The US jobs engine has shuddered to a halt, growth is stagnant, deficits and debt cloud Washington’s credit outlook, stock markets are tumbling, consumer confidence has dried up and global contagion is feared again. French Finance Minister Francois Baroin said the Marseille gathering would take its lead from Obama’s initiative. The meeting comes at a time of high political tension in Europe’s major economies over the debt crisis, with governments struggling to get deep reform and austerity measures through parliament.

In Spain, thousands marched on Tuesday against a plan to enshrine balanced budgets in the constitution-following Germany’s example-and demanding that the issue be put to a referendum. The Italian government has put forward new austerity measures and called for a confidence vote in parliament, allowing the Senate to vote on Wednesday on the 45.5billion-euro ($64.0-billion) plan. French

deputies were also in the process of debating strict austerity measures. But there was relief for Europe when Germany’s top court on Wednesday spared the eurozone new dangers by upholding bailouts for debtwracked nations.

The ruling, nervously anticipated on volatile financial markets, paved the way for Germany, the European Union’s de facto paymaster, to pursue multi-billion-euro contributions to bailouts. In another move likely to ease market fears, Greece bowed Wednesday to intense pressure from its international lenders to speed up reforms and prevent a default on its debts. The G7 Marseille meeting will also focus on exchange rates after Japan’s finance minister reiterated that he will try to convince his counterparts that a strong yen is a threat to the world’s third-biggest economy. Analysts say the meeting will have added significance after the Swiss National Bank set a minimum exchange rate of 1.20 francs per euro, saying the value of its currency-which, like the yen, is seen as a safe haven-was a threat to the economy. More countries, including Japan, could now be encouraged to intervene to protect their respective economies from the impact of sharp fluctuations in currency markets, said analysts. The G7 ministers will not be issuing a final communique tomorrow, officials said, but France’s Baroin will give a press conference. — AFP

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China wanted to invest in US banks during 08 crisis Embarrassing revelations by WikiLeaks

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uring the throes of the 2008 financial crisis, a top Chinese banker told US officials that his company and others in China were interested in taking significant stakes in US banks but expected a backlash from regulators and the American public, according to US diplomatic memos.

The chairman of China Construction Bank, one of the world’s largest banks, made the comment during two separate meetings in November 2008, according to State Department cables obtained by McClatchy through WikiLeaks.

At the time, US banks were desperate for capital to absorb losses from mortgagerelated investments and rising loan losses.

But no Chinese investments were made, apparently because it would have opened the Chinese banks to regulatory scrutiny in the United States.

Still, the memos provide a window into the thinking of Chinese banking officials as their counterparts in the US suffered through an epic financial meltdown. One of the Chinese investment funds eventually won Federal Reserve approval for an investment in New York-based Morgan Stanley, although not until last year.

China Construction Bank gained attention last week when Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. sold shares it had owned in the Chinese bank in a move to boost the US bank’s capital levels. Bank of America will continue to hold a 5 percent stake in China Construction Bank after the sale.

In recent years, US banks and companies have been eager to invest in Chinese companies and banks during a boom in that country’s economy. But Chinese investments in US companies have been a flash point for criticism. In 2005, a public and congressional backlash helped scuttle China’s government-controlled CNOOC Ltd’s $18.4 billion bid to buy oil company Unocal Corp.

In 2008, Chinese banks were in position to provide capital to struggling US banks and were interested in working more closely with their American counterparts, said David Bachman, a professor in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. But taking a significant stake would have triggered regulatory scrutiny and questions about whether Chinese banks were taking advantage of “fire sale” prices, he said.

“Eventually, they came to the conclusion that it was too much effort or too much bother,” Bachman said.

Investments by Chinese banks in their US counterparts have raised concerns among policymakers because many of these financial institutions are controlled by the Chinese government, said Virginiabased banking consultant Bert Ely. The concerns were similar to when the US Treasury invested in banks as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, he said.

“There was fear when the government owns a piece of a bank to what extent does it get misused to advance policy initiatives,

Chairman of China Construction Bank Guo Shuqing, rather than being a strictly commercial operation,” Ely said.

The State Department does not comment on the authenticity of documents released by WikiLeaks. Last week, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the US “strongly condemns any illegal disclosure of classified information.”

Most of the cables examined for this story were unclassified, though some were classified “confidential” or “secret.” On Thursday, WikiLeaks published its full cache of cables on its website.

Beijing-based China Construction Bank is the second-biggest bank in China and the world, with a market capitalization of $187 billion. When it went public in 2005, Charlotte-based Bank of America took a 9 percent stake in the company and later bought more shares. China Construction

Bank’s largest shareholder is a subsidiary of China Investment Corp., a state-owned investment company that holds a 57 percent stake.

In November 2008, a month and a half after the banking crisis led to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the sale of ailing institutions such as Merrill Lynch and Wachovia, China Construction Bank Chairman Guo Shuqing met with US Ambassador Alan Holmer, who served as a special envoy to China for the US Treasury Department from 2007 to 2009.

Guo told Holmer that China, the Middle East and other state-owned investors could provide capital to the US banking industry, according to a cable. China Investment Corp. and the China State Administration of Foreign Exchange, another state-controlled investment firm, would be willing to take 10 percent to 15 percent stakes, he said.

“For this to occur, however, the US sentimentality and political climate vis-a-vis these kinds of investors needs to change,” Guo told Holmer, according to the cable.

Guo said that though Chinese banks weren’t seeking operational control he doubted that the US Congress or public would accept a 10 percent stake by a Chinese bank in an American bank. China Construction Bank had been working to obtain a license for a US branch since the mid-1990s, he noted.

In a meeting later that month with visiting Federal Reserve Gov. Randall Kroszner, Guo said his bank was considering overseas investments. The cable didn’t disclose possible investment targets.

Soon after the meeting, in December 2008, the Fed approved China Construction Bank’s application for a branch in New York.

If a foreign bank has a US branch, it’s subject to rules that require Federal Reserve approval if it seeks to take a stake of 5 percent or more in a US bank.

At the same meeting with Kroszner, China Investment Corp Chairman Lou Jiwei said the investment fund had held “intense” talks with Morgan Stanley about an investment that fall. China Investment Corp. decided not to proceed for a number of reasons, the most significant being “its failure to receive from the US Federal Reserve a written exemption from US regulations and investment barriers,” the cable said.

Instead, Morgan Stanley landed a $9 billion investment from a Japanese bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, in September 2008. Lou “lamented that CIC’s inability to increase its stake in Morgan Stanley had become viewed as a symbol of the United States’ lack of openness to Chinese investment.”

Less than two years later, in August 2010, however, China Investment Corp won Fed approval to acquire up to 10 percent of Morgan Stanley’s voting shares. China Investment Corp’s Fed application said it did “not propose to control or exercise a controlling influence over Morgan Stanley and that its indirect investment will be a passive investment.” In its latest proxy filing, Morgan Stanley said China Investment Corp held a 9.76 percent stake in the firm.

Although it hasn’t invested in Bank of America, the sale of BofA’s shares in China Construction Bank did provide a boost last week to the Charlotte, NC, bank, which is struggling with mortgage troubles inherited from its 2008 Countrywide Financial acquisition. —MCT

SHANGHAI: Shanghai’s famed Bund zone, where many Chinese and foreign banks are located, is lit up at night. According to Wikileaks, a top Chinese banker told US officials that his company and others in China were interested in taking significant stakes in US banks. — MCT

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Why Qaeda is unlikely to execute another 9/11 If Al-Qaeda possessed the capability to conduct a spectacular attack it would launch the attack as soon as it was operationally ready, rather than wait for some specific date. The risk of discovery is simply too great

By Scott Stewart

I

t is September and that means we are once again approaching the anniversary of Al-Qaeda’s Sept 11, 2001, attacks against the United States. In the 10 years that have passed since the attacks, a lot has happened and much has changed in the world, but many people can still vividly recall the sense of fear, uncertainty and helplessness they felt on that September morning. Millions of people watched United Airlines flight 175 smash into the south tower of the World Trade Center on live television. A short while later they heard that another plane had struck the Pentagon. Then they watched in horror as the World Trade Center’s twin towers buckled and collapsed to the ground.

It was, by any measure, a stunning, cataclysmic scene, a kind of terrorist theater that transformed millions of television viewers into vicarious victims.

Excerpts of the just-released memoir of then-Vice President Dick Cheney demonstrate that it was not just ordinary people who were affected by the attacks; America’s leaders were shocked and shaken, too. And judging from the statements of foreign citizens and leaders in the wake of 9/11, those who proclaimed, “We are all Americans,” it was also apparent that the toll on vicarious victims did not stop at the US border.

One result of this vicarious victimization and the fear and helplessness it produced was that many people became fixated on the next attack and began anxiously “waiting for the other shoe to drop”. This spawned an entire industry of fear as dire warnings were propagated by the Internet of the impending “American Hiroshima” that was certain to result when Al-Qaeda detonated all the nuclear devices it had hidden in major US cities. Chain emails were widely circulated and recirculated quoting a dubious Israeli “security expert” who promised simultaneous catastrophic terrorist attacks against a number of American cities - attacks that never materialized outside of Hollywood productions.

Fast forward a decade and we are now commemorating 9/11’s 10th anniversary, which seems more significant somehow because it is a round number.

Perhaps of more meaningful significance is that this anniversary closely follows the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden on May 2, 2011. Indeed, the buzz regarding this coincidence has caused many of our clients and readers to ask for our assessment of the terrorist threat inside the United States on this 10th anniversary of 9/11. While we believe that today holds some degree of symbolism for many, the threat of an attack on Sept 11, 2011, is no higher than it was on Aug 11 or than it will be on Sept 12, and below we explain why.

The State of Al-Qaeda and the Jihad All threats have two basic components: intent and capability. Al-Qaeda’s leaders have threatened to conduct an attack more terrible than 9/11 for nearly a decade now, and the threats continue. Here’s what Ayman Al-Zawahiri, now Al-Qaeda’s No. 1, said to his followers on Aug 15, 2011, in a message released on the internet via as-Sahab media: “Seek to attack America that has killed the Imam of the Mujahideen and threw his corpse in the sea and then imprisoned his women and children. Seek to attack her so history can say that a criminal state had spread corruption on earth and Allah sent her his servants who made her a lesson for others and left her as a memory.”

The stated intent of Al-Qaeda and the rest of the

jihadist movement is, and has been, to strike the United States as hard and as often as possible. It logically follows, then, that Al-Qaeda would strike the United States on Sept 11 - or any other day - if possible. With intent thus established, now we need to focus on capability.

One of the primary considerations regarding AlQaeda’s capability to strike the United States is the state of the jihadist movement itself. The efforts of the US government and its allies against the core AlQaeda group, which is based in Pakistan, have left it badly damaged and have greatly curtailed its operational ability, especially its ability to conduct transnational attacks. In January we forecast that we believed the Al-Qaeda core was going to be margin-

hideout. The core group simply does not enjoy the operational freedom it did prior to Sept 2001. We also believe the group no longer has the same operational capability in terms of international travel and the ability to transfer money that it had prior to 9/11.

Some people believe there is a greater chance of an attack on this year’s 9/11 anniversary because of the killing of bin Laden, while others note that alZawahiri may feel pressure to conduct an attack in order to prove his credibility as Al-Qaeda’s new leader.

Our belief, as noted above, is that Al-Qaeda has been doing its utmost to attack the United States and has not pulled any punches. Because of this, we do not believe it possesses the ability to increase this

Pedestrians run from the scene as one of the World Trade Center towers collapses in this Sept 11, 2001 file photo in New York following a terrorist plane crash on the twin towers. – AFP alized on the physical battlefield in 2011 and that it would also struggle to remain relevant on the ideological battlefield. Indeed, it has been our assessment for several years now that Al-Qaeda does not pose a strategic threat to the United States.

Since we published our 2011 forecast, bin Laden has been killed as well as senior Al-Qaeda leader Atiyah Abd Al-Rahman, who reportedly died in a strike by a US unmanned aerial vehicle Aug 22 in Pakistan’s North Waziristan region. We continue to believe that the Al-Qaeda core group is off balance and concerned for its security - especially in light of the intelligence gathered in the raid on bin Laden’s

effort beyond where it was prior to bin Laden’s death. As to the pressure on Al-Zawahiri, we noted in Dec 2007 that the Al-Qaeda core had been under considerable pressure to prove itself relevant for several years and that, despite this pressure, had yet to deliver. Because of this, we do not believe that the pressure to conduct a successful attack is any heavier on Al-Zawahiri today than it was prior to bin Laden’s death.

Finally, we believe that if Al-Qaeda possessed the capability to conduct a spectacular attack it would launch the attack as soon as it was operationally ready, rather than wait for some specific date. The

risk of discovery is simply too great.

There are also some who still believe that AlQaeda maintains a network of “sleeper operatives” inside the United States that can be called upon to conduct a spectacular terrorist attack. We do not believe this for two reasons. First, because the pressure on the core Al-Qaeda leadership to conduct an attack in the United States has been so high for several years there is no reason that it would not have activated any sleepers by now. It would certainly not be in the group’s best interest to keep any such operatives idle for a decade, especially since US intelligence has made such headway in rolling up the organization. Al-Qaeda has been faced with a use-itor-lose-it scenario.

Second, while there is a long history of Al-Qaeda and other jihadist groups employing covert operatives and inspiring jihadist grassroots operatives or lone wolves like Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, there is no history of Al-Qaeda employing true sleeper operatives, that is, operatives who burrow undetected into a society and then remain dormant until called upon to act. Because of this, we remain extremely skeptical that Al-Qaeda has ever had a sleeper network in the United States. If it had, it would have used it by now. Would the Al-Qaeda core leadership like to conduct a spectacular terror attack on the 9/11 anniversary? Absolutely. Does it have the capability? It is unlikely.

A Grassroots Focus As we noted in our annual jihadist forecast, we believe the greatest threat to the United States and the rest of the West in 2011 emanates from grassroots jihadists and regional franchises. However, the civil war in Yemen and developments in Somalia have preoccupied the attention of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Al Shabaab - the two regional jihadist franchises that have shown the intent and capability to conduct transnational attacks - leaving them very little opportunity to do so.

Therefore, we believe the greatest threat of an attack on the 9/11 anniversary will come from the grass roots.

The bad news is that grassroots operatives can be hard to identify, especially if they operate alone; the good news is that they tend to be far less capable than well-trained, more “professional” terrorist operatives. And this means they are more likely to make critical mistakes that will allow their attacks to be detected and thwarted. As the past few years has demonstrated, there are almost certainly grassroots jihadists operating in small cells or as lone wolves who are presently planning attacks. In fact, we know that since at least 1990 there has not been a time when some group of grassroots jihadists somewhere in the United States has not been planning some kind of attack.

Is it possible, then, that such individuals could be inspired to try to conduct an attack on the 9/11 anniversary if they can coordinate their attack cycle in order to be ready on that date. However, given the increased law enforcement vigilance that will be in place at hard targets on that day and the capabilities of most grassroots operatives, we can anticipate that such an attempt would be conducted against a soft target rather than some more difficult target such as the 9/11 Memorial or the White House. We also believe that any such attack would likely continue the trend we have seen away from bombing attacks toward more simple (and effective) armed assaults.—Stratfor

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011 www.kuwaittimes.net

Japanese director Takashi Shimizu poses for a portrait at the Venice Movie Star lounge at the 68th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, yesterday. —AP

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technology

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Unleash your dark side Holding out for heroes in new role-playing games

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new danger lurks behind every corner of the season’s new role-playing games. But that’s exactly what’s going to create the best moments for fans of the genre, even if a lot of the new releases are just sequels to past hits. Even if they are retreads, the worlds of these games still need heroes who can use their muscles and magic to save them. The worlds have gotten bigger and more suspenseful, the missions of mercy more sophisticated and the foes more nefarious. Many of the games were highlighted at the recent Gamescom convention in Cologne, Germany.

Diablo 3 took its time, coming 10 years after the release of its predecessor, Lord of Destruction. The hype is huge. Amazon started taking pre-orders in June. Since then, the game has pushed up to second place on the role-playing bestseller list for PCs. It hovers outside the top 10 for bestselling games overall.

However, it remains unclear when the doors to Sanctuary, the game’s world, will open for players.

Meanwhile, the fifth installment of the Elder Scrolls saga should bring life to any screen, with its powerful dragons and trails in the snow. Skyrim is packed with detailed graphics and gives players a lot of freedom.

To ward off a prophesied evil, players go off on an adventure across snow-covered summits and through ruins and caves. Players’ actions affect the story’s outcome. They also have a choice of weapons, with two-handed action including swords and magic as they take on all-powerful dragons and robs them of their souls. Part of the mission also involves learning the Scream of the Dragon, words of unbelievable destructive potential.

The end of days has come and gone when Death begins his journey in Darksiders 2 to find his brother, War, who started the Apocalpyse too early. As the Grim Reaper, players have to employ some fancy footwork and face plenty of action as they travel through the Underworld, taking down gigantic opponents and appropriating their weapons and other

belongings. Those, in turn, can upgrade the player’s skills and outfitting.

Of course, Death can also barter for those upgrades in the city, where Death gets smaller missions to help his advancement. The comic style graphics are also something new. White beaches and palms are one aspect of Risen 2: Dark Waters. But the giant monsters that come out of the oceans’ depths quickly make it clear that this game will be anything but a vacation for the heroes.

Titans have devastated the Earth and a host of sea monsters are endangering the island’s residents.

Players take on the role of a pirate charged with saving the world with a sharp blade and a loaded musket. Of course, he’s never alone. If his pirate wife Patty isn’t with him, someone else takes her place, even if that’s sometimes an animal.

Tera is no place for lone wolves, who have almost no chance of survival here. Players are called upon to save the fantasy world of the same name from the Argons and other warring peoples.

That leaves the player in the middle of a multiplayer game with nothing but his wits. A good eye and sense of time are musts here in order to challenge other players in real time.

Tera has already stood up to its first test, in Korea, where it’s been available for a few months. At peak times, its servers have supported more than 200,000 players simultaneously. Some tweaks are still being performed on the version for European markets. The first Torchlight was about harassing the crime boss Ordrak. Now, just a year and a half later, a successful thief is the star of the successor, as he is hunted down

by Ordrak in Torchlight II for having stolen the criminal’s power. Alone, or together with friends, the player makes his way through the world of Vilderan.

Hordes of evil opponents hide behind every corner.

But beating them results in experience points and a lot of treasure to carry, since the bad guys often have full pockets. — dpa

Apps for news junkies R

SS technology is currently only being used by a minority of internet users to create a personallytailored news ticker, but the development of advanced news apps specifically designed for mobile devices means the situation is changing. It is impossible to control the information flood from the internet without some technological help. News readers aggregate syndicated web content such as news headlines, blogs and podcasts, which can be subscribed to with the help of RSS (Really Simple Syndication).

RSS collects information from various internet sources and brings them together in a single news ticker. The application is particularly useful for mobile devices as news apps allow smartphone and tablet users to be kept up to date while on the move. So far, RSS readers have generally only been used by news junkies who require constant updates on particular issues. The majority of internet users don’t feel the need

for an RSS feed.

Google Reader is the most important RSS service and is the base of most news apps for mobile devices, while Reeder and MobileRSS are quite widespread among Apple products. Apart from the official RSS apps developed by Google for its Android platform, there are also numerous other unofficial ones such as gReader. These RSS apps generally present the different sources in one column, while with others you can browse through all articles. “Although RSS is a tried and tested standard, over the medium term it will become a niche technology,” says web expert Jens Jacobsen. The trend has moved towards advanced news apps that offer the basic requirements for the collection of daily news information and allow social intelligence to permeate into the choice of news, explains Jacobsen. With this type of app, laborious subscriptions to a personal news ticker are no longer necessary as these are automatically obtained

from the user’s social network. A whole host of links to current media sites and blogs can be sourced from a user’s personal Facebook contacts or from the people they follow on Twitter.

“Social readers are enjoying rapid growth at the moment,” says Fabien Roehlinger of the AndroidPit smartphone portal in Berlin. “Flipboard was the first of these apps to really explode onto the scene but there are already plenty of imitations.” The innovative and slickly designed iPad app turns the links in your Twitter and Facebook feeds into a digital magazine.

Interestingly, what is considered the world’s first social magazine seems to be used like a classic newspaper. “Our busiest time is 11 o’clock in the evening,” says Flipboard spokesperson Christel van der Boom. “Lots of people read Flipboard in bed before going to sleep. Breakfast time and weekends are other times when reading Flipboard is popular.”

However, Flipboard already looks like it’s being usurped by Zite, a new iPad app that launched in March. The news app gives you the opportunity to indicate what articles you like so you see more, similar content. It can be linked to your Twitter or Google Reader accounts and learns what you like to read over time and adjusts the stories it presents accordingly.

“Zite is ideal for iPad users who love to read and are looking for a simple way to find articles that interest them,” explains Meredith Klee from the Canadian firm. So far, Flipboard and Zite have been limited to the iPad, while Android users have had to rely on the classic RSS apps to bundle information according to their personal needs. It’s only a matter of time, however, before advanced news apps are also available to Android users, believes Roehlinger.

“This is a trend that won’t stop at iOS, it’s going to be developed for other operating systems.” — dpa

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pets

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Four-legged stress busters help kids When a child is severely stressed in the courthouse, the dog is allowed to go along to the witness box

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ension filled the hall outside a Bucks County, Pa., courtroom as three young boys waited to talk to a judge about some serious family problems. They sat on a bench, quiet and anxious, looking frightfully small. Then along came Maggie, a miniature poodle that dances on command. She wagged her tail, did her jig, and parked herself in front of the brothers for a petting.

The grownups watched the impossible happen: The children began smiling.

Similar scenes are playing out in courthouses across the nation as highly skilled dogs are being called upon to calm victims and witnesses - especially children - facing the ordeal of testifying about often hellish matters. In Philadelphia, the District Attorney’s Office has a puppy-intraining. Dogs already are fixtures in certain courthouses in Washington, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, Michigan, and New Mexico. Houston’s program, specifically for domestic-abuse cases, is called Paw and Order SDU (Special Dog Unit).

The presence of a dog “can’t help but lighten the mood,” said Linda McCrillis, Maggie’s owner and handler. In concert with Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert J Mellon, McCrillis has developed a program using therapy dogs to calm the nerves of children summoned to court after being removed from parental custody, usually because of abuse or neglect. Since May, a half-dozen dogs the poodle, two golden retrievers, a German shepherd, a schnauzer, and a terrier - have been working the third-floor rotunda where Dependency Court participants wait their turn before the judge.

On rare occasions, when a child is severely stressed, the dog is allowed to go along to the witness box.

Easing the trauma of testifying has always been a challenge for those who work in the justice system. But it has become more vexing since 2004, when the US Supreme Court reaffirmed defendants’ right to directly confront their accusers in court rather than through videotaped testimony or closed-circuit TV. In addition, in a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that took effect July 1, children who have been removed from parental custody must appear in court at least once a year so a judge can monitor their well-being. Victims can risk further emotional damage by reliving their attacks in the sterile, adversarial atmosphere of a courtroom, said David Crenshaw. As clinical director at the Children’s Home in Poughkeepsie, NY, he has seen the impact a furry friend

can have on a child. “I see the courthouse dog as leveling the playing field somewhat,” he said.

Some, however, contend that a dog can tip the balance.

Last spring, for the first time in New York state, a victim was accompanied to the witness stand by a dog. Rosie, a golden retriever, sat with a 15-year-old girl - occasionally giving her a comforting nuzzle - as she testified that her father had raped and impregnated her. Rosie now is at the center of the convicted defendant’s appeal, and a burgeoning legal debate about courtroom dogs in general. His lawyers argue that a dog can give the alleged victim the appearance of truthfulness and tug at the hearts of pet-loving jurors.

The dogs-in-court concept goes back to at least 2003, when Seattle Juvenile Court prosecutor Ellen O’NeillStephens started to bring her son’s service dog, Jeeter, to the office. She thought a dog might provide emotional support to young delinquents in a “high-stress environment.” O’Neill-Stephens soon cofounded Courthouse Dogs, an organization that promotes the use of service dogs in court settings.

The dogs, which undergo six to 10 months of training, are taught primarily to lie passively beside a witness, to provide unobtrusive comfort during interviews by police and prosecutors and during questioning on the stand. “The dogs are for everybody in the criminal justice system,” O’Neill-Stephens said.

In Centre County, near State College, Pa., a yellow Lab named Princess has been working as a courthouse stressbuster for nearly two years. Princess has not yet made it to the witness box during a jury trial because defendants have pleaded guilty, said Faith Burger, victim-witness coordinator for the Centre County District Attorney’s Office. But Princess regularly accompanies adults and children to the stand for other court proceedings.

“She’s made a tremendous difference,” Burger said. In Doylestown, Pa., Judge Mellon has nothing but praise for the dogs, which are from Roxy Reading, a Doylestown therapy-dog group. He quickly discontinued what had begun as a pilot program and declared the dogs a courthouse fixture. “It just defuses the tension and it’s wonderful,” Mellon’s tipstaff, Mary Ellen Roche, said as the dogs rotated through the waiting area recently. After meeting with the three young boys, the judge asked the eldest, 7, what he thought. “I hope the dogs made you feel better while you were waiting,” Mellon said. The boy left the courthouse still smiling. —MCT

Ellen Stephens-O’Neil, a prosecutor in Seattle, Washington, poses with her dog, Molly, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. —MCT

Youngsters waiting to enter court in the Bucks County Courthouse for a hearing “lay hands” on Luke, a 3-year-old golden retriever. — MCT

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Fo o d

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Filo dough

By Sawsan Kazak

Everyday cooking

F

Filo triangles 10 sheets filo dough 1/2 cup butter (or more) 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons onions, minced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup ricotta cheese 3/4 cup spinach, cooked, squeezed dry 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind, grated 1 pinch pepper 1 pinch salt 1 pinch nutmeg 1-Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes.

2-In a bowl, stir together onion mixture, ricotta, spinach, parmesan, rind, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

3-Place one sheet of filo on the work surface.

4-Cover remaining filo with a damp cloth.

5-Use a ruler to cut the filo into 5 sheets about 2.5 inches wide.

6-Brush each strip with melted butter.

7-Spoon heaping teaspoons of filling about 1/2 inch from the end of each strip 8-Fold 1 corner of the filo over the filling so the bottom edge meets the side edge to form a triangle.

9-Fold up the triangle.

10-Continue folding sideways and upward until the end of the filo is reached.

11-Brush triangles with butter.

12- Bake in 375º oven for 15 to 18 minutes.

ilo (or phyllo) is a pastry dough that consists of paper thin sheets. They are used in both savory and sweet dishes and are either fried or baked. Most famously known for being the main star in Baklava, this fragile pastry can be used for a variety of dishes. Filo dough is in the frozen section of the supermarket, thus always available and is a simple way to give a gourmet feel to any recipe.

Send your suggestions to: sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

Tips and tricks

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ilo which means “leaf” in Greek, are tissue paper-thin like sheets of dough made from flour, water and a bit of oil. However, Filo dough was not born in Greece rather in Istanbul during the Ottoman reign. The name “filo” is Greek but the dough technique itself is Turkish.

Frozen filo dough must be thawed at least 24 hours before you start the recipe. For best results, remove the dough, still in its package, from the freezer and place directly in the refrigerator for 24 hours; do not open the box because the sheets won’t thaw properly.

Also, do not thaw at room temperature because the sheets tend to stick together. If thawed too quickly or if the sheets are cold when you unfold them, they will crack.

Keep the box because unused filo dough can be refrigerated or refrozen.

You can wrap any leftover filo tightly with plastic wrap, place in its original box and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage of up to 2 - 4 months, refreeze filo. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and overlay with foil, place in original box.

The challenges of working with filo dough are threefold. First, if not defrosted properly, the pastry sheets can stick together from too much moisture.

Secondly, the pastry dries out rapidly and cracks because it is so thin and has almost no fat. Finally, the sheets are paper-thin and tear easily. But proper handling and some practice will make these problems manageable.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Wild mushroom and goat cheese tartlets 1 lb assorted wild mushroom, chopped 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 shallots, minced 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced 1 tablespoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons parsley, minced 2 tablespoons chives, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled frozen miniature filo tart shells 1-pre-heat oven 350.

2-saute mushrooms in a large pan over high heat until all moisture has evaporated.

Add butter, shallots, lemon zest and garlic.

Cook for 1-2 minutes.

3-Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool.

4-Once cooled, place a spoonful into filo tart shells and bake about 5 minutes or so.

Artichoke parmesan filo cups

Baklava

3 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon garlic salt, to taste 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 3 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 (15 count) packages miniature filo cups 1-Combine artichoke hearts, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, garlic salt and lemon juice in a food processor or blender.

2-Pluse 4 times or until the artichoke is finely chopped.

3-Add cream cheese and process until combined.

4-Fill each mini filo shell with the artichoke mixture and place on a baking sheet.

5-Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.

6Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.

1 lb walnuts, finely chopped 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 1/4 cups butter, melted 1 (16 ounce) package filo dough, thawed 1 cup water 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely shredded 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 inches cinnamon sticks 1-For filling, stir together walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a mixing bowl.

Set aside.

2-Preheat oven to 325ÂşF. 3 Brush a 15x10x1 -inch baking pan (I use a cookie sheet) with some of the melted butter.

4-Unfold filo dough. Keep filo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel, removing sheets as you need them. Contact with air makes the filo sheets brittle.

5-Layer 10 of the filo sheets in the pan, generously brushing each sheet with melted butter as you layer. If any sheet breaks or tears, don’t sweat it - you won’t see it in the final results. Just try to keet the layers even and the top layers intact.

6-Sprinkle 1/3 of the filling on top of the phyllo.

7-Repeat layering and filling steps two more times (using 9 sheets for each of the middle layers).

8-Layer remaining filo (12 sheets) on the final filling layer, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next sheet.

Drizzle top filo sheet with remaining butter.

9-Trim edges to fit pan if necessary.

10-Using a sharp knife, cut through all the layers to make elongated diamond shaped pieces. Try to avoid cutting through to the bottom layer.

11-Bake for 45 minutes or until golden.

12-Cool in pan on a wire rack.

13-Meanwhile, for the syrup, bring the remaining 11/2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, honey, lemon peel, lemon juice, and stick cinnamon just to boiling in a medium saucepan.

14-Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

15-Remove cinnamon.

16-Pour hot mixture over cooled baklava (see note below).

17-Cut along pre-made marks and sprinkle chopped walnuts on the top.

Moroccan chicken pastilla

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts salt, pepper 1 bunch fresh parsley, sprigs ginger 6 eggs, 1 egg beaten 2 cups almonds, blanched, browned on the stove 12 filo pastry 1 cup sugar cinnamon 1-In a large pot, put chicken cut into quarters with salt, pepper and ginger along with enough water to cover. Cook on heat until

chicken is soft and falling from the bones.

Remove from liquid, skin and debone the chicken, and cut meat into small pieces and set aside.

2-In same large pot, add the six eggs one by one, beating as you go. When all are beaten in and almost set, remove mixture and let cool, dividing into two parts and discarding any liquid. Chop the browned almonds and divide into two.

3-In a 9x12 inch baking dish, begin the assembly by placing four sheets of the filo dough, brushing oil over each sheet before placing the next on top. Next, place in 1/2 the egg mixture and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top. Place two more filo sheets (with oil between), and place 1/2 the chicken. Sprinkle this with sugar and cinnamon too. Next Place 2 more filo sheets (with oil between), and place 1/2 the almond mixture in, sprinkling with sugar and cinnamon on top. Cover this with 2 more filo sheets, and start this assembly process again. Two sheets filo, almonds, two sheets filo, chicken, two sheets filo, eggs, two sheets filo.

4-Brush the top of the last sheets of filo with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees until golden, 25-35 minutes.

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend. One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

THE FASCINATING STORY OF THE 99 Baghdad lies in ruins, destroyed by the marauding armies of Hulagu Khan. The brave librarians of the great Dar Al-Hikma rush to save the glory of the ancient world’s accumulated wisdom, little knowing that centuries later their efforts will bear strange fruit. While the Noor Stones were created to save the library, their power has transcended that task and in our own time has provided extraordinary abilities to an international group of young people, the world’s newest superheroes known as… The 99.

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2011, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.the99.org

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Tr a v e l FRIDAY, septembeR 9, 2011

Marrakech: Everything you would expect it to be T

he most beautiful places to visit in Marrakech: Otherwise known as the Red City, Marrakech is everything you would expect it to be - busy, chaotic and exotic. The North African city is also home to some of the most beautiful and interesting sites in the world. If you are visiting and looking for Marrakech things to do or places to photograph, here are ten greats:

between. Just remember to haggle well.

Ali Ben Youssef Medersa This is an excellently preserved 16th-century Koranic school and North Africa’s largest such institu-

an important and beautiful visitor attraction. The original building was built by the Saadian king Ahmad alMansur in 1578 and was thought to have taken over 25 years to construct. All of the 360 rooms and courtyard were once was once rich-

Its a small site comprising of three rooms but they contain corpses of about sixty members of the Saadi Dynasty. Outside the building is a garden and the graves of soldiers and servants. As this is one of the most popular places to visit in

previously used by the sultan and his family as a summer residence.

ly decorated with no expense spared - Italian marbles feature heavily and large amounts of gold were imported from Sudan. You’ll even find a small underground jail where the king used to keep his unlucky prisoners.

Marrakech make sure you arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the worst of the crowds.

to the pre-Sahara oases. Built by the French in 1930s, it’s a well constructed route offering incredible views. If you’re brave enough, you can follow the route through villages which perch precariously right on the edge of deep chasms. If you continue far enough you will also eventually reach the highest point in the road at the Tizi n’Tichka pass which stands at 2260 metres. (www.globalgrasshopper.com)

Tizi n’Tichka Pass This is the highest pass through the Atlas Mountains - a long and winding road which links Marrakech

Bahia Palace The Bahia Palace will give you a taste of what life was like for the very rich in the 19th century. The site is said to be originally built as a harem’s residence by the infamous Si Ahmed ben Musa. For all its notoriety it’s an excellent example of Noveau-Riche Eastern Architecture.

Expect to find lavishly decorated interiors, zouak painted ceilings, a tiled courtyard and beautiful 8 hectare gardens. A Marrakech site not to be missed.

Koutoubia Mosque The Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque in Marrakech. Built around 1150, the exceptionally beautiful and 65 metre high minaret dominates the city’s skyline. It’s also the oldest of the three great Almohad minarets remaining in the world. Although this is still a place of worship visitors are welcome if they dress appropriately.

Desert and Sand Dunes Holidays to Marrakech can also include a trip to the Sahara. Camel treks or desert tours are a popular choice and it’s actually possible to reach the world’s second largest desert in two days. Sahara highlights include the Erg Chigaga sand dunes and visiting Bedouin camps with the chance of sleeping overnight under the stars.

Majorelle Garden These unusual botanical gardens were designed in the 1920s by French artist and colonial expatriate Jacques Majorelle. The peaceful Majorelle Garden offer a welcome respite from the busy streets of Marrakech and also a great photo opportunity. The gardens are cleverly designed with water features and over 300 species of subtropical plants including many types of cactus Souk Bazaars The Souk Bazaars are an unmissable part of a trip to Marrakech. The Medina (the historic district of the city) is the best place to start your shopping. Here you’ll find endless labyrinths of souks selling everything from spices to kaftans and plenty of snake charmers, acrobats and musicians hanging out in-

tion. It could also easily take the title of one of the most beautiful schools in the world. The building is intricately designed and exceptionally detailed featuring a courtyard richly carved in cedar, marble and stucco.

As many as 900 students has passed through its doors over the years but has since been closed, refurbished and then reopened to the public as an historical site of interest.

El Badi Palace While actually only the remains of a palace, the historical site is still

Saadian Tombs These Marrakech tombs were only recently discovered but they actually date back from the 16th century. The tombs are beautifully decorated with fine cedar wood, polychromic tiling and stucco work.

Menara Gardens Located to the west of Marrakech and at the foot of the Atlas Mountains are the Menara Gardens. Originally formed in the 12th century as olive, palm and fruit orchards the gardens are now a beautiful and peaceful visitor attraction. It also features a formal pool overlooked by a pavilion which was

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Tr a v e l FRIDAY, septembeR 9, 2011

Top 10 places to visit in India T

he beautiful and fabled land of India is known for its extremes, history and enormous diversity. The country is still one of the most popular travel destinations in the world and attracts backpackers, cultural and spiritual seekers or just those in search of a good party. Love it or hate it, your trip to India is guaranteed to be one of the most memorable experiences of your life. I’ve been privileged to have spent much of my time in this incredible country, here are my personal recommendations for the Top 10 places to visit in India: 1. Agra Agra is an unforgettable stop on your tour of India. There are many places of interest to a visitor in Agra, the most famous of course being the iconic and beautiful Taj Mahal. A UNESCO World heritage site and an eternal symbol of love (it was built by an emperor in memory of his third wife).

The white domed structure boasts delicately detailed interiors, tranquil gardens and a collection of other impressive buildings.

The Agra Fort is the sister monument of the Taj Mahal and also holds UNESCO heritage site status.

The striking fort dates from the year 1000 but was later remodelled in the 1500s to be used as a palace. Thirteen kilometres from the Agra Fort you will find Akbar’s Tomb, a stunning red-ochre sandstone tomb and another architectural masterpiece.

2. Shimla A popular tourist destination located in the north-west Himalayas, Shimla is also sometimes referred to as the ‘Queen of Hills.’

It’s colourful colonial past is still evident today and the town is characterised by unusual neo-gothic buildings surrounded by thick forest and outstanding views, offering a very different feel to the rest of India. ‘The Mall’ is the main shopping street and the hub of the city where tourists and locals like to meet, shop and eat. This area also has good number of clubs and bars great for those looking to step it up a gear.

The Christ Church is also worth a visit - it’s the second oldest church in northern India and its stained

glass windows are designed in a distinctive style that you won’t find anywhere else. Also don’t leave Shimla without visiting Jakhu Hill the highest peak which is also home to many playful monkeys who hang out waiting to be fed.

3. Goa The famous idyllic party place should not be missed. If you decide to visit, I recommend not leaving the island’s coastal areas. Goa is the smallest state in India and has the

cultures, religions and wealth extremes. Even though the city is developing at a fast rate, unfortunately you’ll still see many scenes of poverty. The city is also the birthplace of Indian cinema and there are many theatres to watch movies from all over the world (including the worlds largest IMAX dome theatre). A visually impressive city Mumbai has a large metropolitan area comparable to the size of New York’s skyline and a fine but eclectic mix of colonial buildings, stylish

won’t find in many other places, in my opinion this is one of the most interesting places to visit in India.

6. Pondicherry Near Auroville is Pondicherry, one of the most famous places in southern India for tourists. The city is full of colonial buildings, statues, churches and temples. I personally think the best areas here are Paradise Beach, The Auroville Beach, Serenity Beach and Promenade Beach. It has the same

There are dozens of villages and communities throughout this area which you can visit and get a real sense of everyday life and culture in this interesting place.

8. Kodaikanal In the Ghat mountains lies this beautiful and atmospheric town, which translated means “the gift of the forest.” Kodaikanal has many places of interest for travelers and tourists, such as the Kodaikanal lake which is a star shaped man made lake. Here you can rent horses or bicycles to ride around the shore. Just east of the lake is a 20 acre botanical garden, from here you can reach Coaker’s Walk, a 1 kilometre long pedestrian path that follows along the south of Kodai. Expect wooded slopes, rocky scenery and beautiful waterfalls.

9. Gingee Near the larger city area of Tiruvanamalai, you can find the village of Gingee. Although the village itself is pretty standard, it is home to the amazing Gingee Fort. The fort, which is comprised of three astonishing and massive stone hills, offers some breath-taking views from the top of each hill.

The fort dates back to the 13th century and makes a great subject for anthropology and history buffs.

If you want to see the best views, prepare for at least a 900 foot climb.

Although rest assured, once you reach the top you won’t be disappointed.

most beautiful beaches by far when you’re here you’ll want to make the most of them. Many refer to Goa as a tropical paradise and when you’re here enjoying the warm temperatures, clear turquoise water and palm trees you’ll also probably agree. If you time your visit around the the Goa Carnival held every February you’ll be treated to three days and nights of music, lights, dancers and awesome food.

This is when the legendary King Momo takes over the state and the island becomes party central.

Originally celebrated in the 1800s by locals only, now both tourists and locals come here to have a good time.

4. Mumbai Formally known as Bombay, Mumbai is the most populated city in India. Noisy, frantic and polluted, Mumbai is a melting pot of different

bars, colourful bazaars and shiny new malls. Finding something to do here would not be a problem.

5. Auroville Auroville is an amazing place. It’s an experimental township of an international community. Here people from all over the world come to live in peace, and “progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.” The sole purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity. In the centre of this town is ‘The Matrimandir’ a huge gold sphere accompanied by ramps. It was put there by the town’s founder as “a symbol of the Divine’s answer to man’s inspiration for perfection.”

It even has its own solar power plant and inside is a spiral ramp that leads to a marble room where you can “find consciousness.”

Surrounded by pristine beautiful gardens and a peacefulness you

purpose as Auroville which again gives the place a very peaceful vibe.

You’ll also find here many large interesting churches dating from the early 1900s and Pondicherry should definitely be on your list of places to visit in India.

7. The backwaters of Kerala The backwaters are a beautiful chain of lakes and lagoons along the Arabian sea coast and definitely shouldn’t be missed - they are considered to be the number one tourist destination in India. Ferries here will take you anywhere and you can even hire a houseboat to stay in. In the Kuttanad region of Alappuzha you’ll also be treated to boat races, where you will also find snake boats that can hold up to a hundred oarsmen. Thousands of fans line the riverbanks and cheer on their favourite teams which makes for a great atmosphere.

10. Darjeeling Darjeeling is a popular tourist town in the Indian State of West Bengal. Famous for it’s tea production and outstanding scenery, it’s often thought to be one of the most beautiful valleys in the world. The lush green environment, cooling breeze and amazing views makes an atmospheric and photogenic destination. In fact Darjeeling is the only location in eastern India that attracts large numbers of tourists. The more adventurous visitors come here for trekking and river rafting and many others just enjoy leisurely scenic walks taking in the extraordinary views. (www.globalgrasshopper.com)

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Books

The Sweet Science

T OP

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

sport books of all time 5 Ball Four

By Jim Bouton (1970)

T

hough a declining knuckleballer, Bouton threw nothing but fastballs in his diary of the 1969 season.

Pulling back the curtain on the seriocomic world of the big leagues, he writes honestly and hilariously about baseball’s vices and virtues. At a time when the sport was still a secular religion, it was an act of heresy to portray players “pounding the Ol’ Budweiser,” “chasin’ skirts” or “poppin’ greenies.” (And that was during games.)

Bouton’s most egregious act of sacrilege — his biting observations about former teammate Mickey Mantle — led to his banishment from the “Yankee family.” But beyond the controversy, Ball Four was, finally, a love story. Bouton writes, “You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”

By AJ Liebling (1956)

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ound-for-pound the top boxing writer of all time, Liebling is at his bareknuckled best here, bobbing and weaving between superb reporting and evocative prose.

The fistic figures depicted in this timeless collection of New Yorker essays range from champs such as Rocky Marciano and Sugar Ray Robinson to endearing palookas and eccentric cornermen on the fringes of the squared circle. Liebling’s writing is efficient yet stylish, acerbic yet soft and sympathetic. (“The sweet science, like an old rap or the memory of love, follows its victims everywhere.”) He leavens these flourishes with an eye for detail worthy of Henry James. The one-two combination allows him to convey how boxing can at once be so repugnant and so alluring.

The Boys of Summer

By Roger Kahn (1971)

Friday Night Lights

By H G Bissinger (1990)

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choolboy football knits together the West Texas town of Odessa in the late 1980s. But as Permian High grows into a dynasty, the locals’ sense of proportion blows away like a tumbleweed. A brilliant look at how Friday-night lights can lead a town into darkness.

You Know Me Al

By Ring Lardner (1914)

A

baseball book the same way Moby Dick is a fishing book, this account of the early-’50s Brooklyn Dodgers is, by turns, a novelistic tale of conflict and change, a tribute, a civic history, a piece of nostalgia and, finally, a tragedy, as the franchise’s 1958 move to Los Angeles takes the soul of Brooklyn with it.

Kahn writes eloquently about the memorable games and the Dodgers’ penchant for choking — “Wait Till Next Year” is their motto — but the most poignant passages revisit the Boys in autumn. An auto accident has rendered catcher Roy Campanella a quadriplegic. Dignified trailblazer Jackie Robinson is mourning the death of his son. Sure-handed third baseman Billy Cox is tending bar. No book is better at showing how sports is not just games.

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his collection of letters from a fictional (and grammatically challenged) pitcher named Jack Keefe, originally published in installments in The Saturday Evening Post, earned Lardner a spot in the pantheon of American humorists alongside Mark Twain and Will Rogers.

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Books

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Review

Among the

Fans

By Patrick Collins

A year spent watching fans watching their favourite teams

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ell us what you think: Star-rate and review this bookTheir antithesis, he points out, can be found at a big snooker tournament. Unlike cricket, snooker is not a sport that he either understands or enjoys: “But I am impressed by the skills of the people who play, and still more by the unfailing courtesy of those who observe those skills. In snooker, the actors occupy centre stage while the audience sits and watches from beyond the footlights. It is a simple distinction, which too many sports have forgotten.”

Collins values decency, a virtue greatly eroded in public life during his 30 years as the distinguished and much decorated chief sports writer of the Mail on Sunday, where his invariably well-considered views are often at odds with the prevailing stridency. Among the Fans - its title a variant on that of Bill Buford’s 1990 examination of football hooliganism, Among the Thugs - encompasses a baker’s dozen of sporting events great and small, from a minor speedway meeting in Essex to a football World Cup in South Africa, giving him the opportunity to deliver a more nuanced version of his views than is available week by week in a few hundred words.

Although it is subtitled A Year of Watching the Watchers, this is not really a sociological survey of the people who watch sport, and thank goodness for that.

Instead, it is an entertaining perambulation by a man who can be gentle and affectionate - Priestley and Betjeman

occasionally come to the reader’s mind and who notices things: he takes a particular delight in finding a voucher for a chocolate and almond torte among the prizes at a point-to-point raffle in East Sussex, describes a typical Twickenham crowd as “slightly the better for drink”, and is astonished, on reluctantly ending a lengthy personal boycott of Wimbledon, to discover that the tournament has transformed itself, shedding its old haughtiness. But then, every so often, you are reminded that you would not want to get on his wrong side.

A dislike of boors and braggarts does not make him unique, but he has a way of skewering his targets without forfeiting his own civility. The keys are a dry wit and an instinctive knowledge of when to allow sheer exasperation, and occasionally disgust, to overcome an essentially tolerant view of humanity’s foibles. His disdain for snobs and bullies is usually applied with the lightest of brushes, as when, during a lovingly detailed description of the annual Canterbury cricket festival, he steps aside for a moment to sketch the late EW Swanton, the grand panjandrum of the Daily Telegraph’s cricket coverage: “An aristocrat by everything but birth, he acquired a repertoire of patrician airs which were so convincing they might almost have been authentic.” He follows that with a personal anecdote so delicious that I refuse to spoil it.

If he were a cricketer, Collins would be a fast-medium bowler with near-infallible line and length, a well-grooved outswinger and a useful ability to make the odd delivery nip back in. Writing with surprising warmth about Radio 5 Live’s 606 football phone-in, he effortlessly plucks out David Mellor’s middle stump: the former cabinet minister hosted the programme for almost 10 years, “untouched by insight, humour or originality”. No fan of privilege, either corporate or ancestral, he is lethal on Prince Harry at Twickenham, sitting next to Rob Andrew and wearing “the look of a man killing time until the Boujis nightclub opened for business”.

Although this is not a book about the way sport is played, and there is practically nothing in the way of match reporting, Collins occasionally reminds us that he knows his stuff very well indeed. Like most of us, he is baffled by the inconsistent application of rugby union’s offside law, comparing it to the Schleswig-

Holstein question and concluding: “If those who play the game are eternally surprised by the sound of a whistle, then those who merely sit and watch can have no understanding at all of why the play was halted.”

There are a couple of quibbles. Old Twickenham Man got his coat s from Barbour, not Burberry. Andy Warhol did not “speak slightingly” of a universal 15 minutes of fame; he embraced and promoted the notion. More seriously, the strong bias towards the south of England is unfortunate - South Wales, for the Ryder Cup, and Gloucestershire, for the steeplechase festival, are as far north as he ventures - and it might also be possible to complain that he neglects certain subjects to which his pen might have been profitably applied, such as the followings for athletics, rugby league and Formula One. It was something of a disappointment to discover the absence of Ken Bates, the choleric and secretive former owner of Chelsea, one of the most regular and reliable of Collins’s targets.

But to point that out is merely to issue a request for a second volume, as soon as possible.—Guardian

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Beauty FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Selecting false eyelashes E

verything you need to know about false eyelashes:

Before you apply false eyelashes: ● Apply eyeshadow, if desired (Always apply eyeshadow before applying false eyelashes, because the lashes could get in the way if applied first. However, wait to apply mascara until after the false lashes are on securely). ● Apply

eyeliner. the entire false eyelashes with powder while they’re still attached to the plastic tray it came with in the packaging. This helps prevent the false lashes from sticking together, but this isn’t a required step. ● Coat

Applying false eyelashes STEP 1 Gather the following (or similar) items: ● Pair of false eyelashes ● Duo Eyelash Adhesive ● Small scissors ● Brush with thin handle ● Orange wood stick (you can find these in the nail polish/supplies section at your local drug store) or a Q-tip ● Tweezers You will also need mascara at the end to blend in your real lashes with the fake ones.

STEP 2 Gently peel off the false eyelash by rolling it off the container with your thumb and index finger.

STEP 3 Tug the eyelash band a little, and then

squish them inwards. Roll the false eyelashes by moving one side down while moving the other side up - do this a few times to help make the band more flexible.

STEP 10 Touch up your eyeliner by going over it again, making sure to cover up the false eyelash band.

STEP 4 Look down and align the false eyelashes along your lash line. It helps to hold the false eyelashes with a tweezer. While keeping your iris as centered as possible, notice where the color of your iris begins. Then count the number of lash clusters on the eyelash band from the end closest to your nose until you reach the part where the color of your iris begins.

STEP 11 Apply mascara to both your natural and fake eyelashes. A trick to bond your real lashes with the false ones is to lightly place your pinkie finger behind the false eyelashes, and then use the mascara wand to press your natural lashes to the fake ones.

Now go back to Step 2 and repeat the rest of the steps for your other eye!

STEP 5 Clip the inner part of the false eyelash band that you counted off in Step 4. The inner part (the one that will be closest to your nose) is usually the part of the band where the lashes are the shortest - if this is not the case, then check that you have the correct false eyelash band for the eye you are applying it to.

Since everyone’s eye shape and size are different, measuring the false eyelashes and clipping off a part of it will help the false lashes fit better as well as prevent it from irritating your inner corner.

Removing false eyelashes To remove your false eyelashes, just take a Q-tip and soak it in some eye makeup remover. Swipe the Q-tip along your lash line back and forth a few times, and you will start to notice the false eyelashes loosening from your lash line. Once the false eyelashes are pretty loose, use your thumb and index finger to gently pull it off.

STEP 6 Apply some Duo Eyelash Adhesive on the end of an orange wood stick.

If you don’t have an orange wood stick, you could break a Q-tip in half and apply glue on one of the broken ends.

STEP 7 Apply glue along the false eyelash band with the orange wood stick (or Q-tip). Make a few passes with the glue to make sure there is glue on the entire band, especially the middle

and both ends. Allow the glue to dry for a few seconds - the tackier the glue is, the better.

STEP 8 Hold the false eyelashes with a tweezer on the outside corner and your thumb and index finger on the inner part. Look down and align the false eyelashes by focusing on the middle first by making contact there, and then pressing down the ends. Follow the shape of your eyeliner/your natural eyelash curve.

Then lightly pinch the false eyelashes and press the band into and slightly upwards on your skin.

STEP 9 Use the end of a brush with a thin handle to help press the false eyelashes in and upwards. This will help the eyelashes sit up and be even more noticeable.

You can also use the end of the brush handle to press in the outer and inner parts of the lash band to make sure they are glued in well.

Cleaning and storing false eyelashes For future use, you can use some of the same makeup remover and a tissue to remove the remaining glue and mascara on your fake eyelashes (lightly wipe them repeatedly in the direction from band to tip of lashes). Then place the false lashes back on the plastic tray it came with. You can also put some Duo glue along the tray to help the false lashes sit the same way it came in the packaging. If you’re good about cleaning your false eyelashes and are careful with them, they can last for a few wears. If the hairs are falling off, the band is damaged, etc., it’s time to throw them away. (www.nerdygirlmakeup.com)

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Beauty FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

8 beauty secrets stars don’t want you to know B esides surgery and Botox, there’s got to be something we’re missing. Secrets that celebrities use to keep themselves award-show ready, knowledge that we’d all love to get our hands on! I mean, how does Eva Mendes look so fabulous all the time? We did some research and found that occasionally someone lets a valuable piece of beauty advice out of the bag. Here’s what we dug up.

1. White eyeliner It’s a popular trick with supermodels. “White eyeliner opens up the eye, giving the appearance of bright, alert eyes,” says Lindsay. How to apply? To avoid looking ghostly, line only the inside corners along the bottom lash line for an open, wide-awake look.

2. Satin pillows Lindsay states, “I tell my clients all the time, cotton is aging you!” What most celebrities seem to know that the un-famous are just figuring out is that quality pillowcases are worth the splurge. Why? Those tiny, sleep lines you see in the mirror when you wake up, eventually become deeper wrinkles. Satin and silk-blend fabrics don’t dent your face, adds Lindsay, “and they’re really great for your hair”.

So unless you plan on sleeping on your back, it’s totally worth the money. Besides what’s pretty should be better for you.

3. Cranberry juice Redheaded celebs take to rinsing their hair in this favorite juice to add extra shine and keep the color rich and lustrous.

4. Peppermint extract Collagen injections? No thanks. It’s been reported that a few popular singers, prefer this trick to painful injections.

“Peppermint extract is a natural plumper, because it dilates blood vessels.” Simply dab a bit on with your fingers and enjoy your youthful, plump pout.

5. Whiten teeth with strawberries Ever wonder how celebrities maintain their gleaming smiles? A few A-list actresses have been known to smash up strawberries with baking soda (another natural whitening remedy, found in most toothpastes) and brush with the concoction at least a couple of times a week. Road Test Alert- I tried this, and I definitely thought my teeth looked brighter afterwards. The paste is a little thick, but try to think of it as a mask for your teeth.

6. Face spritzer Another supermodel trick, one that is keeping a certain 80’s supermodel looking lovelier and lovelier as the years pass, is a mixture of water and whole milk in a spray bottle. This

spray, when spritzed on regularly throughout the day, locks in skin’s moisture and keeps your complexion glowing.

7. Lemon Juice Lemon juice is a natural cleanser and toner in one.

This trick used by Hollywood stars and models, keeps skin fresh, clear and evenly balanced. Just like any expensive toner- it helps to shrink the size of pores and maintain an even complexion. Added bonus?

Lindsay tell us,” Citric acid acts as an exfoliator.” Have sun spots? Lemon juice is proven to help diminish the look of those too. Apply it to cotton balls and sweep entirely over face as a major part of your cleansing routine.

8. Olive oil for waterproof mascara (and everything else) Loaded with antioxidants A and E and non- clogging, olive oil is to beauty what sliced bread is for the sandwich. “It takes off even the hardest to remove eye makeup- and leaves your delicate under eye skin so baby smooth, smoother than your current eye cream,” states Lindsay. (www.bettyconfidential.com)

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Years

Health FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

6 allergy

mistakes exercisers make Exercise is good for you, but if you have nasal allergies, take these precautions.

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isa Hall, 49, does just that. As a distance runner with allergies and asthma, Hall plans ahead. “I never go for a run without using my rescue inhaler (a bronchodilator that helps prevent asthma symptoms) 20 to 30 minutes before leaving the house,” says Hall, the Huntsville, Ala.-based author of Taking Charge of Your Own Health (Harvest House Pub., Dec. 2009).

Sometimes I still struggle for the first couple of miles, even with the inhaler, but I know if I can get through those first few miles I’ll feel much better for the remainder of the run,” says Hall, who regularly runs 20 or so miles per session.

When you have allergies, even much shorter exercise bouts outdoors can be challenging. Experts chime in on the most common exercise allergy mistakes and offer tips to keep in mind before heading outdoors to exercise.

1. Not Knowing Your Pollens What triggers your allergies? “It’s important to know what you’re allergic to,” says Michael Blaiss, MD, a past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) and a practicing allergist in Memphis, Tenn.

“There [are] different readings for different types of pollens,” Blaiss says. “Tree pollen levels above 50 is high, for example, while one to 10 is considered low.” Check a web site such as that of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, which tracks pollen counts for trees, mold, weeds, and grass across the U.S. 2. Going Outdoors at the Wrong Time of Day The pollen count is highest between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and again at dusk, so “plan your workouts for other times of the day when pollen levels are lower,” Blaiss says.

If you go out during high-pollen times, wear a face mask designed to filter out pollens, says Murray Grossan, MD, an ear, nose, and throat physician and author of Free Yourself from Sinus and Allergy Problems— Permanently. “As soon as you arrive home, rinse out your nose with saline to remove pollen still in your nose,” Grossan says. “Two antiallergy nasal sprays that enable you to exercise with high pollen levels include Astelin and Pantanase. ” 3. Not Considering the Weather Avoid outdoor exercise on dry, warm, windy days, which bring the highest pollen levels. “The wind blows pollen around for miles and miles,” Blaiss says.

Many pollens cause eye problems, including allergic conjunctivitis, a noncontagious form of “pink eye,” Blaiss says.

High humidity can cause problems, as well. “The humidity itself isn’t bad, but if the air feels heavy, it can make breathing feel difficult,” Blaiss says. “Plus, the humidity contributes to mold growth, which can trigger symptoms in people with mold allergies.”

On the other hand, a rain shower may help. “Rain clears the air, making it a good time to go outdoors if you have allergies,” Blaiss says.

4. Choosing the Wrong Activity Start-and-stop activities such as tennis are more likely to trigger asthma symptoms in susceptible people than continuous activities like running, says Marjorie L. Slankard, MD, clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons.

“Swimming is usually excellent for building up lung capacity and biking is also good,” Slankard says.

However, chlorine from indoor pools can be irritating to some people, so use caution and leave the area if you have trouble breathing.

“Running in cold weather may also trigger symptoms,” Blaiss says. Problems of that type usually result from exercise-induced bronchospasm (a sudden constriction of airway passages in the lungs) however, which is not a true allergy, Blaiss says.

“With proper treatment, you should be able to do any sport or activity without a problem. If not, you may need a reevaluation of your treatment plan.”

5. Staying Outside Too Long If, despite being on preventive medications, you feel fatigued after exercising outdoors (from exposure to pollen) or if it results in unacceptable symptoms, you may want to stay indoors.

“If you experience swelling around the eyes, hives, or prolonged nasal or eye symptoms, stay indoors and exercise with the windows closed and the air conditioner on,” Slankard says.

6. Waiting Too Long Before Taking Medications Blaiss suggests that you start taking allergy medications weeks prior to the season. “Don’t wait until you have symptoms. If you know you have spring allergies, take an over-the-counter medication starting around Valentine’s Day and through the summer,” he says.

Take medications that have worked for you in the past just prior to the season. Pay attention to the weather, particularly when winter weather turns warm and pollens and molds release into the air, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology recommends. (www.webmd.com)

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Health FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Toothaches: Causes, cures and home remedies S

ometimes, a toothache may be caused by a problem not originating from a tooth or the jaw. Pain around the teeth and the jaws can be symptoms of diseases of the heart (such as angina or heart attack), ears (such as inner or external ear infections), and sinuses (air passages of the cheekbones). For example, the pain of angina (inadequate supply of oxygenated blood to the heart muscle because of narrowing of the arteries to the heart) is usually located in the chest or the arm. However, in some patients with angina, a toothache or jaw pain is the only symptom of their heart problem.

Infections and diseases of the ears and sinuses can also cause pain around the teeth and jaws.

Therefore, evaluations by both dentists and doctors are sometimes necessary to diagnose medical illnesses causing “toothache.”

teria in “plaque” that accumulate over time along and under the gum line. This plaque is a mixture of food, saliva, and bacteria. An early symptom of gum disease is gum bleeding without pain. Pain is a symptom of more advanced gum disease as the loss of bone around the teeth leads to the formation of deep gum pockets. Bacteria in these pockets cause gum infection, swelling, pain, and further bone destruction. Advanced gum disease can cause loss of otherwise healthy teeth. Gum disease is complicated by such factors as poor oral hygiene, family history of gum disease, smoking, and family

Tooth root sensitivities Toothache can also be caused by exposed tooth roots. Typically, the roots are the lower two-thirds of the teeth that are normally buried in bone. The bacterial toxins dissolve the bone around the roots and cause the gum and the bone to recede, exposing the roots. The condition of exposed roots is called “recession.” The exposed roots can become extremely sensitive to cold, hot, and sour foods because they are no longer protected by healthy gum and bone.

Early stages of root exposure can be treated with topical fluoride gels applied by the dentist

What are dental causes of toothaches?

Common dental causes of toothaches include dental cavities, dental abscess, gum disease, irritation of the tooth root, cracked tooth syndrome, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, impaction, and eruption.

Dental cavities & dental abscess The most common cause of a toothache is a dental cavity. Dental cavities (caries) are holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath the enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside.

Certain bacteria in the mouth convert simple sugars into acid. The acid softens and (along with saliva) dissolves the enamel and dentin, creating cavities. Small, shallow cavities may not cause pain and may be unnoticed by the patient. The larger deeper cavities can be painful and collect food debris. The inner living pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins or by foods and liquids that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet, thereby causing toothaches. Severe injury to the pulp can lead to the death of pulp tissue, resulting in tooth infection (dental abscess). A small swelling or “gum blister” may be present near the affected tooth as well. Toothaches from these larger cavities are the most common reason for visits to dentists.

Treatment of a small and shallow cavity usually involves a dental filling. Treatment of a larger cavity involves an onlay or crown. Treatment for a cavity that has penetrated and injured the pulp or for an infected tooth is either a root canal procedure or extraction of the affected tooth. The root canal procedure involves removing the dying pulp tissue (thus avoiding or removing tooth infection) and replacing it with an inert filling material. The procedure is used in an attempt to save the dying tooth from extraction. Once a root canal procedure is done, the tooth is more prone to fracture and will oftentimes require a crown to protect it.

Gum disease The second most common cause of toothache is gum disease (periodontal disease).

Gum disease refers to inflammation of the soft tissue (gingiva) and abnormal loss of bone that surrounds and holds the teeth in place. Gum disease is caused by toxins secreted by certain bac-

history of diabetes.

Treatment of gum disease always involves oral hygiene and removal of bacterial plaque and tartar (hardened plaque). Moderate to advanced gum disease usually requires a thorough cleaning of the teeth and teeth roots called “scaling and root planing” and “subgingival curettage.” Scaling and root planing is the removal of plaque and tartar from exposed teeth roots while subgingival curettage refers to the removal of the surface of the inflamed layer of gum tissue. Both of these procedures are usually performed under local anesthesia and may be accompanied by the use of oral antibiotics to overcome gum infection or abscess. Follow-up treatment, if necessary, may include various types of gum operations. In advanced gum disease with significant bone destruction and loosening of teeth, teeth splinting or teeth extractions may be necessary.

or with special toothpastes (such as Sensodyne or Denquel) which contain fluorides and other minerals. These minerals are absorbed by the surface layer of the roots to make the roots stronger and less sensitive to the oral environment. Dentists may also apply “bonding agents” to the exposed roots to seal the sensitive areas.

If the root exposure causes injury and death of the inner living pulp tissue of the tooth, then a root canal procedure or tooth extraction may be necessary.

Cracked tooth syndrome “Cracked tooth syndrome” refers to a toothache caused by a broken tooth (tooth fracture) without associated cavity or advanced gum disease. Biting on the area of tooth fracture can cause severe sharp pains. These fractures are usually due to chewing or biting hard objects such as hard candies, pencils, nuts, etc.

Your dentist can usually detect the fracture by painting a special dye on the cracked tooth or shining a special light on the tooth. Treatment usually involves protecting the tooth with a fullcoverage crown made of gold and/or porcelain.

However, if placing a crown does not relieve pain symptoms, a root canal procedure may be necessary.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders Disorders of the temporomandibular joint(s) can cause pain which usually occurs in or around the ears or lower jaw. The TMJ hinges the lower jaw (mandible) to the skull and is responsible for the ability to chew or talk. TMJ disorders can be caused by different types of problems such as injury (such as a blow to the face), arthritis, or jaw muscle fatigue from habitually clenching or grinding teeth. Habitual clenching or grinding of teeth, a condition called “bruxism,” can cause pain in the joints, jaw muscles, and the teeth involved. Bruxism is often due to life “stress,” family history of bruxism, and poor bite alignment. Sometimes, muscles around the TMJ used for chewing can go into spasm, causing head and neck pain and difficulty opening the mouth normally. These muscle spasms are aggravated by chewing or by stress, which cause the patients to clench their teeth and further tighten these muscles.

Temporary TMJ pain can also result from recent dental work or by the trauma of extracting impacted wisdom teeth.

Treatment of temporo-mandibular joint pain usually involves oral anti-inflammatory over-the counter (OTC) drugs like ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) or naproxen (Aleve). Other measures include warm moist compresses to relax the joint areas, stress reduction, and/or eating soft foods that do not require much chewing. If bruxism is diagnosed by a dentist, a bite appliance (night guard) may be recommended that is worn during the night to protect the teeth.

However, this bite appliance is used mainly to protect the teeth and may not help with joint pain. For more serious cases of joint pain, a referral to a TMJ specialist may be necessary to determine further treatment.

Impaction & eruption Dental pain can come from teeth that are erupting (tooth growing out or “cutting”) or are impacted (tooth has failed to emerge into its proper position and remains under gum and/or bone). When a molar (the large teeth at the back of the jaw) tooth erupts, the surrounding gum can become inflamed and swollen. Impacted teeth cause pain when they put pressure onto other teeth or bone and are inflamed and/or infected. Treatment for impacted teeth is usually pain medication, antibiotics (for infections), and surgical removal. This most commonly occurs with impacted molar (wisdom) teeth.

Toothache At A Glance The most common cause of a toothache is a dental cavity.

The second most common cause of toothache is gum disease.

A toothache can be caused by a problem that does not originate from a tooth or the jaw.

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Arts FRIDAY, septembeR 9, 2011

Nail art dazzles at

Nailphilia I

Chloe Lawrence, 23, Gallery Assistant. These took about 40 minutes to do. Out of all the fruity designs I wanted this the most. I’ve had them for 3 days and they’re still going which is a record for me. —Guardian

Marta Petursdottir, 28, Meat slicer at Borough Market. These took half an hour to do. I’ve had such an amazing response from customers to these nails.

I’m definitely going to get nail art more often - it’s the new way to express yourself. Nails are the new hair.

Ryan Lanji, 24, Fashion Curator. My statement nails are Mike Pocock for Illamasqua, and my Minx nails are Thierry Mugler for Minx. Nails are really being appreciated as a canvas now and I think it’s an intimate expression of art and culture.

t’s a trend that has dominated catwalks and New York salons alike, with pop stars such as Lady Gaga and Beyonce embracing this expanding fashion movement. Now, amid a growing customer base on the UK high street, nail art has received mainstream seal of approval with the country’s first exhibition devoted to the world of expressive manicures.

Marian Newman, a pioneering force in nail art for two decades, thinks it’s about time this once-underground trend, predominantly seen on R&B artists of the 1990s, was acknowledged for its craft. “People think it’s all Wags getting their nails done, but it’s not just about projecting an image - having something exceptional on your nails means seeing something unique on your own hands all day. It’s very personal. It’s definitely art.”

Sharmadean Reid, founder of the WAH nails franchise, which will open its latest branch in the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre in east London later this month, believes nail art is more popular than ever despite the economic downturn: “It’s an easy way for women to treat themselves and do something special that’s cheaper than buying a new dress.” WAH has a permanent concession at Topshop’s store in Oxford Street, London. “Women treat getting their nails done as another part of shopping,” says Reid.

Hearts and roses courtesy of Wah nails Photograph: Wah Newman agrees that a taste for nail art is thriving: “Women have more disposable income to spend on themselves, and that’s coincided with the availability of more accomplished nail designs at reasonable prices from salons such as WAH.” What differentiates nail art from a manicure? Ryan Lanji, curator of the Nailphilia exhibition, which opened at the DegreeArt.com gallery in Vyner Street, Bethnal Green, east London this week, describes seeing “nail technician Sophie Harris-Greenslade work, and watching her attention to detail, the tiny brush strokes as she did the nails, the skill involved - it was like watching an artist work”.

Lanji’s exhibition is the first to highlight the art involved in what are often described as “statement” nails, by bringing the art world together with technicians. In one installation, the texture of a thickly layered painting by photographer and artist Sophie Derrick is recreated by Harris-Greenslade on rubber sculpted hands, giving the model nails a three-dimensional effect which Harris-Greenslade created using cement from her granddad’s shed. The exhibition highlights how nail art has infiltrated the higher echelons of pop culture. Also on display are the gold claws which BeyoncÈ sports in the video for recent single Run the World (Girls), created by designer Laruicci, and a jacket adorned with fake nails by Jenny Longworth, stylist for Jessie J. Reid, whose WAH franchise has been hired for events including the Abu Dhabi Formula One grand prix and shop openings in Japan, said: “Until recently, your only options for a manicure was something cheap and cheerful but not necessarily technically advanced or something high-end and dull, like a French manicure in an expensive department store. Nail art is something in between.”

Beyonce wearing gold ‘claw’ nails in the video for her single Run the World. The design, by Laruicci, is on display at the Nailphilia exhibition Photograph: screengrab Reid cited a recent example when a customer came in after attending Frieze art fair and got paintings by five different artists recreated on her nails. Another brought in photos of neon installations from an exhibition and had them successfully painted on her nails.

With a nod to nail art’s link to the fashion world, Reid added: “If you like the latest Marc Jacobs print, we can do it for you.”

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Spotlight FRIDAY, septembeR 9, 2011

Focus on:

Tom Dale Dale’s diverse, exuberant works ooze rock’n’roll bravura but show what lies beneath: the destructiveness of roads to nowhere

‘A gaudy boulder’ ... detail of icave, Tom Dale work made in 2010.—Guardian

T

om Dale’s work packs a feelgood punch, but it soon has us looking beneath its surface bravura. Take his sculptures inspired

by Evel Knievel, the ex-con and pillpopping philanderer whose crazy attempts to leap canyons and fountains on a motorbike turned him into an all-American hero. Dale’s creations are as preposterous as the man himself: twisting stunt ramps emblazoned with stars and stripes, propped up by haphazard wooden lattices. Currently installed in a converted church, one work shoots triumphantly into the rafters, while the other curves dangerously, ready to spin any would-be daredevils straight into the floor.

As a symbol of US bravery in the Vietnam era, Knievel wasn’t beyond using his public position to give harebrained political speeches. The gap between what he was saying and privately doing didn’t matter: as long as the banners were the right colour and the stunts wild enough, there was always a crowd behind him, prepared to yell “hell yeah!” Dale is interested in what lies beyond the razzmatazz: his ramps designed for derring-do are roads to nowhere, and the whoops they invite soon stop short.

The London-based artist might have found the perfect foil for his interests in the contradictory figure of Knievel, but his work is nothing if

not diverse. A recent series of photos probes the history of contrasting ideologies on a Polish housing estate, fusing the identikit architecture of 1970s communism with the capitalist present, as buildings are pimped by their owners with candycoloured walls and extensions.

There’s further showmanship in his video Shot Through, which kicks off with a literal drum roll. Here, a drum kit is attacked by gunfire. It looks like a classic rock’n’roll act, but the kit - which plays as bullets ricochet off cymbals and drums - ends broken and useless.

But Dale’s most witty expression of the empty grand gesture is an early work from 2005, in which a

large grey ball is attached to the wheel from an office chair. Instead of becoming more effective, both objects are rendered lame and immobile. It’s a case study in absurd overstatement.

Why We Like Him: icave, from 2010 (pictured), is a gaudy boulder made of inverted party masks (including monkeys, mice, a storm trooper and Superman) all painted gold and stuck together with scatological glittering goo. Peer through their hollow eyes and you enter a virtual world of shifting animal and cartoon faces reflected in the splintered surface of a disco mirror ball.

All shook up: Dale dates his interest in excess to the unsettling

rumour that McDonald’s milkshakes were once made with potato starch.

Though the rumour was never confirmed, the ingenuity of putting so much effort into faking something as simple as a milkshake impressed him.

Where can I see him? Tom Dale’s Memorial Drag Strip is at Poppy Sebire Gallery, London from 2 September until 1 October. — Guardian

Comics

C R O S S W O R D

4 3 3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

To Yester

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS 1. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

5. Relating to or having the characteristics of bees.

10. A belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school.

13. An Iranian language spoken in Afghanistan.

14. Not fitting closely.

15. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

16. The sixth month of the civil year.

17. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

18. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

19. Antipsychotic drug (trade name Moban) used in the treatment of schizophrenia.

20. Make lighter or brighter.

24. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

25. A caustic detergent useful for removing grease.

28. Not easy.

30. A female domestic.

34. A member of a North American Indian people living around the mouth of the Colorado river.

37. (Scottish) Bluish-black or gray-blue.

38. Of or relating to or associated with the uvula.

39. A metallic element having four allotropic forms.

41. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

42. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

43. American professional baseball player who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth (born in 1934).

45. A state in the eastern United States.

47. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

48. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk.

53. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

57. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

61. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots.

62. A legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body.

63. A medicinal drug used to evoke vomiting (especially in cases of drug overdose or poisoning).

64. Small cubes with 1 to 6 spots on the faces.

65. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization.

66. A member of an agricultural people of southern India.

67. The 7th letter of the Greek alphabet.

DOWN 1. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

2. Panel forming the lower part of an interior wall when it is finished differently from the rest.

3. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

4. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (19021984).

5. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

6. A town in western Kentucky on the Ohio River.

7. One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

8. God of fire.

9. City in Sudan.

10. An Eskimo hut.

11. A fraudulent business scheme.

12. (trademark) A liquid that temporarily disables a person.

21. One of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping.

22. Green algae common in freshwater lakes of limestone districts.

23. A hard brittle blue-white multivalent metallic element.

26. A strong positive emotion of regard and affection.

27. The act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale).

29. A doctor's degree in dental surgery.

31. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

32. The villain in William Shakespeare's tragedy who tricked Othello into murdering his wife.

33. An administrator in charge of a division of a university or college.

35. Of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive n 1.

36. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

40. The cry made by sheep.

44. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

46. Any plant of the genus Erica.

47. A hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion.

49. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

50. A vessel in which something is immersed to maintain it at a constant temperature or to process or lubricate it.

51. An informal term for a father.

52. In bed.

54. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer.

55. Anything that serves as an enticement.

56. (Greek mythology) Goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology.

58. Any triangular fore-and-aft sail (set forward of the foremast) v 1.

59. A small piece of cloth.

60. Fiddler crabs.

Yesterday’s Solution

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Lifestyle

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Curator Sonja Michaels of the Museum Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder, eastern Germany, poses yesterday in front of colored cake plates by the former faience company Theodor Paetsch. The museum presents until February 5, 2012 an exhibition with products of the company, which have become coveted collector’s items. The Theodor Paetsch company was operating between 1840 and 1955. — AFP

Creative uses for Shrinky Dinks keep growing T

This product image courtesy of Jessica Poundstone shows a piece made with Shrinky Dinks designed by Poundstone.

—AP photos

he idea behind Shrinky Dinks has not really changed in the 38 years they have been around: The flexible sheets of shrinkable plastic still can be cut, colored and popped into an oven to shrink one-third in size and become hard and unbendable.

What was designed as a toy for kids, however, has grown into a creative medium embraced by adult crafters, artists, even scientists.

This undated photo courtesy of James Jaxxa shows “Hopeful Tree,” made using Shrinky Dinks designed by Jaxxa.

This product image courtesy of Giuseppina “Josie” Cirincione shows colorful buttons and gift tags made using Shrinky Dinks designed by Cirincione.

The Shrinky Dinks line has grown from the original frosted sheets to include white, clear and the newest addition, plastic sheets for ink-jet printers. That means photographic images now can be made into Shrinky Dinks.

The sheets are sold 10 to a package and also come in preprinted kits: monsters, pirates and sports motifs, to name a few. A similar shrink-plastic product, PolyShrink, is sold by the company Lucky Squirrel. Some Shrinky Dinks get turned into the usual kid-friendly magnets, photo frames, ornaments and dog tags. Others are being fashioned into stylish jewelry.

“It’s certainly a material people who grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s remember with nostalgia, but always with that kitschy association,” says Kathy Sheldon, a crafts book author. “These new jewelers are using shrink plastic to make fresh, attractive jewelry you want to wear.” Sheldon wrote the coming “SHRINK Shrank shrunk!” (Lark Crafts, 2012), which features 16 jewelry designers, including Jessica Poundstone of Portland, Oregon, who works exclusively in Shrinky Dinks material. She likes the freedom of creating her own designs and having control over the quality of her material. —AP

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Lifestyle

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

It’s autumn and old-style

apples back in fashion

Jonathan apples at Poverty Lane Orchards in Lebanon. —AP photos

O

ld-fashioned apples are back in fashion.

After nearly disappearing from the marketplace, apple varieties that were popular decades or even centuries ago are making a resurgence. The varieties, known as antique or heirloom apples, number in the thousands and carry names such as Sheepnose, American Mother, Lady Sweet and Nickajack.

And thanks to growing interest in all foods local and heirloom, they increasingly are showing up at farm stands and markets, at pick-yourown orchards and in ciders and baked goods.

The apples provide a fresh source of income for apple growers, allowing them to distinguish themselves from the average orchard. For consumers, the apples are a chance to buy and taste a uniquely local product, something unlikely to be grown anywhere else in the country.

There’s been strong interest in antique apples in recent years, but the past year in particular has seen enormous growth, said Gary Paul Nabhan, a chair in sustainable food systems at the University of Arizona who has a 5-acre orchard of his own. “Foods that are memorable, have an incredible history and incredible flavor and texture all of the sudden are back on our screen,” said Nabhan. “These apples are so absolutely delicious and have such remarkable stories with them that once you’re introduced to them you can’t go back to squishy Red Delicious.”

Incredibly, there are an estimated 15,000 or more apple varieties that have been named and grown in North America. But of the 10 billion or so pounds of apples grown in the US each year, the top 10 varieties make up 80 percent of the production. The top varieties - the ones commonly found in supermarkets that most everybody knows - include Red Delicious, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh and Rome. But Americans do not live on supermarket varieties alone, apple aficionados are saying. At one time, Steve Wood grew only McIntosh, Cortland and other common varieties

A basket of apples including a Hudson Golden Gem, top left, a Wickson, bottom left, and a Calville Blanc díHiver, bottom right.

A Wickson apple tree.

Photo shows a Hudson Golden Gem.

at his Poverty Lane Orchards & Farnum Hill Ciders farm in Lebanon, NH. But the market changed, and apple growers worldwide began delivering uniform, large waxed apples yearround. No longer able to command a premium for his crop of standard apples, Wood bulldozed his orchard, began growing old-style varieties and branded his harvest as “uncommon apples.”

Today, he sells them from his retail farm stand while also shipping them to wholesalers and retailers along the East Coast and as far away as Texas and Michigan.

About 25 percent of his orchard still goes to Macs and Cortlands, with roughly 35 percent to uncommon apples good for eating. The remaining 45 percent goes to other apples - some of which are of the old-style variety, which are used to make alcoholic ciders. His eating varieties include Wickson, Hubbardston Nonesuch, Hudson’s Golden Gem and Ashmead’s Kernel.

His cider apples go by names such as Dabinett,

Yarlington Mill and Somerset Redstreak. Wood turned to heirloom apples because it made economic sense. He’s not sure he’d still be in business if he hadn’t. “This is a commercial orchard.

It’s not a museum,” he said. “It’s not just whether these varieties are worthy of preservation. It’s whether we can sustain a business off it.”

Clarkdale Fruit Farms in Deerfield, Mass, has been expanding its selection of antique apples.

About 5 acres of the 25-acre orchard is devoted to antique types, up from 2 or 3 acres a few years ago, said third-generation owner Tom Clark. Some of the old-style varieties aren’t good for simply chomping into, but they’re good for cooking (Duchess of Oldenbergs and Gravensteins, for example) or making cider (Baldwins, Golden Russets and Roxbury Russets), Clark said. “Horticulturally, it’s interesting, and it helps out sales, growing different things,” Clark said. Dan Bussey’s Albion Prairie Cider Orchard & Mill in Edgerton, Wis., may be small, but the selection is wide with more than 250 types of heirlooms. He sells some of the apples at his orchard and to local markets, but most of his production goes to alcoholic cider, each with its individual flavor. Much of the growth in antique apples is from ciders, he said. “We have to get people used to trying these again, and realizing how good they are they should be part of our diet,” he said. “Once we get people to try them, they are very receptive.” Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum in Sturbridge, Mass., is preserving more than 80 rare apple varieties on its grounds. Visitors are invited to taste selections during the Village’s annual Apple Days Celebration on Oct 1 and 2. —AP

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Lifestyle

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

French couturier Stephane Rolland (left) looks on as models present his creations during a press conference for the Inaugural Women’s Fashion Week 2011 in Singapore on September 8, 2011. Rolland and Brazilian designer Gustavo are expected to join the line-up of fashion designers during the five-day Inaugural Women’s Fashion Week 2011 at the Marina Bay Sands held on 26-30th October in Singapore. — AFP

Retirement only a chapter in Valentino’s life

E

ven though iconic designer Valentino officially retired in 2008, the 79-year-old has no interest in slowing down. “Retirement is for old people,” he said with a laugh Wednesday at an awards luncheon in his honor. The Fashion Institute of Technology presented the Italian designer with the 2011 Couture Council Award for artistry during an elegant daytime soiree at Lincoln Center, which becomes home base for the next eight days for stylists, retailers and editors during New York Fashion Week. “All my life I worked very, very hard and I didn’t have any other idea than to make women look sensational,” he told The Associated Press before the event.

Designer Diane von Furstenberg and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour In this image released flanked Valentino during the presentaby BFANYC.com, tion. Von Furstenberg described him as designer Valentino “divine.” “He’s a wonderful person and Garavani arrives to the he’s so warm and so generous,” she said Couture Council’s of her longtime friend. luncheon in his honor Wintour became uncharacteristically in New York on emotional while presenting the award in Wednesday. —AP front of an audience of fashion insiders.

Noting his longtime commitment to charity work with HIV/AIDS, animals and senior citizens organizations, Wintour told the crowd that Valentino is much more than his flashy lifestyle, lavish homes and “pampered pugs.” “His greatest acts tend to go unseen,” said Wintour.

“If there should be one ‘Grand Couturier’ in Italy, it will only and forever be him,” said Karl Lagerfeld, last year’s recipient, in a letter read during the luncheon.

After 45 years of dressing royalty and Hollywood’s most glamorous starlets - including Anne Hathaway’s red-carpet Oscars gown earlier this year - Valentino may not be ready to bow out of spotlight just yet.

Following the success of the 2009 documentary on his life, “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” there are talks of a musical. —AP

Galliano found guilty of anti-Semitism F

ashion icon John Galliano was convicted yesterday of anti-Semitism for hurling abuse at bar patrons in Paris’ Jewish quarter in a career-breaking outburst he has blamed on drink and drugs. But the British designer, who faced a maximum of six months in jail, received a far lower sentence with suspended fines totaling 6,000 euros (8,400 dollars) after the court accepted he was sorry for his actions.

The Paris criminal court found him guilty of preferring anti-Semitic insults in public-an offence under French law-when he clashed with bar patrons in the capital’s Marais district on two occasions, in February this year and October 2010. But judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud said Galliano deserved a “moderate sentence”, noting that he had apologized to his three victims and that he “has become aware of the state he was in, and has sought help.”

The court ordered Galliano to pay a symbolic euro in damages to each of the victims and to five anti-racism groups that were plaintiffs in the case. He was also told to pay the bodies 16,500 euros in legal costs. The 50-year-old designer, who was sacked in disgrace as creative head of the French couture house Christian Dior over the scandal, later checked into rehab for two months in Arizona and Switzerland. He stayed away from yesterday’s hearing, explaining in a letter to the court that “he wished he could have attended” but chose to “avoid a new confrontation with the press.”

Galliano’s lawyer Aurelien Hamelle told reporters it was “a wise verdict”. “It took account of his sickness, and the numerous statements describing the true personality of John Galliano as someone who has never had the slightest racist or anti-Semitic feeling,” said the lawyer.

At his one-day trial in July, Galliano had apologized for his conduct. The designer insists he is not an anti-Semite but admits he cannot

File photo fashion designer John Galliano arrives at a police station in Paris. —AP remember the evenings in question, blaming a “triple addiction” to drink, sleeping pills and painkillers for his behavior. According to several witnesses, he subjected fellow patrons of the La Perle cafe in Paris’ fashionable Marais district to streams of foul-mouthed anti-Jewish abuse.

He allegedly called one witness “a fucking ugly Jewish bitch”-after mocking her “cheap boots” and insulting her figure.

The court said it was satisfied Galliano had indeed proffered the insults, based on numerous witness accounts, and that an amateur video taken around the same time had strengthened the prosecution’s case. —AFP

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Reese Witherspoon

hit by car while jogging

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scar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon suffered minor injuries after being hit by a car while out jogging Wednesday, police and a spokeswoman said. The 35-year-old was struck by a vehicle driven by an 84-year-old local woman while running in the seafront district of Santa Monica west of Los Angeles, a police spokesman said.

Witherspoon was on an unmarked crosswalk at the time, and the driver-who was traveling at 32 kmh (20 mph) — was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian, said the spokesman. The actress was taken to hospital, but was discharged and went home later to recover, her publicist said. “She was hit by a car today in Santa Monica while out for a run,” said the spokeswoman. Witherspoon “was not seriously injured and is resting comfortably at home,” she added. The actress, who won her Oscar in 2006 for her role in “Walk the Line”, married for a second time in March this year, wedding her agent Jim Toth.—AFP

McConaughey ditches romance to play killer cop

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ollywood heartthrob Matthew McConaughey ditches romantic comedy in modern-day Western “Killer Joe,” a film in competition at the Venice festival in which he plays a twisted detective who doubles as a hitman. In the film, McConaughey is Joe Cooper, a sultry Dallas sheriff who is hired by broke drug dealer Chris to kill his mother for her $50,000 life insurance policy.

With no money for an advance, Chris agrees to offer his younger sister Dottie as sexual collateral in exchange for Joe’s services until he receives the insurance money. But the plan does not work out as Chris, played by Emile Hirsch, expected. Full of dark humor and at times reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” Killer Joe brings veteran US film-maker William Friedkin back to the director’s chair after a five-year absence.

Friedkin, best known for “The Exorcist” (1973) and “The French Connection” (1971), for which he won an Oscar, teamed up with playwright Tracy Letts to adapt his piece about the dysfunctional family at the centre of the story. “I understand these characters. I think they are really fascinating, interesting, unusual, I think they are very representative of human nature,” Friedkin, 76, told reporters after his film was warmly applauded at a press screening in Venice.

“To me this is a twisted love story, like Cinderella.

“Cinderella is always looking for prince charming and in this story she finds prince charming but he happens to be a hired killer ... All women are looking in some ways for a prince or a princess charming and often you get a hired killer, you know. This is true. I mean I’ve been married four times.” —Reuters

Adele arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. — AP

MTV Awards boost Wayne, Adele on music charts W

hile satellite photos of the Apollo astronauts’ footsteps on the moon have been in the news, providing a sad reminder of the diminishment of the American space program, MTV’s “moon men” have proven to still be very relevant.

The highest-rated MTV Video Music Awards ever translated into a sales bonanza for some of the show’s performers in the days that followedespecially Lil Wayne, whose “Tha Carter IV” went on sale online less than an hour after the telecast’s end, and Adele, whose riveting performance of her new single pushed it to the top spot on the digital songs chart.

Lil Wayne’s blockbuster album moved an even-better-than expected 964,000 copies, per SoundScan. That’s the second-best debut of the year, trailing only Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” which opened with 1.11 million.

Wayne’s album had a more profitable debut, in any case, since more than 40 percent of Gaga’s first-week tally came via Amazon loss-leader 99-cent sale, while “Tha Carter IV” entered the race without any such pricing-handicap advantage.

The 964K figure wasn’t very far off Wayne’s career best, which came in 2008, when “Tha Carter III” debuted with 1.01 million. Even a widely pirated leak of the album in the days before the MTV Awards didn’t put much of a crimp in the rapper’s “blunt blowin”“ style. Having a harder time keeping pace with past successes were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who, possibly to their detriment, were not the lone token rock band invited to appear on the guitar-avoidant MTV Awards.

“I’m With You” debuted at No 2 with 229,000 copies- monumental by most standards, but only about half the 442,000 their previous effort opened with five years ago. If this was merely an arena-sized debut, compared with the massive figures for

File photo shows dressed as a man, singer Lady Gaga poses backstage after winning best video with a message and best female video awards at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. — AP 2006’s “Stadium Arcadium,” some of that could be due to fans taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the new music after the departure of the Chili Peppers’ long-time guitarist, John Frusciante.

The other two top 10 entries were dance guru David Guetta’s “Nothing But the Beat,” in at No 5 with 58,000, and country singer Jake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” which sold 55,000, more than doubling his previous best. Two returning veterans slipped into the top 30: rock revivalist Lenny Kravitz settled for No 18, while Glen Campbell’s purported final album came in at No 24.

The already indomitable Adele got yet another leg up from her strikingly stark MTV appearance. Already the bestselling album of the year, “21” enjoyed an 88 percent sales increase, selling 154,000 and holding steady at No 3. Her previous release, “19,” also saw a 60 percent increase and moved back up to No 17 on sales of 20,000.

Even more significant was the

boost for Adele’s new single. Some questioned her choice to do a slow ballad on the MTV Awards instead of the familiar, up-tempo “Rolling in the Deep.” But her simple performance of the searing, lovelorn “Someone Like You” quickly became one of the telecast’s water-cooler moments, at least among the few viewers who still look to the MTV Awards for music-or the greater number who are pleasantly surprised when it unexpectedly occurs. The teary tune leapfrogged to the top of the digital songs chart by selling 275,000 downloads, a week-toweek increase of 191 percent.

On the album chart, the biggest MTV-r elated percentage increase belonged to the relatively unknown band Young the Giant, who, for reasons not immediately apparent, took the token rock slot on the telecast that the Chili Peppers might have enjoyed.

Their self-titled album benefited from a 189 percent uptick, although, coming from such a low position, that only amounted to 10,000 in sales. —AP

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

‘Warrior’ surprises as gritty family drama

Review

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he so-called octagon of mixed martial arts, the caged arena in which bouts take place, has a long way to go in movies if it wants to approach the cinematic power of the boxing ring. Brightly lit and enclosed by wire mesh, it more resembles a giant chicken coop than a solemn battlefield. In the movies, one expects something fearfully referred to as The Octagon to be a James Bond villain modeled after Buckminster Fuller.

But in “Warrior,” director Gavin O’Connor has turned the octagon of Ultimate Fighting into a cage of boiling family emotion. Though the film might seem an inconsequential fight movie complete with tough guys and tattoos, it turns genre fare into a surprisingly moving father-and-sons melodrama.

Nick Nolte - back in his wheel house as an aging, reformed drunk - plays Paddy Conlon, the father of two sons, both of whom are estranged from him. Years ago, Paddy was a violent drunk whose abuse drove his wife and Tommy (Tom Hardy) to flee Westward. The older son Brendan (Joel Edgerton), hoping to remain close to his father, stayed and married his teenage sweetheart (Jennifer Morrison). The brothers, too, separated for good.

The younger and brawnier of the two, Tommy, appears suddenly on Paddy’s Pittsburgh stoop. A former Marine and high school wrestling star, he proposes to reunite with his father so that he can be trained “the old regi-

men” as he becomes an MMA fighter.

Tommy repeatedly makes clear that he wants his father’s help only in training: “This doesn’t mean anything,” he says.

Brendon has made out better in life than Tommy. He has two girls, a suburban house in Philadelphia and teaches high school physics. But the bank is threatening to foreclose on their house, and Brendan’s second income (fighting mixed martial arts in parking lot tournaments) has gotten him suspended from teaching.

Set in working class Pennsylvania, “Warrior” has plenty of contemporary resonance. The Conlon brothers have both been dealt an unfair lot: Tommy an aimless Iraq war veteran, Brendan

squeezed out by an unfeeling bank.

They each, separately, turn to mixed martial arts as their lone avenue of recourse, and each gets into an ESPNtelevised tournament in Atlantic City dubbed “Sparta,” in which the prize is $5 million.

The set-up is trite, but O’Connor (who wrote the script with Anthony Tambakis and Cliff Dorman) works hard to layer it in details. Much of the film feels calculated and overdone: the grim industrial blight, the hooded sweatshirts, Paddy listening to “Moby-Dick” as an audio book. Similar to O’Conner’s last film, “Pride and Glory,” a police family drama, the director gives epic, self-serious treatment to a plot built on

Cast member Tom Hardy arrives at the premiere of ‘Warrior’ in Los Angeles Tuesday. — AP

cliches. Both films, though, take familiar tropes (the corrupt cop story, the sports underdog) and imbues them with family tragedy and haunting pasts.

On the whole, the 139-minute “Warrior” works better because of its outsized ambitions. The acting helps the film’s realism. Hardy (“Inception,” “Bronson”) is boiling with rage, a bull with his horns lowered for the entire movie. Edgerton (“Animal Kingdom”) is more composed, but each carries a slight darkness. Their physicality (which is easily up the film’s rigors) comes across best in non-fighting scenes, where they move gingerly, like fighters.

Nolte adds at least one weight class to “Warrior,” playing the ultraweary Paddy, a broken man who accepts his sons’ ill-treatment because he knows he deserves it.

Supporting work from Kevin Dunn (as a sympathetic principal) and Frank Grillo (as Brendan’s trainer) is also solid. By the time “Warrior” builds to its championship finale, the sadness of the Conlon brothers is riveting. They battle brutally, punishing themselves, unable to break the chain of violence begun by their father, who watches mournfully from outside the claustrophobic cage. “Warrior,” a Lionsgate release, is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense mixed martial arts fighting, some language and thematic material. Running time: 139 minutes. Two and half stars out of four.—AP

Bachchan in first Hollywood film

‘Himizu’: Love and madness in post-tsunami Japan

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ove gasps for air in Japanese director Sion Sono’s anguished portrait of a post-tsunami Japan in “Himizu,” the hotly anticipated adaptation of a manga novel competing for Venice’s Golden Lion. Haunting images of devastation among the ruins of Ishinomaki in northern Japan after the March 11 disaster set the scene for a tale about the struggle for survival as moral and psychological limits are pushed to the extreme.

Among a group of forgotten homeless people is school-boy Sumida, played by Somentani Shota, who dreams of being “ordinary” but is abandoned by his mother, beaten and humiliated by his alcoholic father, and threatened by loan sharks. Sumida’s decline into murder and madness is played out on the dark city streets, where moral norms are inversed and deranged citizens attack victims at random while wailing that they no longer know who they are. His only chance at redemption comes in the form of besotted classmate Chazawa, played by Nikaido Fumi, whose parents are as cruel as his, but whose boundless enthusiasm and love for Sumida pulls him back from the brink.

“Himizu” was supposed to be a straight adaptation of the manga comic book by the same name, but was largely re-written in the wake of the disaster, director Sono said in a poolside interview on Venice’s Lido island.”I had already written the script and was forced to change it. Whether to shoot footage of the area was something I struggled with because many there lost their lives and many have still not been found,” said Sono.”It was supposed to be a light romance. When I began to rewrite the script they begged me not to write an apocalyptic film but I couldn’t stop,” he said. One of the film’s most striking themes is the total breakdown of the family unit, as demonic parents violently beat their children and taunt them mercilessly, pleading with them to commit suicide and even preparing the noose. —AFP

From left, director Shion Sono, actress Fumi Nikaidou, and actor Shota Sometani pose during the photo call of the movie Himizu at the 68th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. —AP

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ollywood star Amitabh Bachchan will appear in his first Hollywood film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in a new adaptation of classic novel “The Great Gatsby”, according to Warner Bros Pictures. The 68-year-old star of 1970s hits “Sholay” (Sparks) and “Deewaar” (Wall) joins DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan in Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s version of the 1925 novel by F Scott Fitzgerald.

Warner Bros said in a statement from California on Tuesday that shooting started this week and Bachchan will play Meyer Wolfsheim, a shadowy organized crime figure who helps the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby make his money. Bachchan was in Australia last month, where most of

the filming will take place, but he did not disclose on his daily blog whether the trip was to finalise his appearance.

Instead, he wrote cryptically on August 29 as he was about to return to India: “Time has been spent well and hopefully judiciously. Days ahead will tell us whether it was fruitful or not.”

The “Big B”, who has a fanatical following in India and among fans of Hindi-language cinema abroad, has starred in some 150 Bollywood films.

In 2008, he released his first Englishlanguage film, “The Last Lear”.

Maguire, star of the “Spider-Man” franchise, plays Nick Carraway, the would-be writer and narrator of the novel, who comes to New York from the US Midwest in 1922 to make his fortune. —AFP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Ask a Designer

Small home renovations buy time I

t’s a reality of our fragile economy: Many homeowners who dream of the perfect kitchen or master bath are putting full-scale renovation on hold in favor of more limited changes. “What’s on everyone’s minds is making the space feel a little better and function a little better until you can reach the ultimate kitchen or bath that you want,” says Danny Lipford, host of the nationally syndicated home-improvement radio show “Homefront with Danny Lipford.”

He says he often hears from listeners planning smaller redecorating projects to tide them over until real renovation fits in their budgets.

But which small projects are worth it if you’re going to remodel the space within just a few years? Choose projects that offer big change at little cost, or that serve as first steps toward eventual full-scale renovation, says Sabrina Soto, designer and host of HGTV’s new series “The High Low Project.”

Look to the largest surfaces Lipford suggests making changes to the biggest surfaces in a room, such as countertops or floors. Old laminate countertops can now be painted for less than $50, he says, and the results look surprisingly good. Using a type of paint sold in a kit (Lipford recommends one found at Gianigranite.com), homeowners can paint over the old countertop and then seal it with a coating that mimics the look and solid feel of laminate.

Tanya Memme, host of A&E’s “Sell This House,” agrees that big surfaces are a good place to start. “Any room will look bad if the floors aren’t in decent shape,” she says. Cover a soon-to-bereplaced wood or tile floor with a colorful new rug, or put down peel-andstick vinyl tiles. Good quality vinyl tiles resembling granite can cost several hundred dollars if you’re covering a full kitchen floor. But the change is dramatic, so it may be worthwhile even for just a few years of use.

Old ceramic tile floors and tile

This product image courtesy of Design Within Reach shows Verner Panton’s System 1-2-3 dining chair.

This undated photo courtesy of Scripps Networks, LLC shows a room designed by Sabrina Soto for HGTV’s The High Low Project. —AP photos walls can get a facelift for just a few dollars if you use grout stain, Lipford says.

You can make dingy grout a pristine white again or change it to a new color that contrasts with your old tile. Memme suggests adding a tile backsplash to a kitchen wall for a burst of new style. Do it yourself to save money. “It might seem difficult to put up tile,” she says, “but actually it’s very easy to do.” Small tiles come on a mesh sheet, so you’re not placing each one. Another way to bring big change to walls: Michael Hydeck, president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, s uggests painting with different textures. Try a faux finish like granite or marble, or buy the same shade of paint in two different finishes - one shiny and one matte - and paint alternating stripes in each.

Shed some light Installing under-cabinet or over-cabinet lighting probably isn’t wise if you’ll be removing the cabinets in a year or two, Hydeck notes. But a new ceiling light can be installed now and still be used when kitchens or bathrooms are renovated. Changing window treatments also can change a room’s lighting and bring in fresh color. “Everybody gets used to what’s up on their windows,” Memme says, “because they’ve been living with it. They don’t see the wear and tear.” Remove old blinds or shades and replace them with inexpensive curtains.

Upgrade appliances Soto suggests phasing in new major appliances ahead of a full kitchen reno-

vation. If need be, they can be relocated elsewhere in the room once the remodeling is done.

She also suggests buying new countertop appliances, such as microwaves or toaster ovens, now, with the anticipated redesign of the kitchen in mind. If you can’t replace appliances now but are craving change, Lipford says appliance paint is available from Rustoleum and other companies. It can give new life to an old refrigerator or dishwasher, and is easy to apply yourself.

Think hard about hardware Small items such as drawer pulls, electrical switch plates and doorknobs can easily be changed.

Swap out old knobs for new door handles, switch from brass to nickel, or

bring in jeweled or glass or ceramic pieces for added style.

Faucets also can be changed now and then re-used when you eventually replace the entire sink.

Out with the old Old glass shower doors can be removed relatively easily and replaced by a stylish fabric shower curtain. Swap out old kitchen chairs with cool, fleamarket finds, or recover chair cushions yourself with a few yards of new fabric.

Replace a dated bathroom mirror with an inexpensive framed one, or build your own frame with strips of molding.

These projects can give an outdated kitchen or bath enough new life to keep a homeowner happy until true renovation is possible.—AP

Stars

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Aries (March 21-April 19)

"Don't be angry with the rain," counseled author Vladimir Nabokov. "It simply does not know how to fall upward." In the coming week, I advise you to apply that principle to a host of phenomena, Aries. Don't get all knotted up about any force of nature that insists on being itself, and don't waste your time trying to figure out how to disobey the law of gravity. It's fine if you find it amusing to go against the flow, but don't expect the flow to follow you in your rebellion.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Where will you be in the latter half of 2016? What will you be doing? Now would be an excellent time to fantasize and meditate about questions like those. You're likely to have a good bit of intuitive foresight in the coming days -- some ability to discern the embryonic patterns swirling in the mists. But even more importantly, you will have extra power to dream up potent visions for your best possible future and plant them as seeds in the fertile bed of your subconscious mind.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

I believe you're close to getting permanent immunity from hell, Gemini.

Take it as a metaphor if you like, but consider the possibility that there may soon come a time when you will never again be susceptible to getting dragged into the bottomless pit. You will receive the equivalent of a "Get out of jail free" card that forever guarantees you exemption from the worst of the nightmare realms. Please note: I'm not saying you will be forever free of all suffering. But if you simply keep doing the smart things you've been doing lately, you will tap into a reservoir of stabilizing poise so strong that "the devil" will have no further claim on your soul.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

In "The Blood," an episode of the TV show Seinfeld, George tries to go for "the Trifecta": eating a pastrami sandwich and watching TV while having sex. His girlfriend isn't pleased about it, though, so the tripleintense pleasure doesn't materialize in the way George had hoped.

But something akin to this scenario could very well work for you in the coming week, Cancerian. You will have a knack for stirring up more fun and pleasure that usual through the inventive use of multitasking.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

In Wiccan circles, a "familiar" is a supernatural entity or magic animal that serves as a spirit ally. Some witches regard their cats as their familiars. In Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy of fantasy books, the "daemon" (very different from a "demon") plays a similar role: a shapeshifting creature that embodies a person's soul. This would be an excellent time for you to develop a closer relationship with a familiar or daemon or any other uncanny helper, Leo. You have more hidden power at your disposal than you realize, and it's a propitious time to call on it.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Wheel of Fortune is a TV game show in which players vie to guess a mystery phrase that is revealed letter by letter. On one episode not too long ago, a highly intuitive contestant solved the puzzle even though just one letter had been unveiled. The winning answer was "I've got a good feeling about this." From what I can tell, Virgo, you've got a similar aptitude these days -- an ability to foresee how things are ultimately going to develop simply by extrapolating from a few clues. I encourage you to make liberal use of your temporary superpower. (P.S. I've got a good feeling about this.)

COUNTRY CODES Libra (September 23-October 22)

You have about 100 billion neurons in your brain. That also happens to be the approximate number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Coincidence? I think not. As the mystic dictum reminds us, "As above, so below." The macrocosm and microcosm are mirrors of each other. Everything that happens on a collective level has an intimately personal impact. The better you know yourself, the more likely you are to understand how the world works -- and vice versa. I urge you to be alert for concrete evidence of this principle, Libra. Your week will be successful if you make it your background meditation.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) "By the year 2021, the complete gratification of sexual desires will be as easy and stress-free as drinking a glass of water." That was one of 25 prophecies delivered to me by a polite, well-spoken madman I met on a July morning in a cafe in Earls Court, London back in 1990. Sixteen of his other predictions have come true so far (like "America will have a black president by 2010," "You will become a famous astrologer," "60-year-old women will be able to give birth"), so I'm thinking that the one about easy sexual gratification could turn out to be accurate as well. Until then, Scorpio, you may sometimes have to deal with periodic struggles in getting your needs met. Having said that, though, I'm happy to announce that the coming weeks are shaping up as one of your closest approximations to the supposed 2021 levels of erotic bliss.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

The beauty contests in Saudi Arabia don't judge women on the basis of their physical appearance. A recent winner, Aya Ali al-Mulla, was crowned "Queen of Beautiful Morals" without ever revealing the face and form shrouded beneath her black head-to-toe garment. Instead, her excellence emerged during a series of psychological and social tests that evaluated her strength of character and service to family and society. I'd like to borrow this idea and apply it to you. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you could and should be a paragon of moral beauty in the coming week -- a shining example and inspiration to all the other signs of the zodiac.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Philip Marinovich calls his poetry book And If You Don't Go Crazy I'll Meet You Here Tomorrow. I'm borrowing that title for this horoscope. So here goes: If you don't go crazy in the coming days, Capricorn, I'll meet you here again next week. To be clear: There is an excellent chance you will be able to keep our appointment. The astrological omens suggest you'll call on reserves of wisdom that haven't been accessible before, and that alone could prevent you from a brush with lunacy. You're also primed to be nimble in your dealings with paradoxes, which, again, should keep you from descending into fairytale-style madness. But even if you do take a partial detour into the land of kooky, I think it will have an oddly healing effect on you. See you next time!

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

There's no better way to inform you of your task right now than to cite Hexagram 18 of the I Ching, the ancient Chinese book of divination. The title of the oracle is "Work on What Has Been Spoiled." Here's an interpretation by the I Ching's translator Richard Wilhelm, with a little help from me: "What has been spoiled through human mistakes can be made good again through human work. It is not immutable fate that has caused the state of corruption, but rather the abuse of human freedom. Toil that is done to correct the situation bodes well, because it is in harmony with cosmic potentials. Success depends on diligent deliberation followed by vigorous action."

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Breaking the rules could be a boon for your closest relationships if it's done out of deep caring and not out of anger or boredom. Can you commit to that high standard, Pisces? I hope so, because it's prime time to shake up and reinvigorate stale concepts about togetherness. You will never know how much more interesting your intimate alliances can be unless you put that vivacious imagination of yours to work. Would you be willing to buy tickets for a joint excursion to the frontier? Go hunting for surprises that recalibrate the dynamic between you and yours? Take a collaborative risk you'd never want to face alone?

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 Republic 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 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

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W h a t ’s O n FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Konkani musical show

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omedian Philip, the 1st NRI Goan comedian, is all set to entertain you with a Konkani music show titled “Ani, Anik Zaiem?” to be presented by the United Friends Club today September 9 at 4pm at the AIS (American International School) Auditorium, MaidanHawalli. This is Kuwait-based comedian Philip’s third musical show after the overwhelming success of staging “Tum Vhoir Aum Sokol” and “Hem Kazar Koslem” in Kuwait and overseas.

Announcements Tulukoota talent hunt Tulukoota Kuwait will hold a “Talent Hunt 2011” a chance to prove an inborn trait in you that confirms your individuality, uniqueness. So step forward to grab this opportunity to show your caliber and entertain. Dance, music, art or any special talentnow is your chance to showcase it - and be part of this year’s Talent Hunt & Tulu Parba. Talent Hunt event is open to all Tuluvas. Fo r more information and registration form kindly log on to our Website: www.tulukootakuwait.org or visit our facebook page - Tulukoota Kuwait Talent Hunt 2011. You could also email your form request to: secretary@tulukootakuwait.org or contact our area coordinators mentioned below. Mangaf, Fahaheel, Abuhalifa : Ronald Dsouza- 60035824, Shalini Alva23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna S hetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq : Rekha Sachu65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty- 67712409.

Pathanamthitta Onam The executive committee of Pathanamthitta District Association has decided to hold 2011 Onam Festival celebrations on Friday October 28, 2011 with a grand public function attended by Member of Parliament from Pathanamthitta Loksabha Constituency, Anto Antony and other prominent dignitaries from Kerala and Kuwait. All residents of Pathanamthitta District and persons of Pathanamthitta District origin are hereby invited to attend this function and friends and families.

TBIK hosts ‘Kapamilyas live in Kuwait’ today

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he Bicolanos in Kuwait [TBIK] in cooperation with ‘The Filipino Channel’ [TFC] will host a ‘Family Day-Eid ElFitr’ gathering today Sept 9 at the Qadsiya Sporting Club’s Fajhan Al-Mutairi Stadium in Hawally, from 1pm onwards. Manila artists led by Piolo Pascual, Jovit Baldivino and Giselle Sanchez are expected to arrived today evening to perform in-front of about 5,000 Filipinos. The event is organized by the Bicolanos in Kuwait, a non-profit NGO society committed to promote and assist Filipino OFWs heralding from the Philippines’ BICOL region. Within its primary mission and objectives, TBIK shall conduct social activities and gatherings to uplift community spirit as well as render support to distressed OFWs and/or relief operations for natural calamities suffered in the Philippines. For more information please call Tel 97214475 (Clive Brookes), 94962066 (Shirley Sales).

Art salon Bouhshari Art Gallery Exhibition runs through 15 September. Daily working hours: 10am - 1pm and 5 - 9pm, except on Friday and on Thursday evening.

Arpan Onam on Sept 23 Arpan Kuwait will celebrate Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival, on September 23 at the Indian Community School, Salmiya (Senior Girls) from 10 am onwards. Various cultural programs have been scheduled to make the celebration a success.

Traditional attractions like athappookkalam, mohiniyattom, kaikottikali, folk songs, dance and songs and skits will be presented by Arpan members.

A program committee headed by K Mahadevan is overseeing the preparations.

The celebration will come to an end with a sumptuous ‘Onasadya.’

Musical show

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he Indian Cultural Society is pleased to present “Parda Hai Parda” with Munawwar Masoom and team. The Chief Guest for the event will be the Ambassador of India, Kuwait and the guests of honor will include prominent personalities from Kuwait. So, join us for entertainment today 9th of September at 7.00pm sharp at: Auditorium Kuwait Medical Association, beside Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital, Jabriya. Email ics.kuwait@gmail.com for more info.

AWARE center diwaniya

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he AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation Tuesday September 13th, 2011 entitled, “Don’t be Clueless: 9 helpful habits to help you adjust to a new culture”

by Dr. Linda Fouke So you have moved to Kuwait.

Are you feeling Disoriented, Disgruntled or Disillusioned? Are you experiencing “Culture Shock”?

You are not alone. If you or someone you know has experienced the uncertainty of an extended stay

abroad, you may be dealing with the reality of “culture shock.” Is this a hackneyed, over-dramatic term or a legitimate state of mind? Come share your story with Dr. Linda Fouke as she leads a discussion entitled, “Clueless in Kuwait - 9 Helpful Habits while in Kuwait.” At this presentation you will learn more about the phases of culture shock and 10 essential keys to helping you cope with the stresses of relocation. If you are interested, the AWARE Center is the best place to visit on September

13th, 2011 at 7pm. (Linda Graves Fouke, Ed.D is the Principal of Hope School for Special Needs, Chairperson, Kuwait Special Needs Administrators Network, Vice President, Kuwait Textile Arts Association and co-Founder, Great Books Foundation Discussion Group Kuwait City, Kuwait). For more information, call 25335260 ext 0 / 104 / 105 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw or email: saleha.aware@gmail.com “

NAFO Onam celebration NAFO Kuwait to celebrate Onam on September 30, 2011 at the Indian Community School (Senior for Girls) auditorium Salmiya. Cultural activities such as dance,skit, nadan pattukal, vallapattukal etc will be held which will be fol lowed by the traditional onasadhya. All NAFO members are requested to make this program a grand success by participating in various activities. Please register your name at Contacts@nafoglobal.com.said the convener of the program Rajasekaran Nair. For details please contact Nandakumar 99559416, Udayakumar 66464577 or Rajasekharan Nair 97824780.

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W h a t ’s O n FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Embassy Information EmbaSSy Of aRGENTINa In order to inform that 23rd of October 2011, will be Argentine national election where all Argentinean citizen residents permanently in Kuwait can vote only if they are registered at the Electoral Register of the Argentine Embassy. The procedure of inscription ended on 25 of April 2011. To register it is necessary that Argentinean citizens should come personally at the Argentinean Embassy (Block 6, street 42, villa 57, Mishref) and present the DNI and four personal photos (size 4x4, face should be front on white background). For further information, contact us on 25379211.

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Staff and students at Kuwait National English School arrived on the first day of the academic year with great enthusiasm.

NBK launches Facebook Photography Competition

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n the occasion of “Back to School” season, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) will launch its Facebook Photography Competition on Sep 11th and will continue until end of this month.

NBK Public Relations Manager, Abdulmohsen Alrushaid said: “The competition will award three winners every week with cash prizes; the fan should send his/her picture or family members on the first day of school or college to NBK Facebook page. The photos will be uploaded on NBK Facebook page for people to vote on. The three photos will the most number of “likes” will win”.

“The participants must be fans of NBK’s Official Facebook page to take part in the competition and does not require the participant to be a NBK customer. The winners will be announced weekly on NBK’s Facebook page”, Alrushaid added. Alrushaid indicated that NBK’s Facebook page currently has more than 22,000 fans due to its interaction with fans. NBK Facebook page provides offers and discounts for all customers. NBK values the role social media

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channels such as Twitter and Facebook play in Kuwait and utilizes them as an important means of keeping in touch with NBK customers and their concerns.

NBK Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/NBK.fans?r ef=ts

NBK Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBKPage.

NECK to host preschoolers’ motivation program

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t. Johns Mar Thoma Church, Kuwait, is set to hold a brief preschool Motivation Program (Ezhuthiniruthu Sisrusha) for children about to begin school or nursery for the first time. All children in these categories and their parents and guardians are invited and cordially welcomed to par-

EmbaSSy Of bRITaIN The Visa Application Centre (VAC) will be closed on the same dates above. The opening hours of the Visa Application Centre are 0930 - 1630 Application forms remain available online from the UKBAs’ website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or from the Visa Application Centre’s website: www.vfs-ukkw.com. And also, from the UK Visa Application Centre located at: 4B, First Floor, Al Banwan Building (Burgan Bank Branch Office Building), Al Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City. For any further inquiries, please contact the Visa Application Centre: Website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com E-mail:info@vfs-uk-kw.com Telephone:22971170.

The Consular Section will also be closed on the same dates. For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk

ticipate in the special service, which will be held on September 23 at 10:00 AM in the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait’s (NECK) church and parish hall.

Certificates will be given to all the children attending the program.

Those who are interested in taking part in the event are kindly requested to

contact the Vicar on 65563486, the Convener on 66742985 or the Secretary on 66546705.

EmbaSSy Of CaNada The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form.

All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed.

To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website. As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically.

The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5257E. PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5256E.PDF.

TV Listings FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:40 09:10 10:05 11:00 11:55 12:20 12:50 13:45 14:40 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:25 18:20 18:45 19:40 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Untamed & Uncut Shark Attack File 3 Big Five Challenge I Shouldn’t Be Alive Dogs 101 Animal Cops Houston My Cat From Hell Meerkat Manor The Really Wild Show Crocodile Hunter Breed All About It Must Love Cats Dogs 101 Animal Cops Houston E-Vets: The Interns Wildlife SOS Clinically Wild: Alaska Crocodile Hunter Shark Attack File 3 Gorilla School The Really Wild Show Baby Planet Project Puppy Breed All About It Crocodile Hunter Cheetah Kingdom Dogs 101 Into The Shark Bite Whale Wars Monster Bug Wars Great Savannah Race

00:25 01:25 02:10 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:50 05:05 05:25 05:40 05:50 06:10 06:25 06:45 07:00 07:20 07:35 07:55 08:10 08:20 08:40 08:55 09:15 09:30 09:40 10:40 11:25 12:25 12:55 13:25 14:20 14:50 15:20 16:20 17:10 17:40 18:10 19:00 20:00 20:45 21:20 22:05 23:00 23:30

Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Casualty Eastenders Doctors Last Of The Summer Wine Tweenies The Roly Mo Show Me Too Jackanory Junior Poetry Pie Tweenies The Roly Mo Show Me Too Jackanory Junior Tweenies The Roly Mo Show Me Too Jackanory Junior Poetry Pie Tweenies The Roly Mo Show Me Too Jacka nory Junior Poetry Pie Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Coast Doctors Eastenders Casualty Last Of The Summer Wine Last Of The Summer Wine Coast The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Casualty Coast The Weakest Link Doctors Robin Hood True Dare Kiss After You’ve Gone Gavin & Stacey

00:20 00:45 01:40 02:30 03:25 03:50 04:20 04:45 05:15 06:10 07:05 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 10:05 11:50 12:40 14:40 15:25 17:05 18:00 18:25

The Naked Chef Come Dine With Me What Not To Wear Come Dine With Me Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers The Naked Chef New Scandinavian Cooking Sweet Baby James Holmes On Homes Antiques Roadshow Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers The Naked Chef New Scandinavian Cooking Sweet Baby James Holmes On Homes Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me Daily Cooks Challenge Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me New Scandinavian Cooking Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 Junior 13:15 14:10 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 Junior 22:25 23:20

FROM HELL ON OSN ACTION HD

00:00 00:30 00:45 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 07:45 08:30 08:45 09:30 09:45 10:00 10:30 10:45 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 12:45 13:00 13:30 13:45 14:00 15:00

BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News America Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Peschardt’s Business People BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Peschardt’s Business People BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today GMT With George Alagiah BBC World News

15:30 15:45 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 17:45 18:00 19:00 19:30 19:40 20:00 20:45

00:00 00:15 00:40 01:10 01:30 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:20 03:40 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:30 05:50 06:15 06:45 07:00 07:15 07:45 08:10 08:20 08:30 09:00 09:20 09:45 10:05

World Business Report Sport Today Impact Our World Impact World Business Report Sport Today World Have Your Say The Hub With Nik Gowing BBC World News Weekend World The Hub With Nik Gowing Sport Today

Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction Higglytown Heroes Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Little Einsteins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Little Einsteins The Hive

10:15 10:45 11:10 11:30 11:45 12:10 12:25 12:40 13:05 13:15 13:30 13:55 14:20 14:40 15:05 15:30 15:40 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:00 17:10 17:15 17:30 17:55 18:25 18:50 19:02 19:05 19:50 20:10 20:20 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:05 22:15 22:25 22:40 22:55 23:20 23:35 23:50

The Little Mermaid Little Einsteins Imagination Movers Jungle Junction Lazytown Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers The Hive Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Little Einsteins Lazytown Handy Manny The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Lazytown Jungle J unction The Hive The Hive Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Little Mermaid Special Agent Oso Animated Stories Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Timmy Time Handy Manny Little Einsteins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Little Einsteins The Hive Timmy Time Handy Manny Jun gle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction

Gold Rush: Alaska River Monsters Dirty Jobs Ultimate Survival Wheeler Dealers Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How Stuff’s Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Gold Rush: Alaska How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Wheeler Dealers American Chopper: Senior vs Ultimate Survival River Monsters Sons Of Guns Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Mythbusters Gold Rush: Alaska Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How Stuff’s Made How Do They Do It? Cash Cab Us American Chopper: Senior vs Wheeler Dealers Ultimate Car Build-Off

00:05 00:55 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 07:55 08:50 09:40 10:35 11:30 11:55 12:25 13:15 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50

Smash Lab Superships Prototype This Bang Goes the Theory Thunder Races How Stuff’s Made Superships One Step Beyond Eco-Tech Thunder Races Space Pioneer The Gadget Show Smash Lab Brainiac Sci-Fi Science How Stuff’s Made Prototype This Bang Goes the Theory One Step Beyond Stunt Junkies Superships Weird Connections Thunder Races Space Pioneer Sci-Fi Science The Gadget Show The Tech Show The Gadget Show Smash Lab The Gadget Show The Tech Show The Gadget Show

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:50 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:20 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:35 09:00 09:10 09:20 09:30 09:40 10:05 10:35 10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Emperor’s New School Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Emperor’s New School Suite Life On Deck Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction The Hive Handy Manny Imagination Movers The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana

13:30 13:55 14:20 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 19:35 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Jake & Blake Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck High School Musical Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas Los Angeles

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 05:55 06:20 06:45 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 09:34 09:40 09:55 10:20 10:35

Robotboy - Elements Squirrel Boy George Of The Jungle Cramp Twins Chop Socky Chooks Best Ed My Gym Partner’s A Monkey Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Generator Rex Adventure Time Flapjack Chowder The Powerpuff Girls Ed, Edd n Eddy Cow & Chicken Squirrel Boy I Am Weasel Eliot Kid Angelo Rules Best Ed Flapjack My Gym Partner’s A Monkey Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy Courage The Cowardly Dog Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy Courage The Cowardly Dog Cow & Chicken I Am Weasel Adventure Time

00:25 00:55 01:25 03:15 04:10 05:05 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 10:15 12:05 13:05 14:05 14:35 15:30 16:25 16:55 17:55 18:55 19:55 20:55 21:25 2 2:25 23:25 23:55

Kendra Extreme Close-Up E!es 25 Most Stylish Sexiest Extreme Hollywood THS Behind The Scenes E! News The Dance Scene THS E! News Kendra Keeping Up With The Kardashians Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane THS Behind The Scenes Khloe And Lamar E! News THS Kourtney & Kim Take New York Chelsea Lately Giuliana & Bill E! News Chelsea Lately Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:15 00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:50 05:40 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:25 10:05 10:55 11:45 13:25 14:15 15:05 15:55 16:45 17:10 18:50

Final Fu Carpocalypse World Combat League Final Fu Aiya TV FIM World Motocross MX3 2011 Carpocalypse World Combat League Ride Guide Snow 2008 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 X-Traordinary Summer Dew Tour 2010 Ticket To Ride 2009/2010 Winter Dew Tour 10/11 Alpine Adventurer Continuum World Combat League X Games Heroes Tread B MX X-Traordinary Summer Dew Tour 2010 Ticket To Ride 2009/2010

TV Listings FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

19:40 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Alpine Adventurer Winter Dew Tour 10/11 World Combat League Eddie Jordan’s Bad Boy Racers M1 Selection 2010

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:45 05:15 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 19:55 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

The Haunted A Haunting True Crime With Aphrodite Jones True Crime Scene Dr G: Medical Examiner Crime Scene Psychics The Haunted Mystery Diagnosis FBI Case Files Forensic Detectives Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis FBI Case Files FBI Files On The Case With Paula Zahn Extreme Forensics Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls FBI Case Files FBI Files Forensic Detectives FBI Case Files Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Extreme Forensics Nightmare Next Door Disappeared Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 05:50 06:35 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:25 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:35 17:00 17:25

Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Grill It! With Bobby Flay Barefoot Contessa Chef vs Britain Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Good Eats - Special Unwrapped Ten Dollar Dinners Paula’s Best Dishes Paula’s Party Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics Chopped Guy’s Big Bite Everyday Italian Good Deal With Dave Lieberman Ten Dollar Di nners Paula’s Best Dishes Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics Aarti Party Lidia’s Italy Unwrapped Paula’s Party Everyday Italian Paula’s Best Dishes Good Deal With Dave Lieberman World Cafe Asia Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Lidia’s Italy Unwrapped Boy Meets Grill Chopped Guy’s Big Bite Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics Diners, Drive- Ins & Dives

00:00 02:15 04:15 06:15 08:00 10:15 12:00 13:45 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Se7en-18 Tears Of The Sun-18 From Hell-18 Evolution-PG15 The Day After Tomorrow-PG15 Stonehenge Apocalypse-PG15 Dick Tracy-PG15 The Day After Tomorrow-PG15 Hollywood Homicide-PG15 Dick Tracy-PG15 Gothika-18 Outpost-18

01:00 Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired-PG15 03:00 The Tempest-PG15 05:00 Dean Spanley-PG 07:00 Far North-PG15 09:00 The Tempest-PG15 11:00 On Broadway-PG15 13:00 Stone Of Destiny-PG15 14:45 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 16:45 The Great Debaters-PG15 19:00 The Losers-PG15 21:00 Crazy Heart-PG15 23:00 A Way With Murder-18

00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report The Ricky Gervais Show Funny Or Die Presents The Big C Just Shoot Me Dharma And Greg The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Will And Grace Coach The Drew Carey Show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Dharma And Greg Just Shoot Me Will And Grace Community Outsourced Coach The Drew Carey Show The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Dharma And Greg Just Shoot Me Will And Grace Coach Community Outsourced The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report The Drew Carey Show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Mad Love The Office Outsourced Modern Family The Tonight Show With Jay Leno The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert R eport Family Guy The Big C The Ricky Gervais Show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 Burn Notice 01:00 Burn Notice 02:00 Burn Notice

03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 22:00 23:00

Bones Boston Public Good Morning America Lie To Me Emmerdale Look-A-Like Burn Notice The Martha Stewart Show The View Burn Notice Live Good Morning America Boston Public The Ellen DeGeneres Show One Tree Hill American Idol Friday Night Lights Lie To Me

00:00 01:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 22:00 23:00

The Event Burn Notice Bones The Gates The Event Happy Endings Off The Map Burn Notice Bones The Ellen DeGeneres Show Off The Map The Event Happy Endings The Ellen DeGeneres Show Hawthorne American Idol Friday Night Lights No Ordinary Family

01:00 4.3.2.1.-18 03:00 Julia’s Eyes-18 05:00 Child’s Play 2-PG15 06:45 King Arthur-PG15 09:00 The Sum Of All Fears-PG15 11:15 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15 13:15 Lost In Space-PG15

15:30 17:45 19:15 21:30 23:15

The Sum Of All Fears-PG15 Raising Cain-PG15 Sherlock Holmes-PG15 Jennifer’s Body-18 The Nun-PG15

00:00 Renaissance Man-PG15 02:00 Blue Streak-PG15 04:00 Under The Tuscan Sun-PG15 06:00 The Ramen Girl-PG15 08:00 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel-PG15 09:30 Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement-FAM 11:30 The Parent Trap-U 14:00 Hope Springs-PG15 16:00 Renaissance Man-PG15 18:15 Just Married-PG15 20:00 How High-18 22:00 Four Christmases-PG15

01:00 Karma: Crime, Passion, Reincarnation-18 03:00 Indecent Proposal-18 05:30 The Young Black Stallion-PG15 07:00 The Shock Doctrine-PG15 09:00 My Sister’s Keeper-PG15 11:15 The Young Black Stallion-PG15 13:00 Free Style (2008)-PG15 15:00 Joueuse-PG15 17:00 Little Man Tate-PG 19:00 Fireflies In The Garden-PG15 21:00 Synecdoche, New York-18 23:00 The Reckoning-18

01:00 03:00 04:45 06:45 09:00 10:30 12:30

The Shape Of Things-PG15 Flying By-PG15 Dance With Me-PG Invictus-PG15 Aliens In The Attic-FAM Maneater: Part I-PG15 Maneater: Part II-PG15

KING ARTHUR ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

14:30 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:30

The Parent Trap-U Aliens In The Attic-FAM Our Family Wedding-PG15 Inception-PG15 Hot Tub Time Machine-18

00:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel-FAM 02:00 Christmas In New York-PG 04:00 The Last Airbender-PG15 06:00 Astro Boy-FAM 08:00 Turtle Hero (1)-FAM 10:00 Delgo-FAM 12:00 Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare-FAM 14:00 Shrek Forever After-FAM 16:00 Cats & Dogs-PG 18:00 Delgo-FAM 20:00 Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare-FAM 22:00 Teen Knight-PG15

00:15 02:15 04:30 PG15 06:15 08:00 PG15 10:00 12:15 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:30

Gasland-PG15 Inception-PG15 Cemetery Junction-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 04:30 05:30 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:30 10:30 11:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:30 20:00 21:30 22:00

RFL Championship Premier League Snooker Total Rugby AFL Highlights Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial Rugby World Cup 2007 Review Rugby World Cup Classics Live RWC Matchday Live Opening Ceremony Live Rugby World Cup Live RWC Matchday ICC Cricket World Golfing World NRL Premiership RWC Highlights Total Rugby RWC Matchday Opening Ceremony Rugby World Cup RWC Matchday AFL Premiership

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Meet The Natives: USA David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue: Bali Travel Madness City Chase Rome Adventure Wanted Ultimate Traveller

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines RJA JZR THY JZR ETH UAE DHX ETD MSR FDB GFA QTR THY KAC JZR JZR JZR BAW KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA MEA JZR JZR IYE MSR JZR KAC RBG KAC MSR UAL RJA FDB OMA QTR KAC KAC JZR QTR JZR JZR MLR ETD UAE SYR GFA SVA JZR ABY FDB ALK JZ R

Flt 642 267 772 189 620 853 370 305 614 67 211 138 770 544 241 503 555 157 416 541 206 284 302 332 53 678 352 362 855 132 125 619 301 213 404 165 121 825 623 509 618 3553 672 610 982 640 57 645 140 546 788 257 134 201 535 403 303 857 341 215 510 239 127 63 227 177

Arrival Flights on Friday 9/9/2011 Route AMMAN BEIRUT ISTANBUL DUBAI ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI CAIRO DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA ISTANBUL CAIRO AMMAN LUXOR ALEXANDRIA LONDON JAKARTA / KUALA LUMPUR CAIRO ISLAMABAD DHAKA MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI MUSCAT / DUBAI COCHIN COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH LAR ABU DHABI BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN SANAA SOHAG LUXOR DOHA ALEXANDRIA / SOHAG DUBAI CA IRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN DUBAI MUSCAT DOHA ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA DAMASCUS CAIRO COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI DAMASCUS BAHRAIN RIYADH AMMAN SHARJAH DUBAI COLOMBO / DUBAI DUBAI

Time 0:05 0:35 1:15 1:25 1:45 2:25 2:55 2:55 3:05 3:10 3:15 3:20 4:10 4:40 4:55 5:15 6:10 6:30 6:35 7:10 7:15 7:40 7:50 7:55 7:55 8:00 8:05 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:20 9:30 9:35 10:55 11:10 11:15 12:05 12:10 12:30 12:55 12:55 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:00 14:15 14:30 15:00 15:10 15:15 15:45 15:50 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:15 17:20 17:35 17:40 17:55 18:00 18:00

KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI KAC JZR FDB OMA VOS MEA KAC SVA DHX GFA FCX QTR UAL UAE JZR JZR MSR DLH SAI JZR KLM JZR

166 502 542 213 744 614 774 102 674 975 572 562 787 61 647 81 402 786 506 372 217 304 136 981 859 135 185 612 636 441 539 447 481

PARIS / ROME BEIRUT CAIRO DEIREZZOR / ALEPPO DAMMAM BAHRAIN RIYADH NEW YORK / LONDON DUBAI CHENNAI / GOA MUMBAI AMMAN RIYADH DUBAI MUSCAT BAGHDAD BEIRUT JEDDAH JEDDAH BAHRAIN BAHRAIN RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT LAHORE CAIRO AMSTERDAM / BAHRAIN SABIHA

18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:50 20:00 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:20 20:35 21:00 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:30 23:35 23:50

Airlines LZB JZR AXB DLH BBC AIC PIA THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR THY JZR JZR RJA GFA KAC JZR BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC UAE ABY

Flt 7788 540 390 637 44 982 206 773 620 854 68 371 306 615 139 771 508 164 643 212 545 120 156 54 534 177 671 256 787 617 856 126

Departure Flights on Friday 9/9/2011 Route SOFIA CAIRO MANGALORE / KOZHIKODE FRANKFURT DHAKA AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI LAHORE ISTANBUL BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA ISTANBUL LUXOR DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN LONDON DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT / GENEVA DUBAI BEIRUT JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI SHARJAH

Time 0:05 0:20 0:25 0:40 1:00 1:05 1:10 2:15 2:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:05 5:00 5:10 5:55 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:40 8:20 8:25 8:40 8:50 8:55 9:00 9:10 9:25 9:35 9:40 9:50

KAC QTR ETD GFA IRA JZR MEA KAC JZR JZR KAC KAC IYE MSR RBG JZR MSR RJA FDB UAL KAC OMA KAC KAC JZR KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR ETD MLR QTR SYR UAE GFA ABY JZR SVA FDB ALK JZR KAC KAC JAI FDB JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA SVA DHX GFA KAC QTR KAC KAC FCX JZR JZR UAE UAL KAC MSR SAI

117 133 302 214 618 200 405 541 212 238 103 501 825 624 3554 176 611 641 58 982 561 646 785 673 480 773 141 613 743 786 538 304 404 135 342 858 216 128 184 511 64 228 134 283 361 571 62 528 343 351 648 403 507 373 218 381 137 301 205 102 502 554 860 981 411 613 442

NEW YORK DOHA ABU DHABI BAHRAIN LAR DAMASCUS BEIRUT CAIRO DEIREZZOR / ALEPPO AMMAN LONDON BEIRUT DOHA / SANAA SOHAG ALEXANDRIA DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN AMMAN MUSCAT JEDDAH DUBAI SABIHA RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN DAMMAM RIYADH CAIRO ABU DHABI DUBAI / COLOMBO DOHA DAMASCUS DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH DUBAI DUBAI / COLOMBO BAH RAIN DHAKA COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI ASSIUT CHENNAI COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT JEDDAH BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DELHI DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD DUBAI LUXOR ALEXANDRIA DUBAI WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK / MA NILA CAIRO LAHORE

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

10:00 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:20 11:55 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:30 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:35 13:40 14:20 14:30 14:35 14: 45 14:45 15:00 15:05 15:10 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:20 16:25 16:35 16:40 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:35 18:40 19:10 19:10 20:00 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:40 23:40 23:50 23:59

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation with Malayali family Malayali working lady or Malayali bachelors from Sept last.

Contact: 65889384. (C 3609) Fully furnished 1BRK flat for an executive bachelor from 01st Oct 2011 to 31st Dec 2011. Contact: 24752182, 66365212. (C 3608) 8-9-2011 One room for rent in two bedroom flat behind Crowne Plaza near Dar Al Quran, Farwaniya, for bachelor only.

Contact: 50129393. (C 3406) Sharing accommodation available for bachelors only Indian near Jabriya bridge 4th Ring Road, near Al Bahar complex. Contact: 22662734, 99247271.

(C 3607) 7-9-2011 Sharing accommodation available at Khaitan opp Jamiya/behind petrol pump in a studio flat with a R/C Mangalorean bachelor. Rent KD 25. Contact: 66036893. (C 3601) 2 bedroom window A/C fur-

nished flat available in Farwaniya, block 3, opp Eureka. Contact: 99962456.

(C 3604) Sharing accommodation for small family or 2 spinsters or executive bachelor near new Riggai, ready for this month.

Contact: 66889615. (C 3602) 6-9-2011 Sharing accommodation available at Abbassiya near Integrated Indian school, Highland supermarket building, Keralite family. Contact: 99379252.

(C 3599) 4-9-2011

FOR SALE 2007 model, Chevrolet Captiva, silver exterior, excellent condition. Price KD

4,200. Tel: 66526872.

Toyota Corolla 2009 model, white color, excellent condition, well-maintained, low mileage, lady driver, KD 3,400. Contact: 60951195.

(C 3603) 6-9-2011 SITUATION WANTED

Immediately available Indian Accountant (M.Com) for fulltime/part time having sufficient experience in Kuwait. A few years experience to prepare Trading Account, Profit & Losses A/C, Balance Sheet, Budgets and Budget control, Bank dealings, L/cs, Recoveries & Payments, can write/speak Arabic and having driving license & car. Also can work as Executive Secretary/Secretary or Tender Executive. Contact: 97669236 / 24315927.

(C 3600) 5-9-2011

MATRIMONIAL Syro Malabar parents and Palai diocese invite proposal for their son 27/171 cm B.Tech engineer, working as programmer with a reputed firm in Kuwait. Email: mailproposals11@gmail.com (C 3598) 4-9-2011 Christian Orthodox girl 33 years BSc nurse, divorced, no liabilities working in Kuwait MOH, seeking alliance from professionally qualified God fearing person with details and photos to: mathewt27@yahoo.com (C 3597)

TRANSPORT Needed transport for a lady from West Mishref to Mangaf at 2:30pm. Five days a week.

Contact: 65088143. (C 3605) 6-9-2011

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FRIDAY, septembeR 9, 2011

Rays beat Rangers, Blue Jays win ST. PETERSBURG: Tampa Bay’s Desmond Jennings homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Rays a 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers in the American League on Wednesday.

Jennings won the game with his ninth homer of the season off Mark Lowe (2-3), cutting Texas’ lead in the AL West division standings to 2-1/2 games ahead of Los Angeles. Texas had tied it at 4-4 in the ninth when Ian Ki nsler hit his second homer of the game. He has seven homers in his past seven games. The win was the 1,000th overall for the Tampa Bay franchise. The Rays have lost 1,245.

Tampa Bay reliever Jake McGee (2-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for the victory, while Ben Zobrist hit a two-run double in the first to join Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun as the only big leaguers to have 100 doubles, 50 stolen bases and 50 homers over the past three seasons.

Blue Jays 11, Red Sox 10 In Toronto, Edwin Encarnacion hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning to complete Toronto’s comeback win over Boston. Toronto trailed 8-6 heading into the eighth against Daniel Bard (2-6).

The Blue Jays tied it when Bard issued consecutive walks with the bases loaded to Eric Thames and Jose Bautista. Matt Albers replaced Bard, and gave up a three-run double to Encarnacion, who went 2 for 4 with a sacrifice fly and matched his career-high with five RBIs. Toronto’s Shawn Camp (4-3) pitched one inning for the win and Frank Francisco survived a two-run ninth to record his 13th save. The turnaround in the game prevented Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield notching his 200th career win.

He has not won since July.

Tigers 8, Indians 6 In Cleveland, Justin Ve rlander won his 10th straight start and earned his 22nd victory of the season as Detroit downed Cleveland. Verlander (22-5) gave up two two-run homers and trailed 4-2 before Detroit rallied against Justin Masterson (11-9) and the Indians’ bullpen. The comeback was completed when Victor Martinez hit a grand slam in Detroit’s five-run seventh inning. Verlander leads the majors in wins and is 20-2 since May 1. He gave up four runs and three hits in six innings, striking out eight. Tigers closer Jose Valverde pitched a perfect ninth for his 42nd save, tying the team record sent by Todd Jones in 2000. Valverde has not blown a save this year. Detroit dropped Cleveland 9-1/2 games back in the AL Central.

with two outs in the bottom of the 11th. but Eric Chavez hit into a forceout to end the game after 4 hours, 23 minutes. Baltimore’s Pedro Strop (1-1) worked 1 1-3 scoreless innings for the win and Jim Johnson got three outs for his third save.

Twins 5, White Sox 4 In Minneapolis, Minnesota snapped its 20inning scoreless streak and went on to edge Chicago. Danny Valencia’s two-run single ended the drought and rookie Chris Parmelee then added a two-run double to help the Twins avoid a sweep.

Minnesota starter Carl Pavano (8-11) pitched 5 1-3 innings, giving up one earned run, giving the Twins their first win in six games. Joe Nathan closed the game to get the save. Chicago starter John Danks (6-11) allowed five runs.

Orioles 5, Yankees 4 In New York, Mark Reynolds turned around a dismal personal night of four strikeouts by hitting the winning single in the 11th inning, lifting Baltimore over New OAKLAND: Athletics’ Jemile Weeks (right) slides to York. Less than 11 hours after the finish of Tuesday’s game, the score as Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez teams were back at it, with waits for the ball during the sixth inning. —AP Baltimore’s Nolan Reimold hitting Angels 3, Mariners 1 a two-run homer off A.J. Burnett.

In Anaheim, Maicer Izturis hit a go-ahead, twoReynolds’ two-out RBI single came off Hector Noesi (2-1). New York put runners at the corners run double in the eighth inning to lift Los Angeles

MLB results/standings WASHINGTON: National Hockey League results and standings after Wednesday’s games: Boston 2, Florida 1; Carolina 4, NY Islanders 2; Atlanta 1, Washington 0; Detroit 3, New Jersey 1; Dallas 3, Edmonton 1; Phoenix 5, Colorado 2; Calgary 4, St Louis 1; Vancouver 2, Nashville 1; Los Angeles 3, San Jose 2 (SO).

NY Yankees Boston Tampa Bay Toronto Baltimore

American League Eastern Division W L 87 54 85 57 78 64 71 72 56 85

PCT .617 .599 .549 .497 .397

GB 2.5 9.5 17 31

Detroit Chicago White Sox Cleveland Kansas City Minnesota

Central Division 81 62 71 70 70 70 60 84 59 84

.566 .504 .500 .417 .413

9 9.5 21.5 22

Texas LA Angels Oakland Seattle

Western Division 81 63 78 65 65 78 59 83

.563 .545 .455 .415

2.5 15.5 21

Philadelphia Atlanta NY Mets Washington Florida

National League Eastern Division 91 48 82 60 70 71 65 75 63 79

.655 .577 .496 .464 .444

10.5 22 26.5 29.5

Milwaukee St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh Chicago Cubs Houston

Central Division 85 59 76 67 70 73 66 77 62 81 48 95

.590 .531 .490 .462 .434 .336

8.5 14.5 18.5 22.5 36.5

Arizona San Francisco LA Dodgers Colorado San Diego

Western Division 82 61 75 68 69 72 6 76 62 81

.573 .524 .489 .469 .434

7 12 15 20

over Seattle. Peter Bourjos added a run-scoring single in the eighth as Los Angeles kept up its pressure on Texas. Angels starter Jerome Williams (3-0) gave up only one hit in eight innings, narrowly outdueling Seattle rookie Charlie Furbush (3-8), who held the Angels scoreless until the eighth.

Athletics 7, Royals 0 In Oakland, Guillermo Moscoso held Kansas City hitless into the eighth inning, steering Oakland to a comfortable win. Moscoso (8-8) threw 8 2-3 innings allowing no runs, and only one walk. He set an Oakland record by retiring 30 consecutive hitters - the final 13 against Seattle last Friday and the first 17 against the Royals.

Jemile Weeks had four hits and drove in a run for the A’s. , who won for the fifth time in seven games. Scott Sizemore doubled home two runs and Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham and Adam Rosales also drove in runs. Royals starter Bruce Chen (10-7) allowed six runs in 6 1-3 innings. —AP

Phillies edge Braves, build NL East lead PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia’s Ross Gload hit an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Phillies to a 3-2 win over Atlanta on Wednesday, increasing their lead over the Braves in the National League East division to 10-1/2 games.

The major league-leading Phillies closed in on their fifth straight division title. They are 43 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history.

However the win may come at a cost, as five-time All-Star Chase Utley left the game for precautionary reasons for a possible concussion, two innings after he was hit in the helmet by a pitch.

In the bottom of the ninth, Raul Ibanez drew a one-out walk off Peter Moylan (1-1).

Carlos Ruiz followed with a single then Gload ripped a hard ground ball down the right-field line to score Ibanez. Philadelphia’s Ryan Madson (4-2) pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the win.

Cardinals 2, Brewers 0 In St. Louis, Chris Carpenter pitched his first shutout in two years to guide St. Louis past Milwaukee. Rafael Furcal hit a solo homer for the Cardinals, who moved within 8-1/2 games of the first-place Brewers in the NL Central with 19 games to play. The Cardinals are 6-1/2 games behind Atlanta in the wild card race, with the Braves coming to St. Louis on Friday for a three-game series.

The benches and bullpens emptied in the top of the ninth after Carpenter (9-9) struck out Nyjer Morgan. The two had words and Morgan headed toward the mound before being restrained by teammate Prince

Fielder. No punches were thrown and Morgan was ejected.

D’backs 5, Rockies 3 In Denver, Arizona extended its lead in the NL West race to seven games by beating Colorado. Diamo ndbacks starter Joe Saunders (10-2) tossed six solid innings, giving up three runs and only one walk.

Justin Upton and Miguel Montero homered, while Jon McDonald and Gerardo Parra had two hits each for Arizona. Rockies starter Kevin Millwood (2-2) gave up 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings to take the loss, but did hit a homer.

Padres 3, Giants 1 In San Diego, Aaron Harang threw seven strong innings as San Diego dealt another blow to San Francisco’s fading playoff hopes.

The Giants, who have 19 games left, came into the game trailing NL West-leading Arizona by six games. Cameron Maybin had two hits and an RBI while Will Venable hit a solo homer for the Padres.

Mets 1, Marlins 0 In Miami, RA Dickey blanked Florida for seven innings, pitching New York past Florida. Jose Reyes led off the game with a single and scored on a double by Lucas Duda and that was enough for the victory.

The Mets won despite having only five hits.

Dickey (8-11) and two relievers held the Marlins to five hits also. It was the last game New York will play in the stadium before the Marlins relocate to a new park next season, and Wednesday’s win meant the Mets finished with a 75-74 win-loss record

against their divisional rival at that park.

Florida starter Brad Hand (1-6) allowed three hits in six innings.

Cubs 6, Reds 3 In Chicago, Carlos Pena hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning to give Chicago victory over Cincinnati.

Aramis Ramirez had a two-run double for Chicago, while Starlin Castro and D.J. LeMahieu each had two hits.

Castro sparked the winning rally with a leadoff single against Logan Ondrusek (4-5). Reed Johnson moved Castro to second with a sacrifice before the Reds intentionally walked Ramirez, bring in left-handed pitcher Bill Bray to face the lefty-batting Pena. Pena pulled Bray’s first pitch out of the stadium for his 26th homer of the season.

Pirates 5, Astros 4 In Pittsburgh, Andrew McCutchen homered twice as Pittsburgh edged Houston. McCutchen hit a solo homer in the first after Houston had taken a 3-0 lead and a three-run shot in the fifth to tie the game 4-4.

Jason Jaramillo hit the winner in the eighth, getting a single that scored Chase d’Arnaud, giving manager Clint Hurdle his 600th career victory.

The Pirates’ bullpen combined for 5 2-3 innings of scoreless relief, with Tony Watson (2-2) getting the final out in the eighth and Joel Hanrahan working a perfect ninth for his 36th save. The Astros have lost five of six. —AP

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Packers and Saints set to provide explosive start MIAMI: The National Football League (NFL) season gets underway with a bang late yesterday as the past two Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints, go head-to-head at a packed Lambeau Field.

While defending a title in the NFL has proved to be a notoriously tough task, it has happened only eight times since the first Super Bowl in 1967, there is a real sense that the Packers have a chance of a second straight Super Bowl triumph.

Mike McCarthy saw his team get their hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy last season despite having 17 players on the injured reserve and he now has most of those starters available again-including tight-end Jermichael Finley.

Finley’s return gives quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who already has an abundance of targets in an impressive receiver corps, another option which should make the Packers even

more of a threat offensively.

The aggressive defense that was so crucial to the Super Bowl win over the Pittsburgh Steelers is, if anything, even stronger this season and Saints quarterback Drew Brees believes he will be up against one of the best defenses around.

“Their defense as a whole is aggressive, they get after the quarterback, they make a lot of turnovers, make a lot of plays and play with a lot of confidence,” said Brees.

The Saints have overhauled their running backs after releasing Reggie Bush and have also been boosted by head coach Sean Payton’s agreement to a contract extension that will keep him with the franchise until 2015.

Such stability on and off the fieldthe Saints have had the same head coach, general manager and quarterback for the past five years-is the envy of many in a league where there has been, as usual, a great deal

of roster movement. Eight teams will start this season with new head coaches.

The Seattle Seahawks, who begin their campaign at San Francisco on Sunday, have only 10 of 53 players left from those inherited by head coach Pete Carroll at the end of the 2009 season.

Some teams have left big decisions late-the Jacksonville Jaguars released their long-term starting quarterback David Garrard on Monday, just five days before their opener at home to the Tennessee Titans.

The Indianapolis Colts will also launch the season with a new quarterback, though there was no question of choice involved in having to leave out Peyton Manning, who is still recovering from a neck injury.

Four-times MVP Manning will be replaced in Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans by veteran backup Kerry Collins, who has come out

Australia dominates Sri Lanka in 2nd Test PALLEKELE: Australia dominated day one of the second delivery moving away from him and the ball took a slight test against Sri Lanka after seamer Ryan Harris helped dis- edge through to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

Dilshan (4) left a delivery from Copeland alone but the miss the hosts for 174 in its first innings.

The visitors then raced to 60 without loss at stumps yes- ball nipped back sharply to hit off stump. Copeland then terday. Shane Watson (36 not out) and Phil Hughes (23 not had Mahela Jayawardene (4) caught by Hussey diving at out) were batting virtually unthreatened when bad light gully to leave the hosts at 14-3. stopped play.

Earlier Harris claimed three wickets and seamers Trent Copeland, Mitchell Johnson and spinner Nathan Lyon picked up two each to dismiss Sri Lanka cheaply.

Australia batsman Mike Hussey who also took the key wicket of Kumar Sangakkara - was full of praise for the bowlers for restricting the hosts to such a low total.

“I think it’s a testament the way our bowlers have gone about their work.

They have been very patient and very disciplined,” Hussey said. “It’s a good surface (but) it’s a little slow, and so it’s hard to get your timing right - but it’s only as good as the bowlers bowl.

“We had a very good day, the bowlers did a fantastic job. The batters should stand up and bat for a long period of time and set the challenge ... We will really try and bat well and play Sri Lanka out of the game.”

PALLEKELE: Australian cricketer Phill Hughes bats as Sri Lankan wicketSri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan keeper Prasanna Jayawardene looks on during the first day of the second acknowledged his batsmen were mak- Test cricket match. —AP ing the same mistakes, despite trying hard. “This is a good wicket, we can’t expect to get out for Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera shared 43 runs to 174 playing seven batsmen,” Dilshan said. “There is some- raise hopes of a revival by the hosts, but Harris returned to thing wrong with the batting, we are talking, discussing have Samaraweera (17) caught by Haddin, and Prasanna and doing a lot of hard work at training, it’s now time to Jayawardene (18) joined the procession back to the pavildeliver. We can’t say the wicket is bad or their bowling is ion, caught by Harris off the bowling of spinner Lyon.

Sangakkara was dismissed by part-time seamer Hussey good.”

“We can’t wait any more, this is the third time we’ve got for 48 including seven boundaries.

Mathews brought up his fourth test fifty lofting Harris out cheaply.” Angelo Mathews top scored for the hosts with 58 but only three other players made double figures. over long-on for a six. He was out caught by Haddin off Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first but soon Johnson shortly after, having faced 111 balls, hitting three fell into trouble on a pitch that offered early help for seam sixes and six four. bowling. Harris removed opener Tharanga Paranavitana (0) Shaun Marsh received his first test cap for Australia from caught behind in the third over. The left-hander played at a his father, former test opener Geoff Marsh. He replaced

of retirement for the unenviable task of filling in for one of the best quarterbacks ever.

Receiver Chad Ochocinco and lineman Albert Haynesworth were two surprise additions to the New England Patriots’ roster and will make their debuts in the Monday night game at the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins looked likely to be one of the teams undergoing major rework this offseason but first coach Tony Sparano and then quarterback Chad Henne were given one more chance to prove they can get the Florida team back into the playoffs.

Sunday’s most intriguing matchup sees the Dallas Cowboys, with Tony Romo fit again to lead from quarterback, travel to the New York Jets. There is some strong sibling rivalry involved in that battle with Rob Ryan, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, coming up against his twin brother Rex, head coach of the Jets. —Reuters

SCOREBOARD PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the second Test between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Stadium yesterday: Sri Lanka 1st innings T. Paranavitana c Haddin b Harris 0 T. Dilshan b Copeland 4 K. Sangakkara c Hughes b Hussey 48 M. Jayawardene c Hussey b Copeland 4 T. Samaraweera c Haddin b Harris 17 P. Jayawardene c Harris b Lyon 18 A. Mathews c Haddin b Johnson 58 S. Randiv c and b Lyon 4 S. Prasanna b Harris 5 S. Lakmal not out 7 C. Welegedara c Copeland b Johnson 2 Extras (b2, lb4, nb1): 7 Total (all out, 64.1 overs): 174 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Paranavitana), 2-10 (Dilshan), 3-14 (M. Jayawardene), 4-57 (Samaraweera), 5-76 (P. Jayawardene), 6-128 (Sangakkara), 7-133 (Randiv), 8-150 (Prasanna), 9-166 (Mathews), 10-174 (Welegedara) Bowling: Harris 16-7-38-3, Copeland 12-5-24-2, Watson 10-5-17-0, Johnson 15.1-1-48-2 (nb1), Lyon 10-2-41-2, Hussey 1-1-0-1 Australia 1st innings S. Watson not out 36 P. Hughes not out 23 Extras (nb1): 1 Total (for no loss, 17.4 overs): 60 To bat: Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Trent Copeland, Nathan Lyon Bowling: Welegedara 5-0-27-0, Lakmal 2-0-10-0 (nb1), Prasanna 6.4-1-18-0, Dilshan 2-1-1-0, Randiv 2-0-4-0.

Ricky Ponting who returned home for the birth of his second child after playing the first test.

Rangana Herath was left out by Sri Lanka after he suffered a finger injury and legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna was included for his debut, as the second spinner alongside Suraj Randiv.

Sri Lanka must win the match to have a chance of claiming the three-test series. Australia won the first Test by 125 runs. —AP

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

NZ, counting down the hours to kickoff

DUNEDIN: England rugby player Louis Deacon looks to catch a ball during a training session at Carisbrook Stadium. England will play Argentina in their opening Rugby World Cup Pool B match tomorrow. —AP

England plan to tame Pumas in tough opener DUNEDIN: England and Argentina are set for a bruising encounter in their Pool B World Cup opener here tomorrow.

Not for either side the luxury of a ‘warm-up’ match against underdogs Georgia or Romania.

Instead the group’s seemingly two strongest sidesalthough Scotland who’ve always reached the World Cup quarter-finals will have something to say about that-meet first up. This match could determine the pool winners who, should New Zealand top their pool, will then avoid the All Blacks until the final. England manager Martin Johnson, bidding to become the first man to win the World Cup as both player and a coach, knows all about the endurance required to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy. It was a quality England demonstrated in abundance four years ago in France when, without Johnson in a playing or coaching capacity, they started the 2007 World Cup with an unconvincing win against the United States and were then thrashed 36-0 by South Africa before recovering to finish runners-up after a 15-6 loss to the Springboks in the final. Argentina, by contrast, were out of the blocks straight away stunning hosts France in their opener and defeating Les Bleus again to finish third. “They do what they do very well but they’ve got more dimensions to them than is sometimes made out in the media,” Johnson said of an Argentina team renowned for its strong scrum.

“They are a dangerous running side, they come at you through forwards but put you under pressure with their kicks as well. England rely on a solid pack to secure enough possession that enables record points scorer Jonny Wilkinson, who has seen off the challenge of Toby Flood, to keep kicking scores. However, they have struggled against well-organised defences thanks to a lack of a cutting edge in midfield.

But it appears the arrival of dynamic Samoa born centre Manu Tuilagi, who has scored a try in each of his two Tests, may have come just in time for England, who boast a trio of survivors from the team that started the 2003 final in Wilkinson, centre Mike Tindall and hooker Steve Thompson.

The Pumas have lost influential scrum-half Agustin Pichot, powerful forward Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, full-back Ignacio Corleto, No 8 Gonzalo Longo and fly-half Juan Martin Hernandez, recently ruled out with a knee injury, from their celebrated 2007 team. But in veteran skipper Felipe Contepomi, who spent two seasons with Wilkinson at Toulon before his recent move to rival French club Stade Francais, Argentina too have an accomplished goalkicker.

Argentina have had just the one Test this year, a 28-13 defeat by Wales in Cardiff last month, but Contepomi said: “We had very good preparation these last two months. If we can be competitive on Saturday, that will be great.” But England, who’ve lost two of their last four Tests against Argentina, will expect much more of the Pumas.—AFP

AUCKLAND: After four long years, Richie McCaw is counting down the hours before he can start trying to fully atone for New Zealand’s disastrous finish to the last World Cup. The All Blacks captain and coaching staff have answered more questions than they’d care to remember regarding New Zealand’s failures at every World Cup since it won the inaugural tournament in 1987.

With the World Cup back on home soil for the first time since then, McCaw is desperate to end the drought. New Zealand’s host cities and towns have been scrubbed and polished. There’s flags for the 20 competing countries hanging all over the place, as is the sense of anticipation.

The All Blacks open against Tonga on Friday night at a revamped Eden Park stadium in what looms as a bruising, highly intense clash. “It’s a stage where everyone is at their peak and if you want success you’ve got to be,” McCaw told a news conference Thursday. “That’s what motivates me - to test yourself in the toughest environment and, when you do that and succeed, that’s when you can be satisfied. “A World Cup is the biggest stage and you want to prove yourself on that.”

McCaw and star flyhalf Daniel Carter were replaced during the 2007 quarterfinal in Cardiff before France staged a magnificent comeback to send the New Zealanders to their earliest exit ever in the tournament. That came after the All Blacks had walloped the French in a warmup match. “You’d be a mug if you hadn’t learned in the four years since then,” McCaw said. The lead-up has been different this time. The top-ranked New Zealanders lost away tests to World Cup champion South Africa and Australia to surrender the Tri-Nations title and come into the World Cup on consecutive losses for the first time.

“History has shown that what has happened previously - good or bad - means nothing come kickoff,” McCaw said.

“There’ll be no complacency this time.”

That’s important for the All Blacks, as the Tongans aren’t likely to be ruffled by reputations. Ever since arriving on Monday, captain Finau Maka and his squad have been shadowed by thousands of resident Tongans. The welcoming committee was so large that Auckland airport became gridlocked for hours with cars and their red-and-white flags. They’re treating it like a neighborhood game. “There’s no pressure on us, the pressure is on them,” said Maka, who passed a fitness test Thursday and is certain to take his place in the backrow against New Zealand. “We’re just going to go out there and give it to them and see if they can handle it. “We just don’t want to turn up and make up the numbers,” he added. “We want to go out there and show the world that Tonga does exist.”

The Tongans won the right to start their war dance, the Sipi Tau, first.

Organizers have said it’s up to the All Blacks to decide when they respond. If it’s anything like the encounters in 2003 and 1999, it’s likely to be instantaneous.

Organizers have planned a fireworks extravaganza across this harbor city and celebrations across the rugby-mad country of 4.5 million on Friday night in the official opening for the tournament, which features 48 matches across six weeks

AUCKLAND: New Zealand rugby player Brad Thorn is held aloft by teammates as he catches the ball during the captain’s run at Eden Park.The All Blacks play their opening Rugby World Cup game against Tonga here today.—AP including eight in the first three days.

All the heavyweights are in action on the first weekend, with the most anticipated clash between 2007 finalist England and third-place finisher Argentina at Dunedin on Saturday night - under the covered roof of a brand new stadium that has replaced the city’s famous “House of Pain.” Jonny Wilkinson, who kicked England to victory in extra time against Australia in the 2003 final to secure the first title for a northern hemisphere team, is back in the driving seat at flyhalf.

England team manager Martin Johnson, the captain of that 2003 squad, unveiled his starting team on Thursday, taking no chances against an Argentina squad that will be a handful in the forwards and capably marshaled in the backs by veteran captain Felipe Contepomi.

In earlier matches Saturday, Chris Paterson will set a Scotland record when he lines up in his fourth World Cup at fullback against Romania at Invercargill, Fiji opens against Namibia at Rotorua in Pool C and two-time finalist France takes on John Kirwan’s Japan team.

Defending champion South Africa gets under way Sunday night in a challenging Pool D encounter with Wales at

Wellington. The No. 2-ranked Australians kick off Sunday’s action against Italy in Auckland, and the U.S. squad will attend an ecumenical church service in the morning to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks before taking on Ireland at New Plymouth.

While Tongan flags were fluttering all over Auckland, the Russian flag was at half-mast in Blenheim where the national squad was coming to grips with news of the tragic air crash near Moscow, which killed 43 people, including 36 players, coaches and officials of the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv team that was heading to Minsk, Belarus, to play its opening game of the Kontinental Hockey League season.

“There’s a very, very strong bond across all sports in Russia. It’s hit hard,” the Russian rugby team’s media manager, Leon Addie, told local reporters. “Plane travel is an inherent part of playing sports in Russia because of the distances to cover. All of our players can empathize completely.”

The team observed a minute’s silence during its official welcome in Blenheim, where it is in camp until its opening match against the United States at New Plymouth on Sept. 15.—AP

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Arsenal eye fresh start with clear heads MANCHESTER: Arsenal hope to make a fresh start to their Premier League campaign when they entertain newcomers Swansea City this weekend armed with new signings and clear heads after a welcome international break.

While free-scoring Manchester rivals United and City have blasted out of the blocks with a 100 percent record, Arsene Wenger’s side have picked up just one point from their first three matches as well as several injuries and suspensions.

The departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri compounded their problems but they have replenished their squad with a host of transfer deadline-day signings such as Mikel Arteta, Yossi Benayoun, Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos.

The near fortnight break for Euro 2012 qualifiers and international friendlies may

have come at the right time for the north Londoners, who host Swansea tomorrow.

“We’ve had a good think about stuff (during the break),” Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey told Sky Sports News.

“We’ve brought in some new players and I think everything is going to be sort of a fresh start now so hopefully we can just get the three points and build on that and get ourselves back into the race.”

While Arsenal are hoping for change, City and United want nothing of the sort after a perfect start to the season. The champions make the short trip to Bolton Wanderers tomorrow, where they could only draw 2-2 last season, and could give a first start of the campaign to Mexico striker Javier Hernandez who has been sidelined after a concussion.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a dream debut season with his goal-poaching

Gignac ready to show Marseille his worth FRANCE: French international striker Andre-Pierre Gignac is determined to heal his dented pride by helping Olympique Marseille secure their first win of the Ligue 1 season against Stade Rennes yesterday.

Gignac travelled to England last week with media reports linking him to a move to Fulham but negotiations broke down and the striker was forced to return to Marseille, where he has struggled to make an impact after joining from Toulouse last season.

“I did not do all it takes to perform well last season,” Gignac admitted in a press conference earlier this week. “I’m back with extra motivation 10 times stronger after my pride was hurt. I am going to get off my bottom and show that I am the striker they (the Marseille officials) expect.”

Marseille, the 2010 champions, have yet to win a league game this season, having drawn three and lost one in a lacklustre start.

Gignac, who scored only eight goals from 31 Ligue 1 matches last season, has been struggling with his fitness and coach Didier Deschamps went as far as sending him to a slimming course in Italy last month.

“It is not a sanction,” Deschamps said at the time.

Gignac could start Saturday’s game against fifthplaced Rennes as Ghana forward Andre Ayew is doubtful after suffering a possible groin injury in an African Nations Cup qualifier against Swaziland last week. Elsewhere, Paris St Germain will rely on new signing Javier Pastore to guide them against Stade Brest on Sunday as the big spenders look to stay close to leaders Montpellier, who host Nice also on Sunday.

Uruguay captain Diego Lugano, who joined in the final days of the transfer window, could make his debut at the Parc des Princes in central defence.

“I feel very well (physically) as I trained with (former club) Fenerbahce during the close season,” Lugano, who played 70 minutes with his national team in a friendly against Ukraine last week, told the club’s website.

Second-placed Olympique Lyon, who travel to promoted Dijon tomorrow, could leapfrog Montpellier into top spot, at least for a day, if they win. Champions Lille could take new signing Joe Cole with them when they travel to St Etienne tomorrow. “I think he is a good signing, we can see that he is very skilful with the ball,” said midfielder Mathieu Debuchy.—Reuters

knack winning him a regular starting spot as a partner to Wayne Rooney. “Once he got into the team, he took his chance and the manager kept him in,” Rooney told MUTV. “He repaid the manager with goals and was brilliant for us last seasona big reason why we won the league. “I’m looking forward to him doing the same, if not scoring more goals for us, this season.” United have already scored 13 goals thanks to some inspired showings by a youthful team, and lead neighbors Manchester City, who have scored 12, on goal difference.

Roberto Mancini’s City, who like United, Arsenal and Chelsea will have half an eye on next week’s start to the Champions League group stage, host Wigan Athletic tomorrow and could be boosted by the return of Kolo Toure.

The Ivory Coast defender is free to

play after serving a six-month doping ban, imposed after he took one of his wife’s diet pills that contained a banned substance. “Kolo looks fresh and in the kind of form that made him such an awesome central defender when Arsenal were at the top of their game,” Micah Richards, who could also return after a hamstring injury, told the club website (www.mcfc.co.uk).

There could be a return from injury for Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who resumed training slightly earlier than expected after a knee ligament problem to lift fans’ hopes that he could be on the teamsheet for tomorrow’s trip to Sunderland. Fourth-placed Chelsea are level on seven points with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool, who travel to FA Cup finalists Stoke City tomorrow. —Reuters

Barca looking to avoid ‘FIFA virus’ at Sociedad MADRID: Barcelona have occasionally suffered a dip in form in recent seasons after their players returned from international duty and they are hoping to avoid a similar slip-up when they visit Real Sociedad tomorrow.

Argentine World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and 13 other first-team players arrived back from national team duty on Wednesday and the champions will try to maintain their perfect start to the campaign in San Sebastian following a 5-0 thrashing of visitors Villarreal on the opening matchday.

In the corresponding fixture in the 2008-09 season, Pep Guardiola’s side succumbed to what is known in Spain as the “FIFA virus” and were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Racing Santander while last season promoted Hercules stunned the Nou Camp with an unlikely 2-0 victory.

“However much people think that leagues are decided by games against your main rivals I believe rather that you win or lose them playing at stadiums like the one on Saturday,” Barca’s Brazil fullback Daniel Alves said on Wednesday.

Guardiola has all his first-team players available except Gerard Pique, who is nursing a leg muscle injury. Pique’s partner in central defence, captain Carles Puyol, could make his first appearance since a knee operation in June, while fullbacks Adriano and Maxwell and midfielder Ibrahim Afellay are also back in training after injury.

With one match played, the La Liga table has a familiar look to it, with Real top on goal difference after they humbled Real Zaragoza 6-0 away in their opening game and Barca second.

The crushing nature of the big two’s victories prompted fresh grumblings about their domination of income from audiovisual rights.

A group of top-flight clubs, led by Sevilla, are meeting on Thursday to discuss whether the system can be changed to allow fairer revenue distribution like in rival European leagues.

Jose Mourinho’s Real side host city rivals Getafe at the Bernabeu on Saturday (1800) and their opponents’ new coach

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi

Luis Garcia, who joined from Levante at the end of last season, has no illusions about the size of the task his players face.

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo and France striker Karim Benzema netted hat-tricks when Real destroyed Levante 80 in a King’s Cup match last season.

“If you try to pressure them (Real) high up the pitch they can put five past you, or eight like in the Cup last year,” Garcia said in an interview with sports daily Marca published on Thursday.

“And if you tr y to hang back and defend they can score six” as happened to

Zaragoza,” he added. “We will try to get more possession than them, which will be tough and even harder at the Bernabeu, and then not allow them space to destroy us on the counter. Madrid are the best in the world at that.”

Four of the teams who should be challenging for European berths next season play tomorrow. Villarreal, who host Bayern Munic h in Champions League Group A on Wednesday, are at home to Sevilla and Valencia, who play at Genk in Group E on Tuesday, host Atletico Madrid.—Reuters

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Serie A set to begin after strike settled MILAN: Defending champion AC Milan could face a stern test against Lazio when Serie A finally begins this weekend, after a strike postponed the scheduled start two weeks ago.

The players’ association and the league signed a new temporary collective contract on Monday to end the players’ protest. “To tell the truth, I didn’t really understand why we stopped,” said Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “All I know is finally we’re starting again.”

Ibrahimovic has recovered from a slight ankle injury and says he is looking forward to playing with newly signed midfielders Alberto Aquilani and Antonio Nocerino.

“We’re still the favorites,” Ibrahimovic said. “We’ve improved ourselves in the transfer market and we’re stronger than last season.”

Milan beat Inter Milan 2-1 in the Italian Super Cup more than a month ago, and is in a hurry to get back into shape before opening the Champions League against titleholder Barcelona on Tuesday.

Lazio hasn’t beaten Milan at the San Siro in 22 years, and it appears coach Edy Reja will try to end that streak Friday with a high-powered 4-2-3-1 attack featuring to newly signed players Germany striker Miroslav Klose and France forward Djibril Cisse - plus playmakers Stefano Mauri and Hernanes.

On the final day of the transfer window last week, Lazio let striker Mauro Zarate move to Inter Milan, which opens at Palermo on Sunday. Inter had won Serie A for five consecutive seasons until Milan took last year’s title.

“We’ve won a lot over the last few years and we’re still a squad capable of reaching certain objectives,” said Inter’s 38-year-old captain Javier Zanetti, entering his 17th season with Inter. “We don’t think of ourselves as not being the favorites. We know what we’re worth.

“But fine, let Milan be the favorite,” Zanetti added. “It’s only normal that you’ve got to give (new coach Gian Piero) Gasperini some time.”

Inter lost standout striker Samuel Eto’o to Russian club Anzhi

Makhachkala, but also added Diego Forlan from Atletico Madrid to fill the vacancy along with Zarate.

“Mauro is unmarkable - he can dribble by men and create numerical advantages,” Zanetti said. “(Forlan) can kick the same way with his right and left foot and he could make a difference for us on free kicks.

“Of course we all recognize how important Eto’o was to this squad, but nobody wins alone,” Zanetti told the Gazzetta dello Sport. “We’re stronger than before. Some very strong players have arrived over the summer and let’s not forget that last year two key players like (Diego) Milito and (Walter) Samuel were missing. We’ve got a lot of different options, which could be key over the course of a season.”

Milito and Samuel missed most of last season due to injury. Inter already has a couple injuries at this season’s start, with key midfielder Thiago Motta to miss the first 20 to 25 after picking up a left leg problem in Italy’s 1-0 win over Slovenia on Tuesday, while versatile defender Cristian Chivu is also out with a left ankle injury.

And Inter won’t have Forlan for the Champions League group stage - it

opens against Turkish side Trabzonspor - because it found out late that he is cup-tied after transferring from Atletico Madrid.

Juventus, which didn’t qualify for Europe this season and once again made a complete overhaul with a long list of new players and hired Antonio Conte as coach, plays its first official match in its new stadium against Parma on Sunday.

Under new American ownership, Roma opens at Cagliari after captain Francesco Totti apparently made peace with new coach Luis Enrique after a controversial substitution in a Europa League playoff loss.

In tomorrow’s match, Napoli visits Cesena - which signed troubled forward Adrian Mutu from Fiorentina - then opens the Champions League against Manchester City.

Newly promoted Atalanta, meanwhile, starts the season at Genoa with a six-point penalty from the recent matchfixing and betting scandal, and without captain Cristiano Doni, who was banned for three and a half years. Also this weekend, it’s: Catania vs. Siena; Chievo Verona vs. Novara; Fiorentina vs.

Bologna; and Lecce vs. Udinese. —AP

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

More gloom looms for Egypt JOHANNESBURG: More gloom is looming for Egypt with famous Cairo club Al-Ahly likely to join the national team in the African football scrap yard this weekend.

An Ahly team that has not scored in four assignments around the continent this year will almost certainly be eliminated from the African Champions League if they lose at Group B leaders Wydad Casablanca.

Victory for Wydad in the Moroccan commercial capital would create an unassailable four-point gap between the teams with one round left in the mini-league phase of a competition with a 1.5-million-dollar first prize.

And if second-place Esperance of Tunisia, who trail Wydad on goal difference, triumph at home against win-less Mouloudia Alger of Algeria they would join the Moroccans in the semi-finals and leave Ahly out in the cold.

Portuguese coach Manuel Jose takes Ahly to Morocco without banned Hossam Ghaly and injured fellow midfielder Mohamed Barakat and admits the current squad from a club that have been African champions a record six times is growing old and less effective.

Egyptian football followers are already depressed as the country that won the last three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments are out of the running for a place at the 2012 finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

A ‘Pharaohs’ squad initially containing many Ahly stars has collected just two points from five qualifiers, although they will have a say in who tops the final table with shock leaders Niger coming to Cairo during October.

Accepting that they were out of the running, Egypt ditched the stars that have ruled the continent for six years and sent mainly under-23 footballers to Sierra Leone last weekend for a pool game they lost 2-1 after conceding a late goal.

Wydad have been the unexpected revelation of the group phase, sharing six goals with Ahly in Cairo, firing four past Mouloudia, coming from two goals behind at home to hold Esperance and forcing a draw away to the same side.

Mouhssine Iajour and Congo Brazzaville-born Fabrice Ondama have struck five goals each for Wydad in the competition this year-one less than leading scorer Edward Sadomba, a Zimbabwean who plays for Sudanese club Al-Hilal. — AFP

VILINIUS: Tornike Shengelia (down) from Georgia fights for a rebound with Pero Antic (up) from Macedonia during the EuroBasket European Basketball Championship Group E match. —AP

Macedonia get past Georgia at Europeans VILNIUS: American-born Bo McCalebb gave his adopted nation of Macedonia a present on its Independence Day, making a layup with two seconds left yesterday to secure a 65-63 victory over Georgia at the European Championship.

The victory on the 20th anniversary of Macedonia’s independence all but sealed an improbable place in the quarterfinals for the former Yugoslav republic and a shot at qualifying for next year’s Olympics in London.

“Before the tournament, no one expected us to do anything, so we tried to take advantage of that,” McCalebb said.

After a time-out, McCalebb dribbled the ball as the clock ticked down before driving to the basket and putting in a left-handed layup for the win.

The guard led all scorers with 27 points. “Everybody in the gym knew they would play pick-and-roll and that McCalebb would drive to the left and still we couldn’t stop him,” Georgia coach Igor Kokoskov said.

McCalebb, who was born and raised in New Orleans, never played club basketball in Macedonia but led Partizan Belgrade from neighboring Serbia to the Euroleague Final Four. He is now with Montepaschi Siena and also guided the Italian team to the Final Four.

Macedonia, looking for a playmaker after injuries to two players, offered him citizenship last year.

“He is a fantastic player,” Macedonia coach Marin Dokuzovski said. With a 3-0 record in second-round Group F, Macedonia has virtually secured a spot in the quarterfinals.

Four teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals. The two finalists will qualify directly for the London Olympics, while the next four teams will play an additional qualifying tournament.

Georgia (0-3) played without Atlanta Hawks center Zaza Pachulia, the team’s second leading scorer, who has been ruled out for the tournament because of a left calf injury.

The Georgians also lost point guard George Tsintsadze to a left knee injury midway into the second quarter. “They’ve beaten better teams than Georgia, but it’s a tough loss,” said Kokoskov, an assistant with the Phoenix Suns. “Maybe it’s better to lose by 20.”

Macedonia led by 14 in the third quarter but Georgia pulled back to within two in the fourth before McCalebb stopped its 14-2 run with two quick baskets.

Nikoloz Tskitishvili, who led Georgia with 20 points, made two free throws to tie the game with 16 seconds on the clock. Macedonia called a time-out and McCalebb never let the ball out of his hands until scoring the winning basket.

“Bo can always find solutions,” Dokuzovski said. “The Independence Day gave us extra motivation but it also put additional pressure on us.” —AP

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Red Bull face tough test at Monza MONZA: Red Bull will need to be quicker than ever at Monza this weekend if Formula One’s runaway leader Sebastian Vettel is to get on the podium at Ferrari’s home circuit. The champion, winner of seven of the 12 races to date this season, has little to worry about given that he is 92 points clear at the top after leading Australian team mate and closest rival Mark Webber to a one-two at Spa in Belgium.

But Monza, the fastest circuit on the calendar as well as a temple of Italian motorsport, has played more to the strengths of Ferrari and McLaren in recent years.

Since Red Bull Racing appeared on the scene in 2005, the team has yet to finish on the podium at the circuit outside Milan while Ferrari have won eight of the last 15 there.

Vettel triumphed with Red Bull’s Italian-based sister team Toro Rosso in

2008, when he celebrated his first win, but the Monza fans are not alone in expecting Ferrari and Fernando Alonso to repeat last year’s success in Sunday’s final European race of the season.

“Of course this is our target, our objective but it will be very difficult,” Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali told Reuters at a fan event at Pirelli headquarters on Wednesday.

“I am expecting, I hope, that during the race we will be very competitive.

“This year in qualifying we have seen that we did not have the package to be quick on the single lap and I would say it is more difficult to be on pole,” he added. “But this year with the two sectors of DRS (adjustable rear wing) and this new situation with the tyres, I think everything is possible.”

If Alonso-who has only one win to his credit so far this year-can repeat last year’s pole position for Ferrari, then he

will end a Red Bull run of qualifying domination that stretches back to last season’s final race in Abu Dhabi.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, smarting from his non-finish at Spa, and 2009 champion team mate Jenson Buttonrunner-up for the past two years at Monza-will also be the men to beat while Mercedes and old Ferrari favorite Michael Schumacher can never be counted out. “We know Monza, in recent years, has been our weakest circuit and we know Ferrari will be strong there, as they historically are, as will McLaren and Mercedes,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said after Belgium.

“But this result gives us a lot of confidence, and we will be going to Monza to try and better our previous best result which is a fourth place.”

Vettel and Webber were fourth and sixth respectively last year, the Australian’s best result at Monza in nine

visits, but the car’s sector times at Spa this time around have raised Red Bull spirits. With Vettel’s second title fast approaching, and just seven races remaining, it would be entirely consistent if the German did not win on Sunday. Only twice in the last 20 years has the winner of the Italian Grand Prix gone on to take the title that year, although on both those occasions it was a German who did it-Schumacher in 2000 and 2003 with Ferrari. “Monza holds incredibly special memories for me,” said Vettel this week, reminiscing about his 2008 win. “That’s something I will never forget - I had goosebumps standing on the podium with the fans below. “The track is not particularly physically demanding but, despite that, it is certainly not easy. Because of the long straights we drive with less rear wing than at other circuits, so the car can be more unstable.”—Reuters

Coe predicts Paralympic Games ticket sellout

COFFS HARBOR: Reigning seven-time world champion Sebastien Loeb of France is flagged off in his Citroen DS3 for the start Round 10 of the World Rally Championship. —AFP

Frenchmen locked in battle for title COFFS HARBOUR: Citroen’s Sebastien Ogier gained an early advantage over teammate and bitter rival Sebastien Loeb after two special stages on the opening day of Rally Australia yesterday.

With four rounds of the World Rally Championship remaining, the two Frenchmen are locked in a battle for the title, with seven-time champion Loeb leading Ogier by 25 points.

Ogier, who won the Rally of Germany in August after ignoring team orders to let Loeb take the race, won the first special stage held in the picturesque town of Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales north coast by seven seconds.

Loeb struck back to take the second stage from Ogier by one second, giving Ogier a six second advantage heading into today’ race.

Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala was third in his Ford Fiesta, 2.8 seconds back, with fellow countryman and teammate Mikko Hirvonen fourth, 5.9 seconds off the pace.

Ogier conceded that the real race would begin on Friday when the rally heads to the country on all-gravel roads. “It was a good start but the real start is tomorrow,” he said.

“It was quite slippery and not easy to find the right rhythm.

The car is good so I’m happy.” Loeb said he was also satisfied with the low-key start to the event. “It was okay. I did quite a good stage, which is very specific compared to the rest of the rally,” he said. “But it was really slippery, particularly on hard gravel tyres.”

The two Frenchman will have to be wary of third placed Latvala, who was fastest in practice on the country roads earlier yesterday.

Latvala said he would head into today’s stages full of confidence. “I was a bit stressed by how (the grip) was going to be,” Latvala said. “In a couple of places it was slippery on the braking but generally better than expected. “I will go to bed with a smile.” The race takes in eight special stages today.—AFP

LONDON: London Olympic organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe predicted yesterday that all two million tickets for the Paralympic Games from Aug 29-Sept. 9 next year will be sold.

“I do think we will, I think we have a really good chance,” Coe told reporters during an International Paralympic Day staged in Trafalgar Square to publicise the Games.

“I want to see full stadia, I want people in there who look like they want to be there. We will have a group ticket that will be available so that schools will be able to go there and it’s in term time.

“We are also going to make sure that we’ve got the ability to showcase a lot of these sports in the leadup to that so that’s why that Paralympic Day is really important.” The tickets will go on sale today.

South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius, who this year became the first disabled athlete to compete at a world athletics championships, said it was now common to have a family member or friend with a disability. Pistorius was awarded a silver medal after South Africa finished second in the 4x400 metres relay in Daegu after competing in the semifinals although he did not run in the final. “A lot of perceptions are going to be changed about how people view people with disabilities and on how they view Paralympic sport,” he said. “Paralympic sport is disappointment, it’s triumph, it’s hard work and it’s dedication and that’s really exciting.” Pistorius plans to compete in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x100 at the Paralympic Games and also qualify for the Olympic 400 metres. He was cleared to compete against able-bodied athletes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport over-ruled an

LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron plays tennis with London mayor Boris Johnson (not pictured) in Trafalgar Square. The politicians joined paralympic athletes in the square to mark international Paralympic Day. —AP

International Association of Athletics Federations’ ban.

“Before I came along in the sport there were a lot of parathletes who were really fighting for inclusion in sports,” he said.

“They might not participate on an international level but they participate on a regional level and in their own countries and I think that’s important, I think we should always strive for that.” The Paralympic move-

ment began on the opening day of the 1948 London Olympics with the Stoke Mandeville Games for former servicemen and women with spinal cord injuries. They competed in wheelchair races and archery.

The first Paralympic Games for international athletes were staged in conjunction with the 1960 Rome Olympics and since the 1988 Seoul Games they have been staged in the same venue.—Reuters

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VILNIUS: Vojdan Stojanovski (right) from Macedonia looks on as Viktor Sanikidze, left, from Georgia dunks a ball during the EuroBasket European Basketball Championship Group E match. —AP