11 Jun

IO N IPT SC R SU B

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

RAJAB 9, 1432 AH

No: 15116

Siemens confirms corruption case in Kuwait

150 Fils

4Protesters, MPs urge PM to quit ‘Go or be grilled’

Max 44º Min 33º

Kuwait ‘needs deep reforms’ KUWAIT: Kuwait must carry out major constitutional reforms, including limiting the powers of the Al-Sabah ruling family, in order to resolve its lingering political dilemma, analysts and politicians say. So far, Kuwait has avoided the unrest sweeping many Arab countries, but youth activists have been holding huge rallies on Fridays for the past three weeks to press for the ouster of the prime minister. A power struggle between Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and his deputy Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah, both senior members of the ruling family, became public during a stormy parliamentary session on May 31.

It was not the only dispute within the family. Opposition MPs immediately launched a petition calling for the dismissal of both officials, holding them responsible for the country’s crises. “Political turmoil will not end without real, deep-rooted constitutional reforms,” said Nasser Al-Abdali, head of the private Kuwait Society for the Advancement of Democracy. “This means keeping the ruling family away from running the executive management of the country on the way to achieving something similar to a constitutional monarchy,” Abdali said.

Unchallenged for more than 250 years, the ruling family in OPEC’s fifth largest oil producer is accused of being embroiled in an intense power struggle that is stalling development. “A dangerous struggle is taking place among members of the ruling family,” liberal MP Abdulrahman Al-Anjari said. “I am afraid that if no real constitutional reforms are implemented, these disputes will spread like cancer. We have to contemplate adopting constitutional monarchy,” Anjari said.

Mohammad Al-Dallal, representative of the Islamic Constitutional Movement, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, warned that “their (the family) infighting is damaging the country,” and risking its very existence.

Independent political analyst Saleh Al-Saeedi believes infighting within senior members of the ruling family has recently intensified. “They are fighting for power, financial and economic influence and for control of the decisionmaking process... The intensity of the struggle has sharply increased,” Saeedi said. “Fighting within the ruling family has moved to the street, the media and parliament and will be difficult to bring it back to its old (secret) form... the process appears to be out of control,” he said.

Besides the Amir, crown prince and the prime minister, members of the ruling family also permanently hold the key cabinet posts of defense, interior and foreign affairs.

Kuwait has been rocked by a series of political crises since Sheikh Nasser became prime minister in February 2006. Six governments have resigned and parliament dissolved three times.

Continued on Page 3

KUWAIT: Kuwaitis demonstrate at the Irada Square, Kuwait City yesterday, demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Hussain Al-Qatari and Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Hundreds of protesters demonstrated at the Irada Square, Kuwait City yesterday night, demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah. The protesters were addressed by some lawmakers. MP Faisal AlMislem called on Kuwaitis to unite irrespective of their sect/tribe to save the country. “You (Kuwaitis) have one goalto save the country. I salute the youths for their patience and dedication. You have endured the negative comments from the pro-government media. You must unite now and save this country,” he said.

“The poor performance of the PM is taking this country to a downward spiral. Seven cabinets within six years have all gone and lost. The PM was supported by the Amir six times.

All his wishes were made. He has two thirds of the parliament and media outlets on his side but still we are not moving forward as a nation,” Al-Mislem added. “What has he done on education, health, housing, corruption, spoiled food, pollution? The MPs and the people are under attack.

Relations with other countries have been breached. All for his sake. This PM has ruined our beloved country. What good

has he done?” he queried.

He urged the PM to quit for the sake of the nation. “We will not give you another chance. Leave and give the nation a chance to rebuild. 16 MPs have signed petitions urging you (PM) to go,” he urged the PM. Fahad Al-Mutairi - a protester said “the government has failed the people repeatedly and it is time for it to go. There is no trust anymore in this cabinet.

We have given the PM many chances - and this time we don’t want to pressurize him to change his policy, we want him to leave this post. We want someone that is capable of managing the country to take over ,” he said. “Kuwait is on the brink of a major crisis if this matter is not resolved as soon as possible. What kind of future will our generation have with this cabinet that salutes corruption?” he questioned.

Mariam Al-Ajmi, a political activist, said: “We have gathered repeatedly to ask you to leave, Mr PM, but you never listened. We asked you to leave because the country is polluted and corrupt. You refused to leave. Don’t leave, stay, but we will grill you for your poor performance.” Hundreds of police and members of the Special Force were present at the event to keep the peace. The MPs urged protesters to remain peaceful in their demands.

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KUWAIT: Dead fish float on the waters off Salmiya beach. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

‘Lack of oxygen caused fish kill’ No signs of red tide bacteria detected KUWAIT: The lack of oxygen combined with high water temperatures and toxic pollutants caused the fish kill that was discovered near Ras Al-Ardh beach, according to the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research(KISR). It confirmed that no signs of red tide bacteria were detected off Kuwait’s shores. “Tests conducted on samples indicate that lack of oxygen caused the death, while water temperatures were touched 33 degrees Celsius; up by five degrees from the average 28 degree Celsius,” said Dr Sulaiman Al-Mutar Director of Agriculture and Fish Resources Department in the KISR. Furthermore, he confirmed that none of the samples contained the form of bacteria responsible for the large-scale localized fish die-off that Kuwait experienced in 2001. Dr AlMutar explained that the accumulation of garbage at the semi-closed locations where

the fish kill was detected, caused anaerobic bacteria to emerge, producing sulfuric acid that creates bacteria that absorbs oxygen from water.

The Kuwait Environment Protection Society released satellite images and thermal sensor reports which proved that the temperature of Arabian Gulf waters have risen by four degrees, Al-Qabas reported. Earlier the Kuwait Times reported that during a boat trip led by divers from the Kuwait Environmental Protection Society (KEPS) to show them the scene where the first group of dead fish was discovered, journalists spotted more of them in the area off the Marine Rescue Center and Kuwait Sea Sports Club on the Salmiya headland.

Commenting on the latest find, KEPS chairman Mohammad Al-Ahmed explained that on making the latest grim discovery, KEPS per-

sonnel immediately carried out the standard tests which determined that there have been considerable increases in water temperature levels coupled with a lack of tidal currents, leading to a lack of oxygen in the water, which he said could be responsible for the large numbers of marine deaths. He excluded any other reason for the phenomenon.

Prominent environmental activist Khalid Al-Hajri, the head of the Green Line Environmental Group (GLEG), however, insisted that the first reports of large numbers of dead fish in Kuwait’s waters were received on May 29, almost two weeks ago, slamming the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) denials of any problems being behind the large-scale deaths. “The EPA is not being transparent, and blaming water temperatures alone is unreasonable,” he said, accusing the government body of covering up the true rea-

Security guards attacked KUWAIT: Three security guards sustained stab wounds after they tried to prevent a man from entering the Kuwait University campus. The distraught man attacked them in retaliation, reported Al-Rai. The suspect, reportedly, the son of a Ministry of Interior senior official, quarreled with the guards after he tried to forcibly enter the Faculty of Medicine. His sister who reportedly developed a health-related complication was present there. The guards were rushed to the Amiri hospital.

Rape allegation A young man’s girlfriend pressed kidnap and rape charges against him. The victim approached Rumaithiya police and explained that the suspect forced her into his car after a romantic date, after which he drove to a Salmiya apartment where he sexually assaulted her, reported Al-Rai. The suspect denied the allegations leveled against him during preliminary interrogation, claiming that the girl consented to a physical relationship with him.

Sexual harassment Police are trying to nab a teacher who has been accused of sexually harassing an underage female student. The incident reportedly took place at a Sawaber apartment when the teacher inappropriately touched the 14-year-old. The suspect reportedly fled the apartment when the victim screamed loudly and caught the

family’s attention, reported Al-Rai. An emergency call was placed with the police.

Jilted lover A man is facing attempted murder charges after he tried to shoot his female friend because she declined his romantic overture. The victim filed a complaint with Salwa police station officers stating that the suspect shot her while she exited her home with children, but missed the bullet.

The man was soon arrested in connection with possession of a loaded gun, reported Al-Rai. It was also noted that the man has, in the past, physically assaulted the same woman.

Scam Police are trying to locate a swindler who stole KD 3,000 from a citizen after tricking him into believing that he won a grand prize. The citizen filed a complaint with Jahra police stating that the caller disappeared after obtaining the money he requested for as a pre-requisite to obtain a $100,000 grand prize. He explained that the caller introduced himself as the manager of a satellite TV station and claimed to have placed a call to inform about winning the prize money, reported Al-Rai. He reportedly asked that a certain sum of money be transferred to a certain bank account. The victim realized that he was duped when the caller failed to respond to calls made after the transaction was completed.

Work mishap A construction worker succumbed to fatal injuries sustained after falling from a height at a construction site in Abu Halifa. The victim was rushed to a nearby medical facility with multiple fractures and injuries. He was pronounced dead shortly, reported Al-Rai. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect missed a step while working at the fourth floor level.

Suspicious safe Police accompanied by a bomb detonation squad reached a Mahboula building where many American nationals reside. They received reports about a suspicious safe that was found in an elevator, reported Al-Rai. It was discovered that the safe was empty, and that it had been reported stolen before. It was referred to the Criminal Evidence General Department.

Hit and run case An Asian man was killed after being run over by a 15-year-old who was at the helm of a Jaguar in Al-Oyoun district of Al-Jahra. The pedestrian was walking along the street when the under-age driver lost control over the vehicle and knocked him down. The victim died instantly and the other pedestrian was rushed to the hospital. A search is underway to nab the suspect.

sons behind the fish deaths. “Having 60 oil refineries, a petrochemicals factory, over 26 quays for oil export, dozens of distillation and desalination plants, power plants, steel, aluminum and copper factories operating along the Gulf coast without observing environmental conditions is a disaster,” he pointed out.

The head of the KEPS diving team, Jassem Al-Failakawi downplayed the extent of the incidents, saying that so far they could not be described as being part of any discernible pattern, Al-Watan reported. Reporters who had been on the boat trip where the latest discovery of dead fish was made said, meanwhile, that they had noted the presence of vast oil slicks covering an area of over a kilometer in diameter in the area where the fish were found, as well as spotting a pipe ejecting unidentified pollutants into the Gulf waters.

‘Efficient public transportation can resolve traffic problems’ KUWAIT: Much talk has done the rounds on the need to resolve the country’s persistent traffic issue, but little action has been taken to tackle the issues. Attendees at a workshop organized by the Transportation and Traffic Committee of the Kuwait Society of Engineers (KSE) arrived at the conclusion. It was learnt that coordination between relevant governmental department with the traffic issue is substandard when it comes to devising solutions for traffic problems.

Participants at the ‘Public transportation in Kuwait - 2030 vision’ workshop asserted on the necessity of spreading awareness about using more efficient means of public transportation.

It must be combined with major renovation plans to help address the needs of Kuwait’s population which is expected to touch nearly six million by 2030.

Separately, the Ministry of Public Works signed an agreement with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research(KISR) to launch a geoinformation system aimed at storing data that can be used as a reference to facilitate work on future projects, reported Al-Qabas.

The KD 2.235 million contract will help build a geo-information center where digital information can be stored that will help shorten the process of seeking information, in addition to providing a database that stores statistics and analysis.

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Safat Square closed for renovation KUWAIT: The Safat Square will be closed for renovation work that will continue for a period of two years. The state plans to develop a public square and markets in zone that is flanked by five streets in Kuwait City. In recent announcement, the Kuwait Municipality indicated that the loca-

tion surrounded by the Ali Al-Salem, Fahd Al-Salem, Ahmad Al-Jaber, Abdullah AlSalem and Algeria streets will undergo renovation at a total cost estimated at KD3 million. As part of the projects, the Safat Square in downtown Kuwait City will be closed to allow works to restore the loca-

tion’s features .

The statement further explains that a coordination will be established with the Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Electricity and Water(MEW), Ministry of Communication and other state departments to facilitate flooring, refurnishing,

and agricultural work, reported Al-Qabas.

The Safat Square lies in the middle of a busy location in downtown Kuwait City, home to many businesses. In recent weeks, security forces have temporarily barricaded the square on Fridays to discourage the staging of public demonstrations.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

News

in brief

Kuwait targets 12th year budget surplus in a row KUWAIT: International financial magazine, Global Finance expects Kuwait to achieve a surplus for the 12th year in a row as a result of high oil prices, after the country’s 20112012 domestic budget report was adopted. In a report issued in its June edition, Global Finance said that Kuwait the fifth biggest oil producer in OPEC - has invested its financial surplus wisely, referring to the successful role practiced by the Kuwait Investment Authority (the state’s investment arm) through its administration of both the general reserves fund and the next generations fund. One of the country’s fundamental long-term targets, which is to transform the country into a global financial centre by spending over $100 billion for a befitting infrastructure over the next five years, in order to diversify economic resources other than that of the sole resource of oil, the report said. Kuwait, as an oil-producing nation, also seeks to be a global energy centre in light of moves to develop the hydrocarbon, petrochemical and manufacturing industries, it noted.

Kuwait ‘needs deep reforms’ Continued from Page 1 Kuwait’s version of democracy is also blamed for triggering disputes. Often described as a “half democracy”, the Kuwaiti parliamentary system, introduced about 50 years ago, is seen by many to have several serious shortcomings.

Under the constitution, many powers are concentrated in the hands of the Amir who selects the prime minister, dissolves parliament and approves ministers and, above all, cannot be criticized. Non-stop political wrangling has been blamed for stalling a $112-billion

four-year development plan adopted in 2010, besides delaying mega projects including those in the vital oil sector.

Despite its massive surpluses of about $300 billion, 94 percent of Kuwait’s income still comes from oil while almost three quarters of the gross domestic product is generated by the public sector. MPs have repeatedly claimed widespread corruption in most public agencies which the government failed to halt.

According to the Berlin-based Transparency International, Kuwait slipped on the Corruption Perception Index from 35 in 2003 to 66 in 2009

before improving to 54 last year, but remains in last place among its Gulf partners. Besides limiting the role of the ruling family, analysts and political groups have called for key reforms. “We must have a law to legalize political parties and amend the constitution to boost popular participation,” Saeedi said. Political parties are banned in Kuwait but several groups act as de facto parties. “Political disputes will continue in the country if these reforms are not adopted soon,” Abdali said, while opposition MPs insist that ousting the prime minister is a pre-condition to end the crises. — AFP

NAB MPs to refer grilling motion to Audit Bureau The National Action Bloc (NAB) MPs will now refer the interpellation motion submitted by MPs Marzouq AlGhanim and Adel Al-Saraawi against Sheikh Ahmad AlFahad Al-Sabah to the Audit Bureau. This is in order to investigate the financial violations mentioned in it, particularly concerning the Olympic Council, reported Al-Shahed.

Officials said that the National Bloc MPs have made plans to face all the possible consequences, including a request to refer the grilling motion to the Audit Bureau(AB) in the event of Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah’s resignation.

Renovation at Razi Hospital A renovation process for three wards at Al-Razi Hospital will help increase its total bed capacity. This was announced by the facility’s director Dr Adel Al-Asfour, noting that these projects come as part of the Ministry of Health’s renovation plans to its medical facilities. Al-Razi Hospital is the country’s main orthopedic medical facility where surgeries are performed on spinal injuries, as well as pelvis, shoulder and knee injuries. It’s been given priority by MOH.

KUWAIT: Kuwaitis demonstrate at the Irada Square, Kuwait City yesterday, demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat.

local SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Siemens confirms corruption case in Kuwait Two managers arrested MUNICH: Siemens said it had discovered evidence of corruption at its business in Kuwait and had involved authorities. “We uncovered the case ourselves, involved the authorities and took disciplinary measures,” a spokesman for the company said yesterday.

German daily newspaper Financial Times Deutschland earlier cited a senior prosecutor in Munich as saying arrests had been made in connection with a fresh investigation at Siemens.

The paper cited judicial sources as saying at least two managers had been arrested, and an arrest warrant has been issued for a third manager

Kuwait envoy’s wife holds exhibition NEW YORK: The wife of Kuwaiti envoy to the United Nations, Suad Al-Otaibi, has held an exhibition displaying items, such as traditional clothes and woven fabric depicting the national heritage and history. Among the eminent figures who attended the gathering was the wives of the UN Secretary General, Kuwaiti, Arab and foreign diplomats. Addressing the eminent guests, the host said her motivation for holding the exhibition was the desire to promote the pre-oil artifacts that constituted the core of the national economy, noting that Kuwaiti women had worked side by side with men during these past times.

Al-Otaibi said she was delighted to have the opportunity to gather these eminent figures and brief them on the national artifacts, namely (the sadu) wool-weaving craft and dhows’ making.

The ancestors had worked hard to make ends meet, Al-Otaibi said, noting that the old generations, though mostly with limited financial resources, managed to make a dignified living by laboring hard. Natives of Kuwait, in these old times, used to make the wooden dhows for overseas’ trade, pearl-diving and securing drinkable water from close regions such as southern Iraq. It is the first time that Al-Otaibi hosts this gathering of the wives of Asian and Pacific nations, who hold such a gathering once a month on rotation basis. The host on such an occasion briefs the guests about the history of her country.

Commenting on the exhibition, Susan I Aisi, wife of the Permanent Representative of Papua New Guinea to the UN and Chairwoman of the Asian Pacific Group said that the Asian Pacific Group holds a tea gathering every month and each spouse presents her country. But “this one is particularly interesting because this is the first time that Kuwait has done something like this for the Group.” “I am very impressed. Coming from the Pacific, we don’t really know a lot about the Middle East. We know that the countries have oil, but we don’t really know the culture as such, and this is a little glimpse.

We’ve only touched the surface, probably, but the products here are so beautiful. It makes you feel like you want to go and visit Kuwait, and Al-Otaibi is such a lovely, lovely person. The warmth and the friendliness that we got here, from the other Kuwaiti diplomats’ spouses as well, it is just wonderful.” Lu Hailin, wife of the Permanent Representative of China to the UN and Chairwoman of the Women’s International Forum, said she was “very impressed by the fast development of Kuwait from the 50s to the 21st century.

All the handcraft and art pieces are very beautiful. It’s all handmade and it is very impressive and it’s beautiful.”

She said she had never been to an Arab or Gulf State before, but “I hope someday I’ll have a chance to visit your beautiful country. The culture is colorful, full of meanings. I love it. I want to visit and learn from your nation.” Vedis Jonsdottir, wide of the Deputy Permanent Representative of Iceland to the UN said “it’s a wonderful exhibition, it gives you a glimpse of the culture and background, and the film was very eloquent about the background where Kuwait was compared to today. I think the beautiful crafts displayed today are so rare at a time when everything is mass produced.

When you see this work from the hand and the heart, it is a privilege to see it.” She loved the woven textiles most and the patterns and the colors and “I truly enjoy the ladies’ dresses. They are so beautiful and the way they wear them. It is simply wonderful to see. It makes me feel like buying some of those dresses.” —KUNA

who had worked in Kuwait. The prosecution in Munich was not immediately available for comment. Siemens was embroiled in Germany’s biggest post-war corporate corruption scandal that started in 2006, culminating in about 1 billion euros ($1.46 billion) in fines and penalties and the departure of its chairman and chief executive.

“One-off cases can never be ruled out, but we can rule out systematic misconduct,” the spokesman for Siemens said. Shares of Siemens were 0.2 percent lower at 91.04 euros by 0714 GMT, in line with Germany’s blue-chip index. —Reuters

Diwaniya enhances Sino-Arab relations BEIJING: The Arab Centre for Information praised the idea of weekly “Diwaniya” organized by the Kuwaiti Embassy in Beijing that promotes social, economic and media relations between Arabs and Chinese.

The Arab Centre for Information, the first and most important Arab institution developing Sino-Arab relations, said the weekly evening gatherings held by the embassy are very important to enhance communication, mutual understanding, solidarity and to exchange views on the latest developments on the both Arabic and Chinese regions, according to a statement by the embassy to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) yesterday. The latest meeting was attended several ambassadors, media figures, Arab businessmen, residents, students as well as economic institutions, the

embassy said. The centre called the idea of “Kuwait’s Diwaniya in Beijing “a social occasion rooted to the Kuwaiti society to promote harmony and exchange views on various issues.” It also praised the role of the Kuwaiti embassy led by Ambassador Mohammad Saleh Al-Thuwaikh and embassy staff in launching the weekly meetings, saying the gatherings have become “social and political issues in Beijing.” The centre also lauded SinoKuwaiti relations, noting that Kuwait was the first Gulf state to establish diplomatic ties with China in 1971 and that Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) had offered 34 loans to China with a total value of $863 million, covering such areas as agriculture, transport and communications, roads and environment.— KUNA

Consulate urges Kuwait to visit commercial zones GUANGZHOU: Kuwait General Consulate in Gunagzhou yesterday urged Kuwaitis to visit nearby commercial regions to get acquainted with the tourist and economic opportunities there. Consul General Abdulwahab AlSager said that Kuwaitis eager to visit China should acquire a visa from the Chinese embassy in Kuwait, adding that traveling to regions in the Asian country also required a special visa. The official also called on Kuwaitis to keep their purchase bills to enable them to return their goods or issue of complaint in case of fraud. He also urged Kuwaiti nationals to keep a copy of their passports with them at all times in case of emergency, adding that they should also register their information and provide contact numbers to consulate. Kuwait consulate in Guangzhou has recently launched its website www.kw-cg-gz.org. — KUNA

LOCAL SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Kuwait participates in ‘Palestinian summit’

GENEVA: Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Mohammad Al-Afasi and Dharar Razzooqi, the Head of the Permanent Mission to Geneva participated in an international conference in solidarity with Palestinians.

The meeting was held on sidelines of the annual International Labor Organization (ILO) conference, involving GCC and Arab Labor Ministers, as well as other friendly countries in support of the rights of the Palestinian people.

Ahmed Majdalani, Palestinian Minister of Labor, said the number of Palestinian workers unemployed has reached quarter a million, calling for national, regional and international efforts to resolve the urgent problem. “Efforts should not be solely devoted for management of large volumes

of investment but also for providing the appropriate atmosphere for workers, such as the elimination of restrictions, facilitating procedures and addressing feelings of frustration resulting from the aggressive Israeli actions,” he added.

Unemployment is rampant among the various segments of the Palestinian people, which constitutes a dilemma of economic and social consequences, as tens of thousands are forced to endure the daily humiliation of the crossings and entrances to settlements and even risk their lives to enter Israel for work, he said. Majdalani says he looks forward to the ILO support for the Palestinian people to attain their rights, as confirmed by the United Nations, valuing the support of the brotherly and friendly countries, institutions and peoples. — KUNA

News

in brief

Kuwaiti partakes in F2 race in Italy KUWAIT: Kuwaiti racer Yousif AlRoubai’an will be partaking in the second heat of the F2 speed-boat race to be held in Italy with a wide international participation. AL-Roubai’an said that he was determined to overcome his less than flattering performance in the last heat which was held in Hungary. “A technical malfunction in the boat prevented the team from doing well in the previous race but hopefully things would get better in the Italian race,” said Al-Roubai’an who affirmed that he was determined to compete well in the upcoming race.

Bonus payment errors KUWAIT: Minister Dr Mohammad AlAfasi ordered an investigation into a case that was brought to his attention by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor(MSAL)’s labor union. It concerns the unequal distribution of bonuses paid to employees who worked over time to implement the automated system, reported Al-Rai. According to the union’s Chairman Yahya Al-Dousari, several employees complained about receiving allowances that varied

between 400 and 3,000 Kuwaiti dinars, without a clear basis on which an amount is paid to a worker. It was later discovered that the assessment and distribution process was undertaken by a non-Kuwaiti employee who has been assigned by a private company.

MEW reassures residents as consumption rates soar KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water(MEW) has assured citizens and residents on the capability of local power plants to generate enough electricity throughout summer. This is after consumption rates touched 11,070 megawatts on Thursday. Temperatures have peaked at 52 degrees C. In a statement made to the press, Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Training Dr Meshan Al-Otaibi said that Kuwait’s generates 11600 megawatts of electricity out of the total capability that exceeds 12,000 megawatts, reported AlJarida. He further noted that all power plants and transformers are in top condition to maintain non-stop power supply throughout summer. Al-Otaibi urged consumers to ‘cooperate’ with the ministry by adopting conservation methods.

Municipality admits fault Shop owners granted a one-year period to relocate KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality has admitted to have erred in the Abu Ftaira issue, and has vowed to abide by the law should victims decide to move to the court. The Municipality, however, is not willing to withdraw a decision to halt commercial activities at the disputed area, claiming that the owners failed to display enough cooperation when an error was discovered. In a press conference, a number of senior Municipality figures including Managing Director Ahmad Al-Subaih discussed the situation after a deadline issued to owners and occupants to evacuate their shops expired, with no action being taken.

The Municipality argued that the shops violated licensing regulations. Owners argue that they are being punished for a mistake committed by the Municipality leading them to obtain flawed licenses.

Municipality officials said that preliminary court orders ruled in favor of some shop owners, are non-binding on them as only a final verdict will be accepted. It will be passed in September. The estimated compensation that the Municipality has to pay to nearly 600 owners is valued at KD100 million, reported Al-Rai. “The Municipality has granted owners a one-year period to relocate in accordance with licensing regulations of the area,” AlSubaih said, referring to regulations by which activities in Abu Ftaira are governed. Small-scale trade is not included under the purview of industrial activities. Al-Subaih added that

owners failed to cooperate during stipulated period, leaving the Municipality with no other choice but follow the law and remove any construction. It is not clear when or if the Municipality will down the shutters on shops.

Owners have appealed with the government and to His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah to intervene in the case.

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Decaying corpse: Authorities hunt suspects KUWAIT: The corpse of a senior citizen was discovered last week at his Surra home, where it lay decaying for a year and a half.

Detectives investigating the case said that death was caused by a fatal head injury inflicted with a sharp tool, in addition to other stab wounds. They are verifying the fingerprints of different persons that were

recovered from the crime scene.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the man, a citizen in his sixties, was a real estate dealer who separated from his wife. He has a son and a daughter who are in their thirties. Investigations further revealed that the victim’s relationship with his children was strained, with little com-

munication between them.

The death was discovered by his son who reached his father’s place of residence after a long period of no communication.

He found the almost completely decomposed body lying in the bedroom.

Preliminary investigations indicate that theft is the most likely motive behind the

crime, and that the suspect was an acquaintance of the victim, and was aware that he lived alone. Criminal Evidence General Department detectives are currently trying to nab two suspects, an Asian couple, who worked as the victim’s domestic helpers but have since disappeared. It is believed that they have left the country.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Diving Team has urged all divers in Kuwait to join hands with Egyptian divers to set a new Guinness Book of World Record on the largest number of divers to go underwater simultaneously. The event will take place on July 26 in Hurghada, Egypt. According to the current record, at least 2,486 divers went underwater at once.

Leak at Shuaiba area

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A leak was reported at the Shuaiba area prompting Shuaiba, Fahaheel and Mubarak AlKabeer centers to dispatch their firemen. The firemen found out the leak was from a molten glass in one of the ovens. Ahmadi governorate Director Colonel Jamal Blaihees said the accident was brought under control within one hour.

Two die in car mishap Two citizens were killed in a car accident. The victims were in a car that collided with a half lorry on Ghazali Street, near Center Point. The accident took place on Thursday midnight.

Hawally fire Firefighters battle a fire that ravaged an uncompleted building in Hawally. No injuries were reported.

Al-Balad news site under fire ‘website has dubious connections’ KUWAIT: A local journalist claimed yesterday that a recently launched news website is connected to groups that are reportedly involved with people from the Syrian regime. He has allegedly obtained documents to prove that the company that owns the website is managed by individuals who are members of the Syrian ruling party.

Citizen Yousuf Al-Nassar filed a case with the attorney general claiming that the launch of AlBalad news website is co-chaired by a Syrian businessman who has connections with the Syrian regime. In a statement carried by main local newspapers on Wednesday, the Kuwait United Company for Advertising, Publishing and Distribution (KUCAPD) strongly denied reports that the website is biased towards a certain regime, arguing that Al-Nassar launched the campaign because he was embittered that a pay raise request was rejected, alleging that it was the reason why he resigned as editor-in-chief.

Officials were quoted in an AlWatan article yesterday as saying that Al-Nassar was in possession of documents that could indicate that a relationship between the KUCAPD and the United Group

for Publishing, Advertising and Marketing - a Syrian firm founded by the son of former land security chief in the Syrian intelligence Bahjat Sulaiman exists.

Officials based their argument on information which indicated that the Executive Director is none other than Bashar Kiwan, the Syrian businessman and cochairman of Al-Balad news website. He has allegedly forged a relationship with the Syrian regime. Furthermore, officials support the argument that the company runs a pro-government newspaper in Syria known as ‘Baladna.’ It not only has a similar name to that of Kuwait’s AlBalad, but also has a logo which bears a striking resemblance to a Kuwaiti website, reported AlWatan.

On Thursday, Kuwaiti lawmakers Daifullah Buramia and Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabae demanded that the government provide protection to Al-Nassar over reports that he received death threats. A charter signed by 60 people including political activists as well as current and former parliamentarians, quoted in the same news report requests, “a quick intervention is necessary to avoid turning Kuwait into a backyard for some Arab intelligence services.”

‘rare astronomical’ event on wednesday KUWAIT: A rare astronomical event will occur in Kuwait’s sky on Wednesday, veteran Kuwaiti meteorologist Dr Saleh AlUjairi said yesterday. A total lunar eclipse will overshadow the skies for nearly one hundred minutes. In a statement made available to the press, Al-Ujairi explained that a lunar eclipse is set to start at approximately 9:23 pm and would totally cover the moon by 11:13 pm, before it turns back into a partial eclipse at 12:03 am. The eclipse would finish at 1:02 am reported Al-Rai. He noted that the total period of the eclipse is set to last for three hours and thirty nine minutes.

Performance-based bonuses for teachers KUWAIT: Following a meeting held by the joint committees (Education and Finance ministries), the Education and Higher Education Minister Ahmad Al-Mulaifi remarked, “We spoke during the meeting about the teacher’s union and suggested the adoption of the first and second list as per the law, at a cost of KD231.”

He added that a performance- based bonus will be paid at the end of the year and that stringent appraisal measures will be put in place. He said it is possible that the total bonus amount will be fall between KD6,600 and KD8,000. He said that incentives include KD200 for rare specialties and KD250 for postgraduate teachers, reported Al-Shahed.

Committee Chairman Yousuf Al-Zalzalah said the meeting reviewed the teacher’s cadre and several ideas put forward by the minister were discussed.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Gaddafi forces kill 22 rebels in Misrata shelling

8

Ex-Russian officer who killed Chechen shot dead

9

India’s fasting guru taken to hospital

13

Civil war fears grow in Syria 21 dead in Syrian crackdown

ANKARA: Men protesting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime throw shoes at his portrait as they demonstrate in front of the Syrian embassy in Ankara, while other groups nearby demonstrate to express support for the Syrian regime yesterday.—AP BEIRUT: Syrian forces shelled a town in the country’s restive north and opened fire on scattered protests nationwide, killing at least 21 people yesterday, activists said. Hundreds of Syrians streamed across the border into Turkey, trying to escape the violence. A Syrian opposition figure told The Associated Press by telephone that thousands of protesters overwhelmed security officers and torched the courthouse and police station in the northern town of Maaret al-Numan, and the army responded with tank shells.

The man spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Syria’s state-run television appeared to confirm at least part of the report, saying gunmen opened fire on police stations in Maaret alNuman, causing casualties among security officials. The Local Coordination Committees, a group that documents anti-government protests in Syria, said there were 10 deaths in the northwestern province

of Idlib. The group said many of the casualties were in Maaret al-Numan.

Twenty-five miles to the west in the same province, Syrian troops backed by dozens of tanks massed outside the virtually deserted town of Jisr AlShughour and shelled nearby villages.

Syrians who escaped into Turkey depicted a week of revolt and mayhem in Jisr Al-Shughour, saying police turned their guns on each other and soldiers shed their uniforms rather than fire on protesters.

Syrian state television said yesterday the operation aimed to restore security in the town, where authorities say 120 officers and security personnel were killed by “armed groups” last week. Syrians fleeing the violence continued to pour into Turkey.

Nearly 4,000 had crossed by yesterday, nearly all of them in the past two days, according to Turkish media.

Sectarian conflict feared Fears that Syria may slide into civil war are growing after a week when

the government said over 120 servicemen were killed at a town near the Turkish border. As it sent tanks into Jisr Al-Shughour, a mainly Sunni Muslim town whose 50,000 inhabitants had mostly fled, the cause of last weekend’s bloodshed was still in dispute-state media blamed unidentified gunmen but democracy activists said troops mutinied after refusing to fire on unarmed demonstrators.

Whatever the truth, the killings suggest either cracks within President Bashar Al-Assad’s security forces or the beginnings of an armed revolt-or some combination of the two. Either way, the scale of the killing in an area prone to tension between Syria’s Sunni majority and Assad’s Alawite sect points to a bloodier turn of events after three months of unrest against 41 years of Alawite-dominated Assad family rule.

That in turn would rock the entire Middle East, where Syria, Iran’s main Arab ally, sits at the heart of numer-

ous conflicts. “The country is sliding towards civil war. It is a step towards civil war,” said Syria expert Joshua Landis, associate professor of Middle East studies at Oklahoma University.

He noted that the poor area around Jisr al-Shughour, lying at the foot of the “Alawite Mountain”, the heartland of the dominant minority sect, was home to conservative Sunni Muslims. Many Syrians who joined the Sunni Islamist insurgency in Iraq against US forces came from that region, he added. “It’s got a history of anti-government agitations,” Landis said. “The Islamic currents are very strong there.”

WILL IT SPREAD? In 1980, the late Hafez al-Assad, who preceded his son as president, crushed a Sunni revolt in Jisr alShughour, which lies on a strategically important road between Syria’s second city Aleppo and the main Mediterranean port of Latakia. Two years later, Assad’s forces put down an armed uprising in Hama by the

Sunni Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, killing many thousands and razing the old town-an event which still resonates for Syrians considering challenging their rulers. Those who have taken a lead in demonstrating for reforms, inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian protests which launched the Arab Spring, stress their insistence on non-violent action.

Few are willing to speak publicly about taking up arms. And some dismiss talk of sectarian and ethnic violence as scaremongering by Assad loyalists intent on keeping power.

However, in conversations this week with a number of Syrian activists, several said they believed some of Assad’s opponents were already using weapons, including arms smuggled from abroad. “Some people have taken up arms against the security forces in Jisr al-Shughour.

We know that,” said one activist who, like many, would speak on the subject only on condition of anonymity. —Agencies

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Gaddafi forces kill 22 rebels in Misrata shelling Tanks, artillery and incendiary rockets used

AJMER: A Sufi Kalandar (or wandering ascetic) performs an act of self torture during the annual Urs festival at the shrine of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, India on Thursday. The Urs is observed to mark the death anniversary of the saint, known for his philosophy on religious tolerance. — AP

Two years after polls, Ahmadinejad under new pressure TEHRAN: Two years ago, Iran’s reformists were stunned to see him re-elected president and said the election must have been fixed. Now, half way through his second and final term, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has silenced the opposition-their rallies crushed and leaders under house arrest-but his presidency is still threatened, this time from rival fellow hardliners.

Critics in parliament, the judiciary and the clergy accuse the 54-year-old president of misdeeds ranging from a swaggering disrespect for other branches of government, through financial mismanagement, to being influenced by a “deviant” clique of aides some say are involved in sorcery. Analysts say the fact that he can no longer rely on the complete support of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei-who forced him to reverse his decision to sack his intelligence minister in Aprilmeans Ahmadinejad risks becoming a lame duck or even being forced out. Some parliamentarians are threatening to impeach him. But at a news conference earlier this week, a bespectacled Ahmadinejad looked in no mood to either quit or curb his populist, West-baiting agenda, promising to make good on a promise to create 2.5 million jobs this year and predicting once again that the “cancerous” Israel would be eradicated. When asked about infighting, he answered: “Our position at the moment is to stay silent. An inspiring unity silence.”

And asked about reports of arrests of figures close to his entourage, he said: “They arrested those people. Good for them. “Now they should let us continue our job.”

A key part of the president’s job is steering the economy and Ahmadinejad says he has made progress where his predecessors were too timid and slashed the $100 billion in annual subsidies that the government used to pay to hold down prices. Bread prices doubled and gasoline now costs up to seven times what it did six months ago, but forecasts of riots did not come true, allowing Ahmadinejad to declare victory for what he called “the biggest economic plan in the past 50 years”. “He has certainly pulled off a policy his predecessors couldn’t politically,” Farideh Farhi, an Iran expert at the University of Hawaii, said of the subsidy reform long advocated by Western economists at the IMF and World Bank. “But the inflation risk remains high,” she said. Central Bank figures show the official rate of inflation has been rising steadily over the last year to 14.2 percent last month. Food inflation is around 25 percent. But many Iranians doubt the statistics and say real inflation is much higher. Farhi said inflation was not just a concern for consumers, but also for industry whose input prices could soar. “The real worry is a combination of increased inflation and increased unemployment as the factory owners’ inability to adjust to higher prices lead to shutdowns and layoffs.” Inflation also contributes to pressure on the rial which the government has struggled to keep close to a peg with the dollar. The Central Bank reduced the official dollar exchange rate by more than 10 percent this week, bringing it closer to the real price Iranians pay to buy dollars that many see as a safe haven in times of economic uncertainty. Ever tighter international sanctions, aimed at forcing Iran to curb its nuclear program, have added strain to the economy. But Ahmadinejad is benefitting from a spike in global oil prices that should insulate Iran from too much pain. —Reuters

TRIPOLI: Libyan government forces pounded the outskirts of the rebel-held city of Misrata yesterday, killing at least 22 people, a hospital physician said. The doctor at Hikma Hospital, who would only give his first name, Ayman, said Muammar Gaddafi’s forces used tanks, artillery and incendiary rockets in the bombardment of Dafniya, about 18 miles (30 kilometers) west of Misrata. He said at least 61 people were wounded in the attacks which began about 10 am local time. Gaddafi forces had renewed their shelling near Misrata on Wednesday. The city is one of the few footholds rebels have in western Libya and controls the country’s largest port.

The doctor said residents had reported no sign of NATO aircraft in the Misrata region.

There also were no reports NATO strikes in Tripoli, the capital. NATO had been pounding Tripoli and environs in recent days, stepping up backing for the four-month-old rebel uprising that seeks to oust Gaddafi from power after four decades. Rebels have taken control of swaths of eastern Libya, although fighting has since come to a stalemate even with NATO support. Misrata remained one of the most important rebel footholds in the Gaddafi controlled west. Government forces are surrounding Misrata on all sides but the north, where the city has access to the

BENGHAZI: Libyans carry the coffin of one of six people recovered from a mass grave, allegedly killed by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime some 20 years ago, during Friday noon prayers at the Revolution Square in the rebel stronghold city of Benghazi yesterday. —AP Mediterranean Sea for supplies and food through Libya’s major port. Rebels have beaten back several government attempts to retake the city.

The Gaddafi forces are pushing back on rebel forces trying to break out of Misrata to the west toward Tripoli, where Gaddafi is increasingly cornered under NATO bombardment in the capi-

tal. In Norway, meanwhile, military officials said yesterday the country would scale down its fighter jet contribution the NATO force flying above Libya from six to four planes and withdraw completely from the NATO-led operation by Aug 1. The alliance decided last weekend to extend the Libyan mission for 90 days, into late September. — AP

Bahrain Shiite cleric: No talks under clampdown MANAMA: Bahrain’s most senior Shiite cleric said yesterday there is no chance for talks with the Gulf nation’s Sunni rulers while security forces maintain their clampdown on protesters calling for equal rights and political freedoms.

The sermon by Sheik Isa Qassim underscored the deep discontent among Bahrain’s Shiite majority despite the lifting of martial law-style rules earlier this month and appeals for dialogue by the Sunni monarchy. It also marked another blow to the ruling establishment after organizers of Bahrain’s prestigious Formula One race called off efforts to reschedule the 2011 event, which was canceled in March amid the unrest.

“We cannot negotiate in such conditions,” Sheik Qassim told worshippers in a mostly Shiite area outside the capital, Manama. Sheik Qassim, who was joined by other Shiite clerics in a display of solidarity, denounced what he called “daily security harassment” in the form of checkpoints, arrest sweeps and other measures imposed to quell the protests that broke out in February. He said the pressures were “building hatred among the people.”

Shiites represent about 70 percent of the population in the strategic island kingdom, which is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. —AP

DIRAZ: Bahraini Shiite Muslims chant slogans to free prisoners during a sermon yesterday in Diraz, Bahrain, when Sheik Issa Qassem, Bahrain’s top Shiite cleric, said Bahrain should free political prisoners and that the nation’s reputation is being damaged by prosecuting doctors, teachers, youths, women, clerics and other professionals arrested during the crackdown on anti-government protesters. —AP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Ex-Russian officer who killed Chechen shot dead Assassin leaves gun with silencer in a half-burned car

LONDON: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, looks at a pair of ear defenders given to him as a birthday present during a reception for the Action on Hearing Loss charity at Buckingham Palace, in central London yesterday.—AFP

Prince Philip marks 90th birthday with new title LONDON: Britain’s Prince Philip received a new royal title from his wife Queen Elizabeth II as a gift on his 90th birthday yesterday, as the outspoken consort said he would finally scale back his workload. The queen made him Lord High Admiral-the titular head of the British Royal Navy and an office until now held by her-partly in recognition of the promising seafaring career Philip gave up to spend a lifetime at her side.

The gruff patriarch, the longest-serving consort in British history, opted to spend his birthday with a typical lack of fuss, as he hosted a charity reception and chaired a conference for military colonels. Despite remaining sprightly for his age, if not the dashing blond naval officer of more than five decades ago, Philip admitted he would now take a step back from official duties.

“I reckon I’ve done my bit. I want to enjoy myself a bit now, with less responsibility, less frantic rushing about, less preparation, less trying to think of something to say,” he told the BBC. “On top of that my memory’s going, I can’t remember names. I’m just sort of winding down.” There has been speculation he could hand over some of his duties to his grandson Prince William’s new wife, Catherine. Since marrying the then princess Elizabeth in 1947, Philip has carved out his own role supporting the monarch, accompanying her on visits around the world and jollying people up with his off-the-cuff remarks.

Some have been near the knuckle. On a visit to China in 1986, he warned a group of British students: “If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” And he told a British student who had trekked in Papua New Guinea in 1998: “You managed not to get eaten, then?”. But in a sign of the public affection for him, the palace revealed that almost 2,000 birthday cards had been sent to the duke from across the globe, including New Zealand and Australia, Italy, Poland, France and Germany.

Known officially as the Duke of Edinburgh, he is patron of some 800 organisations, covering fields including conservation, design and developing life skills among youngsters.

Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, a nephew of Greek king Constantine I, was born on a kitchen table on Corfu on June 10, 1921. After a turbulent childhood, Lieutenant Mountbatten, as he became, married Elizabeth but his stellar progress in the Royal Navy, including service in World War II, was halted when his wife became queen in 1952.

He told ITV it was “disappointing”, but “being married to the queen, it seemed to me that my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could.” Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the award of the title of Lord High Admiral was a “gift to The Duke of Edinburgh on the occasion of his 90th birthday”, and that an official ceremony would take place at a later date.

The queen has held the title, which dates back to the 14th century, since 1964. Yesterday Philip was also honoured with a 62-gun salute and the striking of a Royal Mint coin with his image on one side and the queen’s on the other. At the event he attended for the Royal National Institute for Deaf People he was given a pair of ear defenders.

But the official celebration of his birthday will be on Sunday when there will be be a service at Saint George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, attended by the royal family, with a reception to follow. —AP

MOSCOW: A disgraced Russian army colonel convicted of murdering a Chechen teenage girl was gunned down in a brazen, contract-style killing in downtown Moscow yesterday, investigators said. Yuri Budanov was sentenced to 10 years in jail for kidnapping and strangling to death 18-year-old Heda Kungayeva in 2000, during a war between Islamist Chechen separatists and the federal government. His 2009 release on parole sparked protests in Chechnya, but was cheered by Russian ultranationalists and neo-Nazis. An unidentified assassin fired six shots at Budanov as the 48-year-old ex-colonel walked out of a notary office on a central Moscow street, Russia’s top investigative agency said. Four of the shots hit him in the head, killing him instantly, and his body was found on a sidewalk next to a playground.

The assassin left a gun with a silencer in a half-burned car that was found several blocks away from the murder site, the Investigative Committee said.

Human rights defenders have accused Russian security forces and their proMoscow Chechen allies of widespread abuses against residents of Chechnya, including kidnapping, torture and extrajudicial killings. Thousands of civilians were killed or went missing during and after the conflict. Budanov was one of only a handful of Russian officers to be prosecuted over what rights groups say were widespread atrocities during two wars in Chechnya. During the trial, Budanov said he strangled Kungayeva in a fit of rage, believing she was a rebel sniper. Lawyers for the woman’s family also accused him of raping and torturing her, but the charges were later dropped.

Investigators said no evidence of involvement of ethnic Chechens in the killing was found. “The murder could have been a provocation,” Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said in televised remarks. The father of Budanov’s victim made a disparaging

MOSCOW: Police investigators examine the scene near the body of Russian army colonel Yuri Budanov in Moscow on June 10, 2011. Budanov, who was convicted in 2003 of strangling an 18-year-old girl in Chechnya in a case that shocked Russia, was shot dead in Moscow yesterday. — AFP comment about Budanov’s death, but said it was not related to his daughter’s killing.

“A dog’s death for a dog,” Visa Kungayev, who lives with his family in Norway, told the RIA Novosti news agency. “Other people don’t need to avenge my daughter, and they won’t.”

Kungayev compared the killing to the 2009 contract-style murder of a prominent human rights advocate who defended his family’s interests in court.

“I think investigators will sort it out,” Kungayev was quoted as saying. “They did sort out the killing of my lawyer.”

Shortly after Budanov’s release on parole, prominent human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov was gunned down in central Moscow along with an independent reporter.

Two Russian neo-Nazis convicted of the murder said during their trial that they hoped the murder would be

blamed on Budanov’s supporters.

A respected human rights group said a vendetta was one of the possible reasons behind the murder. “It could have been revenge for other crimes Budanov committed while serving in Chechnya,” Memorial’s chairman Oleg Orlov said. His group has long claimed that Budanov, who headed a tank regiment operating in central Chechnya, was involved in the kidnapping of at least seven other Chechen civilians. Four of them were found dead with hands bound and traces of torture, it said.

“We have serious evidence to think that he was implicated in those murders,” Orlov told The Associated Press.

A 2009 trial cleared Budanov of those charges. Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed leader Ramzan Kadyrov said at the time that Chechens will “find a proper way” to get their revenge against him. —AP

Anger in Romania, Bulgaria at border decision by EU BUCHAREST: Romanians and Bulgarians were disappointed and angry yesterday after an EU decision that keeps them out of Europe’s borderless travel zone even though they met the technical requirements. The move by EU interior ministers came amid increasing fears of illegal immigration and crime across the continent and put further pressure on the Schengen system of unfettered travel across 26 European nations. French Interior Minister Claude Gueant said EU nations were concerned that “corruption may thrive in these (two) countries and thus can weaken the protection of the borders.” Romanian political commentator Stelian Tanase called the decision “the greatest foreign policy failure of the government in Bucharest in the last 20 years.”

“Officials in Bucharest were telling us that we would get in, but it was just talk and no action,” he told The Associated Press.

Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi summoned Dutch Ambassador Tanya van Gool after Thursday’s

decision because of the Dutch EU ambassador’s comments that Romania’s justice system was still unsatisfactory. In Bulgaria, the English-language weekly Sofia Echo called the saga “an embarrassment for Sofia.” Bulgaria and Romania were given a cold shoulder by the EU ministers only one day after the EU parliament voted to let them in the Schengen system. The Netherlands blocked the move by holding off on any decision, since there still was doubt whether Bulgaria and Romania were strong enough to assure effective control of the external border of the Schengen zone.

Romania launched a crackdown on customs officials and border police this year who are accused of turning a blind eye to cigarette smuggling, arresting about 180 people.

However, critics said the effort was too little, too late.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said yesterday he hoped “Dutch authorities will be open and honest and appreciate Bulgaria’s and Romania’s efforts to join Schengen.” —AP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Nigeria: Pregnant teens help trafficking probe LAGOS: Dozens of pregnant teenagers found at an illegal clinic in Nigeria and accused of trying to sell their babies are helping investigators find the organizers of baby trafficking rings, officials said. They had lured the 32 teens to an illegal clinic to provide babies for trafficking rings in the southeastern city of Aba in Abia state, said Arinze Orakwe, a spokesman for the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons.

The girls, who are 15 to 18 years old, and the director of the Cross Foundation, also known as the Heda Clinic, were arrested last month during a police raid on the clinic. The anti-trafficking agency, however, considers only the director, Hyacinth Orikara, a suspect. Two girls have returned home after giving birth, and the rest of the girls are at the agency’s shelter in the nearby city of Enugu are collaborating with investigators.

“The girls cannot face charges,” said Orakwe. “They are victims of people who have devised evil means to make money.” The police have accused Orikara of buying the babies from young mothers and selling them for profit to childless couples in a trade that is believed to be fueled by the taboo of childlessness in this African nation. He denied the charge, explaining that he is a volunteer doctor who delivers unwanted babies and places them in orphanages. One of the girls told Abia State Police Chief Bala Hassan that mothers sell their babies for $160 to $190. The anti-trafficking agency says the girls are often tricked , even forced , to give up their babies, which are later resold for up to $6,400, depending on their gender.

Traditionally boys are preferred because they can inherit land according to local Igbo custom. Officials at the antitrafficking agency say they are alarmed by growing illegal adoptions which have no control or oversight.

“When you adopt a child through the government, everything is done in the open, you have to go through interviews,” says Capt. Jide George, chairman of the board of trustees of the Lagos-based Little Saints Orphanage. “Married couples who don’t have children want to do it undercover. They don’t mind paying any amount as long as it’s kept under wraps.” Wives who cannot give birth are often taunted by their in-laws, or forced out of their homes. Seldom do the husbands face criticism.

“In most cases, it (illegally adopting a baby) is a conspiracy between the husband and the wife,” George said.

Grassroots organizations say the young mothers rarely get to see their newborns. “They are handed over to the couple waiting outside the delivery room,” says Benjamin Mbakwem, a member of the Imo state chapter of the Child Protection Network. — AP

South Sudan accuses north of air attack, clashes flare JUBA: South Sudan’s army yesterday accused the north of bombing a southern border village, and said southern forces were getting ready to defend against a possible ground attack. The south is preparing to secede on July 9 and fears of fresh fighting between the two long-standing rivals grew after the north seized the contested Abyei region on May 21. The United Nations said fighting between northern forces and southern-aligned armed groups in the north-run oil state Southern Kordofan has spread to the tip of the southern Unity state and that tens of thousands may have fled the clashes.

Philip Aguer, spokesman for the south’s Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA), said the northern military was trying to occupy areas near the borderwhose exact position is yet to be decided-in an attempt to control the country’s oil fields. “There has been an air bombardment by northern forces in Unity state, in the morning yesterday and again in the afternoon. Three people were killed in the morning,” Aguer said. The three dead were civilians, he said.

“We are expecting not only air attacks but also ground forces. We know their forces are moving from Abyei towards Unity state ... We are getting ready to defend ourselves. Our forces near the border are on maximum alert and are expecting an attack any time,” he added. A spokesman for the northern army was not immediately available to comment. In previous statements, it has blamed southern or southern-aligned forces for provoking fighting in Abyei, Southern Kordofan and elsewhere.

South Sudan voted to secede in a January referendum promised by a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of brutal civil war between the north and south.

That vote went more smoothly and peacefully than many analysts and humanitarian groups had predicted, but a continued lack of agreement between the two sides on questions such as how to share debt and oil revenues has com-

KADUGLI: A handout picture released by the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) yesterday shows residents of Kadugli gathered to collect water outside UNMIS sector HQ after fleeing fighting in Kadugli town. —AFP plicated the split. The secession could see the north lose some 75 percent of Sudan’s current 500,000 barrels a day of oil output, the lifeblood of both northern and southern economies.

Northern forces have been fighting armed groups in the volatile Southern Kordofan border state since a police station was attacked on Saturday. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people may have fled fighting in the state capital of Kadugli alone, the United Nations said yesterday. The town’s normal population is estimated at 60,000. “The fighting has spread to the disputed border area of the northernmost tip of Unity state in southern Sudan,” Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told reporters in Geneva.

Armed checkpoints were set up on the main roads inside and around Kadugli and there had been reports of “large-scale” looting as late as Thursday, she added. Analysts have seen Southern Kordofan as a flashpoint because it is

home to thousands of northerners who sided with the south against Khartoum during the last civil war. Northern officials have called last week’s clashes an “armed rebellion”. The region also holds the most productive oil fields that will be left in the north after the split.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki met with Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Thursday to discuss Southern Kordofan and Abyei and was scheduled to travel to Juba to meet officials there yesterday, state news agency SUNA said.

Abyei, long a centrepiece of the north-south divide, has been one of the most contentious issues ahead of southern secession. It is used all year by the south-linked Dinka Ngok people and part of the year by northern Misseriya nomads. Khartoum took control of area with tanks and troops nearly three weeks ago, following an attack on a convoy of northern soldiers and UN peacekeepers that was blamed on southern forces. —Reuters

2 boys killed on second day of Somali protests Demonstrators see PM as fall-guy MOGADISHU: Two boys were shot dead in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu yesterday during a second day of protests against a deal to extend the mandates of the country’s president and parliament, residents said.

Hundreds of supporters of the prime minister, who must resign under the terms of the deal, marched through the city’s rubble-strewn streets chanting “long live Prime Minister (Mohamed Abdullahi) Mohamed”.

The two boys died when police loyal to the speaker of parliament shot at the demonstrators, starting a gunfight with soldiers loyal to President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and his government, witnesses said. About a dozen other demonstrators were wounded. Clan loyalties divide almost all spheres of life in

Somalia. “We were just walking and chanting when police guarding the Hotel Muna opened fire on us,” Nadifa Ali told Reuters. “Two young boys died on the spot and others were injured.

Soon a military vehicle came and fired on the police guarding the hotel,” she said.

A Reuters photographer said the protesters then set the hotel ablaze.

Other rallies in support of Mohamed, a US -educated former diplomat from the Somali diaspora, were also reported in central and southern Somalia. In the Eastleigh suburb of neighbouring Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, about one hundred protesters paraded on the streets after Friday prayers, waving Somali flags and brandishing pictures of the president and speaker marked with a

cross. Authorities say the suburb, dubbed “Little Mogadishu”, is awash with guns. Residents say it is a money laundering centre.

The mandate for Somalia’s latest administration was meant to expire in August but President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, who covets the top job, had been at loggerheads over what should happen then.

The pair, Somalia’s two most powerful politicians, signed the deal on Thursday in Uganda, whose troops form the backbone of peacekeeping force AMISOM fighting Islamist militants in Mogadishu. Officials at the negotiations said Hassan had demanded the prime minister’s resign as a condition for his own signature. Although

Mohamed has been embroiled in corruption allegations, many in Somalia consider him an honest politician, unencumbered by the clan rivalries that plague Somali politics.

The agreement, though, may ease the frustrations of foreign donors and regional powers alarmed at how the row had paralyzed government activity.

However, there will be pressure for tangible reforms that pave the way for elections next year. “(The UN Secretary General) calls on the Somali parties to act resolutely to complete the outstanding transitional tasks, including the promotion of national reconciliation, constitution-making and ... rebuilding the security sector,” a spokesman for UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a statement. — Reuters

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INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

US Federal Jury clears Chicago businessman in Mumbai attacks Man convicted of helping in Danish cartoon plot attack

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama meets with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon on Thursday in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. —AP

Obama presses Gabon’s Bongo on human rights WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama urged Gabon’s President Ali Bongo on Thursday to root out corruption and protect human rights in talks that stirred criticism among his guest’s opponents. US officials had earlier said it would be naive to expect Obama to avoid every leader with a checkered human rights record, arguing that Gabon had courageously backed several key US diplomatic pushes on Iran and Libya.

The two leaders smiled as they met in the Oval Office. News photographers were allowed in to take pictures, but reporters were not admitted. “President Obama urged President Bongo to take bold steps to root out corruption and to reform the judiciary and other key institutions to ensure the protection of human rights,” a White House statement said. Obama also “welcomed the reforms that Gabon has taken under President Bongo to bring more transparency and accountability to government.”

The statement said the two leaders also expressed their shared desire for a democratic transition for the people of Libya. Ahead of the talks, the White House said Obama had clear diplomatic goals for the meeting, despite complaints that he should not offer a platform to a man domestic opponents and US media reports say is steeped in corruption. “It’s a little naive to believe that the president of the United States should not meet with leaders who don’t, you know, meet all the standards that we would have for perfect governance,” Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney said.

Carney noted that Gabon had made a number of “very significant” and “courageous” recent votes at the United Nations, on issues concerning Iran, Libya and the Ivory Coast. He also noted that the west African nation currently holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council. “President Bongo has made a number of reforms in Gabon, and Gabon is playing an increasingly important role... as a regional and global leader,” Carney said.

Carney also argued that the State Department’s annual report on human rights had noted some progress by Gabon. “We will continue to push, as an administration, (and) the president himself, for further progress on these issues,” he added. In Libreville this week, a Bongo aide described the meeting with Obama as an important sign of diplomatic recognition for the Gabonese leader.

But Zacharie Myboto, the president of Gabon’s National Union, the top opposition party, called on Obama to tell Bongo that Gabon should respect constitutional guarantees of multi-party democracy.

Gabonese activists opposed to Bongo’s rule say his administration is “dictatorial” and corrupt, enriching elite sectors of society while much of the country wallows in extreme poverty. Bongo took power in 2009 after a disputed election following the death of his father, longtime leader Omar Bongo. —AFP

CHICAGO: A federal jury convicted a Chicago businessman on Thursday of helping plot an attack against a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad but cleared him of the most serious terrorism charge accusing him of cooperating in the deadly 2008 rampage in Mumbai.

The jury reached its split verdict after two days of deliberations, finding Tahawwur Rana guilty of providing material support to terrorism in Denmark and to the Pakistani militant group that had claimed responsibility for the three-day siege in India’s largest city that left more than 160 people dead, including six Americans.

The jurors, who were not identified in court, declined to talk to the media to explain their decision, which defense attorneys described as conflicting.

Rana, a Canadian national who has lived in Chicago for years, faces up to 30 years in prison on the two charges.

“We’re extremely disappointed. We think they got it wrong,” defense attorney Patrick Blegen told reporters. At the center of the trial was testimony by the government’s star witness, David Coleman Headley, Rana’s longtime friend who previously pleaded guilty to laying the groundwork for the Mumbai attacks and planning to attack the Danish paper in retaliation for printing the cartoons that had angered many Muslims because pictures of the prophet are prohibited in Islam. That plot was never carried out.

Headley’s testimony was closely watched worldwide because it provided a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which took credit for the Mumbai attacks, and the alleged cooperation with Pakistan’s top intelligence agency known as the ISI. The trial started just weeks after Navy SEALs found Osama bin Laden hiding outside Islamabad, raising concerns that Pakistan may have been protecting the world’s most wanted terrorist.

The Pakistani government has denied the allegations and maintained it did not know about bin Laden or help plan the Mumbai attacks. Ujjawal Nikam, the special public prosecutor in the Mumbai attack trial in India, said he was disappointed with the verdict.

“When Rana has been held guilty of assisting the Lashkar-e-Taiba and guilty of supporting terrorist acts in Denmark how have they separated him from the Mumbai attacks?” he said. “It appears that there are some apparent contradictions in this verdict.” India’s internal security chief UK Bansal told reporters that the verdict shouldn’t be a setback for the case in India.

“The judicial systems in both countries are different. We will be presenting our evidence before our own courts,” Bansal said. Defense attorneys spent much of their time trying to discredit Headley, who they claim duped his friend from a Pakistani boarding

school. They attacked Headley’s character, saying he initially lied to the FBI, lied to a judge and even lied to his own family. They claimed he implicated Rana in the plot because he wanted to make a deal with prosecutors, something he’d learned after he became an informant for the US Drug Enforcement Administration after two heroin convictions. But prosecutors claimed Rana, 50, knew exactly what he was doing when he helped Headley. Rana, who did not testify, was on trial for allegedly allowing Headley to open a branch of his Chicago-based immigration law services business in Mumbai as a cover story while Headley conducted surveillance ahead of the November 2008 attacks. He was also accused of letting Headley, whose cooperation means he avoids the death penalty and extradition, travel as a representative of the company in Copenhagen. Prosecutors made a Sept 7, 2009, recorded phone call between Rana and Headley the centerpiece of their evidence against Rana. In

attacks. “There’s lots of ways you could explain it, but I haven’t spoken to the jury,” Fitzgerald said.

“There was clearly evidence that he knew he was working with Lashkar.” In court, prosecutors played clips of Rana’s post-arrest statement to the FBI, where he said that he knew Headley had trained with Lashkar, which the US has declared a terrorist organization. It was also clear from the recording that Rana was at least aware of the others allegedly involved in the Danish plot. Six others were charged in absentia in the case, including an ISI member known only as “Major Iqbal” and Headley’s Lashkar handler Sajid Mir. According to Headley’s testimony, Lashkar was initially involved in planning the Danish plot. But after the Mumbai attacks, the group decided to lay low, according to Headley, who said he proceeded to work with another militant group. While much of Headley’s testimony had been heard before , both through the indictment

CHICAGO: Charles Swift, left, and Patrick Blegen attorneys for Chicago businessman Tahawwur Rana talk with reporters after a jury returned its verdict in Rana’s trial on Thursday in Chicago. —AP the call, the men discussed the Mumbai attacks and Headley talked about future targets, including the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

Prosecutors also questioned the validity of Rana wanting to open a branch of his office in Denmark and sending Headley to the Copenhagen newspaper’s office simply to inquire about advertising, which could have been done via email or telephone.

US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald told reporters after the verdict that he was gratified by the jury’s decision and disagreed with defense attorneys who said the verdict was conflicting because he was convicted of supporting Lashkar-e-Taiba but acquitted of charges that he helped in the Mumbai

and a report released by the Indian government last year , he did reveal a few new details. Among them was that another militant leader Ilyas Kashmiri, who US officials believed to be AlQaeda’s military operations chief in Pakistan, had plotted to attack US defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

Kashmiri was reported killed on June 3

by US drone attacks inside Pakistan.

While US officials haven’t confirmed the death, Pakistani officials say they’re certain Kashmiri is dead. Headley said he worked with Kashmiri in the plot against the Danish paper, describing how the militant wanted a “stronghold approach.” One plan including taking hostages in the building and killing them quickly by beheading them. — AP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Venezuela assembly OK’s doubling of govt debt CARACAS: Venezuela’s parliament approved on Thursday a near-doubling of borrowing in 2011 by President Hugo Chavez’s government, which wants the extra debt to finance social projects the year before an election. As expected, the ruling Socialist Party’s majority in the National Assembly guaranteed passage of the debt law, allowing the government to borrow an extra 45 billion bolivars ($10.5 billion) on top of the 52.2 billion already allowed.

That is likely to pave the way for another sovereign bond issue later in the year.

Critics say Chavez, with an eye to spending big ahead of the 2012 presidential vote, is cynically and unnecessarily burdening future generations of Venezuelans with extra debt after squandering the OPEC member’s vast oil revenues. “You didn’t

arrive yesterday, it’s been 12 years you’ve been in government and you’ve not been able to meet the people’s needs,” opposition lawmaker Cesar Rincones said during a heated debate. “Next year, you’ll go down as the worst government in the annals of history.”

Chavez and his supporters say the money is needed to continue embedding their “21st century revolution,” in its 13th year, and revert past neglect of the poor. Of the extra 45 billion bolivars, 10 billion is intended for debt payments, 10 billion to finance home building, 10 billion for agriculture projects, 10 billion for employment initiatives, and 5 billion for emergencies and disasters. “It’s responsible debt,” said Vice President Elias Jaua. “Not every nation can take on such debt, but Venezuela can han-

dle issues of this size because there is confidence in the markets in the solidity of the Venezuelan economy.” According to the International Monetary Fund, Venezuela’s general government gross debt is quite low, at 38.7 percent of GDP last year. This is comparable to peers such as Mexico and is much lower than the majority of advanced economies.

The South American nation has just pulled out of recession, and achieved 4.5 percent growth in the first quarter, compared with the same period last year.

Though Venezuela is on course for roughly 4 percent growth this year, critics say growth should be much higher given the surge in oil global prices and consequent extra revenues for Venezuela. The new debt approved by parliament can be in local or

foreign currency, and analysts expect a $3 billion-$4 billion sovereign bond issue in the second half.

“Aggressive debt issuance is part of the government’s strategy to improve popularity by boosting economic growth ahead of the 2012 presidential elections,” Eurasia Group consultancy said in a report. “Chavez understands he faces a more competitive race, and is betting on massively increasing spending to secure reelection next year.”

Chavez’s popularity ratings have hovered around 50 percent this year, while the opposition is preparing for primaries to choose a unity candidate against him early next year. Current favorite to win the opposition ticket is Henrique Capriles, 38, who governs an influential state including much of the capital Caracas. — Reuters

21 bodies found with warning notes in Mexico Victims all males between 25, 30

HAVANA: A girl looks out from her home next to an image of Cuba’s revolutionary hero Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara in Old Havana, Cuba, yesterday. —AP

Cuban court convicts 11 more in corruption probe HAVANA: A Cuban court has convicted 11 more people in a wide-ranging corruption case that already ensnared a Chilean businessman who’s a longtime friend of Fidel Castro, the businessman’s brother and a Cuban government minister.

An official statement read Thursday on state-run television said the court sentenced members of the new group , a mix of company executives and government functionaries , to between three and five years in jail.

“Those sanctioned took cash bribes and other illegal gifts in return for diverting, or allowing to be diverted, products and raw materials,” the communique said. “They falsified information, altered documents and engaged in other fraudulent activities.” Among the latest defendants is a former vice food minister, Celio Hernandez.

Hernandez’s boss, former Food Minister Alejandro Roca Iglesias, received a 15-year prison sentence in the same case in a verdict announced in May. The case revolves around the dealings of Rio Zaza, a juice company run by a holding company controlled by the Chilean businessman, Max Marambio, who was convicted in absentia in May and sentenced to 20 years in jail.

His brother, Marcel, was also convicted in absentia last week, and sentenced to 15 years in jail for management of a travel company, Sol y Son. Details of the case against those convicted Thursday were not announced, nor was it clear if they would appeal.

Before the latest verdicts were announced, 15 people of Cuban nationality had already been convicted in the case and given sentences between three and 10 years. Since taking over the presidency from his brother in 2008, Raul Castro has led an anti-corruption drive that has seen many top government ministers ousted. —AP

MORELIA: Twenty-one bodies were found strewn outside a town in western Mexico, several with warning notes affixed, officials said Thursday after the gruesome discovery. The victims, all males between the ages of 25 and 30, were found in different areas just outside the city limits of Morelia a city of some 600,000 people in Michoacan state, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Mexico City.

State prosecutor Jesus Montejano said forensic examinations were being carried out on the bodies, which were discovered late Wednesday and early Thursday in various sites. Five bodies were piled atop one another near Buenavista port, and five more at a road leading out of town. Three bodies were found on a local football pitch, three behind a hotel, the remaining five bodies were retrieved from undisclosed sites.

Police said some of the victims’ faces were covered by tape and some showed signs of torture. Another 14 bodies — 12 men and two womenwere discovered in the port city of Acapulco between Wednesday and Thursday, according to a statement from the Guerrero state public security office. The shocking discovery just outside Morelia comes just a few days after a “caravan” against violence protest passed through the town.

Officials took the unusual step of releasing the contents of the warning notes on the bodies, which bore the same ominous message. “Because society asked for it, this is going to happen to those who continue to rob houses, kidnappers and rapists.”

Michoacan state is the base of the notorious drug cartel La Familia, which is known for its religious zeal, notably justifying the beheadings of 12 policemen last June as being the work of “divine violence.”

Late last year, the group said in a letter sent to local media it was ready

ACAPULCO: Forensic workers dig up bodies at a site where a mass grave was found in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco, Mexico, Thursday. —AP to dissolve itself if security was enforced and citizens of the state are protected, urging the authorities to take control of the state. Federal officials said it was unclear at the time whether the message was authentic, but still dismissed it, insisting the government “could not make deals with criminals.”

The state has meanwhile seen an exodus of people fleeing their homes in recent weeks due to fighting between drug gangs and with security forces. Esquivel Lucatero, the mayor of Buenavista municipality, told AFP in late May that nearly 2,000 people had left their homes, as army helicopters were deployed in the western state and soldiers maintained a heavy presence in the region.

Authorities had set up a refuge for the families in Buenavista, in at least the second exodus due to drug violence in less than a year, after several hundred people fled their homes in Ciudad Mier, northeast Mexico, last November. The La Familia drug gang dominates Michoacan, but it was

unclear whether intensified clashes were sparked by infighting within the gang or with other groups, such as the Zetas, which are expanding across the country.

Mexico has seen an explosion in drug-related violence in recent years that has left some 37,000 people dead since the government launched a military crackdown on organized crime in 2006. In a brutal attack in the northern border state of Coahuila earlier this week, 13 people were killed after an armed gang stormed a drug rehabilitation center and fired on patients.

The “caravan of comfort” protest of families of victims and representatives of rights groups opposed to the military crackdown against drug cartels, wrapped up earlier this week, after stops in Michoacan; San Luis Potosi near the location where a US customs agent was gunned down in February; and Durango, where mass graves containing the remains of more than 220 people were uncovered in April. — AFP

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INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Woman lost in Nepal ate grass, bamboo to survive KATMANDU: A Japanese woman who was lost in Nepal’s mountains for nearly two weeks said yesterday that she survived by eating grass, drinking river water, taking shelter in small caves and praying. Makiko Iwafuchi, 49, of Chiba, said she left her hotel May 25 for a short stroll near the Goshainkunda lake. She left the main trail and could not find it again. She said she walked for days but was unable to find the trail or come in contact with any villagers until Tuesday, when she heard voices.

“I screamed, saying, “Hello! Please help me!’ she told reporters after returning to Katmandu yesterday. ‘It was a miracle. I felt at ease and thanked God.’ Aside from some

visible insect bites, she appeared to be fine three days after her ordeal about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Katmandu, at an elevation of more than 14,000 feet (4,300 meters). Iwafuchi said that when she got lost roughly 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the trail, she waited for help in the area for two days. When no one came, she decided to search for a way back.

The local police and soldiers had begun a search a day after she went missing, but they found no trace of her. She said she walked from dawn to dusk for days, eating grass and bamboo and drinking river water.

She took shelter in small caves on the mountain and under rocks, covering herself

with leaves. ´The weather was not cold. It only drizzled a few days,ª she said, though she added that one night she did get soaked when she had only a tree to protect her from the rain.

“I knew there were not dangerous animals in the area, so I was safe,’ Iwafuchi said. “ prayed if I survive I will change. I will be kind to people and more generous.

There was a couple of times that I feared I will not survive, but I still believed that God will give me a second chance,’ she said.

After Iwafuchi was found, she was carried to the local hospital. She said doctors treated her blistered toes but found her to be in good health otherwise. Iwafuchi plans to

continue trekking, but not by herself.

Separately, not far from where Iwafuchi got lost, rescuers in Nepal removed the body of a Japanese woman who died in an avalanche while trying to scale the 19,172foot-high (5,844-meter-high) Naya Kanga peak in Rashuwa district.

The body of 63-year-old Masue Yoshida was flown by helicopter to Katmandu yesterday and taken to a hospital, where relatives and representatives from the Japanese Embassy received the body. The avalanche struck Yoshida and her Nepali trekking guide Saturday, killing them both.

Rescuers have not yet found the body of the guide. — AP

Suicide bomber kills 4 police in Afghanistan At least 14 people wounded by attack

HARIDWAR: A doctor examines the health of Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev on the seventh day of his hunger strike at his ashram in Haridwar, India, yesterday. —AP

India’s fasting guru taken to hospital DEHRADUN: An Indian yoga guru holding a hunger strike against corruption was hospitalized yesterday after not eating for nearly a week in a protest that has put pressure on the government. Swami Ramdev, whose popularity stems from his daily TV yoga shows, had continued fasting at his ashram near the holy city of Haridwar after batonwielding police broke up his protest in New Delhi. “He is unconscious. Doctors administered glucose to him in the ambulance,” his spokesman Lalit Mishra told AFP as Ramdev was admitted to hospital in Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand state.

Mishra said that Ramdev has not eaten since Saturday but began drinking lemonade with honey on Tuesday on doctors’ orders. “If his pulse rate and blood pressure continue to go down, it may put some pressure on his heart,” Yogesh Chandra Sharma, the chief medical officer of Haridwar, told reporters. “It is worrisome.” The government, which has been hit by a series of corruption scandals, had tried to dissuade Ramdev from holding a hunger strike and then surprised many by sending police to break up his protest in Delhi before dawn on Sunday. About 70 people were injured, two of them seriously, in the police action. The bearded guru has since threatened to train an army of 11,000 followers for self-defence in case the police attack again.

In Dehradun, thousands of Ramdev’s supporters packed roads in front of the Himalayan Hospital, a private facility where he was being treated in intensive care. Crowds chanted “Long live Baba Ramdev”, “We are with you Baba Ramdev” and “End Corruption.” Another prominent Indian spiritual guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, was at his bedside.

Corruption has become a major focus of public discontent in fast-developing India, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government accused over scandals including a telecoms scam that may have cost the treasury $39 billion.

Ramdev’s main demand is that Singh’s administration forcibly repatriate so-called “black money”, cash in foreign bank accounts suspected of being used for bribes or other illegal transactions. He has also called for large-denomination currency notes to be withdrawn because they are used in illicit transactions. — AFP

KABUL: A suicide bomber blew himself up yesterday outside a mosque where a remembrance ceremony was being held for a slain Afghan police commander. The blast killed four police officers, authorities said.

Security forces confronted the bomber, who was dressed in traditional robes, before he entered the mosque in the northern city of Kunduz, said provincial police chief Samiullah Qatra, who attended the ceremony. A scuffle broke out and the bomber detonated his explosives, the force of the blast blowing out windows of the mosque, Qatra said. At least 14 people were wounded, state health director Zafar Noori said.

Video shot by AP Television News showed the bomber detonated his explosives outside the mosque near a mud wall. Green plastic chairs sat overturned, and blood pooled on the ground. Yesterday’s ceremony was in honor of Gen. Daud Daud, a well known regional police commander in northern Afghanistan who was killed May 28 in a bombing at the governor’s office in northeastern Takhar province where top police and NATO officials were meeting. German Gen. Markus Kneip, NATO’s commander for northern Afghanistan, was among those wounded in the attack.

Daud was a former deputy interior minister and ex-bodyguard of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the charismatic Tajik leader who commanded the Northern Alliance and died in an al-Qaida suicide bombing two days before the Sept 11, 2001, attacks that prompted the US

KUNDUZ: Police officers carry an injured Afghan police officer on a stretcher at a hospital in Kunduz city, in the northern province of Kunduz, Afghanistan yesterday. —AP invasion. Kunduz province has seen an increase in bombings and assassinations in recent months as international forces have staged an offensive against the Taleban. In March, the insurgency struck back with a suicide bombing at an army recruitment center, killing 35 volunteers, while a suicide bomber in February killed at least 30 people at a government office where Afghans were waiting in line for identification cards.

In October, a bomb killed Kunduz Gov Mohammad Omar and 19 others in a crowded mosque in neighboring Takhar province. Omar was killed just

days after he warned of escalating threats from Taleban and foreign fighters in the north. The north is home to hide-outs for the Taleban, Al-Qaeda and fighters from other militant factions, including the Haqqani network, Hizb-i-Islami and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

NATO has sent more troops to the north and has been pushing harder into militant-held areas. Yesterday’s bombing comes as the Taleban begins its spring offensive, with stepped up roadside bombings and suicide attacks, as well as insurgent assaults on mountain or rural outposts. —AP

Shooting video another blow to Pakistan’s forces ISLAMABAD: The killing of an apparently unarmed man by paramilitary troops is likely to erode what little public confidence remains in Pakistan’s security forces who have been on the defensive since Osama bin Laden was killed in a US raid. The incident, caught on video and broadcast on local television stations, triggered fresh criticism of Pakistan’s

human rights record and an unpopular government many say has failed to rein in the police and army, and who seem to act with impunity.

It also further dented the reputation of the powerful security establishment in this US ally which has been deeply embarrassed by the fact that the al Qaeda leader was found and killed in Pakistan last month, and

its subsequent failure to stop a small group of militants from besieging a key naval air base. “It shows that our law enforcement agencies have truly become trigger happy and the brutalisation of society that has come about as a consequence,” Zohra Yusuf, head of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told Reuters. — Reuters

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INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Vietnam to hold live-fire drill as China rift grows Countries trade accusations over recent ship confrontations HANOI: Vietnam announced yesterday that it would hold a live-fire naval drill next week in the South China Sea as an escalating maritime dispute fuels tensions with Beijing. Relations between China and Vietnam are at their worst in years as the two countries trade accusations over recent confrontations between their ships in potentially energy-rich contested waters.

A Vietnamese naval officer told AFP that the six hours of live-fire exercises would be held on Monday around Hon Ong island, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) off Quang Nam province in central Vietnam. The officer declined to give the reason for the night drill or say how many vessels would be involved.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga said the exercises were part of routine annual training.

Tensions between the communist neighbors have risen sharply after Hanoi accused Chinese marine surveillance vessels of cutting the exploration cables of an oil survey ship in May inside its exclusive economic zone, where the drill will be. On Thursday Vietnam alleged a similar incident in the zone, saying a Chinese fishing boat rammed the cables of another oil survey ship in its waters, describing it as a “premeditated” attack.

Beijing countered by warning

Vietnam to halt all activities that it says violate its sovereignty in disputed South China Sea waters. The two countries have long-standing disputes over the potentially oil-rich Paracel and Spratly archipelagos and surrounding sea. The area where the live-fire exercise is planned is about 250 kilometres from the Paracels and almost 1,000 kms from the Spratlys. Carl Thayer, a veteran analyst of Vietnam and the South China Sea, said the drill would be a way for Vietnam to send a message, after China on Thursday also said it would conduct naval exercises. Thayer said Vietnam was firing “a soft warning shot across the bow, rather than a real one.”

But he added such drills were not unprecedented as Vietnam held an airdefence drill on land about two months ago. In a sign of how seriously Hanoi views the situation, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung this week vowed to protect Vietnam’s “incontestable” sovereignty of the Paracels and Spratlys.

Vietnam said it has since deployed eight boats to “escort” the ship involved in the May incident, without saying what kind of vessels. Analysts say the move raises the stakes in the dispute.

Beijing says it is committed to peace in the South China Sea, but its more assertive maritime posture has caused

concern among regional nations.

Tensions have also risen this year between China and the Philippines, another claimant to the Spratlys, where Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also say they have a stake. “Nobody wants war but when there is an escalation we will act,” vice defense minister Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh told local media earlier this week.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned last weekend that clashes may erupt in the South China Sea unless nations with conflicting territorial claims adopt a mechanism to settle disputes peacefully. Hundreds of people held a peaceful anti-China protest outside Beijing’s embassy in Hanoi on Sunday, the largest action of its kind since 2007.

Protests are rare in authoritarian Vietnam.

Tensions have also spread to the Internet. More than 200 Vietnamese websites have been attacked and some defaced with Chinese flags, an Internet security firm said yesterday. The ministries of agriculture and foreign affairs are among those targeted since the beginning of June, said Nguyen Minh Duc, director of the state-linked Bach Khoa Internetwork Security Centre. “We don’t yet know if it concerns Chinese hackers,” Duc said. — AFP

Six dead as storm exits Philippines MANILA: Six people were killed and crew from two local boats were missing at sea as Tropical Storm Sarika headed out of Philippine waters yesterday with many communities still flooded, rescuers said. Four people drowned in the major southern island of Mindanao earlier this week while a boy died after falling into a swollen creek in Batangas city near Manila, and a woman drowned on the central island of Tablas, they said.

A coastguard plane yesterday found a number of people wearing orange life vests floating at sea off the main island of Luzon, said the government’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The survivors are believed to be among the 26 crew members of a 45-tonne fishing boat that went missing during the storm on its way to its home port from the Spratly islands, said the council’s executive director Benito Ramos.

“The pilots saw some people afloat.

We just don’t know how many,” Ramos told reporters. “The understanding is that since the boat was not found, it could have sunk,” he said. Philippine navy and coastguard vessels have been dispatched to the area off Anda town to pick up the presumed survivors, he added. In another incident, one crew member of a barge went missing as the vessel, which was carrying agricultural products, ran aground near the town of Sariaya, south of Manila, the council said. Several hundred people remained at evacuation centres across Luzon early yesterday while waiting for floodwaters to recede, the disaster council said in its latest update. — AFP

WATARI: Survivors form a line to receive their meal at a gymnasium of a high school that turned into a refugee center in Watari, northeastern Japan yesterday. —AP

Utility reprimanded over 2 workers’ high radiation TOKYO: The operator of Japan’s tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant was reprimanded yesterday and told to investigate how two workers were exposed to radiation levels more than twice a government-set limit. The two men, one in his 30s and the other in his 40s, worked at Fukushima Dai-ichi’s central control room for reactors three and four on March 11, when the tsunami struck, and the days that followed.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. has said the workers are not showing immediate health problems but they will need long-term monitoring for an increased

risk of cancer. Soon after the tsunami damaged the plant, the government raised the lifetime radiation limit for men to 250 millisieverts from the earlier 100 millisieverts so workers could tackle the emergency.

The two men were confirmed last week as having exceeding that higher limit. A third worker is being tested further after early findings showed high radiation exposure as well. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency reprimanded TEPCO for violating the limit and ordered the company to take preventive measures within a week. — AP

SEOUL: US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, left, asks for shaking hands with South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan before their meeting at Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. —AP

China concerned at Korean tensions SEOUL: China wants to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and was surprised and concerned when its ally Pyongyang abruptly shut the door on dialogue with Seoul, a senior US official said yesterday. Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, was speaking in South Korea at the end of an Asian tour which also took him to China, Mongolia and Indonesia.

North Korea announced on May 30 it would no longer have dealings with the South’s conservative government, further raising tensions. Two days afterwards, it disclosed apparent secret approaches from Seoul for summit talks and poured scorn on them. Last Friday the North’s military threatened retaliation unless Seoul punishes troops who used pictures of Pyongyang’s ruling dynasty as rifle-range targets. The practice has been halted.

“In all of our meetings (in Beijing), we urged China to make best efforts to encourage North Korea to improve relations with South Korea,” Campbell told journalists after talks with Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan and deputy minister Kim Jae-Shin. Campbell said China, the United States and South Korea all agree there must be an improvement in such relations, “and I think China wants to take efforts to help support that process”.

Relations have been icy since the South accused the North of sinking one of its warships in March 2010 with the loss of 46 lives. The North denies involvement in the sinking.

But it shelled a South Korean border island last November, killing four people including two civilians. It says the shelling was provoked by its neighbor and refuses to apologize for either incident-a precondition set by Seoul before any serious dialogue.

Campbell said the Chinese were “concerned” by the disruption in inter-Korean talks and “a little surprised.”

Chinese officials “very much want to see improvement in dialogue between the North and South and we encourage that process as well”, he said. The North’s leader Kim Il-Sung apparently did not inform his hosts of the upcoming rupture in cross-border ties when he visited Beijing last month, Campbell said.

“I don’t think the North Koreans gave an indication that they were about to so abruptly and so publicly break contact with South Korea,” he said. “We expressed our concerns and I think all of our Chinese interlocutors indicated they had no knowledge in advance that such steps were being contemplated.” In response to a question, the assistant secretary said the United States is still reviewing North Korea’s need for food aid after a recent assessment visit by a US team.

“We did very closely communicate to South Korean friends that no decision has been taken and under any circumstances, we will coordinate in advance with South Korea,” he added. South Korea opposes any resumption of US food aid at this time.

Some Seoul officials say the North is exaggerating its woes in hopes of winning food aid, possibly to distribute during mass celebrations next year marking the 100th birth anniversary of the regime’s founder Kim Il-Sung. — AFP

Indian industrial output growth dips

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Germany sticks to demand for Greek bond swap

Business

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Weak banks, miners pull Britain’s FTSE index lower

Toyota sees profit slump on strong yen, earthquake

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

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LISBON: French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde (2na L) leaves after attending the Annual Meeting of African Development Bank, in Lisbon yesterday. A French court will rule on July 8 whether to allow a probe into claims Lagarde abused her power, by which time she could be head of the IMF, judicial sources said yesterday.

Lagarde in lead for IMF Carstens calls for IMF to make choice on merit PARIS: South Africa’s Trevor Manuel ruled himself out of the race for the IMF’s top job yesterday, making French finance minister Christine Lagarde an even firmer favourite, although the threat of a judicial inquiry remains.

Emerging market powers like Russia, India and China have declared they want an end to Europe’s grip on the top job at the international lender, calling time on a pact that puts the IMF in European hands while the World Bank is run by an American.

Yet the only declared rival to Lagarde as the window for nominations closed yesterday is Mexican Central Bank chief Agustin Carstens, whose policy views are seen as too conservative by many of his emerging market peers.

Carstens, said yesterday that the decision must be made on merit, as he visited India during his underdog campaign to secure the role. “The membership of the fund needs to assure us they will take a decision based on merit,” he told reporters in New Delhi. “I presented my credentials, the international community knows me and I think I have the

capacity to be the head of the fund.”

Lagarde is backed by the European Union and a handful of smaller countries from Georgia to Mauritius. Paris is hopeful that Washington and Beijing will also stand behind her. Emerging nations have not rallied as expected behind Carstens, who in particular lacks the explicit backing of big powers like Brazil and India.

Manuel, a respected former South African finance minister, opted not to stand but said it would be “most unfortunate if we end up with a European who is bound by the EU”.

“It is important to understand that decisions take place in the context of world politics. Against that backdrop, I have decided not to avail myself,” Manuel told a news conference. The United States and Europe hold 48 percent of votes at the International Monetary Fund, emerging nations just 12 percent. As Lagarde lobbied African officials in Lisbon, Emerging Markets magazine had reported that South Africa would nominate its former finance minister for the job. Manuel, who handled Africa’s biggest economy deftly for a decade, had long been touted as an ide-

al developing-world candidate and many had seen him winning more support from emerging powers than Carstens, despite the Mexican’s impressive academic profile. In New Delhi to drum up support for his candidacy, Carstens said Mexico and India agreed emerging market countries needed greater representation at the IMF. He also said emerging nations needed to have flexibility on capital controls.

Lagarde, an adept negotiator with handson experience in the euro zone’s debt crisis, is seen as the clear favourite despite a legal investigation into her role in a 2008 arbitration payout that will hang over her candidacy.

A top French court yesterday put off until July 8 its decision on whether to open a formal inquiry into allegations brought by opposition left-wing deputies that she abused her authority in approving a 285 million euro payout to a businessman friend of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

A French finance ministry official told Reuters the legal process was proceeding normally and Lagarde earlier told reporters in Lisbon, where she attended the African

Development Bank’s annual meeting, that she was confident about the outcome.

“No, I am not concerned at all about this particular inquiry, and I reaffirm as I did when I put my candidacy and threw my hat in the ring, that there is absolutely no grounds to that inquiry,” she told reporters. Lagarde has flown to Brazil, India and China to tout her merits for the IMF job, and carries on her tour to Saudi Arabia and Egypt this weekend. “I am not the candidate of Europe, I am not the candidate of France, I am the candidate to serve the 187 of the IMF, so that the institution can deliver the services they need,” she said.

The African Union has said it wants to see a non-European in the job but emerging market powers have failed to coalesce behind one candidate to challenge Europe’s hold on the job. “Lagarde is still the favourite,” said Jacques Reland of the Global Policy Institute.

“The BRICS are still quite divided.”

The Fund-shaken up by the shock departure of Frenchman Dominique Strauss-Kahn last month over charges that he tried to rape a New York hotel maid-will name its new managing director on June 30. — Agencies

BUSINESS SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Asian LNG prices move higher on summer demand PERTH/NEW YORK: Spot prices of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia were seen closing in on $14.00 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) the highest seen in the spot market this year, from about $13.60 last week, on summer demand and sustained imports by Japan, traders said.

“Offers are clearly above $14.00 per mmBtu, but I haven’t seen any transactions at that level. I think for now we have reached a maximum price, but you never know,” one Asia-based trader said.

Asian LNG prices have already risen from below $10 per mmBtu before the quake to near $14 per mmBtu currently.

Japan continues to face serious shortfalls in electricity supply in the wake of the March tsunami, with Kansai Electric Power Co the latest major utility to call on buyers to cut power use to avoid rolling blackouts.

Kansai said it would need to buy fuel equivalent to 300,000 tonnes of LNG to meet summer power demand due to the uncertainty as to when it can restart the reactors. That would be on top of additional purchases

of 1.3 million tonnes of LNG equivalent it has already bought. But given the uncertainties in Japan’s power market, utilities in the country were seen buying just a few months out.

“They are not trying to buy too far ahead in any great quantities-the way that they are doing it seems to be spot one or two months out,” another Asia-based trader said. The market is also closely watching actions surrounding nuclear closures in Japan and the effect on LNG markets, following a statement by government officials earlier in the week that local opposition could shut down the nation’s nuclear capacity.

“The LNG markets are put under further strain by the possible shutdown of all of Japan’s nuclear power by a government driven by public fears about the risks of nuclear power,” said Pan Eurasian LNG analysts in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Any further growth in Japanese demand will tighten the Asian LNG market, which is expecting several new importers to come online in the next few years.

Thailand will start operations at its regasification

plant in July after a successful test run.

Thailand is just one of several Asian nations including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and possibly Sri Lanka and the Philippines that are expected to become LNG importers in the next few years, adding to rapidly growing Asian demand for the supercooled fuel.

The rise in Asian spot prices has increased the premium to UK benchmark prices in recent weeks, enough to attract Atlantic Basin cargoes east, if shippers can find scarce spare tonnage. British futures were around $9.60 per mmBtu yesterday, up slightly from last Friday, but still more than $4 below Asian prices.

US gas futures at $4.70 per mmBtu yesterday were almost $4.90 below British prices and remained the least attractive market for LNG shipments.

Last week, deliveries of LNG to the United States and Canada were at 0.7 billion cubic feet per day, down from the 1.2 bcfd average in 2010, Tudor Pickering Holt numbers showed, a sign of low prices deterring spot shipments.—Reuters

Oil dips as S Arabia offers more crude Analysts: Lack of OPEC leadership not price supportive

SHANGHAI: A woman walks past a branch of China Everbright Bank in Shanghai on August 18, 2010. China Everbright Bank has received a green light from regulators to launch a 7 billion USD share sale, reports said yesterday, in a deal that could be the largest offering in Hong Kong this year. — AFP

China May trade gap smaller than expected, imports jump BEIJING: China posted a smaller-thanexpected trade surplus in May of $13.1 billion because of soaring imports and weaker global demand growth, giving mixed signals about how the economy fared when some of its best export customers faltered.

China’s sales to the United States and the European Union slumped to their weakest since late 2009, excluding Lunar New Year holidays, underlining the view that the world economy is stumbling.

Still, as an engine of growth, import figures suggested China’s economy is expanding at a healthy, if not stellar, pace. Crude imports stayed at elevated levels and coal volumes rose by more than a fifth from both April and a year earlier.

“The overall strength in imports suggests that China’s domestic demand has not slowed as much as the market may have feared,” said Wang Tao, an economist with UBS in Beijing.

Exports rose 19.4 percent in May from a year earlier, slowing from the 29.9 percent pace in April, while import growth accelerated to 28.4 percent from 21.8 percent in April, the customs agency said yesterday.

The export growth was shy of economists’ expectations for a 21 percent rise, while the imports came in faster than the consensus call for 22.5 percent.

The trade surplus rose from $11.4 bil-

lion in April, but was far below forecasts in a Reuters poll for $18.6 billion.

“The general message is neither weak nor strong,” said Ken Peng, an economist with Citigroup in Beijing.

Indeed, the data offered a little something for everyone, which may explain why financial markets showed no significant reaction.

Trade data for China is always closely watched because it is the world’s biggest exporter and second-biggest economy.

May’s figures took on even greater significance as economists try to gauge whether a slowdown in the world economy is a just a blip or the start of a more troubling slump.

Those who think the world economy will revive in the coming months could point to China’s stronger-than-expected imports as evidence that domestic demand remains healthy in a region that is vital to global growth.

Those who worry that a protracted slowdown looms could find supporting evidence in the weaker-than-expected export figures.

With inflation running above its comfort zone, Beijing has taken steps to cool the economy. Economists are monitoring the economy to see whether those inflation-fighting efforts can thread the needle-cool overheating areas such as property without smothering overall demand.—Reuters

LONDON: US crude oil fell more than a dollar yesterday as Saudi Arabia began offering more oil to Asian refiners, easing worries about supply following an inconclusive OPEC meeting. US crude fell as low as $100.81, retreating from early gains, after it closed at $101.93 the previous session.

ICE Brent for July delivery was 60 cents down at $118.97 a barrel at 1127 GMT, having risen to a high of $120.07 earlier, the highest since May 5.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is offering more crude to Asian refiners in July, industry sources with direct knowledge of negotiations said yesterday, the first evidence it is taking steps to unilaterally raise supplies.

The country will also boost production in July to 10 million barrels per day, al-Hayat newspaper said yesterday.

This eased concern that supply may dip following a meeting of the Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries that failed to reach agreement on raised production quotas.

“I would expect people to start to digest what happened during the meeting: it means OPEC has no longer a quota, no restraint on production and Saudi Arabia is doing that, offering more to Asian customers. This element today should lead to some pressure on prices,” Christophe Barret from Credit Agricole CIB said. OPEC met on

Wednesday and for the first time in about a decade failed to agree on output policy.

“Today we’re seeing a normalisation, it’s back to reality,” Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch said.

Merrill Lynch analysts piled into the debate, arguing in a note that a breakdown in cohesion in OPEC cannot be a bullish signal for oil prices in the medium term.

“OPEC’s position could come back to hurt the cartel as the high cost of energy is a key risk to growth. Our energy as a share of GDP indicator suggests energy prices is reaching maximum affordability for the global economy,” they said. “Our economists believe that the high oil prices washed out the US fiscal stimulus passed in December hampering the recovery in America. Similar negative effects can be observed in other oil consuming economies.”

Strong demand from China, which saw a more than 20 percent year-on-year rise in May crude imports, supported prices. The world’s second largest buyer imported more than 5 million bpd for a fifth consecutive month in May. “As we go through the second part of the year, there may be a constant upward revision on Chinese oil demand,” said Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Corp’s risk manager Tony Nunan. — Reuters

HUBEI: A researcher works at the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics in central China’s Hubei province yesterday. — AFP

BUSINESS SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Australia releases draft mining tax legislation CANBERRA: Australia’s government released draft legislation for its controversial mining profits tax yesterday keeping the 30 percent rate and said resource firms would be able to push for changes before bills were brought to parliament later this year.

The government unveiled its initial plans for the mining tax over a year ago but has extensively modified its original proposal after global miners including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Xstrata launched a campaign against it.

The mining tax is due to take effect on July 1, 2012, and the Treasury earlier said it expected A$7.7 billion in revenue in its first two years, which should help the budget return to surplus in 2012/13.

“These reforms will ensure Australians receive a better return from their non-renewable resources

and will help strengthen our economy through increased superannuation, new and better infrastructure, and business tax cuts,” Treasurer Wayne Swan said in a statement.

Resource sector opposition over the tax and a A$20 million advertising campaign against it ahead of national elections led in great part to the ousting of former prime minister Kevin Rudd and a minority government for Rudd’s successor Julia Gillard.

Private consultations with miners over the past few months helped iron out differences over the tax, which applies only to coal and iron ore, but some key sticking points remain before the bills go to parliament after a second drafting round.

The biggest open issue now involved the valuation of multiple tenements within an area, as their classification as a single or multiple

projects will influence tax levels and the value of projects that can be shielded from the tax.

The tax point for underground coal mines is also a sticking point, as the government resisting concessions after Western Australia (WA) state raised royalties, threatening a A$2 billion national budget hole.

The legislation excludes small miners with assessable profits of under A$50 million a year and allows mining projects to access immediate write offs on new investments. The tax will carry forward unutilised losses at the government long term bond rate plus 7 percent.

The draft said the legislation would account for different commodities by using appropriate pricing arrangements to ensure only the value of the resources extracted was taxed. Resource Minister Martin

Ferguson last month promised the national government would reimburse miners for future state royalties, in exchange for mining tax acceptance, after WA said it would lift gradually lift royalties on iron ore fines by 2014 to 7.5 percent from 5.625 percent, raising A$2 billion.

But BHP and AngloCoal are arguing that mine sites straddling multiple exploration or production permits should be treated as a single project, helping them claim tax breaks.

BHP said in a statement it was committed to working with the government to implement the tax as agreed. The government, based on advice from an advisory group on the tax, wants each tenement or lease within a mining site to be valued individually, creating bureaucratic hurdles for companies and possibly the tax burden. — Reuters

Indian industrial output growth dips Central bank seen hiking rate next week

HONG KONG: Overview shows mostly residential properties close to the water front in Hong Kong yesterday. Hong Kong’s finance chief John Tsang said the risk for people entering the territory’s property market was ‘higher now than ever’ as he announced new measures to tame runaway prices. — AFP

Hong Kong finance chief warns on property prices HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s finance chief said yesterday risks for property buyers in the territory were “higher now than ever” as he announced new measures to tame the world’s least affordable real estate prices.

Financial Secretary John Tsang said the government of the quasiautonomous city was working to control ever-rising prices amid growing disquiet among the seven million-strong population over the rocketing cost of owning a home. “This situation is rather unusualthe property market trend is hard to predict,” he said. “I urge citizens to think twice before entering the property market, as the risk is higher now than ever.

“The current market situation requires us to boost efforts in two respects. One is increasing land supply, the second is strengthening risk management in bank systems,” he said.

The southern Chinese city has imposed new taxes and staged a series of land auctions in the past year-and-a-

half to boost supply and bring down prices.

Despite the earlier measures, some existing properties are still fetching topend prices with the home of France’s top diplomat selling last month for a whopping HK$580 million.

A study by US consultancy Demographia in January found Hong Kong’s home prices were the least affordable in the world.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority on Friday told lenders to limit mortgages on properties worth more than HK$10 million to half their value, a cap which previously applied only from HK$12 million.

A 60 percent maximum loan-to-value ratio was imposed on properties worth HK$7-10 million, down from HK$8-12 million.

Norman Chan, chief executive of the authority, said the changes were made to “make the banking system more resilient and robust”. —AFP

NEW DELHI: India’s industrial output growth dipped in April, the latest sign that rising cost of credit and inflation are acting as brakes on the economy, which may compel the central bank to pull back from its aggressive monetary policy tightening.

The annual 6.3 percent expansion in production at factories, mines and utilities compares with 8.8 percent in March and was the slowest in three months.

Yesterday’s data was the first of a new series with a base year of 2004-05, new components and weightings.

Under the old series, annual industrial output growth in April was 4.4 percent, lower than an upwardly revised 7.8 percent growth in March and below a median forecast of 5.5 percent expansion in a Reuters poll.

The industrial output data adds to evidence pointing to a slowdown in Asia’s third largest economy, which grew at an unexpectedly modest 7.8 percent in the three months through March, its slowest in five quarters.

Growth in big emerging economies like India and China is cooling at the same time recoveries are stalling in the United States and Europe.

“While the market has two sets of data points to look at, there is no change in the industrial slowdown story,” said Anubhuti Sahay, an economist at Standard Chartered in Mumbai.

Both the old and new data series showed a slowdown in manufacturing, which contributes about 80 percent to overall industrial output. Under

HYDERABAD: An Indian woman looks in the mirror as she tries on a necklace at the 7th Hitex International Gems and Jewellery Exposition in Hyderabad yesterday. The four day event is a platform for exhibitors to explore popular demand and the market trends of Indian jewellery. — AFP the new series, manufacturing grew an annual 6.9 percent compared with 10.4 percent a month earlier, while under the old series growth slowed to 4.4 percent from 8.4 percent in March.

A moderation in India’s manufacturing PMI in May on weak demand suggests expansion in the sector will remain subdued in coming months.

“Higher borrowing costs, tighter credit-vigilance and rising input prices are likely to hinder production activity going forward,” said Radhika Rao, an economist at Forecast PTE in Singapore. Even as India’s economy cools, elevated inflation is expected to keep the central bank hawkish. Most economists still expect the central bank to raise its main policy rate by 25 basis points at its policy review

next week, after it raised rates by a bigger-than-expected 50 basis points last month. “Overall, the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) is unlikely to pull the plug on the rate-tightening agenda in reaction to sluggish factory outcomes, though the releases do lower the scope for aggressive rate hikes in the coming months,” Rao said. Capital goods output grew an annual 14.5 percent in April. Growth in production of consumer durable goods including cars slumped to 3.8 percent from almost 14 percent a month earlier as higher credit costs and fuel prices crimped demand.

High inflation and rising interest rates also weighed on consumer goods production, which grew just 2.9 percent compared with almost 12 percent growth in March. —Reuters

BUSINESS SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Spain to push through collective bargaining reform MADRID: Spain’s government was due to set out collective bargaining reforms yesterday that have already been criticised by businesses who say they are not flexible enough and economists who say they do not de-link pay from inflation.

The delayed changes are the latest in a raft of measures Spain has taken to try to fend off market concerns that a slow moving economy and high debt financing costs could force the country to seek a bailout along the lines of Greece or Portugal.

Yet the reforms, which will reduce union control over sector-wide salaries, terms and conditions by giving companies the power to negotiate with individual unions, have already been widely criticised after the details were leaked in the media.

Business groups said the changes did not give them enough flexibility to manage economic downturns, while labour unions said that firms had ended up with too much control. Economists say the underlying problem of de-linking wages from inflation, seen as

one reason behind the country’s lack of labour competitiveness, has still not been addressed.

The reforms will be debated by parliament over the coming months before final approval is achieved. The government will unveil the measures in a unilateral move after four months of talks between labour unions and business leaders broke down last week after failing to agree over measures over flexible working, hours, salaries and productivity benchmarks. Labour Minister Veleriano

Gomez said the reforms would reduce the scope of collective-bargaining agreements that have until now applied across entire sectors or geographical regions.

Spanish wages rose by an aggregate20.8 percent from 2003 to 2008, according to data from IESE business school. Germany’s comparative figure was 9.7 percent, the EU average 18.7 percent. Meanwhile, Spain’s unemployment rate was more than twice the European Union average at 21.3 percent in the first quarter. — Reuters

Toyota sees profit slump on strong yen, quake Auto giant to step up production in second half

SEOUL: Customers buy vegetable at a store in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. South Korea’s central bank raised its key interest rate for the fifth time in less than a year as it keeps up a battle against inflation amid solid economic growth. — AP

South Korea raises key rate to cool inflation SEOUL: South Korea’s central bank yesterday raised the key interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent as authorities vowed to step up their battle against inflation in Asia’s fourth largest economy The unanimous decision by the bank’s board “will contribute to easing inflation pressures and stabilising inflation expectations”, governor Kim Choong-Soo told a briefing.

The Bank of Korea is paying heed to core inflation to prevent high inflation from becoming “chronic”, he said.

The consumer price index rose an annualised 4.1 percent in May. But core inflation, which strips out volatile energy and food prices, hit a two-year high of 3.5 percent.

In a statement, the bank said it expects consumer prices to maintain their strong upward trend, due mainly to demandside pressures arising from the economic revival as well as high oil prices.

“There is also a possibility of (this) uptrend in core inflation persisting in the future,” it said, adding future monetary policy would put greater emphasis on ensuring a firm basis for price stability. The country’s new finance minister separately said he would use “all possible policy measures” to tame rising prices.

“Inflation is an issue that affects everything from real income and the domestic demand base to national competitiveness, employment and the ability to cope with external shocks,” Bahk Jae-Wan said just before the rate rise was announced. The government has declared “war” on inflation to try to shore up support among middle and lower-income families before parliamentary and presidential elections next year. The central bank said the domestic economy appears on track for solid growth in coming months, thanks mostly to brisk exports, but risks remain.

“Deepening fiscal problems of certain European countries and political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa will act as major downside risk factors,” it said.

HSBC Global Research called the increase for June the right move and urged other central banks to pay heed.

“Growth isn’t crashing and rates remain far too low for comfort,” it said in a commentary, noting that China-South Korea’s top trade partner-announced bumper import numbers yesterday. “Korea will continue to normalise policy.

Expect the next hike in September and possibly another one in November.” Barclays Capital economist Wai Ho Leong also predicted the next 25 basis-point increase in September, with the rate at 3.75 percent by year-end. — AFP

TOKYO: Japanese auto giant Toyota yesterday said it expected net profit in this fiscal year to drop 31 percent onyear to $3.5 billion on a strong yen and the effect on production of the March 11 disasters.

The automaker said it expected to stage a recovery in the second half as supply problems caused by the earthquake fade, but warned the current strength of the local currency made domestic production too expensive.

Toyota had delayed its estimate to assess the full scale of the impact of the quake on production and sales, and is the first of Japan’s major automakers to give an earnings forecast.

Its estimate of a 280 billion yen net profit missed expectations and is well below last year’s 408.1 billion yen ($5.1 billion) net profit.

The 9.0-magnitude earthquake and the resulting tsunami on March 11 left 24,000 dead or missing, hammered production and crippled electricitygenerating facilities, including a nuclear plant at the centre of an ongoing emergency.

Amid power and parts supply woes, Toyota announced production disruptions domestically and overseas because of the crisis, temporarily slowing output or shutting plants.

Production is expected to fully recover in November.

The disaster-which contributed to a 77 percent net profit fall for Toyota in the fourth quarter-will reduce its global production by 450,000 units, and would result in a 360 billion yen hit to operating profit this year, said executive vice president Satoshi Ozawa.

The strong yen versus other currencies has meanwhile hit repatriated profits and made it more expensive for Toyota to produce cars in Japan for sale overseas.

The yen is currently trading at around 80 to the dollar, a rate that was “beyond the limit” in terms of manufacturing goods in Japan, Ozawa quoted Toyota president Akio Toyoda as saying.

“The current strong yen is putting a big burden on Japanese manufacturing and Japanese industries,” Ozawa said, arguing Toyota wanted “a level playing field” with rival makers.

“We’d like to ask the government to correct currency rates as soon as possible,” he said.

Toyota’s net profit for the first half

TOKYO: Executive vice president of Toyota Motor Satoshi Ozawa answers questions during a press conference in Tokyo yesterday. Japanese auto giant Toyota said it expected net profit in this fiscal year to tumble 31 percent onyear to $3.5 billion on a strong yen and the effect of the March 11 disasters on production. — AFP to September 30 was expected to plunge 97 percent to 10 billion yen.

Full-year sales were forecast at 18.6 trillion yen, compared with 18.99 trillion yen the previous year.

Operating profit is projected at 300 billion yen for the full year to March 2012, compared with 468.2 billion yen the previous year.

“We will step up production in the second half, strive to cut fixed expenses and make continuous efforts to reduce costs, which we expect will bring about 300 billion yen,” Ozawa said. Analysts say Toyota is particularly exposed in terms of its thin operating margins in comparison with its peers,

partly due to quality-related expenditures as it looks to recover from the impact of millions of recalls.

Toyota became mired in crisis when it recalled nearly nine million autos between late 2009 and February last year due to brake and accelerator defects. It sold 8.42 million vehicles globally in 2010, just ahead of General Motors’ 8.39 million, but analysts say the impact of the March disasters will see it cede its position as the world’s biggest carmaker.

“There is no importance at all in being the world’s number one,” Ozawa said yetserday, arguing that Toyota’s focus was on quality. — AFP

business

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

UK factory output down 1.5%, biggest fall since Jan ’09 LONDON: British factory output fell at its sharpest monthly pace in around two years in April, hit by an extra holiday for the Royal Wedding and supply chain disruption from Japan’s earthquake, and suggesting the economy made a lacklustre start to the second quarter.

The weak output data, together with news of a sharp slowdown in factories’ input costs in May and a survey showing public inflation expectations fell for the first time in more than two years, reinforced the view that interest rates will stay on hold for several months to come.

The Office for National Statistics said industrial output fell 1.7 percent in April, confounding the median forecast for a rise of 0.1 percent, and the biggest fall since August 2009. The narrower measure of manufacturing output-which does not include utilities or oil and gas extraction-dropped 1.5 percent in April, the steepest fall since January 2009.

Economists have cautioned that the unusual combination of an extra holiday, late Easter and record warm weather April would make it difficult to forecast data and to assess the state of the econ-

omy throughout the second quarter.

This uncertainty was reflected in the broad range of forecasts for the April industrial output figures, which ranged from a rise of 0.7 percent to a drop of 5 percent on the month.

Many investors had been positioning for a weak reading and gilt futures trimmed some of their early gains.

Sterling initially fell to a session low against the dollar and the euro after the data, but quickly recouped most of those losses. “It is difficult to interpret the current underlying trend in the sector from these figures, but there is plenty of evidence that growth is continuing to moderate,” said Hetal Mehta, economist at Daiwa Capital Markets.

“We certainly do not expect manufacturing to make as big a contribution to GDP growth in Q2 as in Q1,” she said.

Manufacturing has been a driving force of Britain’s economic recovery, benefiting from a past fall in the pound and robust demand from other countries. But recent surveys have indicated the sector may be running out of steam.

Nonetheless, British Prime Minister

David Cameron insisted yesterday that the government was following the right course of action to rebalance the economy. “You are moving from one sort of economic model to a new sort of economic model, but I believe we are seeing that rebalancing, we are making progress, but it is going to be choppy and there will be good months and bad months,” he said in a interview on the ITV television channel.

The Bank of England left interest rates at 0.5 percent on Thursday, as signs of a slowdown in some of Britain’s main trading partners and weak domestic demand outweighed concerns about persistently high inflation. And there was some good news on the inflation front yesterday.

The BoE’s May inflation attitudes survey showed that average public inflation expectations for the next 12 months fell for the first time since February 2009, dropping to 3.9 percent from 4.0 percent in the February 2011 survey.

The figures are likely to reassure the BoE that inflation expectations are not rising at a time when headline inflation has increased to a two-and-a-half year

high of 4.5 percent, reducing the chances of an entrenched wages-price spiral. Separate data from the ONS showed factory gate inflation eased in May, as manufacturers’ input costs fell at their fastest monthly pace in two years.

Producer output price inflation eased to 5.3 percent in May from an upwardly revised 5.5 percent in April.

Other figures yesterday also suggested the economy made a weak start to the second quarter after growing by just 0.5 percent in the first three months of this year.

Construction output, which was one of the biggest drags on growth in the first three months of this year, fell by 13.8 percent on the month in April, according to unadjusted data published by the ONS. The ONS did not quantify the impact of the extra holiday or the other one-off effects in April. But it said car manufacturers had been hit by supply chain disruptions caused by Japan’s earthquake and Tsunami in March. Record warm weather in April caused a sharp monthly drop in utilities output. — Reuters

Germany sticks to demand for Greek bond swap Euro zone debtors’ bonds hit by uncertainty over Greece

DUBLIN: This file picture shows former Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen (L) and former Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan (R) speaking during a press conference in Dublin, Ireland. Ireland’s former finance minister Brian Lenihan died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 52 yesterday. — AFP

Irish former finance minister Lenihan dead DUBLIN: Ireland’s former finance minister Brian Lenihan died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 52 yesterday, just months after he helped the country secure a huge international bailout, his family said. Lenihan, a member of one of Ireland’s top political dynasties, had been fighting the disease for 18 months but carried on working to tackle the country’s financial meltdown.

He was a lawmaker for the Fianna Fail party, which lost a general election in February and is now in opposition. “Brian Lenihan died at home in the early hours of this morning. He is survived by his wife and two children, his mother, his three brothers and a sister,” his family said in a statement. “Funeral arrangements will be announced later.” As finance minister, Lenihan negotiated and signed last November’s 85-billion-euro ($121-billion) rescue deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Union.

Massive debt and deficit problems left Ireland’s former “Celtic Tiger” economy on the verge of bankruptcy. He was a key figure in former prime minister Brian Cowen’s administration since he took the job in May 2008, introducing a series of austerity budgets to keep the country afloat.

He announced in January 2010 that he would keep on working despite the fact that tests had revealed the cancer. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of his “colleague and friend”. “Brian has fought a brave and courageous battle with a serious illness over the past eighteen months,” Martin said in a statement. “In all of this time, Brian never once flinched from his public duties and he showed an unceasing and untiring commitment to tackling the economic crisis facing this country.” His aunt Mary O’Rourke, herself a former Fianna Fail minister and deputy leader of the party, said his death was “kind of unbelievable”. —AFP

BERLIN/ATHENS: European paymaster Germany stuck to its guns yesterday in demanding that private investors contribute to a second bailout for Greece despite a European Central Bank warning against triggering market turmoil.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble urged parliament in Berlin to back additional aid for the heavily indebted euro zone country but said private creditor participation in a new package was “unavoidable”. The Bundestag (lower house) approved a non-binding resolution supporting extra emergency loans to Greece that calls for bondholders to share the burden. To sway sceptical lawmakers in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition, fed up with bailouts, Schaeuble warned of disastrous consequences if further aid were not forthcoming and Athens were tipped into a disorderly default.

Like other north European creditors, he insisted that Greece must make further painful reforms, and that banks and insurers which hold Greek debt must share the risk with taxpayers. “If there are doubts about the ability of Greece to pay back its debt and we must win time with a new package, then the participation of the private sector in the solution is unavoidable,” Schaeuble said.

At a Brussels summit on June 23-24, European Union leaders are due to finalise a new rescue package for Greece that officials say will total 120 billion euros until 2014, including 30 billion from privatisation receipts and a targeted 30 billion from the private sector. The risk premiums on peripheral euro zone sovereign bonds rose further yesterday as investors fretted over the lack of consensus just two weeks before the summit.

But European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who will chair the EU summit, said he was confident there

ATHENS: Greek Finance minister George Papaconstantinou addresses a news conference in Athens yesterday1. New bailout aid for Greece should include the voluntary participation of the private sector, Papaconstantinou said yesterday. — AFP would be an agreement on a new package for Greece by the end of the month, “creating no default or credit event”.

Schaeuble told parliament he had proposed to euro zone partners a swap of Greek bonds that would lengthen maturities by seven years while maintaining the existing interest rate. “This would give Greece the necessary time to carry out reforms and win back confidence,” he said.

“It would limit the risks of a negative market reaction, establish fair burden-sharing between taxpayers and the private sector and send a clear signal to all that losses cannot be pushed on to taxpayers alone.”

ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet made clear on Thursday the central bank opposed any scheme for private sector involvement that would cause a “credit event” or be considered by credit ratings agencies as a “selective default”.

The ECB is concerned that tinkering with Greek debt may set off a chain reaction in financial markets that would

stretch far beyond Greece and undermine the creditworthiness of other stressed euro zone sovereigns.

The international body that adjudicates on events that could trigger the payout of default insurance has said it would not typically regard a voluntary bond swap or a rollover of maturing debt as a “credit event”. However, all three major ratings agencies have said they would be likely to classify even an ostensibly voluntary debt swap as a “selective default”, since it was hard to imagine a rational investor would maintain exposure to Greece without coercion. That could drive the ECB to reject Greek bonds as collateral in its liquidity operations, leaving Greek banks stranded. But many analysts doubt the central bank would take that risk.

Clemens Fuest, an academic adviser to the German finance ministry, said the ECB had backed down in past stand-offs in the debt crisis and was likely to compromise now. — Reuters

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BUSINESS

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

London jewel design flair adapts to surging gold LONDON: London’s most talented artistjewellers showed off state-of-the-art designs using innovative materials and the latest technologies this week as they adapted to soaring and volatile gold prices.

As London Jewellery Week kicked off on Monday, emerging brand PureJewels revealed platinum couture pieces by rising stars such as Anthony Roussel, who used a ground-breaking combination of wood with platinum and diamonds.

Many of Britain’s jewellery design stars packed into a glitzy champagne reception at the Mayfair Hotel, including Sarah Ho, Katie Rowland, Rachel Galley, and Jessica de Lotz.

At a catwalk event at the Royal Exchange, David Marshall showed off his

new “Beach Rocks” collection-bold and daring pieces, featuring large stones in bright summer colours.

Designer-jewellers spoke of their concerns over surging gold prices, now trading at near record highs, and said they increasingly used silver, gold plate and 9-carat gold rather than 18-carat to keep prices affordable to mainstream shoppers. Old Etonian designer Alexander Davis and TV star, model and entrepreneur Amber Atherton staged a high society launch for their Monsoon Palace collection, inspired by the architecture and jungles of the East, featuring silver and gold plate. Paparazzi cameras zoomed in on actresses Mischa Barton and Margo Stilley who joined the crush at entertainment spot Sketch.

At an event organised by retailer Charles Fish in the Canary Wharf financial district of London, designer Alexis Dove told Reuters, “There is a shift to gold plate and 9-carat gold in many new designs to keep prices accessible to people.” More than 120 jewellers and designer-makers-well above last year’s number-showed off their latest work at Treasure, an event staged in a huge historic house in central London.

Treasure hosted a Goldsmiths’ Company Pavilion for the first time, featuring new technologies such as laser welded platinum jewels by Tom Rucker, and a zipped chain by Jesper Velling.

Other standouts included architecture-inspired pieces by Daphne Krinos, and nature-themed jewels with eye-

catching opals by Ornella Iannuzzi, inspired by a field trip to Ethiopia. Later yesterday, Fairtrade Foundation planned a VIP reception to celebrate the recent launch of Fairtrade Gold, which aims to drag miners out of poverty.

Today, at the Hatton Garden Festival in the diamond jewellery quarter of east London, craftsmen will demonstrate diamond jewellery manufacturing techniques to the public. In the chic Burlington Arcade in central London, jewellers invited the public to bring in jewels for free valuations.

Solitaire Gemmological Laboratories, a gem-testing lab, invited retailers, manufacturers and the public to bring studded diamond jewellery to its stand to be certified for free. — Reuters

Weak banks, miners pull Britain’s FTSE index lower FTSE 100 down 0.3%

HITACHINAKA: An employee of Japan’s microprocessor maker Renesas Electronics works at the company’s Naka wafer fabrication factory in Hitachinaka, Ibaraki prefecture yesterday. — AFP

Euro slides on ECB inflation outlook LONDON: The euro slipped back under $1.45 yesterday as the European Central Bank’s tame inflation outlook dented market expectations for interest rate rises, dealers said. Investors meanwhile were on edge amid news that European authorities were looking at a potential Greek debt ‘rescheduling.’

The single currency sank to $1.4469 in London deals from $1.4509 late in New York on Thursday. Against the Japanese unit, the dollar dipped to 80.06 yen from 80.31 yen. The European Central Bank opted on Thursday to keep its main interest rate at 1.25 percent.

ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet said the bank’s position on inflation was one of “strong vigilance”-usually interpreted to mean future tightening of monetary policy in the eurozone.

While Trichet’s remark was in line with market expectations, the euro came under pressure after the meeting.

“Trichet indicated a rate hike in July, but the ECB was rather tame with its longer-term prospect for inflation,” said Teppei Ino, analyst at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. Trichet’s remarks on inflation indicated that the ECB would not raise rates many times in the months ahead, running contrary to some market speculation, Nomura Trust and Banking’s senior dealer Hideki Amikura told Dow Jones Newswires.

The current weakness of the euro is because “we have no factors that justify the euro-buying anymore” as investors have now fully priced in an ECB rate hike in July, Amikura said.

Markets also mulled the latest twist in the Greece debt crisis. The European Commission said on Friday that international backers of a second bailout plan to ward off the threat of Greece defaulting on its massive debts are now studying a possible “rescheduling.” —AFP

LONDON: Britain’s leading share index was weaker approaching midday yesterday, weighed down by falls from banks and miners as further data added to fears about the health of the global economy.

At 1152 GMT the FTSE 100 index was down 18.16 points, or 0.3 percent at 5,838.18, retreating after having added 0.8 percent in the previous session after a late rally.

Risk-sensitive miners were a big drag on the index, tracking falls in metal prices after Chinese trade data showed a surprising drop in copper imports in May from April.

Domestic data was also a depressant. British factory output fell at its sharpest monthly pace in two years in April due to an extra public holiday for the Royal Wedding and supply chain disruption from Japan’s earthquake.

“Though manufacturing production fell more than expected, a lot of special factors were at play in April and we would not read too much into this one month’s figures,” said Hetal Mehta, UK economist at Daiwa Capital Markets Europe.

“We certainly do not expect manufacturing to make as big a contribution to GDP growth in Q2 as in Q1,” Mehta added.

Banks were the weakest blue chip sector, mainly due to a fall by global heavyweight HSBC, down 0.9 percent, with the rest of the sector mixed.

Drugmaker AstraZeneca, down 1.3 percent, also sp weighed on the blue chips as Barclays Capital downgraded its rating for the firm to “underweight” from “overweight” in a downbeat review of the European pharmaceuticals sector.

And broadcaster ITV was a big faller, off 1.9 percent as watchdog Ofcom launched a review of how advertising is sold in Britain’s 4 billion-pound television market, with trading practices

largely unchanged in 20 years.

ITV also suffered as broker Berenberg started coverage of the stock with a “sell” rating and 69 pence target price.

Integrated oils rallied from early falls, led by BG Group, up 0.1 percent as RBS lifted its rating on the shares to a “buy” from a “hold” with an increased target price of 1,525 pence.

“We currently see an attractive entry opportunity following a recent pullback in the shares,” RBS said, raising estimates in the sector after increasing its average oil price forecast.

Tesco was a top blue chip gainer, ahead 0.9 percent, as Jefferies International upgraded its rating for

the retail giant to “buy” from “hold” ahead of a trading update due on Tuesday.

“With a strong capital structure and meaningful property backing other meaningful attractions, we believe the stock is now worth owning,” Jefferies said in a note.

And electronic chip designer ARM Holdings gained 1.9 percent, with traders citing a bullish note from Redburn Partners.

“It is the clear conclusion from our analysis that ARM’s increasing popularity in non-mobile devices and highly defendable market share in mobile devices will continue to sustain its exorbitant growth in royalties,” Redburn said. — Reuters

NEW YORK: In this photo taken May 31, 2011, trader Gregory Rowe, right, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Global growth concerns weighed on stocks again yesterday, while the euro was hurt by a sharp disagreement in Europe over how to deal with Greece’s debt crisis. — AP

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5 favorite Steven Spielberg movies Page 26

DC’s Green Lantern to be joined by 3 other GL books Page 27

Balinese women perform a traditional dance during the 33rd annual Bali Art Festival in Denpasar, on the resort island of Bali yesterday. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated the Bali Art Festival, with participating artists from various Indonesian provinces and international participants from Singapore, Malaysia, the US, Japan, Australia, India, and Thailand. —AFP

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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Theron

Reid and Houghton get cosy at party

is face of Dior watches

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harlize Theron has signed up as the face of the Dior VIII watch collection. The South African actress - who has previously served as the representative for the French brand’s J’adore fragrance collection - did not hesitate when she was asked to work with them again because she saw how “good looking” the watch was. She said: “To work with them again was a no-brainer and when I saw the product I was like, ‘That is a good looking watch!’ “ However, the Oscar-winning beauty has not always been such a fan of the accessory, and

only recently began wearing a timepiece again because she “missed” it. She said: “I didn’t even wear a watch for like 10 years and only two years ago did I start wearing one again. I really missed it as a piece of jewellery.” Charlize, 35, also reveals she has never come to terms with seeing billboards with her face on when she has advertises for Dior. She said: “How is that normal? It’s always incredibly bizarre. It’s like an out of body experience in many ways. I’m very proud of it, but it’s very awkward to look at yourself like that.”

Watson

to study at Oxford University

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mma Watson is enrolling at Oxford University.

The ‘Harry Potter’ star is expected to study English at the well respected British university, enrolling in its Worcester College to start in October. Emma had quit America’s Brown University in April saying she had trouble finding the time to commit to her studies while also carrying out her film, promotional and modeling work. She did, however, say she expected to enrol in another university to continue her education this autumn. She wrote on her website: “Recently I’ve had so much to juggle that being a student AND fulfilling my other commitments has become a little impossible.

“I’ve decided to take a bit of time off to completely finish my work on ‘Harry Potter’ and to focus on my other projects.” Emma has lived in Oxfordshire - where the university is based - since she was five, so may feel more at home at the university. Earlier this month, she revealed another contributing factor in her decision to quit was she underestimated just how famous the ‘Harry Potter’ films have made her. The 21-year-old actress said: “I was in denial. I wanted to pretend I wasn’t as famous as I was. I was trying to seek out normality, but I kind of have to accept who I am, the position I’m in and what happened.” It is possible Emma could return to Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, to study in her third year, as it offers a transfer scheme which allows some students to study at Oxford for a year. A spokesperson for Emma said: “No decisions have been made yet.”

lex Reid and Chantelle Houghton put on a lovedup display at a showbiz party last night. The cagefighter and the glamour model looked smitten with each other as they attended the DVD launch of ‘The Fighter’ at London’s York Hall. The pair color co-ordinated their outfits, with Chantelle opting for a black vest top and white jacket, while Alex went for a black and white pinstriped suit, and they couldn’t keep their hands off each other as they kissed and cuddle in front of photographers. Alex has been single since splitting from estranged wife Katie Price, while reality TV star Chantelle broke-up with TV presenter Rav Wilding in April. Since getting together last month, Alex and Chantelle have spent lots of time together and recently spent a romantic mini-break at a spa hotel. A source said: “Alex decided to whisk Chantelle off for a few days at The Grove - a posh golf and spa retreat near Watford. The England football boys often stay here so Alex figured it would be flashy enough for Chantelle. “They shared a room, had facials and Swedish massages. Even without make-up, Alex thought Chantelle scrubbed up OK.”

Kardashian thinks prenuptial agreement is essential

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hloe Kardashian believes a prenuptial agreement is essential to any marriage. The reality TV star - who wed basketball star Lamar Odom in September 2009 thinks the legal agreement is needed in any modern union as people need to protect their personal assets if the marriage fails. She said: “We have a pre-nup, pre-nups are ... do you know what kind of day and age this is.

Everybody needs a pre-nup! “I mean, I don’t care if you make $5 or $5 million, in this day and age. People are crazy, you never know. And when you have businesses together, like we do, you have to protect yourself. It doesn’t mean you don’t love them.”

And it seems like Khloe’s sister Kim has taken her advice as she and new fiancee Kris Humphries have reportedly signed a pre-up. The newly engaged couple - who plan to marry later this summer - enlisted the help of Kim’s mother Kris Jenner to thrash out a deal to protect each of their earnings should their marriage end.

A source told US Weekly magazine: “Kim’s Beverly Hills home and all of her assets are protected. Additionally, she keeps anything she earns during the marriage.”

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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Spears to marry T

needed eight stitches

Cage’s son

he 29-year-old singer - who has two sons, Sean Preston, five, and Jayden James, four, with second husband Kevin Federline - got secretly engaged to long-term boyfriend Jason Trawick when the 39-year-old talent manager popped the question by writing the pop star a romantic poem. After filling the ground floor of the couple’s Los Angeles mansion with roses and candles, Jason reportedly presented Britney with a flower-shaped diamond ring, according to The Sun newspaper. An insider said: “She’s on cloud nine.” The ‘Toxic’ hitmaker is also said to be keen to have another child, her first with Jason, but

only wanted to do it once she had tied the knot again. The source added: “Britney is desperate to settle down again and have more children. But she is very traditional and didn’t want to start a family with Jason until they’d tie the knot. Britney - whose first marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander was annulled just 55 hours after they said, ‘I do’ in Las Vegas in 2004 - is now said to be planning a “low-key” ceremony in Hawaii once she has completed her upcoming world tour.

George wishes he’d got sober years ago

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icolas Cage’s son needed eight stitches and is now being evaluated for head and brain trauma after an alleged altercation with his personal trainer. Weston Cage, 20, was taken to a Beverly Hills medical facility by ambulance after he reportedly “freaked out” at Hollywood eatery The Framer’s Kitchen on Tuesday afternoon but witnesses have now come forward to claim he was beaten by Kevin Villegas his high school wrestling coach and personal trainer who had been hired to protect him. A source told RadarOnline that Kevin gave Weston 13 hard punches to the face, adding “He deliberately provoked Weston. And he wouldn’t stop even though people were telling him to. He (Villegas) could have easily subdued Weston.” The gossip website claims to have seen a video - which is reportedly now in police custody - of the alleged attack and says an investigation is underway by the authorities. While details of what happened are unclear, it had been reported Weston became upset when his trainer would not allow him to order a particular dish and witnesses claim he “freaked out” before police were called and took him to hospital for a mental evaluation. However, it was also alleged Weston had a fight with his wife Nikki Williams - who he married in New Orleans on April 24 - and was already upset when he arrived at the eatery.

Moss set for hen party dares

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ate Moss will have to perform a series of dares on her hen weekend. The 37-year-old supermodel - who will tie the knot with The Kills frontman Jamie Hince on July 1 - is going to the Isle of Wight Festival to celebrate her last few weeks as a single woman and her guests have reportedly devised several crazy stunts she has to perform. A source told The Sun newspaper: “Kate knows she’s in for a mental one but she’d be upset if she didn’t get that. “The hen do has been set out with precision timing but basically the plan consists of getting drunk for two days before a slightly more leisurely Sunday. Guests have been told to have a forfeit and a game ready as well as headache pills.

“There’s no theme but novelty items have been packed for the journey down as well as champagne.

But there’s no need for a stripper. Kate will probably do her own.” Among the bands playing at the festival are Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, Kaiser Chiefs, Pulp and Kasabian. Kate will have plenty of time to recover before the date of her nuptials, which was recently brought forward one day from July 2. The couple sent their 300 guests a cryptic invitation, but gave no reason for the change. One guest said: “I received a piece of white card with silver writing on it. It read, ‘Kate Moss and Jamie Hince will be marrying pm Friday July 1. Save the date’.”

—Bang Showbiz

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oy George wishes he had quit drink and drugs “20 years ago”. The 49-year-old singer has been sober for just over two years and has recently even given up smoking and he now wishes he could have got clean before hitting his 40s. In an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper, he said: “I wish I’d done all this 20 years ago. I wish I’d gone running with Madonna when she asked me 20 years ago. I used to say, ‘I only run when people chase me.’ But I get it now. ‘I wanted to give up all the self-medicating things I was doing. I remember saying, ‘I won’t be like this at 40.’

But I was. In fact, it got worse.” George - who shot to fame with his band Culture Club in the 80s -accepts his past behavior was “selfdestructive” and admits it was a tumultuous few years in his personal life which resulted in him being jailed which inspired him to overhaul his lifestyle. The ‘Karma Chameleon’ singer was arrested in New York City in October 2005 on suspicion of cocaine possession and falsely reporting a burglary and was eventually sentenced to five days community service, which he carried out in August 2006, after the drugs charges were dropped. In December 2008, he was convicted of the assault and false imprisonment of male escort Audun Carlsen and subsequently given a 15-month prison sentence - of which he served four months. Recalling the court case, George said: “It was a major epiphany. I’d been waiting to go for trial for almost a year. I was thinking a lot about what was going on in my life, thinking, ‘Come on, I need more than this.’ “The night before I went for sentencing, my mum and I listened to the Antony And The Johnsons song ‘Hope There’s Someone’, and she started weeping. I said, ‘Mum, I’m going to be fine. Don’t worry. I’ll get through.’ “You have to keep it together for the people who love you because they’re more freaked out than you are. I was able to get through it by telling myself the person being prosecuted and going to prison wasn’t me, it was that person I was a few months ago. I had to say to myself, ‘This is not who you are any more.’ “

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Singer-songwriter Yuna moves beyond Malaysia

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(From left) Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, and Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum arrive at the 2011 CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn on Wednesday.—AP

Lady Antebellum reveals new album release, details

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ow that “Need You Now” has changed their lives, the members of Lady Antebellum are ready to change the subject. The country trio will release their follow-up to that Grammywinning album on Sept 13. “Own the Night” turns the page on a notable chapter in the story of Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley’s rise from promising country up-and-comers to one of the most successful crossover acts in music history. It is time to move on.

“We don’t want anyone to think we’re a one-trick pony,” Kelley said in a phone interview with The Associated Press from Los Angeles. “That’s our goal, to say, ‘Hey, guys, we’ve got more coming.”‘ “Need You Now” was the top-selling country album of 2010 with 3 million copies sold, and the title track was the top-selling digital download. Fans downloaded the song about an illadvised and drunken late-night call to an old flame more than 3.1 million times last year. It was the rare country song that resonated across the spectrum of

listeners, rising to No 2 on Billboard’s pop music chart. The song netted most of the major country awards, and Lady A won a leading five Grammys, including song of the year.

The album produced three multiweek No 1s on the country chart and pushed the trio into headliner territory on the road, where they spent much of 2010 after the January release of the album turned everything upside down.

“I think we’d be lying if we didn’t say it puts that little added pressure on us for this record,” Kelley said. “I think for us we’re just ready to have new music out there and have the conversation shift toward something different. My biggest fear is having the conversation keep being about a song that’s two or three years old.

I feel as artists and musicians we’re ready to move on to the next chapter.”

Lady A began to spin the conversation forward with the May 2 release of their new single, “Just a Kiss,” and fans showed they are receptive. The single debuted at No 7 on the Hot 100, a

record for a country group. It’s a classic example of the trio’s strengths with Kelley and Scott harmonizing over a slow-burning track about simple emotions that most people can connect with. Kelley said the trio now has a recognizable sound that will be featured on “Own the Night,” produced by Paul Worley.

Much of the writing was done on tour buses with the trio inviting songwriters to accompany them for a week at a time. They invited old friends and new to write and brought in some uptempo material from outside sources.

They cut 14 songs over three months and have whittled that to 12 for the release. “There’s a lot of songs I think that have a lot of nostalgia to them,” Kelley said. “I think when you’re out there on the road and you’re so busy, you tend to get a little more introspective and you start thinking about what road led you where you are. So there’s a lot of songs looking back at childhood or old love or whatever it may be.”—AP

alaysian singer-songwriter Yuna didn’t take long to pen her first tune, writing the winsome “A Deeper Conversation” after learning a meager three chords on her first guitar. Yuna Zarai, 24, was a self-described bored law school student back then, in 2008. But sometimes it only takes a few notes from the right hands and a few words from the right voice to reveal a budding star. Zarai was recently signed to New York-based FADER Label Records and recently opened for Raphael Saadiq at select tour stops.

“My songs are basically, they’re just stories. I like telling stories about my friends whenever they tell me stuff and if it’s very inspiring, I would just write about it,” Zarai told The Associated Press during a tour stop in Atlanta, Ga. “Sometimes it would be unsent letters stuff that I would like to say to someone but I never manage to do it before. Songs are one of the ways for me to actually convey the message,” Zarai said.

The native Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia offers echoes of Fiona Apple and Tori Amos in her delivery, her voice cracking at all the right parts when she sings about a strained relationship in “Decorate.” Zarai’s EP, also named “Decorate,” was released on March 15, and a yet untitled full-length album is planned for release later this year. Zarai is Muslim and retains that identity by, among other things, wearing a hijab, a traditional head covering worn by many Muslim women, whenever she performs. For some Western audiences, it may seem out of place for a pop singer, but for Zarai it simply is a part of her.

“If I were to play music, do I have to take off my hijab? To me it doesn’t make sense. I don’t know. I guess people have their own opinion and their different views about stuff like this. But to me it’s just like as long as I’m comfortable with my own skin, it’s enough for me,” Zarai said.—AP

In this undated publicity photo released by FADER Label Records, Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna is shown.—AP

CMT edits out Shania’s awards show fall in replays File photo shows Shania Twain attending a book signing for her memoir “From This Moment On” at Barnes & Noble in New York. —AP

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hania Twain’s stumble during the CMT Music Awards show is being edited out of replays to save her from more embarrassment. Twain slipped and fell on her way to the stage Wednesday night during a live telecast. The channel left the spill out of a replay following the show and during another replay Thursday. John Hamlin, the show’s executive producer, says the last thing the channel wants to do is embarrass anyone, particularly someone as gracious as Twain. While CMT edited out the fall, footage of it aired on cable news channels and was available on the Internet. Twain said via her Twitter account that she was not hurt, except for a sore thumb.—AP

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd-themed eatery to open in Las Vegas

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n the never-ending search for licensing opportunities to exploit, iconic southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd will serve as the theme of a new restaurant set to open this fall at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. A full menu for Lynyrd Skynyrd

BBQ & Beer has yet to revealed, but count on a generous helping of daily requests for “Freebird.”

The eatery’s philosophy, according to a statement, “will quite simply be to rock the house. As guests walk in they will immediately be transported

Iconic Buffalo Springfield stampedes into Bonnaroo

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ichie Furay knows a little something about miracles in his new career as a preacher. A Buffalo Springfield reunion may not strictly qualify as a one. But like most folks he’d written off the possibility when the band famously flamed out in 1968, ending a short but incandescent run that would ripple through music for decades to come.

“People have asked me did I think The Buffalo Springfield would ever get back together again, and my answer was a short, ‘Never, it’s not gonna happen,”‘ Furay said in a phone interview last Saturday before the band’s soundcheck in Los Angeles. “That old saying, ‘Never say never,’ is true.”

The surviving members of the California quintet — Furay, Stephen Stills and Neil Young — will make their only festival appearance this year on Saturday at Bonnaroo, serving as a focal point for an event heavy on bands influenced by the folkand country-rock pioneers. Young first broached the idea of a reunion in a song, “Buffalo Springfield Again” from 2000’s “Silver & Gold,” and finally reached out personally last year to invite Furay and Stills to join him at his annual Bridge School benefit concert in October.

Fans cheered the reunion and, more importantly, the band enjoyed it. Over the years their relationships sometimes bore the lingering strain of that 1960s breakup. But not this time. Things were so much fun, they made plans for a six-date minitour in California to warm up for Bonnaroo and have since announced a fall tour. There’s a harmony these days that didn’t exist during the band’s revolving-door run from 1966-68. “Nobody’s looking for a career move or anything,” Furay said. “This isn’t a career move. This is just a bunch of guys who played music together 40 years ago having

to a setting reminiscent of Hell House, the ram-shackled structure in the backwoods of Jacksonville (Fla.) where the Skynyrd sound originated.”

Says Craig Gilbert, one of two partners in Vegas-based Drive This!

Entertainment, which came up with

the concept: “Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer will embrace the band’s unique spirit and the lifestyle it so proudly defined.” —Reuters

Review: Nothing queasy about Seasick Steve CD

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Buffalo Springfield fun, readdressing the music that we played, and there’s no agendas. ... Man, it’s so much more relaxed and I am going to speak for Neil and for Stephen, we’re just having fun.

There’s no reason to be doing this if everyone isn’t having fun and everyone’s having fun. We knew that back at the Bridge School. It was like stepping back in time.” And it’s an exciting time to revisit. Buffalo Springfield held together just long enough to record one album together, one album apart and enough leftovers for a third. In these few dozen tracks is a large portion of the DNA for today’s thriving folk- and country-rock scenes.

Buffalo Springfield alongside groups like The Byrds helped meld sounds no one really thought belonged together at the time. Folk purists felt rock ‘n’ roll was abusive, and rock purists didn’t want to fluff up their music. And the country guys had no idea what to make of it all. —AP

easick Steve, “You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks” (Third Man Records) It makes sense that Seasick Steve would align himself in a partnership with kindred spirit Jack White’s Third Man Records for the release of his new album, “You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks.” Steve Wold, a self-described “song and dance man,” is an American expatriate who has broken through in England and Europe, but doesn’t have much of a presence in the United States. Yet. That should change with the Third Man partnership, which has a built-in audience for his deep, gritty form of blues that’s both familiar and all his own. And there’s so much to like: He makes his own instruments, creating a unique tone and sound that helps him rise above sometimes familiar themes. He employs a strong sense of mood that easily moves from world weary to party hardy. He carries the kind of backstory that would have the ring of mythbuilding if most of it weren’t true. Oh, and he’s got former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones along for the ride. “Old Dog” is Steve’s fifth album and it seems mostly concerned with the passage of time.

Steve opens the album with a barely audible worn-down sigh at the start of the melancholy “Treasures.” It’s the kind of sound that might emanate from an older man who’s been burning the years without much to show for it. Over a strummed guitar and lonely banjo line he sings of how death will strip away everything you’ve built over time. In the rockin’ title song he muses “Maybe there’s a few things I need to

In this CD cover image released by Third Man Records, the latest by Seasick Steve, ‘You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks,’ is shown.—AP fix/Can you teach an old dog new tricks.”

He wonders at the miracle of love in “Don’t Know Why She Loves Me But She Do,” promotes the dark wonders of “my happy golden drink” on “Whiskey Ballad” and vows not to waste any more time now that he’s found the love of his life in the simple and moving “Under a Blue and Cloudless Sky.” This is no album full of ruminative dirges, though. Seasick Steve rocks.

Hopefully, fans in his home country will take notice.—AP

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

5 favorite Steven Spielberg movies T

his is perhaps the most daunting Five Most challenge I’ve thrust upon myself: choosing my five favorite Steven Spielberg movies. Because, of course, there are way more than five great ones. He’s one of the defining American filmmakers of our time.

Even a top-10 list might have been insufficient.

Some omissions are surely going to leave you guys feeling baffled, even incensed. How dare I leave out “Saving Private Ryan”? Where’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”?

Somebody actually pays me to do this? I’m an idiot! Hey, it would have been great to include “Minority Report” or “Munich” in here, too. But I only get to choose five. That’s why the game is fun. So, with the opening this week of “Super 8,” JJ Abrams’ loving and meticulous homage to the early work of Spielberg-who’s a producer on the film-I humbly select my five favorite movies Spielberg has directed. Feel free to lemme have it: “Jaws” (1975): One of Spielberg’s earliest films still might be his best. He defined the summer blockbuster with this little movie that became an enormous pop culture phenomenon. Looking back at this (and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” which we’ll get to soon), the tangible, substantive quality of the effects is striking, even quaint-especially after having seen so many soulless, CGI spectacles. And of course, his killer-shark tale was scary as hell; even then, Spielberg knew how to do a lot with a little, and that’s especially true of John Williams’ deeply haunting, minimalist score. He made us feel nervous about making ourselves vulnerable in a place that should be so happy and safe: the beach at the height of summer. What he didn’t show, what he merely suggested, was more frightening than the torture porn that became so popular over the past decade.

“ET The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982): Maybe it’s a nostalgia thing. Maybe it’s Spielberg’s uncanny knack for conveying the feelings of loneliness and fear that every kid experiences (his parents’ divorce is what inspired the movie). But I cry every time. I’m a grown woman-I’m not afraid to admit it. I know ET is going to live, and I know the little alien is going to phone home, and I know the spaceship is going to swoop down to pick him up and take him back to his planet where he belongs.

Doesn’t matter-it still gets me. The sweetness of the friendship between Elliott and ET and the iconography of the imagery endure nearly three decades later. And of course, there is that sweeping, Oscar-winning Williams score. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it. Pass the Reese’s Pieces.

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981): Spielberg

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“Catch Me If You Can” 2002

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was a big kid with an even bigger toy set here, reenacting all those B-adventure pictures he’d grown up loving. Like “Jaws,” “Raiders” has a rough-hewn look about it that seems utterly charming today. You get the feeling that the boulder Harrison Ford is running from is an actual and very dangerous boulder. Plus, this first Indiana Jones movie is just a ton of fun, full of snappy banter, imaginative set pieces and breathless action. Ford is at the height of his swagger as the resourceful and fearless (except when it comes to snakes) archaeologist, figuring a way out of every tricky situation with his trademark fedora intact. And I know I sound like a broken record mentioning Williams again, but just try getting that jaunty theme song out of your head. The best of the series, by far.

“Schindler’s List” (1993): An extremely personal film for Spielberg, it’s also his masterpiece. It was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won seven, including best picture and best director. Spielberg tells the tale of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman in Poland who turned his factory into a refuge for Jews during the Holocaust, in exquisite black and white (the Oscar-winning work of his frequent cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski). The approach is not only aesthetically striking, it also provides a startlingly intimate contrast with the epic nature of this true story.

Harrowing, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful about the possibility of humanity, it features beautifully textured performances from Liam Neeson and Ben Kingsley.

“Catch Me If You Can” (2002): You probably would have chosen something different for this spot. This is probably where you would have put “Saving Private Ryan.” But as much as I admire the enormity, detail and technical wizardry of that movie, “Catch Me If You Can” is the one I’d rather watch again and again. After a series of heavy films including “Schindler’s List,” “AI Artificial Intelligence” and, yes, “Saving Private Ryan,” Spielberg allowed himself to have a good time again, and a giddy sense of adventure radiates from every frame. Leonardo DiCaprio is at his boyishly charismatic best as real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr, with Tom Hanks clearly having a blast playing a broad comic character as the FBI agent on his tail. It’s slick and sexy, and it grabs you from the first seconds with its retro-cool title sequence and Williams’ jazzy, catchy score. Spielberg just seemed so free here and the result is one of the most fun movies ever to come from this big kid at heart.—AP

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“Schindler’s List” 1993

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“Jaws” 1975

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” 1981

“ET The Extra-Terrestrial” 1982

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SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Lantern to be joined by 3 other GL books

A

mid the change ahead for the heroes that make up DC Comics’ universe, Green Lantern’s ring will burn bright and emerald, the character’s adventures guided by a familiar face. Geoff Johns, the company’s chief creative officer, will write the upcoming relaunch of “Green Lantern,” part of a DC-wide effort that will see 52 new first issues enveloping all of its heroes from Superman to the Justice League to Hawkman, but he’s promising a different take and tone for the long-time character.

“It’s building off the Green Lantern stories I’ve done since ‘Rebirth,’” he told The Associated Press about the series, which is set to start in September and features art

by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy.

“Taking it in a very new direction that we’ve never seen in ‘Green Lantern’ before.” “Green Lantern” isn’t the only title planned, either. DC is also going to launch three other Green Lantern-related books, too, including “Green Lantern: The New Guardians,” written by Tony Bedard and illustrated by Tyler Kirkham and Batt. That

In this film publicity image released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Mark Strong portrays Sinestro in a scene from “Green Lantern.” —AP will feature Kyle Rayner leading the team.

There will also be the “Red Lanterns,” featuring Atrocitus and his fellow Red Lantern Corps members facing off against injustice and serving as judge, jury and executioners. The book is being written by Peter

Milligan with art by Ed Benes and Rob Hunter. A third book will also launch, too, “Green Lantern Corps.” DC says that title, written by Peter J. Tomasi and illustrated

by Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna, will see familiar Green Lanterns Guy Gardner

and John Stewart as part of an elite strike force aimed at keeping the peace.

What role Hal Jordan will play in all of this, Johns won’t say, but the longtime Green Lantern of Sector 2814 will be part of the new Justice League series that kicks of the DC-wide relaunch. Johns kept details of his writing for the new series close to the vest, but said that if “I didn’t think I had a great idea for Green Lantern, I wouldn’t have relaunched the book. I would move on if I didn’t think I had a great plan for it.”

As for what will happen, Johns said he would strive to make the new series fresh but mindful of its historic roots to longtime fans and new readers, too, and stay true to the spirit of the Green Lantern Corps and its emotional content.

Some hints may come in the final issue of the current series, No. 57, which is due out later this month. “‘Green Lantern’ 1 picks up a few months later in a very different space than we are now,” Johns said.

“When you see the cover you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.” — AP

Fired ‘Spider-Man’ director Taymor claims royalties J

ulie Taymor, the ousted director of Broadway’s troubled “Spider-Man” musical, is seeking an estimated $300,000 in unpaid royalties from producers, the union representing her said on Thursday. The union filed an arbitration claim on behalf of Taymor, who was replaced on the $70 million showthe most expensive in Broadway history-in March while it was still in previews.

Her ouster followed repeated delays to the official opening, scathing reviews, and several accidents involving the show’s high-wire stunts.

“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”, with music by Bono and The Edge, closed for three weeks in April for a major revamp by a new director. Its official opening is now set for June 14. Despite the bad publicity, the show is making more than $1 million at the box office

every week and frequently places among the top three attractions on Broadway.

“Taymor has given nine years of her life to this project,” Laura Penn, executive director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the union filing the claim, said in a statement. “The producer has absolutely no right, legally and ethically, to withhold royalties that are due to her,” the statement said. —AP

File photo shows Bono and The Edge of the band U2 at a book signing for the new book ‘U2 by U2’ in New York. —AP

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Chris Young hits big stage at CMA Music Fest C

hris Young’s been waiting 15 years for his shot at the big stage during the CMA Music Festival. He first came to the festival as a skinny young kid after winning a pair of tickets in a singing contest. He got his career kick-started in the exhibition hall where he sold independent albums as a teenager, and he’s spent the last four years performing in sight of LP Field on a smaller stage. So when Robert Deaton, executive producer of the CMA Fest television special, told Young he’d made the cut this year, it was one of the more emotional moments of the 25-yearold singer’s rising career.

“I honestly thought he was going to cry at first,” Young’s mother, Becky Harris, said.

“He was so excited. His face got red and he said, ‘I’m going to finally get to play LP Field. This is the coolest thing ever.”‘ Young earned his spot Saturday night through hard work and perseverance. With a deep baritone, a traditionalist’s taste in material and boyish good looks, he’s been steadily rising through the ranks. He’s had three consecutive No 1 singles. A fourth, “Tomorrow” from his upcoming album “Neon,” out July 12, has reached the top 10 with the help of a steamy video.

And he’ll be the middle act on Jason Aldean’s wildly popular tour later this summer. All of that is great. But right now Young is focused on CMA Fest, which runs Thursday through Sunday in downtown Nashville. “That’s been a big deal and the fact that it’s happening on the 40th birthday of CMA Music Fest makes it even more special,” Young said. “This is probably the 15th year I’ve been at it, whether it’s as a fan (or an artist). I’ve been going there for a long time. It’s a really big deal for me.” The festival draws 50,000 to 60,000 fans each night to LP Field, the home of the Tennessee Titans.

Country’s biggest stars play there and the concerts are filmed for an ABC special that airs later in the summer. Before all the glitz and multimillion-dollar glamour, the festival was known as Fan Fair and the big concerts were held at the much more intimate fairgrounds grandstand. That’s where Young, then 9 or 10, first fell in love with the festival and got his first look at the mys-

Brad Paisley performs during the CMA Fan Festival.

terious world behind the songs that spilled out of his radio.

Country music stars tend to be open to the average fan and the festival has always been one of the places where artists of all levels of popularity are most accessible. Young Chris’ head was on a swivel as he waited in line for autographs from stars like Vince Gill, who he idolized, haunted the freebie tables with his sister, Dot, looking for buried treasure like a CD single of John Anderson’s “Seminole Wind,” and soaked up the performJason Aldean performs with Kelly Clarkson. ances of just about everyone.

“You’d get a bag of free stuff, just random stuff,” Young said.

“Fans, signed photos, CDs from people we’d never heard of before.

We would always come back to the house with a bag of stuff, dump it and go get another bag of stuff.” Around the age of 12 or 13 Young joined a friend’s band on stage at a barrestaurant in his hometown of Murfreesboro, about 25 miles south of Nashville. He sang two songs in his professional debut.

“They gave me a free coke, something like that,” Young said. “I thought that was it. It This May 31, 2011, shows singer Chris Young in Nashville, Tenn .—AP built from there. Once I started playing guitar lege shortly after he started and took a job and writing songs, it was everything I could as a singer in a bar band in Texas and evendo.” When he next returned to the festival it tually caught an important break. A fan was with an eye toward figuring out how suggested he try out for a new show called he could attend as a featured artist rather “Nashville Star.” He auditioned for it and than a guest. eventually won the reality contest show in He enlisted Harris, who so believed in 2006. her son’s dream that she began to take That got him his deal with RCA and he’s music business courses at Middle tirelessly built an audience since, releasing Tennessee State and eventually started a two albums and touring relentlessly. new career as a business manager. By 17 he Looking at photos of his teen years spent in had recorded his first independent album that booth, signing autographs, taking picand wanted to join the stars in the festival’s tures with fans, Young said he’s finally exhibition hall, hawking CDs and T-shirts. reached the goal that kid in the ill-advised They paid $125 for a booth and Young sold shirt was so starry-eyed about. “I’m not sure $250 in records. “It was like, ‘This is awethe kid in that picture had any idea what he some! I want to do this every year!”‘ Harris was doing when you look back,” he said. said of Young’s reaction. And they did: “But that’s six years of experience. He wantSara Evans “The next year we built light boxes and ed it really bad, and I still want it really bad put these pictures in them and everybody every day I wake up.”—AP started coming up and standing in line because they thought he really was somebody. The booth looked fabulous.” Each year they returned to build, stock and staff the booth with Young working right alongside his family (this is the first year he’s too busy to help out). A second independent record came when he was 19. He quit col-

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Unseen pictures

capture outbreak of Beatlemania

Photographer Mike Mitchell takes pictures of photographers whilst he stands by some of his photographs of The Beatles where they are being exhibited at a hotel in London yesterday. —AP

T

hey have been gathering dust in a basement for more than 40 years, but now US photographer Mike Mitchell has decided to auction a group of pictures which capture the moment the Beatles became a worldwide phenomenon. Mitchell, now in his mid-60s, was given a press pass to the Fab Four’s first US concert at the Washington Coliseum in 1964, just two days after their breakthrough television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

He was back later that year to cover their concert in Baltimore, by which time their fame had grown considerably. “I heard the music and I had to be there,” said Mitchell, surrounded by a selection of the black-and-white images which had a spontaneity that

many later photographs lacked. He is selling the collection through Christie’s auctioneers in New York on July 20, and is exhibiting them in London first to raise awareness among potential bidders.

“Things were much different back then,” he told Reuters yesterday.

“There was no big security presence, the press wasn’t corralled and I was free to sort of embrace my own ambition.” Several of the pictures, valued at between around $1,000 to $6,000 each, are taken from unusual vantage points and focus on particular details.

The photograph chosen by Christie’s to illustrate the collection shows the four Beatles from behind looking into the bright lights that would follow them wherever they went after the

A visitor looks at Patrick Heron’s ‘Table with Fishes’ during a photo call at Sotheby’s in London, yesterday. The art work is expected to fetch 250,000-350,000 pounds when it goes on sale as part of the Great Collection of 20th-Century British Art Ever to Come to the Market: The Evill/Frost Collection, which launches on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. —AP

outbreak of “Beatlemania” in 1964.

Another was taken from the side of a table behind which the four musicians sat for a press conference, while others focus solely on Ringo Starr’s hands or Paul McCartney’s feet on a stage littered with sweets thrown by screaming fans.

‘Squeezed’ by housing crisis Mitchell, who was 18 when he took the photographs, said that by the 1970s he knew he had been privileged to be a part of rock and roll history.

And when he was caught out by the recent US housing crisis he decided it was time to dust off his archive and sell them. The collection is estimated to be worth around $100,000. “You cannot forget 8,000 screaming girls,” he said of his earliest memories of the Beatles. “It was like the birth of my generation.” He said that he tried to do what other photographers at the events were not doing, explaining images’ personal style. Cathy Elkies, head of Iconic Sales at Christie’s in the United States, said she knew she was on to “something extraordinary” the moment she saw the images via email.

“There’s a lot of Beatles images out there, no question,” she said. “(But) they are amazing, highly intimate, high-access kinds of images ... To find a treasure trove of art-you just don’t find that anymore.”

She said the surviving two Beatles and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison may well come to see the pictures before they go on sale.

Elkies added that the relatively modest prices meant buyers could range from serious pop collectors to private individuals wanting a piece of Beatles history.—Reuters

A Christie’s auction house employee holds a previously unseen photograph of the first US performance of The Beatles.

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Technology SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

SINGAPORE: Shoppers survey electronic goods where leading brands gather to promote their products in a bid to draw sales during the annual PC Show yesterday. — AP

Police close pirated movies website in Germany BERLIN: German police closed down Wednesday a pirated movies website that had been drawing 4 million users a day and arrested 13 people on suspicion of breaching film copyright. The German-language site, kino.to, used a web domain registered in the Pacific kingdom of Tonga, but users could click through to servers in Europe that streamed top-flight movies and TV series. “I liked it because I wanted to see shows when I liked and in the original English,” one disappointed teenaged user said after finding the site was dead.

Police raided 20 offices, homes and server farms around Germany to confiscate kino.to assets. Sites in France and Spain were also raided. The young user said his guess was that the operation was funded by charging for access to pornography and gaming also on the portal. There was no charge to view the “free” US television series.

Germans have been avid users of a series of bootleg entertainment sites down the years, beginning with the original peerto-peer file-sharing service Napster a decade ago, but each has eventually been blocked after US or European investigations. Wolfgang Klein, a public prosecutor in Dresden, said kino.to had been getting 4 million hits per day. The inquiry began several months ago with a complaint by an entertainment industry group, the Society for the Prosecution of Copyright Infringement GVU. Klein said that although kino.to seemed to be a mere listings site, there was an organizational link between it and the other websites that actually streamed the movies and shows to viewers. Most of the servers were in Europe. He said the company’s revenues had exceeded 1 million euros (1.5 million dollars) and the legally defined harm to the movie industry was a similar amount. A 14th suspect was still being sought. — dpa

Apple deposes HP as world’s largest chip buyer SAN FRANCISCO: The world’s insatiable appetite for all things Apple has turned the Silicon Valley electronics company into the world’s largest consumer of chips, according to a report issued Wednesday by research firm iSuppli. Apple spent about 17.5 billion dollars on chips last years, surpassing its local rival Hewlett Packard, the world’s largest vendor of PCs, which bought 15.2 billion dollars worth of semiconductors, he said.

Apple’s standing was based on the massive

popularity of its line of iPhones, each of which contains about 80 dollars worth of chips. Apple sold 48 million iPhones last year, up 89 per cent from the previous year. “Apple’s surge to leadership in semiconductor spending in 2010 was driven by the overwhelming success of its wireless products, namely the iPhone and the iPad,” Wenlie Ye, an iSuppli analyst, said in a statement.

“These products consume enormous quantities of NAND flash memory, which is

also found in the Apple iPod. Because of this, Apple in 2010 was the world’s No 1 purchaser of NAND flash.” Samsung Electronics Co, which makes a wide variety of electronics, and PC maker Dell Inc were the No 3 and 4 chip buyers respectively.

Nokia Corp, the world’s largest maker of phones was in fifth. ISuppli predicted Apple to extend its lead this year by buying chips for 22.4 billion dollars, compared with 14.8 billion dollars at HP. —dpa

SINGAPORE: A sales clerk holds up a laptop computer for sale while shoppers survey electronic goods where leading brands gather to promote their products. — AP

TECHNOLOGY

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Jose Luis Mendez Luna, 38, right, and his wife Jessica Legorreta, 29, second left, pose wearing their Optimus Prime and RC Transformer costumes at their home in a working class neighborhood in Mexico City. Luna whose daytime job is a plumber, along with his wife, are both avid cosplayer and cosmakers, a type of performance art in which participants don and make costumes and accessories to represent a specific character. Their characters of choice are the Transformers and the Star Wars characters. The other two Transformers costumes are being worn by mannequins. The character at left is known as ìBumblebeeî and the one second right is ìSkidsî. —AP

While consoles slug it out, mobiles games zip in LOS ANGELES: The big three game console makers brought their latest kick-ass wares to the industry’s annual get-together this week, but some question their future amid an explosion of super-nimble mobile gaming.

Nintendo provided the first glimpse of a second-generation Wii, Microsoft added a string of tricks to its hot-selling Xbox 360, while Sony introduced its “PlayStation Vita” at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. But while the spotlight was on blockbuster hardware and software offering shootem-up and slug-it-out games like “Battlefield” and “Mortal Kombat,” some analysts say the “console wars” could one day be seen as a passing sideshow.

Whether on smart-phones, tablet computers or online on laptops and desktop PCs, gaming that does not involve paying hundreds of dollars for a dedicated console and up to 60 dollars for premium games is gathering pace. “The growth of mobile gaming has been meteoric,” Scott Steinberg, head of consulting firm Tech Savvy Global, told AFP at the sprawling three-day Los Angeles event, which wrapped up Thursday.

“There are thousands of games proliferating on a variety of devices, many of which players can enjoy and access for free... it’s presenting probably the greatest threat the traditional video games industry has ever faced,” he said. Social gaming-multi-player games played online, typically using avatars has been around for a number of years, but what is new is their growing sophistication, and the sheer numbers of people flocking to play them.

Add to that ever-accelerating Internet speeds, and the dizzyingly expanding array of

mobile gadgets on which games can be played, and you have a trend to worry the boardrooms of Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony.

In a hotel suite away from the main show this week, some of the new twists in the gaming world were on display. They included a version of mass-selling FIFA soccer game, but using an iPad as a table-top pitch and iPhones as hand-held controllers, or Apple’s marketleading tablet also used in horizontal mode as a board to play Monopoly. Steve Stamstad of Electronic Arts Interactive, one of the main new-platform game makers, said the growth of mobile gaming was not a threat to the console-based giants.

“We don’t see it cannibalizing the market in any way,” he told AFP, as a group of 20something game developers played enthusiastically on their new creations. “These are basically additive... We don’t look to have games that you play on an iPad or an iPhone take the place of a PS3 or whatever, the experiences are wholly different,” he said.

New platform gamers tend to play for shorter times, but more frequently, he said, while noting research that more female players use gaming websites-perhaps not unsurprisingly, for skeptics about violent console games. Zynga, the company behind the mega-hit “Farmville” game on Facebook, is

Jessica Legorreta, 29, poses wearing her self-made RC Transformer motorcycle costume at her home in a working class neighborhood in Mexico.

preparing for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) later this month on the basis of its runaway success. Developers may only charge cents or a few dollars for their wares-or give them away for free, making money with ads or selling virtual merchandise but with the huge number of players, the income stacks up.

“Zynga is going to be an IPO to look out for,” Kushal Saha of Cascadia Capital told Investor’s Business Daily, adding: “I would be shocked... if we didn’t have three or four gaming IPOs between now and this time next year.”

Steinberg said the move towards mobile and online gaming is as significant a development as the arrival of the main consoles themselves, which ended the era of gaming arcades in the 1980s. “It’s ushering in a second golden age for gaming,” he said, noting that social gaming is expected to grow from a $1 billion industry now to a $5 billion in 2015 — behind the traditional industry’s $20 billion, but gaining. For all the buzz around mobile and online gaming in Los Angeles this week, no-one is predicting the demise of consoles any time soon. “It’s not going to happen in the short term. There’s still a massive reliance on physical goods and retail product, its not going to suddenly be abandoned,” said Steinberg. Susan Panico, senior director of Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN), saw the mobile gaming trend as complementing videogame consoles that offer more cinematic and sophisticated experiences and link to the Internet “cloud.” “Certainly every form of entertainment competes for people’s time,” she told AFP at E3. “What’s great about smartphones or tablets is they are gateways into gaming when people want more immersive, deeper experiences.” —AFP

TV listings SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:25 08:15 08:40 09:10 10:05 11:00 11:55 12:50 13:45 14:40 Irwin 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Dogs 101 Untamed And Uncut Karina: Wild On Safari Whale Wars After The Attack Animal Cops Phoenix My Cat From Hell Meerkat Manor Michaela’s Animal Road Trip The Really Wild Show Jeff Corwin Unleashed Crocodile Hunter America’s Cutest...

Cats 101 Dogs vs. Cats America’s Cutest...

My Cat From Hell New Breed Vets With Steve

00:00 00:30 01:20 02:10 02:55 03:25 03:55 04:35 04:55 05:15 05:40 05:55 06:15 06:35 07:00 07:20 07:40 08:05 08:20 08:40 09:00 09:25 09:40 10:40 11:30 12:15 14:20 16:25 16:55 17:45 18:30 20:15 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:45 23:15

Beautiful People The Weakest Link Jekyll Live At The Apollo Beautiful People Doctors Last Of The Summer Wine Fimbles Tweenies Teletubbies Bobinogs Fimbles Tweenies Teletubbies Fimbles Tweenies Teletubbies Bobinogs Fimbles Tweenies Teletubbies Bobinogs Last Of The Summer Wine The Planets The Weakest Link Eastenders Strictly Come Dancing One Foot In The Grave The Planets The Weakest Link Holby City Robin Hood One Foot In The Grave Green Green Grass Live At The Apollo Beautiful People A Thing Called Love

00:40 Winter X Games Europe 2010 01:30 World Combat League 02:20 Carpocalypse 03:10 M1 Selection 2010 04:00 FIM World Motocross MX1/MX2...

04:50 FIM World Motocross MX1/MX2...

05:40 World Combat League 06:30 FIA European Drag Racing 2008 08:00 Quattro Events 2009 09:40 X-Traordinary 11:20 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

13:00 LG Action Sports World...

13:50 Sports Jobs 14:15 Dr Danger 14:40 FIA European Drag Racing 2008 16:20 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

17:10 Carpocalypse 18:00 Sports Jobs 18:25 Dr Danger 18:50 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

20:30 LG Action Sports World...

21:20 Carpocalypse 22:10 Sports Jobs 22:35 Dr Danger 23:00 FIM World Motocross MX3 Championships...

23:50 Aiya TV

Cats 101 Shark After Dark Shark Family After The Attack Penguin Safari

00:30 Come Dine With Me 01:20 The Home Show 02:10 Masterchef: The Professionals 03:40 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 04:05 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 04:30 Daily Cooks Challenge 07:00 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 07:45 Saturday Kitchen 11:10 Masterchef: The Professionals 12:40 Saturday Kitchen 14:05 Design Star 15:35 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 20:40 Design Star 22:20 Masterchef: The Professionals 23:50 Saturday Kitchen

00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 Junior 07:50 09:40 10:30 11:25

Kardashians 16:55 Extreme Close-Up 17:25 Fashion Police 17:55 E! News 18:55 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 19:25 Khloe And Lamar 19:55 E!es 20:55 The Soup 21:25 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 The Soup

Dirty Jobs Extreme Engineering Ultimate Survival Ultimate Car Build-Off Mythbusters How It’s Made How Machines Work Dirty Jobs American Chopper: Senior vs Motor City Motors Science Of The Movies The Future Of...

Mythbusters

DARKNESS FALLS ON OSN ACTION HD 12:20 14:35 15:30 16:25 17:20 18:15 19:10 20:05 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:45

00:30 00:55 01:45 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 07:55 08:45 08:48 09:15 09:45 10:35 11:25 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:03 16:30 17:00 17:50 18:40

Time Warp Extreme Engineering Huge Moves Mighty Ships Mythbusters River Monsters American Loggers Ultimate Survival Sarah Palin’s Alaska Gold Rush: Alaska River Monsters I’m Alive

The Gadget Show Kings Of Construction How The Universe Works The Gadget Show The Gadget Show How Stuff’s Made Thunder Races Science Of The Movies One Step Beyond Extreme Bodies Sci-Fi Saved My Life Brainiac Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Scrapheap Challenge What’s That About?

What’s That About?

The Gadget Show Patent Bending Head Rush Cool Stuff And How It Works How Does That Work?

Speed Junkie How Stuff Works Sci-Fi Science

19:05 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Sci-Fi Science Bang Goes The Theory The Gadget Show Cosmic Collisions Da Vinci’s Machines Catch It Keep It Weird Or What?

00:20 00:45 01:10 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45 03:10 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:15 07:40 08:00 08:10 08:20 08:45 08:55 09:20 09:30 09:55 10:15 10:25 11:15 11:35 12:00

Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Little Einsteins The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Little Mermaid Handy Manny The Hive

12:10 12:25 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:45 14:00 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:50 15:15 16:05 16:25 16:50 17:00 17:25

Jungle Junction Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Lazytown Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction The Hive Timmy Time Special Agent Oso The Little Mermaid Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Behind The Scenes 01:25 E!es 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 10:15 Style Star 10:40 Khloe And Lamar 11:10 Kendra 12:05 E! News 13:05 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 14:05 E!es 15:00 Holly’s World 15:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:25 Keeping Up With The

00:05 Unwrapped 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 00:55 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 01:45 Chopped 02:35 Good Eats - Special 03:25 Food Network Challenge 04:15 Good Eats - Special 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 05:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 05:50 Paula’s Party 06:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:00 Chopped 07:50 Guy’s Big Bite 08:15 Boy Meets Grill 08:40 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 09:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Barefoot Contessa 10:20 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 10:45 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Paula’s Party 12:25 Good Eats - Special 12:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 13:15 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 13:40 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 14:55 Unwrapped 15:20 Boy Meets Grill 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Guy’s Big Bite 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman

00:30 Market Values 01:00 Bondi Rescue 01:30 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 02:30 Banged Up Abroad 03:30 Treks In A Wild World 04:00 Bondi Rescue 04:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 05:00 Exploring The Vine 05:30 By Any Means 06:30 Market Values 07:00 Bondi Rescue

07:30 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 08:30 Banged Up Abroad 09:30 Treks In A Wild World 10:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 10:30 Bondi Rescue 11:00 Bondi Rescue 11:30 Nomads 15:30 Bondi Rescue 16:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 16:30 Bondi Rescue 17:30 Nomads 21:30 Bondi Rescue 22:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 22:30 Bondi Rescue 23:30 Nomads

00:00 Hooked 01:00 Great Migrations 01:55 My Life Is A Zoo 02:50 Crocodile King 03:45 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 04:40 Africa’s Lost Eden 05:35 World’s Weirdest 06:30 Caught Barehanded 07:25 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 08:20 Python Hunters 09:15 The Dark Side Of Elephants 10:10 Flight Of The Elephants 11:05 Zambezi 12:00 Catching Giants 13:00 Hooked 14:00 Strike Force 15:00 Shark Men 16:00 My Life Is A Zoo 17:00 Anaconda: Queen Of The Serpents 18:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 19:00 Strike Force 20:00 Shark Men 21:00 My Life Is A Zoo 22:00 Anaconda: Queen Of The Serpents 23:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr

00:00 01:00 01:30 01:55 02:25 03:20 04:15 05:10 05:35 06:05 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:50 12:50 13:45 14:15 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:25 19:25 20:20 Ever 21:15 21:40 22:10 23:05 23:30

Jerseylicious Fashion Avenue Fashion Avenue Big Boutique How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Married Away Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Big Boutique Clean House Giuliana & Bill Giuliana & Bill Giuliana & Bill Giuliana & Bill Clean House Clean House Comes Clean Clean House Comes Clean Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Bridalplasty Jerseylicious Ruby How Do I Look?

Clean House Lucky’s 10 Biggest Obsessions Fashion Police Clean House Comes Clean Jerseylicious Top 10 Top 10

00:00 Blood: A Butcher’s Tale-PG15 02:00 First Strike-PG15 04:00 Killshot-18 06:00 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-PG15 08:00 Darkness Falls-PG15 10:00 Heaven’s Fall-PG15 12:00 Blue Crush-PG15 14:00 Darkness Falls-PG15 16:00 Mortal Kombat-PG 18:00 Blue Crush-PG15 20:00 The Haunting In ConnecticutPG15

TV listings SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

01:00 03:15 05:15 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15

Synecdoche, New York-18 Crazy Heart-PG15 The Last Song-PG15 Fly Me To The Moon-PG Furry Vengeance-PG15 It’s A Wonderful Afterlife-PG15 The Wronged Man-PG15 The Bounty Hunter-PG15 Bandslam-PG15 It’s Complicated-PG15 Nine-PG15 Staten Island-PG15

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 South Park 02:00 Funny Or Die Presents 02:30 Eastbound And Down 03:00 Funny Or Die Presents 03:00 Til Death 03:30 8 Simple Rules ...

03:30 Eastbound And Down 04:00 South Park 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Will And Grace 06:00 According To Jim 06:30 Family Biz 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Outsourced 08:30 Dharma And Greg 09:00 Til Death 09:30 Will And Grace 10:00 According To Jim 10:30 Outsourced 11:00 Family Biz 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Dharma And Greg 13:00 8 Simple Rules ...

13:30 Will And Grace 14:00 According To Jim 14:30 Modern Family 15:00 Outsourced 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Family Biz 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Til Death 18:30 8 Simple Rules ...

19:00 Melissa And Joey 19:30 How I Met Your Mother 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 South Park

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Off The Map Big Love The Good Guys Drop Dead Diva Big Love Good Morning America The Bachelor One Tree Hill The Good Guys Downton Abbey The View Off The Map Drop Dead Diva Downton Abbey Live Good Morning America The Bachelor The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Persons Unknown C.S.I. New York Sons Of Anarchy Grey’s Anatomy The Cape

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30

Friday Night Lights The Good Guys Drop Dead Diva Big Love Off The Map Surface Friday Night Lights 30 Rock Look-A-Like Covert Affairs The Good Guys Off The Map Drop Dead Diva 30 Rock Look-A-Like

14:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Covert Affairs Criminal Minds 30 Rock Covert Affairs Persons Unknown C.S.I. New York Sons Of Anarchy The Unit Psych

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Pulse 2-18 Dead Snow-PG15 Blood: A Butcher’s Tale-PG15 The Fan-PG15 The Bodyguard 2-PG15 The Marine 2-PG15 House Under Siege-PG15 The Bodyguard 2-PG15 Fast And Furious-PG15 Goal III-18 King Arthur-PG15 Penny Dreadful-18

00:00 Shorts-PG 02:00 Le Donk And Scor-zay-zeePG15 04:00 Dr. Dolittle-PG 06:00 Dr. Dolittle 2-PG 08:00 Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 10:00 Can’t Buy Me Love-PG15 12:00 Revenge Of The Bridesmaids¬†¬†¬†¬†¬†-PG15 14:00 Everybody Wants To Be ItalianPG15 16:00 Shorts-PG 18:00 The Out Of Towners-PG15 20:00 Coming And Going-PG15 22:00 Mumford-18

01:00 The Sunset Limited-PG15 03:00 Dean Spanley-PG 05:00 From Justin To Kelly-PG 06:30 The Fighting Temptations-PG15 09:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 11:00 G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra-PG15 13:00 Julie And Julia-PG15 15:15 School Of Rock-PG15 17:15 102 Dalmatians-PG 19:00 The Box-PG15 21:00 Public Enemies-18 23:15 American Pie 7: The Book Of Love-18

00:00 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs-PG 02:00 Inspector Gadget’s Biggest Caper Ever-FAM 03:45 War Of The Buttons-PG 06:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 08:00 Barney’s Great Adventure-FAM 10:00 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs-PG 12:00 Ponyo On The Cliff By The SeaFAM 14:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 16:00 Monsters Inc-FAM 18:00 Aliens In The Attic-FAM 20:00 The Amazing Zorro-PG15 21:45 Ponyo On The Cliff By The SeaFAM

00:00 00:30 01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00

ICC Cricket World Futbol Mundial ATP Tennis ATP Tennis International Rugby League ATP Tennis Trans World Sport

10:00 10:30 14:30 15:00 21:00

Total Rugby Live Super 15 Total Rugby Live Super 15 ATP Tennis

01:00 International Rugby 03:00 Rugby Junior World Championship 05:00 Rugby Junior World Championship 07:00 Live AFL Premiership 10:00 ATP Tennis 12:00 NRL Full Time 12:30 Live NRL Premiership 14:30 Futbol Mundial 15:00 Live ATP Tennis

01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 Finale 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 15:30 17:00

WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT UFC 131 Countdown UFC The Ultimate Fighter WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT WWE Vintage Collection UAE National Race Day Series Full Throttle Intercontinental Le Mans Cup Le Mans Series Mobil 1 Live Le Mans 24 Hour Race V8 Supercars Extra

00:00 Jerseylicious 01:00 Fashion Avenue

THE SUNSET LIMITED ON OSN MOVIES HD

01:30 01:55 02:25 03:20 05:10 05:35 06:05 07:00 08:00 09:00 12:50 20:20 21:15 21:40 22:10 23:05 23:30

Fashion Avenue Big Boutique How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Clean House Giuliana And Bill Clean House Momster Of The Bride Fashion Police Clean House Comes Clean Jerseylicious Top 10 Top 10

02:00 02:30 04:45 07:00 08:55 10:50 12:45 15:00 16:40 18:30 20:40 22:00

TCM Presents: Edward Norton The Fixer They Died With Their Boots On Little Women The Sandpiper The Opposite Sex Anchors Aweigh Son Of Lassie The Band Wagon Northwest Passage Bad Day At Black Rock Till The Clouds Roll By

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Ancient Discoveries Ice Road Truckers How The Earth Was Made Lost Worlds Lost Worlds Ancient Discoveries Ancient Discoveries Ice Road Truckers How The Earth Was Made Lost Worlds Lost Worlds Ancient Discoveries Ancient Discoveries Ice Road Truckers How The Earth Was Made Lost Worlds Lost Worlds Ancient Discoveries Ancient Discoveries Ice Road Truckers How The Earth Was Made Surviving History Surviving History Surviving History

00:05 Cow And Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Adventure Time 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 02:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Chowder 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Skunk Fu! 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 Ed, Edd N Eddy 07:25 Chop Socky Chooks 07:50 Chowder 08:05 Cartoon Network Dance Club 08:15 Ben 10: Alien Force 08:40 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 09:05 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 09:30 The Secret Saturdays 09:55 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 10:20 George Of The Jungle 10:30 Angelo Rules 10:55 Best Ed 11:20 Eliot Kid 11:45 Skunk Fu! 12:10 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 12:35 Bakugan: New Vestroia 13:00 Ben 10 13:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:50 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack

14:15 The Life And Times Of Juniper Lee 14:40 George Of The Jungle 15:05 Ed, Edd N Eddy 15:20 Cartoon Network Dance Club 15:35 Chop Socky Chooks 16:00 Robotboy 16:25 Squirrel Boy 16:50 Chowder 17:15 The Secret Saturdays 17:40 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 18:05 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 18:30 Angelo Rules 18:55 Best Ed 19:20 Adventure Time 19:45 Cow And Chicken 20:10 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 20:35 Courage The Cowardly Dog 21:00 The Powerpuff Girls 21:15 Cartoon Network Dance Club 21:25 Ed, Edd N Eddy 21:50 Robotboy 22:00 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 22:25 Skunk Fu! 22:50 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:40 Chowder

00:30 The Haunted 01:20 A Haunting 02:10 Serial Killers 03:00 I Escaped Death 03:50 Dr G: Medical Examiner 04:45 Amsterdam Vice 05:15 The Haunted 06:10 Mystery Diagnosis 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 Murder Shift 08:40 Mystery Diagnosis 09:30 Real Emergency Calls 09:55 Real Emergency Calls 10:20 Disappeared 11:10 FBI Files 12:00 On The Case With Paula Zahn 12:50 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 13:40 Mystery Diagnosis 14:30 Real Emergency Calls 14:55 Real Emergency Calls 15:20 Disappeared 16:10 Forensic Detectives 17:00 Murder Shift 17:50 FBI Files 18:40 Mystery Diagnosis 19:30 Real Emergency Calls 19:55 Real Emergency Calls 20:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 21:10 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 22:00 The Haunted 22:50 Ghost Lab 23:40 A Haunting

00:00 Working Holiday 01:00 Globe Trekker 02:00 Travel Today 02:30 Distant Shores 03:00 Cruise Today 03:30 Essential 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Working Holiday 06:00 Destination Art 06:30 Travel Today 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Essential 08:30 Travel Today 09:00 Journey Into Wine-Spain & Portugal 09:30 Hollywood and Vines 10:00 Planet Food 11:00 Planet Food 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 15:00 Nomad’s Land 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Travel Today 17:30 Journey Into Wine-Spain & Portugal 18:00 Hollywood and Vines 18:30 Cruise Today 19:00 Globe Trekker 20:00 Working Holiday 21:00 Think Green 22:00 Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey

WHAT’S ON SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 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 is for free and will be end 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. nnnnnnn EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Embassy encourages all Australians to register their presence in Kuwait through Smartraveller Online (see link below). Australians who are registered are asked to update their details. The information provided will assist us in contacting you in an emergency. www.smartraveller.gov.au Kuwait citizens can apply for and receive visit visas to Australia online at www.immi.gov.au.

This usually takes two working days. All others visa applications are handled by the Australian Visa Application Centre Tel. 22971110.

Witnessing and certifying documents are by appointment only, please contact the Embassy on 2232 2422. The Australian Embassy is open from 8.00am to 4.00pm, Sunday to Thursday. nnnnnnn 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/IMM5257 E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http:// www.cic.gc.ca/ english/pdf/kits/ guides/5256E.PDF.

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WHAT’S ON SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Announcement Building self-esteem A marvelous opportunity for all teenagers from the age group 12-18 to discover themselves afresh and polish their skills that are essential for a balanced life and tap the immense storehouse of potential that they have within them!!! Your child will learn The Art of knowing oneself developing manners, attitudes & traits recognise your own individual causes of stress importance of communication with family, friends and teachers balancing your interests with family background, available resources, opportunities and market trends effective speaking importance of intonations, syllable stress, volume and pitch.

Contact 25618333/25661606 for details. nnnnnnn

BAIA Summer Camp now open for registrations 2011 ON STAGE summer camp from 19 June to 06 July. Last year High School Musical, this year Camp Rock, Tangled, Cars...many more! From Page to Stage in just 3 weeks, through costume design, technicals, acting, singing, dance, music, make-up, film and lighting. Create a fabulous performance ON STAGE. Discounts available if registered before 01 June. Call 60052087 or mail administrator@baia.com.kw. Full details of all events and courses are available on www.baia.com.kw nnnnnnn

Nothing sour about Lemonade Day

T

he tiny tots of IES, Kuwait quenched their thirst, beating the summer heat by putting on their chef caps and squeezing the lemons. Lemonade Day was celebrated in the kindergarten wing of IES on Thursday, June 2, encouraging children to beat the heat with natural refreshing drinks like lemon juice. The little ones were thrilled to squeeze, mix and make their own lemon juice, probably their first attempt in

making a drink. Adorned with aprons and chef - caps the children were excited to taste the fresh lemon’s juice, the lemonade they made and shared some with their friend too .The merry mood lasted on till they had to leave for home with fond memories to cherish and the taste of lemonade still lingering in their mouth.

AWARE Arabic course The AWARE management is glad to inform you that Summer 2 Arabic language courses will begin on June 12 until July 21, 2011. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers and those working in the private business sector. nnnnnnn

IIS holds interactive session

Birthday greetings

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here was an interactive session on the topic ‘The Qualities of an Efficient Teacher’ at the Audio Visual Hall of IIS on Wednesday, June 8,2011. Basheer Ahmed and all the staff members enthusiastically participated in this session. Moosa Koya, Director, welcomed the resource person, Ashrat Khan, Principal, Sanskar School, Meerut, Uthra Pradesh, India, and introduced him to the gathering. The resource person, Ashrat Khan, in his thought provoking speech narrated the fine qualities of an ideal efficient teacher. He said, an efficient teacher would go the class with prior preparation of the lesson. He would be confident and smarter than the present generation of the students. He would make the class lively and interesting. He would be friendly with the students and at the same time he would maintain some distance between the students. He also stressed the importance of the body language of the teacher for the successful communication.

The session came to an end with the vote of thanks by Narinder Kaur, Vice Principal, who thanked the resource person for his valuable views and enlightening the teachers present in the session.

AWARE Arabic courses highlights: Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics; Ccmbine language learning with cultural insights; taught in multi-nationality group settings; and provides opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs. For more information and/or registration, call 25335260/80 ext 105 or 0 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw

Write to us

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any, many happy returns of the day to our dearest Suraj who is celeberating his 11th birthday today.

May God bless you with good health and bright future. Wishes from daddy, mummy, Sanjana, friends and relatives.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

HEALTH

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

US woman gets face transplant after mauling WASHINGTON: A US mother who was mauled by a frenzied chimp more than two years ago has been given a full face transplant, doctors said yesterday. The patient, Charla Nash, also had two hand transplants but those operations were not successful and the hands had to be removed, said surgeons at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. “The hand transplants turned out to be very challenging,” said plastic surgeon Bohdan Pomahac who led the team of physicians, nurses and anesthesiologists on the US hospital’s second full face transplant.

“A few days post operatively Charla developed pneumonia and she became septic,” said Pomahac.”After several days of doing everything possible to maintain the hands it was clear they were not thriving, so we removed the hands.”

The same hospital earlier this year performed its first full face transplant on a man named Dallas Wiens, who lost his face and eyesight in an electrical accident. Nash’s full face transplant “was very different,” said Pomahac. “She required significantly more work.”

In the attack, Nash lost her eyes, nose, upper jaw and lips and most of the soft tissue in her face, he said. Nash did not appear at the press conference and doctors declined to reveal any information about the donor to protect the family’s privacy. She is expected to gain muscle control over her new face over the coming weeks and months, however she is not likely to be able to see again.

The hospital said it would be several months before any images are released, and that she would not resemble the donor because the muscles and tissue would form to her own bone structure. Nash’s brother Steve described her as “simply beautiful,” and doctors said she hoped to attend her daughter Briana’s college graduation, after skipping her high school ceremony for fear of drawing too much attention.

Nash was injured by a friend’s chimpanzee during a visit in 2009. The world’s first full face transplant took place in Spain, and doctors at Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona showed off their work to the public in July 2010.

The first successful partial face transplant was performed in France in 2005 on Isabelle Dinoire, a 38-year-old woman who had been mauled by her dog. Since then about a dozen face transplant operations have been carried out in China, the United States and Spain. —AFP

Japan warns of post-quake mental health risks TOKYO: A Japanese government report on suicide prevention warned yesterday of the mental health burden for survivors of the quake, tsunami and nuclear disasters three months ago. In the annual white paper on suicide, Tokyo warned that many disaster survivors might experience long-term anxiety although their symptoms may be more moderate than with clinical conditions such as depression.

The 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami on March 11 in northern Japan traumatized many people in the region, wrote Yoshiharu Kim, director of adult mental health at the National Institute of Mental Health. “People tend to feel a sense of guilt after surviving when those who tried to escape the disasters with them died,” he wrote in the paper. “Adding to the shock of having to see damaged bodies (to identify dead family members), concerns have been raised for chronic depressive conditions and complex grief” among survivors, he said.

The natural disasters, which left more 23,000 people dead or missing, triggered the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986 and forced hundreds of thousands of residents to leave their homes. The government should offer mental health screenings to help affected individuals get referred to specialists, Kim wrote. Japan, with more than 30,000 suicides a year in a population of 128 million, has long had one of the world’s highest suicide rates, behind only a group of former Soviet bloc countries, says the World Health Organization. — AFP

SEOUL: South Korean college students, civic groups and opposition parties participate in a candlelit rally to call for quick government action to reduce tuition fees, in downtown Seoul yesterday. Tuition fees became a sensitive political issue this year after several leaders of the ruling Grand National Party proposed halving fees, in an attempt to woo voters before next year’s parliamentary elections. — AFP

Exam pressure can drive S Korea teens to suicide SEOUL: The crushing pressure on South Korean teenagers to perform well in exams can leave some students so distraught they feel life just isn’t worth living. Dozens of teenagers kill themselves every year — often around the time of an annual college entrance exam — amid fears they didn’t do well enough to enter the college of their dreams.

In one recent shocking case, a 16-year-old in the southwestern city of Mokpo doused himself with gasoline and set himself ablaze in the street. He left a note saying he had done badly in tests and felt he had let his parents down.

The number of school-age suicides rose from 100 in 2003 to 202 in 2009, according to education ministry statistics.

Dozens more attempt to kill themselves but survive. Another survey showed about 20 percent of high and middle school students feel tempted to commit suicide, higher than 17.4 percent among adults in one of the world’s most suicideprone countries.

South Korean teenagers have long studied late into the night to stay ahead in the rat race for admission to top universities seen as offering them a head start in life. Education is highly prized in South Korea and plays a major role in determining job and marriage prospects.

Angela Kwon, a high school senior in Suwon just south of Seoul, attends school classes from 7.00 am to 4pm. Then she studies at a $1,400-a-month private cram school until 10pm night — before returning to her boarding school and swotting until 2 am in the library. Even at weekends Kwon, like many of her age, spends most waking hours at the library and the cram school. She catches up on sleep when commuting. Government data shows the average high school senior sleeps about five hours and studies more than 11 hours a day. “Sleep has been so elusive for years...many of my friends say they are tired of feeling exhausted all the time,” said Kwon, 18. “I and my friends sneak out of school to watch a movie once every few months, but we feel extremely guilty.”

Kim Hye-In, a high school senior in Suwon, said she and her friends wear rubber bands round their wrist and snap them periodically to keep themselves awake. “Waking up in the morning after sleeping four hours is the hardest part of

my day,” said the 18-year-old, who usually studies until two in the morning to try to get into a music school of her choice.

“There’s no freedom in my life now. We doze off during a class and often get beaten when caught by a teacher.”

Today’s children are “in a constant state of extreme exhaustion, sleep-deprivation and depression”, said Park Jae-Won, head of Seoul’s Visang Education Research Centre.

“Many parents push children to study at an increasingly earlier age regardless of their brain development...even causing depression or attention deficit disorders as a result,” he said. Bae Joo-Mi, a clinical psychologist at the Korea Youth Counseling Institute, said the number of calls for help has grown over the years. “In the past, the competition kicked off in earnest in middle or high school, now it starts in elementary school,” she said, adding it was inevitable for youngsters to feel more distressed and depressed. “Callers in the past usually used to say, ‘I feel so blue’ or ‘I feel so depressed’. But now they say ‘I’m overwhelmed. I just want to die’,” said Bae. According to a recent survey by the National Youth Policy Institute, 71 percent of South Korean teenagers said they were happy compared to 92 percent in China and 75 percent in Japan — also well known for competitive education.

Education authorities have started, albeit in a limited way, to address the problem. Seoul’s education office said last November it would test all school students for depression and offer counselling for those deemed at risk. The project suffered from a lack of resources and therapists. But education authorities also lamented that many parents refused to let their children get help for fear they may be stigmatised as mentally disturbed. “Very few of the students deemed at risk actually end up getting counselling because their parents are unwilling,” said an education ministry official who declined to be named. There are some improvements. The official said 4,300 schools — 38 percent of the country’s total — now offer basic screening for depression and refer those at risk to professional counsellors, compared to 96 schools in 2007. “Our kids are so crushed by the pressure to be excessively competitive and be successful at any costs...we can’t afford to let the pressure keep crushing them like this,” the official said. — AFP

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information SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 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 PIA THY ETH PIA UAE DHX ETD FDB GFA QTR JZR THY JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC FCX KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA MHK JZR JZR IRC MSR JZR IRM KAC MSR UAL RJA MSR KNE FDB KAC JZR SVA KAC KNE JZR QTR JZR IRC AFR KAC ETD UAE SYR CLX GFA KAC SVA JZR JZR ABY KAC JZR

Arrival Flights on Saturday 11/6/2011 Flt Route 215 KARACHI 772 ISTANBUL 620 ADDIS ABABA 239 SIALKOT 853 DUBAI 370 BAHRAIN 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 211 BAHRAIN 138 DOHA 529 ASSIUT 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA / BANGKOK 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA / KUALA LUMPUR 201 BAHRAIN 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 132 DOHA 125 SHARJAH 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 711 BAGHDAD / NAJAF 165 DUBAI 121 BAHRAIN 6807 SHIRAZ 623 SOHAG 201 DAMASCUS 5066 MASHAD 672 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 640 AMMAN 621 ASSIUT 703 MEDINAH 57 DUBAI 786 JEDDAH 357 MASHAD 500 JEDDAH 552 DAMASCUS 745 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 535 CAIRO 6791 MASHAD 6706 PARIS 118 NEW YORK 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 792 LUXEMBOURG 215 BAHRAIN 178 GENEVA / FRANKFURT 510 RIYADH 777 JEDDAH 239 AMMAN 127 SHARJAH 550 SOHAG / SHARM EL SHEIKH 177 DUBAI

Time 0:25 1:15 1:45 2:15 2:25 2:55 2:55 3:10 3:15 3:20 3:35 4:10 5:15 6:10 6:15 6:30 6:35 7:00 7:15 7:20 7:55 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:20 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:30 9:35 11:00 11:10 11:15 11:35 12:10 12:45 12:50 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:45 13:50 14:00 14:10 14:30 14:35 14:45 15:10 15:15 15:50 16:00 16:15 16:15 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:15 17:15 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:50 18:00

ALK KAC KAC KAC IRA KAC KAC SIA JAI KAC AIC VOS KNE FDB OMA JZR KAC MEA KAC MLR MSR DHX KLM UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR MSR JZR JZR MSR DLH AXB JZR

227 104 502 542 607 674 774 458 572 562 975 93 789 61 647 179 618 402 788 1405 618 372 445 859 217 136 981 135 606 513 185 612 636 393 539

COLOMBO / DUBAI LONDON BEIRUT CAIRO MASHAD DUBAI RIYADH SINGAPORE / ABU DHABI MUMBAI AMMAN CHENNAI / GOA KANDAHAR / DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI MUSCAT DUBAI DOHA / BAHRAIN BEIRUT JEDDAH COLOMBO / DUBAI ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN LUXOR SHARM EL SHEIKH DUBAI CAIRO FRANKFURT KOZHIKODE / COCHIN CAIRO

Airlines DLH IAC KLM PIA THY ETH PIA UAE FDB DHX ETD QTR THY JZR GFA JZR KAC JZR JZR BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC UAE ABY KAC QTR ETD GFA

Departure Flights on Saturday 11/6/2011 Flt Route 637 FRANKFURT 576 GOA / CHENNAI 447 AMSTERDAM 216 KARACHI 773 ISTANBUL 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 240 SIALKOT / ISLAMABAD 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 785 JEDDAH 120 BAHRAIN 356 MASHAD 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 551 DAMASCUS 256 BEIRUT 101 LONDON / NEW YORK 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 549 SOHAG / SHARM EL SHEIKH 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN

18:00 18:35 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:25 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:00 20:00 20:10 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:25 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:15 23:30

Time 0:40 0:50 0:55 1:25 2:15 2:30 3:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 5:00 5:10 6:55 7:10 7:15 8:15 8:20 8:20 8:25 8:40 8:50 9:00 9:10 9:10 9:30 9:40 9:50 9:55 10:00 10:15 10:20

KAC JZR KAC JZR MHK IRC KAC MSR JZR IRM MSR KNE RJA FDB MSR UAL KAC KAC KAC KNE KAC JZR SVA KAC JZR QTR JZR IRC VOS ETD SYR AFR UAE GFA ABY JZR JZR SVA CLX KAC JZR ALK KAC IRA JAI FDB KNE KAC KAC OMA MEA SIA MLR MSR KAC DHX KLM KAC UAE GFA FCX KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR MSR KAC UAL MSR

165 776 541 238 712 6808 501 624 176 5065 611 702 641 58 622 982 561 673 787 746 617 178 505 773 512 135 538 6792 82 304 342 6706 858 216 128 184 266 511 792 1549 134 228 283 604 571 62 790 331 351 648 403 457 1405 619 543 373 445 677 860 218 102 381 137 301 205 554 607 411 981 613

ROME / PARIS JEDDAH CAIRO AMMAN NAJAF / BAGHDAD SHIRAZ BEIRUT SOHAG DUBAI MASHAD CAIRO RIYADH AMMAN DUBAI ASSIUT BAHRAIN AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH DOHA / BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH RIYADH SHARM EL SHEIKH DOHA CAIRO MASHAD BAGHDAD ABU DHABI DEIREZZOR / DAMASCUS DUBAI / HONG KONG DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT RIYADH HONG KONG SHARM EL SHEIKH BAHRAIN DUBAI / COLOMBO DHAKA ISFAHAN MUMBAI DUBAI JEDDAH TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT ABU DHABI / SINGAPORE COLOMBO ALEXANDRIA CAIRO BAHRAIN BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM DUBAI / MUSCAT DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DELHI DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD ALEXANDRIA LUXOR BANGKOK / MANILA WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

11:45 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:20 12:35 13:00 13:10 13:40 14:15 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:45 14:45 15:10 15:20 15:30 15:35 16:00 16:00 16:05 16:10 16:15 16:40 17:00 17:00 17:35 18:00 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:45 18:50 19:10 19:10 20:00 20:05 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:50 21:55 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:10 23:15 23:40 23:40 23:50

C R O S S W O R D

3 4 5

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday始s Solution

ACROSS 1. (computer science) A coding system that incorporates extra parity bits in order to detect errors.

4. Any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits.

10. A three-year law degree.

13. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization.

14. (of reproduction) Not involving the fusion of male and female gametes reproduction".

15. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots.

16. An early French settler in the Maritimes.

18. A person of subnormal intelligence.

20. Gasoline jelled with aluminum soaps.

23. An uproarious party.

24. United States writer (born in Poland) who wrote in Yiddish (1880-1957).

27. The United Nations agency concerned with civil aviation.

32. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

34. Half the width of an em.

35. Summer cypress.

37. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (19021984).

40. Date used in reckoning dates before the supposed year Christ was born.

41. The state of being contaminated.

42. Dragonflies and damselflies.

44. The capital city of Vietnam.

45. Toward the mouth or oral region.

47. A deep bow.

50. Any of various deciduous or evergreen ornamental shrubs of the genus Abelia having opposite simple leaves and cymes of small white or pink or purplish flowers.

55. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement.

56. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

59. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

60. A room equipped with toilet facilities.

61. A state in northwestern North America.

62. The month following February and preceding April.

63. A Turkish unit of weight equal to about 2.75 pounds.

64. Of an instrument of certain death.

65. Used of a single unit or thing.

DOWN 1. Either of two large African antelopes of the genus Taurotragus having short spirally twisted horns in both sexes.

2. Tropical American tree producing cacao beans.

3. A boy or man.

4. (criminal law) Money that must be forfeited by the bondsman if an accused person fails to appear in court for trial.

5. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

6. (British) Your grandmother.

7. Before noon.

8. A hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion.

9. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

10. Being three more than fifty.

11. A mountainous landlocked communist state in southeastern Asia.

12. A vessel in which something is immersed to maintain it at a constant temperature or to process or lubricate it.

17. An informal term for a father.

19. A doctor's degree in dental surgery.

21. Being one hundred more than two hundred.

22. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

25. In the Arabian Nights a hero who tells of the fantastic adventures he had in his voyages.

26. A card game in which players bet against the dealer on the cards he will draw from a dealing box.

28. Profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger.

29. The seventh month of the Hindu calendar.

30. A floor covering.

31. French filmmaker (1908-1982).

33. An authoritative direction or instruction to do something.

36. A river that rises in central Germany and flows north to join the Elbe River.

38. Small buffalo of the Celebes having small straight horns.

39. Of deserts of northern Africa and southern Asia.

40. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

43. (Mexican) Corn and cornmeal dough stuffed with a meat mixture then wrapped in corn husks and steamed.

44. An associate degree in nursing.

46. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

47. A state in the Rocky Mountains.

48. Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses.

49. Rock that in its molten form (as magma) issues from volcanos.

51. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

52. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

53. A theocratic republic in the Middle East in western Asia.

54. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

57. A broad flat muscle on either side of the back.

58. The residue that remains when something is burned.

Yesterday始s Solution

SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Cubs rally in ninth, win to beat Phillies Cubs on top after losing eight games in a row PHILADELPHIA: Geovany Soto hit a game-leveling homer off Ryan Madson with one out in the ninth inning and Tyler Colvin scored from second base on a throwing error in the 11th as the Chicago Cubs edged the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 in a game that ended early yesterday. Colvin’s go-ahead homer in the ninth was overturned by umpires after replays showed a fan wearing a Phillies T-shirt reached over the fence and interfered with the ball. But the Cubs still won their second straight after losing eight in a row. Strong wind and heavy rain stopped the game for 1 hour, 17 minutes in the bottom of the third.

Neither starter returned when play resumed, and the teams used 12 relievers. Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins hit a three-run homer in the second.

Braves 3, Marlins 2 At Miami, Jair Jurrjens threw seven solid innings and drove in a run as Atlanta handed Florida its eighth straight loss. Alex Gonzalez also drove in a run with a double to help the Braves complete a three-game sweep at Sun Life Stadium for the first time since May 2-4, 1995. The Marlins’ eight-game losing streak is their longest skid since also dropping eight in a row Aug 15-22, 2007. Mike Stanton homered off Jurrjens in the seventh.

Diamondbacks 2, Pirates 0 At Pittsburgh, Chris Young hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and four Arizona pitchers combined for a five-hit shutout as the Diamondbacks beat Pittsburgh to snap a threegame losing streak. Young pulled a 2-0 pitch from Chris Resop (2-2) down the left-field line just inside the foul pole for his 12th homer of the season. Reliever Micah Owings (2-0) legged out a one-out infield single before Young’s hit. Arizona rookie starter Josh Collmenter pitched five-plus innings. Joe Patterson, Owings and David Hernandez finished up the Diamondbacks’ sixth shutout of the season.

Mets 4, Brewers 1 At Milwaukee, Jonathon Niese pitched effectively into the eighth as New York beat Milwaukee to take two of three games against the best home team in the majors. Niese (5-5) retired the first 11 hitters and allowed only an RBI double to Prince Fielder in the fourth and singles in the seventh and eighth. Niese matched a career high with eight strikeouts. Francisco Rodriguez got the final four outs for his 18th save.

PHILADELPHIA: Third baseman Aramis Ramirez #16 of the Chicago Cubs bats during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 9, 2011. — AFP Cardinals 9, Astros 2 At Houston, Lance Berkman broke a tie with an RBI single and pinch-hitter Daniel Descalso had a two-run double as St Louis beat Houston with a five-run sixth inning. Berkman, the former Astro who hit a solo homer to break up Bud Norris’ no-hit bid in the seventh inning in the Cardinals’ 4-1 loss Wednesday night, snapped a 11 tie with a single off the scoreboard in left after Jon Jay singled and Albert Pujols drew a walk off J A Happ (3-8). Berkman added his 15th homer in the ninth. Ryan Theriot also homered for St Louis.

Houston’s Hunter Pence had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 20 games.

Reds 3, Giants 0 At San Francisco, Johnny Cueto pitched seven scoreless innings, and Jonny Gomes had three hits and an RBI to lead Cincinnati past San Francisco. Cueto (3-2) allowed just four hits and struck out eight -including the side in order in the third inning - in a dominating performance that ended a four-start winless streak. Nick Masset pitched a scoreless eighth, and Francisco Cordero finished the four-hitter for his 12th save in 14 chances as the Reds opened their sevengame West Coast swing.

Rockies 9, Dodgers 7 At Denver, Troy Tulowitzki drove in four

runs, including a leveling two-run single in Colorado’s five-run seventh inning as Colorado rallied to beat Los Angeles. Tulowitzki delivered against Mike MacDougal and pinch-hitter Jason Giambi drew a bases-loaded walk to break the 7-7 tie as the Rockies sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh. Behind Matt Kemp’s power surge - he hit his NL-leading 18th homer, drove in three runs and came a single short of his first career cycle - the Dodgers built leads of 4-0 and 7-3.

Padres 7, Nationals 3 At San Diego, Chase Headley hit a two-run homer, and Anthony Rizzo had a triple and scored a run in his big league debut as San Diego downed Washington. Rizzo, one of three prospects obtained from Boston for All-Star Adrian Gonzalez in December, was called up earlier in the day from Tucson. He started at first base and batted seventh, hitting a triple off the fence in center in his second at-bat and scoring on Chris Denorfia’s infield single. Rizzo went 1 for 2 with two walks. Livan Hernandez (3-8) tied for the major league lead with his eighth loss. He is 0-6 in his last eight starts overall and 0-6 in his eight road starts. He’s also 0-6 in eight career starts at Petco Park. Nationals pinch-hitter Wilson Ramos homered with two outs in the ninth. — AP

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Thursday. Kansas City 3, Toronto 2; Arizona 2, Pittsburgh 0; Boston 8, NY Yankees 3; Detroit 4, Seattle 1; Chicago Cubs 4, Philadelphia 3 (11 innings); Atlanta 3, Florida 2; St. Louis 9, Houston 2; NY Mets 4, Milwaukee 1; Chicago White Sox 9, Oakland 4; Minnesota 5, Texas 4; Colorado 9, LA Dodgers 7; San Diego 7, Washington 3; Cincinnati 3, San Francisco 0.

American League Eastern Division W L Boston 36 26 NY Yankees 33 27 Tampa Bay 33 29 Toronto 32 31 Baltimore 29 31 Central Division Cleveland 34 26 Detroit 34 28 Chicago White Sox 31 34 Kansas City 27 36 Minnesota 24 38 Western Division Texas 35 29 Seattle 32 31 LA Angels 30 34 Oakland 27 37 National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 37 26 Atlanta 35 28 Florida 31 30 NY Mets 30 32 Washington 27 36 Central Division St. Louis 38 26 Milwaukee 35 28 Cincinnati 33 31 Pittsburgh 30 31 Chicago Cubs 25 36 Houston 24 39 Western Division San Francisco 35 28 Arizona 34 29 Colorado 30 32 San Diego 29 35 LA Dodgers 29 35

PCT GB .581 .550 2 .532 3 .508 4.5 .483 6 .567 .548 1 .477 5.5 .429 8.5 .387 11 .547 .508 2.5 .469 5 .422 8

.587 .556 2 .508 5 .484 6.5 .429 10 .594 .556 .516 .492 .410 .381

2.5 5 6.5 11.5 13.5

.556 .540 1 .484 4.5 .453 6.5 .453 6.5

Ortiz breaks loose after being hit, Boston prevail NEW YORK: David Ortiz started and finished a seven-run burst in the seventh inning that led the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees 8-3 in a rain-delayed game that ended early yesterday. After a wait of almost 3 1/2 hours, Josh Beckett (5-2) outpitched CC Sabathia (7-4) for the third time this season. Boston outscored New York 25-13 in its second three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium in a month. Only a few thousand fans were left when Boston wrapped up its sixth win in a row overall and beat the Yankees for the seventh straight time. The Red Sox are 81 against their longtime rivals this year.

A storm that brought lightning bolts over the Bronx delayed the start for 3 hours, 27 minutes.

Hit in the right thigh by Sabathia’s fastball in the fourth inning, Ortiz got more than even a little later. The Red Sox trailed 2-0 when he singled off Sabathia to start the seventh, and Ortiz’s two-run double off David Robertson capped the

big rally. Curtis Granderson hit a two-run homer, his 18th, for New York in the first inning. New York’s Derek Jeter singled for his 2,990th career hit.

Tigers 4, Mariners 1 At Detroit, Alex Avila tripled twice and Justin Verlander pitched eight strong innings as Detroit downed Seattle. Verlander (7-3) struck out a season-best 10 while allowing one run on five hits. He’s 5-0 in his last seven starts with a 2.14 ERA. Jose Valverde pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 16 tries. Seattle starter Doug Fister (3-7) dropped to 1-4 since May 1, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks in eight innings. He’s 1-12 in 19 career starts against AL Central teams. Detroit had a four-run fifth.

Jhonny Peralta singled and scored on Avila’s second triple. With two out, Don Kelly’s single made it 2-1, and Brennan Boesch followed with

his eighth homer of the season.

Twins 5, Rangers 4 At Minneapolis, Alexi Casilla hit a single to left field to drive in the winning run with two outs in the ninth for Minnesota on a windy, chilly night at Target Field. Luke Hughes led off the ninth with a double off Mark Lowe (1-0) that a fan picked up before the Rangers could play it. They complained, to no avail. Rangers starter Derek Holland gave up a solo shot in the second inning to Delmon Young and a three-run homer to Michael Cuddyer in the fifth. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz hit long homers for Texas.

White Sox 9, Athletics 4 Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko hit two-run homers and Chicago spoiled Oakland interim manager Bob Melvin’s debut, handing the

Athletics their 10th straight loss. Melvin replaced Bob Geren earlier in the day. Mark Buehrle (6-4) threw seven strong innings and improved to 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his last seven starts. He allowed seven hits and three runs.

Trevor Cahill (6-4) lasted just 2 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the season.

Royals 3, Blue Jays 2 At Kansas City, Missouri, Jeff Francoeur drove in two runs to help Luke Hochevar win for the first time in seven starts as Kansas City survived Joakim Soria’s shaky ninth to beat Toronto. Soria, reclaiming the closer role he lost May 30 after back-to-back blown saves, loaded the bases in the ninth but got his eighth save in 13 opportunities. Hochevar (4-6) allowed two runs in the fourth but nothing else in seven innings. Ricky Romero (5-6) pitched an eightinning complete game for Toronto. — AP

SPORTS

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Muslim weightlifter tries to compete and remain faithful ATLANTA: Looking to get stronger, Kulsoom Abdullah took up weightlifting a couple of years ago. She quickly grew to love the male-dominated sport, entering local competitions and even allowing herself to dream of one day making it to the Olympics. She’d like to see how far this passion might take her, but not if it means compromising her religious beliefs. Seems perfectly reasonable. Yet Abdullah, a 35-year-old from Atlanta, has been barred from entering the US championships in Iowa next month. The problem: Her Muslim faith requires that she cover her arms, legs and head - which violates international rules governing weightlifting attire.

“I’d hate to think that just because you dress a certain way, you can’t participate in sports,” Abdullah said on Thursday. “I don’t want other women who dress like me to say, ‘I can’t get involved in that sport’ and get discouraged. It would be nice to have an environment where it wouldn’t be an issue

of how you dress or having different beliefs and faiths.” She’s right. It’s time for sports to show the rest of society how to bridge the gap between legitimate concerns and religious tolerance.

“What we hear all the time is, ‘You’ve got to empower Muslim women around the world,”‘ said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has taken up Abdullah’s cause. “Well, how can you empower a Muslim woman more than being a weightlifter? She should be encouraged and helped along in this process. There shouldn’t be arbitrary roadblocks placed in her path.” Abdullah got a bit of good news on Thursday when USA Weightlifting agreed to take her case to the IWF this month.

But it’s an ongoing struggle in sports - with some compromise, but not nearly enough. Muslim women have competed in athletics wearing neck-to-ankle bodysuits and the traditional headscarf known as a hijab, most notably Roqaya

Canucks banking on home vantage to regain speed BOSTON: The Vancouver Canucks returned home on Thursday after two crushing losses to the Boston Bruins that has left the Stanley Cup up for grabs. After two narrow wins on home ice to open the best-of-seven series, Canucks fans had every reason to think their long wait for the Stanley Cup was almost over. But the celebrations were put on hold after the Bruins won their two home games 8-1 and 4-0 to level the finals at 2-2.

The series took a gigantic shift early in game three when Aaron Rome’s vicious late hit on Nathan Horton left the Boston forward unconscious on the ice and out of the series with a severe concussion. Rome was subsequently suspended for the next four games and the loss of Horton only served to galvanize the Bruins, but the Canucks are confident the return home will help them regain the initiative. “If somebody would have told me at the beginning of the year that we could play for the Stanley Cup, best two-out-of-three series with home ice advantage in front of our fans, I would have taken those odds,” said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. “I would have taken that anytime to play for the big prize.

“That’s what we’ve got right now. We’re going to put these last two games behind us. “We play real well at home. We’re going to go and feed off the energy from our fans and give it our best shot.” The Canucks will be hoping the familiar surrounds will also signal a return to form for All-Star netminder Roberto Luongo, who let in 12 goals in Massachusetts before being pulled late in game four. Luongo, who backstopped Canada to win the Olympic gold medal on the same rink last year, was at his best at home shutting out the Bruins in game one and providing clutch netminding in a game two overtime decision.

“We worked hard all year to get home ice advantage so this is where it’s going to serve its purpose,” Luonga said. “We want to make sure we get playing the way we did in the first two games and take it to them.” The Swedish twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who have captured the last two NHL scoring crowns, have also been missing in action combining for just two points in the series.

The Canucks powerplay which was the best in the league during the regular season and throughout most of the playoffs is suddenly sputtering, going 1-22 in the Cup finals. “We’ve got to be a lot better (on the powerplay),” said Henrik Sedin, who is scoreless in the finals. “We still have home ice advantage. “We know we have to play better and we’re going back home in front of our fans and we’re going to do a better job. “We can’t look back. It’s best-of-three now, we’ve got two games at home and were focusing on the next one.”

Al-Gassra of Bahrain, who made it to the semifinals of the 200 meters at the Beijing Olympics.

Then again, the Iran women’s football team recently had to forfeit an Olympic qualifier in Jordan because the players wanted to wear hijabs. FIFA, which hasn’t exactly come across as the most upstanding institution in recent weeks, defended its decision by saying the scarves are banned for safety reasons. As if to show it wasn’t singling out any particular religion, FIFA also has prohibited neck warmers used during chilly winter matches in the English Premier League. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the so-called “snoods” could be used to “hang somebody.” Hey, if football is worried about someone trying to strangle a player by grabbing a hijab or a neck warmer, there are bigger issues to address. And Iran’s youth team already had been allowed to take the field last year at a major Olympic-style event wearing specially designed caps that protected their modesty.—AP

FLOWERY BRANCH: In this photo provided by Kulsoom Abdullah via her website on Thursday, June 9, 2011, Abdullah competes in the 2010 Open Champs at the Branch weightlifting event. — AP

Surfing champ Irons died of heart failure HONOLULU: Former surfing champion Andy Irons had several drugs in his system when he died of a heart attack at age 32 in a Dallas-area hotel room seven months ago. Irons’ family released the results of the autopsy Thursday, which show the three-time world champion from Hawaii died from sudden cardiac arrest due to severe blockage of a main artery. The official autopsy report, prepared by Tarrant County Chief Medical Examiner Dr Nizam Peerwani, also lists “acute mixed drug ingestion” as a secondary cause, but that is being disputed by the family. According to the autopsy, Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication, methadone, cocaine and a trace amount of methamphetamine were found in his system.

The family said in a statement that Irons was prescribed Xanax and Zolpidem (Ambien) to treat anxiety and occasional insomnia, a result of bipolar disorder diagnosed at age 18 when he first began “experiencing episodes of manic highs and depressive lows.”

“The family believes Andy was in some denial about the severity of his chemical imbalance and tended to blame his mood swings on himself and his own weaknesses, choosing to

self-medicate with recreational drugs,” the Irons family said in the statement. “Members of his family, close friends, and an industry sponsor intervened over the years to help Andy get clean, but the effort to find balance in his life was certainly complicated by his chemical makeup.” The surfer claimed the world championship in 2002, ‘03 and ‘04, and was a fourtime winner of the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

Irons, who is revered in Hawaii and was known in the surfing community worldwide for being fearless, humble and a fierce competitor, died Nov 2 while on a layover while en route home to Kauai from Puerto Rico. He had withdrawn two days earlier from the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Search with flu-like symptoms, been put on an intravenous drip and urged to seek medical attention but decided to return to Hawaii. According to the family, it was the first time he had withdrawn from a competition.

Irons’ death cut short a big year for him professionally and personally. He was making a comeback in surfing after spending the previous year away from the sport. He was also looking forward to being a father. San Antonio

QUEENSLAND: This photo shows former Association of Surfing Professionals world champion Andy Irons competing in the Quiksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast. — AP

forensic pathologist Dr Vincent Di Maio, who reviewed the autopsy results for the family, called it a “very straightforward case,” where Irons died of hardening of the arteries. He said plaque produced severe narrowing, 70 to 80 percent of his anterior descending coronary artery. “The only unusual aspect of the case is Mr Irons’ age, 32 years old. Deaths due to coronary atherosclerosis usually begin to appear in the late 40’s. Individuals such as Mr Irons have a genetic predisposition to early development of coronary artery disease,” Di Maio said. Irons’ grandmother and grand-uncle on his father’s side died of congestive heart failure. His widow, Lyndie, recalled that Irons complained of chest pains and occasional intense heartburn for the first time last year. Contrary to Peerwani’s report that drugs were a secondary cause, Di Maio said: “There were no other factors contributing to the death.” The Irons family’s attorney in Dallas has sent a letter to Peerwani, questioning his decision to list the drugs as a secondary cause, even when the death was listed as natural. Peerwani’s office didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.

“As we are not doctors, we have no choice but to accept that two respected pathologists have come to different conclusions about a secondary contributing cause of death,” the family said. Lyndie Irons insisted her husband was not a meth user, and suggested the substance was present in the cocaine he used.

The autopsy report has been held up for months by a Texas court, which blocked the release in December at the request of Lyndie Irons, who argued the report could tarnish her husband’s brand, upon which she and her son are financially dependent. She cited intense news coverage and “innuendo of drug use” surrounding the death. Although the family released the results Thursday, the full report won’t be made public until later this month. The family apologized for the delay and said the injunction was to allow Lyndie, who was then eight months pregnant, “to give birth in peace.” Her son is named Andy Axel Irons.—AP

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Katich vents spleen over ‘unfair’ Australia axing Inconsistency contributed to Ashes defeat: Katich SYDNEY: Simon Katich hit out at selectors and Cricket Australia as he vowed yesterday to bat on after the contentious loss of his Test contract for next season. The 56-Test veteran was stunned to be told Tuesday that he was cut from Cricket Australia’s 25-man list of contracted players for the 2011-12 season, despite being one of the country’s most consistent performers.

Katich called a press conference in Sydney but instead of what was anticipated to be the announcement of his retirement, the 35-yearold opening batsman said he would continue playing for his New South Wales state side. The no-frills left-hander did not miss the opportunity to castigate the selection panel and the governing body for their part in what he called an “absolutely ridiculous” situation.

Katich, who has averaged 48 in Tests over the last three years and 45 throughout his career since 2001, ripped into what he said were the inconsistent selection policies of chairman Andrew Hilditch and his panel. “It certainly didn’t come as a total shock on Tuesday, only because I know how they operate. I’ve been through this situation before,” said Katich, who was told he was finished when he was dropped

in 2008, only to fight his way back into the Australian team.

“I guess it was particularly disappointing because of the reason that was given,” he said.

“To be told that it’s because the opening partnership needs to be bedded down for 2013 (Ashes) when I know for a fact that Watto (Shane Watson) and I thoroughly enjoyed opening together and it’s been one of the bright spots of our team in the last two years.

“I find it very hard to believe that and as a result the system at the moment is not only just affecting me but it has also affected a number of other players.” Katich, who was once touted as a future Australian captain, didn’t leave Cricket Australia out of his criticism. “There are people above the selectors who make decisions on their (players’) future and they ratify the decisions that are made,” Katich said.

“I’ve only had a four-minute conversation with Andrew Hilditch on Tuesday and I haven’t heard from anyone from Cricket Australia since and I’ve been involved with the organization since 1999. “I certainly made it clear to him what I felt about the decision. It wasn’t a personal nature, but it was just made expressing the fact that I didn’t agree with it.” Cricket Australia chief

MEMPHIS: David Mathis hits his second shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the St Jude Classic golf tournament Thursday, June 9, 2011. — AP

American Mathis sizzles in sweltering Memphis MEMPHIS: Little-known American journeyman David Mathis grabbed a one-shot lead in the opening round of the St Jude Classic on Thursday, despite bogeying his penultimate hole. Mathis, who earned his 2011 PGA Tour card by finishing in the top 25 in last year’s Nationwide Tour money list, took charge with a five-under-par 65 on a sweltering hot and humid day at the TPC Southwind. Swede Robert Karlsson, beaten by Britain’s Lee Westwood in a three-way playoff for last year’s title, opened with a 66 to end the day level with Americans John Merrick, Kris Blanks, Colt Knost and Kevin Kisner.

World number two Westwood launched his title defence with a 69, salvaging a mediocre round with three birdies in his last four holes.

Mathis, whose best PGA Tour finish was a tie for eighth at last month’s New Orleans Classic, was taking nothing for granted after ending the first round in control. “I haven’t been in this position before,” the 37-year-old told reporters after mixing six birdies with a lone bogey at the par-three eighth where he three-putted.

“I don’t feel stressed or uncomfortable in the position. I know there’s tons of golf left. “I’m just trying to keep poise about me ... just take it for what it is, enjoy it, be thankful for a good round and try to reproduce it for the next three days.”

Former European number one Karlsson, a PGA Tour rookie this year at the age of 41, was happy to be back at the venue where he recorded his best finish on the U.S. circuit a year ago.

“I do like the golf course,” the 6-foot-5 (1.95 m) Swede said after recording five birdies and one bogey. “It’s great to be back here.

“Yesterday in the practice round I learned quite quickly that you want to stay out of the rough and play the course from tee to green. I did a pretty good job of that today.” American rookie Keegan Bradley, just 11 days after winning his first PGA Tour title, charged into contention with a four-birdie 67.

“It was a good day,” said the 25-year-old, who has been grouped with fellow PGA Tour rookie Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela for the first two rounds. “I had a great pairing with Johnny.

It was a really fun group out there.” — Reuters

executive James Sutherland later defended selectors, saying they had to plan for the future.

“They need to use their best judgment to pick teams that are not only the best team for Australia for the day, but they also are required under policy to keep an eye to the future,” Sutherland told reporters. “I have no doubt that the selectors are doing that, they are following through with that policy.” Katich said that Australia’s selection policy had destabilized the team during last summer’s 3-1 losing home Ashes series against England.

“There needs to be more consistency,” he said. “There were so many guys looking over their shoulders about whether they were going to play or not and if you compared it to how England were settled and prepared and there was no surprise that they had a very good campaign.” Katich said he was taking a risk by deciding to play on despite being unwanted at Test level. “I take the risk by playing on that if I don’t perform I will get cut,” he said. “It’s not nice to be dropped. I’ve been through it before, but I’m prepared to back myself and put myself through that stress because that’s what I love doing, that’s the buzz I get from playing the game.”— AFP

SYDNEY: Australia’s Simon Katich lashes out at the selectors and Cricket Australia after the contentious loss of his Test contract during a press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. — AFP

Tiger can’t come close to Nicklaus at US Open BETHESDA: Instead of offering Tiger Woods a chance to move closer to the all-time record of 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus, the 111th US Open shows why Woods might never catch his boyhood idol.

Woods, a 14-time major champion, will miss the US Open for the first time since 1994 because of strained left knee ligaments and a sprained left Achilles tendon suffered at the Masters, the latest in a series of nagging injuries. “It’s time for me to listen to my doctors and focus on the future,” Woods said. “I was hopeful that I could play, but if I did, I risk further damage to my left leg. My knee and Achilles tendon are not fully healed.”

Woods has not won a title in 22 starts over the past 20 months, the longest drought of his career. He has not won a major since the 2008 US Open, a run of 12 events after next week, three of those he will have missed due to injury. Despite four knee operations, including reconstructive surgery after limping to his third US Open crown in a 2008 playoff, Woods still says that he has what it takes to pass Nicklaus.

“It’s one of the things that drives me — 18 is the benchmark in our sport,” Woods said.

“I’ve had a pretty good run, 14 in 15 years. It takes time. I still have plenty of time. I’m excited about playing major championships.

“I just want to be healthy and solid and I think I can give it a go.” When the field of 156 tees off next Thursday at Congressional Country Club, it will feature rising young stars such as Rory McIlroy and Matteo Manassero and stars like World No. 1 Luke Donald who no longer see Woods as unbeatable.

“I suppose for the bulk of my career Tiger was so far ahead that it never really crept into my mind,” England’s Donald said of becoming World No. 1. “But in the last year or so, there has been more of an upheaval in the rankings.” Woods has plunged to 15th in the rankings, seventh among Americans. When World No. 4 Steve Stricker won the Memorial last weekend to become the top US player, he was a bit shocked to hold a spot long kept

by Woods.

“They asked me that question as being the highest ranked American, I really wanted to text Tiger and say, ‘Where are you? What happened?’” Stricker said. “I haven’t got the courage to do that yet.” In addition to his body betraying him after years of long drives, Woods was also undone by the revelation of his secret sex life, which led to a divorce from wife Elin Nordegren and the loss of several major sponsor endorsements.

But Woods, whose last victory came at the 2009 Australian Masters, remains a popular attraction with sports fans. Woods remains golf’s top draw. “We’re very disappointed that he won’t be playing,” said US Golf Association executive director Mike Davis.

“He certainly brings excitement to the event.

He will be missed but the US Open will go on.

The event is bigger than one player. But he certainly will be missed.”

Now people watch to see if Woods can regain his once-magical touch. “I think we all still tune in to golf, I know I do, just to see how Tiger and Phil (Mickelson) are going to play, to see whether Tiger’s going to get his game back, see what he’s doing,” Stricker said. “It was good when Tiger was winning because people wanted to see that, but I think also, on this end of it too, they’re still tuning in.”

Now there is a greater sense of parity among the players with Woods having lost any notion of an aura of invincibility. “It gives a lot of guys a lot of confidence knowing that it’s wide open,” Stricker said. “If you play well enough you can beat anybody. That’s the way everybody is feeling. So that’s always the carrot that dangles in front of us.” And suddenly, young stars who were drawn to golf by Woods but never faced him in his prime are becoming emboldened to surpass what players like Woods and Mickelson have achieved.

“I think the spotlight has shifted somewhat and I think that’s healthy,” England’s Justin Rose said. “We need Tiger and Phil for sure.

But the future is the young guys.” — AFP

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Wildcard Ward stuns Querrey at Queen’s Murray gets walkover

LONDON: Andy Murray of Britain falls as he plays a return to Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia during their singles tennis match at the Queen’s Grass Court Championship. ñ AP

LONDON: Andy Murray reached the Queen’s semi-finals yesterday after his last-eight opponent Marin Cilic was forced out by injury, while British wildcard James Ward stunned reigning champion Sam Querrey. Murray has been struggling with ankle ligament damage since the French Open, but it was Cilic who was unable to recover from his own ankle injury just hours before the start of their match at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London. World number four Murray will now have some extra time to rest his injury ahead of his last four-clash against either Andy Roddick or Fernando Verdasco today.

Murray could be joined in the semifinals by compatriot Ward as the unher-

alded British number two ended Sam Querrey’s reign as the king of Queen’s.

World number 216 Ward won the final set of their rain-delayed third-round match to clinch a shock 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory. Ward had just leveled the tie at one set all in the gloom on Thursday when play was suspended due to bad light.

But the 24-year-old held his nerve overnight and piled the pressure on Querrey when play finally resumed after a 90-minute delay yesterday. A tight deciding set swung Ward’s way when he broke the American 13th seed in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Ward, who revealed after his surprise win over Swiss fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the second round that he is trained by a former cage fighter, just had to hold serve

IOC happy with plans for 2016 Rio Games RIO DE JANEIRO: IOC officials left Rio de Janeiro impressed by preparations for the 2016 Olympics, saying the city had made great strides on infrastructure projects for the games and beyond. The glowing report, delivered by the IOC oversight panel Thursday after a three-day visit, included praise for public works such as a new rapid transit bus system and projects meant to benefit the city in the long run.”There has been an impressive amount of work,” said Nawal El Moutawakel, head of the International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission. “It will benefit the city greatly.” Brazil’s Olympicrelated plans include doubling the capacity of the international airport, an overhaul of the port, and a new water treatment facility. Gilbert Felli, the IOC’s director general of the Olympic Games, said Rio’s readiness so far made it a “front-runner” among cities that have hosted the games. Rio will be the first city in South Africa to host the Olympics.

Mayor Eduardo Paes said Rio had been “doing its homework” and staying on top of deadlines for important improvements. Hosting successful games also involves dealing with the violence that has long plagued the city’s shantytowns. Paes said increased police and state presence in slums has cut down on crime and is changing the face of the city. “I’m certain that Rio is ahead of other cities in developed countries that were more experienced in hosting events of this size,” Paes said.

It was the IOC panel’s second visit to Rio since the city was awarded the games in October 2009. “Rio 2016 has made great strides as an organization,” the IOC said in a statement. “It has developed good plans, made an excellent start to its marketing program, and strong integration can be

seen across its departments and with its stakeholders.” The IOC team visited several of the venues and infrastructure projects for he games. The panel said it was a “fantastic step forward” that Rio had approved its venue for golf, which was voted onto the Olympic program two years ago for the 2016 Games.

Some Rio residents used the IOC visit to protest that the needs of local citizens are being overlooked. An association of residents from various neighborhoods protesting a newly planned subway route delivered a letter Tuesday to the IOC members, saying changes would benefit the hotel industry rather than poorer residents.

Both Amnesty International and the United Nations have called attention to allegations of rights abuses during

the eviction of shantytown residents who live along the planned transit routes.

Nearly 1,000 families have been moved to make way for the Transcarioca, an express highway that will link the far west of the city to the international airport to the north. According to the city government, the project will require 3,000 homes to be demolished.

Resettlement options for those families include homes in neighborhoods 40 or 50 miles (65 or 80 kilometers) away. The IOC is following the issue closely and is satisfied with responses received, El Moutawakel said. “I don’t think the idea of having games here is to harm anyone,” she said.

“Everything will be done with a very human touch.”— AP

RIO DE JANEIRO: International Olympic Committee, IOC, Executive Director for the Olympic Games Gilbert Felli (left) Head of the IOC Evaluation Commission Nawal El Moutawakel (second from right) and Brazil Olympic Committee President Carlos Arthur Nuzman (right) hold up Vasco da Gama’s soccer team jerseys they received as presents from Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor Eduardo Paes (second from left) before attending a press conference. — AP

twice to complete his latest giant-killing.

Querrey staved off one match point and then had a break point of his own, but Ward kept cool to earn a second match point, which he converted to the delight of the crowd. There was little time for Ward to celebrate one of the best results of his career, however, as the son of a London taxi driver was due to return to action for his quarterfinal clash with France’s Adrian Mannarino later yesterday. Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski were the last British players to reach the last eight in the same year, in 2001. Ward said: “It has been unbelievable. The last two matches have been the best two wins of my career so far. You have got to be pleased with that.” — AFP

Li Na’s win focuses on China sports overhaul BEIJING: China’s state-run sports system is known for its rigid structures and harsh methods, but Li Na’s Grand Slam breakthrough shows how the machine is undergoing a major overhaul-with Western help. Li was one of a group of players to step away from state control in 2008, allowing her to choose her own coach and schedule. After she lifted Asia’s first Grand Slam trophy at the French Open, the results are plain to see.

And with a growing clamor for reform of the notorious government training centers, the signs are that China will increasingly look to foreign expertise as it shifts focus from accumulating Olympic medals to cracking elite sports.

“Li Na’s win is going to have a huge impact not only for China, but Asia,” Carlos Rodriguez, head coach of Belgian star Justine Henin’s 6th Sense - Potter’s Wheel Tennis Academy in Beijing, told AFP. “This is a sign to all the people that in China there is a great champion today and maybe there are some other champions to come because of Li Na.” 6th Sense, based in southern Beijing’s Chaoyang district, shows how China has become willing to draft in outside help to groom its future stars.

The centre, allied with other Henin training camps in Florida and Belgium, has 22 outdoor and indoor courts, minicourts, a pool, gym and jogging track, and offers short-term and full-time programs for adults and children alike. Among hundreds of players to visit this year was none other than Li, who was once forced into China’s badminton system but rebelled. Last Saturday, she was backed by a foreignerDenmark’s Michael Mortensen-at Roland Garros.

6th Sense’s Rodriguez, who coached Henin to seven Grand Slam titles and 117 weeks as women’s number one, said he has signed a six-year deal to work at the academyenough time to turn teenagers into world-beaters. “We can help them (China) in the structure, in how to learn tennis in another way,” the Argentine told AFP. “I am not saying that the Chinese way is not good, (but) we have another way that maybe they can consider, we can share, and we can be better with everything together.

“The goal for everybody is to try to create, to give to the people another possibility of another Li Na, to bring a girl or a man to the top in a few years.” It’s a pattern which is being repeated among major sports after China successfully married its state system with foreign know-how to top the medals table at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, leaving even mighty America in the shade.—AFP

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Rights groups welcome canceled Bahrain GP DUBAI: Human rights groups welcomed the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix yesterday while Formula One’s governing body requested a revised 2011 calendar. Bahrain organizers pulled the plug on this year’s race, ending efforts to reschedule a controversial grand prix that had angered rights groups in the politically tense Gulf nation and teams who were against extending the season into December. F1 governing body FIA sought to clear up the mess caused by its decision a week ago to reschedule Bahrain for Oct. 30 and bump the inaugural India GP from that date to December.

“In the light of the statement by the Bahrain International Circuit, the FIA is now waiting for the commercial rights holder (F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone) to propose a new calendar to the World Motor Sport Council,” FIA said in a statement. FIA initially said last week’s vote was done in a “spirit of reconciliation,” but it has turned out to be a public relations disaster.

Already under fire for putting profits ahead of human rights, FIA came off looking dangerously ill-informed about the events in the troubled island nation, and seemingly eager to please a well-heeled Gulf monarchy at the expense of racing teams who fear the calendar changes would create a logistical nightmare. “The gov-

ernment has admitted the fact that Bahrain is not back to normal. It can’t hide the fact that Bahrain is in a crisis,” said Nabeel Rajab, a leading activist in the country and president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.

“They tried their level best but the international community didn’t buy that,” he added. “You can’t have a race while a a big proportion of your population is in jail and being systemically tortured.” At least 31 people have been killed since the protests began in February, inspired by revolts against autocratic leaders in Tunisia and Egypt. The protests in Bahrain took on a sectarian tone, with the majority Shiite protesters taking to the streets to demonstrate against the Sunni-led kingdom and alleged widespread discrimination. The government ministers and organizers tried to convince FIA that conditions in the country had returned to normal but fell victim to events on the ground - shots fired at protesters last week, attacks on a religious procession on the weekend, and closed-door trials of doctors and nurses who treated anti-government demonstrators on Monday.

Bahrain GP organizers couldn’t deny the ongoing political unrest which caused the race to be postponed from its original date in March, in the first place. “It has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and

we fully respect that decision,” Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed R. Alzayani said in a statement.

“Bahrain has absolutely no desire to see a race which would further extend the calendar season detract from the enjoyment of F1 for either drivers, teams or supporters. We want our role in Formula One to continue to be as positive and constructive as it has always been, therefore, in the best interest of the sport, we will not pursue the rescheduling of a race this season.” Rescheduling the Bahrain GP was scorned virtually as soon as FIA voted unanimously to green light the race for October.

Human rights groups warned the race will be targeted by anti-government protesters, and the British government said that could lead to a tragedy. The Formula One Teams Association, from which FIA needed approval to make any calendar changes, objected to them on Monday for logistical and insurance reasons, prompting FIA President Jean Todt to ask Ecclestone to revise the calendar again. By Wednesday the race looked doomed after Ecclestone admitted he didn’t have the teams’ unanimous permission. The Bahrain GP has been F1’s most profitable race since 2004, when the Gulf kingdom became the first Arab country to stage a grand prix.

Bahrain is set to open the 2012 season next March.—AP

Bahrain Grand Prix dropped for 2011 Bahrain bungle has damaged F1, say team chiefs MONTREAL: The organizers of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix said Thursday they had abandoned plans to hold a 2011 race after controversy on rescheduling the event postponed by turmoil in the Gulf nation. “Whilst Bahrain would have been delighted to see the Grand Prix progress on October 30th in-line with the World Motor Sport Council’s decision, it has been made clear that this fixture cannot progress and we fully respect that decision,” Bahrain International Circuit chairman Zayed R Alzayani said in a statement.

“Bahrain has absolutely no desire to see a race which would further extend the calendar season detract from the enjoyment of F1 for either drivers, teams or supporters,” he said. Earlier this month Bahrain lifted a state of emergency it

imposed in mid-March when it crushed month-long protests with the help of military intervention by its Gulf neighbors in a crackdown which left 30 dead.

But debate over the suitability of giving Bahrain a revised date on the Formula One calendar had heated up this week, with teams citing not the political turmoil but the logistical difficulties of changing the schedule so late in the season. Bahrain had been originally scheduled to host the season-opening race on March 13, but on February 21 it was postponed. On June 3 it was reinstated with a provisional date of October 30.

That plan, however, called for the Grand Prix scheduled in India on October 30, at a new $350 million 5.14-kilometre (3.2-mile) circuit on the outskirts of New Delhi, to be pushed back to December.

ABU DHABI: This file photo shows Bernie Ecclestone (left) and Jean Todt, at the Yas Marina racetrack in United Arab Emirates. — AP

This week objections from various parties involved in the sport had been mounting. The Formula One Teams’ Association (FOTA) wrote to the International Motoring Federation (FIA) and to F1’s commercial ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone stating that it did not want the calendar changed at such late notice.

The chief executive of the Williams team, Adam Parr, said: “It’s not about whether the (Bahrain) race goes ahead, it’s about whether we change the calendar at this stage of the season-and that’s what we’ve written. “The issue that we’re concerned about is that fans, sponsors, teams, have made logistic arrangements to be in India for a particular weekend, 30 October, and we’ve been presented with a calendar where it’s on 11 December. “How do you say to people who have booked a two-week holiday in India to take in the Grand Prix, ‘sorry you’ll be in India, but we won’t’?”

In a reply to FOTA’s letter, FIA president Jean Todt of France said he had asked Ecclestone, the series’ commercial rights holder to “re-examine his calendar proposal and, if necessary, to resubmit a revised proposal to the World Council.”

While the FIA had been expected to make a final announcement confirming cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend during the Canadian Grand Prix, Alzayani’s announcement effectively settled the issue.

“We want our role in Formula One to continue to be as positive and constructive as it has always been, therefore, in the best interest of the sport, we will not pursue the rescheduling of a race this season,” he said in the statement. “We look forward to welcoming teams, their drivers and supporters back to Bahrain next year,” the statement added. — AFP

LE MANS: Audi R18 TDI No 2 driven by French driver Benoit Treluyer, Andre Lotterer of Germany and Marcel Fassler of Switzerland leads the qualifying practice session of the 79th 24-hour Le Mans endurance race ahead of Peugeot 908 No8 driven by French drivers Stepahen Sarrazin, Nicolas Minassian and Franck Montagny. — AP

Audi back on front row for Le Mans 24 Hours LE MANS: Audi occupy the front row for this weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hours, the first pole for the German manufacturer in the iconic endurance race for five years. French driver Benoit Treluyer, born close to the famous Circuit de la Sarthe, set a time of three minutes 25.738sec at the wheel of the new Audi R18 TDI in qualifying over Wednesday and Thursday to edge his compatriot and teammate Romain Dumas by a mere 0.61s.This was Audi’s sixth overall pole at Le Mans and the first since 2006 when they went on to achieve the first victory for a diesel-powered engine.

A pair of Peugeot 908s filled the second row after former Formula One driver Sebastien Bourdais, who hails from Le Mans itself, timed 3:26.010, with another French driver, Stephane Sarrazin, completing in 3:26.156. Denmark’s eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, who is sharing driving responsibilities with Briton Allan McNish and Rinaldo Capello in another Audi R18, will set off from the third row after timing 3:26.165.

Alongside him is the Peugeot of 2008 winner Alex Wurz.

Treluyer was on cloud nine after his pole-grabbing drive. “It’s quite simply incredible, I used to come and watch the race as a kid so to get pole is a huge pleasure. It also proves that the R18 is well born. “I realised that we were capable of getting pole and a couple of laps from the finish I said to myself - ‘why not go for it?’”

Treluyer, who is joined at the wheel by German Andre Lotterer and Switzerland’s Marcel Fassler, may have ended a four year sequence of poles by Peugeot, yet Audi motorsport chief Wolfgang Ullrich cautioned against early celebrations. “Of course we know that the pole position at Le Mans means nothing yet.

But our cars have been very quick on the long-runs as well. I believe that we’ve got a very good base for the race.”—AFP

sports SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Brunson has double-double again as Lynx beat Storm SEATTLE: Rebekkah Brunson had 22 points and 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double in four games as the Minnesota Lynx beat the defending champion Seattle Storm 81-74 in the WNBA on Thursday. Seimone Augustus added 17 points and rookie Maya Moore had 14 to help Minnesota (3-1) snap an eight-game losing streak in Seattle. Lindsay Whalen also had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. Sue Bird scored 24 points and Swin Cash had 18 to lead Seattle (1-1). Three-time MVP Lauren Jackson was held to nine points. Minnesota scored the first 22 points of the game, holding the Storm scoreless until Jackson’s turnaround jumper with 2:57 remaining in the first quarter. Bird scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to help cut a 30-point, second-half deficit to six with 29 seconds left. The Lynx then made six free throws to seal the win.

Mystics 98, Dream 90, OT At Atlanta, Crystal Langhorne had 30 points and 13 rebounds and Nicky Anosike added 29 points and 13 boards for Washington to beat Atlanta in overtime. Matee Ajavon scored 24 points and Kelly Miller had 10 against for the Mystics (1-1), who were without Alana Beard (bruised foot) and rookie center Ta’Shia Phillips (ankle). Erika DeSouza, who missed the final 2:44 of overtime with an apparent nose injury, led the Dream (0-2) with 20 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Angel McCoughtry returned from a knee injury for Atlanta, but played just 3 minutes, going 1 for 4 from the field for two points.

Harding missed a wild runner that would’ve won the game at the regulation buzzer. Miller’s straightaway jumper gave the Mystics a two-point lead in overtime, and Washington never trailed in the final 5 minutes. — AP

DALLAS: Dallas Mavericks’ Ian Mahinmi (28) fouls Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade as he goes up for a shot during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball game Thursday, June 9, 2011. — AP

Mavericks overwhelm Heat, edge closer to NBA crown LeBron held to two points in final quarter

SEATTLE: Minnesota Lynx’s Rebekkah Brunson (32) starts to fall backwards after crashing into Seattle Storm’s Tanisha Wright in the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Thursday, June 9, 2011. — AP

Former All-Star Mitchell dies of cancer DALLAS: Former NBA All-Star Mike Mitchell has died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 55, the San Antonio Spurs said on Thursday. Mitchell, a first round draft choice of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1978, spent 10 seasons in the NBA, the final six-and-ahalf of them with San Antonio. He later played in Italy before retiring in 1999. “At each stop in his distinguished career, he was a fan favorite thanks to his outstanding offensive skills and his humble, down-to-earth personality,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said in a statement. Mitchell, a forward, ranked among the NBA’s top 10 scorers in four of his 10 seasons, averaging 19.8 points and 5.6 rebounds for his career. He scored 14 points in 15 minutes in the 1981 All-Star game. — Reuters

DALLAS: The Dallas Mavericks used a storming late run to move to the brink of their first NBA title with a 112-103 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday. With a 3-2 lead in the bestof-seven Finals, Dallas can now claim the crown by winning one of the two remaining contests, but they will have to complete the feat in Miami, where the teams split the opening two games. The Mavericks went on a 15-3 run to finish off the Heat, turning a three-point deficit into the comfortable victory amid chants of “Beat the Heat” from a boisterous crowd of 20,433.

“That was a big win for us, obviously,” said Dirk Nowitzki, who paced the Mavericks with 29 points. “We didn’t want to go to Miami and give them basically two shots to close us out. “So we kept plugging there in the fourth.

And now we have to go down there and basically approach Sunday’s game as Game Seven. You don’t want to give this great team any hope.”

Sharpshooting guard Jason Terry had a pair of three-pointers during the game-ending run, finishing with 21 points on eight-of-12 shooting and adding six assists.

Dallas shot 57 percent, including an eyebrow-raising 13 of 19 from beyond the arc. Terry was three for five from long range, draining two of

those bombs during the late-game run.

“All season long, ever since I’ve been a Maverick, I’ve been the guy in the fourth quarter they depended on to either make plays or make shots,” said Terry. “So I really relish that role.

Regardless of what’s going on throughout three quarters of the game, in the fourth quarter I know I’m depended on to come through.

“Thank God I was able to do that again tonight.” LeBron James disappeared once again in the fourth quarter, tallying only two points. The former NBA scoring champion and twotimes MVP has now amassed a combined 11 points in the final quarter of the entire series. James was blanked in the final frame of Tuesday’s 86-83 Mavericks victory, and while he was more aggressive on Thursday, he had similar results. “We as a team, we played good enough to win again,” said James, who scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds and 10 assists. “Put yourself in position to win down the stretch. “Guys made plays. They just made a few more than we did. That’s what it came down to.”

Bruised hip Dwyane Wade had 23 for the Heat, scoring 10 in the final quarter, while Chris Bosh added 19. Wade bruised

his hip in the opening quarter when he collided with Dallas’s Brian Cardinal. He went to the locker room but returned shortly after and played 34 minutes in the emotionally charged affair.

“It was unfortunate I had to leave the game,” said Wade. “But I came back and I finished it. Once you’re on the court, you’re on the court. I don’t have no excuses. “I was able to help my team get an opportunity to win.

And I’ll be fine Sunday.”

Dallas shot 56.5 percent from the floor but were outrebounded 36-26 by a Miami team that committed 16 turnovers on the way to registering consecutive losses for the first time this post-season. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said Terry took on the responsibility of team leader when the Mavericks’ best player, Nowitzki, was on the bench. “He played great, and during periods where Dirk was out of the game we were going to him and he was delivering,” Carlisle said.

“Those are tough minutes for us because it’s hard when Dirk is out of the game. “But it’s the total game we’ve all been preaching to Jet (Terry) since the playoffs began and tonight he did a terrific job.” Terry said he did not want the series to go to a Game Seven. “We want to get this first one,” he said. — Reuters

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SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Liverpool complete Henderson deal LONDON: Premier League giants Liverpool on Thursday completed the signing of highly-rated midfielder Jordan Henderson from Sunderland for a fee believed to be around £20 million ($32.75m). The 20-year-old Henderson put pen to paper on what the Merseyside club described as a “long-term deal”, having agreed personal terms and visited their Melwood training complex before undergoing a medical. Henderson’s signing will be the third major transfer since Kenny Dalglish took over as manager in January, following the acquisitions of Andy Carroll and Uruguayan international Luis Suarez.

Henderson has been a key figure for Sunderland in the past two seasons, and made his senior England debut against France in November last year. He is the latest part of a transfer strategy that will see Liverpool target young talent rather than established stars, reports said. The club

are also reportedly chasing Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, 25, and Ipswich’s teenage striker Connor Wickham, 18. Liverpool have also been linked with Aston Villa’s England international Ashley Young, although Manchester United are currently favourites to secure the attacking midfielder’s signature.

“Obviously it’s hard to leave your local club. I’m a Sunderland lad, I’ve supported them all my life. But I’m really looking forward to the future now and obviously this is a massive opportunity for me. I’m really excited by it,” said Henderson. “My family are all Sunderland fans as well, and it’s pretty tough because I’ve had some great years there. I’ve been there since I was seven and I’ll definitely miss it but, like I say, I’m looking forward to playing for Liverpool now.” Henderson said he was relishing the opportunity to play alongside

Steven Gerrard. “He is one of the best players in the world, you want to be playing with him and training with him to try and improve yourself as a player,” he added “Steven has been a massive, massive player for Liverpool for years now and he still is. Hopefully I can learn a lot from him.”

It had been thought Liverpool striker David Ngog might travel in the opposite direction as part of the transfer. He remains at Anfield for now, but Reds director of football Damien Comolli has indicated the 22-year-old could still be headed for the Stadium of Light. “Sunderland have had a strong interest in David, so we’ve agreed to let David speak to Sunderland about his future to see if he’s interested in going there,” Comolli said. “They’ve expressed a strong interest, so we’ll see what’s next for him.” — AFP

Own goal gives France victory France beat Poland 1-0 WARSAW: France finished the season on a high note by beating Poland 1-0 Thursday in a friendly to stretch its unbeaten run to 10 matches. Bacary Sagna slipped the ball to Wigan winger Charles N’Zogbia, whose low strike from the edge of the box was deflected home by Poland defender Tomasz Jodlowiec in the 12th minute. France beat Ukraine 4-1 on Monday while Poland, which hosts the European Championship together with Ukraine next year, edged Argentina 2-1

tomorrow. “We didn’t waste our time,” France coach Laurent Blanc told TF1 television. “There were some nice individual surprises in the last two matches. We also confirmed that we have improved a bit in our game.” Poland coach Franciszek Smuda said Szczesny had played a “terrific match,” and added that he was pleased to test his side against “such an adversary.”

France created the first scoring chance in a first half played at a high tempo. Guillaume

WARSAW: France’s Hoarau Guillaume (top) fights for the ball with Poland’s Dariusz Dudka during their friendly soccer match, Thursday, June 9, 2011. — AP

Hoarau headed a free kick from Yohan Cabaye after four minutes but Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny dived to his left to make the save. Hoarau came close to doubling the lead for France in the 35th but Szczesny intercepted N’Zogbia’s cross before Hoarau could put a foot on the ball. Both teams played with plenty of commitment although it was just a friendly. Szczesny collided with N’Zogbia in the 34th after rushing out of his area to clear the ball. A brawl nearly started in the 42nd when Poland playmaker Ludovic Obraniak fouled Patrice Evra. “It was a complicated match with a Poland team that played very well,” France defender Eric Abidal told TF1 television. “But we managed to put them in trouble by imposing our game and holding the ball.” In the second half, Cedric Carrasso was tested for the first time of the match in the 56th with a dipping free kick from Obraniak that eluded the defense but was caught by the France goalkeeper.

France then attempted to find the net with long-range efforts, forcing Szczesny to stop a 25-yard drive from Valbuena in the 58th and a curling free kick from N’Zogbia in the 59th.

Borussia Dortmund Robert Lewandowski created Poland’s first clear-cut chance in the 63rd, chesting down a poor clearance from the France defense to fire inches wide of the post.

The next minute, in a move similar to the first goal, N’Zogbia cut inside to fire a low shot that was parried by Szczesny. Szczesny saved his team again in the 74th. Hoarau collected a through ball from Florent Malouda to be clean through on goal but was denied by the Arsenal goalkeeper. It was then Carrasso’s turn to help France protect its lead as the Bordeaux goalkeeper punched away a longrange strike from Dariusz Dudka after Sagna had cleared a header from Lewandowski off the line.

Carrasso also stopped a swerving shot from Adam Matuszczyk in the 84th. Sochaux midfielder Marvin Martin was relatively quiet in Warsaw after his outstanding performance three days ago in Ukraine, where he scored twice and had an assist in France’s 4-1 win over Ukraine. Martin found Adil Rami with a free kick in the 82nd but the defender’s header went straight into Szczesny’s arms. He then took his chance with a curling shot in the 87th that sailed over the bar. France next plays Chile in a friendly on August 10 at Montpellier. — AP

LIVERPOOL: In this file photo, Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez prior to their English Premier League soccer match against Everton at Goodison Park. — AP

Italian govt unveils match-fixing force ROME: The Italian government introduced a task force yesterday to combat match-fixing in football but has no plans to limit legal betting on games amid the latest scandal to tarnish the national sport. The investigative task force will be composed of representatives from the interior ministry, sports federations and the treasury ministry.

Sixteen people were arrested in Italy last week for alleged involvement in a match-fixing and betting ring. Some 18 matches - mostly in Serie B and C - are under investigation by prosecutors in Cremona, where the probe is based, and preliminary hearings have suggested Serie A matches could also be involved.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni unveiled the task force alongside Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Petrucci and Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete. “Together with Petrucci and Abete we’ve analyzed what has emerged lately in terms of football match-fixing and we’re trying to take action so that this can’t be repeated,” Maroni said.

“Therefore we’ve decided to create an investigative unit with the aim of gathering information and evaluating abnormal signals from betting parlors and other sources.”

Maroni said there’s no point in limiting legal betting because that would trigger more illicit gambling. “Football and sports attract a lot of betting and we’re not interested in impeding or limiting that - but regulating it, yes.” Maroni added that the task force will have the power to use police forces, “because we can’t exclude the fact that behind this illicit activity lies the hand of organized crime.” Maroni said the task force would begin meeting next week, calling it “an immediate reaction from the sports world and the government to what happened.” — AP

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2011

Sports

Bahrain Grand Prix dropped for 2011

45

CHARLOTTE: Mexico’s Gerado Torrado (6) and Cuba’s Marcel Hernandez (7) battle for a ball in the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match at Bank of America Stadium, Thursday, June 9, 2011. Mexico won 5-0. —AP

Mexico grab Gold Cup Five Mexico players test positive CHARLOTTE: Mexico put aside a potential doping scandal to claim its second five-goal win of the Gold Cup on Thursday, while El Salvador kept its slim hopes alive with a 1-1 draw against Costa Rica.

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez and Giovani Dos Santos scored two goals each as Mexico thrashed Cuba 5-0 to retain the Group A lead. Hours after the Mexican soccer federation suspended five players - including PSV Eindhoven defender Francisco Rodriguez and starting goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa - for testing positive for a banned substance, Mexico got off to a sluggish start before putting the game away

with a three-goal burst in a 5minute span midway through the second half.

“We knew that game was going to be complicated,” Mexico coach Jose Manuel De La Torre said.

“They were going to clog our spaces and counterattack. But we needed to take care of the important opportunities. You could see in the first half we weren’t effective. In the second half we took advantage of opportunities and you see the result.” Dos Santos scored twice during the flurry that overwhelmed Cuba, which has been outscored 10-0 in two games. Aldo De Negris also scored before Hernandez’ second goal

put the match beyond any doubt.

Earlier, substitute Randall Brenes scored in the closing seconds of stoppage time as unbeaten Costa Rica salvaged a draw with El Salvador. Brenes, who entered in the match in 80th minute, sent in a low shot from inside the box that beat Miguel Montes to the far post.

Rodolfo Zelaya scored from a free kick in the 45th minute for El Salvador, which lost 5-0 to Mexico in its tournament opener.

El Salvador coach Ricardo La Volpe was angered by American referee Jair Marrufo’s decision to award four minutes of added time, then allow some additional time that allowed for Costa Rica to

draw. “We are very upset about the last-minute goal,” La Volpe said.

“The referee added four minutes and it was a huge exaggeration.

And aside of those four minutes he even added another minute. I’m really, really upset about this. I don’t judge the result of this game, but it’s an uncomfortable situation.”

Mexico plays Costa Rica tomorrow to decide who finishes the first round on top of the group, while El Salvador needs a big win over Cuba to have any chance of advancing as the second-placed team. Meanwhile, CONCACAF spokesman Ben Spencer said the regional governing body would

meet in a conference call yesterday to decide possible sanctions for Mexico, and to determine if El Tri is allowed to replace the suspended players. Decio de Maria, secretary general of the Mexican football federation, said he believes the positive results for banned anabolic agent clenbuterol came from the players eating tainted meat. Defender Edgar Duenas, and midfielders Christian Bermudez and Antonio Naelson also were suspended. “We will wait for the final result,” De La Torre said of the doping investigation. “We will be waiting for the CONCACAF result and what they decide.” — AP