24 Jun

Does culture trump individual liberty?

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FR EE

4

Two years on, Jackson death still casts shadow

Kuwait win battle but lose war

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NO: 15129- Friday, June 24, 2011

www.kuwaittimes.net

PM survives no-confidence vote ( See Page 10)

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Local Spotlight Satire Wire

Filthy corruption

Believing in CAR-ma: My only solace

By Muna Al-Fuzai

By Sawsan Kazak muna@kuwaittimes.net

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

T

Fahaheel Expressway, watching all the cars drive off, I am in denial that I was just in a hit and run. I know what you’re thinking, it’s the same thing I would be thinking if someone was telling me this story: ‘how could you let him get away without taking the number down’.

What you have to remember is that this accident happened at night and it was hard to see through the rearview, also, there were cars parked behind me, therefore I assumed it was one of them.

And more importantly, I was completely naive in thinking nobody would actually commit a hit and run.

What audacity this person must have to hit another car and simply drive off. What if the people inside were hurt?

I can only assume that this person was driving illegally, or that they were intoxicated or it could be that this person is simply selfish and couldn’t be bothered to sit around as we fill out paperwork.

Thankfully my friend and I walked away from the accident unharmed. But

uesday night I was on the Fahaheel Expressway when the traffic suddenly came to a full stop (as it usually does). Having kept a sensible distance between me and the car in front of me, I was able to come to a full stop. Within a few seconds, I could hear brakes screeching and before I could look in my rearview mirror: BOOM! It took my friend and I a few seconds to realize we had just been rear ended by another car. My friend quickly suggested that I move my car to the emergency lane to avoid causing further accidents. Still in disbelief of what just happened, I slowly moved my car to the side lane and looked at the cars behind me. Seeing a few cars already parked in the emergency lane, I assumed one of those cars was the one that hit me. I get out of the car to assess the damage when I realize that all the cars are slowly driving off.

Standing with my friend on the

my poor car wasn’t so lucky. I was extremely angry at the fact that this person got away and was not going to face any consequences for his actions (I’m assuming it was a guy). My only solace is in the belief that Karma will find a way to get him back for his dishonorable actions. Like any unjust situation in life, trusting in the power of Karma is what calms me down. Hopefully he will also experience a hit and run so he can feel the unbelievable frustration that comes with it.

Lessons learned: Never move your car from the scene of the accident.

Never be so trusting.

In my view

Summering Kuwait

By Jamie Etheridge local@kuwaittimes.net

I

t seems like the whole of Kuwait is packing their bags, boarding flights and heading out for a holiday. As thousands queue at KIA, I am sitting at my desk and pondering the long, hot summer to come.

Unlike almost everyone else I know, I will NOT be traveling this summer. Despite those enticing Jazeera Airways emails urging me to Book Now! and a growing desire to join the masses and hop on a plane and go somewhere - just about anywhere will do - I am sticking the summer out in Kuwait.

That means two things: First, like everyone else here during the summer, I will likely grow progressively cranky as the temperature rises. And second, I will be desperately looking for fun and engaging things to do. I’ve already scanned the What’s On section of Kuwait Times and found some great tips for kayaking and sailing and softball. I’m not much of a sports enthusiast though and with a toddler and another baby on the way, I’m unlikely to scratch my summer itch with any activity that requires sweat, running or spending more time that the five minutes it takes to walk from my car to the mall in the summer sun.

That leaves only a few options: Namely shopping - something both my wallet and my husband detest. Or finding some

friends who are also summering in Kuwait and create our own list of ‘fun things to do.’ Lucky for me, Kuwait is an overflowing corkboard of community groups and organizations. You can find just about any group your hobbies and heart can imagine somewhere in this tiny sand-rich state.

From motorcycle enthusiasts to paper mache, from the American Women’s League to salsa clubs, Kuwait boasts the full range of community groups and events.

As Groucho Marx is famous for noting, I would not typically join any group that would have me. But Kuwait forces community on all of us, whether we want it or not.

For locals, family and socializing are what makes Kuwait home. For expats, most of whom see their families only once every year or two, friends and community fill the void. They become not only our go-to for advice and venting but also the reason we look forward to the weekend, the hours we spend after work, the network we rely on to learn how things work in Kuwait and how many of us navigate the labyrinth that is Kuwaiti government bureaucracy.

One group I found recently, Expat Mums, has been a godsend. I literally check the forum everyday, have found it useful for learning about child friendly things to do, finding baby stuff and for

simple conversations and networking with other new moms. The group holds a variety of events and importantly, provides a means for me to meet other mums and get answers to all kinds of questions like where to get vaccinations or how to find a good daycare. https://www.bigtent.com/groups/expatmumskwi The great summer slowdown, however, is unavoidable and that means I’ll either have to spend long weekends reading (which is fine with me but something my three year old refuses to do beyond circling the letter S in any book she finds) or get off the mental couch and organize some events myself. Let’s see: Any activity must include the following: Not too much sun, no sweating, shopping limited to 15 minutes, No red velvet cake, Must be child friendly.... Ummm... I guess I’ve got some planning to do. Well, that should take me to mid-July at least and in the meantime, I welcome all suggestions from readers.

What will you do with your Kuwaiti summer?

I

cannot think of a better word to describe corruptive practices in the Middle East other than ‘muck.’ It is the unspoken truth of life that is perceived as a ladder to success in this part of the world. One has to deal with what is socially accepted - filthy Corruption! In order to get a clear picture about the situation, we need to examine how deep rooted it is in our minds. There is a common belief that you need wasta (influence) to push through a request or gain a promotion. This may not reflect the entire truth in all Arab countries. Sadly, this is the harsh reality in some others. This kind of corruption is not easily acknowledged.

In the past, talking openly about corruption or even a making a mere reference to it was viewed as an insult. It is no more a taboo topic. Some have arrived at the conclusion that only smart individuals would be able to attain the riches and power of the corrupt. When a society loses its abilities to tell apart between ethics and morality, I wonder how it can progress in any way? I am one of the many old-fashioned people that still believes corruption is a criminal activity. No matter what kind of labels are attached to it, it is still a crime committed against oneself and the society.

Are we incapable of containing this malpractice?

Revolutions are being held in some Arab countries against regimes that have systematically abused its citizens for many years. May be it is a bit too late to call for reforms, but I still believe it is worth trying to raise our voices against it. I do not mean that one dictatorship should be replaced by another. The standard of living enjoyed by Arab citizens in many countries is low. They are lost and confused between social commitments and the need for a better living standard.

The root cause of all problems is that the Arab children attend government schools to learn about their country’s glorified history. The unpleasantness of their daily existence fails to find mention anywhere. Even if the government has failed miserably to provide a child with a piece of bread or a home, he is forbidden from expressing his real feelings. So, no dissent in any form is tolerated. By the time the Arab man, decides to walk down the dirty path of corruption or at least vent out his frustration, he ends up serving a life sentence in prison. The unholy alliance between oppression and poverty explodes after many years of silence.

KUWAIT: Photo shows the average temperature yesterday.

Kuwait’s temperature neared 50 Celsius yesterday as summer season nears its peak. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

From the editor’s desk

Kuwait soap opera

By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan

myopinion@kuwaittimes.net

T

here are soap operas that seem to never end.

For example the UK’s ‘Coronation Street’ or America’s ‘Days of our Lives’ or Australia’s ‘Neighbors’ - all these are programs that have been running for many years. However, there is a Kuwaiti soap opera that is emerging as a tough contender to hold the record for the longest running drama in the world. This soap opera is known as ‘the grilling of the Prime Minister’.

Excuse my sarcasm but what we are witnessing in the political scenes of our parliament is a mockery.

Again the Prime Minister survives a grilling motion and wins yet another vote of no confidence. On this occasion liberal MPs have had enough and they backed the PM in an attempt to get the wheel of development moving again. However, all this went in vain and as soon as the PM won the vote to his favor - yet another grilling motion was filed against the PM! I am sure that these MPs will organize another Friday demonstration sometime soon because such people will not accept the ruling of the majority in a democratic vote. How many times do we have to go through this and how many times do I have to write the same editorial about it. When it comes to parliament these days, it’s common to hear people saying in dismay “same old same old”. Well even in terms of media coverage and editorials we can safely publish the same stories again and again simply by editing the date of the page.

This repetitive and now unjustified grilling motions are crippling this country and I am surprised that there are still some people who are fixated on supporting these motions and these MPs even though the majority have spoken. The question we should ask ourselves is: isn’t it time we dropped this case till there is a valid reason to grill the PM rather than a personal vendetta? Shouldn’t we think of the damage we are causing to our country’s economy and unity with this never ending political crisis? Shouldn’t we compare ourselves to neighboring countries and appreciate the freedoms that are every person’s constitutional right in Kuwait and the fact that we didn’t have to shed blood to get it?

I think the Prime Minister has had enough support throughout the grilling and he should use his constitutional rights to unveil the agendas of these MPs. I am sure they all have hidden skeletons in their closets. Even if there is a hidden family feud among the royal family that is causing all this, this PM has the support and ability to publicly campaign against the people who are crippling this country for the sake of Kuwait. Playing mister nice guy with such MPs will never put an end to this political crisis.

Letters to Badrya Ms Badrya, You never stop to inspire me with your interesting and important write-ups daily in the Kuwait Times. You always dwell on issues that affect Kuwait and the world at large which is what a journalist of your type should be. I admire your style and that of your other colleagues in Kuwait Times. You’re most of the time right on point like this issue of urbanization and the imminent shortage of food as predicted by the UK agency by the year 2020. My advice to rich countries where urbanization have taken over arable lands; or countries where they have none at all is to go to Africa and other places where there is

much arable land to lease and invest in agriculture.

They could plant in those countries and export the crops to their native countries and even export to other needing countries. By doing so, we can guide against this imminent food shortage. But it is unfortunate that rather than doing that, all we see are sky-scrappers and beautiful malls the world over. My country is guilty of this too. Land that should be preserved for farming has been used for erection of other none important edifice. Also, our children who are in school - who should be encouraged to embrace agriculture are not encouraged by government and parents.

Every one of us want our kids to do white col-

lar jobs in an air-conditioned environment.

We are all sitting on a keg of gun powder that brings nothing but hunger when it eventually explodes. It will not take long before we realize that it is only a nourished and healthy people who could go into malls and buy clothes and other items. The time to act by world leaders on agriculture is now.

International emergency needs to be declared on agriculture and policies that will bring cheap food to our tables all over the world needs to be pursued vigorously. Failing to do this will no doubt spell doom for each and every one of us sooner than we can imagine.

Adeniji Adewale

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Staying rooted

Does culture trump individual liberty?

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT: ‘To prevent immoral behavior’ was the resounding rationalization interviewees gave when asked about restrictions on renting out apartments to unmarried individuals, “There are social restrictions here, and when you have restrictions, people search for loopholes. Which is why you directly reduce access to utilizing the loopholes,” commented one student. The issue of Kuwaitis being prohibited from renting apartments is an incredibly diverse one: some argue that it suffocates independence, while others insist that it upholds morality in society.

Considerable restrictions exist due to various laws that govern practices that are not allowed prior to marriage, such as co-habitation.

Both sides of the story “I enjoyed the freedom of living away, but that was because I enjoyed living in a country so different to my own. In general though, I would prefer to live at home with the family,” says 22-year-old Fatima, who studies in Europe. So is it really laws that dictate whether or not youths move out, or is it culture? 23-year-old Ahmed, who studies in London says, “There are some great things about living alone, I do enjoy it. But I love living with my family when I come back over summers, and I miss it when I’m away. It’s so nice to be surrounded by family, and to be that close.”

Kuwaiti Anthropology and Archaeology PhD student, Hassan Ashkanani agrees that it is in fact culture that keeps many close to home, “We prefer to go back to family home, not just as single youths but after marriage as well. This is because it’s a place where we’re always learning and where unity, loyalty, love and happiness can be found.” Suddenly, staying home sounds like less of a freedom-constrictor and more of a family-strengthener.

But, of course, it’s all relative. “I would enjoy living at home more if there was more flexibility regarding freedom. You don’t have independence at home and often end up lacking the ability to deal with social dilemmas alone, possibly due to a lack of social education and even confidence,” says

Fatima. Ahmed agrees, commenting that he feels that staying at home can result in a lack of independence.

Hassan, however, disagrees and offers his anthropological analysis of the situation, “What I see now in Kuwait is that youth enjoy a higher degree of independence even while they stay with their parents. They make their own decisions on which school they plan to attend, which friends they want to spend time with, and how to spend their free time.”

Aya, a 25-year-old, however, disagrees, “I want to live alone. I lived alone at university and it was amazing.

Now being here, I have so much less independence. Everyone wants to know what you are doing, where you are going and even what and when you ate. It is nice that they care but it is as if you have no responsibility for yourself, you are monitored constantly.”

Marriage for independence?

An issue that sparks much debate on living at home is whether or not it prompts youngsters to marry earlier.

Ahmed insists that it does, but Hassan disagrees, again commenting that the issue is cultural and religious, “I don’t agree with those that say that getting married younger gives you a higher degree of independence. To marry young is part of our Islamic values, it is not a matter of independence. Islam encourages us to get married young so that we participate in constructing a good society.”

Fatima offers an explanation based on less cultural, but more practical issues, “If anything - staying in the family home encourages men to marry later rather than sooner, so they can save up more money! Plus, most women tend to enjoy the ‘spoilt’ environment of living at home and dread moving out and getting married where they will acquire more responsibilities.”

Ahmed agrees that it is more practical to live at home, but also feels that it is a matter of tradition, “I think that a small percent of men would want to live alone, but the majority would still live with their families because firstly, it’s tradition, and secondly, to buy or rent land in Kuwait is expensive. So it’s better to live with your parents and save up until you can afford to marry

and start a family.”

Aya, however, protests, “I feel like if I want more freedom or independence I should get married to a relatively liberal husband. But even then, it would just be a transfer of power over me from my father to my husband. There isn’t a middle-ground between going from being your father’s daughter, to your husband’s wife. There’s not a point when you really rule yourself unless you study abroad, but that’s temporary.”

Protection and the reigning-in of immorality While culture, and even finance, have come forward as key issues behind the restrictions placed on Kuwaitis, what about the issue interviewees cite most, “Preventing immoral behavior.”

Like Fatima says, “The restrictions prevent the temptation of breaking the law and taking part in immoral behavior.”

Ahmed partly agrees, “I understand why we have it. If you think realistically, it’s good. I would not want a bachelor pad next to my house, where my family live.”

Both agree that loopholes are pursued, often successfully. Ahmed said, “I guess there are loopholes because every system in the world has different issues or restrictions... and clearly, people try to get around them within their country whatever they may be. They are oftentimes successful.” Fatima adds, “I would impose the same restrictions on my children - mainly because I have seen what happens when people manage to find loopholes.”

Fatima’s perspective highlights the protective factor of restrictions have on society, “They ensure the physical protection of the vulnerable, such as women,” The extent to which women are considered ‘vulnerable’ of course, depends on you. But it is certainly an interesting perspective. Aya, however, does not agree, “It is presumed that you need protection. I studied in the States, alone, without supervision, and I was fine. Why do I need so much more here?

I wonder if they are protecting me for my benefit or if it’s for the family reputation.”

Family ties The term ‘roots’ is often used to describe one’s background, whether ethnic or familial or national, and back-

ground can often dictate what you do and why you do it - it has a great influence on your entire way of thinking.

Therefore, in a collectivistic society like Kuwait, it is not surprising that youths are encouraged to stay at home, close to their roots, until marriage.

Despite travelling for studies and holidays, it is common to return home until you create your own family home.

Hassan said, “It is the responsibility of parents to educate their children in the Islamic morals and values so that they absorb their culture fully by the time they leave home to get married.”

Ahmed commented that it is a trait passed on and facilitated by the encouragement of families, “I would want my children to live with me because that is how I was raised and I find it a great way to get closer to your family.”

Fatima added, “We have like, cultural teachings. I guess that is the best term to describe it. Most people behave according to how their parents influenced and guided their decisions from a young age.” Hassan described this as parental responsibility in Islamic or Middle-Eastern culture. Do restrictions on renting apartments prevent certain behaviors? Anecdotal evidence shows that it creates stronger family ties and promotes traditional values that may otherwise be lost if parental and familial influence is cut at an earlier age.

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Niche social networking websites for ‘web-savvy’ italki.com tries to stretch the capabilities of online community

By Hussain Al-Qatari

T

he social networking monster Facebook swept across the globe, raising the bar for all competitors after years of steadfast growth. It proved to be successful on various fronts. It connects people with friends, businesses with clients, fans with celebrities and politicians with voters. It offers all the needed tools for communication like chatting, messaging. It is available on various platforms.

However, some interesting competitors still exist and continue their attempts to attract members. If you are seeking a niche network, take a look at this list and you might find something that interests you. italki italki.com tries to stretch the capabilities of an online community, targeting the niche of users enthusiastic about learning new languages. Users on italki are enthusiasts and professional teachers seeking to tutor students. The website offers a vast database of language learning tools like questions and answers, group discussions, multimedia material for self-study like voice clips and slide shows. Because it is specialized in the field of language-learning, the marketplace on italki features paid online lessons, announcements for language lessons across the world by companies and private tutors. It also features lists of available private tutors and classes in foreign languages.

Beautiful People Possibly the most pretentious and plastic social networking website, BeautifulPeople.com claims to be an elitist club where only beautiful people are allowed. The website claims that its purpose is “creating personal and professional relationships.” Applicants must sign up and upload a picture of themselves. They must then wait for 48 hours so that other ‘beautiful’ vote on whether the newly-signed members are eligible to join the beautiful club. If they are given enough positive votes, they are granted access to the website where they can interact with other beautiful people around the globe.

Beautiful people hold parties exclusively for fellow beauties, and only members of BeautifulPeople.com can be invited to these parties.

On the website, founders claim that their voting system is “fair and democratic.” They claim that no definition of beauty is given, and use the cliche: ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.’ IT claims to “simply give an accurate representation of what society’s ideal of beauty is as decided by the members.” To make the voting fair, applicants can create a complimentary profile for the 48-hour rating period so that voters can interact with them and try to get a feel of who they really are and who is behind the appearance.

My Outer Space A space for sci-fi fanatics, My Outer Space is a portal for social networking, news and videos related to science fiction. The website aims to build a community of dedicated sci-fi fans showcasing their creative talents. Initially, the website aims to find users interested in creating the future of science fiction and fantasy, as the website states. “Some of the brightest, most passionate artists are out there online, looking for new opportunities. We want to meet them and we want them to meet each other,” says the website’s mission statement.

Passions Network With a variety of niche interests, this network tries to satisfy the weird and wonderful. If you are one of those people who are passionate about mustaches, you might want to join Stache Passions, a website dedicated to men with mustaches and their admirers.

Users can browse the Mustache Groups to find members by their preferred type of mustache, whether it be Dali, Walrus or Pencil.

“Meet other Stache lovers by experience level: Newbie, Expert or the ever popular Stache Groupie. Stache Passions provides an open environment where mustache wearers can revel in the site, widely loved by a community of stache afficianados,” claims the website.

Another passion that the Passions Network catersto is veganism.

Find an ideal partner who can discuss vegannaise, seaweed salad, nutritional yeast and tofu with you. One more passion that this network caters to is plus-sized people. Big Beautiful Women (dubbed BBW) and Big Handsome Men (BHM) looking to meet other large singles can find what they are looking for on the website. They offer chat rooms, blogs, and a search engine for profiles.

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Al-Maradi Park

Duck pond captivates children

helps strengthen family ties

By Sahar Moussa

I

sometimes wonder how people don’t get sick of spending long hours staring at computers or get bored of their PlayStation game consoles that keep them awake all night. A lot of moolah is splurged at shopping malls, trying out upmarket restaurants in Kuwait or coffee shops that serve ‘sheesha’ that fills their lungs with nicotine. It is even toned down using flavors like grapes, strawberries and apples.

I have to admit that Kuwait is quite sinful in terms of the malls, restaurants and cafes that dot the country. The country may not be blessed with bountiful nature, but Kuwaitis have lived here for generations, adapting to harsh climactic conditions. They plant trees almost everywhere

to contain bad weather. They build parks so that children can play outdoors. The Muhammad Darweesh Al-Maradi park is one of its kind. It was inaugurated six months ago under the patronage of Jasem Al-Badr, General Manager of Public Authority of Agriculture Affair and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) located in Shaab, block five, Khamseen street.

What makes Al-Maradi park different is the splendid view of a paddling of ducks and geese that swim in the middle of the park. The one-and-a-half meter pond was imported from Lebanon. Probably, it is the first free of charge park in Kuwait that has ducks and geese. Children can feed them and revel in playfulness. “It was Ihab Al-Maradi’s idea to build this park with a contribution made by the donor. He built it in the memory of his deceased father

who worked in the ‘Diwan AlAmeeri,” said Fadel Al-Matrouk, Executive Manager of the Park.

Located in a serene area, you can hear children giggling while climbing the combo play- set in the playground, sliding or swinging on the swivel swings, ascending on the chain rope ladder or flat-step ladder and enjoying the rocket slide. In the park, children chase each other or throw pieces of bread to ducks in excitement, watching them swim, eat, or shower in the water to cool themselves. The most joyful scene is when children start chasing a lost duck that hides behind the grass or a bush, trying desperately to find its way to the pond.

“The park covers an area of 7,000 square meters, and was built with the aim to strengthen weakening family bonds. People enjoy time spent outdoors, and you will be surprised to see

Kuwaiti families with children coming to watch the ducks and feed them - free of charge,” said Al-Matrouk. It was also built to stimulate and encourage children’s creativity - that is now stifled by tight spaces of television, couches and computer screens. Not only children but even adults need space to breathe after a long day of work. It is also equipped with five or more different exercise

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

machines for those who hate work out indoors, or for those who cannot afford expensive gyms. “There are five different machines that people can use and exercise such as stationary bicycles, waist twister among others so that you can enjoy sports and breath,” he added.

What is really impressive is that it is well-organized, tidy, clean and healthy thanks to the meticulous cleanliness measures that Al-Matrouk has implemented. Also a group of remarkable teenagers help protect trees, the pond and ducks.

“Every Friday, the pond’s water is changed for hygiene reasons and the cleanliness of the park in general. The fish grown in ponds feed on the dirt that gets deposited. The grass is kept fresh and is watered from 7: 30 in the morning until five in the evening every two hours,” said Al-Matrouk.

“With regard to the safety and cleanliness of the park, we decided to ban sheesha smoking that is really unhealthy and dangerous to people, especially children and to nature. This is because we prohibit people from barbecuing so that tidiness can be maintained. Teenage volunteers make sure that everything is right,” he continued. Rozan, Aisha, Dala and Ahmad are Kuwaiti teenagers that perform volunteer work in the park to protect ducks. “I clean the pond for the sake of ducks and make sure that small children do not get hurt or throw stones.

I wish more people can enjoy the scenery. Feeding the ducks is a pleasant activity that small children can enjoy”, said Rozan a thirteen-year-old Kuwaiti girl.

Aisha, an enthusiastic twelve-year-old Kuwaiti girl said, “I like to protect the ducks and clean the pond because I love animals. I’m happy that it’s forbidden to barbecue or smoke in the park because I’m afraid that a fire may start.” The park is now an educational place for children to learn how to respect animals and nature and take responsibility to protect the environment. “In the beginning, children used to mistreat the ducks a lot, throwing dirt and garbage everywhere. By employing a reinforcement system, they learned to behave. I have appointed a caretaker to clean and protect the park. At the end of the week, twelve plates are awarded to the best caretaker that manages the park efficiently,” said Al-Matrouk.

“Next year, squirrels will be brought to the park because children and adults love animals. We are also planning to import 150 varieties of fishes and hold a fishing competition.

The winner can claim their catch as a reward,” he continued.

“In order to encourage people to take to the outdoors more often, the park will host events like Girgiaan, Eid Al-Fitr and even birthday parties. We are keen to celebrate any occasion that is pertinent with HH the Amir,” he explained. sahar@kuwaittimes.net

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

A day in the life of a

KUWAIT: One of the lifeguards at Movenpick Al-Bidaa hotel Chamilla poses for photo. —Photo by Yasser Al Zayyat

By Nisreen Zahreddine ave you ever watched ‘Bay Watch’ episodes? If so, you might possibly remember the fit young men and women starring in the show and must have thought to yourself that this is the way lifeguards should be. In other words, a lifeguard, should have a toned body, be bronzed all over, good looking, walks in an attractive, masculine way on the beach and do heroic scenes in front of girls tanning their bodies in the glistening sun.

This image has quickly changed when I met a gentleman wearing a white polo shirt and training pants. The first thing I noticed about Chamilla, one of the lifeguards at Movenpick Al-Bidaa hotel was that every fantasy I had of lifeguards from watching ‘Baywatch’ was destroyed. He looked less of a celebrity and more of a people saver, “It’s too hot outside”, he said after introducing himself as he ordered fresh orange juice to cool himself down.

Here is how he describes his daily schedule, “I wake up every day at 6:30 am and my duty starts at 9:00 am.” The first thing I think of when I wake up is that I should leave all my problems and burdens at the door,” he said. “You should always come to duty clear minded, we are life guards, we have to stay

H

focused,” he said. Chamilla goes on this pattern all duty days, but on Friday and Saturday he has something extra on his mind when he wakes up, that is thinking to himself “Oh my God it’s going to be a hectic day, rush,” wondering on his way to work, what kind of problems he will face with kids.

“Kids always give me a hard time, they are too stubborn and never listen,” he said with a wide smile speaking about his four-year-old daughter who lives in Sri Lanka. His eyes reflected the deep emotions hidden, and his only answer was when I asked if he misses his daughter. The answer I received was a wide honest smile that displayed almost all of his fatherhood feelings clearly shown on his face.

And the movement of his hands as he wipes his face, a tear fell down his cheek from the nostalgic memory of his beloved daughter.

“Kids are the most vulnerable, and I face the most dangerous situations in my career with them,” he added. Chamilla explained that kids cannot hold their breath as much as adults, are smaller, are not as strong and have a tendency to struggle rather than seek help in the water.” My colleagues and I keep a focused eye on each kid the first time they enter the water, till they exit. We do this to see if he can swim or if he is naughty or can be watched safely,” he added.

Chamilla speaks about the most dangerous

incident that happened during his career.

Once a small boy drowned in a pool and his colleague dived in to rescue him. The boy could not breathe until several CPR attempts were made by Chamilla to rescue the boy who finally managed to breathe and come back to life.

In safe hands The 34-year-old lifeguard has passed the courses and exams in his country and started his career as a life guard in 1997. After almost 15 years of service, the young man is still committed to his job regardless of being in the sun’s heat for eight hours every day and keeping focused and clear. Dealing with different kinds of people requires a lot of flexibility. Chamilla remembers one situation that made him quite upset and embarrassed where he took some boys out of the pool for not wearing the proper clothing, and their mother shouted abuses at Chamilla and informed the management.

He explains that the clothing regulations are international and guests from all the resorts have to abide by them.

“It’s not that I am doing my job, it is that I am happy at my work, let alone that I really love to swim,” he said, responding if he likes his career. Here, he explains, being a life guard requires first to be human oriented

and active. This is because if one has this tendency in his character, the techniques will later be honed by training courses that are done annually and constantly. The priority, as he explains, is to have the tendency to help others. “It comes involuntarily; believe me I run without thinking sometimes, I think about others more than I think about my head under the sun”, he said. Chamilla, works six days a week. on his day off, he never goes out of his place, “maybe only to throw the garbage out,” he says. He likes to chat with his family and play games on the Internet all day. Yet, he can never retire from being a lifeguard even if he retired from his work, “I will always be a lifeguard, it runs in my blood”, he said.

Advices Chamilla thinks that lifeguards should pay attention always to come to duty fresh, drink water and juice whenever possible.

Besides, he advises them to take some rest in the shade for half an hour and use sun block constantly. “Use your eyes first, and your brain immediately afterwards,” he stressed as he mentions the most important thing for a lifeguard is to try to stop the accident before it happens. He says, “If you have to jump in to save a life, you haven’t done your job properly.”

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Aqua-tots opens in Kuwait School encourages lifelong love for swimming

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Summer is already here. The best activity for Kuwait that keeps you cool is swimming and staying in the water. There is one obstacle, however. If you are a young adult and you cannot swim then the summer in Kuwait can be even hotter. According to scholars learning how to swim happens in childhood. If a child was not trained to get into water it might be difficult to practice as an adult. On the other hand if the child received proper training in the water, it’s unlikely that the child would have a phobia or hesitation to enter the water as an adult.

Providing the right and professional swimming education is available now with the newly launched Swim School Aqua-Tots located in Khaldiya at the Women Cultural and Social Society. “Swimming lessons are an essential part of childhood. ‘Lessons for Life’ is the Aqua-Tots swim school’s guiding philosophy. We teach children the importance of water safety and encourage a lifelong love for swimming,” said Dalal Al-Bader, President, CEO International Centers.

The School is providing eight levels. “Each Aqua-Tots level is designed for a swimmer to progress in a safe and logical manner. A swimmer’s ability may vary based on his previous swimming experience. Our certified staff will be happy to assist you in the proper class placement to ensure the best experience for your child,” she added.

Who can join?

Kids from six months to 12 years are able to register with the Aqua-Tots. Level one is for kids from 6-18 months, where the parents and children learn water acclimation techniques, introduction to breath control and buoyancy, back floats and kicking techniques. Then the kids improve in their technique with increasing the muscular coordina-

tion and strength in level two.

“In level three the kids are taught independent swimming skills and in level four they are taught confidence building techniques. In level five the students are introduced to freestyle and elementary backstroke swimming and rollover methods. In level six they also learn endurance techniques and in level seven they focus on proper execution, strength and endurance for butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle and side-stroke. And finally in level eight is focused on refining and mastering skills of all swimming stroke to prepare swimmers for swimming competitions,” noted Fatma Ahmad, a Water Safety Instructor at the Aqua-Tots. The recently launched swim school received high interest of parents, and all courses are fully booked for this summer already. “We have currently about 200 students in all categories. This is the first certified swim school in Kuwait. We are providing the courses in the outdoor swimming pool, so it’s limited for summer. Thus we will expand soon, and will provide course during the whole year long, after we establish covered indoor pools,” she further said.

“This is not only a school for swimming.

It’s a course of fun for the kids and their parents. The atmosphere here is friendly, we are like a family. We are here to see their problems, as most of the kids registered at this swim school have fear from water. We found out that many of them were thrown in the water by their parents, which caused them a phobia of swimming and water. And here we teach the parents that such behavior is wrong,” explained Fatma. The swim lessons are full of fun. “We give the kids toys to make it fun for them. We train them slowly, so they will feel comfortable. The main idea of our course is to be safe in the water, and not necessary to become a professional swimmer,” concluded Fatma.

KUWAIT: A Water Safety Instructor at the Aqua-Tots Fatma Ahmad plays with some of the kids.

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FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (center) seen with some of the MPs after he comfortably survived a non-cooperation vote yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

PM survives no confidence vote MPs file new motion; 25 MPs vote in support of PM; 6 abstained

By B Izzak KUWAIT: Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday comfortably survived a non-cooperation vote but the opposition immediately filed another quiz and called on him to resign. Twenty-five MPs voted with the prime minister, 18 voted against him and backed the motion while six lawmakers abstained. It was the third victory by the prime minister and the second in the last six months.

Opposition lawmakers however considered the result as a vote of no-confidence in the prime minister’s running of the country and called on him to step down. Liberal MP Abdulrahman Al-Anjari said that the result shows “that 24 MPs did not grant their confidence to the prime minister”. “This is a political message that half of the parliament members and half of the Kuwaiti people have not granted confidence to the prime minister ... based on the constitution’s explanatory note, I think the prime minister has failed,” said Anjari.

Outspoken opposition MP Mussallam AlBarrak said “if the prime minister knows the constitution and democracy well, he should not stay in his post for one single day”. The prime minister, who has been battling the opposition since he was appointed to the post in February 2006, issued a statement after the vote extending a “hand of cooperation” to the opposition. But the opposition responded immediately by filing a fresh quiz to question the prime minister over allegations of corruption, financial and administrative irregularities in several projects and ministries.

The grilling was submitted by MPs Khaled

Al-Tahous, Faisal Al-Muslim and Barrak and is based on corruption allegations in five major issues including the Sief Hospital, budget supplementary allocations and allowing the import and sale of meat not fit for human consumption. Assembly speaker Jassem AlKhorafi told reporters that he has received the new grilling and informed the prime minister, but added that it will be listed on the agenda of the first session in the next term which is expected to open late October.

By that time, the constitutional court is expected to have issued its ruling on another grilling filed by MPs Anjari and Ahmad AlSaadoun against the prime minister but was referred to the court to resolve a controversy.

Barrak said the new grilling is backed by reports from the Audit Bureau and by final verdicts by courts. These include squandering KD 131 million from the so-called supplementary allocations to the budget that were used by the Prime Minister to “strengthen his position”. “For us, we consider that Sheikh Nasser has finished as a prime minister,” Barrak said.

The 86-page new grilling claimed that the government allowed the import and sale of around 127,000 tons of meat with expired validity making it unfit for human consumption in 2010 alone based on a report by a parliamentary committee. It claimed that if the quantity is divided on Kuwait’s population of 3.5 million, the share of each person on average was 36.5 kilograms for last year only and if the previous years of Sheikh Nasser as a prime minister are added, the share will increase to around 145 kilograms per person on average.

The grilling also claimed that the government has squandered public funds by not

keeping the state rights in an endowment project awarded to Kuwaiti businessman AbdulAziz Al-Babtain. It claims that the state awarded Babtain around 3,000 square meters of land near the Grand Mosque to build a tower and a library that should be managed by him and the Endowment (Waqf) Department at the ministry of Islamic Affairs under the condition that the project will be financed by the businessman.

Later, some terms of the contract have been changed so that 90 percent of the financing of the project will be made by income generated by the project and not the businessman, the grilling alleges, citing a report by the Audit Bureau. In addition, the contract was changed again under which the Waqf Department conceded its right to be a partner in running the project, leaving it to be exclusively managed by the businessman, the grilling claims, also citing reference from a probe conducted by the Audit Bureau.

This issue is included in the grilling despite reports that Babtain has informed the government that he is willing to withdraw from the project following the allegations made in the assembly and in the media.

But it was not immediately clear whether he has made conditions for the withdrawal. The third issue alleges major violations regarding the Al-Sief Hospital in Salmiya which has taken almost half of the grilling space. It is based on reports by the Audit Bureau and also on final court rulings. It alleges that the government awarded a private company the right to build a hospital at an area of 3,000 square meters right on Salmiya Blajat Street but the company in collaboration with government departments and officials committed huge violations. Based on collaboration by govern-

ment departments and officials, the area of the hospital was more than doubled to over 7,000 square meters and instead of building six floors as per the original contract, the company built a 20-storey tower.

In addition, the car parking was increased from simply the basemen and a floor to more than six floors without obtaining the necessary licenses, the grilling said. As a BuildOperate-Transfer (BOT) contract, the project duration was extended for eight years and accordingly, the investment will now end in 2025 instead of the original date of 2017, thus giving the investment millions of dinars at the cost of public funds, the grilling claimed. In addition, the project was delayed for years and the government failed to collect adequate delay charges, thus squandering hundreds of thousands of government money, it said. The fourth issue is about two contracts under which the Public Industrial Authority awarded two huge pieces of land for a local industrial company in violation of the law and renewing the contract just recently despite decisions and recommendations by the government and the Audit Bureau not to renew the contract.

The Authority awarded the company 550,000 square meters in Mina Abdullah area and around 1.6 million square meters in Imghera area. The company built two industrial plants on the land and the process involved violations and squandering of public funds, the grilling alleges. The fifth issue deals with billions of dinars worth of supplementary allocations which have been misused for personal interests, the grilling alleged and accused the prime minister of utilizing part of the allocations to “strengthen his position”.

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

‘Egypt is safe and secure for tourists’ Egyptian minister woos Kuwait tourists

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: Egyptian minister of tourism Mounir Abdel Nour stressed the importance of Kuwaiti touristic investments in Egypt for the Egyptian economy saying that his country is in need for such kind of investments which represents an essential base that builds the

Abdel Nour stressed a message for Kuwaiti investors saying that the incidents of January 25 did not affect the tourism sector in Egypt. He affirmed that all Kuwaiti investors can be certain that their investments in Egypt are safe. He estimated the number of Kuwaiti investments in Egypt to be 1.3 Billion USD according to the reports of the Egyptian Investment Authority. He promised that the Egyptian authorities will do its best to support Kuwaiti investments in Egypt. Nour pointed out that the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism had prepared full programs for GCC and Kuwaiti tourists during summer season to motivate them to visit Egypt and have a closer look at its touristic destination especially “Liberation Square” which became a very important touristic and historical place.

He also mentioned that the Ministry had given strict instructions regarding fixing prices and not manipulating prices from one place to another. He added that his country is receiving more offers for new projects or expanding current projects, stressing that the touristic investments will flow into Egypt strongly in the upcoming period revealing the ministry’s plans to attract GCC tourists in the Holy month of Ramadan.

He pointed out that there is a big marketing campaign carried out by inviting Kuwaiti and Arab businessmen to visit Egypt and see the safety of their future investments.

He stressed at the same time that his country is totally obliged and committed to all the agreements and contracts regarding the touristic investments and formed a higher committee to review any problems or obstacles regarding those contracts.

A large marketing campaign started in several Egyptian and Arab press outlets. Airplanes traveling from Kuwait, the KSA, or other states are supporting this campaign through encouraging low fares and allowing planes to take off in all Egyptian airports. Chairman of Kuwait house for national works Youssef Al Moeiri assured that security and safety is established in Egypt and this was experienced personally by him in his last visit accompanied by a Kuwaiti press delegation. He mentioned that the local Kuwaiti press is constantly pointing to the stable atmosphere in Egypt and the flourishing market of tourism.

KUWAIT: Egyptian minister of tourism Mounir Abdel Nour seen during a press conference held at the Sheraton hotel.

— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Egyptian economy. Abdel Nour spoke during a press conference held at the Sheraton hotel saying that he had touched a remarkable cooperation from all Kuwaiti officials, starting with HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al- Sabah, HH the PM Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad, House Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi, Minister of Commerce Amani Bou Resli and the chairman and member of the chamber of commerce and industry.

Local FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

News

in brief

Kuwait, Malta consolidate scientific, educational ties Kuwaiti envoy, Malta’s Minister for Education hold talks

SANTIAGO: Kuwait’s ambassador to Chile, Reem Mohammed Al-Khaled (left) pictured with Chilean president’s representative, General Edward Slater.

MALTA: Kuwait Ambassador Faisal Sulaiman Al-Musaileem discussed yesterday with Malta’s Minister for Education and Culture Dolores Cristina on the ways to boost distinctive bilateral ties. The minister held a meeting with Al-Musaileem at the headquarters of the Ministry of Education in the capital city of Valletta where they have reviewed the fruitful ties at the scientific and college levels, and mulled aspects of bilateral cooperation.

The discussions also tackled the methods of activating direct communication between universities and educational institutions, and working toward developing this kind of communication between educational institutions and scientific research bodies in the two countries. Al-

Musaileem also extended thanks on this occasion to the Minister of Education for the care accorded to the Kuwaiti students in Malta by officials bodies there, asserting that such care is met with appreciation from Kuwait whether at the official or popular level.

The ambassador also hailed the relentless efforts made by the Kuwaiti and Maltese sides in order to consolidate important scientific and educational ties, and pushing them up to a new high. On her part, Christina commended the Kuwaiti students who joined the Maltese universities, noting that most of them major in the field of medicine and dentistry, and they enjoy a good scientific reputation. She also expressed her hopes

that more Kuwaiti students will join the Maltese universities in the coming university year to major in various specialties.

Cristina also hoped that the exchange of expertise, data and visits between the two countries in the field of education. AlMusaileem had earlier held a meeting with Minister of Finance, Economy and Investment Tonio Fenech, then with Maltese Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Tancred Tabone in order to discuss with him ways and steps of developing and boosting bilateral economic, trade and scientific ties. Al-Musaileem held a series of meetings with Maltese top officials since came into office as the first Kuwaiti resident ambassador in the Republic of Malta. — KUNA

Kuwait and Chile seek to improve relations SANTIAGO: Kuwaiti ambassador to Chile Reem Mohammad Al-Khaled yesterday expressed her wishes to improve bilateral relations between the state of Kuwait and Chile. Al-Khaled noted, during a reception held at the Kuwaiti embassy in Santiago, that there were some agreements that had been signed between the two countries during His Highness the Prime Minster Sheikh Nasser AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s visit to Chile in 2010. The Kuwaiti ambassador affirmed her wishes to implement these agreements and promote commercial, economic, investment, social, and educational cooperation. She concluded by shedding light on the nature of democracy in Kuwait and how Kuwaiti women gained their political rights in the past recent years.

KFAED inspects Beirut projects BEIRUT: Resident representative of Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) in Lebanon Eng Nawaf Al-Daboos inspected a number of Kuwait-funded projects in the southern outskirts of Beirut on Wednesday. “The fund is keen on pursuing the implementation of the projects in order to improve the quality of life for all the Lebanese citizens,” Al-Daboos said on the sidelines of his visit to Al-Ghabiri municipality. Meanwhile, chairman of the municipality Mohammad Saeed Al-Khansa expressed his gratitude for its contributing to the economic development in Lebanon. “The infrastructure projects being carried out by KFAED, including hospitals, schools, sporting facilities, road building, street lightening and sewage networks, will greatly improve the living conditions in the southern outskirts of Beirut and cement the already close ties between the two countries,” Al-Khansa affirmed.

KFAED has offered Lebanon 17 loans worth $500 million since 1966.

KAC offers services to Kuwait tourists BEIRUT: The Kuwait Airways Cooperation (KAC) office in Bhamdoun, Lebanon, offers the best services for its clients, especially Kuwaiti tourists in Lebanon, Head of KAC Qais AlShatti said yesterday. Al-Shatti said that KAC’s office in Lebanon serves the needs of travelers to Bhamdoun, a resort town located on the Beirut-Damascus highway, and the surrounding areas. “Instead of going down to KAC’s office in Beirut, Bhamdoun’s office saves time and effort for its clients,” Al-Shatti noted. Working hours at Bhamdoun’s office extend till 5 pm during week days, except on Saturday when the office closes at 1 pm.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Minister of Tourism Fadi Aboud remarked that tourism in his country “is going to be successful and exceptional” this season. He said that “Lebanon is safe and it’s waiting tourists from different countries, especially Kuwait and the GCC countries.” Hotel bookings increased up to 70 percent and there are tens of thousands of travelers to Lebanon daily, he said. “A series of local and international festivals have been launched in the country to encourage tourists to choose Lebanon as their summer vacation destination,” the

minister noted, adding that “the ministry of tourism set strict regulations that would protect the tourists from being taken advantage of during their stay in Lebanon.”— KUNA

BEIRUT: Kuwaitis seen at the Kuwait Airways Cooperation (KAC) office in Bhamdoun, Lebanon. — KUNA

KFSD, EQUATE protect oil facilities

Internet users hit 600% high KUWAIT: Internet users in Kuwait went over 600 percent. Since the last decade, around 1.15 million people surf the net, said an Internet report yesterday. The report on the Internet World Stats website revealed that Internet users in Kuwait represented around half of the populace by 2011 where it was around 150,000 in 2000. The report said that Internet users in Kuwait represented 1.6 percent of the users in the Middle East whose numbers reached 70 million users.

Members in social networking sites such as Facebook amongst Kuwaitis reached 795,000 accounts in accordance with statistics last March, noted the report. Internet consumption in the Arab world reached around three percent in comparison to the number of users worldwide, revealed the report, adding that Arabic users on the web reached 65 million, putting the language amongst the seven most used languages on cyberspace. Number of users choosing to communicate in Arabic has also jumped by 2,500 percent, recording the highest growth amongst languages used on the internet. — KUNA

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: As part of the strategic plans of Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD), the Directorate recently coordinated with EQUATE Petrochemicals to protect oil facilities against fires, said KFSD’s Ahmadi Protection Manager, Colonel Musaed AlSerhaid. He noted that the joint study focused on EQUATE’s factories structure plans. Al-Serhaid added that both sides have made arrangements to facilitate all paper work and have allocated special temporary offices for fire protection employees at the site of EQUATE 2 until the project is complete. He also said that Ahamdi Fire protec-

tion officers visited the site to ensure that all fire protection equipment was properly installed.

Burn victim A 39-year-old Egyptian sustained multiple burns when his gas cylinder caught fire in Hawalli. The man was rushed to Mubarak Al-Kabeer to receive treatment for first degree burns.

Car accident Two 11-year- old citizens fractured their legs and sustained bruises after the car they were travelling in flipped over in Omariya. In another incident, an unidentified man died,

another sustained multiple injuries and a third sustained a head wound in a road collision that took place along Morocco Expressway, officials said. They were admitted to Adan Hospital for treatment.

KFSD raid buildings The Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD)’s inspectors recently raided Dajeej to examine various buildings to ensure that fire and safety precautions have been taken.

Over 50 citations were filed. Inspectors found that the basement was used to store highly flammable materials, unfinished carpentry work, electricity fittings and lack of firefighting equipment and smoke detectors.

International FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Palestinians ready to ease demands for settlement freeze RAMALLAH: The Palestinians are ready to drop their demand for a complete Israeli settlement construction freeze and resume peace talks if Israel accepts a US proposal calling for a broad Israeli withdrawal from territories captured in 1967, a senior Palestinian official told The Associated Press yesterday. The official said the Palestinians have presented their ideas to American mediators visiting the region in recent days in an effort to get long-stalled negotiations moving again. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a sensitive diplomatic proposal. Israeli officials refused to comment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not accepted President Barack Obama’s formula.

The Palestinian official said the Palestinians have agreed to start talks based on Obama’s recent proposal to base the border between Israel and a future Palestinian state on the lines Israel held before capturing the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in 1967, with agreed swaps of territory. The Palestinians claim all three areas for their future state.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but still controls the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a return to the 1967 lines would leave Israel with indefensible borders. Obama did not call for a full withdrawal but suggested the land swaps to allow for modifications. Obama relaunched peace talks last September at a White House ceremony, only to see them break down three weeks later with the expiration of a limited Israeli settlement freeze. The Palestinians have refused to return to negotiations while Israel continues to build homes on Jewish enclaves in territories claimed by the Palestinians.

Israel wants talks without preconditions and insists the settlement issue should be on the negotiating table. In the absence of negotiations, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has embarked on a reconciliation process with the rival Islamic Hamas, which rules Gaza, and pledged to ask the UN for a unilateral recognition of Palestinian independence.

Neither effort is going smoothly. Therefore, the official said the Palestinians would tolerate Israeli construction on existing settlement projects already under way, as long as Israel commits to not approving new housing projects. Such conditions are similar to the settlement construction moratorium that expired in September.— AP

Man convicted of spying for Israel jailed in Egypt CAIRO: A state security court yesterday sentenced an Egyptian businessman to 25 years in prison for spying for Israel, court officials said. Presiding judge Gamaleddin Rushdy also sentenced two Israeli citizens in absentia to 25 years in jail. The businessman, Tareq Hassan, was arrested last August and charged four months later along with the two Israelis for seeking to recruit agents in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon to spy for Israel.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. yesterday’s sentencing followed last week’s arrest of a dual Israeli-US national for allegedly spying for Israel. Ilan Grapel was arrested on suspicion of sedition and inciting Egyptians to clash with the country’s military leadership.

Egyptian prosecutors said he was a Mossad agent. His family, however, maintains he was spending the summer in Cairo as an intern at a legal aid group. Israel also denies the 27-year-old Grapel is a spy.

Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 but their relations have been cool. Often, relations between the two Middle Eastern neighbors became tense over what Cairo sees as Israel’s unwillingness to negotiate in good faith with the Palestinians and over similar spy cases.—AP

Bahrain opposition slams life terms for Shiite activists Harsh punishment will not ease political crisis

DUBAI: Bahrain’s largest Shiite opposition group slammed the jailing for life of eight activists, saying the harsh punishment will do nothing to ease the political crisis in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. The Islamic National Accord Association (Al-Wefaq) has “received these sentences with shock, especially as they contradict the call for national dialogue” proposed by King Hamad and set to begin on July 1, the group said in a statement received by AFP yesterday.

The life sentences “will overshadow the stability in the country as they will also make the political crisis remain for life as well,” the Al-Wefaq statement said. The National Safety Court of first instance on Wednesday sentenced eight Shiite opposition activists to life in prison for “plotting to overthrow” the kingdom’s rulers, the official Bahrain News Agency said.

It also jailed 13 other activists for two to 15 years on similar charges. The judgment drew an expression of concern from Washington, which stations its Fifth Fleet in

the small but strategic Gulf archipelago. The kingdom said in an English-language statement by the Information Affairs Authority late on Wednesday that the “sentencing sends a message that law and order will be preserved.”

This will reassure “the majority of the population of Bahrain that their security will not be allowed to be compromised by violence or attempts to overthrow the regime or by the calling for the establishment of an Islamic republic,” it added. The Gulf kingdom’s government reiterated its calls for national dialogue. “Those who attend the dialogue will show leadership and distance themselves from the radical elements and therefore prove to the international community that the majority believes in this inclusive forum to pave a better future,” it said.

The defendants “do not represent any significant number of the population who actually believe that the way forward is through dialogue and peaceful means,” it added. Khalil Marzooq, a member of Al-

Wefaq has slammed the sentences as contradictory to the king’s calls for dialogue.

“There are political forces, some of whom have received harsh sentences today, which have not been invited for dialogue,” said Marzooq in excerpts of a speech he gave at a press conference in Manama posted on AlWefaq’s Facebook page. “How will there be a dialogue without those figures?” US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said: “We are concerned about the severity of the sentences handed down... in Bahrain.

We’re also concerned about the use of military courts to try these civilians.”

“Such steps are at odds with the universal rights of Bahrain’s citizens,” he told reporters.

But Bahrain’s government said “the nature of recent incidents and the threat to national security makes the Law of National Safety a legitimate means to prosecute the perpetrators in a court, where they had access to legal counsel and representation, for bringing the country to the brink of total anarchy.” —AFP

SANAA: Female anti-government protestors pray during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen yesterday.—AP

US official urges immediate power transfer in Yemen SANAA: A top US official called yesterday for an “immediate” power transfer in Yemen, as a Western diplomat said President Ali Abdullah Saleh was wounded by one of many bombs planted in a mosque. Echoing demands by the Yemeni opposition, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs Jeffrey Feltman said: “We continue to believe that an immediate, peaceful, and orderly transition is in the best interest of the Yemeni people.”

“We urge all sides to engage in dialogue that peacefully moves Yemen forward,” he told reporters in Sanaa after a meeting with Yemeni Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi. Feltman’s statements come amid growing local and international pressure on Hadi to assume power after embattled Saleh was flown to

Riyadh for treatment for wounds suffered when a bomb exploded as he prayed at his palace mosque on June 3. A Western diplomat said yesterday that the blast was caused by one of many bombs planted in the mosque, adding that others had remained unexploded. Saleh was wounded by a TNT explosive, the diplomat said in Sanaa, asking not to be identified. A Yemeni security official confirmed that some bombs did not go off. “Five explosives planted inside the mosque and another planted outside did not explode,” he told AFP. Feltman said the United States “is providing support to the Yemenis in the investigation” which the diplomat said will take “months.”

US experts on June 9 said the attack was an assassination bid, probably an “inside job” using an improvised explosive

device. STRATFOR, a US-based authority on strategic and tactical intelligence issues, said its assessment was based on an evaluation of photographs taken of the blast site.

Other top Yemeni officials, including Prime Minister Ali Mohammad Mujawar and consultative council chief Abdulaziz Abdulghani, were wounded in the blast that killed 11 people and injured another 124. The 69-year-old Saleh has made no public appearance since the attack, sparking speculation concerning his situation and casting doubts over the possibility of his return to power. But Hadi’s grip on power is strongly questioned as relatives of Saleh continue to run main security systems. Key among them is Saleh’s son, Ahmed, who leads the elite Republican Guard.—AFP

International FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Chavez foes demand probe into prison violence CARACAS: Opposition lawmakers called for a congressional investigation into allegedly corrupt guards and the trafficking of guns and drugs inside Venezuela’s prisons Wednesday as a bloody clash between National Guard troops and inmates stretched into a sixth day. Officials in President Hugo Chavez’s administration have conceded that corruption is a major problem among prison guards who take bribes in exchange for contraband, but the pro-Chavez lawmakers who hold a majority in the National Assembly have not launched a congressional investigation. Instead, they pledged Wednesday to launch an investigation into what they say is the private news media’s slanted coverage of the violence at the adjacent Rodeo I and Rodeo II prisons in the city of Guatire, just outside the capital of Caracas.

“The media tries to spread disinformation as a means of creating confusion,” said Dario Vivas, a ruling-party lawmaker.

Government opponents say that charge is just a ruse to distract the population from the problems inside the country’s prisons.

“The trafficking of firearms, drugs and ammunition inside Venezuelan prisons must be investigated,” opposition lawmaker William Ojeda told a news conference. A 5,000-strong security force has engaged in gunbattles with inmates at the two prisons since the military launched a weapons search Friday. One inmate and two National Guard troops have been killed, and at least 20 troops have been wounded, officials have said.

Inmates claim several fellow prisoners have also suffered injuries and urgently require medical treatment. Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said officials made progress toward ending the conflict on Wednesday after making contact with leaders of the rebellious prisoners. “We established direct communication with the spokesmen for the first time today,” he said. El Aissami told state television that “hostilities ceased” at Rodeo II and he expressed hope for a peaceful end to the conflict.—AP

Mexico demands probe in to migrant killed by US agent SAN DIEGO: Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday condemned a US Border Patrol agent’s fatal shooting of a Mexican man who allegedly struck another agent with a nail-studded post.

The union representing agents called the triggerman a hero. The victim was shot once after he hit the agent in the head with the nail-studded piece of wood that was about 3 feet (a meter) long and resembled a table leg, said San Diego police Lt Ernie Herbert.

He was about to throw a rock when the other agent fired.

The victim fell on the Mexican side of the fence near San Diego’s San Ysidro border crossing, where he died Tuesday night, Herbert said. Mexican authorities identified the victim as Jose Alfredo Yanez, 40, of Tijuana. Heriberto Garcia, the Baja California state human rights ombudsman, said Yanez worked at a towing company and had a young child with his 18-year-old girlfriend, who is five months’ pregnant with their second child.

No Border Patrol agents were seriously hurt. Calderon wrote on Twitter that he discussed the killing with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a meeting of regional leaders in Guatemala City.

“I demanded punishment for the guilty,” he wrote. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department urged US authorities to swiftly investigate and questioned the “use of firearms to repel an attack with stones.” The union that represents Border Patrol agents defended the killing. Shawn Moran, a spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council, said the agent likely saved his colleague’s life or spared him serious injury. The triggerman has been an agent for three years.

“The guy’s a hero,” said Moran. “He’s a relatively junior agent, but he showed great poise in dealing with a really bad situation.”

San Diego police are leading the investigation. They did not release names of the victim or the agents. Three men climbed over the fence or went through an opening and confronted two agents, Herbert said. Two men fled back to Mexico, while the third man wrestled with one of the agents.

One of the men who fled climbed atop the fence and hurled objects at the agent who was wrestling, leading the other agent to fire his pistol, Herbert said. —AP

Obama’s Afghan plan criticized by his party Timeline isn’t fast enough: Democrats WASHINGTON: Lawmakers in President Barack Obama’s Democratic Party are leading the criticism of his troop withdrawal plan from Afghanistan, arguing that the timeline for bringing 33,000 US troops home by next summer isn’t fast enough. An initial drawdown of 10,000 troops is expected to take place in two phases, with 5,000 troops coming home within the next few months and 5,000 more by the end of the year. An additional 20,000-plus are to follow by September 2012.

Democrats said that wasn’t adequate. “It has been the hope of many in Congress and across the country that the full drawdown of US forces would happen sooner than the president laid out , and we will continue to press for a better outcome,” said Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, leading a chorus of disgruntled Democrats who took the president to task, albeit politely.

However, John Kerry, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that Obama’s plan will allow the Afghans to “begin to make the accommodations and the choices about their own future.” Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday backed up that argument, promising that his nation’s youth will stand up and defend Afghanistan as the US begins to pull its troops out. Karzai thanked international troops for their support and said “the people of Afghanistan will be protecting their homeland.” The Republican response to Obama’s timeline for withdrawing tens of thousands of troops was measured. Republican House Speaker John Boehner warned Obama not to sacrifice the gains the US has made in Afghanistan, while Republican Sen. John McCain, Obama’s rival in the 2008 presidential election, said the drawdown was too rash. “This is not the ‘modest’ withdrawal that I and others had hoped for and advocated,” McCain said in a statement following Obama’s televised prime-time address to the country Wednesday night.

Potential Republican presidential candidates were quick to weigh in with criticism of Obama’s plan. Former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney accused Obama of proposing an “arbitrary timetable” and said the decision on withdrawing troops “should not be based on politics or economics.”

However, Jon Huntsman, Obama’s former ambassador to China, said the approach in Afghanistan should be focused on counterterrorism, “which requires significantly fewer boots on the ground than the president discussed tonight.” As Obama works to sell his withdrawal plan, yesterday he was to visit Fort Drum, the New York state Army post that is home to the 10th Mountain Division, one of the most frequently deployed divisions to Afghanistan.

Obama ordered more than 30,000 “surge” forces to Afghanistan in 2009 in order to rescue a flailing effort, and promised to start bringing them home in July of this year. In his speech

Wednesday night, he declared: “The tide of war is receding.” Even after the surge forces leave Afghanistan, 70,000 US troops will remain in an unstable country, fighting in a war bound to see more Americans killed. Obama said they will leave at a steady pace, but the US combat mission is not expected to end until December 2014 , and even then, a sizable and enduring contingent may remain in a different role.

Obama’s announcement from the White House came in a perilous political

that also could fuel arguments for even greater withdrawals by voters wondering what the point of the war is after all these years, especially since the face of the enemy , al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden , was killed by American forces last month during a US raid in Pakistan.

Yet the White House insists the US must maintain a strong fighting force in Afghanistan for now to keep the country from slipping back into a terrorist haven.

Obama said Wednesday that materials recovered during the raid to get bin

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama delivers a televised address from the East Room of the White House in Washington on Wednesday on his plan to drawdown US troops in Afghanistan. —AFP environment. Most Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan and are far more concerned about the teetering economic recovery at home. At least 1,500 members of the US military have died and 12,000 have been wounded since the war began in late 2001. The financial cost of the war has passed $440 billion and is on the rise, jumping to $120 billion a year.

Those costs have risen in importance as a divided US government struggles to contain its soaring debt. Conceding the economic strain of waging war at a time of rising debt and fiscal constraint, Obama said it was time for America “to focus on nation-building here at home.”

The president’s chances for re-election rest largely on his ability to show faster job growth in a time of deepening economic pessimism.

The withdrawal is supported by the bold bottom-line claims of his security team: Afghanistan, training ground for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the US , no longer is a launching pad for exporting terrorism and hasn’t been for years. But

Laden showed that al-Qaida was under deep strain. He said bin Laden himself expressed concern that his organization would be unable to effectively replace senior leaders that had been killed. The president declared, “We have put alQaida on a path to defeat, and we will not relent until the job is done.” Even after the troops come home, the war will remain expanded on Obama’s watch. He approved 21,000 additional troops for Afghanistan shortly after taking office in 2009, bringing the total number to 68,000. That means he is likely to face reelection with more troops in Afghanistan than when he took office, although he has also dramatically reduced the US military presence in Iraq. Military commanders favored a plan that would allow them to keep as many of the 30,000 surge troops in Afghanistan for as long as possible, ideally through the end of 2012. That timeline would have given them greater troop strength through two crucial fighting seasons. Obama overruled them.—AP

International FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Belarusian officials detain over 450 after rally MINSK: Belarusian authorities have detained more than 450 people for clapping their hands and stomping their feet in a series of anti-government protests organized through social media in the ex-Soviet nation, rights activists said yesterday. Most of those detained were released a few hours after the Wednesday evening’s protest, but several dozen went on trial yesterday, said Valentin Stefanovich of the Vyasna rights center said. They face up to 15 days in jail on charges of hooliganism.

The protest in the capital, Minsk, and nearly 30 other Belarusian cities was the third such action in as many weeks. It

drew several thousand, mostly young participants despite efforts by the Belarusian security agency to intimidate activists who helped organize the rally using the social media.

“The authorities staged a real hunt for dissenters on the Internet,” Stefanovich said.

Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko is facing growing public discontent over the nation’s worst financial turmoil since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The country recently devalued the national currency, causing panic buying of goods and huge lines at currency exchange offices.

Lukashenko, who has ruled the 10million nation for nearly 17 years, earning the nickname of “Europe’s last dictator” in the West, last week reprimanded his interior minister for failing to disperse the previous protests. Police on Wednesday cordoned off streets in Minsk and shut down public transportation. Hundreds of people, however, gathered in small groups in the center of the city, some arriving on bicycles. Riot police quickly moved to disperse the protesters who did not shout any slogans or display any posters. Several journalists were also detained and held for several hours.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry yester-

day summoned the ambassador of Belarus to condemn the violence against demonstrators in the country after a Swedish embassy official was assaulted by security police while observing Wednesday’s gathering in Minsk.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said the violence is “yet another confirmation of the country’s lack of respect for basic democratic rights.” The US and the European Union have introduced additional sanctions against Belarus after Lukashenko unleashed a violent crackdown on opposition after December’s residential vote that was also criticized by international observers.—AP

Protests erupt in Senegal over controversial law Clouds of tear gas envelop square DAKAR: Senegalese police lobbed tear gas at thousands of protesters who amassed in the capital yesterday to oppose proposed changes to the constitution that critics said would benefit the longtime president and his family. Clouds of tear gas enveloped the square in front of the country’s parliament, where lawmakers gathered to deliberate the proposals. They included creating the post of vice president and lowering the percentage of votes required for a candidate to win office. Yesterday’s protest marks the biggest challenge yet to President Abdoulaye Wade, who has been widely criticized for attempting to run for a third term at the age of 85.

If he succeeds in securing a third term, he would be ruling into his 90s, raising the possibility that he could die in office. He has been giving an increasing share of power to his unpopular eldest child, who is widely viewed as unelectable and whose political coalition was trounced in recent municipal elections. Security forces in riot gear patrolled the streets in an armored personnel carrier and beat back the crowd with fire hoses yesterday morning.

After protesters succeeded in shutting down the capital’s downtown district, setting fire to cars and pelting police with bricks and stones, Wade’s spokesman went on the radio to say that the ruling party was abandoning the percentage clause. Senegal’s constitution is modeled on that of its former colonizer, France, and has a

Russia to discard Soviet-era airliners MOSCOW: Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev says he wants Soviet-built airliners similar to the one that crashed this week to be retired starting next year. The 31year-old RusAir Tu-134 from Moscow crashed in heavy fog late Monday just moments before landing at the Petrozavodsk airport in Russia’s northwest, killing 45. Seven people survived.

Medvedev said yesterday that pilot error appears to be the cause of the crash, but added that he ordered his transport minister to prepare for the withdrawal of all Tu-134s.

Officials have said in the past that the aging planes should be withdrawn, but have not set a timetable before. The twin-engined Tu-134, along with its larger sibling the Tu154, has been the workhorse of Soviet and Russian civil aviation since the 1960s with more than 800 planes built. — AP

president and a prime minister, but no vice president. The law requires a candidate to receive more than 50 percent of votes cast to win without a runoff. The proposed amendment would have lowered that to 25 percent.

People in the square hoisting pieces of cardboard saying “Hands off my constitution” and “Wade Go!” erupted in cheers over the announcement that the amendment had been dropped. Parliament remained in closed session and was expected to vote later on the second part of the proposal , the creation of a vice presidential post. Although Wade has not announced who he would choose as his running mate, critics say the post is being created for his son, Karim Wade. The younger Wade is frequently pilloried in opposition papers, in part because he grew up overseas and only returned to Senegal after his father won the 2000 election.

“We’re not against Karim Wade,” said protester Assane Ndiaye, a university student.

“Karim can be a candidate like any other, but he shouldn’t be carried into office on his father’s shoulders.” Having a vice president would allow for automatic succession if the president dies.

Currently if the head of state dies in office, the head of the National Assembly becomes president for a brief period of a few months, until new elections can be organized.

Leading intellectuals condemned the speed with which the proposal has moved through the system. It’s been less than a week since it was proposed by the president’s ministerial council.

Its passage by the 150-member National Assembly is considered a done deal, because Wade’s party controls 131 of those seats. If passed in the assembly, the proposal will then need to be voted on by Senegal’s senate, where the ruling party also has the majority. “People are not dumb,” said London-based writer and critic Mbaye Sanou, who was in Senegal for the protest. “We were just waiting for a detonator.

Everywhere else in the world people are rising up , Tunisia, Egypt. But nothing was happening here. This is the drop of water that made the vase run over. I just hope that what comes next will follow the Tunisian scenario, not the Ivorian one.” In Tunisia, the longtime ruler chose to leave after protests. In Ivory Coast, entrenched leader Laurent Gbagbo plunged his country into violence and chaos by refusing to leave office after losing last year’s election. “Wade wants to create a monarchy, this isn’t right,” said taxi driver Mamadou Drame. “He says his son is welleducated and a good boy. But we don’t care. We want our democracy back.”— AP

DAKAR: Protestors demonstrating against proposed constitutional changes hurl rocks at police as they are pushed back from the National Assembly, in central Dakar, Senegal yesterday.—AP

Somali-American named new Somalia prime minister MOGADISHU: Somalia’s president yesterday named a Somali-American economist as the country’s new prime minister, saying the Harvard graduate will help end bickering between the executive and the legislature that has paralyzed the fragile government for months. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, who previously taught economics at Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, was elevated from his position as minister of planning and international cooperation.

Ali’s appointment puts a highly educated technocrat high within the Mogadishu administration. Ali has graduate degrees in public administration from Harvard and another in economics from Vanderbilt University.

President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed lauded Ali for his “very clean” record during the announcement at the presidential palace in Mogadishu. Ahmed said he hoped that Ali’s government would help improve ties with the international community, which has been dismayed by the constant bickering among Somalia’s leaders. Ali said he hoped to build on the successes of his predecessor, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who was seen as a competent leader but was ousted in a political deal. Mohamed made sure govern-

ment employees were paid regularly, winning him praise in Mogadishu.

“I promise that our new government will continue implementing the policies of the previous government,” Ali said. Eradicating corruption and improving the army’s welfare will be his top priorities, he said. Many Somalis denounced the UN -backed deal signed in Uganda’s capital Kampala. That deal was aimed at ending the infighting between Ahmed and Parliamentary Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden.

The two leaders had been locked for months in a dispute over what to do when the government’s term expires. Ahmed asked for an extra year in power because he said elections were distractions as the country was in a state of war with Islamist insurgents. Aden insisted on following the country’s interim charter calling for presidential and speaker elections before Aug 20. The leaders’ differences dissipated on June 9 when they agreed to extend the government’s term by a year and postpone elections until next year.

Hundreds of people, including government soldiers, took to Mogadishu’s streets to protest the deal. At least two people, a soldier and a teenager, died during protests. —AP

International FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Karzai hails US pullout but Taleban to fight on KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taleban yesterday dismissed news of US troop withdrawals as mere symbolism, vowing to fight on, but President Hamid Karzai said the move hastened his nation’s ability to fend for itself. Ordinary Afghans meanwhile seemed split over President Barack Obama’s announcement that the United States would pull tens of thousands of troops out of Afghanistan after a decade of war.

Some hoped it would reduce violence in a country battered by years of unrest and poverty, while others thought the move could plunge their nation into more chaos as foreign combat forces target a full withdrawal in 2014.

Karzai described Obama’s decision as “a good step in their favour and in favour of Afghanistan”. “We thank the international community for the services that they gave to Afghanistan,” he told reporters, adding: “This land only can be and should be built by the hands of its sons.”

But the Taleban, whose insurgency has worsened steadily since the Islamist movement was ousted from power in late 2001, said the move was only “symbolic”. In an emailed statement, they

stressed that “the solution for the Afghan crisis lies in the full withdrawal of all foreign troops immediately”-and that “our armed struggle will increase” until that happens.

The statement made no reference to any contacts with the Americans. Karzai announced last week that the US was involved in peace talks and Obama said in making his drawdown announcement that “we have reason to believe that progress can be made” through discussions on a political settlement. Obama announced Wednesday that 10,000 US troops would leave Afghanistan this year and all 33,000 forces sent as part of a surge ordered in late 2009 would be home by next summer.

In Kabul, defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Zahir Azimi hailed the decision and dismissed fears over the capability of Afghan security forces. ”The security forces, in particular the Afghan National Army, are prepared to fill this gap,” he said. ”It should be said clearly that there is no need for any concern regarding ensuring security and the continuation of planned operations as these soldiers withdraw from Afghanistan.” Although it is not

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai (3R) is flanked by vice presidents Mohammad Qasim Fahim (3L), Mohammed Karim Khalili (2R), Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasool (R), Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak (2L) and Interior Minister Besmullah Mohammadi as he addresses media representatives during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul yesterday. —AFP yet clear exactly which places US troops will leave from, seven areas of Afghanistan are due to switch from foreign to Afghan security control from next month in the first wave of transition.

One is Lashkar Gah, provincial capital of the unstable southern province of Helmand. Although close to several highly dangerous districts, the town itself is deemed

safe enough to switch to Afghan security control. Here, residents were deeply ambivalent about the move. ”We don’t need Americans here in Afghanistanthey’re the cause of most of the problems,” said Bari, a government employee who lives in Lashkar Gah. But he was also unenthusiastic about the ability of the Afghan

government and security forces to plug the hole. “The government cannot manage their own internal issues. They are weak, they will not be able to fill in for the withdrawing international troops,” he added. Another Lashkar Gah resident, Faisal, raised fears over what would happen to Afghanistan’s fragile economy when troops leave.

Some 97 percent of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product is derived from spending linked to the international military and donors, according to a figure quoted this month in a US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations report. “I am not happy with this,” Faisal said. “When the soldiers withdraw from Afghanistan, there will be a very serious economic problem for the Afghan economy,” he said.

Kabul-based analyst Haroun Mir said that many ordinary Afghans felt a sense of apprehension about what would happen in future. “(For) the bulk of Afghans, there is still an increasing anxiety about the future of this country,” he said. “A lot of people are worried that the United States and the rest of NATO allies will abandon us and we could fall again into chaos.” —AFP

Afghanistan court overturns 25 pct of parliament poll results Election marred by fraud on all sides

ISLAMABAD: Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao (L) holds talks with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir (R) during a meeting at The Pakistan Foreign Ministry in Islamabad yesterday. —AFP

India, Pakistan hold peace talks ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan held talks on peace and security issues in Islamabad yesterday, part of efforts to stabilize South Asia as the United States prepares to draw down troops from Afghanistan. Concerns over terrorism are likely to dominate India’s agenda since US troops killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and since a four-year peace process collapsed when Islamist gunmen killed 166 people in Mumbai in November 2008. India blamed the attack on Pakistani militants from the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba group and Islamabad acknowledged that the plot was hatched at least partly on its soil. Ending a more than two-year freeze, the two countries announced peace talks would resume after a meeting in February between Pakistani foreign secretary Salman Bashir and his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao. Rao said she had come “with an open mind and a constructive spirit” to work towards building “trust and confidence” that would eventually lead to a normalization of relations between the nuclear-armed rivals. Both sides say talks will focus on the fate of the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, peace and security and confidence building, in preparation for a scheduled visit by Pakistan’s foreign minister to India next month. — AFP

KABUL: A special Afghan court set up

by President Hamid Karzai after fraudmarred parliamentary elections last year threw out results in about a quarter of the seats in the assembly yesterday, raising fears of a constitutional crisis. The court ruled that 62 lawmakers elected to the 249-seat lower house of parliament would have to vacate their seats and be replaced by new members because of alleged poll fraud.

Karzai’s critics have said the court was set up after the disputed 2010 election, in which Karzai’s rivals made major gains, to further his political aims rather than serve justice. “Are we heading for a constitutional crisis? I’m totally flabbergasted,” one Western diplomat said after he watched court officials painstakingly announce revised results for dozens of districts live on national television.

“The question it raises is whether you have a constitutional democracy or not. What are we doing here?” Armed soldiers stood behind the special court judges as they read out the new results, with cheering and applause coming from newly declared winners and their supporters.

The announcement of the new results came just hours after US President Barack Obama set his timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, part of a gradual transition to Afghan authority

that will end with all foreign combat troops leaving by the end of 2014.

Karzai set up the special tribunal by presidential decree after weeks of protests by losing candidates angry at corruption and winners frustrated they were being kept from taking their seats. “There is a lack of clarity on the constitutional and legal authority for this court and these judges,” said one Kabul-based legal expert, who asked not to be identified.

Sediqullah Haqiq, head of the special poll court, said the tribunal had recounted all valid votes from all of the 34 provinces and described yesterday’s ruling as “final”. “Those parliamentarians who won seats in parliament through electoral fraud and violation must be prosecuted,” Haqiq told a news conference. He said ousted lawmakers unhappy with the new results could write letters to the Supreme Court, although it was unclear if this meant there was an official avenue of appeal available to disgruntled candidates.

In one district in western Herat, a lawmaker who had been declared the winner had 5,000 votes stripped from his total while another losing candidate was awarded 12,000 more votes after the recount, reversing the previous result. Also in Herat, another candidate was awarded 12,000 new votes after failing to win any at all on the first

count. Afghanistan has been in a state of political paralysis since the Sept. 18 election, with a full cabinet still not finalised and little effective work being done. Widespread accusations of vote fraud on all sides marred the election, just as it did presidential elections in 2009 that returned Karzai to power.

Karzai’s government has long been claimed by accusations of widespread corruption, further straining ties with his Western backers. There was no immediate comment from Karzai about the election results being overturned.

At a news conference to discuss the US troop withdrawals, Karzai was whisked away by advisers and refused to answer questions.

Independent election officials clashed with government officials and the special court in February, with the attorney general’s office threatening to arrest election officials if they did not hand over ballot boxes. The internationally funded Independent Election Commission (IEC), which ran the poll and conducted the first count, was not available for comment, with calls going unanswered.

Karzai is known to be unhappy with the make-up of the new parliament after the September vote. While not united, the new parliament could yield a more vocal and coherent opposition bloc to challenge Karzai, unlike previous assemblies. —Reuters

International FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

China causes frustration among Vietnamese HANOI: Negative editorials recently published in a Chinese Communist Party newspaper have heightened tensions with Vietnam amid a nasty row over territory in the South China Sea claimed by both nations, a Vietnamese official said yesterday. Editorials published by the Global Times are “complicating the situation” and have “hurt the feelings of the Vietnamese people,” Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga told journalists at a regular briefing. The editori-

als reminded Vietnamese policymakers to “read your history” and that “China has the absolute might to crush the naval fleets sent from Vietnam.” The communist neighbors have been locked in a heated spat since last month when Vietnamese and Chinese boats clashed in the first of two incidents.

Vietnam accuses China of hindering oil exploration by cutting a cable used to conduct seismic surveys 200 nautical miles off its central coast, which Hanoi claims as its

economic exclusive zone. China says Vietnamese boats illegally entered waters it claims near the Spratly islands and endangered fishermen’s lives. Nga said rare protests held for the past three Sundays in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the result of a “big frustration” China’s actions have caused among Vietnamese.

Demonstrations are typically quashed quickly in Vietnam, but the recent protesters have been permitted to assemble and march through the streets chanting “Down

With China!” Last week, Vietnam held livefire naval drills off its central coast. China announced a few days later that it also recently held similar maneuvers in the South China Sea without providing exact dates.

Vietnam and China have a long history of scrapes on the contested high seas, often involving the believed resource-rich Spratly and Paracel islands. They are claimed all or in part by both countries and several other Asian nations. — AP

NZ offers to pay 5,000 to leave quake-hit homes WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s government said yesterday that it will offer to pay thousands of homeowners to leave areas of the country’s second-largest city that were hardest hit by recent earthquakes. Christchurch was struck by a magnitude-7.1 earthquake last September and a devastating magnitude-6.3 quake in February that killed 181 people and crippled much of the city. The government said that, over the coming weeks, it will offer to pay about 5,000 Christchurch homeowners to leave and have their homes razed, with certain swaths of land remaining too unstable for rebuilding. The future of an additional 10,000 homes, many of which may also need to be destroyed, is still being assessed.

The government estimated the cost of moving the first 5,000 homeowners at up to $500 million, even after insurance clawbacks. Prime Minister John Key said the total cost of the earthquakes amounted to more than $15 billion - about 8 percent of the country’s annual economy. He compared that with Hurricane Katrina, saying the damage from that disaster amounted to about 1 percent of the US annual economy.

Key said recent months have been tough for residents of Christchurch, which continues to be rattled by large aftershocks. “The people want to know what the future holds, and they’ve been through so much and shown such great resilience,” he said at a news conference in Christchurch.

He emphasized that yesterday’s

announcement did not signal an end of efforts to help the city bounce back from the quakes. “The government remains fully committed to rebuilding Christchurch,” he said.

Officials also said they have divided the city into four zones: red, orange, white and green. Red indicates homes will likely be destroyed and the land won’t be rebuilt upon any time soon. Orange means homes may need to be destroyed and land cleared. White indicates officials are still assessing the land, and green means the land has been given the all-clear sign and people can begin to rebuild or repair their homes.

Much of the so-called red zone is clustered around the Avon river, which winds through the city’s Eastern suburbs toward the central city. Under the scheme’s plan, red zone homeowners will get offers for their homes within the next 10 weeks.

The plan only covers those who have homeowners’ insurance. For those who accept the offer, the government will pay them immediately to walk away, then take over their insurance claims and try and claw back some of the money from the insurance companies.

Home owners have nine months to decide whether to accept the government’s offer or to continue seeking redress through private insurers.

Those who choose to stay are likely to be forced off their land. Officials said they would come up with another plan for the few owners who lacked insurance. — AP

CHRISTCHURCH: A photo taken on February 22, 2011 shows a collapsed house in a suburb of Christchurch following a deadly earthquake that killed 181 people. —AFP

OLKIUOTO: This picture taken on May 11, 2011, shows two giant steam generators and a reactor pressure vessel in the OL3, the first so-called third generation reactor, on Olkiluoto island around 100 kilometres north of Turku. —AFP

Japan nuke plant struggles with contaminated water Plant to be fully functioning next month TOKYO : A system to treat contaminated water that is impeding repairs at Japan’s damaged nuclear power plant is not performing as well as hoped but should be functioning fully next month, a government official said yesterday. Since the March 11 tsunami, workers have cooled the reactors and spent fuel by pumping fresh water, which becomes contaminated with radiation. About 110,000 tons of tainted water have accumulated, threatening to leak into the sea and posing health risks and logistical hurdles to the workers struggling to make repairs at the plant.

“The contaminated water problem is the biggest barrier right now,” said Goshi Hosono, director of the government’s nuclear crisis task force. “We are anxious to stabilize the treatment system one way or the other.” Problems were expected along the way, he said, but added that he wanted to get the system fully operational by

the end of June and running stably by mid-July. “The water treatment system is a key step toward bringing the reactors to cold shutdowns,” he said. The plant operator and the government’s goal for cold shutdown is early January.

Workers at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant have struggled to get the treatment system fully operational before the tainted water overflows. It’s estimated that could happen in early July.

The contaminated water has hampered work to install a sustainable cooling system at the reactors.

Unit 1 is close to that stage, but the other two reactors have fallen behind due to high radiation or large amounts of debris.

The water treatment system involves parts from around the world.

Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi have developed oil- and saltremoval components, but a trial run Wednesday of a component developed by Kurion Inc.

of the United States only reduced the level of radioactive cesium to one-tenth of what had been expected, TEPCO spokesman Junichi Matsumoto said.

A component made by French nuclear giant Areva SA also underperformed, he said.

The treatment system was halted last week when a cartridge reached its limit of radioactive cesium after only five hours, not several weeks as expected.

After cleaning and adjustments, the system is being tested and has intermittently processed nearly 2,000 tons of water, Matsumoto said.

Hosono said the system was assembled in a rush and problems were not surprising since the system has never been tested in an environment as severe as Fukushima Dai-ichi. He said he also has instructed TEPCO to secure extra tanks as emergency storage for the water to keep it from leaking into the ocean. — AP

Business FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011

Oil around $114 on dollar strength

Boeing sees 20-yr global jet market worth $4 trln PAGE 23

PAGE 24

ATHENS: A couple sits next to Syntagma square on June 15, 2011 during a demonstration near the parliament in Athens. Thousands of protesters ringed the Greek parliament building yesterday as the government tried to push through its emergency package inside and a general strike paralysed the country. A Greek government lawmaker quit over his party’s unpopular austerity policies as Prime Minister George Papandreou was to name a new government to deal with the country’s debt crisis. — AFP

Greek debt crises deepens EU urges bailout compromise

BRUSSELS: European leaders yesterday urged a compromise be found on a second bailout for Greece as time ran short to avoid a default and the government in Athens plunged into political disarray.

Despite Athens hurtling towards a potential default as early as next month, talks on a new 105-billion-euro ($150 billion) bailout broke down this week over how to get the private sector to contribute alongside taxpayers. Ministers from the 17-nation eurozone are set return to the negotiating table Sunday in Luxembourg to take a fresh stab at a solution. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the European Union executive yesterday each called for compromises to reach a deal.

“What we need more than anything today is unity. We must leave behind national quarrels to rediscover our sense of a common destiny,” said the French leader, who meets today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the eurozone debt crisis.

Mindful of German taxpayer sentiment,

Merkel heads a group of eurozone nations bent on pressing private investors to contribute up to a third of the rescue funds by accepting later repayment on Greek bonds.

Sarkozy on the other hand backs the European Central Bank (ECB) and European Commission, which want the private sector to contribute on a “voluntary” basis to avoid causing a default that would shake the whole eurozone. “Without the euro, there is no Europe and without Europe there is no possible peace and stability,” Sarkozy said. “We have no right to damage the euro.”

Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn also urged European decision-makers to put aside differences “at this critical juncture.”

He said he was confident eurozone finance ministers would agree at meetings Sunday and Monday on the disbursement of the latest, 8.7-billion-euro tranche of Greece’s first 110-billion-euro bailout as well as the outline of the new rescue package.

“I call on all EU decision-makers, and more

particularly the finance ministers of the euro area next Sunday, to overcome the remaining differences and come to a responsible agreement at this critical juncture,” Rehn said in a statement.

He said agreements on the details of the new rescue package would be pushed back to a eurozone meeting on July 11.

“This will avoid the default scenario and pave the way for an agreement on the medium-term strategy,” said Rehn.

“It has been difficult, but I strongly believe that with this two-step approach, in agreement with IMF, we can avoid any accident scenario. “It means that the funding of the Greek sovereign debt can now be ensured until September, while we take the decisions for the medium-term, beyond September, in July,” he added.

An EU diplomatic source underlined to AFP that the detail of that medium-term financing deal could actually wait until September. A senior IMF official said the glob-

al lender stood ready to offer further support.

“The situation changed very dramatically in the last 24 hours,” said Min Zhu in Paris.

“We are working extremely hard on this issue. We are ready to provide support... It’s an absolutely important issue today for Greece, for Europe and for the whole global economy.” Rehn though warned that while time could be bought over the summer, responsibility also fell on the shoulders of the Greek authorities and its political leaders.

“We expect the Greek parliament to endorse the economic reform programme as agreed by the end of June,” he said.

Prime Minister George Papandreou is facing growing disarray in the ranks of his PASOK socialist party as he tries to reshuffle his government and seek a vote of confidence on further austerity measures needed as part of the international bailout. Rehn said it was “regrettable” that efforts to build national unity around the reforms had failed. “The next days will be critical,” he warned. — AFP

Business FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Gasoline firms on spot buying, Iraq tender eyed DUBAI: Pockets of demand from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia kept gasoline premiums firm in the Middle East Gulf this week, while traders awaited the results of an Iraqi tender. “I think the market is reasonably perky at the moment,” one gasoline trader said.

“Pakistan is buying more, Sri Lanka has bought more and Indian public sector refineries are buying more.

Saudis are also in the market,” he said.

Pakistan has stepped up its spot purchases since early this month, when its Attock Refinery began maintenance that is expected to last about a month. Saudi Arabia, a major gasoline buyer in the region, is still buying, traders said, estimating the crude oil export giant was purchasing around two or three cargoes a month.

“There’s good demand in the market, but the supplies are plentiful too,”

one gasoline trader said. “It is not exceptionally strong but it is not as weak as it has been before,” he added. Three traders pegged 95 RON gasoline at around low $110-115 a tonne over benchmark Middle East naphtha quotes, slightly higher than last week’s $100-110 a tonne.

They said that naphtha weakness was the main reason why the spread widened. Asia naphtha prices have been depressed by ample supplies and weak demand after a cracker outage in Taiwan’s Formosa, Asia’s biggest naphtha buyer.

Traders awaited the result of a tender by Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO) to buy up to 1.3 million tonnes of gasoline. The deadline for bids was earlier this week. But SOMO, which has changed the specifications of the tender several times,

has not awarded, traders said. “SOMO didn’t like the prices, they want lower and lower, almost the same as their previous contract prices, which is not going to happen,” a second gasoline trader said. “They’re not in a rush.

They can easily supply (Iraqi customers) for the whole July,” the first trader added.

Years of underivestment left Iraq dependant on imports for fuel. But poor port infrastructure means it ends up lifting much less than contracted volumes.

Premiums for low sulphur gas oil remained sluggish with demand weak despite the peak summer demand season. Kenya was among the regular East African buyers, buying around 150,000 tonnes of gas oil. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), a buyer of gas oil particularly during sum-

mer, has been absent from the market. “The demand’s not so strong, it is not like a normal summer,” one middle distillates trader said.

He added premiums for low sulphur gas oil, also known as 500 ppm, were around $3 a barrel, compared with $2.50 to $3 a barrel last week.

The Fujairah fuel oil market continued to be well supplied.

“We don’t see any tightness in Fujairah at the moment,” one fuel oil trader said. “Bunker premiums much lower than Singapore,” he said, adding that they were flat to negative. Oil major BP bought its second high-viscosity, high-density fuel oil cargo from Saudi Arabia, two weeks after purchasing its first parcel in nearly three years, traders said. In jet fuel, Pakistan bought at least 50,000 tonnes at lower premiums. — Reuters

Aramco importing six gasoline cargoes for July KHOBAR: State oil giant Saudi Aramco bought another three cargoes of gasoline this week, traders said, bringing the total already secured for delivery next month to six.

“Aramco is buying a cargo every other day, virtually,” a Gulf-based trading source said. “The total for July will be much more than six.” Aramco’s purchases for gasoline to be delivered in July could eventually reach 15 cargoes, or some 500,000 tonnes, a second source said.

“They have bought six (cargoes) already for July delivery and are looking for more,” he said. The sales prices of the cargoes, exact delivery dates and suppliers of the fuel were not immediately available. The kingdom is the world’s largest crude oil exporter but is short of gasoline and relies on imports to meet domestic fuel needs. It typically buys between 60,000-70,000 barrels per day, traders say, with demand usually soaring in summer. The first source said Aramco bought 16 gasoline cargoes for delivery in June. A standard gasoline cargo is 33,000 tones or around 280,000 barrels. One source said a partial shutdown of the 400,000 barrel per day PetroRabigh refinery had also helped spur Aramco buying.

“PetroRabigh has increased their volumes,” a third source said. “And they want to make sure their tanks are full before the Ramadan in August.” The refining and petrochemical complex on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia was shut from April 21 for nearly two months of planned maintenance. PetroRabigh’s high olefin fluid catalytic cracking unit (HOFCC) is expected to be in operation by mid-July. — Reuters

Qatargas to send LNG cargo to Thai PTT terminal DOHA: Qatargas will send a second cargo of liquefied natural gas to commission Thailand’s first LNG import terminal, the company said yesterday. Thai terminal operator PTT has already agreed to buy 1 million tons a year of Qatari LNG from late 2011. But the state-run Thai company needs additional supercooled natural gas to prepare the new Map Ta Phut LNG import facility for the expected start of commercial operations in July.

“Qatargas is very pleased to have agreed to supply two commissioning cargos to Thailand’s first LNG receiving terminal, the first of which has already been delivered,” Qatargas said in an email to Reuters. “We recognize the potential of the Thai market to absorb significant quantities of LNG and Qatargas seeks to further strengthen its relationship with PTT.”— Reuters

BRUSSELS: A statue of a woman which holds the euro symbol is seen at the European Parliament. — AP

Greece meltdown is top issue at EU leaders summit $17 billion bailout installment needed BRUSSELS: Hours before the opening of an European Union summit yesterday, leaders pressured Greek opposition chief Antonis Samaras to back the reform measures demanded in return for more bailout loans for Athens. Samaras has been intransigent in his opposition to the austerity ahead of a parliamentary vote on June 28, even though European countries have said their loans the only thing keeping Greece from default depend on the cuts. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said yesterday that it was “important that no Greek political leader tells the Greek people that they have a shortcut.” However, Samaras quickly dampened hopes for cross-party consensus on the measures.

The current measures “implemented by the Socialist government calls for more taxes in an economy in unprecedented recession,” he said. “We need corrected policy measures to ensure that the economy recovers and that we can pay back our debt.”

Governments sharing the euro currency ear-

lier this week delayed any final decision on new aid for Greece until July 3, when they will know whether the parliament in Athens backs massive new budget cuts, government asset sales and economic reforms.

Without the next $17 billion bailout installment Athens will default in mid-July.

The standoff offered the prospect of a tense two-day summit. “We are now, in fact, living through critical days and weeks,” in the Greek financial meltdown crisis, said EU monetary affairs chief Olli Rehn. Germany said the EU was at a tipping point. “For the first time I have the feeling that we might run the risk of not moving forward anymore but backward,” said German State Minister Werner Hoyer. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will urge leaders to help Greece access billions in EU development funds to create jobs and make its businesses more competitive.

The funds are designed to help underdeveloped regions catch up with richer parts of the 27-nation bloc. About $22 billion is still

available for Greece until 2013, but the country is struggling to prove it can use the funds well and come up with matching financing. However, Barroso’s last-ditch attempt to sweeten the new austerity measures Greece must pass faces serious resistance, as some countries are reluctant to make any concessions to Greece before the parliament vote. “We are ready to look into it in a constructive way, how we can do something in a wise manner?” said a German government official. “But the precondition is that the austerity measures pass the Greek parliament before.” The official declined to be named in line with department policy.

Other, poorer countries are likely to frown at easing the rules for just one country. Leaders will also take another look at finance ministers’ decision to ask banks and other private creditors to share the burden of a second massive bailout for Greece, on top of the $158 billion the country was granted a year ago.— AP

Business FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Airbus trounces Boeing with another record order LE BOURGET: Airbus is trouncing Boeing in the race to be the world’s biggest plane maker, claiming over $72 billion dollars worth of orders and commitments at the Paris Air Show, where the popularity of its new fuel-efficient jets twice broke records for the largest order ever.

Airbus’ success cast a long shadow over Chicago-based Boeing, which recorded only $22 billion in orders and commitments, and raised questions over the US planemaker’s ability to compete in a market dominated by concerns over high fuel

Over $72 billion of orders and commitments prices. Airbus CEO Tom Enders and AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes signed off yesterday on an $18.5 billion order for 200 of Airbus’ new A320neo aircraft, which has proven to be the star of the aviation industry’s premier event.

The order is the largest ever, eclipsing the previous record set just Wednesday by another A320neo customer, Asian carrier IndiGo. Airlines often negotiate dis-

counts on large deals. The announcement was made at the Paris Air Show, where Airbus has cashed in on airlines’ desire to reduce sky-high fuel costs and cut their carbon dioxide emissions.

Airbus says the A320neo is 15 percent more fuel efficient than rival aircraft like Boeing’s 737. The AirAsia deal capped an impressive four days for the European jet maker, which booked orders and com-

mitments for 730 aircraft from 16 customers.

Enders left open the possibility that the tally could climb higher before the air show ends on Sunday. “The show’s not over yet,” he said. Airbus’ success increases the pressure on its US rival to respond to the challenge with either a revamped version of its own 737 or an entirely new aircraft.

Boeing says it will make that deci-

sion in the coming months, but meanwhile Airbus continues to rack up orders for the A320neo. Rival Boeing said it recorded orders and commitments for 142 aircraft worth $22 billion at catalog prices during the air show. That includes a commitment from an undisclosed customer for its hulking new 747-8 InterContinental’s worth $4.7 billion. Boeing played down the orders rivalry, saying it doesn’t keep deals in reserve just to announce them at air shows. — AP

Polluters winners from carbon scheme

EU carbon prices have fallen 25 percent in three weeks

PARIS: The Dassault-made Rafale performs a demonstration flight during the 49th Paris Air Show, at Le Bourget airport. — AP

IEA: Countries to release 60M barrels of oil PARIS: Twenty-eight countries have agreed to release 60 million barrels of crude oil to the market to offset disruptions prompted by Libya’s war and stave off a possible spike in energy prices, the International Energy Agency announced yesterday.

The Paris-based agency warned that the release was in response to an “imminent threat of shortfall,” according to Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka, which could undermine the nascent global economic recovery.

“Today, for the third time in the history of the International Energy Agency, our member countries have decided to release stocks,” he said. The release was a pre-emptive move to prevent a sudden spike in prices like the one in 2008, which helped set off a global increase in food prices as well, Tanaka said. The 60 million barrels is a mere fraction of the more than 4 billion barrels of reserves held by the IEA. Tanaka said allocation of the oil will be by member consumption, with the United States providing half, Europe 30 percent and members in Pacific Ocean the remaining 20 percent.

The IEA statement said the normal increase in demand over the summer “will exacerbate the shortfall further” and that pledges by oil producers to boost output will take a while to have an effect. “Our stock is intended to compliment the actions of these key producers, bridging this gap and removing the risk of any short term shortages as demand rises,” added Tanaka.

The 28 members of the IEA - mainly oil-importing countries in Europe - will make 2 million barrels a day available from their emergency stocks over an initial period of 30 days.

Months of fighting in Libya have removed 132 million barrels of light, sweet crude oil from the market by the end of last month, the agency estimated. Oil prices tumbled to below $93 a barrel yesterday due to concerns that US economic growth and crude demand will weaken this year. Strong demand from emerging markets helped crude rise to almost $115 early last month.

Demand growth in China, the world’s second-largest oil consumer, remains robust but has slipped slightly in recent months. — AP

LONDON: A European plan to raise funds for clean energy has backfired spectacularly, helping trigger a rout on its carbon trading scheme, and so cutting available green funds and benefiting polluting coal plants. Additional causes for the latest sell-off included eurozone woes over Greece, and an EU efficiency directive announced this week which could send carbon emissions lower.

The EU’s emissions trading scheme has endured a slew of damaging scandals from its launch in 2005, including VAT fraud, the re-sale of used credits, phishing scams and cyber-theft. Most importantly, the scheme which is supposed to cap the carbon emissions of about 11,000 factories and power plants has seen a permanent surplus of permits called EU allowances (EUAs) since its launch in 2005.

That glut, partly a result of a financial crisis which cut economic output and pollution, is just about to get worse thanks to a European Commission plan

to sell an extra 300 million permits on the market to raise funds for green energy projects. Carbon prices have been sent a quarter lower in the past three weeks, largely because of the plan, traders say. That drop in carbon costs has sent the profit margins of polluting British coal plants up more than a tenth.

“Certainly this should push more coal plants into merit,” said Barclays Capital carbon analyst Trevor Sikorski. The more profitable a coal-fired power plant, the higher it rises in a merit order for example compared with gas.

Meanwhile the carbon price drop has cut the value of the clean energy fund, if the EUAs were auctioned yesterday, to 4 billion euros from 5.4 billion euros on May 31. Polluters have already benefited from the emissions trading scheme to the tune of tens of billions of euros since 2005, from a combination of selling surplus EUAs that they did not need and passing on to consumers the cost of permits which they got for free. Ten individual polluting companies in 2010 accu-

mulated a combined EUA surplus worth over 4 billion euros, the Sandbag green lobby group said on Monday.

GLUT Continuing low prices could further undermine the usefulness of the EU’s flagship climate change scheme in curbing emissions. The carbon fund is meant to raise money from selling 300 million extra EUAs before the end of 2012, especially to help fund carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects which trap carbon emissions from power plants and bury these underground. EUA prices dropped over 10 percent yesterday, to their lowest since April 2010, as jitters over the extra glut hit the start of a seasonal summer slump in buying, driving record volumes in a sell-off on the main CO2 exchange.

Other reasons for the sell-off included the macroeconomic outlook, specifically the prospect of a Greek default, and concern that a proposed EU efficiency directive may drive EUA demand lower. — Reuters

Gulf markets down on low buying interest; Egypt up DUBAI/CAIRO: Lack of buying interest weighed on Gulf markets yesterday, while investors in Egypt digested news of a planned narrowerthan-expected budget deficit and its possible impact on the country’s economy. Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties dragged down the emirate’s index after Moody’s cut its credit rating by two notches.

The developer fell 3.7 percent. Abu Dhabi’s benchmark retreated 0.6 percent, down for a third session since Sunday’s near eight-month high. Volumes slumped to a two-week low, showing a lack of investor interest after index compiler MSCI delayed its verdict on upgrading UAE and Qatar markets.

Dubai’s index slipped 0.8 percent, extending declines for a second session since the MSCI announcement. Most stocks were down. Bellwether Emaar Properties slipped 1.3 percent, Dubai Financial

MIDEAST STOCKS Market fell 3.3 percent and Arabtec slid 3.1 percent. In Kuwait’s, the benchmark eased 0.2 percent, ending down in four of six sessions in thin trading. Gulf Finance House weighed, falling 2.9 percent.

“It’s the usual summer doldrums, most people are away on holiday-that’s affecting low turnover in the market,” said Shahid Hameed, Global Investment House head of asset management for the Gulf region. “There is very limited activity and no news flow as such to excite anybody.” In Egypt, Finance Minister Samir Radwan on Wednesday reined in his plans for state expenditure in 2011/12 and lowered the official budget deficit estimate to 8.6 percent from 11 percent. Some analysts said the decision could be negative for the market because state-led stimulus to

the recession-hit economy might be less than hoped.

Others disagreed. “It gives an indication that the economy has moved up the scale as a priority for the ruling army council,” said Osama Mourad, CEO of Arab Finance Brokerage. “It also ensures that Egypt does not approach a level of budget deficit that could put the country at any risk.” The index, which on Monday reached its highest level since an uprising against President Hosni Mubarak began in January, ended up 0.1 percent. Talaat Moustafa rose 0.5 percent, and Commercial International Bank slipped 0.6 percent.

Pioneers jumped 6.5 percent and Egyptian Resorts gained 6.2 percent. Citadel Capital fell 1.8 percent and El Sewedy Electric 1.6 percent. “The market is in a hesitant mood this week because of the

absence of local news coupled with the negative news coming from Greece ... but I have a very positive outlook,” said Mourad. Markets in Qatar, Oman and Bahrain ended largely flat.

Yesterday’s highlights: Abu Dhabi The index slipped 0.6 percent to 2,717 points.

Dubai The index fell 0.8 percent to 1,537 points.

Kuwait The measure eased 0.2 percent to 6,264 points.

Egypt The measure gained 0.1 percent to 5,480 points.

Qatar The benchmark eased 0.04 percent to 8,214 points.

Oman The index slipped 0.03 percent to 6,004 points.

Bahrain The measure inched up 0.03 percent to 1,339 points — Reuters

Business FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Nissan expecting 15% drop in profit this year YOKOHAMA: Nissan is forecasting a 15.4 percent drop in profit for the fiscal year through March 2012 because of production disruptions from the March quake and an unfavorable exchange rate. But the Japanese automaker is expecting to sell more cars around the world, despite the disaster in northeastern Japan that battered production earlier this year at 4.6 million vehicles, up 9.9 percent on year - underscoring Nissan’s resilience.

“Continuous growth in 2011 will bring Nissan a new record volume,” Nissan President and Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said yesterday. “The unrelenting work ethic of Nissan employees is an inspiration, particularly after one of the worst natural disaster in modern history.” Nissan Motor Co., Japan’s No. 2 automaker after Toyota Motor Corp., said yesterday that its profit will drop to $3.4 billion for the fiscal year through March 2012 from 319 billion yen the previous fiscal year. Sales are expected to edge up 7.1 percent to 9.4 $117.5 billion.

Nissan, allied with Renault SA of France, said it expects to sell more vehicles the fiscal year ending March 2012 in all major global regions. Its vehicle sales are expected to grow 1.7 percent in Japan, 6.8 percent in North America, 10.4 percent in Europe and 12.3 percent in China, it said. The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric vehicle and Infiniti luxury models said production had been disrupted by a parts shortage after the March quake and tsunami destroyed key suppliers. But it has mostly recovered and will be back to normal by October, according to Nissan.

If the disaster had not happened, Nissan could have expected to do even better for the current fiscal year, said Nissan executive Joji Tagawa. Hurting its bottom line were the strong yen and the rising cost of raw materials, he said. The strong yen erased 135 billion yen ($1.7 billion) from Nissan’s operating profit, and Tagawa said Nissan could have forecast being in the black if it weren’t for that damage. The rise in material costs remains a risk this year, as do worries about a global slowdown and an electricity shortage in Japan after nuclear power plants were either damaged or shut down after the March 11 disaster. Japanese automakers are going to produce cars on weekends and take Thursdays and Fridays off to avoid blackouts from a power crunch.

Still, Nissan is seeing opportunities for growth, such as strong sales in emerging markets. Like other Japanese automakers, Nissan did not give its forecasts when it released earnings last month because of uncertainties about the quake. —AP

AirAsia announces $18 billion order with Airbus PARIS: Malaysian airline AirAsia ordered a record 200 medium-haul Airbus A320neo passenger jets yesterday, a deal with a catalogue price of $18.2 billion both firms announced at the Paris air show. “It is the largest single order for Airbus in terms of numbers of aircraft,” Airbus chairman Thomas Enders told reporters at the Le Bourget aerodrome as he stood next to AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes.

The order makes the Malaysian low-cost pioneer Airbus’ biggest customer, with a total of 375 planes on order from the France-based planemaker and 89 A320s already in service.

Fernandes said this week that AirAsia had already placed an order for 175 A320s which will be fully delivered by 2015 but to meet its expansion plans in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam it needed another 200 aircraft.

AirAsia’s current 93-strong fleet serves about 160 routes in Asia, making over 520 flights daily from hubs in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Fernandes had said earlier that this would be a “big day” for his company at the trade show at the Le Bourget aerodrome north of Paris, as rumors spread he was about to announce a record plane purchase. “Look where I am. Big day for AirAsia,” he announced on Twitter, alongside a link to a picture of the Eiffel Tower.

European defence group EADS, Airbus’ parent company, rose nearly 2.0 percent after news of the AirAsia order. Airbus was due to give a press conference yesterday, the last trade day of the show before the doors are thrown open to the public today, to summarize a week in which it has won billions of dollars in orders. The A320neo is an upgraded and more fuelefficient variant of the single-aisle workhorse A320, and it has emerged as the star of the Paris air show with hundreds of orders. The medium-haul market is the most important of the industry and will likely account for nearly half of all commercial plane sales by value over the next 20 years, according to Airbus rival Boeing, which makes the rival 737 series. —AFP

Global stocks hit by Fed’s US economy warning LONDON: A downbeat assessment of the US economy from the Federal Reserve hit global stocks yesterday, while the euro faltered ahead of a meeting of EU leaders where Greece’s debt troubles are likely to dominate talks. Market sentiment, which is fragile ahead of next Tuesday’s crucial parliamentary vote in Greece on more austerity cuts, was knocked by a warning from Fed chief Ben Bernanke that the problems plaguing the US economy “may be stronger and more persistent” than originally thought. However, with inflation at relatively high levels, Bernanke gave no indications that the central bank is likely to provide more monetary stimulus after the current $600 billion program runs out at the end of the month. “Last night’s sobering words from Bernanke confirmed the fears of many in the market - the economic recovery remains fragile and there’s no further stimulus package coming along for the time being,” said Yusuf Heusen, senior sales trader at IG Index.

Bernanke’s comments, delivered after the Fed kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at near zero percent, hit share prices on Wall Street, with losses carrying through into the Asian and European sessions. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.9 percent at 5,720 while Germany’s DAX fell 1.2 percent to 7,193.

The CAC-40 in France was 1.2 percent lower at 3,823. Wall Street was poised for modest declines at the open - Dow futures were down 0.4 percent at 11,981 while Standard & Poor’s 500 futures fell 0.5 percent to 1,274. European stocks have underperformed after figures indicated that the recovery in the eurozone was running out of steam.

The monthly composite purchasing managers index from financial information company Markit fell to 53.6 in June from 55.8. The index, a broad gauge of economic activity, is now at its lowest level since October 2009 after three straight falls. “The current uncertainty about the outcome of the Greek sovereign debt crisis, with daily advances and setbacks, is damaging to the economy,” said Marie Diron, senior economic adviser at Ernst & Young. “Financial markets remain under intense pressure as they face the possibility of very large losses should a disorderly default happen.” Investors all round the world will be keeping a close watch on developments in Brussels, where leaders from the 27 EU countries are gathering for a regular summit.

Greece’s debt crisis is likely to be one of the main discussion points ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliamentary vote in Athens. If lawmakers in Athens pass a further 28 billion euros in budget cuts

NEW YORK CITY: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s news conference is seen on a television screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange yesterday. —AP and new taxes and back a 50 billion euro privatization program, then the eurozone countries will hand over $17billion in bailout funds that Greece needs to avoid bankruptcy in mid-July. “The EU summit is also going to keep investors alert in case there is any definitive line made on Greece, the next tranche of loans or what a second bailout may look like,” said Joshua Raymond at City Index.

The Greek backdrop continued to keep traders in the currency markets on edge, with the euro down 0.5 percent at $1.4247.

Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.3 percent lower at 9,596.74,

while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.5 percent to 21,759.14. Chinese shares bucked the trend, with the Shanghai Composite Index up 1.5 percent to 2,688.25 and the Shenzhen Composite Index gaining 2.1 percent to 1,111.18.

Shares in cement, glass and furniture rallied due to government plans for massive construction of public housing. In the oil markets, prices fell alongside stocks. Benchmark oil for August delivery was down $1.86 to $93.55 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract gained $1.24 to settle at $95.41 on Wednesday. —AP

China’s Wen heads to Europe, worried by debt crisis, trade HONG KONG: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao heads to debt-stricken Europe seeking to safeguard China’s vast holdings of eurodenominated assets as Greece teeters on the brink of default and preserve trade growth with its largest trading partner. A senior diplomat stressed ahead of the June visit, which commences today, to Hungary, Britain and Germany that China’s vital interests are at stake if Europe cannot resolve its debt crisis, given that an estimated quarter of its $3.05 trillion foreign reserves are in eurodenominated assets.

“Greece’s problems are very serious so Wen Jiabao’s visit can help illustrate China’s confidence (in the region),” said Ding Zhijie, a professor with the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. “It can also help China better assess the current situation in Europe to finesse their policies and clarify their future role in Europe’s debt crisis.” Keen to diversify its assets and the world’s largest stockpile of foreign currency reserves away from the US dollar, China is torn between an obligation to safeguard its euro-denominated assets through new investments and

not wanting to saddle itself with excessive risk.

But Wang He, a researcher with the Institute of European Studies at top government think tank the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it was important Europe did not put too many unrealistic hopes in what China could deliver. “You can’t expect China to be your saviour,” Wang said. “We can help you, but you must help yourself by reforming.” Since euro zone debt worries first rippled through markets last year, China has repeatedly said it has confidence in the single-currency region and pledged to buy debt issued by some of its troubled member states. Raffaello Pantucci, a Shanghai-based China programme associate at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that while China could play a critical role in buying distressed euro debt, it was unlikely Wen would announce a “game-changing purchase” of debt Europeans might be looking for. “The Chinese are quite pragmatic. At the end of the day, I don’t think they are in the business of giving their money away,” he told Reuters. —Reuters

Business FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

G20 closing in on farm deal, regulation divisive PARIS: G20 members were on the verge of inking an agreement yesterday to curb volatility in food prices that would likely tread carefully on divisive issues like regulation and biofuels. The final wording of the agreement was still to be decided by ministers who were locked in a last morning session after late-night talks yielded progress at the first-ever farm meeting of the Group of 20 major economies.

France has taken a hard stance on negotiations in recent days, saying it would not sign a watered-down agreement as it pushed for an ambitious deal that would boost President Nicolas Sarkozy’s profile 10 months before a new presidential election. However, the proposed text would be weaker than initially proposed on issues like the role of biofuels and the use of emergency food reserves, several sources said. “It is agreed at the working level but ministers are ministers so they will still have a debate today,” one source close to the talks told Reuters.

A source close the French G20 presi-

dency said the wording of the G20 communique was “still evolving” and that ministers had several versions to review on the key sticking point of market regulation, which has notably pitched France against Britain. “The point of regulation is in the communique and the stance is tough,” the French source said. World food prices hit a record high earlier this year, reviving memories of soaring prices in 2007-2008 that sparked riots in developing countries, and giving fresh urgency to debate about how to improve a global food system that leaves some 925 million people hungry.

PROGRESS ON AID SUPPLIES Late-night discussions have brought clearer progress on excluding humanitarian aid from export restrictions, a third source close to the talks said yesterday. “I would say the biggest breakthrough was on export restrictions and information,” the source said. “Last night countries agreed very late around midnight that they would no longer use export restric-

US crude oil slips below $94 a barrel; Brent under $111 LONDON: North Sea Brent crude oil fell more than $3 per barrel yesterday as concerns over the prospects for global economic growth and fuel demand overshadowed a surprise draw in gasoline stockpiles in the world’s top consumer, the United States.

Commodities and stock markets dropped across the board after the Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut its growth forecasts for the world’s biggest economy. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke offered no hint the US central bank was considering any more stimulus to accelerate growth, a move that disappointed many commodity investors and weighed on markets from gold to oil. The dollar rose against other major currencies, putting further pressure on oil, which often moves inversely to the US currency.

Brent fell $3.16 to a low of $111.05 a barrel before recovering to trade around $111.30 by 0946 GMT, after settling $3.26 a barrel higher at $114.21 on Wednesday. US oil slipped $2.13 to a low of $93.28. “The Federal Reserve has confirmed that the economy is slowing,” said Christophe Barret, global oil analyst for French bank Credit Agricole. “Demand for oil is slowing and oil at these levels is still very expensive.”

“All the factors are negative: quantitative easing is coming to an end, we are seeing a Q2 slowdown, Chinese data is poor, inflation is rising. Everything is pushing prices down.” Jonathan Barratt, managing director of Commodity Broking Services, was also negative on the short-term outlook, saying the Fed comments suggested there was little prospect of much higher growth for a long time.

“Growth, in terms of employment and the economy, will remain stagnant for some time and that is not a good thing,” he said. Weak Chinese data also sapped prices, analysts said. China’s factory-sector growth was close to stalling in June even as price pressures eased, reflecting the impact of tightening in monetary policy and slack global demand. The Federal Reserve estimated the US economy should grow 2.7 percent to 2.9 percent this year, down from a range of 3.1 to 3.3 percent forecast in April. It also cut its 2012 growth forecast to a range of 3.3 percent to 3.7 percent.

Oil rose 3 percent on Wednesday, boosted by data showing a drop in US crude and a surprise draw in gasoline inventories.

Gasoline inventories unexpectedly dropped 464,000 barrels to 214.6 million barrels, compared with predictions of a 1 million barrel build, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration’s weekly report. Crude stocks fell 1.7 million barrels as refinery utilization increased by the most since December to hit a ten-month high. Yesterday, markets watched for data on jobless benefit claims due at 1230 GMT. More importantly, they looked for signs of how the broader economy is faring, with the final estimate of the nation’s first quarter real GDP due today.

Analysts say oil is also likely to remain under pressure due to uncertainty surrounding Greece and the broader euro zone debt crisis, which has raised questions over the outlook for European economic growth. — Reuters

tions on food destined for humanitarian aid,” the same source added, saying G20 members committed to getting the deal approved under World Trade Organisation rules.

Brazil, a major producer of sugar-based ethanol, has been staunchly opposed to suggestions biofuels contribute to rising food prices, while the United States has been sceptical on the idea of developing food stocks for humanitarian purposes.

“There will be some sentences about biofuels but these will be about the need for more studies, research, not really trying to introduce a drastic new approach,” said a fourth source, who was involved in last night’s discussions.

Consensus is seen as stronger on proposals tabled to improve transparency in agricultural markets through a global database, although the final text may acknowledge concerns of China and India in providing data for their vast territories. France is still keen to crown agreement on these areas with firm proposals for regulating

agricultural commodity derivatives, but partners like Britain remain opposed to stringent controls on financial markets.

Sarkozy urged G20 farm ministers on Wednesday to adopt France’s proposed action plan, including a tough line on speculators whom he blames for driving up food prices and fuelling political upheaval in some countries. “A market that is not regulated is not a market but a lottery where fortune favours the most cynical instead of rewarding work, investment and value creation,” he said. European wheat prices tumbled 7 percent on Wednesday amid signs of intense competition on export markets, giving fresh evidence of market volatility which France sees as not justified by physical supply-and-demand factors.

Britain, home to Europe’s biggest financial market hub, has played down the role of speculation in market upheavals, putting the focus on raising farm production and passing on the sticky issue of regulation to G20 finance ministers. — Reuters

Saab running out of cash No money to pay employees’ wages

STOCKHOLM: Saab’s owner said yesterday that it doesn’t have the money to pay employees’ wages, deepening the financial crisis that is pushing the struggling Swedish brand ever closer to ruin.

Dutch owner Swedish Automobile, previously known as Spyker Cars, has courted Chinese and Russian investors and put the Saab factory up for sale in its attempts to revive the brand it took over from General Motors Co. last year. But after months of production stoppages and problems with paying suppliers, Saab said the situation is so dire that it won’t be able to pay its 3,700 employees, adding to doubts over how long the brand can survive. “I do not see a future for the car maker in the current position,” said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, an auto analyst at the University of DuisburgEssen.

Analysts have sounded the death knell for Saab several times since Spyker, a small luxury sports car maker, bought it from GM last year for $74 million in cash plus $326 million worth of preferred shares. Skeptics questioned how Spyker and its smoothtalking CEO Victor Muller could turn around a car maker that posted loss after loss during GM’s ownership. But every time the company appeared to be on the edge of bankruptcy, Muller came up with a new lifeline. His latest move was lining up two Chinese investors - Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. and Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. - in a deal to make and distribute Saab in China. The deal has not yet been approved by Chinese authorities. Saab spokesman Eric Geers insisted yesterday that the car maker is not headed for bankruptcy.

“We’re saying that we don’t have funding to pay out salaries, but we’re working day and night to find a solution,” he said. “We’re assuming we’ll find a solution.” Swedish Automobile, formerly Spyker, said it is currently in talks with various parties to solve the financial difficulties, but warned that there can be “no assurance that these discussions will be successful, or that the necessary funding will be obtained.” The car factory in Trollhattan, in southwestern

TROLLHATTAN: The Saab sign towers over its factory. Swedish automaker Saab cannot pay its employees their wages for lack of ‘short-term funding,’. — AFP Sweden, has been plagued by production stoppages since March as Saab has struggled to pay suppliers for parts. Saab spokeswoman Gunilla Gustavs said production would be down at least until July 4.

Muller has sought to raise money with a plan to sell Saab’s property _ including the factory _ and leasing it back. Russian investor Vladimir Antonov was lined up as a potential buyer, but hasn’t received the necessary approval from the European Investment Bank,

which last year gave Saab a §400 million loan, that has since been reduced to 280 million euros. The Swedish Debt Office, which also must approve such a plan, hasn’t receive any applications from other potential buyers, spokeswoman Linda Sjoblom said. Hakan Skott, a local union boss in Trollhattan, said the situation “is creating a lot of worries and there are thousands of questions about what will happen now.” Malin Rising in Stockholm contributed to this report. — AP

Paris threatens delay on Draghi as ECB head PARIS: France is threatening to delay the appointment of Italy’s Mario Draghi as the new head of the European Central Bank if a French official is not given a seat on the bank’s executive board, a report said yesterday. At issue is whether an Italian should leave the board to make way for a French official. Draghi’s appointment was due to be formalized before the weekend but the US-based daily the Wall Street Journal cited unnamed French officials as saying that this could be postponed. The officials said the appointment could be pushed back

until Paris gets an assurance that Italy will not have two seats on the ECB’s six-person governing board. France has previously insisted that it fully supported Draghi’s bid to become the next head of the ECB. French officials could not be reached immediately to comment on the report.

Current ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet of France stands down in October and French President Nicolas Sarkozy has insisted that, under an unwritten rule, the major eurozone countries should each have a seat on the ECB board. —AFP

Business FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Golf Marketers go against the grain

The team at Super Stroke golf includes (from left) Darin Dingman, Jon Luna, Bruce Sizemore and Dean Dingman. While many companies make clubs overseas, Super Stroke designs and produces their putters (inset) in the Detroit area. . — MCT

‘Everything else in the golf industry is made in Asia and imported to the US and Europe’

I

n an industry that has made a massive shift to Asia - golf equipment manufacturing - a couple of brothers from Farmington Hills, Michigan, are trying to turn conventional wisdom on its ear. Dean and Darin Dingman say they cannot only compete against global mega-brands such as Nike, Callaway and TaylorMade, they also contend they can peddle a new line of high-end putters designed in Wixom, Mich., and machined in Livonia, to rich golf enthusiasts in South Korea and China.

“Everything else in the golf industry is made in Asia and imported to the US and Europe,” says Dean Dingman, president of Tiger Shark Golf, as he walks through the company’s Wixom headquarters, showing off new designer putters, some with 24-karat gold faces or alligator grips. “This is the opposite.

There’s a growing group of fanatical players in Asia, millionaires, who want something dis-

tinctive. “I think ‘Made in America’ is a strong statement,” Dingman adds. “We’d like to do more of it.” That’s definitely an against-thegrain notion.

Chinese foundries have dominated golf club manufacturing since the 1990s and just last month, a couple of iconic American golf brands - Titleist (balls and clubs) and FootJoy (shoes) - were sold to a South Korean investor group in a $1.2 billion deal. The vast majority of the Dingmans’ products sold under the Tiger Shark and SuperStroke brands are also now manufactured abroad. But Dean Dingman expects sales of about 10,000 this year for a new premium line of SuperStroke putters, designed by fellow Michigander Bruce Sizemore and shaped in a contract milling shop in Livonia. They retail for $299 to $349 each. Dean and Darin Dingman caddied as kids, helped out for a few years at a golf shop

their mother had in California, then returned home to Detroit, selling golf gear for others until developing their own line of inexpensive clubs in 1998 under the Techniques brand. To scale up, in 2000 they bought an established full-line club brand, Tiger Shark, which once had a popular line of oversize-grip putters, but had fallen on hard times.

The Dingmans brought new energy and designs to Tiger Shark clubs and boosted the brand’s wholesale volume by at least 15 percent each year, Dean Dingman says. Then around 2006, in the fad-crazy world of golf, the jumbo fat putter grip made a comeback. A Wisconsin firm made a new jumbo grip called SuperStroke that year and sold it via infomercials on cable TV. South Korean golfer K J Choi, who vaulted to No 14 in the world golf rankings last month after winning the Players Championship,

bought a SuperStroke grip after seeing an infomercial and won a tournament soon after using it in 2007. The Dingmans bought the SuperStroke brand in 2009. Ninety other professional golfers are now using SuperStroke grips, and the new SuperStroke putters are just getting into the hands of pros to try.

Don’t look for SuperStroke drivers anytime soon; SuperStroke will be a short-game specialty brand, used for putters and possibly wedges. And yes, the firm is exploring the possibility of also manufacturing SuperStroke grips - now made in China - in Michigan. Dean Dingman foresees SuperStroke annual sales matching or exceeding current Tiger Shark brand revenue of around $10 million. Not in quite the same league with TaylorMade, Callaway or Ping, but that’s OK with Dingman.

“We’re a niche player in a cottage industry,” he says. — MCT

Opinion FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

DOES ARAB SPRING HERALD A MORE FRAGMENTED MIDEAST? Some observers say political divisions at risk as governments lose power

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he Middle East and North Africa are undergoing a historic change as the Arab Spring empowers the street, forcing long-standing leaders out of office and forcing others to undertake reforms. But some observers say the upheavals raging across the region aren’t the ones that protestors, policy makers or experts are focusing on. Rather than leading the Middle East to democracy or Islamism, the Arab Spring may be splitting the region’s traditional array of nation-states into smaller entities, divided by tribe, religion or ethnicity.

While the mass protests that have shaken the region since the start of the year are usually seen in a national context, the Arab Spring has exposed the fragility of the artificial borders imposed on the Middle East by European powers nearly a century ago. When the dust settles, the map of the New Middle East may be drawn along tribal and ethnic lines.

“I foresee the borders that were the foundation of the Middle Eastern order in the past almost one century - since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire - being redrawn,” says Aluf Benn, editor-at-large for the Israeli daily Ha’aretz.

“Certain states, which aren’t really ethnically or politically united but comprised of different tribes or different ethnic groups fighting for their autonomy or power, will eventually separate.”

The prospect of a fragmented Middle East would present unexpected new dilemmas both for the region and for the West, which for the last three decades has been preoccupied with Islam as the greatest threat to the region’s established order and the need to prop up existing regimes to keep it at bay.

The process of fragmenting began in Iraqi Kurdistan and in Sudan even before the Arab Spring erupted in Tunisia last December.

Kurdistan embarked on the road to quasi-independence from Iraq as far back as 1991, while South Sudan fought a decades-long war with greater Sudan and is slated to become the newest of the world’s 200 countries when it formally declares independence on July 9.

This year, Libya has moved in the same direction, rupturing into tribal-based enclaves while Yemen, a weak state to begin with, has seen central authority collapse and the tribal leaders coming in to fill the vacuum. In Syria, both President Bashar Al-Assad and many outsiders, fear that his ouster might see the country torn apart by religious divisions. When the Second World War ended, there were just 100 independent countries on earth. Today, there are about 200, probably the most at any time in centuries. In his bestseller How to Run the World, Parag Khanna predicts that the number of states will grow to about 300 in the coming decades.

Globalization The growing trend toward smaller political divisions may be a reaction to globalization, says Benn, who suggests that the Arab world is mimicking the Europeans who are witnessing a growth of national divisions in Belgium, Italy and Britain, even as the European Union (EU) tries to impose a pan-European ideal.

“The super-national trends like the EU and like Facebook bring back tribalism,” Benn told The Media Line. “Once nation states have ceded more and more power to the super-national structure of the EU, you see more Scottish nationalism. You see more autonomy of the different states in Italy. You see the rise of this local

tribalism in Europe. It’s easy to solidify your identity, to create your identity with people who live next to you and not with people who share some cultural affinity and so on rather than with this artificial nation state that was there several decades and no more than that,” Benn says.

The political map of the Middle East and North Africa is characterized by suspiciously straight lines. Many of them are the fruit of the division of the Ottoman Empire by the British and French diplomats Sir Mark Sykes and Francois George-Picot during the First World

with many in the region, and has taken on a new, religious guise for Islamists seeking to revive the caliphate. But for most Arabs it’s a passe ideal.

“The nation state idea just like in eastern and central Europe was brought to the Middle East after the First World War. With the breakup of the preexisting order new nations will come to the fore,” Benn says.

Some of the region’s states are more vulnerable than others. Libya is made up of three former Italian colonies built on tribal lines. Jordan is made up of an array of tribes and further divided

isn’t carved up, if Al-Assad falls, we will see more and more demands for ethnic or tribal autonomies. And why not? I don’t see the counter-force besides the West and everybody else trying to keep things the way they were. But I’m not sure it’s worth protecting,” Benn says.

Ibrahim Sarsur, an Israeli Arab legislator from the United Arab List, says he doesn’t believe the Arab Spring is motivated by tribal or religious divisions. But he does accuse the Arab world’s dictators of exploiting people’s fears. “Tribalism is used by the totalitarian regimes of the Arab

Medics and onlookers work to get Libyan rebel fighters who were injured during heavy clashes with proGaddafi forces at the frontline and transported in the back of a truck to a field hospital in Dafniya, Misrata, Libya, June 19, 2011. – AP War. “The British and French foreign ministers signed the treaty between them to divide the Arab world in what they thought would be manageable. Divide and rule,” Professor Munther Dajani, dean of the faculty of Arts at Al-Quds University near Jerusalem, told The Media Line.

“So the French got Syria and Lebanon. The British got Palestine, Trans-Jordan, Iraq and ... the eastern areas of the Arab peninsula. So what we are talking about here are artificial borders,” Dajani says. One only needs to look at the Bani Sader bedouin tribe in Jordan to see just how artificial the borders are. Many have Saudi or Iraqi citizenship since their traditional lands straddle both sides of the international borders.

Pan-Arabism, the ideology espoused by the late Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Baathist Party that dreamed of a day when all Arabs would be united in a single political entity, was the initial reaction to these imposed borders. It was the driving force of Middle East politics in the 1950s and 1960s and led to the brief merger of Egypt and Syria. It remains popular

by the influx of Palestinians from what is now Israel arriving after 1948. Saudi Arabia was formed by conquest in the years after the First World War by the Al-Sauds. Israel’s population is about one-fifth Arab and Israelis are divided over whether to let those Arabs in the West bank and Gaza break off into their own independent Palestinian state.

Fiasco While not all the countries of the region face any immediate threat, one successful division could prompt others, warns Dajani. “It will be a fiasco,” he says. “Because once the breakup starts to take place it will have a domino effect.

Everybody will want to have his state. This is what a lot of people are afraid of; the Balkanization that will take place in the Arab world.”

Benn says Syria is already on its way to unraveling into a melange of ethnic and religious enclaves - Kurds in the north, Alawites in the northwest and Druze in the south. “Even if Syria

world to frighten both those living inside the country and those outside,” Sarsur told The Media Line. “But what’s going on is actually completely different. It’s peaceful resistance against totalitarian regimes.”

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in many ways points up the dilemma’s fragmentation. On the one hand, the two sides are separated by religion, language and economic development; but on the other hand an independent Palestine will struggle economically, especially if it tries to absorb the millions of Palestinians living abroad.

Many Israelis fear a division of the land they share will only encourage Palestinian irredentism. Many also worry that the artificial nature of neighboring states makes signing peace agreements a risky business.

“The rightwing mantra [is] ... that you should not sign any peace deals because you sign it with a regime that tomorrow morning might not be there and probably won’t be there, so all we have to do is to sit tight and wait till it’s over,” Ha’aretz’s Benn says. — Media Line

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011 www.kuwaittimes.net

Lady Gaga poses with a ‘We pray for Japan’ wrist band during a press conference to promote MTV Video Music Aid Japan in Tokyo yesterday. Lady Gaga is in Japan to attend the MTV event to help support people in the tsunami-hit northeastern Japan. — AP (See Page 47)

Te c h n o l o g y FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

I

s this it for the DVD as the delivery system for computer games? More and more players are just downloading the newest titles straight onto their computers. But there are pros and cons to both delivery methods. The download trend isn’t limited to computers. Developers of console gaming systems like the Playstation 3 or the XBox 360 also offer download platforms. In the XBox’s case, the service has been up and running for more than a year.

Demand is increasing, pushing up supply, says Microsoft spokesman Felix Petzel.

Steam is currently one of the most popular distribution platforms for PC games. It was created in 2003 by the makers of the first-person-shooter game Half-Life, says gaming expert Stephan Freundorfer. Customers get almost no price benefit from downloading as opposed to buying a box in the store. But platforms like Steam, Gamesload or Gamesplanet routinely offer sales and deals. Sometimes classic games go for as little as 3 euros (4.35 dollars).

“Download platforms are hugely important in the United States,” says Freundorfer. Many other parts of the world remain more focused on store-brought versions. “A lot of players place a lot of value on the physical box.” And there’s nothing tangible when you download a game. “For some people, it’s hard to pay out 40 to 50 euros and then

have nothing you can hold.”

Nor can you resell a download, says Freundorfer. That’s an important factor for younger people who don’t have a lot of money, but would like a new game from time to time. Of course, that option looks set to be shut down anyway, regardless of downloading. That’s because storebought DVDs also have to be activated the first time a player goes online with them. “After they’re individualized, the game can’t be activated on any other computer,” said Peter Schmitz of the German computer magazine c’t. This restriction exists on about 60 per cent of titles currently on sale.

But it’s impossible to underestimate the desire to have a physical product in your hands, says Petzel. “We think, for that reason, that digital and retail distribution are going to have to exist in parallel form for a long time.” Anyone who can resist the need for something tangible will be able to notice advantages in downloading.

One is that products are immediately available: there’s no messing around with a DVD. Nor do you have to physically go to a store. It would also put an end to long waits in stores - sometimes for hours on end before stores open on the day of a new release. Sometimes portals even have current titles for download before their official release date, says Freundorfer. “That lets you start playing the game at

home one minute after its been officially released.”

Of course, problems can crop up when a network has breakdowns, as seen recently by the massive hacker attacks on Sony’s gaming network. The network was offline for weeks after thieves broke into Playstation’s PSN network and stole account data for millions of users. Small game designers suffer especially from such network problems, which could quickly push them into ruin, says Freundorfer. But there is unlikely to be any move away from the downloading trend.

“Downloading isn’t a trend that affects just certain consoles,” says Schmitz. Even classic publishers are putting more of their products online. “There’s going to be a lot of titles and extras traded exclusively online,” he says.

There’s no getting around the trend because the profit margins are just too lucrative. “Online sales can’t be slowed down.” — dpa

Fo o d FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Everyday cooking

By Sawsan Kazak

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resh figs have unique texture and taste. The dark burgundy skin is the perfect contrast to the soft pinkishwhite interior that is slightly sweet. Figs are usually in season about twice a year, and when they are, I like to put them in all my recipes as well as eat them fresh. In the following recipes, figs add a distinctive earthy taste.

Send your suggestions to: sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

Fresh fig preserves 2 teaspoons baking soda 5 cups fresh figs, stems removed 1 cup water 1 1/2 cups white sugar 5 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 pinch salt, or to taste (optional) 8 half-pint canning jars with lids and rings

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issolve the baking soda in about 2 quarts of cool water, and immerse the figs in the treated water in a large bowl. Gently stir to wash the figs, then drain off the water and rinse the figs thoroughly with fresh cool water. Place the figs into a large pot. Add 1 cup water, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, lemon, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Very gently stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar, keeping the figs intact as much as possible.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medi-

um heat; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the figs are golden brown and coated in syrup, about 1 hour. Stir gently a couple of times to keep the figs from burning onto the bottom of the pot. Add a pinch of salt, if desired, to tame the sweetness.

Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the figs into the hot, sterilized jars and top off with syrup, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue.

Top with lids, and screw on rings.

Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder.

Leave a 2 inch space between the jars.

Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.

Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area, and wait at least 2 days before opening.

Figs facts T

he Egyptians, being preoccupied with their digestion, had a habit of fasting. The fig, having mild laxative properties, appealed to them as food which was delicious as well as good for them. Figs are rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium.

Vitamin C and the B group vitamins are also present in small quantities. They are also high in fibre. Figs have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. A 40 gram (1/4 cup) serving provides 244 mg of potassium (7% of the DV), 53 mg of calcium (6% of the DV) and 1.2 mg of iron (6% of the DV). Figs are fat-free, sodium-free and cholesterol-free.

Ants are great pollinators. Because the fig, actually the flower of the fig tree, attract ants through the small opening in the end of the fruit. The ants go in search of the sweetness offered, picking up pollen on their feet.

This is brought to the next fruit.

The trade caravan routes of old spread figs far and wide, although possibly not as far and wide as the bird population of the world has managed to do over the centuries, with their propensity for eating the seeds through one end and popping them out of the other end with a little dose of fertilizer to ensure their survival in a new place. (www.inmamaskitchen.com)

Fo o d FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Turkey breast with

figs

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Spinach salad with and feta cheese

figs

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon honey 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 pound spinach, stemmed 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and julienned 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted 8 fresh figs, halved lengthwise

eat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add turkey and brown on one side for about 3 minutes.

Turn and brown the other side for the same length of time. (NOTE: The timing will depend on the thickness of your turkey slices. If you have very thin turkey cutlets, cut this time in half.)

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in leeks and garlic and stir-fry for just a minute to let the veggies start to cook. Add broth/stock, cover the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add figs, stir well, and cover the pan again. You only need to let the figs heat through and become soft, perhaps another 3 mimutes. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if desired, and serve.

2 tablespoon canola oil 2 turkey breast pieces 2 leeks, white and light green parts only 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chicken broth or stock

1 1/2 cups fresh figs, cut into half lengthwise Salt and pepper to taste

Roast figs with cinnamon 3 tbsp clear honey walnut-sized knob of butter 1 tbsp orange juice 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

12 figs 1 tsp thyme

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reheat the oven to 190ºC/gas. Put the honey, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring, until liquid. Using a small, sharp knife, make a cut like a cross in the top of each fig, cutting almost down to the base. Place them upright in a roasting pan, splaying them out shamelessly as you go. Pour the liquid over each one.

Roast for 15 minutes. Sprinkle a bit of thyme over each fig. Return to the oven, switch it off, leaving the door ajar. Leave the figs in the oven for 510 minutes before serving.

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hisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey and pepper in a large bowl to make the dressing.

Add spinach, bell peppers and red onions and toss gently to combine. Divide between four plates, then sprinkle each salad with feta cheese and pecans. Arrange figs on plates with salad and serve.

Leg of lamb with figs and lemons 1 leg of lamb (5 to 6 lb), fat trimmed 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or dried thyme 4 or 5 rosemary sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary 12 ripe black figs 2 lemons

1 1/2 cup stock 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup whipping cream Salt

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1/2 hours. As liquid evaporates, add more wine to pan to prevent scorching. Occasionally, turn fruit gently. The edges of the pieces should get dark; if fruit starts to scorch, remove from pan.

Transfer roast and fruit to a platter and keep warm. Discard rosemary sprigs. Add enough broth to pan to make about 3/4 cup juices total, then add cream. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring to release browned bits. Pour into a small bowl or pitcher. Slice lamb and serve meat and fruit with pan juices. Add salt to taste.

inse lamb and pat dry. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set in a shallow 10- by 15inch pan. Pat thyme all over meat; lay rosemary sprigs on the leg. Rinse figs and lemons. Cut figs in half lengthwise through stems and lay, cut side up, around lamb. Trim off and discard ends of lemons, then thinly slice lemons crosswise and discard seeds. Scatter slices over and around figs. Pour the vinegar into pan. Sprinkle fruit with sugar.

Bake in a 400º regular or convection oven until a thermometer inserted through thickest part of meat to the bone reaches 130º, about 1

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend.

One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

THE STORY SO FAR : Joao is in no mood to listen to Mumita. He takes part in the championships without giving a care for his safety. Can THE 99 help pull Joao out of harm’s way?

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

www.the99.org

Tr a v e l FRIDAY, JUNE 24 , 2011

Luxury steals

The good life for less S

avvy travelers will find that the good life doesn’t need to cost a pretty penny with these luxurious steals. Whether you travel on the off-season or plan a trip with friends to save some money, there are numerous ways to plan a high-end vacation on a shoestring budget.

Quebec City Quebec, Canada You don’t need a trans-Atlantic flight to get a taste of Paris. For a fraction of the cost, visitors head to Canada’s Quebec City for a truly French experience.

Francophiles will flip for the chic boutiques, romantic cobblestone streets, stately castles and French food like Swiss and Raclette cheese fondue. The city’s landmark hotel Le Chateau Frontenac sits on a hill above the St. Lawrence River offering stunning views of this charming city.

Singapore Airlines The difference between first class and business class on Asia’s elite Singapore Airlines may be a few thousand dollars, but the impeccable service is just the same. Save some money and fly business class. The airline’s Singapore Girls provide their trademark quality service to passengers in both first and business class.

Business class passengers also have access to great food and wines, a personal 15.4 inch LCD television and a reclining seat that turns into a comfy flat bed for a mid-air snooze.

is half the price of an evening meal and just as delicious.

Gramercy Tavern New York, New York The Gramercy Tavern is one of Manhattan’s finest restaurants, known for its cozy atmosphere and refined American cuisine. To get a taste of the best without paying premium prices, sample the local delicacies for half the price during a lunchtime feast. The restaurant’s 5-course lunch tasting menu

Anguilla The 5-bedroom Beach Escape Villa at Sandy Point is a steal compared to prices at Anguilla’s toniest resorts. There are 2 bedrooms in the main house and 3 private guest suites on the property, making it a great choice for a group of friends.

Each bedroom has a private balcony or terrace if you need an escape from your companions. The villa has its own pool

The Caves Negril, Jamaica Perched atop a cliff overlooking the ocean in Negril, Jamaica, the Caves is made up of grottoes and cliff-side villas and suites that provide privacy and fantastic views. All-inclusive meets all-out luxury at the Caves which puts a highend twist on the concept of endless food, drinks and activities from water excursions to yoga classes.

and private beach access for daytime relaxing on the sandy white shores.

Restaurants are just a short walk away or you can save some dough and prepare a feast of local fresh fish in the fullyequipped kitchen or outdoor grill area.

Rovos Rail Climb aboard Rovos Rails for a luxurious tour of South Africa. Riding the Rovos Rails is like an opulent trip back in time with Edwardian decor, fancy dinners and a relaxed atmosphere. The trip from Pretoria to Cape Town takes riders through the breathtaking scenery of the African Bush. Riders can enjoy a cocktail in the observation car while watching the exotic sights and wildlife roll by. At night, the well-appointed Presidential Suite is the swankiest option with 172 square feet, a private bathroom and shower and a personal bar. The Pullman Superior compartment is better on a budget but still features special touches, like beds that convert to a sitting area during the day.

Ski Whistler British Columbia, Canada Whistler is a skier’s dream with over 200 trails of fine powder spread out over the 2 mountains that make up Whistler Blackcomb. Thanks to Mother Nature, Whistler’s cold season lasts a bit longer than at other ski havens. This means that skiers can still hit the slopes well into spring and bargain hunters can find good deals after the high season ends in February. The prices don’t just drop on the slopes-rooms at the luxe Fairmont Chateau are lower during the spring ski season, too.

Equinox The yachting lifestyle can be attainable thanks to private charters and a little help from your friends. The Equinox Yacht becomes a steal if you can share the cost with a group of like-minded friends. This 81-foot super yacht has 3 bedrooms that accommodate up to 7

people for overnight trips. There’s a stocked bar, plenty of deck space and the coolest water toys including wave runners, wakeboards, water skis, fishing gear and snorkeling equipment. The ship travels around the Bahamas and takes advantage of a 24-foot private tender to access remote and private islands.

Las Ventanas Los Cabos, Mexico Cabo’s Las Ventanas is a favorite with Hollywood A-listers who are frequently photographed chilling by the resort’s infinity pools. Travelers with a B-list budget can squeeze in a trip during Cabo’s shoulder season, the warm summer months. It’s sure to be a bit more hot and humid, but you’ll barely notice the weather with a personal butler tending to your needs.

Jean Georges New York, New York Chef Jean Georges welcomes New York’s Restaurant Week as a chance for new diners to experience a noteworthy meal for a steal. Twice a year the prices are slashed at the renowned chef’s restaurants, including this flagship spot in New York. The 3-course lunch or dinner is sure to feature the chef’s trademark quality and high-end ingredients like Foie Gras, truffles and even caviar.

La Bastide de Princes Aix-en-Provence, France Provence, France, is one of Europe’s most popular destinations, but also one of the priciest. A stay in Provence is possible if you forgo the deluxe resorts and opt for a charming chamber d’hotes, or bed and breakfast. The intimate La Bastide de Princes is a family-owned guest house with 5 rooms, indoor and outdoor pools and a great view of the countryside. There are even cooking classes with the owner so you can master the art of French cooking and bring a taste of Provence home. (www.travelchannel.com)

Tr a v e l FRIDAY, JUNE 24 , 2011

Wales on wheels

A four-day ride from Cardigan to Hay-on-Wye gives Robert Penn the chance to savour some of Britain’s most beautiful scenery - and convert his son to cycling

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n top of the Cambrian Mountains, the world stood still. There was no sound or sign of life. The wind had dropped.

Ahead, flat treeless moorland covered in tussocks of ochre and umber grasses stretched to the horizon. The singletrack road snaked round the hill and disappeared into blue sky.

Behind, the Ystwyth Valley fell away, cutting its serpentine path through serried ranks of hills to the west coast, 20 miles away. I looked round slowly, until I felt sure the view was etched on to my memory. This is Wales, I thought: a perfectly formed realm with the power of a spell.

We were riding from Cardigan, the pretty town beside the Irish Sea, to Hay-on-Wye, on the English frontier. I’d devised the 120-mile route across Wales - through the Teifi Valley, over the Cambrian Mountains and south following the Wye - to take in some of the most beautiful countryside in southern Britain.

The ride could be done in one long day, but that would be missing the point. This is a place to linger. Our plan was to break the journey up over four days. Our aim was to cycle slowly.

For many, cycling is all about riding fast across the city to work, around a sportive course against the clock, or over Alpine cols in the tyre tracks of the professionals. But it was not always thus.

Sixty years ago the British countryside thronged with cyclists. The postwar era was a golden age of cycle touring, and every weekend hordes poured out of the cities on two wheels bearing flasks of dandelion and

burdock, bound for youth hostels in the hills.

Bike rides then were all about slow cycling: they were about lying in hedgerows, reading maps, savouring the physical and emotional fellowship of friends and being profligate with time; bike rides were about having a good appetite, quiet market towns, pints, picnics by the river and the rhythm of two spinning wheels.

To try and recapture some of the magic of this era, we - a gang of five - had met in Cardigan. It’s a difficult place to get to, but cyclists get repaid for travelling to the remotest corners of the UK - the roads are quiet. I’d taken the train to Carmarthen, where Ade, a friend who works for the Cardigan-based clothing company Howies, collected me. After a fortifying lunch in Forest Café, we turned our backs on the sea and started east, along the Teifi River.

Between Cardigan and Llandysul, the Teifi reveals its variety of moods: as well as sluggish coils, miles of meandering calm through meadows and dark pools, there are crystal riffles where sunlight and water flit like glitter. At Cenarth and Newcastle Emlyn, white water roars over falls through narrow gorges in breakneck haste to reach the coast. When our route drifted away from the river, up the steep sides of the valley, we rode through woodlands of hazel, oak and birch, passed neolithic burial chambers and medieval churches, following lanes so quiet we wondered if something had gone wrong.

In fact, everything was going right. We reached Nantgwynfaen, a farm in the hills

north of Llandysul, as the sun was painting the land orange. Amanda billeted us in bedrooms and the Glamavan, a converted caravan with bags of style. We ate dinner of homemade burgers, salad from the garden and local cheeses sitting outside studying the moon.

Ernest Hemingway, a keen cyclist who rode round Europe in the 1920s with F Scott Fitzgerald, wrote: “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them... “ I thought of this the next day as we felt the landscape alter beneath our wheels.

The Teifi Valley widens upstream of Llanybydder. The climbs became gentler - a relief to Sarah, who was riding a restored single-speed “butcher’s bike” with swept-back handlebars and a wicker basket. Older than any of us and as hefty as a dead pig, the butcher’s bike set a steady pace for us all, ensuring Dan, aged nine, kept up with ease.

At the end of a long descent to the unspoilt town of Lampeter, we pulled in at Conti’s Café for lasagne and an ice-cream sundae.

The weather was brightening by the hour: by mid-afternoon it was warm enough to jump in the Teifi for a swim. In Tregaron we sat outside the Talbot Hotel in hot sunshine.

“That’s it,” Jamie said, putting his second pint to his lips, “I’m moving to Wales.”

From the mid-1600s, for three centuries Tregaron was a thriving market town and an important meeting point for drovers - the

itinerant men who shifted livestock from all over Wales to feed the burgeoning, industrialised towns of England. Droving was then a central pillar of the Welsh economy: Bishop John Williams of Bangor described the drovers in the 17th century as “the Spanish fleet of Wales which brings in what little gold and silver we have”, much of which was presumably spent on ale in the Talbot Hotel en route home.

Fresh blood arrived at the hotel in Pontrhydfendigaid that evening. Our little peloton grew from five to nine, now including George, aged nine, and my 10-year old son Lucas. Anxious not to put Lucas off bicycles forever, I’ve never pressed him to undertake an adventure on two wheels, and I had to restrain a yelp of delight when, the next day, on the long ascent out of the Teifi Valley he announced: “This is massive. Cycling is way better than TV and Xbox combined.”

In the Ystwyth Valley we left the road and followed forest trails across the Hafod Estate.

Thomas Johnes, a farmer, landscape architect, writer and social benefactor, inherited 10,000 acres of Ceredigion uplands in 1780 and set about transforming it with extraordinary gusto. He ran an experimental farm, built houses and schools and planted some 4m trees. He also turned the house and grounds, full of waterfalls, grottoes and hanging gardens, into a place celebrated across Europe, a sort of Welsh Xanadu. The stately home fell down in the 20th century, but the beauty of the landscape Johnes created remains as powerful today.—Guardian

Books FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Hot summer reads Untold Story

by Monica Ali

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hen Princess Diana died in Paris’s Alma tunnel, she was thirty-seven years old. Had she lived, she would turn fifty on July 1, 2011.

Who would the beloved icon be if she were alive today? What would she be doing? And where? One of the most versatile and bold writers of our time, Monica Ali has imagined a different fate for Diana in her spectacular new novel, Untold Story.

Diana’s life and marriage were both fairy tale and nightmare rolled into one. Adored by millions, she suffered rejection, heartbreak, and betrayal.

Surrounded by glamour and glitz and the constant attention of the press, she fought to carve a meaningful role for herself in helping the needy and dispossessed. The contradictions and pressures of her situation fueled her increasingly reckless behavior, but her stature and her connection with her public never ceased to grow. If Diana had lived, would she ever have found peace and happiness, or would the curse of fame always have been too great?

Fast forward a decade after the (averted) Paris tragedy, and an Englishwoman named Lydia is living

in a small, nondescript town somewhere in the American Midwest. She has a circle of friends: one owns a dress shop; one is a Realtor; another is a frenzied stay-at-home mom. Lydia volunteers at an animal shelter, and swims a lot. Her lover, who adores her, feels she won’t let him know her. Who is she?

Untold Story is about the cost of celebrity, the meaning of identity, and the possibility-or impossibility-of reinventing a life. Ali’s fictional princess is beautiful, intrepid, and resourceful and has established a fragile peace. And then the past threatens to destroy her new life. Ali has created a riveting novel inspired by the cultural icon she calls “a gorgeous bundle of trouble.”

Ladies and Gentlemen

The Beginners

by Adam Ross

by Rebecca Wolff

T

heo and Raquel Motherwell are the only newcomers to the sleepy town of Wick in fifteenyear-old Ginger Pritt’s memory.

Hampered by a lingering innocence while her best friend, Cherry, grows more and more embroiled with boys, Ginger is instantly attracted to the worldliness and sophistication of this dashing couple.

But the Motherwells may be more than they seem. As Ginger’s keen imagination takes up the seductive mystery of their past, she also draws closer to her town’s darker historyback to the days of the Salem witch trials-and every new bit of information she thinks she understands leads only to more questions. Who-or whatexactly, are the Motherwells? And what is it they want with her?

Both a lyrical coming-of-age story and a spine-tingling tale of ghostly menace, The Beginners introduces Rebecca Wolff as an exciting new talent in fiction.

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fter his widely celebrated debut, Mr. Peanut, Adam Ross now presents a darkly compelling collection of stories about brothers, loners, lovers, and lives full of good intentions, misunderstandings, and obscured motives.

A hotshot lawyer, burdened by years of guilt and resentment, comes to the rescue of his irresponsible, irresistible younger brother. An unsettling story resonates between the dysfunctional couple telling it and their listening friends as well. A lonely professor, frequently regaled with unbelievably entertaining tales by the office handyman, suddenly fears he’s being asked to abet a murderous fugitive. An awkward but nervy adolescent uses his brief career as a child actor to further his designs on a WASPy friend’s seemingly untouchable sister. A man down on his luck closes in on a mysterious, muchneeded job offer while doing a good turn for his fragile neighbor, with results at once surreal and hilarious.

And when two college kids goad each other on in an escalating series of breathtaking dares, the outcome is as tragic as it is ambiguous.

Books FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive

Ten Thousand Saints

by Eleanor Henderson

A

dopted by a pair of diehard hippies, restless, marginal Jude Keffy-Horn spends much of his youth getting high with his best friend, Teddy, in their bucolic and deeply numbing Vermont town. But when Teddy dies of an overdose on the last day of 1987, Jude’s relationship with drugs and with his parents devolves to new extremes. Sent to live with his pot-dealing father in New York City’s East Village, Jude stumbles upon straight edge, an underground youth culture powered by the paradoxical aggression of hardcore punk and a righteous intolerance for drugs, meat, and sex. With Teddy’s half brother, Johnny, and their new friend, Eliza, Jude tries to honor Teddy’s memory through his militantly clean lifestyle. But his addiction to straight edge has its own dangerous consequences. While these teenagers battle to discover themselves, their parents struggle with this new generation’s radical reinterpretation of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll and their grown-up awareness of nature and nurture, brotherhood and loss.

Moving back and forth between Vermont and New York City, Ten Thousand Saints is an emphatically observed story of a frayed tangle of family members brought painfully together by a death, then carried along in anticipation of a new and unexpected life.

With empathy and masterful skill, Eleanor Henderson has conjured a rich portrait of the modern age and the struggles that unite and divide generations.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

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mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteenyear-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason.

And somehow-impossible though it seems-they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

by Steve Earle

D

oc Ebersole lives with the ghost of Hank Williams-not just in the figurative sense, not just because he was one of the last people to see him alive, and not just because he is rumored to have given Hank the final morphine dose that killed him.

In 1963, ten years after Hank’s death, Doc himself is wracked by addiction. Having lost his license to practice medicine, his morphine habit isn’t as easy to support as it used to be. So he lives in a rented room in the redlight district on the south side of San Antonio, performing abortions and patching up the odd knife or gunshot wound. But when Graciela, a young Mexican immigrant, appears in the neighborhood in search of Doc’s services, miraculous things begin to happen. Graciela sustains a wound on her wrist that never heals, yet she heals others with the touch of her hand. Everyone she meets is transformed for the better, except, maybe, for Hank’s angry ghost-who isn’t at all pleased to see Doc doing well.

A brilliant excavation of an obscure piece of music history, Steve Earle’s I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive is also a marvelous novel in its own right, a ballad of regret and redemption, and of the ways in which we remake ourselves and our world through the smallest of miracles.

Kuwait bookstores

Y

ou may be able to find these books in the following bookstores. If not, you can ask for a special order and your books will be delivered within weeks.

Jarir Bookstore Location: Hawally Park, Tunis Street Telephone: 22610111 Virgin Bookstore Location: Marina Mall, Salmiya Al-Muthana Kuwait Bookstore Location: Al-Muthanna Complex, Fahed Al-Salem Street Tel: 22424266 Better Books - Second Hand Books Location: Salmiya, Block 10, Amman Street.

Behind Al-Rashid Hospital Tel: 66637351

Beauty FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

How to look

10 pounds thinner instantly

W

ould you consider yourself a fashion guru or a fashion faux pas? If you qualify as the latter, you’re not alone in your confusion about what to wear - many of us are at a complete loss. Fashion becomes even more of a problem for those of us who are trying to discreetly cover a few flaws, like jiggly tummies or chunky hips. We may know not to wear skin-tight clothes when trying to hide bulges, but is there more to dressing thin? If you want to know how to look 10 pounds lighter, we have a few slimming fashion tricks that can help you show off your best assets and disguise your worst...

There are countless rules in the fashion world, like not wearing a brown belt with black shoes and not wearing white to someone else’s wedding. But even if you follow all those rules, there’s a whole new set of fashion laws to follow when you’re trying to camouflage those 10 extra pounds. For example, you might be tempted to throw on a baggy T-shirt and loose jeans to hide your extra flab, but fashion rule #643 says bulky clothes just make you look even bigger.

So what’s a girl to do? It’s time to play up your best features with a few simple fashion tips that will help you slim down without having to go on a diet. Want to know how to look thinner right now? Read on.

Tip #1: Be Yourself!

The most important thing that you need to

know when shopping for clothes is this: Don’t buy something just because it looks good on someone else. Most likely, that person doesn’t have the same body shape that you do and clothes just won’t fit the same on both of you.

If you like an outfit on someone else, try it on and get a second opinion before you buy. You want to look comfortable in your clothes and like you belong in them.

Tip #2: Wear Flattering Tops When deciding on a shirt, jacket or other top, the first thing you need to know is whether you want to accentuate any part of your upper torso or if you’re looking to downplay something, like a large chest. If you’re a top-heavy girl, avoid empire-cut waists and colors and patterns that draw attention to your chest.

Tip #3: Find the Perfect Pants There are four basic rules for choosing slimming jeans and pants: 1) Ditch the high-waisted jeans or pants. Although they may appear slimming in the front, especially at the waistline, they only serve to make your bottom look twice as big.

Instead, choose pants that sit lower on your hips, but not so low that your love handles are pushed up and out.

2) Tapered or pegged pants make wide hips look even larger, as they create an

upside-down triangle from your hips to your feet that accentuates your middle.

The best cut for wide hips is bootcut pants, which have a slight flare at the bottom to balance out your hips and create long, lean, vertical lines.

3) Never wear high waters (pants that are just a few inches too short). The hem of your pants should fall to the bottom of the heel of your shoe.

4) If you have wide hips, skip the pleats. Pleated pants worn on wide hips will be stretched across the hip bones and flare unflatteringly.

For summer fashions, capri pants are surprisingly slimming as well (unless you’re very short), as long as the hem falls just below the calf.

If you’re brave enough to wear a bathing suit, here’s an interesting tidbit: Dark bathing suits don’t necessarily hide bulges like dark clothing does. Instead, they can draw attention to pasty-white limbs, making them more obvious and unflattering. Colorful bathing suits and suits in earth tones work well with the skin and draw attention to the body as a whole instead of in parts.

Tip #4: Choose Slimming Skirts Choosing the right skirt is very important. The basic rule of thumb for skirts is that the hem-

line should never stop at the widest part of your leg, which is usually the calf.

Instead, skirts need to fall right above the knee or below the calf, which features the slimmest portion of your leg.

If you choose a skirt with an especially full style, it would be best worn ankle length. Slits in skirts can be especially flattering when placed on the side. This creates fluid movement when walking and makes for a comfortable wear.

But be careful with front or back slits, which can be difficult to walk in and are generally unflattering... unless you have amazing legs.

Stay away from pencil skirts, which are only flattering to super-skinny figures because they accentuate the hips.

Finally, if you’re trying to disguise large hips or a large chest, A-line skirts and dresses are best suited for you since they hide the hips altogether and balance out your top, putting the focus on the waist and lower leg.

Tip #5: Practice Better Posture The best-planned outfits won’t be flattering if you’re hunched over with bad posture.

By squaring your shoulders (pulling them back) and sucking your navel to your backbone (pulling in the stomach) you can instantly look 2-3 inches taller and 10 pounds slimmer. (www.lifescript.com)

Beauty FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

4 basic

skin care

needs

The right (& wrong) ways to cleanse, moisturize & exfoliate your skin

here’s tried-and-true ways to properly care for your skin, from the right way to cleanse your face, to the best moisturizers and sunscreens.

Before we start with the proper daily 4step skincare routine, you’ll need to know your skin type. How you care for your skin is utterly dependent on the type of skin you have: oily, normal/combination, dry, sensitive or sun- damaged. Find out what skin type you have.

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warm water to loosen dirt and clogged pores.

Use a dime-sized bit of cleanser, then rinse with cool or lukewarm water. You’ll also want to take off your makeup with a proper makeup remover.

In the morning, a splash of lukewarm water is all you need (we find it’s great for removing excess oils from your nightly moisturizing). Never wash your face with hot or cold water (both can cause broken capillaries).

Also be careful about over cleansing skin.

The Basic 4-Step Skincare Regimen Step 1: Cleansing Simple is key here. You need to find a good cleanser that your skin responds well to, and stick with it. You can find a good cleanser at the drugstore. There’s no need to spend a lot on a fancy wash. Avoid bar soaps as they tend to dry out the skin. According to Rona Berg, in her book, “Beauty,” a French cosmetics executive once told her, “Soap should only ever touch your skin from the neck down.” We agree. Choose a creamy cleanser if you have dry skin or a clear cleanser if you have oily skin.

Be careful not to cleanse too often.

Washing at night should do you. If you have dry skin, consider cold cream like Pond’s, which the French use. Simply apply cream, then wipe off, no water needed (if you have hard water it can be especially harsh on skin).

Most women prefer the water method: Use

Step 2: Exfoliate Exfoliation is the step most people skip in their weekly skincare routine. But trust me, if you start properly exfoliating your skin, you will notice an almost immediate difference.

According to Berg, one of the reasons men’s skin looks more youthful than women’s is because men tend to exfoliate daily when they shave. There are several ways to exfoliate skin: Microdermabrasion, chemical peels and retinoids.

Scrubs work by removing the top layer of dead skin cells that tend to dull your complexion. We find exfoliating skin once a week with a micro-dermabrasion kit keeps skin glowing year-round. Make sure you use a gentle scrub with tiny grains. Big grains in cheap scrubs can tear skin and cause more harm than good.

In the hour it takes to get a chemical peel, you can take off five years from your face.

Can’t afford the price tag for a monthly peel?

Try some over-the-counter peels that work over the course of a month. I prefer MD Skincare’s.

Retinoids (such as Retin-A or the more moisturizing Renova) also work by removing the top layer of dead skin cells while also generating collagen in the skin. “Collagen is the skin’s structural fiber,” dermatologist Dennis Gross said in O Magazine. “As we get older, it breaks down, creating lines and large pores.”

Skincare experts disagree on all sorts of things, but most of them consider retinoids to be a miracle skin saver.

Should you use a toner? Some people swear by toners, but many beauty experts do not (I once read a skincare expert claim, “toners are only for copy machines”). Toners are meant to remove all remaining traces of oil, makeup and dirt, but a good cleanser should do this. I firmly believe it’s up to you. If you like the way your skin feels with a toner. Buy it. Use it. Enjoy it.

Step 3: Moisturize While I know of at least one famous beauty editor who swore skin doesn’t need moisturizer, basically everyone else I’ve read disagrees and is an adamant believer in it. A basic law of beauty is that everyone, no matter her skin type, should moisturize. Even if your skin is oily, it will benefit from moisturizers. (The only exception is those with acne). Why?

Moisturizers seal moisture into skin (Berg calls this the “Saran Wrap effect”). So how much should you moisturize? Your skin will tell you.

When your skin is tight, it’s crying out for moisture. Be careful not to over moisturize — this can clog pores.

Are eye creams necessary? Well maybe.

Some beauty experts strongly recommend eye creams. Why? The skin around the eye contains no fatty tissue and is therefore very thin and susceptible to wrinkles. Special eye creams are formulated to “thicken” this area.

Yet other experts (including the beauty editors of Allure in their new book) claim your daily lotion works around the eyes just as well.

Step 4: Apply Sunscreen O Magazine ran an article featuring interviews with several top skin care experts and dermatologists (check it out here). Every single one of them said sunscreen was the most important part of your skincare regimen. It was the secret they would pass on to their daughters. The number-1 cause of wrinkles is sun damage, so it’s important to use sunscreen from your early years on even in winter and on cloudy days. A great trick is to purchase two moisturizers: One for night and one for day that includes UV protection. Don’t use moisturizers with sunscreen at night, the ingredients are not meant to be used 27/7 and can aggravate skin. — About

HEALTH FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

sunburns

How to treat

Probiotics are living microorganisms, “friendly” bacteria, usually lactic acid bacteria.

The benefits of probiotics are realized by shifting the pH of the intestine downward; creating a less desirable environment for pathogenic (bad), bacteria.

U

se the succulent aloe vera plant. Cut it down the length of the leaf and open it, revealing the inner portion of it.

Rub the clear gelatinous part over the burned area. Repeat as often as you like. This is better than most aloe vera treatments that you can purchase. Use very mild lotion before bed at night to help keep the skin moisturized.

Wear loose-fitting cotton clothing that will not irritate the affected areas. Other materials, especially man-made ones like polyester, can rub very harshly against the skin and make the burn feel much worse. If it is summer vacation and you are able to stay at home, do so, and wear as little clothing as possible to keep it from hurting your skin.

Try putting a soft cotton blanket over the

couch or bed to keep your skin from rubbing against upholstery. Use an anti-inflammatory agent. For example, Ibuprofen, if you have a headache, slight fever or chills.

Use Noxema facial cleanser. It is sold in blue tubes, and is extremely effective at removing the heat and the sting from a bad sunburn. Rub as much as possible onto the burned skin. Do not wash off; allow it to soak in. Reapply as often as possible.

Use a cool, damp cloth with skim milk and rest it on the burned spots. The coolness takes out the initial fire, and the milk creates a protein film that helps ease the ensuing discomfort.

Drink water, juice, or sports drinks to replace body fluids. When you have a sunburn, you get dehydrated easily.

Bathe with tepid water and avoid soap on the affected area, which can cause irritation.

Sometimes a cool or luke warm shower can take away the pain and itchiness.

You can also try taking a bath with green tea. The tannin in the tea draws out some of the pain and can soothe the redness.

If your burn is extremely painful, a spray from most drugstore/chemists with lidocane (a topical anesthetic) will help it be bearable until it heals.

You can make a paste from baking soda and a little bit of water and put it on the sunburnt area. Remove when it s completely dry and starts to flake. May help cool down skin.

Use olive oil. Using olive oil on the sunburn keeps it moisturized and usually prevents your skin from peeling. rub on the

burn till it is nice and moist. Dont try washing it off right after or it wonít work. Wait a couple of hours till it doesnít feel as oily to take a bath or shower. Try using it after your bath when you are nice and dry.

Stay out of the sun until the burn fades.

Allow some time for your skin to heal. If your skin begins to peel afterward — a natural part of the healing process—use a nongreasy moisturizer to soothe the area. Do not cover up the peeling section with a self-tanning lotion, because it will stick to the peeling skin and make it look worse.

Above all, the next time you are in the sun, wear sunscreen! Try to use one with high SPF, such as 50+. (www.wikihow.com)

HEALTH FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

All you need to know about strength training One study found that twice-weekly resistance training for a year increased bone mineral density in the spine by 6.3%, significantly reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

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here are countless strength-training moves, so which do you choose? Unless you are training for a specific sport, opt for movements that mimic the ones you use in daily life, as their benefits will carry over more.

If time is limited, dispense with isolated moves and stick to multi-muscle lifts such as squats, deadlifts and bench presses.

consistent if you want to get results. You need to train two to three times a week for a prolonged period to make progress.

Always push yourself Puny weights won’t work. Even if you don’t want to ‘build’ muscle, you still need to create overload to cause the muscle to get firmer and stronger. As soon as the weight you are using becomes comfortable, progress to a heavier one.

Go for free weights You will see faster results because they adjust to your individual build, limb length and any imbalances between sides, whereas a machine will ‘support’ these. They also build better core stability.

Work the whole body Working one area more than another can cause muscular imbalances - for example, too much chest work and not enough back can cause rounded shoulders. To prevent this, and to create a more balanced look overall, you need to exercise all parts of the body.

Don’t train randomly It’s best to do large muscle groups first, because smaller muscles tire more quickly.

Also do ‘compound’ moves (those that work multiple muscle groups) before isolation ones.

So, for example, you’d work the large quads and glutes before the smaller adductors. And you’d do squats and lunges before isolated adduction or abduction work.

Stick with it I can’t emphasise enough that you must be

Train with good technique Always take a muscle through its full range of motion at a controlled pace - never swing the weight or use momentum.

Eat enough protein If you are strength training three or more times a week, you need a more than average protein intake. But you don’t have to take supplements: a normal-sized portion at each meal, along with a small amount with your carbohydrate-based post-workout snack, will suffice.

the oversized tracksuit option. Breathable fabrics will help keep you cool.

If it’s just strength training you are doing, any decent cross trainer will suffice, but if you are combining it with running on the treadmill it’s best to look for one with a ‘running profile’.

Training gloves will help you get a good grip, and prevent blisters. Try SK Sports leather and towelling gloves. The other thing you’ll need - for your own sake and everyone else’s is a towel to wipe down or lay on benches, mats or machines. The rather nifty Comfi Sports Towel.

The upside One study found that twice-weekly resistance training for a year increased bone mineral density in the spine by 6.3%, significantly reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Improves body image Research from McMaster University in Canada found that 12 weeks of strength training improved body image in men and women.

Keep your program varied Change it regularly to avoid getting in a rut.

Every three to four weeks, try different exercises to target the muscle in a new way - for example, an incline bench press instead of a flat one. Experiment with different patterns of repetitions and sets, rest periods and weights.

Increases daily energy expenditure Aside from the calories burned during the session itself, a study in Medicine & Science In Sport & Exercise found that metabolic rate remained elevated for two hours after strength training, burning an additional 155 calories.

The gear Lycra vests are decidedly optional for strength training, although it is helpful to be able to see what you are doing, so don’t go for

Reduces heart disease Resistance training can modify several heart disease risk factors, including cholesterol levels, blood pressure, glucose metabolism

and body fat, according to the American Heart Association.

Improves body composition Strength training helps you shed body fat and maintain muscle without dieting, according to research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

The downside Injury risk While dropping a barbell on your rib cage is one hazard, most weight training-related injuries are overuse ones, caused by excessive volume of training or poor technique.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness This is the post-exercise stiffness and soreness that follows heavy exercise, particularly weight training. It is usually worst two days after the activity, according to journal The Physician and Sportsmedicine.

It won’t improve your aerobic fitness While strength training has many health benefits, cardiovascular fitness isn’t one of them, so you still need to make time for it elsewhere.

Risk of exposure to anabolic steroids According to US research last year, the number of young people using steroids has increased six-fold in the past decade, as a result of pressures to have the ‘perfect’ body.

—Guardian

Arts FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Rene Magritte

Enigmatic master of the impossible dream On the eve of a major Magritte exhibition, artists with an eye for the peculiar reveal why they love the witty Belgian surrealist TERRY GILLIAM -Film director and former member of Monty Python It wasn’t until I’d seen Magritte’s work collected together in an exhibition at the Tate, at the end of the 1960s I think, that I realized just how incredibly funny his stuff was. People walk around these exhibitions in a religious state of awe and I just walked round this one laughing uncontrollably. Until then, I’d always thought of Magritte as having an interesting and intriguing mind - the way he would turn things inside out or make that which was solid suddenly not solid. But suddenly here he was, this wonderfully dry joke teller. The work that really struck me that day was The Man in the Bowler Hat [1964]. He’d spent months painting a guy in a bowler hat and then, for his last brush strokes, paints a dove flying in front of the man’s face. What’s happened there could happen only in a photograph and he’s done a painting of it. What a comedian! I thought he was so clever. If it wasn’t for the ideas I wouldn’t say he was a great painter because others have a better technique. But he does what he needs to do and does it so well.

All of the surrealists got into my head, but Magritte was so direct. I liked how immediate his work was, whereas the others were more abstract. His work can be complex but in a sense he takes cliché images and puts them together in ways that surprise you. There’s a night scene, but the sky is day [The Dominion of Light, 1953], there’s a pair of shoes that are actually feet [The Red Model, 1934]. His work has an initial gag, but the stuff sticks with you because it’s in some ways profound.

He is so firmly lodged in my brain that frequently I’ll see something and think, “Oh, that’s a bit Magrittean”. I’ll look out of my win-

Rene Magritte’s The False Mirror (1928) on display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (detail). —Guardian dow at dusk and see the house across the street catching the last bit of sunlight, except the sky behind it is already night. He captures moments of light in the day that are just odd.

I used to think it was a fantasy of his, but I now find it happening all the time. Like every good artist, he makes us see the everyday differently but he does it without the pretension of so many other artists. That’s another thing I like about him, that he didn’t have this serious “I am an artist” approach. He went to work with a suit and a briefcase, everything about him was taking the piss out of art yet at the same time he was a wonderful artist.

In my work, I can never find a direct line between what I’ve done and where it’s come from, but I do know where the influences are and they all end up in a kind of Irish stew in my brain. I would never want to say: “I nicked that from Magritte”, because that’s criminal investigation time! But it would be fair to say that with the landscapes and blue skies in the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus I could’ve been stealing from either Magritte or Microsoft Windows. What Microsoft did was a direct steal from Magritte! Other people paint more elaborate skies, but it’s the clarity of his painting - the perfect blue sky with the perfect clouds floating in it - that’s just so appealing.

Were the other Pythons influenced by Magritte? No. I’m not sure what the word is for being illiterate at art. Maybe blind. That’s what they were. Years ago, we were in a hotel in Munich and John [Cleese] called me and said: “I’m going over to the Pinakothek. Do you want to come and explain art to me?” So I went along and I didn’t explain art to him because that’s not what I do, but I did get him looking at a thermostat on the wall and discussing it in great detail. We managed to gather quite a crowd.

I suppose with my work I’m always trying to get people to see what the world is capable of, to show how it can be seen in a very different way and Magritte did that all the time. When you start thinking differently like that, reality becomes a kind of game. In the 60s, people took drugs to achieve that state, but for a lot of people it was enough to go and look at a Magritte painting.

JEFF KOONS -Artist Whenever I drive in any mountainous region and look at the line against the sky, I think of Magritte. And whenever I see beautiful, perfect clouds in the sky, he’s the first thing that comes to mind. I think there is a humanity, a generosity and a kindness to others in Magritte’s work. He takes the viewer

into account. And I have always found the economy of his images very moving. They communicate very purely and directly. One of the most profound pieces of Magritte’s is Discovery [1928]. It is an image of a woman whose flesh resembles the grain in wood.

There is this aspect of Magritte which is about dealing with the world around us, and there is a certain materiality, a reality about that world that he creates, even though he makes these strange juxtapositions. It is hard to imagine a lot of the computer programs that we work with in daily life, such as Photoshop, without the influence of Magritte. We owe to Magritte the many ways that we see the world through transparency or gradation. So I hold him in high esteem for showing us how images can be overlapped, or how they can be gradated into each other. I wouldn’t say I’ve ever made a piece in direct response to his work, but I can see there are works that show an interest in what he was doing. Take Les Idées Claires [1955], one of the two Magritte paintings that I have loaned to the Tate exhibition. Here, you see a rock hovering over the ocean underneath a cloud. I can associate that with one of my Equilibrium Tank sculptures of basketballs suspended in vitrines of water. (c) This is an edited extract from Tate ETC magazine

Arts FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

NOEL FIELDING -Artist and co-creator of The Mighty Boosh I love how Magritte’s paintings initially look quite normal. He lures you in with the colors and compositions and shortly after the concept blows your mind. You think: “That’s just a normal... aagh!” They’re like Trojan horses.

I’ve still got the first book I had of Magritte’s work. It’s stolen from the library, that’s so bad! I was about 12 years old and looking at the paintings was a bit like taking drugs. They’re such strong, stimulating images for a child because at that age you don’t drink, you don’t take drugs and you’re not really interested in girls.

The first painting that made me think, “Oh my god, that’s something amazing” was Young Girl Eating a Bird [1927]. I liked how enigmatic Magritte’s work was, how you didn’t quite know what was going on.

Surrealism and absurdity, Monty Python and Vic Reeves, they were the first things that I really buzzed off and thought, “wow, that’s what I want to do”. The fact that there was a surrealist movement really appealed to me too, that they met up and drank crËme de menthe in weird Parisian cafes. I loved that these grown men like Breton and Magritte would really seriously discuss poems, automatic writing and painting and then put things in their magazines like a man throwing a rock at a priest. I guess it was quite punk at the time.

Magritte’s paintings always make me laugh. I don’t care if other people say they’re not funny. I find it ridiculous when you walk around a gallery and people are just looking at something obviously funny and stroking their chins. A Magritte painting such as the reverse mermaid [Collective Invention, 1934] is like a stand-up joke. Comedians do those reverse jokes all the time. When I was quite young, I did a painting of a cat phoning the fire brigade and an old lady stuck up a tree.

It’s the juxtaposition in the paintings that is also very stimulating. I think it was Terry Jones who said something about two disparate ideas coming together and creating a star. And that’s what it’s all about for me. In The Mighty Boosh, we have a character called Old Gregg who is a merman but he’s also a bit like [musician] Rick James. Those two things shouldn’t ever go together. But when you get it right it’s perfect.

Some of my own paintings are definitely influenced by Magritte. The stillness and the weirdness of Bryan Ferry with a Kite, in which Bryan Ferry has got a kite for a head, that’s one of them. But he was also one of mine and Julian Barratt’s joint favorites and that’s apparent in the Boosh. For ages, we even wanted to have a pipe as an actual character who floated around and talked. But it was too difficult. You can see from what Julian wears that he likes the whole Magritte aesthetic the bowler hats, the trench coats and the weird city-gent-gone-wrong look. Together, lookswise, we’re like Dal? and Magritte. Dal? was more my type: flamboyant, a mad freak.

My new show for E4 has even more references to art. It’s set in a place that’s supposed to be my house, I look like a Bollywood Elvis and my cleaner is a robotic Andy Warhol. At one point, Warhol borrows a rucksack from Magritte to go on holiday with Jackson Pollock and Keith Haring and when he turns around a train comes out of the rucksack, like the train coming out of the fireplace in Time Transfixed [1938].I say to Warhol: “I bet that gets a bit annoying”, and he responds, in his robotic voice: “No, you can get loads in there.”

Magritte’s paintings are insane, but they’re often really good one-liners so they’re a great source for a surreal comedy show.

ALICE ANDERSON -Artist When Magritte was 13, his mother committed suicide and, apparently, when the police retrieved her body from the river Sambre, Magritte was there and he saw how her face was covered by her dress. My own art and the research I do around it is all about neuroscience, how brains function, how memory functions, so this episode in Magritte’s life and the way it subsequently influenced his art really intrigues me. If you look at The Lovers [1928], where two people have clothes over their face, I think that work specifically draws on that episode with his mother. But more generally, his work explores memory, his funny perception of reality and for me that all comes from his memory of that event. In Le Blanc-Seing [1965], for example, which features a woman on a horse in a wood, there are almost two paintings. The way his paintings constantly shift between what is real, something he can see or saw, and something he really wants to see is what draws me into his work.

GAVIN TURK -Artist One of the great things about Magritte’s work, especially The Treachery of Images (This Is Not a Pipe) [1921] is it dismantles the idea of pictures themselves. It makes the audience consider what they’re looking at and take a step back. You can see that Magritte painted to experiment with his own thinking. His work is a thinking through pictures. I probably first came across the work when I was on my art foundation course and I remember my sense of relief to find that his work was immediately gettable. Some people today don’t identify with the themes he’s exploring or perhaps can’t see past the cliché. But the way he suggestively starts to make the audience question how they see things is something that I try to include in my own art.

There are two works of Magritte’s which I’ve more or less directly appropriated in my works Oscar and Cripple. They are The Ellipsis [1948] and The Cripple [1948], from his vache

period, when he started painting more loosely, almost in a semi-expressionistic style. This period was a disaster for Magritte: the critics panned the work and the collectors ran away.

But I love that he was fed up with being expected to be a certain kind of artist and was challenging his signature style. This new style almost allowed the audience in slightly closer, to get more of an insight into Magritte himself. I made two sculptures, three dimensional self-portraits, that were then reconfigured to look like these two paintings by Magritte. I was dealing with the idea of my own personal representation, my own ideas of authorship.

Son of Man Rene Magritte 1964

I also like the happy oddness, the sense of the uncanny in Magritte’s work. In a way, there’s a non-threatening but uncomfortable sensation. In an era before Photoshop, he slammed together things from different worlds and played with scale.

If I were to draw parallels between his work and mine it would be that we combine disparate ideas or use this sense of the uncanny to make proposed alternatives. A work of mine like the bronze binbag sculpture is a good example - it seems straightforward, it’s a shiny binbag, but then it starts to make you ask questions. It’s a painted bronze sculpture, so there’s this sense of permanence when actually a black plastic bag is probably a key symbol of impermanence.

JOHN BALDESSARI -Artist A Magritte work that I always return to is The Treachery of Images, because we have it at the LA County Museum. It’s a kind of touchstone of his. He’s affirming the slipperiness, or as he calls it the treachery, of images, of language - that a word and an object have no necessary connection other than that we collectively assigned that word and that object to go together. I really appreciate his word play.

He also does a lot of the things I try to do with my work, making life a little difficult or a little challenging for the viewer who would like things to be comfortable. I think the reason Magritte has been so influential on popular culture is because he deals with images that we know - a person or a house or a street or a horse.

The images aren’t misshapen or distorted he just puts them together in combinations that we don’t usually think about. And in terms of advertising, Magritte and Dal? probably have been the most influential artists, so much that we don’t even see it anymore.

Take, for example, CBS TV’s logo, the eye. I believe that comes directly from him [from the work The False Mirror, 1928]. He’s everywhere. — Guardian

Comic

C R O S S W O R D

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FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

To Yester

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS 1. A mature blood cell that contains hemoglobin to carry oxygen to the bodily tissues.

4. A fertility drug (trade name Clomid) that is used to stimulate ovulation and that has been associated with multiple births.

10. A health resort near a spring or at the seaside.

13. 10 hao equal 1 dong.

14. Old World woody vines.

15. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

16. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

17. Someone who cuts and delivers ice.

18. An authoritative direction or instruction to do something.

19. European bison having a smaller and higher head than the North American bison.

21. Lower in esteem.

23. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

24. A city in east central Texas.

27. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

28. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

30. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

32. Type genus of the Ardeidae.

35. Constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a literary epic.

39. A hard gray lustrous metallic element that is highly corrosion-resistant.

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

42. European strong-scented perennial herb with gray-green bitter-tasting leaves.

43. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

46. A ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element.

47. Any of a group of heavenly spirits under the god Anu. 49. A high-kicking dance of French origin performed by a female chorus line.

51. A light touch or stroke.

52. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

54. (folklore) A small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings.

57. The face or front of a building.

59. With eagerness.

62. Black tropical American cuckoo.

63. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

65. (Greek mythology) Goddess of the earth and mother of Cronus and the Titans in ancient mythology.

66. A nucleic acid that transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm.

67. Pasture grass of plains of South America and western North America.

68. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

DOWN 1. Fertility goddess in ancient Greek mythology.

2. Used as a Hindi courtesy title.

3. Venomous Asiatic and African elapid snakes that can expand the skin of the neck into a hood.

4. Elegant and stylish.

5. Tawny-colored African antelope inhabiting wet grassy plains.

6. A port city of south central Ukraine on an arm of the Black Sea. 7. The 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

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

9. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.

10. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

11. A fractional monetary unit in Bangladesh and India and Nepal and Pakistan.

12. A unit of dry measure used in Egypt.

20. A slender double-reed instrument.

22. Capital city of the Apulia region on the Adriatic coast.

25. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

26. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

29. (informal) Exceptionally good.

31. Any of various small plant-sucking insects.

33. A Kwa language spoken in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

34. Tropical American tree producing cacao beans.

36. Baby bed with high sides.

37. The month following July and preceding September.

38. Flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes.

41. A ray of sunlight.

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

44. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia.

45. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

48. Small genus of Eurasian herbs.

50. A cry or shout of approval.

53. United States educator who introduced reforms that significantly altered the system of public education (1796-1859).

54. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

55. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily one-seeded fruits.

56. Two items of the same kind.

58. 10 grams.

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

61. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

64. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Lifestyle FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Two years on,

Jackson death still casts shadow

T

wo years after Michael Jackson’s shock death, the mystery over exactly how he died continues to fuel legal wrangling, conspiracy theories and family strains over the King of Pop’s clouded legacy. While fans are expected to pay their respects this weekend-including by dropping red roses from the air over his famous Neverland ranch-many questions remain over his death on June 25, 2009 aged only 50. His personal doctor Conrad Murray is still awaiting trial on manslaughter charges for allegedly giving Jackson an overdose of powerful sedative propofol to help him sleep on the fateful morning at his Beverly Hills mansion. The trial was to have started in May, but has been delayed until September after his defense lawyers-expected to argue that Jackson effectively killed himself-said they need more time to prepare.

A wax figure of Michael Jackson is on display June 22, 2011 at a special exhibition marking the King of Pop’s birthdate (August 29) as well as the upcoming second anniversary of his death, at Madame Tussauds in Hollywood, California.

Days ahead of the second anniversary of his death, Jackson’s sister La Toya published a new book reiterating her claim that he could have been murdered, and had voiced fears to her that he would be for financial reasons. “I truly feel Dr Murray was simply the fall guy. I think it’s too easy to blame him. I think the investigation needs to go a bit further than just stopping at Dr Murray,” she said ahead of the book’s publication this week. “There are a lot of other people that are involved in this. My brother told me,” she said, while declining to elaborate. Many of the lurid details of what happened on the day Jackson died have emerged in legal wranglings over the last two years to prepare for his doctor’s trial.

The controversial singer-preparing for a series of come-back concerts in London, four years after being acquitted on child sex abuse charges-was being treated for chronic insomnia including by using propofol. The trial will center on the suggestion that Murray mistakenly administered a fatal overdose, and failed to notice in time

because he was busy on the phone with a series of female friends.

The defense will reportedly argue that Jackson could have administered an extra dose of propofol by himself, while Murray was out of the room, effectively provoking his own death.

Whatever the outcome of the trial, expected to be watched closely by Jackson’s millions of fans around the world, it will likely only fuel publicity for the multi-million-dollar industry based on the performer’s legacy. The official part of that legacy is managed by his executors, lawyer John Branca and accountant John McClain, named in the late singer’s will, which also appointed his mother Katherine as guardian of his three children. The estate-which controls Jackson’s huge music catalogue-for example was behind the December release of “Michael,” the first of what could be several posthumous albums based on material Jackson recorded before his death.

A Jackson video game has been a huge hit, while in April it teamed up with Canadian dance-based troupe Cirque du Soleil to announce a series of shows inspired by Jackson’s music and dance, including a permanent one in Las Vegas. Jackson’s brother Jermaine this week launched a Michael Jackson exhibit at Madame Tussauds waxwork museum in Hollywood, including three Jackson figures from various stages of his career. But other members of Jackson’s notoriously idiosyncratic family have launched a number of project over the last two years, including a 2009 tribute concert that had to be postponed after a number of stars pulled out.

One recent such deal was between Jackson’s father Joe and a French parfumier for a Jackson-branded scent. Its launch this month descended into chaos after a lawsuit was filed by Bravado, the company which holds the commercial rights to Michael Jackson’s name, seeking compensation for every bottle sold. The smell should be better this weekend, when Jackson fans will drop roses over Jackson’s former Neverland ranch, during memorial flights offered by a local helicopter company to mark the second anniversary. The Michael Jackson estate has not organized anything official to commemorate the date this year, in contrast to the first anniversary last year, although it has not ruled out making a short statement on the day. — AFP

US popstar Michael Jackson addresses a press conference at the O2 arena in London, on March 5, 2009. — AFP/AP photos

Michael Jackson performs during the taping of the “American Bandstand 50th...A Celebration” show, April 20, 2002 in Pasadena, California.

US pop star Mickael Jackson dances July 27 during a concert in Nice, on the French Riviera.

Chinese tourist Guo Shuqing poses with a wax figure of Michael Jackson June 22, 2011 at a special exhibition marking the King of Pop’s birthdate (August 29) as well as the upcoming second anniversary of his death, at Madame Tussauds in Hollywood, California.

Lifestyle FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

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roubled US starlet Lindsay Lohan is dueback in court yesterday for breaching probation after failing an alcohol test while already on home detention, officials and reports said. A court hearing will determine if Lohan, currently serving 35 days of homecustody with an electronic ankle bracelet, breached the terms of her probationfor a 2007 drunk driving incident, the LA District Attorney’s office said. DA office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said she did not know the exact natureof the alleged violation, but the TMZ celebrity news website said it was because Lohan tested positive for alcohol in the past week.

TMZ said one of two tests on Lohan was conducted shortly after she hosted arooftop barbecue, and the website cited sources as say-

ing that LA CountyProbation Department officials will ask yesterday that she be sent to jail.

Lohan’s publicist Steve Honig, when asked whether she had been summoned tocourt, replied: “I’m neither going to confirm nor deny.”

The 24-year-old began her home detention on May 26 as part of a pleabargain over the alleged theft of a $2,500 necklace from a jewelry shop nearher home in Venice Beach.

Lohan had already spent a few hours in jail in April, after a judge ruledthat she had violated her probation for a 2007 drug and drunk driving offense, when she allegedly stole the necklace on January 22. It is the latest in a long list of legal tangles for Lohan-once thepromising child star of hit Disney movies “The Parent Trap” and “Freaky Friday”who has a reputation for hard

partying. In July of last year Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in jail and another 90days in rehab for violating her probation in a drunk driving case, but servedjust 13 days due to prison overcrowding.

She was jailed again in September, but was granted bail after only 15 hoursbehind bars and subsequently checked into rehab for drug addiction, a courseshe completed in January. In 2007, she spent just 84 minutes in jail after police arrested her twicefor cocaine possession while driving-in one instance she crashed her Mercedes-Benz into a tree.—AFP File: Lindsay Lohan poses during a news conference for the film “Gotti: Three Generations”. — AP

Banton faces sentencing in US

F

amily members, fans and supporters have pleaded for leniency for Grammy-winning reggae singer Buju Banton, who likely will be sentenced to prison yesterday for conspiring to set up a cocaine deal. The dozens of letters to US District Judge James S Moody are included in the court file for the 37-year-old recording artist, whose given name is Mark Myrie. Several of his 15 children wrote, as did a former Jamaican government official, an NBA player, other reggae artists and actor Danny Glover, who called Banton a “role model, philanthropist and spiritual leader in the community.” “Your honor, Mark Myrie is not a drug dealer,” Glover wrote.

“Society would not benefit from his incarceration.” Banton’s attorney, David Markus, says federal sentencing guidelines call for a prison term of at least 15 years. In a court filing, Markus told Moody that is “way more than necessary” in Banton’s case. He contends that Banton’s limited participation in the drug buy, his charitable work in Jamaica and his otherwise clean record entiFile: Buju Banton poses at the tle the singer to a Source Hip-Hop Music reduced sentence.

Awards.—AP Banton’s oldest son, also named Mark Myrie, wrote that his father “puts hard work, sweat and tears into his music and that is what (he) ‘puts on the table,’ it has never been drugs....The situation is just an example of our mere imperfections as people, being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Banton was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and using a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. Assistant US Attorney James Preston argued during trial that Banton portrayed himself as a broker of drug deals in several conversations with a confidential informant. Preston said Banton thought he was getting involved in a “no-risk” deal in which he would introduce a friend to a confidential informant, and then later collect money from drug transactions.

Prosecutors acknowledge that Banton did not put any money into the drug deal nor did he ever profit from it.

Markus characterized his client as “a big talker” who admitted to trying to impress the confidential informant but wasn’t involved in any drug deal.—AP

Glen Campbell

A

group of investors has sued “Spider-Man” star Tobey Maguire to recoup more than $300,000 they say a hedge fund manager embezzled from them and lost to the actor in high-stakes poker games. The lawsuit stems from the criminal case against Bradley Ruderman, the chief executive of Beverly Hills-based Ruderman Capital Partners, who was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in January for an investor Ponzi scheme he ran from 2003 to 2009.

Ruderman pleaded guilty last August to wire fraud and investment adviser fraud, admitting that he embezzled millions of dollars of his clients’ money to spend on lavish personal expenses, including $5.2 million he lost in clandestine poker.

According to the lawsuit, Ruderman was a regular player in a series of exclusive, and illegal, “Texas Hold’em” games held for celebrities and wealthy Hollywood business figures at various luxury hotels and private homes in LA and Beverly Hills.

Another participant in those games, the lawsuit says, was Maguire, who is alleged to have won more than $311,000 from Ruderman that the

C

ountry music legend Glen Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and plans to put out his final album this summer. Campbell’s representative Bobbie Gale made the announcement Wednesday. The disease is in its early stages. The 75-year-old’s wife Kim also talked to People magazine and said they wanted to go public with his illness because they wanted fans to know if he has trouble onstage.

hedge fund manager siphoned from the investments of his clients.

The court-appointed trustee for former investors in Ruderman’s fund claims in his suit that Maguire is not entitled to keep the winnings because the payments to him constituted “fraudulent transfers” of their money. The suit, filed in federal bankruptcy court in Los Angeles in March, came to light on Wednesday after it was posted by celebrity news website Radaronline.com. According to Radaronline, the invitation-only, no-limit clandestine poker games were held twice a week with a buyin of $100,000, and Ruderman’s gambling debts to Maguire included a single losing poker hand of $110,000 in July 2007.

Representatives for Maguire, who has starred in such films as “Seabiscuit” and “Cider House Rules,” in addition to his title role in three “Spider-Man” movies, could not immediately be reached for comment. The trustee and lawsuit’s plaintiff, Howard Ehrenberg, told Reuters he has filed 15 such court actions in all in connection with Ruderman’s gambling debts, seeking to recover a total of $5.2 million

Campbell’s CD “Ghost on the Canvas” is scheduled for release Aug. 30. He also is to go on “The Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour.” The Country Music Hall of Famer had pop and country hits with “Gentle on My Mind,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” and perhaps his most famous song, “Rhinestone Cowboy.” He also had his own TV show on CBS.—AP

for investors. Others being sued by Ehrenberg include film director Nick Cassavetes, “Welcome Back Kotter” TV star Gabe Kaplan and Paris Hilton’s onetime sex video partner, Rick Salomon.—Reuters

Tobey Maguire

Lifestyle FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Harry Potter novels to become ebooks, but no sequel

T

he seven Harry Potter novels will be available in ebook form in October, author JK Rowling said yesterday at the launch of a new interactive online website Pottermore (www.pottermore.com) that will allow readers to navigate through the boy wizard stories. Rowling gave her clearest indication yet that she would not write an eighth Harry Potter story to follow the final installment published in 2007 by Bloomsbury in Britain and Scholastic in the United States. “I do have closure with Harry,” Rowling told reporters in London at the launch of pottermore.com. “I have no plans to write another novel. I’m pretty sure I’m done on the novel front...But it was fun while it lasted.”

The ebooks will be exclusively available on the Pottermore site from October in several languages.

They will be available on all major electronic reading devices. “It is my view you can’t hold back progress,” Rowling said of the electronic launch.

“Ebooks are here and here to stay. Later than a lot of people, I for the first time downloaded ebooks and it’s miraculous for travel and for children in particular. I feel great about taking Harry into this new medium.”

The announcement is major news in the world of publishing, which Rowling has taken by storm with her record-setting Potter series. The novels have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide and the ebooks could reach a new, even larger audience. The announcement comes three weeks before the theatrical release of the eighth and final Harry Potter film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2”, which will bring to a close one of cinema’s most successful franchises.

Rowling said that Pottermore was about giving something back to her fans around the world, who were among the first to create a large and influential

online community. It was also about encouraging people to read more, she added. “We knew there was a big demand for ebooks, but...I wanted it to be something more than that,” the author explained. “I wanted to pull it back to the reading, to the literary and story experience...I’ve had a lot to do with virtually every aspect of it.” —Reuters

British author JK Rowling, centre back, poses for photographers with participants during a photo call for her new website project Pottermore at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London yesterday. — AP

Eminem’s rap collaboration tops US album chart

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Lady Gaga holds a coffee cup with a ‘We pray for Japan’ message during a press conference to promote MTV Video Music Aid Japan in Tokyo yesterday. — AP

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op superstar Lady Gaga, in Japan for a charity concert yesterday praised the country for its beauty and encouraged visitors, whose numbers have dropped in the wake of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, to return. One of the best selling pop acts today, Lady Gaga has been active in fundraising for victims of the March 11 disasters, contributing a song to a charity album and a message for a fund-raising T-shirt that goes on sale later this week.

“I would like to use my position here today and all week long to run around Tokyo and enjoy the beautiful city, and kiss all the beautiful little monsters and scream at the top of my lungs that everyone should visit this beautiful place,” she told a news conference in Tokyo.

Dressed in black, she sipped from a cup reading “Prayers for Japan” in Japanese. The cup will be put up for auction and the proceeds given to charity.

Officials thanked the star for her support, presenting her with a letter of gratitude from the Japanese government. At one point, she brushed away a tear. Hiroshi Mizohata, head of the Japan Tourism Agency, gave her a small papier mache doll that is weighted at its bottom so it doesn’t fall down and symbolizes perseverance and courage.

“Never give up, finally stand up. — Reuters

he hip-hop duo of Eminem and Royce da 5’9” claimed the top spot on the US pop chart Wednesday, edging out an 11year-old talent show contestant. “Hell: The Sequel,” credited to the duo’s alter ego “Bad Meets Evil,” sold 171,000 copies during the week ended June 19, according to tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan. It marks a hefty drop from the big openings for Eminem’s solo material, most recently “Recovery,” which bowed with 741,000 copies last June. Eminem has previously topped the chart six times as a solo artist and twice as part of D12, a rap collective with his Detroit pals. Until this week, Royce da 5’9” had never gone higher than No 110 with 2009’s “Street Hop.” Meanwhile, Jackie Evancho’s first majorlabel full-length effort “Dream With Me” arrived at No 2 with 161,000 copies. The young singer-who gained fame after finishing in second place on “America’s Got Talent”earns her second No 2 hit. “Dream” follows her EP release “O Holy Night,” which debuted and peaked at No2 late last year with 239,000. (It was stuck behind Susan Boyle’s “The Gift,” which was in its second week atop the tally.)

Adele’s “21” fell two places to No 3 (115,000), Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” fell two to No 4 (68,000), and Jason Aldean’s “My Kinda Party” rose two to No 5 (51,000). Owl City’s third full-length album, “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” debuted at No 6 (48,000). The act’s last effort, 2009’s “Ocean

Eyes,” started with 18,000 (No 27) on its way to an eventual No 8 peak.

Barry Manilow’s “15 Minutes” came in at No 7 (36,300), his first studio album of original songs since 2001. “Pieces of Me,” the fifth studio album from R&B singer Ledisi, started at No 8 with 36,200 — her first top 10 album and best sales week. Her last set, 2009’s “Turn Me Loose,” debuted and peaked at No 14 with 27,000. Brad Paisley’s “This Is Country Music” slipped one to No 9 (35,000), and the original Broadway cast recording of “The Book of Mormon” slid seven to No 10 (34,000). Overall album sales totaled 6.3 million units, up 14% compared with the previous week, and up 1% compared with the comparable sales week of 2010. Year-to-date album sales stand at 143.2 million, up 1% compared with the same total at this point last year.—Reuters

Eminem

Lifestyle FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

A court sketch made on June 22, 2011 at Paris’ court shows fashion designer John Galliano claiming as he stood trial for antiSemitic insults that it was an alcoholic, drug-addicted ‘shell’ of himself who lashed out at patrons in a hip Paris bar. — AFP

French Aurelien Hamelle, lawyer of British fashion designer John Galliano, speaks on the phone as he arrives at the Paris’ court hall for the trial of his client.— AFP

Sentencing set for September in Galliano racism trial

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ashion designer John Galliano will learn 11weeks from today the outcome of his day-long trial on charges of hurling racist and anti-Semitic remarks at patrons in a hip Paris bar. After seven hours of hearings-at which the 50-year-old couturier blamedhis career-wrecking conduct on a crippling addiction to drugs and alcohol-acriminal court in the French capital set September 8 for sentencing. Speaking publicly for the first time since the furore broke in February, Galliano said he had no recollection of the incidents that cost him his highly coveted job as creative director at the Christian Dior fashion house.

“They are not views that I hold or believe in,” he said after the courtviewed an amateur video in which he declared a love for Hitler to shocked patrons at La Perle in the Le Marais, the old Jewish quarter of Paris. “In the video, I see someone who needs help, who is very vulnerable. It is a shell of John Galliano, pushed to the edge,” said the Gibraltar-born and London-bred designer who repeatedly denied he was anti-Semitic or racist. He told the court he suffered from a triple addiction to alcohol, valium and sleeping pills, and that he checked into rehab in Arizona and Switzerland after his downfall at Dior. Today, he added, “I am in day care”.

Widely regarded as one of the finest fashion designers of his generation, Galliano faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,000) if convicted of making antiSemitic insults. Prosecutor Anne de Fontette asked the court Wednesday to fine Galliano no less than 10,000 euros, but made no mention of prison time, at the conclusion of a long day in a hot, stuffy, wood-panelled criminal court chamber.

“I apologize very much,” said Galliano in a soft voice when asked bypresiding judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud if he wanted to apologize to his reputed victims. “I apologize for the sadness this whole affair has caused.” “I embrace every people, every race, creed, religion, sexuality,” he said, adding that he celebrated diversity through his couture. Galliano said that he himself had experienced bigotry first hand after he moved to south London in the 1960s with his family at the age of six, enduring bullying at “a typical English school” because of his homosexuality.

He said he began abusing drugs and alcohol in 2007 following the death of Steven Robinson, his closest friend and right-hand man at both Dior and his own John Galliano label. “After every creative high, I would crash, and alcohol helped me escape,” he said,

adding later: “I’m much better now.” Dressed soberly in a black jacket, matching loose silk trousers, but without his signature hat, Galliano was accompanied by his lawyer AurelienHamelle and a burly, bald-headed bodyguard who sat two rows behind him.

An interpreter whispered into his left ear as Sauteraud, with a docket 20centimeters (eight inches) high at her side, read from a document that quoted Galliano as using phrases. Asked by the prosecutor if she was sure Galliano had used the word“Jewish”, his alleged target, museum curator Geraldine Bloch, replied confidently: “Yes, several times... it was one of the most recurrent words.” She said Galliano had begun by mocking her “cheap boots”, moved on to insult her figure and finally called her “a dirty Jewish bitch”. Her companion that evening, receptionist Philippe Virgitti, testified that Galliano made several obscene Jewish references, and that he had also called him a “fucking Asian bastard” as well.—AFP

Women’s groups protest

Prada listing in Hong Kong W

omen’s rights groups staged a noisyprotest against Italian fashion house Prada in Hong Kong yesterday, a day aheadof its listing in the city, accusing the brand of sexual discrimination. Two dozen activists chanted “Down down Prada! The Devil is Prada! Nolisting of Prada! Shame on you Prada!” as they demonstrated outside a Pradastore in a busy shopping district in the city. The protest stemmed from the case of Rina Bovrisse, a former Prada managerin Japan who claimed she was unfairly fired in March last year after being toldby a company executive she was “ugly” and didn’t have “the Prada look”.

“I’m here today to stand up for women who have been victims of harassmentand discrimination at the workplace,” said Bovrisse, who flew to Hong Kong forthe protest, and asked investors to “think twice” before investing in Prada. “Hong Kong should uphold principles of equality-we urge consumers andinvestors to be wise about their choices,” Doris Lee, program coordinator oflabor rights

group Asia Monitor Resource Centre told reporters.

“We don’t understand why the Hong Kong stock exchange would allow a companythat practices sexual harassment and discrimination to list in the city,” shesaid, adding that the group has sought an explanation from the stock exchange.

Bovrisse, a Japanese national married to a Frenchman, had alleged PradaJapan pressured a number of female employees into resigning by describing them as “aged, ugly, fat, bad body shape, bad teeth, disgusting and not cute”. Bovrisse and two of her former colleagues at the Tokyo boutique are currently suing Prada Japan for sexual harassment and unfair dismissal. The case is still pending in court. Prada Japan has denied the claims and launched a counter-suit against Bovrisse for harming the group’s image. —AFP

Protesters hold up placards during a demonstration in front of a Prada store in Hong Kong yesterday. — AFP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

or a flagging brand looking to shake up its image a bit, Issey Miyake’s spring-summer 2012 collection yesterday looked surprisingly deja vu. The Japanese label was once on fashion’s cutting edge, but after the departure of its founder and namesake it has failed to duplicate its earlier successes. In a bid make new inroads among young consumers, the brand recently replaced its last creative director with a younger design team.

Still, the new team appeared to be following the same old recipes, delivering a debut collection Yesterday that served up the casual high-tech aesthetic that has become the Miyake trademark. Their chic, easy-breezy boxy button-down shirts and cropped sarouel pants were ready for a tropical holiday, and nubby sweater vests knit with inverted rainbows looked ideal for a weekend getaway.

Yet neither the silhouettes nor the fabrics broke any new ground for the label, and yesterday’s show was a tad less conceptual than in previous years. It remains to be seen whether that’ll be enough to jump-start sales.—AP

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Models wear creations by Japanese designer Dai Fujiwara for their Issey Miake Men’s Spring-Summer 2012 collection, presented in Paris, yesterday. — AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Kids all shook up over Elvis at Clinton library

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lvis has entered the building at the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center. The presidential library, whose namesake never shied away from his love of The King, has transformed into a school of rock this week with 25 elementary-school students strumming guitars, banging on drums and learning about Elvis during Rock ‘n Roll Camp. “A lot of these kids have never really known what Elvis is about, and they have never played anything,” said Smokey Emerson, the camp’s instructor. “I want them to leave here with a love for music and the ability to at least to somewhat play an instrument.” The library is also hosting two exhibits this summer celebrating the Memphis-born artist, a nod to the music-loving former President Bill Clinton’s fascination with Elvis. Stephanie Streett, executive director of the William J. Clinton Foundation, said the camp has been “a fantastic experience.”

“The kids are not only learning about various musical styles and the life of Elvis Presley, but also having a great time experimenting with new instruments,” she said. Clinton, who once played sax on The Arsenio Hall Show, has said he identified with the rock-and-roll legend because of their shared small-town Southern roots. He wrote in his 2004 autobiography “My Life”: “I never quite escaped Elvis. In the ‘92 campaign, some members of my staff nicknamed me Elvis.”

During his presidency, people often sent him Elvis souvenirs and paintings featuring himself and the late rock star. One exhibit, in partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises in Memphis, highlights Elvis movie memorabilia such as posters, scripts and the 1960 MG car used by Elvis in “Blue Hawaii” that was also part of his personal collection at that time.

The other exhibit features a series of black and white photographs by Alfred Wertheimer. Wertheimer traveled with Elvis in 1956 shortly before he became a superstar. The campers have toured the exhibit, watched Elvis videos and learned about his legacy in rock history class. On Tuesday afternoon, Elvis impersonator Matt Joyce discussed Elvis’ life and sang classics like “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock.” He threw out teddy bears and passed out Hawaiian leis. The students, who are learning more modern songs by artists like Kings of Leon and Blink 182, will give a free concert to the public Friday afternoon at the Clinton Center’s Great Hall.

Andrew Brightop, 10, of Little Rock, began playing electric guitar six months ago. The aspiring rock star decided to attend the camp to learn to play more instruments. “I hope to learn bass and drums so I can have a better reference for music when I’m older,” he said.

Madison Myers, 9, of Little Rock is unsure about life as a rock star.

But she’s learning to play the drums just in case. “I’ve been playing drums for two years on (video game) Rock Band,” Myers said.

“I like drums better than a string instruments. It’s easier. I might be a drummer when I grow up. Or a model. Or a veterinarian.”

Emerson said the camp’s instruments and equipment were donated by other instructors and local musicians. The charge for the full-day camp is $200 for non-members and $150 for members of the Clinton Foundation. Another camp for older students is scheduled for July. — Reuters Elvis Presley

‘Futurama’ goes on a Bender in new season

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A member of staff walks past works of art from Transport for London’s Lost Property Office at ‘The Lost Collection’ exhibition at the KK Outlet in central London, on June 10, 2011. — AFP

Lost property art: London’s forgotten works on show

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hey share little in terms of style and quality but the works in a new London art exhibition have one thing in common — they were all left in taxis, buses or on the train and never claimed. “The Lost Collection”, as it’s called, is drawn from the Ali Baba-style store rooms of the Transport for London (TfL), which runs the capital’s transport network. Many of the 60 or so paintings, photographs and sketches on show are signed by the artist, but their owners never came back for them...at least until now.

“These art works are kind of worthless,” admits Richard Walker, the artistic director of the KK Outlet gallery in the trendy east London district of Hoxton where they can be seen during the month of June. But they hit a soft spot in Walker “because of the intrinsic value of someone’s personal possession, and because they have worked very hard on that work.” “I wanted to give them the opportunity to be shown in a gallery,” he said. They normally sit among some 200,000 left items the TfL retrieves each year, ranging from run-of-the-mill books, bags, clothes and keys to the more quizzical, like a set of false teeth, a prosthetic leg, a skeleton and even a lawnmower.

Only one in four of these objects are ever claimed by their owners, though when items are clearly valuable-an urn was left behind containing somebody’s ashes-the staff do their best to locate the owners. Artwork abounds, and the best of this “Lost Collection”-from carefully crafted paintings to children’s colorful drawings-is now being shown in public for the first time. One painting represents “disembodied lips blowing trumpet on fleshy mound”, as the lost property staff described it. Another is entitled “Character in Striking Red (Falling Through Black Hole?),” signed J.Y. Walker came up with the idea of an exhibition after visiting the TfL lost property office, one of the largest in Britain. It took him a year to trawl through the tat to pick out items he thought was worth putting on display. And Transport for London was only too happy to help him. “TfL is always looking for innovative ways to raise awareness of the types of items that are lost on London’s transport network and handed into the lost property office,” a spokesman said.—AFP

or Bender fans, the new season of “Futurama” is mandatory. For romantics eager to see Fry and lovely Leela draw closer, it’s a must-see. And devotees of Japanese anime, get ready for a treat. In other words, skip the Emmy-winning “Futurama” in its second year on Comedy Central, starting 10 p.m. EDT Thursday, and you’ll be sorry - whether you’re a science fiction fan or not.

The former Fox animated series tracks the adventures of pizza delivery boy Philip Fry (voiced by Billy West), who inadvertently turned himself into a human Popsicle in 1999 and woke up 1,000 years later. Employment (whew!) was available. At Planet Express, an intergalactic delivery service, Fry works alongside Leela (Katey Sagal), a tough, one-eyed babe, and best friend Bender (John DiMaggio), a robot whose grip on morality and manners is tenuous.

The 13-episode run kicks off on a funky note with the episode titled, “Neutopia.” The Planet Express crew crashes on a planet inhabited by a being who, unfamiliar with the concept of gen-

der, decides to experiment on our heroes and heroines. Pitch-perfect satire ensues, with both sexes taking it on the chin. At one point, the women risk a fiery death to check out an apparent clearance sale. “I can’t believe that sale was just a mirage. Now we’re goin’ die without so much as a factory-second clutch purse to show for it,” moans LaBarbara Conrad (Dawnn Lewis).

The men, also trying to save themselves but hopelessly lost, encounter a friendly native. “Hi, there, you fellas need some directions?” he asks.

Their response: a stubborn chorus of “No!” and “Don’t worry about it.” In the June 30 “Benderama” episode, the robot with the cigar habit and no discernible work ethic learns how to replicate himself, creating an army of Benders that scale smaller and smaller but cause big trouble. “People always say ‘More Bender!’ Well, believe me ...” said series creator Matt Groening, chuckles overtaking his words as he contemplates the havoc wrought by multiple Benders.—AP

In this publicity image released by Comedy Central, the cast of the series ‘Futurama’ is shown. The animated comedy series returned for a new season yesterday at 10pm EST on Comedy Central. — AP

Stars

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Golden orb spiders of Madagascar spin robust webs. Their silk is stronger than steel yet able to bend and expand when struck by insects. Here's an equally amazing facet of their work: Each morning they eat what remains of yesterday's web and spend an hour or so weaving a fresh one. I'm thinking that your task in the coming weeks has some similarities to the orb spider's, Aries: creating rugged but flexible structures to gather what you need, and being ready to continually shed what has outlived its usefulness so as to build what your changing circumstances require. (Thanks to the California Academy of Sciences for the info on orb spiders.)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

The year is almost half over, Taurus. Shall we sum up the first part of 2011 and speculate about the adventures that may lie ahead of you in the next six months? The way I see it, you've been going through a boisterous process of purification since last January. Some of it has rattled your soul's bones, while some of it has freed you from your mind-forged manacles. In a few short months, you have overseen more climaxes and shed more emotional baggage than you had in the past three years combined. Now you're all clean and clear and fresh, and ready for a less exhausting, more cheerful kind of fun.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Advertisements are often designed to make you feel inadequate about the life you're actually living so you will be motivated to "improve" your lot by buying what they're selling. In this short horoscope, I don't have room to express how much soul sickness this wreaks upon us all. Recently HBO unleashed an especially nefarious attack. Promoting its new streaming service, it informed us that "The story you could be watching is better than the one you're in." Fortunately, Gemini, you won't be tempted to swallow that vicious propaganda anytime in the coming weeks. Your personal story will be profoundly more interesting and meaningful than the narratives that HBO or any other entertainment source might offer.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

A company that manufactures processed food made a promotional offer: If you purchased ten of its products, it would give you 500 frequent flyer miles. An American man named David Philips took maximum advantage.

He bought 12,150 pudding cups for $3,000, earning himself more than a million frequent flyer miles -- enough to fly to Europe and back 31 times.

This is the kind of legal trick you're now in a good position to pull off, Cancerian. So brainstorm freely, please: How could you play the system, outwit the matrix, rage against the machine, or subvert the Man? No need to break any laws; the best gambit will be an ethical one.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

While watching fast-talking politicians talk on TV, my Polish grand-uncle would sometimes mutter, Zlotem pisal, a gownem zapieczetowal. I only learned what those words meant when I turned 18 and he decided I was old enough to know the translation: "written in gold and sealed with crap." One of your interesting assignments in the coming weeks, Leo, will be to identify anything that fits that description in your own life. Once you've done that, you can get started on the next task, which should be rather fun: Expose the discrepancy, and clean up the mess.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Years ago I did a book tour that brought me to Eugene, Oregon, where my sister and her husband and their daughter live. They came to my reading at a bookstore. My Virgo niece Jasper was seven years old at the time. I was surprised and delighted when she heckled me several times during my talk, always with funny and good-natured comments that added to the conviviality of the moment and entertained everyone in attendance. Who said Virgos are well-behaved to a fault? Your assignment this week is to be inspired by my niece: With wit and compassion, disrupt the orderly flow of any events that could use some smart agitation.

Libra (September 23-October 22) "Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on," wrote author Samuel Butler. Ain't that the truth! You may be practicing as diligently as you can, gradually trying to master your complex instrument, but in the meantime your lack of expertise is plainly visible to anyone who's paying close attention. Luckily, not too many people pay really close attention, which gives you a significant amount of slack. Now and then, too, you have growth spurts -- phases when your skills suddenly leap to a higher octave. The coming weeks should be one of these times for you, Libra.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

In August and September, millions of seabirds known as Sooty Shearwaters leave their homes in New Zealand and travel thousands of miles to the Gulf of the Farallones, just off the coast of San Francisco. Why do they do it? The feeding is first-class; the tasty fish and squid they like are available in abundance. I suggest you consider a Sooty Shearwater-type quest in the coming weeks, Scorpio. The very best samples of the goodies you crave are located at a distance, either in a literal or metaphorical sense.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) There is an emphasis on communication, expression of ideas and the connections between things, places and people. What goes on in your mind is the all-important motivation in your life. You tend towards mental pursuits and admire intelligence. You are very flexible and other-oriented today. Perhaps you can be all things to all people, giving them what they require. You are probably a smooth talker with a quick wit and ready tongue. You know and understand more than you let on and life changes seldom take you by surprise. You have a great deal of control over your actions. Communicating and getting your message across to others is at a high just now. You know just how to maneuver yourself into the right places; now is the time to get ahead.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Someone may criticize you today and find you somewhat preoccupied and lacking in the social graces. This is only a temporary glitch in your day. You have an innate love of the law and working things through and you are not put off by any difficulties. On the contrary, you may look forward to hunting problems down so that you can solve them. You have the ability to work with others, particularly regarding vocation or career guidance. You can advise and guide others in all sorts of subjects and you may find yourself doing so today. This could be a particularly lucky day. Study the options carefully before making any investment decisions. Tonight is a good night for you to take your turn at cooking.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) When my "macho feminist" memoir The Televisionary Oracle was published in 2000, I suffered from comical delusions about its chances for mainstream acceptance. For example, I tried to get a review in The New York Times. As I know now, that had as much likelihood of happening as me traveling to the moon in a rainbow canoe carried by magical flying mermaids. But in lieu of that kind of recognition, others arrived. One of my favorites: My book went along for the ride with a group of American goddess-worshipers on a spiritual tour to the ancient matriarchal city of Catal Huyuk in Turkey. They read my writing aloud to each other, amused and entertained. I suspect you will soon have a similar experience, Aquarius: having to "settle for" a soulful acknowledgment that's different from what your ego thought it wanted. Take it from me: That's actually better.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

My favorite plant food for my African violets is a natural fertilizer called Big Bloom. One of its key ingredients -- the stuff that makes it so effective -- is bat guano. I'd like to suggest that you're about due to embark on the Big Blooming phase of your own cycle, Pisces. And it's more likely to reach its deserved pinnacle of fertility if you're willing to summon just a hint of batsh** craziness from the depths of your subconscious mind. But remember: just a dollop, not a giant heap.

COUNTRY CODES Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African Republic 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands)0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062 Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland)0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK)0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

W h a t ’s O n FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

UNHCR celebrates World Refugee Day 2011

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n June 20, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Kuwait Office conveyed its sincerest appreciation to the State of Kuwait, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah and the people of Kuwait for their continuous support and efforts for humanitarian causes around the world. The UNHCR Kuwait office lauds the country s contributions to the UNHCR, whether on an international, regional or local level.

In celebration of World Refugee Day of this year, UNHCR launched an international campaign that is aimed at spreading awareness and encouraging people to do one thing to help end the suffering of 43.7 million peo-

ple around the world. The objective of the “1” campaign is to motivate the public to do 1 thing, whether it is spreading the word, learning about the issue, or to give and contribute to this cause.

The “1” Campaign marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention and will run until the end of the year. The idea behind the “1” Campaign is to go beyond the statistics and tell the stories of individual refugees and to communicate to the public and our stakeholders and donors that there is NO tolerable level of displacement; that even 1 person forced to flee is 1 too many. We call it the “1” Campaign because it aims to put individual refugees in focus.

Announcements

To build momentum in the week before World Refugee Day, UNHCR s Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie launched the “1” Campaign by releasing a new TV spot which asks the public to do 1 thing for refugees.

The UN Refugee Convention was established in 1951 as a result of the aftermath of World War II, which left millions of Europeans displaces and without asylum. Currently more than 43 million people are displaced by violence around the world, and Europe is no longer home to most of them.

Despite what some populist politicians would have us believe, the vast majority - about 80 percent - are hosted and cared for in developing countries, not industrialized ones.

Congratulations

FGP Convention 2011

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he prayer partner of United Prayer Warriors and Tamil Pentecostal Church cordially invite you and your family and friends to participate in our 2011 convention. We are also pleased to inform you that Pastor I. Vinil Sathish, President of Full Gospel Pentecostal Churches, Tamil Nadu will be our Guest Speaker during the fourth Anniversary, 2011 Convention.

Date: 24 & 25 June 2011 (Friday & Saturday) Place: Ruchi Auditoruium, Abbasiya Time: 06.00 pm to 9.00 pm 5th YEAR - FIRST FASTING PRAYER Date: 24 June 2011(Friday) Place: Ruchi Auditoruium, Abbasiya Time: 09:30 am to 01.00 pm Prayer Request and more Details Contact # Bro. S.Suresh Kumar - 97927436, 60931099

Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA In order to inform that 23rd of October 2011, will be Argentine national election where all Argentinean citizen residents permanently in Kuwait can vote only if they are registered at the Electoral Register of the Argentine Embassy. The procedure of inscription ended on 25 of April 2011. To register it is necessary that Argentinean citizens should come personally at the Argentinean Embassy (Block 6, street 42, villa 57, Mishref) and present the DNI and four personal photos (size 4x4, face should be front on white background). For further information, contact us on 25379211.

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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.

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Salam Al-Khalifa

Mariam Al-Khalifa

Infunity presents summer ‘Blank Camp’

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re you looking to keep your kids busy this summer? The family entertainment center “Infunity” presents its first summer “Blank Camp”, which offers a great experience, fun and adventures for young campers ages 5 to 12 years old. The “Blank Camp” which is managed by Blank Hunts, offers a variety of activities including arts, crafts, reading, theater, sports and treasure hunt.

The camp will be running from June 19 to July 14 at “Infunity”, 360 Mall, Level 3 and will be conducted from 9 am to 1:30 pm. In this camp, kids will have the opportunity to learn new skills, gain knowledge, enhance self-confidence and build character and self-esteem. In addition, build up new friendships and unforgettable experiences that last a lifetime. “Infunity” aims through this camp to offer kids the opportunity to express their capabilities, try new things, stimulate challenge, work in teams and improve their skills. Moreover, all activities are chosen and designed carefully to entrain young campers in a healthy and safe environment. It is worthy to mention that the family entertainment center “Infunity” is one of the latest entertainment centers in Kuwait and it is the right place for the families who are seeking to spend enjoyable and pleasant times since its games are the most recent in Kuwait and combines education and entertainment. Invest your kid’s time and call on 99091277 to register.

Embassy

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN The Visa Application Centre (VAC) will be closed on the same dates above. The opening hours of the Visa Application Centre are 0930 - 1630 Application forms remain available online from the UKBAs’ website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or from the Visa Application Centre’s website: www.vfs-ukkw.com. And also, from the UK Visa Application Centre located at: 4B, First Floor, Al Banwan Building (Burgan Bank Branch Office Building), Al Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City. For any further inquiries, please contact the Visa Application Centre: Website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com E-mail:info@vfs-uk-kw.com Telephone:22971170. The Consular Section will also be closed on the same dates.

For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk ■■■■■■■

Khalifa Al-Khalifa

Aisha Al-Khalifa

The Al-Khalifa family would like to extend a warm congratulations for the graduation of Salam Al-Khalifa, Mariam Al-Khalifa, Khalifa Al-Khalifa and Aisha AlKhalifa. May the grace of God be with you always.

Omar Al-Dhaferi The Al-Dhaferi family would like to extend a warm congratulations for the graduation of son Omar AlDhaferi. May the grace of God be with you always.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait.

Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form. All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed.

W h a t ’s O n FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Thomas Quinn, School Director hands out awards to the graduating class.

Dr Saad urges graduates to ‘seek education and knowledge throughout their lives’ in his inspiring address.

Valedictorian Aseel Al Salem

Salutatorian, Rashed Al Rashed

Al-Bayan Bilingual School celebrates Graduating class of 2011

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l Bayan Bilingual School celebrated its graduating class of 2011 under the auspices of Dr Saad Bintiflah Al Ajmi, Academic, Writer and a former minister of Information. Among the guests were Dr Martha Thompson, Chair for the school’s board of Trustees and Tariq Alsamerraie Chairman & Managing Director of FAWSEC Educational Company, Mr Thomas Quinn, BBS Director and the educational faculty, members of BBS administration and parents at Alrayya Ballroom.

Jihad Sadeddin, High School Principal gave the opening address welcoming guests and parents in the ceremony and briefly summarized to the audience the graduates achievements during the school year. Mr Thomas Quinn, School Director addressed the graduates with ten points he considered important for them to follow in their lives including “going after your dreams and don’t be afraid to make mistakes” he said.

Dr Saad advised the graduates in his speech to continue to seek education and knowledge in their lives and to think objectively about matters they will face as they gain real life experience.

The ceremony presented the following prestigious awards: The salutatorian was student Rashed Al Rashed and valedictorian was Aseel Al Salem. CIS Award (Council of International School) went to Mariam Al Qatami, Aseel Al Salem, Lulwa Abdurazzak.

PTA Award (Parents Teachers Association) went to Hamad Al Hajiri, Al Muffarej Award

Faculty members stand for the closing ceremony. went to Abdulaziz Al Shalfan, NHS Award (National Honor Society) prize went to Eithar Al Rushaid. The Male Athletic Award went to Essa Al Loughani and Hisham Abdou while the Female Athletic Award went to each of Lulwa Abdurazzak, Student Council Award went to Nour Al Essa and finally The Principal Award went to Bader Al Ayyoub and Eithar Al Rushaid.

The night also featured songs performed in English and Arabic by the graduates. This year Al Bayan graduated 89 students, the largest number of graduates in all of BBS history with the majority pursuing their university degrees overseas in

USA, Lebanon, UAE and Ireland. Both staff and teachers are very proud of their students achievements and the news some of them have been accepted into prestigious universities such as; Bentley University, University of California, Boston University, California State University, MIT, University of Michigan, Syracuse University, University of Wisconsin to name a few.

The ceremony concluded with awarding the graduating class their certificates by Dr Saad, Ms Martha, Mr Thomas and Mr Jihad in a address of praise to the students achievements and thanks to all the families and faculty members.

TV Listings FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

00:45 Dogs 101 01:40 Untamed And Uncut 02:35 Natural World 03:30 Max’s Big Tracks 04:25 I Was Bitten 05:20 Animal Cops Phoenix 06:10 Extraordinary Dogs 06:35 Project Puppy 07:00 Lemur Street 07:25 The Really Wild Show 07:50 Crocodile Hunter 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 My Cat From Hell 10:05 Dogs 101 11:00 Animal Cops Miami 11:55 SSPCA: On The Wildside 12:20 Wildlife SOS 12:50 Clinically Wild: Alaska 13:45 Animal Cops Phoenix 14:40 The Real Lost World 15:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Farm Life 17:25 America’s Cutest...

18:20 Breed All About It 18:45 Planet Wild 19:15 Penguin Safari 20:10 Dogs 101 21:05 Whale Wars 22:55 After The Attack 23:50 Penguin Safari

00:00 00:35 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:30 04:00 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 10:10 10:40 11:25 12:15 12:45 13:15 14:10 15:40 16:30 17:15 17:45 18:15 19:10 20:00 20:45 21:15 22:05 23:00 23:30

Keeping Up Appearances The Weakest Link Casualty Doctor Who Eastenders Doctors Keeping Up Appearances Fimbles Balamory Teletubbies Gigglebiz Fimbles Balamory Teletubbies Fimbles Balamory Teletubbies Gigglebiz Fimbles Balamory Teletubbies Gigglebiz Keeping Up Appearances Keeping Up Appearances The Weakest Link Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness Doctors Eastenders Casualty Keeping Up Appearances Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Casualty Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness The Weakest Link Doctors The Planets Survivors The Cup Ideal

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

Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Come Dine With Me The Home Show Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Daily Cooks Challenge Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Daily Cooks Challenge Antiques Roadshow Rick Stein’s French Odyssey New Scandinavian Cooking Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic Bargain Hunt Come Dine With Me Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Indian Food Made Easy New Scandinavian Cooking Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic Bargain Hunt Come Dine With Me The Home Show Masterchef: The Professionals Masterchef: The Professionals

BAD GIRLS ON OSN ACTION HD

00:00 00:30 00:45 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 07:45 08:00 08:30 08:45 09:00 09:30 09:45 10:00 10:30 10:45 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 12:45 13:00 13:30 13:45

BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News America Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Peschardt’s People BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Peschardt’s People BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today

14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 14:30 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact 16:30 Our World 17:00 Impact 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 World Have Your Say 18:30 World Have Your Say 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 BBC World News 19:40 Weekend World 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World Have Your Say Extra 21:40 Weekend World 22:00 BBC World News 22:30 Middle East Business Report 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 Peschardt’s People

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:15 03:40 04:05 04:30 04:55

Cow And Chicken Cramp Twins George Of The Jungle Courage The Cowardly Dog Eliot Kid Ed, Edd N Eddy Ben 10: Alien Force The Powerpuff Girls Chowder The Secret Saturdays My Gym Partner’s A Monkey Ben 10: Alien Force Best Ed

05:20 Skunk Fu! 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 07:25 Cow And Chicken 07:50 Angelo Rules 08:05 Cartoon Network Dance Club 08:15 Adventure Time 08:40 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 09:05 The Secret Saturdays 09:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 09:55 The Powerpuff Girls 10:20 Robotboy 10:30 Hero 108 10:55 Ben 10 11:20 Chowder 11:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 12:10 Camp Lazlo 12:35 George Of The Jungle 13:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 13:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:50 Ben 10 14:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:40 Squirrel Boy 15:05 Eliot Kid 15:35 Ed, Edd N Eddy 16:00 Cow And Chicken 16:25 Chop Socky Chooks 16:50 Skunk Fu! 17:15 Chowder 17:40 Best Ed 18:05 Hero 108 18:30 Cartoon Network Dance Club 18:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 18:55 Best Ed 19:20 Adventure Time 19:45 Cow And Chicken 20:10 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack

20:35 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Courage The Cowardly Dog The Powerpuff Girls Ed, Edd N Eddy Robotboy Adventure Time Hero 108 Ben 10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers Chowder

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

Backstory World Sport World Report World Report World Business Today Piers Morgan Tonight Anderson Cooper 360 World Sport Edit Room World Report Backstory World Report World Report World Sport The Best Of Backstory World Business Today CNN Marketplace Middle East World One World Sport The Best Of Backstory Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk The Brief World Sport World Report CNN Marketplace Middle East International Desk Talk Asia Quest Means Business CNN Marketplace Africa Piers Morgan Tonight Connect The World

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

Dirty Jobs Surviving The Cut Ultimate Survival Battle Machine Bros Mythbusters How It’s Made Dirty Jobs Battle Machine Bros Street Customs How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Time Warp Surviving The Cut Sons Of Guns Sons Of Guns Ultimate Survival LA Ink Dirty Jobs Battle Machine Bros Mythbusters Extreme Fishing Cake Boss Border Security Time Warp How It’s Made How It’s Made Extreme Engineering Huge Moves Mighty Ships Extreme Fishing

00:30 00:55 Future 01:45 02:35 03:25 03:50 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 07:55 07:58 08:25 08:55 09:45 10:35 11:25 11:50 12:40 13:05 13:55 14:45 Future 15:35

The Gadget Show Revealed: Dream City Of The Bang Goes The Theory The Future Of...

Cool Stuff And How It Works Scrapheap Challenge Science Of The Movies Patent Bending Eco-Tech Catch It Keep It Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Bad Universe The Gadget Show Bang Goes The Theory Mean Green Machines Da Vinci’s Machines Patent Bending Weird Or What?

Sci-Fi Saved My Life Revealed: Dream City Of The The Gadget Show

16:00 16:03 16:30 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Brainiac Stephen Hawking’s Universe The Tech Show The Gadget Show Sci-Fi Science How Does That Work?

The Gadget Show The Tech Show The Gadget Show The Colony

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 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:20 09:30 09:55 10:05 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:10 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:40 14:05 14:15 14:25 14:50 15:15 16:05 16:30 16:40 16:55 17:20 17:45 17:55 18:15 18:35 19:00 19:20 19:45 20:05 20:25 20:50 21:10 21:20 21:30 21:55 22:20 22:35 22:45 23:00 23:20 23:30 23:55

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 Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Little Mermaid Handy Manny The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Timmy Time The Hive Little Einsteins The Little Mermaid Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Handy Manny The Hive Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Little Mermaid Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Handy Manny The Little Mermaid Little Einsteins Handy Manny The Hive Jungle Junction The Little Mermaid Timmy Time Jo Jo’s Circus Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Extreme Close-Up 01:25 20 Best And Worst Celebrity Plastic...

03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 30 Most Outrageous Celebrity Feuds 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Kendra 13:35 Kendra 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 THS 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Khloe And Lamar 17:25 Khloe And Lamar 17:55 E! News 18:55 Kourtney And Kim Take New York

TV Listings FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

19:55 20:55 21:25 22:25 23:25 23:55

THS Chelsea Lately Holly’s World E! News Chelsea Lately Kourtney And Kim Take New York

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

Ghost Lab Psychic Witness Autopsy: Most Shocking Cases True Crime Scene Dr G: Medical Examiner Crime Scene Psychics Ghost Lab Mystery Diagnosis Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls FBI Case Files FBI Files On The Case With Paula Zahn Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls FBI Case Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift FBI Files Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls On The Case With Paula Zahn Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Serial Killers I Escaped Death Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:30 01:30 02:30 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 05:30 06:30 07:30 08:30 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:30 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Bondi Rescue Nomads Banged Up Abroad Destination Extreme Bondi Rescue David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Exploring The Vine Surfer’s Journal Bondi Rescue Nomads Banged Up Abroad Destination Extreme Bondi Rescue David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Exploring The Vine

By Any Means Market Values Bondi Rescue Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled Banged Up Abroad Destination Extreme Bondi Rescue David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Exploring The Vine

By Any Means Market Values Bondi Rescue Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled Banged Up Abroad Destination Extreme Bondi Rescue David Rocco’s Dolce Vita Exploring The Vine

By Any Means

00:00 02:00 04:15 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 21:45

Camp Hope-PG15 Se7en-18 The Ruins-R S.W.A.T.-PG15 Beyond A Reasonable Doubt-PG15 Inkheart-PG The Fast And The Furious-PG15 Beyond A Reasonable Doubt-PG15 Bad Girls-PG15 The Fast And The Furious-PG15 Blood: The Last Vampire-18 From Hell-18

01:00 Perrier’s Bounty-18 03:00 Citizen Jane-PG 05:00 Secretariat-PG15 07:15 Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths-PG 09:00 Invictus-PG15 11:15 Astro Boy-FAM 13:00 Secretariat-PG15 15:15 The Sorcerer’s Apprentice-PG15 17:15 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 19:15 The Last Station-PG15 21:15 Jennifer’s Body-18 23:15 From Paris With Love-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Boondocks 02:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 02:30 Party Down 03:00 Rita Rocks 03:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 03:30 Party Down 03:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 04:00 Boondocks 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 Happy Endings 08:30 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 09:00 Rita Rocks 09:30 Will And Grace 10:00 According To Jim 10:30 Happy Endings 11:00 Family Biz 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 13:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 13:30 Will And Grace 14:00 According To Jim 14:30 Community 15:00 Happy Endings 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 The Office 19:00 Outsourced 19:30 Modern Family 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Eastbound And Down 23:00 Boondocks 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

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

White Collar Burn Notice The Good Guys Bones Burn Notice Good Morning America Detroit 1-8-7 Emmerdale Look-A-Like The Good Guys The Martha Stewart Show The View White Collar Bones Live Good Morning America The Bachelor The Ellen DeGeneres Show One Tree Hill Drop Dead Diva Off The Map Big Love The Good Guys 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 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00

Criminal Minds The Good Guys White Collar Burn Notice Bones Surface Criminal Minds Cougar Town Look-A-Like The Event The Good Guys White Collar Burn Notice Cougar Town Look-A-Like The Event Criminal Minds Cougar Town Look-A-Like Covert Affairs Drop Dead Diva Off The Map

21:00 Big Love 22:00 The Good Guys 23:00 Surface

01:00 Rage: Carrie 2-PG15 03:00 Zombieland-18 05:00 Halloween 2-18 07:00 Star Trek: Generations-PG 09:00 The Italian Job (1969)-PG 10:45 The Day After Tomorrow-PG 12:45 Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen-PG15 15:15 The Italian Job (1969)-PG 17:00 Shanghai Knights-PG15 19:00 Tears Of The Sun-18 21:00 Friday The 13th-18 23:00 The Collector-PG15

00:00 17 Again-PG15 02:00 The Freshman-PG15 04:00 Head Of State-PG15 06:00 Suburban Girl-PG15 08:00 Chatterbox-PG 10:00 Jack-PG15 12:00 Green Card-PG15 14:00 Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian-PG15 16:00 17 Again-PG15 18:00 Hope Springs-PG15 20:00 The Sweetest Thing-18 22:00 Go-18

01:30 03:30 05:00 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:00 14:30 16:30 19:00 21:00 23:15

The Medicine Show-18 Sleuth-18 Jerry Maguire-18 Heaven On Earth-PG15 A Far Off Place-PG15 Last Chance Harvey-PG15 Enid-PG15 Cairo Time-PG15 Annie-FAM Cabaret-PG15 Moulin Rouge!-PG15 Nine-PG15

HOPE SPRINGS ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY

01:15 03:30 05:30 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Blues Brothers 2000-PG15 Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 Free Style-PG15 Anger Management-PG15 Dr. Dolittle-PG Dr. Dolittle 2-PG Alice In Wonderland-PG Love Happens-PG15 Dr. Dolittle-PG Crazy Heart-PG15 You Again-PG15 The Wolfman-18

00:00 Stuart Little 2-FAM 02:00 Winx: Secret Of The Lost KingdomPG 04:00 Tooth Fairy-PG 06:00 Planet 51-PG 08:00 Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation-FAM 10:00 Stuart Little 2-FAM 12:00 Yogi Bear And The Magical Flight Of The Spruce Goose-PG 14:00 Planet 51-PG 16:00 Wild Records!-PG 18:00 Astro Boy-FAM 20:00 A Christmas Carol-PG 22:00 Yogi Bear And The Magical Flight Of The Spruce Goose-PG

00:00 All Good Things-18 02:00 Nanny Mcphee And The Big BangPG 04:00 Coco Before Chanel-PG15 06:00 My Dog Tulip-PG 08:00 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel-PG15 10:00 Oceans - Into The Deep-PG 12:00 Nanny Mcphee And The Big BangPG 14:00 Iron Man 2-PG15 16:15 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel-PG15 18:00 Amelia-PG15 20:00 Grown Ups-PG15 22:00 The Hurt Locker-18

01:30 03:30 04:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 09:30 10:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 16:00 16:30 18:30 21:00 21:30

RFL Championship Total Rugby Rugby Junior World Championship Weber Cup Bowling RFL Championship Total Rugby Super Rugby Highlights Live Super 15 ICC Cricket World Futbol Mundial NRL Full Time Live NRL Premiership Total Rugby Super 15 AFL Premiership Futbol Mundial Live Super League

02:30 03:30 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 08:00 12:30 14:30 15:30 19:30 21:30

Golfing World Mobil 1 The Grid Ironman Futbol Mundial European Tour Weekly Trans World Sport Golfing World European PGA Tour Live NRL Premiership Golfing World Live European PGA Tour Super 15 European PGA Tour

00:00 01:00 02:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 13:30 14:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

WWE NXT Intercontinental Le Mans Cup UFC 131 WWE NXT UFC Unleashed WWE NXT WWE Vintage Collection Intercontinental Le Mans Cup Aquabike World Live AFL Premiership WWE NXT V8 Supercars Championship Intercontinental Le Mans Cup UAE National Race Day Series V8 Supercars Extra WWE NXT WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey Nomad’s Land World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides Glutton For Punishment Angry Planet Globe Trekker Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma Globe Trekker Intrepid Journeys World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides Working Holiday Travel Today Cruise Today Globe Trekker Planet Food Intrepid Journeys World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides Globe Trekker Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma Planet Food Globe Trekker Great Scenic Railways-US & Canada Distant Shores Indian Times Globe Trekker

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

Jerseylicious Fashion Avenue Big Boutique How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Homes With Style Fashion Avenue How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Clean House Clean House Comes Clean Mel B: It’s A Scary World Jerseylicious Ruby Giuliana & Bill Top 10 Giuliana & Bill Big Boutique Fashion Avenue Clean House Comes Clean The Amandas Divine Wedding Dresses With The

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

World War II: Lost Films Extreme Trains Declassified Sliced Tunnellers World War II: Lost Films Extreme Trains Declassified Sliced Tunnellers World War II: Lost Films Extreme Trains Declassified Sliced Tunnellers World War II: Lost Films Battle Stations Extreme Trains Declassified Lost Worlds Ancient Discoveries

Bridalplasty How Do I Look?

01:20 Brotherly Love 03:10 The Yearling 05:15 The Rack 07:00 Rio Rita 08:30 Live A Little, Love A Little 10:00 TCM Presents Under The Influence: Bill Murray 10:35 Knights Of The Round Table 12:35 Ride The High Country 14:05 The Last Time I Saw Paris 16:00 The Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm 18:05 Son Of A Gunfighter 19:35 The Dirty Dozen 22:00 Where Eagles Dare

Information FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 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

Arrival Flights on Friday 24/6/2011 Flt Route

Time

RJA JZR THY ETH UAE DHX ETD MEA MSR FDB GFA QTR JZR THY KAC JZR MSR JZR BAW KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA MEA JZR JZR MEA IYE MSR JZR KAC RBG KAC MSR UAL RJA FDB OMA KAC KAC BBC KAC JZR QTR JZR JZR MLR ETD UAE SYR GFA SVA JZR ABY ALK

642 AMMAN 267 BEIRUT 772 ISTANBUL 620 ADDIS ABABA 853 DUBAI 370 BAHRAIN 305 ABU DHABI 410 BEIRUT 614 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 211 BAHRAIN 138 DOHA 207 DAMASCUS 770 ISTANBUL 544 CAIRO 503 LUXOR 2106 CAIRO 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 416 JAKARTA / KUALA LUMPUR 541 CAIRO 206 ISLAMABAD 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 53 DUBAI 678 MUSCAT / DUBAI 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 132 DOHA 125 SHARJAH 619 LAR 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 121 BAHRAIN 406 BEIRUT 825 SANAA 623 SOHAG 509 LUXOR 618 DOHA 3553 ALEXANDRIA / SOHAG 672 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 640 AMMAN 57 DUBAI 645 MUSCAT 546 ALEXANDRIA 552 DAMASCUS 43 DHAKA 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 201 DAMASCUS 535 CAIRO 403 COLOMBO / DUBAI 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 239 AMMAN 127 SHARJAH 227 COLOMBO / DUBAI

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

JZR KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI KAC FDB JZR OMA VOS MEA KAC SVA DHX GFA FCX QTR UAL UAE RBG JZR JZR MSR DLH SAI JZR KLM JZR

177 DUBAI 166 PARIS / ROME 502 BEIRUT 542 CAIRO 213 DEIREZZOR / ALEPPO 744 DAMMAM 774 RIYADH 102 NEW YORK / LONDON 674 DUBAI 575 CHENNAI / GOA 572 MUMBAI 562 AMMAN 61 DUBAI 787 RIYADH 647 MUSCAT 81 BAGHDAD 402 BEIRUT 786 JEDDAH 506 JEDDAH 372 BAHRAIN 217 BAHRAIN 304 RIYADH 136 DOHA 981 BAHRAIN 859 DUBAI 3555 ALEXANDRIA 135 BAHRAIN 185 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 636 FRANKFURT 441 LAHORE / KARACHI 539 CAIRO 447 AMSTERDAM / BAHRAIN 481 SABIHA

18:00 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:15 19:25 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:50 20:00 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:20 20:35 21:00 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:35 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:30 23:35 23:50

Airlines MEA JZR AXB DLH AIC PIA THY ETH UAE FDB DHX MEA ETD MSR QTR THY JZR JZR MSR RJA GFA KAC JZR BAW FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC

Departure Flights on Friday 24/6/2011 Flt Route 409 BEIRUT 540 CAIRO 390 KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 982 AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI 206 LAHORE 773 ISTANBUL 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 411 BEIRUT 306 ABU DHABI 615 CAIRO 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 508 LUXOR 164 DUBAI 2107 CAIRO 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 545 ALEXANDRIA 120 BAHRAIN 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 177 FRANKFURT / GENEVA 671 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 551 DAMASCUS 256 BEIRUT 787 JEDDAH

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

KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA IRA JZR MEA KAC JZR JZR KAC MEA KAC IYE MSR RBG JZR MSR RJA FDB UAL KAC OMA KAC KAC BBC JZR KAC QTR KAC JZR JZR ETD MLR SYR UAE GFA ABY JZR SVA ALK JZR KAC KAC JAI FDB JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA SVA DHX GFA KAC QTR RBG KAC KAC FCX JZR JZR UAE UAL KAC MSR SAI

617 DOHA 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 618 LAR 200 DAMASCUS 405 BEIRUT 541 CAIRO 212 DEIREZZOR / ALEPPO 238 AMMAN 103 LONDON 407 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 825 DOHA / SANAA 624 SOHAG 3554 ALEXANDRIA 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 58 DUBAI 982 BAHRAIN 561 AMMAN 646 MUSCAT 785 JEDDAH 673 DUBAI 44 DHAKA 480 SABIHA 773 RIYADH 135 DOHA 743 DAMMAM 786 RIYADH 538 CAIRO 304 ABU DHABI 404 DUBAI / COLOMBO 342 DAMASCUS 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 184 DUBAI 511 RIYADH 228 DUBAI / COLOMBO 134 BAHRAIN 283 DHAKA 361 COLOMBO 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 528 ASSIUT 343 CHENNAI 351 COCHIN 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 507 JEDDAH 373 BAHRAIN 218 BAHRAIN 381 DELHI 137 DOHA 3556 ALEXANDRIA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 102 DUBAI 502 LUXOR 554 ALEXANDRIA 860 DUBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 411 BANGKOK / MANILA 613 CAIRO 442 LAHORE

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

9:35 9:40 9:50 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:20 11:55 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:30 12:35 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:35 13:40 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:45 14:45 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:55 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:25 16:35 16:40 17:35 17:40 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:35 19:10 19:10 20:00 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:40 23:40 23:50 23:59

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

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CHANGE OF NAME I, Rania, holder of Indian Passport No: E1093683 issued from Kuwait on 02/05/2002 D/o Mohamed Hussain Pallath residing at Pallaath house, Mookkuthala Po, Malappuram Dt, Kerala have changed by name as Rania Mohamed Hussain Pallath.

(C 3450) 18-6-2011 MATRIMONIAL Tamil Muslim girl, MCA, 25 yrs from Tamil Nadu, seeks alliance from professionally qualified, Tamil Muslim boys working in Kuwait. Contact Email: sha_kwt@yahoo.com (C 3446) 15-6-2011 Keralite Christian Anglo Indian boy B.E, 27 yrs, 175cms, working with MNC Bangalore invites suitable proposals (caste no bar).

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SITUATION WANTED Seeking job as Accountant, 10 years experience, Indian, Keralite, having own car and valid Kuwait driving license, join immediately. Contact: 99214246.

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Sports FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Goals forward Perry wins NHL’s MVP award Perry beats out Daniel Sedin for trophy LAS VEGAS: Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry crashed the Sedins’ NHL most valuable player party, winning the Hart Trophy on Wednesday night.

Perry, who scored a league-best 50 goals, was a surprise winner over scoring champion Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks, who was trying to complete an unprecedented MVP double dip after his twin brother and teammate Henrik took the honors last year. Perry’s win capped the two-hour NHL Awards ceremony. Even he said he didn’t expect to take home the trophy. Tampa Bay’s Martin St Louis was the third MVP finalist. Perry surged to the goal title, scoring 19 in his final 16 games. During that stretch, Anaheim moved from 11th to fourth in the Western Conference.

The Sedins didn’t pull off the backto-back MVP wins, but they do own the past two scoring titles. Daniel won it this season with 104 points - including 41 goals. He was second in the league with a plus-30 rating. St Louis had 68 assists, second to Henrik Sedin’s 75, and was second to Daniel Sedin with 99 points. Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom returned to the awards platform by winning his seventh Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman, beating out Nashville’s Shea Weber and Boston’s Zdeno Chara.

Lidstrom equaled Doug Harvey as a seven-time winner, one behind record-holder Bobby Orr. Lidstrom

won the award for the first time since 2008, the last of his second “threepeat.” Tim Thomas added his second Vezina Trophy to go with his recent Stanley Cup title. The Boston Bruins goalie earned top NHL honors after a stellar season that culminated in his first championship. Thomas set an NHL record for save percentage when he finished at .938, surpassing Dominik Hasek’s .937 set in the 199889 season. He also had a league-low 2.00 goals-against average and nine shutouts. Those imposing figures lifted him over fellow Vezina finalists Roberto Luongo of the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks and Nashville’s Pekka Rinne in voting by the league’s 40 general managers.

Rinne had 25 wins in 42 starts, ranking second in save percentage.

Dan Bylsma of the Pittsburgh Penguins picked up the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year, and Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks ended Pavel Datsyuk’s three-year run as Selke Trophy winner, honoring the best defensive forward. Jeff Skinner, the 19-year-old sensation of the Carolina Hurricanes, won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Bylsma was recognized for the job he did in leading the Penguins to the playoffs, despite being without star forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for much of the season.

LAS VEGAS: Anaheim’s Corey Perry poses with the Ted Lindsay Award and the Hart Memorial Trophy after winning them at the 2011 NHL Awards, Wednesday, June 22, 2011. — AFP Mike Gillis was chosen as general manager of the year after the Canucks finished with the NHL’s best regularseason record for the first time and fell one win short of their first Stanley Cup championship. St. Louis prevented Lidstrom from having a two-win night when he captured the Lady Byng Award for the second straight year. St Louis topped Detroit’s Datsyuk in 2010, ending the Red

Wings forward’s four-year run as the award winner.

St Louis had only 12 minutes in penalties during the season in which he was second in the NHL with 99 points. He has been a Lady Byng finalist six times. Lidstrom had 20 penalty minutes and 62 points, but that wasn’t enough to give him this award for the first time. Loui Eriksson of Dallas was the third finalist after he

Rugby Preview

Fiji sports prez warns NZ over travel ban WELLINGTON: The president of Fiji’s National Olympic Committee says New Zealand might be in breach of the Olympic charter if it bans Fijian players from the Rugby World Cup on political grounds. Vidya Lakhan said he had written to the International Rugby Board urging it to “put its foot down” over the New Zealand government’s plan to impose travel bans against Fiji players with military links. Lakhan said rugby had now been accepted as an Olympic sport - rugby sevens will be part of the games from 2016 - and was subject to the Olympic charter which rejects political interference in sport.

New Zealand has imposed travel sanctions against members of the Fiji military and their relatives since a military-led coup in 2006. Lakhan, who has previously called for Fiji to boycott the World Cup, told Fiji media yesterday he had outlined to the IRB his belief that rugby, as an Olympic sport, should be immune to political interference. “We are a National Olympic Committee, we are affiliated to the International Olympic Committee and as president of FASANOC, I’m required to uphold the IOC constitution and FASANOC constitution which very clearly says we will resist all pressure of politicking, racial and religious nature in sport,” Lakhan said.

“So we cannot agree to political interference in sport whether it be from the Fiji government or ... from any government.” Lakhan said he’d urged the IRB to remember “the Rugby World Cup belongs to them and they decide who will take part and who will not.” —AP

posted 73 points and eight penalty minutes - the fewest among the league’s top 50 scorers. Philadelphia Flyers forward Ian Laperriere won the NHL’s Masterton Trophy for his perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey following a likely career-ending injury in 2010.

Laperriere, who topped fellow finalists Calgary’s Daymond Langkow and Anaheim’s Ray Emery, blocked a shot with his face during last year’s playoffs, suffering a concussion and fractured orbital bone. He has said he wants to play again, but doctors don’t believe he should. Emery went through bone-graft surgery last April.

More than a year after a puck hit his spine and fractured a vertebra, Langkow returned to play on April 1.

Before the show, hundreds of fans lined up inside and outside the Palms Casino Resort to catch glimpses of their favorite hockey players walking the red carpet. “You’re a riot,” movie director Kevin Smith told “How I Met Your Mother” actress and Vancouver-native Cobie Smulders before they gave Lidstrom his award, poking fun at the Canadian city’s reaction to the Canucks’ Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup finals.

Comedian Jay Mohr also poked fun at the city, calling the riots the “elephant in the room” at the start of the show. “What an un-Canadian way to behave,” Mohr said. — AP

Quake, volcanic ash cloud influence Super play-offs

HAMILTON: In this file photo, Reds’ Will Genia is tackled by Chiefs’ Brendon Leonard in their Super Rugby match at Waikato Stadium. Scrumhalf Genia has edged Queensland Reds halves partner Quade Cooper to win the Australian Super Rugby player of the year award. — AP

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s devastating earthquake and a volcano ash cloud could be key factors when the Canterbury Crusaders and Auckland Blues host the Coastal Sharks and NSW Waratahs in this weekend’s Super rugby playoffs. The seven-times champion Crusaders, who topped the New Zealand conference without playing one true home game, host the Sharks in Nelson tomorrow a day after the Blues face the Waratahs in Auckland. The Crusaders lost the use of their home stadium to earthquake damage in February but learned to turn the ongoing quakes in their home city of Christchurch into a motivating factor as they travelled to every game.

The Sharks, however, have had a less than settled build-up as they gambled on a late arrival in New Zealand only to find their travel plans disrupted by ash from the Puyehue volcano eruption in Chile. At stake is a trip to Cape Town for a semifinal encounter with the Western Stormers, who finished second to the Queensland Reds in the regular season. The winner of the Blues-Waratahs match will play the Reds in the other semi. The Crusaders have been strengthened by the return of key backs Sonny Bill Williams and Sean Maitland from injury as well as scrum half Kahn Fotuali’i and coach Todd Blackadder warned his side was primed for finals rugby.

“The guys want to do it for the people at home who are really hurting,” said Blackadder as the New Zealand government announced thousands of people in quake-crippled Christchurch would lose their damaged houses. “Every obstacle that seems to get thrown in our way, the guys overcome it, and manage to put good performances together. “If anything we feel like we’re a little bit underdone... the guys are fit and fresh and really determined. If we get everything right we’ll be dangerous.”—AFP

Sports FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Rays power past Brewers 6-3 Another Lee shutout leads Phillies over Cards

ST LOUIS: Cliff Lee pitched his second straight shutout to guide the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-0 win over the St Louis Cardinals in Wednesday’s Major League Baseball action. Jimmy Rollins homered, then Ryan Howard followed with a two-run shot as Philadelphia powered ahead in the fourth inning. Chase Utley added an eighthinning sacrifice fly for the National League Eastleading Phillies, who’ve won 10 of 12. The Cardinals have totaled just two runs in their first two games without star slugger Albert Pujols, who is expected to miss six weeks with a fractured left wrist. It didn’t help that they’ve faced two of the game’s best pitchers in Roy Halladay and Lee, with Roy Oswalt to come Thursday as the Phillies go for the sweep. St Louis starter Kyle Lohse (7-4) worked eight innings to match his season best, allowing three runs and failing to get a single strikeout.

hitter Travis Hafner, sorely missed by the Indians when he was on the disabled list, hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Jason Hammel (4-7).

Cleveland closer Chris Perez retired Ty Wigginton - who earlier hit a two-run shot in the seventh to get the Rockies close - to end the game with the potential tying run on second, notching his 18th save.

Padres 5, Red Sox 1 In Boston, San Diego overcame Boston in a game delayed four times by rain then eventually stopped before the bottom of the eighth. Will Venable hit a leadoff home run for the Padres, who entered the game with the league’s worst batting average. They made the most of their seven hits, and benefitted from wildness by Red

this late in a season since its inaugural season in the nation’s capital in 2005. Lannan (5-5) allowed one run over 5 2-3 innings. Drew Storen pitched the ninth for his 18th save. Mariners starter Erik Bedard (4-5) got a hard-luck loss for a superb night’s work, which included 10 strikeouts; the most he’s had in three years.

Diamondbacks 3, Royals 2 In Kansas City, Ian Kennedy pitched six strong innings to help Arizona edge Kansas City.

Kennedy (8-2) allowed one run to lower his ERA to 2.90. The NL West-leading Diamondbacks scored three runs on four hits in the fifth against Jeff Francis (3-8). Xavier Nady’s double down the left-field line scored Wily Mo Pena with the first run. Willie Bloomquist, who played last year for

Rays 6, Brewers 3 In Milwaukee, Kelly Shoppach hit a two-run home run in the second and Elliot Johnson added a three-run shot in the seventh to power Tampa Bay over Milwaukee. Rays starter David Price (8-6) struck out 10 in eight innings, giving up two runs and one walk. He threw 120 pitches and still was hitting 96 mph on the radar gun in the eighth. B J Upton’s RBI single gave Tampa Bay the lead in the sixth inning. Brewers starter Shaun Marcum went only three innings after leaving his most recent start with a hip flexor injury. Reliever Marco Estrada (1-5) lost.

Reds 10, Yankees 2, 2nd game In Cincinnati, Jorge Posada ended the second-longest homer drought of his career, connecting on a two-run shot that helped New York down Cincinnati in the opening game of a double-header. Posada’s tiebreaking homer in the sixth off Mike Leake (6-4) ended his stretch of 126 at-bats without one. New York matched its season high with four straight wins. Yankees starter Freddy Garcia (6-6) gave up two unearned runs in seven innings. In the second game, Reds leadoff hitter Chris Heisey homered three times, getting Cincinnati’s slumping lineup going.

Heisey hit his first career leadoff homer. He also had two-run shots off Brian Gordon (0-1) and Hector Noesi in his first multihomer game. He became the third Reds player to homer three times in the leadoff spot, joining Pete Rose and Jay Bruce. Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto (5-2) gave up two runs, and pitched out of a basesloaded threat in the seventh, retiring Posada on a groundout to preserve a 4-1 lead.

Braves 5, Blue Jays 1 In Atlanta, Brandon Beachy had a career-high 11 strikeouts in his return from the disabled list as Atlanta completed a sweep of Toronto.

Beachy (2-1) had been on the disabled list for almost six weeks with a strained left oblique.

After one rehab appearance in the minors, the rookie returned to the Braves with a flourish, eclipsing his previous best of nine strikeouts. He had the Blue Jays completely baffled over his sixinning stint, getting all but one of his Ks on swinging strikes. Dan Uggla and Brian McCann hit two-run homers for Atlanta. Toronto starter Jo-Jo Reyes (3-6) took the loss.

Indians 4, Rockies 3 In Cleveland, Josh Tomlin came through with another quality outing to direct Cleveland to a tight win over Colorado. Tomlin (9-4) allowed five hits in 6 1-3 innings. He has gone at least six innings in 14 of 15 starts, and a minimum of five in all 27 as a major leaguer. Indians designated

MILWAUKEE: Tampa Bay Rays’ Evan Longoria throws out Milwaukee Brewers’ Casey McGehee in the fourth inning of an interleague baseball game Wednesday, June 22, 2011. — AP Sox starter John Lackey (5-6). San Diego starter Clayton Richard (3-9) lasted through both of the delays during the game, giving up one run over five innings to snap a personal five-game losing streak.

the Royals, singled home Miguel Montero and Ryan Roberts’ sacrifice bunt scored Nady with the final run. Arizona closer J.J. Putz worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his 19th save in 22 opportunities.

Tigers 7, Dodgers 5 In Los Angeles, Casper Wells opened the game with one of four home runs by Detroit, which outgunned Los Angeles. Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Don Kelly also homered for the Tigers, while Austin Jackson made an over-the-shoulder catch on Dioner Navarro’s bases-loaded drive for the final out. Detroit reliever Al Alburquerque (4-1) struck out four in 2 1-3 innings to take the win. Dodgers starter Ted Lilly (5-7) gave up six runs in 4 2-3 innings.

Giants 5, Twins 1 In San Francisco, the hosts ended Minnesota’s season-best eight-game winning streak. Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong (5-1) allowed only one unearned run in seven innings.

He would lead the majors with a 1.73 ERA if he’d had enough innings pitched; a criterium he should reach with his next start. Eli Whiteside hit a triple and a single for San Francisco, which won its first game in six. Twins starter Nick Blackburn (6-5) suffered his first loss in almost two months.

Nationals 2, Mariners 1 In Washington, John Lannan and Washington found yet another novel way to keep their winning ways going, beating Seattle with a pair of unearned runs. The Nationals scored in the first and fourth with the help of errors to win for the 10th time in 11 games. The win puts Washington at .500 for the first time

Pirates 5, Orioles 4 In Pittsburgh, Baltimore’s Blake Davis made an error in his major league debut, allowing Pittsburgh to score the tying and go-ahead runs.

Josh Harrison’s ground ball toward second base, with two outs and runners on second and third, in the fifth went through Davis’ legs, and

Brandon Wood and Michael McKenry scored on the error. Andrew McCutchen had two hits, a run and an RBI for Pittsburgh, which moved back to .500. Pirates starter Kevin Correia (9-6) tied for the major league lead in victories, while Joel Hanrahan became just the third Pittsburgh pitcher to ever record 20 saves before the Allstar break. Baltimore starter Zach Britton (6-5) has won only once since May 1. The rookie allowed five runs in seven innings. However, he also went 2 for 3 with the bat, meaning Orioles pitchers are 7 for 15 this season.

Mets 3, Athletics 2, 13 innings In New York, Oakland pitcher Brad Ziegler hit New York’s Justin Turner with a pitch with two outs in the 13th inning to force in the winning run, and the A’s six-game winning streak ended.

Lucas Duda had a one-out single in the 13th off Ziegler (2-1). Daniel Murphy singled to left. After the second out, an intentional walk loaded the bases, and Turner then was grazed on the left thigh with Ziegler’s first pitch. Mets reliever Bobby Parnell (2-1) pitched one inning in a raindelayed game that took 4 hours and ended after midnight.

Angels 6, Marlins 5, 10 innings In Miami, Mark Trumbo hit a two-out RBI single in the 10th inning, and an uncharacteristic succession of clutch hits helped Los Angeles beat Florida. Bobby Abreu walked to lead off the 10th against Burke Badenhop (1-1) and took second on a groundout. Trumbo came up with his third hit of the game when his hard grounder took a hop past the shortstop and a sliding Abreu scored. The Angels went 5 for 14 with runners in scoring position after going 2 for 26 in those situations in the first two games of the series. The Marlins have lost 12 consecutive games decided by one run, a franchise worst.

They’re 2-20 in June, tying the franchise record for most losses in a month, and 1-2 since 80year-old Jack McKeon took over as interim manager. Angels right fielder Torii Hunter left the game in the fifth inning with bruised ribs after hitting the wall while making a running catch.

Angels reliever Jordan Walden (1-1) got the win and Michael Kohn pitched a perfect 10th for his first save in two chances.

Astros 5, Rangers 3 In Arlington, Texas, Matt Downs had a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift Houston over state rival Texas. The Astros had four runs off Rangers closer Neftali Feliz (01). Carlos Lee greeted Feliz with a double and scored on a double by Chris Johnson before a single by Jason Michaels. Johnson scored on a passed ball before Downs’ homer; the first by any Astros player in nine games. Houston’s Mark Melancon (5-1) pitched a perfect ninth to end it and take the win.

White Sox 4, Cubs 3 In Chicago, Jake Peavy returned to get the victory, guiding the White Sox over their Chicago crosstown rival. Peavy (3-1), returning from a groin strain, went 5 1-3 innings, leaving after giving up a homer and three straight singles that pulled the Cubs within a run. Reliever Chris Sale loaded the bases but induced a grounder to end the inning, and White Sox closer Sergio Santos pitched the ninth with two strikeouts for his 14th save in 16 chances. Cubs starter Doug Davis (1-6) allowed four runs in five innings, including a two-run triple by A J Pierzynski. The White Sox have won 17 straight interleague series. — AP

Sports FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Kerr looks to repeat at LPGA Championship PITTSFORD: American Cristie Kerr will attempt to become the fifth back-to-back winner at this week’s $2.5 million LPGA Championship, the second major championship of the LPGA season. World number two Kerr posted a 12-stroke win last year at the Locust Hill Country Club. “In so many ways, it was a perfect tournament,” Kerr said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to top that, but I’ll try. You’ve got to try.” The LPGA Championship kicks off a five week stretch in the season where three majors will be contended.

The event features an elite field of 150 players who will tee off in later yesterday’s opening round.

Previous winners of the second longest running tournament in LPGA history, include, Mickey Wright, Betsy King, Laura Davies, Annika Sorenstam and Se Ri Pak. Kerr was the leader after every round last year and shot 19-under 269 to match the lowest score in relation to par in a women’s major. The 2007 US Women’s Open champion clinched the win with a six-under 66, finishing 12-shots ahead of South Korean Kim Songhee, tied for the second-largest win in the history of major championships.

“I had imagined it,” Kerr said. “We all saw Tiger Woods win by 15 at Pebble Beach. I watched that and said, ‘Well, why not?’ You always think about it, but that and imagining it would happen are probably two different things, but you always kind of wish for it. I guess I wished for it because it happened.” She is looking forward to the challenge. “I would like to defend,” Kerr said. “That’s a fun goal to be able to go and try and accomplish. I’m going to try and follow what I did last year, not put pressure on myself, try to see if I can duplicate some kind of performance that I did last year.” But Kerr has not won since her triumph at Locust Hill. The LPGA Championship begins a fiveweek span that also includes the US Women’s Open, Evian Masters, and British Open in succession. “I like to play,” said Kerr. “I feel like I’m ready for competition when I’m playing a lot, and there were certainly a lot of breaks at the beginning of the year. — AFP

VALENCIA: A crew member of the Ferrari team works with the tires at the Valencia street circuit, yesterday.

Europe’s Formula One Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, June 26. — AP

KINGSTON: India’s Virat Kohli, center, is congratulated by teammates after taking the catch to dismiss West Indies’ batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan for a duck in the second innings during the third day of their first cricket Test match, Wednesday June 22, 2011. — AP

Exhausted Dravid digs deep to put India ahead India set Windies 326 after Dravid century

KINGSTON: Rahul Dravid admitted that age may now be catching up with him, testing his resolve and durability in the longer form of the game. The former Indian captain, who scored his 32nd Test hundred against West Indies on the third day of the first Test at Sabina Park on Wednesday, admitted it had been a physically demanding exercise. “It was tough physically,” he said.

“I came here just three days ago. The jet lag, getting up early morning, having not played a Test for a long time, and playing in these hot conditions has been very tiring.”

Dravid batted for close to seven hours, hitting 10 fours and a six in 112 from 274 balls, anchoring India to 252 in their second innings, leaving West Indies to pursue 326 for victory. “You could do as much physical workout; do the bike and gym and run laps of ground, but the sheer effort of batting and fielding and staying on the field and then immediately come to bat, needs practice,” he said.

“I sweat a lot, so physically it’s always been a contest for me. That’s why I have to work harder on my fitness for I know the way I bat, I have to stay in for long periods.

“But it was a big Test match, and I was fired up, I felt as if I was in my space. Hopefully, we can win the Test and get a day’s rest.” Dravid was a pillar of defiance, knocking the resolve out of a purposeful West Indies, but his example failed to resonate to some of the other batsmen. “I try telling them (the youngsters) to weather the storm; go through the intensity of a spell which might last eight, 10 or 12 overs,” he said.

“You fight your way, and then it becomes easy. It’s easy to get caught up when things around you are buzzing with noise; balls are flying, and spinners are getting big help. You then start thinking it’s hard. But if you last it

out, it becomes easier.” He added: “(On Wednesday) in the morning, Ravi Rampaul kept it tight. I knew I had to go through that spell. You need to back yourself; need to enjoy the contest.

It’s going to get easier and then you must be there to capitalise on it. “I remember in Johannesburg (in 1997), Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock were bowling a great spell, and I thought it was really tough, and I would never be able to play. You need to get through it, fight your way, grit your teeth.

Suddenly, it gets easier.” Dravid indicated that the lack of support from the other batsmen did very little to make his mind waver. “It doesn’t make a difference to me what’s happening at the other end. My job is to focus,” he said.

“But when you lose wickets, it’s the opposition who picks up. When a new batsman comes in, you know the rivals

have got their game together, and there would be another 12 to 14 overs of intensity.” Dravid praised West Indies for the intensity that they showed throughout the day, making him draw on his wealth of experience to bring the best out of him. “I love the contest,” he said.

“When you are back to the wall, it improves your concentration, your focus. It helped me focus my mind, get it in the right place, and I felt in control.

“For long periods of time, I didn’t score many runs, but considering the pitch, it probably was the right thing.” At the end of it all, Dravid believed that his side held most, if not all the aces, with West Indies needing 195 more runs with seven second innings wickets standing. “If we get early wickets, we can run through them,” he said. “But we know Shivnarine Chanderpual is a dangerous player. — AFP

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard at the close of play on the third day of the first test between West Indies and India at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica yesterday: India first innings 246 India second innings (overnight 91-3) A. Mukund c Baugh b Bishoo 25 M. Vijay lbw b Rampaul 0 R. Dravid c Sarwan b Bishoo 112 V. Laxman c & b Sammy 0 V. Kohli c Baugh b Edwards 15 S. Raina c Sammy b Bishoo 27 M. Dhoni c Edwards b Bishoo 16 Harbhajan Singh lbw b Sammy 5 P. Kumar b Sammy 0 A. Mishra c Bravo b Sammy 28 I. Sharma not out 5 Extras (b-8 lb-2 nb-9) 19 Total (all out, 94.5 overs) 252 Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-56 3-57 4-100 5148 6-166 7-183 8-183 9-239 10-252 Bowling: F. Edwards 20-1-70-1 (nb-6), R. Rampaul 22-3-49-1, D. Sammy 27-

11-52-4, D. Bishoo 24.5-2-265-4-0 (nb3), B Nash 1-0-6-0.

West Indies second innings A. Barath c Raina b Kumar 38 L. Simmons b Sharma 27 R. Sarwan c Kohli b Sharma 0 D. Bravo not out 30 S. Chanderpaul not out 24 Extras (lb-12) 12 Total (for three wickets, 33 overs)131 Still to bat: B. Nash, C. Baugh, D. Sammy, R. Rampaul, D. Bishoo, F. Edwards Fall of wickets: 1-62 2-63 3-80 Bowling: P. Kumar 9-1-27-1, I Sharma 8-2-41-2, A Mishra 4-0-23-0, Harbhajan Singh 6-1-19-0, S. Raina 6-1-9-0.

Sports FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Serena in 3rd round after beating Halep

Powers through after slow start LONDON: Defending champion Serena Williams got another useful 107 minutes under her belt as she sharpened up with an ultimately comfortable 3-6 6-2 6-1 victory over Simona Halep yesterday. The American seventh seed, just four matches into her comeback after 49 weeks out through injury and serious health issues, was initially blown off her stride by the tenacious Romanian

teenager before breezing into the third round. Dispatched to Court Two, the atmospheric sunken bowl in the heart of the All England Club, the 29-year-old resembled a powerful sports car without enough room to manoeuvre in the early stages as Halep struck the ball with real freedom.

Despite being largely outplayed in the opener, there was never a sense

WIMBLEDON: Serena Williams of the US reacts after defeating Romania’s Simona Halep in their match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships yesterday. — AP

of panic and once she began middling the ball sweetly she moved smoothly through the gears. “It was a little windy out there today and I was a little tight,” the American, who has only once failed to reach the third round in 44 grand slam appearances, said courtside. “I just want to play longer matches so I can get more practise,” added Williams, who had sobbed into her towel after also needing three sets to beat Aravane Rezai on Tuesday.

The trauma of a calamitous 11 months in which she first lacerated her foot on broken glass and then suffered life-threatening blood clots on her lung overwhelmed her in the first round but this was much more like the old steely Williams. While the 19 unforced errors she committed will be a minor concern, her swings were clean off both wings and her serve was grooved despite the gusty conditions. The 58th ranked Halep, playing her first Wimbledon, offered enough to suggest she can rise higher in the rankings. She began with real intent and capitalised on some wayward play from her opponent to break for 3-1 when a Williams backhand whistled over the baseline.

Leading 5-2, Halep slipped while pushing off to return serve and gingerly held her knee. However, it did not appear to effect her level and another Williams backhand error gave her the first set. Former French Open junior champion Halep, who had breast reduction surgery in 2009 to help her mobility, received lengthy treatment on her knee while Williams put back on her white cardigan and limbered up near the umpire’s chair.

Once play resumed the match quickly turned in Williams’ favour. Halep suddenly began hitting the net with her groundstrokes and Williams needed no second invitation to seize control.

Williams squandered three match points at 5-0 in a one-sided third set but made no mistake in the following game when she powered down a first serve to end the contest. She will play 26th seed Maria Kirilenko in the next round. — Reuters

Kirilenko knocks out Tamarine LONDON: Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn crashed out of her 15th Wimbledon yesterday when she was beaten 7-5, 7-5 by Russian 26th seed Maria Kirilenko in the second round. Tamarine would have earned a shot at defending champion Serena Williams in the third round if she had been able to see off Kirilenko, but she slumped to defeat despite breaking to go ahead in both sets. The 34-year-old, now in the twilight of her career, is ranked a lowly 108th in the world, but she has always thrived on grass and reached the semi-finals at Nottingham earlier this month.

She then came through three rounds of qualifying to secure her 15th consecutive appearance in the Wimbledon main draw, a record she shares with fivetime champion Venus Williams. Bangkok-based

Tamarine reached her only Grand Slam quarter-final here in 2008 when she was beaten by Venus. But Russian glamour girl Kirilenko, who has earned more headlines for her looks than achievements on-court to date, proved too strong an opponent.

Tamarine served for the first set with a 5-4 lead.

However, she missed a set point and Kirilenko took advantage to break back before winning the set with another break when Tamarine tamely netted a forehand. Tamarine broke for a 2-1 lead in the second set, only for Kirilenko hit back to level at 4-4. The Russian had five match points as Tamarine tried to take the set into a tie-break and, although the Thai saved them all, Kirilenko finally converted her sixth to set up a clash with Serena in the last 32. — AFP

WIMBLEDON: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic leaps in the air during the match against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships yesterday. — AP

Djokovic downs Kevin Anderson LONDON: Novak Djokovic continued his red-hot form with a straight sets victory over South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in the second round at Wimbledon yesterday. The Serbian second seed did not take the match without a fight as Anderson showed plenty of determination but was too good for the world number 36 in a 63, 6-4, 6-2 win on Court 1 which took just under two hours. Despite Anderson’s efforts, Djokovic, who has only lost one match all year, outclassed his opponent at both the baseline and the net. Djokovic faces either Cypriot number 32 seed Marcos Baghdatis or Italy’s Andreas Seppi in the third round.

“I served well, I played well, I returned really well. That was the key,” Djokovic said. “Every tennis player is looking for perfection all the time, trying to play the best possible tennis. “Even though I may be hard on myself sometimes I’m satisfied with my performance.” Twice a semifinalist here, if Djokovic reaches the Wimbledon final or if Spain’s Rafael Nadal does not retain the title, the Serb is guaranteed to become the world number one. Anderson took a while to get his game going, with

Djokovic racing into a 5-0 lead.

The South African number one then got it back to 5-3, breaking the Serb, and held off two set points with excellent returns before Djokovic finally sealed the set. The second set went with serve to 3-3 as Anderson dug in but Djokovic then took the next two games without conceding a point. The South African had a 0-30 lead in the next game but Djokovic recovered to take the set. The world number two broke in the first game of the third set and though Anderson took the third game to love, Djokovic won a key game to make it 4-2 and did not look back from there.

Anderson and qualifier Rik de Voest were both bidding to become the first South African to reach the third round at Wimbledon since Wayne Ferreira in 2004. Kevin Curren holds the record for the best performance by a South African man at Wimbledon, reaching the 1983 semifinals. He reached the 1985 final competing under the US flag. De Voest, 31, ranked 147 in the world, was facing Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez, who knocked out Ukrainian 22nd seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in the first round. — AFP

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FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

SAO PAULO: Brazil’s Santos players pose with the Copa Libertadores trophy after defeating Uruguay’s Penarol 2-1 in a soccer match final, Wednesday, June 22, 2011. — AP

Santos claim Libertadores Cup End of match marred by on-field brawl SAO PAULO: Having wrapped up the Copa Libertadores title for Santos on Wednesday, talented Brazilian youngsters Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso are already eyeing off their upcoming challenges. Ganso helped set up Neymar’s goal that opened the way for Santos’ 2-1 victory over Uruguay’s Penarol on Wednesday, giving the Brazilian club its third title in the Latin American competition, the first since Pele was its biggest star in the 1960s.

Yesterday, the pair traveled to Argentina to join the Brazilian squad preparing for the upcoming Copa America, where the Selecao will be aiming for a third straight victory in the continental championship. “It’s time to go after my third South American title,” said the 19-year-old Neymar, who earlier this year led Brazil to the continental under-20 title. Then, at the end of the year, the talented young Brazilians could be facing the might of European champion Barcelona in the Club World Cup. “We still have a few months to go before we get there, but it’s going to be interesting,” Neymar said. Santos coach Muricy Ramalho is hoping both players choose to stay with Santos for an encounter with the likes of Lionel Messi, even though it will be hard for both club and player to resist the huge transfer offers from some of Europe’s biggest clubs. “It will be difficult to play against Barcelona even with these two guys in the team, imagine without them,” he said.

Since emerging as teenagers a couple of years ago, Neymar and Ganso helped the club win the Brazilian Cup in 2009 and back-to-back Sao Paulo state championships in 2010 and ‘11.

The Copa Libertadores was the major title missing. “This title puts this generation in the history books,” the 21-year-old Ganso said. “We are making history with another title, with a groups of young winners, young fighters who honor Santos’ jersey.” Ganso returned to the starting lineup on Wednesday after more than a month sidelined because of a right thigh muscle injury. He started the play that led to Neymar’s goal

with a nifty back-heel pass to midfielder Arouca, who then found Neymar inside the area.

Santos became known for the first time because of Pele, and more recently it exported young talents such as Robinho and Diego to top teams across the world. The team led by Robinho in 2003 lost the Copa Libertadores final to Boca Juniors of Argentina. “We have to thank these young guys for giving us this title,” Pele said, with tears in his eyes as the players celebrated around him.

Ugly scenes erupted at the final whistle, however, as players, both benches and fans who found their way onto the pitch staged a full-scale brawl, repeating the spectre of violence that marred earlier finals. “That’s something (that comes) from those you don’t like losing,” Neymar told reporters. Santos succeeded fellow Brazilians Internacional as South American champions and earned a place in the Club World Cup in December. Pele, who inspired Santos to their first two titles in his 1960s heyday, went onto the pitch at the end to embrace Ramalho and Santos players.

“Neymar is very talented and he did not have a good first half because Penarol have a good defence,” Pele said. The gifted 19-year-old, regarded by many as a capable heir to Pele for Santos and Brazil, broke the deadlock less than two minutes into the second half. Indefatigable midfielder Arouca exchanged passes with playmaker Ganso and rode several tackles on a run across the edge of the box before feedong the ball to Neymar, who hit a low shot under goalkeeper Sebastian Sosa. Danilo doubled the advantage in the 69th minute, racing into the box from the right onto a pass by Elano before steering a fine, low left-footed shot past Sosa just inside the far post.

Battling Penarol, who won the last of their five titles in 1987, got back into the contest 10 minutes later via an own goal by central defender Durval, whose attempt to block a cross lobbed up over goalkeeper Rafael into the net. — Agencies

Owners, coaches charged in match-fixing ATHENS: Felony charges were issued yesterday against 15 people, including two Greek Super League owners, who authorities say were involved in a massive football matchfixing scandal which has rocked the financially-stripped sport. Ten of those charged had been arrested Wednesday in a coordinated operation in several parts of Greece.

Among the charges were involvement in criminal activities, fraud, extortion, money laundering, illegal gambling and illegal possession of firearms. Heading the list of those charged were Super League club owners Achilleas Beos of Olympiakos Volos and Stavros Psomiadis of Kavala and coach of Kavala Giannis Papakostas.

The charges came after a prosecutor’s investigation which began in October last year and lasted until January of this year, producing 93,000 pages of case files from 93 suspects. A numer of players were also summoned for questioning. Greek judicial authorities began the investigation after a list of 41 suspicious matches were submitted to the country’s football federation by European football’s ruling body UEFA. The list included two matches from the Super League and many from the second division. Two owners from second division clubs, Giorgos Tsakoyiannis of Ilioupoli and Nikos Pantelis of Ethnikos Asteras were also among those charged yesterday.—AFP

Sports FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2011

Ashley Young joins Manchester United LONDON: England international Ashley Young has joined Premier League champions Manchester United on a five-year contract, his former club Aston Villa announced yesterday.

Young, capped 15 times by his country, underwent a medical Wednesday and the transfer, worth in the region of £16-20 million ($25-32 million), was completed yesterday. He becomes the second pre-season signing at Old Trafford after Sir Alex Ferguson brought England Under-21 international defender Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers for £16.5 million.

Young, a 25-year-old midfielder, joined Villa from Watford in January 2007 and went on to make 190 appearances in all competitions for the Birmingham club, scoring 38 goals.

“Ashley has made a terrific contribution for Villa over the past four-and-a-half seasons and everyone at the club wishes him the best for the future,” recently-appointed Villa manager Alex McLeish said. “He has become an important player in the England team during that time and I’m sure he will be looking forward to the challenge,” McLeish also told Villa’s official website.— AFP

KUWAIT: Japanese player Nagai Kensuke (center) fights for the ball with Kuwaiti players Ahmad Al-Rashidi (right) and Abdullah Abdullah, during the second round 2012 London Olympic preliminaries yesterday. Kuwait lost in the First League match in Tokyo, Japan last week 3-1 but won the match 2-1 yesterday in Kuwait City, but it was just not enough.

Kuwait could not qualify for the Group Stage in the second round. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

US, Mexico to meet in Gold Cup final LONDON: In this file photo, England’s Ashley Young is seen during the international soccer friendly against Hungary at Wembley Stadium. — AP

Chicago held at home by Salt Lake BRIDGEVIEW: Chicago’s unbeaten streak reached six matches as it was held to a predictable goalless draw at home against Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer on Wednesday. In a game matching the team with the most draws in the league Chicago _ against a defense-minded visitor which has conceded by far the fewest goals of any team - Salt Lake - a 0-0 draw always loomed as the most likely result. The Fire got its fourth scoreless draw of the season and remains unbeaten in five games since Frank Klopas replaced Carlos de los Cobos as head coach. Salt Lake had its third scoreless draw of the season and is winless in its past four.

Philadelphia Union 0, Sporting Kansas City 0 In Chester, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia was held in check by Sporting Kansas City but a point was enough to see it move equal top of the Eastern Conference. The Union is unbeaten in eight home games, and moved level with New York on 23 points. Philadelphia outshot Sporting 7-1 and controlled the tempo for much of the second half, creating several good chances. In the 72nd minute, Carlos Ruiz’s header glanced off the crossbar. —AP

HOUSTON: The United States will meet Mexico for a third straight Gold Cup final after the two regional powers won hard-fought semifinals on Wednesday.

The hosting Americans edged Panama 1-0 with a goal from Clint Dempsey, while Mexico needed extra time and goals from Aldo de Nigris and Javier Hernandez to see off Honduras 2-0.

The US avenged a shock loss to Panama in the group stage; their first ever loss to the central American nation and their first ever defeat in a Gold Cup group-stage game. Fulham forward Dempsey, who also scored in the Americans’ 2-0 win over Jamaica in the quarterfinals, said the team proved its resolve in the hard-fought rematch.

“We showed our quality in being able to grind out a result even though it wasn’t our best game,” Dempsey said.

Freddy Adu made a long-awaited return to the American team in the second half, and set up the winning goal with a long, slanting pass to Landon Donovan, who threaded a pass through the Panama defense to Dempsey who slid in to knock the ball into the corner of the net. “It was a great ball from Freddy to open up Landon,” Dempsey said. “All I had to do was put my foot on it.” Donovan began on the bench for the second straight game, and joined the action in the second half to play his

27th straight Gold Cup match, extending the record he already held.

Panama lost to the Americans in the knockout stage for the fourth straight time. Coach Julio Dely Valdes said his team surprised the Americans in their match 11 days ago, and the US was more focused this time. “It was a very intense game, very few chances for both teams,” Dely Valdes said. “I’m pleased with my team’s performance, they fought until the very end.” In the later game, Mexico was frustrated by the hard-tackling Hondurans and the 90 minutes ended scoreless. Mexico’s opponent in Saturday’s final will be the United States, which earlier beat Panama 1-0. It will be the third straight Gold Cup final between the two regional powers. In the third minute of extra time, de Nigris put Mexico ahead following a corner, and Manchester United forward Hernandez used his right hip to knock in another corner six minutes later to make it 2-0, delighting the 70,000-strong mainly pro-Mexico crowd. Hernandez leads the tournament with seven goals, the secondmost ever in a single Gold Cup. Mexico’s Luis Roberto Alves scored 11 in 1993. The young man dubbed ‘Chicharito’ was expecting a tough challenge against Mexico’s northern neighbor. “They are a complicated

rival,” Hernandez said. “We have to rest up, enjoy this victory and then we’ll think about them beginning tomorrow.” Both teams played a physical game, with Honduras getting 10 yellow cards and Mexico three. Roger Espinoza picked up two yellows in quick time in the second period of extra time.

“We knew it would be tough,” Mexico coach Jose Manuel de La Torre said. “Our team struggled to find the spaces we were looking for, sometimes because of us being imprecise but also because of the rival. But little by little we found them.” Honduras coach Luis Fernando Suarez acknowledged that his team wore down in the extra period. “We were always looking to attack,” he said. “We need time to become stronger. It’s not just 90 minutes, but 120 minutes.” Mexico and the US have won nine of the 10 Gold Cups contested since the biennial tournament took its current form in 1991. The United States beat El Tri 2-1 in 2007, and Mexico won 5-0 in the 2009 final. The Mexicans have progressed to the final despite five players - goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defenders Francisco Rodriguez and Edgar Duenas, and midfielders Christian Bermudez and Antonio Naelson - being suspended before the tournament for positive tests for clenbuterol.— AP